#we love a long canon marauders fic with Jily & Wolfstar!

[blitheringmcgonagall]

Asfhjljgffhj!! Me right now: *beaming in a proud of my children/pets sort of a way*

Thank you anon! @cforbes it was reading great but unfinished fics like TLAT and “Alright, Evans” that made me wish for a finished one that went right up to 1981 (but with Wolfstar and Jily both star players!) - so much so, I ended up deciding to write one, because at the time I couldn’t find any!! I hope you enjoy these 🥰🥰🥰

For Jily+Wolfstar epics I would recommend The Price We Pay by @possessingtheproperspirit or The Mapmakers by @dizzy--bird or We Can Be Heroes by @blitheringmcgonagall

Oh god thank you so much you kind soul!

[my-castles-crumbling]

Ayyy new intro and masterlist!

Intro:

Name: We're gonna go with Cas. Haha, get it? Like, My-CAStles-crumbling? Yeah.

Age: Younger than Taylor Swift, older than Conan Gray. That's all you get <3

Pronouns: They/them/she (But at this point I mean if you use he I honestly don't care.)

queer/demi/pan/I don't even know. Married.

Fandoms: Marauders with a side of drarry.

Ships: Jegulus, Jegulily, wolfstar, rosekiller, pandalily, dorlene, drarry.

Music: Taylor Swift, Conan Gray, Olivia Rodrigo

Writing: I love writing microfics, and my requests are open! I just don't write explicit (hahaha that changed) or xReader.

Fic List:

Note- I am writing all fic ratings. If you are a minor, please take heed.

My Fics:

Clandestine - Rated M - jegulus, background wolfstar - unfinished but currently 32k words - AU-everyone lives/nobody dies/no Voldemort - mostly Regulus's POV as he attends Hogwarts - Trans reggie

Long Story Short - Rated M - dorlene, wolfstar, jegulus, background rosekiller and pandalily - completed - 152k - AU-everyone lives/nobody dies/no Voldemort - A longfic with a long explanation? Basically how hurt/comfort leads to the three main pairings.

Three Hundred Takeout Coffees Later - Rated M - wolfstar - completed - 4.5k - AU-coffee shop/muggle - fluff, love, healing

The Plan - Rated G - wolfstar - completed - 1k - AU-everyone lives/nobody dies/no Voldemort - Wolfstar proposal

Of Firewhiskey and Stupid Speeches - Rated T - drarry - completed - 1.5k - Eighth Year - Hurt/comfort - Pre-Slash

Bad Press - Rated T - drarry - completed - 1k - Eighth year - mostly fluff

Stuck - Rated T - drarry - completed - 2k - Eighth year - hurt/comfort

You Asked For It - Rated G - completed - 1.5k - Marauders friendship mostly - Pre-Wolfstar - Sirius and James and nerf guns

The Deeply Threatening Physical Attributes of Werewolves - Rated T - Marauders friendship with some wolfstar - completed - 1k - James, Peter, and Sirius making Remus laugh

Slow Hands - Rated E - wolfstar - completed - 5k - Sirius realizing he loves Remus, smut ensues.

Whoops. - Rated T - jegulus - completed - 2k - AU-University/Muggle - Regulus is a TA for Professor Monty Potter. What happens when he goes to the Potter Christmas Party?

Mistletoe - Rated G - Jegulus - completed - 1k - James has a plan to finally kiss Regulus.

Warmth - Rated G - Jegulus - completed - 1k - Holiday fluff

Noises - Rated E - Jegulus - completed - 2k - it's just smut, guys

Fic Recs: (All of these are completed)

☆ = has at least some smut , 💔 = MCD, major triggers, or some sort of warning

I'm not putting anything that's pure smut...some of my real-life friends follow me so I don't think I'd live it down. If you want pure smut recs and are over 18, message me.

💔All The Young Dudes - Rated M - wolfstar and jily - 526k - Canon compliant - Necessary read as a part of the fandom, a masterpiece

💔☆ Show Me Everything I Missed - no rating, but I'd give it E - wolfstar - completed - 153k- AU - Remus and Sirius working through trauma - So many trigger warnings, but I really liked it

☆ Sweater Weather - Rated E - wolfstar - 156k - AU - Okay I think hockey is stupid but when these boys play it <3

just lovers (like we were supposed to be) - Rated M - jegulus, background wolfstar, dorlene, and marylily - 321k - AU- no voldemort - fake dating trope - literally perfection

lessen my load - Rated T - wolfstar, dorlene, jily - 73k - AU- Muggle - one of my comfort fics

☆The PB to my J - rated E - wolfstar, background jily - 63k - AU-textfic - we love a good text fic

Across the Hall - rated T - wolfstar, background jily - 41k - AU-textfic - This made me kick and scream and giggle

quite like us - Rated T - jegulus, background wolfstar - 67k - AU-textfic - I just...it's wonderful, perfect, lovely

Best Friend's Brother - Rated M - jegulus and wolfstar - 330k - AU-muggle - such twists and turns I love them

☆ The Barista, the Burglar, and the Sofa - Rated E - wolfstar, background jily- 21k - AU-Muggle/Coffee shop - I just love the concept of this one

my almost lover - Rated T - jegulus - 28k - AU-no voldemort - miscommunication trope

Blue Sheets - Rated T - drarry - 4k - fluff/drunk Harry is an idiot

☆Falling for a Golden Boy - Rated E - drarry - 45k - eighth year- guys it's the weirdest concept but Harry and Draco as characters from Hercules works, okay?

Potter - Rated T - drarry - 9k - Eighth year - Draco's friends make fun of him and it gets adorably out of hand

touch starved - Rated M - jegulus - 4k - soft boys

Inevitable - Rated T - drarry - 11k - Draco and Harry make a "if we're not married by the rime we're 40" pact

💔Like Real People Do - rated T - wolfstar - 37k - AU-coffee shop/muggle - Sirius raises Harry and meets Remus in a coffee shop

☆💔Let's Play Pretend - rated E - wolfstar - 70k - AU-muggle - Sirius raises Harry, Remus raises Teddy, fake dating

Remus Lupin is the Number One James Potter Cosplayer - Rated T - wolfstar - 8k - AU-Muggle - miscommunication trope

This took me an hour and a half...someone please use it lol

[moonytoast-x]

my lovely collection of fanfic recs summarized by yours truly <3

✨all the young dudes✨: canon, complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/10057010/chapters/22409387

dress up in you: muggle au, remus is a hot bassist and sirius is so gay for him, complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/13990401/chapters/32213229

atyd sirius pov: self explanatory (complete work) https://archiveofourown.org/works/34577035

text talk: muggle au, text fic, remus has chronic illness and sirius texted the wrong number, complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/1651109/chapters/3501239

you wouldn't like me: muggle au, trans sirius, wolfstar, set in like 2005, very vibes, complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/45502642/chapters/11449071

blends: coffee shop au wolfstar <3 (complete work) https://archiveofourown.org/works/7869079/chapters/17970910

on another ocean: wolfstar goes on a trip across europe together and has incredible sexual tension, complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/39128118/chapters/117226243#workskin

choices: jegulus/jegulily, mostly canon compliant, takes place during hogwarts years all through the war (REALLY FUCKING SAD WATCH OUT), complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/30170643/chapters/74332617

tigerlily and wolfsbane: lily pov of hogwarts years https://archiveofourown.org/works/33079969/chapters/82118059

wading in waist high waters: gbbo au wolfstar, sexual tension, sirius used to be in a boyband, remus is a welsh nerd (I love him), complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/36896740/chapters/92052442

dear your holiness: remus is a priest and a bassist and sirius is incredibly gay and also confused, complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/35105491/chapters/87450694

the hand that feeds: canon compliant dorlene (be prepared to sob), complete work, theres also a part two that focuses on emmeline vance and mary https://archiveofourown.org/works/38287942/chapters/95669569

nothing fades like the light: zombie cowboy jegulus, shortish, so sAD, has some black brother feels </3 (complete work) https://archiveofourown.org/works/43550415/chapters/109497873

bury our secrets shallow: marauders+slythershits muggle small town au with black brothers sorting their shit out, also wolfstar and jegulus I think (complete work) https://archiveofourown.org/works/49550836/chapters/128345881#workskin

bird set free: wolfstar figure skating and all the sexual tension (major second hand embarrassment but it's kinda funny the second time you read it), complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/44271820/chapters/112378375#workskin

like real people do: muggle au where remus has epilepsy and works at a coffee shop, and sirius is raising harry bc jily still died (😭😭😭) and they fall in love, complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/44399764/chapters/111670651

crimson rivers: hunger games au, really long, really fucking angsty, SO GOOD, complete work https://href.li/?https://archiveofourown.org/works/39760044

we can take it out back if you promise to give me a kiss after you take me down: rosekiller muggle au, wip, they're dramatic little shits and theyre going thru it https://archiveofourown.org/works/50777170/chapters/128269429

just lovers: no war au with starchaser and marylily and rosekiller and wolfstar and general happiness and wholesomeness, complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/38344720

intermission: cute rosekiller side plot from just lovers (your honor I love them), complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/39437451/chapters/98704770#workskin

I'm not gonna teach him how to dance with you: rosekiller trying to stop barty from getting into an arranged marriage, in canon-without-the-war, lots of slythershit shenanigans, complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/41378289/chapters/103762113

annoying: rosekiller wrong number text fic (like text talk but even funnier and less wolfstar), complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/44115820/chapters/121605580#workskin

kill your darlings: college hockey au, jegulus and wolfstar and marylily and barty x evan x cerci, very angsty most times, truly amazing, complete work https://archiveofourown.org/works/40038048/chapters/100269270

[kquil]

HELP?

i have a series that i've been planning on and off for the past year or so and i've finally got the first chapter written. being my perfectionist self, i feel as though i need to keep planning some more things but there's a part of me that really wants to just get started and, sort of, force myself to begin or else i'll never get the series written since there isn't that sense of urgency or encouragement to keep going when i have other things to do

the series is called: Divorcing Orion Black

it'll be my take on a Harry Potter fix-it-fic set in the marauder's era where reader is transferred into the Harry Potter universe and forced to replace Walburga Black, her main aim is to give sirius and regulus a better life by being a better mother than Walburga ever was. But, it's never easy considering the limited knowledge people have on the marauders era and because... the true Walburga never really...left?

the focus will be on platonic relationships as well as all the comfort and fluff in the world considering how dark and sad and angsty the marauders era characters' destiny ended up being

potential series summary : You just got transferred into the world of Harry Potter and you've been put into the shoes of Walburga Black. Splendid… You need to escape this toxic family so your first order of business is divorce AND YOU'RE DEFINITELY TAKING THE KIDS!

tags : son sirius black/mother reader ; son regulus black/mother reader ; isekai au/transfering worlds au ; walburga black is evil ; not reader though hehe~ ; hurt/comfort ; fluff ; platonic fluff ; second chances ; reader basically adopts remus, barty crouch jr and peter pettigrew ; peter pettigrew redemption arc? ; but he never betrays the marauders in the first place so... ; remus gets a better life ; reader becomes a semi-political figure to help werewolves + house elves ; reader assumes a male alias ; alternating chapters from different povs directly effected by reader's actions ; reader is a powerful independent business woman and single mother ; reader is a milf ; reader secretly hates dumbledore ; reader hates orion black ; reader hates JKR (we all do) ; divorce ; mentions of child abuse (physical and mental and emotional) ; mentions of neglect ; angry reader ; canon jily ; mentions of wolfstar ; regulus being a precious baby ; sirius has his moments too ; reader being a powerful trio with minerva and pomfrey ; reader potentially adopting the black sisters (bellatrix, andromeda and narcissa) ; reader adopts everyone! ; there'll be ocs ; reader leaves to live her dream cottagecore life ; happy ending! ; i'll add more tags in the future

fair warning ; this series is not gonna be canon compliant, naturally, reader will make sure of that haha!

i predict that the series will be around 25 to 30 chapters long? maybe more?

if i post the series now, i'll aim to post a new chapter per month, on the first day of every month

if i post the series next year/2026, i'll try to make sure i'm able to post twice per month (one chapter per two weeks)

taglist : @melinajenkins @aastonishment @until-i-found-you @corp0real @celestcies @lovelydoveval @inlovewithremusjohnlupin @calums-betch @futurecorps3 @hihihi1112 @simpingforthe80s @yrluvjane @chaosofmanyfandoms @storyofaromance @loving-and-dreaming @somewereinthegalaxi @ashreblogsficshere @cassandra-nerezza-black @stray-bi-kids @ttkttt @notasadgirlipromise @desikudisworld @volturissideslut @arilxup88 @ghostgardn @rosalyn-s @seungtelevision @raevyng @rosaleenablack @samanddeansannoyingsis @marina468 @mess-is-my-aesthetic @zesnuts

[seriouslysam8]

I like that in your fic, you have the most canon compliant Remus dynamic with Jily and the rest of the marauders. In canon Sirius and Remus were the most distant marauders with both thinking the other was the traitor. In canon Remus was the marauder Lily had less relationship, considering Lily had a nickname for Peter(Wormy) in her letter to Sirius and doesn't mention Lupin. In a sense in the marauders Lupin was the most tag-along of them, more than Peter himself. But the main thing is that Lupin accepted that, but Peter didn't.

Remus is a very hard character to write and to write correctly. I know I struggle at times to write him because I want to bang my head against the wall. I was always waiting for Remus, in canon, to step up with Harry but he never did.

I think Remus has a hard time becoming close with people. Harry, himself, struggles as well so that’s why the two never hit it off. Remus wanted to be close, went as far to name Harry godfather of his kid, but the relationship just wasn’t there. I’m sure Harry thought he was named godfather solely because of Remus’ relationship with his dad.

I 100% think that James was the outgoing, normal kid who kept that group together. I think every one of them considered James their best friend but James only considered Sirius his best friend. Remus didn’t care about that. He had friends for once in his life and he finally belonged somewhere. When James and Sirius were off doing James and Sirius things, I think Remus and Peter got along very well. I definitely see the two of them close with each other.

But Sirius, in my mind, wasn’t that close with Remus and Peter. Sirius only cared about his relationship with James. He thought Remus was a spy, totally convinced himself of it. I think he only suggested Peter as SK because he was convinced Peter didn’t have the backbone to be a spy. He probably thought Peter would hide like a little mouse in his house and never come out. Sirius thought that’d be perfect.

Now, I’m sure the boys had fun together in school. I’m sure they appeared close to one another from the outside. I also think James probably didn’t see the cracks in all the relationships until the war really started amping up because his relationship with all three of them was great. But I could see Sirius annoying Remus. I could see Sirius being exasperated with Peter. I could see Sirius also being annoyed by Remus’ personality. But James kept them together. James kept them as close as they possibly could. Once they were all off out on their own, not forced together in school, those cracks became larger and larger.

This is why Wolfstar doesn’t work in my mind. I can’t wrap my head around it at all given the amount of distrust between them in the first war. I mean, Remus didn’t even think for a second something was fishy with Sirius being arrested. He just accepted it like “oh, that’s Sirius.” There was no love loss at all. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m fairly certain Sirius even calls Remus by his last name on occasion in canon. Which would even further prove they weren’t really that close at all. I think the only reason they embraced like brothers in the Shrieking Shack was because it was a highly emotional time. Sirius had suffered for so long, Remus had been alone for so long, that they sought comfort in each other. I like to think after that, Remus and Sirius were closer than they had ever been because James was dead and Peter was the spy. They had no one else but each other.

As for Lily, I think a lot of people probably write her as besties with Remus because a. We don’t know who her canon girl friends actually were (Ginny is a victim of this as well, often paired off as being besties with Colin, Neville, and Luna or, even worse, Hermione.) And b. James and Sirius are besties so it’s natural to make Lily and Remus besties - especially if you’re into Wolfstar. And finally c. Remus’ comments about Lily in the movies that was added but not in canon.

I get the appeal to make Lily and Remus close, especially when you consider the classic Remus character of being a bookworm and shy and just sipping his tea while munching on chocolate. He seems to fit with Lily who is a prefect so she’s probably studious and befriends people like Snape and is just a good person. But there’s no canon evidence that they were close. There’s only evidence that Sirius was close with her and that Lily had a cute nickname for Peter.

Not that I read any of it, but I’ve seen people online complaining about the new characterizations of both Remus and Sirius. Honestly, it just sounds annoying. All of Sirius’ characteristics are striped and given to either Remus or Regulus?? While Sirius is reduced to a pining idiot over Remus?? Really? Why??? It doesn’t make sense! We know enough about Sirius and Remus to know their characters fairly well. I just don’t get it. Why do people hate Sirius so much all of a sudden??

[blitheringmcgonagall]

Thanks for tagging me @enbysiriusblack @squintclover and @mppmaraudergirl 💕💕💕!

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

33 (I had more, but every few months I delete 1-2 things I’m not mad about so it doesn’t grow?)

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

612,715 🥰🥰🥰

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Only the marauders era HP

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1 - We Can Be Heroes : my canon marauders fic (Jily and Wolfstar) with the ending they bloody well deserved

2 - it was A Little Risk which is a 1930s murder mystery/Anti-fascist AU but I’ve taken it down!

3 - Boys Don’t Cry: the prequel to We Can Be Heroes. A prank fic mostly from Sirius Black’s POV (pre relationships).

4 - Maybe I Waited Too Long - a doctors!marauders AU with Wolfstar and Jily. I had a laugh writing this one.

5 - This Is The Way The World Ends - it’s heartbreaking and a canon divergent Wolfstar AU about Remus getting bad news…

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I always usually do, it’s one of the main reasons I love writing fics!! Without the interaction I wouldn’t bother posting istg!! People can be so kind and generous 🥺❤️

6. what is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably number 5 because it has MCD and apparently made people cry? But equally, I did write 3 short fics about 31st October 1981 from Jily, Sirius and Remus’ POV and that was pretty heartbreaking/ ugly crying stuff.

7. what is a fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of my fics have happy endings it’s probably a toss-up between We Can Be Heroes and Have Yourself a Merry Little Wolfenoot

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Nope! All mine are either T rated or fade to black

10. do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written?

I’ve only ever written one, a LOTR/Marauders crossover, and I actually had great fun trying to write it in LOTR style? Wolfstar are Éowyn and Faramir. It’s called Ithilin and Silmë (only wrote it because @therealrjlupin wanted it 💙)

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know!

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

I did! It was a Jily celebrity AU translated into Chinese that I thought wasn’t any good and have since deleted 😂😂!

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

Once. It’s a WIP crackfic called One Line At A Time written with @mppmaraudergirl @theresthesnitch @missgryffin @mabeltothknows and @maraudersftw and it still makes me laugh, it’s bonkers I love them <3333

14. what's your all time favourite ship?

I’m sorry it’s so weird but I insist on putting Wolfstar and Jily/ Jily and Wolfstar tied for top spot, I just love these two couples so much <3333

15. what's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I don’t keep WIPs that I’m not planning on finishing (I delete or orphan those), but the one I’d like to finish is BLAME (a what if…? First war AU)

16. what are your writing strengths?

I have zero clue sorry you’d have to ask someone who likes my writing. I mean I’ve made people cry so there’s that?? 😬🤣

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

Again, v hard to be objective aside from vague “it’s not great” stuff? I think it has improved with writing practice and with time.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I’ve done it in We Can Be Heroes - James speaks fluent Italian and Sirius speaks fluent French. As I can speak the languages it was ok, but I had to check with @constancezin to be sure the written French was ok!

19. first fandom you wrote for?

HP marauders

20. favourite fic you've written?

A Little Risk is the favourite thing I’ve written but I’ve taken it down, so my favourite marauders fic I’ve written and is still up is We Can Be Heroes or This Is The Way The World Ends.

Tagging @engie-ivy @mabeltothknows @therealrjlupin @annabtg @maraudersftw @greyeyedmonster-18 and anyone else who wants to <33

[neverenoughmarauders]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love! ❤️

I AM SO LATE TO THIS, but thanks so much for the ask. We should all absolutely practice and spread self-love. I've decided to bucket based on time commitment because... me. The two I care most about are probably #1 and #5.

ONE SHOTS

I can’t love you back to life, but I can live your love

1995. Sirius Black is back outside 12 Grimmauld Place, to show Dumbledore the potential new HQ for the Order. James had always promised he’d be there for Sirius when he faced his family and yet some promises cannot be held. But Dumbledore knows that those we’ve lost never truly leaves us.

A different pranks-tine's date

James and Sirius usually spend Valentine’s Day pranking the gullible and hopeless romantics of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As Head Boy, James cannot really do that anymore, so instead the boys have too little to do and too much to talk about.

A close second

My one and only Wolfstar story. Sirius and Remus' world is not great - they miss James immensely - but their love for each other, for Harry, and for Lily and James' memory keep them going despite everything. After all, we can only play the cards we are dealt.

MEDIUM SIZED FIC

First betrayal

Lily is pregnant, and James is injured on a job for the Order of the Phoenix. With old secrets coming out, and potential spies on all sides, the Potters must choose whether to trust their friends, and whether to forgive them.

LOOOONG FIC

When we were up to no good: Part 1 - I solemnly swear

My baby and passion project. A strictly canon compliant, friendship and Jily focused long fic. Part 1 follows the marauders as they become friends, might have a little bit of forced proximity James and Lily - because!!!! and will end just as the marauders discover Remus' secret.

[iwriteasfotini]

The Rules I Broke: a Rant and a Warning

Our Love is Written in the Stars is a Marauders era series which depicts my head canon as it applies to the original seven Harry Potter books, it might not be your head canon. That's just the way it goes.

I’m new to the current fanfiction space which can be a benefit or a drawback. I’ve read some popular fics, blended inspiration from them with my pre-existing head canon, and created a pretty solid mental characterization of these lovely people. The drawback is I didn’t and still don’t know or understand the rules and divides which exist in the fandom. Over ships, over characterizations, over plot, over canon compliance, etc. Side note, because of this I will NOT label my series as canon compliant, even though in my mind it is. 

Thus I found myself frequently thinking “am I allowed to do this?” The last time I was in the fanfic space there were fierce debates over certain topics (often very frivolous things mind), so when I started writing there was a little voice in my head telling me what I was writing might be wrong. I brought this up with my partner, and he said, “whose rules are you talking about?” I had no answer. So I finally chucked the supposed rulebook out the window. I know it is going to create some drama. My ships, my characterizations, my plot, it isn’t going to jive with everyone. I never expected it to. So please, before you dive into this epic but fantastic series, know that I broke rules. I did so intentionally because I found the rules to be silly, limiting, and honestly not founded in anything valid (to me). I have read the original series A LOT, I have read books written about the original seven books. I can get deep into canon and into the world. But my own story is meant to be fun. It is meant to be entertaining. Not analyzed for literary merit or if my characterization matches with your head canon (or heaven forbid JKR’s intent) one hundred percent. 

I can guarantee this story will disappoint you at some point. Because I have read some great fanfiction and every single piece disappoints me in some way. I have a mental model of the characters which the author skews just slightly, or I have a problem with a tiny piece of plot, or how a scene was written. There is always going to be something, and because it’s fanfiction, there is always room to wish the author had written it slightly differently. How many people read published fiction and think, if only they had characterized so and so better, that would have really made the story. Instead we read published fiction and think either Amazing!, Good, Ok, Meh, or I don’t like this book. You can’t reach out to the author directly and tell them exactly how and why what they wrote was annoying to you. I’m not saying a broad appreciation of an entire work can’t happen with fanfiction, but I have been there, reading something people rave about and thinking it’s so good except… (I always choose to keep those thoughts to myself, BTW.)

There will be that in this story. Because I am me, and you are you, and this whole story is my except, this story is my I wish there was more or I wish it was done differently… and we will not agree. 

So yes, I bridged the void between Severus and the Marauders. Yes, I have Regulus and Severus and Lily in a mutual friendship dynamic. Yes, I have endgame Jegulus in a canon event compliant story. Yes, my James is Indian, and my Severus is a Spaniard. And Yes, I did create some ships I have personally never encountered before, though I would venture a guess I am NOT the first person to go there. 

And for me it works. For me it not only works but it is fantastic. Because I don’t want to have to choose. Unless it is between Jily and Jegulus in which case I chose Jegulus every time. Wolfstar is untouchable canon. Sev and Lily are WAY more than they were ever given in canon. Regulus! My beloved is so amazing. And I know the debates go long and hot over who can be characterized a certain way and why, who can ship with who, according to you and to your interpretation of canon, or even just your personal opinion. Who cares! 

I am not trying to debate or make any lasting points. I want people to be entertained, to laugh, to experience more fantastical magic (isn’t this what drew everyone to the series in the first place, it wasn’t the ships, that’s for sure). If you find you aren’t enjoying the story, please for the love of everyone STOP reading. And if you try to discredit my imagination I’m going to kindly remind you that we don’t have to agree on everything. And do not get me started on the Death Eaters. Yes they did awful things, Dumbledore is a piece of work himself. James can be an insensitive arse hole. So can Sirius. And there are ALWAYS two sides to a story. So let’s have fun! Let’s return to Hogwarts with first years and watch them mature into adults. Let’s feel what it is like to play a game of quidditch from someone who works their arse off (James) and from someone who is naturally a phenom (Regulus). And if anyone throws a ‘well Sirius said’ or ‘well Snape said’ comment at me, I’m going to shrug and reply with, Harry is an extremely biased narrator, Sirius is a trauma survivor who spent twelve years in isolation in a dementor infested prison, and Snape is one of the smartest and most deceptive characters in the series. You think any of them ever painted the whole truth, I think not. 

If you want to hop aboard this train, I welcome you with open arms. If you plan to board just to throw rotten veg at the other passengers, I’m going to politely ask you to please disembark. 

The glorious madness begins in fifteen days. I hope you are ready. I hope you are excited. Because we are going back to Hogwarts!

>>><<<

This is one of my Author Notes for the series Our Love is Written in the Stars which will begin daily posting on Ao3 on October 31.

[greenerteacups]

i’d love to hear about your favorite fics (or recs in general) centered on:

— dramione (duh)

— marauders era

i love lionheart i love you

thank you! I've recced some of my favorite Dramione already, and I am not as deep in the Marauders fandom, so with the exception of the classics (ATYD, Choices, AHB!, + some Jily fics from a LONG time ago and a few Wolfstar AUs, esp Rourke) I am ill-equipped to give recs. I read a bit of zeppazzariel's stuff before they retired — I Am Not Immune To Being Ordered To Read Crimson Rivers — plus I fucking love the Hunger Games, so I probably would've read it no matter what the pairing was, just to have some worldbuilding-intensive THG content.

Strangely, I seem to like AUs much more when it's the Marauders, whereas I strongly prefer canon-divergence fic for the Golden Era, even though I'm not that attached to the canon plotline. I think it's because the Marauders don't have a canonical "story", the appeal is 100% character-based, and even the characters barely have a canon to go off of, at that — we kind of just Goncharov'd them into existence — so it's much easier to reskin them for an AU. It's like, how could you even begin to assert that Art Thief!Regulus is OOC? The dude has zero fucking lines! You could say he has a French accent and wears a fez, and based on the books, no one could contradict you!

Whereas with the Golden Era, you've not only got a fully-fleshed out world, but you have a lot of content with all of the characters, and their personalities are much more concrete. So when they're retconned into an AU backstory, with all the character changes that accompany it, I more often end up getting slapped by He Would Not Fucking Say That syndrome, even when the author's doing a totally plausible job of adapting their personality for the context.

[afantasyoffiction]

fav marauders fics!

im turning this into a blog post because one im a chronic yapper and two i cannot live with being a writer blog plus one single spn post i just can't. so this is a totally more normal approach - a marauders post!!!

without further ado - my fav marauder fics:

i loved ATYD. like its basic for a reason. canon event. but from yr seven onwards pls do tread with caution because its. so upsetting. like i cried so loud for so long my dad came downstairs like ??! r u ok? to which i had to respond no, but its all self inflicted and fictional please go enjoy your evening

my biggest comfort fic has to be just lovers (like we were supposed to be). it’s a jegulus fic which is so funny bc i ship jily more than jegulus? but its beuatifully done, i love and relate to the james characterisation so freaking much, and its so angsty? with such a happy ending? and its so beautiful?

the interlude in just lovers. yes it gets its own shout out. basically this fic has a separate part called interlude and in that part there’s chapters for wolfstar, mary lily, dorlene and rose killer and it’s so good i could die!!! nothing turns you gay but the dorlene chapter did, actually. there's this scene with a ring.... ugh. i cry every single time

but mom he's my boyfriend. this is a silly fic to be on this list, yes. but itd FUNNY and ICONIC and i LOVE IT. remus pov possibly a muggle au i remember nothing but vibes

theres this one....where theyre all at uni....and wolfstar meet in the laundry... i think about it all the time....u know what nvm. imma update this when i next face down the trenches of my ao3 history. anyone comment or lemme know if you know what this one is called

[blitheringmcgonagall]

Thanks for the tag @missgryffin 🥰🥰🥰!

🍓 how did you get into writing fanfiction?

I think I was on Pinterest looking up other stuff and by chance I came across some marauders posts, specifically Jily. I hadn’t thought about the HP books in years. And suddenly I was way more interested in the story than I had ever been! I started looking for a completed canon marauders fic and got soooo invested in the old classics which inevitably killed me once I figured out they were abandoned… which led me to decide to write my own canon marauders fic because I realised if I couldn’t find the whole shebang I needed to write it myself 🙄😂!

🍇How many fandoms have you written in?

Only HP marauders but I did write one LOTR - marauders cross-over fic (Wolfstar as Éowyn & Faramir) called Ithildin and Silmë which I weirdly like?

🍈 How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

Since the end of 2017, so basically approx 6 years

🍎 Do you read or write more fanfiction?

At the moment more reading than writing as I’m stupidly busy at work. At other times definitely the opposite? Also, when I started writing it was in the context of 2 family members being very sick. Writing was a lifeline that kept me going. I don’t know what I’d have done without it.

🍌 What is one way you've improved as a writer?

That’s a tough one, I mean I hope I have improved? I feel that I have developed my own style of writing as I do it for longer. A weird mix of humour and angst which is hard to describe, but I don’t think my initial writing was like that, plus I didn’t have many cliffhangers at the start, whereas now if I’m writing a multichapter that’s a given 😂

🍑 Do you have any bad habits as a writer?

Not sticking to a routine like you @missgriffin and most people I know?

🍍 What's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

I was writing a 1930s murder mystery and kept having to look up things like date fingerprints started being used by police, date emergency 999 number introduced, did policemen Iive in the Police Station etc

🍉What's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

Haha! I love the really OUTRAGED HOW DARE YOU DO THIS!! Or the really excited keysmash, or the really long one quoting my fic back to me. The rare one of someone saying it helped them in some way is really beautiful- and one particularly incredible one on We Can Be Heroes which I have saved on my phone 🥺❤️

🍐What's the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

None, I suspect? Like I have written MCD which I thought I wouldn’t so that’s probably the most unusual for me!

🥭What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

Something multichapter that I haven’t got any outline for? Because I’m super busy so writing is a rare luxury and if I get time I need to be able to start writing straight away. So I’ve stuck to short fics - one shots or 2 chapter fics for a while now and it’s helping

🍏What is the easiest type?

Hmmm.. I’m so weird, it’s probably angst and fluff/romcom? Which are a seriously unusual combination, but I find them the easiest to write. I enjoy writing bantering oblivious idiots, both in love and brotp-type situations. I also sometimes get a strong urge to write angst and when I do, it’s like I have to get it out into a fic asap and can’t relax till it’s written?

🍑Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

In the box room, in front of the laptop which is actually my husband’s but I’ve nicked it. I only use Srivener for the book I’m trying to write, lol! For fics I use Word which again, thanks Mr Blithering 😉!

🍋What is something you've been too nervous/ intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

Well, I don’t write smut because of my job! But if I ever start writing it, it’s a sign I’ve moved on to better and bigger things lol

🍇What made you choose your username?

I knew I was going to only write marauders HP so it was going to involve a HP name. And I didn’t want it to be linked to the main marauders characters as there are so many of those usernames on ao3. I decided to pick a quote from a HP character I liked and who better than badass Minerva “have a biscuit, Potter” McGonagall? She’s great and I aspire to be her 😂!

Tagging @stonecoldhedwig @siriuslychessi @magic-girl-in-a-muggle-world @viwrites @tracingpatternswrites @therealrjlupin @artemisia-black and anyone else who wants to

Thanks for the tag @jamesunderwater! Loved reading your answers!

🍓 how did you get into writing fanfiction?

My first (very bad, very cringe) foray was between releases of OotP, HBP, and DH. Back then I was writing Marauders as well as 7th Year for the Golden Trio and a post-Hogwarts fic called "Friends" in which Harry, Ron, and Hermione lived together in Grimmauld Place 🥲

🍇How many fandoms have you written in?

Just HP!

🍈 How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

I mean, I went through the early childhood fanfic phase that lasted 1-2 years, but then I didn't write again until picking it up in 2020 as an adult. So really, only about 4 years now of writing consistently, and maybe 6 years total in my life.

🍎 Do you read or write more fanfiction?

I also definitely write way more than I read. Mostly this is a product of limited time—writing is a creative outlet for me, and when I have the time for it, that's usually what I reach for.

🍌 What is one way you've improved as a writer?

I think I've improved a lot with descriptions and vocabulary. Like for example, with revising LFTS and ES, there's been so many moments where I find myself just intuitively taking a sentence or small exchange or small paragraph, and expanding it into something that is just a better portrayal of that moment? It's hard to explain, but when I do the side-by-side comparison, it feels more elevated, and I think that's going back to improving on writing descriptions of what's happening that feel more fluid.

🍑 Do you have any bad habits as a writer?

Oof okay not sticking to a solid writing routine resonated with me too, that's definitely something I'm trying to be better at but it's hard!! Also a major bad habit for me is focusing too much on word count and setting unrealistic expectations for what I can accomplish in certain amounts of time. I've had to do a lot of mindset work to adjust to the fact that some of my old methods were unhealthy and unsustainable, and simply aren't realistic with making writing fit into my current, healthier lifestyle. But it's hard! Old habits and mindsets are ingrained and so tempting to default to. Like I've tried using daily word count goals several times, and it's always a trap. One would think I've learned my lesson, ha!

🍍 What's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Hmm nothing's really coming to mind as being particularly "weird." I do ping @redrobyn285 and @welsh-green about Britishisms from time to time, and that often sparks funny conversations about cultural differences. Like for example, we recently had a very in-depth conversation about terminology for dorm rooms and different sizes of beds 🤣 But in all seriousness, I learn a lot from them and owe so much of the Evans family lore to their input!

🍉What's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

The play-by-play reactions are my absolute fave! It's so gratifying and fun, especially when there's suspense and tension involved in the story and you feel like you're bonding with the commenter through the shared experience of all the emotions happening.

🍐What's the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

Hmm Castling was pretty fringe, I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read, but I'm not aware of any other Jily fics dealing with ~that~. But besides that, I don't think anything on my current slate is that fringe tbh. I've mostly been writing Hogwarts Jily lately, and that's pretty vanilla as far as tropes go. But I do have some adult!Jily in my back pocket that have some more fringe tropes for me 👀

🥭What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

Angst. Hands down. I think because I'm an empath, dwelling in dark emotions for a story can be really difficult for me. Probably the angstiest scene I've ever written is the opening scene of Vindicated, and there's a reason that's only like 800 words 😂

🍏What is the easiest type?

Rom-com style fluff and smut! I'm such a sucker for all the classic sexual-tension builders: bantering, jealousy, flirting, a little sprinkle of comedy, pining, awkwardness. It makes me giggle and kick my feet while writing, and it puts me in a happy mood every time I'm writing it, which is probably why I'm addicted to it 😇

🍑Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

Scrivener! I'm at a point now where I've learned enough of its functionality that I truly can't imagine ever going back. It's my fave. I also use Notion religiously for my whole life, and that includes fanfic, but I don't actually write in Notion unless I'm jotting down ideas on my phone or brain-dumping an idea that doesn't have a Scrivener doc yet.

🍋What is something you've been too nervous/ intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

Domestic/Pregnant/Parent Jily. For the simple reason that I haven't experienced being pregnant/having kids yet and I feel like a fish out of water trying to write it because I don't know what I'm talking about 😂

🍇What made you choose your username?

I don't really remember the whole thought process anymore, but I love the musician/DJ Gryffin and was listening to some of his first album a lot in formulating ES, I am very much a Gryffindor, and also wanted something short, sweet, catchy that would be easy for people to remember and spell. And honestly I think missgryffin just popped into my head at some point after that!

I might be late to the game on this one, but tagging @petals2fish @apalapucian @blitheringmcgonagall if you're interested! 🫶

[wolfstarhaven]

I'm not sure if you've answered this or not, but do you have any long fics you'd recommend?

Hi anon🌸 I don’t usually read fics that are longer than 200k, and a long fic for me is when it’s >80k... But here we go!

* = personal favourite

Hogwarts era:

nothing left (but some blood where the body fell), by indexofangels (806k)

General themes/feeling: canon divergence later on, all 7 years, slow burn, friends to lovers

(The fic formerly known as Helter Skelter) A massive canon compliant fic! I’m still reading this, but I can already tell you: it’s beautiful! @pavementlupin is a wonderful writer, their prose is incredibly poetic. Just so you know, this fic is also quite centred around Jily!

*All the young dudes, by gamesformay (158k)

General themes/feeling: 1st to 6th year, slow burn, friends to lovers, angst and fluff

Not to confuse with MsKingBean89’s ATYD! This is a completely different fic, and it’s AMAZING! Such a perfect marauders story. Definitely a favourite of mine!

Into the Fire, by wilteddaisy (taotu) (153k)

General themes/feeling: canon divergent, Triwizard tournament, slow burn, friends to lovers, child abuse

A Hogwarts era fic on the plottier side. It’s truly amazing! The Triwizard tasks are incredibly well thought out, there are some interesting OCs, and it’s overall very well written.

AU:

Did You Miss Me?, by Fantismal, Krethes (600k)

General themes/feeling: texting, strangers to lovers, famous!sirius, past abuse, trauma, secret identities, SMUTTY!

This is still a WIP, but all the chapters are written and are being regularly posted. A classic texting fic, centred around the marauders gang, not just Wolfstar. There are some darker themes of violence, abuse, abduction etc in this fic, so be careful! Also, this fic contains ALOT of sexting. A lot! It’s perhaps a bit to explicit for me, but if that’s what you like then you’ll love this!

*Blends, by rvltn909 (177k)

General themes/feeling: coffee shop!au, strangers to friends to lovers, slow burn, pining!remus, misunderstandings, hurt/comfort

A classic that I reread a bit too often. I just love the slow burn and the misunderstandings of this fic, and how in the end they learn the lesson of communication. Pretty smutty though, so you know.

Sweater Weather, by @lumosinlove (156k)

General themes/feeling: hockey!au, famous!Sirius, physical trainer!remus, closeted!sirius, secret relationship, found family, smutty!

Another classic. Of fame and pressure, sexuality and falling in love. And lots of hockey! Well written and lovely! Very smutty though!

Dear Your Holiness, by @mollymarymarie (142k)

General themes/feeling: priest!remus, bassist!remus, texting, religion, secret identity, smutty!

A fic centred around themes of religion and faith. Read the tags before reading! This fic is also quite smutty without being explicitly smutty - the sexual tension is extreme.

*Text Talk, by merlywhirls (141k)

General themes/feeling: texting, strangers to lovers, chronically ill!remus, boarding school!sirius, fluffy!

The classic texting fic. If you haven’t read it already, read it! There are some darker themes, but mainly it’s fluffy and comforting. And funny!

*Staying Strangers, by 3amAndCounting (>114k WIP)

General themes/feeling: texting, slow burn, strangers to lovers, REMUS GETS A KITTEN

I usually never rec WIPs, nor do I often read them, but I just had to include this texting fic cause it’s BRILLIANT! In which the incredibly sarcastic Remus gets to know Sirius via texting. It’s so sweet, it’s so funny, it’s soooo slow burn! I’m not the biggest fan of texting fics but I LOVE this!

all my cards are here, by haey1 (112k)

General themes/feeling: band!au, bassist!remus, fame, secret relationship

Another popular long fic! A classic band au, in which fame takes its toll, and falling in love isn’t easy.

Palo Alto, by NachoDiablo (110k)

General themes/feeling: American!wolfstar, friends to lovers, asexual!sirius, pining!sirius, slow burn, recreational drug use, light angst

Honestly, this fic really helped me figuring out some things concerning my sexuality. If you want a fic centred around asexuality, then you should definitely read this. It’s incredible!

Currents, by @quoththethestral (109k)

General themes/feeling: olympics!au, swimmer!remus, swimmer!sirius, light enemies-to-lovers, American!remus, smutty

Such a comforting fic! A story of rivals falling in love, and working to build a healthy relationship.

*Liebestraum, by @/ quoththethestral (101k)

General themes/feeling: muggle!au, American!wolfstar, pianist!remus, violinist!sirius, past relationship, past break-up, getting back together

There’s a special place in my heart for this fic. This is beautiful. Such a mature fic (and not in the sexual way!) of getting back together after years apart. Lovely!

*Just what the doctor ordered, by @wrapped-up (97k)

General theme/feeling: veterinarian!remus, age gap, strangers to lovers, breakup, learning to communicate, getting back together, comforting!

Another fic I’d like to call “mature” in the way that it’s not just about falling in love: It’s also about learning to communicate, balance, and building trust. It’s incredible!

The Lab, by @de-sire-blog  (95k)

General themes/feeling: scientist!remus, intern!sirius, age gap, abusive relationship (not wolfstar), learning to communicate, comforting, smutty!

In which Sirius is in an abusive relationship (mentally and physically), and begins the long way out of it. + a lot of smut!

Dress up in You, by MsKingBean89 (88k)

General themes/feeling: band!au, bassist!remus, hair stylist!sirius, angst

Surprise to nobody, this fic by mkb is absolutely amazing. It hurts like hell (once again, nobody’s surprised), but it’s beautiful. I never thought I could love a band au this much.

*Go East [+Podfic], by @xinasvoice (84k)

General themes/feeling: fantasy!au, Howl’s Moving Castle!au, slow burn, werewolf!remus, wizard!sirius

Came for wolfstar, stayed for the plot (and wolfstar ofc). A story of adventure, magic, finding a family, and falling in love.

SHAME, by wilteddaisy (taotu) (82k)

General themes/feeling: SKAM!au, Sirius=Isak, Remus=Even, closeted!sirius, bipolar!remus, funny, angst, smut

If you’re a sucker for SKAM as well as wolfstar, than you must read this absolute gem. It’s hilarious, heart breaking, and comforting all at once.

Bonus:

Some long fics from my tbr-list:

It Never Goes Out, by everythingintransit (473k)

Momentum, by Children_of_the_Shadows (259k)

Fearless Liabilities, by femme_de_lettres (200k)

Camp Casanova, by Farquad (156k)

The Survivor, by apolesen (146k)

A Taste of Honey, by biremus (120k)

Time is a Fine Invention, by bluepeony (106k)

I hope you find something you haven’t already read!

Love, Elliot🌸

[billsfangearring]

Early Wolfstar Fandom vs. Today

I'm going to use @chdarling's response to an ask earlier about Remus and Sirius both being "messy, troubled, imperfect characters" and the effect that would have on any sort of relationship between them as a jumping off point to talk about changing trends within the Wolfstar fandom over the past 22 years that I've noticed. I'm specifically going to focus on 1999 to 2005ish and then compare that era to today.

Please (respectfully) chime in if you disagree with anything or have something to add! I would love to learn more, especially from those who were active in the fandom at that time!

Disclaimers

These are just my observations as a longtime Wolfstar/Jily/Marauders fan who has recently spent some time mucking around in Wolfstar spaces from the aughts/noughties. I have not made any attempt to review Wolfstar fandom history in any sort of comprehensive or systematic way before spouting off like I know something in this post. Also, I wrote this on a whim after dinner, so please forgive any mistakes/sparse sourcing.

My Qualifications (?)

I started dipping my toe into HP fanfic spaces as a reader in 2005. My understanding of fandom has been shaped by the time I've spent on MuggleNet Fan Fiction, FFN, LiveJournal, AO3, Reddit, and Tumblr. If you've seen this post about fandom generations, I sort of straddle the "I was there Gandalf" and Citrus Cheesecake generations. I'm much too young to have participated in online fandom when the ship first sprang into being in 1999 with the publication of PoA. Most of what I know (or think I know) about early/mid-2000s fandom comes from later efforts to locate fics from that period (see above) and learn about fandom history.

State of the Early Fandom

Wolfstar was a Serious Adult Ship for Serious Adult Writers

Older fans of the Harry Potter series were naturally more drawn to the adult characters and their relationships than those of us who were reading the books as children. I at least heavily identified with Hermione as a child and grew to love Remus and Sirius more in my teens. Therefore, ships like Wolfstar that featured characters who were adults in the series attracted a much higher proportion of adult authors than ships like Harmony or Hinny did at the time. (Remember, we didn't get our one real glimpse of the teenage Marauders until OOTP, which came out in 2003—four years after Remus and Sirius were introduced in POA and six years after the first book was published.)

A lot of people wrote Wolfstar as a messy relationship between adults with complicated pasts. That was the whole point for these authors—it's what drew them to the ship. Plenty of Wolfstar writers, such as busaikko, wrote both Remus/Sirius and Remus/Snape (or Sirius/Snape).

Marauders/MWPP-era Wolfstar was relatively less common at this point, and the long Marauders-era epics rarely included Wolfstar. There was a Marauders/Jily fandom and there was a Wolfstar/broader HP slash fandom, with limited crossover, though I should note that this split was the result of broader fandom trends than just the higher average age of Wolfstar authors.

I'm not super confident on this point, but I don't think the ship really took off among teens until it was popularized with a broader audience by The Shoebox Project (2004-2008), which is set in their Hogwarts years and also includes broader Marauders gen and Jily plots. That fic was able to pull people from both sides of the fandom interested in these characters.

Remus and Sirius's canon story was unfinished

You can clearly see the shifts between post-PoA, post-GoF, post-OotP, post-HBP, and post-DH fics featuring Wolfstar. Everyone wrote their take on what happened when Sirius went to "lie low at Lupin's" after GoF came out. OotP gave Wolfstar shippers a ton to work with between that year they lived in Grimmauld Place and Sirius's death, and those events were fresh and raw for authors. They're what writers had Opinions about and wanted to "fix" or explore. HBP, of course, threw a bit of a wrench in things by confirming Remadora was canon, but Wolfstar shippers (obviously) carried on by either disregarding Remadora entirely or writing Remus as bisexual (previously more of a Sirius thing).

I'll add here that before Remadora, a lot of readers thought Wolfstar was canon—the thought was that JKR couldn't have openly written a same-sex relationship into the biggest children's book series in the world so she'd limited herself to subtext and hints for the discerning reader to pick up on. Obviously, we now know this wasn't her intention, but it's a completely legitimate and easily understandable reading of the text. Wolfstar is the only queer Harry Potter ship with years of history of readers thinking it was intended to be canon. See the first meta post below for more!

Fic Trends Then vs. Now

A heavy ship lightens up

As a result of both of these factors, and probably others I haven't thought of, I'd say, overall, Wolfstar was portrayed in a much more dysfunctional, sometimes toxic way than the softer, sweeter Wolfstar relationship that's popular now. People wanted to explore Remus and Sirius's trauma and difficult past together without necessarily healing them or resolving their issues. Post-Hogwarts fics were more common, and there was a lot of enthusiasm about writing missing moments from the most recent book or speculating about what was in store for Remus and Sirius. Modern/non-magical AUs were a relatively niche genre given the focus on developments in canon; they've really skyrocketed in popularity in the past 10 years.

As someone who started out in Jily/Marauders gen spaces before discovering Wolfstar, I want to stress the massive tonal differences between the two communities during this time. Jily and Marauders gen was a fun romp, pretty clearly written by teens and young adults, that focused a lot on teen dramas and relationships. The older Wolfstar authors spent more of their time trying to tackle serious themes in a serious way. They liked to pepper in a lot of literary references, and the comment sections often turned into deep literary analyses that I personally found very intimidating and never participated in!

It's been interesting to watch the Jily/Marauders fandom shift in a slightly more serious and complicated direction as the Wolfstar fandom has moved in the opposite direction. This trend toward the middle has coincided with a greater blending of the two groups into a more integrated Wolfstar/Jily/Marauders community. It's wild to compare the proportion of long Marauders-era fics that feature Wolfstar alongside Jily now vs. back then.

Accessible writing wins out

I've noticed that the average fic length in the early years seemed to be a lot shorter than in recent years. One-shots used to be the dominant format—maybe they still are, but if so it's to a lesser degree. I’m not sure whether this is a Wolfstar- or HP-specific trend or whether it’s indicative of a broader shift in fanfic. If I had to guess, I'd say one of the drivers of the length differences is the shift from slash fics in particular mostly existing on sites that were set up in such a way that each chapter had to be a separate post (e.g. LiveJournal) to primarily being housed on AO3, where it’s easier to read and write multi-chaptered fics and really long chapters.

Style-wise, there's been shift toward a more straightforward writing style compared to the lyricism common in the early days. Again, this is on the macro level! There are still plenty of Wolfstar writers today who write in a more poetic style. I just think there seems to be a bit more directness with narrative and storytelling now than in the past. The differences in average author age and word count may have something to do with it, or perhaps this is just aligned with broader writing trends in the past 20 years. I'd love to hear from someone who actually took a literature course in college/university on this one!

Old Ship Meta Posts

These are sadly hard to track down these days, but if you're interested in learning more I highly recommend checking out some of these old-school ship manifestos and trope bingo cards!

The Case for R/S by elwing_alcyone (2003): An incredible textual analysis of PoA-OotP using direct quotes from the book to make the case for Wolfstar being canon. In addition to the character insights, read this for the snapshot of how much trust HP fans had in JKR's writing skills and in her care for her LGBTQ+ fans at that time. Oh, how she has fallen in our collective esteem...

Strange and Beautiful by blacksatinrose (2004): Another shipper's manifesto that focuses more on compatibility (and incompatibility) and potential than a close reading of the text. The author likes the ship precisely for their mismatch and the infinite number of stories that can be told depending on when and how you start their relationship.

Wolfstar circa 2005 by @theprogressofspring (2016): A bingo card based on popular tropes/elements in Wolfstar fics back in the day. (They also posted a screenshot of the earliest recorded use of the name "Wolfstar"—2001!) If you want to compare this with bingo cards covering more recent tropes, @bloodyhellharry made this one and @bookspark made this one five years ago.

Anyway, those are my personal observations about what Wolfstar looked like back in the day and how it compares to now! I'd love to hear others' thoughts on this topic, and whether I missed anything or got something wrong. Let me know what you think!

Edit: Now on AO3!

[theresthesnitch]

Have you read what are the considered the 'Big Fics' for the Marauders fandom? I'm talking about The Life And Times, Commentarius, All The Young Dudes. I haven't ready any of them but I want to, it's just that I don't know what to expect from them and I think we have the same taste in terms of fanfics lol so if you recommend any of these I'll probably give them a chance and read them ❤️

The short answer is yes, I’ve read all three, and yes, I strongly recommend all three.

Keep in mind that Comm and TLAT are both unfinished. TLAT will not be finished, according to the author, and Bee is in progress on the next chapter of Comm. ATYD is finished, though. However, even unfinished, they are top tier fics to read.

These three fics are all so present in the fandom that you’ll notice lots of carry over and references to things you have read that you never would have expected. They’re all worth a binge in the best way possible.

This being said, I think that there are so many amazing works in the fandom right now that are as good as or better than these. If you’re putting aside something current to read old… I honestly don’t know whether to day I recommend that or not. Read them all. Invent a time turner and read both. (That’s super unhelpful, lol)

More details below the cut.

All the Young Dudes (ATYD) is a canon divergent wolfstar fic with background Jily, and goes from first year through just before the beginning of Order of the Phoenix. I know a lot of people call it “canon” but I think it’s important to know that it very much is not canon. Remus was raised in a muggle orphanage, but I won’t tell you why or how so you can read it. It’s definitely a, um, darker/rougher Remus than we’re normally used to because of it. The world building and cultural references in this fic are absolutely unparalleled. The way MsBeanKing works in music and world events–especially in the eighties, just brings a whole new level of realism to the fic.

The Life and Times (TLAT) is one of the first Jily fics I read, but honestly? It’s as good or better just for the side relationships. I don’t want to spoil it, but there’s at least 4 non-Jily relationships that are as much worth reading as the Jily bits are. It’s a fic that is so easy to get lost in (honestly, they all are. All three fics read much faster than their word count would suggest it would). It starts at the beginning of 6th year and builds up into the 7th year, and there’s so much wonderful ploty bits, and fantastic scenes. The characters are also very real. I don’t like anyone all of the time, but I love all of them at some point (this is not a criticism of the fic, but very much a compliment.) The characters are just so complex.

Commentarius (Comm) is actually the most recent one I’ve read, and the one I’ve reread the least (did I mention rereading? I do that for all of these. Sometimes I just go back and reread a scene because i remember it and I need to live it again). I didn’t realize when I started that the whole fic is Lily’s diary, which I’m pretty sure is on me for not realizing that (and why I mention it up front). However, don’t let that stop you from reading it (I know some people don’t like diary fics), because it’s definitely worth the read. Comm!James is drool-worthy. Lily always keeps things interesting. So many great twists and turns. And FANTASTIC scenes.

With all three fics, I recommend reading them with a slightly critical eye and acknowledge that there are some bits that didn’t age so well. I think that, if they were written now, some elements might change a bit. I haven’t been around as long as other creators in the fandom, but I’ve heard that one or two of the authors have addressed and acknowledged some of these points. Nothing too terribly triggering (IMO) but its there. (For example, TLAT has a character with an eating disorder that’s never really addressed very well.) I don’t think these issues detract from reading the stories, and even with it there’s some amazing storytelling going on. Especially with the wide fascination with ATYD, you might have seen some discourse on some of the problematic bits (if not, don’t look for it before you read it), but I think that could sort of go both ways.

If you do go read them, PLEASE stop back by and let me know what you think! Message, ask, or discord—let’s talk about it.

[krethes]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💖

Sooo I was also tagged by @bluesundaycake and @polyjuicedpadfoot, but I'll just stick to the 5.

1. Did You Miss Me? | Rated E | Wolfstar, Jily, Other | 382,524 published words, 39/58 chapters (COMPLETE, M/W/F updates) Modern, non-magical texting AU with big narrative portions and heavy themes.

READ THE TAGS and Ch 1 for Important Warnings/Descriptions!

Co-written with @fantismal, this feels like a Magnum Opus, lmao. It's the longest (by FAR) fic I've written, and we got to construct a world from the ground up with complex characters and multiple plots that are cohesive and entertaining and heart-wrenching.

Though the new boy at Hogwarts University, James Potter, appears to be an adorable himbo with deep pockets, Remus Lupin and his friends instead find a horrifically dark past on Google. Did he really attack that boy and leave him for dead? Why won't he talk about his mysterious childhood best friend, "Pups"? Would it kill him to stop messing with his hair?

At least Remus got his phone back after losing it, but now he can't stop texting the mysterious number of the man who had sent it back. Padfoot is funny and charming, and Remus is NOT going to fall in love with him.

2. Lines | Rated E | Wolfstar | 23,533 words, 5 chapters Canon Divergent AU, DILF!Wolfstar at 56.

This was just an exercise in self-indulgent, serotonin-boosting smut. This is the happy ending they deserved, and I adore exploring established, secure relationships.

As if feeling Sirius’s eyes on him -- and maybe he does, Remus just Knows Things sometimes -- he looks over his shoulder with eyes heavy-lidded and sleepy. “We’re far too old to be having morning sex and you know it, Padfoot,” he warns, his voice still gravely and deep from slumber.

3. Smoke Trails | Rated T | Wolfstar | 20,156 words, 6 chapters Get-together fic with 6th-year Marauders, involving misunderstandings, miscommunications, and moonlit confessions.

This was my first chaptered fic without time skips. I wanted to put my idea of how Wolfstar got together out there and show some truly tender moments between them. I'm endlessly proud of this fic, and it won several awards on the Harry Potter Fanfic discord, which is still mind-blowing to me!

Sirius has a surprise planned for Peter's 17th birthday, which has the littlest Marauder ill at ease and Remus on high alert. Muggle cigarettes, fancy lighting tricks, firewhiskey, and late-night confessions lead to spilled truths and hurt feelings.

4. Quintuple Meter | Rated E | Wolfstar | 7,811 words, 5 chapters Non-magical, modern, musicians AU. Remus is a renowned cellist and Sirius is an accomplished pianist.

I wrote this for the Wolfstar Discord's 2021 Wolfstar Bingo under the "Musicians AU" prompt and I wanted to do something other than like, a band fic. This is another self-indulgent write for me because I play the cello (and viola & violin) and have been in love with the instrument since before I really knew its name. Sirius knows magic isn't real—that's the stuff of story books and fevered dreams—but now, watching Remus play, he reconsiders his convictions.

Pianist Sirius Black has worked his entire life for this opportunity and considers himself a master of his craft. Remus Lupin, the most sought-after cellist in Europe, proves him wrong.

5. Silver for Monsters | Rated E | Wolfstar | 18,829, 4/? chapters Witcher AU with Wolf School Witcher Remus and Aen Seidhe Sirius.

I don't even know where to begin explaining myself... I fucking love the Witcher franchise and I was listening to Wolven Storm one day like hmm...yeah, I can make this Wolfstar. I've gone full-throttle into my poetic descriptions and the animosity between Sirius & Remus was/is so fun. It's not finished, I KNOW, but DYMM? delayed it and I'm finally feeling up to writing long things again!

Eyes narrowed to protect against further assault, Remus tracks the origin of the noise to a tree 100 yards away at the edge of the river. Lightning shatters again overhead, illuminating a tall, slender figure perched high on a branch and a flash of teeth -- perfectly white and smooth, no cuspids, before they're lost to the shadow of the leaves and he's left with a tinkling, mocking laugh.

"Gar'ean, Vatt'ghern. Aé ess'neén aen aep taedh aep marw." (Careful, Witcher. You'll catch your death out here.)

He squints to stare at the boughs again, bristling. Elves. What an elf was doing in Hogsmeade, a human village of little renown, was beyond him. Grimacing, Remus reclaims his silver sword from the sticky corpses and stalks over to the drowner nests at the riverside. Two carefully-placed palm-sized bombs later, and Remus retrieves the silver necklaces of the two women who fell prey to the monsters. He’ll try to return them to their families, if they even want them back. Superstitious lot, humans.

[hp-fanfic-archive]

an introductory rec list (that no one asked for) to some of my favorite ships: wolfstar [1/10]

First fic I read for the pairing: Where Rain And Smoke Mingle by smallestbird [1k,T] It doesn't matter if they've disowned you, they're still your family. It doesn't matter how often you walk away, it still hurts. [it’s a bit dreary, but the writing style is so nice and i’m a big sucker for hurt/comfort]

Fic that really sold me on the pairing: Of Brothers and Boyfriends by Amuly [38k,E] There’s no summary on the fic, but, essentially, Remus and Sirius’s secret relationship gets found out and things get… complicated. (warning for homophobia) [My note on my ao3 bookmark pretty much sums up how I feel about this fic: Honestly one of my favorites (and one of the stories that really got me hooked on Wolfstar tbh) and I've read it at least eight times. However, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the homophobic James Potter (even though he does come around).]

Absolute favorite fic(s) for the pairing: Text Talk by merlywhirls [141k,Not Rated] Sirius is in boarding school, Remus is in hospital, and they don't know each other until Sirius texts the wrong number. (warnings for homophobia, mentions of abuse, and homophobic language) [One of the earlier fics I read and it’s always just been one of my favorites, even though it’s been 3 years since I read it for the first time.] Harry Potter and the Live Laugh Love Sign in the Basement by loudestfandomsoftheworld [24k,T] Harry spends his summer with his fugitive godfather and his former professor who is a jobless werewolf. It's probably the best summer he's ever had. [The humor, the characterizations, their relationships, it’s all so fucking perfect!!] Go East [+Podfic] by xinasvoice [84k,E] Remus has been running for a long time. Eventually, he runs into a strange castle built by a wizard and his young apprentice. The longer he stays, the more secrets he uncovers...and the less he wants to leave. This is a novel-length adventure story that loosely follows the plot of Howl's Moving Castle. It does not require knowledge of the HMC book or movie to enjoy it. [it made me laugh, it made me cry, and it’s plot is based on one of my all time favorite movies? 11/10] Of Queries and Quarantines by MoonCat457 [51k,E] LUPIN.RJ: James, WHY? POTTER.JF: Because you’re the one currently doing the job, so it makes sense that you’d be the one to train the person hired to take your place. LUPIN.RJ: No, I mean why is Monty hiring a new editor in the middle of a fucking pandemic? POTTER.JF: An old friend of mine is in a tough spot and needs a job, so of course, dad is helping him out. - - - - OR A story set in the middle of the pandemic in which Sirius is hired at the Potter’s publishing company and Remus is responsible for training him. Lots of texting, lots of video calls, lots of mutual pining, and a lot of really bad literature quotes. [i’ve largely avoided quarantine au fics, but sometimes they’re so well-written and hilarious and also a texting fic and i accidentally fall in love with them, so here we are.]

Most recent fic I’ve read for the pairing: There Is No Man, However Wise by enigmaticblue [87k,T] It’s 1988, Sirius has Harry, and possession is nine-tenths of the law. [i adore a good raising harry au and i also adore the premise of the series this is in and i also adore the writing story and characterizations. 10/10]

Favorite AU(s) I’ve read for the pairing: High School AU: Likewise Variable by ssstrychnine [28k,T] James has plans, Peter is the nurse, Sirius keeps fake blood up his sleeves, and Remus just tries to stay alive. [i first read this fic in 2017 and it still lives rent free in my mind. it’s hilarious, a perfect characterization of the marauders (even tho it’s a muggle modern high school au) and adding shakespeare? just icing on the fucking cake. it’s excellent.] University AU: Wannabe Your Lover by Maraudererasmut & shadow_prince [15k,M] Somewhere in America, Fall of 1997 - Returning to University, James refused to room with Sirius in the wake of The Great Cheez-it Battle of '96. They must adjust to living with someone new, Mr. Potter worried they'd both get scurvy, James unsuccessfully continued trying to court one Lily Evans, Snape got what was coming to him, and Sirius was the most confused of them all. [this is the university experience we all wish we had, lowkey. aside from the hilarity that comes from having the marauders in a fic, it’s just cute and well-written and i love it (and southern remus??? it’s everything i never knew i needed.] Alternate Sorting AU (Slytherin Remus): Half Agony, Half Hope by Barry_Manilows_Wardrobe [21k,E] A tale wherein Sirius Black loses 750 House Points for Gryffindor. But it’s totally worth it. [listen, if, before i read this fic, you asked me if remus could’ve been a slytherin, my answer would have been “perhaps but probably not.” now, however, yeah. 100%. it’s hilarious, it’s novel (which i love to see), but it’s still the same remus and sirius and it’s excellent.] Haunted House AU: Another Day in the Sun by REwrites [19k,T] Is it haunted? I suppose that depends on who is telling the story. [really really excellent and a little haunting (pun entirely intended). it’s romantic and sweet and a little bittersweet but i adore it.]

WIP(s) I really love for the pairing: We Were Infinite by WolfstarPups90 [336k,E] “The Marauders aren’t something that will just go away once we graduate.” James continued, taking a more serious tone and addressing not only Remus, but the fear that they all had found recently in the back of their minds about what may become of them outside the walls of Hogwarts. “We’re a family. We’ve proven that again and again, haven’t we? We’re forever. Unstoppable. We’re infinite.” The full story of The Marauders from September 1st 1971 - October 31st 1981. (Heavily centered around Wolfstar and Jily in later chapter) [the first WIP i ever read (usually i stick to completed works, but this was being pretty regularly updated when i started reading it and also it’s fucking iconic so what can i say?)] Of Leaves and Stars by irrationalmoony & LadyAmina [273k,T] Almost a year out of Hogwarts, Lily finally manages to convince Sirius and James to get more acquainted with muggle technology and buy phones. Sirius, of course, texts the wrong number. [everyone is queer! (as they well should be). also: is it complete? no. has that stopped me from reading it twice? also no.]

Favorite Series for the pairing: TransVerse by picascribit [30k,E,2 works] Canon-divergent AU in which Remus is a transgender boy instead of being a werewolf. (warnings for underage, transphobia, internalized transphobia, bullying, self-harm) [i am a trans remus stan and this series is iconic, but also heed the tags kids.]

Longest fic I’ve read for the pairing: Once in a Blue Moon by FullMoonDreams [408k,M] In a world where Remus never received his Hogwarts invitation and Sirius wasn't accepted by the Gryffindors the two lonely boys become friends. A story beginning in their first year, and continuing right through Hogwarts and beyond. RLSB. [this fic emotionally ruined me,,, but like,,, in a good way, you know? i will probably never reread it because i cried for hours the first time, but the plot does live rent free in my mind (and i do have a playlist of songs that remind me of it).]

Fic(s) with some of my favorite tropes: Matchmaking: Pining, Parchment, Plotting, and Pranks by KayBee1762 [12k,T] “Idea parchment,” James said. He unfolded it and smoothed it out. “You want to get them together, right? That’s why you came to me?” “Yeah,” Lily huffed, which was ridiculous because he was right, that’s why she came to him. But it was supposed to be her idea, because she wanted to help her dear friend Remus, not James or Sirius. But it was so nice to be able to talk about this with someone, and James looked so pleased and excited. “Good,” James said. “Good, because they need to get together, they would be so happy and so good together, and Sirius will stop sighing like a lovesick puppy and just snog him instead.” In which Lily considers changing Houses, James blushes a lot, Sirius is his usual dramatic self, Remus mopes, and Peter knew everything all along. [the marauders (especially james and lily) trying to play matchmaker is one of my favorite instances of the classic matchmaking trope.] Road Trips + Bed Sharing: Of Comets and Counter-Examples by Woldy [5k,T] If the past is a foreign country, can travel help to resolve a troubled history? Dumbledore assigns Remus and Sirius a mission to explore three European cities, or perhaps to find each other. [a lovely tale of travel, reunions, comfort, friendship, and self-rediscovery. plus, travel, bed sharing, and friends to lovers??? yeah] Matchmaking (again): In The Middle by Blossomwitch [3k,Not Rated] James is the natural confidant of both Remus and Sirius. When they both swear him to secrecy on the same topic, James is stuck watching his friends pine for each other without being able to say a word to bring them together. A lesser man might shrink from the challenge of finding a way to break his promise without breaking his promise, but not James Potter! [i already did a matchmaking trope fic i know but what can i say other than the trope fucking slaps and so does this fic.]