Recs: September 19, 2011
Sep. 19th, 2011 09:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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beth_hOn June 1, 2011, I vowed to post recs at least once a month.
Good thing that wasn't an Unbreakable Vow, or I'd be posting this entry from beyond the Veil. :)
Due South
Aukestrel (aukestrel on DW): "Men on the Moon" (Fraser/Kowalski. The author calls this story - which was started long ago and only recently finished - "Post-CotW derivative schmoop," but while post-Call of the Wild stories are well-trodden ground in the F/K side of this fandom, the way Fraser and Kowalski's coming together is approached here is insightful, loving, and often original. Charmingly old school, but it feels no less new for all that.)
Harry Potter
http://dh2-challenge.livejournal.com/2046.html
Anguis (anguis_1 on LJ): " Fair Is Fair, and Life Is Not (Though Tea Helps an Awful Lot)" On LJ (Filius Flitwick/Pomona Sprout. " Although their students might sometimes be oblivious to it, teachers have lives, too. Fertilized with dung and watered with tea, Filius Flitwick and Pomona Sprout cultivate a love slowly bubbling along behind the scenes. " So perfectly real. )
Camillo1978 (camillo1978 on LJ): drew and wrote "Give Him the Good News" (Albus Dumbledore/Argus Filch. "Like many of his generation, there’s a lot more to Argus Filch than meets the eye. Albus Dumbledore discovers that he isn’t the only man in London with a heavy conscience." G for the Art; R for the Fic. A smart and original backstory for both of these men. )
Chantefable (chantefable on LJ): "Rewrite Icarus" (Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy/Severus Snape. "Gringotts Curse-Breaker Draco Malfoy encounters the famous cursed necklace, the Jewels of May." A psychological mystery tale, and wonderfully evocative)
Delphi (atdelphi on LJ/delphi on DW): wrote and illustrated "Snitch" ; On LJ (Viktor Krum/???. " Thorfinn Rowle, Death Eater, is alive and dwelling in Akureyri, Iceland: Ten years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Viktor Krum receives a mysterious letter and becomes entangled with an anonymous informant. " PG-13. Note: Image Heavy, as the story is driven in part by newspaper articles and correspondence. Wonderfully conceived and executed.)
Dueltastic (dueltastic on DW): "All the Days That Led to This" (Snape, McGonagall...or possibly Snape/McGonagall. A no-nonsense look at the development of McGonagall and Snape's relationship as colleagues and, perhaps, friends. Very smart. Cross-posted in gen and het)
Dueltastic (dueltastic on DW): "The Transfiguration Professor" (Snape, McGonagall...or possibly Snape/McGonagall. Utterly believable. Cross-posted in gen and het.)
Feather Quill (featherxquill on LJ): "Experimental Potions" On LJ (Poppy Pomfrey/Severus Snape. "Two students are petrified and the mandrakes are months away from maturity. In the interim, Poppy and Severus work together, attempting to create an alternative draught to re-awaken them. " If all we ever saw of this relationship was how their friendship works, it would have still been an excellent story!)
Femme (femmequixotic on LJ/DW): " Something Less Than Something More" ; On LJ (Millicent Bulstrode/Harry Potter, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley. " Tonight she wants to pretend the lies are true. Tonight she wants to believe that a girl like her could actually end up with the hero." Never a pairing I'd considered reading before, but Femme can make any pairing - and certainly any pairing featuring Millicent - work. A very real relationship.)
Flora Hart (florahart on LJ): "Records are for Keeping" ; On LJ (Irma Pince/Silvanus Kettleburn. " There is no spell to account for people trying to take things from the library unnoticed. Irma sets out to fix that " Irma is so incredibly three-dimensional here and such a heroine, even if in the end...well, read it and see!)
Girl Tarte (girl_tarte on LJ): "Souvenirs and Lost Luggage" ; On LJ (Petunia Dursley/OFC (pre-slash), Dudley Dursley/Piers Polkiss (established). "In 2003, Petunia leaves Little Whinging for good. It is four years before she can talk about it." A coming-of-age story, set when Petunia is already middle-aged. Really smart and engaging, especially given the fact that our protagonist is a character that most of us aren't inclined to love.)
Hannah1888 (hannah_1888 on LJ): "The Diary of a Nobody" (Snape/Hermione. "A year in the life of a nobody called Severus Snape — all in his very own words." Part parody in the style of Bridget Jones's Diary and part serious examination of a surviving post-DH Severus Snape who has decided, against expectations, that he'd really like to have a life. The author acknowledges the possibility that it's just a smidge *koff* out of character, but there's something very real about this story regardless. There's also some extremely perceptive interactions between Snape and his aged and fading father.)
Kat (kahvi on LJ): "Dudley Dursley and the Elusive Difference" (Gen. Dudley Dursley, Harry Potter, Petunia Dursley, Vernon Dursley. " Dudley is intersex, outwardly appearing male. Vernon and Petunia choose to keep this fact from everyone. Even Dudley. " Excellent Dudley p.o.v., which makes him both canon-compliant and sympathetic. Warnings can be found via the link.)
Lady Rhian (lady_rhian on LJ): "Sage" (Snape/Hermione. "For nearly thirty years, Hermione and her family have lived in peace and prosperity. When the unexpected occurs, buried secrets of a time long forgotten vie to make themselves known. Confronted by her daughter, Hermione allows herself to remember her past. What she doesn’t expect is to come face to face with it." Believable and realistic and touching. Takes all of the Epilogue into account, and yet....)
Lash Larue (lash_larue on LJ): "A Very Bad Thing Indeed." (Aunt Marge/Umbridge, Millicent Bulstrode/Moaning Myrtle " Just because a woman does not meet contemporary standards of beauty does not mean that she doesn’t have needs and longings. Strong women find a way to satisfy them. " Who would have imagined that these pairings would have been so incredibly believable, especially Aunt Marge and Dolores Umbridge, who seem to have been made for each other. Highly original and engaging.)
L C Darius (l_c_darius on LJ): "In December as in May" ; On LJ (Mr. Ollivander/Merope Gaunt, Tom Riddle/Merope Gaunt. " Captivity leads Ollivander to re-examine the choices he’s made. " A wonderful filling-in-the-blanks look at the backstory to HP canon. Very creative.)
Leela Cat (leela_cat on LJ): "Principles Before Personalities" (Dudley Dursley/Harry Potter. "After being arrested and sentenced to a Community Order, Dudley finds help in unexpected places." Let me just say that I, who have no particular interest in incest pairings - even cousins - had no trouble with this pairing, despite worrying that I might. Very real and an excellent look at the intersection(s) between the Muggle and Magical worlds.)
Miramira (miramiraficfic on LJ): "Between Prospects" (Rita Skeeter/Mrs. Zabini; background mentions of Mrs. Zabini/Mr. Zabini and Rita/others "Rita Skeeter and Thérèsa (Thea) Zabini are the sole constants in each others' lives. No matter how much Rita sometimes wishes things were otherwise." Far too real - within the context of the HP universe - to be a fairy tale romance, but still very emotionally truthful.)
Miss Morland (miss_morland on LJ): "The Cat's Claws" On LJ (Umbridge/McGonagall (unrequited), McGonagall/Hooch. "You will make her pay, at last, for your flushing cheeks and sleepless nights and dreams that came to naught." Oh, such a good look at Dolores Umbridge and what makes her tick. R.)
Musamihi (musamihi on LJ): "The Ministry's Man" ( John Dawlish/Rufus Scrimgeour. "John Dawlish has spent his career in the shadows of the Ministry's greatest men. One of the only things they all have in common is that they never stay for long." An excellent intersection of politics and private lives. PG-13.)
Ragdoll (ragdoll on LJ): " Big Girls Don't Cry" ; On LJ (Charlie Weasley/Millicent Bulstrode, Charlie/OFC, mention of past Millicent/Theodore Nott. " When Millicent Bulstrode was found guilty of colluding with known Death Eaters, she was forced to endure two years of indentured servitude at the Romanian Dragon Reserve waiting hand and foot on Charlie Weasley. It doesn't get more draconian than that." A believable slow-build and really good voices. NC-17.)
Slytherite (slytherite on LJ): " Fostering Witch-Muggle Understanding " ; On LJ (Hestia Jones/Petunia Dursley, background Vernon Dursley/Petunia Dursley. " One can learn a lot from a freak, Hestia Jones discovers, if one is willing to take the time to listen. " A good, slowly developing relationship, with both Witch and Muggle learning a great deal about each other's worlds. PG-13.)
Songquake (songquake on LJ): "Let Us Escape Our Troubles" ; On LJ (Minerva McGonagall/Augusta Longbottom. "How terribly strange to be seventy… ("Old Friends", Simon and Garfunkel)" A truly mature relationship in more ways than one, with two women who are each other's intellectual equals. NC-17 .)
Tetley (tetleythesecond on LJ): "The Ladies of Godric's Hollow" On LJ (Griselda Marchbanks/Bathilda Bagshot, implied background Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald. "Griselda Marchbanks and Bathilda Bagshot are two women with a dream and sound principles. However, when Bathilda's nephew pays them a visit in the summer of 1899, the question arises how to stay true to them." Poignant and utterly believable, with an excellent sense of time and place. R.)
The Real Snape (therealsnape on LJ): "Black Knight Moves Forward" (Minerva McGonagall/Severus Snape. "Harry The Giant Wizard Chess is meant to protect the Philosopher’s Stone. But, as Severus finds out, there’s more to it than meets the eye." This Minerva absolutely understands Severus Snape, but avoids the pitfall of being too "nice." PG-13.)
V (vissy on LJ): "The Glorious 10th of May" (Dudley Dursley/Piers Polkiss "Dudley is the Dark Lord of Romance. He'll kick seven shades of shit out of anyone who says otherwise." Rather amazingly good, especially considering the p.o.v. character is - in canon - a complete cipher. Very real - and oddly romantic.)
Woldy (woldy on LJ): "Escape Routes for a Stormy Night" (Amelia Bones/Poppy Pomfrey. "The checklist for dealing with Death Eater attacks has been drilled into every Ministry employee: wand; family; escape routes." An intense and loving story. R.)
Good thing that wasn't an Unbreakable Vow, or I'd be posting this entry from beyond the Veil. :)
Due South
Aukestrel (aukestrel on DW): "Men on the Moon" (Fraser/Kowalski. The author calls this story - which was started long ago and only recently finished - "Post-CotW derivative schmoop," but while post-Call of the Wild stories are well-trodden ground in the F/K side of this fandom, the way Fraser and Kowalski's coming together is approached here is insightful, loving, and often original. Charmingly old school, but it feels no less new for all that.)
Harry Potter
http://dh2-challenge.livejournal.com/2046.html
Anguis (anguis_1 on LJ): " Fair Is Fair, and Life Is Not (Though Tea Helps an Awful Lot)" On LJ (Filius Flitwick/Pomona Sprout. " Although their students might sometimes be oblivious to it, teachers have lives, too. Fertilized with dung and watered with tea, Filius Flitwick and Pomona Sprout cultivate a love slowly bubbling along behind the scenes. " So perfectly real. )
Camillo1978 (camillo1978 on LJ): drew and wrote "Give Him the Good News" (Albus Dumbledore/Argus Filch. "Like many of his generation, there’s a lot more to Argus Filch than meets the eye. Albus Dumbledore discovers that he isn’t the only man in London with a heavy conscience." G for the Art; R for the Fic. A smart and original backstory for both of these men. )
Chantefable (chantefable on LJ): "Rewrite Icarus" (Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy/Severus Snape. "Gringotts Curse-Breaker Draco Malfoy encounters the famous cursed necklace, the Jewels of May." A psychological mystery tale, and wonderfully evocative)
Delphi (atdelphi on LJ/delphi on DW): wrote and illustrated "Snitch" ; On LJ (Viktor Krum/???. " Thorfinn Rowle, Death Eater, is alive and dwelling in Akureyri, Iceland: Ten years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Viktor Krum receives a mysterious letter and becomes entangled with an anonymous informant. " PG-13. Note: Image Heavy, as the story is driven in part by newspaper articles and correspondence. Wonderfully conceived and executed.)
Dueltastic (dueltastic on DW): "All the Days That Led to This" (Snape, McGonagall...or possibly Snape/McGonagall. A no-nonsense look at the development of McGonagall and Snape's relationship as colleagues and, perhaps, friends. Very smart. Cross-posted in gen and het)
Dueltastic (dueltastic on DW): "The Transfiguration Professor" (Snape, McGonagall...or possibly Snape/McGonagall. Utterly believable. Cross-posted in gen and het.)
Feather Quill (featherxquill on LJ): "Experimental Potions" On LJ (Poppy Pomfrey/Severus Snape. "Two students are petrified and the mandrakes are months away from maturity. In the interim, Poppy and Severus work together, attempting to create an alternative draught to re-awaken them. " If all we ever saw of this relationship was how their friendship works, it would have still been an excellent story!)
Femme (femmequixotic on LJ/DW): " Something Less Than Something More" ; On LJ (Millicent Bulstrode/Harry Potter, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley. " Tonight she wants to pretend the lies are true. Tonight she wants to believe that a girl like her could actually end up with the hero." Never a pairing I'd considered reading before, but Femme can make any pairing - and certainly any pairing featuring Millicent - work. A very real relationship.)
Flora Hart (florahart on LJ): "Records are for Keeping" ; On LJ (Irma Pince/Silvanus Kettleburn. " There is no spell to account for people trying to take things from the library unnoticed. Irma sets out to fix that " Irma is so incredibly three-dimensional here and such a heroine, even if in the end...well, read it and see!)
Girl Tarte (girl_tarte on LJ): "Souvenirs and Lost Luggage" ; On LJ (Petunia Dursley/OFC (pre-slash), Dudley Dursley/Piers Polkiss (established). "In 2003, Petunia leaves Little Whinging for good. It is four years before she can talk about it." A coming-of-age story, set when Petunia is already middle-aged. Really smart and engaging, especially given the fact that our protagonist is a character that most of us aren't inclined to love.)
Hannah1888 (hannah_1888 on LJ): "The Diary of a Nobody" (Snape/Hermione. "A year in the life of a nobody called Severus Snape — all in his very own words." Part parody in the style of Bridget Jones's Diary and part serious examination of a surviving post-DH Severus Snape who has decided, against expectations, that he'd really like to have a life. The author acknowledges the possibility that it's just a smidge *koff* out of character, but there's something very real about this story regardless. There's also some extremely perceptive interactions between Snape and his aged and fading father.)
Kat (kahvi on LJ): "Dudley Dursley and the Elusive Difference" (Gen. Dudley Dursley, Harry Potter, Petunia Dursley, Vernon Dursley. " Dudley is intersex, outwardly appearing male. Vernon and Petunia choose to keep this fact from everyone. Even Dudley. " Excellent Dudley p.o.v., which makes him both canon-compliant and sympathetic. Warnings can be found via the link.)
Lady Rhian (lady_rhian on LJ): "Sage" (Snape/Hermione. "For nearly thirty years, Hermione and her family have lived in peace and prosperity. When the unexpected occurs, buried secrets of a time long forgotten vie to make themselves known. Confronted by her daughter, Hermione allows herself to remember her past. What she doesn’t expect is to come face to face with it." Believable and realistic and touching. Takes all of the Epilogue into account, and yet....)
Lash Larue (lash_larue on LJ): "A Very Bad Thing Indeed." (Aunt Marge/Umbridge, Millicent Bulstrode/Moaning Myrtle " Just because a woman does not meet contemporary standards of beauty does not mean that she doesn’t have needs and longings. Strong women find a way to satisfy them. " Who would have imagined that these pairings would have been so incredibly believable, especially Aunt Marge and Dolores Umbridge, who seem to have been made for each other. Highly original and engaging.)
L C Darius (l_c_darius on LJ): "In December as in May" ; On LJ (Mr. Ollivander/Merope Gaunt, Tom Riddle/Merope Gaunt. " Captivity leads Ollivander to re-examine the choices he’s made. " A wonderful filling-in-the-blanks look at the backstory to HP canon. Very creative.)
Leela Cat (leela_cat on LJ): "Principles Before Personalities" (Dudley Dursley/Harry Potter. "After being arrested and sentenced to a Community Order, Dudley finds help in unexpected places." Let me just say that I, who have no particular interest in incest pairings - even cousins - had no trouble with this pairing, despite worrying that I might. Very real and an excellent look at the intersection(s) between the Muggle and Magical worlds.)
Miramira (miramiraficfic on LJ): "Between Prospects" (Rita Skeeter/Mrs. Zabini; background mentions of Mrs. Zabini/Mr. Zabini and Rita/others "Rita Skeeter and Thérèsa (Thea) Zabini are the sole constants in each others' lives. No matter how much Rita sometimes wishes things were otherwise." Far too real - within the context of the HP universe - to be a fairy tale romance, but still very emotionally truthful.)
Miss Morland (miss_morland on LJ): "The Cat's Claws" On LJ (Umbridge/McGonagall (unrequited), McGonagall/Hooch. "You will make her pay, at last, for your flushing cheeks and sleepless nights and dreams that came to naught." Oh, such a good look at Dolores Umbridge and what makes her tick. R.)
Musamihi (musamihi on LJ): "The Ministry's Man" ( John Dawlish/Rufus Scrimgeour. "John Dawlish has spent his career in the shadows of the Ministry's greatest men. One of the only things they all have in common is that they never stay for long." An excellent intersection of politics and private lives. PG-13.)
Ragdoll (ragdoll on LJ): " Big Girls Don't Cry" ; On LJ (Charlie Weasley/Millicent Bulstrode, Charlie/OFC, mention of past Millicent/Theodore Nott. " When Millicent Bulstrode was found guilty of colluding with known Death Eaters, she was forced to endure two years of indentured servitude at the Romanian Dragon Reserve waiting hand and foot on Charlie Weasley. It doesn't get more draconian than that." A believable slow-build and really good voices. NC-17.)
Slytherite (slytherite on LJ): " Fostering Witch-Muggle Understanding " ; On LJ (Hestia Jones/Petunia Dursley, background Vernon Dursley/Petunia Dursley. " One can learn a lot from a freak, Hestia Jones discovers, if one is willing to take the time to listen. " A good, slowly developing relationship, with both Witch and Muggle learning a great deal about each other's worlds. PG-13.)
Songquake (songquake on LJ): "Let Us Escape Our Troubles" ; On LJ (Minerva McGonagall/Augusta Longbottom. "How terribly strange to be seventy… ("Old Friends", Simon and Garfunkel)" A truly mature relationship in more ways than one, with two women who are each other's intellectual equals. NC-17 .)
Tetley (tetleythesecond on LJ): "The Ladies of Godric's Hollow" On LJ (Griselda Marchbanks/Bathilda Bagshot, implied background Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald. "Griselda Marchbanks and Bathilda Bagshot are two women with a dream and sound principles. However, when Bathilda's nephew pays them a visit in the summer of 1899, the question arises how to stay true to them." Poignant and utterly believable, with an excellent sense of time and place. R.)
The Real Snape (therealsnape on LJ): "Black Knight Moves Forward" (Minerva McGonagall/Severus Snape. "Harry The Giant Wizard Chess is meant to protect the Philosopher’s Stone. But, as Severus finds out, there’s more to it than meets the eye." This Minerva absolutely understands Severus Snape, but avoids the pitfall of being too "nice." PG-13.)
V (vissy on LJ): "The Glorious 10th of May" (Dudley Dursley/Piers Polkiss "Dudley is the Dark Lord of Romance. He'll kick seven shades of shit out of anyone who says otherwise." Rather amazingly good, especially considering the p.o.v. character is - in canon - a complete cipher. Very real - and oddly romantic.)
Woldy (woldy on LJ): "Escape Routes for a Stormy Night" (Amelia Bones/Poppy Pomfrey. "The checklist for dealing with Death Eater attacks has been drilled into every Ministry employee: wand; family; escape routes." An intense and loving story. R.)
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