Fic Recs.001
(...just in case I forget the ones I like. :D Will add more as I see fit.)
Twice As Bright by thirty2flavors
She introduced him as James Potter, he shook your hand, and you knew, instantly, that she'd outdone you again. // Petunia reflects on the differences between the Dursleys and the Potters.
Comments: I really liked this piece--a very good character study on Petunia. This is one of those fics that makes me think back on the character presented by the books and realize that we only see one dimension of that particular character.
Puzzle Pieces by thirty2flavors
An anthology of unrelated drabbles.
Comments: The drabbles are excellent. I've liked some more than the others--specifically 12. Guilty Pleasure and 32. Obedience, among others.
Vindication by thirty2flavors
He was not designed for this, for acts of bravery. (He’d never been a Gryffindor.) // A glimpse at the near-end of Regulus Black's life.
Comments: Brilliant fic. Ever since finding out what happened with RAB from Kreacher, I'd been curious about the other Black brother, what his thoughts were about the brother who abandoned his family, and his thoughts as a Death Eater disillusioned by the Dark Lord. This story gives me a little glimpse to the character that he might have been. Ah, it's such a shame we don't get much MWPP era stuff from JK Rowling, but fics like this fills the gap well.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow by lilith_morgana
Last time, things were different.
Comments: A take on Narcissa Malfoy and her family. I think, out of all the Death Eaters (or relatives of Death Eaters), I sympathize with Narcissa the most. She might have been a woman from a Dark family, married a Death Eater, and raised a bully (not to mention a two-faced coward) for a son, but at the very least her redeeming quality is the little fact that she prizes her family above all else. That, to me, counts for something.
Moments Worth 100 Words by afterthree
Genuine drabbles, each exactly 100 words long - no more, no less.
Comments: To me there's something very appealing in reading an emotion-packed story in just 100 words--and afterthree makes some excellent drabbles.
Disaster: See Also, Remus J. Lupin, Lovelife Of by Lady Bracknell
Remus claims that his love life has always been a disaster. He’s had vases thrown at him, made girls cry in public and done very reckless things in broom cupboards.
Comments: Hilariously made and highly enjoyable to read.
Absolution by zarahjoyce
How far will Draco go in his quest for forgiveness?
Comments: I don't know why, but when it comes to DHr one-shots, this is the one that stands out the most in my head. Tragic ending, but I quite like it, as it's very fitting.
Four Times Severus' Love Was Unrequited by red_erythros
Four times things were never really understood, and one time he hoped for everything.
Comments: If I remember correctly, this is the first Snevans fic I've ever read, and it is so heartbreaking and beautiful. ;____; I've never been a fan of Snape, but I have to say, I feel for his character and the love he has that never went away.
The Bravery in Staying Behind by msspell
She thinks it’s her fault, somehow.
Comments: Sad little piece, but I quite like it.
Just a Word by DeepDownSlytherin
A young Nymphadora learns a new word. Her mother is unusually disturbed by it.
Comments: This one is really well written. I love reading about a not-so-young but pre-Azkaban Sirius, back when he wasn't broken and haunted, and reading about Andromeda and Ted Tonks is becoming somewhat of a preference. XD
Wordless by penknife
There are lots of things Arthur Weasley doesn’t say.
Comments: Excellent character study on Arthur Weasley.
Behind Closed, Locked, and Soundproofed Doors by Anguis
"Arthur Weasley was rarely seen kissing his wife." Not all romances are conducted in front of the camera.
Comments: Short, but really well done. I always thought Mrs. Weasley's figure was lovely in the motherly sort of way, but then again, Molly Weasley's character for me stands out more as a mother than a wife, so it never occurred to me that her motherly figure would be...taken as a negative, unfortunate thing, in the eyes of those who look at Arthur and her as husband and wife.
Death and King's Cross by sciathan_file
Who was to know Death had etiquette enough to be personalized?
Comments: Just so you know, this one-shot is touching enough to make me cry at the end. It's nothing short of lovely.
Between the Lines by Lady Altair
There are many tales to be told between the golden threads of the Black Family tree. A series of one-shots: woe and tragedy, happy endings, and all that comes between in life.
Comments: I read the first one, Bad Blood, and it was excellent. Seriously. How anyone can make a story from just names scattered in the tapestry of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black leaves me in awe.
Defy by Lady Altair
Sirius, Marlene, and the motorbike: defying death, gravity, and muggle traffic laws. After all, better to jump than to fall.
Comments: Why haven't I read this beautiful, beautiful piece before, why? Its succinct, and every line is beautiful. I think it's because I have this strong penchant for fics surrounding Sirius (or anything MWPP era, really), but this one is just--GUH. I love the entire thing, but I really, really like this one bit: ...as he rides home through the clouds, he wonders if that's what love is like, sitting behind someone and holding tight because you know they're going to take you on some adventure, somewhere beautiful and dangerous you couldn't ever find on your own. Pure gem. And the last line, the last line! ;____;
Home Invader by Ichthyosaur
Ron is home alone with Rosie and Hugo when a spider attacks!
Comments: Just. Adorable. Totally. Ron's interaction with his kids is just fantastic--still in character even when he's evolved into Daddy!Ron and not Part-of-the-Golden-Trio!Ron. And Rosie and Hugo! I love the characterizations of the kids. Also, I still think Ron and Hermione are the best at naming their kids (no recycled war hero name!), if not second best to Fleur and Bill.
Cauterize by Lady Altair
"Of course it's missing something vital. That's the point." Dennis Creevey takes up his brother's camera after the war.
Comments: I really like this one--I think what I like about it is that it shows the scars of the war, emotionally and physically at the same time, even though the storytelling only goes to describe the outer appearance as people will see it. Very vivid, and I could easily have been seeing the photos myself instead of just reading about them.
White Satin For Mourning by Lady Altair
That Fabian Prewett and his brother died like heroes is little consolation to a girl who will never wear her wedding dress. How Fabian Prewett's watch came into Molly's possession and why she saved it for Harry.
Comments: It's becoming quite obvious that I like Lady Altair's storytelling. She's got a way with words that makes everything so much more poignant than what I thought at first, and she excels in writing about the 'other' characters that it makes me want to read more about them.
Severance by Anna Fugazzi
George is left behind.
Comments: Fred's death came as a shocker to me--while I had an inkling beforehand that a Weasley was going to be offed (there's just too many of them--the possibility of someone in the family dying is relatively high), I never thought it would be the prankster, Fred, one of the Twins. And the one who has the most feeling of loss would be the twin who was left behind. This is such a sad and beautiful story. And this part kills me:
But Fred's not there for good and it's like missing a limb, missing his reflection, reaching for something that's almost always been there and finding it missing, again and again and again and every time he feels the limb amputated. Every single bloody time he looks up and doesn't see himself. Every single bloody time he says something that Fred would've understood and Fred doesn't laugh, doesn't argue, doesn't say it at the same time.
That's the feeling of loss George feels, and it's the saddest one of all.
Almost by aurorawest
George returns to 93 Diagon Alley for the first time since the Battle of Hogwarts.
Comments: I think this might be the most canon characterization of post-war George I have ever read so far. Still a joker, of course, but always reminded of his twin. Of course I cried at this too. I always cry when reading stories about the Twins.
With A Little Bit of Luck by longsunday
Diagon Alley was the first fatality of the second war.
Comments: Very short, but incredibly vivid and haunting.
The More Things Change by shimotsuki
Sirius Black has been unnervingly polite ever since Lily found herself actually kissing James Potter.
Comments: Although no one would be happier for James once Lily starts dating him other than Sirius, I think no one would even be more depressed at that thought other than Sirius himself--and this story plays to that little worry very well. I still can't see Sirius having a drag (and good heavens, Lily! Smoking!), but I guess I'll just wave that away because this story is really well done.
Two Conversations by Ykuang
Harry has a hypothetical toe fungus. Ginny thinks he’s odd. Hermione thinks he’s odd. Everything happens at four in the morning. And it’s all canon.
Comments: This one had me grinning like an idiot. And I don't even like Harry/Ginny.
The Sleeper Awakes by SnorkackCatcher
"It's been coming on for a while," said Percy ... "But I had to find a way out and it's not so easy at the Ministry, they're imprisoning traitors all the time." (DH, ch30). This is Percy's journey to that point.
Comments: Although Bill and Charlie weren't introduced into the story as much as the other Weasley brothers, I always liked Percy least and Bill and Charlie more, because of Percy being such a stick in the mud. He redeemed himself a little in my eyes though, when he appeared to fight in Hogwarts--and this is such an exceptionally brilliant fic to show us what happened to get him there.
The Enforcer by placebetween
Lily becomes sick at a Quidditch match, and James comes to see her (but only after he's done playing, of course).
Comments: I've always had a soft spot for Lily/James fics, especially after reading the fifth book--because it's so adorable to see Lily being so angry and disgusted of her future husband. XD This fic shows a little of what might have been their usual banter at a time when Lily's disgust for whom she referred to as an "arrogant, bullying toerag" has mellowed down and turned into something much better. XD
The Birthday Boy by Lady Bracknell
On his seventeenth birthday, Teddy Lupin is forced to face a message from beyond the grave, and a cake with his face on it. It was enough to make anyone hide at the bottom of the garden.
Comments: To edit.
So Much Lighter Now I Have Met You by everblue3
“I guess, given the significance of all you represent, I expected you to be heavier.” Sirius’s initial thoughts following Harry’s birth.
Comments: Heh. For a few minutes I've been writing this really long comment about how Sirius and Harry's relationship encompasses many kinds of relationships, blah, blah, blah, just to describe how I like this one, but I can't really seem to get down to what I want to say. So I'm just gonna say that I like this one--a lot. It's simple and true and it feels just like a letter from a younger Sirius to his godson Harry, and not something the haunted, post-Azkaban Sirius would say to the teenage Harry, who he sees more as a brother and a friend rather than a godson. There's a kind of innocence and brightness in this one that I've always wanted to see in Sirius, but of course, one that I never get to see in the books (which is unfortunate). (Heh, and this comment still turned out to be long. XD)
Highway Code by shewhoguards
Why Hermione really wasn't certain Ron could pass a Muggle driving test.
Comments: I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of RHr. Sure, they're cute and I enjoy reading their banter, but I've always been interested in other pairings more (mostly MWPP era and a few non-canon ones). Now though, I'm starting to really like the couple. :D
Consequences by inell
For every choice, there are always consequences.
Comments: I never really gave much thought to Hermione's act of Obliviating her parents into thinking they had no child and sending them to Australia, perhaps because I was too engrossed in the more important parts of the prose compared to something that was only said in passing (but I guess that's the beauty of fanfics, eh? They dwell in the words said in passing and make a story out of it.). Now that I think about it though, what Hermione did was a little...cowardly, in that she did it so she wouldn't have to worry about them, as she already had too much to worry about. I don't think Hermione was close to her parents as she was growing up--she spent a great deal of time in a boarding school, of course, and some of her holidays away from home as well...and her parents are Muggles, who might not understand much of what their daughter is going through. Anyway, it sucks that little things such as this were overlooked in the Epilogue, because these little things make the difference between liking the character and hating the character, y'know?
Rubbish by She's a Star
Rita Skeeter’s first article on the Triwizard Tournament leaves Ron distressed, Hermione bewildered, and both of them particularly inclined to bicker.
Comments: Hee. Ron's one of my favorite characters, so to read a story about their fourth year (when things between him and Hermione start heating up) in his perspective, and see Ron in this fic as very, very close to being canon!Ron is nothing short of brilliant. I really like this one.
The Adventures of Icarus, the Invisible Poltergeist by After The Rain
In which Mr. Prongs takes Muggle Studies, Mr. Padfoot has a crush on Professor McGonagall, Miss Evans demonstrates where her son inherited his CAPS LOCK tendencies, Mr. Wormtail discovers that his Animagus form is useful for petty theft, and Mr. Moony explains why none of this can possibly be construed as his fault.
Comments: This is all kinds of funny. XD
Twice As Bright by thirty2flavors
She introduced him as James Potter, he shook your hand, and you knew, instantly, that she'd outdone you again. // Petunia reflects on the differences between the Dursleys and the Potters.
Comments: I really liked this piece--a very good character study on Petunia. This is one of those fics that makes me think back on the character presented by the books and realize that we only see one dimension of that particular character.
Puzzle Pieces by thirty2flavors
An anthology of unrelated drabbles.
Comments: The drabbles are excellent. I've liked some more than the others--specifically 12. Guilty Pleasure and 32. Obedience, among others.
Vindication by thirty2flavors
He was not designed for this, for acts of bravery. (He’d never been a Gryffindor.) // A glimpse at the near-end of Regulus Black's life.
Comments: Brilliant fic. Ever since finding out what happened with RAB from Kreacher, I'd been curious about the other Black brother, what his thoughts were about the brother who abandoned his family, and his thoughts as a Death Eater disillusioned by the Dark Lord. This story gives me a little glimpse to the character that he might have been. Ah, it's such a shame we don't get much MWPP era stuff from JK Rowling, but fics like this fills the gap well.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow by lilith_morgana
Last time, things were different.
Comments: A take on Narcissa Malfoy and her family. I think, out of all the Death Eaters (or relatives of Death Eaters), I sympathize with Narcissa the most. She might have been a woman from a Dark family, married a Death Eater, and raised a bully (not to mention a two-faced coward) for a son, but at the very least her redeeming quality is the little fact that she prizes her family above all else. That, to me, counts for something.
Moments Worth 100 Words by afterthree
Genuine drabbles, each exactly 100 words long - no more, no less.
Comments: To me there's something very appealing in reading an emotion-packed story in just 100 words--and afterthree makes some excellent drabbles.
Disaster: See Also, Remus J. Lupin, Lovelife Of by Lady Bracknell
Remus claims that his love life has always been a disaster. He’s had vases thrown at him, made girls cry in public and done very reckless things in broom cupboards.
Comments: Hilariously made and highly enjoyable to read.
Absolution by zarahjoyce
How far will Draco go in his quest for forgiveness?
Comments: I don't know why, but when it comes to DHr one-shots, this is the one that stands out the most in my head. Tragic ending, but I quite like it, as it's very fitting.
Four Times Severus' Love Was Unrequited by red_erythros
Four times things were never really understood, and one time he hoped for everything.
Comments: If I remember correctly, this is the first Snevans fic I've ever read, and it is so heartbreaking and beautiful. ;____; I've never been a fan of Snape, but I have to say, I feel for his character and the love he has that never went away.
The Bravery in Staying Behind by msspell
She thinks it’s her fault, somehow.
Comments: Sad little piece, but I quite like it.
Just a Word by DeepDownSlytherin
A young Nymphadora learns a new word. Her mother is unusually disturbed by it.
Comments: This one is really well written. I love reading about a not-so-young but pre-Azkaban Sirius, back when he wasn't broken and haunted, and reading about Andromeda and Ted Tonks is becoming somewhat of a preference. XD
Wordless by penknife
There are lots of things Arthur Weasley doesn’t say.
Comments: Excellent character study on Arthur Weasley.
Behind Closed, Locked, and Soundproofed Doors by Anguis
"Arthur Weasley was rarely seen kissing his wife." Not all romances are conducted in front of the camera.
Comments: Short, but really well done. I always thought Mrs. Weasley's figure was lovely in the motherly sort of way, but then again, Molly Weasley's character for me stands out more as a mother than a wife, so it never occurred to me that her motherly figure would be...taken as a negative, unfortunate thing, in the eyes of those who look at Arthur and her as husband and wife.
Death and King's Cross by sciathan_file
Who was to know Death had etiquette enough to be personalized?
Comments: Just so you know, this one-shot is touching enough to make me cry at the end. It's nothing short of lovely.
Between the Lines by Lady Altair
There are many tales to be told between the golden threads of the Black Family tree. A series of one-shots: woe and tragedy, happy endings, and all that comes between in life.
Comments: I read the first one, Bad Blood, and it was excellent. Seriously. How anyone can make a story from just names scattered in the tapestry of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black leaves me in awe.
Defy by Lady Altair
Sirius, Marlene, and the motorbike: defying death, gravity, and muggle traffic laws. After all, better to jump than to fall.
Comments: Why haven't I read this beautiful, beautiful piece before, why? Its succinct, and every line is beautiful. I think it's because I have this strong penchant for fics surrounding Sirius (or anything MWPP era, really), but this one is just--GUH. I love the entire thing, but I really, really like this one bit: ...as he rides home through the clouds, he wonders if that's what love is like, sitting behind someone and holding tight because you know they're going to take you on some adventure, somewhere beautiful and dangerous you couldn't ever find on your own. Pure gem. And the last line, the last line! ;____;
Home Invader by Ichthyosaur
Ron is home alone with Rosie and Hugo when a spider attacks!
Comments: Just. Adorable. Totally. Ron's interaction with his kids is just fantastic--still in character even when he's evolved into Daddy!Ron and not Part-of-the-Golden-Trio!Ron. And Rosie and Hugo! I love the characterizations of the kids. Also, I still think Ron and Hermione are the best at naming their kids (no recycled war hero name!), if not second best to Fleur and Bill.
Cauterize by Lady Altair
"Of course it's missing something vital. That's the point." Dennis Creevey takes up his brother's camera after the war.
Comments: I really like this one--I think what I like about it is that it shows the scars of the war, emotionally and physically at the same time, even though the storytelling only goes to describe the outer appearance as people will see it. Very vivid, and I could easily have been seeing the photos myself instead of just reading about them.
White Satin For Mourning by Lady Altair
That Fabian Prewett and his brother died like heroes is little consolation to a girl who will never wear her wedding dress. How Fabian Prewett's watch came into Molly's possession and why she saved it for Harry.
Comments: It's becoming quite obvious that I like Lady Altair's storytelling. She's got a way with words that makes everything so much more poignant than what I thought at first, and she excels in writing about the 'other' characters that it makes me want to read more about them.
Severance by Anna Fugazzi
George is left behind.
Comments: Fred's death came as a shocker to me--while I had an inkling beforehand that a Weasley was going to be offed (there's just too many of them--the possibility of someone in the family dying is relatively high), I never thought it would be the prankster, Fred, one of the Twins. And the one who has the most feeling of loss would be the twin who was left behind. This is such a sad and beautiful story. And this part kills me:
But Fred's not there for good and it's like missing a limb, missing his reflection, reaching for something that's almost always been there and finding it missing, again and again and again and every time he feels the limb amputated. Every single bloody time he looks up and doesn't see himself. Every single bloody time he says something that Fred would've understood and Fred doesn't laugh, doesn't argue, doesn't say it at the same time.
That's the feeling of loss George feels, and it's the saddest one of all.
Almost by aurorawest
George returns to 93 Diagon Alley for the first time since the Battle of Hogwarts.
Comments: I think this might be the most canon characterization of post-war George I have ever read so far. Still a joker, of course, but always reminded of his twin. Of course I cried at this too. I always cry when reading stories about the Twins.
With A Little Bit of Luck by longsunday
Diagon Alley was the first fatality of the second war.
Comments: Very short, but incredibly vivid and haunting.
The More Things Change by shimotsuki
Sirius Black has been unnervingly polite ever since Lily found herself actually kissing James Potter.
Comments: Although no one would be happier for James once Lily starts dating him other than Sirius, I think no one would even be more depressed at that thought other than Sirius himself--and this story plays to that little worry very well. I still can't see Sirius having a drag (and good heavens, Lily! Smoking!), but I guess I'll just wave that away because this story is really well done.
Two Conversations by Ykuang
Harry has a hypothetical toe fungus. Ginny thinks he’s odd. Hermione thinks he’s odd. Everything happens at four in the morning. And it’s all canon.
Comments: This one had me grinning like an idiot. And I don't even like Harry/Ginny.
The Sleeper Awakes by SnorkackCatcher
"It's been coming on for a while," said Percy ... "But I had to find a way out and it's not so easy at the Ministry, they're imprisoning traitors all the time." (DH, ch30). This is Percy's journey to that point.
Comments: Although Bill and Charlie weren't introduced into the story as much as the other Weasley brothers, I always liked Percy least and Bill and Charlie more, because of Percy being such a stick in the mud. He redeemed himself a little in my eyes though, when he appeared to fight in Hogwarts--and this is such an exceptionally brilliant fic to show us what happened to get him there.
The Enforcer by placebetween
Lily becomes sick at a Quidditch match, and James comes to see her (but only after he's done playing, of course).
Comments: I've always had a soft spot for Lily/James fics, especially after reading the fifth book--because it's so adorable to see Lily being so angry and disgusted of her future husband. XD This fic shows a little of what might have been their usual banter at a time when Lily's disgust for whom she referred to as an "arrogant, bullying toerag" has mellowed down and turned into something much better. XD
The Birthday Boy by Lady Bracknell
On his seventeenth birthday, Teddy Lupin is forced to face a message from beyond the grave, and a cake with his face on it. It was enough to make anyone hide at the bottom of the garden.
Comments: To edit.
So Much Lighter Now I Have Met You by everblue3
“I guess, given the significance of all you represent, I expected you to be heavier.” Sirius’s initial thoughts following Harry’s birth.
Comments: Heh. For a few minutes I've been writing this really long comment about how Sirius and Harry's relationship encompasses many kinds of relationships, blah, blah, blah, just to describe how I like this one, but I can't really seem to get down to what I want to say. So I'm just gonna say that I like this one--a lot. It's simple and true and it feels just like a letter from a younger Sirius to his godson Harry, and not something the haunted, post-Azkaban Sirius would say to the teenage Harry, who he sees more as a brother and a friend rather than a godson. There's a kind of innocence and brightness in this one that I've always wanted to see in Sirius, but of course, one that I never get to see in the books (which is unfortunate). (Heh, and this comment still turned out to be long. XD)
Highway Code by shewhoguards
Why Hermione really wasn't certain Ron could pass a Muggle driving test.
Comments: I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of RHr. Sure, they're cute and I enjoy reading their banter, but I've always been interested in other pairings more (mostly MWPP era and a few non-canon ones). Now though, I'm starting to really like the couple. :D
Consequences by inell
For every choice, there are always consequences.
Comments: I never really gave much thought to Hermione's act of Obliviating her parents into thinking they had no child and sending them to Australia, perhaps because I was too engrossed in the more important parts of the prose compared to something that was only said in passing (but I guess that's the beauty of fanfics, eh? They dwell in the words said in passing and make a story out of it.). Now that I think about it though, what Hermione did was a little...cowardly, in that she did it so she wouldn't have to worry about them, as she already had too much to worry about. I don't think Hermione was close to her parents as she was growing up--she spent a great deal of time in a boarding school, of course, and some of her holidays away from home as well...and her parents are Muggles, who might not understand much of what their daughter is going through. Anyway, it sucks that little things such as this were overlooked in the Epilogue, because these little things make the difference between liking the character and hating the character, y'know?
Rubbish by She's a Star
Rita Skeeter’s first article on the Triwizard Tournament leaves Ron distressed, Hermione bewildered, and both of them particularly inclined to bicker.
Comments: Hee. Ron's one of my favorite characters, so to read a story about their fourth year (when things between him and Hermione start heating up) in his perspective, and see Ron in this fic as very, very close to being canon!Ron is nothing short of brilliant. I really like this one.
The Adventures of Icarus, the Invisible Poltergeist by After The Rain
In which Mr. Prongs takes Muggle Studies, Mr. Padfoot has a crush on Professor McGonagall, Miss Evans demonstrates where her son inherited his CAPS LOCK tendencies, Mr. Wormtail discovers that his Animagus form is useful for petty theft, and Mr. Moony explains why none of this can possibly be construed as his fault.
Comments: This is all kinds of funny. XD