Cardathon fic!
As many of you know, the lovely buckle_berry ran a Valentine's cardathon in which participants exchanged greetings by--gasp!--mail. I was lucky enough to receive a Tonks/Fleur letter and fic (and candy!) from mindabbles, who somehow managed to strike just the right note with these two. I was also lucky enough to draw mtranc3, whose fondness for Aloysius the teddy bear inspired a HP/Brideshead Revisited crossover. Who knew?
*
From mindabbles to magnetic_pole: No Decision At All
Fleur/Tonks, with some implied Remus/Severus
Rated PG-13
Truly, the French are unfairly advantaged by their ability to write love letters. Now that Fleur has fallen in love with Tonks, it seems as if Remus never had a chance.
"Your pretty words, they need work," Fleur says, arching one elegant eyebrow.
This is such a delightful fic! No one can do unabashed romanticism like the self-possessed Fleur (being French is only one excuse). Tonks is her charming, awkward self, someone who can and will learn and change and grow (and this is why we fell in love with her in the first place). We all love the self-effacing Remus, but if I were Tonks, there would be no decision at all. Go, read!
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From magnetic_pole to mtranc3: Love in the Age of Aeroplanes
Harry/Draco
Rated G
A brief AU loosely based on Brideshead Revisited in which Draco and Harry are students at Hogwarts University in the 1920s and neither is especially fond of Quidditch.
Ten letters Draco sent during the long vacation, and one sent by Harry.
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
I have no idea what day it is
Harry,
Have arrived at Malfoy Manor, which is approximately three months older and more decrepit than when I saw it last but otherwise the same. There is family everywhere, staying with us, dropping by for tea, visiting with Mummy. It is worse than Slytherin College.
The conversation here is quite tiresome. Aunt Bellatrix's husband talks politics constantly and is fascinated by a puffed up shop boy calling himself Lord Voldemort. I think Mummy placed a silencio on him during the last course at dinner, however. He's much more pleasant that way.
Mummy's newest hanger-on is a Professor Severus Snape, whom I recognize from the less savory pubs in Hogsmeade. They say he lectures at my college. He is a dour, ugly little man with a certain talent at the Dark Arts, although Mummy will bleed him dry; she always does. I hope it happens sooner rather than later, since he does not seem fond of Aloysius.
Aloysius is doing well, thank you for asking. Apart from him, however, Nanny Pomfrey is my only company here. We play Exploding Snape in the evenings while listening to the wireless.
Sorry, Exploding Snap. What did you think I meant?
Draco
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
A few days into the deadly vac
Harry,
I think your Cousin Percy was quite right to lecture you on the dangers of falling in with the bad set in Slytherin College. Blaise is very bad indeed; he was here to visit yesterday and for some reason he said at dinner that we spend all of our time at the university playing Q-q-q-quidditch. He didn't know that Aunt Andromeda played when she was at Hogwarts, and he had to improvise for half an hour.
Professor Snape nearly spoiled the fun by snorting into his tea while Blaise talked about how much he enjoyed waxing his broomstick. Such manners! In the end Andromeda arranged to take Blaise to a professional match next term, but I refuse to feel sorry for him. I warned him conversation with the Blacks was blood sport.
I, on the other hand, am not such a bad influence. Had we not met you would still be attending lectures at Gryffindor with that embryo don, Granger. How much more productive your term has been, now that you have so many additional hours in the day!
Aloysius sends his regards. He has a terrible head cold. I blame overexposure to family.
Draco
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
Very late at night
Harry,
Truly, the vacation has never been longer.
I have been thinking about
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
I'm quite sure the year is 1923
A dreadful day, grey and damp
Harry,
The vacation drags on and on. It is far more interesting to not attend lectures while at Hogwarts than it is to not attend lectures while at my family's house.
Your Weasleys sound as if they are somewhat amusing, though. I'd always suspected they might lead double lives; they couldn't go on being as dull as they usually are day and night, always, could they? It makes sense that they must save all their clever comments for home, where no one can hear.
I don't care what Granger says about fresh air and exercise. I'm convinced it makes things worse. Nanny Pomfrey says the Muggles have odd ideas, sometimes. She has given Aloysius a potion.
Also, tell Granger to give up that Squib Freud. Aloysius is a teddy bear, nothing more.
Draco
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
Monday the 11th, which I know because Cousin Nymphadora insisted on buying the Quibbler today
Harry,
Cousin Nymphadora has arrived for a brief visit, which is a relief, since otherwise all the talk here is of Quidditch (Andromeda) or the Ministry (Father and Rodolphus). She arrived in a Muggle motorcar, which smelled awful and made an infernal racket. Mummy says she hopes Nymphadora marries before no one will have her. Nymphadora says she hasn't yet found anyone unacceptable enough.
It says in the Quibbler (blame Nymphadora) that the Muggles have finally figured out how to fly and are now zooming about the skies in contraptions called aeroplanes. Do you think this is true? Father says the Quibbler prints nonsense, but I shouldn't like to encounter one while out for an afternoon broom flight.
Draco
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
Thursday morning
Harry,
Do remember not to use that scraggly little owl owned by one of your Weasleys. Mummy saw it arrive yesterday evening and refused to let it in, saying no one we knew would send mail that way.
Now I have missed a letter from you, and I'm quite cross.
In other news, Aunt Bellatrix and Rodolphus have taken Professor Snape to London to talk politics, Father has business at the Ministry, and Mummy and Aunt Andromeda leave for Wimborne shortly. (They might have received an urgent owl this morning with rumors that Ludo Bagman was staging a comeback, I wouldn't know about that.) The house is so quiet I can hear Aloysius sneaking out for another Firewhisky. He has bad habits when the family is here, but even worse habits when no one is about.
A Gryffindor might visit without fear of bodily harm.
Draco
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
Several hours later
Harry,
I know we said we would meet up in Hogsmeade next week, but by then I might have been struck by a Muggle aeroplane.
Love or whatever,
Draco
*
Please come visi
*
Gravely injured.
Come at once.
Draco
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
Harry,
Aloysius misses you dreadfully, and I shall have no peace while he is so distraught. Please help put me out of my misery.
Draco
*
The Burrow
Devon
But only for a few moments longer
Draco,
I'm on my way. Hermione says that I'm rather dense and that you should be thankful she reads Freud.
Love or whatever, as you say,
Harry
P.S. There is no need to fear aeroplanes. I will explain when I see you.
P.P.S. Tell Aloysius he shouldn't fret; I've missed him, as well.
*
From mindabbles to magnetic_pole: No Decision At All
Fleur/Tonks, with some implied Remus/Severus
Rated PG-13
Truly, the French are unfairly advantaged by their ability to write love letters. Now that Fleur has fallen in love with Tonks, it seems as if Remus never had a chance.
"Your pretty words, they need work," Fleur says, arching one elegant eyebrow.
This is such a delightful fic! No one can do unabashed romanticism like the self-possessed Fleur (being French is only one excuse). Tonks is her charming, awkward self, someone who can and will learn and change and grow (and this is why we fell in love with her in the first place). We all love the self-effacing Remus, but if I were Tonks, there would be no decision at all. Go, read!
*
From magnetic_pole to mtranc3: Love in the Age of Aeroplanes
Harry/Draco
Rated G
A brief AU loosely based on Brideshead Revisited in which Draco and Harry are students at Hogwarts University in the 1920s and neither is especially fond of Quidditch.
Ten letters Draco sent during the long vacation, and one sent by Harry.
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
I have no idea what day it is
Harry,
Have arrived at Malfoy Manor, which is approximately three months older and more decrepit than when I saw it last but otherwise the same. There is family everywhere, staying with us, dropping by for tea, visiting with Mummy. It is worse than Slytherin College.
The conversation here is quite tiresome. Aunt Bellatrix's husband talks politics constantly and is fascinated by a puffed up shop boy calling himself Lord Voldemort. I think Mummy placed a silencio on him during the last course at dinner, however. He's much more pleasant that way.
Mummy's newest hanger-on is a Professor Severus Snape, whom I recognize from the less savory pubs in Hogsmeade. They say he lectures at my college. He is a dour, ugly little man with a certain talent at the Dark Arts, although Mummy will bleed him dry; she always does. I hope it happens sooner rather than later, since he does not seem fond of Aloysius.
Aloysius is doing well, thank you for asking. Apart from him, however, Nanny Pomfrey is my only company here. We play Exploding Snape in the evenings while listening to the wireless.
Sorry, Exploding Snap. What did you think I meant?
Draco
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
A few days into the deadly vac
Harry,
I think your Cousin Percy was quite right to lecture you on the dangers of falling in with the bad set in Slytherin College. Blaise is very bad indeed; he was here to visit yesterday and for some reason he said at dinner that we spend all of our time at the university playing Q-q-q-quidditch. He didn't know that Aunt Andromeda played when she was at Hogwarts, and he had to improvise for half an hour.
Professor Snape nearly spoiled the fun by snorting into his tea while Blaise talked about how much he enjoyed waxing his broomstick. Such manners! In the end Andromeda arranged to take Blaise to a professional match next term, but I refuse to feel sorry for him. I warned him conversation with the Blacks was blood sport.
I, on the other hand, am not such a bad influence. Had we not met you would still be attending lectures at Gryffindor with that embryo don, Granger. How much more productive your term has been, now that you have so many additional hours in the day!
Aloysius sends his regards. He has a terrible head cold. I blame overexposure to family.
Draco
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
Very late at night
Harry,
Truly, the vacation has never been longer.
I have been thinking about
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
I'm quite sure the year is 1923
A dreadful day, grey and damp
Harry,
The vacation drags on and on. It is far more interesting to not attend lectures while at Hogwarts than it is to not attend lectures while at my family's house.
Your Weasleys sound as if they are somewhat amusing, though. I'd always suspected they might lead double lives; they couldn't go on being as dull as they usually are day and night, always, could they? It makes sense that they must save all their clever comments for home, where no one can hear.
I don't care what Granger says about fresh air and exercise. I'm convinced it makes things worse. Nanny Pomfrey says the Muggles have odd ideas, sometimes. She has given Aloysius a potion.
Also, tell Granger to give up that Squib Freud. Aloysius is a teddy bear, nothing more.
Draco
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
Monday the 11th, which I know because Cousin Nymphadora insisted on buying the Quibbler today
Harry,
Cousin Nymphadora has arrived for a brief visit, which is a relief, since otherwise all the talk here is of Quidditch (Andromeda) or the Ministry (Father and Rodolphus). She arrived in a Muggle motorcar, which smelled awful and made an infernal racket. Mummy says she hopes Nymphadora marries before no one will have her. Nymphadora says she hasn't yet found anyone unacceptable enough.
It says in the Quibbler (blame Nymphadora) that the Muggles have finally figured out how to fly and are now zooming about the skies in contraptions called aeroplanes. Do you think this is true? Father says the Quibbler prints nonsense, but I shouldn't like to encounter one while out for an afternoon broom flight.
Draco
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
Thursday morning
Harry,
Do remember not to use that scraggly little owl owned by one of your Weasleys. Mummy saw it arrive yesterday evening and refused to let it in, saying no one we knew would send mail that way.
Now I have missed a letter from you, and I'm quite cross.
In other news, Aunt Bellatrix and Rodolphus have taken Professor Snape to London to talk politics, Father has business at the Ministry, and Mummy and Aunt Andromeda leave for Wimborne shortly. (They might have received an urgent owl this morning with rumors that Ludo Bagman was staging a comeback, I wouldn't know about that.) The house is so quiet I can hear Aloysius sneaking out for another Firewhisky. He has bad habits when the family is here, but even worse habits when no one is about.
A Gryffindor might visit without fear of bodily harm.
Draco
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
Several hours later
Harry,
I know we said we would meet up in Hogsmeade next week, but by then I might have been struck by a Muggle aeroplane.
Love or whatever,
Draco
*
Please come visi
*
Gravely injured.
Come at once.
Draco
*
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
Harry,
Aloysius misses you dreadfully, and I shall have no peace while he is so distraught. Please help put me out of my misery.
Draco
*
The Burrow
Devon
But only for a few moments longer
Draco,
I'm on my way. Hermione says that I'm rather dense and that you should be thankful she reads Freud.
Love or whatever, as you say,
Harry
P.S. There is no need to fear aeroplanes. I will explain when I see you.
P.P.S. Tell Aloysius he shouldn't fret; I've missed him, as well.