Fic recs from HDS Beltane 2015
The hds_beltane fest has now concluded; 2015 was its final round, but it went out with a great set of fics! I'm reccing my favorites from 2015 here, but see the end of this post for links to recs from past years as well.
Authors are currently anonymous. Names will be added after the reveals.
Note that this fest also includes Snarry, Snaco, and threesome combinations, but I'm just reccing Drarry.
Green Beans and Fedoras by twistedm, R, 3,450 words ( fest link)
Summary: Harry runs into someone unexpectedly, gets some weird advice, and decides to take it. What could possibly go wrong?
Let me tell you, I never knew how much I needed matchmaker!Snape until I read this fic :) Snape only plays a very small part in this fic, but it's a delightful part. He runs into Harry five years after the war, immediately sizes him up as lonely and bored, and proceeds to suggest he look up Draco Malfoy, who - as Snape informs him - is likewise gay and equally pathetic and lonely.
What I really love the most about this is how frank and forthright everyone is. It's SO refreshing to have the characters actually say what they mean instead of wallowing in miscommunication. Harry decides to take Snape's advice, and goes to ask Draco out on a date. The rest is snark and banter and delicious flirting. It's a short fic, but so very fun. ( extended rec at hd-storyroom)
Our place on the path unwinding by thisgirl_is & bakaknight, PG-13, 9,100 words ( fest link)
Summary: Harry Potter goes looking for a fight and finds one. And possibly some other things along the way.
Cool story! I loved this Draco - confident and perceptive and droll - the perfect characterization :) And how he and Harry kept being drawn together, like they couldn't help themselves. And Harry! and how subtly we learned what he was! The imagery of the Beltane festival was perfect; it grounded the characters and the story but never got in the way. Them snogging against the tree was super hot, as was the slight morning after awkwardness that they both powered through. So enjoyable!
The rain has gone (I can see clearly now) by bakaknight, PG-13, 3,300 words
Gen: implied future Draco/Harry
Summary: To die would be an awfully big adventure, someone had said in a Muggle book Severus had once read with a friend at his shoulder, in a park, in a sunset, long ago. Right now, it's an adventure he wants absolutely no part in. Which makes it rather awkward that he’s already dead.
This was SUCH an interesting and moving story, beautifully written from the perspective of ghost!Snape right after the battle. We see ghost!Snape's initial interactions with McGonagall, Neville, Harry, and Draco, and it's a look at how these people would feel about Snape which is quite a bit different than usual. I think in most stories Harry is assumed to have reversed his opinion towards Snape, but here he is still resentful, and understandably so. And so is Neville, who wow, really gives ghost!Snape a dressing-down! Very cool.
As a retrospective, I have also gone back and recced some of the best Drarry fics from all of the past nine years of the fest. Enjoy!
Stay tuned for stats from nine years of hds_beltane :)
Authors are currently anonymous. Names will be added after the reveals.
Note that this fest also includes Snarry, Snaco, and threesome combinations, but I'm just reccing Drarry.
Green Beans and Fedoras by twistedm, R, 3,450 words ( fest link)
Summary: Harry runs into someone unexpectedly, gets some weird advice, and decides to take it. What could possibly go wrong?
Let me tell you, I never knew how much I needed matchmaker!Snape until I read this fic :) Snape only plays a very small part in this fic, but it's a delightful part. He runs into Harry five years after the war, immediately sizes him up as lonely and bored, and proceeds to suggest he look up Draco Malfoy, who - as Snape informs him - is likewise gay and equally pathetic and lonely.
What I really love the most about this is how frank and forthright everyone is. It's SO refreshing to have the characters actually say what they mean instead of wallowing in miscommunication. Harry decides to take Snape's advice, and goes to ask Draco out on a date. The rest is snark and banter and delicious flirting. It's a short fic, but so very fun. ( extended rec at hd-storyroom)
Our place on the path unwinding by thisgirl_is & bakaknight, PG-13, 9,100 words ( fest link)
Summary: Harry Potter goes looking for a fight and finds one. And possibly some other things along the way.
Cool story! I loved this Draco - confident and perceptive and droll - the perfect characterization :) And how he and Harry kept being drawn together, like they couldn't help themselves. And Harry! and how subtly we learned what he was! The imagery of the Beltane festival was perfect; it grounded the characters and the story but never got in the way. Them snogging against the tree was super hot, as was the slight morning after awkwardness that they both powered through. So enjoyable!
The rain has gone (I can see clearly now) by bakaknight, PG-13, 3,300 words
Gen: implied future Draco/Harry
Summary: To die would be an awfully big adventure, someone had said in a Muggle book Severus had once read with a friend at his shoulder, in a park, in a sunset, long ago. Right now, it's an adventure he wants absolutely no part in. Which makes it rather awkward that he’s already dead.
This was SUCH an interesting and moving story, beautifully written from the perspective of ghost!Snape right after the battle. We see ghost!Snape's initial interactions with McGonagall, Neville, Harry, and Draco, and it's a look at how these people would feel about Snape which is quite a bit different than usual. I think in most stories Harry is assumed to have reversed his opinion towards Snape, but here he is still resentful, and understandably so. And so is Neville, who wow, really gives ghost!Snape a dressing-down! Very cool.
As a retrospective, I have also gone back and recced some of the best Drarry fics from all of the past nine years of the fest. Enjoy!
Stay tuned for stats from nine years of hds_beltane :)