Femmeslash Recs!
There are two -- that's right, TWO -- fics featuring my beloved HPOWs (Harry Potter "Old" Women) at the rarepair_shorts fest. And what's more, both stories are just excellent and feature intriguing, unusual pairings to boot. (Well, it is a "rare pairs" fest.)
An Ordinary Sunday by Anonymous (Irma Pince/Madam Rosmerta; PG)
A satisfying, unsappy romance that fully and believably characterizes both these under-utilized women (who have more in common than you might think). The author effectively upends the usual "librarian" and "barmaid" stereotypes, and Irma is wonderfully witty. It's a happy relationship, yet there's an undercurrent of...I hesitate to say "reality," since that would imply that good relationships are somehow unrealistic. Perhaps it's better to say that the story recognizes the difficulties as well as the pleasures of these women's lives. Plus, I love stories with flashbacks, and the ones you'll find here are skillfully done.
And then there's my superb gift --
Sous le ciel... by Anonymous (Minerva McGonagall/Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank; PG)
Before you treat yourself to this story, go to YouTube and have yourself a little Edith Piaf. Let her wonderful Sous le Ciel de Paris play as background while you read. Then journey with your fab Mystery Author to Paris just after the Battle of Hogwarts, where you'll witness a, erm, "shameless" reunion that will have you running to the nearest habersdasher for a starched, tailored white shirt. And reaching for a discreet hanky at the same time.
McGonagall/Grubbly-Plank is one of my very favorite Minerva pairings, and this story shows what I love about both characters. I'd quote some of the excellent, fitting lines, but I think you'll enjoy discovering the pleasures of this fic for yourselves.
An Ordinary Sunday by Anonymous (Irma Pince/Madam Rosmerta; PG)
A satisfying, unsappy romance that fully and believably characterizes both these under-utilized women (who have more in common than you might think). The author effectively upends the usual "librarian" and "barmaid" stereotypes, and Irma is wonderfully witty. It's a happy relationship, yet there's an undercurrent of...I hesitate to say "reality," since that would imply that good relationships are somehow unrealistic. Perhaps it's better to say that the story recognizes the difficulties as well as the pleasures of these women's lives. Plus, I love stories with flashbacks, and the ones you'll find here are skillfully done.
And then there's my superb gift --
Sous le ciel... by Anonymous (Minerva McGonagall/Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank; PG)
Before you treat yourself to this story, go to YouTube and have yourself a little Edith Piaf. Let her wonderful Sous le Ciel de Paris play as background while you read. Then journey with your fab Mystery Author to Paris just after the Battle of Hogwarts, where you'll witness a, erm, "shameless" reunion that will have you running to the nearest habersdasher for a starched, tailored white shirt. And reaching for a discreet hanky at the same time.
McGonagall/Grubbly-Plank is one of my very favorite Minerva pairings, and this story shows what I love about both characters. I'd quote some of the excellent, fitting lines, but I think you'll enjoy discovering the pleasures of this fic for yourselves.