InsaneJournal

various recs
Nine recs, a few slightly stale from holiday fests, others from snapecase which is still posting, although I could have sworn I saw the author of "Standing at the Fork in the Road" claiming it as hers somewhere O.o but I can't find that now. (Anyway, if any of these are yours and you're at liberty to reveal it, please do say - I may have missed some attributions since it seems not all fests go back and edit in author names after reveals.)

On the table here today we have Severus/Regulus, Severus/Sirius, two Severus/Harry, and a bunch of gen (or nearly gen).

-----

The Turning Point by bethbethbeth
(Severus/Regulus, Kreacher, Lucius, Voldemort; R, ~4950 words)
Author's summary: A tale of divided loyalties, choices made, and choices unmade.

My comment was a little long and involves spoilery quotes, so click at your own risk: here

When no danger seems likely, Severus turns the handle, and there - standing in the dark, narrow hallway - is Regulus Black.

Almost a year has passed since the two young men last had contact, and it is almost more than Severus can do to resist the urge to step forward, reach out...touch.

Instead, he crosses his arms over his chest.

-----

Forever Idyll by as-yet-anonymous
(Severus, Regulus, Rabastan Lestrange, Evan Rosier, Abraxas Malfoy; Severus/Rabastan implied, G, ~2950 words)
Author's summary: Severus sketches out his future, and that of several of his friends, assisted by a young Regulus Black.

My really helpful comment: "Oh wow, what a lovely concept and story!" It really is an interesting idea - people's lives preserved in a drawing of a long-ago idyllic day, and the blurry figures gradually waking up as their real-world counterparts die (in the manner of the headmasters' portraits) - and shows a much more human side of some of the Death Eaters.

He peeled the picture back to look at it. Five years since they had been happy in that distant meadow. And now, in a wizarding picture because they were wizards, a tiny wet-haired Regulus was jumping up and down, and at his side a red dog was barking to get his attention. He touched the picture and little arms reached up to embrace his finger, but all he felt was the smoothness of the pencil and the flexible parchment behind it. Regulus moved in three dimensions, but it was as if he were behind a sheet of glass.

-----

there is another sky by as-yet-anonymous
(Severus/Harry, PG, ~2570 words; warning: character death)
Author's summary: Everything succumbs to entropy; Severus realises this.

My (spoilery) comment: "Oh my god, this is so effing sad. What a captivating idea. I started crying around the time Harry was actually getting old, but I hoped you'd pull it out somehow. It's too bad it turned out the way it did but still powerful narratively."

His other self murmurs something to Potter who laughs. It's a low, rich chuckle. Severus watches helplessly as they leave together. With everything created, something needs to be destroyed. Severus supposes it was always too much to hope that he could get a happy ending. His throat closes up with the words that threaten to spill out.

The door closes; neither of them even spare a glance at the painting on the wall.

-----

Notch by thegildedmagpie
(Severus/Sirius, R, ~2200 words; warnings: bondage, rough sex, implications of underage dubcon)
Author's summary: It's Christmas Eve and someone has to clean up after the Order meeting. Eventually Severus knew he'd wind up alone with Black, but he wasn't expecting these … solicitations. Alternate title: "A Smorgasbord of Snack," featuring a meaty entree of rough sex with an enhancing side of angst, a piquant bounty of insults, and a subtle dash of revenge.

My comment: "Well done hate sex! You really seemed to warm up a little over halfway through. Something about the tone of the writing is different."

“You're soliciting me in a safe house. Me.”
He looks up. Down. Around. Back at Severus. “Looks that way, doesn't it?”
“Are you incapable of using both a subject and a verb together?” Severus snaps.
“Is flawless grammar a requirement for buggering you over a table?”

-----

Penultimate Acts by as-yet-anonymous
(Severus Snape, students, teachers and portraits of Hogwarts, some Severus/Lily, as in canon; PG, 5940 words)
Author's summary: Severus Snape, from nearly the end of Dumbledore's life to nearly the end of his own.

My comment: "Utterly excellent! I can't say any more than that. As someone else pointed out, this is the chapter that should have been in the book."

Headmaster Snape. Neither of his masters, living or dead, really believed that he deserved it. Yet he could feel the bedrock of Hogwarts under his feet, holding him up, its turreted backbone stiffening his. The waters of its lake coursed through him like his own blood, and the ghosts of its halls flitted greyly through his brain. That was what it meant to be Headmaster of Hogwarts.

I also loved this droll exchange between the newly minted Headmaster and a certain portrait:

"Thank you, Headmast--"
"No, no. Call me Albus. Please."
Severus couldn't see himself getting used to that. "So we're equals now?"
"Equals? Why, no. You're my superior. You're alive, aren't you?"

-----

The Virtues of His Mother by as-yet-anonymous
(Severus/Harry, NC-17, ~11500 words; warnings: EWE, teen/teen and post-DH adult/teen sex)
Author's summary: Harry isn't James. On the other hand, he also isn't Lily. This complicates his current role.

I appear not to have left a comment on this one. Severus is in a kind of coma or fugue/delusional state after the events of DH. Harry engages in some extended Legilimency to try to bring back the Snape he knew, and embarks upon an interesting alternate history in which little Severus spots Harry ("Lee"/"Leopold") in the playground, not Lily. This has interesting consequences when they get back to the regular world.

"I saw what you did," Severus said, satisfaction rising in his voice. "You're a wizard."

Trying to look startled, Harry pulled his head back. "No such thing," he answered. He remembered his mother had been offended here, but "wizard" wasn't an insult, the way "witch" could be. Should he try to conform to Snape's memories? It didn't seem as if he needed to. If things diverged enough, would Snape realize it and wake up?

-----
Standing at the Fork in the Road by as-yet-anonymous
(Severus Snape, Eileen Snape, Tobias Snape, Lily Evans, OC; PG, 2913 words)
Author's summary: It didn't matter how many Seers his mother took him to, because Severus' future never looked any brighter.

My comment: "Oh.. oh wow, *flail* I just... this is so much great color in Sev's early life. I am so reccing this." click for longer comment with quotes

They were always fighting.

About different things, Dad's job, Mum's books, the roast she'd burnt, and why she couldn't use magic to cook. In Severus' opinion, his mum's food would taste a whole lot better if she cooked with magic. Everything was better with magic.

-----

Ancient Spells by alena_hu
(Severus, Harry, Dumbledore, Draco, PG, 4948 words)
Author's summary: Snape finds his martyr complex thwarted. Worse, he has no idea how it happened. Searching his memories, he struggles to make sense of it all. Originally written in October 2007 for Livejournal's snape_after_dh challenge. The prompt was "remorse at the moment of death (as Albus said) might change the results".

My comment: "Wow... what a journey. I especially liked the scene with all the portraits congratulating Severus."

"Those whom you could not save, did you say, Severus?"

Snape stiffened, but Dumbledore held up a hand.

"Do you not think the same goes for me also? Do you not think that I have looked for another way? Out of all people, I think you understand sacrifice--"

"For the greater good, you mean?" He did not bother to conceal his bitterness.

-----

1984: Adagio by luthien
(Severus, Minerva, G, 3457 words)
Author's summary: The end of another year at Hogwarts. A sequel to 1981: First Steps. This story was written in 2005, so some aspects of it have been overtaken by canon.

My comment: "Enjoying this series so far. The companionable rivalry between Severus and Minerva is one of my favorite fic topics. :)"

"Oh come, now, Severus." Minerva stood as well. "There's no need to end the year on such an unfriendly note."

"Unfriendly?" said Snape. "Who's being unfriendly? I would never dream of being less than courteous when addressing an esteemed colleague."

"Exactly," Minerva said dryly, and gave him another hard look.

This entry was crossposted from http://shyfoxling.dreamwidth.org/270130.html, where there are comments.