HP Beholder

Recipient: dognmonkeyshow
Author: r_grayjoy
Title: Much Better Days
Rating: Hard R/NC-17
Pairing: Minerva McGonagall/Alastor Moody
Word Count: 2,085
Summary: The first time it happened was eight months into the first war with Voldemort.
Author's Notes: Massive thanks, first and foremost, to bethbethbeth for not giving up on me. My heartfelt gratitude also to R. for being there, as always. And finally, thanks to dognmonkeyshow for the prompt that brought my writing mojo home!

( Much Better Days )

Recipient: snapesgirl_62
Author: ze_dragon
Title: Two, Divided Briefly
Pairing: Grey Lady/Bloody Baron
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~1400
Summary: The Bloody Baron didn't like reminders, but the Grey Lady had nothing but reminders to offer.
Author's Notes: Thanks to my betas for their speedy and brilliant work. And mucho mucho thanks to the mod that dealt with my crazy lateness. The title is from Emily Dikinson's The Grave

( Two, Divided Briefly )

Recipient: miramiraficfic
Author: injustice_worth
Title: Such is the Flare Through
Rating: PG
Pairings: Rufus Scrimgeour/Rita Skeeter. sort of?
Word Count: 2620
Warnings: Not much. Rufus does a bit of cursing but, well, that's Rufus, and it really isn't terribly excessive.
Summary: The press has been at it again, revealing Ministry secrets. Auror Rufus Scrimgeour has just about had it with the whole lot of them, particularly with the harpy known as Rita Skeeter. Unfortunately for Rufus, Or, in which Rufus has further issues with women.
Author's Notes: First war and all that, where Crouch is Barty Crouch Sr., Rufus and Moody are doing their Auror-ly duties, and so on. PROBABLY ought to say that no small part of the image of Rita held in mind comes from a mix of the Rita-ones o' skeeter_green, who portrays Rita far more aptly than I ever could, and featherxquill, who writes both Rita and Rufus far more skillfully than I've a prayer at chancing. Not to place any blame on them for the stilted/whatnot Rita produced here so much as to say that if anything about her is even vaguely Rita, they'd probably be why. Much of the gracias, then, to both of them. The title is from the same poem as the beginning bit, the line being as follows: "such / is the flare through memory or desire." At any rate. My apologies if this lacks in plot and such; the initial idea had a bit more of that, not to mention more characters and a McGonagall/Robards focus, bu-ut it kind of got out of control. So, er, hope this is acceptable annnnd je ne sais pas. LOVELY. DAY.

( Such is the Flare Through )

Recipient: ze_dragon
Artist: littleblackbow
Title: The Question and The Answer
Rating: G
Pairings: Arthur and Molly
Medium: Markers, pen and ink
Warnings: None
Artist's Notes: I know it isn't porny, but I thought you might like this particular scene. And yeah, I can't believe how much Arthur ended up looking like his sons, too. It was so much fun to do!!

Hope you like it.

( The Question and The Answer )

Recipient: regan_v
Author: vissy
Title: Playing For Keeps
Rating: R
Pairings: Eileen/Severus, (Eileen/Tobias)
Word Count: 5800
Warnings: incest, dub-con
Summary: Eileen Snape, former Captain of the Hogwarts Gobstones Team, is losing her marbles.
Author's Notes: Regan V, this is a bit grim, but I hope you enjoy it.

( Playing For Keeps )

Recipient: r_grayjoy
Author/Artist: snapesgirl_62
Title: Tangled Webs
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Poppy Pomfrey/Rabastan Lestrange; Rabastan/Evan Rosier, implied Rabastan/Severus, Rabastan/Rodolphus.
Word Count: 7728
Warnings: m/m, anal intercourse, voyeurism, Lestrangecest
Summary: Rabastan Lestrange must marry to satisfy his family obligations. Rab decides to be old fashioned with his courting and learns a few things about friendship.
Author's/Artist's Notes: You asked for some unusual/surprising characterizations for Rabastan Lestrange. And for first times (of all varieties), romance-not-schmoop, unlikely pairings and relationships, hurt/comfort, humor, snark, powerful women. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it for you.
Disclaimer: HP is owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc.

( Tangled Webs )

Recipient: ragdoll
Author: ldymusyc
Title: Dragon's Blood and Meadowsweet
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Millicent Bulstrode
Word Count: 16,500
Warnings: Language, sex.
Summary:
"Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."
Draco Malfoy takes an apprenticeship with a potions master after the war, and discovers the way to make a brew he never expected with a component he never considered. Side effects may occur; results may vary.
Author's Notes: Ragdoll, I was terribly nervous to have received your name for this exchange, but I hope that this will catch your attention. I tried to incorporate your likes of fluffy angst, humor, banter, and exploration into an uncertain relationship, and even though I know these aren't your favorite characters, I do hope you enjoy.

( Dragon's Blood and Meadowsweet )

Recipient: donnaimmaculata
Author: eeyore9990
Title: The Caretaker and the Cat Lady
Rating: PG
Pairings: Argus Filch/Arabella Figg
Word Count: ~3300
Warnings: None
Summary: After giving testimony at young Harry's trial, Arabella goes to the Leaky for a bit of something to soothe her nerves. There, she meets a man who does nothing but unsettle them.
Author's Notes: As I was looking through your list of preferred characters, this pairing leapt off the screen at me. I've never seen the pairing before, nor even any fic featuring Mrs Figg, and the idea of these two cat-loving Squibs finding each other utterly charmed me. I do hope you enjoy your fic as much as I enjoyed writing it, donnaimmaculata.

Beta read by the incomparable A.

( The Caretaker and the Cat Lady )

Recipient: trickofthedark
Author: cat_goddess
Title: A Slytherin Fairytale
Rating: PG
Pairings: Millicent Bulstrode/Gregory Goyle
Word Count: 1,186
Warnings: No real warnings. This is kind of fluffy.
Summary: Love is found in the most unexpected places, at the most unexpected times. Gregory and Millicent find out that gala balls aren't always boring.
Author's/Artist's Notes: Thank you, to our lovely mod for her understanding and giving me the extension. Trickofthedark, I hope you like this, even though it is short, and fluffy. I couldn't get into the frame of mind to write anything heavier than

( A Slytherin Fairytale )

Recipient: iamisaac
Author/Artist: ragdoll
Title: Between A Man And A Woman
Rating: Hard R/NC-17
Pairings: Molly Weasley/Arthur Weasley
Word Count: 4700
Warnings: het sex
Summary: When Molly Prewett's father doesn't approve of her choice of a husband, she is forced to take drastic measures in order to marry the man she loves.
Author's/Artist's Notes: iamisaac, I can't tell you how happy I was to get your request. I'd been wanting to write this story for quite some time and your requests/suggested elements fit perfectly, thus giving me the excuse to finally do it. I sincerely hope you like it.

Much thanks to my betas R. and S. and to bethbethbeth for being such a fab mod and for coming up with the idea for hp_beholder in the first place.

( Between A Man and A Woman )

Recipient: lee_west / westwardlee
Author/Artist: rafflesiakerrii
Title: In a quiet moment, I'll teach you
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Rosmerta/Viktor Krum
Word Count: 1211
Warnings:.
Summary: Durmstrang students are allowed to go to Hogsmeade after the Tri-wizard champions are announced. They visit the local pub where Viktor receives a few lessons from Madam Rosmerta that might not be useful in the tournament, but that certainly guarantee a good time.
Author's/Artist's Notes: I really loved the prompt I got from lee_west - and this was what spontaneously came into my head. I don't normally ship 'experienced woman with inexperienced boy' but here it seemed so right, and I really really enjoyed writing from a different perspective than I normally do. Hope you like it, lee_west!!

( In a quiet moment, I'll teach you )

Recipient: lyras
Author/Artist: naughtysnail / bluemoon02
Title: He Knew He Was Right
Rating: PG
Pairings: Aberforth Dumbledore/Minerva McGonagall, background mentions of Albus/Grindelwald
Word Count: ~3500
Warnings: None
Summary: Aberforth resents that, through his life, he has always had to share his women with his brother.
Author's/Artist's Notes: Huge thanks for the hard work and patience of my beta, B. Lyras requested character study, angsty with a glimmer of a happy ending, and people re-building themselves. I'm not sure I managed exactly happy, but hopefully satisfying. I really hope you enjoy!

( He Knew He Was Right )

Recipient: flourish
Author: miramiraficfic
Title: Lady of Sorrows
Rating: PG
Pairings: The Grey Lady/Sir Cadogan
Word Count: 5274
Warnings: Mild violence and an ending of the non-"happily ever after" variety
Summary: A budding romance between a ghost and a portrait could be a tale out of a storybook. But does Helena Ravenclaw's "fairy godfather" have good intentions, or something more sinister in mind?
Author's Notes: flourish asked for a complicated, non-fluffy relationship where magic was an integral part of the story. I hope this suits. (Also, I hope Cadogan's frequent use of "my lady" doesn't come across as smooshy; I certainly didn't intend it to. Please imagine him saying it in the most respectful fashion possible.) Thanks to my beta and the fest organizer for their help and patience.

( Lady of Sorrows )

Recipient: tripperfunster
Artist: venturous
Title: Nice Wandwork, Young Man
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Minerva/Severus
Media: Pastel and a bit of PS
Warnings: teacher/student explicit penetrative het smex
Summary: Severus found he could enhance his education with extensive private tutoring in Transformations
Artist's Notes: Dearest Tripper. ..a challenge to make arts for you, one of my fanart heroes? Yikes! Minerva insisted that she enjoy the many gifts of young Severus. I hope you have as much fun as she does. Inspired by the drawings of Louis Jaugey,

( The Question and The Answer )

Recipient: anguis_1
Author/Artist: cardigrl
Title:Daring to Love
Rating:PG
Pairings:Millicent Bulstrode/Vincent Crabbe
Word Count:4325
Warnings:AU in that Vincent is alive, UST, Frequent Snape References
Summary:Learning to live is hard. Daring to love is even harder. A post-Hogwarts short story featuring hurt/comfort as Millicent, Vincent and Greg struggle to make a life for themselves on their own terms.
Author's/Artist's Notes:Thanks to my wonderful beta who made this a much better fic than it otherwise would have been. I really hope you like this, anguis_1. I'm sorry for the lack of smut, but they are cautious people, these characters. And I hope you don't mind the liberal Snape references. I picture Millie especially as someone who learned to internalize things and be cautious in what she says. And Millie had a lot of thinking to do. So we see some past events through a Millie filter instead of canon's Harry filter.

( Daring to Love )

Recipient: miraielle
Author/Artist: flourish
Title: "Carrying Old Delicious Burdens"
Rating: G
Pairings: Minerva McGonagall/Kingsley Shacklebolt
Word Count: 2,654 words
Warnings: Entirely canon compliant, although you can ignore the epilogue. Otherwise, none!
Summary: After the Battle of Hogwarts, McGonagall makes a new start.
Author's/Artist's Notes: Thank-you to P, my fantastic beta-reader, and to everyone involved in the Beholder challenge!

( Carrying Old Delicious Burdens )

Recipient: littleblackbow / chibitoaster
Author/Artist: trickofthedark
Title: Fruiting Bodies
Rating: NWS
Pairings: Firenze/Trelawney, Hooch/Slughorn, Krum/assorted.
Word Count: 2130
Warnings: Weddings.
Summary: Love is in the air. Also, spores.

( Fruiting Bodies )

Recipient: cardigrl
Author/Artist: alwaysasnapefan
Title: Finding a Niche
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Severus Snape/Minerva McGonagall
Word Count: 7,903
Warnings: Character death.
Summary: Severus Snape isn't the wizarding world's most welcoming person. When he joins the staff at Hogwarts, things quickly take a turn for the worse. It takes a little strategy and a little luck, but they put Professor Snape in his place, and a relationship forms.
Author's/Artist's Notes: When I reread your likes, I realized Severus would be good to do, and decided I'd pair him with a woman from your list I love him paired with. I've never tried these two together before, and I hope I did them justice. I tried not to leave any of your favorite staff members out. Also, I gave Minerva the keys instead of the chess pieces for protecting the stone. In my opinion, the chess pieces had an Engorgement Charm (Flitwick's department), and the keys were clearly transfigured. It's the only way that makes sense, and if that isn't the way J.K.R. intended it, I guess that makes this a very slight Alternate Reality.

( Finding a Niche )

Recipient: ldymusyc
Author/Artist: featherxquill
Title: Apart
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Draco Malfoy/Rita Skeeter
Word Count: 15,418
Summary: After the war, Draco doesn't know who he is apart from the mark on his arm. Rita is unlike anyone he's ever known and her difference aids him in discovery.
Author's Notes: Many thanks to my beta, and also to our wonderful Mod for her patience with my Epic Deadline Fail when this fic grew a mind of its own. Hope you like it, ldymusyc!

( Apart )

Recipient: hayseed / hayseed_42
Author: vivien529
Title: Secret Admirer
Rating: G
Pairings: Irma Pince/Filius Flitwick
Word Count: 2,218
Warnings: Cuteness ahoy!
Summary: Irma Pince wishes to be a different person - older, prettier, more confident. Her secret admirer likes her just the way she is.
Author's Notes: I hope you enjoy! (...Thanks to L, my patient beta for her help)

( Secret Admirer )