Snapedom

A massively huge fic rec posting today - with a snupin series, some snarry stories and a most unexpected and not-to-be-missed ethereal pairing.


SNAPE/THE BLOODY BARON

>> Cold Comfort by torino10154. Pairing: Snape/the Bloody Baron. Rating: NC-17. Warning/s: masturbation, anal. Severus discovers he has an unusual reaction when touched by a ghost.
Well, this story is an unexpected delight - I can't recall having recced (or even seen) this pairing before! This is a such a deft and well-written story with the theme of spectraphilia - which is a ghost fetish. It doesn't sound too enticing initially, but wait until you read it... It is entirely convincing, and such a unique take on the kink.

Severus finds that the cold touch of the ghosts has this unexpected sexual element, and the fic plays with the sensory experiences of heat and cold, even ice. Severus exploring these sensual experiences is wonderfully done - and when the Baron becomes involved, things become quite twisty. The Bloody Baron, arch-Slytherin of Slytherin House, is excellently portrayed - and watching Severus and the Baron interact is fascinating. Posted at Daily Deviant, this story is fascinating and compelling reading. Please go check it out.

SNARRY:

>> Shadows of the Past by meri. Rating: X . Warning/s: none . Years after the war ended, the wizarding security firm of Granger, Potter and Weasley is hired to protect Headmaster Severus Snape.
I do love a snarky and difficult Severus - the snarkier the better. Impossible to deal with, impossible to ignore. And Severus here is wonderfully challenging. This is a marvelous story with lots and losts of lovely build-up to the good bits (sex), and an intriguing mystery that only the firm of Potter, Granger and Weasley can solve. With the help (?) of Severus. Do read!


Okay, this is unexpectedly turning into a dementordelta-rec-day. Attribute it to serendipity, and the fact that I'd prepared these recs days ago, before the newest addition to Dementordelta's stories had been posted.

>> The Black Asphodel by dementordelta. rating: Adult. All of England is mesmerized by that daring hero, the Black Asphodel, who risks life and fortune to spirit French wizards out of Paris during the French Revolution.
I've heard that this fic is going to be recced by others here today/tonight, so I'll just give it a brief mention and add my vote to the other compliments for this brilliant au snarry, based on The Scarlet Pimpernell. Not to be missed - a lovely long read.

>> The World As It Is by dementordelta. Rating: X. No warnings. Ten years after the war has ended, Harry Potter is just fine. Really. Until someone from the past walks back into his life.
I loved reading this one - I can't get enough of dementordelta's stories. They swing the range from hilarious to angsty - this one is somewhere in the middle, neither totally light nor totally heavy. It features a wonderful Neville in a supporting role, and guh! the sex scenes are to die for. Lovely, lovely underwater sex too.

>> The Living Years by dementordelta. Rating: X. Warning/s: chan (16-18).
Well, this one is an extraordinary story and an absolute favorite of mine that I've been planning to rec for a couple of weeks now! Set post-war (and written before the publication of Deathly Hallows) it actually reverses the usual age difference between Harry and Severus. Hit by a de-aging curse that Severus has taken to protect Harry, he is actually 16 years younger than Harry now, and has been adopted by Draco (who makes a great Dad.) Harry doesn't actually meet the young Severus for quite a few years.

When Harry does get to know the young Severus, a close friendship is formed. As Severus grows up, and becomes aware of himself as gay and aware of his attraction to Harry, Harry becomes very conscious of his own feelings for Severus. Don’t misunderstand – it’s not exploitative in the usual sense that such a connection might be. Harry himself is initially not all comfortable with his growing feelings for Severus, and takes quite a while to accept them. In fact, he doesn't accept his feelings until Severus is older:


The openly appraising look let Harry know that another sort of thanks was on offer. When Severus had stepped closer, Harry had backed away.

"You know we can't," he'd said, trying not to look at the line of disappointment on Severus's mouth and imagine what it would be like to kiss it away.

"You really don't want me?" he'd asked, plainly hurt.

"It isn't that," Harry had said, wishing desperately that it was. Or that Severus was twelve again and skinny and plain, not tall and sexy and interesting looking enough to be desirable. "You're still a student, and Draco--".


Running underneath and through this peculiar situation is the undercurrent of what Harry and Professor Snape might have meant to each other, complicating or enhancing the very real feelings this Severus and Harry have for each other. And this young Severus is very much his own person, and absolutely committed to seducing Harry. When that Slytherin cunning is employed, Harry doesn't really stand a chance:


"I suppose you're right," Severus said, surprising Harry. "Especially since you seem quite adamant about not molesting me." He sighed. "You are adamant about it, aren't you?"

"I am," Harry said, trying to make himself believe it, especially when Severus was--finally--being so reasonable about things.

"And since I do want you to coach me and anything between us will have to be strictly platonic once you do."

"It will?" Perhaps the Racing League rules had changed since Harry had been on the circuit. "I mean, of course it will."

"Then I think you should kiss me, just once, before you agree to coach me," Severus said, with the air of someone making a great sacrifice. He still sounded so reasonable that Harry had to think a moment after he'd stopped talking.

"Kiss you?" He blinked in confusion.

"All right," Severus said, sliding in closer.


The situation is very much the young Severus pursuing the older Harry, and Harry desperately trying to deny his responses. As weird as it sounds, Severus has been in love (and later, lust) with Harry for most of his life. And it is simply inevitable that they get together one day. And when they do.... it's marvelous. Absolutely wonderful.


Then he turned to Harry, who was waiting close by, and threw his arms around him, kissing him right there in full view of Draco.

For just an instant the world stopped, the excited titters of the crowd faded away and Harry kissed back, forgetting that he was Severus's coach and Draco--

Draco was going to kill him.

Harry jerked back, pressing his lips together as if he could take the kiss back. "I'm your coach!" he said, hoping he sounded stern.

"And I won!" Severus said with obvious glee before looking over to Draco. "Did you see me, Dad, I won!"

"Oh, yes, I saw," Draco said, and his tone froze Harry's blood. Telling himself that Gryffindors never backed away from a fight, Harry forced himself to turn around. Draco stood with his arms folded over his chest. Harry took a step in front of Severus, though the idea of shielding him, considering Severus was taller than he was, seemed slightly ridiculous.

"It isn't what it looks like," Harry said, sounding, he thought, remarkably reasonable for a man teetering on the brink of losing his testicles. Perhaps he could pass off the lapse as high spirits.

"It isn't?" Draco said, openly skeptical now as one blond eyebrow raised. "You haven't been mooning over my son and trying to be noble about it?"

"He does do noble well, Dad," Severus put in just behind him.


[...]"I'm his coach," Harry managed. "We're not supposed to, er--"

Severus leaned over, and spoke into his ear, but still loud enough for Draco to hear. "I just made that up." Harry whirled around and Severus shrugged. "To get you to kiss me. I didn't think you would, otherwise." Harry made a defeated noise and turned back around to face his fate.

And when they finally get to the bedroom, the sex is meltingly hot!!


This story is glorious, with superb characterizations, such an interesting plot line, and it works so very well. There is this unexpected equality between them - yes, Harry is older and more experienced, but Severus is sharper and more abrasive, and determined to find his own path. When I first heard of this fic I resisted reading it - the reversed aging seemed to exacerbate the cross-generational aspect of snarry. I'm thrilled to have been proved wrong. The beauty of this story is the way this relationship feels real and magical, and how utterly right it feels; this story is wonderfully well-written, so believable and so self-realized. It has become one of my all time favorites. Please do read it, if you haven't come across it yet. And if you have... it's well worth a re-read, again and again.




SNUPIN:

For snupin I'm only going to rec one series, The Tilting Earth stories, by musigneus. This series is a classic snupin read. And it is marvelous reading - such a treat if you haven't come across it, and wonderful to re-read (and re-read again) if you are familiar with it. Do be aware of warnings though - the torture and non-con do NOT happen off-screen - they occur directly in front of the reader. I've listed the series in reading order.

>> A Short Measure by musigneus. Rating: X. Warning/s: non-con. Summary: Remus is captured by Death Eaters, and Severus does what he must.
The first of the series - it opens with Remus in the hands of the Death Eaters. He recognizes Snape, but his hopes quickly fail as Snape participates in his torture... It's a strange story, in that the reader is pulled into chilling distaste/horror and then warmed again, as the events swing back and forth. One minute it is torture, and the next....? Despite this, the actual torture part of the rape is not glorified or eroticized - this is brilliantly written. A marvellous, riveting, chew-your-nails-and-whimper read.

>> Nightmare by musigneus. Rating: X. Warning/s: non-con. Remus has an unpleasant encounter with Lucius Malfoy.

>> Walk the Black Path. by musigneus. Rating: R. Warning/s. Sequel/companion to A Cure for Dreams. After an unexpected night of intimacy, Snape acts more coldly than ever toward Lupin.

>> Cure for Dreams. by musigneus. Rating: R . Warning/s. After an unexpected night of intimacy, Snape acts more coldly than ever toward Lupin.

>> The Tilting Earth by musigneus. Rating: X. Warning/s: Torture. Severus takes one chance too many.
An amazing story - more nail-bitingly riveting reading as Severus takes risks that may reveal his double-role as a spy. Moves through horrendous torture scenes to scenes that show the nature of the developing relationship between Severus and Remus. Extraordinary stuff - do read, although only if you can handle some torture. I'm a softie, but torture at this level is okay for me (although I whimper.)

>> Water Therapy by musigneus. Rating: X. No warnings. Snape's physical therapy is more pleasant than expected. An unexpectedly and very welcome light episode ib the series - it's funny and gorgeous, from Remus teaching Severus how to swim, to the Trio's unwitting and unwilling blackmail of Severus. And the "Severus, did you hear what I said" moment... guh! Wonderful.

>> A Quiet Evening by musigneus. Rating: M . No warnings. A brief interlude following Water Therapy.

>> A Learning Experience by musigneus. Rating: M. No warnings. Harry learns something, and Severus and Remus go up the Astronomy Tower. Sequel to A Quiet Evening.

>> All Good Things by musigneus. Rating: . Warning/s: Character death (not a main character). Severus knows all good things come to an end. The conclusion of the series; follows A Learning Experience.
This story is divided into three parts - the first part taking place as Severus is walking through Hogwarts, and is simultaneously reminded of some of the horrors of the past, and what it has cost him in the present. The second part is a private interlude between Severus and Remus, and the sex is heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Worth reading just for the divine sex and the exquisite emotional resonances. The final section takes place at Remus' 50th birthday party (why, that would be next year!) and much of the content consists of dialogue between Severus and Hermione, as they both come to amazing realizations. It's bittersweet and so satisfying - do please, please read this one - it is so fulfilling and utterly beautiful. A wonderful resolution, so melancholy and simultaneously happy - it's gorgeous.

Stories like this Tilting Earth series have formed and shaped so much of that which I adore about snupin - the shared darkness within both characters, the hiden duality of their natures - that contrast between the appearances and the reality that is so much a part of their psyches. Wonderful stuff.

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>> As always, part of this rec-post has been adapted from my weekly rec post at bottomsnape. Other parts of this post are new, and may apear in later bottomsnape rec posts.

And don't forget to comment and let the author know what you thought of a story! Comments = thanks.