Snapedom

Three wonderful cross-posted at bottomsnape recs for older stories. This selection is a bit snupin-heavy - I've selected some previously recced stories for a regular rec-post at bottomsnape - future weekly recs will not be so snupin-dominant! And there is of course a theme of bottom!Snape for all but the first story - a new snarry!



( Read more... )

There's only one rec today -- that's not representative of the glorious stories out there, but of my hibernation.

Severus/Draco
Not a pairing I normally favour (I do so LOVE it when a fic is so good it draws me into a non-preferred pairing!), Illuminations de Noël by anon in snapelyholidays is heartbreaking beautiful. Do please, please read it – it is bitter-sweet, breath-takingly wonderful.

*As a side-note, I'm about to begin weekly bottom!snape recs at bottomsnape, starting in about a week's time. Do come see!

**spidermoth - your promised mer!snape fic is in progress - it's essentially written, but must be tidied up before being sent to the beta-reader. And *glee* I got the beta-reader I was hoping for!

The recs:
Some unusual recs here this week; some lovely rare pairs!

Rare pair recs:
Slughorn/?:
The Courtship of Benjamin Jink by anonymous in snapelyholidays. Even if you aren't particularly fond of Slughorn (a sentiment I share, BTW) please read this story, it is brilliant… torino10154's recs are worth pursuing, and I'm very glad I did read it.
After completing the story, I still wouldn't describe the pairing as a favorite - and yet, I was cheering as loudly for Slughorn's success as any Slughorn shippper could! Beautiful – the pairing really worked in this fic. And the characterization of Slughorn is magnificent - acknowledging his faults, and yet giving him such depth - his regrets and resignations enrich a character who might otherwise be shallow - and honestly, I liked him from the moment he returned from the funeral where Snape had been praised as being as loyal as a Hufflepuff, as brave as a Gryffindor and as clever as a Ravenclaw, and : He drank to the most cunning, two-faced, duplicitous snake of a Slytherin he had ever had the pleasure of knowing. Magnificent.
The quality of writing here is splendid - so much to enjoy and savour - Whoever said that time healed all wounds had either lived to an astonishing age or was in fact a gibbering idiot. Time healed nothing. Days and months and years were lazy thread work, and all it took was the gentlest flex of memory to burst the stitches open again. - truly memorable lines.
And He left him there that night, alone amidst his eldritch studies. Three years later, he would leave his comfortable position at Hogwarts, unable to face another class of fresh-faced first years, unable to befriend another upperclassman who might yet be a murderer. He had taught his students that the world was theirs for the taking, and they had taken it. He had taught them there were no odds they could not surmount, and they had stood up to terrorism, fought, and fallen.
It would be another twenty years before he would wonder what would have happened if he had imparted a little confidence in just one more boy. It is worth reading the story for these lines alone, even if it weren't already so marvelous in so many ways. A truly wonderful story – do read! Rating: NC-17.


Snape/Dumbledore/Grindelward - The Curious Case of the Time-turner Trouble by anonymous in snapelyholidays. Brilliant art – funny lines – this combined story/art is wonderful, although too brief. More please, mystery author/artist! Rating: R.

Snape/OMC - Ask Someone Who Cares by bohemianspirit here at snapedom. This is story is lovely – it depicts a renewal for Severus and Draco, building a new life post-war. (SS/DM is not the romantic/sexual pairing.) The characters of Draco and Severus are portrayed very sympathetically and lovingly, but without sentimentality -- Draco's growth and maturity is convincing, as is Severus's quiet determination to find a life for himself.


Snarry:
You must read joanwilder's Second Best. It's wonderful – Snape is delightfully snapeish, an owner of a second-hand bookstore, learning to use the internet. Summary: Two lonely men find each other in an internet chatroom, and ultimately discover that it is, indeed, a small world after all. Rating: NC-17. Complete - posted in three parts.

Snupin:
Sometimes the best stories, the most memorable, are those that hurt you, that flay and burn you as you read. Taste by snupin_santa is not an easy, comfortable read, but it is compelling. To the very last word on the last page – compelling. And the ending… magnificently wrought. But be warned - it hurts.
And the sex is wonderful!
Summary: Severus has never forgotten the taste of the honey-tasting kiss Remus gave him on a warm spring day at Hogwarts. But there is more to Remus than honey and kisses and sweetness. Severus realises that when Albus Dumbledore wants him to play errand boy and deliver Wolfsbane to Lupin the day before full moon. Rating: NC-17. Warnings: Canon character deaths, explicit bestiality, slight bondage, alpha!Remus and a little blood.

Some snupin fic recs:
Pith and Resin by snupin_santa. This is so very stark and uncompromising in its refusal to completely smooth out all edges and make everything tidy and clear. There are ambiguities and subtleties that linger - and it's a stronger story for that. Severus, in particular, is very effectively and convincingly portrayed – a harsh man, whose loyalties aren't clear as the tale unfolds.
Summary: In the final days of the First War with Voldemort, two damaged men meet one last time. Rated: R.

Mine by torino10154 is a delicious hot snupin that seems to accomplish so much in so few words. It's deliciously smutty, and yet explores the strength of their deep and abiding emotional connection. Go read! Rated: NC-17.

Oooh, this is funny & witty & utterly silly in the most perfect way, The Gryffindor Gambit by snupin_santa. Features a cunning Remus and a bold Severus.
Summary: Two years after the war - and his divorce - Remus thinks he's found love once more; Severus decides it's up to him to keep Remus from making another stupid mistake, and he'll do so by any means necessary. Rated: NC17

*****EDIT: A quick rec - I haven't completed it yet, but what I have read is BRILLIANT!!!!
Forbidden Passion: A Soap Opera in Five Acts. Summary: "Remus Lupin is a professor at this school now, and you will treat him respectfully," Dumbledore had told Snape. But setting aside the fact that Lupin could still, in Snape's opinion, transform and attack the children, the man was also running around the school flaunting the fact that he was an inappropriately dressed, limp-wristed, arse-docking bloody queen. That was the one offence Snape would absolutely not abide. Rated: NC-17
Hurry, do go and read it - it is superb!!
Ooooh, I've completed it now and it wonderful. Really, truly marvelous. I alternated between smiling, laughing, cringing, nodding, melting, sorrowing, raging and delighting! Do please read; it is too good to miss out on!



Snarry:
More and more I've noticed snarry fics dominating these recs – which is remarkable considering it is not my OTP! I attribute it to the abundance of brilliant snarry writers, bless them. One snarry rec today.
Not for a fest or an exchange, but part of a 4/? series, drachenmina's "Gifts" is a delight to read. The latest, Feline Gifts is as funny as the previous entries. Do go & read for a fully realized characterization of a non-magic AU Severus & Potter, with all the wit & humour that Drachenmina does so very well. Snape's POV is a joy to read – wry, snarky, Slytherin. Go read. Ratings vary: PG – NC-17.


Art recs:
Cut Our Bodies Free by snupin_santa is an extraordinary and unexpected picture. Not sure what I was expecting... but this took me by surprise. The shaved head, Severus's pale & desperate fragility, Remus's love/protectiveness/passion - all so beautifully depicted. An amazing piece of art.
Summary: Remus Lupin is a practical man, and has planned his crime well. He dresses himself in dark colours that won't show up in the shadows, and practices until his wandwork is tight; perfect. When it comes to Severus Snape, however, Remus has always lost his sense of reason. Why else would he be watching the clock, waiting to begin the first real attempt to break a man out of Azkaban? Why else, instead of packing a dark blanket layered with dense warming charms, does he choose to transfigure one made from the combined yarn of every woolly jersey ever given to him by Molly Weasley? Some part of him associates these garments with love, warmth, and comfort, and so it is with a shrunken pile of soft rainbow fabric in his pocket that he sets out across the sea.

Remember to comment at the entries of these talented writers & artists.

Snarry fics:-
The snarry_holidays big reveal reminded me of all the recs I had planned to post! Which is my excuse for this huge clump of snarry recs. And a snupin or three… and a single solitary art rec two art recs.

Strong at the Broken Places. by joanwilder. This one broke me, shattered me, re-made me – there's no greater praise I could give a fic really. Because I still don't have the words, I'm simply posting my comment to the (then) mystery author in all its messy incoherence: I read this & couldn't initially comment - I was too moved. […] I still don't have the words!!! This is so very moving - it's deeply sustaining on an emotional level - the title is perfect, the quotation is perfect - the whole story is just so bloody perfect! [...] You've captured Severus's grief for Albus so very well [...] And later, the guilt, the pain, the regret, the remorse, when Severus has realized what he's done - how he deserted the person he most wanted to be there for, when that person was broken. It is so masterfully done - so well-written. [...] It's difficult to express how much I enjoyed this wonderful, brilliant, heart-breaking story.
Well… I can't recommend this one too highly – it's brilliant. Do please read.

drachenmina's The Riddle of the Grange is a wonderful read – a delightfully Sherlock Holmes-ish, Victorian-era non-magic AU murder mystery. Snarky Snape is brilliant as the acerbic Scotland Yard detective; Harry as the naive & enthusiastic side kick and Hermione as the suffragette chaining herself to protest for emancipation - perfect!!! The tone is wonderful, comic & droll, & always fast-moving & engaging - this is a gem of a fic.

A rather dark fic – do heed the warnings, but it's well worth reading, Vanquished by regasssa. Auror- Harry needs Snape's help to hunt down Greyback and in doing so uncovers the darkest of memories hidden within. The content is well-covered and treated thoughtfully, the suspense is gripping & the sex hot! WARNINGS. NC-17.

A Dust of Snow by floraheart. Sweet and snarky and very surreal (at the beginning). Very enjoyable – lovely reading. NC-17.

Temporal Manoeuvers in the Dark by odogoddess. Brilliantly well-written, absolutely engaging – an utterly beautiful story. Harry's mature awareness enriches the story so much, his patience & sensitivity to Severus make this truly beautiful reading. Fantastic!!

Puzzled Together by jadzialove. An entertaining mystery – very enjoyable reading.

A Time to Forget by gatewaygirl. So, so very good and so satisfying. It's intriguing watching the plot unfold, and I really like the way it's written, the tone of it. I was shocked by the young Severus - the way he seemed so different from the later Severus. More... sly and bitter, and less harsh and sour than the later Severus. It was fascinating to see that difference, and very convincing. NC-17

One Wave Short of a Shipwreck by leela_cat. A lovely story! Delicious sex, great lines, snarky but enticing Severus - fantastic! NC-17.

Seasoned Sound by vissy. A lovely fic – great reading. Excellent presentation of Harry - he comes across well. And although the reader doesn't actually spend much time with Snape, he's convincingly presented. I adore all the little details - the eight pulls on the dreads for the eight missing years - Snape's insane toxic cocktail... it all adds up to a great story. PG-13.

Onto snupin fics:
Fantastic, set during Naval-era Britiain AU - The Voyage of HMS Leviosa by snupin_santa. Well researched and well-written - with such an authentic period tone. Great plot-line - truly fascinating reading. Do read it – it's marvelous.

Where there is Life, there is Hope by snupin_santa. A beauiful, sad and melancholy tale - so very moving. Tremendous accuracy on the descriptions of PTSD. The tone of this fic was perfect for its subject matter - a quiet sense of melancholy and despair that pervades through the story. Well written - thoughtful & moving.

And for a sexy, amusing, wry, poignant, and very sexy (it bears repeating) story, do read Five Times Lupin and Snape Should Not Have Had Sex at Order Headquarters (But Couldn't Help It) by Snupin_Santa. NC-17.


Art recs:
Only one art rec – not because there hasn't been wonderful art, I'm sure there has! I'm so word-obsessed; I tend to forget to look at the art. But this one certainly caught my eye!
Once Upon a Dream by anonymous in snapelyholidays. Sirius/Severus. NWS.
EDIT: Another art rec - a quite original take on snupin - and quite gorgeous! In the Spring of their Forever. Work safe.

Don't forget to leave comments to the authors/artists. Comments = Love.

It's very early Friday morning, so here are some Fic Recs:
A snarry* rec:
The White Road by anonymous in snarry_holidays. This is brilliant - as bright & hard & sharp as a diamond. It's extraordinary. I really don't have the words to express my admiration/appreciation/awe. Brilliant. It's Harry/Severus and (sort of, but not) Lily/Severus. Read it for an enthralling glimpse into why snarry sometimes feel so very right, even to this dedicated snupin-lover. And I do love a fierce and menacing Severus, a brooding, dark, self-loathing Severus, a ferociously passionate Severus.
Summary: One day, comfortably set up in the afterlife, Lily Evans Potter switches on the telly and gets hooked on the Harry Potter show.
Rating: NC-17

Some lovely & delectable snupins**:
All the snupin_santa contributions are excellent - here's some that caught my attention in a big way.

For a brilliantly-constructed AU universe I HIGHLY recommend The Ghost in the Machine. Sci-fi excellence. This fic is amazing! The mecha-world is so well structured and detailed - it's brilliant AU world-building, successful on so many levels. It's marvelous. And Severus & Remus work well in this mecha-world - this story is brilliant reading & so very enjoyable. And don't start reading it thinking you'll be able to stop and return to it later - you won't, it's utterly riveting.
Summary: There is no better mecha pilot than the angry, bitter Severus Snape - except, perhaps, for his new mechanic, Remus Lupin. Both men are hiding something, and fighting against themselves as much as each other. Thrown together by circumstance and the threat of looming war, can they move past their differences and to foil the plans of an evil corporation, achieve victory, and perhaps find there is a far more satisfying touch than that of cold steel?
Rating: R

Do not miss The Third Attempt. I've already recced this all over the place - it is superb! With elements of Steampunk, Sherlock Holmes & Victorian England, a murder mystery and a deliciously hot threesome at the end - this one is brilliant.
Rating: NC-17

Another snupin threesome goody is What Happened to Percy? for a wicked, delightful & rather unexpected threesome with Percy.
Summary: Percy was staring, and Percy got caught.
Rating: NC-17

Also, The Inverse of Hormesis for wonderful, brittle banter and an attraction that starts in a bookshop. Bibliophiles will love it. A sweet ending.
Summary: An improbable meeting in a Muggle bookshop leads Snape and Lupin to re-evaluate one another.
Rating: R

Dark and grim (heed the warnings), but very satisfying, You Know Me So Well.
Summary: You will never forget how it happens: the way his lip curls around the word, the way he bares his uneven teeth in a silent hiss, the way his eyes fuse horror, fascination and contempt into one searing glance that brands you for the rest of your days. You are a monster. And in all the world, only the two of you understand. Set during PoA and MWPP era.
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: PWP, bondage, NON-CON, wanking, rough sex, hate sex, werewolf-sex (both in wolf form, so I don’t think that’s bestiality but don’t quite know how to warn for it)

And a Dresden Files crossover that's fun to read - Harry Dresden: Wizard - great reading!
Rating: PG

And with a do-not-drink-hot-liquids-while-reading warning - unbelievably irreverent, excruciatingly funny, agonizingly hilarious Magical Magazine: A Snupin Special. OMG, Tonks...
Summary: The post-war Lupin-Snape romance is revealed exclusively in Magical Magazine! Now with bonus AR problem page!
Rating: PG-13

An art rec for the most wonderful moving snarry video - well, you must go see it to appreciate how brilliant the artist is!!! It's for littleblackbow's video Through the Snowflakes. It's a follow-on from littleblackbow's brilliant & moving snarry_games entry. It is wonderful, it's the best thing ever - so moving, so beautiful - I'm in love with it!

EDIT: - so disorganized - my apologies. I also wanted to rec the brilliant Sherlock Holmes-ish, steampunk-ish, murder mystery AU posted in this year's snupin_santa The Third Attempt. It's brilliant, it's wonderful, it's divinely sexy, very well-plotted and a fantastic read. Pairing/s: Severus/Remus; threesome - Severus/Remus/?.