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Tweak says, "Manech aime Mathilde!"

snarrymod (snarrymod) wrote in snarry_games,
@ 2008-05-03 11:04:00

Entry tags:

entry, pir8fancier, team phoenix

TEAM PHOENIX ENTRY: Pir8fancier "Stilllife"
Title: Stilllife
Author: pir8fancier
Team: Phoenix
Genre: Post-war
Prompt: Miles to go before I sleep, Infidelity
Word Count: 37,155
Ratings/Warnings/Kinks: R
Summary: Snape is killed by Voldemort. But not really.
Author's Note: My usual stunning beta, regan_v did the honors; my love for Snape is second to none. Except her. I heart her very, very much. This turned from a simple concept into a monster, so all errors, etc., are mine.

"Stilllife by Pir8fancier"

Don't forget to review!

Mod note: POLLS ARE NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE SNARRY GAMES.

Mod note: If you rec this story, please link to this POST, not the story itself, or the author/team will not get their proper vote tally or feedback. Thank you.

Mod note: Due to the length of this story, we will not be posting another until tomorrow morning. Thank you.

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	ex_lilyseyes671 2008-05-03 07:15 pm UTC (link)
	Yea! Snape finally gets his reward! Excellent story! (Reply to this) (Thread)

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-04 11:56 pm UTC

whitestar
2008-05-03 07:23 pm UTC (link)

Wow, I really liked this! I'm surprised because it contained infidelity which isn't my favorite topic. But you wrote it in a way that seemed appropriate and logical for the characters involved. The depth of the conversations Snape had with himself and with the other people and portraits also made sense.

I was very glad that Harry and Snape finally got together in the end, even though it was only after death they found happiness with each other for however much time they had.

Great story ^_^

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 12:00 am UTC

	themostepotente 2008-05-03 08:42 pm UTC (link)
	I am SO far behind on reading Games' fics, but when I saw yours went up, I literally dropped everything to read this. Claire, I'm going to call you Midas from now on, because, seriously, everything you touch is fucking gold, man. (Reply to this) (Thread)

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 12:02 am UTC

Brava!

la_5trega
2008-05-03 09:13 pm UTC (link)

Absolutely beautiful fic...Severus' longing, so perfectly imbued, literally made my chest ache. The torture of it all - but Snape, being Snape, sticking with the job even when it hurt. As always, your Snape characterization and dialogue is exactly how I "see" and "hear" him in my mind. And yours is one of my fave Harry voices as well - gormless, yes, but gradually growing wiser and into the man we want him to be. Simply superb, and definitely one of the best fics in the Games.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Brava! -

pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 11:38 am UTC

ivylady
2008-05-03 10:18 pm UTC (link)

Gorgeous story. The ending was perfect, having Snape get his just rewards. :)

There's so much that I liked about this story that I can't explain. I liked Snape's portrait having a soul and not being able to sleep. I liked that he read everything and became an expert in many fields. Him writing books was a nice touch--Severus is an academic in my world.

The complexity of the relationships was perfect. Harry and Severus's ever changing dynamic kept me hooked. Severus told Harry everything I've thought about Ginny, and did it in a much nicer way. *grins*

I'm so very glad Severus could finally say to Albus everything he felt. I've always thought that was a long time coming. I did like Minerva and Severus being friends without the demands of the outside world on them.

Overall, a very cohesive and spell weaving tale.

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 11:40 am UTC

	abby1000 2008-05-03 10:28 pm UTC (link)
	This was simply fantastic. The plot, the characterizations, the dialogue, just everything! My favorite of the games so far.... (Reply to this) (Thread)

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 11:41 am UTC

klynie1
2008-05-03 10:35 pm UTC (link)

I got the feeling while reading this that the writing of this story may have been cathartic for you. The first bit seemed to be focused on tieing up many of the loose relationship ends left by JKR, while the second half felt like a prelude to a shared twilight of existence. I'm glad that you left the ends of their lives ambiguous, but accepted: I'd have hated to think of them never finding peace after happiness.

An interesting story. I have to admit, I liked the last half of it much better than the first, so I'm glad that I stuck with it. But I trust you as a writer, so I was sure that there was going to be a payoff. By the time it came, it seemed part of a natural progression - very nicely done.

It's just weird. I can't seem to shake the feeling that this story reads like a farewell. I'm curious to see where you plan to go next.

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 11:45 am UTC

	Hmm... the_kinky_pet 2008-05-03 10:42 pm UTC (link)
	Hi there! Maybe the problem is all at my end, but my internet connection is working fine everywhere else, but the link for the fic isn't working for me. Is anyone else having this problem or is it just a fluke on my dumb computer? Thanks for any help! (Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Hmm... -

snarrymod, 2008-05-03 11:54 pm UTC

Re: Hmm... -

the_kinky_pet, 2008-05-04 03:09 am UTC

Re: Hmm... -

djin7, 2008-05-04 06:34 am UTC

	gingertart50 2008-05-03 10:43 pm UTC (link)
	Oh! That was beautiful, heart-rending, tragic, wonderful and consoling all at once. What a terrific fic. Congratulations! (Reply to this) (Thread)

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 11:46 am UTC

fbowden
2008-05-03 10:57 pm UTC (link)

Oh God.. I don't think I have words adequate enough to describe how deeply this moved me. From about 5K in, I had a lump in my throat and it didn't go away the entire time i was reading. I feel like I've been taken through the whole of Harry's life, and Snape's life and I rejoiced when Harry joined him in his portrait.

So many wonderfully amusing little lines, so much fantastic, so very Snape lines and snark. so much angst and Harry with Draco, I felt Snape's pain and Harry's mortification.

*swallows around the lump*

His portrait was a replica of my Slytherin bedroom, dominated by an enormous bed quite big enough for two men. Generally, I wasn't the sort of man to leap to conclusions, but I would say he had an agenda.

This just made me burst out laughing and then dissolve into tears.

Thank you, so very much, for what I suspect must have been the pouring of your heart into writing this.

Flic xx

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 11:49 am UTC

japonicastar
2008-05-03 11:39 pm UTC (link)

I agree with the others above, this is heartbreaking in it's own way, ever so much until the end where they find each other finally.

You put how I feel about Ginny into words that I completely agree with and wanted to say but didn't know how to do so. The line about her growing up in a household full of love made her expect it, and it just broke me in a way I can't describe. It's perfect.

I do hope that you'll continue writing in this fandom, not only because you write so beautifully, but that it wouldn't be the same without you.

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 11:54 am UTC

alisanne
2008-05-03 11:51 pm UTC (link)

You had me from the very beginning.
There are so MANY parts and details of this story that I enjoyed, and I can only mention a few of them here.
Minerva's thoughtfulness, when she included those details in Snape's portrait was lovely. Snape's interactions with her and with Draco made me giggle, especially when he cut him down to size. Snape reading Harry the riot act when he was having his doubts about his marriage was perfect.
When he found Harry and Draco together I think my heart wanted to break for Snape. And the way Snape got along (or didn't) with Harry's children was great. :)
And in the end you gave me my luscious Snarry, so yay!
Thank you so much for this. It made my Saturday afternoon. :)

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 11:55 am UTC

zephyr_macabee
2008-05-04 12:04 am UTC (link)

This story has been my absolute favorite of the Games thus far. There are too many good lines to quote. I laughed and I cried. You made me believe in your world. Your handling of Dumbledore and his manipulations was excellent. Yours is the first story I have ever read that looked really hard at his questionable decisions and weighed them. Your Severus was perfect; at the end I rejoiced that finally, finally he got a reward for all he had done.
I hope he and Harry have many years in their painting universe before they move on.
10s across the board!

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-06 12:16 am UTC

	kabbers 2008-05-04 01:11 am UTC (link)
	Amazing story. I loved your Snape and your Harry. And I love how you used Lily. The prompts were artfully used. What a wonderful Saturday afternoon I spent reading this story. (Reply to this) (Thread)

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-06 12:17 am UTC

miriravan
2008-05-04 01:22 am UTC (link)

Okay, so I cringed when I saw your prompts, because I *really* don't like infidelity. I mean, really a lot. Maybe I was a Hufflepuff in another life, or something. But then, I couldn't *not* read it, because it's yours. So . . .

This is a wonderful story, long and detailed and expertly paced and terrifically engaging on almost every level. I cried. Rather a lot, really. But I also laughed. Because life is like that, and this story is really about Harry's life, as mediated through Snape, who continues to do his best to save it, just as he has all along.

Things I especially love:
The relationship between Snape and McGonagall; I've always had a thing for their relationship, when it's well done, and it is here, with all that snark and vitriol masking deep respect and affection. It actually gave me a twinge when she died and I realized that Snape wouldn't be there to greet her, because you know, I really think he would've.

The kids, every one of them, even just-like-his-namesake James, but especially Lily. When I read the line about her threatening to turn the portraits into sad clowns on velvet, I laughed my ass off, because how perfect is that? And Albus, with his crush on Draco, who was probably the most *believable* version of Draco I've ever read in fanfic.

And Harry was so . . . I love your Harry, as he grows up and struggles along and does his best to figure out how to live the life he's been handed and deal with all his own mistakes and the mistakes of others. His capacity for forgiveness is so enormous and so lovely, and I love that he isn't some kind of *saint*, that he cries and rails and is tired and wants something for himself, *and* is loving and determined and sweet and funny and human.

And Snape's voice is just right, in narration and in dialogue. He is so *smart* and so justifiably bitter in the beginning, at losing his expected peace, and so articulate, the perfect foil to Harry, and able, more than anyone, to tell hard truths. I'm so glad he's able to make his peace with Dumbledore, who I really do believe loved him, and loved Harry, and, yes, sacrificed them anyway.

And I love the ending, just the idea of the two them together in their painted world and eventually moving on--together, I have no doubt--to all the people who will be waiting for them both.

Really a lovely, lovely story.

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-06 12:19 am UTC

	dreamingjewel 2008-05-04 02:08 am UTC (link)
	Wow! so many wonderful things about this story. All the characters were fleshed out and their interactions rang true. Brilliant dialogue, the repartee between Minerva and Severous in particular made me smile.Albus being told off was priceless(the twinkling bugger gets on my nerves).The image of Harry and Snape trying to touch painfully beautiful. (Reply to this) (Thread)

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 11:57 am UTC

carpet_diemon
2008-05-04 03:18 am UTC (link)

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

I love how the people and the language change; how Snape isn't really static. The way you've tied up the loose ends from the end of the series is remarkable--painful too--but just right.

The one thing that really got in the way of my enjoying this story was the number of spelling and grammatical errors. I know that festival fics are sometimes beta'd on the fly, but something small showed up every couple of pages, and that was rather annoying.

Do yourself a favor: get someone to go over this with a fine-tooth comb before you post it to archive or to your own journal.

Otherwise, splendid.

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 10:21 am UTC

ex_froggie897
2008-05-04 03:37 am UTC (link)

I made a day of reading this fic...started it, and then came back to it, etc. I'm kind of at loss for words right now (in a good way), but I just want to say that this story had a wonderful emotional intensity as well as a very concrete sort of finality to it.

Ironically enough, I refused to let myself go to sleep until I finished reading this.

Thank you for sharing, as always.

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 10:18 am UTC

joanwilder
2008-05-04 04:03 am UTC (link)

One of the things I liked best about this was the portrait-lore--how all of it worked, Snape being pulled to the RoR, then being able to roam through the castles, and out into the world at large--travelling and learning languages.

I suppose that the infidelity of this story is Harry's failing Snape, not Ginny--that's how I took it at least, although he did have that little fling in NY. Sort of a biblical infidelity, when you get down to it--no vows were broken except for interior ones of conscience.

I enjoyed getting to know Harry's children; it was strangely comforting to see their interactions with Snape. And the end was gratifying, finally, to see them get to touch each other and satisfy the longing of years. Well done!

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 10:16 am UTC

themadscriptor
2008-05-04 05:04 am UTC (link)

Fantastic. You've crossed the t's and dotted the i's of canon. (Thank you.) I especially love your incarnations of Minerva -- I imagine her smoking cigars and grin -- and Lily, but all 'round, you characterised everyone wonderfully.

I think I remember reading that this is to be your final Snarry fic, and if that's true, I wanted to:

--thank you for the amazing four you've written;
--tell you that you write (in my admittedly insignificant opinion) the most compelling Snape in fandom;
--and say that you'll be missed (but that I understand that talking after you've already said your piece is...unproductive).

Fuck, I feel terrible (and like a pretentious ass) saying this, but there are some minor typos. (If you need a line editor, heh, I've got the OCD slant for it.) But seriously, what a marvelous, real, cathartic piece.

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 10:15 am UTC

	keyairreem 2008-05-04 05:23 am UTC (link)
	Brilliant!! The emotions and the imagery are just fabulous! (Reply to this) (Thread)

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 10:13 am UTC

	snarry_fan7 2008-05-04 06:39 am UTC (link)
	Excellent work! I love the progression of years and how we see Harry's life change, Snape as well. Wonderfully characterization with everyone. Well done.~Sophia (Reply to this) (Thread)

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 10:12 am UTC

telwyrd
2008-05-04 01:41 am UTC (link)

Stilllife is simply stunning. What a powerful and magnificent story. Utterly riveting from beginning to end.

You are a master wordsmith. Your story-telling is subtle and sublime, flowing so beautifully from scene to scene. Your resonant prose was enthralling.

Such wonderful humor, tragic heartbreak, and stunning revelations throughout this story. So many memorable lines and unforgettable scenes. Too many, sadly, for me to include them all in this comment.

Death, apparently, only means that I can't brush the dandruff off of her shoulders and she can't owl me wee vials of shampoo.

Minerva's relationship with Snape is so amusing.

"Can you not do that? Act all startled when I show evidence I have a brain?"

::snerk::

"I am the essence of 'cool,' Mr. Potter."

::luffs:: Darn right!

I stopped right there. This is what death has done to me. I was imparting sexual advice to Harry Potter.

Oh. My. Gawd. ...Snape as Harry's Sex Education teacher…the mind, it boggles…

Because it was a pure and exalted love; like brother and sister.

::nods:: Yep, yep, totally agree with you.

Having lived a similar life of hard knocks, I knew only too well how something seems like it's exactly what you've been looking for. How it seems to answer all your prayers. At Potter's age, I was willing to sell myself to Voldemort cheaply. I doubt Potter was any less desperate; he was yearning for love and a family. When Albus chose Black over me and Lily abandoned me because I had one foot in the Death Eater camp, I whispered "Fuck you" to them both. I didn't need their love. What I thought I needed was recognition and validation. I got them, but at a price. More tears are shed over answered prayers. It was obvious what Potter prayed for in the dark silent part of the night.

Succinct and insightful. You channel Snape perfectly.

The hunter in the portrait in the library is lending me his gun. I am off to hunt lions and tigers and bears, oh my.”

::lol:: Zing! Another good line.

I'd coerce Minerva to let me commandeer detentioned students. To have miscreants under my thumb again. Oh happy day!

::roflol:: That's Snape for ya.

...“Yes, but by then the die was cast, our roles predetermined. It seems that both of us were acting in life's drama, of which the stage was decidedly Calvinistic in nature. You sinned and were not damned. I repented and was not saved. Alas. I find myself here, in limbo, unable to sleep, unable to die. I'm not even sure if I'm forgiven.”

::breathes deeply:: Harry finally confronting Portrait!Snape about the why of it all was a powerful, gripping scene. It left me bereft of words. You explained Snape with meticulous precision and verve, providing such aching clarity.

(Still hungry? Which was ludicrous because even if he was capable of speech, the child was sucking on that bottle like it was the Last Supper).

8D

Why was I, the least appropriate person on the face of this earth, giving morality lessons to Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter?

::snerk:: Irony perhaps?

"Why are you always right?"
"It's a gift and a curse. Continue."

Win!

I understood now why I was here. Why my soul was trapped. His profound despair was only second to my own on his behalf. One look at that hand on mine: one look at the man he had become and how much we had all failed him, letting him face that madman by himself, his realization that he wanted men, his commitment to his children and his conflicted feelings toward his wife, and it became all too clear why I was still here.

To watch over him. For Lily. The final act of penance. The last genuflect. A generous and loving person, she would not have asked this of me. This purgatory was self-inflicted, my final offering to her. So that even as limited as I was, trapped in time and space, when I finally met her I could say:

I did my best. He lived a fine life. Forgive me.

::gasp::

::sob::

::speechless::

You are too awesome for words.

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(no subject) -

telwyrd, 2008-05-04 01:43 am UTC

(no subject) -

pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 10:11 am UTC

igtow
2008-05-04 02:04 am UTC (link)

I, like others, balked at the infidelity prompt, but seeing who had written it...

I don't like to cry in stories, but you made me do it anyway, just like you made me laugh, and suck in my breath, and say, "No!" and a host of other things through the whole spectrum of reactions. I'm tired, but in a good way and had the story ended any other way, I'd probably hate you, but given that Severus and Harry both received what they wanted and deserved... Since that's the mark of the very best storytelling, I can only say, "Well done."

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pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 10:07 am UTC

beautiful

laeticiav
2008-05-04 02:58 am UTC (link)

I am not going to be able to say much right now because I am so moved by that story. It had a weight, a slow sad beautiful serious cadence to it that fanfic just doesn't usually have (I'm thinking Bach cello concertos, and then I'm seeing your Snape raising an eyebrow at me for being pretentious). I'm thinking of the exquisite tension you maintain for 37,000 words, the small detail and the over-arching humanity it reveals, the quiet accretion of pain that leads to an ending that is heartbreaking because the characters and the reader are all too aware of the transience of everything human (even though the characters are in some sense dead). Wow was this a story about the partially dead coming to terms with their own mortality (that's quite a twist on one of the big themes of western literature). I was thinking about what this story encompasses and only then did I realize that almost all of it took place in one room between two characters who couldn't even touch each other. I love teh Snarry, so I never even thought to say this to a writer, but I hope you are striking out to write your fiction in a universe that *you* own, because it seems to me that your writing doesn't need to be in JKR's shadow, no matter how much we love her characters. (This really is a strange thing for a snaddict like myself to say.) Anyway, thank you.

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Re: beautiful -

pir8fancier, 2008-05-05 10:06 am UTC

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