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spfestmod (spfestmod) wrote in snape_potter,
@ 2011-10-20 12:59:00

Entry tags:

cliche fest, fic, rating: nc-17

Cliche Fest: FIC: A Grim Old Cat
Title: A Grim Old Cat
Author: oliversnape
Other pairings/threesome: Canon Ron/Hermione
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 14,256
Content/Warning(s): (highlight for spoilers) *AR, minor character deaths mentioned in passing.*
Cliché: (highlight for spoilers) *Cat!Snape, Grimmauld Place after war, Back to work at Hogwarts, Virgin!Harry, Ministry bureaucratic idiocy.*
Summary: In which Harry finds comfort in his own routines, solitude, Grimmauld Place, and normality in the sound of incoming trains. He ought to have known a cat would subtly change things to suit its own machinations.
A/N: Thank you to my beta pygmypuffofdoom, any other mistakes are mine.

(A Grim Old Cat)

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atypicalsnowman
2011-10-21 04:19 am UTC (link)

I'm not certain what I love most about this story, but I'll start with how soft it seems. There's this quality to a great work of fiction that I can't put my finger on, but it makes you stop wanting to rush to the end and just allow yourself to experience the story with the characters and not worry about what's going to happen next.

I admit sometimes I'm in a rush to get to the ending, to see how it all works out but this fic prevented that. I read this slowly and enjoyed every minute of it.

I liked that you had the cat!Snape cliche, but not the 'Snape gets angry at Harry once he's restored' cliche. This made more sense to me, that Snape would be grateful and less hateful after the war.

I didn't connect the fog to Harry until Severus told him to stop it. That was heartbreaking.

But my favorite line was this one:

“Imagine living your whole life focused around the worst thing you ever did,” Snape whispered, his voice low and commanding in Harry’s ear. “And how you’d feel once you’d finally paid your debt.”

This is my absolute favorite concept in all post-war Snarry stories. What does Severus do now that he's finally finished his penance? In my own thoughts (and writing) he doesn't know what to do with himself or how to accept that he's forgiven. But this look at him was refreshing. He isn't necessarily a broken man here. Just a man looking to move on, damn it.

And I, on a more shallow note, I was so pleased by the sex scene. I adore bottom!Snape like there's no tomorrow.

The take on their relationship was refreshing. We female writers tend to write them too flowery because it's what we like, but this very matter of fact sex scene was so masculine, in an excellent way. Severus notices Harry looking at his hands, goes to his bedroom. End of story.

In case you couldn't tell by now, I adored this. This was amazing to me and will be reread when I want something excellent and inspiring.

*standing ovation*

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oliversnape
2011-11-10 12:50 am UTC (link)

Wow, what an awesome review! I'm sorry I'm so late in response, but I wanted to say that I've read your note a few times and I'm dead chuffed. This story is not my usual style, and while it was a challenge, I'm glad that the light layers of it came across so well.

I felt so bad for Harry as well; he originally wasn't going to be so lost but it just had to be done.

As for the sex, I'm all about equal opportunity and bottom!Snape is hot! I'm also not a fan of flowery eroticism, so I try to avoid it like the plague.

Thank you again!

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