Let me bring you love from the field:
poppies red and roses filled with summer rain.
To heal the wound and still the pain
that threatens again and again
as you drag down every lover's lane.
Life's long celebration's here.
I'll toast you all in penny cheer.
(Jethro Tull - Songs from the wood)

Tales from the Wood:
•What is this about?• •A Most Important Element in Water• •Exorcism• •Arachne• •Climate Change• •The Vibrator, the Witch and the Painting• •Drabbles• •Master of Deception, My Own Snape Backstory• •Gen Stories• •Tags•
History of Magic
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Mar. 27th, 2008 @ 06:35 pm Arachne - Chapter 2
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Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Just borrowed. Will be returned. Snape is welcome to stay, though.

My beta readers, Maggie and Melusin, deserve much thanks and the highest praise, a lot of chocolate, flowers and relaxing music. All remaining errors are my fault.


Three days later, Minerva and I met again. I felt very accomplished when I put the star charts on the table. Minerva merely smiled and put a small pouch beside the stack of charts.

"What's this?" I asked.

"These are Galleons with a mint date from before 1981. I was lucky to find some in my own vault. That way, I could avoid nosy questions. Mind you, there are only a few, but they should be enough to get you through a month or so. If you need more, you will need to sell a few of the jewels here." She unpacked another small parcel, which contained a few necklaces, rings and bracelets, all in an antique style that wouldn't raise suspicions in the past. ( Read more... )
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Mar. 27th, 2008 @ 06:29 pm Arachne - Chapter 1
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Hermione travels back in time to find a missing Horcrux. She meets a young Severus who prepares for his first Potions lesson. Written before DH, now AU.

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Just borrowed. Will be returned. Snape is welcome to stay, though.

My beta readers, Maggie and Melusin, deserve much thanks and the highest praise, a lot of chocolate, flowers and relaxing music. All remaining errors are my fault.

This is my contribution to the SS/HG Exchange Summer Round 2007. It was written for vanityfair00, the prompt was: Time-Turner fic where Hermione goes back to Snape's early days as a teacher, preferably his first day.

---

"Do come in and sit down. Can I get you something to drink? Firewhisky? A cup of tea?"

"I didn't come here to exchange pleasantries. If you have something to say, then say it."

"Oh please, don't look at me like that. I told you that I will explain everything to you. Nothing I did was meant to hurt you, or to offend you. I did it out of necessity. I hope you will believe me."

"Explain!"

"All right, but please, stay until you've heard everything."

"Miss Granger! Stop wasting my time and get on with it." ( Read more... )
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Mar. 27th, 2008 @ 06:26 pm Anywhere the Wind Blows
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Hermione gets a Valentine present, but has no idea who sent it.

Disclaimer:Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Just borrowed. Will be returned. Snape is welcome to stay, though.
As always, my heartfelt Thank You to Maggie and Melusin for making my stories readable and helping me navigate the punctuation maze. You are the best!
This was written for the ‘Amortentia and Chocolate’ challenge on the livejourna community ‘romancingwizard’. The prompts were: a canon wizard, a canon witch, a potion, a sweet, February, a picture prompt.





Hermione Granger stared out of the window of a rented room above the Leaky Cauldron. She had left Godric's Hollow to Harry, Ron, and their girlfriends that evening for them to spend some time together. The war was in its fourth year now, and Harry and his friends weren't any closer to finding the last two Horcruxes than they had been a year ago.

Today was February 14th, Valentine's Day. Hermione sighed. Ever since her break-up with Ron two years ago, she had banned romance from her life. She had no time for it, and yet, there was this secret yearning, this nagging certainty that there was someone waiting for her; someone she dreamt about, but whose face she could never remember when she woke up. ( Read more... )
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Mar. 27th, 2008 @ 06:23 pm Stuck - Chapter 2
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The same disclaimers as in Chapter 1 apply. Thank you to my beta-reader, Maggie, for always being so supportive.

The kiss was long and sweet. When they finally broke apart, Snape started to trail small kisses from her chin to her ear. He stopped when he felt her pulse beating wildly against his lips.

"My, my, aren't we excited?" ( Read more... )
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Mar. 27th, 2008 @ 06:21 pm Stuck - Chapter 1
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When Voldemort falls, Snape and Hermione find themselves in an unusual situation.

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Just borrowed. Will be returned. Snape is welcome to stay, though.
A big Thank You goes to my beta, Maggie, who is always encouraging, helpful, and thorough!
This was written in response to the 'An Evening with Severus Snape' 500 words drabble challenge on the lj community 'Romancing the Wizard'. The prompt was: In the end, it had been easy, far easier than he'd expected.


In the end, it had been easy, far easier than he'd expected. Voldemort had walked into the carefully constructed trap, and everything had gone according to plan. Almost everything...

Severus Snape woke up in the dark, lying on his back. Something soft and warm lay on top of him, making it difficult to breathe. He started to push at whatever it was while searching for his wand.

"Ouch!" ( Read more... )
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Mar. 27th, 2008 @ 06:17 pm Those Who Are Loyal
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When the trio leaves him for dead, Snape thinks about his life.

Disclaimer: Canon doesn't belong to me, and I'm rather glad about that. The story here does belong to me; no money is being made with it.

A/N: Highest praise and thanks to beta and brit-picker, Melusin, who agreed to beta-read this on short notice. The following is firmly AU, but contains DH spoilers.



So this was it, the last chapter of his miserable life.

A Potions Master, an expert at Defence Against the Dark Arts, a Healer, a wizard. What use was his knowledge, his quick thinking, his being prepared for betrayal, backstabbing and murder when in the end, it had been the bloody snake that got him? ( Read more... )
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Mar. 27th, 2008 @ 06:09 pm Severus Snape and the Flobberworm
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When Voldemort tries to take over Hogwarts, he encounters an unexpected antagonist.

Everything you recognize belongs to JKR et al. Thank you, Maggie, for beta-reading and putting up with my silliness.


As every well-educated wizard knows, flobberworms are a common ingredient in potions. Therefore, it was not surprising that Neville Longbottom was sent to Hagrid’s hut to get a fresh batch of flobberworms one evening in his seventh year while he was serving a detention. After Filch caught Neville snogging with Lavender Brown behind the statue of Hieronymus the Hasty, Neville thanked his fate and good fortune that the worst thing that could happen to him these days was a detention with Horace Slughorn. He shuddered to think of what he would have to do if the former Potions master, the murderer, were still in residence. He didn’t need to think long; he had served detention with Severus Snape often enough to know that he would probably be gutting horned toads – without dragon hide gloves. But now Snape was who-knew-where, running around with you-know-who, and Neville hoped fervently that he would never have to see those creepy, tunnel-like, black eyes again.

Those same black eyes stared into his when he came back from Hagrid’s, crossed the entrance hall, and opened the door to the corridor that led to the dungeons.( Read more... )
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Mar. 27th, 2008 @ 05:56 pm A Letter To an Old Friend
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Newton Scamander tells an old friend about his latest field trip to Mongolia

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Just borrowed. Will be returned.
This was written in response to the 'Anywhere but here' challenge on the Livejournal community 'Omniocular'. A big Thank You goes to my beta, Snarkyroxy, who patiently puts up with me and is always encouraging.

A Letter To an Old Friend

From:
Newton Scamander
The Dragon's Lair
Shaftesbury, Dorset
England

To:
Albus Dumbledore
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
The Highlands
Scotland

( Read more... )
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Mar. 27th, 2008 @ 05:49 pm A Different Perspective - Chapter 2
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Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Just borrowed. Will be returned. Snape is welcome to stay, though.

A heartfelt Thank You goes out to my wonderful beta, Mouse, who isn't only thorough, critical and constructive but also incredibly encouraging and supportive.


A Different Perspective

Part II: The Schoolyear

September 1st, 1996
"Severus, do you have a moment?" Albus Dumbledore stood at the open door of Snape's office.

"Do come in, Headmaster, I have been expecting you. I suppose you want to know about Potter?" Severus Snape looked up from his desk, which was covered with lesson plans.

"Yes. What happened? Why didn't he arrive with the other students?"

"He must have been in a fight. There was blood on his face when I picked him up from the gates."

"Couldn't you find out any details?" the Headmaster inquired.
( Read more... )
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Mar. 27th, 2008 @ 05:46 pm A Different Perspective - Chapter 1
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What goes on in the hearts and minds of Dumbledore and Snape? Conversations between those two key players shed a new light on the events in HBP.

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Just borrowed. Will be returned. Snape is welcome to stay, though.
A heartfelt Thank You goes out to my wonderful beta, Mouse, who isn't only thorough, critical and constructive but also incredibly encouraging and supportive.



Tuesday, July 2nd 1996

The tall, thin man strode through the dark, deserted corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his black robes billowing and the heels of his boots clicking on the castle's stone floor with every hurried step. When he reached the statue of a gargoyle at the end of the corridor, the dim light of candles revealed a hooked nose and a sallow face, greasy black hair and piercing black eyes.

"Acid pops," the man murmured and jumped onto the moving and winding staircase that had been concealed by the gargoyle. When the rotating stairs came to a halt, he knocked on the door at the top of the stairs.( Read more... )
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Mar. 27th, 2008 @ 05:40 pm Why Dumbledore Trusted Snape
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Young Severus Snape wants to leave Voldemort's service. Can Albus Dumbledore help him turn sides and stay alive?

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Just borrowed. Will be returned. Snape is welcome to stay, though.
A big Thank You goes to my two wonderful beta readers, Maggie and Snarkyroxy, who patiently listen to my whinging, are both helpful and thorough, and always encouraging.


Why Dumbledore Trusted Snape

The only thing that distinguished the quiet street from the neighbouring ones was the tall mill chimney towering over it. The few functioning streetlights cast a dim, flickering light on the worn cobblestones, leaving the areas in between in deep shadows. The hooded figure of a man hurried through these shadows, frequently looking over his shoulder, until he reached the last house, where a light shone through the curtains in a downstairs room. He looked around once more and then strode quickly to the door and knocked. After a few moments, the door opened a crack and a thin, middle-aged woman looked out at him.

"Mother, may I come in?" the man asked in a hushed voice.

"Severus?" The woman hesitated for a second before opening the door wider and pulling the man inside a small living room.( Read more... )
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Mar. 27th, 2008 @ 05:37 pm Decisions
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Severus Snape invents a new spell and a friendship ends.


Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Just borrowed. Will be returned. Snape is welcome to stay, though.
A big Thank You goes to my beta, Snarkyroxy, who is always encouraging, helpful, thorough and fast!


The door to the Room of Requirement closed noiselessly as soon as Lily Evans had entered the room one rainy Saturday in the first term of her seventh year. She was looking forward to a quiet and studious afternoon with her best friend. As much as she liked to spend time with her other friends and Housemates, these bi-weekly meetings were a much wanted and needed retreat. Lily was a popular girl: bright, talented, funny and pretty; well-liked by both teachers and other students. However, these meetings in the Room of Requirement gave her something that her normal surroundings didn’t. Apart from interesting and stimulating discussions with someone who had the same intense drive for learning, though his thoughts ran a slightly different course from hers, it gave her leave to study the more obscure forms of magic, to do research beyond the scope of her normal coursework, to experiment with spells and to rediscover long-forgotten techniques for using magic. Above all, it gave her the opportunity to simply have a good time with her best friend, Severus Snape.( Read more... )
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Mar. 26th, 2008 @ 06:14 pm The Kiss
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Young Severus Snape tells his best friend about his first kiss.

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Just borrowed. Will be returned. Snape is welcome to stay, though.
This was written in response to the Valentine's day challenge on the Livejournal community 'Romancing the Wizard'. A big Thank You goes to my new beta, Snarkyroxy, who patiently puts up with my stubborn ways.



"Severus, did you do it?"

The red-haired girl burst through the door into the Room of Requirement and closed it quickly behind her. She was slightly breathless, a book bag clutched in front of her, her bright green eyes sparkling mischievously.

Severus Snape, a gangly, thin teenage boy with a large, hooked nose and lanky black hair, looked up from his parchment and raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, Evans, did you run all the way up here just to find out?" he asked mockingly.
( Read more... )
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Jan. 9th, 2010 @ 04:43 pm The Train
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Eleven-year-old Severus Snape learns how to make friends and enemies on his first train ride to Hogwarts.


Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Just borrowed. Will be returned. Snape is welcome to stay, though.
A big Thank You goes to my beta, Maggie, who patiently listens to my whinging, is helpful and thorough, and always encouraging.

The lovely drawing below was made for me by Mouse, my very first beta-reader.


The young boy sat alone in a compartment of the Hogwarts Express and stared out of the window. Platform 9 3/4 hummed with life: children, parents, familiars -- everyone was milling around in bouts of last-minute activities. The whole scene reminded the boy more of a swarm of insects than of people.

( Read more... )
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Mar. 19th, 2008 @ 01:50 pm Drabbles
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This is a wild mixture of 100-word and longer drabbles. They are all SS/HG, although some may only be implied SS/HG.( Read more... )
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Mar. 19th, 2008 @ 01:50 pm Gen Stories
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A few gen stories that either had to be written to make a point, like 'Those Who Are Loyal' as my reply to DH, or part of prompts and challenges.

•Those Who Are Loyal
When the trio leaves him for dead, Snape thinks about his life. My reply to DH.

•Severus Snape and the Flobberworm
When Voldemort tries to take over Hogwarts, he encounters an unexpected antagonist.
This was written for Mouse, my very first beta reader, who gave me the prompt.

•A Letter To An Old Friend
Newton Scamander tells an old friend about his latest field trip to Mongolia.</a>
This was written in response to the 'Anywhere but here' challenge on the Livejournal community 'Omniocular'.
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Mar. 19th, 2008 @ 01:50 pm Climate Change Chapter List
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This story was written for the SS/HG exchange, winter round 2007/2008.

Prompt: #2 – may be DH-compliant. Hermione and Snape are both heads of their houses at Hogwarts and their houses are neck and neck for the Quidditch cup. Humor, romance, snark.
Summary: Hermione and Severus are both heads of their houses and compete for the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup. However, a few things have changed since Hermione was a student.


Climate Change

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2 and Epilogue
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Mar. 19th, 2008 @ 01:50 pm Arachne Chapter List
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Summary:Hermione travels back in time to find a missing Horcrux. She meets a young Severus who prepares for his first Potions lesson. Written before DH, now AU.

This is my contribution to the SS/HG Exchange Summer Round 2007. It was written for vanityfair00, the prompt was: Time-Turner fic where Hermione goes back to Snape's early days as a teacher, preferably his first day.

Arachne was nominated for the 2007 OWL awards, and was recced by Know It Alls:

Rec'ed by Know It Alls( Read more... )
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Mar. 19th, 2008 @ 01:50 pm Severus' Backstory
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After HBP came out, I immediately started dreaming up and plotting my WIP, AMIEW. I had, in fact, written several chapters of a SS/HG story before HBP already, but that one was thoroughly canon shafted, and since I hadn't posted anything, I started all over. However, after HBP, I needed a backstory for Severus, I had to know what made him tick, and find out as much about him as I could think of. Thus, instead of writing SS/HG, something I always wanted to do, I first wrote my version of Severus' history. Since I'm a very slow writer, it took me ages to get these stories finished and to finally proceed to SS/HG. AMIEW is based on this, my, backstory, not on the canon version. All of them were written before DH.( Read more... )
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Mar. 19th, 2008 @ 01:50 pm AMIEW Chapter List
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Summary: While hunting for Horcruxes with her friends, Hermione learns surprising facts about Snape's past. Will that change the way she thinks about him? May contain DH spoilers. AU after HBP. **Winner** Order of Merlin, Third Class, OWL Awards 2007 for Action/Adventure.

This is my version of book 7. It was plotted after HBP and should have been finished before DH, alas, I only have limited time for writing, and so this story now is firmly AU.

AMIEW won an OWL Award in 2007. I'm so proud... :D





( Read more... )
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