machshefa | Manic Monday on the Fangirl Tour: My fangirl recs!

Hi everybody,

For those who don't know,

firefly_124 are once again hosting the marvelous

fangirl_tour where members each have an opportunity to post the art and stories that they fangirl. Today was my day to rec, and so I thought I'd share the recs with those of you who might not be subbed to the tour. I hope that you enjoy these and find some gems here that you haven't yet seen!

Hello fellow fangirls!

I'm an all HP girl (my first and, so far, only fandom). But this year, I've given you what is for me an eclectic bunch of stories. I've mixed it up just a little in terms of pairings (yes, yes, it's really me... I haven't been hit in the head recently, as far as I can remember). But I've also focused on stories posted within about the last year or so (with a couple of exceptions), and included two WIP's in particular that are by new authors in the SSHG ship with stories that I want to shine a light on (b/c they are that good).

Also, I just finished reccing SSHG on

crack_broom, and I've given you the link over there as well ('cuz I'm sooper sneaky and this way, can point to eight more fic recs (and two art) that were just posted in May without overlapping them here).

Last Year’s Fangirl Tour Recs:
My May, 2009 Crack_broom SSHG recs:

1. Fandom: HP (SS/HG)
Title: Phoenix Song (Or Hermione Granger and the HBP)
Author:

grangerous
Link: Phoenix Song
Rating: T
Status: Complete
Summary: When Professor Snape heals Hermione's injuries after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, they are both surprised by what they learn. The two must work together to help Harry defeat Lord Voldemort.
Why I fangirl this: I couldn't put this story down. It's difficult to do a really compelling canon-based story, but

grangerous pulls it off with grace and power. Set during Hermione's sixth year, the relationship that develops between her and Snape is gradual, credible, and compelling. She acts her age (hooray!) and he acts his role (in every respect, and appropriately) yet... and yet. The emotion in the narrative builds (mirroring HBP) and leaves us aching for both of them. She has promised a sequel to be entitled, "Phoenix Tears", and this fangirl can't wait.

2. Fandom: HP (SS/HG/LM)
Title: A Taxing Affair
Author:

dickgloucester
Link: A Taxing Affair
Rating: M
Status: Complete
Summary: The Prime Minister needs money. It strikes him that he knows where there may be some to be found. Severus and Hermione join forces to thwart him and to protect Lucius Malfoy, who has the most to lose. (Gift for Shiv5468 in the SSHG Exchange, winter 2008.)
Why I fangirl this: I was fortunate enough to be asked by Dicky to alpha read this story. I laughed so hard that my kids rushed over to find out what was so funny. (*note to self, no fic reading when kids are home) This story is a post-war tale that is delightful for its humor, its sharp insights, and the warm, in-character development of the relationships between the three protagonists. Be sure you are not drinking hot liquids while reading (actually, avoiding drinks at all is probably best) because the humorous insights are unpredictable and just marvelous. The romance and intrigue are no less compelling than the humor, giving us a story that's a delight beginning to end.

3. Fandom: HP (SS/HG)
Title: The Foreigner
Author:

annietalbot
Link: The Foreigner
Rating: PG
Status: Complete
Summary: Severus Snape has made a life for himself in the Village. What is he to do, when The Foreigner arrives?
Why I fangirl this: Lyrical and almost mystical in tone, this story is like a concerto of healing and peace. Beautifully written, it pulls at your heart in just the right ways as it shows the reader with the most compelling imagery how even the most wounded people can find themselves (and one another) again.

4. Fandom: HP (SS/HG)
Title: Caramel
Author:

corianderpie
Link: Caramel
Rating: RS
Status: WIP
Summary: Is there such a thing as a harmless crush? Over the course of a year, two people experience the perils of wanting what they just can’t have.
Why I fangirl this:

corianderpie is a new writer in the fandom, and her first story is fantastic. I have very mixed feelings about traditional "student/teacher" fic, but this is not traditional. Beginning during Hermione's fifth-year, the story so far details Hermione's growing fascination with Snape and the reasons behind it. I don't know where the story is headed, but even after seven posted chapters, I already trust this author to bring me somewhere meaningful and satisfying. This is a story that I'm following and that I wanted others to know about. Even if you shy away from WIP's, keep your eyes open for this one to be finished, you're going to want to read it when it's done.

5. Fandom: HP (SS/HG)
Title: Above All Things
Author:

anonymous_plume
Link: Above All Things
Rating: RS
Status: WIP
Summary: Sometimes life doesn't go the way we planned.
Why I fangirl this: Another new author in the fandom,

anonymous_plume has begun reposting her story, "Above all Things" (still a WIP) which was initially posted to Adult FF prior to having a beta reader. I was fortunate enough to score being the beta reader, and I can't tell you how excited I was (and am) to be working on it. This story is smart, different, contains a super-sexy Snape and a Hermione in a terrible situation. These characters are complex, and in-character (esp. if you can imagine Snape letting loose after all those years of deprivation :)). I really love the author's willingness to pull her characters and their dilemmas into the darkest places without sacrificing moments of lightness and humour and intensity. I'm following this story, and I know that there are more completed chapters than have been uploaded with more to come. I know that lots of people shy away from WIP's, but if you're open to them, take a look, you won't regret it. Otherwise, keep your eyes open for when this one is completed, it'll be well worth it.

6. Fandom: HP (SS/HG)
Title: Chai
Author:

gilded_glamour
Link: Chai
Rating: PG
Status: Complete
Summary: A tale of tea with spices, the colourful streets of Kolkata, the even more colourful Bengali language, and finding something you never expected to find in the most unlikely place in the world.
Why I fangirl this: I love when an author can put Severus and Hermione in a totally unlikely place and keep us to enraptured that the place with them in it feels completely and totally right. Set in Calcutta, six years post-war, "Chai" is gorgeously atmospheric, powerfully emotional, and packed with nuance that packs a huge punch for one-shot. The writing is beautiful, and you want to see and feel and hear more about these characters. But really, when this story is over, you just want to cheer and cry from sheer joy (I did, at least).

7. Fandom: HP (SS/HG)
Title: Boomerang
Author:

ubiquirk
Link: Boomerang
Rating: PG
Status: Complete
Summary: If you fling yourself through time to change an event in your past, can you be certain which ‘you’ will come back? Thirteen months after the Final Battle, Harry enlists Hermione and Ron’s aid in saving Snape using an untested device – a device with side effects.
Why I fangirl this: I appreciate a story in SSHG that contains a sympathetic and reflective Ron, and this one does. A unique time-travel story, Boomerang explores questions of choice, truth, and reality. It's beautifully writen, emotionally heartbreaking but mostly, affirming of the heart and what it means to truly love someone.

8. Fandom: HP (SS/HG)
Title: Merciless Magic, Magical Mercy (original title: La Belle Dame Sans Merci and La Belle Dame Avec Merci)
Author:

junomagic
Link: La Belle Dame Sans Merci and La Belle Dame Avec Merci
Rating: M
Status: Complete
Summary: Hermione and Severus must come to terms with the past and face the consequences of their actions. A bittersweet tale of recovery and mercy, presented in a rising and a falling arc of constrained writing, ranging from drabble to mega-drabble and back.
Why I fangirl this:

junomagic writes complex, thought-provoking stories... and does many of them using a "constrained-writing" form that is both disciplined and beautiful. This story feels like a piece of music, rising to a crescendo and then descending. Set post-war, it dips into memory (for Severus) and takes us years beyond the end of the war to see what happens when the world that you had believed was yours to keep, is no longer yours; and someone who you had never considered becomes everything to you. It's gorgeously done.

9. Fandom: HP (SS/HG)
Title: The Frog Prince
Author:

juniperus
Link: The Frog Prince
Rating: M
Status: Complete
Summary: The life and times of a girl and her frog—a fairy tale, re-imagined.
Why I fangirl this: From the illuminated letters to the rhythmic pact, this SSHG fairy tale is a gem. A retelling of "The Frog Prince," it gives us a view of Severus and Hermione through the looking glass. A short story packed with angst, intrigue, hope, and a fabulously happy ending, all in fairy-tale voice.

10. Fandom: HP (Ron/Pansy)
Title: Glass Half Full
Author:

pir8fancier
Link: Glass Half Full
Rating: M
Status: Complete
Summary: Twenty years after the battle at Hogwarts, it's not happily ever after.
Why I fangirl this: I rarely read outside my OTP, but when I find a story that grabs me as quickly as this one did, I'm a fan. This story addresses the very real issues of addiction with unflinching honesty and compassion for all the characters. The writing is beautiful, the situations are realistic, and the relationship development is well-paced. This is a powerful and compelling piece. This link also contains a piece of art done for the story.

11. Fandom: HP (SS/LL)
Title: The Art of Negotiation
Author:

talesofsnape
Link: The Art of Negotiation
Rating: PG
Status: Completed
Summary: Severus is innundated by complaints from parents after appointing Luna Lovegood as Care of Magical Creatures professor. How will he manage to dissuade her from teaching Hogwarts' students about Blibbering Humdingers and Wrackspurts? Originally submitted to the LJ Snuna Exchange in a cut form as a gift for Camillo, but 4 out of 4 people prefer the longer version.
Why I fangirl this: I'd not read any Snuna until this year's Snuna exchange. This is one of my favorite stories from that collection.

talesofsnape captures the characters' voices beautifully and shows us the layers beneath their words and superficial actions. Set at Hogwarts, she takes these characters beyond the usual set piece into an exploration of hope and need, healing and love. The Snuna exchange has this story in a 5000 word format, and the original piece in its uncut form appears in the above link. Also,

talesofsnape created many gorgeous banners for stories in the Snuna exchange. Check out the one on this story and the others as well, they're brilliant.

12. Fandom: HP (SS/LL)
Title: The Maggot
Author:

miamadwyn
Link:The Maggot
Rating: PG
Status: Completed
Summary: Luna creates a new Charm. Working on it for several years post VW II, she now has the ability to draw life from the Hogwarts portraits. Her aim was to bring back Dumbledore, but an unconfirmed sighting of an Aquivirius Maggot sees her aim instead for an old quidditch portrait of the victorious Slytherin team circa 1977, and one Severus Snape in particular.
Why I fangirl this: Another favorite from the recent Snuna exchange, this story is filled with new magic and a gorgeously woven metaphor that works on so many levels. I love it for the gorgeous writing, for the acute observations of her Snape and the ways in which Luna's heart and voice draw him back to the world and to her.

13. Fandom: HP (SS/LL)
Title: Blubbering Hummingbirds
Author:

eeyore9990
Link: Blubbering Hummingbirds
Rating: PG-13
Status: Completed
Summary: Hermione is getting married to Lucius. Severus is best man, Luna is maid of honour. As they ensure Hermione and Lucius make it to the wedding unscathed, Luna charms Severus with her slightly odd outlook on life.  
Why I fangirl this: This story had me laughing so hard that my kids (again) swarmed. I haven't learned my lesson yet, oh, no I have not. Featuring a Hermione/Lucius wedding, a Luna inexplicably obsessed with Goblin orgies, and a Snape who gradually comes to appreciate Luna's unique take on the world, and fascination with him, this story is a delight. All the relationships are engaging and fun, and the funny insights are such a treat.