LGBT Fest has been posting for a little while now and, frankly, each one of the Harry Potter fics so far has been worth reading. You could find them all at the Harry Potter Tag.

I particularly enjoyed:

Correspondence by loneraven. Growing up is hard to do.This is a lovely, gentle piece told entirely in letters between an OC (Robin) and Hermione. Robin is a transgender kid who Hermione approached about championing transgender rights. Robin gently puts Hermione in her place and a lovely friendship develops.

Communion by celandineb. Draco decides to tell Harry the truth about the past before anything can happen between them. A sweet and tender look at some of the challenges of growing up different, well-meaning people's blunders, and taking at chance. This is pretty introspective and quite lovely.

And then there's mine, which I shall repost here at a later date, Live Every Day. The pairings are: Alice/Dorcas, Alice/Frank, Alice/Lily, Remus/Sirius, Lily/James; 4,900 words; Rated R.

I had intended to write a light-hearted piece about Rose Weasley and out came this. Not my usual fluffy romance. :/ This is an Alice-centric piece set from when she is about fourteen and her mother drops her off for school, until early 1981. Alice is the child of a Seer who worked as a carnival fortune-teller, and she spent her childhood traveling with the carnival. Life at Hogwarts and in stable wizarding society is an adjustment in many ways, and then there is the war. There is angst, infidelity, friendship, exploring identity--political allegiances, bisexuality, love, family--and making peace with all of the above.

YAY! springtime_gen has started posting. I'll admit I have not had time to read a story yet, but I will soon.

But...my gift was already posted!! And it is beyond wonderful. It is a comic featuring a squishable MWPP. It is beautifully colored and sweet and funny. Go check it out and leave the artist some love. Go!

Spring Fever

This was my effort for 2008's remix, and yes, I am just getting around to reposting it.

Title: Movement of Ellipses (Stillness and Constellations Remix)
Author: mindabbles
Summary: Andromeda and Sirius both had their reasons for leaving home, and they each had their ways of trying to find their own place in the world.
Pairings: Andromeda/Ted, Remus/Sirius
Rating: R
Words: 9,700
Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me and I make no money from this.
Original story: Stillness and Constellations by avendya
Notes: Thanks to a_merry_chase, elizassecret, and such_heights for their fantastic beta work. Thank you to avendya for her stories. The characterisation of Sirius, and of Remus and Sirius’ relationship, were based upon some of avendya's other writing. It has a backwards timeline. To the mods of remixredux08 thank you so much for taking on this incredible task and giving us this wonderful fest.

This was originally posted HERE

( what we call the beginning is often the end )

hp_springsmut only has one more day until the reveals! If you have any time, get over there and do some reading while they are still anon. I went back and scoured some of the earlier ones I had missed and found, among others, this:

Starry in the time of our darkness
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Neville/Fleur
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Following the deaths of their loved ones, intrigue and the ghosts of the past bring Neville and Fleur together.
Warnings: Character death (before the story starts).
Word Count: 9,000
Author's Notes: This is epilogue-compliant, but interview canon is largely ignored. The title is from 'For the Fallen' by Laurence Binyon; a verse of this poem is quoted in the story.

There are so many interesting, creative plots at this fest, and this is one of them. There is a completely unique mystery. I don't want to say too much because half the enjoyment of reading it was the constant, "what the hell happened?" in my head. The 9,000 words move along quickly. The grown up, mature Neville and Fleur characterizations are wonderful. The developing romance is lovely and believable. Read it, go on! I don't forget to leave the author some feedback.

my past recs were Here and Here.

And, if anyone who doesn't already know has a guess as to which one I wrote, I love to hear it!

hp_springsmut is still going strong. There's every rare pair you can imagine, and some you can't! There are some really wonderful stories and art there—stories of just over 1,000 words to 31,000 words. There m/m slash, femslash, and het. In short, there should be something for everyone!

I have not read nearly everything. I just can't keep up. But it is lots of fun to scan the community and just try something you'd never think to try. Give something new a shot. Read a couple of sections or the first couple of thousand words and see. If you care enough to finish it, leave the writer or artist a comment.

Here's one:

Hunter and Game
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Snape/Fleur
Summary: Severus Snape used to think that he was the only spy capable of working against the Dark Lord. He was wrong.
Warnings: Implied infidelity (re: Bill/Fleur), although that isn't the focus of the story. DH-compliant. I assume that Fleur was 17, and thus of age, in GoF.
Word Count: 12,800

The author notes that the request called for this pairing to be, "taken seriously." Here is another marvelous rare pair that I would never had imagined, but the author totally made it work. The story is canon-compliant and is a Fleur you've never imagined. Well, maybe you have, but I hadn't. It is written in a backwards timeline, spanning a few years. The structure made it feel mysterious and urgent—I was anxious to find out how it started and watch the story work its way back. There was lovely writing and many moments that made my heart clench. I didn't mean to read this one when I looked at it (it was past my bedtime), but I couldn't stop reading it. Go on, give it a try!


And here's my gift:

The Ward
Title: The Ward
Rating: Hard R
Pairing(s): Harry/Charlie
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Harry is going blind. Ron and Hermione need to find the Grangers. They ask Charlie to stay with Harry while they're gone.
Warnings: *Suggestion of Character Death*
Word Count: ~9,000

It is a very creative take on Harry's life and is well-written. There is a romantic, dreamy sex scene and a lovely Charlie. This is a set up for the pairing and a plot I would never have imagined. So, so creative. I'll add to the warnings, religious/Christian themes that might not be everyone's cuppa.

There's also a Hermione/Gabrielle with a really creative plot, a Neville/Teddy with a fabulous Neville, and many, many others. There's just about a week left in the fest, so peruse while they're still anon!

So hp_springsmut is in full swing. After just over a week of posting, there are many gems. I haven't read everything and I'd love to hear what some of you all think. Here are a few I've enjoyed so far:

I Got Life, Brother
Dean/Seamus; rated R; Seventh Year at Hogwarts was not what Seamus expected: Snape in charge, Death Eaters teaching classes, and Dean missing. How can he find his way when he's feeling so very lost?; about 2,000 words.

A really lovely friendship story featuring wonderful a Seamus, a loveable Dean and fabulous cameos from Ginny, Luna, and Neville.

Stakeout
Harry/Teddy, with various others mentioned and a voyeuristic Albus Severus; rated NC-17; It's funny what a bloke can find out if he just keeps his eyes open. Funny, and disturbingly hot, too.; 4,372 words.

Funny and disturbingly hot about says it all! This is fast paced and very tight. Albus is hilarious and quite wrong, in a good way. This story is really well put together and I loved the lack of sentimentality in Albus. (See, if I had written this--well, the bit about the Serious Talk about the Relationship? That's probably what I would have written. You'll see. Made me laugh at myself.)

Alone
Crabbe/Goyle (that's right); rated hard R; Greg has always been alone until Vince is there. The Room of Requirement changes this.; 2,255 words.

Yes, Crabbe and Goyle—as three dimensional characters. This was listed as dark!fic. I would absolutely say it is angsty, but not too dark for me. It is beautifully written and actually makes you feel for Gregory Goyle.

I'll try and give some of the longer ones my attention and have a post of those soon. In the meantime, take a look at these and if you enjoy, leave the writer a quick, "I enjoyed this."

Back to writing springtime_gen!

Title: Anticipation
Rating: R
Summary: Playing with Mandrakes would have been more comfortable than seeing Sirius for the first time since that thing on the train and having to pretend that nothing had changed.
Prompt: "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." -Oscar Wilde
Genre(s): Romance/fluff
Notes: Thanks to my fabulous beta, elizassecret. MWPP, Lily, and the Hogwarts Express all belong to JKR. Thanks to those who organized rs_games. This was a pinch hit I did for round one for team MWPP—finally getting around to posting it here.

( Remus' head bumped against the window with each sway and rock of the train. )

Hello? Is this thing on?

So, for those of you who were once following this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your lovely comments. And I apologize for failing so at timely updates. But, IT IS FINISHED! I hope you enjoy.

Title: Of Silver Light and Shadows, Part 12 of 12
Author: mindabbles
Characters/Pairings: Remus/Sirius, James/Lily, Peter, assorted Order members.
Rating: PG-13 for this part. The series ranges PG to NC-17
Summary: Life just after Hogwarts, life in the Order, is an adjustment. Herein, there's some romance, some angst of the war-time-growing-up kind, some humour, some absurd miscommunication, some adventure, and a little smut.
Notes: This is a series that was started at nest_of_spiders in August of 2007 (oh yes, that long ago!). It takes place over 17 days in August of 1979. Thank you so much to elizassecret for her beta work on every single part, and to elsane, gryffindor_j, and sambethe for beta help on story line and other sections.

Part 1: Remus waits, Sirius makes things up, and James and Lily both try to make the best of a bad situation.
Part 2: James contemplates, Peter makes the bacon, we doubt Dumbledore’s judgment, and Sirius has a run-in of the bucolic sort and Remus is his hero.
Part 3: Peter and James hear more than they care to, Sirius takes a leap and Remus is an idiot, Lily hears just enough, and Peter and Remus have an awkward conversation.
Part 4: The Marauders hunt for clues and miss the mark, Sirius is in a bad mood, and Lily says good-bye to her childhood.
Part 5: Regulus is a fool, Sirius keeps his head, Lily and the Marauders avert a brawl, and Remus gets his chance to explain.
Part 6: Lily loses her cool, James is afraid of his own shadow, Peter is down for the count, Sirius and Remus discuss the finer points of cowboy films, and the Order arrives just in time.
Part 7: Peter will make it, thanks to Madam Pomfrey's expert care, Gideon and Fabian are suspicious, Sirius has had enough, and Remus really does want to.
Part 8: Peter re-evaluates, James hesitates, Lily plans, Sirius has a new purchase.
Part 9: Sirius makes good on his promise to abduct Remus. Remus has a surprise or two of his own.
Part 10: Remus can't let sleeping dogs lie, Lily puts James out of his misery, and Peter goes home in a huff.
Part 11: Sirius is smitten and James is immature, Lily speaks her mind, Remus finds his parents know more than he thinks, and Peter is in a panic.

( Part 12: Remus crosses a line, James stops him, Peter and Lily have epiphanies of different sorts, and in the very end, Sirius gets what he wanted all along. )

Is anyone around tomorrow or the next day who'd be willing to give a fic a read through? It will already have had one beta, but it is long, so I'd love another pair of eyes. Can't say much, you know, anonymous fest. But it is looooonnnng and plotty and porny. Oh, and it's already late. :)

SO, you know that fic and art challenge you've been waiting for, the one that has left a hole in your fandom experience, and perhaps you didn't even know it until now??

Well, it's finally here!

In about seven hours, I have to yank the kid out of bed and get to the airport. The good news is that he is terribly cute when he is all sleepy and excited about a trip. We are going to be spending until next Friday with my mum and step dad on the east coast. Brrr. Thank goodness I still have a wool coat and it still fits me. The kid has never seen snow falling, so I am hoping for that.

I, as usual, am setting unacheivable goals for this trip. It is a vacation in that I will not be working. However, I will likely not have any time for myself or take part in any activities not geared toward spoiling the kid. See, much like daily life except for the work part and even less time for myself after the kid goes to bed.

Despite all that, I hope to: 1) get springsmut mostly written; 2) read the novel that I will post the discussion for at om nom nom books; 3) finish the last chapter of Of Silver Light and Shadows -- anyone remember that series I am doing? Well the last chapter has been beta'd once and I am going to make some changes and have it finished in the next week-ish. Now that I think of it, if I think it needs another look, is there anyone who was reading it and still remembers it who would be willing to review the last chapter?

I have no idea if I will have internet access more than once or twice, so cheers until next week!

Have you read this??

By snegurochka_lee for smutty_claus

Three Men Who (Probably) Never Shagged Hermione Granger rated NC-17

This is so much fun. It is Charlie/Hermione, Oliver/Hermione, Cedric/Hermione—and you figure out which ones are imagined and which happened! There is some wonderful banter between a foul-mouthed Charlie, a foul-mouthed Oliver, and a proper Cedric. It is Hermione and Ron's wedding reception and some of the guests cannot stop thinking about their fantasies (about the Hermione, not the Ron). Anyway, it is a quick read and is totally sexy and charming, with just a touch of melancholy at the end. I loved this Charlie, so you get the Charlie icon.

And how about this?

By shes_gone for hp_yule_balls

59 Days rated NC-17

This is an adorable, totally sexy-sweet Harry/Ron—yes, you read the pairing I am rec'ing right. They are awkward and obtuse and both totally in awe of the fact that this is happening. There are some just lovely exchanges and some really nicely done sex scenes.

Go ahead and take a look, and don't forget to leave the authors some feedback.

(  Other Realms: Part Two )

This was my contribution to hp_yule_balls. What a fun fest. The mods did a great job. There are still many things there I want to read and I do mean to do some recs at some point. I also want to thank those who read this and left such lovely comments at the fest and snegurochka_lee for the delightful rec.

This is the smuttiest thing I have ever written. I seem to say that every time I post porn. It has thus far always been true, but I suppose I will have to top out at some point. :D la_dissonance listed many pairings and a host of fun likes and prompts. I was feeling insane apparently and tried to incorporate almost all of them. So, I wrote three pairings I have never written before and some other things I have never written before.

The premise is that some mischievous deities, one in particular who is bored, decide to muck about with the mortals a bit. They are well meaning and give some folks a nudge toward something they really want. I tried to make the interfering dieities three-dimensional and you get to see a little of their characters. Also, each mortal couple has their own way and reason for coming together and I tried to make both the emotional connections and the actual sex unique to each couple's story. If you decide to give four rarepairs and a combination of f/f and m/m slash a try—I hope you enjoy!

Originally posted HERE

Author: mindabbles
Recipient: la_dissonance
Title: Other Realms
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): James Potter/Sirius Black, Minerva McGonagall/Pomona Sprout, Madam Rosmerta/Dorcas Meadowes, Severus Snape/Regulus Black
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended. All characters engaging in sexual activity are 16 years or older.
Summary: Sometimes a little help is all you need to find the reason to go after what you really want.
Warnings: All manner of sex—m/m and f/f, including some light bondage.
Word Count: ~11,000
Author's Notes: This is for la_dissonance who suggested so many intriguing pairings and situations that I couldn't pick just one. So, we have a bit of teasing, bondage, and orgasm withholding and also some lovemaking and fluffy, sleepy sex. I suppose if you squint, very hard, the entire premise is your dubcon kink, although you'll have to squint very hard. The Deities mentioned in the story are: Oenghus, the Scottish/Celtic version of cupid; Cliodna, the goddess of beauty and of other worlds; and Creide, the goddess who watches over women and helpful faeries (depending upon which sources you check, there are other stories associated with these names).

Many thanks to elizassecret and lesyeuxverts, fabulous betas. Also to the mods for their great work on the fest.

Part One

(  No one would have been more surprised than Rosmerta herself to find her propped on the top of a stack of cases of mead... )

As anyone around here has probably seen, rs_small_gifts is a wrap. It was great fun to help moderate it with the lovely and talented magnetic_pole and sambethe. The master list is up and you really should check it out if you haven't—there is much fun to be had.

I ended up writing three things. The first two listed below were supposed to be drabbles—to thank the fabulous pinch hitters. However I am apparently unable to be concise, so they are 2,500 and 1,100 words. The third is my original assignment (also about 2K over the length guideline, sheesh) and is my very first raising Harry AU.

No Denying It for midnitemaraud_r
Sirius searches for something to lift the mid-winter gloom, finding brightness and warmth in some expected and some not so expected places.(Rated PG)

Traditions Past, Traditions Present for rosivan
It is difficult being surrounded by idiots. (Rated PG-13)

Objects Of Sentimental Value, a gift for the rs_small_gifts community
Sirius had never accepted defeat, a quality that was as much as hindrance as a help, but this one time it just might work out for the best in the end. (Rated R)


*

On another note, I haven't managed anything like a year-end post. I feel as if I wrote a lot this year. I know I wrote more different characters and pairings, more femslash, and both more smut and more gen than in the past. Oh, and I wrote longer fics. Perhaps I can manage to post the remaining three fics I have yet to post here, finish Of Silver Light and Shadows, and update the master list. Perhaps.

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2009 has started well for you all. It has for me. This week the kid and I: rode his scooter a lot (and I hit uneven pavement and flew over the handle bars); went hiking/rock scrambling and did not break anything; went ice skating for the first time and neither of us cracked our heads on the ice. Not bad.

Anyone around and available to give a fic a look? It's r/s, rated R, about 5K and has already had a beta, but I'd love for someone to look over the rewrites. Please?? :)

It was a truly horrid day. Really. Truly. Horrid. Yuck.

But then, there was this:

A 'simple' misunderstanding for mindabbles by red_squared
In hindsight, it should have come as no surprise that one of them lost everything, and the other one spent twelve years in prison. (Rated PG)

My gift at rs_small_gifts! There is a conversation that made me laugh out loud and then grin for a while. It is first war and you really feel the first war and the pain and the worry of it. It is also sweet and romantic, but it has a little kick at the end that makes it not too sweet. So, red_squared managed first-war angst, humor, romance, great banter and wonderful characterizations all in one short fic!

Read it, read it! And leave her a comment.

( Here's an excerpt: )

I got fic!! My gift over at hp_yule_balls was posted: Beyond Layers. It is Minerva/Poppy and it is a sweet and slightly bitter slice of life story. It has an AU feel because they are living in the Muggle world, but is not an AU—you'll see. The relationship is established and tender. The sex is lovely and hot. The author rated it R, but I would definitely give it an NC-17. Go read it and leave a comment!!

Happiest of birthdays to snegurochka_lee. I hope it is (was) wonderful and filled with cake and other good things.

This was my first entry for rs_games, finally reposting. The genre was hurt/comfort. I decided to avoid high drama and go for regular old (well maybe not regular old, since it is Sirius) teen angst. I hope you enjoy.

Title: Never Say Anything Right
Team: MWPP
Author: mindabbles
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "So, are you going to tell someone what the matter is, or just keep on like this until you piss off everyone we know, collapse, and end up in St. Mungo's?" Sirius has a very long night.
Wordcount: about 5,000 words
Prompt: Degausser by Brand New. Song and lyrics here.
Genre(s): Hurt/comfort, romance/fluff
Notes: Scene titles are borrowed from Brand New. Remus and Sirius and the rest are borrowed from JKR. Thanks and mounds of cookies to the fabulous elizassecret and midnitemaraud_r

________________________________________

(  Goodbye to sleep )