rest well, and dream of large women

I am almost done with my romp through the entire skyehawke.com Harry Potter archive, and it has led me to some great (and not so great!) fic, on that site as well as elsewhere. Below are more recommendations, in order by pairing except for the author rec at the end. Hope you enjoy them--if you read one and like it, do let me know. All links open in a new window.

The Soul Adores, by Maeglin Yedi, 41,003 words, Harry/Tom, Harry/Severus. This is an intriguing look at what happens when Harry connects with the Tom in the Horcrux locket, much like the way Ginny connected with the Tom in the diary. Only worse. Obsession, sex and danger mix in this fairly dark story about how we don't like to let go of things (or people), even when we know they're bad for us.

Scratch by Aucta Sinistra, 85,397 words, Harry/Snape (epilogue to Scratch also available). Special tutoring over the summer turns out to be rather lusty, and gets everyone in trouble. Fun, sexy read, co-starring a very cute stray cat.

Quid Pro Quo also by Aucta Sinistra (who actually has quite a few stories at skyehawke and you should probably read them all), 27,944 words, Harry/Snape. Harry is cursed and comes to Snape for the cure. Lots of unresolved sexual tension, wheeee!

Conduits of Sorcery by penumbra, 73,198 words, Harry/Snape post-War. Harry returns to Hogwarts as the Ministry of Magic's representative overseeing the Triwazard Tournament. Snape is...civil at least, but when they end up having to work together to figure how who is trying to cause trouble at the tournament, a real friendship develops and then something more.

Dark Chocolate and its sequel White Chocolate, by Dianann, 45,507 and 87,456 words respectively, Harry/Snape. I hesitate to recommend these two stories because they are, for lack of a better word, a bit overwrought. However, I think that the plot is interesting enough, particularly in the second story, to override that concern. Basically, in the first story Harry, who broke Voldemort's neck at the end of 6th year, is duped--you'll know it's coming in the first chapter anyway, so it's not really a spoiler. In the second story, he comes back to his old life, reluctantly, to face Voldemort yet again. There is a good deal of over the top emotion in both fics, but especially in White Chocolate there is also some terrific plot action, as well as redemption for all regarding what happened in the first fic. It's not an entirely believable or true to character set of fics, but enjoyable nonetheless.

On One's Knees by pir8fancier, 34,145 words, Harry/Draco post-War. Draco is out of Azkaban but in bad shape, Harry is in training as a healer at St. Mungos. Their paths cross and Harry ends up taking Draco in. The aftermath of war is not pretty, but sometimes one person's compassion can make all the difference. A wonderful, angry love story.

Hit the Floor by lilysunshine, 30,778 words, Harry/Draco. The Order decides that Harry needs to learn Dark Magic. The two logical choices to train him? Snape and Draco. To avoid Voldemort's interference or knowledge of this activity, the three go to America, where they stay in complete isolation for months. It's intense, and Draco and Harry reach...new understandings. Ron's a little histronic in this fic, which is the only sour note, but he's not around much so don't let that worry you.

The Secret's In the Telling by Sakuri, 149,111 words, Harry/Draco. Draco is bit by Lupin and becomes a werewolf...interesting twist? Harry turns out to be his mate. It's a good story with lots of plot and action, made even better by a particularly excellent characterization of Hermione.

The Corresponding Emotion by calliope, 22,750 words, Harry/Ron, Ron/Draco. Harry and Ron are together, then suddenly they're not. Ron travels to America to try and get him back, and instead finds himself falling for, of all people, Draco Malfoy. A bit silly, but still a very sweet read, with a side plot of intrigue in which Malfoy may or may not be up to no good.

Needfire by areola and melisande88, 192,423 words (it's a long one!) and het, Hermione/Snape. Although don't let that deter you if you're a slash lover, it's an intricate and emotional story. Snape is a druid who wants to cleanse his soul, Hermione discovers him performing an ancient ritual and wants to learn what's what. Turns out she's a little broken and could use some soul cleansing herself. Snape takes her on as his apprentice in secret, and things spiral out of control from there. One positive thing--they hatch a plot to protect Hogwarts from Voldemort. POSSIBLE CHILD ABUSE TRIGGERS. Please avoid if that is not good for you.

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Author Rec: sam_storyteller

There are several epic-length HP stories, a bunch of shorter ones, as well as a smattering of Torchwood, Dr. Who, and other fandom fics to be found at this livejournal. I highly recommend Amid My Solitude, a fantastic Remus/Tonks fic, and Three Galleons, a crazy but believable Snape/Hermione/Remus. Cartographer's Craft is very clever story in which 16-yr-old Sirius pops out of the Marauder's Map at the beginning of the 7th year era, participates in the Horcrux hunt, and becomes the love of Harry's life. It's really long and satisfying, and I particularly enjoyed how all the characters overlayed their experiences with 'older' Sirius before he died onto their interactions with 'young' Sirius. Finally, even though it is unfinished, I suggest reading the entire Stealing Harry AU series, which changes Rowling's course of events because Sirius and Remus take Harry away from the Dursley's at age 8. It was clearly intended to be a 7-book series, yet the author only completed through year two; with year three still a WIP since mid-2007. But it's still a great read.