katajainen

Summary:

Nothing could bring Sirius back to him, he knew that, he knew—in a way, he knew his Sirius had never returned from Azkaban in the first place. His Sirius had died in that explosion 15 years ago, just as surely as if he’d been one of the dozen or so Muggles that Pettigrew had found so disposable. But somehow, Tonks had become such a poignant echo of her cousin that Remus found his eyes turning back to her, finding her, again, and again...

The author calls this story a headcanon turned fic, and it is that, but also so much more. It’s two broken, traumatised people circling the ghost of a third that stands between them but also pulls them towards one another. It’s a story of loss, survivor’s guilt, and finding (questionable) comfort in stand-ins and replacements.

...yet it’s not altogether grim. For there is a spark of hope -- and if it’s shaped like defiance and spite and snarling at fate, then so be it. Because this version of the whole affair -- I’m not calling it ‘romance’, not yet -- reads so much more true to the characters and their unique bodily circumstances than the canon ever could. (Or: the original smacks of shoehorned comphet; this version made me ship it.)

Also, It’s so queer AO3 doesn’t even have a category for it is one of the best tags ever :p

Summary:

James is the natural confidant of both Remus and Sirius. When they both swear him to secrecy on the same topic, James is stuck watching his friends pine for each other without being able to say a word to bring them together. A lesser man might shrink from the challenge of finding a way to break his promise without breaking his promise, but not James Potter!

...and by Devious Plan #43, or thereabouts, James Potter wishes he was a lesser man.

Recommended for ridiculously wilful obliviousness, increasingly convoluted matchmaking attempts, and the resultant ongoing amusement to the reader. Also the ending is very sweet -- in the Marauders style ;)

In eighth year, Harry had a toxic fling with Draco Malfoy. Ten years later, a little girl shows up, begging for Harry's help. Could the two be connected? And did Harry misunderstand what Draco was trying to tell him, the last time they spoke?

Feat. angry 8th year Harry being truly horrible to Draco, Draco writing a lot of letters he never sends Harry, and the most Gryffindor-Slytherin hybrid ten-year-old you've ever seen.

Yes, this is a post-mpreg kidfic, because that’s the way I roll sometimes.

With the disclaimer out of the way, let’s talk about the kid. I want you to imagine the ultimate Malfoy-Potter lovechild, okay? Proud, smart, stubborn, loyal to a fault, and reckless to boot… only crank everything up a notch and you get the titular character.

But not only is Cassie a brilliant little monster, she’s also the force that sets the love story in motion. And what love story it is.

It begins with two broken young men and a tragic, Shakespearean misunderstanding, only to pick up again a decade later when somewhat dramatic circumstances engender a solution of convenience that quickly transforms into something else. There’s a happy ending, of course, but only after a suitable amount of wrong-footedness, pining, and awkward domesticity. Also letters. The best sort of letters. (I mean, like the dialogue, they’re laugh-out-loud funny… until they make you cringe and cry. This fic is part rollercoaster I tell you.)

Oh, and did I mention this is a perfect read-in-one-sitting length for a lazy Saturday-- or any other day, really. Enjoy!

No holiday fics this year, but enjoy some Season of Kink leftovers instead! (Or, a story that didn't get finished in time to be posted in the bingo challenge.)

Prompt: Wall or desk sex.

Summary:

Someone has been leaving actual, honest-to-god butt prints on Harry's desk at work. The joke is getting old, so he's determined to catch the culprit in the act.

The stake-out is an unmitigated success.

cockblock (vulgar, slang)
verb: to impede the romantic or sexual advances of a person (usually a man) towards another

cockblockhead (vulgar, slang)
noun: a person (usually a man) who unintentionally cockblocks themselves
see also entries for: self-sabotage, absolute idiocy, Harry James Potter

witty

Adjective: showing or characterized by quick and inventive verbal humour. See also: prose; dialogue; Draco Malfoy.

hilarious

Adjective: extremely amusing. See also: Blue Jumper, the; false moustache, v. large; UNT mug, the.

frustrating

Adjective: causing annoyance or upset because of an inability to change or achieve something. See also: Harry James Potter; obliviousness; unfortunate sense of timing. Synonyms: delicious.

An effortlessly engaging and enormously entertaining comedy of errors, complete with good intentions, false starts and inopportune interruptions. And, of course, an happy ending in spite of the protagonists' efforts to the contrary.

Life has a way of going full circle. Case in point: Dudley’s children need to be placed in care, preferably with family.

To start with: this one will surprise you. It's a bit of an onion of a story, with layers peeling off one (sad, awful) bit at a time, all the way to the gently hopeful ending.

The heavy subject is handled thoughfully, without undue embellishment or gruesome detail-- which is fitting, since this is mostly a tale of what happened after the fact. Also the perspective of the OC narrator is used to great effect, since the outsider gets to see only glimpses of the whole story, and the reader is left to fill in the blanks. (And personally I appreciate the immersive take on the procedural side of things as well, but that’s probably just me.)

Overall, a very realistic, if occasionally grim little tale of making bad turns into new beginnings. Underappreciated and great food for thought.

Summary:

Sirius is working as an intern at St. Mungo's. One of his first ever cases, a very snarky, very sick, and very attractive patient, tests everything he thought he learned in med school.

The title is a play on Grey's Anatomy, since it's a hospital AU, but the plot's not anything like it.

I was lured in by the premise, stayed for the flawlessly built AU (everyone’s specialties are spot-on!), and fell in love with the witty banter and scintillating chemistry.

Not going to lie; this might break your heart a little, because Remus is quite literally flirting like he might die tomorrow, and Sirius has his own ghosts. So the stakes are high and the tension is palpable-- but you do know what they say about pressure and diamonds? The gems found here are unexpected turns of humour, moments of joy snatched from the crushing grip of harsh reality -- and yes, simple attraction turning into something else when it really, really shouldn’t.

And did I mention all this goodness is packed into less than 15k words of wonderfully clean prose? It really feels like a bigger story, which only goes to show that sometimes great things do come in small packages.

Summary:

Trainees at the Department of Mysteries are kept under an identity-obscuring spell for two years. Harry doesn't even know who it is he's been falling in love with all this time. He's nervous about the Reveal, but really, what's the worst that could happen?

Feat. Damaged Draco Malfoy, damaged Harry Potter, damaged everybody. Also, spies & intrigue!

I was inspired to write this in part by the portrayal of The Department of Mysteries in Alpha_Exodus' 'You, a violent desire' so if you like that aspect of this fic, go check that one out! It's great.

This is a gift for Tepre. Will she like it? I don't know. Let's find out.

For RL reasons like work, I had to read this over the course of several days, and let me tell you, it was pure and utter torture. Because this author is the master of end-of-chapter cliffhangers. Not to mention that the beginning (and the middle bit and the ending) has left me quite emotionally compromised (for top-secret reasons… I'm not giving out spoilers!).

In short, this story is a glowing example of the HP fandom's - and more especially, the drarry subset of it - ability to attract the most skillful writers. It's not just a tale of espionage, or merely a love story, but both - and those two are equally complicated by (magically-induced) secret identities, false accusations and each participant's personal history feat. all the attached baggage.

The espionage part is brilliant, if at times ugly and back-stabbery, the romance bits are complicated and soft by turns (read: fluffy without cringing away from difficult issues), there's this one OC that turned unexpectedly lovable, and the prose is clear, concise and extremely readable. In short, this is an author to follow.

And in the end, love (and friendship, and ruthless pursuit of justice) conquers all. Recommended reading mode: all at once, with minimum suffering caused by the abovementioned cliffhangers.

Summary:

OR: 9 times Draco said ‘I love you’ and 1 time he didn’t.

Draco & Harry are sent to investigate a haunted Bed & Breakfast.

There is very little plot, quite a bit of snark, and a truckload of feels. And the world only almost ends (but they stop it on time). That’s ALL you need to know :)

Summary:

This year, despite his better judgement, Harry’s love life is going off with a bang. Advent fic 2019.

A traditional drarry advent fic from one of my very favourite authors, which, in itself, is a solid quality guarantee.

This particular holiday special is a get-together tale filled to the brim with confused pining and UST, with a plot that twists from humorous to dramatic at a breakneck speed, plus a wonderfully quirky and three-dimensional cast of OCs.

Which, I do realise, sounds like quite a few other Saras_Girl fics, but let me assure you that this one is exactly as original as all the rest. (I don’t know how she does it, but there you have it.) And if that doesn’t convince, I have yet two more baits to tempt you with: magical fireworks - and a chameleon by the name of Minty Kenneth Crump-Potter.

(The reviewer’s recommended accompaniments are a hot drink, a throw blanket and a semi-reclining position. The reviewer also has not had any winter to speak of and is slightly jealous to the characters in this story.)