Fest-recs :) (long overdue...)

Yay, so am done with all the fests I had signed up for in December *breathes easy* I haven't read everything from the fests yet, since I'm choosy and somewhat ADD, but here is a little list of things I read that blew me away :) Am kind of sleepy so I'm pretty much almost copy/pasting my reviewish/squealing comments. (Mmm, doing this makes me want to reread)

From hd_worldcup:
I did art for the first time in a non-cracky way for this fest.
There is TONS of great art in this fest too. Loved loved loved lillithium's piece as well as oldenuf2nb's. Both are gorgeous and so is the work by sherant and aluinnsearlait.

1. On One's Knees by pir8fancier
Where Draco has arthritis in his knees and Harry takes care of him :) Draco is wonderful in this story. His inner monologue is awesome, and fills me with Draco!love. This story has great little vignettes and moments between Harry and Draco, and everything fits together so perfectly. This has Draco writing Agony Aunt Letters, a everything-is-going-to-be-okay-hopefully type of ambience, and possibly the greatest description of a blowjob ever.

2. The Arc of the Pendulum by brummell
Where Draco and Harry are Beauty and the Beast. I've never read anything by Brummell before, but man. I have not read a fic like this in a long time...the type that really tugs at me and makes me cry in the end so i can't even read anymore. It's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST!!! It just works out so well. The story-telling is amazing, and the characterization is amazing, from details about Harry's handwriting to Draco's (mildly temperamental) flouncing. It's very reflexive of the movie without being obvious.

3. Wheels of Fire by captain_tulip
Where Harry tries to write an autobiography, but lo!...he sucks at writing, so Draco writes it for him. Very fun to read; it made me laugh and feel at the same time. I ached for Draco's situation in this and ached at the social ineptness of both Harry and Draco. Very amusing monologues by Draco...where he even wears a fake scar to awaken his inner Potter. The dialogue is awesome in this as well.

4. Homecoming by novembersnow
A fic set at Hogwarts where Draco is a professor and Harry comes to teach! A very loveable-H/D-classic type of story, like a lot of things Novembersnow writes. The budding relationship is great, and there's a sly analogy with Draco's potions brewing. Albus Severus and Scorpius are lovely in this as well, and its just a very cute, wonderful story. The quintessential post-DH H/D story. With steamy sex.

5. Blind Leading the Blind by nqdonne
Where Harry's paranoid someone is writing about him in a gossip journal, and ends up in a self-fulfilling prophecy :) A very amusing story as Harry bumbles along slowly realizing what he wants. Again, another story with a great set up that leaves me curious to see how they get together to stay together in the end.

6. Still Life in Wood and Parchment by scrtkpr
Where everything is in letter form and what is not to love about that? Man, like all things she writes, this story is magnificent!!!! The letters go back and forth from past day-H/D to present day Albus Severus and Scorpius. Its creative and daring and provides detail while still letting the reader imagine things. There's so much emotion in these letters, and they piece together so well.


From hd_inspired
I wrote The Swan Potter and drew a little chibi!doodle for the comm :)

realitiedout wrote Tuum Est for me, and its absolutely delightful!! It features the things i love best like jealous!harry, auror missions, and perfect first kisses :)

1. Crup-tion of the Not-So Innocent by calanthe_fics
Where Harry is a gay!crup who finds his calling in life to be Draco Malfoy's arse :D Such an amusing and sweet read. The writing style and sense of humor are spot on. Harry is wonderful in a silly-boy-hero way and Draco deserves tons of love. The best is when Harry thinks himself to be a dachsund and tries to tell himself he's not that gay. Harry also mentally calls Draco a doggy-diddler, and thus his internal monologue just gets all the more amusing. this is the first story in a long time that had me laugh out loud. At work.

2. He was He and I was Bunny by bryoneybrynn
Where Harry is a deceiving cuddle-whore of a bunny. The writing is great in this, and everything is set up wonderfully...why Harry became an Animagus, why he began being around Draco, why he fell in love with Draco...and his plan to approach Draco in 'human' form was clever too. It's all very smart.I loved the little details about everyone that is exposed through dialogue or just the narration. You can see a lot of Draco's personality come through in the dialogue, his humor, snark, and his wit. Blaise's role is great in this.

3. Ain't No Friend of Mine by lettered
Where Draco is a very pretty dog with a great internal monologue (I do love a good internal monologue! :) As a story and as a character study, this story is great. I loved how it was framed in draco's mind with all of his doggy thoughts. I loved how I got to know Harry just through his dialogue with doggy!draco. The story was also humorous, particularly when Draco is thinking about Harry stating the obvious and thinking about the Lovebottoms, but also heart lurching and also just wonderfully interesting about people and the way they are.


For hds_beltane I didn't read much, because it was still during WC. I do enjoy the art that ran_mouri drew for me. It's Romeo and Juliet based and its pretty adorable :)

I did submit a portrait!snape as voyeur story for romaine24. I must say that in the exchanges hds_beltane and hd_inspired, the mods were wonderful in their personal involvement and care with the entries, which made it really fun to participate in. I loved doing hd_holidays too for the same reason.

From Big Bang Baby Round 3
Have only read two out of the seven, but loved the two I read.
(And OMG, I still can't get over the art done for my fic. Guh. So pretty.)

1. Boys Don't Cry by furiosity and pixies
I already gushed about this here. It's SO, SO, SO, good.

2. Reparo by amalin</b>
God, her writing is just beautiful. She has a talent of piecing words and sentences together in such a wonderful way, and can say and describe things to make reading the story feel almost melodic. There are sentences that just took my breath away, such as when she describes Harry's kisses as tasting of spit and sleep or how spring makes the "world filled with the acrid mineral smell of the season, thawing mud and the peeled, raw blue sky."

I particularly loved the way she wrote all the characters, and it felt like a real continuation of canon. I also loved the very realistic disintegration of harry and ginny's romance and the progression of harry and draco's romance. nothing about this story was sudden at all, and it used such subtle moments that let you really see into the character's lives.

One of the best things is how Harry and Draco started getting along, and how they went and got drunk together (but they didn't hook up when they were drunk which is so refreshing and awesome, but they began getting along more...yay for social lubrication). the story is little vignettes out of people's lives...and how each of these little moments are healing to these characters. The dialogue and exchanges between all the characters, even Harry and Ginny are spot-on as well.

It's a great story that has sexual moments (mm), but is ultimately about how Harry and Draco get together. And the pacing is just right.

eta: Oops, I also forgot to mention femmequixotic's Take a Sad Song (and Make it Better) which is about the divorce process between Harry and Ginny and is so, so perfectly post-DH epilogue. Whereas Harry cheats and Ginny files for divorce and it turns into a long custody settlement...guess whose in charge of the decision?