Status: Completed

Length: Novella

Tags: Slash: m/m, Drama/Angst, Romance, Rare Slash Pairing, SS/MM, Rare Snape Het, Missing Moment, AD/HS, DH/Epilogue Compliant

Story Summary: Horace's relationship with Albus has never been straightforward; he has always been left at once ecstatic, confused and hurt to the bone. As the two friends become reacquainted during one of the wizarding world's most trying years, what, this time, might play out differently? How might memories of times past impact upon the future, and what secrets might come to the surface? Set during 'The Half Blood Prince.'

AlbaLark’s Rec:

The Horace Slughorn of Canon isn’t exactly, if you will pardon the pun, terribly fleshed out.  We know him only as the Head of Slytherin House and Potions master who preceded Severus Snape- a man who has quite a few character flaws (gluttony, hedonism, cowardice, someone who ‘collects’ people he believes can be of use to him later and so he can bask in their reflected glory, an avoider of uncomfortable truths).  In other words, he’s not a terribly admirable person, and he is meant to be someone for whom we feel a mild disgust when he intrudes upon our notice.

But this brilliant fic is guaranteed to change your point of view regarding Slughorn.  It humanizes him in a way JKR failed to do, setting his flaws in context, making them understandable and much less repellant than our original one dimensional view made them seem.

Told from Slughorn’s POV, the story begins just before Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter show up in Budleigh Babberton to induce him to return to Hogwarts.  Slughorn had fallen hard for Dumbledore long ago, who seemed to reciprocate his feelings to a point, only to wound Horace deeply and without seeming to notice that he’d done so.  We see Dumbledore’s manipulations here in an entirely different light than in HBP, and in spite of himself, Slughorn gives in.

As Harry Potter’s 6th year unfolds from Slughorn’s perspective, he falls easily into the old routines, renews old acquaintances, discovers a budding romance between colleagues and tells himself that he can handle being in such close proximity to Dumbledore, - even be friends with him without danger.  But we know as well as he does how impossible that will prove to be.  Dumbledore still has the power to wound him, even without meaning to.

The backstory of their past relationship unfolds in reminisces and flashbacks, and we see how he idealized Dumbledore, how insecure he felt at the disparity in their looks and talent, how unequal the feelings seemed to be.  These ideas haunt him still, making him feel the hopelessness of his longings even as he cannot prevent himself from having them.  Dumbledore won’t allow him to get close, will not allow any acknowledgement of feelings, nor would he in the past, though they were involved physically.

In the wake of one particularly devastating attempt make his feelings known, Slughorn spills his anguished grief to a photograph of Dumbledore.  It is a heartbreaking scene that will ring deeply true to anyone who has fallen for someone they feel is out of their league.  What Dumbledore has to say in the aftermath of this rings true as well, and gives one some keen insight and a bit of sympathy for past behavior one might otherwise find in short supply when it comes to him.  As things move toward the end we know is coming, the author crafts a denouement that is very moving, and a finale that gives us what we and the characters dearly hoped for.

In truth, I almost passed over this amazing story because of the primary pairing - the background helping of Severus and Minerva was the main reason I decided to read it at all.  I am *so* glad I decided to give this a chance.  It is beautifully written, exquisitely well characterized and deeply satisfying.  Don’t miss it!

Length: Short Story

Tags: Slash: m/m, Drama/Angst, SS/RL, Tragedy, Pre-HBP

Story Summary: Lupin discovers the skeleton in Snape's closet.

AlbaLark’s Rec:

The Diary was written prior to OotP, and is therefore no longer ‘canonical’, but is still well worth reading.  Severus goes to meet a spy for a report, and discovers from an injured Remus Lupin (his contact), that security has been breached and Voldemort has a spy in residence at Hogwarts.  Snape rescues Lupin, and hides him in his rooms at the castle while they try to find out the identity of the Dark Lord’s informant.

This is the frame for the real meat of the story (the identity of the spy turns out to be rather anti-climactic):  while trying to find something to amuse himself while in hiding, he comes across an ancient diary and a portrait of Snape’s maternal grandmother.  These two items lead to the uncovering of Severus’s tragic family history (remember that this was written at a time when we assumed that the Head of Slytherin was a pureblood and born to privilege, rather than a half-blood born into poverty and neglect).  What he learns gives Remus new insight into Severus’s character and what made him the man he is, and this endows him with the courage to take a chance on a new beginning for the two of them.

Both men are very in-character here, the dialog is nicely done, and the revelations shocking and very sad.  All in all, a well told tale, and one of the classics of the ship.

Status: Completed

Length: Novella

Tags: Slash: m/m, HP/SS, Drama/Angst, Humour/Parody, SS/RL, Alternate Universe, Pre-HBP

Story Summary: "Moony, you alright? I heard you groaning and--CHRIST! Shit, Moony, sorry, I didn't rea--wait...is that SNAPE?!"

AlbaLark’s Rec:

Recovery Position is an AU fic which ignores everything after Goblet of Fire.  In this world, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape all survive into a post-war furture in which Hogwarts is a devastated mess, with Dumbledore crushed beneath the wreakage and 18 year old Harry Potter’s fate uncertain, but he is assumed to be dead.

Severus himself narrates the story.  His voice is hauntingly true - funny and pain-wracked at the same time.  You can’t help but hurt for what he’s saying at the same time you laugh out loud at the way he’s saying it.  He’s gotten himself addicted to muggle morphine to deal with the grief of losing Hogwarts, Dumbledore and Harry Potter, whom he loves unrequitedly, now forever - or so it seems.

Remus Lupin, who has much experience in the muggle world, recognizes Severus’s addiction and detoxifies him with quiet devotion, just in time for Harry to reappear.

Severus fights his craving for the morphine, his past attraction to Harry, his growing, unwilling, attraction to Remus, and discovers that his feelings are not so unrequited after all.  The triangle is drawn with such precision and feeling, and every character is so true to our understanding, that you ache for all parties as Severus contemplates his choices.

The sex in this fic is extremely well written - hot and emotionally intense, starting out as a not-quite-casual shag that, as the relationship continues, evolves into full-bore lovemaking.  The warm, hopeful ending is a just-right conclusion to this marvelous fic.

A technical note: This story is archived at the Lupin-Snape Community site on LiveJournal in several separate posts which are not linked.  Each post has to be accessed individually.  You will need to click the forward button to find the next post, and they are not all one after another.  Posts 1/2 through post 7 are sequential; there are 2 clicks forward to post 8; there are 4 clicks forward between post 9 and 10, then another 2 forward to post 11; post 12, the final post, follows next with one click.  Yes, it’s aggravating, but definitely worth it!

Status: Completed

Length: Novella

Tags: Drama/Angst, SS/RL, Post-DH, MWPP

Story Summary: There are many reasons to lie, and Remus Lupin is familiar with all of them.

AlbaLark’s Rec:

The primary character in this powerful fic is Remus Lupin, and this is not your usual ‘fanon’, idealized Remus.  Those sympathetic to his character don’t usually see him as a liar, or, if they do, they see it as something forced on him, not as a personality flaw.

This story takes a different approach and shows us a person who, from his first discovery that lies can wound, nevertheless finds them disconcertingly easy to tell.  The early lies are necessary ones, the ones which allow him to conceal his lycanthropy.  But even these are treated as a game - a tactic which backfires spectacularly.

Since we see everything from his POV, Remus’s motivations are easy to understand, even if the choices he makes are wrong.  In spite of this, he remains a sympathetic character.  The author lets us in on the roiling sense of betrayal, his fears and guilt, and the pain which leads him to try to communicate what he feels to those who are supposed to be his friends.  When they act predictably and distance themselves further, the alienation which lead to Pettigrew being chosen Secret Keeper makes perfect sense.

No one is an ideal in this story, and everyone is seen to be caught in their own webs of deceit.  As the years pass, and Severus Snape begins to assume a larger role in Remus’s life, we discover that he - perhaps better than anyone - understands Remus quite well.  Severus, it seems, has secrets and lies of his own.  We know what these are, of course, but Remus does not.  The one time they come together as lovers, Severus allows himself to openly display (for reasons which are clear to us but not to Lupin) feelings he’s kept hidden for a long time.  He asks Remus to lie to him, and when ugly reality intrudes to end their idyll, Remus is no longer certain himself who was doing the lying.  It’s a heart-breaking scene, a kalidoscope of pain and betrayal, perfectly done.

As the final battle shocks him into self-clarity, he finds all the truth he needs in the man he instinctively saves from death in the Shrieking Shack.  The aftermath of that epiphany, and the place where the author leaves us, feels just right.

Status: Completed

Length: Novella

Tags: Slash: m/m, Drama/Angst, Romance, SS/RL, Action/Adventure, Mystery/Suspense, Post-DH

Story Summary: The war is finally over and, to his surprise, Remus Lupin has survived, though questions about just what happened to him during the final battle haunt his dreams and his waking hours in equal measure. When he realizes that Severus Snape is also still alive, Remus knows he can’t rest until he finds him. Something deep within him whispers that Severus holds the answers he needs, and only when he’s face to face with him again will he be able to understand the true reason for his survival and find what’s been missing from his life for far too long.

AlbaLark’s Rec:

This lovely, angsty little romance begins with the happy fact that Severus Snape is alive and free after the close of the final battle.  So, why isn’t he halfway across Europe by now?  Having heard that Remus Lupin lays under a spell mimicking death, he knows that he alone holds the key to reviving the werewolf.  So, despite the danger, he cannot walk away.  He lifts the curse, only to discover that doing so brings him none of the things he’d hoped for.  In the wake of his disappointment, he disappears to start his life anew, and alone.

Remus Lupin, as he slowly tries to put his life back and memories back together after his health returns, knows that Snape has something to do with the fact that he recovered from the spell, and thus, must be alive too.  So Remus sets out to uncover where he has gone and how and why Severus did what he did. And when the two men finally hash out what tore them apart, the result is as pleasing as one could hope for.

So, the plot combines elements of mystery, suspense, action/adventure and hurt/comfort (in other words, your classic Snape/Lupin romance) as it turns out that Severus’s plans hadn’t covered every contingency.  Very good characterizations, an engaging story, a dashing rescue, and well-written dialogue make the 11 chapters an absorbing read, and the illustrations (from many different artists) which accompany most chapters are a welcome cherry on top.

Status: Completed

Length: Novella

Tags: Slash: m/m, Drama/Angst, SS/RL, Mystery/Suspense, Snape Slash Multiple, Alternate Universe, SS/RB

Story Summary: After Regulus died, Severus began receiving letters from a mysterious "friend" at random intervals. Oddly enough, he also began running into Remus Lupin at similarly random intervals. As the world falls to pieces around them, can Severus trust words on parchment, or a werewolf's motives?

AlbaLark’s Rec:

This story sucks you right in from the beginning, as we sit on the Hogwarts Express with Regulus Black at the end of his 5th year, lusting after Severus Snape.

After that hot beginning, the story moves quickly into the period of the First War, still from Regulus’s POV, pondering his disillusionment with the Dark Lord as he watches Severus sleep.  He makes up his mind about what he must do, and then Severus is left alone to pick up the pieces.

As Severus and Sirius nearly come to blows at Regulus’s funeral, Lily and Remus comfort the grief-stricken Severus, and afterward, Remus takes Severus to the corner pub for a drink.  What starts as comfort ends as something more, and thus begins the rollercoaster relationship the two will have for the next 18 years.

The characterizations here are spot on, and the situations doubly so, as they fit right into canon and expand on it in ways which mesh seamlessly with what we know.

Time passes into the period between wars, and mysterious letters begin coming to Severus, often just after an encounter with Lupin, and we follow Severus’s life, framed by this correspondence and what he believes it means.  The events leading to the Second War and its aftermath are shown deftly, and the survival of both Snape and Lupin seems as natural as if that’s what ‘really’ happened.  When things take an unexpected turn at the end, the adroitly handled hopeful ending wisely leaves the future up to our imaginations.

Status: Completed

Length: Short Story

Tags: Slash: f/f, Drama/Angst, Romance, Rare Femmeslash Pairing, Minervacentric, MM/RH

Story Summary: A young Minerva McGonagall takes flight.

Kelly Chambliss’s rec –

What if, during the Grindelwald War, children from the wizarding world had been evacuated to the country the way Muggle children were?  Such is the intriguing premise of this story, which is how Head Girl Minerva McGonagall finds herself asked to look out for two Squib girls evacuated to Hogwarts:  Rolanda Hooch and Myrtle.  Narrated in the voice of an older McGonagall, the story examines not only the moving tale of Minerva’s growing relationship with Hooch and her unexamined feelings for Walburga Black, but it also explores complex questions about otherness and essentialism and perceived difference.  A well-written, thought-provoking fic.

Status: Completed

Length: Short Story

Tags: Het: m/f, Drama/Angst, Post-HBP, Romance, Rare Het Pairing

Story Summary: After his rescue from the Malfoy dungeon and his stay at Shell Cottage, Ollivander finds himself waiting out the war with five of the Weasley clan at their Aunt Muriel’s. Their hostess is a difficult woman, but as he learns more about her, Ollivander begins to find her interesting as well.

Kelly Chambliss’s Rec –

This fic was part of the 2010 “HP Beholder” fest, which exists to give romance to characters that some people judge too old or unattractive or unpleasant to find love.  “An Interesting and Difficult Woman” epitomizes this premise:  set during the DH year after Mr Ollivander is liberated from his imprisonment in the Malfoys’ cellar, the story charts the slowly-developing romance between the old wand-maker and Muriel Weasley, the sharp-tongued, bold, 108-year-old aunt of the Weasley family.  In Featherxquill’s hands, both characters are beautifully-realized:  Mr Ollivander is quiet and careful and perceptively sees the world in terms of his craft; Muriel is outspoken and wise and, well, as the title says, she’s both interesting and difficult.  Personally, I’d make that “complex and fascinating.”  Plus — there’s a sizzling sex scene that is not only hot, but that also wonderfully reveals the characters.

Status: Completed

Length: Drabble

Tags: Slash: m/m, Drama/Angst, SS/RL, Drabble, Alternate Universe

Story Summary: A series of 100-word drabbles. Severus is in Bethlem Royal Hospital; Remus is a doctor.

AlbaLark’s Rec:

A series of 12 linked drabbles set in a non-magical, Victorian era AU, this beautiful little piece tells of the rescue of a mad Severus Snape from Bedlam Asylum by Dr. Remus Lupin.

This is a superbly crafted and lyrical story that shows great depth of feeling, with an ending that will wrench your heart.

Status: Completed

Length: Short Story

Tags: Slash: m/m, Drama/Angst, SS/RL, Post-DH

Story Summary: Remus reaches out his hand and is pulled back into life - by his son, working on behalf of someone who has missed Remus dearly....

AlbaLark’s Rec:

Inspired by the lyrical prose poem How to Bring Someone Back From the Dead by Veronica Schanoes, this macabre, stunning short story follows Remus Lupin’s rescue from the Land of the Dead by Severus Snape, and Lupin’s son Teddy, seven years after his death.

The author conveys beautifully the confusion and pain of the newly revived Lupin, the willing, deep sacrifice made by Severus for his beloved, the ambivalent feelings of Teddy for his father, and the hardships of the journey toward home.

The surrealistic landscape of the Land of the Dead is done so well that you feel as if you are trapped in a Dali painting, and yearn with the characters to make it out safely.

With gorgeous prose, and an enthralling, original plot, this story seizes you and you’ll be thinking about it long after you’ve finished it.