Recs: Hoggywartyxmas and Yuletide

[magnetic_pole]

Reveals have gone up at hoggywartyxmas! This has been the mostly enjoyable fest, with lots of comments and holiday cheer and unexpected characters and pairings. Every single story has been a delight. The overall quality was so strong that I'm not even going to say that I have favorites, but here are few memorable fics. I've been in a quiet and pensive mood lately, and these are five quiet, lovely, insightful stories that I've enjoyed over the past two weeks. Click here for the master list of 26 stories (and one art post), including quite a few zany or funny or romantic fics just as wonderful as these.

(Finding) Life After Voldemort, by r_grayjoy
Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Pomona Sprout, Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin, Lily Potter, Eileen Snape; rated PG-13; 3500 words
A series of not-so-unrelated moments in the lives of several not-so-unconnected individuals.
A fic about reconciliation, friendship, and romance. Gentle and perceptive.

Spinsters on a Sunday Morning by tetleythesecond
Irma Pince/Minerva McGonagall, with a journalist reluctantly sticking her nose in; rated light R; 7250 words
The headmistress is retiring, and Rita Skeeter is sent to interview her. Oh, how she looks forward to that.
A beautiful, beautiful story about our public and private selves and the various ways in which (queer) people negotiate the public and private natures of relationships.

Love Accidentally by atdelphi
Neville Longbottom, Kingsley Shacklebolt/Gilderoy Lockhart, Dudley Dursley/Millicent Bulstrode, Aberforth Dumbledore, Horace Slughorn/Argus Filch, Augusta Longbottom/Pomona Sprout; rated general; 2800 words
On a quest to find the perfect gift for his grandmother, Neville inadvertently spreads some Christmas cheer and romance.
A celebration of the spark between unlikely couples. Lovely.

A Magic Beyond Everything We Do Here by minervas_eule
Charity Burbage and various Hogwarts professors; rated G; 1200 words
It is Charity's first Christmas Dinner as a young Professor with her colleagues and to her surprise her expertise is sought after.
A very brief, charming, heartfelt fic about the parallels between magic and music.

A Double-Edged Sword by an_fhanai
Minerva McGonagall, Ariana and Aberforth Dumbledore, mentions of Luna Lovegood; rated light R; 3200 words
Albus has long avoided certain memories, but eventually all things must be faced.
A fic about the changing perspective that distance offer us. Catches Dumbledore's ruminating, sentimental mood perfectly.


And a few from Yuletide:

Looking Behind Now by Philipa_Moss
Omar and Johnny Burfoot (My Beautiful Laundrette), Tony (Bend It Like Beckham), teen, 2100 words
“How did you decide to go into this business?” Tony asked. “Is it very successful?”
“Thinking of a change in occupation, are we?”
Thanks to sophinisba for pointing me in the direction of this one! An epilogue for Johnny and Omar and a turning point for Tony.

In the golden world by spyglass
Betsy, Tacy, Tib (Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy books), general, 2100 words
When Joe leaves for Europe and the Great War, Betsy learns to adjust to life at home without him.
Could be canon. A chance to spend a little more time with Betsy on the verge of adulthood.

Creative (Non-)Fiction by freneticfloetry
Abed, Troy, Jeff, Annie, Shirley, Britta, Pierce, the Dean (Community tv series), general, 2700 words
Abed writes what he knows. And some other stuff, which may or may not end well.
A clever riff on fandom and the show itself.