Well Overdue Recs

[llaeyro]

I am still so far behind on reading, but here's a few amazing things I've read among fests I'm still trying to catch up with.

One Thousand Paper Cranes by _melodic_
Fest: hp_mhealthfest
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Summary: They say if you fold one thousand paper cranes in one year, the Gods will grant you a wish. What could Draco possibly wish for now that, after years of care, his mother is dead and he’s forgotten how to take care of himself?
My Notes: This is absolutely beautiful. Without giving too much away, I love the unexpected choice of POV and how it keeps the focus on Draco's condition, without dragging us into his dark, depressed headspace. You feel his pain, but you also feel Harry's optimism and persistence. Gorgeous, gorgeous imagery throughout that left me feeling light, hopeful and content.

Lunacy or on AO3 by shiftylinguini
Fest: hprarefest
Pairing: James/Teddy
Excerpt Fortunately, five years of dealing with monthly involuntary transformations into an essentially wild animal had equipped James with a profound sense of pragmatism and matter-of-factness in the face of most things that life could throw at him. Unfortunately, his current condition was completely outside of that realm. Between the headache, the nausea, the throbbing scar and the burgeoning erection—well, he was starting to feel a bit panicky. And completely useless.
My Notes: I'm not usually a fan of a/b/o, but this story is all the good things and none of the wtf or ick. I am in awe of the MA's wit and humour in this story, in the midst of what is quite an ordeal for the characters. This is all the things, it's so funny and stupidly hot and feelsy and the characterisation is seriously amazeballs. You can't not love these two werewolfy knuckleheads!

A Love Betrayed by prayer_at_night
Fest: Wishlist Event at rarepair_shorts
Pairing: Severus Snape/Evan Rosier
Prompt: Betraying someone you love
My Notes: This beautiful little thing squeezes atmosphere, imagery, romance, conflict, hurt/comfort, betrayal, resolve and uncertainty into roughly 420 words with no dialogue. This pairing is a first for me, and I can really see it here. It makes me curious about these two in this 'verse, but this works perfectly as a short, snapshot solo piece that stays with you for a few days after (and counting).

I'm appalled I've read so little since my last recs :/ If you do check any of them out, please do leave love for the authors! Comments feed our egos and keep us writing, after all ;)

The hprarefest Anonymous Masterlist is up and reveals are on Friday so go check it out. The pairings/summaries look delish.

The rs_collab Anonymous Masterlist is up, reveals are also on Friday and I'm on one of the teams so go check that out too! Bet you can't spot me ;)

Hoping to read, comment and rec a few more from both fests after work tomorrow and Friday morning before reveals. Also frantically trying to finish off my hp_shoreofangst.

Apart from that, I'm mostly working on some ideas I've been nursing for a while, non-fest related. There will likely be a flocked post next week that explains why I'm still having trouble catching up with all you lovely people ♥ but for now, I'm still here!