Exploding Poohsticks

Title: The Way Things Grow
Author: Mnemonsyne (reposted here with her permission)
Rest of header information in Part One

( Staring at Draco's profile, Neville felt his heart turn over. )

A few days ago, I received a plea from a Crack Broom reader for a copy of this story. Syne has graciously granted me permission to repost it.

Title: The Way Things Grow
Author: Mnemonsyne
Pairings: Neville/Draco (and unrequited Neville/Harry)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 17,429
Beta: the awesome rufus who has been a trooper though multiple word counts as the fic grew. . . and grew. . . and grew. . .
Summary: Neville's life is quiet after the war, and he's content in his greenhouses. Until one day...
Author's Notes: for suntzu_s, as requested by coffee_n_cocoa - this was meant to be a few hundred word gift ficlet for that fun little meme that went around. Obviously my muse had different ideas. Original prompt was Neville/Draco, Fanged Geraniums.

( Neville stared down at his arm and sighed. The Fanged Geranium had taken a real chunk out his right forearm, and there was nothing more awkward than trying to cast healing spells with your left hand. )

Now that I've finished bleeding words through my forehead my deathmatch with the most recent albatross, I can finally deal with some photos that've been sitting on my hard drive since mid-August(click images to view larger versions). Dodgy quality (they're from my cellphone) but good memories...

( Chicago - so full of yay! )

( squids! )

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The rec:
Trubbleclef's A Simple Misunderstanding. Neville/Harry, NC-17, 3187 words, discussion of watersports, Luna being awesome, funny.

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The randomness (because I have got to stash this somewhere, because I am going to want to look this up again, but heaven knows why): there was an article in the New York Times this morning about people whose relatives' ashes are in Yankee and Shea Stadiums,... ( Read more... )

The rec:

Syne's series of Percy/Neville ficlets. (Link takes you to the most recent one, which has links to all the others.) I know I keep mentioning Syne's writing here, but there's a good reason for that: it's a lovely blend of dry humor, keen observation, and slow revelations - a combination I personally groove to, and which resonates with others of you, methinks.

A quote:

In my boyhood, each time I played Mozart for my Grandma Clara, she said, in a flat voice, "Sounds just like water." One day, on a picnic, she announced factually that the creek sounded just like Mozart.

- W.A. Mathieu, The Musical Life: Reflections on What It Is and How to Live It.

I was plagued by nightmares last night (high school, you were twenty years ago and I want to be done with you, dammit!) so I indulged in the comfort of fic this morning in between other things. The fics listed in this post all include supporting OCs that I enjoyed meeting -- I'll theorize some other time about what delights me about OCs, but in brief, I like how they often bring out facets of the starring characters' personalities or histories (particularly when they do so with humor or sympathy) that they're unlikely to share with other canonical characters.

( DH spoilers under the cut; recs range from PG to NC-17 )

[As I noted in my Snupin Santa sign-up, I am actually generally leery of fics featuring preg (m or f), young kids, or parenting as major themes. In the hands of the right authors, though... *commends the above to you*]

[And, speaking of Snupin Santa -- so many new participants! So many returning! Our ship, it sails strong! *cheers*]

Why: hilarita requested “Snape/Neville/Lucius. Non-con” for the The I Didn't Get To Go To TWH Ficlet-a-thon.
Words: approximately 1550. I was thinking 300 when I started this. Damn plot-badger.
Rating: M. Not much actual smut, though. Damn that plot-badger.
Warnings: Need I actually elaborate? Character deaths galore. Various kinks. A Conan Doyle allusion. Zero cuddliness.

( Since There’s No Help )