Fidelius

I did a thing!

scrtkpr — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:16:39 GMT

Hey! So I posted a couple years ago to say that I hadn't posted for a year or two. I have no idea if I'll be any better about posting in future. But I wrote an ACTUAL FIC for the first time in several years, and whether or not it turns out to be particularly good, I'm just so pleased I managed to find the time to write it and then actually did so. Also, there's art to go along with this! Which is so cool. I wrote the story to go along with the first picture, and she did another after reading it because phoenixmetaphor's just awesome like that.

Title: Incursion
Rating (both art/fic): Teen
Universe: primarily 616
Pairing: Steve/Tony
Word Count: 22,600
Warnings: Character deaths set outside the timeframe and main universe of this story are referenced, but all characters who actually appear in the story are still alive and in generally better spirits by the end.
Fic Summary: When Steve and Tony are taken down in the heart of Avengers Tower by alternate versions of themselves, their counterparts reveal a threat to both the foundations of the multiverse and to the foundations of Steve and Tony's friendship.

Link to Art and More Art by phoenixmetaphor

Hello There!!!

scrtkpr — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 06:32:33 GMT

Wow, guys, thanks so much for the lj gifts! I'm amazed so many people remembered me when I've been absent for such long stretches of time. It put a smile on my face every time one showed up in my inbox. <333

Thanks also to furiosity who posted some awesome stick art for me today. If you're a fan of Lord of the Rings, click here to see the best stick figure Gimli in the history of ever.

So many times I've intended to post something, whether it be an update, a rec, or anything else beyond the brief, occasional, flailing signs of life I've managed in the last couple years. One of these days I'll really accomplish it, and I'll return in a flurry of book reviews, fic recs, and extremely belated, shame-faced replies to the comments I've received in the last year or two. In the meantime, you guys have my sincerest thanks for remembering that I exist. It's ridiculously kind of you.

Strange coincidences / OMG five years today!

scrtkpr — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 18:37:23 GMT

I felt a strong urge to edit my profile a bit today, acknowledging that I'm still mostly missing in action but nevertheless ALIVE and around somewhat and still in possession of a deeply burning, passionate fannish soul. (A soul that I ought to mention has been overcome with love for all* incarnations of Sherlock Holmes, though it still bears strong affection for my previous fannish loves.) And I was inspired to list some interests, thinking that after five years I really ought to, and then I realized it really has been five years, exactly, since I created this journal. It is my lj-versary! So here I am posting, to say hi and that I definitely have plans to post more this year, at the very least with some fic recs and thoughts on some books I've read.

So thanks for the last five years, guys, it's been wonderful! And happy 2011! I'm hoping I'll get to spend some of it with you. ♥

*When I say all, I most likely don't mean the silly-looking Sherlock Holmes movie with dinosaurs, though to be fair, I've never seen it.
*I've never seen that Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century either...

Prompt me, please!

scrtkpr — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:19:47 GMT

I was trying to think of something that would keep me writing this year without the stress or deadlines of a fest. And I remembered there were three writing memes I kept meaning to do. So I'm posting them now, and I'll be using the responses as inspiration over the course of the year (or longer, depending on how slow I turn out to be).

The Timestamp Meme. Anyone remember this one? I remember I was so ridiculously excited when lovely_slyth, fourth_rose, annafugazzi, and sansa did this. I have always been so fascinated and delighted by sequels or brief follow-up ficlets that offer a glimpse into the past, or the future, or some moment from the fic we didn't get to see, or a moment we did see, but from an alternate POV. I didn't do it myself at the time because (iirc) I'd only written ONE fic, and it would have been the height of silliness. But I've promised a bunch of people over the last year, whenever they asked me for a sequel to something, that I'd be doing this eventually, and they could post their request here and I'd totally write it. So! Most everything I've written is listed on my profile here. (There is that "Harry and Draco on a dude ranch" ficlet and also my two "Draco making terrycloth sexy" drabbles that aren't listed there--they seemed way too silly, lol. But if anyone wants links to them, I'll dig them up too.) So, yeah, you all remember how this works, right? Pick a fic, and a time in the fic's universe, and a POV if you would like, and I will write at least a hundred words (or, knowing me, quite a bit more). I promise to (eventually) write at least one for anyone who wants to request one, and at least two for anyone who's beta read for me (because I seem to remember promising that too, haha). I might write more if you come up with another request I just can't resist, but no promises there.

The Blogging Meme This one's very simple. Name a topic, any topic, and I will blog about it. (Again, eventually.)

The "If You Had Me At Gunpoint" Meme This one's mainly just for my own curiosity--I mean, I don't promise to write anything requested here. But hey, you never know, I might! Especially if your birthday is coming up and I miraculously find myself with some free time or something. So, if you could force me to write anything--absolutely anything at all--what would it be?

Draco could so kick your ass at bowling

scrtkpr — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 07:56:57 GMT

So my husband bought a Wii from a friend as a gift for our son. One of the most entertaining things about the Wii, as far as I'm concerned, is the ability to create a wide assortment of Miis (customized characters who play in the games). When my husband found and downloaded a Harry Potter Mii, I insisted we needed a Draco right away. We couldn't find one, so I made one myself, hahaha. This evening we had a H/D showdown on Wii Sports.

We began with bowling. Draco was suitably confident. (Note The Joker, Napoleon Dynamite, and Harry Potter in the background.)

Harry Potter was grimly determined.

But Draco came out on top for once! (Don't get too cocky, Draco--it's all downhill from here.)

Tennis was a decisive victory for Harry Potter. (My husband worked in a great deal of banter, as well. "That serve was pathetic, Malfoy! Dark arts aren't doing much to help you get the ball over the net, are they?" I mostly responded with sneers, as seemed appropriate.)

Draco was hopeful that boxing would go more smoothly.

But such was not to be. Draco was knocked down an embarrassing three times to Potter's one.

There Potter is, hogging all the glory, as usual.

Still, Draco persevered, and accepted Potter's challenge to a game of baseball.

Random shot of my husband's Mii playing outfield. I ONLY WISH we could have gotten similar pictures of other characters, such as Spock, Chuck Norris, Snoop Dog, Jack Black, The Joker, and Napoleon Dynamite making similar catches, as it was hilarious.

Draco SHOULD HAVE WON!!! This is the swing that would have earned him the game. Two on the bases--a good hit would have cinched it. But Harry Potter engaged in some appallingly underhanded diversionary tactics. FOR SHAME!

By this point, Draco was pretty much sick of Potter's face and declined his invitation to try his hand at golf. (He doesn't know what he was thinking, participating in these Muggle sports anyway.)

Self-insert!!! (Hahahahaha)

Fic Rec: Remedial Herbology by Furiosity

scrtkpr — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 06:21:43 GMT

I so rarely venture outside of the Harry/Draco corner of fandom, but fics like this one make me think I should more often:

Remedial Herbology (NC-17, 3,000 words, Neville/Theodore), written by furiosity for hp_yule_balls.

It explores a very fascinating portion of canon--Neville's time at Hogwarts during seventh year. I love Neville a lot, and I thought his characterization here was wonderful. He's been facing up to life's challenges well, and is stronger and more capable, but his self-confidence still hasn't quite caught up with his abilities in all areas, and that's about exactly how I'd imagine him. I can see why other students might find him appealing, and why he still might not see himself in the same light. And I thought she did a great job with Nott's characrerization too--we don't get a lot of him in the books, but he matches up very well with what we do learn from canon, and is fleshed out enough in this story that he's gone from a character I'd really never had much interest in to one I'd like to get to know a lot better. Anyway, she does an awful lot here in 3,000 words (including a quite excellent first time in greenhouse two), so even if Neville/Theodore isn't your OTP (*pauses to laugh at the idea of Neville/Theodore being the OTP of anyone on my flist*), I say go read it!

Another of her yule_balls fics, Seven Minutes In Hell (NC-17, 5,900 words, Harry/Draco), is quite a fun read, which plays with some of fandom's most entertaining cliches--leather pants! truth or dare!--so you might want to check that one out too. :) Haven't read her third one yet, but am hoping to find time to check it out soon.

Wicked Gentlemen fic: Resolution, 1400 words

scrtkpr — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:42:40 GMT

So melusinahp wrote a lovely, lovely Wicked Gentlemen ficlet (Breaking Belimai, 524 words), and then themostepotente followed suit (All Men (Reach and Fall), 450 words), and this turned out to be the kick in the pants I needed to finally write the ficlet I'd been wanting to write ever since finishing the book. Rather than delving into Belimai's past, though, I wanted to explore the gap between Book One (Mr. Skyes and the Firefly) and Book Two (Captain Harper and the Sixty Second Circle). So I finally sat down and wrote my "drabble" today (at only 1,400 words, hahaha). Here it is, my first non-HP fic! I hope the three of you actually interested in this fandom enjoy reading it! ;)

Title: Resolution
Fandom: Wicked Gentlemen
Writer: scrtkpr
Pairing: Belimai/Harper
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,400
A/N: For frantic_mice, with much love. Thank you for many things, including the gift of this book, which touched my heart. Thank you also to melusinahp, for loving Wicked Gentlemen just as much as I do, and for reading this ficlet for me, even though you were tired! (Note to any/all readers: if either of us overlooked anything, please don't hesitate to comment and let me know!)

Belimai's hands were shaking again, and he could no longer pretend it had anything to do with the cold. He'd had ample time to warm up after the brief distraction and fleeting exhilaration of an early evening flight.

He leaned against the wall in the darkness of his room and slipped his hands into his pockets, as if placing them out of sight would also remove the need to make any decision.

The intermittent trembling continued within the confines of the fabric, and the vague discomfort that had been gathering in his gut momentarily coalesced into a sharp, bright stab of pain. It had been brief, like a flash of lightning, but Belimai knew it for what it was. Far greater indignities and unpleasantness would eventually follow, if he allowed them to continue.

Without further thought, he found himself straightening and crossing the room. He pulled open the drawer of his desk and ran a sharp, black nail along the vials that were contained inside.

There was no decision to make, he realized. This had been an interesting experiment. Nothing more.

He'd have to hurry, though. Harper would be here soon.

And it wouldn't matter how carefully he hid the needle and syringe. Somehow Harper could always tell when the Ophorium was burning fresh through Belimai's veins.

Harper never said anything, but there was always a sadness, and even worse, a quiet acceptance in his eyes at such moments.

Belimai slammed the drawer shut.

Perhaps he was just cold after all.

The hat was still in the filing case under his bed. He pulled it out, brushing a spider from its brim, and placed it firmly on his head, then picked up the drawing that had slipped free as well.

A sketch of a grasshopper, surely drawn when his nails had been bleached and trimmed, a lifetime ago. He had obviously been fascinated by the insect's delicate beauty, but now he could only imagine all the ways in which it might have died. Crushed under the unfeeling boot of an Inquisitor, perhaps. Or devoured by some unexpected, hungry creature, whose strength and appetite could not be resisted. Or hidden and alone, paralyzed by the encroaching winter's cold.

He crumpled the paper and threw it on the floor.

A knock sounded at the door, and Belimai plucked the hat from his head and hid it away again, along with the dust, and the insects, and the papers, and whatever other sentimental, useless things he might have slipped into the filing cases over the years.

"Come in," Belimai called, resettling himself on the bed. The trembling was not so bad yet, and Harper might prove a far better distraction than flying.

Harper shut the door behind himself, appearing entirely unfazed by the near absence of light in Belimai's rooms.

Belimai took the opportunity to watch him unobserved and was slightly unsettled, as always, at the ease with which Harper navigated his room. It wasn't so strange now, as many times as Harper had visited, but it never failed to remind him of Harper's keen ability to notice things. He wondered what other insights Harper might have into his private spaces.

Harper stood for a moment by the lamp table and then peeled off his gloves, first the left and then the right. Belimai's breath caught in his throat.

Harper set his gloves on the table, lit the lamp, then turned to look at Belimai, as if he'd already known he would find him on the bed. Perhaps he had.

Harper's mouth curved up in a small smile as he approached, but his hat was still shadowing his eyes. Belimai opened his mouth, intending to tell him to take it off immediately, when he caught scents other than the familiar ones of soap, gun oil, and leather. There was a hint of the stinging pungency of Hells Below. And some other scent--one that did not belong with Harper at all. He couldn't identify it but immediately disliked it.

"Been to Hells Below?" Belimai asked, and Harper stopped a couple feet from the bed.

This close, and from his seated position, Belimai could easily see Harper's brief frown. "Not exactly. The Acolytes went. One of them--Stewarts--was overcome by the fumes and collapsed. I happened to be near the gates and assisted him back to the chapel, so the others could continue without him."

Stewarts. So that was the other smell.

"Can't resist a young man in need of rescuing?"

Harper's frown deepened.

"Never mind." If it hadn't been Stewarts, it would have been someone else. Harper had probably happened to be near the gates because he'd been looking for someone or something in need of saving. Belimai's hand trembled again, and he clenched it into a fist, then reached out, grabbing at Harper's coat. He wanted to pull those clothes and their unwanted scents from Harper's body, pull Harper onto the bed, and distract them both.

Harper sank down onto the bed, shrugged off his coat, and allowed Belimai to push the hat from his head.

They kissed for a long moment, Harper's hands tracing careful patterns along his sides and back.

Too careful. Belimai moved to kiss Harper more deeply, push him back on the bed, but Harper broke the kiss and stared down at his hands.

"I'll be taking my vacation soon. I always...I usually visit my family estate. Outside the capital."

Belimai nearly growled in frustration. This was not the sort of distraction he needed. "I'm afraid I can't help you with vacation plans, Captain Harper. My movement outside the capital, you might remember, is rather restricted."

Harper stared at him.

Belimai felt another lightning-flash of pain in his gut, and realized how foolish he'd been to invite Harper into his home this evening.

"Perhaps Acolyte Stewarts could assist you. In fact, I think you ought to check on him. He might not have recovered properly from those fumes."

"Belimai, what--"

Belimai scooped up Harper's coat and hat with trembling hands and placed them on his lap. "I've remembered there's something I need to do. Right now."

Harper slowly pulled his coat back on. "I just got here," he finally said.

"Come back tomorrow," said Belimai, his tone abrupt and harsh, and Harper's eyes widened. He didn't sound like himself, he realized, having gone so long without the Ophorium. Or he sounded too much like himself. "I really do have something I need to do right now," he said, in a softer voice. "Come back tomorrow."

The moment Harper had left, Belimai pulled open the drawer. The vials glittered back at him. Each one contained poison and perfection and liquid self-hatred, but he couldn't bring himself to care or even think about it any longer. He'd gone too long.

His eyes fluttered shut as the Ophorium slid into his veins. The syringe dropped to the floor.

For a while, he drifted, but it didn't take long for unpleasant thoughts to intrude.

Harper, searching every day for others to rescue, in a city filled to the brim with suffering souls in greater need of salvation than Belimai. Harper, planning to travel to pleasant places that Belimai could never go.

They could never last, but something very deep within Belimai rebelled at the thought of their remaining time together being clouded by an Ophorium-induced haze and saturated by Harper's pity.

Slowly, he crossed the room and picked up the crumpled sketch of the grasshopper. He smoothed it out, and stared at it for a long time.

It was two hours later when Harper returned. He wasn't drunk, but he smelled of alcohol. He didn't knock.

"I forgot my gloves," Harper said, with a hint of defiance. And then--"I thought you had to leave."

"I changed my mind. Feel free to change yours as well, and stay a while."

Harper stared at him, appearing puzzled. "All right," he finally said.

Harper stepped closer, and then his hands were on Belimai's arms, his lips on Belimai's throat. Belimai savored the sensation for a moment before speaking.

"So this vacation of yours," he said, and Harper stiffened. "When is it?"

"In two weeks."

"Hmm..." Belimai said, when Harper seemed to expect a response, and then pulled Harper down onto the bed.

Two weeks. He'd be ready.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! :D :D :D

Has anyone not seen these? (I know they are silly, but I love them SO MUCH!)

scrtkpr — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:37:57 GMT

Two different people have told me that Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars is a H/D song for them, and it is for me too, not because the song itself really says H/D to me, but because of this H/D sims video. I remember the first time I saw it, I just thought it was so ridiculous, and I was laughing hysterically at stuff like the Harry sim's reaction to Draco sim's proposal, but then by the end I couldn't help getting a little teary, and I kept finding myself wanting to watch it again, and EVER SINCE THEN, I can't help getting all squishy in the chest every time I hear that song.

Also, I should state for the record that most sim videos weird me out, but I actually love several made by BigMamaG. My other two favorites are You Could be Happy (this one's perfect for watching after Chasing Cars if you get a little teary at the end too), and the awesome and hilarious Harry's Christmas Wish.

Anyway, I linked someone to these, and she enjoyed them so much I thought I'd post about them (again? I may have posted about them a year or two ago...), in case anyone else might get a kick out of them.

Harry's Christmas Wish

Chasing Cars

You Could Be Happy

Ahahaha, looks like a lot of us have the right idea...

scrtkpr — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 16:34:31 GMT

Seriously though, guys, check it out. Perfectly priced for free shipping... ;)

Fic Rec: Adventures In Babysitting

scrtkpr — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:58:19 GMT

Okay, when I said I wasn't reccing any more hd_holidays fics until after reveals, I, uh, lied. Sorry, I'm just too enthusiastic about this fic! So reccing one more.

Adventures in Babysitting (NC-17, 18,000 words--but it feels much shorter! The fic flies by.)

And no, there's no actual babysitting in this fic. Rather, Harry, as part of his Auror duties, is forced to "babysit" Malfoy. In Iceland, where it is cold and dark. Tents are involved. Let your mind go wherever you like--this fic lives up to all its potential. :D

Still not caught up on my reading, but I think this one has to be my favorite of the fest so far. Cleverly written, with snappy dialogue and simmering UST, this fic is hilarious, and hot, and a complete delight to read. So go read it! :D

ETA: SPOILERS IN COMMENTS

Of interest to Pride and Prejudice fans

scrtkpr — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:06:57 GMT

OMG, I about died laughing reading this.

OMG SQUEE!!!

scrtkpr — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:23:13 GMT

RL has been eating me, or I would have posted about this sooner, but I am still all aflutter. The lovely raitala has proven herself awesome in yet another way, as she's not only capable of producing outstanding art, but also has one of the most beautiful reading voices I've ever heard. Can you imagine the near-hysterical level of glee I experienced when I heard her reading one of my stories? With an authentic British accent? No, I don't think you can. I was just that gleeful.

So please, if you've got time, go listen! I swear, people will be beating down her door to make more of these. I can't believe how lucky I am she picked one of my stories for her first attempt.

raitala reading Still Life in Wood and Parchment

Also, you might want to check out this earlier post in which she discusses some of her thoughts about the project.

I owe even more emails and replies than the last time I posted about how behind I was, so, um, please, if I've shamefully ignored you, it's not personal! I really am failing at the internet just that badly! I will try to get a brief Portus post up sometime later tonight, because if I don't do it soon, I know I never will. And the rest? Soonish. I hope.

Oh this is so cool!

scrtkpr — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:23:37 GMT

Saw aome was creating clouds of her fics at Wordle and had to try it too!

Yes, here it is, blindmouse. Proof positive you were right I had speech tag issues in Arctic Fox. LOL (This is from the version I'd cleaned up a bit too! Would be too embarrassed to post the cloud I got from the version that actually went up at hd_hols.)

But hey! Still Life in Wood and Parchment looks really neat!

And check it out, Anna! Cerulean Blue came out like a little potion bottle! :D

Beltane reveals are up!

scrtkpr — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:23:58 GMT

Okay, I don't think I've ever posted this many times in one day before. Um, sorry about that...

But had to post linking to Beltane's big reveal.

annafugazzi and I cowrote Cerulean Blue for winnett, as a pinch hit.

I have quite a bit I'd like to say about this fic and the process of writing it, but...I don't exactly have time tonight. :( Huge thanks to betas blindmouse, melusinahp, and schemingreader, to twistedm, the awesome mod of the fest, and also to everyone who commented on the fic. I feel terrible being so far behind, but I will be replying as soon as I catch up with WC comments.

Eddie Izzard and Legos: Best Combination Ever

scrtkpr — Sat, 31 May 2008 18:07:19 GMT

Star Wars Cantina

Cake or Death

B Movies and Vampires

And there were more! Hilarious ones! It's worth browsing around, but I'd feel silly linking to every single one of these.

Fic Rec: Smile, Fond

scrtkpr — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:05:19 GMT

So have you ever read a Percy/Oliver fic? I hadn't. But cest_what's fic Smile, Fond sold me on the pairing. I meant to post about it weeks ago but kept being too swamped to type up a decent rec. And I'm still swamped. Anyway, can I just say I really enjoyed it, and I'll bet you would too? LOL It's got some great character insights, and it's funny and clever and sweet. And it has a great running joke about broomsticks. ;) (Oh, and heads up, it's not DH compatible. It'll definitely confuse you if you don't keep that in mind.)

Title: Smile, Fond
Pairing: Oliver/Percy
Rating: R
Length: 10,000 words
Summary: Oliver should have gone to bed hours ago. His mind was over-tired, now, and starting to produce bizarre little fantasies, like that this night had already run over into the morning and would never end.

Ficlet: Potter Peep

scrtkpr — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 22:18:44 GMT

Title: Potter Peep
Author: scrtkpr
Rating: G
Word Count: 850
Summary: Draco plays with his Peep.
Warning: I’d warn for angst, but come on you guys, this is a fic about Peeps. Don’t take it seriously. ;)
Author’s Notes: Written for regan_v’s Easter Crackfic Challenge. This is unbeta'd, so if you spot anything, please let me know.

ETA: Just noticed my crackfic has at least one canon inconsistency, so I hereby deem it slightly AU. ;)

Crabbe and Goyle were laughing like loons.

“What are you doing?” demanded Draco.

Neither answered, but they stepped aside, revealing four brightly colored candy birds on the floor in front of the fireplace. They were obviously Muggle candies, but someone—surely not Crabbe or Goyle--had animated them, and the small, sugar-coated confections were hopping and squeaking in alarm.

“What are those? Where did you get them?”

“They’re called Peeps,” said Goyle. “We got them from some Gryffindors. No one wanted to admit to having Muggle candy. So we took ‘em."

“We were going to burn them,” said Goyle, “but…” He paused, an excited gleam coming into his eyes. “D’you think the Cruciatus curse works on Peeps?”

“No!” Draco shouted, then tightened his lips before assuming a calmer expression. “I mean, I want them. Give them to me.”

Crabbe crossed his arms, that new defiance creeping into his expression.

“What if we don’t want to?” he said.

“Look, I’ll trade you. You know my mother sent chocolate rabbits. I’ll give you one each.”

The two of them paused, indecision clear on their faces.

“Solid or hollow?” Crabbe finally asked.

“Solid. Of course,” Draco said in irritation as he scooped up the Peeps.

* * *

One of the Peeps had a damaged face. Goyle or—more likely—Crabbe had stretched and distorted it.

It reminded him strongly of Potter’s face last week.

“What are you, the Peep Who Lived?”

Snatching up a quill, he drew a lightning bolt on the Peep’s forehead. It squirmed in protest, but made no other sound. Perhaps its mouth was too squished.

When his task was finished, Draco placed it on his desk, alongside the other Peeps.

Most of them skittered and chirped, but the Potter Peep gazed at him solemnly, clearly sobered by the misfortunes it had suffered.

Draco grabbed another Peep and drew dots all over its face. On a third, he drew squiggles, representing frizzy hair. The animation spell on the remaining Peep appeared to have been botched, and its stare was more vacant than the others. It would do fine for Lovegood as it was.

Turning his attention back to the Potter Peep, he poked it with his mother’s wand. “Going to take this one from me? I’d just like to see you try.” He poked again, watching as the round indentation slowly filled out again.

The other Peeps hopped in agitation, their tiny alarmed squeaks growing louder.

“He’s not going to save you, you know,” Draco told them. “No one can.”

Producing his last remaining chocolate rabbit, Draco placed it on his desk. After inspecting it for a moment, he broke off the nose, transfigured its eyes and mouth to look smaller and meaner, then animated it.

He wished he’d let the eyes alone as they narrowed further, malicious dark chocolate slits.

It spotted the Peeps and bounded across the table menacingly.

The others scattered, but Potter Peep stood bravely at the edge of the desk.

“Do something, you idiot. Are you going to just stand there, not even put up a fight?”

That was apparently exactly what Potter Peep was going to do. It gazed at the charging chocolate rabbit as solemnly as it had at Draco a moment ago.

The rabbit collided with the Peep, and they both tumbled off the desk. Potter Peep bounced, but the Dark Chocolate Rabbit shattered.

Draco scooped up the Peep. It appeared a bit stunned, but otherwise undamaged.

“Not bad, Scarhead,” he said quietly.

The door opened, and Draco spun around, hiding the Potter Peep in his pocket.

“It’s time for Potions,” said Goyle.

“Right.” Knocking the remaining Peeps into a drawer, Draco grabbed up his Potions book and left the room.

* * *

It was Snape rather than Slughorn at the head of the class. Slughorn’s illness, Snape hinted strongly, was due to nothing more than an excess of chocolate and candied pineapple, and Snape seemed in no mood to tolerate further disruptions.

Draco resolved to keep the Peep in his pocket, but it wouldn’t cooperate. Just like Potter. It hopped and jiggled in his pocket until he finally gave up and set it on the worktable, behind the cauldron.

The Peep hopped toward the ingredients, and Draco scooted it back again, out of sight.

“You stay away from those,” he admonished quietly.

Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering at something—a crudely drawn picture of Snape in a bunny suit. Brilliant.

Goyle let out a particularly loud guffaw, and sure enough, Snape’s gaze shot to their table, first to the drawing Crabbe and Goyle were foolishly not even trying to hide, and then…to the Potter Peep. Draco scooped it up protectively, but it was too late. Snape had seen it.

Draco’s eyes darted from the lightning bolt scar drawn neatly on the Peep’s forehead to Snape’s suspicious face as he strode across the room. There was nothing else to be done. Draco dropped it into Crabbe’s bubbling cauldron, squelching the stab of regret he felt as it disappeared under the viscous fluid.

It had only been a stupid Muggle candy—nothing more.

OMG, so excited! :D

scrtkpr — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 04:45:51 GMT

A few weeks ago, raitala asked me what scene from Arctic Fox, my hd_holidays fic, I'd most like to see illustrated. I gave her quite a few choices but told her I'd really be interested to see which one she was inspired to draw. Today I got to find out which one she chose! :D

http://raitala.livejournal.com/32840.html

Check it out, comment, and while you're there, you should also take a look at her other art. She's drawn some lovely illustrations for sarahtales's Drop Dead Gorgeous, and Mirabella's Shadow of His Wings, two of my favorite fics. Also, I loved raitala's own auror-themed contribution for hd_holidays.

Because I still have my computer tonight...

scrtkpr — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 03:44:11 GMT

I bring you the 25 Most Baffling Toys From Around The World. Don't forget to click to page two, or you'll miss such treasures as Benign Doll and the toy stripper pole. Really, though, I think my favorite is the robot God Jesus. Or maybe the "sled."

ETA: Also, I never linked to these Weight Watchers recipe cards from 1974 before, did I? I think I just sent it to some people in chat. I DIED laughing at this, though. (You have to look at all the individual cards. And read the captions! I think my favorite is Frankfurter Spectacular, just for the name.)

ETA2: Oh! And this made me laugh so, so much. I think more than even the recipe cards. I laughed until I cried. I meant to link to it a long time ago. Fun Interpretations of Ambiguous Emergency Signs

Happy Birthday, sesheta_66!

scrtkpr — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 01:29:16 GMT

Title: Victory Reprised
Author: scrtkpr
Rating: PG13
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Word Count: 2,415
Summary: The course of love does not run smooth. (Or, as you will likely remember it, "That one where Harry and Draco are at a dude ranch.")
Author's Note: Written as a birthday gift for sesheta_66, as a thank you for the birthday ficlet she wrote for me in September. Yesterday she gave me the prompt of Harry and Draco at a ranch. After much pondering on how I might accomplish that, I decided to write it as a continuation of the story she wrote for me (linked above). Her fic is not long, but if you don't have time to read both, I think this story can stand alone as well. (And please note that although the first fic is delightfully fluffy, a bit of angst worked its way into this dude ranch fic. LOL)
Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling and do not own these characters. No money is being made from this story, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Additional Disclaimer This story has not been beta read. Concrit welcome and appreciated!

Harry took in the wide, open spaces, the panoramic view, and the crisp, clean air. It was beautiful, he supposed.

“Ready to look around?” Hermione asked brightly.

Harry gave her a withering look. “I told you I’d rather stay in my room.”

“Well, I don’t see why. How often do we have an opportunity like this?”

“Every three months, apparently,” Harry said with a grimace. “I still don’t see why they scheduled another retreat so soon. Surely we don't need to do them more than once a year?”

Hermione placed her hands on her hips. “Well, I, for one, am glad they’ve scheduled another, since I had to stay home last time. Really, I don’t know what your problem is. You used to love these training sessions, Harry. You even told me what a brilliant time you were having at the last one.”

"Yeah, well..." Harry had never told her exactly how sour that experience had turned, and he had no intention of doing so now. "That was at the beach. This is a ranch, Hermione. I still don’t know what they were thinking when they scheduled this."

“They were thinking that this location is entirely appropriate for the theme of this week’s workshops—becoming more aware of other wizarding cultures. We’re far too insular, and I’m glad the Ministry is finally taking steps to correct that. There’s much to be learned from the wizards in other countries.”

“And they thought the best way to learn about other wizarding cultures was to Portkey us all to a dude ranch? Even I know that not all Americans dress like that.” Harry gestured in irritation at a wizard in complete cowboy array, from the spurs on his boots to his ten-gallon hat.

“Well, no, but it is true that American wizards don’t dress that differently from Muggles. And by having the training here, we can also learn more about the magical creatures native to this area.”

“How is that useful information, really?”

“We’re affected by magical creatures from other countries. Just for example, we’ve been having a lot of trouble lately with Re’em blood on the black market.”

“Re’em? What’s that?”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Harry. Giant ox? Golden fur? This is all straight out of our first year textbook.”

A giant golden ox sounded interesting, actually. “Do they have any of those here on the ranch?”

“Probably not,” Hermione admitted. “They’re extremely rare. But whether they do or not, I’m sure we’ll get to learn more about other magical creatures. Come on, Harry, this is a wonderful opportunity!”

“So you’ve said.” Harry sighed. This “opportunity” to spend a week in close proximity with Malfoy was one he could have done without. If the last Ministry retreat had been any indication, he would be bumping into the git constantly.

“Well, come on, Harry. The first session doesn’t start for another hour and a half. Let’s go look at the corrals.”

It wouldn’t hurt, he supposed, as he followed grudgingly behind. What were the odds that Malfoy would be there right now?

Pretty damn good, as it turned out.

He sucked in a pained breath at the sight of Draco.

“What’s wrong, Harry?”

He tore his gaze from Draco to see Hermione, looking at him in concern.

“What? Er…I was just…surprised about those horses. I’ve never seen so many winged horses in the same place.”

The number of winged horses in the corral was truly impressive. “What kind are those?" Harry asked. "They’re not Thestrals, obviously, and they look different from the kind that pulled the Beaubatons carriage.”

Hermione didn’t look entirely convinced but apparently couldn’t pass up the opportunity to explain something. “The ones that pulled the Beaubatons carriage were Abraxan. These are Granian—grey, as you can see, and extremely fast. I haven’t seen them before either. All breeds of winged horses are related, though.”

This was all straight from their first-year textbook, too, he was sure. How did she remember this stuff?

Hermione turned back to watch the horses. Harry tried to do the same, but his eyes were drawn, against his will, back to Draco—no, to Malfoy, he reminded himself irritably. He was wearing boots and a cowboy hat. He looked stupid.

He was leaning against the fence, talking with a ranch hand. The other man was teaching him a spell, something like Incarcerous, only it produced a lasso rather than the multiple, thick ropes.

Malfoy performed the spell successfully but missed the Granian he was aiming for. Something appeared to be preventing the horses from flying more than a few feet into the air, but they really were fast.

Malfoy didn’t seem to mind missing, though. He adjusted his hat and laughed, smiling at the cowboy—who had an actual reason to be wearing a cowboy hat, thought Harry in irritation.

The other man patted Malfoy on the back but let his hand linger far longer than appropriate. Malfoy didn’t shake him off. Harry clenched his teeth.

At that point, the ranch hand glanced over and saw them. He blinked at the obvious hostility in Harry’s expression but smiled at Hermione and gave her a friendly wave.

Malfoy turned. His gaze took in Harry, Hermione standing next to him, and his eyes narrowed.

“Whatever happened between you two, anyway?” Hermione asked quietly.

"I don't want to talk about it," Harry said tightly. “Look, you go learn how to rope horses if you want. I’m going back to my room.”

Harry took a sip of his morning tea and grimaced. So far all he'd learned about American culture was that the tea was terrible. And that they couldn't keep their hands to themselves, he thought darkly.

He supposed he might have learned more if he’d managed to pay attention during the training sessions. He’d been sitting as far from Malfoy as he could, but it didn’t help much. He was still just as distracted, this time not from Malfoy’s closeness, but from the memory of it. He still remembered Malfoy in the sessions three months ago. How they'd sat right next to each other, talked together. He missed that closeness.

Which he fucking well shouldn't, he reminded himself angrily. Malfoy hadn't meant any of it. He was a sick bastard, to have feigned friendship as long as he had.

Well, he wasn’t going to sit around wasting any more of his time thinking about it. But he still had a good two hours until the first training session began. He’d go…he’d go take a look at the Re’em. They did have one here on the ranch, as it turned out.

The air was chill as he walked toward the corrals, but he found he didn’t mind. It helped him take his mind off things. And besides, if it was this cold, morning routine or no, Malfoy wouldn’t be jogging in that skimpy little outfit he always…

So perhaps the cold air wasn’t taking his mind off of things as well as he’d thought.

He found the Re’em in a large stable not far from the corrals. For a giant golden ox, it wasn’t actually that impressive. It just stood there, staring at him. It looked lonely, really.

And why did they leave it alone like this, if it was such a valuable animal? Maybe there were protective charms placed on its pen? Because if not, someone could just walk on in there and…well, actually, what would they be able to do? Would it be possible to side-along Apparate with a giant ox?

Harry couldn’t help chuckling at the image. It reminded him of the time a baby cockatrice had somehow got loose on their floor of the Ministry, and he and Draco had—

But really, he thought he’d stayed to look at the Re’em for quite long enough.

He stepped out of the stable and immediately wished he hadn’t. Because there was Malfoy, on his morning jog, not twenty feet away. At least he was wearing a shirt this time—Harry hadn’t been wrong about the cold weather—but somehow he still looked just as attractive as he had that morning when Harry had stupidly, stupidly gone and kissed him.

Malfoy saw him, and his pleasant expression vanished from his face, to be replaced with something hard and bitter.

As if he had anything to feel bitter about.

Harry was going to let him pass by without saying anything. It would be the smart thing to do, and really, there was nothing left to be said between them.

Only apparently there was.

“Where’s your stupid hat?”

Malfoy stopped, blinked, and then sneered at Harry.

"Excuse me?”

Harry privately agreed that the question had been about as ridiculous as Malfoy seemed to think it was, but he wasn’t going to back down now.

"You heard me. Your stupid cowboy hat. Where is it? Leave it in the bedroom of that ranch hand, did you?”

Oh, fantastic. Pretending he was completely over any…any feelings for Malfoy was rather difficult to do when crap like that kept slipping out of his mouth.

If he’d exposed any feelings, though, Malfoy didn’t seem to have noticed.

“That’s rather your job, isn’t it?” asked Malfoy bitterly. “Aren’t you the one who goes hopping from bed to bed on these retreats?”

”What?” Harry asked, in complete confusion.

"I heard you, Potter. When you were Floo-calling with Granger. I’m sure you recall.” His mouth pinched into a tight line. “Or maybe you don’t. Well, let me refresh your memory. She asked you if you'd met someone special.” Malfoy paused. “You said no."

"I--well, I hadn't just met you. For fuck's sake, Draco. Aside from the fact that we went to Hogwarts together, we'd been friends for the last two years. Or at least I thought we were friends. You cleared up that little misconception, though, didn't you?"

Those spots of color had appeared in Malfoy’s cheeks—the ones that only showed up when he was truly outraged. "Friends don't use each other for a bit of fun before moving on to the next wizard that catches their eye." He sounded as if he were quoting someone, quoting Harry.

"What?" Harry asked again.

"Don't play stupid, Potter. I heard your conversation with Granger, remember?"

Harry floundered, trying to mentally piece together the three-months-old conversation. He'd asked Hermione how her sick kids were doing. She'd answered briefly but then raised an eyebrow when she realized Harry’s shower was going and he obviously wasn’t in it. He'd launched into an update on the Ministry training sessions she was missing, which had distracted her for a bit, but then she'd asked him that question about meeting someone, and then...

"Are you talking about when she asked me...I was talking about you, you prat!"

Malfoy blinked but then sneered. "Right. You expect me to believe that? I've got my eye on someone. Not the usual way one refers to a bloke they've already fucked, a bloke that's in their shower even as they speak."

"You obviously weren't in the shower by that point, were you?" Harry still felt unreasonably indignant on that point. None of this would have happened if Draco hadn't been sneaking around, spying on him like a...like a Slytherin. He sighed, feeling some of the fight leave his body along with his breath.

"I'd had my eye on you, all bloody week. For months, really. I thought it would be safe to tell her that much. I didn't know how much more you would want me to say. I'd thought we could talk about it after your shower, but by the time I'd said good bye to Hermione, you'd bloody well left, hadn't you?"

On the whole, he felt much calmer, more sad and wrung out than anything else, but he felt a fresh surge of anger at that memory and the ones that followed. His confusion when he realized that Draco had left. His hurt at Draco's hostility and vindictiveness when Harry had finally found and confronted him. And of course, worst of all, the sick, miserable, and ultimately infuriating realization of what exactly Draco must have meant by his I won.

Except...he hadn't meant that, had he? Could Draco possibly have meant exactly what Harry had first hoped and assumed he had? Well, Harry wasn't making any more assumptions, that was for damn sure.

He looked up to Draco, who was staring at him.

"What did you mean by that, anyway? When you said that you'd won?"

Draco flushed, and when he spoke, his voice was low.

"What did you think I'd meant? I told you at the time, didn't I? I'd thought I'd won you. I'd been trying to catch your attention for months. Thought I finally had it. Didn't manage to keep it very long, did I?"

"Trust me, Draco. You've had my attention."

And suddenly, it was as if the three months had never passed, and they were still on the beach where they’d shared their first kiss. He pulled Draco toward him, tight against his body, and Draco let out a small moan. Harry felt the warmth of Draco’s mouth on his neck, his jaw, and then they were kissing, just like they had before, only this time it was a pile of straw and not the sand Harry pulled Draco down onto.

And it was the prickling of the straw and not the lapping of the waves that slowly brought Harry back to the present.

“We shouldn’t—we shouldn’t do this here,” Harry said, pulling away regretfully.

“You’re right,” Draco said, and he glanced around nervously, half-rising from his reclined position. “There’s likely a Porlock in the straw.”

Harry blinked. “A what?”

“Come on, Potter, this is first-year stuff. They live in the straw of stables, guard the animals? They usually guard horses, but…”

“Right,” said Harry. He didn’t remember really, but Hermione had already given him a hard enough time for his lack of attention to first-year textbooks, and besides…

He lifted a hand and ran it through Draco’s hair. Draco’s eyes darkened.

"You've got straw in your hair. You need a shower."

"That's right," Draco said slowly. "I do."

"If I let you take one back at my room, are you going to behave yourself? You won't slip off when I'm not looking?"

"I don't suppose I will." And then Draco grinned. "But you'd better take your shower with me. Just to make sure."

Harry grinned back.

"That I can do."

Note to my WIP-phobic friends

scrtkpr — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:29:01 GMT

Remember that fic I recced recently, Earthbound Spook by cest_what?

If you were waiting for it to be complete and posted, you need wait no longer! :D

Okay, I couldn't resist...

scrtkpr — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:04:06 GMT

Harry and Draco as dancing elves. (I put a voice in this time too. Heh.)

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9552324544

ETA: And as if that wasn't enough...

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9552462930

All right...I'm going to quit being lame and go do something useful like prepare for the guests who are arriving TOMORROW.

Another fic rec!

scrtkpr — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:17:46 GMT

Happy Halloween, everyone! :D

Yes, I'm recommending another story, and by the same author, actually. I have recently had the privilege of reading blindmouse's new story Earthbound Spook before she began posting it (to her fic archiving journal, cest_what). I can safely say that it's one of my favorite fics, ever. There have only been a handful of stories in fandom that were so good I just couldn't make myself stop reading them. I stayed up all night reading this one, and I was so happy with it when I was through that I didn't even resent having to get up two hours later to get the kids ready for preschool.

She's posted the first chapter, so I highly recommend you start reading it now--then you won't have to lose sleep like I did. She'll be posting the remaining 7 parts, one every few days. Don't miss out!

Earthbound Spook by blindmouse

Harry, Draco, and life debts

scrtkpr — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 14:51:26 GMT

So I saw an article mention that JKR confirmed Draco does not owe Harry a life debt. But when I actually read the transcript of the interview, this is what was actually said:

Q: Does Malfoy owe Harry a debt?

JKR: That's a great question and a lot of people wanted to know that. When Dumbledore said to Harry, Voldemort won't want a close associate who is in your debt, I wasn't implying by that there was any kind of magical bond there. It was more that Dumbldore's extensive wisdom and knowledge of human nature, he knew as Harry later thinks in book seven, he knew that Pettigrew would react a certain way to having saved his life. ... He's weak, fundamentally weak. Pettigrew is a very weak character. He's not someone I like at all. He's a weak person and he likes to gravitate to people who are stronger. Dumbledore is right. Pettigrew had an impulsive mercy... would Malfoy e in Harry's debt? I think the very worst burden Harry could have put Malfoy under was this one, that Malfoy has to feel any kind of gratitude. So I tried to show that slightly in the epilogue when they look slightly at each other and there's a, "Hi. It's so embarrassing, you saved my life. No one will ever let me forget it." I think, does he owe him a debt, probably not. I think Malfoy would go back to being an improved version of what he was but we shouldn't expect him to be a really great guy any time soon.

Firstly, I think the "Hi. It's so embarrassing, you saved my life" is absolutely hilarious.

Secondly, the discussion of the life debt is interesting. Because...life debts aren't at all magical? If it wasn't the life debt that made Pettigrew's hand act that way, what was it?

Thirdly, why exactly is it that Draco "probably" doesn't owe a life debt? If that's the case, why did Snape owe one to James? Harry risked his life to save Draco's. James just told Snape not to go into a tree. And he was partly just trying to make sure his friend didn't get expelled.

Oh, and I didn't think I had a fourth observation, but apparently I do: I love that she assumes that Draco will be improved by his experiences and that she doesn't completely eliminate the possibility of him becoming a "really great guy" someday. Not that I don't love him when he's a complete prat, but I don't think I'd love him half so well if he didn't have the potential, at least, to become a better person. To me, that's what makes him interesting.

Fic Rec

scrtkpr — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:29:20 GMT

So I am lame and never post fic recs. One of these days, I'm going to make a huge rec list. But for now, I have one that I absolutely must mention.

Surely most of you are already familiar with blindmouse's The If Sieve. It was recommended everywhere a few months back when it was originally posted. (If you somehow missed it, go read it, NOW!) It's one of my all-time favorite fics.

And now...there is a sequel! I'd always respected her decision to not write a sequel, as The If Sieve really was fantastic as a stand-alone. But oh, I am so happy that she changed her mind and wrote it. She wrote it as a gift for me and everyone like me who would like to see things fixed for Draco after everything he's been through. And it does fix things! But it's a great story on its own as well, clever, and entertaining, and thought-provoking.

If you've ever had your heart broken by a story like ladyvader's Friend Like Me, then read The If Sieve and Mirror Maze. It will make everything better.

The If Sieve

and

Mirror Maze

Go read them! You'll be glad you did.