Dive on in!

Fics:

Footfalls Echo in the Memory by: anonymous

Harry and Severus wake up one morning in bed together and missing their memories of the last ten years. Having memories pre-HBP only, they both react as they would at the time and can't believe there could be anything more between them.

And even though most of the time you'll probably be thinking at Harry "Don't do that!" or "Listen to Hermione! She's probably right!" you just know that of course Harry would do that and won't listen to Hermione's suggestions even though she's usually right because that's so very like Harry. Both Harry and Snape are very IC throughout, and it's amazing to finally see how they manage to work together. You can definitely see how their relationship had become like it had been before the memory loss occurred.

The really big surprise is Harry's relationships with the other people around him in the story and how different he feels when around some of them. I really thought Ron and Pansy would both be quite different than they were, but it was a pleasant surprise to see how things had changed Hermione, Ron, and Pansy.

Invasum (Like Father, Like Son) by: anonymous -- warnings: brief het sex; Harry/Ginny, Tobias/Harry (sort of), Severus/Harry ; At first glance I thought James and Harry when I saw the title, but while James is mentioned in passing, it really is all about Tobias and Severus (and Harry, of course!).

I must admit, whenever I see warnings of het sex and Harry/Ginny on the same fic, I get a bit more hesitant in regards to reading a fic. However, the Tobias/Harry suggestion in the warnings just had me too curious. I suspect both warnings might have made someone feel wary about reading this one, but I must say it's more than worth the read! Even if you absolutely can't stand het sex (or you're like me and can't stand to see Ginny with Harry) you should read this. The Ginny/Harry sex scene isn't very long and there's a pretty obvious hint right before in the dialog between Ginny and Harry. It's so neatly placed that it's very easy to pass over it if you must, but there is some post-sex talk that does give a bit more insight into how Ginny is.

As for the Tobias/Harry, I can't explain that or else I'd give more away than I should. Let me just say don't let it stop you from reading this fic. It's actually very original in regards to what's going on with Snape and Tobias, and I really loved that.

From Where I Am by: anonymous; pre-slash.

Albus Severus, the sneaky little Slytherin, manages to find the room of requirement and rediscover Severus Snape.

When I saw the summary I did kind of wondered how that happens and whether it involves time travel in the room of requirement, but how Al finds himself meeting Severus for the first time is much more interesting than that. The interactions between Severus and Al are so charming and it feels like Severus becomes a sort of second Dad to Al rather than "best friend" as Al calls him. This fic may not have smut, but it really is a great story with a really sweet and warm ending.

Folie à Deux by: anonymous; warnings: EWE, rimming

Harry pesters Severus to spend Christmas with him, but Severus stubbornly refuses. Severus really should have known better though. Harry never gives up.

It's a funny and even cute introduction to a Snape family Christmas where misunderstandings and cluelessness (at least for Harry) abound, tempered with snide comments and the occasional rude suggestion. There are several generations of Snapes, all of whom are a complete surprise to Harry.

And again reccing this:

Trigonometry of Souls by anonymous

It is one of the longer fics, but it's also one of the most fabulous, imo. I've read it several times since it was posted and I'm probably going to read it a few more times before saving it onto my harddrive after the reveals.

Harry uses magic to make a deal with death and it works out even better for him than even Harry could have imagined. However, the hinting at soulmates from Death is misunderstood by Harry who is his usual thick self. So years later when Ginny finally decides to get a divorce it takes Harry and his son James (in particular) by surprise.

James is usually portrayed as somewhat of a bully similar to Harry's father in quite a few fics I've read, so I was prepared to see an unreasonably angry James. What I wasn't prepared for was the complete 180 James does after a talk with Severus. James may not be sly, but he certainly does a good job of gathering the other young relatives to do a good deed for Harry. The next gen characters were all really well done and delightful to read.

Also, if you really want to read fantastic smut scenes, this fic has some very hot sex.

Art:

Beware the Power of Mistletoe by: anonymous (PG-13) features a very heated kiss under the mistletoe. Wow! That's some power the mistletoe has. All for good, though, if the way things appear to be going is any sign. Really sexy bare chests included. :D

They Left Four Hours Ago by: anonymous (PG) is a much sweeter kiss, but it's no less beautifully drawn and colored.

Drinking Party by: anonymous (PG-13/possibly NWS) features a bacchanalian version of Harry and Snape. The Pan-like version of Harry is really neat and the hint of art nouveau is lovely. Note: I'm using the word "bacchanalian" here to refer to the theme. It's certainly not a drunken orgy. It's much more subdued and elegant... although I'm sure if we gave them enough time that would change. ;)

---

Okay, that's really all I have time for right now~ Let me know if I give too much away and I'll try to fix it.

For those of you that haven't been keeping up, snarry_holidays has had some wonderful fics and art posted. Please check it out and remember to comment if you haven't already! ;)

Also: Please note that my recs are vague summaries intended to help someone decide if they want to read the fic without trying to give much of anything away. Please let me know if you see something that you feel is too much of a spoiler and I'll try to edit it, but it's just so darn hard to do summaries like that. It's also important to understand that I'm a critical reccer -- I'm giving my honest opinions here rather than just spewing out nothing but praise. That said, I wouldn't be reccing these if I didn't absolutely enjoy them. These were all great and definitely worth reading, imo.

Now on to the recs:

Trigonometry of Souls by: anonymous -- This was just posted this morning and I'm a bit sad that it hasn't gotten more love because it's actually my favorite.

If you enjoy a slow buildup that ends in several well-timed sexy climaxes, then I highly recommend this. It's a nice, long read with some really fantastically hot sex scenes. There is mention of Ginny/Harry and the story does follow canon up to a point, but you'll be glad it did even if you hate Ginny. This story won't make you like Ginny any better (because admit it, she's hard to like even in canon! >:)), but it may make you find you like one of the children more than you expect! There are a few small spelling/grammar problems scattered throughout for anyone who really gets bothered by that, but I honestly didn't find it to be enough to affect my understanding of what was going on or my enjoyment of the story.

Playing with Fire by: anonymous -- Warnings: There is some chan (Harry's 16), mention of Harry/Ginny (whew, near miss!), and dub-con (depending on how you look at it, imo).

This one involves a sex toy with attitude. You may find yourself fond of it by the beginning (it does after all do some damage that may or may not make you snicker evilly if just to yourself) and so Harry ends up agreeing to let Snape teach him how to use it properly. Snape goes from clinical to sexy and I admit I didn't get the dub-con in the warnings, but there definitely is some confusion with Harry (who is naturally inexperienced and naive). It's not a fic with a conclusive ending, but it does allow for our imaginations to pick up where it leaves off, which I really enjoyed.

Of Hope Restored by: anonymous -- Warnings: AU after OotP, but nothing else.

I really loved how this fic started out with an action scene. It immediately puts you on the edge of your seat and is a great set up for the plot. I kept expecting an over-exaggerated drama, having been tormented by poorly written fics with similar plots for years, but I was delighted that it never materialized. The reactions were perfect, not too much or too little. It is told from Severus's perspective, so it is a little naturally bleak, but by the end there's a warm feeling of hope that Harry's managed to instill in Severus. It's a happy ending, and it does make you feel good.

Bound and Chained to You by: anonymous -- For me!! :D No warnings.

It's definitely a pleasant short fic and if you love Sherlock Holmes as I do, I think it's worth reading. I admit I was a little confused and disoriented the first time I read it. I wasn't quite sure what was happening, but after a second read I realized it was a test of sorts for Harry and Severus. I thought they were quite IC, as was Holmes as much as could be expected in such a situation, I'd think! The ending was very satisfying.

Yay! I am now well through the halfway point and I'm still managing to get everything done on schedule. Now I just have to worry about the Snarry Smut Swap piece (which I *really* want to be grand and ambitious, so I'm already a bit nervous about it) until it's time to turn it in. Then all through December or after I finish the Smut Swap piece, whichever comes first, I'll focus on the Harry Potter Bang art.

Here's the schedule now:
severusbigbang art: November 15th
snarry_holidays art: November 16th
snarry_swap art: December 14th
Harry Potter Bang art: January 10th

But while I'm working on the snarry_swap, I still have to choose the story to illustrate for the Harry Potter Bang on lj. The day to make the decision will be the 20th -- three days away. So I'll need to make up my mind quick and choose before someone else takes all the ones I might be willing to do.

There is, of course, the Scorpius & Rose gen fic, the Remus/Harry fic, and the Remus/Harry/Sirius fic. I don't know if I could manage the Scorpius & Rose one because I'm seriously not used to drawing young people of that age. It may come down to the plot we'll have to choose from.

It's *finally* done! You cannot imagine the huge sense of relief I have now that I've finished it. Now I don't have to keep working on it anymore~~~~

I feel so much better now that I've gotten that out of the way. It was just taking such an unbelievably long time and I'm still not sure why. I've spent whole nights just working on one character's hair and some other coloring. That seems insane. Where does all the time go? I start at 11 p.m. and when I look up it's 4:30 a.m.! Gah!

But now I can decide on the other stuff to do and what all to work on for SeverusBigBang. I also must start my Snarry Swap picture asap, too. I have an idea what I'll do for that already, so I sincerely hope it won't go the same way the Snarry Holidays piece did.

Well, I've gotten Snape's pose largely drawn out and I'm satisfied with it. What's bothering me is how much time this has taken to do. It's just been so difficult finding the right ideas to come together in the right perspective. How to illustrate an idea in a way that's sexy and tells a story? It doesn't always come together right away for me. I tend to jump in without a thought and just draw, draw, draw until I get where I want. Unfortunately, deadlines freak me out a bit. I always want to be done well ahead of time. So I want to finish the rough sketch tomorrow and be working on the colors right after so I can go back to my Severus Big Bang works that aren't finished yet.

Oh, darn. I have a doctor's appointment today and I got no sleep last night, lol.

Anyways, started on two new Snape/Snarry drawings. I'm working on backgrounds for them both. And I've gone through several incarnations of the Snarry Hols artwork. Gaaah. I'll try and drop everything else and work exclusively on that today or tonight when I get time. Right now I can't seem to get it quite right. Hmm.

I should post more artwork soon, but so far everything's either incomplete original art or will likely go towards one of the fests I'm working on. I just really need to get my Snarry Hols assignment done before I feel like I can devote more time towards extra fanart.

For SeverusBigBang, that is. Actually, I sent in descriptions of about a dozen Snape/Snarry fanarts I've recently started. Added to that is my Snarryhols pic which is sitting here half finished. They're all in various states of completion. I expect I'll easily have three ready for the deadline. The Snarryhols pic is worrying me a bit. I've been staying away from the computer mostly because one eye is itchy and watery and is basically giving me a headache. The light from the screen hurts it. I hope it passes soon. I've had too many problems all of a sudden.

I want to get everything finished soon!

Hopefully my headache will be gone by then. I have a killer headache right now and so far the medicine I've taken hasn't done much to make it any better.

I'm working on a new commission (traditional media/acrylic on canvas) again. I'm also working on my SnarryHols and SeverusBigBang pieces. I'm very unsatisfied with my current SnarryHols piece, so I might make a style change and jump to a less realistic style to get what I want done or just change the piece altogether! I really thought I had something there. At least for research I'm going to spoil myself by cruising the Japanese Lamento fansites. That'll be fun.

I've also got a piece I'm iffy on. Do I *really* want to do a Bellatrix portrait? Or do I want to turn it into an original piece? I'm torn. I kind of want to make it an original piece, but I had in mind a rather sinister woman like Bellatrix when I started it. Decisions, decisions. Maybe I'll make two versions to satisfy myself. Even if I don't like Bellatrix, I'm tempted to do it.

And a reminder: new art soon! But it's a surprise. And tomorrow I'll e-mail where I am currently to the SeverusBigBang mods. I have a few half finished pieces, some concept fanarts, and some pieces that are really new. I may have to just pick and choose two or three. I don't know if I have the time for more than that.

Severus Big Bang rough drafts due: October 1st
Severus Big Bang final drafts due: November 15th
Snarry Holidays art due: November 16th
Daft Day Snarry Smut Swap art due: December 14th

Snarry Holidays posting begins: November 28th
Daft Day Snarry Smut Swap posting begins: January 1st, 2010
Severus Big Bang posting begins: January 9th, 2010

Add to those the piece I'm working on now and the Snarry Games Closing Games drawbles I've turned in. I have to hurry up and finish this piece to add to the growing pile of finished works so I can work more on the other projects. I'm still having slight difficulty with the Snarry Holidays because the requests were a little vague. I've already started the picture, but I can only hope the person who gets it likes it.