LilaDirune: Birthday Bash!

[danniperson]

Today is Lila my love's birthday! Happiest of birthdays, LilaDiurne! My lovely Crabby Queen! 💖

Before I properly met Lila, she was A Big Deal. I remember when her fic Sudden Light was coming out and being hooked. (And also devastated, but I digress.) Rarely do I follow WIPs, but for Lila I made an exception. That story was so gorgeous (and painful, did I mention that?) that I leapt for joy at every update email.

So amazed was I by her clear gift, as a wordsmith, a creative, and (most importantly) an angst aficionado. So when I met Lila for the first time, I was a bit starstruck. And there she was, this absolute genius, being so kind to me and complimenting my work. (Cue my confusion but also my excitement.)

Many people had raved about Lila's work to me, and I'd seen firsthand her gift. Her passion for these characters and for writing is so clear in her work, and all the clearer when you meet her. Now she is still A Big Deal and a Very Important Person, but she is also very near and dear to me. She is more than just this very confused genius providing great literature for free, she is an absolute gem of a human. Lila is one of the greatest gifts this fandom has given me, and to celebrate her existence I shall rec to you my TOP 5 Lila picks! (Though you should really go read all of her work, it's all incredible, I guarantee it.)

Sudden Light

Snarry. Rated E. 48k.

Seven years after the war, in the dead of winter, Severus Snape meets a beautiful stranger on a train. Inevitably, he falls in love.

On the Deficiencies of Translation Spells

Snarry. Rated E. 41k.

Divorced, single, and free, Harry lives a completely unapologetic life in Paris. Between casual hook-ups and an easy, comfortable job, he likes to think he is as close to happiness as he'll ever be. And when he gets offered a teaching job at the prestigious Académie Beauxbâtons, he thinks he may have found exactly what was missing. But Harry is thoroughly unprepared for what he finds there - a familiar face that's been haunting his dreams for six years.

Compulsory Figures

Snarry. Rated E. 6k.

Severus is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and a figure skating legend. He's also a heartless bastard who uses his fame and influence to bed as many pretty young skaters as he can. At eighteen, Harry has just begun training for his first Olympic Games. And he's exactly Severus' type.

Certain Dark Things

Snarry. Rated E. 50k.

“You want me. I know you do.”

I was too worn-out by then to even deny it. In the light of day, with only the summer wind and the cicadas to hear, it didn’t seem necessary to hide it. “It doesn’t matter, Harry. This can never happen.”

He stared at me some more, and I did my best not to falter under those shimmering eyes. “I won’t tell anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he assured me.

“I know you wouldn’t,” I added, insisting on the conditional. I didn’t like the way he’d spoken as if it had already happened. As if I had already lost.

Perhaps I already had.

In which Severus takes a trip to Italy, thinking he'll have a quiet time at the Malfoys' villa, but Harry has other plans.

Miraculous

Snarry. Rated E. 15k.

When Severus finds out that the gorgeous and charming young man Lucius set him up with, the one who's accompanying him to his mother's charity ball, is really a hired escort, he is furious and disappointed. At first. But then he realises he can use this to his advantage. After years of celibacy, he's finally found someone he connects with, someone who understands him. And this time, Severus actually has the means to see him again. Or the money. But if money's what it takes to spend time with Harry, then he's more than willing to drain his family's fortune. In an unexpected twist of faith, he might not need to.

Comments

[pauraque]

I don't read a lot of Snarry, but I have read On the Deficiencies of Translation Spells (I think I was reading everything in that fest because I was a participant) and I loved it! There was so much thought and creativity put into how Harry would approach teaching, I was ready to enroll and take his class myself. The translation spell aspect was also handled brilliantly. It was such a great story and had me riveted all the way through--even the original characters were interesting and felt very real! Definitely a fic that's stood out in my memory.

[danniperson]

Oh wow yes!!! I love that fic and had all the same feelings. I loved Harry as a teacher, the magical theory, and the world building with showing how Beaubatons was different from Hogwarts! The translation spell was great, too!! How it wasn't perfect, but enough to get by with! I love magic not offering perfect solutions. And the original characters, too!! There was just so much creativity start to finish, and so much thought and care put into every last detail!!!! I loved it so, so much.