annafugazzi | Jan. 2nd, 2009

OK, here's my own picks from

hd_holidays. Bear in mind that I didn't have an internet connection for almost three weeks, and I've only read about six fics so far.

Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, for soul_bound_8686
Author's Summary: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy don't know each other as well as they think they do. When a disastrous attempt at courtship results in the shattering of their fragile trust, they still find themselves working together in a rush to protect their secrets, their friends, and their hearts.
Rec: It's like a puzzle that somehow, perfectly, falls into place. And it makes me want to simultaneously shake both boys, and bring them home to feed them soup. Probably laced with something not entirely legal.
Excerpt: "I feel like a bit of an idiot," Ron said, his voice strained. "I Splinched myself. I can’t believe I did that." Then he looked at the table and sounded a bit more normal as a note of indignation entered his voice. "Oy! What’s Malfoy doing with my arm?"
Father of the Bride, for anathema91
Author's Summary: Harry's little girl is getting married, and the identity of her chosen suitor is about to open up a world of complications—for better and for worse.
Rec: Loved the plot. And the realness of the characters, and the unexpectedness of Lily Potter and Scorpius Malfoy.
Excerpt: Letting the last of his babies leave the nest had been hard. Watching her depart for a year-long Gringotts training period in Egypt had been harder. But Harry hadn't been at all prepared to steel himself for those words every doting father dreads to hear:

"I'm getting married."
Twelve Seemingly Insignificant Moments That Change Everything, for florahart
Author's Summary: Simple moments that might seem inconsequential are the building blocks of a greater whole.
Rec: Left me kinda speechless. The moments are carefully chosen and beautifully written.
Excerpt: Scorpius barely has a chance to right himself, however, before Malfoy has scooped him up onto his lap with a quiet, "Here, let me heal those."

Watching them, Harry's image of an austere, distant relationship between them disappears in an instant. There's no question that, as reserved as the two Malfoys have appeared all day, they have a close bond and are quite used to physical interaction.

"There," Malfoy says with a gentle kiss on the crown of Scorpius' head and the boy reluctantly scrambles off of his father's lap to sit beside Al.
Not By Bread Alone, for mizbean
Author's Summary: No man – wizard or Muggle – can live by bread alone.
Rec: I don't normally like angsty, but this one just wormed into my heart and stayed there.
Excerpt: "Going back to the Wizarding world will be expensive," he said. "Robes, potions, a new wand. Floo powder. Flowers for my lover, a ring for my fiancée … diamonds for Mother, the ones I promised her when I left. It all adds up, Harry. I need to pay for it somehow."
The Best Gift, for sugareey
Author's Summary: Harry takes his Secret Santa assignment a little too seriously.
Rec: Hilarious. And touching.
Excerpt: “You could just get him his own coffee maker. That way he’ll never have to leave his desk,” Ron had suggested unhelpfully.

“Right, and I’ve spent an entire week watching Malfoy and trying to figure him out only to get him coffee. A universal, generic, thoughtless idea of a present.”

“Hmm, flashbacks of sixth year,” Ron had muttered.

“I heard that,” Harry hissed back, before clomping back to his desk to stare at Malfoy some more.
Let It Snow, for kestrelsparhawk
Artist's Summary: 'Tis the season for the warmth that love provides.
Rec: Aaaaawww...
Excerpt:
Harry and Malfoy, Ministry's Yule Gala, 2008, for sesheta_66
Artist's Summary: "Just take the bloody photograph, Creevey!"
Rec: Beautiful :)
Excerpt:
Unavoidably Detained, for rospberry
Artist's Summary: They're about to be late for an engagement. Very late.
Rec: ::snicker:: Oh, and rrwr.
Excerpt: