ceredwensirius

Before I get to the recs,

rhye and I had discussed having an R/S Kink Meme on my journal. I am considering opening the kink meme on the 14th of January after I get off work and letting it run through the 17th. I'll turn off IP logging for that entire time and accept only anonymous comments. I'll post a Master List or something once I end the little kink fest and lock commenting or something. Haven't figured that out just yet. Do those dates interest anyone? Sound like fun? Let me know.

Someday soon I'll not be reading and reccing (not to mention writing) and make a real post, but not today. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and then Christmas. I hope your holidays are wonderful, and if you are traveling, travel safe.

I've put the recs under cuts because I did a massive catch-up tonight.

I am almost up to date on reading at

rs_small_gifts but there is a ~20,000 word story that is going to have to wait until I make some headway over at Kinky Kristmas.

R/S Small Gifts

Art

Drawings for "And A Star To Steer Her By" by

carmentakoshi

A few days ago I promised to have a real rec for this piece. This was drawn for one of my stories, but you do not need to know the story in order to enjoy the art. The vibrant use of color and them is brilliant here. I just love the storybook cover feel to the first panel. I also simply adore Sirius' "Got a little Captain in you?" stance. The use of shadow in the main panel is brilliant and really sets off Captain Black and all his lovely colors. I was extra blessed with this gift though because there is also a tartish Remus showing nipple, a saucy, vibrantly colored Lily, boys snogging in the crows nest and Sirius as peacock. If you haven't already checked this out, please do!

Against the cold by

epithalamium

Very sweet series of panels in which Sirius takes a chance on getting to know Remus and shares a cup of coffee with him. If you are familiar with this artists work then you already know it will be stunning and if you aren't, get familiar. She does great work and is iconic in our little community.

I love you and it's getting worse by

catbirdfish

This artist tends to work in soft, beautiful lines, prefers realism as opposed to stylized, and I am becoming a big fan. This piece is deceptively understated, but there is so much emotion at work. It is nothing short of stunning.

Fic

Bundimums, Boggarts, and Broom-Closets by

dogsunderfoot

This is a fantastic love-the-second-time-around fic. Sirius is a professor at Hogwarts and Remus comes to visit him. They start to reminisce about old times, which leads to memories of sexier times and well, one thing leads to another. The fic is fun and light-hearted and is sure to bring a smile. Don't miss this one!

We Need a Little Christmas by

flaminia_x

Dumbledore thinks a Secret Santa gift exchange is a perfect way to celebrate the holidays with the Order. Sirius thinks switching the names on the gifts is the perfect way to liven things up. Wackiness ensues. Very fun fic!

For the Present by

penhaligonblue

My favorite part about this piece is the ending. Through the whole fic there is a very light-hearted feel with Remus banishing boggarts, Lily claiming Remus for her maid of honour, and James getting cold feet, but it is the end that leaves you just a little bit melancholy. Beautifully written with a moral to the story.

The Lupin Family Folly or Black's Christmas Cock-Up by

gryffindor_j

This is a nice nix of humor and honest family tension. I generally prefer when Tonks moves on, but the reality is that one partner in a divorce sometimes does hang on and is unhappy about the turn of events. Divorce can take closeness that family members once felt and shake them to their foundations. I'm not sure why that stuck out to me in this because this is primarily a fun fic with a bit of hot smexing at end.

Bigger than my bad habits by

red_squared

I love it when fic shows us Remus and Sirius as real men. This one does exactly. Remus has some concerns that are making him panicky and Sirius helps him to talk them through. It is lovely glance at domesticity between two men who care a great deal about each other.

Kinky Kristmas

*flails* I am still behind at this fest. Damn it. I should read a few everyday but my time comes to me in chunks. I'm loving it though! Great stuff at this fest!

Art All of the art is NSFW

"Wish I could've been there" George/Angelina/Ghost!Fred

Very poignant. There has been quite a bit of art in this fest featuring the twins and dealing with Fred's death. In this, Ghost!Fred can't quite seem to let go. This piece is beautiful and just a bit sad.

Unveiled Severus/Sirius/Remus

Oh, UNF. This is just hot. Sirius is gorgeous, mmm.

Fic

Only Now I See The Light Charlie/Scorpius, with a side of Teddy/James Jr.

I am quite surprised to be reccing a next gen pairing, but I have to say I really liked the authors Scorpius. Part of what keeps me out of next gen is that there is almost nothing I know about them. They are too young to have any history, their problems are likely to be of the usual teenage variety and they don't strike me as being anything but sort of... ordinary. My usual prejudice out of the way, I have to say I really liked the author's Scorpius. He's devious enough to be interesting and causes mayhem of the good natured variety pretty much wherever he goes. Somehow he's managed to land Charlie Weasley and it works. Charlie is steady (and also quite hot) and a nice balance to Scorpius. This fic is a lot of fun with a nice bit of fluff at the end.

In The Bleak Mid-Winter Severus/Minerva

Minerva's voice in this is so convincing. It is an excellent use of the first person. I love the clear, methodical way she thinks, and her empathy for Snape is lovely. The ending is a kicker.

Tainted Love Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy

I love rentboy fics with a twist. This is certainly that. Harry, known as Haden at work, is a high-class prostitute. He's left the wizarding world for various reasons and doesn't want his identity revealed. David Mason is a very familiar looking new client. The ending could have been stronger, but that is really my only caveat. The characterizations were great, the story engaging and enjoyable. This is another pairing I don't completely get, but the chemistry works and when all is revealed, the fireworks of banter was hilarious, Really a fantastic read.

How Lavender Brown Learned to Hate Christmas (and Love George Weasley) in Just Twelve Days George Weasley/Lavender Brown

This had me giggling the whole way through. The concept it clever, the execution wonderful and the banter, oh the banter is fantastic. This is a very fun read.

Cover Up Kingsley Shacklebolt/Ted Lupin, a bit of Snape/Draco on the side.

This is just filled with crossgen goodness! I really enjoyed the slow progression from Teddy's hero-worship of Kingsley to seeing him as a real man with flaws and faults that he has fallen in love with. The tension between Kingsley wanting to keep things quiet and Teddy wanting to be open about their affair is believable. That the sex was scorching hot doesn't hurt either. This is a great read!

Smutty Claus

Fic

The Pervert's Grand Tour of Europe Sirius/Hermione

Very cute story about Sirius and Hermione on their honeymoon in Venice. Light-hearted and sexy with a very mischievous Hermione.

HP Yule Balls

Art

Embrace Sirius/Remus

The artists use of color in this is really brilliant. The blue in the background really sets off the boys and their embrace, and also works rather effectively as a commentary on their lives. Whether young or old, if you are sticking to canon the glass isn't just half-empty, its bone dry. With the simple use of color the artist is able to say so much. This is lovely, hot, and hints at their canon heartache.