Laughter

Laughter by Emiime

Summary: There is always laughter.  Drabble, 250 Words.

Why You Should Care: I love everything about this flash fic — the character contrasts between serious baby Neville and his light and lively parents, the suggestions of real-life unromanced sex, the foreshadowing of what we know is to come for this family.  It’s a wonderful word sculpture.

Why You Might Not Care: It’s rated R but I’m not sure I’d count it as NWS, but it’s all up to you.

Five Dead Women

Five Dead Women by Snegurochka

Summary: Five vignettes, seemingly unrelated and featuring diverse Potterverse women, explore the link between these women that will answer the question: why are five of them dead? 6,400 Words.

Why You Should Care: There’s something beautiful about a fic that draws subtle links that are canon, but never before apparent. Snegurochka’s style is haunting and tense, the fic is laden with symbolism and suspense. It’s been cleverly crafted, you can see the amount of premeditation and effort in the structure and the reader really appreciates the writer’s work.

Why You Might Not Care: It’s symbolic and beautiful. but tends to get carried away in itself – this fic could do with an edit and a good cut. But it’s worth it, trust me.

Visitors

Visitors by Lyras

Summary: At night, Alice dreams of a little boy who brings her tokens of his love when he comes home from school. Oneshot, 1,359 Words.

Why You Should Care: How do you write a story about someone who’s insane? I have tried it before, and it is not easy, but Lyras does an excellent job of walking the line and lands on a level of crazy that’s just close enough to normal that it breaks your heart, just like the woman who handed Neville bubble-gum wrappers in Order of the Phoenix. She’s almost child-like; completely innocent and unmoved, and I can’t help thinking that this must be the hardest conversation Augusta Longbottom has ever had with her daughter-in-law, for too many reasons.

Why You Might Not Care: Alice is detached, and so are we, so we don’t feel the hit as well as we should, but I guess at least part of that was intentional. Some people may think Alice isn’t crazy enough, and I say it’s just a matter of degrees, but to each their own.