Immature

Immature by Walkingcensure

Summary: Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter are seven years old, plump, cute, and innocent. Life for them is all about cake, ice cream, friendship bracelets, and premature vows of love. Humour, 8,713 Words.

Why You Should Care: Because it’s so cute! Mini!Marauders and Mini!Lily may just be the best things ever. There’s a wonderful ruefullness about reading this story, it takes you back to the dramas of being seven and all the crazy stuff you used to believe and it’s fun. Additionally, the author manages to keep all the characters pretty in character, and also passably young. It’s a nice gimmick, but done so well that it feels like more.

Why You Might Not Care: Vaguely AU. Also, small people are not everyone’s cup of tea. Plus, Lily/James.

Note: I haven’t actually been able to pin down Chelle about recs, but I guess I’ll just post as many as I can as often as I can until Chelle tells me not to…?

A Marauder’s Map

A Marauder’s Map by Xylodemon

Summary: Seven memories found in Sirius Black’s pensieve, one for each of his years at Hogwarts. Oneshot, 7,076 Words.

Why You Should Care: Xylodemon always delivers something worth a read, quite frankly, and these seven pinches from Sirius Black’s school-days is no exception.  There’s enough character to keep the boys defined, though this fic’s focus is Sirius in particular.  My favorite bits are the pranks — good Marauder pranks are difficult to come up with, especially ones that mix magical execution with light-hearted, boyish goals.

Why You Might Not Care: It’s a little overly generic, to tell the truth, though perhaps it wasn’t back when it was written in September 2005.  Similarly, a splash of Remus/Sirius is thrown in and then never really developed or explained, which makes its inclusion — for me — a little pointless, though die-hard Remus/Sirius shippers will probably disagree vehemently.

Literacy

Literacy by Sin Fin

Summary: Sirius is an illiterate bastard, James doesn’t care for the Dark Arts, Peter just wants to pass Astronomy, and Remus is a werewolf.  Hogwarts, years 1 and 2. Oneshot, 6,000 Words.

Why You Should Care: This is not quite canon and also not quite the typical characterisation of the young Marauders, but there’s something about it that still just works in that way fics sometimes do.  The characterisations are solid enough that you get a feel for these boys as individuals, and tying the discovery of Remus’ lycanthropy into the theme of literacy is a nice touch.

Why You Might Not Care: It ends rather suddenly, I think because the thematic elements weren’t as tight as I wished they were throughout all the facets of the story — you’re left hanging because there’s the feeling there ought to be more, that the author hasn’t quite said everything she meant to say.  As a whole, it lacks… something.  It feels unfinished and loose.

Sirius Black, Super Genius

Sirius Black, Super Genius by Mistful

Summary: “A few weeks later with Valentine’s Day drawing inexorably nearer, it began to dawn on Remus that this did not appear to be one of the daydreams Sirius toyed with and then forgot about, like the time he wanted Dumbledore and McGonagall to get married and have superchildren.”  Humour, 8,953 Words.

Why You Should Care: I have no solid understanding of the precise agreed-upon meaning of the term “crackfic”, but if I had to describe what the word means to me, I would probably use this fic as Exhibit A.  And B.  Also C through Z.  This is one of those fics that zig-zags so violently across the line between comedy and parody that it becomes its own beast.  It’s completely over the top while still somehow managing to have a solid foundation under all that crack; this one doesn’t just bring the clichés, it practically invents new ones.  I can’t decide if Mistful is a genius or completely Sirius-Black insane.  Probably both.

Why You Might Not Care: I suppose it all depends on what you define as crackfic and whether or not you like crackfic.  I put forth only that in reading this I managed on several occasions to force hot tea through my nose in an attempt not to choke on my own laughter.

Map of the Problematique

Map of the Problematique by SullenSiren

Summary: “He’s going to make it a RULE.” Before they went their separate ways, Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail shared a flat. The flat had rules. This is how it went. Drama, 15,406 Words.

Why You Should Care: I feel like I haven’t rec’d a good, general Marauder fic for ages, so here we go: this is an absolutely smashing fic about the Marauders in their few years between Hogwarts and the fall of Voldemort, as accompanied and illuminated by a list of rules on taped-together pieces of parchment. It’s quite an underhanded tragedy, how the war and their work for the Order and Dumbledore slowly tears these four boys apart. We see them when times are still good and when they are as tightly bound together as brothers; then we see them slip away from each other and watch each of them fall by the wayside. The huge gaps of time missed near the end of this fic and the silence it brings with it is just as poignant as the moments SullenSiren does show.

Why You Might Not Care: There’s blatant Remus/Sirius, and it deserves at least an R rating, and maybe an NC-17, for it, so be warned: those who do not like slash will wrinkle their nose. That’s really about it, though.

Awards: 2008 Hourglass Award, Popular Choice — Best Multi-Chaptered Fic; 2008 Hourglass Award, Admins’ Choice — Angst (tied)

Thirteen Steps to the End of the World

Thirteen Steps to the End of the World by Thirty2Flavors

Summary: “The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.” Thirteen steps to the end of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. Oneshot, 4,821 Words.

Why You Should Care: Well, Thirty2Flavors for a start. And she’s doing what she does best, which is to say it’s a fic about the Marauders during those moments that make all the difference. There are some fabulous parallels drawn between characters in this fic, and it’s Thirty2Flavor’s ability to dig just a little deeper and find something to show you that you’ve never seen before that keeps us coming back for more every time.

Why You Might Not Care: Perhaps not her strongest piece, by comparison. But well worth the time to read, especially for Marauder fans.

Awards: 2008 Hourglass Award, Best Drama — First Place; 2008 Hourglass Award, Popular Choice — Best Oneshot.

The Firewhiskey Incident

The Firewhiskey Incident by Lady Bracknell

Summary: In a lot of ways, it was Joni Mitchell’s fault. In some ways, it was Sirius’. The Firewhiskey had a bit to do with it, Remus admitted, but when it came down to it, really, he had no-one to blame but himself. Humour, 6,738 Words.

Why You Should Care: Another classic Lady Bracknell fic.  This one is fantastically funny, and the set up is gold.  It’s adult Marauders at their highest (or lowest, depending on your point of view) and, while plot-wise it perhaps lacks a certain — shall we say — thematic punch, in the end the goal is to amuse and Lady Bracknell delivers.  This slides seamlessly along side the other works in her universe quite well, but this talented author never makes her previous stories required reading, and this stands alone quite splendidly.  Fans of Lady Bracknell will delight in the throw-away references, and those just jumping in will hardly realize they’re missing anything.

Why You Might Not Care: Oh, for goodness sake why wouldn’t you read it?  There’s drunken hijinks and even hints of Remus/Sirius depending on how you take the wink at the end for those who like that kind of thing.  It’s Lady Bracknell, doing what she does best.  What’s not to like?

Wild Things

Wild Things by Lady Balin

Summary: Lily encounters Padfoot, Wormtail, Moony, and Prongs in their animal forms. Hilarity, romance, and possibly some illicit groping ensue. Humour, 8,329 Words.

Why You Should Care: This is another one of those ideas that had never before occurred to me, but now seems so bloody obvious.  As the summary indicates, there is a twitch of romance, definitely some groping, and a heaping spoonful of hilarity.  I chuckled — I chuckled particularly hard at Peter’s chapter.  Very enjoyable situational comedy.

Why You Might Not Care: When you stop and really think about it, the plot is a little contrived, but such is all stuff worthy of situational comedy — it relies on one-in-a-million chances, strange coincidences, and having the absolute worst possible thing happen at exactly the moment you wouldn’t want it to happen.  The predictable nature is part of what makes it funny — don’t look too deep, that will just ruin it.

The Adventures of Icarus, the Invisible Poltergeist

The Adventures of Icarus, the Invisible Poltergeist by After The Rain

Summary: In which Mr. Prongs takes Muggle Studies, Mr. Padfoot has a crush on Professor McGonagall, Miss Evans demonstrates where her son inherited his CAPS LOCK tendencies, Mr. Wormtail discovers that his Animagus form is useful for petty theft, and Mr. Moony explains why none of this can possibly be construed as his fault. Oneshot, Humour, 7,610 Words.

Why You Should Care: This is a fantastically funny little Marauders adventure that doesn’t pretend to have any larger plot or point.  It’s something Remus and Sirius might have reminisced about one of those long nights at Grimmauld Place over glasses of gin and a comfortably crackling fire.  Molly would have padded downstairs at three in the morning looking harassed and demanded to know what could possibly have been so uproariously funny that they had to wake the entire house at such a ridiculous hour thankyouverymuch, and Sirius would have tossed back a fresh glass of liquor with a defiant smirk while Remus lowered his eyes and guiltily apologized while stifling an excess of chuckles.  I love Remus’ tone as the one telling the story, one of a slightly-too-pompous sounding sixteen-year-old, and each of the Marauders is nicely characterized.  The Muggle Studies class and the misconceptions about Muggles and Muggle technology by pureblood wizards is gold —  pure, JKR worthy gold.  Completely entertaining.

Why You Might Not Care: I dare say there isn’t anything remotely worth putting in this section.  This fic is 100% delightful.  Have at it, with my blessing.  I’m going to go read it again.

The Shortest Distance Between Two People

The Shortest Distance Between Two People by Riko

Summary: In which Sirius learns that growing up isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds. Oneshot, 8,054 Words.

Why You Should Care: If The Shoebox Project was only text, told entirely from Sirius’ POV, and around 100,000 words shorter, this is probably what it would be. I love the way this has been structured as a series of brief moments, conversations, and events in Sirius’ life. The major things are there, but they fall into the background because when you’re a teenager the big things are less the point than the smaller, day-to-day things. This is a very believable story about a boy growing up and growing into himself, and the slash is done very well. Sirius and Remus are entirely boys to whom the concept is vaguely terrifying and wrong, but can’t quite help themselves. I like the lingering sense of unease this fic ends on, as if the author has left it up to us to decide whether or not Sirius and Remus ever do make a real go of it after The Prank, and I wonder if maybe it’s too far out of the realm of possibility to think maybe they didn’t — that maybe some things and some betrayals are too big to get over. The writing is fabulous, and though the framework is entirely Sirius, you get a feeling for each of the Marauders as Sirius sees them, and the language is brilliant. Fantastic all the way around.

Why You Might Not Care: There’s a steamy little scene in an abandoned classroom people who don’t do slash won’t enjoy, but there’s more here than just the slash, and I heartily suggest all readers give it a read. It’s very, very good, and captures the transitional teenage years amazingly well.

Awards: 2008 Hourglass Award, Admins’ Choice — Drama

25 Stories Penknife Never Wrote About the Marauders

25 Stories Penknife Never Wrote About the Marauders by Penknife

Summary: In which Penknife successfully avoids signing up to write 100 stories about the Marauders, and merely sums up instead. All prompts taken from the fanfic100 table. Humor, Drabble Collection, 1,284 Words.

Why You Should Care: Penknife not only pokes fun at the Marauder genre fiction in this one, but at her own fiction as well.  Remus/Sirius are most particularly highlighted in this little parody, and the concept of fanfic100 is also made canon fodder by in this good-natured comedy of cliches.

Why You Might Not Care: If you’re not a parody person, or dislike slash so much you can’t even read about it when it’s being mocked.  This is like a little commentary on a Remu/Sirius fic you can’t remember the name of but are sure you read.

Snogwarts: A Parody

Snogwarts: A Parody by Oy Angelina

Summary: Did you ever notice how cliched MWPP fanfiction could be? If not, Oy! Angie noticed enough for everyone! Read the cult-classic MWPP parody that was too good (and too wrong) for FF.net. Parody, 8,119 Words.

Why You Should Care: I love this. There’s not quite as much MWPP badfic as there is trio-era badfic, but it’s out there thriving in small communities, and this fic manages to poke fun at most of them, one by one, and sometimes all at once. Very funny, and oh so true. I especially love Peter’s cameos, and every time someone says “Hi guys, what’s up?” I break out into little fits of giggles.

Why You Might Not Care: If you don’t like parodies, I guess. I admit this won’t be quite as funny to people who don’t read a lot of MWPP fanfic, but I think just about anyone will get a few chuckles out of this.

Here at the End of All Things

Here at the End of All Things by NotSoSoft

Summary: Here at the end of all things, she thinks absently, immediately confused at what brought about this fleeting, unprovoked musing. Oneshot, 7,999 Words.

Why You Should Care: Every time a class graduates, it is the end of an era, and the graduation of the Marauders is no different. NotSoSoft pens us a lovely introspective piece that takes each Marauder by turn and unfolds them at this pivotal moment. They each stand side-by-side on the edges of their own deep chasms, staring off into that terrifying thing called adulthood, and wonder where the will go and what they will do now. Peter, especially, is a remarkable version of himself here; surprisingly discerning and self-aware. He is truly a Marauder, but it is possible to see in him the things that make him lose his way, and his character study is especially revealing.

Why You Might Not Care: People who have not yet experienced the pang and nostalgia of graduation won’t feel this in quite the same ways those who have will, but it’s good regardless. Simple, quiet, and reflective.

The Shoebox Project

The Shoebox Project by Dorkorific and LadyJaida

NOTE: The Shoebox Project LJ community has been hacked. The link that purportedly points to a “new” archive actually points to a keystroke-logging virus. Until the community has been restored, I’ve pointed the link to a place where you can download Shoebox chapters in PDF format.

Summary: A multi-media Remus/Sirius extravaganze, with plenty of James, Lily and Peter thrown in to make things extra-fun. Novel Length, Probably over 100,000 Words.

Why You Should Care: This is… this is the Remus/Sirius fanfic, people. There is no other better, no other more in depth, and no other that is more realistic. If it was canon, this is how it would have been. Dorkorific and LadyJaida never forget that these are teenagers in the 70s to whom the idea of homosexuality is not an entirely comfortable one, and the coming together of Remus and Sirius is achingly slow; at some places, they almost move backwards. But every section of this fic is so fantastically well written — like a huge collection of smaller stories that link together — that it probably wouldn’t matter if Remus and Sirius never figured it out, because there are plenty of other reasons to stay and read this. It is romantic, completely comical, but 100% real and I adore it. The characters are all fantastically written, and each has their own distinctive personality (which is often a difficult thing to find in Marauder fics) and I love it. Love, love, love it. There are notes between friends, diary entires, and dozens of fantastically drawn “photos” of the golden age of the Marauders. I love it.

Why You Might Not Care: It’s addictive. When you start, it’s very difficult not to stop. It’s also still a work in progress, and sometimes there are significant lags in between updates. But it the end it is all worth it, because this is easily one of the top five Marauder fics I have ever read. If you are one of the very, very few people who hasn’t already found this, make some time and get over there and read it for God sakes, in case the internet collapses in on itself and The Shoebox Project disappears forever. Go. NOW.

Awards: 2007 Hourglass Award, Best Overall — First Place.

Smoke and Mirrors

Smoke and Mirrors by Andromeda311

Summary: Twenty somewhat related facts about the Marauders. And Lily. Drabble Collection, 1,761 Words.

Why You Should Care: It’s such a unique idea, so simple and graceful and straightforward, but these little tidbits and trifles manage to be more telling than a novel-length MWPP-era fic, and it deals with all five characters equally and by turns. Genius.

Why You Might Not Care: Because you’re lazy and stupid. Otherwise, you’d obviously read it.

Redeeming Time

Redeeming Time by Minx (Thanks to gomita23 for the new link!)

Summary: In the year after Sirius plays his trick on Snape, James and his friends confront changes in themselves, in their relationships, and in those around them. Novel Length, Oneshot, 45,725 Words.

Why You Should Care: Another author tackles the impossible task of the Marauders during their last couple of years at school. What she does not do is give us every excruciating detail, but rather writes four stories that connect into one larger one. This is most assuredly a Remus/Sirius and a James/Lily, but it’s all told from James’ POV, which is an unusual choice for a slash fic. It makes the slash much more palatable for those of us who don’t usually read it, and what’s really well done is that James has to do some mental adjustments as he finds out the truth about Sirius, and later Remus, which is what any young man would have to do when confronted about this by two of his best friends. James has trouble adjusting, and while it might not be as much as real life, it is there where usual slash just sort of bypasses the awkwardness of the situation without a word. Also, I adore James’ parents in this fic, and for the rest of my life I will always believe that his mother was a painter and had just such a room full of paintings of James, canon be damned.

Why You Might Not Care: The slash is all above board, and while it only just scrapes the delicate chastity of a kiss, it’s most definitely there and dominates the story. The boys seem a little too young throughout, like fourteen or fifteen year-old versions of themselves instead of sixteen and seventeen, and Peter is conspicuously and often absent, but in the end I enjoyed it despite all that, so good on Minx. Me and slash don’t typically get along so well.

Love In Fire and In Blood

Love In Fire and In Blood by Raven

Summary: In which James and Lily get married, Sirius gets maudlin, Remus gets put-upon and everyone gets pissed. Humour, 6,345 Words.

Why You Should Care: Because no one on Earth has written drunken Marauders better than this. I’m almost convinced the author was a drunken Marauder at some point in their life. The rest is light and cute and funny enough but the part where Remus is drunk on the table is why this is up here. “I lie here, drunk and rejected, on your kitchen table.” HaHA! That’s where it’s at, my peeps.

Why You Might Not Care: Hardcore Marauder fans will get the impression that most of the characters here are slightly off, but will likely be amused all the same. Peter is almost-but-not-quite shunted aside, but has just enough cameos that you won’t hold it against the author. What does make a regrettable cameo, however, is a “serious Sirius” pun uttered from Remus’ lips. I’d forgive him, as he was stunningly hungover at the time of the transgression.

Asinus ad Lyram

Asinus ad Lyram by Ylime

Summary: Moony, Wormtail, and Padfoot feel that Prongs will never win a certain red-haired girl with the tame Valentine he is writing. So, full to the brim and beyond with good intentions, they design a little Valentine of their own… Humour, 5,256 Words.

Why You Should Care: HAHAHA! This was something read on Spellcast that I loved. It’s a fluffy, humourous MWPP misadventure, yet remarkably in character. Sirius, Remus and Peter play off each other nicely, and all manage to be exactly what they are: misguided boys. In addition, the description of the Valentines Frenzy that overtakes Hogwarts is more than worth the price of admission. And the little Valentine James gets melted my heart and made me all gooey inside.

Why You Might Not Care: Don’t come here unless you enjoy chaos created by Marauders or if you feel the need to take the Marauders too seriously. Or if fluff makes you gag a little. And James specifically is… a little weak, character-wise. But he makes up for it when he freaks out on Sirius, so I suppose it’s all good.

Whisper In My Ear

Whisper In My Ear by Wingless Flight

Summary: A person is a complex being. Torn, mended, covered. Memories, lovers, death. Explore what truly makes a human being human and see how the slightest thing can mould a person forever. Novel Length Drabble Collection, 53,583 Words.

Why You Should Care: Yes, this is a drabble collection that is over 50,000 words long, though I use drabble in its “less than 1,000 words” sense rather than its “exactly 100 words” sense. Still, by no means an unremarkable feat. This fiction is a series of snapshots and moments in the life of Lily Evans, from the earliest point of her childhood right up to the moment of her death. They seem random and scattered at first, despite each chapter being linked by a central theme, but within a few chapters a picture begins to form through the pieces and therein lies its true brilliance. Wingless Flight manages to put together an amazingly cohesive story and builds an incredibly complex and real Lily. We get to see, not just the kindness and love in her, but also the colder, harsher tones that are inevitably present in all of us in one way or another. This fic doesn’t push her into sainthood or pure angst, but walks the balance; and it often does it with something approaching poetry.

Why You Might Not Care: If you can only bear to read a version of Lily that is wholesome and pure of heart, this will be like having your eyelashes plucked out. Also, the structure of this piece may frustrate people who have never read something non-linear; you just have to trust that the author knows what she’s doing and let it happen, piece by piece at first. Believe me when I say, it will start to make sense; then, it’s all about filling the holes.

Awards: 2007 Hourglass Award, Drabble or Drabble Collection – Second Place.

Hypothetical Suicides and Other Stories

Hypothetical Suicides and Other Stories by BlueBottleButterfly

Summary: Assorted notes passed between the Marauders when they were at Hogwarts. A short series of Drabbles. 3,903 Words.

Why You Should Care: Who doesn’t like the idea of reading the notes passed between these four? Essentially, this boils down to expertly written and extremely amusing dialogue. It’s simple, it’s cute, it’s fluffy. It will take you fifteen minutes at most to read, and you will undoubtably feel the lighter for it. If you’re a writer struggling to find the carefree, teenage voices of these characters, a read through this might help you out.

Why You Might Not Care: It’s Marauder heavy, obviously, and you might not be the sort of person who likes fluff. There is no real plot, and certainly no deep exploration of character or motivation. It’s surface, but it’s a delightful one.