sweet escape

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Transformative works are our friends. My fic can by found at AO3. Use what I've created as you will and please let me know if you've managed to improve them! :)

As a child, I had the privilege of spending an enormous amount of time in the company of my grandmother and her friends. It helped me rise above ageism before I knew it existed and taught me a lot about acceptance. These women were born at the beginning of the twentieth century, some at the end of the nineteenth, and they had the opportunity to see dramatic changes in the world. It made them wiser than I ever hope to be.

They knew things about each other that society at the time wouldn't have condoned, but they didn't let any of their differences stop them from being a close-knit community of constant, silent support. They weren't the naïve, old ladies that my mother and her friends thought, and I know because I was a quiet child adept at eavesdropping. ;) They simply didn't care about silly things such as how one of them 'never took to men' because they'd weathered so much together that sexual orientation wasn't relevant to their friendship.

When I asked just what 'never took to men' meant my grandmother looked thoughtful then told me in her always tactful way that it takes all kinds to make a world… that love is love and anyone would do well to be grateful for a chance at it wherever it can be found. Life is too short and only gives so many chances. I didn't know quite what that meant at the time but I knew it was important, and it seared into my mind. In retrospect, it may have been the smartest, kindest bit of advice that my grandmother ever shared with me.

Now enough of my memories and more about the rec:

Recipient: lash_larue
Author: kellychambliss
Title: The Muggles Have a Word for Them
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Rolanda Hooch/Aurora Sinistra, Fat Lady/Violet, background Minerva McGonagall/Elphinstone Urquart
Word Count: 8250
Warnings/Content Information (Highlight to View): *none*.
Summary: In which the Fat Lady plays matchmaker and learns some new vocabulary.

The latest post at hp_beholder, The Muggles Have a Word for Them is a beautiful tale of witches. It reminds me of afternoons with my grandmother's friends because it's a story of women who've lived enough of life to be interesting and no longer feel the need to impress each other. They can simply be themselves with no fear of judgement or repercussion. It dares to touch upon divisions and presumptions that exist even within the lesbian community but does so in amiable way. The Fat Lady makes for an entertaining and informative narrator with unanticipated insight. The way the minor characters bloom into rich, vibrant women is subtle but breath-taking. It's a delightful story of love that's woven by an exceptionally eloquent writer. I would recommend this to anyone because it's not only brilliantly written but also full of thought-provoking content that lingers long after the story is over.

A het rec! Yes, my slashing heart is concerned too :)

updated to share the name of the author! southernwitch69
http://sshg-exchange.livejournal.com/299054.html Shall We Begin Anew
Hermione/Severus
Hermione's genius leaves her vulnerable in ways she'd never anticipated ... Her natural faith in good creates a situation where she loses everything and is betrayed by almost everyone she's loved in some way or another. Thankfully, Severus Snape is still alive to put the pieces back together.

I really, genuinely, enjoyed this story.