Slytherins Love Differently

No for real in 2k15

Can fandom bring back the concept of a squick

A “squick” was a trope or topic that made the reader deeply uncomfortable, even might cause anxiety or intense emotional reactions

Everyone’s squicks were personal and diverse, and it was considered polite to say, “sorry I can’t read this because it squicks me, but you have fun in your corner doing what you doing”

Key to the concept of “squick,” as it was first explained to me lo these many years ago, is that it is not a value judgment.  If I say “mpreg is gross,” that’s a negative statement about mpreg (and, by extension, about those who enjoy writing or reading about it).  If I say “mpreg squicks me,” that’s a value-neutral statement about me and my emotional reactions and how they affect my enjoyment of fiction.

squick: Something that makes you go “ewwww” and wish you had never seen/read it. Something that makes you deeply uncomfortable. Something you’re not interested in reading/seeing/thinking about, ever.

trigger: Something that you associate with/reminds you of a past trauma (mental, emotional, or physical) and therefore triggers your personal reaction to trauma (be it flashbacks, panic/anxiety attacks, unhealthy behaviours, a crying jag, whatever).

things severus snape could hope to win by helping to protect the potters if it had been successful and the family had survived: still nothing, zero, absolutely jack shit

Let’s talk about Hermione Granger. How does one create such a perfectly flexible character who can be paired with EVERYONE from the Potter universe? I’m really talking everyone here, from Neville to Harry to basically any and all Hogwarts students, to the Weasleys to the Malfoys to the Death Eaters to the Marauders to the Founders to bloody Lord Voldemort himself (though I’m partial to a young Tom Riddle myself)! She can work with absolutely everybody and make a steamy, romantic AND convincing pairing. All while staying in character. I applaud you, fanfic authors, for creating a world beyond J.K.Rowling’s, where Hermione can find love in the unlikeliest of places. Since I was never a big Romione fan, you have saved me! Kudos to you!

-But then you find a new story-

As you know, HPFF is shutting down soon, so I’m compiling a list of the most popular fics on the site, so you can read it before it is gone, or you can download it for later. This list will not contain the fics that are posted on multiple sites.

Above the Clouds by cathyyy - M, 43 chapters - Hermione is back for her seventh year at Hogwarts. Over one year has passed since the war and she finds herself changed by the experience. She needs something, someone. But everyone around her act like nothing ever happened, except for one. Draco Malfoy. With him as her teacher in flying, can she find a way to heal?

Lady Malfoy by cherrypie3601 - M, 41 chapters -  “Miss Granger, you are in grave danger,” he said slowly. “But the Ministy can offer you a safe hiding place, where no one will be able to find you.“ "Wh…where is this place?” Hermione said shakily. The man took a deep breath and looked into those brown eyes. “Miss Granger, what do you know of Malfoy Manor?“ 

Pirates by singerhotti24 - T, 38 chapters - Pirates and Nobles: this very game gives a new definition to every witch and wizard. Murder doesn’t come with regret, fighting doesn’t come without scars, and hate treads a fine line with lust, not love. This very game was invented for inner house unity. To be honest, the murdering and hanging doesn’t really help. Updated: June 24, 2012

One Sweet Day by KimMalfoy - T, 41 chapters - After losing the love of her life, the father of her now five year old daugther, Hermione wonders if she ever will be able to love again… And when she do find love it’s not as perfect as she excpected it to be… It’s a cruel game of love… but maybe, just maybe… one sweet day it’ll all work out just fine… || The story is completed!

The Other Reality by FeltonLewis - M, 27 chapters - The war is over and the students are back at Hogwarts. Of course, Draco and Hermione get into a fight on the first day back and he wishes that she grows up to have the worst future imaginable to her. What happens when they end up in another time- seven years later- and find themselves together? Be careful what you wish for because you might end up like Draco and Hermione- stuck in The Other Reality. 

Otherwise Engaged by majamariamaja - M, 24 chapters - Hermione Granger’s practically perfect life is turned upside-down after meeting her former enemy at the local pub. This is her story. I froze. I wasn’t alone. Was Martin here? I removed the pillow from my face and opened my eyes. It wasn’t my bedroom. Where the hell was I? "Good morning, Mudblood.“ I screamed while jumping into a sitting position. "Malfoy?!" 

Lure of the Dark Side by Hermione_88 - M, 39 chapters - FINALLY COMPLETED!!! For all those fans of ‘Respect Me’ comes ‘Lure of the Dark Side’. Hermione is on assignment for Dumbledore. It’s the Order’s last chance to penetrate Lord Voldemort’s dark plans. But because of the circumstances – she can’t remember a thing about the assignment and so she really believes that she is devoted to the Dark Lord. Will they ever be able to bring her back?

Arabesque by CelticKisses - M, 25 chapters - Hours became a painful ticking of seconds. The edges of the world were blurring. Her eyes were swollen shut or pinned open; she couldn’t tell through the pain. All she knew was the tight circle of his arms. The soft tickling of his breath on her neck as he held her. The way it felt to curl into his side and hope for oblivion; wish for the end. She was wishing for it - most profoundly. She no longer wanted to go on, to live like this.

Fire and Air by Night Owl - T, 29 chapters - Thanks so much Scarlet for this amazing banner! You rock! The Trio are back for their sixth year at Hogwarts and everything is going great. But Hermione has a secret, a secret that is about to change her life forever. Will she be able to handle it when she finds out that someone else shares her secret? A story of action, danger, mystery, and romance. Chapter 29 up: "Epilogue” This story is now COMPLETE!

The Checkout Chick by Sara4Harry - M, 31 chapters - **COMPLETE!!** Beautiful Banner by Naya_xox! Love it so so so much!!! Hermione has a summer part-time job at Diagon Alley as a cash-out chick before she goes back to Hogwarts for her 7th year. Draco and her encounter in the store. He finds her predicament a good opportunity to annoy her more. But what if his tricks go too far? A simple part-time job turns into one of the most defining moments in both Hermione and Draco’s lives. Winner of the ffssc Avant Garde Award

Just because you can write a well-structured story with dynamic and consistent writing and characters doesn’t mean you will be popular. And sometimes stories that have disorganized plots, mediocre writing, and/or OOC characters will be held up as the greatest things to ever exist. 

Just because your writing isn’t popular doesn’t mean you are a bad writer. Don’t ever compromise who you are, who your characters are, your plot, your writing style, anything for the sake of readership.

Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

Share one of your strengths.

Share one of your weaknesses.

Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Which fic has been the hardest to write?

Which fic has been the easiest to write?

Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

Is there an episode above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

Stephen King once said that his muse is a man who lives in the basement. Do you have a muse?

Describe your perfect writing conditions.

How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

Choose a passage from one of your earlier fics and edit it into your current writing style. (Person sending the ask is free to make suggestions).

If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

Have you ever deleted one of your published fics?

What do you look for in a beta?

Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

How do you feel about collaborations?

Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

Do you accept prompts?

Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

How do you feel about smut?

How do you feel about crack?

What are your thoughts on non-con and dub-con?

Would you ever kill off a canon character?

Which is your favorite site to post fic?

Talk about your current wips.

Talk about a review that made your day.

Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

Netflix And Chill

Now get ready for

(Alternately: how to identify problematic YA romances.)

Written by yours truly, contributions from @jltillary, @theinkrepository, @time-to-write-and-suffer, and @sakrebleu.

Non-consensual physical intimacy, especially in situations where it’s portrayed as being done for the benefit of the victim or situations where the victim forgives the forced intimacy because they decide they like it after it’s already been forced on them. Examples:

Forcing a partner to accept physical comfort when they don’t want it.

Kissing a partner in the middle of an argument.

Framing consent as unnecessary simply because one person is attracted to the other.

Stalking the other person, even for their own safety.

Forcing the other person into some form of physical intimacy because they “liked it last time.”

Implying that it’s normal for a certain physically intimate act to hurt and/or their partner should grin and bear it.

Skipping over their partner’s preferred forms of intimacy in favor of what they want to do with/to their partner.

When in doubt: Consent should be explicitly given!!

Non-consensual communication. Examples:

Physically stopping a partner from leaving in order to continue talking with them.

Bringing up a topic the other person has made clear they don’t wish to discuss yet.

Forcing the other person into conversations with people they previously showed they did not wish to talk with.

Manipulating the conversation so that the other person shares a secret, especially one that doesn’t affect their partner.

Emotional manipulation. Examples:

Telling the other person to do something (i.e. ‘go away’) as a test, where the person is at fault if they follow through and do as their partner asked.

Blaming the other person for things beyond their control, especially “I wouldn’t be like this if not for you/your interests/your goals.”

Claiming they’ll die (or kill themselves) if the other person leaves.

Not wanting the other person to have friends of the same gender as their partner (i.e. a man not wanting his girlfriend to have any male friends).

“If you really loved me you would do x, y, and z.”

Demanding to be the most important part of their partner’s life, above and beyond their partner’s other responsibilities.

Cheating on their partner as a form of punishment.

Acting as though physical intimacy (or any other sort of intimacy) isn’t important, but then blaming the other person for not supplying it.

Acting distant or cruel until the other person does what they want, or because the other person didn’t do what they wanted.

Demeaning actions and words, especially in instances where they blame the actions and words on internalized sexism, racism, etc as a shield, in instances outside of high-stress arguments, and whenever the character isn’t sincerely sorry for what they did or makes no point to change. Examples:

Stating the other person’s interests or hobbies are inferior or a waste of time.

Telling them they were look better if they did x, y and z.

Demanding they stop doing something or start doing something else based on their gender, race, etc.

Placing the other person in a subordinate role without their partner’s explicit consent.

Not sharing certain pieces of information because they believe they know what’s best for their partner and don’t need the other person’s consent to act upon it.

Bonus: Glorification of a partner simply for not demeaning the other person, (i.e. for acting like  an average, decent human being,) especially when the partner in question boasts how amazing they are for loving their “curvy”/non-white/bisexual/not-like-other-girls/etc partner.