30 Day HP Meme, Day 8

[featherxquill]

Fristly, muchly amusing reading:

“Raptors” Versus T-Rex: An Analysis In Prehistoric Fright

Six Words That Need to be Banned From the English Language

Secondly, moar meme:

08. Your favorite ship(s)

Well. Where do I begin? As I'm sure you've all probably noticed, I am a complete whore for rarepairs. I never had much at all invested in any of the canon ships, and for me, writing a pairing is not about having an OTP so much as throwing two people together convincing people that this could work (with varying levels of success, I suspect). Reading, I am the same. I love novelty. I love seeing a pairing I never would have thought of rendered well. Sometimes, I'll read fics featuring characters I wouldn't usually bother with, simply because the pairing is so bizarre that I just want to see.

That said, there are a few pairings I return to, or that have a special place in my heart.

Minerva/Harry. I know. WTF, I hear you say, but this is one of the 'special place' pairings. The first rarepair fic I ever wrote was Minerva/Harry, and while I don't like the story much now (I was sventeen when I wrote it, I think, and a lot of my earlier fic makes me cringe a bit now), it was the first taste I had of people going 'What? Are you insane? Hey, this actually kind of... works.' It was a heady thing, being able to do things like that with characters, and it cemented my love of rarepairs forever.

Minerva/Hooch. It was reading minerva_fan's wonderful KittyHawk that introduced me to femslash, and god, am I pleased I found it. Discovering femslash and truly embracing my love of older women characters lead me to the realisation and acceptance that I wasn't as straight as I'd thought I was, and opened up whole new worlds of appreciation and inspiration.

Rita/everyone. No, seriously. I'll read her with anyone. Write me Rita/Giant Squid tentacle porn and I'll read it. But I most especially love:

Rita/Hermione. Cross-gen. An imbalance of power (not in Rita's favour). One of the first Rita pairings I ever discovered, and it was hot hot hot.

Rita/Minerva. Two of my favourite women. Need I say more?

Rita/Snape. This one is as close to an OTP as I have. I just. It's perfect, okay? A pair of snarky, ambitious Slytherins, with dashes of Deatheater and sensationalism. Especially awesome after reading DH, because it suddenly became so totally fucked up because there are few people less like Lily Potter than Rita Skeeter, and I can totally see it happening because of that, rather than despite it. You are not her, indeed.

Rita/Rufus. Once again with the snark. There is also some power play (as in, Rufus is the Minster, bitches, but he actually can't do anything about Rita being an infuriatingly nosy journalist, which is awesome). So they can snark at each other and she can taunt him and he can not so secretly want her. OR they can be a pair of very ambitious people who make a fantastic team against the world. I like them either way.


Of course, there are also all of the pairings I've ever RP'd: Rita/Kingsley, Rita/Ollivander, Rita/Neville, Rita/Irma (well, not really, but it might have happened, in Rita's mind, and they did have a fantastic friendship, so it counts to me), Muriel/George.


Previous Answers


01. Discuss how you got into Harry Potter
02. Your favorite book
03. What house would you be in?
04. Your favorite movie
05. Wizard Rock: discuss
06. Your favorite character(s)
07. Song that reminds you of HP
08. Your favorite ship(s)
09. Fanfiction: discuss
10. Favorite book moment(s)
11. Character you're crushing on
12. Favorite movie scene
13. Least favorite character(s)
14. Moments in the books/movies that made you cry
15. Whatever tickles your fancy
16. How have you participated in the fandom over the years?
17. Your favorite celebs from the movies or fandom
18. If you could change one thing about canon, what would it be?
19. A favorite fanart
20. A favorite quote
21. How has the HP fandom connected you to other fandoms, interests, or people?
22. Your favorite villain
23. Share some HP icons
24. Rant about Steve Kloves something
25. Song that reminds you of HP
26. What aspect of the books has been best translated to film?
27. What aspect of the books has been most poorly translated to film?
28. Hogwarts subject you would most like to take
29. Favorite location
30. Whatever tickles your fancy

Comments

[minervas-eule.livejournal.com]

Just the kind of post I needed right now (it's raining cats and dogs outside *gg*); the list of 6 most-hated words is not far off the mark *LOL*, I just don't agree about "pulp";

your pairings: PLEASE lead me to a Minerva/Harry fic that might do the trick to get me off my 'What? Are you insane?'-horse...I really like to see you try *LOL*!

Rita is admittedly very versatile: almost everything I read with her so far has been quite good!

[therealsnape.livejournal.com]

I second that request. As a recently uncloseted MM/HP shipper (my meme-post of yesterday) I'd love to see one that works.

[featherxquill.livejournal.com]

*points to above comment (http://featherxquill.livejournal.com/198717.html?thread=841789#t841789)* because it was quite long-winded enough *g*

(my Snape sees your Snape's wtf expression and raises you some boobs)

God, I need to go to bed

*Er, below comment, apparently

[featherxquill.livejournal.com]

Ngh. I can't find any *foot stomp*. I know I have read some, but it was like five years ago, and I think there are approximately three people in the history of ever to have written it. I'll use my McHarry icon, though (that is the ship name I just made up right now. It sounds like a burger).

Mine's on my masterlist, if you want to give it a shot. Like I said, one of my earliest, and I'm not too fond of it any more, which is why I'm not linking it like a link-whore, but yes *points to masterlist link on right of journal screen*.

Maybe I'll have to try writing it again sometime. A remix, or something completely new. See if I can do it. Try and convince you *g*.

But hey, in lieu of Minerva/Harry, I found some Minerva/Cedric (http://community.livejournal.com/shaggydogstales/15434.html#cutid1), which is not almost the same, really, but they're almost the same age? IDK.

(haha, I just read it again, and reading it now in light of RPattz as Cedric and the number of fangirls he has, is particularly amusing. Minerva McGongall, the first 'Edward' fangirl?)

[pale-moonlite.livejournal.com]

I've never seen Rita/Hermione, but it makes so much sense. It's practically canon.

because it suddenly became so totally fucked up because there are few people less like Lily Potter than Rita Skeeter, and I can totally see it happening because of that, rather than despite it. You are not her, indeed.

I love the idea!

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

I'm so with you on the rare-pair thing; I've read all sorts of stuff outside my usual interest just because the pairing is so damned fascinating (Remus/Fat Lady, anyone?)

I'd always enjoyed Rita as a character in canon, but after I wrote my own Rita/Minerva, I grew even more fond of her (And that Severus/Rita art you linked me to -- wow.) One of these days, I'm going to read my way through all your stuff, but already you're responsible for two of my favorite rarepairs ever: Muriel/Ollivander and those smokin' hot Muriel/Georges.

I've read Minerva Fan's McG/Hooch stories and really enjoyed them (she wrote some excellent Janeway/Seven back in the Trek day, too). Pity she;s not writing HP any longer.

[vane-nt.livejournal.com]

So, you like Minerva/Harry... that's cool! I have a soft spot for this ship, and I always thought I was alone in that. Glad to know that wasn't the case. :-) Someone over at minerva_fest has claimed a MM/HP prompt, so chances are we'll have a new fic to enjoy in the future (assuming that the participant won't drop out and that the fic won't be gen).

Your comments on pairings like Hermione/Rita and Rita/Rufus definitely drew my attention to possibilities I hadn't thought of before. *is intrigued*