Fic: To Earth, Like Ashes

The Beholder reveals are up! Here is my fic, and a list of my favourites from the exchange coming soon.

Title: To Earth, Like Ashes
Pairing: Rita Skeeter/Igor Karkaroff
Rating: R
Word Count: 5,500
Warnings: Er, politics? (and canon character death)
Summary: In the summer following Voldemort’s acknowledged return to power, the International Confederation of Wizards call an emergency meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria. It’s Rita Skeeter’s first assignment in a year. It’s where Igor Karkaroff has gone to disappear.
Author's/Artist's Notes: Written for xochiquetzl for hp_beholder. Also for FF100 prompt 44: Circle. Many thanks to beta-of-fabulousness, an_fhani. Any mistakes in regard to Eastern European politics are my own.


( To Earth, Like Ashes )

Beholder Recs

I meant to do this before the reveals went up, but then I might have missed one or two that hadn't been posted yet, and that wouldn't have done!

Here are some of my favourites from the exchange. The masterlist can be found here.


By the Numbers | Minerva McGonagall/Rufus Scrimgeour | PG-13 | by dbassassin

This one was written for me, and it is fabulous. Human, consistent and believable. Two complicated characters with complicated emotions.


A Game of Fox and Houds | Rita/Snape | NC-17 | by djinnj

ajsgsjgshs. Rita/Snape at it's finest. Both of them are cunning and clever and snarky, and there is awesome verbal sparring and hot as hell mirror!sex and wall!sex, and gah.


Birthday Girl | Rosmerta/Various | NC-17 | by shocfix

Sweet and sad and powerful. Switches between POVs from Rosmerta to many of the men she's been with, and the voices of them all are wonderful.


The Art and Science of Change | Minerva/Snape | 18+ | by atdelphi

Fabulous piece. It has a wonderful sense of place in a way that is fable-like, as well as brilliant characters. Minerva is wonderfully imagined, and Severus certainly makes his presence felt despite not being present as his usual self.


Breaking the Seal | Petunia/Percy | NC-17 eventually, but the fic is long and mostly not about sex | by florahart

This is, first and foremost, a brilliant character piece. Petunia is wonderful - grey, imperfect, detached - and this story is about her growth and change. A fantastic supporting cast - Augusta Longbottom, Arabella Figg, Filius Flitwick. Percy is great, and the romantic relationship is beautiful - together they're funny, uncertain, gentle, fragile. Go read it.


There are many others I could also link to, but if I kept going I'd probably link to like 80% of the fest, so I'll leave it at that. Beholder was a fantastic fest to read and participate in, and I hope it happens again next year! :D