[Meme] Fic snippets

[shimotsuki]

Apparently this meme began life as a WIP meme, but duck_or_rabbit and paulamcg have created a variation with excerpts from completed fics. Well, today I was (finally) finishing a year-in-review fic index for 2009 that I started in, um, January, so it was kind of fun to look over some of those stories and grab snippets while I was at it. I'm following the no-explanations rule, but at least I can say that all the excerpts are from fics that were posted last year. ;)

Post a paragraph or a scene from as many of your fics or WIPs as you want, with no explanation attached.

1. The teachers all knew the password to the stairs that led to the Headmaster’s office, as a matter of policy, but he had tried to make it clear at staff meetings how little he liked to be disturbed when he was up here. Merely, of course, because it was easier to do his jobs—both overt and clandestine—when he was alone. His preference for solitude had nothing to do with the looks of loathing and wounded betrayal in the eyes of teachers who had once been reasonable colleagues.
   
   That was irrelevant.
   
   -+-+-
   
   
2. Ekaterin Vorsoisson turned around with a gracious smile ready on her own face.
   
   And then her gaze met Cordelia’s, and slid sideways to Aral for an instant before returning. Cordelia watched as the smile flickered, faded, vanished. The blue eyes widened; the face paled.
   
   Come on, girl. We’re easy—you’ll have much harder tests to pass than this. And you did so well, a few minutes ago.
   
   -+-+-
   
   
3. And so, here she was, a little nervous but mostly curious, planning to spend the evening drinking with the notorious Sirius Black. She clumped down the basement stairs with a grin—
   
   —and found herself flattened against the kitchen wall as Sirius shoved his way past with a face like a thundercloud, muttering vile curses under his breath. He disappeared up the stairs and slammed the door.
   
   Tonks blinked. So much for a friendly drink.
   
   -+-+-
   
   
4. “I noticed that each time you said something naive or inane at dinner, it just happened to distract Baron Erondites from pursuing topics that were irritating the queen.”
   
   He shrugged. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
   
   “No, of course you don’t.” Phresine smiled at him. “You are very good at what you do. I can see that, too.”
   
   -+-+-
   
   
5. "Haven't the two of you discussed the situation?" Dumbledore was looking behind him at Remus again, and Sirius took a couple of steps away from the table and turned so that he could see both of them at once.
   
   "It hadn't come up," said Remus wearily. "We were busy with the decontamination."
   
   "What hadn't come up?" Sirius looked from one man to the other. Dumbledore was watching Remus, who met the keen blue gaze only briefly before ducking his head and looking away.
   
   Prefect Moony, thought Sirius suddenly. He'd seen Remus look like that a hundred times before—caught between the headmaster and the Marauders.
   
   -+-+-
   
   
6. The clatter of swift hooves and the cry of “Hallo, Castle Valenda!” brought dy Ferrej himself to the gate at once. It was unexpected for the household to receive a message by courier just now, with the Provincara and even the dowager royina gone to court for the coronation.
   
   He was even more surprised when the letter turned out to be for him.
   
   Dy Ferrej blinked once at the bright red wax of the chancellery seal, wondering for the space of a heartbeat what Martou dy Jironal could possibly want with a mere castle warder.
   
   But of course, dy Jironal was dead.
   
   -+-+-
   
   
7. “If Dumbledore cares whether I move on from here or not,” snarled Snape, “why hasn’t he come to tell me so himself?”
   
   “My brother feels he cannot ask another thing of you,” said Ariana softly, “ever again.”
   
   -+-+-
   
   
8. “What about you?” Arhys turned back to face him. “Don’t you have any wishes for yourself?” He smiled again, but with a hint of concern as well.
   
   “Well,” said Illvin lightly, “now that you’re no longer eligible for conquest, maybe I’ll find a woman who will look at me first.”
   
   It was nothing more than a joke. It had been years since Illvin had resented his brother’s talent for everything under the sun, including drawing the hungry gazes of women of all ranks and positions. And he knew that Arhys knew that perfectly well.
   
   But instead of laughing, Arhys grew thoughtful.
   
   -+-+-
   
   
9. They went out the kitchen door and started along the slightly muddy path that wound past the venerable willow tree and around the pond. Teddy marched along happily, taking two strides to Remus's one, scanning the brush and reeds for signs of birds.
   
   "I have a question for you." Remus glanced down at the thatch of hair that was lime-green today, clashing Dora-style with a pair of emphatically orange earmuffs. "How would you feel about having lessons with Nana Weasley at the Burrow on Fridays?"
   
   "Every Friday?" Teddy looked up curiously. "Not just for the moon? Why?"

.

Comments

[bookish-brownie.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I like all your excerpts. This meme looks like fun.

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

It's totally a fun meme. And it was a excuse to browse old fics. ;) Although I'm sure doing it with WIP teasers would be fun too.

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

I must be a fan: I recognise them all! :)

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Hee!

I toyed with the idea of posting only excerpts with no character names...

And that there in your icon is the cutest little plotbunny ever.

ETA: Wait, 'all'? If you've read #2, then I've spoiled you a little; sorry about that! But it's sort of like Caz/Betriz in that you can see the ship coming from the beginning of the relevant book...

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

I toyed with the idea of posting only excerpts with no character names...

Such evil ideas, lol. I'm glad you didn't, because this actually reinforced how I'm not so hot at remembering titles, though I can remember the fics themselves almost from start to finish. But "Oh, that's from thingy" may have flashed through my brain once or twice... ;)

Wait, 'all'? If you've read #2, then I've spoiled you a little; sorry about that!

I've played fast and loose and totally haphazard (it wasn't all my fault!) with the order of that series, so no worries there. I spotted "Memory" in my second-hand bookshop a while ago, and picked it up as I remembered seeing glowing reviews - haven't had chance to read it yet.

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Oh, Memory is one of my favorites of the series. I liked it medium-well while I was reading it, but after I finished it and thought it through I started liking what LMB was doing with it even more, so I sat down and read it again immediately. (This was last summer, when I was reading books, of course. ;) )

And if you like the, um, older-generation ship that emerges out of Memory -- which I do, very much -- then I probably shouldn't tell you there's an author at bujold_fic called philomytha who writes short fics for that ship and those characters just wonderfully. ;)

Also, have you read A Civil Campaign? It's hilarious... Although as it is almost the last book, it does have spoilers for lots of other ones. (Mark. Illyan. Ekaterin. Etc.)

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

Also, have you read A Civil Campaign? It's hilarious... Although as it is almost the last book, it does have spoilers for lots of other ones. (Mark. Illyan. Ekaterin. Etc.)

I haven't read that, though given my current book order it might almost make more sense to start at the end and work backwards, lol. Thank you for that author rec, which is duly noted - I usually seem to like the ships that you do. ;)

And, roll on summer!

[paulamcg.livejournal.com]

I’m so glad you’re enjoying the meme. And it’s an interesting surprise to me that you wrote a lot for another fandom / other fandoms in 2009. I can recognise only two pieces? The last snippet in particular is rather tempting.

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you and duck_or_rabbit invented this version of the meme, because it was fun. :)

It was interesting about the other fandoms last year. Many times I'll enjoy a book quite well but not have any particular urge to try to write fanfic for it, but last year there were a few things that did grab me that way. I'm not quite sure why.

That last snippet is part of my self-indulgent AU collection, as I'm sure you can tell...!