beholder recs

As usual, there were too many great entries in hp_beholder to be comprehensive about this, but here are a few that especially stood out to me.

A Lonely Road (R, Severus Snape/Aberforth Dumbledore) by wwmrsweasleydo
A perceptive portrait of Severus and Aberforth's relationship, as well as a vivid picture of the ever-absent Albus, drawn in negative space between them. Every detail adds to the ominous and oppressive time these characters live in, and not a word is wasted.

we lay together on a cold hard floor (R, Severus Snape/Peter Pettigrew) by tarteaucitron
Over the summer holiday, the house hourglasses are taken down and Severus and Peter can approach each other as something less like players in a game, and more like people. The author strikes a perfect balance between pointing out the effects their choices have had and will have on their lives, while also making it clear that these aren't free choices -- they're constantly being pushed, by so many factors.

No Charity (PG, Aunt Marge/Rita Skeeter) by fluffyllama
Two threads are woven together well here: A deft and funny satire of English conservative culture as embodied in Marge, as well as an intriguing deconstruction of Rita and her self-created identity as a media gadfly. You wouldn't think it would work, but it does. The author struck just the right balance between letting the characters be vulnerable without sanding off the rough edges.

A Short Treatise on the Social Lives of Ghosts (PG, various ghost pairings) by dueltastic
Utterly charming and hilarious.

[eta: authors]

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