HP FIC RECS

personal reading archive + rec blog for harry potter fanfiction :) | navigation | my AO3

[hazybellarecs]

hello hello!!

i've made this a personal reading archive and fic rec blog for Harry Potter fanfiction - i'll be posting fics i've enjoyed as a way to keep track of what i've read and recommend them to others :) fics will be tagged with the ship, length, and anything else that i think is relevant.

i mostly read wolfstar but i also enjoy lots of other ships so hopefully you'll be able to find something you enjoy if you have a browse!

i also write on AO3 as hazybella - there's only one fic published there at the moment but i have some more in the works :)

- bella

[hazybellarecs]

hello hello, it’s been a while whoops! life is a lil bit (read: extremely and overwhelmingly) crazy right now but I’ve been reading a lot to decompress so lots of recs coming your way at some point when I have time and energy to sit and write them up!

for now though, here’s a wee rec list of fics centering around sports in honour of the tokyo olympics :) will I get round to doing individual recs for all of these? erm doubtful, but know that I really enjoyed each of these fics <3

olympics fics

Currents by lunchbucket

Pairing: Wolfstar (Sirius/Remus)

Word count + status: 109,041 - complete

Summary: Remus Lupin and Sirius Black arrive in Sydney to compete in the Summer Olympics, both intent on making these games a better experience than the last. The two swimmers have a tumultuous history and intense rivalry, but can America’s golden boy and Great Britain’s notorious bad boy put their past behind them and find some common ground?

Chasing Glory by YumeNouveau

Pairing: Wolfstar (Sirius/Remus)

Word count + status: 8,844 - complete

Summary: Sirius is finally competing in the Winter Olympics, and though that is normally enough to make any man throw themselves at the skier’s feet, Great Britain’s beautiful elusive figure skater does not seem impressed. After Remus turns him down, Sirius has to figure out how to win over the man he’s had a crush on for four long years.

Winning by Anythingtoasted

Pairing: Wolfstar (Sirius/Remus)

Word count + status: 6,232 - complete

Summary: Prompt: Olympics fic for Aeryn, on Tumblr. Genre: AU, present day; Sirius is an olympic swimmer, Remus is a gymnast.

Even the Score by themidnightguardian

Pairing: Ginny/Cho

Word count + status: 3,824 - complete

Summary: Another reason to be irritated with Cho Chang is that she’s so fucking pretty that Ginny’s pretty sure she loses a piece of her goddamn mind every time she sees the other woman. Even in the middle of the field, when Cho is in her team uniform and has dirt smudged across her cheek and splattered up her legs. Maybe especially then.

general sports fics

Sweater Weather by lumosinlove

Pairing: Wolfstar (Sirius/Remus)

Word count + status: 156,108 - complete

Summary: Remus works for the Gryffindor Lions as a physical trainer, and has been half in love with Sirius Black, the Lions’ heartthrob captain, for a while now, but he never expected Sirius to return the feelings.

down by contact by pallasathene

Pairing: Wolfstar (Sirius/Remus)

Word count + status: 5,796 - complete

Summary: Remus resents having to cover football for the student newspaper until the star player introduces him to Sirius Black.

Rule of Thirds by bluepeony

Pairing: Wolfstar (Sirius/Remus)

Word count + status: 2,973 - complete

Summary: Modern AU: Sirius Black, star of the university’s football team, only wants one thing: a teensy-weensy, harmless little kiss.

Catch Your Breath (And Maybe Mine While You’re At It) by tamerofdarkstars

Pairing: Flintwood (Marcus Flint/Oliver Wood)

Word count + status: 14,540 - complete

Summary: Between the weirdness with the Bludgers, the Dementors that aren’t staying put at the school gates, and the fear that drives the breath from his lungs whenever he thinks too long about how terrible he’s doing in Charms, Marcus Flint is having a hell of a year. And that’s not even mentioning that little skip his heart keeps doing whenever Oliver Wood tosses a grin his way.

Crude and Proud by beesandjam

ok so this one doesn’t really count as a sports fic… but sirius and james both play football so it’s being included, hey my blog my rules

Pairing: Wolfstar (Sirius/Remus)

Word count + status: 25,103 - complete

Summary: Remus and Sirius are soulmates and whatever they write on their arms appears on the other person’s.

know of any other fics that fit this list? please reblog/comment with your rec so that others can enjoy them too!! <3

[hazybellarecs]

forgot to post last month's summary so here are may's stats 20 days late x

MAY '23

Number of fics started: 17

Number of fics completed: 14

May word count: 395,659

2023 word count so far: 1,951,149

Number of ships read: 6

Top ship read: jegulus (8 fics)

Longest fic: Yeah My Boyfriend’s Pretty Cool (But Not As Cool As Me) by paintmegrey - 88.9k

Fic of the month: Friends In Rich Places by wannabesuper

Scholarship student Remus Lupin is working too many jobs just to get by. But when ultra rich Sirius Black takes an interest in him at a party, are things about to change? Of course they are; now Remus is working too many jobs and, when he has a bit of spare time, shagging a millionaire.

[hazybellarecs]

i’ve been keeping track of all the fics i’ve read this year (what can i say i love a spreadsheet xx)  and i thought it would be fun to do a lil summary of what i read each month :) 

APRIL '23

Fics started: 24

Fics completed: 21

April word count: 487,219

2023 word count: 1,555,551

Ships read: 4

Top ship read: jegulus (14 fics)

Longest fic: pink lemonade by moonysbookshelf (116k)

Favourite fic this month:  Bird Set Free by MollyMaryMarie

Remus Lupin is a Welsh figure skater who hasn't quite been able to find his rhythm. Until world renowned Russian figure skater (and Remus' celebrity crush) Sirius Black shows up to coach him.

[hazybellarecs]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Title: Burn, Pine, Perish

Author: poorlittlegreenie

Pairing: Jegulus (Regulus/James)

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 33,545

Summary: Sirius' family has magically forbidden him from dating anyone until Regulus finds a suitable pureblood partner. The problem is, Sirius is in love with a certain werwolf, and Regulus' romantic inclinations remain a mystery.

James, a pureblood, is nothing if not eager to help a friend.

AKA - A '10 Things I Hate About You' AU in which James attempts to woo Regulus so Sirius can have a chance with Remus.

AU?: Yes – No Voldemort AU, 10 Things I Hate About You AU

Status: Complete

Warnings: None

My Comments: oblivious james potter <3 the slow burn <33 love love love !

[hazybellarecs]

well that’s 25 days of fic excerpts finally finished!! sorry it took me so long lmfao but we got there in the end <3 hope you found a few new fics to read! more recs coming your way soon :)

[hazybellarecs]

Potter stopped in in tracks. He was wearing an ill-fitting red jumper with a large H emblazoned on it. His hair was messier than Draco remembered. He still had those ridiculous glasses and he had gotten just a dash taller. He was eating a candy cane, the end sticking out of his mouth as he gawked at Draco with wide, unblinking eyes.

All in all, he looked rather ridiculous.

Draco raised an eyebrow as Potter refused to break eye contact. His expression was blank and guarded, it gave nothing away. Draco found himself adopting a similar stance, not one to make the first move in the best of situations. This hardly qualified.

Potter cracked first. His foot shifted and Draco instinctively stiffened.

Then—still not taking his eyes off Draco— he took a very slow, very careful step back. As if Draco was an irate Blast Ended Skrewt who’d attack if startled. Draco remained thoroughly unimpressed as Potter withdrew, one slow step at a time, until he was back in the hall. Then the mop of black hair disappeared from view and Potter was gone.

Draco stared after him as the utter absurdity of the situation sank in.

Of all the ridiculous...

“Harry? What’s wrong?” Ginny’s voice drifted over, sounding concerned.

“Malfoy’s here,” Potter said. He sounded confused. Not agitated, like Draco had expected.

“Oh, right!” Ginny’s tone suggested that she had forgotten about Draco’s presence altogether. He wasn’t sure if that was offensive or amusing. Possibly both. “Yeah,” she went on, “Mum sort of adopted him.”

There was silence for a spell, and Draco could almost sense Potter’s impending implosion. The hissy fit he was expecting didn’t come. Instead, Potter just poked his head in again, as if to check that Draco wasn’t a hallucination after all. “Huh,” he stated, before shoving his hands in his pockets and leaving with Ginny.

Blasted idiot.

With a huff, Draco went back to decorating.

All Roads Lead Home by dracogotgame

[hazybellarecs]

“Well, I’m glad you had a good trip, Remus,” Marlene shouted from across the coffee shop. She had gone to retrieve their drinks, and, in true Marlene fashion, hadn’t felt a need to cease their conversation while doing so. “But, I’m guessing Sirius wasn’t there, because you’re your usual uptight self today.”

Remus glared at her, and waited for her to sit down again before speaking. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Marlene leveled him with a look. “Remus. I love you and all of your uptightness. I’m just saying, whatever weird ex-boyfriend hate-sex thing you do makes you really relaxed for a few days. Maybe it’s therapeutic.”

Remus felt his cheeks turn red in response. “No. And we never even—whatever. Just no.”

“You never even…?” Marlene questioned. “I thought you said you broke a bed together like just last month?”

“Oh my god,” Remus stressed, dropping to a whisper. If Marlene noticed his embarrassment, she was unmoved. “I meant we were never boyfriends. Well, we were, but not really. I don’t know. It’s weird. But it doesn’t matter.”

Marlene leaned back in her chair and tilted her head to regard him. “Okay. So you were never boyfriends, but somehow you despise each other—but have insane sexual chemistry—and will inevitably hook up whenever you’re in the same two mile radius.”

A beat of silence. “Yes,” Remus answered, because it made perfect sense to him.

“No, Remus!” Marlene cried. “That makes no sense. It’s like, instead of friends with benefits, you’re enemies with benefits. That’s weird! And your number one criteria for picking a school is that Sirius can’t be going there as well.”

“Number three,” Remus corrected.

Marlene barked a laugh. “Of course, my mistake. But is he really that bad? Like, don’t get me wrong, I don’t know him. But is he really someone that you don’t want to be friends with at all? It just seems really… charged. Or it must be. I don’t know.”

Credit No Credit by halictus

[hazybellarecs]

“My God,” he groans. “Why am I going down for this? Blame Remus, they’re the one whose so adamant about getting us to fuck,” James mutters in disgust, as though fucking Regulus is the most disgusting thing he’s ever thought about. Regulus scoffs, then he cocks an eyebrow.

“You don’t think I’m aware of that?” Regulus asks. “Every time you come to the flat, they tell me that I should put on something nicer and never tells me why. It’s so annoying. I swear them and Sirius are both so obsessed with us dating.”

There’s a sudden silence that settles between the two that makes Regulus shift in discomfort. He feels a bit warm from his nerves, looking up, eyes scanning the room as he tries to find the waitress. James looks like he’s doing mental gymnastics as he stares Regulus down with narrow, brown eyes, a spark glistening in them as he blinks, then smirks.

“What?” Regulus asks.

James smiles at him, eyes fluttering, his eyelashes dancing on his cheekbones and making Regulus’ chest squeeze. “Wanna have some fun?” he asks, not giving any further context. Regulus is taken aback, his breath hitching in his throat as he looks at James in pure confusion.

Have some fun? Is that some sort of euphemism for sex? Was James asking to shag him? 

“Are you mad?” Regulus asks, voice high with confusion. “What the hell do you mean have some fun? What the hell-”

“I’m not asking to shag, oh my god,” James shudders, his face fixed in a grimace. Regulus scoffs, going to argue, but James cuts him off with a look. “I’d rather snog Sirius than fuck you, dear god,” he huffs. “I was going to say,” he continues. “What if we make it look like we enjoyed this?”

Regulus blinks. “I’m not following,” he admits, rubbing his forehead. He stares at James whose face is fixed in a tired expression as he breathes in and then lets the breath out loudly. He feels the urge to fucking punch him again. 

“We pretend we had fun,” James elaborates. “Post a few photos of us holding hands on our Instagram stories, maybe kiss each other-”

“No.”

James sighs. “Let me finish,” he groans. Regulus settles in his seat, humming. “Maybe kiss each other on the cheek. Play into it for a few days, maybe two weeks at most, and then tell everyone we decided to break it off because we didn’t really want to be together. It would get them to lay off, you know? Knowing that we’ve tried and it just didn’t work, they might bugger off and never bring it up again.”

dancing is a dangerous game (i've got some tricks up my sleeve) by mraudersmoon

[hazybellarecs]

“It’s just different this time,” Sirius says vaguely, shouldering his book bag more securely.

“Different how?”

He pauses, as if thinking about it. “This relationship is more important to me than the others. We wanted to keep it a secret for a while, give us a chance to be together without any pressure.”

“So you’re properly serious about this girl then?” Lily asks, they round the corner towards the transfiguration and charms classrooms.

Sirius grins wolfishly. “I’m always Sirius.”

James groans and punches Sirius’ shoulder through his laughter.

“But yeah, I am, properly serious that is.”

“So you’re keeping it private but how private?” She asks, and turns to Remus. “Do you know who he’s with?”

Remus smiles as if laughing inwardly at the question. “Yeah I know.”

“What about you two?” She demands, catching James and Peter’s attention. They both nod to confirm.

“Why can’t I know?”

Sirius shrugs. “It’s nothing personal Lily, we just wanted to keep it as private as possible and couldn’t keep it from these guys.”

They lapse into silence as Lily thinks that over. She understands wanting to keep personal relationships private, especially with how watched the Marauders are. A relationship with any one of them is bound to capture everyone’s attention. That being said, Lily is their friend, and she’s desperate to know.

“You can’t tell me?” She smiles at him hopefully.

Sirius laughs. “Alright Evans, if you’re so curious, I have a proposition for you.”

The other Marauders seem to take interest in this, slowing enough that they’re all walking in a tight group. Peter and Remus share a confused look.

“We’ll set up a little bet, you have until the end of the school year - so two months - to work out who I’m dating, or…” he pauses to think and with an evil smirk decides, “or you have to ask your crush out on a date.”

“Pads!” James complains, looking hurt at the suggestion.

Sirius claps him on the back. “Just trust me mate.” He smirks at Lily, a knowing glint in his grey eyes. A flush burns Lily’s cheeks, turning her almost as red as her hair, she pointedly avoids looking at James.

sirius black and the "mystery girl" by tjmcharg

[hazybellarecs]

"You could barely walk." A smile works at the corner of Sirius' mouth. "Anyways, I enjoyed playing nurse. Consider it my birthday present."

"I already got you a present." Remus says. Nothing colours his voice, its bland and low, but Sirius nearly knocks over the half-full carton of milk all over the counter. 

"Did you?" When Sirius twists back to look at him again, Remus is already watching him with the familiar hard set of his jaw and furrow of his eyebrows, an old darkness settling over the beautiful lines of his face. Sirius pauses, a silver spoon piled with brown sugar frozen between the cups. "What?" 

Remus clears his throat, but the words are still said with a bite, like he's gritting his teeth. "I can look after myself, you know."

"Didn't seem like it--"

"Well, I can." He snaps, and Sirius blinks, setting down the spoon on the counter. "I don't need you babying me."

Fuck. Sirius digs his nails into his palm until it hurts, until the hard crescent moons are engraved into the skin. "I was just trying to be a good friend." 

The darkness slips from Remus' face, just for a second, crawling back into the soft parts of his eyes, but he's standing there in the living room, quite still, as he says-- "You're not my friend."

It sounds like a question. Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

"Yes, I am." Sirius replies. He thinks it’s probably not the right answer, because Remus doesn’t speak again. He’s very good at that– not speaking. It’s unfamiliar. Sometimes, Sirius feels like he could start speaking and never ever stop. 

Sirius suddenly feels very stupid, and very tired, but Remus is already picking up his shoes, so Sirius turns back to stare at his milky mug of tea.

His chest is burning, burning, burning, and it keeps on burning even after Remus has opened his front door and left. 

A Bird At Your Door by moongoblin

[hazybellarecs]

hope everyone’s had a lovely christmas if you celebrate - if you don’t, i hope you had a lovely day regardless! somehow i’ve managed to get 5 days behind on 25 days of excerpts, life just got in the way! maybe should have planned better oops <3 look out for the last five over the next few days :)

[hazybellarecs]

If Remus had assumed he would be less exasperated because Sirius talked to him like a human being, and might have even chatted him up a little bit, he would have been very wrong indeed. Because James and Sirius were exhausting. During the week they had managed to upset meal times, played several—they claimed harmless—pranks on the staff. Brought in guitars to serenade the patients—and mostly Lily until she locked herself in the toilet and refused to come out until James shut the bloody hell up, and insisted some of the older patients could ignore their scheduled lights out.

Remus, of course, had to take note that many of the children seemed happier. And that as James insisted, he and Sirius were actually there. Unlike many of the other doctors and surgeons who only showed up when needed, and only half on time. James and Sirius treated the paediatric ward like it was their home.

Even if they did get into wheelchair races down the corridors whilst the children cheered them on and took bets with sweets—and even if they filled up rubber gloves with water, poked holes in the fingers with pins, and doused the nurses as they walked by to the delight of many, round, young faces.

Remus could be annoyed, and yet appreciative that the paediatric ward was becoming more pleasant than it had been.

Walking Toward Me by orphan_account

[hazybellarecs]

“I don’t think that Draco...” Harry stops, looking once more at the sign on the office door. The name tastes odd and over-familiar on his tongue. “I don’t think that he has all that much faith in my abilities.” He indicates the books with a careless hand.

“Not so,” Redrow disagrees. “He wants you to learn something from these books, therefore he believes you can learn something. Believe it or not, it’s a compliment. He made the last three assignees do his paperwork.”

Harry flushes and stares at ‘Bridging the Gap’ without really seeing it. “That was yesterday,” he admits.

Redrow’s laughter is unfeasibly loud in the small space, and within seconds, the office door flies open. Malfoy’s eyes flash dangerously, his hair is falling into his eyes, and for reasons that he can’t quite explain, Harry’s head is all-at-once filled with Cecile’s offhand words from the day before.

“He’s a good looking bugger, though, don’t you think?”

“What’s all the... oh, hello, Algernon.” Malfoy’s eyes dart between Harry and Redrow. Harry looks at the floor, feeling as though he’s been caught out doing something he shouldn’t.

“Hello, Draco,” Redrow replies amiably. “Healer Potter here was just telling me how much he’s looking forward to really getting involved with the patients.”

Malfoy scoffs. “I highly doubt that,” he mutters, and slams back into his office.

To Harry’s consternation, when he looks back up at Redrow, the man appears amused and completely unruffled. He smiles slowly and straightens up, as though preparing to leave.

“I find that most prickly people just need to be handled right,” he offers, and Harry does his best not to scowl. He doesn’t want to learn how to handle Malfoy. Unfortunately, that thought cascades and morphs into image after inappropriate image of him doing just that. Horrified, he says nothing and tries to calm the flush that is rapidly heating his skin.

Redrow traces a finger along the spine of the topmost book on Harry’s pile.

“Muggle drugs, Wizarding drugs, alcohol, sex... whatever,” he muses. “Addiction is a psychological process as much as it’s a physiological one. Wizards think they’re immune, because of their magic, but when it comes to the mind, most of them are just as vulnerable as the Muggles they look down on. What’s important isn’t the substance, but why.”

Reparations by Saras_Girl

[hazybellarecs]

The twinkle in Oliver’s eye seemed to spread, but he managed to shrug as well. “Nessie’s no monster. Just a kelpie.”

One of Marcus’s brows raised and he wondered briefly if his impression of this man as basically sane had been wrong after all. “A kelpie?”

“Yeah. They’re, ah… shapeshifters, I s’pose you’d call them. Water spirits. Part human, part horse. Typically benevolent - they’re said to keep small children away from the water so they don’t drown. Different, of course, than the tangie.”

“Tangie?” Marcus pressed, clearly trying to keep the amusement out of his voice and at least pretend to be serious, if only because Oliver was approaching it all so simply.

Oliver nodded. “Mmm. Also horse-human water spirits, though they’ve got a nasty habit of abducting young lasses and devouring them.”

Marcus shifted a little closer to Oliver on the couch, strangely entranced by all the mythology talk - even though it was clearly just stories, passed around to keep children away from the water. “Right. Didn’t realize there were so many horse shapeshifters. I thought it was, ah, seals, no? What’re those ones? Sellies?”

Oliver’s face twitched into a frown so quick that Marcus still wasn’t sure if he’d seen it by the time the man was smiling again. “Selkies.” He corrected. “You’re right there though, though they’re a little different of a breed of shapeshifter, y’see,” Oliver trailed off, and let his eyes close.

“Different?” Marcus pushed, forcing himself not to reach out and brush a strand of blonde hair away from Oliver’s now peaceful face.

“Mmm,” Oliver hummed, nodding a little. “They can shed their skins, see, and become humans. But… only for a short time. And, while they’re human, they’ll always be drawn to the sea…”

you love the sea by hexmionegranger

[hazybellarecs]

Sirius placed the mistletoe back in Remus's hands, and whatever retort Remus might have come up with died away. Sirius's fingertips pressing into palms, the simplest of touches, was thrilling, and it was with effort that Remus dragged his gaze up to Sirius's face again.

Sirius, for his part, kept glancing back down at the mistletoe. "So, here we are," he said, adopting a ridiculous voice, "all alone."

"Good heavens, Mr. Black, I have a reputation to uphold!" Remus answered, grinning, his voice high and airy.

There was silence then, and Remus wondered if he'd crossed some invisible line.

"Traditions ought to be upheld, though," Sirius said, mostly addressed to his own hands, still holding the mistletoe, with bits of the ridiculous orange tinsel attached.

"I suppose?" Remus said, confused.

Sirius didn't give him time for more questions, though, shoving the mistletoe back into Remus's grasp and moving forward until their mouths met. Remus felt his lips part in an unconscious sigh, as though this were the most natural thing in the world. Sirius's kiss was searching and slow, his thumb brushing lightly across Remus's cheek.

Sirius broke away and took a step back, his eyes blown wide and guileless. Remus's heart was thudding in his chest, and the fragile moment stretched out between them.

someone came and kissed me there by such_heights

[hazybellarecs]

Marcus passes him his wand without thinking. He doesn’t know the charm so it makes sense for Oliver to cast it. “Go for it.”

Oliver holds his wand almost reverently when he casts the charm first on himself and then on Marcus. It feels strange to feel someone else’s magic through his own wand. Not bad, just strange. “Okay.”

“Okay.” Marcus runs his tongue over his teeth, the charm has left a lingering taste of peppermint. “You’re not too drunk, are you?” He really should have asked that earlier.

Oliver huffs a sharp burst of laughter. “Nope. Somehow you saying that you want…that I can practise kissing with you has sobered me up completely.”

“Good, I wouldn’t want…Anyway.” He takes a step closer to the other wizard, there’s only a few inches between them and it’ll make kissing easier than with Milly who’d barley reached to his shoulder. “Don’t think too much, it really isn’t a big deal. It’s like a handshake. Just skin touching skin.”

“Okay, Flint, just shut up, will you.” Oliver says and then tilts his chin up towards Marcus’ mouth. “Alright.”

Marcus can feel the heat of Oliver’s shuddering exhale and then his lips are against his own. Oliver’s not moving, just pressing his mouth to Marcus’. After a moment he steps away, his eyes open wide and his mouth slightly agape.

“See? No big deal.” Marcus says and for some reason there’s a hitch in his voice. He clears his throat.

“Yeah.” Oliver still looks shellshocked. “It’s…yeah.”

Marcus contemplates stepping away further, but they’ve not kissed properly and he won’t have been a big help to just leave it at a simple peck like that.

“You can…” Marcus starts and then isn’t quite sure how to put into words what he wants Oliver to do. It’s like an exam question, everything is in his head but making it come out right seems awfully difficult.

And Oliver evidently is a legilimens because he says “Just show me.” and tilts his head up towards Marcus again, his eyes flickering shut.

Cruel Summer (or: The Butlin's experience) by Minnie0503