Double Drabble: Keeping Company. Links to a collection of fifty more, and to the one gifted to me

[paulamcg]

hp_halloween, for the first time on AO3, has exceeded all my expectations. There are a lot of extra treats, and also more generous commenting than I usually see at AO3 fests. I've now read almost all the double drabbles, and it's hard to choose which ones to rec in particular. The fun is in giving a chance to any character, any pairing, any writer.

You can find all the new Halloween-themed 200-word works in this AO3 collection.


I was lucky to have my wishes assigned to digthewriter, for whom I've enjoyed writing at other fests, and to receive this lovely Neville-pov piece:

Of hope and love by digthewriter

I was also lucky to get an inspiring assignment. Among walgesang's requests there were several that I could have chosen. (Why did I have to worry about other fest fics when I could have taken the time to write more for this fest!) But I was particularly tempted to write about some older witches.

Title: Keeping Company
Author: paulamcg
Pairing: Pomona & Rolanda, Pomona/Poppy
Summary: A few days after Halloween 1993, a neep lantern is not the only source of warmth and comfort at the edge of Pomona's root vegetable patch.
Word Count: 200
Rating: G
Notes: This was written for walgesang at HP Halloween, with these prompts and likes in mind: moonlight, signs that winter is coming, snuggling for warmth, friendship drabble, queer older characters, missing scenes, slice of life. Than you for the inspiration! Thank you, justtoarguewithyou, for the beta! Thank you, lovely mods and participants, for the fest!

Read here on AO3,
or right here:




Keeping Company



A silent incantation and another sweeping motion of your wand have enticed the rest of the soil to start turning itself. After this autumn tillage, the next urgent tasks await inside a warm greenhouse. This year, fortunately, no hurrying of the Mandrakes' growth.

Sweet Poppy was distraught last winter, but talked gently to all, Argus included, whose loved ones were Petrified. This evening she won't make it early to your bed, as she's keeping Remus company. The poor man suffers despite – perhaps also due to – the Wolfsbane, and after the attack against the portrait...

Pushing the brim of the hat and some wayward locks from your eyes, you glance up. The few remaining leaves on a birch glow golden in the light of your neep lantern. They shiver together with you.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Rolanda's voice rings out from a distance, saving you from quailing when she approaches in the darkness. "At the Quidditch pitch, watching over Potter, I think I saw the Grim."

The waning gibbous moon rises, bathing you both in brighter – but colder – light.

You press your face against the chilled skin of Rolanda's neck. This winter, too, you'll need to keep hugging your friends.

Comments

[kelly_chambliss]

Such a fun fest! I thought the AO3 platform worked pretty well. My experience has been like yours -- that comments are very few and far between at AO3 fests, but I was pleasantly surprised at how many responses almost all the drabbles received.

[paulamcg]

Yes, I was surprised how well it worked. When signing up, I felt there would be a lot of work in composing so many requests and offers, but then I copied the text for all the characters. At the first round of HP Sweethearts I only commented, but next time, if I miss the signup again, I could try to write treats.

[bemused_writer]

Glad to hear the fest went so well! Sounds like it was a good time. (^^)

[paulamcg]

Thank you for commenting! <3 I wonder if comments are often few and far between at other fandoms' AO3 fests, too. I love receiving comments, of course, and also enjoy writing them as well as reading comments on other people's fic.