I'm back! Bet you didn't even notice I was gone:) Big thank you to Mei, for posting my recs, and for everyone who responded to the crossover RR (I'd do individual thank yous, but it appears to be our most popular RR ever, and I currently have about two hundred other e-mails I need to get through today.) I will be posting another RR in a few minutes to celebrate my birthday, because I am totally in favor of abusing power when it leads to more recs. And, speaking of...

Title: Mine and Snape's Vocation by Gillian (PG)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: gen
Categories: AU, kid!fic, angst, drama, humor
Length: really epic (~120,000 words as a series)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: gillianinoz  
Website: http://www.lexicon.net/gillianm/

Review:
Through some complicated backstory, Snape is actually Harry's father (basically he was a sperm donor). Five years later, Dumbledore reveals to Snape that he knows about Harry's paternity and asks Snape to check in on Harry at the Dursley's. I'm sure you can guess what happens next...

Normally I'm not much of a kid!fic fan (as ya'll have probably figured out by now), but I'm discovering a weakness for kid!fic in which the kid in question is actually a younger version of a canon character. Maybe it's because OC kids tend to be Baby Sues, while canon kids tend to be actual, real people. Maybe it's because I have a built-in affection for canon characters that I don't have for OCs. Likely, it's both.

At any rate, Gillian's Mine is a brilliant kid!fic story, with a believable yet likeable five-year-old Harry and a surprisingly in-character Snape. Snape didn't plan on having a child and he certainly doesn't plan on keeping Harry, but his possessiveness eventually rules the day and gives Harry enough time to work his way into Severus's heart. It's a very plausible reason why Snape would take on this task and lends an air of realism to the story. Couple that with the trials of a first-time father, Snape's usual acerbic tongue, and a simply adorable (albeit manipulative) Dumbledore, and you have a well-written, completely absorbing story.

Snape's Vocation continues the adventures of Harry and his father, along with the addition of Neville Longbottom and Remus Lupin (I know, I know, but it makes sense in the story). Things get darker as various people (especially the Ministry) try to claim Harry as their own and Snape finds himself up against forces that even Dumbledore can't ignore. This story is a touch longer than it should be and maybe a bit too dark, but the beauty of Snape's relationship with Harry, and Harry's relationship with Neville, and the kids' relationship with Remus, and *everyone's* relationship with Dubmledore make this a delight to read. My only regret is that it doesn't look like there's going to be another long story in the series (though there are a few one-shots that I didn't read -- I really don't like Sirius -- but which you might enjoy).

Overall, a sweet, engrossing way to spend a day.

Mine and Snape's Vocation (index page on author's website)
Mine (ff.net)
Snape's Vocation (ff.net)