CoffeeOnThePatio

Author at http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1633060/coffeeonthepatio.

Acquittal (Harry Potter)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 22nd January 2011 (2)
Tags: Novel, EWE, SSHG, Friendship, Romance
Characters: Hermione Granger, Severus Snape
(1117K)

Summary: Snape, known evil git, is teaching at Hogwarts again when Hermione, Gryffindor Princess and girlfriend of Ron Weasley, returns to finish her 7th year. Feeling alone, she seeks solace somewhere only one other person knows about. EWE

This has one of the things I love: a very slow-growing awkward friendship between Severus and Hermione. Snape is so very Slytherin; he approaches the problem of Hermione side-on. It never occurs to him that while his goal is to make her trust him so that he can fob the problem off on someone else, the consequences of his actions are likely to make them friends. As for Hermione, she is observant and compassionate, and finds a kind of peace in the dungeons; she needs a friend because she's the only one of the Trio to have returned to Hogwarts. Of course, this relationship is by no means smooth sailing; there is misunderstanding and hurt aplenty. I know a friendshippy story is awesome when I feel like cheering when they have their first hug.

This is very good, but it requires one to give the author some slack, as English is a second language, so there is the occasional grammar mistake. A more difficult problem is that at some point the archive wiped out all the scene separators, so one has to deduce where they are, which makes the reading less easy. The author is aware of the problem, but this happened to every story, so not all of them have been repaired yet.

A warning for Ron and Ginny lovers; both of them are huge gits here. However, we do have a sympathetic Harry and Minerva.

In Shining Armour (Harry Potter)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 3rd October 2012 (2)
Tags: Long Novel, Romance, Drama, Post-Voldemort, DH-compatible, EWE, House Elves
Characters: Severus Snape, OFC, Minerva McGonagall
(243KK, 102304 words)

Summary: Snape's only saving the unborn child of a strange woman. He never signed up for having his house invaded and a stranger and her child caring for him after the snake bite. Rated M for language only.

The title of this story is wonderfully ironic... at first. Because neither of the rescuers has shining armour; their armour is very tarnished. But they certainly do have armour. Very thick emotional armour. None of this Gryffindorish nobility or gratitude for Snape and Christine, it's all anger and self-defence... at first.

This author again demonstrates that she is the mistress of the slow build, taking two characters that are almost hostile and bringing them together. The characterisation of Minerva is a foil for that of Christine; because Christine had grown up in the same destitute working-class neighbourhood as Snape, she understands him in ways that Minerva doesn't; while as a contrast, Minerva represents snooty middle-class morality and prejudice. That is something that hadn't occurred to me but is obvious once it's pointed out: Hogwarts is very middle-class, and Minerva oozes middle-class privilege. No, Minerva isn't being character-bashed, it's just a weakness that Minerva isn't aware of. She means well. She wants to make it up to Snape, and sometimes she succeeds, and sometimes her meddling makes things worse.

As ever with this author, there is the occasional grammar mistake because English is a second language. But it is worth the stumbles to stick with the story.

From The Corner

(1) From the Corner (Harry Potter)

Reviewed by Kathryn A on 27th May 2011 (1)
Tags: Novel, EWE, SSHG, Romance, Next Generation
Characters: Hermione Granger, Severus Snape
(948K, 175083 words)

Summary: While Hermione, seeing her marriage is at a dead-end, moves back to her parents with Rose and Hugo, Snape finds he is no longer alone in his apothecary in Knockturn Alley - her name is Ophelia and she's four. And Ophelia's his.

Like other works from this author, there are grammar and spelling mistakes and vanished scene separators.

But also, as in "Acquittal", there is a lovely slow-growing friendship which turns into romance.

What is most delightful, though, isn't actually Hermione's relationship with Snape, but Snape's relationship with his daughter Ophelia. Bit by bit, moment by moment, breath by breath, Ophelia and Snape travel from fear and bitterness to the point where each of them is the absolute number one person in the other's life. It is wonderful to see. And everything else flows from that.