The Measure of Our Torment by Amorette (R)

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Harry Potter/Severus Snape
Author on LJ: amorettea
Author Website: The Mythadventures of Hercules and Friends

Why this must be read:
Post-Hogwarts Snape/Harry is my favorite type, and this story by Amorette has a more serious tone. I think the political situation could turn out like this, so it's worth pondering.

The romantic elements are not sweet, which is just how it should be with these two.

The Measure of Our Torment

Comments

[gardendoor.livejournal.com]

Ooh, this one was lovely and bittersweet. Thanks for reccing it!

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked! I think it was a Fuh-Q Fest story from a few fests ago.

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

??? I couldn't read anything but the headlines; where is the story itself?

[leethet.livejournal.com]

There's a little arrow box (forward and abck arrows) at the bottom of the page, Francis - it'll take you to the story. Skyhawke is a bit weird in how they're constructed. It didn't used to be so odd.

And what are you doing reading HP???? ;-)

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

I didn't see any arrow anywhere; just now I realised that the box at the bottom was the link to the story.

And what are you doing reading HP???? ;-)

And why couldn't I enjoy Harry Potter? Actually I discovered it with the first book, in the same time as my grandson (now 12, so you see that, like me, he was an early reader; at the same age, 8 or less, he had already read most of Jules Vernes, unabridged, but that's another story...) I haven't read any HP fanfic until now, though. I was coaxed to it by sensine. This one could be the first one.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Well, if you decide Snarry's the thing for you, I'd be happy to rec you a few (including my own *g* although they're not the best of the genre).

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

When reading the books, I often thought the Snape/Harry confrontation was one of the most interesting aspects of the saga and now I wish I could find this hate/love relation in the fanfic. I'd be glad to have your opinion and recommendations about what you deem to be the best H/S stories (I am not much interested in other pairings). Of course, I'd be also delighted to read your own stories and to know what could have pushed you in that direction after MFU.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Oh, Francis. Do you have some fun reading ahead of you. Let me ponder, knowing a little, as I do, of your preferences (that is, you expect intelligent and clean writing, and no fluffiness). There is a lot of Snape/Harry (harder-edged than my own, alas, alas) that I think would suit you, since you express interest in the confrontational nature of their relationship. I will come back here with a couple of links to stories that I think you will like. :-)

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

That's a nice appreciation of my tastes but I like emotion as much as intelligence or more, for intelligence without emotion, in fiction, is not worth the trip; you may as well read an essay on a related topic, for example replace Harry Potter with a dissert about fantasy and fairy tales in western cultures...I dislike the excess of sentimentality only because it doesn't sound right most of time and kills all true and genuine feeling. That's not something I could reproach to your MFU stories, so I don't see why you would have turned to it while dealing with HP and Snape (fluffy Snape??? Should be difficult!). As for me, I am trying to write a "Pros" story with a Bodie/Cowley pairing and my first love scene (ever) surprised me by its passionate tone; I can't believe I have written it; you would be shocked!

[leethet.livejournal.com]

That's a nice appreciation of my tastes but I like emotion as much as intelligence or more, for intelligence without emotion, in fiction, is not worth the trip;

I figured that went without saying. :-) By intelligent, I should explain, I didn't mean intellectualized. I only meant that you don't suffer crapfic. You want the writer to put care and thought into their work.

my first love scene (ever) surprised me by its passionate tone;
After all, can it be that you're destined to become a writer of hot porny slash? ;-)

[leethet.livejournal.com]

I'd be interested to see it but you should know that I know nothing about Pros. ;-)

You surprise me, writing a sentimental scene. Personally I love them if they're not too mushy and in character, but you always seemed to lean toward not being very sentimental ... at least in your posted comments. That will teach me not to assume!

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

You surprise me, writing a sentimental scene.

I told you I surprised myself. But maybe you wouldn't find it too sentimental. I'd like to have your opinion. It could help me to improve my style. If you give me your e-mail addres, I'll post it to you (only two pages). I begin to feel a little ashamed to fill someone else's journal with purely personal comments.

On a general basis, I have to correct your impressions; I love to find emotions and sentiments in my readings when they sound and feel right, are in character, expressed with understatement rather than pathos and avoid "clichés".

[leethet.livejournal.com]

I'm lee_the_t@sbcglobal.net

Remember I don't know the fandom, so I can't help you on whether the characterization is as it should be, but I'd be happy to read it.

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

After all, can it be that you're destined to become a writer of hot porny slash? ;-)

Ah ah ah! Hot porny slash indeed! Its not even fading to black; it's "shutting out" to black (if there is such an expression). I wasn't refering to sex but to sentiment. It's a strongly sentimental piece. I can show you if you want; it's short.

By the way, I have a hunch if you have fallen for Harry/Snape, you should like Bodie/Cowley.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Just a few that I think you'll enjoy, all of which are linked, under the author's name, at:
The Snarry Reader (http://snarry-reader.livejournal.com/)

A Spell to Turn Tigers to Butter by Amanuensis
In Between Days by Atrata
Child Harry to the Dark Tower Came by Isolde
A Necessary Evil by Kaiz (do not let the fact that this is called mpreg stop you. I don't read mpreg. This story is wonderful)
Conduits of Sorcery by Penumbra
Artemisia Absinthium by Shiradine
Clipped Wings by Tekalynn

For what it's worth, I write under auctasinistra in the HP fandom, and I only write Snape-Harry, but my stuff's too fluffy for you. :-) I like it, though, for the precise reason you describe. Those two characters shoot sparks off one another when they're in the same room.

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

I added your name on my friends' list, I hope you don't mind. I wanted to start my Snarry readings with one of your stories (Scratch) but had not much luck with the link; I printed Hollow and the printer had a sort of breakdown in the middle of it. I suspect black magic working against me here. I'll do another try tomorrow.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Hm. Strange that there'd be a problem with the links ... that's not a good sign. The link on my LJ to my web page should work for you, I hope!

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

I used the links I had found in snarry_reader's site, in the interviews columns (I've read all of them, very interesting by the way). Save of "Hollow", they opened to a commercial site, partly in French and German, with no connection to HP whatsoever. I didn't check the other authors' links in those columns. However the links displayed in the authors' list did work. I read a few stories from various writers a little at random and, for most of them, thought the change of mind between H and S was too quick and too easy. Now I'm reading yours (what I managed to get printed) and I am much more convinced.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

That's very strange. All those links should go to my web site - they did when I just went and clicked on them. That's very strange. But in any case, the link on my LJ is to my web site. Hope you enjoy what you read. :-)

[auctasinistra.livejournal.com]

(This is me, obviously)

Yes. Silly me. I've figured it out. The links in the interview all went to the old Detention site, which is now defunct (it's a long and wanky story). So the best way to get to my stuff is via the list on the Snarry Reader, or via the links on my LJ.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

And I should add, hastily but sincerely, that The Measure of Our Torment is one of my favorites too.

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

I was really surprised that it hadn't been rec'd yet here. But it made it easier for me. It gets harder and harder to drive the crack van as the list of previously rec'd stories gets longer, especially in fandoms in which I don't read as heavily.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Well, HP has a billion stories to choose from. :) It's harder in a fandom like MFU. ;-) Eventually it seems like everything has been recced.

But I think maybe the Snarry contingent hasn't been quite so strongly represented here? Because if it had, I would agee, this story should have been recced long ago.

(Oh - duh! Thanks for reccing "Bitten," by the way!)

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

This one is not a bad story to start reading HP fanfic on. If you think the slash is problematic in this fandom, there's such a large body of HP gen that you have alternatives.

I think you should also read leethet's stories. *g*

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

I don't object to the slash but was more convinced by the political than by the sentimental matter in this story; I thought the sex (and still more the love) just came in too quickly and without being enough justified by previous psychological developments. As I precised above, I am mainly attracted by the love/hate ambiguity of this relationship, so I don't feel the love so much thrilling without the hate. Or maybe I could believe in pure love at the end of a lengthy meanderous introspective stream novel.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Francis has sampled my stuff. ;-)

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

Not yet in HP, but I intend to start soon. As for MFU, I didn't sample, I've read everything, I think. And I'd like to see the return of a certain green eyed young brat (without the scar, this one). I hope he has not been killed in the meantime? For my memeries are getting thin after so much time waiting for a sequel.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Oh, no - I love Damien. :-) I figure he recovered from the attempted hit in "Safe" and ... well, the scene between him and Waverly is bound to be painful, don't you think? ;-) Ouch. But who can say when I'll finally get back to finishing all my unfinished MFU stuff! Right now I'm absorbed with Alias Smith & Jones. :-)

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

Did you find the drop-down box with access to chapters?

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

At the bottom of the page I had actually seen the box with "Story notes" but had no reason to think it was the link to the story. Weird layout. I thought I had checked this spot too, though.

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

It's one of the better archives in this fandom due to being invitation-only, so I didn't even consider the quirks at this point. I am sure they annoyed at first, but it's been so long since I first read at skyehawke.com, I forgot.