"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race, and the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering: these are noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love: these are what we stay alive for."

-Dead Poets Society

A couple of notes about my stories, for anyone who might care:

In the Shadow of Greatness: A look at the relationship between Ellie Bartlet and her father. The product of my attempt to explain to myself why the president, who is usually such a people person, has such a strained relationship with his daughter. Ellie is a fascinating character to me, so I really enjoyed having a look inside her head.

An Unexpected Gift: A "what-if" Harry Potter story, written in response to a challenge on the Potions and Snitches website. My take on what would have happened if (the imposter) Moody hadn't been there to prevent Harry's being caught by Snape the night he took the triwizard egg to Myrtle's bathroom. Just a one-shot.

Communication Difficulties: My attempt at a humor fic. I've always thought it would be awfully difficult for a Muggleborn to write home explaining the crazy goings-on at Hogwarts, and for someone like Hermione, who is used to going into excruciating detail in everything she writes, I would imagine there'd be a good deal of editing involved. I had originally considered covering all seven years, but certain events in DH made that rather impossible. So I'm calling it complete at the end of year one. I haven't ruled out the possibility of a sequel, but I have no immediate plans for one, either.

Learning to Cope: I've always felt that Ginny's experiences her first year would be quite a bit more psychologically scarring than was implied in canon. LtC is my look at the days immediately following her rescue, with some unexpected help from Snape, who is, I think, uniquely suited to understanding just how lasting an impression an encounter with Voldemort can leave. (And no, it's not a romantic relationship. He's her professor. And she's freakin' eleven!). This one is also a one-shot. I realize that the ending is somewhat abrupt - that was intentional. Honestly, I feel like a second chapter would weaken any impact the story has.

Well Done, Slytherin: Just to clarify: I am, in fact, a fan of Dumbledore. I did, however, want to strangle him with his beard during the scene at the end of PS/SS during which he gave the Gryffindors so many last-minute points. Say what you will about the Slytherins, but they are children, and you don't do something like that to children. At best, it was thoughtless. At worst, it was downright cruel. I happen to think Snape would agree, which brings us to this little story.

Her Father's Daughter: A Sound of Music story from the perspective of Louisa, my favorite character, and one who I feel doesn't get her fair share of attention during the movie. And, after all, "someone has to find out about her!" A re-telling of the movie through Louisa's eyes, as well as some missing moments.

Getting Over It: An NCIS mini-fic that takes place directly after the episode "Heartbreak" (Season 2). I feel like Kate needs more from Gibbs than an impatient "Get over it," and with his sense of duty and honor, he wouldn't ignore a member of his team who needed him. Besides, I like the idea of him sharing his own method of coping with Kate. Just to clarify, this is strictly a gen story, though I imagine it will give the KIBBS shippers plenty to smile about. ;-)

Smack!: Just a little glimpse into the relationship between Gibbs and Tony. My take on Tony's reaction to the ubiquitous head-slaps. Update: To any of my French-speaking readers: I'm thrilled to announce that Nuwie has been kind enough to translate "Smack!" into French. So if anyone's interested, be sure to check out "Clac!" under her profile page.