Title: The Travelogue Trilogy (
Roman Holiday,
Jewel of the Nile and
Last Tango in Paris)
Gaining Access: Open
Author: Anna (
coldcoffeeeyes)
Word Count: 147,182 words, 129,767 words and ~112,000 words (incomplete)
Alternate Links to Fic: None
Pairings: Draco/Hermione, Bill/Hermione, Snape/Hermione
Rating: Adult
Summary: Hermione, Snape, Draco . . . believe us, you have
no idea.
Author's Website: http://www.witchfics.org/anna/Why everyone should read this: I was amazed to see this wasn't ever rec'd here before--this is in my opinion one of the best
Harry Potter fics out there. I have a guess as to why no one had rec'd it up to now, even though this is a classic-era fic first posted in 2002. The trilogy is perhaps the perfect story to rec on a Free Flying month, because it's neither fish nor fowl. The overall arc of the trilogy is Snape/Hermione, and that attraction is a thread through all three fics. However, the first story really is much more Draco/Hermione than Snape/Hermione and the second more Bill/Hermione than anything else. Thus for the OTP shipper, the story is either too Snape/Hermione or not Snape/Hermione
enough.
I have to say though, I feel the Draco of
Roman Holiday to be one of the most appealing and in-character Dracos I've read (and I do read Draco/Hermione) and that
Jewel of the Nile has absolutely the most sexy Bill. What unifies all three stories is the portrait of Hermione, taking her from 16 to her mid-twenties; this is one of the best coming of age tales for her I've read, one of the rare Hermione-centric het stories. I loved the role Salazar Slytherin plays in the story, the unique take on Trelawney, and there are fascinating subplots involving magic. There's also good reason why it's been dubbed The Travelogue Trilogy: the portraits of Rome, Cairo, and Paris are entrancing.
There is an interaction with Snape and Hermione early on I found disturbing enough to consider hitting back button, but the story offers so much I'd urge you to push past it. This is also a story where their mutual sexual attraction starts while Hermione is still in her sixth year, and quite a few may find that off-putting.
The last part of the trilogy,
Last Tango in Paris, isn't complete and hasn't been updated for over four years--but it does come to some kind of resolution for Snape and Hermione's relationship. At times the stories are suspenseful, with more than one twist, and other times moving. I definitely recommend you give Anna's epic trilogy a try.
( Excerpt )