SEA, SWALLOW ME,
by whimsywitchess

— completed or on-going?: on-going

— genre: fanfiction
⤷ universe: harry potter (marauders era)

— shortened summary:
(go read the fic for the full, beautifully-written one!)

"cove will never belong.

the curse of the selkie: she's trapped between two separate worlds, hardly accepted in either. in the cold embrace of the sea, she yearns to stand on two legs and feel the sand against her flesh, but the feeling of being a human sickens her. life is unbearable when conflicted. her mother's colony has always been accepting when she grows tired of her parents and needs time away, but it's evident that she's not to overstay her welcome. sometimes, she doubts that she'll ever find a real home.

[...]

she's always felt alone. nobody has ever accepted her — until a scarred boy with a furry little problem comes into her life and begins to pick up the pieces."

— reader's notes:

• i feel like "gorgeous" is a word that really sums up my experience with this fic?? everything from the imagery and descriptions, to the world building and characterisation is just... yeah, gorgeous!!

• for context, cove henderson is a selkie, a mythological creature which can shape shift between seal and human form, by putting on or taking off their seal skin. i love the concept, and even more than that, i love how joe has taken that concept and explored cove's conflict between human and seal life. it grounds this mythological idea into reality and actually makes it quite a relatable message, i think, for anyone whose parents come from two different cultures, nationalities, etc... my point is you can really empathise with cove's struggle!

• on a more relaxed note, i love that cove is a selkie because imagining her as a seal is honestly adorable, and i keep envisioning her bouncing around hogwarts like this:

• one of the other things i love about this fic, and what gives it such a distinct feeling, is the way scottish gaelic is woven throughout. it is not only spoken by the characters but it is also in the chapter titles, and every time i'm just in awe of the language! also the descriptions of cove's home in the hebrides is stunning, always makes me want to pack my bags and travel up there IMMEDIATELY.

• also cove and remus are very sweet together 🥰🥰 and i'm no marauders expert but i really like how they are written here. so i think that's incentive enough for you to go and read this fic!! go on, don't be shy!!