I actually wrote fanfiction before I ever read any. YIKES. I got roped into going to a HP conference before I'd read any fanfic, or participated in any of the fandom really. I just had a RL friend who was really into Snape/Hermione and I didn't really want anything to do with that and was too lazy to find my own, so I didn't read any. Slash wasn't even something I could wrap my mind around at the time, nor was erotica--haha, I know, right? I wrote a story for the conference as they were putting together a little book. YIKES AGAIN... it was about Ron's Bachelor Party and it was ridiculous and I'm glad it's not online anywhere...

But during the conference I got my mind opened quite a lot. By the end of the conference I was toying with my first slash story-- Snape/James of all things--a bit of a Brokeback Mountain mashup--and was incredibly curious about slash. We stayed an extra day in New Orleans after the conference and my RL friend tied me to the computer and wouldn't let me out of the hotel room until I'd read Homefry Nazi (Snape/Harry) and Cheat (Snape/Lupin). I was smitten. ♥♥

Then I came home and devoured fanfic--mostly Ron and Hermione at the beginning because I had met a writer at the conference and fell in love with her Ron after... but when Deathly Hallows came out, I found Best Mates and that was it for me for a long time. I had my H/R for fluffy whatnot and my Snupin for the angst and that was all I needed for a really long time.

Still haven't come around to the Harry/Draco, but I think they're okay without me. ;) I'm just glad you took a detour there somewhere for some Best Mates love as I can't imagine living without you about as much as I couldn't imagine living without slash. UNACCEPTABLE!

♥♥♥♥