Name: Boogum reviewed
Chapter 1 on Jan 31, 2011 05:01 pm
Thought it was about time I read this. I don't know why, but I actually feel really sorry for Astoria in this companion fic -- much more so than I have ever done in the actual fic. Draco's pain was very real and nicely written, and I see we got to learn quite a bit more about his dilemma than you've yet revealed in the actual fic. Very interesting . . .
Name: TuesdayNovember reviewed
Chapter 1 on Nov 10, 2010 06:59 pm
Oh, this was kind of sweet. Like, the depressing, tragic kind of sweet, but sweet nonetheless.
I especially liked what you did with the last paragraph, the 'would, could, should' thing.
Author's Response: Thank you! I'm not even sure if you're reading replies to reviews for this fic, but well, if you are, then... thank you. :)
Name: GoldenFawkes reviewed
Chapter 1 on Jun 30, 2010 10:35 pm
In response to your response to my review:
Like I said, I trust that you're going to carry out a treatment plan for Draco that will be believable. I've stopped writing my fic for a while because I really have to get into Draco's psyche to write him properly (he's Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, in my fic, but obviously much more complicated) and I just haven't had time to delve properly into it.
RESPECT to you for your work here!
Name: GoldenFawkes reviewed
Chapter 1 on Jun 30, 2010 01:09 am
Oh, and another chapter coming up? I am not complaining, but I had to laugh when I read that. You just couldn't stop, huh?
Author's Response: Um... (looks shiftily from side to side) Chapter Two would have been about 60 pages long. Not a good thing.
Name: GoldenFawkes reviewed
Chapter 1 on Jun 25, 2010 03:36 am
Hellooo!?! Where are all the reviews?
Name: maximumtrouble10 reviewed
Chapter 1 on Jun 22, 2010 08:56 pm
ps. Sorry for the second review, but I just reread some of your answers to OTHER reviewers, and I realized that the point about Draco not being human was already answered. Don't know how I missed that :)
Thanks!
Author's Response: You never need to be sorry for a second review! ;)
Name: maximumtrouble10 reviewed
Chapter 1 on Jun 22, 2010 08:53 pm
1) I'm trying to shorten my reviews because the website usually logs me out before I finish and I have to retype the entire thing, so here goes.
2) I'm sorry about your cat--*passes triple chocolate comfort cake*. How long have you had him/her?
3) Dr. Stephen Jay Gould ("Ever Since Darwin: Reflections on Natural History") is the answer to your AN. So perhaps the theme is the role of religion (or in this case magic/pureblood traditions) in combination with science/technology?
3) Marie--I think that maybe Astoria resembles Marie, and Ginny thinks that Draco "loves" Astoria, so when Ginny travels back in time, she glamours/magics herself to look like that, and ends up being the blonde Marie. (does that make sense? It sounded better in my head :) )
4) Loki/demons/angels/otherworldly beings come up AGAIN in this chapter. And Astoria says that Ginny won't like Draco if she "knew what [he] really is". I guess this could be figurative (like Draco is not a nice person), but maybe it's also Draco not being totally (or even at all) human? And maybe it's a curse/gene that is passed down through "all the Malfoys" and that's why Lucius was so obsessed with Draco "breeding"? At least the bargain between Astoria and Draco makes sense--Astoria somehow found out what Draco is and the marriage is exchanged for her not revealing the secret to the world. So it must REALLY not be something that the calm, cool, good-at-masking-all-feelings Draco is
proud of.
5) Purity comes up again--both with the unicorns (for Astoria and Draco's memory) and Astoria's comments. Interesting to see how this theme plays out.
6) The unicorns' reaction to Astoria and her wearing the white dress made me laugh :)
7) Fav line:“You see, the problem, Ginny,” he said raggedly, into the warm night air, “is that you’ve broken out of your compartment. You were quite neatly contained within your own separate compartment in my head. People are most definitely not supposed to break out of their assigned compartments. This is bad, this is very bad. You might never go back in it.”
8) Eucalyptus? Is there some hidden meaning in that? Eucalyptus is a "good cover"--maybe referencing disguise and the fact that Ginny is good for Draco's "health/vitality" :)
Please update again soon!
Author's Response: Hey Max10! Yes, the cat thing was very traumatic. :( I only had Precious for 6 months... but she was my favorite cat... (thanks for the cake...)
2.) A billion zillion points for guessing Stephen Jay Gould! Yay! I really didn't think anybody would. Your guess of the theme was a good one, but actually that isn't *quite* it. SJG explores a lot of ideas related to the actual theme in his essay, *The Most Unkindest Cut of All.* (flippety flip) It's in *The Richness of Life: The Essential Stephen Jay Gould* and originally came from *Dinosaur in a Haystack: Reflections on Natural History*. The title of *Draco's Dangerous Dilemma* actually is KIND of related to SJG's work too, but that connection is just too circuitous to explain.
3.) Astoria does resemble Marie. But that's not why. ;)
4.) Good, good guess, but that's not *quite* it. I didn't say it was totally unrelated, either, but Draco is human. The trace of demonic blood in the Malfoys is very very very far back in this fic.
5.) More about that in Chapter 2.
8.) No. I just really like the smell of eucalyptus. :) More soon!
Name: GoldenFawkes reviewed
Chapter 1 on Jun 22, 2010 06:43 pm
Oh, you're just trying to make us hate Draco a little less, aren't you? I admit, it's kind of working. Except I won't let myself be drawn into your games! He's evil and cruel and should die.
Omg, I just said that Draco should die. I NEVER want that. You've pushed me over the edge!
Author's Response: Ohhh... well, let's see what you think of him after the SECOND chapter. ;) More good stuff coming up!
Name: braidedsilver reviewed
Chapter 1 on Jun 22, 2010 11:24 am
He may as well shag her and get it over with. Personally I think he had a good thing going for him when she charmed herself to look like Ginny. Stick a silencing spell on the bint and suddenly it wouldn't be so hard would it? What's incredibly curious to me is that Lucius hasn't been seen in a while and he's very big on Draco and Ginny being together in some fashion. I would have thought he'd have something to say on this matter.
Author's Response: No,I couldn't have a D/A sex scene. Some readers would hunt me down and stab me with forks. That would not be good. Besides, DDD's Draco kinda gave up on being a man-ho by now. ;) Here's a hint...Lucius already HAD something to say. That's a big part of the reason why Draco was forced to marry Astoria. We'll find out more about that, but not for a while...more soon...
Name: Jack Tamara reviewed
Chapter 1 on Jun 22, 2010 10:37 am
I feel so sad...BUT AT LEAST DRACO AND ASTORIA DIDN'T DO IT! YIPPEEEEE! Whew, okay, going to calm down now. But still, I feel so bad for Draco and Ginny. I mean, they can't be with each other, and ain't that just the saddest thing? I will take comfort in that photo Draco/Ginny are probably off doing it somewhere like crazy. Oh, that and that there's a part 2. :) Update both this and DDD soon!
XOXO, JT
Author's Response: Come on, you KNOW I wasn't going to have a D/A sex scene (shudders. I must wash my brain with bleach now.) More soon...
Name: Jack Tamara reviewed
Chapter 1 on Jun 22, 2010 09:13 am
Before I even read anything, I'm telling you that I saw Astoria Malfoy in the Title, along with the words "wedding night" and "draco" and I wanted to throw myself down on the ground and start bawling. Okay, now i'm going to go read the actual thing. *sniffles*
XOXO, JT
Author's Response: (more Kleenex) It's okay!
Name: pitzi reviewed
Chapter 1 on Jun 22, 2010 02:34 am
Oh, it was really sad!
I like the idea of you posting one (or two-)-shots from other points of view, especially Draco, since his emotions are hard to read. I took some sick pleasure in knowing that he had a bad night after everything he put Ginny through. Though I really pitied him when he cried. Astoria trying to seduce him was very veryVERY disturbing. Yuck! And her charming herself into looking like Ginny was a really cruel torture even though I'm angry with Draco. He didn't need that the poor bloke. I hope she never does it again! How much can a man take?!
I liked that thing with the compartments in Draco's mind and Ginny escaping from hers was really great!
And I had great fun when I read about unicorns laughing hysterically when Astoria wanted to touch them at the rehearsal. I can't take this picture out of my head!
And now to the big questions:
So what was the rush with the wedding anyway? Was it because Draco thought that would be the only way to make sure Astoria shuts her mouth about what she knows about him? And he has to consummate the marriage in 6 month in order to make sure she can't spill anything! I hope everything will be resolved before the 6 months are up!
Also, it's obvious that Astoria knows something really really fishy about Draco! She keeps talking about who he really is, so is he some kind of creature (like he was a demon in "Ninghteen Years Later"?) or does it have to do with his relation to Loki? Or was she talking about his character and not something mysterious?
Oh, and what is that crap with Draco wanting Ginny to remain pure even though he thinks he could never have her? Is he actually going to make shure no man has her even though he can't also? It's kind of cruel to her - "I can't have you but no one else will too!") and a very selfish thing to do. He doesn't appear to care about her happiness. Or is it just that he hopes he can be with her some day?
Well, I'm waiting impatiently for more of this and for the part 2 of DDD and everything else! Thank you thank you as allways!
Author's Response: This fic is really kind of sad... :( I think so too. Draco is very hard to read for a lot of DDD; he doesn't open up until Part 3 or so (and that's a LONG way from here. Part 2 hasn't even started yet.) So that's why the idea of a companion fic appealed to me. Let's see... okay, I'm going to answer a couple of questions. Astoria knows some things about the worst parts of Draco's character that he really doesn't want Ginny to know. He isn't a demon in this fic, or anything like that. Draco is very obsessive about Ginny, and we'll learn more about that in Chapter Two of this fic (but also more about her response to it.) And you KNOW that he hasn't given up on wanting to be with her!
And I'm very very sad today because my cat died... :( So I will console myself with D/G fic.
Name: shezachica85 reviewed
Chapter 1 on Jun 21, 2010 11:34 pm
very good as always... i am curious to see how this goes..
Author's Response: Thank you! The second half is coming soon.
Name: purrbecomesthenight reviewed
Chapter 1 on Jun 21, 2010 11:24 pm
SUCH a good idea dude. I like seeing draco's point of view (quite happy that entire ordeal in the cottage wasn't quite so easy for him as ginny thought)
so, begs the question, did draco make this deal with the greengrasses to be ginny-specfic? it sort of seems that way. AND what of marie? is that why drsaco chose astoria in the first place? is there perhaps a MARIE GREENGRASS??? whooaaaa!
in all seriousness though, im begging for some sort of hint with this marie thing....
erm, update soon! and always listen to the plot bunnies...am i remembering correctly something about you not being able to have chocolate? is this a lifestyle choice? or are you allergic? i guess we'll find out soon...when you update....soon.... xoxo
Author's Response: Thank you so much! :)
You know, purr, I really love your theories... sometimes you hit on something EXACTLY. Sort of. But the way it eventually works out in the fic is *so completely different* from what you'd think that you'll have to read it to believe it. That's what Ginny told me, anyway. ;) And chocolate causes problems every time I have it (sniff). So sad. I think it interferes with the epilepsy meds.
Another chapter coming up soon... I'll warn all y'all, this fic gets darker in the second half and so does Draco. A cookie crumb, for everyone's reading pleasure...
“You simply don’t understand,” he told Ginny. “And you might be a bit more appreciative of the fact that I made that sacrifice for you. I can assure you that seeing Astoria in a white dress and not bursting into laughter immediately was a sacrifice indeed. Then, when I was forced to share air space with that skinny slag in her lingerie-- ouch! What did you do that for?” He snatched his hand back. She’d scratched her nails down the throbbing, fiery lines in his skin.
“You seeing Astoria in lingerie,” Ginny said passionately. “That’s why.”
“It’s not as if I liked it!” Draco shuddered. “It’s not as if I didn’t want to scrub my brain with Cleaning spells afterwards, either. Anyway, it’s all your fault that I was subjected to the sight to begin with. Ginny, I tied myself to that bitch for you; I did it all for you.”
“Oh? So what did you do, exactly?”
“Something downright…” Noble was the word he wanted to say, the self-justifying word he wanted to spit at her, but that bit of honesty was rubbing against the inside of its little compartment and threatening to burst out, because he really didn’t know how noble it had been. He wasn’t sure if he’d recognize a noble action if it jumped up and bit him on the arse. He had done what he needed to do to keep Ginny pure, and to guard her purity from the prying eyes of the world. Perhaps he had never given up for even one moment on his obsession with keeping Ginny’s purity safe for his own private use, one day. Perhaps he had been mad to think he ever could.