I don't know how long it's been since this story was updated, but I REALLY hope that you continue it. It's turning into something really special by this last chapter. Please think about it!! :)

Wow, thanks for posting this! :) I'll r and r later, but I wanted to make sure that you know this latest update of a classic fic is much appreciated. I'll have to download the whole thing and listen to it on @voice. The British male voice sounds EXACTLY like Draco.... ;)

Um, yes. I agree with the last reviewer. Somehow, Ginny managed to get pregnant without ever having had sex, and even in the magical world, I don't think that's possible.

Huh. After I wrote this fic, I guess I DID write non-con in *Unforgivable.* Oh, well, what do you want, consistency?? ;)

The way you're setting up the tensions in this fic is truly fascinating, because they're real-- they're not based on some stupid misunderstanding, or stubbornness, or any of the motivations we so often see for why Draco and Ginny don't just admit their eternal twu wuv, already. ;) Ginny would never marry Draco in a zillion years of her own free will, and when the love potion wears off, her anger will be fearsome to behold. How can Draco really win her over? And he's obsessed with her, but I don't think this Draco really knows how to love anyone (yet.) So how is he going to learn? Can't wait to see where this goes!

Argh! Can we say "unhealthy relationship"? And yet, so compelling. He wants her to save him, and I think that in wanting that, he asks for what no other human being can give him. I honestly have to say that I'm not sure if Draco could even save *himself* at this point. I don't know if there's any power on earth that could save him. Still, he asks it of Ginny, because he must. And she loves him, because she doesn't have any other choice. By this point, it's not that *he* isn't giving her any other choice, but that she really *can't* choose anything else. But what would her feelings really become if she actually could get out of the situation?? So many interesting questions. This has become a seriously complex D/G fic.

This is the most disturbingly fascinating fic out there right now, without a doubt. This Draco is just so complex. Is he entirely evil? I don't think so, which makes his character worse in a way-- he's yearning towards goodness, but his own actions ensure he will never reach it. For him, Ginny symbolizes all that is good, which I think is why he withdraws from her so much for so long after the wedding, as the things he has to do get worse and worse. I do think he's telling the truth as he sees it when he says he loves her, but he wants something that she could never give him. And Ginny herself is sinking into this very submissive role, but it isn't natural to her, and I don't think it can last forever. I can't think how you're going to end this fic, and there are very few D/G fics I've ever read where that could possibly be said by this point. Keep writing! :)

(sigh) I'm perfectly contented after reading this story, that's all I can say. Beautifully constructed and very funny! :)

Author's Response: That\'s high praise, especially coming from you. I\'m glad you enjoyed it!

Nice portrait of a sociopath, ahem. But anyway...

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You know, the thing about your work that makes it stand out is actually deceptively simple: your Draco and your Ginny are absolutely distinct characters. Draco, especially, could not be mistaken for the Draco of any other author. This is harder to do than it looks, since it's all too easy to rely on cliches when building his characterization: pouty sneer! sneery pout! vague references to a dark past! sexy hair! leather pants! You know the drill, I'm sure. ;) But not this Draco; he's truly original.

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Oh, and after the last chapter, I had an inspiring idea. The overall literary level of the entire universe would be much improved if you wrote and posted a smut cookie from Sailing the Dark Ship. You know, one that expanded on those annoying little asterisks. Apparently, you have turned your hand to that exalted sort of writing since then, with stellar results. This is purely a literary suggestion, of course. ;)

Author's Response: I posted a smutty outtake from Sailing the Dark Ship and it is called The Stay Until Morning. The original story wasn\'t expanded to include sex/smut because I wanted to retain an \"R\" rating. I do try and stray from cliches. I don\'t pretend Draco is super sexy or has a leather fetish. He\'s arrogant and an asshole, but after HBP we know he\'s not entirely evil. So I always write him as how I see him. Thanks for reviewing!

" And, seriously, if you ever feel so inspired to write those NC-17 outtakes, that would be great!"

Okay, I rarely write updated review-y type things, but this was too good to pass up. ;) If they ever get to the point where said NC-17 activity would be hinted at, then I definitely will. And maybe, just maybe, that'll be a tad bit inspiring, too. :)

Author's Response: Fabulous!!

Wow, wow; what a fic. Maybe it's actually a good thing that I didn't find it before. I didn't have to wait a year between updates!! ;)

Anyway. I haven't read... watched... whatever... the original anime thing this took certain elements from, but every element does stand alone without it. And I feel that this is a fic which accomplishes so many things that are incredibly difficult to do in D/G writing.

Most importantly, it's deeply grounded in the basic *reality* of how Draco and Ginny would actually think and behave, given who they are as characters. That quality shines through even in an AU setting (where Harry is relegated to the background and gets a grand total of 2 lines, as he so richly deserves!:P) For instance, Draco is a disturbed kid in some ways, and he has a genuinely nasty streak. Most authors deal with this dilemma by either setting the fics post-Hogwarts, when he's had a chance to change (which is what I do-- I don't even try to write Hogwarts-era), or glossing over this fact.

But you didn't. You dealt with how this frankly unpalatable truth would actually play out. We also see *why* and *how* Draco's personality has developed this way, the poverty of his emotional life balanced against the undeserved largess that has been dumped upon him in terms of material wealth, as well as the totality of what it means-- he both loves and hates with everything that is in him. But he does think and behave like someone with a real attachment disorder (wouldn't it be interesting to get a chance to diagnose Draco, though!) He loves too much, too intensely, too dangerously, and we see what the consequences could be for Ginny. (She also sees this more clearly than he does, I think.)

When he tells her that out of the three people in the world that he could trust, he's now down to one, it's unbearably intense and touching and pathetic, but it's too much for her to handle, and she knows it. When he tries to shower her with all the luxury he has, so easily available to him, so far out of her grasp, she *knows* that she can't just give in and let him do it. It's extraordinarily difficult to write a fic that has Draco and Ginny sparring basically throughout the scenes in which they interact, but you've managed to do it because you've given them legitimate reasons to behave that way. Oh, and btw....You write some really intense love scenes for a PG-rated fic (although I can't help hoping that you eventually up the rating-- I'm kind of incapable of writing anything below NC-17, personally, even though the explicit content takes up a very small part of my fics. You can do it... you can just add that little bit... come to the dark side... we have cookies... )

Ginny has her own issues to deal with, and the way you've written her is so believable-- you really have her essence down, and it works in an AU fic just as well as it would in anything canon-compliant. The key to Ginny, I've always believed, is that she has a trauma disorder-- she fits all of the diagnostic criteria in canon, and you've given her a background here that also qualifies her. But she's determined to survive and to win out. That is itself another reason why she knows that she can't give in to everything that Draco wants of her-- she's afraid that she will lose herself, the self that she's fought so hard to keep, and that is a legitimate fear. But still, we can't help hoping that she will give in... or at least give Draco SOME reassurance here. ;) He has shown that he's capable of change by allowing himself to be subjected to the suffering that he inflicted on someone else (the Claire incident), and I think that may be his finest hour in this fic. The poor kid! Let Ginny give him a little hope, anyway!!@

Wow, that has to be the longest review I've ever written for anything. So, anyway... I hope this fic doesn't end up getting abandoned. I had terrible medical problems this spring, so I fully sympathize with how difficult it can be. But you can do it!! We're all behind you!! :)

Author's Response: Oh my goodness, where to start? This review was absolutely delicious to read in a variety of ways; partly because I'm a huge fan of your work (although, discourteous reader that I am, I don't know if I've ever left a review - shame on me), particularly The Bat-Boogeys Cometh, partly because I found it very flattering, but mostly because of your insight! It's given me quite a bit to think about (and get excited about!). You'll have to forgive the length of my response, because once I started, I couldn't stop - you've commented on so much that *I* now want to comment on!

I'm so happy (and gratified) by your observations on Ginny's characterization. Many have commented that they find her such a strong character, but in my view, she's the most fragile one in the story. It's why she sees danger in every situation - she strives to be extremely cautious and truly regrets anything reckless she does (because, despite her caution, she can't resist interfering in situations that violate her strict concept of right / wrong and justice - it's why she sticks up for Claire in the first place and gets herself into the whole mess). To her, consequences are very real and she can never forget that her situation is fairly precarious in this world - she knows just how fine the line is that she's walking. She's a pretty haunted kid; isolated, separated from her family, stuck the world that created her nightmares. What gets her through the day is the idea that some day, she may get to play a part in ending that world.

To be perfectly honest, a lot of Draco's characterization is derived from the series that inspired the story, with my own tweaks to fit fanon!Draco. The hero of Hana Yori Dango is violent, arrogant, reckless, immature and completely disregards the consequences of his actions - because he's never had to experience them in any way that is meaningful to him. Draco is a bit darker than that (his HYD counterpart isn't very clever and gets a little mindless about his devotion to the heroine - I've tried to give Draco a degree of intelligence in order to make him all the more dangerous), but with some elements to him that if loosely fit together, would make up the beginnings of a skewed moral code (betrayal = bad, perseverance = admirable, Purebloods = supreme, boredom = horrendous, money = power, power = everything, forgiveness = unattainable)

Draco's loneliness is really his only sympathetic quality, and the only thing that is meant to be somewhat redeeming about him is his desire for Ginny. Once his emotions are involved, he *feels* all the way and will do whatever it takes to win the girl - but that, unfortunately, is the something that makes it so difficult for the object of his desire - it's too much. He has no real concept of what the stakes are for her (and how can he, considering what his family life has been), but for Ginny, she has *so* much to lose - the cost is too high to risk for an arrogant, reckless teenage boy who she's not even sure she likes half the time. For Draco, however, all he has to lose is Ginny, and for him, THAT is way too high. Except that he doesn't *really* understand "loss" yet; at least, not the same way that she does.

As for ever increasing the story's rating - I'll try. Every time I venture into remotely NC-17 territory, I fall victim to Harlequin cliches and it's never any good. I do have a scene in mind (it's still a way off in the plot), and will hopefully be able to persevere in writing it. And as to Ginny giving him some kind of reassurance to him... I'll just say that she does, but in an unexpected way (there was a hint in this chapter as to what that might be)... Stay tuned for the next update. : )

Now, this chapter really drives home what kind of person your Draco actually is, and makes Ginny's plans to destory him much more understandable. Sentences like THIS:

"So?" Draco said. "He's her husband, isn't he? What happened to right of life and death over one's woman?"

made me want Ginny to open a nice big can of whoop-ass on him. ARGH! You've done a great job of leading us to understand what really divides this Draco and this Ginny; so often it's a dumb misunderstanding that could be easily cleared up in a couple of sentences, but not here. It will be fascinating to see how this gets developed.