Reviewer: idreamofdraco Signed
Date: Oct 18, 2014 Title: Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Yaxley

I'm loving this conflict of Slytherin Aurors having this duty of catching and locking up their acquaintances/families/friends, and how each member of the squad reacts to that. And, like, the very thing that makes Ginny a great Auror is what makes them all dislike her. That's such a great conflict for her. It's not just that she's not a Slytherin; it's more that she and her family fought against them and theirs during the war. I wonder why they all went the Auror route, then, since it's such a conflict of interest. Half of them aren't even willing to fight. Were they recruited by Murstow? Or was Slytherin Squad widely advertised as a safe place for reforming Slytherins and, like Draco, they applied just to see what would happen? The fact that they are such a failure of a squad now is going to make their success later (because of course they are going to succeed and become an awesome team, if not one of the best Auror teams there is. u_u) that much more victorious. I can't wait to see how they shape up!

I'm also really interested in Warrington's character. What's his deal? I like him.

Reviewer: idreamofdraco Signed
Date: Oct 24, 2014 Title: Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Maladies & Maneuverings

//She adopted her most dramatic voice. "Your mission, should you choose to accept it--"

Blaise raised his hand. "You plural? Am I included in this?"

Ginny nodded. "Yes, you too, Blaise."

About to continue, Blaise cut in again. "Is Daphne included? I don't want to have to push my own wheelchair."

She massaged her forehead. "Yes, she can come too."

Draco raised his hand. She glared furiously at the man, who just smirked broadly. "No questions, Lieutenant. I just wanted to see you make that face."//

HAHA. This part, but especially this part to the end of the chapter, is so funny! The chemistry between the characters is so good in this story. You just can't help but laugh along. And now Blaise isn't the sole reason Ginny is tolerated. Draco likes her for herself now, and you can totally see him opening up to her, even in such a minor way as joking and being silly with her and Blaise.

Blaise and Daphne are adorable together, and I liked Warrington teasing Draco and Ginny in the previous chapter. Since he's part of the squad I'm sure we'll see more of him, but I hope we get a little more background with him and interaction between him and Ginny.

Reviewer: idreamofdraco Signed
Date: Nov 03, 2014 Title: Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Surprises

Awwwwwwwww. ;______; This was such a good chapter. I felt so bad for Draco in the beginning, pining away while Ginny acted as if their date was nothing serious. But the headline in the paper was hilarious! And yay! Blaise is back!

Some of my favorite parts:
//He pulled his arm back, using the other to push up its sleeve. The faint, raised scar of the Dark Mark stood ghostly white against his pale skin. "My entire life consists of two halves: wanting this, and hating it. Its taint rests on everything I've ever done." Even now, this was the first time he'd shown it willingly since Voldemort's defeat.//

Ginny touching the Dark Mark (I just find something so nice about it. ;_; Intimate in a vulnerable way.)

//Ginny didn’t let go of his arm. The sleeve caught on her hands. He waited, unsure what she was up to. “I always knew it was there,” Ginny offered lightly. “I didn’t expect it to be so faint.”

Draco blinked hard, and she could see as the emotions caught in his throat. “It’s all I can see,” he finally managed.

“It’s not all I see,” Ginny replied. She slid one hand down his arm, lacing her fingers through his.//

And, of course, their kiss and this exchange:
//“What, you think I let just anyone share my chocolate ice cream?”

“You think I put up with just anyone spoon-feeding me?” he growled in response.//

Great chapter!

Reviewer: idreamofdraco Signed
Date: Sep 26, 2014 Title: Chapter 1: 27, Female, Pureblood

As I said the first time I reviewed this summer, or maybe when I was beta-ing, I love how Stephen is basically Harry, like, that’s the kind of guy that Ginny is going for. “Dependable” and “wholesome.” XD I particularly love the contrast between Stephen’s wholesome image in his photo, and then immediately after, Draco’s unwholesome smile. And of course, Draco shortening Stephen’s name on purpose! Just to be needling. What a git. And “she wondered if [Stephen] needed glasses,” omg. Now, that would just complete the Harry picture! Poor Ginny can’t help herself when it comes to Harry.

*shakes fist at Percy* Speaking of gits. The attention you pay to slut-shaming and double standards between men and women really make this story. Draco and Ginny’s banter is awesome, the tension between them also awesome, but I don’t think this story would be complete or… right if you didn’t address the feminist issues involved.

//Draco leant down and kissed her hard, effectively wiping away her smile. “This is important, to me,” he told her, and with the way he was pressed all along her body she knew exactly what this was. “You’re important,” his fingers brushed gently along her cheekbone, before his hands cupped her face. “I want to be important to you, too.”//

Omg. Could you write a more swoon-worthy Draco?? If all this had been written this past summer, I definitely would have voted for your Draco for the I’d Tap That Draco award, omg.

//Ginny made a show of biting her lip and grimacing, “Your pants were tackled to the ground by a team of Aurors earlier this morning, when they refused to stop running laps around the fountain - the monogram was a dead giveaway that they were yours. In fact, I think it would be fair to say that Harry Potter has his hands down your pants today.”//

Omg. Like, I’m sitting at work trying not to grin my face off in case my coworkers think I’m a loon. This was amazing. I loved the original version, of course, but the expanded parts were marvelous. I particularly liked the Woo Woo section of the story. ;) I just don’t even know what to say. I really loved everything about this, top to bottom. You are such a fantastic writer and I am so glad to see that you’ve been writing more because the internet needs more of your writing.

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

Reviewer: idreamofdraco Signed
Date: Sep 06, 2016 Title: Chapter 18: Epilogue

These last two chapters were so emotional to read. They made ME feel emotional, and I have no maternal instincts to speak of at all.

The scenes between Draco and James, all throughout this story, but especially when Draco asked James for permission to propose to Ginny, were so touching. Draco is so lovely in this story, and I love how much he loves Scorpius and cares for James. The epilogue, too, was so emotional, of course, seeing the kind of family they've all become. I'm tearing up just thinking about it right now, just because this is what I want for my OTP. I want to see them happy and madly in love, even several years later, with a close-knit family, and children who adore them, and you've given us that.

This story is such a treasure to the Draco/Ginny fandom. Thank you so much for sharing it! I can't wait to see what else you write! (Also, you might want to change the category of this story from Works in Progress to Long and Completed!)

Reviewer: idreamofdraco Signed
Date: Mar 18, 2015 Title: Chapter 2: Chapter 1: A page from the fairy-tale books

Ahhhh! I love Lavender and Luna as business partners in this! And George/Luna, oh my! I think I adore it! At least the way you've portrayed them so far. ;)

I enjoyed the backstory of this chapter, with the explanation of Ginny's discontent with Harry. But you haven't painted Harry in a bad light. You haven't turned him into a horrible person that Ginny has no reason being with. He's just Harry, and Ginny realizes (though she ignores it) that he's just not the person she built him up to be. I could see Harry being too protective, too, and those little moments in this chapter, where Harry confuses a gesture from Ginny as weakness, really set that up. I can *feel* the suffocation Ginny is experiencing but not acknowledging, not only from Harry's protectiveness, but also from the pressure of being The-Boy-Who-Lived's fiancee. It's quite sad, but you've written it so well.

Like Ginny, we readers have just missed seeing Draco, but I'll look forward to his appearance in the next chapter! Can't wait for more!

Author's Response: Thank you so much! It is really good to know what is working with the Hinny portrayal too. I was very anxious, because I don't like stories that make Harry into the villain just for Draco's sake. I want Harry to be Harry and Draco to be Draco and we just see that Draco and Ginny fit each other better. There is no need for character assassination, you know?

Reviewer: idreamofdraco Signed
Date: Jan 17, 2015 Title: Chapter 1: A Walk Down Memory Lane

Awww, such a cute story! There definitely was that angsty/sad element, that wistfulness as Draco recalled his memories, but I'm glad it ended on a happy note, especially with Ron's outrage.

There were a bunch of lines I particularly liked, but I can't seem to get them to copy and paste. The one about how rare it is for Malfoys to be speechless, and Ginny's amazement that it only took two meters of ribbon to get him that way, made me lol. And poor Draco being all sulky because he thought Ginny hadn't got him a gift! XD

It was a very enjoyable read. Thank you for sharing! n_n

Author's Response: I've never really done angst before so this was a challenge, even if it was a bit unexpected since I didn't plan for angst at all. Draco is such a spoiled only-child sometimes. I could see him very clearly throwing an inner tantrum about Ginny forgetting his present. I'm really glad you liked it. It's high praise coming from you. You write some of my favourite stories. Thank you!

Author's Response: I've never really done angst before so this was a challenge, even if it was a bit unexpected since I didn't plan for angst at all. Draco is such a spoiled only-child sometimes. I could see him very clearly throwing an inner tantrum about Ginny forgetting his present. I'm really glad you liked it. It's high praise coming from you. You write some of my favourite stories. Thank you!

Reviewer: idreamofdraco Signed
Date: Mar 08, 2015 Title: Chapter 1: As Reality Sets Back In

Ooooh. I see a mostly arranged marriage to a Weasley in Draco's future! I'm interested to see how this alternate universe is developed. How will Draco rule? What exactly will he rule over? Your Draco seems very mature and level-headed, which of course makes him a great candidate for the throne, even if he wasn't the only candidate! ;)

Great start to your story!

Author's Response: Thank you so much for your review! It made my day! I really appreciate your suggestions about capitalizing things like Mum and Father, etc. That completely slipped my mind. I've been changing that in all of my stories! As for your questions, you'll see! ;)

Reviewer: idreamofdraco Signed
Date: May 24, 2015 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1

//Lack of human emotion – Sociopath?//

One thing I love about your writing is that you have this biting wit, a dry sarcasm that isn't overtly funny, but it's funny because it's so sardonic. You can see Ginny's resignation towards the career she's built. She thought being a PI would be more exciting, but she realized it's not. It's tedious, and the cases are the same boring cases. It feels like Ginny's trying to make the most of an annoying case. This note can't be all serious - she's certainly not qualified to make that sort of claim - but Draco is an acquaintance from school that she dislikes, *and* she dislikes the case, so it feels like she's poking fun more than she's making a legit observation. It's a funny way to show how Ginny feels about Draco AND the case all at once, and the line is so short, it's almost a throwaway.

But, that said, and I'm sure I've said this before, I love that even though Ginny finds PI work, especially for affair cases, so dull, she still takes it seriously, as mentioned in the next quote:

//Ginny might not be enthusiastic about taking on this type of work, but she took more than a little pride in her profession.//

It's tedious, but she compiles every piece of information, records her subject's every moment, even going so far as to grab a flier Draco had taken to add to her pile of clues/evidence. Her job may not be as interesting as she expected, but she still does her best at it. She certainly doesn't have to. She could dissolve her business and move onto something else - it's not like she works for anyone and no one works for her - but I suspect that there is something she likes about the work, even if her cases are often boring.

In other words, you say a lot about Ginny's character and work ethic in so few words. There's no need to go on and on about her history with her PI business and her thoughts on it because you make it obvious by these simple lines and her actions. That's another thing I love about your writing. Your characters are so real in the way they behave, you don't *have* to write too much exposition about their backstories and how they feel. You write complex characters in such an easy way. It's lovely to read. :D

Author's Response: Soooo, I might be replying four months later... but it's better than not replying at all. :D
I'm so glad you enjoyed this fic - especially since it was for your prompt, but I tried to write it with you in mind. ;) And I particularly tried to make Ginny someone you'd enjoy reading about, considering the context of the fic. Speed dating was a tricky prompt to write for since it would have been soooo easy to go with fluff, but I know you always prefer some substance with your fics so I tried to at least give you that (and a semi-exciting plot)! Believe it or not I think the prompt was my first choice, because it was so simple I thought I could do something clever and surprising that you might enjoy! And I really wanted to write for you specifically, anyhoo.

Reviewer: idreamofdraco Signed
Date: May 24, 2015 Title: Chapter 3: Chapter 3

(This is going to be a really awful, fangirly review full of my favorite parts and not much feedback from me. I'm sorry.)

//Draco had emerged from the men's room, Neville thrown across his back in a fireman's carry that made Ginny want to find how exactly where he was hiding all of that muscle. "Don't tell me I have to carry you, too," Draco said to her, with a smirk...//

//Draco smirked at that, but his expression seemed to take on a sardonic tone following her comment - almost as though that was the plan - and didn’t that thought just make her feel hot all over?//

//Ginny stifled the urge to outright ask him what he had thought he would be riding instead - and not because she was terrified that the answer might be you. //

//Cheeks burning, she pushed off him, but not before she managed to get a good handful of his toned stomach and chest. "Sorry," she said, fully aware of his hands on her arms as he helped her off the bed, and disappointed she hadn't taken the opportunity to land a little lower on his person, since it was only a matter of time before aforementioned opportunities were non-existent.//

//He took it gently, his thumb sliding across the back of her hand in a way that made her ache for it to touch naughtier parts of her body, and she was immediately stunned by how intimate Draco had managed to make a handshake, of all things. “It’s been a pleasure.”//

Yaaaaass, gurl. Get it. I am here for it! Ahhhhhhhh, the chemistry between them is blinding!! How do you write these kinds of interactions so well??

This chapter is so great because of these moments between them, but just as Ginny is distracted from her investigation by Draco's flirting, I think your readers are also distracted. It's so easy to forget that Draco is supposedly the subject of an affair case, and that there's something sneaky going on that Ginny is trying to figure out. The way this chapter ends, with the harsh reality crashing down on her, is perfect, because the readers, too, are being reminded that Draco is sneaky and he's been one step ahead the whole time. The chemistry between Draco and Ginny might have been real, but Draco was exacerbating it to get into Ginny's head. And that's just beautiful and so Slytherin of him.

Can't wait to read the conclusion again!!

Author's Response: //How do you write these kinds of interactions so well??//
Extreme sexual repression?
Srsly tho, Draco is just such a big old tease that he makes it easy for me. And quite clearly difficult for Ginny - poor gal. ;)

Reviewer: idreamofdraco Signed
Date: Jul 24, 2015 Title: Chapter 1: Traipse

What an intriguing start! Your writing reminds me of a Robin McKinley novel, which I think is very fitting considering the fairytale inspiration. I've only read one Robin McKinley novel, though, so, to be more accurate, maybe I should say your writing reminds me of her writing in the novel Spindle's End.

I always love seeing alternate universes and how authors tackle this pairing in a non-canon world. I think this is a great start! Thanks for sharing!

Author's Response: Have you been looking at my bookshelf? I discovered Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword when I was 12 and quickly became enamored. She has definitely had a huge influence on my writing. And thank you!

Reviewer: idreamofdraco Signed
Date: Aug 16, 2015 Title: Chapter 3: Insolent Boy-o

I'm going to guess Irish Wolfhound. The image of a dog still kind of wearing Draco's clothes is hilarious! And he doesn't even freak out about it. He's just, like, mildly scandalized.

Your writing is so nice to read. It's fun and funny and also kind of sophisticated. I guess that's what I'm trying to say. I tend to read peoples' writing and envy their vocabularies. You can tell which authors are well-read, and that's how your writing reads to me. Can't wait to see more from you!

Author's Response: Yeah, you're living in my head, 'cause you're absolutely right about it being a Wollfhound (also, it's just going to be more fun with Draco as a big dog, as he's going to be way too big to just shove in purse or spare room when he's being a pest. And oh my gosh, the sad puppy eyes on this breed can just crack your heart in half.) Aww, you are so sweet. Hope I keep living up to the expectation (and please let me know if I start slipping)--Thank you!