*Completely AU* In a world where Voldemort was never defeated, only a few things matter: pureblood, money and power. All that Ginny Weasley wanted was to survive her 7 years at Hogwarts, a school where the children of the richest and most powerful wizards dominate over others. Denying her natural instincts, she managed to make it into her 6th year without offending any of the cruel and powerful Slytherins - especially that horrible Draco Malfoy. Until one day, she crosses a line, and her peaceful existence is shattered forever. A story filled with adolescent drama, clash of the classes, angst, jealousy, ridiculous pride and love triangles (and squares).Category: Works in Progress
There are so many things I love about this story. It is definitely the kind of story which deserves to be a 'D/G Classic' and there is no higher praise I can give, especially given the difficulty of making the story believable and engaging when it is an AU and also heavily influenced by the HYD story.
I love your writing and your characterisation of our favourite couple. Your Ginny is just amazingly written and very believable. Some of the things I love:
- She still acts like a teenage girl and has her insecurities and doubts just like anyone else
- She didn't immediately fall for Draco, even though he saved her life and admitted he loved her! I'm actually super impressed that you managed to make her resist Draco to the point of her still calling him 'Malfoy'.
- She was vulnerable and human and not just this fortress of strength all the time - I thought this was a much more realistic portrayal of what she must have gone through during her time marked by the Howler
- She can see that Draco is making an effort and is not responding annoyingly to him. Sometimes, authors can make their Ginny very unlikeable or unreasonable but I've been 100% behind your Ginny throughout the fic and I think it's a real credit to you that you've created a character that we can both recognise as the Ginny from the books, but also one which has a much more developed personality and someone we can all really get behind and root for.
Things I love about Draco:
- He didn't have a 180 degree personality change just because he realised he loved Ginny. He's still his snarky self but with a bit more concern and care thrown in. I've really loved seeing him evolve although I certainly hope there's a bit more growth coming in future before Ginny can 100% be with him without reservations. He really was a horrid piece of work during his Howler-torture days!
- His motives and his protectiveness are both very easy to understand and even though sometimes you want him to stop being a prat, you can definitely understand why someone with his background and upbringing would act the way he does instead of the way Ginny wants/expects him to.
In general, I just loved the AU world you've created which has just enough of the elements of HP to make it very recognisable and not out of character, but also just an amazing universe where the reader can really feel developed personalities and actually care about what happens next in the plot.
I'm very glad that your family is facing a brighter future and I wish you all the best for more writing. I'll be eagerly anticipating further chapters and reviewing as they come!
It's hard to learn how to live without that one person you thought would be in your life forever. But Ginny Weasley had always been a quick study, and there are always certain grey-eyed boys to help speed up the learning process...Category: Works in Progress
I was absolutely ecstatic to see this fic updated when I visited the site today and have been rationing out reading this chapter so I could make it last!
I'm so pleased that things are getting a bit further along the track in finishing the story because I've been so excited to read your updated ending.
My favourite part of this chapter is the end where Hermione (so wisely) points out that Draco might love Ginny back. I really think that one of the great things about this fic is the way Ginny has relationships outside of Draco which are realistic and that Hermione is not just a nagging shrew.
I also love that it took Draco and Ginny a process of meeting, slowly becoming friends and then becoming best friends before they even considered/realised they had deeper romantic feelings. The slow burn sometimes makes me feel impatient but the pay-off is so much better.
Really looking forward to eventually reading those last couple of chapters! Good luck finishing it - it will be a sad end to a beautiful journey but hopefully will not be the last D/G fic you ever write!
I am so happy that you've begun updating again! This was my favourite fic from the 2008 Spring dgficexchange so I'm so pleased to be reading it again with some of your additions. I'm actually also hoping you expand on the final chapter slightly because I really wanted to see a little bit more of the pair being happy and in love :)
Oooooh! I love how you've expanded this chapter out! I know that for readers it's obvious that Draco has feelings for Ginny and that's where his frustration stems from but in the original version I thought it was a bit subtler and almost burst out of nowhere.
I'm really glad that you've put in the extra little tidbits to make everything flow together and show the progression more clearly. Really looking forward to more chapters to see what you decide to amend. I know I'm definitely holding out for a bit more fluff towards the end!
Oh! The build-up is just exquisite torture... I fell in love with this fic when I read it during the last exchange and slowly savouring it again recently has just reminded me of how much I enjoyed it the first time.
I'm really looking forward to seeing your new take on the ending since I loved it as it was although I always wanted to see more of their relationship AFTER their confessions to each other.
Some of the elements I loved (Ginny's frantic panic to Hermione and Hermione's line 'but what if he does') so I really hope you keep those parts in because I thought it was a beautiful way to also tie-in the Hermione/Ginny friendship. I also did love the way Ginny's confession came out to Draco starting with her hesitant 'how are you' and him comforting her when she started crying.
I think what I'm trying to say (despite the rambling) is that no matter how you choose to change the ending I think I'll love it and I really hope you'll write more D/G stories in future!
Recently I was looking for this fic again to re-read it and was reminded of how wonderful it was to watch Ginny's journey from falling out of love with Harry to realising her feelings for Draco. I think even though Draco is the other main character, it is very much Ginny's story and feels very authentic in describing her.
I really hope to get that final chapter from you soon! I loved the original ending although I admit I wanted more D/G loving. I am interested to see what new twist you put on it. I hope you still keep many of the elements of the original because there were so many parts I loved such as Hermione's line 'but what if he does?' and Draco comforting Ginny after her disastrous beginning.
Anyway, fingers crossed we get that last little bit of the story!
COMPLETED! -- A broken-hearted Ginny Weasley lets go of Harry Potter to let him fight the good fight and starts her sixth year at Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy follows Snape back to Death Eater headquarters after Dumbledore's death to even more danger than he had just left, realising too late that he has made his greatest mistake yet. Is anyone likely to forgive him? Finding himself a refugee within the walls he had conspired against, he witnesses a scene that alters his perception of a concept he had previously found to be a waste of time: Love. This change allows him to grow away from the model Death Eater his father had been sculpting him into in an effort to find out what he really believes in with the help of his new friendship found in the youngest Weasley. Meanwhile, Ginny struggles with her harboured feelings for the man destined to save the Wizarding world, unknowingly losing her affections with every passing day to his childhood enemy. Please leave me a review!Category: Long and Completed
I really enjoyed reading this story :) Although there are many fics with a 'Draco turns good and Ginny falls for him' storyline I feel like you've transcended most of them by making the pace more believable. I also liked the scene between Pansy and Draco showing Pansy's confusion and blindness. I also applaud the way you handled the debate between Draco and Ginny about Purebloods vs. Muggle-borns. I look forward to the next chapter!
Author's Response: Thank you so much! I was really trying to make his transition from his former self very subtle, with a little of the old Draco still lingering. It was a little difficult to argue Draco\'s side in his and Ginny\'s debate, which is probably why he gave up so fast, LOL. I\'m glad it came off well!
Confined to the castle, the students of Hogwarts are becoming a little unhinged. Truths are beginning to leak out... and someone is going to be clobbered for it. Short and sweetCategory: Completed Short Stories
This was a lovely little surprise and I thoroughly enjoyed the lightheartedness of the piece. I love that Ginny didn't take Draco's side automatically and Hermione's interference certainly recalls the Firebolt incident in the fourth book.
I look forward to reading more from you :)
Ginny always knew there was something wrong with her eyes.Category: Completed Fiction
Very interested to read more! This is a pretty unique plot idea and I love the interweaving of 'magic sight' into it.
Convicted and incarcerated after the war, Draco is unexpectedly given a new lease on life.Category: Works in Progress
I am very excited to see how everything unfolds. I think this is one of the most original stories out there at the moment and I like your take on the D/G courtship starting from VERY slow beginnings (as I think it should). Looking forward to reading more :)
Author's Response: Thank you very much! I'm so glad that the pace of their relationship is working for you; it probably all comes down to personal preference, but I'm a fan of slow burners and think the resulting pay-off is much more satisfying in the end. :) Thanks for taking the time to read and review!
A chubby Draco and the physical trainer from hell. What more can I say? A D/G twist on dieting and an ending sweeter than candy floss. Enjoy. :)Category: Long and Completed
'How dare you imply that justice is only for people you happen to like?' - I love this line and that Ginny is the one who says it! I love how willing she is to go into bat for Draco and also her slightly sneaky side in getting them to promise to help. I'm also happy that the two of them are getting closer because they're working towards a common goal.
This is one of my favourite ongoing fics and I always get excited seeing it appear in the 'recently updated' section of the website. Very glad that you've got the rest mostly sorted out and that there is a happy epilogue to look forward to!
Author's Response: Yes... adding the bad guy really made this story pop. originally, it was just about Ginny pushing Draco around and him being stubborn, but that got so boring. Hope to have next chapter up this weekend. I can't wait to share that epilogue. :D Have a great day!!!! -G
I've really enjoyed this novel approach to the usual D/G story and look forward to seeing how future chapters unfold.
My favourite bits are:
Draco not being the perfect 'sex god'!
Draco and Ginny starting their relationship on a professional footing
Narcissa's involvement in the 'conspiracy'
Keep up the good work and I look forward to reading more!
Author's Response: Thank you! I do try to be original and I really appreciate your feedback. Actually, I think the story was inspired by me reading one too many stories where Draco was too perfect. I also love Narcissa, and find it amusing that I can make her so influential without even making an appearance. LOL
Yay! I was overjoyed to see a new chapter of your intriguing story come out. I really do love the premise of this fic and really like the way that everything is slowly unfolding.
You can definitely see the hints of D/G romantic feelings slowly creeping up and I also like that the attraction is not purely physical (especially from Ginny's end). I think the characters have really demonstrated their admiration for each other's determination and motivation which makes for a stronger bond in my opinion.
Loooking forward to seeing more interesting developments!
Author's Response: Thank you for your thoughtful feedback! I'm blushing. So glad to know that my simple story is so appreciated. I'm sure that the rest will not disappoint. I wrote the epilogue some weeks ago, and I know everyone will love it. Your kind words definitely inspire and motivate me. Thank you. Best wishes. -G
“You mustn’t tell them, Rose! Harry knows but Lily and the boys… you can’t breathe a word…”Category: Works in Progress
When Rose Weasley went to her favorite aunt for advice on how to handle loving someone her family disapproved of, she never dreamed the older woman would have been able to relate so well. In the comfortable safety of her kitchen, Ginevra Potter told her niece everything and swore her to secrecy. But months later, when Ginevra notices that her daughter, Lily, is spending time with Scorpius Malfoy, Ginny realizes too late that the truth can never really be locked away. Children question their parents and their own identities and everyone must confront the past.
I have really enjoyed watching this story unfold although normally I tend to shy away from stories which are D/G offspring-centric. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the story develops and at this stage I think I'd be perfectly happy with however you decided to conclud the pairings :) In real life, things don't always wrap up nicely and I very much like your take on Draco and Ginny's respective marriages.
Keep up the awesome work :)
Author's Response: Thank you so much! Your review was very encouraging!
I very much enjoyed this last chapter of the story - can't wait to see how things unfold and how both generations' stories play out. I have to admit I'm definitely rooting for Scorpius/Lily over Scorpius/Rose! As for Draco/Ginny - I actually don't mind if they end up together or not - I'd just love to find out more about their past and have it be one of those bittersweet love stories which they didn't manage to work out but which their children did.
Author's Response: Well thank you for liking it so much! I wish I could tell everyone how it ends, but its still good to know what everyone wants out of it. ;) I'm glad you like it and thank you so much for your review! I hope you'll like the rest!
I have to admit that I'm not a good reviewer at all - I think I have about 5 reviews on FIA only but I've found your story to be so good that I want to review every new chapter to not only give you kudos but also for fear that you will abandon the story.
Again this is such a conflicting chapter for me since I am a lover of happy endings and yet I can tell that realistically, not all the characters can have happy endings neatly wrapped up in a bow (like JK tried to do with her Epilogue).
I feel really sorry for Rose, who really has done nothing wrong and I think her reluctance to tell her parents is pretty well-founded in Ron and Hermione's dislike for Draco as well as what I perceive to be her more cautious nature.
I loved the flashback to Draco/Ginny living together and the beginnings of their relationship - the whole flowers and pancakes thing just makes me so sad for them that they didn't work out the first time.
In any case, I continue to look forward to more chapters and offer encouragement to keep going :)
Author's Response: Thanks for your reviews and your concern! It's very sweet. I can assure you though that I will not abandon this story. It is all sitting on my computer, 98% complete, all but the editing. Seven more chapters to post! I've had some of my favorite authors jump ship, so I promise I won't do that. ;) I was actually reworking on the ending only last night and I think it's more happy than most would think considering the teenage/relationship angst prevalent throughout the story. So fear not :) Also, as for Rose, I know this is a big concern for everyone because she really hasn't done anything wrong as of now. She gets her happy ending too, in a way that I can't disclose now, sorry to say. :) I'm glad you liked the flashback, as I loved writing it (and I was obviously craving pancakes at the time) Anyway, thank you for your review and encouragement. I'll keep posting, I promise. :)
I'm on 'Team Lily' here as you know from my previous reviews so I'm thrilled by this chapter! I like to think that the R/S/L debate might be a bit like the Hr/D/G kind of debates but I definitely feel like you set Lily up to be a more appropriate match for Scorpius. I don't agree with some of the reviewers that Rose was right for Scorpius - he did have feelings for her and even tried to be patient but she was not only unwilling to let her family and friends know about her feelings but she was also unwilling to really commit to him. I actually see Rose as almost like Ron in this regard when he was pining over Hermione but too chicken to do anything about it. It was no wonder that Hermione went to the Yule Ball with Krum and then tried to make him jealous with Cormac MacLaggen! I'm just really pleased that Scorpius found in Lily a person willing to at least give it a go and face up to whatever happens. I think that taking that chance and hoping it pays off is where Lily did the brave thing where her mother (Ginny) I think may have hesitated. I definitely believe in the whole 'if you never try, you'll never know' kind of philosophy so I'm glad that both Lily and Scorpius are rewarded by their attempts to make something work. I do hope that Rose also finds the courage to choose her own path and then find true happiness.
I definitely look forward to reading more and finding out about Draco and Ginny's reactions to their children getting together!
Author's Response: Good! I'm glad you like it so far! As for D and G's reactions, that's definately in the next chapter for sure. ;) Thanks for your review!
Good old angsty times! This chapter definitely feels like the culmination of a long build-up and I hope you find a way of resolving things satisfactorily without undoing all the work you've put into making things feel realistic and natural in the way they unfold.
I am a huge fan by now and have been diligently reviewing each chapter to give you encouragement and praise. I'm sure you realise how much so many of us appreciate your writing and story so I hope that helps get you through any tough spots you encounter.
Keep up the great work and I look forward to more as usual!
Author's Response: Oh thank you! I'd definately say that reviews like yours are wonderful for getting through tough chapters. It's crazy, the more reviews I get, the more ideas I have that I then insert in this story that was originally only 13 chapters. Right now it's looking like 21 lol. Thank you again for your encouragement, it really does help!
While I like the fact that you're moving the story forward, I wish this part had been dragged out a bit more slowly with more hints in early chapters of this mysterious thing that Harry might have done...
That being said, I'm very hooked and curious to find out how you resolve everything because it is a very sticky mess! I am glad you're taking the extra time and chapters to bring everything to a conclusion because otherwise I think you'd be stretching reality a bit no matter which ending you chose.
Hopefully you'll be able to pull it all together in a realistic (hopefully still happy) and satisfying conclusion. Good luck :)
Author's Response: You definately I have a point about 'what Harry did'. That, I'm afraid, was the result of poor planning (as in I didn't fully come up with that particular idea until this chapter, lol) Hopefully, it will read well by the story's completion, as this is merely hinting at later chapters. So, no there was no indication earlier, but I certainly didn't reveal everything yet, so I hope it all works out. Thank you very much for supporting the excess of chapters I'll need to complete this. I figured much the same when I was trying to wrap it all up in a nice little bow. ;) Thanks for your review!
I really hope you find a way to 'redeem' Ginny because at the moment I find it very difficult to see why Draco would want her when she's been nothing but evasive, cowardly, pathetic and incapable of taking responsibility for her own choice and actions. I don't think it's a bad thing that she is like this at the moment because I think character development is always essential to a good story but I really hope you can give us an EXTREMELY satisfying reason as to why Ginny is being so frustrating or else I'll finish the story feeling like Ginny really didn't deserve Draco OR Harry.
As I see it, she's currently responsible for the misery of herself, Harry, Draco and to a lesser extent, the second generation kids. She's been whiny and tearful but I feel like from our point of view, Draco has suffered a lot more and is very much the victim here. He's been as honest and upfront and willing to fight for them as he can be and I really admire him, whereas this is one of the rare times when I'm not on Ginny's side in a story.
I just want to end by saying I think it's really wonderful that your writing can evoke such strong emotions and divide people and make them love, hate, sympathise, pity etc. your characters - I think that's an amazing skill and you should be pleased that people care so much to be angry! All the best sorting out this tangled web and as always, I look forward to reading more.
Author's Response: Oh I'll redeem her, I promise. She's driving me crazy too and I know what actually happened and she's still making me mad. ;) Don't worry, she has a really good reason for being so uncharacteristically broken up about everything. I can't wait to read your reaction after she finally comes clean and tells the truth. It'll be like one big AHA, at least that's how I'm picturing it in my mind, lol.
Thank you so much for all your reviews thus far. They're all very encouraging and I'm glad readers can still be happy when they're wanting to strangle certain characters, lol, it's a funny thing to imagine and wrap my head around, but there you go. Anyway, thank you so much for your review and I appreciate all the encouragement. Hopefully the web will start to untangle itself... in a few chapters ;)
*squee* I absolutely *heart* Scorpius! I love how he says 'I love you' gruffly because although he clearly loves Lily, he's not a soppy idiot. I'm also really enjoying the comparisons between the D/G relationship and the next-gen relationship and the way in which old fears and prejudices are still alive but the characters are attempting to deal with them in slightly different ways.
As always, keep up the great work and I look forward to more!
Author's Response: Thank you! I'm glad you like the odd balance between the two generations. Its hard to figure out how to work it all in at times but I'm very glad that you seem to enjoy it so much, it's very encouraging. Thanks as always for your reviews and I'll attempt to get the next few out as soon as I can.
Yay! I feel like this chapter marks the uptick in the story from sad, depressing, teary angst to progress in mending relationships and moving on :)
So happy to see more of the story!!
Author's Response: Oh well good! 'Bout time for some progress, don't you think?
Oh! This is so beautiful and such a nice explanation for how things turned out the way they did. Oddly I can't bring myself to hate Harry or Ginny or Draco for their actions or omissions and all I feel is dreadfully sorry for them that things didn't get unravelled.
I didn't think I would be satisfied with an explanation for Ginny's behaviour but this is probably as close to satisfying as you can get! I sincerely hope that slowly things will pick-up and that now that some of the secrets have come out, the characters can move on with their lives.
Author's Response: You know what? I honestly can't bring myself to hate any of the characters either. They all tried dealing with the hand they were dealt and this is how convoluted everything turned out. I'm very glad that you think this satisfactorly explains all of Ginny's not-so-Ginny behavior. And yes, I'm hoping the characters do begin to move on. This is sort of another turning point in the story, so we'll see what happens... Thanks so very much for your review!
My favourite parts of this chapter:
- Rose getting her very own Slytherin love interest
- Lily teasing Scorpius
- Scorpius being so comforting and protective of Lily
*sigh* I really feel like these characters are three dimensional people with backgrounds and feelings and stories so I have to give you huge kudos for making me follow a next-gen story!
As always, looking forward to seeing where the next few chapters takes S/L (I hope they don't run away for too long if they do decide to leave) and also more D/G development.
The strange thing is that I'm actually more invested in the S/L relationship and would be quite happy for D/G to just be good friends if it means that S/L can still be together! However, since you dealt with Ginny's reasons for breaking up with Draco so well I have faith in your abilities to come up with a satisfying conclusion!
Author's Response: Kudos accepted, thank you very much for liking it so much! And the D/G development is about to crescendo but I know what you mean about the investment in S/L. I'm always jumping back and forth between chapters focusing on them or their parents and wanting to fit everything in there! Thanks so much for liking the story thus far!
Category: Completed Short StoriesHis hair is as yellow as a ‘70s Beetle.
His eyes are as gray as cement.
He’s not really daft, and he makes her laugh.
(But her poetry makes him lament.)
One-shot.
Very enjoyable! I particularly liked your take on Ginny's valentine poem :)