I am absolutely speechless! That was a marvelous gem of fic. The timing was perfection. The unfolding of Draco's predicament was masterful. The humor was outrageous. And the way it all 'came' together at the end - well, an astonishing climax! Thank you for giving Ginny the upper hand in this fic and creating a stumbling, resolution ladden Draco! I CRAZY LOVED IT!!!! ***claps wildly while jumping up and down*** -fallenwitch

Author's Response: Wow! I hardly know how to respond to such praise. *Blushes* I\'m glad you liked it so much! And, I like your little pun, too! (I put a small one in the summary--did you catch it?)

Ahhh!!!! They meet at last...at an evil but oddly satisfying cliffhanger! "The world as I knew it tilted right off its axis" is my favorite line. This chapter was well worth my burnt dinner last night, and I will await your final chapter...the desert in this fic...with anticipation. -fallenwitch

Together...yes, in all the most glorious ways! A most satisfying end to a wonderful fic. Thank you for a most enjoyable ride. -fallenwitch

Author's Response: I am really glad that you enjoyed and read the whole thing. Thanks so much! ^^ Rhina

Noooooo! I kept looking around, sure there was another paragraph or two. When that failed, I fell over that cliff, staring into the abysmal darkness of that damn waiting game - hoping to hang on by the tips of my fingernails until your next chapter and some relief. Jeez...my heart is breaking for them. Well, at least they now realize the depth of the love they have for each other and the associated pain that goes with the loss of such a thing. Small consolation when you have to snog Dean or try to beat back your newly realized heart...argh!!! Yep, a most satisfying chapter which didn't disappoint in the least.

Wow, I had no idea this was your first fic. I am very impressed! Nah, Boalt doesn't make admissions mistakes. Pat yourself on the back! UCBerkeley? Love it! Love it! Love it! I'm a third generation grad myself! Cheers. -fallenwitch

Author's Response: Well, I\'m sorry to prolong the waiting for as long as I will have to this time around. (I suppose I shouldn\'t be responding to reviews now then...) But in any case, thank you again for another stunning and thoughtful review! I\'ve actually never thought I would EVER write any fanfic. Even after I got sucked into the DG fandom. But well, this cookie wouldn\'t leave and here you have it! 3rd generation, huh? We\'ll have to see where my family loyalities end up lying bc my sister and I (or at least, I will soon enough) graduated from UCLA. I almost went to Cal for undergrad, changed my mind the last minute. I still run into ppl who think I go there. Well, I suppose they\'re right now!

Good lord, woman, you've managed to turn the world upside down in the last couple of chapters. All those decent, noble, do-gooders have gone bad - from Harry and Ron and Ginny to, of all people, Arthur Weasley. They've all been too quick to jump to the wrong conclusion without anything resembling the merest hint of a fair trial for poor Hermione and Draco. And for Arthur to put his selfish need to save his own son above what Draco's life and what he needs to do for his mother and the Order, well, it's blasphemy - pure and simple blasphemy! Blaise and Draco, two "nasty" Slytherins going to Hermione's rescue (and perhaps a bit more than just a rescue for Blaise) and then Draco selflessly deciding to help Fred, well, it's all so very unSlytherin. The only thing holding up in this turbulent scene is that tiny, unmistakable connection between Draco and Ginny, despite all conscious thought and desire on both their parts. That connection has made Draco a better, strong person, and has made Ginny, well, a jealous unreasonable witch with an attitude way bigger than she deserves. And what of that healing stone, anyway? What does that do? Can it heal all of the emotional turbulence and angst running rampant in this fic? If so, I'll take a dozen, please.

Oh, my favorite line in this one was, "stood a thin, angular boy with white-blond hair," because I love your characterization of Draco with all of his vulnerabilites and esp. his physical weakness in this one.

I am thorougly enjoying the questioning of the usual Hogwarts assumptions about characters and houses and forcing us to look further than that. Yes, it does make Neville look like a bit of a hero in that regard, doesn't it? Whew. Signing off until your next, next chapter! I enjoy your illustrations, but I enjoy your writing even more. -fallenwitch

Author's Response: I really really should be working right now and I apologize if some of this is incoherent since I\'m burning on two hours of sleep...however, I could not help but respond on account of the Gryffindors. I don\'t think I\'ve completely inverted them but showed, hopefully (but please let me know if I have failed to do this), that Gryffindors aren\'t entirely noble and infalliable but rather, human like everyone else. Likewise, Draco and Blaise are human too. Not entirely evil but suspect to feelings of duty, compliance, lust/love. While Arthur\'s move was selfish, I think it was natural and almost beyond reproach. He doesn\'t think Draco will DIE but he knows his own son will without the proper assistance. Arthur stands at a divide, between duty (to Draco, to the Order) and love (for his own son). To me, the choice is clear. And as for your other speculation, to be answered as soon as I can...Well, sorry for sounding off but I do value your assessment and I hope that I have not horribly misrepresented these characters. Again, thanks for a very thorough review!

God, I just love your Draco. Love him! This chapter has my head spinning but it was all about connections again, wasn't it? I find the idea of duel connectivity fascinating - things can pass both ways - and poor Draco sees himself as a leper, doesn't he? He feels he has nothing but horrible, dark, and evil things to give to others. The ending was spectacular. So long in coming and so unexpected. I imagined the connection b/n D&G to be an emotional/spiritual one that healed but it seems it is more than that - the physical connection will enable them to begin the connection that heals - to stop holding each other at arms' length emotionally and otherwise. It was a beautiful, poignant chapter that brought many, many threads together. BTW, I not only condone what happened at the end of this chapter but I applaud it and you for sticking to your writer's instinct! Bravo, BlackAlnair. Thank you so much for the update!!!!!





Author's Response: Thanks for your continuous praise! I love Draco as much as I love to tortue him in my own little fictional world... I hope you like the next two especially. I have omnious things planned for him... Think Beethoveen\'s 9th...er, I think it\'s 9th...

Thank you for this long awaited and much anticipated chapter. I could not have been more thrilled to see it!

Excuse me but WTF? This chapter has just unhinged me. Yes, Draco's death and resurrection by love and magic and the exploding Horcrux seem to have been too much for my delicate constitution. My head hurts.

The Horcrux threw me off. I was not expecting that and did not see it coming - at all. I guess I suck at ferreting out your foreshadowing. Maybe if I got out my microscope, I would stand a better chance. *smirks* I still feel at a loss to pull together all of the other clues you have dropped along the way and am hoping your final chapter gives me a bit of closure there. No, not left hanging just unsure about the significance what happened here.

Awww. *smiles* Wonderful prose, tightly woven with no excess, given in well-timed snipets while allowing the reader the pleasure of using her imagination. Most satisfying. I am surprised this isn't a one shot because it reads like one. So I am now intrigued... -fallenwitch

Author's Response: Thank you for your very kind review, I\'m glad you enjoyed it. You\'re right, it is a one shot -- I had to upload it twice and forgot to tick the \"complete\" box the second time -- sorry about that!

Carson McCullers' "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter" was a childhood favorite, and this beautiful fic is now a new favorite. The tightly controlled, hauntingly frugal writing mirrored their emotional display and the plot line as I have rarely seen. The tension between the two and the angst was superb as was the heartbreaking ending. Thanks for the ride. It was first class all the way. -fallenwitch

I like the writing style. I like the plot. I like the D/G interaction. I love what they are both doing in their respective rooms - "Nothing". Thanks for posting here! -fallenwitch

Author's Response: Thanks very much!

A favorite part? Had to be this one, "Judging by your weight, Weasley, you have many favorites!" he said, having to run up the stairs to avoid Ginny's physical attack. Which is the follow up line to my last favorite part of your last chapter!

However, that said, I just loved the whole damn thing, and I didn't think anything needed more work, honestly. I was disappointed that Draco didn't let Ginny kiss him and am soooooo curious about why! Wonderful, wonderful update. Thanks so much! -fallenwitch

Author's Response: Thank you very very much! Sorry they\'ve been doing more discussing than anything else. And Ginny hates to discuss. She\'s not much on discussing, she\'s more for action!

Hmmm...I am intrigued by the way you've characterized both Draco and Ginny and their angry, passionate, hissing attraction for each other. Of course she wants him to tell her he loves her, but in keeping with the tenor of their relationship, she tells herself and him it doesn't matter. I will stick a toe out over the edge by wondering what the fallout of this engagement will be (because I believe she will say yes - with her family practically shoving her towards him). Is Draco using her to further his goals for his father's release from Azkaban? Yes. Will he fall in the web he's cast for her and find himself head over heels "in love" with her and actually go through with the marriage? One can only hope. And what about this thing with Pansy? He needs her help as well, and while he has genuine warmth and affection for her, I do not believe it is along the lines that Pansy wants it to be. That part of him is already given to Ginny, whether or not he knows it.

On another note, I love the way you've portrayed Draco's relationship with Pansy. It's real and complex and many layered. She doesn't serve the usual one dimensional shrew that we've all seen too many times before. Her relationship with this older wizard is brilliant.

Speaking of brilliant, Draco's messy room was brilliant and befitting the Draco you've created. Somehow, things haven't quite turned out the way his parents had planned. He's in the middle of this mess but finding his way along quite nicely. How fitting that he chose that place to propose to her and that she found it "cosier" and more revealing of the true Draco than any other place in the Malfoy house.

I am also enjoying your writing. It is clear, concise and well-paced. So, that is what I have to say after 22 glorious chapters! I apologize for not reviewing earlier, but in my own self defense, I hopped on the train late - at Chapter 19 to be exact! - fallenwitch

For someone who is "incapable of writing angst" you've done a pretty good job so far! Everyone is with someone that they are unhappy with, and the relationships are so intertwined no one can move without tripping over someone else. Great start. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and Blaise's character in particular. -fallenwitch