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Hi there! Here to leave a review for the gifting event!
This is such an adorable little one-shot, and kind of reads like a little introduction to their relationship. I love it, and I never would have expected Cho and Pansy together. Reading it here, it's like they are meant for one another :)
I especially like the line about realizing what an egregious mistake she's made in not allowing proper time to reacquaint with Pansy. I think that is definitely a Ravenclaw trait, and one of hers as well. It's also so funny to read her kind of panicky and nervous about Pansy as opposed to how Harry views her in source material. Pansy is just a tough egg to crack!
But Cho gets there, especially in that cheeky back and forth with the trolling joke, where she realizes Pansy does know some muggle colloquialisms....I think it's important how you weave those bits in there! And then when she mentions donating clothes to the younger students we can see that she does have a kind heart despite everything.
What a great time for me to stumble upon this lovely story!! Thank you and happy winter :)
Catherine
Eva. My darling, darling Eva.
I know I've read this story before, but I didn't remember all the reasons I adore it until just now. I'm so happy to have come back here to reread and review for you.
First of all, I'm a huge sucker for rare pairs. And I'm also a huge sucker for well-written Pansy Parkinson. I was horrible to her as a writer early on in my fanfiction "career," so I feel I have to read good stories about her to make up for it. (Speaking of, have you read "Out of the Shadows" by DirigiblePlums? It's my favorite Pansy story.)
I absolutely love your characterization of Pansy and Cho in this story! I'm also obsessed with Lisa's gay bar idea. And with how Cho thinks of her friends' future goals in such funny ways. Cho herself is absolutely amazing. She's so goofy and hyperactive, and I feel you added so much to the ridiculously basic characterization we get in canon. This is my new favorite HC for Cho: a bit silly, a bit crazy, a lot socially awkward, and Super Queer. I adore it. :D
Pansy is also so wonderful in this story. I'm obsessed with the fact that you showed her sillier side (especially when she's trolling Cho in class and with notes). And I lovelovelove that her room has a lot of cute stuffed animals in it. That softer characterization is straight-up lovely.
The relationship between Cho and Pansy is fantastic. I love that Cho is so awkward and trying so hard, but is also so embarrassed when she does succeed in getting Pansy's attention. What a precious baby-gay.
I would 100% read a sequel to this where they go to the party (and K I S S, of course!). I feel like that party is going to be a total rager and ridiculously fun. I'm jealous I wasn't invited. ;)
All-in-all, Eva, this was fantastic. You know how huge of a fan of yours I am. Your writing never fails to impress me. Wonderful job with this rare-pair and the splendid plot.
I hope you're well!
Love,
Emily
*for the Fairyland review event*
Hello Eva I am here for your review, thank you so much for requesting it!! <3
so, first off, you have included one of my favorite characters and made her not straight so I have to give bonus points for that we Love Susan Bones in this house and I thought the little detail of her solving the riddle all by herself was so cute - and then how she extrapolated on Cho's story and was like "okay it was not just a smile and hello" and then it was actually something really absurd (that my brother would probably do tbh) just made it so much funnier and I thought that was a really cute way to start and also give an interesting tone to the story.
I also love the idea of Cho being a Ravenclaw who does research because you've already given her character 10x the depth that JK managed which waas like 0 depth nevermind that that math doesn't technically work you know what I mean. So I can see where you would be concerned about taking liberties with the characters, and it was interesting to jump in because she doesn't feel necessarily like Cho but I don't think that's a bad thing because Cho in the books had so little characterization that to make her real and fleshed out, she has to be different and I really like your Cho here, I find her really compelling and believable.
"Cho neatly plates her breakfast, slicing her strawberries thinly. She stacks them into a tall strawberry tower beside her pancakes, so that she can use her fork to topple the decadent high-rise building and wreak chaos upon the citizens of her mystical land. She chooses to ignore her dear friend’s ignorant advice. One does not simply talk to Pansy, otherwise one risks getting snubbed." this line, I loved this line, it had so much character and pizazz.
and you tied it in so well with Pansy and Cho's first conversation, which was so graceless but in a really fun and charming way. I think Pansy is spot on as well, and Cho is just - I like a more down to Earth Cho who doesn't feel like the ~mystical other~ or anything weird and gross like that. She feels like a teenager, as she should, and she's goofy and irreverent but ?? I don't really expect much else from ""normal"" teens tbh.
and it just!!! Got better from there, their note passing conversation WAS SO CUTE LOL I loved it omg it felt so real like that was such a conversation I could/would have had when I was a teenager with someone I had a crush on and it totally drew me in.
and then the end!!!! It was so cute as well!!!!
honestly, the queer vibes were really, I really enjoyed how soft and like??? innocently romantic it was because that's really how it is a lot of the time when you're first getting to know someone like it isn't just passionate making out and stuff, sometimes you just talk for a really long time and casually, awkwardly hold hands or touch hands but it's more about what you learn about the other person and what they learn about you and I just loved that.
Overall I really enjoyed this. I liked the balance of fluff and humor a lot, and I really enjoyed your characters. I think my one critical note which you kind of touched on when Cho mentioned how much her friends had lost in comparison to how much she had lost, so this might have been purposeful, was the impact of the war wasn't super visible in the feeling of the story. And it's totally okay if that was intentional and you really wanted to separate from that angst to bring on maximum fluff, but I think I personally would have liked a little more of that for the sake of balance and also because I do like a touch of the realism and the angst to make the fluff even more fluffy :')
anyway yeah I liked this a lot, thank you so much for asking me to review it because it was such a lovely start to my Thursday <3
Julie
I am SCREAMING, Eva, WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME??
Gosh gosh gosh -flails and runs in circles- This was so ADORABLE, I am like the Grinch whose heart has swollen up and he doesn't know how to handle it. My GAWD this was SWEET.
So, this is actually my 200th review on the site and since I adore you, I wanted it to be for you, and I've been eyeing this Cho/Pansy extravaganza and suspected it would be pretty rad, but nothing could have prepared me for this utterly gorgeous and funny fluff fest. How dare you make me so happy and amused and just full of light with your writing?
First off: Before Cho can even summon the drama required for her calculated emotional response - I LOVE this description, the DRAMA, it is such a great way to introduce a character. Again it reminds me of Anne Shirley and I'm just so here for girls who are way too dramatic about regular stuff, it's totally my vibe! I already love Cho to bits. Her interactions with Lisa and Susan are so cute, so sweet, I love their friendship and the jokes, and the story Susan tells, and also LOL at the lax security of the Ravenclaw common room.
The following day, she realized the embarrassing violation of Ravenclaw research ethics she’d just committed (e.g. she jumped to very premature conclusions, she did not allow for a proper observational time frame, et cetera, et cetera) Haha this is such a brilliant way to describe a Ravenclaw (and their failure to be one hehe).
The little group of leftove students sticking together gives me all the fuzzlefluffs (I don't know if this is the word but you made me feel it, so there!) and the little details you mention about the characters just kill me, like Neville being the plant man, Lisa planning to open a gay bar (yes, do it, and Eva can write a fic about it!), Cho's studies which sound super interesting for real i'm not even kidding i want to read more about her reseach please??
Cho neatly plates her breakfast, slicing her strawberries thinly. She stacks them into a tall strawberry tower beside her pancakes, so that she can use her fork to topple the decadent high-rise building and wreak chaos upon the citizens of her mystical land. - Again, you do this! Mesmerize me with these silly little things your characters do with food. It's so magical and whimsical, just great little additions about people, makes them shine with such bright light, ah!!
:O Why is Neville and his gran not on speaking terms? I must know, tell me, pls!
Cho is such a sweetheart for organizing the Christmas thing, and the actual invitation had me in a fit of giggles. Can she be any cuter?? I would die for this Cho, I swear. And then throw Pansy into the mix, wearing a fluffy green sweater (you're right, people in oversize sweaters can't deny their fuzzlefluffness!) and your portrayal of her here is one of the most stunning things ever because I actually really like her and want to get to know her same as Cho, and adore all these things she does, like the paper planes and the sarcastic comments, it's just too much for me to handle how smart and clever and funny both these lovely weirdos are.
That last scene in the Slytherin common room (what a way to describe it, it sounds so perfect in here) and Pansy having all these plush toys and them lying on the bed with their pinkies almost touching, just talking and rambling and being so mesmerized by one another, MY HEART CANNOT TAKE THIS, it is such perfect romance, I could totally get lost in their story!
“Well, I say,” says Cho unromantically, sitting up ramrod straight on the bed. “I do say. Yes.” I do say. Yes. is now my favorite line in the history of ever, lol, Cho, you're such a dork I LOVE YOU.
Cho decides to KNIT A NIFFLER for Pansy?? Are you trying to kill me?? Also, where is the rest of this story? Oh my, I'm sorry for this absolute chaos review, but I hope it conveyed enough how overjoyed I was while reading this. it honestly gave me so many beautiful feelings, my face almost hurts from smiling. There were so many beautiful lines and phrases here I could never count them all and as I'm writing this again, I just feel like I want to read it all over again. What a beautiful story, Eva!
Eli <3
Aww! This was so cute!?
I don't think I would've ever thought of a Cho/Pansy pairing (I have to admit, I never had particular sympathy for Pansy...), but why not? :P And the way you wrote them made me ship them so hard already! :P
I love the setting for this, with the little group coming back for their last year after the battle! And I loved the reasons that brought each of them back, which for most had nothing to do with actual education (Hermione, of course, being the exception here... :P And Neville too, sort of...)
Lisa and Susan are absolutely cute as well, but Cho and Pansy's dynamics are just too perfect and cute! I love Cho's clumsiness and Pansy's haughtiness! And of course I love the way they sort of slowly get closer to each other and the way Pansy teases her... so cute! And, oh my! That Christmas gift sounds just adorable? Aww, I so loved this story!!! <3
Lovely, lovely job, my dear! And sorry again if this is very quick...
Snowball hug,
Chiara
Author's Response:CHIARAA. <3
You are always the absolute nicest to me?? Thank you for checking out this story, even with the wonky ship! :D
Ahaha, I love that you loved the eighth years' individual reasons for coming back! I love your observation that most of them did not return to actally be educated haha (except, of course, Hermione) -- that's exactly what I was going for so I'm so pleased! I think you're the first person to comment on that. I do feel like the wizarding world is missing sort of an "apprenticeship" element to it, so I thought it would be fun to have these initiative young people come to Hogwarts to specifically seek other things from professors/faculty.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS REVIEW. It was the loveliest surprise and I am so so thrilled you stopped by. <3
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
Eva, I'm sure you've heard many times how heartwarming and overall charming this fic is. I'm going to tell you exactly how much I loved anyways! So here comes:
Personally, I'm a huge fan of Pansy fics, and I'm so excited every time an author shows her some love! I'm impressed with Cho's ability to see further than her arguably terrible behaviour during the battle of Hogwarts. I loved the little comment about proper scientific research – there's more to people than just what first comes to mind and I guess we all deserve someone who will give us the benefit of that second thought.
Cho is a delight. She's bright, wonderfully aloof and funny. It makes a lot of sense to me that for some, their reaction to the war they've survived would be to celebrate their lives and their youth.
I loved how many girl characters you wrote into this, I loved their easy friendship, I adored Lisa and Susan’s relationship which just seemed so perfectly healthy and familiar!
Both your Cho and Pansy are awesome at trolling (I’m assuming from the title that’s exactly what you were going for). Which brings me right to something I didn't like: Your descriptions of teenage behaviour makes me realize that I have in fact become older than I want to admit! You should be ashamed of yourself, young lady! No, of course, it's awesome that Cho acts like a teenager, what with being one and all… We get so much fic where the teenage characters act more like ancients that this is such a refreshing touch of reality. They are teenagers, they are silly, they are cute together!
Throughout the story, your narration was light and perfectly fit the theme.
I adored the ending! You awesomely avoided all the cliche ways they could have ended up together and gave a resolution that fits the light feeling of this story. Not sudden declarations of love, no “breath-taking” and over-described kisses – you give us the touch of two pinky fingers and an awkward hug and that’s perfect!
Thank you for sharing this – I loved reading it!
Love,
Jo
Author's Response:JO. I STILL cannot get over how kind and wonderful this review is??? I genuinely think I went around my day in a half-smiling daze the wonderful day you left this for Gift Tag!
YESSS ANOTHER FAN OF PANSY. I think that Pansy deserves extra love -- not necessarily for the behavior that we see, but for the behavior that I imagine she exhibited after the war. I truly don't think Pansy remains as bitter as she was a teenager after the war! I'm always a big fan of writing female characters (cough mostly because I am extremely bad at writing male characters :P) so I always focus on them! So glad you liked that! And thank you so so so much for the comments about their youth! (I was scared reading that paragraph at first sdkfjsl you really got me in the first half hahaha.) I agree that teenagers don't often feel like teenagers in fics, but since I was very recently a teenager I tried my best! And, to a certain extent, both Cho and Pansy's sense of silliness comes from what I found funny. :P I have been called childish before so hearing your thoughts was extremely refreshing and bolstering. <3
THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH. <3
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
CMDC round 3
HELLO EVA <3 <3 <3 <3
Oh my gosh. So, right from the first lines here you’ve introduced me to a Cho unlike any I’ve read before. And honestly, I love that. I think Cho deserves that. In canon, we meet here at, probably, the most stressful time in her life. (Well, we meet her in GoF but mostly we see her in OotP and she’s a wreck, for very good reasons.) It just doesn’t seen reasonable to assume that is her true personality shining through in book 5. So I adore the silliness you’ve given her in this upside-down introduction to Cho doing “Cho things.”
Agh! I’m indignant on Cho’s behalf! Lisa is a meanie. I am sure Cho’s face is lovely! (I know this was said fondly, I’m being dramatic.)
Oh, and Susan and Lisa are together! That caught me off guard. I was expecting Cho and Lisa to be together because they were the first characters we met. Now I’m very curious!
So much scrambled intertwining of bodies! These girls are clearly very comfortable with one another. I suppose, assuming Lisa joined the DA last year, they probably did spend a lot of time together in the Room of Requirement.
Cho said hi to someone…. And they are laughing… I GET IT! She has a crush! But who will it be….?
Aw, Susan telling the story is so cute and familiar. This story is so college-y. I remember getting back to my dorm in college and having conversations like with with my best friends on my floor. I really loved that.
I have totally done this orange peel smile thing! Though fortunately, not at a crush :P
PANSY
IT IS PANSY
WHAT A BRILLIANT IDEA FOR A SHIP. I APPROVE.
Okay, onto section 2…
I really loved all the reasons who came up with for each character to have returned, and Cho’s story of her is adorable. It could have been creepy, I suppose, but it isn’t at all.
I am curious about the bandaids.
Lisa is wise. Asking people things is such a good way to get answers.
Oh my gosh. Eva. My little sis. These lines:??“Cho neatly plates her breakfast, slicing her strawberries thinly. She stacks them into a tall strawberry tower beside her pancakes, so that she can use her fork to topple the decadent high-rise building and wreak chaos upon the citizens of her mystical land.”
NO ONE, NOT ONE HUMAN IN THE WORLD, besides YOU would ever think to write those words. A millions squishes!
Ooooh, a Christmas idea! I am excited! Also Cho seems quite adorable but also quite silly. I am a bit nervous.
WAIT. Why aren’t Augusta and Neville speaking? *sobs*
OOOH irl gifting event! Seems promising! Also those invitations sound so tacky I love them.
Yay! Pansy is coming! Such good news! And she’s doing it with throughly premeditated paper airplane launches :P
Hahaha, I am a small child but I can’t believe Cho said “poop” - I would be so embarrassed! And then come the pranks! And the trolling (love the pun!)
I am dying with laughter imagining Cho shouting fruitlessly at an empty wall
Aw, it’s kind of sad when Pansy says the other Slytherins don’t like her. I mean, if it’s because she is (was) a blood purist, I guess I get that, but if we want the world to be better we have to offer people a path to redemption, every time. Maybe that’s a lot to ask of sixteen-year-olds though :P
(PENGUIN PLUSHIE ALERT)
AND NOW THEY ARE BED SHARING
(Sorry I’m so shouty but this story is so fucking cute I can’t deal!!!)
The explanation of a Rube Goldberg machine is hilarious lol
PINKIES! THEY ARE INTERTWINED! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
“WELL, I SAY”
EVA I AM GOING TO DIE. DID SHE really say that? It sounds like one of the kids in the Narnia books it is so old and awkward (as Pansy says) and Cho is so bumbling I love her so so so much!!
Aw, a stuffed Niffler. Cute! I think Pansy will love it!
But, I admit, I don’t think Pansy will love it as much as I love this story! Cho/Pansy is a brilliant ship idea and one I'd never considered before. Not to mention getting to read your writing, which is always wonderful.
To be perfectly honest, the thing I really adore about this story is how purely YOU it is. I feel like I could pick this out of a hundred fics and say THIS ONE, this one is Eva's! I'm not sure *exactly* why this is. But part of it is definitely Cho's personality. She is so pure in her intentions and her emotions. She is a ray of sunshine, honestly. So much cheerful brilliance and optimism and vulnerability shows up in her actions. Especially making the Christmas gifting event. And that very first moment when she awkwardly tumbles off the couch. (God knows I have done that exact thing hahaha)
Of course, as always, the writing is lovely. I will be honest and admit that this piece isn't your most polished. By this I mean, I saw some little typos, and I know you are capable of crafting very sharp prose when you aim to be concise. (I know you wrote this for a challenge and I assume you had to rush a bit. I'm not judging one little bit.) But the thing is, this story should not be concise. It should not have tempered edges and sparse prose. You have written it in a way that reflects its hero: a big hearted, quick to laugh, uncertain but unafraid girl on the cusp of adulthood. And your descriptions fit that character perfectlly. I especially love the phrase "Cho's heart hopscotches." So adorable.
It is both cruel and effective for you to cut this off after this first innocent encounter. With the vast amount of far more adult romanctic encounters the fanfic world supplies, it is easy to lose sight of these small tender moments that, when you live through them, feel every but as electric and important.
I'm so glad you wrote this story. IT IS ADORABLE. YOU ARE ADORABLE. And your writing is magical, every time. If you wrote more about Pansy and Cho, I would not complain.
lots of love and hugs and kitties!
xoxo Renee
Author's Response:RENEE SLDKJALKJKKLS I COULD CRY FROM THIS????? /??I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO REACT, READING THIS AGAIN. This review, I kid you not, is a genuine highlight of my life -- whenever I'm feeling a little down, just thinking about this review will cheer me up again. I thank you so much for the live-reviewing hahah, it's perfect comedic gold watching your reactions as you reach new sections. :D And I am glad you approve of this ship! I am always over the moon when you leave such kind thoughts (which is very often -- thank you for spoiling me)!!
AHH your comment about the pancakes!!!!! I had no idea when I wrote that that it would be something so many people commented on -- and just hearing you say that you find it specifically my style is just???? I HAVE NO WORDS. I AM FLAILING ABOUT.
I 100% agree with what you say about redemption. Nowadays I feel like that sort of culture isn't very popular (while I'm not sure that the concept of forgiving someone who grows as a person was ever like *massively* popular, it does seem like the opposite viewpoint is like this cultural phenomenon these days :P) so I was really happy to see this! And they are all very much teenagers, so while I very much would like Pansy to hang out with other Slytherins, they're still a bit judgy. D: I really loved hearing your thoughts on this!!! It was all so true and interesting!
Thank you thank you thank you omg. No one has ever told me that a story is "me" and I am somehow very emotional at this moment! Thank you for this most thoughtful, most fabulous, most wonderful review ever, I love you so much!! <3
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
Hi, Eva, I’m here for the CMDC, round #3.
I love the description of Cho in the opening scene as she is slithering down the common couch and practically standing on her head. We see very little depth of her in the books (beyond Harry’s rose-colored glasses) so it’s nice to see a fun-loving comfortable side to her.
The idea of Ravenclaw research ethics (as well as embarrassingly not meeting the acceptable standards) had me in stitches. It’s just so clawish and I, as a Ravenclaw, completely agree with Cho’s assessment.
Pansy is such an interesting character in this story and so different than the stereotypical Perfect Pureblood Pansy. You send us a lot of “clues” to her like the bandaids on the fingers and the bag full of chocolate frog. Then the prefect planned out airplane. . . What has gotten into this girl? Why is she acting so unpansy like? How did she become an expert on Muggle culture so quickly or was she always an expert? While I don’t agree with Cho’s (again using embarrassing research strategies of jumping to conclusions after minimal observation time) that Pansy might be a psychopath, there is no doubt that this is a different Pansy which Cho will naturally investigate even more post Christmas.
Cute Story!
Author's Response:Hi hi! <3
Thank you dearly for the comment on Cho's personality! You make such a smart point about how Harry's perspective definitively influences how we view her personality/person. SDFKJLS YAY I GOT A CLAW'S APPROVAL ABOUT CHO'S BRAIN. I am over the mooon!! <3
You make a lot of good points about how Pansy is very un-Pansy-like. I very much agree with this. :P I like to think that she went through a period of change and reflection, and a phenomenon that I've noticed in the past few years is that when you isolate people from bad groups of friends, they actually become very, very nice. Those are my official reasons anyway, haha. My unofficial reason is that I didn't 100% like what JKR did with her -- not that her nastiness was a problem to me (I'm always fond of mean characters), but just the kind of comedic obsessiveness with Draco she had and the depicted shrillness of her voice.
Thank you so much for this review! <3
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
Hey!
So this a rare pair that I wasn't expecting but I'm totally here for. I love the first section when Cho is moaning to Lisa and Susan about pansy hating her like honestly it's so relatable? who doesn't make a fool of themselves in front of their crush, the idea of Cho with the orange pell smile sounds hilriously basically! I love the little idea of a 'eighth year' lunches at Hogwarts, that's a cool little details to bring your characters together. I love the idea that Cho is so ravenclaw that she must study her crush to get to know her because she's a mystery. that's so ravenclaw. haha
I love the little description around her pancake tower, that's so cute and fun added detail which I've really enjoyed. Cho is super adorable with her little crush on Pansy. I like how you've kinda acknowledged whats happened before with the War. I'm happy that they are planning to have a little christmas celebration of their own.
I love how you're bringing in the elements of the challenge here. I love the idea of a physical version of it! It's such a cute idea to become with. I love the interaction between Cho and Pansy again. I can't get over how adorable and dorky Cho is around Pansy. It's made me really giggle, I love an awkward situation so this really is my kinda story. The interaction between the two is too perfect, Pansy is obviously showing her silly side and making cho a bit crazy but I love it. The knitted niffler is just the nice present, I think cho is right that Pansy will love it. congratulations on your frogs nomination.
Abbi xx
Author's Response:AHH, ABBI. Thank you very much for this most kindly review, it made me very happy. <3
That is so true! I am truly a complete blundering buffoon when I'm around the people I like -- many a time has occurred when I bemoan later in my room, "Whyhyyyyy??" IDK HOW RAVENCLAWS THINK so I am extremely glad that you found Cho's thought process very Ravenclaw-y. :D
Aww, I'm really glad that awkward teenage-ness of this story suits you! That maeks me really happy to hear. And thank you so so much again for leaving this review! It was so lovely reading it again!
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
Hi Eva, here for CMDC round 3!
Well, I have to say that approximately nothing about this story was what I expected! I don't think I've ever seen Cho or Pansy characterized like this before. But I appreciated that you took both of them and made them your own. Cho was such a cheerful, loveable goofball - a pretty stark contrast to what we see from her in the books, but it makes sense she wouldn't be like that immediately following Cedric's death. As for Pansy, I feel like I always see her written as quick a hard and cold person, which is basically the opposite of how she's portrayed here. I was surprised by the description of her room, with all the stuffed animals and soft decorations, but I think you made it work.
Also, this wasn't really the main point of the story, but I do love the idea of the "eighth-years" getting to sort of... design their own coursework, with each of them having come back to school with an interest and a purpose. I thought all of them were so well thought-out and fit the characters really well.
I thought you did a great job with this. The whole premise was really good, with Cho wanting to include Pansy and with the really sweet and fun idea for an eighth-year Christmas party. Cho was so endearing and she made me root for her to get through to Pansy, even though Pansy isn't usually someone I care for. Really good work!
-Kayla
Author's Response:Hi, hi Kayla! <3
Thank you for giving this story a shot! I do acknowledge that Cho/Pansy is a somewhat out there ship idea that I'm pretty sure I first thought of two-and-a-half years ago in some sort of half-conscious state. :P But neither of them were meant to be quite like this? I'm not really sure what happened here hahaha. I agree that they're very different from the books (I somewhat threw canon out the window when I realized that I accidentally put Cho into the wrong year). But I really appreciate your justifications for Cho's changed personality -- it would absolutely make sense if she'd been going through a muted phase because of Cedric. Maybe that's the explanation I'll use sometimes. :P
Thank you so much for your review! <3
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
OK, so how cute is this? Cho is adorable, and by the way you describe her, everyone else thinks she’s adorable too! All of your words are so picturesque, it’s like I”m in the room with these girls whil poor Cho bemoans her situation to her not-so-sympathetic house mates. I love how this is the quiet return year for these students and how everything just feels more relaxed, like everyone has deflated from the stress and danger from the previous year. I also love how you delve into why Cho and her friends have come back for their last year at Hogwarts.
Uh oh. The band-aids are a bad sign. But the pancakes are a nice reprieve. And haha, the password… hahahaha! It’s great how Cho’s friends know exactly what’s going on inside her head, and even though she doesn’t think so, they are being supportive of her interest in Pansy. I bet they’re just waiting for her to be ready to make a move. I think next time I eat pancakes, I’m going to try it Cho’s way. I can see EVERYTHING in this fic, the imagery is so good!!!
Poop. Hahahaha! Oh, but she has gotten Pansy’s attention, hasn’t she? The game is on, as they say. It was surprising to me that Pansy knew some of the Muggle vernacular too, but I bet that will be revealed in good time. Right now, I’m enjoying how Cho’s shoelaces are tied up in this Sympathy charm business. Cool magic, by the way. It’s like texting, but… did I say magic? Of course I did. Oh, well. Shouting at a wall is one way to get someone’s attention. And get entry into the Slytherin Common Room. Which is cool. I’d want to go in there too. Aww, and then the cuteness multiplies. I wish I had seen the actual party, but this was a satisfying-enough end to this one-shot. We know that Pansy knows that Cho knows, and the inevitable will inevitably happen at some point. But hey, the ice is broken, and I got to see all of it in living color, with your fantastic description. This was lovely!
Pix
Author's Response:Oh, Pix, this was the sweetest review ever. <3
Every time you mentioned my imagery, I wanted to melt into a puddle of goo and tears because that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said??? I love that you could see everything -- thank you so so much for bringing it up, for your extraordinarily kind words. And thank you for all the mentions of Cho's cuteness, too! I do want to be honest and say that was mildly unintentional, but it genuinely warms my heart to see everybody reacting so fondly to her in this way!
Ahahaha about Pansy and Muggle vernacular... I genuinely thought that, because there is just such an overwhelming amount of Muggles in the world, certain phrases would filter through to the Wizarding World without them realizing where it came from. However. I did fail to consider the complete anachronism of the term "trolling" at this time.....so I did goof up there. :P
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS LOVELY REVIEW. <3
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
EVA!
Oh my goodness, this was possibly one of the cutest fics I've read. I never really thought about Cho/Pansy as a pairing before, but after reading this, I want all the fics and I want you to write them :D
They are just so cute. Poor Cho, with her (way too relatable) freakouts, and her seemingly unsupportive friends. But truthfully, I loved their reactions. Lisa and Susan are clearly used to Cho's dramatics, and I thought it was hilarious that Cho sort of called them out on not reacting 'the way they were supposed to'. And, Lisa and Susan are absolutely adorable, and please write stories about the gay bar. I need that too, okay?
Ooh, this makes so much sense! Everyone coming back post-War to finish up their school year and leaving only six students. That would cause everyone to get to know each other very well, and I love how innocently it starts with Cho trying to study Pansy and figure out what, exactly, she's doing here. And, like most students I'd imagine, jump to conclusions rather quickly.
Ugh, a Christmas party? I love it. It's so perfect and I love how it was inspired by our own Christmas event -- and yet, it makes so much sense?? I'm starting to wonder if Cho is secretly a Hufflepuff secondary, given how much time she spends making gifts for her friends and figuring out what they'd all want. She's so clever and creative, too!
The pranks are hilarious. I love how that's how Pansy and Cho sort of bond; and I laughed out loud at Cho's yelling in the letter. And come on, Pansy mocking her back??? Cho's gotta know that Pansy likes her, right?? (I mean, obviously she doesn't, but as an objective third party, COME ON, CHO!)
The bed scene! So freaking cute. Pansy just willingly accepting Cho into her room is the best and I'm glad they had some actual one-on-one time. It's very interesting that Pansy has her own room, but also kinda makes sense, given the circumstances around them going back to Hogwarts. I'd imagine McGonagall would want some kind of protection for her. And Cho's freakout over their pinkies touching -- this poor girl really just needs a hug. Preferably from Pansy. And preferably a real one ;)
I love how you ended this, with sort of an optimistic air that's also not totally resolved. I do hope you write a follow-up with them because now I need them to be together, they're so soft and adorable :(
This was so cute, Eva! I loved it so much, and your writing is lovely as ever.
♥
Author's Response:AHH, JILL. Thank you so much for this wonderful review! <3
I feel like we all have friends who are tired of our nonsense. :P Cho just happens to be that unfortunate (or fortunate?) one in the group where everyone is outwardly 1000% done with her, but they secretly still chortle fondly inside. Gosh, you're so so nice! I'm brimming with happiness that you want to read more -- both about Cho and Pansy, but also Lisa and Susan. Oooh, I've never thought about anyone's secondary houses before! I'm actually not terribly familiar with the analytical side of sorting -- I'm just like "Ravenclaw!" and then try my best. :P However, it would not surprise me if Cho came across as mildly Hufflepuffy because I feel like I am astonishingly bad at writing genuinely intelligent, analytical Ravenclaws. :P
Thank you so much for your kind words!! I had a rough night so reading this really, really cheered me up. <3
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
Hi Eva! I’m here for CMDC Round 3 :D
This story is so adorable! I love how quirky and cute Cho is, and her idea for bringing together the eighth year students with a Troll themed gift giving party. I also loved her way of interacting with everyone, and the gradual build up of the relationship between Pansy and Cho.
I can very much see Pansy as a magical fashion designer.
The descriptions of all the settings were in the same tone as the rest of the piece; and I loved the whimsical way that this put the story firmly in Cho’s point of view. My favorite description was of the strawberry tower that Cho used to wreak havoc on the denizens of her pancake breakfast world. Cho is so delightful!
I also loved how cozy the Slytherin dungeon was. Instead of being gloomy, it felt so homey.
The presents that Cho made were so cute—especially the Rube Goldberg whiskey machine; and the crocheted niffler. I hope that Pansy appreciated it—and I suspect that she did.
Nice work!
Yours,
Noelle
Author's Response:Thank you so much, Noelle! Haha I very much wanted Pansy to pursue a very different sort of path, one where her privilege would have limited influence in her success while still allowing her to create positive changes in the world (re: her free clothing). Aw I'm so so flattered that you found Cho's POV whimsical -- truly I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to characters' voices, so that little tidbit means a lot to me. :)
I absolutely refuse JKR's descriptions of the Slytherin CR -- it seems almost comical how depressing she made the atmosphere. I really think that the students who get sorted into Slytherin would not do well mentally under that kind of surrounding. :P So I tried my best! Thank you for pointing that out. <3
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
Transferring my very serious and well written twitter review:
EXCUSE ME where is my fic about Lisa Turpin's gay bar?
I also really liked Cho's "whoops, didn't do proper ravenclaw research et cetera!"
I really like the idea of the 6 of them being the only 8th years and bonding because of that despite differences
Cho, honey, I hope you're not telling yourself your fixation on this girl is all in the name of empirical study
Cho doesn't seem to be trying to deny her friends saying she likes Pansy? That's kind of a neat balance of hiding her feelings from Pansy but not her friends
omg I had to read that paragraph about the invitation like 3 times XD ily cho
butts
farts
XD
omg Susan and Lisa aren't amused? Squares.
Cho gets murderous intent from paper airplane XD
Cho: This woman is probably a psychopath
Also Cho: I must have her
POOP
POOOOOOOP
CUTE POOP
this is so fun
omg juvenile pranks, it's true love
I don't know what I expected from "troll" in the title but I'm loooving how you're using it
I didn't expect so much humor and I'm loving it
omg wall shouting
the way that Cho thinks... amazing.
I like slytherin's floaty lights
Pansy having stuffed animals is A+
and not being embarrassed for Cho to see is A++
PENGUIN
oh you're just gonna lie down on a bed together all casual like, yeah? yeahh???
I don't know what a Rube Goldberg machine is, but solving problems in illogical ways sounds like this version of Pansy
I mean Cho
".... stomach defense" XD
PINKY TOUCH
EXCUSE ME
WHERE IS THE KISSING
I FEEL ROBBED
BUT ALSO BLESSED
honestly this was so fun. You characterization of Cho was perfect and hilarious, and I love her so much
give me more please
Author's Response:Sam this is absolutely the BEST review that the world has ever seen, and no one can possibly argue the opposite! I'm so happy that you transferred it here so that it can be memorialized forever omg because LOOK AT IT. A THING OF BEAUTY. The sequence of POOOOPs -- a masterpiece! The specific nod to the fact that Cho likes a psychopath -- very in-character for you! :D
Thank you thank you thank you thank you I could literally reread this review every day for the rest of my life and never tire of it! Thank you for indulging this ridiculous silliness, ilysm!!! <3
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
eva this is one of the most adorable relatable things i have ever fucking read +1000
Author's Response:SDFKJSL BRANWEN THANK YOU I'M SO FLATTERED. I 10000% adore your reviews -- every single time I see one my happiness shoots up a million points!! It shot up a million points just now reading this again!! Thank you for both the "adorable" and the "relatable" I love you !!! <3
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
Hey Eva, I’m here with your entry review for the Prefects’ Celebration of HPFT challenge! :)
Your characterizations in fics are always flawless, and this story is no exception! Cho is a wonderfully intelligent if somewhat socially awkward Ravenclaw, and Susan is so Hufflepuff-y it’s phenomenal. I like the depth you really give Cho and Pansy here too -- they’re often overlooked in post-canon pieces, but you’ve made them shine here. The little descriptive bits within the larger scenes (like Cho’s stack of strawberries at breakfast) simply add to the overarching storyline and provide more character context, all of which is extremely great material. Your integration of the Nifflers Wishlist event from last year is done perfectly, and I love the added flair with the rules list and the silly password! The back and forth between Cho and Pansy is absolutely adorable and I would absolutely love a follow up fic (or entirely separate fic, tbh) about these two and their relationship! The gift creations process you illustrate for Cho is so Ravenclaw of her, and the gifts you’ve come up with to represent what Cho thinks of the other eighth year students are all so lovely. The abrupt ending with Cho’s hurried exit from Pansy’s room and her ~feelings~ to her decision of hand-knitting Pansy a Niffler is true to form, and stellar. Great job with this piece, Eva! Thank you so much for entering the challenge!
~Madi
Author's Response:This is the nicest thing ever, Madi! I don't even know what to say!
I'm really really glad that you thought different parts of the story that could very easily come across as random and useless helped to add to the characters! I am always exceedingly pleased whenever a Ravenclaw tells me they liked one of my Ravenclaw characters hahaha, so thank you so much for that!! I would actually really love to get to write another Cho/Pansy story, but we'll see how the fickle muse goes. :P (ALSO BEYOND THRILLED YOU SAID SUSAN IS HUFFLEPUFFY AHHH.)
Thank you! <3
(for building a sand castle)
Eva! :D The idea of there being a new one-shot on your page that I hadn't read was too much, so here I am! :)
Yk, until I read this I would never, ever, ever have even thought about pairing Cho and Pansy together? They just seem to exist in different compartments in my head or something :P but now I'm surprisingly sold on them? or, rather, on your versions of them - which are incredible!
Pansy's never been a character I've found sympathetic. She's always reminded me a bit too much of girls who bullied me at school: self-righteous, kind to selected people only, rude and kinda arrogant even when it's perhaps undeserved - but your version of her is nothing like the one I took away from the books and I love that? I like that she's kinda softer and while she's aloof and sort of quiet, keeping-her-head-down and staying out of things - away from the other Slytherins and the other eighth years mostly - she's not really rude or cruel. It was a really interesting portrayal of her, and I liked the kind of unspoken thing that maybe she's not so popular after she panicked in the great hall and wanted to turn Harry in during the battle (which tbh, is not the kind of thing people would forget in a hurry :/), and the idea that she's grown up from being a silly, naive kind of teenager to a girl who's lived through a war and been forced to re-evaluate everything she knows and everyone she knows, including herself.
Your Cho is, as always, so perfect - silly and sweet and so open, which I just lovelovelove about a character, especially because you write her as being so light-hearted and friendly and it's so good and a really lovely thing for a character to be when there are so many angsty characters out there :P (I say, being a person who writes almost entirely angsty characters :P) And Cho infatuated... omg she's adorable?! Like, honestly, she's so sweet and it made me smile so much with how she panics about things because Pansy's there - even little things, like smiling and saying 'hi', and can't cope with an innocent brush of fingers. It's just so good and so very teenager-y (if that's a word, haha), as though they're both sort of working out how this kind of thing - romance and relationships - actually really works? It gives the story this whole kind of fumbling, new-at-this vibe which I love.
I don't think I need to tell you how much I love your writing, because I've said it before, but I'm going to say it again anyway just because. So, I love your writing and this really, really isn't any exception. You have a real gift for writing things which are light-hearted and fun, but so genuine and so grounded in kinda real feelings and real trains of thought and realistic people that I get so sucked into them and so invested in your characters. It's such a skill and you're so so good at it and ugh, I have no idea how you do it <3
Love love love
Laura xx
Author's Response:LAURA. HOW ARE YOU SO CONSISTENTLY NICE TO ME I COULD WEEP FOREVER?? AHH I truly can't contain myself after reading one of your reviews, especially since your own writing is perhaps the most gorgeous thing that happened.
!!! I am over the moon -- you're such a queen of rarepairs that I am just flailing about that you found Cho/Pansy to be believable. (Or, my versions, like you said. :P Book version of Cho was not very fleshed out, I think, hahaha, so I definitely took many liberties with her personality here.) And I definitely get what you mean about Pansy being a bully -- she was definitely horribly mean and prejudiced in the books, and her behavior was inexcusable. But I always have a lot of hope that young people can grow and learn and change!
SDKFJLS your angsty characters are TOO fabulous omg. Aghh I have no idea what to do with myself after all this kindness, thank you thank you thank you thank you. <333
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
Hi Eva!
I honestly have never considered the idea of a Pansy/Cho pairing before I saw this one shot on your AP, but the idea of the two of them together really intrigued me and I'm so glad I read it!
I think writing this from Cho's perspective worked so well in shifting our perspective of Pansy without having to completely rewrite her personality or explain away what she did during the war. Cho was obviously on Harry's side during the war and fought with him, but she's not really got the same prejudice against Pansy or the same sort of history to divide her from her. That curiosity about Pansy worked so well, because it made me curious about Pansy and more willing to be open-minded about her than I probably would have been if I was reading something from a Gryffindor perspective.
Cho was so cute in this! I loved the way that she was pining for Pansy but just Leo accidentally making a fool of herself completely. And the fact that her friends knew about it and encouraged her and laughed at her was really cute.
I loved the way that you managed the eighth years who are there at Hogwarts, and the sort of trauma they've all been through. This was a fluffy, cute story but you did a great job of finding the balance between making sure you remembered the war while these characters would and had the light-hearted hope for the future.
I really enjoyed seeing Cho and Pansy growing closer in this - the paper aeroplanes were so cute (although I feel like flying them could become much more dangerous with magic!). Learning more about Pansy and seeing the flirting at the end was adorable - I would definitely read more of this pairing!
Sian :)
Author's Response:SIAN. Thank you for blessing me with one of your magnificent, lovely reviews. <3
!!! You make such good points about how Cho's perspective would decrease the animosity readers might otherwise have towards Pansy. Alas, I was not big brained enough to think of that beforehand, but I'm really thankful that it worked -- I do agree that Gryffindor perspectives would be way more biased against Pansy. And I'm so so pleased that you would want to read more -- maybe I'll come back to these two and write a second installment in which something actually happens. :P
Thank you again for this most wonderful review. <3
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
Hi Eva! I’m here for the CMDC review event round 1!
There is something about your writing that is so subtly and delightfully charming. I don’t know what other way to express it. This very first scene here with Cho dangling upside-down off the couch (such a nostalgic girl talk sort of image) and then she “slithers” ungracefully off the couch head first. That’s so adorkable and perfectly dramatic-teenaged-girl. And then the explanation of it as Cho just “doing Cho things.” I love it. Like we all have that friend we talk about in that way. Oh, that’s just Rachel, being Rachel. Don’t mind her.
And indeed, we see more of these “Cho things” when she is determined to have sympathy for her emotional tragedy of unrequited love and lays her head on Susan’s lap while Susan is trying to canoodle with her girlfriend! Haha, oh Cho! And then the thing with the orange slices! I am loving this silly Cho. And then (can you tell I am writing this review as I am reading, and I keep coming back to this paragraph to add all the wonderful Cho things I like?) building her little breakfast city on her plate. Stop it. Cho is quite a sparky girl here, I’m really liking that you’ve done this for her character. I like kids being able to be silly kids (even if she is about 18 here - she can still be a silly kid; they deserve it after everything!)
I am fully into the descriptions of why each of the “eighth years” wanted to come back to Hogwarts. And also Cho’s scientific approach to figuring out Pansy.
I laughed at the psychopath line when Cho watched Pansy laying out her strawberries. My husband has actually accused me of being a psychopath based on the way I eat certain foods. Apparently that’s a thing.
The slapstick pranking and the notes via Sympathy Charm were fun to read, as was the “trolling” pun (yay for puns!) I wonder what caused this change in Pansy?
Also, +1000 for the use of Rube Goldberg machines, love it!
I liked how you left the ending open and sort of unresolved. It felt very realistic -- Cho’s freakout when their pinkies touched was so cute and relatable -- and also hopeful!
Melanie
(Ravenclaw)
Author's Response:MELANIE. I love this review, so so much! It's so thoughtful and I shall be wailing into the distance for eternity.
I was just so displeased with canon Cho (not the character herself, but the way she was created) so I really wanted to just give her a personality better befitting who I imagined her to be -- now, if only I can change her name, hahaha. I am actually exceedingly embarrassed that I originally forgot she was a year older than Harry, because that would mean she's 19 instead of 18 which is indeed too old for strawberry towers. YES TO THE PSYCHOPATH EATING METHODS. (Not calling you a psychopath oops.) But I know someone who literally cuts up all his food into tiny bite sized pieces and into equal portions -- so like if he has fries, beans, and fish, he'll equally apportion them into like 10 pieces each???? ??????
Thank you so much for this lovely review. <3
(for building a sand castle)
Howdy!
Cho/Pansy is a pair I have never seen, but you wrote them well and perhaps more important - hilariously. We mostly see Cho through Harry's eyes and her own limited dialogue in canon so we don't have much of an idea of who she is at all, but you brought you brought her to life as an adorably dorky Ravenclaw who: (1) seems not to realize why she's so intrigued by Pansy until she's buried deep into her 'experiment' and (2) is the total anti-troll despite getting ragged on by her friends and overtly trolled by Pansy. For Pansy's part, we get to see her in a different state. She's not surrounded by her old circle for once. More than that she's isolated. But she has the guts to come back to Hogwarts after her actions the year before.
Back to Cho. I forgot to mention her thought process! When bringing Cho to life, I have to say your descriptions of her thinking may be my favorite part. I don't know about anyone else, but I would never have imagined her thought process as a Ravenclaw to be as funny as it is. Not to say that Ravenclaws can't be funny. She just never seemed to have any funniness in her during canon years (some of which is for obvious reasons), but nothing outward that made her seem to have it in her. All that bouncing off her friends too - which are more house-diverse than previously (probably) - makes it even better.
Thanks for sharing!
Author's Response:!!! Thank you so much for this wonderful, wonderful review, Kevin!! I had absolutely no direction when writing this -- it was a completely self-indulgent, random idea that for some reason took root in my head, and I couldn't get it out, so it absolutely made my day to reread this and see that you found it funny and interesting. I am genuinely so so touched. I do firmly believe that Cho is far more interesting than Harry ever made her out to be, and I'm unbelievably enthused that my version of her seemed entertaining!
I'm so happy right now -- I am so grateful that you liked Cho's thought processes (agreed that Ravenclaws can absolutely be funny :P). Thank you again! Thank you for being the first to review this lil story!
Love,
Eva
(for building a sand castle)
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