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Hey Quilly! Back for a dose of Hinny fluff <3
You are like the queen of catchy opening sentences: 'Ginny can't cook, but she can scream blue murder when it's all going to Hell' hahaha!!
SHE FORGOT THE CHICKEN in a chicken tomato soup?? OMG, I'm dyyyying! Harry is super sweet though, trying not to laugh, comforting his girlfriend, turning down cooker dials etc. He's a better person than I am, I have to say! Of course, this being the first Christmas since the family lost Fred, it's going to be a tough occasion - first ones always are - but maybe when the family are all together supporting each other, Mrs Weasley will leave her room...to feast on Ginny's disaster. ON second thoughts, perhaps Ginny could fire-call everyone and ask them to bring a dish??
Ah, Harry kinda knows what he's doing in the kitchen because of Aunt Petunia's 'mothering' skills. Yay at everyone contributing to the food - definitely a good idea. And I alwys thought it was odd that George should hook up with Angelina too when she'd once gone out with Fred, but perhaps they went to the Goblet of Fire ball as friends rather than as boyfriend/girlfriend maybe? It's such a lovely, hopeful ending to the chapter!
Bravo!
Meera <3 (tag)
Author's Response:I also thought George hooking up with Angelina was a bit odd. I have a whole head cannon going on about that but there'd be no room for that here hehe thank you for all the lovely words, Meera. It's always so great to hear from you!
-Quilly
Hi, Quilly. Here's a review on your new chapter, since you were so kind to review an extra chapter of C/S for me.
These little stories you are writing for this series of fluffy moments are so beautiful and gentle. Even when there is something sad (Harry's jealousy, Ginny's cooking disaster, Fred's recent death), you always find a way to make the characters feel better pretty quickly -- consoled or gently set right. And the prose flows so gracefuuly that it is a pleasure to read.
That was an interesting analysis of the status of Harry and Ginny's love life. "I didn't want to be that creepy older guy bringing schoolgirls into his flat." It was insightful of you to detect that, now that Harry is living as a self-suporting, employed adult with a career, he sees himself quite differently than he did when he was a Hogwarts student (or out roaming the countryside). He is assuming a grown-up role, the sort of thing that makes us suddenly say, "Aack! I'm turning into my parents!
Your final line makes me think about how all their Christmases have been 'not normal' in recent years, with Percy's estrangement, Harry's absence, Fred's death. I like how you say that this Christmas is a Christmas of new beginnings. Maybe they all have reached the lowest point this year, and from now on, all the Christmases will be better and better.
Very nicely done. It was a pleasure to read.
Vicki
Author's Response:I agree that Hary's starting to view himself as more of a grown-up, and he's realizing he's not exactly in the same place as Ginny right now, especially considering the demands of his job. The Weasleys have been going through a rough patch the past few years, but they're starting to embrace a bit more of a normal life now and I'm glad you caught up on that. Thank you for the review <3
Hi quilly! Im back for more tag!! <3
Ooh okay so right off the bat i like that this chapter is in ginny’s perspective (love her, what a babe!), and it makes sense to have this outsider’s pov to watching what the golden trio has to go through after everything. Especially because we still get harry’s thoughts even though its through ginny’s eyes!
Also very on board w harry being apprehensive about the whole government thing. Hell *i* would be suspicious of the ministry of magic even if kingsley were the one offering me a position.
OOOOF like i get where hes coming from with that “nothing there for me” line but also OOOOOF with that “im not nothing line” like ouch. For such young kids they really have been through a lot…
On the other hand, i get where harry is coming from - hes never been anything other than a hero, like i get that ginny wants him to be safer, but damn if it doesnt make complete sense that he wants to be an auror!
“Great for snogging” amazing line! What a quip! And then the part about jumping right back into his arms is super cute as well! Very fluffy as the chapter comes to an end!
lo <3
Author's Response:Lo, thank you so much for coing back! Harry's had a lot of up and downs with the ministry so it made sense to be that he'd be a bit eh about joining them. Thank you for all your kind words <3
Hey Quilly! Here for a round of tag!
I really like how you've turned a well-known phrase on it's head with the title of this chapter - and I think your version contains more truth than the original 'absence makes the heart grow fonder', because the problem with people is they change with time and their environment, and two people placed in different environments tend to grow apart more easily than growing together.
PAHAHA! Harry having to sign shoes - I be he bloody loves that (not). Although I expect Ron is secretly (or openly?!) rather chuffed to be asked to sign underwear, given that he's always felt the pressure of living under the shadow of his older siblings. Except not in front of Hermione, natch.
It sounds as though life really has got in the way for both Harry and Ginny during their year apart. And three months apart is a long time when you're eighteen-going-on-nineteen and seventeen-going-on-eighteen respectively. Hermione and Ron seem to have made much more of a physical effort to meet up, whereas Harry and Ginny have let other things get in the way. And I feel for Harry here when he and Ginny first connect physically, because he really wants to kiss her but perhaps Ginny isn't aware, or feels self-conscious because it's been so long, and deflects. And a deflection in the form of another guy is a bitter pill for Harry to swallow :/
Harry, of course, misreads the scenario; that green mist of possessive jealousy has descended to cloud his immediate opinion of Rolf (I kinda think Rolf would have fared better if Ginny had just kissed Harry instead of going 'here! Meet my amazing, Merlin-worthy magizoologist MALE friend' haha).
Harry's guilt combined with Ginny's insecurity makes for an angsty clash, but the resolution is so sweet and heartfelt <3 and maybe both have learned the life-lesson of communication being the most important part of a relationship?
This was a really great chapter, showcasing not only Harry and Ginny's relationship, insecurities and failings, but also Ron's character traits were bang on point too. Loving this series of prompts - each one is so well-written - and I'm very much looking forward to the next one.
Meera <3
Author's Response:Ron's definitely enjoying the attention a bit ;p haha Yes, I think you're spot on. Three months is a long time but it passed them by so quickly that by the time Harry notices it, he hasn't really seen Ginny in ages and he's starting to feel the effect of that. Ginny should've kissed him haha but I think there was a mixture of needing to find Rolf, and being conscious of all the people staring at them, and also just feeling overwhelmed because she hasn't seen him in a while. Definitely a lesson they needed to learn though. Awe I'm glad you liked Ron here. The word-limit doesn't allow too much time to devout to other characters so I tried to sprink a bit of him here :) Thank you so much for your review, Meera!
- Quilly
There is a lot packed into this short piece. Every detail adds something to the overall picture. None of it is potentially-deletable filler.
I'm sure that the platform at King's Cross Station is always packed with people when the train arrives for Christmas holidays, but you add the extra lines about the hordes of fans that cluster around Ron and Harry, making the crowds worse. This contributes to the feeling that Harry is flustered, without your having to say so.
Then, as Harry expects his imminent reunion with Ginny, he is forced to recognize how little contact they have had since the start of the school year, especially compared to Ron and Hermione, and Harry is feeling guilty, without your having to say so.
Of course, Harry doesn't like feeling flustered or guilty, so he tries to make up for it by finding something to be pissed about, which turns out to be the tall, good-looking, friendly, successful Rolf Scamander. I love the setup. Harry doesn't have to say anything; his refusal to talk to Rolf speaks volumes.
When they all arrive at the Burrow and he doesn't get out of the car (well, in order to get out of the car, you first have to let go of the steering wheel....), I was very happy to see that Ginny had the insight and self-control to face down his highly-uncalled-for insinuations, set him straight about who Rolf was really interested in, and point out to him that he had no reason to be jealous.
There's an old saying that if you point a finger at someone else, you must realize that there are three fingers pointing back at yourself. This is so true for Harry in this story. But luckily he acknowledges what she is saying and how he has been thoughtless. Your final line is lovely.
P.S. Ron and Hermione managed to carve out time for each other, even thouugh no one studies more than Hermione does, so it's not as if it couldn't be done. Just saying, Harry.
A lovely story, well written. I enjoyed it very much. Thank you for writing.
Vicki
Author's Response:Vicki, I think you definitely captured the emotions I was trying to convey. there's a lot of insecurities going on and it doesn't present itself in the best way. And yes! Definitely! If Hermione can do it, so can you, Harry! hahaha Thank you for your review <3
- Quilly
Hi Quilly! Here for review tag! <3
You’ve really managed to capture Harry’s trauma, as well as the destruction around him after the final battle even in just a few short lines in the beginning! Especially the line about grief being one-size-fits-all! That one was really clever
Honestly i wouldve loved to see ron’s reaction to ginnys ‘masochistic foreplay’ comment, because i just know he wouldve gone beet red and some light near him probably wouldve exploded!
In terms of fluff, it’s definitely darker than the fluff i typically read, what with all the scars, but considering it is the prompt, i think you used it well! I always love the whole ‘tracing scars with your mouth’ thing, its definitely a fun time ;)
I think its also written really well from the perspective of a virgin, if that makes sense? Like its very poetic and soft and seems to be holding a lot of importance - and obviously these situations do, its a really intimate moment with a partner - but idk it just makes sense with who Harry is, i guess, to be like waxing poetic about it if that makes sense?
Anyways, this was a nice little chapter, and im glad to have been able to tag you!
lo <3
Author's Response:Haha I definitely imagined Ron going beet red as well! It's hard for me to shake off the dark/angsty stuff so a bit of that carried into this. As the story goes on, there are more purely fluff moments (thought some angst does return in some parts hehe) Awe I'm glad you thought it sounded poetic. I was hoping to give that moment justice. Thank you so much for all your kind words <3
- Quilly
Hi, Quilly! Tag! :D
Well, this was another deeply emotional drabble! I can see why Kingsley would try so hard to recruit them, but I also can understand so well Harry's reluctance, and it angers me a little that Kingsley is putting him (and Ron and Hermione) in that position in the first place... I loved seeing it all through Ginny's eyes, it's so interesting, and says a lot of her character, too! Her perceptiveness, and of course her ability to understand Harry at such a deep level... the way he sneaks into her bedroom at night and confides her all his worries and doubts is so cool, too! I don't think Harry trusts anyone quite as much, and it's beautiful to see! <3
And then, when he finally decides to accept Kinsgley's offer... I love that Ginny is not quite bothered by the fact that they'll have to be apart for the school year, but mostly by the fact that he's going into the risky career of Auror... and I love that she knew without him even saying it... but, I mean, Harry really couldn't do anything different, could he?
Loved the way you used the prompt. Loved how Harry is pouring all his love and care for her in those knuckle kisses. Loved the softness and affection of their interactions so much, they have such a strong bond already and you show it so well! Just beautiful! <3
Another great piece!
Snowball hug,
Chiara
Author's Response:Thank you so much for all your kind words, Chiara! Your reviews always, always make my day! I think, for a long time, Harry's trust went entirely to Ron and Hermion, but, slowly, it's starting to come towards Ginny, and I definitely wanted to show that, so I'm so glad you picked up on it. So glad that you enjoyed it!
- Quilly
Hiii,
Back for another tag! Ahh why is Kingsley back again? Does he realize these are barely children who've been through so much trauma? It's so sweet how Harry hugs Ginny and shares his thoughts. It's so unfair that Harry should feel the level of responsibility to the wizarding community that he does! Wasn't finding horcruxes and defeating the bad dude enough already?
That way you write Ginny and her perceptiveness of Harry's emotions and thoughts is so spot on! They've been through so much as a couple - together and apart - and I can see what Ginny means when she wants some quiet predictability in Harry's choices - but that wouldn't be the Harry she fell in love with, would it??
Aww she says the exact same thing and of course Harry would give her an out but she's not going to take it is she. I love this couple to bitsssss <3
My favorite lines are the eding actually - so so so beautiful: "It’s only the last day of August, but she already dislikes September. She scorns October, and November, and begrudges those weeks in December that aren’t part of the holidays. She dreads January, and February, and March, and resents April because she knows studying for NEWTS exams won’t let her come home for the Easter holidays. She longs for May to come, only so that it can end."
I just love the way you show the passig time through her emotions. Yay this was such a feel good read with the right amount of squishes and feels!
XOXO ~Ysh
Author's Response:Kinglsey really should leave them alone :( But I feel his priority is the ministry and doesn't really think much about how it affect the trio, or else he just feels like the bigger picture is more important. Like I've said, wirting Ginny makes me really nervous so hearing you say she's spot on means a lot. Thank you for coming to review again <3
-Quilly
Hi Quilly,
Thank you for the lovely review on my story :) I wanted to share the joy as well and found myself at this story.
The way you described Harry's grief in the beginning was *chef's kiss*. Harry does seem the type to be consumed by silence, andyour words tugged at all the right angst-strings. I love how in just a few words you managed to set the stage, the timeline, and the mood all at once. Harry's struggle with post-war has my heart wrenched :(
Oh no, Ginny :( The way she reacted to Ron was so... Ginny-like. You could tell she'd be cheeky like that with Ron and make light of the situation, but even behind that it's so evident how she must have suffered. Even when she comments later to Harry about Carrow's face you can tell she's bitter but not a bit ashamed. She's got the whole I'd-do-it-again attitude which is just SO GINNY!!!
Angsty/sexy sex scenes are the best <3 <3 <3 This one had the best blend of everything, and how you managed to capture it all in one chapter is phenomenal!
Thank you for the lovely read!
XOXO ~ Ysh
Author's Response:Ysh, I was so excited to see you'd left me a review! I'm glad you enjoyed the Ginny I've drawn up. I was a bit weary of taking her on as a character for the story because I feel like everyone has their own version of Ginny (and book Ginny and movie Ginny are so different in themselves) so I kind of just went with the Ginny that existed in my head and that would make the most sense with Harry, imo. Thank you so much for all your kind words!
- Quilly
Hey Quilly, I'm here for a tag review :)
Ah, Harry. Playing the hero seems to be a role he can't step away from, even though this fight is no longer personal to him. His sense of responsibility and guilt simply doesn't give him a day off :/ So when Kingsley calls, Harry simply agrees. I guess his alternatives at this point include going back to Hogwarts (just no), taking up a steady 9-5 job (also no), become a gentleman of leisure (I mean his vault can probably keep him going for a good while, but that's kind of an unfulfilling way to exist at eighteen years of age). So he's going to do what he knows and has always done - stand up to evil.
I feel really sorry for Ginny. She essentially has little choice but to return to school without Harry, whilst having the worry of Harry potentially risking his life depending on what Kingsley has in store for him, and also the small but potential risk that a year apart will drive a wedge between them or someone else who Harry sees daily could sweep him off his feet. Yeah, in her shoes, I'd be hating every damn non-holiday month too :( But oh, I bloody love Ginny's sense of humour when it seems everything is stacked against her. No wonder Harry loves her as much as he does. These lines are probably my favourite in this chapter:
“Well,” says Ginny, resting back on him, “I’ll think I’ll keep you around, at least for a while longer. You’re great for snogging, if not for my nerves. I promise I’ll let you know if I ever get tired of your self-sacrificing ass though.”
I love how you've incorporated the prompt into this one - Ginny kissing Harry's knuckles instead of Harry kissing hers. And as always, your writing is so engaging and lovely. I could read it all day <3
Meera <3
Author's Response:That was exactly what I was trying to convey. I just couldn't see Harry (who's taken upon himself to save the day since he was eleven) to suddenly take a backseat now that the dark lord is gone. I also feel like Ginny, knowing him for as long as she's known him, would've had to either accept this about him or moved on to someone else because it's a part of him that he's just not capable of changing. Thank you so much for your review <3
- Quilly
Hi, Quilly.
This is a beautiful piece. The sentences flow so well, and the word choices are so apt. I won't mention a favorite line because they were all favorites.
I adnire how every sentence is meaty, packed with meaning. There's no filler, no lines that could be blue-penciled without losing anything.
You depict Harry and Ginny as being surprisingly mature for teenagers barely 17 and 18 years old. One can say that it the the result of what they went throught during the previous year (not to mention the years before that), but not everyone would emerge from such an experience with such a philosophical outlook or the peace of mind that comes from accepting what has happened. It is refreshing to read a story in which they do have this maturity. They are both doing what they know they have to do, and looking optimistically for a better future.
I enjoyed this story very much. Thank you for writing.
Vicki
(For the Review Tag if no one else beats me to it!)
Author's Response:Hi Vicki! I'm glad to hear you didnt' find any fillers. I am very guilty of making things longer than they need to be so one of my goals with this challenge was to cut out any uncessary dialogue/ description. I appreciate hearing you saying that I've managed not do that with chapter. Thank you for your review!
-Quilly
Hi Quilly! Hurrah for being able to catch you in tag :) I'm so glad you're getting involved in the Fluff challenge too <3
I really love this! I love how you've been able to go from a place of sadness and loss to the joy of two people revelling in each other. It's really cleverly done <3 I also adore how well-characterised Harry and Ginny are here; with so few words, you've managed to give us these fully fleshed-out characters, and the humour for Ginny is bang on point.
Harry - what a weight he's carried through his years at Hogwarts. It's no surprise that there are no words for this moment after Voldemort's death, a war which has taken its toll. All those funerals. The pressure from Kingsley - 'we still need you' - err no, you don't. The poor kid's not even eighteen yet; you can't lay the aftermath on his shoulders too! And then Hermione tells him what he needs to do next (go back to school and graduate). Maybe that's what Hermione needs, but not necessarily Harry...
Ginny's attempt to lighten up the severity of abuse she suffered at the hands of the Carrows speaks volumes about the strength of her character; what she's endured, how she's masking the pain with humour. And she and Harry clearly still love each other; more so now after what they've been through. It's a brave, trusting move by Ginny to let Harry see those scars which she undoubtedly considers ugly. But Harry couldn't find any bit of her ugly - how could he? He loves her.
So many lines in this that I love, but this has to be my favourite:
"The space between them ceases to exist, and Harry’s been dead before, but he’s never been outside of himself, not until he’s inside of her."
Amazing work on this!
Meera <3
Author's Response:Everyone seems to think what's best going forward, and Harry's overhwhelmed, naturally :( I'm glad you found strength in Ginny's character. I think one of the things Harry's liked best about her is her strength and humor so I felt like a show of this would be the thing to draw them back together after that year they spent apart. Thank you so much for this lovely review!
- Quilly
Hi, Quilly.
Let e be the first to leave a review for this lovely little piece.
You have some notably insghtful lines. Here are some that stood out to me. "He doesn't believe the words to fill the voids exist. And if they do, his mind is too muddled to think them up." "It's not over yet. The Dark Lord is gone but the violence continues, fueld not by logic but by rage, hatred, and fear."
Following the timeline of tis story, I see that at first, during the many funerals (which must have occurred shortly after May 2), "The grief becomes a bundle thing, living inside of them...", but by June (at least one month later, maybe a month and a half), Ginny and Harry arre sufficiently recovered to be able to make a joke about the scars on Ginny's back. Laugh...cheeky...grins...playful wink... Even Ginny's choice of words to desribe the source of her scars to her brother is a hint that she is ready to get back into life.
Lota of people write smutty scenes, and a lot of these scenes sound very much alike and not very sensitive, But your writing of this moment is head-and-shoulders above what most people write--lovely, poetic, totally fitting into the arc of the story, not just tossed in there for the obligatory sex scene. You did a fine job with it, and I felt compelled to leave a review here to let you know how much I appreciated how well you did it.
Vicki
Author's Response:Hi Vicki!
I'm glad you found the smutty scene felt like it fit the arc of the story. It really was meant to be about more than just the sex so I'm glad you felt that way about it. Thank you so much for your review!
- Quilly
Tag! :D
Okay, wow... I absolutely adore the closing line? It's stunning! I love how you played with the Boy-Who-Lived expression, and made Harry feel alive in this moment, more than he's ever been, and definitely more than he's been recently in the aftermath of the war.
Speaking of which... that was so painful... so much grief, so many losses... the way you write Harry as having basically shut down because it is all too much and words are meaningless... and of course, remembering all those who are gone... so sad, but so beautifully written! <3
His reaction to Ginny's sarcasm, and that moment of complicity between them! That was great! And I loved the progression to their first time, too! It was so natural and soft and well-constructed, and stunningly written! I'm not very much into smut in general, but I love how you focused on the emotion of that moment, how you showed us the vicinity between them, both on a physical and on an emotional level. It's just so well done! And your use of the prompt was so spot on, too!
Beautiful first chapter! I'm happy you've decided to join the fluff craziness! <3
Snowball hug,
Chiara
Author's Response:Awe I'm so glad you liked that tidbit. I thought it was appropriate to show that he's survived Voldermort again, but he gets to actually be free from him in a way that he wasn't the first time around. In some ways, I don't think Harry's been allowed to grieve most of the deaths in his life, so I definitely felt like, after the war, it would all come crushing down on him, not just for those he lost on May 2nd, but the over all sense of loss that he has endured because of Voldermort. I'm glad the smut didn't feel too smutty. Sometimes I do lean that way ::covers eyes:: but I really wanted to make it more of the connection between them than anything else so it means the world you got that out of it. Thank you for taking the time to review <3
-Quilly
Hi there, here for the review tag!
Oh my gosh, the rage that filled me when Kingsley Shacklebolt said "we still need you". I just want Harry to be left alone :/ I love you lead up to that line, it's so satisfying.
The way you describe the rgief as repetitive and almost like a copy of the previous day is really monotonous and dark. I think it's a great lead up to Harry and Ginny as adults, as we see later lol
Also, Ginny's comment about maschism is so dry I can't tell if it's real or not. I feel like they are definitely drowning in each other, and maybe it's not good for either of them, but they are so good together. <3
And I love that title! It's such a great way to sort of start over Harry's story, this time living for him. I hope that we get to continue to see him and Ginny explore their relationship and be happy <3
thank you!!
Catherine
Author's Response:Hi Catharine!
Yes! Harry deserved some peace! But I definitely feel like he would've been involved in the rebuilding after the war. Ginny was joking lol but they are both greiving and trying to make peace with that grief and with each other at the same time. Thank you so much for your review! I appreciate all the kind words <3
-Quilly
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