Take A Sad Song (And Make It Better) - Team Epilogue

I havn't had the chance to read this yet (I won't have time til tomorrow) but I just wanted to say, whoever you are, you get lots of cookies for pulling out a 45k word fic for this! I can't wait!

Notes while reading:
You set the scene so well. Right off the bat, the first image building in my head of middle-aged Harry on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, smoke curling, dog plonked down next to him... simply and vividly expressed.
I love the shrieking teakettle. I love, after having read like a page, the easy descriptiveness you give everything, down to little things that make people who they are; I feel so comfortable with your Harry and Hermione already. After reading for like 5 minutes.
I even find Harry's cigarette smoking wonderfully apropriate in this. Aie! I am so sucked in already! Yay!
I love Dean and Harry talking/shouting/cheering at the football match, it's so conversationally real.
Eugh, Zacharias Smith? I don't blame Dean punching him.
Though, not that adultery with a man is any worse than adultery with a woman, it's still adultery. Sodding homophobes.
Woah, deaf!Scorpius! That's new and interesting! I've seen almost-squib Scorpius and Blind Draco and what have you, but never a deaf character. Interesting.
Man, I knew as soon as Harry said "Machiavellian" that Draco was going to be snide about it :)
They burned white-hot for a moment, feeding on the charm's power before turning in on themselves in a burst of blue light that dissipated, leaving behind only a faint shower of falling ash over the bodies lying strewn along the corridor.
Jesus. this is so bone-chillingly vivid.
Ooh, the Harry/Viktor is a nice touch!
Awwww, poor James all angsty and doing wizard drugs!
Oh, I like how Harry's note pad is like a little palm pilot for him to check his wizard email, nifty little bit to throw in!
Hahah, nice Doctor Who drop.
He jerked his fist from side to side. "Wankers."
Yay, sign language.
AUGH! I realized, about a minute after I'd first read about Harry's flat being exploded..... GODRIC! And then I stopped reading, 'cause I Really Didn't Want To Deal with that. Death Eaters and nameless Aurors is one thing, but PUPPIES?!!?
And then I read on and was sad.
His hand shook. "He—" He broke off, voice tight. "Stupid dog," he whispered, and he pulled away.
And whimpered and got all teary.
Oh, I really enjoyed Harry's conversation with Lucius. The Dolohov/Macnair thing was an interesting twist, and I love the way Lucius casually just drops the fact that Draco's infatuated with Harry. Well done exchange!
Oh, I think Harry's decision as far as the cutody battle was very brave, and wise, and definitely very indicative of your prompt. (And I like you pulling things like The Angel pub out of the card)
Oh, God, their first kiss is so fabulous, those couple of lines after "That was all it took" were just... Gah.
Unnggghhh and then the whole following delicious.... drooling.... guuuuh.
Oh, man, what a thoroughly panty-soaking sex scene. And heart-destroying aftermath.
"Can't be rid of either of them; they're they only two things that'll survive the end of the world. Total apocalypse, uninhabitable planet and there you go. Malfoy and doxies."
Ahaha, Ron's good for clever ones from time to time.
Oh, god, my heart jumped into my throat when they got to the Manor and Scorpius had been taken and oh no!


I feel so comfortable and warm after finishing that. I wish I could give you 10's (why does this scale only go up to 9?). Really just fabulous and excellent and hot and sad and happy and wonderful. And so vividly REAL. Fabulous. Everyone was so fabulously characterized, if not perfectly canonicly, then most certainly the logical extention to 25 years past canon. It fits perfectly into canon, epilogue and all, and everyone and everything is so believeable and so well expressed. Just awesome. I'm definitely going to start stalking you after reveals.

This was my favorite fic of the fest so far. Both characters were completely in character, and you plotted the rise and fall of emotions so well. I liked how Harry was Bi and not just repressed and gay, and how Ginny wasn't exactly demonized. There was no 'extra' plot, too, by which I mean this seems like a logical extension of JKR's world. Harry and Draco don't suddenly become reporters, it's not like Harry suddenly decides to go teach at Hogwarts where Draco happens to be... there are no unbelievable circumstances that bring them together, you know what I mean? Not that I don't love those kinds of fics too, but in yours they have believable jobs which directly relate to what JKR has told us, so the way they come together really relates to the epilogue. And of course the writing was good, suspenseful and well done. Good job!

Oh wow. That was perfect. Long and scrumptious and edge of the seat perfect. I love how you managed to wrap up all the plot threads effectively in the end, and the babies interrupting their daddies in the last scene. <3

Completely delightful! Twisty, interesting plot and slow romance and adult characterizations and it just asolutely swept me away. Thanks for such a lovely, lovely story.

God, that was bloody amazing. No other words. Just...amazing.

Amazing. I love EVERYTHING. It's so realistic and entertaining at the same time. And it's LONG. So satisfying! And because of that, I hope you don't mind a long comment. I just have to tell you exactly how your story is brilliant for me and so it does bear a longish review. ^^;;

On the top of the list, I enjoyed the conspiracy and the twisted plots and whatnot. But apart from the action that made me squirm, jump, yell and gasp at every turn, I loved even more your portrayal of a family here -- Harry's family is far from perfect and yet it is because they're imperfect! (Erm, yeah, something like that.) The combination of Harry's family drama and Auror business is powerfully thrilling. I am in absolutely awe of how rich the plot here is and at every single turn of events.

And Harry and Draco... again, amazing. I just love how in character they are. You had me hanging on the edge of my seat wondering whether these two would ever get involved. When Draco didn't immediately enter the story, I got a bit restless but then he showed up, oozing and reeking Malfoyness all over, and I literally cheered. Loved the slow build-up towards their sexual involvement with each other. And, oh, the ending made me all smiles. It was kind of surprising that the ending was that sweet... I was expecting something less optimistic. But, God, the ending was sweet. Thank you for that.

Something must also be said about the children. Scorpius is adorable. I would've never expected that twist about his disability. Albus and Lily are properly sweet, as well. But James... now he's interesting. I haven't quite made up my mind about him here yet. So... I'll sleep on it and pass judgment on him later.

And lastly, the references to Muggle culture -- or rather, the way Harry, Albus & Lily living their family life half-Muggle is absolute brilliance. Although, I have to wonder: do you have something against Arsenal? :P Not an EPL fan here but I don't think they're that bad (in fact, they're the only club in EPL I bother watching). It was funny, though, seeing Dean and also Harry constantly bashing them.

I'll shut up now. Sorry for taking up so much space. But, thanks and props to you for this awesome piece!

Astonishing! The story here was as tight as a drum. The work-a-day Malfoy and the dissipated Harry were spot on. Perfectly in character and out at the same instant. Brilliant! I laughed and cried, smiled and grimaced. I hated and loved each of the principals in turn. Well conceived from start to finish. Exremely well done.

Thank you

Bubba

Well, that was incredibly lovely. It hurt to read parts of it; Harry was a fool, but such a very human one. I loved the whole plot line with Scorpius' deafness, and Draco's love for his wife. I liked that Ginny was as human as Harry, and not some hard-hearted raging virago; I loved that Hermione stuck with Harry even in her disappointment, and that Ron, in such a very RON manner, eventually came around. Your depictions of the characters was spot on, and I can't remember the last time I read 45k that seemed so utterly effortless. I will say, there were moments when it just hurt my heart; the dissolution of that marriage was a painful, painful thing to read, but so very real. And I will grieve for Godric for a very long time; it was cruel, to make him so very real and lovable and then to take him that way. I understand that it was probably what got through to James, finally, but oh that hurt. I wept for the fictional dog, the same way I wept for the fictional bird.

This is a remarkable piece. Well done.

This fic is love. And the longest so far out of this fest, it gave me 4 hours of gorgeous reading time.

It was so realistic, how Ron and Ginny reacted to the affairs and the divorce, to have Orla be the new Skeeter (I just giggle at any fics that still use Skeeter as the sneaky reporter when Harry's in his forties) and Draco's job was a pleasant surprise. I have to admit, I honestly thought James was part of the new Order thing at the beginning half of the fic, he seemed so angry and rebellious but then he would never hurt his own family. I adored Godric too, poor dog. I just adored this fic so, so much!

Absolutely excellent. I adored this story. It resonated so real. Harry was totally fucked-up and perfectly IC. The emotions just rang so true for everyone.

I usually don't care for him like that but this was so beautifully written that it was completely believable. His relationship with James, with Ginny, and with Draco was just perfect.

Very well done!

Top marks all around from me. This story was so real it left me aching for everyone, even while I was pissed. Wonderful story!

This story was such a treat from beginning to end. There is nothing I didn't love about it. Everyone in this story felt real, their conflicts and emotions felt real. This was an incredible story; rich, complex and mature. Thank you so much for sharing it.

You killed the dog! Nooooo!

The story was absolutely brilliant. I love mysteries, politics, family strife and you wrapped it up in an incredible package. I was a bit annoyed with Harry and then I laughed at myself because I always got a bit annoyed with Harry in canon, but I adored him there and here.

I really enjoyed the conversations Harry had with the others. Nothing long, just short, and sometimes to the point. I think it was especially wonderful that you made Harry and Ron professionals at their jobs when the chips were down. The kids were all made real, especially James.

While shorter stories are easier to read in a fest, it is the well done long ones that take me on a journey.

Magnificent reading experience! I loved the way the divorce was handled - everyone's reactions to it, to Harry, and the way he had to put himself back together after that first scene of despair and self-loathing, the way he went from not knowing why he did what he did, in the beginning, to accepting it and trying to make things right again. That was very real. And I liked the slow progression of his relationship with Draco, how it seemed to be both unfurling anew but also resonating with the events of their shared history. Fantastic fic all around.

It took about four hours to read this, and those hours were thoroughly enjoyable. This fic was beyond the beyond of amazing! I felt as if I was pulled along the conflict as I was reading, the emotions were so real, so palpable. I didn't even realize how affected I was until Godric died and I started crying like a big baby. Gosh, the dog was literally the only one who didn't blame Harry and you took him off the picture! It was really hard to be angry at Harry after that.

I especially loved the relationship btw Draco and Scorpius, who I utterly adored. I even loved James, despite his wayward ways ^_^ But I'm glad it all worked out in the end, and the Potter family was alright.

I so enjoyed this very much. Thank you for such an awesome fic!

This fic was amazing. Everything was so gradual-- you didn't take the easy way out anywhere, and when everything was finally better at the end, it felt deserved. Kudos.

Ok, just saw your icon and I have to say, Oofuri = love

the title forshadowed a happy ending, so i wasn't surprised at some fluff. and what great fluff! i neede it since i've been rereading the mudhoney tril and danse russe this week. god. so anyway, this was my fav so far. i was worried for a while we'd be bogged down in the whole bitter divorce thing, and while realistic, i didn't care to have it drag on and on. so, i say good job for moving on from that when it got too long by entering draco and the mystery. my favorite parts were a 40something hermione, very canon harry, and scorpius. and draco always makes me hot in this incarnation. it's the petty,stillhatespotter!draco. although i thought his profession unrealistic. that's alright, though, it served a purpose in your plot and i'll let it pass with a warning. a malfoy aristocrat in children and family support services? and he says "how the mighty have fallen" to HARRY? jeez.

nice integration of your team and a tightly written mystery, too. well done.

i loved it! what a great plot!
(and draco smelling like marseille soap...!)

Realistic, epic and pure gold. You weren't afraid to kill Godric. There wasn't any filler in the fic and yet you were able to give depth to not just Harry and Draco but also secondary characters. Characterization was uniquely brilliant. I was saving this fic for last because I have faith in the epilogue team and I knew, just knew you wouldn't disappoint. In fact you raised the bar. Yours is the fic to beat for the fest 'cause it works on so many levels that to me it's an instant classic.

Take a Sad Song (And Make it Better) - it felt like an extension of canon and yet it surpassed the books. You made tears come to my eyes, you made me laugh - authors may have excellent writing skills, but to make a reader feel for the characters is harder. Bloody hell, I even liked Ron which has never really happened in the past. Kudos and I recced you on my lj :)

Another fic that broke my pathetic little heart today. Only, this one patched it back up. *sigh* It was lovely. Team epilogue is love. The last one was great and this one certainly didn't disappoint.

I'm not entirely sure why...I don't have kids but this really broke my heart. I actually cried actual tear at one point, then picked up the phone to call a friend and cry to them. Lovely. Absolutely lovely. Thanks for this.

LOVED IT!loved it! loved it! my fav so far and i have a few guesses on who the author is :D but anyways , it was awesome. Infidelity is always a tricky topic and i liked how you painted the reality of the consequences harry faced because of it and didn't blunt the impact of it and how his friends reacted and ginny's heartbreak and the children suffering. You made him human and you didn't utterly vilify him however stupid and horrible as the thoughtlessness of it was. in short after that ineloquent review i leave u with my eternal love for this story *hugs*

*adds to favourite folder*

I only regret that I couldn't give your fic a 10 for each poll question. I loved this. Can't wait to find out who you are to read more of your work.

Very satisfying!

I should add that this is one of my favorites of the fest so far!

Oh My God, so long and so wonderfully plotty! I liked Harry - he was human and believable and his whole i-can't-arsed-about-it attitude in the beginning worked for me. The kids were great, James in particular. I hadn't read anything in a long time where I'd be anxious to see what happens next, but this did it for me.

Malfoy was an odd thing to read. Not too much emphasis on him and a strange combination between fanon!draco and canon!draco, but it worked. I loved this to pieces on the first read, at least, and there was almost nothing to make me go wtf! in the middle of reading, even though you practically used in here one thousand fandom cliches. Harry jumping in front of a curse, Harry-sort-of-in-denial, Malfoy secretly pining for harry (so much that even his parents know :), everybody making up in the end.

The thing is, they are incorporated so well in the fic that they aren't out of place and don't call to anyone's attention. So the fic works. And it doesn't even seem prolix, at its 40 something k words. Now I have to figure out who you are :)

Oh, that was so wonderful. The way you wrote the Harry and Ginny and the kids' initial emotions and reactions to all that was going on was so genuine and heartfelt. I had a similar experience, and I must admit I was near or in tears during the first half of the story, you wrote it so well, really conveying and drawing up the emotion. Reading the card interpretation, you used it so well, especially the part about forgiving past mistakes and moving on. Your characters were wonderful and well-rounded, every single one. Bravo. I adore you.