Re: ALSO Not to mention that one part of fanfic reading that I love is getting all literary and debating things and discussing story elements and stuff, but of course, most authors don't want me to do that
*laughing* Dude. I love that part, and it just doesn't often happen!
I think actually that most readers probably expected a train wreck, with someone discovering the Remus/Teddy going on... that would be a fairly traditional way to handle such a situation and have high drama! and angst! and people getting their comeuppance! But no, honestly, as far as I can remember we didn't even consider it. We really wanted that "happy ending" and it would (as you noted) have been impossible if either Sam or Andrew found out. There was really plenty of angst in the whole guilt trip that Remus spent pretty much the whole fic on, and even Teddy to some extent; it was just lower-key angst, internalized, and maybe harder for them to cope with on that account because e.g. Remus had no one to talk to or confide in about his qualms and his guilt, he had to make all the decisions on his own and be conflicted about them and unsure if he was making good ones (his past history not exactly tending to be reassuring on that point) until the bitter end when it's all over.