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hdcup_mod ([info]hdcup_mod) wrote in [info]hd_worldcup,
@ 2008-04-03 07:56:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:fic, nc-17, prompt: judgment, round i, team epilogue

Take A Sad Song (And Make It Better) -- Team Epilogue
Title: Take A Sad Song (And Make It Better)
Team: Epilogue
Author: [info]femmequixotic
Prompt: Judgment
Wordcount: 45,425
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: none
Summary: The last thing Harry wants is to lose his kids.
Author's Note: Many thanks to my two wonderful betas for their work. The card interpretation I used may be found here.


Take A Sad Song (And Make It Better)


Poll #1304
Open to: All, results viewable to: None

Is the author/artist true to their team? Yes/No vote ("yes" is worth 2 points, "no" is worth 0)

How well did the author/artist use their Prompt? 1 to 9 (1 being the least)

How much did you like this story/art overall? 1 to 9 (1 being the least)



For a description of teams, please see our FAQ.

(Post a new comment)


[info]bunnyalien
2008-04-03 10:58 pm UTC (link)
I REALLY liked this - my favourite of the stories so far. The tone, the pace, the plot, the slow build of the relationship, the wonderfully developed family dynamics and the fantastically touching, delicately handled sex - all just great. Masterly.

(Reply to this)


[info]lilithilien
2008-04-04 01:58 am UTC (link)
This is just the kind of story I love: a truly meaty plot with lots of intrigue and wonderful characterisations. I thought the pain of the separation was handled perfectly. Ginny's bitterness and need to hurt Harry through his kids felt so real, as did Harry's guilt that made him fumbling and truly impotent. It was terrible to watch it all unfold.

Which is why the ramping up of Harry and Draco's story just as Harry's familial relations reached their lowest (and Godric died!) was such welcome relief. Beautiful, wonderfully hot smut, by the way!!

I want to gush more because I really enjoyed this story but I stayed too long reading it and I'm late to meet my friends. It'll be hard to talk to them tonight while I'm thinking of Harry telling Draco that he could fall for him and how they set out to be idiots together.

(Reply to this)


[info]meredyth_13
2008-04-04 10:41 pm UTC (link)
Oh yesssssssssssss - this was what I was looking for. Progressive, realistic relationship building between Harry and Draco. Although the first half almost ruined me - so much sadness and unfortunately too close to the truth of how people fall apart and break others when life turns out to be something different from what they expected.

Harry's journey was incredible - his growing understanding of himself and his needs, his failures and his strengths. It was bitter, and bittersweet, and the romance was almost a backnote to this voyage, but still so vital to it.

Draco was a sane, lovely man, and I really like that. He had his own weaknesses and strengths, but had a sense of self knowledge that I yearn for. This is a man he COULD be, and one who still wanted Harry so badly you could feel his teeth hurting with it.

Fantastic story, great use of the prompt and Team - because the sense of judgement, self judgement, judgement of others, being judged... the court cases, the old resentments... all of it.

(Reply to this)


[info]ships_harry
2008-04-05 01:18 am UTC (link)
I couldn't stop reading. That was wonderful - I think it'll have to be added to my list of HD fics tagged as favourites :).

(Reply to this)


[info]colorful_sin
2008-04-05 06:26 am UTC (link)
... I am absolutely incoherent, at the moment. Seriously, HOW am I supposed to respond to a story like that?! It made me bloody *cry*, which is a near impossible feat when it comes to fic - and just... LOVE. I love it. That's all I can say.

(Reply to this)


[info]inspiredlife
2008-04-06 04:26 am UTC (link)
I was hooked from the very first image of Harry staring at the ceiling with the smoke curling around him. What a fantastic read. I loved how real it was. It was such an interesting story with a wonderful sub-plot. I was completely drawn into the mystery and drama.

What I most loved though was your characterizations. Harry was so real here...trying so hard to be a good father, to find what he needed and trying to move forward after bollixing it all up. Draco was a fascinating bloke...what i would have hoped for canon Draco. And, the kids...Albus touched me, Scorpius intrigued me and James confounded me, half the time I wanted to smack him, the other half I wanted to hug him.

Oh, i could go on and on. Long, plotty, interesting and intense. I loved this story!

(Reply to this)


[info]ex_modernlov612
2008-04-06 05:31 am UTC (link)
Oh, wow, was this ever fantastic. I was sucked in from the very beginning and couldn't pull myself away. Your writing was absolutely superb and I loved everything about this story. I can't even pick out one specific part I like the most, because it all just keep running through my head. Congratulations on creating a 45k story of pure joy. That is not an easy achievement, to say the least.

(Reply to this)


[info]sivullinen
2008-04-06 09:03 am UTC (link)
This was wonderful!

(Reply to this)


[info]gingertart50
2008-04-06 07:20 pm UTC (link)
What a superb fic! I loved this, especially the characterisation, the interactions and the complex plot. Great story, thank you.

(Reply to this)

A+
[info]greenjuly
2008-04-07 12:49 am UTC (link)
Wow. This story was INCREDIBLE. I don’t want to gush terribly, but I feel like I also can’t gush about it enough. This fic was total class. I was utterly caught up in it and almost didn’t want it to end ... just brilliant. I will certainly be rereading and reccing this fic!

Your characterization was very, very good. Although I love fics set in the years after DH, I sometimes have trouble with them because, no matter how well written and characterized, they feel too far divorced from the people we know from canon. But in this fic I loved the way you wrote the characters as older; they were somewhat different, as you would expect from their life experiences, but still firmly rooted in their younger canon counterparts. Your characters acted like real people, with all their petty squabbles and misunderstandings and annoyances.

Generally I don’t see Harry as someone who would ever cheat, but this was well-written enough that it didn’t bother me – I could accept it, even! I liked the fact that it’s a somewhat new twist on the Harry-and-Ginny-split-up scenario. At first I thought it seemed unrealistic for Ginny to be so horrible regarding the custody of the kids, but then I thought that in her place, I’d be pretty damn bitter. I appreciate the fact that you didn’t turn her into a stereotypical fanfic bitch!Ginny. I mean, sure, she did act pretty bitchy for much of this fic, but she had good reason, and I thought her character was fairly treated. Similarly, at first I thought that Ron was a bit too much of a bastard as well (perhaps just because I am sensitive to homophobic slurs) but on second thoughts I buy it. He hit Harry with some pretty nasty names at one point, but under the circumstances it’s a pretty understandable way to react. Everyone was so well written that you both felt horrible for Harry, yet wanted to see him called out because he deserved it. That is one really excellent thing about your story, that you inspired sympathy for both sides. I agreed with Ginny, even as I was thinking "well how can Harry know all about the kids’ school lives when you [Ginny] hardly let him see them"?

Your plot was fantastic too; the pacing was good and the subplots all came together brilliantly. I really enjoyed how the Harry/Draco romance was just one part of the overall fic, not its essence. Even if this fic didn’t have a H/D romance, it still would have been a great story. It would have worked equally well without it. A lot of (probably most) ship-focused fics would completely fall over if you sucked out the romance. I really like that you cast your net wider, and did it so well.

A few other things I noticed that really charmed and/or interested me :

-- Beatles references! That is an excellent way to start off a fic. Of course, it helps that I am a Beatlemaniac ... oh yes. (Off topic but I have to mention ... I love the White Album. Never got into Exile, though).
-- I love it that Albus asks Harry to explain Doctor Who.
-- Draco’s photos of Scorpius behind his desk.
-- He'd thought Harry'd decided to take a bird on the side; he'd not been entirely wrong, he'd discovered.
Ha! Was that a deliberate reference to Viktor’s ‘beak-like’ nose and him being ‘duck footed’?
-- Dean! He’s a minor character that I’ve always liked, so I was thrilled to see him turn up in your story. Even if he was implied to be homophobic.
-- I liked the fact that you made Scorpius deaf! I have quite an interest in Deaf culture myself and do sign a little, so I was personally very interested by this plot point.
-- Plus ... hot sex scene!

A small point – when Malfoy was ranting at him about going to see Lucius, I would have thought that Harry would have pointed out that he went to see him about Auror stuff. It’s a true excuse, even if his visit was largely not about that. But I guess it would have been superfluous to actually say this.

To finish up my ridiculously long comment, this is my favourite HD_worldcup fic so far. Thanks so much for writing! Mystery Author, I have my suspicions about who you are, but I could be way off base. I can’t wait for the big reveal!

(Reply to this)


[info]lalaith_niniel
2008-04-09 06:14 am UTC (link)
I sit here in amazement at how real your characterizations are. The mistakes the characters make, their reactions, the coping mechanisms, how shitty it all is with great moments of levity, everything about this story was fantastic.

This was utterly brilliant.

(Reply to this)

Thank you.
[info]ntjnke
2008-04-09 06:27 am UTC (link)
I'm not usually a HP/DM fan, but I've heard so many raves about this fic that I just had to check it out.

It was really wonderful. It's been ages since I could just lose myself in a story, and actually believe in the characters. There are so many cliches now in Potter slash that a lot of it is getting...well, *old*.

So thank you for a completely refreshing and very memorable fic.

NJ

As an aside: I loved you take on Harry checking office memos while away. E-mail with a scroll and wand! Gotta love it.

(Reply to this)


[info]ariadneelda
2008-04-09 12:14 pm UTC (link)
Wow! This was absolutely fabulous. Sad, bittersweet, funny at places, hot, plotty, gripping, moving and just amazing. I loved how it all felt very, very real. An incredible fic, really. Fantastic writing, fantastic Harry POV, fantastic characterisations. I loved your take on the kids. So much. And Godric. Poor Godric. :( And portrait!Snape was one among many of my favourite things. *g*

So much love for this fic. And I'm not even a shipper. But yeah. LOVE! :-)

*looks at the team's members list* Hmmmmm... I have my suspicions about who may have written this.

(Reply to this)


[info]ishtar79
2008-04-11 12:03 pm UTC (link)
Ok, so that was phenomenal.

I don't even rememember the last time a story felt less like fanfic to me-as much as I have a lingering soft spot for H/D, and as much as I enjoyed the handling of it here, this particular story didn't feel to me a romance, but rather an unflinching, in turns heart wrenching and humorous, but most importantly *real* look at Harry's life coming apart. I loved the mix with the magical and mystery aspects with the little, almost mundane, details.

I loved everyone characterisations-all the adults were just different enough from their younger selves to account for the passage of time and life experience, yet still true to their canon selves. The kids were brilliant too-I especially liked your take on Albus Severus.

I can't believe you killed Godric though. That was just cruel! :P

(Reply to this)


[info]elfflame
2008-04-12 02:11 am UTC (link)
I love the Harry in this. He's so real and believable. Bumbling and smart in turns, and just wonderful. And I love how different each of the kids is. The deaf Scorpius was something I hadn't expected, and it was a wonderful twist. Gave the story a wonderful depth.

I will admit that Rabastan's death took me a bit by surprise, though. It could have been almost anyone else and it wouldn't have hit quite as hard. Something I just wasn't expecting in a Harry/Draco fic.

Lovely story.

(Reply to this)


[info]aguella
2008-04-12 09:08 pm UTC (link)
Wonderful. That's really almost all that I can say. Wonderful and poignant, true to character while still being brand new, and everything that I could ask for in a fanfiction. Just excellent.

(Reply to this)


[info]ias.livejournal.com
2008-04-12 09:46 pm UTC (link)
I really enjoyed this story. I think the background touches in the description were superb and really added depth to the characteristions. I particularly found the relationships between Harry and all his children honest and touching.

It is a shame however that some of the British colour is incorrect (the phrase is 'bollocks to'not bollocks on', the defence does corner the forwards in soccer, pubs never,ever have waitress service, the Beeb (not Beebs) is a colloquial term for the BBC as an institution but it is never used to refer to any of the BBC tv channels etc). Had the overall writing not have been so good and the story so strong, and had it not been obviously trying forlocalcolour these mistakes would not have stood out somuch. If the author has the chance to revise this story before final archving I would strongly recommend that they get it Brit-picked.

(Reply to this)


[info]ex_ella_bane699
2008-04-13 06:16 pm UTC (link)
This is such a wonderful story. I loved the pacing best of all. It wasn't too quick or too slow, every part flowed together smoothly. Harry was magnificent, as was Ginny and Draco. Thank you for writing this!

(Reply to this)


[info]rubytuesday5681
2008-04-24 07:27 am UTC (link)
well, i really don't think that it's okay that i've been forced to stay up way past my bedtime to finish reading this story. and if i thought that there was a place where i could register an official complaint on the matter, i would. (not really)

needless to say. i really liked this and couldn't stop reading it. i'll have you know mystery author, that i have to get up for work in 4 hours and i shall be exhausted all day tomorrow and it's entirely your fault. however, i shall spend all pensive moments of my day reflecting upon the story and that might make it somehow worth it.

i'm not reading fics in this competition in order, but i'll tell you that i've read at least a dozen and voted on them and this is the first one where i've given the answers of "yes", "9", and "9".

i know the concept of "new or instant classic" is trite and shallow, but if i were to make a list of very recent h/d fics that would qualify for such a tag, i'd put this fic at the very top.

suffice it to say. i love it. it's fantastic. it's wonderful. you should be very proud of yourself. *memories* and this one will stick with me for a while.

thank you for writing this story!

(Reply to this)


[info]florida_minxie
2008-04-24 06:22 pm UTC (link)
WOW.

Srsly. Just wow.

I don't know where to even start. The characterizations - the kids, Harry, Ginny, Draco - all pulling the reader into this world you have created. The plot... OMG, what a wonderful plot that you so very obviously took the time to develop completely.

I honestly waited on reading this because of the summary. I mean, I really didn't want an angst fest, ya know? And now I'm kicking myself because, good Gods, this was anything but an angst fest. Delightful!

(Reply to this)


[info]pirateninjax.livejournal.com
2008-04-25 04:29 am UTC (link)
i'm slowly making my way through the entries and this was just phenomenal. seriously. it was so thought out and well planned - i was hooked the whole way through. and i absolutely love scorpius and everyone's reaction to harry's cheating. wonderful thing that since having dealt with something along those lines [far worse in my case] those were the reactions my siblings and i had. just, wonderful.

(Reply to this)


[info]gryffindorj
2008-04-29 05:15 pm UTC (link)
Before I ask my question I should really say that I LOVED this story. Maybe the mod can straighten me out here but I was unsure as to this being team Epilogue why Kingsley was not Minister. I was confused for this fic because I thought this team was all canon even epilogue.

This was the best one I have read where I actually thought the characters, outside Draco and Harry, were perfect. I liked Ron well enough but I didn't LOVE Ron which, usually I hate Ron in a fic so that was brilliant because in canon I like him but don't love him. Also you made Ginny's actions real and believable. Yes I thought she was being a bitch sometimes but that is because I love Harry and I want the world to bend to him. I didn't blame her one bit though and if I like her in a fic that is another win. The sex scene was just awesome. It was Draco and Harry being Draco and Harry. Not one more in charge of the other, just when I thought one was the other came surging back. Lastly I loved the struggle of Harry as a father and even Draco as one. How they aren't sure they are doing the right thing but thought they were sometimes. That felt so real and it was very brilliant. I sometimes think fathers are trounced in HP so I like to see them trying their best to be the best. Well done author!

(Reply to this)


[info]twicet
2008-05-03 08:13 pm UTC (link)
Wonderful story. Brand new take on the pairing and a great read. Thank you.

(Reply to this)


[info]rae_1985
2008-05-11 12:04 pm UTC (link)
I really really liked this one. Well done.

(Reply to this)


(Anonymous)
2008-05-22 07:37 pm UTC (link)
I was linked to this story by a friend of mine. Let me just say you are an excellent writer and i was enthralled the whole time. It reads like the real thing, brava!

~a new fan

(Reply to this)

Great Story
(Anonymous)
2008-07-19 08:35 pm UTC (link)
This was wonderful and I enjoyed it all the way through. I thought the ideas were original and the characters were all well drawn. Malfoy as an office worker was interesting, but it was good to seem him try to actually work for a living.

I don't live in the UK, but I was a little thrown by the constant cursing. Do parents and children really curse constantly, men and women? Otherwise, I congratulate you for writing a great and well planned and executed story.

Flutesong
Flutesong@hegalplace.com

(Reply to this)


[info]viwiel.livejournal.com
2009-07-18 03:06 pm UTC (link)
I read this story last night and couldn't stop at all. It blew my mind. Such a fantastic story - I loved how it had everything you could ask for in it; lots of drama, realism, plot, length, quality, humour, fantastic characterization and of course, hot sex XD

WOW! :D

(Reply to this)

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