Oh my word, this is THE MOST AMAZING FIC EVER! I am completely in love with it and thank you thank you thank you thank you, amazing, beautiful, wondrous Mystery Author for writing me something so warm, so beautiful, so tender, so sweet, and so completely delightful. It's everything I could have wanted! *dances around living room with fic*
I'm sorry it took me so long to read and comment! I was in the middle of a crazy work trip and only just now have had the downtime necessary to read and appreciate this bit of awesome. I've been bouncing in my seat for the last day and a half,but refused to let myself waste the experience by reading it in a bustling airport on my smartphone.
I love Greg here! How he's working with his hands at a bakery, which seems somehow perfect for him-- beating out his aggressions on dough and giving him something tactile to excel at. plus, YAY bakeries! I love bakeries and coffee shops and diners SO much! It's interesting and yet so believable to me that he would forgo getting his wand back after the five years, because he's sort of closed the book on that chapter. I loved his very Goyle-like reasoning behind it. He's genuine, pragmatic, and so appreciative of the small things. Love him!
Millicent is fantastic, as well! I love that you made her a war spy and I love the bits about post-war prejudice. Even though she helped the Order's side, a lot of them can't get past her being a Slytherin. And I love Neville as the one who respects her and works with her. And yay! for Neville/Lavender, another pairing I adore. I like her mean right hook, her low tolerance for crap and stupidity, her practicality and realism-- especially when paired with the touch of sweetness and vulnerability that we see.
What the bloody hell did she mean, he was her hero? Had consorting with Gryffindors driven her utterly insane? I died laughing! HEHE!
"She was the one who actually liked Divination, right?” I giggled so much at this. What a fantastic way to describe Lavender!
breakfast at a 24-hour diner-- do you KNOW ME? Because if you do, then you'd know that breakfast at all hours of the day and diners in general are some of my FAVORITE THINGS EVER. *bounces*
The air was cool and the sun was bright. Greg was nearly dizzy with unexpected delight. He had a girl on his arm who didn’t mind being kissed by him. It was incredible. It was the best day ever. THIS. AMAZING. I love the short, simple sentences and the sweet power this section has. So moving and so Greg and such a lovely bit of writing. *loves*
Millicent seemed to have made the same realisation. She bit her lip, glancing around the small kitchen. “Don’t have cream,” she said at last. “There’s still some milk, though. Sugar’s in the canister on the counter, next to the flour. I don’t have a sugar bowl, sorry.” LAUGHING FOREVER! This is so me! I did the same thing when my now-fiance came over for coffee for the first time. I drink it black and don't keep cream in the house unless I'm cooking with it, so I had the same oh, crap! realization and had to dig out a half gallon of skim milk and the sugar canister for him. *giggles* How close this is to my world is scary and hilariously awesome.
I also loved the kissing and the new beginnings. And I love you forever for having them be virgins in their late twenties without making it seem like they're weird or crazy or must have been living under a rock. Seriously, thank you. I loved the sweetness of their new relationship and how they'd both obviously been waiting for something RIGHT and how it just fell so perfectly into place. Beautiful.
ready for a new day, new possibilities rising before him just like a fresh loaf of bread, kneaded and shaped to perfection. Greg hoped all his days would be as fulfilling, as yeast to bread. Amazing last line, what a grand way to wrap this up.
Mystery Author, I could not love this more! It's such an amazing, beautifully written, wonderfully tailored-just-to-me piece and I'm so beyond grateful that you crafted something so lovely for me. Thank you thank you thank you! I adore it, every bit.