Anise [Contact]

Real name: It's a big secret, especially when employers can search for your real name on the net...
Registered: Jun 04, 2004
Membership status: Administrator

I am now the new site admin! Yay! Lots of exciting stuff coming very soon. :) Podcasts... challenges... Youtube videos... author interviews... a new linked forum for fanfic authors moving in ofic... lots and lots of stuff. :)
Reviews by Anise

And They All Lived Happily Ever After by Boogum    (Reviews - 16)

Once upon a time, in a land not entirely far away, there lived a young girl named Ginevra Molly Weasley, whose life story was so boring that the narrator of the redhead's life decided to take matters into her own capable hands and change it.
Category: Long and Completed
Rating: Sorta Naughty
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Other Characters
Compliant with: OotP and below
Era: Hogwarts-era
Genres: Humor, Romance
Warnings: None
Completed: Yes
Series: None
Table of Contents

Chapters: 4 | Word count: 11790 | Read count: 13947 | Published: Feb 15, 2011 | Updated: Feb 28, 2011
[Report This]

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Mar 03, 2011 Title: Chapter 4: And They All Lived Happily Ever After

Well. Alrighty then. Let's see...

I LOVED the line about Ginny's scruples, which might require a magnifying glass to see more clearly. :) I do wonder exactly who the evil queen might have been, though... my best guess is Bellatrix. And I adored the awkwardness-melting-into-interest between Draco and Ginny when they returned to Hogwarts. And as for the appearance of Gus and Gussie...

Girlfriend, you are out of your mind. :) What were you tweaked out on when you wrote this thing??? (In a strictly metaphorical sense, of course.) I'm guessing chocolate, Maker's Mark, and some dubious virtual bath salt-like mixture, all stirred up in a technicolor teacup. ;)

Let's call it "Happy Ending Cocktail."

HEY! CABANA BOYS! The night's still young, you know...

Author's Response: Poor Ginny. She really suffered from the narrator in this one, but it was fun to write, so too bad for her. I did have Bellatrix in mind when I was writing the evil queen, but I didn't have time to elaborate too much on that last story. It was late, I was half-asleep, and I had to start Love Me, Love Me Not by the next day. And I think 'that' is what really added to the craziness here. My mind is not the most sane place when I'm tired -- especially if I have been eating chocolate (so your guess was quite close, haha). But I like the thought of a Happy Ending Cocktail. I could go for some of that right now, actually.

Thanks for the reviews!

Economy of the Heart by Jaden Malfoy    (Reviews - 79)

COMPLETE! Sequel to The Enemy of Souls. Draco Malfoy has a problem: his life has become unrecognizable. He’s willingly helping a Mudblood. He lives in a Muggle apartment. And he’s constantly forced to make nice with the biggest bunch of blood traitors around. The source of his problems? Ginny Weasley, the witch he’s possibly in love with. Which makes the secret he’s keeping from her his biggest problem of all—because this secret could ruin his relationship with Ginny forever. And he’s not the only one with a secret…
Category: Long and Completed
Rating: Definitely Naughty
Characters: Arthur Weasley, Blaise Zabini (boy), D/G Offspring, Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Lucius Malfoy, Molly Weasley, Pansy Parkinson
Compliant with: HBP and below
Era: Post-Hogwarts
Genres: Drama, Romance
Warnings: None
Completed: Yes
Series: None
Table of Contents

Chapters: 14 | Word count: 142908 | Read count: 17942 | Published: Feb 18, 2011 | Updated: Jan 02, 2014
[Report This]

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Jan 05, 2014 Title: Chapter 1: Prologue

Yay, you've updated!! I WILL leave a real review in the next couple of days-- things have been pretty nuts, as I'm sure you can imagine. ;)

ETA: Okay, here's what I'm going to do. It's been such a long time since I've read this that I think I have to start from the beginning if it's going to make any sense. So just hang out... that review WILL be coming. :)

Marry Me by icthestrals    (Reviews - 61)

Draco Malfoy has proposed six times to Ginevra Weasley. How did it get to this, and what will happen the seventh time?
Category: Long and Completed
Rating: Definitely Naughty
Characters: None
Compliant with: All but epilogue
Era: Future AU, Past AU
Genres: Angst, Drama, Humor, Romance
Warnings: None
Completed: Yes
Series: None
Table of Contents

Chapters: 7 | Word count: 37002 | Read count: 11598 | Published: Mar 08, 2011 | Updated: Jun 18, 2011
[Report This]

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: May 03, 2011 Title: Chapter 4: The Rebound

Oh, what a chapter this was! I do hope that reviewers don't get their claws out and sharpen them on your Ginny here. (Cat's on the keyboard-- that's probably where the claw idea came from...) At first glance, she maybe doesn't look all that great here. Poor Draco, she's broken his heart again, etc. *However*, the only thing that really kept Draco from shagging Astoria on the couch and then moving on to marry her was chance, in the form of Ginny knocking on the door in the middle of the night. And then there are the descriptions of his "expert hands" and how much better he's gotten at it all... I don't think he was exactly living the true-love-waits pledge while Ginny was with Harry. :P

Ginny's relationship with Harry had real consequences for both herself and the people around her, and these are unflinchingly explored-- which is what sets this fic apart from the entire genre of teenage wish-fulfillment D/G. It isn't fluffy and nice, but real. (I do kinda want to see Draco reject her a bit by this point, though... he could start to get a bit doormat-y, if not. Can we send him to Co-Dependents Anonymous Meetings?) Anyway, more soon, I hope! :)

Author's Response: Well, thank you. And as for the claws - I've been applying much dittany to my scars from another site. So far no one here has outright declared their hatred of Ginny, but I'm prepared for it to come, especially after the next chapter comes out. And thank you for noticing that Draco is not so innocent. I love the way you put it - there indeed has been no "true-love-waits pledge" from him. And I hope he doesn't become a doormat, I've been trying really hard to keep some real Draco in there, but yes, I also stupidly decided to make him ask her 7 times (although the first two don't really count).

As for Ginny's relationship with Harry, thank you so much for acknowledging it!!! Oops, I might need a little more dittany :) I like to think that the "teenage wish fulfillment" part of this story was really between Ginny and Harry - and it didn't turn out very well.

Thank you, again. I really appreciate your thoughts. I love your work so it's a thrill to hear from you. Well, I'm off to the Co-Dependents Anonymous Meeting, I'll make sure to bring Draco with me!

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: May 27, 2011 Title: Chapter 5: The Competition

This chapter, this chaoter... this is such a fascinating fic, and so different from the type of D/G that we usually see. I can definitely understand how it may not be some people's cup of tea. In a lot of ways, it actually reminds me more of a long-running strip than anything else. (Alison Bechdel's *Dykes to Watch Out For* comes to mind for some odd reason. Except that they're not lesbians. Oh, maybe it's just this weird migraine. It's been going on for two weeks now. Anyway...)

So much of this seems to be based on the way that real people would actually behave rather than the idealized versions of Draco and Ginny that we might usually expect to see, because this is exactly what they might really if they *were* real-- they'd keep on making the same types of mistakes over and over again. Ginny can't truly let go of Harry; Draco can't really let go of his jealousy. Each one of them sees the other's behavior more accurately than they themselves do-- Draco understands that Ginny hasn't yet really freed herself from her feelings for Harry, and Ginny understands that Draco made assumptions about their relationship that he should not have made. The incident with Harry and Cho rips at the D/G relationship so hard that all of its weak points suddenly show, and they just can't make it. But we know, too, that they will not be able to stay away from each other in the long run. The really intriguing part is that you've set up a narrative and a character development where either ending is believable-- either the power of their love is strong enough to keep them together despite everything else, or it isn't. Only time will tell...

Author's Response: Thank you so much for the compliment. And although I know many readers are probably hating Ginny (and me) at this point, I just can't change what is happening. Ginny has her reasons for being the way she is, and there is no cryptic, surprise reason to be revealed. She has been hurt and she is acting out. And I love -LOVE- that you get it. They are definitely, as far as I'm concerned, being real.

And you are the only reader who has seen Draco's flaws, or at least acknowledged them. Granted, his are much harder to find and less damaging than hers, but he is not perfect. As you pointed out, he has made assumptions. But I think more than that he just simply compartmentalizes his life and whatever is not to his liking, he disregards. I tried to show some growth on both of their parts in the next chapter, hopefully it comes through.

And thank you again. It's so awesome to get such detailed feedback.

Haven't heard of Bechdel's work. Sounds interesting. And sorry about the migraine. Even bigger thanks for reading this when you feel so bad. Hope it has already ended. :)

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Jun 07, 2011 Title: Chapter 6: The Grand Gesture

I really do love the way that this story tackles a task so few D/G fics do: to portray Draco and Ginny's relationship over time as they try to make it work, and to subtly show all the reasons why it continues to go through the cycles of love, loss, and rejection that it does.

I really, really do understand why Ginny freaked out at the end. I absolutely do. Her entire family has always been manic about children. Everyone MUST!!!! procreate!! It's as if the Weasleys represent the one opportunity to repopulate the earth, and the negative side of that line of thinking is that if one of them can't do it, well... aren't they kind of substandard? (I don't know how you feel about that premise, but I am so over it. Maybe that's why Molly always turns out to be such a bitch in my fics.) I can comletely see how Ginny would have been set up to be afraid of Draco judging her because she didn't turn out to be a breeder.

The really funny part is that I've thought about writing a fic revolving around the fact that Ginny finds out she can't get pregnant. A little bunny has been hopping around... I know how mine would unfold... I'm very curious about yours. ;)

Author's Response: I never set out to write anything unique or different. It was just something that popped into my mind and the more I wrote the more real they became. As you can tell, the first chapter was compete fluff. And even the second chapter was headed that way. But once I realized that I had set myself up with coming up with 6 (or 7) rejections, I knew I had to dig in a little more. So thank you so so much for appreciating my version of these characters.

As for Ginny's infertility, I love the way you see the Weasleys. I, too, have a fondness of Molly being a bitch, and I think it showed a little bit in my third chapter. I think her reaction is defintely influenced by her family, but even more by her believing that her fears are coming true - that she really is unworthy of Draco (or really anyone).

And I would love to read your take on this topic. I am still very much unsure of how mine will end, which is crazy since I thought it was done ages ago. Anyway, thank you again for your thoughtful and interesting reviews. They have been very motivating, especially since I am so new to this and many have not really liked my Ginny. Thank you. :)

Of Brothels and Ice Cream by Boogum    (Reviews - 17)

Ron called it the brothel. Dean Thomas called it a good time. Molly and Arthur Weasley preferred not to think about it at all. Such was the response to Ginny Weasley’s latest attempt at playing entrepreneur.
Category: Completed Short Stories
Rating: Sorta Naughty
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley
Compliant with: All but epilogue
Era: Post-Hogwarts
Genres: Humor, Romance
Warnings: None
Completed: Yes
Series: None
Table of Contents

Chapters: 1 | Word count: 6538 | Read count: 4264 | Published: Mar 21, 2011 | Updated: Mar 22, 2011
[Report This]

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Mar 23, 2011 Title: Chapter 1: Of Brothels and Ice Cream

Oh, I love this fic! :) I have to admit-- I was just a tad bit nervous about it at first. I'm a licensed massage therapist too, you see, and I had a twinge of nervousness about massage-room seductions and other things strictly forbidden by the AMTA code of ethics. But I should have known better, seeing as how you're writing this fic. :)

I loved the subtlety and the delicacy of the way you developed Ginny and Draco's relationship, and I have to say-- you did surprise me with Irena. (I had an image of a cat. I don't know why.) I'm not usually too terribly fond of Draco-as-tender-dad fics, because they just don't seem that believable to me, but you did pull this one off. He was sweet and caring without being at all sugary or overdone, which is not easy to do. Another great fic from you! :)

Author's Response: A licensed massage therapist too? Well, aren't you a jack of all trades!

I generally try to avoid those breaches of professionalism in my fanfics, especially for something like this. I think Ginny would have come out in a bad light had I written her as trying to seduce Draco through her massages (being in a position of trust and control), and I didn't want that. She had to take her romance out of the shop, which she does; unfortunately, she also got a bit confused concerning Irena's identity (which, I admit, I had lots of fun writing. It would have been funny had Irena been a cat, though. Perhaps I'll keep that in mind for another time -- crediting you, of course. :P). Being a one-shot, I did worry that their relationship might not come through as developed enough, so it's a relief to hear those hints did come through.

I actually like reading Draco as a father (I find it often allows authors to explore different sides to him), but I agree that when he is too sugary or overdone, it's very off-putting. I'm glad you felt I found that balance. ^_^

Absolution's Price by SometimeSelkie    (Reviews - 54)

Draco's failing at the mission given to him by the Dark Lord, his relationship with Pansy is strained, and Snape won't stop asking questions. He needs help desperately, but when he receives it, he's drawn into more intrigue than he bargained for. His saviour may need some saving herself.
Category: Long and Completed
Rating: Definitely Naughty
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Narcissa Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson
Compliant with: Fully compliant
Era: Hogwarts-era
Genres: Angst, Drama, Romance
Warnings: None
Completed: Yes
Series: None
Table of Contents

Chapters: 11 | Word count: 25678 | Read count: 12658 | Published: Mar 24, 2011 | Updated: May 05, 2011
[Report This]

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Mar 25, 2011 Title: Chapter 1: Sowing

Oh yay! She's here! Welcome to the FIA, Selkie! (offers chocolate chip cookies and milk. And firewhiskey. Or whatever.)

An alternate sixth-year fic! Always so much possibility with those. Your Draco is very believable; he's starting to really fray around the edges at this point, and we see that vulnerability where Ginny really *could* have gotten into his heart through his weaknesses. He's not nice, and he's not sweet-- he's not what you could call good at this point; really, he's morally neutral at best-- but he's so torn, and we feel such pity for him. We can feel the terrible desolate coldness of his life, and then there's Ginny, the flame.

Looking forward to more! :)

Author's Response: Eeek! *stuffs cookie in mouth and takes a gulp of Firewhiskey, grimaces, and picks up the milk instead* Thanks! It's good to finally be here! Yes, this Draco's on the brink of every sort of collapse and he doesn't have much in the way of redeeming qualities. I think the simple fact that Harry ultimately found him with Myrtle as his confidante speaks volumes to how isolated he was that year, despite his bravado in September. And isolation, of course, opens up all manner of vulnerabilities....

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Mar 31, 2011 Title: Chapter 2: Pruning

A good second chapter! I can really see this as a believable explanation for what actually happened between Pansy and Draco-- we clearly never got an explanation of their breakup in canon. He stopped sharing anything about his inner life with her, and she finally refused to keep tolerating it. I like that you don't make her a villain-- I actually have kind of a soft spot for Pansy. :)

I'm not sure if Draco actually cares about Ginny yet, or if he's using her because all of his unbearable emotions have to go somewhere (similar to what we saw with Myrtle.) But that's believable too. I think that Draco would ultimately have taken comfort where it was offered (or, well, he wouldn't have ended up taking it from a not-very-sympathetically-written ghost.) But what exactly is Ginny getting out of this? I think it kind of remains to be seen.

Author's Response: I think either Pansy dumped Draco for being unavailable during HBP or he dumped her after the Battle of Hogwarts when he was declared Not Evil and she was the worst kind of villain and a liability when it came to rehabilitating his image. Given how much JKR hates Pansy, I'm guessing the latter, but I also have a soft spot for Pansy. If Draco does care about Ginny at this point, it's the same care he'd have for a new broom or an invisibility cloak of his own.

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Mar 31, 2011 Title: Chapter 3: Reaping

Well, personally, *I* think I know how this chapter makes sense.... ;) Something about Ginny has been more than a little bit off all along. We've seen her actions from Draco's POV, and he's been so desperate for comfort, for someone to hold him and need him and love him, that he didn't see (or want to see) any of the warning signs. Then, too, it would have been a bit much to expect a sixteen-year-old boy to turn down sex from a girl he's fallen in love with, even though I think that deep down, he had to know something was really not-quite-right by then. At some level, I think he knew all along that Ginny was more broken than he was himself, but he couldn't resist her and what she had to offer him. And then, too, he blames himself, and he doesn't know or understand about Tom Riddle.

This fic has a lot more subtlety than it seems to at first, but I'll admit that it may be hard for readers to see if they aren't as familiar with people on the dissociative spectrum as I am. But then, that's what canon was all about, and probably the one thing that really made me angry about the way it all ended wasn't the lost opportunities for D/G, but the way that Ginny's CLEAR dissociative disorder was ignored. This fic doesn't do that, and I'm very glad to see it.... so, looking forward to more soon! :)

Author's Response: Something off about Ginny? What kind of wild allegation is that? *slips you a Chocolate Frog under the table* Closed third-person perspective: it's a helluva drug. I'm kind of in love with the way you laid out your case here. :D I never took Psych 101 and only have the foggiest idea what the day-to-day effects of dissociative disorder are (ie DDD is my textbook and you know I'm a solid C student when it comes to that), so I can't make any intelligent remark about whether it's addressed here. It's probably too early for a definitive opinion, but I will bow to your professional assessment when all is said and done!

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Apr 08, 2011 Title: Chapter 4: A New Day

Draco is fascinating here, isn't he? There's a little of bit of real cruelty in him, I think, but then, there would be. He does not understand why Ginny has acted the way that she has. Part of this is because he does know that they've ended up on different sides, and part of it, of course, is that he doesn't know what's actually going on in her head. I wonder what woud happen if he truly started to understand more of this.

Author's Response: I've tried my best to resist whitewashing him; he's the boy who stomped on Harry's face and sent Buckbeak to the slaughter over hurt pride. He can be selfish and cruel, and Ginny's incomprehensible behaviour brings that out in him. But he's got good qualities too, once his needs are being met....

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Apr 08, 2011 Title: Chapter 5: Back to the Land

Well, Draco will get his chance to hear more, won't he? I think he's right-- he's the only one who can understand a bit of what she's gone through, and that's a lot of what creates the appeal of putting these two characters together in the first place. Harry will never understand what happened to Ginny-- it is spelled out in canon in several "Voldy didn't actually possess your pure, spotless mind even though he used you as a Horcrux" infodump variations. Also, I think that he deliberately chose not to understand her.

But Draco could, because we *know* that he lived with Voldy in the same house for over a year. Still, he doesn't know the truth about how dissociative she is-- yet. Highly dissociative people do have seemingly inexplicable character changes from moment to moment, so yes, that is believable as something that Ginny would do, but it certainly wouldn't make any sense to Draco. We'll have to see how it all plays out...

Author's Response: Harry's got that kneejerk hatred of corruption, even when it's quite neutral relating to him - rejecting Scrimgeour and being annoyed at Cho for not hating Marietta after the DA's demise are two examples that come to mind. (And then there's DDD Harry, who takes the corruption hatred to a whole new level!) "Chose not to understand her", indeed - her possession is an unsavoury bit that he maybe wouldn't be able to tolerate if he thought too hard about it. But enough about him. Yes, D/G is so compelling in dramatic storylines because they're capable of facing down the darkness in each other. We'll see how this Draco fares when his time comes.

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Apr 11, 2011 Title: Chapter 6: Clippings

This is perhaps my favorite chapter to date. We see so much of Draco's conflicting desires here-- he wants to understand Ginny, he wants to punish her, he just plain wants her, and it's impossible even for him to say at this point what will win out. He has potential power over her right now, and a darker part of him relishes it a little bit, I think.

But he's also afraid for her, and after the most recent incident, he probably should be. (The absolute nadir for DH!Harry had to be when he laughed after hearing how Ginny was punished "cruelly" for helping to steal the sword from Snape's office.) Let's just say that it'll be fascinating to see where Draco and Ginny go from here...

Author's Response: Gah, you just sum things up so well! I've got nothing intelligent to add. Here's hoping the upcoming stuff lives up to expectations *crosses fingers* Oh, turns out I do have something to add: I always figured that Harry's laughing there was relief that she got thrown in the briar patch, so to speak. But yeah, he didn't seem to give a care to how much danger she'd put herself in. Even if he was ignorant of the fact that the Cruciatus was an A-OK punishment at the time, being caught by a Snape with no Dumbledore to rein him in is a horror unto itself.

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Apr 21, 2011 Title: Chapter 9: Waiting For The Sun

The last few chapters have been so fascinating! What a deep, deep mystery Ginny is. She's such a morally ambiguous character, for one thing. She confesses to Draco that she truly tried to kill him in order to resurrect Tom Riddle, basically, but she felt really, really bad about it, and he just... *can't*... hate her, or even keep up his anger at her, and somehow, we, the readers, can't manage it either. Then she's on the side of good. Sort of. And he can't resist her. He absolutely can't, and in this chapter, we really see why. Ginny is an irresistible force of nature, and for her to welcome him, to desire him, to offer him a chance to make up for the way she devalued him eariler is just too much for him to resist. But I can still see this ending badly. I don't know if that even makes sense, but I coud still see her hurting Draco very very very badly. And yet, it's believable that she truly cares about him. If Ginny hurt Draco in the end, it would be because of who she is, irrevocably, inescapably. Anyway... fascinating fic!! Looking forward to more.

And, oh yeah... smut will never ever EVEREVEREVER make me squeamish. :) Although for some odd reason, I never feel like I can have my cat half-sleeping on the computer while I read it. It's just one of those weird things...

Author's Response: I don't know about readers not being able to hate Ginny...have you read some of the other reviews? ;) You seem to have more faith in her than most (despite your classification of her as "good. Sort of", which tickles me to no end). His perception of her from last year is still very pervasive despite everything else that's happened, and for him it really is a re-do of everything that went wrong before. Heck, it was a do-over for both of them, complicated by their new understanding of each other and their more equal footing. I'm noticing that lots of people are picking up an undercurrent of doom here. Smut may never make you squeamish but I find it SO HARD to write; this scene was, like, my third ever if you count that brief scene earlier in this story. Practice makes perfect? Anyways, your cat's welcome to sit on your lap next chapter.

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Apr 29, 2011 Title: Chapter 10: Fruition

Another great chapter! All of the Slytherins are so believable, too (even though I personally have a soft spot for Vince and Greg and tend to write them in a way that's very OOC, really. ;) Those are the kind of idiotic jokes that they probably would have made in that situation. And canon was interwoven so well with your take on what was going on in Draco's head.

Now, about Ginny... I don't know if I have the most puppy-unicorn-rainbow POV on her, because I'm not sure how much I would really put past her, even though I do think she's on the side of "good." (But then, compared to Voldy, what really *isn't* going to be the side of "good"?) There's something about your Ginny that seems to me to be ruthless in some hard-to-define way. A good example is the way that Draco thinks about how Ginny got him to act against his own best interests and risk getting into a lot of trouble, and then, in his own words, "rewarded him handsomely" (ahem. The cat wasn't on the keyboard for that.) Draco almost does seem to be either on the verge of knowing what's going on here or of believing the worst, and the most fascinating part of all is that we don't really know if we can trust his take on things or not. Did Ginny actually "reward" him, or does she just love having sex with him because he's her boyfriend? Is his understanding of the situation due to his own cynicism, or because Ginny is more than a little manipulative? Is Ginny using Draco, even in a good cause? After all, she indeed didn't come back to school, and we don't know yet if she sent him any word about what actually happened to her. I definitely see Draco as being more dependent on Ginny than she is on him at this point, and yes, I do think, on the whole, that she's using him. Yet I don't think she can help using him, and I do think that she does care about him. The question is how much-- and how much depth of caring is she even capable of? Those questions very much remain to be answered.

Author's Response: Teenaged boys...so uncouth. I think C&G must have some redeeming traits (even though we don't see any here) for Draco to have suffered them for as long as he did. They were confidantes as well as henchmen...at least when they were twelve. Your perception of Ginny as ruthless interests me but doesn't surprise me. She was all (funny) business for the first half of the story and they've spent so much time as adversaries. The whole story up to the last couple of chapters has been them taking whatever they can from each other. I didn't realise that Draco was still coming off so cynical wrt Ginny. I was going for something a bit more tongue-in-cheek, like, "I'm forced to sex up my hot girlfriend on a regular basis, woe is me." Still, yes, I see the implications of what he said...am I putting stuff in subconsciously?? Now I'm pondering the philosophical questions you pose here: is Ginny using him to propagate her beliefs or giving him the freedom to act on his, and if she *is* using him, do the specifics of the situation exonerate her? What's that you say? I should've thought these things through BEFORE I started writing?

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: May 06, 2011 Title: Chapter 11: A Bountiful Harvest

Excuse me for a minute. I am now going to find Ginny and smack her upside the head for awhile.

(SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK)

Oh, that was just a punching bag. You don't think I'd REALLY smack Ginny? ;)

Truthfully, I think that this ending was contained in the beginning (and the middle.) It's not just about being canon-compliant; I don't think it could have ended any other way and still been truthful to the narrative as it stands, or to Ginny's character (or Draco's, or, really, anyone else's, including Harry's, even though we didn't see that much of him.)

To clarify a bit more of what I mean, I really, really liked your use of the "hours and days and years" line, because I think it points up the differences between Draco and Harry here-- for Draco, there was all the time in the world to talk about specific things with Ginny, but there was no time to waste in order to reconnect with her. For Harry, as we know, there was lots of vague time in the future to truly get to know Ginny (which I don't think he ever actually did), but no time to waste to reconnect with the people who were actually important to him, and that small group did NOT include her. And the sad thing here is that I don't think Ginny is capable of taking what Draco has to offer. I really don't think she has enough of a self-image, a coherent belief in herself, to do it. She would have to engage with him on all levels, and she knows that Harry just will not demand that of her-- he doesn't even really see her, which I think is the truth behind why she ended up with him in canon. And I honestly don't think she understands what a cruel thing that was to do to Draco. I don't believe that at this point, she could do anything else.

Still...

(starts kickboxing)

Author's Response: Why do I even bother with this thing when you're around? *shoves Acme Smoke 'N Mirrors Kit into the trash* YOU SEE THROUGH EVERYTHING. You're right, this was the ending all along, canon be damned (although it's a fabulous excuse to hide behind). This is the price he pays for his absolution, what happens when delusions aren't fully dispelled, the consequence of letting his family comes first every time, and the subversion of the girl-as-prize-for-personal-development trope all rolled into one angsty package. Now, may I squee that you caught the hours/days/years line? Yessss! I didn't know if it was too subtle or not - that line jumped right out at me the first time I read DH, but I didn't remember the red light of dawn as Harry duelled Voldemort until I re-read to get the showdown dialogue and started flailing in glee. Draco's mad visions - all canon, baby! And how do you see through all of Ginny's motivations before her side of the story even starts? Now I know how you knew about that crystal ball sale! Yes, her choice between Harry and Draco has little to do with the boys as partners and everything to do with HER. Draco wasn't quite right about doing nothing wrong in this situation - he made one small misstep that wouldn't have mattered in the end - but he managed to seize on the root of the matter while sprawled on the floor of the Manor. Thank you once again for all of your invaluable feedback. I really think it's going to help the sequel. Remember when I said I had a marriage to break up? This here is my ammunition. *browses new Acme catalog*

Wrong by Boogum    (Reviews - 3)

Maybe it was better this way. Maybe they had been wrong to think two people from such different backgrounds could actually have a happy relationship. Gods knew she'd had enough of the fighting, of the paranoia and pain. It hurt to love him. It hurt being with him. But even then, it hurt so much more when he was gone.
Category: Completed Short Stories
Rating: Sorta Naughty
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Narcissa Malfoy
Compliant with: All but epilogue
Era: Post-Hogwarts
Genres: Angst, Romance
Warnings: None
Completed: Yes
Series: None
Table of Contents

Chapters: 1 | Word count: 1511 | Read count: 2276 | Published: Apr 27, 2011 | Updated: Apr 28, 2011
[Report This]

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Apr 29, 2011 Title: Chapter 1: Wrong

This is one of those short fics that we want to continue past this point, but OTOH, that really isn't the way that it's meant to work. We really have to use our imaginations in order to figure out what may have happened between Draco and Ginny after Narcissa left her.

What makes it fascinating, too, is that IMHO it's one of those D/G pairings where I don't think we're really given enough information to know if it really *should* work out in the long run-- maybe whatever exists bewteen them really is too wrong to ever be right-- and yet we inescapably do want them to be together. Here's hoping for a happy ending! :)

Author's Response: I quite liked the idea of writing something really open like this. I doubt I'll add to it, because I think it will lose something if I did that. The whole point is that Ginny and Draco are two very different people who just happened to fall in love. The 'happily ever after' never happened for them, because often that kind of thing /can't/ happen when you've got people like this. I suppose what this story is really asking is do we always think love is worth it. Undoubtedly they love each other, but is it enough? That's really the question Ginny finds herself asking at the end. I do, however, like to think they get their happy ending eventually.

Isolation and Cherry Pie by Mynuet    (Reviews - 16)

At the end of a dark corridor in Azkaban there are only two people, the isolated prisoner and his jailer.
Category: Completed Short Stories
Rating: Sorta Naughty
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley
Compliant with: All but epilogue
Era: Post-Hogwarts
Genres: Angst, Romance
Warnings: None
Completed: Yes
Series: None
Table of Contents

Chapters: 1 | Word count: 6493 | Read count: 3237 | Published: May 07, 2011 | Updated: May 07, 2011
[Report This]

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: May 08, 2011 Title: Chapter 1: For Ada Achlys

Oh! I loved this fic so so so much.... It was just the perfect mix of angst and fluff. The entire first part was angsty as could be, of course, and it was a lot like one of those heartbreakingly beautiful fics where you just KNOW it's going to have a tragic ending (Ginny comes back and Draco hung himself with his belt or jumped out the window or was eaten by an owl or something...) But then it didn't! There was a happy ending of EARNED fluff! The very best kind! :) Kudos to you, and I hope we get to see more upcoming fics.

The Toad Who Was Not Quite a Prince by Boogum    (Reviews - 6)

In which Ginny discovers a snarky toad, curses are broken, and a happily ever after is eventually found. Almost.
Category: Completed Short Stories
Rating: Sorta Naughty
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom
Compliant with: GoF and below
Era: Hogwarts-era
Genres: Humor, Romance
Warnings: None
Completed: Yes
Series: None
Table of Contents

Chapters: 1 | Word count: 1613 | Read count: 2345 | Published: Jun 26, 2011 | Updated: Jun 26, 2011
[Report This]

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Jul 02, 2011 Title: Chapter 1: The Toad Who Was Not Quite a Prince

What a cute, cute story! Sorry it took me a while to review... lots going on. I particularly liked the way that you actually dared to describe the kiss as being, well, less than romantic or even pleasant at first. Even Draco really can't manage that as a toad. :P

I wonder what originally happened with that witch... ;) Maybe Ginny should team up with her if Draco gets too difficult. I could see it as a sequel!

Author's Response: I think Draco really would have special powers if he can make himself still a good kisser as a toad, haha.

I probably could continue this, or at least expand on it, but I won't. This one really was a quick throw-away one-shot while I was (and still am) trying to deal with the tedious and sometimes very dramatic responsiblities of real life. What I'd love to be doing is working on The Different Shades of Grey or Domino, but unfortunately I really don't have the time. Thanks for the review, though! It was nice to come back and see a collection of reviews. ^_^

Silence by serinah    (Reviews - 82)

My name is Ginevra Malfoy. I am a wife to the Minister's third in command, a Death Eater, and the coldest man I have ever known.


Who would have thought that when Harry killed Voldemort the purists would still come to power? Who would have thought that when the marriage law is enforced, a Malfoy would propose to a Weasley? And who in their right mind could have foreseen that Harry Potter would ask her to say yes? This is a tale about a failing marriage and a society spiralling towards civil war.
Category: Long and Completed
Rating: Sorta Naughty
Characters: Arthur Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Molly Weasley, Other Characters, Ron Weasley
Compliant with: All but epilogue
Era: Future AU
Genres: Angst, Romance
Warnings: Character Death
Completed: Yes
Series: None
Table of Contents

Chapters: 6 | Word count: 23324 | Read count: 20293 | Published: Sep 17, 2011 | Updated: Oct 18, 2011
[Report This]

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Sep 23, 2011 Title: Chapter 3: Chapter 3

This is a remarkable story for a lot of reasons. Partly, I think, it's because you have a strong, authentic, and exciting voice for Ginny, and her character is so consistent and believable; part of it is because you're not afraid to make so many aspects of this story less than perfect in so many ways, whether larger (it's not a love story yet by any means) or smaller (Draco's not drop-dead handsome; he probably feels the same way about Astoria as Ginny does about Harry; D/G sex hasn't been what propels the plot forward.)

I don't know if this fic will have a happy ending or not, but if it doesn't, that's okay too. Some stories don't, and I hope you don't feel pressured by readers' expectations.

Author's Response: Wow! Anise herself has given praise to my work! :) I've been walking on air for the whole morning, thank you so much! When a writer gets a thoughtful comment from another author, it really means the world. I have a deep respect for your work, Anise, I'm thrilled that you even took a peek at mine. (I haven't reviewed because I haven't read much yet, I have a thing about WIPs, sorry, I'm definitely going to remedy it.) Your opinion of my Ginny characterization took me by surprise, but the imperfections - they were planned. I started this story to deal with the demons in my own marriage (although I don't think there's anything particular that was actually transferred straight from my experiences), so it was suppose to resemble real life. It's good to know that I managed at least somewhat. And the ending is already planned out, I have no intentions of making it fluffy. :) Thank you for taking time to read and review.

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Sep 30, 2011 Title: Chapter 4: Chapter 4

(hands Serinah a large slice of chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream)

Or if you don't like chocolate, I saw a nice fruit tart. :)

I hope that you keep this fic as unusual and striking as it is. There are so many aspects that work exactly the way they're presented-- particularly the way you've chosen to reveal the subtle emotional growth of both Draco and Ginny in their relationship through a non-sequential narration of events. This is not easy to pull off (there's a reason why there was only one *Pulp Fiction*, and it's now almost twenty years later), but you're doing it very well. By its very nature, this type of writing style does not utilize transitions. I could go on and on in this vein, but trust me, this is a good fic... and I think I'll email you some of my other comments. However, I will add one more thing: I really do not see how you are under an obligation of any kind to reveal the ending of your story before you have finished it. You have placed this fic in the Angst category, which certainly should clarify its nature sufficiently.

Author's Response: I absolutely LOVE chocolate! Thank you!

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Oct 09, 2011 Title: Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Amazing! The rest is in email.

Author's Response: Thanks :)

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Oct 18, 2011 Title: Chapter 7: Chapter 6

Wow. This really was a happy and yet *truly* non-fluffy ending. I haven't seen many of these in the land of D/G ficdom, but it was completely appropriate for this story. Draco and Ginny do love each other, but there's no easy way to gloss over the mismatches that certainly continue to exist in their personalities-- or the price of ambition that still may remain unpaid.

The place where (IMHO, anyway) you've left the door open for a sequel was in Draco's decision to kill Higgs, and Ginny's understanding of the turning point that this decision represented. I'm rereading Philippa Gregory's *The White Queen* right now, and I immediately thought of Edward IV's decision to take part in killing the insane King Henry even though his wife, Elizabeth, begged him not to in much the same way that Ginny spoke to Draco. Elizabeth knew that the House of York was doomed by this action, along with an earlier decision to kill several men who had sought sanctuary in a church even though she'd been saved the same way only a couple of years earlier (of course, we know what finally happened, it being seven hundred years later-- that's how we ultimately ended up with the Tudors.) By sheer luck, Higgs didn't have to be killed, but something had already changed-- the decision had been made. So what happens next time? Elizabeth's two sons finally ended up in the Tower, and the question of what happened to them is still one of the great historical mysteries... and Ginny has two kids now...

Anyway, I could see all kinds of directions that a sequel could take, whether based on the question of just how far power really did corrupt Draco, or on anything else. You have such rich material here. Kudos to you for a great fic! :)

Author's Response: Ah! And here you gave me two more ideas about the plot. Thank you! :) And thank you for reviewing.

The Journey Home by gidge_8    (Reviews - 56)

Ginny skips out on her last year at Hogwarts to go in search of answers in a troubled post-Voldemort world. What she finds along the way is a mad-eyed mentor, a mystery around the murder of Lucius Malfoy, and an adventure that teaches her far more than she thought possible.

Written for tudorrose1533 in the 2011 DG Fic Exchange. Nominated in six categories, winner: Best Minor character.

Note: this story will have one additional scene that was not part of the fic exchange posting. It will be NC-17.
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Category: Long and Completed
Rating: Extremely Naughty
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley
Compliant with: All but epilogue
Era: Post-Hogwarts
Genres: Angst, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Warnings: None
Completed: Yes
Series: None
Table of Contents

Chapters: 6 | Word count: 23640 | Read count: 7954 | Published: Sep 22, 2011 | Updated: Nov 04, 2011
[Report This]

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Sep 27, 2011 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1 - Found and Lost

I really love Mad-Eye, and I'm so happy to see that he made it in your fic, if not in canon! I always love a Ginny who has so much passion and anger just under the surface, too. I look forward to seeing where this goes, because I did *not* read any of the exchange fics. On that note, those who give away the plot in reviews just may be Incendio'd. SO DON'T DO IT, PLEASE... (looks at everyone) (ahem) Sorry about the capslock, but that's got to be my least favorite aspect of reading D/G exchange fics. Let's not post spoilers!!!

Author's Response: Thank you! It was a tough balance in this story to keep her angry, yet still Ginny. And Mad-Eye, well, he kind of does his own thing and wrote himself into the story. :) I'm so happy you are enjoying the story thus far. Best wishes!!
-G

A Weasley in a Pear Tree by Boogum    (Reviews - 18)

Handsome men don't fall out of trees, but obnoxious redheads sometimes do.
Category: Completed Short Stories
Rating: Sorta Naughty
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley
Compliant with: HBP and below
Era: Hogwarts-era
Genres: Humor, Romance
Warnings: None
Completed: Yes
Series: None
Table of Contents

Chapters: 1 | Word count: 1908 | Read count: 3739 | Published: Dec 17, 2011 | Updated: Dec 20, 2011
[Report This]

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Dec 21, 2011 Title: Chapter 1: A Weasley in a Pear Tree

I just loved this fic! It had the perfect balance of sweetness, spice, and everything nice. :) I *particularly* liked that Draco didn't actually get any Christmas spirit by the end (I have NONE this year, none whatsoever....) but decided that it was unnecessary.

Author's Response: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I just didn't see this Draco liking Christmas - it would take a lot more than Ginny promising him a kiss to get him to think otherwise - but it was actually quite refreshing to write a Draco who remains as snarky towards the season as he does at the beginning. I'm sad to hear YOU are not feeling the Christmas spirit this year, though. At the very least, I hope you get to enjoy the Christmas feasts. ^_~

I Wish That I Had Harry's Girl by cherryredxx    (Reviews - 64)

Draco has an obsession with Harry's girlfriend.
Category: Long and Completed
Rating: Sorta Naughty
Characters: Blaise Zabini (boy), Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter
Compliant with: None
Era: Hogwarts-era
Genres: Angst, Drama, Romance
Warnings: None
Completed: Yes
Series: None
Table of Contents

Chapters: 11 | Word count: 17769 | Read count: 30763 | Published: Jan 31, 2012 | Updated: Apr 27, 2012
[Report This]

Reviewer: Anise Signed
Date: Apr 27, 2012 Title: Chapter 11: 11

This was such a sweet, satisfying fic. :) The portrayals of both Draco and Ginny are really believable by the end. They're not AT ALL the way that I ever write either of them, but they are clearly *a* Draco and *a* Ginny who feel possible and real. We really don't have any evidence from canon showing that Draco is some kind of sex-god jerk who litters the landscape with his castoff girlfriends. That particular version *can* be believable (although it usually isn't), but you really show in this fic that it's not the only one. Yay to you, and looking forward to more fics! :)

Author's Response: Thank you! I agree completely with your opinions on their characterizations. I think one of the reasons why I love to write DG so much is that there are so many ways to interpret them individually AND as a couple. It makes them that much more exciting to write about. Thank you so much for the review, and I am so glad you enjoyed this. :)