A bet, a wanted witch, and a magical contract land Draco in a most unexpected situation. Can his Slytherin soul survive intact or will he succumb to one redheaded witch in bondage? Snarky humor, romance, and a pinch of angst. “I don’t want it. I didn’t order it. Now leave me the fuck alone.” He slammed the door closed. Only it didn’t close due to the enormous boot wedged into its threshold. One loud grunt later and it flung back open, almost hitting him in the face. Draco reflexively leaned back, and that’s when she was thrust into his unsuspecting arms.Category: Works in Progress
I can see why this chapter took you a while to write, but I think it was worth it. You do a great job of showing just how crazy Draco has become by showing us his strange and convoluted thought processes. I can't wait to see what happens with the intrusion, but I hope it will ultimately lead to the end of the craziness. Thanks for the update!
Author's Response: Hi, Embellished! Yes, this chapter made both Draco and I crazy. I agree, I hope relief comes for both of us at the end of this fic! Thanks for the wonderful review. I appreciate it and you! -fallenwitch
It's funny. Earlier in this story, Ginny disappearing drove me up the wall, right along with Draco. The whole situation seemed insane and she seemed bullheaded. But this parting, somehow, has left me with a twisted sense of peace, despite how sad it is. I sense that Ginny has some unfinished business with Christo and the rest of the Bulgarians. Whether that business is just going to her dying husband or something much bigger, I really have no idea. I don't even really want to speculate, because I am sure that whatever you have planned will be much more interesting than anything I come up with. I also think that Ginny will come back to Draco again somewhere down the line. After all, she has unfinished business with him, too. But I am willing to wait patiently for that to happen. Thank you very much for the new chapter!
Author's Response: OMG, Embellished! I never thought I\'d see the day when one of my stories didn\'t drive you up the wall one way or other other! Am I in an AU? No? Well, I guess I\'ll chalk it up to the maturing plot and character revelations. Thanks so much for the wonderful review and your patience. I appreciate both! -fallenwitch
Hooray! An update! I love this chapter, particularly the way Ginny's plans unfold. Poor, clueless Draco certainly took a while to catch on, didn't he? He would have saved himself a lot of trouble many times over if he had realized from the first that Ginny just doesn't need saving. Not really. I'm still holding out hope for a happy ending, though. Anyway, thanks for the update!
Author's Response: Draco always takes awhile to catch on in this fic, unfortunately. But he always saves her in the end. He\'s the comeback king! I hope his luck holds out. Glad you are still enjoying this one, Embellished. I appreciate your wonderful reviews. -fallenwitch
This was a truly powerful chapter. We finally get to see all of the main players' true strength of character. I even feel something for Christo now, after chapters worth of resenting him. And all three displays of inner strength make the chapter much less sad than it would have been otherwise. The curse isn't truly a tragedy if it brings Draco and Ginny together finally. Thanks for posting. I'm looking forward to finding out how it ends.
In progress. Ginny commemorates the fifth anniversary of her death and finds herself face to face with someone from her past.Category: Works in Progress
You really do love a cliffhanger, don't you? Please update soon. I can see all sorts of possible outcomes from this and am dying to see what happens.
Ooh! I'm glad you're updating this again. I can't wait to see what comes of this!
Author's Response: Thanks! I\'ll try not to take so long before the next chapter.
I'm thrilled that you're updating this again! Poor Draco is so confused in this chapter, though I can't say Ginny was doing much to help him. I'm looking forward to seeing Draco's reaction to her revelation!
Author's Response: I\'m pretty thrilled to have finally posted something for this story myself. Ginny really didn\'t want to give herself up, and the next chapter will go into that. Thanks for reviewing.
In Progress. Set after OotP. Draco's life is in chaos when he returns for his 6th year at Hogwarts. When he & Ginny fall in love their loyalties are tested.Category: Works in Progress
I'm glad that you are writing this again. I really like the interactions between Draco and Ginny, especially their confusion about why they are interacting at all. Thanks for the update!
Author's Response: Thank you! I\'m glad you like the way they interact. I\'m trying to keep it from appearing too forced, but at the same time I want to make them hurry up and like each other. So, maybe it\'s my confusion as much as their\'s! *g*
How two lost souls manage to find each other in the darkness.Category: Completed Short Stories
This is really lovely. The imagery is especially evocative. Thank you very much!
Author's Response: Thank you, I\'m glad you liked it!
Two and a half years after his failure to kill Albus Dumbledore, Draco has long been accepted back into the ranks of the Death Eaters. He is still obsessively searching for the rebel Ginny Weasley, but he hides that secret well. When she is found one snowy December night, he smuggles her onto the Death Eaters? train with him. And he begins to learn that nothing will ever be the same again?Category: Works in Progress
I really like what you have done with Arthur. He seems wiser and more worldly than in canon, but still true to himself and to what he believes. I'm looking forward to seeing more of him--especially how he reacts to Draco wanting to be closer to Ginny. Thanks for the updates!
By the way, I knew you would never keep this to 70 chapters--I think that when you said you thought it would be 70, I guessed 140, and that is seeming more and more likely! Not that I am complaining or anything. :)
I've finally gotten caught up on the chapters I have missed, and you have given me quite a bit to think about. Harry is getting crazier and crazier, and this new introduction of Luna is very intriguing indeed. I'm looking forward to finding out what role she is going to play, and what Draco's new disengagement from his body will do for him. Thanks for the update!
Gah! You're not going to leave us *there*, are you? Aargh. I'm not even sure what to say. Anyway, thanks for the update (I think). I am definitely looking forward to the next batch of chapters!
Oh my. This chapter left me almost breathless with tension. I can hardly wait to see what will come of it. I do have one question, though: why has Draco's soul not shattered, or whatever it was the Snape told him would happen if he left Azkaban before six months were over? Does it have something to do with the power of the keystone room? Or is it just a more gradual process? If you can't answer that, don't worry. It is just one in a long line of questions I have and am trusting will be answered eventually. Thanks for the update!
I'm sure Draco is right about Scrimgeour's story meaning nothing good, for anyone but Scrimgeour, that is. Needless to say, I am both looking forward to reading it, and dreading it at the same time. Thanks for the update!
I'm glad that you are posting again!
I'm still a little confused about Scrimgeour and his motives, as well as Ginny's reaction to him, but I'm sure you will fill us in eventually. And three cheers for Ginny telling Harry off. It's about time!
Thanks for the update!
Aha! So now we know why everyone was tied so closely together. The question now is when is the "end"? I suspect it hasn't happened yet. Could the soul ceremony qualify? Ooh. I can't wait to find out. Thanks for the update and food for thought.
Ooh! I had forgotten about Snape. His reaction was very interesting--even though we only have a small idea of what he has done behind the scenes, this hints at what he might have done and why. And that also reminds me that until recently, I forgot about Ron. His reaction to the whole plan should be a lot of fun to read! Thanks for the update.
I guess I had known that some memory like this one was inevitable, but it still was hard to read. I just keep hoping that we will find out about whatever it was that was moving behind Ginny's eyes, and that it will make me feel better about the whole set-up. Perhaps Ginny had an inkling of a connection to Draco and the plan wasn't such a horrible a prospect after all. At least I hope so. Thanks for the update.
I'm really not sure what to think of Harry in this chapter. On one hand, I am starting to understand why he has treated Ginny so poorly--he seems quite conflicted about how he feels about her. And that makes me sympathize a bit. But then he is so manipulative of both Ginny and Hermione that I just want to slap some sense into him. Though with the evidence from previous chapters, I'm leaning towards slapping him. I am looking forward to the reality checks he has coming--and I hope that they will help him really come to terms with what he has done.
Oh dear. I've probably said this before, but this story keeps making me want to stop reading it, and yet compels me to keep reading at the same time. The distinctions between Harry and Voldemort are certainly getting quite blurred, aren't they?
Anyway, thanks for the update and good luck with Lumos. It is hard to believe that anyone in the fandom would stoop to violence. I hope it is more talk than anything.
I trust you to get there eventually, but this string of memories isn't really doing a lot to inspire hope for Harry's redemption (and by that, I mean enough redemption for the soul ceremony to work and for him to get out of Azkaban). I guess I will just have to wait and see. And resign myself to disliking him (and Hermione) more and more with each chapter. Sigh.
I am glad to hear that you can see the end of the fic, even if it is an awfully long way away. Though I seem to remember an earlier author's note that predicted roughly 35 chapters. Does this mean I should realistically plan on 140?
I'm still a little confused by the intensity of Harry's anger towards Ginny, but I'm also beginning to see why she agreed to do what she did to Draco. And I love the way that Draco is learning so much about himself through watching Harry. Thanks for the update!
Hm. Harry sure is bitter. I hope we will get some sense of what made him like that. Though now that the soul ceremony has begun, I see how the story might be drawing to a close. I can't wait to see what comes out now. Thanks for the update!
Well, Harry's reaction wasn't nearly as selfish as I had thought it would be. Which I guess is either promising or just you leading us to believe he might improve, only to dash our hopes. I definitely think that Draco's half-realized thoughts about how he would feel about Ginny if she had endured what Herione did are promising. But I expect there will be lots of angst to come.
I am looking forward to the next round of updates whenever you get around to posting them. I hope that things get better for you soon. *Hugs*
I, like Draco, am twisted and tangled and very confused. But that is part of why I like this story so much. You never shy away from the complications of relationships and human emotions. I'm looking forward to hearing Ginny's explanations (interpretations?) when the time comes. Thanks for the update.