Comments | hd_worldcup: Team Epilogue: 10. Well, you just let the kneazle out of the bag.

hdcup_mod in hd_worldcup

Team Epilogue: 10. Well, you just let the kneazle out of the bag.

Apr 07, 2009 14:26

Title: Some Secrets Are Best Kept
Team: Epilogue
Author: curia_regis
Prompt: 10. Well, you just let the kneazle out of the bag.
Wordcount: ~9500
Rating: R
Warnings: Infidelity, voyeurism.
Summary: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were enemies. Everybody accepted this as fact until Elias Skeeter revealed the truth.
Author's Note: Thank you to emerald_dragon8 for the awesomely ( Read more... )

prompt: 10. kneazle out of the bag, r, fic, team epilogue, round ii

Comments 72

maggie2mw April 7 2009, 12:50:56 UTC

The NC-17 rating might be a bit extreme? The story is interesting and your Skeeters are fun to read.

I got few comments: the ending felt slightly abrupt. Maybe few more scenes from the Pensieves before handing out the big secret? And is John meant to be somebody or a nobody?

curia_regis April 8 2009, 01:19:36 UTC

I've emailed the mods to see if they can change the rating. :) Now that I re-read the story, I'm not sure why I gave it the rating. I was probably trying to be overly cautious. *g* Thanks for mentioning it, btw!

John is supposed to be a nobody. I was thinking of making him a descendant of one of our canon characters, but then I thought it might be a bit strange that somehow all the descendants would congregate together so long into the future. *g* He's more of your conspiracy theorist, crazy, but quite possibly right!

I see your point about the ending. I was trying to make the revelation take everybody by surprise, sort of the whole idea that once you've started on the conspiracy trail, everything sort of spirals out of control. :)

Thank you for the review!

smirking_muse April 7 2009, 12:56:35 UTC

Oh, that was gorgeous. I really liked the premise of looking back from the far future (and of course, it would be Rita Skeeter who would have the information and pass it down in order to expose it all). I was touched that she waited until all their children had died to do so though. It was very interesting that this love story was the secondary story to the one about the forced peace and the like. I think the love story was absolutely amazing and so heart breakingly beautiful ( ... )

curia_regis April 8 2009, 01:29:00 UTC

Thank you! I'm really glad you liked it. :) I have to admit this is the first time in years I've attempted an OC-centric fic and I was apprehensive it wouldn't turn out well.

I'm very curious about who exactly this "John" is-

I originally meant him to be the average conspiracy theorist, but now that I think about it, there could be a dark backstory to him. *g* I have the urge to write a sequel now.

Some Secrets Are Best Kept catsintheattic April 7 2009, 13:50:40 UTC

I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

You created a highly interesting OC. Despite his obvious boring occupation, his social awkwardness and insecurity, his almost compulsive methodical way of doing things, he was so much fun to watch. I found him likeable in his admiration of his grandmother - what a great idea to make him Skeeter's grandson! - and felt sorry for his youth and his loneliness.

I would have liked to know if John is just a random character or if there is a backstory behind his character. And if he and Elias will stay forever in that flat - how creepy that would be!

The H/D was so subtle and heartbreaking, beautiful to watch. I absolutely felt for Elias when he didn't want to watch the most intimate moments between Harry and Draco. It spoke volumes about him, but also about the intimacy between the two.

I also enjoyed the story of the Muggle world controlling the wizarding world to achieve some kind of peace. Creepy!

Thank you for such a beautiful story.

Re: Some Secrets Are Best Kept curia_regis April 8 2009, 01:31:52 UTC

I would have liked to know if John is just a random character or if there is a backstory behind his character.

I'm really surprised at how many people are curious about him! I originally meant him to be the average conspiracy theorist, but now that I think about it, there could be a dark backstory to him. *g* I have the urge to write a sequel now.

Despite his obvious boring occupation, his social awkwardness and insecurity, his almost compulsive methodical way of doing things, he was so much fun to watch.

*g* Come to think of it, Elias could have come about from how much Monk I've been watching lately.

I'm really glad you liked the story! Thank you for your review. :)

aldehyde April 7 2009, 13:58:42 UTC

wow. i absolutely LOVED this story! the premise is incredibly unique and i loved the way elias "discovered" the truth. i generally don't like OCs but yours were so interesting! i never thought i'd find rita skeeter anything but annoying, but i enjoyed the way you characterised her. [that 'two wizards in love' story was a very nice touch!] i found the language to be witty, and the flashback scenes very poignant. my favourite memory would probably be the same as elias', and now i want to see more scenes from their lives ( ... )

curia_regis April 8 2009, 01:36:22 UTC

ps:- just wanted to add that the NC-17 rating is probably unwarranted. this story would've been fine with a PG-13 or R rating in my mind since you don't talk about sex acts or anatomical parts explicitly. just a heads up so that you don't lose out on readers who might be wary of highly-rated stories :)

Thanks. :) I've emailed the mods about it to see if they can change it. I would say American ratings confuse me, but I've been writing in fandom for years so I should be used to it! *g* I think I tend to err on the side of caution.

and i do wish it was a bit longer since the ending feels abruptI see your point about the ending. I was trying to make the revelation take everybody by surprise, sort of the whole idea that once you've started on the conspiracy trail, everything sort of spirals out of control. Sort of make the style of the fic mirror what's happening ( ... )

re: Some Secrets Are Best Kept vaysh April 7 2009, 14:33:54 UTC

This is an amazing story. Seriously, I was sitting here the last minutes staring into my sunny background, trying to understand it, and more and more the pieces fell into place. at least I think they did :-). What a sacrifice on Harry and Draco's part (which yes, makes this a truely Epilogue-compliant fic)! And Merlin, I do hope the peace is worth that sacrifice. For, if I understood it right, Harry had Draco persuaded in the end to not tell the truth about the Muggles running the magical world, for the sake of peace. No? :-) I am most impressed, though, by your narrator, your Elias Skeeter. What a highly original character! I loved how his mind worked, in such a hesitant, round about way. And I adore how you managed to plot out this story in a similar way, giving us bits and pieces of Rita's secret, then holding up the plot, just to plunge into it after more of Elias' ruminations. Wonderful story-telling. I haven't enjoyed a story so much in a long time (Well, to be honest, since Saturday, but still ;-)). Thank you so much for ( ... )

Re: Some Secrets Are Best Kept curia_regis April 8 2009, 01:38:13 UTC

Seriously, I was sitting here the last minutes staring into my sunny background, trying to understand it, and more and more the pieces fell into place. at least I think they did :-). What a sacrifice on Harry and Draco's part (which yes, makes this a truely Epilogue-compliant fic)! And Merlin, I do hope the peace is worth that sacrifice. For, if I understood it right, Harry had Draco persuaded in the end to not tell the truth about the Muggles running the magical world, for the sake of peace.

Yep! That's exactly what happened. :) And I have a huge grin on my face because your reaction was exactly what I was after.

I'm really glad you liked the fic! ♥ And thank you so much for your review. :)