"Catalysts" Commentary
Catalysts. This is how Fleur deals with it. Requested by kitty_ryan.
I honestly don’t remember why I wrote this one. I think I was like “Fleur would look cool with short hair! She’d be like a flapper except French and blonde and much less annoying than Daisy Buchanan! She’d be like Jordan!” Except I don’t think I’d read The Great Gatsby yet. So it was more just the first part and then I went about how to justify that haircut.
I guess that’s a little odd.
Catalysts
When the war ended, Fleur cut her hair short enough that she had trouble adjusting to the weight, or rather lack of it, around her head. It bobbed around her chin and jaw and strands of it found their way into her eyes and - if Bill felt being spontaneous - into her mouth.
I am the worst proof-reader ever. The last sentence makes more sense if you put a “like” in between “felt” and “being”.
He lamented the loss of those eleven or twelve inches when they started one of their teasing matches. Fleur suspected those were due more to giddy relief that it was actually over and that they could start something so frivolous.
Most people couldn’t believe it was over.
I imagine a lot of people would have trouble believing that Voldemort was really dead; that they could relax. Especially members of the Order, people like the Weasleys and Malfoys.
And that was the reason Fleur cut her hair.
When you have nice hair, or really just long hair, and you cut it, people tend to notice. It’s a change. Fleur’s making a small change to help remind herself that there was a bigger one. I have no idea if this is actually an effective psychological strategy or not. It made sense in the context of the story, though.
Not that she told anyone.
She hadn’t told them when the subject came up after one of the Burrow dinners.
I think HBP reinforced this story. Fleur’s reaction still rings true, as do the reactions of the Weasleys. I really don’t think she’d tell anyone.
(“It’s very twenties,” suggested Molly, trying to look as if she actually approved of Fleur’s existence.
“It’s not,” said Ginny. “It’s more like those hairstyles they had in the sixties. You know, the futuristic ones. The models all wore the same thing and they all had hair like that…”
“Why did you cut your hair, Fleur?” asked Fred with a grin like he was only barely restraining a dirty joke.
She shrugged. “I wanted to.”
The twins looked immensely disappointed. Fleur giggled at their expressions, which seemed to cheer them up.)
That’s actually my favorite part. I like the family dynamic, and writing the twins.
She hadn’t told Harry either, though Harry really hadn’t asked and actually might have deserved the answer if he had.
(“’arry!” she called, stepping out of the large, heavy doors and onto the steps leading up to Gringott’s.
“Fleur,” he said pleasantly, looking up at her. “You cut your hair?”
She shrugged, attempting, and failing, not to be annoyed. “Yes.”
Harry was apparently more perceptive than she thought. “You work here?”
“No - I work at ‘ogwarts now. I visit Bee-Bill sometimes.” She tilted her head. “I thought you were still traveling?”
“I am,” said Harry. “I’m supposed to talk to one of the goblins about…something.”
Fleur smiled. “If you get a chance, feel free to drop in on us, alright?”
“Of course,” said Harry. “I’ll see you later.”
He never did drop by.)
He wouldn’t, either. Unless Ron or someone went with him.
I wanted to show that Harry would understand her cutting it, but I’m not sure if that came off well enough. Maybe I should have made that section longer, but then it wouldn’t have work in parentheses, and I needed them there for style and flow and stuff.
Fleur’s hair grew back quickly, a side effect of veela blood. It took a year for it to return to the flowing silver curtain it had been. She cut it again when Bill proposed, but there wasn’t a reason the second time except that she was getting tired of it long.
After all, everyone had realized it was over by then.
Honestly, I don’t have much to say about this story. It seems pretty self-explanatory to me. And there’s nothing I’m really cringing about…If I didn’t answer a question, of course, please ask me!
I honestly don’t remember why I wrote this one. I think I was like “Fleur would look cool with short hair! She’d be like a flapper except French and blonde and much less annoying than Daisy Buchanan! She’d be like Jordan!” Except I don’t think I’d read The Great Gatsby yet. So it was more just the first part and then I went about how to justify that haircut.
I guess that’s a little odd.
Catalysts
When the war ended, Fleur cut her hair short enough that she had trouble adjusting to the weight, or rather lack of it, around her head. It bobbed around her chin and jaw and strands of it found their way into her eyes and - if Bill felt being spontaneous - into her mouth.
I am the worst proof-reader ever. The last sentence makes more sense if you put a “like” in between “felt” and “being”.
He lamented the loss of those eleven or twelve inches when they started one of their teasing matches. Fleur suspected those were due more to giddy relief that it was actually over and that they could start something so frivolous.
Most people couldn’t believe it was over.
I imagine a lot of people would have trouble believing that Voldemort was really dead; that they could relax. Especially members of the Order, people like the Weasleys and Malfoys.
And that was the reason Fleur cut her hair.
When you have nice hair, or really just long hair, and you cut it, people tend to notice. It’s a change. Fleur’s making a small change to help remind herself that there was a bigger one. I have no idea if this is actually an effective psychological strategy or not. It made sense in the context of the story, though.
Not that she told anyone.
She hadn’t told them when the subject came up after one of the Burrow dinners.
I think HBP reinforced this story. Fleur’s reaction still rings true, as do the reactions of the Weasleys. I really don’t think she’d tell anyone.
(“It’s very twenties,” suggested Molly, trying to look as if she actually approved of Fleur’s existence.
“It’s not,” said Ginny. “It’s more like those hairstyles they had in the sixties. You know, the futuristic ones. The models all wore the same thing and they all had hair like that…”
“Why did you cut your hair, Fleur?” asked Fred with a grin like he was only barely restraining a dirty joke.
She shrugged. “I wanted to.”
The twins looked immensely disappointed. Fleur giggled at their expressions, which seemed to cheer them up.)
That’s actually my favorite part. I like the family dynamic, and writing the twins.
She hadn’t told Harry either, though Harry really hadn’t asked and actually might have deserved the answer if he had.
(“’arry!” she called, stepping out of the large, heavy doors and onto the steps leading up to Gringott’s.
“Fleur,” he said pleasantly, looking up at her. “You cut your hair?”
She shrugged, attempting, and failing, not to be annoyed. “Yes.”
Harry was apparently more perceptive than she thought. “You work here?”
“No - I work at ‘ogwarts now. I visit Bee-Bill sometimes.” She tilted her head. “I thought you were still traveling?”
“I am,” said Harry. “I’m supposed to talk to one of the goblins about…something.”
Fleur smiled. “If you get a chance, feel free to drop in on us, alright?”
“Of course,” said Harry. “I’ll see you later.”
He never did drop by.)
He wouldn’t, either. Unless Ron or someone went with him.
I wanted to show that Harry would understand her cutting it, but I’m not sure if that came off well enough. Maybe I should have made that section longer, but then it wouldn’t have work in parentheses, and I needed them there for style and flow and stuff.
Fleur’s hair grew back quickly, a side effect of veela blood. It took a year for it to return to the flowing silver curtain it had been. She cut it again when Bill proposed, but there wasn’t a reason the second time except that she was getting tired of it long.
After all, everyone had realized it was over by then.
Honestly, I don’t have much to say about this story. It seems pretty self-explanatory to me. And there’s nothing I’m really cringing about…If I didn’t answer a question, of course, please ask me!