A Winter's Tale by Gilpin25

[gilpin25]

Title: A Winter’s Tale
Author: gilpin25
Rating & Warnings: PG-13, for language and sexual implications.
Prompt: "Oh, life is like that. Sometimes, at the height of our revelries, when our joy is at its zenith, when all is most right with the world, the most unthinkable disasters descend upon us." A Christmas Story The word prompt Cooking is only in

Comments

[duck_or_rabbit]

So what community do I join to read your original writing? Hmm? Anyway, I'll just harass you by email. Onto your review....

This is a fascinating story for me. Two things first and foremost 1) You took me beyond the romantic entanglement of two individuals and into a social and political story as well, showing me a larger reality they're nested in. 2) It's not often in fanfiction an author using the alternating POV to tell parallel versions of similar events but it's a structure always insightful for the reader. Immediately it struck me you cast two different and distinct voices for Dora and Remus and both of them were moving in their own ways. And, oh gosh, Ron's very poignant cameo, lol, what a sweet little wisdomful darling. He cuts straight, doesn't he?

Dora in particular read as young and stunning and surprisingly self-confident in ways I has not read before in fanfiction. Your interpretation of her as an Auror was memorable, and left me wondering even more than I already have been about her life in a male dominated job. Her work has always intrigued me because it helped to establish her as not always seeing rainbows and butterflies and boxes of chocolate and romance but rather she (more than Remus as you deftly note) realized that world needs to be saved by something more practical than love. And the determination with which she organized her life and the wideness of the thoughts she thinks convinced me she can back up her challenges to Remus. Such as this one:

“It’s still Christmas Day,” I said. “And I do know I love you. So what are you going to do about it?”

Very lovely Dora. You showed me an infinitely complicated and varied witch (as she should be) not only in this example but in all your stories.

And Remus was wonderfully characterized in this. He certainly dealt less well with the everyday realities than his partner, didn't he? He's the one after incandescent romance, I think. The culture as a dark creature was certainly grim (which I'll say more about momentarily) and Remus' observations revealed that he'll always fall short of his self-fulfillment due to his bite (yet I think he's always planning for the worst - maybe it's that extreme, idealized mode of thinking you mention he applies to himself.) I like this:

I’ve talked a lot about this time to Dora when we were back together again, but the one thing I’ve never told her is that the overriding fear throughout it all was that she might see me for what I really am.

Yet Remus was humorous and handsome in this. There was one line in particular that I will always hold in my mind regarding him because it was geniusly on target for Remus. (I always suspect he makes self-deprecating remarks that he doesn't wholly mean, however.)

“Hmm…” I smiled at her. “I’m not sure I’m important enough for one of those?”

But what was heartbreaking in this scenario you created (and I know you want a break but I'd love you to explore this theme further) is Remus' (and Dora's) impressions of werewolf society. The bit about the wide eyed and lost werewolf children was awful to read so naturally it's what I want to read more of from you. The impact of that, catalyzing Remus to honor his commitment as father and husband was really original, I thought. And Dora's reaction was equally true to life I thought because she was the one out of the two who realizes marriage, becoming a wife, does not insure happiness and bliss. She knows from the start, I think.

I learned so much about Remus and Dora's discovery to each other in this fic, and my review isn't nearly as comprehensive as I'd like it to be but I hope this stands as some sort of evidence of how taken I am by your entry. I will always read (sooner than later) and review (more often later than sooner) your writing. Thank you.

EDIT: Simply fulfilling my obligation as typo queen. Carry on.

[gilpin25]

Re your first comment, I'm thinking I need a community called 'Kick Gilpin every time you see her procrastinating on LJ in 2009' - but with a slightly catchier title!

More seriously, thank you very much for your wonderfully thoughtful and detailed review. As you know yourself, it's so helpful to know what sort of grabs a reader's attention (and what doesn't;)), and this must have taken you ages.

Immediately it struck me you cast two different and distinct voices for Dora and Remus and both of them were moving in their own ways.

I found Tonks' voice a lot easier than Remus' in this; mind you, he did get all the angst and neither of us particularly enjoyed the section with HBP and DH in it. Tonks was fun because I did try to write her as the young, feisty girl she is in the OotP part, and then tried to have her sound more mature as we got into HBP when even the not-that observant Harry spots her looking much older. But, as you've said elsewhere, I find it hard to believe an Auror doesn't have a very practical view of life, especially to want to take Remus on in the first place, and wouldn't be expecting flowers and chocolates all the way. Hence he got written as the one with the romantic ideals he felt he should be living up to as a man with a young girlfriend/wife. Of course, it's a very human quality to have male pride...

Remus' observations revealed that he'll always fall short of his self-fulfillment due to his bite (yet I think he's always planning for the worst - maybe it's that extreme, idealized mode of thinking you mention he applies to himself.)

I always think it wasn't only Sirius who was in prison for all those years; that time must have taken a tremendous toll on him as a man, and made him question his own judgement and friendships. In a world where werewolves are distrusted and disliked, it's hardly surprising that he's wary and reserved to a degree now, but I think Tonks totally gets that while it's people like Molly and her 'ridiculous' line who see things far too simplistically and don't. Molly doesn't seem to connect Remus, her friend, with the werewolf opposite Arthur, and I do wonder how much contact Remus had had with other werewolves before his mission. It must have been like his two worlds collided then, and he didn't have a home in either?

The bit about the wide eyed and lost werewolf children was awful to read so naturally it's what I want to read more of from you. The impact of that, catalyzing Remus to honor his commitment as father and husband was really original, I thought.

I'm pleased it read as awful! It was difficult to come up with something that I could use to make him realise he was thinking of doing to his own son what he was appalled at others doing to theirs - well, it was quite easy to think of horrible things, but I very much wanted to keep this to a PG-13 rating at most. I couldn't imagine Remus and Tonks reciting something r-rated and gory (or too sexy;)), ostensibly for their son to listen to as well as themselves. But I hoped that would read as something that would resonate deeply with him, as it could so easily have been him...

I learned so much about Remus and Dora's discovery to each other in this fic

That's a lovely thing to say, and this review made me grin dementedly. Thank you. :)

And please don't give up on your fic as I shall be asking about your and its wellbeing. ;)