Reaction

[shimotsuki]

Title: Reaction
Author: shimotsuki
Rating & Warnings: PG (reference to offstage violence)
Prompts: Spectrespecs; Molly/Arthur; Apparate; angst
Word Count: 3808 words
Summary: Remus has spent his life learning to hide what he really thinks. What will it take to break through that mask?
Author's Notes: This story is set in the same universe as Subterfuge, my

Comments

[mrstater]

This is one of my very favorite fics from this Jumble, as well as an all-time favorite, I think. From your Molly POV to the actual plot, you really did a fine job of both using your prompts creatively, and combining them into a cohesive whole.

Remus is absolutely compelling. I love the paradox here that while he's at his physical weakest, he's a strong character, and so quickly regains control of the dry wit he wears like a mask. Really keen character observation there.

You've also done something really unique here in Remus and Tonks both requesting that Arthur and Molly be present when they see each other. Which was essential for Molly's POV, but you pulled it off so cleverly that it felt perfectly natural, that they want to see each other so badly, yet are so selfless that they don't want to hurt the other.

And then the Spectrospecs were heartbreaking. Remus after that, so raw, and as Molly observed, more ashamed and in greater pain than after the attack, was such an emotional clencher.

All around, just a splendid piece.

[shimotsuki]

Oh my goodness, thank you so much for the lovely comments!

I'm glad that what I was trying to do with Remus came through -- I wanted to show that it took major physical injury to make him lose his calm and collected persona, but then merely seeing Tonks unhappy had exactly the same effect. Although, importantly, he doesn't ever break down in front of her. (And if Molly had given him ten more minutes, I bet he'd have had it all under wraps again.)

(...and I REALLY WILL finish commenting on the Round 1 posts eventually, but I also want to try to get to the Round 2 posts while I have a chance at being on time with those, so it may take me a while longer to get back to Round 1...)