[Kaleidoscope update] Taking Leave

[shimotsuki]

Well. When I first started plotting the HBP section of Kaleidoscope, I did not think it would take six whole chapters to get rid of Remus. ;) But as it turns out, from mousy hair to Remus's history with Greyback to tea and sympathy to Patronus changes, there were a few things that needed to be pulled into the story

Comments

[gilpin25]

This is so late, and I'm sorry!

I'm impressed by how complete a story this is: it's not just Remus finally leaving for his mission, but the background of Cornwall and Tonks visiting the cottage, as well as the alternating POV, make it feel real and vivid and fresh to read. And that's really impressive, because 'The Leaving Scene' is one that nearly all R/T writers tackle, and there's usually a few elements that almost naturally appear in an effort to tie in with canon. But you've given it all a fresh twist.

Talking of which, as a reader, I sometimes find myself waiting for the 'I don't care' arguments, and yet here you've got Tonks coming right out and telling him, several times, that she loves him. She's upfront and honest, and literally putting him on the spot (go girl!), but she's giving him such little room for manoeuvre (or to think clearly, if he even could) that I can understand why he flees at the end. She doesn't realize she's battling the habit of a lifetime as well.

My favourite lines are: “I will wait for you, for as long as it takes, until you stop being such a prat and-and help me turn our friendship into something amazing.” and “Would you shut up!”

Oh, and I loved her showing him the Patronus now. There's simply no hiding place when your Tonks is around! <3

[shimotsuki]

There's no such thing as a late comment, you know -- and anyway, this was perfectly timed for a birthday present! :)

I'm really happy to hear you thought this felt like a complete story, because it started life as a timeline problem. ;) There are more than two weeks between the tea-and-sympathy scene and Harry's birthday party. But I didn't want to just write two weeks of "I don't care" arguments, and I wanted to give Remus a way to delude himself into thinking he's going back to "just friends" while keeping with the HBP Kaleidoscope theme that he's trying to avoid letting Tonks touch him, ever. Hence the Cornwall mission and the owls.

I actually thought Tonks would have to show Remus her Patronus before his mission, so he would recognize it if she had to send him a message. But it's very true that -- as you say -- at this point in the story Tonks thinks she has to do everything she can to win Remus over now. She's throwing everything she's got at him, all at once...which may not have been the wisest approach, heh.

Thanks so much for the thoughtful comments -- and for sticking with this series for so long. ♥