Harry Potter Fic: Unspecial

[bratanimus]

Title: Unspecial
Author: bratanimus
Summary: “I rush to the window and fling it wide, grateful that another friend lives another day, and I start crying suddenly and fully, as if it were a mere continuation of an ongoing wail, which I suppose it probably is.” In wartime, a pregnant Lily discovers the cost of being normal. Remus and Lily friendship.
Rating

Comments

[bratanimus]

Thank you so much! Sorry it made you cry, but hopefully that means I did my job. ;) I appreciate your kind words. Thanks for reviewing! :D

[seer_of_spots]

That was really beautiful. I loved the language and the structure - the light-hearted section in the middle was exquisitely written.

My three favourite parts/phrases were this: He grimaces back. His brow seems permanently furrowed these days, and it breaks my heart. I wonder what’s happened to my face that other people can see.
and this:
And I watch as his eyebrows contort into a shape I’ve never seen before on him, and he looks away. I take his face gently in my hands and bring his gaze back to me. How much worse can this get? Bad as it was, I’d thought it was just Astrid. I speak as gently as I can over my pounding heart. “Remus.” And there’s every chance he won’t answer this question. “Was Astrid pregnant?”

He looks positively afraid of me as his eyes dart back and forth between mine. And he exhales quickly, but it’s not a sob because he won’t cry. As I stare into his eyes I suddenly know where the furrow came from. And still he doesn’t answer me, because he doesn’t have to.
and this:
And suddenly he sobs once, violently, and it

[bratanimus]

I can't believe I haven't replied to this wonderful review yet! I think I overlooked it when I went back to make my replies. *blush*

Anyhow, THANK YOU. I really appreciate your kind words. Glad you liked the structure and the language. Thanks especially for pointing out the sections that resonated with you; as an author, that kind of feedback is like gold. ;)

Thanks again!

[tarie]

This is an absolutely beautiful fic. I've rarely come across a story that explores the relationship between Remus and Lily in quite this light, and I'm so glad I took the time to use this one. You've a lovely narrative style and, oh, but your turns of phrase hit every note.

A fantastic fic!

[bratanimus]

Thank you! And my apologies for the delayed reply ... :D

Seriously, thank you for the very kind words. I'm glad that you liked my narrative style and turns of phrase. Very pleased, too, that you enjoyed the relationship that I explored here. I much prefer to pair Remus and Lily together, but this was quite satisfying in a completely different way. Thanks again for the lovely review. :)

[certifieddork]

Oh, wow; seriously love this. Sad and hopeful and utterly real, it just hits the right spot. Melancholic without being exploitative, it really captures the whole essence of Lily's strength and vulnerability. And her relationship with Remus - ! There are no words.

Love, love, love!

[bratanimus]

Thank you so much! I'm very glad that the hopeful part came through, even in the midst of all the loss. I'm especiallly pleased that you thought Lily's "strength and vulnerability" conveyed here; I was going for a mix, because really no person is all one thing or another. We all have our moments, don't we?

Thanks again for such a nice review. :D

[lady_bracknell]

Wow, this is all kinds of heart-breaking, but oh so very well observed.

I really loved Lily in this - her emotions are so close to the surface, yet she's trying to hide them from others for their own good, and I loved the odd notes of bitterness in her tone occasionally.

The story of Remus and his lost love is just heart-wrenching, too, as is why he's kept that secret - but it's very Remus to think he can't burden other people, even with something of such great magnitude.

You've written this so deftly, too - I love the second where she looks at Remus and wonders what if - because it happens, but you haven't made it into some melodramatic thing. It's just a moment, then it passes. I got a real sense of their relationship, here, and of the times they lived in - the idea of them all taking comfort in physical gestures seemed so true to life, too.

As always, you've excelled yourself.

[bratanimus]

Thank you! *blush*

I'm glad you liked Lily's hiding of her emotions. I really enjoyed playing with that part of her: the wanting to break down at every turn, but not daring because everyone else is on edge as well. There's an old saying that only one half of a couple can break down at a time, so what happens when both are that close to losing it? So James runs away, and Lily reaches for her friends.

I'm also pleased that you liked this relationship between Remus and Lily, and the little "what if" moment; glad you felt the truth in that moment. I think in times of such uncertainty people must be drawn to each other. Here the physical affection comes more easily, and I think, too, thoughts of further bonding, even when one's heart belongs to someone else. I can't imagine that one would be able to help it when things are so desperate.

Thank you again; I'm really pleased that you liked this! :)