So This Is Romance by Gilpin25

[gilpin25]

Title: So This Is Romance …
Author: gilpin25
Rating and Warnings: R (Not very fluffy romance or language at times)
Prompts: Thing: Veritaserum; Place: Ministry of Magic; Time: A Day of Discovery; Genre: Romance
Word Count: 10,130
Summary: War gets in the way of absolutely everything, or so it seems. Especially a rather complicated relationship...
Author’s

Comments

[lady_bracknell]

I thought this was wonderful

[gilpin25]

So glad you liked this because I got off on the wrong foot with it, felt as if I was doing a salvage job, and then wrote one scene which made me feel differently about the whole thing ... and meant I had to go back and totally re-jig the 'author-wrote-this-in-foul-mood' section. By the end, I was rather fond of it, but wondered if anyone else would be

[mrstater]

When I first read this, there was so much to like that I wasn't really sure where to begin to review. Now I've read it again, there's even more to like, so I'm even less sure. So I guess in the immortal words of Rogers and Hammerstien, I'll start at the beginning. :)

This was the first thing that really pulled me into the piece:

Tonks was prepared to deny her appearance and her very nature for the sake of the Order, but she was never going to deny him to anyone.What a beautiful thought. And even more beautiful to see it enacted in the Veritaserum scene later on. Which also make me jump ahead to what an excellent use of the prompt this is, not to have Tonks make a confession because she's taking Veritaserum, but because someon else is going to have to talk. In a way love becomes the Veritaserum, and not to say what it prompts is just as dishonest as what Melvyn accuses Tonks of having done

[lady_bracknell]

Sorry to butt in with another review, but I just had to concur. In all my previous gushing, I forgot how much I loved Tonks showing Remus her desk (because it's such an in love thing to do) and Remus' joke about furry dice and nodding dogs. I thought that was a wonderful piece of characterisation for them as a couple - that Tonks would like these vaguely naff Muggle things, and Remus would buy them for her as a running private joke.

[gilpin25]

And, of course, I swore I would comment on this bit in the other reply ... and remembered that Really Intelligent Plan as I pressed the button and waved it goodbye. There should be an edit facility! Anyway just to say, that my favourite scene to write, and which made me view the whole thing differently, was the desk one, so thank you for loving that. Some time, I'm going to mention Tonks having furry dice dangling from her broomstick ... ;)

I do like it when you gush, you know. :)

[gilpin25]

Apart from my first cranky attempt at this, about which the less said the better, the two basic ideas were how you have to make the most of every snatched opportunity to be together when work/war are keeping you apart, and how under the right circumstances everyone would be completely honest because it was the only way to make things happen. I did lots of debating with the Veritaserum, wondering whether one of them should accidentally take it, but the big drawback was that you seem to go into a robotic trance if Barty Crouch Jr. is anything to go by. Which wasn't exactly the most romantic of things! And I rather liked the irony of nobody taking it, although the reader gets to decide if they did eventually give it to Melvyn, or not

[psychicnagger]

Excuse my lack of being able to form too many coherent thoughts and give you proper feedback, but this was wonderful.

Your Remus is... well, perfect. I would so be tempted to steal him if I didn't adore him and Tonks together. Sigh.

Oh, and the line about the nodding toy dogs made me laugh so hard, mainly because I hate the bloody things.

And really, that's about as much as I can muster right now. I'm totally adding this to my memories :)

[gilpin25]

I think I rather fell for Remus myself while writing this - it's hard to resist a man who can put a starry sky in your bedroom, and wants to get you a nodding dog for your desk. (I was actually sat behind a car with one in today, and nearly stalled mine as I was laughing so much!)

It's really great to hear you enjoyed it so much because I was very worried people would be expecting lots of fluff, and it was a bit thin on the ground. But I wanted to do a story about work/war getting in the way of a relationship, and them having to make the most of every single moment, and make things happen for themselves.

Thanks for such a lovely review!

[devonwood]

“Muggles have furry dice in their vehicles. I’ve seen them hanging in the windows. And they have these nodding toy dogs in the back ones that must really annoy the person behind. Now I know you’re keen on straw donkeys, I’m going to ask Arthur to track some down for you. I want to get you something for your desk.”

“You-” She stopped, staring at him.

“It’s what couples do, isn’t it?” He smiled at her. “Couples in a serious relationship would certainly give one another things for their desks. And you bought me that little chocolate dispenser for my Birthday, which I’ve got on mine, so it’s only fair I give you something in return for yours.”I'll admit that I sniggered quite unladylike when I first read this passage. :D

[gilpin25]

Would you believe I sat in a traffic jam today, behind a car with a nodding bull dog in the back window? I haven't seen one for ages and laughed hysterically, nearly stalling my car in the process.

Really glad to hear you enjoyed this. The desk part was my favourite to write so I'm glad you picked that out. And the second was probably the smut, so I'm equally glad you liked that as well.

Thank you for such a lovely review, much appreciated. Tonks will probably have the dice hanging from her broomstick shortly. ;)

[molly_coddles]

Oh my. If I go to the dentist again, will you write another? ;)

I meant to take notes and give you a thoughtful and heartfelt review but I got thoroughly sucked in after the first few paragraphs and completely forgot. I think my last review-oriented thought was, "I wonder if Aurors have a bladder emptying charm." And how very clever for Tonks to be undercover, brewing Amortentia in Knockturn Alley's new "Health and Beauty" Salon.

I adore your Remus. And your Tonks is so sweet and ingenuous. They're in character, and yet improved somehow. Sirius too. Loved his line with the "bleeding nifflers," though I initially read it as "a pair of breeding nifflers," and had to do a double-take.
The line "Saying it at the best of times was easy." reminds me of the Footprints poem, because of course it's easy when things are perfect, but a relationship is only as strong as its imperfections. And of course the imperfections are what build character. And make good fanfic

[gilpin25]

I had a wonderful name for the potion Tonks was brewing, a pun based on Botox and ... I forgot what it was due to the last minute rush with getting this posted, and still can't remember. (Every time I try and think I start chanting 'Blotox, er, Boltox...' and have to stop before the madness sets in. So I really should have just said Amortentia