*does the dance of new fic*

[rj_anderson]

I learned the steps from lizbee, I'm still not sure I've got 'em all down... is it two steps to the left and then kick, or kick - step to the left - step to the right?

Anyway, since I have zero patience these days when it comes to submitting to FA or SQ (though I'm sure I'll get around to both eventually), you can find my latest, hot-off-the-press HP story here:

Cold Water
Remus Lupin's private interview with an old schoolmate results in some painful but necessary soul-searching, and some surprising discoveries for both parties. Set after the events of OotP.

And do please let me know what you think. Yes, even if you don't like it. Just do me the favour of telling me why so I'll know better next time.

P.S. If you loathe and detest FF.net, you can also find the story at my personal web site.

Comments

[sff-corgi.livejournal.com]

I loathe and detest FF.net, so I followed your other link.

Very nice. Intense. I was wondering how you were going to resolve it without it being just a... a... bitterfest when you pulled that nice parallel out of a pointed hat.

And you put Remus on the hot-spot very well indeed.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Thanks, very kind of you. And although I know this fic was pretty hard on Sirius, I like him a good deal more than Snape does, if that's any consolation. :)

[kalinalea.livejournal.com]

Wonderful, Rebecca! I don't quite know how to put this, but about half-way through I thought, "Oh please don't turn this into fluff." I should have known better, of course, it being you, but somehow, I just couldn't have stood it if Lupin and Snape had worked everything out in the space of a short story. I found them both to be so in character - and in post-OotP character, too - and I particularly enjoyed seeing Remus struggling with his less-than-loyal feelings toward his dead friends. He is uncomfortable because in the midst of all of this loss he's suddenly seeing things from Snape's point of view, and yet it's too little too late for him and Snape to ever become friends - and it's also too late for him to ever resolve his issues with Sirius, James, and Peter. Remus Lupin is a living tragedy in so many ways.

I confess I didn't see the D&L link coming, but I think you made it work, and I think D&L stands up well in spite of new canon. Again, poor Remus; Snape has someone, while Lupin is so alone.

And of course, your writing always makes me sigh with pleasure. Tight, graceful, with every word perfectly chosen. I enjoyed this vignette thoroughly.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

"Oh please don't turn this into fluff."

LOL. I agree with you, it would have stretched credulity to the breaking point if Snape and Remus had worked out all their differences in one short fic! I can't imagine they'll ever be friends, but I like to think they might achieve detente, and even perhaps a degree of mutual respect, one of these days...

Thanks very much for all your kind comments.

[sannalim.livejournal.com]

Beautiful, beautiful. I was most happy to see that you decided to work Maud in. Severus needs her so much....

I recently re-read Darkness and Light, and found it as delightful as the first time. D&L set me on the path to becoming a Snapefan.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Wow! Thanks!

The dance of new fic

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

It involves three dancing muses and a high kick finale.

Re: The dance of new fic

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

*counts muses*

Oh DRAT, no wonder I could never get it right.

Re: The dance of new fic

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

Numbers are the least of your problems, I'm afraid. You try convincing Snape that he should do a high kick...

[jessanndi.livejournal.com]

Again you have

bewitched the mind and ensnared the senses

The incantation of Maud was sublime. I look forward to seeing more of Remus and Severus.

As ever you have taken canon and made real the past and the future.

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

I already posted a review, but you know ff.net...

This was wonderful. Thank you for writing it. I'm glad you're still writing about Maud, because I really like reading about her.

[(Anonymous)]

Very nice as usual. You have done a great job of dealing with Sirius and Remus as they were revealed to us in OotP. I know that many people loved Sirius, but even before OotP I never cared for him as portrayed by JKR. (I must admit I always had doubts about James, too, but couldn't tell you why. Wasn't I smart? )

I really wish it would be possible for Snape and Lupin to be able to build a true friendship between them, but I think you are correct in this view that merely lessening the antagonism is about all we can hope for. And you brought out beautifully how conflicted Remus' love for his very imperfect friends must be.

Liz E.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I loved Sirius the first time I read PoA, but my irritation with fanon Sirius greatly lessened my devotion to the canonical one. I'd expected OotP would help restore my faith in him, but... nope. His death took me by surprise, but it didn't make me cry, any more than Cedric's had.

I can't help but think that when it comes to killing off beloved characters, JKR is pulling her punches. The sense of pathos is considerably diminished when she keeps us from ever really getting to know the character (Cedric), or takes away most of our reasons to like the character (Sirius), before she kills them...

Anyway, thanks very much for your comments.

[sff-corgi.livejournal.com]

Of which irritation do you speak? Thankfully, I always had Jedi Boadicea to retreat to whenever I spent too much time in FictionAlley (forget FF.net, too much to wade through).

And what you said up-blog a wee bit, about being hard on Sirius... that's the funny thing about my unnatural attraction to the character. He's not perfect, and has things to answer for -- but this is seemingly exactly the kind of personality which suits me most complimentarily (except for the pack-behaviour goading-on possibilities).

Re:

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Of which irritation do you speak?

Oh, I just got fed up with Sirius the brainless party animal and/or Gryffindor slut. Your fic avoided both those cliches, btw, for which I was profoundly grateful -- I quite liked Canis Mutatem Sirius, as I did Katinka's portrayal of him in Interwoven.

Re Sirius's faults -- well, all of us are imperfect and have things to answer for. And as a Snapefan I can hardly cavil at people who love Sirius in spite of his faults. :) I guess it's just that, for me, Sirius's particular faults are among the ones I find least easy to rationalize or sympathize with -- the pack behaviour especially...

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

I really like this story, since it illuminates the tragedy of Lupin and Snape's interactions. They're similar enough that the could have been friends, but they're each entangled in the past to the point where they aren't friends, and can not be friends.

You've also got Snape's barely contained rage and Lupin's too contained emotions perfectly portrayed. Snape would start poking holes in Lupin's defenses, just so that some one else hurts too. Especially since it comes across (to me) that Lupin hasn't actually forgiven Sirius, as he'd have to have been angry at Sirius first, but that he's pushed it all aside and refused to deal with it.

Just as Sirius' mortal failing was acting recklessly, I fear Lupin's will be failing to act at all. And Snape will do the wrong thing. I don't think any of them will make it out of the series alive.

Re:

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

If anyone survives the series, I think it'll be Lupin. The only reason I think so is because it seems almost too much to kill off the whole Marauders generation, as it were. James and Sirius are already dead, and Peter is sure to die in Book Seven saving Harry in some fashion (as, I fear, is Severus), so that leaves Lupin by default, as it were.

On the other hand, JKR keeps going on and on about how grey and old Lupin is looking, so she might be telling us not to get too attached to him...

Thanks v. much for your comments.

[ymfaery]

Wonderful, wonderful story. I often wondered how you'd write Lupin, and I love what I've seen so far. I do hope he'll one day finally release that walled-in anger and rage--that doesn't seem healthy to me for him to keep it all in.

Now I'm hoping he'll meet Maud--perhaps when she's working at St. Mungo's? And I've always imagined him being at the final battle with the other teachers because he got the Defense job again. ;D And were you thinking of making Maud aware of if not an actual member of the Order of the Phoenix? I didn't do a full reading of your redone "Potion Master's Apprentice" so I'm not sure if her uncle goes into any detail on it.

Re:

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much -- glad you liked the story!

I don't think Lupin will ever really let loose with that rage -- I don't think he needs to. Once a month, the wolf does all that for him.

I don't really see writing a fic in which Remus and Maud meet each other (though I've been wrong before), but I think she would be aware of the Order, yes. Not in any great detail, but she'd know her uncle was part of it. No doubt he would have told her that much, even before Dumbledore reassembled the Order and added some new members.

In the revised TPMA, Moody briefly mentions to Maud that he's been doing work for the Order, but that's pretty much it.