New Year's Eve - 2002

Happy New Year Everyone!

It's time for the final chapter in my last story of the year - New Year's Eve.

It's year three at university and Hermione has decided she's not going to the party of year. Instead, she's going to stay at home and read a good book. But will her friends allow her to get away with that?

And is Ron going to ruin yet another New Year's Eve for our heroine?

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I hope you've enjoyed the story. It's just meant to be a bit of fun.

Have a very happy new year and I'll see you soon.

Dx

New Year's Eve - 2001

Happy Saturday!

I can't believe we're so close to the end of the year - all that preparing for the festive season and suddenly it's almost over and time to go back to work! (insert incredibly unhappy face here).

My virus or whatever it was is just about gone and I'm left with the normal snotty nose/sinus blockages and a cough that's more annoying than anything. Let's hope that's also gone by the time I go back to work. I'll already be miserable enough without adding that the mix.

Anyway, back to the story and it's New Year's Eve 2001, and Hermione is trying to get over her disappointment from the previous year (not very successfully).

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I hope you enjoy. If so, a comment, review or kudos is much appreciated.

Someone left a comment on yesterday's chapter taking exception to Hermione being left alone while Draco went off (and probably slept) with the blonde. I think what they were trying to say was that the roles should have been reversed - i.e. that Hermione should have gone off with someone and Draco should have been left standing around unhappy.

The reason it didn't happen that way round was, I would have thought, fairly obvious. The whole point of the story (for me, at least) is the frustration Hermione feels when she's thwarted by Ron (who, let's face it has form for this sort of thing - remember the Yule Ball when he completely ruined her evening?) and that wouldn't happen if you reversed the dynamic. 

There isn't anyone to grab and kiss Draco in the same way that Ron can grab Hermione - knowing Ron of old, you almost expect it to happen anyway - and therefore, even if Pansy Parkinson (for instance) came along and grabbed Draco away from Hermione, I don't think it would have the same impact.

If the criticism was that Hermione was left alone while Draco was off shagging around (i.e. he can be a slut and she can't), that can easily be answered by the fact that she wasn't interested in anyone else other than Draco, and it was her choice to go home alone. Hermione would have had plenty of opportunities to pull at the party if she had wanted them (several people tried to kiss her during the chapter), but she didn't want it. Other than that there is absolutely no reason why Hermione couldn't have done exactly as she pleased (which is what she did). 

Anyway, hopefully, that answers why I wrote it the way round I did. I have no objection to Hermione being sexual or even a sexual predator, I have written her that way in other stories, just not this one. 

See you tomorrow for the final chapter of New Year's Eve. 

Dx

New Story - New Year's Eve - 2000

Good evening all,

As I posted yesterday, today sees the start of my last story of the year and my final festive offering. 

It's called New Year's Eve and follows the Golden Trio and their friends and enemies over the course of three New Year's Eve's during their time at University, which includes entrance to the party of the year.

I have made another story icon - I basically did some digi-scrapping of a picture I found online. As ever, it gives a flavour of what the story is about. I think it's rather lovely. What do you think?

The first chapter is set in the year 2000, during their first year at university.

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This story is just a little bit of fluff to hopefully entertain, but I would be grateful, as always, for any reviews, comments and kudos.

I hope you enjoy!

Until tomorrow.

Dx

The Recluse - Chapter Eight

Hurrah!

I finally managed to get a chapter posted at a decent early time of the day. It's a shame it took until the last chapter of the story to manage it, but better late than never, eh?

It's chapter eight and Hermione is about to finally discover the secrets Draco has been trying to keep hidden. Just why was it so important that no one went into his mother's rooms?

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I really hope you've enjoyed this festive fairy tale and appreciate it in the spirit it was given - sometimes we all need fairy tales in our lives and Christmastime is no exception.

I'm back tomorrow with the first chapter of a three-part New Year's Eve story (for which I've done another cover picture that I'm really excited about) and then I'll probably be taking a little break as I've been posting for most of the year and I need to get some new stories sorted.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas* (*insert holiday of choice here) and have a happy, safe and healthy New Year.

Dx  

The Recluse - Chapter Seven

So, FF.Net had come back this morning so I managed to upload yesterday's chapter and now we're onto chapter seven.

It's the aftermath of the Battle of Malfoy Manor and Hermione is about to give Draco a life lesson.

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Join me tomorrow for the final chapter of The Recluse.

See ya!

Dx

The Recluse - Chapter Six

Well good evening everyone.

My run of good luck continues as it would appear that the FFNet website isn't accepting any uploads this evening, so despite me attempting to post nice and early for once, I still haven't succeeded. As Chapter 6 takes place on Boxing Day I really wanted to post the chapter today, so I have posted the AO3 one and will add the FFNet as soon it lets me.

So, as I said it's Boxing Day at Malfoy Manor and everything is nice and quiet . . . too quiet, maybe?

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The one good thing about still feeling crappy is that I haven't felt the need to have to do things and go places so instead, I've spent the day writing. This means I've almost finished one of my stories that I've been trying to get done for ages. Hurrah for a day of writing!

See you tomorrow, when FFNet may or may not be back (who knows). Hopefully, we will get the whole story posted eventually.

Dx

The Recluse - Chapter Five

Merry whatever greeting doesn't offend you!

I am still battling against the lurgy so this post is a bit later than I intended, as I've spent most of the day in bed. I really hope this goes soon, it's making me really bloody miserable.

Anyway, on to chapter five and Hermione is heading back to Malfoy Manor, even though she knows she shouldn't. But will Draco be pleased to see her? 

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I'm hoping to be fighting fit tomorrow (although probably still achy from all the coughing) so hopefully, the next chapter will go up well before midnight.

I hope you have all had/are having wonderful days whatever you're up to.

Dx

The Recluse - Chapter Four

It's another quick one as I still feel really rough and need to go to bed. I'm hoping I improve by the morning or Christmas Day is going to be really miserable.

Hermione has returned to work but Sylvia has several nasty surprises up her sleeve. Is there anything she can do to stop her, or has her boss finally managed to outsmart her?

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See you tomorrow. 

Dx

The Recluse - Chapter Three

Good evening all,

This is really a short one tonight as Father Christmas has sent me an early and totally unwanted present and I feel like I'm about to die, with a hacking cough, sore throat and the shivers and I need to go to bed in hopes of sleeping it off.

It's time for the third chapter of The Recluse, and Hermione has finally arrived at Malfoy Manor to undertake the itemising of the estate's treasures. But will Draco help or hinder her in the process, and is she able to keep her own inquisitiveness in check?

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Hopefully, I'll be well enough tomorrow to post chapter four, even if it's the only thing I do.

Take care everyone and I'll see you tomorrow.

Dx

The Recluse - Chapter Two

Can you see the snowflakes falling on my page? I'm quite excited about them and amazed that they work.

It's time for chapter two of The Recluse and Hermione is heading to Malfoy Manor in an attempt to contact Draco about the money he owes on his father's behalf. 

He's not going to be easy to track down, even if he is ensconced on the Malfoy estate. But is he actually there? And if he is, is he going to be willing to talk to Hermione?

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I hope you're enjoying the story so far.

See you tomorrow for chapter three.

Dx

The Recluse - Chapter One

Hi everyone,

With Christmas almost here it's time for me to post chapter one of the first of two festive stories I've written for this year. Now, you all know that I'm an absolute sucker for a Christmas love story, especially between Draco and Hermione.

The first story is called The Recluse. 

It will be posted daily over the next week - hence moving the story along in time with the date (i.e. the Christmas Day chapter will be posted on Christmas Day). 

I created an image for the story, which gives hints as to what it's about. I'm not usually very good at these things but I think I've done a fairly good job with this one.

The synopsis is as follows:

The second wizarding war has been over for more than a decade. Hermione, now working for the Ministry of Magic, is given an assignment that she doesn’t particularly want and is fairly sure she can’t complete, but pride and the need to show her unreasonable boss once and for all how good she is sends her to the last place on earth she wants to go — Malfoy Manor. 


This has been written and is posted as a present and a thank you to all the people who have read my stories over the last year.

I was hoping to post on Lumos as well as FFNet and AO3 to get it out to as many places as possible, but I've got a headache tonight and can't cope with sorting out the formatting etc. As there is usually a delay of a few days before it gets approved for posting it would be running late anyway, so I'll add in the links for Lumos once the whole story appears in the listings.

The story is a general romance and contains no lemons. It does contain some swearing, though, so I've rated it as T to be on the safe side.

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I hope you enjoy the story, and as ever would appreciate kudos, comments and feedback. 

See you tomorrow.

Dx

Family - Part Four - Chapter Three

Hi everyone,

It's finally time for the last part of Family, that I seem to have been posting for forever - although that's not a bad thing. It's nice to have a story that people can really get their teeth into.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a happy ending, however bad the beginning might be, and this story is no exception.

It's Hattie's first day at Hogwarts and the gang are meeting on Platform 9 3/4, a bittersweet occasion as it's the final time for some of them. 

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I really hope you've enjoyed the story and would love to hear your comments on it. 

I'm taking a break from posting for a couple of weeks to put up my decorations, get my shopping done and polish up a couple for Christmas presents for you all.

See you soon.

Dx

Family - Part Four - Chapter Two

Good morning everyone,

This is definitely going to be a quick one as I need to get to bed. I have to be up early tomorrow as I'm going away for the weekend (hence the reason for posting early) and I need more than a couple of hours sleep.

This week, Lucius has given Hermione plenty of time to come to terms with his release and now they're going on their first date. Let's hope it goes okay, eh?

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Next week is the final part of Family, after eighteen weeks and a timespan of twenty-eight years. Coincidentally, it is also the day I will be putting up my Harry Potter themed Christmas tree.

As always, reviews, comments, kudos etc. are always welcome.

See you next week.

Dx

Family - Part Four - Chapter One

Happy Sunday everyone,

This week you find me feeling a bit giddy from NaNoWriMo, where I am currently about 20,000 words shy of my 50,000 word total and with only 4 days left to complete it. A tough challenge for sure, especially when I've got a touch of writer's block at the moment, but I've managed it before and I'm determined to do it this time too. So all cross your fingers for me, and it'll happen (hopefully).

Anyway, back to the current story.

This week we start a new and final part to the tale, as time moves on once again and Lucius is finally released from Azkaban, ready to start his new life with his young family. But will everyone be happy to see him or are there likely to be a few problems along the way?

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Comments etc. are always welcomed, so please review if you can. I really do appreciate you taking the time to do so. 

I'm off to attempt some more writing. Until next week (when hopefully I will be a NaNoWriMo winner) and I'll be posting the penultimate chapter of the story, 

Stay safe and keep the faith

Dx
  

Family - Part Three - Chapter Six

Hi all,

I'm back from the Cauldron opening night a little earlier than anticipated, but that's not a bad thing. As it was a soft launch and a pop-up it wasn't up to full operating capacity and, therefore, wasn't quite as good as it could be. But it was an interesting experience - although I was a little disappointed that there appeared to be no non-alcoholic drinks on offer - I know it was open to over-eighteens only but not everyone wants to or can drink.  

I still believe it is a good idea but to execute it properly would be really expensive and to do it any sort of real justice the organisers would need to get Warner Brothers onboard to ensure the theme could be put in place - being a normal pub just isn't going to cut it, and making it a generic 'fantasy-type' pub isn't likely to attract the number of customers it needs to thrive. Using the Harry Potter fandom is a good way to draw in the crowds, but there needs to be more than a subtle nod, and we all know how aggressive WB can be with copyright infringement. 

There were several interesting 'magical' cocktails on offer (at £10 each), which as yet have no names, and we were asked to try them and suggest names for them. I tried the whisky, ginger and honey concoction - which looked like butterbeer and tasted like Lemsip - my choice of name was 'Night Nurse on the Knight Bus'. I doubt it will win, but if it does you know who chose it. 

My friend tried a rum, lime and strawberry cocktail which was set alight and had cinnamon thrown on it to cause fabulous sparks, but it was extremely heavy on the rum and wasn't really to her taste, so she didn't bother to think of a name.

There was supposed to be the opportunity to pour your own beer using a magic wand, but it wasn't working when we went up there and as it was the first of these pop-ups there wasn't much else on offer.

The organisers are arranging for magical cocktail-making courses in addition to more pop-ups to help boost the coffers and I would definitely be interested in going to one of those. 

So, onto the story.

Time has moved on again and Draco's wife, Astoria has passed away. Hermione and Sophie are there to offer their support to a grieving Draco and Scorpius.

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Next week sees the start of the final part of the story. Any comments etc. are always welcome.

Have a good week.

Dx





     

Family - Part Three - Chapter Five

Gosh, how time flies - another week has gone already and the Christmas adverts are coming thick and fast now - even the John Lewis one is out (although, actually, it's quite cute - but not as good as the M&S Paddington one). 

So again it's time for the latest chapter of Family.

It's the Christmas holidays, and Sophie is home from Hogwarts. But she isn't very happy. Can Hermione give her daughter the Christmas present she truly wants or is it going to be something that is too hard to provide?

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Comments and kudos are always welcome. I'm always interested to hear what people think of the story, and it's nice to know when people are invested in it.

Next week is going to be a late one, or maybe even a Sunday posting as I'm going to the opening party at a new pop-up pub in London called The Cauldron, which is based on the magical pubs found in fantasy stories (like the Leaky Cauldron) and includes things like moving photos and beer taps operated with wands.

It should be fun, but it also doesn't finish until early Sunday morning so by the time I get back I might be too tired to post.

Have a good week and enjoy whatever you're reading

Dx

Family - Part Three - Chapter Four

Good morning everyone,

Another week has whizzed by already, and it's time for the next chapter of Family. 

This week, a long-anticipated reunion takes place. Well, it's only taken 17 years.

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Thank you to everyone who is commenting or leaving kudos, I really appreciate it, please keep doing so as it makes my day when I see people are reading.

We are now firmly in the countdown towards Christmas as I saw my first Christmas advert the other day and they are showing Christmas films on the telly. Of course, we all know it doesn't really start until the Coca Cola Christmas ad is on, but like it or not we are heading that way fast and nothing can stop us now.

As has become traditional, I have a couple of Christmas stories up my sleeve which will be ready to be posted when Family ends which, all being well, should be in mid-December.

It's also NaNoWriMo time and so I'm hopeful that by the end of November I should have something resembling a new story - or at least the first draft of it. Fingers crossed that I can hit my target as I've managed it every year but two since 2009.

Have a great week and enjoy reading - whatever it is you're reading.

Dx

Family - Part Three - Chapter Three

Good morning all,

As it's almost Halloween I can't resist posting my pumpkin picture - anything to make the post a little less boring looks-wise. Also, if you haven't done so already I suggest you read/listen to The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury and A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny, both of which are excellent stories for the time of year. 

It's time for the latest chapter of Family, and this week Hermione bumps into an old friend. It's time for a good catch-up!

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I am really enjoying reading the comments on both sites, so thank you for posting.

I'm sorry that some of you are disappointed that I haven't shown the interaction between Lucius and Hermione in Azkaban, but to be honest, it was never a focal point of my story and so I didn't really consider it too much beyond how it fitted into the wider tale.

Someone also asked how Hermione manages to live without working, which is a good question. My take on this that she is fairly well off as when her parents died Lucius sorted out all their finances for her and wanting to make sure that she had a 'Malfoy' standard of living if/when she went out into the adult world bumped up the account a bit (he was still trying to impress the MoM at that time) – although as both parents were dentists I think they were probably fairly well off already and no doubt left big life insurance policies so she was never going to starve. 

After leaving Malfoy Manor she spent all her time in hospital/at the Burrow/at Hogwarts until she started work, and her flat isn't palatial, rather small and cosy and was bought using her parents' money so she has no mortgage and little in the way of bills. Although she had quite a drinking habit those insalubrious friends of hers were more than happy to buy her drinks in return for sex, so she didn't even really get into debt because of that, and she now lives a quiet life, not spending much except for what she lavishes on her daughter.

Until next week, enjoy reading.

Dx

Family - Part Three - Chapter Two

Morning everyone,

I've managed middle ground this week - not too early, not too late (for me at least).

I was surprised by some of the comments I received last week as I thought I had made it pretty clear who Sophie's father was, but in case you were still in any doubt this week should clear it up for you.

This week Hermione goes to visit Sophie's father and then, in one of those time jumps of about five years, finds herself spiralling into depression again. But as I promised no more relentless misery and pain for her (I did say that, didn't I?) she's got a plan to get herself back on track . . . whether it's a good one or not remains to be seen, but at least she's got something to think about other than how terrible her life is (which it isn't really by now although with her mood the way it is she's finding it hard to see that).

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As always comments, reviews and kudos are always appreciated. I particularly love hearing your thoughts about what I'm doing with Hermione, so thanks for interacting.

As I mentioned last week, I went to see Harry Potter: A History of Magic at the British Library this week, which was an excellent mix of rare books, draft manuscripts, pictures, artefacts and interactive activities such as potion-making (and there's a painting of Severus Snape on display, always a bonus). It was an extremely interesting and educational exhibition and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the ideas and folklore that underpins Harry's world, although it might not be of that much interest to much younger readers, who might find it too much reading and not enough interacting.

Also recommended is the Booking Office, which is about five minutes walk away in St Pancreas Station, and is currently serving Harry Potter themed cocktails (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), including hot Butterbeer.    

Have a good week.

Dx




   

Family - Part Three - Chapter One

Morning everyone.

I'm late again, as I was at a concert and have only just got back.

We're starting a new part today, which signals that the story has moved on a few years and it's a new chapter in Hermione's life.

She's finally happy (ish) and is a successful and thriving mother, with a beautiful daughter. What could possibly go wrong for her now? 

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As I said in the Author's Note at the beginning of this chapter, the story is not relentlessly depressing from here on in, in fact, as anyone who knows me knows it'll all work out in the end and have a happy ending - let's face it, if I was going to kill Hermione off I'd have done it by now - she had plenty of opportunities after all! 

By this time next week, I'll have been to the British Library to see their new exhibition: Harry Potter: A History of Magic, which I'm really looking forward to. I may also be popping into the Booking Office close to Platform 9 3/4, which is serving potions themed cocktails to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the publishing of Philosopher's Stone. They all look very tasty, but I'm especially interested in the Butterbeer (of course).

See you next week.

Dx
   

Family - Part Two - Chapter Three

Evening all,

Just made it before midnight but it's not going to be a long post as I've got a banging headache and I feel really queasy, so I need to go to bed. I'm just here long enough to post the links to the latest chapter. We're halfway through the story now - astonishing how quickly the time goes, isn't it?

So, Hermione's on the brink again, and this time she's got a bombshell to drop:

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A couple of my eagle-eyed readers did spot what was coming last week although I actually thought I'd made it fairly obvious - I wonder if the burning question will be so easy to answer?

I got my copy of the illustrated version of Prisoner of Azkaban today. Boy, it's a heavy book. I'm trying to imagine what Order of the Phoenix is going to be like - that's going to be almost impossible to pick up. Anyway, as usual, the illustrations are amazing, so I look forward to reading it again soon.

Reviews, comments etc. are always gratefully received, as are recommendations for things to read. 

Time for me to go to bed.

Stay safe

Dx

Family - Part Two - Chapter Two

Good evening everyone,

By some miracle I've made it before midnight again (this is becoming a bit of a habit!) 

Anyway, it's time for another chapter in the ongoing saga of Hermione's depressing life that is called Family.

After last week's terrible conclusion I'm glad to say that things are finally looking up for Hermione . . . but will it last? Only time will tell.

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It feels quite good not to have to post any warnings for a change. 

I'm quite excited as one of my readers has asked if she can translate the story into Chinese, which would significantly widen the audience. Obviously, I agreed.

I'm also pleased to see that I'm getting quite a collection of reviews and comments about the story - please continue posting them, I always appreciate hearing about people's thoughts on it and any of my other works.

Family - Part Two - Chapter One

Good evening everyone.

I've managed to get posted early for once so hopefully I might get a decent night's sleep tonight, instead of my usual trick of trying to get my brain to work enough to post at three in the morning.

This week sees the start of the second part of Family and moves the story on about four years. Hermione is now working for the Ministry of Magic and is in a daily battle against depression following on from her captivity at Malfoy Manor. 

*WARNING* This chapter contains references to alcoholism, self-harm and suicidal behaviour, so if this is likely to affect you please don’t read it.

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I know this story has been relentlessly grim so far and seems to be getting worse but it does improve eventually, believe me. Hermione is suffering severe mental illness after her isolation and abuse and that doesn't go away overnight. Unfortunately, mental illness is a lifelong battle with ups and downs so this story is going to reflect that.

As always, reviews, comments and kudos are appreciated.

Have a good week.

Dx

Family - Part One - Chapter Six

Morning all,

Another quickie as I don't really have much to say. 

In today's chapter of Family things finally get better for Hermione, but not until they have got worse. Surely, it can only improve from now on in, can't it?

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I hope you're enjoying the story. If so, a review, comment or kudos would be appreciated. 

Until next week.

Dx

Family - Part One - Chapter Five

Evening all,

It's that time again, the unveiling of the latest chapter of my story, Family. I did post a warning at the beginning of the story explaining that it wasn't going to be all rainbows and unicorns but it seems that I need to post a reminder.

*WARNING* This story contains non-consensual acts, alcoholism, severe depression, self-harm and suicide attempts among other things, so it's not suitable for anyone who finds this sort of writing a trigger.

Also, this story isn't suitable for those who don't like a nasty Death Eater Lucius (he really isn't a fluffy anti-hero in this story, he's exactly the sort of insane person you would expect after spending time locked away in Azkaban with the Dementors).

Anyway, enough of warnings and onto the story.

Can things possibly get any worse for poor old Hermione? The answer is yes, of course they can. It's time for Draco to make a stand.

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FF.Net - Chapter Five

As ever, reviews, Kudos, comments etc. are always appreciated particularly if you're finding the story interesting. 

I hope you have a good week and enjoy reading whatever you're reading - please feel free to make recommendations. I'm always open to new stories (fanfic or not).

Keep safe and keep the faith.

Dx

Family - Part One - Chapter Four

Hi everyone,

I'm back from LeakyCon and completely shattered after an awesome weekend, but I have managed to update Family before I head off to bed. I'm keeping it short as my brain has packed up with tiredness.

This week things aren't getting any better for poor Hermione, and not even Draco can help her this time. 

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FFNet - Chapter 4

See you next weekend.

Dx

Family - Part One - Chapter Three

Morning all,

I'm running late again as I got sidetracked watching a film and almost forgot I was supposed to be posting today.

This week things are about to take a downward turn for poor Hermione, who still isn't over the death of her parents and still hasn't been allowed to leave Malfoy Manor. New perils and new allegiances await.

Please note that this chapter features a non-graphic non-consensual interlude and the aftermath so you may wish to avoid if this sort of thing bothers you.

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I am pleased to see that several people are reading and reacting to this story. I am always grateful for your thoughts and comments. 

The next chapter is going to be slightly delayed as I will be at Leakycon next weekend, celebrating with other Harry Potter fans the epilogue of the Deathly Hallows and all other things Potter - my excitement at meeting the Potter Puppet Pals and the wonderful ladies behind Snapecast (all Snape, all the time!) my all-time favourite HP podcast is almost overwhelming and I really can't wait to be there.

As such, I am unlikely to have access to a computer and, therefore, will not be able to post until I return home on Monday but I will endeavour to have the chapter posted as soon as possible after my return. 

Until next time, keep safe and keep the faith!

Dx
    

Family - Part One - Chapter Two

Good morning everyone,

I am slightly sulking at the moment as I was supposed to be going to the Harry Potter Supper Club being held every Friday and Saturday night throughout August and September at the Library Club in Covent Garden. 

Unfortunately, car trouble meant I was unable to get there and we don't yet know whether we can be transferred to another week (I hope so or that's £150 down the drain). Sadly, my car is also going to cost me money to fix so it's been an extremely expensive evening for absolutely no reward.

Anyway, enough about my frustrating life and onto the story.

Lucius is taking Hermione back to her new home at Malfoy Manor, but is Narcissa going to be as accepting of her as he told Cornelius Fudge she would be? 

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I really hope you're enjoying the story so far and would be grateful for comments, kudos and reviews.

Have a good week, and I'll see you next weekend for the next chapter of Family.

Keep safe, keep the faith,

Dx

Family - Part One - Chapter One

Evening all,

It's relatively early for me, which is good as I'm not feeling great and really need to go to bed shortly.

As promised before my holiday, this week sees the start of a major new story called Family. It includes a chapter I once posted on both FF.Net and Lumos under the title ‘The Children’ (now removed). It was a snippet of a much larger idea for a story I hadn’t yet written and wasn’t sure if I ever would. I have changed the chapter considerably, but it now forms part of this story; this is just a warning in case you read the original and get a sense of deja vu.

It starts in the school holidays between Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows and follows Hermione as she adjusts to life with a new family after Death Eaters kill her parents. But who is the mysterious person who saved her life and promised to look after her?

‘Don’t worry, my sweet, I’ll look after you.’ These words should have been a comfort to Hermione, grieving after the murder of her parents by Death Eaters. Instead, they signalled the start of a terror far worse. 

WARNING: This story involves non-consensual behaviour and the consequences of such acts including self-harm, suicidal behaviour and alcoholism. Please do not read if this is likely to be a trigger or if you find such descriptions disturbing. Dx

I have taken a chance and posted this on FF.Net because although it deals with disturbing subject matter it isn't particularly graphic; most of the really nasty scenes are left to the imagination. I, therefore, believe that this sits under the site's 'M' rating, which I think means you can read it if you're over sixteen.

I very much hope you enjoy the story and would love to receive reviews, kudos and comments.

Family 01-01 - AO3

Family 01-01 - FF.Net

I'll see you next week for chapter two; by which time I hope I'm feeling significantly recovered.

Dx 

Swimming (One Shot)

Helloooo!

I am back from my lovely and relaxing (mainly) holiday, feeling fully refreshed and raring to go. Obviously, this is only likely to last a couple of days until I get back into the swing of working (and the horrible early mornings and long travel times) by which time I'll have completely forgotten I even had a holiday and I'll be dying for another one (which, as luck would have it, will be Leakycon at the end of August - so not long to wait.)

Anyway, I went off on holiday with the best of intentions and several stories that I wanted to get finished, or at least move on significantly. Sadly, I have to report that I failed miserably in that task.

I did, however, write a couple of short stories, based on holidays. The first is a non-HP story (I know, shock, horror!) and was written for a competition I saw online, which had to include a beach somewhere in it. Unfortunately, I failed as it was also supposed to be no more than 1,000 words long and I couldn't get it below 1,200 however hard I tried, and the story I really wanted to write was nearer 2,000. I may give it to my fabulous beta, Mamacita, and see if she can suggest where I can lose 200 words (that's going to be a mega challenge, I can tell you).

The second story is HP-related (hurrah!) and is a saucy bit of fluff called Swimming, featuring Hermione and Severus, with a supporting cast of Malfoys and the Granger parents, all sharing a nice little holiday (not together, obviously) in a small, partially wizarding seaside village in Crete. 

It's rated 'M' as there's a bit of nudity, but it's not too scandalous.

Check it out and if you like it please leave a review or some kudos as it would make me happy.

Swimming - AO3

Swimming - FanFiction.Net

As a boring bit of trivia, I can tell you that the photo I used on FanFiction.Net is actually a photo of the sea I was writing about in the story, and yes, that is two people swimming.

Until next time.

Dx

Polyjuice (the Epilogue again)

Evening everyone,

As you know I've been slowly adding all my stories published elsewhere to my AO3 account so they're all in the same place for easy reading.

As I've almost finished, I have finally managed to get round to putting up Polyjuice, which was one of the first stories I ever posted to AFF.Org back in 2008. 

The epilogue of the story is a series of newspaper articles which I am currently unable to post in the format I'd like (probably because I'm an idiot that can't work out how to post pictures on AO3) so over there the articles are just in the usual text version. However, below I've posted them in the way I actually visualised them. They have been updated from the original version that appeared in my old blog to use the 'real' Daily Prophet logo as designed by Mina Lima in the Harry Potter films.

Dx

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