Ohhh I wish I would have been leaving a running review this entire time! There were so many parts in this that took my breath away, and now I'm never going to remember them all.

Let me start with how much I loved your progression in this. We start with confident, separated Astoria and a weaker, unable to face it all sort of Draco. We know pansy suggested it so I think they may have been dating then broke up before the section where he thinks about how she can't understand 'seeing other people' but anyway, as you slowly break him apart and get a reality behind his facades, you do the same with Astoria. She becomes younger, and the longer she's with Draco the less she's able to come off as a complete professional. The longer Draco is with her the more he's able to talk about.. Even if it possibly starts to merely scare her away.

I really hope you continue this because I'm dying to know how Draco reacts to what he just discovered. His arrogance will have to demand he's angry... He spent so long having no control over what he thought, too afraid it would be displayed, that he couldn't ever be comfortable with that again. But maybe he'll surprise us...

Your ability to give these characters such strong voices in only a few thousand words is so amazing. Astoria barely spoke and we were never in her head, but her character still feels so full.

I'm excited to continue this! I am absolutely in love with your style of this first chapter and I can't wait to see what you do with the next!

Author's Response: Sorry it took so long to respond; I'd been mostly gone for February/March!

Eek, thank you! A lot of the characterizations and growth are more subtle than what I'm used to, so I really wanted to make the most out of the details and the order of the scenes (I've constantly been swapping them). Especially for Astoria, since she is as much of a mystery to Draco as she is to the audience - a nice plus of having it in his PoV only!

I wanted to finish this before posting, but I also really wanted to post something during the holiday review fun, so unfortunately I posted this unfinished :P but it's in my queue of updates, so hopefully over summer I can finish it up (it is marginally standalone, so I hoped there wouldn't be a rush).

Thank you so much again! c:

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Let me start by apologizing for being so slow to get back to you after the Holiday Review swap. Ill health and university took all my plans and threw them out of the window. But I’m here now, and let me tell you - I’ve read and re-read this chapter a few times in the weeks I’ve had it open in a tab. Because I love it. Seriously.

Your characterization of Draco is outstanding. Although this is a story that clearly is sympathetic towards our protagonist, you haven’t turned Draco into a Mary-Sue or even romanticised him. He’s still arrogant, rude and angry. What you have done is - with Astoria - taken a look at why he is that way, and it doesn’t take long before we see the fear and trauma beneath it all. I know that we’re supposed to laugh at Draco’s cowardice when he’s a kid, but actually he does seem to live in an incredibly fearful environment, and that can’t be healthy! I really find this Draco interesting, and I want to find out more.

Astoria is interesting too - the way you slowly reveal more about her as we go along, it’s as if we only get to see her as Draco notices her more and more. She seems both fragile and strong, and I really like that.

This chapter has a real atmosphere; I’m not sure I can define what it is exactly, I only know my head goes somewhere else when I’m reading it. It’s sort of cool, and clear, and light, but also there’s a sense of real turmoil. I know I sound crazy.

The language you use is perfectly deployed, and you come up with some really excellent phrases and ideas. These lines jumped out at me as being particularly great:

“His dreams fill with smoke, and Crabbe dies for the twenty-fifth time.”

“The most hated man to leave the Battle of Hogwarts alive, and yet everyone still wants something from him”

“Pureblood and mudblood both spill red and paint the castle of his adolescence.”

“ He was a born monster; anyone could have seen it — except blind batty Dumbledore” - this line intrigued me. It made me wonder if Draco’s actually angry at Dumbledore for not seeing Riddle as a monster, if he feels Dumbledore should have stopped it all before it started. I just loved the idea of someone on the ‘baddie’ side being disappointed in Dumbledore, and wanting more from him.

The final twist, that Astoria’s a legilimens, made me gasp. Utter brilliance.

More please! More! I've added this story to my favourites.

Athene xoxo

Author's Response: Eeek sorry for responding so late, I wanted to leave a proper response! School just about swallowed me up too so :P I think it just about swallowed everyone!

Aaah aaah thank you so much. Most of this chapter has been sitting here for a year, and it sits there stubbornly as 'my idea of Draco that will post one day.' I always thought of him as a litlte snot while growing up reading HP so when I first got into fanfiction, I didn't get the hoopla over him (Tom Felton, I would later understand). But I came to adore him for his potential because his story, after the HP books, has barely begun. I *want* to cheer for him, but there's no getting around his very ugly childhood, and hopefully I can keep that balance going!

Ahaha, no that's totally like the atmosphere I was attempting! The post-war world is pretty calm, especially in the middle of a psychiatrist office, but inside Draco's head is anything but.

I didn't think too much about that line with Dumbledore, but now you have me thinking too! I was trying to see the war through other's eyes who don't have the benefit of knowing the people who died as closely as they did.

♥ thank you so much again! c:

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I love Draco. I love him so much and it's all due to one-shots like this. Different Astoria. Not sure if I like her yet and I definitely never pictured her as a psychiatrist. Interesting. Anyways, brilliant job. (Please update etc.,etc., and life goes on.) Have I mentioned that I love Draco? Because I do. A lot. And I love your interpretation of him. And I want to read more of this. Please?

Author's Response: Thank you! c: This leans toward my headcanon Draco more - sort of traumatized and mopey-kind-of-broken instead of angry-kind-of-broken.

etc update will happen early Feb hopefully~ I've been dying under schoolwork *__*

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Wow.

If I were to quote my favorite line from this story in this review, I would end up copying and pasting the entire thing into the little review box, and quite frankly, I don't have enough characters. All I can say is, you've done it again.

This story has it all - emotion, beautiful descriptions, a shocking ending . . . I've never read a Draco/Astoria fic before but I've always wanted to and I'm glad this is the one I had the pleasure of reading.

ALSO I already left a review for 730 Whispers so I can't say this in a review for 730 Whispers or else I would, but I CANNOT STOP REREADING 730 WHISPERS AND THE BEAUTY OF IT SHOCKS ME EVERY TIME(:

Author's Response: Eeee thank you c: I love Draco/Astoria - I love Draco/Anyone really - he's such an interesting character, with a lot of potential stories in his Post-Hogwarts life.

Aaah, and thank you for that too. I've been very glad at how that fic resonated with people. Never expected it!

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I love this story so far!
Incredibly well written like all of your work and I love the way you've written Draco and Astoria. Very realistic.
I can't wait to see where you go with this.

Author's Response: Thank you! :) I love Draco/Astoria, so it was high time I tried writing my own!

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Hello!

Ah~ This is tremendously beautiful. I love the poetry of the whole story (well... the whole of the first installment, that is), there's a lovely lulling quality about it; you really get the sense of the fluid topsy-turviness of dreams, the scattered quality of trauma and grief, and of course (her being a legilimens and psychiatrist), explorations of the mind and soul.

The imagery is so fresh~ I adore it.

This is my first Draco/Astoria fic to be read, so, thumbs up to hitting it spot-on! I can't wait for the next parts!

Author's Response: Ahh thank you :) It's really nothing I'm familiar with so it was fun to explore and piece together; I have lots of the sections half-written and I've been rearranging them since I first wroe it.

The first Drastoria? :0 You must head over to peppersweet's page and read some of hers! She's always rewriting them though so I think only two of them are marked as complete. Must prod her.

♥!

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So I decided to start with reading this because of your ridiculously beautiful banner (as all of yours are) but I quickly fell in love with this story, because it is incredible.

Draco is definitely an interesting and complex character, and I always love reading different author's interpretations of him. I love the way you've shown him here, because he seems very real. You haven't made him a saint, which as we know, isn't canon. But you also haven't made him this completely evil villain either. He's human, which is the best thing, in my opinion, for a character to seem like.

I love the idea of Astoria as a psychiatrist. It seems like the perfect way for her and Draco to meet and it's very well suited to her, I think. I like her a lot already - even though she's new and maybe a little bit out of her depth, I admire her strength and determination. And I can definitely see how the two of them would go well together.

Moving on to your style, which is gorgeous. (Seriously. I'm dying over here. You're too talented for your own good.) I love the way that it's sort of sparse, in a way - not overly long, just saying what needs to be said. And you do it eloquently. The imagery is to die for, and your descriptions are great. They're very vivid and really help tie the whole story together.The whole thing has this sort of dreamy feel to it, which I think it quite appropriate considering the title!

Now for some of my favorite quotes because that's the best part of a review, am I right or am I right:
"Azkaban or not, there is no escaping hell."
"His dreams fill with smoke, and Crabbe dies for the twenty-fifth time. When he wakes up, he forgets to breathe." I don't know why this struck me so much, but it did.
"What are mere nightmares? Only images, hardly real, no matter how they feel on the nights he wakes up screaming, unsure if he'll open his eyes to a battlefield or the mocking shadows of his ceiling." Ugh. Again, this is perfect.

And she's a legilimens. Somehow that seems very fitting and oh gosh I am excited to keep reading this! This was a stunning introduction to the story and there's nothing I don't like about it. Sorry if you wanted constructive criticism, you'll have to be less perfect next time, I'm afraid. ;)

Happy holidays! ♥ I'll be leaving some more reviews shortly, so keep your eyes open!

Author's Response: HELLO DEAR HIPPOGRIFF :'D I was Holly the Holiday Horklump last year; I appreciate your commitment to alliteration.

There's a lot of wild mass characterization of Dracos with extreme personality -- princely snob, tragic figure, chronic snarker, etc -- but he's a bit of all of that, isn't he? It's what makes him one of my favorite characters to read about :D

Reviews are like brownies and quotes are like the pecans :3 (the best part, if you happen to dislike nuts and therefore this metaphor would be completely inappropriate).

I'm glad you like the style! I totally fretted over the description before posting. Since it's sparse, everything that actually makes it into the chapter stands out that much more, so I kept agonizing DOES THIS FIT HERE??

Thank you, HH! :D ♥

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Hello. I'm here (a bit behind) returning the favor for the Holiday Review Swap. I'm so glad I picked this story to review. It was such a great read.

I love stories that explore ideas outside the norm and this definitely ticks that box. Having Astoria as Draco's therapist is such an unusual and creative way of bringing them into each other's lives. No matter how you see it all playing out in future chapters, it creates such great possibilities for various interactions and dynamics.

Draco can be a tough character to pull off, but you have created a really good voice for him. You've managed to pull together a good blend of snark, melancholy, rebellion, and regret. I loved his simple command of "Install a floo." He's come to her for help and yet he's copping an attitude with her. It really makes his decision to visit a therapist believable. It's hard to imagine a Draco that shows up, begging for her professional advice and pouring his soul out to a stranger. But one that goes grudgingly and is resistant to the process? That I can totally envision.

Astoria is wonderfully crafted here as well. I love your repeated references to her optimism -- that she really believes she can help him. It speaks to her youth and inexperience, but also to her character. And the ending! What a twist. Not only does it open up some plot possibilities, it also really adds something to Astoria. What kind of person enters another persons mind that deeply without warning...even if they are only trying to help?

Your writing style as a whole is really well-crafted for this story. I like the use of short paragraphs, quick dialogue and small scenes. You have a great talent for saying in a single sentence things it can take other writers paragraphs to convey. Some of my favorite lines were:

-- There are words to say, but he does not know what they are or who they are for.

-- Loyalists for life, life for Loyalists

The last one especially complexly conveys the climate of the world at large with one simple slogan.

Overall, this was a really great first chapter. I really enjoyed it. Thanks for tagging me for the review swap. Happy Holidays!

Author's Response: Psychologist jumped out for me as Astoria's profession from the very beginning, though I never thought much of how to spin it until I began writing. There's an odd mix of hope and cynicism in the profession, I would imagine. I'm totally going by what I've learned from TV unfortunately :P

Draco, I imagine, is someone who wants a lot of things in his life to change, but without wanting to go through the actual effort of it, or is easily deterred by setbacks. So there's this part of him thinking he probably needs the therapy, and the other side that utterly scoffs at it. He had a pretty conflict-filled childhood too.

And Astoria, even though i didn't write her with the greatest idea of who she was, her flavor of optimism intrigued me, because I saw it as having this darkness behind it, because there is definitely something uneasy about someone being able to enter minds at will - especially covertly and with a patient no less.

Thank you so much! ^__^

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Goodness, this is such a lovely piece of writing! Your prose is beautiful, as are your descriptions. I especially love your sentence structures and their rhythms and the way they vary in lengths. It's really quite poetic in some places. You have a lovely light touch with your use of language; the descriptive prose isn't overdone and it reads beautifully. And I really appreciate the level of detail you've gone into to describe your characters, their body language and all.

And your dialogue is wonderful as well. It's fresh, original, snarky, sardonic and quite darkly humorous. And it all sounds natural, too :) I can really imagine Draco saying all those lines.

Your characterisation is lovely. I really loved that segment where Draco begins to observe Astoria; it certainly portrayed her in a different light, and made her character seem more vulnerable and convincing at the same time. I also love your Draco. He, too has his moments of vulnerability. The dream sequences were extremely well-written and really vivid. Loved the imagery of those!

Well, wow, this is a really beautifully-written story. I'm so glad I discovered it :D I can't wait to see what happens next. Once again, great work! Good luck with writing future chapters; I'll be keeping an eye out for this one.

-teh

Author's Response: Thank you! I'm always on the concise end of writing, which is what I generally prefer reading too - which is what I like about your style too :D I'm so terrible with canon, so I'm glad I got snarky Draco right xD I can somehow imagine Draco silently judging every face that walks past, on the claims of 'observing', at least until someone surprises him.

Thank you again!

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Oh. My. Gosh. I don't really know what to say, but I'll try to scrape together something remotely coherent for you ;)

Firstly, you have to know that I'm a huuuge Draco/Astoria fan. There's just something right about Draco marrying someone we know little about, you know? Kinda almost like, and honestly I never really thought about it before I read this, she's his escape from the rest of his life, like she's the normality and the new and a physical representation of a fresh start. Another chance, I guess. And she's his literal version of that - and this just makes that feel so real. Like she's not trying to reinvent him, just get him to see past everything that happened before without forgetting it. Just put it out of mind and stop worrying about it.

Gah, I'm rambling. Sorry!

I love your Draco, how he's not the tragic Romeo or the sexy Slytherin God (which always annoys me) or the haughty posh kid - he's just Draco. He's just him and that's it. He's trying to just be normal, to just live, and he can't do that - the paparazzi and the nightmares are constantly holding him back. He's just so... perfect. Practically JKR's own Draco in more adult form. Also, I liked how the paps were always chasing him and using him as a scapegoat and kinda the symbol of Voldemort's reign. Like when Harry was used by the Ministry in book five, just, I suppose, it's perhaps more malicious because they're saying he actually killed people and tortured people and all that kinda stuff, rather than simply because called crazy.

Astoria is... fascinating. Seriously. I don't really know what to make of her, but I don't think I'm supposed to know what to make of her, you know? She's kinda... mysterious and open, but professional and calm, and then there's something between them, but Merlin knows if anyone could say what exactly at this point... they just fit together so well, as well - he needs fixing and supporting and she wants to fix him and support him, even if just professionally at this stage (yes? No? After the 'I was worried' scene I dunno any more... Astoria's so hard to read... gah...).

I kinda find it ironic that all through school Draco bullied Harry for being famous Potter and superstar Seeker and having all the attention, etc. etc. And now he has it all, and he hates it. They do say be careful what you wish for, though... poor Drakie ;)

Loved. It. Favouriting. Soon.

Aph xx

Author's Response: Eeek, I am so glad you liked it. I didn't have a strong idea of Astoria most of the time while writing this so I was surprised to see so many different projections of what she might represent or be like. I imagined Draco and Astoria meeting early enough that they're still discovering much of who they are, Astoria's new in her profession, etc. and there's still this optimistic air about her.

Bahaha yes, there is apparently one thing Draco is always good at, and it's looking sexy in leather pants while serenading half of Hogwarts :p He's such a difficult character to understand! And such a huge reason why I avoided writing him for ages. He had a terrible childhood, an ingrained bitterness, but so much potential to grow past it. I admire people who can face their past demons.

♥ thank you! :3

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The beautiful banner drew me in...as all your banners do *cough*...and I'm so happy (I feel like happy is not the right word) to have read this. It was a very different take on post-Hogwarts life and I feel like it's only going to get darker.

& the plot twist at the end! Very nice. I can't say I ever favored reading Draco fics. I always paired him as alone and desolate forever...but maybe, just maybe between you and peppersweet, Drastoria might become one of my more enjoyable pairings to read. There is so much room for originality. I love that you still mentioned Pansy and I laughed that she couldn't grasp the concept of "seeing other people"...esp when he decides to see a therapist. I almost hope that he gets better, but I like his tortured soul. It's seems appropriate for all the deeds he was involved in.

Looking forward to the rest, hope that posting this and all the positive feedback inspires you like you want :)

xx Ellie

Author's Response: Hee, I really really wanted to put more ultramarine banners on the archive, and I forget whether the fic or the banner came first xD Because i have a habit of writing fics around banners.

It's strange; a lot of people think it's going to get more romantic, and you're the first to think that it's going to get darker. I think the first chapter is pretty indicative of the rest, but I've never actually intended for this fic to be overtly romantic, so you're closer to the mark! The thing about Draco getting better - the past never truly goes away does it? And it shouldn't, I think.

Hee ♥ Julia solidified my love for Drastoria. Before her, I had an inkling that I'd like the ship, but I'd never read any Drastoria before. Her downtrodden characters fit my fancy too well.

♥ thank you so much! It definitely has; I never expected this response! If only I had more time xD

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I'm fascinated.
It's simple as that.
I'm captivated.
And without words.
And why?
Because your chapter is simply amazing. It astounds me how much I already love this story after only reading one single chapter - I have no idea what will happen when I read more D:
Draco and Astoria both come to life with all their quirks and flaws - I was pulled into heir lives with a force of ten thousand trains and I just want more.
I love how Draco and Astoria meet, how they already develop so much and how they both learn about each other.
This isn't like just any other story. This is a hundred per cent you. A hundred per cent of perfection.
I love your works, Gina, please don't ever stop!
-Sally

Author's Response: Hee, hey hey! Thanks so much, Sally :3 I'm so glad that people like the fic; it's been awhile since I've posted anything angsty, and I've never written a proper romantic drama before, especially a 3-parter!

♥!

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I've never read a Draco/Astoria story before. I'm not sure why as i'm sure they'd be really interesting but I guess i'm always a little apprehensive of some people's Draco's and turning him into an angel. I liked how you didn't do that with him here. He even knows his own fallacies and mistakes. He knows what he's done and he's haunted by the savagery of it. Haunted by his memories. It makes him relatable in a way because i think we all have something like that in us. Mistakes. Probably not as grisly as his though.

Anyway, i really liked this Draco if you couldn't tell. I liked how he still has this sense of darkness in him and how he just didn't want help. especially at the beginning you get this feeling of this idea he just wants to be in control of everything, of himself and his life and being at a therapist can mean letting go of that. It would be hard for someone like him.

And gah! Astoria. I really, really liked her. I was training to be a psychologist for a brief time and this feeling of being new to the field and trying to help even though your out of your depth is so familiar. I think you've done an excellent job at portraying a psychologist though. Her trying to stay cool through his outbursts and his desire to get under her skin. I can tell she's trying to figure her style out and keep her professionalism but i think that the situation is complicated because she was there for all the things he's talking about. I think that will probably make it all too personal in the chapters to come.

I think one of my favourite lines was "Azkaban or not, there is no escaping hell.' Absolutely stunning job with painting this really grisly post war tale that doesn't let anyone go unscathed.

I've really enjoyed this and i'm definitely favourting ;D

Author's Response: I could never see Draco as an angel. I think it's strange that happens so often because it's his flaws that make him - or anyone - such a fascinating character! I am quite vocal about my love of happy endings, but even so, I know it's /all/ about the catharsis and struggle along the way, whether a story ends happily or not (but hopefully satisfyingly!).

Totally. One of the things that I don't like is when Draco opens up too easily, and I could never imagine him leaving the war all too cheery about opening up. He wasn't even like that before.

Eek, you make the second of psychologists to pass through, and I'm terrified of writing you guys incorrectly xD I'm going on absolutely nothing right now, except TV. But I think what's struck me most about that profession is how intimate it must get but always with a layer of professionalism in-between. That's always been very fascinating to me!

♥ thank you so much! ^__^

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I really like this story. It's a different spin on how Draco and Astoria come to be, and so I'm enjoying it. I'm not completely sure what's going on, but I like the idea that Draco's seeing a psychiatrist after the war to help him through his problems, although it sounds like it's probably mandatory...

Moving on... I also really liked your writing. It's very clear and precise and I didn't see any problems.

Anyway, i can't wait to read more so I hope you update soon.

xxEnigmaticEyes16

Author's Response: I always thought Draco would suffer something like PTSD, but would be too proud to actually see a psychiatrist until he rolled closer to rock bottom, so I thought, what better person for him to see than Astoria? 8D

Glad you're enjoying it! Thank you for the review!

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How do you do that? You take words to paper (albeit virtually) and transform characters into people. Your ability to transcend genres, from the comedy and light-hearted adventures of Capers, to the romance and angst of Etc. and finally to the simple and breathtaking humanity of this piece, is absolutely incredible. I cannot wait to see how the rest of this goes and I applaud and not-so-secretly worship you as an author. Thank you SO much for sharing your talents with all of us here!
~Alondra

Author's Response: Eek, thank you so much! :3 I try to write different characters as much as I can (I think Draco is one of the most difficult to get right, along with Luna), because there is something really interesting - beyond the writing - about getting into someone else's mind. Especially someone who's gone through something totally foreign to me; I know nothing of war except for news.

Thank you again!

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Hi Gina! I've come to holiday swap with you :)

So I favorited this as soon as I saw it because, gah, looks so good, and I have this secret love for Drastorias that I never have time to read. /sigh

Ahh, Astoria is a psychologist?! I'm a psychologist (in training), so that idea instantly hooks me in. Ugh, I love her. She clearly doesn't know what to do with him but is pretending that she does, which is painfully familiar to me, and I love how she keeps her cool no matter what he throws at her. I feel like she wants to help him, poor girl. I love how it already seems, at least to me, like she's trying to sort out her professional desire to help him and her personal desire to figure him out. Can I already see hints of affection in her gentle touch, greeting him as he wakes from nightmares? She reminded me so much of a wife just then.

Your imagery is so beautiful. I can't find the words to describe it, except to say that you've captured the uncomfortable atmosphere of a therapy session so accurately. The section where you described Draco's memories of the Battle of Hogwarts was particularly poignant in its grotesque depiction.

And Draco -- I don't even know what to say about Draco, less than I don't even know what to say about the rest of this. I have read a fair amount of post-war Dracos, because post-war Draco is my favorite Draco, and I've seen so many characterizations that I don't like because I feel like they don't get at the subtleness that you do here. He's in pain and yet still so guarded, his conditioning reverberating through the years. He's perfect, and I'm so jealous. I'm intrigued by him.

Yeah, I'm gonna make an effort to come back. I'm really glad I chose this for the swap. I love it! :)

Amanda

Author's Response: Spread the Drastoria Love! :D

Oh no, I have two psychology-trained readers now. I had this utter fear that I'd get things wrong because I know absolutely nothing about the field (I only discovered TODAY that there is a difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist). Eek, I'm so glad that Astoria's inexperience is relatable (well, not that it's good to feel inexperienced but, well, I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN xD). I imagine her as someone who believes a little too much in her own abilities (as she has her ace in the hole of legilimency), so when she struggles, she tries very hard not to let it show. And I think there's a conflict between her personal optimism and the cynicism that she has picked up going into adulthood and through the war. Not necessarily affectionate, but quite personal nonetheless.

All the love for Post-War Dracos as well! :D Waah, I'm so glad you like mine, because I struggle with it, with him having gone through such a hard life that I can't begin to fathom, but my head-canon characterization of Draco is so much like what you describe, and it's what I strive for.

♥ thank you so much Amanda!

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Hi! Here for the Holiday Swap!

This is a really stunning opening chapter. Your prose and dialogue is so cinematic, I can see it and feel it and smell it. I can imagine exactly what it would look like, and you evoke that with the perfect amount of description. Especially the Dementor nightmare, I can imagine it exactly.

Draco and Astoria I think are equally well characterised. You show her professionalism and her care for Draco matched with some vulnerability that makes her believable. And your Draco, what can I say? He's full and perfect and human, and I care deeply about him depite his outward gruffness and resentment.

Wonderful chapter, great job :)

Author's Response: Thank you! :D The dementor nightmare is one of my favorite scenes, and I had written much of the fic around it, actually! I kept the description purposefully sparse, so it's great that it hasn't detracted from the imagery.

And I'm glad you like the both of them; people have been quite accepting of grumpy Draco ^__^

Thank you for the review!

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So, I have always enjoyed your style of writing. You do description so succinctly and often a bit pithily, and I like that. Overly wrought description tend to make me skip the paragraph. I adored the "like a statue that has made a mistake" line. And "Azkaban or not, there is no escaping hell." DAYUMN. That's fantastic.

I liked Astoria as his therapist. I feel like that really works. And the way you've made her someone he wouldn't normally be interested in. I expect being somewhat unremarkable helps her to be soothing, part of her job, you know? And again with the nailing it in a single sentence. I would throw things at you for being super talented but I'll just blow a raspberry and tell you you're awesome. And you suck. Because you're good at everything. Pbbbt. Anyway really beautiful stuff: "There are words to say, but he does not know what they are or who they are for."

Anyway, I like how he needles her at first, that's very Draco, and her responses make me wonder if she was a Slytherin like her sister. I think she was.

"How potent are the nightmares that were once reality."

Have you ever seen that Adam Sandler movie 50 First Dates? And his friend tells his kids, "You kids suck, you're good at everything." I'm just saying.

I would quote every line back at you as being beautifully written, but then this review would be all quotes and while that's fun, it's not as good a review as could be, maybe. Your style is amazing, and it fits this piece so seamlessly, with the subject and characters and emotion, and everything just flows just so. Ack. So perfect. Stop being so flawless. I've been on tumblr too long now not to want to call you my bb and snuggle you while saying things like WHY IS THAT YOUR FACE, SIR when people are perfect.

Okay actual review, I can do this. I think the only way Draco could have a successful marriage, which even though I think he's a big fat jerk, I still hope he manages to have, is by his wife knowing everything about him. I'm sure he'd rather keep things hidden and have her believe him perfect and such, but that's not reality and I think this scenario for him unloading the insides of his mind to his therapist really works for a setup for the two of them. You kept him very in character, with his simmering resentment and injured sense of self-importance, and the bit of reverence that he still has about his father. And I love that she's a Legilimens, I think it's going to work very well for both unearthing some of his deep-set Voldyfears while at the same time helping him to get over his nightmares and psychoses from the war. A bit of PTSD for Draco there maybe.

Fabulous job. Everything is perfect. I'm trying not to hate you for being flawless. *snuggles you* You're awesome.

Author's Response: Reading this whole review was just about the best thing ever 8D

Woop, women of brevity! I've got this tic about efficiency in absolutely everything. I go about life always having thoughts like, 'if I cut across this grass, will i get there faster?' and I'm weighing the cost and benefits of risking muddy shoes while my legs are still walking and I have to make a decision in .2 seconds. Apparently that extends to writing.

I ALSO ENJOY YOUR DAYUM. This might sound weird but I can actually hear your validator-vetern sassiness behind that dayum :'D

I like the idea of Draco being unimpressed with Astoria upon first meeting(s), because he wouldn't feel like Draco otherwise to me. Even when he's grateful, it's grudging and mostly annoyed. There's sentiment somewhere in that ferret brain, but it ain't gonna come easy.

I have not watched that movie, but I have wiki'd it :'D Hee, you are too kind, omg I could never be compared to a high-res pic of RDJ or Misha Collins.

Definitely; there are key components to marriage, and I have always personally /wanted/ Draco to have a relatively happy one, because I love redeemed characters. But even without all the war trauma, if your spouse could always look into your brain at any point of their choosing, well, that can't tide over well all the time! So I can't wait to explore the whole lot of that!

♥ :33 eee YOU'RE awesome

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Whooop! This is so cool! (Strange choice of words maybe, seen the tone of the story, but alas.) I very much like the idea of Astoria helping Draco accept his past and then they'll fall in love and awww that is so cute! and Draco's sligtly cynical/dark tone is exactly right. With his youth, anyone would have lost faith in the concept of people wanting to help without you having to do them a favour back, and faith in happy endings, I think.

D'awww, Draco, poor old sourpuss... HE'S SO CUTE!!!
(Don't judge, he is.)

X

PS I see that my sentences are entirely too long but I'm not gonna change it so there.

PPS 'He was a born monster; anyone could have seen it - exept blind batty Dumbledore'. Oh Draco, if you only knew.
And do we get to know more about what Astoria did in the war? Draco doesn't see half how interesting she is.

Author's Response: Bahaha, cool and awws and cute were not expected, but they are welcome nonetheless xD I love a Draco redeemed, which will always require grappling with the past, and so this has been my headcanon as to how it happens, of sorts. It's really really forlorn, so the thought of calling him a sourpuss - it's like he's grumpy cat. That's what I'm imagining, grumpy cat in one of those strange sweaters Tom Felton wears. The story is a little darker, unfortunately :'D

There is definitely more of Astoria to come! Perhaps not what she did, but definitely how it's affected her.

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I quite like your Draco. He seems to be much more realistic than what most of the fanfic writers prefer, but I personally love it. My favorite part was were he describes his life very laconically. I just can't repeat it here because of non 12+ words. =P

While I'm generally opposed to idea of a psychiatrist getting involved with a patient (it's just so profoundly against their ethics), I really like the idea that Astoria tries help him find his way in life. He seems to suffer some kind of posttraumatic stress disorder, which wouldn't be least bit surprising after the Second Wizarding War.

I'm intrigued about Astoria's ability to use legilimency to help her patients. How has she acquired such skill? Apparently after the war Draco has let his guard down, since I think he was quite good at protecting his mind with occlumency. I think it was the darling auntie Bellatrix who thought him this useful skill, probably with a help of painful curses everytime he failed.

It was a very interesting read and I enjoyed your way with words. The flow was excellent despite the angsty material and I was hooked from beginning to the end.

Author's Response: I've always been very picky with my Dracos, and the reason why I wrote my own was because most of them weren't depressing enough for me xD Post-traumatic is exactly how I imagine him, holding guilt that is overshadowed by anger and listlessness. And aha, indeed, Draco enjoys his non-12+ life.

Astoria, I think she believes she's just doing her job when she oversteps her boundaries, and doesn't entirely see the ramifications; i imagine sort of a devil-may-care-ness to her that goes with her youthfulness. It's fun writing her; she's got all the quiet surprises tucked away!

Thank you! :)

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loved your chapter on draco looking forward to the next one

Author's Response: Thank you! :)

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YOU POSTED IT AIIIEE I am glad I bunked off studio early so I could catch this at the top of recently added

you = the best, drastoria = the best, this = one big melting pot of lovely bestiness.

first line and I already love your Astoria. okay, I can't base her entire character on those few sentences, but I feel like I already know who she is, y'know? I feel people often have a tendency to make Astoria just another wealthy pureblood, all disdainful and rich and snooty. so I like yours so far.

even if there's only been four sentences about her. I just have a lot of feelings, okay?

mean girls moment ('it's raining' 'I know'). but, yep, loving Draco's languid, stuck-up ennui.

'Mist lumbers outside the window, a paper-white purgatory.' - love this.

you probably know this already, but I love those post-war drastorias that show the malfoys' downfall. so I appreciate that wee snippet about him having his wand confiscated.

'Her sympathy is a ploy, and he knows it. To understand is her job, and ultimately, she will crack more galleons out of his coffers with tea and patience. - THIS, THIS FOREVER

also, I like how you're bringing up Pansy now and again. now that would be an interesting love triangle.

but, yes, I love this post-war society you're building, with all the politics and tension and etc, etc (and life goes on).

sorry, I'm not a very good reviewer - I tend to just regurgitate lines of the fic and squee and say silly things and I'm not very good at concrit or anything like that. Not that I've found much to crit about this, mind.

(when astoria says 'you have bags under your eyes' i just imagined draco going 'yes they're DESIGNER')

damnit, woman, this is making me want to write inceptionfic again.

oooh. oooh dat ending.

update soon, please! I'll just sit here worshipping the ground at your feet until you do, no biggie.

(also thanks for the shoutout in the author's note, heee)

but, yes, I'm digressing in an enormous way (and I always have been, you know, since when have my reviews ever been that reviewy?), so I think I should bring this back to the point: this drastoria set up is perfect. It's so close to my headcanon, it's so real, it's so...RIGHT. downtrodden! tea! angst! nightmares! inscrutable legilimens astoria!

in a nutshell, I'm kind of in love with this

♥

Author's Response: I DID AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT. Let's be real here i have no judgement.

but u da best~ come jacuzzi in the melting pot

ahem.

PLAIN JANE ASTORIAS ALL THE WAY. You know ittt. Social justice and oblivators etc etc. Of course I know your taste in Astorias; YOU MOULDED MINE~~ Of course, it'll take you until the end of this review for you to see that I mention this in my author's note, so I get to see your ramblings until then~

Draco always has his mean girls on.

IT'S THE TEA and a wee bit of patience.

Wah it's strange actually, I wish I could build more of the world, but the focus of this fic is actually rather narrowly on Draco. Politics make me sad, which is why I channel all my criticism into teenage social politics, because that's exactly the same without the global consequences. Heh.

DESIGNER EYEBAGS, SNORTING RN.

AND YES GOOD, WRITE INCEPTIONFIC :3

♥ of course it's close to your headcanon! we have the same head! brrr r r rm

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