Ah sirius. Thats what he needed hear. 9/10 : )

Author's Response: Aw, yeah, he just needs to hear that things weren't his fault. He just wants a peaceful life in the beyond. Thanks!

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You are a brilliant writer 9/10 : )

Author's Response: Thank you for reviewing!

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Congratulations... you've taken a subject like seemingly simple like Sirius's death and extended it into so much more...

Once again, you've captured Sirius really well. I liked the idea of him viewing and saluting his dead body! Oh, and Gabriel was hilarious... I loved how you've added a sense of humor to a subject as grave as death.

The scenes about his reunion with Regulus and James made tears well up in my eyes... They were really well written, and conveyed a layer of emotions.

Overall, a really great story. Looking forward to reading the sequel! ^^

~Khanh (Ravenclaw)

Author's Response: Sirius's death is never quite simple, is it? I guess part of me just didn't want to let him go so this is what came of it. I think Sirius views death in a very different way as others. Sure, there's a bit of denial but especially with the help of Gabriel, he's brought a bit of humor to an otherwise devastating time.

Gabriel was a lot of fun to write. He really has no type of filter and I suppose after hundreds of years of watching souls come and go, you've got to keep your humor and wit about you if you want to remain sane.

I'm glad you liked the reunion scenes! I was really happy to finally have them together again. *squishes James and Sirius* So precious.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for all the reviews!

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Your portrayal of Sirius was amazing and has left me in tears.

I loved first-year Sirius, and the way the Blacks lectured him before he boarded the Hogwarts Express was just right. I also liked the added touch of him wanting Narcissa's approval... It was cute. (:

(On a completely unrelated note, I've never known Sirius's mom's name until now... Walburga? Even for a Black, it's a weird name. xD)

As for the train ride and when Sirius meets James, I'm pretty sure JKR has them sit in Lily's and Snape's compartment together, but I think your way is better suited for this story.

Oh, and the "You are my home/You are my world" moments are just so... too much for words. Let's go with brilliant. :')

~Khanh (Ravenclaw)

Author's Response: I love writing Sirius so I'm happy you liked his portrayal. First-year Sirius is so precious! I have a hard time writing him so young just because I don't do it very often but when I do, I love bringing in his parents and showing how much they've tried to influence him.

I didn't know his mom's name until I wrote this story either!! I know, it's very bizarre and doesn't fit in with the rest of the astronomical theme the Black family has going on.

I often times forget little details like that so I don't know if that happened or not in canon. It didn't fit with what I was trying to portray in this story though, so I'm glad you didn't criticize it too much. :P

Thank you so much for such lovely reviews. I'm so so happy you loved these stories as much as I loved writing them.

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Okay, SO SAD, but I love what you did with the veil. Sirius's emotions, again, came through so very tangibly for me. I felt so awful for him, trying so desperately to get the attention of Remus and Harry and get them to pull him back out into the world of the living. That's got to be torture. Poor guy. Although the old guy is plenty entertaining, haha :)

Also, I loved the battle sequence. You did it really well. I'm so awful at writing fight scenes. I write like two spells and get lazy, and then bam, one side or the other wins. Sigh.

I loved the twist with Regulus, and the old man's explanation of the white light. You are just so darn creative. The bit about Regulus trying to warn Sirius, though, that really cut me to the core. So sad. If only Sirius hadn't turned him away.

The afterlife was so perfect. The way you wrote the Sirius/Regulus relationship was so very sweet, and I'm so happy that Sirius was reunited with his loved ones. I guess there turned out to be a sort of heaven after all.

Well done! I can't wait to read the sequel!! :)

academica (Slytherin)

Author's Response: My job as a writer has been a successful one then! I loved writing Gabriel - it was a lot of fun and it was nice to bring something light-hearted to such a heavy topic like Sirius's death.

That was actually my first battle sequence! It was pretty exciting! I kind of lol'd when you were like "I write like two spells and get lazy...". I probably would too but that didn't seem very fitting for this chapter so I tried to extend it. Glad you liked it!

Haha, thanks! I wasn't sure if the white light thing would work but everyone I talked to said go for it so I did, glad you enjoyed it. :) I loved surprising everyone with Regulus because they just expected James to be the one to pick him up.

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Love them alll. :)

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I LOVE cute little eleven-year-old Sirius. The fact that his parents pointed out how awful the Muggles at King's Cross were is just so... Black. You did an amazing job portraying their cruel, uptight attitudes about blood purity. I also love his interaction with James. It was so cute. I came so close to squeeing. Also, you're going to hate me for saying this now, but I think it would have been great to write about Sirius's sorting for the collab. Okay, let the hatred commence. :)

I have a teensy bit of trouble buying James as the back-rubbing type, but it fits here. That whole "you're my home" bit just broke my heart. It would take a lot to make Sirius cry, and the emotion came through in such a raw way for me.

The Harry part was so sweet as well. Poor Sirius, losing everything he had all at once, and to someone he trusted. As a side note, I'd love to see a video montage of all the people who go into the wreckage of the Potters' house and find Harry. It's just such a common theme in fanfiction, and I love it. Okay, random point aside.

Hmm. James/Sirius. I'm so used to seeing Sirius/Remus from you that this was surprising to me, a little bit. On the one hand, I can buy it because they were so, so close, but on the other hand, I have difficulty swallowing the idea of James sleeping with Sirius the night before he gets to marry Lily. Anywho, your fanfiction, your call.

Moving on to Part II :)

academica (Slytherin)

Author's Response: Haha, I love cute little eleven-year-old Sirius too. He's so proper and restrained but being with James makes him want to act out a little, it's sweet.

I really enjoyed writing the Blacks in this story. I think it's the first time I really knew their first names too - which is just a little side note. But I don't know, there's just something about their ideals and prejudices that make me want to write them.

Why would there be hatred? I felt like I wrote his Sorting so much, I wasn't sure if I could write it yet another time for the collab. So there was a thought about it but in the end, I decided to go for Regulus because I've never written a story focused on him.

Yeah, I can see James as not the type of guy to back-rub but I don't know, like you said, it fit in that situation. It's a little bit awkward, not knowing how to comfort your friend but he's doing the best he can. :)

Haha, do you really love it or do you think it's contrived? I don't know. I was a little weirded about by Snape going into the house...did that happen in the book too or just the movie?

I know! James/Sirius is definitely a step out of my norm but it was interesting to write because of the whole...Lily thing.

Thanks for reading and reviewing! :)

Little James and Sirius are adorable.

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I'm so happy that they were together, as a family, during the afterlife. I was quite surprised when Regulus was the one to pick Sirius up from the waiting hall- I was so determined it would be James. I wonder how the dynamics between Sirius and Lily and James will turn out- if Lily knows the deeper relationship between Sirius and James.
You've written this very well- it was a very enjoyable read!

Author's Response: Everyone was expecting James, that's why I went with the shocker. ;)

Thank you for reviewing, glad you enjoyed it!

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You have a brilliant writing style. I love the way you keep flashing between the past and the present, weaving a brilliant story. Everything flows really smoothly and I feel as though you have characterized Sirius perfectly- who he is, why he acts like he does, what he feels. I'm off to read the second (and last) chapter of this story!

Author's Response: Thank you! I absolutely adore Sirius and I love to write him, so I'm glad you enjoy my characterization. Thanks for reviewing!

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this story is the epitome of not just slash romance, but ALL romance.

Author's Response: That's such an awesome thing of you to say, thanks!

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I'm not a fan of slash- a lot. Nothing against it, it just doesn't work for me, you know? So when I first saw this was a slash story in the first chapter, I was going to just stop reading it. I thought 'well, I'm not going to like reading it anyway-no point in wasting my time.'

I was wrong.

Everytime I went to stop reading, something else would pull me in. This is just such an original piece, and dispite my dislike of slash, the relationship between James and Sirius is just sweet and innocent, except it's anything BUT innocent. You know?


And I just love how you portryed afterlife. It was unique and different. Also, the relationships you have between the characters, not only Sirius and James, but also Sirius and Lily, Sirius and Regulus, and even Sirius and Gabriel.

It's just unlike an other story I've ever read, and I can't help but keep reading. I just loved it. I can't say it changed my mind about slash in general, but it defintely has made me a little bit more open-minded to different stories, I guess you could say.

Well done. :D

Author's Response: I am so, so happy you decided to give this story a chance despite your misgivings about it being slash.

There is definitely an innocence to their relationship..something that has grown from boyhood but I do know what you mean about it not being innocent either. It's an interesting relationship to write and watch evolve, that's for sure.

The afterlife was definitely interesting to write and at times overwhelming. The idea of living in one place, of being stuck in an afterlife living continuously forever...it's kind of scary, I think. I guess that's why everything is so grey and dreary.

I'm not here to change your mind on slash. I don't want to turn you into a slash-obsessed reader, what's more important to me is that you took the time to read my story and look past the slash to read something that you enjoyed. Thank you so much for such a lovely review and I'm sorry this is epically late, no excuse!

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Again, there's nothing I can say to express the beauty of your writing. Beautiful, exquisite, heart-wrenching - none of these words come anywhere near. Well done.

Author's Response: Thank you so much.

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I am completely speechless. There are no words to express how exquisite this story is. I've read a lot of Sirius-centric stories, many that have left me in tears. This one tops them all. The description, the characterization, the sheer emotion you manage to convey so easily is stunning. I wish there were more I could say, but I can't think properly at the moment. Hopefully, I'll come up with something by the end of the next chapter.

Author's Response: Thank you. I'm quite fond of my Sirius as well. :)

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Your story was wonderful-it was really well written and one of the few James/Sirius centered fics I could find. I really liked how you switched between years, very effective.

Author's Response: Thank you for such a nice review! :)

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Oh, I love this more than I can put into words. The flashbacks, the thoughts and views on the "afterlife" how James and Sirius neatly fit in beside James and Lily, and everything about it. I wish we could have seen more of Sirius and Regulus interacting, but then again, I do believe everything was perfect as it was. I wonder what other life Regulus has, though. That would definitely be a story of interest, to see what life was like for the favoured Black son...

Beautiful, simply beautiful!

Author's Response: Thank you! It was certainly an interesting experience for me to tackle the afterlife and to sort of write a mixture of my thoughts and how I imagine the characters would react as well.

Aw, there's more Regulus and Sirius in the companion piece to this fic, but I do love them and wish I had written more of them.

Thanks again for your review.

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Oh, this is simply too beautiful for words. It pulls at my heartstrings, nearly destroys me in the same way that it is destroying Sirius. I love it, I honestly do, and I am shivering in anticipation as two what Part II will bring.

Author's Response: Aw, thank you so much. This is one of my favorites so I'm really glad you loved it as much as I do.

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I love this story, it's great. You really captured Sirius and James well.

Author's Response: Thank you for the sweet review.

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Oh... this was sweet.. i'd like to think they were indeed waiting for him when he died.

Author's Response: It's a comforting thought, no? :) Thanks for reviewing.

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Hahaha, loving the old man's sex life :P!
Really moving fan fic.
I like this idea of the afterlife, and you've explained it well.
Really brillaint.
Send me a message when the next chappie's up?
.xxx

Author's Response: Haha, the old man's sex life was really fun to write. I just wanted something to break up the angst a little bit and this guy seemed perfect to give Sirius a bit of grief. :P

I'm really glad you liked it, and thanks for sticking around to read it. :)

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Ohhh.

Wow.
I like it, its moving, and not too. riske. It's tasteful, thats the word :D!
You've written this well. I like how you started the friendship at the start of school, you've made him just the right amount of snob.
Most other stories make him too soft at the beginning, but you've made this more canon :D!

Well done. A brilliant fanfic.
.xxx

Author's Response: Hey, thank you so much for your review! I'm glad you found it tasteful. Slash is a delicate subject, I think, and some people are turned off by fics that focus more on the physical aspect than building up any sort of relationship. I loved writing Sirius's first day of school and the sorting. He's had such a privileged upbringing, it's only natural to have someone knock him down a peg or two.

I'm so glad you liked it. Thanks!

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Must Fight back tears :'(

Author's Response: Aww, crying is okay in fanfic! Trust me, I do it a lot. I'm glad this story moved you to tears, though. That means I'm doing my job. Thank you for the review. :)

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This was fabulous! Heartbreaking and beautiful--just like Sirius himself.

Author's Response: Thank you.

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GUH. That's all I can think of right now. You have a habit of making me quite speechless. And that's all well and good, but it doesn't help when I'm trying to review and I want to actually put down some coherent thoughts. >:

All right, well. Here goes! I noticed you said that this wasn't like your usual fics... and it certainly wasn't, but that is in no way a bad thing. What I loved about this was the way you showed all the different aspects of James/Sirius' relationship, at various points in their life; taken as a whole, these moments make me completely believe in their love for one another.

So many parts of this were amazingly emotive. He finds James where he knows the living room should be -- oh my god, my heart broke on that line. And the sadness in that scene was incredible, I didn't cry, though, until I read he prays that James is safe, wherever he is. After all that about not believing in an afterlife, Sirius? But he lost his best friend, the man he loved, and through his grief we really see that he wants to believe in an afterlife. He has to. He can't imagine that James is just gone.

Another thing I loved, was when Sirius and James had been separated and were being cared for after the Death Eater fight, and all their friends were around them but James just kept looking at Sirius. Beautiful that he does this, that he resents everyone else for being there and separating them, because they have been pulled apart both physically and symbolically (with Lily's presence there causing the obvious rift between Sirius/James). And it's also just protective, I think... he wants to look after Sirius, no-one else, just him.

I'll tell you what else I loved. The whole idea of death being just a room where people are left to stand waiting (and Gabriel's explanation of the 'light at the end of the tunnel' phenomenon was extremely clever). It's like a waiting room. I kept expecting Sirius to find a coffee table with some magazines on it. Marvelous idea. And Gabriel himself is hilarious. Fedora-wearing, dirty-minded, cynical old git? Awesome. I adore his interaction with Sirius. And, can I just say, it's also terribly sad, when you think about it, that he's been there so long. Who's going to come and collect him?

Oh. Moony calling out to Sirius and James in the dormitory, 'You know what would be really practical? Being asleep at three in the morning.’ One of my favourite lines, just because I love that kid so much, and while he doesn't have much of a presence here, he still makes himself felt.

The part I think cements this relationship for me is part 6. The thought that James and Sirius were together the night before James was going to marry is... oh my god... that's powerful. It's a truly lovely, intense little scene, and like every other thing in this story, I believed in it with my heart and soul (I've told you before but everything you write should be considered canon from now on).

Wonderful, Missy.

Author's Response: I love your reviews and you! Thank you so much.

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Wow...

That's really all I can say. You've got a really powerful story there, and I'm still in shock. I kinda had to remind myself to breathe every now and then, which is a good sign for you as a writer!

Keep on keeping on!

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[Review Part III]
Okay, so this review is waaay too long, I'm sorry for that. I didn't realize while I was writing it that it would be that long. I'm sure it's disappointing of me, but I actually can't find anything bad to say about this. :P Not even one tiny thing. Well, except that it's too short. Not length-wise, the length was perfect but...it's over. That in itself is just...it should have never ended. I read this a while ago, I must've mentioned that to you, and I had my review written and all, but it got deleted. I'm happy it did now, because I found new things to comment on while reading it for the 10th time. This is probably the longest review I've ever written, and I'm praying it fits into that tiny review box, but you deserve all the praise and so much more, because you're an amazing writer, and I'm saying this full heartedly. And I'm not just talking about HPFF - I haven't found many books I've enjoyed as much as this little story. I'm definitely going to read all your works, because you're such a talented author. I love the uniqueness of this fic, the originality of your style - it was beautiful, emotional, and most of all special.
I'm not very good at expressing myself, the living proof of that being the fact that I've written 3 word pages in a review box and I still didn't manage to express half how much I like this. Of course, a spot in my favorites and a rating that would go far above 9/10 would show that I loved it and it was one of the best readings in my life, but I liked it much more than I could ever say. This was one of the 2 fics (along with timeturner's "Reckless") that made me feel like it deserved so much more than a place in my favorites. There should be a "Most Favorite" cathegory or something for these kind of things. This is one of those fics that I'm going to keep in my computer forever, to always go back to and read it again, and show it to my children (when they're old enough). You are an amazing writer, and an inspiration to all us writers out there, so I'll be sure to reccomend this brilliant fic to anyone who's looking for something wonderful to read. Congratulations for writing such a beautiful piece, and thank you a thousand times for sharing it with us - it's a delightful reading. You did us all such a huge favor by posting this, and I thank you a billion times for that. I'm so incredibly happy I read this fic, because it was an unforgettable experience.

Congratulations and Thank You!
Much love, CJ [Black Kitty]

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[Review Part II]
The transition between times was smoothly written, no abrupt ends or plotholes, it seemed very natural, like a really good movie you can't tear your eyes from. The scene where Sirius arrives at the Potters' house and discovers James's body is just so incredibly emotional, it actually made me cry a little. The tension you built before that and the way it's finally released and all - it was just one of those moments when you hold your breath and feel your eyes become watery - just beautiful.
And then there was the scene before the wedding - wow. Just wow. It was one of my favorite scenes. It impressed me to tears, but also made me a little angry - the contrast you showed here, between how much it meant for Sirius, and how little it meant for James - absolutely breathtaking, but definitely something to be angry about. He just breaks his heart and it's sad. The erotical side of it was just gorgeous - not at all overwritten or exaggerated, but simple and beautiful. You're such an amazing writer, your style is very mature and well developed, and most of all unique and personal - no one can write like you do or immitate your style which, in the end, is one of the most powerful signs of a great author.
Your language is very colorful, you always seem to choose the right words that best express what you're trying to say. And though I'm not a huge fan of cursing in stories, you used the foul language with brilliance, always at the right time, and only when it's needed. Had there been no curse words, I really would've thought something was missing. I guess what's annoying about cursing in stories is that the author uses it so much that it loses its power and doesn't cause the reaction it's supposed to cause. Which doesn't apply to this story, of course - every time, it shook me a little, not because I'm against cursing or anything (lol), but because it expresses so much in such short words.
Then the second part was perfect. I loved meeting the new characters, and being introduced to Regulus. The first part was dedicated to building the strong relationship between Sirius and James, and these characters really didn't fit there. I loved Gabriel - such an amazing character, funny and witty, yet incredibly sad and lonely. I cried again at the part with all those people beyond the veil, who had nowhere to go and no one to take them home. It's heartbreaking, like the rest of this fic.
Gabriel's humorous remarks were refreshing, and they shook the story a little from its generally dramatic ambiance. I loved him talking about his sex life and all that - it just gave me a good laugh, and I already feel incredibly sorry for him.
I loved James and Sirius's conversation about death - another scene I loved to pieces. They were like the same person, sharing the losses and joys. It was beautiful and touching. And then one of the most expressive parts - the duel with the Death Eaters, and James's reaction as realizations strike him and he realizes he was a tiny step away from losing Sirius forever.
It was shocking to see Regulus waiting to pick him up, since we were all expecting it to be James. And disappointing, too, because for a moment, I thought they'd never see each other again. However, I loved the relationship between Sirius and Regulus, I always have because they're so different, opposites even. I would've liked perhaps a tad bit more of that relationship, but I was at the same time eager to see if Sirius and James will meet again and what it's going to be like.
The ending was great. Simple, with no artificial drama or excessive writing - exactly the way it should be. I also liked the mention of Sirius's terrible guilt - I've always felt so sorry for him because of that, and I love how James confronts him, and makes things right again, just like he always does. James is Sirius's comfort, and you showed that perfectly. This fic, their relationship and the ending deserve all the praise in the world and even though I've written a long review and ranted for 3 pages about how good this story is, I don't feel it's enough.
I'm usually bugged when stories move at a slow pace. I sit there, reading, thinking "oh, come on, just get to the action already". But when I read yours, I didn't want it to end, I swear. I kept thinking I want everything to go as slow as possible, so I could keep reading it forever and never feel bored again. You are such a great writer, and I don't know if you know the impact your writing has on everyone else. It leaves you wondering and pondering and feeling sad, and happy and angry and sorry for all these characters - it's one big emotional experience, that doesn't really rub off as easily as normal things do. I read this story a while ago, and I still love going back to it and reading it again and pondering over it.

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