Here because I want to have an informed vote for TGS challege. This might be a really short review, given that I haven't read the rest of the story, but hopefully you will forgive me.

Like I said, I haven't read the rest of the story, but I'm definitely adding it to my 'to read' list now. This was a beautiful chapter. It gave me a glimpse into who Teddy and Victoire are as individuals and as a couple, and I really liked what I saw.

I especially liked the last paragraph; it was a lovely way to end what, judging from this chapter and the background you provided in the thread, was a very difficult and painful story. I could tell that the difficulties they faced due to Teddy's illness (I assume) were still there and still weighing on them, but I liked that you also seemed to show progress. I don't mind stories that end on an unhappy note, but sometimes it's nice to read about people being resilient and being able to repair things rather than have them fall to pieces, and that seemed to be what was happening here. I think that was especially appealing to me about this story because Victoire is one of my favourite next-gen characters, and I love it when people portray her as being strong and... well, resilient.

I'm sorry if I drew conclusions about the rest of the story that weren't really accurate, or if this review was just generally kind of lame - I'll definitely be back to start from the beginning when I get the chance!

Author's Response: Aww, thanks so much for stopping by. It's always a bit weird reading a chapter out of order (I know this from the queue) but it's surprising how much you can glean about a story from one chapter.

I'm impressed how accurately you've understood things :D They definitely have been through a fair amount of difficulty. Teddy's illness did become a main focus of their relationship, and although it brought them together at times it equally drove them apart. So, in the end, like you said, it was more about them as individuals that galvanised their relationship. It was how they dealt with the problem that brought them together.

Thanks so much for the review, I'm pleased you enjoyed it and I hope you do return to start from the beginning :)

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I've been completely engrossed in this story. I loved it from start to end, and it was beautiful. I cannot even describe how much I love this- it's my favourite one that I've ever read!

xo MBTN xo

Author's Response: That means so much to me! I'm delighted you enjoyed the story, I really appreciate your support :) Marina

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amazing story. kudos!

Author's Response: thank you :)

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Okay, I skipped the last few chaps because (a) I've reviewed them already and (b) I remember what happened but this is such a sweet chapter. I love Teddy's fear of the dark. It really stuck out for me and it's something I always remember.

LOVE IT SO MUCH
♥
xx

Author's Response: love yooou! thanks :D

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-WAILS-

OH MY DAYS THIS WAS SO MUCH HARDER 4TH TIME AROUUUND.

I can't even ... WORDS, WHERE ARE YOU?

♥
xx

Author's Response: SORRY! I LOVE YOU, IF IT HELPS.

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"I think I can cope for now, seeing as it's not permanent. If that changes, then of course I'll be reconsidering. OH THE FOREBODING.

I really like this chapter too. HOPE, DAMN YOU.

♥
xx

Author's Response: Sorry :( ♥

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:( :( :(

They seem so hopeful. I JUST WANT TO TAKE HIM HOME AND LOVE HIM MORE EACH DAY TOO.

Please let me?

♥
xx

Author's Response: Okay, go ahead and be my guest :P

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I DON'T EVEN HAVE WORDS.

Liiifeee :'(

Author's Response: Haha! Your reviews make me laugh more and more every time you leave them. I hope you didn't cry too much.

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SO HAPPY... -sob-

She has her job and her Teddy and her family are being lovely but I DON'T WANT TO GO TO CHAPTER 17. PLEASE DON'T MAKE MEEE.

♥
xx

Author's Response: GO! GO FORTH AND BE BRAVE, YOUNG WARRIOR.

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-wails-

Make it stop. They were so happy and now you've ripped Teddy away and it's all going to go belly up and I know it sorts itself out but I actually don't want to read anymore because I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN TEDDY'S NEXT CHAPTER AND MY LIFE CAN'T COPE.

But I love you so I will...

♥
xx

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OMG I THINK THIS IS WHEN I FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU...-cough- I mean, started speaking to you...

-sigh-
Why couldn't it have ended here? Why couldn't they have had such lovely happiness? WHY ARE YOU SUCH AN ANGST MONSTER?

This is my favourite chapter of anything ever. I love it. And you. And Teddy and Victoire and everything.

♥
xx

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-sobs-
DON'T GO, TEDDY. STAY WITH VICTOIRE FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER. PLEASE DON'T GOOO.

I HATE YOU :( :( :(

Not really but... :'(

♥
xx

Author's Response: hahahaha oh dear. you do make me chuckle, but thank you all the same :D

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:( :( :(

Sad Victoire :(

I do like your Dominique, I must say, even though she's going to RUIN LIFE/IGNORE HER OWN WORDS in the future. I really hate Sam but I know Teddy will come and make life so much betterrr.

LOVE LOVE LOVE
♥
xx

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I was worried about my nakedness - ...LOLS :P

Teddy :(
Victoire :'(
Sam >:(

ALL THESE EMOTIONS ARE MAKING ME FEEL SO ANGSTY AND SAD AND IT'S SO GREY OUTSIDE.

It's all so dramatic and sad and I LOVE IT SO MUCH. IT'S LIKE MY LIFE IS COMPLETE AGAIN.

♥
xx

Author's Response: YOU ARE MY LIFE, SO MY LIFE IS COMPLETE TOO. ALSO, I AM STUNNED AT HOW OLD THIS FIC IS. IT'S LIKE, 3 YEARS OLD. OLD OLD.

ANYWAY. THANK YOU, BABY CAKES.

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:O :O :O

DUN DUN DUNNN.

Teddy will so take Sam down though ;)

I JUST FEEL EVERY SINGLE EMOTION IN THIS STORY. IT'S LIKE IT DRILLS RIGHT INTO ME. It's absolutely gorgeous and your characters are divine and I don't even know why other people even try and write because you're the bestestest ever.

♥
xx

Author's Response: naw you sweetie ( ;) )

"take Sam down" just makes me think of Sumo wrestling. That gives horrible mental pictures.

-jigs-

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I can't read or hear 'sweetie' anymore without thinking of River in Doctor Who...

BUT THIS WAS SO SWEET AND THEY'RE BEING SENSIBLE AND LOVELY AND SAM'S GOING TO GO AWAY AND LIFE WILL BE GOOD UNTIL WE GET TO CHAPTER 17 OR SOMETHING AND YOU RUIN THE WORLD.

Lovely
♥
xx

Author's Response: STOP SHOUTING AT ME. this is pre-River, anyway, THEY STOLE IT OFF ME... OR SOMETHING.

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Did I ever finish betaing this and if so, WHY HAVEN'T YOU SORTED IT OUT YET? :P Leakey Cauldron...

Okay, forget what I said in chapter 1, I actually want to hit Teddy now. He's so horrible :( I know he redeems himself blah blah blah but ARGH. He's VILE, making Victoire feel so guilty and sad :( Even if he did turn up with fish and chips. HE NEEDS TO MOVE ON...FOR A LITTLE BIT TO MAKE HER JEALOUS OR SOMETHING.

Grrr

♥
xx

Author's Response: You did finish betaing it! But I haven't finished all the corrections yet because I am lazy. And you love my typos really. You know you dooo.

♥

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ROSE IS SO NASTY TO TEDDY. IT'S SO WEIRD.

Teddy shouldn't be so horrible about Sam though, even if he is a complete insert-non-12+-word-here. He should be nice and understanding and inwardly seething but shouldn't be muscling himself in. BAD TEDDY.

And BAD RACHEL for not reviewing earlier. Only 13 or so more to go :D

♥
xx

Author's Response: you're mad! like, actually.

I don't remember what happens in each individual chapter so I dunno what it is that Rose has done here haha. Perhaps I need to reread this myself? :P

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:( :( :(

So sad. Sam doesn't deserve her and Teddy just about does and MY HEART IS BREAKING. Her confusion and insecurity just fly off the screen and it's so obvious and sad and angsty and lovely. I love rereading this. It reminds me of how much I love your angst and also how much you've changed as an author.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

♥
xx

Author's Response: -mends heart- -hugs- there there... Sam is the most two dimensional character I've ever written, I think. Hate him :P

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:o :o :o

I ALWAYS FORGET ABOUT SAM. RAGE AT VICTOIRE. RAAAGEEE.

My heart actually just broke for Teddy, regardless of the fact that I know how it all ends. Maybe it's because I remember what Sam's like...

I love the giggly Weasley girls and the excitable Weasley boys. They only get cameos but they're so perfectly done. I love the relationship between Victoire and Ginny too. That worked really well.

♥
xx

Author's Response: RAGE AT SAM, THE WORST CHARACTER EVER.



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Ouch :(

Okay, liking Teddy less now. Such a player ;) I just want to squish Victoire. She reminds me of your Rose in a way, though more sensitive and kinder and less funny...there are similarities in there somewhere, honestly.

I don't know how you made them so definitively Teddy and Victoire but they just come off the page as being incapable of being anyone else but them. Does that make sense?

♥
xx

Author's Response: Playyeer. Looking back on it, it reaaallly didn't suit his character. But hey, it's my story so I can make the characters as unbelievable as I like haha.

Victoire and Rose are just projections of me, so I suppose they are alike in a way ;) It's never deliberate, but a novel is a long story to write without putting familiar things in it.

And no, it doesn't, but it sounds very nice! ♥

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It must have been you that inspired me to do CIAW in alternating points of view. IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT THAT IT'S SO LONG :P

I adore Teddy early on in this story and it's funny how that actually changes a bit through the story and how I tend to like Victoire better than him by the end. Regardless, they're both so sweet and human. It's angsty even now and I LOVE IT.

♥
xx

Author's Response: It is NOT my fault! It's yours because it's your story -denies-

They are really cute, it's almost sickening. The angst is the only way I could write them like that and justify it :P

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How have I never reviewed these chapters? I don't understand it. I used to be so rubbish :P

I just adore these two. They're the ultimate Teddy and Victoire and I always picture them, on instinct, as your versions of them. I love how awkward Victoire finds the whole thing and it feels so natural for it to be like this between them. There's a seriousness that Next Gen stories rarely hit on but you do it so well.

♥
xx

Author's Response: You're not rubbish, silly bean.

By "seriousness" you mean a tendency to make everything angsty. Oh, I miss those days ;)

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Nawww, little Teddy and Victoire are so adorable ♥ I love how you characterised the adults as well. Fleur gets on my nerves though. Possibly my newfound aversion to France and the French.

I love the end of this prologue, though. You just know what's going to come in the future :P Kids!

♥
xx

Author's Response: Haha I hate writing Fleur. I avoided writing her as much as I possibly could in this. A french accent is evil to recreate.

Thank yooou lovely!

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Okay, this would be another of your fabulous fics that I've read and never reviewed. I used to read this whilst it was still a WIP and I hardly ever reviewed then... but gosh, I really really loved it at the time.

You had me already with the fantastic dynamic you had between Teddy and Vic... and the whole unconventional relationship and the wonderful lipstick thing (and really I love how you took such a simple thing and made it into something so much more than that - the red lipstick is just so perfect and relatable. Honestly, that image still astounds me especially with the fact that it relates in so well with the title).

And then you go and throw Teddy's accident our way and wow, it was so unexpected and perfect and GAH. You tackled the issue so sensitively and I feel that, excuse the pun, I really had my eyes opened.

And the title was so darn clever. Did you always know how the story was going to go with Teddy? Hmm.

Anyway, sorry for never reviewing before (again) and I'm really glad that the review battle had brought me back here. I may read this whole story again this weekend, I'd forgotten how much I loved it...

-AC

Author's Response: This is like, the best review ever. Your reviews are always awesome, and I am aware that I sound like a weird fangirl right now, but I love you and you're one of my favourite authors so yeah... squeee.

I got the idea for this after reading a couple of books one summer that both starred best friends as their main romance. I really wanted to explore a story where there were these two best friends who clearly had a thing but the timing was all wrong. Anyway, I've never been much of a planner so all I had in my mind was that they'd had a fling and then were trying to deal with it. Everything else came after that.

I think it was after they kissed in like chapter 15 or something that I realised I had to think of a longer plot. I remember making myself a cup of tea and suddenly realising that I could, you know, do that to Teddy. I think if I thought of that plot twist these days I'd write it off as being too cliche or something, but I'm so glad I did it with this.

The title really worked in more ways than I originally thought! Now I see it as both referring to Teddy and Victoire - Ted because of his condition, and Victoire because she was so insecure and he helped her overcome that. So, it all worked out very nicely. :)

Oops. Rambly review response! I loved writing this, so I'm pleased that you enjoyed reading it. It's a real honour :D Thank you!

Marina

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