Christmas Quackers

[godricgal]

Title: Christmas Quackers
Author: godricgal
Rating: PG (Just to be on the safe side.)
Word Count 3,375 words.
Summary: As Remus and Tonks' first Christmas approaches, they manage, around their Order duties, to make time to enjoy a little Christmas shopping together and pay a visit to Tonks' beloved Grandpa.
Author's Notes: This begins in mid December of

Comments

[sspring92]

Yay for Duckingverse! Even something as ordinary as Christmas shopping came across as so special for them just because it was ordinary! Wish I had something inspiring to say about the mechanics or writing and plot, but yum, just warm and fuzzy!

[godricgal]

Thanks very much! I'm glad you found it warm and fuzzy as that's pretty much exactly what I was going for. :)

[gilpin25]

As soon as I read the summary and that they were going shopping, I hoped they'd pay a call to poor old Woolies - and how I loved Remus asking after this Woolly place of yours, lol. I liked how neatly you got the pink Christmas tree in there, perfect for the Advent, of course!

There's always something delightful about your Duckingverse, and this is another worthy and smile-inducing edition. I think sspring92 has said it above, when she says that even ordinary shopping becomes special to read. It's as if you're sharing a personal moment or two with them, and it's all so beautifully described down to the tiniest details. I rather wish we could actually add a few magic spells to crackers (though I liked how Tonks' idea of a personal joke was also a favourite Muggle one, anyway), and it was such a nice idea to literally bring some magic and seasonal cheer to her grandpa's room. Perhaps nicest of all, is reading how happy R/T are at this time (especially their idea of a normal day off together;)), and that Tonks is looking to the future

[godricgal]

Thank you so much for such lovely review.

Had to include a trip to Woolies, really - for providing me with my very own pink Christmas tree and to keep them alive in fic! ;)

I'm always so chuffed to hear that people - you - enjoy the fics from Duckingverse, and it's good to know that this one seems to follow on. I did enjoy a chance to look, from Tonks' pov, at them not to far down the line after the end of No Time for Ducking, and just to let them do something normal without it being a big mile stone in their relationship - which is to say that I'm glad my indulgence led to something that was good to read.

I can imagine them getting more and more elaborate with the magic in the Christmas crackers with each passing year, lol. I think the potential for mischief and showing off would be too much to resist.

Thanks again for your kind words. :D

[fantasticjackie]

I'm afraid to read your title more than once, because I used to not be able to pronounce my 'R's: quackers - or cwackers - is exactly what I called crackers, among other mangled words. lol Even to this day, if I'm too tired, I'll slip!

But onto your fic, which I greatly enjoyed. I was so excited to see Grandpa Tonks in this, even for his little parts! The pink tree they settled on for him was really sweet; those nursing homes are pretty drear, even when the nursing staff erects mini trees in their rooms - there's no real meaning in it. But brought and decorated by loved ones... :) I really love the absolute normalcy of it, as well - the idea that Remus and Tonks got to spend a normal, happy Christmas together despite the world's dire circumstances and the evil plottings of a certain author. Yays for the fluffiness that is kisses in the snow! :D

A minor formatting thing I noticed - you have some s lying where scene changes occur. ;)

Really loved your ficcy, as usual! -Does Christmas have to be over already??

[godricgal]

LOL. I think Cwistmas cwackers rolls off the tongue rather well...

Anyway, thank you very much for your review. It's so great to know that you were excited to see Grandpa in this, and liked his little pink tree. I've never written a particularly angsty R/T Christmas fic and I'm not sure I ever will because it's too much fun just to let them have a nice, normal Christmas and make it all fluffy, and I like knowing that my indulgence of that is appreciated by other people, too! ;)

Thank you again. :D

[shimotsuki]

I'm sniffing a little here -- it's beautiful to see how comfortable and happy Tonks and Remus are, to see how Tonks realizes that she's begun to change under Remus's influence, to see her imagining a future for them (even though it's painful to know what's actually in store for these two before they arrive at that married Christmas together that Tonks is dreaming of).

I absolutely, positively adore the moment when they've just Apparated to Guildford and Tonks won't let go of Remus, so he tightens his arms around her again. Sigh.

The framing of the story with walking the corridors of the nursing home is an inspired idea, with what that lets you tell about the growing relationships among Tonks, Remus, and Jack.

(Of course, it's also delightful that you've managed to work in a pink Christmas tree!)

[godricgal]

Aww. Thank you very much! It's lovely to hear that you enjoyed it so much. I did enjoy writing it and it was an interesting exercise to try and pin point where Remus and Tonks would be a few months down the line.

Thanks for mentioning the framing of the story. I hadn't intended to do it, but when I got to writing the last scene, it seemed like the right thing to do.

Thank you again for your typically thoughtful review. :D

P.S. I feel like singing 'I have a surprise for you-ooo!' because I do, except that now it's not, lol. Anyway, what that means is I have finally almost finished your birthday fic and it should be ready for your reading pleasure by the end of the week, but probably before.

[shimotsuki]

P.S. I feel like singing 'I have a surprise for you-ooo!' because I do, except that now it's not, lol.

LOL -- but it was a surprise to hear that there was a surprise, so that still works. ;)

And now I am excited!

[katyscarlett76]

I really loved this, it's just so sweet and fluffy and really warms the heart on a cold January day :) (While it's a shame you didn't get it done in time for Christmas, I'm kind of glad for that reason). It's so bittersweet where Tonks is planning their future, knowing what we know about it, I just hope that their Christmas in DH was as happy. There's just so many wonderful little moments, including (as others have pointed out) the bit when they arrive in Guildford and she doesn't let go right away so he wraps his arms back around her *sigh*
Just lovely, thank you for brightening my morning!

[godricgal]

Thank you, Katy! I'm so glad you found this shameless bit of festive fluff warming on a drear January day. I actually finished this at 5.30am on New Year's Day -- in time for the deadline, but by that point I was so tired that I'd no concept of quality control and decided to get some sleep and not worry about the deadline.

I find it very easy when I'm writing to forget about what comes next for Remus and Tonks, lol, but I think that can help for writing them in the moment, which I like to think they must have been, and which obviously leads to the fluff.

I'm glad you like the bit when they arrive in Guildford. It was one of those scenes where I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but was never quite satisfied with the wording.

Thanks very much for a lovely review! :D