Hi Kim! This is a belated thank you for the beautiful banner that you made me. I’m so glad you made that for me – I wouldn’t have come across this lovely story otherwise.

This is such a sweet fic! The first time I read it, I missed the mention of their hair colour, so I thought that this could be any couple in the Potterverse. At that point, I really liked that you kept the anonymity of the characters, while still keeping them in character. There really wasn’t anything that made it unbelievable. It’s clear that the couple is still very much in love after a year of marriage.

Then I read it again, because I couldn’t tell who they were, and I found the brief mentions of their hair colour – “a messy-black-haired man”, “a stray strand of fiery hair, and “her long red hair” – and the couple could be James and Lily or Harry and Ginny. After even further examination, it seems that this is meant to be James and Lily, especially considering the stone that matches the woman’s eyes, the fact that the war is still going on, the woman is gifted in Charms, the woman is pregnant so soon after her marriage, and she’s due in early August (or late July). I love it even more now, thinking about the tender love Harry’s parents had for each other and for their unborn child, even in the midst of terror, fear, and despair. I love knowing that they had happy, peaceful days, even as they fought Voldemort and his Death Eaters. It’s so nice to see a portrayal of James and Lily where they aren’t arguing or flirting, but simply being together, content.

You’ve done a great job of setting the scene for the story, with it being cold and windy outside, like the war, but warm and cosy inside, where they have each other and their love. It’s a very pleasing story to read. It just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. Beautifully written.

~ Abigail