Oh this is an intriguing start. I'm looking forward to reading the next couple of chapters! I love how you have set this up. It seems incredibly well thought out and has an excellent air of mystery. I am a little surprised at Hermione's opinion of Molly. It seems a little harsh but perhaps that is just me.

I like the way you have written Draco so far. He's still snarky and sharp but of course after everything he went through, he is also a changed man. I'm looking forward to seeing how his relationship with Hermione develops.

Keep it up!

It's awfully hypocritical of me, considering the amount of time it takes me to write and such, but, please, I hope you update soon! This is a wonderful first chapter! Great opening line- I was pulled in immediately, and was not disappointed in the least. You've clearly put a lot of thought into their careers and also into the Dark Flux issue. What I especially liked was that you did not portray Ron, as many Dramione authors unfortunately do, as an unfeeling, selfish boor in contrast with a suddenly gentle and sophisticated Malfoy. I appreciated that you made Ron and Hermione very much in love, as they should be, and that Draco 'isn't aging well'. XD Thank you, thank you for not falling into that classic (*cough*trite*cough*) rut of most Dramiones. Again, wonderful writing, and I can't wait to read your next chapter!

-Emily

Author's Response: Thanks for your kind review. It is much appreciated. I finished chapter 2 last week (it's currently with a BETA) and will upload the story in the next couple of days for validation. I already have much of Chapter 3 worked out, so hopefully that would follow fairly soon(ish) after. There's a lot more to come, believe me, and it's quite a complex plot that I have been ruminating and refining for some time ... so hopefully it will be entertaining. I'm glad you liked my portrayal of Ron here. I don't think Ron is a terrible character at all, and I've no doubt that Hermione and Ron are in love. But ... I also want to portray what can happen when a marriage starts to go wrong, when things get stale. Neither party is blameless and yet neither party is wholly to blame. How Draco plays a part in this, and what happens to them all, of course, remains to be seen. However, my main focus here is to tell a character-focused, exciting and suspenseful plot-driven story (I hope!) - not just a 'romance' (and certainly NOT in the 'slushy' sense, that's for sure!)