DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K. does, and she has every right to do whatever she thinks is best for Harry Potter. I just love writing. So sue me. Wait, seriously… don't.
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A/N:
Yes, yes, I know. A long wait yet again. I'm sorry. Truly sorry. I hope you like this one. Just a little bit to reveal some things.
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There was nothing else quite like the sound of an astounded voice, echoing across the cozy little inn, that could convey a message quite appallingly clear as that of her own, Hermione thought.
It was embarrassing, to say the least, to be caught in such a situation in which one's mouth was hanging open and inviting more than just ridicule. Yet she couldn't do anything but stare at the long lost friend she had never considered to meet again.
The sound of chairs scraping against the wooden floor as they were pushed back brought her wits about and after a moment's hesitation; she finally coerced her feet to move.
The two men were now standing, waiting for her to get near. Whereas Harry stayed put, William met her halfway.
As she looked at him, really looked at him, for the first time in five years, the first thing she noticed was how much taller he had become. He appeared even larger up close, when the distance was closed between them. His hair was shorter the last time she had seen him, cut just above his collar. His face was quite different now, what with all the angles that had suddenly been chiseled across it. Though he looked nothing like he did five years ago, she recognized him from the way he was looking down at her with a gentle smile.
"What on earth happened to you?" she asked, unable to stop her honesty, despite the fact that William's absence for quite some time called for some modesty.
He gave a short but deep laugh as he took one of her hands in his and lifted it up for a kiss, looking into her eyes. "Lady Hermione, you haven't changed a bit." He shook his head, still not letting go of her hand. Then he scrutinized the ring she had on her finger. "Forgive me; I should address you as `your grace' now, shouldn't I?"
"You were never good at addressing anybody." Hermione laughed a little, but gently tugged her hand from his hold, having been reminded of who she was.
"Ah, but five years is enough time to learn." He effortlessly bowed before her, his gesture appearing honed as any other aristocrat's. "Do you not you agree, your grace?"
"Clearly," she said. Then an uncomfortable silence ensued, followed by a prickling sensation she couldn't quite put.
It was at that point that her eyes flickered over to Harry who was still standing only a few feet away. He was looking at her, his eyes mocking, the corner of his lips tilting into a smirk.
Covering her delay with a smile, she looked up at William. "I see you have met my husband. How lovely," she said, skirting her way around him to stand beside Harry. She didn't know why but she suddenly felt the need to stand beside him even though he appeared not to be bothered by William's apparent friendship with her.
"Indeed" was all William said as he strode over to the seat he left behind.
Harry regarded William with a slight frown but masked it away when he helped Hermione to her seat. He pushed the chair until she was seated comfortably.
"I trust you are feeling well, my lady?"
At the sound of his voice near her ear, Hermione's heart leaped. She managed to regain her composure though and voiced out a small "Yes, I am. Thank you" before he nodded and sat down beside her.
She glanced at him in the corner of her eyes, half-expecting him to stand up again and leave, which she was fairly sure he'd do out of no particular reason other than just because he felt like it. Yet there he was, perfectly still, looking like he had no better things to do than seat beside his wife all day.
"What would you prefer for breakfast?" Harry asked, almost cracking a smile when his question caused her to raise her brow at him. She did not expect him to be nice, he surmised with silent laughter.
"Anything would be fine."
Harry merely nodded and signaled for somebody. He was done with her portion of the meal and was about to start on his when he turned to her and asked. "Would you care for something else?"
He was smiling.
She blushed.
Why was he smiling?
And what the hell was happening to her?
Why did she feel like an 18-year old debutante, fresh out of schoolroom, marveling at the attention of a gentleman? It didn't mean anything at all to him anyway, so there was no point in behaving like an innocent.
Hermione shook her head, giving him a small smile.
Harry's eyes flashed with something, but she didn't think on it too much. Was it her or did she actually like him treating her like this? She didn't know why, but the thought warmed her.
And then she saw him threw William a subtle look.
Barely a second passed when it dawned on her that Harry still did not know who William was.
That must be the reason he's acting strange, she realized, disappointed for some reason.
Forlorn, and angry that she even was, Hermione made the necessary introductions, telling Harry with few words that William had been one of his father's workers in Ravenclaw Keep.
"You forgot to mention, Hermione," William interrupted, smiling. His illicit use of her first name was ignored by the two other occupants of the table. "We were…playmates."
Hermione nodded absentmindedly.
Was it her or did Harry just…growl?
Perhaps it was just her wild imagination because when she had looked, there was only a mild expression of interest on his face. It wouldn't have been justifiable, but then, she would have liked it if he had.
He opened his mouth to finally speak, but decided not to say anything and opted to sit quietly instead.
Considering his constant reminders of the danger she could be in after what happened before, his lack of reaction after meeting someone she was associated with puzzled Hermione. Moreover, she wanted more from him, more than a simple nod of acknowledgement or silence.
She wasn't so overconfident to think he liked her so much already to be jealous, but the fact was: he was an assassin. It was in his nature to be curious and investigate.
But still, Hermione felt something else…
Like a tiny glimmer of hope that he was jealous…
She sighed, stealing a glance at her husband.
Even just a bit…
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Harry sat quietly, contemplating on whether or not he should put an end to the banter that had not even begun to form between his wife and the man who had vowed to steal her from him.
He smiled humorlessly as the innkeeper placed his and Hermione's breakfast on the table.
Funny thing, really.
When he arrived downstairs a little over an hour ago, he was accosted by a man whom Harry had sworn he'd never seen in his entire life. And since his mind refused to register the memory on its own, it took an hour of conversation to bring back last night's conversation, but only a moment to make him realize that he had been a blundering idiot, spilling out his personal relationship with Hermione to some stranger.
Harry waited for Hermione to get near before introducing her.
He had been halfway done actually, when wouldn't you know it?
They already knew each other.
The moment he heard Lye's name, everything else became clear to Harry.
Of all the travelers he could have gotten drunk with; it was with the last man he would have expected or chose to encounter.
"My lord?"
Hermione was looking at him.
He blinked.
"I beg your pardon, my lady. I was woolgathering," Harry muttered generously. "What is it?"
"You are not eating," Hermione said. "Whatever is the matter?"
Harry looked at his wife, whose eyes were slightly curious, but not concerned. He would have given something just to see concern in those eyes of hers. But now was not the time to dwell on that, not when somebody --- who'd already revealed of plans of abducting his wife --- was sitting so close to them.
"Nothing, my dear."
He chucked her chin just for good measure. He may seem like he was putting on a show, but it was more for Hermione's benefit than his. How it was her concern, that much he didn't want to dwell on for as long as everybody understood that it was not his own.
Harry vaguely wondered whether "Lye" was mortified by the thought that the husband of his long lost love already knew what his intentions were, and that it was partly his fault that Harry did.
From the looks of it, even if he were horrified, he wasn't showing any sign of it.
Pity, he thought. I would have rather enjoyed it.
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Ten minutes had passed from their quiet meal when Hermione and Lye got to talking, the awkwardness from their unexpected meeting extinguished by good food. It didn't escape Harry that Hermione had perked up in her friend's presence, but he'd be damned if he let anyone say he was feeing insecure about it!
"That must have been extremely exciting, Will." Hermione enthused, after hearing one of Lye's escapades in Paris.
"It was." He winked at her. "I have made friends there. They will be glad to see me again. If you have time, you can go with me."
`So the plan begins,' Harry thought smugly.
"That would be great." Hermione nodded, beaming at William.
Harry had to bite his tongue to keep from interrupting.
"But that would have to wait, your grace, for I have some business to do before I can be free to travel again," Lye said.
Hermione inclined her head. "Business? What sort of business?"
"Nothing serious." Lye shrugged. "I managed to acquire some wealth over the past year, and I want to invest on something, horses, probably, before the month ends."
"Dare I ask from where did your money come?" Hermione asked him, her eyes were twinkling.
Lye rubbed his jaw before commenting on it. "You would not approve."
Hermione just shook her head and let the matter go. Not for one moment did she believe William did something illegal. And even though her curiosity was somewhat heightened, she didn't continue to press him, knowing that no amount of coercion would make him say anything.
Just like Harry.
Then she jerked her head to his direction, taking note that he was still sitting as calm and emotionless as before. William may be many things, she thought, but he is not Harry.
Somehow, that brought a smile on her face.
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After seeing how their interaction was growing livelier and livelier by the minute, Harry couldn't keep quiet any longer. "Where are you headed?" He asked, feeling the need to know how far William would be once they went their separate ways.
"Bertshire." Lye said, turning his attention to Harry for the first time since Hermione came down. "I'll stop there for a day or two and make some purchases before heading off to Carden."
Harry refused to say anything except "god speed" to his journey, but a squeal of delight came from the noisy excuse for a wife beside him.
"That is such a coincidence, Will!"
Here we go, Harry groaned.
"His Grace and I are traveling to that side of the country as well."
"Are you?" Lye asked his eyes boring into Harry's, as if knowing what he had deliberately missed on doing. "That is a coincidence."
"How do you plan on going there?" Hermione asked.
"I'm certain he has a horse, my lady." Harry intervened, wearily. "That is one requirement that a traveling man always has."
"Actually, your grace," Lye said smoothly, looking him straight in the eye. "I am not so fortunate as to have a horse. The poor thing died just last night. I merely walked from the nearby village to this inn."
"Oh, but that's wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed, and then covered her mouth. "Not your horse dying or you having to walk, of course." She explained, and then plundered on. "You could travel with Harry and me! I am certain the duke's carriage would accommodate all of us." Then she saw Harry's pointed look and mistook it for something else. "I had already made certain of that yesterday, hadn't I? You said so yourself, your grace."
"Indeed, I had." Harry gritted his teeth.
What in bloody hell was he going to do with this woman?!
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"After you, my lady." William graciously stepped aside, offering his hand for assistance, as Hermione prepared to step inside the carriage.
Hermione smile at him, already lifting her hand to place it in his.
"Step aside, Averley," Harry suddenly snarled close to William's ear, taking Hermione's outstretched hand at the same time. "I'll escort my wife." He added emphatically. He'd been very lenient up until that moment with all the assisting the man had given to Hermione. It was high time he gave some himself.
William bowed his head politely, hiding away his grin. He watched Hermione responded with a smile, but there was some confusion in her eyes. He grinned in spite of the situation. For someone whose mission was to capture the heart of the one he loved, he was actually being very generous to Harry.
Now, why was that?
A little push here, a little shove there.
He'd accomplish what he came here to do.
`Soon,' he thought happily. `Soon.'
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Harry tried to ignore the gleam in William's eyes, but he couldn't.
It was directed right at him and he didn't have an inkling as to what to make of it.
Choosing to let it pass, Harry entered the carriage, and out of habit, took the seat opposite Hermione's. It was too late to realize that it gave William no other option but to sit beside his wife.
`Oh, how he must have been waiting for that slip.' Harry surmised, judging the smug look in the man's eyes. `Hell, he must have been counting on it.'
When the door was purposefully closed, and their coachman finally urged his team to begin trotting away, Lye and Hermione began to talk again. Their conversation during breakfast in no way sated their thirst to catch up with one another's lives.
Meanwhile, Harry was left alone, yet again, to find something to occupy his mind for the rest of the trip.
It was perhaps after half an hour of riding that he realized William and Hermione's conversation had taken a turn for the more serious. Curious, he listened, all the while pretending to find the scenery outside the window the most fascinating thing of all.
"What happened to you when you left Ravenclaw Keep?"
"There is little to tell." William shrugged. "I worked here and there, earning my keep. I actually had no destination in mind. I just went wherever the wind brought me."
Harry had to smother the urge to laugh at the use of the seemingly poetic phrase.
Hermione, however, found nothing funny about it. She nodded solemnly instead. "And your ancestry, did you ever find it?"
William hesitated for a moment, looking very grave. He ran a hand through his hair. "A year ago, I decided to go back to that old place I used to tell you about," he started. "The one where I was found? Do you remember?" At Hermione's nod, he continued. "I didn't know why I did. I mean, I couldn't find anything the last time I'd been there, what difference would there be after so many years, right?"
"But you found something." Hermione interrupted; her tone conspiratorial. She leaned close to him and then felt something hit her foot. Rather hard, if she might add. She momentarily glanced across the carriage, but found Harry rather taken with the scenery outside.
"Actually," William said, interrupting her concern. "I found naught."
Hermione's face fell and she grabbed his hands out of her habit before when they were younger and he had gotten himself in a fix. "You gave up? Tell me you did not."
He shrugged. "There was nothing else there for me. I could not go on hoping that I'll find out anything. Perhaps I've lost my memory forever. Besides, John and Esther are enough for me."
He was referring to his foster parents, who had been the butler and housekeeper of Ravenclaw Estate for as long as Hermione could remember. John Averley was the one found William wandering around the woods twenty-five years ago. He had been four then.
Without having anything else to say, Hermione merely nodded.
Then she got kicked again. She looked up, but once more, Harry was not looking back.
What was his problem? It wasn't as if she was dumb not to recognize somebody deliberately assaulting her foot!
And then she noticed her hand was still somewhat linked to William's, and she smiled knowingly, a thrill running up her spine.
There shouldn't have been thrills, really, but what was a girl to do?
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They had been seated in the carriage, traveling wordlessly and uneventfully for about four hours already when Harry declared he wanted a bit of reprieve. Hermione couldn't have agreed with him more, although she kept to herself the comment that her bottom needed some sort of break from being used as cushion.
The carriage door was opened, and one by one, they piled out of the stuffed vehicle.
William muttered something about taking a brief walk, and Hermione followed suit, but took off in the opposite direction. Harry was left, on his own, yet again, to mind his own business.
It was nearing noon, and his company might be getting a bit hungry. He looked around to gauge how far the nearest inn was and recognized the place they were in. He knew that just beyond the mountainous trees he could see from where he was standing was a vast field covered in wild flowers, glazing beautifully as the light of the sun came upon them.
Normally, he would have ignored that part of nature, but something was tugging him to see the place again. And it was just the right time, too. At noon, the sun really gave everything it had to light the fields below.
He had been a traveler the last time he came upon it. He had enjoyed the scene then, having been a carefree man. He wondered whether he'd like it now when so many things have come upon him.
Having given instructions to his coachman regarding his return and his destination, Harry wandered over to the palatial field.
He had been standing there, his hands in his pockets, for what seemed like a long time, gazing, sometimes squinting when the sunlight caught his eye, when he heard someone behind him.
"Oh my goodness."
The intake of breath somewhat brought a smile to his lips. Without turning, he knew the expression that she was wearing. He had one on his face as well the first time he'd been here.
"It does take one's breath away, does it not?" Harry asked calmly, his tone even, when she came to stand beside him.
Instead of answering his question, she turned to look at him and asked one of her own. "How do you do it, my lord?"
His head moved so that his eyes could meet hers. "Do what?"
"Look as if you have seen everything and no longer care about anything."
Her comment on his compassion caught him by surprise. He didn't think she'd already branded him as Mr. Insensitive but he supposed he had never given her a reason to think otherwise. But the idea that she thought of him that way did not sit too well with him.
"I assure you, my lady, I am not as unfeeling as you think I am."
The sharpness in his tone stunned Hermione. She supposed her comment wouldn't have hurt him, but it did. "I was not implying that you had no heart, my lord. Just that you mask your feelings away quite expertly that it always seems as if nothing could ever affect you."
"I see."
"No, you do not see." Hermione countered so forcefully that Harry's face turned her way again. "It is quite hard for me to understand you at times, my lord. Although I do not applaud you for concealing what should be brought out, I do admire that quality of yours, especially when I find the need to do it just as you can."
"What are you talking about?" He asked blandly.
"I have always appeared independent and strong to everyone who knows me. It had not been that way when I was born, but growing up…" She trailed off. Harry knew exactly what made her willful, and he didn't blame her for standing up for herself.
"Growing up…" he urged her to continue, hoping she would tell him her story even though he already knew simply because he wanted her to trust him.
"I learned how to be me."
Although disappointed for not getting what he wanted, Harry tried to tease her. "Sometimes being you is not such a bad thing."
"Perhaps you are right. The strong part of me, I do not mind. But the truth is," Hermione looked at him and laughed. "I am also weak."
Harry thought of the times wherein she could have been deemed as fragile, but she chose to stay tough. He shook his head. She did not need to think of herself that way. "No one can be as strong as they are weak, Hermione. If you are, then so be it. But do not even consider for one second that the strong part of you is not greater."
Hermione gazed at him, looking as if she was seeing him for the very first time. "You are not what you seem to be." And then she laughed at herself. "Of course, I already knew that."
Harry thought she was finished when she looked away and gazed across the field into the distance her eyes could reach. But her voice, soft and dim, rang out. "Sometimes, I wish I would not feel anything at all. So I would not remember many things and feel everything all at once."
There was something in her voice and the weight of her words that carried its way through his heart that Harry could not have stopped himself had he even tried to. In a slow but deliberate move, he took her into his arms and was glad that she did not jump in surprise nor hesitate at all.
"You do not have to pretend everything is all right." Harry reminded her, his hand cradling her head against him.
"But what if everything becomes too much?" Hermione asked, closing her eyes, relaxed for the first time. "I certainly do not wish it to overflow and consume me. I abhor showing any sign of weakness, you know."
It hit him, then, that she was talking about how she had fallen apart the night before. It was not right for her to blame herself for being scared or traumatized about what happened.
His hold on her tightened.
"Everything will be all right." He murmured in her ear, hugging her to him. "I do not think any less of you for what I have seen last night." And then he sighed. "For what it's worth, you have done me a favor."
"W-what?" she asked leaning away from him, her hands clutching his forearms.
"You see," Harry said, his eyes twinkling. "I was beginning to think you were not human." At her astounded expression, Harry chuckled. "Anybody who had gone or would go through the same ordeal will always have a scar. If you keep it all bottled up inside, there was no way to tell what may happen."
"And I had done you a favor how?" Hermione eyed him testily. Her feelings were still somewhat heavy, but in some way, Harry had pacified it.
"Well, do you actually trust I would want someone unstable to be my duchess?"
"Unstable?" she repeated.
"Yes." Harry nodded, looking very thoughtful. "You see; had I not comforted you, who knows how insane you would have become after many of those nightmares?"
"I see your point." Hermione laughed. And then she sobered. "Thank you."
Harry's smiling face, turned solemn as well. "I said it before and I'll say it again, Hermione. I'm your husband. You may not always think I'll understand you, but all you have to do is ask, and I won't think twice before coming for you."
Hermione looked into his eyes, trying to look for something. "Thank you." She burrowed her face into his chest. "I'm happy you're here."
Her words were muffled by his shirt, but he heard her anyway.
"What happened?"
"To what?" She seemed genuinely confused.
"To you," he said and then he looked away. "And me."
Hermione's heart slammed against her ribs so hard she thought he would feel it too.
Really…
Here she was, standing in the circle of his arms, perfectly content to be where she was at the moment, yet she couldn't even begin to explain why.
How was she to describe to him after all those bouts and declarations of her hatred for him that she no longer felt any trace of that emotion at all? How could she make him understand something that she could not even explain herself?
"I---don't know." Hermione replied lamely. And then she felt the need to say something to him which was remotely close to the truth. "But I like it this way."
It took him a long time to answer, but when he finally met her gaze with his own, his lips had turned into a meaningful smile.
"Me too."
She heard him say it above her head because by that time, she was already against him, his arms fully wrapped around her.
She could still see the way he had looked at her before she could no longer see past her own giddy feelings. It was not because of their conversation or the place that they were in that the mood had suddenly become so right. It was simply the way he was holding her without any inhibitions.
Nothing would have destroyed the mere vision of it in her head nor would she allow anybody to say that it was only an excuse to make her feel this way.
Perhaps in a few years, when she would look back and ask herself when she had felt the first stirrings of love for this man in her life, she would consider many things, for many things have come and gone worth mentioning. But nothing would ever compare to this one moment --- standing here in his arms, in a place she would have gladly stayed in forever.
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Harry dared not speak a word as he held Hermione, reveling in the feeling of happiness radiating from her. Words were unnecessary, for something vital had happened between the two of them.
However, he would prefer to call it a truce for this moment, because naming it something else would only mean a headache. He had no clue where to start or how to start describing every emotion she was causing him to feel.
All that he could recognize was that same feeling he had gone through four nights before when he had realized that she was in danger: the need to protect.
Yes, he cared for her.
Yes, he liked her.
But, no…he did not love her.
Loving entailed too much emotional investment that he felt he had already lost everything to that one person he had
loved and lost.
`Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.'
But it felt good to be with someone.
That much he was willing to admit.
They were standing there, unmoving for who knew how long, until someone had the graciousness to appear unceremoniously before them, looking innocent as if he hadn't walked in on their privacy.
"A pleasant noon, is it not?" William asked jovially.
Harry casually let go of Hermione, while she blushed into a becoming shade of red.
"I beg to differ." Harry muttered bitterly.
William had the gall to laugh at him. If it weren't for Hermione standing so close, Harry swore he would have smacked that grin away from his face.
Since Hermione showed no sign of saying anything, Harry did it himself. "What, may I ask, brought you here?"
"I was lured by curiosity, your grace." William shrugged, and then he suddenly put on an expression that made him appear as if he had just realized something. "I caught a glimpse of something behind the trees and made my way over here. I apologize for intruding on your…er…moment?"
God help him if this man would start to suck up to him now!
"I shall leave the two of you now, your grace. I am truly sorry." He then bowed, and left the field, his body still bent into that mocking gesture.
Harry watched him, his eyes blaring with annoyance. "Bloody git." He muttered when he was out of hearing range. Then he turned to Hermione. ""Let us get back to the carriage; we still have a long day ahead."
He had walked exactly five steps away from her, when Hermione suddenly said behind him. "William is nothing more to me than a dear friend, your grace. You need not worry about him causing any trouble. He has been quite like this since we were little. He loved to tease me and…"
"Enough." Harry said abruptly. He didn't really want to here anything about William, not after having had a pleasant mood with her. Any reminder of William would surely sour it, and he would not be responsible if it angered Hermione.
Hermione blinked.
He half-expected her to get mad for disrupting her story with a snide tone, but instead, she began to smile.
"That smile of yours, my dear, is very daunting, as pleasant as it is to look at. I am afraid to ask what you are happy about."
"If I did not know any better, your grace," she began in a teasing voice. "I would say you are jealous of him."
Harry looked taken aback not because she was far from the truth but perhaps because she was closer than she realized. But of course, being Hermione, she mistook his expression the other way.
"Oh." Came the reply of her fallen spirits.
He turned around, his back facing her. It was his turn to smile. "If I did not know any better," he said, mimicking her phrase. "I'd say you'd be disappointed if I am not."
She blushed again, a deep, deep shade of red, but he did not see that. Harry took two another three steps forward and then stopped. "Do you know one other thing I would say, my lady, if I did not know any better?"
"What?"
"I would say that you like me already."
With that, he left her where she was, surprised and quite unable to move.
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When Harry had gone off, his footsteps fading into the distance, Hermione couldn't help but turn around once more to look at the palatial spread of flowers in front of her. She thought of what he said before he left.
And sighed.
"If I like you," she murmured softly. "Would that be so bad?"
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A/N:
All right, all right! I know it's been like a month or something and this is all I give you. Again, this one's not yet edited. Believe it or not I've been working on this, every single day since I last updated. I don't know why it took me this long. I was really hung up on William's role that I guess I couldn't get past that without thinking on it properly. And then I sat down in front of the computer three hours ago and told myself, "You're going to finish this today." And so I did.
So I figured, it was high time one of them fell in love with the other. And of course, I wouldn't have had it any other way than Hermione being the first. But take note, that she isn't really in love with him that much yet. Just that, she is beginning to feel that first stirrings of love for him.
As for Harry, I got him to admit that he cared for her, as I'm sure you already know as much. But also, I am saying now that even if he did love her, he would be ignoring that feeling because of what happened with Polly. So there ya go…
On a more personal note, I would like to thank the readers of this story who have been with me since day one. The first year anniversary of Caught in the Past have come and gone, and I can't say I'm happy that it took a year to write this story and it's not even finished. But still, thanks for those who have constantly read it.
I recently posted the complete story of Twist Through Time in this website. I'm sure you already know that since I mentioned it in one of my author's notes. So, if you haven't read it and you're looking for a work of mine that is already finished, please check that out. Although, I feel obliged to warn you that the story isn't as polished in grammar or in plot as my other stories.
Another thing, I know I keep saying that the updates would pour now that I only have one story to concentrate on, but I can't help myself. The more I write down the things I want to happen, the more I get excited and then write a few more. When I look at the draft notes that I created for this story, I find myself saying `whoa' this story got more complicated (in a good way), so I hope you forgive me.
Lastly, I know that it is not really my choice whether or not people like this story. But the fact is, I am hurt whenever people send me reviews saying that Caught in the Past is going downhill. I would just like to point out that before you say anything negative about other people's works, please do make sure that you have written something better because otherwise, you really do not have something on which you could base your comments. If you are not a writer, then you do not know how sad it is when people do not like your work and they even have the insensitivity to tell you that they do not. I understand that you want to help me improve my writing, but sometimes, the criticisms left are not really constructive for me. If you write something, and you don't even try to tell me in a nice manner, what you're doing is trying to take the story down, the author along with it.
I do admit that the story is quite long, and moving a little bit slowly right now, and it is nothing compared to what others write, but please, I ask for your respect. If you do not have something good to say, or at least, something CONSTRUCTIVE to say, then do not leave me any more reviews. It just turns me into this freaking monster that needs to write something back, after which I will feel extremely guilty because I would think that have not been a good sport.
Thank you.
For reading and for understanding.
Please leave a CONSTRUCTIVE review.
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