Harry Potter | Remus Lupin/Sirius Black | 28,000 words
“What had you and Lily so worked up earlier?”
“Only my childhood traumas,” Sirius said lightly. “Did you know, if you pick a memory from when you’re really little, you remember everything at scale? My mum looked like a giant, and she’s bad enough at her regular size.”
“Why on earth,” asked Remus, whose eyes were still closed, “would you pick one of those memories to wander about in?”
“We were experimenting,” said Sirius, “with subjectivity. Turns out Professor Whatsits was quite misleading today, unless the whole point was to see who caught on.”
Hello, Tumblr. Everything is a nightmare. I have not left my apartment in over a week. Instead I have written, of all things, a Harry Potter fic. It’s all about memory and subjectivity and The Nature of the Self. Multi-era. Much misery. Some hope! Please enjoy.
Remus Lupin spends his summers reading sci-fi novels and then retells them to Sirius.
Sirius just laughs though, he could never wrap his head around the idea of aliens.
Bonus: Remus finds out that Sirius is actually quite intrigued by any adventure novel he tells him about so he starts sending him books that he likes and then they both discuss them for days and imagine their own adventures in the future when school is over and anything and everything is possible.
This is the second fanfiction that I am reviewing by scared of clouds. This is the same author that wrote New Year which I have previously read and reviewed. Upon first reading this fanfiction, it made me realize that this is the first fic I read where the story doesn’t immediately start when the characters are at Hogwarts/going to Hogwarts. Like in most other fics I read, the story starts when James and Lily are at school or it’s the beginning of a school year, but in this one, the events actually kick off during the summer before the marauder’s seventh year so I thought that was a fresh change.
I am also pleased to report that this fanfiction has given us quidditch!Sirius. All of you guys who read my posts know how much I love me some quidditch player Sirius! And! His position on the quidditch team was a beater! It was just perfect. This author said gothjock representation.
As for Jily’s storyline within this fic, it was very sweet, very filling. I just wish there was more pre-established relationship/pre-dating angst, you know? Because for me, I feel like the angst before James and Lily are officially dating are what really makes it a James and Lily fanfiction ( in my own humble opinion) but the rest of their storyline was phenomenal, I assure you.
I also really like how involved the characters of Lily’s parents were in this story. Like the use of Lily’s parents in this fanfiction and how they interacted with other characters really added depth and dimension to this story and I really liked it.
This fanfiction also said Young!Peter rights and especially with how the author wrote him, I am inclined to agree. Usually in most Jily fics that I read, Peter is the bumbling, meek, token fourth friend, but in here I actually feel that he was a real person. He had his shining moments just like everybody else in the story and I was particularly touched by the thoughtful gesture of house solidarity that he made during the match for the quidditch cup.
Rate: 9.33/10
Most memorable scene: When talking to Lily’s dad about getting married, James straight-up tells her dad that this is the 20th century and Lily makes her own choices and doesn’t need her dad’s permission to get married. However, James does say that even though he is not asking for permission, he is asking for his approval.
Now that? That made me swoon so harddd. It puts every other father/potential-son-in-law talk to absolute shame.
