Very interesting. I loved this fic; it's one of my favorites by you, actually. It's very different and I actually didn't know about this ship until I read this.

The beginning is very light-hearted and cute. You manage to bring the phone into the story in a very clever and humorous way, without making it seem too far-fetched or random. I also like how you portrayed Lucius in this very first scene: he is so desperate to talk to his son that he will sacrifice the values he had been raised with and raised his son with his entire life. I've also read Shadows of Hope, and I like how you've brought the theme of family bonds with in the Black/Malfoy family into both fics. The Blacks are very interesting when it comes to family. They only accept people within their small group, but as a result are strongly connected to each other. Here you have Lucius learning about Muggle technology, scoffing at the tracking systems and questioning the plan, just like he’s been taught to do. That’s great. It keeps Lucius very in-character in a situation that would be very rare for someone like him, and strengthens the plot.

I love the scene where Lucius has to deal with the ringing phone. He doesn’t really have moments like that in the books, but I thought that the scene was very well-written and fun to read.
The fic quickly becomes much more serious, and you made a very smooth transition. It didn’t seem forced at all, again, making it more believable. I also love the way you brought the lyrics into the story. I liked that you introduced them when you did rather than at the very beginning of the story. They fit perfectly with the story without being reinforced too much, and I thought that they added more depth and emotion to the story.

“How did you get this phone number?” Lucius asked her. “How did you even know I had a phone number?”

“I have my ways,” Andromeda replied mysteriously.

“Such as?”

“This is war, Lucius. We do what we can to achieve our purposes, and to win.”

This bit does a great job portraying both Lucius and Andy. Your fic definitely does show a softer side to both of them, and this shows the side we see most often in the books; it’s a very nice way to show just how strong they are. Also, I had been wondering when I read this why Andromeda had a phone and how she got one, and this response seems fitting of her character.

I liked your incorporation of the idea of the arranged marriages. Even though marriages in canon didn’t seem to be arranged (though they practically are arranged since there is such a limited number of pure-bloods), it makes perfect sense that pure-bloods would do something like that. You did a great job of characterizing Andy throughout the entire fic. I like the way you showed her rebellion and fear, and then the confusion that comes naturally along with that.



Author's Response: *squeeeeeeee* I love getting reviews for this story. :D

Anyhow. I\'m so glad you liked this. It\'s one of my personal favorites too actually, just because there aren\'t many instances that you get to write a phone call between two purebloods. :P

As for the family bonds, I\'ve always thought that Lucius and Narcissa are both very caring parents (and was very pleased to see this come true in DH!). Just because someone is shown as \"evil\" in canon doesn\'t mean they don\'t feel emotion or love anyone. This, of course, does not excuse their prejudice against those of \"lesser\" blood, merely makes them more human.

Luci dealing with the ringing phone. That seems to be a bit of a favorite part with people. :D I did like writing that, he\'s certainly not as confident as he usually is right then. As to the lyrics in the fic, I actually wasn\'t sure whether to include them or not. When I originally wrote the story they weren\'t in there, and I was just going to say that the fic was inspired by the song. But when I looked it over again, those lines just really seemed to fit, so I added them. :)

And, I\'m glad you liked the characterizations. I had a few doubts about parts of their exchange being believable. As for Andy having a phone, I figured that since Ted is Muggleborn that they would just have one lying around. So he could call his parents or Muggle friends or something. :P

And, yes, I do think some of the purebloods had arranged marriages. They seem very old-fashioned and traditional, so I could definitely see them doing something like that.

Thank you so much for the lovely and in-depth review!! :D