I’ve spent a lot of time listening to a lot of people tell me about all their favorite stories that you wrote, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone mention this one. Despite that, it may very well be my favorite thing you’ve written, and I’m a big Seren fan. I love everything about this story; the content, the way you put it together, the repetition, the circularity… seriously, I could go on for a very long time, but I’m going to try and keep this review manageable.

The repetition in this story is perhaps the most noticeable thing; it draws you in from the beginning, the gradual progression of the relationship between Tonks and her mother. Starting each section with the repeated sentence keeps us focusing on the right things, but besides that, it’s really a beautiful construction, even to the way the words fall together. (Nymphadora Tonks loves her mother – there’s a ring and a rhythm to it that’s absolutely lovely!) And of course we’re waiting for you to bring it full circle, for you to bring it back to the beginning again – and I love that you changed the last section. You reverse it, have the sentence come at the end (where it really needed to go) and the name change comes as a surprise, because I would have expected her to keep her name, if only for the sake of the repetition in the story. The fact that her name is different is symbolic of all the ways she’s had to change before she can get back to that place; in order to come back to loving her mother, she had to go through what her mother went through. I love the way you paralleled the two of them, the way – both marrying an outcast, both undergoing that kind of censure.

I could go on for ages about the three daughters, about the way you bring the story full circle, but I think you must know how well done that is, so I’ll focus instead on a few smaller things. Andromeda’s characterization. I love that you made her a Slytherin, and I love Tonks’ reaction to that (Mum was a snake?). Also, this line: laughing when daddy tells Nymphadora about a very odd lady named Rapunzel who spent a lot of time being bored in an ivory tower, before a prince in shining armour came to rescue her. Wonderful characterization. I love what you’ve done with Andromeda as much as I love what you’ve done with Tonks, which is a lot, but perhaps should go without saying because they’re so tied up together in this fic.

Now she had a klutz for a daughter, and a quiet, humble husband who worshiped the ground she walked on, but argued with more often than not. I don’t like to nitpick stories written a very long time ago, because from my own experience I don’t usually care enough to go back and go over things I’ve moved past, but this story is so wonderful that I had to point out the one line that pulled me out of the flow. “Argued with” is confusing, because it’s unclear at first glance whether the subject is Andromeda or Ted. On second glance it’s easy to understand, but it’s distracting from the flow of the story to have to stop and think about it.

Although she still thinks Nymphadora is a stupid, stupid name. This line is a stroke of genius, coming as it does right after such a serious, emotional moment. Without it the section would have been great – touching and sweet and sad and not at all sappy – but with it, it becomes real. It makes Tonks a real person. Also, it’s really funny.

I know you’ve moved on to other fandoms and all, but you know that if you ever decide to start writing HP again, there are a lot of people who would be made extremely happy. ;)

That was really sweet. Very in character of Tonks. Good job.

This is great. It explains very well how Tonks might have spent her relationship with her mother. Good job.