(no subject)

[mamadeb]

Huh.

I just read The Taste of Life and Unlikely People, both Harry/Neville stories.

And I want more. It's hard to find believable sweet and gentle in the HPverse, but it seems to be here.

Comments

[pewtergryphon.livejournal.com]

The thing about practicing was a bit odd, but I could accept it. (Though if I'd been writing it, he'd have been using that as an excuse because he wanted to kiss either Ron or Hermione. ) It sorta-kinda fit the "urge to experiment" pattern, y'know?

I've been pondering it and I think what bugged me about it was twofold:

First, Harry didn't seem to be seeing Neville as a person at all-- just as a convenient object to 'practice' on. That squicked me, especially since he seemed to enjoy it rather a lot.

Second, Neville's reaction was pretty darn close to that portrayed in the old-style "warning" stories about a girl who agrees to "park" on a date with the school football star, expecting kissing and maybe a bit of petting-- and panics when she feels his hand sliding under her skirt.

The combo-- Neville's terror/panic/obviously not enjoying it when he'd probably expected to and Harry's detachment/pleasure-- were pretty creepy, taken together.

On a gut level, it felt like a barely-avoided-getting-date-raped story, if that makes any sense.

At least Harry took "no" for an answer. It could've been worse, I suppose. (bleh)