COMPLETE!

[twisted_miracle]

The Breaking Him series is now complete. Major life/fanfic goal, checked off list! YAY!


Read the 19 chapters of the fourth and final installment: http://archive.skyehawke.com/story.php?no=20221

Comments

[rmd.livejournal.com]

Congrats!

[twistedm.livejournal.com]

THANKS!!!!!

(Still kinda exhilarated over here ;)

[lokifan]

SO MANY FEELINGS.

Just read the last five chapters all at once. I genuinely didn't see that ending coming. I was so pleased when Draco got his chance to shout back at Harry, and their revelation of what they did and didn't know about each other. And ouch, this Harry is so broken. As is Draco by the end. I really like that you left it quite open - I don't know that I believe this Harry and Draco can find a way to be together in healthy fashion, but I do hope so. And it was a fantastic story!!!

I even ended up feeling very bad for Liggy, manipulative bitch that she was!

[twistedm.livejournal.com]

OMG, THANK you! What a thoroughly awesome review to read! How amazing to know that the ending caught you by surprise. That ending has been sort of self-evident to me for years. All the years I struggled to write the damn story! I always knew exactly where I was going, it was getting there that proved to be nothing even remotely like "easy."

They are all three such broken souls, aren't they? I didn't even know what drum I was beating, here. I just opened a door all those years ago and ended up slowly following a path to this end. But being allowed to do whatever the hell you want is clearly no way to heal from trauma. Clearly to me, anyway.

I want this to work for them, and honestly, I think it can. There is still enough of Draco left inside that shell, he's proven that he isn't a complete doormat, not even after everything Harry and Liggy (and the Wizengamot, and Tilford, and Voldemort, and Lucius!) all did to him. Even after everything that's happened to him, he still has agency and identity. He just knows how to safeguard them.

And Harry shown the ability to show compassion again. His quest for honesty in his writing lead him to kindness, empathy, the ability to listen...

I think these two are going to find a way. They have the patience, and the need. Who the hell else would put up with either of them, for one?!

So yes, it's open, but it feels far less ambiguous to me than, say, "And Your Damage Done." With that I actively strove to make two potential ending seem equally possible. With this one, I feel like there's really just the one, and I didn't actually need to write it. I got them through the really hard parts, the rest will be all caution and eggshell-walking and such. I felt like it didn't need to be delved into after... this.

But that's me! Not everyone will read it that way and I welcome alternative interpretations. That is a primary joy of writing, really. I release this into the world for readers to think of it however they will. Thank you for telling me how you think of it! That's the other primary joy of writing!