McTabby's Drabblethon Drabble

[amanuensis1]

The rule is, the vaguer the bunny, the bigger the story it wants to hatch. Okay, maybe I just made that up now. But I was really committed to getting it down to 100 words, so, for theladyfeylene, here's my response to your drabblebunny ('That which doesn't kill us, only makes us *stranger*') for mctabby's Cat's Birthday HP Drabblethon II. Read it over there or just scroll down here.

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Topic; 'That which doesn't kill us, only makes us *stranger*' (from theladyfeylene)
Word count; 100
Rating: All ages

Title: No Turban Necessary

*****

"Hermione. Remind me why I asked you here?"

"The children's charities. I have the distributions."

There it is, the light, the smile of understanding. "Yes." His hand covers hers, squeezes. "What would I do without you."

It's only the memory, people say. War...does things to one.

Why can't she believe it's that simple?

The light in his eyes. Something other. Something not-Harry.

Protecting itself. Hiding.

Is his hand on hers tightening? Hard enough to hurt?

No. She has to stop these thoughts.

"My indispensible Hermione."

One day, she thinks, he'll slip. And call her something else that begins with m.

Comments

[mctabby.livejournal.com]

*applause* Thank you for playing! The birthday-cats are delighted with the darkdrabble, oh yes they are. :D

Page Four is looking excellent: Harry/Remus, Peeves/Terry Boot, Dudley's essay, Flitwick/Filch, Seamus does needlepoint, Snape/Harry watching Crookshanks/Mrs Norris, Narcissa/Lucius - and yours! Yay! *throws chocolate*

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Chocolate! Whee! I'm so happy there are so many of them, even if I have a million to go through, still. And the few I have read I still have to feedback!

This is a delightful annual event. Thank you for it, so much!

[sor-bet.livejournal.com]

Effing brilliant.

So does everyone read every drabble AND all replies to each drabble? I think that would take about six weeks.....

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Sometimes the drabble is so good or I suspect the responses are going to be so amusing that I want to see all the replies. But sometimes the drabble is so good I don't need to see the responses, so, it works both ways.

I still wish there was an "Expand ALL threads" option on lj!

[ladynutmeg.livejournal.com]

*shivers*

That was..... guh. Me likey... Especially because I somehow missed reading the title before I read the drabble and the drabble was creepy and shivery but then the title just made me go thuddythuddythudthud.

What a lovely way to wake up :-D

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

See, yes, the title is a sort of "Extra 3 words" this time around, because it was one idea more I wanted to put into the story to illustrate what's in Hermione's head, just a bit more. But, lacking space for it--or, if you want to look at it this way, because it was extraneous, not needed--I got to slip it into the title. I'm so tickled you commented on that, ee!

[marinarusalka.livejournal.com]

Oooh, creepy. I love the way Hermione's fears sort of circle round, without ever being explicitly stated, just sort of... lurking there. In the shadows. Waiting. Very effective in such a short piece.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm so happy it worked in just that way for readers--'zactly what I wanted. ^_^

[twigged.livejournal.com]

Meep.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Your meep pleases me greatly.

[ex-ella-bane358.livejournal.com]

I gotta tell you, on first reading, I thought it was Dumbledore talking to Hermione, and she worried he would call her Minerva. That's what I get for reading and talking to my 3 year old at the same time :D Then when I read it again, I saw it was Harry. I had to mention my first impression, because you know -- it could have worked that first way! Really!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Yes it could have! And I like it that way too!

[glitterdemon.livejournal.com]

i suppose it would be bad&wrong of me to say how much i want a full story out of this? ;)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

No bad or wrongness at all! Glad you liked it that much!

[silentauror.livejournal.com]

I second. Full story!!! :) Please. :)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Yer too nice! So glad you liked!

[silentauror.livejournal.com]

Gah, and you just used my all-time favourite icon, hands down! :) I know they're girls, honest I do - but I love it so! My boys. But, back to the point - this wonderful little slice of story-ness. I'm hungry for more Amanuensis!fic! :)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping to oblige you before too long, honestly! *squeezes you*

[ariadneelda.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! So dark and creepy! I agree with the people commenting above: this needs a full story! It'd be awesome if you felt like writing it. :)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It could support a bigger tale, if there was some nifty twist to aim for, I think. At this point I'm not sure what it would be, beyond the obvious one in this bit. ^_~

[shadowgardens.livejournal.com]

Ooohhh. This needs more story.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

It could be a jumping-off point if there were more to be told, couldn't it? Thank you so much!

[ellipsisblack.livejournal.com]

... *is too dumb to work out what the something else starting with 'm' is*

In fact, I probably wouldn't have gotten it at all if not for the title. Which is actually pretty cool, when the title adds something to the actual narrative.

I'm going to be nonconformist and say that I don't think it needs a longer story. I think what makes it so fabulous is its brevity, and the precision with which it has been put together. I can't think of anything you would add that wouldn't detract from how great it is already. But hey, I'm a card-carrying minimalist.

[neeteeus.livejournal.com]

...'mudblood'? Not sure, of course, but that tied it together for me.

[ellipsisblack.livejournal.com]

*light goes on* :>

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Thank you for all your points, seriously--I loved being able to use the title as a sort of after-summary for this, so, that makes me happy that it worked that way for you!

And I am frequently one, like you, to jump in on lj posts that are full of "OMG you cannot leave it there!" with a "Yes, you can; it was a perfect ending for that idea!" response, so, I am so on the same page with you on that one! I do believe that one-trick ponies, or one-joke ideas, need to know where to stop, especially if they can be encapsulated in a small space. If they do get expanded, they need more than just that trick. So, YES, thank you muchly!

[revena.livejournal.com]

Woah. Awesome. I think you did everything necessary in 100 words, really... Though, of course, I never, ever object to an excellent drabble being expanded out into a longer fic... ;-)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think you've said everything I usually like to on the subject, too--if you can say it in a drabble, GREAT, but if you think there's more there, nothin' wrong with going for it. *hugs*

[notrafficlights.livejournal.com]

Another vote for a full story.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

*hugs you* So glad you liked it, thank you!

[persephone-blue.livejournal.com]

I...I have an IDEA of what's going on, but I think I'm a little mixed-up. Could somebody please care to explain to me what's going on, breifly? Big thanks will be given.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Look at this earlier thread: http://www.livejournal.com/users/amanuensis1/95725.html?thread=3223277#t3223277

[persephone-blue.livejournal.com]

*enlightened* Eureka! Thank you, and an excellent fic.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Heh, thank YOU!

[neeteeus.livejournal.com]

Love it love it love it.

It is dark and just on the edge and perfect in the way that only a drabble can be perfect. Captures the moment and lets you work out a million scenarios leading up to and beyond it.

*fangirls*

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

You couldn't have said anything I'd have liked better. *is deliriously happy*

[aiji-yuywell.livejournal.com]

I don't..... oh.... OOOOH!......... *gasp!!!!*

X3

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

*loves your reaction*

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

Woooooah. Creepy. Cool.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

So glad you liked! Thank you!

[fabularasa.livejournal.com]

One day, she thinks, he'll slip. And call her something else that begins with m.

'Mione?

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

This turned out to be one of my "not everyone will get this" drabbles. Mudblood. (And if you were joking, then, clearly I'm lost without emoticons.)

[fabularasa.livejournal.com]

Hee. Yes, I was twitting you. I was thinking of your recent nickname discussion, and the collective righteous horror over 'Mione. (See, I do read, even if I don't always comment.)

And one of these days I will master emoticons. When other people do them, they seem fine, y'know? But it just looks ridiculous when I try one, and I end up deleting it.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Am hereby twitted. What you need is an emoticon all your own. Maybe one wearing sunglasses and smirking: 8-1

[fabularasa.livejournal.com]

Hereby adopted, dahling. 8-1 right at ya.

[mammal.livejournal.com]

Utterly creeptastic. Took me three readings to get the full-on shudder, although I knew there was something incredibly disturbing going on right from the start. Wow!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thank you! Glad you thought it was worth the three readings. ^_^