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vias-words · 4 years

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Can we get directors commentary on forty years?

Ooh, I’m excited to talk about this one! It’s definitely one of my favorite fics I’ve written. I was up way past the time I normally go to sleep to write this because once I got on a roll with it, I didn’t want to stop! I have SO much to talk about so buckle up and let’s get started :)

Spoiler warning! I will be putting the commentary below the cut since it will give away the whole plot. But here is the link if anyone wants to read along!

Forty Years by Vias_words on AO3

The idea came to me when I was thinking about the quote "Still, if I had to choose a companion to be at the return of eternal darkness with, I'd choose you." I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of act 4 compared to the other acts. I think it’s got a little too much plot convenience in it which always irked me a bit as a writer. I totally understand why it’s done this way because it’s made for the stage and works on the stage (Forty Years definitely would not) but on paper I wasn’t thrilled. But, it does have some lovely quotes. So I started wondering about alternatives to act 4, specifically focusing on the Scorpius line about being companions and Albus’ line right before it: "As pleasurable as it will be to hide in a hole with you for the next forty years...”

What if Albus and Scorpius couldn’t find a way to send a message to Harry and Ginny? What if they were well and truly stuck in the past?

I could have taken this in the dark route that was intended by “the return of eternal darkness” but that would require the whole wizarding history to be changed and that was a little too ambitious. Plus, I really wanted to focus on the relationship between Albus and Scorpius over the years, specifically as “companions” both trapped in this weird world where the only other person they can really trust to understand their situation is each other. So I decided to go on a more domestic route with a mix of fluff and angst, which still required Delphi to be defeated.

I didn’t want Albus and Scorpius to kill her: they’re far too young and innocent to have to go through that. Not to mention, they don’t have their wands. So I needed a magicless alternative way for them to defeat her. Bathilda was specifically mentioned in the play and I thought that was a perfect opportunity for them to go to her to seek help. I also loved the idea of this little old lady straight-up murking Delphi for these two strange boys from the future. I think it would be hard to convince her at first because she’s a very smart witch and this sounds entirely crazy but I think seeing Albus and making the connection to James and Lily (she lived right next door and went to Harry’s first birthday party!) could convince her. Plus it was a nice call back to everyone comparing Harry to his parents. And Albus is able to accept the fact that he looks so much like his father and be able to use it for good for once, rather than hating the attention it brought him. We love a bit of sneaky character development!

After the threat of Delphi is gone, it really hits the boys that they are trapped in time. As far as they know, there is no other time tuner and there’s no way for their parents to know where they are. There would definitely be a long period of mourning before they could adjust which is why I thought that living with Bathilda would be the best option. No one else can know about their situation and I think she’d be very caring to the boys as if they were her own grandsons. But she’d eventually want them to go back to Hogwarts for a bit of a normal childhood and so they could learn more magic. I liked the idea of their new lives at Hogwarts feeling flipped from how it was back in their timeline. No one knows who they are so they aren’t bullied and are able to make more friends. It’s a small but impactful benefit in their new lives but still takes a toll on them because they can’t truly be themselves--they are Syrus and Alaric and have to stick to some weird made-up backstory.

From what they know about time travel as laid out by the place (not so much the rules in POA), one little misstep, like talking to Hermione at the first task or embarrassing Cedric, can make a huge impact on the future. They don’t want that to happen again. If they make too much of an impact on someone else’s life or in the world, they risk changing history for even which, at worst, could lead to their parent's lives being affected or to Albus or Scorpius not being born at all. Their goal is just to make it through life to get back to their parents in 2020 so they can explain what happened. They aren’t really able to see themselves having a normal life or future as much as they might want it.

That doesn’t stop them from trying, of course. Scorpius definitely wants to when he starts dating Elaine. Albus disapproves of this from the start. He justifies his feelings by saying it’s just because of the timeline but it’s actually rooted his feelings for Scorpius. He’d jealous that someone else--who, by all means technically shouldn’t know they exist--is getting the attention that he wants.

The relationship and the general stress on the boys would definitely cause them to lash out at each other eventually. We see this at the train station. But even when they fight, they always come back around because, in the end, they are bound by their experiences. They are the only people they can be themselves around and are closer than anyone else. Their secrecy eventually leads to Elaine breaking up with Scorpius. He can’t open up to her, or introduce her to his family, and is obviously hiding something. I think Scorpius knew their breakup was inevitable, but it was nice to pretend to have a normal life for once and Elaine was that escape he needed.

Albus is the opposite in a way, he seeks comfort from what he knows about his old life--thinking about reuniting with his family, looking back on his Hogwarts experience in his own timeline, and, of course, leaning of Scorpius for support. On the other hand, Scorpius tries to fit in more in his new life by making friends and being with Elaine--thinking of his own timeline I think upsets him more because he’s reminded that his father is all alone. But with their two viewpoints, they balance each other out. It switches sometimes, which is only natural, but there is always one of them acting as the voice of reason which is so desperately needed.

That being said, their future is still so unclear to them that it’s hard to judge just what is reasonable and what is the correct way to go about things--this has never really happened before and it’s not like they can get advice from anything. One line that sticks out to me from chapter 8 is Albus saying, "I don't know what's best anymore. No one does." Being confused and having their pent up mixed feelings about the world is such a huge thing in their lives. So when Scorpius kisses Albus, he immediately thinks it’s a mistake. We find out later why--he’s afraid that Albus will break up with him and he’ll be alone for real. But in the moment, he’s confused--is this the best choice or has he just messed everything up? He can’t lose Albus in the way he lost Elaine. Not to mention the different views in the 80′s (I considered mentioning the AIDs crisis but that seemed a bit too heavy and I wasn’t confident that I could do it justice, but it is an important thing to remember about this time).

As always Albus and Scorpius, can’t stay mad for long and still go on to live together after Hogwarts. I purposely put in a time gap, in between which Albus would likely hold some resentment towards that night when he got so close to having Scorpius share his feelings. But he can’t lose his best friend so they stay together with the lingering awkwardness between them. During that time, going to the muggle world seemed like the best option as they would be much less likely to affect anything in their parent's lives as they would be in the wizarding world. I wanted to give them jobs that they’d like but would also not make a huge impact on time. In the story, they don’t know about the other time turner but I wanted to make sure that once their parents are able to go back and rescue them, very few lives would be majorly impacted after the loss of “Syrus” and “Alaric” (ex. if Scorpius became a healer and helped cure people, if he was erased from the timeline, those people might end up never being helped). Librarian works for geeky Scorpius and bartender works for my headcanon of Albus being good at potions. During this time we get a peek at domestic Scorbus, their pining, and Albus’ jealousy when Scorpius gets attention from women. Although Scorpius wouldn’t date anyone because of the timeline (and his crush on Albus), the fact that he has the potential to date makes Albus upset because he doesn’t think he has the same chances. He blames it on the time they live in but really, I’m sure he could find a man, but he’s too stuck on his feelings for Scorpius to ever try.

For 1994, I opened with Albus describing himself as looking too much like his father. I think that would be something he struggles with because it reminds him of home and how long it’s been since he’s actually seen his father--but yet he still sees him every time he passes a mirror. (This drawing of adult Albus by Marisdrawings was stuck my head writing this)I took more time to describe how Albus looks/dresses here because I like to think the 90s would be his favorite decade in terms of style. I also wanted to show how he’s changed from an angsty insecure wizard to being much more confident in himself as an adult living as a muggle. But he’s still got that edge to him which I think never truly fades. And Scorpius loves that. I believe that he sees Albus as having more confidence that him--feeling more comfortable with his life and sexuality than Scorpius does. And that’s very attractive to him because it’s what he wants most in life--confidence and stability. It’s what they’ve both need and find in each other. But when Scorpius kisses him again he is reminded of all his insecurities and fears, especially when Albus gets angry again. Albus doesn’t want a repeat of last time and Scorpius thinks that, by acting on his feelings, Albus will eventually leave him. I just loved this chapter so much because this is where the floodgates finally break open and everything that’s been pent up finally spills out. They do love each other and always have and finally, they can accept it and come together.

I knew I wanted to write a chapter in 1998 because that’s a huge year in wizarding history, especially for their parents. That whole decade, they’ve been keeping up with the news, knowing their parents are out there living the lives they grew up hearing about. It would be a struggle, especially for Albus, to stay disconnected from that. He wishes he could witness more of his father’s life to understand him better or to give him some help--or just to see his family again. It’s tempting but they still have 20 years to go until they can see them again. There’s no alternative to the path they chose to take now--it’s just a waiting game.

But, as much as Albus might wish he could be back in his own timeline, there’s so much he’s thankful for in his new life. He’s with Scorpius, living a life on his own, and he could never regret that. But he also sees the mistakes he made as a child and realizes he can’t just call up his father an apologize for their arguments and tell him he always loved him--he’s matured a lot since his father last saw him. There’s both good and bad in their lives and he just has to accept that and find happiness in what he has.

Fast forward to 2007. Scorpius is a plant dad, a dog dad, and now wants to be a real dad. He’s so caring and just wants to care for something else, especially as an adult seeing other people his age with kids. He wants that for him and Albus too--to have that bit of normalcy in their relationship and to give a child the love he’d lost after he got stuck in time. There is a possibility that they could have adopted a kid since, in their minds, they would never get their old lives back (and a muggle child wouldn’t affect his father’s life much if at all), buuuut as the writer, I knew what the ending would be. I couldn’t have a child lose their fathers when the timeline was repaired. If they had a kid, they never would have decided to be rescued back in 1981. The life of their child would matter more than fixing their own.

Going off of that, I remember someone commented about them considering having children before marriage which brings us to the proposal in 2014. As out of order as it may have seemed, gay marriage wasn’t legal until 2014 and the time they would most likely have kids would be between their 30s and 40s. By 2014, they are almost 50 and have basically already been husbands for years now--just not legally. If anything, the proposal is more of a gesture, since their relationship has already been as close as a married couple--their soulmates, together for life whether the government recognizes that or not. But I loved the idea of them going back to Godric’s Hollow since it’s their childhood home. A lot of bad happened there but a lot of good did too. It was the start of their story and this is their way of associating one of their happiest memories in a place that also contained their worst. Reclaiming it in a way, I guess.

And the lights in this scene--from the streetlamps to the colorful glow of the stained glass--also have meaning. Albus calls Scorpius his light, referencing back to the “eternal darkness” and, one of my favorite lines “light in the darkness.” It really emphasizes how they found the good, especially in each other, in the darkness of their lives.

Finally, 2020...there’s a lot to unpack here but this is already such a long post that I will try to keep it short. This day would be so surreal to them--they’ve waited so long and pictured the day they could finally reunite with their families. But they also know that their understanding of the events would be completely different than their parents, who have only been missing their children for a few hours not years. In fact, Albus and Scorpius are more mature than their parents which is weird to think about--they are older and have lived a whole crazy life that their parents would never be able to fully understand. And their parents almost don’t even recognize them (I mean, if your 14-year-old son showed up on your doorstep suddenly 40 years older, would you?!). But, calling back to the first chapter, it’s Albus’ eyes that causes Ginny to be the first to accept their story.

I like that they are able to joke about the situation a bit because it shows how they’ve accepted what became of their life. Sure, it’s a real shock to their parents but Albus and Scorpius have spent more time as Alaric and Syrus than they ever did as themselves in their own timeline. This became their new normal, despite all the years they wanted to reject the truth of the matter.

Albus and Scorpius would have told them about their whole lives if there hadn’t been the second time turner. But it became more special, something to keep between them, once it was accepted that they would be rescued. They’d accepted their lives, yes, but they knew it wasn’t the life they were meant to live. They were happy with it enough to give it up--give them the chance to live again with their families, with a better chance of happiness and less hardship. And for their parents--who would miss out on the entire lives of their children if they hadn’t gone back.

Harry, Ginny, and Draco would always remember the visit from the old Scorpius and Albus, so it was better that they didn’t know the whole of what took place in those 40 years--once they were rescued, that whole timeline would be extinct anyway. They wanted their families to have very little knowledge of what happened to them because it would leave them with little expectations of the boys--free to experience life alongside them with no preconceived notions or understandings of what might become of them. To see how time would play out on its own, with no influence from alternate versions of themselves.

They are satisfied with what they have and accepted that this is where their current lives would effectively end, but they are willing to give that up for the prospect of an even better future. Deep down, I’m sure that they know they will be together no matter the timeline. Which is why only Ginny is told that (or, rather figures out that) they are married--Albus and Scorpius want to be able to get together and come out on their own without their parents already expecting them to be together and out of all the parents--that’s such a big and important moment for them that they want their younger selves to experience naturally. I think Ginny would be the best at keeping that secret.

The scene when they are finally left alone, facing their pending fate was one I had in my head from the very start--what I’d originally written down when I came up with the idea. As I said, it’s bittersweet. But they are together, and that’s all that matters to them because they know that together they can face any challenge. In a way, it’s not Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy who are “dying”--it’s Alaric and Syrus Bagshot (and yes, Albus definitely took the name Bagshot when they got married to honor Bathilda.) So when they fade out of existence, they are satisfied with what they have and are looking forward to what their next life will bring--their real life. This is the eternal darkness they knew they’d have to face, it’s just forty years later than they expected. But this time, they are ready for it because the darkness isn’t all that bad.

Do I want to cry rereading this? Maybe...But I love it just the same.

And I almost left it there and made it an open ending. But I’m not that evil and thought there should be some closure, so I brought it full circle back to 1981. Albus is lamenting about the situation just long enough to feel an extreme amount of joy and relief when his parents show up. It will still be a lesson and experience they will never forget, but it’s far less traumatizing than what they went through in the other timeline. And I don’t think anyone will tell them about what happened until they are much older--perhaps Ginny will mention it shortly after their wedding day once everything comes together as they should.

---

WOW that was a whole ass essay, I’m sorry to just unload that on you when you probably only wanted something half this size!! I just really feel passionate about this story and could go on about it forever so I apologize for this rambling mess. I feel like an English teacher, picking out all the meaning and symbolism I didn’t even realize I’d written but there’s just so much that can be said. Anywayyysss hopefully I didn’t bore you to sleep, I just love my boys sm...

That concludes my TED talk. Thank you for this ask ❤

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imagineitup · 6 years

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Mobile Masterlist

UPDATED : 1/27/18

Current Written Fandoms : Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts/Crimes of Grindelwald, All the Light We Cannot See, The Maze Runner, Rogue One, Solo, Teen Wolf, Dunkirk, Les Misérables, Choices

HARRY POTTER

Draco Malfoy

Coffee and Gray Skies

A series of time lapses beginning from when you first see Draco at Hogwarts.

Time

Time lapses of the interactions between you and Draco beginning at the Sorting Hat and following the events of your brother’s death from the basilisk.

Sympathy

It is the Third Task of the Tri-wizard Tournament and you are struck with grief when you discover the horrifying news about your brother, Cedric.

Polyjuice Potion

You are a part of the Golden Trio and confront Draco while under the effects of the Polyjuice Potion during the second year.

Stressed

You fail your Potions assignment and Draco comforts you and helps you deal with your stress.

Talk to Me

Depression and stress have taken a toll on you and Draco finds out and comforts you.

Bludger

You are on the Quidditch team and during a match against Slytherin, get accidentally hit by a bludger.

Shut Me Out

You have had an unreciprocated crush on Draco Malfoy for years, and he confronts you after you suddenly begin ignoring him.

I Had To

You are a muggle-born Slytherin and two students beat you up after you defend Draco Malfoy. He later confronts you about this.

Alchemist

You and Draco first meet each other when you accidentally trip him, but you feel pity towards him when you see him years later, crying. A certain book plays a prominent role in your relationship.

Everything

You have been feeling insecure about your body for a long time, and Draco comforts you and reassures you that you are everything to him.

Worth it

You and Draco are best friends, and someone comes up to Draco and says something disrespectful about you. He gets really angry and you have to calm him down.

Magnetized

Draco has to suffer from the fact that he will never belong with you. He has dreams about you and every single time he gets close enough to see you, he wakes up.

The Somber of the Sky

Draco and you have been best friends since childhood, and he gets angry when he thinks you don’t care about him as much as he cares about you.

Spring Melts Away the Cold

Draco Malfoy is elusive as ever, yet somehow he doesn’t seem to dislike you as much as everyone else. When you finally say hello to him, all the tension begins to melt away, and you find yourself a person whom you can connect with.

Radiant

You and Draco are in the process of moving in together, incorporates sensory prompt: dust floating in golden sunshine.

Sirius Black

Misunderstandings

You think that Sirius fancies your best friend and set the both of them up on a date at the Astronomy Tower.

Not True

Sirius has doubts about himself because of the multiple howlers sent by his parents, and you comfort him.

Oliver Wood

Flirt

You are the Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team and Oliver Wood confronts you after winning the final match of the season.

Lazarus Smith

Not Just a Rumor

You and Lazarus are best friends but your friendship becomes strained when you reveal the truth about a rumor surrounding your feelings.

Tom Riddle

Pieces

You confront Tom after discovering that he is the one who has killed Myrtle Warren.

Pieces (2/2)

The series of events that lead up to part one.

Decide For Yourself

After a traumatizing incident, you become mute. Tom is attracted to you and he becomes jealous after seeing you talking to your best friend, Joshua.

Terrible Things

Tom Riddle surprises himself by developing feelings, of all things, for you, a Muggle-born. He catches himself falling, desperately but manages to hide his feelings for the most part -- until you are hurt in one fateful care for magical creatures lesson. He’s terrified and helps you heal, but once you’re better he wants nothing to do with you.

Fred Weasley

Quidditch

You are on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and help the team win the match.

Jealous

Fred fancies you, but he goes out with Angelina Johnson to try to make you jealous.

George Weasley

Seven Minutes

You are at a party in the Gryffindor Common Room and run into your longtime friend, George Weasley.

It Hurts

You and George break up, and the two of you have to deal with your feelings when McGonagall partners you both together for one final dance.

Midday

You work at a bookstore across from Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes and meet George Weasley one fateful day, as you lose a bundle of string.

Albus Severus Potter

Goodbye

You, like Albus Potter, did not want to be sorted into Slytherin. You cannot take the bullying and decide to leave Hogwarts.

Complexities

Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy are both in love with you, and Albus has to deal with his feelings of lovesickness and guilt.

Complexities (2/2)

In Scorpius’s perspective -- how he feels about you and Albus dating

Scorpius Malfoy

Oranges

You are Albus Potter’s twin sister and Scorpius becomes infatuated with you.

Secrets

You and Scorpius have a secret relationship - until the two of you fall asleep in the library and are discovered by Rose Weasley.

Friends?

You are a transfer-student from Ilvermorny and are dealing with feelings of loneliness and not belonging. Scorpius attempts to befriend you and make you feel more at home.

Awestruck

You invite Albus and Scorpius to come to visit your home in New York, and it is here where you realize you have feelings for Scorpius.

Glass

Scorpius is devastatingly sad about Albus ignoring him, and you comfort him to the best of your ability.

Glass (2/2)

You talk to Albus about his ignoring Scorpius, and Scorpius gets jealous of a slight misunderstanding.

In Reminisce

Scorpius and you are paired up together for a project. He’s a bit intimidated by you at first, but slowly warms up to you and does his best to show you he cares.

Lock and Key

Scorpius tries to push you away to keep you safe, but this ends up with you getting in the middle of Delphi’s wrath when she travels back in time with the two boys.

Celestial

When Albus and Scorpius fail in saving Cedric the first time, he comes back to Hogwarts and sees Albus as a Gryffindor. He also sees that he’s dating you, his childhood friend.

It’s Cold Outside

Scorpius stops by your apartment when he realizes you’re sick, he manages to help you feel a little better by making you warm soup and keeping you company.

Scorbus

Theatre Headcanons

Remus Lupin

But I Love You

You and Remus break up because you cannot find the significance in your relationship. He begins to date another girl to make you jealous.

But I Love You (2/2)

It has been a few months since then, and you can’t help but regret everything that has led to your separation.

Crazy Little Thing

Remus has come to the realization that he’s fallen head over heels for you, his best friend. Based on the song, Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

Shatter

Remus becomes furious when he sees your abusive boyfriend hit you, and he and you have sad moonlight confessions. Ft. pining Remus and the marauders. [இ]

James Potter

Friend Zoned

James is jealous of the friendship that you and Remus have, and doesn’t think he has a chance with you.

Cedric Diggory

What Happens to Us?

You and Cedric have been dating for a few years, and you suddenly become furious and scared when you realize he has entered his name to compete in the Tri-wizard Tournament.

Blaise Zabini

Heartache

You and Blaise have broken up, and Blaise has to watch as you dance happily with George Weasley at the Yule Ball.

FANTASTIC BEASTS/CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD

Theseus Scamander

A Manifestation of Ministry Macabre (1/3) (2/3) (3/3)

You have hated Theseus Scamander for a long time, stemming from when the two of you were Prefects together at Hogwarts. You run into him again when the two of you are both chosen as likely candidates for the position as Head Auror.

Gentle Flurry

You are having drinks with Newt, Tina, and Theseus, and you finally figure out why no one will ever go outside with Theseus when it starts to snow. Cue snowball fights and lots and lots of fluff.

My Beautiful Warrior

When the alarm alerting the danger of a dark wizard rings through the Ministry, both you and Theseus are sent to subdue the Gaunts and bring them back to be arrested. You get hurt in the process, and Theseus beats himself up over it.

Dreamlike Candlelight

You and Newt are getting married, and Theseus reminisces how it happened and tries to come to terms with his pain, while also staying happy and supportive for you both. Based off the song “Satisfied” from Hamilton.

Lights

It’s Christmas, and Theseus returns home with gingerbread in his hands and helps you hang up Christmas lights -- a festive prompt.

Sunrise, Sunset

A series of time elapses from when you and Theseus were children, school-age, married, and then working together as Aurors. A progression of fluff to angst. A progression of weather. A progression of sunlight, a progression of daytime.

Doubt

Theseus and you are both Aurors and very good friends, and the two of you always bring each other lunch every other day. On one fateful mission, Theseus casts his Patronus, and something about it makes him act rather strangely.

THE MAZE RUNNER

Aris Jones

Promise?

You and Aris are separated from each other after Group B completes the maze, and the two of you are reunited at the camp of the Right Arm.

Just Thinking

You wake in the early morning to find Aris gone, and you find him sitting by the cliffside, thinking. The two of you talk and watch the sun begin to rise, reminiscing.

Newt

Just Like the Glade

(TDC SPOILERS)

When Thomas and the others return to the safe haven, you are met with a truth that breaks your heart and throws your world upside-down. You are given a letter that Newt writes - for you to read if he doesn’t return.

ROGUE ONE

Cassian Andor

Hope

You and Cassian are on a mission with K-2, and the droid unknowingly pushes the two of you to come to terms with your feelings quicker.

SOLO

Han Solo

Perhaps

Han delves into his memories and realizes that it is really you who he has loved all along.

Perception

You are a bounty hunter sent by Lady Proxima to kill Han Solo, yet you find you cannot do it.

Missed You

After not seeing each other for years, Han has finally come to terms with his feelings for you.

TEEN WOLF

Isaac Lahey

Confessions

Isaac comes to your room and wants to know why you’ve been avoiding him. Ends in fluff.

DUNKIRK

Peter Dawson

Let Me Go

Peter is leaving for Dunkirk, and you realize that your feelings for him are deeper than you originally thought. You don’t want him to leave.

Gibson

Home

It is after the war, and Gibson wants to face his fear of the water. You come with him, and try to help him when he has a PTSD attack.

LES MISÉRABLES

Grantaire

Unrequited Love and Stuff

(Platonic) You and Grantaire sit on a roof above the ceiling, sharing a bottle of wine, and drinking away all your problems as the night passes on.

ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE

Werner Pfennig

The Sea

You and Werner meet by the sea and have short innocent interactions with each other near St. Malo.

CHOICES : TRR

Maxwell Beaumont

We’ll Figure it Out

Maxwell and you have to deal with your feelings and the overwhelming problem of his finances, your duty to Cordonia, and Liam’s feelings.

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