Hello to all,
Three years ago I started a story and didn't realize how popular it would be. I was 15 at the time and just a kid with nothing but downtime and an imagination and I had started writing fanfiction as a hobby after being infatuated with the idea that canon and fictional universes could be expanded upon in such ways by people who just wanted to create more content for their fellow fans to indulge in. I loved the Harry Potter fan community (I still do) and so with whatever writing skill I had I undertook this massive project that eventually turned into Duty Bound.
I wrote as much as I could, often times updating two or three times a day, interest in the story was generated and even though I only had a vague idea of what I really had in mind in regards to plot I was still feeling the urge to push the fic forward, I wanted to complete it not only for me but also for all the people.
Then life got in the way, I got grounded and my computer was taken, I forgot to update, or I lost interest in writing when school started and I had made friends. Duty Bound took a backseat even though I knew how I wanted it to end, and I still do to this day. People started leaving reviews begging me to finish it and I always had the intention of completing it some way, I didn't want to leave people hanging and for the wait I am truly sorry. I know some people who follow the story might be hoping that this is a letter to alert them that I am continuing to update but this is not the case and I will explain why I am no longer updating Duty Bound and will probably never complete this story, or at least this version of it (there's always the hope I may rewrite it in time).
One: when I began writing I had no practice, no real grasp of characterizations that make such beloved characters like Hermione and Fred who they really are. I lacked the tools to bring such complex people to life on paper and make sure they didn't fall into tired stereotypes. I've read many criticisms of my fic on tumblr and even through PMs on this site and at the time they had upset me but now I realize they are right. Hermione isn't a victim, but I wrote her as one, a helpless damsel waiting for Fred to come save her. My portrayal of the women of Harry Potter was not ideal, and at the time I didn't understand why but now I do and I am almost embarrassed of this story, the only reason it's still here is because I know that it's gotten very popular among the fremione community (or at least it once was) and after voicing my thoughts to delete it people messaged me on tumblr telling me to leave it and on top of that I like to keep it on this old account I don't use anymore to reflect on. I have grown so much as a writer and I'm proud of my progress, Duty Bound wasn't a failure but a stepping stone and I'm still growing, a little more every day.
Two: the subjects I dealt with in this fic I incorporated not realizing the gravity of them at fifteen. I only equated good drama and high stakes fiction as something tragic happening to the characters. I wasn't true to the characterizations of the Harry Potter characters and now I know how OOC my versions were. Some of the more horrific aspects of Hermione's plight were central to the plot and I debated continuing the story but not including certain things but realized that they had become so hopelessly tangled. I have no desire to continue this now because the abuse suffered by both Luna and Hermione was extensive and I didn't know how to properly handle it, I was irresponsible.
These things being said I am still a fremione shipper, I still love the Harry Potter community and I am so sorry for all the fans of this story who continued to wait for updates that would never come. However I am not completely without a heart, in this author's note (it's really now more of a letter) I am going to include what my ideal ending vision of this story was so there's some closure for you guys who faithfully message me once every six months asking for an update of some kind:
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While the boys work tirelessly to build a map, now with Draco's help (eliminating their need to create a magic map that can show them any location, as Draco knows the floor plan to his home) the Order inducts Harry, George, Fred, Draco, and Ginny into their ranks and begins mounting an attack. Meanwhile Hermione's safeguarded as she nears her due date.
Lily is slowly overtaking Luna's body, her hair is growing in red and her eyes are still green and Snape tries frantically to keep her close but the consequences of his actions are becoming more and apparent as Luna's body starts to decay, the dead are not meant to be brought back. In addition, Lily is still the same age she was when she died while Snape has grown old and any attempts to reconnect with her end poorly, especially since she knows what he has done and refuses to speak to him in disgust. Hermione and Lily interact on small levels, Lily's weakened condition doesn't allow for much movement but she listens eagerly to Hermione's stories of Harry. Meanwhile, Draco alerts the Order as to what has happened to Luna and they begin scrambling to find how to reverse it.
It is important that Hermione is rescued before she gives birth, disabling the horcrux from being created and allowing for Harry to finally kill him in the final battle, the Order strikes in the night, raiding the compound under cover of night and Fred heads the battle, finding Hermione and killing Snape in revenge for Ron's death. Harry parts with the group to find Voldemort.
Draco locates Lily/Luna, without Snape to protect her she is unguarded and Luna's body has decayed to such a state it is evident that her chances of survival are very low. Lily explains to him as he carries her body out into the gardens away from the fighting that if he weakens the vessel enough Lily will not be able to remain within and will pass on once more to the other side and Luna will have full control as her soul was not fractured during the magical binding. At Lily's behest he casts the killing curse and the strain is too much as her soul is released and Luna's body goes limp, her breathing shallow but her heart still beating. Lily gives Draco a message of hope to give to Harry saying that she is waiting for him on the other side before fading away completely.
The battle continues to wage but it is made evident that the Death Eaters have placed keeping Hermione close at top priority and it's unclear in the confusion of the fighting whether or not Voldemort is even still on the grounds. The Order of the Phoenix surges around Fred and Hermione as he attempts to beat back the enemy and he disapparates back to Grimmauld Place where Lupin is awaiting for them.
When they apparate in Hermione's face pales and she faints, causing panic as Lupin and Fred drag her body to the kitchen. She's hemorrhaging, during the disapparation she wasn't spliced but the baby inside was, causing Hermione's body to go into shock. Told in conjunction with Harry's search and battle with Voldemort, Lupin and Fred rush to save her as they struggle to extract the child and in the early hours of the morning, at the same time Voldemort falls dead in Malfoy Manner and Luna opens her eyes (described now as blue with flecks of stunning green that show testament to Lily's presence) a child is born dead in Fred's arms.
Fred is surprised, the baby isn't grotesque or snakelike as he had thought it would be, but a completely normal child. The splicing revealed to have detached the placenta and they couldn't deliver it in time, causing the child to suffocate in the womb, effectively rendering the prophecy false as the baby never lived to be turned into a Horcrux and Hermione wasn't murdered by Voldemort's hand in order to help create it. Fred ponders how the baby, a girl, has dark hair that he decides must have been the same shade as Tom Riddle's and her features do not resemble Hermione's at all.
Draco manages to regroup with the last of the Order as the Death Eaters scatter once they sense Voldemort's demise. The child of the prophecy has been stolen by the Order, they have suffered massive casualties, and Severus's body is discovered. Among the fallen Draco steps over the body of his father as Molly Weasley helps him with Luna who is still incredibly frail and parts of her body have turned black as though Lily's soul had literally burned her body. They apparate back to Grimmauld Place, finding Fred sitting in the kitchen among the blood and mess from Hermione's delivery, her body splayed haphazardly on the kitchen table and Lupin frantically working over her to stem the blood loss (the Dark Magic surrounding the child has made his healing efforts less than effective). The baby looks to be sleeping except that it's eyes are open and it does not blink, Fred is deeply affected, he realizes that the child is a casualty of the war and that she herself was never evil, but born of evil circumstances. Just as Tom Riddle was born under the effects of magic that made an unwilling partner participate so was she. Ginny takes the corpse of the baby away from him and wraps it in a sheet so it's face is covered, those who can offer help with Hermione doing so as the bleeding eventually stops and she is placed upstairs with Luna who is being worked over by Mad-Eye.
They bury the child within the next few hours, Charlie and Bill doing it alone. When Hermione awakens she only asks if it was in pain when it died and Lupin tells her in a grim tone that it was dead before it drew its first breath. The final scene of the story is dawn breaking over the Burrow, empty now as everyone is still regrouping at Grimmauld Place, it's quiet and the people of the world slumber on, unaware that the war has ended but still the silence breeds hope.
The epilogue (something I may still write) concludes with Harry and Hermione standing at Ron's grave an undisclosed amount of time later, paying their respects. Children's laughter can be heard inside and it's later revealed that these are Luna and Draco's children. Luna's body is scared badly and still black in some areas but she is fully recovered, her hair is once again the same blonde but the green in her eyes will never truly fade. Harry and Ginny have married and she is pregnant with their first child.
It is made known that since the gruesome birth of the Riddle child Hermione is unable to conceive and she has no desire for children. Fred describes their road to recovery still long but he knows that they are okay and that sometimes it's hard but they press on for the sake of those who didn't survive the war. The emotional repercussions are extreme, especially for Luna and Hermione, who have grown closer as friends because of their experiences.
The final lines are of Fred watching Hermione write in a journal, when she was recovering he had brought her the one she had bought so many months ago in Diagon Alley and she had filled it up, the writing had soothed her and he had continued to buy as many as she needed until she slept soundly through the night without waking up screaming. When they are filled she burns them, having once explained to him quietly that it was her way of releasing the memories. In the present moment he reaches for her hand, feeling the wedding ring around her finger, she looks up and smiles at him. It's not the same smile of the Hermione that had greeted him at the altar, it's changed quite a lot since then but there's still the same fire behind it. He kisses her and they are interrupted by Draco and Luna's young son asking Fred if he'd please come out and play quidditch with the rest of the family who has gathered outside. Fred responds that he will only play if Hermione joins him and she scowls.
"Don't let me fall."
"I won't."
