In a lot of respects I think Harry/Fleur is the most difficult pairing to successfully pull off (ironically I think maybe only Harry/Ginny is =/more difficult). Unlike complete OCs or 'fan created' characters like DG/TD, Fleur is represented in canon (however fleetingly), and thus there are limitations already imposed that other characters/relationships do not have. Creating a depth of character underneath JKR's 'surface character' is always going to be difficult.

In that regard I think that this Harry/Fleur works in that - within the confines of the AU - the relationship is believable. A few posters have stated that H/F lack chemistry, but I think that is realistic, in many ways the relationship evolves out of convenience. It is obvious from the outset that both characters are far more damaged than their canon counterparts, Harry has become completely isolated feeling betrayed by those he previously trusted, and Fleur has known the pain of loneliness for too long. If you can accept the situations they find themselves in (which is maybe the problem), you should be able to accept the characterisations.

 

That's a pretty fair analysis of it, if that's what the author intended I believe it.

I really don't have too much of an issue with their relationship, the problem is that we've had too much of it and not enough of anything else recently which has made us focus more on its faults. If it was spread out between different types of scenes it wouldn't really be an issue - for me.

 

Why Ginny? Ginny IMO has enough going on already, as the only other person possessed by TMR, she completely changes over time from fangirl, to independent femme-fatale.

In that sense, I can see a workable argument for any of the other choices: Hermione, the girl he knew first and best
Fleur: has always been different, stereotyped, a kindred soul, etc.

I don't see why Ginny is any different, considering that JKR never really went into a whole world about any of the main female characters except Hr. You're never going to change Hermione, because her character doesn't show any easily corruptible/grey traits.
Ginny does, Fleur does (arguably).

 

Yet most HHr writers do, most of the time in a bad way.

Honestly Ginny probably isn't that hard to do or that unrealistic. I just have a permanent case of the bitterness from canon that will prevent me ever enjoying it. I can see it being done well though.

 

What's to be bitter about?

I think the best way to portray Ginny is Changeling-ish. She's darkened in her own way, a slap in the face that will remove Hr's idealized views of the world.

Also, have you read one where Hermione is changed, and in a good way?
Hoping it doesn't take a Snape or Malfoy to bring that out *fingers crossed*

 

Except she's no like that in canon. Only once has she shown to beeven slightly affected by what happened to her.

To answer your earlier post the reason she's so hard to write about is the fact that she's a Mary Sue. It's not that she doesn't have any faults, it's just that since her appearance was limited, we're not given enough information about her faults, thereby giving the appearance that she doesn't have any faults. If a writer does give her faults, then that makes them OOC whereas in the caseof Hermione you can just magnimise or minimise her faults. Fleur's faults are luckily known since she came off as a bit of a bitch in canon. The problem with Fleur though is the opposite, other than her looks, she doesn't have much goign for her.

I should note however that all of the above should be redundant. A good story needs to be good regardless of romance unless the main point of the story is romance itself such as Romeo and Juliet (Yes, I know it was a tragedy). Ask yourself this, would you enjoy this story if the pairing wasn't Harry/Fleur?

 

It's not as simple as that. A good story is defined by its content and the pairing is a major part of this story. I'm don't know if the story would be more enjoyable if there was another pairing. The author could end up making another pairing just as boring as this one. I would certainly enjoy the story more if there wasn't a pairing at all. However, that takes away more than half the content of the story and it would't really be this story.

Like someone mentioned before, the pairing itself might not have been a problem, even without the chemistry, if it wasn't so prominent.

 

Very valid. Her only flaws are naivete and fanboying and both of those are gone by the time Harry falls for her. Take a look at the post on HPGW foreshadowing before HBP released. Very illuminating.

Unless the romance is the point of the story (have you seen the Teddy Lupin - Victoire Weasley stories? ROFLMAO), I would agree with you. The story should exist independent of the romance IMO.

 

I too thought something might be going on between Fleur and Bill (and so did many others apparently), since the author felt the need to explicitly state in an A/N that the story is H/F exclusively and no one will be cheating on anyone.

I like the idea of H/F, but I have to agree that I'm not feeling their chemistry. That said, I can't say I like Katie any better -she annoys me.

BTW Am I the only one that found it weird when suddenly a couple of chapters ago Harry got cold feet about living together (buying furniture?) after all the proclaiming they've done about about being a perfect fit/the only ones to understand each other etc.?

 

It's not that odd tbh. Harry has only ever lived alone and never bought furniture for a home - it's enough to make anyone apprehensive even if its done with a loved one.

 

I think you are absolutely right on this front. The relationship seems kind of messed up in all honesty. Two lonely people who felt incredibly isolated found each other and started becoming unnaturally dependent on the other person. I doubt it would be taking it too far to even say violently possessive given how they seem to act/think. I'm pretty sure people have seen relationships like this or even dated someone like this.

It's not exactly chemistry that bring people like this together. At least, that's the impression I got from them.

 

Yeah, I didn't find the cold feet about moving in together that odd - in fact, I thought it was one of the better developments in the relationship between Harry and Fleur, as it gave it some much needed depth. A 16 year old moving in to live with his significant other is in no way a normal event, so it would've actually been weird if he treated it as completely normal.

 

I'm not convinced that the author ruled it out. He said a lot of stories do that, and would she really do all that for a ring? or something similar.
There's been no explicit ruling out.

 

Harry needs a relationship in this story being with Fleur or no Fleur is a irrevelant matter.

This Harry needs someone to be anchored to hopeful future(The Mirror of Erised Chapter). The beginning of the story(middle/end of fouth year) we see Harry going batshit crasy only when he gets "someone" he starts to slowdown.

The author compares him and Riddle for a reason. They are very alike after all.

 

And that will, I think, be why this is a Cadmean victory. He'll lose Fleur, lose his soul for her and turn into the monster he wants to crush or, he turns, loses fleur, and goes insane.

Because there's nothing else for him to lose.
Sanity, and love. That's all he has in this story.

 

I just don't see the author doing that. I can see him killing just about everyone off at any point except Fleur.

 

If he doesn't, it is by no means a Cadmean Victory to Harry. He's got to lose something he legit cares about in the pursuit of his goal, to succeed, and probably rationalize away whatever he sacrificed.

Part of me wants to be right, so that we get another gradual spiral into madness fic.

Another part likes Harry/Fleur too much to see that.

*shrug* we'll see.

 

I mean, it'd be a bold and respectable move if he did. I just don't think he will and frankly don't want him to. It'd ruin the story - in my opinion - just to support its title a bit more. I'm far more interested in its content than its title.

 

I mean he has already lost quite a lot of things on his path. His old friends are gone, his personality has changed in a way that you could argue is for the worse, he sacrificed the painting, etc. He could easily lose enough without losing Fleur to still have you question if the victory was really worth it in the end.

 

Yeah, I especially hate it when a female charcter is defined solely by her relation to the protagonist. It's even worse when they're dead and act as something that's pushing the protagonist forward.