#falling dark

I am so moved by Theo and Hermione’s relationship. Theo/Hermione (and Lavender/Hermione) are the heart and soul of these books. Don’t get me wrong, the Dramione is incredible, but your Theo has a special place in my heart.

Your writing for Hermione and Theo is devastatingly beautiful. I keep going back to Theo’s words “Was it hard being my friend?” “It was the easiest thing in the world.” Such a simple response but much layered beneath. Their heartfelt exchanges can instantly bring on the melancholy (and sometimes tears), which is a testament to your abilities. Theo’s line: “I love you. And I don’t think it really matters what category that love falls into” really says it all about them. (It kind of makes me think of Kaleidoscope by Chappell Roan - a hauntingly beautiful song). I just can’t get over how special their connection is. I loved your music references (and those mixtapes and Hermione’s illustrations - Gah!) There’s a song that isn’t from the 90s (it’s current) but suits them IMO. The song is Favourite by Fontaines D.C. I can envision a scene in bar/disco where the gang reunites and Favourite comes on — H and T jump up to hit the dance floor, dancing wildly and singing freely (the lyrics are a bit wistful but the song is happy), and soon the others join them. At some point they look at each other across the melee and an unspoken message passes between them. The lyrics say ‘you’ve been my favourite for a long time’ and they understand that the song applies to them (albeit not in a way that changes the status quo). The song has a 90’s vibe - Modern English/New Order/Psychedelic Furs, but is from 2024 and is actually one of my favorites these days.

Your writing is so evocative and cinematic. I can see and feel the settings/characters/mood more than most other books I’ve read. And it’s not because of the existence of the film characters (just.. no) or even your Pinterest photos (though I did enjoy seeing your Theo and all the clothing inspirations…and really needed to see Lavender’s outfit at the last party to fully comprehend the magnitude of it lol). The pre-Christmas evening in Hermione’s room is especially poignant and lovely. It was brutal, yet beautiful and left its mark in my brain. Hermione’s whole day leading up it —Lav, flying, visiting Hagrid, and her talk with McGonagall — feels like a full-circle process of self-care and fortification for what’s to come.

Your writing is suffused with atmosphere and I appreciate how you use these elements to enrich the experience: The music (the mixtapes; in the car; dancing; Theo saying he cried listening to A Fisher and a Farmer, and that he kept, but set aside those two tapes.) The clothing (the jumper dress, the scarf, the kilt, rolled sleeves, Lav’s hot pants). The weather (the heat of summer in BL, the gloom of fall/winter in FD). And San Cipriano is such a vibe with your detailed descriptions of the flats, cafe, people/interactions, and the terrain - even though it’s fictional we feel like we’ve been there.

The friendships are so refreshing. In addition to Theo and Hermione (and Hermione and Draco, when he’s not closed off), I love how you depict the relationships between Lavender and Hermione, Hermione and Harry, Blaise and Draco, and Draco and Theo. Lavender’s bright and hilarious energy is a balm for the soul and the way she and Hermione support each other is a highlight of both books. Lav gives some great advice and commentary. I laughed out loud at “You kissed him and then you said you needed time? Fucking queen.”

Clearly I could go on and on, and wish there was an appreciation society (or support group - lol) for the aftermath of this duology. Will you revisit this story again? I know you’ve been asked this before... I’m sad to leave your version of these characters.

Aww, thank you so much! It means so much to me when people really connect with BL/FD and especially with Theo. As a writer, he was my first experience with a character who grew organically into something I hadn't exactly intended. Like he developed of his own accord without me consciously driving. I used to think it was kind of silly when writers would say things like, "I don't know, the character just decided to do x, y, & z!" But after Theo, I get it. And since him I've learned to let characters breathe and become themselves. I think that's how you get a really rich characterization because they take you places you can't really conceive of at the outset. Also, the fact that we don't really know much about Theo in canon let me go in whatever direction I wanted. Similar to Lavender, really. Characters like Draco and Hermione are a little more constrained because they're so well known.

I love how you called out the exchange between Theo and Hermione about their friendship. Those lines are some of my favorite I've written (fanfic and original) and encompass so much -- it really makes me happy that you felt that too.

And thank you for the kind words about my writing. I really do transcribe what I see in my head, so it's very special when people 'get' my vision or feel like they are there in the scene. I strive to be evocative and cinematic!

Anyway, thanks again for this message. I've been so hard at work on my original stuff that I'm super behind on Tumblr asks. As for a support group, I do have a Discord server (Rolled Sleeves Agenda) where there was a lot of FD discussion when it was publishing, but it's also been super quiet due to me being focused away from fic right now and (I think!) changes in fandom generally. That said, if you'd like to join, here's an invite link! Lots of fun past posts to look through.

Off to listen to that Fontaines DC song! I'll add it to the BL playlist!

Falling Dark Chp13 ~~~"I know. But god, I—" He shook his head at the floor. "My god, Hermione." He looked back up and there was so much in his face, in his eyes, that Hermione's hand went to her mouth.

It dawned on her that this might be a moment that changed everything.

She shivered, although she wasn't cold. "I know," she whispered and touched her fingers from her lips to his.~~~

My heaaaaaarrrrrrrtttt @scullymurphy itmightchangeeverything 😭😭😭

https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/87093127?show_comments=true&view_full_work=false#main

moodboard // scrapbook concept

Thank you so much! I love it when people really get hooked on the Theomione in Falling Dark because I put a lot of care and effort into it. When I wrote the story, it was very much a goal to explore different flavors of love (romantic, friendship, chosen family) and whether it is possible to truly fall in love with more than one person (spoiler alert, I think it is.) So I wanted to create several relationships that showcased love in different ways. Theo and Hermione were the friends to lovers story, which I think can be quite potent because it involves a meeting of the minds/psyches before the heart/body get involved and churn things up. I really had fun matching their personalities and interests in a fairly platonic way before they came together. And it was *really* hard for me to rip them apart once the time came. I'm talking reluctance to write the scenes, tears, depression for weeks afterward... And it was extra hard because a lot of my WIP readers reacted really strongly to the relationship and the breakup. I took it all quite personally at the time! With some distance, I'm able to appreciate the feelings that Theo and Hermione continue to elicit in Falling Dark readers. I love to see comments like yours because it means I did my job! And I hope that as you read through, I brought you back on the Dramione train just as effectively.

I have my own headcanons about how everything in this universe might turn out in a third story. I've even written an outline of sorts. Maybe someday with even more distance, I'll publish it...

I never knew how much I needed a Hermione/Lavender BFF love story until you gave it to me! She has now become one of my favorite characters. I adore the friendship they built through these two stories. What a beautiful balance and compliment they were to each other!

The dual POV kept me on the edge of my seat and rooting for Draco and Hermione throughout. The tension and attraction and passion you were able to convey was palpable. The pain and angst of the love triangle felt so very real. I think it triggered my own memories of that time in life.

And Theo…my god, Theo! 😍🥹

I didn’t think anyone could replace Draco or Rhysand as my absolute favorite book boyfriend and then you gave me this version of Theo. This funny, beautiful, vulnerable, supportive gem of a human and now I have an obsession with Theo. I can’t get enough of him!

While I ultimately knew he would end up with Daphne and Draco would end with Hermione, and that was as it should be, I was absolutely devastated when things ended between him and Hermione. It brought me to literal tears when he left her to go and comfort Daph bc I knew it was the beginning of the end. They were just so good together. 🥹

With Lavender’s divination background and her cryptic statements about choosing a different path I kept wondering if there would be an epilogue or extra Lavender POV chapter where she has a vision of H and T choosing each other and what that path would have looked like. Does that exist somewhere and I just haven’t found it yet?

This is how consumed I’ve been with this story…I had a dream last night that there was an epilogue that flashed forward like 30 something yrs. After long and beautiful marriages, T & H have both become widowed and they find comfort and healing with one another again. Their paths finally reunite and their love story has its turn. But alas I woke up, finished the book and it was not to be.

All this to say, I would love for you to revisit this world again some day. These characters are beautifully written! I love them all! Thank you

Thank you SO MUCH for this beautiful comment. I can't tell you how much it means to me that the stories touched you in this way. You even DREAMED about them! And to class my Theo with Rhysand!!?? I die! I die! I love Rhys so much too -- it's kind of a problem because I compulsively re-read his scenes. In fact, I read the ACOTAR series right around the time I was writing BL and FD, so there may be a little of Rhys's charm in Theo! I like this theory...

And as for your questions and intuitions about the continuation of this story, I can tell you that I do have a pretty strong headcanon for what happens down the road. I even have a rough outline/zero draft of what could be a third installment someday. I'm still waiting for the time to be ripe to start writing it, although I can't definitively promise it will ever happen. Part of me thinks I should just leave it as-is and let everyone have their own ideas about how it turns out. Also, I'm currently shopping an OC novel around for representation, drafting another OC romance, and preparing to launch a detective noir Dramione multi-chap WIP tomorrow (you heard it here first!!). So my plate is pretty full, lol. But someday, maybe someday. I do miss that world so much and would love to hang out with those characters again.

I'm in a weird phase and have read A LOT of dramione in the last 6 months and a lot of it really good dramione but your cast of characters simply jump off the page (screen?) like few others, I'm absolutely *bereft* at having to leave them to their own lives!

Special gushy mentions to the following elements of the story: how true your writing rings to being a teenage girl in the late 90s (only slightly before my time, showing my age here), the many different types of love we feel for the people around us, LAVENDER (all of her, she's literally perfect), a delightfully accurate portrayal of a ceilidh (utter chaos, and someone's granny out-dancing all the young folk), and that one snippet at the end of FD when Hermione's drunk, at a fucking party, STILL TALKING ABOUT PROOF NUMBER THREE - such a hilarious bit of characterisation, I love her weird little brain.

Anyway, I'm off to dive into your other fics because your writing style is just brilliant, and obviously if you ever write a third part to Light and Dark, I'm THERE, WITH BELLS ON.

Hiiii I am behind on BL/FD asks, I'm so sorry! But I loved this one and it's stayed on my mind. Mostly because you called out things that are so near and dear to my heart in the story. The types of love we can experience, the 90s vibe, Hermione's dedication to proof #3, and because you CLEARLY know your way around a ceilidh--down to the grannies putting everyone to shame. In fact, full confession, all the dashing grannies and aunties in FD were based on my own SMIL (Scottish Mummy in Law), who can absolutely cut a rug.

ANYway, thank you so much for this ask and for coming to tell me how you felt about the story. I hope you enjoyed anything else of mine that you ended up reading! xoxo ~Scully

You've compared Bending Light to Italian Summer and Falling Dark to Scottish Winter. Can you explain what led to such different tones within the same series? I'm so curious about what inspired this choice. What do the two opposing tones mean to you, and how do they apply to the message you want to convey?

Thanks :))

Aww, thank you and I love this question! How lovely of you to come find me on tumblr and ask. 🥹

And I would say that the overall difference came from the idea of how going through a war would affect these characters. The lightness before contrasted with the darkness after. I love a good character arc, so I couldn't resist the idea of taking them through it and seeing how they changed.

When we first meet the group in Bending Light, they've been through some stuff, but nothing like what's to come. No torture or death, no real loss, no pain or deprivation. And they're teenagers -- delightfully self-focused and oblivious to what's going on around them. I loved that for them and wanted to enhance it, which is why I dropped them in their own little world in a tucked-away place. No adults or structure, a lot of independence and novelty. I wanted to convey a sense of being wrapped up in the wonder of daily life. When you're that age and having those kinds of intense experiences, every day is like a week and a month is a season. It really can't be replicated later. I was very inspired by the film Call Me By Your Name, which does this beautifully and in a similar setting.

And then about halfway through writing BL, I started thinking about how the characters would change based on what the war did to them. How would the trauma affect their personalities and actions and make them grow up? If it drove Draco and Hermione apart, how would they deal with that -- and how would other characters (especially Theo) come into play? I've always loved 8th year stories and it was obvious that I wasn't ready to be done with these characters. And then I also happen to be very familiar with the part of Scotland where Hogwarts is supposed to be located. Which, although incredibly beautiful, can be quite dreary and dark during the autumn and winter. So the dichotomy presented itself to me quite clearly with Falling Dark. The warm Italian summer before the war, the dark Scottish winter after.