The Heft of This Magnum Opus in My Hand

Four years ago (four years ago almost to the day – I went back just now and checked!) I started writing a story.

It was to be a story of Remus and Tonks and how their relationship came to be, as well as a story about what the adult characters of the Harry Potter world were up to all that time, while the narrative of the books was with Harry. This was always going to be a long story – though if I'd known then how long, I might never have dared to start! (So in retrospect, I'm glad I didn't know.)

Whether intended that way or not, this story became my magnum opus, the massive behemoth of a thing I was chugging away at all the time in the background, even while writing and posting many smaller fics. I can clearly remember brainstorming ideas for scenes for this story while on long hikes through the wilds of Iceland three years ago; I found myself doing the same when I returned to Iceland this year.

This Remus/Tonks story, despite the intervening four years and 40-some fics, was actually only the second fanfic I started to write, ever. And in terms of posting order, I think it became the forty-second fic, once it was finally ready to start posting?

Part 1 (the Order of the Phoenix year), as you've probably seen, is complete – not just completely written, but beta'ed and revised and done, done, done, and I'm posting it now. All the while, though, I've still been working away at Part 2 (the Half-Blood Prince year), truly wondering if I would ever reach the end. I think you can guess where I'm going with this...

Today, I wrote "The End" on the story.

Oh, there's still work to be done. Probably months' worth of revising, beta-ing, revising more. But a complete draft now exists – over 180,000 words of it, counting both parts together! Four years in the making, from setting down the first words of the first chapter to writing the last words of the last chapter.

Tonight, I'm raising a glass to a feeling of accomplishment!

Be the Light in My Lantern, chapter 4

BE THE LIGHT IN MY LANTERN

Summary: In which Remus and Tonks fight battles, arrest criminals, befriend werewolves, overcome inner demons and, despite it all, find themselves a happy ending. A love story, and a story of the Order years. (At long last, my Remus/Tonks epic, which has been years in the making!)

Notes: Yes, I've changed the title of the story – to "Be the Light in My Lantern" from the old working title "The Beginning of Something." The new title is from a song by Josh Ritter, "Lantern." Josh is one of my all-time favorite songwriters, and this is a song of his that I also sometimes play/perform; it's an anthem of hope and love even in dark times.

( Chapter 4: The Captive and the Cousin )