One for Sorrow

I've been trying to think of something to post for a few days, and every time I start something it ceases to amuse and I delete it. Which is why I'm late with HAPPY BIRTHDAY conniemarie and nmalfoy I notice. Hope you guys both had great days!

One thing that did come up in a sub-thread of the PS/SS re-read was Remus, ( about whom I shall now ramble for a seriously long time. )

First, I know there is a lot of Snape and Draco love 'round these parts. So encourage everybody to consider putting that love to good use in this here fic-a-thon!

Talking like a cowboy is not required. Check it out!

* * * *

Recently _rp_zeal_ talked about why she liked Draco, something I had to ask myself too. He's more a convenient surrogate than someone I identify with. I might cringe when he does something awful or stupid, but I'm cringing for him, not me, because in almost any situation, I would never do what he does. Even when I might say what he says, I wouldn't say it the way he does. However, I know there are people who have openly admitted to being Draco or Pansy as a kid. Since these characters are presented so unflatteringly in canon, I believe that the people who are claiming this are being honest. That is, they're admitting to some really awful (or just embarrassing or unflattering) past behavior that they've now grown out of or changed. They're owning their own flaws through the character, not making the character a hero.

So my question is...do any of you (meaning everybody, not just my flist) have characters in the series you can say that about? The character in which you recognize your own flaws? Which "rotten kid" were you in school? By that I do not mean which character do you *enjoy* identifying with. It doesn't count if you're owning a character's flaws because you don't really think they're flaws. For instance: A person who feels they were like Hermione because they were an overachiever and could be bossy...because everyone else, sadly, was so comparatively slow. Or that they were like Luna because they didn't fit in...because everybody else was so conformist and mean, and they were interesting, creative and special.

An example of an *acceptable* answer for this, using Luna, would be: "I affected a weird persona and then pretended I didn't know I was being intentionally weird for attention. God, I was so annoying and fake." Something like that. I'm not saying this is the correct way to look at Luna. The question is more about the readers. Do you see the awful kid you were in school in the characters? Like behavior that you indulged in that you aren't proud of? Something you own as your own fault without blaming other people (I was bossy because the other students were so far behind me. I was whiny because everyone else was mean. I bullied X because he deserved it!!) for it?

I don't know if anybody else is interested in this idea, but I would love to hear what people had to say if they could answer. Anyone want to confess their childhood sins (which we all probably still struggle with)? You can always do it anonymously.:) I'll do my own, anyway, in case anyone else is interested. (Prepares for massive de-friending once inner rottenness is revealed.)

( I'm Sister Magpie. And I'm a Remus Lupin. )