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fruitcoops · 3 years

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I was wondering if I could request something? Maybe Sirius' first night at the Dumais' place and Dumo can straight away tell that somethings wrong. Sirius makes polite conversation and it all looks so painful until he retires for the night and Dumo passes by his room and he hears Sirius crying maybe? Because of what his mother said, and maybe because he has trouble adjusting to new situations? Just an idea that popped into my head :) Only if you want to write it <3 Thank you

Yes, I can! I love writing Dumo, but for some reason I don't do it that often--his and Sirius' dynamic is just so wholesome and wonderful. SW credit goes to @lumosinlove!

TW for implied child abuse and broken glass (no injury)

The first thing Pascal Dumais noticed about Sirius Black was how quiet he was. At only eighteen years old, Sirius was taller than most of the other Lions, with broad shoulders and gangly limbs. Yet he moved almost silently, padding along the wood floors in his socks and speaking only when spoken to. It was…honestly, a bit unsettling.

Dumo had expected a rambunctious teenage boy, still high on the thrill of being drafted to the NHL—instead, he found himself the guardian-slash-landlord of a ghost. Sirius unloaded his meager belongings with little fuss and accepted no help, his pale eyes never lingering on either of them for too long.

Celeste poked her head into the living room in the early afternoon when they returned from the grocery store; Sirius was sitting ramrod straight in the smallest chair they had with a thick book in his hands. She knocked gently on the doorframe, and he jumped. “Sirius, would you like some lunch?”

“I don’t want to be any trouble,” he said in that unusually soft voice.

“It’s no trouble,” she assured him.

“I can make myself a sandwich if you have other things to do. Really, I’m alright.”

“When was the last time you ate?”

Sirius blinked, as if he hadn’t expected her to ask, then glanced at the clock on the wall. “I had breakfast at seven and a granola bar on the plane.”

“Sirius, it’s almost two.”

“Is it?”

“Come with me for a moment, oui?” She ushered him into the kitchen; Dumo wasn’t sure he would ever get used to seeing someone so physically imposing walk so small.

“Papa?” Someone tugged on the hem of his shirt and he snapped out of his daze, leaning down to lift Adele into his arms with a smile.

“Bonjour, mon chou! Did you have fun outside?” She nodded, wiggling a little in her excitement, and put her hands on either side of his face. Dumo’s stomach sank. “Why are your hands wet?”

“I washed them!”

“Why?”

“Because we played with chalk!”

Both the boys were at day camp, and Katie was down for her afternoon nap. Dumo wracked his brain. “Who were you playing with?”

“Sirius!” she giggled, then held the front of her shirt out. Wasn’t she wearing a different one this morning?“An’ he said chalk stains, so he lifted me up so I could wash my hands and helped me get my new shirt on when it got stuck and let me braid his hair! Can we keep him? Please, Papa, I wanna keep him forever!”

Dumo kissed her forehead as a wave of emotion tickled the back of his throat. Less than six hours in their home, and Sirius was already connecting with his children. “Oui, we can. Did you say thank you?”

Adele bit her lower lip. “I don’t remember.”

“Sirius?” Dumo called. The clanking in the kitchen stopped. “Can you come here for a moment?”

There was a beat of silence before he appeared in the doorway, looking paler than before as he walked over to them. This boy needs to eat more, the parental part of Dumo’s brain thought instantly. Slate-grey eyes flickered between them. “She—she had chalk on her shirt. I’m sorry, I should have asked.”

“It’s alright. What do you say?” Dumo asked, turning to Adele.

She turned a beaming smile on Sirius. “Thank you!”

His whole face softened in the blink of an eye and he smiled back, giving her a light fist bump. “Pas de problem, petit papillon.”

-------------------------------

Sirius opened up a bit over lunch; Adele perched herself right in his lap with her peanut butter sandwich to his clear astonishment, but his smiles came easier after that and Dumo treasured each one. He was already grateful that Sirius did not seem like the type of asshole player that Dumo remembered from his high school years.

Marc and Louis returned to the house just as they finished, and though Sirius offered to help wash the dishes—the boy was a blessing, really—they shooed him off to play with the kids for a while. It would do them all some good to get out in the sun.

“Quiet, isn’t he?” Celeste remarked as they stood side-by-side at the sink. Her tone was casual, but Dumo saw the worry in her eyes.

He hummed in agreement. “He’s probably just nervous, mon amour. They can take a while to warm up.”

“Pascal, I don’t think—”

The sound of shattering glass echoed from the other room. The house held its breath. “Is everyone alright?” Dumo called, drying his hands on the nearest towel as his pulse picked up. “What happened?”

Hushed whispers floated out, followed by the pitter-patter of little feet. He hurried down the hall with Celeste hot on his heels. “I’m so sorry,” Sirius said as they entered the room. He was kneeling on the wood floor, gathering fragments of a small water glass in one palm. “It was my fault. I hit it with my elbow.”

Celeste frowned. “Boys? Adele? I know you were here.”

Dumo didn’t miss Sirius’ hard swallow, nor the sudden nervousness—no, that was fear—on his face as the three kids crept out from around the corner, looking guiltier than anything. Adele stepped forward, but Sirius stood in a smooth, instinctive motion, keeping her behind him. “It was my fault,” he repeated. Dumo’s heart sank.

“Adele, is that true?”

She looked up toward Sirius, who kept his broad hand ever so slightly in front of her shoulder. Celeste raised an eyebrow. “Adele Marie, tell the truth.”

“No,” she said.

“Come here, please.” Dumo watched Sirius’ breaths go shallow as Celeste beckoned to Adele, but confusion took its place when she crouched to her level. “Thank you. What Sirius did was very nice, but we don’t let other people take the fall for our mistakes in this house, Adele. We accept responsibility. Who broke the cup?”

“I was chasing Marc and we both bumped into the table,” Adele confessed, toying with the hem of her butterfly-patterned shirt. “It was an accident, I promise.”

“Did anyone get hit by the glass?” Dumo asked. All three shook their heads. “Sirius?”

He cleared his throat. “No, Mr. Dumais.”

“Marc, Adele, I want you to find the broom and dustpan so your mother and I can clean this up. Thank you for being honest. Sirius, there’s a trash can in the kitchen, but be careful of the sharp edges. And please, call me Pascal or Dumo.”

But he didn’t stop thinking about the visible alarm on Sirius’ face when Celeste brought Adele forward all afternoon. Something was not right.

--------------------------------

If it wasn’t for the baby, Dumo would not have heard it.

Katie woke around midnight with a quiet whine, which devolved into whimpering, and finally into full-out sobbing for over half an hour. He carried her downstairs so she wouldn’t wake the others and gently rocked her, humming lullabies under his breath until his throat was dry and her tears abated. “There’s my good girl,” he murmured, drying her pudgy cheeks with his sleeve.

The last bits of sleep faded away as he set her down in her crib again, and he sighed. The season didn’t start for more than a month, but he had been looking forward to a few consecutive nights of solid rest before then.

May as well check on the others, he thought, wandering down the hallway in his thickest socks and bathrobe to stave off the nighttime chill. Marc and Louis were each out cold; he took the open book splayed across Marc’s bed and set it on his dresser, turning the lamp off as he left. Adele was curled into a tight ball around no less than four of her precious stuffed animals and he tucked the blankets back over her shoulder.

Dumo’s feet carried him down the stairs before his brain fully caught up, and he paused—Sirius had been in their house for a single day, and already he had the urge to look out for him. The thought should have made him feel silly, but instead he felt…peaceful. He felt right. There was a lost and near-silent boy in his home, who protected his kids within hours of knowing them. Of course Dumo was going to make sure he was alright.

Summer wind rushed past the wide windows as he headed toward the basement. It was warmer there, and he took a moment to mentally pat himself on the back for remodeling two years prior. Hopefully, Sirius would be comfortable.

A soft sound broke through his thoughts. Dumo stopped on the last step.

There was a harsh breath, then a sniffle, as if the person inside was trying and failing to keep their tears in past the point of no return. He heard a few shaky, weak inhales, then a choked noise that cut off abruptly with a gulp.

Dumo closed his eyes to hold back tears of his own and knocked lightly on the bedroom door.

Everything went silent with a rustle.

“Sirius?” he whispered, raising his voice just enough to be heard through the door. “Are you awake?”

There was no answer.

“Can I come in?” he ventured.

An unsteady voice answered. “Ouais.”

The door creaked a little as he opened it and stepped into the dark room. Sirius was nothing more than a clump of shadows on the far side of the bed, squished tight against the wall with all his blankets wrapped around him. “What happened?”

“Nothing. Je vais bien.”

“Can I sit?” Dumo fully expected Sirius to tell him ‘no’, to make an excuse, to pull some arrogant teenager nonsense.

Instead, he tucked his legs up and made room near the foot of the bed with another sniffle. “Did I wake you?”

“Non. Katie was crying, and I thought I’d check on everyone.” He settled down and scooted until his back was against the wall as well—Sirius was still hiding in a cocoon of his duvet, but his hand came up to wipe his face. “Do you want to talk?”

“About what?”

“You seem upset. I know the homesickness is hard for the first few days, but—”

“No.” The vehemence of Sirius’ answer shocked him into silence. “No. I’m not homesick. I just—so much has happened, and I—it’s—this is everything I wanted, right here, and—”

He broke off with a wounded noise that broke Dumo’s poor heart right down the middle. He moved closer until their shoulders touched; to his surprise, Sirius leaned on him and shivered. “How can I help you?” Dumo asked quietly.

“Your family…” Sirius shook his head and drew the covers tighter. “You have a beautiful family. You should be proud of them.”

“I am, every day.”

“Your kids love you so much.” It was barely more than a whisper.

Dumo sighed through his nose. “I know.”

“No, you don’t, they—you’re their hero. And not because of hockey.”

That was Dumo’s dream, laid out right in front of him. If someone he hardly knew could see that, then it must be true. The impact was greater than he ever could have imagined; his lungs felt tight. “Thank you. Is it alright if I ask you something?”

Sirius stiffened slightly.

“You’re not in trouble, and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I’m just…worried.”

He felt Sirius shift. “This is about the glass.” It wasn’t a question.

“Oui.” Dumo searched for the words and scrounged up any sliver of tact he could find. “Sirius, do you—what happens when you break a glass at your house?”

Sirius’ breath rushed from his lungs in a near-silent sob. Dumo gathered him close in his arms and held him, letting tears dampen his shoulder as he murmured soft reassurances in French. “I’m sorry,” Sirius croaked, though he did not move away. “I’m sorry for—for intruding, and for ruining your shirt—”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Dumo gave him a light squeeze of comfort and felt him go a bit boneless. “And you are not intruding. We love having you here with us.”

“Really?”

He sounded so unsure. So young. Dumo wished he could take away whatever horrible things had been said to ever make someone so kind feel so small. “Yes. Adele, especially.”

“She’s so…colorful.” Fondness dripped from every word.

“She is,” Dumo agreed. “She came running up to me, and went ‘papa, papa, can we keep him?’”

Sirius laughed a little at his imitation and straightened up, drying his eyes on his hoodie sleeve. They sat quietly for a while until the shaking stopped and his death grip on the comforter loosened. “Thank you, Mr. Dumais.”

“Call me Pascal, or Dumo if you like. ‘Mr. Dumais’ makes me sound like a grandfather.” They laughed together, then fell silent once more. “And you’re welcome. Any time you need help, you can come to me. I might not be your father, but—”

“You’re better,” Sirius interrupted, wiping his nose. His shadow turned to face Dumo in the dark, and though he couldn’t see his face, he could picture the earnest expression. “In every way. Please don’t tell anyone about this, though.”

“It never even crossed my mind,” Dumo answered honestly. “I should let you sleep now. We have some busy weeks ahead of us, eh?”

“Bonne nuit, M—Dumo.” The name carried new weight and he let it sink in as Sirius laid back down and kicked his blankets back into place. Something told him this was the beginning of a very interesting story.

“Bonne nuit, Sirius. Welcome to our home.”

#fanfic #my fic #sweater weather #lumosinlove #sirius black #pascal dumais #celeste dumais #dumais kids

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lunarfly · 3 years

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Hermione as Harry's Light (by Evaluna)

Hello! This is an essay written many years ago, before the release of HBP&DH. It doesn't belong to me so credits to the original writers(Evaluna, Turambar & Mad-I Moody)! It was written on the CoS forum, I'm not sure if it's still saved there but I have a word document with all of the essays. Anyways, this essay has no ship/character bashing. Again, this essay isn't written by me, but it's one of my favorites. Enjoy!

Quote by Mad-I Moody:

"1."Ron's mum's lit a fire in there [Harry's bedroom] and she's sent up sandwiches." -Hermione couldn't know that if she had immediately dashed up to Harry.

2. "Ron and Ginny say that you've been hiding from everyone since you got back from St. Mungo's." - She's obviously talked to them about this at some point between their arrival back from the hospital and her arrival at 12GP.

3. "The others have told me what you overheard last night on the Extendable Ears."

-Does this indicate that she's had time to talk to the other members of the Weasley clan? Sources point to yes!

Now, isn't it sensible to assume that, in the instances wherein Hermione talked to the Weasley family, she was, at least, thoughtful enough to ask about Mr. Weasley?

Saying Hermione came only to be with Harry cannot be true therefore, because:

1. She doesn't go to see him the MOMENT she comes through the door

2. She gets Harry right out of the sulking room and takes him into a room with Ron and Ginny, with whom she has quite obviously been talking.

3. There is no indication that she wants to be alone with Harry"

Mad-I: Disagree. Not just from a textual analysis standpoint; there we have each our own interpretation. My strongest disagreement comes from what I see as a critical ‘septology’ issue [overarching theme of all 7 books]: Harry overcoming his own internal darkness [despair, hopelessness, isolation] before able to wage and win [or overcome] the external darkness [Voldy, evil, fear, hatred and division]. See below post. IMO the Hermione as Lifeline or Light for Harry scene is representative of what Harry must confront and for what he must stand and fight:

--darkness and the battle of good over evil,

--despair [depression] and the battle of love over [here, self-] hatred,

--isolation and limitation [e.g., Harry imposes on himself a prison for his mind], and the battle of love as emanation over barriers, constraints, and perceptions

It begins with himself. And IMO it doesn’t end. But anyway, it progresses from there to encompass the world. On his own, this scene shows that Harry is vulnerable in that he needs a source of love [for himself] to sustain him; only then can Harry be a source of love [for the world] in his [upcoming and perhaps ongoing] battle with darkness. Harry needs love in this regard perhaps more than anyone else in the world, and yet he’s had very little of it, with Sirius mostly kept apart from Harry. Except for Hermione, who has always been there for Harry? With Hermione’s return, once more for Harry there is connection and hope, and the belief in unlimited horizons and potential - some would call it faith -- when with Hermione. For ship and for series, IMO, I believe that Harry’s ability to acknowledge his need for love [for me, this means for Hermione] is the first step on his path to the light.

What the scene does imply is that Hermione’s conversation with Ron and Ginny and the others’ [may include Fred and George as well] was extremely brief and in the majority focused firmly on Harry. So brief in span that the snow had not yet melted even after climbing the stairs and so focused on Harry and his situation that Hermione had the grasp on all the main details already when she first pounded on the door. This is a young woman on a *mission*. A mission to save Harry. Hermione reaches Harry and saves him from himself, from his dark side, from his own personal hell. I personally think this is one of the most critical scenes in the book for Harry and his battle for good over evil, probably the most important one. The battle is within as well as without, and Hermione is the bringer of light to balance his darkness, to bring balance to his soul AK and Earendil:[thanks for SF ref!] a soul is a universe in and of itself <kabbalah, so one could say Hermione is bringing balance to the universe, in this sense]. Some may say it is not romantic..er…well…to each. But it can certainly be argued that the light and dark imagery, in bringing light from darkness, in the balance they provide one another, in the give and take [in interactions, in providing insight [in this scene=hers/giving love to him through her actions when she comes] or providing courage [in this scene=his/accepting her love through his actions when he follows] between them are the yin and yang that represent in both religious and esoteric texts the love on many levels required for spiritual completion of the marriage of two [bodies and souls] as one, separate but together [again, see the smoky caduceus-like vision that Dumbledore views after Harry’s vision prior to their arrival at number 12, which is followed shortly thereafter by the arrival of Hermione.

With this, one can make a case for striking symbolic romantic and platonic love imagery simultaneously, as well, in terms of a soulmate love that is “complete” on an esoteric level, a bonding of body and soul, the material and spiritual. I see no inherent contradiction, probably because I’m not an ancient Greek philosopher named Aristotle. [‘What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies’. --Aristotle] The difference being that we in our day can allow for this kind of soulmate love

between a man and a woman, as well, and that we can allow love to exist on many different levels between a man and a woman, not just Eros or what the Greeks narrowly defined as romantic love. The esoteric concepts of a true bonding of souls between a man and woman did of course contain all of these forms of love, sealed with emotional, physical, and contractual public commitments intended to represent the bonding of two souls as one before God and heaven. IMO how can this scene not be important for Harry, particularly as we all know that love is critical to overcoming all that Voldy is and represents? And whatever type you feel exists them between them, IMO there is deep love. So in fact I think this can be argued strongly as a H/Hr scene. For those who disagree, nonetheless it’s all-good since a deep soul love exists regardless if it is ‘very’ platonic. This is, after all, just a hair’s breadth from ‘total consciousness’.

One more point I mentioned before that I want to bring up in context of reinforcing Hermione’s critical position as Harry’s Light, Lifeline, or Savior. Arguably, since Hermione is key to bringing Harry back from the edge [regardless of what comes later], IMO the larger symbolism is that Hermione is “the one” who will always save Harry from his greatest enemy - himself, his dark side. After that, and only after that, can Harry save the world. She will help him choose light [represented by…Hermione] over darkness [his own despair and hopelessness, his feelings of being unclean and unworthy]. Even I can see some traditional religious symbolism here, but there’s much esoteric symbolism as well. Nonetheless, Ron’s gift of…what, frankincense and myth? Is that why the perfume smelled unusual?... Ron’s gift only seemed to highlight his deeper, intuitive understanding [at some level] of Hermione’s fundamental importance to Harry. Yin and Yang. Inexorably intertwined - just thought I’d throw that in here as well! And for what purpose would Ron is shown as gifting her with such symbolic honor if not to perhaps choose to give his life for hers, thereby saving Harry’s light and thus saving them all. Particularly, if Ron betrays or obstructs Harry and Hermione [this may happen if Ron is rejected by Hermione or “loses” her to Harry, per 6th step scene, falling away from the path to Hermione's door], then Ron may sacrifice himself [from betrayal guilt] to save Harry and/or Hermione [same scene, where Ron falls at Harry's feet] thus restoring his character and his legacy in addition to doing his critical bit to save Hermione &/or Harry [=the world].

(Turambar) I agree that the Christmas scene is one of the most significant in the book.

Just on what you said about the light/dark: it's interesting that JKR accentuates the extremities in various ways to bring out that contrast.

She uses biblical language - appropriate considering the timing - such as "unclean" and "possession" to describe Harry's self-disgust. His feelings of being unfit to be in the company of others brings another biblical image of the leper.

He completely isolates himself for a period rather than just behaves in a moody/angry fashion in company. He's "starving", cold.

Hermione is not mentioned at all from the time of the dream to her knocking on his door - an obvious device to enhance the surprise and impact of her arrival.

There's the imagery of evil (snake) and love (hippogriff) and as I've said before that suspicious dream occurs just when Harry is at his lowest ebb.

I agree with what FP said: the sequence shows the limitations of his relationship with the Weasleys and Sirius and conversely the growing significance to him of Hermione.

Both times he's considered running away when in a depressed state - here and before the First Task - the option has been to run to the barren, loveless Dursleys. To the house that's not a home and the family that isn't a family (to him). Both times he's got through the bad patch with a bit of help from Hermione.

#harry potter #harmione #harmony #harry and hermione #harry potter ships #hermione granger #hp ships #harry x hermione #harry/hermione #hermione and harry #hermione x harry #hermione/harry #harry potter series #harry potter books #hp #hhr #harry potter essay #harmione essay

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minervahopebeyond · 4 years

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Blood Daffodils.

I’m so fucking happy that I’ve got to finally write this!!! Please let me know what you think!! ✨✨ I love to read your comments💕

Ps. I’ve checked but I’m sorry if you find any errors in this one.

Chapter 6: Sleepovers.

The first thing they did when they returned to the mansion was secure the wards again. Draco had suggested it, he was really fucking paranoid. When they finished someone would have, probably, set themselves on fire if they tried to get through them. And the blond boy conjured a bunch of traps around the house, just in bloody case.

Second thing was deciding where Ron would sleep.

"If Padfoot shares with dad we get a room each..." Potter said very casually. Mr. Potter snorted.

"Well... I'm not going to complain about that." The man responded, looking at Sirius with a smug smile.

Weasley said that he really didn't need a room to himself, he didn't want to impose or anything. Draco rolled his eyes and explained that Potter was just being a little shit.

"I just don't want to hear Ron snoring the entire night."

What a prat. If Sirius didn't want to share with James he shouldn't have to.This was Potter thinking that he could fix everything in the world, even his father's love life.

Draco walked passing right by the green-eyed boy to start climbing up the stairs.

"Don't worry, weasel. You can sleep in my room, after living with Crabb for six years, I can handle any kind of snoring."

Weasley nodded, his face seemed to be relieved. When Potter said that stupid thing about him, It had made the redhead feel self-conscious, and really, if he were in Ron's place, he would have punched Harry in the face, considering all the times that his friend invited him to stay at the burrow and shared his room. Draco clearly knew that this was Potter lame attempt to bring Sirius and James together, it had nothing to do with Ron or his sleeping habits. The blond boy just thought that it seemed rather juvenile and unfair.

Harry's face colored red as he looked at his friend following Draco to his room.

"What? No! He can sleep with me, Malfoy."

Luckily for him, Granger intervened.

"You just said that you didn't want to share your room, Harry."

"I didn't mean it!"

"Forget it, Potty. You got to share a room with him all these years, now it's my turn." He said in a playful tone. Weasley was smiling smugly, probably because they were fighting for who got to spend time with him, and Ron loved attention. Who could blame him,really? With six siblings and two popular best friends, attention was something that the redhead craved deeply. Maybe that was why they got along so well, Draco showed that he cared with details, things that demonstrated that he really knew the people who mattered to him.

He heard Potter snort, the kind of snort that he let out before saying something mean.

"Don't tell me that you have a crush on Ron too, Malfoy." The boy said, and everyone around then widened their eyes, shocked.

Where had that soft and shy boy gone, huh? Draco walked slowly to where he was, lifting his chin and with a determined look on his face. Potter wasn't intimidated, though, he was too angry for that. Merlin only knew what the hell was his problem.

"You are going to take back the rubbish you just said and apologize to me for being a brat, Potter." The boy just held his gaze.

"Or what?"

"Or nothing. I'm not a child like you, I'm not going to hurt you just because I'm angry."

Something in the boy's eyes seemed to soften then, not that he was going to admit it. Harry crossed his arms and looked away.

"Mate, come on. Just bloody apologize."

"Leave it, weasel. Let's go set the room for you."

Ron looked at him with worried eyes before glaring at his best friend and following him upstairs.

-----------------------

The screams of Potter woke him up again. Draco opened his tired eyes and saw Weasley on his bed, sleeping in the most undignified way possible. One leg was hanging off the bed with one arm on his face and his mouth open as he snored every now and then.

The screams persisted, his daffodils started to hurt him, and as much as he wished to close his eyes and try to sleep again, he knew that he couldn't. He was surprised that no one heard them too. It was always him who got up to try to sooth the boy.

He got off the bed and tried to be as quiet as he could to avoid waking up the redhead too, not that it made a difference, considering that Potter was screaming bloody murder and Weasley still was in dreamland.

He entered the other boy's room and, and repeated the same things that seemed to work last time, he whispered soothing things as he brushed his hair with his hand. Harry just kept on moving restlessly.

"Stop." The dark-haired boy pleaded in his nightmares.

"Harry, It's not real, wake up.” Draco spoke louder than before and green eyes opened suddenly, scared, Potter was already reaching for his wand under his pillow. The blond boy held his arms in place, trying to avoid being hexed, just for being a good person and saving the boy from his nightmares. "Easy there, golden boy."

Harry stopped moving and looked at him.

"It's you”Potter sighed with relief as he grabbed Draco's arms and touched them. The flowers in him twirled, just as shocked as he was. After what happened that afternoon he didn't expect for the boy to show any kind of affection. "You are okay, you are here, with us." He seemed to be speaking to himself more than to him but the blond boy responded nonetheless.

"I'm here, with you."

And Salazar, he didn't have even a little bit of dignity, did he? He should be mad at him, he should have left the room the second that Potter had woken up. But he didn't and now Harry was moving to make room for him to lay down beside him, with pleading eyes, without even pronouncing a word. He should leave, he really really should.

With daffodils dancing in his lungs, Draco found himself lying right beside him, looking at those piercing green eyes. The room was dark, the only light was the one from the moon that reflected through the window.

"Want to talk about it?" Harry shook his head.

They laid in silence for a while. Draco was waiting for Potter to fall asleep to sneak out of the room and catch some sleep himself, but the dark-haired boy just kept looking at him, not even attempting to close his eyes, barely even blinking.

"Are you still mad at me?" His soft voice felt like a call to the flowers, who started to scratch him, begging him to forgive him... But Draco was still pissed.

"You know, if you really think that I fall in love with all my friends and that my favorite hobby is turning straight boys, you should really stop inviting me to these sleepovers." He stated with a replicating tone. Potter frowned and looked away.

"I don't think that, don't be daft."

"Then explain your ridiculous accusation today."

The boy shrugged and started to play with the sheet that was covering him.

"I don't know..." Draco just looked at him, arching his eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. “You spent the entire day with him... Literally. I didn’t even see you.” Draco snorted.

“Maybe you just didn’t notice, Potter. You were quite busy with Ginevra and with Dumbledore’s will.”

“What do you mean?” The boy asked playing dumb, but if he was going to act that way, then Draco would act twice as dumb.

“The reading... Weasley, Granger and you sat with the Minister... well, ex-minister? Whatever.”

“He died today, be respectful, Malfoy.” The blond boy just rolled his eyes.

“Yes, you seem to be very affected by it, Potter.”

“I wasn’t distracted by the will.” The boy interrupted him, his green eyes looking right at him.

No, he was distracted by Ginevra. Draco knew that. Potter was distracted by her curves, her freckles, her silky long red hair and her blue eyes. She was all that Draco wasn’t, and he hated that. The daffodils started to hurt him again, being physically close to the boy just prevented him from coughing, at least this close, with this level of intimacy, the flowers seemed to be drugged, they reacted slower.

The boy wasn’t offering more explanation and, because Draco was a masochist, he decided to bring up the subject. He was dying for answers.

“I know, Potty. The entire burrow knows. You two snogged in the middle of the kitchen, in a public place of the house.” Suddenly, those green eyes widened.

“You saw that?”

‘YES, WE SAW AND IT HURT US! TELL HIM IT HURT US’

Yeah, no. Draco was desperate but not that desperate.

“Who didn’t?” He said with an aloof tone, trying to avoid his eyes. “Was it good? I imagine that you missed her-“

“I was the one who broke up with her, Draco.”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me, I’m was just ask-“

“I want to.” The boy grabbed his hand to force Draco to pay attention to him. The daffodils started to dance, he could feel their happiness like a warm in his chest, spreading through all his body. “She thought that it was like a time-out, until everything was over, that’s why she kissed me... I guess I just didn’t know how to say no to her. But I told her, I told her that she shouldn’t wait for me, that it would be ridiculous.”

Draco just chuckled softly.

“You know that she is still going to wait for you, right? After the way you kissed her, who wouldn’t?” He didn’t want to make it so obvious. He really tried to keep those kinds of comments to himself, or maybe also to the daffodils that kept cutting his lungs at every mention of the she-weasel; but he was tired, he was lying in Potter’s bed, surrounded by his cologne and the smell of his sweat... It was impossible for his brain cells to work properly.

Potter smirked at him.

“If you want for me to snog you, all you gotta do is ask, Malfoy.”

‘It’s a joke. It’s a joke. It’s a joke.’ He kept repeating to himself.

But what if it wasn’t? What if Potter would actually kiss him if he asked... His body was frozen, the only movement was from the flowers that started to slam themselves against the walls of his lungs, trying to get him to do something. So Draco did the thing he knew best, he challenged him.

“I don’t know if you could meet my standards, scarhead.”

He totally could, even if Potter just pecked him, it would probably be the most perfect thing that he ever experienced.

That seemed to erase the green-eyed boy’s smirk off his face. Determined look on his eyes, looking for the truth on Draco’s grey ones.

“What? Is Nott a sex god or something?”

He, honestly, didn’t know. Theodore had told him that Draco was good in bed... but he had other persons to compare him with. The blond boy liked sleeping with him, and sometimes it was mind-blowing, but he didn’t know if Theo was a sex god. He supposed that, at the least, he needed someone to compare him with, to really be sure.

And if he <cite>ever</cite> got to sleep with Potter, that comparison would be unfair, because even if Harry sucked in bed, for Draco it would feel amazing. Just because it would be with him.

“Theodore is a lot of things.” He answered in an ambiguous kind of way. A lame attempt of making the boy jealous, like he felt when he saw him shoving his tongue down the she-weasel’s throat. Even in the darkness of the room, he could see that Potter had a disgusted expression on. "You don't have grounds to be grossed out, Potter. I could literally see the strings of saliva between the two of you this morning." The dark-haired boy groaned.

"Fine, I get it, I'm awful at kissing. Can you just shut up now?"

Draco frowned, trying to recall when he might have said something that sounded like that. The flowers were fucking mad at him, demanding for him to fix this right then and there.

"I wouldn't know, Potter. I didn't snog you. Why do you care so much anyway? If you are the best kisser in the world for your redhead princess it should be more than enou-"

His rant was cut short by Harry moving forward and putting his lips on his. Draco was wide-eyed not moving an inch, with fear of fucking this all up. The flowers seemed to be screaming inside of him 'DO SOMETHING! THIS IS OUR CHANCE.’ and he was just begging not to fucking cough any petals because it might scare Potter away.

Suddenly, Draco was very aware that he wasn't moving at all, not even to return the kiss, and Potter separated his mouth from him. His green eyes were full of fear and his cheeks were horribly blushed.

"I'm so- I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Harry stuttered.

Draco just blinked.

"I thought you were straight." Was the only thing that he could say.

'ARE YOU FUCKING DUMB??’ the daffodils seemed to be screaming at him, and really, maybe they were right.

"I like both, I think..." Potter whispered, in a shy way. "I don't really know, that was my first kiss with a boy and it barely even counted."

Was this..? Did he just..?

His green eyes were looking at him, his mouths were so close... Draco could smell him everywhere and this was like his wildest dreams coming true... Even if Potter was asking him to be his little sexuality experiment he didn't have the strength in him to deny this to him.

Fuck it. Maybe he would end up coughing an entire garden out if Potter kissed him and then said that he actually only liked girls, but honestly, he didn't give a fuck right now. And the daffodils were imploring him to do something, tickling him while they twirled inside of him, filling him with anticipation.

"Want to find out?" He asked, his eyes fixed on Potter's lips. He saw the boy sightly licking his lips, the breath that escaped of his mouth brushed Draco's and he thought that he might just die if he said no.

But Potter didn't say anything. The boy just moved forward, like the first time, only that this time he approached him slowly, putting his hand on the blond boy's jaw to bring him closer, and when their lips were already brushing together, their breaths interwinding, almost tasting each other, he whispered:

"Are you sure?" For Salazar's sake! What did Saint Potter want? For him to beg?

The boy was looking at him, waiting for an answer, and Draco was so fucking scare of saying the wrong thing that he threw the last bit that remained of his dignity out the window.

"Yes, Harry. Kiss me."

And Potter did. Softly at first, just tasting Draco's lower lip and touching his hair... Then, he started to move his mouth over his, setting the pace of the kiss in a hesitant kind of way, like if he were waiting for the blond boy's approval to go further or to know if he was doing it right.

Draco could only think that Harry's mouth tasted wonderful, and his flowers were dancing inside of him like never before, roaring in triumph pushing him to do more, to deepen the kiss. Without thinking it through, he brushed his tongue against the boy's lower lip. Potter let out a soft moan, that sounded like the most precious thing that he had heard in his entire life, and opened his mouth to allow the blond boy to do as he pleased. It felt amazing.

Harry laid his back entirely on the mattress and pulled Draco to bring him closer. He was almost lying his entire weight on Potter then, carefully lifting his waist... He really didn't want for the boy to feel his hard-on and freak out because it reminded him that he was, in fact, a boy.

"So? Verdict?" Harry whispered when he separated himself for a bit to catch some breath.

"I thought that this was your experiment, scarhead." He responded, licking his lips. He couldn't think, all his senses were focused on Potter.

"I like both, yes." He said quickly. "But how was it? Did you like it?"

He sounded so impatient, so eager to know if he was a good kisser, Draco laughed as he laid his head back on the pillow.

"Yes, Potter. Merlin forbid, that you'd be any less than perfect in everything that you do, even kissing."

His green eyes widened as a soft smug smile appeared on his lips.

"You think I'm perfect, Malfoy?"

Draco was tempted to say yes to him, to fucking confess everything. But they weren't kissing anymore and he really didn't know what Potter expected of all of this. The flowers didn't even hurt him anymore, they seemed to be so tamed now, dizzy from the kiss (just like he was).

"I'm not feeding your gigantic ego, Potty."

He started to get up, just because he didn't know what the hell was he supposed to do, but Potter grabbed his arm and pulled him to where he was before. Almost lying on top of him, his face just inches apart.

"Stay."

"Ron is going to notice if I'm not there when he wakes up." Potter groaned.

"This is exactly why we needed to have a room each."

"Did you plan to have a lot of sleepovers?"

Harry blushed horribly and lowered his gaze, avoiding his eyes.

"Don't be stupid. I just liked sleeping next to you... I don't have nightmares when you stay." The last part came out almost like a whisper.

Draco sighed and started to move the covers. Once he was inside of the bed he looked at Potter.

"Happy?" Harry just smiled and snuggled a little closer.

"Yes, thank you."

"It's nothing, you are explaining this to Weasley, though."

"No, I mean for everything. Thank you for staying here, thank you for going to Grimmauld to get us, thank you for the kiss." The boy said as he rested his head in Draco's chest. "I always feel safe when you are around."

The daffodils seemed delighted to hear that and Draco had to fight every fiber of his body to restrict himself from kissing him again. How could he just say things like that? Without a warning, without expecting for Draco to fall even more madly in love with him?

He didn't respond, he pretended to fall sleep because he was a coward, because he was too afraid of everything just going away if he said the wrong thing.

After a while,he was falling asleep for real, but he could swear that he felt Potter kissing his chest and whispering 'Goodnight'.

#drarry #fanfiction #fanfic #prongsfoot

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mariekavanagh · 4 years

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Hi, I've been reading your fic and I'm a bit confused about why Sirius isn't thinking about Harry yet? Just don't see how Sirius has forgotten about him til now tbh. I'm enjoying it though

Hi :) First of all I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the story. I hope you enjoy the rest to come.

Sirius has not forgotten about Harry, but I appreciate that the fact that he hasn’t been mentioned in the story yet may give that impression. Sirius is going through a lot right now, in general. He’s come back from the brink of death and has found himself back in the home he ran away from with the mother he thought despised him. Mentally, he’s still getting to grips with all that.

Chapters in the near-future will discuss his thoughts on Harry during all this in greater detail, but I’d like to point out something. In canon, Sirius spent twelve years in Azkaban before attempting to escape.

James and Lily’s deaths and Peter’s betrayal affected him deeply. He was so mentally unhinged at the time of his arrest that he was laughing hysterically. He was not a stable person. And Azkaban’s lack of suitability as a place in which to recover from all this trauma most likely contributed to why he didn’t immediately attempt to use his Animagus form to escape (plus the fact that he probably had to slim down quite a bit to fit through the bars, even as a dog).

Something we have to remember about Sirius is that he believed he truly was guilty for James and Lily’s deaths. Voldemort physically killed them, Peter betrayed them, but Sirius trusted Peter. When Harry first meets Sirius in the Shrieking Shack, he shouts “You killed my parents!” and Sirius replies “Yes, but not how you think”. Sirius blames himself for trusting Peter and believes that he is guilty of murder for this. I fully believe that one of the major reasons he remained in Azkaban for so long was because he believed that he deserved to be punished.

Sirius thinks that Harry wouldn’t want to live with him because it would mean leaving his aunt and uncle’s home. He believes that Harry is living a happy, safe (as can be) life. The main trigger for Sirius to escape Azkaban was the knowledge that Peter was at Hogwarts and Harry was in danger. If Sirius had not seen Peter’s rat form on that newspaper, he may well have stayed in Azkaban indefinitely.

I’ve had quite a few reviews asking why Sirius isn’t thinking of Harry/immediately trying to set the wheels in motion to get custody of him, and basically, I’m trying to explain why that is. I’m not portraying Sirius as being immediately devoted to the idea that he needs to “rescue” Harry from the Dursleys and that he is the best guardian for him, because to me that doesn’t support Sirius’s canon thoughts/actions. Sirius is currently convinced that he is guilty and deserves to be sent back to Azkaban to continue his self-imposed sentence. He’s not convinced that he deserves to live a free and happy life, let alone that he deserves Harry, the boy who, in his mind, is an orphan because of his actions. We’ve got a long way to go with this story. Harry hasn’t been mentioned yet, but he will be a key point in this story.

#sirius black #harry potter #circinus #my fics #the noble and most ancient house of black

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seriouslyblacklikemysoul · 4 years

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Until Forever - Sirius Black

Being on her own, a bit of a loner anyway, felt like a breather – even for just mere days. She never thought that she needed it as much as before. She hadn’t been chasing one relationship after another – perfectly content on her own. She smiled at the memory that popped into her mind; her best friend, heartbroken after a breakup that had costed her an entire year. The thing was no one had to be in a relationship and she meant it when she had told her that. It was an idea, forced down people’s throat until they choked on it. Women weren’t pretty unless they’re wanted. Guys weren’t men unless they had sex. People weren’t lovable until they were dating each other. As wonderful as romance was — it wasn’t the only love that existed. It was not the answer to everything. She was constantly bombarded by the words “nobody loves me”, words escaping from the mouths of people who happened to be single. Love didn’t diminish just because someone didn’t want to have sex with another. In fact, it made that love more real. It made it into something that surged beyond physical attraction and surfaced level companionship. It made it unique. She knew it all too well, it was pretty to be in love. However, it was also wonderful to stop for ice cream in that beautiful dress after a wild night with three other girls. It was also wonderful to drive in the middle of the night with a bunch of people who were family. Being on her own, never phased her and this time was no different. What was different, however, was his maturity – in the age of eighteen he was more mature than almost all of her previous partners. And just like that she realized that maybe, instead of looking for other halves, people should really be piecing themselves together. And maybe, she wasn’t born unfinished. She had said her goodbyes and walked them down to the castle entrance. James and Peter hugged her; Lily kissed her cheek while Remus smiled in a way that told her it was a bit too soon. Sirius even though he did want to hug her, he winked at her as he was the first to walk away with Marlene. She had to stop worrying about him. She turned around and walked toward the kitchens, hungry and ready for the therapeutic few days in front of her. She was mumbling a song that had stuck in her mind without paying attention where she went, resulting in a collision. She apologized but he waved it off kindly until he saw her face – even without her robes, everyone knew the girl who fell from the sky. He grew distant and cold; she didn’t have to look at his robes to know that the boy was a Slytherin but what she hadn’t been expected was that particular one. “You’re the Gryffindor everyone talks about” he pointed out. She shrugged, already gathering the ingredients and preparing a big Caesar’s salad and politely asking the elves not to help her, causing the boy to smile. “…and you are?” she chimed, not really interested in his opinion. He was intrigued and grew reluctant of storming out. “Regulus Black” a simple answer made he mind freeze and think that made she had been sent to hell. Her personal hell… She shook it off fast and cooked the sliced chicken in to a hot pan – thank Zeus this place had everything. “I gain from the silence that you know my brother and you now feel awkward” he described her attitude in a nutshell. Trying not to burn her food, and remaining calm, she put the garlic, bit of olive oil and two anchovies in the food processor that had magically appeared in the counter and beat them until the garlic had completely broken down. She hummed as she transferred the sauce into to a large bowl and added the parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, mayonnaise and lots of pepper. He enjoyed how simple she was being, how down to earth and self-sufficient, so much so he got comfortable near her – and she noticed. “True, but still not my problem. Care for a bite?” she offered him as she was already setting two plates on the table, two glasses filled with her favorite sparkling wine and the big bowl of salad in the middle. He was startled. She was fast when she was hungry. Also, not having to wash the dishes was an added bonus of relief. He knew he had to say no, but no one else from his house was there anymore – everyone had already left and he was supposed to take the train tomorrow – and he was a bit hungry himself. She sat down next to him, dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a grey shirt. He pulled of his robes, remaining in his sweater as he took the salad tongs and served her plate first and then his. She was impressed but then she remembered the way all those manners were imposed on him and took that back. She raised her glass without making a toast, waving it just a tad, and taking a generous sip. “How come you haven’t slept with my arrogant brother?” he asked nonchalant making her laugh loudly. He was entertained as he ate the tasteful lunch. “I made lunch, I should be the one asking the questions, don’t you think? But, it’s not from the lack of effort, if you must know” she answered, leaving him startled yet again. She was indeed, something else. He took notice of how unafraid she was and envied that. “Alright, it’s only fair, I suppose” he agreed. He found himself very happy – as if all of the sudden he had a sibling again and that left him shallow. She had plenty of question to ask but didn’t want to make him hurt again – he saw that and felt grateful. “What are you doing New Year’s Eve?” she asked innocently enough. If she could just change one small detain in the story… just one. Their conversation was refreshing and nice… McGonagall had almost interrupted them but her quick thinking saved it. She knew that her professor would like to discuss this with her and she also knew that she wanted to discuss something herself. She was determined – she would tell her the truth. The evening chill begun to creep inside the kitchens as they sipped their freshly brewed hot cups of tea. He had opened up in ways he never thought possible for him and she had been the most accepting person he had met. She hadn’t been sure before, but she was most certain now – she had to save the pour child. He was fifteen years old and had been surviving in a sick environment. She knew how that would play out. He was smart and she could tell but what if she could prevent all the bad things from happening? She already had the knowledge that those bad things had brought on – what if she used that in the first place? She waved him goodbye and walked towards her room – she would have to face her demons and talk to Minerva at some point, but tonight, she wanted to lay in bed and read one of her favorite books – the little prince. Maybe she would find all the answers she was looking for in the few pages of the most enticing story she had ever read.

Waking up slowly, indolently stretching, not worrying about the day before it begun, felt refreshing and new to her. She could see the freezing blizzard outside the tower but she was perfectly content with her soft, warm and cozy bed. She would take it easy, one step at a time – and today was all about blowing off steam. She got up and went to her bathroom with a very interesting idea in her head. Making sure to seal everything properly, so no steam would escape, she lighted all the candles around the room, creating an enticing atmosphere. The aromas started spreading, capturing her senses. She ran a hot shower and drenched herself in the water, which helped relax the tension in her muscles. She could physically feel the steam softening her skin. Thankfully she had everything she needed, right next to her. Applying a thin layer of black soap all over her body, she closed her eyes and remembered the hot summers she spent in the sea She let the product worked its magic for about twenty minutes – the most relaxed minutes of her recent days. Beautiful beaches, blue waters, white sand, hot sun, cold cocktails, chilled music blasting from the megaphones of the bar and sunbathing – she loved her life and she didn’t even know it back then. Every dive in the wonderful sea let her explore the underwater world and block every noise; it was just her and the water and she had never felt more alive. She had to rinse the black soap away with lukewarm water and prepared the scabbing glove by soaking it in warm water for about 30 seconds and letting it dry. Her mind traveled back to a particular memory; she was on vacation with her boyfriend and the island’s beaches were packed so they had decided to rent a small boat and go a bit further away into the sea. It had to be the best decision of her life – beautiful blue sky, mesmerizing teal waters, no one else around. She had been in the water more than three hours and her skin was all soaked up but she had fun and enjoyed herself more than ever. She rubbed the glove in circular motions all over her body to remove dead skin cells and grime. She made sure not to rub too hard, though because those gloves were abrasive and over-scrubbing could hurt her skin. She took care of everything with an almost ritual attention, as she continued her blissful experience with Moroccan red clay powder, mixing it with a splash of water and applying it to her whole body, including her hair. She was being a mermaid in her day off and she was perfectly okay with that. This time, she simply didn’t think about anything and so, twenty minutes passed without even realizing it. Rinsing it off was the last step before slathering her skin in argan oil while still moist to allow full penetration of oil goodness. She didn’t have argan oil but two creams with it and so she adjusted to that, massaging her body with them as she wrapped her hair in a soft towel and allowing herself to enjoy a few more moments before going back to reality.

It was after the Christmas lunch that Minerva kindly asked her to follow her to her office, a small study located off of the first-floor corridor, to the right of a staircase ascending to the Serpentine Corridor on the third-floor. It has a large fireplace, windows overlooking the Training Grounds and the Quidditch pitch and a sparse stone-floored bedroom behind a concealed door. Minerva was very protective of her students, especially the troubled ones, such as the Black brothers and she understood completely. She knew her backstory and what decisions led her here – and respected her the most. Having already decided to tell the whole truth, her mind didn’t twist in order to find the perfect lies, didn’t pain with thoughts. Whether she would believe her or not, that was a different question, one she had yet to see answered. She offered her one of the two armchairs by the fireplace and a cup of tea, which she gladly accepted and sat down. “I don’t know how much you are aware of but things between Sirius and Regulus are um, a bit different” she began and took a sip of her tea. This was it. “I know, not because Sirius told me; not because Regulus opened up that much. I know their relationship the way I know Dougal McGregor, the way I know Ariana and Aberfoth” she confessed and placed the cup next to her, on the small table. Minerva was shocked, to say the least. Her face was pale and her eyes wide open. “How is that possible?” she asked bewildered the girl in front of her, who was seemingly holding all the answers. She took a deep breath and spilled it all out. “Whatever I’m about to say, it will remain within these walls, please” she begged her and sure enough, Minerva understood that something bigger than both of them was taking place, as she nodded. “My birth year is 1997. As in… twenty years from now, but that you already knew. What no one know is, that I wasn’t born in this dimension. In my world, I am an archaeologist, and was supposed to begin my master’s degree. In my world, there is no magic and this, you, Hogwarts and everything and everyone in it, it’s a book – seven, actually – about a boy, Harry, who learns he is a wizard and through his eyes, we, the readers, get to discover this world. The journey begins in 1991 and results in one more war against Voldemort and too many tragedies. So, yes, I know who dies, who lives, who betrays, who loves and who hates. I know your past and future just as I know everyone else’s – and I had never felt the weight of such a big secret, hanging around my neck, trying to push me down. I didn’t plan on traveling through dimension and timelines – I don’t even know why or how that happened. At first, I thought I was in a comma and dreaming but my imagination was never that wild. And the worst thing, is not never seeing my family and friends again – it’s knowing how this story ends and not being able to change one bit. Knowing that the people I now call friends are going to suffer, that one of them is going to die and leave behind a child, the other is going to be accused of murder and spend twelve years in Azkaban, the third is going to end up alone and the fourth is going to betray his brothers not because he wanted to, but because he didn’t have a choice. So, yes, I know that the relationship between the two brothers is rocky” she let out, feeling for the first time how severe her position was, how much it weighted and how tragic her presence there was. It was the first time she said it out loud. Before Minerva spoke, she continued because she had opened the gates of hell and every demon was about to get out. “But then I think about my very existence in this world. I wasn’t supposed to be here, which means that the story is already changed and different from the one I knew. However, if that was the case, I would have been able to intervene in some way – or maybe I was here and I simply wasn’t mentioned in the story because it wasn’t a story about this time and the Marauders but about Harry. Why am I here? Just to become a witness of all those terrible things I cannot prevent from happening? Should I try to change the story? Should I tell them?” she went on without really asking Minerva – who was still trying to adjust to the new information. She believed her – she believed her despair. She wouldn’t be so hopeless if she was lying. Not only was from the future and had to adapt in her new environment, she had also – possibly – no chance of living her own life the way she was supposed to, but the single most tragic thing about her was the inevitability she was facing. Knowing the outcome and not being able to change the course of the path. Silently, waiting for the doom to come. All those months, she had said nothing. “I don’t know why you are here, but I will help you to try and change the story. I believe you. I just… I want to know. I understand that this is too much for you. However, I think that if I know, there is a possibility, I can be helpful. How is Harry?” Minerva told her truthfully. She didn’t believe her ears – she had thought that the professor would have believed she was crazy. Without a second thought, she told her everything. For the next five hours, they would talk with only truths, occasionally pausing for a sip of tea and a bite of the sandwiches Minerva had summoned out of nowhere. In her face, the girl found an ally.

____ Tagist: @nadinissavage @mycobrakai1972

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maraudererasmut · 4 years

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Black and White (Part XII)

"What the fuck, Sirius?!"

Sirius glanced up from his work to find James storming through the gallery, absolutely fuming. His eyes flashed with anger, his cheeks burning red, he looked like he was about to erupt. Sirius kept his face steady and raised a single eyebrow at his best friend.

"Evening, James."

"Don't "Evening, James" me, you twat. What the fuck did you do?!"

James stopped in front of Sirius, tall and imposing next to Sirius' slender frame. He always hated how broad and built James was from his years of sport and physical activity; it was the one thing that made Sirius jealous of his brother.

"Whatever are you talking about?" Sirius asked casually, trying to remain calm.

"Don't play stupid with me, Sirius." James narrowed his eyes. "You know exactly what you did."

Sirius pursed his lips and straightened himself up. He was significantly less threatening than James was in general, but he knew he had a strong presence that was difficult to ignore.

"Are you referring to the business decision that I made earlier today?" Sirius asked, staring James down.

"No," James spat, eyes steady on Sirius'. "I'm referring to the way you treated another human being earlier today. Not everything is about business, Sirius. If your head wasn't so far up Orion's arse, you'd be able to see that!"

Sirius felt as if he had just been punched in the gut, all the wind torn forcefully from his lungs, a dull ringing in his ears. James' words hurt more than any swing he could have thrown, and Sirius hated him for knowing exactly which buttons to press.

"Don't you dare talk to me that way," Sirius growled darkly.

"Then don't act like that," James retorted, as if he hadn't just thrown the worst insult imaginable at the man he called his brother.

"I am not like them!" Sirius' voice was loud, much louder than he intended, and the sound reverberated throughout the empty gallery, echoing in his ears, taunting him over and over.

I'm not like them.

I'm not like them!

"Sirius…" James' voice was suddenly soft, tender, his eyes warmer than they were before. "Sirius, you know that what you did was wrong… right?"

Sirius tore himself away from James, away from his condescending questions and vague accusations. Away from his false sweetness and pretend concern. He took a step away from his friend, gazing off at nothing in particular.

"Why do you care so much?"

"Why do I— Sirius, you're my brother. I love you. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you…" Sirius felt James' fingers grazing his shoulder and he took another step, increasing the gap between them.

"This has nothing to do with that."

"You are such an idiot! This has everything to do with that! Why can't you see it?!" It was James' turn to shout, to throw words around the gallery, words that bounced off the walls and repeated.

Why can't you see it?

Why couldn't he see it? Why did Remus annoy Sirius so much? Why did he treat this one artist so differently than anyone else he had ever met, anyone else who had ever come into the gallery? Why was he always so drawn to him and his soft features and melancholy eyes? What was it about those rough erratic brushstrokes that called to Sirius?

"See what?" Sirius asked, fearing the answer, hoping that James wouldn't say it.

James let out a heavy sigh.

"Sirius… do you really want to kick him out of the gallery?"

Sirius' fists clenched at his sides.

Yes.

Say yes.

"He's going to be bad for business," Sirius muttered towards the ground.

"That's not what I asked, Sirius. Do you really want to kick him out? To end his career before it even begins?"

Yes! He's giving his art away! He's using James and Lily to get into the gallery! He's going to take them away from you!

"I… I don't know…"

"I think you do, Sirius. I think you know exactly how you feel. And I think you're punishing this kid because of it."

Sirius' eyes burned, his chest felt tight, his breathing shallow.

"I'm punishing him because he broke contract…"

Sirius heard James let out a soft chuckle.

"No, you're punishing him because he stood up to you. Because he's not letting himself get bowled over. Let's be real here, Sirius. This is the first artist you've met that you can't control, and you hate it."

"I don't need to control everything, James. I'm not—"

"I know." James let out another weary sigh. "But sometimes you can't help it. I just… I just don't want to see you going down that path. You're better than that. You're better than them."

"So… what do I do now?" It was a rhetorical question. Sirius knew exactly what he needed to do; he just hoped that there was some kind of alternative solution.

"Well," James began, taking a step closer to Sirius and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "You can start by calling him up and apologizing."

"Apologizing for wha—"

"Don't be an idiot, Sirius." James rolled his eyes before glancing over to one of his wife's paintings. "You know, I get it. It's hard to be around them sometimes." He inhaled deeply, pulling Sirius slightly closer. "She's so headstrong, so passionate. Her fire burns so brightly, so hot, it almost hurts just to look at. I love seeing what she creates, what she can come up with… but sometimes it's just so hard to connect with her…to keep up with her..."

"Don't compare Remus to Lily," Sirius mumbled, more to himself than anyone else.

"Just… give him a call. Tell him you're sorry. You don't want to lose this one, Sirius."

"Whatever," Sirius groaned before pulling away. He forced a feeble smile at his friend. "So are we going for dinner or what?"

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owlways-and-forever · 4 years

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Some mistakes get made That’s alright, that’s okay You can think that you’re in love When you’re really just in pain

Mary looked around the dreary old house, noting the way the light from the sun outside didn’t manage to filter through the heavy brocade curtains. She supposed it had always been dim inside, but in the early days of her marriage, when they lived here, it hadn’t seemed to matter quite so much. They had been quite content, back then, to stay shuttered up in their bedroom, and the darkness had seemed rather cozy and intoxicating. Of course, they had hardly used Grimmauld Place since the coronation and moving into the palace. She picked up an old photograph, running her finger through the dust that coated it. Underneath was a smiling image of herself, blissfully happy, her arms wrapped tightly around Sirius’ waist. He was laughing at something, one hand mussing his curls to disarray while the other sat comfortably on her shoulder. Mary couldn’t believe how happy they looked. Why did it seem like this photograph was of another girl in another lifetime?

They had married for love, all those years ago. Against the advice of her family, she had married Sirius because her heart had sung out for him, and she believed that his had done likewise. They’d been happy for a while too, or at least she thought they had. But then there had been the children, and her father’s death, and now life was so very different from what it had been before. Mary tried to pinpoint when it had all changed, when they had stopped being happy, but she wasn’t sure she could. Truthfully, she suspected that the moment was quite different for herself and for Sirius. She had been quite content until the bombshell revelation that had upended her world the week before. But it seemed that Sirius had been struggling in their marriage for much longer than she.

. - . - .

“Where’s my husband?” the Queen asked her private secretary, arching an eyebrow imperiously. She was not this commanding person by nature, and often found that the best way to get through it was to pretend as if she were someone more imposing.

Remus shuffled uncomfortably and looked very much as if he would rather sink into the carpet than answer her question.

“Remus?” she prompted.

“I believe he’s out riding, ma’am,” he answered at last, although his expression was most peculiar as he spoke.

“No he’s not,” she refuted, offering Remus a quizzical look. She didn’t understand why the man would lie to her - they had always got on so well. “I was out riding myself not twenty minutes ago. All the other horses were in the stable.”

“Perhaps you just missed him?”

“Remus, really, what is going on?” Queen Mary huffed, impatient and confused by her private secretary’s actions. ‘This is absurd. I need… I need to speak with my husband, so would you kindly tell me where he is?”

“Riding is the term with which I am most comfortable, Your Majesty,” Remus answered, closing his eyes as though the words he were about to say caused him physical pain. “I don’t believe I specified that he was riding horses though, ma’am.”

“Then what on earth is he riding?” she said, not at all following.

“Not a what, ma’am,” he admitted, his eyes fixed on the carpet.

“Oh,” the Queen said, the single syllable all she was able to manage as reality crashed down around her ears.

. - . - .

Mary wasn’t entirely sure that she could honestly say she was surprised by it. Sirius had always been popular, and in a way it had been one of the things that had drawn her to him. She had loved his confidence, his bravado. It thrilled her, and made her feel more daring. He was so comfortable diving into new situations - an adventurer at heart - and he pulled her along with him.

But she had never really thought he would hurt her. Never thought that he would let go of her hand and keep adventuring without her - or worse still, with someone else. Mary had so many questions now. Did he love her, this other woman? How long had it been going on? Did everyone know? She felt foolish and idiotic for not seeing this affair unfolding before her very nose.

Shaking her head, Mary turned to leave. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting to find in the house after all. Further proof of her husband’s infidelity? Unlikely. As she set the photograph back in it’s spot on the corner cabinet, she heard the front door open.

“Gideon?” she called out softly, stepping out into the hallway. Normally, her bodyguard would be content to wait outside at a location like this, unless there were some threat of imminent danger from which he needed to remove her. Her blood ran cold for a moment as she considered what it might mean.

But it was not Gideon who stood by the door. Looking over his shoulder in surprise was a stranger, and rather a handsome one at that.

“Your Majesty,” he addressed her, recovering quickly enough. “Forgive me, I had no idea you were here.”

“Clearly,” she replied, trying to decide whether to be frightened, curious, or amused. “Who exactly are you, may I ask?”

“My apologies, Your Majesty,” the stranger answered, looking quite abashed, and Mary decided then that he was no danger to her. “Antonin Dolohov, I’m your neighbor. I’ve been looking after plants around the house and in the back garden. Well, what there is of a garden. These townhomes really just have more of a patio.”

“That’s very kind of you,” she said, smiling. “And Mary is fine, or ma’am if you really must. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you. Did you live here before the coronation?”

“No, Your - no, ma’am,” Mr. Dolohov replied. “I just moved here about a year and a half ago. From Manchester.”

“And you’ve been looking after my plants the whole time?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he confirmed.

“That’s very kind of you,” Mary said, smiling again. “Would you like a cup of tea, Mr. Dolohov?”

“I would love one,” he agreed. “And Antonin will do, ma’am, if you don’t mind.”

“Well if I’m to call you Antonin, you should certainly call me Mary,” she teased, leading the way to the dingy kitchen.

“If you like.”

Mary made the tea in a comfortable silence as Antonin examined the photographs that hung on her wall. Scenes from her travels with Sirius mostly, though there were a few that predated her. It was a very domestic scene, the likes of which she did not often see at the palace. She tried to discreetly sneak a few glances at her companion, noting the way the muscles in his shoulders tensed as he stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

“May I ask what brought you back to Grimmauld Place?” Antonin asked, turning away from the photographs. “I don’t remember you stopping in once since I’ve lived next door.”

“I’m not really sure why,” Mary admitted, sitting down at the heavy wooden table and placing two cups of tea in front of them. “I suppose I thought I might find something in the way of answers or explanation here. It’s been rather a trying few days.”

“He’s having an affair, isn’t he?” Antonin asked, though his knowing tone suggested it was more of a statement than a question. “Your husband, that is.”

“I didn’t say that,” she said, shocked by his insight.

“You said it with your eyes,” he replied, his gaze locking on her with an intensity that made her want to squirm.

Mary was quiet for a minute, trying to decide what to say. This man was a complete stranger, and yet she felt an odd attraction to him. He seemed trustworthy and something about him just made her want to tell him all her secrets and let her emotions flow freely.

“Yes, he is,” she admitted, looking down at the table in embarrassment. Somehow, she felt as though she were admitting a failure of her own, rather than an offense of Sirius’. “I don’t know the particulars - who, how long. I don’t even know if it’s common knowledge. Evidently my private secretary knew, but then again it is his job to manage the calendar, so perhaps it isn’t entirely surprising that he would be in the loop.”

“And how are you faring, Mary?” Antonin asked, his warm, gentle gaze still searching her expression for any sign of her feelings.

“Truthfully?” she said, and he nodded his encouragement. “Half the time I pretend that I’m fine. I assume that the phrase ‘fake it til you make it’ exists for a reason.”

“And the other half the time?”

“I don’t even bother,” Mary said, sadness colouring her voice.

“That’s terrible,” he replied and she hummed in agreement.

“Have you ever experienced a partner being unfaithful?” she asked, aware that the question was likely impertinent and far too personal to ask a near perfect stranger, and yet she didn’t let that stop her. However formal they were being with each other, she was still the Queen, and people never told her to butt out of their business, even if they wished it.

“Once,” he said, his eyes glazing over as he remembered that time in his life. “It was awful, but at least I didn’t have the whole country watching my relationship fall apart.”

“You know, I really thought Sirius would be the right man for the job,” Mary mused, her eyes drifting to the photographs on the wall. “It’s not easy being married to a queen, but I thought he would be up to the task. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he would fall so abysmally short of the mark. But if truth be told, I think my marriage broke the day I put on the crown. And now I’m starting to think that maybe the weight of the crown is just so great that it would crack even the best of marriages, and send imperfect ones crumbling into dust.”

“The right man would be able to take it,” Antonin said, his words sounding something like a pledge. “A good man, a strong man, can withstand any pressure in the world in order to stand by the side of the woman he loves.”

“That’s quite a romantic view of the world,” she replied, privately wondering how someone who had been through the same kind of betrayal as she had could possibly have such a naive and idealistic belief.

“You think I’m foolish,” he stated, smiling gently in amusement.

“In this case, I think foolishness is not the worst trait to have,” she said peaceably. “Although it might leave you rather more apt to heartbreak.”

“I think I would rather be heartbroken a hundred times than close myself off.”

“Certainly something to ponder,” Mary answered, his words striking accord. “Now I think I ought to leave you to your work. I’ve taken up too much of your time.”

“It seems odd to invite you to your own house,” Antonin replied, standing up as she did, “but if you would ever like to have tea again - or perhaps even a full meal - I would be happy to oblige you any time you like. Just send word to number 13.”

“Thank you, that’s very kind, Antonin,” she said.

On her way out of the kitchen, Mary turned back once more for a final look at Antonin. He was standing by the kitchen table, looking perfectly at home in her husband’s house. Something about him made her heart flutter and squeeze, and the feeling frightened her a little bit. She had only ever felt it once before - with Sirius - and the idea that history could be repeating was positively terrifying. And yet, so enticing. She was tempted to run back to him, to wrap her arms around his neck and feel the weight of him against her.

“I very much hope we will meet again, Mary,” he said, his voice low and quiet. But she didn’t miss the words, or the significant look that he gave her with them. A look that quite plainly seemed to say that her rather confusing feelings were entirely mutual.

o . o . o . o . o

Lunches at Grimmauld Place became a semi-weekly occurrence. Nearly every Thursday, Mary made her way to number 12, entering discreetly through the back gate. Whenever he was able, Antonin would join her, and the two would sit down to a simple lunch in the small kitchen. When they began, they would take turns bringing lunch with them. Mary often brought leftovers of whatever fancy meal the palace chef had made the night before (he always cooked far too much), while Antonin picked up sandwiches from the best deli in London. He preferred anything on Jewish rye, but mostly roast beef, while Mary’s favourite was a classic caprese panini on focaccia. After a while, they began to stock the little kitchen, and occasionally added cooking lunch themselves to the rotation.

They talked about everything - Antonin’s childhood in the Czech Republic, Mary’s engagements and charity, his relationship with his parents, her relationship with Sirius, even Princess Alexandra’s apprehension about starting school. The two strangers became fast friends, and though they both denied it adamantly, there was something else beginning to bloom in these two individuals who were both so alone and neglected.

Nearly three months after their first meeting, as October was settling its autumnal grip into every leaf and breathing a cool crispness into the air, Antonin surprised Mary with a small gift during their weekly lunch. The rose coloured box stood out in sharp contrast against the deep brown mahogany of the table. Mary looked at it with surprise and some apprehension. Why on earth was he giving her a gift?

“It’s not actually for you,” Antonin said, as if reading her thoughts. “It’s for Alexandra.”

“May I see what it is?” Mary asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

“Of course.”

Mary gently lifted the lid off the box, gasping as she saw what was inside. A small round box with ornate blue and gold scrollwork across the pale porcelain sat inside, a positively stunning work of craftsmanship.

“It’s a music box,” Antonin explained unnecessarily. “I had it made specially to play a Czech lullaby. I thought the Princess could use something soothing and calming, a gift from a friend.”

Mary felt gratitude flood her heart, so touched was she by the little gesture. Why should he take such a special interest in her daughter, a child he had never met? But it was a show of the depth of his feelings for her, that he would embrace her daughter with affection and without question. Mary felt herself returning those feelings, discovering for the first time what she had been denying for weeks - just how attached she had become to Antonin.

Without thinking, she leaned forward and kissed him. His lips were impossibly soft against hers, and he immediately gave way beneath her, embracing her as if he had only been waiting for a sign that he might do so. Everything about the kiss felt perfect and right, even though a voice in the back of their minds told them that it wasn’t that easy. Mary was still married, with a child, and moreover she was still the Queen and that made things untenably complicated. Pulling away, these thoughts all flooded back to Mary, reminding her of her station and situation.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her fingertips ghosting over her lips as she uttered the words, as if she were trying to seal the feeling of the kiss onto her skin. “I shouldn’t have done that, I just -”

Antonin cut off her words for another kiss, less innocent this time as his fingers wound their way into her long hair. Mary wrapped her arms around his neck, lifting herself onto her tiptoes and pressing her torso against his. She could feel the heat building between them, and though she longed to give in to it, she pushed away, turning her back to him so she could try to breathe normally.

“Antonin, we can’t,” she said, practically choking on the words that she wished she didn’t have to say.

“Why not?” he challenged, taking a step forward and tentatively placing his hand on her elbow to turn her to face him. “Sirius does? He’s your husband in name only, essentially just for show, so why shouldn’t you find love somewhere else?”

“Is that what this is - love?”

“Isn’t it?” His hazel eyes found her blue ones, locking on. Mary could see the sincerity that was there, all his feelings laid bare in that one glance.

“I…”

“Mary, we can do this,” Antonin assured her. “Nobody would ever have to know. We’re entirely alone during these lunches, not even your guards would know. Just keep coming here every Thursday and be with me.”

“It can’t be that easy,” Mary protested, a war raging between her mind and her heart.

“Why not?”

“Because at some point you’ll want more than just lunches on Thursdays!” she exclaimed. “And so will I. And we can’t have it. There’s no way for us to have a life together, Antonin, so what would be the point of an affair? We would only get hurt in the end.”

“I would get hurt a thousand times over for you,” his whispered, pulling her close again, and his words melted every last bit of Mary’s resolve.

She reached up to kiss him again, slow and steady and trying to convey a certainty in her decision that she didn’t feel. But regardless, there was no going back now.

o . o . o . o . o

“Remind me why you can’t leave him again?” Antonin asked, peppering kisses along Mary’s shoulder.

She was lounging languidly across his lap as music played on the record players, stomach full after a sizeable lunch.

“Because as Queen, I am also the head of the Church, and the Church does not recognize divorce,” Mary recited. “It would create a constitutional crisis if the Church could no longer recognize its leader, don’t you think?”

“I suppose it would,” he sighed heavily. “Can’t have another Henry VIII now can we?”

“That is exactly what we cannot have.”

She gave him a very serious and significant look that only made him dissolve into laughter. He found her positively adorable when she was anxious about a constitutional crisis.

“Do you wish that you could?” he asked, running his fingers through her hair. She didn’t have any engagements, so it was loose for once.

“Leave Sirius? Every day.” She paused, worrying her lip for a minute. “I don’t want to be a cliche. The royal couple who hates each other and only puts up with each other in public. My parents and grandparents both had such happy marriages, and I always wanted to have that too. I just… I don’t want to be miserable.”

“You sound like you’re thinking of giving him another chance?” Antonin said, a hint of anxiety colouring his voice.

Mary was quiet for a long time, trying to decide how best to answer his question.

. - . - .

“Sweetheart, can I speak with you for a moment?”

Mary turned around to find the Queen Mother standing in the doorway to her office. She was dressed up, so Mary assumed she must have been out on an engagement that morning.

“Of course, Mummy, what can I do for you?”

She stood and crossed the room to the two armchairs on the other side, and her mother followed her.

“How are things with Sirius?” the Queen Mother asked as Mary quickly rang for tea.

“Oh, um,” Mary stalled, surprised by the question. “They’ve been better, I suppose. We’ve been a little distant lately.”

“Are you concerned that he’s with someone else?”

“I’m not concerned, Mummy, I know he is,” she admitted, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. It was embarrassing that her husband was involved with someone else, it made her feel like a failure.

“That’s not good,” her mother mused, tutting quietly.

Mary snorted, earning her a glare from her mother.

“Sweetheart, there are numerous problems with this situation, not least of all the optics of it,” the Queen Mother continued. “But more importantly, the issue of heirs.”

Mary opened her mouth to reply, but her mother steamrolled past her. In some ways, it would never matter that she was Queen. She would always be her mother’s daughter.

“You and Sirius have only produced one child thus far,” she said, the practicality of someone bred to be a consort shining through her words, “and Alexandra is nearly five now. People are beginning to wonder why. And of course it's important that you have more than one heir. What if something should happen to Alexandra? Then what?”

“Well I suppose Annie would be in luck,” Mary sighed, rolling her eyes as she referenced her younger sister. “And please don’t talk about something happening to my daughter. She’s young and healthy and nothing is going to happen to her.”

“I know it’s unpleasant to think about, but that’s the reality,” her mother pressed.

“She’s my daughter.”

“No, she’s your heir,” her mother countered sternly. “If you want a daughter, you better have another baby.”

Mary glared back at her mother, hating the words that she had said. She didn’t want it to be true, didn’t want to live in that world, but she knew her mother had a point. Eventually, Alexandra would stop being a little kid and start being her successor, and Mary knew from centuries of history that monarchs had very difficult relationships with their heirs. How do you fully love someone whose life only starts when you die?

. - . - .

“Mary?” Antonin prompted, looking at her expectantly.

“It has nothing to do with Sirius, but…” she paused, searching for the right words. “My mother thinks that I need to have another child. Obviously that could only be with Sirius.”

“And do you want another kid?” he asked, concerned.

“I’m not sure - we always planned on having multiple children. That was the expectation, after all,” Mary answered. “But then my father got sick, and then the coronation, and now…”

“And now you’re both involved with other people.”

“Yes.” Mary was quiet for a moment before she continued. “My mother reminded me that a queen can be a mother in the true sense of it with a second child, in a way that she can’t with the first.”

“But you love your daughter,” he said, clearly confused.

“Of course I do! But… it’s different. It’s hard to explain.”

“Is there no way you could have a baby with me?” Antonin asked, his expression filled with desperation to give her everything she wanted.

“I… don’t think so,” she answered, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked at the disappointment on her lover’s face. “Not this baby, at least. I need at least one more child in line for the throne. After that, maybe...if Sirius were to agree...but then things would get too complicated again, Antonin. I told you this in the beginning. It can never be more than this.”

“If that’s what you want,” he replied, smiling sadly.

“It’s not what I want, but it’s how things are.” Mary reached up to caress his cheek lovingly. “Let’s not think about this anymore, alright? It doesn’t matter right now, Sirius hasn’t shown any interest in being with me in months.”

She snuggled against his chest, feeling his heart beating steadily away. It was reassuring, but also alarming. Mary was becoming far too accustomed to the feel of his body against hers, and soon she might start to feel his absence more than she was ready for.

o . o . o . o . o

Mary was lying in the bed upstairs - not the bed she had once shared with Sirius, that was too far and she refused - with the sheets swirled luxuriously against her bare skin, while Antonin prepared lunch in the kitchen. She was musing idly on the thorough satisfaction she felt, and how happy she was in that moment, when she heard the front door slam.

She bolted upright, her heart racing as she grabbed her dress and pulled it on, forgoing all undergarments in her haste. Antonin would never jeopardize their privacy by creating such a racket, which meant that someone else had arrived. Mary raced down the stairs, bare feet flying on ancient carpeting, until she reached the bottom and nearly collided with her husband.

“Sirius!” she exclaimed in surprise, her heart hammering against her ribs. “What are you doing here?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” he roared, his temper already flaring. “And in my house no less! There is very little that I possess that isn’t yours, but this house… this house is mine!”

“Sirius, what -?” Mary began, even though she knew that it was worthless to feign innocence. They both knew exactly what they were talking about.

“I know!” he shouted. “I know about the affair!”

At that moment, Antonin appeared at the top of the steps that lead down to the kitchen, standing quietly, but imposingly, in the background.

“Look who’s talking,” Mary hissed, irritated by his anger. “I know that you’ve been with other women for months now. Heavens knows how many.”

“Just one,” he replied, his anger dissipating as quickly as it had come. “It’s just Marlene, no one else, I swear.”

“You love her,” Mary stated, his feelings obvious in the way he said her name.

“I’m sorry,” Sirius said sincerely. He was sorry for hurting her, sorry for the affair, sorry for falling out of love with her and in love with someone else.

“It’s okay,” she replied.

An air of forgiveness passed between them. Mary suddenly felt that she understood Sirius, and that the anger she had been harboring toward him for months had dissipated. She understood him, and she knew that his actions had never been malicious. She was in the same boat, and neither of them really could have helped where they ended up.

“We were just about to have lunch,” she said, smiling welcomingly. “Why don’t you join us, there are some things I think we should discuss.”

Sirius squinted at her, not sure what needed discussion but sure that he didn’t like the sound of it. Any conversation about their present situation was bound to get complicated. Nevertheless, he followed her and Antonin down to the kitchen and watching as his wife’s beau hastily set another place using his china and tried not to let it irritate him.

“So, what is it you want to talk about?” Sirius asked, once they were all seated at the wood table.

“I’m not sure what to do.”

“About what?” he pressed.

“I want another child,” Mary blurted out, not quite as eloquently as she had planned. She could see the surprise on Sirius’ face and it was almost comical. “And we need another heir. I know it’s not ideal, for anyone really, but…”

“So you want me to what - be a stud horse?” Sirius asked incredulously.

“Not a horse, no, just yourself,” Mary scoffed.

“Well that bit I can’t help,” he replied salaciously, unable to resist the innuendo.

Mary rolled her eyes at his lewd joke, but she didn’t miss the way Antonin’s grip tightened on his fork.

“Don’t be a prat,” she warned. “I’m being perfectly serious here.”

“What does loverboy think about all this?” Sirius said, leaning his chair back on two legs and interlacing his fingers behind his head.

“It’s not going to be easy, but I didn’t fall in love with her blindly,” Antonin answered, having taken the time to think about their situation since Mary first brought the subject up to him. “I knew exactly who she was, and what the complications could be.”

“Let’s face it: none of us are ever gonna have a happy, normal relationship,” Sirius mused, half amused and half disappointed. “So we have a baby and then what?”

“Then we stay together publicly, but in private we live separate lives,” Mary stated, trying to sound more confident in this plan than she felt. “We’ll be friends - parent as friends, but we’ll each be free to live our lives with the people we love.”

“And what if people find out?” Sirius asked. “Don’t you think it’ll cause a scandal?”

“I think that we can be… openly private about the whole thing?” Mary said thoughtfully, biting her lip as she chose her words. “We don’t exactly try to hide it, but we don’t acknowledge it either. I think it could work if we’re discreet. There’ll be some surprise and a bit of talk at the start, but eventually things will quiet down.”

“You’re sure about this?” Antonin asked, the concern for Mary that was evident in his features softening Sirius’ opinion of him slightly.

“It’s the only way,” she shrugged, far more nonchalant than she really felt. But Antonin knew that when they were alone again she would show him more of how she felt and let him comfort her in all the confusion.

“So, are we all agreed then?” Sirius said. “Because I should probably go talk to Marlene about all of this. I doubt she’d be pleased if she found out about this plan from a pregnancy announcement in the papers.”

“Go, Sirius, we’ll be fine.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” he added, sincerity enveloping his words for a brief moment. “This is going to be much harder for the two of you.”

“I’ll see you at the palace,” Mary said dismissively. “Don’t forget that tomorrow is your turn to drop Alexandra off at school.”

Sirius saluted in acknowledgement before bounding up the stairs, and a minute later they heard the door shut loudly. Mary sagged a little, letting Antonin see her worry.

“Do you think he’s right?” she asked tentatively, leaning against him and resting her head on his shoulder.

“That this will be harder for us?” he clarified. “Well, I don’t think it’ll be a walk in the park to watch you carry another man’s child. And there will be plenty of… restrictions on what we can do until the whole this is over, while Sirius can go back to Marlene at the end of every day. So yeah, I think that until the baby is born, it’s going to be much harder on us.”

Mary swallowed, tears pricking her eyes, desperately wishing she didn’t want this.

“Hey, it’ll only be a few months though,” Antonin reassured her, whispering the words against her skin as he peppered her with kisses. “And you know what, after the baby is here, we get the best part. We get to be together and have a family, and sure Sirius might be involved but we’ll be the principle caregivers. It’ll be our family, all the time.”

Mary smiled, picturing Antonin living in her palace apartment, two little children running around, a normal little family. There was a way for this all to work out, she had to believe it. They might not have normal relationships, but she refused to give up on the idea of being happy.

#gen writes #hp ff #hp fic #marauders ff #marauders fic #sirius black #mary macdonald #antonin dolohov #royalty au

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samstiels-deactivated20201212 · 6 years

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Drarry Reading List

For @tmmotheechalamet 💕

I’m starting with maybe 50 or so fics but let me know if you need more and mind the tags and warnings! 😘😘😘

Title: As Souls From Bodies Steal Author: Femme (femmequixotic) Other Pairings: Ron/Hermione, past Harry/Ginny Rating: NC-17 Length: 40,991 words Warnings: hurt!Draco, ptsd, rape/noncon (not Draco/Harry), first person POV (don’t let that stop you), hurt/comfort Summary: Hope may be found in the oddest of places, even in the bleakness of winter.

Title: Good-bye to Yesterday Author: furiosity Other Pairings: Harry/Ginny Rating: NC-17 Length: 25,324 words Warnings: pre-DH, angst, dubcon Summary: Draco felt ready to face even a million years in Azkaban as long as it meant that at the end of it all, he would make Potter pay.

Title: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Author: November Snowflake Other Pairings: Ginny/Tonks, past Ginny/Harry, past Remus/Sirius Rating: R Length: 55,389 words Warnings: amnesia, angst Summary: In the war-torn years after Hogwarts, one man has no knowledge of his yesterdays.

Title: Daybreak (sequel to Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow) Author: novembersnow Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 5,000 words Warnings: canon divergence Summary: Harry Potter, Draco knows, has a habit of keeping his promises.

Title: The Ties That Bind Us Author: faithwood Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 29,405 words Warnings: porn with plot Summary: An accident leaves Draco and Harry bound tightly together. Literally.

Title: Shattered Author: Femme Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 7,704 words Warnings: angst Summary: One damned accident involving one too-lucky curse, and suddenly you’d think he was five again…

Title: All Our Secrets Laid Bare Author: firethesound Other Pairings: Ron/Hermione, Harry/OMC Rating: NC-17 Length: 149,481 words Warnings: case file, first time, post war Summary: Over the six years Draco Malfoy has been an Auror, four of his partners have turned up dead. Harry Potter is assigned as his newest partner to investigate just what is going on.

Title: Coffee, Cakes and Doorknob Snakes Author: Omi_Ohmy Other Pairings: Ron/Hermione Rating: NC-17 Length: 40,842 words Warnings: post war Summary: Harry’s house is trying to kill him, and only one person can help him: pity it’s Draco Malfoy

Title: What You Do With Your Life, A.H.K.B.C.B. (After the Hero Kills the Batshit Crazy Bastard) Author: oldenuf2nb Other Pairings: past Harry/Oliver Wood, Draco/OMC Rating: NC-17 Length: approx. 40,000 words Warnings: post war, angst, fluff, unrequited Summary: Draco Malfoy had waited years in hope of seeing Harry Potter utterly humiliated….

Title: To Touch A Unicorn Author: Lomonaaeren Other Pairings: none Rating: R Length: 13,097 words Warnings: post war, angst Summary: Draco is content with his life as the new Care of Magical Creatures professor. That is, if Harry Potter and those stupid unicorns would both go away.

Title: Infernally Mundane Methods Author: hydr0gen Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 6,648 words Warnings: 8th year, pwp Summary: He’d only gotten up for a quick walk to clear his head, and now he was locked in a broom cupboard with a half naked Draco Malfoy and playing a risky game of Truths.

Title: Of the Heart’s Fullness and Of the Coming Emptiness Author: tout_a_coup Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 9,000 words Warnings: post war, 8th year, angst, humor Summary: Harry Potter is nineteen, and he’s already peaked.

Title: Save My Wonders Author: sdk Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 21,216 words Warnings: post war, chubby!draco, insecure!draco Summary: Immediately chocolate assaulted Draco’s senses. Warm melted chocolate mixed with his mother’s roses and… something else. Something new. Freshly scrubbed skin and maybe a faint sheen of sweat. It was so familiar… And it only intensified when Potter came up behind him.

Title: Touched Author: Writcraft Other Pairings: none Rating: PG-13 Length: 7,052 words Warnings: post war, PTSD, hurt/comfort Summary: On the insistence of his parents, Draco begins to see a therapist to discuss his difficulties with physical intimacy. When he changes his appointment time, Draco discovers he’s not the only one seeking assistance as a result of events which occurred during the war and he finds comfort in the most unexpected of places.

Title: And I know The Spark Author: firethesound Other Pairings: Ron/Hermione Rating: NC-17 Length: 15,639 words Warnings: violence, dubcon, first time, canon divergence Summary: All Draco cares about is keeping Potter alive, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that happens.

Title: Let’s Pretend The War Is Over Author: pir8fancier Other Pairings: none Rating: PG-13 Length: 7,914 words Warnings: post HBP AU, mentally ill Draco, angst Summary: The war is over and Draco is alone, fighting demons of a different nature.

Title: No Quiet Find Author: distempered Other Pairings: Ron/Hermione Rating: NC-17 Length: 9,895 words Warnings: war fic, mentally ill Draco, angst, hurt/comfort, rough sex, breathplay Summary: War makes a man tired…some more than most. Draco needs rest.

Title: I Am Your Shadow Author: eidheann Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 3,128 words Warnings: angst, 8th year, dubcon Summary: Love (n) An intense feeling of deep affection. Yield (v) To give up or surrender (oneself).

Title: The Darklist Author: dysonrules Other Pairings: Harry/OMC Rating: R Length: 87,481 words Warnings: case file, post war, torture, hurt!draco Summary: When Draco Malfoy, wanted criminal, strolled into the Ministry to give himself up, he seemed destined for Azkaban until he offered to hand over information to avert an upcoming crime. Of course, he refused to divulge that knowledge to anyone but Harry Potter.

Title: Transfigurations Author: Resonant Other Pairings: past Harry/OMC Rating: NC-17 Length: approx. 400,000 words Warnings: canon divergence, case file, post war, ptsd, angst, Harry’s kind of a dick tbh Summary: Five years after Voldemort’s defeat, Harry returns to England to help re-open Hogwarts.

Title: A Fruit Tree in Winter Author: small_gardens Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 29,000 words Warnings: canon divergence, hurt!draco, hurt!harry, angst Summary: After failing in his task of killing Dumbledore, life doesn’t go as Draco expected. Sometimes just surviving takes everything you’ve got. And sometimes healing is something you can’t do alone.

Title: Lettered Author: pir8fancier Other Pairings: none Rating: R Length: 7,802 words Warnings: canon divergence, dirty talk, angst Summary: Harry has a secret penpal, whose identity is as plain as the nose on his face. Except he’s not wearing his glasses.

Title: Lush Life (sequel to Lettered) Author: pir8fancier Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 19,517 words Warnings: AU, angst, unrequited, post war Summary: This is the sequel to Lettered. Draco is now the editor of a gay men’s porn magazine and living in N.Y. His self-imposed exile from England is about to end.

Title: Home Again, Home Again (sequel to Lush Life) Author: pir8fancier Other Pairings: Ron/Hermione Rating: NC-17 Length: 22,071 words Warnings: AU, post war, violence, angst Summary: The day I find the person who orchestrated this is the day they will wish they never had been born.

Title: In the Interest of Interhouse Cooperation Author: firethesound Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 11,817 words Warnings: post war, 8th year Summary: Organizing a Duelling Club was supposed to be a fun extracurricular activity for Harry’s 8th year. But add in Draco Malfoy and a malfunctioning Room of Requirement, and things can’t help but get complicated.

Title: Kiss the Joy (Until the Sun Rise) Author: ICMezzo Other Pairings: none Rating: R Length: 37,863 words Warnings: post dh, first time, hurt/comfort Summary: The Room of Requirement was severely damaged in the war, but not so much that it could not provide for one lost student and another young hero—especially when they needed each other most of all.

Title: Love Comes Tumbling Author: taradiane Other Pairings: Ron/Hermione Rating: NC-17 Length: 22,256 words Warnings: 8th year, hurt/comfort, angst, fluff Summary: ‘Harry’s thoughts were of how much he would have done differently with Malfoy over the years, and of Dumbledore’s final words to the other boy … “It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now.” Maybe, Harry wondered, he could find some mercy, too, and give Malfoy the second chance that Dumbledore had believed him worthy of.’

Title: Requirements Author: ravenna_c_tan Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 5,145 words Warnings: canon divergence, bondage, knife!play, blood!play Summary: Draco is spending much of sixth year in the Room of Requirement. But sometimes the Room has a different idea of what he requires than he does.

Title: To Be Back Again in the Rest of the Room Author: lamerezouille Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 15,947 words Warnings: post dh, angst, fluff Summary: Harry’s just defeated Voldemort, and has had enough trouble for a lifetime. All he wants to do now is to get into his four-poster bed in Gryffindor Tower and sleep. Too bad he soon finds himself unexpectedly stuck in a malfunctioning Room of Requirement… with Malfoy.

Title: Date Blindness Author: Cheryl Dyson Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 24,673 words Warnings: angst, fluff, misunderstandings Summary: Harry thought he was perfectly happy until Hermione decided to set him up on a blind date.

Title: One Harry Potter, Please Author: faithwood Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 62,269 words Warnings: first time, post war, unrequited (not really) Summary: All Draco wants is Harry Potter’s friendship, just to make his new Auror job more bearable. However, after Harry stubbornly pays more attention to his secret admirer, Draco is forced to resort to drastic measures.

Title: My Sweet Prince Author: heymrstone Other Pairings: none Rating: R Length: 46,626 words Warnings: post DH, angst, misunderstandings Summary: It’s been four years since the Battle of Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy has resided to a quiet, lonely life in muggle London. Of course, Harry Potter is bound to come around and stir things up…

Title: Desperation Author: vampireisthenewblack Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 13,804 words Warnings: war fic, alcohol abuse, suicide attempt, dark fic, first person POV, Draco’s POV (don’t let it stop you) Summary: If you had only died when you were meant to, I’d have grown up in a wizarding world already ruled by the Dark Lord. I wouldn’t be screaming at you in a sixth floor bathroom. I wouldn’t be raising my wand, Crucio on my lips.

Title: In Plain Sight Author: oldenuf2nb Other Pairings: none Rating: R Length: 37,500 words Warnings: 8th year, angst, hurt!Draco Summary: Draco Malfoy had stopped believing his wishes would be granted long ago. He could perhaps be forgiven for being startled, then, when one of them came true.

Title: The Business of Saving Souls Author: rurounihime Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 26,168 words Warnings: post war, angst, suicidal thoughts Summary: Draco’s world is filled with ghosts, and not all of them are so easily banished.

Title: Fearless Author: melusinahp Other Pairings: Ron/Hermione Rating: NC-17 Length: 35,000 words Warnings: angst, post war Summary: “There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance.” – John Lennon

Title: Must Love Quidditch Author: dracosoftie Other Pairings: multiple Rating: NC-17 Length: 103,473 words Warnings: slow build, post DH Summary: Through a series of emails from an online dating site, Harry thinks he’s found his perfect match. Will the bond they’ve forged survive after their identities are revealed?

Title: On A Clear Day Author: Saras_Girl Other Pairings: none Rating: R Length: 41,519 words Warnings: slow build, post DH Summary: Draco Malfoy is waiting for his real life to begin, and it appears that he’s not the only one. Coffee, charity, and the wisdom of the elderly.

Title: (The Piece) I was Missing All Along Author: lauren3210 Other Pairings: Draco/OMC’s, Harry/OMC’s, Hermione/Ron, Hermione/Ginny Rating: NC-17 Length: 30,778 words Warnings: infidelity, post war, angst, slow build Summary: Draco and Harry have been flatmates and best friends for years, and Draco thinks life is just perfect that way. But when something comes along and threatens to take all that away, Draco has to decide what it is he really wants, and just how hard he’s going to work to get it.

Title: Unexpected Consequences Author: hdremix_mod, lauren3210 Other Pairings: Hermione/Ron, Ginny/Dean Rating: NC-17 Length: 39,192 words Warnings: hurt/comfort, post war, hurt!draco, violence Summary: Harry was going back to school. He was going to play Quidditch, sleep in lessons, hang out with his friends, and generally just enjoy being a kid for a change. And he was also going to do it while being bonded with Malfoy, because apparently life was just going to continue throwing curveballs at him. Harry didn’t know why he expected anything different.

Title: Let Me Be Your Voice Author: Queenie_Mab Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 47,459 words Warnings: 8th year, hurt!draco, first time, hurt/comfort, parseltongue kink Summary: As the hero of the revolution, Harry leads the wizarding world in its efforts to rebuild; but first old wounds must be tended, rifts caused by hate mended, and his history with Draco Malfoy seems like the perfect place to start.

Title: All His Saints Author: Setissma Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 13,433 words Warnings: canon divergence, depression, angst Summary: It was eleven o’clock when Harry heard the knock on the door. He very nearly didn’t answer.

Title: Noticed Him Fading Author: marksykins Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 3,500 words Warnings: canon divergence Summary: Draco hates France, the Ministry, owls, and Harry Potter.

Title: Let the Poets Pipe of Love Author: bookshop Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 11,916 words Warnings: dubcon, prostitute!draco, angst, first time Summary: Harry is a virgin, Draco is a hooker, but when they get together they have nothing but fun sex fights—well, something like that.

Title: Say Hello Before You Say Goodbye Author: oxoniensis Other Pairings: Draco/OMC’s Rating: NC-17 Length: 2,000 words Warnings: post war, angst, major character death Summary: “His coat, although very fine, is secondhand, something that eats away at the remnants of his former self. His hands are a little chapped, it’s cold, and he’s so fucking tired…”

Title: Tissue Of Silver Author: fearlessdiva Other Pairings: none Rating: R Length: 76,077 words Warnings: post book 5 canon divergence, slow build, drug use Summary: A love story concerning possessed furniture, black silk pyjamas, courtroom drama, premonitions of doom, assassination attempts, Death Eater yoga, absinthe, bare feet and a sensible werewolf.

Title: Gone Down the Angel on a Lonely Night Author: Femme (femmequixotic) Other Pairings: Draco/OMC’s Rating: NC-17 Length: 17,672 words Warnings: post war, violence Summary: Eight years after the end of the war, Harry stumbles upon Draco in an unexpected place: Islington.

Title: The Voldemort Manor Author: Kedavranox Other Pairings: Harry/OMC, Draco/OMC Rating: NC-17 Length: 40,616 words Warnings: au, angst, violence, drug use, suicidal thoughts Summary: The Malfoy Manor is a state run museum, renamed The Voldemort Manor by the Ministry for Magic. As part of his probation, Draco is assigned as sole caretaker. When the Manor hosts a series of high class events celebrating the Wizarding World’s fourth Yuletide season Post War, it brings with it a swathe of people Draco hasn’t seen in years; including one, Harry Potter.

Title: Salt on the Western Wind Author: Saras_Girl Other Pairings: Hermione/Ron Rating: R Length: 60,549 words Warnings: post war, slow build Summary: When the war isn’t quite as over as it first appears, a guilt-ridden Harry is sent to a mysterious safe-house. Among sandwiches, insomnia, and Mills & Boon, he discovers something quite unexpected.

Title: He Who Must Not Be Normal Author: lettered Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 40,913 words Warnings: post war, dark fic, ptsd, hurt/comfort Summary: Potter has fame and fortune and posh clothes and all he wants is a simple life. Draco has a flat and a cat and a steady job and all he wants is a complicated life. Which makes you think this story has something exciting like body-swapping, but it doesn’t. Instead it has Indian takeaway and a blue jumper and people wanting a whole lot of what they can’t have, discovering themselves as they discover each other.

Title: And So Death Took Author: ICMfornow Other Pairings: Hermione/Ron, Draco/Astoria Rating: R Length: 25,248 words Warnings: post dh, canon divergence, major character death (not Harry or Draco) Summary: Fairy tales may soothe small children into slumber, but some stories themselves refuse to sleep. The Tale of Three Brothers,retold.

Title: Sew Me Back Together Again Author: xenadragon_xoxo Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 19,165 words Warnings: angst, hurt/comfort, Draco POV Summary: After the war, with his father in Azkaban and his mother on the run, Draco is lost, broken, and scarred by the mistakes he has made. In an effort to make things right, Draco participates in the rebuilding of Hogwarts, but he finds himself completely shunned. That is, until Harry Potter, Wizarding World’s Golden Boy, shows up to save the day. Again.

Title: Hate Me Like You Do Author: hurt_mod, shine_alive (orphan_account) Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 10,888 words Warnings: rape/noncon, violence, humiliation, angst Summary: During the war, Draco was forced to hurt Harry. Ten years later, they meet again—and again, and again. Harry uses his hatred as a shield, because it’s so much easier to hate than to love and forgive. Draco revels in Harry’s hatred and craves more of it, becoming addicted to it, because he would rather have hatred and pain than nothing at all.

Title: Right Hand Red Author: lumosed_quill Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 73,173 words Warnings: 8th year, first time, slow build Summary: Harry felt Malfoy’s breath on his lips as they came together over the bottle, hands firmly planted on the floor as though they each needed their familiar soil, refusing to cross into enemy territory. Except that Malfoy no longer felt like his enemy. Malfoy felt inevitable.

Title: When the Songbird Stopped Singing Author: Nherizu Other Pairings: Draco/Astoria, past Harry/Ginny, past Draco/Pansy Rating: R Length: 37,290 words Warnings: 8th year, eating disorder, violence, angst Summary: Shortly after the war, Draco Malfoy wakes up with a new understanding, and Harry Potter needs firmer ground to walk on. Unfortunately, life is never easy, especially with the burdens of N.E.W.T.s looming closer. As Draco struggles to maintain his sanity, Harry is back to his old routine—stalking Draco.

Title: Vanilla Author: DancingGrimm Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 14,760 words Warnings: 8th year, first time Summary: Draco worries about his libido. Harry takes it all in stride.

Title: Until Dust is All That’s Left of Us Author: wantsunicorns Other Pairings: none Rating: R Length: 47,000 words Warnings: angst, fluff, dubcon, case file Summary: There’s a dark presence at Malfoy Manor and its smoky tendrils are already reaching for Draco. Will Harry be able to save him and more importantly their budding friendship, before it’s too late?

Title: Against All Odds Author: fanfairmod, momatu Other Pairings: none Rating: NC-17 Length: 53,838 words Warnings: post war, canon divergence Summary: Beauxbatons is hosting the first ever Quidditch Summer School for children from all over Europe, and Harry has promised to enroll Teddy as his birthday present. Meanwhile, Draco is stuck in his office, putting together the first ever Quidditch Summer School for children from all over Europe during, when he should be enjoying summer holidays.

Title: Helix Author: Saras_Girl Other Pairings: Neville/Luna, Ron/Hermione Rating: NC-17 Length: 92,870 words Warnings: slow build, fluff Summary: Seven months after the end of the war, Harry is feeling lost. Fortunately, he is about to be offered an unexpected and sparkling chance to find himself again.

#tmmotheechalamet #drarry #hp #drarry ficrec #ficrec

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padfootastic · 1 year

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☼ - appearance headcanon, so basically i wanted to ask- what do you think sirius looks like? do you have any fancasts for him or fanart that you think looks like him? what is his style and just overall vibe like?

oooh, i’ve talked about it a bit here and there but lemme give u an itemised list ;)

- pretty darn tall, like well over 6ft. used to slouch during the first few years of hogwarts bc he knew how much it annoyed his parents but as he grew older, stopped doing it & it made him look even more imposing.

- always well dressed. crisp, clean clothes; neatly knitted tie; pressed pants; shined shoes & buckle. even when he’s wearing racy muggle clothes it’s always ‘artfully’ ripped.

- started getting tattoos at a young age (he’s a bit of a masochist) and has a few piercings—lip, nose, ear.

- don’t have a fc myself bc i can’t do faces (tho dani’s is pretty good ngl) i do think his physical features were like—sharp, a bit like porcelain. makes him look a little delicate and a lot dangerous. kept himself mostly clean shaven.

- a lot of jewellery. rings. bracelets, chain necklaces etc. one is the black heir ring, one is a potter family ring that fleamont gave him, and the rest are cheap little trinkets he picked up in the muggle world.

- i think his vibe is very…’dangerous predator stalking gracefully towards you’ bc he’s better than most, knows the fact, and doesn’t try to hide it. it emits this aura of ‘stay away’ that makes most people very hesitant to approach him. (also said this once before, but i get similar vibes from bella hadid, particularly when she’s doing her ramp walk ykno? the straight back and intense gaze that doesn’t stray once?)

- doesn’t get embarrassed easily but when he does, he blushes so fast. (almost always bc of james tho)

From this character headcanon ask game

#sirius black #i can keep talking about sirius lol #for someone who doesn’t picture characters i sure do have a lot of opinions #but i go very hard for physicality #so sirius and his heir ring is. a complicated relationship.#bc he loves & hates the house of black #and a part of him that was groomed as heir #cannot let go of it #so yeah. it’s a. Whole a thing #fanart wise there’s so many i can’t remember #but blvnk captures young sirius (and james!!! and lily!!!) like few others i think #pen’s asks #ask game

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imagination-confusion · 1 year

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So, I made this stand. It's called Sirius the Dog Star and their power was transforming into different constellations/zodiac signs and this is Sirius in their 'Leo Form'.

Fun fact: I made this stand before the user and it was always going to be an animal stand. I have no idea if anyone else made a Sirius stand so I apologize on that.

Leo Form is a melee brawler and likes to get up and person in fights with pinning and slashes. Their signature move in this form is Blackhole Roar! Which increases the gravity on the opponents. The gravity push gets weaker when you get out of range but the closer you are to Leo, the dangerous it is.

Shiba, like all animal stand users has a boosted amount of intelligence and self-awareness. A conscious and like Iggy, that gave him a superiority complex and thinking himself above other dogs and above most other dumb humans.

I really like Jojo's Bizarre Adventures and how the fights play out. It isn't all about powering through the fights and trying to be the physically strongest, even the weakest stands have the chance to be imposing. It forces me to think and its so good!! I especially love the Petshop vs Iggy fight and how many good choices Iggy did but he just got kept getting one-upped until the end where he got his chance.

AGGHHH I AM SORRY FOR RAMBLING I JUST LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH!!

#jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo oc #stand oc #dog oc #shiba #sirius the dog star #dog star stand #patchwork ocs

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sssssssim · 7 years

Text

So, basically. I have re-read Harry Potter (third time, after seeing the movies again, after seeing Fantastic Beasts) and took a picture of all the things that... caught my eye. Be it funny, surprising, or things that I forgot since the last re-read.

Let’s talk about them.

This... is going to be a very long post. It’s going to be massive. It has over 200 pictures. Enjoy!

Draco Malfoy is 11 years old and has a hella sweet tooth, that his mom encourages.

LIKE DUDE. They really didn’t like Hermione at the begining.

That’s... pretty ruthless, Hermione. Chill.

I find it absolutely hilarious that Harry keeps saying Draco is his archenemy. Soooo dramatic.

This is literally what happened in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson, Nico kept babbling on on about Percy to his father. Turned out Nico had a crush on Percy. ... Oops.

This seems so... harsh. For 11 years old. Like good god. I know everyone else’s reaction was much more interesting, the Weasleys willing to fight for Hermione, Ron -while throwing up slugs- explaining why it’s such a bad word, but I’m thinking more about how Malfoy didn’t hesitate in using it, even if he knew fully well what it meant. He had such a shitty upbringing.

Typical Harry, to be honest.

That awkward moment when Ron is the one actually thinking things through.

Don’t get me wrong here, this is the end of the first book. He’s an 11 year old child facing off two wizard who are a lot older, trained, more powerful than him. It’s perfectly normal for him to be muttering about anyone helping him. It’s also pretty good for him to get used to saying those words so early on :))

I need this quote on a shirt.

WELL FUCK THIS FORESHADOWING

Wendelin the Weird is so very weird, but I don’t wanna kinkshame her.

That sounds like a very ... magical... porn.

BROKEN BALLS

I really want a mirror like that. That tells me I have a thread sticking out of my sweater before I leave the house, that tells me that I forgot to comb my hair and so on. I need it. Also, it would be such a good thing for people with anxiety to have, wouldn’t it? They’d have someone/thing to talk to, prepare themselves for a social outing.

McGonagall is something else. Bless her.

Look at Draco’s two girlfriends worrying about him.

I bet Malfoy would love Harry to... “skin his shrivelfig” *wiggles eyebrows*

This is so explaining of Hermione and Harry. She’s excited and knows the answer, while Harry is low-key hating at her and his approach on knowledge is meeeh.

Ron swears. I feel like this is an important detail. I like this detail.

I think this is Fudge speaking. Or someone similar. But, I mean... If you ever doubted that Sirius is so very fucking strong...

I am a sucker for Harry Potter AUs and I have an itch to write the Teen Wolf one with Derek as a first year :))

Snape, my man... really. Well what if his right pinky is allowed??!!!

This is it. This is everything. Not only did Hermione smack that bitch up, but everyone else’s reaction is glorious. Bless this.

You were thinking about him, eh?

(Have I mentioned that I’m reading these books with Dramione glasses now? Heh. Sorry, but I’m not sorry.)

NOW LOOK. I would kill for a Netflix series about the Marauders in highschool. I feel like their characters could be so freacking awesome! And this, this line, ‘there were near misses, many of them’. I want 5 seasons of them. Please.

The relationships Hermione makes with the grown men around her are beautiful to see. We see a bit of her and Mr. Weasley through the books. And here, Sirius and Lupin, they have hearts in their eyes for Hermione. I don’t know if it was because she reminded them of Harry’s mom, or because Hermione is just so smart and kind and strong. But either way, it’s amazing.

As I was saying. Heart eyes.

Harry’s approach to time-travel seems pretty reasonable.

Harry, what the hell did you smoke?!

I actually do not know if normal straight boys think of other boys as ‘extremely handsome’. I mean, I don’t think they do...

Again. The grown men vs. Hermione. Bless her. I also like how Harry thinks of him as ‘Mr. Malfoy’, even is his head. It should be a sign of respect, but I think it’s more of how Malfoy is imposing and mildly terryfing.

So. One, again, Ron swearing and Harry being too proper to reproduce it. Secondly, they’re at the World Cup and the Death Eaters are there. And by this point, neither of the three even thought that Hermione was in danger because of her muggle parents. But Draco pointed it out. And while, yeah, it was said with a sneer and a clear bad intent... It was also a warning, wasn’t it? It made Ron and Harry think of protecting her.

This hurts so much, oh my gods. And you know I’m going to be looking for what her last words to Fred were. *sniff sniff sobb sobb*

Some things never change, no matter what year you’re in or world you’re on. I don’t know about you gals, but this is something I still say. And I’m 26 years old and living in Romania.

Mrs. Weasley is... pretty... uhm... harsh.

Ron, dude... just how fucking strong are you? This is year 4. So he’s 15 years old. Like. D U D E.

Same, Harry. Same. Mornings are awful.

I... need that book. how much is too much?

He needed Hermione, of course he did. I think one of the smartest things Harry ever did was realize that he needed Hermione.

To be honest, I have cried over Ron and Harry’s friendship several times in the past and I too would want to hug them both at the same time.

This is still the best line ever said in these books.

Remember that time everyone’s jaw dropped over how good Hermione looked at the Yule Ball? Including Draco? Yeah, fun times.

Another brilliant life quote.

I TOTALLY FORGOT about the part where during the Triwizard Tournament, Hermione recieved hate mail because people thought she was double-teaming Harry and Krum.

NIFFLERS !!!

Siblings. <3

Sirius, you adorkable man, that is the cutest thing ever. That, and the fact that when the kids are talking about you and they don’t want everyone else to know they’re talking about you, they don’t call you Padfoot, they call you Snuffles. And you don’t mind it. Snuffles!!! Snuffles and his paw. AWH.

“Friendly reminder” that Cedric was tortured by Krum, just a little bit before he was killed.

uhm

iconic

Remember that time when Harry used just the fleeting thought of Hermione and Ron to conjure a full bodied patronus?

So much snark. So much funny. So much Harry-ness and Lupin-ness.

Harry. Calm the actual fuck down.

This echange, it hurts a whole freacking lot if you think about Sirius’s last words to Harry in the movie.

Such an interesting thing, Mrs. Weasley and Sirius fighting over who is more entitled to take care of Harry.

YEAH Look at Ginny! And look at her big brothers acknowledging her awesomeness.

Favorite cousin. Oh boy. That hurts mildly. ... How happy would have Sirius been that Lupin and Tonks got married? Oh boy. That hurts violently.

Sirius is just a slightly older teenager. ‘snogging a pair of my father’s old trousers’. Lol. Just. Lol.

Yes, he’s talking to Harry. And yes, it’s one of the best descriptions of Harry ever.

Does getting off not mean the same thing in the UK? Why are they celebrating Harry masturbating ?! I can’t help but thing of Captain America: Winter Soldier and Steve is in an elevator filled with men, and his lips move to the words Before we start, does anyone wanna get off?, and the audio says get out and honestly.

Do people still insist that Ron is stupid? Cause Harry sure doesn’t think so.

Seriously. Marauders Netflix series. 5 seasons. Gimme.

This scene went on with Mrs. Weasley seeing her entire family, the twins TOGETHER, Harry and Hermione. I was sobbing alongside her, tbh.

Sirius is a slightly older child.

Oh look! Ginny getting Luna and Neville together. How sweet ^.^

SO MANY THINGS HERE. Harry’s humor. Neville being amused by it. Neville’s self-deprecation. Ginny sticking up for him. Luna’s straightforwardness.

Harry discovering what it’s like to be the third wheel in a lover’s spat.

Hermione rebelling against the system is a thing of beauty, really. Cinnamon roll thinks of nothing but murder all day.

This is a scene I remembered from the first time I read the books. And it’s still just as glorious now as it was then.

BOWTRUCKLES.

I know they’re talking about giants but PENIS.

Of course her frostiness seemed to melt when she looked up at Ron. I like how Harry is slowly but surely noticing things.

Ron is, however, NOT noticing things.

Lee is such an underrated character.

Not gonna lie, I want a bauble with HAVE A VERY HARRY CHRISTMAS.

Another thing I remembered. I have yet to end up in a situation in which I could have used this insult, but I’m still planning on doing it.

Fred and Sirius fighting over dying for the Order GOOD GOD THAT HURTS

I... I just... Sirius being in full Christmas mode GOOD LORD

Sirius and Lupin buying joint Christmas gifts OKAY that’s not gay AT ALL.

Just... picture this. Visualize it in your head. I couldn’t stop laughing.

Neville THRIVING in the DA god bless

Now look I ain’t saying they shouldn’t have trusted Dumbledore. I’m just saying he sure kept a lot of things from Harry.

Ginny is a force to be reckoned with.

Harry, dude, what the hell were you smoking before bed???

So they are allowed to sit at other tables? Why isn’t anyone else doing it?

10 life saving wizard makeup hacks

I need that on a tshirt.

Same, Hannah. Same.

Dumbledore will not stand for physical abuse. Which is kind of funny (and by that, I mean really not funny) considering how Umbridge was torturing the students with her special quills.

There we go, Harry. Now you’re starting to really see Hermione-and-Ron.

Of course he hasn’t got a bit of a saving-people-thing. *snort*

So it was Ron who found the prophecy and really, that is very fine by me. I read a theory that Ron has a bit of a Seer in him. It wouldn’t surprise me, tbh.

SO Neville went through the first five years of school with a wand that WASN’T HIS. And it wasn’t for money reasons, like Ron did. It was just his Grandma screwing up because of sentimentality. And still.... Neville passed all of his classes. And he got really good in the DA. With the wrong wand. He’s pretty amazing.

I’m making a list of people I totally forgot were tortured before the war even started. So far it’s Harry, Cedric and Neville.

Last words. Also, first time Sirius and Neville were in the same room. (and not only did Sirius know who Neville was by seeing him, but he knew his name as well. was he friends with his parents? real friends, not just members of the Order?)

Things I completely forgot happened.

Honestly, this feels like the only flaw Dumbledore could be faulted with. It also makes me very interested to see the relationship between him and Newt.

LET ME SCREAM THIS FROM THE TOP OF MY LUNGS SERIOUSLY WHY WAS THIS NOT ADRESSED IN THE MOVIES I’M STILL SO ANGRY

Dumbledore’s crying and I was crying because he loves Harry so much good lord help me

Amazing. Harry’s comeback power. Brilliant.

Somehow, I forgot this particularly disturbing detail: dementors let out mist when they breed.

THE OTHER SIDE CAN DO MAGIC TOO i mean jesus christ poor bloke he’s the Prime Minister and this is way above his pay grade

Snape being polite is unnerving.

SO FUN FACT. Snape did, in fact, fool the greatest wizard, the most accomplished Legilimens the world has ever seen. And I think Narcissa Malfoy did too (I’m not sure that bit in the movie, where she lies to Voldermort about Harry being that, not sure if that’s straight from the book, I guess I’ll see)

Now look I haven’t read The Cursed Child yet, but it is my understanding that... Voldermort shares most thing with Bellatrix, especially things that should stay in his pants. Right? It would explain her... behaviour.

The dumbass seems glad. Oh lordy. MIstakes were made, by Draco.

Dumbledore loves Harry so much because they share the same type of... snark.

Mama bear.

I’m not sure whether I want to point out how much I love Luna’s embarrassing honesty, or Harry’s way of dealing with it.

DO YOU EVER CRY BECAUSE YOU WANT ANOTHER Also. This is very important. That Voldermort has chosen.

That’s so... I mean... Yeah, everyone would have loved to have been in her place but jesus Draco as a boyfriend. I can’t even picture it properly.

On one hand, poor Neville. On the other hand, bless McGonagall.

I C O N I C

also I can’t believe Harry survived this

If you ever wondered what Ginny smells like.

That sounds incredibly kinky.

Bless Hermione. Honestly, it would have made sense for her to end up with Harry, as well.

Same, Hermione. Same. I never harm a new book. Old ones, sure, but never a new one.

AMAZING. This is their lives jfc. They’re teenagers and Ron is really asking this question for real.

This was too good. I can’t deal with Ron speaking in a completely different voice. And I can’t deal with Harry’s awkwardness either.

I like the way Harry described his MASSIVE ATTACK OF JEALOUSY

Year six, aka the year in which EVERYONE discovered they had a sex drive.

Now, there is a discussion we need to have. WHY has Bellatrix been teaching Draco Occlumency? Also, is he good enough at it to hide from Voldermort? (Like Snape did). Cause that just goes to show how much POTENTIAL Draco had, that got flushed down the toilet because he sided with the wrong side.

I like how Fred just mildly questions it, and then moves past it.

Hilarious. Also, reminds me of Stiles. It sounds like something he would say.

Harry’s sweater didn’t have an H on it.

Goes hand in hand with Hermione’s helping hand.

I tried to count how many times Harry calls Voldermort handsome, but I couldn’t keep track. Honestly, do normal straight boys use this word so much?

Well, Harry, at least you realize you have a slight... unstraight... issue.

Seriously. Handsome.

The fact that Voldermort wanted to teach at Hogwarts... is both brilliant and terryfing. He also... I mean.... I am yours to command. jfc.

OH THAT EXPLAINS A LOT

She’s talking about Draco and my heart is breaking for the kid who screwed up one too many times.

Ron is a very surprising character. Because he seems like an idiot, and he is sometimes. But other times, he’s got the brains and the street smarts to think outside the box, further than Hermione and Harry.

It just baffles me, how obsessed Harry was with Draco through this book. Granted, it was for a good reason, but at the end, Harry did spend a whole lot of time studying Draco.

The fact that Draco suffered a lot in year 6 is something you’ve accepted a long time ago. And you read the tumblr posts about it, and you see the movies. And then you go back to read the book and it just HITS YOU again, how horrible it was.

After Ginny and Harry kissed in the middle of the crowded common room. Amazing, Ron. Amazing.

Gross sobbing, yes. Also thinking about who is them?

And Harry said the same thing about Dumbledore. And you cry and you cry because everything went to shit.

He’s talking to Draco, and Draco has to kill him and he knows it and my dear boy and I’m crying really badly.

So Draco hates Hermione pretty bad, by this point. Right? But even so, he doesn’t undermine her brains.

HE WAS NOT GOING TO DO IT, DAMN IT

He made stupid mistakes, but he wasn’t stupid. And he was terrified. Damn it damn it damn it. SERIOUSLY NOW. I think the story would have been a lot more interesting if we saw Draco switching sides. I know there’s some sort of redemption in The Cursed Child, I’ll get to that but... it could have happened here, damn it. It should have happened here.

a most Hermione-ish look what even is that? =))

GOOD BOY, HARRY. GOOD.

On one hand, this breaks my heart, because they were lonely. On the other hand, it warms my heart because Harry is aware of it, and because Luna and Neville dove right into danger without a second thought.

Again, I haven’t read The Cursed Child. But... flirting. ew.

They were running from Voldermort, here. Taken into hiding. God bless Dudley Dursley.

Kinky.

Last words.

If that would actually work... accio-ing people... i bet the Hogwarts hallways would be... chaos.

I would read three books about Tonks and Mad-Eye being Aurors.

Hermione is a the ends justify the means person. ... to an extent.

Dick jokes, god bless.

SO. MANY. THINGS. I’m gonna focus on the fact that Ron got this from his older brothers. BLESS THAT. Siblings!!! Bros being bros, helping each other with the ladies! GOD BLESS IT. I want to see so much more of it.

*sobbs quietly* I’m sure George witll do as you said.

So. Are we going to see Grandpa Krum in Fantastic Beasts? Also... everything is connected and the inside of JK’s head is amazingly mesmerizing.

T H I S =)). Poor Krum just wanted to get laid =))

So. About that theory I read, where Ariana was an obscurus... After reading this. I’m like 80% sure she was. It explains a lot of things.

Voldermort made Draco torture people. jesus christ that boy had it bad

... at least Harry sees it. At least someone saw it.

I’m still torn about this. Because on one hand, Harry is exaggerating. But on the other hand, Dumbledore did use and manipulate Harry since the start. It was for the greater good, yes, but.... I’m torn.

I have a feeling that a lot of wizard’s final acts have been to try to protect Harry.

This was horrible. It made Lupin do the right thing, but shit, Harry.

I’m curious. If Harry thinks now, that Lupin and Tonks had to leave their kid.

I wanna write that quote on my ceiling.

GOD BLESS THE SILVER TRIO

Really, Harry was the worst student of the three.

So many things happened in Godric’s Hollow.

Beautiful.

WELL. I do wonder who chose that quote.

I love these two together. They have such a beautiful relationship. And I imagine that Harry married Ginny first. And then, they’re at Hermione and Ron’s wedding. And the party’s dying down, and they’re sitting alone at a table, having a cup of tea. And Harry knocks their shoulders together and says that they’re finally family. And Hermione laughs, tells him that they’ve always been family, wedding rings or not.

Very interesting pieces of information that we’re gonna keep an eye out for in the Fantastic Beasts movies.

I’m... 60% sure that a friendship wasn’t all they “struck”.

The question is if Grindelwald already knew about the obscurus by this point. Or if seeing Ariana dying because of it, if that is what triggered his obsession with them.

AND THIS IS WHY WE ARE GETTING FIVE FANTASTIC BEASTS MOVIES. ONE FOR EACH DELAYED YEAR.

Harry is always dramatic. It’s hilariously heartbreaking.

Harry and Hermione is a beautiful love. But Ron is just as important, damn it.

This is such a brilliant scene (I wish it wouyld have been included in the movies) because not only it defines them as individuals, but it also defines their relationship. The Golden Trio isn’t a trio because they’re alike, but because they complete each other.

Wizard wands are like men’s penises, CONFIRMED

Beautiful and heartbreaking tbh

This was very interesting to me, because it was not included in the movies, and I forgot it. This choice that Harry had, Horcruxes or Hallows, it wasn’t presented like this. Neither was the fact that he did, eventually, mastered all the Hallows.

The thing is, Harry and Voldermort were similar, in some ways. And after they got inside each other’s heads, and got to know each other. I think that’s the only reason Harry was able to defeat Voldermort in the end. Harry understood him, but Voldermort didn’t understand Harry.

Teddy is a metamorphmagus. That’s gotta be fun.

Very straight, Harry.

Did Grindewald actually care for Albus Dumbledore? Or was he only interested in the obscurus? I really wanna know.

Neville never lost his faith, god bless.

Neville was brilliant, really. Everyone, including Harry, underestimated him.

Neville, Luna and Ginny were all raised in wizarding households. It’s nice to know that graffiti isn’t just a muggle thing.

I honestly believe that Voldermort would have been defeated with Neville as the Chosen One. It would have gone very differently, but the wizarding world would have been saved nontheless.

He didn’t even hesitate in using an Unforgivable, because it was McGonagall.

HIlarious. Snape, you’re hilariously dramatic.

In the movies, it was just the Order, NOT THE ENTIRE SCHOOL. And Pansy was a dumbass bitch, yes, but she was terryfied. I reckon all the Slytherins were terryfied.

No it wasn’t. Damn it.

Harry, ever the third wheel. Amazing.

Fred’s last words this is so not fine

I think this explains their “post-war relationship” pretty beautifully

First of all, Sev. Second of all, she started pushing him away because he started hanging with Death Eaters.

MY GOD HOW MUCH DOES THIS HURT? LIKE A WHOLE LOT FUCKITYFUCK

The fact that Harry defeated Voldermort with Draco’s wand. That feels important to me.

Luna is a gift.

That, Harry, is the biggest understatement ever.

19 years later, and Harry is still checking Draco out.

I CAN’T GIVE A PROFESSOR LOVE

I have a feeling Ron is a great, fun dad.

YOU HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR, YOU’RE AMAZING SO HERE, HAVE A COUPLE OF BONUSES FROM THE CURSED CHILD

THEY JUST MET and they’re already flustered good god

Honestly, that’s a great way to distract someone from difficult emotional issues.

If that isn’t the gayest thing I ever read... (well there was Ronan Lynch with the lamp, but anyway)

Dumbledore owning Harry’s dumbass even after his death.

WHAT EVEN IS THIS NONSENSE oh wait it’s a fucking Flashpoint

It’s really not, tho.

. . . It’s like they took everything the fans have ever wanted, and put it in this play.

YOU READ THIS FAR OH MY LORD YOU’RE AWESOME HERE HAVE A MINIBONUS FROM FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, BY NEWT SCAMANDER (HARRY’S EDITION)

Never tickle a sleeping dragon.

This explains a lot, actually.

Schoolwork, in a nutshell

We musn’t forget that throughout this, they were children.

#harry potter #hp #jk rowling #book #quote #sim reads harry potter #this was fun

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dracimalfoy1988292 · 3 years

Text

(ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 41: ᴡʜᴀᴛ's ʜɪs ᴅᴇᴀʟ?)

"It was just a childhood crush. Besides, I think he's interested in someone else. Honestly, after how I reacted, I don't blame him for turning me down. I respect it, actually," Lily explained for what seemed like the fourteenth time over the past few days. "There's always more fish in the sea."1

"What've fish got to do with anything?" Marlene stated, looking confused.

Lily waved her off. "It's a muggle expression, don't worry about it. Anyways, Remus and I were a recipient for disaster. We're far too alike."7

"I'd rather date someone alike to me then completely different," Macey begun, walking and looking sulky. "Because if they're different, they can turn on you just like that and break you."

"Unless you're dating an assassin, I don't think we have to worry about that particular instance," Marlene snorted.

Valentine glanced at Macey again. Her friend kept quiet, but she knew exactly what she was thinking about.

According to Macey, after Valentine had left the Room of Requirements, Celia and Macey had gotten into a fight. Worse than the fight they'd had before Valentine had left. Harmful words were exchanged, all of which ultimately led to a break up.19

Valentine still avoided Celia at any given moment, and James, even though he hadn't really cared for Celia, tried to persuade her to at least settle the tension between them so it'll make her feel better. Valentine refused, though.

The group of girls had finally entered the Great Hall, and they took their seats. The boys hadn't arrived yet, and Lily was grateful to have a few minutes of quiet.

They didn't have much time to carry out their conversation before an handful of owls dropped into the Great Hall. Valentine held her breath as Ollie, her personal owl, dropped her letter down before her.

Macey clapped. "Oh! Pass it to me when you're finished."

Valentine glared at her. "This is my mail."

"Your social life is my social life. Pass it to me when you're done," Macey repeated, shrugging as she made a plate.6

Valentine held her breath and purposely peeled the envelop extremely slowly, pulling the parchment out its home gently.

She unfolded the paper, gently rubbing her thumb over the creases.

Dear Valentine, my sixteen year old daughter (again, sixteen),6

I'm just so happy that you're in a relationship. From what I've heard about this James Potter, I just know he's wonderful!

Between what you said of all the girls loving him and finding him fit, I'm just so enthralled to meet him! Therefore you shall bring him home this holiday.

Actually, why wait? We can meet at Kings Cross. And trust me when I say I am just delighted to meet this young boy who is pursing my

Sixteen. Year. Old. Daughter.

!!!11

Now, I'm aware that you're attending Hogwarts. I'm also aware that you attend this school without your parents, and I'm also aware the security is not all that well, therefore I just know you have access to this Potter boy's room.

And bed.28

Valentine LeAnne Lotus, I may be a muggle, or whatever it is you call me, but I will find a way to use your blasted wand and physical attach myself to your hip, forcing the both of us to attend Hogwarts together if it means I know you're not engaging in any...

Skin to skin contact.

Do not underestimate my God-like tendencies. I will do it. Don't doubt me.17

Of course, your mother is just so happy for you! And by no means am I saying I don't agree.

But I don't agree.18

With so much love it hurts,6

Dad

Valentine cringed, setting her forehead against her palm and groaning. She was faintly aware of the boys finally barging into the dinning hall and sitting down, but she purposely ignored it.

"What's happened to you?" Remus asked from across the table, Valentine, face still contorted, looked up, wiping her face.

"My father wrote me back," she explained, and Sirius made a face.

"Cannot relate to that," he joked, earning a playful shove from Peter.9

"What did he say?" Remus asked, interested as he shrugged off Sirius' comment.2

"Just telling me how excited he is to meet my dear boyfriend," Valentine announced, clapping James shoulder. "Hah, dear boyfriend. That's ironic."2

James suddenly paled, and it wasn't at the hands of the subtle joke of his animagus.

"Does he hate me already?"

Valentine hesitated. "Well, no? He doesn't hate you. He hates the idea of you."

"Well that's not much better, Val!3

"Just be yourself and he'll love you!" Valentine reassured him, but he didn't look any better.

"That's exactly what he shouldn't do," Remus spoke up, earning a stressed look from James.

"Wow, Moony, that was harsh. Are you on your cycle?" Sirius remarked through a smirk, and Remus gave him a lethal look.17

Valentine sighed, taking James' hand in hers. "James, you have nothing to worry about. My dad might be a little overwhelming at first-,"

Valentine paused as Macey interrupted her genuine words with a snort. Valentine kicked her friend under the table.

"But he'll love you when he gets to know you... probably," she finished, her brown eyes searching his hazel sincerely. The fact that his usually cool demeanor was in shambles all over the fact he wanted her father to like him warmed her heart.

"Probably? I don't think I like the sound of probably," James countered.

"Yeah, fifty-fifty chance," Valentine went along with him.

"I want a one-hundred chance,"

James whined, running a hand through his unruly curls.

"Don't press your luck, Jamie," Valentine grinned, passing her letter for him to read. His eyes moved frantically beneath the lenses of his glasses, fingers tapping against the paper rhythmically.

"That's extremely passive aggressive. Really passive aggressive," James nodded as he finished. Macey held out her hand, requesting to read the letter next.1

Macey scanned the page before bursting into laughter.

"I'll write a excellent obituary for you, James," Macey snickered. "Papa Tom has it coming for you."

"Gross, Mace. I told you not to call my father that," Valentine grimaced. Valentine glanced around, only just then noticing the placement of everyone at the table. Her eyebrows drew together at the sight of Marlene and Sirius not sitting near each other. Now that she thought about it, they haven't often been how they usually were.4

"I wanna meet your dad," Sirius imposed, pacing his hands and laying yhem beneath his chin.

"You're not the boyfriend, bugger off, Pads," Peter said. "But I kinda wanna meet him too."6

"Right, well let's introduce you all separately. If he meets all four of you at once, he might genuinely have a stroke. Merlin knows your personalities wrapped in one is strangling," Valentine explained, rubbing her forehead and drinking her pumpkin juice.

"Well, you need to help me pick out an outfit for this occasion," James decided, nudging Valentine's side gently.

"You're kidding," Valentine stated blankly. "You can wear anything, he won't care."

"What, so I can show up naked?"6

"Definitely don't do that. At least not on the first appearance. Make him like you first," Remus proposed.

"No," Valentine corrected. "Don't go anywhere naked. No matter how liked you are."

"I bet you won't be saying that after we get married," James winked. Valentine froze, cheeks heating at both the fact that James insinuated they'd be getting married as well as being naked.27

James noticed her look and he cleared his throat, glancing away. Sirius not so subtly elbowed Remus in the side, shooting him a 'uh oh' look before he snorted and started to eat breakfast.

Valentine scratched the back of her neck, catching Macey's eyes. Macey made a kissy face, pretending to passionately kiss the air, resulting in Valentine launching a potato cube at her face, which she smoothly caught in her mouth, grinning in success.

________________________

"THIS IS STUPID!" JAMES DECLARED through a pout, the books thrown across his bed as he played with the snitch laid in the palm of his hand.

"Studying is not stupid," Valentine disagreed, flipping to a different chapter of her book. "Besides, where is Remus? He said he'd help me review."

James shrugged. "I dunno where the boys are. Actually, Peter has a date with some Gryffindor girl I don't know. But I haven't a clue where Remus and Sirius are."34

He sat up, taking any excuse to set away his notes, and he stood, approaching the trunk at the end of his bed. James flipped the latch and opened it, with drawling the piece of parchment he wanted. Valentine watched closely, eyes moving between James' hands and her papers.

James took out his wand and pressed it to the paper, muttering a phrase she'd heard before. She'd been welcomed in on their trade secret, but never had actually seen the Marauders Map in use.

"Hm. They're somewhere on the seventh floor, but they aren't moving?"39

"Maybe Sirius is keeping Remus company during Prefect patrol," Valentine offered, but James looked unsure.4

"Possibly," he concluded, sitting back down besides her, although he kept the map near him, occasionally taking peeks down to read it. It wasn't until later that Remus and Sirius had finally separated.

Remus was the first to show back up in the boys dorm, a look of sheer anger written upon his features.9

"What's wrong?" James immediately asked. "Was it those slimy Slytherins? Or did Sirius do something?"

Valentine smacked James across the shoulder, hating whenever he assumed the Slytherins were behind the wrongdoings.

"Don't worry about it," Remus mumbled, agitated as he stripped his vest off, leaving him in a white collar shirt. He ran a hand through his hair and collapsed onto his bed, breathing heavily as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Don't just sulk, Moony. What's got your knickers in a twist?" James pried again, and this time Remus groaned, throwing his shoe in their direction.

Valentine ducked, the shoe narrowly missing her forehead.

"Oi, watch it!" James exclaimed, swatting down the shoe. "You couldn't concussed us!"

"If I had, at least you'd stop talking," Remus remarked glumly.

"What has Sirius done to put you in such a mood? I saw you together on the map."

Remus' head slowly turned to face James and Valentine, his eyebrows raised and face red in both embarrassment and anger.3

"Sod off before I throw something harder than a shoe, Prongs!" Remus snapped. "I just want to go to bed, is there a bloody issue with that? Is there an issue with asking for five minutes of quiet without you droning on about concussion!"5

James pursed his lips, pushing up his glasses as he looked both surprised, hurt, and intrigued. When he didn't say anything, Remus continued.

"Sirius is with Marlene, and I only saw him in the corridor for a short second. There, happy?"6

James bit his bottom lip, checking the map once more to see Remus was correct. But James was still questioning everything.

"I mean, was it a short second or a short few minutes, because according to the map-,"

Remus stood, his eyes darting angrily into his best friend. Without saying a word, he slipped back on his shoes, yanking the one he'd thrown from James' hand, and he marched out the room, slamming the door behind him with such force that the room shook.

Valentine blinked. "Godric, is he on his cycle?"

James shook his head. "No, it was only two weeks ago he shifted."3

"Then what's happened to put him in such a mood?" Valentine asked, but James proved to be just as clueless as she was.

"I haven't a clue. Lately he's been more and more frustrated. I'd thought he'd be better once him and Lily mended their friendship, because I knew that was eating him up. I was surprised when he told me he wasn't interested in her anymore, but I figured it was only because he was mad because of how that whole situation rolled out at Hogsmeade."5

"Yeah," Valentine nodded, shuffling closer. They both sat criss-cross applesauce, their knees touching as they faced each other. "Lily said they were just friends, and she seemed happy about it. I mean, not long ago she was totally into him, and she even told me the whole werewolf revelation didn't matter to her much- so I wonder what Remus said to make her so okay with them not being romantically involved."

"I say we figure this one out ourselves!" He declared, stroking his chin. "Have you got your glasses on you?"

Valentine made a face. "I don't wear glasses, Jamie."

"Yeah, but all the great wizards and detectives do! It makes you look super smart, if you couldn't tell with me already. If we want to look professional, you need to get some glasses," James explained. Valentine doubted that was true.

She sighed, reached across, and plucked the thin glasses straight off James' nose. She slid them on, and they were blurry on her own eyes, but she wore them anyways.

"Boom. Now who's the detective," Valentine giggled, pushing up the much too big glasses as they fell down her face.

James grinned widely. "Yeah, I take it back. Clearly glasses don't make everyone look smart."2

Valentine gasped, yanking the spectacles from her eyes and thrusting them back to James.

"I take offense to that," she stated, watching James use his shirt to clean off the lenses of his glasses. "You look weird without glasses."

"Thanks, sweetheart, that makes me feel really good!" James sarcastically drawled, squinting as he looked at her. Valentine ignored the heat rising to her cheeks at the name.

"You'll have to get used to seeing me without glasses, anyways. I don't wear them to bed, if you catch my drift," he winked, insinuating something.11

Valentine laughed, and temporarily, Remus' poor mood was forgotten. "James Potter!"

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