HOGWARTS MYSTERY.
๐๐๐ก๐๐ค๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ค โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐โ๐จ ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ฉโ, ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ.
๐ฟ๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง? ๐๐ค๐ช ๐ข๐๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ค๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ก๐ก๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ง๐ช๐ก๐๐จ, ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ!
๐๐๐
๐๐.
๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐บ? ๐๐ฆ๐ตโ๐ด ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ต!
ใ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ใ
N.B.: you can choose more than one character, if the plot is about a love triangle, or something involving a reference to more than one relationship.
โณ๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐น ๐๐ฐ๐ด๐ช๐ฆ๐ณ
โณ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ข๐ท๐ช๐ฆ๐ด
โณ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ถ๐ญ๐ข ๐๐ฏ๐บ๐ฅ๐ฆ
โณ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ต๐ต ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ณ
โณ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ
โณ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐บ ๐๐ข๐บ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ
โณ๐๐ฐ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ข
โณ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ญ๐ฆ๐บ
ใ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ใ
N.B.: as you may have noticed, I have already sorted the songs in their genres, which means that, if you pick a song belonging to the โFLUFFโ group, I will write a โFLUFFโ drabble based on the song youโve picked.
โฟ๐๐๐จ๐๐โฟ
โข๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด - ๐๐ถ๐ต๐ฉ ๐.
โข๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ซ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฏ - ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ
โข๐๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ - ๐๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ญ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐น
โข๐๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ญ ๐ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ - ๐๐ต๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ป
โข๐ ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ณ๐ถ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ง๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ฑ - ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฐ ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด
โข๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ณ๐ช๐ค ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ - ๐รธ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ด
โข๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ - ๐๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ช๐ค
โข๐๐ฆ๐ด๐ค๐ถ๐ฆ - ๐๐ข๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ข๐ช๐จ๐ญ๐ฆ
โข๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ญ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ - ๐๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ
โข๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ - ๐๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด
โฟ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐งโฟ
โข๐๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ - ๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ข ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ป
โข๐๐ฑ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ - ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ
โข๐๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ - ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ
โข๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ - ๐๐ด๐ฉ๐ฆ
โข๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด๐ต - ๐รฅ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ
โข๐๐ข๐ค๐ณ๐ช๐ง๐ช๐ค๐ฆ - ๐ก๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ข ๐๐ข๐บ
โข๐๐ณ๐ข๐ช๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ - ๐๐ญ๐ช๐ท๐ช๐ข ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ช๐จ๐ฐ
โข๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ข๐ด๐ต๐บ - ๐๐๐๐
โข๐๐ข๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฆ๐ณ - ๐๐ญ๐ช๐ท๐ช๐ข ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ช๐จ๐ฐ
โข๐๐ข๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ - ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ช๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ
โฟ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐โฟ
โข๐ ๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ - ๐๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ป๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด
โข๐๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐บ ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ - ๐๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ญ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ
โข๐๐ฏ ๐๐ฏ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ต๐ฉ๐บ ๐๐ฃ๐ด๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ - ๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ต๐ช๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ข
โข๐๐ธ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ณ - ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ญ ๐๐ฆ๐บ
โข๐๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฏ - ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ด๐ข๐ช
โข๐๐ณ๐ช๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ - ๐๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ ๐๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ด
โข๐ ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ด๐ญ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ - ๐รฅ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ
โข๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ด๐บ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ - ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ต๐ช๐ด
โข๐๐ง๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐ฌ - ๐๐ณ. ๐๐ช๐ต๐ต๐บ
โข๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ข๐ค - ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ ๐๐ณ๐ข๐บ
โฟ๐ฆ๐ ๐จ๐งโฟ
โข๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ - ๐๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข ๐๐ข๐ต
โข๐๐ง๐ง ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ด - ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข ๐๐ฆ๐ญ ๐๐ฆ๐บ
โข๐๐ถ๐ต๐ด - ๐๐ช๐ญ ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ
โข๐๐ฉ๐ถ๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ - ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐๐ต๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ค
โข๐๐ฏ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ญ๐บ - ๐๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ
โข๐๐ฐ๐ฅ๐บ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ถ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ - ๐๐ฉ๐ณ๐ช๐ด ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ
โข๐๐ณ๐ข๐ป๐บ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ - ๐๐ฐ๐ง๐ช๐ข ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ณ๐จ ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ
โข๐๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ - ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ข๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ข ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฆ
โข๐๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ - ๐๐ช๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฑ ๐๐ณ๐ช๐จ๐จ๐ด
โข๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ - ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐๐ต๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ค
๊ง๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก. ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๊ง
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Itโs not over until the Fat Lady sings | Part VII
Pairing:ย Penny Haywood x Jacobโs Sibling
Summary:ย Itโs over. Itโs your final day at Hogwarts. Itโs time to say farewell to your friends and soon enough the start of new adventures.
AN: Yes, the hiatus is over after SO LONG. If only you are curious as to what could have taken me so long, just go ahead and read. All I can say for now, however, is this gif.
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Part I ย | ย Part II ย | ย Part III ย | ย Part IV | Part V |ย Part VI | Part VII
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Not today.ย
You land clumsily on the floor and fall face first. You heave a deep breath and feel the cool breeze over your bruised forehead.ย The floor is wooden you take notice.ย
โWe live.โ You sound more excited than relieved.
The tall man of very dark skin gives you a disapproving look as he offers you his big, callous hand, โyou may not believe us, but we are not kidnapping you.โ He says dimly.ย
โYou are not doing a very believable job at it,โ you mutter under your breath as you stand up and divert your eyes in search of your friend.ย
If Nicolau heard you or not, you do not care.ย
Feeling a tap behind your shoulder, you turn to find Penny unscratched for the exception of a few stray golden hairs out of place. It kind of takes your breath away, you are not sure if itโs the intense sense of relief or not.ย
โYou okay?" You feel her cradle your face with one of her hands,โI think I heard you hit yourself when we landed.โย
You open your mouth to answer, while you feel a hot liquid make its way down your nose. Now that she mentions it a throbbing headache is starting to thunder your scalp.ย
โEpiskey.โ
A hot-cold sensation goes over your forehead in that instant, interrupting the nearing headache altogether. You blink at Penny, and smile at her in gratefulness, only to realise the voice you heard had been a baritone.ย ย
*Waitโฆ.that couldnโt have been Penny.ย
A sudden cough makes Penny shriek away from you.ย
โI hopee you are doingย goodjeย ,ย crianรงasย , Nico,โ it is Maria's soft voice smiling over you. From the corner of your eye you witness Nicolau withdraw a rather stout wand into his pocket.ย
If Maria took notice of your awkward situation, she does not verbalize it. You go over your face with your hand quickly, confirming that all of your features remain unscratched in their right place. On your hand, a smear of red blood.ย ย Marvelous.ย
"Where are we?" It is Penny who asks. You both have been asking this question a lot more than you'd like.ย
From the looks of it, after a brief inspection of the place since your landing, you notice you are inside an old library. Or at least that's what it looks like to you. Row over row of tall, dusty dark bookshelvesย cover every wall of the two story tall ceiling room. All filled by equally old and dusty books of all sizes, colors and lengths.ย In the middle is a rectangle reading table, also made of dark wood, six chairs with red tattered cushions and on the roof, suspended on mid-air, an old wooden enchanted chandelier,ย which oddly enough, didn't offer much for illumination.ย
"This is myย famรญlia bibliotecaย , heirloom of theย familia Oliveiraย ย for centuries. We areย stayimย inย minha casaย for now, is probably more safe." She says this in a grave tone. It does not suit you well.ย
โWhat is going on here and where is Rakepick?โ you see Nicolau to your left roll his eyes.ย
Once again, much to your distress, despite being the creator of the portkey, Patricia Rakepick is nowhere to be found in the near vicinity.ย
Maria grimaces, "Paty is probably getting oโย Ministรฉrioย off our backs, they almost got us down there ,ย talvez," sheย adds the last as after thought before avoiding your eyes with a sigh. Yet, you are not ready to let things go.
โWhat does that even mean? Are we some sort of fugitives? Why were we in the Amazonas? What is this ministerio and why are we running from them?โย
You try your best not to holler at them in anger, but being left out of the loop is making you really anxious. You are clenching your fists so tight they are starting to pale. Nicolau steps between you and Patricia instinctively, Penny puts a hand on your arm.ย
The more time passes the harder it is becoming for you to trust the whole expedition, and the more you think this is a bad idea. You just can't help but toย know.
โย Relaxa Nicoย , it is timeย deiย know.โ Maria pats Nicolaus broad shoulders softly, motherly. He untenses instantly.ย
โSit,ย por favorย , it is long,โ she signals to the chairs over the table. They look as if they havenโt been dusted for centuries, and perhaps they havenโt.ย
You make your way to a chair, with Penny behind you, begrudgingly.ย Over the table, you notice, several pictures both magical and inanimate reside in piles, a map of Brazil and another one of the city (you read the words Rio de Janeiro) with different floating signals. One of the maps even had several floating names over it making their way around the city. You try to gulp but you fail, finding your mouth unusually dry.ย
In front of you, you watch a clearly shaken Maria Aparecida put two bony hands over the research table, her expression distraught, โEu nem sei por onde comeรงar, how to explain.โ She opens her mouth and closes it again, a visible quiver on her bottom lip.ย
You wish you could feel sympathetic with her, but you donโt. Not when you have been kept in the dark for so long.ย
โLet me,โ it is Nicolau this time, his face as stoic as every moment you have spent with him, โwhat you see overย hereย is a map of Brazil and the city ofย Rio de Janeiroย ."ย
You raise one of your eyebrows at him with a sober stare. Your cheeky โdonโt you sayโ remains hot on your lips because Penny nudges your ribs with the point of her elbow. Youย owwwย at her, she purses her lips at you. You hiss a โย fineย โ under your breath while Nico pretends not to notice your banter.ย
"We have been following the trail of a number of unusual disappearances, all of which have been escalating in the recent months since their start more than a year ago." Nico pauses as you see a trace of struggle surface through his impassive face.ย
You dart your attention between Nico and Maria intrigued. The brief info dump had felt like a joke with a punchline that never quite arrived. You can understand why it would be important to follow the trace of several disappearances but you fail to understand how this could be related to curse breaking or why Rakepick had decided to involve herself in it.ย
"Do the authorities know any of this? Don't you have a Ministry that attends to these matters?" Penny asks matter-of-factly, she probably feels as bewildered as you.ย
What would a trio of British wizards be doing in Brazil to help solve an arbitrary disappearing mystery?ย Sounds pretty random, if they asked you. What could you do that the Brazilian ministry couldn't?
Maria Aparecida interrupts your train of thought with a banshee-like chuckle. You would've laughed after her had you not been feeling as annoyed as you currently feel.ย
"Ja! Oโministรฉrio?โย she points one bony finger at Penny while she looks at Nicolau, "Oโministรฉrio,ย menina! Ja-ja-ja-jaaaaaaa!" She hollers in fake laughter only to stop suddenly.ย
"Deiย have known for months,ย deiย were the first notify of the disappearances of diseโฆof diseโฆ" she heaves for a second breath, perhaps to gather herself, "....crianรงas!" She motions wildly in the air with her hands, โ...childs!โ
She had spoken so fast it was hard for you to understand.
"Deiย are corrupt! The worst,ย porcariaย !ย Deiย do not care. Not about childs, not about safety, not about Macumba!" She hits the wooden table with both her hands in feverish anger before muttering unintelligible words under her breath, that might have been portoguese with a swear word or two by the sound of it.ย
Wait.ย
"Wait, did you say they are disappearing children?"ย
A powerful feeling between nausea and bemusement punches your stomach. As a persecuted child yourself, you can't help but feel sympathyโanger. It hadn't occurred to you before, not really, that outside of Britain all other kinds of terrors persecuted other children daily.ย
"They are disappearingย sem-magicaย children from poor regions of Rio de Janeiro-No maj?โ He adds as an afterthought after seeing our confused stares.ย
โYou mean muggleborn? Magical children born from no magical parents?โ It is Penny who interjects, you hadnโt heard of the term No-maj before.ย
โYes, muggleborn. We have tracked seven so far." Nicoโs face is in a deep frown, an expression you hadnโt seen in his face before, and emanated a menacing aura around him.
"But that would be hard to hide, right? How can school age magical children disappear out of thin air and have no one notice? Orโ"ย
You can hear a clear distraught in Pennyโs voice, heartbreak even. She is probably having a harder time believing something like that could happen just like that, even on the other side of the world. The thought that something like this could happen to her still school-aged sister probably bothers her more than she would be willing to admit.ย
โWho sayย deiย were school agee?โ Mariaโs words impale us into an ominous silence.ย
The implications give you immediate goosebumps, while bile hits the back of your throat.ย
"Deiย are disappearing childs yet to be register inย Castelobruxoย . Oโministรฉrio does not care because deiย are not registeredย aindaย the Brazilian magical census,โ You see Maria change her palms into firsts over the table.
โBrazilian muggles do not care because the disappearing children are poor and this is โnormalโ in Brazilian favelas.โ Nico quotes in the air with his fingers.ย
โWe also believe there is enough evidence to suggest this might not only be happening in Rio de Janeiro, but all over Brazil.โย
Nicoโs words are so grave, neither you or Penny dare to utter a word. Not of disbelief, nor support. The matter at hand is far more horrifying than any worst case scenarios you wouldโve come up with.ย
Maria Aparecida hits the wooden table with fury, โAnd all Oโministรฉrio care about is plan the nextย International Warlock Conventionย !โ She fumes.
โNo cause troubawl Maria,โ she hits the table with each of her sentences,โ No conspiracy theorie Maria,โย pum!ย , โ noting is wrong , noting is happening in Brazil.โย pum!ย , โ Stop or we fire you! Pffft!โย pum!ย , โMacumba no exist anymore!โ Her hair turns wilder with every new pummeling of the table, her eyes set up in a flaring glare. Almond eyes so tight and slant you could barely recognize her irises.ย
Penny reaches for your robe instinctively. You didnโt know Maria Aparecida, if at all, and she looked ready to cast an unforgivable curse at the minor provocation.ย
โWhat is Macumba?โ The question slips through your lips unconsciously. The word had shimmered at you since its first mention, for some reason resonated in your recent memory.ย
โMacumba is a very old kind of ritualistic magic that developed in the early magical communities of the 16th century,โ Nico pauses and moistens his lips, โyou are foreigners, so you do not know but around that time a massive wave of immigration populated Brazil andย sem magica,ย muggleborn, children were not trained in Castelobruxo. That is no longer the case, butย Brazil has a long history of misuse and practice of illegal magic, so we think the disappearances could be related.โ
Maria stands up suddenly at this, โNo, Nico, we no โtinkโ,โ she quotes in the aire, โdeiย are related, we know.โย
The loud pop of an apparition interrupts your conversation, before the heavy front doors of the library open with a screech. The bloodied figure of a woman collapses before you, the first to run to her side being Maria in a rush.ย
โPaty,ย querida, what happen?โ she puts Rakepickโs head over her lap and uncovers her face from a veil, revealing Patricia Rakepickโs signature red head, blood pouring grotesquely down her eyes.ย ย
โThey have him, Maria, they have him.โ She anguishes, if you didnโt know better you could swear you could hear her sob.ย
Maria remains silent, her face unusually petrous. Beside her Nico kneels.ย
โWho do they have?โ He grabs her robes quite forcefully with intention to shake her. Such a strong reaction takes you aback. Beside you, you notice Penny rummaging through her bag.ย
โWho do they have, woman?!โ He shakes her for real this time, breaking Maria from the quiet reverie she had immersed into.ย
โShe is hurt, stop it,โ you grab Nicolauโs forearm menacingly. He glares at you with a snarl, you make a quiet dash to your wand. You might not be fond of Rakepick right now, but you would not allow a stranger to hurt her.ย
Rakepick brushes Nicolauโs hands from her robes taciturn but placating before speaking to Maria again, โSantos, I think they have Santos, heโฆ he saved me, we have to go back,ย youย have to go back, check your watch.โ she orders Maria.
ย โHelp.โ Patricia adds as an afterthought before closing her bloodshot eyes. You grip your wand beside you tightly. These last words, however, are meant for you, that much you know.
------------
ah: I have no excuses, or way too many for the reason why I had been on hiatus for so long. But I have decided, I will finally give it a try and finish something for a change. The outline is done. I delayed a bit because of the world cup, but I hope to keep going forward. Looking forward for the ride, and you'd like, your company!
xoxo, everyone,
Lycopene.
You can find me in ao3 too.
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โdeed i do [1/4]
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more info about this fic in this tumblr post
โโโ
It hits you, out of nowhere, one Tuesday afternoon in the Hufflepuff Common Room.
Youโre minding your own business, reading about how to turn the tiny owl hooting quietly in front of you into a pair of opera glasses, when you catch a rustle of fabric to your right.
Looking up from your secondhand textbook, you bite back a fond grin.
Sitting next to you is your study partner and best friend of five years, Penny Haywood. Your futures were forever intertwined when your paths crossed as tiny little first-years in the main Courtyard. She appreciated your lack of ass-kissing and down-to-earth introvertedness. You were grateful that she didnโt hold Jacobโs actions against you. You two had a lot in common and became fast friends.
You remember the sense of warmth and safety emanating from Penny. Your immediate thought was, โYep, Iโve just met my best friend.โ You could not put your finger on what made you so sure. You still canโt. But if there is one thing you are sure about, it is that Penny Haywood will always be in your life.
At the moment, Penny has a cute little frown on her face. Itโs the face she makes when she hits a wall. As a perfectionist and someone with extremely high standards for herself, when she doesnโt grasp a concept right away, it frustrates her.
You know you should be a good friend and console her, but she is so adorable, you find yourself blanking on words for some reason. Your throat feels dry and raspy, so you say nothing and wait for her to speak first.
โIโm taking a break. This is doing my head in.โ A sour scowl sits on her lips as she crosses her arms and glares daggers at the textbook in front of her.
Penny was a whiz at Potions and Herbology, but Transfiguration did not come as easily to her. She often joked, โThatโs why I keep you around, so I get perfect grades.โ
You both knew it wasnโt true. But what was love without a little banter?
Underlining a section in your textbook, you put down your pen, moving closer to Penny and gesturing for her to pick up her wand. โIโve got you, Pens. Alright, so first weโre going to practice the wand movement. Is it okay if I grab your hand?โ
She nodded.
Gently putting your hand over hers, you slowly move her arm and wand. โItโs like a violin bow. You keep your wrist flexible and make small circular movements from the wrist, not the elbow. Two loops, okay?โ
If you werenโt so focused on teaching, you might have noticed the dusting of pink on her high cheekbones. But, you donโt catch it. Instead, you steamroll on.
โNext, the spell itself. Operaspecula. O-per-a-spec-u-la. Make sure to accentuate the first and fourth syllables, not the second and fifth. Common mistake.โ
You take a moment to demonstrate, mentally crossing your fingers that you get it right. It would be awkward if the teacher flubbed up the demo.
The owl gracefully turns into a handsome pair of opera glasses, then back into an owl. She gives an indignant hoot and flaps her wings to display her discomfort at the situation. You quickly apologize to her and then turn to Penny. โYour turn.โ
โOkay. I got this.โ Squaring her shoulders, she exhales slowly, then raises her wand. โOperaspecula.โ
Nothing happens. Pennyโs shoulders slump.
โTry again.โ
โButโโ
โNo, I have faith in you, Pens. Really mean it this time. You got this.โ
A brief staredown happens. Both you and Penny are stubborn as hell, so itโs a common occurrence. Thankfully, this time, you win.
โOperaspecula.โ
This time, the owl changes into a pair of opera glasses with feet sprouting from the bottom. Itโs not a complete Transfiguration, but itโs certainly progress. Thatโs enough reason to celebrate for the both of you.
Penny nearly knocks you out of your chair with an enthusiastic hug. The warm scents of musk and amber hit your nose. You relax into the embrace and whisper quiet congratulations to your best friend. She tightens her arms around your neck, despite the awkward side position youโre both in.
One thing you learned quickly about Penny Haywood: she is touchy. Hands thrown around necks, hugs, pats on shoulders and heads, and if sheโs feeling particularly in high spirits, hip checks. These are all things to expect from the epitome of Hufflepuff. Especially if you choose to be in her inner circle.
Itโs not a huge problem, except for the fact that youโre horribly touch-starved from a less-than-stellar family life back home. The steady, non-judgemental contact makes your chest feel warm, every single time. Even after five years of it.
In the beginning, you shied away from the hugs, believing you were undeserving. But after a lengthy conversation about your family history, Penny fiercely set the record straight and made sure to give you as much physical contact as she could. And that is how you find yourself the constant recipient of hugs, back rubs, linked arms, and shoulder squeezes in passing. Youโve never been happier about anything.
When Penny pulls back, she looks back to her usual self. Her frustrated pout is gone, replaced with her usual sunny smile. Youโre sad to see it gone, but also happy that sheโs not beating herself up anymore.
โIโve got to go to Runes, but we should pick this up after that. Will you still be here?โ Her hands play with the hem of her school robes, adjusting her Prefect badge.
โShould be. Iโve got a DADA essay that I need to start and Iโm done with classes for today.โ Sighing, you pick up your pen again, closing your Transfiguration textbook and opening up your Defense Against the Dark Arts one instead.
Pennyโs face brightens at the news. Her shoulders relax and her hands stop fiddling with the lapels of her robe. โGreat! In that case, Iโll see you later. Thanks, Jung. Youโre a lifesaver.โ She stands from the table, slings her bag on her shoulder, and hugs you from behind. A hug, you expected. What you didnโt expect was a quick kiss on the cheek.
By the time you realize what transpired, Penny is gone in a swish of robes and blonde pigtails. All thatโs left in her place is the lingering scent of her rose and sandalwood perfume.
Where did that come from? Sure, Pennyโs always used physical contact as a way to show her affection, but sheโs never kissed you before.
Your hand reaches up slowly to your cheek. Damn.
Before you can dissect this move, you feel a nip on the middle knuckle of your pointer finger.
Dropping your pen, you swear under your breath and cradle your left hand. Throwing a dirty look at the owl, who is innocently preening her feathers, you smart at the pain. โOkay, okay, Iโm taking you back to the Owlery. Yeesh.โ
โ
Penny finds you a couple hours later, still in the same spot where she left you. You are surrounded by balled-up sheets of parchment and your hands are covered in ink. As it turns out, describing how hex-deflection works is harder than you thought it would be.
โOh, what am I going to do with you?โ
Her soft voice jerks you out of concentration, causing an ink blot in the middle of your sentence.
โOh, sorry.โ
โSโokay.โ You sigh and wave your wand, whispering an undoing spell you learned pretty early on. The insistence to use antiquated technology for writing was laughable. And of course, no pencils; ink is a must. It took a lot of persuasion to convince your professors that a fountain pen would be acceptable. You were hoping for a ballpoint pen, but anything was better than a quill, so you took the win and didnโt push. Suffice it to say, youโre very good at removing ink blots and misspelled words from parchment. โHow was class?โ
โInteresting, as usual.โ Pennyโs voice was rife with sarcasm. โMore grammar today.โ
โThat bad, huh?โ You reach for her hands, but then think twice as you remember the stains. โWhyโre you taking it, then?โ
โItโs useful for reading old books, which is where all the interesting Potions recipes are.โ She groans, plopping into the chair next to you and laying her head on your shoulder.
โAh, yes. I should have known.โ You want to wrap an arm around her shoulders, but your inky hands stop you again. You stand, jostling her head, and hold up your hands. โIโll be right back. Iโm going to wash my hands.โ
Penny, who pouted at the loss of contact, breaks into laughter, wiping away tears. โCome sit back down, you idiot. Tergeo.โ
You blink down at your now-spotless hands. โOh, right. Thereโs a spell for that.โ
The blonde rolls her eyes and pulls you back down into your seat, putting her head back on your shoulder and pulling your arm around her. โWhat kind of witch are you?โ
โOne that doesnโt like to depend on magic.โ
โHipster.โ
โLazy-ass.โ
You both share a chuckle, looking at all the things strewn on the table in front of you. For the life of you, organization does not seem to be in your vocabulary. No matter how hard you try, chaos always finds its way.
โI know you said you wanted to work on Transfiguration stuff againโฆbut what if we found our friends and went to supper instead?โ
โThat sounds like a grand idea.โ With a wave of her wand, Penny organizes your books and parchment into neat stacks. Happy with her work, she tucks her wand away and loops her arm through yours. โIโm hungry and in no mood to study.โ
You find Chiara and Skye in the dorms, Rowan in the Library, and send an owl for Tonks. There is no telling where Tonks is at any given moment. As a matter of fact, you would rather not know. Plausible deniability and all that. They donโt tell, you donโt ask.
The six of you meet up in front of the Great Hall before entering as a group. All six girls take your unofficial designated seats at the Hufflepuff table. Rowan on your left, Penny on your right. Tonks sits across from Penny. Skyeโs seat is on Tonksโ left and Chiara sits next to her.
Todayโs meal options feature different kinds of sandwiches, steaks, and soups. You have a hankering for soups, so youโre thankful that something is your way for once.
As you dip your roast beef & Pepper Jack sandwich into your chicken noodle soup, you listen to Skye, Tonks, and Penny excitedly catch up about a recent Quidditch match. You share a glance with Rowan and Chiara as they begin to use words and names that even you donโt know. Sure, you might be on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, but you donโt follow any actual games that happen outside of Hogwarts.
โHow were your classes, Row?โ
โI almost got trampled by an Abraxan in Magical Creatures. But other than that, it was largely uneventful.โ Rowan dryly remarks, then takes a bite from her chicken sandwich.โHow about you?โ
โThe classes are fine, but the homework is really testing my will to live. Especially the DADA assignments. Iโve never been more reluctant to write an essay!โ
Rowan knocks her shoulder into yours. โI understand completely. The classes are getting real nowโฆ Weโre covering topics even I have never heard of in History of Magic.โ
โSpeaking of which, have you started on that essay due next week?โ
โNot yet. I was thinking of working on it tomorrow after Potions in the library.โ
โI might just join you.โ You sigh darkly, not looking forward to working on yet another essay. Words are hard.
As dinner begins to wind down, Professor Dumbledore stands and makes his way to the center of the raised platform. Amplifying his voice with his wand, he begins to speak.
โGreetings, students and staff. We are rapidly approaching the time of year when we shift our attention to happy matters of the heart.โ
A buzz begins among the student body. The Headmaster clears his throat and continues.
โAs such, it is my pleasure to announce that Hogwarts will be hosting a special Valentineโs Day Ball this year.โ
The Great Hall explodes with chatter. All around, students are asking each other about outfits and food and dates.
Penny sighs dreamily. You can feel her warmth down the entire right side of your body as the blonde leans into you. โA Valentineโs Ball! What could be better? I bet it will be full of blooming flowers, colorful lights, and candyโฆโ
Tonks, on the other hand, has a different idea in mind entirely. โAnd a killer band we can rock out to, with great music. No way this isnโt the best night of the year!โ
โMaybe weโll even get to bring a date! Ooh, I canโt wait.โ Penny clasps her hands to her chest and giggles. For as long as youโve known her, Penny has had a soft spot for romance and love stories. Itโs one of her endearing qualities that you love about her. You resist the urge to kiss her forehead.
Professor Dumbledore wisely waits for the hubbub to die down before he continues. โFor more details on the event, letโs hear from the teacher who will be in charge of every detailโฆ Madam Pince.โ
The six of you exchange confused looks. Wait, what?
Madam Pince does the same as Professor Dumbledore to amplify her voice. โGood evening, ladies and gentlemen. I promise Iโll approach planning this ball as I do all things at the Libraryโwith the utmost seriousness!โ
You donโt remember what she says after that, but with each sentence she says the mood in the room sinks ever lower. Finally, she nods curtly and returns to her seat.
The excited buzz that filled the room quickly turns sour. There is much turbulence among the students. Madam Pince is not known for having fun.
Tonks puts their head in their hands. โBlimey, this ball just went from being a potential blast to a crushing bore!โ
โLetโs hope thatโs not the case. Itโs possible Madam Pince has something fun planned after all.โ Always the optimist, Penny is trying very hard to look on the bright side. Itโs a valiant effort.
Both Rowan and Chiara are quiet, introverted girls, but even they know that a party should be the opposite of everything Madam Pince stands for. They silently nod in agreement with the more vocal members of the group.
You look for your friends in other houses around the room. Jae is glaring daggers at Madam Pince, Talbott has a very disappointed blank face, Tulip is face-palming, Andre looks like heโs going to cry, and you can almost hear Badeeaโs wince. You find Merula at the Slytherin table, her fist shaking as she holds a knife.
Suffice it to say, no one is happy about this new development.
You sigh, picking up your mug of ginger tea. โAt least it sounds like Madam Pince is taking this assignment very seriously.โ
Tonks throw up their hands. โToo seriously. She said it would be chaste, uncomfortable, and weโd have to follow the rules!โ
Penny wacks them lightly on the shoulder, reprimanding gently. โLetโs focus on the positive. There are so many great things about a holiday ball!โ She turns to you, laying a hand on your upper arm. โJung, what are you looking forward to most about the ball?โ
You stumble on your words as you feel warmth emanating from Pennyโs hand, through your whole body. What was happening with your brain? โHm? I wasnโt planning on going.โ
โOh, come on, please?โ The blonde pleads with her puppy eyes. She knows that you cannot say no to her pitiful blues. You wait a few seconds, but in the end you know youโre a goner.
โFiiine.โ
โYay!โ Penny leans forward and wraps her arms around your middle. โThank you, thank you! I promise weโll have a good time. We could all use a really fun night together.โ
Skye is much in the same boat as Tonks. It doesn't help that she isnโt the biggest fan of the Librarian. โWith Pince in charge, this night could end up being torture for all of us!โ
Rowan nudges your arm. โYou should do something about this. Youโve beaten much harder opponents in the past.โ
โYes, yes! Pretty, pretty please, Hero? Youโre the exact right person for this job!โ Pennyโs face is back to her pleading pout. The use of her special nickname for you is certainly deliberate. She knows how to slip past your defenses and hit you in the heart with her persuasion.
You wonโt lie; you were thinking up ways to trick Pince into relinquishing control. Now, with a very compelling reason sitting to your right, you find yourself speaking before your brain can fully catch up.
โOkay. Iโm going to save the Valentineโs Ball from Madam Pince.โ
Tonks and Skye raise their goblets and cheer loudly. โAlright, Jung! Three cheers for the Hero of Hogwarts!โ
Chiara clinks her mug of tea with yours calmly. โIโm rooting for you, Seojung. You can do this.โ
Suddenly, a Gryffindor sixth-year comes up to them. โPenny Haywoodโฆ would you go to the dance with me?โ
โOh hell, here we go.โ Penny mutters this under her breath so quietly only you hear. She straightens up and smiles her best socialite smile. โThank you for the offer, but I will have to decline. I hope you can find someone.โ
The Gryffindor boy nods. โCheers.โ
You are aware of a burning sensation in the pit of your stomach. Itโs hot and strong and totally alien. What is it? Anger? Fear?
Shit.
Itโs jealousy.
But wait. Why are you jealous? If anything, you understand why people are so keen to ask Penny out. She is kind, friendly, warm, funny, smart, prettyโ
Ah.
Because you want to ask Penny out.
Really, for someone so smart, you can be so dense sometimes. Falling for the popular straight girl? Of course you had to have the quintessential lesbian student experience. It could never happen. But now that you know, you canโt stop thinking about it.
All of the feelings you didnโt quite understand, the strange things you did, they all make sense now. You donโt know when your feelings turned from friendship to something more, but youโre certainly aware of it now.
You tamp down the fire in your gut and return to your sandwich and soup. You have no chance.
Another boy, this time a Ravenclaw, comes up to Penny and asks to be her date to the dance. Again, the offer is rebuffed. By dessert, five other boys have shot their shot. All five walk away without a โyesโ from Penny.
Youโre relieved. A dark part of you is happy that Penny hasnโt accepted an offer. If you canโt have her, no one can have her. Immediately, you lecture yourself for having such possessive thoughts. Penny is not an object for you to claim, she is your friend. Your best friend, in fact.
โPenne, are you going to accept an offer? Whatโs the hold up?โ Tonks unleashes a disgusting belch. โPeople are practically lining up to ask you out!โ
โIโm not interested in any of them! I donโt even know half of them. If Iโm going to take a date to the ball, at the very least I should know who they are.โ
Skye pipes up. โTheyโre just going to keep asking, then, unless you accept or something.โ
As Penny opens her mouth to say something else, another Gryffindor comes up to her. โPenny, would youโโ
โNo. Iโm already going with someone else.โ This time, Penny snaps in an uncharacteristically curt tone. The Gryffindor nods quickly and practically runs away.
Tonks raises an eyebrow. โWhyโd you say that?โ
โI donโt know!โ
โWell, now you need to say yes to someone.โ
โOh, Merlinโฆโ The blonde starts unbraiding and re-braiding her hair. You put your hand on the small of her back. Her coping mechanism for stress is playing with hair. Usually itโs hers, but sometimes itโs yours.
Penny smiles at you, silently thanking you for the silent support. You smile back. Youโre a sucker for Penny Haywood.
A throat clearing to your left makes you look up. Itโs another boy, this time a Hufflepuff in your year. You sigh and roll your eyes internally, readying yourself for another suitor throwing himself at Penny.
โErm, Seojungโฆโ Wait, what? Heโs asking you? โWill you go to the Ball with me?โ
Youโre not as nice as Penny. Laughing, you respond, โDude, Iโm a lesbian. But even if I wasnโt, I still wouldnโt. Fuck off.โ
โRight. Sorry. Seeya.โ The boy scrampers off.
The six of you sit in silence. Did that really just happen? Then, you all burst into raucous laughter.
โDid he justโ No fucking way!โ Tonks is pounding the table lightly with their fist in between fits of laughter.
โI could not possibly be more gay. There are very clear signs! What the hell!โ This time, you really do roll your eyes.
Even Penny cracks a smile, despite her stress. And frankly, that makes it all worth it.
โMates, I got it.โ Tonks breaks you out of your haze. Immediately, Rowan, Chiara, and Penny cast wary glances at each other. They know much too well how most of Tonksโ ideas turn out.
โYes?โ Rowan takes one for the team and asks the question youโre all scared to ask.
โYou twoโโ The pink-haired witch wags their fingers between you and Penny, โโshould pretend to date each other, so people will stop asking you guys to the ball.โ
The table falls silent. You scoff at the very notion, but shut up once you look at the other three girls. They arenโt objecting. You canโt believe that Rowan of all people is actually considering this.
โI think itโs an elegant solution.โ Chiara pipes up quietly.
Rowan shrugs. โIt does make sense. Benefits both parties.โ
Skye grins manically. โYou two do act like an old married couple anyway. Might as well play it up and use it to your advantage.โ
You roll your eyes and turn to Penny, about to say, โCan you believe this nonsense?โ, but you find her staring off into space.
โPens?โ
โWould you be okay with it?โ She looks at you with imploring eyes. Classic Penny, always looking out for others. โIt would be nice to stop having people come up to me, but only if youโre okay with the arrangement. I donโt want to force you.โ
โThe question is, would you be okay with it? I mean, youโre straight and all.โ
Penny snorts. โNo Iโm not! Jung, how do you not know this?โ
โYouโreโฆ not?โ
โJung, Iโm bi. I told everyone last year!โ
You blink. โWas I there?โ
This time, all of the other girls respond. โYes!โ
โOh. Huh. Alright then, I stand corrected. But, still, my other points still stand. Do you really think itโs a good idea?โ
The blonde takes both of your hands gently in both of hers. โI am so tired of all the unwanted advances. Iโll make it worth your while. Think about it?โ Her bright blue eyes drill into yours.
You sigh and squeeze her hands. โLet me sleep on it.โ You glance down at your wristwatch. โRight. Off to Quidditch practice. Come on, Skye.โ
โ
Thankfully, the drills keep your mind off of Penny, Penny, Penny. By the end of practice, your limbs are sore and your robes are soaked with sweat. You hit the showers, and only then does the fake-dating scheme come to the forefront of your mind again.
Pretending to date Penny Haywood. Could you compartmentalize your feelings? Could your heart survive this?
You canโt keep this secret to yourself. You need to tell someone.
Thankfully, when you return to the Hufflepuff Common Room, you find just the person youโre looking for.
โRow! Can we take a walk?โ
Over the years, you and the bookworm have come up with a set of code phrases. Her eyes instantly snap up from the book sheโs reading. She closes the tome with a quiet thud. โOf course.โ
Once youโre bundled up in appropriate coats and out walking the border of the grounds, Rowan speaks up. โWhatโs up, Jung?โ
โSo you know the fake-dating thing? Thereโs a problem with the plan.โ
โWhat is it?โ
โI may or may notโฆ have actual feelings for Penny.โ
Rowan halts in her tracks. โOh, dear. That is a complication. How long?โ
โI just found out at dinner. I realized I was jealous of all the guys asking her out. I wanted to be one of them. And then it all kinda hit me, and all the dots connected.โ
The other girl nods. โHonestly, that makes a lot of sense. I did wonder sometimes. Soโฆ are you okay with fake-dating Penny with your real feelings?โ
โThatโs what Iโm trying to figure out. I think so. I mean, I know I have no chance. Sheโs in a different league.โ
The bespectacled girl frowns. โNo, sheโs not. Youโre just as popular as she is, you know.โ
โWhat?โ
โOh, yeah. Everyone wants to rub elbows with the great Curse-Breaker and sibling of Jacob Lee. You really donโt know?โ
โGuess not. Explains a lot.โ You roll your eyes and move on to your other pressing question. โHey, when did Penny tell us she was bi?โ
โOh, she mentioned that sometime last year during breakfast one day. You probably werenโt awake enough yet.โ
You nod. That makes sense. Everyone in your inner circle knows that you are not a morning person in the slightest. Theyโve learned not to strike up conversation during breakfast, because you donโt talk.
โWell, that doesnโt change anything. Thereโs no way she likes me back. She sees me as her best friend, and I would hate to betray that.โ
โOโฆkay. If you say so.โ Rowan pushes her glasses by the bridge up her nose. โSo, will you do it?โ
โDo you think I should?โ You fidget with the zipper to your jacket.
โWell, I was less sure than I was earlier, due to this new information, but I do think it would be nice. Like a trial period. Do you really want to be Pennyโs girlfriend, and all that. She doesnโt have to know.โ
You grin. Rowan has a knack for looking at problems analytically. โThanks, Row.โ
โAnytime, Seojung. Now, letโs get back inside. Iโm freezing.โ
As you troop back to the Hufflepuff Common Room, you notice your shoulders feel lighter. A good talk with your best friend always helps.
That night, as you turn in for bed, you stare up at the ceiling of your canopy. Tomorrow, youโre going to agree to the fake-dating scheme, for Pennyโs sake. You might not be totally sold on the idea, but you have a bad habit of putting other peopleโs needs before your own.
If it makes Penny happy, then it will all be worth it. Fake-dating Penny Haywood and saving the Ball? Honestly, compared to the Cursed Vaults, it seems like a breeze.
Suddenly, the curtains to your bed open. On the other side stands Rowan in her pajamas, sans glasses. โScoot over.โ
โWhat?โ
โI could hear you thinking from my bed. Scootch.โ
You make room for the other girl, who slides in and shuts the curtains again. โNow, goodnight.โ
โNight, Row.โ
โโโ
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