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Bones: Fic 9 for @remadoramicrofics

..............

The sun has bathed the room in a golden light, the curtains not doing anything to stop its entrance. Tonks has no idea what hour it is, the long June mornings making it impossible to tell. She shuffles slightly in her position as her arm brushes past someone else in the bed. She looks across at him then, giddy, remembering who it is beside her. She tucks her arm and head into his chest.

He's barely more than bones. She can't judge, there's not a lot of her left either. They won't leave much of an impression on the bed when they eventually get up. There's something morbidly beautiful about embracing as skeletons - Tonks thinks, hopes, she sees her eternal destiny in it. He's back with her, for good this time, and she's sure not even being buried can separate them.

As Remus stirs and pulls her towards him, her hip colliding with his, she wonders how long they will have. Despite his tragic death, Dumbledore had a good run of over a century. Sirius' life had barely started when he was pushed through the veil. She hopes that her and Remus are given an age to spend together, though she's concerned they wasted too much time apart. Not that it matters anymore, now she's got through that thick skull of his. He's here, he's got his arms wrapped tightly round her and she couldn't ask for more.

It seems almost irreverent to question mortality when she has never been so happy. Though it feels equally wrong to be this happy in the face of death. The loss of their leader and the most powerful wizard has yet to sink in, but glimpses of the future war without him send a tingle of fear crawling down her spine. She tries to stop thinking about things too far away, clinging to Remus, instead looking to the immediate.

The day will move slowly, neither of them need to be anywhere. They'll get out of bed late and meander down for some food when they're ready. Each second will last forever, savoured and cherished. She'll give old Father Time the middle finger as she basks in each moment she spends with Remus, searching for hope in the new reality where Dumbledore is gone but they have each other again.

By evening, the love, grief and comfort that have been brewing in both their hearts will be stirred up into action. They'll be desperate for closeness, in search of something more powerful than any potion can provide, bones and bodies colliding as they did the night before. And when the tension is finally poured out of them, they'll lie in stillness again, listening to hearts beat beneath ribs. Then they'll fall asleep, entwined, and she'll worry about death some other time.

[backgroundbaker]

Guts: Fic 8 for @remadoramicrofics

..............

The order meeting had finished an hour before and there were just a few remaining members hanging around chatting. Tonks had stood back, leaning against the dusty fireplace and watching Remus talk to her old mentor. He had been assigned a job for the evening, much to her chagrin (she'd had other plans for him), and she assumed they had been discussing the details. She saw Mad-Eye nod at him, then at her across the room, before dragging his wooden leg up the stairs and away.

"So Mad-Eye's making you spend all night sat in a cold, muddy field?" she asked Remus as he joined her.

"Yes, but, technically I'm there to observe some suspicious activity going on at Crick's farm."

"We've had someone watching that farm for three nights in a row and the most suspicious thing that anyone's reported was a sheep that went 'moo'. Which, by the way, was from Dedalus - so we can't be 100% sure of the validity of that claim. Why didn't you just say no?"

She had lowered her voice, not wanting Molly and Emmeline to overhear her as they also exited the room. It was only her and Remus left.

"I haven't got the guts to stand up to Moody like you have. Besides, it's not like I'm going alone - I told Alastor I'll take you with me. He thought it was a great idea," he made his voice more gravelly in an attempt to impersonate Mad-Eye, "Excellent plan, Lupin. Two is always better than one. Constant vigilance!"

"You - what?!"

"And I figured I'd get away with it, as you don't have the guts to stand up to me."

A wicked grin spread across his face, his eyebrows raising slightly as he looked down at her. She didn't know what she wanted to do more, slap or kiss the smirk off him. She settled for angrily scowling back, which only made him smile more. He knew that it was a cruel move because he knew it was true, she'd go anywhere with him if he wanted her there. His eyes flicked around the room, checking they really were alone, before dropping a soft kiss to her lips. She definitely couldn't say no after that.

"I'll grab my coat then," she sighed.

A night with Remus in the cold and dark was not what she had planned for them, but it was still a night with Remus and she'd take every single one of those she could get.

[backgroundbaker]

Edward (100 words): Fic 7 for @remadoramicrofics

...............

The air smells of sweat and the tang of coppery blood. Its calm now, only three people left in the room. Dora is lying on the bed, exhausted but glowing, holding in her arms their new baby. Remus is sitting at her bedside, unable to keep his eyes off her and the little boy. He's never been more in awe of anyone.

"We should call him Edward," he tells her, the thought having been on his mind for a while.

She looks at him, tears springing to her eyes, but a smile spreading across her face.

"Yes, Edward, Edward's perfect."

[backgroundbaker]

Sticky: Fic 6 for @remadoramicrofics

Content warning: language and implied references to abortion

Note: Believe it or not, I started this thinking I was going to write a fluffy piece - and this is literally anything but. Sorry! I'm noticing in my own writing, having done it for 6 days now, that this might be a trend. I'm setting myself the challenge of trying to write a few more happy things next week. We'll see...

............

He sits on the sofa in the living room, a blanket pulled tight around his shoulders. He's a few days post moon and there's a chill in his body that's lingered on slightly more than it usually would. His hands are curled round a steaming mug of tea, which he brings to his mouth every so often, though every time he has attempted to take a sip, he's found it still too hot. The book that's open in his lap he's only got half an eye on - instead he's listening to his wife as she moves about in the kitchen, baking something - most likely Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Dora is surprisingly good with cooking and baking, despite her clumsiness. She always makes a mess of the kitchen, and inevitably drops a spoon or two, but Remus has always loved the food she makes. Her mum does too, probably because Dora has a similar cooking style to her dad. They used to come round once a week for dinner, before Ted ran off into hiding, but now Andromeda comes over on her own twice a week, sometimes more. At least it keeps them on top of the dishes - a job that wouldn't get done otherwise.

Putting up with Andromeda seems to be one of the few things that himself and Dora can bond over. Without Ted to tamper her down, condescending insults come flying out her mouth unguarded, and no-one is safe from being a target. They both know she doesn't really mean it, but her overly critical comments are still hurtful.

"You're still here, then," everytime he opens the door to her.

"You're not exactly glowing, are you?" aimed at poor Dora one time when she had her head in the toilet.

He even kicked her out early once, when she nearly reduced her daughter to tears with some harsh words about her being unprepared for motherhood. Despite the fact he hated that Dora had been hurt, his heart had soared a little at the genuine gratitude on her face when she looked at him after that. It was the only emotional expression she'd given him, other than cold indifference, for weeks. A guilty part of him thought he would be sad if Andromeda gave up the insults, as he would miss the looks that Dora and him get to share behind her back.

It was obviously his own fault that his marriage had been reduced to two people acting like barely-friendly housemates. He wanted to fix it, badly, but Dora wasn't letting him. He had attempted to come back positively, leading with how excited he was to have a baby with her and how sorry he was for leaving. She had looked him dead in the eye and asked, icily, if she should cancel her appointment for the next week, seeing how he was so excited for a baby now. He thought the right answer would be an enthusiastic yes, of course they should keep the baby. He had tried to keep out of his voice the slight shock and disappointment he felt that she would even make such a plan, but he was not sure he had managed it. Her response was a very angry "fuck off, Remus" followed by her expressing she was done living her life doing whatever pleased him, whenever he wanted.

In the end, the appointment was cancelled for her by the Death Eaters taking over St. Mungos. This angered her further, turning against him more, annoyed he always seemed to get his way despite him changing his mind every five minutes.

"You wanted to be friends, and so I was your friend. Then you wanted space, and I gave you that space. Then you wanted to have sex, so we did. Then you thought you'd made a mistake so you kicked me out the bed. You wanted comfort so I let you fall asleep in my arms. When I needed comfort, you weren't sure it was right for us to be in the same room. Then you wanted to get married, so we did. Then you didn't want the baby, so you left. Now you want the baby again and I guess you're going to get it. The fact I'm not sure I really want this isn't going to factor, is it?"

"You wanted this relationship, Dora," he reminded her, "you were the one who made a scene and pushed so hard for us to be together, in spite of me being unsure about it. So I think it's unfair to say you never get what you want."

"Guess we're both as bad as each other. How very deserving we are."

That was the last thing she had said to him on the subject and that was when the cold indifference began. She let him stay at the house, probably because she felt he had nowhere else to go. They sometimes spoke, only about the most neutral of subjects, and occasionally she even let him rub her back when she was sick. But that was it.

Now that leaves him sitting on the sofa, while she prepares dinner for her mother coming over. He can tell by the smells wafting under the door that she's definitely making Sticky Toffee Pudding. It's her favourite and she's very good at it. Remus has to admit that it's delicious, but his favourite is chocolate brownies. She used to make them all the time, but she hasn't made them once since he left and came back. He really misses her chocolate brownies.

[backgroundbaker]

Midnight: Fic 5 for @remadoramicrofics

Content warning for some mild swearing and the during-HBP-setting on this one

.............

It's midnight on Christmas day, or maybe that makes it Boxing day. She had spent Christmas working, happy to take the increased holiday pay and the promise of a distraction from the festivities. Unfortunately, it had been so dull that she hadn't really been able to keep her mind away from the Burrow and Christmas and him. She should have gone to her parents, but she knew they'd have a barrage of questions for her that she didn't fancy answering. Her plan was to pop round for dinner at some point on New Year's Eve instead, though this was also so she could have an excuse not to celebrate it with her friends or colleagues or anyone else.

She brushes her teeth whilst sitting on the closed lid of the toilet, staring at the peeling plaster on the opposite wall. It's an incredibly boring piece of plaster and she can't stop her mind from drifting to things it shouldn't - mainly what her day might have been like had she accepted Molly's invitation to dinner. Would people have fussed over her and her dull brown hair? Would they have been awkward about her awkwardness, her inability to laugh and joke like she used to? Would she have coped with all the people? Would she have behaved around him?

She doesn't like the picture she paints in her head, yet she can't help but long for it. She misses the old normal and the old her, before everything turned to shit. Of course she knew that in war situations can change for the worse in the blink of an eye, and part of her is angry at herself for reacting so strongly to it. Why can't she just get on with it like everyone else. It was embarrassing really, that little miss auror was taking everything so much harder than the rest of them. It was positively shameful that such a huge part of her misery was caused by a bloody pig headed man, who she may or may not have driven to a suicide mission (she was unaware that her love would be that awful) and who she still loved so deeply it hurt.

Her mind was wandering too far now, it always did at midnight. She schooled herself to start thinking about the positives of the day. Hogwarts was beautiful in the snow, and as most parents no longer felt safe leaving their children there for the holidays, she'd had the grounds pretty much to herself. She had enjoyed a lovely catch up with Professor Sprout after breakfast and spent some time feeding the thestrals. No student had been cursed by a mysterious object, which was a big win these days. Dawlish had taken a whole week off for the holidays so he wasn't around to annoy her. So, all in all, she couldn't complain too much about her Christmas.

...........

Remus was lying awake on the bed Molly had given to him for the evening. It was midnight, Boxing day, and he was allowing himself one last sleep in comfort before returning to the packs. The problem was, he couldn't actually sleep. The mattress was comfy and the room was pleasantly warm, but neither of those things could overcome his racing thoughts.

He couldn't keep Tonks out of his mind. If he was being honest, he had never stopped thinking about her and he wasn't trying particularly hard to fight it either. It had gotten worse when he arrived at the Burrow, with Molly playing those stupid love songs all Christmas Eve. He had spent that evening secretly hoping that Tonks would show up at dinner the next day. Obviously, she didn't, but that didn't stop her name being thrown around the table, nor did it stop Harry asking questions about her damn wolf patronus. He was actually grateful when Percy and the Minister turned up and the room descended into family drama, whilst Scrimgeour whisked Harry away.

Now he was thinking about her again. It didn't help that he had been given Charlie's old room to stay in, and that Charlie had littered his walls and surfaces with photos of his Hogwarts friends. Remus had done the same when he was at school, but he hadn't been friends with Tonks, who appeared in many of Charlie's photographs. Most of them moved and he felt uncomfortably like she was staring at him, watching him from all directions with a smile on her face. (Seeing old school pictures of her, that weren't really all that old, should have been an encouragement for him to stop thinking about her, but it only made her feel inescapable.)

Even when he closes his eyes, his mind plays out fantasies for him where they're together. They aren't always the inappropriate variety of fantasy - though sometimes they are - mostly he just imagines himself being happy with her, having a normal life with her by his side. Or he relives those early order missions last year, where they worked so well together. She's called Dora in his mind, the name she allowed him to use when he said Tonks felt too impersonal. He lets these scenarios with Dora play out, he enjoys them and savours them, knowing they could never be real. He feels a bit guilty about that, especially as he had told Tonks to forget him and stop thinking about him. But he reckons that he can't stop her if she does think of him and so no-one can stop him thinking of her either. Not even him. Not even when it's midnight and he really should be sleeping.

[backgroundbaker]

Don't look now: Fic 4 for @remadoramicrofics

..................

"Don't look now, but there are two people behind us who have followed us all the way from the High Street."

A younger Tonks would have struggled to fight the urge to turn and look, but her years of auror training had knocked that out of her. While she wasn't great at 'Stealth and Tracking', she was surprisingly good at stealth and being tracked. She didn't even react to Remus' words, the only indication she'd heard them was the gentle squeeze she gave to the hand she was holding.

They were spending their Wednesday evening investigating a tip off for the Order: apparently, a dodgy herbologist was selling lots of Mewt Algae - an important plant in necromancy - to some of You-Know-Who's lackeys. The fact that the tip off came from Mundungus Fletcher meant that Tonks hadn't one hundred per cent believed it, but she was doing due diligence in following it up. On the plus side, it meant that she got to spend an evening wandering around the small city of Wells hand in hand with Remus. They had taken to posing as a couple when out on a mission, not only because it deflected attention, but also because it allowed them to communicate via small movements and signals in the hands they were holding. Smart really, and they had gotten very good at it. The fact that Tonks also enjoyed holding Remus' hand was her little secret, one that she hadn't shared with anyone.

The herbologist lived on an old muggle street next to the city cathedral, but they had apparated to a spot just off the High Street so they could walk about and get the feel of the place. At 10pm, all the shops were closed, and, being a Wednesday, the pubs were relatively empty. Thankfully, the people who were out for a drink were all huddled together inside, probably as close to a fire as they could get, and were not bothered by strangers out for a walk. It did, however, make it easier to notice when other people were following your path - and as soon as Remus had mentioned to her they were being stalked, Tonks became very aware of the echo from four sets of footsteps on the road.

Her opportunity to turn around and look came as they stepped onto Cathedral Green. The grass in front of them was lit by the glow coming off the face of the cathedral itself, warm yellow lamps angled against it to show off it's decorative design. It stretched out behind them, illuminating the buildings around. She made a show of being fascinated by the history of the area, studying each of the buildings in the golden light. Whilst admiring the medieval masonry on a city gate, she was able to observe the two men following them in her periphery. Both were heavy set, wearing thick cloaks and being anything but subtle as they walked through an archway towards them. She took an extra second to look at the stonework before turning back to Remus. 

"Darling," she said, looking up at him (she enjoyed playing up the fake coupleness), "can we go get a closer look at the cathedral?" 

With her hand she was tracing a circle on the base of his thumb, indicating it was time to change plans. Remus, however, was apparently not willing to.

"It's getting late, maybe tomorrow." 

His finger was drawing a straight line firmly on her thumb - stick to plan. 

The space they were in left them quite exposed, and Tonks was worried that the men would try something stupid, like starting a duel. They wouldn't be a match for herself and Remus, but she didn't want things getting too messy. Reluctantly, she let Remus lead her down the road that skirted the grass, getting closer to their destination.

She sensed the moment that one of the men drew their wand and immediately her hand flew to hers. A spell came flying right at her, clipping her slightly on the cheek as she swerved. It must have been a slashing curse because she felt blood spring from the trail across her face. Her only reaction was to throw a return stunning spell, hitting her target almost instantaneously. Remus had also now grabbed his wand, firing a rather angry freezing spell at the other man. Before he'd even hit the ground, Remus was dragging Tonks into a run, away from the two unconscious men, muttering under his breath about how they weren't supposed to create a scene.

They ducked under an arch in another old gatehouse, Remus giving her a firm pull into the dark recess of a doorway alongside him. For a moment, all she could see was his eyes, full of concern and looking intensely at her. Her stomach flipped. She was so close to him she could feel his heavy breathing in his chest, slightly laboured from the short run. She was sure he would be able to feel her wild heartbeat and hoped he put that down to the run too.

"You okay?" He asked, almost in a whisper, his hand coming up to trace a line just under the cut on her cheek.

How he expected her to answer that when he was touching her so softly, she didn't know, but she managed to give him a nod, followed by a quiet "yeah."

She realised straight away she should have lied and said no, because on seeing she was alright, Remus was dragging her off again.

"Good, looks like we've stumbled on the right road to visit our herbologist as well." 

He was right, the distinctive cobbled street lay right in front of them. Even in the dark, it was easy to make out the two rows of identical houses, their tall chimneys disappearing into the night sky.

"You know that Mewt Algae is used a lot in necromancy?" he asked her casually, marching on ahead of her down the road, as if nothing had happened. 

[backgroundbaker]

Custard gate 2.0

Barely touched the drama of the original

[backgroundbaker]

ITS BAKE OFF TIME BABEEEEEY

GOD I LOVE THE FIRST SHOWSTOPPER CHALLENGE! ANIMAL CAKES YAAS SLAAAY

LOOK AT THIS DUDE! THE EYES! HE SEEN SOME SHIT WITH THOSE EYES

0 THOUGHTS HEAD EMPTY. BEAUTIFUL

HONESTLY - MOOD

LOVING THE PRESENTATION! LOBSTER IN A LOBSTER TRAP?! GENIOUS

ITS SO PRETTY AND ADORABLE I JUST CANT SDFKJKDSGSFD

SUCH A BABY I LOVE HIM SO MUCH <3 REST IN PEACE LIL PUPPER </3

THE COW!!!! THE COW IS SOOO GOOD OMG I CANT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT

THAT FACE!! OMG 🥺

I WILL DIE FOR HERBERT SUCH A CUTIE AAAAAAA

THAT ORCA IS ACTUALLY ADORABLE <3 IM SO SORRY FOR YOU BABE </3

A FUCKING LEGEND AND A GREAT QUOTE

MARVELOUS, SPECTACULAR, GOD I LOVE THIS BIRB!

GG to all bakers, Dan did such a great job the whole episode and so sorry for Amos plz dont cry babe </3

[backgroundbaker]

Cellar: Fic 3 for @remadoramicrofics

..............

She leaves him cushions and blankets in the cellar. He wishes she wouldn't. She thinks it will somehow make it cosier for him, as if being the wolf could ever be anything other than hellish. Maybe if he'd had wolfsbane he would make use of them, but if he'd had wolfsbane he wouldn't be transforming in the cellar. It's like giving a duvet to a wild dog, utterly useless. Worse than that even, it's just one more thing to add to the mess. The wolf will inevitably rip the feathers from the cushion and tear the blanket thread from thread, as he has done twice before.

He wonders for a moment why Sirius allows her to bring the stuff down here, but then he considers that maybe this is all Sirius' plan in the first place - a way to rid himself of even more of his parents' belongings. Tonks has already smashed her way through three wine glasses, two plates and four floorboards, what's a cushion and blanket every full moon? He might suggest that Sirius throw down everything he wants gone into the cellar. The wolf can destroy it all in one go then.

It's become more aggressive over the years, the wolf, especially when in a confined space. It's why he no longer let's Padfoot join him and why he'd shut Tonks down immediately when she'd suggested learning to become an animagus. Why she'd even consider it, Remus couldn't understand. He figures she's probably bored, she's the kind of person who needs a new challenge every so often to keep her on her toes. It's probably why she brings down the cushion and blankets - her current project must be 'can she help a werewolf?' Next she'll be asking to brew the wolfsbane potion whilst Snape is at Hogwarts.

The answer is no, she can't help the werewolf. No one can. It's best left locked in a cold dark cellar, under heavy protection where it can't hurt anyone. The cellar should be a prison, it shouldn't be the sort of place where there's cushions and blankets. He can feel his hair standing on the back of his neck, the first indicator of the oncoming transformation. Remus tucks himself into the corner, as far away from the comforts as he can get, and waits for the pain to hit him.

[backgroundbaker]

Cat: Fic 2 for @remadoramicrofics

Thank you so much for the likes and comments on the first fic! This is a short one with a lot of Sirius in.

...............

Ever since she's learnt about Sirius' bond with Crookshanks in his time after Azkaban, Tonks has been determined to buy him a cat for his birthday. Remus isn't convinced this is a wise idea, but somehow he has allowed himself to be dragged along to a muggle cat shelter just two days before Sirius' 36th. Why he's there, he isn't sure, but he finds himself doing whatever she asks far too easily sometimes and it worries him a bit.

"Oh, look at this one," Tonks coos as she crouches by what must have been the twentieth cat they've looked at. "He's adorable!"

"You've said that about every cat we've seen so far," Remus grumbles in response. He kneels down next to her, trying to ignore the painful cracking in his knees. He has to admit, this one is particularly cute, with black fur and white socks. It wanders up to him and he holds out a hand for it to sniff. Seemingly satisfied, the cat offers him its neck to scratch.

He suddenly becomes aware that Tonks is watching him whilst he is playing with the cat. He looks up and catches the soft smile on her face.

"Looks like you could do with a cat friend too," she says.

He shakes his head, "pets aren't really for me."

"Well maybe when I buy Sirius this one, you can help him with it - if you like?"

"I still think this is a bad idea," he tells her, then dropping to a whisper he adds, "and you do realise Crookshanks was half Kneazle, I'm not sure how a cat from a muggle shelter will cope with Grimmauld."

"I guess we'll find out!" she replies, excitedly jumping to her feet and running off before Remus can stop her.

They end up buying Sirius some cat supplies as well as the actual cat, much to Remus' dismay, and Tonks insists on giving it to him straight away. Sirius is slightly bemused by the gift, but manages to plaster on a smile and thank Tonks genuinely. She seems extremely happy about this - positively beaming - and stays around a while, watching Sirius interact with the cat.

When she's gone, Sirius raises a questioning eyebrow at Remus. Remus merely shrugs back.

"I guess another pet won't hurt," Sirius mumbles, "I can put him upstairs with Buckbeak. Maybe I'll start a menagerie."

He dubs the cat Palepaws and suggests Remus buy him an owl he can name Wonkywings to add to the collection. And though his words are dripping with sarcasm, Remus notices that he doesn't move the cat from his lap, nor does he stop stroking the soft fur on its back. He thinks he even catches the ghost of a smile on Sirius' lips when the cat begins to quietly purr.

[backgroundbaker]

Haunted: Fic 1 for @remadoramicrofics

This one ended up being more Teddy than Remadora, whoops. Next one should have more Remus and Tonks in it. Also, sorry for any mistakes, my proof-reading skills are shocking.

.............

The off-handed comments people would make about his likeness to his parents had worn him down over the years. He remembers being five years old and excitedly changing his nose, proud to show off his work, only to be bombarded by tales of all the noses his mum did. He remembers being 7 and trying tea for the first time, deciding he liked it strong with just half a spoon of sugar, which he quickly learnt is how his dad liked it. Rather than being the nice sentiment he was sure the comments were intended to be, he found it all very annoying. It had gotten even worse when he started school, but by then he had learnt the best response was to force a smile and make some appropriate reply.

"Your mum was a Hufflepuff too!" That's cool, I hope I enjoy it.

"Your dad was a prefect as well!" That's great, I hope I do a good job.

"Oh, neither of them were a head student" There's always got to be a first in the family.

"They'd be so proud." Thanks.

It was inescapable. Their ghost-like presence in his life lingered on, regardles of whether he wanted it to or not. If they had been real ghosts, he could have gotten to know them, could have determined for himself the kind of people they were. He would have been able to judge whether the weight of expectation he carries is a fair burden to bear. He'd have been able to ask them if they really were proud of him. Instead, he is haunted by the shadows of two people known to him only through fragments of other people's memories.

Sometimes, he is the vessel by which they haunt other people too. He can feel the sad stares everytime he changes the colour of his hair or the shape of his face. He can sense the sorrowful looks when he pulls an expression that, he is told, is just like his dad's. The Weasleys are the worst for it, he knows they don't mean to be, but it's like they can't help themselves.

The one thing he'd like to know about his parents is the one thing no-one ever tells him. What were they like together? He wants to be able to picture what life would have been like for him had they been there. He wants to imagine the sort of couple they were. He hears so little on that front he wonders if they ever really were together or if he had just materialised from the ether.

.....

"Ah, young love," his gran teases him once, after he has said goodbye to Vic. She had come round for lunch that day and had stayed till dinner.

"I wouldn't call it that, Gran."

"No, I know that look," she says with a fond smile. (He was unaware he was doing a look.) "It's the same way your dad used to look at your mum."

His gran's words take him aback. Despite being the one closest to his parents in their final year, she very rarely talks about them. Sensing he may have an opportunity, he asks a question he's been dying to have answered.

"Did he love her, then?"

She looks momentarily surprised before replying. "Yes, of course he did. For all your father's faults, I could never deny he loved your mum. Very much so. And she loved him too."

The only response he can think to give her is a nod.

His gran talks to him a bit more about his parents' relationship after that. He sums it up in his head as a deeply loving mess. He no longer tries to imagine what his life would have been like had they been in it, unsure what would have won out of the deep love or the mess. He does, though, make the conscious effort when he starts dating Vic to not allow his parents' relationship to haunt his.

[backgroundbaker]

Going to give writing a go for this! Not written anything much before, so let's see how it goes...

Haunted

Cat

Cellar

Don't look now

Midnight

Sticky

Challenge: 100 words

Guts

Candy

Keyhole

That's disgusting

Whisper

Bones

Challenge: triptych

Creepy

Moan

Ghost

Night of the _____

Sick

Party

Challenge: poem

Lost

Howl

Sneak

In a dark dark wood

Twilight

Moody

Challenge: outsider POV

Devil

Scream

Halloween challenge: make it spooky

Prompts are optional and open-ended, write whatever you want, let us know if you have any questions and have fun 🎃

image from hist whist by e.e. cummings, illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray

[backgroundbaker]

TASKMASTER — 16.01 The Natural Friends