#Blaize really hated him even then it seems

[rosehippiefield]

I'm amazed how quickly Sebastian's wiki page was renamed with his localised name there

Like I may have my reservations about "Eustace Winner" but kudos to editors

[thebimarauder]

8th year Drarry part 2

TW/past abuse

TW/nightmares

Draco’s POV

Oh god, oh god, oh god, how am I supposed to live with Potter for a whole year? I helped my father and Voldemort try to kill him. I tormented him for years. I have never been nice to him. How am I supposed to make it up to him and stop being enemies? I sat there trying not to visibly freak out, Pansy seemed to notice and turned to me “Hey, Draco, it will be alright. I’m sure he doesn’t blame you for anything, you just have to apologize later and try to start fresh so that you can both have a good year” I turned to my best friend, “Thanks Pans” “Any time Draco.” After McGonagall finished listing the roommates she told us where the new wing was and the password “Pumpkin Pasties” and then sent us off to the great hall to watch the sorting and eat dinner. I sat with Pansy and Blaize on the far end of the table, most of the other Slytherins were giving us room and avoiding us but at least there were three of us. We had become much better friends over the summer, hanging out and talking about how none of us really wanted to be working with Voldemort but that our parents had made us. I desperately wanted to start fresh as a new person, I wanted to apologize for everything in the past and try to move on. All of us did, we couldn’t stand the idea of people hating us for things our parents had made us do, things we regretted immensely. We had hung out almost every week over the holiday, none of us wanted to be home for too long with our parents who were either mad at us for going against the dark lord or were sad and depressed and would just make us feel worse. Blaize and Pansy were talking about their future roommates which made me glance up to Potter. He wasn’t talking to his friends, he was just looking at his plate which was close to empty, it looked like he was debating eating, eventually, he just put his fork down and started talking to his friends. Presumably about how much he was going to hate rooming with me. I looked down hoping that no one saw me looking at Potter when Pansy knocked into me, she had spilled her coffee and it had almost landed right on her. After that, the three of us started to talk about our class schedules and what classes we would have together before eventually leaving to go and find the new dorm wing.

It took us ages, the staircases kept changing on us and we had to go back down and then up again almost four times. When we finally got there we found a painting of a knight, he was pacing back and forth claiming that his horse got loose and was running off somewhere. I eventually got him to calm down enough to let us in, I walked through the doorway and looked around. The common room was huge, the walls were lined with big chairs and a few couches, there was also a big fireplace with two couches facing it. The three of us walked over and sat in one of the couches by the fire. We sat there for quite some time in comfortable silence until I suggested that we go up and check out our rooms. I went up to find a tile on the door that had Potter. Malfoy. carved into it. I walked in and sat down on the bed that had my trunk on it. I looked around the room, there were two twin beds each with curtains and sheets that were our respective house colors. There were also two small desks, one on either side of the room both next to a small wardrobe. In the corner of the room was a door to a small bathroom and between the two beds, there was a large window. I laid my trunk on the ground and did not even bother to take my shoes off before I laid on the bed to think. I shut my eyes and contemplated how much I had changed since I was last a student at Hogwarts. Last year, and to think about that every other year I was a complete puppet for my father, I had to do everything he told me to do to avoid his wrath. Which is not saying that I did everything, I shuddered at the memory of what my father did when he found out that Snape had killed Dumbledore and that I hadn’t. I jumped, it was such a realistic memory that it almost felt as if I was being shot with the cruciatus curse again. I had to focus on my surroundings and remember that my father was locked away and could not hurt me anymore. I had finally calmed myself down when I heard the doorknob turn and then saw Potter’s familiar face. He looked sad but I don’t really think it was because of me or the room situation because when he looked up and saw me his expression seemed to brighten, just a tad.

And obviously character credits go to JKR.

[obviouslyelementary]

Warm red hair

THAT WAS NOT THE FULL STORY SRRY

TAG LIST: @give-me-a-minute-to-think @the-jo-writes-and-draws @nebulastep @dan-yuna @the-moon-and-stars-my-love

Five years had passed since the war.

 He wasn’t even sure why he had come to visit.

 He didn’t feel like he had the right to.

 The students look at him like he is a monster. Voldemort himself. But worst. An enemy that had no courage to be evil. A friend that had no courage to fight back.

 Maybe he liked the pain.

 He liked to feel it burn.

 Inside his soul.

 Inside his heart.

 Maybe when he looked at the fixed hallways, he felt hope. Hope of nothing like that ever happening again.

 Hope was something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

 The teachers pretend they don’t see him walking by. The ones that can’t do that barely give him a nod. One stops. She looks at him, asks him how he’s doing. He feels grateful.

 He walked down the hallways, through passages and roads. He knew many faces inside that school. People that were in the second year when the war came are now almost graduated. Five years is nothing.

 And yet five years in everything.

 He changed in five years. But the world didn’t change towards him.

 Then, he sees them, and freezes. He doesn’t expect them to be there, he doesn’t want to talk to them, he doesn’t want them to know he is there. Anything, any look or spit or slam is better than their judging eyes.

 They see him anyway. It is too late to run one more time.

 “Malfoy?”

 She is the first that speaks up.

 He feels cold, sad, hurting. His eyes burn and threat to tear up but he can’t afford losing any more of what he has already lost. His pride is to a minimum. He has nothing left.

 “Granger. Potter. Weasley”

 He doesn’t know how his voice comes out so even.

 He looks down at their feet, because he doesn’t want to look in their eyes. Why would he? He knows what he will see. Surprise, hatred, betrayal.

 He hasn’t left the house since the war ended for a reason. The reason was right in front of him, specially.

 Sometimes, in moments like these, he regrets not forgetting the hatred of the past and becoming friends with the Weasley in that first day of school.

 Maybe he would have had a chance, if he had ever been one of the golden four.

 He hears and sees them stepping closer. He closes his eyes for a second, and a second only, and raises his face, because it is rude to talk to other people while staring down.

 When he looks up, he has only a second of vision before arms wrap around him in a hug.

 His eyes widen. His mind turns. His heart swells.

 That pair of arms is slowly followed by another, more delicate ones, but just as strong. A third pair follows, hesitant, big and warm.

 He blinks slowly, because he has no idea of what is happening.

 But he likes it.

 “I thought I would never see you again, Malfoy” Potter says, after that awkward moment is gone and the trio is standing in front of him. Potter is grinning from ear to ear. Granger has a small smile on her face. Weasley seems content, though it is only seen through his eyes.

 “Call me Draco, please” he says, but inside he begs. They don’t like the Malfoy name anymore. Not for a while. Not until it is clean again.

 “Draco... how have you been?” Granger is the next. She tilts her head and leans against Weasley. He has an arm around her waist. He always knew. Those two were meant to be. Probably why he never let his own crush for the know-it-all go much further than insults and stolen glances in the monitor’s rooms.

 “Fine” he answers shortly. He doesn’t want to talk about himself. His life is a desperate boring mess. “How about you three? I have heard you are all training to be aurors”

 “We are almost there, in fact. Next year we are receiving our first jobs” Weasley says, proudly. He nods. Tries to smile. He hasn’t smiled in a long time. He is afraid it will look foolish. Weasley doesn’t seem to mind.

 “I thought we would be tired of fighting after everything but... I suppose we were born for it” Potter completes, his eyes shining. He looks happy. He is glad. Potter deserves to be happy after everything.

 “And you? What are you training for?” Granger asks, once again.

 Sometimes he wishes he could just tell her to shut up again. He doesn’t want to talk about him.

 “Nothing” he says. The silence rules for a few seconds, making everything awkward. He hates himself. He wants to leave.

 He doesn’t remember if he took his potions that morning. He hopes so.

 “How are the Malfoys?” Potter asks, and he doesn’t know if he wants to break the ice or just humiliate him even further. Both sound plausible.

 “Living. One day at a time” he says, slowly, because there is no point in lying. “Paying for our mistakes one day at a time”

 The silent returns. Now it is heavy. So heavy. He feels sick. Now he is sure he didn’t take his potions that morning. Or maybe he did. He doesn’t remember.

 Some days they make him bright. Some others, they make it all dull.

 “You know that nothing that happened is really your fault, right?”

 Oh. Sometimes he wants to kiss her. Sometimes he wants to slash her throat.

 “I am one hundred percent sure that if it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be paying as much as we are”

 The silence is even worst. Why don’t they leave? Give an excuse? Why they insist in talking to him?

 “Draco”

 He stops. Turns to them. Their eyes are filled with pity and sorrow. He doesn’t feel as bad as he thought he would.

 “If you ever need anything” he continues. He is surprised. It isn’t Potter nor Granger who offers help. It’s him.

 Weasley.

 Why Weasley?

 “We don’t. We have more than we need” he says. He is talking about money. He knows Weasley isn’t. He says it in hope that he will be angry, or annoyed, and stop pressuring. But apparently, not only Potter and Granger changed.

 Weasley walks forward, puts a hand on his shoulder.

 “Malfoy. Draco. Enough with these family rivalries. We have nothing to do with them. I am tired of wasting my energy in things that aren’t worth it” he says, and his smile is as warm as the sun. He feels so cold, like the moon. “Everything is over. Why can’t we start again?”

 He doesn’t feel like he is worth someone like him.

 People like them.

 Blue, green and brown meet gray in a soft dance. The song is slow. The ambiance is calm. Nothing feels wrong. Everything feels right. The sun rises and they are so warm. Grey is so cold. But it feels itself warming up.

 “I don’t want your pity, Weasley”

 “Ron, please” he says, and the smile never leaves. He is sick of it. But he also needs it. “Call me Ron”

 This feels wrong.

 Longbottom should be here. Lovegood. The female Weasley. Blaize, Pansy, Crab, Goyle. Anyone. He betrayed them. He had the chance to choose. He made a mistake, he was saved, and yet he returned to the wrong side.

 Why would they give him a chance?

 Why him?

 He only notices he is crying when Weasley’s expression changes. His eyes widen and he pulls away, rubbing his eye with his sleeve and turning around, away from the trio, away from their sight.

 He can’t cry in front of them, he can’t!

 But he already has.

 He has cried in front of Potter before.

 He is sure Granger heard him once or twice.

 They had probably told Weasley already so there was no hiding anymore.

 But in front of them?

 Like a useless, weak baby?!

 That was all he was, anyway.

 Just like his father. Weak. Dispensable. Useless.

 Weak. Weak. Weak.

 They touch him again. On his shoulder.

 Like a toy, he falls, legs trembling. His knees hit the ground as the first sob comes out. It is loud and regretful and it shows how weak he is. How weak he has always been.

 He knew he shouldn’t have left. He shouldn’t have come here. But he did. And now he has to deal with the consequences of his actions.

 The trio surrounds him as if they had always been friends.

 As if whatever hatred and distrust between them had never existed.

 There is an arm around his shoulders, someone holds his hands and someone else caresses his head.

 He doesn’t want to know who is who.

 He cries for what feels like hours. It’s probably a few minutes.

 He doesn’t want to open his eyes.

 “Do you want us to leave?”

 Her voice is very soft.

 He nods slowly.

 One by one, they let go. He rubs his eyes then, and takes a few deep breaths.

 When he opens his eyes, they are gone.

 He hears no steps, no movement.

 He stands, wondering if it was all a dream.

 If he is so desperate that he is imagining things.

 That he is so lonely that he creates fake company.

 That he is so sorry that he presents himself with the three, specifically.

 That he wishes everything had been different, and he had chosen the side that hurt less.

 It has to be a dream. They would never forgive him. Not after all he had done. Not after all he had ruined. Not after all those years of pain and suffering he put them through. Not after the war. Not after the betrayal.

 He stands and fixes himself, checks his hair and clothes.

 And as he folds his sleeve.

 He sees a warm red hair.

[legendsmag]

Valentine’s Day Album Review

Those who were expecting a rap heavy album from the Goddess of Rap were justifiably upset when Skyler Valentine-Griffin’s “Valentine’s Day” dropped on February 14th.’Valentine’s Day’ over all has a pop and R&B feel, with only a few rap tracks sprinkled in. Skyler has been known to experiment with her music and sound before, however it doesn’t seem like we were ready for a complete change like the one she just did. The album is likely to be equally divisive, and often seemed more like a low-key mixtape than of the most-anticipated records of 2020. Still, there are moments of brilliance, which we’ll explore in a track-by-track review.

1.‘Feeling Myself’ feat. Maya Karim

 Like a great opera or short play, "Feeling Myself" has a beginning, a middle, and an end. First, there's tough Skyler, who delivers masturbation puns and an indictment of competitors who aren't even in her tax bracket, all in the same sentence. And then there's sassy Skyler, who boasts about sexual prowess while still flexing on her rivals: "Bitches ain't got punchlines or flow/ I have both, and an empire, also." Softening out the flex heavy song, Maya becomes a mediator between Sky’s personality shifts, cooing out a sultry hook that keeps the vibe soft seductive and smooth. The track is playful and fun, while also keeping in style with the Rap Goddess that we all know and love. If the rest of the album followed this style, it would probably have been better received by the fans and critics

2. ‘Never Ending’

In what seems like it came out of no where, an acoustic guitar ballad that could have been sung by almost anyone in the last decade comes next. It does feature the affecting line “I knew your face once but now it’s unclear” and the song isn’t bad but it sits quite uncomfortably as the next track following ‘Feeling Myself’.

 3.’If It’s Loving That You Want’

This one was a vast improvement from ‘Never Ending’, and it’s R&B style plays well to connoting a summer-esque theme when you hear it. Skyler’s vocal ability in the song is average, although she does have some shining moments, overall, the song has simple, pleasant vocals, but her voice sounds too light and thin at times. The composition of the track that really makes it stand out, and it is  pleasurable to the ear.

4.’That La,La, La’

In what sounds like a clap back at the media for the headlines about Blaize’s infidelity and any other ladies who are wanting to take their shot at him, Skyler croons ‘What me and he have got is solid as a rock, so take your shot/Don't even waste your time/'Cause a love like ours is hard to find.’. It appears to hit its target, but overall the song is repetitive and sounds too much like the baseless music that has flooded our airwaves over the years. It’s forgettable.

5.’Crazy Little Thing Called Love’

In ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ Skyler explores never having felt this type of love in her life and she can’t even express the exactness of it to her fellow friends. She’s so in love that it makes her do and feel the craziest, when it’s never been something she’d do. We can guess that this song was written about her husband, Blaize Griffin and their marriage as it reportedly wasn’t supported by that many people originally. Over all, it’s average as a song, but the lyrics are nice.

6.’Selfish Girl’

Skyler throws us back to a pre marriage and baby time when her and Blaize kept us all on our toes with their on and off again relationship while still managing to show us all yet again that they were end game, after all. It’s a cute song, and she has some nice vocals in it.

7. ‘Hate That I Love You’

This R&B song comes out smooth like butter and leaving tingles down our backs. Skyler delivered a catchy, breezy duet. It really shows off the vocals that Sky is capable of, despite the lack of them displayed on this album thus far.

8. ‘ Sell Me Candy’

“Sell Me Candy" features jumbled and noisy production with chaotic beats. I don’t know what she was thinking with this one, but it’s a definite flop.

9. ‘Rehab’

With its pillowy acoustic guitars and strings and rattling percussion, "Rehab" is definitely one of the favorite’s from this album. Skyler’s vocals are warm and smooth, while also being hauntingly beautiful.

10. ‘Question Existing’

‘Question Existing’ instantly conveys an eerie, smoky, destitute, emotional, and a sonic sidestep from the Skyler we all know and love. To hear from a softer, more personal side from the Rap Goddess who frequently boasts her superiority to her competitors is a shocking change, but she pulls it off well.

11. ‘iPhone’ Feat. King

King and Skyler Valentine-Griffin have proved that they  work very well together over the years. "iPHONE," is an infectious hit that will undoubtedly be in heavy rotation for the rest of the year. King and  Sky rap about their side pieces, and opt to place their side dish over the love of their main. King lays down a truly catchy chorus, a talent that he has exhibited in the past, and also gives fans a comical yet realistic verse, and Skyler comes through for the second verse and employs a rapid flow to illustrate her love life. Sky sounds more like her old self than almost anywhere else on this album, with the exception of ‘Feeling Myself’ and ‘Yikes’,which is welcoming to hear. This collaboration works very well. It's rare that a hip-hop song finds strength in both the lyrics and the instrumental in 2020, but it delivers both immaculately.  

12. ‘Yikes’

Skyler asserts that despite this different style, she is still the Queen of Rap as she fires jabs at her haters. The song is catchy, and we wish we would have heard more like it on the album.

Overall, we give the album a 3/5,  but it’s only mediocre, and kind of a let down from what we were all expecting from the talented Skyler.

[ao3-hipster-fangirl-trash]

A good night’s sleep

prompt: “If my parents found out about this they’d go ballistic”

In this one, Draco can’t sleep, and decides to go to the room of requirement to see if anything there can calm him down, only to get the feeling that he’s being followed.

Word count: 1510

its gay, hooray!

Blaize was snoring.

He did this every night, sounds like thunder coming from someone who, overall, seemed to have a similar temper to it. So when Draco became his roommate, he generally wasn’t surprised that he could wake up the entire room with just one breath.

This didn’t bother Draco, he could sleep through anything, through a storm, through a fight, probably even through a fire (and whilst he was proud of that, it didn’t make it any less dangerous).

And despite the fact that he usually could sleep, tonight he didn’t want to, not here at least.

He missed home.

He missed his room, which smelt usually like musty books and hot tea, and occasionally candle wax.

He missed his bed, with soft wool sheets which kept him completely warm day in and day out. He missed his mother.

He missed how, if he ever had a nightmare, she would know, as if she were directly linked to him, and would be in his room in 5 minutes at most, comforting him and bringing him to the kitchen, making him a hot chocolate to calm him down, and eventually taking him back up and tucking him in. He didn’t care that he was 16, it was comforting, something he dearly needed at the moment.

He even missed his father funnily enough.

Whilst he appeared cold and secluded to all others, he was actually quite warm when he wanted to be.

He missed walking into a room to see his mother and father dancing to a cauldron full of hot strong love, and seeing his father lean in and whisper something in his mother's ear, only to have her giggle and lean into his chest.

These moments were rare, but they were the ones he missed, and loved, the most out of all of them.

Pulling him out of his thoughts, he hears a clock chime 11 in the common room, with small bells ringing melodiously and softly, reminding him hour after hour that he was still not home.

He pulled the blanket off him.

Swinging his legs around, they hung off the bed, socks barely too big for his feet, just gently sliding a little, almost as if urging him to move.

His feet gently touched the cold stone beneath them, letting the cold filter into his entire body, making him shiver.

He padded towards the common room door, pushing it open slightly, looking around the corridor, and then slipping through silently, and slinking from wall to wall, eyes searching for any sign of mrs norris, or worse, Filtch.

He swore he heard someone behind him, but every time he turned, no one was there, only the feeling of being watched, and the imaginary sound of someone’s breath being suppressed.

When he finally made it to the seventh floor, he felt a sense of relief as the carved door came into view, slowly forming to his will and welcoming him as an old friend would.

As the door creaked open, Draco felt himself relax, and ducked through the door, letting it close behind him with a final thud.

Walking into the room, Draco smiled.

The walls were covered, corner to corner, in books.

There were different texts from Merlin’s theorems, to Dumbledore's 12 cures of dragon pox.  It had fiction and fact, muggle and magic, and family books which had been passed down from generations, and yet the room had it.

A bed lay in the corner of the room, with familiar knitted sheets of green, and red, ushering someone to them, making the bed look even more inviting than usual.

The desk in the centre of the room lay tidy, with all of the writing utensils perfectly organised, should they need to be used.

The skylight (which Draco was surprised the room could replicate due to them not being on the castle's top floor, but hey, it was magic) had a beautiful pattern moulded into it, with the family name; Malfoy, at the centre of the piece.

Gold leaves circled and enhances small figures who danced, rose and fell on the glass portrait, and a warm glow encased the room and bathed Draco’s face in a peaceful light, making his entire body relax at the feeling of home.

The gentle gliding of the dust onto the floor made the entire environment seem more, slow, and serene, compared to the extreme buzz of everyday life at hogwarts, the filled corridors and the continuous stream of words from excited 1st years to bored 7th years.

Draco took in a long, deep breath, before letting go, and allowing his entire body relax.

Not only did the room look like it, but it felt like home, through and through.

A gasp came from the door of the room.

Draco turned quickly to see a mirage, a ripple in the air, the a pair of feet appearing, legs, a body, and a head with a lightning scar and pair of circular wire spectacles.

“Potter.”

It wasn’t harsh, like Harry had expected, but soft, and rather vulnerable if he was completely honest. His eyes were calmer than usual, not sharp and accusing, but almost like a puppy, completely innocent and gentle.

“Draco, I’m really sorry, I was up and I saw you and I wanted to make sure you were ok so-”

“Its alright,” Draco didn’t seem to be angry, he didn’t even seem to be bothered, he seemed more relaxed than ever and completely at ease.

Harry let out a breath, and rubbed his hands on his pajama bottoms, wiping off the cold sweat that had formed in his palms, and on the tips of his fingers, making his hands clammy.

Now that he was standing in full view of Draco, he had become hyper aware of the lack of a shirt. Not Draco’s lack of shirt, but Harry’s. In his will to get out of the hot dorm, he had thrown on his invisibility cloak but neglected a shirt, why should he need one, he was invisible.

A blush was making its way up Draco’s neck, in stark contrast to the pale peach of his skin, noticing this fact too, and tried to look away from his chest, into his green eyes.

“Erm, Potter?” Harry looked up, “You’re not wearing a shirt.”

Harry shuffled awkwardly on the balls of his feet.

Trying to avoid the subject at hand he looked around the room, seeing the several Slytherin posters and scarves, as well as a stuffed toy which seemed to be in the shape of a dragon, resting on the pillow at the end of the bed.

“What is this place?”

Draco sighed.

“My room,” a complete silence followed.

“So I’m-”

“Yup,” Draco cut him off, gliding towards the bed and sitting at the foot of it, patting the space next to him.

Harry gave a little giggle before a snort made its way through his lips. Draco tilted his head confused.

“You’re inviting me to bed with you?”

Draco’s blush went a darker shade of pink, now almost glowing in the soft light of the room.

“If my parents found out about this they’d go ballistic,” he replied, shaking his head slightly, “Sure Potter, whatever floats your boat.”

Harry gave one more giggle before walking towards the bed and sitting next to Draco.

“So,” He paused, looking up at Draco, “Why did the room show you your bedroom?”

Draco looked at Harry, seeing nothing but genuine interest in his eyes.

“Do you ever get homesick here, miss your family or your room?” Harry shook his head, the only time that he ever got sick was when he was surrounded by his blood relatives, people that he could never consider family, now or in a milion years.

“Well, I do. At home I don’t have to act a certain way and I can just relax, without having to worry about being hated. I don’t sleep here, I just miss my room.” His head was hung in, shame? Harry hadn’t ever seen Draco so emotional and willing to talk to him, it was surprising to say the least.

They sat in silence, staring at one of the bookcases, each of them thinking of different things, but appreciating the mutual presence of the other, Harry finally having relaxed in the unfamiliar, but oddly comforting room which surrounded him.

He heard Draco’s breathing begin to slow, before feeling a small weight on his shoulder. Harry tensed at the random touch, but eventually relaxed, and let his own head fall onto Draco’s white hair, and let himself sleep peacefully.

Of course, when they both woke up, they denied it, but that had been the best nights sleep either of them had ever had. And though they tried to deny it to themselves, they knew that they were good for each other.

They met up again, and again and again in the room of requirement, sometimes talking about themselves, or sometimes talking about their friends, but it would always end in the same way, a good night's sleep.