#Clockwise's prompt

[wanderingshieldmaiden]

You know what, why not 'wandering'?

They held hands as they wandered through the cold holiday market, their breath forming little clouds before their faces in the night air. Link's heart raced in his chest, and Mipha almost failed to suppress a squeak of excitement. Little did they both know how much the other had also been looking forward to this moment -- their very first date.

Mipha squeezed Link's hand tighter, just to make sure he knew she was having a wonderful time and wanted to be doing this. Link smiled with secret joy behind his scarf, where she couldn't see.

"Shall we keep wandering around the merchant stalls?" He intoned, more cheerfully than Mipha had ever seen him.

"I would love that." She smiled back, showing her lovely teeth. Nothing could compare to this feeling of everything being *just right.*

Link's heart felt like it was going to explode from happiness. Tonight, he was walking on air.

[clockwise-works]

It's almost Christmas ya'll, and I hope for all those celebrating or not, to have a good time! I didn't really get an art piece for the season out this year, and while I'm fine with that, I do want to do something. So since tomorrow is Christmas Eve, go ahead and send an ask with a word, and I'll write up a small Miphlink short story thingy that night so it'll be there ready for reading Christmas morning. If anyone wants to also do this, by all means.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

I like challenging torturing people with difficult words for prompts, so how about

Reverb/reverberate?

Zelda spun around the large space as she listened to her melodious call reverberate in the room. She smiled at her Gerudo companion. "See? I told you it sounds nice."

Link reflected her bright smile with a gentler one as he leaned against the stone walls, arms crossed. "What was the song?"

"It's an old traditional call," she answered. "I was told it summons mythical creatures."

"Did Beedle tell you that while I was resupplying?"

Zelda huffed. "So what if he did?"

Link's smile pulled harder. "It's a mating call."

Zelda's cheeks flushed, and she stomped her foot. "It is not!"

"Is too."

"IS NOT!"

In the distance, a man wandered close to the abandoned monastery, curious of the call he'd heard. It held the essence of familiarity to it, like something from a dream... but the sound of arguing teenagers caught his attention instead, and he quickly vanished back into the shadows with his four legged companion happily trotting along.

[autisticaradiamegido]

This is gonna sound insane but what if you drew aranepkanrezivrisfef. Sorry in advance.

day 308

this is a challenge i can accept

uhhhh stupid complex ship diagram under the cut

I'm just gonna go around this batshit polycule clockwise.

Nepeta is mutually redrom with both Feferi and Terezi. I just think they're fun. She and Aradia are probably not dating in a formal sense but like, they have fun flirting.

Kanaya and Aradia have a blackrom thing going on which I have gone into in previous posts so I won't belabor the point here. She's also got her one-sided red crush on Vriska which I imagine vacillates black on occasion. I also like the idea of her flirting red with Terezi a little. I think Terezi's a little too loud and a little too entangled with Vriska to maintain Kanaya's interest full time, but yknow. Girls be flirting.

Terezi and Aradia are so fun. I don't think they work out as a longterm thing in either of these quadrants but due to aforementioned Vriska entanglements and the type of stuff that reveals in both of their personalities, I DO think they harbor some red/pale crushes for each other on and off.

I think the most longterm thing for them is probably a lot of Terezi auspisticizing Aradia and Vriska. Vriska, I imagine, has a very intense and very one-sided blackrom crush on Aradia. Aradia really just wishes Vriska would interact with her as little as possible. This being Vriska's actual kryptonite, prompts Vriska to sink to ever lower depths to get Aradia to reciprocate her hatred, and pushes Aradia to consider Really Actually Killing Vriska ever more seriously. Terezi intervenes for everyone's safety because she's the most qualified to do so.

She still has All Of That Other Shit going on with Vriska though which complicates things. It is a multiquadrant mess and I think if andrew hussie proved anything it's that any attempt to extrapolate on what's going on there will result in an 8000+ page webcomic At Minimum. i dont have time for that though. anyway y'all know the deal here.

Lastly VrisFef blackrom is funny. They talk once and it's Feferi sorta messing with Vriska and Vriska being genuinely kind of delighted by it. I imagine it's kind of a surface level back-and-forth for fun kind of thing and they have a lot of fun roasting each other without taking it all that seriously. Which... weirdly i think is probably ideal for a definitionally adversarial relationship with Vriska?? I think the moment you start taking Vriska too seriously is like, when it's fucking OVER for you.

[lulualuana]

Do it for me

literally has been sitting in the drafts for like a month, woops

wc: 1000

cw: smut under the cut, teeeensy power imbalance bc reader is naked and Leon isn't (barely even there ngl), mutual masturbation, mutual yearning, cum, brief mention of cum eating, brief mention of actual sex that i'll never elaborate on

enjoy?

There's nothing but pure need and lust in the way Leon looks at you. He looks like a man-- no, an animal that's been starved and suddenly had a 7 course meal set in front of it on a golden platter. The platter in this case being your soft mattress and the 7 course meal being you.

In Leon’s defense, you wanted this. You were all but begging when you hit him up, whining into the phone about wanting to spend time with him because he’s been so busy with work lately (You saw him just yesterday), practically attaching yourself to him like a leech when he did come over, and playing around and teasing him. He was only a man. 

"Go on," Leon urges, leaning back in his chair comfortably as he looks you over, his blue eyes piercing through every naked inch of your body. He had you spread out on your mattress, ignoring any sort of decency you might have wanted to keep in favor of seeing you in all your glory. When you had asked him to have a little fun, you hadn't expected this.

"Touch yourself for me, baby. C'mon,” He ordered, getting comfortable and leaning his chin on his fist. “If you want to have fun, we’ll have fun. Like this.” He reached his free hand down, tugging down the waist of his sweats and boxers to pull his cock free. He was already hard just from looking at you (and from you literally pawing at his dick earlier), his pink tip beading with peals of precum that made your mouth water. “Give me a show and I’ll give you a show. That sounds like fun, yeah?” 

As much as you want to disagree, to tell him that your version of fun included him balls deep inside you and your eyes rolled back, you had to admit this wasn’t all bad either. Watching as he wrapped his hand around the base of his cock and stroked it up, thumbing at his slit all while his eyes stayed on you was pretty damn hot too. Why not? 

It didn’t take you long to slither your hand down between your spread legs, your middle finger finding your clit to gently brush against it before giving it a few firm rubs, your hips pushing into the movement a little. It had honestly been so long since you touched yourself. You’d had Leon there to fuck you damn near whenever, so you never really needed to. 

Leon was good and all, god knows he fucks you good when you need it, but you knew your own body. You knew when to switch from going clockwise to counterclockwise to make your hips buck. You knew that when you felt that slight burn deep in your stomach, pressing two fingers knuckle deep felt right. 

You were so lost in yourself that you almost forgot the tantalizing show starring Leon was sitting right in front of you until you heard him curse under his breath. The sound prompted you to open your eyes, tilting your head up from your relaxed position to look over at him. 

His gaze was stuck on you, on the way your bare chest rose and fell with each unsteady breath you took, on the way your body squirmed, turned and bucked, on the way your fingers pushed deep into your pussy and pulled out, coming back slick with your juices in a way that made Leon want to forget everything about giving you a show and focus solely on burying his tongue inside you. 

He looked like a wreck while watching you, his tip leaking steadily over his hand as he repeatedly pumped his hand, the sound of his pre making the most obscene noise with the motion. He was flushed from his ears to his neck, his jaw visibly clenching as he bit the inside of his cheek. He looked as if he wanted to pounce on you and fuck, did it make you crazy. 

“Leon,” you moan out, body tensing and hips bucking at the look he gives you. It took everything in you to not come on the spot, and it seems Leon felt the same way. His hand tightened around his length at the sound of your moan and it pulled a deep, throaty groan from his lips as he bucked into his hand. “Fuck, what do you need, pretty? Need to come?” 

When you nod in response, brain devoid of any words that would accurately get across your need properly, the pace of his hand speeds up without a second thought, eager to get there with you. “Yeah, why don’t you come then? Let me see you come, pretty. Do it for me.” 

His words are your downfall, the need in his voice shoving you off the edge you were already teetering on. It’s evident in the way your thighs tense, surrounding your wrist in a vice-like grip as your back arches off the bed, your other hand lifting to cover the embarrassing whine you let free in the face of what was probably the strongest orgasm you’ve ever given yourself. Who knew having someone watch you masturbate could feel so damn good? 

Watching you come will always be the best thing Leon has ever seen in his life, he swears that. That’s why it’s no surprise that seeing you come makes him do the same. His hips buck sharply into his hand, his grip on himself tightening instinctively as pearly white ropes spill over his hand and stain his sweatpants down below. 

His eyes stay on you until he’s spent, his form slumping back in his chair as he watches you fall limp too. Any words he was going to say die in his throat when he sees you pull your fingers out of you and lick them clean, his cock re-stiffening in his hand all over again. Maybe he could give into your version of fun this time around.

~~~

*sims very flirty sound*

[lulublack90]

Prompt 7 - Pepper-Up Potion

@wolfstarmicrofic April 7, word count 753

“You were so funny last time, you know. You kept nipping at my tail and when you finally got it I turned, and you had this cheeky grin on your face. I couldn’t even be mad at you,” Sirius babbled away as Remus carefully measured out the ingredients for their potion. There had been an outbreak of flu around the castle and Madam Pomfrey was running low on Pepper-Up Potion, so Slughorn had had the bright idea to get his fifth years to brew up a few batches in their lesson. 

“Sirius, please, you know I’m not as good at this as you are, and I need to concentrate,” Remus begged as he finished chopping and mashing the mandrake root. Sirius ignored him and continued describing their last run in the forest. 

While the mandrake root was absorbing into the cauldron water, Remus began grinding the Bicorn horn.

“Prongs hit a tree. Oh, Remus, I wish you could remember it. He got his antlers stuck on a low-hanging branch and you started licking him. He got even more tangled trying to get away from you,” 

“Sirius, please,” Remus groaned. He carefully added another cup of water to the cauldron and tipped in the Bicorn horn powder. He let it heat for a minute before lowering the flames and covering the cauldron. He had half an hour now. He looked over at Sirius’s potion. He was already ahead of Remus. He had no idea how. Sirius hadn’t stopped talking the entire time. 

Half an hour later, Remus was sporting a pounding headache. He was beginning to feel achy like he did in the days close to the full moon. But that was nowhere near. He shivered. The alarm he set went off, and he uncovered his cauldron and started the final few steps. 

He threw the thyme in and watched the sprigs swill around as he stirred the potion four times in a clockwise motion. Slowly he dripped in five drops of salamander blood. His nose began to run. He let out a little cough as he stirred the potion again, two times, this time anti-clockwise. He glared over and Sirius was stoppering his last vial of potion. 

Remus needed to concentrate now. He needed to be very precise on this next step. If he didn’t time it exactly right when he added each of the Fire seeds, the potion would be ruined. He dropped the first one in. Remus waited a minute, then dropped the next one in. He only had two left now. 

The next minute was nearly up when Sirius started talking again.  

“You were so tired once we got back. I’ve never seen you like that. I thought you were going to fall asleep on the floor as soon as you got inside, but Moony went upstairs and collapsed on the mattress. He curled up into this tiny little ball. I honestly have no idea how you managed to make yourself so small. You were so cute!” Sirius nudged him playfully and Remus accidentally dropped the last two seeds in at the same time. The potion began to bubble wildly and then, instead of turning a bright red, it turned dark and evaporated away, scorching the bottom of his cauldron and rendering it useless. An entire lesson's worth of effort was wasted. 

“Fuck sake,” he whined. He lowered his head to the desk. He felt awful. 

“Sorry Remus,” Sirius apologised profusely. He cleared up Remus’s ruined potion and patted him on the shoulder. “It’s only a potion, Remus, why are you so upset?” He kept his hand on Remus’s shoulder. “You’re feeling a bit warm, Moony,” and that’s when Remus threw up. “Ah. I think you might need one of these,” Sirius offered Remus one of his vials before vanishing the mess under their desk. Remus glared at him as he downed the potion. Steam erupted out of his ears and Sirius had to suck his lips into his mouth to stop himself from laughing. 

Thankfully, the lesson ended then and Remus decided to skip his final few classes and go get into bed. 

He woke up a few hours later to find a cup of tea, a plate of buttered toast, both magically kept warm for him, and a fresh vial of Pepper-Up potion. There was a note next to his tea. 

‘Get better soon, Moony,

Love Sirius,’

He smiled weakly and grabbed the vial of potion. He was going to need it. This flu made him feel terrible. 

[miedei]

hiii i saw the prompt generator in your request rules post, and it gave me 'Character A and Character B reminiscing on how they had a meet-ugly'

i was wondering what you'd think of this prompt + remus lupin?

omg this took over my mind, im such a remus lupin girl (i haven't kept up with the hp fandom in so long so my lore is probably veryyy outdated soz)

reminiscing on how you and fiance!remus met.

“Hey, look at this!”

Remus emerges from within the unruly bedroom with a scrap of red and gold fabric in hand. Navigating around the boxes that litter the floor, he makes his way over to you, holding it out to you. 

“Remember that, dove?” His smile is lopsided in the way you adore, nearly stealing your attention away from the topic at hand, until he presses it into yours. 

The fabric is bundled up, but you can feel the contrast of hard knot-like sections and silkier parts. Unfurling it, a smile begins to form on your face as you recognize it for what it is. 

The half-charred Gryffindor tie hangs from your hand, bringing with it waves of memories.

Remus slots himself in next to you, both of your eyes captivated by the piece of uniform. He’d gone through countless ties in his time at Hogwarts, most of which were sacrificed to different antics, but this one is different. 

This one was never thrown away, despite the fact that half of it’s been burnt off. This one was kept safe, tucked into a drawstring bag until he found it as he was unpacking the boxes of clothes. 

His arm comes up to circle your shoulders, pulling you into his side as he muses softly.

“It’s been years.”

“Five now, isn’t it?” You turn your head to the side to face him, meeting his eyes with a smile that drips of affection.

“James hasn’t let me forget it.” His eyes crinkle with the force of his grin as he leans in to kiss your temple.

“He’s insisting he’ll be maid of honour and best man just for introducing us properly.”

“Y’know, bird, I’m not the best at Potions but I’m ace at Transfigurations.”

You groan inwardly. Does this guy ever shut up? 

You know of James Potter, obviously. How can you not, when you’ve been close to Lily Evans for years? 

Over your years at Hogwarts, your impression of the boy has shifted drastically. In first year, his brash infatuation with Lily left you irritated, annoyed at his constant need for attention, especially when she was around (more often than not, with you in tow). 

Since then, however, James has mellowed, learning to curb his extravagant tendencies. Although he’s never given up on Lily, he’s calmed his advances, leaving the two of them in a state of will-they-won’t-they that’s far more enjoyable than the outright hatred she had for him previously. 

But you’ve never properly spoken to him, not until now. Professor Slughorn announced at the onset of the spring term that Potions partners would be randomised, much to all your classmates’ chagrin.

As luck would have it, you’ve been lumped with James. He’s frustratingly laid-back with potions, stating that he doesn’t really bother, acing the exams without much effort. Instead, he prefers to chatter your ear off as you delegate different tasks to him for the entire class. 

It would be one thing if you could hate him, but he’s also irritatingly likeable. He never fails to say hello to you in the halls, and although you never really talk outside of class, a sense of camaraderie has sprung up between you. 

“I’m sure you’re great at Transfigurations, James. Can you chop up that dung-beetle, please?”

He takes to it obediently, continuing his prattle as he deftly moves the knife. 

“No, really! My dad’s the Potions master of the family, but I pretty much came out of the womb transfiguring things. S’why Minnie likes me so much.”

Debatable, but you let him go on as you focus on stirring counter-clockwise fifteen times.

“So much so that she’s got me working on spells other than the ones we do in class.”

His voice goes slightly high as he gets more excited, waving the knife around in a way that makes you yelp.

“Yeah? Like what?”

He hops up on the workbench, setting down the knife in favour of his wand, punctuating his words with dramatic movements.

“Well, birdie, last week she had me working on Vera Verto, turning a cat into a goblet. That one’s going to some in handy, Evans’ll love that don’t you think?”

“I think you should really give that up, James. A cup won’t exactly win her over.”

He shoots you a pointed look.

“I’m going to ignore that, because I’m in sodding love with the witch, thank you very much.”

He points his wand at you once, before returning to the haphazard swinging of his arms.

“Anyways, I’ve also got the hedgehog to pincushion incantation down, that one’s well fun.”

You hum softly, pouring the dung-beetle into the cauldron and mixing, watching James as he idly swings his wand around.

“Oh! And another fun one, this one’s rather new. There’s this one that turns a badge into a little blaze. Cool, huh? S’called Insignus—” 

The moment he utters the incantation, a crackling begins to fill the air. Not as soft as the flames bubbling under the cauldrons, no, this one is sharp, the sound like a match being struck. 

James freezes, and you watch him hop off the workbench, eyes darting around the room. A smell like burnt hair fills your nostrils, and you whirl around. 

It takes some time to locate the origin of the smell and sound, but James’ anguished cry alerts you to it. 

“Moony!”

You zero in on Remus Lupin, two cauldrons over from yours. He looks slightly panicked, looking down at his own chest. 

A small, controlled flame is perched oddly on the left of his tie. It doesn’t seem to be growing, just remaining there, the heat causing his tie and shirt to warp and burn.

Sirius Black stands next to him, batting at the fire uselessly as he yelps.

“Moony, what the hell—”

“I don’t know, Sirius, you think I set myself on fire?”

James scurries over, wand outstretched.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Moony, I— Augamenti!”

A stream of water flows forth from James’ wand, but it does nothing to stop the flame. It sizzles as it cools the fabric surrounding it, but the fire doesn’t even dim.

James is running his mouth, mindless babble coming out as he repeatedly douses Remus in water. You have to roll your eyes as you hurry over, shooting a look at Slughorn, who is still dozing off at his desk.

“Hold still, Lupin. It’s a magical flame, water won’t extinguish it.”

You hold your wand out, pointed at his chest.

“Finite incantatem!”

The spell-finishing incantation does the trick, the fire reverting to a pristine prefect’s badge, clinging onto the burnt remains of Remus’ shirt collar.

James deflates, a sigh of relief leaving his lungs. Once he’s caught his breath, he walks over to you, clapping a hand on your shoulder. 

“Thank god for you, huh, bird?”

Grinning, he steers you closer to Remus and Sirius, who are fussing over the contrasting wet and burnt parts of Remus’ clothing. As he tugs off his tie, Remus looks up, flashing you a soft smile.

“You really got me out of a bind. Thanks.”

His hands come away from his neck, charred tie clutched in one. The other extends out in front of him, held open for a handshake. It’s not exactly fair, how pretty he looks. By all accounts, he should look pathetic right now. Despite the wet hair and slightly singed shirt, he barely looks fazed, eyes locked on yours.

You thrust your hand into his, smiling back.

Remus noses against your cheek, the familiar feeling of him warming you from the inside out. 

“Suppose it was James’ fault, huh? He did set you on fire,” Your voice is soft, gooey with devotion. “we wouldn’t have met, if he hadn’t.”

He hums softly, reaching out to stroke the tie in your hand.

“I think I would’ve found you somehow, even if he hadn’t.”

He turns into you, tucking your head under his chin as his arms wrap around your back.

The two of you sit there for some time, relishing in the silence of your new flat. His chest is burning warm against yours, the sheer domesticity of the position making you melt against him.

“...James isn’t going to take no for an answer about the wedding thing, though.”

[mantra-repeated]

Gem presentation system

Pt: Gem presentation system :End pt

A presentation system like the beverage presentation system (Link) and the food presentation system (Link).

This is a presentation system where one presents their Identity (Gender, alterhumanity, orientation, chronosan, desirdae, etc) through a certain color(s).

Ruby | Citrine | Sapphire

Ruby: An individual who presents their identity through the color red.

Citrine: A individual who presents their identity through the color yellow.

Sapphire: A individual who presents their identity through the color blue.

Coined for day 4 of @page-of-void-mogai coin war event! with the prompt choose being gemstones obviously! Hehe-

Others can coin for this system, or if others show interest, I can coin more!

Mentions / tags: @presentationflag-archive, @radiomogai, @aspectsofidentity, @smilepilled, @rwuffles

+ @liomogai

Banner transcript: This term was made by an Endogenic. Anyone can use it however (So don't repost or recoin, ask before adding to wikis) :End Transcript

Written flag ids under the cut, same as alt text.

Ruby flag id: a flag made of seven horizontal stripes. From the top down, they are red, very dark red, dark red, bright red, desaturated red, very dark red, and red. In the center left is a round gem with a square facet cut, with the square in the center of the gem being a pale red. Clockwise from the top, the colors are desaturated red, red, bright red, and dark red. The gem is outlined in very dark red. :End id

Citrine flag id: a flag made of seven horizontal stripes. From the top down, they are yellow, very dark yellow, dark yellow, light yellow, desaturated yellow, very dark yellow, and yellow. In the center left is a round gem with a diamond facet cut, with the diamond in the center of the gem being a pale yellow. Clockwise from the top right, the colors are dark yellow, desaturated yellow, yellow, light yellow. The gem is outlined in very dark yellow. :End id

Sapphire flag id: a flag made of seven horizontal stripes. From the top down, they are blue, very dark blue, dark blue, light blue, desaturated blue, very dark blue, and blue. In the center left is a round gem with a triangle facet cut, with the triangle in the center of the gem being a pale blue. Clockwise from the top right, the colors are desaturated blue, light blue, and dark blue. The gem is outlined in very dark blue. : End id

[deepperplexity]

Prompt 6: Wrapped Tightly [OS]

Pairing: Young Severus Snape x Young Female Hufflepuff You

Set in: Year Seven of Yours and Severus’s Hogwarts time

POV: Second, Reader

A/N: I wanted to write something sweet, something cute, something fun and warming in a one-shot to take a little break from the serials of Brandon, Gruber, and Turpin that I have going on so far this Rickmas so here we are with a young Snape 🥰 Now, it was supposed to be short but… umh, yeah… 👀 P.S the potion in this story is completely made up.

Also, side note, we had a family Christmas crafts day at work (the library) today and there was so much happening I feel like I've been in a whirlwind and I need to finish tomorrow's prompt but I'm all drained after the super-energy at work 😅

Tags/TW’s: Mutual Secret Pining, Young Love, First Kiss, Hand Holding, Knight In Shining Armour Vibes, Illegal Potion Making, Rule Breaking, Sneaking Around After Curfew, Disastrous Potion, Slight Banter/Teasing (fun kind!), Nervousness, Low Self-esteem

Abbr.: Y/N - Your Name | Y/L/N - Your Last Name

Word Count: 4.6k

LINKTREE // AO3 // MASTERLIST

Wrapped Tightly

Your hands ached, your mind solely focused on counting the stirs of the cauldron. …forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty, fifty-one… On and on it went, you would count until you hit eighty-three and then stir the potion counter-clockwise sixteen times before setting it to simmer for the upcoming eleven hours — perfectly timed for when you’d return from breakfast the day after. You’d have to get an early breakfast to make it in time but curfew was coming closer for this Friday evening so you had no choice but to make it at this time.

What you were doing wasn’t exactly allowed, but then again, no great things are discovered or created by strictly following rules and regulations, right? There, switch to counter-clockwise and one, two, three, four, five… It was a relief to move your arms in the opposite direction while you focused on counting — trying not to let the potentially disastrous outcome of brewing an illegal potion in a restricted tower of your school could yield; especially if the potion didn’t go as planned.

You pulled the wooden spoon of honey-waxed oak out of the potion at the exact right time, staring into the still-swirling potion for any signs of it changing colour for a long minute. It did not, and you let out a sigh of relief. The icy blue liquid was thick and white fumes with what looked like minuscule crystals wafted up from the cauldron as you adjusted the burner beneath it. Nothing happened, the potion remained the same and you clapped your hands giddily.

Before leaving the cold room with a slight shimmer to their walls as the fumes filled the space, you cast another three secrecy charms and a trespass hex for good measure. Rather someone gets a bit of a headache than discovering what you were up to, honestly.

The clock struck nine, the giant clock tower not far from the tower you occupied boomed it out and you closed the door to get yourself back to Hufflepuff quarters. You were on the wrong end of the school, and at the top of it which also happened to be opposite to where your dormitory was. Hufflepuff wasn’t as deep down as Slytherin in the dungeons but still, like the badger representing your house, you were down below.

You sneaked down the swirling staircase of stone, staying close to the inner wall, and made sure to keep your steps light and quiet. The curfew was in effect and now, with the halls lit with more candles and dressed in sparkly globes of magical ice, your reflection could be spotted as well if a teacher on patrol happened to pass nearby.

“Miss Y/l/n,” came a quiet voice and you halted while stiffening. “Perhaps you should take a left, lest you run into old Filch in a minute,” it continued as you turned your head only to find Sir Nicholas peaking his head out from the wall, literally just the head and the tiny flap of skin holding it attached to his shoulders which were hidden within the wall or perhaps behind it — you weren’t sure how thick the walls actually were. “Sir Nicholas,” you whispered. “Aren’t you supposed to be on the teachers’ side?” He smirked, his moustache twitching. “Oh, I like a good joke as much as anyone and what you’re brewing will be a fantastic one.”

You scrunched your brows. What you were brewing wasn’t intended for any joke. “What do you mean?” “Come now, he’s nearly here.” You looked around. “I can’t walk through walls,” you whisper-hissed. “No, but you can open the door,” he chuckled and disappeared. Door, what door? “In here,” came a voice you knew all too well. Your heart quickened at the dark drone and you looked slightly behind you. “Severus?” “Come on,” he said and a hand shot out through the wall— no, through a crack in the wall that suddenly opened wider. A hidden passage? I thought I’d found all— woah! You got yanked through the second your hand landed in his and darkness wrapped tightly around you along with stale air and an eerie quietness.

He pulled you closer, you stumbled on the uneven stone floor and planted your face against his harsh chest in the process of nearly falling face-first. He smelled too good. Sage, peppermint, and a scent all his own. Your heart leapt anew and your pulse quickened rapidly. “Sch,” he hissed as you were about to apologise for stumbling into him.

Footsteps moved past the other side of the wall— erh, door. You both stood absolutely still and you could not help but inhale his scent deeply, feeling that ever-growing warmth in your gut once more — as you did each time you lay eyes on the young man who a year ago had fully caught your attention when he saved you from a potion about to explode in class. It hadn’t been your potion, but the benchmate you sat next to. Had Severus not pulled you away and down from the bench next to you on the other side you would have ended up in the Hospital Wing for weeks, like Mr Biscy (the boy who was brewing) had.

You’d liked Severus before that, mostly by his appearance and this strange allure he had. You’d chalked it up to the bad-boy-vibes and the utter lack of interest he seemed to hold in anyone — even the world — and that was something you were fascinated by. Fine, alright, given your badger status, you were also quite happy to make friends and drag those friends along for the crazy ride that was life. To see people realise how not docile Hufflepuff people were was like the icing on the cake, to be honest.

“He’s gone,” Severus said, the dark drone even deeper with your head so close to his chest. You almost whined a complaint as he let your hand go and stepped back. Your eyes had adjusted to the darker space but it was still hard to see much of anything. “Thanks,” you said with a wide smile. “Why are you out beyond curfew?” he asked, and you could have sworn his brow arched and his face hardened a smidge. He was so pale and his hair and clothes so dark that the features were actually visible even in the gloomy space. “Wouldn’t you like to know."” “I would not have asked otherwise.”

You rolled your eyes, the saying going over his head apparently. “It’s my business. I could ask you the same question, you know.” “True.” He turned and began walking, you followed quickly. "But I am not the one nearly caught. Good for you Nicholas told me.” “Wait, he told you? What did he tell you?” Please, nothing about the potion for Merlin's sake. “That you were about to get caught by Filch. I can come out of that unscathed, you, however, could not.” The drawl of his voice nearly sounded smug.

You knew the squib and Severus had some strange form of friendship, or even a bond perhaps, but there was never a chance for you to ask anything about it. Hell, you barely got a chance to ever speak to or even be this close to Severus — he was a bloody expert at keeping distances… Annoying. You couldn’t quite bring yourself to admit that you truly fancied him, because there was no happiness to come from that given Severus barely acknowledged anyone's existence — yours included.

“There should be rules about teacher pets,” you said quietly. “True. It would not have any effect on the caretaker of Hogwarts, though. Would it?” he said, again, a hint of smugness to his voice you could not quite remember ever having heard before. “You’re awfully smug, bit of a git behaviour that,” you said in a we’re-talking-about-the-weather kind of voice. “Smug? No.” “Then, what?” He stopped, you nearly crashed into his back before he looked over his shoulder at you. “Happy…” he murmured before speeding off in long strides while your brain misfired and your legs had to start sprinting on instinct to follow the leader - so to speak - as you had no idea where you were or where the small hallway was taking you.

Happy? Why happy? Have I never heard him happy before? I don’t think I have. Why is he happy though? Is it me— pfth, don’t be daft. But why? You caught up to him as your brain fired thoughts at you in rapid form. “Happy?” you asked. “Why? What makes you happy? I love it, but why?” you rambled while walking as fast as your shorter legs would carry you. Severus took such long strides you had to fight to keep up as the hallway twisted and turned, sometimes going down a few steps, and sometimes going up.

“I could help you,” he said quietly, his words barely audible. “Help me? Well, yeah, Filch would have caught me so I’m very thankful for the help.” It looked as if he nodded at your words but you weren’t quite sure in the gloom. Come on, get him talking, this is your chance! But Severus beat you to it. “Why are you… sparkling?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

You held out your hands and arms, well, shit, you hadn’t thought about the fumes sticking to you as well as the surrounding area. “Erh, glitter bomb?” Severus snorted. “Sure, glitter bomb. Engineer a better excuse.” “Unicorn farted on me?” you said with a whitheld laugh. “Better. Try again.” What, no laugh out of that? “Fine, a Christmas elf sprayed me.” He sighed. “Try again. Careful, steep drop here,” he said right after and slowed his steps.

Severus stepped down, turning him a few inches shorter than you which looked so odd. “Here,” he said, holding out his hand. You hesitated for a moment while your fingers tingled with the prospect of getting to hold his hand. You grabbed on, he took a sturdy grip with those long fingers, and you stepped down the high step with a bit of manoeuvring. “Where are we?” you asked and he released you. “Almost by Hufflepuff.” “What?” “Yes.” “But we were over on—” “Hogwarts has many passages and secrets.” Severus glanced back at you. “Now, another, better, excuse.” How about the truth? “Alright, I was brewing the Dragon Ice potion and the fumes got all over the place.”

Severus halted, you crashed into his back with an oomph! and a thud. “You what?” he asked, turning to face you. “Brewing the Dragon Ice potion—” He grabbed your upper arms. “Are you completely out of your mind?!” he hissed. “Where’s the potion? Where are you doing it?” “Southwest tower, the restricted one with the—” “Idiot. Come on,” he said with exasperation and annoyance mixed with urgency. “What? No, it’s not done until eight in the morning, it’s simmering for—” “For eleven hours as per the recipe in the restricted section, yes, but that’s the incorrect recipe!” he snarled, grabbing your hand and pulling you back the way you came.

You dug your heels in. “What? But it says the same thing in all three books,” you said, halting all movement. “Yes, and they are all incorrect to keep people from brewing it!” “What?” you asked, worry beginning to gnaw in your gut despite the warmth and absolute joy it was to have Severus so close. “What will happ—” “It will explode, turn everything in close vicinity to ice.” “You say that as if you’ve done it before.” “I have, and I learned,” he said. “You’re about to learn that you don’t brew dangerous, illegal potions at school where, if things go wrong, the evidence is in everyone’s faces. Y/n, what were you thinking?” he asked, anger and frustration seeped through his voice but he was not quite mean to you. “I need the money.” “So brew less dangerous potions!” “No, I need a lot of money.” “Don’t we all…” he muttered

“Come on, we need to break the potion cycle before it turns half the castle into an ice cube.” “Wait, what?” He jerked on your arm and you both began moving again. “Yes. The fumes are already turning your clothes hard, aren’t they?” When you thought about it, yes, your cloak felt stiffer than usual and your skirt wasn’t moving as swiftly around your thighs. “I’m becoming ice?” There had been no bloody warning about that in the books. Severus snorted. “No, of course not. It’s more like your clothes being covered in frost, not ice. It stops after a few minutes. The potion, however, is another matter.”

You both walked at a brisk pace all the way back to where you came from. Sir Nicholas appeared just in time when you reached the wall that was really a door. “Back so soon?” “Dragon Ice,” Severus said, and Sir Nicholas smiled and chuckled so his head nearly toppled to one side. “Yes, quite the jester our Miss Y/l/n.” He glanced at me with weird eyes of mischief one usually didn’t see in them. “It will be so much fun when—” “No, Sir, it’s the wrong recipe, half the castle will turn to ice if it explodes. And it will.” Sir Nicholas stiffened. “Oh dear, Miss. Quite the pickle we’re in now.�� But there was definitely mischief in his eyes, it looked wrong on this specific ghost but not in a necessarily bad way.

He floated backwards, out of the wall, and then reappeared again. “All safe, onward mighty students, to stop the botched potion!” he said with fanfare as if you two were knights in shiny armour. It was endearing but the bravado was a bit too much at the moment. “Let’s go, Severus said and pushed open the wall— door, before grabbing your hand anew and pulling you close behind him toward the entrance to the tower.

You started up the swirling stairs, rushing up them. Truth be told, it was hard to be fast when Severus held your hand, but you had no incline to let go. Who knew, perhaps you’d never get to feel his fingers squeeze around yours ever again after tonight? It felt as if you were in a whirlwind — there was so much happening that you barely had time to reflect on the fact that you were with Severus, holding his hand, nearly running with him and that he’d spoken more to you in the past fifteen minutes in one go than ever before. And he said he was happy… But you had no time to think any more of it as you reached the door.

“Good hex,” he said, grabbing at his forehead with his free hand while you drew out your wand and undid it. “Thanks, it was in—” “Uncomfortable Spells For Protection, restricted section.” You chuckled. “Yeah.” “And here I was, thinking you badgers were sweet, none rebellious creatures,” he said, that smug sound in his voice once more but now you knew better. “Aren’t you serpents supposed to be greedy, evil people? Not ones to help those in need with diffusing disaster potions and keeping people out of harm?” “Touché.”

You chuckled before pushing the door open with the back of your wand-holding hand and arm. “Shit,” Severus said, seeing the room filled with a blue-tinted fog that wasn’t at all the type of fumes you’d left it filled with not too long ago. “It didn’t look like—” But Severus let go of you and rushed toward the cauldron, looking into it and interrupting you. “Shit. Shit. Shit,” he muttered before starting to search through the pockets of his robe. “Where is it, where is it?” he muttered further as you moved closer in the freezing room with walls, ceiling and floor covered in a thin sheet of ice and small icicles were forming across the ceiling, too.

“Well, this is bad,” you said, not sure if you were panicking or having a laugh at the whole thing. “Yes, bad, very bad,” Severus muttered distractedly, still searching his robes. “Maybe we should get a teacher?” “No, this will not end well for us.” “Us? You haven’t done—” “I’m here, aren’t I?” True… “But you haven’t done anything, you can go to the dungeons while I get a teacher.” “No time for— Shit! It’s going!” Severus snarled, nearly tearing his clothes apart when ripping at the pockets.

Panic surged through you as the cauldron began trembling and creaking while the potion swirled like a whirlpool. A very beautiful whirlpool of glitter, silver, and blue. But ominous. “Get out, Y/n!” “No way!” you shouted back. “This is my fault!” “We’ll be pop-sickles in a minute!” Had the situation not been so grave you would have burst out laughing. But Severus looked far too serious. “We’ll melt eventually!” you shouted over the sudden storm-like winds spinning around the room, coming from the cauldron. Small flecks of ice scratched at your skin and forced you to squint.

Severus grabbed his wand, shouted something, and a small cluster of purple twigs with white leaves flew from a pocket and into his hand. “Get down!” he ordered and you ducked as he threw the material into the cauldron before covering you with his own body. Your heart hammered, your pulse raced and in the midst of whatever was going on with the potion and dire situation you were in some bizarre form of heaven with Severus holding you tight while half laying over you to protect your head and back was there too, wrapping itself tightly around your heart.

The cauldron exploded. You gasped and whimpered from the shattering sound before the noise of splattering liquid came a second later. Another second passed and quietness took over. No more storming winds, no creaking cauldron. Only the odd dripping noise now and then along with the drumming of your own pulse in your ears and the feel of Severus’s heart against your back with his harsh breathing fanning over the top of your head.

After another moment you both straightened. The room was an absolute mess of darkly blue goo. A dense liquid closer to slime than anything else covered everything, including the wide-eyed Severus standing before you. He had protected you from most of it. “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice gruff and low. You nodded. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine,” you replied while looking around the room before landing back on him again. “You’re not though, your hair, it’s turning blue…” “Blue?!” He reached up and grabbed at the long black strands turning blue from root to tip like the black lake freezing over.

“It’s not so bad—” He gusted out a harsh breath through his nose while glaring at you. “Not, so, bad?” he snarled. “I’m blue, Y/n. Blue.” You couldn’t stop the giggle as all that had been black on him turned blue. A vibrant blue to boot. “It’s pretty, very, umh, Christmasy,” you said, endeavouring to hold back the laughing. But, in your defence, he looked like a blue gnome with porcelain skin. “Christmas is red and green, if you’ve not noticed.” “No, it can be any colour you—” “By Merlin, if you say one more word about it I will hex you, Y/n.” “Well—” you stepped closer, loosening the tightly gripping fingers out of his own hair “—hex away if it makes you feel better, I owe you big time for this… I mean, I could have been blue. Can you imagine a vibrantly blue badger? Nope, nope, nope. Blue snakes exist, so, no worries there.” “Pacifying me with facts, are we?” he asked, but he seemed less angered and softer as you brushed away some blue hair from his face and adjusted the now blue coat that had been askew.

Looking up at him, you found his onyx eyes mesmerising. He looked slightly alarmed, but there was something to say for being the focus of his attention. Your heart certainly had a say about it, it galloped along like reindeer across the Christmas night sky rushing to bring the sleigh of Santa all around the globe.

“Purple,” you said. “Purple?” “Plum purple, now that would suit you splendidly. Perfectly matchable with black, too, mind you.” He arched a brow. “Plum purple?” You nodded. “Make plum juice next time then, badger.” “Next time?” you asked, your knees turning slightly wobbly. His eyes hardened and widened a bit at the same time. “Or not, not like I care either way.”

His voice trembled ever so slightly, a lightness to it — as if he was suddenly embarrassed or something along those lines. You were too occupied with wondering what he meant to think much of it.

“You know, it’s not nice to say you’ll stick around if you have no plan to do it. I keep my friends, forever. Unless they do something shitty I can’t forgive,” you said. He glanced away for a second and then looked back at you. “Well, I wasn’t suggesting friendship.” You tilted your head, trying with all your might to understand if he was rejecting you despite having helped you immensely or if this was his way of saying he felt something for you as you certainly did for him. You had hinted at it, you had tried to get closer to him — but Severus, well, he wasn’t one to allow distances to shrink.

“Severus, are you saying I should keep my distance or are you asking me out on a Christmas date?” you asked, throwing caution to the wind and diving in head first. The blue hair shimmered as he glanced all around the room except at you. “Maybe…” he muttered, redness creeping up along his neck and covering the tips of his ears peaking through the still-moist hair.

You sighed, trying to find his gaze with your own. “Maybe what? Maybe a date? At Madam Puddifoots next weekend with some sweet treats and hot drinks in the corner booth?” “Something like that, perhaps…” His voice was so deep, so low, you barely heard him. “Will you still be blue? Should I match?” you asked, unable to hide the warmth and giddiness in your voice despite trying to lighten the mood as the poor bloke seemed absolutely stressed about the potential of going on a date. Pfth, it's probably more just talking and being with someone and admitting to feelings and all that stuff but bloody hell I am right now damn thankful for potions going wrong.

Severus still hadn’t said anything, he just looked at you. “Well? Will you still be blue?” “Are you— Are you making fun of me now?” he asked and the depth of his voice turned uncertain. “Absolutely not.” “You will go on a date, in public, with me?” he asked, his features tight but his eyes soft. Better be clear here… “Yes.” “I didn’t think you actually liked me.” “I’ve been trying to show that for a year now, you're very difficult, you know.” “Too difficult?” “HA! There is no such thing as someone too difficult to love, Severus.” “Love?” he asked, alarmed. “Well, I’ve had a crush on you since Biscy nearly landed me in the Hospital Wing with his potion exploding.” Severus snorted. “How he messed up so grandly I’ll never understand.” “Perhaps not, but you noticed before anyone else did. I’ve always found you interesting, you know.” “Have you?”

You smirked, wiggling your eyebrows at him while the atmosphere softened and eased. “Well, yeah, I’m a friend collector and I always want to rope in as many kinds of friends as possible — you certainly are one of a kind, helpful, too.” “Why does that sound incredibly ominous, badger?” “’cus it is. And if you’re my boyfriend, well, all the more fun things I can rope you into doing. Do you think failing a Dragon Ice potion is the only mischief I’ve ever been up to?” you asked, laughter and mirth in your voice as Severus’s eyes widened in alarm. “I believe I am about to find out…” “We badgers are on a whole other level. Like the time the cups turned into mice in the great hall, that was us. The singing trees in the dungeons, also us. The ice rink in the hallway on the fourth floor, also us. Remember that time everyone started floating about as if gravity went haywire?” Severus nodded. “Well, that was me. Who knew messing with gravitational spells to create a new one could make such a bloody mess of everything?” “Anyone with two brain cells to combine,” he snarked and you smirked at him, he wasn’t serious or harsh about it — it sounded as if he were joking with you, to be honest.

“Think you can handle it?” you asked, stepping closer. “Obviously. I may be blue, but we’re alive and the castle is whole, no thanks to you.” Severus looked down at you as you inched even closer, feeling all tingly as his eyes warmed a bit. “So, knight in shiny armour it is,” you said, grabbing his hand and squeezing. He arched a brow, not impressed apparently. “Shiny armour?” “Ugh, fine, black knight,” you conceded and reached up on your toes.

Before he could react, or step back, you planted your wanting lips atop his and kissed him with everything you believed he could handle. It wasn’t your first kiss, but it certainly appeared to be his as he stiffened and did not so much as soften his lips — it was sweet, endearing even. When you leaned back he looked paler than a ghost but he didn’t appear to particularly dislike what you’d done.

He stared at you for a long moment while your hands warmed each other. “You kissed me,” he said, eventually. You smiled widely. “Supplying me with facts?”  “I wasn’t prepared.” “Oh, shall I do it again on the count of three?” you asked, joking and smirking at him. His eyes flickered from yours to your lips and then up again. “If— If you want to…” His ears turned scarlet red at that and your heart absolutely melted. “Three, two, one,” you said quietly as you leaned closer and then you kissed him again. This time, he softened and tentatively kissed you back while his hand turned utterly warm around your own.

When the kiss broke, Severus seemed as shocked as before. “You did it.” “Well, yes, I wanted to,” you said brightly. “Now, will you still be blue for our date and the breakfast tomorrow?” “No. It will pass in about six hours with a good shower and new clothes.” “So no matching then,” you said with a smile. “And no plum purple,” he replied. You laughed as he smiled carefully. “You’re quite the hoot, you know that?” “Perhaps you hit your head when you ducked?” You laughed again. “Perhaps, perhaps, but at least my head isn’t blue.” “Touché,” he replied before turning to look at the mess of the room. “This will take time to undo,” he continued. “Nah, a few spells and we’re good. On toward the next mischief.”

You never did tell him why you brewed the potion, or why you needed the money only illegal and dangerous potions to sell could bring in. That was a future discussion; if the relationship led to something more serious. For now, you’d enjoy a Christmas with the Slytherin you’d wanted for over a year — even if he were currently very blue you had no qualms about kissing him for a third time when he undid his cloak and rolled up his sleeves to help with the cleaning. The fact he stiffened and his ears reddened this time, too, only made you feel as if he was the sweetest thing that you’d eventually corrupt with shenanigans, of course.

LINKTREE // AO3 // MASTERLIST

A/N: Well, this was fun 🥰👏 It really was supposed to be a short thing, just like a small tidbit of fun teenage shenanigans and then boom - inspiration hits and you gotta type type type 😂👌

I hope you’re enjoying this first week of Rickmas - which character is your favourite to read about when it comes to Alan? 😍❤

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[clockwise-works]

Hmm this might be a weird word to request but maybe 'eyeshadow'? 👁️ 👁️ I bet you can come up with something for it

And if you can't, maybe 'colour' :^)

Staring ahead at her reflection in the mirror, Mipha leaned forward and tilted her head ever so slightly to the left, then to the right. In response her ear fins’ jewelry -a well-worn sapphire set gifted years ago from her father- swayed back and forth, eventually falling back to their resting state. The soft crackle of a vinyl record drifted through the room, a familiar Christmas tune playing warmly in the background. It was a process all too familiar to her, but one Mipha always made time for. You never wish to present yourself to others with offset jewelry, her mother would always murmur whenever aiding a young Mipha with her jewelry, the now grown Zora keeping to this routine. Looks about as even as I can get it, she thought to herself.

With a satisfied hum, Mipha sat back into her chair and reached down to one of many drawers in her vanity desk. She pulled it open, small bottles of half-empty nail polish rattled all around in response, the soft clinking of glass settling as her fingers brushed over the familiar shapes. Her collection -or what was left of it after many years of use- had been a gift from her late mother and had seen Mipha through so many moments, big and small.

Picking out a shade of off white and inspecting the amount in the bottle, Mipha caught the sound of footsteps approaching, paired with a somehow off-key hum that wavered along to the record playing in the background. She paused and listened for a second, a slight smile crossing Mipha’s face as the humming grew louder with the song’s closing notes, before unscrewing the bottle and setting it down.

As Mipha dabbed the cap’s brush into the bottle, the footsteps came to a stop behind her. In the mirror she caught a glimpse of Link, his hands slipping beneath his collar to free his long blond hair, letting it fall back into place. “You got enough?” he asked, leaning forward slightly to glance at the bottle as she applied the polish. The loose bangs framing his face momentarily drifted into her view, and he quickly tucked them back, clearing the way for her.

“I believe so,” Mipha answered, continuing her work before pausing to hold out her hand and inspect the polish. She then glanced up at Link, seeking a second opinion, and the Hylian gave an approving nod as his gaze overlooked her neatly painted nails. “But I doubt there will be enough left after tonight,” she added with a small smile, trading off the brush to her other hand.

Link watched silently as she worked, Mipha in-between nails occasionally stirring the brush along the far edges of the bottle to get as much out of the polish as she could. “You kept the empty bottles, right?” Link then asked, his voice breaking the quiet. “We can probably get them refilled if you want.”

As she listened to his suggestion, Mipha finished the last stroke of the brush across her nail and set the cap loosely upon the bottle. Her eyes lingered on the now-empty polish, neglecting to check over her work before speaking. “I still have them. All of them,” she said softly, her tone thoughtful. “Refilling them, though…” She trailed off, shaking her head faintly before picking up the bottle and twisting the cap shut, putting it away with all the others. “I wouldn’t even know where to start, and besides, they’re probably worth more than we’re willing to spend right now.”

“Yeahhhh that’s true,” His words carried a reluctant edge, followed by a quiet breath, his gaze shifting to her nails. “They turned out nice,” he added, reaching around her to grab the lipstick from the edge of the vanity, holding it out to her. “Still, not the worst idea to keep in mind.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, taking the lipstick with a small hum. She twisted it open and looked back at her reflection, leaning forward for a better view. Just as she raised it to her lips, Mipha paused, catching his reflection in the mirror. “I presume you’re ready, then? Or are you just that captivated watching me ready myself?”

“All set,” Link replied with ease, brushing his hand down his blue Rito-crafted tunic, its feathered insulation designed for warmth and adorned with the subtle elegance of a Zora crest over the chest. Still, his gaze lingered for a moment longer, tracing the way her insulated blue and silver dress fit comfortably against her form, designed to allow her gills to breathe and her fins to move freely. The shimmering fabric caught the light subtly, the matching Zora crest a quiet detail that tied them together.

Realizing he had let his gaze linger a beat too long, Link cleared his throat softly, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Are you, uh, almost ready? Mom said the party starts at two…” he asked, his tone careful before quickly adding, “I mean, not that you need to rush or anything. You look… really great, by the way. Love the dress.” His fingers fidgeted briefly at his side before he stilled them, an awkward cough escaping his mouth.

Mipha’s lips paused mid-purse, the compliment momentarily throwing her off as she glanced at his reflection again. A hint of color warmed her cheeks, but she quickly recovered, finishing the stroke of lipstick with deliberate care. Twisting the cap shut with a soft click, she smiled faintly at his reflection. “Thank you, Link,” she said, her voice quieter than usual as she cleared her own throat softly. Her gaze lingered on her reflection for a moment longer before she blinked, seeming to refocus. “I’m just about done.”

As she began gathering the scattered bottles and small containers around her, Mipha shifted a little to the left, leaving just enough space on the vanity for Link to step in. Without a word, he reached for the lipstick she had just set down, opening the nearby drawer to place it back in its usual spot. Their movements were seamless, instinctive, like steps in a practiced dance.

Sliding the drawer open, Link’s fingers paused over a small, neatly tucked container in the corner. It wasn’t one he recognized from Mipha’s mother’s set, the polished bottles and delicate jewelry he knew she treasured carefully arranged nearby. Picking it up, he turned the unfamiliar container over in his hand before a soft chuckle escaped his lips. “Heh, remember this?”

Mipha glanced over, her gaze shifting briefly from the mess of beauty products before her to the eyeshadow in his hand. She smiled softly and reached for it, taking the container from him with careful fingers. “Of course. Your grandmother gifted it to me a few years ago.” Turning the container over, she continued. “It’s a shame this brand isn’t made with scales in mind, it’s such a lovely color.”

Link tilted his head slightly, watching as she studied it. “If it’s not part of your mom’s set, why keep it here?” he asked, his tone curious but gentle.

Mipha paused, her fingers lightly tracing the edge of the container as her gaze drifted to the drawer. A soft smile began to form, thoughtful and unhurried. She placed the eyeshadow back beside the polished bottles with deliberate care, the faint clink of glass breaking the quiet. Straightening, Mipha’s reflection caught the light, and her golden eyes met Link’s in the mirror. “Because it’s right where it belongs,” she said, her voice quiet but certain. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Three?

Link never imagined that all three generations of his family would be traveling together on an adventure, yet here he was with his father and son. Koden signed eagerly, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he pointed at the sky and made an excited noise. Abel watched the boy a moment, taking longer to register his phrasing while Link looked up and smiled at the rainbow his son had pointed out.

[talesofmoony]

can I request marylily where lily has a breakdown because shes a little nervous about being queer but mary comforts her and its all fluffy? angst with a happy ending? thanks!

Blueberries and Hibiscus

summary: Lily smells Mary in their Amortentia brew and has a bit of a gay crisis.

rating: T

cw: internalized homophobia, panic attack

a/n: hello hello! here you go :) i hope i did your prompt justice. this was my first time writing for marylily, and i thoroughly enjoyed it.

you can also find it on ao3 posted here.

requests are currently open, so please feel free to send me any you may have, or just check in and say hello!

This was not how today was supposed to go. Lily was supposed to go to class, ace her potions exam for which she had been pouring over in the library all night, and end the evening relaxing in the common room with her friends.

What she had not expected was for the test out for their unit of potions to be Amortentia. Initially, when Slughorn had announced to the class the potion they would be tested with, Lily had thought little of it. Coming up on the latter half of their fifth year, the class was bound to reach this unit at some point. She was partnered with Mary, which she was grateful for, as Mary was quite the potions expert. This would be easy, Lily assured herself.

Both girls had been performing fairly well, Lily grinding up moonstone while Mary gathered fresh peppermint leaves and bundles of rose thorns to finish off the potion. Lily’s piercing green eyes met Mary’s dark brown ones in a quick glance, the dark-eyed girl sending Lily a crooked grin before returning to her task of separating the peppermint leaves from the stem of the bundle.

Lily was unable to tear her eyes away, utterly transfixed by the way Mary’s long, slender digits gripped each leaf carefully, pulling it slowly away from the green stem. Her eyes traveled to the tips of Mary’s fingers, where her nails were perfectly manicured and painted a light lavender, tips perfectly rounded into an almond shape.

“You good?” Mary whispered into the shell of Lily’s ear. She could feel Mary’s breath as it softly blew down her neck, causing her body to release a violent shiver.

Lily jerked her head up, realizing too late that she was mere inches away from Mary as she stared directly at her, eyes straining to keep contact with coffee-colored irises instead of drifting back down to her best friend’s handiwork.

“Mhm. Yeah. Um, I’m good, great! Yeah, um-” The words tumbled out of Lily’s mouth, uncoordinated and distinctly not her usual demeanor. She hurried herself with finishing her task of grinding down the moonstone, brain short-circuiting trying to figure out exactly why she was reacting this way to Mary simply existing.

Once all of their ingredients were prepared, they mixed them in accordingly, Lily stirring the liquid clockwise three times at the addition of the powdered moonstone. To top it off, Mary scooped up the finely collected peppermint leaves, leaning into Lily’s side as she dropped them carefully into the cauldron. In their closeness, Mary’s dark brown curls brushed the side of Lily’s cheek, and the red-haired girl caught a whiff of the taller girl’s shampoo.

Blueberries and hibiscus, Lily thought to herself. She had smelt it before, the scent always wafting out from their dorm room's shared bathroom after Mary took a shower, steamrolling over the top of the wooden door as she emerged. The scent calmed her.

As they removed the potion from the open flame, Slughorn made his way to the front of the classroom, announcing in a bellowing voice, “Alright, everyone. Now, we will go around the room. Each person is to take a smell of the potion and announce to the class what scent they find. It is sure to reveal some interesting things, I assure you!”

His voice maintained a jovial tone, despite the rising whispers emerging from the students. Murmurs echoed through the hollow walls of the classroom, a few of the less mature students snickering, hands covering their mouths. Everyone was privy to the meaning of what Amortentia smelled like, as it took the scent of the one a person most desires.

Lily preoccupied herself with twisting the silver, daisy-adorned ring that sat on her thumb, a gift from Mary herself for Lily’s fifteenth birthday this year. She hadn’t told Mary, but it had been her favorite gift she received, something she interacted with every day. Something that brought her mind back to those sweet, brown eyes and wild grin, lifting her when she was feeling down.

All normal things to think about one's best friend, of course.

Mary dug her elbow into Lily’s side and gestured to the now-simmering, pearlescent liquid that sat in their shared cauldron. “Want me to go first?”

Before she could even form a proper thought on the proposition, Mary was already leaning closer to the cauldron, bringing her hand above the liquid and carefully wafting the scent towards her face. She breathed in, letting her eyes fall shut, her peach-toned lips closing with a quiet hum of contentment.

“Lavender, old books, and earl grey,” Mary hummed, peeking open her left eye to glance over at Lily, the corner of her lips tipping into a small smile. Her eyes glazed over slightly as she opened both of them, blinking slowly, her gaze now firmly stuck on Lily. “Your turn now, Lils.”

Lily’s mouth gaped slightly, her tongue resting at the top of her mouth as she contemplated why her brain was freezing over at the moment. What was going on with her?

She shifted on her feet, carefully leaning over the cauldron and repeating Mary’s previous actions, letting the smell waft into her nostrils. Lily settled into the scent, her mind going numb as she worked to identify the various smells. Several aromas assaulted her senses: cinnamon, quill ink, and roses, but there was one more she just couldn’t place.

During the time she had been attempting to pick out the stubborn fragrance, Mary had inched closer, her curls brushing up against her best friend’s cheek again. Lily froze on the spot, instantly recognizing the last scent.

Blueberries and hibiscus.

Oh.

Oh.

Fuck. She was in love with her best friend. She smelt Mary in the Amortentia.

“What do you smell?” Mary asked softly, completely unaware of the mounting feeling of absolute dread and panic burrowing itself in Lily’s stomach.

She immediately jerked away from Mary’s touch. Her eyes glided up to meet Mary’s, but she averted her gaze, focused on shoving her quill set and parchment roll of notes into her satchel as swiftly as possible. Lily was aware of the look of confusion tinged with hurt that flashed in Mary’s eyes, no doubt confused at her brash and violent reaction to a less than invasive question.

Lily took one more look at her best friend, realizing now that Mary was the subject of the scent within their batch of Amortentia, and stuttered out a wobbly, “I’m sorry, I can’t. I have to go. I’m sorry, Mary.”

With that, Lily swung her satchel over her left shoulder, hauling herself out of her stool and through the wooden door of the potions classroom. She rounded the hall into the stone-lined corridor outside of the potions classroom, her chest shuddering with rattling breaths as she fought to get back to the common room as quickly as possible. Her legs shook as the bottoms of her feet made contact with the hard stone steps, black oxfords clacking harshly with each step she took.

When she finally made her way to the portrait of the painted lady, Lily had to screech the password when the fat lady didn’t understand her the first time, earning her an offended scoff. After getting inside, she ran past the seating area nestled by the fireplace, where a concerned Remus noticed her emotional state and stood to approach her.

He wouldn't get the chance, as Lily flew past him, running up the stairs and into her dorm room, slamming the door behind her. Her bag was quickly abandoned by the post of her bed, each step dragging down her very being until she collapsed onto her bed and shut the curtains behind her.

Lily’s chest wracked with viscous sobs, her shoulders heaving and her hands shaking as she took in ragged breaths, only to force them out immediately as she cried even harder. Why, Lily thought. Why did this have to happen?

Her hands palmed the colorful quilt that adorned her bed, another gift from Mary for last Christmas, one that was handmade and had no doubt taken her best friend hours of work to produce. The very thought only made Lily cry harder because this wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to like girls. She needed to be the perfect daughter, marry the perfect man, and have perfect children. Perfect, that’s what she needed to be, not this.

Her thoughts rattled between her ears, a dull pain blooming in her chest as her panic mounted, shallow breaths breaching the line between sobs and hyperventilation. She was unable to get a grasp on her own mind, her thoughts a repeated mess of this isn’t happening and no, no, no.

As if it couldn’t get any worse, Lily heard steps approaching outside of her shared dorm room, followed by the soft click of the door opening slowly, creaking on the old, rusted hinges. She knew who it was before she even caught a glimpse through the cracked curtain, smelling the familiar scent of blueberries and hibiscus that haunted her every being.

“Lily, honey? What’s wrong?” she heard Mary speak, softly as to not startle her sensitive state.

Lily watched as the curtain shifted, those beautiful coffee-brown eyes shifting into view, only serving to make Lily’s sobs increase in severity. She’d never realized how beautiful Mary was, her features and entire existence pulling Lily in like a siren’s song. Lily would follow her into the sea if Mary only asked.

She wouldn't, though, because she wasn’t like Lily. Mary was normal.

As Lily’s panicked state picked up, Mary shifted her weight onto the bed, carefully bringing her hand up to cup the back of Lily’s neck and shift her, the other girl’s head laid across her lap. She coiled ginger locks around her fingers, and the action was so soothing that Lily couldn’t bear to demand she stop.

Mary’s other hand shifted up and down Lily’s back, gently caressing the smooth, freckled skin that poked out from the bottom of her sweater. The feeling sent shivers up Lily’s body, a shake ricocheting through her, down to her very bones. Little did she know, Mary shared the same sentiment, electricity bolting through her fingertips and up her arms at the mere contact she made with the other girl’s warmed skin.

Careful not to startle the girl below her, Mary shifted her hand up Lily’s side until it came to rest on her cheek. Slowly, she caressed the soft skin, grinning slightly as Lily seemed to subconsciously nestle into her hand, seeking some sense of warmth and connection. The hand then gently pressed on Lily’s cheek, prompting her to make eye contact with the girl whose lap she laid across.

“Tell me what’s going on, Lils,” Mary gently whispered, “What has you so worked up and scared? You nearly ran into the wall of the potions classroom trying to get out of there so fast.” Her eyes searched Lily’s, looking for some clue to what was ailing her best friend. “Was it something with the potion?”

Lily froze again, and though she had calmed down, her breath began to quicken again, her gaze darting away to stare a hole in the bed curtain. If she stared hard enough, maybe she would be able to burn a hole through it and distract herself from the feeling of pure dread coursing through her veins.

“There’s something wrong with me. I smelt blueberries and hibiscus,” she whispered into the air, “I don't know why this is happening. I can’t be this way. We can’t be this way.” Her gaze found Mary’s again, and she watched as a look of pure understanding dawned on her best friend’s face.

Lily clenched her eyes shut, wishing away her entire existence to put off the inevitable rejection she was sure to face. This was it, she was going to ruin the one good thing in her life, all because she couldn't keep her shit together and just be normal. Lily could feel the negativity she felt for herself spreading, her brain a repeated barrage of condemning thoughts. Mary was going to hate her, not only for ruining their friendship, but for liking her. This wasn’t something people did at Hogwarts. Girls weren't allowed to like each other, to hold feelings, to love. Boys too. Not in that way.

When she felt a gentle caress on her cheek, Lily opened her eyes again. However, instead of being met with a look of complete disdain or disgust as she expected, she was instead met with a look of kindness and warmth. Mary’s fingertips stroked her cheekbone, moving up to the area just under her eye where Lily could feel her touch flutter across her eyelashes.

Finally, Mary’s touch found its way to Lily’s pink, stress-bitten lips, brushing over them delicately. Her touch felt like an ask, a request for permission to do something Lily wasn’t sure she was able to even comprehend in her current state.

“Do you know what I smelt?” Mary murmured, her fingertips not leaving Lily’s lips as she gently pushed further in, nails gently tapping against Lily’s teeth, “Lavender, old books, and earl grey tea. Your favorite.”

This can’t actually be happening, Lily thought, eyes searching for the glare of a joke in Mary’s own expression, some indication that Mary was simply taking the piss and would begin laughing any minute now.

As if she could read Lily’s mind, Mary looked directly into her bright green eyes, giving a soft shake of her head against the negative thoughts racing through the other girl’s head. “I’m real, you’re real, this is real,” she whispered, “We can be this, you don’t need to be afraid of it.”

“Are you sayin-”

“I smelt you in the Amortentia, Lils, no one else.”

A silence fell over the room, the only audible sound being both girls’ soft breathing paired with their equally fast-paced heartbeats as they shared a look, one only they could understand the true meaning of. Green eyes met brown, both of their faces opening into an expression of pure adoration and love, both as friends and as lovers, apparently.

This was happening, Lily realized. She smelt Mary in the Amortentia, and Mary smelt her, which could only mean that Mary felt the exact same way she did. That only served to make Lily’s next realization even harder, as it dawned on her they couldn’t be together.

“But this isn’t okay. We aren’t allowed to do this” Lily breathed out, shoulders sagging.

It wasn’t news to anyone that queer couples aren't really a thing at Hogwarts. Sure, Sirius and Remus had something going on, but Sirius was so outwardly affectionate that no one spared a second glance when he placed a big kiss on Remus’ cheek, and no one thought any different when Remus turned bright red in response. Also, if anyone did have something to say, Lily was sure someone would find themselves on the wrong side of Sirius’ wand.

Mary looked at Lily curiously, lips quirked up in one corner as she let out a chuckle. “Who the fuck cares what we’re supposed to do? I certainly don’t, and neither will our friends. Sometimes, people need a push to accept things they don’t understand. We don’t have to be outwardly over-affectionate,” Mary spoke confidently. “I want you, Lils. I want us. I want you here, in this dorm. I want you outside in the common room, in the Great Hall, in potion class, and everywhere else. If you need to take this slow, that’s okay. But I need you to understand that your having feelings for me is okay. It is not wrong. We are perfect just as we are. Nothing about that needs to change, and fuck what anyone else thinks.”

Lily stared up at Mary, hoping her expression conveyed the deep amount of appreciation and love she felt for the other girl. Her panic had subsided, and she found herself able to separate her thoughts easier, letting Mary’s kind and sure words seep into her mind. “Okay”, she breathed out.

This time, however, her words did not hold the finality and angst they previously held, but instead an air of hope and positivity. They can do this, this is okay. If Mary believes it is, then Lily has no reason to doubt her. She’s never known her to be wrong, after all.

Lily pushed up onto her elbows, Mary’s hand moving from her cheek to rest on her hip as both girls shifted up to lean against the headboard, limbs tangled together in a beautiful mess. Lily caressed the tanned skin of Mary’s midsection, her hand eventually coming to rest on the other girl's, fingers tangling together in an unspoken bond.

As she pressed herself into Mary’s side, feeling a hand wrap around her midsection and pull her closer, Lily had just one thought.

Yeah. We’re going to be okay.

[idkwhatever580]

Avengers Team Night- Natasha

Masterlist Series Masterlist

Pairings: Natasha romanoff x reader romantic. Avengers x reader platonic

Prompt: what I think Nat would choose for her night on the avengers bonding nights.

Warnings: swearing, lmk if I need to add any more!

A/N: disclaimer, this is what I personally think they would do. So if it isn’t what you pictured I apologize :)

Nobody’s pov

As everyone fills into the main living room they stand and wait for instruction.

As they look around they see that the couches that are usually all facing the tv are now facing inwards towards each other so that everyone can talk.

Nat comes out and says

“Everybody pick a spot. If I have to move you I will so behave”

Tony pitches in

“Ooh what are we doing? Playing spin the bottle?”

Natasha quickly shuts him down and says

“No. We’re sitting down. Now behave or I’ll put you in timeout.”

Steve wants to laugh but he knows better than to rest Natasha’s patience.

They all start to sit down.

(The squares are the couch cushions to separate them lol. I thought it would be easier to draw it and take a picture rather than try to explain)

Thor pitches in and says

“What are we doing today lady Natasha?”

She smiles and says

“We’re gonna talk. About our greatest fears. And nobody is going to judge. No laughing. No comments. Just support. We won’t be making fun of their fears even if you think it is trivial because you wouldn’t want them to make fun of your fear.”

Some groans go across the room. Mainly the guys. But some of them are oddly quiet. Tony hasn’t said a word since Natasha started and you’re impressed.

Wanda speaks up and says

“Who’s going first?”

Nat shrugs her shoulders and says

“We could go at it any way. Youngest to oldest. Oldest to youngest. Pick someone and go clockwise. Take turns as we feel called”

Steve says

“I wouldn’t want to pressure anybody into anything so I think taking turns as we feel comfortable is a good one”

Y/n’s pov

Nat nods her head and I smile. We kind of sit awkwardly for a bit and then Thor says

“I’ll go.”

We smile at him and all wait patiently.

“My biggest fear would be if I was not worthy.”

We listen intently but he doesn’t go on any further and Nat says

“Do you want to explain or go deeper into that?”

He sighs as he nods his head and readjusts his posture a bit.

“I guess I do not know why I feel this way. I have just always been told that Thor is worthy. But what is Thor if not worthy?”

I smile and get an idea. So I say

“He’s a friend.”

Wanda smiles at me and nods her head and joins in

“He’s funny”

Bucky pitches in

“He is strong”

Tony smiles and says

“He is family”

While we are all saying these things Thor smiles and says

“Thank you.”

Nat shakes her head and says

“You know. Thor I don’t think being worthy is dictated by a hammer. I think it is dictated by your heart. It doesn’t matter how strong you are. If you do not have a good heart then you are not worthy. And let me tell you this. You have a good heart.”

He tears up a bit and he says

“Thank you. I think my turn is done now”

We nod our heads and let him be finished.

Bruce gets some courage and says

“I think my fear is the big guy taking control and not being able to get it back. I mean. You’ve seen how he is. And it is sometimes hard for me to get back out. It’s a constant battle.”

A lot of us nod our heads understanding the battling self aspect. Steve says

“Maybe if you weren’t always fighting with him it would be easier yes? If you could work with him somehow then the both of you could live harmoniously and not have as many problems.”

Bruce nods his head and takes the information. But he kind of shuts down and we move on.

I grab Nat’s hand since I’m trying to gain the courage to take a turn.

Yelena starts speaking before I can even gain an ounce of courage

“I guess I am afraid of men. Or whatever”

I smile and say

“Wanna unpack that?”

She shakes her head and I nod mine. I don’t need much to know why she doesn’t want to talk about it. And that’s okay.

Nat then says

“Who’s next?”

I sign and say

“I’ll go.”

They all look at me and I kind of shrink up.

But Nat’s reaffirming hand on my thigh helps me. I take a breath and say

“My biggest fear is change. I don’t like change. I don’t like not having control over every aspect of my life. It’s hard. And scary.”

They all nod and Steve says

“You know change is inevitable, but I won’t lie. You’re right about it being scary. When I came out of the ice I remember they tried to ease me into it. But they made a wrong choice of radio station because the game that was playing I had been to. So I knew something was wrong and I freaked out. It was hard for me to transition into this world. Sometimes it still is hard.”

Bucky chimes in

“Yeah. When all we knew was one thing and we were suddenly thrust into a world with a completely different view it was terrifying. But we make do.”

Yelena speaks up

“When I was freed I didn’t know what to do with myself. I bought a jacket with a million pockets on it because it was the first thing that was mine and only mine. But I’ve learned to embrace the change. Don’t get me wrong I still hate it. But when I take a second to breathe I see the beauty in change.”

I smile and nod my head.

“Thanks guys”

A few of the other avengers take their turns and then Clint says

“I’m going to just say it. I’m afraid of clowns.”

Tony looks at him and says

“Clowns? Like circus clowns?”

I give Tony a death stare to remind him that we’re not judging and he nods. Clint goes on to say

“Yeah. I grew up in a circus. It’s kind of ironic. But they just terrify me.”

I nod my head and we finish up with Tony.

“I don’t have any fears”

We all glare at him and Nat says

“Everyone is scared of something. It’s okay you can be honest. This is a sage space”

Tony sighs and says

“Okay fine… I guess I am afraid of something.”

Thor says

“What is it?”

He bites his cheek and says

“I am afraid… of losing the thing I love most.”

Bruce accidentally judges like we said we wouldn’t do and he says

“What? Your a.i.?”

Tony shakes his head and says

“You guys. I’m afraid that I will never be strong enough. And one day you will all leave me because I am not good enough.”

We look at him and say

“Oh tony we would never leave you. You are family.”

Pietro pitches in and says

“Ohana means family. And family sticks together.”

Tiny nods his head and says

“When we had that big fight about the accords those years ago I was terrified. So scared that all of you would realize that what we were doing was a lose lose situation so you would just give up on me. Like my parents did.”

Nat shakes her head and says

“We love you Tony. And we might have had fights before but we’re able to put our differences aside now. We are family. And we won’t leave you. And you are enough”

We all end up in a group hug which is super warm and comfy considering I am next to Thor (the expert hugger) and we all just start talking back and forth until we decide we should go to bed.

I grab Nat’s hand and say

“That was a good pick for team night baby”

She smiles and says

“Thank you Detka. Now. About your fear of change, could I ask you something that might scare you?”

I tense up a bit as we enter our shared room and say

“Sure.”

She smiles and says

“I’ve been thinking…”

I cut her off and say

“That’s never good”

She smacks my shoulder as I laugh a bit and then she continues

“As I was saying, I’ve been thinking we should get a cat!”

My eyebrows raise up high and I say

“A cat?”

She nods her head and says

“We’ve been together for a while now and I just want a fur baby with you.”

I smile and say

“Okay. But I’m not cleaning its litter box!”

She smiles and says

“Oh alright.”

——

A/n: I hope y’all liked it!! It took way too long for me to finish 😔😭

Taglist

@ilovesnat @ihartnat @marvelnatasha12346 @moistblobfish @justarandomreaderxoxo @lovelyy-moonlight @symp4nat

[lulublack90]

Prompt 25 - Pest

@jegulus-microfic January 25, Word count 442

Previous part First part

Somehow, they managed to get from the hospital wing to the dungeons without bumping into anybody else. Regulus dragged James into the first empty classroom he could find. He grabbed a cauldron from the store cupboard and took out his potion ingredients case, unshrinking it and opening it on the bench beside the cauldron. 

After setting the fire beneath the cauldron, he started preparing the ingredients he needed for the cure for boils potion. 

“Snake fangs, horned slugs, porcupine quills and flobberworm mucus,” Regulus muttered under his breath as he laid everything out. He filled the cauldron with water and began. He crushed the snake fangs and sprinkled them into the water, raising the heat and stirring once clockwise. The potion took on a pink hue, and he left it to simmer. 

“So, what exactly happened?” He asked James, folding his arms across his chest. 

“I teased Remus about staring at Sirius after he’d joked about me watching you leave,” James told him, looking a bit sheepish.

“That's it? That’s the whole reason why my brother turned you into a human firework and a boil disaster?” Regulus shook his head incredulously. “All that because you teased his boyfriend?!”

“It’s my own fault,” James tried to explain. “Sirius is really protective of Remus, especially today with it being—” James’s mouth slammed shut with an audible click, and Regulus narrowed his eyes at him. He had an idea of what James had been about to let slip, but he didn’t push him for further explanation. 

“Hmmm,” He hummed as he turned his attention back to his cauldron. He lowered the heat slightly and began to think.

By the time he was bottling the potion he knew exactly what to do about his brother, but there was still the little matter of tonight and who James would choose. 

“Where are we sleeping tonight?” He asked as nonchalantly as he could manage. 

“Oh, er, maybe we shouldn’t tonight,” James said quickly, twisting his fingers together.

“I’m not afraid of my brother,” Regulus turned his head to look over his shoulder at James as he ladled the last of the potion into a vial and stoppered it. 

“Still, maybe we should let him cool off for a bit, yeah?” James scratched the back of his neck and quickly pocketed the vial Regulus passed him. 

“Well, if you’re sure,” Regulus said, sweet as pie, pecking James on the cheek and walking out of the classroom. He heard James’s audible gulp as the door shut behind him. He smirked as he added James to his list for revenge. But first, his absolute pest of a brother needed dealing with. 

Next part

[roostersup]

Garreth Weasley Fest

my #garrethweasleyfest24 submission- a short story titled:

I Told You So.

My prompt was: -Modern College! AU Academic rivalry

word count: 1164

FULL STORY BELOW! I hope you enjoy!!

“A new transfer student? And why should I care?” Garreth carefully added the last drop of Horklup juice into the cauldron, and watched as the whole thing turned pink. He grinned as he straightened back up, turning towards his ever present friend.

“They’re in your department-” Leander continued, “And they’re supposed to be something of a genius.”

“Again, why should I care?” He removed his goggles from his face, watching his potion out of the corner of his eye to make sure it didn’t boil over.

“Well I thought you might be interested to know about your new competition-” The other boy said with a smirk.

“Competition?! Please. You said the same thing when Cressida Bloom transferred to the Potions department, and look where she is now- gone. Back to Herbology where she belongs.”

“Which is also a great department.” Leander said, his tone a little hostile. He was in fact one of the representatives for his department. 

“Of course mate-” Garreth reached out and placed a hand on the other boy’s shoulder. “No one said that it wasn’t.”

He moved back over towards his work.

“But this-” he gestured to his work station “-this is where the real academic excellence is at!”

His potion had gone from pink to purple, and was now sending up waves of green smoke.

“Is it supposed to be doing that?” Leander asked, his nose scrunched up.

“Yup!” Garreth responded, putting his goggles back on. 

After putting his eye protection back on he stirred the mixture counter clockwise for a minute, and then added the 3rd to last ingredient. With a pinch of ashwinder egg dust the liquid turned back to pink, but with a much more vibrant hue. Then the smoke turned gray and clouded around them like a storm. This was turning out exactly as he wanted it.

“Well you should be careful nonetheless. Even if you think you’re above the new student you might find yourself slipping with a rival prodding at you from down below.”

Garreth ignored him, continuing to finish his work. Once he added the pearl dust and rose petals it would be just about-

“You shouldn’t add those two together-” a voice said from the other side of his work station. 

Both boys looked up, a person barely visible in the haze of his potions vapors. 

Garreth scoffed. “And who are you to tell me that? As far as I can see you aren’t a professor.” 

He was annoyed at this random person for trying to correct him, but honestly he hoped that it wasn’t a professor- he couldn’t really tell between the goggles and smoke. He only had one female professor though and he was pretty sure this random girl wasn’t her.

“Well both of those are very powerful ingredients when it comes to making a love potion- which is what I assume you are working on by the smoke. If you add them both it may not turn out how you would like it.”

He scoffed again. “Just because everyone else is too small minded to add them both doesn’t mean that it's not going to turn out. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to finish working on my thesis.”

“Suit yourself-” And he watched through the smoke as she grabbed a large tray and held it over her person. What was that all about?

Garreth shook himself of the annoying girl and focussed back on his potion. He was a little bit more annoyed though as he noticed Leander take a step back from him. Ugh, everyone here just didn’t understand his genius. 

He grabbed his ingredients again; one in each hand. Then he sprinkled each onto opposite ends of the cauldron just like he had read about. Adding them at the same time was risky, yes, but if he got this to work he would be able to create the strongest love potions in the world- theoretically. It's just that both needed to settle before they came in contact with each other. If they stayed separate then the potions would become twice as strong, but if they didn’t-

A huge BOOM sounded right before him, causing his ears to ring. Then immediately after the entire contents of his potions blasted out of his cauldron- spraying everything within a 2 foot radius. Garreth dropped to the ground, the failed love potion coating his entire person.  

He heard muffled screams of surprise from all around him, but his ears weren’t quite working yet. He tried to look around, but everything was just a big pink and sticky mess. Then he reached up to grab his goggles, slippery from the potions. He took them off, tossing them to the side in frustration.

Garreth was going to attempt to get up, when the person holding the now pink tray brought down their shield. His eyes went wide as he saw her clearly for the first time. She had curly black hair that was tied up in two buns at the top of her head, two strands pulled out and hanging at her face. There was a pair of goggles similar to his own (minus the pink) that she brought off her face and up to her head. Her eyes were a bright beautiful brown that perfectly matched the hue of her skin. She was by far the prettiest girl he had ever seen and she… was saying something to him.

“WHAT??” he called out, his voice sounding muffled in his own head. 

She rolled her eyes and he saw her pull out her wand and move it around above the pink goo that now coated his work station. He tried to get to his feet, but slipped around a few times before he got a grip on the edge of the table. By the time he was standing again she was already gone.

“I should have moved farther back-” Leander’s voice said from behind him. It was still more muffled than usual but the ringing had stopped so Garreth could make it out. Garreth turned towards him, seeing that his friend’s t-shirt had been sprayed pink.

“Leander-” he said, moving to grab onto his arms. The other boy made a disgusted face as Garreth’s pink hands made prints on him. “Who was that girl??”

“Girl?” 

“Yes! The one who was holding the tray!”

Leander smirked, and removed Garreth’s hands. He brushed off the handprints as much as he could before he looked back up at him. 

“Well funny enough, that’s who I was telling you about.”

“What?” Garreth said, his head tilted.

“That-” Leander pointed towards where the girl had gone. “Was your new rival.”

Garreth looked up with wide eyes and then quickly turned back to his station. He made his way over to his cauldron, slipping but not falling into the pink mess below his feet. He leaned over the top of the table, looking to where she had left her message. Then he smirked as he read aloud-

I told you so.

[witchyintention]

The Practical Magic of Witchcraft Today

Forget the stereotypes of witches as cackling old crones or aloof, robe-wearing mystics chanting in candlelit rooms. Witchcraft in the modern era is as diverse as the people who practice it. Today’s witches are accountants, artists, baristas, engineers, parents, students, and everything in between. Some wear their witchy identity proudly on their sleeves, while others keep it quietly tucked into the corners of their lives, surfacing only when the moment calls for a touch of magic.

So, what does witchcraft look like today? Let’s dive into the practical, down-to-earth side of this ancient and evolving practice and explore how modern witches weave magic into their daily lives.

Everyday Magic: Spells for the Modern World

Witchcraft today isn’t about grand rituals (though those are still fabulous). Instead, it often takes the form of small, intentional acts that fit seamlessly into daily life. These acts of "everyday magic" can turn the mundane into the magical. Here are a few ways witches work their magic in practical ways:

Morning Rituals: Starting the day with an intention-setting spell, like charging your morning coffee or tea with energy for productivity, protection, or peace. Stir clockwise for positive vibes, counterclockwise to banish negativity. It’s like a magical espresso shot for your day.

Kitchen Witchcraft: Cooking isn’t just a chore; it’s an alchemical process. Modern kitchen witches infuse their meals with intention by using herbs and spices with magical correspondences. Basil for prosperity, cinnamon for love, and garlic to ward off negativity. Bonus: it also makes dinner extra tasty.

Green Witchcraft: Tending to plants becomes a spiritual practice for green witches, who see gardening as a way to connect with the earth. Houseplants are cared for not just for aesthetic reasons but also for their energetic properties—lavender for peace, aloe for healing, and ivy for resilience.

Charm Bags and Talismans: Many witches carry small charm bags filled with herbs, crystals, and symbols to attract luck, love, or protection. These little bundles can be tucked into a purse, pocket, or car for a magical boost on the go.

Everyday magic is about integrating spells and intentions into daily routines, reminding practitioners that magic isn’t confined to rituals—it’s everywhere, waiting to be tapped into.

Self-Care and Mental Health: The Magic of Mindfulness

Modern witchcraft has a strong focus on self-care, making it especially relevant in today’s fast-paced world. Rituals like cleansing baths, meditation, and journaling help witches stay grounded, centered, and emotionally balanced. Think of it as spiritual therapy, but with more candles and fewer awkward silences.

For instance:

Cleansing Baths: A warm bath infused with herbs, oils, and a sprinkle of salt can be a powerful way to wash away stress and negative energy. Lavender, chamomile, and rose are popular choices for relaxation.

Meditation with a Twist: Modern witches often incorporate visualization or mantra work into their meditations, focusing on specific goals or energies they want to bring into their lives. Instead of just "clearing your mind," you’re actively shaping your energy field.

Shadow Work: This modern buzzword is essentially self-reflection with a magical twist. Witches explore their subconscious, confront hidden fears or flaws, and embrace personal growth. Journals are often the tool of choice for documenting this journey, with prompts that delve into the dark and light sides of the psyche.

This blend of mindfulness and magic is one of the most transformative aspects of witchcraft today, offering practitioners tools to navigate life with clarity and purpose.

Eco-Witchcraft: Living in Harmony with Nature

Witches have long been associated with nature, and that connection is more important than ever in today’s world. With the growing focus on sustainability, eco-witchcraft has become a central theme for many modern practitioners.

Ethical Sourcing: Modern witches are becoming more conscious of where their tools come from. Crystals, for example, are a favorite magical tool, but many witches now prioritize ethically sourced stones to avoid contributing to environmental harm or exploitation.

Seasonal Living: Many witches align their lives with the rhythms of nature, celebrating the changing seasons through sabbats (seasonal festivals like Samhain, Yule, and Beltane). These festivals remind practitioners to honor the cycles of life, death, and renewal.

Activism as Magic: Today’s eco-witches combine their love of the environment with activism. Spellwork for environmental healing, rituals to protect endangered species, and even magical protests are all part of this growing movement.

Eco-witchcraft is about more than just practicing magic—it’s a lifestyle rooted in respect for the earth and a commitment to making the world a better place.

Crystals, Tarot, and Tools: The Staples of Modern Witchcraft

While traditional witches may have relied on cauldrons and broomsticks, today’s practitioners have an expanded toolkit of magical items. Here’s a glimpse into the modern witch’s arsenal:

Crystals: These sparkly stones are a staple in modern witchcraft. Amethyst for intuition, citrine for abundance, and black tourmaline for protection are some of the most popular choices. Whether used in grids, carried in pockets, or placed around the home, crystals are a go-to for channeling energy.

Tarot and Oracle Cards: Divination is a key practice for many witches. Tarot cards, with their rich symbolism and history, are a popular tool for gaining insight and clarity. Oracle cards, often more freeform and thematic, offer an alternative for those looking for a different vibe.

Candles: Candle magic is simple yet powerful. Each color corresponds to a specific intention—green for money, red for passion, white for cleansing. Lighting a candle becomes a sacred act, transforming a mundane flame into a beacon of magical energy.

Herbs and Oils: Modern witches still rely on nature’s pantry for their magic. Herbs like rosemary (protection), sage (cleansing), and chamomile (calm) are staples in many practices, while essential oils offer a more concentrated way to harness these properties.

These tools are often personalized to fit a witch’s unique path, proving that magic isn’t one-size-fits-all—it’s as individual as the person practicing it.

Witchcraft as Empowerment: Embracing Your Inner Magic

Perhaps the most significant aspect of modern witchcraft is its focus on personal empowerment. At its core, witchcraft is about taking control of your life, channeling your energy, and manifesting your desires. It’s a practice that encourages self-discovery, self-expression, and self-love.

For many, witchcraft is also a way to reclaim power in a world that often feels overwhelming. It’s a reminder that we’re not helpless; we can shape our reality and influence the energies around us. Whether through spellwork, meditation, or activism, witchcraft gives practitioners the tools to take charge of their lives and embrace their inner magic.

Community and Connection: The New Witchcraft Renaissance

Modern witchcraft is thriving, thanks in part to the sense of community it fosters. Online or offline, witches are coming together to share knowledge, support each other, and celebrate their craft. From digital covens to local meetups, this sense of connection is one of the most powerful aspects of contemporary witchcraft.

In a world that often feels disconnected, witchcraft offers a way to reconnect—not just with others, but with nature, the universe, and oneself. It’s a practice that bridges the ancient and the modern, the mystical and the practical, proving that magic is alive and well in the 21st century.