#Hermione/Minerva

[elleoftheisland]

Does anyone still ship Minerva McGonagall/Hermione Granger anymore? I've loved them for awhile and as I'm looking to get (back) into fic writing, I'd love someone to brainstorm and chat with!

[wandering-writers-beware]

Short Prompt response

Not me, writing instead of sleeping. Can't be me.

[hpseeker99]

The Daily Prophet: Three people have reportedly broken into the Gringotts. McGonagall, scoffing: What idiots *Front cover on the daily prophet, showing Harry, Ron, and Hermione riding a dragon out of the building* McGonagall: Wait, those are my idiots

[mastomysowner]

Harry Potter characters in Studio Ghibli style

[unconventional-lawnchair]

Hehehehe okay so what if you like wrote a fic about remus lupin x reader. The reader is a teacher (preferably like astronomy) and they're sneaking around together. students are making bets and stuff to see if they'll end up together, some girls just ship them really hard.

They're trying so hard to keep it a secret but they are so bad at it.

Me @ every guy who isn't a fictional wizard from the 70s ^^

An: This fluff attempt goes out to you, rip

Rumors

Remus Lupin x Fem!Reader

cw: A lot of kisses and cursing, stapler mishandling

Masterlist

WC:4181

The halls of Hogwarts were filled with hushed whispers and mindless patter of gossip. The newest topic of the year? 

Professor {L/N}, the newest astronomy hire. An Alchemist who perfected her work through star charting. Lupin had recommended you for the post to assist Sinistra. Mostly, however, you were hired on to assist with the newest project under Dumbledore. With your studies in the North Pole, you were tasked with on and off communications with the centaur herd within the Forbidden Forest. Specifically, their astronomy masters. It was easy, given your track record with magical creatures. Creating a bridge of mutual understanding between the professors and the herd. Dumbledore also saw you valuable to both potions and alchemy class; meaning you met a lot of students very fast.

So almost everyone knew you, you ran a tight ship in class, playful and respectful to the students paired with a charming personality, no one could bring themselves to even hate you.

That's probably how the rumors began, truthfully. Who doesn't want their two favorite teachers to end up together?

Much like Lupin, the students adored you. Hermione especially, after learning of your academic achievements of the past, while being a muggleborn witch. 

Your first reaction to seeing him probably don't help. First few steps into your new place of employment and you hurry over to the only face you cared to recognize, and give him a hug and a thank you for the recommendation. 

It wasn't anything big and it wasn't anything of a spectacle, but Merlin, was Hogwarts boring. The thrill of gossip seemed to have every student in a choke hold. Some said you were both childhood friends turned lovers, some said you were married and it was a scandalous affair, most of the rumors were just students talking about how perfect you both fit together. 

Your caring, funny, and nurturing behavior, to his stern more rugged form of bonding, you were affectionately dubbed ‘mum and dad.’ 

Never to your face however, and mostly by the first and seventh years. Something about growing shame and losing it in your final days of Hogwarts, remarkable.

~~~

“I'm telling you! He looks at her like she is the very stars she teaches us about!” A seventh year sighed dreamily with her friends. She had her chin in her palms and was staring up at the front of class while a few of their classmates took the practical exam. “I wish someone would look at me like that.”

“Really! I haven't seen so much tension between two faculty before! I wouldn't be surprised to find them snogging in the halls!” One of them joked and the other girls laughed.

“Truly, but I saw Professor {L/N} wearing a wedding ring. She took it off and put it in her pocket before class started. I wonder if they are, you know~ Never have I seen Professor Lupin wear one.” She wiggled her eyebrows and the original girl spoke up with a gasp.

“Oh don't you say that! Professor Lupin and Professor {L/N} would never!” She tutted and another voice chimed in, a boy from a seat behind them, making the three turn.

“I heard that they spent Christmas at school together.” Cedric cheeked and the three girls gasped and began to murmur among themselves about it, before Lupin clapped his hands.

He found it a bit amusing, he had let them continue that far. This is what his classes have become, listening to the students muttering about him and you, seeing how close they could possibly get to the truth. Remus, at a fault, was a gossip. He learned to love the thrill of rumors from Sirius and James, but what was better than rumors about you and a colleague? Rumors about you and a colleague that were so close to the truth.

“Right now! Who's next?”

The rest of the class went smoothly, everyone finished their exams and the classroom began to file out. As Lupin got comfortable in his seat, his door peaked open.

“If you are here for tutoring, please note my hours are posted on the door, this first hour has been reserved already.” Lupin called out from his chair, head leaned back. 

“Tutoring, hm?” A song-like voice rang out from the door. He slowly smirked and leaned forward, eyes locking onto yours. You were holding a box of Merlin knows what, walking straight up to his desk with that beautiful smile. 

“Is that so unbelievable?” He teased, voice lower as he stood up and walked around his desk. Looking over your shoulder to peek into the box, seeing several random objects, including a stapler, a retractable ruler, a metal pointing stick, and other random muggle things.

“Oh, totally. I think I remember you almost lost it when Peter asked for your notes.” You teased him and he chuckled, his breath brushing against your neck. He admired the way you seemed to not flinch, but melt into his proximity. 

“Peter was a terrible student.” He mumbled and you laughed, his hand slipping around your waist and leaning down to kiss the side of your neck. You laughed harder and squirmed away. 

“Hands to yourself. Now, show me where I can hide this contraband.” You lifted the box and shook it a bit. “The things they allow in muggle schools! Hmph!” You mused and he laughed, walking you up to his office and to the far back near a storage closet. He opened the door for you and you set the box down, looking around curiously.

The room was small, but big enough for four people to stand in it comfortably. The walls were covered in shelves filled with items from all over the school years, you ran your finger along one of the shelves and let the dust collect.

“What's on your mind, hm?” Lupin mused and you turned to smirk at him.

“Just wondering where they are hiding the really bad stuff. Still in Filtch’s closet?” You hummed as he stepped into the small room with you. His eyes looked you over and you gave him a look.

“Why's that, darling?”

“Just curious, out of all the things in that closet,” You hummed as Remus wrapped his arms around your middle and pulled you against him. Your fingers dancing along his shirt collar. “Wonder how many of them were from you and that little gang of yours.” You hummed and he laughed.

Leaning down, he pressed his lips to yours. It was chaste and sweet. He loved moments like this, away from everyone, where he could love you properly. He gave a hum as you got on your toes and wrapped your arms around his shoulders, pulling him down as he pulled you closer.

~~~

“I truly don't  think they have something going on. It's maddening really! The whole school seems to see it but me!” Ron groaned as he walked down the hall with Harry and Hermione, seemingly offended at the idea that the new Astronomy teacher was dating or even had interest in Lupin.

"I wouldn't put too much stock in rumors about someone's love life, Ronald," Hermione retorted, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, sorry Ron, but you're kind of…” Harry rolled his wrists and Ron narrowed his eyes.

“Kind of what?” 

“Kind of..” Harry trailed off.

“Kind of a complete idiot when it comes to love.” Hermione finally snapped, hugging her books to her chest. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to meet Professor Lupin.” She huffed and stomped off.

Ron was left standing there like an idiot, looking over at Harry. 

“What did I do?”

Harry tried to hide his smile and patted Ron's shoulder to urge him along and out of the halls.

~~~

The kiss had grown a bit heated, Remus pushed you deeper into the closet as he muttered about how badly he needed to have you in his arms. How much he loved you, how he wanted you closer, so impossibly close.

You, of course, returned the sentiment. He was made for your hands it seemed, every moment he wasn't between them made you yearn for just another hour of listless cuddles or moments like this. Sneaking away from responsibilities to show your love and devotion to one another. 

If only it could last longer-

“Professor Lupin?” Hermione's voice called out into his office. Remus cursed and you quickly stumbled back. He cleared his throat, shuffling through the confiscated objects, to find anything he could snag. 

“I'll be out in a moment!” He called back as you fixed his tie and ruffled shirt, he grabbed the first thing he spotted and stole another quick kiss from you before leaving the room.

You leaned against a shelf and watched from the crack of the door in amusement as Lupin hurried to his desk.

“Ms. Granger, I am terribly sorry, is it possible for us to reschedule?” Remus pressed and looked at what he had in his hand.

A stapler.

Why on earth did he grab a stapler?

Quickly he sat at his desk and pulled out a few assignments. Grabbing some he had already graded and began to staple them together. 

Hermione was no fool and he knew that, she stared at him in bewilderment, slowly putting her hands on her books tighter. “Uhm, Professor? Isn't that the stapler Professor {L/N} confiscated from Creevey?” 

Lupin began to staple things a bit quicker, waving her off. 

“Yes, Ms. Granger, I think it would be, but I did borrow it from the confiscated,” He weaned on, collected and poised, a bit too good at putting up a face. Everytime you two have almost been caught, he's shown this side. 

“Why would you possibly need a stapler?” He asked in disbelief.

“To.. staple?” He lifted his eyebrow at her. “I do appreciate your curiosity, but I assure you this is none of your concern.” He spoke idley, having opened the stapler and pressed the top down against the pages and his table. Hermione seemed appalled at the misuse. 

“Now, if you'll please allow me to pick another time-” Before he could finish his statement, he attempted to raise his hand, only for his wrist to be locked in place. He looked down, just to see he had stapled his own sleeve to the desk under a few pages of paper. 

You had to cover your mouth and so did Hermione.

“Uhm, on second thought, sir, I think I'll spend my study hour in the library.” She slowly smirked, turning to briskly walk away.

Remus slowly sunk his face into his hands, the second his classroom door was closed he waved his hand to shut his office door. Only for the room to be filled with your laughter.

You walked out of the room, holding your sides as Lupin lost his front and stared at you with flushed cheeks.

“Not a word-”

“No! No please!” You wheezed out. “Several! Several words must be had!” You doubled over his desk, struggling to get the staple from his sleeves, when you finally managed, you were throwing your head back absolutely lost in boisterous laughter.

Remus wasn't even mad. How could he be? You looked so damn happy. So giddy with joy at the embarrassing show he put on. Quickly, he stood, walking around his desk with a purpose and grabbed your cheeks. You were still struggling to catch your breath as he playfully scoffed at you.

“Not very polite, Professor {L/N}.” He taunted and you grabbed his biceps and clung to him to try and clam down. It didn't help when he leaned down and began to pepper kisses all over your hot face. 

“Mercy!” You wheezed and he shook his head.

“What happened to all those words, Professor?” He teased and you shook your head, giggling as he absolutely mawled you with his lips.

~~~

The Grandhall was lively with the buzz of Sirius Black’s attacks. Managing to get into the Gryffindors’ common room was a feat that bewildered everyone.

However, what everyone was truly talking about was how he broke into the astronomy tower and Professor {L/N}’s office. It had managed to get out that Sirius Black himself left you a note that Dumbledore promptly confiscated. More accurately, the conversation was about how unbothered you were about the news.

That, and how a certain professor reacted to that news. 

He had gone down to the commons with McGonagall to check on Harry and the other students. Only when Flitwick came up in a rush and announced the break in and how you were nowhere to be found, the students watched in horror and shock as Lupin pulled his wand and ran from the towers at a speed they couldn't determine was truly human.

He found you soon after, running down the hall towards the Gryffindor tower, also looking for Harry. He stopped and pulled you into a tight hold no one could see. You were confused at first, but you eventually melted into him. You two were spied on by none other than Colin Creevey, who snapped a photo and was showing it around the lunch table. 

“See! I knew it! What a romantic! Ran straight to her in the face of danger?” One of the seventh years swooned and Ron scoffed.

“I don't get it, it's just two people hugging.” He mumbled and began to poke at his food, the twins giving each other a look before they rushed to tease Ron.

“Two people hugging,” Fred started.

“Hands below the waist!” George chimed in, holding up the photo as if to emphasize his point, gesturing to where Lupin's hands were holding you so tight your heels were slightly off the ground.

“Oh, how scandalous.” Fred concurred and Ron rolled his eyes.

“I hug Hermione, does that make us secretly married?” Ron pushed and Hermione quickly looked down at her book in a slight flush. 

“You wish.” George snickered and Fred clapped his hand on Ron's back, making him cough on his potatoes.

“Really, Ronald dearest, you wouldn't know the difference. You hardly know how to hold a girl now.” He teased and George nodded along.

“You'll get there one day, brother. For now you'll have to trust us.”

“This,” They both pointed this time.

“Is not a normal hug.” Both of them spoke at the same time.

Angelica finally spoke up. “Given the context, that man is whipped. Even if nothing is happening now, he is so in love it's humbling.” She got up and gathered her Quidditch gear.

“Come on boys.”

“Right behind you.” Fred purred and earned himself a look from her over her shoulder, George laughed as the three of them hurried off. Leaving the photo for Ginny to pick up.

“Oh yeah, there is absolutely no platonic explanation for this.” She hummed and tossed it to the center of the table, Neville shrugged, no wanting to contribute. 

“I think that whatever is happening between those two, it's clear they care about each other.” Hermione hummed and Harry finally agreed. Suddenly, he looked at his friends with a look of absolute mischief.

“Do you know how we can find out?” He mused and Hermione gave a groan and Ron shot up in his seat.

“How?”

Harry smirked and pulled out the map the twins had gifted him, showing it off to his friends with a cocky smirk. You had caught him with it days ago, and simply zipped your lips and walked away.

“If they are meeting anywhere, it's likely the astronomy tower.”

~~~

Now.. the plan didn't go exactly as planned.

“And I simply can not comprehend how all three of you continue to be the only Gryffindors I've had to reprimand this year!” Lupin’s voice filled the otherwise silent and empty Defense Against The Dark Arts classroom. Unfortunately for the trio, who were out far past curfew, Lupin just so happened to be on his way to the Astronomy tower when he spotted them seemingly just on time for his arrival.

“What about my brothers?” Ron muttered before Hermione shot him a look, elbow jabbing his side.

“Ronald.” She hissed.

The entirety of Hogwarts Valley had been buzzing with the news of Sirius Black’s newest escapade into the castle and Lupin could not comprehend why the three thought it was a good idea to do everything but what they were told. 

“Safety comes first and for me to find you lot outside of your dorms with a murder on the loose? With this bloody-” Lupin began to lift the map before his eyes snapped up at the sound of his door opening. He quickly shut his mouth when he saw you peak into the dark space.

“Remus?” You called out, before you paused and stared at the four infront of you. Your mind firing off a million excuses in quick succession. “Oh, I was unaware you had company.”

Lupin sighed and rubbed his face, seeming to untangle himself from the thralls of his anger. It wasn't uncommon for you two to find eachother late at night like this, but was certainly not the greatest idea of his yet- reprimanding the trio when he knew you'd be coming. As you always did when he didn't meet you at the Astronomy tower as promised. His favorite part of the end of a stressful day was a night full of whispers, stories and playful remarks. Reminiscing on your school years while recreating some memories long forgotten after the war. This time, not in his dorm, but his office or your room. “It's quite alright. I can still review your lesson plans.”

He was a terrifyingly good liar. That should not be attractive.

“Right. I will be in your office, Lupin.” You remarked and began to walk past the group of three who looked at you like you might save them. Sorry kiddos- he was grumpy enough as it was. 

You gave them a grimace, glancing at the map before quickly looking away with wide eyes and hurrying over to the office. Lupin caught the look and held up his hand. “Stop.”

You squeezed your eyes shut and slowly turned to face him. Giving him your adorable nervous look that you knew didn't work on him- well, you tried.

He made a come hither motion and you walked over, ready to be lectured like the kids beside you. He held up the map and you gave a nervous smile. 

“What? However, did you find this, Harry? This is supposed to be in Flinch’s office!” You gave the worst and most unbelievable fake disappointed tone, hands on your hips and frowning down at the three. You struggled not to smile as Harry gave a small one, before laughing a bit. Hermione covered her face in a mix of fluster and secondhand embarrassment. Ron was grinning ear to ear. 

“{L/N}...” Lupin warned and you huffed.

“You got me in trouble with the big boss here, Harry.” You teased and he finally cracked his lips into a brighter smile. You looked back at Remus and slowly interlocked your fingers in front of your lips, as if it did anything to hide your face. “In my defense-”

“You three are dismissed.” He mused quickly and slammed the paper on the table beside him. You tried your best to hide your smile. It was hard to take him seriously when you have seen him panic and staple his sleeve to a desk. The trio hurried to shuffle out, Harry sent you a greatful look and you simply winked at him. Something Remus rolled his eyes at.

“Did you see Harry with the map?” He asked in a stern tone when the kids left. You looked away and tried to look a little regretful. 

“It's very possible.” 

“And you didn't think to take it?” He asked in an incredulous tone.

“I mean, it certainly crossed my mind.” You slowly stopped hiding your smile and looked back to the taller man who was taking a few steps into your space.

“And you didn't?” He pushed.

“Well, in all fairness, Rem. It is technically his.” You snarked back finally and Remus gave a bitter laugh. 

“Professor {L/N}, did you think that maybe if this map fell into the wrong hands it could cause a serious danger to Harry?” He pushed and you clicked your tongue. You knew who he was talking about. A conversation you've had a million times, well, more an argument. It got worse when he heard of the note.

He was so willing to believe Sirius Black to be a killer, while you believed Sirius could bring himself to the point of ending someone's life, James Potter was more than a human to him. Even with his plea of guilty, you couldn't believe it. James, Lily, and Harry? You would stake your life on it. He was innocent.

It was what you were looking for, an explanation, hopefully that was what the note was for. But unlike your communications with the magical creatures of the forest, Dumbledore was not so willing to give up information when he had it. The old prick-

“I hate when we talk about this.” You huffed in honesty and leaned back on one of the desks of the room. He sighed through his nose and pinched the bridge that connected it to his forehead. “Honey-”

“Ah ah ah! Honey is for marriage.” You mused and he did his best to fight the smile growing on his face. Easily letting you steer the conversation from his own negative thoughts, he hated being upset around you. “That so?”

“It's very so. More so than most so’s.” You hummed and he blinked a few times at you before he couldn't help but smirk. 

“Give me my mother's ring back then.” He mused and held out his hand. You have a faux gasp. 

“Excuse you, sir. I seem to remember your mother telling you this belonged to me.” 

“When we were 18!” He challenged, letting himself fall victim to your antics. Like school children. “And last I checked, your reaction was less then pleasant.”

“We had been dating for a year and I was going to the North Pole in my defense, tart boy.” You scoffed and cringed at the memory. How you practically fall out of your chair when Hope made a comment about her ring. 

“Tart boy?”

“Tart boy.”

“I'll show you a tart boy.” He scoffed and took your cheeks. You giggled like a goofball, grabbing his lapels and trying to pull him closer. He smirked at you and kept his distance.

“Remus-” You huffed and glared at him a bit. His smirk only grew as he reached into your pocket, pulling out the modest gem. You rolled your eyes fondly and held out your hand for him, he slipped the ring back in its rightful place.

“Sorry, call me old fashioned. But I'd like to kiss my fiancé, not my coworker.” He teased and you couldn't help but laugh. 

“You absolute sap.”

“Hard not to be.” He mumbled and leaned in, finally kissing you. Both your eyelids lowered but he held eye contact. So much affection bumbling in your chests, it was too much to look away. Eventually, you gave into your shyness, closing your eyes. He slowly pushed your knees apart and slipped between them, making your face grow hot.

He pulled away at this and you huffed, he smirked at you when you looked back up at him. “Hey, sir, your lips on mine again. It's a marital duty and all that jazz.”

“Thought we had to be married for marital privileges, honey?” 

“Oh don't use anything I say around you against me, I can hardly think.”

He bellowed out a laugh at your mischievous look up at him. Slowly biting your lip as you struggled to keep your confident act up.

“Whatever will I do with you, {L/N}?”

“Well, I have a few ideas.” You hummed and began to fiddle with his tie. He curled an eyebrow and you looked forward, looking up at his hazel eyes with a playful pout. “Kiss me again. I promise, you keep my lips occupied, no more bad behavior.”

“Because you won't be able to talk?” 

“Precisely.”

“What in the world!?” You suddenly heard from the far corner of the room. Your face filled with shock and snapped over to see an empty corner, you could of sworn you heard Ronald just a moment ago.

 Remus quickly moved from between your legs and waved his wand, yanking off the invisibility cloak to reveal an appalled Ron, a delighted Harry, and a flustered Hermione.

“Bloody hell!” Remus boomed and you covered your mouth and looked away. Doing your best not to laugh.

“Yes, mum and dad do kiss when the kids are away.” You cheeked and Remus looked at you like you had just made some grand offense to his ears.

Hermione giggled and Harry’s smile grew ten fold.

Ron, however, seemed very displeased.

“I owe the twins so much money.”

[severussnaperevived]

Harry: runs into strange woman as she enters the great hall "I'm so sorry miss..."

Y/N: "Snape"

Harry: "no not possible, there is no way you are related to professor Snape"

Y/N: "I'm his wife"

Harry: "really I've never heard about you or seen you before"

Y/N: "I'm the head of aurors in America"

Harry: walks away muttering "she has to be under a love potion"

Y/N: sits next to Severus "can you believe those kids think you are using a love potion on me"

Severus: "love can you turn and pretend to talk to McGonagall I'll put there suspicions to ease"

Severus: pulls vile from pocket and pours it into her cup watching Ron, Hermione and harry watch in shock

Severus: "drink this love and let the fun begin"

Y/N: drinks it then looks up to see their horrified faces

[jmscornerlibrary]

Snape's Search History - Part One

So this has been requested by quite a few people, now. For those who hadn't seen my previous headcanon post: here it is. I will try and tag all those who have expressed interest in the comments.

In short: After stealing Snape's phone and looking through his saddening search history, the trio come up with a plan to make Snape happy. This is how it unfolds, for the Potions Master has little idea what to make of it.

Enjoy and do reblog to inform the others!!

Part One.

All was still in the empty Transfiguration classroom. The dust lay undisturbed and thick upon the solid desks, which in turn were standing silent and endeavouring in their fortitude of unuse. The chalkboard looked dejected, the forgotten endeavours of clearing it of writing still visible in ashy smudges across the charcoal surface. And it would have probably stayed like that for another decade or two if the door wasn’t flung open and three small figures stumbled from behind it, making enough noise for the dust to twitch into the air again. A ‘quick, quick!’ was spat out by one of the disturbers accompanied by a few hisses of urge, then a scrabble as the doorknob was found and the door was pushed.

The dust jumped up from the desk as the door slammed shut and settled back upon it once more as Harry, Ron and Hermoine stood, panting, in front of it. 

After a short moment, Ron pushed himself from the door. His face broke out in a wide grin.

“Blimmin’ heck, that was a mess!” He laughed and dusted his hands. “He’ll be looking for it, now, I bet.”

“But we’ve got it!” Harry grasped the trophy tight, as though he was afraid that it would slip from him, back to its owner. “Let’s do it quick, before someone else comes to find us and sees us.”

Hermoine said nothing, but she was far from calm herself - in fact, she was inches from jumping down on the spot and breaking out into a mad giggle. The latter she repressed with difficulty as they all stormed to the nearest table, swept off the perplexed dust from it with their sleeves, then laid out the shiny, sleek device upon its surface.

The device was a phone. It wasn’t any old phone, either, for if it was perhaps only a few of the more eccentric would deem it a subject of interest. This was a working phone, one which withstood any feuds between its power and the magic sparking and fizzing, though quiet and invisible, in the air; even better yet - this phone belonged to a certain man whom the three giggling and bending over its shiny, black surface, hated with a vengeance. This phone belonged to the Potion’s Master: Severus Snape.

“Go on, Hermione.” Ron slid the phone over to the small witch with bushy brown hair. “You said you knew the password.”

Hermione nodded, growing solemn at the task at hand, shoved her brown mane out of her eyes and bent over the screen, which grew illuminated at the touch of a button.

“Merlin’s beard, what my dad would give to be in our place,” Ron breathed, as Hermoine tapped out some letters and numbers with her forefingers. “A fellytone, and a working one too-”

“It’s called a telephone, Ron,” Harry corrected, though he could barely breathe as he watched Hermione’s fingers working. “Ha, I cannot believe we’ve actually managed to do this. Fred and George are nothing compared to us, now.”

“I’d love to see their faces,” Ron whispered, almost wriggling with glee. “And I’m the one who fished it out of his pocket! Now, all we need to do is-”

“Got it.” Hermione smiled as the screen changed, displaying buttons with different icons upon a plain, dark backdrop. “Now, if I remember correctly, it's called explorer…”

“Why aren’t we doing this in the common room, again?” Ron continued. “I know Percy’s a prefect, but even he wouldn’t-”

“Because, Ron,” Hermoine began as she chose the right button, “we have no idea what Snape actually keeps or searches for on this phone. If it’s all weird, we’d be too embarrassed to even attempt showing it to them. Plus,” she added, when Ron opened his mouth to interject, “it’s not like we’re going to cast it out of the window as soon as we’re done. It’s not magic - at least I don’t think it is - and it won’t just disappear or fly out to find Snape. We can show the rest of our classmates later.”

Ron opened his mouth again, but then understood the sense of this and closed it. 

“There it is,” Harry said, as Hermione searched for the right option. “History. Oh, boy, this is gonna be good. If he’s not cleared it.”

Ron rubbed his hands and rocked on the balls of his feet as he leaned on the table. “Yeah, as ‘Mione said, I bet it's all weird. Let's see what’s first.”

Dangling hair and breathing mingled and hovered inches from the square surface as all three leaned in to see. However, there was hardly any giggling, after they all read the first position on the records of what, precisely, the Potion’s Master searched for whenever he had a spare moment. In fact, there was none at all, and the glee was slowly replaced with something that none of them had been expecting.

Hermoine’s eyes dulled and eyebrows furrowed as she read the first position aloud.

“... ‘How to be more approachable’.”

There was a rather awkward pause. Hermione made a rather sad ‘oh’ sound. Ron shifted slightly.

“That’s kind-of sad, to be honest,” he finally managed, frowning.

“Scroll down, Hermione,” Harry waved aside the tension and leaned forward again. “That’s only the first position. Perhaps he’s had a change of heart.”

“And the most recent,” Hermione murmured, but she scrolled down obediently. 

“Yeah, I bet it’s all weird further down,” Ron muttered, but they were all disproved again. Their childish glee was completely reduced to something rather prickly and uncomfortable as Hermione ploughed through the searches:

“...Where can happiness be obtained…” 

“...How to tolerate children…” 

“...Patience, tips...”

“...Wholesome fiction with happy ending… stories with happy ending… which sad books to avoid… books to make one’s soul happy…”

And then:

“...Fast, effective…”

Here, Hermione paused and bit her lip, her eyes sparkling strangely, her brow now heavy. Harry glanced at her, then finished for her.

“Fast, effective headache relief.” He straightened and shifted from foot to foot, then looked at Ron for some sort of inspiration to dilute the thickness of the air. “Did you know Snape gets headaches, Ron?”

“Nope,” Ron offered, looking rather ashamed of himself and his gloating, the tips of his ears pink. “I didn’t think so. I mean, it makes sense though, doesn’t it…?”

“I feel terrible,” Hermione whispered, balling her fists.

“Yeah, we should probably put it back,” Ron said, though he didn’t look as enthusiastic about slipping the phone back into the Potion Master’s pocket than he did about proudly obtaining it. “Should we just leave it on his desk when he’s not in the classroom?”

“And how are we going to do that?” Harry asked, frowning. “We can’t go running around the dungeons. The Slytherin common rooms are there.”

Hermione sniffed, then rolled her eyes, pushing the phone away from her. “You have an invisibility cloak, Harry. This shouldn’t be too much of an issue.”

“Oh, yeah.”

They stood there for another few seconds, before Harry reached out and hesitantly pocketed the phone. “Let’s get back to the common rooms. We don’t need to mention this to anybody.”

“No, we don’t.” Ron said sadly, recalling his former words of potential victory over Fred and George and how they just went down the drain. “Never mind. Let’s just go.”

The dust was rather glad to be free of them, and so was the classroom. Only the desks, however, were rather miserable that they once again stood alone in their fortitude of unuse, unnoticed, only there to be berated and slandered by the students. Just like, as the trio would soon deduce, Severus Snape, the Potion’s Master, was.

*

A week passed. The phone was returned back to Snape’s desk without much ado. After that, it was unmentioned, and whenever it was glimpsed, three pairs of eyes were averted to the candles or windows, and most certainly not to each other, no words about it leaving their mouths, though they most certainly bounced around in their brains, though some were more cluttered than the others’.

It was through Harry’s mouth that the uncomfortable topic surfaced and it did so on a Saturday evening, in the library, when the day was slowly coming to an end and the sun was sinking slowly outside the mullioned windows. Ron was scowling at his Transfiguration homework, when Harry shot out a sigh through his nose and put down his quill.

“Listen, guys,” he started, nudging Hermione, who didn’t look as though she had heard him and just kept right on scribbling, her nose nearly touching the parchment. “I’ve been thinking… Hey, Hermione, are you listening?”

“Shush.” Hermoine glared at him, then shot a pointed glance at Madam Pince. “We’ll get kicked out.”

Ron’s scowl didn’t shift and was merely re-directed at its favourite subject of complaint with large front teeth and a vehement urge to stuff her head with new fragments of knowledge. 

“Not if we keep our voices down,” he said, potting his quill too. “Talk, Harry.”

Harry opened his mouth mainly to play on Hermione’s nerves than to follow through on his plans, when his mind did a detour to the wisdom of him touching on such a sensitive topic in a public place.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” he said with a nod. “Not because this is the library. We need to speak about… you know what.”

This was of enough weight for Hermione’s quill to stop moving. She shot him a glance, then met eyes with Ron and sighed.

“Yes,” she whispered. “We can’t speak about this here. To be honest, I’ve been meaning to speak about this to you both too.”

They latched up their bags, grabbed their stationary, then swiftly exited the library, tripping over Harry and Ron’s untied shoelaces. Hermoine grabbed them by their bags when they turned the corridor towards the portrait of the Fat Lady.

“The common room’s full,” she hissed. “We should go outside. We won’t be overheard there.”

“Hermoine’s right,” Harry said, nudging Ron. “Let’s go.”

They turned around, then began slowly walking down towards the main gates. They all kept silent, their eyes trained mainly to the floor, sometimes only looking up to meander around the other students milling around the corridor. It was probably why they didn’t notice the ominous figure walking towards them until they had all but face-planted themselves into its black robes.

Hermione was the first to look up and stick out her arms to halt the other two, her eyes sharpening after she was prodded out of her thoughts by this slightly unwelcome reality. Harry and Ron had similarly dumb expressions as they blinked up at her, then at what was in front of them.

Professor Snape’s voice was as restricted to nothing but cold disdain as usual, and the black of both his clothes and expression matched this regularity. 

“Where are we going?”

Harry opened his mouth, but Hermione beat him to it.

“Outside for a moment, Professor Snape.”

Harry paused, then nodded along with Ron, trying to appear as though they weren’t hiding anything at all. The Potion’s Master observed them for a moment or two longer, before lowering eyebrows and, as it seemed, his guard.

“I suggest you look where you’re going,” was all he said, before drawing his cape about him and turning to pass them. But he didn’t manage to pass them, when Hermoine opened her mouth and after drawing a deep breath, emitted a string of words strung upon the same one:

“I hope you have a good night, Professor Snape.”

It was quite uncanny, really, how all three males looked at her with the same degree of incredulity and astonishment upon their faces, apparently forgetting things like enmity and dislike. It was enough to make poor Hermione flush a deep red and her words to run away from her before she could properly filter them through her teeth and tongue.

“Just being polite, is all,” she muttered, before she tugged on Harry and Ron’s sleeves sharply. “Come on, let’s go.”

She dragged them off with enough force for Snape’s surprise to cool off and his usual stone face return as he watched them stagger, though that was only visible to Harry and Ron for a few seconds before the vehement grip on their arms prevented them from turning back around, in case they both got whiplash. 

“Are you mental? What was that?” Ron hissed at her, when they rounded a corner, then he did a double take when he fixed his eyes on her features. “Blimey, Hermione, you’ve gone absolutely scarlet.”

“You’ve gone redder than his hair,” Harry commented, though with a hint of admiration in his tone as he stared.

“Oh, shut up,” Hermione muttered, then dragged them through the main door, into the cool of the evening. “Never mind that. Let’s talk about the subject at hand. And don’t tell me you’ve not been thinking about doing something similar to what I did.”

She glared at Ron and Harry, still flushed. They both pulled faces back, but they dropped their gaze after a few seconds as they trudged through the foliage.

“Alright, maybe,” Ron muttered under his breath, when they reached the black lake. “But it was nowhere near to what you just did.”

“What precisely did I just do?” Hermione snapped. “I was just being polite.”

“You were sucking up to him-”

“No I wasn’t.”

“Yes you were.” Ron put on a high-pitched voice. “I hope you have a wonderful night, Professor Snape-”

“Oh, shut up!” She stamped her foot. “You act as though you’re entirely ignorant. You were there when we looked at his history. You saw it. And if complaining and arguing about this is the best you can do, then I pity you, Ronald Weasley!”

“Alright,” Harry cut in, weakly. “That’s not what we came here to do. Let’s just get it over and done with before curfew.”

Hermione glared at Ron once more before settling down. Both folded their arms and stared at the lake. Harry pursed his lips, for it was much harder to project his thoughts than he thought it would be, now that they were actually all together for that purpose alone.

“I think Hermione’s right,” he began, when Hermione was no longer red. “It would be wrong to keep at… you know.”

Ron snorted. “Being mad at Snape for picking on us for no reason?”

“He picks on everyone.” Hermione said, her eyes narrowed. “We’re no exception. Well, perhaps Harry is, but then you did get off to the wrong start at the beginning of the year.”

“No he didn’t,” said Ron.

“He was talking back to him,” she argued. “And it was the first interaction they had. No wonder Snape hates Harry.”

“And you,” Ron said pointedly. “You’re pretty much every teacher’s pet but his, and do you know why? Because he’s an-”

“Can you two not?” Harry snapped. “Can you two calm down? Please? This is serious.”

The arguing pair scowled at one another and resumed evaporating the lake with their glares.

“So,” Harry said, once enough silence had passed, “I think we ought to… you know, help him a bit. Be, erm, nicer.”

Ron turned and creased his forehead, but Hermione nodded, solemnly.

“We ought to,” she said, softly. “I told you, I was thinking about it. It’s all about perspective, really.”

“Perspective?”

“Yes,” she said. “Think about it from Snape’s perspective. Do you reckon he has a lot of friends?”

Ron scoffed. “Don’t make me laugh. Who would want to be friends with him? ‘Course he hasn’t.”

“Precisely,” she said, though she looked at him reproachfully. “You’re teaching over five-hundred children Potions, all of whom, if I may add, are intent on either not listening, not doing homework, or just being downright rude. Yes, Ron, I know he’s like that too, and perhaps he does deserve it, and if we didn’t know better, we’d be justified in biting back. The point is, he’s clearly sad. He looks it. He looks downright miserable all the time.”

“You’re blowing this over.”

“Oh, am I?” Hermione said. “Tell me one time in which you saw him smile. And I don’t mean meanly. I mean happily. Have you ever heard him laugh? Because I haven’t.”

Ron sucked on his lips, looking torn. Harry listened, looking solemn.

“I haven’t either,” he said, quietly. “At first, I thought like Ron does, but… I’ve lived with the Dursleys my whole life. They’ve held grudges for no reason, for a long time, and it's tiring to be the person receiving them and keeping them up.”

Hermione looked at him with eyes lined with admiration. She nodded.

“Exactly, Harry. We could just be the reason for somebody’s… well, perhaps not happiness, but… tolerance.”

“And how are we going to do that?” Ron asked, still looking begrudging, but not unwilling. “By saying good morning and good night?”

“We could,” Harry said thoughtfully. “That wouldn’t be going over the top, or anything.”

Hermione must have thought about this more carefully than both of them put together, because she started counting out everything they could do upon her fingers as she spoke.

“Not just that,” she began. “We could do everything which is expected of us, for starters. Like doing homework on time, doing it correctly, not just so that it's done and boxed off without thought, the right parchment length, perhaps more… I know, we could get the older students to check it for us, so that we know we’ve done it right… then, we could actually listen in lessons and excel…”

Ron was frowning as she spoke. Even Harry was getting slightly doubtful they would ever manage such a feat. 

“...Do extra work. If you don’t want to, Ron, then we could do something outside of lessons. Not necessarily work.”

“Then what?” Harry asked. “Like what?”

“We could… you know.” Hermione’s face became slightly pink again. “We could find out when his birthday is.”

“That’s going too far,” said Ron, firmly, looking slightly agonised. “Imagine his face… oh, no, I couldn’t.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Hermione agreed. “But then, I don’t know what else to do.”

“That sounds like a pretty good start to me,” Harry said. “Let’s start with lessons, Hermione, and if that doesn’t work, we’ll think of something else.”

Hermione’s face lit up, and for a moment both boys were afraid that she’d hug them.

“Great!” She grinned, then began walking towards the castle. “We have Potions on Monday, and homework due. Let’s get this done now! There’s still time. Alicia Spinnet’s good at potions - she’ll be able to point us in the right direction.”

Harry and Ron turned from the lake and began to follow Hermione as she marched towards the castle with an enigmatical spring in her step.

“I don’t know about you,” said Ron, as she talked on, “but I’ve got a weird feeling this is going to end up in a mess.”

“We’ve been in loads already,” Harry said, though there was something uneasy in his chest too, “so it won’t really make a difference. But Hermione’s got a point,” he added, after they reached the steps to the castle gate, “it must be annoying, being Snape. And, as we all know, doing homework properly’s always a good start to everything.”

“That’s utter garbage.”

“Yeah,” Harry said, grinning. “I’m quoting Hermione. She does it like she can’t live without it. And, from a teacher’s point of view, less marking seems like a good thing, at least to me.”

So the endeavours began, though they didn’t hold out to be as constant a flourish and blaze as Hermione made it out to be. Especially not after she insisted that they do twice the usual length as some form of surprise. 

“I’m not doing that,” Ron complained, throwing himself back in his chair and folding his arms. “I’ve got enough work as it is. And I’ve already done it to the best possible standard. Even you’ve said it's not bad, Hermione.”

“It looks decent,” she said, unrolling her homework, which made both Harry and Ron’s pale in comparison. “But if we’re going to show that we’re not hostile any more, we ought to try harder.”

So the homework was done somewhat begrudgingly and everything seemed to be going to plan, before Sunday evening. More precisely, the free afternoon of Harry and Ron was disturbed by Hermione suddenly coming in through the portrait hole, clutching something behind her back, then moving swiftly towards them and sitting at the table at which they were currently playing wizard’s chess.

“I’ve got something,” she said, slightly flushed. “You’re not going to believe what I made in the girls’ bathroom.”

The game was paused and the boys looked suspicious as they turned to look at her.

“The girls’ bathroom?” Ron repeated bluntly. “What have you been making in the girls bathroom, Hermione, that could make you go so bloody pink?”

They both looked blank as she withdrew a hand from behind her back and placed its contents upon the surface of the table with a rather proud flourish. It was a glass bottle, the sort which looked rather like a cuboid, stoppered with a round cork. It was filled with a light blue liquid, which seemed to glow faintly as it rested within its cool, glass confines. 

“That doesn’t look innocent,” Harry commented, knocking over Ron’s bishop. “What is it, Hermione?”

“It’s a headache draught,” she said proudly. “I found the recipe in one of the books in the library.”

Ron pushed his lips out as he stared at it, then picked it up.

“How d’you know he’ll know this is a headache draught, Hermione?”

“I reckon he’d know, since he’s the Potion’s Master.”

“But doesn’t that mean he’s fully capable of making these himself?” Harry asked. “It’s not like it would be a problem for him.”

“Yes, Harry,” Hermione said slightly impatiently, taking back the bottle from Ron, “but the thing is that some people, men especially, simply don’t bother with taking care of themselves. That’s what my mum once said, and I’ve observed it since. I have a good reason to suspect that Snape isn’t the sort to ensure his health is top-notch.”

“I wouldn’t care if I was him,” Ron agreed. “What’s there to live for, for him? If I had to teach a bunch of snotty kids Potions everyday, I’d probably kill myself.”

There was a bit of an awkward pause - Harry had begun to nod, but lost the ability to move his head as he caught the disapproval in Hermione’s eyes.

“I mean,” Ron corrected himself, “you’re probably right, anyway. How long did it take you to make this?” “An hour,” she replied, “but that was because I messed up the first one. I added a bat-wing too many, so I had to pour that down the sink. Anyway.” She sat up straight again, folding her hands on the table neatly. “It said that half this bottle is to be drunk with fluid twice daily. So we need to make this once a day.”

“We’re going to run out of ingredients within a week,” Harry commented. 

“Not unless we take a little too many during Potions,” Hermione said coolly. “It’s a basic potion, using basic ingredients. Nothing Snape doesn’t have in his cupboard.”

“That would be stealing, though,” Ron said. 

“No it wouldn’t, though, since we are giving it back to him in the form of self-help,” Harry replied. “And you are going to be making it every day, Hermione?” 

In response, Hermoine thrust her hands into her pockets and produced another six vials, placing them with a clink, clink, clink upon the table, neatly. The boys looked at her with varying degrees of astonishment and admiration as she lined the bottles up.

“When these run out,” was the nonchalant reply, though the pink returned to Hermione’s cheeks as it was spoken, “I will do so. Unless you’d like to help me make them.”

“I think I’m good,” Ron said. “You can take all the credit if you want, Hermione - I’ll be happy with just doing extra work.”

“Great,” Hermione replied, ignoring the slight annoyance tinging the last two words spoken. “Then we will start from tomorrow.”

*

As all three of the enlightened Gryffindors lined up outside the dungeon’s classroom on a Monday morning, all three could feel their hearts beating somewhere in their stomach. Hermione, as usually was the case when feverish with excitement or trepidation, wouldn’t stop talking, even for the danger of any nerves exploding in her counterparts.

“Remember what I mentioned yesterday,” she whispered with obstinance, leaning in so that she wouldn’t be overheard. “If anything happens, try not to shout, don’t argue, just try to be as polite as you can. Yes, even if it isn’t your fault, Ron,” she added, cutting off Ron’s indignant reply. “Just try to be as good-willed as possible.”

A drawling voice cut off this heartfelt advice.

“What are you three whispering about?” Draco Malfoy called from the front of the line. “You must be conspiring, since you’re standing so close to each other. Or are you just trying to kiss Potter, Granger?”

Hermione straightened, Ron scowled, Harry opened his mouth to retort, but they never got to, since the former turned around and raised her eyebrows.

“I hope you’re not jealous,” she replied, coolly, “because that would be gross.”

Malfoy scoffed. “Jealous? Of kissing you? Bleh.” He made a show of shuddering, then nudged Crabbe and Goyle, standing beside him. “Imagine kissing someone with teeth like that. They're absolutely massive. It would be like trying to kiss a beaver.”

Hermione’s lips turned down; Ron flushed a fiery red and took a step forward, but Hermione grabbed his shoulders before his clenched fist could go into swing.

“Snape will invite us in any second,” she hissed. “Don’t be provoked, Ron.”

“Yeah, don’t listen to him,” Harry said, shooting a look of hatred towards the blonde, pinched-featured boy guffawing. “He’s just being an idiot. It’s his natural state, he can’t help it.”

At that moment, the doors to the classroom creaked open, and they all began to file into their places. Harry and Ron began to meander towards the back of the classroom to their usual spot, but Hermione knocked on their arms and pointed towards the front row instead.

“Oh no,” Ron moaned, looking fearful, “no, not the front desks, Hermione…”

“Shut up, Ron,” was all she said before she dragged them towards the ominous front desks, just (oh, horror!) in front of the black board. They ignored the strange looks they received from the others around them and instead focused on unpacking all of their things needed for the lesson.

It seemed that they were all off for a good start, when Harry opened his bag, rummaged around in it for a moment, then looked stricken.

“What is it?” Hermione hissed, noticing, as she laid out her stationary geometrically on the desk. “Did you forget your homework?”

“No, I’ve forgotten to bring my Potions book,” he replied, turning his bag upside down. “Oh, great…”

“Silence,” Snape called from behind his desk, watching them with a distasteful look on his pale face. “Sit down.”

They all sat and slid their bags off the desk. Harry hoped nothing amiss would be noticed and instead of wriggling around nervously, he tried to listen carefully as the lesson began. Of course, Hermione had made the effort of ensuring that she was sitting between him and Ron, so that they wouldn’t give into temptations and burst into conversation with one another during inappropriate times.

Snape’s eyes darted towards them in a rather suspicious nature as the lesson began, as though he was expecting something dishonest at the least from this sudden change of seating and eagerness. However, the three looked back with innocent eyes, which, in turn, made the Potions Master’s eyes narrower, before he turned to write upon the chalkboard.

“You will be working in pairs,” he said, once all the instructions had been written and the sleeping draught introduced, “I expect this to be done and detailed on parchment by the end of the lesson.”

The vehemence with which Hermione threw herself into the task was quite unsettling, at least for the other two. However, since there were three of them, either Harry or Ron was going to have to go and work with another, and since neither of them wanted to be parted from Hermione (who, as usual, looked as though she knew exactly what she was doing) there was a little bit of dithering done. 

“Ron, why don’t you go and work with Neville?” Hermione suggested, as Harry slid over to her and almost grasped her arm as though to claim her for the lesson.

Ron looked stricken. 

“Are you mad?” he hissed, as discreetly as he could. “We’ll blow up the classroom!”

Hermione sighed. “No, you won’t-”

“Yes we will! It’s already happened twice before!”

However, Snape intervened before anything could be decided. They flinched, feeling the cold of his shadow and turned to see him standing behind them with his arms folded and his eyes still narrowed.

“Well?” He looked at the dithering three, from bushy brown hair to green eyes to freckles on nose. “This doesn’t look like a pair, to me.”

Harry shot a look at Ron; Ron glowered and made no move to move away. Hermione looked desperate.

“I’ll work with Neville,” she said, making them both shoot her panicked looks instead. “You two work together.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” Snape said coolly, his eyes darting back and forth between them. “Potter, move your things to Longbottom’s desk. Weasley, you will work with Granger.”

Harry was about to open his mouth to protest, when Hermione stood on his foot and he ended up shutting it and nodding instead.

“Yes, sir,” he said, though sounding  slightly dispirited, then obediently gathered up his things and went to sit with Neville, whose round eyes didn’t leave Snape for the entirety of the time. He laid out all of his things, trying not to look at Ron, who looked rather smug at the change of circumstances, then looked up to find Snape’s eyes narrowed more still as they swept over the things he laid out on the desk.

“Where is your textbook, Potter?” Snape asked softly, his arms folded about him, looking much displeased. “Did you perhaps think that the presence of the scar on your forehead makes you unobliged to bring it? Or perhaps you think you know what to do already, without the book’s aid?”

Malfoy, who was working with Goyle to their left, snorted and nudged his crony. Harry remembered Hermione’s words and swallowed down his words, which were far too red and sharp for the plan they were trying so hard to execute.

“I apologise, sir,” he said, managing to sound relatively polite and stop himself from glowering at the same time, then took a deep breath. “I must have left it in the library yesterday. It’s my fault entirely.”

Neville stared at him. So did Snape. Harry turned to the former.

“Can I share your potions book today, Neville?”

“Sure,” Neville stammered out, then slid it over to him. “Here… here you go.”

“Thank you.” He turned to look back at Snape, who was looking incredulous at the least, almost nervous at the fact that he wasn’t firing a projectile of arrogance back at him. “Sorry to be an inconvenience, sir.”

At this, Snape actually took a small step back, twitching his cape around himself as though putting up a shield of defence, his eyebrows unbending themselves and creeping slowly upwards. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Hermione shoot him a huge grin and give him a very big thumbs-up. Ron looked torn between cringing and clapping, but ended up nodding in approval.

Snape must have been so thrown off-balance by this alarming bout of humility on Harry’s part, that didn’t even give him a reply. He just slid away from their desk with a last thorough look at him, probably deciding he was under the influence of some spell and not being worthy of both his time or his nerves.

“Nice job, Harry,” Hermione said to him over her bubbling cauldron. “See, you can keep your cool if you want to.”

“I nearly didn’t,” Harry replied with a grin, feeling some odd sense of pride from this accomplishment. “But tell me, Hermione, how are you going to put that vial on his desk?”

“Oh, I’ve got that all figured out,” she said rather breezily, dropping powdered porcupine spine into her mixture. “I’ll leave my book here, then come and get it during break, while he’s gone to the staffroom. Or perhaps I’ll just do it when his back is turned. I’ll manage somehow.”

With that Harry couldn’t argue, so he turned back to his potion and met with Neville’s intrigued face.

“What are you up to?” he asked quietly, as they cut and measured. Harry thought there wasn’t any point in elaborating, so he just said:

“We’re trying to be nice to Snape.”

“Nice to Snape?” Neville repeated, pausing with his cutting knife hovering above his cutting board. “Why’s that?”

Harry shrugged, stirring his potion the way it said on the chalkboard. “Nothing much. Thought we’d have some fun and do some good, you know, Neville?”

Neville didn’t look as though he understood, but then he shrugged and nodded.

“That’s… nice,” he murmured thoughtfully, then nothing more was said on the matter, though he didn’t look quite as uneasy as he did before. In fact, he looked slightly impressed.

Everything would have ended nicely and according to plan if Harry and Neville weren’t stationed at that particular desk. Their sleeping draught was slowly turning a bright-purple colour, as was Hermione and Ron’s (when Harry glanced over), when suddenly there was a sound of splashing and Harry was slapped in the face with several globs of his concoction; someone had thrown something into their cauldron.

Goyle was grinning. Malfoy sniggered, then moved a few steps back to his desk.

“Looked like it needed more bat-wing, Potter.” He shrugged. “You’re welcome.”

Harry stepped forward and was about to tell him exactly what he thought of him with his fists, when Neville poked him frantically and said, “Look!”

He turned back just as the huge, purple bubble swelling out of the rim of his cauldron popped; there was a sound like a giant slug being squelched and Neville and Harry were drenched from head to toe in sticky goo. 

There was a gasp, silence, then a few pounding footsteps, rustling of fabric and Snape stood before them with his eyes black and his mouth sneering.

“You idiots,” he began, whipping out his wand as their cauldron gave another sickening squelch and more gunk splattered out. “Did you not read the instructions? Can you two even read?”

“It wasn’t our fault, Professor,” Neville stammered, wiping gunk off his face, looking worriedly at his ruined robes. “Malfoy threw a bat wing into our cauldron. It was coming along so well, too…”

Snape’s eyes flickered to Malfoy, who pulled a face which was obviously meant to look innocent, then back to Harry, who had taken off his glasses and was frowning as he tried to remove the sludge from their surface so he could actually see.

“That’s right, Professor,” he managed, frowning. “We’d followed your instructions, this time.”

From the corner of his eye Harry saw the shape of Hermione draw something out from her pocket, nip backwards a few steps and discreetly place it on Snape’s desk.

Snape didn’t notice anything, still looking furious. He looked at the purple gunk disdainfully, waved his wand, vanishing it off them and the table.

“Five points from Slytherin,” he snapped at Malfoy, then turned to Neville and Harry. “And five from Gryffindor, for the disturbance.”

This was horribly unfair and normally, Harry would have exclaimed and let him know that it was just so, but Harry had a certain mindset now along with Hermione making frantic motions at him from behind Snape’s back, and so he didn’t say a word as he put his glasses back on and stared at him.

“I apologise for the inconvenience, sir.” He pursed his mouth and shot a look at Malfoy, who’s grin wasn’t as prominent, now that he had been put in his place. “Thank you for cleaning the mess up for us.”

This time, Snape certainly looked baffled. He even looked displeased, his lip curling downwards, though Harry had a feeling it was because he had no idea what was going on, rather than him being disgusted at the good upbringing he was no doubt convinced Harry didn’t have. Ron stifled a snigger with his hands. Hermione smiled.

“Yes,” Neville piped up, surprising all of them, as he examined his clean robes. “Thanks for the help, sir.”

Snape stared at him, then shot a glance at Harry, then made a sound similar to an incredulous scoff and waved his hand for the rest to get on with working. The babble of chatter slowly resumed, as did the clinking of vials and hushed muttering of the flames beneath the cauldrons.

Harry watched Snape walk back to his desk with his eyes still narrowed, sit down, apparently lost in thought, then actually look at his desk and pause.

Hermione’s eyes shot a discreet look at the Potions Master and the corner of her mouth couldn’t restrain itself from twitching upwards as Snape picked up the headache draught in two fingers (it was very clearly labelled in block writing, so that it was unable to tell who had written it) and read the label. The trio watched his eyes grow wide as his eyes scanned over it - he was astonished! - then flash upwards with suspicion.

Hermione had already averted her eyes with Ron, pretending to be reading a passage in the book together, and Harry managed to do the same very shortly after, so Snape simply scoured the room and found no potential gifters in any of the gathered. He looked back down to the little blue bottle. He uncorked it, brought it up to his nose hesitantly (probably expecting a lungful of poisonous fumes, Harry thought), then with the same expression lowered it, corked it and carefully placed it back down on his desk.

Like Hermione, Harry couldn’t keep himself from smiling as he watched the Potions Master’s reaction. Snape looked blankly at the vial for a second longer, then a strange expression of bewilderment came over him: he dragged a hand down his face, pinched the bridge of his nose and began to massage his eyes. He looked impressively beaten. More befuddled than Harry had ever seen him, which was strange, for this was nothing but an apparent act of thoughtfulness - it was as though he had no idea how to react to it!

As the class began to unroll their parchments to copy down the writing on the blackboard and add notes, Snape’s eyes kept shooting reluctant glances towards the strange present on his desk. Once or twice he even picked it up with a strange look of calm and intrigue on his face to study it.

Harry couldn’t sit still, and from the looks of it, neither could Hermione and Ron. Ron kept snickering to himself; Hermione was pink with pleasure and often joined him in his quiet outbursts of laughter. Before the lesson was out, all three were in such high spirits that Neville looked unsettled, because whenever he caught their eye they beamed at him richly, then went back to their work smiling.

“Homework,” Snape called at the end of their lesson, back to his dark mood and expression. “I want you to place it on the front table as you walk out. Now, go.”

Harry withdrew his homework from his bag - this, he hadn’t forgotten since Hermione had checked both their bags thrice - along with Hermione and Ron. They packed up, put on their bags, then approached the desk together. All three parchments were unmistakably longer than anybody else’s and almost rolled off the table as they placed them on the pile. 

When they turned to Snape, his face was made of marble.

“See you later, sir,” Ron began. “Good lesson.”

“Have a good rest of your day, Professor Snape,” Hermione added.

“Thanks again for your help, Professor,” Harry finished with a polite nod, then turned and walked out.

As soon as they were out in the corridor and the door was shut, they all burst out, clutched at one another in excitement, hissing out observations and whispering:

“Blimey, did you see his face?” Ron chortled, punching Harry in the arm. “He was absolutely gob-smacked.”

“I bet he feels bad about taking points off you, now,” Hermione added, her teeth gleaming as she grinned. “But listen. In a sense, this is completely worth it.”

“Yeah, we couldn’t get him so out of it any other way if we tried,” Ron added with vehemence. “We’re closer to getting him to quit his job by being decent to him than by being awful. Did you see his face when he picked up Hermione’s vial?”

He pulled a face of bewilderment, doing such a good impression that they all burst out laughing as they rounded the corner, running straight into Professor McGonagall who raised an eyebrow at this buzzing of laughter and jovial mood which they were exhibiting.

“Good morning,” she said to them, clearly looking for an explanation which, unfortunately for her, she wasn’t going to get, for her recipients were having far too much fun in their enigmatical benevolence to provide it to her.

“Good morning, Professor McGonagall,” Hermione sang as they walked past. “You look really nice today!”

“Yeah, enjoy the nice weather, Professor,” Harry added, “while it lasts!”

“Have a good morning,” Ron added as they got out of earshot, then waved and turned back around.

Minerva McGonagall stared after them with her lips pursed, wondering whether to follow them to check whether any charms had been cast on them to put them in such a cheerful spell or to pen this strange enthusiasm as the aftereffect of something ridiculous. The former seemed most likely to be the case, since they had just come out of Potions, and as far as everybody was aware - unless something catastrophic had happened which had temporarily rendered the Potions Master a fool in their eyes - it wasn’t exactly their favourite lesson for obvious reasons.

She made up her mind a moment later, and after twitching the quill she was holding in two fingers, she directed her footsteps towards the dungeons and the Potion’s classroom to find out more about the state of affairs.

[that-pjo-obsessed-one]

Can we all just imagine the teachers of Hogwarts betting on who Harry will end up with? Like you have your Harmony, Hinny, Rorry, and even Snape is throwing in Drarry eye fucks in class and then one day McGonagall bursts into the teacher's lounge and is like, "WHERE THE FUCK DID CHO CHANG COME FROM?!" and the whole room just explodes with rage and annoyance and Umbridge is being trampled because she has no idea what the hell is going on and all the teachers are breaking shit and hexing everything in sight.

[isbreulla]

Ok… I may have gotten carried away with the character designs and made several o them just for fun... You can't blame me though!

Tell me who's your favorite and who do you want to see next!

[pottersource]

Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince 2009 | dir. David Yates

[blackbirdi]

Harry Potter Incorrect Quotes #1

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ron: *Thinking* There she is. Now I can tell Hermione to fuck off.

Ron: HEY, HERMIONE!

Hermione: What?

Ron: WHY DON’T YOU JUST FUCK ME!?

Hermione: *Eyes widening* What!?

Harry: *Trying not to burst out laughing* Confident.

Ron: *Blushing* Wait - no - I - I didn’t mean it like that!

———————————

Ginny: *Staring at the ducks in the Black Lake* What would you call a duck with fangs?

Luna: A fuck.

Ginny: *Snickering* Luna, no!

——————————

Hermione: I like you, Ron.

Ron: *Internally* Okay. You got this. Calm down. Just don’t fuck up.

Ron:

Hermione:

Ron: Yes.

Ron: FUCK.

——————————

Ron: There’s three ways of doing things: the right way, the wrong way, and the Harry way.

Hermione: Isn’t that just the wrong way?

Ron & Harry: Yes … but faster!

———————————

Hermione: *Banging on the dorm room door that Harry locked himself in* Come on, Harry, open up!

Harry: It all started when my mum and dad died..

Hermione: No, I meant—

Ron: Let him finish, Hermione.

———————————

Ginny: *Pissed at someone who made fun of Luna* You have no idea what I’m capable of.

Some random asshole classmate: It honestly feels like I’m being threatened by a cupcake.

*Ginny proceeds to hexing the ever living fuck out of them.*

———————————

Ron: *Gets on one knee*

Hermione: Oh my Merlin! It’s finally happening!

Ron: *Ties his shoelace*

Hermione: *Crying tears of joy* He’s not wearing fucking crocs anymore!

———————————

Ron: Hey, do you think I can fit fifteen marshmallows into my mouth?

Hermione: You’re a hazard to society.

Harry: And a coward. Do twenty!

———————————

Ron: When I was younger I was grounded for a month because I came home late.

Fred: Well you deserved it!

Ron: ?

George: Getting everyone’s hopes up like that and then showing up again?

Fred: Unacceptable.

Ron:

———————————

Ron: You promised you wouldn’t get me bees again!

The Twins: *From a distance* JUST OPEN IT!

———————————

McGonagall: If I took a shot every time one of you made a bad decision, how intoxicated would I be?

Hermione: Maybe a little bit tipsy…

Ron: Wasted.

Harry: Dead.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s note: I wonder if you can tell what my favourite ship is from these…

[crackishincorrecthp]

McGonagall: What do you three have to say for yourselves? Hermione: Ron: Harry: Oops?

[ira-in-ink]

[🌹]: i don't know why, but i just love, love, love, love, love the harry potter/hogwarts aesthetic so much. it's just so appealing to me. it always makes me feel so giddy inside. i don't even know how to describe it, it's just so delicious, and it makes me want to be a character in the story or some shit like that. did i mention that i love it? maybe it's just a reminder that i'll always be in love with this series. obsessed, even. j.k. rowling did the real magic, y'all, i'm telling you, she enchanted all of us to be infatuated with this series forever.

[scriptapermahrukh]

It's true lol, I literally was observing the teachers behind and these subtitles are making it lit 😂😂🤌🏻

[unconventional-lawnchair]

We'll heal together: Chapter Two

I'll Look After You The Fray

Harry Potter x Reader (Platonic) / Alastor Moody x Reader (Platonic) / Peter Pettigrew x Reader (Platonic) / Sirius Black x Reader (Ambiguous-Past)

Masterlist

Summary: {Y/N} {L/N} makes her first appearance, as dreams haunt her day-to-day life. Harry finds out more about her, after a run in with Draco.

Cw: Use of {Y/N}, grief, sad Harry times, wizard slurs, discussion of death and betrayal, reader in pain, mild descriptions of panic, friendship with peter (I am so sorry) (please reach out if I missed something}

Wc- 4349

“Get up! To your feet!” Alastor Moody’s voice boomed through the empty clearing behind the Potter’s manor. It was cold, the sun had yet to rise and the bellowing voice could be heard echoing off the trees that encased them.

 “Get up, a death eater won't let you take your beauty rest!” Moody barked and sent another spell beside your feet to make you flinch.

You were shaky, weary to gather yourself off the slightly moist morning grass. You were lucky he had allowed you to change into proper dueling gear, Mad-Eye had woken you up mere moments ago and dragged you down the stairs for a surprise training session. You were upset, at first, of course you were, who in their right mind wakes up at 3am to drag their apprentice down the steps to TRAIN? You knew he had been at work for the ministry for the last week, your training with him becoming scarce, as he picked up on a lead of one of the Death Eater's new targets. You wanted to be mad, the first time you saw him in days and he was forcing you awake and into the bathroom to get ready for a rather brutal duel. You really wanted to be mad.

That was, until you heard what Mad-eye had gone through. He was a tough nut to crack, and when he loved, he loved hard. So when Albus mentioned in passing about the scene he walked in on, the very family he was sent to protect. Parents, both muggleborns who were outspoken about Voldemort and the death eaters, having been found in their bed without ever reaching their wands, you understood what this was about.

You could play along with this for now, knowing the comfort it would bring him far outweighed your cranky demeanor. He never said it, but you knew how terribly each failed job affected him. He was Alastor Moody for Merlin’s sake! He was known for his skill, his witt, his power. A fiercely loyal Hufflepuff, with the attitude to match it. His reputation was his downfall, however. Such high expectations to meet, and when he failed on something as simple as just missing an attack by mere hours, there was nothing he could do. Nothing outside of making sure his successor KNEW better, could DO better and would BE better. This was war, and with a mentor who is more than anything you could ever wish for, you were grateful. Even more so that he cared enough to do this. 

You drew your wand, hands tightening around the base as you raised yourself to your feet, thumb rubbing the blood from your cut lip before sending a few sharp spells his way, each he deflected. 

“Sloppy! Run it again!” He demanded as you began to breathe heavier. You rolled your shoulders and snapped your wrist to send a few more spells his way. Tightening his lips into a firm frown he sent them back ten fold. You were just barely able to pull up your shield. Your limbs were aching, your throat was dry, you were sweating and the feeling of the burning sun rising meant you had been at this for hours now. “Moody, I’m exhausted.” You tried to placate him.

“Quicker! Your movement is off. You'll get your whole group killed!” He spat and sent a few more spells towards you that you more easily flicked away. Seems he wouldn't be listening to reason. “Lock your wrist! Loosen your hand!”

“That doesn't even make sense! Do you want me to drop my wand?” You teased lightheartedly, smirking as he leaned forward on the base of the tree behind him. You quickly shot a spell to his feet. “Scourgify!”

Before he could even scold you for your aim he was startled by the spell. Looking down as bubbles and suds slowly gathered and grew at his ankles. “What's this? Going to defeat your enemy with some bubbles? Come off it!” He tutted before his frown grew deeper. “This isn't a joke, Vixen!” He bellowed, not noticing the gleam in your eyes.

You smirked before you sent a sharp and quick, “Depulso!” To send him slipping back and landing on his bum. Much like a muggle cartoon character. Quickly accio’ing his wand and holding it up in victory. 

Distant cheers sent a shiver down your spine, eyes shooting over to the hill. There they were, Peter and Lily, gathered at the top, coming down with what seemed to be a thermal cup and some wrapped up pastries. You hadn't even noticed your stomach aching.

You looked at Mad-Eye with a hopeful smile, he gave you a firm studying look before he huffed and waved his hand to dismiss you, still gathering himself. You lit up and tossed him his wand before meeting your two friends half way. 

“Here, some tea.” Lily mused and handed you the cup. You opened it and took a few quick sips, made just how you like it. Lily knew you better than anyone. “Lily, my love, the light of my life, tell me again why you are with Potter of all the people in the world?” 

Lily gave a faux sigh of disappointment, “Well, my dear friend, it seems that I have a type I like to keep around.” She tutted and you tilted your head much like a crup. “Absolute lunatics. Where were you off to so early in the morning? Was it just to train?” She tried to reprimand you and you put your hands up in defense.

“I am a victim here! Do not scold me!” You chirped and Lily threw her head back in a laugh as Alastor walked passed you three and muttered praise you were just unable to understand. 

“Was it fruitful at least?” Peter spoke up, you looked up to him and nodded with a brighter smile. “Now, I know why I am up, and I know that Lily likely was up before me-”

“Untrue!” She chimed in, making you giggle.

“But why are you up, Peter? You need your rest, you have a mission today.” You scolded and Peter gave a small smile and shrugged. “You were up.” He muttered as if that was the only reason he would ever need to do something. Peter had always been like this, just to appease people. But since school, you and him have been rather close. You two had shared plenty of solo missions and adventures, he always had your back and you his. Moody didn't particularly like him, thought he was a coward, so when you two were chosen as partners, he nearly blew his top off. You didn't feel the need to explain yourself, Peter would always have your trust. Something your childhood best friend, James Potter, constantly complained about, how you always took his side between the two. To be fair, Peter may have stolen your trust, but Potter did plan to marry your best friend. So you two could call it even.

You closed your eyes softly and enjoyed the warmth that filled you with their voices. The idle chatter slowly faded out, leaving just a small bit of ringing to your ears.

The ringing grew louder and louder, before it was overwhelming.

Suddenly, your eyes snapped open as the alarm clock on your bedside table went off. You groan out loud, covering your face with both hands before you slam down on the mute button. “Bloody hell! I was so close to figuring out what that damn dream is about!” You laid in the bed for a moment before flailing your arms about in pure frustration. “Ugh!!”

Jumping out of bed and meandering over to look at the full length mirror, gazing at yourself before sighing. Those dreams.. they were becoming too vivid. You swore you could feel the cut on your lip and the pain of your battered limps. You needed to know what sparked this creative spunk in your mind. Creating a loose narrative with so much intensity and detail. A wizarding world? Spells and charms? Even full fledged characters? You had never been an overly obsessive person, but those dreams, they felt warm. They felt safe in a way you had never felt before. They felt like a piece of you, almost like home, and even if your current friends said it was likely nothing, you still felt so much longing for the faces you saw when you closed your eyes. Maybe that's why you couldn't ignore it.

You shook the thoughts away and hummed, grabbing yourself a change of clothes and hurrying off to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

~~

Once you had finished getting ready, you put on a simple outfit, just a tank top and some jeans. Walking down the stairs from your suite above the shop, you slipped on a deep rich brown apron, tying it around your hips before glancing at a dark window and gathering your hair up into a newsboy cap. It was the easiest way to keep the cleaners and special concoctions made to keep each flower bundle alive and well, out of your hair, and in turn your pillows. Sending your reflection a wink and a pair of finger guns you wolf whistled as if you were checking yourself out.

You wandered behind the register and began to set up for the day. Your ears began to burn at the sound of scratching at the back door. You lit up, turning sharply on your heels and walking over. You opened it and a silver tabby dashed inside. You cooed and gushed at her, closing the door behind you as you followed the feline. 

She jumped onto the cash register and then to the counter before looking back at you.

“Awe, Glasses! I missed you, where have you been?” You continue to coo, as you go back to work. Glasses had made it clear early on she did not want to be pet, and she seemed well groomed and maintained, so you assumed she belonged to one of the neighbors. She was an absolute darling. She had these strange square-like markings around her eyes that made them look like she was wearing spectacles, and thus, with no other leads to go on, her name was Glasses.

“You know, I’ve had more dreams,” You spoke up to the cat, waving your hand in a dismissive way, despite how they were eating you alive from the inside out. “About this fantastical world, and people I don't even know. I mean, truly, who named their child Moody? Alastor Moody?” 

You continued your rant about the dreams you had. You loved your friends, the ones you met after moving to this small town, but it seemed the stories you told them began to go on deaf ears. You couldn't exactly blame them, who wanted to listen to such a random bunch of tales? The same ones you told them about a million times before? So having Glasses, who only seemed to sit around and enjoy the fauna, unable to stop your rambles, was therapeutic to rant to. “And, in my dream, I saw the boy again. Peter? Long blonde hair and chubby cheeks, when he walked down the hill I swear I could feel his hugs. You know that kind of person? Just an absolute power house of comfort.” You clicked your tongue before you lit up. Speaking of comfort. “Oh! Oh! And Lily, such pretty eyes, she made me tea. I could practically taste it! I feel like I’m going mad, Glasses! I care so much for them, these imaginary figures.”

Glasses laid across the counter in a relaxed way, eyes trained on you as you spoke. Like a little person.

“And I feel so empty when I wake up. Like something that once filled my chest is torn from me. I learned so much of that world, sometimes I want to stay asleep for days just to see them. To talk to them. As if I know them deep down.” You sighed and shook your head. “I truly am going mad. They feel like family. At least, that's what I think it would feel like.”

A loud meow sounded out in the room as the bell above the shop door chimed, you snapped your head up from where you were pruning a few flowers, smiling sweetly at one of the many regulars. 

So the work day begins.

~~ Harry’s POV ~~

Harry had been on edge for days now. Since the fat lady was attacked, the conversation between Dumbledore and Snape, and then the Quidditch game, he was tired of waiting around like a sitting duck. 

He didn’t want to feel so reliant on anyone, even the Headmaster, waiting around for the next bit of news he would give him so graciously. So, after a failed escape attempt and being nabbed by the twins, he found himself in Hogsmeade under the protection of his invisibility cloak, with the Marauders map tucked under his arm.

“A bit grand for you, don't you think, Weasel-Bee?” Draco’s voice filled the clearing just a few meters away from the Shrieking Shack. Harry gave a low groan at the sound, turning down a small path he was lingering by, around the exit of Hogsmeade.

“Oh, not very friendly I see.” His voice continued and Harry swore his eyes had never rolled harder in his head. Even his voice brought hives up his neck, he wondered when Malfoy would be hitting puberty, considering his voice still resembled that of a shrill child.

“I think it's time we teach them to respect their superiors!” Malfoy sneered, a smirk taking his lips before Hermione scoffed.

As he got closer, he could make out the figures standing by the fence. As he suspected, Malfoy, his goons, Ron and Hermione. 

“I truly hope you don't mean yourself!” She clapped back, stepping in front of Ron as Malfoy ground his teeth and leaned forward. “How DARE you speak to me? You filthy little Mudblood-”

Harry had long since heard enough, gathering some snow in his hands before he chucked it at the spoiled boy, knocking him right on his head. Huh.. maybe he should have been a chaser, he thought cheekily. Much more luck with his muggle given gift of ‘mess around and find out.’

Then absolute panic ensued. Harry made a point to make an absolute fool of the boys, before they were sent running with the sound of Hermione’s laughter and Ron’s confused sounds and squeaks following behind them.

Ron’s face twisted to pure panic as one of his hat’s tassels were toyed with, making Hermione laugh harder. Her lips curled downwards as she attempted to hide her smile as her hair was lifted up above her head. “Harry!” She whined in delight and Harry laughed. Absolutely thrilled he managed to make her smile after such a horrible insult.

He threw the cloak off and Ron groaned. “Bloody hell Harry! That was not funny!” He tried to scold but it came out as more of a whine. He pouted as the other two continued to giggle and shake their heads. There was so much aching joy in his chest he couldn't help it. This is what this year should have been about.

~~~

As they walked through the alleys of Hogsmeade, Harry found himself zoning out. Not that he didn't enjoy his friends' presence, far from it actually, it brought him enough peace and calm to be able to fully remove himself into his thoughts. He knew they would still be there when he came back to. He felt safety with the two, safety he had not felt since the night he heard Sirius Black made it into Hogwarts. He was knocked out of his thoughts as he heard that name but aloud, Sirius Black. His head snapped over to look at the Hogshead’s door, seeing two people he did not recognize mention the escaped convict. “Why would Sirius Black be here?” He heard the owner nagging, before the Minister leaned into her ear, and not at all softly spoke his name to her. “Harry Potter.”

“Harry potter?” She gasped and the minister shushed her.

This was his chance! His chance to finally be ahead of it all, to know even a small bit of what Dumbledore knew, what everyone but him seemed to know.

Hermione frowned as she watched the interaction. Seeing the lady lead Hagrid, McGonagall, and the minister into the pub. “Harry don't you dare-”

“A bit late, aren't ya?” Ron spoke up and Hermione looked between them to see Harry had already disappeared, met with Ron’s smirking face instead. She gave Ron a frown and he shrugged. 

“And WHY didn't you stop him?” Hermione scoffed and Ron simply looked over and watched his footprints lead into the Hogshead. “Was I meant to?”

Hermione groaned. “Harry!”

But her words fell on deaf ears.

Harry shoved himself into the pub and up after the four who made it upstairs. Sneaking into the room right behind Madam Rosmerta, finding himself a corner to lurk in as they spoke to one another. His breathing was heavy but concealed by the space he made between himself and them assisted by the cloth blocking his lips. 

“Now!” Rosmerta groaned and turned to the other three in the room. “Tell me what this is all about.” She huffed and walked to the center, looking down at McGonagall as she sat and fixed her robes.

“Well,” The professor spoke up and Harry almost held his breath as if he could hear her better. “You remember, years ago, when Harry Potter’s parents realized they were marked for death and they went into hiding?” She declared and crossed her legs, gesturing for Rosmerta to sit with her, the girl shook her head, too wound up. The professor nodded and continued. “The only two who knew about their whereabouts, {Y/N} {L/N} and Sirius Black acting as their secret keepers.”

Rosmerta nodded and narrowed her eyes slightly at her when she continued. “After {Y/N} {L/N}’s death, when You-Know-Who found them, we could only assume one person had done it. Sirius Black had sold out Lily and James.” She declared this new revelation.

Harry’s eyes widened and his breath hitched in his throat. What? His parents trusted him? Sirius Black? And there was that named again, {Y/N} {L/N}. Those two names, his parents trusted them, deeply, and Lupin spoke so highly of her. What had happened? He narrowed his eyes as if seeing them better would allow him to understand what they were saying.

Rosmerta tutted, rolling her tongue in disgust. “Weren’t Sirius and that girl engaged? If he was the rat that had been betraying them, how would {L/N} have not known?”

“It was mere days after! All three of their deaths,” The professor announced. “Not even a week after they both became their secret keepers, {Y/N} was found dead by Dumbledore, Sirius almost lost it. Her and Mary's hideout had also been completely ransacked, that's where they found Mary MacDonald, you know.” She wagged her finger. “Unfortunately, {Y/N} never shared who her secret keeper was, and they never revealed themselves, so we could only assume-”

“Sirius Black sold out his Fiance!?” Rosmerta declared in a horrified gasp. 

“Ex-Fiance, but yes, that is the running theory.” McGonagall spoke in a low and patient tone. Almost as if she didn't quite believe herself. “They broke the engagement off a year before everything happened, just a few months after Harry was born.”

“So, a scorned lover?” Rosmerta tried to pry and the professor held her hand up and shook her head.

“Could we please get back to the point at hand?” The minister nagged from where he stood by the fireplace, done with what seemed to be schoolgirl gossip. “Not only did Sirius Black lead him to the Potters’ that night, but he also killed Peter Pettigrew!” She proclaimed and threw his hands in the air.

“He killed Peter Pettigrew?” Rosmerta gasped and McGonagall raised her hands before she let them clap down on her lap. “Yes! The little lump of a boy! Always trailing after James and the others!”

“Well, what happened?” Rosmerta pushed as the Minister shook his head and walked over to grab a drink from across the room, mere inches away from Harry as he began to hyperventilate. 

“Well that night, Peter Pettigrew? He would have gone to warn the Potters! If he didn't run into Sirius Black.” She waved her hand in exacerbation.

“Black was vicious, he didn't just kill Peter, he destroyed him.” The minister dramatized. “All that was left… was his finger!” He mused and walked back to the group of people gathered by the couch.

“And Black, he may not have lifted his wand to the Potters but he’s the reason that they are dead.” The professor chimed in and Rosmerta gave a scandalized sound.

“And what's worse!”

“It gets worse?”

“Sirius Black was, and still remains to this day, Harry Potter’s Godfather!” She stated, making Rosmerta gasp. 

“No.”

Harry saw the vision around his eyes grow blurry, his breath growing more erratic as he stepped back. Sharply turning to leave, before Hagrid stood up and walked to the door. He cursed internally, Merlin Hagrid! You bloody mess! MOVE!

He stumbled back and slipped down to the floor. Hugging his knees as he tried to settle himself before anyone noticed.

“That is why the dementors are everywhere. I do find it unfortunate, and I am deeply sorry for their transgressions in Hogsmeade itself. You know, however, just how important it is to keep Harry Potter safe.” The Minister spoke and Harry buried his face in his knees. He felt every single word like it was a knife to his chest. His father has trusted him, that man that had betrayed so many people who could have been his family, his own! To know now that other people were still suffering, not just because of Black, but to protect him? Guilt filled his chest and leaked out with the tears that tried to soak his cheeks. 

“That being said, I believe there are other matters to speak to.” The Minister mused and nodded to Minerva who stood. “Just a moment, Minister. I know you came to speak on the complaints with the residents, but I have something to speak with you about. It's rather important, and it just can't wait.”

“Very well, McGonagall.” The Minister mused and turned to face her, hands on his hips. “But do make it quick.”

“I will, Rosmerta? Hagrid? A moment please?” She mused and the other two nodded. Rosmerta shared a look with the professor before leaving, shuffling past Hagrid who squeezed his way to the door. 

“I’ll be waitin’ for ya’ by the door Professor.” Hagrid declared with a bright smile and she returned it.

“I will be down soon, Professor.” She returned and Hagrid lit up, stumbling over his words in a fluster and hurrying out the door. Walking away before he quickly hurried back with a spill of apologies and actually closed the door this time.

Minerva shared a look with the minister who stifled a chuckle. “Now, what is it, McGonagall?”

“Well, as you know, I have been checking on our… Vixen.” McGonagall mused and put her hands to her hip with a click of her tongue. The Minister’s eyebrows raised before he suddenly remembered, not everything about the story they had told was entirely true. 

“Right, right, our Vixen. Now, how is the old girl doing?”

“She’s remembering things. She remembers Peter, Lily. Merlin, she remembers Moody!” She waved her hands and the Minister nodded thoughtfully. 

“Ah, I see..” He mumbled. “That puts us in quite the predicament.” 

Harry felt his ears burn, focusing on their voices to keep himself sane and silent in the room. Trying not to choke out his sobs as he shook his head.

“Truly. She thinks them to be dreams right now, but who's to say it will be kept that way?” Minerva sighed. “It's only a matter of time before she remembers it all.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I need your permission, but I would like to ask Dumbledore to undo the Obliviate spell on her.”

“Hm..” He mumbled and narrowed his eyes at the fire and there was a moment of silence before he spoke up. “A horrible time, truly.”

“Why is that, minister?”

“Then, it wouldn't just be Harry in danger, would it be?” He tutted and Minerva paused before she slowly nodded. “And who's to say she wouldn't try to stake her claim over Harry?” he mused and Minvera gave a long sigh.

“Is she much worse than that horrid house he stays at now?” She tried to argue and the minister shook his head.

“I haven't a clue about his home life.” He lied. “But, she was presumed dead. She is no longer his Godmother, she has none of those rights. Especially if she returns,”

Harry’s eyes widened and he covered his mouth. Godmother? He had a Godmother out there too? And she was Obliviated? He didn't want to hear another word. He was confused, scared, he wanted to get away. To wallow in his own emotions in peace. To release the lump in his throat that was threatening to asphyxiate him.

He stood to his feet and rushed out of the building, shoving past patrons who couldn't see him. Right past Hermione and Ron. He needed to get away.

Eventually he made it to a clearing and doubled over, holding his sides as he leaned on his knees and let out a wail. It was, not as he suspected, silent and painful to his lungs and throat. He lost his breath but no real sound left him. A noise that resembled more Scrabbers than a human, he squealed. Then, as his soft sobs took over, he heard footsteps behind him.

And there they were, Ron and Hermione, just like they always were.

[goldandglittersblog]

McGonagall: Did you just give 10 points to Mr. Malfoy for being too handsome?

Snape: Get off your high horse. You play favourites too.

McGonagall: No one can accuse me of being partial towards anyone.

Snape: Oh really?

McGonagall: Yes. I love Ms. Granger and all the non MS. Grangers equally.