#IT WAS A REBEL SECRET ORGANISATION!!!! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

nellasbookplanet · 9 months ago

Text

Book recs: fairies

Fey, fae, fairies, faeries - pick your spelling, the fair folk are an undeniably popular trope in fantasy, and can be portrayed in wildly different ways, from cute pixies, to terrifying creatures of lore, to handsome and romantic beings of fairy tales. This list is a wild mix, all of them featuring fae or fae-like beings as central characters.

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Borderline (The Arcadia Project trilogy) by Mishell Baker*

Urban fantasy mystery. A year after a failed suicide attempt that cost her both her legs and her film-making career, Millie is recruited by a secretive organisation that works to control traffic to and from Arcadia, the land of faries, and given the assignment of tracking down a missing nobleman of the Seelie Court in Hollywood. Bisexual main character, excellent if you like me enjoy reading about deeply messy women.

Phaeton by Rachel Sharp*

Jack and Rosie, couple and hackers, just got their hands on a brand new device: the phaeton, a phone which, despite its crappy parts, is seemingly capable of doing the impossible. Utilizing their skills, they quickly realize it works not through technology, but by being remotely controlled by a living creature - a fae. This revelation throws them into a war between the fae of old and a new type of fae, able to withstand iron and looking to exploit their fellows through this advantage.

Rosemary and Rue (October Daye series) by Seanan Mcguire

Urban fantasy mystery. October "Toby" Daye is a changeling, half human and half fae, who, after having been burned by both sides of her heritage, has retreated to a "normal" life, away from the faerie world. But the murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back in, a curse forcing her to take on the mystery and find the murderer. While I found the first book a bit weak, the series does get better from there on, with engaging characters and interesting mysteries.

Knife (Faerie Rebels trilogy) by R.J. Anderson

Young adult. Young Knife is a Hunter, providing for a group of faeries living inside an oak, their population slowly dying. Long ago, their people lost almost all their magic, and without it they are doomed. But Knife isn't one to give up; recruiting the help of Paul, a human boy living nearby the faery oak, she is set on discovering the secret of - and solution to - her people's missing magic.

Among Others by Jo Walton

Magical realism. Growing up with a half-crazed mother, Morwenna found solace in two places: reading science fiction novels, and playing with the spirits of Wales alongside her twin sister. But after their mother tried to twist the spirits to her own whims with deadly consequences, Mori is sent off alone to private school, where she attempts to come to terms with what happened. This is less "teen girl on big adventure" and more "what happens after the trauma of adventure", with it being partly left up to the reader whether the fantastical elements are read as real or not.

Gossamer Axe by Gael Baudino

Centuries ago in Ireland, Chairiste Ní Cummen was trained in the secrets of music and magic. But her pride was her downfall, trapping her and her lover in the land of the Sidh. Only Chairiste escaped, hoping to one day win her lover's freedom in musical battle with the fairy that holds her captive. Now she is Christa Cruitare, harp teacher in the modern world and all but resigned to her loss. Until she comes across a great new music: heavy metal. Taking one last chance to win her lover's freedom, Christa sets out to gather other skilled musicians and bring them with her in her final battle.

In the Jaded Grove by Anela Deen

After years of war, pixie soldier Simith is tired of bloodshed and secretly sets up a meeting to discuss peace. But he’s betrayed and forced on the run - right through a door to another world. Meanwhile, Jessa is on her way home when she encounters a man about to be killed, and intervenes to save his life. With that simple act, the fate of the two - and that of the war - become interlinked. While I found the general execution of this one a bit weak, the concept and characters are interesting, and it’s a fun take on the portal fantasy genre.

Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng

Catherine Helstone's brother Laon has traveled to Arcadia, the dangerous land of the Fae, and has since lost contact with her. Worried sick and desperate for news, Catherine embarks on the perilous journey herself, but on arrival she fins herself isolated and in danger of the Queen of the Fae, who is hard on her brother's heel.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett*

Historical fantasy. Emily Wilde is a professor who prefers the company of faeries, dangerous but bound to rules she can understand, to that of humans, who she finds inexplicable. Working on her faerie encyclopedia, she travels on a research expedition to the faraway Hrafnsvik, hoping for some solitary months of study. Her hopes are dashed when Wendell Bambleby, rival scholar and possible faerie in hiding, arrives on her doorstep. But Wendell's aggravating presence is far from Emily's only problem, as the Hidden Folk of Hrafnsvik turns out to be far more dangerous than expected.

The Watchers by A.M. Shine

Horror. When her car breaks down, Mina tries crossing a forest by foot. As the sun goes down she finds herself lost with something dangerous closing in; at the last second, a woman appears and urges her into a bunker. Inside is a room with a mirrored wall, in which a group of strangers, stranded just like Mina, huddles through the night. Outside in the dark, something malevolent watches them through the glass. Will the group ever be able to escape the forest? While I found the characters somewhat unconvincing, this is a spooky story with fascinating lore.

The Call (Grey Land duology) by Peadar Ó'Guilín

Young adult horror. After having scorned the fae, Nessa's nation has been cursed: every teenager will, at some point, be called into the Grey Land for 3 minutes and 4 seconds before being returned. 9 out of 10 are returned dead. Trying to keep their country alive, children are sent off to training schools to prepare them and better their chances of survival. Her legs having been twisted by polio at a young age, Nessa's chances are worse than most, but she is determined to make it through her call alive.

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher*

Horror. When her grandmother dies, Mouse takes on the task of clearing out the old woman's home. But as she arrives at her grandmother's home she realizes her mistake: her grandmother was a hoarder, and Mouse has her work cut out for her. As if this wasn't bad enough, among the things left behind Mouse finds her step-grandfather's journal, describing various horrifying encounters. All nonsense, Mouse, assumes - until she starts making her own encounters in the dark forest surrounding the house.

Faebound (Faebound series) by Saara El-Arifi

Elven sisters Yeeren and Lettle have grown up in the shadow of a forever war, one as a soldier and the other as a diviner and teller of prophecy. But when Yeeren makes a fatal mistake and is exiled, the two leave their familiar world for the first time - and end up with the mythical, and believed extinct, fae. Here they must juggle their own loyalties and hearts with political intrigue as they try to find a way to survive and return to their home. While I didn’t personally dig the romantasy vibes of this and found the elves and fae could’ve been more interesting, if you like epic fantasy with heavy romance, both f/f and f/m, you will probably enjoy it.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik*

Historical fantasy with strong fairytale vibes. Miryem's father is a moneylender, but his inability to collect on debts has left his family on the brink of ruin. Desperate and ruthless, Miryem steps in to take his place, and suddenly the family's luck has turned. But Miryem's reputation of being able to turned silver to gold catches the attention of the Staryk King - dangerous creatures who seem made of ice body, mind and heart. In her schemes to survive the King's demands, Miryem's actions ensnare a local farmer's daughter as well as the new wife of the tsar. As their fates are bound together, the three girls may change their land forever, for better or for worse.

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Young adult romance. Isobel is an artist with a particular and dangerous set of clients in the fair folk. The fairies cannot create art on their own, and her portraits are highly coveted. But as she paints a portrait for the autumn prince, Rook, Isobel makes a mistake: she paints human emotion into his eyes. This weakens Rook before the fairy court, and in his fury he spirits Isobel away to stand trial for her crime.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

In a desperate attempt to win the heart of the beautiful Victoria, Tristran Thorn makes her a promise to fetch the falling star they both saw crash one night. But to do so, he must enter the land of Faerie, where nothing is as it seems, least of all the fallen star, who isn't very keen on being given away as a gift.

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey*

Young adult. Ellie cares mostly about hanging out with her friend Kevin and pining after her crush Mark, but when a string of grisly murders - all the victims missing their eyes - starts taking place in her town, it’s the start of something ancient and dangerous, as vengeful fairies battle for immortality. Set in New Zeeland and based on Māori mythology.

Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower by Tamsyn Muir

Novella. When Floralinda was first locked in a tower by a witch, princes kept coming to try and save her. But none of them made it past the dragon on the first floor, let alone the monsters after it, and now the supply of willing princes seems to have dried up. Starting to grow desperate, Floralinda captures and makes a deal with a small fairy for it to assist her in escaping the tower.

A note: all these Holly Black books are set in the same universe and do on occasion cross over, but can be read independently.

Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales trilogy) by Holly Black

Young adult. Sixteen-year-old Kade, used to traveling around with her mother's rock band, has just found herself back in her childhood home town. Here she meets up with old acquaintances - not all of them human. For Kade has always been able to see the faeries invisible to most humans. Among them is a handsome faerie knight she finds injured in the woods and chooses to help. In doing this, she becomes embroiled in a struggle between two rivaling and highly dangerous faerie courts.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Young adult. Siblings Hazel and Ben live in Fairfold, a strange town where people leave out milk for the fairies and tourists come to look at a fairy prince locked in an enchanted sleep in a glass coffin in the woods. But things have been getting even stranger in Fairfold; the fair folk are getting more agressive, and the glass coffin in the woods gets shattered. As unrest spreads throughout the town, Hazel keeps a secret that may unravel it all.

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of The Air trilogy) by Holly Black

Young adult. When Jude was seven, her parent's were murdered by a spurned faerie lover of her mother's, while she and her sisters were stolen away to be raised at the High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong in this dangerous land. Her struggle is made all the harder by Cardan, handsome faerie prince with a knack for pestering her. As she strives for some semblance of power in this dangerous realm, Jude gets involved with a conspiracy that may change Faerie forever.

Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool

Sinners (The Fae Feast series) by Eka Waterfield

Niavin isn't just a sidh Lord, he's also a drug lord, providing the fae's drug of choice: toxic human pollution.

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana

Romantasy. Lore Alemeyu's village is under ruthless Fae rule, trapped within a forested prison. To protect her village, Lore makes a deal with a Fae lord to organize an enchanted library which only a human can enter.

Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire trilogy) by C.S. Friedman

On a planet far away, a priest, an adept, a sorcerer, and an apprentice are drawn together to fight against the evil fae which preys upon humanity.

That Self-Same Metal (Forge & Fracture Saga) by Brittany N. Williams

Young adult historical fantasy. Joan Sands works as a stagehand for William Shakespeare's acting company. Secretly, she’s also blessed by the Orisha with magical powers, and the ability to see Fae. And lately, the Fae are up to something...

Euphoria Kids by Alison Evans

Three teens - one cursed to sometimes be invisible, one who grew from a seed in the ground, and one who has yet to find his real name - find themselves sharing magic and the ability to speak with dryads and fae.

The Wind City by Simmer Wigmore

Old forces are gathering in Wellington, as the displaced iwi atua of legend reappear and decide to make the city their home, and not all of them mean well.

Honorary mentions AKA these didn't really work for me but maybe you guys will like them: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist, Malice by Heather Walter, Poison Kiss by Ana Mardoll, Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

#nella talks books #fairies #i could tag all the books but frankly i can’t be bothered

38 notes · View notes

a-midnight-rest · 1 year ago

Text

Fixing the T'au empire part 2

So, in the first part I explained how the T'au were fine as they were, because their relatively hopeful outlook on the galaxy shone bright in contrast of the rest of the setting, how that turn the rest of the setting even darker, and how I love the idea that the solution to the Galaxy's problem is a truly different, alien approach to our individualist societies.

However, I have come to realize something, a reason as to why the T'au Empire may not feel at home in the 40k universe, and I thought about it by watching Indiana Jones 4, so sacrifices have been made.

The T'au Empire is not mythological.

The 40k is not a sci-fi setting, it is a dark fantasy setting with guns. And part of what makes the grandiosity of it is how mythologized every faction is. And I do not speak about religion, I speak of myths as in the stories we, right now, tell ourselves are the foundations of the world, the archetypes of what is and is not.

The Imperium incarnates the various mythologies of vast empires. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, the British Empire, vast swats of lands combining different people united by righteousness and oppression. And also how all those empires fell. It's the idea of "things were better before" (even when they were not). Moreover, the equipment used by this faction is deliberatly old, centuries old, technology is religiously taken care of, weapons are blessed, vehicles are passed down from generation to generation. It is all very old, marked with that myths of the old Empire on its last leg.

The Orks are the Barbarians At the Gate, the savages who relish only destruction, like Attila the Hun, but british. In truth, it's not like barbarians actually existed, those were just foreign countries, but the myth is there.

The Tyranids are the Monsters in the Dark.

The Craftworld Eldars are the Atlanteans, the Utopians, the Babelians, the Old Civilization who fell due to their own hubris, and is now a superior people with no place to call home and no way back their transgression.

The Dark Eldars are the Feys of old, trolls, goblins, fairies stealing children in the night, playing cruel and horrific pranks, eating people. And following them to their home is a death sentence.

The Chaos is the Evil of Man, the primordial sin, the dark part of Humanity that eats itself to death, self destructive and perverse (They should have western dragons, that would fit them).

The Necrons are Death, or at least they try. They are like the Craftworld Eldars in a sense, but in a more Inevitable return way.

But the T'au? They do not fit any myth, in fact they specifically are immune to myths and the Warp. They are no none-sense, they do not play by any rule. As they were written, they would be better as a recurring joke than a faction. Everything about them is bright new, from theme to lore, and it makes them feel shallow.

There is one exception to that, and that is Farsight, who fit the myth of the Virtuous Rebel, an archetype that is not really coined by any faction as far as I know. In a way, he could also be kind like King Arthur, with his magic blade and his knights around him, but the clash of eastern/western reference hide this interpretation of him.

So... how to fix it? Modern problems requires modern myths.

As I said, myths are not about what is actually old, myths are always modern, visions we have right now about the past. So what Myth could fit the T'au Empire? I think we must look to a very modern work of literature: The SCP Foundation. A collective work written like articles depicting how an advanced and secret organization captures, study, and contains supernatural entities. They are much like the Men in Black, or the government in X-Files. They gain they mythology not through what they are, but what they deal with.

I think we should make the T'au Empire's main armies kinda fade in the background and focus on an organisation within the the T'au Empire that would approach the other mythological faction with a saavy appraoch based on tech to contain and use the horrors back at the horrors. A cold scalpel who knows what they are dealing with, knows they are outmatched, and use secrecy, focused efforts, and unconventional tactics to deal with it. The T'au Empire already have the foundation for it, they are technologically advanced, learn from their mistakes, and have authoritarian ruling cast shrouded in mystery.

They could pop up bio/cyber/solar-punks units, highly specialised and modified modern soldiers. Not the WW1 Kriegsmen, not the WWII Cadians, not the Catachan Rambos, not the Angelic Space Marines. People, with modern, recognizable equipment, turning to extremes in order to deal with demons, and civilizations using farming equipment more ancient than their prehistory.

In that perspective, the T'au main armies would kind of become the background, the necessary fight force to win actual battles and hold ground. Their stories could develop nicely on their own until they become established enough to have their own mythos. But the main event would be the Secret Cadre, the Black ops, the Foundation, the Men In Black of the T'au Empire, using not ancient techs and beliefs against demons like the Inquisition does, but developing Reality anchors of their own, sending modified Tyranid viruses into the other faction, using Soul Traps to capture and send daemons to corrupt enemy tanks.

Fire warriors spawned from tyranids biopools, weapons build by engineers trapped in time distortion to produce more advanced stuff faster, ships recycled from Space Hulks...

To mythologize the T'au, the T'au must, I believe, become Myth users to become Myth Breakers.

#warhammer 40k #t'au empire #Imperium #Orks #Myths #Tyranids #Space Marines #Chaos #Farsight #tau #tau empire

98 notes · View notes

cutpaperbleedswater · 7 months ago

Text

At the end of Catching Fire and before his rescue from the Capitol, was Peeta ever really part of the rebellion in a way that would merit the calls of back stabbing during his interviews?

Walking into the Quater Quell after the Victory Tour, Peeta only knows a few things; he’d do anything to get Katniss out, some countries see his and Katniss’s actions as rally starters, Katniss doesn’t love him back and his family wouldn’t care about his death too much. Walking out he’s a war prisoner whose being tortured for information he doesn’t have, information that would entitle him to the cause if he were told it, if he were even told that 13 exists or that there is an organised movement. He was never part of the rebellion before his capture and the ‘stunt with the berries’ which was the pivot point for many and the whole image of the Girl on Fire was loosely set up by his display of them as Star Crossed lovers but really it was mostly Katniss as all he had to do was love her and say the right thing which he did and was mostly ignored, or at least outshone.

He wouldn’t know any actual ‘Rebel secrets’ until his rescue where he was struggling through the fallout of his treatment at the Capitols hands and there’s barely much chance he’d remember them or those days years down the line considering the chemical levels and trauma. His support was for Katniss, and yeah, in the Capitol party he does say ‘maybe we’re wrong about trying to subdue things in the districts’ but that more implies he wants the rebellion he doesn’t understand is happening at the scale it is only operating on knowledge garnered by threats.

#the hunger games #peeta mellark #katniss everdeen #This is something I’m passionate about #I really thought it was unfair #Like i think about this every time I read that part of the book

21 notes · View notes

rotzaprachim · 2 years ago

Text

one of the most interesting aspects of andor to me is how i think it didn’t decision to alter character timelines so much as make the decision to alter- or rather, cut open and interrogate- the entire timeline of the rebellion, in ways that have fascinating implications for the entire worldbuilding of the starry wars. one of the lingering uncertainties of “andor” comes from the refusal to play any of the cards of the Rebel Alliance as the plucky good-guy army, for whom Joining the Rebellion is as straightforward as enlisting and getting a uniform, who can show up and do army things at any moment. as the episodes build and build and build and the tension and power of the imperial army grows higher, the Rebel Alliance just.... doesn’t appear. there is no Secret Base for Luthen to take Cassian too, only a tiny group of guerillas in the highlands. there is none of the famous iconography of the Rebellion- no orange flight suits (though boy does andor give a new cast to that color choice), no rebel armed rebel bases, no x-wings go swoop in at the last moment. as I watched Andor I felt the lingering stone-drop realisation: the Rebellion, as we know it, simply does not exist. what we get is a hyper-isolated, fragmented rebellion in its infancy, tiny groups and intellligence operations so low on cash that the theft of a single sector’s payroll or access to a single wealthy woman’s family funds. Cassian can’t join the rebel alliance, because it doesn’t exist yet.

And that’s one story. that’s a far, far more complicated story, and a more difficult story to exist within, than the plucky rebel army versus big empire narrative star wars has been living in. how do you join something like that? it really isn’t that easy. BUT! here’s the thing. BUT BUT BUT. andor complicates that further by showing, over and over again, that even if that rebel alliance can’t swoop in and save the day, that even if the number of *official* Rebellion members is a tiny fraction down to their last resources, organised rebellion is, in fact, possible. and it already exists. it exists everywhere, in numerous forms. it is both non violent and violent, and it is often the work of *civillians,* because the fundamental conditions of war, occupation, and totalitarianism make, politicise, designate everyone as a soldier. looking back on andor, there isn’t a single arc that isn’t made possible by some form of organised, collective rebellion. cassian couldn’t have escaped from ferrix if ferrix didn’t already have a system of pounding metal in order to spread the word, if salman and wilmon paak didn’t get set to banging metal, and brasso didn’t weld weights to the police squad car. the rebels couldn’t have pulled off the aldhani heist if hundreds of local aldhani hadn’t continued their cultural rites and kept coming on that pilgrimage even as local imperial agents actively worked to prevent it- because existence can be rebellion, because the continuation of cultural and religious traditions under oppression can be rebellion. the crowning point of the season, for me, is the prison break at narkina five, the five thousand prisoners knowing that there’s only one way out, and that’s by running, shooting, killing, by climbing out together. the series ends on an entire local uprising as a town’s funeral march turns into a riot against armed, shielded cops.

And it all leads into these much more nuanced things that Andor is saying about the natures of both oppression and resistance. Because it isn’t giving the (individualist, and somewhat defeatest, but sure damn repeated) narrative that rebellion against authoritarianism is about a few Englightened individuals - the luthen’s, the aldhani rebels- versus the mass of Sheeple who just take it. Are thankful for it. That there’s just the Special ones who see the light, and those that.. Haven’t. Nor are there the essentialistly Good Pure Rebels who have all the Right Ideas in a nice Color Coded Format, who have fought Purely and Totally for the Rebellion From the Start, versus the bad guys The structures of empire don’t work like that- they make huge numbers of people complicit because of the way they stack and tier and turn subjugated people against each other when so few individuals, actually are in charge, and they make the alternative to complicity be nothing but death, in horrific ways. The people in Andor have dirt on their hands. It’s about what they do now. The X-wings can’t come to save Cassian from Narkina. The prisoners have to climb their way out. No one can give the Aldhani rebels backup. Only Luthen and Cinta and Vel can come to Maarva’s wake, and when the fighting comes, it isn’t even about them, anyway. Andor asks what happens when there isn’t the golden saviour, the Good Guy army coming in for us, and makes the case for rebellion as something intensely collectivist and intensely local, that rebellion and rebels exist before our very eyes, in more complicated ways. It’s what makes the show both brutal and brutally hopeful - for one of the first times, watching star wars, i get the sense viscerally that better worlds and forms of existence are possible within the star wars world.

As for cassian, the arc I hope they’re going for, and i really do think are going for, is not that he joined the rebellion as we see it in rogue one. It’s that that rebellion as we know didn’t exist yet, and that his arc will be about helping to stitch together the various forms of rebellion that already exist, everywhere. I think we’ll walk into Rogue One now not seeing Cassian as Mon and Draven’s hand- already fascinating - but as one of the rebellion’s quiet powerbrokers and kingmakers whose a big part of why they’re there to begin with.

#andor #screaming crying vomiting blood over this show forever and ever #cassian andor

364 notes · View notes

ithurielkeepsgettingkidnapped · 4 days ago

Text

A secret santa gift for @clueless-shapeshifter! Thank you once again to @alnst-secret-santa for organising this event and your hard work! You requested mizisua being happy so uhm. I might have taken the prompt and ran with it, then abandoned it in an alleyway somewhere only to pick it up, firefighter style, and dive into the Pacific. Anyhow! Please enjoy the read!

Although this is part of a public exchange, I user-lock all my fics. If you would like to read it please register for ao3!

Additional fic information under the cut (please only read if you've finished the fic):

regarding the SUA and Sua:

The first Sua, the only real one and the only human one, wins the first season of alien stage. She loses eventually, so Nigeh modifies her body so that she can survive without vital organs.

This is why the Sua we see now has blue blood. What her bed (or, the casket) injects into her are micro aliens carrying oxygen and nutrients, among other things, directly into her bloodstream and taking away the co2 and waste because her heart does not pump.

This is also why Nigeh 'duplicates' the ego of Sua and 'inserts' a new version of Sua every time she dies, because the stress of death renders every Sua ego useless. They erase the memory of dying (and a few moments before that) to ensure that the Sua does not go insane.

However, this is also a very effective way to keep Sua from saying anything she shouldn't (for instance, confessing that she is essentially a dead woman walking, or rebelling in any way) so this is how they keep her in line.

The memory loss also comes back after a while, not that Anakt has any way of knowing this. Hence Sua's familiarity with fatality and death.

I put most of the poppy lore in the fic, but some background information even Sua doesn't know. The poppies were originally flying insects, but Anakt modified them until they can survive without flying. Their main use is to soften metal so they can shape it easily and make it closer to soil. They kept the wings intentionally so they would look closer to the flowers that soothe human pets. They are shiny because of natural secretion so they lose their gleam after no oil for a while. Could you light a fire with poppy oil? Nobody has tried it yet.

#my work #alnst #alien stage #mizisua #exchange

5 notes · View notes

irithnova · 1 year ago

Text

Tuva

Name: Aydyn Kuular

Tuva/the territory of what is now Tuva has been ruled by other major empires throughout his lifetime, ever since the Xiongnu era. (209BC - 93AD) After the Xiongnu, it was the Xianbei, the Rouran Khaganate, the Gokturks, the Tang Dynasty, the Uyghur Empire, the Mongol Empire, the Yuan dynasty, the Northern Yuan, the Khogtoid Khanate and Zunghar Khanate, then the Qing. However during the Qing, Tuva was administered by Mongolia.

Some facts

"Dubo" first appears in Chinese records.

Tuvans then were known as "Dubo" (later pronounced as Tuva but also in other forms they were called Toba/Tuba/Tyva/Dyva/Tofalar). They lived in isolated groups in grass tents, ate lily roots, fish, birds, and animals, and wore clothing made of sable and deerskin. Some of the wealthier individuals had horses, but herding was not common. When someone passed away, they would perform a "sky burial" by placing the deceased in trees.

Ruled by Turkic Empires, the Tang, the Uighur Empire, the Mongols

Reappearance of "Tuba" in the Secret History of the Mongols (The Mongols called Tuvans forest people/put them in the forest people category): 13th and 14th centuries

Conquered by the Khotoghoi Kalkha in the 16th and 17th centuries

Passed into the hands of the Zunghars (Mongolic people but not Chinggisid/Khalkha Mongols) in the 1660s (so Mongolia and Tuva would mald about the Zhungars/Oirats together)

Fall of the Zunghars to the Manchu Qing Dynasty in 1755

Tannu Uriyangkhai organised as an aimag (province) in the 18th century under Mongolian rule

Tuva's adoption of Buddhism in the 18th century

Tuva had 5,000 lamas in 30 monasteries and 1,000 shamans in the 1920s

I think that the Tuva we see today was born during the Tang Dynasty era, and the previous personification of "Tuva" or Tuva's ancestor fell during this time. This is because emperor Taizong of Tang sent troops to get rid of the ethnic minorities of Xue Yanto. Now, Xue Yanto used to be an ancient Khaganate in Northeast Asia who used to be the allies of the Gokturks. The Xue Yantuo was a member of the Tile tribe which belonged to the Turks until 583 when it broke into Western and Eastern branches. However they then allied with the Tang against the Eastern Turks. It was vast and it included (what is now) Tuva in it.

The Xue Yantuo and Tang were friendly for a bit, however it changed in 639 with emperor Taizong's actions, and this is when their relationship began to worsen. Ashina Duobi of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate was captured, and Emperor Taizong placed the surrendered Eastern Turks within the borders of the Tang without appointing a new Khan to manage them. However after Ashina's nephew conspired to rebel against the emperor, he then changed his mind and gave the title of Ashina Simo (Eastern Turkic aristoricrat) to the Tang Dynasty, appointing him as the new Eastern Turkic emperor.

Ashina Simo settled in Dinxiang (now Hohhot, Inner Mongolia) in 641. Yinan, who was the Khan of the Xue Yantuo, saw this as an opportunity to launch an attack on the Eastern Turks before the Tang could assist them. Ashina then asked for urgent assistance from the Tang, and they provided. Afterwards, funnily enough, Yinan sent an envoy to tell emperor Taizong that he was willing to live peacefully with the Eastern Turks (lol trying to save face much?). Emperor Taizong sent an envoy back to criticise Yinan but didn't take any further action against the Xue Yantuo.

Sensing that the relationship between Xue Yantuo and the Tang was turning sour, Yinan tried to amend relationships through tribute and intermarriage, however even then there was issues (Emperor Taizong making excuse after excuse to cancel or postpone Yinans marriage to Princess Xinxing, his daughter). Since then, relationship could not be repaired.

After Yinan died, the Xueyantuo descended into chaos. Two of his sons ruled the Xue Yantuo, Bazhuo ruled the West, and Ye Mang, the East. Bazhuo killed Yemang, and ascended fully to the throne, deciding to attack the Tang. He suspected that the Tang border would be unguarded at the Tang were invading Goguryeo, however Emperor Taizong predicted that this would happen. In 646, Emperor Taizong stationed more troops against Bazhuo's attacks. Bazhuo was defeated in the same year.

Bazhuo was a pretty bad leader, and instead of appointing his father's ministers to assist him, he replaced them with his own cronies, causing disarrest among the nobles and eventually causing a rebellion against him. Huihe, he was a vassal of the Xue Yantuo, was a main rebel against Bazhuo.

Seeing all of this chaos take place, emperor Taizong launched an attack on the Xue Yantuo, and the people of the Xue Yantuo panicked, including Bazhuo, who then fled to the Ashide tribe. Huihe, upon hearing this, killed Bazhuo and the remaining royal family members of the Xue Yantuo. After Huihe took most of Xue Yantuo's territory, most of the people of the Xue Yantuo surrendered to the Tang. However some still did try to hold on, and saw Yinan's nephew Tumozhi as the new Khan of the Xueyantuo. However of course, the Tang did not recognise this, and emperor Taizong sent troops to attack the Xue Yantuo, and Tumozhi surrendered. The Xueyantuo then collapsed. Now, the Tuvans paid tribute to the Tang, and they established a monarch-subject relationship. I don't think Tuva was born as soon as the Xueyantuo collapsed but he was young when he experienced the downfall. He's a similar age to Mongolia.

So, that was my long drawn out explanation of when I think the we see now Tuva was "born".

TL;DR, during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty (Emperor Taizong period) when the Xue Yantuo confederation was destroyed and when the the territory of Tuva/Tuva paid tribute to the Tang, was an approximate date of when Tuva was "born." I think he most likely emerged a century or so before this as of course he wasn't born as soon as the Xue Yantuo collapsed or something, but he was young when he witnessed it's downfall.

Random fact, but in the Tang Dynasty era book "Tongdian", the Tuvans were described as "skiing hunters", and during the Yuan, the Mongols called them the "forest people"/ put them under the "forest people" category.

Tuva, as I have said before, was conquered pretty easily throughout his lifetime. Skipping to the Mongol Empire era, it was conquered by the Mongols in 1207 by Jochi, Chinggis' eldest son. The Mongols then established suzerainty over them. It was ruled by Khalkha Mongols until the 17th century, when they then were ruled over by the Oirats Mongols and were a part of the Dzungarian state. So, for a long time, Tuva was ruled over by Mongols/Mongolic people. For this reason and because of the many cultural similarities between the two, he feels pretty relaxed around Mongolia. Furthermore, during the Qing, although Tuva was a part of China, it was administered by Outer Mongolia. Tuva used to be a part of Mongolia.

In 1911, Mongolia regained its independence back from the Qing. Some regions of Tuva like Tozhu, Salchak, and Khöwsgöl banners wanted to be part of Mongolia, while only the Tannu banner leader appealed to Russia. In 1914, what is now Tuva became part of Russia due to Russian settlers moving in.

However, in 1914, the Russian empire made Tuva its protectorate and allowed Russians to settle there. However even before then, Russians were already settling down in Tuva in the 19the century. In 1860, the Qing signed a treaty with Russia that Russians were allowed to live in Tuva, as long as it was in boats or tents, however by 1881 they were already living in permanent homes. This was the beginning of the Russian colonisation of Tuva, however 1885 was the year of official colonisation of Tuva when the Governor-General of Irkutsk gave permission to a merchant to farm at present-day Turan. From this, more settlements formed. There were around 2000 merchants and colonists by the first 1910's.

This greatly offended the Tuvans and there would be fights between them and the Russians from time to time.

The Qing weren't oblivious to this and were concerned at first, but eventually, internal problems with the Qing meant they didn't have enough time to focus of Russia creeping in on Tuva.

In the 20th century, Tuva was broke asf, their economy was in shambles and there was an increase of poverty in the region, thanks to Russia. The Qing established a rule that Han traders were not to trade in Tuva, and this rule was actually applied, unlike what happened in outer Mongolia. However, Han traders were then allowed into Tuva to compete against the monopoly the Russians had over there, and eventually, like what happened in outer Mongolia, the Chinese dominated commerce there. Many Tuvans found themselves indebted to Han merchants.

I don't think Tuva is some sort of peeping violet, yes, Tuva was ruled by many empires during his life but he is still a proud person who values freedom, and isn't one to completely just bow down. He is moreso someone who just wants to mind his own business, and if (begrudgingly) paying tribute means he'll be left alone for the most part, he'll take it.

Furthermore during the end of the Qing reign of Tuva, when the Wuchang uprising of October 10th 1911 led to a full scale revolution. Mongolia declared its independence from the Qing in early December, and during the second half of December, the Tuvans plundered many Han owned businesses, calling back before to when I mentioned how Tuvans would fight Russians who settled down in Tuva lol. Tuva definitely isn't one to go down without a fight and is quite fierce-willed despite his quiet exterior and history.

In 1921, pro-Soviet Russians took control during the Russian Civil War, and Tuva became a people's republic. By 1926, it had a population of around 58,117 Tuvans and 12,000 Russian settlers. Initially, Mongolian was the official language, and Tuva wanted union with Mongolia, but Mongolia, under pressure, recognised Tuvan independence in 1926.

Explaining Tuvan independence further, jumping back to when I said the Russians declared Tuva as its protectorate in 1914, the new communist Russian government of 1921 declared that this was invalid, so technically, Tuva was an independent state (under very heavy Russian influence/was essentially a puppet state.)

From 1930-31, Tuva underwent changes, including the introduction of a new Latin script for Tuvan. However, attempts at collectivization failed, and pro-Mongolian Tuvan politicians faced execution.

During World War II, Tuvans were conscripted into the Soviet Red Army, and in 1944, the Soviet Union annexed Tuva as an autonomous region within the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, .allowing Russians to enter Tuva to work in mines and factories. A Cyrillic script for Tuvan was introduced in 1943, and collectivization continued until 1954.

In 1961, Tuva became an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the RSFSR. The percentage of ethnic Tuvans increased over the years. After the Soviet Union's dissolution, Tuva became a constituent republic of the Russian Federation. In 1989, there were 198,448 ethnic Tuvans, making up 64 percent of the republic's population, and border transit points with Mongolia were opened, though issues like livestock theft and unauthorised pasturing persisted.

Because of Russian colonisation, the identity of the Tuvan people was hurt greatly. Before, they were able to freely live as nomads, hunt, practice shamanism, use their traditional medicines. But after Russian colonisation, forced assimilation, forced settlements, the Tuvan identity was scarred. Despite this, Tuvans resisted full Russification.

Russia kept Tuva closed off from the outside world for nearly 50 years. Even now, Tuva is remote and difficult to access, and is one of Russia's poorest regions. This is why Tuva comes off as closed off/aloof.

Tuva does feel a bit on edge when interacting with other nations who he doesn't feel close to, primarily because of the period of isolation he was put through under the Russians, and he can come off as a bit aloof. He's quite friendly really and he does want to make more friends, he just finds it hard to trust people. For this reason he's lucky he has a cute face to make up for the moody exterior.

He also talks to Yakutia/Sakha about whatever, their conversations are not usually that deep though.

Tuva is trying hard to reclaim his national identity, for example, after the fall of the soviet Union, ethnic Tuvans living in Tuva went up from two-thirds to three-quarters of the population. He's extremely keen on having the lowest amount of contact with Russia possible outside of what's necessary lol.

He probably blasts Huun-Huur Tu and Sainkho Namtchylak.

He and Mongolia, despite their familiarity with one another, do have a bit of a... Rivalry going on about where throat singing originated and who's better haha.

Anyways that's my Tuva. His name is Aydyn Kuular and overall personality wise he is:

Seemingly quiet/aloof

On the inside, quite fierce willed

Very much "I mind my own business, you mind yours."

Is actually quite warm once you get to know him but it's hard for people to get to that point

Avid music lover and is always composing something new!

Tries to reach out to others the best he can

Not a fan of Russia or China

Has his own little projects, doesn't tell a lot of people about them though

30 notes · View notes

maximumwobblerbanditdonut · 9 months ago

Text

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, a film with Henry Cavill, gets a trailer.

Inspired by a true story, this action and comedy film will follow UK special forces during World War II. Henry Cavill is proving he's very game for a spy adventure or two.

youtube

Inspired by real events, the action/comedy film follows a secret World War II combat organisation formed by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill, and the writer Ian Fleming – the creator of James Bond.

The film is based on recently revealed documents from the British War Department. The plot follows the first special forces organization in the United Kingdom, formed by the Prime Minister of the time, Winston Churchill, during the Second World War.

It follows Cavill's character as he is released from prison and asked by Churchill to help on a top-secret mission, although he reveals that the team he would have in mind to accompany him might not be to the Prime Minister's tastes.

The group, with rebels and bandits, sets out on an unauthorised mission against the Nazis, using combat methods described as unconventional and completely “nasty”. It is worth mentioning that, in real life, this organisation gave rise to other secret operations units, such as Black Ops.

"The top-secret combat unit, composed of a motley crew of rogues and mavericks, goes on a daring mission against the Nazis using entirely unconventional and utterly 'ungentlemanly' fighting techniques.

"Ultimately their audacious approach changed the course of the war and laid the foundation for the British SAS and modern Black Ops warfare."

A new film by Guy Ritchie ( Tycoons of Crime ) with Henry Cavill, got its first trailer on Tuesday, March 30th. In addition to Cavill – who takes on the lead role of the real-life founder of the No. 62 Commando unit Gus March-Phillipps – the film boasts a star-studded supporting cast, including Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Babs Olusanmokun, Henrique Zaga, Til Schweiger, Henry Golding and Cary Elwes.

Meanwhile, some actors are playing historical figures who will be very recognisable to most viewers – for example, Cary Elwes is taking on the role of Winston Churchill and Freddie Fox stars as James Bond author Ian Fleming.

The script is also written by Ritchie, along with Paul Tamasy , Eric Johnson and Arash Amel . The basis of the project comes from the book with the same name as the production, written by Damien Lewis .

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare portrays a heavily fictionalised version of “Operation Postmaster.” The film is scheduled to be released in the UK and US cinemas on Friday 19th April 2024.

Source: Lionsgate (YouTube)

#TheMinistryofUngentlemanlyWarfare #film #HenryCavill #specialforces #WinstonChurchill #JamesBond #IanFleming #GuyRitchie #WWII #SecondWorldWar #OperationPostmaster #SAS #BritishWarDepartment

Posted 8th April 2024

#Youtube

7 notes · View notes

darkmaga-returns · 27 days ago

Text

The Last American Vagabond

Dec 01, 2024

Joining me today is independent investigative journalist, Vanessa Beeley, here to break down the situation in Syria, wherein a renewed effort appears to be underway to destabilize and possibly further occupy the country. Vanessa and Ryan discuss the recent events in Syria (and Georgia), currently being described by many online as an "invasion" or a "coup", and Vanessa (reporting from Syria) reveals that the truth on the ground is quite a bit different, as tends to be the case in today's hyper-propagandized world.

Source Links:

(100) Vanessa Beeley | Substack(21) Vanessa Beeley (@VanessaBeeley) / XNew TabSyrian rebels enter Aleppo for first time in eight years during shock offensive | CNNMilitant groups launch large-scale offensive against Syrian army(42) Vanessa Beeley on X: "Information on #Aleppo from 25th Brigade soldier now in New Aleppo. 1. Videos were made by terrorist sleeper cells already in #Aleppo 2. The 25th Brigade under General Saleh Al Abdullah are reassuring Syrians in Aleppo that the few terrorists who managed to enter will be https://t.co/LR9qj0qZcc" / X(54) Vanessa Beeley on X: "A doctor affiliated with the terrorists posted a video from the University Hospital in Aleppo City begging for help after the hospital was overwhelmed with dead and wounded HTS terrorists. #Aleppo #Syria https://t.co/gBPwjVpsqr" / X(45) Vanessa Beeley on X: "Central Damascus. No "coup". Calm and peaceful. #Syria will never fall https://t.co/takewXzlG3" / XNew Tab(54) Vanessa Beeley on X: "This image of a dead Jolani is AI generated. There is still no confirmation of his death in a bombing of a central command HQ for the terrorists. From last night ⬇️ Special sources in Idlib: - A central command headquarters of the terrorist organisation "Jabhat al-Nusra" in https://t.co/eNGUmeYSiP" / XNew Tab(50) Patrick Henningsen on X: "Lord help us - the notorious “White Helmets” agitprop theatre group is back in business. Looks like their production budget has been cut, not as many extras as usual on this scene…" / XFalse Flag Fail: How Syrian Civilians Derailed White Helmet 'Chemical' Stunt in Eastern Ghouta - 21st Century WireYou searched for white helmets - The Last American VagabondNew Tab(29) Rania Khalek on X: "Here are some supporters of the Syrian opposition in conversation with the Israeli Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee. One of them is heaping praise on him. This is the man who tweets our displacement orders before bombing our homes in Gaza and Lebanon. Painful to watch. https://t.co/EB5BHGvfTv" / XSyria's Rukban Now Little More Than a US-Controlled Concentration Camp - and the Pentagon Won't Let Refugees Leavegreater israel - Brave SearchFalse Flags: A Secret History of Al Qaeda - Watch Along and Q&A

3 notes · View notes

thesilliestrovingalive · 2 months ago

Text

I recently wondered what would happen if the Rebel Army abandoned their goal of global dominance in Metal Slug 3. I can almost imagine the Ptolemaic Army stepping in to fill the power vacuum and becoming the series' new main antagonist group. The Ptolemaic Army shares very few similarities with the Rebel Army, making them an ideal replacement, while introducing fresh elements to revitalise the franchise after the first three installments.

If the Ptolemaic Army fails to last long or fall short of their narrative role, the creators of Metal Slug would need to introduce a new, compelling force to become the main antagonist group. A friend of mine proposed that this new group could be a secret organisation or something like that.

The Amadeus Syndicate lacks the potential to become Metal Slug's new antagonist group. Their underwhelming presence and humiliating defeat in Metal Slug 4 make them less compelling when compared to the Rebel Army and Ptolemaic Army. However, if reworked and revamped, the Amadeus Syndicate could fulfill the role of being a formidable and intriguing antagonist for the other games.

#metal slug #snk #gaming community #rebel army #ptolemaic army #amadeus syndicate #my thoughts #introspection

4 notes · View notes

skylarstark4826 · 1 year ago

Text

Seventh-year Potions was proceeding as normal, meaning that Professor Snape was walking amongst the students with a disapproving scowl on his face while said students did their best not to screw up. It was working quite well. Even Neville was relatively calm, feeling that the many tutoring sessions with Hermione were finally paying off and that his Sticking Solution would at last allow him to escape Snape’s classroom without extra homework. He checked the board again, then his book, making sure he put everything into the cauldron in the right order. His potion was bubbling happily, spurting pink sparks. Just like it was supposed to. He sighed a little in relief.

Severus Snape was walking through his classroom, feeling rather frustrated. The potion he’d assigned for today was relatively simple to make, but extremely easy to screw up all the same. As he’d told the class, the Sticking Solution was very potent, and once two things had come into contact with it, they were inseparable for a week, after which some of the stronger magical solvents could be attempted. As little as a single drop was enough to cause this effect, and since the potion was practically colourless, this usually allowed for some unusual accidents. For which he could give detentions. A lot of detentions. His supply cabinet needed organisation and filing, and he really did not want to perform such a dreary task himself. So far though, only Gregory Goyle had come through for him, and there was no chance in hell that he’d let that imbecile anywhere near his storeroom. The only reason the boy had even managed to get into NEWT Potions was a very substantial gift sent over by his father. It seemed the poor man was harbouring illusions that his son would be the next Nicholas Flamel, and as long as the “encouragement” kept coming, he wasn’t one to rob an old man of his dreams… In short, he’d sent the stupid boy back to his common room. It wasn’t like he’d be able to achieve much with the index finger of his wand arm lodged solidly in his right nostril, after all.

He walked over to peer into Longbottom’s cauldron, giving the boy his best glare and making his hand tremble as he added the last ingredient. He was very sad to admit (only to himself, of course) that the potion looked flawless. The irksome Miss Granger had undoubtedly been whispering advice in his ear again. Turning, he planned to stalk over to Harry Potter’s desk and bully him until he did something rash that would warrant detention. It wouldn’t be that hard, seeing as the boy had a temper like a minor volcano. Smirking, he took his first step when chaos broke out.

Neville’s cauldron gave a loud lurching sound and tipped forwards. Neville screamed and tried to catch it. Hermione Granger, sitting next to him, launched forwards to stop him from touching it. At that moment, however, Neville’s sense of self-preservation kicked in, and he jerked backwards, away from the rebelling cauldron. Hermione, who was throwing herself at the spot where he would have been, had he kept moving forwards, lost her balance completely and practically somersaulted over the desk with a panicked cry. Meanwhile, Snape had started to throw himself to the side, reflexes toned through his secret hobby (Pixie wrestling), when he saw Hermione fly through the air towards the floor out of the corner of his eye. And ignored it completely, rolling away from the potion.

A split moment later, he was back on his feet, looking around his classroom angrily. The offending cauldron was standing on Longbottom’s desk, someone having had the presence of mind to cast a Levitation Charm on it before it hit the floor or spilled its contents. Shooting a furious and yet disturbingly satisfied look at Neville, he announced in his silkiest voice, “Detention. Every day for a month.” He would have added a nasty comment about the boy’s utter incompetence had he not been interrupted by a wailing sound at his feet. Looking down, he saw Miss Granger lying there in a crumpled heap. He rolled his eyes.

“I trust you’ve learnt now why you shouldn’t act on your Gryffindor impulses at every turn, Miss Granger,” he said harshly, extending a hand to her. Wincing, she took it, and he pulled her to her feet. She kept the hold on his hand, and he shot her a questioning look, trying to pull away. He couldn’t. Meeting her eyes, he saw first bewilderment and then alarm. Both pulled. Nothing happened. They looked at each other again, and Snape was the first to articulate their mutual thought.

“Bloody hell!”

The classroom became even more disrupted as all the students came running from their desks to get a better look at what’d happened. A majority was hard-pressed to keep the laughter down as the scene played out before them.

“This can’t be happening!” Hermione begged frantically, tugging at her hand with all her might.

“Oh, but I think it is,” came Draco Malfoy’s gleeful voice from behind Neville’s desk. “I’m so sorry, Professor. I can’t imagine the horror of being stuck to that for a week.”

“A week!” Neville shrieked, looking like he was about to faint.

SHMOCK! Harry’s fist replied, connecting with Malfoy’s immaculate face.

Draco screamed, trying to block Harry’s furious punches.

“Mr Potter, detention!” Snape spat. “And you,” he rounded on Neville, tugging hard and making Hermione lose her balance. They both crashed to the floor where she landed on top of him and blushed bright red before rolling off his body. He glared at her. Then he got to his feet and looked around at the shocked students surrounding them. Someone had managed to break up Potter and Malfoy, who were now in the midst of issuing silent death threats to each other. He put on his severest scowl and faced the class.

“Twenty foot of parchment on every substance in this particular potion,” he growled. “Mr Longbottom, an additional 4 months worth of detentions, and I will make sure Filch is very creative.” He turned on Harry. “Mr Potter, one month of detentions for every punch you landed on Mr Malfoy. To be served with Professor Trelawney.” He smiled evilly at the shocked look on the boy’s face. “Oh, and Potter, do try to be nice to her.” The Slytherins sniggered as Harry visibly blanched. It was no secret that Professor Trelawney had a bit of a crush on the Boy Who Lived. There seemed to be a lot of ‘romantic adventures with a mysterious and spiritual woman’ in his future lately. Usually teamed with warnings of gruesome death were he to turn this ‘gift from the higher spheres’ away.

“Class dismissed,” Snape declared, making the spectators quickly vanish their potions and store away their cauldrons. Within a few minutes, the Potions professor and his best student were all alone in the classroom.

For quite some time, they just looked at each other, tugging weakly in deluded attempts to free themselves. Then practicality took over.

“There must be some way to solve this,” she said, pulling their hands towards her to study them. He stumbled with the tug.

“Unless you’re planning to invent a revolutionary solvent, the answer is ‘no’,” he answered, quite irritated.

“Then let’s.” She was looking up at him as though she’d just come up with a cure for Fire-breathing Chicken Pox.

“Let’s what?” he sneered.

“Let’s invent a new solvent, of course.”

“And how, pray tell, are we supposed to manage that, given that we are bloody glued together?” He could feel anger bubbling inside of him. She just scoffed.

“We still have two capable hands, don’t we? We’ll find a way.” He wanted to say something really nasty to that, but was interrupted by the door to his classroom swinging open and Dumbledore marching inside, a worried frown on his face.

“Ah, Severus, Miss Granger. I was told that we had a problem here.”

“Oh, no, everything’s just dandy,” Snape said in his most sarcastic voice, alternating his glares between Hermione and Dumbledore.

“Hrm, yes, well, I’m very sorry for both of you.”

“Really? And here I thought you’d be jumping with joy at me finally having found a girl who’ll stick with me,” Snape drawled. Dumbledore was starting to look annoyed.

“Really, Severus, that attitude will not help solve this problem. Now, how serious is it?”

“You want that on a scale from one to ten?” Dumbledore just looked at him, the blue eyes turning icy. “Well, unless Miss Know-it-all here comes through in her ambitions to find a new and revolutionary solvent, we’ll be stuck like this for a week.”

“A week?” Dumbledore looked slightly aghast, which pleased Snape, but then a different spark crossed his eyes, almost as though he was trying to suppress a laugh. “You know, that might not be a bad idea. Trying to invent a new potion, I mean. You’ll need to find something to do to occupy your time, after all, as you can hardly attend or teach classes in your present condition.” At this, both Hermione and Snape erupted like minor volcanoes.

“I’m not spending an entire week in seclusion with this… this student!”

“Professor, I have to go to class! I’m at the most important point of my academic career! The NEWTs will begin in a little less than two months! I can’t be absent for an entire week!”

“Oh, shut it, Miss Granger! It’s widely known at Hogwarts that you could have taken your NEWTs as early as your fifth year. I figure that the only reason you even bother coming to Potions is to show off your abilities,” Snape spat, turning on her.

“I’m not…!” she started hotly, but he cut her off.

“Oh, really? Then what could your reason possibly be? To ogle your professor perhaps?” He’d meant is as a sarcastic joke and a jibe at the way she’d so tellingly fawned over the nitwit Lockhart in her second year. He was therefore highly taken aback when she first just gaped at him and then blushed furiously, looking away. He just stared at her for what felt like a very long time, utterly incapable of processing what had just happened. He was jerked back to reality when Dumbledore cleared his throat.

“Hrm.” He eyed his Potions master with a serious look on his face. “Severus, despite these… ah… complications,” he smiled gently at Hermione, who didn’t meet his eye, “I hope I can trust you to handle this situation in a professional manner.” Snape just glared at him.

“I can assure you, Headmaster, that I have no desire whatsoever to do otherwise,” he said in a cold voice. “Now, if you’d excuse me, I have papers that need to be marked. Miss Granger, if you please…”

Dumbledore followed the pair with his eyes as they disappeared through the door to Snape’s private quarters. Oh, dear, he thought to himself before turning and walking back up to his office.

The day passed in mostly hostile silence. After having marched away from Dumbledore, Snape dragged Hermione into his work room, where he settled at his desk and started spitting instructions to his auto-quill in a truly vicious manner. Finding herself both embarrassed and completely ignored, Hermione had settled herself on a chair next to him and started reading her Transfiguration book. Five hours later, she finally looked up, registering how hungry she was. Snape had just finished trashing the last essay, and the auto-quill collapsed on the desk, sending out a small howl of exhaustion.

“Excuse me, sir.” He turned around and looked at her with an irritated frown.

“Yes, Miss Granger?”

“It’s just… I’m hungry, sir. I believe we’ve missed dinner.”

“Yes, and that was completely intentional. I’m not sitting in the Great Hall, in front of the entire school, with my hand embarrassingly glued to one of my students.”

“Then how—”

“I’ll have the house-elves send something from the kitchens,” he said simply. With that, he rose, pulling her with him, and walked through a corridor and into another room. Stopping in front of a big fireplace, he turned to face her again. “Any thoughts of what you might like for dinner?”

“I – um…” She suddenly couldn’t think about food anymore. She looked around the room in total shock. She’d expected something similar to the slightly depressing dungeon classroom, or even to his dark and slightly scary office. Just the thought that she was standing in Professor Snape’s bedroom had her shaking slightly in the knees. The fact that the bedroom was little more than a huge bed didn’t exactly help matters. She couldn’t help staring at the deep green, velvet hangings, the black coverlet and the silver cushions adorning the bed’s surface. Typically Slytherin, yet oddly attractive. She could feel herself being pulled towards it…

“Miss Granger!” Snape’s voice jerked her out of her trance, and she blushed profusely, realising that he’d just caught her staring at his bed in a very inappropriate way. She looked down at her feet, but suddenly felt a strong hand cupping her chin and lifting it to face him. She felt an odd shiver go down her spine at the contact.

“Let me make one thing absolutely clear,” Snape said in a dangerously soft voice. “I don’t know what sort of fantasies you’ve been having about me, and I don’t wish to be enlightened. Just because I’m stuck with you doesn’t mean that I’ll start treating you differently than I have for the past seven years, and I’m quite sure that by the end of this week, you will have forgotten whatever stupid weakness you harbour at the moment and gone back to hating me like a normal Gryffindor student. Now, what would you like for dinner?”

“J-Just soup and bread, please,” she answered, trying to pull herself together. Her skin still tingled from where his hand had touched her face, and she tried to repress it. She’d humiliated herself enough for one day.

The first major problem occurred three hours or so later.

“Erm, Professor, where am I going to sleep?” Hermione asked timidly, trying not to stare at the bed.

“One would have thought your allegedly formidable brain would have worked that out by now,” he drawled. When she didn’t answer, he rolled his eyes. “Naturally, since I have no wish to sleep standing, you’ll sleep in my bed. Now get ready.”

“But, sir, my things—”

“Are in the bathroom. Oh, do shut your mouth, girl. You act like you’ve never heard of magical transportation before,” he said exasperatedly and made way for the bathroom.

A few minutes later, they came out, and Snape started to undo the buttons at the front of his robes. Hermione’s eyes grew wide.

“Um, P-Professor, w-what are you doing?” she stammered, trying not to look at the skin that came into view as the robes fell apart.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” he said, his voice even.

“Um, undressing, but—”

“Which is what people usually do before going to sleep.” He turned to face her. “Do you have a problem with that, Miss Granger?”

“Um, n-no, sir. I just thought, I mean, that we might sleep like this, that’s all,” she half whispered, indicating her robes with her free hand.

“Seriously, Miss Granger, do you have any idea how uncomfortable it is to sleep in full robes? I’ve already told you that you have nothing to fear from me, and I’m certainly not going to let your sense of propriety deprive me of a good night’s sleep.” He eyed her intently, his eyes narrowing as he took in her slightly flushed cheeks and lowered eyes. “Unless,” he said silkily, “it’s yourself that you worry about. Afraid you’ll accost me in your sleep?” He was mocking her, and she felt like sinking through the ground. Mumbling something unintelligible, she crawled into bed and drew up the covers to her chin, trying hard not to notice the ripping sound that told her he’d found a way to remove his robes from the blocked arm, or the warm body that settled itself next to her a few seconds later.

Several hours later, she was still awake. He’d been right, it really was impossible to sleep in full robes. The material tangled itself around her every time she moved until she felt like she was being suffocated. Groaning, she moved her free hand to her throat, undoing the first couple of buttons. She immediately felt a hundred times better and quickly worked her way down, freeing her body. It was a bit awkward, seeing as she had to use her left hand rather than her right, but sheer determination kept her going. Finally, the last button popped free, and she shrugged the fabric off her shoulders. Not wanting to rip the robe like her professor had, she rolled it up as best she could and settled down to get some rest.

She was dreaming again, one of those highly inappropriate dreams she’d promised herself to stop having. She was in bed with Snape, curled up in his arms, one leg thrown casually over his hip. Her head was resting against his chest, and she was breathing in the scent of him, moving her cheek against the warm skin. His breathing was deep and regular, and one of his hands was massaging her lower back. She sighed. She knew it was a dream, and yet it felt so real… Moving closer against him, she pressed her lips to his chest.

He groaned.

The sound only urged her on, and her lips moved over his skin with more confidence. A voice at the back of her head told her to stop, to wake up and shake the dream, but somehow, she couldn’t quite make herself do it. The hand on her lower back slid upwards, tangling itself in her hair and pulling her up for a kiss. His lips moved over hers, slowly at first, then with more intensity as she put her arm around his neck and rubbed against him, vaguely registering the hardness now pressing against her thigh. His tongue came out to taste her, and she moaned into his mouth, encouraging him to deepen the kiss further…

Then everything came to a screeching halt.

The hand in her hair suddenly yanked her head backwards, and she jerked out of the dream. Opening her eyes, she met the black ones of her professor, glittering in a very unsettling way as he tugged harder at her hair, making her cry out in pain.

“Miss Granger, let go of my body, and I’ll let go of your hair.” Mortified, she realised that her left arm was curled intimately around his neck and that one of her thighs was keeping his hips captive. She immediately rolled away, as far as she could while still attached to his hand, that was.

“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know what I was doing,” she said, bowing her head.

“Really, now? Why is it that I don’t believe you?”

“I – I was asleep."

“How convenient. Next, you’ll be telling me that you were having some sort of erotic dream and that you simply did not realise that you were, in fact, groping one of your professors.”

“No.” Her voice was very quiet, and she didn’t turn to face him. “I just didn’t realise that it wasn’t a dream.”

Before he could say anything else, she tugged hard at his arm, desperately trying to escape from the bed. She nearly succeeded, managing to fall off the side and hitting the floor with a pained cry. Swearing loudly, he massaged his abused tendons before getting to his feet, extending his other hand to pull Hermione off the floor. Instead of reaching out, she just lay there, face against the bed curtains, trying, not too successfully, to hide the fact that tears were creeping down her face. He waited patiently for twenty seconds before tugging at the arm where they were joined together.

“Miss Granger, compose yourself,” he chided, actually trying not to sound overly intimidating for once (which was very difficult considering his current mood). “Get off the floor, and I am willing to forget that this embarrassing fiasco ever happened.”

She shook where she lay, pulling her legs tighter towards her, forming an anguished ball (he rolled his eyes) before finally, finally taking one deep breath after the other, calming down. After what seemed like an eternity, she stood on trembling legs and dried her eyes with a swift movement of her hand. She still wouldn’t face him.

“I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”

“Good.” Without another word, he strode towards the bathroom, clenching his teeth as the pain shot through his arm when she stumbled to follow him.

“What about daisy extract?” Slow puffs of purple smoke were rising from a cauldron in the middle of the room as Hermione Granger went through yet another book on magical plants.

“A splendid idea,” came the answer from a few feet away, where Severus Snape was grinding saffron with only one hand, “if you want to develop incurable boils on the back of your hands.”

“Orange blossom?”

“Non-stop vomiting for days on end.”

“Liquorice roots and vanilla?”

“Extra ears sprouting from under your chin. Very flattering.”

“The tail of a newt then, ground with peppermint?”

“You do realise that your grade is slipping with each inane suggestion, do you not?”

He could hardly contain his smirk as the silence stretched out between them. Moving to the side to stir the bubbling cauldron, he briefly inhaled some of the purple smoke. It seemed promising.

“Bring me the ground saffron and a gold ladle, please, Miss Granger,” he said, concentration written on his face as he added one counter-clockwise turn. He could almost feel her anticipation as she placed the fine powder in front of him on the working table. He stopped stirring the potion and added two pinches of the red powder to the cauldron, watching the potion turn a shade of ruby.

“There…”

With an ease that came of much practice, he dipped the gold ladle into the potion and withdrew a small amount, holding up their combined hands and letting a single drop fall where their palms joined together. Tugging gently, he slowly moved his hand away from hers, triumph gleaming in his eyes.

Until his hand stopped, irrevocably, two inches from Hermione’s slender fingers and then shot back as though attached to a rubber band. A not-so-silent oath escaped his lips.

“Ah, Severus, Miss Granger!” Dumbledore swiftly strode through the dungeon, coming towards them. “Tell me, is there any progress?”

A thousand witty and not-so-witty retorts crossed Severus’ mind before settling on a half-strangled, “I’m afraid not”.

“That’s a terrible shame, my friend,” Dumbledore responded, not sounding overly sorry. “Luckily, I’ve managed to find someone to take your classes on such short notice, so not to worry, not to worry.”

“Who?” It was a miracle, really, how it was actually possible to speak when grinding your teeth so ferociously.

“Horace Slughorn! Your old Head of House. I believe that he will do splendidly. Had to bribe him quite exuberantly to come of course, but once he learned that Harry was still in attendance and taking Potions, he agreed quite readily. Of course, he always did have a soft spot for his mother. Lily Evans was quite remarkable at Potions, as I remember.”

“Yes,” Snape managed to spit out through his rigid jaw. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, Headmaster, I have a problem to quite literally solve. Miss Granger, if you could be so kind as to hand me the scorpion’s tail?”

Turning his back to Albus Dumbledore, he vanished the ruby potion and started afresh.

“I - I’m sorry!”

Hermione’s words were muffled by the pillow she’d thrown herself into after realising that the warm, smooth skin of her professor’s neck against her lips was not a figment of her imagination.

A muttered oath came from the man next to her as he clenched his hands until the knuckles turned white and the nails bit into the skin of his palms. His mind was fighting for control, his anger boiling for having lost it at the pull of arousing dreams and soft skin against his. Thoroughly disgusted with himself and his current situation, he closed his eyes and turned inward, methodically turning his breathing back to normal and clearing his mind of inappropriate, tempting thoughts.

He didn’t speak to her as they awoke later in the morning, simply dragging her about his chambers, pretending she didn’t exist. Despite the warmth in the room, she felt chilled inside and tried to make herself as small as possible in the large chair where she was sitting. Trying to distract herself from her thoughts, she reached for the Daily Prophet on the side table, just to stare in shock at the headline covering most of the bottom of the front page.

Hogwarts Heartbreaker Strikes Again

Miss Hermione Granger (18), who three years ago caused quite a stir at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by toying with the feelings of two young men (sensitive and fragile Harry Potter – The Boy Who Lived – and internationally renowned Quidditch star Viktor Krum) is again giving evidence of questionable moral behaviour, writes Rita Skeeter, special correspondent. Having apparently grown bored with the boys her age, the devious Miss Granger is now setting her sights on the Hogwarts faculty. Sources claim that she’s been seen often in the company of a certain Severus Snape, Hogwarts Potions master (aged 38), and some say that she even shares his quarters. “She never leaves him alone,” seventh-year prefect Miss Pansy Parkinson tells the Daily Prophet. “On Monday, during class, she just threw herself at him. It’s pathetic really, how she clings to him.” Other students add that, since the affair came to light earlier this week, the suspected couple has been conspicuously absent, and the theory is that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, has sent them both away to keep the truth from coming out. Though not strictly illegal, a relationship of this kind is, of course, highly unethical, and one would hope that the Headmaster of one of Europe’s finest Wizarding schools would put Miss Granger’s insatiable lust for seduction under check, in order to protect the students and staff from her assaults, as well as to protect the school’s reputation…

“Bloody bitch! I knew I should never have let her out of that jar!” Hermione screamed, throwing the paper at the fireplace before abruptly getting to her feet. “Well, this time I won’t. Unless it’s to crush her under my shoe,” she half-snarled, marching towards her wand on the desk, only to be stopped by the immobile weight of her Potions professor.

“Accio newspaper.”

She watched as he retrieved the newspaper from the edge of the flames and quickly scanned the article, eyes hardening with every word.

“Are you quite content?” His voice was very quiet, but every syllable so crisp they stung her skin.

“Wh-what?”

He didn’t face her, staring hard into the fire, the newspaper crushed in one of his hands.

“You have made a spectacle out of me and forever destroyed my reputation in this world.” His expression was stony, closed off and forbidding. “I would order you out of my sight, except for the fact that you’re bloody stuck to me!”

“Sir, I –”

“Not a word, Miss Granger.”

Tears of frustration pooling in her eyes, she fell down into her chair again, her shoulders slumped in resignation.

“Miss Granger, please get up and follow me.”

The crisp tones jerked her awake from the exhausted rest she’d accidentally found over her desk, her cheek smudged with ink from the parchment before her. She staggered to her feet and obeyed the pull on her right arm. He moved them swiftly across the floor into his private quarters, leading the way towards the bathroom.

Sighing, she prepared herself for the awkward situation of standing glued to the outside wall, her arm stretched painfully through a small hole that had been charmed on the door to keep the privacy when “attending to one’s affairs” (as her professor called it). Even with a handy Muffliato from the person inside to take away all sound, there was just no getting away from the acute sense of wrongness that she felt at sharing this very personal matter with Severus Snape. She therefore was very much surprised when he didn’t guide their hands through the hole in the door and slam it closed, but pulled her into the bathroom with him.

“Um – Professor, what are we doing in here?” she asked, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.

“It’s quite simple, Miss Granger,” he answered in even tones. “I have been working tirelessly in the lab for four days on end and feel positively grisly. I intend to take a shower. And I think you should take one too.”

She couldn’t stop the small yelp from escaping as her mind started to spin. She too felt like a shower was terribly overdue, but still… Pictures of the two of them writhing naked against each other under the spray of hot water immediately surfaced in her mind and flushed her face. Surely, he couldn’t mean…?

“No, Miss Granger,” he answered smoothly, as though he’d been able to read her thoughts with perfect clarity, “I do not intend to turn the task of taking care of my sanitary needs into a rose-coloured encounter inspired by the latest romance novel! I know that rumour has it that I never set foot in a shower, never mind even own a bottle of shampoo, but since you have at least somewhat higher brain capacity than the people you socialise with, I trust that you already knew that this rumour was just that. Now get in the shower.”

“But, sir, how…?”

“Miss Granger, my patience is waning. I have had a very long day – a very long week actually – and I want to take a long, hot shower and clear my mind of this insane situation we are in. I do not want to stand here and argue with you.”

“I just –"

“For heavens sake!” He turned abruptly and dragged her over to the alcove occupied by a dimly lit shower, easily large enough for two people. “Get in.” Hesitantly, she opened the glass door and stepped inside, looking up at her professor with eyes that spoke of apprehension as he followed her.

“Thank you.” With a wave of his wand, a second glass was erected between them, leaving the same kind of hole for their hands that had previously been charmed onto the bathroom door. “Now, perform a Muffliatoaround yourself.” She obeyed once again, and he nodded in approval.

“Vaporio!”

Steam exited from the tip of his wand and attached itself to the shower walls. After a few seconds, she found herself in a steam-filled cocoon, unable to see either her professor or the rest of the bathroom. Looking around, she saw a small shelf with various shower gels and shampoo bottles and started to relax. Noting that she no longer heard any movement or sound from the other side of the wall, she realised that Snape must have also performed some sort of Silencing Charm. Though still acutely aware of his presence and the fact that he was, most likely, removing all his clothes just a few feet away from her, she managed to get her fingers to stop trembling for long enough to remove her robes and undergarments and hang them on a hook on the alcove wall. A second later, warm water was falling from the double showerhead above, soaking her. Closing her eyes, she turned her face to the spray, pure enjoyment filling her body as the water washed over her.

She remained immobile for quite some time, just letting the water fall, clearing her mind of all thoughts and washing dirt and sweat off her body. She felt stronger, cleansed and able to get through the next few days before she could go back to her own room and attempt to heal the bruises on her ego. She needed her peace of mind back if she were to get through the NEWTs, and wounded pride because the man she fancied did not want to get involved with her wouldn’t help. Sighing, she reached for the shampoo and began cleaning her hair as best she could with only her left hand to help her.

She was just at the end of rinsing the last of the conditioner from her long curls as she felt herself being pulled gently towards the glass barrier which separated her from her professor, and forced her to hunch down as her arm was turned in an unnatural angle. Moving closer, she sensed movement on the other side, and a bottle of some sort being put awkwardly between her fingers and the ones attached to them. A small shock went through her as she felt the hands turn, squeezing the bottle and letting it drop to the floor after fumbling with the cap. The next moment, her hand was touching wet hair, following the one attached to it mindlessly as it worked the shampoo into the dark strands and scalp of the man behind the glass. Closing her eyes, she tried her best to remain focused, to think about something else than the silky feeling of his hair tangled around her fingers, or the feeling of his skin as she brushed across his cheek or neck. She tried not to think about how he must look, on his knees (most likely, considering the position of her arm) and only inches away from her where she pressed against the glass. A shiver went through her, and she leaned her forehead against the barrier, biting her lip in agony as her mind spiralled into overdrive, every fantasy she’d had in the past few months coming into sharper focus with help of the sensory memories of the past few days. The position of her arm relaxed, and she realised that he must have finished with his hair and got to his feet without her noticing.

Suddenly, she felt his fingers touch her arm, and instinctively jerked, wincing slightly as she hit the upper part of the hole in the glass. With a firm grip of her hand, he started to lather her arm with soap, his fingers trailing across her sensitive skin. Feeling her body tighten in response, she let out a small moan of frustration, damning, for the thousandth time, the stupid crush that made her so weak where this particular man was concerned. As abruptly as it had begun, the washing was over, and she straightened up and took a trembling step back from the glass, trying to get her breathing to return to normal.

It hitched in her throat when she realised that the area where she’d rested her forehead was now clear of steam and showed a very clear view of the lower part of her professor’s stomach.

She watched, mesmerised, as water trailed down the taut skin, following the thin line of dark hair which continued out of view. Without realising it, her shaking hand touched the glass, wiping at the steam. Nothing happened, and she wondered if she had somehow, unconsciously, performed magic when trying to abate the rushing arousal that came from touching him before. Then, a hand came into view, stroking the skin of the flat abdomen firmly before slipping downward, exiting her range of vision. She watched the muscles in his stomach clench and unclench as the part of the arm she could still see moved rhythmically along his body. She bit back down on her lip as her mind constructed vivid images of the missing parts of the scene, showing his hand wrapped around his hard length, stroking it back and forth as his breathing grew more shallow and his face relaxed and opened with pleasure. Without thinking, her free hand found one of her breasts, and she moaned in relief as pleasure surged through her and her nipples tightened almost painfully at the touch. Not being able to keep her eyes away from the erotic scene on the other side of the glass - her mind doing an incredibly fine job of showing her what the steamy barrier couldn’t – she lost herself in the combined pleasure of the warm water and her left hand moving over her aching body.

Severus Snape stepped out of the shower, feeling thoroughly invigorated and pleasantly relaxed. Pulling Hermione with him, he moved to sit in front of the fireplace, placing an order for the evening meal to be served. Leaning back comfortably in his chair, he picked up his research notes and started to tackle the problem of finding a new solvent for the Sticking Solution with a fresh mind. His eye wandered briefly to his student where she sat in the next chair, staring into space. The fire was reflected in the damp curls around her face, and he felt a surprising pang of sympathy for her part in their situation. The anger that he’d felt towards her over the week – anger that she should so invade his privacy and make him lose control (albeit subconsciously) of his reactions when he was asleep and vulnerable to the inclinations of his body – lessened now that his body was relaxed and his mind free of its urges. Reaching out, he caught the tray of food that had just appeared out of the fire and set it on the small table between them. A good meal and a night of uninterrupted sleep, and he’d be ready to get back to work in the morning. A small smile formed at the corner of his mouth as he moved in on the food.

“Miss Granger, if you continue to exercise so little control over your teenage hormones, I shall be forced to tie your wrists to my bedposts – except I keep getting the revolting suspicion that you might enjoy that too much. Remove. Your. Hand.”

Wide-eyed and half in shock, Hermione pulled her hand away, mortified by the exploration it had undertaken in the semi-unconscious state between sleep and wakefulness. She could still feel the impossibly smooth skin under her fingers, the contradictory hardness beneath and the twisting, jerking movements against her palm. Flashes from the scene in the shower from the day before penetrated her mind, and she quickly turned, hiding her burning face in her pillow, trying to block out his scathing comments as well as the fuming voice, which she found didn’t help matters at all.

“Do you want some of the potion?”

They had worked the day away in silence, each boiling with anger and frustration. Two cauldrons simmered serenely on the working table.

“How come you are convinced that this one will work when the others haven’t?”

“It’s not an attempt at a solvent, Professor,” she said softly. “It’s a Sleeping Potion.” She looked up at him for the first time since they had locked eyes this morning. “I’m afraid I can’t turn the clock back, but I can try to make things a little easier by giving you a night of peaceful sleep.” Her voice faltered for a second before she continued, “I’m afraid that as far as the solvent is concerned, I’m quite out of ideas, sir.”

Looking around the room, about thirty cauldrons filled the working space. Each and every attempt so far had been a failure. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and tried to bridle his frustration.

“Take your potion. We’re going to bed. Since this day seems to bring me nothing but torment, I might as well end it.” She held up a small flask to him, into which she’d decanted her potion, but he shook his head. “I have no problem sleeping as long as you let me be, I assure you. Now come to bed.”

Funny how those four words had been such a strong part of her most secret fantasies, she mused, following him, still hand in hand. The reality of him, and his words, had managed to rip away any rosy filters she might have had and replaced them with harshness. He was too prickly, too blunt, too brutal to hold the allure of romantic hope. Still, her fingers burned where he touched them.

Walking into the bedroom, she grasped the flask resolutely and downed the Sleeping Potion.

He awoke from a jumble of erotic dreams to find himself impossibly hard and her on top of him, kissing and licking his stomach, moving downwards. With a flash of panic, he realised that somehow, they were both completely naked. Twisting desperately, he managed to roll her on her back and pin her treacherous hands down above her head, trying to keep out of physical contact. Shaking her hard, he prepared to fix her with a stare and coldly tell her that her luck was out and that she would be spending the rest of the week on the floor. She didn’t wake up, however, but twisted in his arms, arching against him, moaning softly in her sleep as she struggled to get closer.

He pinched her, shook her and slapped her lightly on the cheek, said her name over and over, in a voice that lost more and more of its icy control. She still didn’t wake, but fought against him, kissing whatever skin she managed to reach and mumbling incoherent words of desire and wanting while moving with him on the large bed. In sleep, she lost the insecurity and self-doubt that he had glimpsed over the past few days. She fought against him, not to get away, but to get closer. He felt his control slipping dangerously with every touch and cursed his current situation.

The potion – it had to be the potion – was keeping her from waking up and was allowing her dreams full reign of her body. He went through all known Sleeping Potions in his mind as he tried to peel her hands and mouth off him without causing any physical harm. There was the Dreamless Sleep of course, which was out of the question since the chit was clearly dreaming; the Deep Sleep, which would have rendered her comatose and unable to move, no matter her dreams; the Enchanted Sleep, which… He suddenly jerked away, panting hard. Her hand had managed to snake its way down his body and closed around his pulsing flesh, stroking him. A groan escaped him as he managed to tear the hand away, only to be faced with the reality of her soft, wet lips as her mouth managed to close in on what her hand has just evacuated. His head swam as he tried to make sense of what was happening to him, breathing harshly as he struggled against the impulses of his body to lose his free hand in her curls and just enjoy her ministrations. His body ached and pulsated and her lips seemed to both torment and relieve him, rendering him totally incapable of coherent thought. With a last explosion of willpower, he managed to pull out of her wet mouth and roll them over, effectively pinning her down with his body.

Only to realise that he was now flush against her smooth skin, rubbing against wet heat and being effectively trapped as she wrapped her legs around him and attacked his neck with urgent kisses, begging him to come closer still.

She was walking down the path to the greenhouses with Harry and Ron, only to find a door there which normally belonged to the Charms classroom. She turned to Harry to ask if he didn’t think that this was peculiar, when Harry suddenly turned away and ran off to greet Hagrid, who came towards them, riding baby dragon Norbert (which seemed normal, in spite of the book suddenly in her hand, which said that it was absolutely impossible for a wizard or witch ever to ride a dragon). While staring at the dragon, Ron morphed into Luna on the other side of her, asking if she wanted to pet her thestral.

The dream changed…

She was in Snape’s office, working on a potion, her back aching from having been hunched over her cauldron for too long. Suddenly, he was against her back, his breath hot in her ear as he pressed himself against her, hands coming around to caress her belly. She turned in his arms, and he kissed her hungrily, lifting her up on a nearby desk and attacking her neck with his lips and tongue. Without even being aware of her own actions, she raised her wand (which was suddenly, and with no logical explanation, in her hand) and vanished both their clothes. The sensations intensified, and the kisses grew hungrier as they moved against each other, changing places and positions like clouds of smoke on a windy day. She was on her knees kissing her way down his stomach; he was pushing her roughly against the wall of the greenhouse, where she felt the stinging slap of a nearby Devil’s Snare; the two of them were rolling around on the Quidditch field, caressing, teasing, panting from excitement and effort; she was lying down, her back against the soft sheets of his bed, her legs tightly wrapped around his back as she felt him enter her, filling her body and making her moan loudly with pleasure before covering her mouth with nearly desperate kisses…

He was lost. Lost in her soft, pliant body which rocked and arched against him, lost in her wet kisses and the way her breasts pressed into his chest. He was lost in the way she moaned his name, lost in the way she moaned her desire for him, begging him to take her harder – lost in the way she whispered his name like a thing of satin and gold in his ear.

His mind had left him when his hardness came into direct contact with her wet opening, which seemed to draw him in. Plunging into her, there was no mind, only instinct and age-old pleasure surging through his body. A red haze seemed to cover everything that was thought other than registering the growing sensations in his body and the girl’s wild responses to his touch.

Surging forward again and again, he heard the breath catch in her throat and captured her moan with his mouth as he felt her come around him. He felt the sensation multiply, as it seemed to turn into a cycle of fire, fanning itself to new eruptions with each rise of flames. Shuddering, he jerked his head back, closing his eyes in rapture as he came deep within her.

Feeling his arms shake, his body near collapse, he fell down next to her, pulling her with him to keep the physical connexion. With uneven breaths, he filled his lungs with air and opened his eyes.

Hermione’s face was only inches away, her eyes open and filled with fear and confusion.

The full weight of the implications of what had just happened hit him, and he felt pure, undiluted fear for the first time since the days of the Dark Lord. Would she accuse him of sexual misconduct? Gossip to Potter and Weasley about him? Force him to marry her and have a hundred billion children with his nose and her hair? A thousand scenarios arose before his mind’s eye, growing steadily more gruesome…

And then, she kissed him. Softly, shyly almost, as though touching him for the first time. Sheer surprise stopped him from responding at first, and when the shock left him, he joined her in the careful exploration, very aware of how thin and brittle the ice was where they trod.

He felt a small smile on her lips as they left his, and without a single word she simply laid her head down close to his chest and grew still. Feeling slightly awkward, he draped his free arm around her waist and held her to him. Sooner or later, there would be music to face, but thankfully, it didn’t seem as though this was the moment.

Relaxing his muscles, he allowed his sated body to lull his mind back to sleep.

#Severus Snape #Hermione Granger #Severus and Hermione #Sevmione #severus x hermione #hermione x severus #snamione #hermione x snape

8 notes · View notes