#Imelda Reyes x reader x poppy sweeting

[crimsonedquill]

Two Snakes And A Badger: Chapter II

Pairing: Imelda Reyes x f!MC x Poppy Sweeting (!)

Summary: Feelings are confessed. New beginnings are made. Also, Imelda and MC find about Poppy's kink.

Word count: 12.5k

Content warning: NSFW (18+). Minors DNI. Smut, cunnilingus, fingering, face sitting, dom!Imelda, voyeurism, fluff, lots of feels, sprinkles of angst, fessing up about feelings, Sebastian being a good friend, disaster lesbians in love

Link to Chapter I

A/N: Well, here it is after another month of blood and sweat! I originally meant for this to be like a 3-parter but with the way I've been changing my mind and expanding things during writing it might likely turn out to be four, lol

Also I love these three so much my heart is soft for them

Well, for lack of a better word, this was quite the fuck-up.

You were honestly quite impressed at your talent for destruction. In the span of a mere night, you’d hurt the two persons closest to your heart, leading them both to decide they wanted nothing to do with you for the foreseeable future. And truthfully, you would have been just as likely to do the same in their position. As much as you would have liked to think that the alcohol had made you say all those things on that clusterfuck of a night, deep down you knew the Firewhisky had only brought out what had already been buried deep inside you. All of the fear, the shame, the anger you had felt once Poppy had opened up about how she really felt about you – it was all original. Ugly, but original.

Not that admitting as much made you feel any better. In fact, you weren’t really sure how to feel at all. The more time you spent trying to make sense of your emotions, the more it felt like you were trapping yourself in a web of your own doubts, not able to decide what was real and what wasn’t. Take Poppy, for one – you felt an arse for kicking her down in that moment of vulnerability, but you knew you couldn’t allow yourself to feel the same way as she did, not as your relationship with Imelda was on the verge of blossoming in something… more, something more eternal. You just couldn’t flat-out admit that your feelings had never been entirely devoted to her, knowing that she had made such a major sacrifice of her own by confronting her fears – it would make it all amount to some deceiving betrayal.

Though, of course, the mixed signals your fellow Slytherin was sending made you question that as well. As bad as it was, part of you was still inclined to believe that her keenness on outing Poppy had been a relapse to her old ways. But then again, you didn’t really understand what she’d been after. Had she meant it as a mere jest to embarrass the both of you? Or was there something more sinister behind it?

Too many questions, too few answers. But you knew at least one thing for certain – you weren’t about to throw away two of your most treasured relationships over your own stupidity.

––

You decided to wait a week or two to let the dust settle and gather your bearings before you went to seek out Poppy first. It wasn’t necessarily that you thought she deserved it more than Imelda – Merlin knew you’d hurt them both equally badly – but you figured she’d at least be more receptive to an apology. Besides, on top of your unintentional cruelty, she definitely didn’t deserve to be the victim of whatever was going on between you and your girlfriend.

The problem, of course, was that Poppy didn’t exactly turn out to be as forgiving as you had hoped.

The first time you tried to talk to her was after Beasts class. You were no longer sitting together, and she made every effort to ignore your presence as long as you were in the same room, but at least she was still showing up. So as soon as Professor Howin dismissed the class, you hurried to hand in your assignment and went after her, only to promptly come face to face with Adelaide Oakes as she stepped into your way.

“Hello, MC,” she said with a steely smile, radiating everything but friendliness.

“Uh, hello, Adelaide,” you replied, shifting uncertainly on your feet. “How – uhm, how are you?”

“Oh, I’m quite all right. Not sure if I can say the same of you. You seem a bit stressed, if you don’t mind me saying.”

You resisted the urge to come up with a retort, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath before proceeding: “Yeah, uh, look, I was actually hoping to speak to Poppy –”

“She’s not here.”

Oh, you already started to understand what this was about. Some vulture coming to see if the rumours were true, no doubt. You wondered how much Poppy had told her. She’d never been one to rely on her housemates very often, much less engage in gossip, but if she had returned to her dorm in tears that night –

“I know I just saw her,” you said. “If I could just have a word –”

Adelaide shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a very good idea. She doesn’t want to speak to you at the moment.”

“I understand, but if I could explain –”

“There’s nothing to explain, because she doesn’t want to talk to you. Were you not listening just now?”

Fucking hell. You knew a thing or two about badger loyalty, but clearly you had underestimated the intensity of these people.

“Look, frankly I don’t think it’s any of your business –“ you began, but she quickly cut you off. “And that’s where you’re wrong. I may not exactly know what transpired between you two, but I know you’ve hurt her, and as far as I’m concerned that’s enough reason for me to tell you to get lost. Maybe she’ll decide to talk to you when she feels ready. But if I were you, I wouldn’t count on it.”

You could feel the stares of other students beginning to fixate on the two of you. You briefly contemplated persisting, though you quickly realised that making a scene in front of everyone probably wasn’t going to improve your chances. Deciding to give in, you let out a sigh. “All right. Just… could you tell her that I was looking for her?”

Her face told you very clearly to fuck off, but to her credit, her actual response was at least somewhat more measured. “I’ll think about it,” she said.

“Thank you.”

She didn’t say another word as she left. You sighed before quickly making your own escape, not particularly keen on treating everyone to any more of a spectacle than they’d already been given.

You decided to wait a couple of more days to see if Poppy would change her mind about seeing you. However, after it became obvious to you that wasn’t going to happen, you pivoted to making another attempt of your own, trying to catch her by herself while she was tending to the school beasts.

Making your way down to the pens, you noticed a familiar feathery head sticking out behind the fences. You carefully approached the Hippogriff, putting up your hand to greet her. “Hello, Highwing –”

Highwing turned towards you, amber eyes seeming to bore into your soul. For a minute, you were struck by the imminent fear that the creature was about to charge you… but then she promptly turned around, letting out a sound that sounded suspiciously much like a snort.

“Guess I deserved that,” you sighed.

Looking around, you searched for the Hufflepuff between the clusters of Puffskeins, Diricawls and Jobberknolls. Just as you began to wonder if you’d missed your chance, you spotted her, kneeling next to the Kneazle pen. You took a deep breath to steady yourself and clutched the strap of your bag, walking over to the small figure.

“Poppy, hello –”

The Hufflepuff jumped up, eyes briefly widening before she turned her head away from you. “MC,” she said, her voice flat. “What are you doing here?”

You took a step forward, taking the fact that she wasn’t immediately trying to run away as a good sign. “I was hoping to speak to you. I tried finding you the other day, but –”

“I know. Now is not really a good time, I’m busy.”

She picked up a bucket and started towards one of the other pens, still not meeting your eyes. It pained you to hear the hurt still so raw and fresh in her voice, though you followed her all the same, determined to make your case to her. “Look, I just want to talk about what happened. Can you at least hear me out?”

She didn’t answer, but at least she wasn’t saying no either. After a few seconds of silence, you thought you saw just the faintest hint of a small nod, so you went ahead, “I’m really sorry for what happened. It wasn’t fair of Imelda to take advantage of your feelings like that, and it wasn’t fair of me to respond the way I did, and… I just really regret that you got caught in the middle of it all.”

Poppy remained silent, pondering your words. Then came her answer, cold and plain, “That’s all you wanted to say?”

Ouch. Not good. “You have absolutely every right to be upset. If I had just known how you truly felt –”

“Would that have made any difference at all?” Her voice grew sharper, pain turning to anger. “Tell me, MC, would you have reacted any differently?”

“Of course I would have. If you had just told me, I would have been more understanding about it – we could have figured it out together –”

“But you wouldn’t have told me you felt the same way.”

It wasn’t so much a realisation as it was a condemnation. Even though you had expected things to eventually come to this, you still found yourself thrown off balance, struggling to say something that wouldn’t tear the wound even more.

“Poppy, you know how much I care about our friendship – about you… I always have and I always will, but… the truth is that I don’t feel the same way as you do. And you deserve better than for me to lie about that –”

“Oh, do I?”

Her voice was starting to crack now, straining under the weight of her own emotions. She threw the bucket down and kneeled, turning her back to you as she began filling it with seeds.

“If you’re so keen on being honest, then indulge me and tell me what really happened on that night we brought back the Unicorn. Or shall we simply continue to pretend that never happened?”

“No, not at all, but –”

You hesitated, knowing you were treading on thin ice. “I just… I don’t think we should blow that out of proportion. We both know we were acting in the excitement of the moment.”

“Right. Of course.”

She rose and finally turned around to face you. Your heart shattered at the sight of the streaks on her delicate features, redness bleeding into the corners of her eyes.

“I think it would be best if we stopped seeing each other for a while,” she said.

“Poppy –” you tried rather pathetically, but she shook her head. “I wish to forgive you, MC, truly. But… you’ve hurt me, and I’m not certain an apology will do anything to fix that. I think… I’m going to need some time to trust you again.”

You felt tears of your own burning as you heard her confession, only now realising the true extent of your actions, realising how deep the knife had cut. There was a part of you that wanted to resist, to kneel before her and beg her for forgiveness, but you also knew that this wasn’t your decision to make.

“All right,” you said after what felt like an eternity, swallowing back a sob. “I hope, in time, we can be friends again.”

Dear Merlin, please let it be, you added in your head.

––

So, safe to say that Poppy was a bust, or a very tentative maybe at best. It wasn’t anything less than you deserved, you figured, although you weren’t feeling any more confident as far as Imelda was concerned – perhaps even the opposite. Still, you had no intention of delaying the confrontation any further. You had already wasted enough time feeling sorry for yourself, and besides, you assumed that if your relationship had ever truly meant something, surely she would at least be willing to hear you out.

Or so you hoped.

––

“Fuck off.”

Well, that was probably the best reaction you could’ve gotten.

You were closely following behind Imelda, trying to keep up with her as she marched across the field towards the training rooms. Thankfully she had been too preoccupied with chewing out the Beaters to see you approach, though she had wasted no time in turning around and walking away as soon as she’d laid her eyes on you.

“Come on Imelda,” you pleaded with her, “I just want to talk –”

“Ain’t nothing to talk about. You’re a bitch, end of story. Now get lost, before I hex you.”

Deciding to go out on a limb and assume she wouldn’t actually turn you into a frog, you pursued her into the changing room. “Please, you know I wasn’t myself that night. None of us were. I didn’t mean any of the things I said –”

“Great,” she scoffed, taking off her arm pads and throwing them in the corner. “Am I supposed to feel better now?”

“No, I just… I’d hate for the good thing we had to be ruined by some stupid shit I said when I was drunk. I know what happened wasn’t your fault, and I never meant to imply that it was.”

Imelda fell silent for a moment. You watched her as she let her flying robe slip off her shoulders, wrapping it up and throwing it on one of the benches. “Have you spoken to Poppy yet?”

“I have,” you nodded. “I tried to be honest with her – I told her that I felt really bad for dismissing her feelings like that and I was sorry that she got caught between us –”

“Us?” Imelda snorted. “What, so you mean to say it’s my fault after all?”

“No, no one’s to blame. It was all a stupid jest that spun out of control, and I panicked, and I obviously said a lot of things I shouldn’t have. So, will you be able to forgive me?”

The Slytherin turned towards you, crossing her arms in front of her chest. You wished you had a better read on the expression on her face; she didn’t seem too angry, but you were also intimately familiar with her affinity for holding grudges, and you doubted it would be as simple as smoothing it all over with a few words.

“I don’t think I’m the one you should be apologising to,” she said.

“I tried. She said she wasn’t sure and that she needed more time –”

“That’s not what I meant.”

You furrowed your brow, confusion overtaking you. Imelda let out a sigh. “Look, MC, I’m not some spiteful bitch looking for a grudge to keep, okay? I know you didn’t mean the things you said. But you’ve got some things to figure out, and it’s not going to do you any favours if I just forgive you and pretend everything’s fine and dandy.”

“But my mind is clear,” you persisted. “I love you, Mel.”

To your surprise, she walked up to you and placed her hands on your shoulders. “I know,” she said. “And that’s why I’m telling you to stop fucking about and start being honest with yourself. Maybe, once your head’s in the right place, we can talk.”

You saw her dark eyes scanning your features, as if she was trying to read your thoughts, perhaps sensing the storm wreaking havoc inside. It was funny how, after all, you were still trying so hard to deny the obvious – maintaining that you were fine, that you had never seen things more clearly. Though, deep down, you knew Imelda had planted a little seed of doubt – the humble beginnings of salvation.

––

Thoughts, thoughts, so many thoughts. You were battling a fierce enemy right inside your own mind, and the worst thing was that you had no idea how to win. You would have preferred some infamous Dark wizard or perhaps an ugly forest troll; they were also a pain in the arse to deal with, but at least you could dispose of them with spells or potions. There was no real strategy to what you were doing, and most of the time it just left you more tired and frustrated.

Of course, you tried to be honest with yourself, like Imelda had told you to. The issue being that you didn’t know what that even meant. Had there actually been more to that kiss than you’d cared to admit? And if that was true, did that also mean that you truly cared about Poppy in more ways than friendship? Did Imelda want you to admit as much? Did she want to hear it from your mouth – did she want you to make a choice?

Quite frankly, that thought scared you more than anything. The more and more you thought about it, the more it made sense; she had always valued honesty, and in light of the things she had confessed to you, you figured she wouldn’t want to commit her life to you when your own heart wasn’t fully in it. However, you also realised that if you were to declare your undivided devotion to her, you’d inevitably end up hurting Poppy even more. The idea of breaking the heart of your best friend and likely losing her seemed to weigh on you the heaviest; knowing how much you had meant to her over the years, knowing the role you had played as the first real human connection she’d formed at school… you just couldn’t bring yourself to even contemplate it.

All in all, you didn’t have the faintest clue what to do. Which perhaps wouldn’t even have been half as bad if all the fretting wasn’t starting to take its physical toll on you as well. More and more often you would find yourself losing attention in class, only to be told off by Professors who demanded to know what was wrong with you, forcing you to come up with a load of excuses you couldn’t possibly keep track of. Even out of class you tended to avoid your housemates, mostly holing up in your dorm or your Room of Requirement. The nights were by far the worst; seemingly endless hours during which you would lie awake, fears and doubts plaguing your mind, shattering any hope of quiet dreams.

Perhaps you shouldn’t have been surprised that others were beginning to take note.

––

Staring groggily at the pages of your Astronomy manual, you were largely tuned out of everything happening around you, completely focused on trying to keep your eyelids from falling shut. You’d picked out a silent corner of the library just to be safe, though you still felt Scribner watching you like a hawk, just waiting for the moment you fell asleep. Flipping a page, you shielded your mouth with your hand as you let out a big yawn, failing to notice the brown-haired boy approaching you.

“Why hello sunshine,” Sebastian greeted you with a cheeky grin, smacking down a big tome next to you on the table. “Who took a piss in your breakfast this morning?”

“Fuck off Sallow, I’m not in the mood.”

Of course, he simply ignored you and pulled up a chair, plopping down with a chuckle. “Yeah, I can tell. Then again, you’ve been walking around with your knickers in a twist all week. Something happen?”

“Nothing that’s in any way your concern,” you scoffed.

Sebastian shrugged. “Fair enough. I’m just poking my nose around anyway. Saw Imelda the other week and she seemed even more narky than usual, so I assumed something was going on between you two.”

You sighed deeply, letting your head fall to the table. As much as you really didn’t feel like talking to Sebastian right now, part of you wondered what good rotting in your own self-pity would do. And you had to admit that in any case it beat sharing your feelings with Peeves.

“I don’t know, Sebastian,” you sighed. “I think I really messed up this time.”

“Lucky for you, I may be considered something of an expert in that area,” Sebastian replied. “Come, tell old Seb what’s tormenting your poor little soul.”

You might as well have shouted it from the rooftops, though at any rate, you didn’t have much to lose at this point anyway. So you told him everything, from the kiss to your drunken fuck-up and all that had come after. To his credit, Sebastian refrained from making quips, only listening patiently until you were done, leaning in his chair as you finished.

“Well then,” he said after a couple of minutes of silence, “quite the predicament you seem to be finding yourself in.”

“Right,” you sighed. “Didn’t really need your help to understand that, though.”

He shrugged. “At least you’re finally honest about how you feel. You do care about Sweeting as more than a friend, right?”

“Obviously, but that still doesn’t help me.”

“Perhaps not. Perhaps it makes all the difference in the world. You’re so set on making this choice that you aren’t even stopping to wonder whether it’s the choice you should be making.”

You stared at him, trying to figure out whether he was pulling your leg. He didn’t sound like he was joking, but then again, you didn’t know what he was driving at either.

“Look, I won’t try and pretend like I understand everything that’s going on between you three. I’m a man of simple tastes, after all. But I’ve known Imelda since first year, and I can pretty much assure you this is not about jealousy. Or would you truly take her for someone who would waste her time orchestrating a vindictive revenge plot when she could just as easily tell you to get fucked?”

No, truthfully, that didn’t sound like Imelda at all. Furthermore, you now also realised, she had never made any attempt to get in the way of your friendship with Poppy developing into something more – in fact, you were pretty sure she had been encouraging it.

Sebastian chuckled. “See, now you’re catching on. Woman may be a marvel on a broom, but we both know she doesn’t handle emotions well. Getting the three of you together in a room and lowering some inhibitions on the other hand –”

Of course.  The first thing Imelda had asked when you’d gone to see her was if you had made things right with Poppy. Not herself, Poppy. Had she been hoping for some kind of informal arrangement? Or had she intended for you three to grow into something more serious?

“Merlin,” you cursed, “I can’t even –”

Sebastian gave you a smile. “Look, I’d say the best thing you could do right now is to be honest with yourself. Ask what you really want. As soon as you’re certain, go talk to them.”

It was so sensible. So far you had been so hung up on Poppy’s and Imelda’s intentions that you hadn’t given a second of thought to what you wanted. Perhaps you didn’t want to choose between the two of them. Perhaps you wanted something else.

“How come you know so much about this stuff anyway?” you asked, turning to Sebastian with a frown on your face.

He gave a nonchalant shrug. “Let’s just say I have some experience in these matters. Ominis can be a jealous bastard, but nothing turns him on more than watching me pound a girl from behind.”

Your jaw dropped. “Are you two –?”

“Hey, you are entitled to your little secrets, I am entitled to mine.” He smiled as he got up, shifting his book under his arm. “Take your time, MC. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

––

You watched nervously as the door to The Three Broomsticks swung open, nearly knocking your chair over as you stood up. Feeling your heart thundering in your chest, a series of frantic thoughts ran through your mind. Had you prepared well enough? What if they didn’t arrive at the same time? Should you have picked a different spot? Had you made a mistake by even doing this at all?

Your shoulders eased as you saw the elderly wizarding couple walk in. Sinking back into your seat, you put your head in your hands, blowing out a sigh. Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea after all. You had been quite certain last night, feeling happy that you finally had managed to make up your mind, but ever since waking up this morning you had been nothing but a bundle of nerves. You couldn’t even be sure that they would show up, let alone that you had any way of predicting what their reaction would be. Perhaps the wounds were still too fresh. But at any rate, you felt they deserved the sincere truth at the very least – you owed them that much, after everything that happened.

Sirona came up to you to ask if you were prepared to make your order yet. You told her no, and that you were still waiting for a couple of friends.

“Fair enough,” the landlady said, casting you a suspicious glance. “Is everything all right between you and Imelda? It’s been ages since you stopped by for a Butterbeer together.”

“We’ve been through some… rocky times. I’m hoping I can make things right today,” you confessed.

“Ah, I see. Well, good luck. It’d honestly be a shame if you broke up.”

You nodded. “Thanks, Sirona.”

The landlady left you with a pat on your shoulder and you focused your attention on the door again. Minutes passed by, the hope that they would actually show up slipping away with every second. Of course you couldn’t have expected them to… there was no mending this with just some words… you would have to –

Just then, the door opened and Imelda walked in, followed by Poppy in her yellow-lined robe. You shot up, feeling your throat instantly turn bone dry. The moment of truth. Would they walk out when they saw you?

Their heads turned, scanning the room, and then you felt two pairs of eyes settle on you. You awkwardly raised your hand by way of greeting. They looked at each other, seemingly discussing something between themselves, before they walked over to your table.

“Well, ain’t this a surprise,” Imelda said, though you noted her voice lacked any hint of malice. “I suppose that note didn’t come from Nerida after all.”

“I’m sorry about that,” you quickly answered. “I just wanted to make sure you would both be here. There’s something I’d like to say to you and… I hope you want to listen.”

Your eyes automatically darted towards Poppy, expecting her to be the most resistant to your plea, though she simply exchanged one look with Imelda and then shrugged. You sat down and they followed your lead. Clearing your throat, you took a deep breath.

“I want to begin by saying… you were right and I was wrong. About everything. I was so afraid of the implications of my true feelings that I rather deluded myself into believing I was right, instead of confronting how I really felt… and ended up hurting you both. I know excuses won’t make anything right at this point, so – I think it’s about time I told you both the full truth.”

You turned to Poppy, meeting her innocent gaze. “Poppy, I can’t even begin to describe how much you mean to me. I love you, both as my best friend and more than that. You’re kind, and strong, and beautiful in more ways than you know. Witnessing you open up about your feelings so candidly… it was honestly the bravest thing I’ve ever seen, and you deserved better than for me to lie to you and hurt you.”

Your voice trembling, you then looked at Imelda, feeling shivers creep into your tone as you made your confession. “Mel… you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I meant it when I said that I wanted to be with you during the most important moments of your life. I think I got so scared of mucking up and losing you that I started to act like this person I was not… when now I realise that all along you just wanted me to be honest. And I want to be honest with you now –”

Turning your attention to them both, you continued, “You two are the most important persons in my life, and I don’t even want to contemplate the thought of losing either one of you. So, will you please forgive me?”

This was it; the moment you surrendered yourself. Even as you finished you immediately started wondering whether there was more you could have said, what other words could have conveyed your sincerity better. On the other hand, if you hadn’t been able to convince them now, you doubted anything else could have made a difference.

Poppy and Imelda seemed to consider your words, trading looks as you watched on with rising anticipation. You were taken by surprise, though, as Imelda shifted and gently grasped Poppy’s hand. “Actually, MC, we have a confession of our own to make,” she said, her voice neutral.

“You must know that it pains us to tell you this,” Poppy continued, “but we should be honest with you as well. After you caused us so much pain, we started to take a great deal of comfort in each other’s presence –”

A feeling of dread started to settle over you. What was going on? Was this really happening?

“We decided we want to be together,” Imelda finished. “We’re sorry, MC… but this might just be for the best.”

You felt like you’d taken a punch to the gut. All you could do was sit there, staring as you were overcome with shock, disbelief, betrayal – until you saw the smirk beginning to grow on Imelda’s face.

“Oh,” you muttered, “oh, you mean –”

Poppy finally burst into a lighthearted giggle as Imelda smiled at her. “I told you she’d fall for it. Worked like a charm, didn’t it?”

“All right, I suppose I deserved that,” you said, relief slipping into your own smile.

“Yes, you did,” Imelda replied. “But now that we’re even, I guess we might as well give you a second chance. What about you, Pops?”

“I suppose all this bitterness doesn’t suit me so much after all,” Poppy said brightly. “Besides… I will say I have really missed our friendship, MC.”

“I did as well,” you nodded, searching for her hand and finding it; her eyes filling with a softness that made your heart leap in your chest. “From now on, I promise I won’t hurt you like that ever again.”

You noticed Imelda having a pensive look on her face. Before you could ask what was on her mind, however, she spoke up: “I suppose I owe you both an apology as well. I don’t really want to blame the booze for what happened… it wasn’t fair of me to put you two on the spot at that moment, and I’m sorry for it.”

“Perhaps it wasn’t all bad in the end,” you said with a smile, giving Poppy’s hand a soft squeeze. “Though I am curious. Why did you do it?”

Imelda shrugged. “I don’t think it was a rational decision. Not then, at least. I will say it was a little infuriating, seeing you two constantly play coy when it was obvious you fancied each other… so I figured I’d take my chance and see how things would play out.”

So you hadn’t been entirely wrong after all. Then again, you couldn’t help but feel as if Imelda wasn’t telling you the whole story.

“So you weren’t jealous after all?” you asked.

Imelda hesitated, shooting Poppy a quick glance. “Well… I’ve thought about that. To be honest, after that conversation we had about our relationship, I suppose I was happy, but something just didn’t feel right. Seeing how you were so ready and eager to completely commit yourself to me… it was flattering, but when I started paying attention to how much you two cared about each other, I just couldn’t help but feel… guilty.”

“Guilty?” you asked, raising your eyebrows. “Why?”

“Because…” She wavered for just a moment, swallowing before she said, “Because it’s not fair to ask you to make that sacrifice… when I’m not sure I could ever do the same. I want to try, but even then I don’t know if I will ever be able to give as much of myself as you do. So, I made a decision. If you want to keep seeing each other, I won’t stand in the way.”

You could feel the air practically being sucked out of the room with Imelda’s confession. Your head was spinning with so many emotions all at once; gratitude, desire, happiness. Perhaps a little ironically, it was as if you had never been more in love with the Slytherin as you were then, knowing that she was willing to make this kind of sacrifice for you. But you loved the kindhearted Hufflepuff on your other side just as much… and you had already made your choice.

“Actually, I have been giving a great deal of thought to what I really want,” you said. Reaching over the table, you took Imelda’s hand, noticing her surprised eyes shooting up to meet your own. “I realise this is a lot to ask, but… when I look at you both, and I see how much we are able to share with each other, it feels selfish to keep either of you to myself. I don’t want to choose between you, or wish for this to be an arrangement where I only can enjoy one of you at a time. What I want… is for us to be together. Truly together – all three of us.”

You waited patiently for your words to sink in. Perhaps surprisingly, you felt less anxious about their reaction than earlier. It felt good to finally be frank about your feelings, to let these two persons closest to your heart know exactly how much they meant to you – the kind of future you wanted to share with them.

The girls seemed a bit lost for words, although you noted they didn’t appear as shocked as you had expected them to be. Perhaps they’d had a sense of where you had been heading after all. Imelda’s lips hinted at a burgeoning grin, while a fresh blush bloomed on Poppy’s cheeks, her eyes sparkling brightly.

“Well?” you asked. “What do you think?”

“It is… an intriguing thought.” Poppy replied. “I must confess I’m not much experienced in these matters, but… you are both very dear to me and I suppose I wouldn’t mind an opportunity to deepen our bond –”

You turned your head. “Mel, what about you?”

“I guess I have some questions about the practicalities  as well, but on the other hand, a chance to enjoy you both sounds too good to pass up.” She smiled at you. “You know what, fuck it, I’m willing to give it a try.”

You gave both of their hands a squeeze, gratitude filling your voice at their embrace of your wish. Already you could hardly wait to grow even closer to them, to share all of yourself with these beautiful souls.

“We can take our time to figure this all out,” you said. “There’s no need to rush into anything. We’ll take it slow, and we’ll be open with each other. But I don’t think it’s too premature to say that I’m excited to be exploring this new chapter in my life… and there’s no one else I’d rather do it with.”

You looked around you, sharing looks of gratitude and excitement with each other, knowing that no matter what happened from here on out – your bond had just grown into something stronger, more profound.

“So,” said Poppy with a shy smile, “I suppose this would qualify as our first date, then?”

––

It had been a month since your meeting in The Three Broomsticks, and honestly? Your life had never felt so full of promise – of meaning. You had never found anything to be lacking even back when it was still Imelda and you, but the introduction of Poppy to the equation had opened up a whole new part of your relationship to explore. It was like you were getting to fall in love all over again, and it was the best feeling in the world.

You noticed the change in Imelda as well. If she had any trouble adjusting, she wasn’t really showing it. As a matter of fact, she seemed more relaxed than usual; less likely to walk around with a snippy attitude, more comfortable in her own skin. You had assummed she would have wanted to adopt a more controlling role in your redefined relationship, though most of the time she seemed fine with letting you and Poppy have some moments to yourself, if that’s what you wanted.

Which wasn’t to say that you weren’t setting some rules. You were very sensitive to balancing your commitments yourself, wanting to make sure you gave both of your girls equal amounts of attention. You and Imelda would often get to spend more time with each other due to being in the same house, so you made sure to see Poppy whenever you could, even if it was as simple as a kiss after breakfast, or holding hands when you walked back to the castle together after Beasts class. Most important of all, you agreed to be frank with each other. You were constantly mindful of each other’s needs and boundaries, communicating what worked for you and what didn’t. Imelda still wasn’t too fond of exhibiting your affection for all of Hogwarts to see, but she didn’t mind if you and Poppy were being cuddly in public. Poppy liked kisses, though she preferred secluded areas if you were to go any further beyond a quick peck to the cheek. Also – under no circumstance were you to use your pet names for each other in the vicinity of other students. (Which, admittedly, had been at your own insistence.)

Overall, the three of you managed to make things work pretty well. There was just one minor point of contention. You and Imelda had broached the subject of bedroom rules pretty early on, thinking it best to establish clear boundaries before you initiated anything, though Poppy had kindly requested a delay of any more… intimate activities. She felt bad for asking, but you assured her that you didn’t mind, that you were willing to take this at whatever pace she was comfortable with. Even though Imelda agreed as well, you knew that she felt slightly less excited about having to put off sex with you, especially since you’d never gotten the chance to… ‘reconcile’ after your brief separation. Still, to her credit, she was putting up with it, and you supposed it would just be a matter of time anyway.

––

“I have to say, green suits you better than I thought,” you chuckled.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Poppy sighed, fidgeting with the emerald green scarf around her neck. “I felt bad enough putting it on this morning. Everyone else in Hufflepuff is coming out for Ravenclaw…”

“But you still decided to wear it,” you said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as the two of you followed the crowd to the Quidditch pitch. “I’m sure Mel will be thrilled when she sees you.”

Poppy smiled up at you. “You don’t suppose anyone will wonder who arranged those first-row seats for us?”

“Maybe,” you shrugged, “but I don’t see why we should care.”

Entering the corridor leading up to the stands, you couldn’t help but feel some curious looks being cast your way. As much as you didn’t really feel bothered by them, you were a little concerned about Poppy. “Say,” you said, “I know I’m probably repeating myself, but if at any point you feel that we should calm things down a bit –”

Your sentence was abruptly cut off as you were yanked into a small alcove, Poppy pulling you down by your own scarf to press her soft lips to yours. You let out a groan at the surprise gesture, leaning into the kiss, savouring the sweet taste of the Hufflepuff. An eternity later, Poppy pulled back, her face glowing. “I don’t think I want to. I really like kissing you too much.”

“The feeling is mutual,” you smiled, tenderly stroking her cheek. “But we probably shouldn’t be wasting too much time. Come, the game is about to start.”

You extended your hand, and she eagerly took it. Moving through the bustling crowd of supporters, you swiftly located your seats. You were already accustomed to Imelda reserving prime spots for you at Quidditch matches, though you could tell Poppy was rather new to the experience. A smile graced your face as you watched her gaze in wonder at the magnificent surroundings.

You leaned over to whisper to her. “The best thing is that you won’t even have to stand on your toes to see anything.”

“Again with the quips about my stature,” she said with an eye roll. “You’re the only one who keeps doing that, you know.”

“I did know that. But I think you might prefer it over the things Imelda likes to joke about.”

The look she gave provoked a chuckle from you. There was no time to mess around for long, though, as an eruption of cheers heralded the arrival of the players. You didn’t search long for Imelda. She stood out, soaring above her teammates, a striking figure in her billowing robe and long black hair.

Poppy leaned over to you. “She looks so pretty, doesn’t she?”

“That she does,” you agreed.

As the match began, you couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit of anxiety. Surely you knew better than to question Imelda’s skill, but at the same time, it was easy to wonder whether she had in any way been distracted by all of the recent developments. You would never forgive yourself if she lost a game because of you; and you assumed neither would Poppy, for that matter.

Of course, it turned out that you never had anything to worry about. Each of the Slytherins played their role to perfection, and Imelda herself was like a lightning bolt, handling the Quaffle with a ferocity that Poppy aptly likened to a Kneazle protecting her cubs. It hardly came as a surprise when the game was called merely thirty-sixth minutes in with a decisive win for Slytherin: 270 to 60 points.

“Let’s go!” you shouted to Poppy, trying to make yourself heard over all the excitement exploding around you. “I know a shortcut to Imelda’s quarters; we can wait for her there!”

Poppy nodded, quickly grabbing your robe to keep herself from being dragged along by the crowd. With some effort, you managed to clear a path to the changing rooms and the Captain’s quarters, quickly moving inside to avoid any curious gazes. You leaned against the desk as you watched Poppy curiously peruse the many books and notes outlining Imelda’s tricks and strategies.

“So, how was this for you?” you decided to ask. “Attending a Quidditch match, I mean.”

“Oh, well, it’s amusing, I suppose…” Poppy replied, awkwardly rubbing the back of her head. “To be frank, it’s still a little daunting to be around so many people.”

You nodded in understanding. “Even so, I think it’s brave that you took a step you wouldn’t normally have taken. I’m sure it means a lot to Imelda – and me as well.”

The Hufflepuff turned towards you, her eyes gleaming with the kind of radiant innocence you’d come to fall so deeply in love with. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said, though you sensed hesitance in her voice, a thought plaguing her mind. Having gotten accustomed to reading her emotions, you waited patiently, offering her a chance to bring up the subject on her own accord.

“MC…” she said.

But then the door swung open. You instantly veered up from your seat to greet Imelda, who came in bearing the most smug grin you’d ever seen.

“Well, if it ain’t my two favourite persons,” she smiled, before turning to Poppy and embracing the girl in a warm hug. “Thanks for coming, Pops. It was really good to see you before the game.”

“I’m glad I could do my part,” Poppy said with a chuckle. “You were marvellous today, Imelda.”

The Slytherin grinned as she pulled back, her gaze only lingering just a second before she moved in again and kissed her. Poppy immediately responded to the gesture, the pink shade of her face deepening as their lips met. You failed to prevent a tinge of validation from seeping into your smile as you watched them, happy that their friendship had already started to blossom into something more.

Sure enough, you had expected Imelda to be eager to move on to you, but one thing you’d failed to anticipate was just how pent-up her craving for you was. Almost instantly, you could feel her tongue wrestling your lips open, a warm moan flowing into the depths of your throat. You gasped as you separated, a thin strand of saliva breaking apart on your chin.

“You were amazing out there, love,” you somehow managed to whisper between the audible thumping of your heart.

“Thanks,” she smiled, and Gods, the primal look she was giving nearly did you in right there and then. “Though I must confess I was kind of hoping for a different prize…”

“Oh?”

“Mhm.” She leaned in to whisper in your ear: “Frankly, all I could think about when everyone was cheering me on was the taste of your cunt.”

“Bloody hell, Mel,” you chuckled nervously, glancing over at Poppy to make sure she wasn’t overhearing you.

“What?” Imelda asked with feigned innocence, purposely grazing the skin of your lobe. “She can join in if she wants. I wouldn’t mind.”

As much as the thought of getting to share your body with both Imelda and Poppy made you feel hot in all the right places, you knew you couldn’t go along with the idea – not yet.

“We can’t,” you whispered, fighting back the sense of intoxication. “We promised, remember?”

You anticipated greater persistence from her, though to your mild surprise, she eased back and let out a sigh. “I know. But we’re going to have to talk about it soon. I hate being so close to you without ever getting to be intimate again –”

“We will,” you promised, lightly pecking her lips to reassure her. In an instant, she reverted to her former self, grinning broadly at both of you. “So, I’d say this calls for a celebration. How about a couple of drinks over at the Three Broomsticks?”

“Fine by me,” you agreed.

“Actually, I had an idea –” Poppy replied. “I was thinking… I still regret that our previous ladies’ night ended the way it did, and I’ve been wanting to propose a do-over now that we’ve… well, become more than friends –”

You exchanged looks with Imelda, noticing a familiar hopeful spark in her eyes. It wouldn’t have taken Legilimency to discern that the two of you were thinking the exactly same thing; that perhaps this could be the first glimpse of Poppy’s less… ‘restrained’ side.

“That wouldn’t be too bad of an idea,” Imelda said. “I’ll probably be caught up in events all week, so it’ll be nice to have a quiet moment to ourselves. What about you, MC?”

You nodded. “Yeah, I like the Room better. We’ll be less likely to get bothered by someone.”

Maybe that wasn’t what you were really getting at, but either way, it seemed best not to get ahead of yourself right now. You looked at each other, eyes filled with gratitude, just calmly enjoying the moment.

That was, until Imelda’s voice cut through the silence. “So,” she said, putting her hands on her hips, “are you two going to leave, or are you just waiting for me to drop my trousers?”

––

“Either way, that’s when he gave me this look and… even though he didn’t say as much, I think he basically confessed that they’re fucking.”

Across from you, Poppy stared at you with an open mouth, while Imelda started laughing. “Of course they are. Good to hear that little Sebbie is still as predictable as ever.”

You cocked an eyebrow, taking another swig of your drink before you retorted, “Oh, I assume this is the part where you say that you knew all along?”

“Girlie, if you thought all that attitude from Ominis was just fashionable snark, I honestly don’t know what to tell you. Now, what I’m most curious about is – who gets to be on top?”

You let out a groan. “Merlin, I don’t want to think about that.”

“Oh, come on. Like you wouldn’t start dripping at the thought of two sweaty boys… right, Pops?”

“Oh, I am hardly qualified to comment,” Poppy deflected, quickly taking a sip from her drink as the tips of her ears started to glow crimson.

“I don’t know Mel,” you chuckled. “It sounds like you’re the one taking an awful lot of interest.”

Imelda growled. “Pussies, the both of ya. That’s all I get for spreading the seeds of love?”

“Aw, sounds like someone is in need of a hug,” you taunted, and before Imelda could stop you you were already on top of her, your hands searching for the spots you knew to be particularly ticklish. Imelda cursed at you, trying to push you off, but all those hours spent familiarizing yourself with her body had really paid off. Poppy chuckled as she watched the two of you struggle, the glimmer on her face betraying a light tipsiness. Eventually you relented and decided to release her, the both of you panting as you settled on opposite ends of the couch.

“Merlin’s Beard, MC,” Imelda grunted, though you hardly failed to notice the smile on her face, “if you want to get into my knickers, just tell me next time.”

“The night is still young,” you chuckled, wondering much of that was an actual promise rather than a mere joke. Despite your lack of intention to push anything tonight, it would have been difficult to ignore that the easy flow of the moment – the booze, the flirting, the suggestive jokes between you three – was giving rise to some… particularly charged energies. Still, you were determined not to push anything beyond the limits of your comfort; that was to say, Poppy’s.

After a few moments and another round of drinks, Imelda piped up, “Well, here’s a fun question. Most scandalous thing you’ve ever done?”

“Come on,” you said with a laugh and an eye roll, “aren’t you just trying to put Poppy on the spot again?”

“Maybe I am, or maybe I just like to see you get all riled up and defensive again. You’re pretty cute like that, you know?”

“I do have to agree,” Poppy chimed in. “Particularly when it’s on my account.”

You gave the Hufflepuff a look of disbelief while Imelda’s laugh rang through the chamber. “Poppy! I can’t believe you would just side with her like that,”

“Can’t fault her for speaking the truth,” Imelda piled on. “Besides, we both know you wouldn’t actually have anything serious to tell.”

“Excuse me. I’ll have you know that I have gotten up to plenty of kinky shenanigans in my time. In fact, just a few months ago, I touched myself –“ you paused a second for dramatic effect – ”in the library.”

Poppy looked at you with proper shock, but Imelda seemed considerably less impressed. “Please,” she scoffed, “that ain’t nothing. Try getting yourself off on a broom in the middle of a training session.”

You burst out in laughter. “Oh, fuck off. Did you really –?”

“Damn right I did. Ain’t no stopping me when I’m proper horny – I figured no one was paying much attention to me anyway, so I put some distance between myself and the rest and… well, the rest is history.”

Goodness gracious. As amusing as it was trying to imagine Imelda furiously rubbing away while she was shouting profanities at other players, it was hot as hell too.

“Anyway, Pops, I’m sure you have us beat,” Imelda said, turning to the Hufflepuff with a devilish smirk.

Poppy chuckled apprehensively. “I’m not quite sure about that, but… I suppose I’ve been up to some salacious misadventures of my own –”

Surprised as you were to see this bolder side of her, you were much more curious to see just what kind of misadventures she was talking about. Imelda, too, leaned in closer, despite making a halfhearted attempt to mask her interest with her usual nonchalance. “Well now girl, can’t leave us hanging like that. Spill the goods!”

“Okay, well, um –” Poppy shifted in her seat and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear – “so this was a while back… I was looking for someone, and in my attempt to find them, I accidentally stumbled across something I wasn’t really meant to see…”

Imelda perched her eyebrows. “You caught some people going at it in public?”

Poppy’s features took on a noticeably pinker hue. She offered just the tiniest of nods, causing the Slytherin to let out a laugh. “Well, colour me impressed! Turns out our innocent angel has a deviant side after all. Tell us, were you turned on?”

Poppy giggled nervously. “I… I suppose I was. It was all rather exciting; the thrill of witnessing something forbidden, the risk of being discovered… it… it was as if I was being a part of it, in a sense.”

Merlin’s Beard. You’d always seen Poppy as some supreme embodiment of innocence, so much so that discovering this perverse side of her did more to arouse you than you had been expecting. So many thoughts were occupying your mind all of a sudden that you didn’t even notice Imelda moving closer to you. “So…” she said with a cheeky smile, “would it turn you on if I did… this?”

Her lips smothered any hope you might have had of stopping her – not that you did. You entered a state of physical flux as she gave you the deepest, most sultry French kiss you’d ever had, your eyes closing as if guided by a will of their own. Merlin, how much you had longed for her, how could you have ever have willingly resisted her perfect taste –

Oh, that was right. With some effort, you broke the kiss, swallowing back a gasp. “Mel, wait, we can’t –”

“Oh, yes we can,” Imelda replied in a growl that gave you goosebumps all over. “She’s loving this. Aren’t you, Poppy?”

You turned your head to catch her response. Much to your surprise, the Hufflepuff seemed mesmerized, her eyes speaking the confession you maybe had deep down been wishing for all along.

Her head bobbed up and down, nodding.

A finger pulled your chin back to where your attention was sorely needed. Imelda’s breath was hot to your face, dark eyes lavishing every inch of you. “Come on, let’s give our girl a show.”

She kissed you again, this time running a hand up your body to give your breast a firm squeeze. You moaned into her mouth, your back arching as if to seek her touch. Oh Merlin, it was nothing short of perfect; she wanted you so badly, and you wanted her so badly as well…

Still, you found it in you to restrain yourself, turning to Poppy one more time. “Poppy… are you certain you want this to happen?”

Poppy shifted in her seat, flashing you a warm smile. “Yes, please. I would like to watch while you… make love to each other.”

Her voice was so sweet, so full of kindness… knowing that she wanted nothing more than for you to be happy and enjoy each other’s bodies was just the cherry on top. Reassured, you now started to meet Imelda’s wanting with your own, taking her face between your hands and crashing your lips into hers. Imelda groaned, pushing herself against you, fingers finding their way into your hair. Her teeth tugged at your bottom lip, nudging you apart, and then her tongue swept in, meeting yours as your heavy breaths and moistness started to mix. There was no need to guide you, no need to coax any sounds from you, for you were as least as hungry as she was; tasting her was like tasting water after a long, merciless drought.

You broke apart ever so slightly, allowing you to relish in your mutual anticipation as you looked at each other, each of you smiling under your heavy breath. Merlin, she was so beautiful, and you wanted to know her just how beautiful she was –

“I missed you,” you whispered to her, delighting in the way her body trembled at your words. It was rare to see such vulnerability from her, but you were nothing short of proud that you were the one making her feel this way.

She responded in kind, throwing herself back at you, once again letting her hands roam to fondle you through your blouse. Only the thin layer of fabric separated her expert touch from your sensitive breasts, her grip pulling a whimper from your lips as you lost any sense of restraint. It didn’t even occur to you that you should try to maintain a semblance of composure in front of Poppy; she wanted you to lose it, and you had a slight suspicion Imelda was as least as eager to put on a show as you were.

Her pillowy lips explored along your jawbone, then down your neck, leaving a trail of wet marks in their wake. You failed to restrain a lewd sigh from escaping you as you peered over at Poppy out of the corner of your eye. You almost couldn’t believe this was truly happening, that she was becoming part of your bond in this way. Just how much was it turning her on to see you like this? Was she taking pleasure in the sound of your moans, imagining the feeling of Imelda’s lips suckling on her neck? Was she picturing a day when she would be ready to share herself – all of herself with the two of you?

All of those sensual thoughts coincided with Imelda sliding a finger into your skirt, drawing another gasp from you as she chuckled against your throat. You could feel her exploring, her digit brushing past the tense delight that protruded from your swollen folds, wetness spilling from you as you buckled against her palm, crying out her name. “Mel…”

Imelda chuckled again, tenderly kissing a spot right below your ear. Around and around her finger went, teasing your clit just long enough to leave you begging for more as she retreated up your thigh again. “You’re such a good girl… all warm and wet for me, hm?” she whispered in a husky voice, though loud enough for Poppy to hear. You noticed one of the Hufflepuff’s hands had moved down to the front of her skirt, mimicking Imelda’s movements as she drew circles around where she was undoubtedly soaking right now.

“I didn’t know you were such a dirty little slut,” Imelda whispered, tugging seductively at your lobe. “You love being watched, don’t you? You love how she’s watching me doing this to you… you want to show her just what an obedient little bitch you are…”

Merlin, yes. Your teeth dug into your bottom lip as she spread you open, using her middle finger to paint your hole with slick. You cried into her shoulder, every part of your body crying out for release, for her to have her way with you and bare every inch for Poppy to behold. Sensing your desperation, Imelda pulled back ever so slightly to look you in the eye, cupping your face with one hand while the other worked your aching cunt. “Tell me, then,” she growled. “Tell me what you want.”

Your voice trembled as you tried to speak the words, “Please…eat…”

“Louder, dear.” She thumbed your clit, coaxing another cry from you. “Let her hear it.”

Swallowing, you mustered all your physical and mental strength to make your wish known. “Please… Mel… eat my pussy…”

A wicked smile played on her lips. “Hear that, Pops? She wants me to munch on her muff. Do you think she’s deserved it?”

“I suppose it would be cruel not to…” Poppy chuckled under her breath.

“Liar,” Imelda replied, though you noticed she was still smiling. “You just want to see her pussy, don’t you?” Turning her attention to you again, she brought up two fingertips that were coated in your slick. “Well, I guess I can’t blame you.” She never broke eye contact as she cleaned you off her fingers, the sparkle in her dark eyes making a shiver run down your back.

“Hm,” she hummed, “you taste delicious, dear. Maybe I should give you something after all.”

Before you could respond, you were suddenly thrown backwards. You let out a giggle as your back hit the cushions, Imelda rushing to wrestle your skirt down your thighs. Your moist heat only contained behind a layer of silky fabric was met with a gust of cool air, leaving you gasping for breath as Imelda pushed her nose into your damp crotch.

“Oh, yes,” she groaned as she inhaled your scent, “you smell so fucking good, love. I love how much your body is crying out for me. So fucking needy.”

You had to admit to feeling a little shock as she took your soaked underwear between her teeth and ripped them off with one swift tug. She had never been this fierce with you before, never so primal. You figured having an audience was bringing her drive to perform out in a stronger way than you had been expecting. Not that there were any complaints to be had; the way you were throbbing once your slick lips were bared to her ravenous gaze confirmed as much.

“Look at our poor girl,” Imelda cooed, pinching your folds between her digits, leaving you a soft whimpering mess. “What do you think of MC’s pussy, Pops?”

Poppy, positively hypnotized by the sight of you, ran her tongue past her lips as a wave of red crept up from her collar. You noticed her drooling a little as she responded, “She’s… exquisite –”

“Mmm, right. Such a pretty pink pussy.” Imelda used her hands to coax you further apart, the feeling of her proximity to your swollen heat eliciting the most desperate of cries from you. Her thumbs lightly caressed your skin as she leaned in, providing but a mere shred of relief as her breath tickled your clit. “So bloody sweet too.”

A flick of her tongue made your legs spasm. How fucking close you were to perfection – but you knew it wasn’t for you to make demands. She really wasn’t about to leave you hanging, not as she was about ready to damn well devour you, and not with another pair of eyes observing her every move…

You released a throaty moan as she lapped at you with a single, broad stroke. Imelda had eaten you out many times before, and yet she never failed to make every time she put her tongue on you feel new and special. You loved her so much, and you wanted her to give you the relief only she was capable of providing.

You breathed a sigh of happiness once she finally drove her tongue inside of you. She dutifully cleaned up the juices gathered around your fleshy curls before swirling her way inside, probing the tight hole. Your head fell back at the feeling of her, your lips mouthing a silent prayer, thanking the high heavens for giving you the attention of this lovely nymph.

You stole a glance at Poppy as Imelda continued slurping from your oozing honey-sweet treasure. One of her small palms was buried in her skirt, pumping underneath the fabric, while the other fondled her chest through her white blouse. Her face was gleaming with perspiration, her parted lips releasing a shallow panting that you could hear even over the sound of your own moaning. But it was through her eyes that you felt most strongly connected to her; those sweet, brown eyes, burning with a kind of lust you instantly were addicted to. No matter the physical distance of your bodies, she was becoming a part of you, feeling your pleasure, the pure release of ecstasy as if it were her own.

You decided to give her even more to appreciate, shedding the loose garment covering your torso. Poppy’s eyes widened at the sight of your full, round breasts, her gaze drawn to your sharp-pointed nipples, achingly hard from your arousal. You seductively bit your lip as you rolled one between your fingers, the physical pleasure only adding to the delight you felt at the cute little whimper she emitted.

Imelda must have noticed the increased flow of juices trickling from your slit, as she began lapping at you with greater fervour. You pushed away the black strands from her face, adoring the way her eyes would roll up to look at you as her tongue swept through your folds.

“You’re so fucking pretty, eating my pussy like that,” you whispered to her. She smiled at you before wrapping her lips around your clit, sucking on the nub while she eased a finger into you, taking over where her tongue had left off. You moaned as if something had possessed you, forehead creasing in desperate bliss as your hips started grinding against her face of their own volition. Even in your wildest dreams you would have never dared to imagine this scenario; your Imelda, committing herself fully to your pleasure, while your Poppy watched on, lost in her own haze of pure, unadulterated lust. The Hufflepuff was shedding all semblance of modesty as Imelda fucked you so well to your release, riding her hand, pushing her lips together in a largely futile effort to stifle her obscene cries of pleasure.

Imelda must have taken note too, for you felt the vibrations of her grunting deep inside your pussy. She was sucking with more strength now, no longer set on any intent but to make you come, hard. Your hips bucked as she added another finger, the digits sloshing in your essence, your walls tightening around her as you felt the familiar onset of naked release.

“Oh fuck, right there –” you gasped, encouraging her as she hit that perfect rhythm that was sure to bring about your orgasm. The room filled with wet sounds and sex-fueled moaning, each of you lost in your own sensual cadence. It was pure fucking depravity of the best sort, and it was about to reach its perfect climax –

Your body locked up as you finally reached that state of being that made your vision go white and your voice climb to inaudible heights. Imelda held you tightly while your orgasm washed over you, making sure you didn’t accidentally hurt yourself as your back rose from the couch and your limbs strained under the powerful release of your pure ecstasy. Your reward came to her in a gush of juices, which she swallowed greedily, only climbing up on top of you once she had fully licked you clean.

“Merlin’s Beard,” you sighed, “I think that’s the hardest I ever came –”

Imelda smiled, pressing a pleasantly you-flavoured kiss to your lips. “I think our little audience liked it as well.”

You both turned to look at Poppy, unable to resist a chuckle at the dishevelled figure splayed out on the armchair. She only managed a lopsided smile as she sighed, “That was… wonderful…”

Well fucked out as you were, you felt that Imelda was owed a little more than your pussy juices for her mind-blowing performance. You swept her lips up in yours once more before flashing her a smile. “Want me to return the favour?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” She took a moment to relieve herself of her own clothes, and of course, her deliciously bare form was just begging for your attention. So you spent a few minutes doing exactly that, kissing her freckled shoulders and cupping her smooth globes. It didn’t take her long to push you back onto the sofa, however. “Enough.” She positioned her athletic frame on top of you, allowing you to lovingly drink in the glorious nakedness of your Slytherin goddess as she made her intentions plain. “I hope you’re ready, love, because I’m going to ride that pretty mouth of yours until I’m cumming and screaming your name.”

Gods yes, there was nothing else you wanted more, as if servicing her was all you were made for. You watched in anticipation as she lifted herself on her knees, remembering to take a deep breath just before she mounted your face. Her slick folds met your lips, the taste of her arousal drowning out all of your other senses. Merlin, she would be the death of you someday…

You probed carefully, trying to find a pace that would satisfy her, though she swiftly began grinding on her own accord. “I didn’t ask you to go easy on me, girl. Stop fucking about.”

Fair enough. You seized her hips, holding her in place as you drove your tongue inside of her. Her reaction was mostly invisible to your eyes, but judging by the earth-shattering groan she emitted and the way you were suddenly drowning in her juices, you figured you were doing something right.

Content with her response to your ministrations, you settled into a nice pace, flicking your tongue up and down her slit while you paid close attention to the sounds she was making. Her fingers gripped into your hair, holding you steady as she rocked her hips into you. “Right there…” she moaned, “fucking eat me like the good girl you are…”

You hummed against her clit, lapping at her like a greedy little pup. A delightful shiver tickled your skin at the menacing chuckle she emitted, this time directed at Poppy. “You like watching us, girlie? You like how I’m riding this precious mouth you like kissing so much? You want me to see come all over those pretty fucking lips?”

Good grief. Even if you weren’t the intended audience in this scenario, Imelda was doing an awfully good job at turning you on. You tried very hard not to lose rhythm as she continued her taunting, worried that any drop in pace might cause her to stop.

“Maybe I’ll let you come over and clean her up when I’m through with her,” she chuckled under her breath. “It would be so hot to see you two make out… tasting me on her lips… fuck, even thinking about it is getting me so wet –”

Yeah, you could tell. You were starting to feel lightheaded, and not merely because of the excess of Imelda trickling down your chin. Though you kept the pace, not wanting to disappoint your lover.

“Oh yes,” Imelda cursed, “I see you touching yourself. You’re wishing it was you she was fucking, aren’t you? You’re thinking about it… having her tongue inside of you… seeing those beautiful eyes look up at you while she’s completely devoting herself to making you cum…”

Enough. You could honestly listen to Imelda egging on Poppy for hours, but a mischievous part of you was very eager to knock the so-called Queen of Quidditch down a perch. So you decided to shift gears, grabbing her arse, nails burying themselves into her toned cheeks while you started properly fucking her senseless.

Her reaction was beyond satisfying. From your place between her thighs, you had a perfect view of the delightful sway of her breasts and the desperate expression on her face as her taunting gave way to the lewdest moans you’d ever managed to elicit from her. You had successfully moulded her into a creature of nothing but pure pleasure, wiping every rational thought from her mind as she rode you fiercely, desperate to claim any bit of physical relief you had to offer. And you were keen to provide. You kept tongue-fucking her, nuzzling her clit until your vision blurred and the sounds ringing in your ears were nothing but the combined gasps of your two lovers.

It was only a matter of time before Imelda came crashing over the edge, collapsing on top of you as she screamed “I love you both!” at the top of her lungs. You were smothered with her honey, your senses straining as your body cried out for oxygen. The following moments were more or less a dizzy haze as you felt Imelda’s weight shift off your face, spotty colours filling your vision.

It took you a while before you managed to regain control of your senses, opening your eyes to Imelda’s glorious visage, her flushed cheeks framed by her damp black hair. A hint of concern had been visible in her eyes, though it quickly dissipated as she flashed you a loving smile. “There you go. Seems as if you’d almost passed out for a minute – sorry about that.”

“Honestly, suffocating between your thighs is the only way I would want to go,” you sighed contentedly, causing her to chuckle as she crawled on top of you and planted a tender kiss on your lips. “That was amazing, dear. I didn’t know you could be so… fierce.”

“I will admit I had an incentive to put on a good performance.” You turned to the other presence in the room. “Are you all right, Poppy?”

Poppy barely managed to raise her head to look at you, looking positively even more like a mess after her second orgasm. “Never… better…” she muttered, before falling back again.

You let out a giggle as you turned back to Imelda, who met you in another sweet kiss. “What about you?” she asked. “Happy?”

“Happy,” you replied with an eager nod.

[arthenaa]

Unspoken Attraction — Sebastian Sallow x Reader

PLOT SUMMARY:

The girls and you have a talk on who they'll date amongst the students in Hogwarts. No one mentions Sebastian despite being deemed the most handsome in your year. You wonder why?

DISCLAIMER:

gossip gossip hihi, imelda being the best and just roasts every1 esp seb, seb being down bad, realizations, friends 2 lovers, kiss kiss fall in love, gender neutral reader, readers house is up to u, fluff disgusting fluff, i love u sallow boy.

"I think Amit is quite handsome. I suppose he'd be a good conversation partner." Natty hums as she rests her chin on the palm of her hand. Imelda looks at her with disgust.

"He'd probably love astronomy more than you in your relationship. I'd punch him on the first date." Imelda scoffs, rolling her eyes. Poppy just gives the Slytherin gal a glare for her unkind words.

The four of you were lounging in the empty Beasts classroom, relaxing in the cool breeze coming from the forest. Professor Howin had allowed the four of you (originally you and Poppy, but Imelda and Natty had passed by and decided to tag along) to stay in the classroom in hopes of teaching the new 5th year (You) more about Beasts but all you've done in the past hour is sit on one of the tables and talk about the most random of things. Now you were talking about who to date in Hogwarts.

"What about Yrma?" Poppy suggests. "She's nice."

"Stop suggesting Ravenclaws. I physically cannot handle it." Imelda grunts. You shoot her a sympathetic look to which she flips you off. "Also, she's a third year. I'd die if you pair me up with someone younger. A journalist, too, she'd know every step I'll do, and I'll just have an aneurysm because of it."

"Alright, what about Weasley?" You suggest. Natty makes a look, considering the option. Poppy sighs and shakes her head.

"Which one?" Imelda jokes, to which Natty smacks her arm. Poppy rolls her eyes before answering the question.

"He's cute but too mischievous." Poppy lists. Imelda nods, agreeing with her statement. Poppy pets the Puffskein sleeping on her lap, smiling softly at the cute creature snoring away.

"Eh. He's fun. I can probably handle him." Natty says. You let out a small laugh.

"I'll pass. He's like a brother to me. Probably because Professor Weasley acts too much like a mom." You reply. You lean closer to Poppy, glancing down at the Puffskein to coo at it.

"What about Dale? She's cute." Natty suggests. She then turns to Imelda, who looks like she'd complain once more about a Ravenclaw being listed. "Don't."

"What? I wasn't gonna say anything..."

"It's because her past lover was from Ravenclaw that she's like this." Poppy says with a disappointed look on her face. "Clumping up all Ravenclaws and putting your prejudice that was originally for one person into the general public, huh?"

"Shut it, Sweeting." Imelda glares at her.

"Alright, stop fighting. I know you'd rather date a Hufflepuff, Reyes." You tease. The Slytherin's cheeks flush, and a harsh kick to your knee sends you jolting up against the table with a pained groan. The Puffskein awakens to the sudden harsh movement and jumps off Poppy's lap.

"Imelda!" Poppy whines as she watches the Puffskein hop away to its den. "Look at what you did!"

"How'd you even know it was me?!" Imelda complains. Poppy crosses her arms over her chest.

"You're seated directly in front of Y/N. They'd never jump for no reason, and also, Natty's an angel. Besides, I could feel the kick." Poppy chastised. Imelda looks away with furrowed eyebrows and a pout as she grumbles about it, not being her fault. You look at the two with a smile.

"It's okay, Poppy, let's just continue." You send Imelda a knowing smile to which she scowls at. Natty giggles at the interaction.

"Ooh, what about Gaunt?" Natty wiggles her eyebrows. "He's a young lord. Deemed one of the most handsome in our year. I'd date him."

"Really? You'd get pulverized by his crazy blood status fanatic of a family." Imelda leans forward to place her arms on the table before leaning down to rest her head on it. "But I guess he's decent. The type to defend you against them. A typical romantic cliche."

"Doesn't he have a lover?" Poppy mentions. Imelda immediately rises up at the information.

"Oh yeah. I saw them snogging near DADA. Sebastian looked like he was constipated, muttered about when it was his turn to be happy or something." Imelda cringes at the memory. At the mention of the Sallow boy's name, Natty and Poppy glance at each other with knowing looks. Suddenly, their attention is on you.

"What about you, Y/N? Will you date Ominis?" Poppy smiles knowingly. There's something about the two's stare that puts you in an uncomfortable position.

"Uh..." You purse your lips in thought. Ominis was one of your best friends. He had been with you through thick and thin, but that's all he ever was. Besides, he was happily in love with someone else. "Not really? Same answer with Gareth's."

Natty nods in understanding. Imelda glances at the two in confusion. "Why do you two look like you're the one who's constipated?"

"Shut it, Reyes." Poppy rolls her eyes. You laugh at their bickering. At this point, there was one person who definitely should be mentioned in this conversation. He was already well known in the school for his charming personality and handsome looks. People always gossip about him. You let out a shaky breath before nervously glancing at the three.

"What about Sebastian?" You suggest. The three fall in silence, not responding to the question. It didn't even look like they were contemplating about it. "Hello? Did you not hear me or what—"

"Oh no, we heard you." Imelda chuckles as she smirks at her. When Imelda smirks, you know it's not good. "I just don't think we can claim him."

"Claim him?" You tilt your head in confusion. "You make it sound like he's already dating someone."

"Ehh..." Natty shrugs her shoulders. "Aren't you?"

"Aren't I what? Huh?" You sat, baffled at their curious looks. "I'm not dating Sebastian?"

The three look at each other before laughing. It wasn't even a casual laugh, it's full on stomach grabbing, tear inducing, I'm-gonna-pee what the fuck laugh. You look at them in confusion.

"Merlin, I can't take this seriously." Natty wipes a tear from her eyes as she continues to laugh.

"I'm really not dating him!?"

"You're so funny!" Imelda pats your shoulder. "Don't tell me kissing each other everywhere except the lips counts as friendly. Who the fuck kisses their friend on the neck?"

"Uh, she has a point." Poppy shrugs. "He walks you to class, holds your hand, and not even in a normal way. It's the intertwined one, and if looks could kill, Garreth Weasley had already been buried months ago."

"Also, he always touches you. An arm on your waist, hugging you from behind, fixing your hair, looking at you like you're the Messiah yourself." Natty lists on, continuing Poppy's evidence. Surely not?

You stare at them with wide eyes and an unreadable look. You and Sebastian had always had a strong bond. Ominis often commented about feeling left out whenever you two were together. You always thought that he was just teasing you about it. The things that you've gone through had eliminated all barriers between the two of you, so physical affection had seem normal for you. Had the line between friends and more than friends became too blurred already?

"Merlin's beard. You don't know!" Natty gasps in shock. "Rafiki, that is more than just friendship."

"But I'm really not..." You try to defend yourself, but the more that they stare at you, the more you start to realize how obvious it should've been. Before you could try and convince yourself about how ludicrous it is all, Imelda delivers the final blow.

"Love, everyone knows Sebastian is yours."

Heat rises to your cheeks, and as if things couldn't get any worse, a familiar voice calls out to your little group.

"There you are!" Sebastian Sallow, the devil himself, grins as he approches your little group with Ominis trailing behind. The three cough at his sudden appearance and you freeze in your seat.

He makes his way behind you, grasping your shoulder firmly before leaning down close to your face. "Hey, I'm here. No greeting?"

You turn your head towards him, glancing at the three girls who look away, trying to contain their laughter. You look back at Sebastian, who smiles, expecting something. You sigh, giving him a chaste kiss on his cheek. He lights up like a Christmas tree.

At the sight of affection, the three suddenly stand up, collecting their things. "O-oh I just remembered I forgot to water the chinese cabbages again, haha! Silly me! I better go get it!" Natty says with a poorly concealed smile. Sebastian looks at her, confused.

"Uh? Okay?" Sebastian awkwardly laughs. You glared at her as she grabbed Imelda and Poppy who make haste in gathering their things.

"I also have to bring them and Ominis because of ... uh... safety." Natty bullshits her way through as Imelda grabs the young Gaunt's arm, pulling him with them.

"Huh what? I didn't get a say in th—" Poppy covers his mouth as they walk away, dragging him along. Natty gives her a final thumbs up of encouragement as the two of you watch in confusion. You watch as their figures disappear before the boy beside you finally breaks the silence.

"There they go." Sebastian sighs. "I was hoping I'd get to hang out, but oh well. I don't really have complaints with just us here."

You flush at his bluntness as he sits down beside you, pulling your figure to his arms. He hugs you tightly before resting his head on your shoulder. "History of Magic felt like forever. I swear I'd never be able to stay awake in that class. Binns must've put something in the air."

You couldn't focus. He's so close.

"Lucky that you and Ominis get to share that class. At least you'd have someone to suffer with." He jokes as he raises his head. Silence engulfs you both as he stares at your face.

"Stop." You groan as you try to push his face away, but he only grasps your hand in his palm.

"Why? You look like you're about to explode." He laughs softly. You still couldn't look at him, eyes trained at the table in front of you. To make things worse, he grabs your chin before softly turning your head towards him.

"I'm talking to you. Look at me." He mumbles lowly in a deep voice. You almost wanted to whimper at how attractive that was.

"Stop doing that, I swear." You whisper as you look at him, nervousness creeping. He smirks, leaning in.

"Why? You seem so quiet today." He chuckles, pulling you closer as he tucks a stray hair away from your face. "What's got your pretty little head busy, hm?"

"You." You admit as your eyes admire his features. He lets out a soft smile.

"Me?"

"Yeah." You raise your hands to cup his cheeks. The two of you had been sitting so close that if you just lean a little bit forward, you'd be able to kiss him.

"Yeah?" He raises his eyebrows in amusement as his gaze flickers from your eyes to your lips.

"You're so annoying." You pout. He bites his lip before dropping his head on your shoulder. Your fingers then softly scratch his scalp and twirling his curls. He raises his head back up before unashamedly stares at your lips.

"I don't need to tell you what's going to happen, right?" He whispers. You gulp nervously as your arms slide up to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer.

"Mhm." You hum before placing a chaste kiss on his lips, testing the waters. He lets out a shaky breath at the sudden action. You look up at his eyes, trying to discern if what you did was okay before he grins fully and leans back down to kiss you again.

Your body unconsciously pushes against him, craving his touch. You tenderly kiss him back, hands occuppied with his soft hair. His hands rub your lower back gently as he continues to kiss you. You don't know how much time has passed before you pull away. You both smile at each other before Sebastian leans forward to give you more pecks on the lips. You giggle at his behavior.

"I like you." He whispers, nudging his nose against yours. You smile at his confession, palms now cupping his cheeks. You press a firm kiss on his lips before staring at him in adoration.

"I like you too."

A/N 1.1 : IM DEAD i love this. Also im not sure if I said friend in Swahili right ,,, lmk if its correct 🫶

A/N 1.2 : TYSM FOR ENJOYING THIS LOVE U ALL

[5sospenguinqueen]

Professor Fig: I said you could invite one friend.

MC: Sir, they don't come separately.

Sebastian: Yeah, we're pack animals.

(Ominis, Poppy, Imelda, Natty, Garreth and Leander nod)

[girl-named-matty]

Accidental confession - Hogwarts Legacy Modern AU

You accidentally tell them you like them thinking you're texting your friend! Tags: Fluff, chaos, silliness, a lil unrealistic but yk Pairings: Sebastian x reader, Ominis x reader, Garreth x reader, Leander x reader, Amit x reader, Natty x reader, Imelda x reader, Poppy x reader, Anne x reader, Everrett x reader, Andrew x reader.

we have some new additions! 👀

hope you enjoyed! taglist in the comments!

[elinoracia]

⁑ Someone else flirts with you // Hogwarts legacy characters reactions x reader ⁑

~ Hogwarts Legacy headcanons ~

Warnings: Jealousy, fluff, f!reader, use of Y/N, not proofread, swearing (censored) Pairings: Sebastian x reader, Ominis x reader, Garreth x reader, Amit x reader, Poppy x reader, Natty x reader, Imelda x reader, Leander x reader.

Feel free to request anything!

→ [All characters are aged up to 18 y.o. or more (7th year)] ←

-------------------------------

Context: Following the events that took place during the 5th year, you became more popular without really wanting it. A few people have started to take a closer interest in you. But you still only have eyes for one person since you arrived. However, a boy has started flirting with you and talking to you more and more often. His name is Spencer Rooks. Spencer is the captain of the Hufflepuff quidditch team, also in 7th year. His soft blue eyes, freckles and blond messy hair could make anyone feel flustered around him. But he only has his eyes on you and the person you like took notice of that. Today, Spencer passed you a note to meet him after class. You chose to accept his offer and listen what he had to say to you. Someone seems to not be too pleased by that... (pre-relashionship)

THEIR REACTION:

Sebastian:

Oh he's pissed. You're his! Well...not yet but you are his! He tolerated Spencer's flirting for way too long. He has to intervene.

"Spencer, leave her alone. Can't you see Y/N is not interested?"

All means are good if it makes him leave you alone. But if Spencer insists too much to talk to you, Sebastian will definitely raise his wand at him. He's not scared to be in detention again.

"Let's leave Y/N. He's not worth you time at all." He takes your hand and leads you somewhere else.

"What a prick! Touching you like that and flirting with you. Trust me, he's not good enough for you."

You ask him if he's jealous and you see him frown.

"I am not jealous, I would just prefer if he didn't exist near you! I-I mean...I know you can take care of yourself but- I just don't like others around you that can't respect you."

He'll cross his arms and will stare into your eyes.

"Next time, tell him you're mine. Tell him you're my girlfriend. And if he tries anything, I won't need my wand to hurt him. Besides, I bet he only likes you because you're Hogwarts hero or something like that...NO! I'm not jealous! I just think you deserve better!"

He will make sure that everyone knows you're his, even if you're not yet in a relationship with him.

He WILL be more affectionate and touchy in public.

He's very possessive and will remind you that you both were best friends before you saved Hogwarts and the wizzarding world in general.

"I liked and still like you for you, don't fall for guys like Spencer who only notice you for what you did. He's an opportunist! And you deserve someone who can see how wonderful you are."

Ominis:

Now he is more discreet about his feelings for you and how he handles jealousy. But when Spencer asked you to meet him after class, Ominis couldn't let that happen. He realises he was too slow to be the first to ask you out and he had to do something...quickly.

"Y/N, is that true that you planned to meet Spencer after class? Well...I advice you to reconsider. He does not seem like a very proper gentleman."

You ask him if he's jealous. You see his cheeks redden.

"Jealous? Why should I be jealous Y/N? You obviously are too good for him. And he does not seem like the type of individual you would be into...isn't he?"

He is worried you are into another boy but he tries to keep his composure.

"I heard a few people gossiping about him. Apparently, he has a new girlfriend every month. You deserve to feel special Y/N."

This might be the first time he pays attention to meaningless gossips. But he just has to convince you not to give Spencer a chance.

"Besides, I might need your help after class to prepare myself for our next potion exam. My concoctions are still utter rubbish and you seem to be the only one who actually make me improve my skills."

Any reason is a good reason if it makes you stay away from the Hufflepuff.

He will sit next to you in every class to make everyone understand you are with him, even if you're not his girlfriend yet...

He will frown everytime he hears you talking to another guy. And if Spencer dares to speak to you, he will drag you away and find an excuse to justify it.

"I hope he was not bothering you. I can make the Headmater expel him if he tries anything inappropriate. Just tell me if anything happens."

He didn't mind boys talking to you but when Spencer got a little to close to you for his liking, he became a bit more protective of you. He doesn't want to let that happen again.

Garreth:

He is not usually the jealous type because he knows you're not interested by the other boys/girls who are flirting with you on a daily basis. But Spencer seemed to have your attention for some reason... And when Garreth is jealous, he is not very classy about it.

"What is going on with Spencer and you? I heard you two whispering during class. Since when the both of you are that close?"

You explain to him you planned to meet up with Spencer after class because he had something to tell you. You hear the red-haired boy scoff.

"I bet he'll confess to you...that idiot. Hum...please tell me you don't reciprocate his feelings?"

He'll try to invite you somewhere else so you don't join Spencer after class. He thinks he is being sneaky about it.

"Please I can't find those ingredients without you, it's very urgent matters! Screw Spencer! Besides, you'd rather spend time with me than him...right?"

You're making the poor boy anxious. He is scared you might find Spencer better than him.

"I can also play quidditch you know? And I bet Spencer is not a talented potionist like I am! I'm just saying..."

You ask him if he's maybe...jealous? He left you no time to finish your last word that he quickly retorts.

"Me? Jealous? Please Y/N, you can't be serious. Why would I be jealous? We're...friends... and he is just some guy. I simply don't want you to shift your attention on him and forget about me, alright?"

You try to reassure him with some light-hearted teasing that he was your favorite flirt and that you couldn't possibly forget about him, even if you tried.

"Well...now I know. Could you maybe repeat the part where you said you could never forget me?"

Amit:

He is really not the jealous type because he understands why and how popular you became. But when he is jealous, he does not dare to talk about it to not seem possessive or selfish. But the way Spencer acts around you doesn't sit right with him...

"Y/N? I hope you don't mind if I bring up a rather...private subject. It's about you and Spencer. I noticed you two during class... Are you perhaps- please stop me if you do not feel comfortable sharing- b-but are you two...together?"

You ask him if he's just curious or maybe... jealous? You see him stiffen at your question.

"J-Jealous? I'm really not! I swear! I just think he might not be the right fit for you... You deserve someone who sees you for who you really are; the shiniest star in the sky. Nothing less..."

You reassure him by certifying that you were not in a relationship with Spencer. You then explain he just asked you to meet you up after class to tell you something. You see Amit slightly frown.

"I...I don't think you should meet with him."

He then instantly apologizes. His facial expression is a mix between confusion and fear. He's torn between telling you not to go or let you do what you want...

Out of the blue, he gently grabs your hand.

"What if I said I also... wanted to see you? Who would you choose?"

You can't help but let out a small chuckle. Of course you would choose Amit over him...over anyone actually. But he is so cute when he is jealous. But you finally give in to his request.

"R-really? You'd rather be with me? Then let's go to Honeydukes after class! I could also let you try the new lense of my telescope!"

Seeing him compete for you attention definitely made you feel really hot... He is so adorable.

Poppy:

She is way too obvious when she is jealous. She just can't hide it. This Spencer boy is seriously getting on her nerves...Why can't he just leave you alone? She's the only one who has the right to be glued to Y/N!

"Hum...Y/N...Are you and Spencer a thing? Because he seems really interested and you don't seem to mind it. I-I'm just curious, that's all! You know you can tell me anything."

She looks nervous and you can see it. She is twisting a strand of her hair between her fingers.

You tell her that Spencer actually asked you to meet him after class. Seeing the look on Poppy's face, you might have actually thought she saw a ghost. She was petrified.

"M-Meet him after class? Does he like you? Do you think he'll confess? Oh Merlin... Do you like this guy?"

She bombards you with questions. You're trying your best to reassure her but she doesn't seem to focus on what you're saying. You then take her hands into yours to calm her down.

"I-I'm sorry. But, as your friend... of course... I am just worried this guy is just not any good for you at all. He doesn't seem like the type to treat you right or anything. And you're worth so much better!"

"And who do I deserve then Poppy?" You asked with a playful giggle. You like to see her all flustered. It was so cute.

"W-Well...maybe someone who like you before all the stuff that happened during 5th year...A-Anyway! It's not about that, we are talking about Spencer here!"

She pouts at your light teasing. She is so terribly obvious about how she feels.

You have to reassure her and tell her that you don't feel anything for the Hufflepuff boy. She lets out a big sigh of relief.

"Good...So...does that mean you're free after class? Wanna do something with me?"

Natty:

Now Natty is very mature and can handle her jealousy very well...that's what she thought until Spencer grew a little too close to you. She usually doesn't mind your multiple admirers but this time it felt different. She has to do something...

"Y/N, I was wondering... Spencer seems quite persistent. Maybe you need help to tell him off?"

You explain to Natty he actually became a good friend and that he wanted to talk to you after class. She keeps a neutral face, not wanting her emotions to get the best of her.

"That is good to hear. I wonder what he has to say to you."

Natty knew exactly what Spencer wanted to talk to you about. But she felt selfish... She was biting her tongue to not say anything more.

"I hope he is not in love with you Y/N. I heard he was quite a flirtatious guys and that he treated his ex-girlfriends very poorly... Yes those are gossips but sometimes they are right! Well...maybe he is just pretending to be nice to you for now, you know how boys are."

She would let you meet Spencer after school but she would overthink about what your response to his confession would be.

"So? What did he say? Tell me everything!" She was trying to keep a smile on her face but she was really really anxious.

As you explained to her, you see her gently relaxing her shoulders. You don't share the same feelings as Spencer, to her delight.

"That's good. He was not right for you anyway." You then dare to ask her why she was so happy you didn't reciprocated his feelings. She was taken aback.

"P-please don't think I was jealous. I just know you well enough to assume he was not your type at all. You deserve someone who will treat you like a princess."

She has never been more relieved you rejected someone. She will keep a close eye on you the next time someone talks to you. She can't let that happen again.

Imelda:

When she is jealous, she usually just bullies you. She hates to see you with other people no matter who they are. So, you can be certain that she cannot stand Spencer being all flirty and chatty with you.

"He just can't leave you alone, can he? Always trying to get your attention. It's so pathetic. Don't give him the time of the day, he's a twat."

You tell her that Spencer asked you to meet him after class. You see her almost explode of rage in front of your very eyes.

"What the f*ck? Who does he think he is? I mean, please let him embarrass himself, I know he doesn't stand a chance...right? Don't tell me you like him? Oh good...not that I care or anything, you do you."

You ask her if she's jealous. She lets out the meanest laugh you've ever heard. Ouch...

"Me? Jealous of him? I can prove it to you that I am, in fact, better than him. I'm also a MUCH better quidditch player. Just saying... Don't look at me like that! I'm not jealous! Just stop hanging out with him, that's all!"

She might sound agressive but she really just needs to be reassured.

"And you promised me to be there at every one of my quidditch practices. And if he doesn't like it, I'm not afraid to punch him in the throat and break his precious broom."

You notice how agitated she is by the fact that Spencer might like you. You say nothing to preserve peace but...how cute it was that she wanted to fight someone for you.

"Forget about him. You deserve a much better contenders for your love. You also deserves someone that is as good as me on a broom. Spencer is way too slow. Why are you smiling at me like that? What did I say?"

She'll make sure you only look at her during practice and during other classes. She'll make sure to remind you that she is the best person to hang out with you.

Leander:

Now he will go about it the hard way to keep people who are interested in you away. He usually straight up lies and tells everyone you are actually his girlfriend so nobody will flirt with you. But Spencer just directly asked you...not fair. He has to do something about it... and now.

"What? He asked you to meet him after class? Well...just don't go? Or tell him you have a boyfriend? Oh come on, it's just a little white lie."

He tries to convince you not to go. But you still want to hear what Spencer has to say.

"Okay but only if I go with you. I can't leave you alone with that creep. Do we have a deal?"

When you wait for Spencer after class, Leander was waiting with you. Leander just couldn't hold back the urge to mark his territory and show that you were his...not officially but in his mind your were his.

"So, please tell us what you wanted to say. Don't be shy."

Leander is touching VERY inappropriately while Spencer tries to speak. He runs his hands down your back, around your shoulders and…on your hips.

You want to stop it but you can't. You...like it. It makes you feel all nervous and you feel your cheeks redden.

At the end, the poor Spencer just gave up and excused himself from the conversation.

"I think he got the message. You're not interested by him and you'll never be. I was helpful, see? "

You scold him gently, telling him how innapropriate that was. He just smirks and chuckles at you. He's so childish...

"Oh don't pretend you didn't like it Y/N. Maybe I should do it more often, that seems to keep the others away."

You stroked his ego unintentionally.

But...what if...nobody stopped you from going?

Spencer:

He waits for you after class. He looks so nonchalent, you almost refuse to think he might confess to you.

"You came! What a relief. I just wanted to tell you that...I know that we've not been friends for long but...hum...I like you. I almost lost my last quidditch match because you were the only thing on my mind."

You were just speechless. Your face was burning up and your cheeks were red. He took notice of that.

"Sorry, I just blurted it out but I'm really serious. I like you Y/N. And if you just let me one chance to prove that I'm worthy of your affection, you won't regret it! Does it sound too corny? I just really like you sorry, I'm letting my heart speak for me right now."

The Hufflepuff's face was also red. He looks so sincere. His blue eyes staring right into yours.

"Do you need time to think about it? I can give you some space. I just... I would give you the world if you ask me to. You're just...so wonderful. But I'll give you the time you want to think about it! Or maybe we could go on a date? Just to make sure I'm your type."

He lets out tiny nervous chuckles as he speaks. He is a blushing mess and he is trying his hardest to speak clearly and not be overwhelmed by his emtions.

Will you give him a chance?

[kattomei]

Fic where insecure!reader who strives for perfection keeps accepting other people's requests at the expense of her health and Sebastian is left to follow her around everywhere because he's concerned and worried half to death, lol.

Wordcount: 4,874

Warnings: none. Just tooth-rotting fluff and a very stressed out Seb.

(this is my first ever fanfic pls be nice...I do appreciate any constructive criticism tho- and I'm also in the process of writing a few others, i alr have a crap ton of drafts so stick around if u happen to like this one! ☺️)

Sebastian noticed a gradual shift in your once-lively demeanor. Your usual sunny disposition, which seemed to consistently lift the spirits of those around you, was now tinged with a growing exhaustion of some sort. The usual bounce in your step was replaced by a slightly slower, lagging stride, and your typical bright smile that could instantly push away any dreariness out of a room was now feeling subtly gloomier.

The changes were miniscule at most, but Sebastian pondered internally that, had he not been watching you so closely, he would've otherwise thought nothing was amiss.

Even your conversations had become disheartening, as his recent attempts had only been met with a sense of detachment. He had grown to long for your usual, easy flow of banter and witty remarks. Despite Sebastian's best efforts to keep your exchanges the same, that had only served to make it feel even more forced and one-sided as he observed you in classes, your gaze seeming to frequently be unfocused and your mind, lacking of any coherent thought.

At first, Sebastian dismissed the changes as nothing out of the ordinary, as everyone had all been preparing for the approaching N.E.W.T.'s exams. He simply reasoned that similar signs of fatigue could be observed in his fellow sixth-years, attributing to the stress that comes with these events.

----

As morning brightness streamed through the Transfiguration's classroom windows, You, Poppy and Natty sat side by side, engaged in silent contemplation, having an almost unspoken agreement on not to converse as the looming threat of exams has all but drained you three completely.

Mrs. Weasley's rather authoritive voice encompassed the otherwise silent space. Though most of her words seemed to lack any coherence as you actively fought the sleep taking over your slumped form.

You hadn't even realised when the exhaustion had won your silent battle but you're quickly awakened by Poppy's warm palm on your shoulder, fluttering your eyes open to be met with her concerned gaze

"Are you okay?" The hufflepuff noted the unusual darkness circling your undereye, peering behind you to share a troubled expression with Natty.

"I'm fine, no worries." You quickly dismissed her and shook your head enthusiastically, ignoring how the action had all but made the room spin.

Natty's worried voice spoke up from behind you, "Are you sure? It is not like you to fall asleep, and during class hours no less." she insisted.

"I assure you both, I'm feeling quite alright." you piped, rather frantically and curse at the slight waver in your voice, certain that both girls had noticed it. You straightened your shoulders from it's slouched position, as if to further prove your point. Natty's scrutinizing gaze made it clear that the feeble attempt hadn't convinced her, however.

The minutes ticked by slowly, each of them feeling like an eternity. The class seemed to last significantly longer than usual, further adding to your mild frustration. However, your clouded thinking, or rather lack thereof, was eventually interrupted by the booming voice of Mrs. Weasley..

"Now, I would like all of you to repeat after me, AH-viss." Her command was followed soon after by echoed choruses of the incantation from the class. "Very well. Now, Kindly try it for yourself. Do remember the meticulous 'M' movement, lest you find the idea of being faced with countless squawking, flightless creatures compelling." She grimaced as though an unsavoury memory flashed in her mind, before shortly replacing it with her usual assuring smile.

Even without paying close attention, you heard enough to know that the spell's purpose was to conjure several, flying medium sized birds. You Steadily pulled out your wand, and point it upwards, you steel yourself... then tensed. Pausing for a moment, you rack your brain to recall the incantation.

Just as your worries began to mount, Poppy's clear words suddenly piped from beside you, looking over you see her apprehensively whipping her wand : "Avis!" Despite the timid attempt at casting, her incantation rang out with such clarity that you questioned briefly if she had noticed your silent struggle.

You silently thanked her eitherway, and with a steadied hand, you took a small breath before casting, "Avis!" With a swift flick of your wand, a loud boom reverberated through the air, like a shot from a gun. As the smoke cleared, your gaze settled on the small, twittering bird now infront of you. It's wings fluttered clumsily as it heaved it's body afloat with visible effort.

Looking to your right you see Natty with her assortment of conjured birds swiftly circling around her head - a stark contrast to your own haphazardly flying bird. It was clear that was how the spell was supposed to work, an array of birds instead of the lone creature you had conjured.

Natty directed her gaze towards you as her eyes flicked down and noticed your meager creation. She tilted her head to examine your chubby aviary. Her expression turned visibly worried as she noted the sorry state of your conjured bird. She knew that, normally, your class performance was held to a high standard, often even rivalling her own. However, observing the stuttered beating of your bird's wing only deepened her concern further.

When class had finally ended, you wasted no time in quickly pushing yourself off your seat and striding out the door, knowingly avoiding your friends' impending interrogation.

You slipped out into the hall, and maneuvered around the sea of students with practiced agility. As you strode down the corridor, you were keenly aware of the presence of Poppy and Natty trailing behind you, their footsteps growing nearer with each passing moment. This thought had only caused you to hasten your hurried pace.

Quickly rounding a corner your forehead slams against someone's firm chest and two calloused hands perched itself onto your shoulders to help keep you steady, the familiar scent of books and pine fills your senses. As you look up to confirm your suspicions  you see that it's none other than the subject to most of your budding affections since the past year.

Sebastian's shocked expression shifts into one of fondness as he realises that it's you. He then presents you with his usual charming grin. Sensing your distress shortly after though, his face drops, and his warm hand tightens it's hold against your shoulder blades.

"You alright? You look like you've just sprinted through an angry horde of diricawls." He masks his growing concern with humour in attempt to alleviate your tension and he can't help but crack a small smile as he feels you relax under his palm.

"Merlin, why does everybody keep asking me that.." You groan loudly infront of the boy, and he rolls his eyes in response, smiling fondly. "I don't know, It might  be because you more or less resemble a pesky raccoon with how dark your undereyes have gotten."

"Oh, bugger off, will you?" you merely huff out indignantly and cross your arms in response. The action only serves to make him laugh, his boyish charm radiating off of his echoed laugher, and you unconsciously melt against his hold.

Sebastian's laughter fades as his gaze dropped back to study you intently, causing you to squirm subtly under the intensity of his stare. His amusement quickly gave way to concern as he asked with more seriousness, his tone softer than before, "No, but seriously, you've been looking a bit worse for wear these past few days. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"Been keeping a close eye on me, have you?" You chimed, your lips tugging upwards into a slight smirk before you could stop yourself. Sebastian merely quirks an eyebrow at your insinuation, and you shift uncomfortably under him when his signature charming grin slowly made it's way onto his face. He had to admit that he missed your rather flirty  banter and snarky remarks (not sure if you ever meant to make it seem that way, but he liked to think you did.)

Sebastian's voice came out casual and nonchalant, almost playful, as he continued, "Despite your usual, slow judgement, I can see you know. Besides, who could possibly resist keeping their eyes on you? " His words were spoken casually, yet held a hint of flirtation, a slight jab at your obliviousness to his observation.

Before you could even question what he meant, Poppy's voice rings throughout the hall calling out your name, making you look over your shoulder to see her and Natty steadily closing the distance between the four of you.

Without sparing the boy a reply you swiftly duck against Sebastian's hold and hurriedly jog away from his tall frame. Not looking back, you beeline to your next class and silently pray that nobody else bombards you with the same queries and worried glances that had been plaguing you all morning.

Sebastian was left to stand alone, shock evident on his face as his arms are left frozen midair where it had once been grasping your slender shoulders, his form unmoving and mind still reeling from your abrupt departure.

Snapping out of his daze, his head snapped from your steadily distancing frame to your friends' approaching figures. Both girls had finally managed to reach him, and the duo were left slightly breathless.

Sebastian, being the ever courteous lad that he was, waited patiently for the two to gather their bearings before shooting each of them a questioning look.

"That girl does not know when to take a break!" Natty heaved slightly panting, whereas Poppy slumped over herself from beside Natty, her hands perched on her own chest as visible distress plastered itself on her usual calm and serene face.

"She's been performing quite poorly in class and has even been dozing off. 'Suspect she's exhausted.." Poppy said, frowning and continued "It's nothing outrageous for a student of course, especially now during N.E.W.T's... But you  know better than anyone how she normally is, Sebastian. She'd sooner lick the floor rather than let her grades drop.." She mused worriedly.

Sebastian did, in fact know better than anyone that you would strive for the best grades you could possibly get, seeming to brighten with the validation you received from professor's whenever you performed particularly well in classes.

He couldn't help but sink deeper into concern when he realised that at this point, it wasn't just him who noticed your peculiar behaviour. He worried what kind of predicament weighed your otherwise steadfast bright and energetic demeanour and cause it to dimmer significantly.

---

This tiring game of cat and mouse continue as the trio fight tooth and nail to try and drag you into resting. And as another day passes by, more of your mutual friends start picking up on your recent oddities.

Garreth confessed that while he usually did respect you dearly, he couldn't resist the fits of laughter bubbling from his chest at the sight of you, covered in black soot. You were brewing a batch of Wiggenwald and it all but exploded into your face. The dark substance had coated your normally otherwise pristine and spotless skin.

After a while even Ominis, despite lacking the significant bodily sensation of sight, managed to notice your tired energy contrasting the usual sunny girl he's come to know. Everyone tries everything they can to make you rest, but for someone who possesses a considerably fragile disposition you owned a rather steel hard stubbornness (much to your friends displeasure).

Normally, Sebastian would think this trait of yours quite endearing, but these days between everyone including him trying to force you to rest and only having you huffing and rejecting is just proving to irk him more and more.

You've been trying to ignore the dizzying sensations badgering you in random hours the entirety of the day. Afternoon arrives and you're walking with Sebastian and Ominis towards the Potions wing.

Striding rather abruptly, your vision blurs in an instant and the room starts spinning, stumbling slightly you steady yourself in a frenzy and attempt to mask the growing throbbing of your head, hoping to Merlin that both boys had failed to notice.

Purposely avoiding their line of gaze you hurriedly continue to walk forward, missing the deep scowl now etched onto Sebastian's lip and Ominis' visible agitation, the latter's wand pulsing a radiant red.

***

   As Sebastian spots you in the hall the next day, you seemed to look worse than ever before, skin ghastly pale and your usual vibrant face lacking any of it's normal vigor. You looked ready to pass out at any given moment, before he could stop himself he followed you out of heavy concern, purposely sticking to you at a safe distance, intent and ready to catch you when you inevitably fainted before you had the chance to even hit the floor.

He trailed behind your form as quietly as he could (though he doubted there was any use in that since you looked as if your mind held no coherent thought whatsoever.)

You turned a corner and he stalked silently over to the wall to peek his head out. Taking in the view just in time to see a Hufflepuff walking over to greet you, stopping abruptly and leaning his back against the wall he hears the girl say "I'm Adelaide Oakes, you're that sixth year everyone's been talking about since last July aren't you? I've heard about your... endeavours  through countless others and I've been hoping to get some time alone with you..."

Sensing where this was going Sebastian leans forward to hear better into the conversation, hoping, praying that you wouldn't even entertain the idea on accepting whatever this girl was going to ask of you.

The aforementioned said something about suspecting her dear uncle had gotten himself in a band of goblin's bad favours, and she continued by expressing the worry it had all caused her for the past week. Sebastian mentally cursed as he saw your tired eyes softening at the troubled girl's words, knowing full well that you were going to accept the moment the girl finished talking.

Sebastian suspected you were planning to sneak out the moment classes were over, and his mind was already whirling with ideas on how to prevent you from doing so.

With your last class of the day being Arithmancy, Sebastian had already decided that he would intercept you the second you stepped out of the classroom, determined to stop you from carrying out your plan.

As the Slytherin made his way towards his next class, his thoughts drifted off, and he couldn't help but mull over why you seemed to be so willing to help someone else in such a state. Sauntering along, he found himself puzzling over your decision.

He arrived at his designated seat in class and settled down, resting his chin on his palm as his brows scrunched together in thought. Sebastian found himself lost in contemplation, mentally tuning out Professor Weasley's lecture.

Sebastian reached his conclusion as the class continued, realizing that your willingness to help stemmed from your ridiculously kind nature. He thought that you simply couldn't bear the thought of saying no to anyone, and he silently lamented this thought throughout the remainder of the class.

***

But of course, something just had to go wrong. The second Professor Weasley dismissed Transfiguration classes, Sebastian bolted upright and ran straight through the door before most had even gotten the chance to take a few steps from their desks.

'Why does the castle's halls have to be so darn crowded this particular time of day?'  Sebastian thought bitterly to himself,  shoving his way into the cramped cluster of students.

Reaching his destination infront of the open classroom door, Sebastian cursed again, his eyes darting from side to side as he scanned the room, desperately searching the area for any sign of you. Spinning quickly, he anxiously scoured the corridor, but you remained nowhere to be seen.

After glumly kicking the nearby doorframe, Sebastian stalked away with a deep frown, opting to wait for your return instead. He overheard the general direction the girl had pointed you in and thought you would most likely enter through the north exit, passing by a grandfather clock, he noted the time:

5:30 in the afternoon.

With a huff, he sat himself down in front of the giant double doors, stilling as he prepared to wait for your return, ready to tend to you the moment you entered.

----

Weakly striding up the Hogwarts ground's north entrance you reached a hand up to push open the heavy, double door. The sun peeked out of the horizon, steadily rising as some birds started to chirp, all while the cold morning air nipped against your flushed cheeks, Your palm perched on your forehead as a deep gash on your shoulder prevented you on making use of both hands.

Trudging upwards, you swayed under the dizziness and fatigue. Besides the crimson slice across your upper arm, your body was littered with bruises and other minor injuries, your mind, foggy. Wondering how you'd even managed to escape alive and rescue Adelaide's uncle considering your already pitiful state - you had no idea.

Pushing open the large entrance, you stepped inside, your head throbbed painfully as the heavy door slammed shut with a deafening thud.

----

Sebastian's slouched form jerked awake from the echoing sound of the door closing. Rubbing his eyes, his vision focused on the figure now standing at the entryway. Hastily standing up to squint at the figure, he's greeted by a clear view of your disheveled appearance infront of him.

Sebastian observed you taking a few steps forward, and he slowly started to stride towards you. You seemed to be in such a daze that you failed to have even noticed his approaching presence.

Sebastian's concern escalates as he watches you waver and wobble on your feet. Unconsciously, he transitions his stride into a jog, and then a sprint, quickly closing the distance between you- just in time to catch you right before your body collapsed, preventing your unconscious form from hitting the cold marble floor.

***

Waking up to the view of the hospital wing's pristine white ceiling you gingerly blink a few more times in attempt to try and refocus your vision.

Turning your head to the side, you're greeted with Sebastian's slouched form sitting on a stool beside you. Dark circles encompassed his undereye and his  hair seemed to be messier than usual. He seemed to be in deep thought, both elbows on his knees and chin resting on his palm, brows furrowed while he chewed on his bottom lip, staring intensely at a corner of the room.

His gaze wandered until it locked with yours, without warning he swiftly straightened his body and clutched your unmoving hand positioned on your side. He seemed to be in an internal debate with himself as his mouth closed and opened repeatedly.

Finally, after silently confirming that you seemed to be in a steady enough condition, he yelled loudly, making you visibly flinch in response to the sheer volume and intensity of his voice. "How could you have been so utterly daft!? You've been out doing who knows what, running around the highlands doing favours while  being in such a state!? Imelda had been going at it in my ear for the better part of the morning reprimanding me for ever letting you get away with all of it in the first place-- And honestly I can't blame her! Merlin , If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were intentionally trying to get yourself killed!"

You were speechless, you had expected some  sort of lecture, but definitely not something that  heated. You stupidly stared at him with wide eyes paired with a slightly agape mouth, until finally managing to sputter something out. "I-I'm...sorry...?"

You were surprised at his outburst because you hadn't ever witnessed Sebastian being this emotional, except when it was something that had been related to Anne.

Unbeknownst to you, the sight of your bedridden form, pale complexion, cracked lips, and labored, shallow breaths had all but hit Sebastian with a gut-wrenching familiarity. He simply couldn't bare the concerning resemblance you momentarily held of his cursed twin, and without thinking, he had lashed out the emotions of his revelation to you.

Letting out a shaky exhale he rested his gaze back onto yours, his eyes round and forehead wrinkled. "You.... I don't understand. Why on Merlin's name, would you do something so foolish? "

Wincing at the sharp edge in the last word of his question, you averted your gaze, shame washing over you as you instinctively pressed your lips together in a thin, tight line. "I...I'm sorry, I just, I-.." Mentally cursing at your pathetic stammering, your face steadily grew hot, and your eyes brimmed with tears. "u-uhm-...." Your voice cracked, forcing you to briefly clench your eyes shut to contain the tears threatening to spill over.

Sebastian instantly softened and unconsciously rubbed his thumb over the back of your clutched hand. "I apologise, I... While I daresay this wasn't an overreaction  on my part, eitherway I'm still sorry." A few seconds of silence pass before he continues. "I get that you find it difficult to reject favours... But is it truly  that hard to say no for you?"

Swallowing heavily, you slowly shake your head, denying his prior assumption which, in turn earns you a confused stare from Sebastian. "...I don't do it because I find it difficult to say no to others."

Pausing, you hesitantly look back at the boy and he replies, slowly. "Then why..?" Inhaling a sharp breath you continue, "I do it to feel  like I'm a better person than I actually am.. I'm just constantly worried about what others think of me. This image of being the almighty 'Hero of Hogwarts'  It's...It's like a shadow that follows me everywhere, and... I'm scared of the day when everyone realises that I'm really... nobody special."

"Bullshit." Sebastian firmly speaks out, making you stare at him with wide eyes. Brief silence envelopes you both, the slytherin pauses to sigh deeply before looking at you with furrowed brows paired with wide, round eyes before giving your hand another gentle squeeze.

"Where on earth have you been getting these ideas?" He asks, before his expression of gentle concern shifts to one of anger "Has someone been planting these absurdities into your head??" Hastily, you shake your head and it takes a moment for Sebastian to recollect himself before directing an incredulous stare at you (as if it was hard for him to comprehend that you could even think you weren't deserving of your reputation and title.) Because truthfully, he thought you  of all people deserved it most, and he would sooner dive fifty meters off the edge of a cliff before letting you think differently.

He rubs his thumb over the back of your palm again before raising his unoccupied hand onto your upper arm and slowly sliding it onto your shoulder. "You're absolutely unreal. I mean, the least you could do to appear more human is to grow an insufferably large ego- to match all the things you've managed to do. I mean, of all the thick-headed prats I know... none of them could even begin to compare with all the things you've accomplished."

Suddenly, the room feels considerably warmer, the thick hospital blanket draped down your lower body suddenly becoming more unbearable as the seconds ticked by, you're avoiding Sebastian's gaze as he addresses you with the utmost gentleness you've ever heard someone speak.

"....Think about it, you started late into hogwarts-- fifth year, where OWL's and every heavy workload starts piling up when you were running behind in five years worth of education. And yet you managed to pass through considerably one of the hardest exams in hogwarts being only second to N.E.W.T's in difficulty- and all the while fighting trolls, poachers, goblins and ashwinders and who knows what every other day like they were child's play, WITH your limited duelling knowledge."

Sebastian retracts his hand from your shoulder and launches it onto his messy hair, pushing the strands back with his fingers before abruptly leaning his head back to let out an unbashed laugh and dropping it back down to lock eyes with you. "Bloody hell, don't even get me started on your duelling. I mean, you managed to beat me! Reigning duelling champion with Levioso! A damn first-year level levitation charm! On your first day, no less!"

The brunette scoffed and rolled his eyes as you giggle, feigning annoyance while he secretly feels himself melt at the sound. "Yeah, you're probably feeling quite pleased with yourself now, aren't you?" His scowl gradually faded into an endearing smile as he gazed back at you. "Good."

Your laughter falters as you're caught off guard by the look of fondness his gaze held as he stared at you. He continues his verbal tirade, but this time he looks to the side, opposite of you, unable to meet your gaze as he blurts out the last of his confession.

"I don't know how you ever came to the conclusion that you're somehow undeserving of everything you've rightfully earned. Well, I'll even go as far as disagree and say that you deserve more... But- that's not the point" He falters for a brief moment, stuttering slightly as his ears flush a delicate shade of red, and you can't help but bite your lip, suppressing a giggle at the sight.

He inhales sharply, before continuing speaking, his tone filled with conviction. "But... I know you better than anyone else. And I can say this with absolute certainty, you are far from a nobody. You're strong... kind,- and one of the bravest people I know. You may not see it, but trust me, you're anything but insignificant." Your breath catches in your throat as he slowly turns his head back to look at you .

Silence hangs in the air as the two of you lock eyes for a while. You take a deep breath and summon your courage, raising your free hand, you gently rest it on his, the one that's grasping your own. His eyes follow the movement closely, then he snaps his gaze back to your face. A demure smile graces your lips, unknowingly making his heart stutter at the sight. Then, you give his hand a firm, reassuring squeeze, and he swears he felt his soul ascend for a brief second.

Your shared little moment is quickly dissolved as the hospital wing's doors slam open, the familiar view of your friend group marching in. Instinctively, you tug both your hands out of his grasp, momentarily pulling your conjoined hands, and in turn, Sebastian- forward from the sudden action.

Imelda's familiar rumbustious voice fills the quiet room. "Nice of you to rejoin the land of the living." she announces, whereas Poppy quickly makes her way over to your side, opposite of where Sebastian was situated.

"Does your head hurt?-" Not giving you any time to reply, she hastily grabs both your shoulders. "Your shoulders are so tense- I'll ask Nurse Blainey to prepare you a calming draught right after this." She coos, before swiftly raising a hand over to your forehead "Oh my, you're heating up...Your face is unbelievably red- Oh, poor you-"

"Merlin, let the girl breathe Poppy." Imelda barks out a laugh from the foot of your mattress. You manage to flash a weak smile to the worried hufflepuff before she reluctantly leans back and steps away from your bed.

Sneaking a quick glance back over to Sebastian, you're greeted with the view of him unmistakably pouting, his hand left on the spot ontop of your bed where you had pulled away from him. Your train of thought is interrupted by the sound of Ominis' musing.

"I can't say we didn't tell you something like this would end up happening if you didn't stop, but you're just as stubborn as our dear Mr. Sallow, here." Everyone collectively shares a laugh before Natty steps over to your side holding up a pile of parchment.

"It's some of our classwork you missed throughout the day, we all decided to help out in gathering it.... To make sure you wouldn't miss out on any of the lessons." the girl smiled before putting the assortment of work on your bedside table.

"Thank Natty, She thought about the idea first, she deserves most of the credit." Garreth confesses, effectively causing Natty to rub her neck, and she looks over to you, bashful. "Well, I don't share all the same classes with you, so none of this could have been done without everyone's help."

As the group steadily starts talking between themselves, You slowly slide your hand over to Sebastian's, your touch tentative as you shyly maneuver to link your pinky with his, keeping your gaze fixed on your chatting friends. He's initially caught-off-guard by the gesture but quickly responds by shifting his finger to press gently against yours, his pout transforming into a subtle, tender smile.

In your mind, you made a mental note to talk to Sebastian after your friends left, with the intention of continuing your prior conversation to where it had been left off.

[bloofinntoona]

Operation Saving Sallow

Word Count: 2.4 k

Themes: fluffy fluff fluff, Sebastian Sallow x f!reader, featuring the lovely friends you made along the HL games

Summary: A girl gave Seb candies laced with love potion. You were rightfully jealous. Your friends were there to help you solve the case.

A splash of water hit your face, small drops of water dripped down onto the sink, echoing through the empty bathroom. The old cloudy mirror in front you showed the absolute sorry state that you were currently in – hair tied up in a messy ponytail, lips chapped from the lack of hydration, the ends of your school robe muddy from being dragged through your journey around the highland. You smacked your cheeks a couple times, causing the skin to break into a rose-colored hue. It was a trick you read in a beauty book your mom owned back in London. Biting your lips, you wished it would somewhat create a red tint, hoping it would make your face appear livelier. Two students barged through the door, pulling you away from your thoughts. Shaking your head, you made your way to the Divination class.

You didn’t care about your appearance before, to be quite honest. Often times you ran around the school with gears that you found in a treasure chest somewhere deep in caves. There were nobody to impress anyway, you found prioritizing about your defensive capabilities benefited you more anyways. Things did slowly change when you took an interest to the infamous Sebastian Sallow. You thought of him as friends at first. He was an outgoing person and a notorious flirt, so you didn’t think much about the brunette. However, the constant owls you receive -- noting invitations to explore the forest and mines, Sebastian showing you the Undercroft where no one else other than Ominis knew, and going so far as introducing you to Anne, you couldn’t help but think that there were something quite special between the two of you. “I like when you put your hair up,” he said once during your study period in the library. From that point onward, you took a little bit of time in a morning to tie your hair, either in a ponytail or a bun.

Sitting down on one of the chairs in the Divination Classroom, you stared at the circular glass in front of you. A slew of students shuffled into the classroom, one of them is the popular Ravenclaw student, Emma Ainsley. Emma was probably the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen in the school, soft long blonde hair naturally swayed behind her, cute button nose, and a pair of beautiful deep-blue eyes. She was holding a boy’s hand, and it was none other than Sebastian. They were giggling about something, the students stared at them, whispering gossips and snickering to each other. You blankly stared at the orb in front of you, wishing that the glass would absorb you in and let you disappear.

“Well, that is not a sight you expect.” Natty took the seat next to you, setting her books down.

“Y/N, you look pale. Are you alright?” said Poppy, also taking her seat on the other side. Natty stared at the Hufflepuff, widening her eyes. Poppy shrugged and offered you a Chocolate Frog. “Do you want one?”

You flashed a weak smile before glancing at Sebastian again, now sitting together next to Emma. Merlin, You were convinced someone switched places with the boy overnight. The first thing that he would do before class started was to greet you, teasing you about missing assignments. You swore you never saw him talk to Emma before. It’s obvious that a boy his age most likely would develop a crush on someone, but you rightfully were taken aback when he confessed his infatuation with the Ravenclaw. Maybe, deep down, you wished you were in her position instead.

You let out a huge sigh, cueing Poppy to give you a tender pat on your back.

Lunchtime was not particularly appetizing that day. You toyed with the food on your plate, occasionally picking the grilled chicken and popping a bite in your mouth.

“That is it, I will press even if you don’t want to talk about it.” Natty faced you, arms crossed in front of her, “I cannot stand seeing you mope around the entire day.”

“We all know it’s Sebastian, right?” Poppy chimed in, taking a swing of pumpkin juice.

You covered your face with your hands, not wanting to see your friends concerned gaze. You sighed, again. You admitted, “Yes, it is Sebastian. I am at my wit’s end, I have no idea what happened and out of nowhere he is head over heal in love with Emma!” You quickly added, “It’s not like I’m jealous or anything… I just wished he would tell me before making a move on someone. I thought I’m one of his closest friend!”

“Oh, trust me, I’m lost too.” You heard a male voice behind you. Quickly, you whipped your head around to find Ominis looming over. The point of his wand glowing red.

“Ominis!” you exclaimed, “I thought you’d know something about this!” You scootched over, guiding the blonde boy to sit down next to you.

“Honestly, he woke up and all he talks about is Emma this, Emma that. I swear I was this close from pushing him out from the window.” He huffed.

“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Natty’s eyebrows twisted in confusion, “You can’t just love someone out of nowhere.”

The group was startled when they heard footsteps closing in in front of them. It was the man of the hour, Sebastian, with Emma clutching his arm. “Hey, this a good day, isn’t it? Shall we take a walk to Hogsmead later?” He grins. “But Sebbie, you promised that we would go together!” Emma pursued her lips and clinged on him harder. You had to muster your whole strength to not cringe from the scene in front of you, while Ominis visibly gagged from the scene. “Sorry mates, we’ll hang out later, yeah? I need to accompany my dear Em-em.” He cheered as they took a spot at the far side of the room.

“I think I ought to be sick.” You banged your head to the table.

“Count me in too. Just tell me when and I will gladly smack them both with my broom.” Imelda Reyes chimed in. Imelda and Samantha Dale popped in and joined the table. Samantha added, “But I think I know what happened.”

The group hurdled together, lowering their voices.

“Poppy and Ominis, do you remember what we brew during the potion class couple days ago?” Samantha questioned, eyeing her two classmates.

You could sense a lightbulb turned on in Ominis’ mind, “Amortentia!” he shouted, immediately being shushed by Natty, “The love potion! That’s it! I remember I saw chocolate candy wrappings on his bedside table last night.”

“Ohoho, seems like our own so-called Slytherin finest is getting the poisoned!” Imelda cracked out a cheeky snicker.

You let out a relived sigh. By this point, your feelings had beaten your rational thoughts. Yes, you were beyond jealous to see another girl putting her hands all over Sebastian. And yes, you had taken a keen interest in Sebastian Sallow. You’d hate to admit it, but you can feel the whole group knew about it already – judging by the way they immediately shot you coy smiles.

“Now you don’t have to worry again, my friend.” Natty giggled, wrapping her arm around your shoulder, hugging you close.

“W-worry about what?” You blinked, a nervous smile plastered on your face.

“All right now, we’ll deal with this together.” uttered Samantha, “We got your back, Y/N.”

“Okay team, the rundown of Operation Saving Sebastian as follows,” Imelda proudly proclaimed as Ominis groaned, earning a smack from the girl, “Ominis and I will find the candy wrapper and report it to Professor Sharp. Samantha and Poppy will distract Emma away from Sebastian. Natty and Y/N, you will ask Sebastian for a duel and knock him out.”

“Do we really need to knock him out?” you questioned.

“Well, it does say on my notes that a good night sleep is the best way to significantly reduce the potion’s effects…” Samantha shrugged, followed by the team. You felt bad, it’s like the group collectively agreed that Sebastian’s a bit of a knobhead.

You heard Samantha and Poppy were able to convince Emma that they need to tend the mooncalves after the Magical Beast Class. Poppy did earlier rambled on about how one of thee female mooncalves was pregnant and need extra care.

Both you and Natty found Sebastian sitting in front of the fountain at the Transfiguration courtyard, smiling while looking at the sun. You heard him muttering about how the sky was as bright as Emma’s eyes. “Hey there, Sebastian.” You approached the love-stricken boy, “I’d thought it’s been a while since we went on a duel. Care to indulge me and Natty?”

“Well, I was waiting for Emma, but a duel does sound enticing.” He nodded as he followed the two girls. You mentally facepalmed – even a love potion didn’t stop this boy from his obsession with duelling challenges. Natty also gave you a look, this is the boy you have a crush on?

Lucan, as usual, was elated that Sebastian, Natty, and you were up for a duel. After all, the three students were the top of the club. It didn’t take long until a small crowd of students gathered around the duelling courtyard. You stood next to Natty, as Sebastian took his stance at the opposite side.

“Too scared to face me alone, eh?” He taunted, starting the duel with a basic cast aimed to you. You rolled your eyes and casted Protego and Stupefy followed after. Sebastian dodged the spell before being lifted up by Natty’s Levioso. You casted another rounds of basic casts before he dropped down, immediately casting a Depulso to Natty, pushing her back.

“I wished Emma can see me win!” Sebastian shouted.

That was it, the nail on the coffin. You swore you would take this lightly, “Just knock him out a bit.” You heard Samantha’s voice in your head. Yet, this whole day was frustrating enough for you. Using your ancient magic prowess, you lifted a small box and hurled it to Sebastian, hitting it against his head. The crowd went oooh! as Sebastian was rendered unconscious, comically slamming his body down on the floor, limbs sprawled everywhere.

Lucan immediately rushed to the Slytherin boy, “The winners are Natty and Y/N!” he shouted, “… and somebody should bring Seb to the hospital wing!”

“We’ll do it, Lucan, thank you.” You shuffled closer to the body on the floor, hoisting him on your shoulder. Natty joined you in a jiffy, grabbing Sebastian’s other arm around her shoulders.

“You didn’t need to go that far!” Natty whispered, although you saw her fighting a smile.

“That’s what he get for breaking my heart.” You both laughed as you travelled to the hospital wing.

You laid down Sebastian on an empty cot, explaining to the nurse that it was a duelling mishap. The nurse shook her head and mumbled about getting us a detention. You couldn’t care less, at least now the plan is almost done.

“Sebbie! What have these two brutes done to you?” You and Natty tensed as you heard Emma burst through the doors, running towards Sebastian, “Oh my dear, I am here for you!”

Emma looked at you. If looks could kill, you’d be dead by now. “Why are you here? Move aside, I’m his girlfriend!”

You stuttered, “W-well, I’m his… friend.” You felt very stupid right now.

Just before Emma could utter other word, you heard several footsteps approaching the cot. Professor Sharp stood over the cot, presenting the candy wrapper to Emma. “Care to explain what this is?” He questioned. Ominis, Imelda, Samantha, and Poppy followed after, curious about how the story unfolded, you’d wager.

“I-it’s, uh.. I-“ Emma jumbled her words, trying to salvage the situation she was in.

“Save it, Ms. Ainsley, I shall see you in detention this evening. I shall also deduct some points from Ravenclaw.” Professor Sharp shook his head, “I’m very disappointed in you.” Emma ran out of the hospital, wailing.

Suddenly, you felt a hand squeezed yours. Sebastian groaned loudly, blinking a few times in confusion. “Why is everyone here?” He looked around, “Why am I in the hospital wing? Did something happen? Ouch!” The boy yelped as he felt a tender spot on his forehead. You shrugged and gave him an apologetic look.

“Mr. Sallow, do you recognize this?” Professor Sharp placed the candy wrapper on Sebastian hands. The brunette inspected it and muttered, “Yes, Emma Ainsley gave some candies. Said she got extra from Hogsmead. I remember they tasted weird though…”

Everybody was silent as Sebastian glanced over the candy, and then to Professor Sharp. “Oh,” the wires in his head were now connected, “was it laced with Amortentia?”

“Ten points for Slytherin.” Professor Sharp said sarcastically, “ I can’t believe I should tell you fifth years to not eat candies from strangers,” he sighed, “although, I suppose getting one unconscious is the best way to minimize the effects, yet I don’t see the need to bruise the person.”

“Sorry…” you squeezed Sebastian’s hand back.

“Well, I shall leave you all to it.” said the Professor as he walked away from the room.

“You owe us!” Imelda laughed -- The group collectively nodded.

“I think the true lovebirds need some time alone, I’d say.” Natty voiced her friends’ thoughts. They giggled, leaving Sebastian and you alone. You flashed a smile to the group, making a mental note to treat them butterbeer sometime in the future.

You grabbed a hot towel next to the cot, pressing it against Sebastian’s forehead. He winced, “Care to explain this?”

“Natty and I bested you on a duel and… I accidentally used my ancient magic, hitting you with a box?” you grinned, “I’m sorry, I was taken over by my emotions.”

“Emotions?” Sebastian smirked, “What do you mean?”

Your face was as red as a tomato at this point, “Nothing, forget about it!” you were about to get up before he held onto your robes.

“You injured me, I think you owe me an explanation still.” He smiled widely, probably enjoyed seeing you flustered like this.

You bit your lower lip, murmuring, “Do you actually have special feelings for Emma?”

Sebastian faked a gasp, “Perhaps I sense a jealousy?” You glared at him, earning a laugh from the boy, “No, I do not have feelings for her.”

You looked away, lips forming a huge smile. The two sat there for a while, hands intertwined. Sebastian’s thumb stroking your fingers. “So..” he broke the silence, “I believe a compensation is in order for bruising my head.”

You sighed as you leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss on the red spot. You guess Sebastian wasn’t expecting it, seeing how red his face became.

Maybe the days ahead wouldn’t be so bad after all.

[fierymiasma]

❀ And You Look Fetching in Yellow ❀ // Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

Summary: Hogwarts couples exchange scarves to signify their intention with each other. Unfortunately for Sebastian, MC is new to the whole magic thing.

It's been weeks since Sebastian had gifted her his scarf. And yet nothing romantic has happened between them.

How was she supposed to know that she had to give him something in return?

Part 1: You Look Better In Green

♪ Tags: Slight Dark!Sebastian, angst, sadness, manipulation, making out, heartbreak

Word Count: 5k

|| Masterlist || AO3 ||

"Did you see what the new girl was wearing?"

"Obviously, do I look like I live under a troll's bridge?  The whole school is talking about it!"

Sebastian preened, sitting a bit straighter in his seat.  He had been lounging on a bench with Ominis in the Dark Arts Tower, bored out of his mind.  About ten paces away, a gaggle of 3rd year girls were giggling and loudly whispering amongst themselves.  The student body of Hogwarts never had anything better to do then to guess who started courting who.  Sebastian had never cared much about this (often incorrect) news, having always found it dull. 

But it was looking like Hogwarts was just about to get bit more interesting.

"What was she wearing?" one of the shorter girls asked.

"She was wearing a Slytherin scarf!" another whispered conspiratiously as if it was an unspeakable secret.

There were gasps around the group.  The new Hufflepuff student?  Wearing Slytherin's green and silver scarf?  It could only mean one thing.

"Ohhhh, she's seeing from someone from Slytherin."  There was much fervent whispering.

"I bet so many hearts are crushed now.  Someone finally got to her first."

Sebastian couldn't' help but puff out his chest.  Finally, in his time as a 6th year at Hogwarts, the natural order of things were being corrected.  No longer did he have to worry seeing his Hufflepuff in ugly red and yellow. 

"Who do you reckon gave it to her?" one of the Ravenclaws bounced on the tip of her toes. 

"Well, there's not that many Slytherin boys that she associates herself with."

Sebastian grinned.  He leaned back against the wall, crossing his hands behind his head.  He was constantly next to her side whether that meant on the battlefield or at the library.  His devotion to her had most definitely discouraged any potential suitors who thought they were worthy of wasting her time.  An effortless arm thrown around her shoulder.  His coarse hand tucking a strand of hair behind her ears.  His chin resting on her much shorter head.  Now that the whole school knew that the most amazing girl in all of Hogwarts history was his, Sebastian's worries could finally-

"I heard from someone in Charms that it's Ominis."

Sebastian stilled.  What?

There were squeals of delight.

"Of course!  That makes so much sense! They look so cute together!"

Sebastian scowled.  No they didn't. 

"Awww, I'm so happy for them.  I bet he swept her off her feet!" 

"It's the eyes isn't it?  All the Gaunt kids have those gorgeous eyes."

In Sebastian's personal opinion, blue eyes were incredibly overrated.

"That makes so much sense!  They're always in the library studying together."

One of their voices took a cheekily tone.  "Studying?  Is that what the kids are calling it now a days?"

Yes, Ominis and his Hufflepuff were always studying together, only because Sebastian invited both of his best friends to his study session.

The group of girls all squealed bouncing up and down like a group of Puffskeins.  They were loud and annoying enough that Professor Hecat had opened the doors to her classroom.  With heavy scolding, the professor shooed them outside, to spread their gossip elsewhere in the castle no doubt.

Sebastian felt as though he took a troll club to the head. That was his green scarf around his Hufflepuff.  It was Sebastian's scarf that she was wearing every day.  Not Garret's.  Not Natty's. Not even Ominis's.  It was Sebastian's.  Turning to stare at his best friend, he was startled to find that Ominis was still engrossed in his book.  The other boy looked completely at ease, as if Sebastian's entire life hadn't been entirely upended.

"What," Sebastian spat through gritted teeth, "in Merlin's name, was that all about?"

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The hero of Hogwarts laid on her back like a starfish on the grounds of the Transfiguration courtyard.  Having successfully commandeered a quiet corner of the courtyard with Natty and Poppy, she tried her best to relax between classes.  Poppy was playing with Gerald.  Natty attempted hastily to finish her astronomy homework before the next toll of the bell.  The ancient magic user scowled at the bright blue cloudless sky as if it personally had cursed her.   

She was still wearing Sebastian's scarf.  The new Hufflepuff hadn't taken it off since Sebastian had kindly (or possessively?) wrapped it around her.  His signature bergamot and oak scent was starting to fade. 

She had learned quite quickly the ins and outs of courting at Hogwarts thanks to her friends.  Coming from the muggle world, it was dizzyingly confusing all the fake rules that witches and wizards put upon themselves.  She wasn't sure if it was wizard conservatism or teenage boredom that forced the students of Hogwarts to play these stupid courting games.

Wearing another House's colors was a walking advertisement to the rest of Hogwarts that you were officially being pursued by classmate of another House.  The second that a Gryffindor was caught wearing green and silver or a Ravenclaw was caught wearing red the whole school would erupt in commotion and gossip.  

In her opinion, the student body of Hogwarts needed to go outside more.  Experience some of the real world for once. 

After all it was their coy games that put her in this whole mess.  She thought, as any rational being would, that after a whole year's worth of 'dates', alone, unsupervised, not under the watch of any adult, that something more would come of her relationship with Sebastian.  She had hoped by now she would be wrapped in his strong arms with his green scarf wrapped around the both of them, joining them together. 

She had thought wrong.  Instead, it was the still the same Sebastian.  Teasing tone, seductive one-liners, coy looks when he thought she wasn't watching.  He always held her at an arm's length, never getting too close.  Despite all of his flirty comments, he never made a verbal hint that they were anything more than friends. 

Ugh, this was all so maddening.  If she had it her way, she would march right up to Sebastian, grab him by the beautiful luscious curls of his, and kiss him silly until he finally got the message through that thick skull of his.

"Why isn't my brilliant plan working?"  She whined as she laid beneath the sky, as if hoping it would give her the answers.

"What plan?"  Natty asked, not looking up from her astronomy homework.  "Your mind has been up in the clouds all day."

She groaned, throwing her arm over her eyes to block out the sun.  "Why hasn't Sebastian made a pass at me yet.  For Merlin's sake, we went to Three Broomsticks and Sirona gave us her Valentine's Day Special.  We shared it, together.  Using one spoon, like a couple."

"Have you considered that Sebastian might think you two are actually exclusive?" Poppy interjected.  "I mean, you're wearing his scarf.  That has to count for something."

The new student groaned.  She started ripping the grass next to her in frustration.  "I don't think we're dating.  At least, I don't think Sebastian Sallow is the type to not snog his girlfriend silly when she drops obvious hints."

Poppy made a show of gagging at the thought of her friends making out.  In retaliation, the other Hufflepuff half-hearted threw some of the plucked grass in Poppy's general direction.  The strands lamely flew everywhere but their intended target.

Natty sighed, brushing the grassy debris from her astronomy chart.  "Honestly, Europe is so behind.  Back at home, things were much simpler.  Girls do not have to wait for the man to ask them to be in a relationship!  Anyone could do the asking!  All of this exchanging of clothes is so silly to me.  What if two people from the same House start dating?  Then what? This makes no sense to me."

Poppy hummed in agreement.  "Dating at Hogwarts does seem like such a headache compared to Uganda, Natty.  But," she squeezed Gerald tightly, "you can't deny how cute it is when you see the couples together wearing each other clothing.  They're so mismatched and adorable."  Poppy paused awkwardly.  "Come to think of it, I've never seen Sebastian wearing even a hint of yellow."

The air stilled.  Both Poppy and Natty turned to stare at their friend who was still in the process of pulling out all of the blades of grass in her vicinity.  It was a long awkward moment before the hero of Hogwarts realized that her two good friends were looking at her, expecting a reaction out of the wallowing girl.

"What?" She asked.

Poppy gave her a pitying look.  "You…you did give Sebastian your scarf right?"

The new student blinked owlishly, her hands stilled in their destructive action. 

Natty sighed.  "A hat?  Your tie?  Cufflinks?  Merlin's beard, even your socks would do.  Anything?"

For being a wielder of ancient magic, she sure didn't have a clue as to wizarding culture.  "Um, no?  Was I supposed to?"

Both girls groaned.  Natty shook her head, disappointed in the lack of charisma her friend had.  Poppy looked at her pitifully as if she was the runt of a Niffler litter.

"What?  We're supposed to trade scarves?  Who made up that rule?  Is that why Sebastian hasn't made a move on me?"

"YES!"  The other girls replied, getting fed up with the drama.

"No one told me about this!"

The three girls bickered back and forth, homework now entirely forgotten.  So lost in debate, they missed the Slytherin that was approaching them.

Imelda Reyes, captain of the Slytherin team, stood in front of them, interrupting the trio of girls.  "Oh good, the losers are all gathered together."  She looked rather bored as if she would rather be on the field than here.

Poppy frowned.  Gerald stuck his tongue out at the offending girl.  "Imelda, why do you keep calling your only friends at Hogwarts losers?"

Imelda ignored the remark, flipped her hair behind her shoulders.  "It keeps the fans in line.  Got to remind you lot of your place."

The Slytherin girl turned her sights onto the other Hufflepuff who was still wallowing in the grass in self-pity.  "Anyway, I came to collect on my good deed.  Some token of appreciation would be nice.  Even a thanks would do."

The Hufflepuff sighed.  She pinched her nose in frustration at the annoyance that was Imelda Reyes.  Rolling over to her side, she faced the Slytherin captain.  She propped up her chin on her hand.  Nothing that Imelda ever have to share was interesting.  "Imelda, what is it now?  Why should I be groveling at your feet for this time?"

"You should be thanking me for saving your relationship with Sallow."  Imelda nonchalantly stated.

The new girl spluttered, her chin slipping off of her hand and hitting the ground.  She made a pained noise, rubbing at the growing bruise.  "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."  Imelda inspected her glossy green nails.  "It's painful to see you two fumbling about like Quidditch little league toddlers.  I just gave a gentle nudge in the right direction."

The bottom of her stomach was in free-fall.  Imelda "helping" was never a good thing, despite what the Slytherin believed.  "Imelda, what did you do?"

Imelda grinned.  "Oh, you know, just started a rumor that Ominis was the one who gave you the scarf."

She finally sat up.  Bits of grass stick to the Hufflepuff's hair.  "Why on earth would you do that, Imelda?  The whole school is going to think that Ominis is courting me!"

"Indeed."

Natty frowned.  "I have to admit.  I do not see the game you are trying to play.  How does that help our friend?" 

Imelda rolled her eyes.  It was sometimes frustrating being the only Slytherin of their girl group.  They were so slow to stack the odds to get what they wanted.  They were so narrow-minded as they achieved their goals, seeing only a couple paths towards victory instead of the millions of possibilities Imelda always saw.

"Boys like Sallow are easy to manipulate.  Start a rumor that his best friend is seeing the love of his life, and the boy will make sure to do everything in his power to correct the record."  Imelda flicked off a speck of dirt on her otherwise well-polished nails.  "He'll come crawling back to you in a week tops."

Poppy oo'ed in approval, clapping excitedly at the new development.  Natty shot her a judging look.  Poppy dropped her "oo's" to a respectful volume.

The other Hufflepuff gaped in silence, at a loss for words.  "Sebastian's one of the smartest people I know.  He can pick up even the most difficult spells on the first try." She crossed her arms.  "He's too smart to fall for your tricks, Imelda."

Her compatriots were silent. Natty, Poppy, and Imelda ginned and looked at each other deviously.  Poppy was the first to bust out in laughter, causing the other two to join in.  The offended girl scowled behind her green scarf, annoyed.

The Hufflepuff rolled her eyes.  "You all think so low of him.  I'm telling you, Sebastian's not the type to care about this sort of petty thing.  You'll see."

"Oh, we'll see alright." Imelda sneered.  "I bet my best broomstick that your Slytherin will come crawling back to you on his knees.  Why I bet he's foaming at the mouth right now."  

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Sebastian was practically foaming at the mouth.  He wanted to scream and pull his hair out.  Back in the sanctuary of his dorm room, he could finally take off the mask of indifference he'd been wearing all day.  Ever since he eavesdropped on the rumors surrounding the new student, they have followed him incessantly, mocking him.  It seems like all the students, all the professors, even the godforsaken portraits were talking about the 'newest couple in Hogwarts'.  How on earth that anyone could see her and Ominis actually together was beyond him. 

Speaking of Ominis, Sebastian glanced over at his friend who was sitting comfortably in his own bed, reading a book in braille.  Ominis looked serene as if he was above the petty comments of the commoners of Hogwarts.

Suspiciously aloof in Sebastian's opinion.

"How are you not bothered by all of this?" Sebastian asked.  He squinted his eyes, trying to see if he could catch Ominis in the act of trickery.

Ominis sighed, marking his place in his book before closing it with an air of finality.  He had foolishly hoped that the silly rumors going around Hogwarts wouldn't upset his best friend too much.  The students of Hogwarts were constantly talking Sebastian after all.  Gossiping about his charm around the female students, about his duels, about him getting detention for the second time that week.  Sebastian was never bothered by gossip, seeming revealing in it.

This rumor was different, it would seem.

"I'm not sure what you're on about."  Ominis tried.

Sebastian could smell something was up.  "Don't you play dumb with me.  You know exactly what I'm referring to.  The whole school thinks our new friend is seeing you.  Now, I believe that the heresy isn't true."  Sebastian's voice threatened to crack.  "Is there any reason to believe otherwise?"

The accused boy huffed, rolling his eyes.  "Merlin, Sebastian, you really live up to the infamous Slytherin jealousy."

"Don't you avoid the subject."  Sebastian said.

Ominis frowned, confused.  "Why don't you just correct the rumors?  Haven't you been courting her the whole time?"

Sebastian scowled, turning away from his friend, hiding the disappointment on his face.  He'd thought that everything was going so well.  Her secretive smiles and stolen glances whenever she thought Sebastian wasn't looking her way.  The way she stared openly and unapologetically mid-duel as his muscles strained under the force of his spells.

"No, we're just friends, Ominis." Sebastian responded stiffly.  "That's all there is too it." 

Sebastian had thought that she returned his affections, especially when she accepted his scarf, a calling card of his intentions to woo her.  He thought things were going even better when she invited him to an date to Three Broomsticks, reminiscing about their first of many troll attacks.  Sebastian thought the date had gone perfectly when he walked her like a gentleman to her dorm.

It wasn't until she bid him a cordial, kind but only friendly, goodbye that he had realized how wrong he was.  She had not returned to give Sebastian her own yellow and black scarf, a token of her acceptance towards the courting.  And Sebastian had stood in front of the wine casket that hid the Hufflepuff common room, scarfless, lamenting in what an absolute fool he had been.

Ominis's frown deepened.  "Enough of this nonsense, Sebastian.  She's interested in you.  I mean, half of the female population is.  I can hear the way you two talk to each other."

Sebastian chuckled darkly.  "If that were true, I'd be wearing a yellow scarf."

It had stung.  The blatant, but very gentle rejection that she had given him.  Sebastian wasn't raised to be a troll to woman, and Anne had taught him to be better than his peers, so he allowed himself a few days to wallow before swallowing his pride.  It was privilege enough that she would be friends with him after all that had happened in their 5th year.

He was an idiot for thinking that someone as amazing as her would want to be with someone who's done so much bad as him.

Ominis shook his head.  "I'm sorry, Sebastian, but I am convinced that something is afoot between the two of you.  As both your friend and her friend, I can say without a shadow of doubt that the feelings are mutual.  I think the time for games is finished.  You must confess your feelings towards her."

Sebastian scoffed at the ridiculous notion.  It's like Ominis wasn't even listening to him.  Sebastian had literally just finished explaining how not interested she was in him.

"Gyffindors don't have a monopoly on courage, Sebastian."  Ominis chided.  "We Slytherins are brave enough to get what we want.  We always have been."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes.  He could feel the venom on his tongue.  "Oh?  How's courting my sister working for you?"

Sebastian wasn't sure what reaction he was expecting from Ominis.  What Sebastian was for sure not expecting was for a blush to creep its way up Ominis's neck.  His best friend sat ramrod straight, as still as a statute.  Ominis was incapable of schooling his expression and looked like a child who was caught in a lie.

Sebastian's mouth dropped at Ominis's shift in demeanor.  While he had some suspicions over the nature of Ominis's outings beyond Hogwarts grounds, it was a different matter entirely to have confirmation that Ominis was attempting to woo his twin sister. 

The two boys were quiet, frozen in place.  The air in the dorms was stifling and awkward. 

Ominis cleared his dry throat, very comfortable with pretending that he was also selectively deaf.  "Well, anyways, it is my humble opinion that our friend is head over heels for you.  All you need to do is ask."

Sebastian threw up his arms.  He was going to get nowhere with this infuriating boy.  Giving up, he collapsed, face first, on his bed, defeated.

·͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙

The Hufflepuff sighed, chewing on the end of her quill.  Sitting on one of the dusty decrepit armchairs of the Undercroft, she relished in these moments of silence.  No one, student, professor, or villager, was asking anything of her.  Instead, she could simply be alone with her thoughts.

Unfortunately, her thoughts often revolved around Sebastian.

She rested her head against her fist and blew a raspberry in frustration.  The parchment before her was riddled with crossed out phrases and giant bleeding blotches of ink where her quill had paused.  She had spent the whole afternoon trying to come up with…something to say to Sebastian.  Four hours of work only to come up with nothing.  Ugh.  Why did words have to be so hard?

Maybe everyone was right.  It would be much easier just to throw him a Hufflepuff jumper and call it a day.

Before she could finalize her thoughts, the iron gates of the Undercroft swung open.  She hastily stuffed the quill and parchment into a random pocket in her bags.  She couldn't help but fix her hair, just in case it was Sebastian.

In walked the very man who had been on her mind all day.  And Sebastian Sallow looked rather miffed.  Hands already clenched in frustrations, he walked up to her.  His eyes trailed up and down her form.

"What are you wearing?" he asked without preamble.

There was a sense of deja vu at the question.  "My school uniform?  Because…I go here?  I'm a Hogwarts student?"

Sebastian frowned.  "Where's your scarf?"

She huffed.  Really?  Out of millions of important things they had to talk about: Sebastian's behavior, Anne, their maybe date, their questionable relationship status.  Her scarf was the thing he chose to fixate on?  "It's warm outside, Sebastian.  Why on earth would I be wearing a scarf in the spring?"

He scowled, now pacing unable to contain his anxiety.  So she decided not to wear his scarf anymore.  What did this mean?  This only proved Sebastian's theory that she did reject his affections.  Ominis's words of encouragement last night only worsened Sebastian's current mood.  Ominis had no idea what he was talking about.  Maybe after all this time, she finally learned the symbolism behind the gifted scarf and was appalled at Sebastian's rather forward claim on her.  Maybe the rumors were to be believed, and she was interested in Ominis.  Maybe her and Ominis "studying at the library together" actually had no studying whatsoever.  Maybe-

His thoughts got interrupted when something rather soft smacked him square in the face.  Whatever the scratchy material was had hit in right in his open eyes.  His eyes watered, stinging at the insult.

"What in Merlin's beard?"  He ripped the offending fabric off his face.

In his hands was a warm, yellow and black striped Hufflepuff scarf.  The one that she had worn throughout the fall.  The one that always managed to hide her teasing smiles and blushes.  It smelled of their shared apple tarts and a bit singed at the edges as if one of her Confringo spells exploded a bit too close for comfort.

It smelled like her. 

He looked up to catch her gaze.  She was leaning with all her weight on one foot with her arms crossed, slightly annoyed at the silly affair.

Sebastian recovered quickly.  He couldn't stop the grin from his face.  He felt like he was back to his old self, just like how he was when the two of them first met.  "Well, well, I was waiting for you to pay me back eventually.  Nice to know that Hufflepuffs have some manners."

She huffed, tired of these games and double-speak.  "You know, if you don't want it, you can always give it back."

"Now hold on,"  Sebastian cut her off, already wrapping it possessively around his neck in intricate woven pattern so tight so she couldn't even separate it from him if he tried.  "I never said I didn't appreciate the gift."

She rolled her eyes.  Walking up to him, she picked at the scarf on instinct, fluffing it in a more comfortable manner for him.  "This is frankly so dumb." 

He hummed in delight at his Hufflepuff fussing over him.  With her so close to him now, he felt like a purring Kneazle.  "Well, as dumb as you think it is, I think I look rather fetching in yellow.  Don't you think so, sweetheart?"

She choked on her spit, hands frozen on her scarf.  She missed the safety of the green and silver scarf that allowed her to hide her expressions from the world around her.  With a scarlet face, she muttered.  "Sebastian Sallow, you know I find you attractive."

Sebastian smirked, preening under her words.

Whatever speech she had drafted now forgotten in favor of venting her frustrations out onto him.  "You should also know that you drive me absolutely bonkers.  I just can't believe we had to go through this whole song and dance.  Merlin, I've been drunk on the Amortentia that is you, Sebastian Sallow, for a whole two years now." Her hands tighten the grip that she had on hers (now Sebastian's?) yellow scarf.  "I've been in love with you ever since you first took me to Hogsmeade.  Merlin's beard, Sebastian, I've taken you as my companion to every poacher duel I can think of.  We explore the most dangerous dungeons together.  We fight off foul Acromantulas together.  And it takes a silly yellow scarf for you to finally realize my feelings for you?"

She finally looked up at him, her fierce eyes finding his.  What she wasn't expecting was a rare moment of vulnerability on Sebastian's face.  The confident charming boy before her looked uncertain all of a sudden.

His rough hands reached up to gently meet hers, holding her in place.  "Why would someone as good as you want someone who's done so much evil like me?"

And therein laid the truth of Sebastian's fears.  If the savior of Hogwarts was too good for people as dull and drab as Garreth or Prewett, then in what world would she want to be with someone who had so much blood on his hands as Sebastian?  No, she deserved the best.  And it certainly wasn't someone like him.

She was flabbergasted.  She was so used to the Sebastian Sallow she first met.  The boy whose Slytherin ambitions urged him to greedily take what was rightfully his.  Where was the young brash and carefree optimistic boy whose boldness and forwardness had charmed her? 

She gently removed her hands from his.  His expression was caged off from her.  Gently, she reached up to caress his face, angling his chin slightly downwards so he could look at her in the eye.  He turned to her, like a wilting flower dying for the sun.  The walls around him melted as his knitted brow soften to look at her.

"Sebastian, you are rash and reckless.  You are possessive and incredibly jealous, even though you have no reason to be."  The other boy looked away, trying to pull away from her.  She held his chin in place forcing him to look at her.  He looked gorgeous in yellow. 

"You're also the most devoted person I know, devoted to Ominis, to Anne, to me.  You fight so fiercely to protect what is yours both on the battlefield and off of it.  Everything you have done, both the good and the awful, has been because of your love.  Everything that you are, your recklessness, your kindness, has been because of your love, your devotion to those that you care for.  How could I not fall in love with you?"

The bright joyous colors brought a sunny aura to his usual darkened expressions.  The Hufflepuff scarf around his neck made him look lighter, more open to the possibilities around him.  The hues of yellow reflected the golden flecks that were hidden in his brown eyes.

He scoffed, trying not to think too hard at her words, not willing to break into a million pieces in front of her.  "You are so brilliant, sweetheart, you could have anyone you wanted in the world.  I'm just a boy from some hamlet who couldn't even save his sister."

Her shoulders softened.  Oh, Sebastian.  "That's not true.  I am here with you, Sebastian.  I am choosing to be here with you.  I will always choose to be here with you, in this moment."

He could see her eyes dip down to look at his lips.  And with that, it was like the weak dam to his flood of emotions was broken.  He surged forward catching her lips in his.  His hands flew up to cup both sides of her face, marveling at the beauty he was holding.  She responded in turn, throwing her hands around his neck.  She met the storm that was Sebastian with equal ferocity.  Her lips pressed forward, almost bruising him with the passionate intention behind it. 

He could feel the curl of her smile against his.  Her long eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks as if they were kissing the freckles that they found there.  She smelled of their shared apple tarts, and her lips were warm against his.  In her arms, he felt safe, like the world was created just for the two of them.

Lungs dying, he could barely stand ripping himself away from her.  He rested his forehead against hers, not wanting to let go of this moment even for a second.  His thumb was still caressing her cupped face, marveling at the miracle that was the savior of Hogwarts. 

"You should know, you are never getting your scarf back."  Sebastian quipped. 

She let out a breath of laughter.  Sebastian eagerly chased it with another quick kiss.  Later, much, much later, after he was finished kissing his darling silly, he'll walk out the Undercroft with a yellow scarf around his neck holding hands with his Hufflepuff wearing that green scarf of hers. 

[legacygirlingreen]

Sebastian Sallow AI Audio

What would happen if students helped during the final battle of the repository? Well, take a listen...

This is from my fan fiction found here, but CAN be enjoyed separately! Although , I stray from canon quite a bit, just a heads up!

From this chapter, if you wish to read!

Someone please let me know if it doesn't load, and if not here's the link to it on YouTube! I recommend headphones!

(also credit to @deathlysallowsfor the photo of Sebastian in the header!)

Thanks to @strawberrypinky like always! Also @eternalremorse for listening in its rough state!

[meyrinn-revery]

Sebastian Sallow (4)

~ •●• ~

MORE GIFs about Sebastian ! I will never get tired of this.

Recently I did an edit on Sebastian with the song LET THE WORLD BURN by Chris Grey, and I think it suits him quite well. Sebastian would REALLY be ready to burn the whole world for the people he loves (whether for romantic purposes, or to save Anne for example).

Besides (I don't know if this is also the case in the english version of the game, because I play it in french) but have you noticed that if we pay close attention to the words spoken by the painting of a seer (Sylvia Pembroke) when we cross the Grand Staircase, we can hear her talking about Sebastian several times, right from the start of the game ? She warns us about the tragic fate that awaits Sebastian and his sister (so far I have heard her say three different sentences about him). She never pronounces his name clearly; but once we have played the game and we know what is going to happen in Sebastian's life, if we start a new game, we quickly understand that she was talking about him from the start.

I translated from French to English two sentences she says which concern Sebastian (so it's probably not exactly the same words in the English version) :

- French : ' Je sens que quelqu'un qui est proche de vous a besoin d'aide. Son nom commence par la lettre "S". ' - English : ' I feel that someone close to you needs help. Its name begins with the letter "S". '

- French : ' Lorsque le véritable pouvoir de l'oublié sera révélé, les liens de la confiance seront brisés. ' - English : ' When the true power of the forgotten is revealed, the bonds of trust will be broken. ' (here, the "forgotten" refers to Sebastian)

You can also find some GIFs of Hogwarts Legacy in my fanfiction We had it all, available on Wattpad in English and in French (Nous avions tout).

[crimsonedquill]

Two Snakes And A Badger: Chapter III

Pairing: Imelda Reyes x f!MC x Poppy Sweeting

Summary: Poppy faces down her past. A bond is strengthened, and consummated. (Or: The Sexual Awakening of Poppy Sweeting)

Word count: 12.4k

Content warning: NSFW (18+). Minors DNI. Very soft and wholesome smut, cunnilingus, fingering, threesome, fluff, lots of feels, angst, confronting past trauma, sunflower trio being my absolute life force

Link to Chapter I Link to Chapter II

A/N: I just realised the past chapters each took me like a month but I've been so much looking forward to writing this one that the words just kept flowing and... here we are.

I'll be honest, this might just be the most wholesome piece of writing I've ever penned down. It's got angst, fluff, really steamy and soft smut... just happy feels all around. I hope those of you who have been following this series (or are maybe just discovering it) enjoy reading it as much as I did bringing it to life 🖤

You turned and twisted in your bed, letting out a frustrated sigh as any hope of sleep kept eluding you. You tried to think of anything to wear out your mind, even resorting to reciting potion recipes at one point, though you knew it would be of no use. Whatever attempts you made, your thoughts kept drifting back to that big, nameless void deep inside you, plaguing you with doubt, making you ask the same questions over and over again.

It wasn’t that you had anything to be discontent with – far from it, in fact. Over the past few months, your relationship with Imelda and Poppy had steadily blossomed, giving you something new to appreciate almost every single day. You were enjoying each other so much, always spending time together after class, studying on the stands during Imelda’s trainings or laughing at each other as you took turns trying to catch a Diricawl. There had been the curious looks and the expected rumours, of course, but over time the general Hogwarts populace seemed to have accepted the idea that you were just really an odd bunch of close friends. It probably also helped that Imelda didn’t shy back from threatening to curse anyone who dared to speak as much as an ill word of Poppy – which had turned out to be a source of ample amusement between you and the Hufflepuff.

Hell, even your sex life didn’t leave much to be desired. Imelda had always been a feisty vixen, but having an audience seemed to have brought out an even wilder side of her that was capable of doing things you had never thought humanly possible. And that didn’t even include how much of a turn-on it was for you to have Poppy watch while you fucked each other senseless. Perhaps it had taken some getting used to, but nowadays it was weirder to not have her there than the other way around. Also, you had to admit it was kind of hot to have Imelda constantly snog you and pinch your arse in Poppy’s presence as a way of teasing you both. You were glad she was comfortable enough to be part of your dynamic like this, even though maybe it wasn’t as intimate as it could be.

So what was it then that was bothering you so much? Was there any way in which you had failed them? Was there anything you hadn’t been completely honest about, either to them or to yourself? Were you really happy with the way things had been going between you three?

Your thoughts were interrupted by a weight shifting onto your bed, sliding behind you under the sheets. You felt a firm presence pressing up to your back as an arm wrapped around your waist. A warm breath tickled your ear.

“Bad dreams?” you whispered, your words slipping into a smile.

“I figured you could do with some company,” replied Imelda. “I have a sense for these things, you know.”

“You’re so considerate,” you chuckled, snuggling closer against her. “Almost makes me think you’ve gone soft.”

“Right. The sacrifices I make,” She lifted her head, planting a soft kiss right below your ear. The physical relief grounded you, allowing you to focus on something other than your thoughts for a moment. “In all seriousness though, are you all right? I’ve noticed you’ve been a little out of it lately.”

So she had caught on too. You weren’t truly surprised, but you weren’t immediately eager to tell her the full truth either.

“I don’t know,” you said. “It’s probably nothing.”

Imelda snorted. “Yeah, you always say that when something’s up. You can talk to me, you know. I’m not actually allergic to feelings.”

Part of you wondered whether there was any use to making up an excuse, but then again, you weren’t sure why you were always so resistant to being open about your emotions either. It wasn’t like you were doing a very stellar job handling them yourself, after all.

You sighed, taking hold of her hand. “I suppose it’s just… Mel, do you think I’ve been doing the right thing?”

Imelda was quiet for a few seconds before answering. “Elaborate.”

“Well,” you said, turning over so you were facing her, “I tell myself that I’m happy, and I am, though I keep wondering… have I been taking the right approach? Isn’t there more I could do to make this easier for you two?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “You make it sound as if we didn’t want this as much as you do. We’re in this all together, MC.”

“I know that. It’s just… I suppose I feel responsible, in a way. I was the one who suggested we get together in the first place, and even though I know you wanted it as well… I can’t help but feel like I dragged you along in something that perhaps none of us were really ready for.”

Imelda was silent for another minute, turning your words over in her head. Soon enough though, she shrugged. “Maybe we were, maybe we weren’t. I don’t see why that matters now. We’re happy together, aren’t we?”

“I guess. But, you know, aren’t you slightly regretting that we never got to see where our relationship would have taken us?”

This time it took her a bit longer to answer. Her eyes darted down before meeting yours again. “No,” she said. “Like I told you, I don’t think it was a relationship I would have been happy with. And in fairness, I did take a risk on you the first time, so it wasn’t too big of a leap the second time around.”

Even though you had not truly expected her to harbour any regrets, it was still a relief to hear that Imelda wasn’t blaming you for anything. Noticing your pensive look, she brought a hand up and lightly touched your chin. “Hey, this was as much my choice as it was yours. It’s not some thrill thing I was after, if that’s what you’re thinking. I wanted to be a part of this because I love you, both of you.”

You smiled softly. “I’m glad. I… well, I hope Poppy feels the same way.”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t she?”

“Well… it’s just that I remember how big of a step it was for her to come out of her shell and even trust me… so I merely hope that I didn’t rush her into anything. I know that this must be more daunting for her than for either one of us.”

“I think you underestimate her,” Imelda countered. “For all the bad your little fuck-up did, it did bring us a lot closer together. After I talked her out of feeling guilty over what happened, she confessed how much she envied our relationship – you should have seen her face when I told her I wouldn’t mind if she started dating you as well. I think, letting her be a part of this – of us –, was the greatest gift you could have given her.”

“You really think so?” you asked, hesitatingly. “I don’t know… it feels like she’s still holding back sometimes. She only ever watches when we’re getting intimate, after all.”

“I thought you liked it when she watches,” Imelda replied, adding a playful smirk.

“Shut up,” you said, giving her a light shove. “You know what I mean.”

“Look, you just need to give her some time. Our relationship was all about sex before it turned into something more. I think she wants it to be more than that. She’ll come around when she feels ready to.”

“I suppose you have a point.” You knew she was right, actually; as tempting as it was to fret about all the things you could do better, you also knew that some things just couldn’t be rushed.

“Hey,” she said, touching your cheek to draw your gaze. “Stop worrying your pretty little head so much. We both see all the effort you’re putting into making this work. You just need to remember that you can’t keep carrying the entire world on your shoulders.”

“Yeah, I know,” you sighed, finding a new sense of strength in her assurance. “You’re right, as always.”

“Just you remember it.” She planted a tender kiss on your forehead. “Now, go to sleep. Nurse’s orders.”

You smiled as you turned over once more, wrapping yourself into her warm embrace. “Will you stay and hold me like this for a bit?”

“Of course. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Soothed by her promise, you allowed yourself until the clutches of sleep were finally coming for you, carrying you away to darker depths. Imelda’s arms were like a comforting blanket, keeping you safe from the doubts and the anxieties, reminding you that sometimes all that mattered were the simple things in the world – and there was plenty for you to have.

––

The next morning, the two of you got dressed and headed out to the Great Hall to see Poppy, as usual. When you arrived, however, you noticed to your confusion that the Hufflepuff was neither sitting at the table with her housemates, nor waiting for you at the secluded spot you sometimes used for sneaky greeting kisses. You and Imelda looked around for a while before meeting back at the Slytherin table.

“You haven’t seen her either?” you asked.

Imelda shook her head. “Not at the usual places. I’ll go ask Adelaide, maybe she overslept.”

While your fellow Slytherin set out to inquire after Poppy’s whereabouts, you tried venturing some guesses of your own. You weren’t instantly assuming something was wrong – after all, she might have merely come down with something – but it was hard to ignore the voice nagging at the edge of her mind. It was difficult to imagine industrious Poppy Sweeting oversleeping, or being late to anything, for that matter.

Fortunately, Imelda returned with at least some news. “Adelaide says she left their dorm early this morning. Packed up a bunch of things and bolted without saying where she was going, apparently.”

It was as if a cold fist closed itself around your heart. “Oh Merlin,” you cursed. “I know where she’s headed.”

Imelda looked at you questioningly. “Care to fill me in?”

“There’s no time. We’ve got to get to the Forbidden Forest, now.”

She didn’t need another word; the urgency in your voice had told her all she needed to know. “We can use my broom,” she said, already starting towards the flying grounds. You followed close behind, desperately hoping that for Merlin’s sake, you wouldn’t be too late.

––

“Mind finally telling me what we’re looking for?” Imelda yelled over her shoulder. Beneath you, a sea of meadows and the occasional cluster of trees zipped by as you soared across the highlands. Your eyes were fixated on the perimeter of dark oaks held back by a small, meandering river, searching for any sign of life amongst the crooked trees.

“She should be around somewhere,” you yelled without looking away. “She often uses this stretch as a staging area! Look for Highwing!”

Imelda gave a small nod in understanding, leaning forward on her broom to accelerate. You were trying very hard to channel all your attention into finding Poppy, though even so, it was difficult not to feel upset at the entire situation. Why had she not mentioned anything to you or Imelda? Had she felt that she couldn’t trust you for some reason? It didn’t make sense – you had accompanied her many times before, so why had she decided to cut you off now?

Finally, you noticed a shift in Imelda’s trajectory as you started plunging downwards. Strengthening your grip on her waist, you peeked over her shoulder and noticed the welcome sight of a white Hippogriff against the tree line. Imelda made a dive right for the spot, not slowing down until you nearly crashed into the ground. You wasted no time in climbing off the broom and running towards Highwing. The creature lifted its head to look at you as you approached, emitting a single surprised-sounding squeak.

Imelda came to stand next to you. “So? Where is she?”

“She must have already entered the forest,” you concluded. “But she can’t have gotten far. Come, let’s find her.”

The two of you formed up in a single line and made your way into the forest. The trees quickly began closing in on you, forcing you to light your wands to make out your surroundings. You were at least thankful Poppy had made little effort to cover her tracks, leaving you the occasional small footprint in the mud to follow.

“I’ll tell you what, she could at least have found a more decent place to host a surprise party,” Imelda growled behind you.

“I’m just dying to know what’s gotten into her,” you sighed, shaking your head. “I knew she could be reckless, but she’s never blindsided me like this before. Why didn’t she at least tell us?”

“Perhaps because she predicted we would insist on coming with her? It’s not that complicated, you know.”

Your fist tightened around your wand. “Well, she didn’t have the right. She can’t just put her life on the line like this and expect us to do nothing.”

Driven by a sudden bout of anger, you were so caught up in your marching that you were a little thrown off when Imelda put a hand on your shoulder and forced you to stop. “Hey, I’m not saying that I disagree,” she said, looking you straight in the eye. “But remember to count to ten before you open your mouth. You don’t want to say anything you’ll come to regret later.”

The irony of Imelda Reyes telling you to cool it was not lost on you, though you ultimately knew her to be right. After all, you had made a promise, and you doubted whatever reason Poppy might have had for surprising you like this was worth jeopardising your relationship over.

You pushed her hand away, letting out a sigh. “Let’s just concentrate on finding her, all right? I just want to make sure she’s safe.”

Without waiting for her reply, you continued pushing forward. As you made your way deeper and deeper, you started to get increasingly worried about the possibility of something having happened to the Hufflepuff, though before you had any chance to properly panic, Imelda forced you to stop again.

“What is it now?” you asked, annoyance growing in your voice.

“Hush,” she hissed. “I heard something. It might be –”

Without warning, a bright flash shot right past your ear and struck a tree behind you. You immediately swivelled around, flinging a curse of your own in the direction the spell had come from. Unsure of whether you had hit your intended target, you and Imelda assumed an offensive position, wands pointed at your mysterious target.

“Whoever you are, you better come out before we blast you to pieces,” Imelda called out. You held your breath as you waited for a reply, the sound of your heart beating madly in your chest the only disturbance, though the response wasn’t exactly what you had expected.

“MC? Imelda?”

You lowered your wand with an audible sigh of relief as a small figure appeared from the trees. She pulled her hood back, revealing a pair of confused brown eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“What does it look like?” you responded, slightly more aggressive than you had intended. You felt Imelda throwing you a cautious glance, though she didn’t say anything. “What were you thinking, coming out here by yourself? You’re pursuing poachers again, aren’t you?”

“Would you please keep your voice down?” Poppy snapped back, the commanding tone in her voice catching you off guard. “They might have a patrol nearby. I’d rather not have you draw them straight towards us.”

After taking a minute to calm yourself, you nodded to signal to her that you were ready to behave. She took a deep breath and looked up to meet your eye. “Look, I meant to tell you, and I would have. But my window of opportunity was closing fast, and there was simply no time to ask you along, so I did what was necessary.”

“Why didn’t you at least let us know where you were going?” you asked. “It wouldn’t have been too difficult to leave us a message.”

“Because…” She hesitated, briefly, before proceeding, “Because I didn’t want to make it easy for you to follow me.”

So, there it was. She really had not wanted you to find her. But why? What was the reason for this stunning betrayal?

“Poppy, I don’t know why you think you can’t trust us, but –”

“You misunderstand,” Poppy said. “It’s not a matter of trust. It’s just that… this is something I needed to do on my own.”

“But we’re your friends. You can’t possibly expect us to –”

“I understand,” Imelda said.

You and Poppy immediately fell silent at the voice of the Slytherin. She looked straight at Poppy, leaning on her broom. “Really, I do,” she said. Obviously this is important to you, so much so that you felt you could only rely on yourself to handle it. I used to think the same for most of my life – only trusting myself, pushing away everyone because they would never be able to be as serious as I was. You might think of it as a strength, but it won’t feel that way when it really matters. I wish I had found that out for myself sooner.”

Rarely had you heard her speak with such a solemnity before – the last time, as far as you could remember, was that night when she had opened up about her feelings for you in the Slytherin common room. You knew her message was more directed at Poppy than you, of course, though that didn’t mean you were any less stirred by it.

You turned back to the Hufflepuff. “Please,” you urged, “we know it’s not for us to interfere. But at least allow us to protect you. It would destroy us to see you get hurt.”

At last, and to your great relief, Poppy nodded. “All right then. But we must be quick about it, and I would ask you to follow my lead at all times.”

“Of course.” You were pretty sure you would have agreed to any condition at this point; so relieved you were that she had at last decided to put her faith in you.

You resumed your journey together, Poppy in front, Imelda behind. You walked in silence for a while, keeping your ears peeled for any unnatural sounds from the forest around you. After a few moments, Poppy slowed her pace to allow you to catch up with her.

“I would have told you, truly,” she whispered.

“I know,” you replied. “I’m sorry I reacted so harshly. I was just worried sick about you.”

A spark of gratitude shimmered in her eyes. “To be perfectly honest, I was already having regrets from the moment I departed the castle. For what it’s worth, I was relieved to see you both, even if I didn’t say as much at the time.”

“Well, all of that doesn’t matter now. We’re in this together. And we will always look out for you, no matter what.”

That being said, you couldn’t help but feel some lingering uncertainty about her lack of elaboration. You thought back to the conversation you’d had with Imelda last night, the reservations you’d expressed about Poppy’s part in your relationship. You figured it would at least be worth prodding a little.

“By the way,” you said, “if for whatever reason you feel as if you need to prove something to Imelda and me –”

Poppy shook her head. “Oh no, that’s not it at all. My motivations are strictly personal, as with the other times… it’s simply about righting wrongs. Making up for the destruction my parents have wrought.”

You felt an instant pang of sympathy. At the same time, you knew it would be useless to try convincing her that her parents’ choices weren’t in any way her fault, having had that conversation many times before. So instead, you asked, “Clearly this time is different, though. This isn’t some simple rescue mission, is it?”

Poppy hesitated before replying, “I… I managed to intercept a communication a few days ago. I had been tracking this group for a while, so I easily deduced that it must have come from them. But the peculiar thing was that the note bore a seal I recognised – it was the same seal stamped on several letters my Gran kept at her home. That’s when I realised… the seal meant that this particular group was affiliated with my parents.”

Your eyes widened at the discovery. “That’s…” you said, trying to find the right words, “does that mean –”

Poppy shook her head. “They never stayed long with any group. They were a paranoid lot, rightfully so – always worried someone would tell on them or try to steal their… ‘merchandise’. But that doesn’t mean I have any less of an obligation to burn every trace of them to the ground.”

The belligerent fire in her voice may have surprised Imelda, but not you; at last you understood. This was not some heroic effort, or even a selfless rescue mission, for that matter. Poppy was here to bring cold vengeance – and you were merely along for the ride.

After trekking through some more miles of dense forest, the three of you finally reached the edge of the poacher compound. You managed to find a secluded spot up on an elevated stretch of terrain that allowed you a good look at the camp’s layout. Beckoning you closer, Poppy pointed out the difficulties you would face in your approach. “See how they’ve clustered all the cages at the centre? Very clever – they’ve made sure to cover every path leading into the camp. It’s most likely that their patrols are randomised as well, so even if one were to be able to sneak past their defences and get to the animals, they’d almost certainly be caught if they tried to make their way out.”

“Doesn’t seem like they want to make it any easier for us,” you grumbled. “So, what is your plan? We can’t exactly go in wands blazing.”

“Quite simple now that you’re here, actually. We cause a distraction.”

“But how? You just said they will be able to see us coming from every direction.”

“But not from the sky,” said Imelda.

You assumed she was merely trying to lighten the mood at first, but when you saw her clutching her broom with an all too familiar look in her eyes, you honestly wished she had been. “Don’t even think about it,” you said firmly as you shook your head, “it’s far too dangerous –”

“No more dangerous than if we were to storm in there together,” Imelda countered. “It makes perfect sense. I can swoop in and out before they even realise what hit them, which should give you enough time to release the beasts and make your escape.”

“But there must be some other way,” you maintained. “You can’t be out there risking your neck all by yourself –”

“Be realistic, MC, it’s not like we have the luxury of being picky here,” Imelda snapped back, her tone growing more annoyed. “It’s the best option we have right now. You know that they won’t be able to catch me as long as I stay on my broom. I won’t take any unnecessary risks.”

You knew she made sense, of course; even Poppy conveyed as much by not saying anything. You sighed before conceding. “All right. But at the first hint of trouble, you turn back and get to safety. Don’t try to pull off any stupid heroics.”

She didn't say anything, which you supposed was as good as you would get from her. After exchanging one more look with you both, Imelda turned around and snuck away through the bushes.

The two of you turned back to spying on the compound, trying to find the best route for approaching. As the gravity of the situation finally started weighing down on your shoulders, though, you couldn’t help but keep looking up at the sky now and then, anxious to see a sign of Imelda.

Perhaps in an effort to calm your nerves, Poppy said, “She’s a very brave soul, that one.”

“I don’t know if it’s so much brave as reckless,” you sighed. “I truly hope she’s not going to try anything stupid.”

Poppy placed a hand on your wrist. “She’s as safe as she can be up there. We will be facing the greatest risk – we will need to be ready as soon as she launches her distraction.”

“You’re right,” you nodded, grateful that the Hufflepuff at least had a better sense of mind than you did. “Just… let’s try to be swift about this, all right? I know how much this means to you, but I don’t want you to get hurt.”

You were afraid to look at her, expecting to see that vengeful flame burning in her eyes, though a wave of relief washed over you when you saw a familiar sparkle of innocence. She flashed you a soft smile, briefly touching your cheek. “Don’t worry, I won’t try anything rash. I… I’m glad I’m not facing this alone, MC.”

Before you could respond, you heard a loud screeching sound, followed by a blast that nearly knocked you off your feet. You turned just in time to see one of the tents exploding in a large ball of fire, a barely visible shadow shooting through the black fumes.

“Well, she certainly didn’t waste any time,” you cursed under your breath. “Let’s move!”

And so you set off, using the cover of the distraction to make your approach. Imelda reduced a few more tents to ashes as you slipped through the bushes and past the makeshift fortifications, which were quickly all abandoned. The poachers had devolved into a complete state of disarray, shouts of panic and rage filling the air as shadows sped past you, paying no attention to you at all.

You managed to reach the cases without too much trouble, only having had to dispatch one stray trapper with a Body-Bind Curse. Poppy quickly turned to you, holding out her hand. “There’s no time to catch them all. Hand me the Nabsack, I’ll rescue the weakest while you set the other ones free.”

You nodded in understanding, conjuring the bag and throwing it over to Poppy. After you split up, you hurried over to the cage holding the Mooncalves, pointing your wand at the lock and disposing of it with a well-aimed Unlocking Charm. As you watched the quirky creatures practically jump over each other in their rush to escape, your thoughts returned to your girls, wondering how they were faring. Your heart was pumping rapidly, adrenaline flowing through your veins, panic threatening to overwhelm you at every turn. Something was wrong. You hadn’t heard anything from Imelda since she had attacked the camp, and freeing the animals was taking far too much time for your liking. You should return to Poppy and make your escape; you couldn’t allow yourselves to get caught.

No, you thought, slapping some sense into yourself. Your collective success depended as much on you as the others; the best way you could protect your friends was by moving fast, and ceasing this meaningless maelstrom of dread.

So you set about finishing your mission, moving from cage to cage, opening the doors without wasting a single second. The risk of being caught at any moment pressed on your mind, though you simply ignored it, not allowing yourself to fall victim to your own hesitance.

At last, you reached the final cage, which contained a large Thestral and a smaller one – presumably a family. You removed the lock with a flick of your wand and pushed the door open, but the mature Thestral didn’t budge, merely looking at you before she went back to nursing her calf.

“Well, come on then,” you hissed, beckoning the pair. After your call went unanswered again, you moved into the cage, trying to see what was wrong. You had to circle a few times before you finally noticed the calf was limping; approaching cautiously, you discerned a large gash running down one of its hind legs.

“Animals,” you growled under your breath. The wound did not seem to run deep, though you had no way of knowing whether it was infected, and you lacked the expertise to apply any sort of treatment. Poppy would need to have a look, but this meant that you would need to find a way to get the creatures out of here, fast.

Aiming your wand, you stood back and tried to get the larger Thestral’s attention. “Step away,” you said, hoping at least your meaning would get through. But the mother was defiant, letting out a snort as she refused to leave her young.

“Listen, I wish to help you,” you tried again, enunciating each word. “But you have to step aside so I can move your young one.”

Still no response. Well, this clearly wasn’t working. Seeing as you had no other option, you pocketed your wand and strode over to the small Thestral. The mother eyed you warily, but you gently placed your hands on the black leathery skin to make your intentions plain. “See, I mean you no harm. Please let me help.”

You saw your reflection captured in the misty orbs, nostrils flaring, though there was no protest as you moved to lift the calf from the ground. The young was heavy, but you somehow managed to pick its delicate body up in your arms, carefully adjusting your hands so as not to inflict any needless discomfort. The mother followed close behind as you began carrying the creature out of the cage. By now most of the compound was covered in thick black smoke, obscuring any landmarks you might have been able to use to find your way back, so you simply kept pressing forward, hoping you wouldn’t run into any poachers. Every once in a while a yell in the distance would cause you to increase your pace, gritting your teeth against the weight of the body in your arms, which started to feel even heavier with every passing minute.

Finally, you reached a clearing which you seemed to recall connecting to one of the entrances of the camp. You hurried along, ignoring the wailing Thestral in your arms, feeling the breath of its mother down your neck. Just a few more meters… almost in the clear… you would have to –

“Stop right there!”

A red curse shot right over your head, causing you to freeze in your tracks. A gravelly voice called out to you, “Looks like I caught myself an intruder. Are you just going to leave without saying goodbye, you little pest?”

Turning around slowly, you faced the poacher, the mother Thestral taking shelter behind your back. You sensed her anxiety, the sound of her rapid breathing and the silent cries of the young filling you with rage. You wouldn’t have minded an opportunity to renovate this brute’s face with a Blasting Curse, though unfortunately you were unable to reach your wand like this.

“I already suspected you were just a bunch of pitiful vermin,” the poacher scoffed, keeping his wand aimed at your chest. “Where are your friends? Ran off back to school?”

“Like I’d ever tell someone as vile and cruel as you,” you spit back. “You’ve lost. We’ve released every single one of the creatures you took back into the wild, where they belong.”

The poacher’s expression hardened, a scowl etched into a solid rock. “Creatures can be recaptured. You, on the other hand –” he lifted his wand – “I think we’ll just have to write you off.”

Your sense of time eluded you, slowing down every single movement. An almost serene tranquillity washed over you as you watched the poacher prepare to kill all three of you with one simple incantation. This wasn’t supposed to happen. You hadn’t made peace with your fate yet, not really; after all, there was so much more of your life to live, so much to be explored. There was Imelda, fierce and brave like the valkyries of old tales, and Poppy, sweet Poppy with her kind heart and her majestic strength. Would they be able to live on without you? They would still have each other, after all, but it was hard to imagine anyone living with that kind of hole in their heart…

Just as you braced yourself for the green flash and the light to disappear before your eyes, then, suddenly a different voice cried out, “Expulso!”

The poacher managed to deflect the curse just in time, but was nevertheless forced backwards by the sheer power behind it. From the black curtain at the edge of the clearing emerged Poppy, clenching her wand, her eyes blazing with a kind of fury you had never seen before.

“Leave them alone, you bastard!” she yelled.

The poacher, having recovered from Poppy’s surprise attack, bared his teeth. “Well, if it isn’t little Poppy Sweeting, all grown up. You must be a special kind of foolish to come back here, girl.”

The Hufflepuff didn’t back down. “I’ve sat by and watched all of you inflict your terror upon innocent beings long enough. I’m not going to let you hurt my friend as well.”

They began circling each other, Poppy moving in front of you and the Thestrals. You contemplated grabbing your wand to come to her aid, but you feared any unexpected moves would only provoke your adversary.

“Your parents were right about you,” the poacher said. “Such a disappointment you grew up to be. If you were of my own blood, I would have put you down where you stood.”

The fire in Poppy’s eyes grew stronger. Tears burned in their cores. But her voice was powerful, never once breaking under the strain of countless emotions.

“Disowning me was the kindest thing my parents have ever done for me,” she spoke. “I was nothing but another piece of merchandise to them, ready to be cast aside the moment I no longer wanted to serve your evil purposes. I won’t allow you to carry on their hateful legacy, even if I have to destroy every last bit.”

“If only you fought as well as you talked. Let’s see it if you’re willing to do what it takes, then.” the poacher growled, and with the last word he flung a spell at her, which she barely managed to parry. She immediately followed up with a curse of her own, though he was quick to deflect it.

“Pathetic!” he yelled. “Come on – fight me like you mean it!”

Another exchange of spells lit up the clearing. Poppy held her own, but the poacher was better. You felt so useless watching her, wishing there was some way you could offer her help, but you couldn’t risk the Thestrals’ lives.

A Blasting Curse forced the small Hufflepuff backwards, nearly knocking her over. She was panting heavily, trying to keep her wand steady, keeping her eyes on her foe. Merlin, you couldn’t bear to watch this much longer –

“You were never able to do what’s necessary!” the poacher yelled. “You’re a pathetic, weak little girl, and I will break you like a twig –”

But then it happened. Poppy changed, transformed almost, the fire in her eyes spreading to envelop all of her body. Your breathing shallowed as you regarded her in all her furious glory; she was no longer a shy, small girl, but a stunning young woman, exuding all the power of a fierce warrior.

“Enough!” she screamed, and she unleashed a barrage of spells on the poacher, her wand becoming an invisible blur as it flicked up and down, firing off curse after curse. Eyes bulging, the man tried deflecting her attack, but then let out a cry of rage as a spell hit him squarely across the chest. He stumbled backwards and gripped the front of his robe, his eyes merely red orbs as he looked up at the Hufflepuff. “You’ll pay for that, you miserable –”

“Hey, arsehole!” came a voice from above. “Fire in the hole!”

The poacher’s roar was lost in a massive blast as the ground behind him exploded, the impact sending mud and patches of grass flying everywhere. You weren’t particularly eager to wait for him to get up again, so you snapped out of your reverie and yelled for Poppy. The girl seemed to return to her old self again as she blinked and quickly pocketed her wand, rushing to help you. “Wait, let me –”

She took the Nabsack and caught both of the Thestrals, finally allowing you some relief. Your breath was not to be wasted on talking, though. She grabbed you by your elbow and the two of you started running away from the compound, not looking back for one second, expecting to hear the yelling of pursuing poachers any moment. Your heart stopped when a large shadow fell over you, panic quickly turning to elation when you saw its owner.

“Highwing!”

The Hippogriff let out a triumphant cry, swiftly striking down a few meters ahead of you. Poppy quickly mounted her and pulled you up, and before you knew it you were safely up in the sky, the traces of black smoke behind you slowly shrinking on the horizon as you glided across the sea of dark leaves.

You relished in the feeling of the soft breeze against your cheeks, your heartbeat slowly assuming its normal rhythm. When you noticed neither of you had said anything ever since you escaped, you softly tapped Poppy on her shoulder. “Hey, are you all right?”

To your relief, you noticed the innocent spark had returned to her eyes, though it almost was as if something was different about it – it seemed brighter, more alive.

“I couldn’t be better,” she smiled. “Thank you.”

You were suddenly interrupted by a laugh, and Poppy you and both turned to see Imelda flying next to you, looking as if she had just come straight off a victorious Quidditch match. “Let’s fucking go!” she yelled, slapping her broom. “We properly kicked their arses, didn’t we?”

Chuckling, you concluded, “I suppose we make a pretty good team.”

“I’d say we do,” Poppy replied, her sweet laugh filling the skies.

––

“There, good as new.”

The Hufflepuff stepped back from the Thestral calf, which curiously sniffed at the new cast around its leg. It tried walking a few steps, and then suddenly burst forward, frolicking joyfully around the bog as its mother kept a watchful eye.

“Looks like we’re not the only ones with an appreciation for your talents,” you chuckled as you observed the peaceful scene, leaning against one of the trees with your arms crossed. Poppy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled at you. “I’m just glad I could help. You did all the heavy lifting, quite literally.”

“What can I say, I was glad to do my part,” you shrugged. She grinned sheepishly before suddenly being alerted by the loud croaking of one of the Giant Purple Toads. Swivelling on her feet, she let out a cry of surprise. “Oh no, naughty girl! You can’t eat Walter!”

You could hardly resist the temptation of a giggle as Poppy hurried after the calf, who was now happily chasing the toad through the vivarium. Tearing your gaze away from the hilarious sight for a moment, you noticed Imelda approaching through the entrance, dressed in casual attire like the rest of you.

“No need to worry about our absences today,” she reported once she reached you. “I told Kogawa I had you two help out with a special Quidditch training. She scolded me for not clearing it with her beforehand, but I think she bought it.”

“That’s the second time you rescued us from certain demise today,” you laughed. “There is such a thing as overdoing it, you know.”

“Oh, shut up. You love it when I get to act cocky.” She wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close. You smiled as she kissed your cheek. “In fairness, you weren’t so bad yourself,” she said.

“Hm? Had any more ‘interesting’ thoughts while you watched me give it to those big bad poachers?

“Honestly? I was more concerned you would end up getting yourself killed by accident. But I’m glad you had enough luck to pull through.”

“Yeah, fuck you too.”

You shared a chuckle between yourselves. Leaning her head on your shoulder, Imelda looked at Poppy, who was shepherding the excited Thestral calf back to its mother. “I will say, that feisty badger… never knew she had that side to her. She was like a Hungarian Horntail out there.”

“I don’t think she ever meant for us to see that side,” you said. “Though I’m glad that we did. It takes a lot of courage to face down your past like that. And yet she never showed anything but strength… everything around her seemed much less real, as if she was the only thing that truly made sense.”

Imelda gave you a sideward glance. “Sounds like you have a little crush on her.”

You smiled back. “Don’t you?”

At last, Poppy returned. A vibrant, healthy glow made her face seem almost ethereal, and she flashed you that particular kind of toothy smile that made you feel warm and fuzzy in your stomach. “Imelda! I’m so glad you’re with us again.”

“I couldn’t leave you alone with MC for too long, now, could I,” Imelda grinned. “How are our new guests settling in?”

“Oh, they’re doing just wonderful! The injured creatures are all patched up and should be back on their feet soon. The Thestral is an excited little rascal, though, so I merely hope she doesn’t exert herself too much before we are able to remove the cast.” She skipped a beat before adding sheepishly, “Of course, they all have you both to thank.”

“Don’t be silly,” Imelda retorted. “They’d still be stuck in their predicament if it wasn’t for you. We just did what you told us to do.”

Poppy gingerly rubbed her elbow. “Even so, I can’t ignore what you have done for me. You put yourself in harm’s way, risked your lives… all for me.”

“Of course,” you said. “There’s no way we would have let you face this alone. We share a bond. Wherever you go, we go.”

When she looked up to you again, you seemed to notice just the flimsiest mist of tears in her eyes. You couldn’t exactly fault her; a strong sense of love was filling you as well, making you feel tingly all over.

“I admit… seeing you two display so much bravery… makes me want to be brave as well,” she said, her voice solemn. “I’ve given this much thought, but I now feel that my heart is ready. So, I have one more request to make of you.”

You felt your chest tightening. Was this really…? Could it be…?

“Name it,” said Imelda, who hardly sounded any less excited than you were. Poppy stepped forward, taking Imelda’s hand in one hand, and yours in the other. She looked at you both, her gaze filled with love.

“I would like for you… to be my firsts,” she said.

Merlin, you couldn’t have been more ecstatic even if you tried. At last she was ready to become even closer to you, to give all of herself to the both of you. Understanding the solemnity of her wish, you cast a look at Imelda, who returned your gesture with a grin.

“Well, I suppose we can’t really say no to that,” you smiled. “Will we do it… now?”

“Might be as good a time as any,” Imelda said with a nonchalant shrug. “Who cares about school, am I right?”

Poppy let out a nervous giggle. “I would very much like for it to happen now. I can’t bear to wait any longer… I want to be with you.”

“All right then,” you nodded, elation adding to excitement. “Though we probably should find a more private place. I know I said I like audiences, but…”

“Say no more,” Imelda said, letting go of Poppy’s hand to lead the way back to the vivarium entrance, “I know just the spot!”

You looked back at the Hufflepuff, meeting her gaze. “Shall we?”

She nodded eagerly, which elicited a chuckle from you. So pure, so innocent she was – you could hardly wait until you would be able to explore her in all her precious, bare glory.

Taking her by the hand, you led her out of the vivarium, following Imelda towards the bedroom on the other side of your Room of Requirement.

“I’m so glad you decided to share yourself with us,” you said.

Poppy smiled softly. “I confess I feel a little nervous, but I’m also relieved. Before, it would always feel like I was intruding on you two while you… you know. I suppose that’s what made it exciting. But I realised that I wanted more, and now I know that I have nothing to fear with both of you around.”

“Of course not.” You leaned over to whisper to her. “To be perfectly honest, I’ve wanted you ever since that first kiss.”

The revelation made her tremble with delight. You couldn’t resist a mischievous smile, squeezing her hand affectionately. This was going to be better than you could have ever imagined.

You walked into the large bedroom together as Imelda went around lighting the candles with her wand. A flick of your own wand made the deep blue curtains of the four-poster bed slide open, the altar of your imminent bonding revealing itself in all its glory. You felt Poppy’s grip tightening at its sight.

“We don’t have to rush it,” you assured her. “How about I start kissing you and we’ll see where that takes us?”

She looked up at you with a deep blush blooming on her cheeks. “I-I’d like that very much.”

You smiled as you gently cupped her face, dipping your head to reach her lips. You started slow, like always, giving her ample opportunity to set her own pace, though once you sensed she was ready for more you let the tip of your tongue slip through to press for entrance. She parted her lips, a sigh melting into your warmth before your tongue slid into her mouth.

Merlin, she tasted so sweet. Her moves were a bit hesitant, and the way she awkwardly danced around your tongue betrayed more than a fair amount of inexperience, though the passion with which she latched onto you made more than up for it. She emitted a cute little whimper when you closed your lips around her tongue, causing the corners of your mouth to rise up into a smile.

“Well, look what we have here,” a familiar voice purred. “You weren’t thinking of keeping her all to yourself, were you, MC?”

You begrudgingly broke off to see Imelda standing next to you, arms crossed. You didn’t really want to stop; it was so much fun to kiss Poppy. If the Slytherin hadn’t stopped you, you might have just ended up devouring her.

But you knew you had to play fair. Sharing was caring, and besides, it seemed like there was plenty of Poppy to go around. So you gave her away, enjoying the longing gaze in her lovely brown eyes before she turned her attention to her other lover. There was not a single shred of envy or jealousy in your heart as you watched them start to make out. You relished the way Imelda closed her eyes and slightly twisted her head to have better access as she draped her arms around Poppy’s neck; the way Poppy moved her hands to Imelda’s hips as she moaned softly, a sign of her growing confidence. It was like witnessing the sprouting of a seed you had planted a long ago; the blossoming of a beautiful sunflower.

The whole experience was perfectly topped off with a surprised yelp from Poppy when Imelda slapped her perky arse. You shook your head, laughing. “Never been one to behave yourself, have you, Miss Reyes?”

“Can’t fault a woman for having good taste,” she retorted. “Now come here, you.”

You didn’t have to be told twice. Surrendering yourself to her embrace, Imelda rewarded you with the steamiest kiss she’d ever given you, chewing on your bottom lip as if she were trying to draw blood. After you separated and affectionately held each other for a little bit, you were eager to get back to Poppy. She gingerly pulled the tie from her neck, dropping the garment on the ground.

“Here, allow me,” you said, stepping up to her to help her with her blouse. You noticed just how tense she was as you started undoing the buttons.

“Hey, look at me.” You lifted her chin with your finger. “You needn’t be ashamed. You’ve seen us naked before, haven’t you?”

“I know,” she replied, flashing an apologetic smile. “It’s just the nerves. I’ve never shown myself to someone else like this.”

You tenderly kissed her forehead. “You’re gorgeous. I can’t wait to see all of you.”

Reassured by your compliment, she allowed you to proceed, shivering a little as the white fabric slipped off her bare shoulders. How delicate she looked; your gaze wandered down from the light dusting of freckles on her shoulders to her small chest, encased in a yellow lace bra. Figuring you needed to take a few more minutes to put her at ease first, you removed your own blouse before kissing her again, tracing a line from the corner of her mouth to the upper end of her jaw. She sighed with every brush of your lips, whispering a quiet “Yes…” when your hands travelled from her hips to her back. Her arms instinctively shot up to shield her chest when you unclasped her bra, but then she lowered them, and the garment fell away.

Poppy’s breasts were a sight to behold. They were smaller than Imelda’s, though they had a cute perkiness to them that you found hard to resist. She nodded shyly when you asked for permission to touch them, letting out a gasp when you cupped one of the supple globes, rolling the rosy nipple between your fingers.

“I might have a hard time controlling myself like this,” you chuckled. “You’re such a sweet little treat.”

“I agree,” Imelda said, suddenly appearing next to you. She reached out and took hold of Poppy’s other breast, forcing a tiny squeak out of her as she started fondling the soft mound. You smiled as you watched her respond to your combined touch, her breathing quickly picking up.

“Does this feel good?” you asked her, kissing the tip of her ear.

“Yes…” she whimpered, “it does…”

“I know something that’ll feel even better,” Imelda said, before sinking to her knees and leaning in, closing her lips around the nipple. This drew an audible moan from Poppy, her forehead creasing as the Slytherin suckled on her breast. “Oh, oh… Imelda…”

Hearing your one lover moan the name of your other in desperate bliss was enough reason for you to follow Imelda’s example. You knelt next to her and stuck out your tongue, wetting the hard bud before taking it between your teeth. Soon you had the Hufflepuff panting both of your names as she nursed you, the two of you gently purring against her warm bosom.

After a few minutes of licking and tugging, Imelda let her treat go with a wet ‘plop’ and rose to give Poppy a long, seductive French kiss. She then pulled you up and repeated the gesture, letting her dark gaze wander from you to Poppy, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. “I can already say this is the hottest thing I have ever done,” she laughed, before leaning over to you. Her husky whisper never failed to make you feel weak in the knees. “I think I’ll hang back for a little bit. Why don’t you warm her up for me, dear?”

There was no way you could ever have said no to that, especially if it meant getting to have Poppy to yourself for a few minutes. But first things first. You reached back and unclasped your own bra, wasting no time in bridging the short gap between you and Poppy to press your tits together, catching her moan with your lips as you did. The feeling of her body was even better than you had imagined; you felt her heart beating inside of her chest, her flushed skin rubbing against yours. Your hands sneaked around to her arse, not able to resist a quick squeeze as you moved together.

When you pulled back, you couldn’t help but notice she was once again very entranced by the sight of your breasts. She looked up at you questioningly. “May I… touch them?”

“Yes please,” you smiled. “Tonight is all about you, baby girl.”

The use of the pet name did not fail to elicit another shudder from her. She reached up to place one of her small hands on your full breast. Her movements were more like groping than a soft fondle, though you didn’t mind either way, softly cooing as she played with your tits.

Eventually, you slipped your hands down, fingers hooking into the band of her skirt. Poppy froze, though she didn’t protest either, giving you her silent approval. You slipped the piece of clothing down her thighs, baring more yellow lace inch by inch. You were delighted to find a sizeable moist patch at the location of her slit.

“I see you’re already very wet for us,” you complimented her. “Very good.”

A flush swept up from her neck to her cheeks, colouring her freckles a delightful shade of red. Sinking to your knees once more, you started planting open-mouthed kisses in the valley between her breasts, slowly trailing down the light curve of her torso. You kissed around her belly button, then moved down to her thighs, covering them in small pecks as you looked up into her half-lidded eyes. Her breath was shallow, her chest rising in a quick rhythm as you tended to the sensitive skin. You felt her muscles tighten as you inched closer to her throbbing core, though you weren’t ready to go there just yet. Standing up, you took her hand.

“Are you ready for the next part?” you whispered, your lips hovering close to hers.

She nodded eagerly.

“Good.” Smiling, you led her to the bed, where you slowly pushed her down on her back. You took a moment to admire her as she lay there, your precious angel of innocence, chestnut hair spread out around her head, clad in nothing but her yellow underwear and her black knee-high socks. Merlin, she was so precious, so perfectly sculpted in every way. You were so lucky to be with her like this.

You made a show of stripping out of your skirt and throwing it aside with a flourish, causing her to giggle. Then you climbed on top of her, giving her a slow kiss before you put a finger on her lips, tracing down to her chin.

“Are you all right, baby girl?”

“Very much so,” Poppy smiled. “I had no idea it would feel like this. I’m feeling all warm and tingly inside.”

You let out a chuckle. “It’s going to feel even better soon, I promise. But first, I’d like to touch you some more.”

Meeting with her approval, you settled against her side and started to tenderly stroke her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in your wake. You were content just lying with her like this for a while, watching the steady rising and falling of her breasts, counting the small imperfections in her skin as you petted her. You loved the way she squirmed when you drew circles around her nipple.

“I’m the luckiest girl in the world right now, you know?” you whispered to her. She bit her lip as she looked at you from the corner of her eye. “Y-yeah?”

“Mhm. Getting to pamper you like this, showing how much I care for you,” you nuzzled the crook of her neck, “giving you all the love you deserve.”

She made a sound like a small whimper.

“Because you do,” you continued. “You deserve to be loved, and cared for, and cherished –” you planted a little kiss on her temple – “to the end of your days.”

It was not so much a spell to arouse her as a sincere promise. The events of today had only solidified your resolve; you weren’t certain what the future held, or what your life after Hogwarts would look like, though you knew it was one you would share with Imelda and Poppy. Whatever doubts or differences may have existed between you had fallen away, becoming part of a past you no longer cared for; all that mattered was right here beside you, melting away under your loving touch.

Your fingers travelled across the soft landscape of her belly to her thighs, caressing every bit of skin you happened to come across. Feeling you so close to the dripping pit between her legs must have shocked her out of her trance, for she suddenly looked up at you. “What about Imelda?”

You locked eyes with the Slytherin, who so far had seemed very content with just watching the two of you. She had taken one of her breasts out and was twisting and pulling the dark nipple, licking her lips as she pleasured herself.

“What about her?” you asked.

“Will she… you know…” Her blush darkened. “Eat my pussy?”

It was a little jarring to hear such vulgar a word from the usually proper Hufflepuff’s lips, though then you smiled to reassure her. “Of course, baby girl. But first I need to spread you open nice and wide to prepare you for her. All right?”

She nodded softly. “Will it… hurt?”

“You’ve touched yourself before, so you shouldn’t feel any pain. You might feel a little fuller than normal, though, so I’ll go slow and you can tell me when you’re ready for me to go further, okay?”

“O-okay…” She offered you a thankful smile. “Thank you for being so considerate.”

“No need to thank me.” You pecked her lips. “Now, be a good girl and lift your hips for me.”

She did as you requested, raising her pelvis to allow you to work her underwear down her thighs. Poor angel; already you could tell she was so painfully swollen that you were honestly surprised she wasn’t crying out for your relief yet. Her pussy was like a perfect red flower, lips gleaming with slick desire. You discovered she had kept her landscaping in order as well, observing the most adorable patch of fuzzy brown hair above her fleshy hood.

You indulged the temptation of tracing a few teasing circles around her folds, delighting in the way her flesh quivered under your fingertips. You had no intention of making her wait any longer than necessary, though. She gasped as you finally put your middle finger at her entrance, hazel eyes shooting up to look at you as her hands gripped the sheets.

“Are you ready, my love?”

She yielded her assent before her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. “Oh, Merlin!”

She was tight. Very tight. Her walls clung to you from the moment you pushed into her, practically sucking you further inside her velvety depths. You fought the urge to go all the way, instead occupying yourself with brushing away the strands of hair that were matted to her forehead. You smiled when she opened your eyes to you. “Is it… all the way in?”

“Not yet,” you said. “You’re doing very good so far. Are you ready to take more of me?”

Blessed with her nod, you pushed even further, feeling her walls tighten around your digit as you just kept sliding and sliding into her throbbing heat. You supposed she had never used more than one finger judging by how she had a little difficulty accommodating you. Her uninhibited flow of juices helped ease you along though, and soon you sank in to the knuckle, holding perfectly still for a moment as you allowed her to adjust.

“There you go,” you cooed to her. “I’m inside of you, baby girl. How does it feel?”

She slightly shifted her hips, groaning through her teeth. “It definitely feels a bit fuller than normal. I can feel you stretching me out. It’s a good kind of feeling, though.”

“I’m glad.” You placed another kiss on her temple. “I’m going to start moving now. Tell me if at any time you want me to stop.”

You waited a few seconds before you started withdrawing, alert for any reactions from her. It wasn’t made any easier by the fact that her cunny was very much trying to keep you in place, but you persisted nonetheless, and thankfully Poppy didn’t seem to be experiencing much discomfort. She had closed her eyes again, mouthing your name over and over as you withdrew up until your fingernail, then started pushing back in again.

Seeing as she didn’t say anything, you soon ventured further. Starting with tender strokes, you commenced pumping, wet sopping sounds mixing with her moaning. The change of pace was enough to lure Imelda, who soon joined you at the other side of Poppy, propping herself up on her elbow.

“Look at our precious little thing,” she chuckled, lightly stroking Poppy’s arm. “How does she feel, MC?”

“Oh, very snug,” you smiled back. “But we’re getting her all nicely stretched out for you, aren’t we Poppy?”

She nodded with pursed lips, lacking the words to muster a response. Imelda kissed her cheek, hovering close to her ear, “I can’t wait to feel you on my tongue. I wonder if you taste as sweet as you look.”

That coaxed another whimper out of her, her pussy twitching around your finger as you kept bottoming out. You noticed her lips moving, trying to whisper something to you.

You leaned in closer. “Yes, my love…?”

“More…” she murmured, “please…”

You had not expected the request so soon, though on the other hand, you were hardly in any position to decline. You freed up your index finger, swirling around her clit before you added to the finger already pushing inside of her, stretching her slick little lips even further. By now Poppy was coming properly undone, letting out a high-pitched whine before Imelda smothered her mouth with her own.

You settled into a steady but forceful pace, eager to induce her release. As you watched her body move on the rhythm of your fingering, your thoughts drifted back to past times, all the adventures you had been through together. Just a few years ago, it seemed like such an unlikely pairing; a serpent and a badger, strangers meeting by some weird twist of fate. And yet, as it had turned out, you were more similar than you could have ever realised. Both burdened by a fate that was greater than you, having to find your way in a hostile world. You were grateful for Imelda too, of course, and there was no vision of the future that didn’t include you three sticking together. But the shy, brave Hufflepuff had stolen your heart from the day you met her in that afternoon Beast class.

And here she was, grown into a beautiful young woman, ready to cum at a twist of your fingers. Once more, you leaned closer to her, your breath warmly rolling across her face, “I want you to come for me now, baby girl. Come, come for us, show us what a good girl you are…”

As to stress your command, you used your thumb to press down on her clit, making her back arch off the bed. She let out a short series of hiccups, her heat growing almost impossibly tight around you before she slowly relaxed again. You carefully removed your fingers from her folds, essence that had been plugged up spilling out as you did. You brought your fingertips up to your mouth to taste her, only to find yourself surprised when she grabbed your hand and cleaned herself off you instead.

You smiled, kissing her moist lips. “You did so well, baby. Now, are you ready for Imelda to slide her tongue inside you?”

“I am, but just give me a minute,” Poppy replied, giving you a crooked smile. “I think you might have done just a little too good of a job warming me up.”

“Of course she did,” Imelda huffed. “MC always ends up breaking things because she can’t contain herself.”

“Are we sure we aren’t talking about someone else here?” you laughed.

“I don’t know what you’re on about.” Imelda got up and crawled over to the end of the bed, positioning herself between Poppy’s legs. “Everyone knows I never fuck up.”

“Right. You’re definitely fucking something else, though.”

“Don’t fight now, please,” Poppy interjected. “I’m sure you both have something better to attend to.”

You and Imelda shared an amused look before you broke out into a burst of lighthearted laughter. “Sounds like our girl has gotten a bit of an attitude,” Imelda said, lips breaking into a mischievous smirk. “I suppose we should do something about that, huh?”

You slightly worried this meant she would go a bit rougher on Poppy than the Hufflepuff might have been comfortable with, though as she laid down on her front and hooked her arms under Poppy’s thighs, her dark eyes swiftly met her gaze. “Tell me if you need me to go any faster or slower. I want you to get the most out of this.”

Poppy nodded. “You can start slow now, please.”

As Imelda got herself ready, Poppy turned towards you. “MC, will you… talk to me while she eats me out?”

Seeing as that had been very much your idea, you were eager to agree. “I’ll make you feel as good as I can,” you assured her.

At last, Imelda was ready. Poppy sought your hand as the Slytherin moved in, squeezing it tightly as she shuddered at the feeling of Imelda’s breath on her clit. As promised, she started slow, her tongue flicking at Poppy’s fleshy petals before she moved to a rhythm of quick kitten licks.

You kept a close eye on your precious angel, watching her lips part as her breath started to quicken again. “Does it feel good, baby girl?” you asked her.

“It does…” she sighed. “I can feel her tongue… it tickles a bit,”

“You’re probably still a little sensitive.” You kissed the small bit of skin just below her ear, the tremble of her body confirming your assessment. “It will start to feel much better soon. Just relax, let her set the pace.”

Imelda kept licking, gradually building up towards bigger strokes until she was properly lapping away at Poppy. You turned to fondling her breasts again, tickling her nipples, caressing the smooth flesh as you observed the determined expression on Imelda’s freckled features, the way she fully threw herself into pleasing her lover, just as dedicated as she would be out on the pitch. Merlin, what had you done to earn the love and blessing of these horny little nymphs?

You met Imelda’s gaze, a flash of understanding passing between you. So you once again nestled into the crook of Poppy’s neck, nibbling on the skin, adding to the sensation of Imelda’s tongue finally sinking into her tight slit. Poppy cried softly, her neck craning back as you kept nursing her, her hips raising from the bed as Imelda devoured her whole.

“Tell me what she’s doing to you,” you ordered her.

“I can feel her… inside,” she moaned between gasps, “she’s – oh, gods –“

You chuckled against her throat, sucking a hickey into her neck before you pushed yourself up on your elbow to take in all of her flushed visage. Her hair was sticking to her forehead, cheeks blazing crimson red as a never-ending mantra of breathless prayers rose from her open mouth

But her eyes. Those sweet, chocolate brown eyes, peering out at you from under their hoods, luring you in with their innocent gaze. You felt like you would drown in them if only you looked at them long enough.

Moving your hand down to join Imelda’s tongue in servicing her sensitive nub, you whispered sweetly to her, “You won’t ever be alone again… you will always be loved, always be cherished. We will comfort you, make love to you… you can have us whenever you want…”

You cradled the Hufflepuff against your breast, feeling her hot breath on your skin, the sound of her desperate cries like music to your ears.

“We’re together now… and always will be… We'll have our own little family, somewhere safe, and happy… imagine it, bearing our children… us taking care of you just like this as your breasts swell with milk and your belly grows with our babies –”

Imelda’s muffled grunts blended with Poppy’s, forming a growing stereo as you laboured together to bring about her inevitable climax, the vivid pictures you were painting with your words only adding to your harmonious ecstasy.

“We are your home now… we’re yours… and you’re ours. So come for us, baby girl. Let us see you come undone.”

At last, she did. Her release arrived in a tidal wave that swept all of you away. She buried her face into your chest, letting out a deep groan as every part of her body shook and trembled with pure blissful energy. You saw Imelda pushing her mouth into her folds, not wanting a drop to be spilt. Just as you thought the high has passed, however, a soft, gurgling sound came from Poppy’s pussy, followed by a spray of essence that hit Imelda squarely in the face.

To her credit, she didn’t retreat, but you definitely couldn’t keep yourself from bursting out into a hysterical giggle as soon as you figured out what had happened. Poppy quickly rose from your chest, cheeks red with embarrassment. “Oh goodness, sorry, I didn’t mean to –”

“It’s all right,” you reassured her, still chuckling. “That happens sometimes. Besides, I don’t think Imelda minds.”

The Slytherin removed herself from Poppy’s core with a wet sucking sound, sitting up as she wiped her eyes. “I don’t, but next time, maybe give me a heads up before you decide to hit me between the eyes.”

That could count on a spirited laugh from all of you. As the charged energy from your lovemaking slowly dissipated, you briefly left the bed to gather a couple of plushy towels. You offered one to Imelda before turning to Poppy, relishing in the way she lovingly looked up at you as you dabbed her face.

“There, all clean,” you smiled, pecking the tip of her nose for good measure. You then settled back against the pillows, Poppy snuggling up to you as you watched Imelda freshen up.

“Well, I guess we know who won tonight’s round,” Imelda said after she had disposed of the towel and settled against the other side of Poppy, wrapping an arm around the Hufflepuff’s small frame.

“I’d say we did,” you replied. “She obviously was the loudest with me.”

“Oh, come on. I was the one who made her squirt!”

“You should both be quiet,” Poppy piped up. “I think it’s very clear that I’m the undisputed winner tonight.”

You flashed a cheeky grin, letting out a chuckle. “I suppose that settles it.”

“Oh, fair enough,” Imelda said, feigning exasperation. “Are we getting a consolation prize at least?”

Poppy giggled before giving both of you a loving kiss on the lips. You felt the fatigue of today’s whirlwind of events finally beginning to weigh on your eyelids, letting out a yawn as you settled in for the night. Before you could even drift into sleep, however, you sensed Poppy’s weight shifting on your chest, prompting you to open your eyes to meet her warm brown gaze.

“Are you all right?” you asked.

She smiled. “I am. Tonight was wonderful. Thank you… for giving me this.”

“I wasn’t any trouble at all, my love.” You kissed her cheek. “Like I said, we are a part of each other now.”

She briefly lowered her eyes, contemplating a thought. Then she looked up to you again. “MC, what you said about beginning a family, did you really mean those words?”

The question took you a bit by surprise, but you supposed she was right to ask. Truth be told, there was a lot to contemplate about your future after the way your bond had changed tonight. You didn’t want to pretend to have all the answers, though at least you were certain about one thing.

“The only future I want is the one that has you two in it,” you confided. “What it will look like, I cannot yet say… but if settling down and starting a little family of our own is what will make you happy, then so will it be with me.”

Her eyes brimmed with love and understanding, a kindness you had witnessed countless times, but now appearing even more profound and potent. She finally put her head on your chest, closing her eyes. “I love you, MC.”

You planted a kiss on top of her head. “I love you too. Both of you.”

[arthenaa]

in your arms — sebastian sallow x fem reader

plot summary: Sebastian, more often than not, annoys the fuck out of you to get your attention. Your friends think it's disgustingly adorable.

content tags: fluff, FUCK i love seb so bad, me just projecting my love on to this man, established relationship natty, poppy, imelda, ominis, you and seb hangout in the room of requirement, you're in your 7th year, kiss kiss mwa mwa, you makeout w ur bf while ur friends are in the room aw, you and seb third wheeling everyone in the room, ominis w a niffler simping for his face

"So this is where you hide every afternoon." Imelda marvels at the spacious room from where she's sitting. You had invited Natty, Poppy, Imelda, Ominis and Sebastian for a cup of tea and relaxation in your base of operations; The Room of Requirement.

You had alerted Deek beforehand that you would be inviting a couple of friends over. The house elf had been generous enough to tidy up the place before promising to leave you alone during the allotted time. You take note to find something in Hogsmeade to give to Deek as a thank you.

In the center of the room of requirement, sits a lounging room facing towards the vivarium. Sat on one of the small chairs is Imelda and on the other is Natty who sips on her cup of tea. On one of the sofas is Ominis who has a niffler on him for some reason, gawking at his face like it's some sort of jewelry and on the other sofa is you and Sebastian. Poppy, on the other hand is inside the vivarium, basking in your beasts' company. Specifically your common friend, Highwing who she had not seen for weeks.

"Professor Weasley was kind enough to let me use this to catch up on my magic." You reply as you lean back against the couch. Imelda's eyebrows raise in surprise at the information.

"Talk about having favorites." Imelda leans over to Natty who laughs at her insinuation. You playfully glare at the Slytherin gal before feeling an arm around your shoulder. You glance at the boy beside you who only gives you a boyish grin before placing peck on your cheek. Imelda lets out a disgusting groan.

"How adorable." Natty scrunches her nose as she smiles. She then turns to Ominis who is busy patting the niffler on his lap. "I do wonder how you deal with this everyday though."

"Thank Merlin, I'm blind. I never would've otherwise." Ominis snorts. Sebastian reaches over to smack his knee in retort. The young Gaunt only glares at his direction before moving farther from where Sebastian is seated, bringing the niffler with him.

"It's not my fault you all suck with your game." Sebastian sighs as he settles down to lay on the couch causing you to be pushed all the way to the end. You send your boyfriend a glare as he rests his legs on your lap. He only smiles at you. "People tend to overshadow their jealousy with jokes."

"As if I'd be jealous of you, Sallow." Imelda scoffs. "The only way I'll say that is if I was under hostage by a Giant Purple Toad and it told me the only way to live is if I had to say the most vile disgusting thing I could think of which is you apparently."

"How long is she going to take in there?" Natty intercepts Imelda's bickering as she glances at the glass doors to the vivarium where a happy Poppy coos at Highwing's offspring. Caligo chirps behind Highwing, nudging his beak against hers.

"It's easy to get yourself lost in Y/N's vivarium. I don't really know how you were able to get this many beasts in here without Professor Black's knowledge." Ominis adds as he feels the niffler crawl up his arm and sit on his shoulder. "Is he staring at me? I don't have anything shiny on my face."

"I think its because the shiny thing IS your face." Imelda chuckles as she stares at niffler leaning against his cheek. You laugh at the situation before feeling a tug on your arm. You turn towards your lover who has his eyes trained on you.

"What?" You whisper softly as your hand gently caresses his leg. He shrugs, back leaning against the arm of the couch. You roll your eyes at him. You try to turn yourself back to the conversation before there's another tug on your arm. You turn to him with a raised eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Do I really have to pull it out of you?" You sigh as he smirks mischievously at you. Sebastian always had the knack of annoying you. He (according to him) enjoys seeing the numerous expressions on your face whenever you got mad at him for his silly little tries of getting your attention. It always makes him want to coo and baby you whenever you've reached your limit. Apparently now is the best time to do it to you.

"Maybe." He teases as he now nudges his leg against your stomach. You slap his leg, giving him a glare which only fuels his drive to annoy you more.

He rises slightly from his position to pinch your arm before dodging the incoming smack from you. "Sebastian!" You whisper-shout. He laughs softly before glancing at the three who seem more immersed in their conversation than chastising the two of you.

"C'mere." He mumbles as he opens his arms. You raise an eyebrow at him.

"No." You say firmly as you move farther to the other side of the couch. His resolve only strengthens.

"Come here." He tries again but you decline with a shake of your head. He drops his arms on his lap with a pout before staring at you.

You know from experience that whenever Sebastian pauses for a second that something bad is brewing in his head and so you look at him with cautiousness.

"Don't." You smile nervously as you turn your back against the arm of the couch. Sebastian only smiles at you as he begins to crawl over to your side. You glance at the three as they erupt into laughter, not noticing your cry for help. Before you could try and dodge Sebastian's attack, he had already pulled you in his arms, trapping you as he pulls you on his chest, laying the two of you down.

"Sebastian!" You squeal as you try to push your hands against his chest but his grip on you is unforgiving.

"I've got you, little dove." He smiles into your hair as you playfully groan. You could only wrap your arms around him in fear of falling off the couch. He turns the two of your carefully to your side, his back to the three still lost in their conversation.

"You're annoying." You mumble as you look up at him from your position. He smiles, diving down to place a kiss on your forehead.

"To be fair, you said it was only going to be us two hanging out and then suddenly a crowd's in here." He pouts playfully as he pinches your cheek. You pinch his side in return to which he yelps in response.

"Is it so bad that I want to hangout with my friends and my boyfriend? I missed them." You retort as you hug him closer. He hums against your hair, arm under your head and his other hand caressing your waist.

"I missed you. Why don't you give me a kiss, hm?."

"No way." You raise your eyebrows at him with a stern look. He only dismisses it as he tries to lean in but you cover his mouth with your hand.

"C'mon." He whines as he removes your hand from covering his mouth. "Just a little peck?"

"Last time I allowed you to do this, we almost got caught. I'd rather not add their horrified faces with Professor Garlick's wink in my memory. I've had enough trauma this year, thank you." You reminded him with a sigh. Ever the clingy lover that he is, after your Herbology class had asked you for some affection and attention which had escalated to something more intimate. You had positioned yourselves in a bad corner which allowed Professor Garlick to catch you red handed. With your reputation as a good student and a Hero of Hogwarts as well as having a good mentor-student relationship with her, the young professor had dismissed it and claimed that she had not seen anything. Only sending you a teasing wink before moving along. You were mortified.

"They won't mind." He smiles, brushing a stray hair away from your face. "Besides, they won't see you."

Sebastian had grown out to be a wondrous and handsome man after first meeting him in your fifth year. He had grown taller, fitter and broader as a 7th year and it doesn't help that he'd more often than not, use it to his advantage to fluster you. The man knows he's attractive.

You roll your eyes at him. "Just one."

"Just one." He repeats. You raise your chin at him as he dives to place a kiss on your lips. The hand on your waist pulls you close as he tenderly moves his lips against yours. It continues on for a few seconds before he suddenly pinches your waist, making you gasp and opening your mouth in the process. Sebastian uses this opportunity to slide his tongue in. Cheeky bastard.

You softly sigh at the contact of his tongue against yours, his free hand now on the side of your face, angling it to kiss you deeper. The kiss is soft and slow allowing you to just bask in his presence. It's not fast and aggressive enough to create a fire in the depths of your stomachs but passionate enough for you to feel the spark between the two of you.

He continues to kiss you in soft pecks as he gently opens his eyes, staring at your blissed out face as you take what he gives you. "Pretty."

You only hum, lost in his affections. You could've let yourself be babied right there and then if it weren't for someone clearing their throat.

"You could've waited for us to leave the room before you ate each other's face off." Imelda cringes in disgust as she stands up from her seat. "I'll be joining Poppy now. It's like watching my parents snog each other. I'm afraid that I'd do an unforgivable on myself if I stay any further."

Sebastian gives her his middle finger as he continues to kiss you. The Slytherin girl leaves with haste as she enters the vivarium. Poppy looks at her with confusion as Imelda talks animatedly, probably ranting about her issues with Sebastian Sallow. Natty rolls her eyes as she places down her teacup to join the two other girls.

"It's best to leave the room, Ominis. Just in case those two might do something.... inappropriate." Natty laughs as she enters the vivarium as well. You would've been embarrassed by the situation if it weren't for Sebastian's constant kisses on your face.

"Again, thank Merlin, I'm blind." Ominis sighs as he stands up as well. He stops for a moment before smirking. "Make sure to use protection!"

"Fuck you, Ominis. Leave!" Sebastian playfully yells to which the young Gaunt laughs before entering the vivarium as well. The Sallow boy turns to you with a flushed face.

"You need to learn some self control, young man." You tap his nose as you smile at him.

"Have you seen yourself?" He jokes as he rubs his nose against yours, basking in your laughter. He then feels your arms around his neck, forcing his face to be close to yours.

"Anyway, who said you could stop?" You whisper as your eyes glance at his lips. Sebastian only smirks at you before brushing his lips against yours.

"Yes ma'am."

A/N: when i wrote that scene when sebastian crawled on the couch to grab u in his arms, yk that dog that creeps up on her owner before attacking her yea thats it. i think her name was coconut. kinda funny. anys another seb fluff for the people.

[5sospenguinqueen]

MC: Are we really going to let Poppy keep that dragon?

Imelda: We kept Sallow.

[girl-named-matty]

Texting your number after you're dead - Hogwarts Legacy Modern AU

Texting your number after your death Tags: Angst, angst, more angst, mentions of drinking and loss of life.

a/n: basically just get the tissues

sorry 🥲taglist in comments 👇

[elinoracia]

⁑ They see you cry for the first time// Hogwarts legacy characters reactions x reader ⁑

~ Hogwarts Legacy headcanons ~

Warnings: hurt/comfort, fluff, use of Y/N, mention of death and blood, swearing (censored), Leander jumpscare. Pairings: Sebastian x reader, Ominis x reader, Garreth x reader, Amit x reader, Poppy x reader, Natty x reader, Imelda x reader, Leander x reader.

Feel free to request anything!

-------------------------------

Context: Even after Professor Fig's death, even under great pressure and no matter the situation, you never let your friends saw you crack. Not even a single tear. You were trying really hard to hide your pain and sadness. But it had to come out one day... After fighting against some poachers with your companion, they almost killed him/her. After you saved him/her, you finally broke down. You thought you lost him/her too. You couldn't control your tears. (Pre-relationship)

THEIR REACTION :

Sebastian:

He gets up and dusts himself off without noticing how devasted you were at first.

"It seems like I'm the one who's in your debt now. I owe you- Y/N? Are you crying?"

He almost runs to you the moment he notices.

"What is wrong? Are you hurt? Are you bleeding? Tell me!"

He is extremely worried. He doesn't know why you're crying. When you explain to him you were really afraid of losing him like you lost so many people in your life, he got really quiet for a moment.

"You'll never lose me. We're a team, the best team even. If we stick together and protect eachother, nothing could ever happen to one of us. Besides, I am an excellent duellist!... Look at me Y/N..."

He lifts your chin up to make you meet his gaze. You could see how concerned he was. He wipes away some of your tears with his fingers.

"I'll be the one protecting you next time." You could feel he wasn't only talking about duels or battles...

He is not really good with words so he will go out of his way to try to cheer you up for the rest of the day. He will pick little flowers for you and bring you sweets.

"I'm not great with words but I surely can listen! Please come to me if you want to talk..or if you need a big bear hug! I'm also good with those."

Would hug you very tightly for as long as you need.

Ominis:

He will notice almost immediately when you start crying. He felt your breath pattern change and he heard you slightly sniffle.

"Y/N, may I ask what's troubling you? It's very unlike you to be this upset. I'm worried. Are you hurt perhaps?"

You then explain how scared you were. You feel like you almost lost him too.

He stays silent. He goes to reach for your hand and holds it.

He usually never lets anyone holds his hand because he doesn't feel like he is in need of any guidance and doesn't think it is ever necessary. But he is making an exception to comfort you.

"I appologize for making you worry that much about my safety. But I am still here...thanks to you."

You both make it back to Howarts and he refuses to let go of your hand.

"As you may already know, I am a great listener. I am always available if you feel the need to talk about anything."

"Your safety is also truly important to me. I just want to make sure you do not feel like what happened to you or anyone is your fault."

He really wants to make sure you're feeling better before letting your hand go.

He doesn't care if people can see him holding your hand. All that matters at this moment is you.

"Take your time Y/N. I'll stay for as long as you need me to."

Garreth:

He is very oblivious about the situation. You turn your head to not face him so he couldn't see your tears. But you feel your shoulders shake.

When he notices how your demeanor changed, he just wonders if you were tired or maybe hurt.

"Y/N? Are you alright? I have some Wiggenweld potions if you need any. I even brew them myself."

You try to explain to him how you felt. You couldn't contain your tears. Those poachers almost killed him in front of your eyes... You see his eyes widen.

"Y/N...Please don't cry. I'm fine, look! Please... I hate when I can't see your pretty smile."

He will almost instantly take you in his arms and give you a hug. He will also gently carress your head as he tries to make you smile or laugh.

"Come on Y/N, you usually always laugh at that joke! Smile for your best bud...please."

He will not leave you alone until you feel better.

"Trust me, I think you might need some of that famous Gryffindor courage, chivalry, and determination to make you feel better! You're in luck, I have all of the above!"

He will not leave you for the rest of the day. And if anyone tries to talk to you, he will tell them you need to rest. He wouldn't want you to feel too overwhelmed.

"There it is! There is your pretty smile. Do you feel a bit better now?"

Amit:

After the battle against the poachers, his first instinct will be to check on you, even he was the one who almost died. He'll quickly notice you feel upset.

"Y/N what is wrong? Please don't cry...I'm here for you."

You explained how unbearable the thought of almost losing him too was. You explained how much it breaks you.

"I-I'm sorry...I didn't know how much that impacted you. I should have known. But I'm here for you now. Don't be ashamed to cry in front of me. I'm here..."

As you're crying, he gently rubs your back and hands you his handkerchief. He stays next to you until you finish crying. Then he will talk to you for a while.

"I hope you know you don't have to hide your emotions from me anymore. I still think you're incredibly strong. You're so wonderful Y/N, truly."

He'll almost force you to go get some rest for the rest of the day.

"Please, let me bring you back to your dorms. You need to rest. I'll warn your teachers about your absence, they'll understand. I'll give you the notes I took during class, I insist on that."

He'll walk you back to your dorms like the gentleman he is. He'll make sure you don't have to worry about anything else for the rest of the day.

He will bring some food to you so you don't forget to eat. It's not just an excuse to come to see you and check on you, not at all really

He will try to be more careful about what he does. He doesn't want to worry you.

Poppy:

She almost cries first. The situation really shook her. But when she notices you crying, she focuses all her attention on you.

"Y/N! Please tell me you're not hurt! I'm here, I'm okay, you're okay. Take a deep breath."

You try explaining to her through your heavy sobs how afraid you were to lose her too.

"Don't be silly, I'll always be right next to you, no matter how annoying it can be. They can't possibly get rid of me that easily when you're with me Y/N. That's what makes you such an amazing person... You're always so selfless."

She takes you in her arms. Nobody can possibly make her let go of you.

"I'm so sorry you went through all of that... but you will never lose me."

She makes you take deep breaths and do breathing exercises until you calm down a little.

"Do you feel better? Do you need me to bring you something? Water? Food? Anything? Let me go get that for you!"

You could ask her for anything and she'll RUN to get them for you.

"Don't worry, it's okay to cry. Sometimes I cry too! It doesn't make you weak or anything of the sort! Your tears mean you feel deeply and that's a good thing!"

She'll make sure that you're not alone, not a single second, for the rest of the day. She has to make sure you feel supported.

Natty:

She is very attentive to what is happening around her. So it doesn't take her long to notice your muffled sobs you were trying to hide.

"Y/N, what's wrong? I'm here with you, you can tell me about it."

She tries to stay very calm. She wouldn't want to stress you out more than you already are.

As you explain to her how you felt about losing her too and the fear of her being killed, you can notice how concerned she looks. She sadly knows that feeling all too well.

"I want to support you in any way you need. You are not alone. I...I know how you feel."

She'll make you sit next to her. She will let you cry it out while she hold your hand and softly rubs it with her thumb.

"This is really hard for you, I understand. I will help you work it out. I'll never leave you Y/N. You'll never lose me, I hope you know that."

She'll hand you tissues as she listens to you attentively.

"Is there anything I can do to help? I would do anything to help you feel better."

She is ready to do anything you want. It really hurts her to see you go through what she went through.

Following this incident, you can be sure she will regularly check on you.

Imelda:

She is panting as she tries to get up. She is just glad she didn't die. It was a close-call. When she turns to look at you, she is surprised to see you so upset.

"Y/N? Why are you crying? We won! You beat them all! It could be so much worse, I almost died."

You explain how the though of losing her the way you lost so many people scares you. Your tears are flowing on your cheeks.

"I'm not...that big of a deal. If I knew you were going to cry over me, I would have been more careful... Please...Y/N..."

She slowly pats your back, not really knowing what to do or what to say.

"Hey Y/N, it's okay, I'm still here. And even if one day I die, I'm sure you'll figure out something crazy like usual and resurrect me or something like that. You're that powerful, I'm sure of it. But let's not think about it just yet!"

She usually would NEVER hug anyone but she'll hug you if you ask her. She will complain but she'll still do it for you.

"Hugh! So needy! Just don't hold me too tight, I can't escape death twice in a row. There there, I'm here."

Deep down she enjoys being the one you're worried about. She would never admit it though.

"Don't tell anyone we hugged or I'll never hug you again."

Leander:

He only thinks about himself at first. He almost died and couldn't believe he was still here.

"Holy sh*t you saved me! Y/N... it was crazy. I-... Are you crying?"

You tell him how afraid you were about losing him too. You couldn't bear the thought of him dying.

"Oh...I- hum..."

He doesn't have a single clue how to comfort you. He is very ankward and clumsy with his words. He means well though.

He's the kind of person to not think before he talks.

"Y/N...look at me. I...hum...your tears are beautiful...S-Sorry I just blurt out random things when I'm nervous. But I'm here..."

He'll ankwardly hug you and pat your head.

"It's alright Y/N...Do you want my scarf? You're always begging me to give it to you so you can wear it. Here, take it."

He gives you his scarf you puts it around your neck. It feels strangely comforting.

"You can wipe your tears with it if you want. It's yours now. Red suits you much better anyway."

You burry your face in his chest and hug him tighter.

"I hope it's not just an excuse because you don't need to do that if you really needed a hug from me that bad. I'll hug you everyday if you insist."

In a weird way, his teasing makes you feel a bit better.

[myrachondria]

Hogwart Legacy Cast - Inaccurate Quotes

(Let's be honest, they're probably accurate)

MC: You should be addicted to shutting the fuck up

Sebastian: Haha. You want to kiss me so bad it makes you look stupid

MC: And so what if I do?

Sebastian: 👀👀👀

Sebastian: wake up sluts, it's time to sin

MC: found a man with the same attitude as me, this boy annoying

Imelda: If you think I'm mean, you should hear my thoughts

Sebastian: I told Ominis to fight his demons and he punched me??? I'm confused

Sebastian: What that mouth do?

Ominis: Hurt your feelings

Imedla: The hottest thing a man can be is a little afraid of me

Sebastian: You deserve to be happy, but if it's not with me, then you don't deserve it

Ominis: I find out everything. Do not ever think that you're a slick bitch

Sebastian: Every day I try so hard not to be a crazy bitch

Ominis: Stop it, Sebastian. You're better than that.

Sebastian: No I'm not. So anyways, I was saying

Poppy: Why don't you try being his peace?

MC: First of all, he's the one that starts shit to make me mad.