#Marlene I'm so done

[loserboyfriendrjl]

"hey," dorcas smiled, sitting down next to marlene. "how did your NEWTs go?"

"shit," marlene groaned, letting her head fall, a small thud against the gryffindor table, poking at her cold steak. "fucked up, big time. haven't done so shit in an exam in a while, actually. how about you?"

"will a snogging exam help with that?" she asked, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"alright, mates," marlene said, jumping up from her seat and looking around the table to her friends, "this is goodbye. i have an important exam to sit now."

[renegadeknight]

ooooo so interested in Treacherous!!

Okay this one is still very much an outline/mess of notes so I don't have any snips to share and it's probably the one I'm most shy about, idk why exactly, just feels like it would be less interesting to other people, so I'm just vibing by myself lol.

Anyway! It is an Anna!Lives AU where she ends up as a FEDRA lab rat for ~10 years and escapes right after Marlene finds and sends Ellie off with the fireflies. So then Joel and Tess take Anna to try to catch up at the state house but they miss them. Tess still gets bit (sorry) and then it follows Joel and Anna across the country to try to track down Ellie and as they spend more time together Anna keeps telling him more and more about little Ellie from when they were together a few years before they got separated. By the time they catch up to Ellie, Joel's ready to level the hospital for a kid he hasn't even met, and her mother.

Fun fact, I actually mentioned this one in an earlier chapter of Stubborn Love. It's one of the books Ellie gets at the library 😁

Thank you for the ask!

[drifting-pieces-blog-blog]

Breaking down the comics: Starting the Collection (Issue 3)

Moon Knight, Issue #3:  Midnight Means Murder. 

Written by Doug Moench and drawn by Bill Sienkiewicz

YES. BACK IN IT WITH BILL AND DOUG! 

I don’t know WHY I didn’t do this one in my first plans? Why the hell did I skip Midnight man? I covered his return, but his initial issue? I can’t explain past me to you. 

So here we are, back at the beginning. Issue number three! And we see Moon Knight’s FIRST big deal. It’s his first big villain (I don’t count Bushman. I’ll explain that later) that also reoccurs. 

The title page? 

We open on a splash of the Daily Bugel. 

And boy howdy is thi creative or what? And what makes me even happier? You can actually read the paper! You'll have to pardon me as I take you through it. I love when writers actually take the time to put something worth while in little newspaper clippings like this.

Saturday, May 3 1980. A nice picture of Moon Knight beating up two bank robbers and a mystery picture of someone robbing a museum. 

"They even list Doub Moench as the "Staff Writer" and give photographer credit to Bill Sienkiewicz. 

"ANOTHER LUNA NIGHT. "

"The third national bank was robbed last night, but only up to a point. 

That point was roughly three steps beyond the entrance of the defiled bank, located at the southwest corner of Madison Avenue and 89th Street, where the two armed desperadoes were abruptly assailed by a silver and black hurricane named Moon Knight. 

As far as the costumed vigilante is concerned, the hurricane analogy is more than apt. According to the sole eyewitness, the admittedly groggy night watchman (who had been struck on the head by ne of the would-be thieves), "The guy just seemed to come out of the sky like some kind of silver ghost, and then the two robbers were on the pavement. I never seen nothing like it before." 

As for the battered thugs (whose names are being withheld pending further investigation), one supposes they never knew what hit them. Long before the police arrived the Moon Knight had vanished, leaving behind only his silver crescent-dart 'calling card'--with the foiled thieves and recovered loot in the care of the night watchman. When this writer last checked the blotter, the two new prisoners were still peacefully dreaming of sweet green and all it can buy. A rude awakening of striped shadows and iron bars awaits them. 

And speaking of shadows, Manhattanites have never been more spooked by them, despite the relentless presence of the Moon Knight, if not the police. This was the 23rd night of New York's latest uninterrupted crime wave. And although Moon Knight has figured prominently (and spectacularly) in 19 of the past 23 nights, the jet nad silver whirlwind has yet to tangle with the most celebrated miscreant currently about town--he who has been dubbed "the Midnight Man," a thief with taste and the fall to appease it nightly in all the better parts of an outraged town. Even a hurricane, it seems, cannot strike everywhere. Even so, nor can one turn back the tide of the inevitable. Like the moon and midnight, these two mysterious men go together. And sooner or later, one suspects walking through the plastered shadows of this nighted city, their paths are destined to cross, and clash. It is only a matter of time, measured by the darkness between midnights." 

He certainly does play up Moon Knight a lot, doesn't he? Doug is just so super proud of his boy. 

And it also reminds me that Moon Knight's outfit was originally silver, not white. It was supposed to give him a leg-up against the werewolf, Jack Russel. 

The other article "Midnight Man Strikes Again" talks about 'the connoisseur art thief' that has burgled a rare Monet oil painting. He has also been taunting the police by mail. The latest note being a taunt to anyone that dares try to stop him, "including that gaudy buffoon Moon Knight," Especially "now that I've amply demonstrated that the police are no match for my cunning or finesse." 

ANYWAYS. I thought it was a good title page. 

We open on Moon Knight stopping a Saturday night mugging. 

I also love how Moon Knight insults people. “Turkey”.

We continue on, Midnights of missing art. 

We also see Moon Knight stopping various other crimes. 

"Tuesday morning at Grant Mansion--where one man lives under many names... Steven Grant, Marc Spector, Jake Lockley, and Moon Knight, among others." 

We find Steven working out with Marlene. 

"Morning, Delilah." 

"Nedda will have breakfast ready in twenty minutes." 

"Okay, Marlene--Just let me hit the bag a few minutes and then I'll take my steam bath." 

"As you wish, Steven... But in case you haven't noticed, I'm waiting with bated breath. Who are you today?" 

"Huh?" 

"What clothes do you want?" 

"Oh--Give me Lockley's." 

"Why Lockley?" 

"Thought I'd sniff out a little scandal, and Lockley's got the best nose--or at least the best connections." 

Ahh... Issue 3. Absolute denial country. 

Look at this man. He goes from prim proper Steven Grant to complete Jake Lockley in the comfort of his own home. It's...It's beautiful. 

"And so, at breakfast..." 

LOOK AT THIS MAN. (He doesn’t get his trademark mustache till a later issue). 

Jake, where are you manners? How are you sitting like that? 

I also adore how Jake always addresses Marlene as “Lady”. Like he refuses to acknowledge that they are an item. She’s just a lady that he has to live with because Marc and Steven have an eye for her. 

And look at poor Nedda in the background. 

Anyways, Marlene calls Jake on wanting to go after the Midnight man. 

"You can't bluff me, Mister--You're going after this 'Midnight Man'." 

"He's goading me Marlene, playing Jack the Ripper with these taunting letters in the paper." 

"But he's NOT the ripper--He's just a common, if clever thief." 

"So who ever claimed thieves were beneath me, Lady?" 

"That's not what I mean. I just worry sometimes. You're too eager to accept challenges. 

Besides, have you forgotten the charity bash you're hosting tonight? There's plenty to do around here as Steven Grant." 

"I'll be back in time. How long does it take to shuck Lockley's rags and shrug into Grant's tux?

And don't worry about me so much---You're forgetting who I am." 

Oh? And WHO are you, Jake buddy? (I prod because at this point Jake has not figured out who he is. Early Moon Knight was in so much denial). 

"It's easy to do, dear Steven--Excuse me, dear JAKE. You've got so many different names, identities, and moods, even YOU forget who you are half the time." 

DING DING. See. Marlene gets it. She hates it and pretends she doesn't... But she does get it. I get frustrated with Marlene with the amount rejection Marlene has over the whole system. She has her mind set on the whole "He's a mess but I can fix him" thing. ANd in her mind, fixing him is making Steven the only person in that head and settling down with her. 

What does Jake have to say about that? 

"Makes life interesting, Lady--Too boring being just one character. Maybe I should've been an actor. After all, all life's a stage." 

Jake my buddy my pal my good friend Jake… 

1980s everyone… 

Outside the mansion we find Samules, the butler. He's got Jake's cab ready for him. 

"Really, sir, don't you think this...ah, vehicle could use a washing once in a--" 

"Part of my disguise, Samules, the dirt is--Gotta look like a real New York cabbie in a real new york cab." 

"Very well, sir--But I do wish you'd make up your mind one of these days. Polish the mercedes and peel the cab's paint--Press the suit and rumble the jeans--Oh dear." 

Poor Samules. 

Jake tells him to go alert Frenchie to give the chopper a once-over. 

Samules heads up to the roof to meet with Frenchie. 

He finds the chopper alone with no Frenchie in sight. 

I miss Samules. 

I love that he makes the helicopter go "vroom vroom". 

And I love that Frenchie thinks this is cute and calls him the "Daring air-ace". 

He offers Samuels a 'little...ride' 

"Certainly not! It... It's undignified for a man of my...My--" 

"Oui, Samuels. I understand. But we can all dream, no?" 

....And in re-reading this I am faced with the fact that this could 100% have all been euphemisms and Frenchie legit hitting on Samuels. I doubt very much Moench wrote it that way on purpose... But then again... He was very sneaky and found ways to get away with things that were 'forbidden' to put in comics at this time... 

(Marvel Editor and Chief at the time, Shooter, was notoriously homophobic and banned the portrayal of gay characters in the comics. Doug and many other writers had a HUGE problem with this.) 

We find outselves next at Gena's! Jake's got a box as he heads on in. 

"After cruisin' all day with no luck, guess it's time to try old reliable..." 

"Hey, Gena--How's the kids?" 

He always asks her about the kids. Always. 

Jake turns to Crawley and hands him the box. 

If you’ll excuse me… I’m going to go sob and hug 1980s Moench Jake Lockley. I’ve missed him so much. 

He knows his people and he loves his people. 

Crawley dishes it out to Jake. 

He hasn't heard anything but there are some guys over at the pool hall across the way that might know more. 

Crawley escorts Jake over and they get the cold shoulder from the gys. They claim they haven't heard anything and get a little menacing about it. 

Jake tells them that "if anyone has a memory attack, I'll be out in the alley in fifteen minutes." 

He slips out, leaving Crawley to talk to the guys alone. 

They ask Crawley if Jake's a cop. 

"Certainly NOT. I keep company in a higher social stratum than THAT." 

He tells them Jake pays very well for good info and it would do them good to get in with that standing. 

The guys head outside with intent to rob Jake. 

Unfortunately for them, someone else is waiting. 

Moon Knight says don’t rob Jake. That’s rude. 

Moon Knight asks nicely where the Midnight man fences his loot. 

The remaining conscious man tells him that Midnight Man DOESN'T fence it. He keeps it! 

"B-But the word is... He... He's gonna take you on tonight..." 

He thanks the man for the info. 

I must say... No one really appreciates that Moon Knight really does have a witty sense of humor. He amuses himself and he's just a goof. 

Jake rushes back to Steven’s party. 

"You're late, Steven--Or is it still Jake?" Marlene greets them back at the mansion. 

"Nope---Jake Lockley has just retired for the evening, my dear Marlene. As of right now, I'm Steven Grant, prominent multi-millionaire and suave host of charity fund-raisers." 

"Then hurry and get dressed, Schizo." 

Yeah.... That's Marlene. I've said it before, but at this point in age, D.I.D was not widely known about and didn't really have a diagnosis or name. MPD (multiple Personality DIsorder) was also not really clarified at that time and everything was still classified under the all encompassing branch of "Schizophrenia". ...However, Schizo had become an insult used to describe anyone with any unpleasant or abnormal behavior. 

Marlene continues to chastise him telling him that the guests will be arriving and "Chances are they'd appreciate a brief appearance by the host." 

Narration: "Steven Grant suppresses a Lockley grin... Gaining full control of his new Persona some thirty minutes later..." 

I love this. Jake's got a sense of humor and is playful and mischievous. The idea of upsetting Marlene and missing the shindig all together appeals to Jake. He hates these fancy parties. And it takes 30 minutes for Steven to do a full switch out. This is actually a fantastic approach to DID and is probably the most accurate portrayal in Moon Knight you're going to get. 

At the party, Marlene introduces Steven to the people. 

"And now if I may have your attention, ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to present the host of the benefit, and the best boss I've ever had--indeed, the best of many bosses I've got right NOW--Steven Grant." 

Clever Marlene. 

Steven certainly didn't miss that little jab. 

"Flirty with danger, aren't you, darling?" 

Steven gives a very very short speech then starts to mingle. 

He meets up with one Anton Mogart (that name should ring a bell or two). 

He offers Steven his card. He's an art collector. He asks to speak to Steven privately. 

Steven has a few paintings but admits to be just a dabbler of art. "One must do something with one's money and walls, and somehow---George Washington wallpaper is just a trifle gauche." 

LOL Steven... 

Mogart admits he's a bit worried, and this is why he wanted to speak to Steven. 

"I understand an acquaintance of yours happens to be a soldier-of-fortune named Marc Spector, who contracts for certain...ah, dangerous undertakings." 

"You've done your homework, Mogart. What sort of contract do you have in mind?" 

"Protecting some paintings from imminent theft--by the Midnight Man. The fee would be, let us say, $100,000. These canvases, you see, are valuable." 

Mogart claims to have gotten a direct letter from the Midnight Man saying that he was coming for his paintings tonight. 

Steven agrees, saying "Spector owes me a favor. I'll subcontract the job in his behalf--" 

Steven even tells him that he doesn't want cash, but would like a new piece of art for his wall where there is an empty space. (this will come back later) 

Steven heads back to the Gala and tells Marlene that he needs to go. She protests but he tells her "I just got invited to a better party. Fill in for me." 

Frenchie….What are you reading. What is this ‘action’ you are talking about? 

They head to Anton Mogart's home in Jersey. Frenchie asks if it's a trap. 

Moon Knight notes it might be worse than a trap. 

Once they reach the house, he jumps from the copter and sneaks into the house through the window (for once he doesn't crash through it and I am sad to not have to add a tally to my chart). 

And we are treated to one of my favorite renditions of Moon Knight ever.

The lights come on and Midnight Man is there waiting for him. 

While Midnight Man had no fear of the police, he did worry that Moon Knight would stop him sooner or later, so he decided to force his hand and make it sooner. 

Pulling out a gun, he intends to kill Moon Knight so he can carry on with his robberies. 

Moon Knight flings his truncheon at the light, plunging them into darkness. 

He hides in the shadows (not easy to do when you have an outfit made out of SILVER) and then wails on Midnight Man a little. 

Which... To be fair to Midnight Man, heis a thief and NOT a fighter. 

Then again…

LOL Moon Knight really? 

They get off the elevator and Mogart pulls a dagger. 

They crash out the window (this does not count for dramatic window crash because they are leaving and Moon Knight didn't make this choice.) 

He slips on glass and ends up on the ground as usual. He spends a lot of time on the ground. 

Mogart takes advantage and prepares to stab him when…

Marlene shows up randomly to straight up murder a dude. 

Moon Knight tries to save him but Mogart plunges to the water below. 

“That really wasn’t necessary, Marlene–I would have stopped him. Besides, I rather liked the man… He was….Refreshingly psychotic.” 

This is what I love about Moon Knight and is something that continues throughout the Moench run and even pops up in later runs then comes back in MacKay’s run. 

Moon Knight genuinely grows attached to his villains. He cares about them and enjoys them. We see this again in Stained Glass Scarlet. In other runs, he tends to pick small time villains and just harass the hell out of them (See Eightball in MacKay’s run). They aren’t big time hitters. They barely muster enough gusto to be considered villains. Yet he comes after them as if they were big time villains. He even enjoys it. And you know what? I think it actually helps them. He knows their real names. He knows their trademarks. He recognises them right off the bat. They know Moon Knight’s watching them. They consider robbing a bank but see Moon Knight’s shadow and go “Nawh.” and go home. 

You know what else? He treats them with respect. Where as say, Wolverine, wouldn’t bat an eye and waste time on such small petty crooks. But Moon Knight does because he CARES. He cares about the people he’s helping, about doing a good job…

And about the villain. And like with Eightball, sometimes we see that Villain come around and change their lives and do good. Bringing good back into the world. 

So why did he like Mogart? Mogart was honest. He did what he did because he was greedy and wanted to possess things. He wanted to possess beautiful things. He didn’t hurt anyone, though his risks were getting bigger and bigger and were starting to lead to someone getting hurt. He also had a huge ego and did it all for the thrill. 

Marlene urges them to leave before the cops arrive but Moon Knight takes his time. 

Epilogue: 

We see Marlene and Steven going to the art museum. Suddenly, Marlene recognizes some of the pieces. 

The three pictures from before. It’s sort of funny that any time Steven does make large donations that aren’t about just money, he always puts Marc’s name there. The money? That’s Steven. Steven made the money and Steven will organize charities and events. But Marc? Marc’s going to be the one to add to art museums, open soup kitchens, or donate park benches. Is it Marc trying to make up for the things he’s done? Or is it Steven trying to remind Marc that there are good things that can be done in the world that aren’t always about breaking a nose? 

They head back to Grant Mansion. 

Marlene is still confused as to why he gave away the pictures. 

"I learned a lesson from Mogart--Collecting does bad things to the blood. Besides, there's still too much of vagabond Spector in my blood, too little of Collector Grant." 

Marlene asks what he'll do with the blank spot on the wall. 

Steven notes that the police dragged the river and never found a body. No body no death. It’s nice that the comics acknowledge that now and then. 

He's hung up Mogart's opera cape. 

"He'll be back for it someday--He's too much the collector to let it remain at large." 

Marlene tells him that she thinks he's right. 

"You see, my gun has always fired a trifle wide. And with you and Mogart struggling so close together, I couldn't trust it with anything but... Rubber bullets." 

And Mogart DOES return in a later issue and take his cape back. 

But for now, we end the issue! 

And you know what? This was a refreshing issue. It’s the start of Moon Knight’s love of his house of villains. We see an early introduction to Marc, Jake, and Steven starting to dance around one another, we see Marlene not only do her thing of rescuing Moon Knight, but of being the one to struggle to keep their life together. It’s amazing to look back at the start after running through backwards (why do I always do things backwards? Why does it always work?). 

I miss the old classic villains. They've made a point to kill them off over the years. They were dubbed to be too boring or over used or silly. But they had a certain nostalgia to them. Something he knew what to expect and I think they brought comfort to Moon Knight.

"Refreshingly Psychotic." He liked his neurotic villains. Weird and unique and somehow also sad and alone. Perhaps he saw a bit of himself in them. A path that he knows he could have taken. Can you imagine if Marc Spector had become a villain?

[singmyaubade]

No Longer Yours

James Potter x Female!Reader

IB: In The Cold November Rain by @sweetsweetjellybean (Make sure to check it out, it’s incredible and one of the best I’ve ever read !)

A/N: First, I wanna say thank you to @sweetsweetjellybean for letting me be inspired by her story even though I am stupid, lol, but seriously (not kissing ass), check her series out; it is fantastic. Thank you to everyone for the kind comments, reblogs, and likes. I'm overwhelmed with love, and I'm so thankful that people actually want to read more of what I write but anyways, enjoy!

Summary: James had disregarded you for multiple years, but when you have an epiphany in your final year, how does it feel to taste his own medicine?

Warning: It may contain swearing and soon-to-be smut.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you all the way?" Your mother asked, squeezing your hand.

"I'll be fine," You caressed her hand, "I'm still your baby, though."

She laughed lightly, "Make sure to write always," She held your face with her hands, "Have fun; it's your last year."

You touched her hand on your cheek, "I will."

You hugged her one last time, taking in her scent. Every time you said bye to her, it was as sad as the first, without you crying and begging to stay.

"Okay," She smiled, taking her hands off your face, "Are you still sure you don't wanna wait for James here? I mean, you've done it all these years."

Little did she know, you had been ignoring James's letters, all 128 of them. He had been persistent, asking you what was wrong and begging for a reply to know you were safe.

You even received a letter from his mother, Euphemia Potter, asking how you were and everything was in Paris. You would never have it in your heart to ignore Ms. Potter, so you replied dutifully and happily.

And then you got a letter from him saying,

Dear Y/n,

Are you really going to reply to my mother and not me?

Sincerely,

Your BEST FRIEND, James Potter.

You didn't reply, scoffing at the bolded best friend. The last letter you received was last week, him telling you he couldn't wait to see you and wanted to talk as soon as he got to you.

Bullshit.

"Yeah," You gulped, "I'm just gonna meet him inside."

"Well, I'm sure he misses you," She started fixing your coat, "I mean, you have been in Paris all of this time, and I just think it would be good for you to-"

You cut her off, pecking her cheek, "Love you!" You yelled, going towards the train.

She shook her head, "Be safe!"

You smiled at her, going through the wall to the train. The feeling still felt the same, nostalgic. This was the last time boarding the train, and it felt sad.

You remembered the first time you ever boarded it. James was practically high on excitement on his first day at Hogwarts. You were scared out of your bloody mind, not wanting to leave your mum and dad.

When you had finally stopped crying and holding onto your mother's leg, James was the one to hold your hand and tell you that he would take care of you.

Maybe that was the first time you had realized James was more than a friend to you, or perhaps you were a naive child.

But either way, he was the one that you needed protecting from. You realized he hadn't been your friend since the fourth year.

But this year wasn't about James; it was about you having the best last year of Hogwarts that you could have ever had.

You boarded the train, moving through the compartments to where Marlene, Mary, Dorcas, and Lily usually were.

Compartment 222.

It was pretty lucky; it is where you guys first met.

You opened the compartment, "Did you guys miss me?"

They excitedly cheered, "Now tell me, Y/n, how many French boys did you end up shagging in France?" Marlene asked.

"I would say about thirty, oui oui." You joked in a French accent as they all started laughing.

You sat down next to Dorcas, giving her a side hug. You saw Lily and Mary whisper something to each other, to which Mary said, "Just say it!"

You could see Dorcas in the corner of your eye, shaking her head no aggressively. Apparently, Marlene was the only one not in the plan, continuing to look at her newsletter.

Your eyebrow raised, "Am I missing something?"

"It's really nothing," Lily nervously said.

"Okay, so what is it?" You laughed.

"Well," Lily fiddled with her fingers, "You know how you specifically requested that none of us tell James that you were replying to our letters and not purposely ignoring him."

You said, "Uhuh." Already knowing where this going.

"Well, I accidentally let it slip out over the letter you had spoken to Marlene and me." She admitted.

Your mouth agape, "Lily."

"I know, I know," She groaned, "It was a total accident."

"How do you accidentally slip something out over letter?" Marlene snorted, earning a glare from Lily, but she still looked at her newsletter.

"What did he say after?" You asked, kneading your forehead.

"Why is she ignoring me?" Lily answered, "I just said it was none of my business, nor was I involved."

The group stayed in silence, waiting for you to reply.

You sighed, thinking about how much James would bother you more now that he knew you ignored him.

"Are you mad at me?" Lily asked quietly.

"No, of course not," You smiled, looking at her, "I just don't want to talk to him and explain everything,"

"Who says you have to?" Mary asked.

You looked at her confused, "I just can't ignore him." You said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And why not?" Marlene asked, now looking at you.

You opened your mouth to reply, but nothing came out. You thought about it harder, and why wouldn't you be able to ignore James? Maybe it was hard because you have never done it before.

"So I just don't reply when he tries to talk to me?" You asked.

"Well, I don't support this, but," Lily started, "You could always just walk away when he says something to you."

"Wouldn't that be mean?" You asked.

"What did I tell you in person and in the letter?" Dorcas asked as you looked at her.

"Give him hell."

"So do it." She said.

They were right; you couldn't keep explaining to James what he did wrong; you just had to be done with him. You missed your friendship, but it took a turn years ago; you never said anything.

And you had to start not caring about him.

"So, how was your guy's summer?" You changed the subject, grinning as Marlene went on about how she perfected her Quidditch skills and would finally be the best chaser at Hogwarts.

Then Lily talked about her poetry that she started over the summer and how her sister had ripped a few of them, but she fixed them with a single swish of her wand and appreciated magic more.

Mary talked about how many soap operas she had seen and how she might even go into it after she graduates from Hogwarts.

Lastly, Dorcas talked about how this year was her year to be a seeker and how she got a whole book collection from her sister in New Zealand.

You began talking about how you tasted so many new foods and learned a bit of French, showing off your knowledge of the profound language.

You were interrupted by someone opening the compartment doors, "Hello," Remus greeted as you stood up to hug him immediately.

He caught you as you almost made him fall over by the movement, "Remmy, how much I have missed you," You said, kissing him on the cheek.

"And Y/n, how was France?" He asked, smiling.

"Quite a bore; every man was all over me; I was getting exhausted," You exhaled, sitting back in your seat.

"Well, if you ever want to get with a real man, I'm here, Y/n," Sirius said, nudging next to you as you looked disgusted.

"Did you have to bring him?" Dorcas asked Remus, rolling her eyes.

"He insisted," Remus shrugged.

"There needs to be some form of restraining order against him by all of us," Mary sighed.

"I thought his STDs were enough of a restraining order for us to keep away from him," Marlene teased.

Sirius interrupted before another insult could be made, "Ladies, this Sirius Black hate train is honestly starting to hurt," He pretended to be hurt.

"Aww, poor baby," You said in a baby voice, pinching his cheek as he swooshed your hand away.

"Now, Y/n, why are you ignoring poor Prongs?" Sirius asked as you wanted to throw him out of the train through the window.

"I thought he told you to dance around the question," Remus snorted.

Sirius disregarded, "What did my poor, stupid boy do this time?"

"I'm afraid it's none of your business, Black." You simply said.

"It is my business when my friend is sulking and bringing down my mood," He explained, "So why are you upset with him?" He asked.

Marlene abruptly laughed, "I'm sorry, but he really thought you would be the one Y/n would say something to,"

Sirius fake-laughed, "Oh McKinnon, I'll be laughing like that when you fall off of your arse on the field,"

Marlene mocked his facial expression as he did the same thing to her.

"May I please just arrive in peace without one word of James Potter? I'm begging." You reasoned.

"Well, at least I can tell him I tried and that Moony was no help." He glared at Remus.

"I told you I wasn't going to talk to her for him; it was all up to you," Remus said as Sirius went outside, and Remus waved everyone goodbye before closing the doors.

You could already tell it was going to be a long year.

After finally sorting the first year, everyone was allowed to dine. One thing you always missed about Hogwarts was the fantastic food; it was always incredible.

You were sitting in between Remus and Dorcas when Remus abruptly got up.

"Where are you going?" You asked, mid-laugh from a joke Marlene had made about Dumbledore and McGonagall in their secret chamber.

"Don't kill me," Remus stated before leaving. You looked confused, and James took the spot in front of you. You rolled your eyes, turning back to your meal.

"Please talk to me, Y/n," James pleaded.

You continued to stay silent, not even giving him a look as you looked at Marlene. She shook her head, and you continued to eat.

"I just wanna know what I did," James begged.

When you still didn't respond, he grabbed ahold of your wrist in an attempt for you to look at him.

"Don't fucking touch me." You spat before getting up and leaving the dining hall, telling your friends you were just gonna meet them in the dorm.

You tried rushing to the common room, but James was behind you.

"Y/n!" He yelled, speed-walking after you.

You continued to ignore him, going to the common room until you were stuck with the singing lady at the door who would not give it a rest.

"You have to talk to me," James demanded while the lady continued to screech.

"I don't have to do a thing you say," You scoffed, "In fact, I would prefer if you screwed off and stopped talking to me."

You went to one of the corridors, trying to escape him, but he followed you.

"Can't you just explain to me what I could've done for you to treat me like this?" He said roughly.

You turned to him, "There is not a single, simple explanation of what you could've done; there is a book of things," You snapped, "And treat you like this? Ever since I fucking stepped foot into your life, you have continued to treat me like shit." You stepped closer, "I stuck with you despite Lily, despite what other people said, and despite what you have shown me."

He continued to stay silent, "And now that I finally stick up for myself, I've done you horribly? Bullshit." You spat, "You have continued to show me exactly why I will never ever love you again, and yeah, for a matter of fact, I did love you, but you don't deserve me and never will."

Your words shocked him, not being able to mutter a word.

"Now you have nothing to say?" You manically laughed, "The smooth-talking and fantastic golden boy that shocked the century has nothing to say? What a pathetic-"

He kissed you suddenly precipitously, his tongue entering your mouth, entangling with yours.

For a second, you were drunk on his mouth, engaging with his kiss with as much passion as he gave you. His hand pulls on your hair lightly, making you moan.

His lips went from your mouth to your neck, sucking hard, red marks into your skin, knowing it would bruise.

Then you remembered everything. You remembered James's bitter words, his voice mocking you, and the boys laughing in the locker room.

You pushed his hard chest off you, breathing hard from the whole interaction. He looked at you, breathing as hard as you; realizing what he had done, he tried to touch your hand, but you pushed him again.

Tears brimmed in your eyes, "You're such an asshole," You cried, going to the Gryffindor common room.

You rushed up the stairs, immediately going into your bed. You couldn't believe what had just happened.

A part of you wanted to be grateful, grateful that you pushed him off, and realized that he only wanted to be with you when he felt convenient.

Another part of you wanted to continue kissing him, laughing with him, hugging him. You knew it wouldn't be easy, but you had never figured it would be painful.

What if you had loved James for so long that you didn't know anything but to love him?

It was stupid and pathetic.

You were tired of being stupid and pathetic, you just wanted to move on from James Potter and get away from him, and if that wasn't possible, you had to make him regret being friends with you in the first place.

So you did.

You got up fresh and early in the morning when all of your roommates were sleeping, taking a shower immediately.

You looked in the mirror, your mascara smudged and dark red and purple hickies wearing your skin. You placed a shit-load of powder and concealer to cover up the parts you could.

You tried several spells to cover it up as best as possible, changing into your uniform.

You slipped into the most showing tights you could and wore your skirt from the fifth year that you so obviously outgrew, showing almost your ass cheeks.

You would be thankful not to get a write-up from McGonagall.

You unbuttoned two buttons off the top of your shirt, showing a tiny bit of your bra. It wasn't the most rebellious or seductive, but it could work.

The first challenge of that day was Potions; all of your friends were there, including all of the Marauders. But, thanks to Merlin was also Jacob Carrow's class, the Slytherin Captain that James hated with a burning passion.

They both could not be in the same room without spitting a hateful insult at the other. James once had a dream that you and Jacob had gone out, and he refused to talk to you for an entire day until you convinced him you would never do that.

You never considered yourself a liar.

The only problem was that Jacob was a dickhead, but so was James. You were surprised they didn't get along, maybe in another life.

You went inside Potions with your friend group, and you spotted Jacob Carrow in the back with an empty seat next to him as you told your friends you were gonna sit in the back.

You were thankful none of his friends were around him; it would be ten times more unbearable.

You sat next to him with a wide grin painted on your face, trying not to show your pain.

"Sitting next to me, Y/n?" He smirked, "I thought you were Potter's little puppy."

You tried to ignore your annoyance, "Pets tend to lean away from their owner at points; I guess that's my case." You shrugged.

"I am no Potter; I don't like having little girls follow me and do my shit for me." You could tell he was insulting you, but you stood tall.

"Good thing girls don't like to be in your presence." You snickered.

He smiled, "Love a kitty with claws," He leaned into his chair, "What do you want?"

"Do I have to want something?" You asked, popping your chest out to show your tits as he looked down at your face.

"You finally trying to make your boy toy jealous?" He asked.

You dropped the facade, "Are you gonna help me or not?"

"Control the temper, baby; I just wanna know what's in it for me." His body faced you.

"Isn't James being angry enough?" You asked.

"Nah, I can piss off Potter by just existing." He replied.

"What do you want?" You asked, half-annoyed.

"Meadows on a date with me."

You laughed, "Dorcas would never go on a date with you."

"Then no deal." He said with a fake smile.

"Ugh, fine, I'll talk to her if you just make James's life hell for a few minutes." You said.

"Okay, deal." He smiled, "Do you want me to touch you or,"

"Sure, but don't overdo it." You warned.

"I love when you flatter yourself." He said as James walked in, laughing with the Marauders.

Jacob immediately placed a hand on your thigh, slightly higher than preferred, but you continued smiling.

You started fake-laughing at Jacob's joke, which immediately caught James's attention. You looked behind you, and James's head looked like it would explode.

You looked back at Carrow, touching his shoulder and admiring how much muscle he had.

"What else do you want me to do?" He said through his teeth.

"I'll scoot closer to you, and you can put your hand on my waist." You suggested as he nodded.

You faced the front as Jacob touched your waist, tickling you with his fingers as you laughed.

"Mind keeping it down?" James scowled, "Not everyone wants to fucking hear that shit."

"How about you piss off, Potter?" Jacob mocked as he gripped your waist tighter, which pissed off James even more.

Before James could say another word, Slughorn started the class.

Throughout the class, Jacob would squeeze your thigh or tickle you, almost rising to touch your tits. Whenever he did those actions, you would giggle, earning daggers from James.

Once Slughorn instructed everyone to look inside their microscopes at the different ingredients used in Veritaserum, you took the opportunity to sit on Jacob's lap, looking in the microscope as he bounced you with his knee, causing you to laugh.

This really pissed James off, him storming up to you both. He grabbed your arm, practically flying you off of Jacob.

"Mr. Potter!" Slughorn yelled as the class watched the entire thing.

"Don't you dare fucking touch her," James said brusquely.

Jacob scoffed, "What will you do about it, Potter?" He stood, going closer to James.

You rolled your eyes due to the amount of testosterone in this conversation.

James got closer as you grabbed his hand, pushing him back, "Stop it." You said to him as he looked at you.

He grabbed your wrist, dragging you out of the classroom to an abandoned bathroom.

"James, let go of me!" You yelled as he pushed you inside the bathroom.

He was fuming, and you could tell which scared you. You hadn't seen him this angry since he lost a Quidditch match against the very man's lap you were on.

"You dragged me in here, so is there something you have to say?" You looked at him angrily, hands on your hips.

"Us not being friends anymore doesn't allow you to be a slut," He ridiculed.

You slapped him, "Don't you fucking dare call me a slut; I can do whatever the fuck I want,"

He wiped his mouth with a smile, "You think he gives a shit about you? He would fuck you and then dump you." He said as he moved closer, and you backed up.

"You don't know a thing," You replied nervously.

"He wouldn't even clean you up after," He continued, "He would let you rot there like a slut," Another step closer, which you took backward. You didn't understand if he purposely tried to intimidate or lecture you.

He didn't stop.

"He would tell all of his friends after," Another step, "He wouldn't dare spare you a minute after," Another step, "You would mean nothing," You were backed into the wall now, "But it's okay because you can do whatever the fuck you want."

"James." You kept eye contact with him, his eyes beaming into yours.

His mouth lowered to your ear, "But I think you want me to give a shit; you wanna see me mad." His hand snaked to your waist, "I guess you win." His body left yours, storming out of the bathroom.

Did you really win?

A/N: Y/n: 2, James 0??? There is also an alternate chapter to this because I couldn't stop writing two plots LOL.

taglist: @feast0nmeee @queerqueenlynn @diasnohibng @somebodys-enola @kiwichixta @queerpanickingrn @strnqer @virgogaia @ddddawson @lxriearxella @losa12308 @soosheee @lokifriggason1 @kenqki @volturissideslut @lmfaograyc @melllinaa @iluvfetuszarry @lovelywebber @violetbossler @moonys0chocolate @ourloveisforthelovely @stormymind14 @abq654 @cr1stinx @4-everm-0-re @icantwaittoliveandlearn @aceofheartzzz @ashkuuuu @i-dont-know-me-either @slayingqueenchal @hero-ically @mikeikax @extrainsanity @roryctrlshift @helloitsmeeeeeee @@dittos-blog-dylanobrien @drstargirl @17luvr @eviesmith1810 @fluffycookies22 @valencia-rou @watersquirtpewpewboomm @kentucky-criedfricken @lokisbitch13 @evangelinejxy @youroutdoorbf @ok-boke @madison-rebel @sunshineangel-reads @feast0nmeee @rey26

[ginevrapng]

"did sirius black just wink at you?"

no. you're trying to pretend he didn't at least, this is the second time so far this term sirius has winked at you and he smirks at you whenever you accidentally makes eye contact.

sirius black cannot like you, he just can't. he likes loud, confident, thin, conventionally attractive girls, he does not go for girls like you. black dates 'hot' girls like marlene mckinnon, not you.

not a girl like you, soft, cute, round.

black cannot like you, he likes someone who's like him, a gryffindor, popular, likeable, approachable, someone with the same friends. someone who he can walk next to in the corridor as he can sling his arm around their shoulder with zero shame.

that's why sirius black cannot like you. you're not his type and at this point you're getting annoyed with his constant fucking around with you.

you pretend you've never shown much interest in him before. you don't talk to him in class and don't talk to him in general, you pretend to think his jokes are immature and his hair is ridiculous and everyone believes you, apart from the man himself. you scoff and roll your eyes at the snarky remarks made in class towards the teachers although you hide your mouth behind your hand and slightly smile, you bite your lip trying to stop giggling, you pretend you want to support your house and watch all the quidditch matches but the only reason you attend every single game is to watch sirius play.

sirius black is smarter than people believe him to be, he knows that it's all an act that you put up. and he loves it.

he loves the way you turn your head away from the door every time he walks into class late. he loves to hear you stifle your giggling as you see the latest prank he's pulled like snape walking around with bright green hair. he loves the big jumpers you wear when you always pull your sleeves down so they cover your hands. he loves the way your chubby cheeks become more prominent on your face as you're talking carefree to your friends.

"black did not wink at me, he probably doesn't even know my name. i'm not his type."

you're sitting in the courtyard and you're pretending you haven't noticed the marauders. you want to read to get some work done but the library is too cold and your common room is too crowded. you try and focus on your essay but not only are the marauders near you, a couple of your friends are distracting you too.

one of your friends is bending down to your eye level, blocking out the sun while complaining that you're wasting the day, your other friend being just as melodramatic waving their hands about complaining about something you're paying zero attention to.

in the corner of your eye you see james potter laying on the ground fiddling with a golden snitch, which you think is strange because though you go to the gryffindor games to watch sirius you do know that james is a chaser. remus lupin's reading a muggle book and is somehow being able to ignore his mates chattering. peter pettigrew has his hand stuck in a can of something that he's trying to shake out off while sirius is snickering at him.

thinking you've looked at him long enough for it to start becoming suspicious you turn your full attention back to your essay.

"oi, black's looking at you again." your friend shouted to you in a whisper.

"no he's not," you hiss back not looking up.

"yes he is!" came from both of your friends.

"i'm not his type guys," you reply getting exasperated, feeling like you've had this exact conversation so many times by now.

"who says?"

you freeze, knowing that voice, having dreams about that voice. finally you look up from your essay to see sirius smirking from behind you having heard your conversation. your two friends have the biggest grins on their face, i told you so grins.

[lavender-000]

REMUS LUPIN COMMENTATING ON GYRIFFINDOR VS SLYTHERIN GAMES (some time in 6th year)

-

Remus: Welcome to the quiddich games i'm Remus Lupin and I'm forced to be here I hope you fuckers enjoy my pain

McGonagall: Remus Lupin!

Remus: *ahem* sorry miss but we're off the two terms are flying up to... hit things? Honestly im best friends with the Gyriffindor captain and fucking the beater no clue what's- OUCH MISS IM SORRY but that was uncalled for simply stating fac- OUCH-

ANYWAY our captain Potter is about to score- and missed, call me delusional but I'm pretty sure he was staring at baby Black, really Potter? Let's all thank your captain as Slytherin now have the ball thing- quaffle? Aaaannnd they score well done James WELL DONE.

McGonagall: let's move on from James please, 10 points to Slytherin.

Remus: Of course and the game begins again OH Marlene is going for the other more aggressive ball thing-

McGonagall: bludger

Remus: yes that, and she hits it! Go her that was good it went straight for the Slytherin team and OH MY GOD MCKINNON YOU DIDNT JUST WINK AT MEADOWES but that was smooth, I'm sure she was impressed... I'm being glared at LETS MOVE ON OH WOW James? Did you just SCORE I'm suprised you didn't get distracted aga-

McGonagall: REMUS LUPIN!

Remus: Aanndd 10 points go to Gyriffindor Barty is definitely not happy with that i don't know what you do but go hit those angry balls! Make a show for your boyfriend!

Now the games start again Gyriffindor is ahead wow if only Regulus Black stopped staring at someone's THIGHS WE'D BE DONE

YOURE. NOT. SUBTLE. BABY. BLACK.

Remus: ...ladies and gentlemen Miss McGonagall just laughed she can also see the pin-

McGonagall: Remus Lupin please leave

Remus: Of course miss can I just...?

McGonagall: ...just make it quick

Remus: Sirius you look so hot right now I'm gonna f-

McGonagall: SAY ANOTHER WORD AND YOURE NEVER LEAVING DETENTION

Remus: f-all in love with you even more...

McGonagall: ...

Remus: ...shit did Sirius just fall off his broom?

McGonagall: thank Merlin, Regulus caught the snitch GAME IS OVER SLYTHERIN WIN, REMUS DETENTION LEAVE NOW!

-

-

The chaos if Remus was a quiddich commentator

(I love it)

[remusluvr]

all these things that i've done | remus lupin

summary: Remus is drunk, you're the first person he thinks of to call. content: drunk Remus, exes, throwing up (and reader tells Remus to throw up so he can get it out of his system), unedited

"(Y/N)," he draws out, voice high and sing-songy. He's honestly a little surprised you picked up his call. You're a little surprised that you picked up too. It's nearly two in the morning. Anyone in their right mind would have woken up, seen that their ex was calling, and put the phone right back down to go to sleep. You couldn't though not with the achy feeling that formed in your stomach after seeing the caller ID.

"Hi, Remus. Are you alright?" you ask, voice raspy from having been woken up. You hear James nearby calling for Remus and Remus brushing him off so he can find a quieter place to talk to you. "What's going on?"

"We went to a bar. It's the bar that we always used to go to," he breathes, background much quieter now. He must have gotten away. You don't really know what to say. "It made me think of you. James told me not to call."

"You're drunk, Remus," you grumbled, fingers pinching at the bridge of your nose. Of course, he's drunk. That's the only reason why he's calling. "Go back to James and Sirius. Are they trying to leave?"

"No. But I want to leave."

"Are you really calling me for a ride? What the fuck?"

"No, no, no, no, no. I mean, yes. I am calling for a ride but I miss you."

"Call an uber." With that, you hang up the phone. How dare he call you asking for a ride after you haven't spoken to each other in months. You lost half of your friends because of your breakup. Lily and Marlene are the only ones that still talk to you. Every once in a while, you'll get a text from James but nothing important.

And you would think with the way you're fuming at him for thinking he could just call you up and you'd come running, that when his name comes up on your phone again you wouldn't answer it. You do.

"I'm sorry for calling you. Please don't be mad at me," he whispered. You feel bad. He's obviously drunk with no way to get home. You don't want him to take an uber by himself and the bar isn't too far from your house.

"Wait outside, I'll be there in fifteen." He mumbles a thank you before you can hang up on him. You huff under your breath as you take the warm blankets off of you, getting up to locate a pair of pants, shoes, and your car keys.

He's like an excited puppy when you get there, jumping up immediately as you pull in front of where he's sitting with James. James doesn't look as drunk as Remus and you're grateful that one of them had the hindsight to be a little smart. Getting out of the car, Remus is on you, pulling you into a hug so he can rest his cheek on your head, mumbling out a, "Missed you so much."

You try to ignore the pull his words have on your heart but it's only been a few months since you broke up. You haven't exactly moved on from him.

"He drank a lot," James explains, "I tried to get him to call anyone else but he told me that he wanted you to come and get him."

You spin in Remus's hold so he's pressed against your back, face buried in your neck. You're trying to talk to James but you can't focus, not when he starts pressing kisses onto your skin like no time has passed between the two of you seeing each other.

"Don't worry, I'll get him home."

"Noooo, can I sleep on your couch? Please?" James looks at you with a look of pity. You brush it off, reaching back to run a hand through Remus's hair. You say bye to his friends, pulling him into the passenger seat of your car and handing him a water bottle that you had grabbed before you left. "You're so sweet."

You don't say anything, climbing into the driver's seat and starting in the direction of his house. He notices and is quick to whine about wanting to be with you. If it weren't so late maybe you'd have more energy to argue, but you don't so you just start in the direction of your apartment.

"I think about you all the time," he confesses. That's bold coming from the boy who locked you out of his life. He broke up with you so why does he think he has a right to say these things to you. You have to remind yourself that he's drunk so you don't slap him across the face. "I don't think I'll ever get over you, sweetheart."

"Rem, stop talking," you say through clenched teeth. He doesn't know what he's saying and he won't remember it in the morning. Tomorrow, he'll wake up and scurry out before you wake up so that he doesn't have to face you, you're sure of it.

"I never stopped loving you. Was just scared to let you in."

There are tears pricking at your eyes but you won't let yourself cry. You won't. Because if you do then Remus will just try to comfort you and you'll let yourself get your hopes up. You don't say anything the rest of the way home.

He throws up the minute he steps out of your car. You groan, throwing his arm over your shoulder so you can help him into the house and to a proper toilet.

"I'm sorry I called you. Just need you. I hate not having you around."

"We can talk in the morning. Pull the trig and throw up so we can both sleep."

You let him sleep on the floor by your bed after he complained about the couch. Anything to just have him shut up. You don't sleep much, not when you can hear him breathing so close to you. Everything he's said tonight keeps replaying in your head as you stare up at the ceiling. If he really means any of it, he'll be here in the morning and willing to talk to you. If not, you'll block him and finally let go.

[ddejavvu]

pairing: james potter x fem!reader ft. remus and sirius

summary: james is surprisingly willing to help you despite only having known you for a few weeks.

contents: reader is on her period, james barges into the bathroom because he's That Close to his friends

Sharing both a room and a bathroom with three men after having shared with four women is jarring, to say the least. Your old roommates could be slobs, of course, but there's something about James's habit barging into the bathroom whenever he pleases that doesn't sit right with you at first. You understand why he'd done it before you'd gotten there; you're sure they all had. You had no problem brushing your teeth beside Lily or Marlene while they were showering or peeing, but now that you're equipped with different tools than the rest of your roommates, it just feels wrong for them to see.

You first encounter it on a Monday morning, an appropriately terrible day for a terrible experience. You've just gotten up, and you're using the bathroom before you get dressed for the day, when James decides he needs to shower right then and there. He shouts a quick, 'Comin' in, mate!' Before turning the knob with the broken lock and storming right in, not giving you enough time to announce your presence.

"Ah- James!" You think you'll die right then and there, hands hovering over your crotch as James realizes what he's done. He's butt naked, probably tired after practice and in need of a steamy shower, but he's not any more enthusiastic about you seeing his parts than you are of him seeing yours, and he scrambles to cover himself up.

"Uh- sorry. I didn't realize it was you, I thought- I thought you had classes this morning. I apologize," He smiles kindly, though his eyes bulge where they're glued to your own, "Uh- you can... get back to business."

Neither of you had looked each other in the eyes for nearly 36 hours, but eventually the awkwardness died down, and you moved on.

Until the second time.

"Y/N," He calls, while you're in the shower, behind the flimsy curtain, "Listen, I know you're in the shower and all, but I'm running late, and I really need to brush my teeth. I don't want to rush you, can I just- just pop in there for a second? I swear I won't look."

You're at a loss for words, mouth opening and closing like a fish while the water streams around you. You appreciate his consideration, you know he doesn't want to scare you off or cross your boundaries, but it's a bold request. You're covered, sure, but the bathroom light is on, and you're sure you've got a silhouette behind the curtain. But you're going to be a while longer, and it's not fair of you to hold James up.

"Uh- sure," You stammer, covering up your chest like he'll be able to see through the curtain with laser eyes, "Come on in."

He doesn't hesitate to rush inside, but he's considerate enough to close the door after himself so that no one else stumbles upon you. You appreciate it, but you're frozen as he brushes his teeth quickly, bidding you a cheery goodbye like he hadn't just skimmed over giving you a heart attack. He shuts the door on his way back out, and there's not an ounce of awkwardness in his tone when he chats with you about his day later.

The third time, the third time is the kicker. You've started your period, the first time since you've been staying with James, Remus, and Sirius. You're sure they wouldn't give you a hard time for it, they seem decent enough so far, but there's just something mortifying about putting a used pad in a man's bathroom trash can.

You've changed your sheets before anyone can see the red stain, but your panties haven't been as fortunate yet. They're laying stained and wet on the ground beside your equally mangled shorts, hopefully not transferring the blood to the fabric below.

You don't get any warning, not enough time to hide them when you hear James's heavy footfalls by the door. He barges in without warning, face shifting to apologetic for only a split second before he registers the bloody clothes on the floor.

"Aah," He yelps, "Fuckin'- Are you wounded? You- oh." His sex education catches up to him, realizing why you've got blood only in the pad of your underwear, "Uh- right. Sorry."

"Get-" You start with a hiss, but you rein yourself in, trying to be kind, "James, can you- can you please get out?"

"Yeah! Yeah, right, I'll-" He motions over his shoulder with his thumb, "Uh- the guys are coming, so I'll head out. And-"

"The- what? Remus and Sirius are on their way back?" You panic, regretting your late wake-up. You could have really used the time they spent at breakfast to clean up."

"Yeah, they're- at the door."

"Close the door!" You urge him, as you hear the two other men enter the room. James does as he's told, but instead of stepping out, he steps in, panicked by your harsh tone of voice.

"Not- no!" You gush, but when he tries correcting himself, you lunge for his hand.

"Don't leave!" You beg, but rush to explain yourself when he frowns worriedly at you.

"I don't-" You whisper, "I don't want them to know I'm in here. Like- like this. If you leave they'll know. Just-" You fall silent with a sigh, "I don't know."

"Right." He nods, keeping his voice down so that it's muffled to Remus and Sirius, "Uh, I'll-"

"James? Mate, m'coming in," Sirius's voice comes from just outside the door, and you and James stare at each other, terrified. He rushes to slam his back against the door, and Sirius is unable to turn the knob.

"No! Uh, you can't-" James stammers, clearing his throat and steeling himself, "Use the bathroom in the hallway. I've got the squirts, mate, you don't wanna be in here with me."

You're lucky that Remus and Sirius groan in disgust, because it muffles your quick snort into your fist.

"You fuckin' animal. I told you not to cram those sausages down your throat," Remus snaps, "Now we can't use it for the rest of the day."

"Yeah, yeah, I've learned my lesson," James promises, shooting you a knowing wink, "Now get out!"

You're fairly certain you hear Sirius groan 'gladly', but you can't be certain. Their footsteps recede, then the outer door shuts, and once again you're alone with James. You wait for him to leave, but he lingers for a moment, politely avoiding staring at your soiled clothes.

"Right, well, they won't be back for a while. Do you want me to leave, too?"

"Uh- no, it's- it's okay," You decide, "You know."

"Yeah. Do you need any," James cringes before he even offers, "Help? I mean, I'm sure you've got wiping down, just- do you want, like, chocolate or something? Doesn't that help?"

"No! No, James, it's alright," You assure him, touched by his offer even if you're also embarrassed by it, "I don't want you to go to any trouble."

"No trouble," He shrugs, letting himself out of the bathroom and hovering in the doorway, "I know where Remus's stash is! He probably won't even notice it's missing, he's got so much. I can snatch some for you?"

"Really, it's okay," You smile kindly at him, still doubled over on the toilet with your elbows covering what you don't want him seeing, "Just- a moment alone, please?"

"Right," He nods with a grin, shutting the door, "Sorry!"

You breathe deep when you finally have a moment alone, cheeks burning with mortification. You're not sure you'll recover from this for a month, conveniently just enough time for it to happen again. You clean yourself up swiftly, not eager to spend more time in the bathroom that's revealed you to your roommate thrice in a month now.

James is kicked back on his bed when you reenter the main room, and he shoots you a kind smile that you bashfully return. You get to work putting new sheets on your bed, but when you move your pillow, you find a chocolate bar tucked under it.

If the sly grin on his face as he turns the page of his book is any indication, he's heard your light chuckle, and knows you appreciate him.

[curseofaphrodite]

𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎; where you, the Hogwarts Newsletter editor, wrote a less-than-praising piece about Gryffindors losing the recent match.

— ------------------ — ------------------ —

"She's a Slytherin too, of course! Makes the perfect sense!"

James threw tantrums daily, so Remus wondered if he should be especially distraught when his best friend started kicking his study table in frustration.

"Who?"

"Y/N bloody L/N, that's who!" His voice turned high pitched, trying to hide his pain from kicking the desk. "Marlene just told me she's a Slytherin!"

"Why's that name familiar?" Remus put down his book, and James saw Sirius Black's head resting on his lap. His eyes were closed, but it was obvious he was awake and listening.

"L/N is the editor of Hogwarts Newsletter. She's the one who wrote all those nasty articles about me."

"You mean about your whole team."

"Throwing shots at them is throwing shots at me personally! She has no right—"

"Technically, she does have to report on matches."

"Oh shut up, Moony."

"I thought the articles were pretty good," Sirius whispered, nuzzling closer to his boyfriend's touch. Remus had absently started playing with his hair.

James let out a sharp gasp, as if his best friend stabbed him in the back.

"...from a writer's standpoint, of course," Sirius added quickly.

"I'm getting new best mates!" James put his hands up in frustration and stormed out of the room.

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

You were walking back into the castle with your friends when you saw a disheveled boy in Gryffindor robes and slightly tilted glasses make his way out. He was looking behind him as he walked, so it was hardly a surprise when he collided with you.

"Merlin, watch where you're going," he said, looking at the splatter of your books on the ground.

You scoffed. "You're the one who crashed into me, you buffoon!"

Despite his rude comment, he had bent down to pick up your books. He took them all... angrily? It was obvious he was just in an outburst of sorts.

"I can get them—"

"I'm done, I'm done," he interrupted, standing up with a badly arranged pile. He sounded less frustrated than before, but he gasped immediately on seeing one of your books... or specifically, your name on it.

"YOU'RE Y/N L/N?" He yelled in pure surprise.

"Uh, yes?"

He stared at you in utter bafflement for a good five seconds.

"GREAT!" He shoved the books in your hands like they were burning his skin. "Just perfect. Of course, it had to be someone bloody gorgeous! OF COURSE!"

With that, he stormed off, for the second time that day.

"Uhm, who the hell was that?" you asked your friends in confusion.

"I think he's in that trouble-making Gryffindor gang. The one with Regulus's brother."

"Oh right, he looks familiar from the matches," you said, turning back. James was walking into the distance, kicking rocks and yelling at himself. "Why's he so dramatic?"

"Oh trust me, you don't know the half of it." A red-haired girl muttered, walking past you without another word.

Gryffindors are being weird today, you decided, shrugging it all off.

As you and your friends moved on, you were oblivious to the newsletters circulating twenty times more than usual, everyone giggling especially at the Quidditch section.

You didn't know it right then, but you had unknowingly become a Slytherin celebrity overnight, all because you humbled James Potter — a feat everyone in your house had always wanted to achieve.

[wasteddmoondust]

an old diary || remus lupin

pairing: remus lupin x reader 812 words, fluff, remus finds your old diary from this request! a/n: i twisted the request just a teeny bit away from what you might have been expecting. but i hope you enjoy it nonetheless! this was so fun to write and the scenario is just too cute hehe

"Hey, Remus?" He hears your voice call from the library . "When you're free, do you think you can help me organise the storage room? There's a load of books from years ago that I need sorted."

Remus doesn't even hesitate on his answer, he knows he'll do anything for you. The both of you have stuck close since your school days, and took care of each other through the war. He feels forever indebted to you especially for that.

And that's how he finds himself in said storage room, the musty smell of yellowing paper wafting around him.

He scans the stacks of books. There's not many, compared to the rest of the library at least. This should just take the afternoon.

He starts to sort each stack, slowly making a system in his brain on how to tackle this task. But as he's on this third pile. a glimmer catches his eye, and he turns towards the direction of it. Underneath a pile, something familiar is sticking out, but he just can't put his finger on it.

He decides to abandon whatever task he was supposed to do and reaches for the book. Carefully, he slides it out of the stack.

The name on the book knocks his breath.

Y/N L/N, 1977.

That's what is was, your old diary from seventh year.

Remus finds himself frozen. That year was wild, to say the least. The bittersweetness of his final year, relishing of how much youth him and his had left. But mostly, it was the prelude to most of the pain he would experience in his life. This book is holding whatever you were feeling in those days.

He knows he shouldn't peek.

He flips the book open to a random page.

15 September, 1977 Today we went out to the lake, and I realised no words can describe the amount of love I have for my friends. To my dearest girls, Lily, Marlene, Mary, and Alice. I hope we are never too far apart. We shall grow old together gossip even as we do now.

Remus' heart swells at the sentiment, knowing each of the mentioned girls' fates. He flips to other pages, which mostly are written about the daily life of a Hogwarts student. However, a glimpse of his own name gets his attention. He stops to read the page.

25 January, 1978 Remus Lupin. Oh the man that you are. You and your stupid jumpers and stupid books and stupid tea you take with milk and two sugars. What I find the most stupid is the way you treat me. It makes me question who I am to you. Your friend? Maybe more? I can only dream. I don't think you'll ever see me that way. I'm perfectly happy where we are as friends. But somehow if I get even the slightest chance I will be taking it. Even if it comes ten years from now.

He's stunned, to say the least. He never knew you harboured these feelings back then, and wonders if you still had them now.

It's funnier especially when after all this time he never found a way to say he has those feelings too.

He knows what he should do. There's a newfound feeling of courage and bravery in him, and quickly finishes his tasks before you leave the library for the day.

"Oh, done already?" you ask, packing your work bag before leaving. "That was quick. Did you have much trouble?"

"No, not at all. Found some pretty good things in there," he says, trying to act casual. He hides the diary behind his back.

"Really? Do tell."

He pulls out the book from behind. You gasp.

"No way!" You grab it from his hold. "That was in there the entire time?"

"Mhm, I took a peak, if you don't mind," He says.

You furrow your brows. "You did?"

He nods slowly.

"And what did you read...?" you ask. He knows that you know what was written in that diary.

He shrugs. "Let's just say..." he looks around avoiding eye contact. "You said ten years, and it's been fifteen. So would you still?"

You frown, but you know exactly what he's talking about. "Still what?"

"Take the chance?"

You groan and cover your face, feeling your cheeks heat up. You hear Remus chuckle. "So is that a yes?"

Your hands leave your face, showing a pout. "I can't believe you read that!" you swat him playfully. "But yes... I would..."

"Brilliant," he says, smoothing your hair down and smiling at you.

"Now what?" you ask. You mentally kick yourself for asking such a question.

Remus grins, the same grin you've grown to love over the years. "I'd like to kiss you now, if it's alright with you."

The both of you lean in. In the library after fifteen years, he's finally yours.

[my-castles-crumbling]

The Art of Gift-Giving

@wolfstarbingo2024 - prompt: gift giving - word count: 592 - warnings: none - rating: g - link

It started out small. Little bars of chocolate and tokens of affection left on his pillow, handwritten notes in block letters explaining secretive feelings and intimate desires.

But then it got more elaborate.

Every time a gift was left it seemed to be hand-picked for him. If he ripped the elbow of his favorite jumper, it seemed a new one was left for him on his bed within the day. If he expressed a desire for a specific quill or a flavor of his favorite candy, whatever he asked for always appeared.

He began testing it. Trying to figure out who his secret admirer could possibly be. And he realized quite quickly that it had to be someone who lived in his dorm.

It was pretty obvious after a while. He didn't hang 'round a lot of people, and many times his expression of needs or wants was only in front of his three closest friends. So, he started trying to narrow it down.

"Ugh, I'm almost out of blue ink," he lamented in front of James one day as they studied alone in he library.

"Sucks, mate," James replied vaguely, staring over at Lily, who was chatting with Marlene McKinnon.

His present the next day was a scarf, made of the softest wool.

"The pudding tonight was awful," he complained to Peter as they played chess quietly another night, Peter solidly kicking his arse.

"It was!" Peter exclaimed. "Checkmate, by the way."

And his present, he found, was a new journal, bound in leather.

But the next night, when he said to Sirius, heart beating nervously, "My quill broke yesterday. My favorite one," he was half-hoping not to find the stunning, gold-plated quill he saw on his pillow the next day. Because he knew what that meant.

"Sirius!" he called to his friend in the hall, embarrassment and a bit of anger flooding through him, grabbing the shorter boy's hand and pulling him into an empty classroom. "We need to talk."

"What's up, Moons?" Sirius asked. And Merlin, he was pretty. Remus hated himself.

"You need to stop," he said softly, tears in his eyes. "It's not fair."

"S-stop what?" Sirius stammered, but they both knew what Remus was talking about.

"I don't know if you're teasing me, or you're doing this out of pity, or what," Remus said, trying to keep his voice level. "But it's got to stop. I don't want any of this. I-"

But Sirius interrupted him, looking shocked. "Rem, I'm not making fun of you, and I'm definitely not doing this out of pity. Fuck, I- I'm doing this because-"

"I don't want to hear this, Sirius," Remus cut him off. "I can't hear it." He wanted to cry. To run. It was impossible, to hear that Sirius didn't feel the same way. He knew it, of course, but to hear it aloud would forever change him. The dread was sitting in his stomach like a sludge and he just needed to scream.

"Remus, I like you!" Sirius nearly-yelled, throwing his hands out desperately.

And Remus stilled, hope blooming in his chest, a single tear escaping his eye and slowly moving down his cheek. "What?"

"Yes! Merlin, I wouldn't have done all of this otherwise," Sirius said, face a bit nervous, gaze at his feet as his confession sat in the air.

But, rather than taking too long to search for words that he wasn't sure he could find right now, Remus chose to reach for Sirius instead, drawing their lips together in a sweet kiss.

Leave comments and kudos here!

[remuslupinslittleslut]

Hey,🪄

Can I request a poly marauders fluff one shot where the reader feels insecure about whether they still love her? The reader is jealous of the relationship between Lily and the boys and thinks that they want to date Lily instead of them; especially because the whole school keeps saying how good they would be together.

Thanks if you'll do☘️

Here you go luvvie, hope you like it!

This is Part One, Part Two Here! CW: lil angsty but happy ending :)

Sitting at your house table, you look over to your boys, normally, this would bring comfort to you but not today. Today, they're sitting in a group of four, with Lily Evans. You liked Lily, she was sweet, kind and smart, but knowing that James used to have a huge crush on her makes you feel a bit funny about their seating arrangement. He's sitting next to her, leaning closer to tell her little jokes, while Sirius and Remus sit across from them, joined in the conversation.

It would feel better if your relationship was made official to the rest of the school, but you had all agreed that you'd keep it private for a bit, keep it for yourselves.

"Aren't they just so cute", your friend says from next to you, "do you think they all have the hots for her?"

Your heart drops, they do look cute. But they look cuter with you. Sighing, you decide you're done with dinner, and excuse yourself to the library, for some late studying.

•

It doesn't get better the next day. You decided to sit with your roommate for history of magic, making Remus the odd one out, as James and Sirius sit together. Of course, Remus ends up sitting with Lily, and everytime you hear Remus' low chuckle from something she said, the clump in your throat grows bigger. Your friend makes another rude comment about Remus and Lily, making you speed out of the classroom as soon as the bell rings.

•

That same night you're sitting in the Gryffindor common room with Remus, as the other two boys have practice. Feeling that green monster everytime that full head of red hair comes around, you decide to sit closer to Remus, show everyone that he's yours, putting your legs across his knees.

"Are you okay, princess?" He mumbles, kissing your head.

"Yeah, fine", you say, not looking up from your book. He humms, not fully believing you, but deciding not to press the matter.

When the clock hits 8 pm, you know it's not long before James and Sirius come back up to the tower, and when they come back, the four of you will retreat to their dorm, and everything will be good again.

That doesn't happen, however, not really. They come back, with Marlene and the rest of their team, and they give the entire common a very intense retelling of practice. It feels good, your legs still over Remus' and James sitting on the armrest next to you, Sirius walking around the room, dramatically showing his great save, pretending to be holding his beater's bat.

It all comes to an end, when Lily tells him to shut his mouth and he quips back a "make me, Evans". Now, even Sirius is flirting with her, while you're sitting right there. Your eyes roll back far enough to see your own brain, so sick of them all liking Lily Evans more than you.

Your eyeroll, however, doesn't go unnoticed. "Guys, time to shower, come on", Remus says, tapping your thighs, showing you that you should follow.

"Baby, what's wrong? Are you upset over something?" He asks as the four of you enter their dorm. You sigh, looking down. It feels silly, they shouldn't have to take care of your feelings, if they'd all rather be with Lily.

"I'm fine", you say, quietly. They share a look, before sitting you down on one of their beds, standing above you. "You're not fine, you've been avoidant with us for days, what's wrong?" "Yeah, you've gotta talk to us, we can't make it better if we don't know what we did wrong."

You sigh, again, knowing that they're right, but not really looking forward to the conversation that is to come, "do I have to be worried about Lily Evans taking my place in this relationship?" You decide to go the straightforward way, wanting to ask before they tell you, letting them know that you know that they like her.

They share another look, and then Sirius is laughing, "oh, baby, is that what's up?" You look up at him, "oh darling no, no one's ever gonna take your spot here, we love you so much-" James is interrupting him, "yeah, we don't like her, not like that, it's just nice being friends with her now that I have a girlfriend, she doesn't have to worry about me hitting on her" "Did you really think we'd like anyone but our little princess? You're our good girl, and we love you so much. And Lily knows about us, so she doesn't think anything else is going on", Remus fills in.

Oh. Oh... Lily... knows? About your relationship with the boys... Well that changes a lot of things, but you still feel the doubt in the pit of your tummy, "It just seemed like maybe you wanted to try to see someone else..."

Coming down next to you, a post-practice-sweaty James pulls you into his lap, "but baby, you're the only one we want, I'm so sorry if we haven't shown you that enough", he starts kissing all over your face making you giggle.

"Yeah, babes, you're never getting rid of us" "maybe you could let us show you how much we love you?"

They all envelope you, holding onto you, gripping you and holding you close, leaving soft kisses and whispering sweet words. You know that tomorrow you'll have to apologize to Lily for assuming the worst, but right now, you're perfectly happy just laying with your boys.

The next day, the whole castle knew about the four of you. <3

Part two here.

[drifting-pieces-blog-blog]

Breaking down the Comics: Power Imbalance.

Moon Knight, Issue #6: White Angels

I'm be honest, I'm a sucker for the Marc Spector stories. In the original run, they were actually kinda rare. 

Marc hated being himself so much that he was hardly around. Most of the time you alternated between Steven and Jake trying to build their lives away from the Marc Spector days. 

You focused on Steven building up his connections, his love with Marlene, and his money. 

Then you focused on Jake and his friendship, his connections with the street and common people, and his outlook on life. 

When you did get Marc, you got a few panels of him being emotional or angry. 

Many of the comics in the first runs open with a description of who they are and it was always stressed how different they were. 

"Jake Lockley: Easygoing, streetwise cabbie. Marc Spector: Grim veteran of wars fought for money. Steven Grant: Refined millionaire financier." 

And it was easy to see that Lockley was a favorite because of how much care and time was spent following Lockley and his friends: Gena, Crawley, and the two boys. 

There was also a heavy push for Moon Knight, of course. They were trying to get a superhero comic off the ground, after all. 

But they treated Moon Knight like his own entity back in the original run. A force that was none of the three. Cold, emotionless, and powerful. 

But sometimes the emotions of one of the three pushed through to Moon Knight and complicated matters. Then it was unclear on just who Moon Knight was. 

In this opening comic, we see Grant's butler, Samuels, waiting for their return. 

"Good evening Master Grant... Ah, that is.... Master Moon Knight!" 

"Relax Samuels, I'm Grant now. What have you got there?" 

"A telegram, sir. But it's not actually for you... Ah, that is, it is for you, but it was addressed to Marc Spector." 

"I'll read it to him." 

An interesting exchange. The narration says it was a joke, but you have to remember that the system has yet to declare itself a system and still thinks it is one man trying to use disguises. 

Though with each opening, we get more a distinct introduction on Steven, Marc, and Jake, and even Moon Knight. It's as if Moench is pushing for them to be themselves and Marc is pushing back in denial. 

Steven reads the telegram, which is a coded message addressed to Marc. 

Instantly they blank and clearly dissociate. 

"The man of many names and many pasts does not answer, his eyes glassy, staring at one of those pasts." says the narrator. 

Marc tells Frenchie to prepare for a 'holiday' and heads down into the mansion. 

Here we find Marlene waiting for him. We also see where I have conflicting feelings on Marlene. 

She jokes that she was dreaming of four men while waiting for him. 

"But WHAT a four! First there was this goofy guy named Jake - He made me laugh. Then Marc was your typical darker, no-nonsense type of lover. My favorite, as usual, was dreamboat Steven. But the fourth one, I hae to admit, added a touch of forbidden spice... He was almost like a silver ghost." 

And it makes Marc smile. 

Marlene clearly has a favorite. She's deeply into Steven and wishes that he would just stick with Steven as an identity. She only ever calls him Steven and is always teasing them. 

But now and then she does acknowledge that she is aware of the differences in them. 

At this point, it's easy to defend her and brush it aside. She has never heard of DID, the Moon Knight system is in denial, and they are presenting as one man that is trying to claim a new identity. So of course she wishes he'd just stick with Steven, the normal dreamy guy that likes high class and loves her. 

But there are more and more instances where he will flat out tell her to use a different name and she refuses, only ever calling him Steven. These moments start to make themselves more clear and she still refuses to acknowledge them. 

Her blind love for Steven starts to edge into ableism and abuse. But that's something that comes along a lot later on. 

For now, Marlene is a strong supporter of them. She helps them with their other 'identities', She listens when they break down, and she acts as a grounding tool more than a few times. 

But I digress. That's an argument for another time. 

After Marlene brightens his mood, we see him changing out of the Moon Knight outfit and into Jake's clothes. 

He tells her that they need to head to St. Lucien on vacation. 

"Well, as long as we'll be together -- and alone, Steven..." 

"Not quite alone, Lady, an' call me Jake, now. And not that I don't like Nedda's cookin', but cabbies prefer the chow at the joints like Gena's diner. [...] And her kids, too. Not to mention, Crawley. Grant promised them a vacation for their help against the committee's five hitmen... And Steven Grant, I hear, is a man of his word." 

This is interesting because this is the first time Jake has outright corrected her like this and spoken of his preference for the life he's building on his own. 

It's also worthy to take note that Jake, Steven, and Marc are more and more starting to talk about the other's as separate people. 

They are aware of one another now, or at least becoming more aware of their own identities. 

Can I also take this opportunity to say that Jake's unique accent is most prominent in this issue too? 

"Guess you're lucky the Angel O' Moicy just arrived." - Jake Lockley, a new york cabbie. 

So they hop in a plane and Steven takes them all to St. Lucien. They're put up in a fancy hotel and one of Gena's boys notices something. 

"The Ghetto. They got invisible walls here too, Ray, just like at home. There's only one difference... The color's the same on both sides of the wall." 

in Steven Grant's hotel room, Marlene finds the telegram. 

Image supplied because holy crap: 

"I unpacked your bags, and something tells me you're not going 'sight seeing.'"

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean this wire sent to you, Steven!" 

"Not to me-- It was sent to Spector." 

"It's no longer funny, Steven, but I hope you are joking -- Because if you really think of yourself as two or three or four separate people--" 

"I just forget once in a while, Marlene -- It's a problem, yes, but I'm able to control it..." 

WHOA. WHOA WHOA WHOA. Steven Grant is aware there is a problem. We've just reached awareness. 

AND THE DENIAL. "I'm able to control it." A line put in the MCU said by Marc. 

HMMMMM. HMMMMMMMMMMMMM. 

Back to the story. 

So why are they in this country? Marc has a friend from his time in South America. They were up against a rebel coup and this man apparently saved his life. 

He's now director of police and has called in an owed favor. 

What's interesting is that he introduces Marlene as "My friend and aide." 

It further puts in the idea that Marlene acts more of a guide and grounding tool. 

It would seem Marc's friend has a voodoo problem linked with missing persons. 

There is belief in the poor side of town that someone is using Voodoo to turn people into zombie slaves (this is a legitimate thing that happens in certain cultural beliefs so color me impressed for 1980s writing). 

They discuss the power of belief and using it against people. 

Marc sets out to interview the families of the missing, but Marlene stays behind to ask his friend something. 

"I'd like to ask you something about ste- About Marc. Was he ever really ruthless? A heartless killer?" 

"Yes and no." 

"Marc Spector is a strange man. A man with many sides to him." 

We have to remember that Marlene met Marc as a mercinary that was raiding her father's dig site and aided in the eventual death of her father. 

While Marc did come back and save the other archeologists and fight against Bushman, Marlene has mostly been watching Steven and Jake try to clean up Marc's life. 

While out talking to people, Marc learns there is a leader called "The White Angel" that is kidnapping people. 

He interrupts an attempted kidnapping and saves the people, but the kidnappers get away. 

TIME OUT: Something important comes up here! 

MOON KNIGHT HISTORY: Moon Knight was originally introduced in "Werewolf by Night" where he was hired to kill Jack Russel (the funniest name in the world to give to a werewolf and even funnier when you learn that the person that named him had no idea there was a dog breed called jack russel terriers). 

In his dealings with Jack Russel, Moon Knight was bitten by the werewolf! But, he was somewhat resistant! Rather than turn into a wolfman every full moon, instead he becomes stronger and faster! 

At this point in the Moon Knight story, it's unclear what Khonshu is. As far as the story has said, it's just a statue that may or may not hold the mystical power of an Egyptian Moon God of vengeance. 

So during the full moon, as Moon Knight, he attributes his strength and power to the werewolf virus! 

Now, for a while now, the virus has started to fade and with it, his strength. 

This is really bumming out Moon Knight, making him feel weak and useless. 

During the fight with the kidnappers, he struggles against all the men and he feels the werewolf virus fading. 

So when Marc returns to the hotel, he's in a MOOD. He complains about the werewolf virus leaving him and how soon he'll just be a regular man in a cape. 

It's also making him think about Voodoo. How the poor people are at the mercy of something because they believe in it. 

He and Marlene have a discussion about how 

"Those are just the poor and uneducated, Steven. Others have adapted to modernization - Even prospered under it." 

"Yes, and those are the ones responsible, in part, for the plight of the ones I saw tonight...And the ones I saw tonight are precisely the kind of people Marc Spector never thought twice about. If a campaign meant stamping out a village, tough!" 

"What are you trying to say, Steven?" 

"I don't very much like Marc Spector." 

Uh oh. Now the question is, who is talking here? Is it Steven Grant becoming aware and viewing Marc as just a killer? Or is this Marc voicing how much he hates himself and wishes he was someone else? 

And in the very next page we have Marc, and it is Marc, up to shady business. 

He waits for Gena to go for a swim before he approaches her boys: 

"Listen- I've heard you two talking about people in shantytown. How'd you like to help them? How'd you like to risk your lives by walking in their shoes as targets for the zuvembies in hopes of slamming the lid on a certain voodoo houngan's kidnapping operation?" 

"Yeah, as long as Mama doesn't know." 

MARC. This is why you have no friends in the current runs. The things you do with Lockely's friends that puts them in danger! 

Meanwhile, Frenchie and Crawley are out doing their own thing and stumble on a poppy field being used to make Heroin. They also discover that the White Angel is a white man that owns the plantation. 

Frenchie and Crawley get captured and the two boys also get 'kidnapped' as planned. 

They watch as the White Angel uses drugs to turn the prisoners into zombies and manage to use a radio to contact Moon Knight. 

Moon Knight shows up and fights. Marlene also shows up with the police. Marc's friend gets pinned down by gunfire much the same way Marc was years before and Moon Knight manages to save him just as he was saved. 

They defeat the bad guy and free all the prisoners. 

Back at the hotel we see a pissed Gena telling the boys that they are not to work for Lockley anymore. 

Jake cuts in that the boys were heroes and saved everyone. 

Gena says that they are banned for working for Lockley for at least a whole week. It's hard to say no to Jake. 

Okay so, this was a really interesting issue. We are 6 in and we’re starting to see the system not only become aware, but also imbalanced. 

It also gets into a bit about the power of belief and power imbalance with the poor class. It doesn’t go too heavy on it this time, but you can see the unrest there. 

What’s interesting is that we are starting to see Steven also getting more power and opinions on Marc. Also a power imbalance? 

And because I’m me, I did my reviews backwards and started with the end of the run then jumped to the beginning. So we already know that at the end when Marc is at his most vulnerable with his father’s death, Steven steps up to help him and protect him. But at this point, we get disgruntled Steven and he’s about to go off. 

Raise a glass to classy Steven everyone. He’s a real pistol people and I’m excited to show you him! 

We’re leading up to a serious system meltdown and it is heartfelt. 

I'm be honest, I'm a sucker for the Marc Spector stories. In the original run, they were actually kinda rare. 

Marc hated being himself so much that he was hardly around. Most of the time you alternated between Steven and Jake trying to build their lives away from the Marc Spector days. 

You focused on Steven building up his connections, his love with Marlene, and his money. 

Then you focused on Jake and his friendship, his connections with the street and common people, and his outlook on life. 

When you did get Marc, you got a few panels of him being emotional or angry. 

Many of the comics in the first runs open with a description of who they are and it was always stressed how different they were. 

"Jake Lockley: Easygoing, streetwise cabbie. Marc Spector: Grim veteran of wars fought for money. Steven Grant: Refined millionaire financier." 

And it was easy to see that Lockley was a favorite because of how much care and time was spent following Lockley and his friends: Gena, Crawley, and the two boys. 

There was also a heavy push for Moon Knight, of course. They were trying to get a superhero comic off the ground, after all. 

But they treated Moon Knight like his own entity back in the original run. A force that was none of the three. Cold, emotionless, and powerful. 

But sometimes the emotions of one of the three pushed through to Moon Knight and complicated matters. Then it was unclear on just who Moon Knight was. 

In this opening comic, we see Grant's butler, Samuels, waiting for their return. 

"Good evening Master Grant... Ah, that is.... Master Moon Knight!" 

"Relax Samuels, I'm Grant now. What have you got there?" 

"A telegram, sir. But it's not actually for you... Ah, that is, it is for you, but it was addressed to Marc Spector." 

"I'll read it to him." 

An interesting exchange. The narration says it was a joke, but you have to remember that the system has yet to declare itself a system and still thinks it is one man trying to use disguises. 

Though with each opening, we get more a distinct introduction on Steven, Marc, and Jake, and even Moon Knight. It's as if Moench is pushing for them to be themselves and Marc is pushing back in denial. 

Steven reads the telegram, which is a coded message addressed to Marc. 

Instantly they blank and clearly dissociate. 

"The man of many names and many pasts does not answer, his eyes glassy, staring at one of those pasts." says the narrator. 

Marc tells Frenchie to prepare for a 'holiday' and heads down into the mansion. 

Here we find Marlene waiting for him. We also see where I have conflicting feelings on Marlene. 

She jokes that she was dreaming of four men while waiting for him. 

"But WHAT a four! First there was this goofy guy named Jake - He made me laugh. Then Marc was your typical darker, no-nonsense type of lover. My favorite, as usual, was dreamboat Steven. But the fourth one, I hae to admit, added a touch of forbidden spice... He was almost like a silver ghost." 

And it makes Marc smile. 

Marlene clearly has a favorite. She's deeply into Steven and wishes that he would just stick with Steven as an identity. She only ever calls him Steven and is always teasing them. 

But now and then she does acknowledge that she is aware of the differences in them. 

At this point, it's easy to defend her and brush it aside. She has never heard of DID, the Moon Knight system is in denial, and they are presenting as one man that is trying to claim a new identity. So of course she wishes he'd just stick with Steven, the normal dreamy guy that likes high class and loves her. 

But there are more and more instances where he will flat out tell her to use a different name and she refuses, only ever calling him Steven. These moments start to make themselves more clear and she still refuses to acknowledge them. 

Her blind love for Steven starts to edge into ableism and abuse. But that's something that comes along a lot later on. 

For now, Marlene is a strong supporter of them. She helps them with their other 'identities', She listens when they break down, and she acts as a grounding tool more than a few times. 

But I digress. That's an argument for another time. 

After Marlene brightens his mood, we see him changing out of the Moon Knight outfit and into Jake's clothes. 

He tells her that they need to head to St. Lucien on vacation. 

"Well, as long as we'll be together -- and alone, Steven..." 

"Not quite alone, Lady, an' call me Jake, now. And not that I don't like Nedda's cookin', but cabbies prefer the chow at the joints like Gena's diner. [...] And her kids, too. Not to mention, Crawley. Grant promised them a vacation for their help against the committee's five hitmen... And Steven Grant, I hear, is a man of his word." 

This is interesting because this is the first time Jake has outright corrected her like this and spoken of his preference for the life he's building on his own. 

It's also worthy to take note that Jake, Steven, and Marc are more and more starting to talk about the other's as separate people. 

They are aware of one another now, or at least becoming more aware of their own identities. 

Can I also take this opportunity to say that Jake's unique accent is most prominent in this issue too? 

"Guess you're lucky the Angel O' Moicy just arrived." - Jake Lockley, a new york cabbie. 

So they hop in a plane and Steven takes them all to St. Lucien. They're put up in a fancy hotel and one of Gena's boys notices something. 

"The Ghetto. They got invisible walls here too, Ray, just like at home. There's only one difference... The color's the same on both sides of the wall." 

in Steven Grant's hotel room, Marlene finds the telegram. 

Image supplied because holy crap: 

"I unpacked your bags, and something tells me you're not going 'sight seeing.'"

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean this wire sent to you, Steven!" 

"Not to me-- It was sent to Spector." 

"It's no longer funny, Steven, but I hope you are joking -- Because if you really think of yourself as two or three or four separate people--" 

"I just forget once in a while, Marlene -- It's a problem, yes, but I'm able to control it..." 

WHOA. WHOA WHOA WHOA. Steven Grant is aware there is a problem. We've just reached awareness. 

AND THE DENIAL. "I'm able to control it." A line put in the MCU said by Marc. 

HMMMMM. HMMMMMMMMMMMMM. 

Back to the story. 

So why are they in this country? Marc has a friend from his time in South America. They were up against a rebel coup and this man apparently saved his life. 

He's now director of police and has called in an owed favor. 

What's interesting is that he introduces Marlene as "My friend and aide." 

It further puts in the idea that Marlene acts more of a guide and grounding tool. 

It would seem Marc's friend has a voodoo problem linked with missing persons. 

There is belief in the poor side of town that someone is using Voodoo to turn people into zombie slaves (this is a legitimate thing that happens in certain cultural beliefs so color me impressed for 1980s writing). 

They discuss the power of belief and using it against people. 

Marc sets out to interview the families of the missing, but Marlene stays behind to ask his friend something. 

"I'd like to ask you something about ste- About Marc. Was he ever really ruthless? A heartless killer?" 

"Yes and no." 

"Marc Spector is a strange man. A man with many sides to him." 

We have to remember that Marlene met Marc as a mercinary that was raiding her father's dig site and aided in the eventual death of her father. 

While Marc did come back and save the other archeologists and fight against Bushman, Marlene has mostly been watching Steven and Jake try to clean up Marc's life. 

While out talking to people, Marc learns there is a leader called "The White Angel" that is kidnapping people. 

He interrupts an attempted kidnapping and saves the people, but the kidnappers get away. 

TIME OUT: Something important comes up here! 

MOON KNIGHT HISTORY: Moon Knight was originally introduced in "Werewolf by Night" where he was hired to kill Jack Russel (the funniest name in the world to give to a werewolf and even funnier when you learn that the person that named him had no idea there was a dog breed called jack russel terriers). 

In his dealings with Jack Russel, Moon Knight was bitten by the werewolf! But, he was somewhat resistant! Rather than turn into a wolfman every full moon, instead he becomes stronger and faster! 

At this point in the Moon Knight story, it's unclear what Khonshu is. As far as the story has said, it's just a statue that may or may not hold the mystical power of an Egyptian Moon God of vengeance. 

So during the full moon, as Moon Knight, he attributes his strength and power to the werewolf virus! 

Now, for a while now, the virus has started to fade and with it, his strength. 

This is really bumming out Moon Knight, making him feel weak and useless. 

During the fight with the kidnappers, he struggles against all the men and he feels the werewolf virus fading. 

So when Marc returns to the hotel, he's in a MOOD. He complains about the werewolf virus leaving him and how soon he'll just be a regular man in a cape. 

It's also making him think about Voodoo. How the poor people are at the mercy of something because they believe in it. 

He and Marlene have a discussion about how 

"Those are just the poor and uneducated, Steven. Others have adapted to modernization - Even prospered under it." 

"Yes, and those are the ones responsible, in part, for the plight of the ones I saw tonight...And the ones I saw tonight are precisely the kind of people Marc Spector never thought twice about. If a campaign meant stamping out a village, tough!" 

"What are you trying to say, Steven?" 

"I don't very much like Marc Spector." 

Uh oh. Now the question is, who is talking here? Is it Steven Grant becoming aware and viewing Marc as just a killer? Or is this Marc voicing how much he hates himself and wishes he was someone else? 

And in the very next page we have Marc, and it is Marc, up to shady business. 

He waits for Gena to go for a swim before he approaches her boys: 

"Listen- I've heard you two talking about people in shantytown. How'd you like to help them? How'd you like to risk your lives by walking in their shoes as targets for the zuvembies in hopes of slamming the lid on a certain voodoo houngan's kidnapping operation?" 

"Yeah, as long as Mama doesn't know." 

MARC. This is why you have no friends in the current runs. The things you do with Lockely's friends that puts them in danger! 

Meanwhile, Frenchie and Crawley are out doing their own thing and stumble on a poppy field being used to make Heroin. They also discover that the White Angel is a white man that owns the plantation. 

Frenchie and Crawley get captured and the two boys also get 'kidnapped' as planned. 

They watch as the White Angel uses drugs to turn the prisoners into zombies and manage to use a radio to contact Moon Knight. 

Moon Knight shows up and fights. Marlene also shows up with the police. Marc's friend gets pinned down by gunfire much the same way Marc was years before and Moon Knight manages to save him just as he was saved. 

They defeat the bad guy and free all the prisoners. 

Back at the hotel we see a pissed Gena telling the boys that they are not to work for Lockley anymore. 

Jake cuts in that the boys were heroes and saved everyone. 

Gena says that they are banned for working for Lockley for at least a whole week. It's hard to say no to Jake. 

Okay so, this was a really interesting issue. We are 6 in and we’re starting to see the system not only become aware, but also imbalanced. 

It also gets into a bit about the power of belief and power imbalance with the poor class. It doesn’t go too heavy on it this time, but you can see the unrest there. 

What’s interesting is that we are starting to see Steven also getting more power and opinions on Marc. Also a power imbalance? 

And because I’m me, I did my reviews backwards and started with the end of the run then jumped to the beginning. So we already know that at the end when Marc is at his most vulnerable with his father’s death, Steven steps up to help him and protect him. But at this point, we get disgruntled Steven and he’s about to go off. 

Raise a glass to classy Steven everyone. He’s a real pistol people and I’m excited to show you him! 

We’re leading up to a serious system meltdown and it is heartfelt. 

[siriuslylantsov]

haircare routine

pairing: sirius black x fem!reader

description: in which sirius does your hair.

tags: fluff, they're best friends so platonic!!, sirius takes reader through his extensive routine that he undoubtedly has because he has amazing hair, reader is a bit lazy so im assuming she uses no products, reader wears a swimsuit but nothing is specified.

a/n: first sirius piece!! i love that guy. also, i'm being so unspecific about the bathroom arrangements, so think of it however you want. i didn't want to get too into the logistics. enjoy!

wc: 854

“ow! fuck, sirius,” you curse as he yanks your head with a brush. he continues to abuse that knot in your hair much to your dismay. 

“it's not my fault your hair is like this.”

“yeah, but- ah! i said i could do it myself.”

“when? you wouldve left it like this for a few more days and then been all pissy to me because you look like shit. i'm doing you a favour. stay still,” he says firmly.

you whine, “you could be less rough with it.”

“sorry,” he frowns sympathetically at you in the mirror, “just trying to detangle, ‘m almost done.”

his actions soften, smoothing a hand over your hair. he turns you around and nods his head toward the bathroom. “get in the tub, i'll be there in a second.”

james had dared you to jump in the lake and you, always up for a challenge, did it. when sirius found you, sopping strands and layered clothes, he coerced you into letting him wash your hair, yapping on about how your hair’s going to be matted if you don't shampoo it now–high maintenance prick.

you assess the temperature of the water, deeming it perfect, you take off the damp shirt you had on. climbing in carefully, you sink down till you're fully submerged, letting the warmth encompass you. you come back up for air after a few seconds, and sirius walks in with a stool. he sets it behind the clawfoot and looks at you.

“where'd you get that swimsuit from?”

“oh, got it from marlene, i ran into the changing room after her swim team practice.”

its explanation enough for him as he doesnt press further, far be it from him to question your antics. he pulls out a shampoo and conditioner–his ones, fancy looking bottles with labels written in cursive print, they exude expensive, nothing like the plastic bottles that sat in your shower caddy. 

he sits down and picks up a cup filled with water and tips it over your head, you don't mind that it drips down your face. he slowly scrubs the shampoo into your scalp, unintentionally massaging as he goes, you hum in approval and he chuckles. he does this twice, rinsing off the soapy suds before moving on to the conditioner, raking it through your ends. he combs through your hair before washing that off too. 

when he's done, he leaves you to clean the rest of your body. Its a clumsy ordeal taking off the swimsuit that clung to your skin, but you manage, leaving a few puddles in your wake. stepping out of the tub, you slip into a bathrobe, securing the tie at your waist. you walk out to find sirius waiting next to the vanity.

“what are you still doing here?”

“you’re getting the full treatment, sweetheart,” he urges you closer, “c’mon sit.”

you tentatively step forward and take a seat in front of the mirror, eyeing the box of vials–all glass but containing liquids of different colours and consistencies. you peer at him suspiciously through the mirror.

“you're not dyeing my hair green are you…?”

he flashes you a wicked smile that makes you nervous, “if i was, would i tell you?”

a small pout forms on your lips and he shifts to earnest, fingers gently raking through your hair, “i'm not,” he says firmly.

a hint of hesitancy remains but you nod nonetheless, allowing him to begin.

you watch as he pours product into his hand, and work it into the damp strands, making sure to evenly coat it. he crosses over to stand before you, a different substance in his palm, it looks like whipped cream and you arent sure how he managed to get it to foam up like that.

“bend your head please,” he guides your head down till your hair hangs over, he kneels down too. “your neck will hurt a bit because of the angle, but i’ll finish up quickly.”

he scrunches your hair up, careful not to accidently tug, causing drops of water to trickle down his arm. he continues doing this all over, all the way up into the roots. you notice how loose ringlets of curls form as he lets go.

when he finishes, he mutters a quick drying spell, one that when you use leaves your hair a frizzy mess but when he does, it looks fine. maybe those strange vials contributed to that. 

he stands and raises you up with him. he's still in front of you so it obstructs your view of the mirror. he sneaks his fingers in and shakes through your hair, to give it more volume, he confirms later. 

finally, stepping aside, you see yourself. he's stood beside you, with a somewhat smug look on his face, as you admire your hair. the waves are defined and remind you of your hair when you're at the beach, only healthier and more hydrated. 

“thanks,” you chirp, offering him a small appreciative smile.

he brushes it off with a wink, returning your smile, “you've got great hair, you should let me style it more often.”

m.list

[cinnamontoastcrunch-15]

HELLO I moved last week and I have no WiFi or service in my flat (posting from a coffee shop) so I apologise for the lack of posting.

However, this was meant to be for today's wolfstarmicrofic prompt Basilisk, but it's officially much too long because I've missed writing to post lmao, so it's not a microfic.

(Ravenclaw Remus AU.)

"Lupin, you're patrolling with..." Moody flicks quickly through his notes, "Black."

"Oh, er... Alright," he says with a shrug, trying to pass himself off as calm.

Internally? Every single alarm is going off in his head.

Remus never exactly... spoke to Sirius Black, or his friends. Ravenclaws and Gryffindors aren't really destined to interact, and Remus would have chosen death over joining the Quidditch team. That didn't stop him from being one of far too many people in the school that had a major minor crush on Sirius.

Sure, he knew that Sirius had grown up rich and pampered. He always held himself in this way that made him seem ten times more important than everyone else. That wasn't exactly helped by the fact that he was a Gryffindor. Lily, Mary and Marlene were the only Gryffindors Remus has ever really tolerated. The rest are all pretentious as fuck. Everyone knows that.

Still, for some reason, his brain would short circuit whenever he was so much in the same room as Sirius. He still lays awake at night, humiliated about the time he accidentally caught Sirius' eyes and tripped over the bench in the Great Hall.

Joining the Order wasn't even a question for him. Anything to help them win the war. He hadn't exactly expected Sirius to do the same, but it just makes him feel like he's back in school. Frustratingly enough for him, Sirius has only gotten more attractive in the year since they've left school. It hasn't really mattered until now, though. He's been pretty successful in avoiding him. It's probably helped by the fact that he isn't even on Sirius' radar, but this? He's going to set the strangest first impression on the planet.

There's nothing he can do about it, though.

That's how Remus finds himself waiting outside the Order house, fidgeting with an unlit cigarette.

"Hey, Remus!"

There he is.

Remus looks up, shoving the cigarette back into the carton. Sirius has stopped in front of him, running a hand through his hair and grinning at Remus.

Leather jackets look weird on literally everyone other than him.

Remus has to jostle his brain into functioning. He blinks once, before finally mustering a polite smile.

"Hi. Should we get going?"

"Yeah. Yeah, let's go."

They walk in silence for a while, moving from spot to spot and taking the odd note.

Until Sirius decides he's done with all of that.

"Y'know, I was hoping you'd join the Order."

"Sorry?" Remus practically stops in his tracks, turning to Sirius with wide eyes. Shock ripples through him.

Hoping?

"I mean, I had a feeling you would. I'm just... glad you did, I guess."

"I didn't even know you knew I existed," Remus confesses quickly.

Sirius actually does stop moving, grabbing Remus' forearm and stopping him too.

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, really. You existed on this... separate plane. I mean, you were you. Everyone knew about you. Why would I be on your radar?"

"Remus," Sirius says slowly, eyes boring into Remus'. It sends a shiver down Remus' spine. "All I did was think about you."

"What?" Remus sputters, a strange mixture of confusion and shock overwhelming him.

"Oh, I had such a crush on you." He shrugs like it's nothing; like what he just said hasn't turned Remus' entire world on its axis. "I thought that was obvious, I mean... you're bloody brilliant. Ravenclaw prefect, running a study group-"

"I can't believe you've even given me a second thought," Remus says, a little breathless.

"Merlin, I did. I remember telling James that I'd fight a Basilisk for you." Sirius chuckles to himself, but Remus is losing control over his own responses scarily quickly. "I know you couldn't stand me, but-"

"Who said that?"

"Nobody had to." Sirius watches Remus, a little puzzled. "You're not the biggest fan of Gryffindors, right?"

Well, he's not wrong.

"Besides, you couldn't stay in the same room as me. You literally fell over yourself trying to get away from me before."

"Oh, God," Remus mutters under his breath, his face heating up uncomfortably. His one comfort has been that Sirius didn't notice him embarrassing himself every time he walked into the room.

"Sorry," Sirius says suddenly, releasing Remus' hand. "I didn't mean to- Christ, I've made things even more awkward, haven't I?"

Huh.

He's not as confident as Remus thought.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean- let's just forget I said that. Finish patrolling."

No.

Remus doesn't want to forget. He needs to do something, before Sirius never speaks to him again.

Hurriedly, he grabs Sirius' hand, pulling him into an alley nearby.

Well, he's committed to it now. No turning back.

"Remus, what-"

He pulls Sirius in by his stupidly perfect jacket and connects their lips before he has a chance to second guess himself.

Thankfully, Sirius wastes no time in falling into the kiss. His lips are soft against Remus', parting just enough for their tongues to meet.

The kiss is everything he could have imagined and more. Sirius is somehow both tentative and eager and he tastes like cinnamon and fuck, Remus may as well have died and gone to heaven. His hand involuntarily slides into Sirius' hair, and he's rewarded with a muffled gasp.

Okay, maybe Gryffindors aren't that bad.

[starchaserwrites]

@jegulus-microfic / february 6: murder / word count: 692 cw: consensual violence(?)

Regulus is having the shittiest day of his life. He started the day with a very detailed text from his lovely mother, reminding him of how much of a disappointment he is for dropping out of college to open a bar with his equally disappointing brother. Later, there was a mistake with the vodka delivery (it was not their usual brand), so he and Sirius had to make some awkward phone calls as the distributor refused to change it. Also, almost too late, they realised that all the ice in stock had melted during the night due to a power cut they weren't aware of, so he and Remus had to rush out to get more. The cherry on top was that the guy he was kind of seeing (mostly to fuck, if he's being honest) decided to get back with his ex, and the thing is, Regulus isn't angry or sad about it, because he saw it coming, but it adds up to the whole situation.

"You look like you're about to murder someone with that knife."

And now James Potter is here.

Everyone knows that if Regulus takes it upon himself to cut the limes, it is because he is at his limit and it is best to stay away. Everyone except James, who seems to have no sense of self-preservation.

"Are you volunteering?" he says without stopping what he is doing.

"Maybe I am. I'm sorry about Daniel, Sirius told me what happened."

"You know his name is Michael, James."

"Yeah, whatever. So what do you say if I help you blow off some steam?" he asks, leaning over the top of the bar.

Listen, Regulus knows he doesn't mean it like that, but he can't help but think of the older man in exactly that way. Blame it on the crush he has had on his brother's best friend for several years. So he just raises an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that." James says after a moment. Is he smirking?

"Then what?"

"Have you ever heard of hurricane shots?"

"Of course, they ask Marlene and Dorcas for them all the time," he replies as he bends down to pick up some empty bottles. It's not rush hour yet, but it's important to get everything ready before then.

"Great, may I have one?"

"Sure, let me call Dorc-"

"From you. May I have one from you?" Regulus bumps his head on the counter as he stands up. James' idea to help him relax is going to give him a stroke.

"Sure." It's the only thing he says before the other man can say anything and he starts gathering what he needs for the shot. "Is vodka okay for your shot?" James just nods, but he can feel his eyes lingering as he pours the alcohol and the glass of water.

Regulus has never done this before but he knows the procedure, he sets everything down on the bartop and shortly afterwards he sits down on the edge of it, opening his legs to let James stand between them. His heart is racing but he looks up to remove the man's glasses (it would be a tragedy if they got ruined) and leaves them beside him. He hands the shot to his victim and rings the small bell they have for this purpose.

"Don't hold back." James says with that grin again as he places a hand on Regulus' thigh and promptly takes the shot, looking him in the eye. Oh, he hates him so much.

Regulus splashes him with the water and then slaps him.

He slaps him. Hard.

James shakes his head and runs a hand over his face to remove the water and his own hair from his forehead, then looks at him with an expression that can only be described as pure devotion, and Regulus knows it.

They kiss. Hard. In a way that only two idiots who have spent years pining for each other can do.

Cheers and shouts from the people in the bar. In the background, Sirius hands Remus some money.

"I knew it would work." Remus says.