#Potion and Parchment writing event

[icymoonlight]

My two contributions for P&P July event

[jessybarnes]

Forbidden Love

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairing: Severus Snape x Reader

Rating: 18+ Only

Word count: Over 5k

Tags: Acromantula, mentions of blood, death of a mythical creature, gore, angst, fluff, smut, bullying, broken bones, hippogriffs, unicorns, fluffy, centaurs, syringes, major character injury, near-death experience, age gap, teacher/18-year-old student relationship, unprotected sex, fingering, begging, forced reveal of feelings, forbidden forest, family drama, and I think that’s it.

Beta: @winecatsandpizza

A/N: This is a repost from one of my old Tumblr accounts. I altered the timeline a little to make this flow better. I realize that Gilderoy lost his memory during the Chamber of Secrets era. I also realize that Severus didn't take on the DADA teaching position until Harry's 6th year. I just wanted to make that clear for everyone. :) Enjoy! 

"Hmm…difficult, very difficult. Mmm yes, lots of ambition and very loyal too. A hint of creativity, but you seem to mask it well with your bravery...”

As the sorting hat’s voice echoed throughout the Great Hall, your mind began to flood with the past week’s events. 

It was the day after your eighteenth birthday when you discovered your Hogwarts letter. Your grandmother had been a great witch and even taught at Hogwarts after she finished her seventh year. From the moment you were born, she knew you were destined for good things. Your parents had forbidden her from using magic around you and even went so far as to hide your letter of acceptance on your eleventh birthday. It wasn’t until you were going through some of your childhood toys in the attic that you came across it. 

The letter was stuck to the back of an old photo album, and the writing had nearly faded completely. You ran your fingers over the yellowing parchment, the tip of your index finger raising slightly as it slid over the sealing wax. You recognized the symbol immediately. Your grandmother had it all over her house, and you’d thought it to be your family’s crest. The wax gave way easily and you pulled the letter out as carefully as you could. Your heart began to race and your breath caught in your throat. The letter was for you! You had been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

You blinked and brought yourself back to reality, the hat seemed to be finishing up his assessment.

“...better make it...Slytherin!”

The table full of students to the far right of the hall erupted in cheer as you walked towards them. You took your seat and after the rest of the first years were sorted into their houses, the Headmaster approached the podium. He raised his hands and without saying a word, the whole room went silent. 

“Welcome! Welcome, everyone! It is my great pleasure to start off a new school year with a few minor changes. As many of you know, Gilderoy Lockhart is no longer capable of teaching. It seems a memory charm backfired and he’s lost all memory of who he is. Be that as it may, I am very pleased to announce that our own Severus Snape will be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.”

Your eyes scanned the teachers at the head table and stopped when they landed on a man who looked slightly younger than the others. He stood and nodded ever so slightly before taking his seat again. Your gaze lingered on him as Professor Dumbledore continued on with his speech.

“Thus it’s only fitting that the one and only Professor Horace Slughorn takes Severus’ place as Potions teacher.”

Another professor stood up from the table and smiled as a round of applause reverberated off the walls.

“Now that we’ve determined who will be teaching what subject, I have an additional announcement to make. All students will refrain from entering the forbidden forest. Anyone who isn’t experienced enough to handle themselves will most certainly die a very horrible death. Now, without further interruption, let the feast begin!” 

With a wave of his hand, the empty plates filled with a delicious-looking meal. You ate quietly as the other Slytherins talked and carried on. Every so often, you turned to look at the mysterious man with the all-black attire. Mysterious didn’t even begin to describe him. Even though it wasn’t classified as magic, you had always found yourself skilled in reading people.

He looked particularly confident, his shoulder-length, black hair bouncing slightly as he talked amongst the other teachers. There was just something you couldn’t quite put your finger on. Was it pain? The very moment you thought the word to yourself, his eyes snapped up to yours. Horrified that you were caught staring, you quickly turned your attention to your plate. Had he read your mind? 

Deciding not to dwell on it any longer, you continued eating your meal thinking about the new chapter in your life. Though you didn’t know much about Hogwarts and the world of magic, you did know that this house, in particular, had a bad reputation. Your grandmother was a Ravenclaw, and would sometimes divulge knowledge about the other houses. The one thing you remembered about Slytherin was that its founder believed only certain people should be allowed to attend this school and practice magic.

Purebloods. 

You were the farthest thing from being a pureblood. In fact, you were what other witches and wizards would call a Muggle. That was another thing you learned from your grandma. Muggle was a term used to describe someone who had non-magic blood, or the less liked derogatory name, mud-blood. The fork in your left hand scraped across your plate as you pushed your food around aimlessly.

Why on Earth would the sorting hat put you in Slytherin? 

Soon, dinner was over and the prefects led the students back to their respective common rooms. You followed the other female students to the girl’s dormitory and found your trunk and owl had already been brought in. Nova chirped and tilted her head when she saw you, and you couldn’t help but giggle.

“Miss me already, sweetheart? Well, I missed you too.”

The soft feathers on her head slid between your fingers while you talked to her. Even though she didn’t talk back, it was always nice to feel like someone was listening. 

You settled on your bed and began drawing in your sketchpad as the other girls in your room talked amongst themselves. Their conversation hardly registered with you, your focus solely on the drawing of Nova you were currently working on. It wasn’t until one of the other girls tapped you on your shoulder that you noticed they were talking to you.

“Hellooo? Were you even listening to us?”

You set your sketch pad next to you on the bed and looked up at the three girls staring at you intently.

“S-Sorry, I didn’t realize you were talking to me. I was um … I was focused on my drawing.” 

The girl closest to you rolled her eyes and huffed impatiently.

“I said, why aren’t you eleven like the other first years?”

There it was, the question you knew would be asked eventually. You just didn’t think you’d have to answer it this soon.

“My um… Well, I suppose it’s because my parents hid my acceptance letter from me.”

The one with the blonde hair began to laugh.

“Why that’s absurd. Why anyone would hide a Hogwarts letter from their child is beyond me. Unless… wait… are you, not a pureblood?”

A sudden feeling of shame overtook you and your gaze wandered to your lap, a loose string on your blanket became instantly more interesting.

“I-I… Well, no… I’ve got non-magic parents actually.”

The third girl scoffed.  “Daphne, can you believe they let scum like this into our house?”

Blondie, who you presumed to be Daphne, snatched your sketchbook off the bed and tore it in two, and laughed. “Serves her right. Mud-bloods don’t belong in Slytherin.”

She drew her wand and pushed the tip into the skin of your throat making your whole body quake in fear.

“Listen up you vile little wretch, you’d better not lose us any house points if you value your life at all. Understand?” 

Tears pricked your eyes as you nodded quickly. “Y-Yes… Yes, I-I understand.”

She removed her wand and the two other girls followed close behind as they left the room. Closing your eyes, you took a few deep breaths trying to slow the rapid beating of your heart. A few minutes later, you let out a shaky breath and began to clean up the remnants of your sketch pad. Luckily, this was a brand new one and Daphne hadn’t torn up anything too valuable. 

Once you were finished, you slipped on your shoes and held out your arm to Nova. She chirped happily and sidestepped to your shoulder. Staying in your room anywhere near the other Slytherin girls was the last thing you wanted to do, so you decided to explore the castle grounds a little before bed. After all, it was only Friday night, and classes didn’t start for another two weeks. 

The crisp, fall air licked at your skin the moment you stepped out into the courtyard. It felt good to breathe the fresh air and you suspected that Nova felt the same. She immediately took flight and let out a happy screech. Part of you envied her. Being able to soar as high as the clouds away from all the negativity was something you could only dream of doing. 

You wandered around the castle grounds until you spotted a hut nestled at the edge of a tree line. The stone exterior and the pointed roof reminded you of the fairytales your parents used to read as bedtime stories when you were little. Light grey smoke billowed out of the chimney and you could faintly hear someone humming. Curiosity got the better of you, and you soon found yourself at the foot of the steps. 

Before you could knock, the front door swung open and none other than Hagrid looked down at you.

“Why ‘ello there, lass! Teh what do I owe yeh the pleasure?”

You’d only known him for a few hours, but you could tell that Hagrid had a big heart and good intentions.

“I just needed some fresh air that's all. Things are… a bit much in my house.”

Hagrid studied you as you spoke. It didn’t take a genius to know something was bothering you, and he saw right through the fake smile plastered on your face.

“Why don’t yeh come in fer a spot of tea? I can tell something is troublin’ yeh.” 

It became a sort of routine, the evenings you’d spend with the Hogwarts groundskeeper. After Hagrid had learned the way the other Slytherins were treating you, he’d made it clear that you could spend the night in his spare room any time you needed to. You insisted on paying him for his hospitality, but he always refused. All he had ever asked in return was help taking care of the mythical creatures. Most would probably view it as a chore, but you found it extremely therapeutic. 

Friday evening before school started, you noticed Hagrid was missing from the teacher’s table. After dinner, you jogged along the path to his house and noticed the lights inside his hut were off.

Hmm...that’s weird, you thought to yourself.

Normally, he’d be making a pot of tea right about now. Tentatively, you walked up the steps and lightly knocked on his door.

“Hagrid? Hey, are you home? It’s Y/N…” You tried the door, and it opened easily. “Hagrid? I’m coming in…”

Fang peeked at you over his paw and yawned lazily. Other than the glow of the fire, nothing showed signs that he was home. As quietly as you could you walked to the back towards his bedroom. There, wrapped up in blankets and looking beyond miserable, was the half-giant himself. 

“Oh, Hagrid… what’s the matter? You look like you feel awful.”

He coughed and sneezed a few times before blowing his nose into a hankey. His skin was clammy, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

“I’m sick, lass. Yeh shouldn’t come near me if ye know what’s good fer ya.”

Out of instinct you put the underside of your wrist against his forehead and grimaced.

“Hagrid, you’re burning up! Come on! We have to get you to Madame Pomfrey.” 

You helped him stand and carefully started to lead him toward the castle. It took nearly fifteen minutes, but finally, you were able to get him to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey motioned to a bed and helped you lay him down. She insisted that she keep him overnight so she could monitor him, but Hagrid was having none of it.

“No! Absolutely not! I can’t stay ‘ere overnight. Who’ll feed Fang an all me other beasts? Buckbeak ain’t the nicest Hippogriff when he’s missed a meal yeh know.” 

Your hand came down to cover his as you looked him in the eyes.

“Hagrid, please...stay here and let Madame Pomfrey take care of you. I’ll take care of feeding them tonight, okay? It’s not like I haven’t helped you make your rounds for the past week and a half.”

The groundskeeper sighed with defeat and nodded.

“Alright Y/N, I’ll stay an let yeh take care o’ my pets, but yeh have ta promise me you’ll be careful.” 

You gave him a soft smile and stood to smooth out your robes. “Don’t worry, Hagrid. I’ll be quick and efficient just like you taught me. I even made myself a list so I remember which animal eats what as well as where they’re all located. I’ve got this!”

Before he could change his mind, you hurried out of the room and back to his hut to grab what you needed. According to the list, you had five different species to feed tonight. The unicorns, Buckbeak the hippogriff, Fluffy the three-headed dog, the centaurs, and Aragog the acromantula.

None of these mythical beasts ever acted like they were harmful, but they weren’t to be taken lightly either. Not to mention you were with Hagrid every time you’d fed them before. After loading up the bags with their food, you made sure you had your wand before approaching the edge of the forest. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, the shadow from the trees always made the forest dark and a thin layer of mist lingered near the forest floor. 

Fluffy was first on your list. His doghouse was about fifty feet within the forest. Brandishing your wand, you cast Lumos Maxima and took the trail to the west. A few minutes later, you could hear light snores echoing off the trees. Making sure you had the three slabs of meat at the ready, you whistled to get the giant beast’s attention. 

"Fluffy! I got you some dinner!"

The dog's left head yawned enthusiastically and you couldn't help but chuckle.

"Alright, that's enough sleeping. It's time for some yummy meat!"

The middle head began to growl and bare its teeth at you while the one on the right shook its head back and forth violently.

"There we go, nice and easy…" You slowly got closer and gently set the slabs of meat within his reach before backing off." 

You stuck around long enough to make sure he saw the food and then walked north towards the part of the forest where unicorns made their homes. It surprised you to learn that they preferred witches over wizards. Hagrid had told you that they were very fast, so much so that they could outrun a werewolf. 

Instead of trying to seek them out, he set up feed pails around their homes and filled them with food. As you were filling the pails, you saw a golden blur out of the corner of your eye. It startled you at first, but then you remembered Hagrid telling you that unicorn fouls were gold in color. 

Staying completely still, you waited until it poked its head out from behind the tree.

"Hi, sweetheart. You want some food?"

At the mention of food, the foul whinnied and slowly approached your outstretched hand. It broke your heart that these beautiful creatures were nearly extinct. You gave light scratches to the tufts of fur behind its ears, the serene moment nearly making you forget where you were. 

After hand-feeding the baby for a few minutes, you quickly filled the rest of the pails before heading towards the centaurs. Hagrid always made sure you remembered how proud the centaur breed was. They didn't like to be classified as "beasts" along with thestrals, merfolk, or werewolves. They also ate both human and equine food. 

It was a good thing you remembered to grab both types. You didn't want to upset them at all, let alone do so without Hagrid around to protect you. As you approached their den, a familiar face came to greet you.

"Good evening, Y/N."

Firenze stood tall as he looked down at you, his unwavering gaze making you a bit nervous.

"H-Hey! Sorry, it took me a bit to get here. Hagrid isn't feeling well, and I had to take him to the hospital wing." 

The creature nodded and uncrossed his arms.

"That's quite alright. I see you brought my colony dinner."

You offered a smile and held out two big knapsacks of food. "I did! I wasn't sure what you would prefer so I came bearing a variety of things...I-I hope that's okay."

Firenze chuckled and placed one of his large hands on your shoulder. "That's very kind of you, Y/N. Please give Hagrid my best. I do hope he recovers quickly."

With a nod and a wave, you watched him until he was out of sight. 

Adjusting the bag on your shoulder, you turned east and walked in the direction of the area Buckbeak frequented. You’d come to love the Hippogriff ever since Hagrid introduced you to him. It only took you about five minutes to navigate the trail before you could hear the excited bleats coming from a group of trees. Making sure to stop the moment you crested the hill, you made eye contact with Buckbeak and bowed low.

The Hippogriff turned and tilted its head momentarily and then bowed in return. You took the dead ferrets out of the bag and tossed them in the air for him to catch. When you ran out he nudged the side of your face and chirped happily.

“Yes, I love you too, Beaky. You’re a good boy!”

Kissing his beak sweetly, you bade him goodnight and walked south toward the heart of the forest. Time to feed the final species on your list.

Aragog.

Even though they were capable of human speech, acromantulas were the one beast you had a fear of. As you approached Aragog’s lair, hundreds of tiny spiders crawled on the ground next to you. Taking a few deep breaths to compose yourself, you crept into the pitch-black den with your senses on high alert. At the heart of it sat the beast himself.

“Who dares to come into my home?”

With a shaky hand, you reached into your bag and quickly pulled out a dead fox as an offering. 

“A-Aragog? It’s um…it’s Y/N, the one who has been coming with Hagrid to feed you. I have umm… I have some birds and foxes for you.”

The large arachnid stalked closer to you, its eyes like black holes as it seemed to stare into your soul.

“Yes… the young fleshy girl who claims to be a friend of Hagrid. Tell me, where is my keeper? What have you done to him?” 

The hairs on the back of your neck stood on end and your fight or flight instincts began to kick in.

“I-I-I didn’t do anything to him. He… he isn’t feeling well and I told him I’d come and bring you dinner…”

You hadn’t realized you were backing up until your heel caught a crooked root poking through the ground. Pain shot through your ankle as you fell against the floor of the den. Aragog clicked his fangs together and you flinched as his voice boomed around you angrily.

“I don’t believe you! I’ve known Hagrid for over fifty years, and not once has he missed a feeding!”

As graceful as your sprained ankle would allow, you scrambled to your feet and dumped the dead birds and foxes on the ground in front of you.

“H-Here’s your food… I… I’m just gonna go…”

The venom from his fangs began to drip on the ground as he moved even closer to you.

“Go? Oh, I don’t think so, friend of Hagrid. Those foxes and birds may sate my son's and daughter's hunger, but they won't satisfy me."

Ignoring the throb in your injured foot, you clambered out of the den as fast as you could. Branches swatted you in the face as you sprinted toward Hagrid's hut. Aragog was hot on your heels as the castle grounds became more and more visible. Just a few more feet and you'd be safe. 

A rotted tree trunk caught your eye, but it was too late for you to avoid it. You hit the ground with a sickening thud, your wrist that broke your fall was surely broken. Turning to face the fastly approaching acromantula, you pleaded for him to stop.

"Aragog, please! ….I...I didn't do anything to Hagrid… please don't hurt me!" 

The giant spider loomed over you, its fangs clicking together violently.

"Goodbye, friend of Hagrid…"

You let out a blood-curdling scream as its pincers tore into your flesh, the moonlight fading away until you slipped into unconsciousness. 

Nights were usually the time Severus took to think. It was his free time, save for the occasional disobedient student wandering the corridors. He'd just walked past the open courtyard when a small owl flew down to land on his shoulder.

"Get off me you insolent bird!"

It let out a screech and circled him before settling on his other arm. 

"Merlin’s beard, what is it that you want?!"

Just as he was about to send it away, he noticed a small charm bracelet attached to the owl's left leg. Curious, he cast Lumos and read the inscription. 

Name: Nova Jane

Property of: Y/F/N Y/L/N

"I see...you're the property of the new Slytherin girl. Go on then! Go back to the dormitory."

Nova nipped at the buttons on his sleeve and screeched loudly. Just as Severus was about to scare it off, your scream echoed throughout the castle grounds.

"Take me to her! Now!"

Nova took flight and soared in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. Severus ran as quickly as he could, his robes flowing behind him like a cape. His heart thundered against his chest as he broke through the treeline. 

The moment he saw Hagrid's acromantula towering over you, he drew his wand and aimed for its head.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The spell sent Aragog catapulting backward, its body falling lifeless against the base of a large tree.

Seeing you lying there motionless made his blood run cold.

"Oh, Merlin…no no no..."

He sank down in the mud and put two fingers against your neck, a breath of relief falling from his lips when a faint pulse fluttered against them. His eyes scanned your body, worry prickling his skin at the number of deep cuts you had. He knew you wouldn't survive if he didn't act now. 

With a shaky hand, he pointed his wand to the deep gash in your abdomen.

"Vulnera sanentur…"

A glow illuminated from it and within seconds it was as if the wound never existed. He did the same for the other large wounds as well as your wrist and ankle before lifting you into his arms. He may have stopped the bleeding, but you still had the acromantula's venom flowing freely in your veins. He only had a few minutes to reverse the toxins. 

Closing his eyes, he apparated to his sleeping chambers and gently laid you on his bed. Severus worked quickly to mix up the antivenom. Once it was mixed properly, he used a syringe to inject it into all of your main arteries. 

It became a waiting game. You'd lost a lot of blood, nearly too much, and all Severus could do now was hope you'd wake up. He found himself pacing, checking your pulse every so often to make sure you were still breathing. Eventually, the adrenaline in his body wore off, and it made him realize how tired he was. 

He shed his robe, toed his shoes off, and with a snap of his fingers, a fire began to crackle and pop in the fireplace. He sat and pondered to himself. What was he supposed to do with you? It wasn't like he could take you to Madame Pomfrey now. Not after he'd healed you the best he could. Plus, he was sure the other Hogwarts staff would question him on why he took you back to his chambers. Honestly, he wasn't even sure why he'd done it. He acted on pure instinct. 

His gaze wandered over to where you were laying. Severus felt himself relax upon seeing your chest rise and fall. He'd done it. He'd saved you. His eyes began to get heavy as he listened to your soft breathing. Unable to stay awake any longer, he let sleep consume him. 

The smell of tea filled your nostrils as you tried to recall where you were. Last night's events flooded your mind and your eyes immediately snapped open. 

Scanning the room, your brows furrowed in confusion. This wasn't the hospital wing, and it definitely wasn't Hagrid's. You sat up, your back against the headboard, and scanned your exposed skin. Other than a few bruises, there wasn't any sign of injury on you at all. Had it all been a dream? 

The sound of the door opening brought you out of your thoughts. Your eyes widened at the sight of your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher carrying a teacup and saucer.

"Oh, you're up. Good." He strode over and set the cup down on the nightstand next to you. "Drink this. It'll help you feel better." 

You blinked up at him, your eyes staring into his obsidian ones. Even though he wore a scowl ninety percent of the time, your professor wasn't bad looking. In fact, you found him quite attractive. His form-fitting robes with all those buttons and his confidence drew you in almost immediately. 

It was then that you remembered he'd spoken to you. Forcing your brain to form words, you stuttered out a response.

"I...um…th-thank you, Professor…"

His stone-faced expression didn't waver as he sat down on the comforter next to you.

"Why, Y/N? Why would you put yourself in danger like that?! You could have been killed! Merlin, if it wasn't for your insolent bird, you would have been!" 

You focused on your lap, your cheeks red with shame.

"M'sorry… I was just t-trying to help Hagrid fe-"

You slapped your hand over your mouth and internally cursed yourself. Hagrid made you promise not to tell anyone you were helping him, and here you've almost told none other than Professor Snape! 

"Go on…"

Shaking your head, you moved to get off the bed.

"I… I can't… Thank you for saving me, Professor. I'll just be going…"

His firm hand came to rest on your thigh and with little force, he pushed you back down onto the bed.

"Listen to me, Y/N. I'm your Head of House. Either you tell me what you were doing in that forest, or I'll make you tell me." 

The demand in his tone sent shivers down your spine. It really should be a sin to have a voice like his.

"I-I...um…"

Severus rolled his eyes and stood to walk across the room. He came back with a vial, with a small amount of liquid in the bottom.

"Know what this is?"

You shook your head.

"This is Veritaserum. Three drops of this, and it'll make you spill your darkest...of secrets…" 

You watched as he poured the small amount of liquid into a glass of butterbeer.

"Drink…"

Instead of obeying his orders you grabbed the teacup off the saucer and swallowed its contents.

"Thank you, Professor, but I’m no longer thirsty and I don't like butterbeer." 

For the first time since you arrived at Hogwarts, his lips gave a hint of a smile.

"It's no matter. What do you suppose I did with the rest of the serum, hm?"

All the color drained from your face, your mouth opening and closing like you were a fish out of water. 

"The tea…"

Your professor chuckled, "Yes, the tea. Now, tell me, what were you doing in the Forbidden Forest after curfew?"

You couldn't stop them. It was as if you were possessed. The words came flowing out of you on their own accord.

"I was helping Hagrid feed his mythical creatures. He's in the infirmary sick and I offered to do it so he didn't have to." 

Severus narrowed his eyes. "How long have you been doing this?"

You swallowed thickly. “Since the first day of school. Some of the other Slytherin girls were bullying me so I went for a walk. It was then that I formally met Hagrid. He offered me his spare bedroom, and I’ve been sleeping there ever since…”

He rose to his feet and began pacing again, his hands behind his back. “And he lets you stay...for free?” 

“I can stay as long as I help him tend to the mythical creatures that live in the forest. He taught me everything he knows and I help him with feedings.”

Severus stopped and turned to face you. “Did you ever think of coming to me for help with the bullying? I am the Head of Slytherin you know.” 

Oh, how you wished you could hold back the words threatening to escape. No matter how hard you tried, it was no use.

“I was too nervous to come to you, Professor.”

He raised an eyebrow, his hands fidgeting out in front of him. He knew his presence intimidated most of the children attending Hogwarts, but he decided to use this to his advantage.

“Obviously...And why, do you suppose, I make you so nervous, Y/N?” 

“I suppose it’s because I’m in love with you.”

Your response came out just above a whisper, but he still heard every word. Out of every scenario in his mind, Severus did not expect you, a young woman, to say that. For a rare moment in his life, he was rendered speechless. It took him a moment to collect himself, but once he did he noticed your face was buried in your hands. Merlin, help him, you were crying and it was all his fault. 

He slowly moved to where you were laying and sat down so he was at your level. Without giving it any thought, he pulled you into his chest and began rubbing small circles on your back to soothe you.

“Merlin, what was I thinking? I shouldn’t have forced the truth out of you like that. Please...forgive me.”

You clutched at his robes and moved your tear-filled eyes to his.

“I forgave you the moment it happened, Professor.”

A few silent moments passed between the two of you and he continued to hold your gaze. Severus was the first to move. Ever so slowly, he leaned down to capture your lips. 

His mouth melded with yours perfectly, and he didn’t stop until his lungs demanded it. Your eyes closed, your forehead coming to rest against his.

“Professor I-”

He silenced you with another chaste kiss. “Severus…Call me Severus, Y/N.” 

“Please Severus…make love to me.”

His resolve broke the moment the plea fell from your lips. Severus gently laid you back and gently rid you of your tattered robes. His calloused hands slid over your smooth skin making your breath hitch. He peppered kisses down into the crook of your neck, his path moving to the space between your breasts.

“S-Severus...please…need you…”

He nipped playfully at your jaw and sat up slightly to take his shirt off.

“Patience, Y/N… I’ll take care of you.” 

Once he was bare before you he made his way between your legs. His touch was tentative, his fingertips brushing your folds gingerly. He circled your clit making you arch off the bed.

“Oh, Merlin!... Fuck!”

Severus chuckled and slid two of his fingers inside you curling them upwards.

“Bloody hell, you’re soaked, Y/N…”

He easily found the sensitive spot inside of you, the coil in your core winding tighter and tighter with each passing second.

“Please! Oh…shit… Se-Severus! M’gonna cum… please… please make me cum!”

His cock twitched at your words, precum leaking from the tip.

“Let go, Y/N...cum for me…”

With a cry of his name, you fell over the edge. Your chest heaved as you pulled him up for a heated kiss. 

“Need you, Sev. Need you inside me. Please…”

As carefully as he could, Severus lined himself up and pushed into you.

“Merlin, you’re so tight!”

His thrusts were steady and his kisses were fervent as he made love to you.

“Oh, fuck! Sev! Oh, you’re so good… so good, baby…”

Both of you wanted it to last, but it was clear you both needed the release more.

“Y/N, I won’t last much longer like this… you feel amazing...so amazing.”

You slid your fingers through his thick hair and pulled his mouth down to yours. “Cum with me, Severus…” 

A moment later, both of you soared into bliss together. His lips rested against your own and his body shook as he spilled into you, your walls clenching around his cock. Severus was spent as he settled behind you, his arm wrapped protectively around your waist.

“Y/N, I need to know you’re okay with this...with us…”

Threading your fingers with his, you planted a sweet kiss on the back of his hand.

“Severus, our love may be forbidden, but I’d choose you no matter what it cost me. I’ll take you as you are. Your highs, your lows, all of it. I’ll love you until my last breath.”

He turned you in his arms and cupped your cheek.

“I never thought I’d ever love another. Not after Lily, but seeing you in the forest like that sparked something in me. Something I haven’t felt for nearly fourteen years. I’ll spend forever protecting and loving you. 

As your eyes grew heavy, you felt a new sense of worth. Coming to Hogwarts was something you’d only dreamed of growing up. The moment you found your acceptance letter, you knew your life would change. You never thought you’d find someone to love here, but for once you were happy, and that’s all you’d ever wanted.

[slut4slytherinss]

These feelings

SEND REQUESTS!!

Summary: in which reader and Mattheo despise each other, until the moonflowers bloom.

1,767 words

Warnings: no mention of the Slytherin friend group, Tom is Mattheo’s dad in this, surprisingly I’ve managed to write no cursing so.. ooc Mattheo! Rushed and not proofread, a total cliffhanger.

2nd person pov

Gryffindor reader

Female reader

The air in the Potions classroom crackled with more than just the fumes of Bubotuber pus. Mattheo Riddle, the epitome of Slytherin arrogance, smirked across the cauldron at you, a Gryffindor simmering with righteous indignation. His obsidian eyes, a chilling reflection of his infamous father, held a challenge you couldn't resist.

"Looks like your concoction resembles swamp muck more than Veritaserum, Gryffindor," Mattheo drawled, his voice a silken threat.

You bristled, your retort sharp. "At least I haven't resorted to cheating, Riddle." You knew it was untrue, at least in this class, but the way he effortlessly manipulated his potion, his every movement oozing practiced superiority, grated on your nerves.

Professor Snape, his usual scowl deepening, swept between your cauldrons, his black robes billowing like a storm cloud. "Silence! Riddle, five points from Slytherin for your disruptive commentary. Y/n, another five from Gryffindor for accusations. Now, focus on your potions!"

The rest of the double Potions lesson crawled by, punctuated by stolen glances and silent barbs exchanged between you and Mattheo. You couldn't deny a strange pull towards him, a morbid fascination that warred with your Gryffindor loyalty. He was everything you loathed – a dark echo of the war that had ravaged the wizarding world – yet you couldn't tear your eyes away from his sharp features and the way his lips curled into a sardonic smile.

-

Days turned into weeks, the animosity between you a constant undercurrent. You'd clash in Defense Against the Dark Arts, your jinxes meeting his hexes in a flurry of sparks. In Herbology, you'd find his carefully tended Venomous Tentacula mysteriously wilting, a silent message that only you understood.

One blustery April evening, you were returning from the library, a stack of Transfiguration books threatening to topple over, when you bumped into someone. Books scattered across the wet cobblestones, a frustrated groan escaping your lips.

"Need a hand, Gryffindor?"

Looking up, you met Mattheo's gaze. The smirk was absent, replaced by a hint of amusement. You considered letting him wallow in your misfortune, but a flicker of something… kindness? in his eyes softened your resolve.

"Actually, yes," you admitted grudgingly.

Together, you gathered the books, a comfortable silence settling between you as you brushed dirt off the parchment. As you handed him a particularly heavy tome, your fingers brushed. A jolt of electricity shot through you, making you gasp.

Mattheo's eyes widened for a fleeting moment before he masked his surprise. "Seems you're not immune to all Slytherin charms, Gryffindor," he said, a hint of a challenge in his voice.

Heat flooded your cheeks. You snatched the book back, stammering, "It's nothing. Just… static." You turned to leave, desperate to escape the unexpected turn of events.

"Wait," Mattheo called out, his voice softer than you expected. He hesitated, then added, "The greenhouses are open tonight. The moonflowers are supposed to be blooming."

You stared at him, unsure of his motives. Was this another one of his games? Yet, the allure of the moonflowers, a rare and beautiful sight, was too strong to resist.

"Fine," you finally conceded, surprising yourself.

-

The walk to the greenhouses was filled with a tense silence. You stole glances at Mattheo, his profile sharp under the moonlight. He seemed different tonight, a vulnerability lurking beneath his usual arrogance.

Reaching the greenhouse dedicated to magical flora, you were greeted by the ethereal glow of moonflowers. Their petals, the color of moonlight itself, shimmered with an otherworldly beauty.

"They're… amazing," you whispered, mesmerized.

Mattheo stood beside you, uncharacteristically quiet. "They say they grant wishes," he said, his voice barely above a murmur.

You scoffed. "Wishes? Like childish fairy tales?"

He didn't answer, his gaze fixed on the moonflowers. You felt a sudden urge to know him better, to understand the darkness that clung to him like a shadow.

"Tell me about your father," you blurted out, the words catching in your throat.

Mattheo's head snapped towards you, his eyes hardening. "Don't," he growled, a dangerous edge to his voice.

Regret washed over you. You knew it was a forbidden topic, a raw nerve he wouldn't appreciate being prodded.

"I'm sorry," you mumbled, turning away.

A tense silence stretched between you and Mattheo, broken only by the soft hum of nocturnal insects. The ethereal glow of the moonflowers seemed to mock the awkwardness, their delicate beauty a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing within you.

"It's not that simple," Mattheo finally said, his voice low and strained. "He's powerful, yes, but there's more to him than just darkness. There's a reason some still follow him, a reason I can't entirely… disavow."

His words hung heavy in the air. You understood his hesitation. Voldemort, his father, was a symbol of pure evil, a name whispered in fear. Yet, a part of you couldn't help but feel a flicker of sympathy for Mattheo, burdened by the weight of such a legacy.

"Do you… fear him?" you asked softly, surprised by your own boldness.

Mattheo turned to you, his obsidian eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions you couldn't decipher. "Fear is a luxury I can't afford," he said finally. "But there's a constant… wariness. A knowledge that even the smallest misstep could have dire consequences."

You felt a pang of empathy for him. Despite his aloofness and occasional cruelty, Mattheo was just a boy, grappling with the burden of a monstrous father.

"You're not him, Mattheo," you said gently, placing a hand on his arm. "You have a choice."

He flinched at your touch, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. Then, slowly, he lowered his gaze to where your hand rested on his arm. The air crackled with unspoken tension, a silent question hanging between you.

The heat radiating from his arm beneath your touch was unexpected, a stark contrast to the coolness of the night air. His fingers twitched, a silent battle raging within him between acknowledging the connection and maintaining his usual stoic facade.

"I know," Mattheo said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "And that's exactly what scares me." He turned away, his back ramrod straight, but you could see the vulnerability flickering in his tightly held posture.

"What scares you?" you asked softly, stepping closer. He remained silent, his jaw clenched, until you reached out and gently brushed a stray strand of hair out of his eyes. His head snapped back, his gaze meeting yours, a storm of emotions brewing within.

"That this," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "this feeling… it weakens me." He gestured vaguely around the greenhouse, the unspoken implication clear - the vulnerability you represented put him at risk.

"Weakens you how?" you pressed, your voice a gentle challenge. "Makes you a target? Or makes you… feel something you haven't allowed yourself to feel before?"

A flicker of surprise crossed his face, followed by a grudging respect. He sighed, a tremor of vulnerability in the breath that escaped his lips. "Both," he admitted, his voice raw. "The truth is… I haven't allowed myself to feel anything for anyone other than myself in a long time."

His words hung in the air, a heavy confession. You understood. Growing up in the shadow of Voldemort, fear and suspicion were likely the only emotions he knew. The vulnerability he felt towards you was a foreign territory, something he didn't know how to navigate, something that scared him.

"Maybe that's not a bad thing," you said softly, your heart pounding in your chest. "Maybe feeling something, even fear, is better than feeling nothing at all."

He stared at you for a long moment, searching your eyes. In that moment, the air vibrated with unspoken emotions – a mixture of fear, curiosity, and a spark of something else entirely.

"Maybe," he finally conceded, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. The tension started to dissipate, replaced by a cautious curiosity.

Suddenly, the harsh clanging of the castle curfew bell echoed through the night. Both of you jumped, startled by the sound.

"We should get back," Mattheo said, his voice regaining its usual composure. He offered you his hand, the gesture unexpectedly formal.

You hesitated for a beat, surprised by the formality of his outstretched hand. It was a stark contrast to the raw vulnerability he'd just revealed. Was he retreating back behind his Slytherin mask, the emotional connection a fleeting aberration?

Taking a deep breath, you slipped your hand into his. The warmth from his touch sent a jolt through you, a silent confirmation that the moment hadn't been entirely imagined.

"We should," you agreed, your voice barely a whisper.

-

The walk back to the castle was filled with a comfortable silence, a stark contrast to the charged tension that usually surrounded your interactions. You stole glances at Mattheo, his profile etched sharp against the moonlight. He seemed different tonight, a vulnerability lurking beneath his usual arrogance, a flicker of hope battling the ever-present wariness in his eyes.

As you approached the castle grounds, the imposing silhouette of the building a stark reminder of the rules and boundaries that separated Gryffindors and Slytherins, Mattheo stopped abruptly.

"Wait," he said, his voice low.

You turned to face him, your heart pounding in your chest. He took a step closer, his hand reaching out to brush a stray curl behind your ear. His touch lingered for a moment, sending shivers down your spine.

"This…" he began, his voice husky, "this can't happen again, can it?"

His question hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. The danger of their connection, the weight of his family legacy, the very real possibility of getting hurt – all of it swirled in the space between you.

"I don't know," you admitted honestly. "But maybe…" you trailed off, searching his eyes. "Maybe it doesn't have to be like this. Maybe there's another way."

A flicker of surprise crossed his face, followed by a slow, hesitant smile. "Another way?" he echoed, a hint of hope creeping into his voice.

You stepped even closer, your voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe we can find a way to be… more. Not enemies, not exactly friends, but something in between. Something real."

He stared at you for a long moment, the moonlight glinting off the unshed tears in his eyes. Then, slowly, he reached out and cupped your cheek with his hand.

"Maybe," he breathed, his voice thick with emotion. "Maybe we can try."

The bell tolled once more, a harsh reminder of the world outside their bubble. With a final lingering look, Mattheo squeezed your hand gently before turning and disappearing into the shadows of the castle.

-

A/n: would you guys hate me if I ended it like that?

[ficswjackson]

favourite : severus snape fics 🦇

this will be a growing post where I will add more over time, you may see fics from here featuring on my favourite fics of list as well.

severus being ill by @frequent-apple

request | severus x oc severus is ill and y/n helps him, by looking after him.

[ nsfw ] come on time by @marvel-snape-writes

2.5k words | severus x oc. smut in the potions closest.

hair by @himegureisu

request | severus x reader severus snape and braids.

paternal figure by @seriouslysnape

5.6k words | severus x fem!reader severus and y/n are expecting,a. fic that goes through the nine months of pregnancy + how they live with it.

[ nsfw ] 'potion accident' by @frequent-apple

request | severus x oc potion accident, resulting in smut.

questions and answers by @himegureisu

request | severus x reader y/n and severus are marking exams, when y/n realises something about the way severus sets out his exams.

[ nsfw ] looking after severus by @frequent-apple

request | severus x oc femdom!reader y/n takes care of severus in the potions room.

you by @himegureisu

severus x fem!reader y/n's husband, severus, finally introduces you to his colleagues.

[ nsfw ] parchment by @frequent-apple

smut, straight up smut.

scarves and hats by @himegureisu

one shot ! severus x fem!reader y/n sends severus a scarf with their initials on as an apology.

[ nsfw ] dead man running by @seriiousgiirl

14k words | deatheater!severus x auror!reader y/n is consumed by hatred for your childhood friend and the person they love, severus and as events unfold unsettling truths come to the surface.

the yule ball (part 2) by @himegureisu

part 2 | severus x reader the yule ball is about to happen, and you arrive in the nick of time.

the cause of your happiness by @himegureisu

request | severus x dada!professor y/n is a professor and they always argue over the little things.

a momentary lapse in judgement by @himegureisu

request | severus x reader - y/n makes severus a plush of a cat.

joyful nightmares by @snowyslytherinowl

[siriuslychessi]

For the @jilychallenge a bit late since this was for July.

Partners: @tedwardremus and @thecasualauthor

AO3 | FF

Summer trip to (uninhabited, remote, idyllic holiday) island but by accident A & B are left behind alone (or they miss the boat back to main land or a shipwreck (boat wreck??) happens

James Potter could never stay still, it was a blessing and a curse. He could be bored to death in a class and he would always be restless somehow. He would either bounce his leg, write on the corner of his books and parchments, or play with a stolen Snitch when professors were not looking. 

It wasn’t James’ fault that he was so full of energy, he did try to stay still, he did try to seem like he was paying attention, but in reality he was bored in many of them. Having eidetic memory and an abundance of energy really played against him. 

However, when it came to classes outdoors James became much more serene. He loved Care of Magical creatures, going to the grounds exploring, or how he needed to get his hands dirty with Herboly, but what had gotten his attention lately was Astronomy. 

Professor Pruitt had a hands-on approach to teaching, he rarely liked the Tower for his teachings and was always testing their knowledge in the field (near the Forbidden Forest), which James was always excited for. And even if at first he took the class for an easy O, now it had become one of his favourite ones. 

For his 6th year students, Professor Pruitt had a surprise; they would travel to the coast to be able to watch a comet that passed near earth every 60 years, and this time around it would be visible in the southern part of the country. 

It meant a trip with the Astronomy class for two nights, maybe if the weather would allow it they might be able to enjoy a bit of the beach before returning to classes and tests, and all the things they needed to overcome before the end of the school year. One last trip of fun before going back to the responsibility of the upcoming reality that awaited them back home. 

James and his friends were beyond excited. Even if Sirius already knew the sky like the back of his hand, Remus was so determined to get as many O’s as possible that he learned everything he could from the book the Professor used for class. Peter was something to admire, he might not know every star, but knew every constellation name and their stories, and how they related to magical events. It was a thing of wonder.

All they could do was plan for the trip and hope that the usual group of bigoted students wouldn’t make things worse. 

Once they finally arrived at the Isles of Scilly the weather was amazing, it screamed to ditch the group and just got to the beach, however Professor Pruitt had other plans. 

“Before I lose you lads to the island, I must remind you that this is not a leisure trip, we are here with a purpose, and thus I must give you these.” The older man handled everyone a parchment with a copy of the assignment, “The comet will be visible around 4am, so we must get there before that and settle, some muggle bystanders might be around, so please refrain from using magic.” he explained, as he finished handling the paper, “You have been randomly paired, no you can not swap, and I expect a full report by the end of this trip. That is all.” 

James was sure that whomever he would be paired with it wouldn’t be too terrible. 

As he scanned the paper he heard a familiar voice exclaim: “Potter?!”

Lily had read the list of things they needed to measure and how to better calculate the trajectory of the comet to get accurate readings and optimal experience. She knew that celestial events affected living beings and that might affect the ingredients and steps in potion making, so she was taking this class fairly seriously, as she wanted to pursue a career in Potions. 

Everything seemed in order, instructions were straight forward, and she could actually picture herself relaxing before going to the top of the nearby mountain for a better view.

That was until she saw the name of the person she was paired with: James Potter.

The gods did not smile upon her, Lily had had a weird relationship with the fellow Gryffindor, they weren’t on bad terms at the moment, but she felt that they were not exactly friends. And in spite of him being a great student, and probably a great teammate, she just remembered how he could not stay put for more than 5 minutes. Which might infuriate her at the end of a long evening. 

After she, unintentionally, said his last name out loud, everyone in their group turned to her. The tone of her skin matching the one of her hair. 

“All right, Evans?” she heard James Potter asked.

Lily blushed harder. 

“Yes, just didn’t expect us to be paired.” she admitted, putting the parchment inside her back. 

James seemed like he was mulling over something, was she really that loud? Was her tone that annoyed? She didn’t want to go back to the awkward phase they were in after 5th year, once was enough. They have so many friends in common she did not want to go back to weather talk. 

“I thought somehow you would charm the papers to be with Sirius, we all know you two can not be apart.” she tried joking, making some eyes roll. 

“He knows he can’t have me forever, Red.” Sirius chipped in, “I should find McKinnon to sort the schedules.” he explained, patting James' shoulder, who looked disheartened, he was not looking at Lily, nor at Sirius leave. James was just nodding to his friend’s statement.

One by one they all went to their partners trying to come up with a plan where they could all enjoy and do the assignment. Leaving James and Lily alone to speak. 

James ran his hand through his hair, messing it more than it already was. Something she had noticed increased near herself. 

Did she make him nervous?

“We should also try to schedule our times.” she offered, hoping that it would be an olive branch more than anything. 

Every interaction with James and Lily seemed weird, they were not on bad terms, they were amicable towards each other, but it seemed that as much as they both changed (individually and as friends) things weren’t smooth. James was always afraid of saying the wrong thing, and Lily always believed she was too hard on her fellow classmate, when lately she could see more of his point than she cared to admit. 

After a lot of fidgeting from James, not knowing what to do with his pent up energy. And Lily’s rambling and blushing, they decided that they would each pack a bag with different things, a thermos of warm tea, and met in front of the hotel at 3am when the classroom decided to leave with the Professor. 

Both of them tried to enjoy their day with their friends and did a bit of exploring around, enjoying the different view from Scotland and Hogwarts grounds. And one would say that they would be exhausted after a day at the beach where they did anything but lay down and sunbathe. 

However, James’ restless energy was too much to be contained. He did try to get a few hours of sleep, tossed and turned in bed as his mind went over the things in his bag, making a mental list trying to not forget anything, if he did he was sure that the awkwardness between him and Lily would be more palpable. But in spite of double checking that everything was correct, he could not find rest. 

Checking the watch on his nightstand he saw that it was around 2am. He still had one hour to meet with Lily, and the rest of the class, and judging by how awake he really was it would be almost impossible to fall asleep.

Suddenly an idea formed, it wasn’t a particularly bold one, but it was better than staying in bed looking at the ceiling.

Gathering his things, leaving a note in the nightstand and trying not to wake his best mate sleeping in the bed next to his, he climbed down the room to the front of the little hotel and to the street. 

The night was chillier than he expected, the day was so warm that he forgot that they were still in the United Kingdom and not some tropical place. It was good that he decided to bring a jumper. 

During the day James and his friends went exploring around, they found the place where Professor Pruitt had decided to take his students to see the comet. It was a nice mountain that overviewed the island. He figured that he had enough time to go up there, set the equipment in the best spot; gain some points with Lily, and go back before they needed to meet. 

Some people might think he was crazy and he would be beyond exhausted when he would get back with the group. Hindering the project in the process. But James knew that it was the opposite, he would be the right kind of tired, where he would be useful instead of trying to stay still and failing in the process. 

That’s how his journey started, with a positive attitude and considering if he should get snacks after he got back. 

The moon was half full, making it ideal to see the sky but also to not trip over the walk, and the path to the viewing spot wasn’t steep, with a good pace anyone could make it up and back. 

Due to the hour James imagined the path to be deserted, he figured he could transform into Prongs once he was more hidden by the surrounding trees, enjoying the freedom of running around a new landscape. It would be a great way to go and come back, doing even better time; not wanting to be late in case Lily decided to be there earlier than what they had agreed upon. 

Closing his eyes he focused on the familiar shapes of Prongs; the long legs, the white fur, the itchy antlers that were about to shade. Everything to evoke the perfect transformation. 

Feeling the familiar pull in his gut he let every other thought out from his head…

“What are you doing here?” a familiar voice asked.

Of all the times that James expected to hear Lily Evans’ voice, in the middle of a transformation was not one of them. He knew things could go wrong if he did not focus and he tried his best to stop the spell as it were. It seemed that his body listened better than his brain.

“I couldn’t sleep.” he admitted, turning to look at her. 

Lily’s cheeks were sunkissed, James could see that she had spent a day at the beach. She would probably have a few more freckles after the trip. James found himself thinking. 

“So you decided to sneak out and go for a walk,” it wasn’t accusatory, it was matter-of-fact.

“If I stay in, I'll start waking everyone up, figured it would be best if I did something useful with my energy.” he shrugged, readjusting one of the straps of his backpack. 

“Seems we were both thinking the same thing.” 

Lily smiled at James, and it seemed all of the tension and worry from earlier had vanished; his shoulders relaxed, and he found himself smiling back at her. Maybe this wouldn’t be a disastrous pairing after all.

“Where were you planning on going?” Lily asked.

James blushed, he really didn’t want to be seen as the dork that wanted to be prepared, but it was true that was what he was thinking. “I thought maybe I could go and grab us a good spot to watch the comet.” he admitted, hoping she wouldn’t think he was the biggest dork in history. 

“Oh,” she sounded surprised, James was not sure how he felt about that. 

“That sounds like a great idea.” Lily added, as she was wondering why she didn’t think of that herself. She just wanted to get rid of some energy before the class gathered. 

They started walking in silence uphill, there was nothing much to distract them from the awkwardness. It was not that they didn’t have anything in common, just that Lily believed that everything she said sounded like a scolding, when she didn’t mean to. And James believed every word he uttered around Lily (unsupervised) was terrible or misconstructed. 

His body reacted oddly to that silence. He needed to say something, do something, other than just walk straight in that slow pace, so instead of following the boring old path he decided that he should skip along the logs that delimited the path from the woods. 

Lily looked at James as he balanced on each log precariously. “Don’t you ever do something normal?” she asked, genuinely curious, he never seemed to just follow a straight path or instructions, there was always a work around. Something that the other people would not do or think about. 

“What do you mean?” he asked, still walking, feeling his anxiety lower when he had to focus on balance.

Lily chuckled. He looked a bit childish, but in the best way, she didn’t remember the last time she played at anything like that. She had too many responsibilities and expectations in her to let go. 

“You never do what’s expected, if you go on a path instead of going through the designated area for walking you go on the sidelines. If a professor asks you for an assignment you always ask a million questions on the importance of said work, like you never do just what is expected of you, you are always too curious to just follow what has already been set up. It’s a bit unnerving.” She admitted, making James’ heart sink a little. “It is also refreshing.” she admitted finally, not really looking at him, she believed that even with the darkness of the night he would still see her blush.

James chuckled at her words, “Why don’t you try it?” he offered, “Who is to say that you are not supposed to walk on these if you want a less taciturn experience?” he continued, “There are a few things that can only be looked from one point of view, my parents taught me that, they always taught me to ask a lot of questions.” he admitted “Besides, if you don’t come up here, you wouldn’t notice there is a stream below that looks gorgeous under the dim moonlight.” 

Lily was surprised by that, it seemed great to ask a lot of questions when facing things that seemed a bit unfair and out of touch, but some things were too straight forward for you to be questioning them. However, at James’ mention of a different view she now was eager to see what was to look at things under his perspective. 

She climbed on the log as he did, looking at the creek below them, and as James said it was gorgeous, like something unperturbed by the humans that passed through that path every day. It made Lily wonder what else James saw that the rest of them did not. 

The walk got easier from them, at least in terms of conversation. It got easier to understand each other after that, setting aside past prejudices and trying to see things from each other’s perspective. 

Lily learned that James’ parents asked him as many questions as he asked everyone else, trying to have an open and interesting relationship with his son. James learned that Lily put a lot of other people’s expectations on her shoulder trying to be the perfect friend, sister and daughter, and understood a bit better why she always seemed to be so stern even when in reality she was funny and witty, and as curious as James.

They continued to chat amicably, conversation grew easily the more time it passed. James was glad for it, and Lily seemed to be relaxing a bit more now that there was nothing more than a walk. 

At some point Lily got distracted, she was not sure how he lost her footing, if it was a tricky log, slippery, or her body was too tired and she did not realise it. But all in all she knew she was falling to the creek and she could just hear herself scream and trying to hold on to something to stop it. 

“Lily!” James was heard yelling after her. And then she felt something warm and soft around her, making her fall soft as she rolled downhill. James had stopped it. 

“Are you okay?” Lily heard James ask, and she took account of her body. She was a bit sore, and she knew she would hurt more later on, but it all seemed okay at the moment. 

“Yes, I think so. Just a bit wet.” she admitted, as she knew they got to the creek by unconventional ways, all she wanted to do was get up and dry herself, get back to the path so they could get to see the comet. However, life had other plans.

As soon as Lily put weight on her foot, a searing pain went up her leg, making her scream at the top of her lungs and falling back down on her bum. 

James hurried to duck next to her and looked all over to see any injuries, “Where?” he was frantic as he saw the colour drained from Lily’s face. 

“Foot.” was all she could muster, as she breathed the pain away. Slowly managing to get the unbearable pain to a low throb.

“Okay, it’s going to be okay,” he moved his hand, a little wince as he pulled his wand and showed it was broken in half. “Fuck.” he muttered. Lily’s eyes went as wide as they could. 

“Oh no, James your wand, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He was panting as her, maybe he hit something as well, they took a pretty nasty fall, but he seemed okay in spite of not having his wand. “Maybe we can use yours? I know a few casting spells to keep that not moving until we get back.” he explained, but as Lily went to retrieve her wand she felt nothing in her pocket. 

“I think it might have fallen.” she said quietly, hating that she hadn’t learned yet how to accio it back, she had been trying but there was so much on her plate at the moment. 

“We can come back with light and try to find it. But first we need to get out of here.” He took off his backpack, wincing again, making Lily worry.

“Are you okay yourself?” Lily asked worriedly. 

“Brill, just sore.” he lied, but Lily did not have to know that on top of her nasty sprain, he had sprained his wrist as well. He could endure, he had had worse with Quidditch matches and Snape’s & Co. hexes. “You do know how to fall.” he tried teasing her worries away, instructing her to put the backpack herself. “You’ll carry it, I’ll carry you.” 

Instructions were easy enough, Lily just had to lay off her foot, and James was already turning around so Lily could climb onto his back, arms around his neck, legs around his waist. Making Lily feel a bit embarrassed. 

“Isn’t it too heavy? You could go up and get someone.” she offered, worried that he was doing too much. 

“I won’t leave you here all alone in the middle of the night.” James was not taking no for an answer, he was just waiting for Lily to feel secure to start climbing the steep hill himself. 

Lily could hear the grunts from pain and effort coming out of James, she was not sure why he was going above and beyond for someone that he wasn’t as close with, even though she was grateful that he didn’t leave her in the middle of nowhere with a swollen ankle. 

It took longer than if he had gone alone to climb back to the path. They almost slipped back a couple of times but James managed to get them up safely. 

“We are closer to the viewing point than the hotel.” he explained as he sat Lily on one of the logs for a moment while his breath evened out. “We should wait there for the others, not sure if they’ll take this path or the one that goes around the beach.” he said, looking down the path hoping to see or hear something, but he didn’t.

When he turned around he could see Lily was still a little pale and shivering from the soreness and dampness of her clothes. “Here,” he said, offering his jacket.

The redhead looked at him and shook her head, “You’ll need it, the temperature is lowering.”

James chuckled, a bit uneven, “I’m carrying you around, I’m actually a bit hot.” he admitted looking her in the eyes, something he didn’t dare to do often. “Take the jacket, Evans, I’ll be warm enough I didn’t fall in the water.” 

Lily didn’t need too much persuasion, soon she was putting the jacket and getting the backpack on once more, before they parted towards the comet viewing place. 

It didn’t take long for them to reach a spot. It was exactly what was marked on the map the Professor gave them. 

James had prepared some blankets for them to sit on, he put one below them so they would not sit on the cold hard floor, and grabbed the second one to replace his jacket. Noticing Lily still shivering he sat behind her, allowing her back to be up to his chest. 

“What are you doing?” she asked, not putting too much of a fight, she was exhausted, in pain but she needed to admit that James’ warmer body behind hers felt nice. Even if the position was a little odd for two friends to be in. 

“Relax, we just have one blanket left, and your back is all wet. Don’t want you to catch a cold, but don’t want to catch my death either.” he mumbled behind her, reaching out for his bag, wincing a bit as he got a hold of it. 

“You got yourself hurt too, why didn’t you say anything?” she said holding his hand, examining his wrist, that looked swollen from a sprain and the effort to carry her. 

James blushed knowing exactly why he didn’t say anything, she would argue with him that they could both wait by the creek, but that would mean she would be colder and it would be almost impossible for them to be seen by the others. She would insist that they should both rest, or that he would go without her, and he would not have that. 

“I’m used to it, I get injured in Quidditch all the time. Don’t worry about it.”

“Of course I worry! I care about you, you bloody idiot, we could have come up with a different plan!” she could not believe he had been that careless, he could endanger his Quidditch career because of it. It wasn’t like they were in mortal peril, they could wait for morning, their grades were not that important, his well being was more important than that.

“You were going to suggest to leave you there, or to wait there while you get even wetter, colder and with less and less chance of us getting found by the group. And I was not going to risk you for a sprain that I’m sure Sirius will heal as soon as he gets here." There was no discussion to be had, she was not going to convince him to have left her behind, no amount of Quidditch and future prospects he had, a human life was more important. 

Lily tried to argue as she saw him taking a thermos out of the bag, she helped him with it since she knew he would be hurting even if he did not show it. “I still deserved to be told, I’m not a damsel in distress, I can think for myself, even come up with something other than staying behind. I don’t appreciate not having a say.” She opened the thermos and poured what seemed to be hot tea. 

James felt embarrassed, of course she should have had a say in all, but he was thinking on his feet more than dismissing her ideas. “Drink, it’ll do you good.” he added softly. 

“It’ll do you good as well, you must also be cold.” She gave him the cup and waited for him to drink to pour herself a cup. 

After they drank the tea they just stay there, next to each other, keeping the warmth of their bodies by proximity and hoping that sooner rather than later they would be found. 

After a while Lily murmured “Thanks,” back to James, “for not leaving me behind.” she added, for good measure, to which he replied “No need.”

Their bodies’ tiredness won over after they made themselves as comfortable as possible, and soon enough slumber took over, each other enjoying the safe company of the other. That is how the class found them: sound asleep, dirty, and hugging each other.

[aphrodisiac-siren]

Slytherin Aemond x Reader ~Hogwarts AU

Part 3

You instinctively scoffed when you felt his presence next to yours at the table in the dining hall.

Aemond rarely ever sat next to you but given the events of the previous night, he decided to pick a spot at your left, awkwardly looking toward you as you read the notes for today's quiz.

"Are you feeling any better?" he stiffly asked, his amber wood cologne toning down the smell of whiskey and smoke that lingered around him.

"Yes, I'm fine" you irritatedly said, aggressively flipping through the pages of your notebook. You weren’t particularly upset at him, you were just mad you managed to get drunk one night before a test.

"Oh don’t mind her" Alys casually stated as she cut herself a slice of toast in half, noticing the confusion on Aemond's face "she's been like this all morning with everyone"

"Shh" you sharply hissed, causing your best friend Alys to giggle. She found it adorable how seriously you took these small tests that absolutely did not count nor contribute to your grade.

Aemond pressed his lips into a line, nodding at Alys' statement before he reached out to grab himself a cup of tea. From your hostile disposition, which wasn’t uncommon from you before any test though this was the first time he had approached you when you were in one of those moods, he had concluded that you had absolutely no memory of the previously night.

Wrong. He was so wrong. You remembered all of it.

How could you be stupid enough to chug an entire bottle of dragon barrel brandy? And then furthermore, proceed to let it slip to Aemond that you found him attractive.

There was another thing that you seem to have a hazy memory of, something that barely even felt like it had happened.

Aemond had called you beautiful.

You knew it wasn’t impossible for Aemond to fancy someone but you did know that much that it would never be you. How could he like someone to who he barely ever spoke? And judging by his cold and mysterious nature, it was very uncharacteristic of him to blatantly state that he found someone, or in this case you, beautiful.

Alcohol was a nuisance.

As soon as breakfast was done with, you and Alys headed off to potions class. The quiz went better than expected and even though Aemond had offered to let you copy off his sheet since you didn’t get to study much after the party, you managed to write the entire paper without copying a single word off his test.

You knew that even if you weren’t prepared, you wouldn’t copy off of his sheet. You wouldn’t let him feel that level of superiority.

By the time you turned in your paper, the other's had left.

"Ah, finally done I see" professor Slughorn smiled as he took the long sheet of parchment from you "oh and uh, would you mind giving Mr Targaryen his textbook back? I borrowed it earlier at the beginning of class and seemed to have forgiven to return it to him when he was on his way out"

"He'll be at quidditch practice now sir" you told, knowing well the schedule of when the grounds were occupied by your house's team "can't one of his mates give it to him?"

"Yes go on and call on one of his mates, oh wait- you can’t now, can you?" he chuckled as he reminded you playfully that you were the only one left in the class "you needn’t have to give to him right this instant. You are from the same house, just meet him in the common room"

You sighed, taking the book from him and putting it into your bag. You didn’t have any more classes for another hour and a half so you decided to go back and read in the common room. Alys had taken herbology so she, unlike you, did not have a free period. By the time you'd reached the stairway to the Slytherin common room, you remembered that the password had changed as it did every few weeks and you hadn’t bothered to take a look at the new password that was pinned on the little board by the dorm rooms. You would’ve asked someone but oddly enough to your inconvenience there was no one by that stairway.

Huffing in annoyance, you decided to make better use of your time and headed for the grounds to return to Aemond his textbook.

The walk wasn’t too long and you were at the boys' practice in no time. You expected for them to be up in the air, brainstorming defence strategies but all you could see them do was run around the field, dodging a bludger that they'd let loose. They were acting like children, laughing and running about shirtless and they all looked up to keep an eye out for the jinxed sports ball.

"Oi- watch it!"

Aemond harshly pulled you toward him, seconds before the bludger slammed into the ground right where you were stood moments ago.

"Thought you lot would be practising" you raised a brow, clearly judging them "perhaps your last victory has made you a little too confident"

"Confidence is good" Aemond said almost in an instant.

"Fine line between confidence and over-confidence, Aems" you grinned "confidence is when you've practised hard enough to know you'll win the next match. Overconfidence is believing you look good enough to be walking around without a shirt on"

Aemond chuckled at your statement. He knew the latter part of your reply held no truth. The boy was well aware of his good physique; his toned abs and slightly buff arms would leave many girls drooling at the sight if they were permitted to watch practice.

"Confidence is when I know you like what you see" he matched your grin "overconfidence is you thinking you could just waltz into our practice when you know you aren’t allowed here"

"You call this practical?" you eyed one of the boys in the distance who tried to grab ahold of the bludger but instead missed and ran straight into another one of his teammates, sending them both to the ground.

"Did you come here to critique us or is there another reason behind your visit?" Aemond asked; as captain, he most certainly did not like you commenting on his team.

You reached into your bag and pulled out his book, shoving it to his chest as you briefly mentioned that professor Slughorn had asked you to give it to him.

"And for the record" you added as you were zipping your bag shut "I most certainly do not like what I see"

"Odd" Aemond pretended to be lost in thought "that's not what you told me last night"

You could feel the heat rise to your cheeks and you couldn’t tell if it was embarrassment or irritation. Aemond grinned at you.

"From what I recall, you too had something to say about me" you immediately blurted out, knowing full well that it most likely was something that never even happened.

"So you aren’t flat out denying that you did state something last night that hinted that you-"

"No" you quickly shut him up but the silence only lasted for a few seconds.

"Allow me to coach you on what confidence and cowardice is," he said, taking your little English lesson a little further, softening his voice so that the others might not hear him "cowardice is you refusing to admit you find me attractive meanwhile confidence, is me not hesitating to remind you that I do in fact think you are beautiful"

Aemond didn’t know what had possessed him to repeat his statement from last night; the very same statement that he was hopeful you'd forgotten.

It was unlike him to compliment someone with such boldness, especially since neither of you were really close.

Perhaps it was the jealousy he'd locked away years ago, back when his older cousin Draco Malfoy was still attending Hogwarts.

He remembered seeing you the first day he'd boarded the train, at the age of eleven. He was a shy little fellow at the time, not as good with words as he was now.

That was the very first time he'd seen you, wandering about the train hoping to find someplace for you to sit for the entirety of the train ride to Hogwarts.

He'd found you pretty, that much he could recall clearly. He was hoping you would ask him if you could join him, hoping that you were just as sweet at you seemed. Hoping to make a new friend.

Instead, you went and sat along with some of the second years who had sweetly offered for you join them.

That was the first time Aemond felt his heart drop with disappointment.

After you had been sorted into the same house as him, Aemond had felt a tinge of hope; maybe now he would have a chance of befriending you.

Y/N, he thought to himself, her name suites her. He hadn’t been able to talk to you to even ask your name. It was only when your name was announced during the sorting hat ceremony did he find out what you were called.

He waited patiently as you happily hopped off the little stool, making your way to the Slytherin table. He even scooted a bit to the side to make the space next to him much more evident. Instead, when you had reached the table, you went and sat next to some of the older children.

Why didn’t you want to sit beside him when there was a perfectly empty spot available? Was it because of his silly eye patch? Did you find him too ugly to have as your friend?

That was the second time Aemond felt his heart drop with disappointment.

In his fourth year, his cousin Draco managed to get a lot closer to you. It was no secret within the house that Draco Malfoy had taken a liking toward Y/N. What annoyed him, even more, was that Draco knew of Aemond's slight fancy for you but still proceeded to try his own luck with you anyway.

Aemond remembered, clear as day, when Slytherin had won a quidditch match against Hufflepuff and Draco immediately left to find you after the game while the rest of the team hit the showers. Once Aemond had changed into a clean set of clothes, he walked out of the locker room only to find you and Draco kissing at the other end of the long corridor.

That was the third time Aemond felt his heart drop with disappointment.

He remembered the battle of Hogwarts that took place when the both of you were in your fifth year.

You and Draco had broken up, no one knew why but it was rumoured that it was because you found out that he'd joined the death eaters.

Aemond fought in close proximity with you that entire time, his eye never letting you out of his vision. He remembered how at one point Draco was asked to pick between Hogwarts or the dark lord; how his father and mother pressured him into joining them. How shattered you looked when you saw Draco leave your side to stand by them.

I'm still here, Aemond thought as he looked at you from the corner of his eye, I've been here the entire time, If only you bothered to look at me.

But no, it was clear that your heart was still beating for Draco despite him leaving you all to join the dark lord, granted that it was imposed upon him to do so. You still wanted Draco and not Aemond.

That was the fourth time Aemond felt his heart drop with disappointment.

By the time Aemond entered into his sixth year, he'd gone though a big change. His hair was a bit outgrown, his height increased and his voice a bit deeper and huskier. His shoulders were broad and because of the extensive practice, his skills at quidditch too had improved- making him the captain. All of a sudden girls were swooning for him, sending him letters or other gifts of admiration

The attention was a bit overwhelming at first but despite his spike in popularity among the girls, it did not spark any interest from you. You barely even spoke to him unless it was while you both studied in the library or a bit of small talk on your way to class.

Even when you attended parties, you never really spoke much to him. You were at last his friend, ever since you both were paired together to wok on an assignment but beyond that, there was no room for anything else to grow. By the looks of it, you seemed to want nothing more from him other than him just simply being your classmate.

That was the fifth time Aemond felt his heart drop with disappointment.

Now it was his last year at Hogwarts and suddenly, he began to dread the idea of finishing school without ever securing a chance with you. Perhaps that was what made him blurt out that he found you beautiful.

Perhaps

Perhaps not

But either way, he knew he wasn’t going to graduate without even trying his luck with you.

[allycat319]

Unlikely Affection Chapter 21: Dumbledore's Army

Apparently, the curse that Umbridge invented for the quill heals the wound once you've finished writing the sentence and then re-scratches the sentence into your skin…over and over, and by the end of the punishment I was leaving the classroom with a raw, red scar on the top of my hand.

When I made it to the common room I contemplated what I was going to do about it. I could write to my grandfather and tell him about the torture I was forced to sit through. But of course that would mean pulling him away from the ministry and that is never a good idea. In the end, I decided to wrap up my hand in gauze and go to bed. I refused to give Umbridge the satisfaction of my blabbing to McGonagall or my grandfather.

The next morning my hand was throbbing less but I still kept it wrapped, I hoped to avoid any unwanted questions. But of course, leave it to Edwin to play junior detective and hound me throughout breakfast.

“What happened to your hand? It wasn’t like that when I saw you yesterday evening.” He asked, shoving a piece of toast into his mouth.

“Oh…I burned it on the railing of the fireplace in the dorm.” I lied and apparently, he wasn’t convinced.

“I have known you since birth... Are you really going to try and lie to me?” He cocked a brow at me and I sighed.

“Just drop it, Edwin.” I snapped, grabbing my bag from under my feet and hurrying out of the Great Hall and towards the Divination classroom.

***Later That Day***

Severus was not in the classroom or his office when I arrived for my free period, so I decided to grab some of the ungraded parchments from his desk and start marking. I had gotten through around half when the door to the classroom opened and the dungeon bat swept in, his robes bellowing behind him. I was quick to hide my scarred left hand in the sleeve of my robes in hopes that he would not see it, but I knew from the moment our eyes met, that something was off.

“Come here.” He said simply and I stood from his desk and walked over to where he was standing in the middle of the room.

He opened his arms and pulled me into a hug, I rested my head on his chest and sighed at the comforting contact after the traumatic events of my detention. However, my potions master had ulterior motives for his affection because before I could pull away he reached behind himself and grabbed my wrists pulling them around to his front and holding them steady in front of us.

He glared down at the top of my left hand and my heart rippled in my chest. “Who did this?” He sneered, his eyes never leaving my hands.

“It’s nothing.” I tried to pull away from his grip but he gripped me a little tighter, not enough to hurt but enough that I stopped pulling. “Please just leave it be.”

“Sit.” He instructed, pointing at the chair across from his desk, and of course, I complied.

“What have I told you? You are mine…therefore you are under my protection. I will not ask again…Who. Did. This.” His voice was dangerously calm and I decided then to accept defeat.

“Umbridge.” I sighed. “It turns out her detentions are worse than yours.” He held onto my left hand and pulled me gently into his office.

Severus walked to the cabinet in the corner and grabbed a small vial, pouring some of the contents on a white cotton rag he retrieved from the same cabinet.

When he walked back over to me he didn’t say anything. He just knelt in front of me and reached for my afflicted hand, dabbing the white cloth over it gently. The scar began to vanish as he rubbed the unknown potion over my hand.

“What is that?” I asked when he was finished, flexing my hand and admiring my now untarnished skin.

He stood and placed the rag on his desk and then leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s a potion of my own design, a fair bit stronger than Dittany.”

“Thank you.” I smiled

His face softened “Thank Finley…He is the one that told me about your hand.”.

“That blabbermouth!” I stood from the chair and began pacing the small room. “I told him to just leave it alone…But of course, he runs to you.” I growled.

“He simply expressed that you were injured and refused to tell him what happened. He asked that I get to the bottom of it because “She can’t hex you, Professor.’” He mocked Edwin's voice which was a fair amount higher than his own and my anger dissolved immediately and I began to laugh.

“He’s not wrong…You’re a much better duelist than I am.” I giggled.

“I would hope so considering I am twice your age with a complete magical education.”

“And a background in dark magic…” I added and his smirk dropped. I threw my hands up in mock fear “I am just messing with you. Don’t curse me.” He rolled his eyes but I could see the twinkle of amusement hidden deep in those piercing black orbs.

“Enough of the nonsense and your adorable deflecting…Have you spoken to Minerva?”

“Absolutely not! It just gives toad face the satisfaction and I refuse to do it.”

“Aurora you need to-”

“No.” I interrupted him. “Promise me you won’t say anything.”

His jaw clenched and he closed his eyes, trying to contain his annoyance. “If it is your wish, I will keep silent…But if she so much as glances in your direction for longer than necessary…” He trailed off but I got the idea.

When I arrived at dinner that evening Edwin was already sitting at the table with an empty seat reserved for me beside him.

I plopped down in the empty seat and glared at him. “Stool pigeon,” I growled and he smiled weakly.

“I’m sorry…But I knew if you wouldn’t talk to me it had to be something really bad and he was the only one I knew to go to.” He glanced down meekly as he spoke and then he caught sight of my now undamaged hand. “See, he fixed it!”

I knew I could, in no way stay mad at Edwin, he had my best interests at heart after all and maybe this would be a turning point in him not being terrified of Severus. He did feel comfortable enough to go to him about what Umbridge did and that could be the one plus out of this whole situation.

As we ate, I told Edwin about Marigold’s offer since I didn’t have the chance to tell him everything yesterday. He was stunned, to say the least, and I was told to tell her that he would be delighted to take any help she would be willing to offer. I, of course, joked about him having to actually talk to her in order for this ‘study session’ to go anywhere and he promised me he would be able to carry a conversation and that I had nothing to worry about. I wasn’t convinced but I just agreed to let him figure it out with Marigold the rest of the way.

Edwin also told me that Harry had ended up in detention with Umbridge too and that she had inflicted the same torment on him earlier that day. Apparently, she was not a fan of the fact he spoke out of turn in her class to yell at her and insist that the Dark Lord had returned. Ron, Hermione, and Edwin had spent a great deal of time that evening before dinner trying to convince Harry to tell McGonagall and he refused, stating the same thing I did…To avoid giving her the satisfaction.

The next few weeks were utter hell on Earth. Harry told McGonagall about Umbridge’s detention the day after it happened and it seemed to cause an out-of-control spiral toward a ministry-controlled Hogwarts. Umbridge was appointed ‘High Inquisitor’, which meant that she was able to do most of what Professor Dumbledore was capable of and she was backed by The Minister at every turn. Not only was she harassing students and enacting ridiculous ‘Educational Decrees’, but she was also reviewing all of the teachers and patrolling the corridors waiting for anyone to break one of her declarations.

I knew it had gotten really bad when I walked into the potions classroom to help Severus grade and he was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands. I dropped my bag on one of the workbenches and rounded the desk, placing my hands on his shoulders and massaging gently.

He groaned in appreciation and I leaned down and kissed his neck. “Rough day?” I asked and he groaned again.

“To say the least.” He mumbled. “That woman is driving me mad.”

“I know, Ron told me.” Severus sat up quickly and I jumped back. “What?” I asked, shocked by his abrupt movements.

“Weasley told you that Umbridge reviewed me this afternoon? Why would Weasley be telling you something that concerns me if he did not have suspicions about us?”

“Woah woah woah.” I raised my hands in front of me defensively “Calm down…He just told me because he was laughing about you getting the third degree from her. That’s all, no suspicion.” He sighed at that and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“My apologies Little Star. I’m a bit riled up.”

“I understand. I’m surprised you even entertained her, usually, people know you aren’t the most welcoming to criticism.” I said, walking around and sitting on the desk in front of him.

He placed his hands on my knees. “I had no choice but to entertain her. If I did not, it would have been the sack.”

“She can’t fire you. She isn’t Dumbledore.” I said defiantly and Severus chuckled.

“Is there anything I can help you do?” I asked, hopping down from his desk. “I know you’re stressed, I can help grade and take some of the burden off of you?”

Severus shook his head. “Unfortunately while Umbridge is in power, you need to be in your common room before curfew…Otherwise, it’s detention for you.”

I sighed but ultimately agreed and kissed Severus goodbye for the evening. I knew having Umbridge around was going to make evenings more difficult because of her overzealous need to keep up with ministry policies at Hogwarts. I was hoping that I would be given special permissions as a student assistant, but no…I was forced to obey the strict rules like everyone else and it was not fun.

It became even less fun when we were all gathered out in the courtyard while she sacked Professor Trelawney. She was not my favorite Professor, but she did not deserve to be embarrassed in front of the entire student body. Luckily for her, Dumbledore made his entrance into the courtyard and stopped Umbridge from ‘banishing’ Trelawney from the grounds of the school.

Edwin approached me a few days later and informed me that this weekend Harry, Ron, and Hermione were going to be gathering with some other interested students at the Hogs Head to start a secret society. Where we would be taught how to use defensive magic against the threats that Umbridge refused to teach us to protect ourselves from.

I knew that I couldn’t tell Severus about the secret meeting this weekend, so when he asked what my plans were I told him that Edwin and I were going to Hogsmead to drink butterbeer and study. Thankfully he believed me and when Saturday morning rolled around, Edwin and I made our way through the snow to the old run-down bar to enlist in Dumbledore’s Army.

[hmsmiracles]

Avalanche

0.6k words | Read on AO3 (also available in French) or FFN (also available in French)

*

“I could use another glass,” said Sirius, getting up from his chair. “Anyone else?”

“A butterbeer, please,” replied Hermione, which was met with nods from Ron and Harry. George lifted his still-full butterbeer and clinked it with Fred’s, which sat on the table, acting as a paperweight for whatever plans the twins were hunched over. Fred waved Sirius off, intently reading from the potions book he had ‘subtly’ taken from Hermione’s stack.

“Refill,” was all Remus said as Sirius passed him, pushing the tumbler into Sirius’ stomach. 

Harry looked up from the chess game he was losing at. “I’ll help,” he said, following Sirius into the kitchen.

After a few seconds, Hermione dropped her book on her lap. “Oh no.” She crossed her fingers on both hands. Even with her softly spoken words, the other four occupants of the room looked over at the shut-eyed girl.

It was Remus who spoke first, recognizing the muggle gesture of the crossing of fingers, “Hermione? What’s wrong?”

Then, a crash from the kitchen and a strangled yell. Hermione’s eyes popped open.

“He found my avalanche.”

Hermione and Remus locked wide eyes, and then Remus started howling with laughter, wheezing out sounds. "What does that mean?"

Then,

“REMUS!!”

And,

“There’s no need to shout, Sirius!”

“It’s my house, Molly, I’ll shout if I want to!”

Hermione, very worried and trying not to laugh herself, spoke quickly, "remember earlier when I said 'I'm trying not to create a butterbeer avalanche' and Fred said to 'let it happen?'"

Fred and George, having caught on to what had happened, joined Remus and Hermione in their laughter this time.

"So I let it happen..." Hermione worried her lip anxiously as the kitchen door slammed.

Which, obviously, was George's cue to yell, "Hey Sirius, could I get a butterbeer?"

When Harry and Sirius returned and Sirius glared at Remus, Remus only pointed at Hermione, who grinned sheepishly up at him. Harry started explaining the events of the kitchen to Ron.

Sirius’ eyebrows rose, and he pointed at Hermione, silently asking if it was her who caused the butterbeer avalanche.

Hermione nodded, pressing her lips together to try not to laugh.

Sirius squinted his eyes, huffed out a breath, and sat back down in his chair. “You’re lucky I like you,” he said, harshly placing the bottle on the table next to her.

"Um... Where's mine?" asked George.

"Oh, you absolutely don't get one." With that, Sirius handed Remus his drink and went back to their conversation.

Hermione grinned.

“I think,” said Fred, “I’m going to get ‘he found my avalanche’ tattooed.”

“The delivery… mwah,” added George, miming a little kiss.

“Would you write it down,” Fred asked, dropping an elbow to the ground and grinning up at Hermione from his position on the floor, “so I have something to show the tattoo artist?”

Hermione, about to reply, was interrupted by Ron. “Oi, gits! Stop making fun of her!”

Leaving Hermione in her confusion over the interjection (she didn’t think they were making fun of her…?), everyone turned back to what they were doing before Sirius left to get drinks.

Slipping a spare bit of parchment onto the closed cover of her book, Hermione grabbed a quill and wrote something down.

Thirty minutes later Ginny came to get them for supper, lamenting being stuck in the kitchen with Molly all day.

And Hermione slipped the parchment onto Fred’s notes as he and George tidied them up.

He had say tattooed. Hermione knew the makings of a bet when she heard it.

[bakuliwrites]

A Distant Past- Gortash x My Tav

Rating: Mature Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3 Pairing: Enver Gortash x OC Tags: Slightly suggestive, a bit of angst, Gortash spoilers, BG3 spoilers, pre-events of Baldur's Gate 3, Gortash backstory, OC backstory A/N: I have no idea when I'm going to get around to writing my fic about my Tav, Orlando, but I'm coming up with all sorts of content for it. It's just completely out of order. So, here's a little mini-fic which will be featured in my eventual fanfic. For context, this occurs after Gortash and my Tav have escaped the House of Hope, but years before the events of Baldur's Gate 3 :) Want to know more about my Tav? Check her out here

Lifting his head from his cluttered desk, Enver pinches the bridge of his nose, willing the pressure of a nascent migraine to dissipate. He’s been working for hours, maybe even days, with little to show for it. Unfinished, half-baked ideas litter his workspace and he’s certain his five o’clock shadow has progressed into full beard territory. His dark eyes flick over to where Orlando is scratching away at some parchment, the grip on her quill irontight. The Tiefling’s forehead is crinkled in concentration, as she is no doubt absorbed in formulating some new potion derived from her luminescent tears. Recently, she made a bit of money selling a vial to a scientist of middling renown, who hopes to turn them into a viable light source. But that one sale hasn’t been much in the way of funds, hence her dedication to expanding her little business.

Enver listens to the harsh scratch of her pen on parchment and smiles to himself. Orlando’s patience is endless. How long has it been since they slipped through Raphael’s claws? A decade, at least. And how long has Enver been promising her safety, security, stability? Even longer. 

Thus far, he’s been able to provide exactly nothing for her. He’s resorted to thievery and scrounging around for whatever food and living accommodations he can find. It was Orlando that managed to secure the two of them a temporary home, albeit water damaged and reeking of brine. A hut on the beach in Baldur’s Gate isn’t exactly prime real estate, but it serves its purpose for now. Shelter and somewhere to work is all Enver really needs. He is a man of unwavering perseverance, more so than he even realizes, yet, in his late twenties. 

Even in this dingy shack they’ve commandeered as a workspace, Enver sees promise. He sees potential, if he can get any of his damn machines to actually work. Miniature prototypes of devices he’s given the temporary titles of, “Steel Soldiers,” (a name he plans to change one day) lay disassembled around his workspace. Blueprints for better designs, newer designs, cover his desk and spill onto the floor. Meanwhile, Orlando has laid claim to a small desk in the corner, comfortable in the dark and claustrophobic den she’s built for herself. She’s always been more productive in small, shadowy spaces. She glances up for a moment, webbed ears perking up when she hears Enver sigh. She meets his gaze and beams gently.

Part of Enver wishes he could give Orlando the life she’s always imagined, the one she wrote to him about in the secretive notes they used to pass back and forth in the House of Hope. Were she to stay with him, perhaps he could give her some semblance of that life, though it certainly wouldn’t be the saccharine fantasy she’d cooked up all those years ago. A fantasy she also appears to have abandoned. Years of struggling to make ends meet seem to have dashed any hopes she had for a cottage in the woods with a gaggle of children and flocks of sheep (or was it chickens? He can’t recall).

Enver is certain he can give Orlando a life better than the simple one she imagined as a child. He is meant for greater, grander things, and so is she. Orlando is more lethal than she realizes. Were she to unlock her potential, were Enver’s potential to be recognized- by the gods, they’d be unstoppable. Bane would no doubt be pleased. And whatever eldritch patron Orlando is bound to- well, it’s safe to say they’d benefit from a union as powerful as his and hers. 

Enver lets his mind wander for a moment. In another life, he stands at the grand window in a magnificent office. His magnificent office, one with mahogany shelves from floor to ceiling and space for him to fiddle with his machines. The deep blue waters of the Sword Coast shimmer brightly in his view, and Enver knows he’s made it. He’s the top of the top, the cream of the crop. In this dream, in this life, he is beloved, feared, and standing victoriously on the pinnacle of the world. A portrait of him, powerful and commanding, hangs above the mantelpiece, with Orlando sitting elegant and proud at his side. Triumphant, he swivels back to the window, gloating over the city that failed him so spectacularly as a child. However, the dream suddenly shifts. Night descends on Baldur’s Gate and the stars twinkle softly in their heavenly bezels. 

Enver still stands at his office window, a newborn son swaddled in his arms. The boy’s chubby cheeks are softer than velvet, his teeny, pink lips slightly parted in peaceful slumber. He looks like his mother, right down to the little horns sprouting from his head and the bioluminescent spots on his delicately webbed ears. But he has his father’s eyes (and possibly his nose, though it’s still a bit early to tell). He is the picture of innocence, cherubic and new. The world is a marvel to him still, the mysteries of which his parents will help him unravel in time. Mysteries Enver had to unravel for himself when he was a boy.  

A surge of contempt wells in Enver’s chest. Looking down at the sweet face of his little one, he cannot fathom how a parent could sell their child. He simply cannot comprehend letting anyone wrench his precious babe from his arms in exchange for a petty amount of gold. His son- Mirak or Nikhil, he decides (he recalls Orlando daydreaming about naming a son one of these names)- stirs, wriggling restlessly in his blanket. When the boy yawns, the slightest squeak escapes his throat, and Enver feels his heart swell. Who could be so cruel as to assign value to that which is priceless? 

In this other life, he feels Orlando’s arms snake around his waist and pull him close. She rests her head against his broad shoulders and when she leans up to press a lingering kiss to Enver’s neck, he smells her sweet jasmine and musk perfume, and for a moment, Enver could convince himself this life is real.

“My handsome men,” she affectionately hums, squeezing him tight. Enver shifts the baby to one arm, wrapping his other around his wife and drawing her near. The feeling that surges through him in this moment is foreign, utterly unknown to him. Is this what it’s like to feel unconditional love? Love without expectation? Love not as a commodity or something to earn, but something entirely inherent and guaranteed? Here they stand, a family of three. United, as they should be. As families ought to be.

But this life will never be. Enver’s trajectory has not allowed room for the comforts of settling down. This other life is a fantasy in every sense of the word. A ridiculous notion Orlando planted in his head over years of pining after a life that will always be out of reach. He must carry on, determined as ever. If life will not give him what he wants, then he must take it for himself.

A gentle touch draws Enver from his thoughts, ink-stained fingers carding softly through his jet black locks. Velvet lips press tender kisses to his cheekbones, scratching against his stubble and smiling softly against his skin.

“Come to bed?” Orlando tempts, her voice a drawl as her hands smooth along his shoulders. Meeting her eyes, Enver knows in his heart that they are on the cusp of something brilliant. Something life changing. He will stop at nothing to ensure a safe future for himself, for Orlando.

Enver grasps Orlando’s hand, pulling her into him, letting her settle on the desk in front of him. Her startled gasp turns to a giggle, which is swiftly hushed when his lips crash hungrily into hers. Orlando returns his kiss with equal fervor. Enver doesn’t have time for sleep, not if he wants to build the life he’s promised her for so long. But Enver won’t say no to blowing off some steam, refreshing his thoughts and losing himself in his cherished one for a while.

A/N: I don't intend for this fic to have any redemption arcs for Gortash. I want it to purely be a dual route fic: one ending with a corruption arc for my Tav and one ending where she will have to face off with Gortash. But I can't resist writing about what could have been in another life, if things had gone differently for them. Thank you for reading :) More to come.

[malaierba]

Helloooo, KaraNozo lesbians anyone?

Ingredients for this recipe:

"She was doomed from the start" character trope, but be frustrated enough about it to want to force a character to join forces with the doomed person to change that.

DunMesh "girl brings back girl from a seemingly dead end through forbidden forces" brainrot

This beautiful, beautiful Karako from the witchy HesoWars set:

So the way the story would go is:

Nozomi and Karako meet in magic school, back when Karako was still quite shy (like 18!Karamatsu) and Nozomi hadn't found anything that would fuel her magic beyond basic spells. They're paired up together in potions and hit it off... Eventually. I think they'd both be very curious about the other, but would struggle at first to really strike conversation.

It'd be a very soft friendship, where Nozomi encourages Karako to try all the things she feels too self conscious to try (magic sports and magical chorus being the main ones), and in turn Karako happily helps Nozomi with odd little quests, like helping her talk to someone new, finding odd books in parts of the library they shouldn't be in, tailing rare magical creatures (like bird watching, but make it AU relevant) which usually lands them in weird places and leads to even weirder adventures.

During one of those adventures trying to find a lake monster or something equally rare, they accidentally run into a mischievous Kappa. Nozomi's first impulse is to simply ask him if he could help them find it, to which the Kappa tells them to ask his Destiny Oracle. The Kappa unrolls the parchment in front of Nozomi and tells her that if she writes her name and asks a question, the paper will tell her when that event will happen, if it's in her destiny to happen.

Nozomi only gets as far as to write her name, when the paper provides a date. The Kappa laughs and sinks back into the lake, leaving the girls with a paper with a date that's about 10 years away. Karako gets a bad feeling, and grabs Nozomi to drag her back to the school, weird paper in her other hand.

Back at the school they learn from a trusted teacher that the Destiny Oracle only serves one purpose: to disclose the date of death of a given human. It's not 100% accurate, since sometimes people die earlier, but they never outlive the date on the paper.

Obviously no one wants to be burdened with the knowledge of their expiry date. Nozomi takes it quite hard, and Karako quickly finds that nothing she says can cheer her up. Logically. She doesn't even believe half of the things she's telling her after all.

So she recruits Ichiko so she'll help her try to find a loophole, which really ends up coming (accidentally) from Osoko who, upon learning the whole story, comments "well... that's human life to you. can't live forever"

Human lives. Human lives. The Destiny Oracle only works on humans, according to the teachers and all the reference books. So if Nozomi wasn't a human anymore, wouldn't that buy her some time?

Ichiko is quick to say, hold on a second, that's an assumption on your part — pretty much everything in the school's library is written from the POV of humans, by and for human witches, what if the author simply doesn't know the true scope of the oracle's power? But Karako is out of options, which means that so is Nozomi, so isn't it worth a shot?

Cue Karako running to Nozomi's room and hurriedly (and ever so slightly hysterically) explaining the likely loophole she's found. And she knows, she knows she's suggesting something insanely dangerous, forbidden, quite likely taboo, I mean, changing the nature of someone's soul? That's only ever been done by wizards who wished to defy nature, which is... Well. What Karako is ready to help Nozomi with, if she wants it too.

And Nozomi is scared, because she only has 10 years left, because the alternative is gambling with her soul, because she wishes she hadn't known what she now knows... But then again, what are the chances that they'll succeed? That two highschool girls will find a ritual that powerful in the first place? She looks at Karako's half hopeful, half desperate eyes, and decides that trying to keep her options open is a good use of her time for more. At least until the shock passes. At least until she can think of something better to do with her ten years.

The twist is, of course, that they do find something that looks like it may work. The moment they learn about Animagus (<- there's a link there that explains some stuff that helps the plot move along), Ichiko hyperfixates on it... for obvious reasons. She researches extensively the proper way to perform the Animagus ritual (which is complicated and needs to meet a whole bunch of precise criteria), and in doing so finds a lot of cases that detail all the things that can go wrong. As they often do, since it's a complex spell and all.

One of the things that can go wrong is that the nature of the soul of the person can be fundamentally altered. By the looks of it, it often happened either because the wizards messed with the potion by adding extra herbs or animal parts, or by making a mistake when reciting the charging spell, "Amato Animo Animato Animagus" (My love brings me life, I am obliged to become an animal wizard).

(When Ichiko catches the glint of interest in Karako's eyes, she promptly regrets infodumping about this sort of subject on her lol. Because the way the cogs started moving in that head of her are glaringly OBVIOUS, and no trying to backpedal, no trying to get her to promise not to do anything stupid seems to be enough to undo the damage. Serves her right for trying to cheer her up, or at least distract her, with something unrelated to Nozomi...)

Karako brings that information to Nozomi and they brainstorm around it for a few weeks. There's two things they can agree on: 1. For the modification to the Animagus ritual to have a higher chance of working, they should alter both the potion AND the chant, and 2. They must be altered in such a way that portrays, as clearly as possible, what their objective is. Which is to change the nature of Nozomi's soul, but preserve as much of Nozomi's essence as possible.

Nozomi suggests adding some Bakeneko fur, since that way they'd doubly ensure that she's able to switch from being human to being an animal. For the spell, Karako comes up with a simple adjustment: "Amato Animo Animato Anima", anima meaning "soul" in latin, so the spell now says I am to become an animal soul at the end.

By the time they're able to perform the ritual, which must be done under very, very specific circumstances (thunderstorm) 5 years have passed. I think that by now it's very obvious to the other sextuplets what Karako is doing, but she and Nozomi are also in so deep that it's pointless to try to stop them.

The ritual succeeds in that Nozomi does transform in a green-eyed cat by the end of it, and when she transforms back and tries to use the Destiny Oracle again, it simply replies "I can't tell", meaning that her soul probably DID change.

The ritual slightly backfires in that Nozomi starts behaving more like a Bakaneko, being drawn to mountains and wandering through them for hours at a time, avoiding humans and holy places, etc. Her human form also starts looking less human and more like an spectre that mixes human and cat features at random. But her soul, her kindness is still there, and when she talks with Karako late at night they can connect like they did all those years ago in the academy.

And that poses a huge problem, because Nozomi and Karako had promised that if they managed to buy Nozomi more time, they both would go to college and enrol in an undergrad in Magical Creatures together (definitely inspired by her love for creatures. and also, she just thinks dragos are cool lol). Nozomi can't get caught though, since what they did definitely counts as some sort of forbidden magic -- Nozomi's soul as of now is probably that of a type of chimera that's part human and part youkai, after all. As far as anyone knows she's probably immortal, and the youkai part is DEFINITELY growing more dominant with each day, a process that they should probably try to halt anyway.

As it turns out, after hours spent researching (this time with Choroko's extra aid too), they find that there's apparently only one way to turn an animal soul more human, and that is to make a contract so it becomes a witch's familiar. The souls would become entwined after that: the link would normally allow the familiar's soul enough humanity to be able to communicate and help their witch, the soul-link would mean that they'll always be aware of each other even while apart, and both magic's would become stronger.

Cue Karako becoming an anxious, flustered mess for days on end, because that sounds really intimate? that sounds super intimate, doesn't it? we're talking soul-linking here! and she's 100% giving this all sorts of meanings and shades that go beyond the strictly platonic because, okay, maybe it started that way, but she's now realising that maybe the affection that she has for Nozomi acquired some romantic shades along the way.

When she eventually manages to get herself together, enough to track down Nozomi in some mountain, and explain what they can do to keep their promise, and ask her to "agree to be her companion and entwine her soul with hers, ah, but strictly as friends if that's what she wants! she knows it sounds very romantic after all but it doesn't have to be like that, it's just weird in this instance since they've known each other for so long and Nozomi is Nozomi, not a random animal sprite, wait she's getting off track, let her try again--"

Nozomi's answer ends up being just a honest laugh, because Karako flustering herself and giving her thoughts away is a very Karako move of her, and honestly Nozomi already had a feeling that their bond had changed a bit, ever so slightly over the years. Or at least, she was aware of how her feelings morphed, and she had a hunch that it was the same for Karako, she just never dared to ask her directly since there were time concerns, and then "would she be accepting of someone that's now wholly human?" concerns.

All things considered, getting laughed at by the girl that had Karako being a willing accomplice in dark magic practices, all because she had a throughly uncool yet very candid moment, is... not the worst outcome. Far from it, really. It's enough to give Karako enough courage to grasp Nozomi's hand in hers, kneel down, and state while looking up at her, "I'm serious. I'll have you, if you'll have me".

And that's the story of how those two performed a second ritual that ended up with Nozomi becoming Karako's familiar, which allowed her to go to college and get a Phd in magical birds :-)

[fensherohair]

The Marauders & The Metamorpmagi Part 3

Detention that night had been a little more event than both (Y/N) and Sirius originally thought. James had been given detention by one of the headboys running out, as had Allegra by McGonagal. The four had spent detention together in the transfigurations classroom, McGonagal overseeing the progress of each after she had set them tasks. James and Allegra had been sat at individual desks and given lines to write repeatedly, ensuring both learned from their mistakes. Sirius too had been sitting at one of the desks, his only task was to properly brew the potion he'd turned into an acidic sludge. 

(Y/N) on the other hand, had been given the task to repair any of the school books in the closet at the back of the room. After which she would be on to polishing the goblets. If she had finished that before detention was over, then she would be sent to help Sirius with his potion. Of course, Allegra had complained about how unfair her punishment was, having to sit in silence and write the same words over and over again. She'd been forbidden to speak unless it was to ask for a small break or to use the bathroom. James didn't complain all that much, the only comments were directed towards Sirius and (Y/N), telling one not to read the potion instructions carefully and wishing the other luck when it came to her clumsiness. 

"Gosh this is pointless" muttered Allegra, when she put her quill down and shook her cramping hand. She'd only written a few lines, already bored of the task and wishing she could just get up and leave. But at last, she knew that was impossible, given McGonagal was her head of house. Professor McGonagall on the other hand merely sent Allegra an unamused glare, until the young girl picked her quill up once more and began writing again, sighing loudly as if to protest against such a boring task. 

"You can always spend detention in Mr. Pringle's care, Miss Smith" spoke Professor McGonagall, her words sharp and suggested she was in no mood for the attitude Allegra had thrust far fearlessly displayed. Allegra soon froze, thinking over her options as McGonagall glanced at the other three in the room. Picking up on how each followed her instructions without question. How James sat quietly on the opposite side of the room to Allegra, continuing to write the lines given to him, the only sound from him besides his earlier comments was the quill dipping into the ink pot. 

Sirius was quietly brewing his potion now, occasionally looking back to the book close by to ensure he was putting the right amount of ingredients in. Whereas (Y/N) sat quietly on the floor at the back of the room, two piles of books in front of her. One of the books already repaired and the other waiting to be done. On one of the desks, she'd already put the goblets and polish out, ready to do her next task. Neither of the two spoke a word, although Sirius had become distracted by (Y/N)'s a few times, mainly from the length and color changing. Even McGonagall couldn't suppress her grin, even more so when it appeared (Y/N) wasn't aware she was using her metamorphic abilities, instead minding her own business while occasionally humming Hogwarts songs. 

"Mr Potter, you may take a break from your lines" started McGonagall after walking around the room. She'd completed her own task of marking the first year's written work. After which she'd walked around the room, finding James had written two full parchment pieces of lines and was halfway down his third. Allegra wasn't even a quarter of the way down her first, instead, she had started to doodle and then protested her detention by laying her head on the desk. 

James simply nodded before standing to stretch his protesting limps, a small request of going to the bathroom soon escaped him, a request that was silent granted as McGonagall walked to the back of the room. (Y/N) was now polishing the goblets, still humming away to herself, although the tune had changed to a made-up one. Sirius carefully continued his potion while moving to the song (Y/N) hummed. Occasionally he looked to the potion recipe to ensure he'd gotten it right this time. 

"Miss Wolffe" called McGonagall, noticing neither Sirius nor (Y/N) had noticed she'd left her desk, both being too preoccupied with their tasks to notice. "After you've finished polishing the goblets, please see me at the front" requested the head of Gryffindor's house, receiving a silent nod from the young metamorphic student. With that McGonagall waltz off to the front of the room once more, picking up a thick book from her desk and slamming down next to Allegra. Startling all three students still in the classroom. Her gaze was hard and unyielding as it landed on the now jumpy form of Allegra. 

"Tell me Miss Smith, how is it Miss Wolffe and Misters Black and Potter can complete their tasks without complaint while you can not?" asked Professor McGonagall, quickly slipping into her teacher mode and ensuring her voice matched the sharpest of her eyes. Allegra had tried to say something in response, opening and closing her mouth several times. During this time James had returned and gone back to writing his lines, unknowingly proving McGonagall's point. 

"It's not my fault it's so damn boring" confidently spoke the muggle-born girl, feeling as if she was on top of the world, although that feeling vanished as quickly as it came when her eyes landed on the professor overseeing detention. "I have to write boring lines, while Sirius gets to brew a flipping potion and (Y/N) does meaningless tasks. It's not fair, I shouldn't even be here in the first place, I didn't do anything wrong" complained Allegra, comparing her punishment to that of both students at the back of the room. As if somehow believing she was somehow above the school rules and resolved any responsibility. 

"I didn't see anything right with your behavior either Miss Smith" commented McGonagall, turning her attention to the remaining three students. "I have yet to understand how you believe bullying Miss McKinnon and trying to force others to say you're the most powerful witch at Hogwarts is anything but wrong" she continued, as if finally revealing what it was that had earned Allegra such a boring detention in the first place, although now looking back on it, McGonagall was questioning if writing lines was a suitable enough punishment for Allegra. Especially when the wiser witch was questioning whether Marlene was the first Allegra had bullied. 

"Mr Potter is here for his actions regarding Mr Snape and Miss Evans. His punishment would have been worse had he not taken responsibility for his actions. In contrast, Mr. Black is here to brew the potion he purposely messed up correctly, so he can catch up and move on with the rest of the class" started McGonagall, as she listed why both boys were there. Although she was at least thankful James had owned up to his actions and accepted what he had done was wrong. Even if it was after encouragement from Remus and a few other friends. "Miss Wolffe is here because of something out of her control, nevertheless she has accepted not all will understand her abilities or the side effects of it" she added, informing those there why (Y/N) had simple but meaningless tasks to do. 

The moment Professor McGonagall had returned her desk, Allegra pulled a face at her, as if believing she wouldn't see her act of defiance. Something she had been mistaken about, as McGonagall wasted little time in sending another glare in the direction of the disobedient child. (Y/N) soon appeared at her desk too, listening carefully to the instructions given before nodding and leaving, a small smile painted on her lips at knowing she'd be free from detention once the task given was completed. 

"James, Sirius" called Allegra, once again completely disregarding the rules put in place and actively ignoring McGonagall, instead choosing to do her own thing and hopefully escape from the boredom to haunt her. "Want to hang out sometime? Maybe walk around the grounds or just talk?" she asked her eyes focused on James, not seeing the horrified look to pass over Sirius' features, as if the very thought of being around her was worse than spending summer holidays with his parents. As if the thought was a nightmare filled with torment. 

"I'd rather kiss a niffler" commented Sirius from the back of the room, refocusing on his potion now it was almost complete. A yawn soon escaped him, the boring class with Professor Bins still plaguing him, as if it had drained him of all the extra energy he normally had. The sudden quietness did nothing to help, now (Y/N) wasn't there humming away to herself, time itself seemed to stop or at least slow down enough to become a painful drag. 

James couldn't hold back his chuckle over Sirius' comment, how he'd said it so quickly and with nothing but a serious tone. No humor ringing through it or sarcasm. McGonagall could only shoot a soft warning glare in Sirius' direction, ensuring he understood his comment wasn't appropriate although she couldn't blame him for not wanting to be around Allegra. A lot of students had come to the same conclusion regarding the muggle-born witch, although most were a little more subtle about their avoidance. 

"Mr. Black when you're finished with your potion you may find Miss Wolffe and return to the common room" announced Professor McGonagall, suspecting Sirius was close to finishing the task required of him, thrust his only task after that was to find the mischievous and clumsy girl she'd sent off to deliver something. There was little doubt Peeves would collar her at some point, the poltergeist seemingly attracted to the chaos so often associated with her. 

The moment Sirius quietly left the classroom, Allegra soon began to complain again, stating it was unfair both (Y/N) and Sirius could leave while she was stuck there doing something she had no interest in. Shortly after her complaints turned to how James and Sirius had ignored her question and replied by with a rude comment. Clearly not understanding her constant complaining and self-entitlement didn't endear her to anyone, nor did her lack of attention help her when it came to future plans and career unless her plan was to reintegrate into the oblivious muggle world. 

Masterlist

[mrs-sharp]

The eyes of Graphorns

I've finished a new part of my fanfic, and we finally reach the part where the title is explained. Hope you enjoy it!

Pairing: Aesop Sharp x mc

Summary: After their confrontation, Elaine and Sharp avoid each other. But after a short while, they both realize that they have difficulties being apart. Elaine takes the first step and invites Sharp to meet her in the corridor of the seventh floor.

Read part 1-4 here

Chapter 5 - Elaine's Laughter

Aesop Sharp sat in his classroom, turning a piece of parchment in his hands. In recent days, he had often sat here, lost in thought, although he really hadn't had the time for it. Every day, he would review the events in Elaine's office, and her words would echo in his mind. She had tried to find a cure for him. She had been injured in the attempt to confront his attacker. She had become a damn Auror and went to that cursed place named Scarborough. It wasn't that he hadn't believed she was capable, but the fact that she now had to endure the same pain that had haunted him for years because of him — he should have warned her before it was too late. But what troubled him most was what she had said to him: "You mean too much to me."

In the past week, he hadn't seen her often. They mostly met in the Great Hall, but she hadn't given him a chance to speak with her. Usually, she was already there before him, leaving the teachers' table before he had even started eating. Now he sat there, the empty parchment in hand, unable to find the right words. He had thought about sending her an owl. He wanted to apologize to her. For his behaviour and for not having control of the situation. But most of all, for accusing her of not wanting to help him. He wanted to say so much, and...

"Professor, we've finished brewing our Focus Potions," a voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up, and there stood a student holding a vial.

"Yes, yes, write your names on a piece of parchment and then place the potions on my desk. We'll discuss the results in the next class. Class dismissed..."

The students looked at each other questioningly and then began to leave the room one by one.

"What's wrong with Professor Sharp?" he heard a student whisper, and another replied, "I don't know, he's behaving strangely, maybe..."

The rest of the sentence left the room with the students. Aesop Sharp leaned back in his chair and sighed as an owl entered the room through an open window, dropping a piece of parchment onto his desk and disappearing without landing. He recognized the handwriting immediately:

"Please meet me after lunch on the seventh floor of the Astronomy Wing."

There was nothing more on the piece of parchment, but he knew who it was from. The whole week, he had caught himself waiting for a message that he had believed would never arrive. He had thought about a possible meeting with Elaine Hopkins much more often than he wanted to admit, and it unsettled him. Until now, he had never found it difficult to stay focused on his work, but since the confrontation with Elaine, he had noticed behaviors in himself that he didn't recognize.

Lost in thought, he imagined seeing her again outside the Great Hall while simultaneously trying to push the thought away. He knew he was behaving highly unprofessionally, even though she was now his colleague.

The morning dragged on like an eternity. When Sharp arrived in the corridor of the seventh floor, Elaine was already waiting for him. She didn't look at him as he approached and stood beside her. She sensed his presence, though, as he stopped next to her. He too looked at the wall she was staring at, perhaps hoping to discover something there, but all he saw was sand-colored stone.

"How was your first week at Hogwarts, Professor?"

He said her title as if it brought him joy to treat her as an equal. He glanced at her from the side and caught himself admiring her. He noticed again and again that he compared her to the student she had been when she left Hogwarts. Even then, he had appreciated her talent and courage, but he felt how much she had grown. She radiated sincerity and sharpness. She tempered her confidence with restraint and humility. He noticed that he had been staring at her for a bit too long, quickly looked away, and condemned himself for his inappropriate behaviour.

"I'm still getting used to standing on the other side of the classroom," she replied, "but it's going well."

Elaine was glad that Sharp was actually there. She hadn't been sure if he would come. He hadn't responded to her owl, but she hadn't expected him to. Even during her school days, he hadn't revealed more than necessary about himself. For the first time since she returned to Hogwarts, she felt something familiar. So much had happened in the last few years, and everything had changed, but now, with the professor standing next to her, who had fought side by side with her long ago, she felt that the shadows of the past were at least loosening a bit. She valued the Potions Master greatly — his knowledge and experience, but also his honesty.

"I want to show you something."

Elaine looked around to see if they were alone, closed her eyes, and after a few seconds of silence, a door formed on the bare wall.

"Is that..." Sharp began, and Elaine couldn't help but notice the wonder in his voice.

"The Room of Requirement," she nodded, finishing his sentence.

Elaine opened the door and invited him in. Sharp walked through slowly and felt like he had entered another world. The walls were filled with books, plants, and potion ingredients up to the high ceilings. Here and there were alcoves with seating, plant tables and potion stations. He spotted cauldrons and shelves full of vials filled with various potions. Diptam, river grass, shrivelfigs, and knotgrass grew in the room, along with mandrakes, Chinese chomping cabbage, and even a venomous tentacula. Sharp looked around with his mouth slightly agape.

"Professor Weasley led me here. This way, I was able to catch up on all the material I had missed in my first year," Elaine explained.

"Matilda, huh? I always thought of the room as a legend until now. She never told me about it," Sharp said, still marvelling at the sight. Elaine walked through the room.

"Oh, the shrivelfigs could use some fertilizer, and the venomous tentacula needs pruning."

"Miss Hopkins, is that you?" a voice suddenly squeaked from the other end of the room, and a house-elf appeared from behind one of the huge planters. "Oh, what a pleasant surprise!"

"Deek, nice to see you. I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier. Did you take care of everything with Professor Weasley while I was away?" Elaine asked, and Deek's face lit up.

"Yes, Deek did everything he could to take care of everything. You're accompanied today, I see?"

Elaine turned around. "This is Professor Sharp, the Potions teacher at Hogwarts."

"Pleased to meet you," he replied curtly, nodding to the house-elf.

"Deek, would you excuse us for a moment? I want to show Professor Sharp something," Elaine said.

"Of course," Deek replied and disapparated.

Elaine turned to her colleague, suddenly looking serious.

"I know it may sound inappropriate, but when we enter the next room, it's very important that you do what I tell you. Do you understand?"

Sharp's face became pensive, puzzled by the authoritative tone in her voice.

"I mean it. Please, you have to trust me."

It was hard for him to relinquish control, but he was also curious about what else this room held.

"All right," he answered and nodded.

"Follow me," Elaine replied, sounding suddenly very mysterious.

Aesop Sharp followed closely behind her, and they entered another room, although the word "room" hardly did it justice. Suddenly, he found himself in a vast hilly landscape. In the distance, he could see ruins. It felt as if they had landed in the farthest corner of the Scottish Highlands, although they were still inside the castle. Hogwarts never ceased to surprise him.

Elaine's whistle cut through the cool air. Sharp had been so busy marveling at the landscape that he hadn't noticed the magical creatures. Suddenly, Nifflers popped out of the tall grass bushes, starting to squeak excitedly when they saw Elaine, then bustling around her feet. Mooncalves danced around her, and from afar, Thestrals came flying. They galloped around Elaine, sniffing her. One lay on its back, rolling excitedly in the grass and making joyful noises. The smallest of them was snow-white and nudged Elaine's hand, urging her to scratch its head. Sharp had never seen anything like it.

The way the creatures approached Elaine so trustingly fascinated him. He had previously thought it was dangerous to get so close to magical creatures, but Elaine's interaction with them exuded a calmness that soothed him.

Sharp looked around. Diricawls darted through tall grass on one of the hills, next to them Kneazles dozed in the sunlight, and in the sky, he spotted a flock of Fwoopers in all the colors of the rainbow. In the distance, he even thought he saw unicorns.

"This is... wonderful," he remarked reverently. Elaine smiled. She couldn't remember ever hearing the former Auror speechless.

"I started this because I wanted to provide them with a safe environment. Almost all the magical creatures here fell victim to poachers. At first, I had no idea how much I would learn from them."

Sharp remembered hearing stories during Elaine's school days that she had taken down entire poacher camps with Poppy Sweeting, but he had dismissed it as gossip, embellishing the story of the dragon attack on Elaine's first day.

"So, the rumours about you and Miss Sweeting are true?"

"I don't know what rumours you've heard, but when I think about what Poppy and I experienced together in my first year, it's likely that they are true."

"You don't have dragons here, do you?" Sharp asked with a touch of irony, but also visibly concerned.

"Not in this room," Elaine replied. Sharp recognized from her expression that her response wasn't serious and smiled then. For a moment, Elaine paused. Her former teacher's smile flowed through her body, leaving behind a warm feeling of security. Over the years, she had realized how much she had missed him, but only now did she realize how much.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. At first, it was just a faint vibration under their feet, but Sharp noticed it immediately. He looked around hastily, trying to locate the source of the tremors, which had now intensified into a full-fledged quake. Suddenly, he felt Elaine's hand on his own. A warm shiver ran through his body like rain after a summer day.

"Don't," she said gently, looking at him. Without realizing what he was doing, he had stepped in front of Elaine and drawn his wand to defend them both.

"But..." he stammered.

A Graphorn came running towards them menacingly. It looked angry, and for a split second, Sharp hesitated, but then he followed Elaine's instruction and put away his wand. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst. When the impact he expected didn't come, he blinked cautiously. The magical creature had stopped just a few inches in front of them.

He had heard stories about Graphorns. About how powerful wizards were heavily injured or died in battle against them. The Ministry had even put bounties on the creatures. But up close, it didn't look so angry anymore. It reached out its tendrils, which swirled around its mouth and strongly resembled tentacles, and touched Elaine with them. The Graphorn snorted and wrapped its tendrils around Elaine's neck.

"It's okay, it's okay," she reassured the magical creature, "Yes, it's me."

When the creature turned towards Sharp and critically eyed him, Elaine spoke to it in a gentle voice, "This is Professor Sharp. He won't hurt you; you can trust him."

Sharp was touched; on the one hand, to hear his colleague say that he could be trusted, and on the other hand, by how gently the Graphorn treated her. The calmness Elaine radiated seemed to affect both him and the Graphorn. He felt himself relax and be overwhelmed by the beauty he observed.

Elaine looked at Sharp over her shoulder, "Most people are afraid of them, but they're actually quite gentle."

Sharp felt a bit caught off guard and lowered his gaze as another Graphorn appeared behind the first one followed by a second, smaller one.

"My goodness, this is unbelievable!" Elaine exclaimed. "You've had offspring!"

When the young one appeared behind its mother, Sharp was speechless. For some reason, the sight of the young one, about a head smaller than him, now purposefully approaching him, deeply moved him. It touched him with its tendrils. The touch tickled a bit, but it was gentle and friendly. Suddenly, Sharp felt a peace within himself that he had never known before, almost bringing tears to his eyes. The little Graphorn purred contentedly.

"It likes you," Elaine explained, now standing next to him and petting the head of the first Graphorn. "Graphorns use their tendrils to sense emotions. I studied them for a while when I was travelling. In the Pyrenees, there are village communities where wizards and Graphorns live peacefully together."

Elaine turned to Sharp, "Because the Ministry keeps hunting down these creatures, they are almost extinct here. That's why they usually attack immediately when they encounter a human in the wild. It might even be that these are the last ones in Britain."

With his mouth slightly open, Sharp looked at the huge Graphorn in front of Elaine. Upon closer inspection, he noticed how gentle the magical creatures looked up close.

"Their eyes..." he began, "they remind me of -"

"Pain?" Elaine tried to finish his sentence. "Graphorns seem to seek the presence of those who have experienced great suffering." They stood silent for a few moments. Sharp alternately looked at the small Graphorn and at his feet. It unsettled him that Elaine seemed to know his greatest vulnerabilities so naturally. But what unsettled him even more was the fact that he felt comfortable in her presence nonetheless. He wasn't used to trusting anyone.

Before he replied, Sharp examined the melancholic look in Elaine's eyes since she had returned here and nodded, "I wanted to say they remind me of you."

Elaine looked at him surprised. Graphorns' eyes were gentle, sad, perhaps even desperate, but above all, they had a fragile, vulnerable expression. Elaine had studied the creatures for a long time; they were intimidating and proud, but also strong, gentle, loyal, and intelligent. They fascinated Elaine, but she hadn't expected to be compared to Graphorns one day.

Suddenly, she started laughing because it sounded like a compliment from Sharp. It was an infectious and heartfelt laughter. Sharp hadn't heard her laugh since she had left school. Since she had been back at Hogwarts, he hadn't seen her smile even once. And he immediately knew that it wasn't a mocking laugh, but a liberating one that drove away the darkness of the past few years for a few seconds. It filled him with joy to see her like this. When she regained her composure, Sharp smiled at her.

There it was again, that feeling that Sharp's smile triggered in her. It touched Elaine and wrapped around her shoulders warm and soft as if it could protect her. For a moment, it felt like Elaine's laughter had dissolved everything that had stood between them, as if there was a particularly strong connection between them. They looked deep into each other's eyes, and for a moment, they both forgot the pain and Scarborough and all those they had lost. For this moment, everything inside them was free.

"I... I need to apologize to you, I shouldn't have..." she began, but Sharp shook his head.

"No," he replied in his deep voice, which sounded unusually calm and gentle, "I should have trusted you. The accusations I made against you... that was unfair. I'm sorry."

Elaine fell silent. Never in her life had she expected him to apologize to her. He looked at her. He looked at her with that penetrating gaze that seemed to look directly into her soul. He looked at her with his dark eyes and all the sadness that lay in them. He took a step towards her. He was so close to her now that she had to look up at him. A trembling tension ran through the silence between them, which slowly transformed into intimacy.

And then Sharp heard something that moved him so deeply as if he had been enchanted. It was the purest and truest thing he had ever heard. At first, he thought he was imagining it, but then a scarlet bird flew overhead, its song filling the vastness of the sky above them.

"Is that... a phoenix?"

Elaine nodded, also moved by the sound that seemed to fill everything around them and inside her. She swallowed and answered in a soft voice, "I've never heard him sing."

-> This way to Chapter 6 - Elaine's Secret

[jeongyunhoed]

As seen on my FF.net

Following the events of fifth year, a new adventure awaits for Norah Lee. Boys, exams, school events, common room parties, and old foes outside of Hogwarts. Even battling pensieve guardians was easier than this.

Main Pair: OC/? Genre: Adventure/Angst/Fluff (it's a little of everything, tbh)

KEEP IN MIND: Characters are aged up (even if the story's got them in sixth year) to make it more appropriate. Time period is leaning towards the modern day so in case you might find anachronisms in the dialogue or references, this is why. This may also be quite a lengthy fic too.

BE WARNED: Social anxiety, mentions of blood and injury, grief, drinking, kissing but nothing more than that, death (this is Hogwarts Legacy, after all)

P.P.S: Sorry in advance for any mischaracterization and other mistakes. Tag list is open if you would like to follow this story on here. Reblogs are much appreciated.

Masterlist

Chapter 4

Norah wasn't sure what was coming over her as she spent some time in the Room of Requirement over the next few days. It was like she was feeling everything all at once. The grief from losing Professor Fig, the anxiety over what she planned to do, the stress from the amount of lessons she needed to take in for NEWTs, and that fluttering feeling she didn't know how to describe whenever she was near her two male housemates. The worst part of it was that she didn't know who to turn to. She felt mostly helpless.

Deek the house-elf, had taken it upon himself to tidy up the areas close to the vivariums while she concentrated on her lengthy Ancient Runes essay in the adjacent study area. Over the past several days, she came to the conclusion that she would need some help from a teacher on how to access the caverns and build up the repository again.

She first thought of Professor Sharp, a former auror turned Potions master. Maybe he could help her regain entry. Then again, there was also Professor Hecat, who was an Unspeakable at the Ministry for some time. But she also knew that Professor Weasley was also a curse-breaker during her time and Professor Ronen was the Charms teacher for a reason. All of them would be of help. Telling all of them would be risky as they would be inclined to tell the headmaster what would happen.

But she knew that they of all people, would understand the gravity of the idea the most. They came to her rescue when the goblins invaded the caverns that day, including Natty's mother, Divination Professor Onai. Norah looked at the four other drafts of letters she planned to send to each of the professors she thought of, in the hopes that at least one of them would be able to help her. Would that have seemed shameless? She thought.

With a sigh, she reached over the drafts and tore up the pieces of parchment before pointing her wand at it. Professor Ronen introduced the lesson of mastering non-verbal spells for NEWT-level students, and she was able to at the very least, master Evanesco. The torn up pieces of parchment vanished and she put her wand down again to continue writing her essay.

She suddenly heard a soft rumble in the room, and out of nowhere appeared a table that was already laden with food, from mashed potatoes, sausages, cheeses, bread, buttered vegetables, and soup. The room seemed to figure out what she needed, and she had only just remembered to eat.

Norah put her quill down and got up from her seat to approach the table. She hurried over to the hallway to check where the house-elf was. "Deek? Deek!" She called out.

Deek soon appeared, walking toward her. "Yes, Miss?"

Norah smiled. "Join me for a meal. It suddenly came up," She gestured to the spread. "I only remembered to eat just now, and I know I won't be able to finish these," She laughed.

Deek smiled. "Deek thought Miss hasn't eaten yet, so I asked some to bring food here."

"Deek..." Norah raised a brow. "Well, as a thank you, you have to eat with me, I really can't finish all of these."

The house-elf hesitantly approached the spread but before Norah could interject, with a snap of his fingers, his own spread appeared laid out on a mat on the floor, with a small bowl of soup and a piece of bread. "Your food is best shared with your friends."

"And you're my friend, Deek, I want to share all of this with you," Norah pointed out, picking up the plate to place servings of sausages, mashed potatoes, and buttered vegetables. Deek snapped his fingers again, and pitchers of pumpkin juice and water appeared next to her goblet. "Deek!" She laughed, and the house-elf looked amused by her reaction.

They heard the sound of something shifting, and before Norah could tuck in, they heard the voices of Sebastian and Ominis. "You've been hiding yourself away in here all week. What's gotten into you?" The brunette boy asked, suddenly helping himself to the food when Deek conjured up more plates and cutlery.

"You were supposed to help me with my Ancient Runes essay too," Ominis added, suddenly pointing his wand towards the food. "Oh, something smells delicious..."

"Please help yourselves," Norah said. "Deek was kind enough to have these sent up here for me."

"So, care to explain yourself? You've been acting weird all week," Sebastian continued to press as he tucked in on her right side while Ominis sat himself on her left.

"I've just had a lot on my mind lately. Been thinking about things, is all," She muttered in between spoonfuls of vegetables and mashed potatoes.

Sebastian glanced at her while he took a drink of pumpkin juice. "Like?"

"Like all these lessons I have to learn, and other things. I'll talk about those other things some other time," She made sure to point out. "Don't worry, I've just been quite busy."

"It's not a bad thing to ask for help, Lee," Sebastian's expression changed into that of concern. Ominis also had a concerned look on his otherwise neutral expression. "You act like we haven't gone through what we went through last year. At least talk to us if you can't tell the others."

She wanted to tell them. She knew he was right. But she didn't exactly know how to explain what she was thinking about, what she was feeling at that moment. It was when Ominis reached out to touch her hand that made her snap out of her thoughts. "Norah?" He asked, as if tacitly pleading.

"You've done everything no other student possibly could last year. It's safe to say that you need to let off some steam, and I don't mean just shutting yourself inside this room and feeding and brushing those beasts you keep in those vivariums over there," Sebastian tilted his head toward the hall that led to the main room.

But before she could speak, she saw her owl fly inside and drop a letter at the table. Norah could immediately recognize the handwriting. It was from Lucan, telling her to come up to the clock tower courtyard to oversee a round of Crossed Wands. "This will have to wait, it's Crossed Wands time, you ready, Sallow?" She grinned, getting up.

Ominis frowned and nearly devoured the remaining food on his plate before getting up. "I'm holding you to that, Lee."

"Why haven't you had a go in Crossed Wands, Ominis?" Norah asked curiously.

"Yeah, why haven't you had a go in Crossed Wands?" Sebastian teased his friend.

"Tempting, but no, I think my being visually-challenged is one reason why I could never go for that," The young Gaunt replied.

She rolled her eyes. "You literally fought inferi with me. You can't use your blindness as an excuse. If anything, you have as much of a chance at winning this year's tournament. Besides, Sebastian could partner with you. Or even Natty," She suggested.

"Or even you," Ominis grinned. "If I join, will you be my partner? Do we have a deal?" He said.

Norah held out her hand. "Deal. If you join, I can partner with you. Shake on it."

Sebastian looked intrigued, a shit-eating grin on his face as he followed them out of the room. "Now that I am looking forward to."

Natty, Poppy, and Amit were at the clock tower courtyard when the three of them showed up. The sight of Norah entering led to whispers among the other students, all of whom hopeful to advance in the tournament. Lucan looked especially excited upon seeing them.

"The Crossed Wands duellist to beat!" Leander called out with a grin on his face, followed by Grace.

"Here she comes! The reigning champion!" Lucan announced.

"A few second, third, and fourth years are looking to duel this time, I hear," Natty told them as soon as they gathered in one corner. "I say they have an unfair opponent with Hector Jenkins and Charlotte Morrison giving it another go this time around. Astoria Rickett bested some yesterday."

"They can put up a fight, yeah," Norah nodded, immediately seeing Lucan gesture for her to come over. "Hello Lucan, how are you?" She said.

"I'm doing very good. Mind giving our potential duellists some pointers?" He asked, his voice loud enough for all of them to hear.

"Use what you've already been taught, I guess," Norah shrugged. "If you're unsure, Lucan can set you up with a training dummy to practice. That's how I was able to do well. Oh, and good luck, Charlotte and Hector are really good."

The young Gryffindor's cheeks turned pink. Hector and Charlotte smiled at the compliment. Lucan cleared his throat to snap himself out of it. "Alright! Wands at the ready! Whoever's left standing wins!" He declared.

Norah returned to where Sebastian and the rest of the group were standing, including Ominis, who was listening intently to the spells being thrown around the room. Lucan even had to shield himself when a levitating charm bounced off Hector. Leander quickly ran behind the doors when a blasting curse was fired, sending Charlotte flying back a few feet from where she was standing, her robes scorched.

"Whoa, quite bold of them to use confringo in their initiation round," Sebastian commented. "I would've thought they kept to levitation and disarming charms."

Natty looked impressed. "They must have learned on their own."

"I wonder what Professor Hecat would think of that, I think she knows about Crossed Wands," Poppy muttered.

"Better just confringo than bombarda. We wouldn't want this tower to break down," Norah said, and they hummed in agreement.

"There are defensive charms all over the castle. They'll be fine," Sebastian said.

The duel was a close one, with Lucan watching so intensely at how everything unfolded. Unfortunately, the pair of second years were defeated, with Charlotte and Hector exchanging high fives while shaking hands with the students. Astoria Rickett and Leander were next in going against the pair of third years looking to join.

"That was a close one, second years, better luck next year," Lucan assured them as they left.

"You think they were trying to impress you?" Ominis teasingly asked Norah, who wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"More like the rest of you," She retorted. She noticed one of the second years, a Ravenclaw girl, kept glancing at Sebastian before and after the duel. Sebastian, unfortunately, didn't seem to notice.

"But we're no heroes of Hogwarts," Natty pointed out.

Violet McDowell, one of the Slytherin prefects, had posted a notice on the common room's bulletin board that evening. The first of the many house parties was going to take place in two weeks. Word had soon got out to the rest of the students that it wasn't surprising that even the teachers had some idea. With the exception of Professor Black, who was too absorbed in his own affairs than that of the school.

It was upon the announcement of the party that Norah found out about how exclusive house parties were in Hogwarts. Sure, they were unsanctioned, yet the prefects and head boy and head girl looked the other way when it came to it. Even Gladwin Moon, despite serving as caretaker, kept mum on the parties as he would see those nights as a time for an extended stop at the Hog's Head. But students, including prefects, from the other houses, needed to know someone from the house throwing a party to be able to enter the common room.

"Brilliant, the first party's in two weeks," Sebastian nodded. "All of these NEWTs are doing my head in."

"I'm so looking forward to letting myself go by then," Grace sighed. "I'm guessing we're bringing in some barrels of butterbeer?"

"Obviously."

"Maybe a few bottles of firewhisky while we're at it," Grace was grinning. "We'll just need to endure a few weeks of homework and lessons first."

"I heard Garreth Weasley's planning on introducing his new brew at the first party too. Coincidentally, the first party's at the Gryffindor common room," Sebastian chuckled. "I'm looking forward to that."

Norah suddenly appeared, having returned from the Room of Requirement with her rolls of parchment and quill in tow. "Garreth told me about the party on the way back here. Seems like you're all excited," She noticed Sebastian.

"Who wouldn't be?" The male replied. "Weasley ask you about the ball yet?"

The question made Grace look intrigued. Norah shook her head. "I think the party's all he's thinking about now, despite what Natty's been saying."

The mention of Weasley made Norah realize the answer to the question she was thinking about earlier. If there was a teacher who could help her somehow, who knew the details of what Professor Fig told her, it would be Professor Weasley herself. She immediately knew what to do. She could only hope Professor Weasley could agree to it.

Sebastian looked at her curiously, already sensing that she had something up her sleeve. "What are you on about now?" He asked.

"I just realized something. Can you put this in my room for me? I'll be back," Norah handed him her things before running back up the staircase going out of the common room.

Grace and Sebastian watched her leave. "Where else is she going now?" The blonde pondered.

"I don't know," Sebastian could only say, yet he had an idea as to what it was. He went up to the girls' dormitories, being careful to freeze the stairs first in case it would turn into a slide. Knowing where Norah's bed was, he placed her things on top of the trunk before running toward the boys' dormitories, where Ominis was dozing off. "Hey, we need to get the others. I think I know what she's been up to."

The doors of Professor Weasley's office quietly opened and Norah peeked inside, seeing the Transfiguration teacher herself, having anticipated her coming in, with a smile. "Hello Miss Lee," She said.

"Professor, do you have a moment?" Norah closed the door behind her and sat down when Professor Weasley gestured to the chair.

"Of course, what is it?"

"Last year, when you and the other professors came into the caverns, Professor Fig, told you everything?"

"Yes, he did. He told me everything and the reasons why you've been leaving the castle ever so often on his behalf. What about it?" She asked.

There was no other way to say it. "Professor, I would like to return to the caverns and rebuild that repository. It is what Professor Fig would've wanted, what many others who have died in Ranrok's hands wanted. I'm prepared to rebuild the repository, it's full of the pain, pain that Isidora Morganach took from her students without their consent, and turned into power. It will be opened again once we've learned enough of it."

Professor Weasley stared at her, nodding slightly at the explanation. Norah could feel her eyes well with tears the more she explained. "Are you sure you want to do this? " She asked quietly, her expression softening. "That is the most important question to ask."

Norah nodded. "This power, which I feel, is becoming too much. It's like I'm feeling everything at once. Like all the pain, all the grief, I'm honestly getting overwhelmed and I have my work cut out for me," She said.

"You were made to do something you should never have to do at your age when you faced Ranrok and his loyalists. It's not your fault things are the way they are," Professor Weasley said. "A heavy burden was placed on your shoulders, when all you should be thinking about is your magical education. I'm glad you came to me about this. What can I do to help you?"

She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, professor. I would like to return to the caverns and reform that repository. I have the wand that can reopen the doors to that repository. All we need to do is rebuild it and contain all of it. I know I cannot do it alone," Norah explained.

"And you won't have to. Let me know when you plan on returning, and I shall meet you at the entrance to the map chamber," She said.

"Yes, thank you, professor," Norah nodded, getting up from the chair and turning to leave.

"Miss Lee?"

Norah turned around, hand poised on the door. "Yes?"

"Let others help you. You needn't carry this on your own."

"Understood, professor. Thank you."

Norah stepped out into the Transfiguration courtyard when she saw the concerned faces of her friends. "You could've asked us for help, you know, talked to us," Sebastian's arms were crossed.

"I know, and I'm sorry-"

"Never do something like what you're planning to do by yourself," Natty chimed in.

Ominis, however, looked the most calm while trying to calm his best friend down with a pat on the shoulder. "What did Professor Weasley say? Did she agree?" He asked.

"She did."

The young Gaunt nodded. "Good. I'm glad she agreed to whatever you asked. We can talk later if you'd rather not say anything right now."

"Thank you," Norah turned to the rest of them. "So, the party?" She tried to shift the subject.

The mention of the upcoming event made each of them smile. "Hey, I have an idea, why don't we look for another table?" Amit suggested. "Looking at the stars can be relaxing."

"Is that why you're often up at the Astronomy Tower?" Poppy raised a brow. "Or you've been holding back on asking Samantha to the Yule Ball?"

"She does seem interested in you, Amit," Norah added. "...But, do you even want to take her to the ball?"

"I-I don't know yet," The Ravenclaw shrugged. "If the stars says it will be, then I will."

Natty chuckled. "You sound like my mother."

Amit frowned. "That will be in my memoir, just you all wait."

"And you've never even said if you liked her or not," Sebastian grinned. He turned to Norah. "Anyway, I got the edition of the evening prophet. Looks like Harlow was last seen near Keenbridge. He looked quite ghastly, according to people who spotted him. But he killed a few people who tried to call the authorities for help."

The mention of Harlow's name made Norah stand up straight. She immediately knew what to do. "Alright, I've heard people nearly become shells of their former selves," She said.

"I heard that place can really suck the happiness out of someone. With all those dementors guarding the cells," Poppy shuddered at the thought. "Those that are imprisoned there do end up becoming shells of their former selves...like devoid of any happiness or soul. Like those angry dugbogs under Ranrok's powers, or that dragon that attacked your carriage."

"It's hard to think someone like Harlow would have a soul to begin with. Him and his poacher pack have been torturing and killing beasts for sport," Natty pointed out with a frown. "If he is anything like Rookwood, and I'm sure he is, he won't stop until he acquires the power he once had. Even if it means coming after Norah or any of us again."

Ominis sighed. Norah patted his shoulder. "Then all the more we must stay here. As long as we're in Hogwarts, no harm can come to any of us," He said. "We're all safe here."

Norah wanted to do just that, but she knew in her heart that she couldn't walk away from a fight that would be laid out for her sooner or later.

[xknivesandpensx]

Between the Lines

Summary: Hermione Granger is probably the last person Draco would want to be stuck in a closet with. Hermione liking the situation no more than him. Will spending time alone push them further apart or somehow bring them closer?

Finally part three of my prequel series, the last part in fact! This takes place during the third movie. I also mention things from the book and a little from my other writing which can be found here. It ended up being way longer than I expected but thanks for taking the time to read.

Hermione entered Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop in search for extra parchment and a new quill. The school year was coming to a close and while Ron stayed behind on this particular trip to Hogsmeade, being ill-advised to accompany the other students while his leg continued to heal. Harry, on the other hand, hid amongst the others while his invisibility cloak covered his body, joining to keep her company and because both boys were still under the impression Draco intended to get back at Hermione for hitting him. All the while, she thought it pointless to worry.

It didn’t take long to reach their intended destination. They thought it best for him to wait outside given the crowd gathered within. He’d be far more prone to bang into people in a large group and she planned to take no more than a few minutes.

To her surprise, adults filled the space, making maneuvering rather difficult. Some famous author took it upon herself to sign books, much like Hermione remembered Gilderoy Lockhart doing back before second year. The excitement reminded her of a crush she had on the professor. It all seemed so trivial now. Sending him a Valentine’s Day card, blushing whenever he came in sight and going as far as treasuring anything he wrote on (even keeping his get well soon letter tucked under her pillow after the Polyjuice Potion incident).

Of course, Hermione kept his books and maybe even stashed the notes inside, nonetheless she was well over any lingering adoration. Certainly, at this point, the events of the year overtook most her thoughts, leaving little to no room for a man who once stood on a pedestal in her mind. The truth of his memory charms were, after all, enough to shoo an abundance of his admirers away.

Her thoughts shook free of him after spotting a head of blond hair in the mass of people. His voice reached her ears as well, coming off as a muffled sort of shout, demanding others to get out of his way. It appeared as if Draco came in as unprepared as she did regarding the swarm of women and men.

The store owner directed Hermione to the back supply closet for the specific quill she sought and well advised her not to close the door. Apparently, certain classmates of hers thought it funny to lock their brother inside, making it so only those on the outside could free their captive. Instantly, she knew the culprits were Fred and George having a bit of fun with Percy, severely angering the other Weasley in the process. He complained about it nonstop in the common room, giving them an earful.

A small smile creased her lips upon the memory as she stretched on her tiptoes to reach the yet to be displayed box, pausing mid reach when another got unintentionally shoved inside by a group, who sounded like overly enthusiastic fans. The door got shut amongst the rushing adults, the slam echoing loudly.

A gasp escaped in a single breath. Despite the warning, Hermione dashed forward trying to turn the knob. “Oh no,” she spoke in a whisper, more in disbelief than anything else. “I can’t believe this is happening. We’re locked in.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” An edge of vexation roughened his tone. “Move aside.” Draco attempted the same as Hermione until he resorted to banging his fist on the wood itself.

“That’s not going to work. We’re going to have to wait until someone realizes we’re trapped.” She assumed Harry might take it upon himself to search for her, if a sufficient amount of time passed. Not that she could mention it, seeing as he wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place.

“Yeah, I’m sure the cavalry is on their way,” Draco sarcastically commented as he leaned against the wall, aware a small amount of space rested between them. No more than an arm’s length at best.

Otherwise, a single light hung above their heads. The room itself held racks stuffed with boxes, new items on one side, older on the back wall.

Silence engulfed them.

Hermione reluctantly lifted her gaze to look upon him. The two of them hadn’t been alone in quite a while. He grew a few inches in height over the summer, his frame holding an intimidating impression (more so from the way he purposely held himself).

She liked his hair much more than his sleeked back style. It hung freely, bright blond locks falling slightly past his brows. It shaped his face differently and while Hermione would never admit to admiring his looks, especially while a soft, golden glow overtook his hard-set mien, she didn’t want to tear her prolonged stare away.

Despite her reservations, an immediate desire to ask Draco if he remembered their first meeting on the train bloomed in her chest. Where she’d done the same type of scrutinizing study. Did he recall sharing his candy with her or maybe even their moment in Lockhart’s classroom when a mere second of contact caused electricity to fly between them?

She found herself every so often reminiscing the sensation of a fleeting, enamored sort of fondness for Draco Malfoy, feeling it in the pit of her stomach. It still came in waves, yet easily smothered the moment he sent a glare or rude comment in her direction.

Hermione forced herself to look elsewhere before he took notice, trying to instead, come up with a solution to their problem. It started to get warm too, which left her slightly uncomfortable.

Rather than a Hogwarts uniform, she wore a dark navy pair of shorts and a blue button up blouse. Draco took on his typical black attire. Both sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, the material light enough for the oncoming summer weather. The color heightened his pale skin tone but he seemed to prefer the dark shade.

“Will you stop pacing.” If he could even call taking a step every few seconds that. It irritated him more so than it should.

“I’m trying to think. Unlike you who’s just standing there.” Draco said nothing, only crossing his arms in return. “Oh, I’m sorry I forgot I was so beneath you, me saying anything to you is practically considered an insult. Except, of course, if you want to complain, then you don’t seem to care at all.”

Both hands fell on her hips, yet he remained silent. Huffing in aggravation, Hermione settled herself on the ground, bringing her knees close to her chest.

Ten minutes passed in agonizing muteness between them. Muffled voices passed under the door but the myriad of people’s attention may as well be miles away.

He eventually followed suit, taking a seating position across from her. They might be locked in the tiny closet for hours. Crabbe and Goyle wouldn’t think to look for him in here, the two probably too busy at Honeydukes to notice he left their side in the first place.

Draco started feeling restless after a while, so he turned to shift so his forearm rested on his raised leg while the other stretched out.

“I can think of so many people I’d rather be stuck with than you.” His comment came with a condescending sneer, mostly because the silence started to grate him.

“I’m not exactly thrilled to be here either.” Hermione rested her head on the shelf behind her. “I’d probably have more fun facing a Boggart.”

A scoff escaped him. “Getting a bad grade, how horrific. Really shocking fear for you. It’s almost as funny as Potter being terrified of Dementors.”

“And exactly how much trouble did you get in for dressing up as one and trying to scare Harry during a Quidditch match? Not your best plan. It came across rather silly.” She and Ron found themselves in the middle of a fight at the time, but that didn’t stop her from attending.

He got detention, had points taken away and endured an extensive reprimand by several professors. His parents weren’t happy receiving the letter sent home either.

“You go on about it as if he’s so innocent.” He turned his head from her, falling into complaint. “Showing off his Firebolt. Like people have nothing better to do than going around praising him, still being impressed by his stupid scar too.”

Hermione never quite understood his jealousy towards Harry. The boy who lost his parents, had to stay with an aunt, uncle and cousin who treated him dreadfully, who faced terrible things every school year. She supposed mentioning it would be futile.

She took a breath, venturing a different approach. Hoping to possibly gain some understanding. As to why try at all? Maybe she was tired of being combative or perhaps she needed a shred of proof his whole character didn’t lock itself in a singular mold. She saw glimpses already in the past, after all.

“I’m not scared of getting a bad grade specifically.” Hermione heard him sigh, but pressed on. “Sometimes a Boggart can get an exact image. Although every so often the concept can’t take solid form. For me, it’s less about a test and more being told I’m a failure. That I’m not good enough.”

Certain people saw her as someone less because her lineage. And while a compulsion to raise her hand in class existed, it wasn’t always due to knowing the correct answer, rather to keep herself in check. If she slipped from the compliment of being the “brightest witch of her age” who’d she be then?

Hermione went on a bit tentatively. “It’s the same for you, isn’t it? You’re not frightened of your father. You’re afraid of disappointing him… I might be wrong, but I think the reason goes much deeper –– ”

“Don’t act like you know anything about me,” Draco interrupted, leaning forward ever so slightly. A blaze of anger ignited in an instant. “How about you keep that Mudblood mouth of your shut about things you don’t understand.”

She dug too deeply and it stung. Maybe he did try to emulate his greatness, always searching for his father’s approval. Lucius maintained an air about him that nobody came close to. People respected him, knowing severe consequences followed if crossed.

If Lucius needed to give him a few good whacks with his cane every now and again to get results (because in spite of himself, Draco didn’t always listen), he had the right, didn’t he? Luckily, he tended to move his hands fast enough to avoid a blow. For the most part, anyway.

Tension slowly left his muscles, the heat not allowing him to keep his aggravation in place.

Not until Hermione saw his features lose their tightness did she attempt to say more. The weight of the insult remained, yet she tried to rise above it.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Fear is a tricky thing for others to understand. Ron’s scared of spiders and Neville of Professor Snape.” Her voice eased to a lighter measure. “It was rather funny to see him wearing that ridiculous hat.”

Draco ducked his chin, fiddling with his ring.

He intended not to reply until the image came flooding back. Somehow it washed away his persistent insouciance. “People were snickering behind his back for weeks. If he as so much caught a hint of a chuckle, he’d take away ten points immediately.”

It fell out of line from the traditional things he found amusement in, a far cry from sending him to his knees, pounding on the ground because he couldn’t contain himself.

But he laughed regardless. Alongside Hermione Granger no less.

It surprised her. The two of them sharing a moment of levity in a dusty storeroom of which the strong and distinctive smell of fresh ink overtook. While witnessing a brief softness in his open mirth, she felt a spread of warmth in her chest and trace of heat along her face.

It was, however, short lived.

Draco caught himself and stifled his laughter, forcing his legs to push him upward and direct his energy elsewhere. What has it been? A half hour? Longer, perhaps? “This is getting ridiculous. There must be something in here that will help us get out.”

He started searching through a few boxes, tossing them aside rather recklessly in need to do something, anything to vanquish whatever sensation he sensed coursing through his veins.

“Careful, you might break something,” Hermione chastised, quickly getting to her feet.

“As if I care.” He needed to get out now. What did it matter to him if parchment and quills flew everywhere or ink bottles shattered? If only he brought his wand, then perhaps he could’ve unlocked the door right away and avoided this whole thing.

Because he certainly intended to banish the entire ordeal to the back of his mind. He just needed to get away from her first.

In his rushed movements, Draco stumbled over a box, causing him to bang into Hermione and take her down with him.

The crash sounded earsplitting and the fall? It was far from graceful. More painful given Draco’s elbow slammed on the ground. It stopped his full body weight from landing on her completely, though he felt his knee jab into her leg on the way down, which caused a sharp but quick scream upon impact.

Hermione may have lost her ability to breathe after finding herself unexpectedly pinned beneath him, but Draco seemed to be acutely aware of their tangled legs and position of his hands. One rested above her shoulder, the other more so on her arm.

Given his previous claims, any form of physical contact should repulse him or at the very least trigger a hasty drawback. Eventually his fingers loosened their grip so his palm slipped to the floor. Touching her sent prickles along his skin, which threw him off a bit.

And for the first time Draco noticed the color of her eyes, a detail he not once bothered to remember.

He never saw brown eyes glow before, but hers did, like morning sunlight shinning on the bark of a redwood tree. Probably due to the low lighting above, yet in the moment, he believed even within the castle the dancing flame of a candle could ignite the same appeal. They radiated a warmth far surpassing his own pair of blue of which she stared into.

In his mind, Draco knew he needed to move, but the ability to direct his muscles failed him miserably.

Hermione spoke, only for her words to be drowned out by squeaking hinges. The door finally opened.

“What’s going on? Get off her.” He recognized Harry’s voice as a hand gripped his shoulder and somewhat clumsily pulled him upright, the maneuver a tad difficult.

“Let go of me!” Draco remarked, pushing Harry into the wooden frame. His gaze narrowed, noting the accusative tone. Giving the compromising position and knowledge of Harry’s dislike of him (returned, of course), he expected nothing less. “What kind of guy do you take me for, Potter?”

Harry helped Hermione up, speaking matter-of-factly once he gazed upon the blond again. “From the look of things, I have several ideas now.”

While Hermione didn’t blame the reason behind his conclusion, having picked up on it as well, she quickly attempted to correct it. “We fell, nothing else happened, I swear.”

Protective tension kept its hold. Harry cared for her deeply, their friendship built itself into a relationship he held close to his heart. Much like felt he with Ron and Hagrid.

He took her word for it, letting the impression leave him. Draco might go out of his way to torment them, but he really couldn’t picture him being the type to force himself on another. His mind simply jumped to the conclusion seeing him on top of her.

“What are you even doing here?” Draco questioned, breaking whatever silent conversation the pair seemed to be having. “Sneaking into Hogsmeade? I wonder how you managed to pull it off. Maybe I should let the professors take a couple of guesses.”

Harry slowly hid the invisibility cloak behind his back, hoping it went unnoticed. “I think I’m beginning to get the urge to tell the story of how Hermione hit you in the face.”

That was about the only ammo he really had.

“Oh yeah, terribly funny. I’m sure everyone would believe you.” It surprised him how none of them mentioned it, not that he’d be fond of it spreading now. Draco advanced on Harry. “If that’s your attempt at making a threat, it’s pretty weak, if you ask me.”

Before he managed to get too close, Hermione got between them. “Stop. You’re both starting to draw attention. That’s the last thing we need.”

And sure enough, people were beginning to look in their direction.

Draco caught her eyes again, confused on how they still held an alluring call. He forced a glower full of as much loathing he could muster, prior to directing his words to Harry. “Consider yourself lucky the school year’s nearly over. What a waste of time this is.”

The warning held a hollow meaning, the words placed to provide him ample reason to walk away.

Hermione watched him disappear from the shop into the warm sunlight. She suppressed the strange want to go after him and veered her attention back to her friend. “We should clean this up before we go. I’d feel awful leaving it a mess.”

Harry took on the task to help, knowing better than to suggest otherwise and asked for more details. “How’d the two of you end up in a closet in the first place?”

Hermione rattled off a few things between putting boxes away, making sure the door stayed open, yet her mind drifted elsewhere. She witnessed a different side of Draco. Again, but slightly different than before. He looked so, for lack of a better word, dissimilar to his usual self. His laugh rang free of any mocking undertones. Almost, well, mellifluous.

She’d probably never be given a second opportunity to hear it.

She doubted Draco took in the other moment the same way she did. His lips were so near to hers, hovering about an inch or two away. Hermione glanced down at them, finding herself, at the time and all the more so in the present, wondering what it may have felt like if he brought his mouth onto hers.

But kissing Draco Malfoy? What an aimless thing to consider.

[mysticstarlightduck]

Happy WBW!

There have been multiple questions about fairy tales and legends, but tell me about the stories that serve as low-brow entertainment for an older audience. Are there novels in your world? What are the most popular ones about? Or maybe there are some other mainstream media like movies, or plays, or holonovels?

Basically, what's the in-setting equivalent of 'Twilight'?

Thanks for the Ask, @sam-glade !!!!

This is an interesting question, as Agrannor is a setting loosely inspired by the medieval ages and ancient cultures.

There are quite a lot of different cultural entertainments available, and they vary according to the kingdom at hand. Novels as we know them, have yet to be invented and popularized, but there are massive Archives in the capitals of the kingdoms - and one especially legendary in Liranthis - where almost all kinds of scrolls, tomes, and some leather-bound parchment books can be found, and though many those are mostly material used by scholars, inventors, and magical users, there are quite a few fictional works.

The most popular "genre" of fiction in the many kingdoms of Agrannor are epic tales of ancient or recent heroes, often based on the folklore of either the kingdom or the continent, mythical tales involving the local mythos and real creatures of the realms are also quite a success. Those are similar to our adult fantasy or fairy tale books, with often a localized twist that changes the version of the story to suit the public of a certain kingdom or age. Truthful retellings of the Ancient Wars are often kept in pristine books bound in the finest leather, which are often rarities often sought after by collectors and people of power, but a simplified version of them can be found in leather-bound books and pamphlets throughout the kingdoms, which the general population seems to particularly like.

The versions of the events of the Ancient War - which happened centuries ago - drastically vary drastically between the Free Realms and the Morosyn Empire, and as the more recent Agrannorian Civil War is still a fresh wound for the continent, its events rarely take the form of a tale or fiction.

There are also many potion recipe books, spell books, runic tomes, and scientific scrolls, but those are usually kept by scholars of these respective areas and are rarely something the public cares about.

The biggest problem is that, given that this is a continent often torn by wars and medievally inclined, not everyone is literate, though the vast majority of the population up until the very lower middle class - with some exceptions - does know how to read and write to some extent, though that knowledge can often be limited by their circumstances. This means that dramatizations through plays and shows are adored by the public, and some kingdoms have truly mastered the art of stage storytelling - with beautiful gowns, stage settings, and plenty of colors to go around. These events are often accessible to everyone - though there are more "high-brow" private theatres in some of the kingdoms - especially during local festivals, it often becomes a crucial part of every celebration.

As this is a medieval setting, there aren't movies or holo novels yet and there won't be any time soon. BUT... magical users are known to be able to do quite a show with their magic when telling tales, so it almost does feel like a small animation. It is very rare for non-mageborn humans to witness this unless they are lucky enough to encounter a willing mage storyteller.

The favorite books and stories revolve around the popular folk figure of Knight Abaven of Adrellios, who is said to have been one of the main figures to give his life to save the kingdoms during the end of the Ancient Wars, and whose last words still live on to this day. In the Morosyn Empire however, the most popular books revolve around the deeds of the First Empress, Seraphina the Mighty, a benevolent uniter who fought to keep her lands safe during times of hardship. Both stories are correct, but both omit crucial details that were lost to time.

Bards are extremely popular and can be found in almost every tavern and nook in even the smallest village. They weave common tales expertly with their songs and talent with their instrument of choice, entrancing crowds gathered merrily around a fire with their musical words.

Children grow up hearing old tales from the common mythos, some being designed to teach lessons or be scary, while others are just beautiful fairy tales to be told during bedtime. Noble or children of important Houses also grow up learning the deeds of their direct ancestors, be it by their family or tutors.

Thank you so much once again, Sam, for this amazing ask!

I hope that you enjoy my answer! 💕

[p-and-p-admin]

It is TROPE WEEK at Potions and Parchment!

It's here! It's here! My favourite "feature" week of the year has arrived and I am SO excited. For those of you who don't know us, we are Potions & Parchment, a large, active, supportive and inclusive SSHG platform. Those of you who are new to us, welcome. For those of you who have been with us for a while you know it, you love it, TROPE WEEK is here!

There will be discussion posts happening all week about tropes, what they are and why we love them. We will have a focus post each day about a different trope and invite you to discuss why you love it or why you don't and to share your favourite stories that feature it.

Later today (my time) I will also be unveiling our next major event which ties in with Trope Week and I hope you will all be as excited for it as the Modmin Team are.