#She always did put Barnaby before herself

[duchess-of-dilemma]

He's dragging me to an amusement park. I don't know where.

Just listen to me and don't come dammit!

Forget about me, you can make new friends I'm sure. If I live then we can laugh about it.

Hey B

I can't ask for help or tell you where I am, but I'm fine for now.

How are you holding up?

-Text from autumn

Well I was in the pent house and now I’m in downtown New York and somewhere and that wasn’t a conscious decision and also every bird in New York is looking for you.

[ten-shi-fandoms]

"Don't worry your safe now, I promise."

___________________________________

CW: Wally Darling x Platonic!Child Reader, gender neutral reader, minor mentions of neglect, parent issues, parental arguing, reader gets called names, Wally breaking the fourth wall, first person pov, angst to fluff

_______________________________________

It was happening all over again, not like it was unusual for you to hear.

There was yelling, and lots of it between your mother and father. It was normal for you to hear and for a young child's mind you didn't have much attention to give to the pointless screaming match that raged on outside your room. All you cared about were the pretty colors and lovely music that filled your room as a popular show called "Welcome Home" was about to start on the TV.

Your mother had sat you in your room not long before starting the argument with your father over something simple. She turned on the TV, switching it to whatever seemed colorful and childish enough to keep you occupied as she readied herself to yell before she left you locking the room from the outside to keep you from leaving.

This happened more times than not, being locked in the room while your mother did whatever she wanted leaving you alone with your toys, crayons and the tv. This time she placed it on "Welcome Home" a show that had become popular and you were immediately interested in the moment the colors shined on the screen.

You sat patiently as the title card appeared signalling the show was about to start. The screen soon bloomed into a beautiful colorful neighborhood with a guy painting beside a house. As the camera panned in the guy turned, acknowledging the presence of the viewer. Half lidded eyes turned to the camera with a small smile. "Hello there Neighbor, I was wondering when you would show up." he teased, his voice soft, a voice you never really heard from your parents.

"How are you today Neighbor?" he questioned, silence following after aside from the light music that played behind him. Only after a bit did you realize he was waiting for you, a large smile graced your face as you happily responded unaware of the generic question. "I'm good!" After a bit Wally smiled once more, "That's good." he responded placing his paintbrush down beside him, completely turning to face the viewer. "How about we go talk to Barnaby today? I'm sure he would like that." Quickly nodding your head agreeing to the idea as he stood from his seat. "Alright then Neighbor, let's go."

Who knows how long that argument lasted, the only way you could tell it was over was the loud slam of the front door and walking around the house, but you didn't really care you were more interested in talking to Wally who happily spent his time with you playing with friends, bothering others and talking to you. Even though it was generic how Wally would speak to you, asking easy questions and pointing things out it was the most attention you had in a while. Before you knew it the episode was ending. Wally sat infront of his house, a place you now knew as Home holding his hands in his lap.

"It seems that's it for today. It was really fun wasn't it Neighbor? I can't wait to see what we do tomorrow, goodbye Neighbor." slowly the camera panned out, the ending song playing as Wally waved goodbye to the viewer. Sadness laced your face as the screen changed to something else, waving goodbye to your new friend.

This soon became a daily routine. Everyday around the same time one of your parents would put Welcome Home on for you as they went to do what they wanted or needed to do. Your mother would go off to go with friends or hang out with others while your father worked living you alone with Wally. Wally was always so happy to see you, and you felt the same. He would ask you about your day, offer to see his friends, play games and hang out with the residents of the neighborhood before saying some kind words then waving goodbye before the next episode played. It was the normal generic stuff for children cartoons but it felt so directed at you, like he saw you and was talking with you.

Things were fine for a few months until your parents got into a large about you. Your mother was upset with you for bothering her while on the way home and called you dramatic when you had begun go cry. This lead to your father screaming at your mother causing her to scream back. All of it was to much even for a child. Large tears filled your (e/c) eyes as you ran to your room. The tv was already on when you got there; due to you forgetting to turn it off earlier, the title card of Welcome Home was playing showing you that show was a about to start. Grabbing your favorite blanket you curled into it, before walking over to the brightly colored screen.

The screen changed showing Wally sitting on the floor by a window, drawing something on a piece of paper. As the camera got closer he perked up, his head turning to acknowledge the viewer about to say something before he paused no words leaving him as he stared. It felt as if he was staring at you, no words being said making you worried something was wrong.

"Wally?" you mumbled gently, soft sniffles leaving you as the tears that filled your eyes rolled down your cheeks in large globs staining your cheeks with wet streaks. Even with your voice calling out to him he didn't say a word only standing up walking closer to the camera as if he was trying to get closer to you.

"You seem sad, what's wrong Neighbor?" he asked, his voice soft, even gentle as he spoke his head tilting to the side as he waited for a answer. You nodded, your (h/c) hair bouncing a bit with each nod. "I'm fine, don't worry Wally!" your voice wavering at the ends as you said his name as happily as you could. Though Wally didn't look convinced. "Are you sure Neighbor? You seem to be crying-" before he could finish the tv begun to glitch suddenly placing the camera in a scene with Julie and Sally peforming a play with Wally sitting beside Barnaby smiling at the two peforming some line.

Confused as you were, you smiled happy to see the characters you loved so much having fun and including you in their games. You had fun bouncing around reading lines from a script Sally held up for the viewer as they played a part in her play. Julie played jump rope with you. Frank let you watch the butterflies. Eddie gave you some mail. Howdy let you take some crayons. And so much more. The happy episode made you feel better after what happened with your mother earlier that day. At the end of the episode it was just you, Wally and Home just like before. Wally seemed to be in thought before he begun to speak.

"Are you sure your okay Neighbor? You seemed so sad earlier, I hope you at least had some fun with us." he said, the words making you tilt your head before moving closer to the tv. "I'm better now Wally! Thanks to you and and everyone else! I'm so happy!" you cheered, your tears having cleared up for the most part and your mood alot better too. Wally nodded, a sweet smile on his face. "Thats good Neighbor. As long as your happy, I'm happy. Goodbye Neighbor, I love you." happiness filled your face as your placed your hands against the tv screen after hearing Wally's words. "I love you too Wally! Bye bye!" you could hear him let out a odd, broken monotone laugh as he waved goodbye to you.

You let out a soft yawn, your body slumping against the tv, your body slowly sliding onto the floor in front of it as your curled further into your blanket, tired from all the crying you had done. When you closed your eyes you heard Wally's voice call out to you one more time, this time is voice was lower than before like he was whispering to you.

"Don't worry your safe now, I promise."

[chez-cinnamon]

Time is meaningless, so just Good. How are you.

I know all the puppets' personalities are essentially the same, but they clearly don't act like children's characters anymore (like wallys fuck you to fionn in that one ask;I know it was a joke but still)

When wally watches old wh reruns, or when any of the others see any, I feel like they'd get reeeallly embarrassed. And like, identity-crisissy seeing how they were before they gained sentience

Sally (on tv): I just LOVE watching MOVIES with my FRIENDS!!! What's YOUR favorite movie???

(awkwardly long pause)

That's MY favorite, too!!!!

Regular Sally: 😐😑 what the fuck

Just some thoughts to rotate in your brain. Have a Day

Abgbgfnghf I mean you're not wrong - they keep their original personalities but as the days go on they realise they've actually changed a lot from who they were before they gained sentience...

Wally, still the friendliest neighbour you could meet and still a lover of the arts, but everything he went through changed him from a once calm and silly puppet to a tired, traumatised puppet who feels responsible for their predicament, and suffers from the betrayal of his own Home.

Barnaby still loves to tell jokes and act the sly, silly scallywag he is, but inside is an unshakeable paranoia, that he might lose his neighbours and best friend for real this time, and he doesn't want that to happen. He's already lost his mama technically, and that's bad enough!

Still joyful and playful, Julie feels skittish and restricted however, in a world that sees adults as those who have to be serious, hard money making machines, where fun is looked down upon. On top of that she has technically lost her siblings.

Frank remains knowledgable and stoic, his love for butterflies never dying, but inside he hates the sudden change. He didn't want to leave Home, he didn't want it to go; thus he is prone to meltdowns every now and then.

Eddie's heart is still of gold, still clumsy as can be yet forever well meaning, but after seeing Home's carnage, he feels kind of lost. His dear post office was ripped away from him, and his dearest Frank was nearly taken too, so he will never let Frank out of his sight, no matter how overbearing he seems.

Friendly clerk Howdy remains the fast talking, smiley caterpillar he always was, and even gets a chance to let loose in the human world, but like Eddie, he so dearly misses his little bodega, even if it nearly hurt him. He now feels responsible for Frank and Eddie's behaviour, trying to keep them in check, and oh how can dealing with Fionn grind his sanity.

Once a performer, always a performer: Sally always likes to make little plays to keep everyone happy, and will make all the foolproof plans in the world to keep them safe from any dangerous humans. However even the most skilled actress can tucker herself out with people pleasing through acting, and like Howdy, arguing with Fionn puts a toll on you.

Poppy is definitely the most careful neighbour, always looking out for her friends and being there for them always. But after travelling to a whole new world, wouldn't your nerves and worries increase tenfold? Hers certainly did, bumbling and whimpering at anything bad that might happen, feeling like a burden due to her cautious nature.

Watching their old shows brings back a sad mix of hopelessness, longing and nostalgia - they may not be able to go back, it seems, but at least they can still experience their old lives one way or another, even with the occasional embarrassment at their quirks in episodes!

[movedtodawning-skies]

driving.

pairing: kotetsu/luna - pre-relationship

notes: I thought about these two again and needed to write something fun !! this is an idea I've had running around for a while - luna is trying so, so hard to get over her fears and work on managing her anxiety, then accidentally falls in love with kotetsu (sorry queen)

notes (cont). if anyone wants me to keep posting stuff like this please lmk!! I've finally gotten out of a slump and I would love to share my works more :>

song(s): waste your time - sub-radio [i'd waste your time/the pleasure's all mine/when we drive and your smile opens up wide]

word count: ~1,600

tag list: @worldtravelercv (if anyone wants to be tagged lmk!)

"Luna!" Kotetsu waved eagerly to his friend as she stepped out of her office building. Luna, in all of her tiredness, seemed to brighten up at seeing the older hero's face. They had planned this outing for weeks at this point; another idea on Luna's bucket list to try and conquer her fears. Kotetsu, always helpful, endlessly supportive and patient, had agreed immediately.

So, that's why he was standing in front of her office in the warm spring afternoon leaning against a motorcycle. Luna had mentioned never learning to drive, due to how much the traffic and all of the rules and regulations bothered her, but never expected Kotetsu to offer her a ride somewhere.

"Anywhere you want. Really!" Kotetsu had said to her a few days ago. "I know you have a routine with work, but… maybe being on the road more might help? Maybe that's this old man's wishful thinking…"

"You're not that old…" Luna replied, taking a sip of her drink. They were meeting up more often now, considering it was a bit of 'down-time' for the heroes. "And it's- it's really fine. You don't have to go out of your way."

"It's not 'going out of my way', Luna. Never for you!" Kotetsu said, easily. The words came naturally to him, but Luna was still uncertain. How was he always so confident?

"Earth to Moonbeam, you there?" Kotetsu's voice brought her back to the present day, the nickname he had adopted falling from his lips. There was a soft smile on his face when she finally dared to look at him. "We better go before it gets too dark."

Luna hadn't even realized she was frozen in place before making her way down the sidewalk and approaching the motorcycle. It was olive green - the metallic finish reminded her of Kotetsu's hero suit, and she smiled to herself. It… didn't look that much different than Barnaby's hero bike, and Luna wondered if Kotetsu had his own, then why did he go in the sidecar? Putting those thoughts aside, Luna looked to see Kotetsu already sitting on the motorcycle.

He already had his helmet on, his eyes peeking out from behind the blinder. Small green tiger ears sat on top of the helmet, another nod to his hero identity.

"You gettin' on? It's okay if you still need more time." Kotetsu said, a gentle reminder that he never wanted to push for something she wasn't ready to do. That was always the thing with their friendship and Kotetsu's advice. Whenever you're ready.

"A-Ah, um. Yes, yes, I should be fine," Luna tried to make sure her voice didn't waver. "But, um… oh. This is for me?"

Kotetsu had somehow materialized another bike helmet for her, black paint and unassuming. However, on the back, it looked like there was a crescent moon and stars. Luna blinked at Kotetsu, who simply shrugged and tried his best to look ashamed, but the small grin he had on his face said otherwise.

"Kaede wanted to paint something on it. For good luck."

Oh. The idea that Kotetsu's daughter was also cheering for her success did silly things to Luna's heart. Right. Well. Now I need to get onto the motorcycle.

She cautiously placed her purse into the bike's attached carrying case near the back, and her nerves caught up with her as she realized how close she would be sitting to Kotetsu. Well, behind him, but still! I don't know if I can do this. Driving and having to hold onto him? That's too much, way too much…

Sensing Luna's quietness and apprehension, Kotetsu offered his hand out: "One step at a time, yeah? Swing your leg over and it'll all be okay! Trust me!"

Luna glanced between him and the spot behind him where she would be sitting. Nodding to herself, Luna proceeded to adjust her braids so they wouldn't be in the way of the helmet and placed it on her head. Taking Kotetsu's hand - it was so much bigger than hers, who knew? - she carefully used his support to bring her leg over the back of the bike and sit behind him.

It's… not uncomfortable, she thought as Kotetsu adjusted and turned the motorcycle on. She could feel the heat from the engine and thankfully the noise was muffled due to the helmet. Kotetsu sat up, adjusting one of the handles. Kotetsu's a lot taller than me. How have I not noticed that?

"Moonbeam, you're definitely gonna want to hold onto me as we get goin', but do whatever makes you comfy." Kotetsu looked behind him at Luna, who was staring back with wide eyes, "Er, just don't fall off. Barnaby would hate me forever if you did."

Hold onto him? How? Where? Oh, God. Okay. This is fine. Don't panic. Luna closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. One, two. One, two. Okay. Maybe I can just hold onto his shoulders. That's safe, right?

With that decision made, Kotetsu took off towards the highway and to the river. The ride down the highway was loud, and unpleasant. Luna felt overwhelmed by the noise and constant buzz of horns and other traffic noises, but she also tried to remind herself that Kotetsu was doing this for her. She couldn't tell him to turn around and go home, now could she?

"Luna, you okay?" Kotetsu's voice was muffled by the helmet, but she could still hear the concern creeping into his voice. "We can go, it's no big deal for-"

"No!" Luna interjected, squeezing his shoulders tightly. (Maybe a bit too tight. He didn't mind.) "No. No, please. I can do this. It's not too bad. I just haven't been out this way in a while, so…"

"Okay, okay. I'll turn around as soon as you say so, though."

They continued down the highway, the evening traffic starting to disperse more as the sun moved across the horizon. Relaxing into it, Luna had loosened her white-knuckled grip on Kotetsu and paid more attention to their surroundings - she could see the moon even during the day, a fuzzy picture on a backdrop of pink and blue. The sun wouldn't set for a bit longer, though, and Luna couldn't help but feel disappointed. She would've liked to watch the sunset with Kotetsu; she might add it to her list.

Soon enough, it was just Kotetsu and Luna on the highway, the breeze pushing what remained of Luna's hair from under the helmet behind her. She exhaled, a pleasant noise coming from her throat. Kotetsu didn't miss it, electing to slow down a bit so she could enjoy the ride a bit better. The fuzziness of trees along the hillside weren't as fuzzy now - Luna loved how the trees looked in the springtime. They were approaching the end of their journey; Sternbild's beachfront was approaching on the horizon. Luna felt disappointed again; she was just getting used to the feeling of the wind in her hair.

Slowing down, Kotetsu found a place to park his motorcycle that was unobsctructive and held his hand out to Luna again. She removed her helmet, setting it down in front of her and took his hand - this time, it didn't feel as unfamiliar. How many times had they held hands like this, now? Helping her off the bike, Kotetsu then did something new - he pulled Luna along to the beach, his hand a tight vice against her own.

"Kotetsu- What are you-?" Luna stumbled over her words as she was practically dragged down towards the sandbar.

"Trust me, you'll like it!" Kotetsu reassured her. (He also slowed down, just in case she might fall. He couldn't have that happening, not when she was so relaxed earlier.) "I have a surprise."

"What?" Luna said, having reached the bottom of the hill. Then, her breath was immediately taken away by the sunset slowly setting over the horizon; purple and blue and green all cascading across the ocean waves. The sunset was gorgeous along the shoreline. Why had she never seen it before? Luna turned to Kotetsu, who had a large dopey grin on his face.

"Told you I had a surprise. Timed it out pretty good, yeah?"

"Kotetsu…" Luna trailed off, continuing to look at the sunset. It was no sunrise with him, but she'd be damned if she didn't take this opportunity to sit and watch as the moon rose over Sternbild. The older hero just chuckled to himself as their companionship turned into a quiet meditation, the moon beginning to rise. Stars twinkled in the distance, then, and Luna felt herself growing tired. Yawning, she saw Kotetsu begin to move out of the corner of her eye.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Mhm." Came Luna's reply, sleep threatening to overtake her. I really need to stop working such long hours… oh, well. Money is money…

"Heh. C'mere, I'll help you back up."

With that, Kotetsu got Luna back onto the motorcycle and drove her home, careful to make sure she didn't fall asleep mid-ride and fall off. It was a quiet night out - thankfully - so no hero work to be done that evening. (That is, unless someone had asked for the day off…)

Kotetsu helped Luna back to her apartment, saying that she should keep the helmet in case the need to go anywhere - yes, anywhere, it's no trouble, really - strikes her again. With a promise of Kotetsu just being a text away, he smiled at her - g'night then, Moonbeam - and left Luna in her apartment alone, only one thought on her mind.

I want to see him again.

[ezravon3]

So I decided to do this relationship chart thing again. This time with the WH:Mob!au, which belongs to @clownsuu. Like with my last relationship chart post, I'm sorry if this is bad. I decided to do two ocs this time though so this post will be longer. [And the character info will explain more about the relationships]

(Here's another pic of her to show her outfit more clearly 👇)

Oc info:

Name: Alexis [last name unknown]

Age: 19

Sexuality: AroAce

Scars: arms, sides, neck [under caller], hands, legs and back.

Tattoos: The ones on her face under her eye. And a skull with a black blooming rose coming out the right eye covering her right side.

Preferred Weapon: Blades [but does carry around handguns with silensers on them. And extra bullets]

Personally: With the exception of a certain people, she's very cold and unsympathetic. (She's just following Wally's orders and doesn't question them)

Freinds(?): Wally & co, Beatrix [her pet snake] and Eliza [baby sister].

Her relationships:

Wally: She's always respected him more then anyone else even before she even met him. Once they did meet by chance one day, he felt like she was ment to be family. But to be his family, one has to give up a part of the to him. She willingly gave him her eye.

Howdy: She's respected him from the very beginning as well. She's pretty much 'friends' with him [as close to friends as one can get with him] and likes to help him out in her free time.

Barnaby: Her relationship with him is more...neutral then anything else. She does have some respect for him but is also a tad jealous of how close he is with their boss [Wally]. He also annoys her sometimes. Not too much but still.

Sally: The two get along very well as Alexis matches her chaotic energy pretty well. The two are very good friends and [with the exeption of Howdy & Poppy] she trusts Sally the most.

Julie: She's happy to help Julie get suplies and test subjects [who are usually just random people Alexis kidnapps] and doesn't ask questions about what she does with said subjecs or suplies. [Alexis doesn't care what Julie does as long as she doesn't harm her little sister]

Frank: She doesn't interact with him often but when she does, she gets along with him well enough. She even helps him with his work sometimes.

Eddie: She gets along well with him and even made him a mechanical arm to replace the one he lost. She's actually pretty protective of him, feeling sympathy for him. She protects him when he's out on his job sometimes, like Sally does.

Poppy: She respects and cares deeply for Poppy, seeing her as a mother figure. She cares for Poppy the most out of the puppets and she sooths the poor bird when she's scared. Poppy is also the one besides Eliza, Howdy, Eddie and Sally [and Beatrix of course] that's aloud to touch her. [She reacts violently if anyone else even tries to touch her or even gets too close to her]

Beatrix: She's very attached to the black snake and vice versa so she always has the snake with her, often either on her shoulders, hanging on her arm or just sitting curled up in her pocket.

Eliza: She adores her little sister and the child is the only one she'll put above everyone else. Including herself and even Wally. She will always makes sure her sister is taken care of, even if that means going against Wally's orders.

Background: Born poor, she grew up as a begger and had no choice but to steal. Especially after her baby sister was born when she was nine. She was forced to kill for the first time when she was twelve. Her first victims were her own parents. Her abusive, drug addicted father and her selfish, entitled mother. She starved herself to be able to feed her little sister when she couldn't steal enough food for both of them.

Extra: She's currently recovering from the eating disorder she developed due to not eating properly growing up. Due to her upbringing, she also doesn't have a good option on romantic love or romantic relationships. [And if someone confessed their romantic feelings for her, she'd honestly probably just stab them]. She got her scars from several different things. Some are self influenced [sides, arms, legs] some are from small injuries made by accidents in her childhood and some are from her father's abuse. All the scars on her back and the ones on her neck are all from her 'father'. [The one on her neck is from his failed attempt to kill her via strangulation and the ones on her back are from him hitting her as she protected Eliza, who was just a baby at the time]. She removed her own eye after making a deal with Wally. She also made it clear from the start that if she joins, Eliza will have to join too and that if it came down to her chosing between them and Eliza, she will always choose Eliza. [As well as if they ever want to harm Eliza, they'd have to kill her (Alexis) first].

Oc info:

Name: Eliza [last name unknown]

Age: 10

Scars: none

Tattoos: none

Preferred weapon: none

Personality: Timid but used to the sight of violence and blood. She avoids everyone unless she's given the greenlight from her sister to be around them.

Friends(?): Wally & co, Beatrix and Alexis.

Her Relationships:

Wally: She's terrified of him and avoids him like the plague.

Howdy: She really likes and respects him. She hangs around him when he's not busy.

Barnaby: She's scared of him but also kinda intrigued by him.

Sally: She's scared of her but also kinda intrigued by her

Julie: She's scared of her and actively avoids her.

Frank: She likes him but doesn't see him much.

Eddie: She likes him and loves to hang around him.

Poppy: Like Alexis, she sees Poppy as a mother figure. She hangs around Poppy the most and mostly acts as her little assistant. She often calls Poppy 'Mama' too.

Beatrix: She loves the snake and happily plays with her as well as feed her.

Alexis: Eliza's legal garden. She adores her and really looks up to her. She also feels the safest with her. [The second 'person' she feels the safest around is Howdy, third is Poppy, last is Eddie]

Extra: Like her sister, she willingly gave her eye to join the family but her eye was removed professionally by her sister after she was given a numbing drug so she wouldn't feel any pain from it. Eliza only joined because her sister did and Alexis wasn't going to leave her all alone.

[libellule-ao3]

Life Links

9. Annie Thorn (MC)/ Brother

Summary: An impromptu visit interrupts Annie's final preparations before the battle.

⚠️Warning: Alcohol use. ⚠️

Chapter index - previous chapter (Jae Kim) - next chapter (Diego Caplan)

Alone.

Her boyfriend is safe in Ireland. She sent her partner to France, and her brother has abandoned her... Again.

Annie checks her equipment and buckles her bag. Through the window, her gaze wanders over an indistinct horizon in the night. Indistinct. Like her future.

When was the last time she asked herself what would become of her?

The answer that comes to her clenches her heart. It was at the beginning of her Auror training, after she had known passion. The one that consumes you until you leave only a heart in ashes.

The witch had to rebuild it, piece by piece. During this time, Annie and Jae were everything to each other. In turn, partners, lovers, friends, a bit of all of this at the same time and so much more... He has always been there, never letting her storms and shipwrecks push him away, and for seven years, they experienced everything together.

Jae deserves to be happy, to embrace a companion more joyful than loneliness. That’s why Annie did everything she could to ensure him a bright future with Penny, regardless of the outcome of the Battle.

Her mind drifts to Sam, her boyfriend whom she learned to love deeply after having given in to his advances out of spite. When she asked him to leave England because she could not fight without being sure of his safety, he obeyed without complaining about being left out. Because he believes in her, and that confidence is worth its weight in gold.

After the war, maybe she could talk about marriage... By making sure that the idea comes from him, of course!

“I miss you,”

But not as much as Jacob. They haven’t seen each other for months and he’s already disappeared. As usual. He disappears, she looks for him; they find each other and he runs off into the unknown. Oh, never for the sake of hurting her. A goal always justifies his actions. A goal more noble and ambitious than staying by her side. Always. She exhales her tension with a sigh and pours herself a glass of Firewhisky, which she drinks in one gulp, alcohol burning her bitterness.

She’ll kick his ass when they win.

The witch clenches her fists. Projecting herself into the future will strengthen her resolve to survive in a succession of battles where every wizard who falls under her spells will ensure her survival and everyone else’s. She hopes not to have to fight Barnaby or Ismelda.

A cracking sound startles her. She turns around, drawing her wand and putting it away. It’s Jacob. A shower and clean clothes, and he is back at his best. Only his face keeps the watermark of the last ordeal he endured.

“I haven’t been here for a long time...” he says, his eyes staring disapprovingly at the couch that moved here along with Sam. Jacob never liked him.

“Yeah!” Annie confirms, her voice heavy with reproach.

“Pip... It was too risky. I was undercover!”

Annie has a small incredulous laugh.

“I didn’t see an undercover wizard. I saw a guy we had to get out of a jam! That said, it’s becoming a habit...”

“Your nerves are on edge! Don’t take it out on me, Pip!” he says in a tone that commands respect.

The witch winces. He is right. This is not the time for a brotherly joust. She pours two glasses of Firewhisky and they toast to a ceasefire.

“So you and Merula... Since when?”

“Never mind, it’s over... She betrayed me, tortured... I hate her!”

It is rare for Annie to see Jacob bare his soul. The years of separation because of the cursed vaults have seriously marred their complicity. They tried to find it before they realized that time lost could not be made up for.

Unconsciously, Jacob had wanted to pick up where he left off. But during his absence, the little girl who saw him as a hero had given way to an accomplished witch, an adult before her time. Disillusionment, bitterness… Guilt.

“I bet she didn’t use the Cruciatus Curse?”

A stubborn silence answers.

“She said she would never have succeeded in using that magic against you... Probably because you have to enjoy the suffering of your victim to cast it,” Annie says with a falsely innocent look.

“Stop it! You’re not Mum!”

“She would tell you to listen to me!”

“Of course! You’re the heroine! Me, I’ve gone from child prodigy to the poor, undesirable bastard who is constantly reminded that he was saved by his little sister!”

The lack of recognition and the inability to forget that their parents did not look for him, or so little, after his disappearance in the cursed vaults, eat away at Jacob’s insides like acid. Bruised by these years of absence, Annie’s heart tightens. She remembers all too well the time when the world treated them as outcasts, and when their mother took calming potions to overcome each day without her son, one after the other, so much the pain of having lost him was a torment. As for Dad... Whatever! Nothing was the same after Jacob’s disappearance. Her brother can’t understand.

“They tried to turn the page,” Jacob says, sipping his drink. “it’s a lot easier to do it over a dead body than over a ‘missing’ person who might turn up at any moment! So they did nothing, while turning a blind eye to your research out of cowardice. You were a child! Do you think that’s normal?”

Jacob’s gaze pierces her, so sharp is it. Annie shrugs.

“The question never arose... I looked for you because it was the only thing I could do. Point... Don’t blame anyone for my own choices,”

An impulse pushes her to hug him. This may be the last time, after all.

“And stop blaming yourself too,” she says as he hugs her tightly. “You can’t spend your life blaming yourself for mistakes you made trying to protect me, my brother.”

[avidrawsthings]

You mentioned in the Penny post that she drove the rest of the friend group away. Who tried to help her and who kept their distance? Did any of them tried to reach out to Penny again after the vault stuff got dealt with?

Those that weren't there when the confrontation happened were told of it soon after. Pretty much all of them agreed that Penny had gone too far. By then they knew Reina wasn't going to work with Rakepick since she told them, so the whole narrative that she didn't care about dealing with the current curse was totally false.

The confrontation happened in the Hufflepuff Common Room in the middle of them celebrating their second victory. Of note, Ismelda and Barnaby officially cut ties with Merula after what she did, making it clear she went too far.

Confronted her

Skye: Had to be stopped by Orion before things escalated.

Talbott: Wanted to, at the very least, give her a chance to explain herself, as she was his first friend.

Rowan: Confronted Penny the most when things got out of hand.

Ismelda: Didn't hesitate to call her out for believing Merula all of a sudden.

Tried to help

Chiara

Tonks

Diego

Ben

Bill: Wanted to try his best in sorting everything out, but got pushed away like the others.

Barnaby

Kept their distance to give her space

McNully

Andre

Charlie: Tried to help at first but felt giving her space was best after she called him a hypocrite.

Tulip

Orion: Was the one that put a stop to the initial confrontation in the common room. He knew that she couldn't be reasoned with for a while.

Avoided her entirely

Jae: Didn't know Penny enough and would rather let the mess sort itself out.

Liz: Didn't want to deal with confrontation.

Badeea: Was more focused on her painting and spell creation.

After the trip to the vault, Penny made herself scarce out of guilt and shame. With the exception of Ben, every friend that tried to help out did reach out to her again, but she always found a way to excuse herself from their conversation.

As she had to repeat her 5th year, it was easier for Penny to avoid them since she no longer had the same classes as them, and no longer had the same roommates. She never joined the group in their future vault endeavors either.

[anoseforrottenapples]

@timeguardians​ (Nancy Drew)

Continued from HERE

Nancy is rough this morning—when she is too exhausted and distracted to reply to Troy’s observations with anything better than a ‘huh’, Troy knows it is time for some kind of intervention. Nancy needs help before she passes out face first in her dinner. It takes her a full minute to gather her thoughts, admitting that Frank Hardy is the source of her insomnia. Before Troy can do more than smirk, Nancy quickly defends herself against any accusation of romantic fondness for Frank. She is the only one who cannot see her crush on the other young detective, or at least she refuses to see it. The young detective is too exhausted right now for Tryo to needle her. He would only feel bad doing so, kind of like if he went and kicked Lance. Teasing Nancy will have to wait until she feels better.

“Okay, I’ll bite.” Troy takes another sip of his tea as Nancy suggests that he will be able to help her. “What non-romantic thing did Frank tell you that has you staying up all night? If it was romantic, I reckon insomnia makes sense, but non-romantic means it was probably something weird… or some crazy idea his brother dreamt up.” Between the Hardy Brothers, Frank is every bit the ‘older brother’, and takes his responsibilities seriously. Joe is more laid back about everything, and focuses more on having a good time, and flirting with girls’ then on some of his cases. Nancy and Joe both leave the worrying to Frank because he is so good at it. Taking another sip of tea, Troy grimaces and glances down at the sediment settling to the bottom of the cup. That is what he gets for buying cheap teabags, he supposes. He looks up at Nancy as she admits she wants to test out a theory, but is reluctant to go alone… likely because she can barely stand from sheer exhaustion. She certainly cannot drive in her current state. “Of course, he can’t just go through a solid stone wall!” Troy quickly affirms, maybe a touch too quickly as he does keep a slightly open mind to the paranormal. It used to drive Barnaby a bit crazy—hence he has learned it is best not to mention it more then he needs too. “But… how do you plan on trying to find hidden doors? You can barely see straight.” Though Troy is not going to admit to it too quickly, reluctant to give Nancy any kind of satisfaction in that department, he has to personally confess that he is interested in her case. The stakes are quite a bit lower than what he is used to dealing with—but helping with frightened tourists who have had their purses snatched is a nice change of pace from murders. As a DS he would have dismissed such a case as being a waste of his time, and passed it on to uniform if he could. As a mere legal assistant (really over glorified babysitter to the strawberry blonde in front of him) he will accept any task that might get him out of the office and back in the field for a few hours. Setting his cup of tea down on the counter, he gestures at Nancy. “First you got to eat. Hannah left breakfast for you before she went to the store. You explain Frank’s idea, and the theory you got for it while I find the plate she set up.” Hannah is like a mother to Nancy, fussing over her every chance that she gets. When she cannot fret in person, she always passes careful instructions onto Troy for what she wants done. While he cannot say he fulfills her requests with the same maternal vigor that Hannah puts into them, he is confident that he obeys the letter of Hannah’s orders at least, even if he cannot capture the spirit in them.

[dorothea-jpg]

Chapter 2

It was as Jade suspected, maths was a mind-numbing bore. It was so boring she almost regretted letting Barnaby explore the rest of the school while she was busy. 

A yawn escaped the girl's mouth as she made her way to the library. Of course, in true Jade fashion, the library was her favourite place to be in school and she always looked forward to it. It wasn't just the large variety of books or the general aesthetic that Jade liked about the place, it was also Mr Olba, the librarian. He was a nice guy and gave off this 'wise old man' vibe. The only intimidating thing about him was that he was a giant orange Dragon with razor-sharp teeth.

As she pushed open the creaky old door, a calm feeling overcame Jade. The warm brown colours, the smell of books and the small fireplace as the crackling of the wood burned... it was honestly like a dark academia dream. 

She approached one of the non-fiction sections of the library and began to search for a new book. A very specific book may I add. Jade realised she should probably finish off the book she was already reading but when she remembered Mr Olba mentioning that a new arachnid book titled ‘The biology of spiders' would be added to the library, Jade leapt at the chance to nab it.

A moment of shame hit Jade. She could already hear it now. She would be called weird for liking insects, again. Jade honestly never understood why she was made fun of for something as small as an interest in insects, she understood how most of the things that she did ended up with her being ostracized. One of her ex-friends from her old school, Nosiam's Witch Academy even said that she gave off serial killer vibes because she spent most of her time searching for bugs, had a little stick doll collection and to anyone else, she looked like she was talking to herself when she was telling the ghosts to leave her alone.

Why were people so concerned with what she did? She wasn't hurting anyone, was she?

Jade decided to just ignore her feelings and continue browsing around the bookshelf. Who cares about what she likes? It's none of their business. While Jade was searching for 'The biology of spiders', she felt this sudden strange sensation crawling at the back of her neck, causing baby hairs to shoot up like spikes. She whipped around while clutching her nape, expecting it to be either one of her classmates messing with her or the more likely scenario of it being yet again another spirit but... nothing. There was nothing there but there was a magical presence parading around a small room that just sat in the corner of the library, Jade was weirdly drawn to it...

 Just as she was about to walk toward the room, a deep booming voice seemed to snap her out of whatever trance she was in.

"Ah, Miss Graves. A pleasure to see you here as always" 

Jade strained her neck to stare up at the Dragon and gave him a small hum of acknowledgement. To any other adult, Jade's lack of words would've been considered disrespectful but Mr Olba was an understanding man. He knew how Jade struggled to speak sometimes so he didn't take it personally. 

After her silent greeting, Jade returned her attention back to the books she was looking at. 

"Looking for another one of those entomology books?" Jade nodded before Mr Olba gestured with his long claws to follow him. Jade was confused as he lead to the fantasy section. 

What? Fantasy? But insects were real? They were literally a race of mutated insects called Insectoids?

Jade decided she should speak up if she wanted Olba to understand her, she knew she wasn't the most expressive person in the world.

"But... insects are real" Jade bluntly stated. Olba shrugged his scaly shoulders "Headmaster Carbonne insisted that anything to do with entomology should be put in the fantasy section and I'm in no position to argue although this is definitely a new pet peeve of mine" 

Jade nodded in defeat. She was almost certain that Memphis had something to do with this. She knew what buttons to press when it came to upsetting Jade and she was good at it. Since Memphis is the daughter of the Headmaster, she most likely pulled some strings and asked him to move some things around just to make Jade uncomfortable.

Jade didn’t do anything to Memphis nor did she show any signs of wanting to have a conflict with her. Memphis just assumed that Jade was her natural academic rival and ran with it.

Now, Pandora and Memphis had something worse going on. They were proper enemies. They despised each other and did whatever they could to upset each other. 

That’s probably why Memphis decided to mess with Jade outside of academics and mess with Pandora’s other friends as well, especially her closest friends which just so happened to involve Jade. They were two others, however.

Ashe Wagen. A Magma Elemental who was short and had ADHD. She had a pretty short temper and liked to be a class clown.

And Brucie Erksine. An Ashray Fairy who was a huge loner and also an orphan. They were very sarcastic and they weren’t very friendly.

These little things about them made them easy targets for any typical bully. Jade couldn't be sure if Memphis even cared about these little nitpicks or if she just wanted to get under Pandora's skin.

Mr Olba stalked away to leave Jade to read in peace as she had done for the past two years she had attended Elk Grove. Just as she had sat down at one of the tables and relaxed, opening her book from home, 'The Queen of Flames', Barnaby floated through the walls, rushing to get to Jade. She gave the boy a worried glance as he tried to get all of his words out at once. She couldn't make out a lot of what he was saying but what she could comprehend as words were just 'Door, room, book and chains' which yet again got a confused expression out of her.

It all made sense to her as Barnaby pointed to the strange room she had been entranced by before. 

"What about the room?" Jade questioned "A chained-up book, Witch! A chained-up book! Why on earth would a book be chained up!? What secrets are you all hiding in this place!?" This had Jade's curious mind whirring. Yes, Barnaby was right... Why would one singular book be chained up? I mean, It was a book. Why would someone...? 

"Witch!" Barnaby's transparent fingers snapped in front of Jade's face "Are you still with me? We're going to investigate right?" Snapping back into reality for just a second, Jade replied "What? As much as I'd like to, we can't. We'd get caught almost immediately"

'Correction, I'd get caught because I'm the only one who can see you' Jade mentioned in her head.

"We could get your Demonic friend to help? She seems like the type to love this" Jade could only shrug. On one hand, her curiosity was killing her but on the other, she didn't want to risk detention. 

"I can't, Barnaby. I-" Jade's sentence was cut off by the school bell ringing loudly around the building. 

Jade sighed in relief "Oh, look. There's the bell. Bye" Jade packed up her two books and trudged toward the library's exit, leaving Barnaby’s stuttering protests behind her.

~*~

Jade had caught Pandora, Ashe and Brucie on her way to Ancient Elven class. 'Perfect' she thought, this would be the perfect opportunity to talk to Pandora about that curious room she had spotted in the library. Ancient Elven was a pretty boring class with a horrendously boring teacher who opted to just hand out sheets of paper before playing games on his phone for the rest of the lesson and no one paid attention anyway, everyone just got into their own groups and had conversations with their friends.

The same went for Jade and her friends. Pandora and Ash would talk each other's ear off for the whole 'lesson' while Jade multitasked by listening in on their conversation and read at the same time. Brucie would use the teacher's lack of attention on his students to their advantage and take a nap.

Once everyone had gotten into their groups and the teacher began speaking, Jade took the chance to speak to Pandora. Well, I say speak lightly, Jade tugged on Pandora's mini skirt to get her attention so Pandora stopped her small conversation with an Air Elemental that Jade didn't know and raised her eyebrows as if to say 'What's up?'. Jade leaned in closer so that no one else would hear.

"What would you say if I said I wanted to do something that could possibly get me in trouble?" 

Pandora's mischievous eyes lit up at the question "Say sike right now! Who even are you!?" The Demon girl physically had to hold back her screech of excitement "What's this about, ghost girl? I've never known you to be so... me, before" 

Jade hesitated before answering "There's a strange room in the library. Barnaby came to me, yelling about a book that was chained up" Pandora nodded along as Jade spoke. This was the most entertained she had been for hours.

...

"Wait, who's Barnaby?"

...

Jade ignored the offended gasp that escaped Barnaby's mouth. How could anyone not know who he was!? Anyway, Pandora had partially met him that morning! How could she have already disregarded his presence!?

Jade shook her head at Pandora, signalling her to just forget it and move on.

"I was thinking... Maybe if we wait for Mr Olba to go on one of his holidays, we could use that to our advantage since when he's gone, the library is unattended. We could see what was actually in that room" Pandora had a surprised, almost proud look on her face. She felt like she was watching her child grow up. Not only was that the most Jade had spoken in three days, but it was also Jade being less obedient. 

"Yes! Let's do it! This is honestly more exciting than the parties were get in hell!" Jade's eyes sparkled as she stared at her friend but she quickly noticed the interested gazes of Ashe and Brucie. Jade stiffened, It's not like she didn't want her other friends to be involved it's just because well... Ashe was a loud, clumsy and distracted person and Brucie was more like a stressed-out dad that would pull their kids away from anything even remotely risky.

Jade slowly lowered her head onto the wooden desk as she felt Brucie's suspicious eyes on her.

Pandora was beaming though, she was probably going to get the others involved anyway unless Jade specifically said it was a secret between just the two of them. Oh well, it was too late anyway. Ashe and Brucie already knew something was up.

"Are we breaking in somewhere!?" Ashe questioned loudly, earning a light punch from Brucie.

"No, we're not. Jade and Pandora aren't actually going to waste their time on some dumb locked door. Right, you two?" Brucie sent a warning glare to the two girls, mainly Pandora. If Ashe's interests were piqued, there would be no stopping the hyperactive girl.

"Um, are you kidding me? This is the first time Jade has suggested something like this. Don't get me wrong, It's over a boring book but come on! This is the same feeling you would get when your baby starts teething!" 

Brucie rolled their eyes and focused on Jade "How do you know about this book anyway? Didn't you say the door was locked?" Jade silently nodded and Ashe leaned into the group closer, getting a thrill of excitement all over again.

"A ghost told me" 

Snickers were heard from the desk in front of the four causing Pandora to snarl. A Cyclops and a Fairy were mocking Jade by repeating what she said in a tone that wasn't friendly. Jade and Brucie acted swiftly by grabbing one of Pandora's red arms each, knowing what she would do to people who messed with her or her friends. Jade and Brucie may have been quick in stopping a sudden physical fight but Ashe was not quick enough to cover Pandora's mouth...

"Do you want to repeat that to my face, beady?" Pandora snapped at the mean girl, immediately causing her laughter to dissipate "What did you just call me?" The Cyclops glared as Jade immediately let go of Pandora's arm and sunk down into her plastic seat, embarrassed about the fight that was about to happen 

"Are you deaf? I called you beady and I swear to my grandpa Abbadon if your berserker-looking boyfriend doesn't stop gawking at me like I'm a four-course meal I will crush both of you with a damn chair. Ugh! Pathetic loser..." 

Pandora sounded as if she was done with the short argument. She did say she would try to stop.

Unfortunately, the Cyclops wasn't done.

"Fight me then, Ugly! I don't care if you're some sort of rich princess who thinks the whole world revolves around them but I'm not scared to fight you!" 

Pandora gasped. 

Okay, that was it. She always put so much effort into the way she looked and the fact that someone had the gall to call her... Ugly!? Yeah, she would risk her acrylic nails to heal her bruised ego.

Pandora instantly ripped from Brucie's remaining grip and latched onto the Cyclops' short hair. The screaming had finally alerted the teacher of the fight. He scrambled up from his desk and ran up to the girls begging them to stop but he definitely kept a safe distance away, there was absolutely no way he was getting in the middle of two vicious teenage girls.

"Ladies please-!"

"Sir! Ashe is melting her desk!" A shrill voice exclaimed. Ashe looked down in shock and she had, in fact, melted a hole into the desk. This was a thing that happened quite a lot with Ashe. She was a Magma Elemental and like many, she had lava-like hair that would act as literal scalding lava when she experienced any intense emotion. 

She must've been really hyped about the situation huh?

Ashe looked around the room in annoyance. Trying to find the person who was going to get her in trouble.

"Snitch!" The short girl shrieked at a Purple Slime Humanoid who sat in the corner by herself, starting a completely different fight with the girl. Brucie felt as if they were experiencing an aneurysm. They copied Jade by sinking into their chair, they pinched the bridge of their nose and let out an exasperated sigh at all the chaos.

...

Pandora and the Cyclops girl got put into isolation for the rest of the day. Ashe and the Slime Humanoid were subjected to only a small lunchtime detention. The only ones left were Jade and Brucie, who had retreated to their usual meeting place under the stairs in one of the abandoned hallways of Elk Grove.

“Ugh… I feel like a damn babysitter who can’t keep two delinquent kids under control” They muttered, scratching their turquoise neck in irritation.

“That’s exactly what you are”

Brucie rolled their eyes.

 “Gee, thanks a lot, Ghost Girl. That makes me feel so much better” They said, tone filled to the brim with light-hearted sarcasm.

“I should send them both back to the adoption agency. You’re the only one who doesn’t give me constant headaches”

“That’s because I’m the spirit of your biological child that you tried to replace and I’m out for revenge”

Brucie raised their eyebrows “Damn, Jade. Keep the roleplay going why don’t you?” 

Jade’s face stretched into a small smile. 

“Do you know when Mr Olba’s next holiday is? I’m still trying to memorise a pattern” Jade asked, thinking back on her plan to check that strange book out.

Brucie frowned “I think you should just leave it alone. I mean, it’s not that important is it? It’s just a stupid book. Obviously, I’m questioning why it would be chained up but like, It’s not worth getting into trouble for” 

Jade nodded in understanding.

“Yes but Barnaby was so freaked out about it. And…” Jade paused, wondering to herself if she should tell Brucie about that weird sensation she felt when she was near that room.

“And what? Come on, just tell me” 

Brucie wasn’t a bad person. They were a bit rough around the edges and slightly mean but Jade noticed that they were softer around her. That was the case with most of Pandora’s other friends though. Maybe she said something about what happened to her? 

She could trust Brucie not to call her crazy, right?

“I… Felt something”

Brucie could probably get middle-aged wrinkles at seventeen years old with how much they were furrowing their eyebrows.

“You felt something?” They deadpanned. 

Jade nodded “Yes. It was a strange sensation that hit the back of my neck, it felt like one of those random shivers you get when you’re just minding your own business” 

Brucie studied Jade’s face for nothing, in particular, they were just processing what Jade had told them.

“Ok, so? It could have just been one of those random shovers you were talking about. How do you know it wasn’t?” 

Jade shrugged “It just felt different, more magically inclined. If you understand what I’m saying”

Brucie exhaled. Although they weren’t really getting what Jade was saying, they reckoned they should just let her do what she wanted.

“Mr Olba’s next holiday is next year, Jade. How do you expect to get through?” 

Brucie felt some sort of heartache watching the Witch physically deflate like a balloon. 

“I don’t know… I guess I can live without one piece of information. Thanks” Jade stopped talking and opted to start eating her leftover gummy wyrms. 

A moment of silence fell upon the two. 

…

…

…

“UGH! FINE!”

Brucie’s sudden outburst caused Jade to drop her packet of sweets on the dirty floor.

“My gummy wyrms…”

“I’ll help you get that stupid book but you better not ask me for any more favours for the next five years! You hear me, Ghost Girl!?” 

If you looked close enough, you could probably see Jade’s eyes sparkle in gratitude.

 ~*~

Pandora usually went out of her way to walk Jade home but since she was asked to stay after school so that Headmaster Carbonne could speak to her parents, Jade walked alone.

Well... Not exactly alone...

"Today was just so amazing, Witch!" Barnaby giggled as he floated alongside Jade. She could help but smile at the boy's enthusiasm. It was refreshing to see honestly.

"You're welcome although you did twist my arm" 

Barnaby pouted at the albino girl "If I didn't you would never have had the honour of basking in my presence!" 

Jade rolled her eyes but played along anyway "And what an honour it was. It was nice having you around Barnaby, I just wish more spirits were like you" 

Barnaby's face scrunched up in confusion "Are ghosts not nice?" Jade paused "Let's just say they're not always pleasant to be around" Barnaby nodded and didn't question any further.

The two reached Jade's house but as she went to open the front door, Barnaby backed away.

"What's wrong? Jade asked. 

Barnaby's eyes were wide with fear "We're not supposed to go near Liches. An old hag told me that if I ever encounter one I should get as far away from them as possible because they would destroy my very being!" 

Jade's eyes held an unknown emotion "I know a big scary Liche lives in this house! Why are we here!?" Barnaby suddenly snapped at Jade, looking at her for answers. 

"W-Well... I live here..." Jade's shock had her stuttering, it was almost embarrassing for her.

"Why do you live with a Liche!? I thought you were a Witch!?" Barnaby's accusatory tine had Jade retreating into herself "I-I am, Barnaby. I thought you knew this... You can't be a Death Witch without any parental relations to a Liche...I'm Half Witch because my dad is a Liche..." 

Barnaby gasped "You're a Liche!?" His face was in disbelief.

 "No! I'm just half Liche. I don't have the ability to destroy someone's remaining soul, I can only see and talk to them at the moment..." 

Barnaby backed away further "At the moment!? Was this all a trick!? Were you just pretending to be my friend so that you could destroy me!?" Jade could only shake her head, rendered speechless at how fast things had gone south. 

Barnaby took her silence as confirmation "I knew it! Stay away from me, you evil wench!" And with that, Barnaby flew away into the woods. 

Jade stood in the same spot in silence for a few moments before Grim opened the door.

"What the hell are you doing just standing around out here? What's up with you?" His question came out as rough and harsh but he was kind of concerned. In all of the five months that he had known his daughter, he had never seen a look on her face such as her current one.

Jade seemed to snap out of it once one of Grim's skeletal fingers poked at the younger girl's shoulder "You good?" His gruff voice asked. The way Jade looked at him as if she wasn't conscious was concerning Grim, to say the least. 

"Oh... Yeah..." Jade replied quietly and walked past him through the large door and straight upstairs to her bedroom. Grim sighed, he was in a seriously difficult position. He wasn't stupid, he knew something had clearly upset Jade but he was questioning whether or not he should get involved. Again, they had only known each other for five months, they were still getting used to each other, especially Jade who wasn't very used to feeling safe around adults and Grim had to admit, he hadn't been as good of a father as he thought he would be now that he was actually ready for a child.

Grim decided then and there that he was going to try harder and put more effort into his responsibilities as a parent. After pondering on what he could do, it suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. He rushed up to Jade's bedroom and knocked on the door "Hey, Kid. Open the door for a second would ya?" 

Grim waited impatiently by the black door, staring daggers at the personalised butterfly metal plate that was pinned into the wood until Jade finally opened the door.

Jade stared at the man in front of her expectantly, not really in the mood to speak. 

"Uh... You wanna go to a butterfly farm with me tomorrow? You tend to like these creepy things so I thought you'd enjoy it, you know? Lighten you up a bit. Just the two of us" Before Grim could correct himself on his last statement (Because obviously, it would be just the two of them) Jade responded with "Sure, that sounds nice" before shutting her door softly.

[joaquinwhorres]

thorough (fckboy!Joaquin Torres x f!Reader)

SUMMARY ››››› When Joaquín texts, you know what he wants. And you also know that despite your better judgement and all of the other things you should be doing, you're going to give it to him.

PAIRING ››››› Fuckboy!Joaquín Torres x Female!Reader (written in 3rd person so you can pretend it's an OC like I do) Read the OC version here.

WORD COUNT ››››› 3,928

WARNINGS ››››› Joaquín's pretty out of character because my angel would never. oh yeah, and smut

A/N ››››› This idea has taken over the entirety of my thoughts. It has consumed all of my free time, so I figured I should try to wrangle some of the vibes and vague ideas into an actual story. So, here is this little imagine which is v smut heavy and v plot light. But, I am thinking of turning this into a fake dating/redemption fic, so lemme know what you think! Divider from firefly-graphics (not tagging because this is a work of smut).

A single notification flashed across her screen. 

U up?

Y/N reached over, clicking the screen dark. She was up. But not for him. Instead, she turned back to her textbook and the packets of printed out notes strewn across the desk in front of her. The only men who would be getting her attention tonight were the esteemed scholars Sedra and Smith. And maybe Dr. Barnaby if she got around to reading her lecture notes over. He would have to find someone else. And there would be someone else. There was always someone else for him. She just had to hold out long enough for him to move on and go find them.

Her screen lit up again. 

Or has circuits put u to sleep? 🥱

This time she rolled her eyes as she dismissed the notification, a small smile playing at her lips despite herself. Of course he knew exactly what she was doing. Even if he never acknowledged her, he still sat in the same lecture hall as her and dealt with the same lectures and exams. 

Y/N returned back to the textbook example problem, fingers sliding under her glasses to rub at her eyes. She withdrew her hands, fixing her glasses before picking up her pen once more. She needed to stay focused. This test was going to be thirty percent of her grade. If she wanted to pass, she needed to learn how to apply input resistance to both Example 6.11 and her own life.

Oh god. She was broken.

Shaking off the thought of her mental deterioration, Y/N pressed her pencil to her notebook paper, copying down the problem in front of her. Just one more section and a skim through of her lecture notes after this. If she powered through, she could probably finish before three and get a solid five and a half hours of sleep before the exam. Yet, as Y/N worked her way through the problem, her eyes continued to slip over to her phone and the dark glass screen that reflected her desk light back up at her. 

Circuits.

Not dick. 

Circuits. 

Not–

Her phone lit up again.

It didn't kill u did it??? 😱🪦 

She snorted a laugh through her nose as she picked up her phone, thumb swiping to unlock it. As she began to type out a reply, the white auto suggestion box popped up. 

Not today Satan.

She exed out of her roommate's attempt at a safeguard, as if on autopilot.

Not yet but I am slowly dying.

The three dots in response were instantaneous. 

Sounds like you need to take a break. 😉

The auto suggestion box popped up once more as she typed, this suggestion an indictment of both her idiocy and predictability. She clicked on it.

Come over.

Very little studying was accomplished in the time between Y/N sending her text off and receiving the text that he'd arrived. The promise of a break seemed too much for her brain to withstand, and she'd only managed to work out an answer for the RIN before she finally gave in and took off her glasses. After that, she'd only had time to shove her dirty clothes in the closet and straighten her sheets up from where they hung  off the bed before her phone buzzed.

Y/N put her phone back down, slipping out of her chair and padding across the still apartment towards the door. Pulling it open revealed Joaquín dressed in a maroon ASU hoodie and dark grey sweatpants. His hair was ruffled, and his own glasses were on. 

 Evidently he'd been studying for Circuits too. 

The corner of his mouth quirked up into a soft smile—the same one that he'd given her last fall when they met eyes across the crowded frat. She had known even then exactly what she'd be getting herself into if she smiled back. But there was something about the genuine delight in his smile–the fact that he looked almost awed–that had her lips curving into a smile almost on their own accord. Much like now. 

"Hey," he whispered. 

Y/N leaned against the partially open door "Hey." 

"Is it cool that I parked in the lot?" he asked with raised eyebrows, and she nodded. 

"Yeah, they don't usually check for tags at 3 am."

Joaquín breathed out a laugh, hanging his head and shaking it as his own stupidity as Y/N smiled at him. "Yeah, I probably should have guessed that." He looked back up at her with a small smirk, and it was Y/Ns turn to shake her own head before motioning with it that he should come in. He obliged, stepping into the small dark apartment and waiting for her to lock up behind him. 

He probably could have made his way back to her room without her, but instead he remained, eyes roaming over the dark living room and kitchenette as if it were his first time there and he was taking it all in. She took this as an act of kindness–a preservation of the little dignity she had left when it came to Joaquín Torres.

So, Y/N quietly led the way back to her room, ushering him in and closing the door as softly as possible behind them to avoid waking her roommate. 

When she turned back to him, she found Joaquín bent over her notes, curls falling into his face. He looked intently at what she had written, his eyes following along each line of her solution before he shook his head. "That problem's been kicking my ass for the last hour," he said, tilting his head to look up at her. "Think you could walk me through it tomorrow?" 

The sheepish grin he gave her made her stomach flip, and she really should have kicked herself for it. Because there was no way he didn't know exactly what he was doing when he looked at her like that. And he knew that she knew what he was doing whenever he flashed his dimples too. And yet she still couldn't find it in herself to tell him to go to hell.

"Depends how much sleep I get," she said with a shrug, attempting to fix her face into something more smirklike than smiley and feeling like an utter failure at it.

His eyes gleamed mischievously as he straightened up and turned to face her. "How much sleep is enough?" 

She shrugged as she walked past him and over to the foot of her bed, setting herself down to sit on the edge and leaning back on her hands. "I don't know, three hours? Four?" 

"What if it's two and a half, but I buy you coffee," he bargained, leaning back against her pushed-in chair with his arms crossed across his chest. 

"It'd need to be really good coffee." 

"Starbucks counts as really good coffee, right?" 

She scoffed, and Joaquín laughed softly, his head tipping back as the amusement lit his face up. When he faced her again, it was with an expression of warm amusement. "What if it's Starbucks, but I make sure you thoroughly enjoy all of the time you're not sleeping tonight?" he asked, eyebrows raising up over his glasses as he took a step towards her. 

A tingle shot through Y/N as she followed his slow, purposeful movements towards her, and she fought the urge to press her legs together. "I guess that would depend on how thorough is 'thoroughly'." Somehow her voice managed to keep its teasing playfulness even as the look in Joaquín's eyes became more focused, more intense, more hungry. 

He stopped in front of her, close enough that the fabric of his sweatpants brushed against her bare knees and she had to tilt her head up just to see his face. She raised an eyebrow at him, and while she had intended for it to be questioning–a prompt for an answer–she couldn't keep the smirk from playing at the corners of her lips, turning the look into almost a challenge.

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he lifted a hand, brushing her hair back behind her ear, his fingers trailing down her neck and along her shoulder until they reached the strap of her cropped cami. His pointer finger hooked under the strap and he pulled her towards him by the thin piece of silk, until her head was tipped all the way back just to see his face.

Joaquín leaned towards her, his breath warm and promising more than his words could ever deliver on. "Thorough," he murmured, letting the word kiss across her skin, setting her nerves alight with anticipation before he closed the space and kissed her himself.

It was easy to get drunk off of Joaquín's kisses. She wondered if this was simply a paired stimuli given the nature of their first encounters. If the dizzying effects his kisses had on her was her body remembering the weightlessness of too much Jungle Juice and a cute boy's attention. If the way she seemed to melt into him was a conditioned response from him pulling her close to him so easily even when her limbs felt heavy from Jell-O Shots. 

But maybe it wasn't classical conditioning or muscle memory. Maybe it was just the natural biological response to the way his hand took hold of her waist, squeezing at the bare skin there as he deepened the kiss and stepped forward, between her legs. Maybe it was just a natural reaction to feel lightheaded when an attractive boy slid his hand up under your crop top and moved his lips along your collarbone with each kiss like a whispered promise.

Her head lolled to the side, allowing him more room to work, and he took advantage of the newly exposed stretch of skin, placing hot, open mouthed kisses there. Y/N sank her teeth into her lip, biting down into it to keep herself from making any of the embarrassing sounds threatening to spill from her just from a bit of kissing. It was a pointless measure though, for as if inspired by her action, Joaquín's teeth caught at the tender skin on her neck and pulled it into his mouth, sucking harshly. Her fingers curled into his shoulders, dragging him closer to her as he moved up her neck, picking a new spot to nip. A gasping noise escaped her as his tongue swiped over the spot, sounding far too much like a whimper for her own comfort. 

Joaquín dragged his lips further up her neck to just under her ear. "Fuck you make the most beautiful sounds," he praised, pressing a kiss below her ear. "Drives me crazy."  He kissed her again before taking a hold of her ear with his teeth. 

Another noise, much like the first escaped her, and her fingers reached up into the hair at the nape of his neck, threading through the strands and then tugging him backwards and away from her so she could see his face. His glasses had slid down a bit on his nose, and his pupils were blown wide and dark, and she knew, she knew,  that whatever happened next, it would be thorough enough.

"Did you come here to compliment me or to fuck me?" 

He grinned. "Por qué no los dos?" 

She leaned closer so that her lips almost brushed his as she demanded, "Cógeme." 

Joaquín practically tore his sweatshirt and shirt from his body, his glasses catching in the material and flying off somewhere with the clothes to a corner of her room. Her own arms were crossed across her middle to pull off her top, but she didn't get a chance before his hands wrapped under her knees and yanked her forward so her back fell onto the bed.  He knelt before her, hooking his fingers into the waistband of her pajama shorts and dragging them down her legs. 

His eyes snapped to hers as he pulled the silky fabric free of her legs. "Impatient, aren't you?" 

Y/N reached down, flicking the side of his head. "It's how I sleep." 

"Mhmm," he hummed, disbelievingly as his eyes focused  back to her parted legs and her center that was completely bare to him, not a scrap of lace or satin or cotton or anything to shield it from his hungry gaze. He lifted her leg over his shoulder, pausing to press a kiss to the inside of her knee and then trailing a line of kisses and nips up to the top of her inner thigh. Y/N squirmed, and he chuckled, moving his other hand to her hip to hold her in place. "I haven't even gotten to the good part." 

"I'm sensitive," Y/N breathed out,

"I know," Joaquín grinned, leaning forward to lick a large stripe through her folds, sending her arching off the bed with a gasping moan. "Qué buena estás." 

And then he dove back in. 

There were a lot of reasons why allowing Joaquín into her bed at three in the morning was a bad idea. 

For one thing, she really should have used the time to study for the test that would make up a solid third of her grade in a class that took many people two tries to pass. There was also the inevitable exhaustion that would probably affect her performance on that test. 

Then there was the fact that if they woke up her roommate, she would have to deal with side eyed glances, reproving sighs, and little comments for at least a week. Not to mention the fact that her roommate would probably tell the rest of their friends, and then she'd be getting it from all angles. 

But the biggest reason this was a bad idea, the reason with the most inevitable consequences, was the fact that he'd leave behind an ache that chased her throughout her morning, reminding her of how stupid she was for doing this. 

But as she gripped onto Joaquín's head like her life depended on it, hips chasing a release on his tongue, it was difficult to really think about any of that. It was difficult to think at all. All she could manage were small bits of breathy praise spurring him on.

"Fuck. Fuck yes, right–ah!" She threw her head back into the bed as he sucked harder around her clit. One hand freed itself from his curls,  clawing at the sheets to give herself more purchase as words left her in favor of high pitched, gasping noises that sounded vaguely like his name. And then, finally,  she could hardly get out any sound as a wave of pleasure coursed through her causing her whole body to go taut as Joaquín replaced  his tongue with his fingers to help her ride out the high.

"I've got you. I got you," he reassured, coming back up her body to place kisses along her jaw as she slowly came down, chest heaving. Y/N pulled in deep breath as his lips continued to rove  around her chest and collarbone, neck and face, always whispering bits of praise before gracing her skin with a kiss. One hand slid across her bare stomach, taking hold of her waist as he gave one last kiss before looking up into her face. 

"And?" he asked with a small smirk.

"And?" she repeated in question, the word coming out more as an exhale.

"How am I doing so far? Thorough enough?" he asked, his hand inching up under her top to take hold of a breast. The pad of his thumb ran over the nipple there, and for a moment, Y/N's mind went hazy. "Or is there something I'm forgetting to pay attention to?"

"I think you already know." Despite the words themselves, her voice came out needy and airy, and it elicited a low chuckle from Joaquín whose hand retreated back to the edge of her top, teasing her with the promise of taking it off. 

"I want you to tell me." 

"Stop teasing me, and put that mouth to better use," Y/N snapped, and he grinned this time. 

"Close enough," he said, pulling her top up and over her head, flinging it away from them.

His mouth was truly a gift from God, but his hands, and the way they massaged her breast, twisted her nipple, worked her in ways that were positively sinful, they could only have been given that skill through a deal with the devil. So, she lay there, fingernails scratching at his shoulder blades as he worshiped her chest, switching between the breasts and from mouth to hands in ways that made her feel holy. Holy but aching. 

"Joaquín," she mumbled, hand sliding from his shoulder to his bicep, pressing her away from him. He lifted himself from her skin, eyes meeting hers. "Flip over," she commanded. His face lit up, and he complied so quickly and eagerly that Y/N laughed. 

Joaquín tucked his hands under his head, watching intently as Y/N moved to straddle him. "We can't be too loud," she whispered, placing a finger against his lips. "Ok?" 

"Got it," he said, biting her finger playfully. She withdrew her finger from between his lips, running her hands down his muscled chest. It was almost criminal, the fact that he always wore loose fitting t-shirts instead of something that showed off the hard work ROTC had him put into his body.

She leaned down, allowing her tongue to explore the planes of his chest, dipping low to swirl around his belly button and lower to the center of his v line. Joaquín groaned, and Y/N hooked her fingers in the waistline of his boxers, dragging both the underwear and sweatpants down his legs and off his body. When she looked up at him, she found Joaquín's gaze fixated on her. There was a quiet desperation to his look, not as needy as she was sure her own faces were, but almost like he was a second away from an answer, and she was the only one who could help him get it. 

Y/N crawled back up his body, taking his cock in her hand and teasing it with long, slow strokes. Under her, Joaquín's eyes had closed, a grunt passing through his lips as he managed to lift a hand to take hold of her hip. Her thumb passed over the head, spreading the precum along his hardened length, her hand twisting around him before she dipped down and kissed the head of his cock. His hips jerked up from the bed, as if chasing her as she pulled away. Joaquín opened his eyes, casting her a look of confused desperation. 

"I'm not the one who made promises," she said with a tilt of her head and a smirk. He let out a gasping laugh, pinching her hip, and she rolled over him leaving the boy groaning underneath her. 

"Hold on," she said, pressing a hand to his chest and leaning up over him to reach into her side table. She fumbled around, fingers slipping over the contents of her drawer until at last the smooth feeling of the condom packet greeted her fingertips. She snatched it up, not even bothering to shove the drawer closed as she withdrew to her position over Joaquín's hips, tearing open the package with her teeth. 

She probably could have been more sensual about it–moved a bit slower with teasing touches and seductive glances–but instead she tossed the empty wrapper and immediately went about rolling the condom over Joaquín's waiting cock. Because while she probably could have withstood a little bit more anticipation, a little bit more build up until this moment why should she have to when she could have him now? 

Y/N raised herself a little higher, Joaquín's hands coming to her hips and slowly guiding her down onto his waiting cock. He hissed as she lowered herself even further until he filled her completely. Y/N paused, hands flat against Joaquín's chest to allow herself a moment to adjust to his size. "You good?" Joaquín asked, gently squeezing her side, and she nodded. 

"Yeah," Y/N breathed. "Yeah, I'm ready." 

There was a reason she always seemed to cave whenever Joaquín texted her. A reason she never told him to go fuck himself or any of the other things her roommate and friends suggested she say. A reason she snuck him in and out of her bedroom late at night or times when most  people were at class.

And it wasn't because she was stupid enough to have feelings for him again.

It was because he knew exactly what to do to make her body feel electric. It didn't matter if he was letting her ride him slow, fucking her fast from behind, or clutching her close to him as he stroked hard and deep–he knew exactly what her body craved and he gave it to her. He gave it to her with murmured bits of Spanish and breathless cursing and moans that made her chest constrict. He gave it to her with fingers that circled her clit and twisted her nipples and pulled her hair at all the right times. He gave it to her with hot, hard, and fierce kisses.

And as much as he gave, it was never enough. 

Even after her second orgasm left her feeling close to overstimulated and boneless, she still clutched at him. While she hardly had enough energy to raise her hips to meet his thrust, she locked her legs around him and pulled him closer as he buried his face in her shoulder. She stayed with him as his hips stuttered and strokes got sloppy and it became clear that he was going to come. 

Admittedly, Joaquín's orgasm face was rather dumb, ridiculous even, with his mouth hanging open and only a grunting sound coming out. But she kept her eyes trained on his face, not to remind her that this god in bed was a mere mortal who made stupid faces too, but because after he finished, when his face relaxed, he was nothing short of angelic. The corners of his mouth turned up just barely into a light smile and his eyes fluttered open and looked at her like she really was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. 

Joaquín placed a kiss on her shoulder as he helped to lower her legs back down to the bed, finally withdrawing from her to dispose of the condom in the trash by her bedside. It was all Y/N could do to catch her breath, her body hot and sweaty from the activity. Yet as Joaquín climbed back into the bed, she allowed him to pull her in close to him, arms wrapping around her, and chin resting on her shoulder. Because this was part of the deal with Joaquín and something that had almost made her doubt her initial assessment of him back when his body was brand new and she was still discovering all of the things it could do—after sex, he always stayed. Not necessarily the night, but long enough to hold and cuddle her and talk about things that didn't matter. 

"Better than studying?" he asked, and she let out a snort and nodded. 

"Yeah." 

"Good enough for Starbucks?" he asked, tilting his head to try to look at her face, and this time she gave a full laugh. 

"I'll meet you there at seven." 

[the-al-chemist]

Artemis Hexley and the Return to the Riddles

Chapter 15: The First Test

A/N: Artemis takes her first exam of her final year and faces an old foe… Warnings: peril, violence, threat, danger…

The Easter holidays were almost over, but whilst the majority of the students had been enjoying the break, the final years had all been hard at work, using the extra free time to study for their N.E.W.T.s. With the extra preparations that they were making ready to return to the Cursed Vaults, the members of Circle of Khanna had been working harder than anyone. 

Diego had been helping Ben, Jae, Andre, and Merula practise duelling and fire-making spells every morning and evening on the training grounds; and Tulip, Tonks, and Ismelda had been practising the Boggart-Banishing spell until they were blue in the face. Meanwhile, Charlie and Talbott had been poring over the map of the Forbidden Forest, whilst Barnaby and Liz got to grips with the spider-repelling charm and Chiara made notes on everything she could during her shifts in the Hospital Wing. Badeea had spent hours studying the portrait that Bea Haywood had been trapped inside for the majority of her first year at school, and Penny had been finding ways to help everyone, from brewing fire-protection potions to researching antivenom and handing out sweets when she thought someone was in need of something to perk them up.

Artemis also found herself trying her hardest to multitask. Being the somewhat-reluctant leader of the group, and the only member who had actually been to every single one of the Cursed Vaults during her time at Hogwarts, she would be returning to all of them. That meant she had no choice but to prepare herself for everything, as well as finding the time to revise for her exams.

At least one exam would soon be over and done with, and that was her Apparition test. The exam was to take place in mid-April, at the end of the twelve-week course and on the final day of the Easter break. 

“You’ll be alright,” said Tonks, as Artemis rose up from the lunch table, ready to leave for the exam. “Just don’t do what Charlie did. Oh, and try not to splinch yourself.”

“Great,” Artemis said. Tonks shrugged and returned to the list of possible distractions she and Tulip were considering to use on Madam Pince. Tulip looked up from the list, an earnest expression on her face.

“And just remember, the final ‘D’ stands for deliberation, not defecation,” she said knowledgeably.

“Who did that in their Apparation exam?”

“No one, as far as I’m aware. But you really don’t want to be the first person to make that mistake.”

Artemis laughed as she walked away from a smirking Tulip and cackling Tonks, and stepped out into the entrance hall of the castle, where the students who were taking the exam were gathered, all looking slightly nervous. 

They were to be examined one at a time, with Wilkie Twycross calling out their names once it was their turn. Being one of the oldest to take the test, Artemis’ was the second name called, with only Corey Hayden taking a turn before her. She followed Wilkie out to the courtyard outside - where she was informed that the anti-Disapparition charms had been lifted for the purpose of the exam - and dutifully listed the three Ds of Apparition and Disapparition, before he gave her a piece of paper with her destination written on it:

Hogsmeade Train Station, Platform One.

“Are you familiar with this location?” asked Wilkie Twycross, already sounding as if he were bored of the afternoon’s proceedings. Artemis nodded her head. “Good. Remember, any splinching - however minor - will cause you to fail. Off you go.”

Artemis took a deep breath. Not splinching herself meant focusing hard on not just her destination, but the act of Apparating itself. She thought about her destination, determinedly putting her memories of Rowan aside as she pictured in her mind’s eye the station platform with its clock on the wall that always read ten past ten, turned deliberately on the spot, vanishing herself and re-conjuring herself to find herself…

On the platform, directly beneath the frozen clock. She smiled to herself, and heard a single pair of hands clapping behind her. She turned around and saw that the person applauding her was Basil from the Portkey Office.

“Nicely done, Miss Hexley,” said Basil. “Second one of the day, and no obvious splinching. Can you remove your boots so I can check that you still have all your toes? Lovely.”

Having proved to Basil that all ten of her toes were still firmly attached to her feet, Artemis took the signed test certificate from him and left the station to allow the next student to take their turn at Apparating. On the road outside, she had expected to see a Thestral drawn carriage, but instead, she just found Corey Hayden, also clutching a signed certificate.

“You passed, too?” he asked, looking at her hands, and Artemis nodded in response.

“Yeah. Are we meant to Apparate back, do you think?”

“What?”

“There’s no carriages…”

“Didn’t Basil tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“It’s tradition for everyone taking the exam to go and get a drink at the Three Broomsticks after,” said Corey, nodding his head in the direction of the village. “I just didn’t want to go by myself. We can walk there together if you like?”

“I’d love to, but I’m supposed to be meeting Jae and Ben to go over some duelling spells with them,” Artemis told him, and he tilted his head to one side, frowning slightly.

“They’ve been practising duelling spells a lot lately, haven’t they?”

Artemis tried to think of an excuse, but quickly decided against it, feeling guilty all of a sudden. She knew that Corey had cared for Rowan just as much as her other friends, probably more so than some of them. The only reason he hadn’t been a member of the Circle of Khanna from the beginning was because her had spent half of sixth year as a statue, thanks to the curse of the Sunken Vault. She should have asked him if he wanted to be included when she first reformed the Circle. 

And so, instead of making something up about Defence Against the Dark Arts revision, she told Corey the truth about the Circle of Khanna and their plan to put and end to the Cursed Vaults, once and for all.

“How about it, then?” she asked him. “Do you want to join us?”

Corey’s frown deepened. “I’m not sure.”

“That’s fine. You don’t have to help if you don’t want to.”

“I do want to help. I just don’t see what help I could be. I’m no good at duelling or anything adventurous like that. I’m more… Well, I just like to read, really. That’s all I’m good at.”

“You know, that’s what Rowan used to say,” Artemis smiled as much to herself as to Corey. “But she was the best help anyone ever could be. She did so much reading to find out information, and translated a load of my brother’s notes from these runic codes he’d invented. I’d never have managed to get as far as a single Vault without her. We’d all still be sitting in ice if it weren’t for Rowan.” She paused, before confessing, “You know, part of me worries that maybe we won’t manage it without her this time around.”

“Well, maybe I could do her job for her,” said Corey, his blue eyes wistful-looking. “I’m not bad at taking notes or finding information. If you’ve got Rowan’s old research, I could definitely try to pick up where she left off.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive. It’ll make me feel… closer to her, I suppose. I’ll like that.”

“Yeah,” Artemis nodded. “And it will be really helpful for us, too. Especially with the last Vault, because no one’s ever managed to open it before. We’ll need all the clues we can get.”

“Like Conebush and Persimmons.”

“Who?”

“The detectives!”

The two of them made their way back up to the castle, Corey telling Artemis about his favourite books the whole way. The excitement in his voice as he did so reminded her of Rowan, and that reassured her, and she felt her doubts start to melt away, just a little.

She wasn’t the only one to be encouraged by the idea of Corey researching the final Vault. 

“It’s really not a bad idea at all,” said Ben, as he, Jae, Artemis made their way back through the castle after another hour of duelling practice. “The Sunken Vault is the one we need to prepare for the most. Imagine doing all of this all over again, only to get the end and realise that we still don’t know anything about how to open the last one.”

“How about this?” Jae said. “We go in the the first Vault sooner, break that Curse, then that frees up all of us to research this last Vault doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, but once we start messing with the Vaults, we have to get through them as quickly as possible. Once we break the ice curse, we’ll move straight onto the next one, and go on from there.”

“Why, though?”

“Well, as soon as we go in and break the curse in the Vault of Ice, that’ll release the next curse.” 

“I know that,” Jae nodded. “What I don’t get is why that’s a problem. The next curse is just Boggarts, right? I mean, they’re scary, but they can’t actually hurt anyone.”

“True,” Artemis looked at Ben. “What do you think?”

“I think Jae’s right.”

Jae looked genuinely surprised. “You do?”

“I’d rather be surrounded by Boggarts for the rest of the year than… Yes. Jae’s right. As long as the others agree, I say we go.”

“When?”

“Tonight.” Ben’s face was pale, but determined. He glanced at a nearby suit of armour and shuddered slightly, adding, “Before I can change my mind.”

While Ben’s resolve was still intact, they headed directly for the Great Hall, where they found Merula, Andre, and Diego, and quickly explained their idea.

“Do you really think we’re all ready?” Andre asked, his carefully-shaped eyebrows knitting together.

“Well, I don’t know about you, Egwu, but I am. I’m the most powerful witch at-”

“Of course you are, Merula, darling. How I could I possibly forget?”

“As an experienced duellist,” said Diego, making Artemis roll her eyes involuntarily, “I think that you’ve all really improved in the last week or so. You might not be perfect just yet, but you’re probably good enough.”

“Great,” Artemis muttered. “Really encouraging.”

“Thank you.”

“So, is that settled? Are you all happy now that Diego thinks we are ‘probably’ good enough?”

“Probably works for me,” said Jae, as the others all hummed their agreement. He glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the Hufflepuff table, where Chiara was sitting with an open Astronomy textbook, and shrugged. “But maybe we ought to bring a Healer with us, just in case?”

The six Curse-Breakers and one Healer met on the Grand Staircase after hours, all of them dosed up with Penny’s fire protection potions and sweltering in their warm clothes. With Artemis having paid Fred and George Weasley a Sickle each to keep Filch and Mrs Norris well out of their way, they found that their path to the fifth floor was completely unobstructed.

Artemis had not been to the easternmost corridor since her second year, and the last time she had been there, it had been covered in ice. The air was significantly less cold this time, and she wasn’t sure if it was just an illusion, but it felt like the ceiling of the corridor was less imposingly high than it had been five years previously. There was still a hole in the wall halfway down the corridor, however, from the time in her first year when Ben had blown up a locked door to allow Artemis, Rowan, and Merula to escape from a room full of cursed ice. It was through this hole and into this room that Artemis led her friends, and once they were all inside, she pointed her wand at the back wall.

“Revelio.”

The wall shimmered slightly, the way a mirage might, before disappearing to reveal an ascending set of stone steps in its place. The temperature in the room plummeted.

“Whoa,” whispered Jae, stepping past Artemis to peer up the stairs. “Does that lead up to…”

“The Vault, yeah,” Artemis kept her wand raised. “When we get up there, there’ll be a corridor with a door at the end of it. We need to hit the door with curses.”

“Sounds easy enough.”

“It does, but the door fights back. If it hits you, you’ll be stuck in ice. Last time, it was my job to free anyone who did. I can do that again.”

“How long do we need to attack it for?”

“As long as it takes,” Artemis said grimly. “I think all of us hitting it at once did the trick before.”

“Like with the dragon,” whispered Ben.

“Yeah, just like that. Only this one makes ice, not fire. Oh, and once we’re done with the door, that’s when we���ll have to start on the Ice Knight. He’s even harder than the door, because he has a sword that can cast spells and a shield that reflects your own curses back at you. If you can get his shield off him, you’re good. Right? Everyone happy?”

The noises the others made did not indicate happiness, exactly, but they all nodded their heads, so Artemis stepped onto the bottom step of the secret staircase.

“I’ll be just down here if anyone gets hurt,” Chiara called after them. “Good luck.”

The rest of the group followed Artemis up the stairs. With every step they ascended, it grew colder around them. By the time they reached the top, Artemis wasn’t sure if they were trembling because of the temperature or fear. If it were the latter, she couldn’t blame them for it. By now, she might have been used to the sinister atmosphere that seemed to radiate from the Cursed Vaults, but looking again at the armour-lined corridor that led down to the storm-grey doors that formed the entrance to the Vault of Ice, even she couldn’t help but give an involuntary shudder.

“Okay,” she said as they approached the door, desperately trying to remember exactly how she and Bill had succeeded in tackling it before. “Spread out, and start to fire spells. Ready, go!”

The Curse-Breakers leapt into action, each casting spells at the door, which retaliated by emitting its own icy jets of light. As her peers stood stock still, each concentrating on aiming their spells with force, Artemis remained on the move, racing the bolts of ice as they shot at her friends, just as she had the last time she came.

But last time, she had been part of a team of four, and now she was in a team of six. Though the door was having to work almost twice as hard to fight against them, Artemis was also having to work harder to defend against it. And in spite of the physical fitness she had gained from years of flying and Quidditch practice, she was starting to tire. 

“Artemis, you need to swap with me,” said Diego, after she nearly didn’t make it in time to stop a jet of bright white ice from hitting Andre square in the chest.

“I’m fine,” she snarled back, narrowly dodging a bolt that the door had aimed at her, and hurling a reductor curse back at the door to prove her point. “I don’t need-”

“I know you think that I’m an arrogant arse, Artemis, but I mean it. You’re getting slower and clumsy. Swap out.”

“No!”

“Okay then,” Diego stepped away from his position. “Then you’ll have to let me join you.”

Artemis didn’t want Diego to join her, and she was too proud to admit it, but having Diego to help defend the others as the battled against the door made her task a lot easier. Not being as tired as she was, Diego was equally fast, and infinitely more graceful, moving around the spells and the ones casting them as if it were a sort of dance. 

“I think it’s working,” said Jae. “Do you think if we all to hit it now, all at-”

“Jae, move!”

Whilst Artemis and Diego were busy defending Merula and Andre respectively, another icy bolt fired out of the door at lightning speed, aiming straight for him. Jae’s eyes widened as it drew closer, but he did not move, just stayed stock still, as if he were already frozen on the spot. A split second later, he really was. 

“Jae!” Artemis made to run to him, but Merula grabbed her arm with the hand that wasn’t holding the wand.

“The door first, Hexley,” she growled. “One good hit, and then the door will be finished, and we can save him without any of the rest of us getting frozen.”

Merula was right, and so Artemis shouted out:

“Everyone at once! Three, two, one, FIRE!”

Five curses hit the door in perfect unison, and the door, defeated at last, swung open with an almighty creak and crash. Artemis and Andre ran straight to Jae, whose teeth were chattering and skin had a bluish tinge to it.

“Okay, we’re going to get you out of there. Just hold still so I don’t burn you.”

“Or your clothes,” Andre added. “Though, honestly, that hoodie could do with-”

“Not the time or place, Andre.”

Together, they used the fire-making spell on the ice surrounding Jae, the flames licking and melting it away until he was free - weak and cold, but physically unharmed.

“I’m okay,” he said, through trembling blue lips. “I can keep going.”

“Are you sure?” Andre’s dark eyes were filled with doubt and concern. “Chiara’s just down those stairs, I can take you to her.”

Jae looked tempted, but he shook his head.

“No. I want to keep going. I want to fight.”

Andre sighed, and under his breath, Artemis heard him mutter a word that sounded suspiciously like “Gryffindors”. She turned around, and looked at the others.

“No one else need to go back?” she asked. None of them indicated that they did. Somewhat begrudgingly, she told Diego, “Um, thanks for your help. You did really well back there.”

“Yes, I know.” 

Diego shook his hair back away from his face, and a not insignificant amount of Artemis’ newfound appreciation for him disappeared. She walked away from him and towards Ben, who was stood staring at the open door with a peculiar expression on his face. 

“Ben, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

It was a moment before Ben jolted as if he had just realised that she had spoken, and replied, “Sorry, I’m… This all seems familiar.”

“Is it your memory coming back, do you think?”

“No, but I’ve seen this place before. When-”

But Ben was unable to tell Artemis when had seen the door to the Ice Vault previously, because the rest of his sentence was drowned out by the sound of clanking armour and thudding footprints coming from inside the Vault itself.

“Is that-”

“The Ice Knight!”

In the now open doorway, the figure of the Ice Knight appeared, sword and shield already raised. Before any of them had the chance to move against it, it pointed its sword at Ben, who was blown backwards down the corridor by a silver jet of light. Merula and Andre quickly suffered the same fate.

“Protego!” Artemis shouted, just as another spell from the Kinght’s sword threatened to blow her away as well. She shouted to Jae and Diego from behind her own shield charm. “The shield! Summon his shield!”

Perhaps she hadn’t shouted loudly enough, because when Diego raised his wand, he did not cast the summoning charm at all, but instead attempted to stun the Ice Knight, who raised his shield to deflect the spell. The beam of bright red light Diego had sent towards the Knight was sent straight back at him, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

The Ice Knight turned its head towards Jae, who already had his wand pointed directly at the shield. Through his still-chattering teeth, he uttered a single word:

“Accio.”

The shield flew from the Ice Knight’s armoured hand, just as another jet of silver emitted from his sword. Both shield and curse soared through the air towards Jae, who raised his hand to grab the shield, and though his fingers closed around the metal, he did not move his arm quickly enough to use it effectively. The silver light hit him in the side of his ribcage below his still raised arm, and both Jae and the shield were blown backwards down the corridor.

Alone, Artemis faced the Ice Knight for the second time in her life. But this time, she was more tired from the preceding battle, and when she cast a glance over her shoulder, the shield was out of sight. But she was not a little girl anymore; she had more knowledge and more skill and had faced more challenges than she had before. She was not going to admit defeat just yet.

More desperately and dangerously than ever before, Artemis began to fight, dodging and deflecting both the spells of the Ice Knight and her own that were ricocheting off his armour. The Ice Knight was attempting to make her retreat away, she could tell, and it was working. But, she realised with a jolt, that could work in her favour, because the further down the corridor he forced her, the closer she was getting to the shield.

She permitted herself to take her eyes off the Ice Knight to look in Jae’s direction, but the shield was no longer in his hand. Then where was it? She couldn’t afford to spend any more time looking, she needed to keep watching the Knight. She turned back to it, only to find that its sword was raised and pointing directly at her. 

“Protego!” 

She cast the shield charm once more,  and in the corner of her eye, she saw the Ice Knight’s shield, moving towards her as someone emerged from the darkness with it in their hand, holding it in front of their sandy-haired head.

Ben Copper ran straight down the middle of the corridor, straight at the Ice Knight, using the Knight’s own shield to protect him from the silver curses being thrown at him. He was close enough now to cast his own spells back, but he didn’t. Instead, he kept running, charging at the Ice Knight, until he crashed right into it.

There was a deafening clash of metal on metal as the Ice Knight’s shield hit its breastplate, the impact of the collision finally stopping Ben in his tracks. The Knight raised his sword again, but Ben had already raised his wand, and was aiming it directly at the helmet grille.

“INCENDIO!”

The flames that emerged from the tip of Ben’s wand went straight into the helmet of the Knight, and the grille from the inside. Despite the flames, the Ice Knight seemed to freeze momentarily, before falling forward, and landing directly on top of Ben.

Artemis lunged forward to free her friend, and she wasn’t the only one; Merula and Andre were climbing to their feet and running to her. Between the three of them, they pulled the suit of armour up and away from Ben, who lay motionless on the floor. There was a large hole in the front of his jumper, through which she could see an area of wounded skin.

“Is he…” Artemis’ voice caught in her throat, and she scarcely dared to breathe as Merula’s fingers went to Ben’s wrist.

“He’s alive,” said Merula, removing her hand. She frowned at the wound on Ben’s chest, which was badly blistered as if burnt. “What caused that?”

“I dunno. The suit of armour, maybe? He set it on fire, maybe it was so hot that-”

“No,” Andre bent down by the fallen Ice Knight’s sword and carefully plucked something fibrous from the end of it. “See these? They’re exactly the same colour and shade as that jumper.” He looked from from the sword to the wound and shuddered. “That burn is from the ice, not the heat.”

“We’ll take him to Chiara,” said Artemis, swallowing hard.

“Don’t you think you’re forgetting something, Hexley? After all, we came here to open the Vault, didn’t we?”

“But he’s hurt!”

“Yeah, but he got hurt trying to get into that Vault,” Merula reasoned. “I’m just saying, I’d be really annoyed if you didn’t at least let me go inside before taking me to get kissed better, or whatever Jae hopes Chiara’s planning on doing when we get back down there.”

“Fine,” Artemis sighed. “You two go and wake up the others.” She pointed her wand at Ben and whispered, “Rennervate.”

Ben’s eyelids twitched and he began to stir, mumbling to himself incoherently. When he opened his eyes fully, he blinked several times before looking at Artemis.

“You’re awake,” she whispered, and he frowned as if confused. “It’s okay, Ben. Do you remember what just happened?”

“I remember everything.”

“Good, do-”

“Everything,” Ben repeated, and Artemis’ eyes widened as she realised what he meant. “I think I remembered it before now, when we were in there, but I didn’t remember having forgotten it to remember.”

“What?”

“There. There. It was so dark, and so scary. And I saw him. In the Room of Lost Things. He was using a cupboard,” Ben’s voice was weak and shaky, and his eyes unfocused as he spoke. “I was hiding and he found me. He made me come here. There was the ice, and the door, but I wasn’t scared. It felt… almost nice. Like I was in a dream, same as that time shemade me. You know. The red cloak.”

Artemis frowned. “Ben, you’re not making any sense. Do you mean when Rakepick put you under the Imperius Curse?”

“Yes. That’s what he did, then he made me forget. He got burned in the end though, didn’t he?”

“Didn’t who? Who is he, Ben?”

But Ben  said nothing, just raised his hand to the burn on his own chest and screwed up his face in pain. Artemis sighed. Somehow, she didn’t think that she would get more sense from him.

Andre and Diego returned from further up the corridor and helped lift Ben up, and half-carried him into the Cursed Vault. Jae, Artemis, and Merula followed behind, Jae still shivering and Merula limping slightly. 

The Vault itself was unchanged, as if time stood still within its seven frost-covered walls. Artemis walked straight through it to the glowing central column, bracing herself as she placed her hand against the cool crystal. The column opened. Nothing was inside it this time, as Artemis had half-expected. After all, she already had her brother’s broken wand to use in the next Vault. But as she stepped away, she found herself frowning.

“What’s wrong, Artemis?”

“It’s nothing. Just stupid,” she said with a wry smile. “Before, when I went to the Vaults, I used to hear my brother talking to me. I didn’t realise back then it was Legilimency, and that he was doing it through where he was stuck in the Buried Vault, of course, but it always made me feel… like I was closer to him, because I was helping to free him.” She shook her head. “And now he’s still trapped and I’m still missing him. Now that I’m back here, it’s like nothing has changed, but also everything has changed. I dunno, it’s a weird feeling.”

“Yeah, whatever,” said Merula, rolling her violet-coloured eyes. “Come on, Hexley. You’ve broken the curse, now let’s get Copper to the hospital before he loses consciousness again.”

Ben did look very pale, and there wasn’t much point in hanging around any longer, so Artemis nodded. She walked back down the corridor alongside Andre and Diego, who were still supporting the weight of an increasingly nonsensical Ben.

“I always was the only one in my family who could see ghosts,” he was saying, his voice growing weaker again. “Before I knew about Hogwarts, I thought maybe it was because I was going to be a ghost one day. I think that’s why I was so scared of everything, maybe. I always thought I was I was going to die. In the Forest that night, and before, when we went to the Vault. That’s when I wrote you the letter, Artemis.”

“The letter?” Artemis wrinkled her nose. “You never wrote me a letter, Ben.”

“It got lost. But I did write it, I had to write it, just in case,” Ben’s eyes were starting to close now, and his body was being completely held up by Diego and Andre as they descended the stone staircase. “I was trying to be brave. Then, and now. I was brave, wasn’t I?”

“You were really brave, Ben,” Artemis told him, completely honestly. “You always have been.”

Ben’s eyes remained closed, but the smile appearing on his lips showed that he had heard Artemis’ words, before his head dropped and he fell unconscious once more.

[carewyncromwell]

“I just wanna throw my phone away... Find out who is really there for me... You ripped me off -- your love was cheap -- Was always tearin' at the seams... I fell deep -- you let me drown -- But that was then, and this is now: Now look at me!”

~“Part of Me” by Katy Perry 

x~x~x~x

Learning how to banish a boggart had taken Carewyn a little bit of practice. She certainly had no problem with Charms overall, nor was she prone to shrink in the face of fear...but the true trick behind defeating a boggart was laughter, and Carewyn had always been a bit too overly serious for her own good, even as a child. A lot of it came back to how sensitive she was and therefore how much she didn’t want anyone else to be hurt (which, honestly, was the backbone of a lot of different types of humor, like slapstick or practical jokes). This didn’t mean Carewyn was devoid of humor, however -- a fact made evident when she took on her new cohort Tulip Karasu’s boggart in the Artifact Room. 

Carewyn and Tulip had had a rather professional relationship at the start, but she’d been truly startled, seeing how pale Tulip’s face had gotten in the face of her boggart. It made her all the more convinced to make that boggart disappear as quickly as possible -- and she did so by quickly transforming the Merula boggart before their eyes, dressing her in one of Bill’s old crush Emily Tyler’s most obnoxious sweaters. 

Tulip laughed really, really hard, and Carewyn felt herself smiling a bit too, seeing the color come back to her cheeks. 

Over the course of the day, however, Carewyn found herself wondering about Tulip’s boggart and what it had said. The red-haired Slytherin had always gotten the feeling that Merula and Tulip’s relationship had been rather transactional, since it was so focused on finding the Cursed Vaults -- heck, even Tulip had called Merula her “accomplice,” rather than her friend. And yet in the courtyard, after dueling Merula to get her key to Jacob’s locked room, Merula had reacted so hostilely to Tulip spending time with Carewyn...

Although yes, Merula had reason to dislike anyone siding with her school rival over her, her words hadn’t been those of someone breaking off a business partnership, Carewyn thought to herself. They were the words of someone who’d felt betrayed. 

Don’t see how she could be, since she doesn’t know the first thing about friendship, Carewyn thought scathingly, as she recalled her insulting and putting down her new stooges Ismelda Murk and Barnaby Lee in the courtyard. 

Yet if Tulip’s boggart was Merula haunting her for her supposed “betrayal,” then Tulip had to feel remorse for what had happened between them. And if she felt remorse for what had happened...well, then perhaps Tulip was hurt far more than she’d let on.

And so Carewyn went to go find Tulip at dinner that night. The Ravenclaw prankster sat at the far end of the table with no one but her toad Dennis for company. 

“Hi, Tulip,” Carewyn greeted kindly.

Tulip looked up in surprise. Then she gave an offhand smile. 

“Hello, Carewyn Cromwell,” she said. 

An awkward silence fell between them. It felt as though both of them were waiting for the other to speak first, but no one was breaking the ice. 

Carewyn’s eyes fell down to the table between them uncomfortably. With a swallow, she then forced herself to look back up at Tulip, her eyes blazing with a bit more determination.

“...May I sit with you?”

Tulip blinked, but she recovered quickly. 

“Of course.”

Carewyn sat down. Keeping her eyes averted, she helped herself to some roast potatoes and beef, salting her serving before she began to eat. Silence once again fell between them -- a kind that stuck like gum to the corners of their ears. 

“So...what’s the plan?”

Carewyn looked up, startled. 

“I reckon you came over to plan out our next step,” Tulip said casually. “We should be more than able to handle the boggart in your brother’s room now, after what you did to the one in the Artifact Room...”

Carewyn didn’t answer. Tulip pressed on. 

“And once we do that, well...then I guess we can look through what your brother left behind -- see if there’s anything Merula and I missed. It is a bit of a mess, though, so we’ll probably have to factor in several days, to comb through it all...”

Tulip tilted her head to the side as she looked at Carewyn, searching her expression for approval. Carewyn, however, didn’t respond.

Tulip’s lips twitched with a frown, but she very quickly tried to obscure it.

“How does tomorrow sound?” she prompted. “We could always head over after Charms class.”

Finally Carewyn forced a smile and answered.

“...Sounds good.”

Tulip looked almost relieved by Carewyn’s answer. Her mouth spread into a fuller smile.

“Great!”

With the end of this conversation, silence fell between them again, as Carewyn helped herself to a dinner roll. 

“...Was there something else?”

Carewyn looked up. For the first time, Tulip looked a bit unsettled.

“Something else?” Carewyn repeated, confused.

“Something else you wanted,” said Tulip. “I mean, you did just leave your friends behind to come sit here.”

There was something oddly stiff in Tulip’s posture, almost expectant. It was as if she was bracing herself for what Carewyn would say next, as if...she was waiting to hear what favor the other girl wanted to ask of her.

Carewyn felt her heart crinkle up with pity. Her eyes flickered with a strange type of righteousness.

“I don’t want anything,” she said forcefully. 

She paused. Her eyes fell down to her plate as she put down her knife and fork.

“...I just...didn’t want you to be alone, after what happened with your boggart.”

Tulip gave a double blink. 

“I’m sure you’ll say it was no big deal, but...well, I don’t think it was,” said Carewyn. “I’d thought the reason you and Merula teamed up was just because you both wanted to find the Vaults...but after what that boggart said -- I think I was wrong, about that. I think there’s a lot of things I don’t know, and that I shouldn’t have just assumed...”

Carewyn tried to look Tulip in the eye, but her gaze just couldn’t seem to move any higher than her right shoulder. 

“I don’t know what happened between you and Merula,” she said very firmly, “and I don’t know how close you two were, before you fell out...but one thing I do know is that what your boggart said -- about how you’ll never have any friends? That’s the real lie. Your boggart is the liar for saying that -- not you.”

Tulip stared at Carewyn, stunned. She was struck dumb for a long moment -- then, finally, she looked away. 

“...How do you know that?” she asked lowly. 

There was no hint of a smile in her expression now -- only discomfort, trimmed with hints of gloominess. 

 A rush of empathy pulsing through her veins, Carewyn actually reached right across the table to take hold of Tulip’s hand. Tulip was so startled by the gesture that she looked up again. 

“Because I don’t think a disloyal person would fear hurting someone they called their friend,” Carewyn said through a fierce smile. 

She gave Tulip’s hand a supportive squeeze.

“I understand if you have trouble making other friends, or if you don’t want to make any more right away...but for what it’s worth...I’d say when you do find those new friends, they’ll be a lot better than the one you left behind. And I hope they don’t just come to talk to you when they want something.”

Tulip stared from Carewyn’s face to down to their joined hands and then back. Then her eyes fell back down to their hands and stayed there. 

“I suppose you want to know why,” she mumbled. “Why Merula’s my boggart -- what it means.”

Carewyn shook her head. “No.”

Tulip raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

“Sure, I was curious about it,” said Carewyn as she released Tulip’s hand at last, “but I meant what I said, Tulip -- I don’t want anything from you. Not even an explanation, if you don’t want to give me one. It’s really none of my business, anyway. And if it’s painful for you to talk about...then the last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

Carewyn forced herself to look Tulip right in the eye, wanting to make sure she knew she was sincere.

“I came over here because I was worried about you. We don’t have to talk about Merula, if you don’t want to -- we can always talk about something else. We can even not talk at all, if you want.”

Tulip regarded Carewyn with something like bewilderment.

“So...you really don’t want me to explain?” she asked uncertainly. “You’re really okay just...not knowing? Even if Merula could be right, and I could betray you too -- all because you don’t know this about me?”

Carewyn scoffed. “I doubt any of us will live to see the day that Merula Snyde is right about something.”

Her gaze and voice then softened. 

“...Tulip, we’ve all done things we’re not proud of. That’s part of what being a good person is -- learning from our mistakes and trying to be better. And well, your boggart already tells me that you regret losing Merula’s friendship. If that feeling is so strong that a boggart could pick up on it, then surely that means you want to try to make sure that doesn’t happen again, right?”

Carewyn smiled reassuringly.

“I have faith in you, Tulip. I’m sure you’ll be a great friend to whomever earns your friendship next.”

Tulip seemed oddly moved by Carewyn’s sentiment. Her shoulders had lost all of their stiffness, and her smile seemed softer and prettier than before. 

“...You’re so strange, Carewyn Cromwell.”

Carewyn raised her eyebrows. “How so?”

“Whenever we’ve been helping each other, it’s been about the Vaults, but right now...it’s weird. It’s like you don’t care about any of that right now...even though I know it does matter to you.”

Carewyn frowned. “One can care about their own goals and other people’s well-being at the same time.”

“Maybe...but you care even though we’re not even really friends,” Tulip pointed out. “Sure, I’ve helped you out and all -- but fussing over me will only take your time and focus away from the Vaults.”

“Well, this isn’t about me,” huffed Carewyn. “It’s about you.”

Tulip’s black eyes seemed to sparkle. For a split second Carewyn thought she might cry, but instead her lips slowly unfurled into a fuller, warmer smile than Carewyn had ever seen before. 

“...Thank you, Carewyn Cromwell,” she said. 

Tulip paused. Then, very hesitantly, she spoke again, more grimly this time. 

“...You said you don’t need to know, but...I want you to. That is...if you don’t mind listening.”

“Of course,” Carewyn said at once. 

Tulip gave a small weak smile. 

“...A lot of people don’t know this,” admitted the Ravenclaw, “but Merula was the first friend I made at school. We met on the train, and...well, I envied her. Her parents are in Azkaban, and even before then, they were never around, so she’s used to doing whatever she wants. But me...”

She cringed. 

“My parents both work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement,” she muttered sourly. “My whole life has been nothing but rules.”

Tulip brought her arms to rest on the table and leaned her chest on top of them.

“When I came to Hogwarts, I was finally free to rebel -- do what I want, for a change. Merula and I started in opposite places, but we ended up the same. We studied in class together, broke rules together...played tricks together. Then Merula became interested in the Cursed Vaults. She told me about them, and she recruited me to help her, right after you and she broke into that icy room. We decided that we’d find them first -- show the whole school just how powerful we could be...”

Tulip hung her head.

“...But then...the idea of the Cursed Vaults ran away with me. The thought of breaking those curses on my own -- of being the greatest rulebreaker, through being a Cursebreaker...it thrilled me. I wanted to find the Vaults myself, all by myself. I thought I could, if I just tried. Then maybe everyone would see me the way I wanted people to see me -- not like my parents, not just another anonymous Ravenclaw -- but as me, just me. So I hid the clues I found and used what I found behind Merula’s back. ...I wanted all the glory for myself...”

Regret pooled through each word. Carewyn reached out a hand to rest on Tulip’s arm again reassuringly -- the gesture made Tulip try and fail to give Carewyn a grateful smile without raising her head. 

“...When Merula found out, we had a big argument about it. It shattered our friendship. The Vaults had made our friendship stronger, but they also destroyed it. And in the end, neither of us could access Jacob Cromwell’s room anymore, without the other one’s help.”

“Since you locked it with a lock only both of you could open,” Carewyn surmised.

Tulip nodded. “It was Merula’s idea. I think she’d already started to suspect I was thinking of betraying her and wanted to make sure I couldn’t get too far ahead, when she wasn’t around. And well, after what happened between us...I just didn’t have the heart to go after the Cursed Vaults myself, after that. Really, it...wasn’t until the boggarts started showing up that I felt any desire to go after the Vaults again...”

Carewyn frowned in confusion. “But you said you wanted to find the next Cursed Vault because I broke into the first one last year.”

Tulip brought a hand up through her bottle-red hair and rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably. 

“Yeah, well...you getting scolded so openly by Dumbledore was pretty cool,” she admitted with an awkward smile. “And the boggarts proved that there was another one, just waiting to be found. Then you and Bill Weasley came looking for me, and...I got excited about it! I liked the thought of going searching for another Vault with someone -- especially an infamous rulebreaker like you...”

Tulip then twisted her face into an over-the-top frown.

“...But then it turned out that you’re an absolute stick-in-the-mud who wouldn’t know a good prank if it bit her on the nose,” she sighed melodramatically. 

Carewyn cocked her eyebrows coolly as she crossed her arms. “Forgive me if I don’t think Nose-Biting Teacups are a great way to get a laugh out of someone.”

This dry humor, however, seemed to be enough to earn a laugh out of Tulip. The smile on her face then relaxed, fading slowly.

“Still...even if you’re way too serious for your own good...I have to admit, you’re a good person, Carewyn Cromwell.”

She forced her smile a bit, which made it look more detached again. 

“I’m sure you’ll make plenty of friends. You’d deserve it -- even if you can’t take a joke to save your life.”

Carewyn, however, didn’t smile back. 

“Deserve?” What have I done, to “deserve” a lot of people supporting me? I haven’t done anything that great. Even the Vault I only broke the curse on to try to find Jacob...I only ever did it for myself... 

Rather than verbalize this out loud, Carewyn shifted her focus back onto Tulip.

“I don’t need to be popular,” said the ginger-haired Slytherin lowly. “I just want friends who’ll stick by me as much as I plan to stick by them. I don’t care how many they might be.”

Carewyn eased her own arms down onto the table and leaned across them so as to get a little closer to Tulip.

“And for the record,” she said with a slightly cooler smile, “I plan to stick by you, Tulip Karasu.”

Tulip was completely thrown for a loop. Her eyes widened as she stared at Carewyn, dumbfounded. She examined Carewyn’s face critically for some trace of joke or hesitation -- upon finding none, Tulip slouched a bit in her seat. She looked down at her plate, thinking. Then, at long last, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked up, her lips spread in a faintly self-conscious, but very bright smile. 

“No joke?” she asked.

Carewyn smirked. “I don’t joke. I’m an absolute stick-in-the-mud, remember?”

Tulip laughed. It made Carewyn’s smirk soften to a more sincere smile, and Tulip likewise found her expression softening too.

“I’ll have to fix that, you know!” Tulip said mischievously. “No friend of mine is going to stay completely straightlaced and never have any real fun...especially when she’s breaking the rules left, right, and center!”

“There are ways to have fun that don’t involve breaking the rules,” Carewyn said reprovingly.

“There are also ways to make an omelette without breaking some eggs, but you won’t see me doing that,” Tulip shot back coolly. 

The bottle-red-haired Ravenclaw got up from her seat with a new gleam in her eye.

“Now then, new friend -- reckon everyone’ll be heading to Hogsmeade tomorrow. Want to stop on into Zonko’s and get more material for another Jumbo Dungbomb?”

“No,” said Carewyn. “But if you want to go to Zonko’s, then I’ll go with you. Then maybe we can go to Gladrags after -- it’s right next door.”

Tulip rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling as she and Carewyn left the Great Hall together, breaking apart at the door for their respective dormrooms.

Merula had never volunteered to do something with Tulip she was actively disinterested in. If she hadn’t wanted to do something, she would’ve left Tulip to do it on her own, and maybe even actively disdained Tulip’s desire to do it in the first place.

But not Carewyn Cromwell. However much she didn’t like Zonko’s or pranks, she put Tulip’s feelings first. She put spending quality time with Tulip first. 

It was new. New...but nice. 

[goose-books]

goose-books productions: a 2021 review

view the image in higher quality here; thank you as always to my dearest vampfriend @yvesdot for the template! last year’s year in review can be found here.

transcripts and month-by-month details under the cut! for reference, you can find my projects here. 2021 was a really good year for my writing; excited to continue in 2022, and thank you to everyone continuing with me!

january

things i apparently did this year and not a decade ago: finished my college applications, sent my podcast to sensitivity readers, and, somehow, finished the first draft of darkling? genuinely cannot believe that was this year. i proceeded to reread it TWICE and do beta reading over the summer and i feel like this book has existed for three years specifically to torment me. here’s to querying in 2022, maybe. sorry for tearing chunks out of this excerpt but there is truly nothing non-spoilery from the end of this book; worth noting that edgar is a cat.

She drips. She breathes. Under the blanket, under her skin, under layers of blood and bone, her heart beats.

She stares, and Edgar stares back.

It is like, she finds herself thinking, he knows — and then she scratches that. He knows. She does not know how he knows, if it is in her scent somehow, if it floods off of her in waves. [SENTENCES REDACTED]

She steps across the room before she thinks of doing so, light on her feet, silent. Edgar does not move until she has her arms around him, and then he only moves insofar as he curls in her arms, collar tinkling dully. [REDACTED] carries him to the couch. When she sets him down she half expects him to run. He doesn’t. He stands there, so close she can feel his whiskers quivering, and [REDACTED] lies down on the couch and pulls the blanket over herself and she is so tired, suddenly; it comes upon her like dark water closing over her head. Edgar crawls beneath the blanket and she wraps her arms around him like she used to with her stuffed animals, not so tight it hurts but tight enough that she can feel his tiny heart beating against hers; she holds him there, and she closes her eyes, and she sleeps like the dead.

february

february was the month i wrote duodecimal, which i posted in june (you can read it here!). i’m very proud of this piece; i ended up digging into a lot of things i’d struggled to put words to before, while also putting malvolio from twelfth night in fishnets. marshall gardner is my comfort OC and you should read duodecimal.

I.

Tony finds him on the twelfth school day after The Incident, which is also the thirteenth day that Marshall has worn a skirt and fishnets to school, because at this point he is leagues and light-years beyond giving a fuck what anyone has to say. He is, however, afraid to go into the men’s bathroom dressed this way, which means he uses the gender neutral bathroom in the student office, which is also the bathroom Tony uses. So maybe it’s a coincidence — Marshall opening the door and coming face-to-face with Antonia Tobias Barnaby, six feet tall in platform boots, with his hair rumpled and his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his stupid pirate-looking peacoat.

Maybe it’s a coincidence.

Marshall doesn’t think so.

Twelve days. That’s about right. That would be Marshall’s luck.

march

in march, for a creative writing class, i wrote bodyghost! in one sitting, actually, and so feverishly i missed my cue during rehearsal. you can read the rest of it (only four pages) here.

(Lights up.

The stage is barely that. No props. No set, except for an open and empty door frame in the center of the stage, angled so that the two “sides” of the doorway are the left and right sides of the stage.

Behind the door frame there are two identical actors wrestling on the floor. We watch ONE choke THE OTHER to death and then sit there, panting, breathless. Then ONE stands and turns to face the audience.)

ONE: I remember being her, but I don’t remember when I stopped. Like how you never remember the moment right before you fall asleep.

april

and in april i wrote the second of two poems i’ve written about The Beast, which can be found here and here! i’d had this one half-written for a while, so it was good to finish it.

O CHILD DEAR, says the beast, YOU REMEMBER HOLINESS. (i don’t.) HOLINESS LIKE WHOLENESS. LIKE A BURN. MORTALITY WAS SOMETHING YOU SCRUBBED OFF YOUR SKIN. (the beast knows more than i. it held me as a child.) every breath is another halo— which is to say another circle.

may

in the spring, i concocted and almost wrote (and might write, someday; i didn’t end up having the time or focus) a story about a bunch of rich debauched obnoxious teenage WLW (and petra) having a wild summer at their lake houses. which sounds interesting until i tell you it was a war and peace retelling. but you can wipe that from your brain if you just want to enjoy petra and leslie’s little homoerotic nosebleed cleanup moment as-is. (for your mental image: leslie has a buzzcut, a fact that did not make it into this excerpt but which it’s important to me that you know.)

“I feel too big a lot,” Petra admits, tipping her head back to look Leslie in the eyes. “I mean… for the world. For my house. So looking at the sky’s just so — it’s so… it’s so…”

“It’s very so,” Leslie says softly, fingers skimming over Petra’s cheek.

Petra blows out. “You know what I mean?”

“Sort of.”

“Sort of like yes, or sort of like you’re humoring me?”

For a moment they just look at each other. Leslie dabs the last bit of blood from Petra’s lips, then steps back. The sudden absence of her touch caves Petra’s stomach in.

Leslie balls up the bloody paper towel and pitches it into the bathroom trash can. Her hands flex at her sides, curling and uncurling. “Sort of like I’ve never wanted to be smaller than I am.”

june

june was a month full of nonsensewriting, but that’s okay because i think enough happened in my life that month to fill a year within itself. this is scribbled-down character backstory for darkling, featuring the murder lesbian side character.

There are two kinds of people: the ones who aren’t loved, and the ones who don’t love easy.

In high school Dany Caldwell wears red Converse and her full name and when her mother dies she puts her fist straight through the windshield of her father’s Rolls-Royce. Which is a hospital trip the old man isn’t happy about. Even though he’s not the one who takes her; that’s Al, hyperventilating in the driver’s seat and chewing his nails down to the quicks. Al’s the one who sits with her in the ER; Clark’s the one who buys her the punching bag when her hand heals, “just in case,” he says, like he’s only half-joking, and it reminds her that they’re twins and he knows more about her than she’d like.

Three people in the world she’d bleed for. Two after her mother goes. A whole chunk of her cleaved away like meat off her bones.

july

can’t talk about this one too much because i want to send it places for money! but i sure did write a whole novella about rival lesbian boxers inspired by henry iv part one and i might open beta reading for it sometime.

Her full name was Persimmon. Honestly, when I asked her, I didn’t actually think she was going to tell me.

“No fucking way,” I said.

Percy didn’t say anything. I stood there with my arms crossed and watched her brutalize a punching bag. She had nice arms. I was almost jealous. Okay — I was jealous.

She wasn’t smiling. She didn’t lie. She had to mean it. “Why would you tell me that?” I said, because I’d keg-stand with Fabian before I’d give Percy Lovejoy ammunition of that caliber about me.

She looked at me. Just for a second. Flinty-eyed. “Because no one will believe you, Harriet,” she said, and then she went back to war-criming the bag.

Fucking Percy.

august

and now we’re in godsongmode for the rest of the year. honestly, it was in the cards from day one for this to be my nano WIP, because i spent my first semester of uni reading and studying the classical texts it’s inspired by (the aeneid, first and foremost, but homer’s work and shakespeare’s julius caesar, too.) this one’s got three plotlines; here’s anna, beleaguered traveler and god’s favorite sacrificial little lamb…

“It… translates to… loyalty.” Immediately she frowned, sensing the shallow single-brushstroke color of the attempt but unsure how to richen it. “Piety. Perhaps. Would be the word. Or…”

“Duty,” Ichari tried, and Anna felt her frown deepen.

“Family,” she said. “Duty, yes, but… devotion. It’s loyalty but it’s… love. It…” She held up one hand. “If you have love—” And the other: “—and duty—” She brought her arms into a crossroads, letting them meet at the knobs of her wrists, fingers fanning out. “Here. It’s here.”   

“Well, what’s the use of that,” Sascha mumbled, louder than he seemed to think he had.

But Ichari nodded, brilliantly blue eyes fixed on her face, their mouth drawn for once into a serious line.

“I understand,” they said softly.

Anna wasn’t sure they did. She wasn’t sure how to make them understand, how to put words to the rest of it. Two hands, two dimensions, weren’t enough. How was she to explain the faith inherent in it? The prayer, of course, but the trust, too, not that the world would always be right but that one would have something to fall back on even when it wasn’t — how could she fit that into the bitten-off bricks of a language that stumbled her tongue?

september

When she let herself slip, she was there again. The howling hot air. The slope under her stumbling feet. His warmth fading against her chest. His arms loosening around her neck. The smoke like a hand over her mouth, clawing at her lips, closing up her throat, wreathing around them until they were the only two people left in the world: Anna carrying her brother from the burning city, and his breath softening in her arms.

Anna stared back at Cairo’s swallowing gaze. She opened her mouth. She mustered nothing.

Cairo sat back, perfect face crumpling, perfect lips trembling. “Gone,” she said quietly. “My brothers too. The twins fell — together. And then the third.”

Please, Anna thought, aware of it from a long way off, aware of Cairo’s face and the world tunneling around her and her chest shrinking until her ribs clutched her heart like a fist. Not this. I can give you all the rest of it. I can close your palms around every burning ember of Ivander. I can tell you how all of them screamed. I can list off the names. I can’t give you this. You can have the rest of it, I promise, I don’t want it. I don’t want to carry this ruin. But not Caradorra. I can give you anything else but Caradorra.

october

but we also have ambergris, who’s living out her own grimdark version of how to train your dragon…

“You lost a fight, didn’t you,” Ambergris observed, voice ringing flat off the cave walls. “Or won a fight, and the other one’s dead.”

The dragon did not answer. It had laid its head down on its forelimbs, but any relaxation must have been feigned: its remaining eye was fixed unerringly, unblinkingly on her, glinting cold and yellow.

She did not step closer, but she angled her left crutch to bring her lantern up, widening the circle of light in the cave. Half-hidden on the dragon’s black flank were dark deep gashes, seeping with blood or pus or both; she wasn’t close enough to tell. The marks were wide, the scales torn like paper. Made, clearly, by formidable claws.

This was the first dragon she had ever seen as anything but a grim shape in the sky. It seemed to swallow up the cave. Two in one place was hard to imagine. Ambergris wondered what it must have looked like for beasts so massive to collide — claws crashing against claws, wings beating against wings, with a clamor like a rockslide. Maybe it was that, and not the sky god, that made the thunder.

november

and spades doesn’t appear in this excerpt, but the impetus for her plotline sure does 🗡️. ever wondered what the world would look like if julius caesar were a milf? look no further

To see Vulpa-Vaska outside their fox-pelt was sacrilege. To refrain from dropping at once to one’s knees and begging for mercy — to stand proud, listing sideways as one might have been — was worse. But even as Vulpa-Vaska raised their hand to mete out punishment, Julienne Carron raised a head framed by then-golden hair and decreed, “I come seeking salvation.”

Even at nineteen, the bards said, she was a consummate gambler. She made her case brief and clear. She was nineteen and dying; she wouldn’t make twenty. She wanted the sickness wrenched free from her head by the roots.  She would play any game that would give her a chance. “What are you willing to bet?” Vulpa-Vaska asked in two hissing voices, and Julienne threw back the words that, when the story was told, would ring with the chorus of the audience joining in: “Myself, my soul, and all the world.”

Vulpa-Vaska’s smile glinted with canine teeth. They opened their hand and the dice glittered in their palm. Five dice; seven sides each. To win was to roll a uniform hand. To lose was death, and not the easy sort, or the brief. Julienne Carron smiled a self-assured smile and rolled five perfect death’s heads.

december

“Anna,” Ichari said again, because there was nothing else to say, and without thinking they reached out to take her shoulder.

Anna pulled away.

Ichari pulled their hand back like they’d been stung. Or like they’d stung her. They shoved both hands into the pockets of their coat. They watched Anna cling to the rail and visibly settle herself, smoothing out her grimace, forcing her breathing down to controlled levels.

“I can go,” they said softly, though it felt like a bullet to the gut.

Anna shook her head, hard. “Please stay,” she said, and huffed a humorless laugh, and added, “I can’t ask you that. That isn’t fair. But please.”

You could ask me anything, Ichari almost told her. I’d follow you anywhere. I’ve done things you might loathe me for. But I’d do worse if you asked.

They didn’t say so. The silence was less cruel. They stood beside her and listened to the waves against the hull and felt the stars bore down.

thank you so much for spending time over at goose-books.edu this year! wishing everyone a happy and healthy and productive and precedented (please god let it be precedented) 2022! holding your hand like this

[myblueeyedbuggers]

My Boys

Chapter 14

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13

Pairings: Steve Rogers X Reader (Best Friend) Bucky Barnes X Reader

Word Count: 1620

Warnings:  Swearing, bit of violence if you looking very closely

Summary: After being abandoned by her parents in Brooklyn in 1929, y/n makes a living for herself by working for the Црни лабуд gang until she meets two boys in a back alley and her life slowing begins to change.

So Hi again everyone! one more chapter to go then we're on the first Avenger, I just wanna say thank you to each and everyone of you all for taking the time to sit down and read this, it means the absolute world to me! Anyways I'll shut up, enjoy chapter 14 everyone <3

Now don’t ask me how they did it, but somehow my idiots managed to open my front door without a key, if I wasn’t so pissed at them for getting into a fight for the 5th night in a row, I’d be tearing them a new one for that alone. Completely and uttered annoyed with the pair of em, I may of opened my door with a bit more force than necessary and twatted the back of it on the coat rack, not my best moment but at least nothing broke. I was fully prepared to lose my shit with both of em, but one look of them both sat at the table, covered head to toe in bruises and cuts made all my anger disappear, I can’t be mad at them when they both look absolutely exhausted.

Wordlessly I crossed the landing into the bathroom, grabbing the first aid kit and spare clothes I kept for the boys, setting em down on the dresser just outside my room before heading off to change into my satin pyjamas. It’s times like this that make me so frustrated with them both, I know why they do what they do, they’re trying to make the world a better place in their own way, but I just wished that they wouldn’t do it in a way that put them in danger. Coming back out into the kitchen was almost like walking into a morgue, neither of them said a thing to each other whilst I was gone, the looks their faces absolutely shattered my small, minuscule heart to pieces.

It was pretty easy to see from the slumped shoulders and the way they both avoided eye contact that they were ashamed of what happened tonight, and that made me feel like the biggest piece of shit ever, I trusted these boys with my life, and I know that they would never start a fight if they didn’t have a reason for it. Hell, I didn’t care about the reason why anymore. Without saying a word to them, I went over to the sink and filled a bowl with warm water, I knew that one of em would have got the rags out already, more than likely Buck cause Steve’s short ass can’t reach the cabinet…I’m joking I love him really, but he’s soooo fucking short it’s unreal..

I’d barely had time to put the bowl on the table before Steve started to speak.

“We’re sorry Y/n…Those guys were erm..saying some pretty messed up things about you and I couldn’t help it, I saw red and lost my temper. Be angry with me, not a Buck he was just lookin’ out for me”.

The sigh that left my body couldn’t be helped, as much as I love Steve he couldn’t lie to save his life, though normally I wouldn’t put it past him to start a fight over me, the way Buck reacted made it pretty clear that the hot-headed love of my life started this one, the sharp look he gave for Steve was about as subtle as a sneeze in a silent library. The sudden ache that settled over my chest wasn’t foreign to me one bit, it happened every time I looked at Bucky, as much as I wanted to tell him how I felt I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea, he loves me like a sister and I should be happy with that, I’d rather have that than nothing at all…

“Steve…it’s not that, it’s the fact that you guys would start a fight over something so silly, I love you both to the moon and back, but I don’t care about what people say about me, I’m upset that you put yourselves in danger over me. I’m not worth the trouble it would cause and after the shit I’ve done, it’s not like I don’t deserve it.”

Bucky was silent the whole time, at times he looked like he wanted to disagree but a look from Steve shut it down, we all fell into a comfortable silence after that, which for the 3 of us is pretty fucking weird considering Steve and I are normally annoying the hell outta Bucky, what can I say me, and Steve have amazing singing voices. I stole a quick look at the pair of them, considering they both looked like shit it was actually a very difficult choice about which idiot I should clean up first, then I remembered that Steve has the immune system of an asthmatic grandma, so I dunked his cut-up hands in the warm water a little bit harder than I meant to, but I’d be lying if I said the squeal he let out wasn’t funny.

It really didn’t take me long to get him cleaned up at all, then again I do this like 8 times a week with the moron, you’d think after about 10 split lips the kid would learn his lesson, but apparently not cause he’ll be back at it in the morning. I need to start charging him for medical supplies, I’m practically a hospital at this point. As Steve stood up to leave, he paused and looked towards me with his sad puppy eyes, and I’m no monster so of course I gave him a hug, thank god he’s not as short as when were kids or his face would be right in my chest region, I don’t think an accidental motorboat is on his list of top 10 things to do. With one final look from Buck, Stevie boy took his clothes and went into the spare room, leaving us both to talk which could take a while cause we’re both stubborn asses. Que the awkward silence….

“I am sorry Doll…I just couldn’t stand back and hear those assholes talk about you like that. I love ya too much for that…”

Okay ouch, the sister zoning wasn’t necessary Barnaby.

I knew in my heart I meant every single word he said, Bucky was never the one to start the fights unless it was over his family and I understand that I do, if I were in the same position I’d do the sae for them. The dejected sigh that left me wasn’t missed by him, I chose to ignore his reaction to it and moved closer to him, the cuts on his hands were a little deeper than Steve’s, not that it stopped me from slamming his hands into the hot water as a tiny bit of revenge. Because I’m such a nice person, I chose to ignore the hiss of pain and glare directed at me from my good ol’ Bucky boy, plus I was focusing on cleaning his cuts.

“Buck…I don’t need you to say sorry, I understand why you did it, I just hate that you can be so careless about your own safety, what if you get into a fight whilst I’m working, and something happens? I’d never be able to forgive myself that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me most, I love you and Steve so so much, but it hurts me to see you do this to yourselves….”.

The time we spent sat together was lost to me, Bucky didn’t say anything after that and left me to clean his hands whilst he got lost in his thoughts, not that I minded. It’s the times like these that help me realise just how much pressure he puts on himself, it’s like he has to be the one to hold up the weight of the world, but he doesn’t realise he doesn’t have to do it by himself and it breaks my heart. But I wished that he didn’t tilt his head down when he’s feeling sombre and sad because I can’t see his fucking face, it kinda makes cleaning his cuts a bit hard ya know ? Reluctantly I stood up and went back to the sink, the rag I used to clean his hands was beyond filthy at this point and I don’t really fancy wiping ouch juice all over his face, by the time I’d turned back around Buck had his head in his hands.

You know it’s bad when he’s like this, Buck never lets anyone see just how much stress he’s under, the only other person that’s ever seen him in this state is Steve, I moved back over to him and placed the rag back down on the table, my main focus now being cheering up my Bucky. As it turns I didn’t have to do much, once he saw my shadow in front of him, his head lifted automatically as his eyes searched mine, the level of exhaustion in his eyes was almost enough to make me cry, I couldn’t help the hand that reached out to cup his cheek, nor the other hand that began to run through his hair. It was almost like I put him under a spell, Buck’s eyes closed in relief as his head fell forward to rest on my upper stomach, at some point his looped his arms around my waist to pull me closer to him, I couldn’t help but pepper the top of his head in small kisses to try and cheer him up.

This is the part of him I love the most, the moments where he isn’t afraid to let his guard down and for once let someone help him, to take the burden off his shoulders and relax for a while, even if he doesn’t love me the way I love him, I still wouldn’t trade it for the world.

He has and always will be my home….nothing can or will change that.

And that's Number 14 done and dusted, let me know what you all think, thank you for reading!

All My Love,

Rose xxx

@purelydarling

[douxparadies]

The Yule Ball

SUMMARY: The yule ball at Hogwarts was so eagerly awaited that everyone was on edge. Obviously, you were too, but you didn't know that the person you wanted to go with was too. There were some misunderstandings.

Pairing: Charlie Weasley x fem!Reader

Word Count: 4.3k

A/N: I confess that this little writing was kept inside "my drawer" and only now I decided to write it on the computer. I hope you like it.

I based my character on the game, that's why there are mentions of her being from Hufflepuff.

                                                        ♦♦♦

“Y/N! Tonks! I need to hide!” Penny entered the common room in panic.

“What’s wrong, Penny?” you asked.

“I’ve heard that Diego wants to invite me to the ball. I don’t have a pair yet and I don’t know how to reject him. So, I’m running away until I find a good excuse.”

You and Tonks had to hold the laughter.

“Why won’t you go with him? He is pretty popular, you know?” you said.

“Oh, please! Have you heard the way he talks about himself?”

They heard people passing by the barrel. For the voices, it must be the boys.

“You didn’t see me!” Penny hurried to the girl’s dorm.

She barely had time to close the door, Diego came in right after.

“Have you guys seen Penny?” He asked.

You and Tonks had to make an extra effort to control the guilty faces.

“No, we didn’t see her. No.”

"Strange... I met Skye on the way, and she saw Penny coming here."

Diego turned around just as Chiara Lobosca left the girls' dorm.

"Chiara, is Penny sleeping yet?"

"Penny? She is-"

Behind Diego's back, you gestured fervently, silently asking Chiara to say yes.

“She is sleeping! She is sleeping already.”

"With all this ball stuff, she must be very tired," you added.

"It’s not that she usually sleeps like a rock-Ouch!" you nudged Tonks.

“Uh, okay. I'll speak to her tomorrow.”

The girls waited for the boy to leave and then collapsed on the couch.

“That was close.”

 "Let’s go and see what we can do for Penny."

They went into the girl’s dorm and found Penny walking back and forth.

"How can I get rid of him?"

"Say you already have a pair," Tonks suggested before tossing a bean inside her mouth and making a grim face at the horrible taste of earthworm.

"But I don't have and I don't like lying either. I just don't want to hurt him."

“Then invite someone! Someone nice," you suggested and already had someone in mind. It worries her that Talbott might have wanted to go to the ball and had no one to go to because the only two students she ever saw him interacting with were Penny and herself. If possible, she wanted everyone to enjoy the ball. "It could be one of our friends."

“Yes. I guess you are right and I think I know who. I just hope he is not going with someone, already. I will send him an owl right away!”

You went to bed feeling quite satisfied with herself.

At the courtyard the next morning everyone was busy, walking here and there with all the work Penny Haywood was putting through into making the Celestial Ball the most marvellous. The corridors were filled with shining silver stars and everywhere, the students, more girls than boys, just talked about the ball. At the girl’s bathroom with Rowan, you brought the ball again with Rowan, she still couldn’t believe her friend didn’t want to go.

“It is not just me and Ben, many people just don’t want to go to this ball either. And it’s too stressful that everyone keeps talking about it.” Rowan said.

“You are looking by the entire wrong perspective. It is not about the ball it’s about enjoying it with the people you like.” You tried to convince her.

“So, you are going to the ball.”

“I would… But I don’t have a date.”

“What about that boy yesterday?” you felt her cheeks becoming red. A blond boy she didn’t know from Gryffindor asked you and you refused. You already had a person you wanted to go with and that was Charlie Weasley. Since the day he defended her from Merula in Care of Magical Creatures they became friends. He has been helping her find the next cursed vault and you didn’t even have to convince him to. But you still didn’t get the nerve to ask him for the ball.

“I rejected him. Well, who cares?” – you lied. You were just too embarrassed to admit there was a person, in particular, you wanted to go with. “Why would I get all dressed up for a stupid tradition anyway.” You added, spiritless.

“Alright, alright... I won’t go anyway. It is not like I even got a dress.” Rowan replied.

“Boo-hoo the poor losers couldn't get anyone to go to this stupid ball.” From one of the toilet cabins, Merula appeared as she was listening to the whole conversation.

“What about you, Merula? Who are you going with?” You asked, ignoring Merula’s antics.

“Humpf! That none of your business, weirdo!” She scoffed and walked away.

Rowan and You looked at each other for a second.

“Who do you think is going to take Merula to the ball?” You asked.

“Maybe she'll go with Barnaby.”

“They are no longer friends as far as I know. Besides, he's already going with that Ravenclaw girl.”

“With Tulip?”

“No. It’s the one with curly hair who is always reading.”

“Nancy Gould? What a surprise. I think I have never seen them talking with each other.”

Rowan liked Nancy since they both loved to read and preferred to spend time alone nurturing their knowledge. Although, Rowan’s interest was more general and Nancy showed a special interest in magical creatures. Maybe she and Barnaby had much in common after all.

“That's what he told me. Anyway, I want to get this story right, let's go to the lake and talk to her.”

You hasn't had a proper conversation with Nancy yet, but someone who is friends with Rowan, Ben and Liz couldn’t possibly be a bad person. Besides, you could use this opportunity. By the lake, they saw Nancy under a tree, drawing the giant squid that was resting at the surface.

“Nancy!” You called.

The girl looked up from her sketchbook, surprised to see the famous curse breaker of her year talking to her. You knew you were well-known at school because of her brother Jacob and the cursed vaults. What you could not imagine is that for good or for bad, you were becoming very popular for you deeds.

Later that morning, Andre got an unexpected invitation to the ball. He still hasn’t said to anyone, but now he was rather curious about who his friends were going with. At the courtyard he found Ben and Charlie playing gobblestones.

“Got any idea who you’re going to ask for the ball?” Andre asked.

As Rowan, Ben didn’t want to go to the ball, but You and Andre made special arrangements to help them with the clothes and now he was excited to go.

“I was too nervous to go before, but now I want to go alone. I’m not brave enough to invite somebody anyway.” Ben replied.

Charlie did not answer. Andre had an idea of whom his friend wanted to go with.

“Well, you better hurry up. I heard she already rejected a boy from our house.”

He wasn’t enthusiastic about the ball but the thought of You going with some other guy made his stomach churn.

“Who are you going with?”

“With Penny.”

Penny was the most popular and one of the most beautiful girls of their year. For sure a bunch of guys would be jealous.

“What? You asked her?”

“No, she asked me this morning. I was surprised too.”

“You were lucky. How am I supposed to ask her? We are friends and I don’t want to make things… awkward.” He could feel his heart racing already. Andre didn’t know what to say because he liked Penny but didn’t feel that way about her. If they asked Penny for advice she would definitely help, but you would know for sure since they are close.

“I don’t know how to help you. I asked Nancy yesterday, but she already had a pair.”

“Oh. She is going with Barnaby.” Ben said while eating a piece of chocolate he got for winning the game.

“Really? He asked her?” Andre was surprised. Nancy was too quiet and he knew she had few friends.

“I don’t know.”

“Now I’m curious. Let's talk to him, then.”

The boys went down the hill and found Barnaby throwing stones at the Fighting Willow.

“Hey, Barnaby. Are you busy?”

“No, just killing time. Need me for something?”

“It’s just… We're having trouble getting the girls to the ball…” Charlie said.

“We are?” Ben asked and Andre nudged his arm.

“So, we wanted to ask you how did you invite Nancy?”

“I don’t know, man. I just asked. She had lost Twiggy last week and I found him. When I returned him to her, I asked if she didn’t want to go with me.”

“Twiggy?”

“It is her bowtruckle. I kept him all day with me until Liz warned me it was hers.”

“We didn’t know you were close. I almost never see her talking with other people.” Andre said.

Barnaby scratched his head and made a confused expression, as he had just now given a deep thought about it.

“I have to admit, I feel sort of weird when I realize this. I mean, I like Nancy. She is easy to talk to and you can she’s pretty smart. She’s always done the demonstration when Professor McGonagall calls on her.” he smiled as he spoke so naively that the boys wondered if this was one of his secrets to attracted so many girls. Also, ‘easy to talk to’ was definitely not the way people usually described Nancy.

“Also, she let me play with Prowler.” He completed.

Prowler is the name of Nancy’s kneazle. Charlie and Andre exchanged funny looks, now they could see where his interest lies.

In the end, he still didn’t know how to get the nerves to invite You. He was getting worried now. If he didn’t do it soon, you will go with somebody else. He’d just have to talk to you, that’s all. He ran through the corridors expecting to find you, but his way was blocked by an unpleasant figure. Merula the bully from Slytherin.

“Looking for someone?” She asked.

“Go away, Merula. I don’t have time for you.”

“Oh, please! For as much as I hate you, I hate Y/S even more. So, I thought about warning you that she just doesn’t care about… what she called? A stupid tradition.”

He looked at her with skeptical eyes.

“… You are making this up.”

“I had just seen her, and she said exactly these words to that bookworm friend of hers. Well, I don’t really care if you believe me or not. But if you are going to invite her, I hope I can be there to see your face after rejection.” She left laughing.

He was never one for trusting Merula, but she managed to completely destroy his confidence.

                                                          ♦ ♦ ♦

As Nancy told them the whole story it was impossible not to giggle when thinking about the number of girls who must have been furious having Barnaby taken away like that.

"Wow. I wish I could just do it easily, like Barnaby." You said.

“You think too much. After that everything you have done, inviting someone to the ball can’t be that scary, right?”

Nancy was a quiet girl, but she talked rather bluntly. And she was right, for the girl who defeated You Know Who - even as a boggart - last year. Asking Charlie should be easy.

“…yeah. You know what? You're right! I know what I'm supposed to do. I’m going to talk to him. I can do that!”

“Ew! What is this? the weirdos club?” It was Merula again.

“You have nothing better to do?” You said. The second time today, she was getting the feeling of persecution right now. “We are just talking about the ball, Merula. Want to join us?”

“Oh, please. I’m just waiting to see the show. The mighty Y/S doesn’t have a pair to the ball.”

“I will have a pair because I will invite the person I want, myself.” You said with her chin raised in confidence.

“You do that. Don’t waste a bit of your time thinking why a certain redhead boy haven’t asked you all this time.”

You were speechless, how did she know that she wanted to go with Charlie? What did Merula know about him that you didn’t? Merula said nothing more and just walked away with a smirk on her face as she just had won a fight.

“Why would she say that?” Rowan asked.

“Why do you think she does anything if not to harass others?” Nancy said that with a serious tone. But she hurriedly stored all her drawing material as if she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Before she goes, she stopped right next to You and spoke to her in a low tone.

“There is something there. Take care, curse-breaker.” She had a discreet smile in the end.

“You think Merula may have planned something?” Rowan asked after Nancy climbed up the hills back to the castle.

“I don’t know. But there's no smoke without fire. I will look for Charlie. We see each other in the common room.”

Determined, you marched off in search of Charlie, ready to confront him.

                                                           ♦ ♦ ♦

“Charlie, why haven’t you invited me for the ball?”

At first, he was taken back for the sudden question. He was so busy thinking about inviting you that he didn’t think you would bring up the subject. Now he didn’t know what to say. The question looked like a minefield, what would be the right answer here?

“I didn’t know you wanted to go.” He said with genuine surprise.

You blinked at him in confusion.

“What? Why? What made you think that?”

“Come on? Really? You said it was a stupid thing.”

By the wide-eyed look on her face, he saw he had just screwed up.

“I can’t believe it! What Merula have told you?”

Judging by her reaction it was true after all. You were about to say that it was a lie, but he said instead.

“I think you were right. Who cares about this tradition anyway?”

You didn’t believe what you were hearing.

“Is that what you think? What is this for you?”

By ‘this’ what you hoped to hear was not just about the ball, but what did he think about their relationship. That he clearly didn’t grasp.

He nervously avoided you gaze and didn’t say anything.

“Answer the question, Charlie.” You demanded in a low tone but commanding voice. This hurtful discussion was taking long enough. He normally likes how you say his name, but you tone this time was a bit scary. He felt cornered.

“Why are you pushing this?”

That was the final blow. You felt this horrible feeling swelling up and the tears forming in her eyes. Since you skin was so pale, every time she cries you nose gets red. You could not see it, but you felt your nose pricking already.

“I thought it had a special motive for you to want to be with me. I guess it was not the case.”

You tried to say in a low and composed voice, but it sounded choked. You cleaned with your palm a single tear that escaped your eye. At this vision of you, his eyes opened wide, and he felt like his heart would stop. He had never seen you cry, not even once since he knew her. Not even when people talked bad things about you or your brother, nor when they went to the Forbidden Forest, not even when you fought your biggest fear last year.

“Wait, it’s not like that-” He grabbed you arm, but you furiously shook it off and turned away from him, walking though.

The next day, Charlie tried to talk to you in all ways he could think of and you clearly avoided him all the times with a furious look on her face. Also, you were never alone, which turned even harder to approach.

“What did you even do to her to get her this mad?” Bill asked after Gryffindor’s practice. It was hard not to notice the tension between them since morning.

“I screwed it up this ball thing. Now I can’t even say I’m sorry, much less invite her.”

“Well, you must try harder, little bro. I heard Y/N was invited by two other guys.”

“What?” Charlie’s face went pale in despair, he almost fell off his broom.

From the other side of the quidditch field, Ben came running towards them and clumsy bumping in a few players along the way. He brought news from you.

“Alright, huh... I talked to Y/N.”

“What Y/N said?”

“... Y/N said that she hates you with the fire of a Chinese Fireball. She also said that is the only way you get it.”

“... Thanks, Ben. That was very comforting,” Charlie said, not masking his ironic tone.

“Maybe Y/N just needs a day to cool off.”

Suddenly a furious bludger came flying over their heads, and they barely dodged.

“Bloody hell!”

From the other side of the field, a Tonks faking an ‘oopsie!’ and an angry you dropping a quidditch bat you used to send that bludger on their direction. You really looked completely like a dragon in fury. The truth is, he thought you were pretty cute when you are mad. He just never noticed before. Well, he had never seen you get that mad.

“… Maybe two,” Bill said.

“Are you kidding?” Charlie had an incredulous look on his face.

“Well, you better hurry. The ball is this weekend.”

Later that night, you went to the dormitories with Rowan, Penny, Chiara, and Tonks discussing the ball. At first, Rowan and Ben didn’t want to go to the ball, but You and Andre made special arrangements to help them with their clothes, and they changed their minds about going.

“And who are you going with, Tonks?”

“Oh, I’m not planning to dance with some boy. Tulip and I made a plan to rock this party. She is the best partner I could have. This ball will be unforgettable.”

“Please, don’t do anything that will ruin my work. Also, the teachers could get angry and you will be in trouble, again.”

“I swear! Nothing bad will befall your party. Just cool stuff.”

“Wait. What is this?” On Chiara’s bed was a cardboard package with a pretty ribbon on it.

“Open it!” The girls said.

Inside there was a beautiful lilac long dress, perfect for a ball.

“There is a letter.” You noticed and passed to Chiara.

It was more like a note, though carefully written. Talbott Winger asked Chiara to the ball. The two of them are strangely alike and like to keep their distance from people, strangely it worked for them with a little help from You and Andre with the idea of the dress. How ironic, you had managed to help your friends go to the ball that you would not be attending herself.

“Are you okay, Y/N?” Penny asked. You were laid on bed looking at the ceiling in silence while the girls were talking for a while now.

“...Oh, I... I will be.”

“You really are not going to the ball?” Penny asked a bit of hurt because the whole reason she wanted to take care of the Celestial Ball was to make it a brilliant experience for her friends.

“Things didn’t go well with Charlie?” Rowan asked.

Everyone looked at you. It was nothing new they weren’t on good terms, but even so, you blushed a little. There were other boys who invited you and you refused them all. That’s because there was only one person you wanted to go with.

“Yes, that’s right.”

The girls made a pitiful face, except for Rowan that walked to the other side of the room to sit together with you on her bed.

“Look. I know that what you said to me in the bathroom was a lie.”

“I’m sorry... I don’t want to spoil your fun at the ball by faking a face.”

“You are always helping us, Y/N. We wouldn’t get any fun at the ball knowing that you are sitting in here.”

You smiled slightly at her comforting words.

“Do you want to go to the ball, don’t you?”

You nodded.

“Then screw those boys and come to the ball with us!” Said Tonks.

“Yes! Come to the ball!” Penny joined.

“That’s right. Thank you, girls.” With their help, you were able to cheer up.

“Then, it’s decided. Let’s go to the ball!”

You got out of bed feeling much better. Even if it was the end of the school’s term there was plenty of homework to do. Most of them from potion’s class. As a diligent student, apart from her troublemaker reputation, you were doing a final review for the Snape's class, not without asking herself every minute why he couldn't be like professor Flitwick. That’s when you received an unexpected visit to your favourite place to study, it was Murphy Mcnully.

“Hey, Y/N! Can I talk with you for a minute?”

Who could have imagined that in the end, you would still get a pair to the ball? Murphy wasn’t the one you wanted, but they were close friends now. They met a lot of now since you joined the quidditch team. Besides, you feared that he wouldn’t stop talking until you said yes. They gathered at the entrance to the main hall. At the centre of the ballroom tons of other students danced livelily. The decoration was wonderful, with a spell the floor was turned into an entire galaxy under their feet. You could really feel what was like floating in a night sky, especially with the flickering shooting stars coming down from the ballroom’s ceiling. The music is pounding in time to your heartbeat. You could feel the bass in her chest.

“Penny did an excellent job!” Tonks appraised. She had to raise her voice to be heard over the sound of the Weird Sisters playing at the stage.

But you couldn’t enjoy any of this. You had barely entered accompanied by Murphy, when Ben came running in their direction, looking quite alarmed.

“Y/N, something happened.”

“What is it, Ben?”

“It is Charlie, he fell from the broom.”

“What?” You felt her heart sank.

“He is at the infirmary.”

You started to go to the infirmary, completely forgetting about the ball, but you turned around at the realization that you were Murphy’s partner and that you couldn't just leave. But her heart aches. You bit your lower lip in distress.

“Aren’t you going?” Ben asked.

You gave a quick look at him and then turned to Murphy. Even if you were mad at Charlie for two weeks, you had a heart-breaking expression.

“It’s okay, Y/N. You can go see him.”

“No, it’s unfair! I said I’d go with you.”

“I will be fine, really. It must be very boring for him to stay there with the ball going on.” He gave her a reassuring smile.

“Don’t you want to go with us?” You asked.

“Nah, I want to enjoy the party.”

“If you say so. Thank you, Murphy.” You smiled at him and followed Ben as fast as she could in those hills and holding up the tips of her long dress. At the infirmary, there was only Bill besides Charlie’s bed. As you walked in, you were quickly noticed. Charlie looked up, showing a surprised expression and Bill followed his gaze. In the end, he got to see Y/N. You were beautifully dressed. You usually had her hair down. But tonight, you wavy brown hair was tied up in a curly hairstyle. You were wearing a multilayered light blue dress with shades of pink and orange at the tip of the skirt it made it look like an evening sky.

“You?”

“How are you feeling?” You asked.

“Much better. Madam Pomfrey already took care of everything.”

“How did that happen?”

Bill took this opportunity to left them alone and dragged Ben out.

“Well. I think I’ve got distracted in our last game.” In fact, it was because he heard you were going to the ball with Murphy Mcnully right before the game, and he couldn’t concentrate. Thinking about it again was still hurtful. What reminds him, what were you doing here all dressed up instead?

“I thought you were going to the ball.”

“I was, but when I heard that you got injured… I was worried.”

“Oh! Even though you threw that bludger merciless on me?”

 “That was different! I knew that you would have dodged it. You are that skilful.” That was the reason why you were so surprised when she heard that he fell. His face became red at the sudden compliment.

“That means you forgive me?” He gazed at you with those dark glittering eyes that make you nervous. You averted your gaze and didn’t answer.

“Y/N/N?” He asked and you turned your gaze back to him. He just gave you a pet name? No one has ever called her Y/N/N before. You could feel your cheeks burning, so you shook her head.

“Look. It is not that I don’t care about the ball. What I care about is being with you.”

His heartbeat staggers. It was all he wanted to hear.

“Listen... I’m really sorry for questing your motives. I just... I was just afraid they weren’t the same as mine...” He said, too embarrassed to keep his gaze on you.

At this sentence, you were filled with a newfound joy. You were blushing hard and your eyes were filled with tears of joy you were trying hard not to cry.

“You got to ruin the party, you stupid.”

Charlie laughed.

“I know. I’m sorry.” Now he was grinning at you, his freckled face illuminated by the light from the bedside table’s single candle. Since it was night, the rest of the infirmary was left in darkness.

[demig00ddess]

Sleeping Beauty

Charlie Weasley x MC

Warning: huge spoilers for Year 6 Chapter 18!

————————————————————

CHAPTER FOUR

THE CONSEQUENCES OF DEATH

    1989.     Middle of the first semester.     The quill in the hands creaked monotonously, writing words on the paper. Professor Binns’ voice and the stifling atmosphere of the office were slowly putting in the trance. Emma bit her cheek more painfully and continued to take notes on the lecture.     Behind the farthest desk, Binns’ rustling voice was hard to hear, so Emma regularly consulted the textbook. Two seats were empty in the first rows. One of them is next to Penny, there was always Rowan. The second — next to Charlie, he occupied it for Emma every lesson. Today Emma quietly slipped into the office just before the start of the lecture so as not to meet with her classmates.     Penny sat down next to Charlie and whispered something in his ear. For some reason, Emma felt as if she had swallowed the bubotuber pus. She shook her head, for sure it seemed to her because of fatigue. She was satisfied with the back seat, but the fact that someone else was sitting in her place next to Charlie was a little annoying. Charlie listened to Penny and nodded absently. He looked around uneasily, trying to see someone or something. Emma was glad that she was safely hidden from the front desks by the backs of her classmates.

    “… delegated authority to Wizn… Wesegn… to Wizengamot.” Emma stubbornly wrote down the professor’s words, despite the fact that her hands were shaking and big blots remained on the parchment.     She felt sleepy, but she could not afford to fall asleep. There was a bright flash of green light in front of closed eyes. The Dreamless Sleep Potion they had been brewing on Potions had run out. The dose from the hospital wing that Madame Pomfrey had advised not to overuse had ended too. But after such a sleep, she got up even more tired.     A flash of green and Rowan’s body falls right in front of her. The friend’s eyes are wide open in surprise, her mouth is slightly open in a silent scream. “Debt collected.” Emma could not bear it, she woke up with a cry and tears in her eyes. The silencing charms she put on her bed every night kept her from waking an already worried Liz. Whatever Merula said, the same charms were imposed on her bed, she could not afford to be considered weak by anyone, not even Izmelda.     Every time Emma closed her eyes, there was a green flash and the body of her best friend fell in front of her. At first, it was only memories of Rowan, but then a deadly beam hit Ben, and he fell dead in front of Emma. Merula died next, then Charlie, Penny, Barnaby, Bill, Tonks. Her friends threw themselves under a killing spell, and she could only watch their lifeless bodies fall to the ground. Emma tried to revive Jae and Badeya, begged Tulip to get up, but they were all dead.     Charlie turned around again and Emma looked away. There was her own cry in her ears when a green beam hit him when the red head hit the ground and her tears fell on the freckles on his still warm face.

    Emma doubled over to stifle the pulling pain and rumbling in her stomach. After eating, she felt sleepy, but she couldn’t sleep. After lights out, she would sit up in the Slytherin common room with her books and send especially curious juniors to the bedrooms.     Most of the teachers averted their eyes from her as if they didn’t want to disturb her. Snape gave her an incomprehensible look as she submitted an essay on the Draught of Living Death a foot longer than he demanded. And Flitwick freed her from homework, after, because of trembling hands, she conjured not a small fountain of water, but a real tsunami, flooding the office.     During the day, Emma wandered and loitered about the castle, avoiding familiar faces. She shunned talking, trying to hide in a niche or take refuge in some class. She felt that some part of her had died and now she could not exist normally. She wandered half-dead.

    An idea came to the head like lightning. Half-dead! Surely! How the thought didn’t occur to her at once. Emma jotted down hastily Binns’ last words.     “Professor! Professor Binns, please wait!” Emma made her way through classmates.     “Um, Underwood? Do you want anything?”     Emma hesitated a little, she didn’t think what exactly she would ask the teacher. The classroom was empty and she finally found the words.     “Professor, I wanted to know about Rowan, Rowan Khanna. She always said that she wanted to be the youngest professor at Hogwarts. Um — Couldn'tshestayherelikeyou?”     “Excuse me?”     “Couldn’t she become a ghost? I mean, you came back to teach students, she could come back too. She would have come up with everything, finish her studies, and then began to teach. I’m sure Professor Dumbledore would have let her! She could have stayed here! Haven’t you… haven’t you seen her?”     Emma blurted it all out in one breath, afraid that the professor would interrupt her. Binns adjusted his glasses and for the first time looked at Emma like that, with the keen, clear gaze that Emma often saw in Dumbledore.     “Miss Khanna was a gifted witch. And for all her love of teaching, she was drawn to explore and learn something new.” Emma stared at the old professor. “So rest assured, Miss Underwood, she went ahead.”     “Went ahead? Where did she go?”     “Unfortunately, I do not possess these facts. But you should know she’s not coming back. I’m sorry, this is a big loss for Hogwarts.” Binn turned and walked through the board.     “For Hogwarts,” Emma repeated. It seemed to her that Rowan had died a second time, again in front of her eyes. She had already seen her friend, ethereal, pearl-silver, but talking to her and laughing. But Rowan went ahead.     Emma stuffed a quill and blob-strewn lecture notes into her bag. She wanted to hide somewhere, in Moaning Myrtle’s toilet or a dark closet. She had no strength to return to the common room.

    At the exit from the class she was caught by someone’s strong hands, Emma jerked sharply, holding a wand to the attacker's neck. She could feel her heart pounding thumping deep in her head. “I have to defend myself.”     “Emma,” Charlie gently moved the trembling wand away from his neck. Emma freed herself from his grasp and dashed down the hallway.     “Emma! I want to talk! Please!”     “Not now, Charlie,” she wanted to hide quickly. Charlie caught up with her and gently turned her around. He didn’t insist but asked. There was not a drop of pity in his bright eyes, they were full of concern. He examined her carefully as if trying to see if she had done something bad to herself.     “You were right,” Emma turned her gaze into his boots. “You better stay away from me. Everyone should stay away from me.”     She turned and walked away. She had already lost one friend and couldn’t bear to lose someone else. Charlie caught up with her again and grabbed her into his arms.     “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I should never have said those words to you. You are my — You’re my best friend and I will be by your side. Whenever you need me, I’ll be there for you.”     Emma shook her head, pulling back.     “Your brothers — ”     “My brothers will support me,” Charlie interrupted her, he was confident in his words. His eyes said that he would not let anyone else hurt her. Emma felt her eyes fill with tears. The students scurried along the corridor and Emma again had a keen desire to hide.     “Come with me,” Charlie whispered in her ear.

    They walked and walked until they came to a sprawling tree near the lake, scaring several of the Hufflepuff freshmen out of there. Charlie hit the ground first, rummaged in his bag, pulled out the sandwiches wrapped in a napkin, and handed it to Emma.     “How long have you not eaten?”     “A couple of days, maybe more,” Emma sat down next to him and sniffed at the sandwiches. “How did you know?”     “Couldn’t find you in the Great Hall.”     Emma took a bite of her sandwich and put it aside, feeling nauseous. Charlie looked at her closely but said nothing. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Emma bit by bit on the sandwich to keep from getting sick.     “I spoke to Nearly Headless Nick. Also asked about… this.”     “What did he say?”     “The same as Binns.”     Emma felt a tear roll down her cheek.     “I saw Rowan’s parents yesterday, they came to pick up her things. I visited them every summer. They loved her so much…”     Emma burst out, talking and talking, ignoring the tears. Charlie just sat there and listened. When Emma finished and exhaled helplessly, he leaned her head on his shoulder and began to speak. He told her stories that he had heard from his mother as a child. He talked about the books he had read. Emma lay on his shoulder and listened, inhaling the scent of grass, honeysuckle, and something else very familiar. She didn’t notice as her eyes began to close, and Charlie’s voice seemed to ring out farther and farther.

    She didn’t get much sleep, Emma woke up from her own scream, she was tossing around, not knowing where she was. She was choking on tears and couldn’t breathe, it seemed that someone had sucked all the air out of her lungs.     “Shh. I’m here, everything is fine,” Charlie’s quiet and soft voice rang out over her ear. He put his arm around Emma, stroking her hair soothingly. She sobbed and grabbed his hand, afraid to let go.     “Do you want me to tell a tale about the fountain of Fair Fortune?” asked Charlie a few minutes later, when Emma calmed down. She nodded.     “Jacob used to tell me this story when I couldn’t sleep.”     “Now you need to sleep too. I’m not such a good storyteller, but I hope you like it. High on a hill in an enchanted garden, enclosed by tall walls and protected by strong magic, flowed the Fountain of Fair Fortune…”

    When Emma woke up, the sun was already setting, she was lying on Charlie’s lap, covered by his jacket. Charlie himself was reading a book, only wearing a sweater. Emma jumped awkwardly and blushed.     “Did you get some sleep?” Charlie pulled out a blade of grass tangled in her hair. The tips of his ears turned pink. Emma nodded in surprise, she slept for hours without nightmares. “You smiled in your sleep. I missed it, your smile I mean.”     Emma flushed and hastily turned away, pretending to straighten her clothes. She vaguely remembered what she had dreamed, but Charlie was definitely there. “Well, he’s your friend, the others must have been in the dream too,” she told herself.

    Charlie had already packed his things, got to his feet and gave her a hand. Emma got up, too, and handed him his jacket.     “Don’t,” Charlie threw the jacket over her shoulders. “You can freeze after sleep.”     “Are we going to the castle yet?” Emma tried to hide the disappointment in her voice.     “We’re in time for dinner. Sit down at the Gryffindor table, okay? You need to eat, and you're boycotting food.” Emma’s stomach purred in agreement. Charlie gave her a bribing look, “Penny also wanted to sit with us while we are allowed.”     “Oh,” at the mention of Penny, appetite disappeared.     “Oh?” Charlie asked. “Did you have a fight?”     “No, I didn’t mean that.” Emma said, not understanding why she was angry at Penny. She always supported Emma and wished only the best for her.     They walked in silence for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Emma broke down.     “You and Penny have become very close, haven’t you?”     “Yes,” Charlie said simply. “Especially recently. We spend a lot of time together.”     “Oh,” Emma said again, and they both fell silent.

    An unpleasant weight filled Emma’s chest, making her difficult to breathe. She noticed this even during their trip to Romania, but then she wasn’t up to it, she was too keen on their adventure. But since… since the moment… Emma couldn’t bring herself to say what had happened even in her thoughts. For the last couple of weeks, Charlie and Penny have hardly ever parted, and for some reason it hurt her.     Emma was happy for her friends, she loved both Penny and Charlie, as friends, of course. And it was great that they got together. Something was still gnawing at her, but Emma brushed the thought away. She didn’t want to be selfish, and even more she didn’t want to interfere with the happiness of her best friends. Especially in these times.

    “Glad for you,” Emma said already at the castle.     “Sorry?” Charlie snapped out of his thoughts.     “I’m glad for you and Penny, that you’re getting close,” she explained, trying to avoid Charlie’s gaze.     “Thank you,” Charlie looked surprised, letting her into the Great Hall.     “I’ll eat at my table,” Emma said sullenly.     “But — ”     “I’ll eat, I promise. I just… want to eat at my usual place. Alone,” she added hastily, noticing that Charlie had something to say. He nodded and gave her a confused smile.     “Then I’ll see you later, right?”     They went in opposite directions, joining their classmates. A few minutes later, Penny entered the Great Hall and went straight to the Gryffindor table. Charlie said something to Penny, who was smiling contentedly. Emma poked at the broccoli with her fork and looked away from the chatting couple.

    After dinner, Emma hurried down to the dungeons, once again avoiding her friends, and began to write an essay on the Orion constellation. It wasn’t until she was getting ready for bed that she realized that she hadn’t given Charlie his jacket back. Already in bed, having applied a silencing charm, Emma picked up the jacket in her hands, pondered for a couple of seconds and wrapped herself in it, curling up on the bed. The familiar smells immediately enveloped her, and she closed her eyes.     “Cinnamon” flashed through her head in the dream. The smell that haunted her for a long time was the light scent of cinnamon. It smelled like that at home when, years ago, her dad made cinnamon rolls, according to grandmother’s recipe. Emma buried her nose in the jacket and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

    It was the second time in two weeks that she had no nightmares.