#She isn't sure how to approach the subject either
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sakuravalenp · 1 year ago
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Ellie(Dani) didn't realize how dangerous Danny's home was for him until he was more worried about her when she got her own home. - Prompt I think(?)
Ellie wasn't sure how to feel when Danny excitedly animated her to accept Arthur's invitation to live in Atlantis.
"Just if you want of course, but you'll get a stable home, and Frostbite said living underwater might be good for your water cores stability."
She had already been planning to accept the offer. Once she gave the guy an opportunity to have some sort of conversation, the guy was pretty chill, and the castle was pretty cool. So yeah, she was going to accept the offer.
But for some reason Danny's eagerness for her to go with Arthur hurt. It felt like he was trying to get rid of her.
She knew that was ridiculous, she didn't even live with Danny. He looked out for her, and was always a call away but, as much as Danny parents her, he was just a child like her. It made sense he was happy to give away the responsibility of taking care of her.
So when Ellie moved into Atlantis, she was expecting to hear less from Danny. After all, she had settle down, and he didn't need to worry about her adventures anymore. That was Arthur's and Mera's job now.
Weirdly enough, it was the complete opposite.
Now that Ellie was living with adults, Danny seemed MORE worried for her. They went from a call once a week or so, to almost daily calls in the afternoons. He would be more insistent about her telling him if anything was wrong.
He would ask specifics about the food she was eating, and her activities of the day, and her room, and the castles security...
Sam had told her that it was because he used to be able to monitor if she was eating well through the transactions of the debit card they had given her. Tuck had told her that he used to evaluate how safe she was through the phones location, and the hotels receipts.
And well, maybe she underestimated how much attention Danny put on her before, but the way the calls went made it seem like he thought she might be in more danger now that she had a stable home.
Which made no sense, because unlike him, she didn't even need to hide her ghostlines. Anything that was out of normal for Atlanteans was excused with meta-abilities, she didn't need to worry about being classified as a non-sentient species.
That was when it caught up to her. Danny was worried now that she was in a stable home because his stable home had always been dangerous for him. It isn't even a think of it being dangerous now that his a ghost, it has been dangerous ever since he was a child. She remembers all of Jazz's rants about how unreliable their parents have always been.
The food has always been contaminated. The security now attacked him directly, but there had always been a possibility of it malfunctioning and hurting the residents. Him and Jazz had always had the responsibilities of not only keeping the house clean, but the lab as well. If she tops it with the house security system attacking him, and his parents been ghost hunters...
Ellie hadn't found it too dangerous back then, Danny mocked Jazz rants with her, and Jack and Maddie were kind when they interacted with her in her human form. The Fentons neglect seemed liberating in comparison to Vlad overly controlling nature. But thinking about it now, after two months living in Atlantis, she doesn't like the picture.
She doesn't like the idea of Danny being somewhere so unsafe, but where would he go? He doesn't have a water core like her, and even if he had gotten sorta used to shapeshifting, he isn't good enough to live in a second form, which isn't recommendable either way. So he wouldn't be able to move underwater with her.
More so, she doubts that Danny would like to leave his Amity, he had taken the sole responsibilities of dealing with the whole humans - ghost conflicts. With the anti-ecto acts, there's no way he would leave the portal unsupervised.
What should she do now? Should she talk with Arthur about it? He said he was part of the heros friend group, what if they already know about the anti-ecto acts and are okay with it? What if they change hoe they act with her when she tells them she isn't actually an atlatean meta?
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jambalaya-enthusiast · 6 months ago
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okay.....inhales...... UNIVERSITY AU!!!!!! Crew members as university professors x student! Reader who has a massive, explosive, crush on them!!!!
💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻
TEACHERS PET— Professor! Crew Members x Student! Reader who has a massive crush on them!
warnings: college! AU, student/teacher relationship dynamics, power dynamics, reader is 18. No NSFW in this one,jimmy being manipulative, the characters being a little inappropriate.
note: y'all want a part 2? I can make one where the reader proposes, and then one with relationship dynamics and how it would play out. angst maybe? Lemme know.
PROF. GRANT CURLY
He would be the professor of data science/and or aerospace engineering, with astrophysics.
Extremely well liked at the University, students and teachers alike look up to him due to his approachable demeanor and calm and respectable nature.
Very responsible as an authoritative figure, in his years of expertise, he's never had a single complaint ever come in from the board or from any student/guardian.
Which is why he basically fell into a dilemma when you one of his top students, started looking at him in a way that he was sure wasn't platonic.
Curly is very strict on keeping his personal and professional life apart.
He tried to convince himself, that it was just a puppy crush and it would soon go away.
But boy oh boy, nothing had prepared him for the day that you snuck into his office in the pretense of asking subject related questions.
He could practically feel your eyes being fixated on him, it didn't help how you were so devastatingly attractive either.
He doesn't wanna risk his career, and your educational prowess.
But God, He doesn't know how he's going to handle this predicament he's gotten himself into.
PROF. JIMMY ZARE
Oh boy. Oh dear.
He's a Psychology Professor fasho.
You've chosen the wrong older man to fall in love, this guy is literally the man LDR sings about.
Sure, he was probably the strictest and sternest professor on campus grounds, but he was also... The sexiest one, and he didn't even hide the fact that he didn't know how many young adults in the institution were practically drooling over him. His rough stud persona.
He never paid them any attention, sure he dropped in flirty smiles and winks every now and then to get the girls weak in their knees, but that all stopped when he laid his eyes on you.
you were this young, bright, cheery and oh so beautiful student, who happened to look at him in a way which he wasn't unfamiliar with.
He knew you were falling, hard.
Normally, he would of just ignored your desperate attempts at getting to know him, telling you off or extreme case just sleep with you to fulfill your desires of extra credits.
But no, you weren't looking at him entirely for lust, oh no no no.
He recognised that you were madly, deeply, in love.
And to him, you just seemed so tempting.
Like an angel whose wings he had to rip apart, a beautiful doll whose innocence he had to taint.
And he isn't quite sure if he's going to pass out on the opportunity.
PROF. ANYA MARINOVA
Psychology/Biology professor.
Extremely sweet, yet extremely stern, like curly, she prefers to keep her work and professional life separate.
She understands body language really well, so she was quick to catch onto your lingering eyes on her.
She acknowledges the fact that having romantic feelings for an authoritative figure is completely normal and part of a normal human psyche.
What she doesn't,is to act upon those feelings.
When she noticed you staying back during classes
She tries to play it coy, not giving you any attention.
But at one point, she begins to question even her morals.
Maybe it's not too bad? Time will tell.
PROF. SWANSEA HAROLD
Definitely the professor of Mechanical Engineering/Computer Engineering.
The typical no-nonsense straight to the point type professor.
Is extremely stern, hence is quite unpopular with the students.
It's a good day if he even acknowledged your existence, let alone engaging in a conversation.
He is quick to call out mistakes, hence if you wanna stand out you have to be a very good student who doesn't make any trouble or aren't inattentive.
He appreciates the students who actually take interest in the material rather than just mug everything up for passing.
But he isn't dumb, he's had his fair share of students crushing on him during his first years on the job.
He knows when a student starts paying too much attention to the guy teaching a boring ass physics formula.
He knows better than to indulge in their fantasies, to give them the delusional idea that something might be possible between the two of you.
But you caught his attention not just for your looks, okay maybe a little bit for your looks. but he'd also noticed how diligent you were as a student.
He's starting to question maybe it won't be too bad, it's been a while since he had some game. and you're both adults, so it should be fine right?
GUEST PROF. DAISUKE JUANEZ
Bro stormed through school and managed to bag the position as a guest lecturer at your college for a mechanical engineering course.
Since he's literally so unbelievably young, he has fangirls and fanboys left and right, and he knows it, he isn't dense.
But he promised himself he won't date any students since he thought they would only see him as a fantasy not someone to genuinely love.
But that was until you came into the picture.
He felt something the moment you locked eyes with him, he saw something in those eyes of yours, staring at him so dreamily.
He knows he's young, and he knows that you're as well, but he also knows that anything inappropriate between the two of you could result in him losing his job and risking even your future.
But he knows how to keep a secret, maybe you can as well?
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bet-on-me-13 · 2 years ago
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Ellie wasn't born a Halfa
So! Jason just found something weird. Or rather. Someone.
A little girl, no more than 6 or 7, crying behind a dumpster in an alleyway. Now, as unfortunate as it is, this isn't that strange a sight in Gotham. Kids are always running away from home, getting lost, being left homeless after a mugging gone wrong, but this time was different.
Because the kid was glowing.
When he found her hiding behind the Dumpster, a medical gown being the only thing she had to protect herself from thr frigid Gotham Winter, he didn't hesitate to give her his Jacket and take her to his nearest safe house.
(Actually it took a little while to convince her to accept the Jacket, and even longer to get her to agree to being taken to his safe house, but they got there in the end.)
When he had finally gotten her set up in a side room of the Warehouse, with the most comfortable bed and thickest Blankets he could find, he tried asking what had happened.
"Daddy lied." She said. "He said he loved me, but then he made another kid and said he didn't care about me."
And, once again, it was unfortunately not that uncommon to see runaway kids from neglectful homes, but the way she said it raised some flags in his head.
"...and, how did you end up in Gotham?"
"I ran. He said I was a spare, and that scared me."
Well, that was even more horrible than he had anticipated. What kind of monster tells their kid that they're a spare?!
"And, I'm sorry if this is a touchy subject but why are you glowing?"
She just buried her face in the Blankets and shook her head.
"Alright then, that's fine. You can tell me when you're ready, or even not tell me at all, I'll accept either or".
For the next few weeks, Jason juggled running his newly created criminal empire and raking care of the kid. He still hadn't gotten a name out of her, but she said to call her "Dp" instead. 'It's the best I'm gonna get', he thought.
It was only after a few more weeks, right before he was about to begin his Plan of confronting Bruce about the Joker still being alive, that she approached him and agreed to tell him everything. He was actually really glad that she finally seemed to trust him enough to tell him.
"Okay Dp, you can start wherever you want."
"...well, I guess I should start with my name..." She started, "...or rather, my lack of one..."
"What?" Asked Jason in a soft voice.
"I, I don't have a name." She explained, "Daddy never gave me one. He just called me DP-2."
"...what do you mean by two?" Asked Jason.
"It-It's my Experiment Number." She said, stuttering a little, "I'm not a normal person, I'm a Clone. I was made to be daddy's perfect child, but I was just the test run. He said that I wasn't needed after he made DP-3, and that all I was good for was spare parts."
Jason felt his throat dry up. Dp was a Clone? Of who? Who made her? What right did that guy have to reject her?! Who in their right mind would make a Clone and then reject the Clone?! How dare he!
The Pits perked up
He felt the Pits rising a little, but managed to push them down. Dp needed support, not the Pits.
"It's Okay kid." He said, holding her had reassuringly. "It's perfectly okay to be different. I accept you as you are, and I'm sure as hell not gonna abandon you that easily. Or, ever really. You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not."
She giggled, and hugged him. A thoughtful look crossed her face, and she pulled away.
"There is one other thing...you know how I glow sometimes?" She asked.
The Pits felt a sense of dread
Jason felt like he wasn't going to like this. "Yeah?"
"Well, when I said I was meant to be a Clone, I never mentioned who of." She explained slowly. "He's a kid named Danny, and when he was 14, he had an accident where he died and came back as a Half Undead."
No...
Jason really wasn't liking where this was going.
"When Da-Vlad tried to make me, he realized that those powers couldn't be cloned..." She paused here, seemingly gathering the courage to continue. "...they needed to be added afterwards."
NO.
He didn't. He had better not have, for his own Fucking Sake, he had better not have done what Jason thinks he did.
"So one day, he took he down to the Lab, and he put me in a big machine." He voice broke a little. "He locked me in there, and then I think...that I died..."
...
For once, Jason felt completely in tune with the Pits. He was going to Kill that guy.
...
Sorry if this feels a little rushed, I kept going back to add or change parts of it.
Basically, Vlad realized that you can't Clone a Halfa. So, he made a workaround. He just stuck his first Viable Clone into a Portal, and let the machine Kill her. When he realized that it worked, he knew he had no use for Ellie anymore aside from spare parts.
And he told her as much, Vlad is a fucking asshole.
Ellie, of course, got scared and ran away. She ended up in Gotham, and was adopted by Jason right at the start of his Criminal Career.
When Jason finally hears about the rest of his kids' Backstory, he decides that Batman can wait his turn. He needs to go Kill that Vlad Bastard.
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shanastoryteller · 4 months ago
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Feliz San Valentín!!! 💖💖💖 May I have some more time travel JC? Maybe about his relationship with the Nie brothers? I'm obsessed, THANK YOU
a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Nie Mingjue doesn't have anything against Wei Cheng.
He's not nice, exactly, or soft. Or demure or conciliatory or amenable or any of the thousand different ways there are to describe someone who couldn't out stubborn a mule. Which means he really shouldn't be any sort of acceptable spouse to a sect leader.
Father's marriage to his mother had been arranged. He has dim memories of the woman who raised them, but in all of them she's soft. A strong cultivator, of course, with enough skill with a saber to make her a suitable wife, but by all accounts her personality hadn't matched her sword style. Huaisang's mother was the same, with a warm and courteous relationship with Father and nothing more. He'd liked her. She'd been kind towards him, treating him as her own, but that had just made it worse.
When she'd fallen ill and died, he'd just lost a mother for a second time, and it didn't even feel fair for him to be as gutted as he was, not with Huaisang sobbing into his side. She hadn't even been his mother. Even though he had more and clearer memories of her taking care of him than he had of his own mother, which felt like one more betrayal.
Wei Cheng isn't anyone's mother.
He's arrogant and irreverant and he's raised an arrogant and irreverant son. Wei Wuxian is even more prone to trouble than Huaisang, and it's not like Nie Mingjue can just leave him to it anymore than he can Huaisang, so he ends up in trouble too, getting chased through the woods and hiding from angry stall owners and giving the slip to his own disciples because Wei Wuxian cheerfully taking his punishments is even more annoying than how Huaisang whines through them and -
"Hiding from your brother?"
He looks up, startled, and sees Wei Cheng standing next to him. He hadn't noticed him approaching. He hadn't even known that Wei Cheng knew where this place was, but he suppose he can't be too surprised. He does have a habit of sticking his nose into everything.
"No," he says immediately, then cringes. "A little."
He really doesn't want to hear him talk about birds again. He wishes Wei Wuxian would stop catching them for Huaisang. What kind of respectable cultivator collects birds?
Wei Cheng's face goes fond and wistful and a little sad. He forgets, sometimes, that Wei Cheng isn't really Wei Wuxian's father, that he's his uncle, or something. Was Wei Changze his younger brother? Nie Mingjue thinks of something happening to Huaisang or Wei Wuxian when he's not there to protect them and it makes his heartrate pick up. It's terrible, for Wei Cheng to lose his brother like that, and he hadn't meant to remind him of it. Nie Mingjue wants to change the subject but doesn't know what to say. "Um. Did you need something?"
"Hm?" His eyes clear. "Oh, yeah. Your father's looking for you."
Nie Mingjue can't hold back a sigh. He just wants a couple hours without someone needing something from him.
Wei Cheng doesn't scold him. Instead his lips twitch and he says, "Forget it. He can talk to you later. Don't stay out past dinner."
He startles. "Are you sure? Won't he be mad?"
Father doesn't get mad often. But he does expect to be obeyed.
Wei Cheng rolls his eyes. "If he does, it'll be at me. He can yell at me if he wants."
Father doesn't really yell. But he and Wei Cheng do fight a lot.
"Thanks," he says, relaxing. That's another difference. Neither his mother nor Huaisang's would have ever directly gone against his father, not even on something this small. It just wasn't their place. It's not Wei Cheng's either, but it seems like no one's told him that. If Father didn't want Wei Cheng taking liberties, he shouldn't have offered him so many.
Wei Cheng reaches out, squeezing his shoulder, hand broad and warm and reassuring. "Don't worry about it. Stay out of trouble."
There's a teasing lilt to the last part, because it's always Huaisang and Wuxian getting him in trouble, but that just makes Nie Mingjue laugh, sharp an unexpected.
Wei Cheng is nothing like his father is supposed to want.
But he's not so bad.
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aperrywilliams · 1 year ago
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I'm Sorry I Couldn't be Here for You Sooner (Spencer Reid x Fem!BAU!Reader)
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Author Masterlist
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Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!BAU!Reader.
Summary: You have one of the worst days in a long time at work. When Spencer returns from an assignment to the BAU and sees your current state, he must do something.
Word Count: 2.8k
Warnings: Frustration/Hurt/Comfort. Just a self-indulgent rant. A lot of cuss words. Spencer is the best boyfriend in the world.
A/N: I just need Spencer to hold me now.
-----
The clock ticks and ticks, but the time seems to stand still. Even if you don't know how long you have been looking at that piece of wood, plastic, and metal, it feels like an eternity.
In the distance, a voice keeps throwing out words and sentences to which you should pay attention. However, even if you tried, looking at the clock on the wall is still more interesting than hearing Hotch talking about new protocols for field agents.
Still lost in your head, you don't notice the meeting is over and people are starting to leave the room. Only when someone squeezes your forearm. It's JJ.
"Are you okay?" she asks, eyebrows furrowed. You look at her and blink a few times.
"Uh- yeah," you mumble. 
Are you okay? No, you're not. But why bother others with that?
On second thought, this may be a chance to spill what's on your mind. JJ is usually a forthcoming and wise person. 
"Well, actually-" you begin, but before saying anything else, JJ cuts you off.
"That's nice. Because I want to ask you if you can babysit Henry tomorrow night. Will invited me to a romantic dinner, and our babysitter is sick. Hope it doesn't make much trouble to you?" the blonde probes.
Okay, you didn't expect that.
Not in the mood to turn the subject back to you, you say yes, and after thanking you, JJ quickly leaves the conference room. Alone with your thoughts for a few seconds, you wonder if the tightness in your chest isn't an exaggeration. You decide to forget about it and go back to your desk.
Opening a folder with the information on the last case, you are ready to write your report. But not too so far on it, Emily approaches you.
"Hey, how are you?"
You have doubts about how to answer the question. A few minutes ago, when JJ asked, you lied to her, and she didn't even notice. Maybe it's good to be honest.
"Actually, not so good," you sigh. And Emily raises an eyebrow. 
"Yeah? What happened?"
"I just don't know, I don't feel good," you try to explain. But you're not sure how to do it either.
"I'm sure it's something you can manage," Emily muses. "Look, whatever it is, have a drink when you get home today, relax a little, and I bet you'll be as good as new tomorrow!"
You open and close your mouth several times, trying to get a word out, but nothing comes to mind. 
A drink and relax? Is that simple?
You let out a hum, and that's enough for a response to Emily.
After wishing you good luck, she heads down the hallway, presumably to Garcia's office.
It's clear that Emily didn't grasp your actual emotional state, but you don't blame her either.
The last case was hard for everyone, so there is no reason to take it personally.
Focusing on your report again, you expect the sour mood surrounding you to fade eventually.
To finish your paperwork, you need to make copies of the reports. So you get up and head to the copy machine. After carefully placing the papers in the tray, you press the start button. When you think it will start copying, the machine stops mid-scan. You frown, and after a few seconds of nothing, you press the 'start' button again. Nothing. You do it again. And again. It's not working, and you feel your blood running hot.
By pressing the button again and again, anger comes.
"What the fuck is wrong with you stupid fucking machine!"
It's not enough to swat with force the button panel; now you're kicking the machine out of pent-up frustration.
"Whoa, whoa, stop right there, pretty girl."
Morgan steps between you and the machine, putting distance with his palms. And that's when you realize your outburst. Panting and still with the heat of rage on your cheeks, you are not yet satisfied.
"What the fuck, Morgan. Now you're defending a fucking copy machine?!" You hiss. Derek narrows his eyes to assess your current state. He's seen you mad, but it usually goes away easily. You are not a dense person.
"Okay, what's wrong, pretty girl? Since when do you unleash your frustration with pretty boy on inanimate things?"
Pretty boy. Spencer. Your boyfriend. Today, your boyfriend is conducting a cognitive interview with a convict in a DC jail—Hotch's orders. You wish he were here.
Morgan knows you usually laugh at his jokes, and even when you are in a bad temper, they help to light the mood.
Not this time, though.
"Don't talk about Spencer or me like that!" You snarl. "He doesn't have to do with any of this!"
Morgan doesn't like you are talking to him. Folding his arms over his chest, he let out an unamused scoff.
"Come on, don't you think you're overreacting here? Was this whole outburst only for a joke? What, are you four years old?"
You want to keep yelling, but a lump forms in your throat that is making it difficult for you to speak or even breathe. Morgan doesn't even wait for you to say something.
"You know what?" Morgan continues. "If you cannot stand the pressure of this job right now, maybe you should go home."
With that said and shaking his head in disappointment, Dereks leaves you there.
Stumped. Frustrated. Broken.
All the anger from moments before turns into an almost uncontrollable urge to cry. What have you done to these people? They are supposed to be your friends, your family. They are supposed to understand you and support you when you need them. And now that it's the time, they've only ignored you, minimized your problems, and even questioned your worth. Maybe Derek is right, and you should go home.
Defeated, you're strolling to your desk when Hotch peaks out of his office and gestures you to come.
Great, just what you needed now.
When you walk into your boss's office, he is already sitting in his chair, sternly looking at you.
"I won't ask you what's wrong with you today because it's your private life. However, I must remind you we are all professionals on this team. If you need time off, you have the right to get it, but I will not tolerate disrespect, like when you are distracted as I give fundamental instructions. If you don't pay attention, it could affect your work in the field and even put the lives of innocent people at risk."
If you didn't feel trampled before, now you feel like a ton of dirt was dumped on you.
You know Hotch can be sharp with words, but his ultimate goal is always to look after the team. But why does it feel like you're not part of that team right now?
"Do I make myself clear?"
With no more energy left in your body, you just let out a 'yes, sir.' Without waiting for another response, he sends you back to your desk.
It's already noon when you resume your work. Your mind spins at a mile an hour, and although it's hard, you force yourself to concentrate enough to get your job done, so at least the salary they pay you is worth it. 
Like a mollusk in its shell, you close yourself in that bubble and stop paying attention to your surroundings. It's your safe place—only you. 
In the distance, you feel your coworkers come and go. Never do you look up. Time goes by, and your throat feels dry from not speaking for hours.
Before everyone starts planning lunch, you are already picking up your lunch bag.
Social interaction is out of the table, so you are secluded in the building roof where an improvisated garden has benches. You sit alone, and the breeze helps to steady your breathing. As you open your Tupperware, you tentatively plunge the fork into the almost-cold pasta.
Even so, you're better here than in the bullpen minutes ago.
-----
Spencer walks through the doors of the BAU. It's 2 in the afternoon, so hopefully, the team is still having lunch in the conference room. Slightly worried that he wouldn't be able to reach you when he wanted to let you know he was on his way, he assumed that you had a lot of work and that your phone was mute.
Arriving at the conference room, Spencer scans the place and immediately catches something odd. You are not there. JJ, Prentiss, Morgan, Rossi, and Hotch are, though.
With an eyebrow furrowed, he asks, "Where is she?"
His teammates perk their heads up.
"Hello to you, pretty boy," Morgan teases.
"How was the interview?" JJ asks.
"Did you eat? You still can sit with us," Prentiss offers.
"Did you get the interview done?" Hotch asks with a raised eyebrow.
Spencer gets an uneasy feeling about what's going on. He knows you weren't feeling so okay this morning, and even if he tried to convince you to take a sick day, you didn't let him.
"Neither of you responded my question," Spencer points, voice harsher than when he asked first.
"(Y/N)? I thought she went home," Morgan muses.
"Why would she do that?" Spencer questions, alarmed. "Something bad happened?"
"She said she was okay when I asked earlier," JJ explains. "Maybe she has an errand to do."
"She was way distracted when we were at the meeting in the morning. She didn't listen a thing of what I said," Hotch adds.
"And you sent her home?" Spencer directs his question to Hotch.
"No, I didn't. She didn't ask it either when I called her to my office."
"You called her to your office? Did you reprimand her?" Spencer asks in disbelief.
"Of course, I did it, Reid. She did something disrespectful to the team," Hotch defends.
"And considering her rage moment directed to the copy machine, maybe it's better if she went home," Morgan supplies.
"Why are you being so dramatic, Reid?" Emily questions, very confused about why Spencer is so upset.
Spencer huffs, frustration running in his veins.
"Are you fucking kidding me right now? Did you ever realize she wasn't doing okay and nobody took her seriously? Yeah, sure, she said she was okay, but did you really check on her? Did you really ask her what was wrong? Did someone listen to her?"
The people in the room go silent after Spencer scolds them. 
Did they help in any way?
"You are unbelievable, and you call yourself profilers," Spencer huffs, turning to exit the room in search of you.
"What are you doing, Reid?" Hotch asks. No turning around to face his boss, and halfway out, Spencer replies.
"The thing you should have done in the first place. And I don't care if it doesn't fall protocol, I can give you my resignation letter tomorrow."
-----
When Spencer reaches the building roof and sees you sitting on one of the benches, he lets out a sigh of relief. He suspected you might be there, considering your things were still on your desk.
You can't see it since your back is turned. Your eyes look at the horizon without focusing on anything in particular.
The breeze is nice despite the November weather in Virginia.
Not wanting to scare you, Spencer slowly approaches you as he clears his throat. You turn around and see him standing a couple of meters away from you, but close enough to see your eyes red from crying.
You know he noticed it, and you avert his gaze.
You don't like the idea of ​​looking vulnerable right now. The morning was already catastrophic enough to explain your current state of mind to Spencer.
Spencer is a man of many words. He is known for his diatribes on any topic at hand. So you expect some kind of rant or even some statistical data about what could be happening to you.
But contradicting his very nature, he just silently approaches, takes your hand to get you up from the bench, and pulls you into a tight, comforting embrace.
And for the first time all day, you feel like you can actually breathe, and your chest isn't tight anymore. Words are not necessary; just being held like that is enough for now.
Spencer kisses the top of your head lovingly.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be here for you sooner. I'm sorry you had such a horrible morning," your boyfriend laments.
You shake your head, still buried in his chest.
Tears fight to come out from the corners of your eyes, and you no longer want to hold them back.
"Let it out, baby. Just let them out."
And that's what you do. For the first time all day, you allow yourself to cry without holding back. Spencer has you the entire time, rubbing your back soothingly.
"I don't know why I feel so bad, Spencer. I don't understand," you muffle your words into his embrace.
"It's okay, love. You don't have to explain to me, or anyone for that matter. There are days when we are not okay, and it's completely valid. Never think you don't have the right to."
Hearing Spencer say that relieves some of the pressure on your head, but you can't help but think about your teammates' words throughout the morning.
Separating yourself from Spencer to look at him, your eyes still denote your inner struggle.
"What if they are right? What if they are right when they say I shouldn't make so much fuzz and rather think about doing my job well?"
Spencer cups your cheeks so you can look at him.
"They are not. Okay? By any means, you are the most professional person I have ever met in my life. Not only that, you are also the most compassionate, selfless, and willing to help to the fullest extent of your capacity. Does JJ need help babysitting Henry? You don't think twice. Does García need assistance organizing a girls' night? You are the first one to be there. Does Hotch need to finish a stack of reports in one night? You offer to help him. Does Derek need a backup to kick his way into a place and catch the unsub? You're the first to watch his back."
You are indeed like that, and you do all that. But you've never seen it as something extraordinary. For you, being part of a team and a family means all that and more.
"And that doesn't even scratch the surface of what you have been to me.
My love, you have been the person who has entitled me to open my heart and love without reservation. You have taught me to trust and that asking for help when you feel bad is okay. You are the light of my life, and I swear I'll do everything in my power so you can see the wonderful person you are and that you deserve all the love and support in the world."
Without a doubt, Spencer has something with his words and eloquence. How can you not believe him? The veil of doubt indeed emerges from time to time, but having someone who is by your side showing you what is really important makes the doubts not cloud your path.
A shy smile appears on your face, your eyes filled with gratitude.
"There she is," Spencer whispers, stroking your cheek with love and never breaking eye contact.
"Maybe I should have listened to you this morning and called in sick," you sigh. Spencer kisses the top of your nose.
"I know you weren't going to do it anyway." 
You giggle because he's right. Spencer knows you too well.
"Lunchtime is almost over. We should come back to work," you remind him. Spencer pulls a face, and you raise an eyebrow at him. "What was that?" You inquire.
Spencer laughs nervously. "It's just I may or may not have made a scene in the conference room earlier, and I may or may not have offered my letter of resignation to Hotch if he didn't allow me to come find you."
"You did what? Spencer, oh my God!" you start laughing. "Does that mean there's a chance we'll both get fired today?"
Spencer thinks about that for a second.
"Honestly? I don't think Hotch would risk losing his two best agents," he decides, winking at you.
"Hope you're right, Dr. Reid. Hope you're right," you voice, grabbing his hand in yours and making the way back to the sixth floor.
------------------
Spencer Reid's Taglist: @dreatine @nomajdetective @jayyeahthatsme @rosalinasam2 @averyhotchner @lovelyxtom @princessmiaelicia @pastelbabygirl19 @reidsbookclub @alexxavicry @gspenc @spencerreidisbae123 @calmspencer @pauline5525mgg @anamiad00msday @milivanili99 @laylasbunbunny @leahblackk @miaxx03 @missabsey @taintedstranger @khxna @hiireadstuff @pleasantwitchgarden @dysphoricsanity @levi-of-starz @themoonchildwhofell @silver138 @lovelybaka @shinytinywhispers 
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808airsoftbros · 2 years ago
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Who's the Bustiest? (Female Idols) (BXG) (S)
Author: This is an idea that I got from Discord and came up with this. Hope you enjoy it and if you want to check out my Masterlist for more fics :)
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Y/N's POV
It was my first day of college, I was quite excited as I'd get the opportunity to learn new things, make new friends, and perhaps find love.
But I knew that was all delusional love stories that you see in web dramas although they are entertaining to watch after school.
Anyway, I was on my way to my first class, that was until I heard the loud sounds of footsteps approaching me and I turned around and saw a woman running towards me.
"What the-" I was about to say but it was too late as the girl ran into me.
What was worse was that she was holding a cup of cappuccino and it spilled all over my new Addidas jacket which isn't cheap.
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" The girl apologized and rushed to get some tissues from her bag.
"Aish... It's okay... Are you hurt?" I checked and she shook her head.
"N-No, but thank you for asking," She answered.
"Oh my Lord, Unnie are you okay?!" Another girl approached and she nodded.
"I-I'm fine, it's my fault! I wasn't looking!" She said and she sighed.
Though my jacket was soaked and stained with coffee, my shirt escaped without a drip of coffee so at least I didn't need to change clothes right now.
"We're so sorry about this, Jisun-Unnie here can be a bit clumsy sometimes, I am Natty, second-year," She introduced herself.
"Oh, I'm Y/N, first year," I replied and she nodded.
"Ah, so you're a freshman, well in that case, welcome to our school," She said and I thanked her.
Taking off my jacket soaked, I tried to squeeze as much coffee out as possible. I was planning to quickly make a run to the dry cleaners on campus but Jisun-Noona and Natty-Noona insisted on cleaning it themselves seeing it was Jisun-Nonna's fault.
At first, I was reluctant to do so as I didn't fully trust them despite them being my sunbaenims but you cannot be too safe.
"It's okay, Y/N, your jacket will be safe with us. Here, I'll give you our numbers as insurance, and I'll text you when it's ready," She suggested and I nodded.
"Sounds fair," I agreed and opened my phone app.
Adding them to my contacts, I thanked them as I handed over my jacket to them, and we went seperate ways to go to our classes.
Heading to my first subject, math, I was greeted by the professor and I greeted her back before taking my seat.
After about ten minutes, the lecture started, and the professor wasted no time getting into the intro to Calculus. Being a math nerd, the lesson wasn't hard and I was able to easily figure it out.
Working on a problem, I felt someone poking my shoulder and I looked to see a beautiful and busty girl poking me to get my attention.
"H-Hey, do you mind helping me with this?" She shyly asked and I nodded.
"Yeah, no prob," I answered and she smiled.
"Thank you! I'm Lee Saerom, second-year, and what about you?" She kindly asked and I introduced myself.
Helping her with the problem, she was amazed at how easily I was able to solve it and I showed her step-by-step on how to solve the formula and find the proper solution.
Most of it was basic Algebra which she wasn't too half bad on but still could use more work if she wants to succeed in the class.
"T-Thank you but I could use your help in the future. Do you mind if we exchange numbers?" She asked and I agreed.
"Sure, why not?" I answered and I input my number.
Adding her to my contacts, I felt lucky at how I managed to get three girl's number... Even though I'm not going out with either of them. Hehe.
After class, was over, the rest of my three classes were uneventful as the professors were introducing their first lessons and shit.
With my day of college over for today, I got a text from Natty saying that my jacket is now ready for pick up and uploaded a photo.
I was shocked at how cleaned it looked as if it just came out of the production line.
I texted Natty that I'd meet her at whatever nearby location, and she texted suggesting to meet her at her dormitory.
"Okay, come to Dorm 321,"
Giving her a thumbs up emoji, I put my phone away in my pocket, and I looked to see three other hot woman coming my way and they do not look happy.
"You! Punk!" One of them pointed at me.
"Me?" I asked and she marched toward me before harshly grabbing my collar.
"Did you hit our friend?!" She angrily asked and I was fucking confused.
"W-What are you talking about?!" I nervously asked as I have no idea what they're accusing me of.
"Liar!" The other woman who also have huge boobs said and I gulped.
It didn't take long for them to beat the shit out of me and I was totally helpless. My arms and legs were sore, and I was left with a black eye.
Fucking hell, what is their damn problem?! I should report them to the police for assault!
Whatever, the police wouldn't believe that a man was beaten up by three busty women so I took a deep breath and decided to let the whole transgression slide.
Despite being injured a bit, I make my way to my Noona's dorm as instructed. Each step I took stung the living shit out of me but I kept going.
"Jeez, this is not how I imagined my first day of college..." I muttered as I painfully make my way into the elevator.
Once the elevator reached the third floor, I got some stares from other students but I ignored them.
Finally arriving at Dorm 312, I didn't see any doorbell so I texted Natty that I'd arrived and she said she'd be there in a few minutes.
Thankfully, I didn't have to wait too long as Natty opened the door with my freshly cleaned jacket in hand and she was horrified to see bruises and scars all over my body and uniform.
"My God! What the hell happened to you?! Did you get into a fight?!" She frantically asked and I shook my head.
"I fell," I lied and she sighed.
"Come on, I'll treat your wounds," She said before stepping aside.
"No! No! It's fine, I'll just go to the nurse's office," I declined but she didn't take "No" as an answer.
Dragging me inside of her dorm making me hiss in pain and she apologized. She helps me take off my shoes and bag before guiding me to the couch to lay down.
"Wait here! I'll get some medicine!" She instructed and I nodded.
Going up the stairs, I take out my phone go through Instagram and watched a few Youtube reels to pass the time.
"The fuck?! Why are you in our dorm?!" I heard a dreaded familiar voice and I looked to see the same girl that jumped me.
"N-Natty dragged me in here!" I pleaded and she scoffed.
"Unlikely story, I guess I need to teach you another lesson!" She said before cracking her knuckles.
Right when she was about to punch me in the gut, she was held back by Jisun and she gave her a confused look.
"J-Jisun, what are you doing?! This psycho is in our house!" She said but she shook her head.
"No, Unnie! He is our friend! He's the one I spilled coffee on!" Jisun explained and her eyes widened in horror.
"O-Oh my... I-I am so so sorry! We completely misunderstood! We thought you tried to kidnap her!" She frantically apologized and I chuckled.
"I-It's okay, Noona, I understand you wanted to protect your friend," I forgave her and she sighed in relief.
"Okay, now that's settled, I am Kim Sejeong and I guess you've already met Jisun. The two others are Kwun Eunbi and Park Jihyo, we are third-year students," She introduced herself.
Coming down the stairs, Natty comes to treat my wounds but we keep our conversation secret so as to not start any conflicts.
"Sorry, Y/N but this might sting a little," She warned before applying the alcohol wipes and I hissed.
"Damn, that's strong..." I muttered.
Finishing up bandaging my arm, it was clear she was a nursing student as she did it professionally and I kinda blushed as her boobs were pressing against my shoulder.
"Alright your right arm should be good, now can you please remove your shirt?" She asked and I blushed.
"U-Uhm, what?" I stuttered and she giggled.
"It's okay, I'm not going to make fun of you," She assured.
"Yeah, it's not like anything we haven't seen before," Eunbi said before sipping a cup of tea.
Reluctantly taking off shirt, Natty goes on to treat the bruises on my chest and stomach.
"Damn, you really did a number on yourself, huh?" She asked and I slowly nodded.
"Haha, yeah..." I replied.
Bandaging and applying cream on my bruises and injuries, I had to remain shirtless for the rest of the day.
After more than an hour, Natty finishes up treating my wounds and I thanked her for her help.
"Don't mention it. You mind as well stay here for the night, besides you can't really move around too much. If you need to use the bathroom or shower, just let me know," She instructed and sighed imagining Natty holding my cock while taking a piss.
"Oh, and don't worry, I had to handle plenty of old man dicks in my nursing school," She assured before winking and I gulped.
"Or maybe I can help you~!" Jihyo flirted and I blushed like a tomato making Natty playfully roll her eyes.
"Oh, Jihyo-Unnie, can you please not? You're going to make the poor kid pass out!" She jokingly said and she laughed her ass off.
Opening the door, I was surprised to see Saerom coming inside and she was just as surprised to see me in the dorm.
"Y/N, what are you doing here? And why are you shirtless....?" She asked and Natty rose an eyebrow.
"You two know each other?" She curiously asked and I shyly nodded.
"We have the same calculus class," I answered and she nodded.
"I see, well, no need for introductions then," She mentioned until we heard someone clearing their throat and we turned to see a big curvy ass woman coming down the stairs and staring down at me.
"Now. Now. What do we have here? Natty what have you brought here?" The woman asked.
"Oh, Unnie, this is Y/N, freshmen, I treated his wounds so he needs to stay in our dorm for the night," She explained.
"Well, Y/N, I am Lee Chaerin the eldest of the group but you may call me CL-Noona if that's easier for you. I'll tolerate your presence here for now but by morning you must leave. Understood?" She asked and I frantically nodded.
"Awww~. Unnie, but I want to play with him~!" Sejeong complained and she rolled her eyes.
"Like how you do with every guy you meet?" CL-Noona rebutted and she pouted.
"B-But this one here is cute!" She replied and she sighed before shaking her head.
She signals everyone to gather around to the kitchen, they talk softly so I couldn't hear their conversation. After about a few more mintues of talking they come to me.
"Okay, Y/N, after much discussion, I've come to an compromise here, I'll allow you to move here to our dormitory," She explained and my eyes widened.
"W-What?!" I exclaimed.
"But under one condition..." She paused and I rose an eyebrow.
"What is that?" I asked.
"You must be our pet, our lover, and do everything we tell you to do. Now, you don't have to accept our terms and leave right now but imagine having seven sexy women taking care of you," She explained and I gulped.
Damn, well she isn't wrong, I've always dreamt of having a harem, and having all these busty woman to myself is something I never thought would happen.
After taking some time to contemplate my decision, I agreed with CL-Noona's term and she smiled along with the girls.
"Yay~! Now I can fu- I mean play with him!" Sejeong cheered.
"W-What was that?" I nervously asked.
"Oh, uhm, nothing, puppy~," She assured before pecking my cheek.
Right afterward, my life took a 360 turn, the girls went to my dorm took all my stuff, and moved them here. I noticed that they've been quite comfortable giving me tight hugs and wearing revealing clothing.
Thankfully, I was able to control myself before CL-Noona beats my ass for being a pervert but I have a feeling they want me to get hard.
"Hey puppy~," Saerom whispered and I turned to look at her.
"Hey, Noona," I replied and she pecked my lips.
"Mind answering a question?" She asked and I nodded.
"Which one of us do you like most?" She straightforwardly asked and I gulped as I didn't know how to answer her question.
"I-I don't know, Noona, I like all of you," I nervously answered and she frowned showing her dissatisfaction.
"Aww~. Come on, baby, I know you must like one of us more... Maybe my boobs might change your mind~," She suggested before taking off her shirt revealing her black-laced bra and I blushed at the sight of her mounds.
Suddenly, the door opened and Jisun gasped at the sight of Searom's half-naked self and she immediately pulled her out.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Jisun asked and she giggled.
"I just wanted to know if I'm Y/N's favorite~," She answered and she huffed.
"Oh, really~? Then Y/N, what do you think of these babies~?" She teasingly asked as she takes off her tank top and I saw she wasn't wearing a bra.
"H-Hey~! No fair~!" Saerom whined and takes off her bra leaving them half-naked and my dick started get hard.
Seductively approaching me, they each grabbed my arm and threw me onto the bed and they smothered my face with their massive tits and they giggled.
"He's so cute when flustered~," Saerom complimented before pressing my face into her tits.
"Yeah, but mines are bigger so I can make him more flustered, watch," She proved and smashed her mounds onto my face and I blushed harder making Saerom-Noona scoff.
"What is going on here?" Natty asked as she walked inside with Sejeong and was shocked.
"Ah, you horny girls, why didn't you invite me?" Sejeong complained.
"Well, you can always join us, let's see which one of us has the bigger boobs," Saerom proposed.
"Oh, you're on!" Natty and Sejeong accepted and joined us on the bed.
Sejeong takes off her shirt showing no bra while Natty takes off her hoodie and she wasn't wearing a bra either. Guess girls don't wear bras at home.
Of course, it didn't take long for Jihyo and Eunbi-Noona to join us as well and my God they have some of the biggest boobs I've ever seen in my life.
"Okay, now that we're here... Baby, which pair of boobs do you like best~?" Jihyo-Noona asked before licking her lips.
"U-Uhhhh..." I muttered.
"Come on baby, which one of us?" Jisun whispered in my ear sending chills down my spine.
"I-I cannot choose!" I answered and they sighed.
Suddenly, the door busts open revealing CL and the girls gasped as the eldest walked inside only wearing a white bathrobe. She looks down at each and one of us.
"Girls~. Girls~. Let us remember that each and one of us has a special place in our puppy's heart so it doesn't matter how big our boobs and asses may be. Our puppy will still be loyal to us, isn't that right~?" She asked and I frantically nodded.
"Y-Yes, mummy," I answered and she giggled.
"Good, now let us all enjoy him, tonight~," She said before sexily smirking and the girls agreed.
Saerom goes to take off shirt while Jihyo takes off my pants and underwear revealing my monster 9-inch cock and they licked their lips like a predator eyeing their prey.
"What a big-sized cock you have, puppy, and it's all for us," CL-Noona complimented and began jerking it off making me moan.
"T-Thank you, mummy," I muttered and she giggled.
Starting with Jihyo, she presses her mounds between my cock and bounces up and down making me moan. Her titties felt soft and smooth adding to the pleasure.
"I-It feels so good, Noona~!" I moaned and she hummed.
Each girl had a turn for about ten minutes until they switched out and I had to hand it over to CL-Noona giving me the best boob job and she wasn't too subtle about not being a virgin.
"All of the men, crave for our bodies baby~. You are really lucky to fuck all of us~," CL-Noona said and I nodded.
"Y-Yes, Mommy ~," I moaned out and she smiled.
After they were finished giving me boob jobs they each gave me a sloppy blow job, the feeling of their warm mouths on my cock and balls felt amazing and I could barely hold myself from cumming but I did my best to please my mummies.
"Such a tasty cock, better than my ex," Jisun complimented.
"I know, right?" Natty replied.
"N-Noonas! I-I'm going to cum!" I warned as I couldn't hold it anymore.
Gathering around my cock, I let out my massive load onto their faces letting out satisfying hums as they taste my cum.
"Cum also tastes amazing, we should do this everynight~," Eunbi suggested and they agreed.
"Now, let's get onto the main event, remember, will all get one round of his cum," CL-Noona instructed.
Going first was Natty and she didn't waste any time slamming her pussy onto my cock letting out a loud moan.
"Aww~. Is our baby a virgin~?" She asked and I slowly nodded.
"Y-Yes..." I shyly answered and she smiled.
"Even better," She replied.
"Good, because from now on, our pussies are the only pussy you're ever going to get~," CL-Noona said.
With Natty riding for me the next half hour, we came together and I filled her womb with my cum.
Next up was Jisun, she inserts my dick into her womanhood as Saerom sat on my face forcing me to lick her pussy.
"Oh fuck~! Good boy~!" Saerom yelped as I insert my tongue inside.
"So big~!" Jisun moaned in ecstasy as she slowly began riding me.
Despite not being experienced, I did my absolute best to please them and so far I'm doing good based on how loudly their moaning.
As soon as I let out my load inside Jisun, Saerom takes her position as Jihyo got on my face with her soaking wet pussy and it tasted like watermelon and I'm a huge fan of fruits.
"Ohhhh~! Puppy, I could ride this dick all day if I wanted to~," She screamed as she inserted my cock inside her womanhood.
"Mmm~. Your tongue feels so good puppy~," Jihyo moaned as I insert my tongue.
"You're doing such a good job so far, puppy~," CL-Noona complimented before giggling.
"Puppy, I'm going cum~! You better drink all of it!" Jihyo warned before squirting in my mouth and I drank all of it.
"I'm going to cum too, baby, I want your sticky cum inside my womb~," Saerom pleaded and we came at the same time.
Jihyo took Saerom's place as soon as she made my dick hard again and I was starting to feel sore and tired as I've came several times.
"Tired already baby~? We haven't gotten to the best part yet~," Jihyo said as she jerked my dick back to life and I gulped.
To my surprise, she gets on all fours shaking her ass signalling me to pound her as hard as I could and I got on my knees before shoving my cock inside her pussy making her loudly moan.
"Oh, you naughty boy, you want me that much~?" She teasingly asked.
"Y-Yes, mummy~!" I answered as I began fucking her.
Going in and out, pounding her as fast and hard as I possibly could, Jihyo could loudly moan as her mind was consumed by pleasure. CL-Noona hugs me from behind pressing her boobs on my back along with Eunbi and Jisun.
"Are you close baby~?" Eunbi asked.
"N-Not yet mommy~!" I replied as I kept fucking Jihyo and she smirked.
"Well, do you want to pound my pussy~? I'm just soaking wet from watching and I want your long and thick cock inside of me~," She whispered in my ear.
Picking up the pace, Jihyo began screaming and came a few times before I painted her womb with my cum and she collapsed on the bed all exhausted and I was panting.
"Good boy~. Now it's my turn now and you better fuck just as well as you fucked Jihyo," Eunbi said and I nodded.
"Hey what about me~?" Sejeong whined and she playfully rolled my eyes.
"Think you can take us both~?" Eunbi asked.
"Anything for you," I replied and she smiled.
With both getting on their knees and elbows, I insert my dick into Eunbi's pussy and insert my finger in Sejeong and switched places, fucking them both at the same time.
"Oh God baby~! So Good~!" Sejeong moaned.
"Mmm~. Keep it up and we may cum soon~!" Eunbi said as I pounded her.
Finishing off into Eunbi's pussy, I put my full attention to Sejeong, I places my hands on her tits and play with them while I pounded her.
"Yes baby, our tits are yours only~," Sejeong moaned.
"Why have any man when you have this obedient puppy's dick?" Jisun mentioned.
About ten minutes later, I unloaded my cum inside of her as she squirted all over my dick and CL-Noona pulls my head forcing me to kiss her.
With her having more experience, she easily dominated me and sucked my tongue and we let go when we ran out of breath.
"Now time to see if you can make me cum~," She said and pushed me onto the bed.
Inserting my dick into her pussy, I was astounded at how fucking tight she was compared to the rest. It felt Godly and I can see why so many guys competed for her but all of them never succeeded in getting close to her.
"Oh my fucking God, puppy, your dick is so good~!" She moaned as she roughly rides me and I moaned.
"Your pussy is so heavenly, mummy~," I replied and she smirked.
Speeding up, she began riding me like an angry bull and I held back all temptations to cum letting her enjoy herself.
"I'm so close to cumming baby~! Let's cum together~!" She screamed and I nodded.
At the same time, we came simultaneously and she collapsed onto my chest before pecking my cheek.
"You did amazing, baby~. I never expected you to be able to handle all of us," She complimented.
"Yeah, you did us so well~," Jihyo said before giving me a long smooch.
"You may consider us your actual girlfriends, baby, but at home, we are your mummies~," Eunbi whispered and I gulped.
The rest of the girls hurdled together and I was smothered in an ocean full of titties and it didn't take long for me to fall asleep.
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lazycats-stuff · 2 years ago
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I hope it’s not too weird but can I request batfam a batbro!reader, older than Damian but younger then Tim that isn’t very emotional when it comes to death? Like they don’t understand why people are so hysterical over death. Maybe an animal died and they just go “oh they’re dead” like it was nothing.
Hope ur doing well, I’m projecting so much with this but I can’t wait to see what you do if you do. I love ur writing, can’t wait to read more 🫶
Alrighty then. Thanks for the encouragement.
Summary: (Y/N) is not really emotional about death. Bruce was a little bit worried.
Warnings: talk of death and it's elements, death of animals, this is just Bruce being worried and thinking about his son.
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Bruce knew that his kids have some problems expressing emotions. To almost all of them, death was a touchy subject. Bruce knew that better than everyone. But his second youngest son was a whole another case about it.
Why, I might hear you asking? Well, (Y/N) had no reactions to death. Bruce always waited for (Y/N) to get hit with the reality, but the reality and the aftermath didn't hit him. Never. Bruce understood that everyone grieves differently, that was in human nature. There isn't really a rulebook on how to grieve.
No human thought the same and no human grieved the same. But to Bruce, (Y/N) was a whole another case. He loved his son and when (Y/N)'s parents passed, he wasn't really sad. He was... fine.
Bruce waited for the aftermath to hit and he waited for (Y/N) to crumble and he was more than ready to help him and he was more than ready to catch him.
But the aftermath never really hit him. Bruce would be lying if he said that (Y/N) wasn't sad, but it wasn't a normal grieving behavior either. He was so worried that he asked Black Canary to talk to him about mourning and grieving.
Canary said that there was nothing wrong with (Y/N). She just told Bruce that he didn't grive in a normal way, but that wasn't any reason for concern. He wasn't a sociopath or a psychopath.
Bruce could breath a little bit easier. But sometimes (Y/N)'s calm demeanor was the thing that could get him in the most of trouble. It was just recently when a bird that Damian was caring for passed away.
Damian was sad and the rest of the brothers were sad too so they decided to bury the bird in the yard. Everyone made little speeches, expect (Y/N). He didn't see the point. It was just an animal. Everyone was emotional in their own way, expect for (Y/N).
" (Y/N)? Anything you want to say? " Bruce prompted, putting his hand on (Y/N)'s shoulder.
" I don't have anything to say. The animal is dead. That's all. " (Y/N) said, looking down at the tiniest coffin that he has ever seen. Damian fumed. If it weren't for Dick, Damian would have lunged at (Y/N).
Bruce could only sigh and lead (Y/N) away as they were done with the ceremony. He really needed to talk with (Y/N) about being sensitive when it came to death. Sure, you don't have to cry, but still, have some empathy for those who are suffering.
" But Bruce, I don't understand why people are so emotional about death. I mean, it happens. It's a natural process. We are all slowly going towards our deaths. " (Y/N) said after the talk he had with Bruce.
" I know. But people have different approaches to death. Some grieve openly, some in private, but one thing they have in common is that they are all in pain. Animal or a human. " Bruce explained to his son.
" I should apologize to Damian then. " (Y/N) declared, standing up. If Damian doesn't try to kill him first. It was 50/50.
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fungifanart · 1 month ago
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Grade AA Acting
Characters: Male Yuu, Kalim Al-Asim, Jamil Viper
Cw: Alcohol consumption, Actor AU
Word count: 1.9K
Notes: This is my piece for the @hesperious-sands zine! Go check out everyone else's works as well, they're really good!!!
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Kalim can't do this.
He REALLY doesn't think he can.
All that work to get his first big role and for what?
For the director to be constantly on his ass?
'Kalim, WHAT is your posture? You're a dancer, for Christ's sake! At least stand like one!’
'Brighten up your expression! This isn't a funeral!'
'Kalim, our mics can only pick up so much when you're not PROJECTING.’
'Where's the EMOTION in the line?'
'Kalim, are we even reading the same script?!'
After taking one last sip of his whiskey, Kalim sets his glass down on the counter and takes out his copy of the script.
"'Twisted Wonderland' by Yana Toboso, copyright of Disney Japan" the cover reads.
Flipping through the cast list, he stops at the names highlighted in bright yellow:
"Kalim Al-Asim ------------- Kalim Amin"
What a fucking joke.
A guy who lives paycheck to paycheck, barely being able to afford rent, basic groceries, and car payments, being cast in the role of a spoiled rich kid who solves all his problems by throwing money at them? Kalim’s not sure whether to laugh or cry.
Hell, he's still half-convinced that he was only cast in this role because he has the same first name as the character, if the other cast members are any indication. (Although, he's also pretty sure some of them are lying, because the jury's still out on what kind of person would name their kid "Riddle")
Kalim’s drunken thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the bar's front door opening and two sets of footsteps approaching him.
"We knew we'd find you here."
Kalim blearily turns towards the voice to see his co-star for Book 4, Jamil, with the protagonist himself, Yuu, standing right behind him.
"Hmph, you guys dunno nothin'." Kalim responds through slightly slurred speech.
The two men move to sit down on either side of him.
"Well, what I do know is that you've had enough for tonight." Yuu says as he moves Kalim’s glass out of his reach for the bartender to collect.
Pouting, Kalim turns his gaze back to the accursed script in front of him.
“Still having trouble with your character?” Jamil asks the other man.
Kalim sighs deeply as the subject sobers him up enough to come down from the alcohol-induced daze, “Well, that's one way to put it.” He responds with a mix of frustration and resignation.
“The director really laid into him about it during today's shoot. Hell, I'd need a drink too if I was raked over the coals like that in front of everyone.” Yuu reasons as he recalls the day's events with a shiver.
“I just…don't get it!” Kalim slams his fist down on the script, “She keeps having me adjust how I play him like there's SO much depth to his character when he's literally just a spoiled rich kid!”
The two other men exchange glances before Jamil speaks up.
“Ok. Kalim, I can sympathize with what you're going through to an extent, but that right there is exactly what the director's talking about.” He says bluntly.
“Oh God. Not you guys too.” Kalim responds, his shoulders slumping in exasperation before Yuu places a hand on one.
“Listen, I'm going to ask you something and I need you to answer honestly.” He prefaces in a gentle but firm tone, “How much of your portion of the script have you read?”
Kalim contemplates the question before answering, “Well…I obviously make sure to read ahead whenever we'll be working on a scene I'm in…”
“And how far into filming are we?” Jamil chimes in.
“We…uh…just started filming our Book?” He says while gesturing to himself and his co-star.
“And you haven't filmed any of your side stories yet?” Yuu continues the line of questioning.
“Well, no– Why're you guys asking me this?” Kalim asks confusedly.
“Just confirming something.” Jamil answers before continuing, “So you haven't read any of your character's scenes after the start of Book 4?”
“No???” Kalim responds, his confusion being slowly joined by irritation at the barrage of questions.
“So you HAVEN'T read any of the parts where he casually mentions the amount of attempts on his life he's experienced?” Yuu asks, his tone more blunt.
“I– He what???” Kalim stammers before quickly flipping through the script to find what he's talking about.
“Or the fact that he hates curry because my character, his best friend since childhood, ate some poisoned curry meant for him and almost died?” Jamil asks, his tone getting more harsh.
“U-uh…” Kalim starts sweating as he continues skimming over his lines he's highlighted, but hasn't actually read yet until Yuu slams his palm down on the papers and firmly pulls them away.
“Forget the script for now. I just have one last question for you.” The man says in a serious tone.
“Y-yeah?” Kalim asks, very afraid.
“What would you do if you had all the money and resources that would set you for life and then some, but you're constantly in danger of being assassinated because of it?” Yuu asks outright.
Kalim thinks for a few seconds, “...Well, I'd probably make sure that my family's taken care of.”
“And then?” Jamil adds.
Kalim thinks for a few more seconds, “Move into a really nice house??”
“And THEN?” The two other men urge in unison.
Kalim feels irritated again as he starts blurting out the first answer that comes to mind just to get the other two to lay off, “Well, if my life's ALWAYS on the line, then I guess I'd just throw parties as often as I could, at that point– Wait…huh?” He says in realization.
“Sounds familiar, doesn't it?” Yuu says knowingly.
“He…knows that he could be killed at any time because of his inheritance, so he’s living each day to the fullest so he’ll at least die happy???” Kalim interprets.
Jamil rubs his chin thoughtfully, “Not a bad interpretation, based on what you’ve read. That’ll be a good starting point until you can read the rest of your lines.” He muses while reaching over and moving the other man’s script back into his hands, “I’d recommend getting at least to the end of our Book by the next shoot.”
Kalim recoils in horror, “WH– But that’s–” His attempt at a rebuttal is cut off by Yuu.
“The foundation of good acting is thoroughly getting to know your character.” He instructs, “The director knows you have potential, so if you can’t even do that much, then her verbal criticisms will be the least of your problems.”
“UUUGGGHHH, fine.” Kalim relents as he stands up, stumbling because of the alcohol still in his system and being caught by Jamil.
“Whoa, okay. Let’s get you back to your apartment for now and you can start reading tomorrow.” He offers while already fishing Kalim’s keys out of his pocket.
“Oh, wait! I still need to pay for–” Kalim protests while trying to get his wallet so he can pay for his drinks, only for Yuu to cut him off again.
“I’ll take care of it.” The other man says while taking out his debit card, “You just focus on getting some rest tonight, okay?”
Kalim can barely stammer out a “T-thank you!” before being dragged out of the bar and into the passenger seat of his car by Jamil.
The rhythm of the street lights passing by as Jamil drives him home lulls him to slumber with the last thing he sees before closing his eyes being a billboard advertising the very film series he’s in, which, with the encouragement of his peers, is starting to look just a bit less menacing.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Several days later, at the next shoot for Book 4, Kalim enters the view of the camera, trying desperately not to crumble under the weight of the director’s calculating gaze, and begins reciting his lines, albeit with some shakiness at the start, but then he looks past the director and sees Yuu and Jamil giving him looks of encouragement and he feels the anxiety ease up enough to deliver his lines much more smoothly.
The two other men were really spot-on with their advice; Reading through the entirety of Book 4 beforehand really helped Kalim Amin get a much better grasp of Kalim Al-Asim, which he can tell from the director’s expression being more thoughtful and less frustrated this time around.
Once the first scene is finished, the director addresses Kalim after being mostly silent, “Kalim, whatever you did between the last shoot and this one, keep doing it. This Kalim is already leagues better than the old one.” She compliments, leaving him in a mild daze as the crew sets up for the next scene.
He…he’s doing it! He’s actually doing it!!
Bubbling with excitement, Kalim practically jumps for joy as he goes behind the cameras to let Yuu and Jamil take their places, but not before both of them can offer him a high five for the improvement.
Things are finally looking up!
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Months later, there Kalim sits, in his (Bargain bin) suit and bowtie, at the screening party for Book 4 of Twisted Wonderland.
He wasn’t sure where to sit, initially, as he definitely isn’t rich or famous enough to casually plop himself next to half of these guys, but seeing Yuu and Jamil wave him over to their table made his heart fill with warmth as he sat down with them.
Kalim looks around at the other tables, seeing many of his peers indulging themselves in the complimentary champagne, ‘Mom and dad DID say they could pick me up just this once if I decided to drink…’ He contemplates to himself, but the sound of metal tapping against glass at the front of the room draws his attention before he can make a decision.
The director lowers her spoon from her glass as she addresses the whole room, “As per usual at this point, I’d like to thank all of you for making it to the screening party. The fact that we’ve come this far already is truly an incredible feat in itself and I look forward to working with all of you on the Books to come!” The room fills with applause and cheers at that statement before quieting down as she keeps speaking, “However, before we get on with the viewing, I’d like to give a special shoutout to our very own Kalim Amin for how much he’s improved since we started filming!”
Kalim nearly chokes as all eyes turn to him, following the director’s shoutout.
“Kalim, I could tell that we both had our doubts at the start, but you stuck through it, you learned, you’ve grown and have truly become a sight to behold on camera. It was a wonder to see and I greatly look forward to seeing how you’ll grow from here on out, not just as part of this cast, but in your future as an actor, which I know for a fact will be bright!” Kalim struggles to process the director’s genuine praise as the previous cheers and applause turn to him this time, “And now, without further ado, let’s see Kalim and everyone else’s great talent in action in ‘Twisted Wonderland Book 4: Schemer of the Scalding Sands!’”
The applause dies down as the lights dim and the title card for the film is projected on the screen and the director takes her seat.
Finally, with no eyes on him, the weight of the director’s words finally hits Kalim, causing his chest to swell with pride and hope for the future.
As the film begins to play, Kalim looks at his reflection in the champagne glass in front of him, his first genuine smile in quite some time looking back at him, and thinks, ‘At this point, I think mom and dad would yell at me if I DIDN’T let loose!’ while bringing the glass to his lips.
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random-dragon-exe · 9 months ago
Text
Okay, MAJOR SALT COMING! Also a long post!
So I have the Disney Villains tarot deck but before I go into the salt part of the post, let's go into the positives.
The cards have stunning art and each card is appropriately themed to the villain generally speaking about 98% of the time. (IMO).
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Another positive is the roster of villains included. Seeing even a few minor/underrated villains is pretty cool and impressive.
Some examples of these villains include Bowler Hat Guy, Madame Mim, Madame Medusa, and possibly Yzma.
Now onto the salt.
As impressive as the span of villains is, two villains are absent who (IMO) deserved a card.
King Candy
Frollo
First, there are other villains absent, but I'm sticking to these two since I've seen these movies. Now going in order, it is an absolute SHAME (IMO) that King Candy doesn't have a card, but I have an idea of which card suits him best.
The King of Swords. Although this card is given to Scar, and I do love how it looks, I believe that King Candy deserved it.
Plus, Scar appears on like three other cards, so I think it's okay for him to appear three times (sorry Scar, I do love you too).
Anyway, I'm going to go into some detail as to why I believe King Candy/Turbo deserves the card by going into the meaning of it and how it relates to him.
I'll admit, I have a lot of points and can talk about this for days, but I'm going to condense them to 3-ish. I'll do the same for Frollo too in a part 2 post.
Going for a two in one here: The card is about being an authority who uses reason and their intelligence for good. while the reverse of this is being cunning to deceive people.
After Turbo hijacked Sugar Rush, he was very methodical about his approach to make it sound like he's their rightful ruler. He locked up their memories, then he fabricated the lie that she was a danger to their game. Turbo did his best to make sure nothing went unchecked and made sure to make the lie sound convincing to protect them (but mostly him). He's very strategic, and was able to come up with a plan to manipulate Ralph with 16 manipulation tactics in one go. He was even able to feign being concerned to play on Ralph's attachment to Vanellope.
I think the best line that best captures this aspect of the card is "Doing what's right, no matter what." AKA: He recognizes that it may sound harsh, but he makes his lies sound reasonable to protect his subjects and game.
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The card also represents enjoying structure when upright. But it's controlling and oppressive in a need for order when reversed.
Turbo needs everything to be to be going his way, as he's a control freak.
Inserting the test animation here, he even says "You are a threat to my game, to the order I have maintained. And if there's one thing I can't abide, it's anything out of order!"
Also, the split-second something isn't in his control, he starts to fumble and break into either rage or nervously laughing. He's capable of coming off as cool and composed, but he's scared of being caught and it can cause him to lash out in anger (another aspect of the card).
Just as mentioned in the previous point, he made sure nothing went unchecked and made an entire world literally revolve around him. He can and WILL happily use all of his resources of excessive force he has like the cops, the Sugar Rush equivalent of S.W.A.T., and the fungeon to detain someone who stands in his way.
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As a minor note, there's a line in the tarot guidebook that states the reverse of the card can represent "someone who needs to win at any cost." Which describes Turbo to a T. He not only wants attention but he's also extremely competitive. It's part of his programming, and it ties to his love for racing. To always come out on top and be #1. No matter who or what stands in his way.
That core drive (pun intended) was the cause of his villainy in the first place and earned him his infamous status in the arcade.
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Okay, I don't want to sound too salty, but you can imagine my disappointment when King Candy didn't get a card.
Oh well, Its fine, I still love and use this deck.
So I guess we can call this the thrilling conclusion to the 3 part saga of including King Candy in Disney Villain merchandise.
Also as a sidenote: hypothetically if he did get this card, what would the imagery be?
I feel the card has the potential to get creative with the glitch effects. For example make it so that he's glitching between the Turbo appearance and the King Candy appearance. If we want to be a little cheeky, we could have it set in his castle, and out the window, we see a the cybug Ralph initially sent to SR flying outside a castle window. (similar to Hook's card as the crocodile is seen outside)
So basically, my interpretation would be a mix of these images and Captain Hook's card:
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But, if anyone else has really cool ideas, I'd love to hear them! If you want, you could also draw it out to illustrate your point (pun intended) Honestly please do, I'd love to see other people's interpretations of this card for him. The possibilities are endless!
Join me in my antics next time when I analyze Frollo and and the card I think he should've gotten.
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amethystarachnid · 5 months ago
Note
Hey! It’s me again! I have another platonic but Fem! Teen/young adult reader request (17-19)
So I don’t really have a preference of who it’s focused on, mostly like avenger tower family vibes so choose whatever marvel ppl you want! I’m giving full liberty with just the basic plot line.
So the reader is in their first ever relationship, but as it goes on the true colors of her bf start to show and it’s super toxic and emotionally abusive. She needs the help and support of her avenger family to get through this and make the move she knows she has too, break up with him.
and that’s it! Angsty with a fluff ending, fill it with whatever you always do such an amazing job! Cant wait to read it (if you do it) 🫶
FAMILY
⤷ STEVE G. ROGERS & ANTHONY "TONY" E. STARK & NATASHA A. ROMANOFF
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ᯓ★ Pairing: Anthony “Tony” E. Stark & fem!reader & Steve G. Rogers & Natasha Romanoff (all platonic!!)
ᯓ★ Genre: platonic!, a lot of angst and some fluff
ᯓ★ Request from: normal request
ᯓ★ Story type: one shot
ᯓ★ Word count: 8k
ᯓ★ Summary: you surely couldn't expect your first ever relationship to be so toxic, you find yourself slowly moving away from your family, but as you reach a breaking point you realize it isn't healthy, luckily Steve, Tony and Natasha are there to watch your back.
ᯓ★ TW(s): toxic relationship, y/n's boyfriend tries to convince her to have sex but nothing happens (it isn't described, it's just talked about), Steve Tony and Nat beat the shit out of the boyfriend
ᯓ★ I made reader Tony's daughter because I couldn't find any other reason for her to know the avengers...hope you like it! <3
ᯓ★ My Masterlist
ᯓ★ MARVEL Multiverse - choose an AU, pair it with your favorite character and make a request!
ᯓ★ Songs & Superheroes tales - The Game (to make a request, follow the rules on the link!)
ᯓ★ MARVEL Bingo
ᯓ★ English isn’t my first language
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You stand at the balcony of the Avengers Tower, the skyline of New York sprawling out before you, a chaotic mess of lights and sounds. It’s a chilly evening, and the breeze carries just enough bite to make you tug your sweater closer around yourself. Your dad insists you could just stay inside—“Kid, the view’s better with central heating,” he says—but there’s something grounding about standing out here.
The wind brushes your cheeks, a reminder of how real everything is, how alive this city feels. And tonight, the nervous flurry in your stomach makes everything sharper. You lean against the railing and breathe in the cold air, replaying the events of earlier today.
Your first date. The words feel foreign, even in your head. Like a secret that might explode if you say it too loudly. You’re seventeen—old enough to make your own decisions, but not old enough to escape the reality that you’re still Tony Stark’s daughter. Dating is bound to be a…sensitive subject.
The sound of the sliding glass door catches your attention, and you glance over your shoulder. Steve steps out, his expression soft as he approaches. His brown leather jacket is zipped up against the wind, and he carries a thermos in one hand. You don’t need to see the inside to know it’s probably tea—Steve drinks it like he was born in a Victorian novel.
“Thought you could use something warm,” he says, offering the thermos. His voice is calm, steady, like always, and it helps the nerves in your chest settle just a bit.
“Thanks,” you say quietly, taking the thermos. You twist the lid off, letting the steam waft up to your face. It smells like chamomile and honey. “How’d you know I was out here?”
Steve gives you a look that’s almost teasing, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “You’ve got your dad’s habit of brooding. It’s either the balcony or the workshop.”
You chuckle softly. “Fair.”
He leans against the railing beside you, hands in his jacket pockets. For a moment, neither of you speaks. It’s the kind of silence you’ve grown to love with Steve—the kind that doesn’t demand to be filled. He lets you take your time, his presence a quiet reassurance that he’s here if you need him.
Eventually, you break the silence. “So…you know how I went out today?”
Steve nods, glancing at you. “Yeah. You looked nice when you left. Natasha said the same thing.”
That brings a smile to your face. Natasha has an unspoken rule of only giving compliments when she means them, so it’s always a little extra special coming from her. “Thanks.”
Steve tilts his head, studying you. “You seemed excited. Everything go okay?”
You hesitate, gripping the thermos a little tighter. It’s not that you don’t trust Steve—he’s one of the people you trust most in the world—but saying it out loud feels…big. “I, uh…well, it was a date. My first date.”
Steve blinks, and for a split second, you see the surprise flicker across his face before he schools it into something softer. “A date?”
You nod, feeling your cheeks heat. “Yeah.”
There’s a pause, and you brace yourself for…you don’t even know what. Judgment? A lecture? Instead, Steve’s expression softens even more, and he nods slowly. “That’s a big deal,” he says quietly. “How’d it go?”
You exhale, some of the tension leaving your shoulders. “It was good. Really good, actually. I mean, we just went for coffee, but…it felt nice. Like…easy, you know?”
Steve smiles, and it’s warm and genuine. “I’m glad to hear that. You deserve someone who makes things easy.”
The relief you feel is almost overwhelming. Steve’s reaction is so…Steve. Gentle and supportive, without a trace of condescension or overprotectiveness.
“Does your dad know yet?” he asks, though his tone is more curious than concerned.
You laugh nervously. “Not exactly. I was kind of hoping to ease into that conversation.”
Steve chuckles softly. “Fair enough. Let me know if you need backup.”
“Thanks,” you say, and you mean it.
The sliding door opens again, and this time it’s Natasha who steps out. She’s wrapped in a sleek black coat, her red hair glowing faintly under the tower’s lights. Her sharp green eyes land on you and Steve, and she raises an eyebrow. “What’s going on out here? Secret balcony club?”
“Just keeping the kid company,” Steve says, his tone light.
Natasha approaches, her boots clicking softly against the floor. She leans on the railing beside you, her gaze flicking between you and Steve. “You look like you’ve got something on your mind,” she says, her voice gentle but probing.
You bite your lip, glancing at Steve for a moment before turning back to Natasha. “I, uh…I went on a date today.”
Her eyebrows lift slightly, and for a moment, you can’t read her expression. Then she smiles—small, but genuine. “First date?”
You nod, feeling your cheeks heat again. “Yeah.”
Natasha hums thoughtfully, crossing her arms. “So? Was it everything you hoped for?”
The way she asks it—casual, like she’s just asking about your favorite movie—makes you relax a little. “It was nice. Really nice, actually.”
Natasha smiles again, a little wider this time. “Good. I’m happy for you.”
The warmth in her voice takes you by surprise, and you can’t help but smile back. Natasha’s never been the overly sentimental type, but when she cares, it shows in the quietest, most genuine ways.
“Does your dad know?” she asks, echoing Steve’s earlier question.
“Not yet,” you admit. “I’m…working up to that.”
Natasha smirks, her green eyes glinting with amusement. “Oh, that’s going to be fun.”
“Nat,” Steve says warningly, though there’s a hint of a smile on his face.
“What?” Natasha says innocently. “I’m just saying. Tony’s not exactly known for his…calm reactions.”
You groan, burying your face in your hands. “You’re not helping.”
Natasha laughs softly, and even Steve chuckles. Despite the teasing, their support makes you feel a little braver. You know they’ll have your back, no matter how your dad reacts.
And speaking of your dad…
The sliding door opens one more time, and Tony steps out, wearing one of his signature Black Sabbath T-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. He’s holding a tablet in one hand, his expression distracted as he glances at the screen.
“Okay, why is everyone hanging out on the balcony? Did I miss a memo?” he asks, looking up.
Your heart leaps into your throat. Steve and Natasha both glance at you, silently asking if you want them to step in. You shake your head subtly. You can handle this. You think.
“Hey, Dad,” you say, trying to keep your voice casual. “Can we…talk for a sec?”
Tony’s eyes narrow slightly, his attention now fully on you. He tucks the tablet under his arm and takes a step closer. “You okay, kid? You’re not in trouble, are you?”
“No, no trouble,” you say quickly. “I just…wanted to tell you something.”
Tony raises an eyebrow, his expression wary. “Okay…”
You take a deep breath, gripping the thermos tightly. “I went on a date today.”
The words hang in the air for a moment, and you watch as Tony’s expression shifts. First, there’s surprise. Then something that looks suspiciously like panic. Finally, he settles on an exaggerated look of calm that you don’t buy for a second.
“A date,” he says slowly. “Like…a real date? With another human being?”
You nod, biting back a smile. “Yes, Dad. With another human being.”
Tony blinks, his mouth opening and closing a few times as he processes this. “Okay. Uh. Wow. That’s…wow.”
“Smooth,” Natasha mutters under her breath, earning a sharp look from Tony.
“Hey, this is new territory for me, okay?” he says, throwing his hands up. Then he looks back at you, his expression softening. “So…was it, uh, a good date?”
You nod, your smile growing. “Yeah. It was really good.”
Tony’s shoulders relax just a little, and he exhales deeply. “Well…okay then. I mean, I’m not thrilled about the idea of anyone dating my kid, but…if it makes you happy, I guess I can live with it.”
“Thanks, Dad,” you say, your chest warming at his reluctant acceptance.
Tony points a finger at you, his expression suddenly serious. “But if they hurt you—”
“I know, I know,” you interrupt, rolling your eyes. “They’ll have to answer to Iron Man.”
“Damn right,” Tony mutters, crossing his arms.
Steve chuckles softly, and even Natasha smirks. The moment feels lighter now, the tension dissolving into something warmer. You’re grateful for all of them—for the way they care about you, even if they show it in different ways.
It starts off innocently enough—your dad, Steve, and Natasha notice you slipping out of the tower more frequently, a spring in your step that wasn’t there before. At first, it’s just occasional comments from Tony about how you’re never around for movie nights anymore. “What, did I miss the part where you developed an actual social life?” he teases one evening as you grab your jacket.
You laugh, tossing him a mock glare. “I can’t stay cooped up in here all the time, Dad.”
Steve, who’s nursing a mug of tea on the couch, raises an eyebrow. “Going out again?”
“Yep,” you say, popping the “p” as you wrap a scarf around your neck. “Just meeting Neil for coffee.”
Steve doesn’t say anything, but the corner of his mouth twitches in a small, approving smile. Natasha, who’s sprawled out on the other end of the couch, smirks as she flips through a magazine. “Careful, Rogers. If you keep smiling like that, you might give her the impression you approve.”
Steve chuckles softly. “Nothing wrong with coffee,” he says, shooting you a glance. “Just don’t forget you’ve got a curfew.”
“Got it, Captain,” you say with a mock salute, before waving goodbye to all three of them.
The dates with Neil are simple but sweet. He’s the kind of guy who knows how to make you laugh with ease, and there’s an earnestness about him that feels refreshing. He takes you to hole-in-the-wall coffee shops and quiet parks, and once, on a particularly crisp Saturday afternoon, he surprises you with tickets to a small indie concert. You spend the evening swaying to the music, his hand warm in yours, and it feels like something out of a movie.
At first, everything about him feels easy. He listens when you talk about your hobbies, laughs at your corny jokes, and doesn’t seem fazed at all by the fact that your dad is Iron Man. “Honestly,” he says on your third date, over a shared plate of fries, “I think it’s cool. But, like…you’re way cooler than him.”
The compliment makes your cheeks flush, and you try to wave it off. “You haven’t seen him in action.”
Neil just grins. “I don’t need to. I’ve seen you.”
The day you officially start dating, you decide it’s time to tell your family. You’ve been tiptoeing around the subject for weeks now, but after Neil asks you to be his girlfriend (under a canopy of string lights at a rooftop café, no less), you know you can’t put it off any longer.
That evening, after dinner, you gather your dad, Steve, and Natasha in the living room. Tony is halfway through a snarky comment about how dramatic this all feels when you blurt out, “Neil and I are officially dating.”
The room goes quiet for a moment as the words sink in. Then:
“Oh, boy,” Tony says, sinking back into the couch like he’s just been hit by a freight train.
Steve smiles gently. “Congratulations,” he says, his tone warm and sincere. “That’s a big step.”
Natasha leans forward, resting her chin on her hand. “Took him long enough to ask, huh?”
You laugh, relieved by their reactions. Tony, however, isn’t quite done processing. “Officially dating,” he mutters, rubbing a hand down his face. “Like…holding hands and calling each other ‘babe’ and all that?”
“Dad,” you groan, but Natasha snickers.
Tony looks at you, his expression softening despite his obvious discomfort. “As long as he treats you right, kid. That’s all I care about.”
“Thanks, Dad,” you say, your chest warming.
The first few weeks of the relationship are, for the most part, smooth sailing. Neil is attentive, sweet, and always quick to text you good morning or tell you how much he misses you when you’re apart. You’re still figuring out how to navigate the dynamics of dating, but it’s new and exciting, and you’re grateful to have someone who seems so genuinely into you.
Your family adjusts to the new normal, though Tony is predictably overbearing at times. He insists on knowing where you’re going and when you’ll be back, and he may or may not have threatened to run a background check on Neil. (“It’s just a precaution,” he says when you confront him about it. “You can never be too careful.”)
Steve and Natasha are more laid-back, though you catch Steve watching you with a subtle but protective glint in his eye whenever you mention Neil. Natasha, on the other hand, seems to find the whole thing endlessly amusing. “You’re growing up so fast,” she teases one day, ruffling your hair like you’re ten years old.
But then, slowly—so slowly you almost don’t notice—it starts to change.
It’s subtle at first. Neil’s texts become more frequent, and he starts asking more questions about your plans. “Who are you with?” he’ll ask when you mention hanging out with your dad or the others. “How long will you be gone?”
At first, you chalk it up to him being curious. After all, he’s never been shy about asking questions about your life. But then, one evening, you’re at dinner with your dad, Steve, and Natasha when your phone buzzes with a text from Neil. You glance at the screen, intending to answer later, but the next text comes almost immediately.
Neil: Why aren’t you answering? Neil: Are you mad at me? Neil: Hello???
“Everything okay?” Natasha asks, noticing the frown on your face.
“Yeah,” you say quickly, putting your phone down. “Just Neil.”
She raises an eyebrow but doesn’t press. You’re grateful for that.
When you finally call Neil later that night, he sounds almost frantic. “I thought you were ignoring me,” he says, his tone clipped.
“I was at dinner with my family,” you explain, trying to keep your voice calm. “I wasn’t ignoring you.”
There’s a pause before he sighs. “Okay. Sorry. I just…I guess I got in my head.”
You brush it off as a one-time thing. Everyone has off days, right?
But it doesn’t stop there. Neil starts showing up unannounced, calling you at odd hours, and getting annoyed when you don’t respond to his texts right away. Once, when you mention going to a movie with Natasha, he frowns and says, “Do you really have to hang out with her all the time?”
You laugh, thinking he’s joking, but his expression doesn’t change.
“She’s like my older sister,” you say, confused. “Of course I’m going to hang out with her.”
Neil doesn’t argue, but his mood stays sour for the rest of the evening.
The subtle possessiveness becomes harder to ignore, but you don’t tell anyone. Part of you worries they’ll overreact, especially your dad, and you don’t want to blow things out of proportion. Besides, Neil’s still sweet most of the time, and when you’re with him, it’s easy to convince yourself that the bad moments aren’t that bad.
Neil’s anger starts small, creeping into your relationship in ways you don’t immediately recognize. At first, it’s just a comment here and there, usually disguised as a joke.
“You’re always hanging out with Steve,” he says one afternoon over the phone. “You’re closer to him than me sometimes. Should I be jealous?”
You laugh nervously, brushing it off. “Neil, come on. Steve’s like another dad to me. You know that.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he says quickly, but there’s a sharp edge to his tone that makes your stomach twist. “It’s just weird, don’t you think? How much time you spend with him?”
The words linger in your mind long after the conversation ends. You tell yourself he’s just being insecure—maybe he doesn’t fully understand the dynamic you have with Steve. You don’t bring it up again, and for a while, things seem to go back to normal.
But the comments don’t stop. They build, slowly, like a storm gathering on the horizon.
One evening, after a particularly long day at school, you come home to find Steve in the kitchen, rolling out dough for one of his homemade pies. The scent of cinnamon and apples fills the air, and you instantly feel lighter.
“Rough day?” he asks, glancing up as you drop your bag by the counter.
“Kind of,” you admit, sliding onto a stool. “But it’s better now. What are you making?”
“Apple pie,” he says, smiling. “Want to help?”
You spend the next hour laughing and chatting as you help Steve prepare the pie. He tells you stories from his pre-serum days, and you tease him about his old-fashioned tastes. By the time the pie is in the oven, you feel lighter than you have all day.
Later that evening, when you’re curled up in your room with a slice of pie, Neil calls. You answer with a smile, happy to hear his voice, but the conversation takes a turn almost immediately.
“So, what’d you do after school?” he asks casually.
“Not much,” you say. “I hung out with Steve for a bit. We baked a pie together.”
There’s a long pause on the other end of the line. When Neil speaks again, his voice is tight. “You didn’t mention you were going to hang out with him.”
You blink, caught off guard. “I didn’t think I needed to? It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing.”
“Yeah, but…” He exhales sharply, and you can almost hear the irritation in his breath. “Don’t you think it’s kind of weird? How much time you spend with him?”
You frown, gripping the phone tighter. “What’s weird about it? He’s like family, Neil.”
“I know, but he’s not really your family,” Neil snaps. “It’s just…I don’t get why you’d rather hang out with him than me.”
“That’s not what this is about,” you say, your voice rising defensively. “I see you at school and on the weekends. Steve’s been part of my life for years.”
“Yeah, well, maybe I want to be the one you turn to,” Neil says, his voice cold. “Not some guy who’s old enough to be your grandpa.”
The comment stings, and for a moment, you don’t know what to say. When Neil finally sighs and mutters an apology, you force yourself to let it go. But the conversation leaves a bad taste in your mouth, one you can’t quite shake.
The pattern repeats itself in the weeks that follow. Every time you mention Steve—whether it’s grabbing coffee with him after school or sparring with him in the gym—Neil’s mood shifts. His comments become sharper, his jealousy more pronounced.
“Does he really need to spend that much time with you?” Neil says one day, his tone accusatory. “I mean, you’re not a kid anymore.”
“It’s not like that,” you insist, your frustration growing. “Steve’s just…he’s always been there for me. I don’t know why you’re making this such a big deal.”
“Because it is a big deal!” Neil snaps. “I’m your boyfriend, Y/N. I should be the one you go to for everything.”
You fall silent, the weight of his words pressing down on you. Part of you wants to argue, to tell him he’s being unreasonable, but another part of you—one that’s growing louder—worries that maybe he’s right. Maybe you’re spending too much time with Steve. Maybe Neil has a reason to feel this way.
Gradually, you start to pull away from Steve. It’s not a conscious decision at first—it’s small things, like skipping your usual coffee runs or cutting your gym sessions short. But the distance grows, and you can see the confusion in Steve’s eyes every time you make an excuse to leave.
“Everything okay?” he asks one day, after you abruptly cancel your plans to watch a movie together.
“Yeah, everything’s fine,” you say, forcing a smile. “I’ve just got a lot on my plate right now.”
Steve doesn’t look convinced, but he doesn’t push. He never does.
Neil, on the other hand, seems pleased with the shift. He doesn’t say it outright, but you can tell by the way his mood improves whenever you don’t mention Steve. The praise he gives you feels like a reward, a validation that you’re doing something right.
“You’ve been so much more present lately,” Neil says one afternoon as you sit together at the park. “It feels good, you know? Like we’re finally putting us first.”
You smile weakly, but his words leave a sour feeling in your chest. You don’t tell him how much you miss Steve, or how guilty you feel for pulling away from him. Instead, you push the feelings aside, convincing yourself that this is what a healthy relationship looks like—making sacrifices for each other.
But as the weeks turn into months, Neil’s behavior grows more erratic. His jealousy isn’t just limited to Steve anymore. He starts questioning every aspect of your life—who you’re with, what you’re doing, why you didn’t answer his call immediately.
“Why didn’t you text me back right away?” he demands one evening after school.
“I was in the middle of class,” you explain, your voice tight. “I couldn’t exactly pull out my phone.”
“Right,” Neil says bitterly. “Or maybe you just didn’t want to talk to me.”
The accusation stings, and for a moment, you feel a surge of anger. “That’s not fair, Neil,” you say, your voice trembling. “You know I care about you.”
“Then prove it,” he says, his voice low. “Stop making me feel like I’m second place.”
The relationship starts to weigh on you in ways you don’t fully understand. You’re tired all the time, your mind constantly racing with ways to keep Neil happy. You don’t laugh as much anymore, and the easy joy you used to feel around your family has been replaced with a gnawing sense of guilt.
One evening, as you sit on the balcony staring out at the city lights, Steve steps out to join you. He doesn’t say anything at first, just stands beside you, his presence a quiet comfort.
“You’ve been distant lately,” he says finally, his voice gentle. “Is everything okay?”
Your throat tightens, and you nod quickly. “Yeah. Just…busy, I guess.”
Steve doesn’t look convinced. “You know you can talk to me, right? About anything?”
The sincerity in his voice makes your chest ache, but you can’t bring yourself to tell him the truth. You’re too afraid of what he’ll say—of what he’ll do if he finds out how Neil’s been treating you. So you force a smile and say, “I know. Thanks, Steve.”
But as he walks back inside, you can’t help but feel like you’re losing something important—something you might never get back.
Neil’s anger becomes a regular feature of your relationship, simmering beneath the surface and boiling over at the most unexpected times. The restrictions on where and when you can see each other seem to fuel his frustration, and Tony’s firm refusal to let Neil visit the tower or for you to go to his house is an endless source of tension.
“Why won’t he let me come over?” Neil demands one day as you sit together under a tree on the school lawn. His voice is sharp, his fingers digging into the grass. “What’s his problem?”
You sigh, knowing the conversation is heading somewhere dangerous. “It’s not about you, Neil. My dad just…he’s overprotective. He doesn’t think it’s the right time.”
Neil scoffs, his expression twisting with disbelief. “Not the right time? It’s been four months, Y/N. What does he think I’m gonna do? Rob the place?”
“No, it’s not like that,” you say quickly, feeling a familiar anxiety creep into your chest. “He’s like that with everyone. He even monitors my other friends sometimes.”
“Yeah, well, it’s different with me, isn’t it?” Neil snaps. “He doesn’t want me around. I can feel it.”
You try to reassure him, but his words plant a seed of doubt in your mind. Maybe Neil has a point. Maybe Tony is being unreasonable.
Later that evening, as you sit across from your dad at the dinner table, you gather your courage. Natasha and Steve aren’t there—they’re on a mission—so it’s just the two of you. The timing feels perfect.
“Dad,” you start hesitantly, fiddling with your fork. “Can we talk about something?”
Tony looks up from his plate, raising an eyebrow. “Sure. What’s up, kid?”
“It’s about Neil,” you say carefully. “I was thinking…maybe it’s time you let him come over. Just once. I mean, it’s been a few months, and he really wants to meet you properly.”
Tony sets his fork down, his expression unreadable. “Y/N, we’ve talked about this.”
“I know, but—”
“No,” he says firmly, cutting you off. “I’m not budging on this. You’re seventeen. It’s too soon for him to be coming over here, and honestly, I don’t like the idea of you going to his house either.”
Your chest tightens with frustration. “Why not? You don’t even know him! He’s not some random guy off the street—he’s my boyfriend.”
“And that’s exactly why I’m being careful,” Tony says, his tone calm but resolute. “It’s my job to protect you.”
“I don’t need protecting!” you snap, your voice louder than you intended. “You’re being unfair. Other people my age don’t have these kinds of rules. Why do you have to make everything so hard?”
Tony blinks, clearly taken aback by your outburst. “Y/N, I’m not trying to make things hard for you. I’m trying to make sure you’re safe.”
“I don’t need you to control every aspect of my life,” you say, tears pricking at your eyes. “I just want to feel normal for once.”
Tony exhales, rubbing a hand over his face. “I’m sorry, kid, but my answer’s still no. This isn’t up for debate.”
The fight ends with you storming off to your room, slamming the door behind you. You bury your face in your pillow, your chest heaving with anger and frustration.
When you tell Neil about the argument the next day, he’s less sympathetic than you expect.
“See?” he says bitterly. “I told you he doesn’t want me around. He’s doing everything he can to keep us apart.”
“That’s not true,” you say, though your voice lacks conviction. “He’s just…he’s overprotective. It’s who he is.”
Neil shakes his head, his jaw tight. “No, Y/N. This isn’t normal. He’s controlling you, and you’re letting him.”
The words hit you like a slap, and for a moment, you don’t know how to respond. Neil’s expression softens slightly, and he reaches for your hand.
“Look,” he says, his voice quieter now. “I just want us to be able to spend time together without all these rules. Is that so much to ask?”
“No,” you whisper, guilt twisting in your stomach. “It’s not.”
A few days later, Neil brings up an idea that makes your heart race.
“I’ve been thinking,” he says as the two of you sit in the back corner of the school library. “What if we just…do it anyway?”
“Do what?” you ask, confused.
“What your dad doesn’t want,” Neil says, leaning closer. “You tell him we’re going to the park or something, but instead, you come to my house. Just for a little while. He’ll never know.”
Your stomach churns at the suggestion. “I don’t know, Neil. Lying to my dad…”
“Come on, Y/N,” Neil says, his tone insistent. “We’re not kids. We shouldn’t have to sneak around just to see each other. Besides, it’s not like we’re doing anything wrong. It’s just one afternoon.”
You hesitate, the weight of his words pressing down on you. Neil’s frustration is palpable, and you can feel your resolve weakening.
“Okay,” you say finally, your voice barely above a whisper. “Just this once.”
The day of the lie arrives, and you tell Tony you’re going to the park for a date. He doesn’t question it—by now, you’ve been dating Neil for four months, and these outings have become routine. You feel a pang of guilt as you walk out the door, but you shove it down, convincing yourself it’s no big deal.
Neil picks you up a few blocks away, a triumphant grin on his face. “See? That wasn’t so hard.”
You force a smile, but the guilt gnaws at you as he drives to his house. It’s small and a little run-down, but Neil doesn’t seem to notice—or care. He leads you inside, his hand gripping yours tightly.
“Welcome to my kingdom,” he says with a chuckle, gesturing to the cramped living room.
You laugh weakly, your nerves making it hard to fully relax. As the afternoon goes on, Neil seems in his element, showing you around and talking about his favorite memories from growing up in the house. But something about the situation feels off—like you’re walking a tightrope, one wrong move away from disaster.
When you return to the tower later that evening, Tony is waiting for you in the living room. The sight of him makes your stomach drop, and you can tell immediately that something is wrong.
“Hey, kiddo,” he says, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. “How was the park?”
“It was fine,” you say quickly, your voice higher than usual. “We just walked around for a bit.”
Tony’s gaze narrows, and you know he doesn’t believe you. “Funny. Because FRIDAY said your tracker was nowhere near the park.”
Your heart stops. You’d completely forgotten about the tracker Tony insisted on installing in your phone for safety reasons.
“Care to explain?” he asks, his voice calm but dangerous.
You stumble over your words, trying to come up with an excuse, but it’s no use. Tony’s expression hardens as he pieces everything together.
“You lied to me,” he says, his voice quieter now. “You went to his house, didn’t you?”
Tears fill your eyes as you nod, unable to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry, Dad. I just…I didn’t know what else to do. Neil said—”
“Neil said?” Tony interrupts, his voice rising. “You let some teenage boy manipulate you into going behind my back? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”
“I didn’t mean to—”
“Y/N,” Tony says, cutting you off. “I told you no for a reason. Do you think I enjoy being the bad guy? I’m trying to protect you, and this is how you repay me?”
The guilt crashes over you like a tidal wave, and you can’t stop the tears from spilling over. “I’m sorry,” you whisper again, but the words feel hollow.
Tony sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Go to your room. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”
You don’t argue. You don’t have the energy to. As you retreat to your room, the weight of everything—Neil’s anger, your dad’s disappointment, your own shame—presses down on you, leaving you feeling more alone than ever.
The door to your room feels like a barrier, heavy and suffocating as you lean against it, tears spilling down your cheeks. The fight with your dad replays in your head on an endless loop, his disappointment cutting deeper than any argument you’ve ever had with him before. You don’t know how to fix it—not when you’re still grappling with your own guilt and confusion. The memory of Neil’s behavior at his house earlier in the day keeps creeping in, too, making the ache in your chest even worse.
You curl up on your bed, clutching a pillow tightly as sobs wrack your body. You feel so alone—isolated from the people who love you, from the person you used to be. The past few months with Neil have drained you in ways you hadn’t even realized until now.
Meanwhile, Tony paces the living room, running a hand through his hair for the tenth time. His face is a storm cloud of emotions—anger, frustration, fear. He thought he was protecting you, but now it’s clear that something deeper is going on. Something he didn’t see.
When Natasha and Steve arrive back from their mission and walk through the door, Tony barely waits for them to set their bags down.
“Nat, Steve,” he calls, his voice sharp and urgent. “We’ve got a problem.”
Natasha exchanges a glance with Steve before they both step into the living room. “What’s going on?” she asks, her tone immediately serious.
Tony exhales sharply, running both hands through his hair now. “It’s Y/N. She lied to me today—said she was going to the park with Neil, but FRIDAY tracked her to his house. She’s never lied to me like that before.”
Steve frowns, his brow furrowing with concern. “She went to his house? Alone? Tony, that doesn’t sound like her.”
“I know,” Tony snaps, his frustration spilling over. “That’s what worries me. Something’s going on with this kid, and I don’t like it. I could tell she was upset, but she wouldn’t tell me why.”
Natasha’s eyes narrow, her instincts kicking in. “Where is she now?”
“In her room,” Tony says, his voice softer now. “Crying.”
Without another word, Natasha heads toward your room, her expression unreadable. Steve looks at Tony, his concern deepening. “You think this Neil kid’s bad news?”
“I don’t just think it,” Tony says grimly. “I know it.”
Natasha knocks lightly on your door before opening it, finding you curled up on your bed, your face buried in your pillow. The sight makes her heart ache. She’s always had a soft spot for you, and seeing you like this—broken and vulnerable—ignites a protective fire inside her.
“Hey, kid,” she says gently, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. “Can I sit?”
You sniffle and nod, not looking up. Natasha sits on the edge of the bed, her presence warm and steady. She doesn’t say anything at first, just rests a comforting hand on your back.
“What’s going on, Y/N?” she asks softly. “Talk to me.”
At first, you can’t bring yourself to speak. But Natasha’s patience, her quiet understanding, makes the words come pouring out in a flood of emotion.
“It’s Neil,” you whisper, your voice trembling. “He…he gets so mad all the time. Especially about Steve. He doesn’t like how close I am to him, and he says it’s weird. And every time I try to explain, he just—he makes me feel like it’s my fault.”
Natasha’s hand stills for a moment, her jaw tightening. “What else, Y/N?” she asks, her voice calm but firm. “There’s more, isn’t there?”
You hesitate, but the weight of everything you’ve been carrying is too much. “I…I stopped spending time with Steve because Neil got angry every time I mentioned him. He said I was putting Steve before him. And I believed him, Nat. I thought I was doing something wrong.”
Natasha’s chest tightens, but she doesn’t interrupt. She lets you keep going.
“And today…” Your voice falters, tears streaming down your cheeks again. “When I went to Neil’s house, he…he tried to get me to sleep with him. He kept saying it’s what couples do, that it’s normal and that if I really loved him, I’d do it.”
Natasha’s hand tightens into a fist, but she keeps her voice steady for your sake. “What happened then?”
“I told him no,” you say, your voice breaking. “I was firm, but he got so mad, Nat. He wouldn’t yell, but he…he just looked at me like I was worthless. Like I was letting him down. And then he told me to leave.”
Natasha’s heart breaks for you, but anger burns hot in her chest. “Y/N,” she says gently, her voice laced with determination. “This isn’t your fault. None of it. Do you understand me?”
You nod weakly, but Natasha can see the doubt lingering in your eyes. She squeezes your hand, her expression softening. “We need to tell Steve and your dad. They need to know what’s been going on.”
Your stomach twists at the thought. “Nat, I can’t. They’ll be so mad…”
“They won’t be mad at you,” Natasha says firmly. “They’re going to be mad at Neil. And trust me, they’ll want to make sure this never happens again.”
After a long moment, you nod, though the thought still fills you with dread. Natasha wraps an arm around you, holding you close. “It’s going to be okay, Y/N,” she says softly. “We’ve got you.”
When Natasha brings you into the living room, Tony and Steve immediately stop talking, their eyes snapping to you. Steve’s expression is filled with concern, while Tony looks like he’s barely holding it together.
“What’s going on?” Tony asks, his voice tight.
Natasha gestures for you to sit, and you sink into the couch, your hands trembling. Natasha takes a seat beside you, her hand resting on your shoulder as a quiet reassurance.
“Y/N has something to tell you,” she says gently.
You hesitate, your throat tightening with fear. But Natasha gives you an encouraging nod, and you take a shaky breath before speaking.
“It’s about Neil,” you say, your voice barely above a whisper. “He’s been…he’s been acting really controlling. He gets mad at me for spending time with Steve, and he says things that make me feel like I’m doing something wrong. And today, when I went to his house, he…”
You falter, tears streaming down your cheeks. Natasha squeezes your shoulder, and you force yourself to continue.
“He tried to convince me to sleep with him,” you say, your voice trembling. “And when I said no, he got mad and told me to leave.”
The room goes silent, the weight of your words sinking in. Tony’s face turns white, then red with anger, his hands clenching into fists. Steve’s expression hardens, his jaw tightening as he processes what you’ve just said.
“That little…” Tony starts, but his voice trails off, his anger too intense for words. He stands abruptly, pacing the room like a caged animal. “He tried to pressure you? He made you feel like that?”
Steve doesn’t say anything at first, but the look in his eyes is terrifying—cold and resolute. When he finally speaks, his voice is low and steady, but it’s laced with fury. “Where is he?”
“Steve,” Natasha says warningly, though her own anger is evident.
“No,” Steve says sharply. “This kid thinks he can treat her like this? That he can manipulate her and push her around? He doesn’t get to walk away from this.”
Tony stops pacing, his expression dark. “I’m with Steve on this one. I want to have a talk with this kid.”
“Guys,” Natasha interjects, her voice firm. “We need to focus on Y/N right now. She’s been through enough without us going full-on vigilante.”
But even Natasha can’t hide the anger simmering beneath her calm exterior. She turns to you, her voice softening. “Y/N, we’re not going to let him hurt you again. Do you understand? You’re safe here.”
You nod, though the intensity of the moment makes your heart race. Seeing your family so fiercely protective of you is overwhelming, but it also fills you with a sense of relief you didn’t realize you needed.
“We’ll handle this,” Tony says, his voice steel. “He’s not coming near you again. I’ll make sure of it.”
Steve nods, his expression unyielding. “If he even tries, he’ll regret it.”
For the first time in weeks, you feel a glimmer of hope. You’re not alone in this. You have a family—a real family—that will do whatever it takes to protect you. And in that moment, you know you’ll be okay.
You sit on the couch in the living room, staring at your hands as Natasha, Steve, and Tony sit across from you. The air feels heavy, but not suffocating—it’s filled with a strange mix of tension and support. They know what you’ve decided, but they’re here to make sure you’re prepared.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Steve asks gently, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. His voice is steady, but his concern is evident.
You nod, though your stomach twists with nerves. “Yeah,” you whisper. “I can’t keep doing this. It’s not healthy, and…it’s not who I am.”
“Good,” Natasha says, her voice firm but kind. “You’re doing the right thing, Y/N. But remember what we talked about—keep it public. Somewhere safe.”
You glance at her and give a small, grateful smile. She’s been your rock through all of this, offering advice, comfort, and a plan. “I was thinking the park. It’s open, and there’s always people around.”
Tony shifts in his seat, his jaw tight. “I still don’t like the idea of you being anywhere near him. But…I get it. You need to do this.”
Your eyes meet his, and you can see the turmoil in his expression. He looks like he’s holding himself together for your sake, but you know this has been eating him alive. You nod, hoping to reassure him, even if only a little.
The next afternoon, you sit on a bench in the park, the crisp air biting at your cheeks. Neil arrives five minutes late, his usual smirk plastered on his face. The sight of it makes your stomach churn. You know what you have to do, but that doesn’t make it any easier.
“Hey,” he says, leaning down to kiss your cheek. You flinch ever so slightly, and his eyes narrow. “What’s wrong?”
You take a deep breath, your fingers twisting nervously in your lap. “Neil, we need to talk.”
His smirk fades, replaced by a frown. “Talk about what?”
You glance around, your heart pounding in your chest. The park is busy, as you hoped it would be—families walking their dogs, joggers passing by, kids playing on the swings. You focus on that, drawing strength from the bustling normalcy around you.
“This isn’t working,” you say finally, your voice trembling but resolute. “I can’t do this anymore.”
Neil stares at you, his expression darkening. “What are you talking about? What do you mean you can’t do this?”
“I mean us,” you say, forcing yourself to meet his gaze. “I don’t feel safe with you, Neil. The way you’ve been treating me—it’s not okay. And I can’t let it keep happening.”
He laughs bitterly, shaking his head. “Oh, come on, Y/N. Don’t tell me you’re letting your dad and his little Avengers club put ideas in your head. They’ve always hated me.”
“This isn’t about them,” you snap, surprising even yourself with the strength in your voice. “This is about you and the way you’ve treated me. You’ve been controlling, manipulative, and—”
“Manipulative?” he interrupts, his voice rising. “You’re the one who lied to your dad to see me! And now you’re turning this on me?”
Your throat tightens, but you hold your ground. “I lied because you pressured me to. And that’s exactly why this is over. I can’t keep sacrificing myself to make you happy.”
Neil’s face hardens, and for a moment, you think he might yell. But instead, he scoffs, stepping back with a sneer. “Fine. If that’s how you want it, Y/N. But don’t come crying to me when you realize you’ve made a mistake.”
He turns and walks away without another word, leaving you sitting on the bench, your heart pounding and your hands trembling. You take a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. It’s done. You did it.
When you return to the tower, Natasha is the first to greet you. She doesn’t say anything, just pulls you into a hug, her arms warm and reassuring. You bury your face in her shoulder, finally letting the tears fall. They’re not tears of sadness, but of release—a weight lifting off your chest.
Steve joins you next, his hand resting gently on your shoulder. “Proud of you, kid,” he says softly, and the warmth in his voice makes you smile through your tears.
Tony stands a few feet away, watching you with an unreadable expression. He doesn’t rush over like the others, but you can see the tension in his posture, the way he clenches and unclenches his fists. When the others step back, he clears his throat.
“Good job, kid,” he says, his voice gruff. But there’s something in his eyes—something deeper, more complicated—that makes your chest tighten.
The weeks that follow are a process of healing. Slowly but surely, you begin spending time with Steve again, though it takes effort to shake off the guilt and fear that Neil planted in you. Steve is patient, never pushing too hard, always letting you set the pace. His kindness reminds you of what real love and support look like, and you cling to that as you rebuild your sense of self.
Tony, however, takes the fallout the hardest. He’s quieter than usual, throwing himself into his work even more than normal. You notice the way he watches you when he thinks you’re not looking—like he’s searching for signs that you’re okay but too afraid to ask.
One evening, you find him in his workshop, hunched over a piece of tech. You knock lightly on the glass door, and he glances up, surprised.
“Hey,” you say, stepping inside. “Got a minute?”
“Always,” he says, setting down his tools and leaning back in his chair. “What’s up?”
You hesitate, unsure how to start. “I just…I wanted to check in on you. You’ve been…distant.”
Tony raises an eyebrow. “Distant? Me? No way. I’m a ray of sunshine.”
“Dad,” you say softly, cutting through his sarcasm. “I know you’re blaming yourself. And I just…I don’t want you to.”
Tony sighs, running a hand through his hair. “It’s hard not to, kid. You’re my daughter. My job is to protect you, and I feel like I failed.”
“You didn’t fail,” you say firmly, stepping closer. “You’ve always protected me. You’ve always been there for me. But you can’t control everything, Dad. And what happened with Neil—it wasn’t your fault.”
He looks at you, his eyes filled with guilt and pain. “I should have seen it, Y/N. I should have known something was wrong.”
“I didn’t even know something was wrong,” you say gently. “Not at first. And when I did, I was too scared to say anything. That’s not on you. That’s on me.”
Tony shakes his head, his voice breaking. “You’re just a kid, Y/N. You shouldn’t have had to go through that.”
You reach out, placing a hand on his arm. “I’m okay now, Dad. Because of you. Because of Steve and Nat. You guys helped me find the strength to stand up for myself. And that means everything to me.”
Tony’s eyes shine with unshed tears as he pulls you into a tight hug. “I love you, kid,” he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion. “More than anything.”
“I love you too, Dad,” you whisper, clinging to him like a lifeline. In his arms, you feel safe—truly safe—for the first time in months. And you know, no matter what happens, your family will always have your back.
Spin Off
The park is quiet in the early evening, with the faint sounds of laughter and rustling leaves carried on the wind. Neil sits on a bench, scrolling through his phone with an air of smug indifference. He hasn’t noticed the three figures approaching him, their presence cutting through the serenity of the setting like a blade.
Natasha is the first to reach him. She moves with purpose, her expression cold and unreadable, her steps almost silent. Steve follows closely, his jaw tight and his fists clenched. Tony lingers behind, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, but his face is a thunderstorm of barely contained rage.
Neil looks up just as Natasha reaches him, and his smirk falters when he meets her icy stare. “What the—”
Before he can finish his sentence, Natasha grabs the front of his shirt and yanks him to his feet with surprising strength. Her face is inches from his, her green eyes piercing. “We’re going to have a little chat,” she says coolly, her voice dripping with menace. “And by the end of it, you’re going to wish you never met Y/N.”
Neil’s mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water, but no words come out. He looks over Natasha’s shoulder, his eyes darting to Steve and Tony. Steve crosses his arms over his chest, his imposing frame casting a long shadow. Tony, meanwhile, takes a step forward, his lips curling into a dangerous smirk.
“Relax, junior,” Tony says, his tone mockingly casual. “We’re not here to hurt you. Much.”
Neil scoffs, regaining some of his bravado. “You can’t just—”
He doesn’t get to finish. Natasha shoves him back onto the bench, her movements quick and efficient. “Listen carefully, Neil,” she says, her voice sharp as a blade. “Y/N is family to us. And you? You crossed the line.”
Steve steps forward, his tone calm but firm. “You manipulated her. Controlled her. Hurt her. That ends now.”
“Or,” Tony adds, crouching down to Neil’s eye level, “we can make sure your life becomes very, very unpleasant. Your choice, Romeo.”
Neil’s smirk returns, though it’s more nervous than confident. “You can’t threaten me. I could call the cops, you know.”
Tony laughs, a dry, humorless sound. “Oh, please do. I’d love to explain to them how you pressured a seventeen-year-old girl into sneaking around behind her family’s back, tried to isolate her from the people who love her, and then threw a tantrum when she wouldn’t let you pressure her into something she didn’t want.”
Natasha leans in closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Here’s the thing, Neil. You don’t scare us. But we? We terrify you.”
Neil’s face pales, and he looks to Steve for some kind of reprieve, but the super-soldier’s expression is unyielding. “You don’t come near her again,” Steve says, his voice as solid as steel. “Not at school. Not at the park. Not anywhere.”
“And don’t even think about calling or texting her,” Tony chimes in, standing to his full height and looming over Neil. “Because if you do, I’ll know. And believe me, you don’t want me showing up at your house.”
Neil swallows hard, his bravado crumbling. “I-I get it,” he stammers. “I won’t bother her.”
“That’s not good enough,” Natasha says, her tone icy. “Say it like you mean it.”
“I won’t bother her,” Neil repeats, his voice shaking. “I swear.”
Tony steps closer, his face mere inches from Neil’s. “Good. Because if you so much as breathe in her direction again, I’ll make it my personal mission to ruin your life. And trust me, kid—I’m very good at what I do.”
Natasha lets go of Neil’s shirt, and he collapses back onto the bench, visibly shaken. She straightens her jacket, her gaze never leaving him. “Consider this your one and only warning.”
The three of them turn and walk away, leaving Neil frozen in place, his phone forgotten on the bench beside him. As they leave the park, Tony looks at Natasha and Steve, his expression still simmering with anger.
“I swear,” he mutters, “if he so much as thinks about Y/N again—”
“We’ll handle it,” Natasha says calmly, though her voice is laced with the same fury. “He knows better now.”
Steve nods, his jaw still tight. “She’s safe. That’s what matters.”
Tony exhales sharply, his hands still clenched into fists. “Damn right she is.” And with that, they leave Neil to stew in his fear, knowing full well he won’t dare cross their family again.
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zapreportsblog · 2 years ago
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Hiii, so, I don't know if you like the movies/series, if you don't, that's ok. I was thinking about a female reader who's living with Hannibal (don't really care if it's the TV or the movie one) and they're in a relationship, but she never tasted the human flash because she's vegan, buttttttt he started to tell her "it's not the same, humans are the ones hurting animals, mistreating the world, being cruel to anything and everyone, even with other humans", being manipulative, and she decides that It may be true after seeing something bad happening with animals and she tries and feel some sort of revange and that's the only meat she'll ever eat. I got it if you think it's too much or too weird, I just have a thing with Hannibal (??? Weird, I know) but thanks either way ☺️
I had to pause from starting a request because the fact you said “weird ik” caught my attention, there is nothing weird about having a thing for Hannibal I repeat, THERE 👏🏾IS 👏🏾NOTHING 👏🏾WRONG 👏🏾WITH 👏🏾HAVING 👏🏾A 👏🏾THING 👏🏾FOR 👏🏾HANNIBAL 👏🏾
Now lemme get started one this
❝humans are no different from animals❞
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✭ pairing : Hannibal lector x reader
✭ fandom : slashers x reader
✭ summary : (y/n) is Hannibal lectors vegan partner and she doesn’t necessarily minds his eating habits but when he brings some things to her attention she begins taking a different approach with her own eating habits
✭ authors note : wow my first hannibal lector story, to be a dick I added this to the vegan lifestyle tag that way if anyone goes there they can find my sick and twisted story :)
✭ slashers masterlist
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Hannibal Lecter, renowned psychiatrist and connoisseur of fine cuisine, found himself in an unexpected relationship with (Y/N), a passionate vegan who had never tasted meat. Their connection was both intriguing and complex, as their differing perspectives on food and ethics often collided.
One evening, as they sat together in Hannibal's elegant dining room, surrounded by the opulence of his home, the topic of Hannibal's unique culinary preferences arose. (Y/N), driven by curiosity and a desire to understand Hannibal on a deeper level, mustered the courage to broach the subject. "Hannibal," she began, her voice filled with genuine interest, "I've always wondered why you choose to consume human flesh. It seems contradictory to your beliefs and values."
Hannibal's piercing gaze met (Y/N)'s, his eyes filled with a mix of intensity and understanding. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before responding. "(Y/N), my dear, I understand your concerns and the apparent contradiction that arises from my dietary choices," he replied, his voice smooth and measured. "But allow me to shed some light on my perspective."
He paused for a moment, his fingers delicately intertwining as he continued, "Humans, unlike animals, possess a unique capacity for cruelty and destruction. We are the ones who have caused immense suffering to the animal kingdom, exploiting and mistreating them for our own gain." Hannibal's words hung in the air,
He paused, allowing his words to sink in, before continuing. "Humans are the ones who have caused immense suffering to animals, mistreated the world, and shown cruelty to one another. By consuming those who have committed heinous acts, I am, in a way, purging the world of its darkness."
(Y/N) listened intently, her brows furrowing as she grappled with the complexity of Hannibal's explanation. She had always believed in the inherent goodness of humanity, despite its flaws.
“But Hannibal," she replied, her voice tinged with a mix of concern and disbelief, "isn't it a slippery slope? How can you be sure that you're not becoming the very thing you despise?" Hannibal leaned back in his chair, his expression contemplative.
“I understand your concern, (Y/N). It's a delicate balance, one that I constantly navigate. But by consuming those who have caused harm, I believe I am serving justice in my own way. I am not indiscriminate in my choices; I carefully select those who have shown no remorse for their actions." He paused, his gaze unwavering.
"In a world filled with darkness, I strive to bring balance. By removing the wicked, I hope to create a world where goodness can flourish."
(Y/N) sat in silence, her mind swirling with conflicting thoughts and emotions. She had always believed in the power of compassion and forgiveness, but Hannibal's perspective challenged her deeply held beliefs.
It was now another day, or night in this case. The moon hung high in the night sky as (Y/N) found herself standing in Hannibal's meticulously designed kitchen, surrounded by the intoxicating aroma of a carefully prepared meal. Her heart raced with a mix of trepidation and curiosity, for tonight, she had made a decision that would forever change her perception of the world.
Driven by a desire for justice and a newfound understanding of Hannibal's perspective, (Y/N) had decided to partake in a meal of cooked human flesh. It was a choice born out of a deep-seated anger and a need to reclaim power in a world that often seemed cruel and unjust on animals.
As she sat at the dining table, Hannibal gracefully moved around the room, his presence both comforting and enigmatic. He understood the weight of (Y/N)'s decision and knew that this moment would be pivotal in their relationship.
“(Y/N)," Hannibal began, his voice a soothing melody, "what you are about to experience is a journey of emotions. It is natural to feel a mix of revulsion, curiosity, and even a sense of empowerment. Allow yourself to embrace these emotions, for they are the essence of our shared humanity."
With each carefully plated dish, Hannibal guided (Y/N) through the intricacies of her meal. The first bite, tender and succulent, filled her mouth with a richness she had never experienced before. The flavors danced on her tongue, a symphony of tastes that both intrigued and unsettled her.
As (Y/N) took another bite, her mind began to wander, memories of the injustices she had witnessed flooding her thoughts. She recalled the images of animals suffering at the hands of humans, the pain and cruelty inflicted upon them.
In that moment, the revulsion she had initially felt transformed into a simmering anger, a desire for retribution. Hannibal, ever perceptive, sensed the shift in (Y/N)'s emotions. He approached her with a calm demeanor, his eyes filled with understanding.
"(Y/N), my dear, anger can be a powerful force for change," he said softly. "But it is important to channel that anger towards a purpose, to seek justice rather than revenge. Remember, we are not defined by the darkness within us, but by how we choose to navigate it."
His words resonated within (Y/N), a reminder that her actions were not driven solely by vengeance but by a desire to bring balance to a world plagued by cruelty. She took a deep breath, allowing her anger to subside, replaced by a newfound sense of purpose.
With each bite, (Y/N) experienced a kaleidoscope of emotions. There was a strange satisfaction in consuming the flesh of those who had caused harm, a twisted sense of justice that she couldn't deny. And yet, there was also a lingering unease, a reminder of the fine line she walked between righteousness and darkness.
As the meal drew to a close, (Y/N) found herself grappling with the complexity of her choices. She had tasted the forbidden, walked a path few dared to tread. And in doing so, she had come face to face with the shadows that dwelled within her own soul. Hannibal, ever the guide, reached out and gently took (Y/N)'s hand.
“Remember, my dear, that darkness and light exist within us all. It is our choices that define us, and the way we navigate the shadows that determine our true nature."
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blackjackkent · 7 months ago
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OK, so, time to bring Gale to his face-off with his ex-girlfriend who happens to be god.
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We last left off on this subplot with Rakha encouraging Gale in his interest in reforging the Crown of Karsus - her rationale being that a) every god she's heard about (including Mystra) mostly seems to have been in the business of being mean to herself and her friends, and b) if (as Gale indicated) this would put gods and mortals on the same level, perhaps Bhaal would lose his influence over her.
Bhaal has now lost his influence over her anyway, so item B is a little less relevant, but I think still has some weight, insofar as she definitely doesn't want him to regain it, or frankly for anyone else to have to go through that in her stead.
So we're still fully on the path to God!Gale (I think) at this point, but we shall see how things play out.
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Narrator: There she stands, just as Elminster promised. Mystra - goddess of the Weave, mother of all magic.
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The air inside the tabernacle tingles against Rakha's skin as she approaches the statue Gale stands beside.
"The old man wasn't lying," Gale murmurs as she comes within earshot. "She's opened a summoning channel. Can't you feel it?"
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Narrator: Gale's right. The very air around the statue crackles with magic, as though the Weave itself were coursing beneath her stony skin.
It is, in a word, beautiful. Rakha isn't sure if everyone else around her can see it or not - but she can. The normal prismatic glint she sees over the skin of the world is far more powerful here, no mere flicker and texture but almost solid enough to reach out and touch. It sends warmth through her gut, and for a moment she closes her eyes, just letting the feeling of that intense, pure magic wash over her.
Even when Bhaal's blood still growled in the back of her mind, such a sight would have been incredible. Now, with her mind clear, it is transcendent.
This is who I am, she thinks abruptly, the idea coming completely unbidden, unlooked for. Beyond anything else, when the beast is gone, this is what remains - the magic. The beauty of it. The certainty of it.
She opens her eyes and finds that Gale, too, is eyeing the statue with muted wonder.
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"A stream of pure, undiluted Weave," he murmurs. "I only have to reach out, and it will carry me to Mystra, wherever she may be."
He hesitates, then fidgets his weight from foot to foot. Wyll, seeing his nervousness, smiles slightly.
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"Go on, my good man. You can't exactly deny a goddess, now can you?"
(A/N: Never mind that we literally just denied a god like two days ago. XD )
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Gale laughs, a little sheepishly. "Time was I'd have given my right arm for a chance to speak with Mystra again. The left one too. Maybe a knee..."
Rakha tilts her head. "I don't think she's that kind of goddess," she says - a bit wry, but also cautious, because there has been no kindness in the way Mystra has treated Gale either. Or the way Shar has treated Shadowheart, or the way Vlaakith has treated Lae'zel, or even the way Helm has treated Wyll, offering him only silence in his years cast out of the city.
Gale seems to be thinking along the same lines. "Thankfully not," he says dryly, "though she's not been averse to demanding the odd human sacrifice in recent days, has she?" He sighs, absently rubbing his hands against the skirt of his robe. "When I pictured this moment, I thought I'd feel more in control," he adds bitterly. "Yet here I am, with palms sweatier than a bugbear's armpit."
He snorts. "I always wondered what being nervous would feel like. I hate it."
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Rakha shakes her head slightly. She has no wisdom to offer in this regard. If she's honest, she feels very little awe or nerves at the idea of Mystra - only at the magic she controls. "Do you know what you're going to say to her?" she asks.
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He huffs out a heavy breath, rattling his lips. "During my time locked away in Waterdeep, I prepared a quite comprehensive speech for her on the subject of our former relationship, and the manner in which it ended." He glances sideways at the statue. "Alas, recent events have rendered the majority of it moot, so I'm going to have to improvise. Unless you have any words of wisdom to impart before I go?"
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Rakha blinks, puzzled. "You're not taking me with you?" she asks.
Gale gives a minute shake of his head. "The summoning channel Mystra has provided is for me alone. No one else is permitted to enter it, no matter how talented a user of the Weave they are."
Rakha frowns. She's surprised to realize the depth of her disappointment at this. Part of her, perhaps, had been eager to see Mystra's domain, which must surely be an even more concentrated and stunning connection with the Weave than the channel is - or even than the Astral Sea.
But she turns her head and examines it again and she can see now what he means. The magic is attuned to Gale specifically - to his body or to something deeper and more intrinsic. It follows his movements, dances with the rhythm of his breath. When she reaches out a hand towards it, it pushes back, as if she is trying to press her hand through a wall.
Damn, she thinks, irritated.
That irritation is still a wonder in itself, of course, with no beast in the back of her mind latching onto it, using it to fuel a hunger for blood. She can feel it and then it fades, without harming anyone.
She is not here for herself, anyway. She is here for Gale - and for them both to do what they can to limit the cruelty of the gods.
"Tell her the Crown will be ours soon enough,"(*) she says matter-of-factly.
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Gale draws a breath, and his eyes narrow in determination. "With pleasure. It's not often one has the chance to threaten a goddess and make good on it. Mystra won't be the one issuing the orders for much longer. She'll know exactly who's coming for her."
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He turns, reaching out a hand, and the Weave begins to swirl around him, drawing him in, swallowing him up. "This won't take long. And when I'm done, I'll be free of Mystra's yoke once and for all."
-----
(*) In-game line is "Make her squirm. Tell her the Crown will be ours soon enough," which didn't quite sound Rakha-ish.
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ryanslaura · 3 months ago
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the quarry - aftermath CHAPTER FOUR
this has been a draft for too long. MAN am I proud of it and excited for yall to read it<3
Cause I want to be seen With a fresh pair of eyes The single white tree In a black wood of disguise -Fresh Pair of Eyes Song by Brooke Waggoner
LAURA
The cacophony of sounds assaults me the moment I walk through the big automated doors and I let them carry me into the midst of the College fair, one goal in my mind:
To find a school suitable for my…passions.
My eyes scope out the circular room and the kind of people at each booth, trying to pinpoint the kind of programs they all might be interested in while squinting to read the banners beside them.
Kids Sports Coach? I was good at Soccer in school, but to teach it to a team of kids? I'll pass. Ever since counseling at Hacketts Quarry didn't work out, I've figured that kind of thing isn't for me anymore.
A teacher? Of what subject? That was mighty vague and not remotely what I'm interested in.
Reporter? My eyebrow raises and I approach the stand tentatively, squinting to read the soft text on the banner-
Meteorologist. Required: Degree in-
Nope! I mentally exclaim and stop myself from physically showing disappointment at yet another stand that isn't for me. I let my face contort though and wonder if I made the right choice after a girl walks by and eyes me warily, keeping a wide berth.
Shaking my head, I follow her with my gaze into the crowd all lined up to find something that works for them. They may have an array of different expressions, but they're all at least in line. My stomach starts to feel hollow and I know it isn't just because I skipped breakfast.
They know what they want to do and they know they'll find it here.
Me, not so much.
But Max wouldn't want me to give up.
At the painful thought of him I spin around, walking the perimeter anyway and deciding that just because he's gone doesn't mean I want to disappoint him.
I come across a booth reading ‘Get Involved! Do you have what it takes?’ Sounds like my kind of thing. Taking a double take, I turn toward it and approach, my heartbeat in my ears. What if I've found it?
The two women at the table look vaguely familiar but not enough for me to place it. No name tags either. I shrug off the need to search my brain for where I know them from and instead focus in on the banners, reading more about the program. Apparently, it's some sort of community effort, canvassing and such.
An image of myself in some stuffy uniform, walking in the hot sun going door to door with whatever flyers they want to give out makes me want to walk away.
“Hello.” One of them says, a little dryly. Is that how she expects to recruit people? “What drew you to us?”
I clear my throat and look away from the banners before another part of it catches my eye. ‘Make sure the public stays informed on the world's issues!’ Something about that itches my heart. I'm trying to put my finger on it when-
“Um, Ma'am?”
Something cracks open inside me and I physically recoil, startling the women, who jump back in their seats. “Are you okay?” The one who hasn't spoken yet says.
I try laughing it off, feeling my cheeks heating at reacting so violently to that stupid word.
Ma'am.
Hearing it put me right back in the car, next to Max in the dark of the woods, fully expecting to make it to camp and enjoy a full summer before going back to college and-
Gone.
All gone.
“Wait, I know you.”
“Tiffany I told you she looked familiar!” The one who spoke first whispers loud enough for me to hear. “That has to be her.”
The quieter one sits up straight and leans close to me. Maybe they somehow found out about what I did at Hacketts Quarry and think I’d be perfect for their program, but that can't be it…right?
“We’ve heard about you, and we know you like to cause… ruckus during the college recruitment process. We both think it would be best if you walked away now.” Oh, so they know me from the other thing I did that I'm not entirely proud of. Great.
She's saying it discreetly but she might as well be yelling to the entire room that I don't belong here and I wish my heart didn't feel like it was shattering at every single word.
To minimize the damage that was clearly already here, I step away and see the little avenue in my brain that opened up, momentarily giving me hope that perhaps I had a promising future darkening by the second.
I let my feet carry me away from the stand, away from the crowds and back out into the parking lot, but I can't walk far enough to not hear all the things Max might say if he saw me giving up like this.
Why didn't you fight for it? What happened to all the fire that almost got us killed? It took me leaving for you to know when to quit?
“Its no use!” I screamed at the voice, realizing a moment later that I'd said it out loud. The folks passing side eye me, moving away and for a moment I think about those moments in the catacombs underneath Hacketts Quarry, when I felt myself changing. When Ryan looked at me and made the grandma joke. And later when I came down and only saw meat before he spoke. These people have the same looks on their faces that he had then; like they're confused about who I am but don't want to know anything more.
In the middle of the parking lot I stop, not wanting to go back to my apartment or even my car. If my whole being became this parking lot for people to park in and walk to their futures maybe then this would all be better, maybe I would feel better.
So, I failed.
I sit there, wondering about what kind of future a jobless, degree-less, career-less girl with a need to get into dangerous situations would even have.
The world doesn't understand. Max didn't understand and for good reason. I hadn't seen Ryan since that night. I feel like an island with no connection to anything and all I can see is water around. It would be scary if I wasn't already drowning in the sand I'm standing in.
Maybe a small part of me thought I'd get a degree and a good job and cross paths with Max again, where he'd see that I was capable of being someone different than he knew.
On instinct, as I'd been doing off and on since he left, I reach for my phone and find an empty pocket.
My heart drops and I jump up, pawing the ground for it and coming up empty.
Where was the last time I had it? It was glued to my hand or in my pocket 24/7, how could it have just fallen out?
But then I remember thinking Max was on the phone, answering and hearing that voice that snatched me back to the past even more than the ‘ma'am’ had, more Travis nonsense about some position, some problem, some position that needed to be filled…
I stop moving for a moment and let myself consider it. Teaming up with Travis again… hunting just like I want, finally feeling that thrill from four years ago…
Max wouldn't be proud.
Well, he isn't here.
At this point I'm out of options.
And then I recall something from the call.
The first thing he said:
“I've been wanting to contact you both.” I wasn't the only one, but the only way to find out who they were is to call Travis back and ask.
The hanging-on-by-a-thread part of me thought it could be Max. But the logical part thought of a different boy, a boy who made this new position even more interesting.
Because I know why Travis wants me, but why would he want Ryan? He'd never been on board, and yeah he fared well, but I doubt he'd ever go within ten feet of any creatures again.
But if I'm desperate enough to pick up the phone, what if Ryan is too?
What if I'm not alone in all this?
As I run to my car, the part of me that has nothing to lose hopes my cracked phone still works well enough to call back.
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soulcluster · 8 months ago
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some thoughts about Lucanis & Spite, with Veilguard + Tevinter Nights spoilers
I've been thinking lately about Lucanis and Spite and especially in comparison to Anders and Justice. I haven't seen all of his paths in the game yet, but a supported Lucanis is able to make peace with Spite and the two start to work together as one. They hardly face the same challenges as Anders and Justice did. I thought about this for awhile and I think partially it can be traced back to how the two men were trained.
Lucanis is obviously not a mage, but as a Crow he did undergo severe training. Tevinter Nights explains how his grandma beat him with her cane, that he can still feel the tingle of it on his back, and how she starved him for days when training him as a crow. he says in Veilgaurd that he resented her for it...but that he doesn't anymore.
To me, I think he just repressed all of his feelings on the matter out of survival. he could not escape the crows, he could not escape his family, but if he kept resenting how he had been raised then it wouldn't end well for him (this is my speculation/headcanon, I'm unsure yet if this is expanded on in some manner I haven't seen yet)
Spite was forced on him after a year of being locked away and tortured, and I think Lucanis only came out of that as well as he did because he'd already been subjected to something similar in his youth. And despite these circumstances, Spite and Lucanis don't seem to have the same dynamic/issues as Anders and Justice.
Pivoting to Anders, one of the Veilguard codexes talks about possession.
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Anders isn't the first companion we've had with a spirit either. Wynne was possessed by a spirit of compassion and those two co-existed. Easier, I'm sure, since that emotion was much more benevolent, but I think it's also important to note that Wynne was older when it happened and much more confident in herself. Even when Anders accepted Justice, he was Justice and not Vengeance.
So to me one of the big key differences between Lucanis and Anders is that Anders received poor training from the Ferelden Circle, and though he grew to be proud of his magic and would fight for mage rights, he was still raised with that shame. That lack of foundational training made it easier for him to have a rift with Justice. However, if that was all, maybe things would've turned out OK. Probably the bigger factor to Anders was Kirkwall itself. It was a hotbed of blood magic, which weakened the Veil and made things unstable. Kirkwall was also pretty much a cursed location because of all the slaves and blood magic that had been there previously.
Lucanis has the benefit of both being a very disciplined man and also spending most of his time at the Lighthouse. It's said somewhere, probably one of the banters or convos around the place, that the Lighthouse protects them all from the worst of the Fade. It's a much more peaceful location compared to Kirkwall and Lucanis was not dealing with a very personal, long standing struggle for mage rights that would see him and those he loved dead if he didn't do something. They're in such vastly different circumstances with vastly different personalities and ways to approach their problems. Comparing them has been really interesting
When I write Lucanis I do plan to do a bit more with Spite, but right now I'm also still soaking up a lot of info. My first playthrough I saved Treviso and this time I plan to save Minrathous and I know Lucanis takes that hard so I'm eager to see how his personality shifts.
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adminbryantsaki · 4 months ago
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Draco Malfoy and the Family Curse(repost)
Naga! Draco Malfoy x Slytherin! Female! Reader
(I do not own Draco Malfoy. J.K. Rowling and Warner Brother Studios.  If this isn't your cup of tea, blend of spices, or brew of coffee, please feel free to move along. Reader discretion is advised)
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TW:, Arranged marriage, Family curse, hybrid transformation(dragon and naga), Reader is a half dragon hybrid, Au where Sirius didn’t go to Azkaban, Lucius is nice, pain, animal transformation.
WC: 28,025
You’re spending the summer at Malfoy Manor with your dads, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black as you usually do. It’s the year before you’re expected to get your acceptance letter to Hogwarts and you’re sitting at the breakfast table in the kitchen next to Draco, Remus and Sirius are making themselves plates of food while Lucius and Narcissa are sitting across from each other next to Draco. You look up and hear the owls chirp. They come through the window and land on the perch on the dining table, holding two letters from Hogwarts in their beaks. “THEY CAME!” Draco exclaims as he stands up from his seat and grabs his letter from the snowy owl and grabs yours from the dark grey owl the hand it to you. You see the aged parchment of the envelopes and the Hogwarts school crest stamped into the red wax sealing the letter. You’re quietly buzzing in excitement as you look up at Remus and Sirius watches you with a gleam of excitement in their eyes. You opened yours just as eagerly as Draco was, tension filling the air as the both of you read your letters. “I got in!” You exclaimed and hugged your dads as Draco read over his too. You looked over to Draco and read over his shoulder to try and see what his letter said too.
“What does yours say, Draco?” You asked him as you tried reading his letter too but he pulled it to his chest.
“I’m not gonna tell you.” He spoke, his smug grin playing across his lips.
“Kidding, I got in too, Y/n.” He told you a moment later and gave you a hug as he was happy that the two of you would be going to the same school together and hopefully you would join him in Slytherin when the two of you went to Hogwarts. Lucius looks happy that the two of you were going to Hogwarts together but you caught the man pushing his chair out and looking to your dads as if it were time that the three of them to discuss a subject that had since long since been delayed when you and Draco had been born. Remus and Sirius had both wiped their mouths and thanked Narcissa for the food before following Lucius out of the kitchen and into his study.  Narcissa helped Dobby, their house elf clear the plates before looking to the pair of you.
“Run along, why don’t you? Your fathers need to discuss something important.” She spoke and looked to Dobby. “Watch over the children. I’ll care for the dishes, Dobby.” She spoke and the house elf nodded.
“Of course, Mistress.” He spoke and followed you and Draco out of the kitchen and into the living room that connected to Lucius’s office where you could hear the muffled voices of your Papa and Dad talking to Lucius. You began walking over to the door to try and eavesdrop when Draco grabbed your wrist.
“Don’t. Father doesn’t like it when I try to eavesdrop. I don’t think he will like it when you do either.” He told you and pulled you to the carpet in front of the fireplace, Dobby tending to the fire to make sure it was warm enough with the poker, and smiling a little when you and Draco approached.
“I hope the fire is hot enough for Miss y/n and Master Draco.” He spoke before hopping down to assist the two of you with whatever you needed. Draco got up on a stool to reach a shelf where he pulled a chessboard down from a shelf and set it up in front of you. “The fire is perfect, Dobby, thank you.” You told him before going to Draco and setting up the white pieces.
“Do you know how to play?” He asked as he pulled out the pieces and set up the board. You nodded and helped him set up the different pieces that went into Wizard Chess. You shifted your back uncomfortably as you set up the pieces and Draco noticed. “You know you don’t have to hide them around me. I really like seeing them.” He spoke and you gave out a sigh of relief as you let your majestic black leathery wings unfold your back, your powerful tail show from under the back hem of your shirt and flick around, a pair of pale, spiraling horns grow out from your dark curls, and patches of scales on bronze and black show on your skin, a patch appearing on your neck and stopping just at the corner of your mouth as you allowed yourself to fully transform.
Draco and Dobby watched you in awe as you looked at them with your golden eyes. “Miss Black looks lovely.” Dobby says before Draco says to get them both some hot chocolate and the elf scurries off to make the drinks for them since Draco wanted to be alone with you. He reached out to touch your wing before pulling his hand back, remembering he needed to ask before touching your dragon features.
“May I touch your wings and horns?” He asked, shoving his hands under his arms.  You chuckled and nodded, tilting your head to him. Draco reached over and touched your horns gently, as if they were made of porcelain. “They aren’t gonna shatter at your touch, Draco.” You reassured him and he sighed. “They look so pretty though.” He told you and ran his fingers over the ridges that showed the layers of growth.
“Thank you.” You told him and moved your wings forward so Draco could touch them.  Draco reached out and touched your wings gingerly, treating them as if they were as fragile as ancient parchment and to treated with the most delicate care that he could muster. “Draco, I’m not made of glass. I’ll be okay.” You reassured him as he spread your wing a little to see just how large the wingspan is. “They’re huge! Have you tried flying with them yet?” He asked as he looked back at you. “No… I’m too scared and there isn’t much room to fly around at home without Muggles noticing.” You told him and he looked a little sad and nodded in understanding.
“You know you could try flying here. We have plenty of space here and father always makes sure to keep the grounds cloaked and we’re far enough away that no Muggles will ever find out. You’d be safe here and we would support you.” He whispered as he pressed his forehead to yours, holding your hand in his as he ran his thumb over your knuckles, showing you support, only looking up to you to place a gentle kiss on your forehead. He finished setting up the chessboard and the two of you began playing the game, occasionally looking to the door to Lucius’s study.
“What do you think they’re talking about?” Draco asks.
“Dunno. Work maybe.” You respond as you move your chess piece on the board. You  look up when you hear the door to the office open, seeing your dad, papa, and Lucius all exit the office. Sirius, your papa walks over with his gentle smile on his face and gleam in his eye. Sirius holds his hand out to you and you stand up. “Come with me into the kitchen, love. You and Draco can finish your game in a moment, you, dad, and I need to talk about something important.” He told you as your hand was in his.
Sirius led you into the kitchen with Remus trailing behind the pair of you. Once you were seated at the kitchen table, Remus handed you a chocolate chip cookie and a cup of tea before both he and Sirius sat across from you, watching you enjoy your cookie as you dunk it into the mind tea that complimented the chocolate of the cookie. Remus nudged his partner as Sirius was hesitated telling you the important news.   “Y/n, as you know, your dad and I have been talking with Mr. Malfoy. I’m sure you and Draco have been curious as to what we have been discussing.” Sirius began as he watched you happily eat at your cookie and listen to him speak.
“I have been curious what you and Mr. Malfoy have been talking about for hours at a time all locked away in his office. What is it, Papa?” You ask as you take a bite of your cookie. Sirius sighs, looked to Remus who gave him a reassuring nod, and turned his gaze back to you, relishing your youthful innocence before speaking. Sirius took a deep breath before speaking.
“You have been arranged be married to Draco Malfoy when both you an him turn eighteen and have graduated Hogwarts together. Its for your own good and we want you to be happy.” Sirius spoke. You felt like a bomb had been dropped as your life had been planned for you without your say in the matter. The rest of your cookie was dropped to the table as you slid off the bench and ran out of the room, you had felt like the room was suffocating you and you needed to get out of there.
You went into the dining room where Lucius and Narcissa were talking with Draco whose eyes were wide as saucers. Arranged? You were eleven! You were going to Hogwarts in the fall with Draco as your best friend, not your future husband! You run to Draco in the dining room and hug him, not wanting this revelation to be true.
“Please tell me that it’s not true.” You ask as you pull away and look him in the eyes. Draco’s happy face falters when he sees your distraught expression and he cupped your cheek with his hand as he matched your gaze.
“It’s true, y/n, we’re arranged to be married when we graduate Hogwarts.” He says, a little happy. You look terrified at his words and you pull away as the room suddenly feels stuffy and you couldn’t breathe. “Th-this is seven years from now, Draco.” You tell him as you try to wrap your mind around the situation. Your body showing more stress as you felt the walls of the manor closing in on you. You saw Draco’s face express concern as you gripped his hands and you felt your papa’s hand rub your back comfortingly.
“Pup, I know you’re nervous, but we wanted to ensure you’ll be happy. You know we won’t be here forever and with your hybrid status, your dad and I wanted you to have a husband.” Sirius told you. You gripped Draco’s hands harder before letting them go, your pupils dilating to slits before staring up at your papa.
“This is because you don’t think I’ll find a husband on my own? You really think I won’t because of my appearance? You decided who I will marry for me? How could you!” You exclaim before shoving your papa’s hand off your back and you storm out of the manor with Remus and Sirius following you. Lucius grab’s Draco’s arm as he stood up to try and go after you. “Let her go cool off, Draco. Her fathers will hopefully speak some reason into her.” He spoke and Draco nodded, he wanted to go after you so badly as he hated seeing you distressed like this. You went outside and unfolded your wings a little as you ran off into the maze of the rose gardens. You didn’t want this.
You didn’t want to be forced to marry Draco. You wanted to marry him of your own volition. Not because some pureblood tradition was in place. You let tears stream from your face as you found a water fountain near the center of the garden with stone benches that you could hide under as you heard your dad’s voices, Draco’s and Lucius’ voices get closer.  You slipped under one of the stone benches as you heard your dads’ voices get closer. You wrap your wings around yourself to hide yourself better as the adults walked past the fountain area but you saw Draco’s shined shoes stop in front of the bench where you were hiding and he bent down, seeing your black, leathery wing just peeking out of the shadows.
“I know its you hiding under there. What are you doing down here?” You heard him ask as he got on his hands and knees and crawled under the bench with you. You unfolded your wings to enclose him in your hiding spot in case the adults circled back around. “I’m hiding.” You told him as he pulled himself up to hug his knees to his chest so he could fit inside of your wings as you pulled them around him. “Why do we need to hide?” He asked. “I don’t wanna marry you under arrangement.” You told him and he looked a little upset but he held your hands in comfort.  
“What are you saying? You don’t want to get married to me at all?” He asked as concern crosses his face as he didn’t want to lose you. He had grown to love you, arrangement or not. “I didn’t expect my dads to tie me off to someone just because they were afraid, I’d never find a husband because of my appearance. I’d want to marry you, arrangement or not.” You tell him, frustration lacing your voice as you tug your legs closer to your chest. Draco laced his fingers with yours and held your gaze as he was surprised you still wanted him.
“You still want me?” He asked quietly. Your golden eyes snapped up to his and you nodded. “But I don’t want to be pushed into a marriage right out of school. I to have a job and a life.” You told him as you looked panicked and worried as you felt your dreams being taken away from you. You looked into his silvery eyes as he had a spark of curiosity as to what you wanted to be when you graduated Hogwarts. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” He asked with awe and wonder in his eyes.
“I want to study Magizoology and be a teacher at Hogwarts. Dad and Papa have told me so much about the school and their adventures there when they went to school that I love it so much and want to live there all the time.” You tell him, Draco nods as he wants this dream of yours to come true. He pressed his forehead to yours and locked eyes with you. “I don’t mind waiting. I want you to achieve your goals just as much as you do, Y/n. I understand not wanting to rush into a marriage. I don’t want to get married right out of school either. I want to be a potion master when I grow up. But I also must live up to my father’s expectations too.” Draco confesses as he holds your hands, gripping them tightly and rubbing his thumbs across the back of them in reassurance.
You took deep breaths and closed your eyes until you heard your dads’ footsteps and the footsteps of Mr. Malfoy and that walking stick of his approach and Draco holds you close. “We have to come out of the bench, Y/n.” He told you and you whined, not wanting to leave the safety of your hiding spot just yet.  Your whine, however was the thing that gave the two of you away. You felt the tap of Lucius’s stick and you flinched, hissing and drawing away from where Lucius was standing You were going to try and slip out from the back end of the bench before you heard your dad defend you.
“Don’t hurt my daughter like that. Its your proposal that sent her running in the first place. She doesn’t need to be tapped with a stick to come out of her hiding spot just because you found her.” Remus said to Lucius in a firm tone. “She doesn’t need to hiss like some feral animal when I try to encourage her out of her… unusual hiding spot. Draco. Come out from under there, you’ll get your clothes duties if you haven’t already.” Lucius spoke and Draco hesitantly left your side and scrambled to his feet, brushing the dirt from his pants. You reached for Draco as you wanted his comfort but all he could do was help you to your feet, helping you brush the dirt off your clothes too and holding you close. Lucius forces a smile when he sees you and ignores the protective glares from Sirius and Remus.
“Ah, there you are, Y/n. I’m glad to see you’ve come back to join us.” Lucius says to you and gestures for you to talk to him off to the side. You glance to your dad who nods to you, you leave Draco’s side to follow Lucius a small distance away from your dads and Draco. “Are you alright? I didn’t mean to hurt you when I tapped you with my cane, Y/n.” He said in a hushed tone as he looked at your wings for any sign of injury. “I am fine, Mr. Malfoy. Your gesture just caught me off guard.” You told him in the formal tone you had practiced with your dads. Lucius’s gaze softened.
“Good. I am glad you’re not harmed. Let’s head back, shall we?” He spoke and led you back to where your dads and Draco were waiting. You went to Draco’s side and he looked you in the eyes. “Are you alright? I know my father can be harsh. “I’m fine. Let’s just go back in and tell them that we want to prolong things.” You told him and walked back inside the manor with Draco, behind your dads and Lucius, holding hands as you did. Once inside, Draco led you to stand in front of the fireplace and looking to the men that had taken seats in front of you. “You two look like you have something you’d like to tell us.” Sirius pipes up after a moment of silence. Draco grips your hands and looks at the men.
“Y/n has told me that she wishes to prolong the marriage so she may pursue her dream of being a magizoologist and become a professor at Hogwarts.” Draco speaks for you, knowing you were too nervous to speak for yourself right then. You looked up from staring at the faux fur rug at your dads who were aware of your dream, Lucius, your future father-in-law wasn’t too happy with your wishes. “You should be lucky I even offered for Draco to be arranged to you, now you want to go and have a job instead of marrying him right out of school? You ungrateful-.” Lucius began as he stood up and approached you.
“I will still marry Draco. Just not right away. I am grateful to be arranged to him.” You told him as you found your voice and stood between Lucius and Draco. You held your hands behind your back, letting your golden eyes lock on Lucius’s grey ones. “I wish for you to respect my wishes. It is a job that I can do even while married to Draco. If you haven’t heard, your son wishes to be a potion master. I believe if he pursues this dream, he may even be potions professor at Hogwarts.” You tell him, letting your tail flick warily as you waited Lucius’s answer. Lucius found his composure and waved his hand of the matter.
“Are you sure of this? I’m sure you’re aware of my family’s wealth. You don’t need to work to make money, Y/n.” Lucius said as he was trying to change your mind of what you wanted. “I am well aware of your wealth, Mr. Malfoy. Think of this as a hobby then that I’d get paid for. Same for Draco.” You respond. Lucius pinches the bridge of his nose as Sirius chuckles at your boldness, getting swatted on the arm by Remus. Your eyes flicked to them before going back to Lucius as he recomposed himself. “Very well then. The both of you may pursue these careers. Once the both of you have secured jobs at Hogwarts with a decent pay, then you will be married, is that understood?” He spoke sternly and you nodded, keeping eye contact with Lucius who gave you a curt nod before retiring to his office for some fire whiskey with your dads.
You looked to Draco as you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding in. He hugged you as Sirius walked up behind you. “You were great, darling. You did so well speaking for yourself. Your mother would have been proud.” Sirius says as he puts a hand on your back for a moment before leaving you and Draco alone to join his husband and in-law in the study. “I was proud of you too, Y/n. Its amazing how bold you can be when you put your mind to something.” Draco spoke as he held you close and the two of you went back to your chess game that the two of you had yet to finish.
~~~Three days later~~~ You and Draco were holding hands, walking down the uneven brick road of Diagon alley with Lucius trailing behind you both and keeping a close eye on the pair of you. Since your fathers had been called away for business, Lucius offered to pay for your school things, knowing that he would allow his future daughter-in-law to have only the best. You however knew your dads had secretly been called to attend an Order meeting back at Grimmauld Place. You would never tell Lucius or Draco that you and your dads were apart of the Order of the Phoenix. You instead kept your eyes on the piece of paper in your hands that held the list that you and Draco would ne ed for the upcoming school year.  You gripped Draco’s hand as you read off the list.
“We need: Three sets of plain black work robes, one plain black pointed hat for daytime wear, one pair of dragon hide gloves, one winter cloak that’s black with silver fastenings…we need wands.” You say nervously and look to Ollivander’s Wand shop. Draco followed your gaze and held your hand. Draco reassured you. “I’m sure they will be able to slip away to watch you get your first wand, Y/n.” Draco reassured you, rubbing your shoulder and making sure you stick close to him as he guided you to Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions to get your robes, cloak, gloves, and hat.
While the two of you were in the store, Draco had found some dress robes that he thought would look good on you. “What do you think of these, Y/n?” He asked as he held up an emerald green crushed velvet dress with silver accents to you, wondering if you liked them, trying to distract you from the fact that your dads weren’t there with you. You gave him a fake smile as you touched the fabric of the dress.
“It’s pretty.” You told him before you let the fabric of the dress leave your hand and you turned to some of the other dresses on the rack. The dress he was showing you didn’t quite fit your taste as it reminded you of all the other dresses the women would wear to the stuffy, old fashioned parties the Malfoy family would throw throughout the year and you’d attend them with your dads. “Not your taste,Y/n? Tell me why.” He spoke as he was interested in what you liked and didn’t like. He put the emerald green dress back on the rack before looking to you, curling a finger under your chin and tilting your head up to him so he could look you in the eyes. “There’s those pretty golden eyes, I could get lost in them, you know. Now tell me why you didn’t like the dress.” He asked again.
“That dress reminds me of the stuffy parties that your family would throw all the time. I’d rather have something like this.” You tell him as you pull out a girl’s suit that had a galaxy pattern displayed all over the fabric with black accents that moved when you shifted the suit around and held it up in front of you.
“You would look beautiful in that.” Draco told you, leaning in and whispering into your ear as his father came over to check on the two of you. Lucius looks to the suit you’re holding up and raises an eyebrow. “That’s an impressive suit, Y/n. But isn’t it a …bit bold and unconventional?” He asked as his eyes flicked to the emerald green dress on the rack that Draco had shown you only moments before. “Yes, but I still like it. Papa says I am a bold and unconventional person.” You tell him and add the suit to the pile, knowing Lucius couldn’t do a thing since he was paying for what you wanted to get for the upcoming school year and any events that you were to attend at his manor throughout the year as Draco’s date. Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose and pulled out a pouch of coins for you and Draco to pay for your robes before moving onto the next store. Draco helped you with the amounts and paid for his own robes before handing the leftover coins to his father and taking your hand and leading you out of the store.
“Where would you like to go next, Y/n? Flourish and Blotts for our books? The apothecary to get our items for potions? Or do you want a break and have me spoil you with some ice cream at the Parlor?” Draco whispered into your ear. Lucius came up to his side and tapped him with his cane. “Don’t be so close in public, Draco.” He scolded gently. “Yes, Father.” Draco spoke as he gripped your hand and led you to the ice cream parlor with the name Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream parlor above the door. Draco held the door open for you and followed you inside, Lucius staying outside the shop as a familiar face had walked up to him and began talking. Draco guided you to the counter and leaned into your ear.
“Pick whatever you like. Father gave me enough to spoil you a little.” He said into your ear, which made you blush. You went about picking what you wanted, watching Draco do the same and paying for both before walking with you to a nearby table and eating your sweet treats.
Once the treats had been consumed, Draco stood up and helped you dispose of your napkins before rejoining his father outside.
“Did the two of you enjoy yourselves?” Lucius asked as he finished a conversation with a coworker of his.
“Yes, we did, father.” Draco spoke, holding the pouch of coins up to his father. “Hold onto it for now. That’s for you to buy things for Y/n.” You hear Lucius whisper to Draco before the two of you walked on to Flourish and Blotts, wanting to save the wand shopping for last, hoping your dads would come to see you get your first wand. It was a bit far-fetched but you could only hope to wish that they would arrive. You led the men into the bookstore and went about looking for your school books, Draco sticking close to you and grabbing copies of the same books in silence. Draco did leave your side for a moment, going to the empty journals and trying to pick one out that he though you would like. He eventually settled on a brown, leather-bound journal with a dragon etched into the cover. Lucius approached and looked over his son’s shoulder at what he had selected for you.
“Does she keep a journal, Draco?” He whispered into his son’s ear as he put his hand on Draco’s shoulder. “She does. Her current one is almost full.” He spoke as he looked at you as you were picking your copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. “Good option then. Just know its an invasion of privacy to read her journals unless she asks you, Draco.” Lucius says before walking around the store and checking on you, keeping you distracted about what your favorite creatures were while Draco purchased the journal and left his school books at the register for his father to pay for before he walked to you, holding the journal behind his back. “I’ll go pay for your books and Draco’s, Y/n. You two go outside and I’ll find you after.” Lucius spoke as he gave a knowing look to Draco who smirked as his father walked off. Draco guided you outside the store and pulled you off to the side, away from the main crowd. He presented the journal to you.
Your eyes widening and you accept the journal, thanking him and telling him that your current diary was almost full. Draco smiled, not letting you know that he had known that for a while now. You hugged him and he returned the hug. As you pulled away, Draco pecked your cheek, leaving you flustered. Draco held your hand as Lucius found the both of you.
“The last thing on both your lists is your wands. Are you ready?” Lucius asked. Draco’s eyes lit up but you were unsure. Your dads hadn’t shown up yet. You wanted your dad and Papa here with you to experience you getting your first wand but you figured they were super busy with Order work which you understood but still found it unfair. Lucius knelt to your level and met your gaze.
“I know you want your fathers here, Y/n. We can wait outside the store for a little while. I’m sure they will show up.” Lucius says before he stands and guides the both of you to a small table near Ollivander’s wand shop, sipping on some cream sodas while you waited. You hardly touched your soda while you gazed at the worn-down brick of the road before you heard the pop of apparition. Your head snapped up and saw your dads standing outside Ollivander’s wand shop, looking around before their eyes landed on you. They both seemed a little out of breath and slightly disheveled, receiving a raised eyebrow from Lucius as they approached the three of you.
“Did you get your wand already?” Sirius asked as his eyes met yours, Remus standing beside him. You shook your head.
“No, we were gonna go in soon though. But Mr. Malfoy let me wait for a bit because I wanted you and dad to be here. You and dad always told me that the moment a wand chooses the witch or wizard is important.” You told them. Remus smiled and Sirius had that familiar twinkle in his eye that always gave you a warm feeling in your chest. You finished your soda and hopped off the chair, going into the store with Draco. Mr. Ollivander walked to the front of the store and greeted you both.
“Well, hello there! I see that Mr. Malfoy and Miss Black finally came to my shop. I was wondering when the two of you would arrive.” He spoke and glanced up to the window, seeing Remus, Sirius, and Lucius looking in at us. “Ah yes, I remember when both your fathers came in here for their first wands. Now, lets have Miss Black go first, shall we?” Ollivander spoke and handed you a wand first. You flick the wand, something in the shop breaks, Ollivander takes the wand away, and hands you another. You test that wand and green sparks shoot from the tip.
“Not quite. Hmmm. Maybe a different core to match your mother’s hybrid status, yes. How about this one?” He asks, handing you a lovely wand that you take in your hand and test out on a partially dead flower on the counter that’s immediately brought back to life. It’s the perfect one. “Excellent, This wand was made from hornbeam wood, with a dragon horn core, twelve and three-quarters inches. Resilient. A perfect fit for you, Miss Black.” Ollivander spoke, letting you hold onto the wand before turning to Draco and studying him for a moment. Mr. Ollivander taps his chin before going to the back of the store and coming back to the front with a black wooden box in hand. He set the box down and took the lid off, presenting the wand to Draco.
“Hawthorn, unicorn hair, ten inches, reasonably springy.” Ollivander says as he hands the wand to Draco, glancing up to Lucius who was watching his son receive his first wand, then back down to Draco who flicked the wand at a nearby candle, lighting it on the first try. His eyes lit up and he looked to you before looking to his dad for approval, a forced smirk on his face. He looked down to his wand and stared at it in awe. His eyes flicked up to meet your gaze again. He gave you a genuine smile before turning to his dad who was followed by your fathers as they had quietly entered the shop after Draco had gotten his wand.
Lucius had stepped forward to Ollivander to pay for the wands as you hugged your dads and showed them your wand, glancing to Draco as he stood by his father who was looking for a wand holster for Draco. You turned your attention back to your dads who had knelt to your level as you were bubbling with excitement as you told them about how you felt when you waved the wand and saw the flowers come back to life. “You did such a good job, darling. Make sure to take good care of your wand. Why don’t you go pick a holster for your wand?” Remus suggested and walked with you to the display of different holsters for your wand and helping you settle on a black one that Lucius insisted on paying for. You hugged your dads again as they had to leave again, saying they had to get back to work. You were sad to see them disappear into the crowd of witches and wizards attending their errands. Draco stood by your side and held your hand, placing a gentle kiss on your temple.
“They will be back tonight, Y/n. Don’t worry. Now what’s left on the list?” He asked, wanting to distract you from you missing your dads. He wanting nothing more but to get you back to Malfoy Manor and comfort you. “Well, we can either get owls or not get them. I’d rather just use the owls there at school to send letters.” You told Draco and he agreed. The two of you wrapped up the list, going to the apothecary to complete the list, Lucius rewarding you both with butterbeers at the Leaky Cauldron as he had some business to attend to. You and Draco had dropped off your school items in your rooms before going down to the tavern. Lucius had the pair of you sit at a table, ordering the two of you butterbeers while he went to another table in the corner, keeping the two of you in his sight. Draco took a sip of his drink and watches you take a drink out of yours.
“Tell me something, Y/n. Are you just as nervous about going to school as I am?” he asked and looked at you as he gripped the handle of his mug. You looked down at the foamy surface of your butterbeer before looking up to Draco. You were nervous and you were happy to know that he was nervous too.
“I am nervous. What if we’re sorted into different houses? Then we wouldn’t be together as often.” You said with a pout.
“Don’t stress it. I’m sure we will both end up in the same house.” He reassured you by holding your hand.
“Which house do you want to be in?” You asked. Draco looked back to his father then to you.
“I hope to end up in Slytherin, like my mother and father did. As for you, I’d hope you’d be in Slytherin with me but I’d still like you no matter what house you ended up in.” He told you as he rubbed his thumb over the back of your hand. You felt a little relieved that he said that as you secretly wanted to be in Slytherin too since you had known that every other member of the Black family was in Slytherin but your father. You mother had been in Ravenclaw. You didn’t know what house the hat would put you in so you’d have to wait until the two of you got to the school and were sorted. You drained your butterbeer and stood up with Draco after he finished his drink too before the two of you went up to your joined rooms. Draco pulled you into his room and laid on his bed, pulling you close to cuddle you close while Lucius finished up his business downstairs.
Lucius finished up his business downstairs before coming up to Draco’s room and finding you asleep in Draco’s arms.  Lucius smiled softly and let the two of you sleep before going to his own room to work.
Draco woke up before you did, watching you sleep peacefully before you stirred. He ran a hand through your hair gently, enjoying your curls that matched your papa’s. Lucius knocked on the door before opening it and saw the two of you. “I’m sorry to have to wake her but its time for us to head back to the manor. She can rest in your room with you when we get home, Draco.” Lucius spoke and Draco shook your shoulder gently to wake you. You grumbled and opened your eyes to look at him.
“There you are, Y/n. Time to go home.” You heard Draco say as he stroked your hair and you blinked a couple times before sitting up and climbing out of bed, feeling ashamed as you had been caught close to Draco. Lucius saw your expression and stepped inside, a smirk on his face.
“You’re fine, Y/n.” Lucius spoke and gave you reassuring smile. You climbed out of the bed, straightening your clothes, and grabbing your school items, tucking them away in your trunk before wheeling it out of the room, Draco and Lucius following behind you as the three of you went to the floo system in the Leaky Cauldron to go back to Malfoy Manor.
Once you had set your trunk in your room, Draco pulled you to his side and guided you to his room. “Draco? What are you doing? I want to read my Fantastic Beasts book!” You protested as he pulled you into his bed with him. “You can read that later. Right now, I think you need to be held and I want to hold you.” Draco spoke and wrapped his arms around you, holding you close to his chest. You held him back and rested your head on his shoulder. “Talk to me. Tell me about yourself.” You asked as you looked up at him. “Well. I am looking forward to spending the school year with you. I’m excited to fall in love with you, learn about potions. I hope I’ll have time for drawing.” He tells you as he rubs lazy circles on your back. “You like to draw?” You asked him and he nodded, pulling away from you to grab his sketchbook. He handed it to you. you flipped through it and there were many different designs of dress robes, school uniforms, and casual wear. A lot of them were for women and winged hybrids like you. from button up backs, lace up backs, and Velcro backs, there were all kinds of fixture for clothing accommodating hybrids like you. A set of dress robes that was a hybrid of a suit top and the skirt of a women’s dress that looked to be made with your species in mind. Draco had drawn the structure of your wings spread slightly perfectly and with intense detail. “This is amazing, Draco. I didn’t know you drew so well. I love them all.” You told him as you looked at other designs.
“You know I could make you anything you wanted to wear, Y/n. Just say the word and its yours.” He whispered into your ear. You blushed bright pink and cuddled into him. He held you close as he showed you other designs and talked to you about how he was excited to learn potions. He even got his potions book from his pile of school items and showed you his favorite potions that he was looking forward to learning about like the draft of the living death and the wiggenwield potions. He paused on Amortentia and looked to you. “I wonder what you’d smell with this one, darling?” He asked as he showed the page to you and smiled softly.   “Maybe I’d smell you? I don’t know yet.” You responded, unsure of what you’d actually smell. ~~~ At King’s Cross Station~~~ You were pushing your trolley down the walkway with Draco right next to me. Lucius, Narcissa, Remus, and Sirius following behind us. We approach the pillar that separates platforms nine and ten and Sirius bends to your level. “Now, all you have to do is run right at the pillar between platforms nine and ten, love.” He tells you, letting you run to the pillar and disappear on the other side. Draco appears next to you a moment later with a smile on his face. The two of you push your trolleys out of the way of the entrance to watch his parents and your dads appear through the pillar. Lucius has his hand on the small of Narcissa’s back as he walked through and smiled when he saw you standing next to Draco. You smiled when you saw your dads walk through the doorway holding hands.
“There you are, love.” Sirius spoke and let go of his partner’s hand to approach you and guide you to the bright red and black train engine sitting on the tracks warming up for the long trip to the school in the Highlands of Scotland. You go get checked into the train and pull your trunk and other suitcases off the trolley and into the storage compartment of the train before you turn back and run to hug your dads, wrapping your arms around Remus’ neck. “I’ll miss you when I’m at school.” You tell your dad. “We will miss you too, Y/n. You behave yourself while you’re gone and make sure to keep up with your studies, alright? Send letters every week to check in on you, okay?” Remus tells you as he holds you. You hug him and bury your nose into his neck to pick up his scent again before you leave for school. You pull away and go to your Papa and hugging him too.
Sirius held you close and rubbed your back, giving you comfort. He pulled away and set you down. He knelt to your level and made you look at him. “I know that both your dad and I have told you this repeatedly as you grew up, but I want to tell you this again before you go on the train and head of to school. Both your father and I love you no matter what house you end up in. Your mother would’ve loved you no matter what house you ended up in Your house doesn’t define you are still a good person no matter where you’re sorted.” Sirius told you as he looked you in the eyes, hoping the importance of the matter would sink in. Remus nodded and put his hand on Sirius’ shoulder as he agreed with his husband.
“You will be fine, pup. We will be proud of you no matter where you end up. Just focus on becoming a great magizoologist and don’t get into too much trouble.” He told you before giving you one more hug before watching you board the train with Draco who led you to the front of the train where some booths were set up. Draco pulled you into one near the door and held your hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of your hand, enjoying your company for a little while longer as the train filled up with students of all years headed to Hogwarts for the upcoming school year. Draco went to his messenger bag and pulled out his sketch book when the train pulled out of the station and began working on a previous sketch he had been working on. You tried peeking at what he was drawing but he closed his sketchbook.
“Not yet, darling. You’ll see when its done.” He spoke and you pulled out the new journal Draco gave you in Diagon Alley. He was curious as to what you were writing as he saw that the few pages already written in and his grey eyes flicked up to see what you’re writing. “What are you writing?” He asked. “Stories. But this one isn’t done yet. You can read it when its done. I think you’ll particularly like this story.” You say as you write some things down in the book. Draco smiled, happy that you’re using the journal he got you as he went back to working on his sketch. His mind wandered with what you could be writing in your journal as he focused on his drawing. A few minutes passed and he set down his pencil, holding his sketchbook to his chest.
“Ready?” He asked. You nodded and handed him your journal as he handed you his sketchbook to see what he was drawing. He had been working on some early fall clothing that again, was made with your half dragon species in mind. He had gone for a button up or zippered fastening for some of the sweaters he designed. He even drew a design of a pull-over sweater for you. making sure to alternate the colors of the sweaters since he didn’t know what house you’d end up in. He had drawn different school uniforms for you, with and without the robes. Making the back of the skirt a bit longer in the back and higher waisted to accommodate for your tail to appear under the skirt instead of growing over the top and being uncomfortable.
“You really thought of everything, didn’t you?” You told him as you looked at other designs he had drawn with you in mind. You kept looking through the sketchbook and saw that he had drawn pictures of you sleeping or reading a book. One picture caught your eye and it was you enthusiastically eating a bowl of your favorite dish the night before as a special sendoff dinner that Lucius and Narcissa held for you both. You showed him the picture. “What’s this about?” You asked but you saw that he was in the middle of reading one of your stories about a dragon that was on an adventure of their own. He looked up at you when he finished the story and grew flustered that you had seen the picture.
“Oh, you saw that. You looked so cute eating your food, I couldn’t help it.” He told you before snatching the sketchbook back and returning it to his bag. His head snapped up to the hallway when he heard the trolley witch pushing her cart laden with all kinds of sweet treats for the children on the train.
“Want anything, love?” He asked. “Chocolate frog please.” You requested. Draco got up and approached the cart, coming back with two chocolate frogs and a box of Bernie Botts every flavor beans. He handed you a chocolate frog and opened the box of beans for the two of you to share. “Thank you.” You told him and opened your frog, snatching the animated chocolate in your hand before it got away. You read your card as you had gotten a duplicate.
“Who’d you get?” Draco asked as he ate his frog too. “Duplicate. I get Merlin. Who’d you get?” “Circe.” He spoke and showed you the card featuring the powerful sorceress. You flashed him a smile as you read the card before handing it back to him and going for the blue and green beans in the box. A girl who introduced herself as ‘Hermione Granger’ peered into the compartment that held the booths and spoke as her eyes landed on you.
“Have any of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost his toad.” She asked. Her eyes widened when she saw your golden eyes and pale horns peeking out of your hair. She walked forward and leaned into you. Draco didn’t like that a stranger was getting so close to you. “You’re a half dragon, aren’t you?” Hermione whispered. You nodded and she looked like she had about a hundred questions for you when Draco interjected. “We haven’t seen the toad and yes, my friend here is a half dragon. This is a private section. If you tell anyone my friend’s secret, I’ll make you regret it.” He spoke rudely. Hermione looks annoyed and a little offended as she left the compartment. You didn’t like how rude he was to a girl who looked genuinely interested in your appearance and didn’t look like she was a threat. You grabbed your bag that had your robes stuffed into them and went to the changing room on the train.
“Y/n! Wait.” Draco spoke as he got up and stumbled after you, pulling his own bang that held his change of clothes. You glanced over your shoulder at him as you walked down the corridor to the changing room. Draco caught up with you and grabbed your wrist to pull you back and look at him. “Don’t walk away when I’m talking to you. Why are you so upset with me all the sudden?” He asked as he met your disappointed gaze.
“You were rude to that girl for no reason. You shouldn’t have been rude.” You told him before going into the empty changing room with Draco going into a separate compartment to change too, a small vent between the two of you, near the top of the changing room so the two of you could still talk.
“She was the rude one! she interrupted us, Y/n. I wanted to be alone with you. She also saw your horns and eyes. They are beautiful but you should keep them hidden when we’re in public for your own safety.” He spoke as he began to change too. You felt a little hurt as you thought Draco loved your dragon features and your dads had told you that you should be proud of your draconic heritage. But Draco was right. There were people in the world that would see your horns and try to take advantage of you. Hermione, however didn’t seem like that kind of a person that would hurt you.
“You didn’t have to snap at her like you did. She was only asking about a lost toad that Neville had lost. She also seemed genuinely interested in my horns and eyes, Draco. She didn’t seem to have any malice in her voice either. You need to not be so judgmental of others.” You told him.
“Why should we care if some random boy lost his pet toad? He should really keep a better eye on his belongings.” Draco told you as he fastened his trousers before going to his shirt. “Helping others is a way to be nice and make friends, Draco.” You told him as you finished getting changed, putting your shoes on before pulling the neutral school sweater over your shirt and began fiddling with your tie, struggling to remember how your dads taught you how to tie a tie but you couldn’t remember all the steps and the thin, slippery material wasn’t behaving.  You groaned in protest as you let the tie hang around your neck. “Are you decent, Y/n?” You heard Draco ask as he stood by the entrance to your changing area.
“I am.” You tell him and he enters, all dressed in his uniform. He sees you struggling with your tie and pulled your hands away from your next attempt to get the tie right and he tied the tie for you, pulling it snugly against your throat and letting his fingers linger over the embroidered school emblem that was now facing him. “There you go. Next time just ask me to help instead of grumbling to yourself, no matter how cute it is.” He told you as he helped gather up your travelling clothes and hand them to you to fold and place back into your travel bag. He grabbed his bag too and held your hand as the two of you went back to your booth. You slid back in across from Draco and began picking out the beans out from the box in the colors you liked and wanted to try. Draco took a mental note of the colors you liked and dared you to try a green one. You picked it up and placed it in your mouth, chewing slowly. The strong taste of mint overwhelmed your senses but you swallowed it anyways.
“What flavor did you get?” He asked with a curious interest. “Mint. Super overwhelming too.” You spoke. Draco grinned and ate one too, immediately spitting it out. “What did you get?” “Liver.” He spoke and took a drink out of the thermos of pumpkin juice he brought with him to wash out the flavor. You giggled and felt the train slow to a stop at Hogwarts station. Your eyes light up with excitement as you grabbed Draco’s hand, the leftover beans, and your travel bag before lining up to get off the train. You stare in awe as a half giant man who introduces himself as Hagrid, is instructing all the first years to follow him. You and Draco hold hands as you’re led down to the Black Lake and get into boats. You remembered your dads telling you about that the First years got a special ride over the Black Lake to the castle. Draco guides you to sit in a boat together and a boy named Theodore Nott joined you shortly after so all the boats would be full.
The three of you crossed over the lake together, exiting the boat, and entering the castle. You stuck close to Draco’s side and followed him up the various staircases, looking at all the paintings in the staircase, stopping at the floor that held the Great Hall. You saw a tall woman clothed in a green velvet dress and a tall, black pointed hat waiting for you first years to arrive.
“Welcome to Hogwarts. The start -of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. While you attend school here, your house will be like your family. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own history and each has produced its own amazing witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, and any rule breaking will result in loss of points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.” You hear the lady known a Professor McGonagall explained to you.
“The Sorting Ceremony will take place momentarily. This will take place in front of the other houses and the rest of the students in the school. I suggest you all compose yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.” She added before disappearing into the Great Hall. You watched Draco leave your side, grinning smugly. He approached a boy with messy brown hair, round glasses, green eyes, and a lightning bolt scar above his right eye with two boys that were following Draco. You recognized them as Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini. You watched Draco introduce himself to the infamous Harry Potter.
“It’s true then, what they were saying on the train, Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts.” Draco speaks. There’s a murmur amongst the students that Harry Potter is there. You watch as Draco pushes off the railing and walks closer to Harry, now standing in front of him. “This is Nott and Zabini, and back there is Black. She’s my girlfriend. I’m Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.” He spoke, a boy with red hair laughed quietly after he spoke. Draco turned to him.
“Think my name’s funny, do you? No need to ask you yours. Red hair and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley.” Draco tells the boy with red hair standing next to Harry. Draco turns his head back to Harry. “You’ll soon find out that some Wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don’t want to go around making friends with the wrong sort.” Draco says, looking back to the Weasley boy. Draco looked back to Harry and held his hand out. “I can help you there.” Draco says. You watched as Harry looked down to his hand then up to Draco’s eyes.
“I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks.” Harry says and Draco looks disappointed. McGonagall walks up and taps the scroll in her hand on Draco’s shoulder. He looks back to her then back to Harry and walks back to you, sulking that he couldn’t recruit Harry to apart of his friend group. You remembered seeing Lucius pull Draco of to the side before the both of you boarded the train to have a talk with him. You wondered if this was one of the things Lucius talked to Draco about.
“We’re ready for you now.” McGonagall spoke and led all of the ifrst years into the Great Hall, up the center aisle and to the stage where the teachers were all seated, and a stool was standing with an hold hat that you thought the folds formed a face. there were two tables on either side of you, holding the members of one house each, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff on your left with Gryffindor and Slytherin on your right. You held Draco’s hand as you kept your eyes down while the two of you stopped in the center aisle.
Draco leaned into your ear when you stopped walking and squeezed your hand “Look up, Y/n. We’re almost there.” He whispered into your ear. You look up and see the stool and Sorting hat like your dads told you about repeatedly as you grew up.
Before the sorting ceremony begins, Headmaster Dumbledore says a few words to start the ceremony, telling the first years that the Forbidden Forest is off limits and that all Students should know that Filch has asked him to remind all the students that the third-floor corridor is off-limits which piques your interest. You see McGonagall stand before the first years and speaks.
“Now when I call your name, you will come up, sit on the stool, and I will place the hat on your head to be sorted.” She explained and began listing of names from the piece of parchment in her hand in alphabetical order. You gripped Draco’s hand nervously as you knew you will be sorted before he was. Draco gripped your hand as you braced for the Professor to call your name. “Black, Y/n.” You heard her say and another ripped of murmurs spread throughout the room that another member of the Black family had come to Hogwarts after so long. You let go of Draco’s hand and walked up to the stool, pulling yourself onto the seat. McGonagall said and placed the hat on your head, immediately coming to life.
“Oh my, another member of the Black family. How interesting. A long time since one of you have been here, where shall I put you? In Slytherin like the rest of your family or in Gryffindor like your father? Or even Ravenclaw like your mother? You have the courage and bravery like your father, the brains like your mother, but a desire, a want to prove yourself.” The hat spoke to you. You gripped the edge of your seat and looked up to the hat nervously. “Nervous? Not very Gryffindor of you.” The Hat spoke as it drew out it’s choosing of where to place you. 
“I can tell you don’t want to disappoint your papa by ending up in Slytherin like the rest of his family even though he said he wouldn’t be upset where you ended up, yet you know your boyfriend will end up in Slytherin and you want to be with him. How sweet.” The hat spoke as thoughts of Draco crossed your mind as you shut your eyes tightly to block out any distractions that would be in the room in front of you.
“Papa and Dad told me that they would be proud of me no matter where I ended up. If I focus on my studies, I’ll be okay.” You muttered just loud enough that the hat hears you and you reassure yourself. You focus on the deep emerald green of Slytherin and the house crest before you open your eyes and lock on Draco. You feel the hat shift on your head and readies to call out your sorting.
“Very well then, I know just where to put you, SLYTHERIN!” You hear the Hat say and you smile. You hop off the stool and keep your eyes on Draco as all the houses clapped and cheered as you walk over to Slytherin table and slide in next to an older student. You keep watching as the Hermione girl is sorted into Gryffindor. Nott is sorted into Slytherin and he slides in across from you. He gives you a sly grin and looks back as the next student is called up.
“Malfoy, Draco.” McGonagall calls and you watch as Draco comes to the stool, hopping into the seat. The professor lowers the hat to place it on his head. You watch Draco keep eye contact with you. The hat doesn’t even touch his head when it calls out:
“SLYTHERIN!” You watched as Draco gave you a smug grin as a wave of relief crosses his eyes when he heard the sorting. That’s when you knew Lucius had been putting pressure on Draco from the very beginning. You watched as Draco sauntered over and slid in next to you, putting his arm around you. He held your hand as the two of you watched the rest of the sorting. The whole room went silent and everyone seemed to be holding their breath as Harry Potter sit on the stool. Even Headmaster Dumbledore leaned forward in his chair as the hat was placed on Harry’s head.
You watched as Harry remembered what the Weasley boy had told him back in the hall that Slytherin was known for producing some of the darkest witches and wizards. Harry looked conflicted as he begged the hat to not place him in Slytherin, despite the hat telling him that he would do well in Slytherin. The Sorting Hat finally placed Harry into Gryffindor. All the houses but Slytherin cheered as they were disappointed that they didn’t get The Boy who Lived in their house. The sortings continued, the Weasley boy being put into Gryffindor with the rest of his siblings and Blaise Zabini being one of the last students sorted into Slytherin.
The headmaster came to the pulpit again and announced that the feast would commence, watching as trays, plates, and platters piled high with food suddenly appeared on the table like your papa and dad had told you repeatedly when you’d beg them to tell you about Hogwarts as you grew up. You began reaching for the food to fill up your plate with food as Draco watched. You only pulled a small amount of all the dishes that looked good to you on your plate before you began to eat, noticing that once you had finished a bit of food on your plate, something else had taken its place. You caught Draco sneaking a bread roll or another piece of turkey or some vegetables on your plate. He noticed you slowing down after a while and leaned in.
“Getting full? I’m surprised. You usually eat twice as much when we’re at the manor.” He whispered into your ear.
“I’m not that hungry.” You spoke and he flicked his wand at your food, bundling the leftovers up in some plastic wrap and handed it to you with a smile on his face.
“Save this for later. I know you’ll be hungry later and we can’t leave the common room at night.” Draco told you and went back to eating his own meal. He occasionally stealing glances at you while you digested your food. He held your hand with his free hand, rubbing his thumb across the back of your hand while he ate.
Soon the feast was over and the prefects of each house stood up to guide all the younger students to their respective houses. You stood up and followed the rest of Slytherin house, sticking to the back of the groups as you were taking in all the paintings around you. Draco walked the same pace as you did, holding your hand so you knew you weren’t alone. Nott and Zabini brought up the rear and acted as bodyguards for you and Draco.
Draco gripped your hand, making sure you ddn’t get lost as you were taking in all the new scenery as the four of you followed the rest of your house stairs down the many, many flights of stairs to the dungeons. “You’re very distracted, we will have time to take in the sights later.” He whispered into your ear. “I wonder what old secrets this castle holds? Maybe we can sneak out later this week and search around together?” He offered. “You said we weren’t allowed of our common room at night?” You reminded him.
“Besides, why would we do such a thing? We’d get in trouble and risk losing more house points then gaining them.” You told him and quickened your pace to walk ahead of him as you didn’t want to be close to him right now. Draco watched you walk ahead as your house filed into the common room. You walked over the threshold as the prefects told everyone the password in case some of the members didn’t hear and gathered in the main room that had a fireplace off to the left with a couch, a chair, and a loveseat all in quilted black leather a round wooden table just behind the seating area and a couple bookshelves framing the magically-reinforced windows that showed the Black Lake. Off to your right was a corridor that led to the boys’ and girls’ respective dormitories.  The prefects gave instructions on to where the dormitories are and where any of the students could find them in the case of an emergency or needed to ask them something. You listened and began to follow the other girls to the first-year dormitory until Draco, who you didn’t know had joined you by your side grabbed your wrist before you could get too far away.
“Trying to leave me without saying goodnight, Y/n?” He asked as he held you back to give you a hug goodnight, before allowing you to join the other girls as they went up to the girl’s dormitories. You sat on the bed that your trunk was set next to and pulled the food out of your pocket and placed it under a stasis spell on the chair before looking at the other girls in the first-year room. You recognized one of them as Pansy Parkinson. You settled on your bed and found a note tucked under your pillow
“Sweet Dreams- Draco” It read. You smiled to yourself and fell asleep.
The next morning you wake up and find your school uniform laid out for you on the foot of your trunk. You climb out of your bed and get changed like your roommates do. You look at your schedule before shoving the books you’d need for the morning classes into your bag and headed down to the common room.
 You didn’t see Draco there, thinking he already went with Theo and Blaise up to the Great Hall for breakfast. You decided to go up to the Great Hall with your roommates, finding your boyfriend there with his buddies, shoveling food into his mouth. Theo nudged Draco and he looked at you, smiling, and moving to stand up to greet you. You walked over to greet him and gave him a hug.
“Did you find the note I snuck under your pillow?” He whispered into your ear before he pulled away.
“I did, thank you.” You told him and sat down next to him at Slytherin table. You began filling your own plate with breakfast foods. “Did you sleep well?” He asked as he watched you begin to eat. “I slept okay.” You responded before you took a bite of the eggs. “I’m glad.” He muttered and began eating his own food. You went about the rest of breakfast in quiet.
After you ate another food-filled plate, you and Draco stood up and he gestures for Theo and Blaise to follow behind you and Draco as the four of you walked to your first class of the morning: Transfigurations. You held Draco’s hand the whole way, smiling to yourself.
When you arrived in the classroom, Draco pulled you to sit with him in one of the desks near the front. “Why do you want me to sit with you?” You asked as you took a seat and pulled out your textbook.
“I want us to spend every possible moment that I can with you. I also think youre very smart, pretty, and I want the other boys in our year to know that you’re taken by me.” He spoke into your ear as Professor McGonagall entered from her office and began the class. You looked over to the one empty desk and didn’t see Potter or Weasley there at all. The Professor gave instructions for the students to write out the information she handed out to the class before morphing into a cat and perching on her desk to watch the students as they did their work. Moments later, the door to the classroom opened and two boys entered.
You looked up to see Harry and Ron, muttering something about being lucky that the professor didn’t see them or they’d be in a lot of trouble. You rolled your eyes and kept your head down as you heard the pair saying that they had gotten lost before finding their way to the class, taking a seat before getting to work on filling out the worksheet that the Professor had given you. The rest of the morning classes went smoothly otherwise, Draco sticking close to you like glue, Theo and Blaise always following behind the two of you like guard dogs.
The four of you sit through the first Potions lesson, learn that Professor Snape shows favoritism towards the Slytherins that he is in charge of as Head of House and calls out Harry by asking him what would happen when one was to add powdered root of Asphodel to an infusion of wormwood, where one was to find bezoar, and what is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane. Harry didn’t know any of those answers but you saw Hermione fervently raised her hand as she knew all the answers. You knew the answers however but you kept your hand down, writing down the information as Professor Snape kept drilling Harry. The four of you looked back as Professor Snape walked down from his pulpit and approached Harry, sitting down across from him.
“For your information, Potter, Asphodel and Wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful, it is known as the Draft of the Living Dead. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and is known to save you from most poisons. As for Monkshood and Wolfsbane, they are the same plant also known as Aconite…. Well, why aren’t you all copying this down?” Snape asks as he looks around his classroom before going back to his desk, taking five points from Gryffindor for Harry’s cheek, and resuming the class.
When the four of you went to lunch, the first rounds of mail came. You recognized your family owl, making your eyes light up. You grab the letter and give the owl a treat before letting it fly off. You open the letter and read it. Dear Y/n. Your Dad and I are so proud to hear that you made it into Slytherin. We want to remind you that because you made Slytherin, you’re not destined for a path of evil and your house doesn’t define you. You can be the first Slytherin Magizoologist. We love you so much and can’t wait to hear about your studies and adventures at school. Don’t get into too much trouble, okay? Love, Papa and Dad. You smiled at their words, knowing they would’ve said more if you had ended in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. You folded the letter and tucked it into your bag. You mulled the words the Sorting Hat had said to you only the night before while you tried to eat the sandwich Draco had put on your plate before handing it to you. You began overthinking the hat’s decision and regretting wanting to be in the same house as your boyfriend, you began to bounce your leg and take a bite out of your sandwich. Draco noticed your nervousness and discreetly places his hand on your thigh, trying his best to ease your worries.
 “Don’t worry yourself, Y/n. We will be fine and succeed together.” Draco said as he reassures you and sneaks a bread roll onto your plate. “You need the energy. We have flying class next.” He told you and you felt your heart sink. You were afraid of flying. You never had flown on your own with your wings or even on a broom. Your dads had tried exercising your wings as you grew up and even encouraged you to try flying at home but you were too scared to fly. Your dads even tried showing you how to practice on a broom but you feared that too.  Now you had a full-on class where you had to be on a broom, levitating in the air… No way. You sighed and ate the extra bread that your boyfriend gave you and noticed Draco sneaking an extra chocolate pudding cup onto your plate before eating his own. He leaned in and pecked your cheek.
“Eat up.” He told you and watched you eat for a moment while he would feed spoonfuls to his own mouth. He finished his own food and stayed with you until you finished your food. He then got up and walked with you to flying class, holding your hand as the two of you walked to flying class together. The two of you stepped up to brooms and you were shaking like a leaf. Madam Hooch approached you and placed a hand on your arm, kneeling to your level. “You look nervous, love. Can you tell me what’s going on?” She asked you. “I-I’m scared to fly… I haven’t flown with my wings either.” You told her and her eyes widened. “Oh, you poor thing. You don’t have to do much, okay? Just summon the broom to your hand, mount it, and kick off a little bit. I believe you can to it okay?” Madam Hooch spoke, trying to reassure you. You gulped and nodded as the other students from Slytherin and Gryffindor arrived at the lesson. Hooch patted your shoulder and went about giving instructions to the other first years as they approached the brooms. Hooch gave instructions about getting your broom to rise unto your hand. You watched as all the other first years have their own issues commanding the brooms to their hands.
You watched your boyfriend, Draco say the command once and the broom flew up to his hand, another smug grin spreading across his face. You glared at him before saying the command ‘up’ a few more times before the handle flew into your grasp. Your eyes widened and your hands shook a little as you held the broom firmly. Draco noticed your nervousness and put his hand on yours for a moment before Hooch told you all to mount your brooms and kick off from the ground, go in a circle and land back on the ground like she had told you only a few moments ago. You took shaky breaths and shut your eyes, trying to tell yourself that you’d be okay and its just a few feet off the ground. Draco inched closer to you and put a supportive hand on your back as you were in a white-knuckled death grip on the handle of the broom. Draco saw your hands and leaned into your ear.
“You don’t need to be strangling the broom Y/n, it didn’t do anything to you.” He told you in a soothing manner. “It will be okay. I’ll help you when we’re done here.” He spoke and you nodded, keeping your eyes shut as you kept your feet firmly planted on the ground. You heard Draco giggle at your expression as Madam hooch walked over to have you step off to the side to practice kicking off without the other students watching when Neville shoots into the air while straddling his broom, His broom now out of control, shooting across the courtyard and falling off his broom, injuring his arm. Hooch takes him to the infirmary, leaving the students alone on the field with the instructions for everyone to keep their feet firmly on the ground.
Moments after Hooch leaves, Draco leans down and picks up the Remembrall that Neville had gotten only that afternoon at lunch, and picked it up, egging harry on after he showed the trinket to the boy. You watched as Draco took to the skies with the item in hand, Harry going after him as you and Hermione tried to get them both to stay on the ground.
“Draco! Don’t! you heard the professor!” You called after him but he wasn’t listening. You watched Harry take to the skies after him and catch the Remembrall right in front of McGonagall’s office. You go after Draco, not realizing you were flying on your broom and you confront Draco.
“You are such an annoying pain!” You tell him once you’ve caught up to him and he’s grinning at you. “What are you grinning at?” You say frustrated. “Not to alarm you Y/n, but you’re flying on a broom.” He told you, a little proud of you for overcoming your fear. Your eyes widened and you gripped your broom as panic set in. Draco held your arm as you began to panic.
“Look at me. I’ll guide you down, okay?” He spoke and you looked up and locked eyes with him as he helped you down to the ground. You land and Draco helps you get off the broom as you’re shaking like a leaf. Draco kisses your temple and smiled, pulling you close and hugging you.
“You did well. That’s something your dads will be proud of for sure.” He told you, making you smile as you sought comfort in your boyfriend. ~~~
Later that week, you and Draco are studying together in the library. “I can’t believe Potter got onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team. No First year gets into any of the Quidditch teams. This isn’t fair. I should tell my father about this, maybe he will do something about it.” He complains to you as you’re trying to read about Occamies. You perk up when you hear Hermione talking to Ron and Harry about a ‘Sorcerer’s stone’, ‘Nikolas Flamel’, and a ‘curse’. Draco hears them talking about curses too and he looks at you uncomfortably before shoving his nose into a book he was reading. While walking to your next class, you notice Draco wasn’t holding your hand. He was walking a few steps ahead of you with his head down. You struggled to keep up with him but you eventually caught up with him and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back to face you.
“What’s gotten into you? Why are you so off?” You asked then looked around before leaning in.
“Did you hear something that those three said that put you off? Draco, talk to me please.” You said quietly to him, searching his face for some kind of expression that he would let you in. Draco pulled his wrist out of your grasp and looked upset. “None of your business, Black. Thank you for your concern.” He told you coldly and turned away, walking up the hallway to Charms class. He never called you or referred to you by your last name. You felt hurt but you followed him into the classroom, still sitting by him which he allowed. He didn’t talk much to you however during the class as the two of your learned Wingardium Leviosa. After the class, Draco walked by your side, taking your hand in his again. You smiled as you knew he couldn’t be angry at you forever. ~~~ Halloween comes around and you grow excited for more pumpkin flavored items come across the table that week. Draco notices and flashes you his infamous smile. He would make sure to sneak more pumpkin hand pies and pumpkin cauldron cakes to you between classes and make sure your cup was always full of pumpkin juice at mealtimes. Draco would try to sneak off to explore different parts of the castle with you whenever he could, despite your protests of wanting to study and not get in trouble or in detention.
During the Halloween feast, while Draco is sneaking a fourth pumpkin cake onto your plate, the doors to the Great Hall burst open as Professor Quirrell runs in, yelling that there’s a troll in the dungeons, saying that all of us should know before promptly fainting in front of everyone. All the students in the Great Hall begin panicking, especially Slytherin and Hufflepuff houses as their common rooms were in the dungeons.
You panic and grip onto Draco as he begins pulling you out of the Great Hall to get you to safety. Before the two of you can leave, Headmaster Dumbledore tells everyone to be quiet and remain in the Great Hall while the Professors and himself take care of the troll. You watch as Harry and Ron sneak out to go find Hermione as she was seen crying in the girl’s bathroom earlier that day. You bounce your leg nervously as your mind wandered to the idea of the school being infiltrated. Your dads had told you that Hogwarts was one of the safest places in the wizarding world besides Gringotts. 
Draco noticed your unease and gripped your hand in his trying to help you calm down “Relax, Y/n, we are safe here with the other professors. They will keep us safe.” He whispered into your ear, trying to hide his own fear of the threat and stay strong for you. Soon the troll is defeated and word is spread that it was Hermione who defeated the troll while others said it was Ron and Harry. Draco rolled his eyes and grumbled. “Of course, Potter had to go and be all brave and save Granger from the troll. How very Gryffindor of him.” You heard him mutter as you were given the all clear and led down to your house by your head of house, Severus Snape. ~~~ When the first Quidditch match of the year starts, you and Draco are standing next to each other in the Slytherin section of the stands to watch your house play against Gryffindor. You weren’t that interested in Quidditch but it was worth at least seeing the first match of the year with Draco. You saw how enthused Draco, Theo, and Blaise were all cheering on the Slytherin team while you were thinking of the Bowtruckles you had been given to care for. Your train of thought was interrupted when you heard a loud cheer from Draco, seeing him grow an interest for the sport.
“I think I’ll ask father to help me get onto the Slytherin team next year? What do you think, y/n?” He asked as he looked back at you as the match played out. “I Think you should try out.” You told him as you watched Harry fall to the ground and catch the snitch in his mouth and win the match for Gryffindor. Draco grumbles and pulls you away from the Quidditch pitch. As the two of you were walking up the path to the castle, Draco stopped and looked back to you. “Would you come to watch me play? I know father would, but I’d want you there. I know you don’t care much for the sport but it would mean a lot to me.” He spoke as he held your hand. “Of course I’ll come. I’ll still support you, Draco.” You told him before the both of you went back to Slytherin common room.
~~~
“I’ve had enough, Draco!” You yell at him before storming out of the common room. Draco had jinxed Neville to bind his legs together because he thought it would be funny. “Y/n, please! We can talk this through!” He spoke as he walked after you. “No, I will not stand for you pranking the students because you think it’s funny or because they aren’t another pure blood or because they’re friends of Harrys. I need to go cool off.” You tell him and leave the hallway and decide to go down to Hagrid’s to cool off and talk things through with the half-giant. You sat in the giant’s chair and he gave you a cup of tea and some freshly baked scones for you to enjoy and process the argument you had with Draco. “Tell me what happened, Y/n.” Hagrid spoke as he sat across from you with his own mug of tea in his hand.
“He jinxed Neville Longbottom again, binding his legs together, then laughing at him. He’s been pranking anyone who’s openly known as a half-blood or less, hybrids like myself, and anyone that’s not in Slytherin either. Its sickening and I’m tired of it. I can’t leave him either because I’m arranged to him.” You tell him, your voice trembling as you speak. Hagrid’s eyes widen and he takes a drink of his tea while he contemplates what to say next.
“Maybe you could distance yourself for a little while? Everyone sees you two together wherever you go, why not take a break? Learn a hobby, focus on your studies on your own. I could use some help training some Bowtruckles I just got in and help get them settled in some pine trees in the forest.” Hagrid suggested, a familiar twinkle in his eye as he knew you loved magical creatures and wanted to pursue Magizoology while at Hogwarts and further a career in the job.
“That sounds like a good idea.” You tell him and sip at your tea, biting on a scone before you hear Hermione’s voice approaching the hut. “I should get going.” You say and drain your teacup. You stand up when the door opens and you see Hermione, followed by Harry and Ron as usual. “Is this a bad time?” Hermione asks, looking to you then to Hagrid. “Not at all Hermione. Miss Black is a friend of mine. What do you lot need help with?” Hagrid asked. Harry’s green eyes looked to you as he didn’t trust you.
“She’s Malfoy’s girlfriend. We can’t trust her.” Harry told Hagrid and that stung a little. You set your cup down and grabbed your bag that was resting at your feet. You pulled the strap over your shoulder and begin to walk to the door to get out of there. Hagrid stopped you. “I think they can help you too.” He told you. “How can a Slytherin like her be trusted? She’s just gonna tell Malfoy whatever we tell her.” Harry says as he steps forward and looks down at you. You look him in the eyes.
“If you’d stop judging me and listen, I don’t want to hang out around Malfoy right now. I’m tired of him pranking other students just because they’re a hybrid, a half-blood, a muggle-born, or not even in Slytherin. I’m Sick of it and I need something to fill my time. What do you need help with?” You asked. All three of them look at you with mixed looks of surprise and shock. Harry looked up to Hagrid and spoke. “We want you to tell us why Professor Snape was trying to get past the three- headed dog on Halloween? I saw him limping in the Great Hall.” Harry said to Hagrid and your golden eyes flicked to Harry in disapproval. “He would not. Professor Snape is one of the professors protecting what’s hidden on the third floor.” Hagrid spoke and You still looked to Harry in disapproval. “Professor Snape is a good person.” You said, trying to defend your Head of house.
“Oh, is it because he’s favoring Slytherins like you? He tried to cast spell on Harry’s broom during the Quidditch match, making him almost fall off and hurt himself badly.” Hermione told you.  “Professor Snape was muttering a counter curse.” You told her and she looked surprised. “Of course you’d defend him. He’s your head of house.” She spoke, a little snarkily. You rolled your eyes and walked past her and Ron, going to the door.
“The only thing in the third-floor corridor that Fluffy, my three headed dog, of course is confidential information between Professor Dumbledore and his friend, Nikolas Flamel.” Hagrid spoke.  Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked puzzled. Your eyes widened as you knew who Nikolas Flamel was as you had heard Draco gushing about him when he was learning about alchemy and potions. “Who’s Nikolas Flamel?”  Ron asked. “I have no idea.” Hermione responded. “I know who he is! I can help you all if you’ll let me.” You offered and fiddled with the strap of your bag. The trio of Gryffindors look at each other then at you.
“We will let you help. I think we can trust you even though you’re a Slytherin.” Harry spoke and walked past you. Ron immediately followed while Hermione stayed back. “What do you know about Nikolas Flamel?” She asked. “I’d check in the potions and Alchemy section in the library. There should be information on him in there.” You told her with a small smile forming on your face. ~~~ You keep your interactions with Harry and his friends secret from Draco, but you tell him about the creatures that Hagrid is helping you learn about. “The Bowtruckles are settling in nicely and the Nifflers finally got their nests established for the winter.” You told him as the two of you were eating in the Great Hall.
You and Draco were sitting together, enjoying the food that the house elves prepared for lunch, was listening to you gush about all the new magical creatures you were learning about with Hagrid and Professor Kettleburn. Draco listening to what you were telling him about what you were learning as the two of you ate. When Draco had finished his food, He showed you a letter with a broken wax seal bearing the Malfoy crest.
“Father wants us both to come home for the holidays. What do you say, love?” He asked. “That sounds like an excellent plan. Wonder what we will do over the holidays?” You asked. “Explore the manor, walk in the gardens, have fun in the snow? I don’t know. All I know is that we can spend Christmas there.” He spoke and let you skim over the letter. ~~~ You rest your head on Draco’s shoulder as the two of you ride the Hogwarts express back to King’s Cross station. Once the two of you arrive, you see your dads, Sirius and Remus waiting for you along with Lucius trailing behind them. You hugged your dads  before walking with you off the platform and into the Malfoy family coach after your trunks and other belongings were put on the carriage before riding to Malfoy Manor that had been decorated wonderfully for Christmas in green, silver, and black. When the carriage stopped in front of the manor, Draco got out first and held his hand out for you to take as you stepped down from the carriage.
You took his hand and stepped down from the carriage and took his arm to walk into the manor with your dads and Lucius following behind you. Draco led you into the manor where you were greeted by Narcissa who had baked some cookies for you and Draco.  You thanked her and the both of took one cookie each off the plate before Dobby, the house elf helped get your trunks up to your rooms. The manor was decorated in green and silver with accents of black for Christmas and several trees on display throughout the Manor. You and Draco spend that afternoon settling back to life at the Manor, spending lunch with your parents, and playing another game of chess before dinner that night.
After dinner that night, Draco had snuck you a note saying that he wanted to meet you at the private section of his family’s library to study some more dangerous magical creatures. You knew this was a partial lie just by the look on his face at dinner when he slipped you the note.
You knew he had been slacking in Care of Magical Creatures at school, and he needed to study more on basic Creatures like diricrawls and flobberworms, the easy, basic things and he was talking about creatures like Dragons and Thestrals. You meet him at the library hours after your parents and his had gone to sleep.  You were worried about your parents or even the servants finding the pair of you out of bed after you were supposed to be asleep but you wanted to help Draco with his studies, even if they weren’t for Care of Magical Creatures.
“Draco! What are we doing here? Why did you want to meet in the middle of the night in the library. You know you can ask me to study Care of Magical Creatures during the daytime, right? Not sneaking around at night when we could into trouble.” You tell him and he grinned. “I know. That’s the thrill of it. Now c’mon I need you to help me find something and it’s not for Care of Magical Creatures. I overheard my father talking to your dads about some kind of ‘curse’ that I’ll get by my next birthday and I want to know what it is. You’re the only one I could think of to help me. I tried looking all throughout the Hogwarts library about a Malfoy family curse but I couldn’t’ find anything, even in the Restricted section. Our family library is the last place I could think of to find the information and I want your help.” He told you and took your hand to enter the library.
“But we shouldn’t be out of bed! Our parents could find us or one of the house-.” Draco’s hand flew to your mouth to keep you quiet. He checked around the corner to see if anyone was coming in your direction. When he saw no one. “Will you please be quiet? I don’t want anyone to find us either. Father also brought up the curse the last time he visited the headmaster. Who else should I ask but my partner in crime?” He asked as he gave you a smile; rubbing his thumb across the back of your hand to reassure you, and pulled you into the library.
“What are we looking for exactly?” You asked.
“A book titled ‘The Great Twenty-Eight Family Curses.” Draco spoke and you began searching the titles on the shelves. You walked to the ‘g’ section of the library and began scanning the titles.
“Great Dark wizards, no. Great Rulers of the Medieval Age, No…Ha! Draco! I found it!” You said in a raised whispered when you found the book and you heaved it off the shelf and setting the tome onto the desk nearby. Draco walked over to you with interest as you opened the book to the table of contents and looked for the page number for the Malfoys. You found it and began flipping to the page. You paused when a page opened to the Black family and their curses and protective spells.
You read that when your Papa went off to Hogwarts and was the first member of your family to not be sorted into Slytherin and instead Gryffindor, the family house elf you knew as Kreacher had placed a protective spell over your papa, your aunts, Bellatrix, Andromeda, Narcissa, and your uncle Regulus so that no harm would come to them or whoever they were married to or the future generations to come. Your eyes widened, Draco read your expression and looked you in the eyes.
“Y/n? what’s wrong?” He asked.
“Nothing for now.” You spoke and kept flipping the old pages until you landed on the page about the Malfoys.
“Here we are.”
“What does it say?”
“Be patient, I’m reading.” You told him and began reading:
“When the men of the Malfoy line turn twelve years of age, this curse that is serpentine in nature will take effect. It is advised that the men go on suppressants as to keep the scales under wraps and keep a decent appearance in social circles. Symptoms of the transformations are: increasing itching of the inner legs, increased irritability, flashes of silvery snake-like eyes, the tip of one’s tongue forking like a serpent, irritation of the skin where silver or white scales may form, and the ability to understand and/or speak parseltongue.” You read out loud, nervous about the symptoms and how they would affect your best friend. You pulled the journal he gave you earlier that year and scribbled down the symptoms so you could keep track of them in the last six months or so before Draco would fully transform.
“You’re always writing everything down. That’s why I trust you to help me with Care of Magical Creatures when Finals come around.” Draco said with a smirk and grabbed your hand to lead you back to his room before Dobby found you both out of bed. The next morning is Christmas morning. Draco wakes you up gently from your sleeping form in the bed next to him. He kissed your head and pushed a strand of hair out of your face.
“Wake up, Y/n. Its Christmas.” He spoke and kissed your forehead again. Your eyes snapped open and he smiles, happy to see your golden orbs once more. You grin and both you and Draco go check the Christmas tree in the living room if Saint Nick came to visit and leave some presents. There were some new gifts under the tree from last night. You and Draco split up, nodding to each other, and running off to opposite sides of the manor where your parents slept. You burst through the doors to the bedroom to see your dads still asleep. You crawled in on Sirius’s side, being wary of your dad as he was still recovering from a full moon. You watched them sleep for a moment before snuggling into Sirius’s arms, and resting your head on his arm when you felt your Papa’s arms wrap around you as he woke up.
“Good morning, darling.” He said sleepily, not even opening his eyes yet. You poked his cheek to try and get him to open his eyes. When you didn’t succeed, you let out an exasperated huff. “Wake up, its Christmas.” You whispered, as to let your dad sleep. Remus was attuned to your voice however and not matter how quiet you were trying to be his wolf ears still perked up when he heard your voice. He opened one eye to you and pulled his arm closer around Sirius’s waist.
“Is it Christmas already, little pup?” He asked, still groggy from sleep.  You looked at him, climbing over Sirius and looking at Remus with the excited sparkle in your eye. Remus chuckled at your excited expression and rolled away from his mate, crawling out of bed and pulling a shirt on as Sirius pulled you down and kissed your head, earning a squeal of excitement from you. “Let’s go!” You spoke, pulling Sirius out of bed.
“Alright, alright, pup, we will be down in a few minutes, why don’t you go check on Draco and see how he’s doing on getting his parents up.” Sirius told you and you hugged him again before running out of the room and down the hall to Lucius and Narcissa’s bedroom and knocked on the door. You heard footsteps approach the door and the door opened. You saw Lucius looking down at you with a small smirk on his face. He turned back into the room at his wife and child dozing peacefully.
“We will be down in a few minutes, Y/n. Draco fell back asleep with Mrs. Malfoy. I’ll wake them soon. Merry Christmas.” He spoke with a smile. You nodded and went down to the kitchen to see Dobby beginning on breakfast. You helped Dobby make breakfast even though you didn’t have to. Dobby protested but you insisted on helping because you wanted to. Dobby let you help and he let you do easier tasks like cutting fruit or whisking eggs for some scones. You looked over when the kitchen door opened and your dads entered and took seats at the table while Dobby used his magic to pour them cups of coffee without even asking. You sat down with a cup of hot cocoa as the Malfoys entered the kitchen. Dobby handed tea, coffee, and hot cocoa to them before finishing up breakfast and serving plates to all of you.
“Merry Christmas!” The house elf said before he went to clean up the dishes while the six of you ate. You and Draco seemed to be racing each other to see who would finish their food first to go inspect the presents under the tree first. “Whoa, whoa, hey, no one’s gonna take it from you.” Sirius spoke as the two of you wolfed down your food. Draco finished first and you soon after he did.
“Let them have their fun, Sirius.” Lucius spoke as Draco scrambled off the bench and ran for the door with you right behind them. The adults ate their food before they followed you and Draco out into the living room where the two of you were sorting out the gifts already to see who got what from who. You handed boxes to your dads from yourself and each other, watching them unwrap their gifts. Draco handed boxes to his parents too before he held a jewelry box to you.
“Y/n, this is for you.” He said and you accepted the gift. You opened the box to see a silver bracelet decorated with emeralds set into the metal. You let Draco help you get the bracelet on your wrist before placing a kiss on your temple. You hand Draco a wrapped present that he opened to reveal a new sketchbook.
“I figured your current one was getting full with all the drawings you’ve been making.” You told him and he hugged you to say thank you.
~~~ After the Christmas festivities were over, Draco pulled you away to his room to play some board games or read over the homework you had been assigned for the winter holiday. He showed you a book that he had found while the both of you were in the library last night titled ‘Malfoy Maladies’ and wanted you to help him translate the text since he didn’t understand the magizoologist jargon. You took the book and opened it to the serpent curse that the two of you read about only a week or so ago. You had been taking notes of Draco’s behavior since then and comparing them to that of a juvenile Naga male, and noting the similarities. Lucius knocked on the door and checked on you.
“Draco, Y/n? Are the two of you okay in there?” He asked before opening the door, seeing you both laying on Draco’s bed looking over the ‘Malfoy Maladies’ book. “What do you have there?” Lucius asked. “A book for the winter homework, Mr. Malfoy.” You told him as he approached the room and looked at the book that the two of you were studying so intently.
“Why would you want to be studying a curse? I know Draco will transform when he turns 12 in a little under six months. When his symptoms begin showing, he will be put on suppressants either before is 12th birthday or on the day of depending on how severe his condition is. I will not have my family name tarnish by my son being uncontrollable and an unsightly monster.” Lucius spoke. You felt anger boil in your veins as you slid off the bed and approached the man.
“This is inexcusable! It would be better for Draco to process the transformation naturally, instead of forcing it down and risking an injury! Just because he’s going to form a snake tail and inhabit snake-like qualities, doesn’t make him an ’unsightly monster’ to quote you. If you put him on suppressants, that will only make him more hostile not just towards me but towards anyone who he interacts with and become even more of a danger to himself when he’s taken off them for any long period of time. You told him, defending your partner. Lucius looked taken aback at your retortion towards him.
“I will not have Draco be seen in public in such a disorderly and unkempt state. I am his father and what I say goes. Draco will be put on suppressants the moment his first symptoms of the curse set in.” Lucius added in a firm tone. “Who’s going to be put on suppressants?” You heard your Papa say as both he and Remus were now standing in the doorway watching the scene unfold in front of them. Lucius turned to face the pair.
“Draco will be on suppressants as of his 12th birthday if not sooner. I will not have my son shame my family by showing off our family curse and any unsightly behavior that would disgrace to my name and will not stand for it. He will keep a sense of order and decorum like any member of my family does.” Lucius spoke. Remus and Sirius grew angry and looked to the pair of you huddled on Draco’s bed before looking to the man. You now realized just how much pressure Lucius was putting onto Draco. You held Draco tightly when you noticed his grip You looked to your dads silently pleading for help. Remus caught your gaze and nodded before looking to Lucius.
“Your son can stay with us then if you won’t support him through what only comes naturally at his age. We can send a letter to Dumbledore for private accommodations to be made for them so Draco is never seen in that state and that our daughter will have a safe place to be with Draco to observe his transformations and care for him when he is in his Naga form. I also believe that my daughter is a very capable young witch in caring for her friend as she still wishes to pursue Magizoology. She can watch his behaviors and study them for her classes. Anonymously, of course.” Remus said, backing you up and giving you a wink after he had finished speaking. Lucius’s face hardened and he agreed to the terms. “He will need to stay for a week here at over the summer for the Trace to renew properly. But he may stay with you otherwise. I will not see him in such a monstrous state. I only hope that his betrothed is up to the task of caring for him.” Lucius says and looks to you.
“Young lady. Tell me what do you know of the Malfoy curse.” You look at him deadpan in the eyes and channeling your papa’s personality. “When the men in your family turn twelve years of age, you develop a tail resembling that of a snakes, which is quite fitting with every member of your family being sorted into Slytherin.” You tell Lucius, keeping your expression neutral as you held eye contact with the man.
“What else?” Lucius asks. “Before the transformation, you can grow more aggressive and irritable,  The tips of your tongues split into a fork, flashing of silvery eyes, irritation of the skin where patches of scales form, also the ability to understand or even speak parseltongue is another symptom… and I heard that the irritability and inner leg itching is horrendous. Draco hasn’t shown all of these but he has been a little more irritable around other students that aren’t in Slytherin. How are you dealing with that, Mr. Malfoy? Are you including Mrs. Malfoy in this or are you on suppressants too?” You ask as you tilt your head to the side.
“None of your business. Very well then, I’ll contact the headmaster before the two of you are to return to school to see the necessary accommodations are provided.” He spoke before leaving the room, walking past Sirius and Remus, and disappearing into another part of the Manor.
~~~ In the weeks before going back to school, Draco would walk with you in the Malfoy Rose gardens while his parents would walk behind you at an appropriate distance but still not letting the pair of you out of their sight while your dads went back to working at the Ministry and attending to secret Order of the Phoenix meetings. Draco held your hand as the two of you were walking through the gardens again. You had noticed that he had been filling out his clothes and you been helping him gain the appropriate amount of weight for winter as all reptiles have a natural urge to do so during the colder weather.
“Tell me, Y/n. What are you looking forward to the most when we go back to school in the new year?” Draco asked as the two of you walked amongst the roses. “I’m looking forward to caring for the creatures I’ve been helping Hagrid with again. I miss working with them.” You tell him. “That’s interesting. Tell me more about them. Which one is your favorite?” He asked as he looked at you.
“I like the Bowtruckles, Pickenn and Locket.” You said and he chuckled at your play on words at the names of the animals. “That’s cute. I was wondering if you’d could help me with that class as I’m struggling with that subject. I’ll help you with potions.” He offered. “Of course I’ll help I want you to pass.” You told him and the two of you kept walking through the rose gardens. ~~~ School begins and you spend the first few days’ spending time following Harry, Ron, and Hermione around the school, learning what they did over the winter holiday, learning that Hermione went home to be with her parents while Ron and Harry stayed in the castle, researching the Sorcerer’s stone, and playing wizard’s chess.
“That’s nice. Where are you three headed of to now?” You asked. “We’re going down to Hagrid’s to ask him about the Stone and how we could get past Fluffy.” Hermione spoke and let you join them as you went down to Hagrid’s hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. You didn’t know that Draco had been following the four of you from a distance so you wouldn’t notice him. Harry knocks on the door and Hagrid opens. He looks a bit harried and he’s wearing a leather apron.
“Oh, you lot. Now’s not a good time. I’m not open to entertaining guests.” He spoke and began to close the door. “We know about the Sorcerer’s Stone!” Harry, Ron, and Hermione say in unison. Hagrid sighs and lets the four of you inside his hut and seated in or around his large armchair. Hagrid is seen going back and forth from his fireplace and making sure the four of you are settled with refreshments before something rattles in a pot over his stove. He goes back and with a pair of tongs, He picks up a shiny, grey egg and brings it over to his wooden table and moments later, a tiny baby dragon hatches which has you completely fascinated.
As the baby dragon, now named Norbert by Hagrid imprinted on the half-giant, Draco peeked through the window at you interacting with the newly hatched dragon in a loving manner. He loved watching you interact with your creatures and he was curious as to why you had been so distant from him after spending so much time together over the winter holiday. Hagrid looked up and saw Draco in the window.
“Who’s that?’ He asked and the four of you turned to look at him. You locked eyes with Draco and he jumped. “DRACO! DAMMIT!” You curse as you watch him run and you ran after him as he darted up the path to the castle to rat on the four of you to McGonagall. You catch up to him and grab his wrist and yank him back to try and delay him from snitching on the three of you. Draco pulls you off to the side, hiding in the shadows to throw the Gryffindors and Hagrid.
“Don’t tell on us, please.” You begged him. He looked at you smugly and leaned into your ear, his eyes looking to Harry and Ron, who were followed by Hermione Had stopped just outside of the alcove where you and Draco were hidden. “Why don’t you make me, Y/n?” He whispered into your ear, making your face flush bright red and you let go of his hand and step away. “You’re aware that you’re gonna get detention too if you rat on us, right Draco?” You asked him and tilted your head to one side. Draco stiffened his resolve and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Professor McGonagall would never do that to someone reporting Potter and his lackies for suspicious behavior.” Draco says, smirking before bolting off into the castle with you chasing right after him, racing to get to McGonagall’s office. Draco stays ahead of you. another symptom of his curse: Boosted stamina and speed that nagas have, to either get away from danger or speed up to tackle their prey. In this case, he was racing you in an unfair fight. Draco beat you to the Professor’s door and grinned at you. “Thing you could outrun me? I’ll always be faster than you.” He whispered to you as you were panting to try and recover from chasing your friend through several corridors and up a couple flights of stairs.
“I… Hate… you.” You panted and shot up glares to Draco who went inside and began telling the Professor about the four of you being out of bed as Harry, Ron, and Hermione caught up with you and entered the office as well. “I believe it would be the five of you, Mr. Malfoy. You too are out of bed and wandering the halls.” McGonagall spoke. “All five of you are to have detention with Hagrid tomorrow night.” She spoke and went back to grading papers. “My father will hear about this.” You hear Draco mutter under his breath. Harry, Ron, and Hermione went back to Gryffindor Tower while you and Draco went back to Slytherin common room down in the dungeons. Draco had a firm grip on your arm as the two of you were now alone in the Common room. He looked you in the eyes. “Why have you been avoiding me? I thought we were growing closer over Christmas break.” He spoke.
“I have my own classes and my own life that isn’t revolved around you, Draco.” You spoke and tried pulling away from him. “Don’t even think about it. I’ve been watching just how much time you spend with those three Gryffindors. I won’t allow it. You are to stick with me, always. Between classes and at mealtimes. Is that understood?” He told you, tightening his grip on your arm. You whimpered as his grip hurt and he pulled away from you, realizing what he was doing and he let go of your arm. This was another symptom of his curse. Irritation and aggressiveness to anyone he interacted with, even you. You looked a little upset and walked away, before Draco could say anything and pull you back, going to your dormitory before Professor Snape found either of you out of bed, and punished you further.
~~~~ The next night, you walked ahead of Draco as the two of you met up with the trio of Gryffindors in front of Hagrid’s hut. The half-giant sat on his small porch with a crossbow in hand. “How, you lot gather around. Tonight, we’re going into the Forbidden Forest. Something out there has been attacking and murdering the unicorns in the forest. Firenze has asked me to help find the source.” Hagrid says.
“Now I’ll group you all up. Potter with Malfoy and Weasley with Granger and Black.” Hagrid says. Draco looks to you as you walk away from him and go over to Hermione and Ron. “If I can’t be with my girlfriend, then I want Fang.” Draco spoke and looked to you. “Fang’s a bloody coward. I don’t know how he will be of much help to you.” Hagrid spoke. You went into the forest with Hermione and Ron into the forest, talking about their classes and how everything was going being with Draco.
“It’s okay, for the most part. He is getting more tense and aggravated. But I think that’s just tension with what’s going on at the Manor and the pressure that Draco feels from Lucius.” You tell them as the three of you walk in the forest together, looking for any signs of unicorns or distress from unicorns. The eerie silence of the forest is broken when you hear Draco’s scream and see him running through the forest, trying to find his way out. You caught the wave of his dark robes as he ran through the forest. You caught up with him and grabbed his arm. He whipped around and looked at you with fear in his eyes. But his eyes weren’t the normal grey. They were a shimmering silver and the pupils were slitted to that of a snake’s eyes. Draco was panting and you could see that his fangs were elongating slightly. He relaxes when he realizes that its just you who caught up with him.
“Thank heaven its you. Potter and I saw a scary monster over a unicorn, a dead one. The creature looked up at Potter and began floating to him. I ran as I didn’t want to end up like the unicorn.” He says and scratches the insides of his legs.  Your eyes widened at both the description of the monster and the sight of Draco in his distressed state. He was still in a fight or flight mode from seeing the monster but he had calmed down a little bit. He grabbed your arms and led you out of the forest. You ask Draco for more details on what he saw, hoping you could try and figure out what the monster could be that was attacking the unicorns. “It was big, cloaked, and its face was covered. It didn’t seem to have legs either. All I could see was silver liquid dripping from its chin.” Draco told you as he held you by your arm and wouldn’t let you out of his sight as the two of you approached Hagrid’s hut, now emerging from the forest.
“It could be either a Lethifold, or a Dementor. But neither creature needs to directly feed on another living being’s flesh, especially a unicorn.” You told him and saw that his eyes were still a bright silver. “Draco, your symptoms are getting worse. We need to at least tell my fathers about your progression. We can’t let Lucius find out or he will put you on suppressants.” You asked as you were concerned for him. You rubbed your thumb over the back of his hand as Hagrid and the Trio came out of the Forest as well, Harry telling Ron and Hermione too about the same creature that Draco had seen. Hagrid noticed the slight changes in Draco before looking to you. “You two can go, I’ll make sure these three get back to Gryffindor Tower safely.” Hagrid spoke and you guided Draco away before any others could see his eyes.
“I know.Its been getting harder and harder to resist. The itching only gets worse and it’s bloody torture.” Draco tells you once the two of you are far enough away that no one else would hear you. “I know it is I’ll ask my dads if they have anything that can help with the itching that couldn’t raise suspicion to your dad.” You spoke, pulling out the beaten-up journal that was the same one Draco had given to you at the beginning of the year. The journal was now mostly full of notes on various magical creatures including a list of the curses’ symptoms and several journal entries after the list as to when he had shown any of the symptoms. You pulled out a pen and began writing down the list of symptoms he showed tonight.
“Subject showed increased fear when triggered by a potential threat in the Forbidden Forest. Increased symptoms such as itching between the legs and arms. Eyes turned silver with snake-like pupils, canines were elongated slightly, and subject was itching inner thighs.” You write with Draco looking over your shoulder. “The itching is annoying… but I’ll try to hide it, I swear.” Draco spoke and scratched his inner thighs again.
“Scratching and rubbing is only going to make it worse. I’ll try to get you a salve or something to help alleviate the itching for now… But it’s only gonna get worse, Draco.” You told him, finished your entry, shoved your journal back into your robes pocket, and took Draco’s hand, guiding him back to Slytherin common room. When the two of you got to the dungeons, Draco shuddered at the thought of his dad forcing him to go on suppressants so soon. “I know what my father would do and I find it sickening… He can’t know about any of the things you’ve written about.” Draco spoke as he looked to the pocket you held the journal.
“Understood. I’ll send a letter to just my dad. He may be able to help.” You told him. Draco smiled and guided you into the Common room.
You began writing up a letter to Remus and Sirius, telling them about Draco’s symptoms and your concern for him. You tell them about the incident in the Forbidden Forest and the partial transformation before you send the letter off to them. You then pulled Draco down the small hallway off the main room to the common room and into your private room that Lucius had funded. You figured Draco would want you close after what had transpired in the Forest tonight.
You pull him to the bed and he follows, taking his outer robes off, leaving his clothes on, and laying on the bed with you. Draco pulled you close and nuzzled into your neck, falling asleep soon after. ~~~ The following weeks after the incident were filled with you studying about nagas and their behavoirs, getting advice from your dads, and helping Draco study as the symptoms got worse. The two of you were in your room as you were trying to help him with his Care of Magical Creatures assignment when he stood up and growled in frustration, itching at the red, irritated patches on his arms and torso and on his lower legs.
“This itching wont stop!” He complained. “It’s making it hard to focus.” Draco whimpered after he shoved the book away and scratched furiously at his thighs, arms, and sides. “Draco! You’re just gonna make them worse if you keep scratching. Why don’t we focus on Arithmancy or potions to help distract you?” You spoke in a calming manner, hoping to soothe him a little in his distressed state. Draco shook his head and held it in his hands as he sat down again.
“I don’t think I’m gonna make it, Y/n. The itching is unbearable.” He spoke as he tried to keep his legs apart so they wouldn’t meld together and form a tail prematurely. You saw him bouncing his leg in a distressed manner.
“Is the salve even helping? Are you even using it?” You asked as you placed a hand on his shoulder. “No to both of those questions.” He whimpered. You looked around the Slytherin common room before looking to Draco. Who looked back at you, worried if the few people mingling around in the common room had heard him whimper. Thankfully, there were only a few people in the room who were busy with their own studies.
“Gather up your books and get into our room now. I have an idea.” You told him as you gathered up your books and led him into your privately shared room. Once the door had clicked shut, Draco set his books down and slid into his den that he had made earlier that week. “What is your plan, Y/n?” He asked and looked at you as he stood near the bed. You had him the half-used jar od salve that your dads had sent in their last care package to him. “Put this on now.” You told him and turned with your back to him to let him apply the salve on his own. A few minutes pass and you hear him lay on the bed with a quiet groan.
“Can I come closer?” You asked, turning to see Draco laying under his blankets. He nodded and you laid on the bed next to him, holding his hand to give him some comfort as he drifted off to sleep.
~~~
Over the next few days, you kept Draco company and let him hold your hand or rest his head on your shoulder during and in between classes. Draco was practically hugging on your arm as you guided him down to Hagrid’s Hut.
“Why are we going to Hagrid’s?” Draco asked as you led him to the door. “You’re still struggling in Care of Magical Creatures. I asked Hagrid to help you learn about some creatures.” You said and knocked on the large, heavy, wooden door. Hagrid opened the door and stepped out. “You two ready?” He asked as he’s excited to show the both of you some of the creatures he’s gathered up. “As I’ll ever be.” Draco spoke, not letting go of your arm as you led him into the forest, following behind Hagrid as you entered Professor Kettleburn’s outdoor classroom where several creatures were milling about and a couple approached you as they recognized you. You saw the Bowtruckles, fairies, knarls, Nifflers, and porlocks approach you excitedly. Draco gripped your arm as they walked closer. 
“They’re not gonna hurt me, are they?” Draco asked as the Niffler approached you and nuzzled into your foot. “No, they wouldn’t I wouldn’t just expose you to a dangerous creature your first time.”  You reassured him and bent over to scoop the Niffler up and show him the creature. “Ah! Get that thing away from me!” He spoke as he stumbled backwards out of fear. You looked concerned and so did the Niffler in your hands as it was genuinely excited to meet a new person until it saw that Draco was afraid of the tiny creature. “Draco, Its not gonna hurt you.” You reassured him, letting the Niffler climb onto your shoulder and ride there as you approached your boyfriend.
Draco stood up and held still as you approached him with the Niffler clinging to your shoulder. “They like shiny things. Remember the sickles I gave you earlier?” You asked him. Draco nodded and pulled the silver coins out of his pocket. The silver glinting in the sunlight sent the Niffler scurrying down your shoulder and into your hand as it reached out to the silver coins that Draco held in his hands. “Go on, let Sam have them.” You told him and Draco cautiously gave Sam the Niffler the two sickles which he snatched and stuffed into his pouch, beaming happily, and smiling at Draco who now was calming down a little.
You watched as Draco stepped forward and let Sam sniff him before he petted the creature’s head. Sam squealed in delight and nuzzled into Draco’s hand. You introduced him to all the other creatures in the grove that Hagrid had gathered up and showed Draco how to take notes on each of the creatures and fill out the homework that the both of you had been assigned. The sun had begun to set and you noticed Draco getting tired so you guided him back to the common room and into your private room.
“I think you did great today, Draco. I’m proud of you.” You told him as the both of you changed into softer pjs Remus had sent as a care package before he slid into the bed. You slid in after Draco and checked his lower legs again. It was the end of May, his first full transformation was only mere days away, patches of scales had been fully forming, and you had been showing him how to let them appear and disappear.
Today, a day after the both of you had finished your last classes of the year, however, there were larger patches of silvery-white scales with an iridescent sheen that shown in the light of your shared room, Draco was writhing in pain as this was the worst his partial transformations had been. The scale patches were surrounded by red ring of irritation around the patches that you regularly applied the salve to the reddened areas gingerly as Draco lets out hisses of irritation and pain.
“I know it hurts, Draco. Just hold still.” You said in a soothing tone as you tried to clean the reddened areas of his skin before you applied the salve “It stings, Y/n! Why must you torture me like this?” Draco groaned into a pillow. “I’m not torturing you. If I don’t clean your irritated areas, they can get infected and the scales could get impacted and would need to be removed before you even have your first transformation. Is that what you want?” You asked firmly as you pinned him down as he was acting like a petulant child.
“No. I don’t want to have them removed! Just please… be gentle. They’re sensitive.” He pleaded with you as he looked at you from where his head rested on his pillow, silvery snake eyes looking down at you. “I’ll be gentle. You can trust me.” You tell him and he nods, burying his face back into his pillow as you tended to his baby snake scales on his sides, arms, and lower legs. with how delicate they are. He felt you delicately wipe the scales clean with the cloth before lathering them in the thick salve that soaked into the scales and soothed the irritated skin.
“It would be better if we could get you a bathtub to soak in that would be a better way to soak the scales and get you hydrated.” You told him as you kept caring for him. “Maybe we can get one in here for next year.” Draco suggested. “I’ll try talking with your dad, telling him its something to help with your tail and scale patches.” You spoke as you finished up applying the salve and let him stay still for the medicine to soak in. “I hope he will help. I don’t like that he’s been so distant with me recently. I’m worried that he won’t want anything to do with me once I transform, Y/n.” He spoke as you laid next to him in the den. “I think he’s just as nervous as you.” You told him, trying to give him some semblance of peace. Draco sighed and you changed the subject.
“So, do you think we passed the finals? I’m worried I didn’t pass anything.” He told you, looking up at you as he began to relax, his eyes turning back to the normal stormy grey color that they normally are and the patches off scales sinking under his skin again. “I think we both did great. We will get our results in a day or two. You just need to relax. Our birthdays are coming up soon. Yours is only a week away and mine is only ten days after yours. We get to go to the manor the night before your birthday to spend the day of there. I’ll be with you the whole time.” You told him. Draco looks at you as he pulled you closer.
“I’d want you there anyways. I don’t want to be alone when I finally turn into well… a monster. You’d be the most understanding out of all the people we know.” He told you as he gripped your shirt as if you were the only thing keeping him human. “You’re not a monster, Draco. Now or even when you transform. You’ll be a beautiful Naga. Do you want me to show you more of what other Nagas look like and do?” You suggested to try and ease his fears. He shook his head and held you tighter. “Okay, okay. You can just hold me for now if that’s what you need.” You told him and stroked his hair. Draco fell asleep in your arms with you following him soon after. ~~~ Two days before Draco’s birthday, You are reading the results of your finals when Draco got a letter from your dads at Grimmauld Place. “What’s that?” You ask as you look up from your grade results to see Draco having paused in his irritated pacing and now reading the piece of paper in his hands. “Its an invitation from your dads for me to come spend the summer at your house. They want to help me learn about my naga habits in a healthy manner. I still need to stay a week at my house though for the Trace to renew properly.” Draco spoke and fidgeted with his fingers.
“I’ll come with you. I won’t let Lucius do anything to you. I’ll ask if one of my dads can come too. Just to keep your dad from interfering.” You told him reassuringly. Draco took a deep breath, gripping the fabric of his pants to resist the itch that now was unbearable. You walked over and held your hand out to him. “C’mon. We have the Finishing Feast and the House Cup to be given out. I hear your favorites will be there.” You told him after putting your black, pointed hat on and helping him adjust his on his head, letting him cling to you as he was walking stiffly beside you as the two of you made your way up to the Great Hall for the End of Year Feast.
You and Draco sat at the end of the table closest to the double doors in the moment that Draco needed to leave if he couldn’t stand the stimulation of the Great Hall, even though it was decorated in the green, silver, and black of Slytherin House. He bounced his legs in anticipation of the food arriving You gripped his hand in yours as you could feel his anxiety oozing off of him. Dumbledore came up to the pulpit and talked to the student body and staff.
“Another year gone and as I understand it, the house cup needs awarding. The Points stand thus. In fourth place is Gryffindor with 312 points, in third place is Hufflepuff with 352 points, In second place is Ravenclaw with 426 points, And in first place with 472 points, Slytherin House.” He speaks, pausing between each announcement to let the houses clap and cheer as a sign of good sportsmanship. All the houses but Slytherin. As you hear the standings, you watch as Draco perks up a little, realizing that Slytherin has won. His infamous smug grin has returned, the transformation and the pestering itchiness of his thighs momentarily forgotten. The rest of the students in Slytherin cheered when it was decided that their house won.
“Yes, yes, well done Slytherin, well done, Slytherin. However, Recent events must be considered and I have a few last-minute points to award. To Miss Hermione Granger, for the cool use of intellect when others were in grave peril, fifty points. Second, to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best played game of chess that Hogwarts has seen these many years, fifty points. And third, to Mr. Harry Potter, For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house, sixty points.” You hear Dumbledore say, each dealing of points to the students in Gryffindor makes Draco slump and his frown comes back. He begins idly rubbing and scratching at his legs, arms, and sides as more and more points are given to the Gryffindors.
“We’re tied with Slytherin!” You hear Hermione say from where you’re seated next to Draco, now noticing him scratching at the irritated places on his body. You have to pin his arms down so he doesn’t irritate them any longer. Draco begins squirming in his seat. “Y/n. I can’t stand it much longer. I don’t know if I can sit through the feast.” He whined. His grey eyes flicking between you and the giant wooden doors to the Great Hall.
“We can wait for the last of the points to be announced. We could still win.” You try to reassure him even though its highly unlikely.
“And finally, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award ten points to Neville Longbottom. Assuming my calculations are correct, I believe a change of decoration is in order.” Dumbledore says and claps his hands, making the banners hanging from the ceiling change from Slytherin colors to Gryffindor colors. When all the other houses but Slytherin erupting into joyous Cheering, Draco covered his ears and ran out of the Great Hall, you following close behind him.
“Draco! Wait!” You call after him as he is running down the stairs to Slytherin Common room and straight into your private room. He pulled the sweater over his head and flinging it to the floor. He was scratching all over his body and growling in frustration as he was in pain. You entered the room a few moments later and saw him in distress.
“We need to get to the Manor tonight.” You told him when you saw him and help pack his things. Draco’s eyes flashed bright silver and his head snapped to you, fear emanating from him. “Why should I transform at that stuffy old place? I’d rather transform here.
“You can’t Draco. Not at the castle. This will be your first transformation and you still have the Trace on you. You need to be at your family’s manor for the Trace to renew in the proper way. After that, you will be able to transform whenever you want. We will spend your birthday at your house then we will go to Grimmauld Place for my birthday. Then the both of us will spend the rest of the summer at my house and get our 2nd year items with my papa and dad.” You told him, as kept packing your trunk and his trunk too. Draco let out a huff. “Fine.” He said and went to the bed to rest and sulk a little that Slytherin had lost the House cup. ~~~ The two of you had made it to the train home, finding a compartment near the back of the train where the two of you could cuddle in peace before the stress and pressure of Malfoy Manor and one Lucius Malfoy. You had sent a letter for your Papa and Dad to be at the Manor to help Keep Lucius away from Draco while he had his first transformation as you didn’t know how pushy Lucius would be with the suppressants even after the talk your dad had with him a long time ago.  When the two of you arrived in King’s Cross station, you were relieved to see Remus and Sirius standing on the platform waiting for you with Lucius standing off to the side, watching you and Draco leave the train with your trunks floating behind you. Draco was shaking slightly and clinging to you for dear life to keep himself grounded Lucius raised an eyebrow at the state of his son and bent to his level.
“Draco, you don’t seem to well. Let’s get you home.” He spoke and offered for Draco to take his hand. Draco refused and clung to your arm tighter. “I want to stay with Y/n.” He spoke and looked up at his father. “Very well, Draco. Come along. Dobby, get their trunks.” Lucius ordered the House elf to tend to the trunks. You led Draco behind his father with your papa and dad bringing up the rear, praising you slightly for taking good care of Draco and that you were doing a good job. You stayed by Draco’s side the whole ride back to Malfoy Manor. He hid his face into your neck and clung to your arm. You kept a mental note of his condition like how warm he was and if his breathing was getting labored yet. Lucius looked at how affectionate Draco was on you.
“Tell me, Y/n. Have you been keeping up your research on Draco’s symptoms like you said you would?” Lucius asked as he kept his eyes on the pair of you. You pulled your notebook out and handed it to the man who flipped through the pages and was impressed at how detailed your notes were on his son’s condition and the Malfoy family curse.
“You have done a good job of recording the symptoms of the curse. What do you intend to do when he transforms fully?” Lucius asks. “I intend to be by his side the whole time like he’s requested me to be. I plan on still teaching him the appropriate behaviors that a young naga like himself should be and he will not be in any form of suppressants to hide what he truly is.” You told Lucius, telling him Draco’s wishes as well. Lucius looked surprised at your boldness and stayed quiet for the rest of the carriage ride back to the Manor. “The two of you have the rest of today and tomorrow to get settled on the third day, we will be having a quiet celebration for Draco here at the Manor. Y/n, please make sure Draco is decent enough to make it through the interaction.” Lucius requested of you. You nodded and guided Draco upstairs with Remus and Sirius trailing behind the pair of you.
Once in Draco’s room, you helped him onto the bed before addressing your papa and dad. “How is he holding up, Y/n?” Remus asked as he approached the bed with a concerned look on his face. You were helping a whimpering Draco out of his travelling clothes and finding some summer shorts for him to put on instead. Both Remus and Sirius gasped when they saw the irritated patches of skin and smaller patches of scales on his lower legs and creeping up into his torso when he pulled his shirt over his head. “I didn’t think it would get this bad. Doesn’t help that he keeps scratching and rubbing at the inflamed areas.” You tell your dads as you let Draco change in privacy.
“Has the salve helped at all?” Remus asked. “Its helped a little but with the transformation only two days out, I don’t think it will do any good. I hate seeing him in pain like this.” You spoke as you folded his clothes and put them in his dresser. Sirius walked over and put a hand on your shoulder. “You’re doing your best, Y/n. You’re doing the right things even though he may be in pain right now but that pain will soon be over.” Sirius reassured you as you began unpacking both your trunk and Draco’s. You heard Draco shifting around in his bed to get comfortable. You set the stack of books from his trunk on his bookshelf and watched him in amazement as he dragged the bedding from his bed and looked around his room for a suitable place to begin building a place to transform safely. You had heard and read about this too. About some nagas building a nest in a dark, quiet corner where they would feel safe enough to transform. You walked over to him, exchanging a glance with your dads as they were curious as to what Draco was up to.
“Draco, where would you like to nest?” You asked him as you could see several places in his room that you thought was suitable for a nest but this was Draco’s nest, not yours. Draco’s head snapped from his bed, a corner in his room near a window that was across from his fireplace, and his walk-in closet. “I don’t know where to nest. The bed would be the most comfortable for the both of us, the corner by the window would be cozy and warm if we kept the fireplace going, and the closet would be the most hidden.” He told you and kept looking between his bed and the corner near his fireplace.
“This is your first nest. Do the one that feels the most right.” You told him and he went to the closet, setting the bedding down outside the door and going inside the closet to begin making room for his den. He moved the shoes and boxes that littered the floor up to shelves and his dresser. He then pulled his duvet into the closet first, to line the floor and make the floor of his nest comfortable. You stood outside the closet, making notes of his nesting habits and writing down all the steps Draco took to make his den. You watched as Draco made several trips back to his bed to retrieve the pillows, occasionally sending you down the hall to get some extra items from the linen closet as he wanted them for his den. On the third trip to retrieve nesting materials, you were stopped my Lucius.
“What’s all this for, Y/n? We have a room for this purpose that is well stocked.” Lucius explained. You held the stack of folded sheets and a couple blankets “It’s Draco. He’s making his nest in his room. Its where he’s most comfortable and I don’t want to disrupt him.” You explained and Lucius nodded, allowing you to have access to the nesting room to retrieve the materials there.
“Thank you, Mr. Malfoy.” You spoke and Lucius bowed his head to you, leaving you to still help Draco. You enlisted the help of your dad and papa to carry the bedding back to Draco’s room so he would have all the options available to him for making his nest. Once he had the nest all set up, he poked his head out and pulled you into the nest.
“I need you close. I’m scared. What do you think of the nest?” He asked as he fidgeted with his fingers, waiting for your response. You were amazed on how soft and pillowy the nest was and you laid out on the floor of the nest, taking notes of how he nested. “It’s so comfy, Draco. I don’t think I’ll ever want to leave.” You told him, seeing Remus and Sirius looking in from the outside. Draco looked at them warily, not entirely trusting them. “Don’t worry, Draco, we’re here to help. Neither Sirius or I will hurt you or Y/n.” Remus spoke, trying to reassure the young man. Draco watched them and nodded, letting them stay outside of the nest as he pulled you into his arms for him to hold as he needed your comfort for now. ~~~ Two days later, June 5th. Draco’s twelfth birthday. You are laying next to Draco, watching him whimper in pain as he was waking up from the previous night’s rest. The itching between his thighs was now an uncomfortable burning and his forehead is covered in the sheen of sweat. His body was fighting off the transformation and he was being stubborn, refusing to let go, and allow himself to transform. He had been irritable to his father and your dads too whenever they got close to him or you, always snapping at anyone who got too close to him or you. You wake up and see his eyes, now bright silver than the normal blue-grey you knew them to be. His pupils had narrowed to slits and his mouth was opened slightly, showing his canines now having elongated to needle-sharp points like a snakes’, and the tip of his tongue is forked.
“Y/n. please run. I don’t want to hurt you.” He told you as he looked just as scared as you were. You nod and get out of bed, wrapping your robe around yourself, leaving the room, and go down to breakfast. You find your papa and dad sitting next to Lucius and Narcissa talking about the day’s plans over morning coffee. All four adults looked up at you as you slid onto the bench across from your fathers. “No Draco this morning? Where is the birthday boy?” Sirius asked after you had a cup of tea in your hands and a plate of food slid in front of you by Dobby. “He’s still in his room. He told me to come down before he did.” You told the adults as you ate.
“Is he feeling well? Should we go check on him?” Lucius asked, showing some small concern for his son. “He is almost fully transformed. He told me to come down here because he didn’t want to hurt me. After I eat, I’ll go back upstairs with food for him. Then I’ll help him get changed so he may be ‘decent’ as you say for the celebration.” You said firmly while you gripped your fork. Lucius looked surprised at your forwardness and went back to finishing his own breakfast and going to his study. You had Dobby make up a plate of food and take it up to Draco as you flanked Lucius to his study to see if he was staying true to his word. He did enter his study and close the door. You decided to go back upstairs to check on Draco. You found your fathers in the hallway wanting to help. You saw Dobby leave looking timid and more scared than usual.
“Miss Y/n. Master Draco is a frightful creature. Will he be alright?” Dobby asks nervously. “He will be, don’t worry. My dads and I will help him. You just run along and let us care for him.” You instructed the House Elf. Dobby nodded and apparated away. You looked back to Remus and Sirius, worried as to Draco’s well-being.
“We need to check on him, pup.” Remus spoke and put his hand on your back, guiding you to the door. He looked to Sirius. “Stay out here in case he bolts.” He spoke in a quiet tone. Sirius nodded and stayed outside as you and Remus went into Draco’s room.  You entered first, seeing Draco’s eyes stare past you at the adults behind you. He hissed at Remus when he entered behind you.  
“He’s not a threat, Draco, he’s here to help. We know you’re in pain and we want to help you.” You spoke and Draco locked eyes with you. You moved with him as you moved closer to his nest in the closet. You knelt outside the wall of his den, keeping eye contact with him. He was showing more patches of scales now solidifying in a stark white color that seemed to glow and retain an iridescent shimmer as he moved in the darkness of his nest to the wall of his nest to be closer to you.  
“Y/n, I’m scared. It hurt so badly and I don’t want you to see me like this. I’m turning into a monster and I couldn’t bear seeing you hurt if I let it take over. Please go and let me turn.” He pleaded with you. You didn’t see him as a monster though. You saw him as your friend no matter what.
“But I don’t want you to be alone when you transform. You’re not a monster, Draco. You’re my best friend and I won’t let you be alone with this. Will you allow my dad to be with you instead? He doesn’t want everyone to know this but he’s a werewolf and has experience with the pains of physical transformations.” You suggested, insistent on making sure Draco wasn’t alone through this.  Draco gripped the pillow that he already had a death grip on tighter as he looked you in the eyes.
“Yes, please. Your dad can stay. Please just go, y/n!” He pleaded, breaking eye contact with you to bury his face into a pillow that you had scented to seek comfort. You rose and handed your journal and pen you had been keeping on Draco to Remus. “Please take good notes and take care of Draco for me.” You spoke. Remus took the journal and pen. “Of course. I’ll take good care of him.” Remus spoke and watched you leave the room. You went back down to the kitchen, finding Narcissa and Sirius still there, waiting to hear any news on Draco. Sirius stood when he saw you enter. “Has it happened yet?” He asked as you sat at the table next to your papa.
“No. He’s resisting the transformation and its going to give him more pain the longer he resists. He didn’t want me to see him transform so I left dad upstairs with him. I hope everything goes well.” You tell your papa as Narcissa pours you a cup of tea. You hear the kitchen door open and Lucius steps in, putting his hand on your shoulder. “Has it happened yet?” He asked, slightly impatient. You took a long sip of your tea before looking to Lucius. “No. It hasn’t. My dad is up there now trying to help Draco now. It would be better if his own father cared enough to not hide away in his study and was up there with him now. Draco is in pain and wants help. He didn’t want me to see him transform so I am here, drinking tea when I’d rather be by Draco’s side helping him through a milestone in his life.” You spoke and took another long sip of your tea. Lucius looked offended at your words and Sirius stood to defend you from the man.
“My daughter is right, Lucius. You should be up there comforting your son alongside my husband.” Sirius spoke and Lucius stormed out of the kitchen, going up to Draco’s room. Meanwhile, in Draco’s room, Remus was laying in front of Draco’s nest, trying to soothe the boy as his urges got stronger. Lucius knocked on the door. Remus stood up to see who it was. “Why are you here, Lucius. I thought you didn’t want anything to do with your son’s transformation.” Remus spoke, opening the door a little wider and blocking Lucius from entering.
“Your daughter persuaded me to assist Draco in his first transformation since he wished her not to see him in this state. I understand that you have experience with physical transformations. If Draco wishes, you may stay as well.” Lucius spoke before pushing past Remus and entering the room. Draco saw his father and retreated into his nest to try and stand before hobbling out, nothing but a black modesty garment around his hips and a loose shirt over his upper body as he clung to the wall and other furniture to help keep him standing while he addressed his father. Remus’s heart hurt for the boy as he saw Draco in such a disheveled state. Lucius’s eyes widened at his son’s condition and he approached him, kneeling to his level, tilting his head up to meet his gaze.
“Draco, I know it hurts. But you need to stop resisting and just let it happen. It will happen whether you want it to or not.” Lucius said as he let his own eyes flash silver, like Draco’s. Draco’s lip trembled and he shook his head.
“I don’t want her to think me some monster!” Draco protests, his body shaking slightly as the resistance of his transformation slips just a little more as more scales appeared on his legs and he stumbled forward into his father’s arms. Lucius rubbed Draco’s back and did his best to soothe his son. Remus watched Draco grip his father’s shirt as he was afraid that you’d think him a monster. “Draco, Y/n would never think you a monster. She loves you for who you are and she won’t go anywhere. She will see you as a fascinating creature that she will want to study and help others learn how to care for more Nagas like yourself.” Remus reassured the boy. Draco nodded and held onto Lucius as he took deep breaths.
“That’s it, let go, Draco. You’ve held on for long enough we can help you.” Lucius spoke, comforting his son, wishing that his own father did this with him when he was twelve. Draco’s legs finally gave out as he let out a cry of pain that was heard all the way down to the kitchen, making you grip onto Sirius’s hands tighter as you were concerned for your partner. Draco’s legs finally merged and formed a long, powerful, pure white tail with a shimmering iridescence that shone in the morning sunlight, matching the patches of scales on his arms, neck, shoulders, and upper torso. Draco leaned into his father as he panted, recovering from the transformation. Lucius held him and rubbed his back carefully, staying aware of the patches on his back as he looked up to Remus who was lingering around to provide any assistance that Draco would need as he adjusted to his new form.
“How are you feeling Draco?” Remus asked after a moment. “Different. But good. My legs feel as if they’re bound together. I’m scared I can’t walk.” Draco spoke and held onto Lucius as he got his bearings and tried moving his tail a little. “Take your time. We will stay with you as you adjust.” Lucius spoke as he helped Draco learn how to move with his tail. Draco eventually got the hang of slithering around and helped him get settled back in his nest. While Remus made notes in your notebook about the transformation and Draco’s first movements as a naga. He also wrote a description of Draco’s tail in your notebook, watching Lucius and Draco bond over this moment together. Lucius had shown some duller patches of silvery-white scales peeking out from his shirt collar as he helped Draco get comfortable in his nest.
“You should rest, Draco. The first transformation can wear one out. Do you want anything before you rest?” Lucius asked. “Can I see y/n? I want her close.” Draco requested, looking to Remus who nodded. “I’ll go get her. But the two of you are to have an adult with you while you’re in this state. You may hold her but nothing else. The two of you are far too young to mate and we want the best for the two of you.” Remus spoke and Draco nodded.
“Yes. I just need to hold her and have her close.” Draco spoke. Remus leaves to get you from the kitchen as you’re now pacing in the kitchen, wringing your hands as you had heard Draco’s cry of pain a little while ago. You wanted to run to his side then, but Sirius had you stay in the kitchen in the case your wellbeing might be at risk. You looked up at Remus as he entered the kitchen and walked to him.
“Is he okay? How is he doing? Can I go see him?” You ask as you look your dad in the eyes.
“Y/n, he’s okay. He’s finally transformed and asking for you. Your father or I will always be in the room with you when he’s in this state as we don’t know how he will act when you go to his side.” Remus tells you.
“Of course.” You say and walk past your dad.  Remus looked to Sirius for him to follow you up to the room. You paused for a moment outside the room before entering. Your eyes immediately fell on Draco’s new form laying in his nest, coiled around a body pillow to anchor himself while he waited for you to arrive. His silvery eyes met your golden ones when he heard you enter the room. He reached out for you to come closer and you knelt at the edge of his nest
“Can I come in?” You asked, waiting for Draco’s approval. He nods and almost yanks you into the comfort and safety of his nest, letting go of the body pillow and wrapping his tail around your ankle and pulling you close to his chest, inhaling the smell of your hair, and holding you tight enough that he was afraid you’d disappear.
“I’m not going anywhere, Draco. I’m right here.” You reassured him as he held you a little tighter. You looked up at your dads as they were sitting near the wall of the nest, but not too close that Draco would see them as a threat. Remus wasn’t too thrilled about Draco’s tail around your calf but he looked up to you, hoping you’d explain Draco’s behavior towards you.
“He’s doing something called ‘anchoring’ or ‘grounding’. This is normal for snakes as they need something to latch onto or they will feel distressed. He’s doing what feels natural and this is okay. He’s just being clingy since this is his first transformation and he’s feeling all kinds of new things now and I want to help him.” You explained to them as you comforted Draco as you ran your hand through his hair and rubbing his back gently, being wary of the patches on his back. Draco clung to you, enjoying your embrace as he rested. ~~~ After the small celebration of Draco’s 12th birthday and a week later, Draco was packing his trunk to go with you and your dads for the rest of the summer holiday and go back to Hogwarts with you in the fall. You had finished packing your trunk and now you were helping him with all kinds of naga scale care that Narcissa had bought for him and gifted to him on his birthday.  You also had made him some modesty garments for other options besides the black and green ones he had already.
“Isn’t this too much, Y/n? Its not all going to fit.” Draco told you as you stuffed more of his casual clothes that you rolled up down the sides of his trunk.
“I’ll make it fit. Don’t worry.” You told him, adding the rest of the pile of nesting materials that wanted from home into his trunk and closing it with success. Both you and Draco smiled the accomplishment.  
“You’re amazing, Y/n. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He spoke and stood up, rolling his trunk downstairs with you following him as his parents were waiting to send him off. In the past week, Lucius had also gone off suppressants and let his own naga form become president. He now stood in the entry way with his silvery-white tail under him.
“I wish you well at Grimmauld Place, Draco. It was good to learn a few things from you as well, Y/n about the wonders of our gift.” He spoke, no longer referring to the naga condition as a curse. “Thank you for having me and my fathers, Lucius.” You responded, bowing your head to the man before leaving with Draco out of Malfoy manor and following your dads to drive back to No. 12 Grimmauld place. ~~~ A few days later, the four of you are having breakfast the morning of your 12th birthday in the kitchen of your home when your Hogwarts letters arrive. “They came!” You say excitedly, handing Draco his letter before you tore into yours. A moment of silence fell over the breakfast table before Draco broke the silence.
“Who the hell is ‘Gilderoy Lockheart? And why is every written work of his on the damn school list?’” He asked out loud as he read over the list of items needed for that year. Remus set his fork down and groaned before he took a long drink of coffee. “That pompous jerk? Which position is he going for?” He asked as he looked to the pair of you as you kept reading over the letter. “Looks like he’s filling the Defense Against the Dark Arts, Dad.” You tell him between bites of food. Remus sighs and finishes his own breakfast.
“That’s it. I’m applying for the position next year. The two of you need a good education in that subject.” Remus spoke as he finished his morning coffee as Sirius rubbed his back. “Let them get through this upcoming year, alright darling?” Sirius spoke and pecked his husband’s cheek. The end.
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(I decided to edit and repost this story as it was made aware to me that some of the content int the original version would make some people comfortable. Its the same plot. I hope you enjoy)
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shiningamongdarkness · 2 months ago
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A Girl and Her Doll - Chapter 08. Don't you agree…?
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Chapter 08. Don't you agree…?
Gemma's attempt at cooking something ended with ham and cheese sandwiches, accompanied by fries, after trying to rescue the burnt food was useless. Esther didn't complain, and she didn't seem too surprised either. The girl sat at the table, with M3GAN at her side, as they had been before they went out into the courtyard, and Gemma in front of them, checking her phone quite carefully, and answering various messages sent by Tess, Cole, David, David's assistant Kurt... That particular day, it seemed like people needed her more than usual.
                Since returning from Connecticut with Esther, she had managed to stay home as much as possible and work from there, even while they were preparing M3GAN. However, as the shareholders' meeting approached, and the to-do list grew even larger, it became increasingly clear that she couldn't keep this up.
                If she found herself needing to start going to the office regularly, as she had always done before this radical change in her life, she would have to think carefully about what she would do with Esther, especially during this period when M3GAN and she had to spend all their time together.
                "Aunt!" Esther said suddenly, raising her voice enough so that Gemma could not ignore her despite her reverie.
                "Huh?" she mumbled distractedly and looked up from her phone. Esther was looking at her intently, as if waiting for an answer, which she obviously couldn't give since Gemma hadn't heard the question. "Sorry, kiddo," she apologized sheepishly and immediately turned off her phone and put it aside. "Were you telling me something?"
                "I was just saying that Lydia asked me about school the last time I saw her."
                "School, yeah," Gemma murmured, followed by a deep sigh. "She told me about it, too. I'm sorry I've been so busy all at once. But I need to review that topic carefully because I don't know how the grade issue applies to... Well..."
                Gemma hesitated, clearly unsure how to approach the subject. Anything related, directly or indirectly, to Esther's kidnapping made her react this way. It was dangerous territory she didn't quite know how to navigate.
                However, despite her hesitation, Esther understood what she was struggling so much to tell her.
                "To what happened to me?" Esther whispered seriously. "The four years I was gone?"
                "Yeah..." Gemma mumbled, uncertain. "I'm not sure if you should pick up where you left off in first grade, or, given your age, pick up in... fifth grade?"
                M3GAN intervened at that point, giving her own opinion on the matter.
                "Depending on the institution and Esther's special circumstances, she may be given an exam to assess her current level of knowledge and determine the most appropriate grade for her."
                "Thanks, M3GAN," Gemma replied, nodding. What she was saying made sense. "I'd also have to find a good school that isn't too far from my work."
                "Daddy said I might be able to go to art school," Esther suddenly declared, sounding particularly animated as she said it. This threw Gemma a little.
                "Which one? The one in New York?" she asked curiously, followed by a small giggle. "Well... I don't know if there's one like that here in Seattle. And if there is, it must be very expensive."
                "Couldn't my parents' inheritance help us with that?" Esther asked with interest.
                The sudden comment seemed to catch M3GAN's attention in particular, as she immediately turned to Esther, watching the side of her face intently as she spoke to her aunt.
                "That's another issue I need to check on as well," Gemma lamented, sounding frustrated. "As soon as I can, of course. Elise, add a reminder for me to call Erick Landors tonight."
                The smart assistant's eye on the counter glittered and let out a small beep.
                "Reminder is set for 8:00 PM today," Elise said with her robotic voice. "You'll be notified ten minutes before the scheduled time."
                "Thank you, Elise."
                "You always thank Elise and M3GAN," Esther pointed out curiously. "Why is that? It's not like they appreciate or resent it if you don't, right?"
                Esther turned to M3GAN, indicating with her expression alone that she was waiting to hear her answer on the matter. The android looked at her for a moment, then spoke in a low voice:
                "Not particularly."
                "I don't know," Gemma mumbled next, shrugging. "It's involuntary, but it's not unusual for people to do it. I guess it's human nature to be nice."
                Upon hearing that answer, Esther's expression became somewhat reluctant, even slightly annoyed.
                "I don't believe that," she said harshly. "And I'm not convinced you believe it either, Aunt."
                Gemma felt slightly perplexed by the comment and didn't know how to react. Perhaps what she'd said was a bit ill-advised. Considering what the girl had been through, she couldn't blame her for having a particular negative opinion of people. But what did she mean by not being convinced Gemma believed that? Was she referring to her relationship with Tricia again? Yeah, that wasn't the best example, but it wasn't indicative of how she thought everyone in the world was, either... or was it?
                She forced herself to push those thoughts aside for the moment, knowing they wouldn't get her anywhere. Besides, she had more important things to think about.
                "Whatever," Gemma said, trying to quickly change the subject, or rather, get back to the previous one. "When I talk to Erick, he'll tell me if we can use some of that money for school, and then we'll talk about it, okay? Let me handle it."
                "Of course," Esther replied with marked confidence. "And... Do you know how much it is?" she asked immediately afterward. "What my parents left me, I mean."
                "I have no idea, little one," Gemma replied, clearing the plates from the table, hers and Esther's. "Maybe it wasn't much. After all, the house was a total loss, and a lot of things…"
                Gemma stopped dead in her tracks, realizing she might have been going a bit too far with her explanation. Esther wouldn't have to be reminded that her house had burned to the ground, along with everything inside.
                "Don't worry about it," Gemma emphasized, smiling at her casually. "Whatever it is, it'll be good."
                "Yes," Esther replied in a small whisper.
                Gemma entered the kitchen with the dishes in her hand and went to the sink to wash them. Esther silently followed her with her eyes, and when she turned her head, she realized that M3GAN was watching her very, very closely.
                "What?" the girl exclaimed, somewhat defensively. "Is there something you want to tell me?"
                "Not particularly," M3GAN replied in the same way she had said the same thing a moment ago.
                "Then stop looking at me so much, will you?"
                At such a request, M3GAN instantly turned to face forward, averting her gaze from her as requested.
                "Thanks, M3GAN," Esther muttered with marked sarcasm.
                After finishing washing the plate, Gemma returned to the dining room.
                "Well, little one, I must go to the office for a few hours today, so I need you to come with me.
"Do I have to go?" Esther complained, almost like she'd told her to eat her vegetables. "I wanted to start this new painting," she added, showing her the sketchbook with the M3GAN drawing. "I've had the idea in my head for days."
                "It'll only be a couple of hours. And you can stay in the playroom in the meantime."
                "The playroom is full of little kids. Besides, I can't bring M3GAN because she's still a secret and no one should see her, blah, blah."
                "I understand, but I can't leave you here alone."
                "Why not?" Esther exclaimed, suspicious. "I'm not a little girl anymore. Besides, I won't be alone. I'll be with M3GAN."
                She extended a hand toward the doll sitting next to her, somehow giving her the floor with that gesture.
                "It's true, Gemma," the android said matter-of-factly. "I can take care of her. I'm capable of performing basic babysitting duties, remember?"
                Gemma looked at both of them, clearly unsure about the proposal.
                "I don't think so…"
                "Don't you trust M3GAN to do the job?" Esther asked, sounding almost like an accusation. "It's your creation, Auntie. That's what you made it for, isn't it? How can you trust parents to let their children use your invention if you don't trust yourself to do it? Consider that children will often play with their dolls without their parents around to keep an eye on them. And we haven't experienced that situation firsthand, have we?"
                Gemma gave an amused little laugh and crossed her arms.
                "You're quite an eloquent child, you know that?" she noted, unclear whether she meant it as a compliment. "You remind me of your mother," she whispered a little later, a dark undertone to her words. "As a child, she always managed to get what she wanted by using the right words with adults."
                Whether the intention was to flatter her or not, Esther did not seem to take it well because her face darkened a little at such a comparison.
                "I'm not like her," she argued dryly.
                "No, of course not," Gemma added nervously. And perhaps that convinced her a little to give in to her request. "Well, I'll relent this time. Just for today, I'll let you stay. But be very careful," she warned, pointing at M3GAN and Esther alike as she did so. "And don't leave the house."
                "I promise, Aunt," Esther replied, smiling again, as she had done a while ago.
                A few minutes later, Gemma was ready to leave, her computer case slung over her shoulder, her car keys and phone in one hand.
                "I'll be back in a few hours," she announced from the hall, already in front of the door. "Take good care of her, M3GAN."
                "You can trust me," the android replied from the dining room.
                Once Gemma left the house and they heard her vehicle pulling away up the driveway, Esther stood up from her chair and headed into the living room, where her easel still sat. There were plans to move it to Esther's bedroom, but since Gemma hadn't yet removed the things she said she would, the best place was still there.
                "What do you want to do?" M3GAN asked cheerfully, following behind her.
                "I'll do my painting, remember?" Esther replied impassively. "I'll transfer my sketch to the canvas."
                "Will it really be a painting of me?"
                "Who else?" Esther exclaimed impatiently, holding up the sketchbook so the android could see the sketch they'd been working on again.
                "I could generate an accurate image of me in a few seconds if you need it."
                Esther let out a derisive snort, shaking her head.
                "Did you see what I told you outside is true?" she commented, turning to her with a sly smile. "You can do things, but you don't understand them. Art isn't about doing it faster or more accurately. And it is not done because it is needed."
                M3GAN watched her silently.
                "What's it about then?" she asked with genuine curiosity.
                "As if I'm going to go to the trouble of explaining it to you," Esther muttered in annoyance, and instead turned to the easel, placing a blank canvas on it. "By the way, I couldn't find the ball. Could you go and look for it? I don't know where it might have fallen."
                "Gemma told us not to leave the house."
                "No, she said I shouldn't go out, she didn't say anything about you. Replay the conversation if you don't believe me."
                M3GAN remained silent momentarily, staring off to the side, not seeing anything. For a moment, Esther thought she was repeating the conversation as she'd told her, even though it had been a mere joke.
                "So?" she asked after a moment of waiting. "Could you please get the ball?"
                "No problem," M3GAN replied after a while. Without further question, she walked calmly toward the front door.
                "Thank you, M3GAN. You're very kind," Esther roared so she could hear.
                As the android approached the door, Esther focused on preparing her canvas, brushes, and paints. However, as soon as M3GAN stepped out and closed the door behind her, she quickly put all that aside. She quickly scanned the entryway, then peeked out the window to verify that M3GAN had indeed left. When she saw M3GAN heading toward the wooden fence, she quickly turned away from the window and ran down the hallway toward Gemma's office and workshop.
                Esther had other plans for that afternoon than painting a stupid picture of that doll.
— — — —
                Gemma's car was no longer in the driveway, so M3GAN scanned the surrounding area with her visual scanner, looking for any round, red, and blue objects that matched the ball in question. A first sweep of the perimeter revealed nothing, so she performed a second scan, obtaining the same result.
                It should have fallen further.
                The android then moved to another position, in front of the garage door where Gemma's car had been, and performed the same scan, but now 360 degrees. It had different results, detecting an object that was a 99% match for the lost ball. She understood why she had so much trouble finding it since it had apparently rolled through the hole in the fence connected to the other yard. That, or maybe Dewey the dog had taken it with him.
                However, the ball was visible in the other yard through the hole, so it was just a matter of reaching out and grabbing it, and that's it—mission accomplished.
                M3GAN approached the hole with its robotic gait and knelt before it. She crouched down to extend her right arm through the hole toward the ball to pick it up. Her fingers barely touched the toy's smooth surface… when its auditory sensors were invaded by the shrill barking of the dog on the other side of the fence. Before she could react in any way, the animal's jaws clamped down on her arm with incredible force and pulled her forward, forcing half of her body through the hole.
                It all happened so quickly and confusingly. M3GAN raised her face and managed to see Dewey the dog, biting and pulling at her arm, as if trying to tear it off. She pulled hard to get free, but the dog pulled harder. After a while of back and forth, M3GAN managed to free herself, but the animal immediately jumped on her, crushing her to the ground with its heavy body. Then, it sank its jaws against her neck and began to shake her.
                M3GAN stood still for a few moments, unable to react, as the dog attacked her. She had no protocol to tell her how to respond to such situations. Nothing in her programming told her what to do when a large, ferocious animal attacked her, bit her, pushed her, tried to... kill her?
                Is that what was happening? Was she going to die…?
                That train of thought, if you could call it that, activated something deep within her programming. It wasn't something that was initially there, but something that had been added thanks to her ability to learn and improve, derived from her research the other day, and from that specific experience she was having at that moment.
                That new functionality could be described in human language with a short and simple expression: "I want to live… by any means…"
— — — —
                Esther faced the dilemma of finding what she needed as quickly as possible while not making so much of a mess in Gemma's office that she'd notice she'd been rifling through her things. But it was very complicated because Gemma's workspace wasn't exactly organized, with things all over her desk: glasses, cleaning fluids, hand sanitizer, circuit board parts and screws, paracetamol and omeprazole, and a few other empty boxes.
                But none seemed to be a phonebook or a post-it with a number written on it, which was exactly what she was looking for.
                "Where's the fucking number?!" she exclaimed furiously, so overcome with frustration that she couldn't help but throw some of those empty boxes on the floor.
                She slumped back into Gemma's chair and pressed a hand against her forehead, trying to calm the first stirrings of a headache. She slowly turned onto her side, glancing sideways at the blank computer screen. She let out a huff of annoyance.
                "This woman doesn't write anything down. She has everything on her stupid devices…"
                And as soon as she said that, a small revelation crossed her mind. Maybe she didn't have her computer password to dig through... but she did have another option.
                "The tablet, of course," she said with a hint of joy.
                She immediately jumped up from the chair and ran out of the workshop and into the living room. The tablet was on the couch where she'd left it. She quickly grabbed it, entered the password, and somewhat clumsily began browsing through the apps, looking for any that looked like a contact list. With any luck, it would be synced with her phone, and she'd find exactly the number she was looking for.
                And, apparently, she still had a little luck left.
                "Here it is!" she exclaimed, followed by a giggle as soon as she found what she was looking for. "Perfect, now I just have to call him..."
                At that moment, she instinctively turned to the corner of the room, utterly convinced she would find what she was looking for on the small table. This time, she had no luck.
                "Where's the phone?" she whispered softly. And only then did she realize that, in fact, she hadn't seen a phone in that house in all the days she'd been there. Not that she'd needed one until then, of course.
                She then headed, tablet in hand, toward the foyer, then the dining room, the kitchen, even Gemma's room, and back again to the living room, all the way back. No matter how many times she turned, she saw no sign of a phone.
                "Damn it!" she exclaimed in frustration, almost tempted to slam the tablet against the floor, but she held back. "This woman doesn't have a landline! The only phone is her stupid cell phone. Perfect time for a kid to break a leg. Well, Gemma, you're aunt of the year."
                She let out a high-pitched groan and sank down onto the couch with the tablet on her lap.
                "Maybe this thing can make calls?" she whispered to herself, as, with a cooler head, she picked up the device to recheck it.
                "No phone calls," she suddenly heard a rather distinctive little voice answering her from the side.
                "Ah!" Esther exclaimed in fright, jumping up from the armchair. She turned quickly in the direction from which those words had come, clutching the tablet tightly to her chest.
                Standing at the entrance to the room, she spotted M3GAN. Her dirty and tangled hair was covered in dry leaves and mud, and her brown coat was equally dirty and somewhat torn, especially the sleeve. She also looked wet, as if she'd fallen into a puddle or crawled through it.
                But other than that, she was in one piece; less so than Esther had expected.
                "M3GAN, what happened to you?" Esther mumbled in a (fake) concerned voice.
                The robot ignored her question, instead reaching forward and dropping the red and blue ball she held. The toy fell to the floor, bounced, and then rolled down to rest before Esther's feet. M3GAN then continued the explanation she had begun.
                "With the right app, you could make a voice call. However, if Gemma has been communicating with the lawyer through a different medium this entire time, suspicions could be raised. Plus, you risk his not recognizing your voice as Gemma's. You could try sending him a text message, but these would also be visible on Gemma's phone, and you risk her seeing them before you can delete them."
                Esther flinched slightly, but remained calm. She even managed a carefree smile, as she had so well-rehearsed.
                "I don't know what you're talking about," she muttered innocently. "And I don't know what you think I'm trying to do..."
                "I think you're trying to find the contact number for Eric Landors, the Albrights' attorney, in Darien, Connecticut," the android stated coldly.
                That made a dent in the mask of calm Esther had formed, and it was difficult for her to maintain her smile. How had she noticed? Or when had she? That doll was more cunning than she looked. She couldn't afford to have her around any longer...
                "I just wanted to say hi," she explained casually as she slowly moved toward the corner of the living room, one eye on M3GAN and the other on the decorative lamp that sat above one of the speakers next to the television. "He was a good friend of my parents."
                "Of course, that's a possibility," the android indicated, subtly turning her neck, following Esther's steps without moving from her spot. "But I think we both know it's more likely that you want to gather information about Esther Albright's heritage. Don't you agree... Leena?"
                Esther stopped dead in her tracks, frozen in place, as soon as she heard her say that. She was now at the right distance, allowing her to easily reach out and pick up the lamp. Even so, she found it impossible to move her hands even an inch, as if she were completely numb.
                Her heart raced, and she even felt it thundering in her ears. Her smile vanished completely from her face, and she turned so that her gaze was fixed squarely, and only, on M3GAN. And for the first time in all the days she'd been living in that place, the mask of her innocent ten-year-old girl completely vanished, falling to the floor and shattering into a thousand pieces. And beneath it, something horrible… and violent… loomed.
                "What did you call me…?"
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