#THE GROUP ARE BACK TOGETHERRRRR ;A;

[birbfeeder2artisticboogaloo]

DARYL RUN TO HUG CAROL, HUGGED HER RIGHT OFF HER FEET AND HE'S IN TEARS

iM GONNA FUCKING CRY

[carewyncromwell]

5, 13, and 20 for the potter asks?

Pro or anti Marauders?

Pro overall, but let’s break this down by characters --

Remus Lupin is my favorite male character in the entire book series. He not only reminded me of my best teachers growing up, but I felt so, so much for him as a character too. I always felt kind of marginalized and different from my peers growing up, so it’s kind of unsurprising that I’ve had a soft spot for “outcast” characters since I was very little, and Remus is no exception. I completely understood why his friends meant so much to him and therefore felt SO much for him that, in the end, he had to lose all three of them and end up alone. Even his flaws, showcased best in the Snape’s Worst Memory chapter of OOTP and especially in Deathly Hallows, only serve to make him more real and human -- it broke my heart when he considered leaving Tonks and Teddy to help the Trio with their Horcrux hunt, but Remus wanting to “bury himself in his work” (which, honestly, this was -- he was a member of the Order, after all!) rather than face his worst fear of possibly dooming another person (namely, his son) to live a life like his made perfect sense with the characterization established, however horrible and wrong of a choice it was. It made me side with Harry so much in scolding Remus, yet I also felt compassion for the feelings behind Remus’s initial impulse. And of course, I was so proud of him when he overcame that fear and stood by Tonks and got to know his son before he died. I’m still not over the fact that my bb Remus had to die, AUUUUUGH, he and Sirius and Harry should’ve lived together as one happy makeshift family togetherrrrr. DX

Peter Pettigrew...that bloody rat. >> I’m sure just about everyone feels a lot of justified resentment toward Peter for what he did to the Potters, and I definitely agree with that sentiment...but at the same time, there’s still a part of me that finds him very interesting. Mainly because...I’d love to see him at his best, now that we’ve seen him at his worst! He was a Marauder, same as Sirius, Remus, and James, and we should never forget that -- he might have been a bit of a tag-along, but none of the other three, Lily, or anyone else thought that Peter would ever have been the type to turn on his friends. McGonagall disparaged Peter for his magical talent, but she openly grieved for him when she thought Sirius had killed him. Everyone was ready to believe Sirius -- who clearly adored James -- could be the traitor, before suspecting Peter. Sirius even suspected Remus before Peter...and this is when their connection in the books is so strong that HP fans have shipped Wolfstar since POA was first published back in 1999! Even when you read the books, you can see flickers of remorse in Peter at points, if you’re reading carefully. In Goblet of Fire, Peter seems noticeably uncomfortable around the rest of Voldemort’s supporters -- his efforts to bring Voldemort back to his body really seem to be out of obligation rather than any kind of enthusiasm. And of course, as we see in Deathly Hallows, Peter even as a Death Eater still retains enough honor to hesitate when Harry reminds him that he owes him his life. Gryffindor house does preach chivalry as well as courage, and in a twisted way, one could read Peter’s “loyalty” to Voldemort not just being about desperation as his friends now want nothing to do with him, but also because Peter’s standing by the choice he made...not unlike how Percy stood by the Ministry as long as he did, rather than by his family. This doesn’t justify what Peter did at all -- he is a despicable coward who destroyed so many lives and is responsible for bringing back the Dark Wizard whose return resulted in even more deaths -- but it does give his characterization as a villain interesting nuance. There’s a well-established internal logic to how Peter behaves, one I would frankly LOVE to see more of in a future Marauders-centric property.

Sirius is arguably the most polarizing of the Marauders, but honestly? I love him to pieces. He is a very, VERY flawed character -- he’s got a real mean streak, a hot temper, and more aggression than the average person. Him encouraging Snape to “go after Remus” was an indisputably terrible, stupid, callous thing to do, not just because of the endangerment to Snape’s life, but the flagrant betrayal of Remus’s friendship. The way Sirius treated Kreacher was completely uncalled for, regardless of how much the elf reminded him of his terrible home life. Sirius also can be really immature and can get really surly and passive-aggressive when he’s upset. But despite all of this, I love Sirius anyway. In a lot of ways, Sirius reminds me of my father, who I also love a lot despite his many flaws. Sirius lacks empathy for those different from him, but he’s also the only member of his immediate family who rejected the idea of pureblood superiority and fought in the Order of the Phoenix against Voldemort. Sirius was a bully and even as an adult could be incredibly petty and mean-spirited, but he also was the first person in Harry’s life who really felt like family to him -- who he could write to for help when he was sad, afraid, or insecure. Sirius was a hot-tempered, rash person who rarely thought through the consequences of his actions, but he also would’ve done absolutely anything to protect the people he loved. He without question loved James, Lily, and Harry more than his own life. Despite being raised in a cold, hate-filled, prejudiced, unaffectionate, abusive home, Sirius understood unconditional love, and he understood his godson in a way no one else could, not just because he was such close friends with the parents he’d lost at such a young age, but because he’d lived Harry’s experience as a neglected, unloved child himself.

And now we come to the often maligned James Potter. Honestly, this guy gets such a bad rap in the fandom, almost exclusively based on Snape’s memories, and I don’t think it’s really fair. Snape is really the only person who has a sour image of James, and even if we disregard the testimonials of fellow Marauders like Sirius and Remus, people like McGonagall, Dumbledore, Mad-Eye Moody, and even Cornelius Fudge had nothing but nice things to say about James, and those people don’t have reason to speak well of James at Snape’s expense. And of course, even Snape’s perceptions are bound to have their own slant to them. Pensieve memories are just that: memories. A Pensieve is not a pocket dimension that perfectly recreates the past, hence why Slughorn was able to badly modify his memory, Hokey the house elf’s memories were tampered with by Riddle, and even in Snape’s own memory, we follow Snape throughout the memory and we’re only able to hear what the Marauders are saying because he was close by. And if we judge James solely based on his no-doubt worst moment in Snape’s Worst Memory, we’re bound to get an incomplete picture -- just as we did for Hagrid, after seeing Tom Riddle’s memory of him confronting Hagrid for supposedly opening the Chamber of Secrets. Would we judge Harry solely for Malfoy’s recollection of the Sectumsempra incident, or Hermione solely for Marietta’s recollection of the time Hermione hexed her face to read “SNEAK” across it? Of course not. James was a bully and what he did in Snape’s Worst Memory was no doubt horrible -- but this is also a young man who without hesitation gave Sirius a home after he ran away from his terrible family, who supported Remus financially when he couldn’t find work, and who selflessly put himself between Voldemort and his family just to give them a chance to escape, even though he didn’t even have his wand on him. I would frankly love to learn more about James and see more of the arc he must’ve gone through as a character for someone like Lily to have fallen in love with him and for people like Remus and Sirius to feel such strong platonic love for him themselves, if a Marauders-centric property was ever created.

Who was the bravest character in Harry Potter and why?

Oh gosh...hm...that is a real challenge. There are a lot of very brave characters! Harry, Ron, Hermione, Remus, Sirius, McGonagall, Hagrid, Dobby, Cedric...but I think I’m going to nominate Neville. While Hogwarts was taken over by Snape and the Carrows and the students were no doubt being brainwashed a la the Hitler Youth to regurgitate blood-purist talking points rather than learning anything that could defend themselves against the Dark Arts or that was even remotely true about Muggles, Neville decided to face that undeniable hopelessness -- worsened all the more by the students’ lack of independence and freedom while being housed in the castle’s walls without their families and the threat of losing both their families and all hope for a future constantly dangled over their heads -- head-on and reform Dumbledore’s Army with Ginny and Luna to stand against it. Then, even as his group’s members got picked off one by one and were forced to hide in the Room of Requirement, he stuck to his guns and kept resisting because he knew -- as a Pureblood -- he was in a position he could use to fight for others and wasn’t afraid to stand up for those who couldn’t stand up for themselves and others. It was only when his grandmother was forced to flee and the Carrows realized that Neville was too much of a threat to keep in check that he went into hiding himself. Then, when everyone thought Harry was dead and many others would’ve despaired, Neville fearlessly and fiercely stuck both by Harry, his parents’ memory, and his own convictions and refused Voldemort’s offer to join him, even keeping his head enough after getting burned by the flaming Sorting Hat to fulfill his promise to Harry and kill Nagini. And this was the kid who people said shouldn’t have been Sorted into Gryffindor at all, in his first year! What a beautiful transformation.

Favourite Death Eater?

*cringes* Mmm...well, character-wise, I’d say I’ve always found Lucius a very compelling character, in the books. The Malfoy family in general struck me as interesting anti-villains, since they are indisputably unpleasant, prejudiced, awful people, but their one silver lining to me is how deeply and sincerely they love each other. That aspect is really lost in movie!Lucius, since the films try to portray him much more two-dimensionally bad and that interpretation has since colored the fandom’s view of Lucius as an abusive father when there is NO textual evidence of that in the books. And I kind of find it a shame, because as much as I adore Jason Isaacs in his role, it did serve to make Lucius a bit less complex and interesting in the films than he was in the books. Admittedly as well I have a bit more of a soft spot for Lucius after taking on the challenge of writing the guy and his family a redemption arc in my way-too-long AU fic Harry Potter and the Lack of Lamb Sauce. XD

HP Ask!

[laminy]

BTS # 18

A couple people actually asked this one, so! I guess people are interested, thank you! and obviously I’ll just answer it once, but I did get the other one!

18. What is a line/scene you’re really proud of? Give us the DVD commentary for that scene.

one of the first scenes that came to my mind was in Chapter 38; right after they celebrate Gwil’s birthday, Ben leaves to go home for the night, and Gwil asks if he can walk him. 

and it’s like, they’re in this very weird space of they both have feelings for each other, they both know they have feelings for each other, but they haven’t really talked about it yet (obviously because they never talked about anything ever lol). and Gwil talks about his family, and asks Ben about his, and it feels like they could be about to slip back into their awkward “both of us have too much angst to function so let’s just shut down” mode, except Gwil brings up Christmas, and then! Ben invites Gwil to spend Christmas with him. which he said so casually, and Gwil accepts so casually, it wasn’t like a big moment of “oh my goddddd we’re going to spend the holidays togetherrrrr” it was just very soft, and sweet, and they were both smiley and happy.

AND THEN. they get to Ben’s flat, and they say goodnight. and how many times have these two said goodnight or goodbye without anything happening before? too many to count. and it could happen again! there’s so much tension really, and Ben’s got his key in the lock and he could just say bye, but then he turns around like, “Gwil? just a question, thanks. when we were in London together, we said goodnight and you waited outside my door, didn’t you?”

and Gwil’s like, oh my goddddd he knew he knew, I wasn’t subtle at all! and he’s just like, “oh yes, I uh, yes I think so, quite.” Like a little blushy, and then Ben teases him a bit! which Ben doesn’t always do with a lot of people, and certainly not with Gwil, so now we see that he’s a bit more comfortable with Gwil, because he’s like, “did you think we were going to have sex?”

and Gwil’s like OH NO UH NO OF COURSE NOT just a kiss, I just wanted a kiss (which he eventually got so good for him go Gwil).

BUT BEN! Ben who has always been shy; for so much of the story he’s only comfortable with Joe, and it took him awhile to warm up even to Rami who’s a sweetheart, and he’s consistently felt like every time he’s reached out to Gwil, he’s been rebuffed. they take two steps forward, a million back. and also up until this point, Ben hasn’t been very forward at all. he was too nervous to ask Gwil to dance. their first kiss, Gwil initiated it. them sleeping together, Gwil initiated it. that Ben, who is probably scared to death and it’s been so long since he’s felt comfortable putting himself out there and he still isn’t, not really; that Ben who is so in his head and quiet and scared and ashamed, he’s the one who comes at Gwil with a:

“Are you going to wait outside my door tonight as well, then?” he asks. “Or should I just kiss you now to save you the trouble?”

BECAUSE BEN WANTS TO KISS HIM. Ben wants to kiss Gwil, and he’s done hiding it, he’s done lying about it, he loves him, and he wants to be kissed by him every day for the rest of his life, and he doesn’t even know yet that that’s going to happen. he could kiss him and Gwil could still turn away and say he’s not ready, or he can’t, or he doesn’t want to, but Ben is just thinking, for right now, in this moment, I am going to say what I want, and it’s going to be great. imagine how much effort that would have taken him! to find that in himself.

and then! Gwil just sort of stands there like, uh...okay? AND BEN KISSES HIM! he doesn’t wait for Gwil to make a move, he makes the move. and this is not just a kiss. Ben doesn’t just give him a light peck and go home. he kisses him and then he kisses him, he grabs onto Gwil’s scarf and pulls him in and holds him close and he doesn’t want to let him go.

BUT IT GETS BETTER! because Ben pulls back, and normally, gosh, this Ben, he’d be like, “oh oh my god, I’m so sorry, that was so forward of me, uh that was terrible” and he’d be so regretful and worried and have to go into his apartment and pace around about how much he fucked up, that Ben is gone. at least for right now. this Ben flirts with Gwil, kisses him, and pulls back with a smile and a giggle like, yeah, I just kissed the fucking love of my life and it was amazing. and then he has the audacity to just be like, “okay bye goodnight! happy birthday, fyi, I am the gift! see ya!”

and Gwil’s just left standing there like...holy shit, ha. well, okay! literally speechless but also Ben gave him no time to talk, so then he just leaves.

what I actually find interesting now looking back at it are their reactions. because the next time we see them, Ben, Joe, and Rami are all hanging out together, Gwil’s not there. and Rami knows. and Ben knows Rami knows because Rami’s like, “oh, Gwil and I went to lunch, it was so lovely, do you two want to be alone wink wink” which means that Ben just made a move, a really big move for him, and then did nothing! he kept it all inside, he didn’t even tell Joe. and he would have been so excited and happy and like “I KISSED GWIL!” and then he and Joe went to work together the entire next day and Ben didn’t mention a thing, and Joe didn’t pick up on anything at all because as happy as he is, Ben also wants to keep it to himself. and then when Rami brings it up, Ben’s like “whatever it was just a kiss” BUT IT WASN’T! he was so lying! Ben’s just so used to everything he and Gwil do being this huge group gossip session that he wants to just keep it inside and not say a word (but also, if nothing happens between the two of them, Ben can just pretend he didn’t do anything at all and everything’s fine) while it’s all just bubbling up inside him. maybe because he’s still a bit in shock too, that he even did it! maybe he can’t believe it.

whereas Rami and Gwil go to lunch together and Gwil spills the beans iMMEDIATELY like, deep breath “oKAY!” and Rami just listens like oH MY GOD. like Rami was so in his glory just listening to this story and Gwil was just like “what does it mean, what do you think it means?” and they clearly make this plan where Gwil will show up late because he has to go get flowers and Rami just goes home to Ben and Joe like “oh I had a nice day I know nothing how are you?” and Ben and Joe are like yeah, we’re great, and Rami’s just like, excitedly wiggling wondering how he can bring this up and when Gwil will appear, and Ben’s like, unable to stop thinking about what he’s done and where is Gwil, oh my god he’s run off, and Joe is oblivious to the entire fucking thing.

[made-in-the-hallway]

Clearly exposed

Word count: 1.895

Request: Yes

Warnings: X-Factor feels

“Y/N, what if we totally fail? I have never imagined what bein’ in a band feels like and I feel like I am going to disappoint yeh all so bad”, Harry said in one breath and you couldn’t quite understand how he did it. At some point, you were afraid he would explode. All the time he kept talking, you just giggled and shook your head, indicating that it was just the nerves talking.

“Harry, sweetie, you have nothing to be worried about. Everyone loves you and your voice so much that they will be even happier now you joined a band. Besides, it is a good opportunity to broaden your horizons and experience cooperation. Think about it”, you tried to calm him, and just when you wrapped your arms around his neck, you felt him relax underneath your touch.

“What would I do without you?”, Harry smiled and pecked your lips like an appreciation gesture.

“Shit your pants most probably”, you said as you kissed him back, only to be separated due to a high pitched voice.

“One Direction up in five”, the voice echoed.

“Go smash it baby”, you encouraged your boyfriend and patted his back in a soothing manner before he kissed his cross and took a deep breath, ready to claim the top at the X-Factor’s final along with his band mates.

You had been Harry’s girlfriend for almost two months before he made the life-changing decision to apply for the X-Factor. Someone could say you were the one who urged him to do so and it was the half truth. You had caught him singing in the back of his yard and you were magnetised by his voice. When he understood you had heard the whole thing, he was up on his feet and red like a tomato. After a lot of talking and kissing, you persuaded him to go for it and give it a try. Besides, what was the worst thing that could happen?

After he had made sure you would always be by his side, Harry joined the X-Factor family but life always has its ways to make things more interesting. That being said, Harry was announced to form a band with four other boys. It was difficult at first but they found their way and now they were up the stage, waiting to know if they were the big winners of the show.

“He is very nervous”, Anne, his mom, turned her attention from the flat screen displaying her son to your face.

“You tell me. He wouldn’t close his mouth, always saying how he would disappoint everyone. Silly boy”, you muttered the last part of your sentence under your breath, hoping his mother wouldn’t catch it, but she knew better.

“I know he is”

“When will the results be announced?”, you said, desperately wanting to change the subject.

“Probably in some minutes or so”, you got your response and prayed, folding your hands in front of your chest.

The artists’ appearances were already finished and the host of the show, had everyone at the edge of their seats. He was holding the envelope with the results and cheers could be heard throughout the whole place. What happened after he announced the results, was beyond imagination; in other words, incomparable to what was happening before. The boys didn’t win first place, but they had big plans for the future and that was what really mattered.

Harry had yet to reply to some questions and accompany the boys to some group photos so you waited for him backstage. You knew he would feel a bit blue about the outcome but he tried his best, he won his personal battle and he gained some strong bonds with his mates which is something he should really be proud of.

Parties and congratulations were thrown at One Direction, and you were by Harry’s side through it all. He had insisted you accompany him to the parties and have a good time yourself. You couldn’t believe you were such a significant part of a worldwide known superstar. From time to time, you had found yourself wondering that with his upcoming tours and meetings he would neglect and finally forget about you but he always stated otherwise: “Yeh are too precious to be forgotten” was the reply.

One thing that kept bugging you though, was the reaction your relationship would get. You hadn’t let a word out yet, but people weren’t dumb. They would understand there was something between the two of you and you really didn’t know if this was good for Harry’s reputation. You were always out and about, never missing a gathering Harry had to attend and sometimes, hands would be held and kisses would be shared, not really caring if people found out.

But someone had a serious problem with this. And this someone was no other than One Direction’s management. One particular day, an urgent meeting was held with the boys and your gut was telling you that this time, it was about you. And you were right; when Harry had come back that afternoon, his face showed everything.

“It was about our relationship, right?”, you had asked and you waited for nothing but the honest answer.

“Yes, but I tried to come up with ways we could make it work without it affectin’ the band”, he said and he hugged you.

“And what did they say about this?”

“They were negative. Only when I expressed meh last thought did they agree with meh”, he said and freed you from his embrace, wanting to look at your eyes as he would reveal the official result.

“Which was…”, you wanted to know.

“I offered not to go out together that much. But they alternated it a bit and they suggested we just keep it a secret, meanin’ we can go out together but not act like a couple”, he said taking some time to read your face and try to understand how that made you feel.

“I am so sorry yeh have to go through this Y/N, but I swear baby, we will do it together”, he said and cupped your cheeks as you nodded your head approvingly.

“Ok, we will make it”, you said and he found his way with your lips once more.

At first, you had thought this could be easy. Going out with Harry and acting like two close friends from High School. If only you knew. It was a lot more difficult. When his hand brushed past yours, you wanted nothing more than to take and hold it, nearly forgetting management’s request. In your head, this request, mirrored a forbidden path, that if you made the mistake to take, you would be lost for life. So before you had the chance to take Harry’s hand you changed your mind almost immediately. But what happened when his lips would meet the glass he was drinking from at a party and you just needed them on your own? The need was so strong that you had to turn your head elsewhere and look at something else.

But it wasn’t any easier for Harry as well. If he wanted to be more intimate with you, he had to keep himself from doing so if he didn’t want any trouble with his managers. You had suggested you stop going everywhere together and you just stay at the house all day, but he had a point in saying that if it was in the palm of his hand he would never leave his home if it meant to show his love for you.

And today, was another day you two decided to dedicate to your love without any visitors and other disturbances. Or so you thought.

“And now, it is just yeh and meh baby”, Harry explained and leaned in to kiss you before a knock on the door interrupted him.

“Who is it now?”, you said exasperated and Harry got up to open up, ready to get rid of whomever was at the door.

“Sorry I am afraid I will need to ask yeh to leave, meh girlfriend is sick and-“, he started but Niall’s voice ripped through his ears.

“Is Y/N sick or somethin’ mate? We are here for our scheduled live stream”, he said picking up his laptop from underneath his arm.

“What? And since when is a live stream scheduled?”, Harry sighed and moved closer to you on the sofa.

“Hello, Y/N”, the boys greeted you and you waved to all of them. You really loved the boys but today was supposed to be for you and Harry only. Harry must have felt the same way because the apologetic look he diverted towards you was enough to let you into his thoughts.

“And here we go!”, Louis said and smiled and all the boys said hi and waved to the camera. You just stood there, kinda awkwardly, not really knowing what to do. And this was the first time you were grateful no one had a clue about your relationship with Harry because as the numbers of the watchers increased, you didn’t know what the reactions of the fans would be and you didn’t want to face something discouraging yet.

Lost in your thoughts, you hadn’t felt Harry moving towards you in the back as the rest of the boys were talking to their fans and answering questions not really minding your presence.

“Enjoyin’ yourself back here?”, Harry said while he started to kiss your neck. You stood there dumbfounded at his actions.

“Harry, what are you doing? They will see us!”, you said meaning the thousand of fans watching the live stream already.

“This day was supposed to be ours. I don’t really care what they think of. Now, if yeh please, kiss meh”, he said and you wasted no time. Your lips found his and you tried to be sneaky and quiet not wanting to be caught.

“Niall, bring Harry over her-“, Louis started but as they parted in order to make more room for Harry to sit, your kissing position was clear enough for everyone to see. Messages were blowing up the whole page and you were slightly afraid to look at them, but even if you didn’t want to know about them Harry spoke first.

“Well, I guess we are no secret anymore. Everyone, this is meh girlfriend, Y/N and I love her very much”, he said kissing your cheeks.

“Look at this!”, Zayn shrieked and pointed to the screen, filled with messages.

“I knew it! They were always together it was impossible they were just friends!”

“They are so cute togetherrrrr!”

“I love you guys together!”

“Better than Kendall anyways”

“My new otp!”

Were just a few of the messages sent to you and you were bewildered. This was nothing like what you had imagined. People were so enthusiastic of your relationship that it felt really good. You knew some fans would be bitter but these messages were enough to encourage and make you feel appreciated.

“See baby? Everyone loves yeh. How can they not though?”, Harry said before writing instead of saying in the comments the thing he meant to tell the whole world all along.

“I hope yeh know no one can love Y/N more than I do. Thank yeh fo’ tryin’ though, yeh are all amazin’”.

Did that imagine kill me? Yes. Do i regret writing it? No. Did you regret reading it? No. (I know I am funny!). Thanks again for this lovely request and I truly hope you enjoyed reading this! And now let me fill you in on my personal drama. (I know no one is going to actually read it, and I don’t blame you, but I need to clear some things). So, the reason I have been somewhat inactive, is because of school. School has officially started and I am busier than I was but this doesn’t mean I will stop posting on this blog. (You won’t get rid of me that easily). I hope you guys understand and if you do, THANK YOU. Remember that if you want to see something posted on my blog or just rant to me, don’t hesitate to press that ask button! I am here for you lovelies! Ok, I think it is time for me to stop now. Stay awesome!