#Veritaserum anon

[sitp-recs]

Hello live, it's me :3 the anon who asked about having troubles with a common drarry dynamic. I just wanted to thank you because i didn't expect to feel so seen 😭 or find someone who felt the same way. I didn't get to speak much about it, but YES i also do feel very strongly about emotional imbalance. It's so important to me. Thank you so much for that kind and understanding answer.

This has encouraged me to really look at some of your personal recs knowing they're from someone with similar sentiments. I'm not saying this to put pressure on your personal recs! Please, this is your blog and i can really simply fuck right off, it's so not on you. the same way it's not on authors to write what makes me feel comfortable 🥂. It's just that i think your answer has given me newfound courage to look at some of your tags and faves with gusto~ I know some recs are made specifically for the askers and some works won't be in line with my preferences so I'm still very careful.

ALSO, thank you for reccing me authors!!!! Gosh! DID YOU KNOW THAT I'VE YET TO READ A FIC FROM TACKYTIGER?? Liv u rock.

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regarding my previous ask, i guess then, do you have lengthy wholesome fics or those that end wholesome-lly 💛🍂☕? Feel free to recommend absolutely anything on that regard hahahha. And please only answer when you feel up to it, I'm good over here 😌 ✌. It's the holiday season, you shouldn't have to do things u don't feel like doing.

In light of our kinship regarding a certain veritaserum scene, i shall call myself, veritaserum anon.

Hi again, anon! I’m so happy you felt seen and validated 🫂 I noticed some comments on that post sharing the sentiment so we’re not as few as you might have thought! I’m very excited to hear your thoughts on those lists but I’d maybe start with the ones below and see if they work for you. Most explore Draco’s redemption arc in ways I personally found satisfying and without belittling any character. I avoided fics that deal with hardcore emotional imbalance (I love the secret identity trope but I didn’t want to take any chances) and tried to include some recent, lesser known fics in case you’ve already read the popular ones. Also - I’m biased af when it comes to my pal @tackytigerfic but imo you should definitely start with Modern Love then make your way through their superb catalogue! Happy readings, and Happy New Year :)

8th Year/War Years:

Like Lightning at Your Fingertips by potterwatch (T, 43k)

The July Tree by @oknowkiss (E, 51k)

Seeker, Chaser, Keeper by VivacissimoVoce (M, 59k)

The Promise of Summer by Omi_Ohmy (M, 66k)

Right Hand Red by @lqtraintracks (E, 73k)

At Your Service by Faith Wood (E, 95k)

Changing Tides by carpemermaid (E, 109k)

Far From the Tree by aideomai (E, 112k)

Eclipse by Mijan (T, 287k)

Post-Hogwarts:

Take a Chance on Me by @mintawasalreadytaken (E, 41k)

Here’s The Pencil, Make it Work by ignatiustrout (M, 49k)

Take the Air by dysonrules (M, 51k)

Meet Me at Midnight by @the-starryknight (T, 57k)

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic (E, 61k)

The Compact by astolat (E, 64k)

A Young Radical's Guide to Love by blamebrampton (T, 66k)

Home Truths by @skeptiquewrites (E, 67k)

Tea and No Sympathy by who_la_hoop (E, 70k)

Timecode by Rasborealis (M, 73k)

Among Ancient Pines by @graymatters (M, 74k)

Balance, Imperfect by @bixgirl1 (E, 91k)

Little Deaths and How to Avoid Them by nerakrose (M, 96k)

Who we are in the shadows by @quicksilvermaid (E, 100k)

The Liars Department by @dorthyanndrarry (T, 104k)

The Paradox of Active Surrender by @korlaena (E, 108k)

Way Down We Go by xiaq (T, 109k)

All Life is Yours to Miss by Saras_Girl (E, 114k)

A Sword Laid Aside by @korlaena (E, 128k)

Any Instrument by @dictacontrion (E, 130k)

By the Grace by lettered (T, 140k)

All Our Secrets Laid Bare by @firethesound (E, 150k)

Foundations verse by Saras_Girl (E, 364k)

Angst with a happy ending:

Vale Sanare by RurouniHime (M, 23k)

Holly and Hawthorn, Thistle and Thyme by bryoneybrynn (T, 31k)

Kept in Cages by @sweet-s0rr0w (E, 77k)

Super Rich Kids by @thusspoketrish (E, 81k)

I Am Not Who I Became by mab_di (E, 93k)

Nor All That Glisters by @sweet-s0rr0w (E, 110k)

Medium Length:

Tidings of Comfort by blamebrampton (G, 10k)

Rebuilding Draco Malfoy by khasael (E, 11k)

How We Throw Our Shadows Down by thistle_verse (T, 14k)

Turn and Face the Strange (time may change me) by @punk-rock-yuppie (T, 16k)

Vortex by @xanthippe74 (T, 20k)

Nice Things by aideomai (M, 22k) - 8th year

Doing the Lambeth Walk by blamebrampton (T, 26k)

Speak (and may the world come undone) by @shealwaysreads (E, 26k)

Slithering by astolat (E, 27k)

The Nobility of Ascent by Lomonaaeren (E, 27k)

Waiting by an Open Door by Femme and noeon (E, 29k)

Faint Indirections by ignatiustrout (T, 29k)

The Consolations of a Summer's Day by blamebrampton (T, 33k)

Open for Repairs by @drarrytrash (M, 35k)

Follow the Water by @xanthippe74 (T, 38k)

In Dreams by @moonflower-rose (E, 38k)

[ellecdc]

the case of the missing pickles

poly!marauders x slytherin seer!reader who can't stop Seeing them [2.9k words]

amalgamation of various prompts:

prompt 1 from 🔮🐍 anon: I was wondering if you could do a part two of Sight's Set where one of her visions comes true? maybe the vision is of her on a date with them to Hogsmeade, but it turns out differently where she goes to Hogsmeade alone and they find her there and join her??? prompt 2 from anonymous: Can I please request marauders with a reader who are just in the beginning of their relationship and yet they know r so well like she doesn't have to even ask and she's all confused and flustered prompt 3 from 🕊️ anon: Remus calling feisty slytherin reader 'dove' being her kryptonite

The sun was warm on your skin as the castle gates permeated your view. You were trying to hide your amused smile at the boys’ antics, though you’re sure you were unsuccessful when a gentle laugh escaped your lips.

James faltered in his steps at the sound, turning to look at you with a beaming smile.

“Well gorgeous,” Sirius teased with a salacious grin as he moved to stand in front of you. “I had a wonderful time on our date today.” 

Remus breathed out a chuckle as he placed your jacket that he had been carrying over your shoulders, taking a moment to squeeze your shoulder affectionately before moving to stand with James.

“Don’t make any plans for next Hogsmeade weekend; we’ll definitely be doing this again!” James called; Remus encouraging him forward by a hand on his waist as Sirius walked away from you backwards to continue looking you up and down.

“Don’t miss us too much.” He said with a wink before turning to join the other two boys.

You woke up with a start, shooting upright in your bed as you sucked in a much needed breath. Goosebumps erupted all over your body as the feeling of being submerged in cold water began to dissipate and your nervous system realised it wasn’t dying.

After nearly two decades of living with ‘the gift’ of Sight, one would think your body would have a better response to it.

Alas, it still acted like you were moments away from death.

Perhaps it wasn’t too far off, what with all your Sights of the Marauders overtaking your every waking (and sleeping) moment; perhaps you were dying, perhaps that would be preferable.

After taking a warm shower to bring some much needed heat back to your bones and wash away the residual nerves that your vision had caused, you decided to put it out of your mind; you would never agree to waste one of your precious Hogsmeade trips with the Marauders anyways, so there really was no point stewing over it.

You eventually made your way into the Slytherin common room to find Regulus and Barty already situated with a copy of the Daily Prophet.

“Good morning, Treasure!” Barty cheered as he stood abruptly from his spot on the sofa with Regulus. “Heading to Hogsmeade today?”

“You know that I am, Barty.” You responded with a smirk. “I told you I needed to go to Tomes and Scrolls; the book I ordered should be in.”

“Great!” Barty clapped his hands together. “I need to stop at Dogweed & Deathcap!”

“Absolutely not.”

Barty paused in his excited tirade to look at you incredulously. “What do you mean, absolutely not!?”

“I mean you are absolutely not coming with me, Barty.”

“Why!?”

“Barty.” You started as if you were speaking to a rather troublesome toddler. “Last time I let you come with me you had us kicked out of Zonko’s and then spent two and half hours violently debating with the Dogweed & Deathcap shopkeep about the proper brewing times for veritaserum.” 

Barty stared at you bewilderedly as you held his gaze.

“You’re really not going to let me come with you?” He asked after a painfully long silence. 

“No.”

Barty stomped his foot once and let out a petulant breath. “Then you’re not allowed to be my best woman at our wedding!”

Regulus looked up from the newspaper he’d been engrossed with in favour of this ridiculous conversation to look at the two of you in bemusement.

“Wha-? We’re not getting married?” Regulus stated as a question, effectively removing Barty’s furious glare from you only to have it directed at himself. 

“It’s just one sodding disappointment after another!” He screeched before turning and storming off towards the boys’ dormitory. 

You and Regulus stared at the empty spot that was once Barty Crouch Junior before Regulus broke the silence by standing with a tired sigh. 

“Well I guess I know what you’ll be up to today.” You teased gently earning you a groan from the youngest Black. 

“If you happen to be by Honeydukes…”

“Yeah, yeah.” You cut him off, accepting the galleons he pulled from his pocket as he held them out to you. “I’ll pick him up some sugared butterfly wings.” 

“Thanks, I’ll need all the help I can get.” He grumbled as he made his way after his cantankerous boyfriend. 

Even the dreary weather couldn’t bring your mood down as you pocketed your galleons and accepted Barty’s bag of sugared butterfly wings from the Honeydukes shopkeep. 

You loved Hogsmeade, and you loved visiting with your friends, but sometimes there was nothing like enjoying a peaceful trip on your own.

Feeling quite pleased at having procured your special order from Tomes & Scrolls and successfully running Regulus’ errands, you pulled your hood up to protect yourself from the elements outside before pushing open the shop door only to collide with a heavy force on the other side. 

“Hullo, L/N!” James called as he quickly righted you. 

This cannot be happening. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” You grumbled as you stepped out of James’ hold, pretending like you didn’t notice the slight fall in his expression at the loss of contact.

“Nope, I think you’ll find I’m really quite Sirius.” Sirius said with a wink.

“Ew-” You started, turning to look at the longhaired boy in disgust. “That was terrible. That’s a terrible joke.” 

“Listen, when you get cursed with a name that’s also an adjective, you get to make all the terrible jokes you’d like.” He responded plainly. 

“You get used to it.” Remus sighed; offering you a sympathetic crooked smile.

“I should think I won’t, thank you very much.” You said as you turned to walk away, only to feel a gentle hand grasp your elbow.

“Whoa whoa, where’re you off too in such a hurry?” James asked teasingly. 

“The castle?” You responded quickly, immediately berating yourself for deigning to explain yourself to the likes of the Marauders. 

“Before lunch?” Remus asked then. “It’s not a trip to Hogsmeade without a stop at the Three Broomsticks.” 

“I’m not hungry.” You proclaimed with finality only for your stomach to traitorously contradict you by groaning rather loudly at the thought of one of your beloved tuna melts from the restaurant.

“Liar.” Sirius smirked smugly. “To the Three Broomsticks!”

Before you had a chance to protest, Remus and Sirius were walking ahead as James threw his arm over your shoulders and guided you after them.

“Get your hands off of me, Potter.” You spat.

“Sorry sweetheart, I wish I could, but then I’d have no way of ensuring that you wouldn’t just take off.” He apologised, not sounding very apologetic at all. 

You thought of your Sight from this morning but decided you were relatively safe; they had called it a date - this was decidedly a hostage situation. Besides, the weather had been really rather lovely in your Sight; today’s weather was quite the opposite.

It was fine.

This wasn’t a date.

You were fine.

Just fine. 

Except you had no sooner entered the Three Broomsticks before Sirius was pulling out a chair for you as James rather forcefully sat you in it; Remus quickly sitting and blocking your means of escape on your other side.

“I’ll go order!” James called quickly before nearly skipping towards the bar to do just that.

Sirius sat across from you looking all sorts of chuffed at his current predicament, smiling knowingly between Remus and yourself. “So,” he started. “Any more visions of your wonderful future with us?”

“Bite me.” You spat immediately, hoping to all the gods that no one noticed the heat emanating from your cheeks at the question. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He smirked.

“Be nice to her.” Remus chided softly. “She already doesn’t want to be here.”

That’s right, you thought petulantly before quickly scolding yourself for agreeing with a Marauder. 

Entirely too soon in your opinion did James return, happily sitting beside Sirius and looking around the table. “So! What’d I miss?”

“Y/N wants me to bite her.” Sirius responded quickly. “Okay!” James agreed readily. “Now?”

“Oh my gods I’m going to avada myself.” You muttered as you pressed your fingers into your temples.

“Oh come now, not before lunch.” Remus chuckled, rubbing conciliatory circles onto your back.

You couldn’t believe how tactile these boys seemed to be; they almost always had their hands on each other in some way. Sirius currently had a hand on James’ thigh who had his arm thrown casually over the other boy’s shoulder. You were almost certain that James had extended his legs under the table and was currently playing some form of footsie with Remus, who, in turn, had his hand on your back. 

And then you thought of the ease that James had thrown his arm over your own shoulder on your way here as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“What’re you thinking so hard about?” Sirius asked, pressing a finger to the divot that was growing between your brows before you hastily swatted his hand away from you.

“Just wondering what I ever did in another life to deserve this.” 

“Must’ve been an angel in another life to deserve us.” He responded haughtily.

“She’s an angel in this life too.” James added; beaming smile making you feel as though you needed to squint your eyes lest you look directly at it. 

The barkeep saved you from having to think of a response by placing food in front of each of you.

Your beloved tuna melt that you had been dreaming of earlier sat on a plate before you, confusing you as to how James seemed to know your order.

But perhaps he hadn’t; perhaps the barkeep recognised you and knew what you usually ordered. 

You pulled open the sandwich and were hit by another curiosity.

“There’s no pickles?” You asked aloud, causing the three boys to look at you in bemusement. 

“Did you want pickles?” James asked you slowly; his fork hovering over his plate as he delayed the first bite of his own meal on your account. 

“Well…no, but it usually comes with pickles.” You explained dumbly. 

“Yes but you always pick them off, so I asked for no pickles.” He explained simply before finally taking his long awaited bite. 

“How did you know that?” You demanded rather harshly then. 

“Know what? Your order?” Sirius asked on James’ behalf.

“Yes. And the pickles.”

“Because we pay attention?” Remus offered then; you could see him scrutinising you from the corner of your eye.

“Do you want me to go ask for pickles so that you can pick them off?” James teased then, an ill-suppressed amused grin threatening to overtake his face. 

“No, I want you to stop that.”

“Stop what?” Sirius asked with a smirk. “Knowing things about you?”

“Yes, that. Stop that.” You ordered.

“You’d have to obliviate me.” James taunted, leaning on his elbow and resting his chin on his fist as he considered you. 

“Better make sure to get the incantation right, gorgeous.” Sirius added. “Otherwise you’ll be responsible for his care when you ultimately put him into a vegetative state.”

You huffed petulantly before opting to take a bite from your sandwich in favour of continuing with your current conversation. 

“I’m sorry, but I have to ask-” Remus started with an amused grin on his face. “If you don’t like pickles, why don’t you just ask for no pickles?”

You let out a conceding sigh as you swallowed your bite. “I don’t want to be a bother…it’s just as easy to pick them off myself.”

You felt shame prickle at the back of your neck when your answer was met with silence before Sirius let out a bark of laughter. 

“Oh my Godric,” He exclaimed excitedly. “You are a big softy.” 

Against your better judgement you kicked your foot out at the long haired Marauder, horrified when James yelped before reaching under the table to rub his hand over his shin. 

“Fucking hells, sorry Potter.” You grumbled as you tried to curl in on yourself, watching as Remus cooed at the bespectacled boy and Sirius laughed at him. 

“Oh, no worries angel.” James offered you tightly, voice coloured with pain as he forced a smile at you. “Merlin, you've got quite the leg on you.”

“Fuck yeah she does.” Sirius agreed salaciously, earning him a fiery glare from you as you considered re-aiming your foot. 

“Easy there, dove. Play nice, yeah?” Remus murmured then, causing a shiver to rush down your spine as you turned to look at him with your mouth parted slightly.

You were absolutely horrified at the very visible reaction you had to the scarred boy’s endearment - and you knew it was a very visible reaction because Remus had a very visible reaction to it. 

“You’re alright, dove.” He murmured again, this time with a knowing smirk before turning back to his own sandwich and pretending like he hadn’t just completely rocked your world with one simple word. 

You looked over to see Sirius pick off of James’ plate as you waited for James to use his fork as a weapon for the egregious crime of stealing food, only to see James quickly load up a fork-full and hold it out for Sirius to try. 

“Fuck, I should have ordered that instead.” Sirius admitted as he swallowed the bite.

“Wanna switch?” James offered quickly, already lifting his plate to give Sirius room to slide his over should he want. 

“I’m not taking your meal, bubs.” Sirius responded with a smile as a faint blush dusted the tops of his cheeks. 

“You’re not taking, I’m offering.” James insisted, moving Sirius’ plate in front of him before placing his own plate in front of Sirius when it became obvious the other boy wasn’t going to help. 

“Thank you.” Sirius admitted rather shyly for the notoriously boisterous boy before he pecked a kiss to James’ cheek.

You looked over to Remus in bemusement only to see him looking lovingly over at his boyfriends. 

“Did you wanna switch, too?” Remus asked then, alerting you to the fact that he was quite aware that you had been staring at him.

“Absolutely not; you stay away from my tuna melt.” You spat before taking another bite.

You found yourself quite glad that the boys simply laughed before moving on to other topics of conversation, watching curiously as they talked and joked the afternoon away.

By the time the four of you were making your way back towards the castle the sky had cleared, leaving the spring air fresh and fragrant in the warm sun.

You felt a gentle tug and turned to watch Remus pull your jacket out of your arms before folding it over his own arm to carry it for you.

Shit. 

“Moons! What do muggles call the game ‘leaping toadstools’?” Sirius called suddenly from where he and James had run ahead.

Remus breathed out a chuckle as he smiled at them. “Leapfrog.” He called back with an audible eyeroll you were sure was mostly for show.

“Rem, I bet five galleons that me and Pads can leapfrog the whole way back to the castle.” James shouted.

“I’m not betting.”

James let out a horrified scoff. “Why not!?”

“Because I know that you likely can even though you probably shouldn’t.” He responded simply.

“Don’t rain on our parade, Moony.” Sirius said dismissively, waving Remus off like he was the definition of anti-fun. 

And to your absolute horror, you found yourself rather entertained as you watched them line up to play leapfrog; the only interruption of the game on your walk being to pet the odd cat, point at a patch of honking daffodils, and to run back and steal kisses from Remus (glaring at them when they threatened to do the same with you). 

The sun was warm on your skin as the castle gates permeated your view. You were trying to hide your amused smile at the boys’ antics, though you’re sure you were unsuccessful when a gentle laugh escaped your lips.

James faltered in his steps at the sound, turning to look at you with a beaming smile.

“Well gorgeous,” Sirius teased with a salacious grin as he moved to stand in front of you. “I had a wonderful time on our date today.” 

Remus breathed out a chuckle as he placed your jacket that he had been carrying over your shoulders, taking a moment to squeeze your shoulder affectionately before moving to stand with James.

“Don’t make any plans for next Hogsmeade weekend; we’ll definitely be doing this again!” James called; Remus encouraging him forward by a hand on his waist as Sirius walked away from you backwards to continue looking you up and down.

“Don’t miss us too much.” He said with a wink before turning to join the other two boys.

And though you would sooner die than admit this to anyone, after this rather lovely afternoon and with the amount of time the Marauders have spent leapfrogging through your mind, you didn’t think you could miss them too much, even if you wanted to.

Find the next update here

[bibbityboppitybillyharvgrove]

A Rocky Start - S.Snape

Summary - The new librarian and the potions master spend so much time together until they don't. They start off rocky but things get better.

Pairings - Severus Snape x Librarian!Reader

Warning - Fem reader, use of Y/N

Based off a request by an anon

Expect delays in my posting! My semester has started and I am taking 4 classes! Please be patient with me!

My requests are open!

my masterlist

Feedback is welcomed and encouraged!

Enjoy!

If the students couldn’t find their potions professor in his classroom or store, they knew just where he was, the library. The boys didn’t blame him and neither did the girls, not only was it quiet and serene but the new librarian was breathtaking. The boys swooned over her and the girls in pure awe of her beauty and kindness. She was never one to kick a student out of the library, nor scold them for talking, in fact she encouraged them to talk, dedicating a section of the library just for study groups or students who wanted to chat with each other in between studying. Even going as far as allowing the students to call her by her first name rather than Madame Y/L/N, that just made her feel old.

It didn’t take much to realize the feelings the potions master had for this new librarian nor the librarian with the potions master. It seemed that the only two who hadn’t figured it out just yet were themselves. The pair spent as much time together as their schedules allowed, either at the library, in his classroom or the astronomy tower. She had a knack for astronomy so the tower was one of her favorite spots in the castle.

After the students had returned to Hogwarts after the Christmas vacation, they were met with an odd sight. The librarian alone and the potions master sulking in his classroom. The students were shocked to see the pair of them avoiding each other, even going as far as skipping meals just to keep to themselves. 

“Y/N, are you okay? You haven’t seemed yourself since holiday,” Luna Lovegood asked one day.

“Oh, I’m fine honey, I promise,” She replied with a gentle smile on her face.

“Are you sure? Even Professor Snape hasn’t seemed like himself either.”

“That’s not good, but I’m sure. Did you enjoy your holiday?”

“Yes, I got to spend a lot of time with my father, I even helped him with the next issue of The Quibbler. Did you?”

“That sounds fun! I’ll have to check it out once you guys release it. Mine was pretty boring, just putting books back and fixing some of them up.”

The two continued to chat until they were startled by the sound of the door opening and a cloak swishing in the breeze created by the door. The potions master made his way to the desk where Luna and the librarian stood.

“Can we talk? In private preferably,” He requested.

“Of course, we can catch up later, Luna,” She told the student before heading to her office right behind the desk, Severus right behind her.

“I’m sorry,” Severus said wholeheartedly as she was shutting the door.

“What for? You were just telling me the truth,” She shrugged off, trying to act as if his offensive words didn’t hurt her.

“I was lying. I don’t think you’re stupid, I don’t think you’re desperate, I don’t think you’re clingy. I think you are so smart and beautiful and kind and loving and exactly what I want in my life. You are my favorite person here and you always will be, I have so much admiration for you.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not, I brought veritaserum just to prove to you that I’m telling the truth. I made amortentia for the 6th year’s and all I could smell was you. I was scared of how I felt for you so I tried to ruin it.”

“How do I know you’re not lying to me? Just trying to make me feel better?” Severus dug into his pocket and poured some veritaserum into his mouth, swallowing it down.

“Ask me,” He told her.

“How do you feel about me, truly, Sev?” She asked him shyly.

“I love you, I think of you so much it drives me crazy. I care about you so deeply, I’d do anything for you. I think you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever met, inside and out. You are so kind to not only me but everyone. You drive me crazy in the best way,” he ranted to her.

“You love me?”

“I do. If you’d like, I want to take you on a date this weekend.”

“I’d love to.”

[saintsenara]

Lupin committing acts of psychological terrorism against Snape as a basis of romance is my favourite thing… have you ever read any works that explore this side of their dynamics? (Excluding The Prisoner of Azkaban). Bonus question - how come Snape didn’t try veritaserum on Lupin in PoA? He’s definitely not above poisoning.

thank you very much for the ask, anon!

i almost never read snupin - largely because the "lupin committing acts of terrorism" dimension is so often absent - so i'll open this one up for snupin nation to come through with recs.

on the veritaserum question - he absolutely intended to dose lupin, but then dumbledore emptied his stores out so he could use the potion to try and get the truth about where their situationship was going out of lucius malfoy [also the reason why he engineered lucius suing the school, via the absurd decision to appoint hagrid as a teacher when he has no formal qualifications].

the wolfsbane is so labour intensive that snape didn't have the time to replace what dumbledore had used up.

nightmare year for him tbh.

[obsidianpen]

The whole scene with Liam using his Veela magic to get past Hermione’s memories was so creepy, and then him stealing a kiss 😫 Liam, no consent is never okay boi! But then you also revealed Liam experienced abuse due to his creature magic, which is so flipping complex and fantastic character development/choices on your part. Like him doing that is not black and white. And that sure af does not justify him mentally diving into Hermione mind, kissing her while she’s under his influence, but it adds weight to his decision. Ahhhh shades of grey all the way down! I love your writing Pen

thank you anon! Been getting lots of comments on the Liam portion of the last chapter, so I’m just gonna address a lot of them here:

I think it’s interesting how very up-in-arms angry a lot of people are over that specifically. Yes, of course it was morally Bad and it’s totally natural and legit to be super pissed that Liam would do that…. But I also think it’s worth looking at things from his perspective. Is it assault to interrogate a criminal like that in wizarding Britain? I’d say yes (legally in the magical world idk, probably very gray area; it would depend on if there are specific laws in place barring part-creatures from using their abilities on detained criminals… unclear, when things like veritaserum are okay, so yeah idk), but there’s a lot going on in the background that we (you? Hermione? The readers?) aren’t seeing. The real negotiations are happening between Madison and Dumbledore while the minister is out of commission. They’re both willing to ignore a few laws to get what they want because - here it is - they think they are doing the right thing.

well, okay, Madison’s being compelled by the MACUSA too, but he also thinks he’s doing the best thing for hermione by saving her from a trial in Britain. Isn’t even wrong really.

but Dumbledore - easy to see him as evil rn, but remember, he suspects riddle of murdering a poor innocent child! He thinks (correctly!) that riddle killed Myrtle and got hagrid to take the fall. He sees an opportunity to right that wrong, to clear Hagrid’s name, and to prevent someone like riddle - a murderer - from being free in the world and killing again. Because he will. And does, canonically. Dumbledore doesn’t even know about the fact that he killed his dad and grandparents yet!

so enter Liam - he honestly cared about hermione; she helped him get this job he’s been wanting, he thought she was long-time friends with his bestie… he believed all of it and thought they’d have a future as fun colleagues at the very least. Then she suddenly vanished with this creepy (to him - and he’s not wrong) guy who shows up out of nowhere and then he learns not too much later that she attacked Walt, fucked with his memories, and then lied to all of them; Walter gets fired, and then when they track her down, he learns that she also attacked and modified the memories of some witch and her house-elf in Britain (oh and she nearly killed the minister and two other people in her escape attempt)…

From where he’s standing, hermione is not a good person. She’s assaulted and modified the minds of several people, she’s stolen and used some old lady’s gold and name and affluence, she’s invented an entirely new fake identity…

so, when Albus Dumbledore and Lester Madison, two of the most powerful wizards he knows of (one of him is now his boss) asks if he can get these memories from her using a bit of his special brand of magic… what is he supposed to say? When it would, in the end, conceivably save both her (by getting her back to America) and put away a much more sinister wizard (if Dumbledore is correct and this creepy dude that whisked hermione away is actually a killer… and he is!). He may not have been jazzed to do it - he never tried to seduce her in America before, after all, and never would have - but one doesn’t say no to your very adamant new boss and freaking Dumbledore, the guy who defeated Grindelwald, especially not when the ends really do seem to justify the means (to them, at least). And all of this is not even touching upon the very vague hinting at Liam’s personal history with abuse.

anyway, kind of a rant, just had to put it out there because yeah, what Liam did was icky and nonconsensual but what hermione has done to people many times was also icky and nonconsensual and arguably a whole lot worse (imo, of course, but everyone is entitled to think differently there!).

[tomionefinds]

Hi everyone! Long time reader first time caller. I can’t remember when I read this fic so it might be an oldie, but I’m trying to remember a fic where I think Tom and Hermione are sitting together (in the astronomy tower?) celebrating his birthday(?) and he tricked her into drinking veritaserum? Thanks for the help!

Hey Anon:

This scene is making a lot of us scratch our brains because its similar in a lot of fics. We can confirm its in the Sortinghat's mission. It may be in a few others too, but we were able to locate it here- Haus

The Sortinghat's Mission by jenbjo98

E | WIP | 179k

Hermione finds herself thrown in to 1940's after a terrible loss in the battle of Hogwarts. Not knowing how she ended up there, nor how she will return to her own time, or if she even wants to; she meets the infamous Tom Riddle. Will she be able to change the course of time or will Riddle break her as Voldemort broke her world 50 years from now?

[lostdrarryfics]

Hello! I am looking for a fic that I read on ao3 sometime between 2020-2022 (although it may well be older than that) that was fairly long (probably over 40k, most likely chaptered), and complete at the time of reading.

It's drarry, obviously, and I am fairly certain Ron and Hermione were together as well with Rose already born.

The main plot was that people were being subtly taken over with something like imperio, but it was also starting to happen to Harry’s friends, and even Ron towards the end. I remember that there was a phrase that was somewhat out of the ordinary that Harry heard multiple people say that tipped him off to them all being influenced by the same person/group.

At one point, Harry and Draco snuck into Ron’s auror cubicle in disguise (I think Draco polyjuiced into Harry, but I don't remember how Harry was disguised) to go through his things and found blue paint in his drawer, which was important, although I don't think they knew it at the time. While there, they saw another auror come in and started investigating them too.

Towards the end there was a scene where a lot of Harry’s friends are at his home and they've all been under the spell/potion. The fic may have also included an antidote to veritaserum, although there is a chance I've mixed that detail up with another fic.

I have tried everything I can think of to find this fic without any luck, so I hope someone recognizes it or can find it more easily than I could! Thank you so much!! 💜

We believe you are looking for Away Childish Things by @letteredlettered (153k, T)

Don’t forget to bookmark, leave kudos and comments!

ETA: anon let us know they could also have been thinking of Haunt the corner of my eye by harryromper (23k, T)

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

I know you're a Barty Jr fan but is one subplot being omitted really enough to kill an entire film?

*cracks knuckles*

The answer is yes, my good anon. A thousand times yes.

Because here's the thing. The Crouch family's story-line, in GOF, is not a subplot by any means. That term does not properly outline how important The Crouches are. Hermione's campaign for Elf Rights is a subplot. Ron's feud with Harry is a subplot. The Blast Ended Skrewts are a subplot.

The Crouch family, on the other hand, is a through-line that connects everything together, and the plot of the book simply does not work without it. Voldemort's plan to place Harry in the Triwizard Tournament and ultimately use his blood for the Revival potion...none of this works without Crouch Jr, and his story is completely backwards. Because of this, the movie is fundamentally broken. Supposedly the idea was to omit everything that wasn't directly relevant to Harry's story. But in GOF, Harry's story can only happen because of the Crouch family. He is a puppet, dancing on strings, and Crouch Jr is the Puppet-Master.

The tragedy of The Crouches was completely butchered, and as a result, the movie lacks any real soul, and it's story is confused, rushed, and full of holes. Why is Crouch Jr. revealed to the audience from the beginning? He's supposed to be dead. Why is Crouch Sr's character completely rewritten to make him into a kind, sympathetic old man? (Did they just want to combine him with Bagman to save time? Because those two characters are literally foils...) Doing this ruins Crouch Jr's entire development. Oh, and where the hell is Winkie? (I know, I know, the Elves were a pain to animate. Suck it up Warner Bros, the HP films made ridiculous amounts of money, you can afford it.)

Every single moment that could have fleshed Crouch Jr out or explained his motivations is changed or cut, and the film suffers for it in other ways too. Cutting Winkie removes Hermione's storyline, like I said, and by extension, it gets rid of Dobby. Changing the hate crime at The World Cup to just being a #DeathEaterMarch takes away Crouch Jr's motivation for casting The Mark. Squishing all the Trial scenes together into one, makes his backstory extremely hard to follow. Omitting everything about his enslavement under the Imperius Curse...well, among other things, it weakens his motive to kill his father. But I also don't believe for one second that Azkaban wouldn't have noticed he was gone. Not the year after Sirius escaped. And while we're on the subject, why did they cut his ultimate fate? It just leaves film viewers wondering where he is when Azkaban has a mass Death Eater breakout in the very next movie.

This movie all but surgically removes the spine of it's antagonist, leaving him flat and one note with absolutely no real explanation. There's nothing left, certainly nothing compelling. This is a serious problem because, again, this was his story. He is the one moving all the pieces on the game-board, and the Veritaserum sequence explains this rather succinctly. Crouch Jr's tale goes back over a decade and affects so much of the story. But his tale couldn't have happened the way it did without Crouch Sr. and Winkie. They matter too. Crouch Sr. made his son into who he is, and with Winkie came the domino effect that led to his escape.

The Crouch Family are what made GOF. Without them, none of it would have happened. So for them to be mishandled this badly...yes, it affects the film. It affects everything about the film. Nothing good can come of it, and nothing does.

[big-draco-energy]

ok but imagine someone slipping Draco veritaserum and asking him what his secrets are and like everyone is expecting dark death eather secrets. But all his secrets revolve around harry potter

Of course! 

Draco, seeing Harry:

[sitp-recs]

Liv, holy fucking hell. This fic has uhm. Changed my brain completely. It belongs to the gods. The writing is simply devine. This almost reads like it's holy. To be worshipped, celebrated... Harry and Draco are so beautiful here.

-time travel, past lives, the unification of the past, present, and future, etc. Auror harry, but then wandmaker harry, plus unspeakable draco.

The fic is titled: Everything is Relative to You (43k).

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43298568/chapters/108849009#main

Veritaserum anon

Hi anon! Omg yes, I’ve read this Erised fic and was so very impressed with that time travel/past lives premise, engaging, creative and perfectly executed! I don’t remember seeing this take before, and the pining was 👨‍🍳💋 def a big rec to anyone who’s into those tropes and enjoy some star-crossed romance. I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed it too! Can’t wait to find out who wrote this beauty 👀

[o0o-chibaken-o0o]

heLLO there! So I have seen you do fic recs and I just wanted to know if you have any good recommendations for Veritaserum!Drarry?? Thank you sm and have a good summer!

heLLO anon once again I am a literal year late in answering- I hope you are still following me! Here are all the wonderful fics featuring veritaserum I could find in my bookmarks :)

Sex, Lies, and Veritaserum by lettered (18K)- This entire fic is one long conversation about sex.so idk if you had in mind very honest and extremely(!) kinky negotiations when you sent this ask, but for anyone in the mood to read something VERY sexy, there is quite possibly no other fic quite so dirty and heartwarming at the same time

Spoken Words, Broken Thoughts by alpha_exodus (4.5K)- Harry's already losing it, and the Veritaserum's loosened his tongue. It doesn't help that Malfoy is too attractive for his own good.lol I swear there will be some fics on this list that aren’t about revealing fantasies followed by amazing sex, but not yet! Also is there anything better than the idea of sexy auror draco malfoy interviewing bad boy harry potter???? NO, read this!!

Blue Sheets by @firethesound​ (4K)- It was just supposed to be a night out. Harry absolutely didn't plan on admitting his feelings for Malfoy.Okay, this fic!! Everyone should read it!! It’s so so so adorable, and has plenty of veritaserum-induced second-hand embarrassment, which, let’s be real, is what we are ALL here for. I’ve definitely read this one multiple times when I’m feeling sad, it’s so lovely!!

How to Handle an Enemy by who_la_hoop (7.5K)- Everyone knows that it's no fun playing truth or dare with a Slytherin. But add a little Veritaserum, a scheming duo of Slytherin girls and surprising things can be revealed. Particularly about the fine line between love and hate…This fic!!! Is one of my favorites of all time!!!! I still remember exactly where I was when I read it because I very much regretted choosing to do so in a public place hahaha. There is truth or dare! Wanking! Scheming Slytherins! Exhibitionism! And you absolutely must read the sequel as well, trust me!!! Both fics are just pure amazingness.

You and Me by @bixgirl1​ (30K)- When Harry sits down with Malfoy, he's really only looking for a reprieve from the constant stares and whispers. (Mostly.) What he gets instead are a series of strange events that lead to a friendship that is something else, questions that nobody knows how to answer, and the realisation that the person that Harry doesn't know how to hate, anymore, seems to be the person who knows exactly what he needs. A story in which everything is complicated. And yet, somehow, none of it is.Oooh how I love this this fic! Obviously all 30K of it does not revolve around Veritaserum, but the potion does play an important role and the whole piece is a beautiful reflection on trust and truth. Once again @bixgirl1 somehow managed to take a relatively simple trope and turn it into something utterly beautiful and moving (*cough* and super fucking sexy with RIMMING like daaaamn *cough*)

Rarely Pure and Never Simple by birdsofshore (28.5)- Harry never thought taking a job as Draco Malfoy's bodyguard was going to be easy. Add in a curse that makes Malfoy even more of an obnoxious git than usual, and Harry's got serious problems.This fic involves a truth-telling curse rather than veritaserum, but the appeal is still the same (if not greater because this way the truth-telling lasts much longer)!! I looove a bodyguard!harry fic, and Draco’s personality here is fabulous! Thrilling and funny and an all-around wonderful fic :)

Rather Than Love by birdsofshore (7.5K)- The first time we tried it, I gave him too much. The second time, I got the dosage right, but I was frustratingly unprepared for how it would affect me. This is the third time, and I have it all planned out. Everything is going to be perfect.Another wonderful birdsofshore fic, this one featuring fucking amazing dirty talk and all the best kinks and probably a bit of drool on the part of the reader ;). Definitely read the tags first to check for squicks, but if you don’t find any then you must proceed immediately to reading this fic and probably dying of all the sexiness!! It’ll be so worth it!!!!!

Veritaserum Truth or Dare by ElectricBlueLilies (2K)- The returning eighth years bond over a game of Truth or Dare.A lovely, pure eighth-year part games fic featuring veritaserum to spice things up a bit ;)

Say Anything by alovelycupoftea (6K)- When Draco loses his reserve and starts speaking his mind, Harry realises something is very wrong. I love this little fic! It’s another with a truth-telling cure rather than veritaserum, but the things Draco can’t stop himself from saying are just so blunt and hilarious and the fic was just such an enjoyable read!!

[reignofolympus]

who is your favorite sibling

honesty is the best policy : accepting.

    ❛     hestia, obviously.   i have no shame in admitting that -- i’m sure the rest of my siblings would agree.  i know i’m certainly not their favourite.     ❜

[crveritaserum]

top 5 visuals of each house go

Although I do not find it necessary for this list to exist since we all know I’m the hottest person at Hogwarts is, I’ll humour you desperate souls just this once so you can stop desperately pestering me about this. If you want your name mentioned so desperately why don’t you just send in a message about yourself? Personally, for me, none of these people would even be considered for this list, but the public has spoken. 

Let’s start the list with the infamous House of Snakes. A list of beautiful people would not be complete without my beloved boyfriend ( @crvince ) even if his family is attempting to get in between our love. Only he actually deserves a spot on this sad excuse of a list. Then we have the rotting flower ( @crtitania ). It seems even a flower is able to bloom in such a desolate place like the dungeons, but just because a flower can bloom doesn’t mean it can shine. all I see from the ice princess right now is a lot of look and not a lot of personality. Considering she did win over the attention of both an idiotic lion and snake, however, maybe there’s something there I’m just not seeing. Next would be the house mistake ( @crichigo ). Sometimes I wonder if it’s actually possible for the sorting hat to wrong. Doesn’t Ichigo seem too soft and impressionable to be a snake? How such a pushover got placed into the snake den is still a wonder to me. It’s no wonder then that he got swallowed whole during his first few years here. Onwards, we have our overused trope ( @crben ). Tall, dark, and handsome has always been in. time has proven that this trope is one that women will never get tired of and, boy, is our Benjamin the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. Of course, tall, dark, and handsome only gets so far in life, if that’s you’ve got going for you then soon even that becomes boring. But you don’t care much for such trivial things now do you, Egg Benedict? Lastly, we have diva wannabe ( @crpenelope ). The only reason she is even considered for a spot on this list is that there is no other person in Slytherin that comes even close to deserving a spot. Call it a pity placement.

Next onto The Lion’s Den. What list is without the most sought-after female of the house ( @crcwan ). It’s only natural for her to be on the list with her dull charms and mediocre looks. fair warning, darlings, the list just gets worse at this point as she seems to be the only relatively interesting Gryffindor. Then we have happily ever after thirsty ( @crxevie ). Fairy tales have taught young girls everywhere that your heart is supposed to beat faster around the one you like, but when you heart seemingly beats faster for just about everyone you see, I think it’s about time for you to go seek professional help. I’m sure the matron would have something to fix your tachycardia and maybe teach you through her many years of accumulated wisdom that what you’re experiencing shouldn’t be considered love, it’s called desperation. so this infant ( @gracecr ) seems to carry herself very highly and as she in the house of the lions, this is something that comes as unsurprising. I appreciate someone confident enough to love themselves, but where do you draw the line between self-love and narcissism, little grace? Then we have airfoil ( @crwingyau ). Chicken wing here seemed to have grabbed some attention with the fact that she was seen snogging with a boy in the library. But if that’s the only thing noteworthy she’s done since her time here at the school then I’d like to just move on and talk about other more pressing matters. Clearly the boys in Gryffindor really aren’t anything special if only one of them made it onto the list. Wannabe fuccboi ( @crzhengyang ) the bad boy act isn’t working for you, dear, no one seems to notice your attempts to win every female over with your charms, maybe you should switch up your act and try again. 

Now onwards to the Ostriches. Or should I say Ravens, but they don’t have the brains for that. Probably into cat ear headband ( @crperseus ), last time we mentioned him on this blog, he seemed to have to gained himself quite a following. But oh would you look at that? Things seemed to have slow down for our sleeping beauty. Nothing new has happened with him since then, it seems that perhaps you people have finally decided to wake up and realize that someone into cats more than humans isn’t worth all the hype. Little miss troublemaker ( @crxaria ) over here seems to think of herself as a force to be reckoned with, but I can only say two words to describe her act: try hard. Darling, watch yourself around these waters, tread too deep into this persona of yours and you might find that you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. As if we don’t have enough people trying to freeze over the grounds of Hogwarts with their icy personalities, here is another lowballing contender ( @crxalma ) trying to be the reason for the long winter that seems to drag on forever. A weak example, honestly. If people can still think of you as being “nice deep down” then you’re doing the whole cold thing wrong. Honey, it’s spring now, lose the act and accept the fact that you were never as cool as you thought you were and never will be. Now it seem weird is in this season as eccentric ( @crlianna ) takes the grounds of Hogwarts by storm. People, you have me questioning your taste more and more with each passing day. To think someone that goes around calling themselves trash and still plays Pokemon Go is considered cool. But I guess in that case, she makes my job easier for me. I don’t need to waste my breath to ridicule her when she does it so well herself already. Last another fake boy ( @crmason ). As someone who finds himself to be the next Casanova, Mason’s personality is literally that of another typical fuccboi with commitment issues. Honestly, people, why do you all keep falling for such acts, it’s not even original. The only thing original about him is the fact that he’s a fuccboi, that’s not Chinese like the others. 

Now onto our final and most forgettable house! First off, the future failure of a president ( @cecilcr ) this one is pretty self explanatory, I won’t waste my time trying to justify the placement of this one on this list for the house of bores. Congratulations to Cecil for being the poster boy for what a Hufflepuff should look like. Nice, soft, boring. Then we have the namesake, our little wannabe nobility ( @crxalice ) seems to be lost in her own world as well, falling into the rabbit hole fantasy where her dreams will come true. But darling, when you curl up with a snake, you have to watch out for the fangs. Wow look another eccentric ( @crxaelita )! With her wistful thinking and snowflake personality and borderline obsessive interest with all things magical creature related, it looks like someone here wants to be the next Newt Scamander. But I guess since we already have someone else pining for the position of Voldemort and she can’t one up that, she had no choice but be stuck with the weird Hippie Hufflepuff persona. Hufflepuffs were always so soft and boring for me. To hope for anything different from someone that hails from this house was too much to ask for it seems. You’d think that because he has the money and status of a pureblood, he’d also have a backbone, but grandpa at heart ( @crxhardt ) seems to let just about anyone step all over him in the name of “friendship.” Now miss blank wall ( @crxlottie ) to think that even this one could sneak her way onto the list is quite shocking to me as I can only seem to describe her using one word: basic. Sure, she has the looks of the Mei family, but when it comes to the personality and charm she’s duller than a rusty nail. While her cousin seems to gain the attention of all those he talks to, little Charlotte over here can’t even seem to catch the attention of the guy she seems to be interested in. Although, honey, I do advise that if you decide to go for someone that’s way out of your league like that, you try to steer clear of your best friend’s fiance next time. 

[saintsenara]

Snape. Needs little imagination to ship him with literally everyone, even the giant squid. Of the very few pairings I don’t think have been covered with him yet… (though they probably have been and I’ve missed them in the delight of the more unhinged pairs!)

- Snape/Molly

- Snape/Umbridge

- Snape/Charity Burbage

- Snape/Barty Crouch Jr

- Snape/Barty Crouch Sr

- Snape/Slughorn

- Snape/Neville

thank you very much for the ask, anon - and i hope you have indeed seen the masterpiece of shipping snape with the giant squid, the dream of the fisherman's wife by eldritcher.

there are a couple of these i've answered before - charity burbage/severus snape and severus snape/horace slughorn - but as for the rest...

severus snape/molly weasley

this also got a shoutout from a second mystery anon:

as i've also said when thinking about the concept of shipping snape with arthur, and molly with both sirius and lupin, something which is really undervalued by the fandom is the domestic role molly and arthur play within the order - and the way that [especially] molly's domestic labour in both grimmauld place and the burrow is central to the order's ability to actually do its work.

and this is - on the one hand - things like cooking and cleaning for the order, but it's also expressed through the emotional comfort we see both molly and arthur provide to order members, especially tonks and lupin in half-blood prince.

snape's canonical refusal to engage with the order as a community - i.e. by not eating with them - is a metaphor for the isolation he's forced into by his role as a spy, as well as a way for the narrative to keep the reader unsure about where exactly his loyalties lie. it's also - obviously - because he's a bit of a dick.

but something i think is really underappreciated about molly is her canonical willingness to take in waifs and strays. i think you could do something really nice with the idea of her forcing snape to socialise with the order - to eat and to be comforted - then leading somewhere further.

especially because it gives me the chance to clamber onto my soapbox once again, and say that snape - since the doylist text regards him as something approaching a hero [no matter what the rest of us think] - encapsulates the series' view that the only form of love which is properly valuable and transformative is love rooted in suffering and sacrifice. the series really undervalues the sheer power of love-as-comfort - to its detriment.

but a love story which begins with a lonely, cold, hungry man being given a bowl of soup is no less of a love story than that same man enduring misery in solemn silence. if you ask me.

severus snape/dolores umbridge

i reckon she was into it - which is why she was trying to flirt with him over steaming cauldrons full of veritaserum - but snape was horrified [after all, pink really doesn't go with his aesthetic].

barty crouch jr./severus snape

yes, absolutely.

obviously, crouch-as-moody's "if there's one thing i hate, it's a death eater who walked free" line - once you move past the fact that it's an amazing misdirect - is primarily referring to the fact that he hates any death eater who got out of going to azkaban after voldemort's disappearance by claiming to have been under the imperius curse, and that he will be horrified when harry tells him that voldemort was compelled to forgive these men lest he have no core support.

but i think it's also worth noting that "moody" says this line just after he's been beefing with snape about how there are "spots that never come off" - and that it is snape, rather than karkaroff [a much more obvious traitor], who bears the brunt of his ire throughout the year he's undercover.

in half-blood prince, snape suggests that voldemort was pretty pissed off to discover him working at hogwarts when he came to the castle chilling cutely on the back of quirrell's head. undoubtedly, voldemort then instructed crouch to have a good look at what snape was up to during goblet of fire, and crouch must be the source of voldemort's conviction that snape is "one who i believe has left me forever... he will be killed, of course".

and something very interesting about barty crouch jr. is that the sheer possessive derangement of his obsession with voldemort outpaces even that displayed by bellatrix. he is desperate to be voldemort's favourite - and to be honoured by him above all others.

as i've written a lot about elsewhere, it's clear that snape occupies a fairly special position in voldemort's inner circle, in that he's the dark lord's exception in terms of social class - the poor but brilliant half-blood who evidently reminds voldemort of himself. snape evidently receives quite a lot of voldemort's attention prior to 1981 - and he's able to regain that position with relative ease after voldemort's resurrection.

and this is the sort of thing crouch would have been raging about - both in the first war ["why is he more interested in this greasy half-blood than me?"] and in his year undercover ["why is he always going on about me finding out about snape's loyalties? i'm loyal enough!"].

the erotic potential of obsessive, competitive jealousy is something i am highly interested in, and - as i think when it comes to pairing snape with regulus - it would make this ship slap.

barty crouch sr./severus snape

the other side of the "if there's one thing i hate, it's a death eater who walked free" coin is barty crouch sr.'s obsessive desire to catch the death eaters who got away with their first war crimes, even after the ministry commits to looking the other way and pretending voldemort's dead and gone.

and, since it seems pretty clear that snape's acquittal following voldemort's disappearance was based on pretty tenuous evidence and forced through only by the strength of dumbledore's personal influence in the wizengamot, crouch being convinced snape was a loyal death eater - and being determined to go to extraordinary lengths to prove it - is a concept which immediately compels me.

and - once again - we find ourselves recognising the erotic power of obsession...

neville longbottom/severus snape

i have an unshakeable fondness for the idea that snape survives the war and remains at hogwarts as headmaster, which means not only that he doesn't object to neville's appointment as herbology teacher but also that he finds himself forced to interact with him on a daily basis.

forced proximity of any kind is a hot trope - and the fact that someone with snape's interest in potions would have to have a close relationship with the herbology department in order to get his hands on their stash of magical plants means that there is a ready-made springboard for these two to have to get to know each other... better than they were expecting.

should neville go for it? fuck no. but he's never struck me as someone with particularly good self-esteem.

[snowblossomreads]

Not All That Bad

Summary: In where [Y/n] slips up in class and Professor Snape has no patience for students who can't follow directions. (Requested by Anon)

Pairing: Student Fem Reader & Severus Snape (Platonic!)

Warnings:  Mainly Bullying (name calling), Mentions of scratching self (not sure if this should be a warning but just in case)

Word Count: 2.8K

A/N: Hi! Bet you thought you've seen the last of me. An anon requested a story about our lovely professor standing up for an autistic reader who was being bullied which you can find that request here. I don't actually do requests because it takes me forever to write sometimes, but they caught me in one of my rare moods!

A/N+: Please note I'm also not autistic, so I did have to do some research and I hope that what I have in the story is okay. Do let me know if I should change something but other than that enjoy!

One of the things that [Y/n] found difficult to adapt to each year at Hogwarts was the ever-changing schedule that a student might find themselves trying to accommodate when they entered. 

First years had seven core subjects and flying lessons, which could be dropped in the second year if one was tired of going to the hospital wing almost every week. 

Then at the end of the second year, two additional classes needed to be added to their schedules for the next year. The only saving grace was that at least those additional classes were dealer’s choice and she was actually able to pick ones that were interesting to her. 

But also there were the N.E.W.T classes which determined if you could continue to study the same things for your O.W.L classes and it just made her skin prickle and sweat each time there was a schedule change.

The ever-rotating yearly schedule was just one thing though. The other was that of course, each day was a different schedule for the classes, two one day, three the next, one the next day maybe along with study hall and then the other three to finish out the week. 

This didn’t include any makeup work or labs that needed to be done outside of class nor the impromptu class gatherings or teacher's office hours she may have needed to attend to get answers to questions she didn’t get to ask. 

Granted, she 'didn’t get to ask' was an understatement when she barely spoke in class and did all she could in them to not get herself notice. She was successful most of the time but there were some times when she would blurt things out like answers or thoughts that were racing in her head.

Anyways, all of that to say it took forever for her to get comfortable with the frustratingly changing schedule and lack of structure that she felt almost every time a new school year started. 

Comfortable wasn’t the right word though, maybe accepting? Yeah accepting, granted comfortable could be the right word if she thought about it more, because in the end wasn’t it all just,

“Semantics!” 

Being too caught up in her wandering thoughts, she wasn’t able to catch the words that slipped from between her lips out into the open in a room of students who had been listening to their Potions Master talk about the history and effects of using Veritaserum.

In her moment of panic, her hands flew to her mouth finally realizing that she had indeed said that out loud and in the back of her mind she prayed that it was low enough that no one really heard.

Unfortunately for her, the spirit of Helga Hufflepuff, was not on her side today if she considered that the sound of Professor Snape instructing had been replaced with the noise of students' clothes rustling as they all turned in their chairs to look at her. 

Her fellow Hufflepuff partner even gave [Y/n] a wide-eyed alarmed stare at the sudden disruption as while it had happened before in other classes never had she slipped up in Potions. 

It was one of her best subjects due to how straightforward and precise she needed to be when working on a potion as one too many stirs counterclockwise or one drop too much of something could end with an exploding cauldron.  

Additionally, she appreciated the succinct manner in which Snape taught them, no frills, no open-ended answers, just facts explained in a way that gave no wiggle room for questions. It also gave her mind ease when she was able to see exact instructions on how to do things along with the charmed drawings of each step on the blackboard.

That was neither here nor there because at that point she felt all the eyes of the students and her professor on her. 

While mostly a class full of Hufflepuffs, there of course were some Slytherins present in the room, and while she knew there were some pleasant people in their house she unfortunately always seemed to run into the worst of the lot.  And that was no different here. 

Hushed whispers and snickers could be heard from some of the students while some of them didn’t care too much about being discreet as they hurled little insults at her. 

“There goes yelping [Y/n] again.”

One of them muttered to their partner who replied with an equally nasty response of, 

“She’s always doing that and the other professors just let her, it's so annoying.”

Both of them chuckled at that as other Slytherins began to chime in amongst themselves throwing jokes and not-so-thinly veiled insults.

“I mean what did you expect? They always put those people in the same house.”

“Bet she’s friends with Loony Lovegood with how weird they both are.”

With each statement, [Y/n]’s gaze that was glued to the desk intensified while her fingers had begun to scratch at her thighs mindlessly. Her lips quivered downward as she began to worry at them incessantly biting at the soft flesh and in turn peeling a bit of the skin off. 

She would have winced a little if she had noticed but all she could think about was each insult that was hurled at her.  

Having had always been the joke of classes even when she was a kid, she always summed it up as being because she was a witch and they didn’t understand her. But even in the wizarding world, there seemed to be no room for, as some of them put it, those people. 

“Silence.”

Hushed jeers and insults came to a halt the moment Snape spoke and so did her rampant thoughts. Still, her eyes didn’t leave the desktop because she could feel her classmates' piercing stares on her entire being and she refused to look up at them. 

The sound of approaching footsteps on the stone floor had replaced the jeers and when she felt the man looming beside her she allowed herself to look up at him but only long enough to find a neutral expression.

Seeing that was enough to calm her a little knowing that he wasn’t, or at least didn’t seem to be as angry as he could be at her. He was a hard man to read.

“Ms.[L/n],” he started, that baritone voice more leveled than what was expected considering her sudden outburst in class. That’s a good sign, right?  “Since I assume that you’re eager to tell the class about the known resistance methods that can be used against Veritaserum, please by all means enlighten us.”

As much as she wanted to answer him, because one she really wanted to show she did like his class and didn’t mean to disturb his lecture, and two she knew the answer to his question she just couldn’t bring herself to speak with all the eyes on her. 

She could feel his intense gaze on her just like the gazes of her fellow classmates and all she could do was squeeze her eyes shut and clench her fist against her thighs as if trying to will them all away.

One of the students saw this and he couldn’t help but let out a very audible exaggerated sigh before turning to his friends and saying out loud,

“Wow what a scaredy-cat. She can interrupt class with nonsense but gets quiet as soon as someone actually wants her to talk. Pathetic!" 

A deep sneer materialized on Snape's lips as the boy stopped and he spun around eyes glaring at the Slytherin who decided he was above his Head of House’s command.

“I said silence, Scalby!” He hissed out, the relaxed body demeanor he wore morphed for a second to something more intimidating as his eyes were squarely on the boy who froze in place from the vicious look. “10 points from Slytherin seeing as you can’t follow my instructions the first time!”

“But sir I’m in your house-!”

The boy's mouth and eyes flew wide open and so did some of his classmates before Snape curtly cut him off with a,

“And it will be 5 more points if you think just because you are in my own house that you are immune from repercussions.”

Professor Snape reprimanding and taking points away from his own house, in public of all places? Now that was new. And from the looks that the Slytherins were giving each other, they were as dumbfounded as the others in the room. 

Seeing that he had quelled them, he turned back around and adjusted his teaching robe a little before confusing the students even more when he suddenly got down on one knee beside where [Y/n] sat and gave her an expectant look.

“Now Ms.[L/n]?”

His question came again calm and low which soothed her a little and suppressed the utter storm that was in her brain. With one deep breath, she opened her eyes and leaned down to the side so that he could hear her and began to quietly spill her knowledge about the various methods that she had read about in various potions books that the library housed. 

Each sentence had him nodding in agreement as he found no fault in her statements and honestly he was a bit piqued about how she knew so much about the potion as it wasn’t something that was common considering how under lock and key it was. 

Her speech was so quiet though that even her partner had to lean in to hear so she was sure most of the other students just sat there as she whispered away.  

She was sure the professor would give them the summary version anyways. So when she finished up, her eyes immediately went back to her desk as Snape stood up from his position and he began to make his way back up to the front of the class as if nothing had happened. 

“You are correct Ms.[L/n],” he began up again as he let the enchanted chalk write down what he was saying, “there are indeed varying methods for thwarting the effects of Veritaserum but none are more effective than Occlumency or the taking of its antidote as you said. Very good.”

With that, he set about putting down instructions on how to make this brew while also not so vaguely hinting that he would be testing batches of the potion on them so they would be wise to pay attention. 

Feeling as if her world had finally stopped closing in on her along with getting a gentle nudge and smile from her partner, [Y/n] did her best to focus on the task at hand wanting to make sure she got exactly everything right for such a tricky brew. 

Time passed by quickly and before she knew it, class was ending and the students were being instructed on how to store their potions so that all the properties of the ingredients could settle. 

While she was usually the first one out of the class, today was a day of oddities as she told her partner not to worry and that she would take care of their potion. She didn’t question the ask and just gave [Y/n] a nod and a little thumbs up before packing and leaving.  

The classroom quickly became devoid of students as each group trickled out of the room, and when it was just her and a handful of students left, she slipped behind them in line and waited until it was her turn to store the potion as instructed.  

Checking the cauldron a few times before fiddling with it once more, she gave herself permission to leave the little storage room once she was satisfied with how the cauldron was placed.

Now it was time to actually do the thing she had meant to do seeing as the class had become empty with the exception of Professor Snape who was sitting at his desk scribbling and marking papers. 

It always took her time to build up the courage to talk to any of the teachers as there was always a little voice in the back of her head that would tell her they found her as annoying as some of the students.

She had actually blurted that question out to Professor McGonagall once during her office hours to both of their surprise. But that was quickly shot down with a sharp,

“Nonsense! I rather teach a hundred of you than one of the many baboons we have here Ms. [L/n]. You are a perfectly fine student.”

That little statement and the serious facial expression the older witch held when she said that made [Y/n] feel a bit better being able to see and hear this type of confirmation.

And so with that thought in mind, she found herself climbing up the few steps that separated his working area from the students’ desk and stood a bit off to the side. 

“Yes?” He drawled out quietly, acknowledging her presence yet not stopping to look up and continuing his work at an even pace.

She wrung her hands a bit as her gaze dropped down to the stone floor, the bit of courage she had slowly seeping out of her with each passing second. 

 “O-oh…um well..,” her voice was tiny as she kept her eyes trained on the floor, examining the patterns of the stones and the trails that were made by the spaces in between them. “Well, p-professor uhm it’s just…”  

Like always whenever she tried to speak, her brain and mouth would disconnect just like what was happening at that moment. And just like the trails that were on the floor, her words began to trail off and she found her fingers rubbing against the knuckles of one hand while trying to reorganize her mind. 

The scratching of his quill against the piece of parchment he had been working on stopped after a few moments of silence from both of them. 

“Ms.[L/n],” he spoke barely above a whisper as he set the quill down, his tone neutral, no hint of annoyance in it like so many others would have whenever she would struggle to find words like this. “While I find that you are quite a capable student, I would encourage you to speak freely.”

It seemed as if that was the push she needed as she slowly raised her head to meet her professor's stare.

“I just- I just wanted to say thank you for what happened during class that's it. I’ll g-go now.” 

The words were stuttered out, reflecting her nerves, and she was already turning on her heels so that she could make a mad dash out of the room before she was stopped in her tracks by her name being called.

“[Y/n].”

She didn’t turn around as she couldn’t trust herself to not squeeze her eyes shut at her professor's gaze, a bit terrified that it would be one of displeasure. The sound of her heart beating and blood rushing into her ears was palpable and somewhere in her mind, she wondered if it was audible.  

“Sir?”

Trembling lips were able to get out the one word as she waited for his response. It didn’t take long for it either and it left her a bit stunned as she processed his words.

“I trust that you know that there is nothing wrong with you and that I expect you to let Professor Sprout or myself know if any of the students are giving you trouble.”

“Professor?”

His title came out a little bit dumbfounded and she didn’t know what else to say as she tried to process what he was conveying. He didn’t give her that time though because classes would be starting again soon and he thought it wise to remind her but not without adding a few more unexpected words of encouragement

“As I said Ms.[L/n], you are a fine student. Now I would advise that you make your way to your next class, it wouldn't do well for you to be late.”   

That reminder seemed to kick her into her action as she turned to him to say a quick,

“Oh! you’re right, thank you, professor!”

Before making her way back to her desk, and quickly grabbing her already packed shoulder bag not even waiting to hear his response. [Y/n] dashed out of the room and up the many stairs that connected the dungeon back to the first floor ignoring her protesting legs at how fast she was moving. 

This was one of the few times she hadn’t been acutely aware of the amount of time that had passed she mused while she sprinted down the hall to her next class ignoring the looks that were being thrown at her. Yet even knowing that, she didn’t feel the agitation she usually would feel because the professor's words kept replaying in her head.

“There is nothing wrong with you.”

She had heard that line many times but rarely had she heard it said in that tone. A tone that conveyed a meaning of acceptance that she had some differences but they didn’t make her any less of a person. And she couldn’t help the way the sides of her lips curled upward a little. 

Professor Snape really wasn’t all that bad.

A/N: I hope this was alright anon! I know it wasn't the full request but I didn't know how to add it without it just feeling outplace. Other than that as usual let me know if yall liked it!

[tenthousandyearsx]

WIP Snip

Fandom: Harry Potter Category: M/M Relationship: Draco Malfoy / Harry Potter Rating: Knowing me, it will likely be E. This snippet is G however (or T for cursing, I suppose). Author: tenthousandyears (tumblr | AO3) Thanks: Thanks to the wonderful @crazybutgood for the beta! Any remaining mistakes are my own. Additional Tags: Fall in love or die, Curses, Veritaserum, Pining

Summary:

Draco sits down heavily on the sofa. Potter is fucking doomed. Potter is going to die unless he falls in love with Draco. Which means that Potter is going to die.

Notes: I've been tagged by several people, but I thought I was going to finish my Fall-In-Love-Or-Die fic and just post it. Alas, no luck. Since I'm working on a separate WIP for an anon fest now, I thought I might as well post a snippet. Enjoy! x

The knock on his door at 10 pm on a Tuesday is unexpected, but it’s the sight that presents itself when Draco opens the door that makes him freeze.

“Malfoy,” Granger says, looking apologetic. “We need to talk.”

Weasley has none of the same courtesy, the oaf, which doesn’t surprise Draco in the slightest. It does, however, surprise him to be suddenly held at wand point.

“Let us in,” Weasley says.

“It’s a matter of life and death,” Granger says urgently. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t.”

Draco rolls his eyes. “Isn’t it always, with the Golden Trio?”

Potter is not with them, he notices, which makes his stomach knot unpleasantly.

Draco hasn’t seen Granger and Weasley in years. He has kept up with Potter, obviously, the press makes it impossible not to; but he hasn’t talked to him since the trials, even though he sees him around sometimes. They nod at each other on the best of days – and that’s that.

“It’s about Harry,” Granger says, and Draco’s stomach properly twists now, which is utterly preposterous.

“Fine,” he drawls, even though he should probably ask, How is this my problem? And, Was that supposed to be a convincing argument? And even, What in Salazar’s name are you doing on my doorstep? The words don’t come, however, and he arches an eyebrow and opens the door to let them in.

Granger and Weasley follow him inside through a corridor and into Draco’s sitting room, and Draco has the time to catalogue the tiredness in their eyes, the sallowness of their skin, how much both of them fidget. They don’t look much different from their Hogwarts days, even though both of them are Aurors now.

It’s a sobering thought. Draco always assumed the Golden Trio must have developed nerves of steel after the war, but perhaps that’s just not how Gryffindors operate. If he thinks of Potter – stubborn, heroic Potter just flinging himself into life and death situations, all hot-headedness and no thought – Draco has to wonder whether the myth of Gryffindors’ skillfully wielded courage is just that – a myth, a PR operation for people who move through the world with their hearts, not with their heads. His chest feels funny again and he wonders where Potter is.

“Can we have a drink?” Granger asks, once they are seated. “Something strong. It would help.”

Draco’s eyebrows shoot up. “Didn’t really peg you for a Whiskey type, Granger.”

He complies, however, mostly because he feels like he needs one too. What has Potter got himself into, for Weasley and Granger to be looking for him?

He summons three glasses and a bottle of Talisker, and fills all three. Every noise is amplified in the silence, the clinking of glass, the pouring of Whiskey, Weasley’s overt fidgeting. Draco eyes them, tension zinging through his own body, and levitates two glasses to them.

“Do you know what this is?” Weasley asks, taking out a few sheets of paper from the pocket of his robes and handing them to Draco. His wand is still out. Draco eyes it wearily but takes the papers nonetheless.

At first, Draco is unsure of what he’s looking at. The writing is minute, the curls precise. Complex calculations are scattered among geometric shapes and rune patterns, the result so intricate it’s practically bewildering. It’s nothing Draco has ever seen used in this specific way before.

He sits down and reaches blindly for his own glass while staring at the pages.

“These are to calculate location,” he muses aloud, scanning the pages and gesturing vaguely with his glass. The other end of a spell? Or the one who cast it? No, that doesn’t seem right.

He takes a sip. There are more than two endings; there are… at least three. A triangulated spell. He turns the page frowning and there it is, a triangle with the relevant runes and coordinates jotted down. And the last one ends right at his – right at his –

“I’ve put Veritaserum in your drink,” Granger says out of nowhere and Draco is startled enough that he drops his glass. It smashes on the floor, the liquid splattering on the polished wood and seeping into the carpet.

Draco is on his feet before he knows it, his heart hammering wildly, his wand pointed at Granger.

“What the fuck, Granger?”

“Don’t you even think about it, mate,” Weasley says, his own wand trained on Draco.

Draco’s body shakes. He doesn’t know what they can possibly want, doesn’t think he’s been so ready to leap and hex since the war.

“You come to my house,” he seethes. “You hold me at wand point, you drug me –”

Granger swallows but doesn’t move. “I only need to ask you a few questions, Malfoy. Then we’ll be out of your way.”

“I’ve only had a sip,” Draco spits. “You won’t be able to get anything out of me.”

“True. But I put the equivalent of three vials in that glass.”

Fuck.

Draco’s throat tightens with rage and fear and he has to fight the need to lash out, to put both of them in a Body Bind and step on their faces.

He considers Apparating away until the effects of the Veritaserum wear off, but Granger’s It’s about Harry echoes in his mind and he can’t bring himself to move.

“What the fuck do you want?” he hisses instead. His fingers itch to hex them, level the field a bit, but he can recognise a checkmate when he sees one. There’s no way he can get both of them without ending up in a Body Bind himself.

“Just ask him, so he can say no and we can be on our way,” Weasley mutters. Then, to Draco, “We’re not enjoying this either, Malfoy, whatever you think.”

Draco ignores the urge to spit in his face.

Granger braces herself and looks up at him.

“Malfoy,” she says. “Draco.” Draco winces. ��Are you in love with Harry?”

Draco freezes. That’s not what he expected. But he’s even more shocked when his mouth opens and he says, “Yes.”

Weasley looks like he’s been struck by a Stunning Spell, and Draco cannot blame him, because that’s how he feels too. “What –”

“Were you in love with him at Hogwarts?” Granger presses on, and Draco’s mouth opens, and to his horror, he finds himself saying, “Yes.”

He turns around, startled, his hands flying to his hair. He wants to pull it out.

“What’s this?” he asks. “Did you want to humiliate me? Congratulations, you’ve succeeded. Now, if you can just fuck off –”

The unthinkable happens, then – Granger crosses the room in three strides and hugs him.

“Oh god, it’s you.”

“What –” Draco starts again, bewildered, and when she pulls back, he's astonished to see her wiping away her tears.

“That just makes it worse, ‘Mione,” Weasley says, looking completely baffled. “You’re weird as hell, Malfoy, you know that?” He almost lowers his wand then, but he changes his mind half-way and points it back at Draco, his gaze hard. “Would you intentionally hurt Harry, if you had the opportunity?” he asks, and Draco whispers, “No.”

Draco is too stunned to keep a hold on his rage or to keep track of what’s happening. He’s too unsettled by what he’s being forced to confront after all this time – without having seen Potter in weeks, without having talked to him in years.

Granger looks at him as if she can read his mind. “Have you seen Harry, recently?”

“I –” Draco swallows, the Veritaserum taking over again. “There’s this Muggle breakfast place, not far from here. I see him there, sometimes, in the morning. But… not in weeks. We haven’t talked since the trials.”

Granger nods. “And you are still in love with him.”

“I don’t –” Draco croaks. “Yes.”

The room spins. Draco knows what he said is true. He knows he has never uttered anything truer in his life. But he didn’t know. He hadn’t wanted to know.

Weasley lowers his wand, passes a hand over his face, and collapses on his sofa.

Draco might be too shaken to collect his thoughts, but he still raises his wand, points it at Weasley and growls, “Explain.”

Weasley doesn’t even flinch, he just grabs his drink and downs it in a single gulp. Granger picks up the papers again, skimming them ruefully.

“Harry has – has had an encounter with a hag,” she says.

“He’s been cursed,” Weasley says. “On the job. It’s –”

Draco swallows. Hag magic is no laughing matter. If these two are here, in his living room, they must be at their wits’ end.

“Go on,” he says, because this is still about Potter and Draco is in love with him, Salazar’s fucking ��

Draco has to remind himself to breathe. He would have appreciated some time to freak out alone, but that's apparently not an option. His heart is thrumming and he can feel it everywhere.

“The curse was in hags’ tongue,” Granger says. “It's a good thing Harry thought of preserving the memory, because otherwise… Well, that’s why it took us so long. I translated it and –” she takes a deep breath "– Harry is going to die, Malfoy, at the next equinox. Unless he falls in love with –” she swallows “– with someone who has been pining for him for 180 moons.”

“That’s fifteen years, Malfoy,” Weasley says, looking truly distressed now.

Draco opens his mouth and closes it, feeling completely wrong-footed.

“What made you think that meant me?” he almost wails, because that couldn’t have been obvious. It hadn’t been obvious to him.

“We went through every other option,” Granger says. “Every other person we could think of. Then, I remembered that I’d read somewhere about combining Ancient Runes and Arithmancy to calculate the location of magical threads – assuming that I could unravel them first, obviously. Well, it took me ages, but I could. And after that, I could pinpoint the three points of the curse. One was the hag, untraceable. One was Harry. The third – the third brought us here.”

Draco sits down heavily on the sofa, his eyes on the shattered glass, the liquid a useless pool on the floor. That’s how he feels too. Shattered. Hollowed out.

Potter is fucking doomed. Potter is going to die unless he falls in love with Draco. Which means that Potter is going to die.

“What are you asking?” he croaks, because this is still about Potter, and Draco has been in love with him for fifteen years. Salazar’s sagging bollocks. “What do you expect me to do?”

They must want him to do something. Do they expect him to date Potter? The thought is fucking ludicrous, and it makes Draco want hex everything in sight.

Trying to date Potter means he will have to face Potter’s rejection first and Potter’s death later. He doesn’t think he can take it.

“We’re trying to keep Harry alive,” Granger says, like Draco is being deliberately obtuse. “And for that to happen, he needs to fall in love with you, Malfoy.”

Draco lets out a hysterical laugh and leans forward to stare at her. “He’s fucking doomed then, isn’t he, Granger?”

“Don’t you fucking dare –”

Draco looks up at Weasley balefully, but Granger has put a hand on Weasley’s arm, eyes intent on Draco.

“What do you have to lose?” she says. “You’re already in love with him. If it goes well, you’ll get what you want. If it doesn’t –” She swallows. “Well, Harry will be dead anyway.”

Draco can't breathe.

“I’m looking at other scenarios too, obviously,” Granger continues. “I’m trying to unravel the curse, but it’s been two months and I have nothing, Malfoy. Nothing.”

“Well, how do you suggest I go about it?” Draco snaps. “You can’t fucking expect me to ask him on a date.”

“I don’t know,” Granger says, chewing on the inside of her cheek, looking as despairing as he feels. “You cannot ask him on a date, that’s out of the question. He’ll know it has come from us and he must not find out. You can’t tell him we approached you, Malfoy, or he won’t talk to us about the curse anymore and we need him to keep us updated, so I can adjust my research accordingly. We – We might have set him up on a bit too many dates,” she sighs. “We had a fight about it. He asked us to stop meddling, but see, he’s not doing anything to survive this, he’s just…”

“Wallowing?”

“Not even that, he’s… sure that it will all solve itself or – or not.” She swallows. “And he’s not particularly worried about the… not scenario.” She smooths her papers, frustrated. “He’s just not – He’s not good at this, Malfoy, not just not getting himself into life or death situations, obviously, but also… you know. He hates dating. He’d probably been on three dates in his whole life before this curse and he hated every single one of them. Don’t tell him I told you this. We sent him on about thirty-seven in the last two months –”

“Thirty-seven?!”

“– and he has hated every single one of them, too. It’s just – it’s just not his thing.”

“Thirty-seven dates, Granger. Bloody hell, were you just picking them off the street?”

“We were not picking them off the street,” Granger scowls. “We went through people in our year, and then… some of the other years. That’s the thing. We needed someone who has known Harry for at least fifteen years.”

Draco rubs his eyes, feeling suddenly exhausted. “Wasn't he seeing your sister?” he asks in Weasley’s direction.

Weasley scoffs. “My sister has been dating Hannah for the past five years.”

“Not in love with him, then?”

“Doesn’t look like it, no.”

The feeling of relief that surges in Draco pisses him off even more.

“Fine,” he snaps. “So what do you suggest? Even if I’m willing to try, which I’m not sure is a humiliation I want to subject myself to, Potter won’t – He’s still going to die.”

Granger chews her lip. “Can you think of an excuse to live with him?”

“Live with him?”

“He has only three months until the equinox, Malfoy. It was five, but we wasted two. Do you think you’re going to woo him with flowers and some letters?”

Draco can’t woo Potter. He has to tell her that, at least.

“He hates me,” he says instead. The words feel bitter in his mouth. “You know he hates me. This won’t work.”

Granger eyes him speculatively. “He’s always been obsessed with you,” she says. “If he ever hated you, I’m sure he hasn’t in a long time. Will you give it a try?”

And Draco has to laugh, because they have asked him if he is in love, if he has been all along, if he would ever hurt Potter – and now they think he won’t try?

“You knew I’d help since I answered your first bloody question,” he says bitterly, “Of course I’ll give it a try. But let’s be clear, Granger. I won’t court him.”

Granger opens her mouth to protest, but Draco raises a hand to stop her.

“I’ll help you research the curse. I’ll move in and keep an eye on him, if he’ll bloody have me. I’ll do what I can. But I won’t –” He swallows. “I won’t court him. I won’t do anything romantic. I won’t –” forsake my dignity, he thinks, but doesn’t say it. “I can’t,” the Veritaserum pulls out of him, and Draco chokes on it, hates saying it and hates that it’s true. “That’s my only offer. I don’t care what you say. That’s as far as I can go. Take it or leave it.”

“We’ll take it,” Granger says earnestly.

“But –” Weasley says, startled. Granger shakes her head at him and Draco doesn’t have to watch to know she's mouthing Veritaserum. He looks away, pretending not to have noticed. His eyes sting.

He Vanishes the mess on the floor, summons another glass, and reaches for the bottle of Talisker, pouring himself some more Whiskey, trying to drown his terror about the fact that Potter is going to die, the shock of being faced with his own feelings, and the horror of having been outmanoeuvred by two Gryffindors – one of them not even particularly bright.

“Good,” he says. “Now get the fuck out of my house.”