#Zadie Taylor Allen

[lifeofkaze]

Best Bad Friend

A/N: This story was written as my second entry for the April prompt of the @hp-12monthsofmagic challenge. Rory McTavish and Zadie Taylor-Allen belong to @the-al-chemist Warning: mentions of drinking, (mild) violence, language

A bang echoed through the small flat in the heart of Montrose as the bathroom door slammed shut behind Reva. She crossed the hallway and entered her bedroom, like she had several times already. She wore nothing but pants, socks, and a faded shirt of a Muggle rock band her brother liked, and a toothbrush was sticking from her mouth. 

Pulling her tangled hair into an untidy bun at the top of her head, Reva opened the door to her closet. Her eyes wandered over the assortment of clothes that had been pulled from the shelves, stuffed back into them, or left lying on the floor. 

“McTav,” she called out, trying not to spill toothpaste foam onto her brother’s shirt, “have you seen my red dress?”

There was silence for a moment before a voice with a slight Edinburghian accent sounded back to her from the kitchen. 

“Which one?”

“The one from last week.”

“The hot one?”

A grin spread on Reva’s face. “Yeah, that one.”

“Not since you and your fling left it on the kitchen counter.” Rory McTavish, Reva’s teammate and old friend, grinned as he appeared in the doorway. “Making an effort tonight? I thought it was only the pub with the team.” 

Reva shrugged. “I’ll be there, just meeting someone else for drinks first.”

“And he gets the red dress? What a lucky bloke.” 

“Jealous?” Reva made a rude gesture toward Rory when he snorted. “I’ll have you know that my date is much better than any guy could ever hope to be.”

Rory stood up straight. “Now I’m intrigued.”

“Don’t get excited,” Reva rolled her eyes. “Zadie’s in the U.K. at the moment. I’m meeting her for a catch-up.”

“Lovely,” said Rory, decidedly less enthusiastic than he had been a moment ago. “Tell her I said hi.”

“Will do.” Reva turned back to her closet. When Rory didn’t make a move to leave, she looked over her shoulder, frowning. “What?”

“Oh, I was just thinking.”

“That’s new.”

“Shut up. If you’re with Zadie, it’s gonna be a quiet night, won’t it?”

Reva narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Why?”

Rory chuckled. “You know why.” 

Reva did, in fact. Since Rory had joined the Montrose Magpies and shared a flat with her, their weekends had been busy with more than Quidditch. Their night outs typically involved plenty of booze, dancing, and fun and didn’t rarely end with either of them stirring up trouble - entirely accidentally, of course. On their fridge, they’d hung a piece of parchment sporting their names and an obscure number of lines beneath them. Each line stood for one time they’d had to bail each other out of trouble, and Rory was currently in the lead by one - something he made sure Reva didn’t forget.

“Don’t you worry, I’m a responsible adult. I am!” Reva protested as Rory snorted with laughter. Pulling the dress she had been looking for from beneath a pile of black leggings, she flung it over her shoulder and marched past him toward the bathroom again. “You wait and see. I’m not letting you win this time.” 

***

A few hours later, Reva was cursing her big mouth.

Her evening with Zadie had started off alright. They had met at a Muggle bar, having a few rounds of cocktails and some much-needed catching up. But when Zadie had gone to get them fresh drinks, she hadn’t returned. 

Worried, Reva decided to go check on her. She found Zadie by the bar, talking to a dodgy-looking man, who stood too close to her for both Reva’s and Zadie’s liking. He was offering her a drink, which Zadie declined perhaps a little too politely because the man stood nearer to her still, crowding her against the countertop. 

With no one making any move to interfere, Reva took measures into her own hands. A few heatedly exchanged words, some placating pleas from Zadie, and a knee to the man’s crotch later, the two witches and the man were politely asked to leave. 

Reva was outraged at this. Zadie had been the one to have been molested, and Reva had done nothing but defend her. Why should they be the ones who had to go? She told the owner of the bar so, too - with maybe some not as well-mannered words as she could have - and a second discussion later, Reva and Zadie found themselves sitting on uncomfortable chairs in the smelly hallway of the local Muggle police department. 

Zadie had been quiet ever since the grumpy, tired-looking police officer had told them to wait, and Reva was still too angry at the situation to say anything, either. Still fuming silently, she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jacket and sunk deeper into her plastic chair. She glanced at the clock on the wall, like she had done every few minutes since their arrival. Where had the Muggle gone? Why were they still waiting? 

She had begun kicking her foot against the low table in front of her when the door to the office opened, and the policeman stepped out of it. Giving Reva a warning look, he shrugged into his uniform jacket and walked past them towards the exit, speaking into a little black device clipped to his collar as he did so. 

As soon as he had left the building, Reva sat up straight. 

“Come on, Zadie. Time to go.”

Zadie, who had been busy studying a leaflet on Muggle traffic security, looked at her wide-eyed.

“We were arrested, Reva. We can’t just leave.”

“I don’t see why not.”

Zadie shook her head vigorously. “It’s against the law.”

“Muggle law.”

“Still, it’s not right.”

Huffing, Reva drew her wand. “Fine. Watch the door, then.”

Thinking of her first-ever broomstick flight, Reva waved her wand. A silver light sprung from its tip, forming the shape of a lithe seal. The silvery animal spun around its axis once, hovering in front of her expectantly.

“Not much time to explain. We’re at a Muggle police station, Zadie refuses to leave, and I’m bored. Come and get us out of here.”

She waved her Patronus off, but instead of disappearing to deliver her message, the seal stayed put, floating in playful circles around her. Reva huffed.

“What’s the matter? Why are you still here?”

The silvery seal blinked at her as if trying to say something. Before Reva had worked out what it was, though, the front door opened and closed again, and she hastily let her Patronus dissolve. A moment later, the Muggle policeman reappeared. When Reva saw who trudged behind him, her mouth dropped open. Despite herself, she began to grin. 

“It’s a small world, isn’t it?”

Rory startled at the sound of her voice. He was looking worse for wear; his ginger hair was ruffled, his clothes rumpled, and an angry bruise spread around his swollen nose.

“You,” he blurted out. “What are you doing here?”

“Why do they always know each other?” the policeman mumbled, shaking his head on the way to his office. “You sit there,” he barked at Rory. “And no funny moves. I’ve had it with you kids today.”

As soon as the door had closed behind him, Reva and Rory began to speak simultaneously. 

“How did you -”

“What in Godric’s name -”

“- end up here?”

“- did you do to get your nose punched?” 

Rory wrinkled said nose, immediately looking like he regretted it. “I was defending a lady’s honour, if you have to know.”

Reva snorted. “Funny how I doubt that.”

“I was! I met this girl at the pub, and we made out, and -”

“That sounds a lot more like you.”

Rory rolled his eyes. “So we made out in the pub and then a little more outside.”

“Look at you go, Casanova.”

“Some blokes walked past us,” Rory continued, ignoring Reva’s commentary. “I don’t know what their business was, but they started bothering us. Or her, rather. Called her some pretty shitty things. Not like I could let that stand, right?”

Reva snorted again, but this time unkindly. “I’d have told them to fuck off there and then.”

“Which I did,” Rory said and rubbed his nose. “They didn’t take it too kindly.”

“How did you get arrested if they were the ones starting it, though?”

Rory sighed. “One of them happened to be a policeman, too.”

“Ouch. Tough luck, mate.”

“Sure was.” Rory nodded at her. “And what’s your crime, Revs?”

Reva shrugged. “Not so different from yours, actually. Only that I landed my punch alright.” 

“Who said I didn’t?”

“Well, did you?” 

Rory said nothing. After a moment, his brows drew together in a frown.

“What?” Reva asked.

“So, you’re here.”

“Ain’t you sharp tonight.”

“And I’m here.”

“Where did you say you’re going with this?”

Rory ran his hand over his hair. “Who’s gonna get us out now?” 

Whatever she had wanted to say driven from her mind, Reva knitted her brows together.

“That’s not the worst question you’ve ever asked.”

“Thanks, I guess.” 

“I’ve taken care of it,” Zadie suddenly spoke up. Reva jumped a little at the sound of her voice; over the unexpected reunion with Rory, she had almost forgotten about her being there, too. 

“You have?” she asked now. “When? How?”

“I told someone to pick us up.” Her teeth grazing her lower lip, Zadie looked at the ground as steps could be heard approaching from the entrance. “I really didn’t know who else to ask.”

“Do I even want to know?” 

Reva winced as the familiar figure of her older brother Dylan appeared in the doorway. He looked like he’d come in a rush, his hair even messier than usual, and the laces of his hiking boots merely tucked into the sides of his shoes. Not waiting for an answer to his question, he gave Reva a dark look.

“What did we say about me having to get you out of arrest again?”

Rory gave Reva a sideways glance. “Again?”

As if only noticing him now, Dylan dipped his head into his neck and groaned. “Not you.”

“Nice to see you, too, Dyldo.”

Dylan turned to Zadie. “You didn’t say that he was here, too.”

“I’m sorry,” Zadie answered in a small voice.

“Leave her alone,” Reva cut in. “Us meeting here was a series of very unfortunate events.”

“Yeah, unfortunate for me.”

“Come on, don’t be like that.” 

Dylan scowled at her. “I’m however the hell I like. Zadie’s message got me out of bed.”

“And you know that I’m very, very grateful for it.”

“You’d better be.”

“Of course I am, and…” A sudden thought made Reva pale. “You didn’t tell Dana about this, did you?”

Dylan looked like she had lost her mind. “Do you think I’m crazy?”

“So, uhm… could we maybe just…?” Zadie said somewhat helplessly, eyes trailing to the door to the policeman’s office. Sighing deeply, Dylan walked towards it, knocked, and entered. 

A few minutes later, he returned, brusquely jerking his head toward the exit. 

“Let’s get out of here.” 

Relieved, Reva followed Dylan, Zadie, and Rory out of the Muggle building. When she passed Rory by the door, she lowered her voice, whispering,

“Just so you know - this counts as me getting you out.”

“In your dreams,” Rory responded smugly. “If any, that point goes to Zadie. Face it, Reva. You’re still behind.”

Mischief flashing in her eyes, Reva cracked him a smile.

“For now, McTavish. For now. Just you wait.”

[lifeofkaze]

Whyyyyy must your things always make me teary.

Because I love emotional wrap-ups, and I love your writing, and I love these girls together. That's why.

And I'm so not going to apologise for it.

Swansong

A/N: this month’s theme for @hp-12monthsofmagic is “School’s Out For Summer”. For Zadie, school is out forever. This story sort of follows on from Acceptance, but it can be read as a stand-alone. Features Reva Amari @lifeofkaze and Robin Willows @that-scouse-wizard. Warnings: FOMO and dubious impressions of beloved characters.

The end of the summer term was close, and for Zadie Taylor-Allen, that meant she was nearing the end of her Hogwarts education. She was not yet sure how she felt about it; on the one hand she was excited to start studying at the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts, on the other, she was anxious about leaving the safety of the school she knew and loved. She didn’t yet feel that she was ready.

It did not help matters that she was the only one of her friends who would be leaving Hogwarts that year. She was only in her sixth year, and was leaving school a year early to take her place at W.A.D.A., while the rest of her classmates would continue studying for their N.E.W.T.s without her. It was not that she wished to take the N.E.W.T.s herself — on the contrary, she hated exams with a passion — but she already felt as if she were missing out on all the the fun parts of school that her friends would get to enjoy: Quidditch matches, parties, gossiping in the courtyard, and going for excursions in Hogsmeade Village. And that was without all the traditional end-of-school events that she simply would not be able to attend, or would now have to attend alone, such as leaving ceremony on the final morning of term.

Today, the invitations for the ceremony were ready to be collected, and Zadie’s closest friends — Victoire, Reva, and Robin — had all agreed to stay behind after Charms class and wait for her to get hers.

“What actually happens at this ceremony?” asked Robin.

“Not much, it’s just boring and pointless,” Reva said, and yawned theatrically as if to prove her point. “Everyone shakes McGonagall’s hand and gets a little hat, and they give out some awards, and then do a walk down to the lake and ride in the boats.”

“What’s wrong with that? It sounds alright.”

“It is at first, but then it goes on for ages. If it wasn’t for Zadie, I’d fake a stomach ache to get out of watching it again. I don’t love my brother enough to sit through it just for him. I’ll endure it for your sake, Zee, but you should know that if I die of boredom, I will haunt you.”

“I’m sure it won’t be that bad.” Victoire looked as if she were trying not to either roll her eyes or laugh, or both. She shook her head, sending ripples through her silver-blonde hair. “I went to Teddy’s last year, and I thought it was a sweet send off, even if it did take a while. It’s a tradition, a right of passage.” Reva pulled a face, but Victoire ignored her. She turned to Zadie and smiled as she added, “You’ll really enjoy it. And it’ll make your parents so proud to watch it.”

“I hope so,” said Zadie. Her front teeth grazed her bottom lip. “I still think they’re a little disappointed that I’m not finishing school properly and doing exams and things like my sister did. Not that I’d ever do that as well as her, but still… Hopefully this will make it up to them.”

After the lesson ended and the rest of her classmates filtered out into the hallway outside, Zadie approached Professor Flitwick, her Head of House, at the front of the classroom.

“Um, Professor,” she said, and his moustache twitched as he smiled at her encouragingly. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to come and collect my invitations.”

“Invitations?”

“Yes, for the leaving ceremony. I want to send some to my family so they can come and watch, if that’s okay.”

Professor Flitwick fidgeted slightly, and looked up at her with eyes filled with sympathy.

“Oh, dear,” he said awkwardly, and Zadie felt her stomach twist. “I’m not quite sure how to say this, but…”

“Have they run out of invitations? Am I too late?”

“No, no, if anything you’re too early.”

“What?”

“Miss Taylor-Allen, I am so sorry to have to say this,” said Professor Flitwick. He really did look very sorry. “Unfortunately, only final year students are allowed to take part in the leaving ceremony.”

Zadie’s heart sank. “You mean I can’t go?”

“I am afraid so.”

“Hang on,” Reva’s voice called out from the side of the classroom, where she was waiting with the other two. They both looked sad on Zadie’s behalf, but Reva did not. She looked angry. “That’s not fair! You can’t exclude Zadie from the ceremony. It’s a rite of passage!”

“It’s a rite of passage for final year students.”

“But it’s not called a ‘final year students’ ceremony, it’s called the ‘leaving ceremony’. Zadie is leaving, so she should be allowed to go!”

“I…” Professor Flitwick sighed heavily. “I shall talk to the headmistress on your behalf, Miss Taylor-Allen. It might be that we can come to some arrangement for you. Leave it with me, and I will see what I can do.”

Disappointed, Zadie thanked Professor Flitwick, and left the classroom with her friends, who were all far more determined than she was.

“Leave it with him? As if he and McGonagall will do anything,” Reva muttered angrily. “I say we should take matters into our own hands.”

“I agree,” nodded Robin. “We can find a way to make sure that Zadie gets to go to this ceremony, I’m sure of it. Even if we don’t play by the rules.”

“Playing by the rules is for Quidditch.”

“Ain’t that the truth.”

Zadie looked anxiously at Victoire, who smirked slightly.

“Why don’t we just wait and see what the professors say?” she suggested. Reva and Robin looked affronted, and Reva opened her mouth as if to argue, but before she could do so, Victoire continued, “If they can’t solve the problem, then it’s down to us to do it for them, isn’t it?”

The other two murmured their approval, and Reva wrapped one of her arms around Zadie’s shoulder as the four girls walked down the familiar corridor together, as they had since their earliest days at Hogwarts.

“Don’t you worry, Zadie. One way or another, we will make sure that you get the final send off you deserve.”

Unfortunately, as Reva had predicted, neither Professor Flitwick nor the headmistress were able to help her with her predicament. They had both seemed apologetic about the situation, but apparently there was nothing to be done. If even Professor McGonagall couldn’t convince the school governors to let Zadie take part in the ceremony, then no one would be able to.

At least Reva and Robin had given up on their idea of finding a way to disrupt the ceremony so that Zadie could attend. She had been worried at first about what sort of chaotic plan they might be brewing — after all, she did not want to get into trouble on her very last day at Hogwarts — but as it turned out, they had not mentioned it since the first day they considered it. They might even have forgotten about it altogether.

Or so Zadie thought, until the morning of the leavers’ ceremony arrived, and she was awoken by the sound of a wooden spoon banging on a metal pot, and opened her eyes to see Victoire, Reva and Robin all standing around her bed.

“How did you two get in here?” Zadie asked Reva and Robin. She tilted her head at the wooden spoon and saucepan Reva held in her hands. “Where did you get that?”

“Kitchens,” came Reva’s answer. “We also got all these.”

She nodded to Robin, who opened her school bag to reveal an assortment of pastries.

“It’s breakfast time,” she said.

“What about going to the Great Hall?”

“No time, we need to eat now and get your trunk to the carriages ready for the ceremony.”

Zadie swallowed her mouthful of croissant. “I’m not going to the ceremony.” She looked helplessly at Victoire. Surely Victoire would make them see sense. “I’m not, am I?”

“Don’t worry. We’ve got our own ceremony planned, just for you,” said Victoire. Her lips twitched. “You’ll love it. I promise.”

Victoire’s promise reassured Zadie a little, so she allowed herself to relax and enjoy her last breakfast with her friends. Once they had finished, Victoire helped her carry her trunk to the horseless carriages that were waiting ready to transport the students to Hogsmeade station, before all three girls escorted her to the courtyard outside the Great Hall, where the leavers’ ceremony was taking place.

“Take a seat, Miss Taylor-Allen,” Victoire told her, mock-seriously, and Zadie did as instructed. She sat on the wall of the cloisters, and watched as her friends raised their wands and pointed them at their clothes.

A moment later, Robin was clad in a tatty brown coat, Victoire in a smart three-piece suit, and Reva in robes of emerald green. Zadie frowned.

“What is this?”

“It’s your leavers’ ceremony,” said Reva, in a clipped Edinburgh accent that made her sound almost exactly like Professor McGonagall. She cleared her throat. “Dearly beloved students, we are gathered here today to witness the leaving of Zadie Taylor-Allen from Hogwarts School. Miss Taylor-Allen has been a credit to the school in her time here, performing unimaginable feats, the likes of which I have not seen in my time as an educator. And I’ve been an educator for, like, fifty years.” She turned to Robin. “How old is McGonagall?”

“I dunno, maybe a hundred?”

“And I’ve been an educator for seventy years, maybe even eighty. More if I’ve been using really good moisturiser, I dunno,” Reva continued, her Scottish accent having returned, a little less convincing than it had been before. “We shall now hear from the deputy headmaster and head of Ravenclaw house, Professor Flitwick.”

“I have been Zadie’s Head of House since she was a very small and cute eleven-year-old,” Victoire said in a squeaky voice that was reminiscent of Professor Flitwick’s. “Now she is less small, but still very cute, and much better at both dancing and playing Quidditch.”

“But not so good that she stopped Gryffindor from winning the Cup this year,” Robin chipped in.

Reva nodded and beat her fist to her chest twice before raising it into the air above her head.

“Go lions,” she said, and Robin repeated the gesture.

“Anyway,” Victoire shook her head, “I, and everyone else in Ravenclaw, for that matter—”

“In all of Hogwarts.”

“— are incredibly proud of her. We are sad to see her go, but we can’t wait to see what incredible things she does once she is no longer held back by her troublemaking friends or stupid school rules.”

“Like ‘only seventh years at the leavers’ ceremony’,” said Robin.

“Or ‘no Ever-Bashing Boomerangs in the Potions classroom’,” Reva added. “Or ‘Professor Trelawney’s crystal balls are not to be used as Quaffles’.”

“Yeah, or—”

“Now, because we are time-limited,” Victoire interrupted Robin with a pointed look, “we will proceed to the end of the ceremony. When I call your name, you will step here so that the headmistress can put a hat on your head.” She cleared her throat and looked at the palm of her hand before calling out, “Zadie Taylor-Allen!”

Zadie laughed and stood up to the sound of her friends’ applause. “You haven’t actually stolen one of those hats, have you?”

Reva shook her head and held up a conical silver hat with an elastic chin strap and multicoloured ribbons cascading from the point of it. Zadie laughed harder as Reva placed the hat on her head and pulled the elastic under her chin.

“Next, Professor Hagrid will escort you to the last part of our ceremony.”

“There’s more?”

“Yeh, bu’ yeh have ter follow me ter the lake first,” said Robin. She walked away, mumbling, “I should not have said that.”

They walked down the cliff path in single file, Robin loudly imitating Professor Hagrid the entire duration of the journey. When they got to the bottom of the hill, they paused on the lakeshore, where the wooden boats that they had taken to the castle from the station on their first ever night had Hogwarts were waiting for the final years on the pebbled bank.

“Pick one.”

Zadie blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Pick a boat,” Reva told her.

“What for?”

“To ride back across the lake, duh!”

“I can’t do that,” Zadie shook her head. “I can’t steal a boat. Victoire, tell them!”

But Victoire was on Robin and Reva’s side.

“It’s not stealing, it’s borrowing,” she reasoned. “And you deserve to have the same boat ride as everyone else.”

“But—”

“What are they going to do, put you in detention? Expel you? You’re already leaving!”

“And you’re leaving on one of these boats. We won’t take no for an answer. So pick one.”

There was no point in arguing; Zadie had learnt the hard way that when all her friends had made a decision, there was no way that they would change their minds. So, she looked at the boats and pointed to the one nearest the boat house. The girls cheered and set to work, carrying it to the water’s edge and into the lake itself, standing shin-deep in the water and holding it still for Zadie.

“Your chariot, milady,” said Robin. Zadie giggled, and with one final, cautious look back at the castle, joined them in the water.

It was ice cold, and soaked through her trainers and socks. She shivered, and took hold of Reva’s hand to step into the boat, which bobbed and rocked under her feet. Once she had sat down, the girls gripped the sides of the boat.

“Ready?”

“No, wait,” said Zadie. She bit her lip. “I just… Thank you. For this, and for everything. You guys are the best. You’re the best friends I’ve ever had.”

“Yeah, and we’re going to be your best friends for ages yet, so don’t start getting mushy,” Reva warned. “Victoire’s eyeliner isn’t waterproof.”

“Well, I didn’t think we’d be actually getting in the lake…”

“Also, we need to go. McGonagall’s coming.”

At Robin’s words, the other three girls looked up at the lake path, where the real Professors Hagrid and McGonagall were leading the seventh years down to the lakeshore. Zadie’s friends’ hands tightened on the sides of the boat.

“On three,” Victoire said decisively. “One…”

“Two…”

“Three!”

In perfect unison, Reva, Robin and Victoire pushed hard on the little wooden boat, which began to glide away through the water, small waves rippling away from its bow as it cut through the gleaming surface. The sunshine reflected on the water and warmed Zadie’s face, and a gentle breeze stirred her hair. Behind her, her friends were clapping, hollering, and laughing, and Zadie found herself laughing too, even as the headmistress strode across the pebbled shore towards them, a stern look on her face. But she did not look nearly as disapproving as Zadie had seen her look before, and behind her Professor Flitwick was giggling and… was that a single tear of joy tumbling from the gigantic eye of Professor Hagrid?

Clearly, none of them were that angry, and even if they were, it was too late. Zadie was gone, Zadie had left, Zadie was untouchable now.

Above her, a group of long-necked white birds had taken flight, the image of them reflecting on the surface of the lake and causing a familiar melody to play in her head that she hummed to herself as she sailed away from Hogwarts, ready to take to the next stage in her life.

She was ready.

[obsessedwithlarkin]

kar mesa dancer list dropped so here is the most popular dancers per studio

PLATTFORM:

Jaycee Allen, Brooklyn Bell, Presley Bell, Ava Browne, Sofia Dominiguez, Navy Holt, Olivia Jacobs, Aaliyah Middleton, Audrey Patton, Mallory Petit, Kylie Quiroga, Audrey Tenney

GATEWAY:

Charlotte Cook, Kinsley Cook, Kalista Greer, Kanon Greer, Oakley Hill, Alaina Igleski, Clara Lawless, Kaydence Lawton, June Ridenour, Colette Sutzman

ELITE DANCE PRO:

Jordyn Lavigne

DANCE DELUXE:

Brielle Bailey, Livian Bailey, Aria Bongiorno, Adelina Quintanilla, Azury Romero, Remi Skidmore, Vanessa Soto, Brighton Taylor

CLUB:

Allie Aston, Riley Bagnoli, Preslie Ball, Parker Banks, Haven Berwick, Kennedy Besch, Brooklyn Besch, Kinsley Camp, Kennedi Cartwright, Aria Chaidez, Kennedy Chzarchowski, Blakely Cox, Faye Cunnigham, Poppy Cunnigham, Sunny Cunnigham, Peyton De La Cerda, Maddie Downs, Kennedy Elliott, Zadie Evans, Everly Goldsmith, Evie Goodman, Aurora Hanson, Cara Hart, Harlow Hilmo, Dana Homes, Hazel Jenkins, Kimber Keffler, Lily Knopps, Berkli Lehew, Bella Linman, Kendall Lovrant, Kennedy Marble, Peyton Marble, Kinley Martz, Kambria Merrill, Kailey Miller, Kendyl Miller, Sailor Moyers, Cambrie O'Haver, Avery Palacios, Carsyn Palacios, Ava Palmer, Kinley Palmer, Skye Parkinson, Blakely Paule, Paislee Perkins, Addison Pichette, Avery Pichette, Delaney Poulson, Kynzlie Plote, Dolly Putton, Leo Robbins, River Robbins, Scarlett Robinson, Harper Scates, Harper Scwhalb, Remy Schwalb, Abbey Scott, Charlotte Seals, River Sergerman, Ellie Self, Paisley Self, Tatum Self, Jolene Serna, Olivia Serna, Hazel Silverman, Hannah Slater, Bryn Spears, Stella Stolz, Lily Tameron, Kate Valentine, Emerson Van Houten, Emersyn Varker, Emersyn Vincent, Zoe Zwick

[tomorrowedblog]

Friday Releases for March 31

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we've decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for March 31 include Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Tetris, Murder Mystery 2, and more.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, the new movie from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, is out today.

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

Tetris

Tetris, the new movie from Jon S. Baird, is out today.

The game you couldn’t put down, the story you couldn’t make up.

Taron Egerton stars in a new Apple Original Film inspired by the true story of how one man risked his life to outsmart the KGB and turn Tetris into a worldwide sensation.

Murder Mystery 2

Murder Mystery 2, the new movie from Jeremy Garelick, is out today.

Four years after solving their first murder mystery, Nick and Audrey Spitz (Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston) are now full-time detectives struggling to get their private eye agency off the ground when they’re invited to celebrate the wedding of their friend the Maharaja (Adeel Akhtar) on his private island. But trouble follows the Spitzes again when the groom is kidnapped for ransom soon after the festivities begin — making each glamorous guest, family member, and the bride herself a suspect. MURDER MYSTERY 2 sends Nick and Audrey Spitz on a high-stakes case that finally gives them everything they’ve ever dreamed of: a shot at their detective agency finally becoming successful… and their long-awaited trip to Paris.

Rye Lane

Rye Lane, the new movie from Raine Allen-Miller, is out today.

Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson), two twenty-somethings both reeling from bad break-ups, connect over the course of an eventful day in South London - helping each other deal with their nightmare exes, and potentially restoring their faith in romance.

Kill Boksoon

Kill Boksoon, the new movie from Sung-hyun Byun, is out today.

At work, she’s a renowned assassin. At home, she’s a single mom to a teenage daughter. Killing? That’s easy. It’s parenting that’s the hard part.

Space Oddity

Space Oddity, the new movie from Kyra Sedgwick, is out today.

When Alex gives up on earth and decides to leave it all behind for a one-way mission to Mars, an unexpected romance forces him to choose between an uncertain journey to the stars or an even more uncertain journey of the heart.

A Thousand And One

A Thousand And One, the new movie from A.V. Rockwell, is out today.

A THOUSAND AND ONE follows unapologetic and free-spirited Inez (Teyana Taylor), who kidnaps her six-year-old son Terry from the foster care system. Holding onto their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.

BAIT

BAIT, the new movie from Mark Jenkin, is out today.

Martin Ward is a cove fisherman, without a boat. His brother Steven has repurposed their father’s vessel as a tourist tripper, driving a wedge between the brothers. With their childhood home now a get-away for London money, Martin is displaced to the estate above the picturesque harbor.

Smoking Causes Coughing

Smoking Causes Coughing, the new movie from Quentin Dupieux, is out today.

SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING follows the misadventures of a team of five superheroes known as the Tobacco Force - Benzene (Gilles Lellouche), Nicotine (Anaïs Demoustier), Methanol (Vincent Lacoste), Mercury (Jean-Pascal Zadi), and Ammonia (Oulaya Amamra). After a devastating battle against a diabolical giant turtle, the Tobacco Force is sent on a mandatory week-long retreat to strengthen their decaying group cohesion. Their sojourn goes wonderfully well until Lézardin, Emperor of Evil, decides to annihilate planet Earth.

The Power

The Power, the new TV series from Raelle Tucker, Naomi Alderman, and Sarah Quintrell, is out today.

The world of The Power is our world, but for one twist of nature. Suddenly, and without warning, teenage girls develop the power to electrocute people at will. The Power follows a cast of remarkable characters from London to Seattle, Nigeria to Eastern Europe, as the Power evolves from a tingle in teenagers’ collarbones to a complete reversal of the power balance of the world.

Troublemaker

Troublemaker, the new game from Gamecom Team and Freedom Games, is out today.

Grab a backpack, boxing tape, and focus on what high school is all about: Beating the ever loving crap out of one another! Troublemaker blends favorite action-adventure-beat-'em-up elements from the strongest traditions in the genre.

Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale

Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale, the new album from Tyler, The Creator, is out today.

The Great Escape

The Great Escape, the new album from Larry June and The Alchemist, is out today.

I’M REALLY LIKE THAT

I’M REALLY LIKE THAT, the new album from DJ Drama, is out today.

[that-scouse-wizard]

Robin and Rory

Nick and Saffron

Everleigh and Zadie

Robin and Rory

These two would probably meet either through Reva or when Robin tries out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team in second year. Another option, Rory knows of David's status as a Quidditch star and instantly hits it off with Robin due to a shared love of Quidditch and other sports.

On the Gryffindor team, Robin respects Rory as her captain. That being said, whenever the Wasps and Puddlemere clash on the pitch, Robin gives it her all.

Nick and Saffron

Nick probably thought of her as a little odd at first and doesn't believe in auras or crystals. That being said, he does like Gavin and her other rabbits so they probably bonded over a shared love of animals.

Everleigh and Zadie

These two haven't gotten along since they did ballet together. Everleigh was definitely "that bitch" for her arrogance (though can back it up). It doesn't help that Everleigh is pretty difficult to work with.

Though, Everleigh does mellow out in her adult years after cutting contact with her mum. Should their paths cross in adulthood, Everleigh will admit fault. They still don't really get along but Everleigh doesn't go out of her way to antagonise Zadie.

[lifeofkaze]

Aw, both of these are as gorgeous as the birthday girls 🥰🥰🥰

Happy Birthday Nova & Zadie!

@kc-and-oc @the-al-chemist heard that some lovely ladies celebrate their birthday today 👀💙

[usernoneexistent]

Collection of mostly one shot stories of my magic awakened/Next Gen OCs in chronological order.

2008/2009:

Überraschung (Duncan featuring Jacob, Juniper, Charlie and Tarragon)

Heimweh (Duncan)

2010/2011:

A Fresh Start (Flynn featuring Rory McTavish @the-al-chemist & Dana Parkin @lifeofkaze)

2011/2012:

Pinky Promise (Tarragon and the Weasley and Potters)

A Goo Advice (Duncan featuring Marceline Lane-Adler @slytherindisaster & Rosalyn Murk @indigobackfire)

Woodland (Tarragon featuring Saffron Summers @the-al-chemist, Dylan Amari @lifeofkaze, and Patrick Hopper-Lee @thatravenpuffwitch)

Friendship Bracelets (Zola & Tarragon)

2012/2013:

Harper starts Hogwarts 1|2|3

Teenagers (Duncan featuring Marceline Lane-Adler @slytherindisaster)

2013/2014:

After School Lessons (Duncan featuring Zadie Taylor-Allen @the-al-chemist)

Octopus Stoffteir (Duncan x Rosalyn @indigobackfire)

Sunrise Will Come (Zola ft Tarragon)

2014/2015:

We Don't Talk About Oscar

Not The End (Duncan and Jacob)

2015/2016:

Watermelon Sugar (Zola featuring Rory McTavish @the-al-chemist)

[the-al-chemist]

Zadie Taylor-Allen - Billy Elliot

It's like that there's a music playing in your ear

And I'm listening, and I'm listening, and then I disappear

And then I feel a change

Like a fire deep inside

Something bursting me wide open impossible to hide

And suddenly I'm flying, flying like a bird

Like electricity, electricity

Sparks inside of me

And I'm free, I'm free.

- Electricity -

“Can you tell us, Billy, what does it feel like when you’re dancing?” Zadie could have had her pick of the musicals, but this is the one for her. @magicallymalted, I promise I’m almost done!

[lifeofkaze]

Twenty-Two

Happy Birthday to my favourite wild-child of them all! You're the most frustrating, headstrong and yet amazing of my children in how you refuse to let me write the story I want for you - you have your own story to tell.

Don't ever change, Reva, but for God's sake... just let me know what you want every now and again, yeah?

The idea for this fic as well as the amazing edit are by @whatwouldvalerydo, who kindly let me write her crack thought into existence 💛

OCs featured or mentioned belong to:

@whatwouldvalerydo (Scarlett Tempest)

@the-al-chemist (Zadie Taylor-Allen, Rory McTavish, Saffron Summers, Dante Briarwood)

@kc-and-co (Sage Carridan, Nova Mae)

@thatravenpuffwitch (Rylie Hopper-Lee)

@that-scouse-wizard (Robin Willows, Nick Willows)

Warning: mentions and consumption of alcohol, implied drug abuse (weed)

Even for late March it was an unusually cold night in Edinburgh and Reva shivered as she drew her shoulders up against the cold drizzle. She buried her hands deeper in the pockets of her coat and craned her neck trying to see the end of the queue. But from what she could tell, they were as far away from the entrance to the club than they had been ten minutes ago.

“By that rate we’re going to still be here by sunrise,” she muttered, bouncing up and down the balls of her feet to keep warm. “What’s taking them so long?”

“No idea, but they won’t hurry up for you complaining into my ear,” said Reva’s brother Dylan. He had his arm around his girlfriend Dana, who Reva shared a sympathetic look with. Just like herself, Dana was only wearing a dress and tights, and seemed to be just as cold as the rest of them.

“And besides, it was you who insisted on coming here,” Dylan went on, not noticing or not caring about his sister and his girlfriend rolling their eyes. “We could have just stayed at Dante’s bar, have some more drinks there and be nice and warm all around.”

“Maybe, but you only turn twenty-two once,” Reva said. “Stop being a bore.”

“You turned twenty-two three days ago.”

“And how am I supposed to celebrate with all my friends during the week, Mr Look-at-me-I-know-it-all?”

Dylan shared a look with his friend Dante, who was the owner of the bar where they had all met for a warm up, but Dante only shrugged. He knew better than to get involved with Dylan’s and Reva’s bickering.

“What did you expect?” Rory McTavish chimed in from behind Reva. He clearly had no problem with getting involved at all. “This is one of the most popular spots in Edinburgh. Obviously there was going to be a queue.”

“Didn’t stop the others from going in without us,” Reva muttered.

“Maybe we could talk to the bouncers,” Rory said and craned his head like Reva had done.

The girl next to him made a sceptical noise. “I doubt the Muggle bouncers will give us preferred access only because you and Reva happen to have a name in Quidditch. But do go ahead and try.”

Rory laughed softly and gave Rylie a kiss on the cheek. “No, but I can’t have you ladies freezing out here.”

“They’re not the only ones being cold,” Dylan pointed out.

“Yeah, I’m quite cold myself. Not that you would know, Dylan. You’re too furry to freeze.”

Dylan’s brows drew into a scowl but before he had a chance to answer, both boys received an elbow to their sides from their girlfriends and fell quiet. Reva saw Dana biting her lower lip in an attempt not to laugh, however.

A smirk on her own lips, she turned her attention to the non-progression of the queue again. As the banter with her friends passed, the familiar, heavy feeling which had been bothering her for the past couple of days returned to her chest.

Reva had felt on edge for a while now, but lately, the feeling of running against walls in her attempt to make a name for herself among the Montrose Magpies - a name that wasn’t immediately connected to her parents’ past accomplishments - had steadily increased. All she had wanted from tonight was a carefree evening with her friends, and not needing to stand in the cold night air, shivering in her short dress and wondering if this was where she really was supposed to be.

Next to her, her best friend Zadie, who had come over from New York especially for the occasion, nudged Reva into the side.

“Are you alright?” she asked quietly.

Reva sighed and tore her eyes away from the flashing sign above the entrance. “Yes,” she said, “I just want to get inside and meet everyone, that’s all.”

She could tell from the look on Zadie’s face that she knew Reva was lying, but thankfully she chose not to comment on it. Instead, she gave Reva’s arm a squeeze and left her alone. Reva was grateful for it; like so often these days, she realised how much she had missed Zadie being by her side.

It took them another fifteen minutes, but eventually, Reva and her friends had found their way inside the club. As soon as they walked down the stairs leading to the dance floor, Reva’s contemplative mood subsided. The room was heaving with people, colourful lights were flashing in time with the beat and Reva could feel the reverberations of the base thrumming through her body. She took a deep breath and a confident smile formed on her face; this was what she had been looking for.

They quickly found the rest of their friends seated on comfortable looking leather sofas around a low table next to the bar, and Reva’s smile widened with every one of them she greeted. Before long she found herself chatting and laughing with each and every one of them, catching up with those she hadn’t seen in a while and trading gossip with those she saw regularly. Reva felt more at ease than she had done in weeks and she leaned back into her seat with a content smile.

“It’s good to see you smiling again,” her friend Sage Carridan said and sat down next to her. “It’s been a while, I can imagine.”

“Meaning?” Reva said and raised her eyebrows.

“I read the latest articles in The Daily Prophet on the Magpies’ winning streak,” Sage explained.

“I’m not surprised you have.” A defeated expression crossed Reva’s face. The general tone of the articles was positive, but she had been on a few unsuccessful dates with the guy who’d written them, and from how he talked about her, Reva could tell he wasn’t as over her as she was over him. There wasn’t a single day where she didn’t find herself being compared to her mother’s scoring record or her father’s technique and frankly, she was sick of it.

Sage seemed to sense Reva’s shift in mood because she made a sympathetic face and laid a hand on her shoulder. “I want you to know that this amateur has no idea about Quidditch. What he’s writing is far-fetched, to say the least. You’re a fantastic player in your own right, and I’ve never seen a statistic more inaccurate than the ones he’s making up.”

“My godfather said the same,” Reva muttered. She should feel glad about Sage’s encouragement, but all she felt was tired.

Sage seemed to want to add something but was interrupted when Nova Mae slumped into the seat on Reva’s other side.

“Why that face?” she asked cheerfully, looking between Reva and Sage. “Is Sage boring you with rules and numbers again?”

Sage rolled her eyes. “They’re not boring, Nova.”

“Oh yes, they are.”

Reva had to bite her lip to keep from chuckling. Nova’s and Sage’s friendly banter was infamous and their bickering was already brightening her mood considerably.

“I won’t allow you to be sad today. I know something to cheer you up,” Nova declared. From out of nowhere she produced a clear plastic bag containing what looked like brownies.

A sly grin appeared on Reva’s face but when she reached for the bag, it was snatched away by a stern looking Sage.

“You’re not going to be giving Reva edibles while I’m watching,” she hissed at Nova.

Nova shrugged and shoved a piece of brownie into her mouth. “You’re free to go any time.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Shame.”

“That’s irresponsible, Nova!”

“They’re brownies. Nothing else, I swear.”

“As if.”

“Can you just stop it?” Reva sighed and looked between the two unhappily, her good mood gone as fast as it had come. She usually had fun watching Nova and Sage bicker, but tonight, it was making her restless. “All I want is to have some fun.”

“Right you are,” came the voice of Scarlett Tempest from behind them. She had gone to get new drinks and was now looking at Nova and Sage warningly. “The girl’s twenty-two and here you are talking over her head like she isn’t here.” She took one of the small shot glasses off her tray she was carrying and handed it to Reva. “She wants to have fun and that is what she’s going to have. Screw the public, screw the press, and screw the guys - that one writing shit about you in particular.”

She raised a glass of her own to Reva and downed it one go. Reva did the same and shuddered as the tequila burned its way down her throat. She decided to leave Sage and Nova to themselves and follow Scarlett and her tray instead.

Having had another round of shots with Robin, Zadie and Victoire, there was nothing keeping the girls off the dancefloor anymore. Reva took her turn dancing first with Robin, then Dana and eventually Rory for a while. She would have loved to dance with Zadie as well, but like always when music was playing, Zadie was in a world of her own; she was twisting and twirling across the dancefloor like nothing Reva had seen before and there were more than a few people staring at her admiringly, even though Zadie never noticed.

After a few more songs, everyone but Zadie and Reva had left the dancefloor again. The crowd had gotten thicker and soon a wall of people was separating them. Reva stopped and stepped to the edge of the dancefloor, letting her eyes wander over her group of friends back at their table.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves; Rylie was sitting on Rory’s lap, laughing as he said something into her ear; Nova and Sage were still bickering but seemed to be having fun doing it; Victoire and Robin were clearing up the last of the shots, while Dylan and Robin’s twin brother Nick were quietly suffering their fate with a bottle of beer each. They were listening to Dante, who was probably explaining to them why the drinks in this club were awful and what he would do differently. A little to the side, Dana and her friend Saffron were dancing with each other; Saffron was staring at the lights above them and had her hands up in the air, waving them from side to side in tune with her body, looking a little like seaweed underwater.

Reva made a move to go back to them but hesitated; everyone was having a good time and neither did she want to enter a conversation, nor did she want to drink any more shots with Robin and Victoire. All of her friends were fine and Reva felt like she would disturb them, so she turned around and returned to the dancefloor.

She had lost sight of Zadie, so she danced on her own for a little while. It wasn’t long before she was approached by a guy around her age who asked her to dance with him. Reva didn’t see a reason not to, but when he got closer and closer and bowed his head to kiss her, she quickly took a step back. She wanted to turn away and return to her friends but the guy grabbed her by the hand and held her back.

“What’s the matter all of a sudden? You weren’t so shy a minute ago.”

Reva flashed her eyes at him. “Let go, right now.”

“Or what?”

From across the room, Reva’s situation hadn’t gone unnoticed. But before either Rory, Dylan or Sage had any chance to come to Reva’s help, Scarlett had already slammed down her drink and came pushing through the crowd. When she reached Reva, she gave her suitor a look that would have made Reva’s blood freeze if it had been directed at her.

“Hands off her,” she snapped and the guy looked her up and down derisively. He clearly wasn’t impressed by what he was seeing.

“What do you even want?” he scoffed.

“Something you can’t have,” Scarlett said wryly. She freed Reva’s wrist from his hand, took her face into her hands and pressed a kiss to her lips that tasted of tequila, salt and lemon.

Reva stiffened for a second when their lips met, but when the jaw of the guy who had been harassing her dropped, she wrapped her arms around Scarlett’s neck and returned the kiss.

Out of the corner of her eye, Reva saw the guy mutter something to himself and shake his head. With a dismissive gesture he pushed past them and had vanished into the crowd a moment later.

Scarlett let go of her and her hazel eyes were sparkling mischievously. There was a smug grin on her face that made Reva giggle.

“What in Godric’s name was that about?” she wanted to know as Scarlett linked arms with her and led her back towards their friends.

“Someone needed to put that bloke in his proper place,” Scarlett replied and handed Reva a shot. “I’ve said it before - screw the guys. This evening’s about you, and I wasn’t going to let a lowlife like him ruin it for you.”

Reva took the glass off her and Scarlett raised her own. “Here’s to you, birthday girl.”

“No,” Reva shook her head as she clinked glasses with Scarlett and the rest of her friends, who had all come to celebrate with her. “Here’s to all of us.”

[the-al-chemist]

Not Today

Zadie - Bravo of Braavos

Make me a Water Dancer and a wolf and not afraid again, ever.

From @gcldensnitch’s ASOIAF AU

[the-al-chemist]

Hello and welcome to my blog! My name is Al, I’m no longer in my 20s (I was told to change this recently), live in the U.K., and have been writing for the Harry Potter fandom since December 2020, when I started writing The Hexley Saga - the first ever completed novel adaptation of Hogwarts Mystery, featuring my original character, Artemis Hexley.

Since then, I’ve written Artemis all the way to her adulthood in the Golden Era and added a lot more stories to my collection. All my published writing and information about my characters can be found via the links below.

Alternatively, you can find me on AO3 and Wattpad, or you can find my original stories under the handle @alyslaskeywriter!

The Hexley Saga

A full-length and complete adaptation of Hogwarts Mystery, written as a YA novel series.

The Adventures of Artemis Hexley

Stories set during the timeline of the Harry Potter books, or shortly before/after. Mainly, these focus on the life of the Hexley Saga’ a protagonist Artemis, but the canon characters also get a chance to shine.

The Hexley Legacy

A collection of stories set in and around the Hogwarts Legacy Era, featuring four distant relatives of Artemis.

Next Gen Story Collection

Short stories set in the modern day Wizarding World.

See here to find out what’s currently brewing in Al’s writing cauldron…

Common Tags

“al speaks” - opinions and BTS ramblings

“artemis speaks” - conversations with my inner devil child

“al doodles” - my terrible artwork

“al loves pals” - spreading the love in our little online community

My work is fairly family-friendly most of the time, but not always. Any stories containing sensitive or mature topics should be labelled as such - if this has lapsed it will be accidental, so don’t hesitate to message me privately so that I can resolve the issue.

My ask box is always open in case you would like to know more about my stories, me, Artemis, or my other characters. I love receiving asks, so don’t be shy! The ask box is also open for submissions for the From The Vaults collection, so if there are any extra scenes you’d like to see from the Saga, hit me up.

As a fanfiction writer, I make no money from my work. However, if you have read and enjoyed my stories and are able to, you can make a small donation to my Kofi account. To honour the memory of Brianna Ghey, all money donated to my Kofi for the foreseeable future will be going to Galop, a U.K. charity supporting members of the LGBT community who have suffered abuse.

[the-al-chemist]

It’s been a long time since the last FFWF ask, bestie 💛

My question for today is:

I call you the faceclaim goddess for a reason because no one has an eye for believable family resemblance than you. I’d like to know your process behind choosing faceclaims, especially when it comes to family relations? Maybe even illustrated on the most superior of all families aka the Hexleys? 🥰

Thank you for this compliment and this ask! 🧡

So, I almost always come up with a character and an idea for a story before choosing that character���s faceclaim. I generally don’t pick their faceclaim off an image alone, either - I can only really get a grasp on whether they “fit” the idea I have in my head if I see them move/speak. I don’t just pick faces, I pick mannerisms and gestures and facial expressions that suit the character. Sometimes this is by searching, but usually I have an idea of someone I’ve seen in a programme or show that might work.

As for picking faceclaims for related characters, I’ve always had the sort of brain that picks up on similarities between faces (the number of times I’ve thought that an actor was someone else entirely because I’ve seen a resemblance and thought that they had the same face), so making a family tree isn’t too hard. Basically, I use a lot of google image searches where I search two names at once so I get several examples of both faces appearing next to each other so I can compare them.

You want illustrations? I’ll give you illustrations, and then some. It’s all under the cut BC it’s so long.

Artemis Hexley - Dafne Keen/Mila Kunis: I never had to seek out a faceclaim for little Artemis; I started rewatching His Dark Materials whilst writing one of the earlier parts of the Saga and realised that Dafne Keen was the child I was imagining whilst writing. It’s not really surprising, given how much HDM has influenced me as a writer and as a person, and how much Lyra was an inspiration for Artemis as a character.

I did and didn’t have to actively seek out a faceclaim for Artemis as an adult. Mila Kunis was the first face that popped into my head, because I had seen photos of Dafne Keen in which I thought she looked very like her, however, I didn’t really like the idea of her for Artemis as I thought her too conventionally beautiful. However, I struggled to find anyone else who fitted what I imagined or believably based on the face I already had in mind, and after seeing her in this video, I was sold. She’s perhaps a prettier, more polished version of Artemis than I’d envisioned, but she just is Artemis nevertheless.

Jacob Hexley - Dominic Cooper: Jacob was always Dominic Cooper. He’s got the similar look around the eyes to Artemis and his character in The History Boys is exactly how I imagined Jacob as a teenager - cocky, charming, calculating.

Sara Kowalski-Hexley - Rachel Weisz: Sara is the daughter of Queenie Goldstein, so to find her faceclaim, I google searched “actress who looks like Alison Sudol”. Rachel Weisz was the first hit. I did consider options for Sara who might be more like Artemis in appearance, but I love that if you were to look at pictures of Queenie, Sara and Artemis in succession, you’d get the believable family connection.

Leander Hexley - Andrew Scott: there are two reasons why I picked Andrew Scott for a faceclaim for Leander. Firstly, I just love him. He’s one of my favourite actors. Secondly, he’s a very versatile actor, who has a lot of different famous roles. We don’t know much about Leander other than he was clever, butted heads with Jacob at times, and died in tragic and suspicious circumstances. Was he a sweet and funny man like the hot priest? Was he a total psychopath like Moriarty? Was he a clever and brave but absent father like John Parry? He could be any one of those things, and you wouldn’t guess at a single one based on his face alone.

Héloïse Perrault - Audrey Tautou: Audrey Tautou was one of the faces I considered briefly for Sara. I disregarded her because Sara is American with Jewish/Polish ancestry and Audrey Tautou is just… SO FRENCH. Still, it was an important part of my lore and backstory for Artemis that she had french ancestry, so Héloïse’s face claim was the first I picked for my HPHL characters.

Ethel Hexley - Maya Hawke: Ethel’s character concept came first, as soon as I wanted a face for her, my mind went straight to a BBC adaptation of Little Women I watched at Christmas a few years ago. Maya Hawke played Jo March in this (and she did an amazing job), and she was just the first idea I had for Ethel, who is very Jo-like in personality.

Jim Hexley - Josh O’Connor: I loved Josh O’Connor in the Durrells and The Crown. Neither of these characters are at all like Jim, however, once Ethel’s face was set, his came to mind as her twin. They have the same freckled complexion, prominent ears, and something similar in the bone structure. He also has a very approachable and slightly awkward look to him, which I liked for Jim.

Ophelia Burke - Mia Wasikowska: Ophelia is the exception to my rule; she is the first (and one of just two) of my characters where the face came first. And this is your fault, as you know.

Mavis Morland/Marguerite Nott - Carey Mulligan: I once met Carey Mulligan in Wagamamas. Also, she was one of the faceclaims I considered for adult Artemis. The fact that she has a passable resemblance to Mia Wasikowska sealed Ophelia’s fate and the faceclaim lineage of this branch of the family tree.

Malvolio Nott - Will Keen: I struggled for ages to find a faceclaim for Ophelia’s horrible husband. Then I realised the solution was simple - who better to have a family resemblance to Artemis than her faceclaim’s actual dad?! He seems lovely in real life, but plays a lot of evil men in suits, which works perfectly for Malvolio.

Zadie Taylor-Allen - Antonia Gentry: it’s easy to forget with the several generations between them and the different surname, but Zadie is actually a Hexley - her father is the descendant of Ethel and @slytherindisaster’s Lysander. Which means that in @kc-and-co’s canon, she is also very distantly related to Murphy McNully. I didn’t pick this faceclaim because of a family resemblance, I picked Antonia Gentry because when I created a ballerina OC, I knew I wanted her to be a P.O.C., as women of colour are underrepresented in ballet. Antonia Gentry has a really beautiful and soulful face, and she’s got Ethel’s freckles.

Cleo Hexley - Simone Ashley: the latest of the Hexley brood is my second OC for whom the face came first. More than anything, it was Simone Ashley’s mannerisms and facial expressions that made the connection between her and the Hexley family dynasty. She’s Jacob’s daughter, but she is under development at the moment, because I am still considering Jacob’s story, and because I always feel the need to research my OC’s who are members of a minority group more stringently so as to represent those groups accurately and respectfully.

[the-al-chemist]

🖊 for Heloise & Zadie?

Of course! Thank you for asking, Lily!!!! 🧡

Héloïse

Héloïse never really got the point of Quidditch. It’s just a bunch of people chasing balls around in the air, what’s so interesting about that? Unfortunately, her in-laws were all followers (if not players) of the sport, so she was obliged to watch games even as an adult, which she tolerated rather than enjoyed. For Héloïse, the little interest she held did not lie in the game itself, but in the fans watching. There’s something remarkable about how something as trivial as a game can so drastically affect people’s emotions and actions.

Zadie

Being dyslexic, Zadie struggled with more academic subjects at school, but she still managed to pass Arithmancy, Herbology, Charms, and Muggle Studies with good enough grades to proceed to N.E.W.T. level. However, Zadie never completed her magical education (apparently this is a trend among my OCs, as neither did Ophelia or Jacob), as she successfully auditioned for the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts in her sixth year of school. The only time she regretted her decision was the day she went back a year later to watch her friends graduate without her.

[lifeofkaze]

October Writing Challenge - Day 18

Welcome to the OC fest! Saffron Summers and Zadie Taylor-Allen belong to the bestie @the-al-chemist, Nova Mae belongs to @kc-and-oc, Scarlett Tempest to @whatwouldvalerydo, and Farid Sikander to @carewyncromwell

Thanks for letting me borrow your kiddos!

Growing up, midsummer had always been Dylan’s favourite day.

Celebrating the summer solstice was a big thing in his home; Dylan’s father in particular took the shift in balance between day and night very seriously. So every year they would light a big fire on the beach, roast marshmallows, share stories and watch the night turn into day.

When Dylan’s friend Saffron Summers had told him about the summer solstice celebration she was planning for the weekend, Dylan had been excited to make some new memories with his best friends.

Looking back, Dylan wasn’t entirely sure what he had been expecting. The only thing he knew for sure was that it hadn’t involved flower crowns.

He cursed under his breath when the flowers Saffron had handed to him came undone for… Dylan actually couldn’t remember how often he had started his wreath again at this point. He usually had pretty nimble hands, but for this nonsense he was simply lacking the patience.

Next to him, his best friend Farid Sikander laughed silently.

“If you ask me, my friend, I would use more of these,” he held up some white flowers with long, thin stems, “and less of the tiny blue ones. You can barely see them and they keep falling out.”

Different from Dylan, Farid had a perfectly round and stable flower crown already lying in his lap. With an indignant snort, Dylan handed over his worse for wear looking flowers.

“You do it, then,” he muttered and rolled his eyes when Farid crafted a second flower crown in no time.

“For someone who doesn’t even celebrate midsummer, you’re pretty enthusiastic,” Dylan commented as Farid placed his own flower crown upon his head with a happy smile.

“I have to admit, it’s more fun than I thought. I’m glad you made me come.”

Despite himself, Dylan had to chuckle. “There’s no way I would have endured this alone.”

He let his eyes wander over the group of students who had gathered around the huge bonfire at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, well out of sight of the castle.

On the other side of the dancing flames, his sister Reva and her best friend Zadie were already done with their work and busy flicking tiny petals and grass at each other.

Next to them, his childhood friend Danielle Parkin sat with her best friends Saffron, Nova Mae, and Scarlett Tempest - the group of girls who called themselves ‘the Breakfast Club’.

They seemed to be having a great time; they were bowed deeply over their flower crowns, and were laughing and chatting among themselves.

Saffron was the only one of the four who was done with her crown already; it was huge and made her head look weirdly out of proportion. The different flowers sticking out of it at all angles reminded Dylan of tiny antlers, and he had to grin to himself.

When everyone was done and equipped with properly summery crowns, they gathered around the fire. Dylan was half dreading the next point on their agenda, but smiled regardless when Dana walked over to him.

“That crown suits you, kiddo,” she laughed. “You should consider wearing it more often.”

Her own flower crown looked lovely against her dark hair, making the bright yellow petals of the sunflowers she had woven in stand out even more.

“Over my dead body,” Dylan muttered.

Dana looked at him with an affectionate smile, before furrowing her brow.

“Come here for a second.”

Dana reached for the flower crown Farid had made him wear and Dylan bowed his head. Dana’s fingers brushed over his hair as she fixed a loose flower that had been on the point of falling out.

“Better,” she beamed at him. “Stop sulking now, will you? Saff has put a lot of effort into this, just try and have some fun.”

She took him by his hand and pulled him after her towards her friends while excitedly telling him about all the things Saffron had planned for tonight.

Just as Dylan had expected, things didn’t exactly improve for him.

When he and Dana stood next to the others, Saffron was busy telling them about a traditional mating dance ritual, or whatever she called it; she was wearing a long, billowy white gown and no shoes, and was swaying to some music she probably only heard in her head.

It reminded Dylan of grass blowing in the wind and he had to fight to keep a serious expression. He politely opted out of this part of the celebration and watched the girls circling each other, giggling all the while.

The night went on in pretty much the same fashion; Saffron’s rituals grew wilder and stranger by the minute, and Dylan preferred watching most of them from the sidelines.

Reva was very intent on covering his face with the sacred soil Saffron had hallowed for them, but after threatening to dunk her face into the bowl she held under his nose, she thought better of it.

The one thing Dylan actually found entertaining was the cleansing ritual which followed the face painting.

It was believed, Saffron told them with a serious voice, that by jumping over the bonfire all the bad things weighing them down would be carried away with the smoke into the sky.

Naturally, Reva was the first one to try, quickly followed by Zadie and Nova. When it was Dana’s turn, she jumped over the flames with a shriek; she landed on the other side and stumbled, and Dylan quickly reached out to catch her. She smiled at him gratefully and slightly embarrassed when she broke free of his hold again.

Dana stayed by his side when Saffron directed them to form a circle and hold hands around the bonfire.

Dylan felt the soft pressure of her fingers on the back of his hand, and didn’t even feel like rolling his eyes anymore when Saffron chanted some ridiculous spell that would have made their Charms teacher cry with laughter.

The sky was already lightening in the east, when it was time for the highlight of their celebration - a bath with their hallowed flowers in a sacred spring.

“I tried finding a proper spring,” Saffron told them apologetically as she led them down to the Black Lake, “but the fairies told me the energies weren’t right. I wanted to give them some crystals and incense to help, but they wouldn’t listen. The Lake will be just as good, though, you’ll see.”

She took off her huge flower crown and tossed it into the lake, before wading into the dark water herself. When she was in to her hips, she let herself float, her white gown and blonde hair billowing about her like clouds.

“Come in,” she called over to her friends who were looking at her sceptically. “Float in the sacred water and be one with the Earth Mother.”

They all exchanged glances and small shakes of their heads. Zadie and Reva were giggling to themselves, while Farid was looking very uncomfortable, shielding his eyes from looking at Saffron’s now see-through dress.

“You sure this is a good idea, Saff?” Dana asked carefully. “The lake really is quite cold.”

“Oh, don’t worry. You don’t even notice the cold after a while.”

Dylan had heard enough of it; he had made and worn a flower crown, he had danced, he had jumped over a fire, and had done countless other things which had nothing to do with the midsummer he knew from his childhood.

He took off his flower crown, handed it to Farid and left the others to their business. At least the sunrise he wanted to watch as he saw fit.

He knew his way around the grounds, even at night, and quickly found the point he had been searching for, a giant fallen tree, just by the edge of the Black Lake.

Dylan climbed up it and walked along the slippery wood for fun; when he had reached the middle of the log, he jumped down, leaned his back against it and sighed with relief.

Finally he was alone.

From where he was sitting he could see the gleam of their bonfire through the trees, but his attention was trained on the sky. The sunrise was already beginning to paint it in a myriad of colours, and it wouldn’t be long before the first rays of the sun would be signalling the start of a new day.

All of a sudden, Dylan felt excited again, just as he had when he was a child.

He remembered one year where we had woken up at the crack of dawn and looked out over the beach at their house in Montrose. Dylan’s parents had still been sitting by the bonfire they had built, his mother leaned against his father’s shoulder, and they had watched the sunrise together.

Dylan wondered whether his parents were sitting on the beach just now as well and waiting for the golden light, just like him.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the footsteps approaching him, and jumped when he heard Dana’s voice.

“You forgot this,” she said with a smile and held something out to him; it was Dylan’s discarded flower crown.

Dylan laughed quietly and took it from her hands. He didn’t put it back on but turned it in his hands.

“It was a very deliberate forgetting.”

There was a moment of silence, which seemed to stretch for an unusual amount of time.

“May I sit down?” Dana asked eventually.

Wordlessly, Dylan shuffled over, and Dana sat down in the spot he had been in moments before. The wood felt cold against his back compared to the place he’d warmed already, but Dylan didn’t mind.

“That was quite the midsummer night, wasn’t it?” Dana chuckled, taking off her own crown. One of the sunflowers was about to come loose, so she pulled it out and ran her finger over its silky yellow petals.

“Weirdest thing I’ve ever done,” Dylan snorted, earning himself another set of giggles from Dana.

“But that’s Saff for you,” she laughed. “She takes this really seriously. I hope the others got her out of the lake by now.”

The gleaming face of the sun started showing itself on the horizon and painted everything around them in a soft and golden light.

“You know,” Dana said softly, “Saff said those who see the sunrise after a midsummer’s night are supposed to be lucky. I’m glad we get to see it together.”

Her eyes were fixed onto the spectacular display of colours unfolding before them, and her fingers were still twirling the sunflower, but her words had a strange tone to them.

Dylan was suddenly aware that their shoulders were touching, and he found it hard to concentrate. He closed his eyes and smiled when the sunlight of the new day warmed his face.

“Me too. There’s no one I would rather watch it with.”

[the-al-chemist]

🎵 for Sethel, Héloïse, Zadie, Saff and Dante 💛

Sethel: Wannabe - The Spice Girls

If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends

Make it last forever, friendship never ends

This needs no explanation.

Héloïse: La Vie En Rose - Lady Gaga (cover)

Quand il me prend dans ses bras

Il me parle tout bas

Je vois la vie en rose

Edith Piaf is the epitome of french, and this is my favourite. It’s sweet and romantic and wistful. This cover version from A Star Is Born is beautiful.

Zadie: Tiny Dancer - Elton John

Hold me closer, tiny dancer

Count the headlights on the highway

Lay me down in sheets of linen

You had a busy day today

Another obvious one, really. I love this song.

Saff: Ride A White Swan - T. Rex

Catch a bright star and a place it on your forehead

Say a few spells and baby, there you go

Take a black cat and sit it on your shoulder

And in the morning you'll know all you know, oh

The lyrics to this song are so Saffron, all about witchcraft and sacred rituals that look strange from the outside.

Dante: Tennessee Whiskey - Chris Stapleton

You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey

You're as sweet as strawberry wine

You're as warm as a glass of brandy

And honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time

The song is about a man comparing the person he used to be to the person he is now, and comparing his love to different types of alcohol. It’s a chilled out Sunday morning song, which has such Dante vibes.

[the-al-chemist]

🌓 + Zadie and also for Ophelia please 💙💙

Of course!!!! 🧡

ZADIE

Orlando Taylor was a reporter for the Daily Prophet doing research for an article about the value of the Galleon. He attended a economics lecture at Bristol University, where Jacqueline Allen was a lecturer in the subject. She asked him after the class ended what he was doing in her lecture, and he invited her for a drink.

OPHELIA

Ophelia’s mother, Eliza Abbott, met Midas Burke at Hogwarts, when she was in her sixth year and his his seventh. He proposed to her at the end of the year and they were married five days after her graduation. Ophelia was born just over a year later, followed by her five younger siblings. Midas abandoned the family whilst Eliza was pregnant with their sixth child after falling horribly in debt.