#again. too many things in one turn you can’t cast invisibility and drink a potion of healing

[renegadeontherunn]

guys i know all the dnd ones this is great

[artzee-bee]

End of all things [1] | Chat Noir x witch!reader

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug (Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir)

Summary: Y/N had been Chat Noir’s friend and moral support for a long time now. Even though she had magical powers too, she never liked getting involved with akuma attacks, but now, as Hawkmoth’s gotten control of the miraculous of creation, she couldn’t stay indiferent anymore. She had to save her friend and Paris!

Genre: Mostly angst? A little fluff

Warnings: canon typical violence, mentions of death/dying

A/N: This was requested, but as I was writting it, it got very long and I’ve decided to post it in 2 parts. I’m not gonna post the request just now, so as to not spoil the rest of the story but Part 2 will be coming out on friday!!!

Part 2

~~~

Chat was pacing around the room, waiting for you to be done with your potion. You had heard from your parents that there had been a new akuma attack today, but as the news reported, the two parisian heros took care of the problem in no time. For this reason, Chat’s presence at your house felt unusual. Normally he would stop by when he needed to rant, when he was in need of comfort and reassurance but the fight today went well, so what could possibly be bothering him?

“Ok, I’m done” you said, screwing the cap on the little bottle and placing it on your shelf “Wanna talk?” you asked, to which Chat gave you a shy smile

“Yeah, a little”

You made your way to your bed, motioning for him to follow you. You got under your covers and passed him his favorite plushie, a cat to no one’s surprise

“So what’s up? Is it about the fight today?”

“Well no it’s more like a...personal problem?”

“Oh…”

“Claws out” in a rush of light and electricity, the infamous hero vanished before you, transforming into Adrien Agrest

“Well, what is it?” 

Adrien revealed his identity to you months ago. You first met him as Chat, but when you really got to know each other, he decided you needed to know all of him. Well, he needed you to know all of him.

You listened to him rant until way past midnight. Until you were both too tired to stand up straight, so you laid down in your bed, covers up to your necks, muffled stories told in between yawns. You listened carefully, giving him your full attention. He fidgeted with the collar of the stuffed toy and you used your magic to make 2 hot chocolates. Eventually, everything that needed to be said, was said. You offered Adrien to watch a movie, since that always cheered him up, but he refused

“It’s late and I have a photoshoot early in the morning. My makeup team will be angry with my dark circles anyways, better not make it worse” he joked

Adrien transformed back into Chat and you cast a safety spell on him, which you did every time he left your house late at night. He always teased you about being ‘too protective’, but deep down he found it sweet how much you cared and wanted to know that he would get home in one piece.

“Night Chat” you said, wrapping your arms around the hero

“Good night Y/N!”

The next few days went by quietly. You hadn’t run into Adrien at all, but you texted a bit back and forth. Sunday evening however, things took a toll for the worst. You turned on your tv, ready to catch up with your show when you heard Nadja Chamack’s voice doing the news report

“It seems as though Rena Rouge and Chat Noir are struggling to stay on their feet! They have taken shelter under a fallen bus, leaving Ladybug alone to defeat Hawkmoth'' your pulse skyrocketed. As you watched the screen you could see Chat and Rena off to the side, struggling to catch their breath. Rena seemed to be in pain while Chat was trying to help. Ladybug was using her yoyo the best she could in order to protect herself from the supervillain, who was wielding his cane like a sword over her head. The fight was clearly going in Hawkmoth's favour! You grabbed your jacket and ran out the front door and onto the empty streets of Paris, towards the Eiffel Tower, where the fight was taking place. 

People screamed at you from their balconies to go home, warning you about the fight and the danger you were putting your life in but you didn’t care. All you could think about was how they needed you. Chat needed you! Every late night talk and every inside joke shared between you two replaid in your head like a broken record. Behind Chat’s tough mask, his alter ego of hero and protector, was the fragile figure of Adrien Agreste. The young blonde boy who cried during romantic comedies, who liked to have his hair braided and forgot how to speak when someone complimented him. If you didn’t help, the heros would loose and he would most likely die! Alongside Ladybug and Rena who, even though you didn’t know their real identities, were still young girls. As you ran down the street, you heard kids crying inside one of the homes. You ran past but at the last second you heard Nadia’s voice coming from their tv

“Ladybug was akumatized”

You approached the Eiffel tower from the side, where you could see everything going on. In front of the tower, right next to Hawkmoth, stood Marinette Dupain-Cheng, dressed in a tight, dark red suit, darker than Ladybug’s. Black butterflies replaced the dots of the heroine's suit and the purple butterfly mask of Hawkmoth’s control was shining over her face. Marinette was Ladybug! She did, in fact, get akumatized. On the other side, you saw Rena and Chat, struggling to stay up right. They were obviously in a lot of pain and extremely tired, but Hawkmoth was merely mocking them.

“After all this time” Chat spoke up, but his breaths were shallow and rapid “I thought you’d know one thing about us! We don’t give up without a fight. Never will. Especially not against you” and with that, the two ran at each other.

“It doesn’t have to end like this, you know?” he said “We don’t have to fight to death. I wouldn’t want to have that on my conscience. All you have to do is give me your miraculouses willingly. The town will be safe, you will be safe! It’s the most heroic option you’ve got. You won’t be any good to Paris if you are dead”

You knew this was not just another fight between them. This was it. Either the heros won or everything they’ve worked for would be lost. Hawkmoth would win and get his hands on both miraculous and god knows what kind of destruction that would bring not only upon Paris, but the world. You focused all your energy in one spot in the air, right between where Chat and Hawkmoth were supposed to clash but before they could reach each other, you sent a wave of energy that blew both of them apart, like a bomb. Hawkmoth flew back into the Eiffel tower while Chat hit the pavement with a thud. Confused and certainly disturbed, both of them began looking around for an answer as to what happened when, finally, Hawkmoth’s eyes landed on yours.

“Aha, miss Y/L/N. What a spectacular honor to finally meet you!” you didn’t reply, instead you stood tall, maintaining eye contact

“I know a lot about you. Seen a lot. Felt a lot of your emotions. None of them can compare to the powers I’ll have with the two miraculouses. With Ladybug’s earrings and the guardian under my control, I’d say my mission here is almost over’’

“Y/N get back!’’ Chat screamed but you were too involved now to run. This was your fight too.

“It is time you give up Hawkmoth. Paris is not yours, neither are the miraculouses. We will destroy you, no matter what it takes!”

“Listen to yourself, kid! <<Destroy me>>? The most you can do is pull a rabbit out of your hat…” before he could finish his sentence, you snapped your fingers in his direction and instantly, the ground around beneath Hawkmoth and akumatized Marinette, fractured. From within the cracks, many tangled plants came out, encapsulating the 2 villains. You sprinted towards Chat and Rena, ignoring the signs of struggle coming from the prison of weeds.

 Alongside the two superheros, you hid inside a corner coffee shop, which was now empty.

“Y/N, you need to leave!! You are putting yourself in too much danger!” Rena told you, as she collapsed to the ground from exhaustion

“Stop with that already! I am here and I’m not going anywhere!”

“Yes you are!” Chat looked at you. His voice was calm and yet, his eyes were filled with disappointment “You are not a superhero. This is our job!”

“You need help”

“No we don’t!” Chat had never, in all your years of friendship, raised his voice at you, let alone yell “ You need to stay safe! You could die! Hawkmoth doesn’t care about anything if it helps him get what he wants! I am ready to take that risk. Rena is too” you both turned to the red headed hero, only to see her slowly nod “But I can’t allow you to take it”

“You can’t tell me what to do”

“I don’t want you to die!” he screamed again “I love you and I will never forgive myself if you don’t come out of this alive!”

Before you could say anything, you saw Hawkmoth and his minion, through the cafe window, cutting through the last of the plants and escaping your trap. You grabbed Chat’s arm and pulled him to the floor, from where you could not be seen

“We’re in this together now” you said in a stern voice, looking the blonde kid right in his eyes “Whether you like it or not '' this time, he simply nodded.

You stuffed your hands into the pocket of your jacket and pulled out 3 little bottles, containing a mate, green liquid. You had prepared one for each of the heros, now you’d only need two.

“Here, drink this!” You handed each of them one “Regeneration potion. Should put you back on your feet.” as soon as they finished drinking the brew, you could see color coming back to their faces

“Where’s Marinette’s akuma??” 

“Her necklace” replied Rena “It’s a gift from her kwami”

“Got it. You deal with Hawkmoth. I’ll bring Marinette back!”

Chat and Rena exited through the front door, grabbing Hawkmoth’s attention. He called out to Marinette to attack, but before she could take a single step in your direction, you had snuck up behind her. Using a simple invisibility spell, you managed to exit unnoticed behind the two heros. It finally felt like the fight had truly begun. From the corner of your eye you could see Chat and Rena doging Hawkmoth’s attacks while you, were doing your best to get your hands on the stupid necklace! Even though she couldn’t see you, Marinette seemed to almost always know what your next move was. She would expertly block all your attack and would keep you an arm’s length away at all times. Finally, you had enough and in one swift motion, you pinned her back to your chest, ripping the necklace away. A wave of black and purple took over the both of you and when it vanished, all you were left with was a half unconscious Marinette in your arms. You dropped her to the ground slowly as she was coming back to her senses. You wanted to talk to her but your thoughts were driven away as you heard Chat scream bloody murder.

On the opposite side of the platza, you saw Hawkmoth rip Chat’s ring off his finger, forcing him to detransform. The exhausted figure of Adrien Agreste fell to the ground with a thud. Hawkmoth had, indeed, gotten his hand on both the miraculouses.

[sweeethinny]

Bad news

I mentioned that event in a one shot about Mira x James, where James said that Teddy thought Victoire was pregnant, and how Ginny looked furious during the conversation.

Well, I decided to write this moment, but my headache didn't let me finish in a better way, but I hope you like it anyway - btw, the result was negative

'Gin!' Teddy's loud voice interrupted James' talk with his mom, the two of them cleaning the dishes they used, still sweaty from the race they did. James was getting almost faster than Ginny, but he was still losing when they got to the third lap. For two seconds, he didn't let himself be forgotten. 'Where are you?'

‘Here… James, get that cup in the living room, I don’t know if your brother knows the functionality of the sink.’ He laughed, nodding and going over there, finding a nervous and red Teddy, looking desperate.

'What happened?' James asked.

'The worst.' Teddy really looked desperate, which made James run after him into the kitchen again, curious to know what had happened. 'Gin-Gin, I'm dead.' It was the first thing he said when he finally found the woman.

'What are you saying, Teddy? And hello to you too, I missed you.' Ginny said, still with her back to the door, putting the clean dishes in places.

'Vic is pregnant,' Teddy said, and James was sure that nothing more he said from then on would help his situation. His mother dropped the cup James had reached for her, turning to face Teddy with what James called the eyes of death, which fortunately, he received a few times. But in the times that he had the displeasure of having been the reason for that, he would never forget the fear that froze his blood.

'What?'

‘It was an accident, I don’t even know-’

'Ah, you know how it happened. Or was she alone in bed?' Teddy flushed and James took a step back, thinking that if he laughed now his mother would remember he was there and send him upstairs. And James liked gossip too much to miss that show firsthand. 'Accident? You were walking on the street and she tripped, fell on top of you, and got pregnant? How the hell, Teddy! She just turned 20!’

'I know, Gin, I know, I... My God, I'm terrified.' Teddy started pacing, his hair changing color constantly; green, red, black, gray, blue, black… He stopped, away from Ginny, near the cellar door, finally seeming to notice how irritated the woman looked, her brown eyes hard on him. 'You need to help me.'

'Me? Help you?' She crossed her arms, and James took another step back, just in case. Teddy was lucky that his father wasn't there too, or he would be dead by now. 'With what exactly?'

'To tell Bill.' Teddy spoke as if it were obvious.

'Uncle Bill is going to kill you.' James blurted out, biting his lip to keep from laughing when the two turned to him.

'No, I'm going to do this first.' His mother walked over to Teddy, who looked more frightened than before now, although James understood his dread, he thought he would rather raise a dozen children than face his angry mother. 'How the hell are you going to raise a child? Tell me. Victoire can't even drink at a bar yet, and is she pregnant?! What do you two know about raising, caring, educating another human being?' Teddy looked like he was about to cry, which was funny, because he was so much taller than Ginny, and even so, James thought he looked smaller than Lily now.

'Gin, I don't know. She was going to take the test this afternoon and- ’

'Didn't you go with her?' Oh, James knew that Teddy was screwed as soon as his mother's cheeks turned red, her eyes even bigger. This time it was Teddy who took a step back.

'She said-'

'Whatever the result, should she share it with the walls?!' Her voice didn't sound as loud as Daddy's did when he was angry, Mom spoke more and more softly when things got ugly. Poor Teddy, James thought, it was great to meet him. 'Was she alone when she made her son? Did she collect your sperm and shove it inside, alone?' The two made a disgusted face, but Mom didn't seem to care, because she continued; 'What kind of man are you, to make the child and then run here without even being there to see the result with her? What will you do if the result is positive? Run for the hills like a coward? Why didn't you have all that fear when you decided to get into the girl's legs without any protection? Harry taught you so many protections, that I know, all the wizard and muggle protections, and even taught you how to make the potion for Vic to take. What a shame, Teddy.'

Teddy looked like a boy, very small compared to Ginny, and if James looked closely he might see tears in his eyes. He thought that conversation was the best contraceptive ever.

'Call her through Floo, and send her over here, to do the test here. And if she doesn't want to, go after her.' Ginny didn't wait for an answer, casting a spell on the broken cup on the floor and leaving the kitchen, still looking furious.

'You better do this before she comes back, if she finds you standing here when she gets back, this will probably be our last talk,' James warned, but Teddy seemed to know, because he snorted and walked into the living room, kneeling down in front of the fireplace. Albus and Lily would envy that he was the only one who saw this whole fight.

Vic looked scared when she answered Floo, but promised to be there in less than ten minutes, which, James thought, was enough time for Teddy to start thinking of great excuses for when their mom started talking about unwanted pregnancies again.

'Did you tell her?' Teddy turned to James, who was sitting on the couch, waiting to remain almost invisible in the middle of the fight.

'About what?' He made a fool of himself, not just because he thought his mother wouldn't handle the news well if she overheard Teddy talking, but that James would get involved in the middle of the fight with his mother giving him a lecture about have safe sex.

'You know what.' Teddy raised an eyebrow, looking very much like Harry all of a sudden. ‘She won’t like to know that you’re lying about it.’

'I am not lying, I am omitting, and I would tell her today, but someone thought it was a good day to get my cousin pregnant.' James shrugged. ‘Mira didn’t tell her parents either, anyway.’

‘I hope you learned from my mistake.’

‘Who learned from whose mistake?’ Ginny entered the room again, the eagle eyes shifting from Teddy to James. 'What did you do?'

'Nothing!' James defended himself, glaring at Teddy who seemed to want to laugh, but stopped as soon as his mother shot him with her eyes again.

‘Where’s Vic?’

'Coming in ten minutes.' Teddy became serious again, sitting on the couch next to James, as if the boy was protecting him.

'I tried to call Harry, but he's in a meeting, which I think is great, because he would be a lot more out of control than me.' No doubt, James thought, thinking about how Teddy needed to thank the heavens, that his father was called to the meeting.

The three were silent until the fireplace burst into green flames and Victoire leaped out of the fire, her hair tied up and her clothes a little wrinkled, looking startled by the not-so-warm welcome. 'Sit down, Vic.' Ginny said.

The girl didn't even wait for another order, sitting in the chair opposite Ginny's, away from Teddy, as if she was afraid that at any interaction between the two, the woman would explode in fury. James didn't judge her, he thought they were both lucky that Grandma wasn't there, or worse, Uncle Bill.

'Have you taken the test yet?' Vic denied, looking scared. 'Are you with the? I still have a potion in my bathroom, I just need to warm it up and add some herbs. It's always good to test both ways.' The girl nodded, and James wanted to laugh at the thought of how strange it was that his mother had managed to shut Victoire's mouth. 'We are going to the bathroom to do this soon, then I want to talk to both of them. James, go pick up your brothers at Grandma's, Teddy, come with us.’

It was the end of the line unfortunately, he knew there was no way to follow the three and his mother would probably protect the room, besides, if she opened the door, just to check it out, and caught him at home, James didn't even want to imagine what could happen, given how angry the mother looked.

'Okay.' He gave up, getting up from the couch. 'Good luck, I have my fingers crossed for you.' James smiled at a Teddy who looked like he was about to throw up, watching him follow Vic and his mother up the stairs.

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #87: Fionn mac Cumhaill

Today on Fate and Phantasms, we’re making the golden King of Spooks, Fionn mac Cumhaill! Finn mcCool knows the shape of water, and can use it to smack around enemies or heal allies. He also knows everything, as long as he’s biting his thumb.

Check out Fionn’s build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

Next up: Bring me the biggest spear you have. No, not “a big spear”, the biggest you have.

Race and Background

Fionn’s a Human, giving him +1 to all ability scores. He’s also a Knight of Fianna, or more generally, a Knight of the Order. This gives him proficiency in Persuasion and Arcana. He has plenty of magic knowledge on top of his magic fish knowledge, so he should be able to know some stuff even without biting his thumb.

Ability Scores

Fionn’s smart, but we’re going with Strength as his highest stat. We won’t focus on it too hard, so it’s important that it starts off strong. Second is Intelligence; Fionn’s surprisingly intelligent, and trained in spellcasting. Third is Constitution: you hit people with a sharpened stick to fight, you’ve got to be prepared for some pushback. Your Wisdom is a little low, considering your classes, but we’ll fix it in post. Your Dexterity is also low, but you can get away with that; you actually wear armor. Sometimes. Dump Charisma, you’re famous for your marital problems.

Class Levels

1. Fighter 1: You are a lancer, your main method of combat is Sharp Stick A Goes in Enemies 1-3, and that means you’re a fighter. At first level, fighters get a Fighting Style, and Dueling will help balance out your spear’s damage between one- and two-handed modes. You also get a Second Wind, letting you spend a bonus action to heal yourself 1d10+your fighter level.

2. Fighter 2: At second level, you can use an Action Surge once per short rest to add an extra action to your turn, for when you really need to push yourself.

3. Fighter 3: At third level, you get a fighter subclass, and the Eldritch Knight will pick us up a couple spells that we wouldn’t be able to get otherwise. They use Intelligence as their casting modifier. You also learn how to make a Weapon Bond. It takes an hour but can be done while resting, and bonding with a weapon lets you summon it as a bonus action if it’s on the same plane, and you can’t be disarmed unless you’re incapacitated. You can have up to two bonded weapons at a time, but can only summon one per action.

For your spells, Shape Water, Ray of Frost, and Frost Fingers will give you some useful ways to use water, whether for utility or combat. There aren’t really that many damaging water-based spells, so we have to reflavor ice instead. Also pick up Shield, because everyone deserves a good shield, and Healing Elixir from the Unearthed Arcana “Starter Spells” to create a healing potion that lasts up to 24 hours. This is the most accurate version of your healing water we’ll get, but there’ll be plenty of other healing options later as well.

4. Cleric 1: Your powers of wisdom came to you from a fish, but it isn’t nearly as needy as a warlock patron, so a Knowledge Cleric is your closest alternative. At first level you can cast and prepare Spells using your Wisdom. You also get a Blessing of Knowledge, giving you doubled proficiency in History and Nature. 

For your spells, Guidance and Resistance help you figure out ability checks and saving throws respectively, adding 1d4 to the next one the target does while you’re concentrating on the spell. Light creates light to help your dumb human eyes see in the dark. You also get first level spells, including the domain spells Command and Identify, which don’t count towards the number of spells you can prepare per day. The former is part of your subclass’s mind control spells, which don’t fit your build at all, but the latter lets you bite your thumb to find out more about a magical item you’re touching, or the spells affecting whatever it is you’re touching.

For other spells to prepare, Create and Destroy Water and Purify Food and Drink both give you more water creation spells, and Healing Word is another way to use your water to heal someone as a bonus action. Just hope somebody else has prestidigitation so they can dry off afterwards.

5. Cleric 2: Second level clerics get Channel Divinity options. Turn Undead forces all undead near you to make a wisdom save (8+your wisdom modifier + proficiency) or be forced to run away from you until they take damage. The more in-character option is Knowledge of the Ages. Spending an action biting your thumb gives you proficiency in one skill or tool for 10 minutes. Regardless of which one you choose, you can only use them once per short rest.

6. Cleric 3: Third level clerics get second level spells, including the domain spells Augury and Suggestion. Again, ignore the mind-control and check out how Augury lets you determine how a strategy you’re about to put into action will turn out within the next 30 minutes. Everything you got before this point only helps you determine things that already happened, now it’s time for some true wisdom. 

For non-domain spells, Lesser Restoration and Protection from Poison both increase your ability to to heal and protect your party members.

7. Cleric 4: At level seven we finally get our first Ability Score Improvement. Round up your Intelligence and Wisdom for stronger spells and more prepared cleric spells.

Speaking of spells, pick up Mending to help yourself repair your armor when it inevitably gets cut up by your next marital spat.

8. Cleric 5: At fifth level, your Turn Undead becomes Destroy Undead, automatically killing any undead of CR 1/2 or lower that fails your wisdom save. You also get third level spells, like your domain spells, Nondetection and Speak with Dead. Sometimes even your thumb doesn’t have the answers-check in with the local skeleton for another shot at figuring out what’s going on.

You could also use Clairvoyance to see other areas, or Spirit Shroud for your first new offensive option since level three. It wraps your weapon in water for extra cold damage, and slows down enemies starting their turn within 10 feet of you.

9. Cleric 6: You can now Channel your Divinity twice per long rest, and you can use it to force a creature to make a wisdom save. On a failure, you can Read their Thoughts for up to a minute, or until you end the effect to cast Suggestion on them for free, and without a saving throw. This probably isn’t really in the Salmon of Wisdom’s wheelhouse, but it’s your campaign, use what you’ve got.

10. Cleric 7: Seventh level clerics gain access to fourth level spells. Arcane Eye lets you create an invisible spy drone that lasts for up to an hour and has unlimited range. You also get Confusion.

For out-of-domain spells, Divination gives you an even more powerful augury, with a time limit of a week instead of 30 minutes. You could also use Locate Creature to lock onto a target, or Control Water to, you guessed it, control water. This lets you create a flood, part the water, redirect the flow, or create a whirlpool within 100′ cube of water. The spell lasts for up to 10 minutes, and you can change or continue your chosen effect each turn.

11. Cleric 8: Use your next ASI to bump up your Strength for a stronger spear. Also, your Destroy Undead kills creatures of CR 1 or lower, and you gain Potent Spellcasting, adding your wisdom modifier to the damage of any cleric cantrip you cast. If only you knew any...

12. Cleric 9: Ninth level clerics get fifth level spells, like Legend Lore and Scrying as part of your domain. The former gives you information about things you already know about as long as it’s legendary, and the latter lets you spy on a creature that fails a wisdom saving throw or location you have seen before. As long as you can stand the taste of your own thumb, you’re truly omniscient.

Pretty much every other spell we’re interested in past this point is another kind of healing, so I won’t keep pointing them out to you. 

13. Cleric 10: Tenth level clerics can get Divine Intervention; as an action, you can roll a d100, and if you roll equal to or lower than your cleric level, your god descends from on high to aid you. You can use this once per long rest, with a seven day cooldown after a success. I’m not sure how much a tasty salmon will be able to help, but maybe you need help distracting some bears? You also pick up Spare the Dying, in case your healing hasn’t been enough already.

14. Cleric 11: Eleventh level clerics see their Destroy Undead kill creatures of CR 2 or lower, and they get 6th level spells. Unfortunately, it’s more healing- you’ll just have to upcast your damaging spells if you want them to keep up.

15. Cleric 12: Use this ASI to empower your Wisdom for more and stronger cleric spells. 

16. Cleric 13: Use your seventh level spell slots for Regenerate, or even higher casted spells.

17. Cleric 14: Your Destroy Undead reaches its penultimate form, killing creatures CR 3 or lower.

18. Cleric 15: You gain 8th level spells for even more healing. Frankly, the dearth of cold spells in general is appalling, but especially so at higher levels.

19. Cleric 16: Anyway, use your last ASI for more Constitution, for better concentration checks and more health.

20. Cleric 17: Your capstone level is a pretty sweet one. Your Destroy Undead increases in power, destroying undead of CR 4 or lower. You also gain Visions of the Past, letting you meditate for at least one minute to receive visions of the recent past. You can either meditate on an object, learning about the most recent owner of the object (other than you, obviously), and learning about another owner for each extra minute you spend. You can also meditate on an area, seeing a different significant event in the area for each minute you meditate. In both cases, you only see visions from up to a number of days equal to your wisdom score ago, and you can use this feature once per short rest.

You also get access to ninth level spells, like Power Word Heal, the most powerful healing magic you could have.

Pros:

You’re a solid Healer, like most clerics are if they want to be.

As a knowledge cleric, you’re probably the most learned member of your party. with the ability to be proficient in any skill you need to be and your ability to learn the impossible, very few mysteries will stay that way for long while you’re around.

You’re also pretty hard to kill as a front-line fighter. Combining your weapon skills with your amount of healing means you can last a long time in combat.

Cons:

Your eldritch knight spells make up very little of your spell list, but they’re also the majority of your magical damage, so that splits up your casting modifiers and makes it harder to level either one up as high as you could otherwise.

Multiclassing into fighter gives you extra martial options, but it comes at the cost of missing out on a guaranteed divine intervention at level 20 of cleric.

There aren’t that many spells that do cold damage in the cleric spell list, especially at high levels, so your ability to deal damage doesn’t grow with you as you level up.

[alectocarrcw]

╰ °✧ that’s ALECTO CARROW and SHE seems to look a lot like MIA WASIKOWSKA. according to ministry files, the PUREBLOOD used to attend HOGWARTS and be in SLYTHERIN. now, they’re 25 and a “HEALER” AT ST. MUNGO’S. watchful eyes in your peripheral, goosebumps prickling the back of your neck, an obsession you cannot ignore, sickly weak and deathly pale, sadism that could scare the devil are the best ways to describe them. it doesn’t say in their file, but word around the street is that they’re a DEATH EATER.

BASICS

Character Name: Alecto Carrow

Preferred Pronouns: she/her

Birthday: 13 January 1955

Employment: A healer at St. Mungo’s, specifically in the poisons ward. Alecto loves to experiment, but with the accumulated debt her family subjected to her and her brother, she didn’t have the means to fund her own projects. At St. Mungo’s poisons ward, she’s limitless in the ingredients available for her to create both poisons and remedies (not that the latter will ever see the light of day), as well as endless patients she could… test her concoctions on. Those she experiments on are patients who are on their deathbeds, those who wouldn’t be missed either for long or at all. Should they die after consuming her poisons, then it was simply their time to go. No one is the wiser. 

Patronus: Alecto will never be able to cast a Patronus, much to her frustration. She hates not being able to do something, feeling limited in inaccessibility, but there’s no happy memories for her to draw on to bring about a Patronus. However, it would likely be a lynx: controlling in power, individualistic, and sharp-sighted, as well as quiet, intelligent, and curious.

Boggart: She sees an older woman, a much more beautiful woman who stalks around her with an air of authority and privilege that she was never allowed to have. The mug the woman carries is a sickly green, the faint outline of a skull in its ripples, and Alecto’s mother shoves the poison at her daughter, hissing: You are a disgrace to the Carrow name. Drink your poison, girl: perhaps we’ll be lucky enough to see you drop dead. She will never have the beauty that her mother possessed, never have the propriety of a pureblood socialite, but at least she can paint her bedroom walls a deep red, courtesy to palette her mother’s open throat provides.

PERSONALITY TRAITS: 

[ + ] Sly: Save for her expulsion from Hogwarts, Alecto has always found deceiving people to be pathetically easy. She and Amycus had been sickly from a young age, and everyone pities the sick kid--oh, how she took advantage of that. I’m too weak to do that, she’d say with a tremble added to her voice. Push the student down the stairs? With these knobby arms? Her expulsion had been a fluke, something she swore wouldn’t happen again. Her lies came easier with age, as did her ability to cover up her illegal experiments: who had something to hide when that something couldn’t be proved in the first place?

[ + ] Focused: Her ability to sit down and get her work done in record-time is unrivaled, at least as far as she’s concerned. Anything beyond her task at hand is a distraction, and a distraction is the last thing she wants. Alecto gets to the end goal for both herself and for others requesting favors of her through a sort of tunnel-vision, but that’s the way she likes it.

[ + ] Curious: She thanks dear mother for this particular quality of hers. It was Mother who introduced her to poisons and their effects on the human body, as well as anatomy so she could really appreciate how a person’s body can convulse when subjected to the Cruciatus curse. She was enthralled then, watching their muscles jump in response to the pain of poison or a curse, and she’s still just as fascinated, even if her subjects are much less healthy of late. She wants to know how the body reacts to every extreme she puts it through; she may never be fully satiated.

[ - ] Short-Tempered: Another gift from her family, Alecto is prone to bouts of (sometimes uncalled for) extreme anger. She flies into a rage that involves vials being thrown and unfortunate patients’ bones being snapped when something goes wrong in her tests, only to be healed and promptly obliviated lest a competent healer question them later on. The only person she tries not to hurt is her brother, but if she does then it simply cannot be helped. Afterward, Alecto never apologizes. She just gets back to work.

[ - ] Manipulative: Sweet words don’t mean nearly as much coming from a plain face than they do from a beautiful one, something she’s secretly envious of her mother for. Still, given the nature of her true work and the environment she grew up in, Alecto had to find her own way to get what she wanted, because being a daddy’s girl wasn’t an option for her like it might’ve been with another family. She lathered honey onto the tip of her tongue at a young age and since then, she’s used it to barter and steal and worm her way into gaining friends in high places, even if the proceeding smile has a slightly unnerving undertone to it. She gets what she wants.

[ - ] Sadistic: No one takes dying patients and feeds them poison with a sane mind. Alecto finds joy in the convulsing bodies of her subjects for the few hours she’s able to have them alone, taking a mountain of notes with each muscle twitch before adding a spell or a curse to just the right spot to inflict more pain. It’s her favorite pastime, and she’s certain she knows more about the reactions of human anatomy versus spell casting and ingested poisons than anyone in the ward, perhaps even the hospital; she can’t wait to move on to injecting poisons directly into her subjects’ veins.

BIOGRAPHY; ( tw for abuse / childhood abuse ahead )

She should have been the envy among the pureblood elite, just as her mother had been before her. 

Her mother had been graceful, charismatic, a beauty beyond compare, and all eyes turned toward the Carrows after she had announced her pregnancy to see such traits reflected in the eyes of any children she bore, doubly so when twins were announced partway into the pregnancy. Alecto’s first familial disappointment was her own birth, entering the world on a sullen January evening weeks before she was meant to and minutes before her brother. Frail were the bones of a newborn, but that risk was multiplied by their premature birth. Thus began one of many hospital stays throughout Alecto’s childhood, surrounded by tutting healers and bright white walls, reflecting fluorescent lights and nearly blinding her by the tender age of five.

There was something off-putting about her, growing up. Being carted to and from the hospital didn’t leave much room for proper childhood development, let alone an education among her peers. Her dependency on vials of medicine borderlined an unhealthy obsession, and at home her mother only encouraged her intrigue toward potions and poisons with her own mixes, sickly green liquids filling the vials and tilting into her mouth as she insisted Alecto build up a tolerance from an early age. Mother wasn’t careful, however, and Alecto took vials while she was at home and fed them to the animals that dared to approach the Carrow home, watching squirrels and bugs and, later, dogs and cats thrash against invisible foes coursing their intestines until they fell still in defeat. She drew the scenes on the paper the healers provided her when she couldn’t be at home, ignoring the horrified expressions the adults wore as she depicted each detail with morbid fascination. 

Hogwarts saw an improvement in her health, if only just. The dampness that filled the Slytherin common rooms from its dungeon location echoed the sober atmosphere of the Carrow manor, but away from an absent father and an overbearing mother Alecto found it in herself to thrive--particularly in Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts (though she scoured the library for the offensive dark arts as well, eager to see what spells and curses she could make tick). Her peers whispered and laughed without much subtly at her, taunting the beauty she would never have, aggravating her nerves until she snapped. One whisper into Amycus’ ear saw an older student shoved down the steps of the astronomy tower, and Alecto couldn’t stop staring at the way her bones were twisted into an all-too unnatural angle. It didn’t take much convincing to get Amycus to do her bidding, because she knew her brother wanted it too: wanted to see those who tormented them tormented in return, tenfold. The best part was they never got caught, never left enough evidence to lead back to the twins’ so-called accidents; at least, until they did. One slip-up saw the Carrow twins standing in a snowstorm, blood splattered on their green robes, and professors dragged them away. Not even the Carrow name could keep their wands from being snapped, but it was enough to get another wand and get them into Durmstrang.

To say it truthfully, Alecto didn’t give a rat’s ass about the war Lord Voldemort reigned down upon the wizarding world. She knew about blood purity, knew her brother saw muggleborns as a threat to the world as they knew it, but that wasn’t why Alecto took the Dark Mark. How did magic pick and choose which muggles got to see their world? It had to be more than having magical lineage choosing the person at random. Alecto wanted to know how it worked, and only the Dark Lord would let her slice open muggleborns and test their blood. Her potions skills, along with a good bit of fibbing, got her into the poisons ward of St. Mungo’s, a place that she had considered home for half of her childhood. Healing wasn’t her end goal, though: testing was. So long as the Death Eaters brought her subjects to experiment on, she would do whatever they wished in whatever fashion they desired--and this time, Alecto would not get caught.

[mnm-inc-miles]

05/22/2020

"Hey, wake up...come on fella, wake up now..." a quiet voice spoke in a English accent. Slowly the other's eyes began to flutter open and a comical gasp from the one waking him. "Ahh, there we go now. Welcome back..."

 "What...what's happening?" He too spoke with an accent, his tone very soft. "Ow..." he suddenly moaned as he grabbed the back of his head. Feeling something wet he brought his hands before his eyes and he leaned forward in horror. "Oh my god, I'm bleeding..."

 "Don't you worry, I've inspected it. Just a flesh wound, you'll be alright. I'll take care of you. The name's Newt. Newt Scamander."

 Shaking his head the other closed his eyes and whispered desires to wake from this dream. "This can't be happening...you're not...real..." he then opened his eyes and peered into a mirror version of himself. "Do you not notice...?"

 "The striking resemblance? Yes...but we must be so focused on that now. We're in the middle of a predicament..."

 "Of course we are..." he mused softly.

 "What's your name anyhow?"

 "Eddie..."

 "Well Eddie, it seems the rules state that only one of us is to make it out of here alive, but you see...I've always felt like rules were meant to be broken...especially in the preservation of life." He flashed a coy smile and stood up, holding out a hand. "You've got to trust me. I'll get us out of this mess."

 Taking his hand, Eddie allowed the wizard to pull him to his feet. "Where are we?"

 "Some sort of maze, it would seem, but no worries. Upon retrieving us and tossing us here I managed to bring along a useful tool." He produced from the sleeve of his coat, a wand. "This will help us immensely."

 "Yes I'm sure...magic is incredibly useful."

 "Ahh, you know of it?" Then without allowing Eddie to respond Newt continued. "No matter with the silly questions, we must start at once. Unfortunately I believe we're already behind." He grabbed his suitcase and opened it briefly and pulled out a very small golden bird-like creature. "This Snidget should help us navigate the maze quickly. Come, let's go." He released the bird and picked up the suitcase and gently took hold of Eddie's hand.

 As they traveled through the maze, Newt quickly explained that someone announced the rules while Eddie was unconscious. He said the person explained, "Only one person will be allowed to leave this maze alive, so it best to take out your competition right away. In the event that you choose to try and help each other to the finish line you will be met with additional challenges to foil your efforts at breaking the rules. Good luck."

 "Yeah...sounds like Miles..." Eddie breathed as he continued to allow himself to be whisked through the maze. He suddenly tripped and looked to see nothing in his path. Invisible rock, perhaps? A brief smile when he realized if he makes it out of this there are people he very much cares for that he'll be able to see again. Then once again despair when he almost immediately followed that realization with the thought that he was now being taken away from his other life, from his wife and children. He got up and followed after Newt only to trip again. "What's going on?"

 Newt stopped and looked around then saw a very small rock. "Clever bugger," taking his wand he cast a Stupefy spell and helped Eddie to his feet. "Just a Pogrebin, little creatures that like to follow people around...they feed off ones positive energy until they feel too hopeless to go on, then the take advantage of your weakened state and attempt to devour you."

 Eddie blinked, the story felt familiar but knowledge of all the fantastic beasts wasn't readily available in his brain as it was to Newt. "Is that..." as they reached a rather large opening the head of a Sphinx came into view.

 "Well this is an interesting turn of events..." he gave a little whistle and the bird flew over and perched on his finger. He gently gave it a pat and tucked it into his suitcase. "Follow my lead..." he spoke under his breath. "Hello fair beauty," Newt gave a slight bow and Eddie followed suit. "Care to hear a riddle?"

 The stone faced creature suddenly smirked ever so slightly. "I know every riddle there is, but if you fancy a go."

 "This all things devour: birds, beasts, trees, flowers..."

 "Time," the Sphinx interrupted. "Come, let's be more clever than that age old riddle."

Newt chuckled, "Of course, I should have known. Here, this is one of my favorites. "In spring I am gay in handsome array; in summer more clothing I wear; when colder it grows, I fling off my clothes; and in winter quite naked appear."

 A very brief silence and the smile widened, "A tree. Beautiful. I have one for you."

 "If I solve it, may we pass?"

 The Sphinx was quiet again, her eyes narrowed. "So long as you don't steal what is mine."

 "I wouldn't dream of it, just wish to go by."

 "Let's see..." she thought for a moment then smiled, baring sharp teeth. "What is always old and sometime new; never sad, sometimes blue; never empty, but sometimes full; never pushes, always pulls?"

 "Oh that's lovely...hmm," Newt thought for a moment, glanced back at Eddie who offered a shrug as he could barely listen in the amazement of the creature. "...blue...never empty..." he scratched his head comically then smiled, "The moon?"

 "Indeed, well done. You shall pass. Good luck on your journey."

 "Thank you," Newt smiled, and as she lifted her wings a blinding light shown just beyond her.

 "Yes thanks," Eddie offered another bow and followed quickly after Newt.

 Newt stopped just as they approached the opening and held an arm out for Eddie to do the same. "There's some sort of force field...I can sense magic but I don't...I don't recognize it."

"That's because it's not of your world," a voice boomed. Eddie recognized it immediately as Miles. He'd been in far too many situations that he shuddered to even think of again. He'd never forget that voice though. "This is where only one of you can pass. Once you pass through this light you'll be thrown into another universe. Anyone who shall pass through afterwards will be obliterated."

 "Hmm, physically or mentally?" He paused a moment and shook his head, "Neither will be a very good result, come to think of it..."

 "I...I can't go anyway. Maybe...if you go, he'll just send me home?"

 "I don't think it's that simply, Eddie." Newt approached him and put his hands on either side of Eddie's face. "I've been taught by the best to break rules, so that's just what we're going to do. We'll come up with a way around this." Newt paced some as he thought then raised one finger and said, "I think I've got it...one moment." He opened his suitcase and stepped inside. "Feel free to join me..." he called out as he disappeared.

 Eddie's eyes widened and his jaw went slack, cocking his head he inched closer to the open suitcase then took a deep breath before stepping inside. It was surreal. Although he had seen it happen on the screen, due to his having filmed as Newt for the Fantastic Beasts series, it was nothing at all comparable to the real thing.

 "What are we doing?"

 "I have a potion here..." he paused and looked over at Eddie. "It's a bit experimental, but...think of it as...a temporary fix to our problem."

 "Yes, okay...but what is it?"

 He pushed through a few things on a shelf and finally found a small vial. "This..." he moved to a desk that held an array of ingredients and poured it inside a bleaker. "Okay..." he looked at Eddie very seriously. "You may not want to look to see what else I put in here...but when it's done which...will be very soon, and you drink it...immediately, as it will have a weaker effect the longer it oxidizes, then you and I can both leave..."

 "How..."

 "You see, who says two man cannot be one man?"

 "Am I going to...to drink you?"

 "In a sense...but trust me, it will be okay...although no muggle has ever done it before...perhaps...we should take some precautionary measures..."

 "Why...why don't you drink it..."

 "Well," he sighed. "Remember I said it was...well, experiemental?" Eddie nodded and Newt shrugged. "Well it's possible I'll die making it...so I'd rather it be me and if it goes wrong you can simply leave on your own."

 "Oh...Newt...I...I don't know."

 "Well you'll just have to trust me. Now...you might want to turn around...in about two minutes I want you to look again and drink what is in this beaker, in its entirety? Can you do that?"

 "Yes...but uh, what about the precautionary measures?"

 "Ahh yes," he shook his head and walked over to a freezer, took out a small egg of brilliant red and handed it to Eddie. "It's quite cold, best to pocket it for now. You should take that if you start feeling hot and shaky...to avoid ague."

Eddie swallowed hard and listened carefully, pocketing the egg and turning around so as not to watch what might be going into this potion. He sang to himself twinkle twinkle little star and then you are my sunshine before counting once to sixty, that marking close to two minutes. Then he turned around and saw a lifeless Newt slump in a chair. Hoping this was part of the magic he took the beaker and began to drink it. The taste was something sweet and almost minty but the aftertaste left something to be desired. A metallic almost rancid flavor that caused Eddie to gag for moment, but he finished the beaker just as Newt asked. Then he saw a note, "Please watch over my suitcase..." scribbled in very messy handwriting.

 He felt himself get lightheaded for moment and he figured he should hurry. He climbed out of the suitcase, locked it and held it close to his chest as he pushed through the force field before him.

[drarrylovebot-blog]

For Your Eyes Only

Prompt: Pay attention, I hope that you listen because I let my guard down. Right now, I’m completely defenseless, and I hope you don’t run from me.

It’s common knowledge that Harry Potter can never sleep before past midnight, no one ever ask about the how and the why as they all had ever heard about his infamous nightmare screams, especially the Eight Year. Harry is sometimes grateful that the Headmistress put him in the same room as Draco Malfoy, because even though they are never friends, it also means Malfoy never asks any questions about his whereabouts. Oh, they have passed the childish rivalry after the war, but no one ever try to mend the already broken bond between them. Harry never tries to reach out, and Malfoy only acknowledge his presence once on the start of the term with a curt polite nod. It’s a win-win solution for them.

Harry usually roams the castle until early morning, without his invisibility cloak now as the Headmistress has acknowledge them all as adults; that means there will be no curfew for the Eight Year. Well, it’s different for Draco Malfoy. He usually wakes up on early mornings and never gets back to bed. It’s like they have shifts to roam the castle, Harry will start until 2 a.m. and Draco will continue at 3 a.m. If Harry loves to roam inside the castle, Draco is more the outdoor kind of guy. He slips outside usually to go inside the Forbidden Forest; oh yes he has passed his childish fear of the forest, it’s more of his sanctuary now. His first destination is usually the Black Lake, especially when the moon is high up in the sky, and being reflected by the dark liquid mirror. And if you can’t find him there, he’s probably at the Thestrals herd. After the war, he somehow feels connected to the half majestic, half scary creature. He feels oddly peaceful around them. Sometimes he even feed them, just to help Lovegood and escape the castle before classes begin. The whole school knows, and so the entire Hogwarts student body keeps their nose out of it.

But just like any other activities, there are sometimes some exceptions to these nightly habits. Tonight is one of those exceptions. Tonight, Draco gets out of Hogwarts before dinner even started and heads to Hogsmead. He sometimes does this when he’s feeling like shit –well shittier than the usual. He slips inside The Three Broomsticks, finds the most hidden corner, and orders a bottle of Ogden. They always have a good bottle of Ogden. Today has been excruciatingly exhausting for Draco; their newest DADA professor had refused to accept his essay on Dark Arts because she felt it was too dark and not suitable to be written by students, Slughorn had refused once again to acknowledge his perfectly made potion –but that’s not something new, it’s just so infuriating on some days, and to put the cherry on top he received another letter from his Mother –it’s not that he hates it, he just missed her on some days like this. So much, he misses her so very much, but there’s nothing he can do as she’s apparently rotting inside dark rooms with metal bars somewhere in the middle of the sea. So yeah, on days like this he feels shittier than his every day life. On days like this, he turns to Firewhiskey because being numb with alcohol is better than feeling so many remorse that he’s afraid he can’t stop himself from killing someone, which most likely to be himself.

*

Draco doesn’t know when he finally came back from Hogsmead into the Eight Year’s common room, but he clearly knows that he’s holding his second bottle of Firewhiskey. Being numb with alcohol is good, but he knows being this drunk is equal with suicide. He could care less though, because right now he believes that he won’t even remember what kind of reckless things he’ll be doing and it’s enough to make him brave –well, most likely he’s stupid, but he’s full of alcohol and bravery right now, so fuck today, he’ll face the consequences tomorrow.

*

Harry doesn’t sleep tonight. He also doesn’t roam the Hogwarts ground. He is actually sitting down in one of the dark corners of the common room. His body is curled up, with arms curling around his legs, face half hidden between the knees on his chest. This is one of those nights when he wants to scream, but he never actually does that as he’s afraid he’ll lose that small control he owns over his body. He’s afraid that if he starts letting it all out, he’ll succumb to the darkness inside of him and wake up not remembering he has done something incredibly immoral –like killing someone, because even if many people forget, he doesn’t. He knows that there is darkness inside of him, lurking at the pitch of his heart, waiting for him to surrender. He knows he’s capable of doing things Voldemort has done; they’re not that very much different anyway.

His head snaps when the common room’s door opens only to reveal Malfoy. At first, he only rolls his eyes and ready to sulk on his corner again, but he catches the sight of a glass bottle on Malfoy’s left hand. He can’t see clearly from his spot, but judging by the way Malfoy sways when he walks and by the way he almost trips twice, Harry knows that Malfoy is very, very drunk. That intrigues him, so he watches with new interest.

Malfoy plops down on the floor, in front of the fire. The grace that always follows Malfoy’s body movements is gone; Harry notices that Malfoy doesn’t move like a thick liquid when he’s drunk –not that he watches the way Malfoy moves. It’s just the result of watching him for six years, you know, sometimes odd fact like that sticks with you. Malfoy’s perfect hair is now unruly, the light blond strands have fallen into his eyes. Harry oddly likes it better that way, just like when how he always is in potion, it takes the inhuman perfect feature out of Malfoy, makes him look more… mundane. His cheeks are flushed and his grey eyes unfocused, but they bear a great amount of remorse. Harry suddenly feels incongruously protective over the boy he sees before his eyes. He wants to stands up and walks there to erase that pain from Malfoy’s eyes. Thank Merlin, he still has control over his body and mind, which he mentally slaps. Seriously, Harry, what is wrong with you?!

Harry is grateful that Draco hasn’t aware that there’s another human presence in the room, he will probably hex Harry into oblivion if he knows he’s been creepily stalked over the last hour –probably minutes but it feels like an hour has passed when Draco suddenly stands up and walks to the Eight Year bathroom. Well, he probably needs the loo after drinking that much of Firewhiskey. So, Harry sits in silence once again, waiting for his accidental company to come back because Malfoy’s presence feels absurdly nice, at least he has stopped his desire to scream into oblivion when the blond boy came in. It has felt less lonely. A sudden nostalgic feeling wash through Harry’s conscious as he suddenly hears a broken sobs coming from the direction of the bathroom.

This time he doesn’t intrude.

Oh how he should have intruded anyway.

*

Malfoy doesn’t come out from the bathroom in a very long time, which should be suspicious enough for Harry to check, but no, he thinks Malfoy needs his space. Fool. At first, Harry can hear the sobs and hiccups, but then it intensifies until he hears the sound of glass breaking into pieces. Harry thinks it is Malfoy being angry and throwing the Firewhiskey bottle to the nearest wall –well, it’s true, but then silence. There is no other sound except the occasional small sobs. After he believes that Malfoy is not gonna comes out, he finally goes to check on him. He won’t admit that he is a little bit teensy weensy worried about Malfoy though. Godric, he should have checked faster.

The picture in front of him is not something that can be unseen. Malfoy is sitting inside one of the bathtub with blood smearing all around the white porcelain –no, actually with blood dripping from his arm, smeared all around the tub, and also all around him. He’s pointing his wand to his left arm –where the Dark Mark should stand, black, proud, and vile, is now smeared with blood. Harry sees Malfoy is casting a spell to his Dark Mark, but he doesn’t know what the spell is as Malfoy’s mouth is stuffed with a piece of clothe to block his painful groan. Harry is glued to his spot, too stunned to do anything, too stunned with the situation before his eyes. Malfoy doesn’t seem like he’s aware of another presence in the room, he just keeps attacking his arm. Harry knows the spell after silently witnessing for awhile. Diffindo. Diffindo. Diffindo. Fuck! That wakes him from his stupor. He whips his wand and points it to Malfoy.

“Expelliarmus!” Malfoy’s wand once again lands on his hand, his magic tingles, recognizing the wand he had used for almost a year before returning it to its rightful owner. Malfoy’s eyes snap toward Harry in confusion. Harry realizes there’s no arrogance, or sneer, or hate, or even the disdain that is usually inside the grey orbs whenever they so much as look at him; it’s just filled with blatant curiosity, and that softens Harry’s gaze.

“Potter?” Malfoy asks softly as the clothes in his mouth falls to the tub. “What are you doing here?” Harry knows that it’s probably the alcohol inside him that makes Malfoy much gentler toward him than the usual, but he’ll use that to his advantage just for tonight. Harry strides to Malfoy’s side, and the curiosity in those grey eyes turns to fear. Harry doesn’t stop, he kneels beside the tub and grabs for Malfoy’s wounded arm.

“What are you doing, Malfoy?” he mutters under his breath before looking up and being trapped inside those big grey orbs. Malfoy’s eyes are full with curiosity. Harry tries to look stern, but eventually fails. “The war is over, Malfoy, let’s help each other, yeah? At least for tonight?” Draco only nods at the request, which makes Harry smiles –small, but genuine Draco’s mind concludes. Harry Potter never smiles at him. “C’mon, let’s patch you up before you run out of blood.” With that Harry slings one of Draco’s arms around his shoulders, and helps him until they settle in front of the fire inside the common room. After that Harry leaves Draco, but comes back with a bowl of warm water, a small phial that Draco doesn’t know about, and a small towel.

“What is that?” Draco asks, curiously with a tinge of fear in his voice –because let’s face it, no matter how noble Harry Potter is, he still wants to kill Draco Malfoy on most days.

“Murtlap essence.” Harry says nonchalantly as he drops some on the bowl of water. After soaking the towel with water, Harry asks for Draco’s arm, and starts dabbing on the wound. A happy sigh comes out from Draco as the water ease his pain and he can feel the wounds heal itself. “So, what happened back there?” Harry asks with the gentleness Draco had never imagined he’ll hear when he’s alive. He knows he’s drunk –very drunk, and maybe that’s why he chooses to spill his heart out to Harry bloody Potter. If tomorrow Potter tries to remind him about this, he will probably curse the life out of the green eyes boy.

“Had never been fond of the mark. Today is a shitty day and two bottles of Firewhiskey tend to lead me to do these kinds of things.”

“These kinds of things mean ruining your arms with Diffindo or talking to me in the middle of the night?” Potter smirks at him. Draco shrugs.

“Both. I never drink more than one bottle, apparently drinking two means suicide and talking heart to heart with a Potter.” Potter only smiles at him, which somehow makes him mad. “Stop smiling at me. You never smiled at me before, don’t start now. This is stupid, I know, I don’t need your pity, Potter.” And there it is, the sharp bite as Malfoy spits his name like a foul word.

“I thought you agreed on helping each other for tonight?” Harry asks innocently, which makes Draco wonders how much of a Slytherin Potter actually is. Potter gets back to examining his arm. “It’s going to leave scars.” Potter frowns.

“That’s the purpose, Potter, please catch up.” Draco actually smiles at his arm now. “At least, the black skull and serpent will no longer visible. You can’t accuse someone as a Death Eater without a proof –well, not that it’s untrue, but at least I have a chance on making friends now, or at least getting a decent job after Hogwarts.” Draco frowns now, without outstanding scores he won’t ever get a job.

“Malfoy, what makes your day so shitty; you drank two bottle of Firewhiskey?” Potter suddenly asks with blatant curiosity that it makes Draco laughs.

“Well, my Dark Arts essay is being returned without a score. That pathetic excuse of a professor says that it’s too dark and not suitable to be written by students.” Draco imitates how the young professor had talked to him, which makes they both laugh –huh, blames it all on the alcohol, Draco, laughing with Potter? There’s no way. “Then Slughorn once again refused to acknowledge my perfectly made Dreamless Sleep.” Harry smiles at that.

“You’re just that certain, aren’t you?” Draco looks at Potter like he’s the biggest idiot walking on Earth.

“Potter, don’t you know my skill in potion? My greatness can be measured by how Granger always comes second in that class –not to worry though, she’s way better than me in every other class.” Draco says with ease, a little bit sprinkle of Malfoy’s dramatic flare, but there’s no smugness in his voice. Harry realizes Draco says that in a joking manner one second after he snorts. “But, no, Slughorn refused to acknowledge that, so it makes my day shittier than before. And then an unexpected letter comes from Mother, so here I am, ruined to see another day, drinking away sorrow in bottles of Ogden.” Draco plops back to the sofa. Harry realizes that he never sees this side of Malfoy, but more importantly he likes this side of Malfoy. Malfoy does not infuriate him with each words he utters, instead he makes Harry laugh with a good amount of sarcasm and joke –well, his sense of humour is always a little bit twisted anyway. Harry realizes he wants to befriend this Malfoy. So, he does what his mind is telling him to do.

“Malfoy?” he looks at the boy beside him, his head is resting on the sofa, his eyes closed and his face is illuminated by the fire. A peaceful expression settles on his face. Harry thinks that Malfoy is beautiful like this, a bit dangerous with the blood on his clothes and the scars on his arm, but oddly ethereal as the shadow dances on his face, following the movements of the fire. He’s a breathtaking view, and Harry wants to be the only one who can see him like that.

“Hmm?” Draco answers without opening his eyes.

“Be my partner in potion?” Draco opens his eyes to look at Harry then, some emotion are flitting inside his eyes –confusion, realization, sadness, then back to peaceful. Well, they’re helping each other for the night. Tomorrow they’ll be back to being strangers.

“Okay.” Draco smiles softly –and frankly a little bit sad, which makes Harry confused.

“Draco?” Draco laughs softly inside his mind, they start calling their given names now, huh?

“Yes, Harry?”

“Why are you sad?” Damn the fucking alcohol, because right Draco would like to spill his every dark secret to Harry fucking Potter.

“Because I realize that you are not infuriating, still a git, but I believe the one I would befriend, Harry. Because frankly if anyone who doesn’t know anything about us right now comes through that door, they will believe that we’re friends.”

“And being friends with me makes you sad?” Harry tries to understand the sentence Draco is saying.

“No. It saddens me that if they were to see us again tomorrow, they will ask others whether the green eyes boy with the scar on his forehead is friends with the blond hair boy who has ugly scars on his arm, and people will only laugh as the answer.”

Oh.

“So, this arrangement to help each other for at least tonight, makes you sad?”

“Frankly yes, but it might also be the alcohol inside my body.”

“But you won’t ask to be my friend either.” Harry states, a small anger starts swelling on his chest. “Why? One of Malfoy’s pride?”

“No, I’ve asked once, before all of this happened. I’ve asked once when I’m still a gullible child that can be sway into the other side, even back then you refused my hand. Do you really believe that I will extend another hand for your friendship when there is already too much darkness inside of me? If I’m not worthy for you back then I am definitely not gonna try now, when the war has broken every chance of redemption for me. I have no right to extend my hand for a friendship, Potter.” Harry believes he has stop breathing somewhere along the line of Draco not being worthy of him. He doesn’t know what to answer to that. Draco is not right, of course, he would never deem someone as unworthy of his being. He’s not a sanctimonious hero who sees himself as a God. There’s a little voice in the corner of his mind, reminding him that in reality he hasn’t offered any friendship towards Draco until now, so Draco’s judgment cannot be deemed as wrong either. Draco seems to believe that Harry’s silence is a clear dismissal for him because he smiles sadly at Harry.

“It seems like tonight is over, thank you for this.” He raises his scarred arm before standing up and start walking toward their room. “Goodnight, Harry.” Harry doesn’t stop him, so Draco keeps walking up the stairs. Sadness seems to bury itself in the corner of his heart because it aches badly that tears springs into his eyes, but a soft smile played on his lips. So that’s the small taste of being friends with Harry Potter. Draco wish he could just stop the time and live in that moment forever, to see the gentle side of Harry Potter directed toward him –spent to heal Draco’s arm, to see the green orbs being filled with curiosity instead of hate, to be the one that makes Potter laughs instead of being angry all the time. But like he said the night is over, and no matter how much Draco wants that side of Potter to be accessible to him, the world doesn’t go around granting people’s wish.

*

Draco wakes up with a head splitting headache, and the very bright light in the room is not helping his mood. He groans as the pain in his head intensifies.

“Easy there…” a soft, hush voice startles him. He opens his eyes only to see Potter beside his bed. What the fuck? Draco tries to rack his brain for what had happened yesterday. Oh. Oh fuck.

“Potter.” He greets politely, because someone does not have the other keeps saving one’s life out of his own stupidity and goes back to ignoring each other, but the next thing that happen just simply stunned him. Potter grabs his arm and check for his wound, after that he puts something inside Draco’s palm.

“It’s scarred, probably for life. Hangover potion, you’ll need it. I brought breakfast, it’s on the table. You missed Transfiguration and Charms already, but if you’re ready in 30 minutes we’ll make it to Potion.” Draco only stares at Potter. Potter checks for his wounds. Potter is standing here beside his bed which means he also missed Charms. Potter brought him breakfast. Potter gave him Hangover potion. Merlin tits, did I die last night?

“What?” Draco is lost with words, so he takes a few deep breaths to scramble his brain. “What are you doing here?” He finally asks exasperatedly, with an edge of hysteria in his voice.

“I don’t want you to be sad.” Harry shrugs. Draco glares at him suspiciously.

“Are you pranking me, Potter?”

“What? Draco, yesterday you said you were sad because we won’t be friends after last night, so then I realized that I don’t want you to be sad. After everything we’ve been through, I don’t want you to be sad. And here I am, offering my hand in friendship because I’m not a sanctimonious git everyone deem as a hero. I’m just… Harry, who got lucky a bit here and there, but I’m just Harry.” Draco closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Potter, I’m having a hangover and you’re not funny. Please go away.”

“My name’s Potter, Harry Potter.” Harry only smiles, offering his hand for a handshake, repeating the line Draco had used a very long time ago. Draco looks cautiously at the offered hand then at Harry. Harry only smiles, a little bit smug if Draco starts analyzing. “Oh, come on, it’s just a hand, scared, Malfoy?” Harry’s eyes glints mischievously. Draco recognizes another line of his.

“You should stop stealing people’s lines, Potter.”

“Alright then,” Harry seems to think for a moment. “Well, the war is over. You have saved my life quite often since then, and I have saved yours plenty other times. Let’s start helping each other, yeah? Be my friend, Draco Malfoy?” Draco can’t help but smiles at the familiar offer, this time without the strange effect of alcohol or the effect of witnessing one almost bleed to death.

“Okay, yeah, I’d like that.” Draco finally answers which makes Harry laughs.

“Get off the bed, you lazy sod, we’ll be late for Potion!” Draco grins at that.

“Does the offer to be your partner still stand?” Harry grins back with twinkle in his eyes. He starts walking backward to exit the room while facing Draco with that amuse grin.

“That sounds awfully similar to a bad proposal, but I’ll be the one in a black robe with Gryffindor badge.” He already runs downstairs when he yells the next sentence. “I’ll see you at the altar!”

“It’s not a proposal, you git!” Draco yells with a wide grin on his lips.

“It’s a start, Draco, it’s a start!”

And honestly, Draco should have believed Potter’s sentence that day.

AN: Yes, yes this is a very long one, I’m sorry. Both Title and Prompt is from If I Could Fly - 1D