#also I love a good Gregory lives au as much as the next person. and like. would miles have ended up so much more well adjusted?

[aforgottenthing]

do you ever think about the fact that the entire phoenix wright: ace attorney trilogy happens because gregory edgeworth dies.

[wildfey]

hii !! I just reread your ace attorney fantasy au again and I am soooo <3<3<3 the worldbuilding is so good and lively, everything is very in line with canon but still different and new and interesting, and Phoenix!! His personality is SO well written, he's snarky and stubborn and determined and I LOVE your characterisation of him!! I know there's only two parts but each one ends and it immediately makes me want to read more because I'm so excited to see what you did with the world and what the characters will do,,, and also the nrmts <3 so <3<3<3 I love how Edgeworth is characterised too ofc, and mia and lana and maya.... <3!!! Also hope ur new job is going well <3

Nonnie, it took me a couple of days to answer this because I don't use tumblr much very more but thank you, this is such a kind and lovely thing to say <333

And I'm glad to see someone else enjoying the fantasy au - it's very much an indulgent series of mine and an excuse to write some worldbuilding and big plotlines seeing as I don't play/run as many ttrpgs as I used to.

Anyway have some worldbuilding bits from this au that i've only hinted at/haven't had a chance to explore yet:

Being a magic user turns your hair silver, which is why Edgeworth and Franziska look like they do. Maya also has some greys but doesn't use her magic as much. Mia dyes hers back to brown so that it's easier to blend in.

Mia is definitely running a spy network, but she mostly tries to keep Phoenix and Maya out of it, with varying levels of success.

Phoenix's first fiddle was the one that used to belong to Gregory Edgeworth. Eventually it broke (it wasn't very good quality) and he buried it and sat a vigil as a sign of respect.

Phoenix somehow has even less self preservation in this universe, because he knows he can shrug off most injuries. He's not sure if he sees the geas as a blessing or a curse, but he will take advantage of it.

I definitely do have plans to expand this universe, so keep an eye out for those. Right now I'm just too busy to write anything much (my new job is great but really tiring), but hopefully in the next few months things will calm down again and we will get to the next installment - meeting Trucy, the most precocious magical princess in all the land.

[drarryruinedme7]

Last year I made a post with all my fave Drarry fics from my first year of fandom. Have my second year wrap up! Listed by Rating and then length. 

RATING: TEEN AND UP AUDIENCES

Beautiful by @xx-thedarklord-xx​​ (2017; 8.9k)

Summary: With the second task looming closer, Harry escapes to the Black Lake to open the egg, in the hopes of avoiding Myrtle. The Mersong isn't just helpful in figuring out that Mermaids are real, it attracts his very own handsome Merman.

*I didn’t know I love merpeople AUs until I read this one. It was cute and sweet and I’m really glad I read it. 

Hermione Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by @waspabi​​ (2017; 93.3k)

Summary: 'You're a wizard, Harry' is easier to hear from a half-giant when you're eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you're seventeen and late for work.

*What can I say. This is a masterpiece, it absolutely entered my heart to never leave it again. Best AU ever!!!

Away Childish Things by @letteredlettered​​ (2018; 153.8k)

Summary: Harry gets de-aged. Malfoy has to help him.

* This has been the turning point of my Drarry passion this year. First, I discovered Lettered (good Lord why hadn’t I before?!) and then, well. This fic brought out so many feelings in me and I’ve already re-read it something like 5 or 6 times in the span of a few months. Amazing.

RATING: MATURE

you’ve got the antidote for me by Kandakicksass (2018; 20.7k)

Summary: When Harry Potter unintentionally severs their soulbond before it can fully form, Draco Malfoy resigns himself to a slow death and decides not to burden Harry with a soulmate he's made it very clear he doesn't want.He's never been selfless before, but for Harry, he can try.

* The angst!! It’s usually not my cuppa, but this was bittersweet and just so well written, I couldn’t stop reading. Find the rec for this one at this post.

RATING: EXPLICIT

Give Me Sweet Oblivion by @tryslora​​ (2012; 4k)

Summary: Italy seems like a long way to go to keep a fetish secret. But the club is exclusive, and the far away location, and Muggle nature, promises anonymity from Wizarding Britain. The only problem is that sometimes, great minds think alike.

*Super hot, I love finding old gems like this one. Plus, Italy. Go, folks!

Shiny Things, Slightly Damaged by @lqtraintracks​​ (2020; 5.3k)

Summary: Harry may not ever have had to see it if McGonagall hadn’t decided it was a good idea to hold a ceremony on the grounds outside before the Sorting in the Hall. And by ‘it’ he’s referring to Draco Malfoy on a motorbike.

*jsklajdksajfa This one! THIS ONE! Slayed me. I read it feverishly and then like, fainted at Draco on a motorbike.... this fic surprised me and I 100% loved it.

A Ghost of Blissful Feelings by @alpha-exodus​​ (2020; 6k)

Summary: Harry hadn't expected to spend his eighth year fucking Draco Malfoy, but it's the only thing that helps him let go.

*Dunno guys, I’m amazed by how much this one hit me. You should read the tags before diving in, but it was darkish in the right way, Harry and Draco suffers and find peace in a ‘’special’’ way, but I stand by it. Hot and intense.

Tell Me (What you Need) by @keyflight790​​ (2019; 6k)

Summary: Even though Harry was paying for his Dom, there were limits; breaking points in which someone would refuse, no matter how many Galleons were pushed in their direction.

*Okay, I may be biased because this is a gift for me, but Chris never lets down with her amazing writing and this has everything I need and more: Dom!Rentboy!Draco and a perfectly sweet Harry with a Daddy!kink. I mean.

Dangerous by Faith Wood (2014; 6.3k)

Summary: Being trapped in a dungeon with Malfoy — who's a werewolf, a former Death Eater, and a giant git — is definitely dangerous. Harry has no reason to be excited. None at all.

*Y’all know Faith Wood is like my n.1 fave Drarry author. I have no idea why I had never read this one though!!! It’s actually phenomenal, scorching hot and just dsjkafjaks love this werewolf!Draco. OMG.

Scent and Sensibility by aidaninkling (2018; 7.5k)

Summary: [...] Draco's always known he'd be married off as a trophy omega, but suddenly his mother's trying to make him king by promising him to some stupidly good-looking alpha and she just won't stop smiling at him. Does fate's cruelty know no end?!

*This blew my mind. A/B/O AU so hot I melted while reading it and I loved it so much that I re-read it three times IN A ROW. No kidding. Read it. 

The Eighth Tale by @letteredlettered​​ (2012; 12k)

Summary: Draco Malfoy tries to fix the past, but instead mucks it up some more. For Harry, it all becomes quite clear.

*Back to Lettered. I love Time Travel fics, and this just delivered perfectly. The ending was also enigmatic enough to keep me wandering, which I always appreciate in these kind of stories. 

Sex, Lies and Veritaserum by @letteredlettered​​ (2011; 17.9k)

Summary: This entire fic is one long conversation about sex.

*LOL alright, I’ve developed a new obsession this year (clearly). This was ...gosh! Hot but it also gives away a certain level of intimacy and trust between Draco and Harry to be so open about their kinks... it was perfect.

On One’s Knees by pir8fancier (2008; 33.8k)

Summary: The war is over and to the victors go the spoils.

* The fic which made me fall in love with DownAndOut!Draco. 

The Pirate and the Prince by @nerdherderette​ (2019; 49.2k)

Summary: Draco can't believe that fate and circumstance have made him a stowaway on the Master of Death's ship. He doesn't know what's worse: the dread pirate's legendary vendetta against the aristocracy, or the fact that his captor is the most infuriating yet irrefutably fascinating man Draco has ever met.

*Okay y’all. Nerd is a great person and author. She is phenomenal. And this fic shows it so well. The pirate!AU the Drarry fandom both needed and deserved. Sublime.

Unhook the Stars by jad (2016; 70.5k)

Summary: [...] Seventy-thousand words of pornographic discourse between two boys-turned-men that still haven't learned how to communicate like normal people – with words. Guest appearances by Pansy Parkinson, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, Teddy Lupin, Gregory Goyle, the Weird Sisters, ex-wives, several Weasleys, a Boggart, and a Honey Badger.

*Again, Dom!Draco and such a beautiful sub!Harry. They stole my heart. In this fic they grow up together through the aftermath of the war and they just... they have this intense Dom/sub relationship, I can’t... explain how much I loved this. Scorpius also makes his appearance and it’s so real and cute!

Such Great Heights by aideomai (2015; 93.3k)

Summary: Draco Malfoy, wide-eyed and pale and in a decidedly ragged shirt, was crouched next to the pile of whatever the dragon had been eating. Harry threw himself to a halt and yelled, “Merlin, how many times do I have to save your life?”

*This is one of the last ones I’ve read. Find my rec for it here. Such a cool fic, with a shunned Draco who gets to be so happy in the end, it made me happy too.

Burn The Witch by @lettersbyelise​​ (2019; 95.8)

Summary: When Harry Potter is sent in to investigate Draco Malfoy’s successful potions company, posing as Draco’s bodyguard, he doesn’t know the case will launch a series of events that will change his life — and Draco’s. A story about choices, scars, Chopin piano pieces, and finding all kinds of love in the most unexpected places.

*I do not have the words to express what this fic means to me. First of all, it’s how I met Elise who’s an amazing person and who I’m glad to call friend. She’s the sweetest. And also incredibly talented. This fic will take your breath away from the first word to the last one. Smol!Scorpius is perfectly characterised and my absolute favourite bit of the fic. 

Who we are in the shadows by @quicksilvermaid​​ (2019; 99.7k)

Summary: What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost. But nothing is exactly as it seems. Not even Harry himself. And as he gets drawn further and further into Malfoy's world of honour and deception he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew—about his childhood nemesis, the Ministry job he misses so much, and most of all, about himself. What happens when you’re forced to see that you were wrong?

*Another incredible person who I got to know better thanks to her breathtaking storytelling and her sweetness for sharing it with me. Quick made something amazing with this fic and I urge you to read it. It was my first creature fic ever, first time I read about werewolves and I totally fell in love with it. Sheer perfection. 

Freedom to be by @quicksilvermaid​​  (2019; 169.5k)

Summary: Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived. 12 years after the war, he's become the Boy Who Lived For Everyone Else. He has the perfect wife. The perfect house. The perfect job. The perfect friends. Only nothing feels perfect. Until one day he stumbles across a club called Release and begins a journey of self-discovery that takes him to a very different place.

*Well, could I just miss out on another one of Quick’s great works? With, again, Dom!Draco!??? No, I couldn’t! This is such a great exploration of BDSM and what it means and Harry’s path into it. 

19 Years and 5 Minutes Later by TheMightyFlynn (2015; 202.8k)

Summary: Five minutes after his happily-ever-after, Harry finds himself locked in the public loos with an angry Draco Malfoy and a need that he has denied for 19 years.

*Find my rec for this fic here. It’s really long and has Ginny bashing, but it’s totally worth it!! 

[modgirlyreposts-revamped]

Millie headcanons!!

- I see her as having more of a gothic lolita/almost Victorian gothic style tbh? Basically she dresses like Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice. However I love throwing in more mall goth aspects too. Fancy black dress, messy looking makeup, demonia boots, Victorian mourning jewellery, and spiked choker & bracelets kinda thing you get me?

- Bullied kid with comorbid probably undiagnosed ADHD and depression type beat

- I imagine ITP takes place in like, early or maybe mid 2010s. I've seen on this blog once or twice the idea of Millie being around the pizzaplex and i love that idea but I always saw her as like, a closer to classic Freddy Fazbear's kid.

- Her family is pretty well off. That's why she can actually afford to dress the way she does (yeah I'm jealous what of it)

- She likes horror a Lot. It's something of a hyperfixation of hers, but it leaves her grandpa quite concerned because My Granddaughter Has Been Holed Up In Her Room Watching Horror Movies All Day Is She Mentally Stable

- I know in canon she was only going to stay with her grandpa while her parents were away but I got the vibes that her grandpa basically helped raise her. (In my own weird au where millie and sarah like, band together with the other protags to investigate freddy fazbears and specifically the bite of 83 and shit she just full on lives with him lol)

- She's intimidating as Fuck when she gets mad.

- Her hair is not naturally black (not sure what color it Is tho, maybe blonde??), but she dyes it (I also imagine she likes to throw in some purple streaks or a black to purple ombre sometimes)

- She has like 3 piercings on each ear. The second set no one knew she was getting until she came back home from going out to do so. She was banned from getting piercings as a punishment so the third one was also a secret no one in the family noticed for like months.

- She would love FNaF. I feel like she'd make "man behind the slaughter" jokes. Is that old? Me and my sister still do it.

- She is absolutely awful with kids, but they love her. She goes out to the park with a black umbrella to brood dramatically in the shade and from the playground she just hears "Millie!!" And then a small crowd of children runs up asking if she'll play with them. She always gives in and agrees to play in the end. She can never even remember their names or anything but they see the sad girl in all black and immediately know She's Friend. She would die for them.

- Oswald is her surrogate brother and ok now that I'm thinking abt millie in the pizzaplex era Gregory would be too 100%.

- She likes chocolate. She gives me the vibes of someone who just, chocolate everything. Her grandpa buys chocolate chips for baking and Millie eats them all.

- As a kid she cried a lot and didnt know how to/was too afraid to stand up for herself. She has a lot of repressed anger from those years and tends to dramatically overreact as a result (I'm not projecting what do you mean)

[TW for implied abuse for the next three]

- OK BOUNCING OFF THAT ONE HC THAT DYLAN HAS DID AS SOMEONE WHO MAYBE HAS IT MYSELF I LOVE THAT. I have an Idea for how it would've formed which is that his familial situation is Very Not Good. Anyways I think, he has probably abt 10 ish alters, Millie would get along with most of his alters. I think Dylan would have multiple persecutor alters which r alters who formed from trauma who harm the body or other alters to try and protect them. Millie actually gets along surprisingly well with one of them.

- On another note w/ Dylan tho Millie's grandpa meets Dylan, finds out just a little bit abt his family and basically tells him like "my home is your home, if you're not safe there, you're always welcome here" so <3 he likes to spend basically all his time at Millie's grandpa's house and he doesnt say it but he worries hes like is your home really that bad do I need to call CPS?

- Millie's parents come home at the end of the year and are like well what'd we miss? And her grandpa's like look at my new grandson Dylan :) Dylan come out and say hi!! And out comes a teenage boy with bright red hair, a bunch of piercings (also a scar on one ear), wearing spiky platform boots, spiked bracelets and choker like Millie's (but in white w/ black spikes) and patched black jeans, wiping Pop Tart crumbs off a My Chemical Romance shirt and he just looks up at them totally nonchalantly and goes "Heyo" and walks off and they're like MAURICE WHAT THE HELL?!? WHERE DID YOU EVEN GET THIS KID?!?! JUVIE?!!?!??

- Millie's grandpa doesn't Know Dylan has DID 100%- Dylan hasn't told him and doesn't plan to- but he notices major changes in personality from time to time and catches Millie, Sarah or Brooke calling him different names occasionally. That plus his vague knowledge of what goes down at Dylan's house, he's sorta put the dots together on his own, but he hasn't said anything yet.

- Ok so like, I love the idea of Brooke having like a pastel/bubblegum-bitch aesthetic. One time Brooke dressed Millie up in a pastel goth style (and Dylan gave her a scene/emo style) and at the time she was like it's so BRIGHT it's so SOFT WHAT but shes been thinking about that ever since and occasionally while shopping she'll pick out a pair of cutesy/pastel earrings or a neon accented choker or something like that.

- Brooke introduces Millie and Dylan to Marina. Millie introduces Brooke to MCR (or something, idk, for as much of a goth as I am I mostly listen to Penelope Scott). Dylan introduces them both to FaLiLV (a Japanese band). Brooke does not like their taste in music.

- Millie's idea of calming down is laying on her bed and listening to screamo.

This took me an hour and a half I'm sorry

ADHAKFJHSJKJHKDSSJFD I LOVE THESE-

The one about Millie being terrible with children but them loving her anyway, is so accurate to my Millie as well. She can take care of a child about as well as she can take care of herself (not much at all-), but her cousins absolutely love when she babysits them, and Gregory looks up to her as a role model (Millie's just like "thanks, but reconsider!" lol)

And the one with Millie's grandpa practically adopting Dylan, I swear ur trying to kill me with wholesomeness, I love them sm. In my AU if Dylan was having issues with his family and Millie's grandpa found out, he'd just calmly stand up and walk into the garage, coming back with a baseball bat. He'd calmly tell Millie and the others that he's just going to have a "talk" with Dylan's parents, while Millie knowing damn well just what he means by that starts chasing after him telling him not to do this, Dylan not far behind.

Dylan's parents would just hear someone pounding on their door, and when they answer there's just an extremely tired and pissed off 60 something year old man on their doorstep, and two teens attempting to hold him back, all while Millie's grandpa is shouting a load of expletives at them.

The whole time Dylan is just panicking, and is all like "M-Mr. Fitzsimmons, you don't have to do this!", whereas Millie knows that her grandfather will not calm down until someone is at least hospitalized.

[deliquescentnightmare]

Character Introduction

Hello! my first little character sheet so you all can meet Delila, the main protagonist of my still untitled story. Most- if not all- of my characters are blatant self-inserts, and Delila is no exception. I identify as GF so she's kind of the embodiment of my very fem moments, and my soft cottagecore side. Anyways, here's all you need to know about her! I'll post newer versions of her character sheet later on as certain events happen in the story so I don't give you guys spoilers.

Name: Delila Amelie Lestrade

Age: 24

Hometown: Born in Atlanta GA, moved around a lot as a child.

Occupation: Forensic Psychologist. FBI agent.

Sexuality: Asexual, questioning.

Talents/Skills: Writing. Playing Uke. Can't cook at all. Great skill of falling down or bumping into things. Hands are steady in times of crisis and is very levelheaded.

Siblings (describe relationship): Theodore 'Theo' Grayson Markham. 35, older half brother. Second son of Alana Markham(nee Ramses) and Fredrick Markham. Lives in NY. Jameson Albert Markham, 36, oldest half brother, and firstborn son of Alana Markham and Frederick Markham. Lives in rural North Carolina with his wife and kids. Gwendolyn 'Gwen' Beatrice Markham (deceased). Born 1980, died at 26) Killed in a car accident in St Louis in 2006. Very close to Delila and Jameson. Entire family mourned after she passed, and Alana became very different emotionally.

Mother (describe relationship): Alana Elizabeth Markham (nee Ramses). 54, lives in Ojai, California with Frederick Markham. They talk intermittently, but Alana isn't very responsible and Delila refuses to interact with her too much because it's emotionally draining. Alana refuses to acknowledge Gwen even existed.

Father (describe relationship): Gregory 'Greg' Lestrade. 49. Their relationship is close, and Greg would often visit Delila, or fly her out to see him during school holidays when she was a child. They call often (when he actually picks up or calls her back) and email back and forth. She loves him more than life itself even if he often forgets to call her because he's busy.

Significant Others (describe relationship): Struggles to remain relationships due to lack of intimacy, but had a long-term relationship for 2 years that recently ended for undisclosed reasons.

Pets: none yet. had a childhood snake named Jonathan.

Friends: Li Huang (will be introduced in the next chapter or the one after), John Watson, Molly Hooper, Sherlock Holmes (tentative), Theo, Mycroft Holmes(eventually).

Height: 5'2" or 157.5 cm

Weight: 135 lbs. or about 61 kg

Race: Caucasian, British-American

Eye Color: Blue in Original Fictions. In this AU, however her right one is Purple. her left is Pink. (I like pink and purple very much)

Hair Color: Naturally brown, dyed pastel orange.

Distinguishing features: Constantly has scrapes and bruises, often topped off with band-aids on her fingers and cheeks. Her wild orange hair and round gold-rimmed glasses. (they're bigger than Harry Potter's, before you ask). She wears a black pea-coat often, and it's worn from years of use. (it was her sister's)

How does he/she dress? Black pea-coat when it's colder. Likes to wear slightly-too-large clothing. Often wears stolen shirts, sweaters and button ups. Flowy, flowery dresses and skirts and occasionally ripped jeans. She did go through an Emo phase and dyed her hair white in her late teens/early 20's, and has some clothing left over from that phase that she occasionally wears.

Hobbies: Writing romance fiction and crime. Reading, often James Patterson or fantasy. Playing ukulele, and singing. She likes to dance but isn't very good at it, so she often does it when she's alone or it's dark (or both). She likes to go for walks with John in the park, and used to go for walks with Theo.

Greatest flaws: She cares too much too fast, and becomes attached to people within a day or so of meeting them. She can be slightly needy and clingy if she doesn't have a lot of friends, because she thrives off of physical affection. She's very stubborn, and will do things even when she's been given explicit instruction not to because she thinks she may know a better way. (sometimes she does, but other times she just is too strong headed to stop). She can either be unabashedly arrogant or filled with crippling self-doubt dependent on the situation as she's experienced a lot of respect and praise for her intellect. She also puts a lot of pressure on herself to succeed and it can lead to devastating burnouts.

Best qualities: Very loving and openhearted. She will put others' needs above her own nearly every time. She will make sure her friends and those she cares about are taken care of, and are taking good care of themselves. She is extremely intelligent and knows an array of weird and sometimes useful facts, and has a large span of knowledge thanks to her time at uni. She also has a way of making friends wherever she goes, which leads to a large web of connections and sources whenever she needs them.

Introvert or Extrovert? Ambivert, it's dependent on the situation. For example, if she's forced to be in isolation then she's going to be more extroverted when she's around people again. She enjoys talking to people, but after a certain amount, she can become worn out and need alone time. I think it would be good to note she is much more socially adept than Sherlock, though he is better at other things socially. (she has Asperger's and therefore he picks up on certain cues or details she may miss)

How does the character deal with anger? Delila can either run hot or run cold in terms of temperament. When she runs hot, she is often so overcome with emotion that she 'loses' words, struggles to speak and gets really flustered. (not in a good way) she never really says anything unkind when she's like this but she will be very dismissive and tell people to leave her alone. She is prone to shouting or crying to voice her frustrations and get out her emotions. The best way to calm her down is to let her rant about it, and she often calls Theo- who lets her rant. When she runs cold, she is eerily calm. She becomes sharp-tongued, cold and calculating. She will destroy whoever has angered her in this way and feel no shame. Sometimes she will spend days like this, and will be snippy and distant to anyone who tries to talk to her. She is vengeful and fully of unabashedly cruel remarks. It takes a lot or something particularly bad to get her this way.

With sadness? Delila tends to cry when she's sad, and is most comforted by physical affection. She listens to sad music, curls up under a blanket, and will write, whether it be in a journal or creatively. She will occasionally vent, but usually keeps it to herself as to not burden people around her with her issues or emotions.

With conflict? Delila can be rather argumentative and stubborn, but if she cares about the person she will do her best to listen to their side of the argument or disagreement, even if she feels as though they are wrong. When it comes to other peoples' conflicts, she will try and take the side she feels is most correct, or try and be an unbiased judge. She will defend her friends if there is a conflict in which they are being attacked in some way.

With change? Delila isn't a big fan of change but she will try her best to adapt and overcome by setting goals and new routines.

With loss? Delila will self-isolate. She will spend a lot of time re-consuming media that reminds her of what she has lost, and will go through a period of denial. Eventually, though she will come to honour the memory and move on.

What does the character want out of life? Fulfillment. Delila has spent a lot of her short life searching for something she is truly passionate about, but once she finds things that make her happy she becomes hesitant to follow them. She longs for fulfillment in ways other than reproducing and relationships, but one day she wouldn't mind having a family.

What would the character like to change in his/her life? Delila wishes she'd spent less time worried about how her mother perceived her and hoe those around her viewed her and her achievements. She is quite successful now and has learnt better but she wishes she hadn't let her doubts hinder her in the past.

What motivates this character? Delila doesn't excel because she longs for success, but because she fears failure. She refuses to be a burden, and will be independent almost to a fault.

What frightens this character? Delila is terrified of her family being hurt in any way, or losing someone she loves again. She also despises spiders and rejection.

What makes this character happy? Music. Her family, her friends. The rain. Tea. she loves to dance, but she only does it when she's alone.

Is the character judgmental of others? Delila's job required her to profile people, and because of that it has become her nature to psychoanalyse or even try to make assumptions about people from the get-go. She will often alter this perception of people later on depending on how she sees them interact with their environment, and people around them.

Is the character generous or stingy? She can be overly generous when it comes to those she loves, but also hesitant to share other things. It all depends on the item or person's emotional and sentimental value to her.

Is the character generally polite or rude? Unless given good reason to be rude, Delila is generally kind.

[allsassnoclass]

7, 24, 42, 56, & 98 for the spotify fix ask game? -megs 💙

@igarbagecannoteven alrighty megs 5 fics got long so i'm answering under the cut but we've got some great songs here

7. "Happy Accidents" by Saint Motel

Well! right off the bat you've hit a song that i actually fully FULLY intend to turn into a songfic at some point. i feel very passionately about this idea. this song is very much an ot4 song to me considering how many little insignificant things had to add up to get these four boys together and how it feels like fate has been pushing them together since the beginning! the premise of this fic is basically "a few times fate almost got it right and one time it did" showing alternate universes where only two of the boys meet or something happens so the band never occurs and basically a whole bunch of au ficlets where they're mostly happy because they don't know what they're missing, and then a little snippet from this universe at the end where all four of them are happily together

24. "Feel Good" by Matt Maeson

oooo okay first of all great song. second of all big shout out to gregory because he's the reason i listen to matt maeson. third of all matt maeson gives me mashton vibes, although this song is not a ship song. so a fic based on this would be..... canon compliant, platonic mashton (or lashton, why not), emotional hurt/comfort having to do with the pressures of the music industry and all of the struggle that they went through. actually based on some of the things they revealed in the podcast like ashton wanting to run away and such this song fits better than i anticipated. the fic itself would probably mostly be a discussion between the two of them in like 2017 trying to figure out how to keep going after all of the beatings the industry has given them and leaning on each other because they're still trying to believe in the dream of the band even if part of them wants to run back to australia

42. "Outer Space/Carry On" by 5sos

HEY I LOVE THIS SONG. for this one though i'm going to go off of title rather than the song itself. this is a sci-fi au where they're all astronauts on a huge ship trying to find another inhabitable planet besides earth, but the journey has been long, and already a few babies have been born on the ship, creating the next generation of travelers, and none of them know if they'll actually be able to find a suitable planet within their lifetime, so they have to figure out how to live a meaningful life in the vacuum of space when the end goal that has been keeping them hopeful might be out of reach. it would deal a lot with the concept that some astronauts have talked about where like. they spend a lot of time in the greenhouse because out in space you begin craving the natural world again because you're cut off from it. it'd have a lot to do with switching mindsets from the ship being bearable only because it's a transition, to figuring out ways to make the ship a kind and gentle home for them because they have to or they're going to fall into despair. it also would talk a lot about the futility of their efforts and the idea that they have to keep going for everyone who comes after them, even if they themselves will not reap the rewards of this trip. hence: Outer Space/Carry On

56. "Matter of Time (Interlude)" by Ashton Irwin

oooo only song from either of the solo albums to make it on the top 100 this year. this fic is hopeful emotional hurt/comfort, a breath of fresh air after being inside for too long, sunshine on your face after a long rain. it's gotta be ashton-centric since it's his song. i don't have anything more for you though because the fic itself would be about The Vibes

98. "no body, no crime" by Taylor Swift ft. HAIM

okay, i could never write a true songfic for this song because it would be too unhappy for me personally (and thankfully one already exists, written by @squishmichael), BUT based on title? oh baby this is an assassin fic. let's see. let's ponder. muke and cashton perhaps? michael and calum work together, luke and ashton work together, and both teams are hired by their bosses to kill each other. HOWEVER, it turns out that their boss is the same person and there's some sort of legal trouble so he's trying to get them to get rid of each other to cover his own tracks. given that, they decide to team up, take him out, and then continue their lives together as a robin-hood-esq group of four who take down the corrupt and evil people that the law can't touch

send me a number from my spotify wrapped and i’ll tell you what fic i’d write based on it

[akashikadoesthings]

Untitled Soulmate AU Oneshot

Pairing: Drarry

Wordcount: 3365

Warnings: Unbetaed, Soulmate AU, Secret relationship, canon violence and deaths. Probably shite.

“Words are powerful, Draco,” his mother told him, one day. ���They have the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble. The memories of words, no matter how they come about, can echo for years.”

The conversation happened when he was nine years old. He had been asking about Soul Marks.

“The Marks you get from your soulmate, Draco, doesn’t mean anything other than a way to identify them. Soulmates aren’t what muggles believe them to be, the perfect person for you to marry and love, they’re simply someone who you will have difficulty walking away from, be it an enemy, a friend or a lover.”

“Why do we get bruises from them and writing, if we don’t get scars or anything, mother?”

Narcissa looked at her son and smiled. “Scars are permanent, Draco. Soulmates aren’t, no matter what others tell you.”

He was eleven now, ready to go to Hogwarts in just over a month, and shopping for his supplies for his first year. His mother had healed bruises from his soulmate again that morning, a ring around his arm in a shape similar to Mr Goyle’s fingers.

He knew soon he’d have to be a Proper Malfoy, just like his father always told him, but today, Mother said he could be excited. It’s not every day you get to shop for your wand after all.

Father would be going with them, of course. He’d promised Draco there would be no work for him until they got home. Father never came to Diagon Alley with them. He thought it was a useless trip when he could just owl order things or send an elf.

He did promise that Draco could look at the brooms too, even though he couldn’t take one to Hogwarts.

Draco was most excited about potentially meeting his soulmate though. He wanted to know who they were, where they lived, what their parents did. He knew it was no one from his family’s circle of friends, but that didn’t mean they weren’t the right sort. There were families that didn’t bother much with socialising and as long as it wasn’t a Weasley, Father probably wouldn’t care.

As Draco and his parents walked around the Alley, stopping in shops to purchase what was needed, Draco kept an eye on everyone who was around his age. Lots of children were wearing short sleeves, it would be easy to see that ring of bruises. Then Draco could ask Mother if they could take them home. She’d probably let him. Maybe.

“It’s almost lunch time, Draco,” Father said. “I need to do one thing, then I shall join you and your mother.”

“We should get your robes measured,” Mother said. “Then after lunch I can take you to get your wand.”

Draco nodded. “You could let Mr Ollivander know now,” he said. “You talk too much to Madam Malkin, we’ll be there forever.”

Mother smiled and Father’s mouth straightened. Draco knew he shouldn’t have said anything. But then his mother placed her hand on his father’s hand and smiled more.

“Very well, Draco,” Mother said. “You can go to Madam Malkin’s alone. Tell her you need a full set of First Year robes and I shall see you outside Ollivander’s. We can go for lunch at Summer Isle’s and then get your wand.”

Draco nodded before turning and pushing the door to the shop open. He felt more grown up with his parents letting him do parts of his shopping alone. It was about time too, really. He was going to Hogwarts next month after all.

There was no one else in the robe shop, which disappointed him, then again, he was starting to get used to the disappointment of not spotting his soulmate. Madam Malkin stood him on a stool and began clucking about how grown up he was in a baby voice, making Draco think it had been a while since she’d spoken to an eleven year old properly, but he let it go. Father always said that he should try to appease people sometimes, even when Draco didn’t know what “appease” meant.

He stood in silence for a while as Madam Malkin pinned his robes, then the bell above the door tinkled as someone opened it. Madam Malkin led the new person over as one of her assistants worked on Draco’s robes, and Draco straightened his head, tilted his chin slightly, like his father did, and tried to hide his excitement.

“First year too?” he asked. He didn’t know this person, and although he was wearing a short sleeved t-shirt, it was too big for him, it almost fell past his elbows.

“Mm,” the boy said.

He had dark hair, bright eyes, skin that looked like it should be darker than it was and he was chewing on his lip.

“My mother’s down the street looking at wands,” Draco said. “Father’s probably looking at books.”

“Mm.”

He wasn’t very talkative, this boy, Draco thought.

“Where are your parents?” Draco asked. That was bound to get him an answer rather than a noise.

“They’re dead,” the boy said quietly.

Draco bit his own lip. He probably wasn’t doing a good job of making this boy like him.

Madam Malkin had the boy raise his hands as she slipped the robe over his head, and for a second, for the briefest moment, Draco saw a ring of bruises on the boy’s arm before they were covered with the black robes.

At home, Draco could understand that the boy didn’t like Draco’s questioning. He shouldn’t have been so forward, Father always said it was a failing of his. But would it have been too much for the boy to tell Draco his name before he ran off?

Well, at least Draco knew he was also a First Year. If he couldn’t find him on the train, he’d see him at the Sorting Ceremony. And Harry Potter was in his year too. Maybe they’d all be friends. Father wouldn’t be too happy if Draco was friends with Harry Potter but Father didn’t have the chance to go to school with a celebrity while he was a celebrity. The closest Father got was Gilderoy Lockhart when he was in his seventh year and everyone knew Gilderoy Lockhart was just a glorified storyteller. Mother said so, so it must be true.

No matter what Draco did though, he couldn’t convince father to let him take his broom to school. He said it was pointless, that Draco would need to focus on his schoolwork if he wanted to be the best. But maybe at Christmas, Draco could convince him that flying wouldn’t affect his marks.

Before he knew it, September 1st was there. Draco was woken early by his mother and got to eat his breakfast pancakes in bed while Mother cooed and sniffled and made noises about how her “baby boy” was all grown up.

He hugged his father tightly before they left, then Mother apparated them to the Wizarding side of King’s Cross. He tried to be grown up, not excited, but the train was amazing, and it was the start of his new life, learning to be a real Wizard in his own right. His mother’s grip on his shoulder tightened and Draco realised he was bouncing on his feet as they stood next to the train.

“You will write,” his mother said. The tone brokered no argument and Draco nodded. The sooner Mother stopped talking, the sooner he could get on the train. “Vincent and Gregory will be here soon and then you can leave, but for now we’ll get you boys a carriage.” with a wave of her wand, she lifted his trunk and floated it inside the train.

Draco followed as his mother guided his trunk into an empty compartment, taking the chance to look out of the window. As long as Mother stood close to the train, he could wave goodbye.

“Let’s head back outside darling, we don’t want your friends to think you’ve forgotten about them.”

Leaving, and the tearful goodbyes that came with it, was difficult. Draco was excited, but he wouldn’t be home now until December. He’d never stayed away from home before. What if he got homesick?

No. He was practically a grown up now, going to Hogwarts and everything. Only babies got homesick, he decided.

And if it took him a few minutes after the train left the station to suppress his tears, no one needed to know.

At least now he wouldn’t have random bruises popping up from whoever kept hurting his soulmate.

He still needed to find him.

And Harry Potter. He’d heard Weasleys talking about him and his scar, so Draco knew he was here.

“Come on,” Draco said, taking the lead with Vince and Greg. “Harry Potter’s here somewhere, we can go find him.”

Greg nodded and Vince put away the quill he was writing on his arm with. He’d been doing that for years, ever since he found out that Astoria Greengrass was his soulmate. Mr and Mrs Greengrass hadn’t been too happy, but Astoria loved it. She called him her pocket friend.

They started at one end of the train, near the Prefects’ compartment and worked their way back. Draco didn’t see his soulmate, but he didn’t see harry Potter either. At least not until they got to the last carriage.

“You’re Harry Potter?” he said when he opened the door and saw his soulmate sat with a Weasley.

It was just his luck really. His soulmate was Harry Potter and friends with a Weasley.

“Your the boy from the robe shop,” Harry said.

“My name’s Malfoy,” Draco said, tilting his chin. “Draco Malfoy.”

The Weasley snorted with laughter, Draco turned to him and narrowed his eyes. “No need to ask your name,” he said. “Father always said Weasleys had more children than they could afford.”

The boy, the Weasley, now Draco looked at him properly, was wearing hand-me-down robes, he had dirt on his nose and his hair was a mess, and not in the pretty way that Harry Potter’s was.

“That’s not very nice,” Harry Potter said.

Draco blinked. No one ever spoke back to a Malfoy. Not unless they were another Malfoy.

Then Draco took the chance to look at him. He was wearing tatty clothes too, just like he had been in the robe shop. Draco had thought that meant he was poor when he first met him, but now he knew who he was, he realised it was a clever tactic to make people leave him alone.

No wonder he’d attracted Weasleys if he was dressing like them.

“You’ll soon find out that some families are better than others,” Draco said, holding out his hand. “I can help you there.”

Harry Potter looked at his hand, and Draco didn’t know what the expression on his face meant.

“I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks,” he said.

Draco had been at Hogwarts for years now. There was none of the tearfulness when he said goodbye to his mother anymore. This year though, was different.

The summer had been hell. Potter and his goons had got his father arrested and now the Dark Lord had taken up residence in Malfoy Manor. For years he’d thought Potter was an enemy soulmate, rather than a friend or lover (even when he didn’t realise exactly what a lover was). Then puberty hit, and all Draco’s assumptions had crashed down around his ears. It was a horrible secret to keep. Father had been proud that Potter was his son’s soulmate, he’d said it proved that he was the real enemy.

A single kiss during their fourth year, a few scattered conversations, and Draco didn’t know what was right and what was wrong any more. As angry as he’d been at the end of their last year at Hogwarts, it didn’t mean he’d wanted what had resulted.

Draco smiled at his mother and boarded the train, letting the smile drop as he turned away.

His arm still ached.

It always would, according to Professor Snape.

Even if he wanted to fix things with Harry, with Potter, he wouldn’t be able to.

He hurt Harry the first time he’d cornered Draco after the holidays, hoping that would be enough to make him stay away. He tried to make Potter hate him again. He should never have told the speccy git that they were soulmates.

He’d been raised by Muggles, Draco should have known he’d take it the wrong way, his mother had warned him of that.

He hoped she didn’t mention to the Dark Lord how Potter thought of soulmates. He’d probably hurt Draco until Potter came riding in, the chivalrous Gryffindor to the end.

And it would be his end.

It would be Draco’s too because he didn’t think he’d be able to watch Potter in pain. That stupid fucking Dragon had been enough and they didn’t even like each other then.

By March, Draco was preparing himself more to die at the end of the year than to succeed in the task he’d been set. By May, he felt himself break.

He couldn’t help how pathetic he was as he cried in front of Moaning Myrtle, he couldn’t help the pain and the rage he felt at Snape, Potter and the Dark Lord. If Potter had died, or if the Dark Lord had stayed dead, he wouldn’t be here. If Potter had stopped following him around and Snape had stopped nagging him about his progress, he’d have been more inclined to do what he could;. But he’d wasted so much time pretending he was better than them both that it had ran out.

At the end of June, he’d go home, his mother would die, and Draco would be a prisoner for real.

“What are you playing at Malfoy?”

Draco looked in the water-stained mirror in front of him and saw Potter in the doorway.

Why wouldn’t he just leave Draco alone.

Draco choked back his tears, as much as he could. Was it stupid for him to not want Potter to see him as weak?

There were curses thrown, not just hexes, and Draco’s anger felt like a shroud over his head. Why couldn’t Draco just suffer alone for once.

“Cruci--”

“SECTUMSEMPRA.”

It had been more than an hour. What was Potter playing at? Where the hell was he? He couldn’t have surrendered. He, of all people, should know that the Dark Lord wouldn’t keep his promise.

“HARRY POTTER IS DEAD.”

The crowd of people gathered in the entrance hall rushed through the broken doors and Draco stumbled as he followed.

It couldn’t be true.

The Half Giant was crossing the bridge, surrounded by Death Eaters, following the Dark Lord. Draco could see his parents’ fair hair in the sea of black robes.

“Harry Potter is dead.He was killed running to save his own life.”

It couldn’t be true.

“You have a chance now. Join the winning side, and I shall spare you. Resist, and you’ll all die.”

The oaf was carrying something, something with limp limbs that dangled from the cradle the huge arms made.

Draco stumbled once more.

It drew the Dark Lord’s eyes to him.

“Draco,” he said. His sibilant voice chilled Draco’s blood, but he moved forward. “You missed the death of your biggest enemy. The person you’d never walk away from.”

Gods but Draco just wanted to cry. This had been his secret for the longest time, now the noseless prick had spilled it to everyone. Draco saw a few ginger heads turn to look at him.

“You may view his body, if you wish. Your mother confirmed his death for us all.”

Draco glanced across to her, hoping she’d refute him. She inclined her head slightly and Draco hoped it meant that he was alive and not dead. But his mother didn’t know about their fragile relationship, Draco hadn’t told her.

He crossed the gulf between the two armies, he heard his fellow students behind him hissing insults. He headed straight towards the half giant.

Potter’s fringe had grown. Draco hadn’t paid attention earlier. It was long enough to brush the tip of his nose now.

He lifted one hand to brush it back from his forehead.

“Definitely him then, My Lord?” he said as he touched the still warm skin of Potter’s scar.

He didn’t wait for an answer, he just made his way to his mother.

The Dark Lord gave a speech that Draco didn’t hear, he insulted Longbottom which was probably stupid, Longbottom hated the Dark Lord as much as Potter did, and then there was fighting again.

Potter was missing. Not on the ground by the giant’s feet, and not in his arms either. Then the cloak came off.

And then…

And then…

And then it was over.

Draco fell to his knees the moment the Dark Lord’s body hit the ground.

It was over.

“Harry.” he called out.

“You made me think you were dead,” Draco said.

“I did die!”

Draco clenched his teeth together. “Not this time.”

Harry smiled and Draco could feel his heart melt a little. “Love, I’ve told you I’ll not leave you, that includes dying. I know I’ve said this a lot over the last few years, but I mean it.”

It had been years since the Battle Of Hogwarts, but Draco still had nightmares about brushing Harry’s too-long fringe of his face as Hagrid held his dead body. The nightmares never ended the same way as the actual battle though. It was always a relief to wake with Harry’s arms wrapped around his body, sleepily shushing him, telling him it was just a dream, that everyone was safe. Draco never loved Harry more than in those moments.

“I was just trying to make Scor laugh.”

“By pretending to be dead?” Draco was incredulous. How was that funny? Or anyone, let alone a two year old.

“He laughs when I jump up,” Harry said. “Then he runs away giggling. It’s sweet, you should watch him doing it.”

The soft smile as he spoke about their son was what made Draco realise they needed to talk about this. He’d put it off for years, saying it was nothing and hiding his fear behind anger.

“Can…” Draco inhaled deeply. He could do this. It was Harry for goodness sake. “Can you not do it when I’m here?”

Draco looked to the sofa where Scorpius slept. He was so innocent. Draco didn’t want anything to steal that from him, not even his own neuroses.

“Is this about the nightmares again? Are they back?”

Draco shook his head. Tears slipped down his cheeks and blurred his view of his beautiful son.

“They never leave. Every time I wake up before you, every time you fall asleep first, I have to make sure you’re breathing, that you have a pulse. I can’t forget it and I can’t pretend it didn’t happen. I was terrified, Harry. I thought I’d lost one of the only people I cared more about than myself.”

“You didn’t sleep after we got Scorpius.” Harry said. “Not unless it was in the rocking chair in his room.”

“I had to make sure. I had to keep an eye on him because I was scared thanks to that muggle cot thing that Granger mentioned, and whenever I went to our room, you were asleep.”

“Draco,” Harry took hold of his hand. “Darling, please, look at me.”

Draco tore his eyes from their son and met Harry’s eyes. “I will do everything I can to keep you and our son safe. But I can’t help you with this on my own. You know that, yeah. That’s why you haven’t brought it up.”

Draco didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. Harry’d known him better than anyone else since they were fourteen.

“My healer can help us with this. Do you trust me to speak to them?”

Draco nodded that time. He trusted Harry with his life.

“We’ll make this better, Love. I promise.”

[slytherin--king-blog]

Champions (Scar Tissue - Chapter 21)

Summary: (AU)  A few years ago, Draco’s life changed for the worst. Still, he could live with it, he could adapt. But when another werewolf comes in Hogwarts to teach the students, it starts to get dangerous.

Their absences and behavior towards each other raise some eyebrows and Draco is afraid that a curious mind might even end up seeing right through him.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Part 10 - Part 11 - Part 12 - Part 13 - Part 14 - Part 15 - Part 16 - Part 17 - Part 18 - Part 19 - Part 20 | playlist | FF.net | AO3

Pairing: Draco MalfoyxHermione Granger, Lucius MalfoyxNarcissa Black Malfoy

Characters: (it’ll be updated every time a new character appears) Werewolf!Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Dobby, unknown werewolf, the man Lucius is meeting (so much information wow), Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Minerva McGonagall, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Albus Dumbeldore, Rubeus Hagrid (mentioned), Pansy Parkinson, Buckbeak (mentioned), Madam Pince, Gregory Goyle (mentioned), Vincent Crabbe (mentioned), Neville Longbottom (mentioned), Madam Pomfrey (mentioned), Dolores Umbridge (mentioned), Fred and George Weasley (mentioned), Sirius Black (mentioned), Luna Lovegood, Sybill Trelawney (mentioned), Ginny Weasley, Percy Weasley, Cornelius Fudge, Alastor Moody (mentioned), Blaise Zabini (mentioned), Theodore Nott (mentioned), Peter Pettigrew (mentioned), James Potter (mentioned), Andromeda Tonks (mentioned), Regulus Black (mentioned), Cygnus Black III (mentioned), Walburga Black (mentioned), Bellatrix Lestrange (mentioned), Rodolphus Lestrange (mentioned), Ted Tonks (mentioned), Druella Black (mentioned),  Abraxas Malfoy (mentionned), Abraxas’ wife (mentioned), Gilderoy Lockhart (mentioned), Viktor Krum (mentioned).

Word Count:   6,916

Warnings:

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

A/N: I hope you will like this chapter and be excited for what’s coming because soon, there will be the Yule Ball. Also, I hope you like those little moments with Luna, I love writing them talking together and I’ve planned some things already with them. 

The Werewolves Squad: @prayfordream @carry-on-you-wayward-winchesters��� @shit-happens-bitchachos @oceanblue-and-forestgreen​ @chelsea072498 @dracosmanor @lauralikenoone @mad–chill @wolfstar0scorbus @browntown630 @newtismyspiritanimal​ @havingmusicismylifeandworld @dreymain @sonyamd34​ @teamfreewill-girl @hearted-words @hei924​ @broitswinchester @sarahkate1116 @directionerpjab @criticalstardust @06132001pg @claclm @somethingabouttheway  @yandere-rat @morettigrg @grangermalfoylovechild @woundedtoaster​

It was the end of October and Draco had to say, the last two months had gone by pretty smoothly after what had happened with Moody and the conversation he had had with Potter. Mainly, he was trying to stay away from Weasley and him, he really wasn't in the mood to make fun of them. He wanted this year to be better than the last one and to do that, he wanted to focus on his school work to make his parents proud, on Hermione, with who he really didn't want to argue because of her stupid friends, and on Pansy. Maybe even on Snape. Like he had promised to Lupin, he would keep what was making him happy around him, and just avoid the rest.

Speaking of Lupin, he finally had to return to the Shrieking Shack back in September, like he had said they day he had given Hermione her birthday gift. They had quickly seen each other the day before because she really wanted to see him to know how he was holding up. He had been exhausted so instead of going inside the Clock Tower, they had met near the dungeons, in a desert hallway, long after the feast because most students were in their common room at the time. She didn't want Draco to climb all the way to the fourth floor to go to the library or up the Tower, so they hadn't been very careful. They had talked a little, laughed between kisses, held each other for the first time directly in the corridors. And then they had heard footsteps and they had to let some distance between them, breaking their kiss just before Luna arrived in the hallway. They were ready to act like they were arguing if they had to, really. They were ready to pretend, but Draco didn't say anything. He stared at Luna, looking a bit surprised. Hermione didn't know why Draco seemed to be uncomfortable, suddenly, and thought it was just because they had almost been caught.

"Hi, Draco," Luna said with a little smile as she stopped in her track. She looked at Hermione before she met Draco's eyes again. "How was your summer?" Draco cleared his throat.

"Good. It was good," he said, not asking about hers. Hermione kept looking at the girl, noticing her weird necklace. She also noticed her wand that she was keeping behind her left ear. She was holding a magazine close to her chest but she couldn't tell which one it was. Luna moved a strand of her dirty blonde hair behind her right hear as she kept staring at Draco.

"Mine was too. Me and Dad went to look for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks," she said, still smiling softly.

"C-Crumple- Did you manage to find any?" Draco asked as he hid his hands deep in his pockets, glancing at Hermione. He knew he probably just had to pretend to know what it was if he wanted her to leave at some point. Hermione had joined her hands behind her back, still embarrassed, leaning against the wall. She shared Draco's look and he gave her a strained and discreet smile, like he was apologizing.

"No," Luna sighed. "But we will eventually," she then said before she glanced at Hermione. It looked like she understood something, perhaps that she was interrupting something, and she looked at Draco again. "You should get some rest, you look tired," she said to him before she started to walk again, going past them.

Hermione and Draco stayed silent until she had left, and even a few seconds after, still feeling a bit unsettled.

"Who is she?" Hermione asked quietly. She didn't recall having ever met this girl. She was sure she wasn't a fourth year and she looked at Draco who shrugged as he approached her again.

"I've talked to her once last year, that's it. Her name's Luna Lovegood, she's a third year," he explained.

"She seems... nice," Hermione said, not knowing what to say about her.

"A bit weird, isn't she? But not so bad, I guess." Weird was the only word he thought was fitting her perfectly. "Everyone says she's crazy. They call her Loony Lovegood," he said and he looked at the end of the hallway again. "I already saw some of them laugh at her..."

Hermione kept looking at Draco for a few seconds before she looked at her hands as she played with the edges of his cloak.

"Did you ever make fun of her too?" Draco frowned a little, amused, as he looked at Hermione.

"What's this question? Why would I do that?" Hermione tilted her head with an expression clearly screaming "please".

"I saw you throwing snowballs at a first year with Crabbe and Goyle last year, just for the fun of it, so you tell me," she said and Draco smirked.

"That's when I was young and stupid."

"But you're a new man, now, aren't you? You wouldn't do that again, is that what you're saying?" She asked playfully and Draco tried not to laugh. He would do that again if he wanted to, it was funny.

"Who knows, I'm full of surprises," Draco replied and Hermione chuckled, shaking her head. "Besides, I wouldn't throw snowballs at her. Like I said, she's a nice girl, not mean with me..." He said more quietly. Hermione doubted Draco needed this kind of reason to bully other students. She was not ok with that but she had to accept the fact that she wouldn't be able to change this side of his personality like that. He was already making a lot of efforts, she thought, and it was enough for now. She didn't want him to become another person just because they were dating, even though there were things she wasn't agreeing with.

"Why would she be, besides the obvious reasons?" Draco smirked and poked his girlfriend in the ribs. She giggled as she got a bit closer and he passed his arms around her waist.

"She knows about me," he said and Hermione stopped laughing, raising her eyebrows. "Don't look at me like that, I didn't tell her!" Hermione smiled a little.

"I didn't say you did but... How do you know?"

"She told me. Very casually," Draco said, looking at the wall behind Hermione, lost in his head as he thought about the conversation they had had together near the Thestrals. "But she doesn't mind at all, so..."

"She won't tell anyone, right?" Hermione asked, passing her arms behind Draco's neck and he shook his head to answer.

"But, you know... I'm not sure she's got anyone to tell it to," he said.

And then, the next day, he had left the castle to go to the Shrieking Shack after having spent most of the day in the common room. He had gone to Snape's office for the potion, like he had done all week, and as he handed him the cup back, he had muttered a demand.

"Would you mind walking with me?"

He hadn't been able to stop himself and before he knew it, he was walking outside of the castle with his professor. They didn't really talk but they looked at each other before Draco entered the passage. They were both about to say something but it seemed like they had changed their mind and Draco went in, not looking behind him. He had walked in the long passage, tired. It seemed like it would never end, like he would never arrive at the house.

With Lupin, almost every cycle, it had seemed to be so much shorter. And finally, he went in. It had been really weird. Everything was the same, and at the same time, so different. He had sat on the mattress Lupin used to sleep on and he had looked around. He could make out some footprints that seemed to belong to a dog, some blood too. Lupin hadn't told him exactly what had happened the night they had fought, but he knew it was from that time. He also spotted a wrapper from one of Lupin's many chocolate bars. It was probably the worst thing.

Being back there, he could deal with it. But that wrapper was simply a proof that Lupin had been there with him for a while. That they had shared this place, shared things he wouldn't share with anyone else. And at the same time, he felt like he had shared way more about himself than Lupin had ever done. Maybe because he had been too focused on himself to care at the time, or maybe because of what Snape had told him, maybe because Lupin had explained that it was true, in his last letter. That Draco was right, but that it was true.

And he had felt like he had been missing on so many things, on so many conversations they could have had. Real conversation, not simple letters. And there, in the Shrieking Shack, he suddenly craved his presence. Way more than he had when Moody had made his entrance in the castle, way more than he had during the summer, way more than he had the day after Lupin had left. Because he had had the time to get used to his absence, he had had the time to get used to the feeling that had grown inside of him because of his absence. And realizing that he would probably always feel like that was worse than realizing he was alone in the hospital because his friend had left him.

But he didn't talk about it to Pansy, to Snape or to Hermione. He came back in class two days later, after having slept in the hospital most of the time and he had acted like everything was fine. And when Hermione had checked on him, he had told her that he was feeling fine. He had acted like the new injuries on his skin weren't existing and he had smiled at her. Because she didn't deserve to be worried all the time because of him, and he probably didn't deserve so much attention. He thought that she was better off worrying for her classes instead, because they had way more work than the year before.

And there he was again, at the end of October, waking up in that place, on the old mattress. He felt like staying there for a while. He didn't want to walk in the castle, hoping no one would cross his path. He didn't really want to go to the hospital wing to sleep during hours, to waste his time there because he was exhausted. He didn't want that smelly mixture on the wound he had on his chest and he didn't want to think about the night he would spend in the common room to catch up on his work. But he stood up anyway and he got dressed before he left the Shrieking Shack.

He emerged from the passage way later. The light coming from the sun made him close his eyes. He was used to the darkness of the passage and he blinked a few times before looking around. No one there. He slowly got out, wincing as he felt the cut on his chest burning him. But it wasn't as bad as the ones he had got in the Forest before the summer. He looked up at the castle. He just needed to walk a little bit more and he would be able to rest...

As he got closer, he could make out the front steps and, sitting on them, someone. He narrowed his eyes before he checked that his shirt was totally buttoned. He had his tie in his hands as well as his sweater and he didn't know if he should put it on. But the blood on his skin was dry and his shirt wasn't dirty, so he let it go as he recognized the blonde girl. He sighed.

She seemed to be busy with some small rocks. Draco raised an eyebrow and she looked up as he approached. She tilted her head.

"Good morning, Draco," she said. He nodded, not exactly in the mood to talk. "Long night?" And he shrugged as he glanced at her hands once in front of her. She was painting with a thin paintbrush. Some water was next to her in a small bowl, as well as her colors. "Why don't you sit down?" She asked, still staring at him. He met her eyes and cleared his throat before he glanced at the castle.

"What are you doing here this early?" He asked, still looking at the open doors.

"I'm painting," she simply said, stating the obvious, as she focused on her rocks again. Draco glanced at them. They were next to her, some were totally clean and some had different colors on them, but he couldn't tell what were the drawings just yet. So, he approached a bit more and felt like sitting was actually a good idea, his head was spinning because of the tiredness. He took one of the rocks she had painted and looked at it for a few seconds, recognizing a unicorn.

"It's... well done," he simply said as he placed the rock on the step again before she looked at the one she was actually painting. It was a dark sky with stars and, apparently, she was doing the moon.

"Thank you, that's very nice of you to say," she said and Draco smiled a little. She had paint all over her hands and she looked at what she was doing for a while. "You can try, if you want," she added as she took one of the clean rock and handed it to him.

"I'm not... really..." He said hesitantly, looking at the rock.

"It's alright, you don't have to. But here, keep it," she said and again, he smiled a little as he took the rock.

"You're everywhere I go, aren't you?" He then said.

"Maybe it's you," she said conversationally, "Maybe you are everywhere I go. But it's fine, I don't mind." Draco almost let out a "a chance you aren't, then" but he wondered if she would get the sarcasm. Instead, he chuckled and looked at his rock before he glanced at the colors next to him.

"Maybe it's me, yeah..."

And that was it for a moment. He didn't know what to tell her, because he wasn't sure he wanted to talk to her.

"Dad likes when I paint. He lets me paint everywhere in the house," she explained. "How is your house?"

Draco looked down at the rocks for a moment and wondered if there were as many colors as there was on those stones in her house. She was living in another world but had proven that she could understand him in a few different ways. Maybe that's why he was so uncomfortable when she was around.

"Big... Comfortable and big," he simply said after a few seconds of reflexion. There was a lot of windows, so there was a lot of light but at the same time, it often seemed like a dark place. Maybe because of the decoration. But Draco liked that.

"So there must be plenty of space to paint," Luna said dreamily and Draco smirked as he glanced at her. Then, he moved one of his hand, dipping his pinky finger in the black paint before he took care of his rock. "You should paint what you like. Our home always makes Dad and me smile."

"I can't paint on the walls of the Manor," he said, smiling a little at the thought. But he had done it already. But it hadn't been paint, and it wasn't visible for anyone but himself. Well, also for his parents, obviously, but they weren't talking about it. Still, one day, when he had gone down there, he had seen some drawings that had been added on the wall by someone else, near his own stupid little drawings. He had recognized his mother's drawings of the stars, the constellations, but he didn't know if she was the one who had put them there. The next day, when he had come in the dinning room, his father had looked curiously at him and he understood, and he had been touched. No, they never talked about it, they didn't need to, but it had made Draco feel good and he was sure his father knew that. "I can't really paint anyway, I don't have the talent."

"You can do whatever you want if it pleases you," she said and Draco looked at her before rinsing his finger in the water, turning his rock over. He wiped his finger on his trousers before taking a second paintbrush that was next to Luna and he chose another color. "As long as it makes you feel good, why shouldn't you be choosing what to do? Mom always told me it was important to do what I like, whatever people might think."

Draco stopped what he was doing, turning his head to look at Luna. He examined her face for almost a minute. She didn't mind, she didn't even show that she had noticed and she kept painting.

It was easy for her to say. They weren't coming from the same environment and were clearly not leading the same kind of life. But he thought about how nice it would be if people knew everything. If he was free to do whatever he wanted because he would have nothing to lose anymore and he wouldn't be caring about what people might think anymore. He probably wouldn't be able to do too much, though, since the other students would probably want him out of the school and he wouldn't be able to go everywhere he wanted to. Few people were accepting werewolves around. But he wouldn't have to care about hiding his relationship, because he wouldn't mind what the other Slytherins might think, say or do to him. He wouldn't care about the influence Potter and Weasley might have on Hermione. Because he was often thinking about it, and he was often telling himself that they might try to pressure her to make her dump him or something. But he couldn't face this kind of things just yet.

They had been dating for four months but he didn't feel like he was ready. It wasn't because, like Potter had said, he was ashamed of his actions. And at the time, Scarhead was only speaking about them talking together. If he knew the truth...

No, Draco wasn't ashamed of dating Hermione. If anything, he had to be proud. She was incredibly smart, pretty, nice, understanding, supportive, curious, passionate... She was making him feel better about himself and had stolen his heart with a few "civilized conversation" and a few smiles. He could talk about her qualities for hours. And he could say that he wasn't ashamed, at least in his head. But he was too cowardly to tell anyone. And even that, Hermione understood.

"You're nice, Luna," Draco said and the girl finally looked at him, giving him a smile. It was a bit different than the ones she had already given him and he knew that she was somehow touched. Maybe because she didn't have any friends. Maybe because she wasn't used to hear that.

"And you're nicer than the first time we talked," she said. Draco chuckled and nodded before he focused on his rock again. They didn't talk anymore, they stayed silent and painted. Draco only spoke again once he was done with his rock.

"I really should go get some rest. You're right, I'm tired," he said, referring to the moment she had spoken to him in front of Hermione, a month before.

"Yes, you do look terrible," she said without even looking at him, still painting. Again, he wanted to laugh but he only smiled weakly before he handed her the rock.

"Here, take it back," he said. She took the time to rinse her paintbrush and put it next to her before she looked at the stone. "You can keep it. It's for you."

She took it between her colored fingers and examined what Draco had painted. He had done the opposite of her. A bright blue sky with no clouds and a shining sun.

"It's really nice of you," she said, smiling at him before she handed him her own rock. "And I think this is for you." He looked at the night sky she had painted, stared at the moon for a second before he accepted the gift and he stood up. "We should do this more often," she added, still looking at the rock he had given him. He didn't answer, he simply climbed the steps to go in the castle. During this time, Luna turned the rock over to discover what he had done with the black paint. Only two dots and a curved line, like the rock had eyes and was smiling at her.

                                                                              ○

Draco opened his eyes, taking a long breath as he blinked. He could hear someone talking next to him, not minding how loud, like they wanted to wake him up on purpose. He moved a little under the covers and when he tried to pull them to cover his head, he realized that they were stuck. He frowned and slowly turned his body, realizing than Pansy was almost laying on his mattress, right next to him.

She had taken a pillow from another bed and had settled herself there, apparently talking alone.

"What the hell?" Draco mumbled as he straightened a little, feeling the cut on his chest stinging a little.

"Morning, Sunshine," Pansy said as she smiled at him. Draco frowned and turned his head, looking at the windows. It didn't seem to be the morning at all. "I know, it's the evening... Professor Snape told me to come and get you," she said.

"Come and get me?" This was too much information for his still asleep brain.

"The other schools are arriving today, don't you remember? Big event and stuff... We spent the entire month preparing for it... Surprising," she said as she met his eyes and he narrowed them, not liking the way she was teasing him. She knew he had to take his time to clear his mind when waking up. And it was coming back to him. The evening before, he had told Snape that he wanted to be there for the feast when he went in his office to take the potion. Even if he was tired, he really wanted to be there and, a bit reluctantly, Snape had agreed. They already had to miss half the Double Potions class they had at the end of the day and apparently, Snape had let Pansy skip the whole class to come and make sure Draco would be there.

"So, let me get this straight... You came here and started talking alone in order to wake me up?" He asked as he sat properly.

"Well, I tried to wake you up but you wouldn't open your eyes," she said, her eyes slowly going down on his chest. He had his pajamas on but she could see the bands under his shirt. "I thought that I might as well talk to somebody who's listening... Even Madam Pomfrey stopped trying to make me shut up..." She explained, speaking a bit lower. Embarrassed, Draco put his pillow behind his back before leaning against it.

"I guess that makes sense..." He said, staring at Pansy, barely aware of what she had told him. She stopped looking at his chest and met his eyes again.

"I'm sorry..." She almost whispered. "Does it hurt really bad?" He shrugged.

"I've had worse, you know it."

She pursed her lips and they kept looking at each other for a few seconds before she decided it was enough. She turned her head, taking something on the bedside table.

"Here," she said as she handed him chocolate. He couldn't help but chuckle. She had done the same the month before. As well as during the summer. She had come at the Manor a few times, it had become something usual since their second year, and she had brought him chocolate every time, just like she had said she would before the holidays.

He took the chocolate, removed a part of the wrapper and cut it in half, sharing with his friend. "So, when did you tell dear Severus that I knew?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"Last night," Draco said before taking a bite of his chocolate. "I told him I wanted to be there for the feast, and not be stuck here... Can you imagine? He knows I've been waiting for this for months, since Father told me about the tournament. Didn't really want to let me out but I know how to make him agree," Draco said as he smirked. "So, anyway, I told him that maybe he could send you here, since he's giving Potions right now. Told him you knew, told him it was alright. Is there a problem with that?"

"Nah, not at all," Pansy said as she shrugged. "I was just curious. Does it mean you two are... Talking again?" Draco grimaced. Pansy had expected that. It was a rather sensitive subject.

"Kind of," Draco said as he shrugged again, clearly not wanting to talk about it too much. "We sorted a few things out, but I'm still mad. So he has to deal with it." 

"Alright, one last question," Pansy said and Draco sighed, looking at her as he bit in his chocolate again. "What the hell is this?"

He laughed again as he saw that she was taking the rock he had put on the bedside table.

"Don't touch that, it's a gift and it's mine," he said as he took it from her hands.

"From who? You don't have friends who would make you gifts like that," she said as she frowned a little. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"That's... Delicate, thank you," he said and Pansy chuckled.

"You know that's not what I mean. But... I don't see Crabbe or Goyle giving you this and you being so protective of it." Draco laughed quietly at the thought and he shook his head.

"I'm not telling," he said.

"Secret admirer, maybe? Don't tell me it's Granger?" Pansy said as she grimaced. Draco rolled his eyes.

"No, it's not Granger, Panse, why would she give me something like that? No, it's... kind of a new friend," he said.

"A new friend? And I don't know about this new friend?" Pansy asked, not liking being put aside. Draco was always telling her basically everything about everyone and the stuff that was happening in his life, even more since she knew his biggest secret.

"I said "kind of a new friend", I didn't say we were best pals, Panse. Don't worry, you're still number one in my heart. Don't get jealous over a rock," he said jokingly before he got up. He was still tired but definitely ready to see the other schools coming.

                                                                              ○

"Harry Potter."

They all looked at the boy. The Great Hall was silent, even if it had been filled by the cheers of the students a few seconds before.

Of course, he had to ruin it. He couldn't help it, could he? Pansy exchanged a disgusted look with Draco. They had had a really good time since the arrival of the other schools. The evening before, Durmstrang even sat with them and they both had the occasion to talk with Krum and some other students. Draco was very excited about it, after having seen him during the World Cup. And that day, as they were celebrating Halloween and discovering the name of the champions, Potter had to be chosen too. Obviously.

"He's a cheat," Pansy whispered as she shook her head and Draco kept staring at Potter. Next to him were Ron and Hermione, who were looking as taken aback as the rest of the school and Draco wondered if it was genuine. Surely, Potter would have talked about it to his best friends if he had planned on participating. A moment later, Hermione was pushing him to make him leave the table, Dumbledore calling him again. The celebrations didn't last as long as they should have, that night.

And during the next few days, Draco really tried hard not to make fun of him but he couldn't help it. He had to make some remarks, just to annoy him. He had noticed that he wasn't talking to Ron anymore and unfortunately, he was spending most of his time with Hermione because of that. Which meant Draco couldn't see her much anymore. Frustrated, he was taking it out on Harry. It was easy, natural, everyone was used to it. But he had to say, it was even funnier because everyone was sharing his opinion.

"Even Ron is ignoring him..." Hermione sighed after a few minutes already spent with Draco in the Clock Tower. "I can't believe it, he didn't ask for this."

"And still, he was chosen for the tournament. Seems like he really doesn't have any luck, does he?" Draco said sarcastically as he kept his eyes fixed on what he was doing. Hermione frowned a little.

"Come on, Draco. I know you think you are really funny when you mock him but don't tell me you truly believe he did this behind our backs?" Draco shrugged. "How could he possibly have done that? Dumbledore created the age line, he wouldn't have been able to put his name in the Goblet of Fire!"

"I don't know, maybe he found a way around it. He's apparently such a great wizard," he said, morose.

"I doubt it, frankly, even Fred and George couldn't."

"They tried with a stupid Aging Potion, of course it didn't work. You said yourself that it was stupid," Draco said as he rolled his eyes.

"What is it with you today?" Hermione asked. His mood was reminding her of the one he often had when a cycle was approaching but the thing was; the next full moon wasn't approaching yet. And she knew it wasn't just "today", he had been in a bad mood for quite some time now. And he wouldn't let her see what he was doing, she just knew he had bought a lot of badges and that he was working on them. He shrugged.

"There's nothing with me, it's just annoying, it's all."

"Is that all that there is, really?" Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes. He glanced at her and shrugged again.

"Yeah." This time, she raised an eyebrow.

"I can leave if I'm bothering you," she said shortly. Draco closed his eyes as he sighed before he leaned against the wall, shaking his head as he looked at the badge between his fingers.

"Nah, don't leave. I don't want you to. It's just... It's nothing... It's stupid."

"Why would it be?"

"Because you're going to make fun of me."

"Come on, I'm not going to make fun of you, why would I?" Hermione asked with a little smile. She was already reassured a little, in a way. It meant that she wasn't bothering him.

"It's... I can barely spend time with you because of all of this!" He finally let out, still staring at his badge as he felt his cheeks becoming a bit warmer. "It's unfair. Just because he doesn't have any friends... It doesn't mean he can keep you for himself..." He said, this time looking away. Hermione smiled a little and tried not to laugh. She didn't want to make fun of him, that wasn't the reason she was amused. "And when you're not with him, and that you're in the library, I can't even come and see you because we're never alone! When there's no other students, there's Krum and his fans. What's he doing there anyway? Doesn't seem like he reads a lot, that bloke... Even Potter's hanging out there with you now, because he doesn't want to be alone..." Draco mumbled. Hermione's smile became a bit bigger and it annoyed Draco when he glanced at her. "Don't-! It's not funny, I told you!"

"I don't think it’s funny, Draco!" Hermione said as she finally let out a little laugh. He frowned as he met her eyes, not convinced. Hermione smiled at him as she put her hand on his wrist. "I think it’s sweet, actually."

"There's nothing sweet about it, really," Draco said as he grimaced, looking away again. He couldn't even figure out exactly why he was so angry about all of this. He knew what jealousy was, of course, but he wasn't jealous of Potter, he was just really annoyed because he couldn't spend time with her. And in the end, maybe he was just angry at himself.

It was his fault if they were keeping their relationship secret. If he could bring himself to show everyone what he was feeling, it wouldn't have to be this way. But he wanted to put the blame on everything but himself. On Potter, because the only friend he got left was Hermione, on Viktor because he had all those students following him around and they were in the library every time Hermione was there. But he would never claim that it was because he was too cowardly.

"It's ridiculous."

"It's not, trust me... I've been wanting to spend more time with you too. It's difficult, I know, there's a lot going on..."

"Why don't you do your homework here with me?" He asked, looking at her again as he straightened up a little. "You're not forced to spend your time in the library, you could do it here. You told me that those girls were annoying anyway, because they make noise and they really are ridiculous. Come here instead... Come on," Draco said and Hermione couldn't help but slowly run her fingers trough his hair, near his ear, before moving her hand down on his cheek. Draco pouted and crossed his arms as he turned his head to make her stop. "I guess that's a no, then."

"Don't be like that... It will change, but I can't spend my time here... I'm trying to help Harry figure out what the first task will be and he needs to be prepared. It's dangerous, people died in this tournament."

"Yeah, well, if you want my opinion, he's not going to last more than ten minutes. And so my father thinks. Actually, he thinks he's not going to last five. Can't wait to see that happen," he mumbled.

"Draco..."

"I bet he's liking the attention... He's already in the paper," he kept on going, taking the newspaper that was next to him without even looking at it, letting it fall in front of Hermione.

"Stop that," Hermione said reproachfully. "I told you, he didn't ask for it." Draco rolled his eyes, still not looking at her. Hermione sighed. "I want to spend more time with you too, Draco, but... You know how it is. If you want it to stay secret, we will have to manage," she muttered. Draco looked down. Even if he was trying not to think about it, he knew that it was also a lot of pressure on Hermione's shoulders. She was lying to her friends, they were acting like nothing was going on, taking their friends for fools, and they were hiding. They couldn't even talk to each other in public, not look at each other or smile at each other.

"I hope they will get over it soon," he said quietly.

"You only say that for yourself, not because you care about their friendship," Hermione noted with a sad smile.

"Why would I care about them when I only care about you?" Draco let out without thinking, staring at the badge he was still making turn between his fingers. Hermione blinked and opened her mouth but he kept on going. "I don't need you to tell me I'm selfish," Draco said and Hermione pursed her lips. "I know I am," he added as he shrugged. Like his father had said, they were all selfish, in a way. "But I want that for us, not only for me, in the end. What is so wrong about that?"

He frowned, trying himself to find the right answer to this question in his head. Hermione didn't say anything but after a few seconds of silence, he felt her hand on his and he couldn't help but interlace their fingers, even if he was annoyed. They both pressed their hands to reassure each other and finally, Draco looked at her.

"I'm sorry... I'm just tired, I'm..." He said before he looked down. "You know I'm not ready for that yet. And I shouldn't complain because it's my fault..."

"It's fine, I guess, I'm used to hear people complaining. When it's not you, it's Harry and when it's not him, it's Ron." Draco grimaced, not liking the comparison. But she was right, they were all giving her a hard time. They stayed silent for a few seconds as Draco looked down again. He didn't really have the right to complain to her about that and he knew it, but he couldn't help it. "It's just... Harder than we thought it would be. But look at us... I know, you might say it's only been four months... And at the same time, yeah, it's been four months. And we're still here, and it's sad we're not able to see each other somewhere else but... We're still here, together."

Their eyes met again and Hermione gave him a sad smile. Draco didn't really react, he just looked at her for a moment before turning his head again.

"I'm sorry..." He repeated and Hermione smiled, sitting closer to him. She leaned against him, letting her head rest against his shoulder.

"It's alright. I understand, you know. I feel the same way..." She said more quietly. "I only have friendships at stake, if I think about it, but... Those are precious and I don't want to lose them. Even if you have more to lose... I understand." Draco sighed.

"Did you really need to choose me? Over all the students? Look at you now, hiding, lying to your friends, going out with the guy they hate... Must be so much pressure. I hide it to keep... privileges..." He almost whispered. Even if she hadn't said it, he wanted to say that she was right, that he was selfish. He didn't want to risk losing his friends, he didn't want to risk having almost his whole House hating him, he didn't want to be treated like Theodore was treated, like she had been treated in the past... by him.

He didn't feel like it was right. He felt like he was hurting her more than anything. Like Potter had said. Even if the cause of the problem wasn't shame, but cowardice, in the end, he was hurting her in the process. He wanted to apologize again but before he could, he heard her whisper.

"You really are an idiot," she said before she raised her head, looking at him. Draco turned his head and met her eyes, narrowing his own a little. "I didn't choose you. It doesn't work that way or... I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have chosen me." He felt her grip on his hand becoming a bit tighter but he didn't react, he kept staring. "It just happened. And... I'm glad it did, I'm glad it's still happening and I don't want it to stop... So what if we need to work hard to make it work? Isn't it worth it? I think it is."