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onebadassunicorn · 4 days ago

Text

All I Want Is You

pairing: Azriel x Reader

content warnings: pure fluff and SMUT (18+), light bondage

word count: 4.5k

Taglist: @firefly-forest @salvatoresister1 @daughterofthemoons-stuff @batboyslutt @tiredsleepyhead

Read previous chapters here:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

******

Chapter 5

Azriel POV

Weeks after Y/n and Ella Bear had settled into Azriel’s townhouse and the mating ceremony was complete, the Shadowsinger had something special planned. The winter chill had begun to lift, and Velaris was bathed in the soft light of early spring. Azriel had been secretive about the surprise, giving Y/n no hints beyond a cryptic smile and the assurance that she would love it.

“Just trust me, baby,” he said softly that morning, kissing her forehead as he bundled up Ella Bear in her favorite coat and her tiny boots. Y/n, curious but willing to follow his lead, held Ella Bear as Azriel wrapped his arms around his girls and flew them to their destination.

When they landed, the air was crisp and fresh, and the faint scent of blooming flowers filled the air. Y/n gasped softly. Before them stood a picturesque cottage nestled in a meadow at the edge of a forest. The stone facade was charming and warm, with ivy climbing up one side and a thatched roof that made it look like it belonged in a dream. A small stream ran along the property, its gentle babble adding to the serenity of the scene.

“Az,” she whispered, her green eyes wide as she looked up at him. “What is this?”

Azriel smiled, his hazel eyes filled with warmth. He squeezed her hand gently, his wings rustling behind him. “It’s ours,” he said simply.

“Ours?” Her voice trembled as realization dawned.

He nodded, his gaze soft but steady. “I bought it for us. For you, me, and Ella Bear. I wanted us to have a place that was truly ours—a home where we could build a life together.”

Her breath hitched, her hand flying to her mouth as tears filled her eyes. “Az, I—”

Before she could finish, Ella Bear’s excited voice cut through the moment. “It’s so pretty!” she exclaimed, tugging at her father’s hand. “Can we go inside, Daddy?”

Azriel chuckled softly, crouching down to pick her up. “Of course, Ella Bear,” he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Let’s see your new home.”

With Y/n still wiping tears from her cheeks, Azriel led them inside. The interior of the cottage was cozy and inviting, with warm wooden beams, a stone fireplace, and soft rugs scattered across the floors. The scent of fresh wood and faint traces of lavender lingered in the air.

“Azriel, this is…” Y/n trailed off, her voice breaking as she looked around.

“Come with me,” Azriel said, taking her hand again. He guided her and Ella Bear down a short hallway to a door that was slightly ajar.

He set Ella Bear back on her feet and when he pushed the door open, Y'n's heart nearly stopped. The room was painted in soft pastel colors, and every surface was adorned with toys, books, and tiny decorations that screamed joy and childhood wonder. A plush bed with a dragon-shaped pillow sat against the far wall, and shelves were lined with everything a child could ever want.

Ella Bear’s face lit up like the sun. “Is this… my room?” she squeaked, her voice filled with awe as she took in the space.

Azriel smiled, his chest tightening at her reaction. “It’s all yours,” he said softly. “Auntie Feyre and Auntie Mor helped me make it perfect for you.”

The little girl squealed with delight, running to the bed and climbing up, clutching her toy dragon tightly. “It’s the best room ever!” she declared, spinning around to look at everything.

Y/n turned to Azriel, her tears falling freely now. “You did all this?” she asked, her voice breaking.

He nodded, his gaze holding hers. “You and Ella Bear deserve the best,” he said simply. “I wanted this to be a place where we could start fresh—a home for our family.”

She stepped closer, her arms wrapping around his neck as she buried her face against his chest. “I love you,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I love you so much.”

Azriel held her tightly, his wings curling slightly around her in a protective embrace. “I love you too,” he murmured. He pulled back and pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss.

From her perch on the bed, Ella Bear giggled. “Mommy and Daddy are kissing again!”

Y/n laughed through her tears, pulling back just enough to look at him. “You’ve given us more than I ever dreamed of, Az. Thank you.”

Azriel smiled, brushing a tear from her cheek. “No thanks needed. You’re home now, Baby. Both of you. And that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

******

Azriel POV

Azriel and Y/n left Ella Bear happily playing in her new room, her laughter ringing out as she explored every toy and nook with unrestrained joy. Azriel turned to Y/n with a soft smile.

“Shall we see the rest of the house?” he asked, his voice low and warm.

She nodded, still wiping the lingering tears from her cheeks. “Lead the way,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion but laced with excitement.

Azriel guided her through the rest of the cottage, his wings rustling faintly as they walked. Every room was thoughtfully designed, the charm of the stone walls and wooden beams creating a cozy yet elegant atmosphere.

They came to a second room down the hall, its door slightly ajar. Azriel pushed it open, revealing a space bathed in soft light. It was simple yet welcoming, with a small bed, a sturdy dresser, and an empty bookshelf waiting to be filled. The neutral colors gave the room a sense of openness, as if it were waiting for its purpose.

“This is beautiful,” she said, running her hand along the frame of the bed. “It feels like it’s waiting for someone.”

Azriel stood behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist as he breathed her in before placing a kiss on the side of her neck. “It is,” he said softly. “If… we ever want to grow our family, there’s space here for more children. For siblings for Ella Bear.”

She turned to him, her green eyes wide with surprise. “You’ve thought about that?” she asked, her voice quiet.

He nodded, his gaze unwavering. “I’ve thought about everything, Y/n. I want more children with you, Baby. Perhaps a son that has my wings and his mother’s captivating green eyes.”

Her heart swelled at his words, and she reached up, cupping his cheek as she smiled. “You’re an incredible man, Azriel,” she said softly.

He leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead before taking her hand and leading her to the next room. The third bedroom was similar to the second, equally filled with potential. She lingered in the doorway, already envisioning what could be—a nursery, perhaps, or a room for another child to grow and dream.

Finally, Azriel guided her to the master bedroom. When he opened the door, she gasped softly. The room was grand yet cozy, with a large fireplace built into the stone wall and a massive four-poster bed draped with soft, inviting linens. A plush rug covered the wooden floor, and the warm light from the fireplace gave the room a golden glow.

“Azriel,” she whispered, stepping inside. “This is… perfect.”

He watched her with a quiet smile as she ran her fingers along the edge of the bed, her gaze taking in every detail—the intricate carvings on the wooden posts, the cozy seating area near the hearth, the soft curtains framing the windows that overlooked the meadow outside.

“I wanted this room to feel like us,” he said, his voice steady. “A place where we could retreat, where we could be together and build a life filled with love.”

She turned to him, her eyes shimmering with emotion. “You’ve thought of everything,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. “This is more than I ever dreamed of.”

Azriel stepped closer, his hands settling on her waist as he pulled her gently against him. “You’re my mate,” he said softly. “I’ve spent years imagining what our life could look like. Now that you’re here, I want to make all of it a reality.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks again, but she was smiling. “I love you,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“I love you too,” he murmured, leaning down to capture her lips in a soft, lingering kiss.

******

Azriel POV

Azriel stepped into the small but cozy cottage with the last box of their belongings, the scent of pine and freshly hewn wood filling the air. The fire crackled softly in the hearth, casting golden light over the simple furnishings and the little details Y/n had insisted on—embroidered cushions, delicate curtains, and a soft woven rug that their daughter had immediately sprawled out on as soon as they’d arrived. It wasn’t the grand River House or the sprawling House of Wind, but it was perfect. It was theirs.

Azriel glanced over at Y/n, who was standing near the hearth with their daughter in her arms. Her dark hair glowed in the firelight, and her eyes sparkled with the joy of this new beginning. He felt a pang in his chest, a feeling so full it almost hurt.

“Ready for bed, my little Ella Bear?” Azriel asked their daughter, his voice soft as he approached. She yawned dramatically, resting her head on Y/n’s shoulder with a sleepy smile.

“I’m not tired,” she mumbled, though her drooping eyes betrayed her.

Y/n chuckled and handed her over to Azriel. “Not tired at all, huh?” she teased, brushing a gentle kiss to their daughter’s forehead before stepping aside to let him take over.

Azriel carried her to the small bedroom Auntie Feyre and Auntie Mor had prepared just for her. The little bed was piled high with plush blankets and a stuffed dragon from Uncle Cassian she refused to sleep without.

Tucking her in, Azriel smoothed her dark hair away from her face, his shadows curling protectively around the edges of the room as if to guard her dreams. “Goodnight, my sweet Ella Bear. Daddy loves you.” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“I love you, Daddy,” she murmured, her tiny hand reaching for his as her eyes fluttered shut.

Azriel lingered for a moment, watching her chest rise and fall with each even breath, before silently slipping out of the room. He closed the door just enough to let a sliver of firelight peek in.

When he turned, Y/n was leaning against the doorframe of their own bedroom, her arms crossed and a soft smile playing on her lips. “She’s out like a light,” she whispered.

Azriel crossed the space between them, his hands sliding around her waist as he drew her close. “Our first night here,” he murmured, his voice low and rough. “Feels… surreal.”

She looked up at him, her hands resting on his chest. “Feels like home,” she replied, her voice just as soft.

He kissed her then, slow and deep, pouring everything he felt—love, gratitude, desire—into the connection. She melted against him, her fingers tangling in his hair as he guided her back into their new bedroom.

The bed was freshly made with crisp linen sheets.

It wouldn’t remain pristine for long.

He found himself pulling her into his arms, his lips crashing down on hers in a kiss that was both possessive and reverent. She responded eagerly, her hands tangling in his hair as she deepened the kiss, her body pressing against his with unspoken urgency.

When they finally broke apart, both were breathless, their chests rising and falling in sync. Her green eyes were dark with desire, and she took a step back, her hands moving to the ties of her robe. Slowly, deliberately, she let the fabric slide off her shoulders, pooling at her feet to reveal the lingerie she wore beneath—a delicate set of black lace that left little to the imagination.

Azriel’s gaze raked over her, his hunger palpable. “You’re breathtaking,” he murmured, his voice rough with need.

She smiled, a wicked curve of her lips, and reached for him again.

“Now it’s your turn,” she said, her fingers deftly working to rid him of his remaining clothes.

Once they were both bare, skin to skin, she led him to the bed, pushing him gently onto the soft surface. She climbed atop him, her thighs straddling his hips, and leaned down to kiss him again, her movements slow and deliberate. Her lips traced a path down his neck, her teeth grazing his skin in a way that made him groan.

But then she pulled away, leaving him aching for more, and reached for the tie from her robe.

She ran it lightly along his chest, watching his reaction with a predatory gleam in her eye. “Do you trust me?” she asked, her voice soft but firm.

Azriel’s breath hitched, but he nodded without hesitation. “With everything that I am.”

Her smile was blinding as she leaned down, her lips brushing against his ear. “Then let me take charge tonight.”

Slowly, meticulously, she began to bind his wrists with the silken rope, her gaze never leaving his. “You belong to me,” she whispered, her voice a caress against his skin. “And I belong to you.”

The words echoed in the stillness of the chamber, a truth neither of them could deny. As she worked, her hands moved with practiced ease, her touch both gentle and firm. When she finally stepped back, Azriel lay exposed, vulnerable in a way he had never allowed himself to be before.

Her fingers traced a slow, deliberate path down his chest, her nails grazing the firm planes of his muscles. Azriel’s breath hitched, his eyes darkening with desire as he watched her hand travel down further.

“You’re not going to get away so easily,” she murmured, her voice a sultry whisper that sent shivers down his spine. Her lips brushed against his ear, her warm breath ghosting over his skin. “I’m just getting started and we have all night.”

Her hand slid lower, and Azriel groaned, his hips involuntarily bucking forward as her hand found him, already hard and aching for release.

Fuck.

He could feel the heat pooling low in his spine, the tension coiling tighter with every stroke of her hand.

“Patience,” she teased, her voice dripping with amusement as she pulled her hand away, leaving him throbbing and wanting.

Azriel’s breath caught as her hands settled on his hips, her green eyes locking with his as she leaned in, her lips brushing against the tip of his cock. He wanted to tangle his fingers in her long black hair, but with his wrists bound, all he could do was lay back and watch as she slowly swirled her tongue around him in dizzying patterns and sucked him deep into her warm, wet mouth.

Holy Gods.

His head fell back, a low growl escaping his throat as pleasure shot through him like wildfire.

“Do you like this?” she purred, her voice a velvety caress. “Watching your cock disappear in my mouth?”

Azriel couldn’t form a coherent response, lost in the dual sensations of her mouth on him She took him deeper, her throat constricting around him in a way that threatened to undo him completely.

But then, suddenly, she pulled away, her lips glistening as she looked up at him with a wicked grin. “My turn,” she said, rising to her feet and pushing him back onto the bed.

Azriel barely had time to process what was happening before she straddled him. His gaze raked over her, drinking in the sight of her perfect breasts, the curve of her hips, the way her body seemed to glow in the fire light from the hearth.

“Gods baby, you're killing me,” he breathed, his voice rough with want.

Her smile was soft, almost shy, as she leaned down to kiss him, her lips lingering against his in a way that made his heart ache. But then she broke the kiss, shifting her weight so she could finally sink down onto him, her warmth enveloping him completely, Azriel thought he might lose his mind.

She rocked her hips, her pace agonizingly slow as she took him deep, her walls clenching around him. Her hands skimmed over body, cupping her breasts, pinching her nipples until she moaned, the sound sending a jolt of pleasure straight to Azriel’s cock.

Azriel’s hands itched to touch her but remained bound above his head. “So fucking gorgeous," he rasped as he drank in the sight of her riding him. "You feel… perfect,” he ground out, his voice strained with the effort of holding back. “Like you were made for me.”

Her breath hitched, her pace faltering for a moment as those words soak into her. Then she leaned down, capturing his lips in a searing kiss that left them both breathless.

Her hands moved lower, finding her clit and circling it in tight, maddening strokes. She cried out, her body trembling as pleasure surged through her, her walls tightening around Azriel in a way that nearly pushed him over the edge.

“That’s it, baby. Come on me,” Azriel urged, his voice a seductive command. “Let me feel you fall apart.”

She obeyed, her orgasm crashing over her in waves as she clenched around him, milking him as she rode out every last wave of ecstasy. Azriel groaned, his own climax ripping through him a moment later, spilling himself deep inside her.

******

Azriel POV

While he was still seated inside her, she leaned in, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispered, “There’s something I want to show you… something extraordinary. It’s a mating ceremony gift passed down from generations in our family. My brother gave it to me after our mating ceremony and I’ve been saving it for the perfect time. It’s… magical.”

Azriel’s eyes narrowed slightly, curiosity warring with the haze of pleasure clouding his mind. “Magical?” he echoed, his voice rough.

“Mmm,” She hummed, her fingers trailing along his jawline. “It enhances pleasure beyond anything you’ve ever felt. But it’s not for the faint of heart. Think you can handle it, Shadowsinger?”

Mother above.

Her confidence and cockiness in the bedroom was so fucking sexy.

Azriel’s eyes narrowed, his lips curved into a slow smile, though his heart pounded in anticipation. “Try me.”

She slid off of him, moving toward the nightstand where a small, ornate box sat. She opened it with a reverence that made Azriel’s curiosity spike. Inside was a delicate chain necklace with a pendant that glowed faintly, its light shifting between hues of violet and gold.

“This,” she said, lifting the necklace carefully, “is the Amulet of Adriata. It heightens sensation—every touch, every kiss, every whisper will feel like fire on your skin. And it binds your senses to mine. Whatever I feel, you feel. And vice versa.”

Azriel’s breath caught at the idea, his body already responding to the thought of being so intimately connected to her. “How does it work?”

She moved closer, the amulet dangling from her fingers. “I place it on you, and then…” She paused, her lips curving into a wicked smile. “You surrender to it. Completely.”

Her voice dropped to a sultry murmur. “Azriel, let me take you somewhere you’ve never been before.”

He could feel the weight of her gaze, the intensity of her desire reflecting his own. His voice was low, almost a growl.

“Do it.”

She stepped forward, the amulet glowing brighter as she lifted it over his head. The moment it touched his skin, a jolt of electric pleasure shot through him, making him gasp. His vision blurred momentarily, and when it cleared, everything felt… sharper. Every brush of air against his skin, every sound in the room, every scent—it all came into focus with overwhelming clarity.

But more than that, he could feel her.

Her excitement.

Her arousal.

Her anticipation.

It was as if her emotions were entwined with his own, threading through him like a second heartbeat.

Y/n’s breath hitched, her eyes widening slightly. “Oh…” she whispered, her hand coming up to rest on her chest. “I can feel you. Your… your hunger. And your restraint. Gods, Azriel, you’re holding back so much.” She climbed back over him, straddling him on the bed, lowering herself onto his cock.

He swallowed hard, his body trembling under the onslaught of sensations. “I don’t know if I can—”

“Let go, Az,” she interrupted, her voice firm but soft. “That’s what this is for. To let go.”

Her hands came up to cup his face, her thumbs brushing over his cheekbones. When she kissed him, it was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Her lips were soft, but the amulet amplified every movement, every press of her mouth against his. It was as if she wasn’t just kissing him—she was consuming him.

Her hands slid down his chest, her fingers dancing over his skin with a feather-light touch that sent sparks racing through him. He could feel her pleasure mingling with his own, the connection between them deepening with every passing moment.

When she finally pulled away, her breathing was ragged, her eyes dark with desire. “Now,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Touch me.”

She untied his wrists and Azriel didn’t hesitate. His hands found her hips, rocking her against him as he pushed and pulled her over his cock. He slid one hand down between her legs and began to slowly circle his thumb on her clit as his cock continued to rock inside of her. The moment his hands made contact, a shudder ran through both of them, their connection flaring bright and hot.

She moaned softly, her body arching into his touch. “Gods, Azriel…”

He could feel every tremor of her body, every hitch of her breath, every beat of her heart. It was intoxicating.

Overwhelming.

And yet, he wanted more.

He sat up on the bed as she sat straddled his lap, chest to chest, and continued to rock her hips, her hands tangled in his hair, her nails scraping against his scalp as she pulled him closer. “More,” she gasped, her voice raw with need. “Please, Azriel, more.”

His control shattered. With a growl, he grabbed her ass and stood up, wrapping her legs around his waist and walked her backwards to the wall, pressing her against it as his arms slid under her thighs, sliding her up and down on his cock.

The amulet pulsed with each touch, each kiss, each whispered plea, binding them together in a web of sensation that left no room for thought, only feeling. Azriel lost himself in her, in the way her body moved against his, in the way her pleasure became his own.

The bond between them flared brightly, and Azriel could feel her climax building, echoing within him.

When it finally hit, it was explosive. She shuddered, her body convulsing as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her. Azriel followed her over the edge, his own release spilling into her as the bond between them surged with blinding intensity.

For a moment, they stayed like that, caught in the aftermath, their bodies pressed together against the wall as they struggled to catch their breath. He lowered his head to the crook of her neck and planted small, featherlight kisses on her soft skin.

And as the night stretched on, they explored every inch of each other, the amulet guiding them deeper and deeper into a world of ecstasy where nothing existed but the two of them and the fire that burned hot and bright between them.

******

Azriel POV

Afterward, as they lay tangled in the sheets, the moonlight streamed through the windows of their cottage, casting a soft glow across the room as Azriel lay in bed, Y/n nestled against his side. Her steady breathing brushed against his skin, and the faint scent of her filled the air, grounding him in a way nothing else ever could.

Azriel stared up at the ceiling, his hand trailing gently along the curve of her bare back.

The warmth of her body against his own was a sensation he would never take for granted. Not after centuries of believing he'd never deserve such a thing, let alone that the Mother would bless him with it.

With her.

She stirred slightly, her lips brushing against his chest as she murmured something unintelligible in her half-asleep state. A small smile curved his lips.

His mate.

His perfect match in every way.

Azriel's mind wandered back to the moments they'd just shared-raw, consuming, and electric. She was unlike anything he could have imagined: fierce and yielding, soft yet demanding, and utterly unashamed to explore where his sexual appetites lingered. She didn't shy away from the intensity of his desire; she matched it with her own, meeting him thrust for thrust, touch for touch, until they both lost themselves in the heat and power of their connection.

He had always kept his deepest desires locked away, hidden behind the stoicism he was known for. Shadows were his domain, and secrets were his trade. Yet, she had unraveled him piece by piece, revealing not only the man beneath the warrior but the untamed hunger that had always burned within. And she hadn't run from it. She had embraced it, embraced him, with a fire that matched his own.

Azriel's shadows danced lightly around the room, as if celebrating the bond they shared. It wasn't just about the physical connection they had - though the physical was extraordinary. It was about how completely they understood each other, how seamlessly they fit. In every kiss, every whispered word, and every shared breath, they became one, losing themselves in each other only to emerge stronger.

He tightened his arm around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She shifted, her green eyes fluttering open, sleepy but curious. "What are you thinking about?" she murmured, her voice husky from sleep.

He gazed down at her, sliding his hand up from her back to her cheek, his thumb tracing the curve. "About how lucky I am," he said softly, his voice carrying the weight of his emotions. "To have you. To be yours. To be with someone who knows me so completely and... shares all of me."

A teasing smile curved her lips as she shifted to rest her chin on his chest. "All of you, huh?" she murmured, her fingers trailing down his torso, making him shiver. "Even the parts you used to think you had to hide?"

"Especially those parts," he replied, his voice dropping to a low rumble. His hand moved to cup her face, tilting her head up so he could look into her eyes. "You make me feel whole, baby. Like every part of me-light and dark— belongs with you."

Her gaze softened, and she leaned up to kiss him, slow and tender. "That's because you do," she whispered against his lips. "We're one, Azriel. Always."

He held her tightly, his heart full to bursting. As her warmth enveloped him once more, Azriel made a silent vow to himself and to the stars: to cherish her, to honor her, and to thank the Mother every day for this life-for this woman and this little girl.

His girls.

His whole world.

His everything.

Y/n rested her head on his chest, her fingers tracing idle patterns over his skin. “This is where we’re meant to be,” she whispered, her voice heavy with contentment and exhaustion.

Azriel pressed a kiss to her hair, his shadows still lingering around them as if unwilling to leave this sacred moment unprotected. “Yes,” he agreed, his voice no louder than a breath. “It’s perfect. You’re perfect. She’s perfect.”

As the firelight dimmed and sleep began to claim them, the quiet peace of their little cottage wrapped around them like a second blanket.

It wasn’t just a house.

It was home.

And it was everything Azriel had ever dreamed of.

The end.

#azriel acotar #azriel shadowsinger #azriel spymaster #azriel x reader #azriel fanfic #azriel fanfiction #acotar #azriel #acotar fanfiction

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thisblogisaboutabook · 10 months ago

Text

Rainy Season - Part 5

I Want Crazy

Azriel Eris x Reader

After a promotion to an emissary position by a meddling Tarquin, Y/N and Eris get much, much closer.

A/n: There will likely only be a couple more chapters of this fic. For those of you concerned by the previous chapter, please continue to trust the process. Our girl is intelligent.

Part 4 Part 6

Warnings: Language, brief mention of fertility struggles

Our first date, the seasons changed. It got washed away in a summer rain

He wasn’t what I expected, Eris Vanserra. Not that I ever fathomed what to expect or even considered it. In fact there was only a very short list of things I knew prior to the day we met:

-He was a High Lord.

-He’d been a secretive ally of the Night Court prior to his father’s demise.

-Azriel fucking hated him.

And after that day I knew everything I needed to:

-He was warm beyond the fire in his veins

-He was a just ruler

-He had a dry wit that sat well with my soul.

-I wanted to see him again.

After dancing that night, we ran back to Tarquin’s palace in the rain. It was the first time I’d been unable to contain my joy in far too long. I laughed, and skipped, and spun in circles the whole way back. Eris grumbled the entire way but I could see the amusement lit in his eyes. The next morning he met me for breakfast and found me again before he left for the Autumn Court.

He began finding reasons to visit the Summer Court more frequently and sought me out every time. It was no time before Eris became a close friend.

Tarquin - ever the cheeky, wonderful bastard - only gave me knowing smiles when he’d catch us walking the palace grounds. According to Cresseida, The High Lord of the Summer Court was quite the romantic and had a knack for playing matchmaker. I was inclined to agree considering that after a month of spotting Eris and I around the grounds, Tarquin made a proposition to me. I could still teach my classes but he needed a temporary emissary to the Autumn court as they negotiated border, trade, and tariff agreements. Given my recent closeness with the High Lord of Autumn and overall wonderful (debatable) disposition, he found me to be the perfect candidate. With that, I found myself on official court business in the Autumn Court.

Who cares if you’re all I think about?

I was nervous on the first visit to Autumn. I knew things were different under Eris’ reign but the stories of Beron’s cruelty within his own keep were enough to warrant a bit of caution.

My worries were quickly cast aside when Eris personally escorted me from the border and to his keep. The Autumn Court was stunning. The leaves on the trees were brighter than I’d ever seen. The hues ranging from gold to red absolutely stunning. I’d love to have Feyre one day paint it for me.

Smells of roasting chestnuts, hickory smoke, crisp leaves, apple cider, and autumn air filled my nose. On the way, Eris stopped by a small farm where the owner allowed us to pick what Eris called the finest Honeycrisp apples in all of Prythian. I’d never had that variety before and though I had nothing to compare them against, the apples had the perfect crunch and just the right ratio of tart and sweet. He paid the farmer handsomely for a bucket of them and several pie pumpkins for his kitchens.

The Autumn Keep was far from the drab stone castle that I’d pictured. Eris clearly went to great strides to ensure the ghost of Beron Vanserra had no hold here. The grand rooms were filled with maple accents, rugs and tapestries with hues greens, golds, oranges and reds. Fires roared in massive fireplaces and autumnal spices filled the air.

And despite the beauty of the keep. I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes off of the tall, handsome redhead walking alongside me.

Once I was settled for the stay, we did meet to discuss political matters which took countless hours, but I was rather impressed with the ease of our negotiations. He and Tarquin had similar visions for the economic future within their courts.

We enjoyed dinner together, indulged in autumnal wines, including a hot mulled wine that flushed my cheeks. Or so I told Eris that was the reason for the blush on my features, and certainly not the way way he’d refer to me as “my lady” or “little fox.”

We’d stayed up late, sitting by a bon fire outside beneath the Autumn Skies. There was music and dancing, spiked ciders, and caramel apples. I could see why Eris loves his court.

We, of course, kept respectful distance from eachother as not to spark any gossip of anything more than friendship between he and I. Yet somehow, hours later, we found ourselves in a private courtyard - a small fire burning as we lay back on a blanket together. I began to shiver as the evening chill grew cooler. As I went to bid Eris goodnight and head for the warmth within Castle Walls, he halted me.

“Come here” he spoke. His voice low.

I scooted a bit closer.

“Come closer, little fox. I won’t bite.”

He refrained from adding “unless you ask me to” but that was readable enough in his heavy lidded gaze.

So I laid beside him, my head nestled between his chest and shoulder as his heat warmed my body. I showed him various constellations that I’d learned of during my time in the Night Court and he did a terrible job of visualizing them. He tried though. He told me how he used to wish on shooting stars, how he still found himself occasionally wishing upon them. I teared up when he told me of the wishes he’d made back then for his mother and Lucien, for himself, to one day escape Beron’s cruelty. For a better life. A better Court.

When we saw a shooting star later, he made a wish and told me it was bad luck to tell someone else the wish.

And I, despite everything that had turned upside down in life, found myself struggling to ask for anything more than what I had in that moment.

When we finally said goodnight I realized his own suite was right next to the one he had set me up in.

I woke in a sweat sometime hours before dawn. Pain ripping through my chest. Azriel once again pulling on the fucking bond with no regard for the feelings of despair he was shoving to me. This time was worse than usual, the waves of grief continuing to grow stronger and stronger all the time. It wasn’t fair. I didn’t deserve this. This was a bed of his own making and yet I still had to suffer beyond what I’d already been through. Sleeping through it was futile and the room’s darkness began to suffocate me.

I padded from my room to a common area outside of the suites, sat before the fireplace and worked on breathing through it.

Though I tried my best to remain quiet, Eris apparently had a sharp sense of hearing as he wandered into the room, seating himself on the floor beside me. If I hadn’t been in such a sorry state, perhaps I would have noticed the low slung gray sweatpants and broad muscled chest of the half-naked High Lord- no, friend - beside me.

He took my hand. “Hey, fox, look at me.” I lifted my gaze to his. “You’ve got this. Breathe for me.” I took a shallow breath. “Can you breathe deeper for me, little one?” He placed a hand on my shoulder while the other remained on my hand. I took a deeper breath and let it out slowly.

“Good girl.”

Eris sat with me in silence on a plush couch once my breathing steadied. Still too worked up to fall back asleep, I nestled myself against Eris’ chest while his fingers ran through my hair in soothing, repetitive strokes.

It was hours later that I awoke, finding that I’d fallen asleep on him. I tried shifting away slowly but a sleeping Eris only held his arm around me tighter as I pulled. We slept like that a while longer.

The rest of the trip went by uneventfully. We discussed further trade options and Eris spent the evenings working with me on how to close off the bond to Azriel’s feelings. While I was already excellent at shutting down sending my feelings down the bond, cutting off his feelings was what I needed help with. By the end of the stay I could only feel his emotions slightly.

I expressed my gratitude to Eris who only waived off my thanks. “Anyone would have done it.” Yet he was the only one who tried. What I didn’t tell Eris was that as Azriel’s end of the bond silenced and the depths of my soul went from overflowing to filled with contentment, my thoughts began drifting to happier things, drifted to him.

Front porch and one more kiss. It doesn't make sense to anybody else.

The fifth month after I left, my grandparents held an outdoor feast for our family and friends in celebration of a holiday of one of the lesser Summer gods they worshipped.

It was far from a religious event. There was always wine, dancing, and lively conversation at these celebrations with none of the boring sermons that typically came with such events.

I invited Eris, and to my delight he came. My drunken sister made plenty of comments over how pretty of a pair of “friends” we made, with overemphasis on the word. My sweet, protective nephew took to Eris right away, deciding that after what Azriel put me through, anyone was better than him. He had no tolerance for cheating or sympathy for adulterers from the time he was old enough to understand what it meant and that his father had cheated on my sister during her pregnancy (real stand up guy) though my sister was so far out of his league that he’d have to reach the stars to find someone better. Obviously she’d left him immediately and she and my nephew were better off for it.

My family tried their best and failed miserably to act normal with the High Lord of the Autumn Court in their presence. Fortunately, Eris paid no mind and had won everyone over by the end of the night.

Despite his aversion to the sand, Eris accepted my invitation to camp on the beach so we could enjoy my favorite part of the night, the fireworks shooting off over the bay.

As the finale approached, I pouted.

“I hate when they end.”

Gesturing toward himself, Eris replied. “It’s a good thing you have a High Lord at your disposal to light up the night any time you wish.”

Before I could reprimand him for the crude comment, he began shooting small orbs of fire toward the water in a rainbow of colors.

My eyes sparkled watching the vibrant flares. Soon enough the orbs into butterflies of fire flying through the air, some circling around me. One brushed my cheek and there was no pain, just a gentle flutter.

“That’s… Just wow, that’s incredible, Eris!”

He gave a shrug of nonchalance in return.

“I bet you do that for all the ladies, don’t you?”

Eris looked me in the eyes, something unreadable in them.

“Only the ones I want to kiss.”

A moment passed before I realized that he was entirely serious.

And that I WANTED to kiss him.

So I did.

We kissed under the stars. It was a hard, passionate kiss, our shared breaths riddled with desperation, a profession of the unspoken words between us, “I’ve been waiting for this.”

And when we eventually pulled apart, I looked into his eyes with a smile, genuine, full of adoration, and Eris gently grasped the back of my head, pulling me into another searing kiss.

We shared many more before dawn.

You can’t undo a fall like this.

When Eris returned to the Autumn Court, I tried feeling any remorse for what we’d done. I was technically still a mated female, though I’d left and due to Azriel’s infidelity nobody expected me to honor the bond.

The guilt never came.

Eris had to travel so I wasn’t able to see him for the next couple weeks but we wrote back and forth often through enchanted notes. Curiosity or concern must have gotten the best of him because eventually he asked:

“Do you regret it?”

I knew exactly what he referred to.

“I regret many things, Eris. None of which pertain to you.”

I sent the letter to him with confidence. I did not regret a single thing about the night our lips collided on the beach.

“Thank the Mother, because I need to kiss you again.”

Heat radiated through me at his admission.

But then reality struck. He was the High Lord of the Autumn Court. I was the - separated, yes, but still - the mate of the Night Court’s Spymaster.

“Eris, I love spending time with you and will never regret it. You’ve helped me heal in ways I will never be able to repay you for. But this… how can this work? It’s messy.”

I sent the letter. My own heart crushing at the words. I didn’t want this to end but I couldn’t risk it going further just for reality to come crashing down on us.

Some time passed, the unease in my gut growing when his response appeared.

“If I wanted easy, I’d have married the daughter of some Autumn Lord. Nothing about my past has been easy and despite what some may believe, nothing worth having has come easily to me. Every second spent with you is worth it. Do not, Y/N, doubt that for one single moment. And perhaps this is crazy, but I would not want it any other way.”

It was that moment that I knew I wanted, I needed Eris as more than a friend.

“Then let’s be crazy, Eris Vanserra.”

I don't want "good" and I don't want "good enough"

The thing about immortality is that six months can bring more change than six decades or even centuries.

Six months ago I would have never dreamed that my mate would take the life we’d built over the years and tear it into shreds with those once sacred, beautiful scarred hands that I held reverently. The hands that placed the lovely mating band crafted from one of his own siphons on my finger after he’d made his vows, the hands that lovingly caressed my bare thighs through restless nights until sleep took me, hands that held me pressed to his chest and wiped away the tears of grief after yet another failed fertility cycle.

Those hands that held another and damned it all, the hands that came home and stroked my hair as pretty lies fell from his mouth, the hands that took my glass heart and dropped it.

I especially wouldn’t have dreamed that six months later I would be laying in the bed of the High Lord of the Autumn Court with his strong, warm hands holding me like this heart of mine that he’d forged anew was the most delicate, precious possession in his keep.

I want "can't sleep, can't breathe without your love"

We’d spent the night together making love. The kind of love making that shifts something intrinsic within a person, the type where no matter what happens, a piece of you is forever changed. It was more than just giving my body to him, it was a claiming of the soul.

We lay in bed all morning, his long fingers tracing along the arch of my bare back as he pressed soft kisses along my shoulder and neck. Between kisses, his low voice whispered quiet hopes and dreams for the future.

I was just about to speak those three words that I’d only ever spoken to one other male when a loud knock came on the chamber door.

“For fuck’s sake” Eris muttered before shouting “Come back later!”

“We apologize, High Lord but this is urgent.” a muffled male voice replied through the closed door.

Eris growled, shifting out of bed and throwing on his sweatpants not bothering with a shirt. I enjoyed the view.

“This better be worth my while, lads.” Eris hissed in a tone that conveyed “I’m very fucking inconvenienced right now but understand that you are doing your duty as my sentries.”

“Apologies again, High Lord, but we’ve….”

The male outside the door cleared his throat in attempt to communicate that the matter should be discussed privately.

“It’s fine.” Eris grumbled. “Just get on with it.”

“We, well, High Lord, we’ve apprehended the Shadowsinger. He was making an attempt to infiltrate the keep.”

———————————

@going-through-shit @kalulakunundrum @lisanna2000 @fxckmiup @sheblogs @emryb @one-big-fangirl @historygeekqueen @isa1b2h3 @bigcreatorwombatdreamer @theravenphoenix26 @sidthedollface2 @i-am-infinite @caraaaaugh @evergreenlark @darkbloodsly @piceous21 @anxious-study @chessebookgirl @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @crazylokonugget @mysticalfuncollectorus @starsinyourseyes @b0xerdancer-writes @inloveallthetime @thegirlinshadows101 @viistrength @grunchwench @starryhiraeth @macimads @feiwelinchen @acourtofbatboydreams @nebarious

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moon-lit-petal · 2 months ago

Text

Believe Me

Neville Longbottom x Fem!Beauxbatons!Reader

Summary: 5 times Dean and Seamus don't believe Neville and the time He proved them wrong.

Warning: not proof read, possibly not so nice friends, Neville being totally in love.

Word Count: 5k

Notes: this takes place when they are much older, I'd like to think that moldy V doesn't exist and the triwizard tournament happens much later in their hogwarts career :) I tried to keep it as ambiguous

----------

The Gryffindor common room was a cozy haven, illuminated by the flickering flames of the fireplace that cast warm shadows on the maroon and gold walls. A rowdy bunch of Gryffindors lounged comfortably on the oversized sofas, laughter and chatter filling the air as they reminisced about their latest escapades at Hogwarts.

"Honestly," Ron said, a frown spreading across his face, "I don’t know what’s worse—having a crush or trying to figure out what to say when you actually talk to them!"

Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "Tell me about it. I thought I was doing well with Cho until I accidentally called her 'Hermione' in the middle of a conversation!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, a playful smirk on her lips. "That’s not going to help your case, Harry."

The boys erupted into laughter, the sound bouncing off the stone walls. Dean leaned back, his arms behind his head, a hint of frustration in his voice. "I can’t even get a proper conversation going. It’s like every time I try to flirt, I end up sounding like a complete idiot."

Seamus snickered. "Remember when you tried to impress that girl from Slytherin with your 'amazing' Quidditch skills? You barely made it through the first sentence!"

"That was one time!" Dean retorted, though he couldn’t suppress a sheepish grin.

Just then, Neville spoke up with hesitant confidence.

"I mean, dating isn't that hard when you're with the right person."

The room fell silent, a few eyebrows raised in curiosity. Ron snorted, breaking the stillness. "No offense, Neville, but what do you know about dating? You've never had a girlfriend before, right?"

With a half-hearted shrug and a giddy smile, he looks at his friends. “Well actually, I've been dating this girl for a little while now.”

"Wait, who is she?" Harry asked, genuinely curious.

"She’s from Beauxbatons!" Neville said, his voice gaining confidence. "Her name is Y/N. She’s really nice, we met over the summer when she was visiting some family”"

Seamus squinted skeptically. "A Beauxbatons girl? Come on, Neville, that sounds a bit too good to be true."

Hermione frowned, clearly disapproving of the boys’ reactions. "Guys, come on you shouldn't just dismiss him, I'm sure she's a nice girl Neville." She gave him a small smile, Neville could tell she too, didn't believe him

Ginny crossed her arms and chimed in. "Exactly. Just because you lot can’t seem to get dates doesn’t mean you should tear him down."

Ron raised his hands in mock surrender. "I’m not tearing him down! I’m just saying it’s hard to believe. Neville and a girl from Beauxbatons?"

Neville’s face turned a shade of crimson. "I’m serious! We’ve been writing to each other, and she even sent me a few drawings, she does portraits and sent one shed done of herself"

Laughter erupted around the room, the sound mingling with Neville’s embarrassed smile.

Hermione’s expression softened. "That sounds just lovely Neville. Maybe you could show us next time?"

Neville blushed even deeper. "I’m planning to! Well, I was… but they fell in the black lake the other day and got ruined..”

Seamus grinned. "Well, that's just a bloody shame, isn't it?”

"I swear! I'm not lying!!" Neville replied, sounding both desperate for someone to believe him and annoyed they would think he'd lie about something like this, to begin with.

Ginny smirked. "It's ok Neville, we believe you really."

The boys continued their good-natured teasing, but Hermione and Ginny shot them looks that conveyed they should ease off. Gradually, the teasing softened, and Hermione quickly sought to change the subject.

"So, what about that new potion Professor Snape was on about?" she suggested, her smile brightening, and at the mention of Professor Snape everyone groaned out a whine.

The conversation shifted effortlessly as they delved into tales of misadventures in Potions class, leaving the topic of girlfriends behind, at least for the moment. Laughter filled the room once more, but Neville couldn’t help but shake his head at his friends. He knows they mean well, and as long as he knows he's telling the truth, then they'd eat their words eventually

----------

The greenhouses were buzzing with the sound of shovels scraping soil and the occasional screech from a particularly unruly Mandrake. Neville Longbottom, expertly handling a Venomous Tentacula with gloved hands, chatted absently with Ron as they worked together.

“I was talking to Y/N the other day,” Neville said, his tone casual as he patted down the soil around the plant. “She gave me some really good advice on how to deal with these sorts of plants. Apparently, they grow some massive ones in the Beauxbatons greenhouses.”

Ron looked up from his struggle with his own plant. “Oh yeah? Beauxbatons, right?”

Neville nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, she said they have this whole section dedicated to magical flora that we don’t even study here. She told me about this method they use to calm them down, so they don’t snap at you when you get close.”

Hermione overheard and looked over, curiosity piqued. “Really? I’d love to read up on that. Beauxbatons must have a fantastic Herbology program. Did she mention any specific techniques?”

Neville smiled. “Yeah, something about using lavender essence mixed with dragon dung fertilizer. It keeps them relaxed but still healthy. I’m thinking about trying it on one of the plants here.”

Ron gave him a sideways glance, his expression caught between amusement and doubt. “You’ve got an answer for everything these days, don’t you, Neville? Y/N’s always helping you out, eh?”

“Well, she knows a lot about Herbology,” Neville said earnestly. “We talk about plants all the time.”

Harry, busy with his own re-potting, chuckled softly. “Sounds like you two have a lot in common, Neville. It’s nice to have someone who shares your interests.”

Hermione nodded in agreement. “Exactly. And Beauxbatons is known for their magical plants, so it’s not surprising she’d know a lot. What else has she taught you?”

Before Neville could respond, Seamus, who was struggling with his own plant a few tables away, joined the conversation. “Wait a minute, are we still talking about the mysterious Beauxbatons girlfriend? You’ve got to admit, Neville, it sounds a bit too good to be true. A French girl who’s an expert in magical plants? What are the odds?”

Dean snorted in amusement. “Yeah, Neville, no offense, but you talk about her like she’s perfect. She’s beautiful, smart, loves Herbology… I’m starting to think you’ve been reading too many romance novels.”

Neville flushed, but he shook his head. “No, it’s not like that. She’s real, I promise. She just… understands me. We have a lot in common.”

Ron patted Neville on the back, grinning. “We believe you, mate. It’s just hard to imagine someone who’s basically a Herbology goddess and happens to be your girlfriend. We’ll believe it when we see her.”

Harry, who had been silent for most of the exchange, gave Neville an encouraging smile. “Well, I’m sure she’s real, Neville. It’d be great to meet her one day.”

Seamus, however, couldn’t resist another quip. “Maybe she’ll show up with a rare magical plant to prove it, eh?”

Neville forced a smile but didn’t push the subject further. He knew they didn’t mean to be harsh, but it was clear that, despite their friendly tones, his friends still had their doubts about Y/N. He returned to his work, focusing on the plants.

----------

It was a typical morning in the Great Hall, sunlight streaming through the tall enchanted windows, casting golden beams across the long tables filled with Hogwarts students enjoying their breakfast. The scent of fresh bread, eggs, and pumpkin juice filled the air. Chatter echoed from all sides, students murmuring about Quidditch matches, homework assignments, and weekend plans.

Neville sat at the Gryffindor table, absently pushing his scrambled eggs around his plate. His thoughts were far from breakfast. He had been waiting for weeks now—hoping for a letter or, even better, a package from Y/N.. Their relationship had been going strong, though the distance often made it difficult. But lately, he'd mentioned her so many times that his friends had begun to give him knowing looks, and their teasing, though lighthearted, always made him feel a little self-conscious.

“Oi, Neville! You alright, mate?” Seamus Finnigan asked, nudging him gently. “You’ve been staring at those eggs for ten minutes. Something on your mind?”

Neville smiled faintly, trying to shake off his nervous anticipation. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… waiting for the post.”

At that moment, as if on cue, the familiar sound of wings fluttering through the air filled the hall. Dozens of owls soared through the enchanted ceiling, delivering letters and parcels to their waiting owners. Neville’s heart raced as he scanned the sea of wings, hoping to see something special. And then he saw it—a stunning, silvery owl with long, elegant wings gliding toward him, catching the light as it flew. It was unlike any owl he’d ever seen at Hogwarts.

The owl swooped down gracefully, landing right in front of Neville with a soft hoot. In its talons was a thick package wrapped in delicate lavender-colored paper, sealed with the distinctive wax crest of Beauxbatons. Neville’s eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, he just stared at the package in his lap, hardly believing it.

“Blimey, Neville,” Ron said from across the table, his eyebrows raised. “That’s a fancy delivery.”

“Is that… from your girlfriend?” Hermione asked, looking at the package curiously.

Neville nodded, trying not to look too pleased. “Yeah, it’s from Y/N.”

His friends exchanged glances, but there wasn’t any teasing, just mild surprise. Neville had spoken about Y/N often, but she seemed almost like a mythical figure to them—this beautiful, mysterious girl from France whom none of them had ever met.

“That’s some owl she’s got,” Dean commented, leaning over to get a better look at the package. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like that.”

Neville nodded again, feeling a bit self-conscious under their gazes. “She mentioned it once. Said it’s a rare breed from France. She’s… pretty proud of it.”

Seamus grinned. “Well, go on then, mate. Open it! Let’s see what she’s sent you.”

Neville hesitated for a moment, feeling all eyes on him. He knew they weren’t trying to be skeptical or mean, but he could sense the curiosity behind their words. His friends had never outright doubted him, but it was clear that after months of hearing about Y/N and not seeing any proof, they were a bit… unsure. Still, there was no mockery in their faces—just genuine interest.

With a deep breath, Neville carefully broke the wax seal and unwrapped the package. Inside was a beautifully embroidered scarf in the deep blue and silver colors of Beauxbatons, along with a folded letter. The scarf was soft, clearly handmade, and it smelled faintly of lavender.

“Wow,” Hermione said, leaning in closer. “That’s lovely, Neville. She made this for you?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Neville said quietly, running his fingers over the delicate stitches. “She’s been learning how to embroider. I, um… mentioned I needed a new scarf for winter, and I guess she remembered.”

Ron nodded appreciatively. “That’s impressive. Not many people make things like this anymore.”

Harry smiled from beside him. “Looks like she really cares about you, Neville.”

Neville smiled, feeling a warmth spread through him that had nothing to do with the scarf. It felt good to hear that—not just because it was true, but because it seemed like, for once, his friends weren’t doubting him.

But then Seamus, ever the joker, raised an eyebrow and smirked. “You’ve got to admit, though, Neville—it’s almost too perfect. A hand-embroidered scarf? From a Beauxbatons girl who sends you packages by a rare French owl? It’s like something out of a storybook.”

Neville laughed, shaking his head. “I know it sounds a bit… unbelievable, but I swear it’s true. She’s real.”

Dean, who had been eyeing the letter, grinned. “Well, if she keeps sending you things like this, we’ll start believing in miracles.”

Hermione shot Dean a disapproving look, but Neville chuckled along with the others. It wasn’t mean-spirited—they were just having fun. He didn’t mind the light teasing, especially now that he had proof to show them. And even if they found it hard to believe, they weren’t questioning him outright, just amused at the unlikely situation.

“That’ll be the day,” Ron said with a grin, though he quickly added, “But hey, She sounds great.”

Neville folded the scarf carefully and slipped it into his bag, feeling a little lighter. “She is.”

As the conversation shifted back to Quidditch and schoolwork, Neville glanced down at the unopened letter in his hands. He could read it later, in private. For now, he felt content knowing that, whether his friends believed him or not, Y/N was real—and she cared about him enough to send something as special as this.

Even if they still found it hard to imagine, that was enough for Neville. And maybe, just maybe, one day soon, his friends would get to meet her and see for themselves that she wasn’t just a figment of his imagination. But until then, he’d hold on to the scarf, the letter, and the quiet certainty that she was thinking of him as much as he was thinking of her.

----------

The Gryffindor common room was quieter than usual, the usual hustle and bustle replaced with a mellow atmosphere as the school year drew to a close. Most of the students had already packed their things, their trunks neatly stacked and waiting by the fireplace. The chairs around the room were occupied by groups of friends chatting, playing games, or simply lounging around, savoring the last few moments before heading home for the summer.

Neville sat with Seamus, Dean, and a couple of other Gryffindors near the windows, gazing out at the grounds. The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow on the stone walls.

“I can't believe the year’s over already,” Dean said, leaning back in his chair. “Feels like we were just getting back from Christmas break.”

“Yeah, crazy,” Seamus agreed, his tone relaxed. “But I’m not going to miss the essays.”

Neville, absently fiddling with his wand, smiled. “I was telling Y/N about how busy it’s been. She’s had a lot going on too. The end of the year at Beauxbatons is apparently just as hectic as here.”

Seamus shot him a quick glance, his expression neutral, though Dean exchanged a brief look with him. “Y/N, huh?” Seamus said, not missing a beat. “Sounds like she’s got it rough over there.”

Neville nodded, completely unaware of Seamus’s inner skepticism. “Yeah, she’s been swamped. But we’re planning to meet up over the summer. She might even come to England for a bit.”

“That’s great, mate,” Dean chimed in, his voice casual though he raised his eyebrows slightly.

Neville stood up suddenly as if remembering something important. “Oh no! I forgot to pack my Astrronomy textbooks. I’ll be right back.”

With that, he hurried off to his dorm room, leaving the rest of them sitting there. The moment Neville was out of earshot, Seamus turned to the others with an exaggerated sigh.

“Alright,” Seamus said, leaning forward. “I like Neville, you all know that, but I’m telling you, there is no way Y/N exists.”

Dean grinned, leaning in as well. “You’re still stuck on that?”

Seamus shrugged, but the look on his face said he was convinced. “Come on, Dean. You’ve heard him talk about her for months—perfect French girlfriend from Beauxbatons who just happens to love magical plants as much as he does? I mean, sure, it could be true, but she’s never sent a picture, she’s never visited Hogwarts, and the only proof we’ve got are a few letters that could be from anyone.”

One of the younger Gryffindors, who had been listening in, piped up. “So, you think Neville’s lying? He doesn’t seem like the type to make something like that up.”

Seamus shook his head quickly. “No, I don’t think he’s lying, not really. I think he believes it. But I’m just saying—it sounds like he’s being catfished. It’s not like he’s met her in person since they started writing. For all we know, it could be some bloke from Durmstrang having a laugh.”

Dean chuckled. “You reckon someone’s really going that far to mess with Neville? That’s pretty dedicated.”

Seamus leaned back, his arms crossed. “Look, I’m not trying to be mean. I just don’t think she’s real. Or if she is, maybe she’s not exactly what Neville thinks. It’s just a bit… convenient, isn’t it? All these grand stories, but no one’s ever seen her.”

One of the girls nearby, who had been half-listening, frowned. “But Neville doesn’t seem like he’s making it up. He talks about her like she’s the real deal.”

“I know, that’s what makes me feel bad about doubting him,” Seamus admitted. “But you’ve got to admit it’s a bit suspicious. Every time she’s supposed to visit, something comes up. She’s ‘too busy,’ or ‘there’s something going on at Beauxbatons.’ It’s been almost a year and still no sign of her.”

Dean raised a hand to stop Seamus. “Alright, alright. But what if she is real and just… busy?”

Seamus snorted softly, though his tone was lighter. “Then she’s the busiest girlfriend in the world. Look, I’m not saying I’d tell Neville to his face that I don’t believe her. The poor bloke would be crushed. But between us… I just don’t see it.”

There was a brief lull in the conversation, and Seamus’s words hung in the air. The group seemed divided—some more skeptical, others wanting to believe in Neville’s story.

“Maybe she’ll surprise us,” one of the younger students said. “Maybe she’ll show up next year and you’ll all feel silly.”

Seamus grinned, though his expression remained doubtful. “If she shows up, I’ll buy Neville a drink. But until then… I’m betting we’re in for another year of stories about a girl we’ll never meet.”

As they laughed and talked, the door to the boys’ dormitory creaked open, and Neville came back down the stairs, his arms full of books.

“Found them,” Neville said, smiling as he returned to his spot by the window. “I almost forgot the Mooncalf studies Y/N recommended too.”

Seamus caught Dean’s eye but quickly smiled at Neville. “Glad you found everything, mate. All set for the summer, then?”

“Yeah,” Neville said, sitting down and looking a little wistful. “Just can’t wait to see her.”

Seamus nodded, his tone friendlier now. “Hope it all works out, Nev.”

As the conversation moved on to other things, the quiet skepticism lingered, but none of them had the heart to say anything to Neville directly. As much as they doubted Y/N’s existence, they couldn’t bring themselves to crush Neville’s enthusiasm. They just hoped, in their own way, that somehow, Y/N would turn out to be real after all.

----------

The Hogwarts Express rattled along the tracks, carrying its excited students back to school for another year. Laughter, chatter, and the occasional call of a vendor selling sweets filled the air as students reunited after the summer holiday, exchanging stories and catching up on the latest news.

In one of the compartments, Neville sat with Seamus, Dean, and a few other Gryffindors, a wide grin on his face as he animatedly recounted his summer adventures.

“… and then we went to this amazing garden in Kew! She couldn’t believe how many magical plants were hidden in plain sight. I’ve never seen her so excited,” Neville said, his eyes sparkling as he spoke about Y/N for the umpteenth time since they’d boarded the train.

Seamus leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, nodding along. “That sounds pretty great, Neville. So, you finally got to go on a proper date, huh?”

Neville beamed. “Yeah! We went on a few, actually. We had the best time. She was in London visiting her family for a couple of weeks, so we got to meet up almost every day.”

Dean raised an eyebrow, curious. “You said she was visiting family before, right? Didn’t she have plans to stay longer?”

“Yeah, she did,” Neville admitted, his tone dropping slightly, “but something came up. Her family had to leave earlier than expected, so she didn’t get to meet you guys like we’d planned.” He looked apologetic as he said it, clearly disappointed that his friends hadn’t been able to meet Y/N again.

“That’s too bad,” Dean said, sharing a glance with Seamus. “We were looking forward to it.”

“Yeah, me too,” Neville sighed, but then perked up again. “But we did take loads of pictures! I wanted to show you all, but… uh…” He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “She took the photos with her by accident when she left. We were using her camera, and she packed it with all her stuff.”

Seamus blinked, his expression carefully neutral. “So, no pictures?”

Neville shook his head, he saw the clear skepticism beneath Seamus’s question but brushed it off. “No, but she’s going to send them by owl as soon as she can. She promised. There were some really good ones too—us in front of the Leaky Cauldron, at Kew Gardens, and a few near the Tower of London. I can’t wait to show you all.”

Seamus exchanged another glance with Dean, a small smile tugging at his lips, though he kept it from looking too patronizing. “Sounds like it was a great time, mate.”

“Oh, it was,” Neville said earnestly. “Y/N’s amazing. We even talked about coming up with ways to visit more often during the year. Maybe meet up during the Hogsmeade weekends. I’m going to send her a letter as soon as we get back to Hogwarts.”

Seamus nodded along, though his smile faltered slightly. “Yeah, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

Dean shifted in his seat, glancing out the window for a moment before leaning forward. “So, Neville, you said her family comes to London often, right? Does she have a lot of family here?”

“Her dad’s English,” Neville explained. “Her mum is French, so they stay over there most of the time but they come back to visit every summer, and sometimes during the holidays. That’s how we managed to spend so much time together.”

Dean nodded slowly, while Seamus leaned forward just a little. “And you didn’t think to borrow one picture, maybe a keepsake for yourself?” he asked lightly. There was no malice in his voice, but there was an unmistakable undertone of doubt.

Neville ignored it. “I didn’t need to. We’ve been writing so much, and she’s going to send the pictures soon. Besides, I’ve got her letters, and I brought back a few things we picked up together. Look.” He pulled out a small, intricately woven bracelet from his bag. “We got these matching bracelets from a little magical shop near Diagon Alley. Hers has a charm for luck, and mine’s for protection.”

Seamus studied the bracelet for a moment before leaning back. “That’s nice, Neville.”

Dean smiled at the bracelet, genuinely trying to be supportive. “Yeah, it looks great. You two must’ve had a good time.”

“We did,” Neville replied, relaxing now that he was surrounded by his friends. “She’s just… brilliant. I really wish you could’ve met her. I know you’d all get along.”

Seamus offered a friendly smile, though his eyes flickered with doubt. “Yeah, maybe next time, Neville.”

The compartment grew quiet for a moment, and the sound of the train clacking along the tracks filled the space. Outside, the countryside whizzed by in a blur of green fields and distant hills, and the feeling of excitement for the new school year was still palpable.

Dean, always the diplomat, broke the silence. “Well, I’m glad you had a good summer, Neville. Hopefully next time, the timing will work out better.”

Neville nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, I’m sure it will. She really wants to meet you all. She’s heard so much about you.”

Seamus shot Dean a look, and Dean just shrugged, his face carefully neutral. No one wanted to say it, but the story about Y/N was starting to sound a bit too convenient—another summer gone by, another set of plans that didn’t quite line up. And now, no photos to show for it, either.

But despite their growing doubts, Seamus and Dean weren’t about to crush Neville’s enthusiasm. Not after he had spent the entire train ride practically glowing with happiness. Still, once Neville got up to stretch his legs and grab some snacks from the trolley, Seamus leaned toward Dean with a raised eyebrow.

“So… still no Y/N, huh?”

Dean chuckled quietly. “Still no Y/N.”

“I swear, if she’s real, I’ll eat my own shoe,” Seamus muttered under his breath. “Every time he gets close to introducing her, something comes up.”

Dean glanced out the window again before replying. “I don’t know, Seamus. Maybe she’s real, but there’s just bad timing. Or maybe…”

“Maybe she’s in his head,” Seamus finished, his tone soft but resigned. “I just don’t get how one person could have this much bad luck when it comes to us meeting her.”

Dean shook his head, a small smile on his lips. “At this point, I just hope for Neville’s sake that she’s real. You can see how much he cares about her.”

“Yeah,” Seamus sighed, leaning back in his seat. “I hope so too.”

When Neville returned with a handful of Chocolate Frogs and a Butterbeer, his smile was as bright as ever, blissfully unaware of the quiet conversation that had just passed between his friends. And as the Hogwarts Express continued its journey, his thoughts were already on the letters he’d be sending to Y/N once they arrived at school.

----------

The atmosphere in the Great Hall was buzzing with excitement. The start of a new school year always brought surprises, but this time, there was something different in the air. The students were seated at their house tables, eagerly awaiting the feast, when Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat to address the hall.

“Welcome, students, to another year at Hogwarts!” Dumbledore’s voice echoed throughout the room, immediately capturing everyone’s attention. “I am particularly pleased to announce that this year, we will be hosting a most extraordinary event… the Triwizard Tournament!”

A murmur spread through the hall, rippling with whispers and shocked expressions. Neville, seated at the Gryffindor table with Seamus, Dean, Harry, Hermione, and Ron, exchanged confused glances with the others.

“Triwizard Tournament?” Dean muttered. “That wasn’t in the usual announcements.”

“Yeah, didn’t see that coming,” Seamus added, leaning in to hear more.

Dumbledore continued, explaining the rich history of the tournament, how it had been revived, and the prestigious honor of being chosen as a champion. Then, with a wave of his hand, he motioned to the entrance of the hall.

“And now, may I introduce our esteemed guests from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute.”

The heavy doors at the end of the hall swung open, and the students of Beauxbatons Academy entered. They moved with grace and poise that captivated everyone, wearing their sky-blue silk robes as they marched in perfect unison. Neville’s heart raced as he scanned the group, but he couldn’t spot Y/N among them.

“Who are they?” Harry asked, squinting to get a better look.

“I don’t know,” Hermione replied, intrigued. “But they look amazing.”

“They’re all so… elegant,” Ron said, trying to take it all in. “Do you think they’re all that good-looking?”

“Probably,” Hermione said, rolling her eyes playfully.

As the Beauxbatons students completed their entrance, Neville’s heart dropped when he didn’t see Y/N. Just when he thought he might be imagining things, she stepped forward, performing acrobatic flips and graceful spins, her hair flowing behind her like a cascade of river waves. She looked more stunning than Neville could ever have described.

“Bloody hell, who is that?” Dean whispered, eyes wide in disbelief.

Seamus was staring, frozen in place. “No way…”

When the introductions were done, Neville leaned closer to his friends. “That’s her! That’s Y/N!”

Harry raised an eyebrow, glancing between Neville and the group. “Wait, who’s Y/N? Which one?”

Neville pointed toward Y/N, who was beaming with joy alongside her classmates. “The one in the front! I didn’t know she was coming!”

The others turned to look, their expressions shifting from curiosity to disbelief. “No way!” Ron exclaimed, glancing at Neville. “You weren’t joking about her being real?”

Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. “She’s absolutely brilliant!”

Before anyone could say another word, a voice called out from across the hall.

“Neville!”

Neville’s head snapped up, and there she was, weaving through the crowd, her face lighting up when she spotted him. “Y/N!” he breathed.

The next thing he knew, Y/N was rushing toward him, a wide smile on her face. “Neville!” she called again, and in an instant, she was there, throwing her arms around him.

Without hesitation, she began planting kisses all over his face—on his cheeks, forehead, and nose—her laughter bubbling up as she clung to him. “I’ve missed you so much!” she said between kisses.

The entire Gryffindor table stared in stunned silence. Seamus’s mouth was hanging open, while Dean could only blink in disbelief. All around the hall, students who had been casually talking or laughing stopped to watch the unexpected display. Whispers started spreading like wildfire, but Neville didn’t care—he was too overjoyed, too caught up in the moment.

“Y/N!” Neville finally managed to say, his face flushed from the attention. “I—I missed you too! I didn’t know you were coming! Why didn’t you tell me?”

Y/N giggled and pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, her hands still resting on his shoulders. “I wanted to surprise you, silly. You should’ve seen your face when I came in!” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

Neville was too overwhelmed to respond properly. His heart felt like it was about to burst from happiness. “I can’t believe you’re here,” he said, grinning ear to ear.

“I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere,” Y/N said softly, wrapping her arms around him again in a tight hug.

The Gryffindor table was still frozen in place, watching the entire scene unfold with wide eyes. Seamus finally found his voice and leaned toward Dean, whispering, “Well… that is not what I expected at all...”

Dean shook his head in disbelief. “You’re not the only one, mate.”

Y/N finally pulled away from Neville, her smile never fading. She glanced around at his friends, who were still recovering from the shock. “You must be Neville’s friends,” she said brightly, offering them a cheerful wave. “It’s so nice to finally meet you all!”

“Y-Yeah, we’ve heard… a lot about you,” Dean stammered, offering a friendly, albeit awkward smile.

Y/N laughed, completely oblivious to the lingering disbelief. “I hope all good things!”

“Definitely,” Seamus managed to say, shooting Neville a look that was a mixture of awe and apology. “Welcome to Hogwarts, Y/N.”

As the rest of the Great Hall resumed their chatter, Neville stood there with Y/N by his side, his face glowing with pride. After a year of doubt, teasing, and skepticism, here she was—real, vibrant, and wonderful.

For once, Neville didn’t need to say anything. His friends finally believed him.

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moodymelanist · 19 days ago

Text

once bitten (and twice shy)

Merry Christmas, @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk! Tis I, your Secret Santa! I really hope you enjoy this fic and I'm hoping to try and post all of it this week to not keep you waiting too long... but in the meantime, enjoy the first part of this 5+1 that I've been toying around with! 🩷

thank you so much to @acotargiftexchange for putting this amazing event together! I can't wait to see what else is in store this week 🫶🏽🫶🏽

Summary: When Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn take a Christmas vacation, Nesta gets far more than she bargained for with the hot guy staying next door.

(Or 5 times Nesta didn't have time for Cassian, plus 1 time she finally did)

Read on AO3 here!

✷✷✷✷✷ Nesta

When Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie had planned their girls’ trip, Nesta hadn’t exactly known what to expect. Sure, she’d assumed this sleepy, holiday town would look like something out of a winter wonderland, but as Nesta took in the sights, even a Grinch like her was forced to admit her expectations had been exceeded.

“Oh, wow,” Gwyn breathed as they came around the corner to reveal their Airbnb. It was a gorgeous house, fully decked out for the holidays with twinkling lights and a snowman out front to boot, and even Nesta had to admit it looked like something out of a Hallmark movie. The house was two stories and decked out with Christmas decor, from lights wrapped perfectly around the frame and candles glowing in each window. “It’s even prettier than the photos.”

“You sure know how to pick them,” Emerie agreed from the driver’s seat. She carefully pulled into the driveway before putting the car in park, and the three of them took one last moment to enjoy the warmth before they braved the cold December air. “Okay, let’s make this as painless as possible.”

Gwyn went to unlock the front door while Nesta and Emerie grabbed as many bags as they could carry. Thankfully, they weren’t in the cold long, and the house was just as beautiful on the inside as it was out. There were plenty of comfortable couches, picturesque sitting areas, and most importantly, three beds just as advertised. They’d paid a little more so everyone at least had their own queen-sized bed, and Nesta and Emerie would share a bedroom while Gwyn had the primary suite, given how close it was to her birthday.

“Woah,” Nesta said as she walked inside. The owners clearly hadn’t limiting their decorations to the outdoors; there was a giant, fully decked out Christmas tree in the living room, garland wrapped around the bannister on the stairs leading upstairs, and red and white stockings hanging above the fireplace.

“Woah is right,” Emerie agreed as she followed Nesta inside. “This looks like it should be in a magazine.”

“I know,” Gwyn replied, coming downstairs to help them continue unloading. “I’m a little obsessed with it.”

“Only a little?” Nesta asked, nodding at Gwyn’s ugly Christmas sweater. Today’s option was a navy sweater complete with a pattern of her cat’s face on it, and Gwyn clearly had no shame.

“I am not ashamed of my love of the holidays,” Gwyn told her primly, “or my cat.”

“Maybe you should be,” Nesta fired back, teasing.

“Just for that, I’m pulling my birthday card,” Gwyn announced, already turning and retreating back upstairs to her room. “Have fun unloading the rest of the car!”

Nesta met Emerie’s eyes and they shared a fond eye roll. “How much is even left?”

“You could probably do it in one trip,” Emerie answered, already backing away with her own bags in hand. “I’m gonna go… unpack my own bags.”

“So much for sisterhood!” Nesta called after Emerie’s retreating back, earning nothing but a loud laugh in return.

It won’t even be that bad, Nesta told herself as she made sure her coat was zipped all the way up. I’ll do this in one trip if it kills me.

Nesta braved the winter air once again and made her way back to the rental car, breathing a sigh in relief when she realized she could almost certainly make it back to the house in one trip. It might take a little finagling, but it would certainly be doable. She squared her shoulders and started laying out the remaining bags, and she was about to start loading up when a voice broke her concentration.

“You need any help with that?”

Nesta turned to see one of the most attractive men she’d ever seen in her life standing on the neighboring house’s porch with a playful look on his face. He was wearing a thick, dark green jacket, black jeans, and heavy winter boots, and she could tell he was built even through the multiple layers of clothes he had on.

“Do I look like I need help?” she eventually said once she’d managed to find her voice. Despite how hot this guy was, she wasn’t going to fall all over herself for him.

“That sounds like a loaded question,” he said back with a lopsided grin, taking a sip of what looked like either coffee or hot chocolate. His eyes looked incredibly green because of his jacket, and they twinkled with his easy smile. “I’m going to go with no.”

“Then why are you offering?” she asked.

He laughed, and damn if that didn’t make her feel things. “Just because you don’t look like you need help doesn’t mean you don’t need it.”

“Even if I needed help, why would I accept it from a stranger?” she fired back.

“I’m Cassian,” Cassian said, and then pointed at the house behind him. “My friends and I are staying here for the week. I heard you guys pull up and thought I’d be… neighborly.”

“You wanted to be neighborly, but you’re standing there with your hands full of hot chocolate,” Nesta said back with a roll of her eyes. “Right. Makes perfect sense.”

“Who says I can’t finish my mug and then offer my services?” he retorted, raising said mug in her direction before he took another sip.

“And what services would those be?” she replied.

“I’m a physical therapist,” he told her, his grin turning downright sinful. “I’m good with my hands, and you seem pretty… tense.”

Nesta resolutely ignored the way heat was pooling between her thighs at the thought of how good those hands could feel on her. She was Nesta Archeron, Esq. Even if she met someone that managed to hold her interest for longer than a few minutes — without pissing her off, of course — she didn’t have time for relationships, or for flings, or even for removing tension. Her last boyfriend certainly hadn’t been worth the effort she’d put into their relationship, and even if he hadn’t cheated, she still regretted bringing him to one of her firm’s events. He just couldn’t keep up with her; who could?

So Nesta buried her head in her work instead. She still made time for her family and friends, of course — she was on this trip with Gwyn and Emerie, and she’d see Feyre and Elain once she got back — but her degrees weren’t going to up and leave her if they got bored. Her billable hours might not always be exciting, but at least they were consistent.

“I’m sure you are,” Nesta eventually replied, making sure to keep her voice as bland and disinterested as possible. Judging by the downright gleeful expression on Cassian’s face, she hadn’t exactly been successful, but whatever. It wasn’t like she’d be spending her entire vacation with him. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ve got it.”

“Never doubted that you did,” Cassian said. “But I’ll be here all week if you change your mind.”

She rolled her eyes as she began to finally load up on the bags she’d came out here for in the first place. “I won’t.”

“Who was that?” Gwyn asked when Nesta finally returned inside. She must have been watching from one of the large windows overlooking the porch, and Nesta sighed as whatever thoughts she’d had about keeping that interaction to herself went up in smoke. “You were talking to him for a while.”

“Cassian is staying in the house next door with some of his friends,” Nesta answered. “He said he wanted to be… neighborly. Help me with the bags or whatever.”

“Uh huh,” Gwyn replied with a knowing look. “Is that all he offered?”

“He said he’s a PT, and that I looked tense,” Nesta told her with a roll of her eyes. “Like he’s one to judge. He doesn’t even know me.”

“I can feel you grinding your teeth from here,” Gwyn fired back. “Trust me, you don’t need to be an expert to see you need a break.”

“Which is exactly why we’re here, isn’t it?” Nesta retorted without missing a beat. “Besides, I’d much rather relax with my friends than have my time wasted yet again.”

Nesta was thankfully saved by the bell — literally, as someone was ringing the doorbell to their Airbnb. Nesta and Gwyn exchanged glances before silently deciding to see who was at the door, the two of them looking through the frosted glass to see three people waiting for them on the other side. Cassian’s green coat was clearly visible, and the two others with him must have been the friends he’d mentioned during his conversation with Nesta.

“Nesta, what the fuck,” Gwyn hissed under her breath. She turned to look at Nesta incredulously. “You didn’t tell me his friends were hot.”

“Who has hot friends?” Emerie asked, finally coming back downstairs at the commotion.

“Nesta talked to one of our neighbors for the week,” Gwyn answered, “and failed to tell me how hot everyone in that house apparently is!”

“Okay, well let’s not be weird,” Emerie replied slowly, clearly still processing what Gwyn had just shared. “Everybody keep their cool, okay?”

“I’m perfectly cool,” Nesta responded with a roll of her eyes. “And for the record, I didn’t say anything because I only saw Cassian.”

“I’ll bet you did,” Gwyn muttered under her breath, pulling a snicker from Emerie and a scowl from Nesta. “Okay, okay, everyone stay calm. I’m gonna open the door now.”

Gwyn opened the door to reveal Cassian and his two friends — one a blonde woman who was around Nesta’s height, and the other a man who looked so similar to Cassian they could’ve been brothers. The blonde woman lit up at the sight of Emerie, Gwyn, and Nesta , and even Nesta had to admit she was a little underprepared for how much more gorgeous she was with a smile like that on her face. She looked like something out of a winter magazine with her pristine, all-white skiing outfit that somehow managed to show off her curves despite the thick layers of insulation. “Hi neighbors!”

“Hi,” Gwyn replied, her eyes barely resting on the blonde before she openly started ogling her taller, broodier friend. He was dressed in a black peacoat, jeans so dark they nearly looked black, and similar snowboots to Cassian. “How can we help you?”

“Not to be totally weird,” the woman began, her smile turning a little self-deprecating, “but Cassian said you guys were staying here for the week too?”

“Yup, Nesta mentioned that,” Emerie answered, completely ignoring the daggers Nesta was shooting at the back of her head. “We’re here until Friday. I’m Emerie, by the way.”

“I’m Mor, and this is Azriel,” Mor replied, jerking her head toward Tall, Dark, and Brooding. “Sounds like you already met Cassian.”

“Unfortunately,” Nesta grumbled, extremely unamused when Cassian just grinned like a maniac. What was wrong with him? Most men ran for the hills when she showed them this level of disinterest, but it seemed like that only got him going even more. “You’re very… forward.”

“That’s what they say about me,” Cassian said. “Very forward, and very down to take you to dinner later.”

“Jesus Christ, keep it in your pants,” Mor interjected with a roll of her eyes. Nesta was torn between thanking Mor and wishing she’d given Nesta the chance to verbally eviscerate Cassian, but Nesta got the sense he’d enjoy that, too, so maybe it was for the best that Mor had intervened. “You goddamn frat bro. I’m not trying to scare them off.”

“We are both bisexual, Morrigan,” Cassian quipped back without missing a beat. “I can’t be a frat bro, it violates the rules of nature.”

“Since we’re sharing, I’m straight, Nesta’s bisexual, and Emerie’s lesbian,” Gwyn chimed in with a knowing little smirk. “In case it’s… mhmm, relevant or anything.”

“Very relevant,” Mor said, suddenly looking very much like she wanted to eat Emerie alive. She started playing with the zipper on her jacket just enough to be enticing, and even Nesta had to look away before she got sucked in. “What would you say to coming over for dinner tomorrow? We’d love to have you over once you’re settled in.”

“I’m a great chef,” Cassian added, winking at Nesta. “Azriel isn’t a half bad bartender, either.”

“I do love cocktails,” Gwyn mused.

“I could whip up a few things,” Azriel replied, his voice low and deep. “Hope you don’t mind being my taste tester.”

Nesta could feel the moment Gwyn fell — hook, line, and sinker — and had to refrain from releasing a heavy sigh. So much for a girls trip. “That definitely won’t be a problem.”

“So it’s a date, then?” Mor prompted, her eyes lingering on Emerie for a few moments before she turned to look at Nesta expectantly. “Assuming we haven’t already scared you off.”

It felt like everyone was looking at Nesta, as though they’d all mutually decided she was the holdout, and the worst part was they weren’t even wrong. Mor clearly had eyes for Emerie — eyes that were certainly being returned, given how much lower Mor’s zipper had fallen in the last minute or so — and Azriel and Gwyn were locked in some kind of flirtatious staring contest so intense Nesta didn’t even want to look at them. All that left was Cassian eyeing Nesta up like she was a particularly difficult challenge, and the only reason she didn’t visibly bristle was the fact that she could just tell how much he’d enjoy it.

“Well?” Gwyn said. When Nesta didn’t say anything, she whirled around to look at Nesta with murder in her teal eyes. “What do you say, ladies?”

“I guess we have dinner plans tomorrow,” Nesta said back, somehow managing not to sound too put out about it.

“Great!” Mor chirped. She reached into her pocket and somehow managed to extricate her phone, unlocking it with a flourish before passing it over to Emerie. “Can I have your number? So we can sort out all the details?”

“Of course,” Emerie replied. She blushed as Mor passed her the phone, and Nesta had to work to suppress her groan as she realized this trip would be anything but relaxing. “Can’t wait.”

“Me either,” Mor told her with a wink. Emerie’s cheeks went pinker the longer Mor stared at her, a fact that clearly delighted her, but Nesta not-so-subtly coughed and forced the conversation to get back on track. “Okay, we’re gonna stop letting all your hot air out. See you ladies tomorrow!”

“Okay, Gwyn was right,” Emerie said the second the door was closed. “Nesta, you could’ve warned us.”

#acotar gift exchange #acotar #acosf #nessian #nesta archeron #cassian #cassian acotar #pro nessian #pro nesta archeron #pro cassian #Gwyneth berdara #emerie of illyira #azriel shadowsinger #morrigan acotar #gwynriel #emorie #moodymelanistwrites #nessian prompts

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druidwolf21 · 2 months ago

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Can't beat em? Join em!

Leman finds himself completely out of his depth when babysitting

Featuring @jaghatai-khock adorable OC!!!

"Skíthof"

Leman cursed to himself as he prowled through the great hall, cold blue eyes surveying the room as he searched. He trailed his gaze over the mass of baselines before him, scowling at anyone attempting to catch his eye. He inhaled deeply, sniffing at the air and snorting as all he received was the acidic tang of wine and the spices of hot meals.

He continued muttering to himself and he stalked through the crowd, keeping his head low. A beast on the hunt.

"you can't hide forever little Jova" he growled, dropping his voice to reverberate through the gathering, low enough that human ears lost it in the laughter and chat of the party. He scented the air again, eyes narrowing as he finally picked up a scent. He ran the scent through his olfactory gland, teasing out all the information he could manage.

Warm keratin

Saliva

Sugar

He grinned, fangs beared. Oh yes, that was definitely him.

Baselines scurried away from his hulking mass as he patrolled, finally coming to a stop at a small rounded table in a corner. Gingerly lifting the cloth, he found the source of the scent. A crushed pile of icing and syrup spread across the crushed velvet rug and a single white feather dancing along the floor. Russ picked it up between calloused fingers and brought it to his nose, inhaling as he peered around. His eyes landed on a small smeared trail of white frosting and jam.

"gotcha"

He rose to his feet and followed the trail, each massive step leading him towards a small side door. Serfs hurried in and out, arms laden with steaming dishes and crystalline pitchers of swirling wine.

"move thrall" he sniped, shouldering through the wooden door, sending servants scattering around him. He grabbed a passing girl by her and pulled her to him, lifting her off her feet.

"you, listen, I want this door kept closed, understand?"

The girl stared up at him, eyes wide and moist as she faced the titan before her.

Leman rolled his eyes and snarled " Hálfvit answer, do you understand" shaking her slightly. She squeaked and nodded, sniffling as the hand that gripped her collar finally dropped her. Satisfied, the wild skulked through the door clicked it shut.

Finding himself in the serf kitchen, he quickly set about throwing servants and maids out, sealing each entrance shut behind them. The scent was stronger in here, his prize was finally in sight. He dropped to his haunches, scouring the room with predatory eyes, flicking back and forth into each dark corner. The room was dimly lit by the dying embers of the large cooking fire in the hearth, a large oak counter filled the center of the room and various cupboards and shelves lined the walls.

Finally he heard a gentle clang and zeroed in a small cupboard set back from the fireplace. Smirking, he rose back into the balls of his thick booted feet and stepped over, reaching through the open hatch, he fumbled around before clutching his prize and pulling it out into the flickering light.

"Hjolda, little lordling" he laughed, bringing his catch up to his face.

The toddler giggled and squirmed in his grasp, fat hands coated in mess reaching for his uncle's face as he laughed. His wine red eyes scrunched in joy as he hung from the wolf's might grip, spinning slightly.

"I took my eye off you for 5 minutes, how are you this filthy child?"

He spun the child, getting a good look at the mess he had somehow managed to engulf himself in. Cake and pastry matted into his silky gold curls and icing or rainbow colours was encrusted in the down of his small cherub wings. His mouth and rosey cheeks were buried under lumps of chocolate and fruit peelings.

"your father's going to kill me" leman thought, remember the lecture sanguinius had given him not an hour before about keeping an eye on him. Running a free hand through his burnished hair, he considered his options.

He set the babe in the tabletop and sucked at his fangs as he thought. "I suppose I could dunk you in a mop bucket" he mused out loud, turning on the spot as he searched the room. "But I don't think the angel will be keen on that either" he turned back and shrugged. "So Zadkiel, what do you think?"

"CAKE"

"I am absolutely not giving you more"

"CAKE"

"no"

"CAKECAKECAKECAKECAKE"

the boy continued to babble, clapping happily as he changed, swaying and flaring his feathery nubs as he did so.

Leam gripped the edge of the counter and lent down, eye level with his nephew. "No, nothing else until we've scrubbed this mulch from you."

"unkl ruff"

Lemans eyebrows shot up in surprise as small fingers gripped his face. "What?"

Vermillion eyes stared back from under long blonde lashes as Zadkiel squeezed Leman's face. Frowning in concentration before a wide dirty grin dimpled his round face.

"ruff ruff ruff cakecakecakecakecake"

The primark stared back for a moment before a toothy smile of his own cracked his visage.

"very well, little lord, who am I to argue when you speak so eloquently"

The primark of the space wolves, lord of fenris, the emperors execution.

Brought to heel by a small boy saying his name for the first time.

#warhammer #leman russ #Zad #oc #warhammer 40k

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ficsbyuzi · 5 months ago

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All the ways lead to you - part 5

Characters - Aemond Targaryen and Inara Maegyr (OFC) in a modern AU.

Warnings: angst, pining, mention of blood, implied sexual activity

Word count: 2365

A/N: Had a long weekend, so here we go. Wrote this on my phone like always, so it could be full of blunders. Ignore them, please?

Masterlist

Part 4

The soft glow of the moonlight and the distant city lights streaming through the windows, filled the dark room. Logs crackled in the fireplace set in a dark wall adorned with subtly erotic paintings . A faint haze of smoke hung in the air, added to by the cigarette in Aemond's fingers. He was reclining on a plush couch, gazing at the full moon as its silvery beams bathed him, enhancing his own ethereal glow.

Tonight was one of those nights, when instead of letting his driver take him to his penthouse after work, he chose to walk alone to the Street of Silk.

Discreetly, he navigated the labyrinthine underground pathways in the city, known only to him, sneaking away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi.

Away from a world where everyone around him wore masks and talked with pretense, he came to his confidante - a high profile escort, in her early forties, Sylvi. There, along with his clothes, he stripped away the façade he wore for the cameras, and the rest of the world.

Sylvi could see through him. She could do so, for years now. His faraway gaze and the slight furrow of his brow were not unfamiliar to her.

And she knew that he came to her only when he was battling something deep within.

“What’s her name?” Sylvi remarked from across the room, covering her ample bosom with a blue satin robe. She was sitting on the edge of a circular bed, the disarrayed state of which spoke of their recent intimate session.

At her question, Aemond shifted in his seat. Taking a deep drag from his cigarette, he answered in another question, “Whose name?”

“The girl, you can't stop thinking about,” Sylvi smirked, now lighting a cigarette of her own.

Aemond only turned his face half way in response, blew a puff of smoke out of his nostrils, and continued looking out of the window. A muscle in his jaw tightened.

“I am only thinking about the business.”

“Liar,” Sylvi chuckled, “You are gazing at the moon, and not sitting by the fire.” Easily picking up the subtle change in Aemond’s demeanor, she continued teasing him, “Searching her pretty face in it, aren’t you?”

“You are delusional.” Aemond rolled his eyes.

“And you are falling for her.”

Aemond’s hand ceased halfway to his mouth at her words, gaze dropping to the floor.

“What's she like?” Tilting her head in curiosity, Sylvi prodded in an attempt to break aemond’s silence.

“Fire reminds me of her eyes,” his eyes shifted to the fireplace nearby, as he spoke in a barely audible, low murmur, “the fierce purity in them, the truthfulness.”

He stood up, discarding the lit bud in the ashtray and walked towards the bed, the silk sheet slipping off his marble-carved frame.

He had nothing to hide from Sylvi.

He laid his head in her lap, hugging her knees. Sylvi began stroking his hair, his sinewy arms. Her warm, comforting touch fluttered his eyes closed.

“I am scared I will hurt her,” a murmur, laden with fear and vulnerability left his mouth, his lips barely moving.

Sylvi’s eyebrows knitted together at his fragile confession, her fingers continued tracing soothing patterns on his skin.

“What if she does not see me in the way I see her?” He continued, now opening his eyes, “What if, once she knows the real me, she finds me.. lacking?”

“Our biggest fears come true if we keep thinking about them,” she whispered softly, bringing her mouth close to his ear, ”Sometimes, the things we dread most are shadows of our own making.”

“Mmm, she must think I have no heart,” he said, shifting his head to move his ear away from her mouth.

"Then show her that you have one." Sylvi lifted her head, but her hand moved tentatively to Aemond’s bare chest. When he did not reject her touch, she placed her hand over his heart, feeling the steady beat beneath her fingers.

Her other palm moved to his forehead, gently caressing the contours of his lifeless eye, almost devoid of any sight. Her voice, soft and comforting, washed over him, causing his eyelids to drop again.

"You are still capable of loving, Aemond.”

At her words, Aemond opened his eyes, not to his reality, but to one of his many inner worlds. One where his vision was clearer and whole, and not limited by any disability.

There, he perceived Inara, towered over and cornered by him against the makeup counter. Instead of confusion and fear in her fire-colored eyes, he saw a welcoming tenderness in them. A reassurance.

Inara was loving her new job.

All the actors, supporting staff, and colleagues treated her with kindness and inclusion. She was gradually becoming an integral part of the team. It was a dream job indeed.

And then, there was Aemond. A dream.

Two weeks had passed since her close encounter with him in the trailer. Those moments replayed in her mind, especially at night, leaving her in a heady mix of excitement and longing.

Her body would experience sensations she had never learned about in medical school.

She secretly wished to experience that warm proximity again. But in the next instant, she would rebuff her silly, foolish heart that wove unrealistic dreams. Her heart would place those dreams on her closed eyes, but she would open them wide and let them topple down.

He is a star, a celebrity. Come back to earth.

Inara noticed that Aemond had loosened up a little since that incident. His keen gaze on her had softened, and to her utmost surprise, he had begun to smile at her more. There was a warmth in his eyes that hadn't been there before. While she still stumbled for words when talking to him, she had started to feel a lot easier and calmer in his presence.

One day, he even asked her about her background, where she studied, and about her family back in Volantis.

“And I have a younger sister who is a huge fan of yours. She lost it when I told her I would be working with you,” she told him, chuckling as she fixed a prosthetic on his forehead for a battle scene.

He hummed in response, letting out a low laugh, the beautiful sound of which spurred all the butterflies in her belly into action.

Mustering all her courage, she hesitantly asked, “She keeps requesting me to get your autograph for her—well, begging, actually,” she laughed, her nervous blush visiting her cheeks again, “If ..if you don’t mind, of course.”

At her request, he looked straight into her eyes, nodding and puckering his lips in a way that made her heart skip a beat.

She was picking up a notepad when a set coordinator quickly entered the trailer and announced, “Aemond, your shot is ready in two minutes.”

“I will be right there,” he said and noticed Inara backing and turning away, giving him space to leave.

His arm moved of its own accord as he grasped her wrist, startling her. The touch sent a jolt of electricity down her spine, pooling as an intense heat in her core.

“What’s your sister’s name?” he asked, taking the notepad from her hand.

“Nina.” Her features softened, though her heart raced, her eyes lingering where Aemond’s fingers encircled her wrist.

The gentle grip on her arm loosened. The moment his hand withdrew from her skin, an aching sense of incompleteness washed over her, leaving her feeling oddly bereft.

“To Nina,” he repeated softly as he began to write, “Study hard and be like your sister. She’s amazing.” His voice dropped to a low, intimate rasp as he spoke the final words, his gaze locking with hers in a way that made her breath catch.

Her lips parted in surprise at the sincerity of his words, his warm gaze seemed to sear into her soul. The moments that followed were a blur. She watched him, almost in a daze, as he handed back the notepad and pen, and then stood up to leave the trailer.

It wasn’t until he had exited the room that she turned her attention to the page he had written on. The note read -

“To Nina, study hard. All the best. AT 💎”

It was going to be a long day at work.

For Inara, it would be even longer.

Slightly dazed, she kept touching her wrist where Aemond’s hand had closed around it, as if trying to hold on to the fleeting warmth of his touch.

The set was abuzz with activity, filled with extras and body doubles clad in medieval attire. Swords and other fake weapons were being wielded. A huge battle scene was being shot.

She observed him from a distance, her gaze following his every movement. She stood there, spellbound as he delivered a monologue in a close-up shot, completely in character, his silver hair gleaming in the sunlight.

She stood there, as a sea of emotions churned inside her - longing, frustration, and a deep-seated yearning that she struggled to contain today.

Today, when he touched her, praised her.

She wanted to scream at the intensity of her feelings; rid herself of the turmoil that seemed to consume her every moment.

She was almost envying the other people around her - those who moved with effortless calmness, treating Aemond as just another professional.

She wished she could be like them and maintain a veneer of composure and professionalism, rather than being ensnared by the overwhelming desire she felt for him.

Desire. She desired him, even when she knew she could not have him.

CUT!

Her train of thought was abruptly halted by the director’s voice, slicing through her reverie. Yet, the clanking of artificial swords and the chattering noise of the set remained a distant blur in her ears, as her attention was still on Aemond.

She watched him as he spoke with the set coordinators, directors, and fellow actors.

And in the next instant, she noticed him searching the crowd.

As if drawn by an invisible thread, his gaze landed on her.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt as though it might burst out of her chest, releasing everything stored in it for him.

Aemond..I..

Their connection shattered as her attention was abruptly seized by a prop weapon hurtling towards her.

In a split second, she reacted, dodging the weapon and narrowly avoiding its path. But in her frantic maneuver, she collided with a prop table, sending a resounding crash through the set. Boxes of props toppled on to the floor, their contents scattering wildly.

She stumbled over a stray prop, her head striking the corner of the table with a jarring thud. Her hand slammed into another prop weapon, the impact slicing through the skin of her palm.

A loud, muffled “Inara” reached her ears, mingling with the gasps and chaos of the surrounding set, before her senses were overwhelmed and dulled.

"Someone get help! She's hurt!" Aemond's voice cut through the commotion.

The next thing she registered was Aemond kneeling beside her, holding her wrist, the same spot he touched an hour ago. Her blood trickled over his fingers, but he did not seem to care. He only moved the other hand to her forehead where a bruise had formed.

Indifferent to the shocked stares of those around them and unbothered by the whispers, he continued cradling her hand.

“I think I’ll need stitches,” Inara muttered, grimacing as she closed her eyes.

God, how am I going to work now?

“Hey, stay with me,” Aemond’s soothing voice cut through her dazed thoughts.

If only I could…

The same void she had felt in the trailer when he released her wrist, returned now, when he reluctantly stepped back to give space to the paramedics.

A staff member from the production crew approached Aemond, urging him to resume filming.

His concerned gaze met hers, holding a tenderness that nearly shattered her composure.

“I’ve got to go now, but I’ll see you as soon as I’m done, yeah?”

His voice was a balm, wrapping around her with a soothing promise that made her want to break down and cry. She nodded gently, averting her eyes to hide the vulnerability that threatened to overtake her.

Don't go..

After having her wounds stitched and treated, Inara called a cab. Exhausted and wracked with pain, all she wanted was to get back to her apartment and collapse into bed.

He wouldn’t be free for hours..

She stared at her phone for the entire ride home.

In the heart of bustling King’s Landing city, Aemond was lounging with Criston Cole, at the posh Dragon's Pit club.

Despite the lively atmosphere around him, his thoughts were preoccupied with her. Deep down, he was aching to reach out and make sure she was alright.

Criston offered him a cigarette, but he declined.

“What’s the matter?” Criston asked, noticing his distraction.

“Nothing,” Aemond replied curtly.

Criston took seconds to sense what was troubling him.

“She’s been taken care of, Aemond. Minor accidents on set are common. There’s no need to worry,”

Aemond’s jaw tightened, his gaze fixed on his glass as he sipped his drink. Criston pulled out his phone and began typing.

Aemond’s phone buzzed with a new notification, and when he checked it, his brow arched in curiosity.

“Her phone number and address. Call her, text her, or go see her,” Criston suggested with a shrug.

“I can’t do any of those things.”

“Why not?”

A sudden commotion erupted outside the lounge, drawing their attention to the main door. Criston inquired, and a staff member informed them that fans and paparazzi had gathered outside, having discovered Aemond’s presence at the club.

Aemond gestured in frustration towards the entrance and said, “That’s why. I can’t; I can’t bear to cause her any more pain..She..” He trailed off, his voice faltering as he turned to the staff member.

“Please, can you help us slip out through the back door? I’m not up for dealing with fans or paparazzi right now.”

-x-

Part 6

Tag list: @zenka69 , @mamawiggers1980

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yallthemwitches · 6 months ago

Text

Catch the Wind, Chapter 5: Stolen Time

I got a little indulgent with this one. Hope you enjoy some quality Jily sexual tension....

James didn’t know how he made it back to the Gryffindor tower. He couldn’t recall walking–maybe he floated? He also had no idea where his homework had gone off too, but that was not important. All he knew was that he was currently splayed out on the couch in the common room only able to think of Lily.

He closed his eyes and replayed the kiss again and again. How she pressed herself against him; made soft sighing noises as she opened her mouth more to deepen the kiss; the feel of her hands that moved from his cheeks into his hair…

“I think Prongs has been poisoned,” he heard Peter say after an echo of footsteps from the stairwell.

“Likely not.” Remus’ voice retorted. “Someone go wake him.”

James didn’t have enough time to respond as a rush of air pushed past and a huge weight descended upon his chest. He opened his eyes, gasping to see Sirius with his arms and legs wrapped around his torso in a strangle-hold.

“Oi! James, get up you prick we still got a day to get through!” James pushed his mate off while uprighting himself. He had forgotten that it was only noon. Fuck, how am I supposed to go to class now that Lily and I have kissed? Does being so sodding happy count as a medical excuse?

He was about to blurt out his morning to his mates, but something stopped him. They had kissed. That’s all he had wanted for years. His joy was inescapable, but in the back of his head were glaring questions: Why did she do it? Did she want something more? Was she perhaps under some sort of spell and this was all a big misunderstanding? Whatever the reason he wasn’t mad about the result, but telling this to his mates would more than likely cause an uproar. He knew Remus would at least be discreet, but Sirius and Peter? They would hound him and even Lily for ages. With that kind of luck, Lily wouldn’t even want to look at him again by the end of the day.

Despite still feeling like a human beacon of light, he didn’t say anything. Lily would want it this way. Anyways, for all I know this is all I’m going to get.

The boys stood in front of the fire and bantered a bit about Quidditch after party plans. If James was showing any pep in his disposition, Sirius and Peter were not picking up on it, but every once in a while Remus would notice a blush and a smile creep across James’ face, and his eyes go a little unfocused...

There was a bounding noise coming from the girls’ dorm steps and Lily and Alice descended. While they had been in mid conversation when walking down, Lily immediately went silent at the sight of James standing by the fireplace. James' eyes came back into focus and zeroed in on her. Despite a burning look, he took a breath and fell into a cool disposition.

Lily, who now had a blush creeping on her face, told Alice she would meet her out the portrait hole, then turned to walk towards the boys. James' heart felt like it was about to burst through his chest.

“Hey Potter,” she was trying to sound neutral but a softness was detectable in the way she said his name.

“I think I forgot my book in the classroom today–did you grab it by chance?” He knew she had asked him a question but he could not compute. The way she was just standing there, looking up at him, with the lips he had touched just hours earlier slightly parted—his brain went blank.

He finally registered what she had said and gave a cool smirk.

“I wouldn’t want to be losing books right now, Evans—with NEWTs and all.” The way his stare bounced between eye contact and focusing on her lips made her blush even more and she nervously tucked a hair behind her ear. She could see the cloud of euphoria that was in his eyes earlier had not dissipated a bit. Despite his mates still in the room, the whole world seemed to disappear and all they were left with was the tension from earlier.

“Exactly,” She half-whispered. He gestured for her to follow him over to his bag which had been flung haphazardly on the ground near the boys’ stairwell. She followed him, making note of how his hand lingered in the air as though begging her to take it with her own. He pulled her book out of the sack and gave it a teasing waggle in her direction before handing it back.

“Thanks,” she said. He stood back up and they were only inches apart. All she had to do was reach out for him again…

“ I hope you’re not forgetting something else,” his eyes lowered and a mischievous smile flashed at her. Lily gave a side eye to the boys still by the fire; all of which were not paying attention to them.

She matched his smile with her own. “No, I think it was just the book, thanks.”

The cheekiness of his expression dropped off and the desire returned tenfold. It was as though every inch of his body was begging her.

“Evans,” his voice lowered an octave. “Why did you kiss me earlier?” He lifted his hand and brushed a path from her forearm to her hand by her side. He let his fingers linger in her softly opened palm.

“I don’t know,” Lily breathed out. She tried to mask any sort of desire she had for him with a teasing tone, but she could tell he wasn’t buying it. Unaware, they had both taken a step closer to each other and were now breaching dangerous levels of personal space between two people who were merely friends.

Clocking that they were getting too ahead of themselves with an audience around, Lily broke the haze and gave James a painfully platonic pat on the shoulder.

“See you in class,” she said and with one last smirk, followed after Alice who had left the portrait hole.

Merlin.

James slunk back to his friends who seemed overall unaware of what had transpired.

________________________________________________________________________

James barely lasted through his History of Magic course. Then again, in his Herbology lab. It felt like a pain worse than death to have to sit through boring classes after how much had happened in the course of one day. By the time his class with Lily came around, his body felt like it was buzzing with excitement. It took all of his energy to not sprint through the halls to get to the classroom.

He entered and saw Sirius’ sitting in his usual spot in the back corner of the class, leaning back in his chair and reading some Muggle philosophy book. Lily was already seated with her materials in front of her a few tables up. James passed by Sirius and gestured towards Lily before continuing to walk in her direction. Sirius didn’t respond but shot his eyebrows up and gave a smirk.

Now beside her, he cleared his throat and tried to tamp down the burst excitement he was feeling to be back in her presence again.

“Can I sit here?” Lily looked up at him. She had put her hair up in a ponytail and little wisps of hair curled around her jaw. James felt like she was just taunting him at this point whether she knew it or not.

Without saying anything she shifted her books over an inch and gestured for him to sit. Class started and despite not interacting with one another, they could both feel tension radiating off each other's bodies. Lily was doing better at focusing, taking clear and accurate notes and otherwise not giving attention to her neighbor. James on the other hand was barely holding it together. He tried to keep looking ahead at the professor but every shift her body made sent a shock through his system. Sitting next to her meant he could see how she would sometimes rest her quill against her lips when she was thinking; how her neck and jaw sloped out of her collared shirt and were such a lovely shade of cream; that her handwriting was so beautifully looped and curled with every stroke.

It was going to kill him.

With another hour left to go in class, James’ emotions were reaching crisis levels of unbearable. With a split second decision, he ripped off a piece of parchment and scribbled something down before folding it up and casually placing it on the page of Lily’s open book. Still taking notes, she looked down at it for a beat before continuing as if nothing occurred.

James, feeling a bit silly and terrified, tried his best to not look in her direction. After five minutes, he watched her hand pick up the parchment and gently unroll it.

Lily looked down at the note. In an erratic hand was written:

I have wanted to kiss you again all afternoon.

She folded the note back up neatly and put it in her pocket. If she had any feelings about what was written, she wasn’t showing it. She went back to taking notes, leaving James to desperately glance at her from time to time, wishing for some sort of acknowledgement.

By about the 6th time he not so secretly gave her a yearning look, she stopped writing and peered over to meet his glance.

“Stop fidgeting. I read the note.” Despite giving no indication of her feelings of its contents, James took this as closure enough and tried his best to be a good boy the rest of class.

By the time everyone was getting up to leave, James had given up hope. I shouldn’t be pushing her. Clearly she isn’t ready. Merlin I’m so sodding thick.

Not wanting to ruin things even worse, he nodded curtly towards Lily and then bounded over to Sirius who’s eyebrows had not descended from his face.

“Have a nice time with your new mate,” Sirius mocked once James caught step with him. James mumbled a low sod off as they kept walking down the corridor.

“H–Hey! Potter!” Lily’s voice rang out from behind him. She was standing in the doorway of the class waving her arm at him.

“I had a question about the lesson today–could you help me for a second?”

James was puzzled. She hardly said a word to him in class and certainly seemed to understand the lesson enough to even answer some of the professor’s questions. He shrugged, and turned to Sirius.

“I won’t wait up,” Sirius responded immediately with a snicker. He winked at Lily who made a scoffing sound and then turned on his heel. James walked back to where Lily was standing and she ushered him into the now deserted classroom.

“So, uh, what did you need–” But she was on him before he could finish. Shoving the door closed with her heel (expertly, James noted) she grabbed his face, threaded her hands into his hair and caught his mouth on hers.

“I wanted you to kiss me all afternoon too,” She gasped out when their lips separated. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for the second time today, fitting their mouths back together. He pushed her up against one of the tables and she leaned on it for support as their combatting urgency pushed them together.

“You did?” He groaned into her ear, now peppering kisses up her jaw and on her earlobe. He could feel her chest heaving against him and her breath catch with every kiss.

“It wasn’t obvious to you?” She pulled his head which was making its way now towards her neck back up to hers to catch his lips once more. His calloused hands that were wrapped around her waist pushed up her jumper a bit, exposing some skin and he took the opportunity to place his hands on her bare back.

She melted into him. It felt like just yesterday it would have been impossible to be in this moment, but now Lily was grasping onto him with such need, she felt out of control. The feel of his hands radiated heat inside her and she pushed herself into him more. She ran her hands down his shoulders before encircling them around his neck–making note of how slender yet toned his upper body was. Finally it was making sense why other girls fancied him so much all these years…

“Go out with me.” It wasn’t a question, he breathed it into her mouth when they had come up for air. His glasses now askew, he kissed her cheek softly before starting his journey placing kisses on her jawline.

“No.”

It wasn’t what he had expected. He opened his eyes and pulled back to look at her. She was flushed and eyeing his lips hungrily to continue kissing. This was not the look of someone who wanted to decline his offer, but leaning in to kiss the bit of neck under his ear, she repeated: “No, I can’t.”

James snapped back to reality and pulled her away. “Why not?”

Lily looked around as she searched for words. “It’s just not a good time. I-I can’t explain it. It’s just with NEWTs and–”

“You won’t go out with me because of NEWTs,” James burst out into a sardonic laugh.

“Merlin Evans, I knew you were a bit of a sacred character, but that seems a little low.”

Lily blushed deeply and absent mindedly brushed back her tousled hair.

“I just need some time. Can you respect that?” She was imploring him. He could see the doubt flash in her eyes; he knew she half expected him to walk away right then and there.

“Yes. Yes of course.” He brushed her lips with his thumb before pressing his gently to hers again. He knew it wasn’t possible, but he wanted to convey to her how much he wanted this. Whatever it was they had, he didn’t care, as long as this continued.

“I won’t ask you again, but c-can we still….” His voice trailed off, not knowing how to proceed. He didn’t even know if he knew what he was asking. If we could still study together? If we could still share a good bout of sexual tension? If we could snog senseless after class, preferably multiple times a day?

“We’ll see.” She swatted his chest playfully before he wrapped his arms around her again and kissed her with as much fervor he could give.

“I’ll take those odds.”

________________________________________________________________________

The rest of the month was a blur. NEWTs were fast approaching and between actually studying, Lily and James found new ways to keep their new situationship under the radar. At first, it was just their weekly transfiguration lessons that turned into snogging sessions. Then, they added a second “lesson” to the week. By the third week they had been able to find stolen time at least once a day to at least give each other a quick kiss or touch before going on with their day.

Surprisingly, James had been doing a brilliant job of hiding it. Besides Lupin’s side-eye every once in a while when Lily greeted them in the corridors, none of his mates had caught on to the new change in events. Already adorned with the title of “friend of the marauders” Lily and her mates would often join the boys for meals and generally start to banter with them in the halls. Lily prayed that no one noticed during these times that sometimes James’ hand would rest a little too close to hers on the bench or that sometimes she would forget herself and move a rogue hair out from behind his glasses.

They were signs of change though. Lily was never one to really get into the team spirit when it came to quidditch, but Marlene and Alice had both noted when she got a newfound interest in the sport. Sometimes caught reading Quidditch through the Ages before bed, she seemed almost too excited to go to the upcoming match.

“Didn’t strike you as a cheerleading type,” Alice remarked in the dorms that morning as Lily looked for a suitable outfit for the match.

“Actually, now that I think about it, did you ever actually go to the matches before?”

Lily scoffed. “Alice, don’t be thick. I’m not that un-spirited. Besides, we only have one year left and this one is about over. Might as well put in some effort.”

Alice, who had been trying to study for her potions NEWTs, let out a sigh and pushed her book off the bed in distress. Lily stopped her rummaging and picked the book off the ground.

“Not going so well?” In response, Alice laid back and shoved her pillow into her face.

“You know if you wanted, I’m happy to help,” Lily offered. She knew how much Alice was stressed to get good marks in order to get into her Auror training.

“What? And take away your snogging time with the Quidditch captain?” Alice peeked an eye out from under the pillow and watched as Lily’s face turned red.

“It’s not possible to ruin something that's not happening, stop trying to fish.” Lily tried to make it sound as true as possible.

“I guess I am fishing, yeah,” Alice admitted, sitting back up. “You just..seem different with him now.”

“There’s nothing to say. We are just really good friends–that's it.” Despite feeling like her delivery was shaky at best, Alice dropped her prodding and joined Lily in getting ready.

There was a horrific storm beginning when the girls started to head down to the pitch. Lily wasn’t super versed in the world of Quidditch, but something seemed dangerous about flying around in lightning riddled skies. She wrung her hands nervously as they walked towards the main courtyard.

James was standing just inside the main foyer with some of his teammates in tow. All of them in their uniforms and donning their brooms, James had traded in his signature glasses with goggles that were now hoisted up on his forehead, further pushing his hair in all directions. He spotted Lily and gave her a huge grin.

“Great day for a game!” He exclaimed to the girls. He looked like a little boy at Christmas. Lily looked outside and watched the courtyard trees bend horizontal from the wind.

“Seems like you should postpone it. Don’t you have a say being captain and all?” James looked out the window and shrugged.

“Nah, looks fine to me!” He positioned his goggles over his eyes and started towards the door.

“Wait!” Lily called out. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at James. Impervious! A silver aura appeared for a moment on his goggles.

James smiled broadly. “Always brilliant Evans,” he said as he turned toward the door.

Despite the monsoon, the game went as planned. James scored 35 goals within the first half, effectively obliterating the Hufflepuff team. By the two hour mark, the only need for the snitch to be caught was to end the game—Gryfindor had already scored enough points to guarantee the win.

At their victory, the Gryffindor crowd made their way onto the pitch despite the pouring rain. James, who landed to greet the crowd, peeled his jersey off and raised his hands bare chested. Despite the chaotic energy of the group, Lily stood stunned and regarded a shirtless and wet James making his way through the crowd. She had never seen him without anything off before–and it worried her that she wanted to see more.

“God she's not even pretending to not stare,” Marlene snorted to Alice as they watched their friend continue to shamelessly oggle the quidditch captain.

Lily snapped out of it and shushed her friends. “Sod off, I was just bothered by the rain, that's all.”

_______________________________________________________________________

The Gryffindor common room was mayhem. Sirius had convinced Mme. Rosmerta to “donate” barrels of butterbeer to the event and everyone was quickly falling into a celebratory haze. Lily sat on the couch with a butterbeer and watched Marlene talk up one of the beaters on the team while Alice had snuck off with Frank hours ago.

James, now wearing a dry jersey and his usual glasses, was at the center of the fray, singing and cheering along with the rest of his team. Lily tried not to take note of how many times a girl sidled up to congratulate him on his performance. Currently, 5th year Iris Melborne had found her way to his side for the sixth time within the hour—not that she was counting.

Not dropping her stare, she felt someone plop down next to her. “Doesn’t feel good does it?” Sirius was swishing a bit of firewhiskey in his cup before downing it all in one gulp.

“Not that I’m jealous that James gets all the attention after the matches—but maybe my mum was onto something when she said I was an attention whore. God help her, it would be the first time she was right.”

She took a jug of firewhiskey that was sitting on the side table and poured himself some more before pouring a bit into Lily’s cup unprompted.

“I think you might be drunk Black,” responded Lily. She could tell he was prodding for something, and she wasn’t in the mood to play along. Across the room Iris laughed dramatically at something James said and put a hand on his arm. Disgusting

“You should tell him you know. Not that that git deserves any more reason to have an ego–but you know, it would make him happy.”

Sirius was grinning lazily at Lily and without a good response, Lily downed her drink before getting up.

“Thanks for the life coaching, Black.”

“Anytime, Friend.” Lily rolled her eyes and left Sirius to fill up his drink for a third time.

At her approach, she saw James’ demeanor shift and he quickly turned away from Iris who had begun chatting up the Keeper.

“Hey, good game.” She clanked her empty cup against his.

“Bad luck to cheers without a drink,” James retorted and poured some of his drink into hers. They looked at each other for a while–daring each other to make a move. Lily looked down at his new jersey and remembered what he had looked like shirtless out on the pitch and blushed. She wished she could have felt how his shoulders were like underneath it all..

Lily felt his hand discreetly pinch at her hip and she snapped out of her thought.

“Can I see you later?” He lowered his voice. While keeping up the air that he was just having regular small talk, his eyes were saturated with yearning. She felt his hand which had been lingering a bit too long at her hip graze its way on her side before dropping beside him.

“I-I have patrols soon. Until midnight.” It was true despite her attempts to get Remus to switch.

“Ooh, drinking before the job then.”

“Shut it Potter.” He gave her an amused grin. He loved to get her wound up.

“Then I’ll come find you.” She looked at him pointedly for any sign of sarcasm, but he was being serious.

“Seems like a bad idea to tell a prefect you are going to be drunkenly wandering the halls in the middle of the night,” she smirked.

“It’s a chance I’m willing to take.” He smiled, “And I’m not that drunk. Certainly will be in working form by that time.”

“Something tells me nothing good can come from you doing that.” She made her words’ double meaning very clear. They had only just begun snogging, but their urgency to be together seemed to rapidly increase. She was starting to be unsure how long they could keep this up without any fallout.

“You know I’m always up to no good, Evans.” He gave her side a little squeeze again and parted his mouth expectantly. She hated how much she liked it when he looked at her like that. One of his teammates came out of the crowd and wrapped an arm around James' neck. Being pulled into another round of cheering, he gave her a wink and mouthed “later” before disappearing in the crowd.

#james potter #lily evans #jily #hp #jily fanfiction #hp marauders #marauders #jily headcanon #blvnk

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thatsmzbitchtoyou · 2 months ago

Text

The Witch and The Doctor Chapter 5

Bucky thought he could make a difference, getting a medical license and trying to change people’s minds. But the 1600s New World is a harsh place with cruel people. After being accused of witchcraft he makes a run for it, facing the dangers of the woods and the rumored witch that lives within them.

Warnings: violence; animal attack; mentions of death; smut; language

Previous chapter Next chapter

Winter was finally over and the first buds of spring flowers were beginning to bloom. The warmer weather helped the snow melt, but there were many wet nights with thunderstorms blowing over the little cabin. Bucky couldn’t care less if it may have been storming outside, because inside their little home he was making love to Y/N every chance he got. She had some kind of tricks up her sleeve so that no matter how much they did it, she wouldn’t become with child. It was one of the many things her mother taught her all those years ago. Their next trip to the village was coming up soon, and after long days of Bucky helping Y/N prepare tinctures, darn socks, carve toys, and a slew of other things to bring and get ready for the village people, he would lay with her after dinner as the rain pelted the roof.

He rolled over and laid on his back as he caught his breath, releasing a low whistle. “Good god, lovey. What’s gotten into you today?” he asked, smiling at her as she laid on her side facing him.

Y/N shrugged, reaching a hand out to his chest where she scratched at his small patch of chest hair. “You’re just looking mouthwatering, my heart,” she said seductively, leaning down and kissing his shoulder. “I can’t explain it. Must be love in the air with all this spring reawakening.”

Bucky chuckled but narrowed his eyes. “Is that your way of saying you love me?”

Y/N’s eyes widened as she realized what she had said. “Oh, um…yes, I guess it is,” she said, suddenly becoming jittery and looking everywhere but at him.

Bucky moved to sit up on his elbow and faced her, his hand cupping the side of her face and making her look at him. “I love you, too, Y/N,” he replied quietly. “I’ve loved you since you saved me that night. And I want to love you until my time is up.”

Y/N blinked rapidly, trying to keep her tears at bay. “Really?” she asked.

“Really,” Bucky smiled widely. He leaned in and kissed her, the kiss starting to get heavier and deeper like before when a hard knock at the door echoed through the cabin. They both pulled away from each other sharply, their gazes moving from the door to each other then back. The knock came again and they both sprang from the bed and got dressed. Bucky grabbed the dagger he made a few months before and held it beside him as Y/N walked to the door, pulling her robe tight around herself. She mumbled something, her hand waving toward the bowl of trinkets on the shelf next to the door, making them shiver. She then unlocked the door and opened it slowly.

There was a man and a woman at the door, the woman holding a small child and the man holding the hands of two slightly older looking children. They were soaked from the rain and looked exhausted. “Please, Y/N, witch of the woods, help my child,” the woman spoke.

Y/N sighed and opened the door, ushering them all inside. “Come in, come in. Buck?” she turned to him. “Stoke the fire and get them warm.” Bucky was wary but did as she asked, putting the dagger away, building the fire up more and helping them all take off their coats and shoes, giving them extra blankets to help keep them warm. Y/N led the woman towards the fireplace where she pulled the child from her arms and laid them on the hearth.

“She’s been sick with something, and nothing seems to work. We gave her the tinctures you brought, and it helped at first but then she suddenly got worse,” the woman rattled off as Y/N poked and prodded the little girl, who looked no older than maybe a year old. “My other two had it but healed,” she gestured to the other children who Bucky was now trying to distract with some scraps of food and fresh water, quietly telling them a story in the corner.

Y/N’s hands hovered over the girl’s chest then her head, the bluish glow emanating from her palms and the ring around her irises emerging in the dim firelight. She shook her head and looked worried. “Bucky?” she called out to him. Bucky excused himself from the other children and walked over to her. Y/N gestured for him to join her on the floor. He knelt down and she took his hand and held it to the girl’s pulse point on her neck. He counted her heartbeat, feeling worried with how weak it was, noting the spots littering her skin, then put the back of his hand to her forehead. “She’s burning,” Y/N whispered to him.

Bucky held open one of the girl’s eyelids. She didn’t flinch or react to his touch, which worried him more, and upon seeing the white cloudiness in her pupils he silently sighed and frowned. “Rubella,” he murmured. “Also known as German measles. She probably contracted it from her mother in the womb and now it makes her more susceptible to getting sick,” he said quietly to Y/N. “The older children could fight off whatever it was, but she’s…she’s too young,” he looked at Y/N sadly.

Y/N nodded. “Is there anything you can try?”

Bucky felt her pulse again. “She needs fluids, rest, but unless you’ve got another trick up your sleeve, there’s nothing I can do at this point,” he said.

Y/N nodded again, watching the little girl’s shallow breaths. She thought for a second before determinedly standing up and walking to her small kitchen area. She started pulling jars down from the shelf, taking things out of them and throwing them in the mortar and pestle together. She pumped a small pan half full with water and then ground down the different herbs and things she had thrown together until they made a fine powder. She put the powder in the water, stirring it and then bringing it to the fire, putting it on the hook and letting it simmer. No one spoke a word the entire time, the family watching Y/N and Bucky carefully. Once Y/N seemed satisfied with the mixture she made she took it off the heat and back to the counter where she poured it into a smaller bottle, swirling it around and letting it cool. She started mumbling, the hand holding the bottle glowing and making the liquid swirl faster before she approached the little girl. “Hold her up for me,” she instructed Bucky. He gently maneuvered the girl so he was holding her snugly against his side, tipping her head back as Y/N brought the bottle to her lips, tipping it up into her mouth. The little girl instinctively swallowed the liquid, her eyes fluttering before she finished the bottle and Y/N wiped her mouth clean of any leftover droplets.

Y/N then sat the bottle down on the hearth before taking the girl from Bucky. She held her against her chest and sat on the rocking chair, mumbling words into the girl’s hair as her palms glowed once again. The mother joined her other family members who were sitting on the floor near the corner by the door, the other children already fallen asleep and the father holding them while watching Y/N with an intense worry and hope in his eyes. Bucky watched Y/N hold the girl, continuing to mumble words and pet her hair. The scene, as diresome as the situation was, pulled at his heartstrings. He wanted that with her. A family. A future. A full life. He stood and walked to Y/N, leaning down and caressing her cheek with his hand, making her smile up at him, before walking to the bed and handing the parents the pillows to get comfortable to sleep before sitting himself on the bed, leaning against the wall to keep watching.

Y/N stopped speaking and leaned her head back against the chair. She closed her eyes then started humming a tune that he recognized as something she would sometimes sing throughout the work day. She continuously and slowly rocked herself and the girl, humming the tune repeatedly until Bucky’s eyes grew heavy, his breathing slowed, and he fell into a deep slumber, a small smile on his face.

#marvel #smut #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfic #series fanfic #chapter 5 #doctor!bucky barnes #witch!reader #puritans #1600s

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elliespassagerprincess · 3 days ago

Note

Would it be possible for you to do anything about Dina? Totally fine if not, I just never see anything about her at all 😭

If so, would you be able to do something about R just being reeeally protective towards her, almost akin to like- a guard dog or something . Just always following her around, hard to not find Dina without them , literally the nicest to Dina but as soon as anyone gets in the way they’re all glares and ugly looks.

But Dina has no idea what people are talking about when they bring it up to her, because what do you mean ?? They’re so sweet!

And maybe she does know and just chooses to do nothing about it because she finds it cute or funny.

(also really glad you’re back, make sure you still feel like you can take time for yourself tho!)

Guard dog - (Dina x reader)

Hi anon! thank you for this request! We need more Dina fics. Justice for Dina lol. Thank you for your kind message.... i hope you enjoy<33

Pairing: dina x fem!reader

requests are open! send me your silly thoughts:)

warnings: none

Summary: In which you protected her

authors note: part 2?

masterlist

Dina shivered as she walked into Ellies house. She quickly shut the door behind her, trying to not let anymore of the cold air in.

Dina hated winter. When it started snowing in Jackson she would gather as much food as she could and she would stay in the warmth her house. She would not leave for anything. She would wrap herself in blankets and she'll sit in front of the fireplace in her home.

The only time anyone would ever see Dina during winter is when the snow starts to smelt and flowers start blooming again.

Dina slipped off her jacket as she wrapped her arms around herself. Despite Dina practically hugging herself she still felt cold.

Maybe you'd be able to keep her warm.

No.

fuck.

She cant think of you in that way.

You were just friends.

Just friends.

'But friends don't cuddle. Friends don't shower together. friends don't-'

Dina's thoughts were interrupted by Ellie's voice: "fucking finally"

Before Dina could talk she heard Jesse say: "we know you hate the cold but you took like 5 fucking hours to get here"

"you guys are being overdramatic" Dina rolled her eyes as she took of her boots.

It's been a while since the 3 of them hung out alone.

Ellie was always hooking up with someone, Jesse was always patrolling and Dina was always with you.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring your girl with" Jesse told her with a smirk.

Dina's brows furrowed "my girl?"

"yeah" Ellie laughed.

"your guard dog"

"guard dog?" Dina asked in confusion.

"I don't know what you're talking about"

Ellie and Jesse's jaws hung open.

"You don't see it?"

"see what?"

"dude you're stupid" Jesse sighs.

You and Dina had gotten ready together. The two of were walking down the road and you held onto her arm gently.

Dina would never admit it out loud but she liked it when you did that. She liked it when you were so close to her. It made her feel safe.

You checked the surroundings while keeping an eye on Dina. Even though Jackson was extremely safe you still couldn't help looking after her.

You were subtle in the way you cared for her. You liked Dina a lot, and you had hoped that she'd catch on. It's been years and she still hasn't noticed anything.

To protect your friendship you decided to settle on just looking after her.

You were possessive, protective over what you wanted. But clearly Dina noticed nothing so your actions were in vain. (Or so you thought).

Dina walked into the bar first and she felt your presence close behind her. (You always followed her around and when the two of you were separated you still kept and eye on her)

Rumors spread around Jackson that the two of you were dating.

Dina has heard them. She liked the rumors hoping that any girl interested in you would believe it and leave you alone but she also doesn't know who or what the source of the rumors were.

She didn't realize it, but it was you. The way you looked at her, protected her, you scared everyone away from her. She didn't see it.

Fucking idiot.

Dina went to Ellie and she hugged her. You stayed close behind her glaring at the two.

'You can't be jealous. It's not fair' you kept telling yourself.

The feelings you had for Dina just grew stronger and stronger and they were threatening to reveal themselves.

Dina slid into the booth first and you slid in after, immediately wrapping your arm around her shoulder glaring at anyone who even looks at her.

Ellie stared at scene before her. There was clearly something going on between the two of you but you both denied it.

Ellie thought you were both really stupid.

The conversation flowed easily between the three of you, but eventually Dina had to go to the bathroom. You moved out the booth and Dina made her way to the bathroom.

"Hi"

Dina's head turned to see a beautiful red head giving her a small smile.

"hi" Dina smiled shyly.

"my name is-"

Before she could even utter her name you walked in

"There you are" you said as you walked towards her ignoring the girl.

You took Dina's hand and you looked at the girl.

"Sorry" she muttered and she walked away.

Dina frowned "why was she saying sorry"

You glared at the girl before you turned back to Dina, your grip on her hand tightened.

"I don't know" you shrugged as you kissed her temple.

"She was just protecting me" Dina's blushed.

"protecting you? All she had to do was pee on you to mark her territory because damn"

Dina felt butterflies erupt in her stomach.

Maybe there was more to your behavior

"It was probably a one time thing" Dina argued.

"one time?" Jesse said dramatically.

"She's always holding you. A arm around your shoulders or waist, she never leaves you alone, she follows you around like a dog... she's in love with you!"

Dina drowned out Ellie and Jesse's voices.

Everything she heard can't be a coincidence right.... right?

She wrapped her arms around herself once again

Maybe you were just protective.

But maybe, just maybe you felt the same way.

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looneyleyle · 2 months ago

Text

quidditch and dragons and hot younger brothers ~ c. weasley

synopsis: maeve has been close with the weasleys for years, but after 5 years away, she can't get over how much they've all grown. especially the charred dragon tamer. or, in which her best friend's younger brother may be the one for her!

warnings: small mentions of anxious tendencies (skin picking), unedited as always

word counter: 7156 words

**image is NOT mine!!

third person pov

"now boys, your father has a very exciting announcement to make!" molly weasley cheered, focused in on her three youngest boys. the rest of her children all sat at the back of the table in front of her. the eldest sons, along with ginny, all sat there, smiles on their faces, some with jittery legs bouncing up and down at the coming announcement. arthur, who was beside molly, stepped forward, smile brewing on his lips.

"we will be going to this year's quidditch world cup!"

the boys exploded in cheers, the quaint home filled with whoops and hollers and yells of all sorts. ginny was practically bouncing out of her seat, happy that she didn't ruin the secret for her brothers. bill and charlie sat in the back, arms folded across their chests, happy to be back home and to see their family this happy. it had been a while for the two of them, with bill off in egypt and charlie in romania. my, how their siblings had grown, with even starry-eyed little ginny already going into her third year at hogwarts. and now, the two of them were there to spend the next few weeks with them, no work, no curses, no dragons, just a relaxing time with their family.

as the younger ones made their way upstairs for bed, still jumping around from excitement over the world cup, bill went to help his mum with the dishes, while charlie went over to arthur to help with some trinkets in the shed.

"y'know," he started, stacking the dirty plates together, "maeve owled that she's going to the world cup as well." molly gasped, throwing the towel in her hand down at the ground.

"and you haven't invited the girl over yet?! you must owl her straight away, and i expect her here by nightfall overmorrow. do you understand billius?" bill couldn't help but laugh, with the slightest twinge of fear, at his mother's tone.

he wrote to her straight away, and sure enough, maeve was there in their fireplace first thing the morning the day after receiving bill's owl, easily making it before the matron weasley's deadline. she was a bit disoriented, but the smile on her face wouldn't falter as she looked around the home she spent most holidays at during her time at hogwarts. it was all the same, the colorful furniture, the ever present sound of someone scurrying about, and the lovely clock, with all nine arrows pointed to the upper-left corner: 'HOME'. the smell of whatever dish molly had cooked up for breakfast wafted through the air, and maeve felt all the tension leave her. it was good to be back. a wobbled sound of footsteps rustled over to the entrance to the living room, and a pudgy mrs. weasley entered maeve's line of vision.

"oh maeve, darling, i'm so glad you're here!" she exclaimed, running towards her. maeve dropped her bags and returned the bear hug she found herself in.

"i came as soon as i got bill's owl. it's been too long." she returned, pulling away from the woman's grip. a couple more pairs of footsteps scurried on into the living room, each bug-eyed as their sights landed on the girl- the woman in front of them.

"maevey, is that you?" ginny exclaimed, already running over. maeve laughed, engulfing the younger girl into a hug, twirling her through the air like she did when ginny was just a tot.

"it's been so long! look at how grown you've gotten! i remember when you were all but this tall and i would be braiding your hair while your brothers were whacking garden gnomes! you've grown quite nicely." maeve exclaimed. the girl blushed, being set back down on the ground and pulling away from the older girl and going back to her breakfast. next up was ron- who was promptly cut off by fred, who pulled himself and george right up in front of maeve before ron had the chance.

"maeve!"

"it's been quite a while!"

"try this!"

"our treat!"

the two kept toppling over each other's words, leaving maeve's head spinning, laughing at the ever-present chaos the twins brought around with them.

"alright you knuckleheads, leave her alone." a voice called out from behind. bill was there, at the back of the room, an amused smile playing at his lips as he watched his younger brothers try to trick his best friend into eating their latest disaster candy. the two backed off, quipping comments at their brother. maeve's face lit up as she ran over to her best friend.

"bill, it's great to see you again!" she greeted, bringing the boy into a hug.

"it's been a while. hard to visit you when you're traveling all over."

"when i stopped in cairo on my way to ref the patonga proudsticks game, you were the one that was to busy to say hey." she argued, huffing dramatically, a teasing lilt to her voice.

"oh bugger off." he laughed, the two of them splitting apart. ron started bouncing up and down besides them at the mere mention of quidditch.

"blimey, you reffed a proudsticks match?!" he buzzed, adoration scribbled across his face. maeve smirked, coming closer to the boy.

"i reffed last year's catapults-cannons game, the one where galvin gudgeon debuted and caught the snitch within five minutes, a cannon's team record." maeve boasted, remembering ron's unwavering loyalty to the cannons. ron seemed as if he could burst, his face all bright red and cheeks puffed.

"bill, you didn't tell me your friend was this cool! a bloody quidditch ref, how d'you reckon i could land a job like that?" he gushed. maeve's smile didn't leave her face for a second; the boy's enthusiasm was infectious.

"you have to have good luck and actually be good at quidditch, unlike yourself. plus, not the most stable of jobs, better off doing something in the ministry." a snotty voice piped up, entering the room

"aww, percy, you haven't changed a bit. get over here!" maeve called, arms wide open. the boy rolled his eyes, but reluctantly walked over to the girl. she slammed him into a hug, ruffling up his perfectly styled hair.

"always cheesed off, aren't ya." she teased. percy promptly pulled away, smoothing out his clothes and straightening his back.

"i'll have you know, i am currently working at the department of international magical co-operation, under the lead of bartimous crouch." he bragged. maeve and bill shared a knowing look, having always commented on percy feeling the need to show off his accomplishments at any opportunity he got.

a final pair of footsteps clomped into the living room, and there stood charlie weasley, the last of the weasley children up that morning. his eyes were still glazed with sleep, but at the sight of maeve in the living room, he straightened up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes to make sure he was seeing this right.

and sure enough, it was indeed maeve walsh, standing in front of him after all these years, surrounded by his various siblings.

"well well well, look at you charles, all grown up." she said, smile growing impossibly wider. he couldn't fight the smile that grew on his face even if he wanted to as she came up to him, bringing him into her umpteenth hug of the day. he was still a bit out of it from sleep and slight shock, seeing the girl he had the biggest crush on as a schoolboy now five years later. she had grown a lot since he last saw her, much more mature, an air of confidence surrounding her.

she pulled him out to about an arm's length away, keeping her hands on his shoulders as she gave him a once over.

"look at this. scars, big burn on the arm, hair short, have you gotten more freckles? you sure have changed a lot haven't you? must be all that time wrangling dragons off in romania and whatnot." she laughed, giving him a cheeky wink. charlie tried to fight it, he was positively sure he had gotten over his childhood crush on his brother's best friend, but he couldn't help but turn red at her piercing gaze. if it had been but a few years prior, he would have absolutely melted on the spot.

"oh boys, leave the poor girl alone, let her at least leave the living room! you must be starving dearie, come on over, i have some sausages ready just for you." with that, the weasley children scrambled out of maeve's way, letting the girl finally enter the rest of the weasley home.

when she made her way to the kitchen, she saw arthur weasley there, finishing up the morning's edition of the daily prophet.

"well i'll be. if it isn't miss maeve walsh. it's been quite a bit since i've last seen you here!" he exclaimed, coming over from his seat to shake her hand.

"always a pleasure arthur. couldn't pass up an opportunity to spend more time back here."

"i'm afraid i must be leaving for work, but i do hope we can catch up over stew tonight. last i heard you're working as a quidditch referee? how exciting." he conversed, grabbing his suitcase and making his way to the fireplace. before maeve could reply, he was off.

as molly served up a generous plate of food ("my dear, are they starving you off at work? here, an extra helping of toast and eggs should do the trick!"), maeve just enjoyed watching the weasley children going about their day. it was as if she never left.

"it's so crazy seeing all of the weasleys in one place after all this time" she remarked to molly, accepting the plate from the woman. molly beamed as she looked out at all of the children scattered about the living room and kitchen.

"it sure is. couldn't ask for anything more," she started, a far-off look in her eyes, before zeroing her gaze back on the girl. "and now you're back as well! and ron's friends will be arriving in the following days, my, we'll see if the house can handle this many youngins running about." she fussed. "but make yourself at home dear. it really is great to have you back. now eat up!"

and with that, maeve began to dig in, with weasleys seemingly forming lines to talk to her. ginny pushed her way in front of her brothers, gushing about how she'd finally have another girl there besides hermione. being stuck with at least four boys all summer got quite boring to her, wanting to do more 'girly' things. fred and george tried yet again to sneak her some 'treats', but were stopped by molly, who came in hot, swatting at them with the towel she was using to dry off the dishes. ron came up just as maeve finished up her meal, chatting her ear off about all things quidditch, asking about the matches she's reffed, games she's watched, and general quidditch news. even percy chimed in with a few comments, mostly about some recent international wizarding decree violations by some members of the heidelberg harriers.

"boys!" molly's shrill voice yelled, bringing all of the weasley boys into the kitchen as maeve finished cleaning up her breakfast plate. "help maeve bring her stuff upstairs, would you? you'll be staying with bill and charlie in their room."

"just like old times." bill quipped, already going to pick up maeve's bags before he bumped into charlie, who was coincidentally also going to pick up her bags. bill gave his brother a quizzical look before it morphed into a knowing smirk, and charlie simply huffed before stepping back, allowing bill to help the girl out. the attention was quickly diverted off of them by a short and loud "eep!" coming from the woman of the hour. fred and george had hoisted her up onto their shoulders, careful to hunch down a bit so she wouldn't hit her head on the ceiling.

"we'll help you up there."

"too long of a journey to make on your own two feet."

"oh, boys, put her down! that's no way to treat a lady!" molly yelled.

"on the contrary mum, this is exactly how a lady should be treated!" george countered.

"swept off of her feet and carried up to her room by two true gentlemen!" fred exclaimed. maeve could only laugh, jokingly swatting at the boys until they gently let her back down onto her own feet. bill rolled his eyes but laughed regardless, beginning the familiar trek up to his shared room. as always, bill and her argued over the sleeping arrangements, with bill insisting that he sleep on the mattress on the floor and have her sleep on the bed. and like always, maeve forced him to compromise, with the two of them rotating between the bed and the floor mattress. and, again, just like olden times, just as they would settle the whole thing, charlie would come up and throw his name into the hat, saying how he couldn't let them take the floor while he had the bed the whole time. so, the three would all take turns sleeping on the, admittedly quite uncomfortable, floor mattress throughout the following week leading up to the world cup.

maeve's time back at the burrow couldn't be more nostalgic. even with everyone all grown up, they were the same crazy family as they always were. there was always some sort of noise echoing throughout the burrow, but it was never loud or obnoxious -or at least, usually not, so long as fred and george weren't involved. it was packed and people would always find themselves bumping into one another, especially with the addition of harry and hermione in the following days after maeve's arrival. it was just one big, loving family, and maeve wouldn't want to spend her summer days in any other way.

each day mirrored those summer days from way back when, from wizard's chess with ron to whacking gnomes with the twins to the whole-family quidditch matches. maeve felt like a young girl again, running around with the weasley children, all responsibilities temporarily forgotten. it was all the same.

except, of course, the ever present fact that everyone was, indeed, five years older. ginny was no longer a little girl who maeve would read bedtime stories to. now, ginny was asking for boy and hair and makeup advice. ron seemed to have his foot in his mouth a lot more now, especially around his friend hermione, something maeve didn't think was possible considering his unfiltered nature as a kid. fred and george were ever the pranksters, but they were undoubtedly smarter, more cunning, than before, having successfully slipped a couple mostly-harmless trick treats into her. percy was still stuck up, but with an even bigger ego than before, now that he had his impressive ministry job. bill, in maeve's eyes, stayed more or less the same, as she had kept up with him for the past five years.

but charlie, charlie seemed to be the one whose change messed with maeve the most. he was vastly more mature and composed than he ever was during her time knowing him. of course, maeve had known about his schoolboy crush on her, in fact, she knew about all the little crushes the younger weasley boys had on her. she was their older brother's best friend, the only consistent older girl in their lives, it was only natural that they all sought her attention to some varying degree. with charlie though, it was always obvious; tripping over words, always running to help her out, bragging about any and all accomplishments a little louder than he normally would if she was in the next room, et cetera. maeve, of course, never did anything about it, as he was just her best friend's little brother. it just wasn't something that ever crossed her mind; he was her best friend's younger brother and that was that, nothing more, nothing less.

now, though, charlie was more collected. he easily maintained a witty banter with her without stumbling to get words out. he no longer raised his voice to brag about himself, keeping a healthy dose of ego without listing off achievements like a resume. he was also less rigid around her, no longer standing stiffly the second she passed by, he was able to relax, to laugh with her. and most importantly, he didn't follow her around like a lost puppy. he was able to enjoy his family's presence without obsessing over where maeve was or if she could hear him.

and because of all of this, maeve found herself wanting to spend some more time with charlie, getting to know this new adult version of him better. admittedly, she found herself laughing a bit harder at his quippy jokes, and, not that she'd ever say it out loud, but wouldn't feel the need to look away right away when he came back into the house from helping arthur out in the shed, a thin layer of sweat covering his muscled arms, shown off by the simple tank he strutted around in.

the two spent a lot more time together than they ever had in the past, usually in the company of bill, of course.

late nights, they would find themselves alone in the living room, everyone else already tucked in and snoozing or in their rooms, chatting up a storm. it would just be maeve, charlie, and bill, with bill quickly falling asleep on the couch next to them ("what an old bogey" charlie would quip, his cheeks always being ever-so-slightly twinged pink, because let's face it, even if he was "over his schoolboy crush on her", maeve was a pretty, intelligent girl sitting there, now alone with him without his brother's teasing stare on him). one night, they were so immersed in their conversation that molly stumbled upon them, the sun peaking over the horizon, not a wink of sleep gotten.

the morning of the quidditch world cup, the adults, adult children, and hermione were the first ones up, scurrying around to pack their bags and get ready for the trip there. molly was preparing tea, scones, and some fruit for everyone as arthur made sure he had everything in order, from the portkey time to the tickets to the lot their tent was set up in.

"up up up, out the door, out the door in five minutes, all of you! you're going to be late!" molly rushed, motioning for them all to leave. hermione started up the stairs, already ready to rip the boys out of bed. percy followed behind her, jumping at the opportunity to yell at his troublesome younger brothers. maeve volunteered to go up to wake up charlie, pointedly ignoring the raise of bill's brow at her already bounding up the stairs.

when she got up there, she knocked somewhat quietly on the door. no response. she turned the knob lightly, opening it ever so slightly. charlie laid there, splayed out on his bed, snoring.

"charlie." she called out quietly. he looked so peaceful, sprawled out here, woven with the sheets. she just stood there for a beat, taking a moment to appreciate him.

"charlie, wake up" she said a bit louder, peeking her head a bit further in the room. finally, he woke up with a start, sitting up abruptly to look at whoever was at the door. his blanket quickly fell, showing off his skimpy sleep tank (which accentuated his arms quite nicely, a thought that maeve made sure to zip up).

"mhm, i'll be out in a sec." he replied before immediately flopping back down onto the bed, eyes closing again.

"charles septimus weasley, you'd better be out of bed in the next minute, or else you'll send your mother into a fit about us being late for the world cup." it was as if the mention of quidditch brought him back to life, jolting up and saluting the woman in his doorway, getting up and out of his bed.

"aye aye captain."

after surely much more than five minutes, the rest of the weasleys and company were out of bed, with ron and harry apparently giving hermione much more trouble than a sleepy charlie did maeve, and gathered outside of the burrow, ready to start the trek.

percy led the group with arthur, droning on and on about some ministry assignment. harry and ron held up the rear, sleepily dragging their feet through the grass, wishing they could be back in the comfort of ron's room, blankets wrapped tightly around them. a yawn could be heard from ron, leading hermione to shoot him a look from ahead mid-conversation with ginny. in front of the two girls were bill, maeve, and charlie clumped together, talking about the old days back at hogwarts and all that, as well as finally catching maeve up with everything they've been up to since. the three hadn't had the time during maeve's first few days back, as they had been chock-full of different activities. she had already known about most of the stuff with bill, for even though they had not seen each other much, the two would frequently owl. charlie, however, she knew virtually nothing about his time in the past couple of years. he told her all about these crazy dragon taming stories, but what caught maeve's sleepy attention was the care with which he would talk about these creatures. from nursing them back to health to sharing monumental moments in their lives with, he talked about these dragons with nothing but love and respect. he was always a fiercely passionate boy, realizing his love of magical creatures early on, but now? he was a fiercely passionate man, something she kept on reminding herself of with each look at his sculpted, scarred arms or built frame.

after what felt like forever, they finally reached the portkey, the trio not even noticing the addition of amos diggory and his son, too entrenched in their own conversation. everyone crowded the manky old boot, fred pushing bill out of the way to be next to maeve, giving her a quick wink. she rolled her eyes and leaned down, looking to her other side to see charlie thoroughly unamused by his brother's antics. they all grabbed on, and when it came time to let go, maeve had a wobbly descent, leading charlie to wrap a firm arm around her to stabilize her. maeve gave charlie an appreciative nod after they landed, charlie teasing her about her inability to use a portkey.

at the cup, ginny, hermione, and maeve split off from the rest of the group, going to their slightly smaller tent while the boys piled into the tent lent to arthur from perkins.

night quickly fell upon the field of partying wizards, everyone moving in droves to see what was sure to be a phenomenal game. the twins, who had an awfully suspicious looking conversation with none other than ludo bagman, were bursting with excitement, which seemed to be flowing through everyone there.

the arena hummed with energy from the get-go. the weasleys couldn't wait to watch, being the first major quidditch match that many of them had ever attended. after the uncomfortable encounter with the malfoys, they climbed and climbed ("blimey dad, how much higher?") until they reached the top. maeve was, of course, draped in green garments in support of her home team, ireland. bill was in similar robes, while charlie donned red and black, as most of the other dragon tamers back in romania pushed him to root for bulgaria.

maeve's face lit up as krum caught the snitch, the math in her head aligning with the realization of every irish supporter in the arena: 170-160, the score in favor of the green white and orange.

maeve gloated on and on about the win, beaming from ear to ear. charlie couldn't help but admire her, his love for quidditch was almost as big as his love for dragons, and seeing her passion rival his stirred something within him, something he had been fighting with himself over, the fact that she would be leaving only a day after weighing heavily on his chest.

"and youuu thought the bulgarians had a chance? ha! an absolute blowout of a game prior to krum's folly, and we weren't even the ones to catch the snitch! he's a right talented seeker, i'll give you that, but merlin is he a daft one!" she laughed, rubbing the win in charlie's face. bill was exhausted and retired to his bunk as soon as the group arrived at the tent, while charlie offered to walk maeve back the short distance to the girls' tent. hermione and ginny went to celebrate with the others in the main tent, leaving charlie and maeve to their own devices.

"yeah yeah, you win. but, if quigley hadn't whacked dimitrov with that bludger, which was of questionable legality, mind you, they would have at least had a shot."

"a perfectly legal hit from where i'm sitting, and i am the resident quidditch ref here." she gloated, hoisting herself up onto the small table behind her. charlie walked up, almost in between her legs, the firewhiskey the trio had shared earlier pumping charlie full of confidence, not backing down.

"oh yeah, because from where i'm sitting, i would say dimitrov only got hit by quigley's bludger because of moran attempting to blatch him. if dimitrov didn't think he was going to collide with moran, then he wouldn't have been sent straight into the bludger's path, and i think any good quidditch ref would be able to see that."

"questioning my integrity now are ya charlie?" maeve teased, scooting a bit further on the edge of the table, trying to get up in charlie's face. but, maeve scooted just a tad too far, sending the table tipping and maeve falling straight into charlie, who was able to catch her, but not fast enough to prevent them from toppling over onto the floor.

the moment was charged, uncharted territory for the two of them, so close together, truly alone for the first time practically ever, save from a few silent mornings eating breakfast years and years ago. charlie diffused the tension with a laugh, not trying to fall back into his schoolboyish ways with her. she returned with a hearty chuckle, getting off of him and pulling him up, a slight pink dust upon her cheeks. the two of them stood there for a second before yells were heard from outside, the tent flaps opening wildly.

"we have to go, now." arthur ordered, not even acknowledging how close the two had been, nor why the two of them were in the tent alone. the two looked at each other in shock and concern before maeve started pulling the two out of the tent. ginny, ron, harry, hermione, and the twins were nowhere to be seen, while bill and percy stood alongside their father, awaiting orders. noticing the concern on both of their faces at the missing parties, arthur spoke up.

"they're hiding. we have to help." was all he could rush out before a large blast of fire landed a couple tents down from them. charlie and maeve looked around to see people fleeing in all directions, and groups of masked wizards going around, chanting, destroying anything in their path, and tortuing innocent people. maeve's wand appeared in her hand in a flash, ready to fend them off.

the five of them ran about, ushering people into hiding while fighting off any death eaters that came into their path. charlie went off to help an elderly wizard couple get into the woods safely, causing him to be separated from the rest.

when the dark mark appeared, a chill ran up and down maeve's spine, and she became acutely aware of charlie's absence.

"why isn't charlie back yet." she growled through gritted teeth, but her words failed to cover up the worry in her tone. bill noticed, but had nothing to say to help ease her worries -he was equally, if not more so, worried about charlie's location as she was.

after what felt like hours, the weasleys and friends were reunited, and arthur was quick to send the children home with the adult weasleys minus percy, who would stay behind with arthur to help the ministry clean up and assess damages. bill and maeve ushered the group to the emergency portkeys that had been brought in by the ministry.

upon arriving home, molly bombarded them, hugging each of her children, making sure they were alright. she was worried when she didn't see arthur or percy, but her worries were eased when charlie explained that they had stayed back to help. after molly sent everyone up to bed, the kids had so many questions, and so they followed the adults up to their room. harry, ron, and hermione all sat on the floor mattress, fred and george leaded up against the far wall, and ginny sidled up next to maeve on charlie's bed, still a bit spooked.

"death eaters? what are death eaters?" harry asked, feeling a bit silly that everyone else knew what they were.

"it's what you-know-who's supporters called themselves. i think we saw what's left of them tonight." bill explained.

"but what were they doing there?" ginny continued. bill shrugged.

"your guess is as good as ours. death eaters haven't been active for years now, most of them either in azkaban or too afraid to end up there to show their faces." maeve said, twiddling her thumbs. she tried to seem neutral in front of the younger ones, but on the inside, there was a twinge of paranoia within her. the last time the dark mark had appeared was during the war, and maeve didn't want to think about the implications that had on what was to come.

"what we do know is that the ministry has this covered. the death eaters are gone, a fair amount of them captured tonight. it'd probably be best if we all got some shuteye." charlie suggested, getting up to escort the younger ones to their rooms. charlie went upstairs with the twins, ron, and his friends, while bill went with ginny across the stairway, knowing she was more than rattled and that she would probably need someone with her tonight.

"you take the bed tonight. i'm gonna stay with ginny, help her get some peace of mind. g'night." bill told her, pulling her into a quick side hug before following his sister out and to her room.

aloen in the room with her thoughts, maeve couldn't find it in her to move to get off to bed. she sat there on charlie's bed, unmoving, staring out the dark window into the abyss.

a bit later, charlie came back into the room, finding maeve in the exact same spot as earlier. his brow furrowed, and he sat up next to her.

"hey, maeve, what's wrong?" he asked, trying to get a good look at her face. she wouldn't look at him, only looking between the window and her hands, with her fingers picking at the skin around her nail.

"i guess i'm a bit more worried than i realized." she mumbled. charlie placed one of his big hands over hers, stopping her hands from continuing.

"i'm not going to lie to you and tell you that everything is okay, but i can tell you that you're okay. you're safe here, and i know that for a fact." he told her, hoping he was being comforting. he wasn't really used to this, spending more time recently comforting dragons rather than humans. she smiled lightly at his words before nodding, getting up to change into her pyjamas.

when she got back into the room, charlie was already changed, sitting upright on the edge of his bed. he looked at her, waiting for her to say something, his concerned, analytical gaze resting on her frame. when she made no move to say anything or move, he got up.

"are you sure you're okay?" he asked, moving a bit closer to her. she felt silly, the request that popped up into her mind. she nodded, but she was like an open book to charlie, he could tell something was still wrong.

"c'mon darling, you can tell me anything."

"would it-" she started, her hands coming back up to each other again.. charlie watched her hands like a hawk, so she simply clasped them together. "would it be alright if we pushed the beds together? i know it's silly, but-" before she could finish, he was already on it, pushing bill's bed up to his, grabbing a blanket from the floor mattress and wrapping it around her shoulders. this was what he did best, not the talking, but the showing of his care. words weren't his forte, but actions sure as hell were.

and so she hopped into bill's bed, and after turning off the lights, charlie hopped into his, but the two of them met in the middle, only a wee bit of space in between the two. charlie reached an arm out around maeve, watching her face as he did so.

"is this okay?" he whispered. as a response, maeve pulled herself close to him, slotting herself just millimeters away from his body, nodding so he could feel the movements on his chest. he started to rub slow and soft circles into her back, and before he knew it, the two of them were out.

the two woke up to maeve's head buried in charlie's chest, charlie's hand rubbing languid strokes against her shoulder. feeling maeve shifting around in his arms, charlie slowly opened his eyes, being met with hers already staring up at him.

"hey." he whispered, his brain already waking up and becoming acutely aware of his arms still wrapped around her. Before he could overthink anything, to worry that she was uncomfortable, she buried her face back into his chest, mumbling a quiet "hi" in return.

"how are you feeling?" he asked softly. she simply mumbled into him, not having the energy to process the fears she had from the night before. before charlie could ask any more questions, he was interrupted by a sleepy bill coming into the room. he stared long and hard at the sight in front of him; his bed pushed up against charlie's, no maeve to be- oh, no, maeve was there, buried impossibly far into charlie, surely not wanting to look at her best friend as she was caught wrapped up with his younger brother. deciding it was too early to tease, he simply grabbed some clothes and went to the bathroom, deciding to process it all later.

neither bill nor charlie nor maeve commented on whatever had been seen that morning as they all sat down with the rest of the weasleys for lunch. arthur and percy had stayed late at the cup last night and were already at the ministry bright and early to deal with the death eaters and the media and all other loose ends that they weren't able to deal with the night prior.

the weasley children were properly spooked from the cup, leading to maeve staying another night, just to help raise the spirits. she spent the day helping distract the younger ones from what had gone down, playing far too many games of wizard's chess for her liking.

when night fell, maeve found herself standing next to molly, folding up some laundry to keep herself busy. molly wouldn't stop looking over at maeve with admiration, and only after she finished folding her pile did she speak up.

"y'know maeve, i always tried to push bill in the right direction if you know what i mean. would love to have you as one of us, officially of course. you know you're always welcome here." maeve of course laughed, thinking back to all the times bill ranted about his mum trying to push the two of them together. after thinking back on the past few days and the... new interactions maeve had been having with a certain weasley, she let out a casually sly comment.

"maybe one of the others will tie me down some day. i'd love to have you as my mum in law." molly squealed at that, bringing her into another one of her signature motherly bear hugs.

maeve, at the insistence of mrs. weasley, stayed at the burrow for a another week, not having to go back to work just yet, but not wanting to leave this wonderful bubble she was in at the burrow. the week was peaceful, domestic, and nothing short of wonderful. during the days, she'd run around with the family, goofing around, forgetting about the world. at night, she would curl up onto one of the beds and talk all night long with bill and charlie, with bill often falling asleep early like the old man he was, leaving charlie and maeve to chat alone most nights.

maeve went with when the kids all had to go to king's cross to get back to hogwarts, having a few more days before she would have to start traveling for the macaws versus warriors game off in new zealand. it was bittersweet watching the children get on the train at platform 9 and 3/4, a part of her wishing to go back to the simplicity of her life at hogwarts.

the next day, bill said his farewells early in the morning, not being able to delay work any longer. he hugged his family goodbye before getting to maeve, looking between her and charlie, who was talking to arthur, giving her a knowing smirk.

"so..." he started, whispering in a teasing voice as to not be heard by the others. maeve's face heated up before lightly smacking his arm.

"billius, if you so much as say one word, merlin, i'll set an ironbelly on you." she whispered back through gritted teeth. bill's smirk got impossibly wider.

"interesting that you're threatening me with dragons. i wonder why that is." he beamed before making his way out the door.

"i'll see you soon, christmas maybe? unless the wedding is sooner." he finished his teasing, maeve mumbling some choice words under her breath, waving as her best friend disapparated.

maeve followed in bill's lead only a few minutes later, grabbing her bags and saying goodbye to the remaining weasleys. molly, of course, reminded her that she was always welcome, and that she would be expected at christmas this year. maeve smiled and promised the woman, not wanting to pass up the opportunity to go to another weasley christmas after all these years.

her last goodbye was to charlie, and it seemed like everyone knew something was up, from molly hand-dusting a nearby lamp, very obviously watching the pair, percy unabashedly peaking above the book in his face to see, and arthur staring "intently" at the clock, as if there was anything interesting to see.

"it was great seeing you again after all these years. thank you for... everything." she told him, her words heavy in her throat. charlie nodded, at a loss for words like he was so many times as a schoolboy.

"i uh- of course. anything for you." he managed to get out, inwardly cringing at his words.

"when will i be- er, when will you be back?" she asked, hoping he would be back soon.

"i don't know, i usually spend holidays in romania, it gets pretty short staffed around those times." he rambled, heart already sinking at the thought that he wouldn't be seeing her for a while. he loved his job, it was his favorite thing in life, but after the tension building between the two of them for the past weeks, he wanted nothing more than to be here, with his family, and her.

"oh." she said, frowning. she quickly replaced it with a smile, trying to rid herself of all of these emotions she was feeling. "well, until we meet again." she told him, giving him a quick hug, which was not nearly enough for either of them, before flooing off to her apartment.

when will i be seeing you again. charlie was sure that's what she was going to say. it was always after the moment was over that he would have these bouts of clarity, where he would over analyze everything that had been said and realize what he should have said instead. he couldn't figure it out, he could face a hungarian horntail or norwegian ridgeback with a clear head, but the second a woman, no, the second maeve was involved, he would lose his head.

he sat there silently at dinner, picking at his food, still thinking about the past few weeks with her. everyone at the table noticed, and eventually, molly had enough.

"oh, quit your moping and go to her." she told him, already putting his food, along with another serving, in to go containers and pushing him towards the fireplace.

"but-"

"i don't want you home until you've told that poor girl how you feel. godric, we haven't all been watching you two pine over each other like puppies for weeks just for you to let her go."

and so, charlie quickly found himself in the middle of maeve's apartment, her standing there wide eyed in shirt she may have snagged from the burrow before she left. charlie had been practicing what to say, but at the sight of her there, in seemingly nothing but his old quidditch jersey, he couldn't think straight anymore.

"charlie- i-" he quickly closed the gap between them, pulling her up into a deep kiss. no words could convey all the pent up emotions he has felt since the first time they met in the gryffindor common room. she didn't waste a second reciprocating, throwing her arms around him and arching herself into him. his arms were wrapped around her so tight, he had the fleeting thought that he might be crushing her, but she held onto him with the same force, pulling him down to her level.

"that jersey looks awfully familiar" he panted when they separated, his face so close to hers that she felt his lips move against hers when he spoke.

"shut up weasley." she huffed, pulling him back down again.

when maeve and charlie showed up to christmas that year hand-in-hand, a flood of whoops and hollers were heard throughout the burrow, an approving nod coming from the eldest weasley child seeing his best friend and brother so happy ("no funny business, alright? or at least, not while i'm in the room you bloody slags").

#charlie weasley #charlie x oc #harry potter #goblet of fire #fanfic

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thebunnednun · 9 months ago

Text

Buggy the Clown x Fem!Reader Enchanted meeting (Part 5)

This could go one of two ways. "We could flip the coin I'll be your slave."

Buckle your asses down. I know all the buggy fic writers have been busy and there isn’t much to work with in terms of material from the show rn.

But that isn’t gonna stop me!

Reader becomes a very naughty girl in this next scene.

Part 4: Here

-----------------Chapter 5: Unexpected dinner guests-------------------

The early morning air was thick with tension ( and sweat, ew.) as the crew gathered around the dimming fireplace, the warmth of the flames offering a fleeting sense of comfort amidst the looming threat of Buggy and his crew.

Conversation was pretty subdued, each of the members lost in their own thoughts as they contemplated the events of the day and the challenges that lay ahead.

Sanji being the doting momma he is, was making everyone a hearty breakfast even though no one really had much of an appetite. Luffy had gathered some plants and fruits from the nearby foliage and Nami was making some plans for repairs with Usopp and a new list of supplies.

Zoro sat in silence, his brow furrowed in concentration as he sharpened his swords with practiced precision. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and calculations, his senses on high alert for any sign of danger. He glanced over your form a few times before straightening himself out.

Robin, ever the strategist, poured over a map of the island, tracing her finger along its winding paths and hidden trails. Her keen intellect paired with Nami’s was going to be the foundation of getting off this weird island.

Chopper busied himself with tending to the fire, his small hands deftly arranging the logs to keep the flames burning bright. He helped you bring in water for everyone's baths this morning and was checking in on your mental state. The poor baby even offered himself as a cuddle buddy for you sometime in the night. You woke up with your hand absentmindedly rubbing his back not knowing if it was to sooth him or yourself. To remind yourself that you were safe, for now.

Brooks had kept watch and strummed a few light melodies to help the restlessness that ceased you and the others throughout the night. He had retired upstairs for some rest and you were relieved for him, honestly. You knew everyone was trying to be considerate of your feelings.

And you, (Y/n), sat quietly among your friends, mind racing with thoughts of Buggy and the looming confrontation that awaited you. The memory of his sinister grin sent a shiver down your spine, a chill that no amount of warmth from the fire could dispel. Everytime you close your eyes, that was all you saw before jerking awake.

Let’s cut to the chase, you didn’t even know why you found the clown attractive. As the author, I chalk it up to some childhood trauma but to each their own, ya know? Anyway, you couldn’t put your pretty little finger on it. The man literally tried to kill you over accidentally smooching his nose! Wait, speaking of that-

You were barely able to sleep at all these past two nights and it was weighing heavily on you. Thanks to Choppers help you were able to wash all the makeup and sweat off from the evening and had donned a nice pair of gray sweats and a fitted long sleeve black shirt. But, even after all of that, your mind kept replaying the events that led up to now. Especially when you first laid eyes on him.

Those cerulean eyes, blood red grin, and just how good it felt when he held you. The way his eyes traced over you while you were inside his embrace. The sparks that ran through your skin when he trailed his fingers up your arm and found purchase cradling your cheek. His eyes drinking in the sight of you as you became lost in his. How easily he lifted you up to the crowd and even when he carried you over to the center of the ring his hold was gentle yet firm.

You did want to see what else those hands could do.

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath in. ‘Be fucking for real. This psycho wanted to kill me. Over what!? A kiss on the nose? Big deal!’ Big deal indeed. You resisted touching your lips to the memory of how soft his nose actually felt. Not to forget how cute he looked getting all flustered from the simple gesture. Which also led you to wonder if anyone had ever shown him affection like that before? [Maybe Shanks?~] The image of your deep red kiss imprinted into the center of his flashy nose made your heart stir.

Fuck you wanted to see more of his cute reactions. If this is what he did over a little kiss what would he do if you tied him down to your queen bed? Oh, speaking of that-

The cabin offered comfort as you furnished it with the belongings of the ship. The temporary home was beginning to feel permanent and you could tell it was grinding gears on Luffy. Now he had been pretty angry on behalf of the villagers and wanted to return to help them immediately.

The only issue was that the townspeople seemed to actually like ‘Buggy.’ Which was even fucking weirder. Apparently he often “performed” there for free making it one of the safer islands in the far east blue.

You didn’t even know if you could call this ocean part of the east blue. Not many charts or maps of it existed which was causing Robin and Nami mental distress.

Needless to say, Gumby was pretty on edge about the whole thing.

"We need a plan," you said finally, breaking the silence that had settled over the group. "We can't just sit here and wait for Buggy to come to us."

Zoro nodded in agreement, his gaze focused and determined. "Agreed. We need to be proactive if we're going to stand a chance against him."

Robin glanced up from the map, her expression thoughtful. "I suggest we fortify our defenses and set up traps along the perimeter of the cabin. That way, we'll be ready for any surprises he might throw our way."

Chopper nodded eagerly, his eyes shining with excitement. "And I can brew up some potions to help boost our strength and stamina! We'll need all the help we can get if we're going to take on Buggy and his crew."

Sanji agreed to help Usopp with repairs after you asked him nicely with Nami threatening him behind your back. Brooks was left alone out of respect for the more senior member of the group.

After breakfast, the crew fell into a flurry of activity, each member contributing their skills and expertise to the preparations. Zoro and Sanji set to work reinforcing the walls of the cabin, while Usopp and Nami fashioned crude but effective traps from the surrounding foliage.

Meanwhile, you and Robin scoured the area for potential supplies after setting your traps, reaching out to passing authorities and sailors for assistance in dealing with Buggy. The response was mixed, with some offering their emotional support while others turned a blind eye to your plight.

But despite the challenges and setbacks, the crew remained determined as they faced the looming threat of Buggy and his crew. As the sun began to rise over the horizon, casting a golden afternoon glow over the island, the stage was set for a showdown unlike any other, and the crew of the Straw Hat Pirates were determined to emerge victorious.

As the preparations continued, you felt a responsibility to express your thanks. "Alright, listen up, everyone," you declared, your voice ringing out with authority as you addressed the crew. "We're not going to let some two-bit clown pirate intimidate us. We've faced far worse than Buggy and his crew, and we've always come out on top."

Your words were met with cheers and nods of agreement from your companions, their determination mirrored in their eyes.

"Now let's show them what we're made of," Luffy continued, a mischievous glint in his eye. "And remember, no matter what happens out there, we've got each other's backs. That's what makes us the greatest crew on the Grand Line!"

With renewed determination, the crew set to work with renewed vigor, their spirits lifted by the inspiring words and unwavering confidence. You slipped on some sneakers and grabbed your bag of farming tools. Today was going to be productive come rain or murderous blue haired, seafoam green eyes, well built, six foot tall clowns with sickeningly sexy smiles.

‘Damn, you thirsty bitch, priorities!!’

The sun continued to warm your cold bones, you couldn't help but feel a sense of calm swell within you. This wasn’t sooo bad. And with that thought in mind, ready to face whatever dangers lay ahead with courage, cunning, and a healthy dose of sarcasm.

Usopp and Sanji ventured down to the river to scavenge for materials to repair the damaged ship, while Zoro, true to form, managed to get himself lost in the dense undergrowth once again.

"Where's that mossy bastard gone off to this time?" Sanji grumbled, his brow furrowed in frustration as he scanned the surrounding foliage for any sign of Zoro.

“WHY, did you let him go in the first place!”

Usopp shrugged, his eyes wide with apprehension. "Who knows with him? We'll just have to keep searching until we find him."

Meanwhile, Robin and Chopper had ventured back out into the town to find a library or bookstore, leaving Nami and Luffy to keep an eye on the cabin and its surroundings. But as the hours passed and there was still no sign of Zoro, Nami's patience began to wear thin.

"That idiot better not have gotten himself into trouble," she muttered, her hands clenched into fists as she paced back and forth in front of the cabin.

Luffy, ever the optimist, grinned widely as he watched Nami's pacing with amusement. "Don't worry, Nami! Zoro can handle himself. He's probably just taking a nap somewhere."

But just as Nami was about to launch into a tirade about the moss-headed swordsman's sense of direction, your voice cut through the air.

“You guys don’t need to babysit me. I know you don’t wanna leave me alone and I was scared. But, it would be worse if Zoro was lost for two days again.” Nami nodded and sighed, “We could pick up Robin and Chopper before searching the trees again. He better not have gotten captured.” They left with Luffy giving you a tight hug before disappearing.

You honestly needed that time alone. The ground was soft enough for you to kneel and plant the different seeds as you pleased. You worked in silence mostly though. But you did take a moment to bring a little lunch to Sanji and Usopp which they were very thankful for, especially Sanji. The man practically shot you with the hearts in his eyes.

At some point, you had gone around the side of the cabin while the guys were still mending the sides of the ship. You could hear rustling from behind and you stopped to focus your gaze into the greenery behind you. However, nothing and no one had appeared so you continued with your planting. Which is why you ignored the next rustling sound until you felt a pair of human eyes trained on your back.

“Back again already Moss stone?”

But instead of an enemy, a familiar figure emerged from the foliage, his flamboyant attire and smug grin made your eyes hurt immediately.

He had ditched the captain hat. With a swift motion, he cast aside the iconic captain's hat, letting it tumble to the ground. However, instead of abandoning his pirate flair entirely, he retained the striped bandana wrapped snugly around his head. The vibrant hues of his appearance were unmistakable - vivid red lips contrasting against wisps of cerulean blue hair, framed by piercing emerald eyes. There stood none other than Buggy the Clown.

As you faced off against the notorious pirate, your grip on your shovel tightened, and your eyes narrowed with suspicion. A myriad of questions raced through your mind, each demanding answers that only Buggy himself could provide.

You couldn't shake off the feeling that something dangerous lurked beneath his playful demeanor. Buggy's smile, which usually spread from ear to ear, was peculiarly closed-lipped, and he remained silent for a few moments, studying you with a curious expression.

You could sense the tension in the air, and you knew that this encounter could go either way. What caught you off guard was the deep cherry kiss still outlined on his nose. Finally, he offered a small wave in greeting, which did nothing to put you at ease.

"What do you want, Buggy?" you finally demanded, your voice sharp with contempt.

Buggy raised his hands in a placating gesture, his grin widening as he took a step forward. "Now, now, princess, there's no need for hostility," he said, his voice dripping with false charm. "I've come to talk to your lovely captain. It seems we have some unfinished business to discuss."

You scoffed, gaze cold as you glared at the clown pirate. "I highly doubt Luffy has anything to discuss with you, Buggy. Now leave before things get uglier."

His face darkened for a moment, but Buggy merely chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he turned his attention to you, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

"(Y/n), my dear. That’s your name right? Ya know, I’m actually delighted to see you again," he purred, his voice oozing with false sweetness as he sauntered towards you. "I must say, I've been quite curious about you ever since our little encounter at the big top. Tell me, what possessed you to plant such a bold kiss on my nose?"

You raised an eyebrow, a sly smile playing at the corners of your lips as you regarded the clown pirate. "Oh, you know me, Buggy," you teased, your voice dripping with sarcasm. "I couldn't resist the opportunity to plant one on the most infamous nose in the Grand Line."

Buggy chuckled, his grimm grin widening at your boldness. "Ah, I see. Well, you certainly have a way with words, my dear. But I'm afraid I can't let you off the hook that easily. You see, I have a proposition for you."

Before you could respond, Buggy lunged forward, his hand outstretched as he attempted to grab you. But you were too quick for him, sidestepping his clumsy attack and smashing the head of your shovel down on his cranium. The clown almost stood up after the first hit, but you kept on with your tirade until he was on his knees.

"Not so fast, Bozo!" your voice was laced with determination as you summoned your powers. With a flick of your wrist, you sent a wave of energy towards Buggy, enveloping him in a shimmering aura.

Buggy's eyes widened in shock as he felt himself shrinking down to size, his cries of protest drowned out by the sound of the repairs. Within moments, he was so small you would step on him if his outfit wasn’t so flashy. Quickly, you emptied a mason jar from your gardening bag and Buggy found himself trapped inside, his flamboyant attire dirty and his dignity shattered.

You grinned triumphantly as you held the jar up to eye level, your victory complete. "Oh, how the turn tables," you said, your voice filled with satisfaction. "Now it's time for you to listen to what I have to say." You plopped the screaming specimen into your bag carefully. Finally, after almost three days of torment you finally held the object of your nightmares. You decided to add air holes later seeing how the angry little elf was banging on the container furiously.

With Buggy safely contained inside your bag, you turned your attention back to the cabin, eager to fix that clowns attitude. Usopp and Sanji didn’t stop working which meant they hadn't even heard your small fight. Brooks was still asleep, you think. So, you’d have to be quick.

Heart pounding and cheeks flushed with excitement, you hastily drew your bag up to your chest. Buggy's jar made a muffled clicking sound barely registering over the rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins. “I’m going to bed until dinner!” Sanji waved at you and you curtseyed before running inside. With a quick glance around to ensure that no one had witnessed your victory, you darted inside the cabin while giggling like a mad woman.

But as you bounded up the stairs to the second floor, your mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions. The encounter with Buggy had left you feeling both exhilarated and flustered, the memory of his piercing gaze and wicked grin lingering in the back of your mind. I mean, your powers weren’t permanent if you didn’t control your emotions. There was no telling what that tall ass clown would do to your cute little plump ass if he escaped.

You shook your head, trying to clear your thoughts as you reached the top of the stairs. But no matter how hard you tried to focus, the image of Buggy trapped inside the mason jar danced tantalizingly at the edges of your consciousness, sending a shiver of excitement down your spine.

"Hey, (Y/n), what's got you all worked up?" Brooks' voice interrupted your thoughts, his sockets raised in curiosity as he watched you enter the room. He had startled you in the hallway after the staircase in a pink fuzzy bathrobe and matching slippers.

You forced a smile, trying to appear calm and collected despite the turmoil raging inside you. "Oh, nothing much," you replied nonchalantly, though your heart still raced with adrenaline. "Just had a little run-in with some bugs, that's all."

Some tall, dark, sexy bugs.

Brooks' sockets widened in surprise, his expression mirroring the mix of shock and awe that you felt. "Bug, you say?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.

You shrugged modestly. "It was nothing, really," you said, trying to downplay your accomplishment. "Just a stroke of luck, I suppose." You excused yourself to your room and quietly locked the door. And as you stood against your bedroom door, you couldn't help but feel a surge of confidence and determination wash over you.

But deep down, you knew that it was more than just luck. It was your quick thinking and resourcefulness that had allowed you to outmaneuver Buggy. If you weren’t aware of your surroundings you may not be here right now. ‘Sanji and Usopp wouldn’t have even heard me.’ A weight settling in your stomach as the realization sank in. With a heavy heart, you gravitated towards your bed, seeking solace in its familiarity.

You laid on top of your bed for a few moments. Mainly to calm your heart down from pounding out of your chest. Your nerves were shot. Gripping your fingers into the comforter you held tight as though the earth was tipping over and you would fall into the other side if you didn't. ‘I am safe here, I’m safe here, I am safe,’ you whispered into your mattress like a mantra. You slowly turned your head towards your bag before taking the jar out and setting it on your bed.

Buggy looked a little disheveled but otherwise fine. However, the hate in his green orbs was loud and clear. The insults started almost immediately and you wondered how a man so small could still be so loud. You didn’t respond, though. Just staring at him through your long lashes before he quieted down.

Then it was just the two of you gazing at each other in the soft afternoon light.

“Are you done staring yet, princes?” he finally spoke with the left corner of his lips pulled into a smirk. You thunked the glass with your middle finger causing him to go stumbling back into the jar. You’d give Buggy this: The clown knew how to work your last damn nerves.

“What?! Did ya get flustered?~”As Buggy taunted and teased, you couldn't help but fire back with your own brand of sarcasm, refusing to let his words get under your skin. His attempts to rile you up only fueled your determination to give as good as you got, matching his barbs with quick retorts and sassy comebacks.

"Why do you even want me anyway, huh?" Buggy quipped, his voice laced with amusement as he eyed you from inside the jar. "I'm not exactly your typical catch, you know."

You rolled your eyes, resisting the urge to roll to the back of your head and keep them there. "Oh, I don't know," you replied, feigning innocence as you reached for your art supplies. "Maybe I just have a thing for clowns with oversized egos…"

“...and noses.”

Buggy chuckled, though there was a hint of insecurity in his eyes as he glanced down at his nose. "And what's with that nose of yours, anyway?" you continued, unable to resist questioning his apparent insecurity. "Are you compensating for something?"

He bristled at your remark, but before he could respond, you distracted him by pulling out your sketchbook and pencils. "I think I'll capture this moment for posterity," you said, your voice dripping with glee as you began to sketch his likeness.

Buggy watched with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance as you worked, occasionally making lewd comments about your outfit from that night. Each time he did, you shook the jar, a mischievous grin playing on your lips. “STOP THAT SHIT!” You shook the jar again until he was

As the afternoon wore on, you couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity about the man trapped inside the jar. What was the deal with him anyway? You poked little holes at the top for him to breathe and dropped bits of bread into the jar all the while trying to engage him in conversation and banter.

Buggy actually looked rather grateful,”Yeah, those shit heads didn’t feed me the last time.” Your eyes widened in surprise at the notion but as he explained you could see why. “Sanji at least gave you an orange and you were being a pretty big jerk.” He shrugged and swung one booted foot over the other. “What kind’ve shithead brings smoke bombs to a fight with a fish man?” His comment made you chuckle and he paused his eating to observe you.

You were sketching him again before holding the jar up to your eyes. “Ya know, I think I have an idea.” And then, feeling a sudden surge of curiosity, you decided to grow him to the size of a doll.

Buggy's eyes widened in surprise as he suddenly found himself bigger but with you towering over him, his usual cold gaze replaced by a sense of vulnerability. But before he could protest, you picked him up, being careful not to squish him. “Can you stop being fucking creepy for ten minutes!”

You ignored his whining and began to poke and tickle his body. Thinking about it, Buggy was about the same size as a water bottle now. You wanted to take his bandana off to see what his hair looked like but you didn’t want to hurt him. “ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!” Finding consciousness, you paused your touching to look up at him again.

“Mm?”

Buggy rolled his eyes, unpleased by your behavior. “Ya know, you're like, really weird. That’s a lot coming from me.” Feeling vengeful, whisked him away into your closet, revealing a secret dollhouse hidden away in the corner. Upon seeing it, Buggy began to fail and kick as he screamed, “NO (Y/N) DON’T EVEN FUCKING THINK ABOUT IT YOU-”

Let’s just say his protests fell on deaf ears as you placed him inside the dollhouse, a smirk playing on your lips as you closed the door behind him. "Now, now, Buggy," you said, your voice tinged with amusement. "I think it's time for you to learn a lesson in humility."

Buggy was beside himself. “What kinda sick sadistic shit is this!” His pride was wounded by your actions. "Why are you doing this to me?" he demanded, his voice tinged with frustration.

You shrugged, unable to hide the satisfaction in your voice. "Consider it a lesson in empathy," you replied, your tone firm but gentle. "Maybe now you'll think twice before you go around terrorizing innocent people."

Buggy's expression softened, a hint of remorse flickering in his eyes. "Fine," he grumbled, though there was a hint of resignation in his voice. "But if I were my normal size, I'd spank your ass raw for this."

You laughed, shaking your head at his bravado. "Sure you would, Buggy," you said, your voice teasing as you turned to leave the room. "Sure you would."

Just as you were about to sit down, there was a knock on the door. Sanji poked his head in, his eyebrows raised inquisitively. "Supper's ready, (Y/n)," he said, his voice tinged with curiosity as to why you were in the closet. "Are you coming?"

You nodded, a mischievous glint in your eyes as you glanced back at the doll house "I'll be right there," you replied, trying to hide the smirk on your face. As you locked the closet door behind you, you couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Buggy trapped inside the dollhouse, his indignant protests muffled by the closed door.

Satisfied with your prank, you made your way to the dining area where Sanji had prepared supper for everyone.

As you sat down at the table, you couldn't shake the feeling of anticipation that bubbled inside you. Surely Buggy wouldn't be able to escape the dollhouse, right?

But as supper progressed and the conversation flowed, you couldn't help but feel a sense of unease gnawing at the back of your mind. What if he did manage to get out? What if one of the others saw him?

WHAT IF HE TELLS THEM ABOUT THE DOLLHOUSE!

Just as the thought crossed your mind, Luffy, Nami, Chopper, and Robin returned from their search for Zoro, their faces drawn with worry. Sanji and Usopp, along with Brooks, excused themselves from the table to go look for their missing crewmate, leaving you alone with the others.

As you tried to focus on the dinner conversation, your mind kept drifting back to the closet and the trapped clown inside. You knew you had to go check on him, but you couldn't risk anyone else seeing him. “Hey y’all I’m gonna take a waz, be back!”

Finally, unable to ignore the nagging feeling any longer, you excused yourself from the table and hurried back to your room. But when you opened the closet door, your heart sank as you realized that Buggy was nowhere to be found.

Panic surged through you immediately as a cold sweat looking through the closet into the open space of your room. As you frantically searched from the desk into the bedframe there was no sign of him. You cursed under your breath, realizing that he must have escaped during supper.

With a sinking feeling in your stomach, you knew you had to find him before anyone else did. But where could he have gone? And how were you going to explain his presence if anyone asked?

Desperate to avoid detection, you began to search every nook and cranny of the cabin, your heart pounding with fear and anxiety. But as the minutes ticked by and the search proved fruitless, you couldn't help but feel a sense of dread creeping over you.

What if you couldn't find him in time? And what if someone else did?

As you raced against the clock, your mind raced with thoughts of the consequences if Buggy was discovered. But despite the fear that gripped you, you knew that you had to find him before it was too late.

With a sinking feeling in your chest, you continued to search every corner of the cabin, desperate to find any trace of Buggy. Just as you were about to give up hope, your eyes fell upon a small figure crouched beneath the dining table.

It was Buggy, his eyes wide with fear as he stared up at you.

Just staring at each other

Prolonged eye contact

Without a second thought, you scooped him up in your hands and held him close to your chest, hoping to hide him from view.

Feeling the warmth of your body against him, Buggy squirmed in discomfort, but you held him tightly, determined to keep him hidden. As you settled back into your seat, you couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the air. With each passing moment, the tension grew thicker, threatening to suffocate you. But you pushed aside your fears, determined to enjoy the meal and the company of your friends.

However, as the conversation turned to lighter topics, you found it increasingly difficult to concentrate. Buggy's presence weighed heavily on your mind, a constant reminder of the danger that lurked just beneath the surface.

Just as you were about to excuse yourself from the table, you felt a sharp jab against your side. Glancing down, you realized that Buggy was trying to wriggle free from your grasp. With a panicked squeak, you quickly readjusted your grip, dropping him inside your cleavage. You could see his pale face turn redder than his lipstick as he pushed against the soft flesh that caged him.

Bold, aren't we?

"Shh, quiet down," you whispered, your voice barely above a whisper. "We don't want anyone to find you."

Buggy scowled up at you, his expression a mixture of annoyance and indignation. "Let me go, you insolent wench!" he hissed, his voice filled with venom.

You rolled your eyes, unimpressed by his theatrics. "Not a chance," you retorted, your tone in a harsh whisper. "You're staying right here until I figure out what to do with you."

With a huff of annoyance, Buggy crossed his arms over his chest, sulking like a petulant child. But despite his protests, you held him firmly in place, determined to keep him hidden until dinner was over. With Buggy safely tucked away, you could focus on finishing your food without any distractions.

As the meal came to a close, you excused yourself from the table, citing the need to use the bathroom. With Buggy safely tucked away inside your blouse, you hurried back to your room, hoping to have a moment of peace and quiet.

But as you entered the room and closed the door behind you, you looked down inside your blouse to your cleavage and was met with Buggy's furious glare. Scooping him out, you placed the flustered man onto your bed and sat on the opposed end. "How dare you treat me like some toy!" he spat, his voice laced with anger.

You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose in frustration. "Listen, Buggy, I'm sorry for trapping you like that, but I can't risk anyone finding out about you," you explained, your voice tinged with exasperation.

Buggy's scowl deepened, but you could see the fear lurking behind his eyes. "And what if they do find out?" he demanded, his voice trembling with uncertainty.

You hesitated, unsure of how to respond. But before you could come up with an answer, a knock sounded at the door, interrupting your conversation.

"Hey, (Y/n), everything alright in there?" It was Robin’s voice, tinged with concern.

You cursed under your breath, realizing that you didn't have much time to come up with a plan. With a resigned sigh, you turned back to Buggy, a determined glint in your eyes.

"We'll talk about this later," you said firmly, before dropping him back into your bra and rushing to answer the door. But as you did, you couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get a whole lot more complicated.

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Please check out my other works and leave feedback! It really helps and I love interacting in the comments. Find me on ao3 @TheBunnednun too!

Watch out for some new fics comming out this week. THe master list is pinned!!

See you in the next one my loves!!~ <3333

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fortisfilia · 10 months ago

Text

Promised Part 6 - Tom Riddle x reader

Info: This is a rewrite of a story I've posted on my old account years ago. If it sounds familiar, that might be why :)

Summary: In this story, Tom didn't grow up as an orphan, but with his grandfather and uncle. Reader's sister got very sick and the Gaunts offer their help. But not without asking for something in return.

Warnings: Arranged marriage

Word count: 2k

Masterpost | Masterlist | Part 5 | Part 7

Part 6 - Of Vows and Wrangles

Winter came suddenly this year, and so did Christmas. With all the schoolwork you had been doing for the upcoming N.E.W.T.s in June, the weeks had passed by as quickly as a snitch on the Quidditch field. The holidays were a much-needed break and to see your family again was an even bigger delight.

Elsie did great. She looked like nothing had ever happened to her. No curse, no apparent illness that had almost taken her life, apart from some occasional coughs here and there. She ran around the house like the years before, excited for Christmas to finally come. The house elves seemed glad to have her and all her shenanigans back as well, much to your parent’s dismay, but they let most of it slide. They were thankful their daughter was healthy enough to fool around again.

Christmas day was as cosy and joyful as ever. You spent the whole day with Elsie and your parents, exchanging gifts and playing together. Elsie got her first broom and started her first attempt at flying, which resulted in a knocked-over vase, that split into a million pieces, and a crash landing into the fireplace. Some tears were shed and dried again, and a “no flying inside” rule was established, which resulted in another crying fit. Oh, how you had missed it all.

Mother had waited until the late evening to tell you that the Gaunts would come to visit for lunch the next day. She must have known that you would pepper her with questions again. It was necessary and polite, she said, to invite the future family and show them your interest.

There was certainly no interest to be given to Tom’s grandfather and uncle, but now that you thought of Tom, you had to admit that you missed him. How he had held your hand, how surprisingly cautious and gentle he had been. This memory was embedded in your brain. You would have expected anything but this from him. Anything but that soft and coy demeanour. And still, it made you nervous thinking about meeting him along with his family again. They were the ones that must have made him so cold. So you fell asleep, anticipation and tension crawling through your every vein.

The Gaunts arrived in a rush and brought in a whiff of cold air that couldn’t even be drowned out by the fire in the chimney. Tom acknowledged you this time though. Not like months before when they had come to your house. You could have sworn that there was even a hint of a smile on his lips when he laid his eyes upon you. A smile that you reciprocated, rather faintly as well.

Lunch was alright. A lot of forced formalities and small talk, some tired attempts to get to know the future family. Tom was quiet, as usual, only talked when someone asked him something directly, while Morfin and Marvolo ate so voraciously, the house elves had trouble filling up their plates in time.

The Christmas spirit was spoiled when presents were brought up. Marvolo asked about Elsie’s new broom and why on Merlin’s green earth your parents would gift such a thing to a girl. He held back his laughter and shook his head when Elsie explained so excitedly that she couldn’t wait to learn how to fly in Hogwarts. Bastard.

Marvolo noticed the look you gave him and seemed to take it as a challenge, so he stared back at you, his filthy grin still in place. His head leant sideways as he waited for you to say something, his eyes squinted as if to tell you to go on and tell him what bothered you.

How you would have loved to smash his face against the table or curse him into oblivion. Your teeth hurt from how hard you clenched your jaw. You couldn’t. You wanted to tell him so badly what an awful, disgusting, obsolete excuse for a man he was. But you mustn’t. He still had Elsie’s life in his hands. So you stayed silent when he whispered, “That’s what I thought.”

“Anyway,” Father said in an attempt to ease the tension. “What are your plans for the remaining holidays?”

“There’s not a lot to do these days, is there?” Marvolo answered. “But now that you bring it up, we had something special planned for today.”

Morfin grinned as he shoved the last spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

“And what is that?” Father asked.

“Well now that your little one is doing much better, which I assume you’re very thankful for,” he paused to wait for your parents to agree. “We decided to accept your invitation for today to bring our mutual pact to the next stage.”

Mother quickly told the elves to take Elsie upstairs, while you looked over at Tom in question. He only shook his head, letting you know he didn’t know what was going on either.

“The next stage?” Father asked. “What do you mean by that?”

“Since we’ve done our part of the agreement already, exceedingly fast and precise might I add, and the wedding is still months away, we want to make sure we will get what we asked for. You see, I respect you and your family of course, but one can never be sure enough. We don’t want to be tricked or exploited. So we’re asking for an unbreakable vow. Between Tom and your daughter.”

“A vow?” Mother was appalled. “What for?”

“For the marriage of course,” Marvolo said. “A promise that the marriage will be solemnised, that cannot be withdrawn from either side.”

A breath got stuck in your throat. First the marriage and now this? If you agreed, the Gaunts would have both Elsie and you under their control. Infringing an unbreakable vow resulted in death and they would never stop asking for things if you agreed to this.

“Marvolo,” Father sighed. “Don’t you think it’s enough? That we agreed to do this for the sake of my youngest child? You haven’t broken her curse entirely so you can use her as leverage. And now you expect me to bring my eldest daughter in mortal danger as well?”

“There’s no danger if the plan proceeds as we agreed,” Marvolo answered. “The vow can’t harm her if she plays by the rules.”

“She played by the rules,” Mother said. “She still does. Everyone’s been playing by your rules, so why do you want to add the vow?”

“As I said, I don’t want to be tricked. It’s merely a way to protect my family. And with all due respect, your reaction makes it seem like you’re up to no good already. Who knows? Perhaps you’ve changed your minds.”

Protect his family… He would sell both Tom and Morfin for a galleon and a half if he could. He was paranoid. Tom watched you in silence, his face void of emotion as your eyes met. What could you possibly reply to such an insane proposal? Every word that could leave your mouth right now would be filthy and full of anger, and Marlovo was already waiting for you to burst.

He turned to you. “What do you say, child? Don’t you want to prove your loyalty?”

You sucked in a breath and were about to answer when Tom suddenly stood up.

“Enough! I want a word.”

“You want a word?” Marvolo laughed disparagingly.

“Now,” Tom turned to your parents. “Is there a room we can go to?”

“The reading room, right across the corridor,” Mother said and showed them the way.

You followed the three men and watched them enter the reading room before Mother turned towards you. “Don’t eavesdrop, darling,” she said. “Give them some privacy.”

“Do you really think Marvolo deserves privacy?”

“No. He’s an awful man.”

“He is,” Father said as he joined you.

“We’re not going to let him do this to you,” Mother promised. “You’ve already done enough. Marvolo is out of his mind.”

“He’s greedy,” Father added. “Unreasonable.”

You leant your head against the door to the reading room and pressed your ear onto it, trying to hear what they were talking about. Mother motioned for you to stop, but didn’t prevent you from listening.

First, you heard nothing. Silence, then footsteps tipping across the room. Mumbled words that were so washed out you could barely understand what they meant.

Tom’s voice echoed from the walls. “You can’t be serious. Why would you ask for more? And why didn’t you tell me?”

Marvolo answered quietly. You could only guess what he was saying. Something like “Why would I?”

Mother appeared next to you, visibly displeased with herself as she flicked her wand and cast a spell that diminished the sound barrier, so you could hear every word that was spoken inside the room. Privacy has to be earned in this house.

“I’m not going to let you go through with this,” Tom said.

Marvolo snickered. “And you think I care what you’re allowing me to do?”

“I know you don’t,” Tom answered. “But I won’t comply. You can’t force anyone to make an unbreakable vow. Not even with the Imperius curse. And you know that.”

“What are you doing this for?” Morfin suddenly participated. “For the girl? You know things will only get worse if you refuse.”

A moment of silence occurred.

“Oh would you look at that,” Morfin chuckled. “You do like her, don’t you? Well, at least Father’s letter wasn’t in vain then.”

Tom didn’t answer.

“And her? How will you make her fall for you?” Morfin asked. “If you need a little love potion, I can provide that.”

“How dare you bring that up?” Tom spat. “You're very brave today, uncle. Comparing me to her.”

“Well, Father,” Morfin went on. “Looks like Tom thinks he can do it all on his own.”

“Now listen to me, son,” Marvolo said. “If you think you can disobey me like that, without any consequences, you must take me for a fool. To say that I’m disappointed is an understatement. Just know that there will be more to it.”

They scurried around. Marvolo and Morfin seemed to leave through the Floo Network. You assumed Tom would follow them but could hear him roaming around the room for another minute until his steps wandered towards the door.

Both you and your mother stepped away quickly. Mother fixed her hair and you had suddenly found a deep interest in your nail beds, studying them as if your life depended on it.

Tom stood in the door frame, chest heaving slightly, with the doorknob in his hand.

“Grandfather and uncle left through the fireplace,” he said. “I’ll go too, I just need a minute, if you’ll allow.”

Mother looked at him like she looked at Elsie when she grazed her knee or hit her head. Her eyes weren’t as stern as you expected them to be, but soft and full of pity.

“Why don’t you stay for a bit, Tom?” she asked. “We still have so much food left from lunch, we could need a bit of help before it goes to waste.”

Tom looked at her and nodded slowly. He must have known that she didn’t invite him to prevent wasting food. But apparently, he didn’t care what her reasons were. He just accepted it and that was fair.

“Would you show him around, darling?” Mother asked you. “While I tell the elves to prepare the guest room.”

Masterpost | Masterlist | Part 7

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madamecerberusfanfics · 6 months ago

Text

Can You Love Yet

Ch.3 Death & Empty eyes

Tom Riddle x Reader/OC

summery: Trying to find a cure for the effects caused to those conceived from a love potion, to help her mother finally feel love for her family. A boy caches her eye & believes he could be of great use to her research. He how ever wants nothing to do with her until he hears the rumors about her & her family believing she could help with his goal. Agreeing to help one another out for their own personal gain they did not realize just how this partnership was going to play out.

All of her things packed away neatly in her trunk Rowan gently closed the lid with a sigh escaping her lips. Her 1st year at Hogwarts coming to an end & summer finally beginning. Leaving her dorm holding her trunk in front of her, both hands on the handle just like how she held it when arriving at Hogwarts.

Entering the common room Rowan made her way towards the fireplace, where her & Tom planned to meet. Walking past the rest of the Slytherins, chatting away, she sees Tom already at the fireplace with others surrounding him.

"Well aren't you early, 5 minutes so." Approaching with a friendly smile on her face "& I see brought your friends, hello" the smile still on her face as she turned to greet all the other students surrounding Tom. Noticing how all the girls glared at her & some of the boys, well others looked almost scared of her presence.

"& your not early enough, will be going now, come on Rowan" picking up his trunk Tom turned on his heels & walked out the common room. "well see you next year" with a wave & a smile Rowan walked away, eyes still on her.

Tom was uncertain of what this summer will hold exactly but he was sure that by the end of it he'll have Rowan wrapped around his finger. Standing right before the big beautifully decorated doors that stood between Hogwarts & the rest of the world, before he could think anymore he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning his head with disgust & announce all over his face. 'how dare someone touch me-' before he could even finish his thought his eyes met rowans & that god damn smile of hers. "Trust me you have nothing to worry about, you'll be right back at Hogwarts before you even know it." With a scoff he shrugged off her hand & continued out the doors.

It almost seemed like she could read his mind & oh how he hated that. Catching up with him they made their way back to where the train had left them at the beginning of the year.

A silence hung in the air between the two, it was obvious that Tom still wanted nothing to do with Rowan, he owes her. He shouldn't have to owe anybody & why him out of all people...

On second thought he could see why, he was one of the top students & the fact that it way very known around the school that he was an orphan with no home had made it easy for her to catch him.

As they finally made it across the lake & on to the mainland, looking back one more time at the place that had ever felt the closest to a home a sigh left his lips. There was no point in dwelling on thing such as after all he will be back.

"Come on Tom this way" As Tom turned towards Rowan who had started to walk in the opposite direction of the train. "Please refrain from using my first name & isn't the the train the other way" Aggravated at the fact that Rowan just keep on referring to him by first name, a clear sign that she held no respect for him.

"Yes the train is but we're not using the train, Tom ." A clear emphasis on his name.

As they walked he noticed other students walking in the same direction, most of which he recognized from being a part of some of the more wealth families. Reaching a clearing with carriages littered about Rowan had made her way towards an old white carriage. With fading & chipped paint, a thin but visible layer of dirt coated the outside, along with the fact that it was being pulled by theses horse skeleton like creatures with bones protruding out of their dark skin & bat like wings on their back. It had stuck out like a sore thumb to even the more less kempt carriages with some kind of fluffier & less menacing creature pulling it

"Thestrals, aren't they." Stating it more as a fact rather then a question. "Oh you can see as well interesting." A smirk making its was across her lips. "& you know of them not a lot do, your just full of surprises."

As they approached the door he had noticed a crest on it which in the center held a thestral. "A creature you can only see once you have witness death" His voice uncaring as he remembered the time he had hung a rabbit from the rafters of the orphanage to get back at one of the kids. 'I guess that also includes a death of an animal'

"That is unless your a Grimm" Stating it as if this was well known knowledge as she entered the carriage. Taken aback by this information Tom soon followed, quickly closing the door & sitting right across Rowan. "What do you mean, explain yourself" Demanding he looked down at Rowan who seemed unfazed.

"Well I'm sure you are well aware of the rumors floating around about my family specifically, one of which being that the Grimm family are descendants of death him self." Her eyes moving swiftly from the window to him, examining. As quickly as her eyes come upon him they left returning to the window, admiring the view as they took off in to the sky.

"Are you telling me that's true, a stupid rumor." Almost insulted, from what he heard, she tried to make him look like a fool, but he could not sense any ill intent.

"Well its just a story passed down as an explanation for why my family has had such a strong connection to not only the dead but death its self. Every member born of the name always seems to have some amount of connection, weather that be seeing thestrals without seeing death, communicating with the dead, or even to know when someone will die. Or some combination of the three depends." The last sentence was in a much lighter tone compared to the more serious one she had used. But Tom didn't notice he was in shock, not only had some of the rumors were true but that she might be able to predict death its self? This had to be some kind of sign, but before anything else he had to know how it work.

Once again as if she could read his mind. "& no I will tell you when you die, its unethical & a cruel thing to do, but I will tell you how it works."

Fixing his posture & crossing his arms "How can you tell when someone will die" His voice stern trying to hide his intentions. "Simple I just look in to their eyes & a date echoes throughout my mind, that being the date of their death however the time of ones death is not a fixed thing."

This is what he wanted to hear, leaning in just slightly. "Let me make it very clear however, you can only postpone death for so long until he's had enough of you, & those who have tried to live forever end up meeting a much worse end then death." This was the first time he had ever seen Rowan so serious & her eyes so dark. "Take that warning to heart Tom Riddle." He almost didn't know what to feel he hated people telling him what to do however her warnings should not be taken lightly.

"How do you know all of this, your father I presume?" Wanting to know if there was anymore about this subject that Rowan wouldn't tell him. "The basics my father taught me but he also made me read all of journals & books of my ancestors, what they did because of if & what became of them." It was obvious that she was still trying to warn him, so he switched up his approach.

"Relax Gimm I'm not going to do anything with this information, its not everyday you find someone that can predict your death" Portraying himself as insulted to the that fact that he would do something. Rowan examining him with a blank stare so changed her tune once again when she was done, as she put a reassuring smile on. "Oh its nothing against you just have to put it out there for everyone who finds out."

"Now that I've told you something about my family I'd like to know what you've found out about yours." As friendly as ever.

Tom hated how she would get under his skin & use him, first giving him a place to stay just so he can help her with that dumb cure, & now she told him about her family's connection to death just so she could know about his parents? What was she trying to get at here it didn't make sense.

By the way she phrased it she probably knows how he was looking for information about them, she was stalking him, Merlin how could he almost forget. As his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose he let out a sight. "What on earth are you trying to get out of this Gimm" Frustration was in his voice although lightly.

The sound of wheels & hooves hitting cobblestone didn't take Tom out of his thoughts as Rowan had hoped but she still saw it as an opportunity to change the subject. "Well would you look at that we've arrived." With a single clap of her hands she had gotten up, trunk in hand & left the carriage. Tom following soon after, stepping out on to the cobblestone driveway looking up at the house to see a Victorian style mansion. Similar to that of the carriage the once bright whites of the mansion now faded & dull, the ornate detail held spider weds in-between the gaps. Approaching the door along side Rowan, it gently swung open to a darker yet warmer interior. A short woman stood, long wavy red hair with streaks of white coming from her temples, she wore a long dark green rode with the bottom gliding a long the floor & the edges were adorn with fur.

"Welcome home my dear" patting Rowan on the head, a weak smile on both of their faces " & you must be Rowans new friend, Tom Riddle, its a pleasure to meet you" walking towards him "I'm Rowans mother but please call me Holly" she put out her hand for him to shake, he gladly does putting on the charm. "Please the pleasure is mine miss Holly." as he smiled up at her there was something familiar about her but he could not place his finger on it.

"My, Rowan had told me told me all about your situation & your welcome here as long as need be, we have set up a room for you, Rowan will show you & sorry my husband is working at the moment but he'll be here to introduce himself in the evening" her voice light and airy & a smile that never reached her eyes, they almost seemed empty.

"Alright I'll show you to your room & around the house, come" Rowan spoke up, beckoning Tom to follow her up the stairs. Give Holly a smile & a nod to excuse himself then up the stairs he went.

Rowan & Tom alone once again as the walked through the warm halls of the house. "You never did answer me Grimm"

"Well I wanted you to meet my mother first"

"I didn't particularly see anything to cure, so what are you getting at" his voice stern & the anger on his face started to be very prominent.

"Well that's because what my mother suffers from is of the emotional verity, for she is unable to feel love, weather its romantic, platonic, familial, or even for non living things, my goal here is to finally allow my mother to feel love for her family." Rowan had abruptly stopped in front of a door, turning to Tom. "Well this is your room"

Ignoring her about the room Tom continued. "So what am I doing here, it cant just be that I'm smart, no there's something more."

"Well I had suspicious but I wanted to be sure I was right, for you see in order for someone to be born with the inability to feel love they had to have been born of a love potion" leaning in close to Tom as her crystal like eyes meet his dark eyes, in a hush voice. "& oh my, how you & her have such empty eyes."

#tom riddle #tom riddle x reader #tom riddle x oc #x reader #x oc #harry potter #slow burn #fluff and angst

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