#and I gave him a braid because I think writing Yellow Lily did Things to my mental image of wtst emmet

[egginfroggin]

*smacc*

It's ya boi. Major character death.

Emmet's fine, he's just a wee lil bit dead, that's all. Nothing some therapy won't help.

So I've had like no inspiration last long enough to really finish an illustration, so instead I'm trying to embrace the sketchy half-finished look.

Also, highlighter brush, beloved.

Have a good day! :>

(Program: Krita; time taken: about 1 hr. 40 minutes)

[katherinewilliams221b]

A Date Before Christmas

This work belongs to the Secret Santa event by @hphmsecretsanta2020​​ and its my gift to @cursebreaker-lilith​​ ! Happy Holidays and thank you so much for making this possible!

I hope you like it despite being out of character lol. I felt very insecure writing about her so I kept it simple and with just a few details so I didnt  mess up the character.

Summary: Lili and Penny spend and afternoon before Christmas having fun in Hogsmeade. Pairing: MC x Penny

A/N: Consider this piece an AU of your timeline lmao

--

The door to the Slytherin common room was closed behind her. The place was deserted, everyone was either in the great hall or on their way to Hogsmeade for the beginning of Christmas.

Perfect.

Lili sat in one of the armchairs in front of the fire and watched through the window the different water creatures that passed in front of her.

She looked down at her fingernails, thinking about the note she had received that morning and how she had reacted without thinking about the consequences.

She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the scroll in question to read it again for the umpteenth time that day, as if every time she laid eyes on it she would find a way to calm the nerves that were eating her alive.

"What do you have there?"

Rowan's voice startled her, and she hurriedly crumpled up the letter and put it back in her pocket. However, Rowan had already seen it.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be in the Great Hall..."

"I've been reading for a while and I wanted to write a letter to my parents before Christmas... what's that?"

"What?" Lilith put her legs up on the couch and shrank to fit in it. She kept looking at the lake water through the window.

"Come on, I'm not stupid. You can tell me anything..."

With a slight roll of the eyes, she took out the crumpled ball of paper from her pocket and handed it to Rowan without making eye contact.

Her friend moved her eyes quickly across the paper and raised her eyebrows before smiling.

"Penny asked you out?"

"She says it doesn't have to be a date..."

"And what did you say?"

Lili looked at Rowan and then at the flames in the fireplace.

"I said yes."

Rowan stared at her. "You don't seem very happy...you've been wanting something like this to happen for months.”

"Rowan, I don't know... what are we going to do?"

"With what?"

"With Penny! If it's a date, then... what am I going to do with her?

"It says here that she's inviting you to some Butterbeers at Hogsmeade. Sounds like a good plan to me."

"Yeah, but it's not the same as having butterbeers as a friend as it is a date. It's different, there are expectations... I don't know, Rowan, I shouldn't have said yes."

"Lili, we're talking about Penny. You've been to Hogsmeade many times and you always have a good time. It's no different now..."

"Yes! Yes it is!"

She got up from her chair and marched towards the stairs leading to the bedrooms. Rowan ran after her and found her lying face down on her bed.

"You're exaggerating, which is counterproductive since you have to meet someone in an hour."

Lili grunted against the pillow and turned around to face the ceiling.

"What should I wear?" She murmured.

"Maybe you should ask Andre, I'm not the best person to..."

"No. Because if I ask Andre, I'll have to tell him I have a a date and he'll ask me with whom and I don't want him to know.”

Rowan sat down on her own bed in front of Lili and sighed. "This is not like you. You have to think more clearly..."

She tapped her fingers to her thigh and despite she knew that Rowan was still talking, she couldn't concentrate on her friend's words. Her gaze shifted to her trunk. She got up with a jump and started throwing Alfred's toys to the floor to be able to open the trunk.

"...so maybe should...what are you doing?"

"I know what to wear." she simply stated.

Rowan caught some pieces of clothing that Lili was throwing, and watched with resignation as she tidied up her room.

"The green scarf and... the black boots should do. Don't look at me like that, I'll tidy up later.

"Yeah...right... Rowan muttered as she watched her friend leave the room armed with a pile of clothes.

Twenty minutes later, Lili emerged from the bathroom enfolded in a black jacket, a green hat that matched her scarf and black boots to complete the look.

"Hoop or stars?” She extended her arms to show two pairs of earrings to Rowan, who lowered her book to look at them.

"Those." Rowan pointed at the hoop earrings and Lili walked to a mirror to put them on.

"Alright, I'm ready."

 The feelings of confidence were gradually dissipated as they passed through the corridors of the castle. The lights that decorated the walls and ceiling created an aura of tranquillity and familiarity that she tried to hold on to.

Right at the doors of the lGreat Hall, there was Penny, clad in a pale pink coat and a matching hat. She smiled at the sight of Lili and rose to greet her with a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm too late?”

"Just in time. Let's go! Madam Pudifoots is waiting for us."

"Have you booked a table?"

"Yes, I thought some hot tea would do us good. Then we can walk around Hogsmeade, it's all beautifully decorated.”

 The trip to the village was quiet: Penny and Lili walked side by side, casually brushing up against each other from time to time. By the time they arrived, a few snowflakes had begun to fall.

"So you're going home this Christmas?

"Yes, Beatrice decided that she wanted to spend Christmas with the family, so I'm not going to miss that opportunity. What are you going to do?"

"I still don't know." They passed a man selling chestnuts but politely declined his offer.

"I don't recommend them," said Lili, "unless you want sparks to fly off your tongue!" They laughed together to the door of the tearoom and entered, immediately feeling the warmth of the place.

"Hello, my dears! What can I do for you? Table for two?"

"Good afternoon, I've reserved a table."

"Oh! Sure, right this way! I've put you somewhere a bit more private, you know, people don't usually book here so I figured it would be something important.”

The woman took them to the end of the shop, leading them to a table behind the curtain that separated the main hall. They made themselves comfortable and asked each other for their tea, trying to avoid each other's gaze. As a courtesy, Madam Pudifoots brought them a small plate of biscuits.

"Since I'm leaving tomorrow morning, I thought I'd give you this," said Penny, rummaging through her coat.

"You bought me a present?"

"Yes! I hope you like it..." She took a small package from her coat and slid it across the table. She waited impatiently for Lili to unwrap it, but she just stared at it. After a few seconds she looked up and smiled.

"I brought you something too." Penny grinned and accepted the small wooden box.

Lili opened her package to find three different coloured scrunchies and some pairs of matching socks. Excited, she chose the green one and tied part of her hair back. "I love them!"

Penny's reaction was much more exaggerated. It seemed that she had got it right with the hair clips... She put several butterflies in her braids.

"They are beautiful, Lili, they match my jumper."

"And there's more..." Penny raised her eyebrows but before I could ask what she meant; several butterflies started flying around her head. Lili looked on with a smile as Penny tried to catch them, laughing all the time.

"They are bewitched, they take a while to become clips again."

"They are brilliant! Thank you, Lili."

 The tea was well received, and they spent an hour chatting about the classes, potions, and the new collection of Gladrags Wizardwear.

 For once, Lili felt comfortable and not guilty about not thinking about the vaults.

They paid on their way out and willingly accepted the Christmas treat that Madam Pudifoot gave them.

"Do you want to go to Gladrags?"

"Yes! Last week I saw a skirt that I liked."

They walked for a while but nature had other plans; the temperature dropped abruptly and a strong blizzard rose, making it difficult for visitors to walk through the village.

"We can make a strategic stop at Zonko's..." proposed Lili.

"Maybe we will meet Tonks."

The sound of the door bells warning of the arrival of a new buyer was not heard amidst the laughter and commotion of the children visiting the shop. Several lights exploded on the roof and Penny and Lili had to dodge several flying objects. They approached a special Christmas section.

"This is fun, there is a present inside and two people have to pull on both sides," said Penny holding a green package.

"Look! Zonko has put up a Christmas tree! Lili approached it, it was decorated with floating candles, lights and colourful ornaments.

"It will be one of the few things here that are harmless." Penny laughed.

She ate her words as one of the Christmas ornaments doubled in size when Lili touched it and a green liquid exploded in her face.

Both girls broke into laughter as Lili tried to get what appeared to be drool of some creature.

"Ah, I see you have discovered my surprise decorations..." said the owner offering Lili a napkin. She looked at him suspiciously and Zonko laughed. "It's only paper.”

 After several scares and jokes later, Lili grabbed Penny's hand and dragged her into the street.

"The blizzard has stopped, let's go before it closes! They walked together hand in hand, none of them wanted to let go. When they arrived at the clothing shop, they examined the shop window for anything that caught their attention.

"Is that the skirt you wanted?"

Penny nodded enthusiastically and pointed to a mannequin. "And that shirt would look great!" They laughed as several eyes fell on them. They noticed it and tried to turn off their laughter, but when they looked at each other, they couldn't resist and the giggles started again.

 Lili was sitting in front of the dressing room where Penny was changing her clothes. When she came out, the blonde turned around and waited for the verdict.

"It looks great on you but... better with the yellow top."

"Isn't it too flashy?"

"That's the idea..." Penny went back into the fitting room with a little smile.

"Well, I won't buy it today anyway. I'll wait for the sales. What do you want to do now?"

Lili got up from her seat and started walking around the shop. A red jacket caught her attention and she went straight to touch it.

"I don't know... some sweets? We can stop by Honeydukes to see how it is decorated."

"Sounds good!"

 The place was packed but they still managed to make their way through the crowd. They looked around in amazement. As many times as they had gone to that shop, each year they outdid themselves in creating the most fun and colourful atmosphere in all of Hogsmeade. Penny went straight to the cotton candy, while Lili kept her eye on some little heart-shaped candies.

She turned to see Penny paying and rushed to grab a handful of the candy. She waited impatiently for the change after paying, and hid the bag in her jacket.

"Here you are" announced Penny from behind a giant pink cotton candy. "If you behave yourself, maybe I'll give you some.” Lili rolled her eyes before giggling and stole some cotton candy from the cone.

They spent the next few hours wandering around the place, trying out some chocolate samples and listening to the Christmas music playing over the speakers.

As they left, the memory of the noisy shop made the street seem quieter than usual.

It was dark, but the lights on the facades were bright enough to walk around in peace.

"Do you want to go get a Butterbeer?" Penny asked.

 "Let's sit down for a while." Lili pointed to a stone bench in front of them and they cleared the snow so they could sit down. She took the bag out of her pocket and gave her date the candies she had saved. "I bought you this..."

Penny accepted the bag in surprise but finally a smile appeared in her mouth.

"I bought you something too..." Penny reached into her pockets and pulled out a small green package. "Shall we open it?"

They pulled the ends to break the package, which exploded in the air with lights of various colours. They laughed as several things fell on their heads.

"A beaded bracelet..."

"And some lemon drops!"

"Penny..."

The atmosphere suddenly became serious, the blonde waited with concern for Lili to say what she was thinking.

"It was a great date."

Penny smiled before nodding, agreeing with her friend's opinion. Leaning forward, she put her hand on Lili's.

"I agree.”

Lili approached as well and placed her lips on Penny's in a sweet, short peck. They both smiled before getting up.

"To the three broomsticks?”

"To the three broomsticks."

--

[vylad243]

Morro and Harumi Headcanons.

Might include spoilers? Maybe? I don't know what you've seen.

There may or may not be over a hundred:

• Morro called Harumi 'Jade' instead of 'Princess'

• Harumi calls him 'Breeze' in return

• Morro and Harumi's friendship started because of their hatred of the FSM

• Morro helped reconnect Harumi with her parents when she died

• Morro braids Harumi's hair

• Harumi taught Morro how to dance

• Following a certain theory that I might post soon, Morro and Harumi visit Ninjago to make sure everyone is okay.

• Morro and Harumi greet the bounty every time her op ass dies

• Harumi likes to see how far she can step before she pisses Morro off

• Harumi tries to convince Morro and the FSM to fight all the time

• Harumi will use Morro as a "Date" for dances and parties and such whenever she gets the chance

• Harumi and Morro are constantly sassing each other

• Harumi likes Morro's elemental dragon and she tries to talk him into always having it out.

• Harumi once tried to get Morro to visit his parents in the departed realm but when he kept refusing she gave up, not wanting to push him.

• Morro once called Harumi his cousin and she freaked out, forgetting he was adopted by Wu, he hasn't done it since.

• Harumi called Morro 'Sour Green' once.

• It bothered Morro because there is a colour called 'Lime Green'

• Harumi will walk up to Morro with random rocks and ask him to identify if because he was once a miner and probably knew a lot about rocks

• Harumi found out Morro really like Amethysts and likes to say his favorite colour is purple, which he never denys 🤔

• Harumi likes to watch Morro's and the FSM's arguements and will occasionally eat popcorn during these

• Harumi is a bit afraid of how Powerful Morro is compared to the Ninja

• Morro showed Harumi all the best places in the departed realm and also showed her how to look upon other realms

• Harumi clings to Morro like a bat whenever they past the Great Devourer in the departed realm, the snake is surprisingly chill

• Morro has slight PDST from the cursed realm and Harumi feels useless whenever she watches him slightly freak out when it's mentioned

• Harumi learnt Morro likes hugs.

• She recently learnt only she can hug him.

• No matter how mad Morro gets at Harumi, he'll never let her suffer alone and will always be there when she needs someone

• Harumi hates that she can't help Morro in return though because he doesn't tell her anything, but she doesn't know that just her presence helps him

• Morro strongly recommends avoiding Harumi's adoptive parents in case they snap at her and he knows she's not emotionally prepared for that

• Harumi thinks Morro should get a service dog if they ever permanently stay in Ninjago

• He disagrees with her about that.

• Harumi and Morro get into alot of arguements about his safety once she found out he was actually allergic to a common metal found in alot in caves, hell if I know what it's called.

• Harumi feels like she's become a little too protective over Morro until she remembers the dumb shit he pulls

• Morro think that he's under protective of Harumi

• Morro tried his hardest to hide the fact he's half blind from her, the scar is so close to his eye, and how he moves his head, he feels like she already know, but she hasn't yelled at him yet so he's unsure (My headcanon hiiissssss)

• Harumi likes to call Morro 'Mini-god' and the Bounty 'Big God'

• It really gets him mad, but he loves her to much to say anything about it.

• Harumi likes Horror movies, but won't watch them, mention them, or talk about any near Morro because they scare him to no ends.

• It makes her really curious of what's in the Cursed Realm though.

• Morro likes puns.

• Harumi doesn't

• Morro can sing

• Harumi is mad he never does sing

• Morro can speak so many different languages it's ridiculous. He can speak Oni and Dragon too.

• Harumi want him to teach her, but she hasn't convinced him to yet. In reality she just wants to understand what he's saying half the time.

• Harumi and Morro insult each other every chance they get

• They don't do well separated

• English actually isn't his native language, he just learnt it at such a young age from Wu

• Morro is short and Harumi makes fun of it every chance she gets

• Harumi's favorite colour is actually yellow

• Harumi comes up with the craziest nicknames for him and he can't come up with any good ones, her personal favorite that he gave her was Onyx, but she really likes Jade too.

• Morro insults her in different languages

• Harumi doesnt like the second largest snake either

• Each time Harumi sees Morro cry she tries to cheer him up by saying "It's okay my life sucked too."

• He will passive aggressively say that she died when she was older then fourteen and she'll just hug him.

• Harumi and Morro's favorite spot is the waterfall in the departed realm despite Morro's anxiety with water

• Morro has heterochromia eyes, one green and the other is silver

• Harumi has pretty sky blue eyes

• Harumi and Morro like to insult Misko, the FSM, and Wu.

• They're both pretty socially awkward

• Harumi has tried to get Morro to tie back his hair

• Morro will stay up all night just to watch Harumi and make sure she's doing okay and not having any nightmares while she sleeps

• Harumi loves to sleep

• Harumi doesn't like fire to much, and ironically, Morro doesn't like water

• Harumi likes to lean against Morro

• They actually ignored each other's existence at first

• The first person Harumi saw in the departed realm was a childhood friend of her's

• The first person Morro saw was the FSM

• Yes they immediately got into an arguement

• Morro makes jokes about how Harumi took his plan, but little does he know his plan was the base to Harumi's plan, just different objectives, and outcomes, and boring stuff like that.

• Morro hates sleeping

• Harumi wonders if she would of been sent to the cursed realm despite redeeming herself, she also wonders that about Morro when he died again

• Morro hasn't told anyone that destroying the Cursed Realm was a stupid plan and that all realms use each other as pillars

• He also never said 'I told you so' when Djinjago was destroyed when the Cursed Realm fallen (Is that how you spell it)

• Harumi and Morro usually greet all those who pass into the departed.

• Morro has called the head writer in Cloud Kingdom stupid on multiple occasions

• Morro might be one of the only characters in Ninjago who doesn't have his destiny being written out by the people in Cloud Kingdom (I say this is a might, I'm not sure, but I'm sprinkling some theory juice in here)

• So technically he did prove destiny wrong since he gets to write his own now. (If the above is true)

• Harumi likes it when Morro does her hair

• Morro refuses to let Harumi touch his hair.

• Harumi is a bit jealous of Morro's powers, but that's only because she felt she could save her parents' life if she had them

• Morro would of most likely given Harumi his powers

• Harumi and Morro actually don't talk about Lloyd that much

• Harumi has tried to show Morro how technology works, but he's beyond that stuff.

• He thinks it's stupid, but doesnt care enough to turn back time to make technology never exist

• Morro actually finds a bit of pride being the first ever elemental master that was a villian, he thinks it's nice that it proves you don't have to become what others think you're going to be.

• Harumi thinks it's funny that Morro is kidna cheesy, but she excuses it because of his young age.

• Morro doesn't like being the youngest villian though

• Harumi thinks it's stupid that Wu puts so much pressure on kids

• Morro, despite having huge advantages against the ninja, liked to be fair and give then easier chances to beat him. (Like seriously, dude. You could of just phased through the FSM's shit. You didn't have to play by the rules)

• Harumi doesn't like The Overlord

• Morro questions how when The Overlord died he was sent to the departed realm instead of the Cursed Realm

• Morro never went to school and is purely self-taught, besides the things Wu taught him

• Harumi feel bad about everything she did

• Morro honestly couldn't care less about what he did

• Moror can play a guitar

• Harumi likes to visit Ninjago, she doesn't like how she has to hide everytime she does it though

• Harumi is afraid of what the FSM will do to her and Morro if they keep fighting with him

• Harumi really likes pearls

• Morro wanted to be a doctor when he was younger

• Harumi wanted to be like the Ninja until the Great Devourer Incident

• Morro made Harumi pet the Great Devourer once. He doesn't regret making her do that

• Morro's favorite flower is a lily

• Harumi's is either a Carnation or Devil's Paintbrush

• Morro is slightly irritated that the FSM made a giant snake that consumes everything in it's path and didn't take precautions to make sure it didn't do exactly what it did.

• Harumi will sometimes just agree with whatever Morro says

• Morro used to like the rain

• Harumi likes mysteries

• Morro once asked Harumi if her adoptive parents had kids, would the baby be the ruler because it's actual blood or if Harumi would because's she's the eldest and she was adopted at such a young age

• Harumi didn't know how to answer and said she believed the baby would

• Morro actually likes cuddles, he's just very selective

• Morro used to be friends with that Grundle he threw a stick at. He named it Honey.

• He never told Wu about his very dangerous pet

• Harumi likes sea creatures and the ocean. Again, mysteries

• Morro likes to read and used the read every chance he got

• Harumi asked Morro what it was like being Wu's student and he just pointed to the Great Devourer and walked away. She still doesn't know what that means

• Morro, despite accepting he's Wu's adoptive child, will fight anyone who says he's Wu's son.

• Harumi made one joke about how Morro should of used the water from his second death to help him survive his first death.

• He just responded with "That's not how boiling works"

• Morro likes to stargaze

• Harumi and Morro can both draw

• Harumi and Morro both don't like the idea of the other talking to other people, afraid they're gonna loose their best friend

• Harumi likes to pick grass from the Departed Realm and watch it fade away

• Harumi wants to learn how to play the piano

--------

And I'm gonna stop now, I need to save some hcs in case I need some more for later xD

[imaginejamesandsirius]

Hi, I was wondering... could you write a fic in which Lily turns James down once again and maybe yells at him, and Sirius defends James because he honestly can't understand how one can not love him. And then James realizes it's always been Sirius (and maybe Lily was rejecting James because she knew Prongsfoot were meant to be)? I know it's cliché, but I'd like it :) and this is not meant to be Lily bashing or anything (I mean, I like her)... Thank you!

For all that she had said no repeatedly, it had never occurred to James that Lily was legitimately not interested. They would be perfect together, he was convinced. It was like the ideal love story! They meet at odds, get closer as they grow, top of the class, Head Boy and Girl, and eventually realise they are great together, marry young, and have lots of children. It was the type of story that dominated sickle romance books (ahem, not that James knew what those were like).

But when James tried to explain what he was thinking to her, she didn’t react favourably. Lily gaped at him. “Are you absolutely mental? Yes, I’ll admit, it makes a nice story, but we don’t get on. Even if we did, we wouldn’t be dating!”

“Why not?”

Lily made an impatient noise, threw her hands in the air, and stormed off.

James stared at her retreating figure, confused. She was acting like he was missing something big, but he didn’t know what. Maybe he should get her flowers; everyone liked flowers. Well, Sirius did, and he always smiled when James gave him some.

He didn’t end up getting her flowers, partially because it would be better to ask than accidentally get her a kind she hated or was allergic to, and partially because when he asked Sirius for help with Lily in the past, he got a look on his face that said he’d rather be anywhere but there. James hated that look, so he didn’t ask Sirius’s advice, though it undoubtedly would have been helpful.

Lily blinked at him. “You want to know my favourite flower,” she said flatly.

He nodded, thinking that maybe, for once, this conversation would go right.

She leaned back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest and giving him a look.

...Then again, maybe not.

“James-- and I mean this in the nicest way possible-- you’re an imbecile.”

“Do you not like flowers?”

“Why do you want to give me flowers?” she asked, not countering, just ignoring his question.

“I thought you might like them. Sirius likes flowers, says they make the room brighter.”

“So you thought I’d like flowers because Sirius-- your best mate-- likes them.”

“Yes?”

Lily shook her head. “Unbelievable,” she muttered. “I need to finish this essay for Professor McGonagall.”

“O...kay.” He walked away, feeling reprimanded, though he didn’t know what for.

Sirius was sympathetic as always when James returned looking glum. “It’s alright mate, she’ll come around.” He’d been saying that for months, but it still inexplicably made James feel better.

“If you say so. What’re you working on?”

Sirius grinned, launching into an explanation of his motorbike and the flying charms he was currently working on, which quite frankly went over James’s head. He’d started on that mechanic’s book Sirius lent him, but wasn’t far enough in it to understand the level Sirius was talking at. It was nice to see him so passionate, though, and he didn’t mind pausing to explain the more complex parts when James asked. James made a mental note to read the book faster on the off chance he’d be able to help by the time he was through. If nothing else, he’d understand more, and Sirius would get that pleased little smile.

~~~

“You want to know what?” Lily asked incredulously, though not offended, so at least he wasn’t regressing.

“Your favourite type of chocolate. Flowers and chocolates are what you get the person you fancy, but you didn’t answer for flowers.”

“What type of chocolates do you get Sirius?”

“Anything with caramel,” he said immediately. When Lily raised an eyebrow pointedly, he defended, “He loves caramel, but he refuses to buy it for himself always insisting that he likes dark chocolate. I’m not about to make him live without caramel chocolate just because he’s being a stubborn arse, can you imagine how sad he’d be?” James shook his head. “It would never be worth it.”

“Mmhmm.” Lily looked like James had just proved her point, but James, as per usual with her, was completely lost.

He left a few minutes later, feeling like he’d just lost a battle he hadn’t known he was fighting and still didn’t know the cause of. She’s certainly interesting, he thought as he made his way to the One-Eyed Witch statue. Sirius was about to run out of chocolate (his caramel stash, not the dark that he only touched when he was out of caramel and hated every bite of), so James figured he could get him some before he got back from Ancient Runes.

~~~

“C’mon Lily we would make a great couple.”

“We really, really wouldn’t,” she said, aggravated.

“I think that we would.” Granted it was for reasons he’d already told her, and she’d denied/ignored, but if she thought about it, she’d agree. Maybe. He was steadily losing faith in that assumption.

“No we wouldn’t! Not when one of us doesn’t care, and the other is clearly in love with their best friend even if he won’t admit it. For fuck’s sake, James ask out the person you actually fancy for once!”

“I- what are you talking about?”

“Sirius! Sirius Black, your best friend, the person you spend all your time with.”

“I don’t- I don’t fancy Sirius,” he stuttered out.

“James just the other day you told me that you get flowers and chocolates for the person you fancy. You give Sirius both.”

“We’re friends,” he protested.

“Oh really? Do you get Remus and Peter those things?”

“Of course not.”

“Why ‘of course not’?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it. When he opened it again, he settled on, “Well, it’s just weird, that’s why. Why would I give them flowers?”

“Why would you give Sirius flowers?”

“He likes them!” James said defensively.

“And you like giving them,” Lily said simply. “You know what, James? I don’t like things like that, these romantic gestures. You know who it does sound like likes that? Consider that all of your suggestions are taken from what you know Sirius likes, so maybe you should be with someone you know, like, off the top of my head, Sirius.” James stared at her, dumbfounded. “Think about it.” With that, she pat him hard on the shoulder and walked away.

He walked back to Gryffindor Tower in a haze, snippets of memories from his time with Sirius flashing through his head. Sirius always- Merlin- he would light up when James gave him a gift, smile so wide, and thank him. Even when he was sad, he would smile at James like he didn’t need anyone else.

Oh gods. One day, all the Marauders were feeling silly, wanted harmless fun with each other in the rare, shining sun. Peter collected hundreds of daisies somehow, and they all played. Remus and Peter did some muggle pastime of linking them to make daisy chains while Sirius and James tickled each other’s noses, seeing how long they could last before they broke (they scarcely went past a few seconds so the game didn’t go on very long). When the two of them were done, James sat on his knees behind Sirius, and started braiding daisies in his hair. It wasn’t a disaster because it was far from the first time James had done this, and he was glad. The neat braids made Sirius look like a god, the white petals shining against his black hair, all of it highlighted in yellow. James took a picture with Sirius’s muggle camera, and it was easily his favourite photograph. He’d caught Sirius with his head tilted back to look at James, but his eyes were closed from the sun, and his nose was scrunched up in a full-body laugh at some quip James had made (he remembered it was specifically to try and get that expression). Peter and Remus had even done the ‘loves me-loves me not’ game to them and James had just rolled his eyes and said of course he loved Sirius, don’t be ridiculous.

But now it was like he’d looked around and realised that, yes, the walls of Hogwarts were made of stone. It wasn’t a realisation necessarily, but he hadn’t thought of it before no matter how obvious it was to everyone else, including the wall.

He was in love with Sirius.

He’d been in love with Sirius for years, had been acting on it, and never fucking noticed it before. Well now he was noticing, and he didn’t want to spend another buggering second without having talked to Sirius about it.

Sirius was in the decently filled common room, sitting in the armchair he and James had transfigured and stuck to the ground in third year, a book Flitwick had given him on professional charms in his lap as he read. No one was nearby, so he didn’t need to ask Sirius to another room to talk. James sat on the ground in front of him, leaning his cheek on Sirius’s knee when he moved the book for James. He immediately half-closed the book, setting it to the side as he looked down at James, grinning and carding his free hand through James’s hair.

“I love you,” James said.

“I know. I love you too.”

“No, that’s not--” James turned his face down, wincing when his glasses dug into his face. Impatiently, he pulled them off and put his head back where it was, looking at Sirius again. He was close enough that James could see him clearly without his glasses, and he adored moments like this. Something about having a filter between him and Sirius felt wrong. “I’m in love with you.”

Sirius wasn’t smiling anymore, instead frowning slightly in confusion. “I know.”

“You know?” he said, taken aback, no longer resting his head on Sirius.

“You aren’t exactly subtle, mate,” he said with an uneasy half-smile.

“You’re in love with me too.” He was thinking and saying it for the first time yet knew intrinsically that it was true.

“Well,” Sirius shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah. I dunno why you’re bringing it up all of a sudden. When you started pursuing Lily, I thought we had an unspoken agreement to ignore it. I don’t know what universe you’re traveling in James, but this is the opposite of ignoring it.”

“I didn’t… I didn’t know.” When Sirius gave him a confused look, he continued in sputtering starts and stops. “You- I never thought about it. I didn’t know I felt that way about you. Or that you felt that way about me. I wouldn’t- I wouldn’t have done that.”

“You didn’t know,” Sirius repeated, an edge of disbelief in his voice, but not like he thought James was lying. “Are you bloody kidding me?” He let go of his book, and it tumbled to the ground with a thump that neither of them heeded.

James shook his head. “I’m sorry. Can we start? Now? Please?”

Sirius grabbed him by the front of his robes and wrenched him in, pressing a long overdue kiss to James’s lips. “I-” kiss “cannot-” kiss “believe-” kiss “you didn’t-” kiss “know.” He kissed him again, opening his mouth against James’s in an invitation that was eagerly accepted. “Everyone in the whole bloody castle knew, and you didn’t. Do you have any idea what it’s like to tell people that no, we’re not fighting, we didn’t break up, you’re just asking Lily out? Any idea, Jamie?”

“Can’t say I do,” he said breathlessly, addicted to the kisses Sirius was giving him so frequently as if to catch up on all the ones they missed.

“Out of curiosity,” Sirius said, looking pleased about his effect on James, “what made you realise?”

James grimaced. “Lily sort of… shouted it at me.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she channeled Merlin himself to get through your thick skull.”

“Me either.” James kissed him again. “Can I keep buying you flowers? And chocolates? And playing with your hair?”

“It’s required, Prongs, how dare you imply otherwise.”

James beamed at him, already calculating how many gladiolus were in the UK that he could buy Sirius by the weekend.

[illuminating-dragons]

Fading Scars (6/?): The Sortings

Time: 2009 and beyond

Summary:  The various sortings of the Next Generation, and what happened next.

Teddy Lupin

           Harry and Ginny invited Andromeda to breakfast with them the first morning. Lily was fussy with teething, but between James chattering about the book he was reading with Ginny and Albus’ incessant questions, Harry hoped the woman was distracted from missing Teddy. Her grandson. His godson.

           Harry had been so caught up in Teddy’s own excitement about going to Hogwarts that he hadn’t quite thought through what it would be like when he’d be away.  He’s so young. What if he’s homesick? What if he hates it? What if he has no friends?

           Lily whined in his lap, and Harry cuddled her close. Thank goodness his other children were still years away from Hogwarts.

           A large barn owl swooped into the breakfast room and dropped two letters—one in Andromeda’s hand, one in Harry’s.

           “Moo!” Lily shouted. Harry couldn’t help smiling. Poor Teddy had been trying to be nice when he let Lily pick her name. Trouble was, he’d forgotten that Lily knew a limited amount of words at one, but a great deal of sounds.

           The owl let Lily pet him as Harry passed the letter to Ginny—his hands were a bit full. Ginny opened it eagerly, then beamed. “He loved the feast!”

           Andromeda nodded, her eyes solemn. “He says the Sorting Hat sang about friendship this year. He’s been sorted into Hufflepuff.”

           “Brilliant,” Harry said. “He’s always loved yellow.”    

           Andromeda peered at him. “You’re not…”

           “Not what?” Then it hit him. “Do you think I’d be disappointed?”

           “No, of course not. Perhaps surprised. It’s just in some ways he takes after his father more than Dora.”

           “I wouldn’t have been surprised if he was in Gryffindor,” Ginny said, “but I think he’ll fit in well in Hufflepuff. And anyways, that’s where his mum was, right?” She read on, and she drew in a sharp breath.

           “Ginny?”

           Ginny reached out for Lily, and Harry passed her over, taking the letter in exchange. He read it aloud, his voice getting tighter as he went on.

           And you two won’t believe it, but one of the prefects, Gemma, she took me and a couple of others with Hufflepuff family over to the Hole. It’s a little hole in the floor, right near the fire, and everyone who graduates puts in a stone with their names scratched on them for any of their family who are Sorted here. She gave me Mummy’s. It’s all colourful. Gemma said she thought there might be jewels in it, or something precious, and my Mummy loved it. It’s for me now to keep. I think when I graduate I might put it back in with my name on it too. I’ll ask Gemma in the morning.

Heaps of love,

Teddy the Badger

P.S. I miss you, but Hogwarts is brilliant, so don’t worry about me.

Victoire Weasley

           It took a long time to decide whether or not to send Victoire to Hogwarts at all.

           Fleur and Bill went back and forth. Beauxbatons was a wonderful school too, and Fleur’s family was there, and there were traditions there that were just as important. Fleur had loved school dearly, and actually cried the day she left for England, not just for her family but the lovely long halls and high windows of Beauxbatons.

           On the other hand, the idea of having Victoire so far away made her heart ache (and made her write her mother more often). Bill was willing to do either, but he pointed out that Victoire wasn’t quite fluent in French, and she adored her cousins, all of whom were going to Hogwarts. That wasn’t even a point of discussion in the other Weasley homes.

           Eventually Victoire was asked her opinion. She thought about it quite seriously for three days, and then told them that she wanted to go to Hogwarts right now.

           “Can I change my mind when I’m older?” she asked. “When I’m ready to leave home?”

           Fleur hugged her daughter close. “Bien sur,” she promised.

           (It would later turn out that Victoire would never go very far from home. She wasn’t an adventurer like either of her parents. She stayed home, first with them and then with Teddy, writing music. She only ever sang for her children, but her songs travelled the globe).

           But Fleur didn’t know it that day. All she knew was that suddenly Hogwarts was too far away, and the train was dangerous, and perhaps they could teach her? But no, her daughter had a brilliant mind, and needed to be nurtured by people who weren’t family.

           And when Victoire came home for Christmas wearing Ravenclaw blue and bubbling over about how many things she wanted to learn, Fleur knew they’d made the right decision.

Dominique Weasley

           Dominique’s red hair had always run wild. Unlike her sister, who kept her blonde hair tucked into braids, Dominique let her hair fly free, just like Aunt Gabrielle’s. She was the first up in the morning, the last to sleep, and could never sit still long enough to read a book. Fearless and tough, she roamed each day looking for adventure.

           Dominque cried fiercely the night before she went to Hogwarts, begging to stay home. Bill promised her the same deal as Victoire—when she was thirteen, she could change her mind about school. He would teach her himself if she wanted, and take her on voyages. “My adventuring partner,” he always called her. He was sure she would find her home in Gryffindor.

           She found her home, but it wasn’t in the house of chivalry and nerve. Instead, it was in the house of creativity, of inquiring minds who thirsted for knowledge. And when Dominique opened the trunk her family had packed for her, she found a bronze eagle set with sapphires from Aunt Luna, who’d recognized the need for answers.

           Dominique—Nicki when she got older— would eventually join her dad on his expeditions, but only sometimes. She was searching for curses, and Dad was good at breaking them. Sometimes he was too slow, though, and she would barge on ahead, using spells she designed to bring them down, tame them, catalogue and comprehend them.

           There were people to help, after all—people who’d been hurt by these curses. And Nicki was going to find out how to help them, no matter what got in her way.

Fred Weasley II

           After Bill’s daughters both being sorted into Ravenclaw, everyone started getting used to the idea that not all the Weasleys would be in Gryffindor. No one was upset, of course—it just felt a bit odd.

           So when George and Angelina broke the news that their son hadn’t been sorted into Gryffindor either, people were calm.

           They stopped being calm when they found out Freddie Weasley was in Slytherin.

           George nearly shouted himself hoarse arguing with Angelina that day. She was panicking, terribly worried that they’d done something wrong. Her family was Gryffindor through and through. The statistics for Death Eaters was overwhelmingly Slytherin. She loved her son—loved him deep and strong—but would he survive Slytherin? Would he be the same? And even if he belonged in Slytherin…what if the others, offspring of old pureblood families, didn’t agree?

           “Damn it, woman,” George finally raged, “Fred and I should probably have been in Slytherin!”

           And Angelina knew, in her heart of hearts, that he was right. They’d both grown up knowing red was their colour. Who knew? Perhaps if they’d had a chance to be different, to choose their own way, maybe she would have worn yellow, her husband green. Maybe their son was growing up in a world where he could choose that without worrying. Where he could be where he belonged, and never think that maybe their House was good and they loved their housemates, but it never quite felt like home.

           And that’s what she and George told everyone who looked shocked or worried, everyone who might have wondered what they thought. They thought that they loved their son, and he was perfectly fine as he was, thank you very much. And soon everyone calmed down.

           Freddie always looked well in green.

Roxanne Weasley

           Roxanne loved Quidditch. But she didn’t love it for the game itself. She played, of course, because she was damn good at it and she loved competing against her brother, but it was the minds behind it that were so interesting. What drove people to play? Why did some give up after being injured? What made certain games so exciting?

           It was a lot of numbers, a lot of sifting through stories. But Roxy was patient, and quiet, and knew how to listen. It was useful in a family like hers. All those redheads—but then again, was that true? Did people with red hair really have worse tempers?

           When the Sorting Hat called out Ravenclaw no one was more surprised than Roxy. It wasn’t just that it was Ravenclaw, but that it was so fast. She was sure she was going to be a Hatstall. She had no idea where she belonged.

           But the Hat somehow did. It understood that knowledge seekers aren’t always passionate about learning. Sometimes they’re patient and calm as they work away at an answer. They can stop work, do something else; the question doesn’t have to consume their life.

           And sometimes those knowledge seekers become passionate about the questions of others. They love helping people solve puzzles, they love watching people learn.

           Roxanne was one of those, and Madam Pince knew it. At last she could retire, knowing her beloved library was in good hands.

James Sirius Potter

           James Sirius Potter was the descendant of Marauders and nephew to the founders and owners of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. He was the eldest Potter child, and he had red hair.

           Apparently this meant he had to be the biggest prankster running.

           There was only one problem with this theory, and it wasn’t that Albus was playing jokes on him at the age of three, or that Lily invented a product for the joke shop before she could talk properly.

           No, it was that he simply didn’t want to.

           Oh he retaliated when his siblings pulled pranks, and he and Albus had magnificent wars, but he never instigated. He just had other things to do. His book pile wasn’t getting any shorter, there was Quidditch to play with Mum and Dad, and he loved watching the stars.

           When James was sorted, it took a while. The Hat discussed his options with him—he would find some friends in Ravenclaw, but they were quite intense about it. James had never understood people with only one passion. He’d much prefer being in a group of people that let people be what they wanted.

           The Hat agreed that was best, and put him in Gryffindor.

           When James lay down that night, he did some counting and realized he was in his dad’s room, and quite possibly in his dad’s bed. That was nice—it made him feel closer to home. He hugged his pillow. He didn’t feel very brave.

           It would take him years to realize that being quiet in a noisy family, being funny at no one’s expense, loving the way he wanted to, and being steadfast and polite about it, was its own kind of bravery.

Louis Weasley

           When Louis was little, their favourite cousin was Fred, because Fred understood that they were, well, they. Not a little boy, not a little girl, just they.  

           It was Fred who gave Lou their first camera, and Fred who was their first model. Posed on the beach at high noon, dressed in clothes exactly the colour of his skin, he stood with his head thrown back and arms held high.

           (Years later, Lou would pose another man that way but pose them nude.)

           Going to school worried Lou, worried their parents. Mum and Dad had always been good about using the right words, about letting them wear what they wanted. But Hogwarts had rules, and Hogwarts had dorms by gender. There were already students who had crossed the dorms, girls born boys who could walk up the staircase, boys born girls who made it a slide. The dorms amended for that, but what would they do for someone who was neither?

           However, Lou had a plan. They didn’t want to make a big deal about what they were. It was bad enough that everyone knew they had inherited the Veela gene full force.

           You throw a tantrum in Diagon Alley and turn into a monster one time…

           So Lou forbade their parents from interfering, pretended to be always male around Professor McGonagall and Professor Longbottom, and packed their bags. They sat with their sisters and Fred in a compartment, twisting their hands and trying to pretend that people weren’t staring in.

           When they got to the Sorting Hat, Lou informed the hat that they didn’t give a toss where they were, but if the Hat told anyone that they were…well, a they, the Sorting Hat would become the Sorting Pincushion.

           “Slytherin!”

           When Lou got to the Slytherin dorm, there was a girl’s dorm and a boy’s dorm, but there was also a third room.

           “Oh,” the Prefect said when they asked. “It’s for people who aren’t comfortable in either. Haven’t all the Houses got one?”

           Lou shook their head.

           “Do you want to sleep in there?”

           Lou nodded.

           “Alright then. Go on.”

           So Lou met Kit, who was still transitioning into a male; Elys, whose Mer blood made human concepts of gender confusing; and Aly, who was mostly feminine but sometimes very, very male.

           By the time Lou graduated, each House had a room like that. Sometimes people only stayed a year, some stayed for their whole career, but it was always by choice, and anyone was welcome.

           And Lou stopped minding if people stared. They got used to the idea that they were beautiful. And despite a couple more Veela episodes, people kept flirting.

           And Lou let them, because flirting was fine, and they learned to be careful about keeping it from crossing the line into love, which they had no interest in (it took an unfortunate episode with Kit for that lesson to come across). And when they grew up and became a photographer everyone knew that you wanted Lou Delacour to take your picture and sleep with you, because it would be the best picture and fuck of your life. But crossing them was a bad idea—they could throw fire, after all.

           Sometimes being a Veela was good for business.

           Freddie was very proud.

Molly Weasley II

            Molly was afraid of spiders. Molly was also afraid of the dark, and alligators, and sharks, and lots of other things, but spiders topped the list. She couldn’t listen to Hagrid’s stories about Aragog at all. Uncle George teased her about it, but Uncle Ron always made him stop. He was scared too.

           When she was eight, Molly tried to make a list of her fears. She gave up when she filled two rolls of parchment. Clearly, being afraid of so many things was impractical. But how was she going to conquer so many fears?

           She started with the simple ones. She went outside at night without a flashlight six nights in a row, trembling and scared in the backyard. Her dad stayed near the door, ready to come and get her right away if she called, but by the last night she actually fell asleep under a moonless, nearly starless sky.

           Then she tried to conquer claustrophobia. This one served to terrify her mother; she kept finding Molly in cupboards. She suggested that Molly try going under a bed, at least when Uncle Harry was visiting. It took much longer, but soon she found it was actually kind of cozy under her bed, and she often went under there to read.

           Three years goes by quickly when you’re trying to fit in phobia-fighting along with being a kid, and soon Molly was packing her trunk for Hogwarts.

           “I’m not ready,” she sobbed.

           “You will be,” Dad promised. “Work on your list when you have a chance, but give yourself some credit. You’ll be okay.”

           Molly barely made it on the train, even clutching Victoire’s hand. Victoire and Nicki were very kind and let her sit with them, but Molly couldn’t concentrate on any conversation. She stared out the window miserably. She didn’t deserve any house. She was cowardly, stupid, couldn’t keep a secret to save her life, and clearly she wasn’t working hard enough to solve these idiotic fears. She was going to be sent home.

           The Hat thought for a long time when Molly put it on, and she shrank into herself.

           “Tell me, Molly Grace,” the Hat whispered to her finally, “why do you insist on believing you are worthless?”

           “I can’t stop being scared,” she thought.

           “Have you tried letting yourself be scared?” the Hat asked.

           “What do you mean?”

           “Embrace your fear. Don’t just face it, understand it. Breathe in the world that holds your fears, and love it anyways.”

           “Will that help me stop being a coward?”

           “You were never a coward, Molly Grace. And you will never be.” The Hat cleared its throat, and then, loud enough that the entire Hall could hear, yelled “Gryffindor!”

           Five years later, when Molly was a Prefect, she gave tiny, scared first years the same speech. They were stunned. How could Molly Grace Weasley, famous for her Quidditch stunts and cool head when exploring the Forbidden Forest, ever have been frightened?

Albus Potter, Rose Granger-Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy

           Harry sank into a chair. The house was really quiet now. They’d spent the afternoon at the British Museum with Lily (a special treat for her), but it felt strange to have both their boys gone.

           Ginny perched next to him, and Harry took her hand. She’d been remarkably strong at the station and all afternoon, but now she looked very sad.        

           “He’ll be home for Christmas, love,” Harry whispered.

           “I know. It’s just,” Ginny sniffed, “my babies are all growing up.”

           Harry pulled her onto his lap. “It’ll be okay, Ginny. We still have Lily.”

           There was a crash from upstairs.

           Ginny groaned. “Maybe that’s not a comfort. Lily!”

           “I didn’t mean to!”

           Ginny went upstairs, and Harry stared into the fire.

           Then Ron’s head popped up. “Mate! How are you?”

           “Alright. How are you and ’Mione holding up?”

           Ron’s face fell. “It’s not easy. I feel sort of bad for wanting to go back to Hogwarts so badly when I was a kid. Must have broken Mum and Dad’s hearts.”        

           “Do you want to come over?”

           “Sure! Hugo’s over at Ricky’s tonight and his dad’s away so Hermione will be alright. Give us a few minutes, yeah?”

           “Sure.”

           Ron’s head vanished.

           Ginny came back. “Was that Ron?”

           “Yeah. He and Hermione want to come over. Sorry, I should have asked.”

           “Don’t be stupid. It’ll be nice to see them. Lily’s going out to see Teddy tonight, right?”

           Harry nodded. Lily and Teddy were working on a project together. He was fairly certain that it involved explosions, but completely certain that Teddy would take very good care of Lily.

           Lily came bouncing in. “Bye Daddy!” she kissed his cheek.

           “Is Teddy—”

           The doorbell rang.

           “I’ll get them going,” Ginny told him. “You get drinks set up for Ron and Hermione.”

           Harry got up and went to the drinks cupboard. He’d put sherry, Firewhiskey, white wine and a Butterbeer on a tray by the time Ron and Hermione stepped through.

           Hermione looked fairly calm, but Ron was clearly upset.

           “Did something happen?”  Harry asked. Nothing could have happened in ten minutes, could it?

           “Rose hasn’t called yet,” Hermione explained. “She said she would right after the Feast.”

           Harry checked his watch. “It’s barely eight!”

           “Which is precisely what I told Ronald,” Hermione said exasperatedly. “They’re likely still eating.”

           “I’m sure she’s okay, Ron,” Ginny said gently.

           “What if she didn’t get sorted into Gryffindor and she’s worried I’m angry?” Ron said, still fretting. “I was joking, honestly!”

           “She knows that,” Hermione said firmly. “She knows you love her. Don’t be thick.”

           Ron took the Firewhiskey and poured it into a glass. “I hope so,” he muttered.

           Harry clinked his Butterbeer against his glass. “They’ll be okay,” he promised. “It’s okay to miss them though.”

           Ron nodded and took a huge swallow. “Thought I was ready.”

           Hermione put an arm around his waist. “I don’t think any of us are.”

           A shower of sparks caught Harry’s eye. To his surprise, Draco’s head was in the fire.

           “Hello, Harry,” he said politely. His eyes widened when he saw Ron and Hermione. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had company.”

           “It’s alright, Draco,” Ron answered. He held up the Firewhiskey bottle. “Care to join us?”

           Draco looked grateful. “I would like to, yes. Astoria’s had an emergency with her mum.”

           “Is she alright?” Hermione asked.

           Draco rolled his eyes. “Emergencies with my mother-in-law are a dime a dozen. I believe this time it has to do with the sale of some paintings. Still, Tori wanted to go.”

           Harry went to the fire. “Come on through,” he said, reaching out a hand.

           Draco took hold of Harry’s hand and came through. He didn’t even wobble when he landed on the carpet. Harry wished he had that kind of style.

           They stood together for a few minutes, talking quietly. Harry kept drinking his Butterbeer to make sure that he wasn’t expected to speak much. He was missing his sons badly now, and he wished that Hogwarts wasn’t quite so far away. They could see James in a month in Hogsmeade, but that was only if James wanted them to come…

           “Dad?”

           Startled, Harry looked around.

           “Dad!”

           Harry reached into his pocket for the mirror. Albus’ beaming face was looking up.

           “Hi Dad!” he called.

           “Hello lad,” Harry said. Despite all the Butterbeer, he could still feel the lump in his throat. “How are you?”

           “I’m doing well. Are Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron there?”

           “Yes.” Harry waved the others over.

           “Good!”

            Rose’s face came in too. “Hi Mum, hi Dad!”

           “Hello Rosie!” Ron looked a little astonished. Harry knew how he felt. As good friends as Rose and Albus were, they’d honestly not expected them to be in the same house.

            Albus held up Mad-Eye, the ferret wrapped in a scarf and Rose held up a tie. They were striped blue and bronze.

          “We’re in Ravenclaw!” Rosie cheered. “Together, isn’t it grand?”      

          “That’s lovely, sweet,” Hermione said.

          “Well done, Al,” Ginny added.

          “I wanted to be here,” Albus said, sharing a look with Harry.

          “Then I’m glad you’re there, son,” Harry said firmly.

          “Our whole compartment got into Ravenclaw,” Albus said. “Me and Rosie and Ellie…and—” he broke off when he noticed Draco. “Draco?”

          “Hello, Albus.”

           To Harry’s shock, Albus pulled away. Then—“Scorp, c’mere! Your dad’s here!”

           Draco’s eyes went wide. Scorpius’ face came into view, wearing Ravenclaw pyjamas and looking a bit worried. “Hello, Da.”

           Draco put his hand over his mouth. “Hello, son. You’re in with your friends, then? That’s…that’s wonderful.”

           Scorpius’ face lit up, and he leaned his head against Rose’s shoulder. She patted his head. “Told you he wouldn’t be cross, Scorp.”

           “Rosie!”

          “It’s alright, Scorpius.” Draco cleared his throat. “I know you think my expectations for you are high, and I want you to do your best, but I want you to do that your way.”

           Scorpius touched the mirror, as if he was trying to reach through. “Love you, Da.”

          “And I love you. Your mother and I are so proud.” Draco stepped away for a minute. He wiped his eyes, and Ron put a supportive hand on his arm.

           Albus hugged Scorpius from the other side. “We should go to bed. We want to get up early and watch the sunrise from the top of the tower.”

          “Be careful,” Hermione admonished.

          “We will, Mum, honestly!”

          “Hang on,” Ginny said with a frown. “Where are you?”

           Something in Rose’s face shifted. “The Ravenclaw tower.”

           Draco stepped back into view. “And Scorpius is wearing pyjamas…in the common room.”

           That was odd, now that Harry thought about it. Scorpius was rarely seen without being fully dressed. Even during sleepovers he was found wearing a dressing gown.

           Rose ducked her head. “That’s why we’re a bit late. We had to figure out how I could get into their room.”

          “Aren’t there rules about that?”

          “Maybe,” Rose said, tossing her head. “I didn’t ask.”

            Ron laughed. “That’s my girl.”

           “Try not to get into trouble in the first day,” Ginny said.

           “Wait a week,” Hermione said with a smirk.

           “Mum?!” Rose looked shocked, but Albus laughed.

           “We’ll let you go to bed,” Harry said. “Mind you share what James has, Albus.”

           “I will,” Albus said. “I got one from him at the Feast. We’re going to take turns with each one.”

           “What are you talking about?” Scorpius asked, interested.

           Albus looked quickly at Harry, and after a second’s hesitation, he nodded. “Go ahead and tell them, Al. Just use them well.”

           “Promise. Goodnight Mum and Dad! Say hi to Lily. I’ll write to her tomorrow.”

           “Goodnight sweetheart,” Ginny said.

           Rose and Scorpius called their goodnights too, and then the mirror went blank. For a second Harry was quiet. Albus in Ravenclaw. It really did make sense.

           Hermione touched his hand. “Harry, do you think—”

           He met her eyes, and remembered six years of insane plans, of nights in the Common Room and days in Hagrid’s hut, of friendship and fights and family.

           Then he looked at Draco, and Draco smiled thinly. “I do believe we’ve seen the founding of a new trio.”

           “So…are we saying no Howlers?” Ginny quipped.

           “Are you barking mad?” Ron asked. “Of course we’ll send Howlers. Some of the time.”

           Harry laughed. He was sure Ron wouldn’t send a single one.

           In the end, it was Astoria Malfoy who sent the first Howler near the end of first year when Scorpius dragged/led/was dragged (depending on the account) into the Restricted Section after hours.

           Madam Prince had no idea how they’d snuck into the library.

           The Marauder’s secrets were still safe.

Lucy Weasley

           Lucy worshipped her big sister.

           It was easy to do. Molly was kind and clever and she let Lucy join her on all her adventures. Molly said it was because she was scared, but Lucy didn’t believe that. How could Molly be scared of anything?

           Then Molly left for school, and Lucy was all alone. She didn’t really know what to do with herself. Her other cousins—the Potters and the Granger-Weasleys—liked playing with each other, and Lucy always felt a bit out of place with them.

           So Lucy decided she would find a new friend.

           She wandered around the little village where they lived until she found a boy her age. The boy’s name was Jacob. He was clever, far more clever than Lucy was, but he was just as lonely. No one wanted to play with him because he liked to read big books about computers and physics.

           He had to explain what they were to Lucy, and they read the books together. Lucy was fascinated. Grandad always said that Muggles were clever, but this was amazing! Could they really do all of these things? How did they know how the world worked so well?

           Jacob didn’t understand how Lucy had missed all of these things. Lucy told him she was homeschooled. She desperately wanted to tell him about magic, but it was too risky. Her parents would be cross, and she’d never get to go to Hogwarts with her sister…

           But it wasn’t fair, Lucy realized. It wasn’t fair for Jacob to be sharing all of this with her. He was risking his parents being angry for wasting time on something other than school. He was risking the other kids in his class never being friends with him because he was always with ‘that Weasley girl’.

           So one day when they were out in the woods, Lucy told Jacob about magic.

           And he believed her.

           Delighted, the two of them read through every magic book in her parent’s collection. Dad was glad that Lucy was taking such an interest in magical theory, and bought her new books when she asked. It took him a few months to realize that she was sharing them with the kid down the road with too-big glasses and fidgety hands.

           Lucy and Jacob were having a wonderful time. They looked through the books and argued about how they intersected and whether you could possibly start building machines that worked with magic—not just pulleys, but things like phones, computers…their minds whirled with possibility.

           Then Dad confronted Lucy about what she was doing.

           It was quite a big fight, and Lucy cried. So did Dad. He was terrified that his daughter was going to be in prison before she’d even gotten to school. It was Mum who finally calmed them both down.

           “It’s done already,” she said quietly. “We need to talk about what we’re going to do next.”

           Lucy felt sick. Was Mum going to Obliviate Jacob?

           But no, because Mum was a lawyer, and Mum knew what she was doing. She called in every favour she had and looked up Jacob’s heritage, hoping to find any crossing with a wizarding family. If there was even a chance, the boy wouldn’t count as a Muggle, and Lucy wouldn’t have to lose her friend.

           And there was. He was the great-grandson of a Squib.

           And that was when Lucy lost her temper.

           Not because she hated that Jacob didn’t get to be magic, but that Squibs had no legal standing. They weren’t wizards, but they didn’t get to have wands, and they couldn’t tell their children about magic. But they weren’t Muggles either, so if they did find out, no harm done.

           When Lucy got to school, she spent most of her time in the library. People remarked that it was odd for a Gryffindor to spend so much time there (until Professor Longbottom set them straight about Hermione Granger), but Lucy was determined. She was going to find a way for Jacob and any other descendants of Squibs to find their place in magic. And for wizards to find their place in the Muggle world, because Merlin, people just sort of got by knowing nothing about the outside world.

           (She got into several fights with the Muggle Studies teacher).

           When she graduated, she took off for a year with Jacob and his boyfriend, a Hufflepuff Muggleborn named Dev. The three of them studied like crazy and managed to get into the University of Manchester for physics and computer science. Lucy got into fights with teachers there, but she also found Squibs and descendants of magical families without any magic at all. She recruited them for her cause.

           It took years; it took decades. But by the time Lucy watched her sister’s children go to Hogwarts, they went with magical ‘computers’ and learned about maths and Muggle history, and even Squibs went to Hogwarts if they chose, learning how to use magic not with wands but with science.

           In the end, perhaps it was good that Lucy worshipped her sister. It gave her a chance to feel lonely, to feel like she didn’t belong. She was determined to never let anyone feel like that.

           And her strangest legacy? Lucy Weasley was the only student Argus Filch ever liked.

Lily Potter

           Lily loved cooking with her Daddy. From the time she was three, she stood on her own little stool and helped crack eggs, stir milk and (of course) taste everything. Daddy always asked if she was bored, or if she wanted a break, and never let her touch the oven without him watching carefully.

           He cried when she burned herself by accident when she was seven. Lily was so frightened by his tears she started crying too, and Mummy found them sitting by the oven, sobbing together with a pan of cold cookies on the floor.

           When he calmed down, Daddy explained why he didn’t want Lily to get hurt in the kitchen, or think of it as work. It was three years later when Lily met Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Dursley, but she never forgot, and she kicked their shins before Daddy could stop her.

           Lily loved watching games with Mummy. It started when she was only a baby, and the noise she always associated with her mother was the roar of a crowd and the ‘whoosh!’ of brooms. Mummy brought her and her brothers to games when she could, and when she couldn’t they could watch them on the small sets[1], and listened intently as Mummy explained how things were playing out. She had two whole years when it was just her, Mum and Dad during the year, and Mummy brought her to almost every game. Lily became quite good at knowing when calls were good, and she cheered for both teams. Everyone was always surprised that the tiny, bubbly girl could shout as loud as Uncle Dean.

           Lily felt guilty when she realized that Mummy had stopped playing because she had kids, and she asked if she felt bad. Mummy admitted that she missed playing, but she liked her new job too, and she loved being a Mum.

           “I can always go back to playing, darling. I’d never go back to not having you and your brothers.”

           Lily loved playing with shadows with her brothers. Sometimes they teased her (and she teased them right back, and her pranks were better than theirs), but mostly they were wonderful brothers. Whenever Mum and Dad were having an adult dinner she and Albus would go in James’ room, and James would use the tiny lights Dad gave them and make shadows on the wall. Sometimes James would build little puppets, and sometimes Albus would just use his hands, but all three of them would tell a story together. When they came back to Hogwarts for vacation, it was the first thing they did together.

           Lily loved her cousins, loved her godbrother and her uncles and aunts and grandparents. She loved the ones who were gone, too, and asked for as many stories as the living could bear. She gave her love freely, because it was wonderful to love someone, to spend time doing things together and defend them against anyone who didn’t think they were the best people in the world.

           Sometimes she felt like she had too much love to give, that no matter how many people were in her heart she wasn’t loving enough.

           When she went to Hogwarts, the Hat saw that.

           “You belong with the other loyal hearts,” it said. “The ones who love and work through the bad parts no matter what. HUFFLEPUFF!”

Hugo Granger-Weasley

           Hugo did not start drawing the moment he was born, but it was a near thing.

           Hermione had all his drawings saved. They were hung around the house until the walls were full, and then they went into por-lios, as Hugo called them until he was seven. He drew everything he ever saw: family, friends, sunsets, animals…everything.

           He wasn’t very quick at it, though. Thankfully, he had a photographic memory, which served him well over the years. He was patient, drawing each line delicately, erasing again and again until it was right before moving on. The deep attention to detail startled his viewers; they saw things in his work they’ would never have noticed themselves.

           Hugo bought all his own art supplies. His parents would have bought anything he needed or wanted, but Hugo insisted from the age of six that he could pay himself. So he got an allowance from tugging weeds in the garden with Daddy and helping Mummy organize the bookshelf a new way every month. Then he would look up the best possible supplies he could get for his money, and Mummy would Apparate with him to London after work and he would carefully pick out every last piece.

           Hugo got in trouble a few times at school for not turning in his work on time, but his teachers learned that it might be late but it was brilliant work, nearly as brilliant as his art. They gave him extra time to work, and he rewarded them with diligence, spending hours in the sunny Hufflepuff common room. His grades earned him his choice of careers, and he decided to make a choice that was new, and created his own profession.

           There’d never been an artistic consulting detective before, but Hugo’s carefully drawn crime scenes and suspect profiles helped many a family recover their lost property or to bring a murderer to justice. He still found time to draw for himself and for his husband, and one of his strangest eccentricities was that he still spent hours choosing the perfect supplies, the perfect lines.

           Lives were at stake, after all, and the more attention to detail he paid, the more good he could do.

Lorcan Scamander

           Lorcan was always the big brother.

           It took him a long time to understand that his brother was ‘supposed’ to be nearer the same size as him, even longer to understand that people thought that the difference was a bad thing. There seemed to be two theories; either something was wrong with Mum and Dad, or something was wrong with Lysander. Neither option was correct, as far as Lorcan could see.

           He learned to slow down for Lys, to help him up when he asked, to glare on just this side of politeness at “well-meaning” adults. He took care of Lys, because that’s what he was supposed to do. They did everything together. Lys chose the games, and Lor played along; Lys had grand ideas. He couldn’t imagine being apart from Lys.

           Which was why it broke Lorcan’s heart when he was sorted into Ravenclaw…and two minutes later Lysander was sorted into Hufflepuff.

           Lorcan wanted to protest, but Lysander tracked him down the next morning. “You don’t need to protect me anymore, Lor,” he promised. “We’re in different houses, and that’s okay. We’ll still hang out all the time, okay?”

           Lysander kept his promise, and the first few years the twins were nearly inseparable. They couldn’t, unfortunately, switch places (people would catch on), but they pretty well only slept in their houses. They even ate at each other’s tables.

           Eventually they started making friends outside each other, and suddenly there were days that they didn’t spend together. It was okay, though, it was really okay. What wasn’t okay, Lorcan was starting to realize, was the fact that people didn’t understand that Lysander was fine and happy despite his size, and did not need help unless he asked for it.

           That realization led him down the path to being a Healer; an unusual kind, perhaps. Lorcan Scamander moved through homes for the elderly, hospitals for wizard orphans and places for people who had physical and mental disabilities. He let the patients lead their care, let them choose the games and the conversation, and listened as hard as he could. When people wanted cures, he looked for them. He and Nicky Weasley ended up working together for those who’d survived terrible curses: she provided a breakdown of the curse’s elements, he worked on the cure.

           His greatest reward came the day, two weeks before they died, when Alice and Frank Longbottom opened their eyes and recognized their son.

Lysander Scamander

           The moment he heard the Hat say “Ravenclaw!”, Lysander knew he was going to be a Hufflepuff.

           It was really all the same to him. There were no family expectations—Ravenclaw Mum, Uagadou Dad[2], Gryffindor godparents—and he knew that the House system was at least a little bit rubbish. There was no way that any one person belonged in only one place. Look at him. He enjoyed puzzles and learning, he worked hard (had to with his size) and now, as he approached the Hat, he realized he had a little bit of Slytherin in him.

           Lorcan had to have a chance to grow without him, and he needed to find his place without Lorcan. It was going to hurt; he loved his brother, and would have been happy to stay with him at home and have Mum and Dad teach them. But they were two different people, two hearts, two bodies, two futures. That was important.

           The Hat argued with him for a moment, but Lysander held firm. “I want to be somewhere other than Ravenclaw. I know I fit at least one other place.”

           “Very well,” the Hat sighed. “HUFFLEPUFF!”

           The first day of class, Lysander walked shyly into Charms. He’d never met someone his size before.

           Professor Flitwick was getting very old, but his eyes were as sharp as ever. He examined Lysander’s wand after he made a quill fly the very first day of class. “Very good for Charm work,” he mused. “I think your wand’s trying to tell you something.”

           At first Lysander resisted. He wanted to work with fantastic beasts, like Mum and Dad and Uncle Hagrid. But Charms was fun, and Professor Flitwick took him under his wing, letting him sign books out of the Restricted Section, talking to him about being a little person and even making him a teaching assistant in his sixth year, helping first years. He also told him about his former position as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and as a dueler. “You can always change an open mind, lad,” he said.

           Lysander would study fantastic beasts, but not right away. First he would take a year and travel for fun, seeing beautiful wizarding places. The next year, when Professor Flitwick retired, Lysander took his place. A few people made jokes about the Charms department always being taught by ‘midgets’, and for the first time in several years Lysander let his brother punch some people for him.    

           He was busy. He had students to teach, and he wasn’t about to let his mentor down.

[1][1] Credit goes to annegirlblythe and her awesome headcanon blog (harryjamesheadcanons) for the idea of small Quidditch sets to mimic games going on in the world.

[2] Uagadou is the Wizarding school in Egypt, which serves all of Africa (see Pottermore for a few more details). I’ll expand on this in a later oneshot with Luna and Lysander, but Rolf’s mother is Egyptian, and he was raised there.