#and now we have drac with another book

[freaky-flawless]

Now we can say that all three of the main ghouls (Frankie, Draculaura, and Clawdeen) have fallen for human dudes in some of the different medias.

[romaniandollar]

Hi! I noticed you’re following Dracula Daily; I’m new to it and am loving it! Is there anything about Romanian culture or geography mentioned in the book that you can elaborate on for people outside of Romania? Thanks!

Hi! I'm glad you like it!

That's a really good question, and there's actually a lot of ground to cover here.

Quick disclaimer: Dracula isn't actually that accurate a representation of Romanian culture and history, and a lot of Romanians dislike it for that reason. Also because this is the only media featuring Romania that made it big and now we're associated with vampires. 😬 But I hope the new interest in the book will inspire people to check out our country for what it really is.

First of all, Dracula himself. In the book he's heavily implied to be Vlad Țepeș (The Impaler), or Vlad Dracula as he was also known. Vlad ruled Wallachia during the 1400s and was greatly respected and feared. He punished criminals by impaling them (hence the first nickname) and crime was low during his rule because he was very harsh. 'Drac' means demon or devil, so that was his other nickname because of his severity. But all in all he was a good ruler and he wasn't a vampire, nor were there any rumors to that effect until Bram Stoker got the idea.

Castle Bran, which is commonly known as Dracula's castle now, wasn't actually Vlad's. He might have stayed there once but it was more commonly used by Queen Maria, during the early 20th century.

We do have snow in the mountains, but only in winter or the early spring max. So for it to be snowing in May doesn't make sense. 😅

Trains are still commonly late here, to the point it's a running joke about our primary train company, CFR. It's funny that Jonathan had the same issue that I do every time I take a trip to Bucharest. 😂

I mentioned this in another post, but paprika hendl is called papricaș here. It's really good, and I often make it with mămăligă at home. (You're not a proper Romanian if you don't like mămăligă, by the way. 😆 My great-grandparents would make it hard and use it instead of bread.)

Transylvania belonged to Austria-Hungary until the end of WWI, when it was taken over by Romania. They still haven't gotten over it. Point being, there are a LOT of Hungarians and Hungarian speakers in that region, so it would have made more sense for everyone to know Hungarian in the book rather than German.

Romanians are, especially in the rural areas, friendly and helpful. We look out for the others in our group, especially if they're young. So everyone that helps Jonathan until he meets the count? That would happen.

Those are the main things I can think of right now, more will probably come to me as we get farther through the book. But feel free to hit me up if you have any more questions!

[gryfferin-gaybies]

Prompt - My *weapon* is broken

Aurors Draco and Harry stood back to back, firing spells at the enchanted objects advancing from all directions. They'd called for back up 20 minutes ago, where was everyone? Their criminal had made his escape as the Auror partners tried not to get killed by everything in the large storage unit.

"Duck!" Draco yelled as three kitchen knives flew at their heads. The two men moved as one, the knives zipping over their heads to hit the wall and clatter to the floor.

"Draco!" Harry shouted as they stood back up together, still back to back. "We've got to get out of here!"

"You think I don't know that," Draco shot back. He sent a stupefy spell at a ceramic snake that had come to life and was ready to strike at Draco's ankle. "We could just Apparate," Draco offered.

Behind him, he heard what sounded like a heavy book slamming and a crack. "Fuck! That would work except now my wand is broken." Draco knew there was no way Harry could perform wandless magic in his state of exhaustion.

"Shit! Ok, hold onto me. I'll get us out of here." Draco felt Harry wrap his arms around Draco's shoulders, Harry's chest pressed to his back. He could feel Harry's breath on his neck. In any other situation, he would've gotten a hard on.

Before Draco could Disapparate them, Harry cried out and let go of him. Draco felt him slide to the floor.

"Harry? Harry, what happened?" Draco tried to get a look at his friend and partner behind him but his surroundings were still trying to kill him. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Harry said through gritted teeth.

Draco had an opportunity. With nothing close enough to be an immediate threat, he cast a ward that enveloped them both but it was only temporary. Once he was satisfied with his work, he turned to Harry. "Let me see."

Harry was sitting in the floor with his legs sprawled out in front of him so he could kick things away. There was a large glass shard sticking out from his side. "I'm fine. Let's just get out of here."

"You're not fine! You can't Apparate like this. It could get lodged in further. We need backup." Draco examined the wound, trying to gauge how deep it was.

Harry hissed as Draco pressed two fingers lightly to his skin. "Well they're clearly not coming any time soon. It's our best shot at getting out of here."

"Absolutely not, and I'm not fighting you on this either. It's too dangerous. I . . . I'm going to have to heal you here." Draco stuttered.

"What! No way! Do you even know what you're doing? There's no way I'm letting you botch me up like that." Harry pressed his hand to his side, letting the glass protrude between his fingers.

Draco sighed. "I went to medical school before becoming an Auror, remember?"

"Yeah! Like 15 years ago! You're out of practice and you're coming nowhere near my injury." Harry tried to turn himself away from Draco but winced.

The wards started to shimmer, a sign they were fading. Draco cast another in a hurry and then three more in succession, hoping they'd last longer.

"Potter, you're going to have to let me heal you so we can get the fuck out of here! You know I'd never hurt you. I'm in love with you." He sighed and closed his eyes. This wasn't exactly how he'd wanted to tell Harry he'd fallen for him for him but the words were out before Draco could stop them. The longer they'd worked together, the closer they became and eventually their friendship turned into something more for Draco. It happened about the same time they started using each other's first names—thought Draco still called him Potter when he was being a stubborn git like right now.

"Wait what?" Harry asked. He didn't sound mad or upset in any way.

Draco opened his eyes to see Harry's reaction. He was pleased to find that he didn't look disgusted, only shocked. "This isn't how I wanted to tell you, but it's true. I'm in love with you. And I wouldn't let myself work on you if I wasn't certain that it's our best option."

"I love you too," Harry said, staring deeply into Draco's eyes. Draco was certain he'd heard him wrong or that he didn't mean it but before he could ask for clarification, Harry spoke again. "And I trust you so just fix me so we can leave."

"Alright, hold still." Harry grit his teeth and Draco set to work. He tried not to think about what Harry had just said or that it was Harry he was healing. He had to stay focused. With steady hands he removed the glass and closed the wound. But he'd still need a hospital and soon.

As Draco finished up, more Aurors stormed in.

"Oh sure, now you get here!" Harry rolled his eyes.

Draco helped him to his feet and Apparated them both out of there, deciding this was the rest of the Aurors' problem now. His priority was getting Harry to the hospital so his wound could be healed completely. . . And so they could talk.

[rm-lionheart]

POWER MAKES THE MAN/// CHAPTER 7: Remember

Drac jumps up in surprise. His new body springs up from a kneeling position. Hood's condescending voice is ringing in his mind. Is he going crazy?

You're not going crazy. We fused. Our bodies did but not our psyches; for now we are different personalities inhabiting the same brain. You know what a brain is, farm boy?

"Ofcourse, my father taught me well."

Good. I thought I was going to have to haunt an idiot till the rest of our days.

"So, will this be a permanent thing? 'Cos this sounds like it's gonna be very annoying. I mean… you can see me pee." 

Drac. When i said we fused, i meant i can feel every sensation as if it is mine. I see what you see, hear what you hear. I can feel the itch behind the right leg.

"Amazing…" A farmer with a deadly assassin in his head.

It was always meant to be this way for us, Copies. Actually, just me, since you are the original. Now take my Sword. Don't leave it behind before you search for your friend. 

“So bossy” Drac mumbles. He follows instructions.He takes the sheathe from the pile of clothes and takes the sword from the ground. The weight of the blade, the feel of the grip; it feels familiar. Like Drac had swung the sword a thousand times. He sheathes the short sword around his waist. It feels right. Drac puts his bow around and continues to search for Bree. 

The haunting chamber is now full of debris. Marks of sword fighting everywhere. The bloody Pentagram was almost beyond recognition. Look to the wall.

A large mirror. It hangs on the stone wall lit by torches. Of an oval shape. Its frame is a mess of twisting golden snakes. 

“What the hell is that?”

That is where the weird feeling is coming from. This other worldly ambience. Best to get out as fast as possible. 

“Wait. what's below it?” He walked to the mirror. Below the mirror is an altar with candles lit inside two old skulls. Between them is a book and a glass ball. 

A glass terminal. Meant for communication. 

The book catches their eye. Old and worn black binding, a gold eye in the middle with a slit pupil. Like a snake. Drac opens to a bookmarked page. A Manual of some kind. Lucky, it is written in Trae, Drac begins to read. 

Damn… Demon summoning, Necromancy…Mm, And Soul energy transfer. 

“A how to be evil handbook ”

Take it.

Drac grabs the book and continues to look for Bree. 

No sight of Bree anywhere in the room. Drac locates another door. Walk over to open it to reveal stairs going down. As Drac descends the smell of faeces and muck gets worse. A different type of horrible smell than upstairs. He reaches the bottom and turns right to see rows of Cells. Filled with the dead and the barely living. 

“He’s a Mad man.”

Drac discovers a solemn girl. Close to his age. Eyes staring into nothing.

“Bree!” Her eyes gain back life.

“Drac!! You’re alive” Tears rain from eyes fill with glee.

“I will get you out. I will get you all out.” 

Upstairs. Bring my picks here. Drac immediately ran back upstairs to Hood's jacket.  Agile as never before, leaping several steps each bound. He rummages around to find the picks and bolts back.

Jump. I will control the weight. 

Without a thought Drac jumps down the stairs. Passing all the steps before landing in a crouch. Drac feels loud or burden on his body

Mm, it worked.

“Are you trying out stuff? Now?”

 Cells?

Drac unlocked cells by picking each lock. 

How is this possible

I am imparting some knowledge for you to use.

The captives hear the clank of the door unlocking. They stumble to the front of the change. Old and young are emaciated. Pale from lake of sunlight.

“Don't worry, we will get you out” 

“We?” A young captive asks. 

“Huuuh, almost there?” Lock opens.

Now the rest.

More locks were picked. Captives scramble out the cells.

“Bree just a minute.” The last lock falls to the ground. Bree pushes the cell door to hug Drac.She squeezes tight. Drac returns her embrace. “Now where's the’ prick, Cal?”

Bree and Drac stare at Cal’s body. A pool of blood pours from him. 

“You did this? Your father taught you how to fight between cleaning chicken pens and hunting?”

“No, it was a friend. He couldn't stay long.” Drac patted the pommel of his new sword. “But he did leave a very nice gift. 

“Well, when you see him next, please give him my thanks.” Bree requests.

“Alright, I know he would appreciate it.”

I do.

“Now Bree, let us bring these people back to town.” 

************************************************

It is night. After bringing Bree and the captives to Plyton, Drac went back to his farm for a well earned rest. Drac lays on his straw bed. 

“Those people, the ones we saved. What kind hell must they have suffered.”

Mm. There were signs of experimentation on all of them. Cal seemed to have been trying to figure something out with the captives and he sort of succeeded, given how strong he was.

“What do you mean?”

Earlier today I mentioned Flame of The Soul to you. Aura/Ki are the more common ways to utilise Mana. Used mainly by Melee warriors. You can use Aura to increase strength, endurance, speed, agility, reaction time and senses. All things Soul flame can do. So why is using Aura more prominent amongst fighters? Ease of use. And Death.

“Death!?”

Mm, using Soulflame is essentially using your own soul to power your abilities except the mana around us

Mana…

Want to see?

“Ofcourse!”

A Wave of Colour explodes around Drac. A rainbow of colour mix and ripple against it each. 

This is Mana. It surrounds us all. To use it, talent, skill, determination and time are essential. But it was possible for me so it will be for you. 

The sight is awe inspiring. Drac reaches out. Colour moves around his hand. 

I was not taught this by my handler.

“Then where did you learn?” Drac plays with the colours 

Stole books, trial and a lot of errors. Started recently so I know little of spells except my favourite; Levitation. Although, it is weak, as you have experienced”

“Would’ve expected your choice of spells to be more, um, bloody.”

Hey, what's wrong with it? Wouldn’t anyone want to be able to flee the scene easily? Plus it looked fun. Seeing the mages fly around untouched. The ability to fly wherever, whenever. Why not?

Drac Agrees.

Now back to Cal. Cal used Soulflame to an absurd degree. When a normal person would have lost all his strength less then half way through our first fight., he kept increasing the pressure. Cal felt secure in his power. Knowing it would never end, soe fought again and again.

Soul Transfer. So the sacrifices replenished him when he felt low of soul. Cal…Why…?

You have known Cal for a time, correct? Was there any time he seemed to change?

Drac recalls the days he would play in the woods with Bree, Cal the minder and our protector. Drac remembered a time when Cal would share his catch from the river. A night under the stars, cooking fish on the wood fire.

“There was a mage he would always be with. Or maybe it was the mage following him around. I think he was his Magic teacher. Bald, old, always scowling at me. After the Mage arrived he started treating me differently. He treated everyone worse but me, I got it the worst. Beatings. By him or his new friends. Slurs thrown in my face. Soon the town took it as an example of how to treat me. There was something they were trying to tell me; leave this village. I left. Now I am a hero?” A tear drips on Drac’s tunic “Cheering me when those same voices casted me out.” 

Mm.

Sorry, sorry i shouldn’t have-”

It’s ok. I understand. 

And Drac knows Hood did.

Drac lays down his bed, colours surrounding him till sleep comes for him. 

[prttydolls]

unexpected surrogate : ̗̀➛ draco malfoy

sypnosis : you were inlove with him, but all you were to him was a surrogate.

warning(s) : mentions of infertility, short smut, giving birth, children. i think thats all!

authors note : tysm @n0agranger for helping me pick a fic that i could write 🤍

draco lucius malfoy.

the boy you love.

the boy you chased for many years.

the boy who is your best friend since you were a child.

you loved draco with your whole life, platonically and romantically ever since you met him you just fell Inlove with his soft blonde hair, sharp facial features, gorgeous grey mesmerising eyes.

draco was the man of your dreams.

it was like a happy fairy tale, well until that very day.

you were sitting in your dorm, reading a transfiguration book sinking into its words and letters when suddenly draco barged in.

you look at up, and looked back at your book. “theres this new thing called knocking drac.” you pointed out. draco didn't seem amuse with your joke, instead he sat down next to you bouncing his thigh.

he looked really happy.

you wondered what was he so happy about? did he finally ruin harryʼs life? did his father give him the broom he had been asking for?

these assumptions came into your brain.

you decided to just ask him, to cut to the chase. “Alright, why are you smiling like a child who found a candy pile?”

draco took a deep breath and looked at you once more with giddy eyes, you wanted to kiss that happy smile of his.

“im dating astoria greengrass!”

what. the. fuck.

you look at him with shock, mouths agape. why is he dating astoria greengrass? couldn't he see that he had you?

you faked choking on your own saliva “w-what?” you asked, "im dating astoria greengrass you idiot, i cant believe im dating the prettiest girl in the school!” he fawned over the brunette.

well, he wasnt wrong about her being the prettiest girl she was drop dead gorgeous. a perfect body image, pretty face, long wavy brown hair, and a good reputation.

but why didn't draco see that your also the same as Astoria, you had parents with high ranking positions in the ministry, rich, good reputaion and a pretty face.

why cant he?

hes too blinded by her, astoria.

you felt like utter shit, you wanted to slap draco and cry until you felt weak.

but you didn't.

you just smiled and listen, nodding at what draco said but on the inside you heart was broken now, and draco didnt even know he was the one who broke it.

years and years passed, you saw how draco fell inlove with astoria even more and more. hell! they even got married and you still didn't move on from draco, you didn't wanna be with another man while you clearly know that your heart belongs to draco, and draco alone.

you still maintained a perfect friendship with draco still, you both saw eachother often.

you had an okay relationship with astoria, but you cant help but feel she's jealous of you and dracos friendship.

you were sitting at your sofa, drinking a cup of hot cocoa and suddenly you got an owl flying through your window.

you saw it was from narcissa, what could she want? you opened the envelope with gold embroidered on it (a/n: ugh narcissa is so fancy 😌)

dear y/n,

please come to the manor at once, your parents are here and we must discuss something important.

from, narcissa malfoy

you quickly grab afew essentials, your muggle phone, keys, and your want. with that, you left to apparate to the malfoy manor.

you felt dizzy as your feet came in contact with the ground, it felt like years since you last came to the malfoy manor. everything had changed.

you knocked at the door to see their house elf, corby. “good afternoon young ms y/l/n! your parents are at the study room, may i have your bag?” corby greeted, after all these years the malfoys still own elves.

“good afternoon corby, no thank you. thank you for telling me where are my parents are.” you thanked the pointy nosed creature and left.

when you entered the room you saw a crying astoria, in dracos arms and a reallt strict looking narcisss and lucius looking at astoria. then theres your parents at the side, looking concerned at the couple.

“hi everyone...” you greeted everyone in the room awkwardly, narcissa looked happy to see you and quickly sat up and gave you a warm embrace, narcissa personally thinks that you and draco should've ended together, since astoria was kinda snobby towards narcissa.

“oh y/n dear! we have some bad news...”

draco looked up at you amd smiled warmly, but astoria took a look at his face and slapped his arm.

narcissa and lucius began to explain to you that astoria couldn't bare a child since, a unkown blood curse she had developed when she was a child. the malfoys needed a new heir, a grand child.

“will you be our surrogate y/n? your parents agree, we just need you to agree.”

you thought for a moment, why did they chose out of all people.. why did they choose you? couldn't they just adopt a child?

“hm, why can't they adopt a child though?” you questioned, lucius quickly responded and said ; “well, we did thought about about adoption but it wouldn't be by blood meaning the malfoy line would be ruined over a stupid adoption, so we need it by blood meaning draco will be sleeping with you, we need the child to be atleast related to ”

.  .  .

you took a look at your parents, and they gave you a supportive nod, you take a look at draco his eyes lighting up with hope.

draco is your best friend, you'd do anything for him.

even carrying his baby, that wont be even yours.

“i.... agree..” you said unsurely, draco immediately ran towards you and hugged you as tight as he could, “thank you! thank you y/n! your the bestest friend ever!”

friend. friend. FRIEND.

thats the point you didnt wanna be the friend, you wanted to be his wife.

you knew he was your soulmate, but the gods really teased you because draco ended up with fucking greengrass.

“thank you dear, in return we will give you atleast half of our gringots vault.”

you entered a new stage in your life, you were now officially dracoʼs and astoriaʼs surrogate.

days, weeks passed you all talked about the arrangements and there goes astoria talking about what you need to eat, and monitoring your every move.

she seemed she didn't want you to be their surrogate, but she didn't have a choice since there are no other available surrogates.

and the day finally came, the day you were supposed to sleep with draco.

it was very embarrassing since you and draco had been close since children and there you both are naked, in a bed.

“you know, we dont have to do this me and astoria could just secretly adopt a kid, y/n i dont want you to feel uncomfortable..”

you look at him and looked back at your clothes on the floor, you did think about it hard.

you wanted this, and you also wanted to moan loudly to tease astoria outside.

“i.. want this draco, you've done so much for me and im returning the favor.” (does that make sense?)

draco nodded and slowly inserted himself onto you, god- he was big-big.

he slammed himself onto you again, and again,and again.

you moaned loudly at his member going back in fourth into your core.

you didnt wanna admit it,but you felt like you were in cloud nine. Draco even kissed your lips! your heart soared as he placed his lips onto yours, he probably didn't remember he kissed you . he said that he kissed you since : he felt like it.

when he came inside you, you felt so full and so contented with this.

you both cleaned up and you purposely left his cum dripping down your inner thigh, whenever you walked near astoria she would frown.

you felt good about yourself, making astoria jealous.

draco couldn't see your hatred for astoria.

months passed and you were in 8 months pregnant with the baby, astoria kinda forgot about draco and the baby and kept on partying narcissa and lucius noticed this and also noticed that draco and you were kinda getting closer, not as friends though. but as lovers.

they noticed that draco was really soft around you, and very considerate.

you wanted a burger at 3 am? he orders you the whole store.

he treated you like his wife, while astoria was absent the whole pregnancy.

you were sitting down at the couch reading the recent article that rita seeker had published.

“ ASTORIA MALFOY HAS A SECRET AFFAIR WITH THEODORE NOTT?! DOES DRACO MALFOY KNOW?! ARE THEY DIVORCED?!

refer to page 21 for the article ”

astoria was... cheating?! draco needed to know the headline even had proof! astoria was kissing Draco's best mate!

you quickly stood up and ran to draco with the news paper, but when you did you suddenly felt a sharp pain .

shit.

your water broke.

“ DRACO! MY WATER BROKE! ”

then everything felt dark, your vision became blurry. before your eyes closed you saw draco carrying you while apparating. but after that? you couldn't remember anything at all.

you woke up in a white room with draco sitting on a chair, carefully rocking something in his arms.

so many questions popped onto your mind ; did you give birth? why did you pass out? does draco know that astoria was cheating on him?

draco puts the new born in its crib, and hugs you.

“y/n! your awake! what happened? why are you crying?” draco threw you questions.

you didnt even realise you were sobbing.

“i- draco... astoria cheated on you..wi-with theo.. ” you blurted out, dracos face soften. “oh.”

oh?

oh no, you told him.

his sad face slowly turned into a happy one, “dont worry, i knew.. plus i dont care if she cheated because... im in love with you, not astoria.. it always had been you I was just- just so scared of commitment.. ” he confessed as he held your trembling hand.

he- draco malfoy?! your bestfriend, inlove with you??

no. no no no?? this cant be. this must be a dream.

“y/n?”

you look at him with amazement, confusion in your eyes.

“draco.... I've been inlove with you since we were children i- i love you so fucking much drac, you dont even know how much i do.” you hugged draco as tears streamed down on your cheeks.

draco felt something he never felt from astoria.

warm, and comfort.

finally, all those years of draco breaking your heart is being healed. making new memories with your son, scorpius hyperion malfoy.

taglist ➪ @dracoslittleangel @imabee-oralizard @f4iryluvy @lilytoyourjames @siriusblackstwin @thehalfbloodedwitch @grandnerdsharkduck @bigpoppajes @blackthunder137 @dr4cosimp @pottahishotasf temporary : @dracossimp

okay im gonna go jump off a cliff now

[senadimell]

It’s been several weeks since I started watching Nosferatu, and I finally picked it up last night since I now have a knitting project suitably mindless that I can do without having to look at it and can watch the movie in peace. I’ve finished the third act, and I have to say, this is honestly really faithful to Dracula. Since it’s never been a secret that Nosferatu is heavily inspired by Dracula (read: an unauthorized adaption), I’m going to assign Dracula names to the roles characters play in the story rather than use their actual names most of the time.

The character combinations are interesting, but make a lot of sense given the large cast of characters in the book. I haven’t gotten far enough for most of the secondary characters to be a major presence, but I’ve read that they’re mostly absent, so the focus remains mostly on the Jonathan and Mina figures.

One of the biggest changes so far is that Mr. Hawkins and Renfield are combined into Knock, a now-malicious solicitor secretly in kahoots with the Count.

Narratively speaking, this actually makes a more of sense than it might sound at first. Mr. Hawkins is mostly a plot device in the original story, not really a character, and given the restraints of a silent film, it would be rather challenging to establish why and how the Count wants to visit England. When you strip down the conversations from the captivity portion of the novel, you’re left with the challenge of how to convey the Count’s desire or to establish how exactly he made arrangements with a foreign solicitor, so giving him an agent abroad is a pretty economical way to convey that. Then, when the Count is travelling, using Knock as a Renfield-figure and thrall of the Count serves to heighten the tension, and while the “the life is in the blood” speeches are a little less mysterious, they do pair very well with the back-and-forth between the not-Demeter and not-Van Helsing teaching a botany class about carnivorous plants. 

The major downside of that choice is that it removes much of the nuance present in the books regarding the characters under the Count’s sway. Renfield and Seward’s back and forth about the nature of sanity is so far completely absent, and I expect this will be the case through the movie, going off of the visual language’s cartoonishly malicious depiction of Knock. Renfield’s humanity is really just not shown, and while Knock’s gleeful manner while eating bugs is quite similar to Renfield’s manner in the book, I highly doubt the element of resistance will show up.

Still, overall, this feels like a simplification rather than a warping of the story. Unfortunately, it’s a simplification that results in a caricature of mental illness, and yet I don’t think it’s a fundamental misreading of the story, unlike Drac/Mina pairings.

The second major change so far is that Mina and Lucy’s role have been combined into one, and given their similar narrative roles as vulnerable and beloved targets, this makes a lot of sense. Now, the Mina-figure is the sleepwalker. There is a slight change in that the prophetic dreams start earlier, but it also serves to emphasize her connection with Jonathan without the letter and journal devices. It also establishes her vulnerability early on, pretty much as soon as we realize that Jonathan is in peril, which is an effective way to convey the peril of Lucy-Mina without diary entries and serves to jump-start the middle act of the story (which I admittedly found rather slow during Dracula Daily)

In a related vein, there’s another convenience change that’s either big or small depending on what you view as an important theme. In Dracula, the Count seems primarily interested in England, and his later vendetta is the result of his predatory nature, not the driving motivation. In Nosferatu, that’s flipped, and his primary motivation to leave his castle is to track down not-Mina. He presumably did first send for a solicitor, though, so the motivation isn’t absent, it’s just less developed.

Apart from character changes, the biggest other change is that the Count spreads plague rather than just killing or turning characters. So far, it doesn’t feel fundamentally different from the book, but I don’t know yet if it will have larger plot implications down the line.

I will say, though, that the time period is always waiting a little bit uncomfortably at the back of my mind. It came out in 1922, and there’s just so much going on in the Weimar Republic at this time. It’s a culturally wild time. I don’t know a lot about this film, or its make, or how it was received, so I’m just left with vague implications about the various changes and how they would be received. What does it suggest that he spreads a plague? What does his increased focus on preying on Mina mean? What are the implications of the fact that he has an apparently willing agent abroad, or that Renfield is only a slavish caricature, totally devoted to the count?

I don’t know the answers to these questions, but they’re always looming somewhere as I watch.

[yvesdot]

August 21-31. If I can just finish August and September and October today, I can reasonably end Dracula Daily on time with everyone else tomorrow...

2023 EDIT: LOL.

AUGUST 21

A shame my return to commentary is marked by this passage specifically. I just don't have much to say about Drac's receipt.

AUGUST 23

Just to remind everyone of what exactly I'm offering with this commentary, I'd like to take this moment to note another Victorian who referenced (Benjamin) Disraeli in his work: Lewis Carroll, whose text of Alice in Wonderland might reference Disraeli and accompanying artwork (by John Tenniel) almost certainly does. I'm no good study of historical politics nor even Alice; this is just something I've seen batted around to the point that I can't see the name "Disraeli" without thinking "Hatter."

To completely change topic, I'm curious about the bat symbolism throughout vampire lore. I know much of it is for the simple reason of nocturnality and bloodsucking, but somehow I feel as if there's so much more to pull from the animal metaphor than I have now. As always, beep me if you've got something!

AUGUST 24

Nurse follows HIPAA law rather than tell Mina that her husband has been talking about strange and fearsome women in the night. Based!

The wedding ring used to seal the horrors away... marriage abolishers would have a field day with this. Heck, the way Mina says she must stop writing to her friend because she must attend to Her Husband... the gears are racing in my mind. I apologize for not having much more substantive material to offer here, but it's all gears as of right now.

AUGUST 24 (LATE EDITION)

*No late edition this year (2023)! I'm working off the old segmentings, so I can catch up with the original missives.

I know there are more charitable readings, but it strikes me again and again how insistent Stoker is on Lucy's lack of knowledge of her own condition. This returns with Mina, too, so that the men have to not only treat but diagnose the concern, which is far from coincidental, in my opinion. Women don't know what's wrong with them-- even that something is wrong with them-- until men point it out, so therefore it is the solemn duty of men to always and forever be pointing out the problems of these perpetually malaised women. Ugh!

AUGUST 25

AUGUST 30

It's funny the way this could read as pregnancy in another context-- I wonder if that was purposeful, and whether it would've crossed people's minds at the time. We did just get Lucy's distress at not being able to romance more than one man...

AUGUST 31

One thing about men is they will just not tell women any information because their stupid weak hearts would explode if they heard. Lucy can't know about her mother; her mother can't know about Lucy; good thing Arthur Holmwood is there to carry all these giant important facts in his brain or else everyone involved would surely perish.

You can see why I have little patience for this book.

General thoughts:

I haven't read much vampstuff as of late, or I would tell you about it here. I have a lot of different things I'm excited about and a good deal of recommendations since I began my commentary, but the only thing I've actually read between our last Dracula-related communication and this one is this article on how Dracula's appearance specifically comes from eugenicist ideas of what criminals look like. The linked article is horrifically uncritical of the theory, and even less interested in interrogating why the (white, Christian, crucially abstinent) vampires of Twilight are described another way. Well, there you are, I suppose; the state of vampire discourse in this world-- not to claim that I can do any better.

I am also disappointed (but not surprised?) to find that people are now reading Dracula as an abusive relationship story. To me this is like reading it as a story about the dangers of female independence-- you're playing right into Stoker's poorly writing hands. I mean, seriously, people; you see a racialized caricature sexually preying on women and you take it at face value? Just read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson for the love of God.

And with that endorsement for a genuinely good book, our 2023 DracDaily annotations are on the road! Pop back in weekly for more thoughts from me ^__^ Thanks much to everyone who requested their return!

Alright fine after FOUR PEOPLE asked me about Dracula Daily I will in fact be participating if only to satisfy the masses. Instead of memes I am going to be talking about what’s going on subtextually and my varied vampire-as-metaphor thoughts. Also, I really do not like Dracula. Alright? Alright. See reblogs for later additions.

NAVIGATION:

May 7 (here) | May 8 | May 9 | May 11 | May 12 | May 15

May 16 | May 18 | May 19 | May 24 | May 25, 26 | May 28 | May 31

June 5 | June 18, 24, 25 | June 29, 30

July 1, 8, 18, 19, 20 | July 22, 24, 26-30

August 1-10 | August 11-20

May 7: In which Jonathan Harker is racist about books, and the Count declares his intent to fondle England.

Keep reading

[undead-notunreasonable]

Happy Drac-O-Ween

chapter 3/31

The weather outside seemed to be stirring up something horrid, clouds swirling in strange formations, a biting wind blowing through the trees, & the sky as almost as black as if the evening had already arrived despite it only being noon. "--Something wicked this way comes!" a young girl proclaimed, throwing her arm up into the air for added dramata. "Oh, please, Valeria!" the girls Mother chastised "You frighten me." she tilted her chin down disapprovingly. "But Mumma, it is near the end of the story." the girl pouted, resting her copy of the book against her thigh, almost defeated in how her Mother seemed to ignore her wishes of performing the story. Fussing with her embroidery in an agitated fashion, Katharina looked up to her daughter with blue eyes "Telling of murder & haunted by ghosts unsettles me. You know as much. Speaking of something wicked lingering around even more so!" she pulled her final stitch for once part of the pattern through. "Come," she patted at the cushion next to her "that is enough for tonight my dear. We can continue the story another night. Perhaps when the wear outside doesn't feel as though it should play a part in your story telling." The young Valeria did as she was told by her Mumma, carefully placing the string back inside her book and setting it aside on the mantle before taking a seat beside her mother, where she began to teach her how to embroider, or at least more smoothly.

Boom, boom, boom, came a thunderous knock at the door. With the combination of wild weather outside, and the thrilling Shakespearian tale shared between them, the women gave a jump at the sudden fright. The sound of shoes approaching & disappearing down the hall could be heard as the women anticipated their servants findings at the door. Only a moment later did their servant re-appear, hands neatly folded behind his back as he announced “A Count Dracula for you, Lady Katharina.” stepping aside & bowing his head respectfully.

Dracula entered into the drawing room, smoothing back his hair which had also been victim to the wild weather outside, before clicking his heels together & bowed deeply to the women. “I’m afraid, I wasn’t sure of your invitation, Count Dracula.” the older woman had her eyebrows furrowed tightly, she wasn’t one for unannounced guests, let alone strange men turning up in her home during storms at irregular hours. “My sincerest apologies, my Lady, my Lady,” Count Dracula slowly raised himself up from his bow though nodded to each of them “Your home was the first I came across for shelter. My driver & I were set upon by a highwayman, my driver was unfortunately killed in the attack but I managed to steal away on the carriage horse before the storm frightened her entirely forcing me to seek safety by foot.” A story that was completely made up, though the humans would never know that. Until perhaps their last moment. Count Dracula smacked on his lips, no doubt tasting the last meal he’d fed upon but to anyone else unaware, it seemed more so that he was uncomfortable arriving on a whim in a random home. “I understand that I am a strange man standing inside your home, and I do not expect you to trust me however I ask only for a bed for the night to shelter from the rain & gather my nerves. If you so wish, I would even rest in your stables.”

The tightly knitted eyebrows of Katharina softened quickly, knowing all too well the terror bestowed upon you at the attack of a highwayman. “Now, there is no need to sleep among animals. Actual or servants.” she closed her eyes & bowed her head. Though, unbeknownst to her, the servant that stood in the doorway flashed a glance & held back his snarl as best as he could. “We have a great many guest bedrooms, my Man, Egon, will show you to a room. I’m afraid we have already partaken in our supper, but I am sure one of the kitchen staff can find you something.”

Count Dracula gave a great smile that showed off his crooked & shark like teeth “That is very kind of you to offer, though I’m afraid I had already eaten before the incident. Perhaps I should ring for a servant-” his voice held a suggestive tone of questioning, arching his head to look at the man by the door with a smile that held an undertone, whose curious grey eyes in return met the Counts dark ones “-should I find myself completely ravenous in the night.” 

In parting in with each other, the Duchess looked to her Mamma “How strange is it, that any man be out in such horrid weather tonight? Do you not find it so?” 

“No, my darling girl.” Lady Katharina tore her eyes from the now closed door, bewitched by the sudden meeting of the dark haired stranger. She calmed herself with a gentle sigh “All kinds of creatures & humans get caught in a storm. It is to us they seek, the honourable. I believe you may have read far too much of your tale of magic & monster that it has clouded your judgement. I suggest you too retire to bed.” her voice was gentle, almost sleepy. She leaned across & pressed a kiss to her daughters forehead & watched as she disappeared down the hall, he single candle making the walls dim darker the further she went.

[venteamocha]

Hello! Sometimes I see you post stuff from IF blogs and I've recently started playing some IF games, which I've enjoyed so far. Do you have any IF stories you'd recommend in particular? I'm not attached to any particular genre and I don't need romance or a self-insert main character, (though I'm not opposed to either). Though, it's a definite plus if it's LGBTQ+ inclusive! I'm not really sure what the "cornerstones" are of IF so I'll take any and all recommendations haha

Oh god, I play so many IFs. So many. And it’s not even close to all of them, but I’m trying!!

Tbh IFs without romance seems to be very rare, I think because when I think IF I think Choice of Games, and those pretty much always have romance in them. At least, the most well known ones do. But a well done one without romance would be nice too!

Okay, this is a list of my favourites! They’re all LGBT+ inclusive, and most have gender selectable love interests, or at least ones that change gender depending on the gender and sexuality combination you pick. In no particular order, of course.  Behind a cut because I’m gonna give them each a mini review. Because I haven’t done that yet.

(There are so many.)

Mind Blind: I absolutely love our big brother Nick, I love how witty and sharp so much of the dialogue is, I love how the MC clearly has a rather large handicap, but is still such an important person to so many people and not looked down on in the slightest. And when they are, we all know it’s because that person is a jerk! They’re not defined by what they aren’t, but what they are, and that’s a great message.

Shepherds of Haven: Part of why I love this one so much is I just love fantasy settings and this one just pulls it off so well. The cast is full of amazing characters, and I gotta say I die inside pretty regularly for not being able to afford the patreon content, lol. The author puts so much amazing stuff on there, and gives us so much great content in the game and through answers on tumblr, and you can tell this whole thing is just the best thing ever to them, and that makes it the best ever for us readers too!

The Wayhaven Chronicles: I’d be shot if I didn’t mention this one, the series that literally killed dashingdon when the book 3 demo dropped!! Again, another author that cares a lot and does their best to do right by their fans. We’ve been given drip after drip of these amazing characters backstories, and I just cannot wait for more! It’s definitely very romance centered, but the overall plotlines are also very good, and I have to say that no matter who I romance, I just feel like the group as a whole is a family. And that’s wonderful.

Speaker: I really like the lore. I really like the lore. I can’t wait until we get more of the overall plotline. Mostly I want my Speaker to get in deep trouble so Seb, Li and Seer (best sister ever) go off and beat the shit out of whatever is causing it. This probably says something about me, but what can I say, I thrive on angst and inflicting near death injuries on my OCs. Sometimes I even kill them, although all of this is offtopic. Or is it? I guess we’ll find out, although I doubt we’ll actually be able to kill off Speaker. And yes, I am definitely playing the Seb & Li poly route. I love them both so much. 

Wilhelmina: I love vampires, ok? Ok? And this one is based off Dracula!! The OG!! And you can choose Drac’s gender!! Shit, sign me up forever!! Yeah, she might be literally killing my bff, torturing my fiancé and low key fucking with my mind, but vampires are hot!! Let me live! Or not. But yeah, this is a really well done retelling of the Dracula novel and I like how well it works as an IF. Did I mention I like vampires?? Especially when they get all monstery?? (This one has an MC with a set gender, as it’s based on an already existing literary figure. Mina can have a same sex relationship with dracula, if you make drac a female, or with Lucy, a female love interest.)

More Things in Heaven and Earth: Hi Nell!! First off, I gotta uncover a deep shame of mine. My family literally has a Shakespeare heirloom collection. As in, my greatgrandfather passed down through the family a collection of Shakespeare that was published in 1911. In ye olde englishe. I tried to read it when I was like 10 and was like what language is this?? What the fuck? What the fuck??? And ended up reading As You Like It, a bit of Romeo and Juliet, and a little of Hamlet. Didn’t touch the rest of it. I only got into the other stories through trashy ya reimaginings. That said, this retelling of Hamlet inspired me to go read the whole of the original and now I have a lot of fears for these characters that I’m so much more attached to, oh god I hope my Ophelia has a happy ending. I hope Hamlet himself has a happy ending. The dialogue is so well done, everyone is engaging, and yeah it made me finish an old af book when nothing else did. (This one also has an MC with a set gender, female, for the same reason. However, there are two gender variable love interests, so you can very much play a bi or gay Ophelia if you so choose.)

Guenevere: I love King Arthur. All the myths. I have so many books based on the King Arthur mythos, oh dear god. I love pretty much every version of it. All the movie and tv shows too! I just can’t get enough of those knights. I could go on for paragraphs about how courtly love worked and how all the different social castes were, but I’ll try not to. This series lets you customize Guen as a character to an amazing degree, considering that she’s also based on an actual literary figure like the other two I mentioned above. It really feels like she becomes your own character, and yet she still exists within this world very very well. I worry quite a bit that the author might have bit off more than they can chew with the current book they’re working on, what I’ve seen of it looks absolutely massive in scale. What is out so far is a wonderful read though, full of drama and laughter and lots of chances to make the story your own.

Bastard of Camelot: Yep! Another King Arthur series! Sue me! This one lets you set Mordred’s gender though, so it’s more inclusive in that way. It is very interesting to play as one of the “bad guys” of the King Arthur mythos. You can play them as straight up evil, as good, or you know, a bit of column a and a bit of column b. Or they can just be a rude little shit. It’s got dragons too! You get a dragon pet! Dragons are cool. It can be a bit tough to play sometimes, since a lot of people dislike Mordred quite a lot because of prejudices. Hopefully this will change a bit later in the series if you’ve been a fairly good person up to that point. Gotta say though, as a warning, that Mordred is a product of incest. It’s not glossed over, and it does cause a lot of problems for them in the story.

God of the Red Mountain: I just love that this inspired me to read more chinese mythology tbh. There is just so much here! And it’s just such a good read. I wish I was better at describing things. The MC being a spirit that you can define, the whole setting, most of the love interests also being spirits, the massive amount of history and culture and lore, how it all fits together. It is such a well done story. I really wish it got more attention than it does. I still miss Big Sister. I still can’t wait to find out more about the foxes, and how we can heal our MC.

The Nameless: Another one that lets you play as something otherworldly. I love the lore behind this one, and I love all of the cast I’ve met. I kind of like that our MC isn’t loved right off the bat, that we’ll have to win over all of our love interests and even the other npcs. I’m up for the challenge! Everything I’ve read on the tumblr for these characters just makes me love them all more tbh. I love how much they’ve written for all of them! Most of all though, I love Oisein. All the art of them is just *chef kiss* and their personality is magical.

A Mage Reborn: This is a really recent one but!! Wow, it’s really well done! That cliffhanger!! Oof!! Not many books literally start with killing your MC off! That takes guts! I told the author this already, but I love the way they formatted this, the way it starts with the end, so to speak, and then fills it all out. It just made everything feel so poignant, how MC is literally looking back at all these moments in time in the last minutes they have before they die. Shit. That’s powerful. And there’s gonna be more??? Can’t wait for that angst. Give me that drama. Of course I picked the one who had me killed, that’s just how I am!

These are all just the COG type games, there are a few twine games with graphics I’d throw on here, but the list is long enough as it is and they feel like they’re in a different category to me. Maybe it’s just me?

[ghostdrew22]

One Of Those Days || Draco Malfoy

Requested: No

Pairing: post-war Draco Malfoy x fem!reader

Warnings: Some police detective talk(not good but something) and a few mentions of murder and whatnot. But it’s quite fluffy in my opinion.

Summary: Draco and Y/N work as detectives in a muggle police department and she has a really rough day after it looks like one of her cases is about to fall through. Draco can sense that she’s had a bad day and offers to help her get her work done.

WORDS : 2001

~

Draco prided himself in knowing as much about you as possible- it was his hobby in fact. Draco could tell your silhouette through stained glass windows, he could tell your laugh from three storey’s above you, he could sense your footsteps from kilometers away and he could pinpoint whatever emotion you were feeling with just a single sound from you. Some people would find it creepy- the way he focused so intently on every detail of you like he needed to commit your entire existence to memory- but you loved it, relished it in fact, especially on days when it felt like the entire world was against you and all you needed was for him to comfort you.

That’s why when you’d come by his office to get him for dinner that night he’d known that you weren’t up for it. You were trying very hard to hold it together- it was date night with Blaise and Pansy after all- but he just knew that today had been one of those days, and he made quick work of getting you comfortable on the little couch in his office. It was in the heavy steps you took when you came in- like you couldn’t bare to carry the weight of your own body even though your own office was barely a few paces away from his- and the fake smile that didn’t reach your eyes.

“Are you okay?” He asked once he’d finally got you seated comfortably- pulling your feet into his lap so he could start massaging them- and you tried your best to feign stability with a nod.

“Yes, just a long day.”

“There’s no need to lie, love.” He persisted and moved one hand below your chin so he could lift your head to look at him. “I know something’s up.”

And he was right, as usual, something was up and it had been bothering you all day. One of your cases just didn’t make sense, no matter how hard you looked there didn’t seem to be the missing string that would tie it all together. You knew who the murderer was, it was textbook really, but you just couldn’t find any evidence tying him to the murder no matter how hard you tried.

“Is it the case?” He asked- referring to the homicide case you’d been working at relentlessly for three weeks now- and you merely nodded meekly in response, feeling too hopeless and tired to manage more.

Both you and Draco had wanted to pursue law enforcement for as long as you could remember- particularly homicide investigation- but after the war neither of you could bare the idea of being aurors- the trauma deterring you both from wanting anything to do with fighting the dark arts- and so you decided that working as muggle detectives was the next best thing. And you loved your jobs, really, but it was a hard job to do when every other aspect of your lives benefitted from the use of magic. I mean, how would you explain to a jury that magic helped you track down a suspect in record time? It was absolutely outrageous and it made sure that you both stuck by the book. But it could be immeasurably exhausting despite your love for it, and today was one of those days.

“He’s going to walk.” You said before a sob escaped your lips and Draco was quick to grab you by the shoulders gently and pull you into his chest for soothing- knowing that all you really wanted was for him to listen to you complain and hold you tightly. So you began to explain your situation to him and he listened intently- absorbing every single detail that he could and running his hand up and down your arm to keep you at bay.

“Do you want help going over the files?” He asked once you’d finished explaining. The truth was that you did want help- particularly his help because he was the only person in the entire homicide department with an eye better than your own when it came to this kind of stuff- but you didn’t want to ask for it in fear of adding to his workload, and so you bit your lip and shook your head softly.

“It’s okay Drac, don’t worry about it.” You tried to brush it off, but Draco knew you too well to fall for your antics and he shook his head back at you.

“Nonsense love, I’ll help.” You opened your mouth to protest- already feeling guilty at making him help you- but he was quick to interrupt you, already knowing what you were going to say. “You’e not adding onto my workload Y/N, I’ve always got time to help you and you know that.”

You sighed in defeat- knowing that you weren’t going to win- and looked up at him with a pout, “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.”

“Hey! Who’s ready to get-“ Blaise had barged into the office excitedly but stopped his speech immediately upon the sight of you and your husband on the couch. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t think we can do tonight mate, Y/N’s case has hit a standstill and I’ve offered her to help her go over the case files to find something that’ll help.” Draco answered his best friend with a solemn expression and Blaise nodded in understanding.

“Is it the Yarvis case?” Blaise asked and you nodded faintly with a sigh, “I could help too if you need an extra set of eyes.” Blaise had also decided to join you and Draco in the muggle detective business, but where you and Draco were homicide detectives, Blaise was focused on Narcotics. Ironic for someone who had been the biggest stoner in your year group.

“Blaise, you really don’t have to. I know you and Pansy have been looking forwa-“ You started but Blaise was already shaking his head and dropping his coat onto the hanger by the door before you could finish.

“That’s absolute nonsense Y/N, we’ve been looking forward to spending time with the two of you and this would count. Think about it, we can order Chinese food and crack into those files around the table like one of those cheesy muggle movies you love?” Blaise offered with a soft smile and eyebrow raise and you had to resist the urge to cry on the spot.

“That would actually be great, thank you Blaise.”

“Anything for a friend. Let me go ring Pansy and tell her to bring Chinese on the way.”

“Okay.” Draco replied to his best friend with a thankful smile.

“The usual?”

“Yes please!” You shouted back as Blaise made his way out of the office with a chuckle at your excitement.

And that is how date night turned into the four of you laid out on the floor around a little table in Draco’s office, eating chow mien and going over your case files- trying to find any inkling of evidence that could tie the suspect to the murder.

“Hey Y/N?” Pansy calls from across you as she strains her eyes at an image from one of the folders- although Pansy is an auror, she has a particular knack for muggle crime as well.

“Yes?” You hum as you slowly bring your eyes up to meet hers.

“What’s this in the corner?” She passes the image to you for you to see what she’s referring to.

“It’s just a photograph in a frame, I think it’s the parents and their children.”

“Okay, now look at this.” She passes you a second, almost identical, image of the scene and the photo frame is nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s it gone?” You ask in disbelief.

“I think it disappeared while you were on the scene of the crime, I think it was magic.”

“What?” You furrow your eyebrows at her as you look back down at the images.

“A delayed protection spell perhaps?”

Draco doesn’t say anything but moves closer so that he can also see the two images.


“Why magic? It could’ve been bagged as evidence.”

“No, there are no photo frames in this evidence log.” Blaise pipes up as he passes you the log to inspect yourself.

“Hmm.” You huff and narrow your eyebrows at everything you’ve been handed. “But I’m pretty sure that they’re a muggle family, what could magic have to do with this?”

Pansy shrugs with a thin smile and you sigh- realising that you’ve hit yet another stumbling block- as a silence encapsulates the room.

“Shit.” Draco mumbles as he drops the images onto the ground and quickly jumps off the ground to walk toward his desk his desk.

“Shit?” You ask as you observe his suddenly frantic state as he tries to find something- feeling excitement bubble up inside you at the prospect of him having a lead.

“Yes, shit.” He pulls out two large files from one of his desk drawers and drops them onto the surface, “That- that picture, look at what’s behind the family.”

You narrow your eyes at frame that’s in the evidence shot. “The park?”

“The man that’s on the bench in the park.” Draco responds as he shuffles through papers, “A few months ago I had a case to this where we couldn’t pin the murder to our prime suspect because it all fit so perfectly together but none of the evidence was sufficient enough to withstand trial.”

“Was that the-“ Blaise starts.

“The Hunter Street case? Yes.” Draco answers, “Then right before it looked like she was going to walk, some random evidence perfectly matched up and tied her to the entire thing. It was almost too good to be true.”

“Oh yeah, I remember how confused you were about that.”

“Now I remember why I was so unsettled by it, she wasn’t the culprit.”

“She’s been in jail three months now, a bit too late to be pointing fingers.” Blaise adds with an awkward chuckle and Draco’s lips draw upward slightly at the comment.

“Who did it then?”

“There was a neighbor, a man, who came out as a witness and claimed to have seen her on the night of the crime. I didn’t interview him but I caught a glimpse of him and he is that man in the photograph.”

“How can you be so sure?” Pansy furrows her eyebrows.

“I never forget a face.” Draco utters sternly as he looks Pansy dead in the eyes and you smile proudly.

“So how does he connect to everything?” You ask with furrowed eyebrows.

“He’s the missing puzzle piece, but I think he’s working with someone on the inside.”

“So you think someone discarded the frame for him? On the scene of the crime?”

“Yes! But it definitely wasn’t the photographer, and it means whoever did that arrived after everyone else.” Draco continues and you nod- digesting the information.

“Okay...” You agree with him- feeling a sense of relief wash over you at the fact that finally something is starting to make sense.

Yes, it had been one of those days but everything felt like it was worth it when you could watch your husband in action. You stared at him in awe as he rummaged through the pile of papers in front of him- already connecting the millions of dots that had started forming in his head- and you had to resist the urge to pull him into a kiss of adoration.

“Found it!” Draco explains as he pulls out a small piece of paper and squints to read what’s written on it. Without a second of hesitation he strides toward the door and pulls both of your coats off the hook then stands against the door frame and waits for you.

“Are you coming? We’ve got a murderer to catch.” He asks as he waits for you by the door and you quickly nod and hop off the ground to join him- feeling warmth consume you at the sight of the excited glint in his eyes.

Yes, it had been one of those days… But those days would always be easy to take in stride when you had Draco with you.

<~>

 I feel like I kind of half-assed this toward the end just because I needed to get it done before I lost the love for it, but I still love the general concept either way. I wrote this because I can see Draco wanting to solve crimes and be a detective but I can’t see him wanting to be an auror after the war because he’d be fighting the very same people he ‘worked’ with once and working with the very same people he ‘fought’ against once, and the trauma from the entire situation would be too much to handle and make him hate his job- so muggle detective Draco is born! :)

anyway, love you all,

jean <3

[apuff]

ngl if there was a guy in my class who always had his hands clenched and acted strangely and leaned away from my and seemed to be in tension id just assume he had chronic pain

i get why bella as a character is ahead in school, as it allows her to be focusing on ~interpersonal drama~ and ~misery~ rather than having to focus on learning

yaaas cemetry drive is playing

the dramaaa

bruh

this girl is like describing paradise

tbf after this she gets almost hit by a car bc of the ice but still

bellas like "ugh i got hit by a car and went in the ambulance so annoying 🙄 🙄 "

wait bella is popular now 😭

girl has EVERYTHING WHY IS SHE SO GLOOMY

dude mike is in love with her HWY DOES SHE HATE EVERYONE

i feel so bad for mike

hes actually pretty nice she just only loves special shiny vampire boy............

hmmmmm

the drama

SORRY WHAT ANOTHER BOY JUST ASKED BELLA OUT

WHY IS EVERY BOY SO INTO HERRRR

THIS DOESNT MAKE SENSE

WHAT

ANOTHER FUCKIGN BOY JUST ASKED HER OUT????????

THE KID WHO CRASHED HIS CAR INTO HER ????

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN

im annoyed with this writing choice but im not going to act like its not really funny

meyer deadass wrote "grrr" into her book like omg bella is just like me fr

i gotta admit this is pretty funny

first i was annoyed by the triple proposal in one day but i think that might actually be a dracula (lucy gets proposed 3 times in one day) reference sooo im less annoyed by it

the year is 2005 and making disparaging jokes about mental health is funny

OMG

BELLA GOT ASKED OUT BY EDWARD 😭

 IS THIS STILL A DRAC REF IDK

 well lucy turned it down twice and accepted the last time so her turning down 3 times and accepting last makes sense??

 idk why edwards being so wishy washy about her

i guess its that he needs to feed on her so thats why he acts rudely cause he doesnt want to give in,,,,,but he feeds on something else so his urge is satiated so he feels okay talking to her again??

anyways im sort of bummed out by how non-monstrous or magical these vamps are so far, i suppose anything could change since i'm only on like chapter 3 or something. but like. in drac the vamps are like people, but demons, scary and gross, but sexy, their bodies and age totally change when they drink blood, they have these frightening effects on the health of others, they hypnotize people, they feed on them, they turn into giant bats and dogs and even mist itself....... they can only work in the shadows (literally and figuratively), are totally nocturnal, they pick people off one by one, they sleep in boxes of their home dirt during the day, they crawl on the walls like damned lizards. they are weird asf.

 MIST???

 FORKS, RENOWNED FOR BEING WET AND FOGGY AND-DARISAY-MISTY??

 please myer do something with this..

 i get why edward wants to live here tho bc it's so wet and there's less of the sun...although im p sure in drac it's not just the literal actual sunlight but more the day in general thats bad for them....

 anyways.. i hope we get to see some crazy stuff with the vamps in twilight soon

 you now what also annoys me

 theres thsi literal 6 week timeskip

 and bellas relationship with the 2-5 people she hangs out with all day every day seems to have progressed 0 and she has no new feelings about them and doesnt care about them so she has any sort of complicated feelings about bluntly turning them down

 she only cares about edwarddddd

 this is so sinister

anyways i think the descriptions of edward are getting more boring by the second. ive been thinking more and more hes just ur average hot boy driven to angelic status by her crush on him NOT that he is unnaturally ephemerally beutiful already and shes just acknowledging that fact

please describe the way the darkness pools under his eyes and around his chin like the chiaroscuro of the old masters. please describe how his hair is thick and voluminous like a renaissance statue. please describe how he floats from place to place like a gliding angel. please stop just calling him beautiful

this is actually so scary if this happened to me id be calling the cops

i still think that sounds scary as hell but reading more i kinda understand the appeal... edward is old and scary and knows a lot, but bella is someone he cant read and she argues with him ON AN EVEN FIELD.. the power dynamics are still concerning but in the real of fiction it's a constant push-and-pull with a dangerous hot love interest. i understand the appeal. bella may be mopey but she has this fighty, independent spirit yo her. the fact that she fights edward instead of just acquiescing to him makes it less scary

HUH?? maybe i will get some of my wishes just the boring hot boy versions of them tho

blood type stuff..hmmmhmmhmmmm

HMMM

is edward gonna go shark crazy

also this sounds really illegal who just stabs childrens fingers randomly w/o their consent

what if they have hemophilia or a fear of blood or anemia or something 😭 bruh this teacher oughtta get fired

sorry bella can smell blood?? is she half vamp or smth??

okay im gonna stop it for this reblog because im getting really tired of pasting text from discord to google docs then fixing it then pasting it into tumblr then fixing it and i'm like a third of the way through my channel so i'm already afraid at how long this is going to take

i wanna read twilight just to see if its as bad as everyone says it is

[glitching-desert-snake]

“Last time I ask you for a favor!” with some venom sibs! :^)

It 'tis done! 3k worth of venom siblings and some lovely StarParty for ya. Hope you like it!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31265705

(appologies if the read more doesn't work smh)

:readmore:

"Order up! Can we get two blue plates and a Destroya special, hold the cactus!" Party called from the booth they're waiting to Ghoul and Kobra in the kitchen.

"On it!" Ghoul called back.

"Hey," a voice said from behind them, tapping them on the shoulder. Poison turned around to see Jet Star and their cheeks flush.

"Did you um need something Star?" They asked

"It's noon so Venom's are off, I can take it from here."

"Right" They hand him their notepad and pen, "Oh the girls over there want just one milkshake to share so make sure Ghoul puts extra in it."

"Got it, have a nice break." Jet smiled and they try not to beam right back, a small wave and they are hanging up their apron and heading outside.

"Heyy, Party Poison." A killjoy was at their heels as soon as they exit the swinging doors.

"And who might you be?" They pause and lean on one leg as the 'joy caught up to them.

"The name's Band Saw, and well- you don't happen to like roller skating do you?" It took Party a moment to hide their curiosity. They didn't care for tricks or anything but you could find them rolling around. Not like Show Pony who was on quads 24/7. But they did know a certain blue haired someone who was dying to learn to skate.

"Say I did,"

"Well would'jya maybe want to come with me to the rink party Pony's holding this weekend?" Party Poison looked up with intrigue but quickly hid it with a long eyeroll, "I would sooner go with you than get my finger stuck in a band saw." The joy recoiled and took a deep sigh, "Oh ok um, nevermind then." they scurried off. Poison felt a twinge of regret but then happily didn't as they looked up to see Kobra Kid leaning on the back wall smirking.

"Don't they know the first rule of The Diner is no flirting with the waitstaff." He chuckled, "I made the rule to get rid of goonies like that."

"Eh, they technically weren't in The Diner when they asked." They noted as the two walked out to the fields.

"I guess. Here, slap up the sun's nice today." Kobra handed them some sunscreen and went to find a spot in the dry grasses to lie down. "Ghoul said Helibomb is going to come by on Sunday to see about the warm water not working."

"Oh the gal who wears heelys everywhere? I didn't realize she did more than just well work."

"Yep, they say she can even roll on her heelys up hill."

"Seems like just a frequency static rumor to me."

"If it's true then I'm taking one from her book for my bike. I don't care if it's magic or what, I want a piece."

"I'm sure you do. Hey Kobra, could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Did you hear about Show Pony's gig this weekend?"

"The partner skate? Sure I have, but I'm not planning on going on account of too many love birds in one flock."

Party swallowed and went red even though they knew better.

"Well duh, I know you're not going. That'd be like me walking into the bathrooms at Hyperthrust during a party." They both laughed and fake gagged.

"But man, for all that I'm supposedly talk of the town, apparently I'm also the last to hear about major events." They threw up their hands. "Anyways, think you could be a messenger pigeon?"

Kobra grinned, "Party,"

"Look- I can't go asking myself, I have an image to uphold!"

"A damn bitchy one" Kobra quipped, chewing his lip. "But no, I get it. Who's the lucky 'joy?" he looked sharply into Party's eyes and they quickly looked down.

"You're going to hate me for this." They said with a flush creeping onto their cheeks.

"I'm not gonna be mad Pois, you know that." he said, hugging his knees and looking at them.

"It's Jet Star." They say with a gulp.

"Party fuckin Poison, what to say." Kobra was grinning and shaking his head as he spoke in a sing song drawl, "You pick good ones. Aesthetics? Top game."

"Shut up!" Poison giggles

"And yes, of course I can do the honors for you- but it better be at The Nest because we all remember the last time drama happened while at work."

"Yeah, bacon and avocado do not belong on the ceiling." Party shook their head and smiled. Their face is still hot but they stand up and shake twigs from their jacket. "Thank you for this, Kid, really."

"Oh I wasn't done-" Kobra said, standing up and pointing a finger at them. "Because I want a favor in return."

"Alright shoot,"

"I don't know what it is yet," he said as they began "It all depends how much of a chaotic disaster the ask winds up being." He laughed and the sun glinted on his braces.

"Of course," Party said with a chuckle but they can't help their mind racing with every dismal possibly that could happen.

"So we only sold five milkshakes today on account of the machine breaking, big deal! Helibomb is coming Sunday afternoon, don't stress it Ghoul." Jet was leaning on the table and poking through music to put on.

"You know they're are biggest seller when it's hot out." Ghoul reasoned as he reached for a brush from the couch and worked on undoing his braids.

"Pst, Poison get over here." Kobra tapped his sibling on the shoulder. "I'm not being your wingman if you're just going to hide in the kitchen." Poison gulped and reluctantly drifted into the living room and stuck to the side of the wall. Kobra looked back at them and smiled and then walked over to Jet who was putting Earthling into the cassette player.

"Hey Jet, I've got a proposition for ya." Kobra grins as Little Wonder came on intermixed with static.

"Oh yeah?" Jet tucked a curl behind his ear. Party cringed at The Kid being so formal but couldn't look away.

"Party Poison here wants to go to the skate party at Pony's rink tomorrow night. And they want to know, if you'd do them the honors of being their date." Kobra put his hands in the pockets of his jacket and rests a contented look on his face. Jet for his part looked astonished.

"Really?" He asked, with a smile creeping over his face, looking from Kobra to Party and back.

"Yeah- but like, only if you want." Party said. They got themself off the wall and managed to stay standing despite harboring no trust in their legs to function.

"No I'd like that, sound's rad. It's just- man I don't even know how to roller skate."

"Oh"

"But I'd love it if you showed me how." Jet finished and Party beamed

"Hey you should pick some skates from the shoe pile, I think TCM dropped off some that might fit you."

"Oh yeah!" Jet bobbed his head and smiled.

He left to the nest and Party followed after him but not before siding up next to Kobra to mutter, "Thank you," with a breathy sigh.

"'Course" The Kid chuckled, "But remember, you owe me."

"Yeah yeah." Poison smiled as they exchanged their secret hand shake. Poison bounded down the hallway after Jet.

"Hi." Star said, quickly turning around. He brushed his hair back for like the fifth time that day and Poison couldn't help but notice all the freckles that had come out from being in the sun on the walk home from The Diner where Kobra's whispered heckling and teasing just made Party more giddy than they already were.

"Hi" They repeated. They knew enough to not think that something like What's your shoe size? was a deemable conversation but were lost of what to say instead.

"Did you really mean me?" Jet was asking.

"What?" Poison looks at him with concern as they pull out the pile of shoes and start handing skates to Jet.

"I mean like, you really want to go on a date date with me, not just like as friends?"

"I- yes." they swallow and look away, "Jet if you don't want to go that's fine. Just tell me now so I can sort out my feelings in peace."

"What? No no I'm not breaking up with you- I mean I'm not- I'm pastel for you too, Party." It's Jet's turn to look away but Poison drops a skate in their lap to stare at him. "I didn't think you felt any way for me, I mean you're Party 'I insult everyone' Poison, I never thought you'd like someone like-"

"I don't insult every one." They interject with a sigh. "You and Kobra both on top of me over this." They shake their head, Ghoul understood the need to cover everything up and keep things safe with a shell of spite but Kobra and Jet would just zip shut over anything touchy. Well, or punch your lights out if it was Jet.

"Wait a minute, what were you going to say?"

Jet turned  slightly towards them, "I didn't think you'd like someone all well, quiet n' stuff. Man, I come home from work and then just work on my bots whiles you off partying the lights away."

"Pff Star, you think I go to parties to pick up 'joys to date?"

"I mean, yeah?" Jet looks at them confused as he puts on another skate, "Think these fit." he said absent mindedly, still looking intently at Party.

"Star, I go to parties for the music, for the friends, and yeah maybe sometimes to blow off some adrenaline without a raygun, but I-" they stuck out their tongue slightly as they slipped the lace into an eyelet, I don't take people home from parties and I'd never fuck anyone, ever they want to say but instead just mutter, "I don't go to the club for crushes. And besides, I didn't think you liked me. Whyd'ja think I sent The Kid to ask for me."

"Party what do you mean! How could I not be pastel for your smiles and when you wear tank tops while tagging up the radio station, or skirts out to parties, and the way you get all nervous before reading."

"Okay now that's just not fair. You're so cute when you're covered in motor oil and showing me your bots, not to mention how sharp of a shot you are both at darts and dracs. But also you know you make the best milkshakes this side of the radiation pools."

"Stoop now you makin me all melted." Star shoves them and laughs,

"Not before you did!" Party retorts and they dissolve into a fit of laughter.

The following night Party and Jet rode down to the rink. The lights were bright and the pizza was pretty shitty but it was ok. Jet told them about his plans to try to make a drone while Party tied his skates for him. They stepped out on the rink and skated in a small circle then rolled back to the edge where Jet was still standing on the carpet. On other days they would stare at the black and bright colored carpet wanting to look like it but they knew Jet was just scared.

"If you fall, I've got you." They whispered in his ear and he looked up. Poison hadn't seen Star actually scared, not since ray blasts streaked the sky. He stepped onto the rink and diligently kept his feet exactly parallel.

"Here see, you skate like this." Party kicked off and skated a few feet, then turned and slid back to Jet.

"Here goes nothing." Star said and tried to put his feet into a V like theirs. He started to pick up his foot but fell off-balanced onto Party who hit the rink on their wrist guard. Star was mortified but his body was so close, Party reminded themself to breathe. They ran their hand along his arm.

"Hi" they breathed

"I suck at this for real." Jet groaned and then took their hand. Party got onto their feet and pulled Jet up to standing.

They spent most of the night very close to the nice friendly padded wall. Party showed Jet how to get comfortable on his skates and every once in a while left him on the shore of the rink to practice a spin or skating backwards.

"Now you're just showing off." Jet laughed as Party vogued to the song playing.

"C'mon you can at least do this." They insisted and rolled their wrist against their neck. Jet was much better at voguing than skating, shaping his face square and sweeping circles in the air. Party watched with a quiet smile intently trained on Jet, watching him slowly get more confident until the fear from the beginning of the night melted away.

Eventually Jet did manage to skate without holding onto anything, only to realize he didn't know how to stop. Veering towards Party, he pressed them up to the wall. Poison just laughed.

"Can I kiss you Star?" Party asked

"Only if you show me how to stop after." Jet smiled and Party pressed a kiss to his cheek. Jet held onto the wall as Party kicked off into a simple forwards skate.

"Point your toes and bring your legs together." Party half shouts over the music. Jet takes a couple of tries but eventually gets the hang of it. He skates up to Party and stops right in front of them. They hold his hands and he kisses them. Poison flips up to stand on their heel stops and leans into him. When they finish skating Jet's legs are shaking. He thinks it's on account of it being his first time skating. Party can't tell if it's from skating or being on a date with Jet. But really it's all three mixed into a wavering walk home bubbling with laughter and then dying down to quiet murmurs on the wind.

"So, what's your revenge against my innocent little ask?" Party said with their hand on their hips and a sarcastic lilt in their voice.

"You know how little Mr. Tommy Chow Mein's got that one spot on the back shelf that damn no body supposed to touch?"

"Oh noo, what about it."

"Well, I've been peeping this helmet he's got up there, right? And I think it'd be perfect to go with my wheels now that I have some races under my belt as Lucky No. 27 this dinky BLI helmet got nothing on the other guys. I want you, with all that charisma you got packed away in there, to get it in my hands."

"Oh come on Kid, it's TCM! I can't just walk up to our used-to-be-dad and ask him to sell me contra!"

"It's not actually contraband though, red." Jet Star chimes in from where he's listening bemusedly to the venom siblings. "Hand me a hair tie would you Ghoul?" he asks Ghoul, who's patiently getting his hair braided by Jet.

"I got 50 carbons you can use for bartering."

"Oh sure that'll help but it's still the no sells shelf. And TCM isn't pastel for you like Mx. Propulsion here." Ghoul said with a smirk and Jet flicks hair in his face.

"Alright alright, I'll try but no promises alright Kobra."

"What? Just try, that's BS."

"Hey I didn't know if I'd be getting a joyfriend or not out of your favor, I don't know if you'll be off with a helmet or not."

"Fine." Kobra said in a drawn out whine.

Poison grabbed the ring of carbons and Ghoul tossed Jet the keys to the Trans Am.

"You're coming too?" Party asks as Jet leaves with them

"You know I want to see how this plays out." He said with a laugh and Party rolls their eyes.

"Make sure they're putting in effort, I want that helmet next sunrise race!" Kobra called as they left.

"Heyy Tommy C! How's it hanging?" Party said

"It's hanging like a plastic bag in a 'crow's nest- what do you want Party?" Tommy shuts off whatever audio drama he'd been listening to and leaned on the counter looking down at Party.

"Jus' wanna talk, that so bad?" Tommy just rolled his eyes.

"Look are you buying something or just here to make me change the station. I've heard enough of your rants, I'm not turning on the radio my books are just fine."

"So listen, I was just wondering about that helmet you got over there. It's pretty bonus track and a uh, associate of mine was looking into it."

"This is not the helmet you're looking for." TCM said and a wave of calm washed over Party. They were immediately confused, they were never this calm. There was something they needed but it wasn't here. Wait of course it was. Jet wouldn't be standing in the corner watching the whole scene amused if it hadn't been for Kobra. What was it about Kobra? He wanted the helmet right. It took half of Party's effort just to remember this but then he was at it again.

"Where'd you get it anyways?"

"A long time ago. It's very old, your sibling doesn't want it."

"Oh yeah?" That pang hit their thoughts again but they kept going. "Where'd you get it?"

"No where near here, a galaxy far far away, you could say."

"Well look, since you already know it's The Kid who's trying to get his hands on it what do you even have against him?'

"Yeah, Jet pipes up- me and Ghoul were the ones always pulling pranks on you. He didn't do nothing to you."

"Let me do this, it's not your trade." Party said, putting their hand on Jet's chest.

"Fine." Jet sighed and went back to browsing the zine rack.

"The Kobra Kid can't have my helmet, and no one else can either."

"Ok but what if I gave you 50 Cs?" Party asked, stifling the blow to their train of thought.

"Agh! Why don't these work on you rascal?" Tommy threw down his sunglasses in annoyance. "Fine you want to know about this helmet. I got this helmet pod racing until my rival decided to blow out my hyperdrive frequency and led me to crash land by ship on this measly planet. And then what? Jammed radios from a certain somebody meant I couldn't fly anymore. Set up shop instead, an the rest's history.

"But you know what? If it's useless to me, it's just as useless to you and yours." Tommy sighed and took the carabiners of 25 carbons each and slid them onto the rods in his cash register and begrudgingly passed the helmet down to Party.

"Kobra! We're home!"

"Did they get my helmet?" Kobra asks as he runs into the nest.

"Sure did! Diligently and without help from yours truly." Jet reported back and kissed Party quickly on the cheek to the return of a grin on their face.

Kobra ran over and took the helmet from Poison and immediately put it on.

"Uh Party?" He waved his arms around

"Do you like it?"

"Pois, I can't see a thing." Kobra took the helmet back off and examined the front, realizing that not only was GOOD LUCK painted across the entire screen but the inside was also painted black.

"What the-" Party grabbed it from him and put it on, only to find completely darkness and if they crossed their eyes, a bit of shine to the paint.

"Man you get a joyfriend and I get a fuckin useless helmet!? Last time I ask you for a favor!" He pouces onto Poison and they topple onto the couch, wrestling each other until it dissolves into a pillow fight.

[my-fanfic-library]

Something Different {BBC Dracula x Reader} [22]

Masterlist

~^*^~

“Drac!”

The gasp of his name filled the hallway, right after the sound of his hand slapping your ass. He chuckled, your pout only managing to be adorable to him.

“I couldn’t help it. My god, I never want to see you wear anything except leggings again.” He breathed.

“Typical male.” You rolled your eyes, hitching the strap of your gym bag higher up your shoulder.

You stalked towards the elevator, ignoring the hot gaze the vampire was currently giving you. Maybe inviting him to the gym was a very bad idea. Especially in the outfit he had decided to sport to “fit in”. A muted grey/green t-shirt, a little baggy, a little low cut on the neckline, exposing just a tease of his collarbones. The black joggers were an anomaly to his usual wardrobe choices.

“Instead of going to the gym, I propose we stay here and improvise.” You finally turned your head to send him a venomous look.

“You literally took months of reluctance to even fucking finger me and now you won’t even let me go to the gym because my leggings rile you up?” You feigned an angry tone, “stay here if that’s how you’re going to be.” You pressed the button, waiting for the elevator.

“I already told you, I can’t do what I want to you. Did our little session the other day ease any of your tension?”

You rolled your eyes, face flushing as you thought back to a few days ago. The doors opened and you strolled in, the tall vampire hot on your heels. You turned to face the doors, only to almost knock into his chest. His arms immediately wrapped around your waist and pulled you up to your tippy toes. You glared up at him as the door snapped shut.

“You didn’t answer my question.” His voice was a little gravelly, the sound of it making your heart skip a beat.

“I rolled my eyes. That’s an answer in my books.”

“Clearly I’m going to have to do something more... strenuous next time.” His lips came down on to your jawline, pressing tender kisses to your skin. You hummed.

Then, his fingers slipped a little lower, eventually making their way to your ass. He squeezed, making sure to get as much into his hands as he could.

“Stop!” You laughed, twisting away from him. His grip tightened.

“Why?” He whispered against your skin, “we are the only occupiers of the elevator, right now. Would it be so terrible?”

“Yes, seriously I’m about to go back upstairs and change.”

“Don’t,” he growled, squeezing harshly, causing your to gasp, your hands moved to snake around his neck, “even think about it.”

“I have no idea what’s made you so possessive all of a sudden, but you pack it in now, mister.” You playfully commanded.

Dracula’s lips continued on your neck, and he clearly had no intention of stopping even after the elevator had reached the bottom of the building and the doors opened.

~^*^~

The gym was an... experience. Upon leaving, you vowed to never let Dracula tag along again. No less than four times did he get into altercations with other men who had been ogling you (three out of the four being during your squat session), and he was adamant on just watching you which was off putting. When you had invited him along, you had hoped that he would actually partake in exercise.

Apparently you were too distracting.

Said the man who had sat on the bench press, practically drooling whilst you did your warming up lunges and stretches.

Yeah, he wasn’t allowed to go anywhere near the gym again if that was where you intended to go.

When you returned back to the apartment, you noticed a missed call on your phone. Your mother. Whilst you had been in contact with her, it was time for her annual summer party, in which all of her friends, and their friends, and her colleagues and their friends crowded your home for hours on end. It was so exhausting to have to socialise with so many people that you didn’t know or care about.

As you called her back, you regretted it almost instantly.

“[First]! Finally, I’ve been trying to get ahold of you!”

“Yeah, sorry, I was at the gym.”

“Look, you know that my party is next week, right? You’re going to come, aren’t you?”

“Erm, I don’t actually know...”

“Oh come on, [First], I haven’t seen you in so long! You have to come!”

“Well, I mean, I’ve not been in London long and-“

“Yes, apparently you’ve shacked up with some man!”

“Mother!” You shrieked. Clearly Dracula had heard, since he turned around to send you the most devilish grin. You batted him away, “that’s not true!”

“Well, Martha rang me up and told me she saw you out shopping with some man your father’s age! And then Daphne FaceTimed me and told me she’d seen you in a car on two occasions with the same man!”

“Oh my god!” You groaned, “stop listening to gossip about your own daughter from the fishwives!” You scolded.

“I’ll keep going if you don’t agree to come.” You could hear her playful smile.

“Alright! Fine, I’ll come.”

“And bring your mystery man - apparently he’s quite a looker-“ you hung up, not wanting to think about your own mother drooling over your boyfriend.

“Who was that lovely woman?” Dracula was very clearly trying to wind you up.

“Oh shut it.” You snapped, “you’re just smug because they think you’re attractive.”

“Well, I am.” He stated matter-of-factly.

“Oh!” You groaned, stomping away to get dressed.

The week dragged. Your mother was constantly ringing to harass you over the party. ‘Black tie but casual, [First]!’ ‘Don’t forget that Brenda’s son Mark is coming, I believe you’d suit each other quite nicely!’ ‘Have you decided what you’re going to wear?’ ‘Your entrance fee can be a platter of those nice little sandwiches you make!’

It was dizzying and to add insult to injury, your mother’s constant inquires on your “mystery man” was blowing up his ego quicker than you could say ‘bloodsucker’. Oh, if you had a stake you’d strike it right through his heart if it meant one moment of peace. You eventually told him about your mother’s plan to hook you up with this Mark (which had been ongoing since you were 16 and he was 18) which switched his mood a whole 180° extremely quickly. Now you had an impatient mother and a grumpy vampire.

Was god punishing you for your fornications with the man currently lying next to you, facing towards the wall instead of you?

Technically you hadn’t even had sex, so technically there was nothing to punish.

Or was it just because he was a vampire?

You scoffed in amusement at your thoughts.

“Thinking about Mark are you?” Dracula grumbled.

“Oh yes.” You jeered, “tall, handsome Mark and how I think I may have to take up my mother’s offer and see him to dinner. I wonder how far he’d go on the first date... it’s been a long time since I’ve had sex-“

Within a matter of seconds, you were pinned under the vampire, his dark pools swimming with all sorts of angst. His lips curled down into a scowl. You felt like you deserved a punch to the face. How you managed to dig yourself an even deeper hole was beyond you.

Well, Dracula found use for the belt that had been on the bedside table and you had learnt your second lesson on purposefully making him jealous. You were sure you were growing addicted to his fingers.

~^*^~

You swallowed, looking over yourself one last time in the mirror before you stepped out of the room. The black satin cami dress was formal, right? It came down to your knees, with a little bit of a peplum hem at the bottom. It was a little revealing, mostly on your chest, but you had accessoried to keep the attention on the gorgeous Whitby Jet wrapped around your neck concealing your bite. Yes, you looked fine.

Nerves would always eat you up before you attended these stupid parties.

Stepping out into the main room, you held your breath. Holy fuck. Dracula was leaning against the table, clearly bored of waiting for you. His hair was tousled back, a few strands falling forwards towards his forehead. A black shirt sat undone on the upper half of his chest, and over the top a black suit jacket rolled up past the elbows. You oggled his forearms and the image of the way they flexed as he pumped his fingers into you flashed through your head. Your eyes moved down to his legs, form fitting suit pants showcasing his thighs and you almost drooled. Running a hand through your hair, you coughed, grabbing his attention.

The moment his eyes fell on you, your heart quite literally stopped. His eyes... oh dear god. It was the way you’d begged god to make someone look at you. Just once. So much love, a sparkle of utter awe of you, glistening the truth of his affection. His lips quirked up into a smile. His eyes racked over your body, loving the way your dress fit you perfectly, hinting at your body but leaving the majority of it to the imagination. It was long enough to not be dignity-diminishing, but short enough to give attention to your legs.

“If I hadn’t made a promise to give you the best life, I would take you right here on this table,” he patted the marble, “and drink every ounce of nectar within your veins.”

“Keep talking like that and I will make you do it.” You smirked.

“I promised you I’d help you live,” he prowled towards you, unable to wait another moment to pull you into him, “and I believe you see our union differently to how I do.” He fornwed just a little and you pulled yourself into him, drowning him in your perfume and warmth.

“It’s just sex.” You retorted, looking up at him.

“Not with you it wouldn’t be.” He whispered, “and whatever coward made you think that it’s “just sex” would be advised to never come a step near to me.”

“Why, would you teach him your ideas on union?” You chuckled, your slightly dirty joke apparently going over his head.

“I’d fucking kill him for taking your body so intimately and convincing you that it meant nothing.”

You chuckled, pressing a sweet kiss to his neck. He hummed, feeling the soft fabric of your dress beneath his fingertips. He was so thankful that you had chosen him. Lucky was the understatement of the century.

~^*^~

Your mother continued to look out of the window every minute or so, anticipating your arrival. After most adamantly demanding that you bring the gentleman you had been living with, she was at a peaked curiosity. Was he truly so much older than you? And was he as handsome as her friends made out?

He turned out to be definitely rich, pulling up in a sparkling Jaguar. She almost squealed in anticipation - much like a teenager - and the tray of appetisers she had been holding flew up into the air.

Your father grumbled at the commotion and apologised to the men he had been speaking to. He explained that your mother was on edge, awaiting to see what her daughter was about to drag into the house.

The aura that swept the house when you and Dracula entered seemed to affect every guest present, and all eyes were suddenly on you.

“[First]!” She greeted lovingly, pretending she hadn’t been waiting for the last 45 minutes by th window.

“Hi mother,” you greeted, letting her pull you into a brief hug. Her eyes wandered past you and to the tall gentleman standing just at the step of the door, smiling sheepishly, “it’s alright, love. You can come in.”

Your wicked eyes sent him a mischevuous look. He frowned, knowing that you were internally laughing at him still not entering without an invitation. Would your parents mind so much if he spanked you in front of them?

“And, my, who is this... gentleman?” She breathed, clearly impressed by his face, but unimpressed at his presence with you.

“This is-“

“Count Dracula.” He cut your off, “it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. [Last].” He smiled at her, taking her hand and briefly kissing her knuckles, “[First] has told me so much about what an amazing woman you are.” She couldn’t help but laugh airily at the compliment.

“Well, I’ve done my best for my daughter. Come on through, both of you. [First], your father is just by the kitchen.”

She rushed past you, pushing past people as quickly as she could to make her way back to the kitchen. That gossip! Your eyes filtered through the people until you found your father talking to a few people. Intertwining your fingers with Dracula’s, you began to pull him into the living room when you were stopped by a man you didn’t recognise.

“What an honour it is, Count Dracula! My name is Richard Johnson, I own Johnson and Moore, a law company under your own. I was wondering when I’d finally meet the famous Dracula.” You turned to look at Dracula, who was smiling a little shyly.

“Yes, it is a pleasure to meet you as well, however as you can see I’m with-“

“No, it’s okay!” You quickly interjected, “I better go say hello to my dad before he feels rejected. I’ll let you two businessmen talk.” You winked at the vampire before scampering off towards your father.

“What a beautiful little thing she is!” Richard eyed you as you left, “you’ve got to tell me how you got such a young one.” He laughed.

“Well, I could tell you,” Dracula began with a fake smile, “but I’d have to kill you afterwards.”

Neither of them realised that you had heard and you grinned at Dracula’s words.

Your arms snaked around your father’s waist as you rested your head on his shoulder. He continued his sentence to the two men he was engaged in conversation with. When he had finished, he took a sip from his drink and then manuvered his head to press a kiss to your forehead.

“Here she is, my little detective!” He laughed, wrapping an arm around your shoulders, “you wouldn’t believe this kid used to poop in our garden drain, would you?”

“Do you have to say that to everyone you introduce me to?” You rolled your eyes, but you were grinning.

“Baby, I’m going to bring it up at your wedding and tell all of my grandbabies.” The two men standing opposite from you laughed at his words.

“I’ve read some of your journals, [First], you’ve grown into a very intelligent and respectable young woman.” You pulled yourself from your father as he spoke to you, smiling shyly.

“Thank you, I’ve worked hard to be where I am today.”

“Yes, didn’t you spent quite some time in Yorkshire?” The other man began, “your father was telling us you were part of some coverup story within the Jonathan Harker Foundation.”

“Well, that’s simply not true. And even if it were, I couldn’t tell you, Pauly.” You grinned, clearly teasing him.

“Awe, come on, [First]! Don’t you remember when I used to dress up as Santa and bring you all those wonderful presents?”

“Well, I suppose I could tell you,” you began, “but I’d have to kill you afterwards.”

Your eyes moved across the other side of the room and locked with your favourite pair in the entire world. He was smirking right back at you. ‘Touche’ he mouthed at you. His eyes sparkled as they continuously washed over you. Wait... was he really eye fucking you in a room full of people?! Your father’s conversation ended quickly after that and he was quick to pull you into the corner to have a private word with you.

“You, young lady, are driving your mother up the wall with the gentleman you’ve been seeing, you know that don’t you?” He was unable to hold back his amusement.

“Of course I know that.” You laughed.

“Then go and talk to her!” He laughed. Clearly he was already growing drunk.

“Alrighty. Don’t drink too much, okay?” You patted his arm, side stepping to get ready to make your way to the kitchen.

“I can’t promise you anything, buttonnose.” He pressed a kiss to your cheek and sent you on your way to the kitchen.

Before you even made your way in, you could hear all of the wives whispering and giggling. Did they seriously not realise that they were not still school girls? You rolled your eyes and made your way in.

Your mother jumped at your intrusion and you were soon bombarded in compliments on how pretty you’d gotten, how tall you’d grown, congratulations on your work, and question upon question about Dracula and intimate details of your plans. Mostly marriage and children.

Two hours later and you found yourself by your mother’s side. Dracula had blended in well, making conversation with almost everyone that approached him. You had barely seen him, but your mother had been talking quite a bit to him. Standing washing your hands after eating a few greasy little bites, she came to your aide.

You were dreading whatever she had to say and prayed that this would be a short and sweet conversation. She was obsessed with you getting into a relationship and you had finally found someone that made you happy and she wasn’t satisfied.

“[First],” she began warily, “Dracula seems... nice...”

“He is.” You answered stoically.

“When did you meet him?”

“When I was working in Whitby last year.” You grasped a tea towel, beginning to dry your hands.

“Is he a detective like you?”

“First of all, I am not a detective - I’m a Supervisory Special Agent specialising in criminology. Secondly, he is not a detective and you would know from all of your eavesdropping that he is a businessman.”

“Don’t accuse your own mother of eavesdropping!” She scolded.

“Weren’t you?” You challenged.

“I just... I just think you’ve made a mistake, [First]. He’s your father’s age for crying out loud!” She hissed, clearly not wanting the other wives to hear such an embarrassing conversation.

Silly woman. He’s ten times your father’s age.

You scoffed at her words.

“What, so because he’s a little older than me I can’t be with him?”

“No, I’m not saying that I’m just-... is he your sugar daddy?!” She suddenly gasped.

“No mother!” You exclaimed.

“I had to ask, sorry.”

“What, did Brenda tell you that? Or maybe Daphne? When will you all grow up and stop gossiping over your own children?!” She went quiet.

“...Will you at least consider Mark...?”

You groaned, having to throw the tea towel down and leave the room. Your face was flushed with anger and when you looked back up, your jaw hit the ground.

“Jack?”

~^taglist^~

@vampiregirl1797 @avalanet @bunnyreese12 @nerdonpluto @teamceleries @grifffins @hitbythunder @winterseoul @mymagicsuitcase @angeli-fucking-cat @benedictethegoddess @bloodhon3yx @nifflersravenclaw @writteninthestars288 @labelladrama @frankcastlesgrunts @angelicdestieldemon @quakerlasss @aliisa-jones @wolverinexmenn @clairedragonessbaker @cryiner @mitsukatsu @piratewhore @your-pixels-are-showing @tardisnesss @ladydovahkiin180 @catwomom @god-of-dramatic-death-scenes @th3rah @viper-queen @mephdcosplay @greghouse7 @faeprinces @kokoro-no-yami @trishaferdream @therealmoni @crazytxgradstudent @sansthelonelypunster @crowley-needs-a-hug @girlonfireice @wasntpriscilla @ivanna6026

[always-and-forever-a-killjoy]

Hello fuckers! This is the ridiculously long fic I've been vagueposting about for like weeks. 23k words sitting in a doc! I'll be trying to post maybe once every two weeks, but once school starts again it will be a lot harder to get out 3k words in a week. I have seven chapters written, so I'll consistently update for probably 2-3 months and then no promises after that. This is going to be a fucking epic.

Note that not all warnings  apply to all the chapters, so I'll be warning for triggering/upsetting content in each chapter individually. Please heed those!

You all also get to play a game of 'guess which song the chapter title is pulled from', which is made more difficult by my music taste ranging from musicals (les mis! DEH!) to my chemical romance. I'll let you know what the chapter title was from when I post the next chapter. Also, the POV switches each chapter, so that info is also in the notes.

Title: Coming, Coming Home

Chapter Title: Do you want to live out loud?

Chapter Wordcount: 3099

Summary:

The story of 109 WKIL, from the mother that began it to the daughter who saw the end of it.

Warnings: None for this chapter!

Taglist: @wishiwasthemoon-tonight @sleevesareforlosers @stressed-depressed-emo-mess @tasteofamnesia @dagger-queen @no-braincells-here @piratecherricola (message me, send an ask, or reblog/reply to one of my posts if you want to be added or removed)

AO3 Link

(Actual fic under the cut)

It began with a handheld radio.

The killjoy who was already beginning to be known as Dr. Death Defying had stolen quiet a few of these portable transmitting devices when he left the army of the corporation called Better Living Industries. Now, he began to give them out, one after another, to the small clusters of rebels who were just beginning to call themselves killjoys. With those, the groups kept each other updated for a while, passing whispers back and forth over the airwaves. The positions of squads of dracs, who had extra supplies, where there were good buildings to scavenge from or shelter in.

Those were highly effective in the small rebellion, news passing quickly between the few rebels, but as more killjoys began to enter to desert, take up the colors and masks and ray guns and form themselves into a true rebellion, it was getting to be not enough. 

“We need something with a wider reach.”

Dr. Death Defying was sitting at the so-called strategy table (which in actuality was a shitty kitchen table strategically repurposed), listening to White Lily talk about rebellion. It was another ordinary afternoon, or as ordinary as one could get in a post-apocalyptic nuclear desert plotting to overthrow an evil mega corporation. The sun was shining brightly overhead, and he and his best friend, the fiery spirited White Lily, were in a partially wrecked house out in Zone Four, where they had been staying for most of the time since the Helium Wars. Both former soldiers, they had served together for a little bit after D had first been recruited. He had been transferred to a different squadron soon after, and they hadn’t deserted together, but they’d met up after the wars and become close friends. Two dreamers who wanted to save the world, she had said. And so now they were trying to do just that, one killjoy recruit at a time.

“If this is going to be a true revolution, Walkie-talkies aren’t going to cut it,” White Lily went on. “We need a way to reach more people. Get the word out quicker.”

“Did you have any particular ideas?” Dr. Death Defying asked dryly.

Her eyes gleamed in the way that meant she did, in fact, have an idea. “A radio station.”

“A what?”

“A radio station. I know I sound crazy, but hear me out. If we can get our hands on the equipment, a lot of killjoys already have radios and that way we can also reach the ones with only a car radio. We broadcast news- who’s dead, where bli is attacking, just generally what’s going on. We can also make speeches over the radio, like what’s his face, the president guy, did with his fireside chats."

“FDR. And you can make speeches over the radio.” It wasn’t that he couldn’t, per se, but he would rather leave the main speaking part of it to her.

White Lily briefly made a sad face, but was back to determination within seconds. “Right, well I can make big speeches if you do daily announcements and news, deal?”

“Deal.” They realized a second later what they had just accidentally agreed to and sighed. 

The other just grinned. “Time to get some radio equipment!”

And so it began with a hand held radio and a duo of Helium Wars survivors, and 109 WKIL was born.

109 WKIL didn’t actually broadcast until two full months and a new crew member later. It turned out to be not exactly easy to get their hands on the equipment necessary to send out signals, and neither of them knew precisely what running a radio station required anyways. They researched as best they could, asking around and reading any old books they could find, but supplies were scarce and electronic equipment especially so. And so they didn’t get the radio station fully running until after the arrival of their third crew member.

It was another of the somewhat lazy afternoons in the desert when Cherri Cola showed up at their house in a stolen BLI News Van. White Lily was gone, off talking to a small band of neutrals and trying to persuade them to aid the rebellion, so it was Dr. Death Defying who was there to see a no-longer white van screech to a stop. He kept his ray gun close as he stepped outside, since the van was Better Living Industries, but the side of it had a sprinkling of graffiti and it was covered in dust, which reassured him somewhat.

“Hello?”

The van’s engine clicked off and Dr. Death Defying breathed a sigh of relief as a lean teenager hopped out, squinting in the sunlight. They were clearly a killjoy, given the pink mask, and they also wore scuffed jeans and a too-small black jacket despite the warmth of a desert afternoon. Their hair was brown and a sandy mess, and they were perhaps an inch or two shorter than Dr. Death Defying. They were completely and utterly un-intimidating with the sole exception of their eyes, which blazed with fierce and bitter kind of anger. 

“Another killjoy?” Their voice squeaked a little, undoing any effect of those fiery eyes, and they cleared their throat. “Uh, another killjoy?”

At loss for words, he nodded. “I’m Dr. Death Defying, he/him and they/them.”

“Cherri Cola.” They fiddled with their shirt hem. “He/him.”

“So…I’m assuming you’re looking for White Lily?”

“Was actually just looking for a place to stay the night,” Cherri Cola mumbled. “I didn’t realize you were already staying here, I can leave-“

“Absolutely not, get inside.” They hoped their voice didn’t sound too firm. “White Lily and I are happy to let people stay with us who need.”

“Oh.” D pretended not to notice the relief on his face as he ran a hand through his hair. “Thanks.”

“Of course. Do you want to come into the shade? It’s baking out here.” He didn’t mention how hot the other killjoy must be in that jacket.

“Yes, please.” 

So he led the strange teenager inside, half-wondering what made the teen’s eyes so old and filled with hurt and rage. It wasn’t an uncommon sight in the zones, per se, but this kid’s eyes were striking in their pain.

“So, how old are you?”

“Sixteen, you?”

“Twenty. Do you want some power pup? We’ve got a bit of extra, I think.”

Cherri nodded eagerly, and he devoured everything D put in front of him. “It’s been a while since I’ve been able to pull off a raid or anything, and hacking vending machines isn’t as easy as it looks.”

That would explain why he was so lean. “You’ve got the look of someone who’s been out in the desert a while.”

“Almost since the end of the wars.” There was no need for him to specify which wars. The Helium Wars loomed over everyone and everything, desert and city. 

“Ah. I’ve been here since the very end of the wars, so not too much longer than you. My friend White Lily and I were both deserters, we met up and decided to stick it to the man, as it were.” 

“So you live together?” Cherri Cola’s face had softened into curiosity.

“Yep. We’ve been sheltering in this house for quite a while now, but we’ve lived together for longer than that.” 

Cherri nodded. “I’m on my own. Runaway from Battery City, never found a crew. It must be nice to live with your friend, though.”

At that moment, said friend came tromping through the door. “Hello, D!”

“Hey, Lily!”    

Cherri waved with a quiet “Hello.”

“Hello, random stranger in my kitchen!”

Dr. Death Defying sighed. “White Lily, this is Cherri Cola, he/him. Cherri Cola, this is White Lily, she/her.”

“Nice to meet you,” Cherri said politely. 

“Nice to meet you too, kid! So I’m assuming this softy offered you a place to sleep for the night?”

“I did, he needed a place to stay.”

“Softy.” White Lily turned her grin on Cherri Cola. “You’re welcome to stay for a bit, we’ve got a nice place and an extra room, so I don’t see why you wouldn’t.”

“I can pull my weight,” he offered quietly. “I know how to sew and some first aid and a little bit of fighting, but I’m not great yet.”

“What makes you think you have to pull your weight for us to give you a room for a night?” Lily’s face was genuinely concerned. “Can’t believe I’m going to say this, but chill, kid.”

There was something in Cherri’s eyes that reminded D a little of a wounded animal as he glanced up at Lily. “You’re sure I don’t have to be helpful? I can do a lot of things- okay, not a lot, but I’m pretty good at fixing things and I know how to fire a ray gun, even if I can’t really do hand-to-hand combat.”

"Well, if some dracs attack, then you can put that to good use,” D told him.

“Wait, did you say you can fix things? Tech skills?” Lily leaned forward, and D didn’t have to see her face to know what she was thinking. 

“My…I knew someone who’s an engineer,” Cherri explained.  “I know how to fix a lot of things.”

“You don’t happen to know anything about radio equipment, do you?”

“Lily,” D sighed.

“Some, why?”

“We could use some help getting a radio station off the ground. And shush, D, if he’s going to stay anyways, we might as well figure out if he can help.”

“A radio station…do you have a transmitter? Or anything of the sort? And you need modulators.”

“We’ve got the modulators,” D told him. “We need a transmitter, the little one I found isn’t near powerful enough.”

Cherri Cola frowned, tilting his head. “Well, I’ve got a news van with what I’m assuming is a very powerful transmitter, haven’t tried to use it yet, though. We’d have to figure out how to make it work with audio instead of video, but I bet you could use the antenna from that. An FM station shouldn’t take too much technology, depends on how wide you want the range to be. Power is probably more of an issue?”

“We’ve got some large batteries, do you think we need a more permanent power source?”

They talked until the sun was starting to set, Cherri having quite a bit of useful advice and knowledge to supplement what little research D managed.

And after Cherri was safely asleep in the spare room, Dr. Death Defying and White Lily convened back at the shitty kitchen ‘strategy’ table. 

“You’re not seriously thinking of letting him stay forever,” Lily said as soon as she had taken her seat.

“Why not?” Usually, it would be Lily who asked this question, but “He needs a home.”

“This better not be fucking Socks all over again.” Socks, being, of course, the cat D had tried to take in during the Helium Wars. Not only had he been a lot of trouble, he had eventually run off onto the battlefield, and neither of them had been able to stop him. They could only assume he had been killed in the final days of the wars.

D still regretted that, but this was different. “He’s not a cat, Lil. But he does need a safe place to stay. Besides, you were the one who was grilling him about radio station technology.”

“At first. Then you took over with all your technical words and phrases.”

“All we were doing was talking transmitters.”

“Nerd boy.” 

D sighed. “Anyways. He can clearly be helpful, given how much he knows about radio technology and other things, and he’s obviously in need of a place to stay.”

“Well, we’ve got one of those at least,” Lily sighed. “He better end up a good radio station assistant for you.”

D knew that meant Cherri was staying. “We’ll offer to let him join in the morning.”

“We will.” Lily’s face was serious. “Be prepared for him to say no, D. We’re not famous yet, but being friends with rebellion leaders probably isn’t an easy lot.”

“Of course not.” The flashlight they had hung for light flickered. “We’ll warn him about a friendship with us means, but we can’t just kick him out.”

“Technically, we can, but we’re not going to.”

“Absolutely fucking not.”

The next morning dawned slightly overcast, which was rare in the desert. It provided somewhat of a gloomy atmosphere as Cherri Cola wandered into their living room area with a tired “Morning.”       

“Morning,” Lily yawned back. D was the only one properly awake at the crack of dawn, always an early riser. 

He found it somewhat amusing how non-functional Lily was until she had had some coffee or gotten some adrenaline from a fight. “Good morning.”

Cherri settled down in one of the chairs cautiously as Lily opened her mouth again. “So, D and I were talking. Big softy that he is, he wants to let you stay with us if you want, and I figured you might be pretty handy when it comes to radio stations.”

“Don’t let her twist it, she’s equally on board.” D resisted a sigh. “We do have to warn you, we’re leading a rebellion. Lily is, at least. I’m something like a right hand, I suppose. So it will be dangerous and difficult to be friends with us, and the radio station will not be an easy endeavor either.”

“Can’t be worse than…” Cherri trailed off. “Can’t be worse than wandering the desert on your own in a stolen news van. Do you really want me to stay?��

“Hey, we always want another pair of hands.” White Lily’s joking tone didn’t get a grin out of him.  “You seem like a neat kid, why not let you stay?”

“Guess so.” Cherri yawned again. “So, do you happen to have a screwdriver? I think I’ve got some ideas about the modulators.”

So Cherri Cola came to live with them. His primary occupation was trying to get the radio station able to broadcast, alongside Dr. Death Defying, combining each of their respective technology skill with a lot of guesswork and the knowledge gleaned from whatever books they could find. He rarely went on runs with White Lily at first, but as they found out a week or so in, he turned out to be more than a decent shot with a ray gun.

“Holy fuck, Cola.” White Lily was staring at the empty can he had just knocked over- from a distance of a hundred and twenty feet, further than D or Lily had managed yet. 

“Is that a good or a bad ‘holy fuck’?”

“Good. Holy shit. D and I haven’t hit that yet, not with a shitty little ray gun like yours anyways.”

“What’s wrong with this ray gun?”

“No offense, but that’s a piece of shit.” D watched as she took the ray gun and weighted it in her hands before handing her own to Cherri. “Feel what this one’s like- it’s a little heavier, but it’s a lot nicer. Yours doesn’t even have a stun setting.”

It took him one or two practice shots, but within a few minutes he was shooting even more effectively.

“A hundred and FIFTY feet! D, did you see that?”

“I did,” D told her, glancing over at the youngest of their little trio. “Cherri, we need to get you a better ray gun.” 

The better ray gun would have to wait, though, as the next day, they finally found the last few pieces of equipment and things that they would need for the radio station. They had decided that 109 WKIL would broadcast from the news van Cherri had arrived in, since the antenna was already attached and that way it could be portable if Better Living Industries managed to track their signal. So a few days of fixing later, they had cobbled together a working radio apparatus that could broadcast at a range of thirty miles or so. It had taken a lot of swearing, banging around, and failed test runs, but eventually they had it figured out.

The very first broadcast fell to D, as it was decided he would be the main DJ, and he settled at the panel a little nervously. Cherri was crouched beside him, fiddling with the last few cords. 

“Think we’re good to go,” he whispered.

"Right. Here goes nothing.” D took a deep breath. “One-oh-nine in the sky and the pigs won’t quit, welcome to the very first broadcast by one oh nine WKIL, the rebellious radio station of the desert. I’m Dr. Death Defying, and I’ll be your usual DJ, keeping you updated on all the news from claps to raids to Mad Gear concerts.”

The script had been decided on beforehand so that he didn’t stumble too much, but he still had to pause to take another quick breath and steady himself. “We’ll be doing our broadcast at this time every morning, pretty soon after alarm clock radiation, and we’ll be fanning the spark of this desert into a flame. So tune in, listeners, for all the latest updates, weather, traffic reports, and the best music we’ve got. One oh nine in the sky, this is Dr. Death Defying signing off.”

Cherri gave them a broad grin and a thumbs-up as D fumbled to click the right buttons to get the music going. D grinned right back, and White Lily came charging into the van a few minutes later, brandishing the radio they had been using to test their broadcasting capabilities. 

“It worked! You came though loud and clear, even a good ten miles away, and you’re already getting good at this. I told you, you could do it!” She gave him a high five, grinning, and turned to Cherri. “And good job, soda kid! You’re already a radio station technician.”

Cherri laughed and high-fived her. “Wasn’t expecting to become one at sixteen, but not the worst place I could have ended up.”

They had tried to spread the word as best as possible about the radio station beforehand, so D knew there had been a fair amount of killjoys already listening to the first broadcast. And word travelled quickly in the desert, so he didn’t doubt their listener base would grow over the years. But for now, the rebellion was small, and the twenty-one-year-old leader and her two best friends were heading inside for a celebratory breakfast of power pup.

[chelsfic]

Any chance for a sweet and spicy Arranged Marriage!Drac with Dracula and Agatha (or reader if that is more preferred) and it’s all snark and sexy tension but then really eventually they’re 🥺🥺🥺??? Pretty please and thanks????? ❤️❤️❤️

Did you say “spicy” because I read that as angsty start to a new multi-part fic???? Oh dear...uh...sorry!? 

P.S. I’m combining your request with another plot bunny I had which was inspired by Naomi Novik’s book Uprooted.

“But I’m leaving for the convent next week! I’ve as good as taken my vows already. I shouldn’t have to participate in this barbaric...this--this absurd--”

“Agatha, please,” her mother sighed with the frustration of a woman who had spent the last twenty years losing arguments to her brilliant daughter. “You know as well as I do that the Count demands this sacrifice of the village in exchange for our protection. He’s passed you over every other year. You will be fine. And in one week you’ll leave your old mother behind you and start a new life of devotion. But now you must do your duty for the community.”

Agatha shook her head in disgust but offered no further argument. In calling upon Agatha’s sense of duty her mother had hit a vulnerable spot and she knew it. Agatha was a good girl even if she was too smart for her own good.

***

Agatha stood with the other young women lined up on the village green awaiting the arrival of their lord, Count Dracula. It was night, of course, for the Count was never seen outside of his castle except after dark. Everyone in the village knew what he was even if they feared to speak the word out loud. Well, Agatha was not afraid. Vampire. That’s what he was: a foul beast of hell and nothing more. Something to cause disgust not fear and reverence. But the elders of the village did not see it this way. Dracula had brought peace, prosperity and protection into their little corner of the world. For that they gave him their fealty...and his choice of their daughters at each year’s harvest day.

Every year Count Dracula took a bride. It was speculated that the Count wished to find a woman who could become like him. An immortal fiend, Agatha thought sneeringly. But every bride he’d chosen so far had failed in some mysterious way. The girls were never heard from again. Yet the village elders continued to offer them up. In exchange, the Count did not include the village as part of his hunting grounds. What was the life of one lowly female compared to the well-being of the whole village?

Agatha shifted her weight from foot to foot and tossed her long wavy hair over her shoulder in annoyance. She’d stood in line every year since she was fifteen and every year the Count had stalked up and down the row of eligible women and girls eyeing each one from head to toe and always selecting someone else. She knew her mother was right. The Count had never looked twice at her before. She would be safe...and then she’d be free. Some might not consider the life of a nun to be one of freedom...but for Agatha it was everything. She longed to pursue her studies of divinity and lore beyond the boundaries of this tiny village. She just had to make it through tonight first.

The Count entered the village green with his usual flare for drama. He melted out of the shadows and into the ring of torches, appearing as a column of shadow in his long black cape. He stalked through the crowd of villagers who parted around him with fearful cringes and obsequious bows. 

When he finally reached the edge of the crowd and stood before the line of trembling women he spoke in a saccharine, affected tone, “Hello, ladies! And thank you for coming! Your village...your families thank you as well, I think.”

There was a halfhearted round of applause from the crowd. Everyone was on edge waiting for the Count to make his selection. Everyone prayed that he’d choose someone else’s daughter. 

“Well, now, let’s see…” the Count began walking slowly down the line, pausing to inspect each girl individually. With some he would exchange murmured words but for the most part he took in their forms, leaning in to inhale their scents, reaching out to feel the meat on their bones. Agatha vibrated with repressed fury at the indignity as she waited her turn.

When he finally paused in front of her she forced herself to remain still, willing her body not to shiver under his penetrating gaze. She forced her eyes upward to meet the dark depths of his and greeted him with cool politeness, “Hello again, Count Dracula.”

Dracula smirked, clearly impressed by her bravery. The other girls could barely meet his gaze. 

“Hello, Agatha. Still unmarried, I see. Waiting for me, are you?” Dracula teased with that insufferable smug expression. 

“Someone a little higher up, as a matter of fact. I leave for the Convent of St. Mary’s next week.”

The Count arched a brow and his lips curled in amusement, as if her life’s dream and vocation were a funny joke to him.

“We will see, won’t we?” he replied mildly. He stepped forward, invading her personal space and dipping his face down to her throat, inhaling her scent. “Oh, Agatha your bouquet improves every year. I can almost taste that passion, that desperation for learning and advancement…”

Agatha stayed silent, fearing she’d already given him too much to possibly entice him. Please, God, let him pass over me so that I might devote my life to you.

When he finally moved on to the next girl Agatha could breathe easy again. She kept her eyes focused on the ground in front of her and tried to center her thoughts. Her heart beat wildly in her chest. This was it, her final trial before freedom. 

Dracula reached the last girl and then stood back, assessing the entire batch of females and shaking his head from side to side with a thoughtful frown on his face. Agatha watched him like a hawk. He towered over most of the figures in the crowd, his body was lean and his movements belied an inhuman physical power constantly beneath the surface. He was classically handsome, she could admit. But she felt nothing but burning anger and sinking fear when she looked upon him--this creature who murdered without consequence and who held her fate in his hands like a fragile bird.

Please, God…

Dracula clapped his hands together merrily and grinned in anticipation as his voice rang out, “I’ve made my decision and I thank you, citizens of Brasov, for your tribute. You will enjoy another year of prosperity and peace; another year of safety thanks to your sacrifice. I have chosen...Agatha Van Helsing for my new bride!”

Agatha collapsed to the ground as her knees gave out and her head spun. She could hear the relieved sighs from the girls around her and the scattered applause from the villagers--but it sounded miles away. She was in shock. Her vision swam and her stomach plummeted. This could not be. She was so close. So very close…

She looked up, pleadingly, seeking a friendly face, a savior...but instead she was met by the hungry, predatory gaze of the Count. He held her, captured, in the bottomless dark of his eyes as a wolf’s smile slowly spread over his lips.

[dancinginadaydream]

Bad Habit

Summary: It was difficult being the boyfriend of The Boy Who Lived, especially when you have a past like Draco's. Between the mounting pressure of his work as a healer, harassment from the press, and increasing jealousy of the friendship Harry had with his school girlfriend, Ginny Weasley, Draco blew up and walked out of Harry's life. But both he and Harry found themselves seeking bad habits, the need for each others comforts. Except, they were both too proud to say it, instead wallowing in self-pity until an accident forces them to talk. 

Word Count: 5,772

Available on: Archive of Our Own

Listen to the Song

                                                Full Story Below

You always said that I'd come back to you again, 'cause everybody needs a friend, it's true. Someone to quiet the voices in my head, make 'em sing to me instead, it's you…

Draco was in the break room at St. Mungo’s hospital, a quaint wizarding hospital hidden within muggle London. He was anxiously fidgeting with the pages of a copy of Witch Weekly, left there by one of the other healers. As he fidgeted, his mind wandered into the events of the last week. The events involving one Harry James Potter. One, however, struck him impossibly. The event that started it all.

Draco had just come home from another long day at the hospital. To say Draco looked as rough as he felt was an understatement. The dark sags under his eyes took over his features, causing the man to look almost skeletal. Draco’s white-blonde hair strewn across his face, showing the signs of stress and exhaustion. There had been an accident involving several members of the Auror department, leaving the healers (both trained and in-training) stretched thin. Of course, while tending to many of the Aurors, Draco’s mind had continued to wander to his lover, praying that he wasn’t assigned to the task that risked the lives of the Aurors he treated. But Harry wasn’t there and Draco couldn’t determine whether or not that was a good thing. However, regardless of the tingling worry, Draco continued with his duties.

When he came into the flat he and Harry shared, he kicked off his shoes, hoping that he could sulk to the living room and slither into Harry’s arms for some comfort. However, when he reached the living room, he was met with the unsightly image of Harry and Ginny sat uncomfortably close watching a romantic comedy on their muggle T.V.. Draco’s exhausted feature immediately turned into anger. He dropped his book bag, the thump causing Ginny and Harry to jump and stare at Draco.

“Don’t mind me,” Draco mumbled, ignoring the bubbling jealousy in the pit of his stomach. He stormed through to the kitchen, whipping out his wand to fill the kettle with some water. He needed a strong cup of chamomile after the long day he’d had.

Harry immediately stood, going to follow Draco into their kitchen. “Draco, wait!”

Meanwhile, Ginny grabbed her things. “I’ll be going… See you around, Harry.”

Harry looked at her in exasperation and nodded as he stepped into the kitchen.

Draco was banging things around as he cleaned things the muggle way. He aggressively wiped a spot on the counter, trying to relieve some frustrations. Harry hovered at the door, a lump in his throat. He could see the anguish on his lover’s face, knowing he’d been caught in a precarious position, especially considering the history he and Ginny had.

“Babe…” Harry all-but whispered, the lump still stuck in his throat.

Draco ignored the other, continuing to wipe at the spot on the worktop, tears threatening to spill from his grey eyes. Harry watched for a few moments more before stepping forward to rest his hand over Draco’s.

“You’re going to wear a hole in the surface, Draco.”

Draco flinched his hand away and tried to move to a separate spot on the worktop, removing crumbs with the cloth. After a few beats of silence, Draco threw the cloth down onto the work surface. He turned to stare at Harry, allowing Harry to see the full extent of his exhaustion and worry.

“Tell me why,” Draco stared at Harry, the tears starting to slip down his porcelain skin, “tell me why she was here. When you were meant to be at work…”

It was no secret that Harry and Ginny were expected to end up together, the power couple the Wizarding World was meant to have. Draco had been reminded of that often enough. He knew that before the war concluded, Harry had planned to marry Ginny for the sake of appearances. But even then, coming to their senses wasn’t enough for the worry in the back of Draco’s mind. After-all, he was a reformed Death Eater.

“We were just hanging out, we’re still friends, Drac.” Harry sighed softly. Ginny was a constant sore point in their relationship, the jealousy and worry that Draco held towards her. “Draco, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that Ginny and I are just friends. I don’t feel that way for her anymore. Not since the War.”

Draco folded his arms across his chest, almost hugging himself, but still threatening in stance. He’d managed to control his tears, a talent he’d learned from his years of abuse at the manor. Should the opportunity arise, he knew not to let people see his vulnerabilities, no matter who they were.

“Please, Draco, believe me when I say she’s just a friend.”

And that’s when Draco scoffed, running his tongue behind the back of his lips. He couldn’t help but feel a laugh in the back of his throat. He’d spent the past three years convincing himself that. But it was still never enough. Between seeing them watch films together and Weasley’s snarky comments, Draco had felt below adequate.

The following argument between them, left both Draco and Harry in tears. Arguments weren’t rare in this flat, after-all, they were once mortal enemies. Except their petty arguments changed from snide comments regarding school to their domestic lives and jealousy.

Except this argument was different. This argument was the last argument.

“I’m clearly holding you back, Potter.” Draco roared, his vulnerabilities clear as the night sky. “You were never meant to end up with me of all people. You should be with the Weasley girl. The girl everyone would approve of.”

Harry blinked at him a few times, heart racing. “What do you mean, Draco?”

“Don’t be idiotic, Potter, for once in your life. I’m saying this,” Draco made a gesture between them, “isn’t working. It won’t work.”

Harry felt a warm tear drip from his chin as he watched Draco carefully. “So that’s it? We’re through?”

Draco remained silent and walked out of the room, ignoring the thumping sound in his chest. He grabbed his trunk and began to back some essential clothes.

A month later, and Draco couldn’t function without Harry. Each day started the same, alone and cold in the spare bed of Pansy Parkinson’s murky flat. He hadn’t so much as looked at a plate of food, unless Pansy was almost forcing it down his throat. He’d fallen back into a pit of deep depression, much like the one before the war.

Hate to say that I love you. Hate to say that I need you. Hate to say that I want you. But I do…

“Harry,” Hermione said carefully, moving dirty laundry and discarded Prophet’s around with her feet as she made her way towards the figure curled on the sofa. “It’s been a week... You haven’t been to work. Please talk to me…”

Harry’s positioning didn’t move, he barely blinked as he stared blankly at the ceiling above him. Truth be told, Harry was as depressed as Draco, if not worse. All motivation had ceased, he hadn’t even showered since Draco walked out on him.

“Harry, we’re worried.” She said, crouching by his head. She placed a careful hand over Harry’s, ignoring the strong stench of body-odour coming from her friend. “Please, Harry… Talk to me.”

Harry slowly turned his head to look at Hermione, his eyes bloodshot and exhausted.

“You need him don’t you?”

Silence from Harry gave her the answer she needed. After a moment she stood and ran a hand through her hair. Never within their nine years of friendship had she seen Harry as depressed and dark as this, and it scared her witless. However, being the responsible one of their trio, Hermione took it upon herself to clean around Harry. He was never the cleanest of people, but he still tried for the sake of Draco. But now Draco’s absence reverberated around them. Instead of a warm familiar domestic feeling surrounding them, the flat felt cold and empty.

After having cleaned the flat, Hermione had summoned Ron to come and help her wash Harry. It was something they knew would embarrass their friend once he’d sobered from this, but it was necessary in order to help with his mental health.

“Come on, mate, let’s get you washed.” Ron said, lifting Harry from the sofa as Hermione ran a bath for him. There was no fight from Harry, leaving Hermione and Ron even more worried than before.

Harry stood weakly, staring at the bathroom tiles as Ron and Hermione undressed him. They helped him into the bath, sharing glances of worry with each other. The bathing process was uncomfortable for all of them, but they didn’t much care, knowing Harry would feel at least somewhat better once he’d washed. Once Harry was washed, they dressed him and led him to the bedroom for a sleep. However, one thing they hadn’t anticipated was Harry’s emotional reaction to the bedroom.

Many of Draco’s things were missing, all his necessities, hitting Harry like a brick. He hadn’t been in this room since Draco left. The bed remained untouched, Draco’s scent still lingering atop the cold sheets. Once Harry’s head hit the pillow, he balled a piece of Draco’s pillow in his fist. He let out an anguished cry and pulled the pillow closer to him. He was reminded of that night. He was reminded that Draco left him… Draco was gone and Harry wasn’t sure he would ever come back, and that thought scared him more than the idea of Voldemort.

Ron and Hermione decided to lie on either side of Harry, both pulling him into a hug to try and ground him.

Bad habit, I know, but I'm needin' you right now. Can you help me out? Can I lean on you?

It didn’t matter what Draco did throughout his day, there was never a time that Harry didn’t occupy his thoughts. Draco could be knee-deep in accidents at St. Mungo’s, yet Harry’s presence still held the back of his mind. Yet he pressed on. Since Draco stormed away from Harry two weeks ago, he had picked up as many shift’s as he could, often doing double shifts just to keep himself from breaking.

When he was forced into an hour-long break, Draco took a seat on the sofa in the break room. He pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them tightly. Stopping was not what he had wanted. Stopping meant that he had time to think about Harry and the incredible fuck-up he had made. Draco wanted nothing more than to go back and fall into their bed, to pull Harry close into his body, to take in Harry’s musk. But Draco was too much of a coward to go back with his tail between his legs. He was the one who walked out, who left Harry and ended their relationship. He couldn’t bear to face Harry again, sometimes begging Pansy to go and get his things so he didn’t have to see the other again. Pansy, of course, refused point blank to go and retrieve Draco’s things for him.

Trying to do anything he could to distract his head from that desperation, Draco leaned forward and took an edition of The Daily Prophet from the table. As soon as he read the headline, his heart sank.

THE BOY WHO LIVED FINALLY SEES SENSE? FLING WITH DEATH EATER IN TATTERS. FULL STORY ONE PAGE 6.

Instead of bearing it anymore interest, Draco threw the paper across the breakroom, a yell of agony leaving his throat. He couldn’t take it anymore, the anxiety attack flooded him. His chest rose and fell with sharp breaths, his heart raced almost ten times faster than its usual pace. Before his anxiety attack got any worse, another healer came in. They immediately went to Draco, doing their best to soothe him. There was no amount of magic in the world that could help Draco, they just had to ride it out and attempt to ground him before sending for their supervisor.

Soon enough, Pansy was there, a some-what sympathetic smile on her face as she came to pick up Draco. He was placed on leave to rest, but they all knew that it wouldn’t keep him away for long.

Sun don't wanna come out. Can you help me out? Can I lean on you?

Harry was slowly starting to move about again. He hurt a lot less than he did the moment it had sunk in that Draco had left him. He had returned to work, but was assigned to paperwork until he could focus on fieldwork. This was at the request of Hermione, begging him to take a step back until he was himself again. Reluctantly he agreed. Although, the way he was feeling, he wouldn’t have minded if the job had killed him. But he had to think of the people around him, he knew that wasn’t fair on them.

However, there was nothing Harry Potter hated more than paperwork. It did nothing to distract himself from Draco. He felt pathetic, constantly thinking of his ex-boyfriend. But whether Draco liked it or not, there was no one else for him. Ever since that fateful night in their Eighth year of Hogwarts, Harry hadn’t thought to look twice at anyone else. He fell hard and fast for Malfoy. He realised it was a build up through all their years at Hogwarts, but the love he felt for Malfoy hit him all at once.

You make me feel like I'm floatin' off the ground, above this little town, you do. Look at me smile with tears in my eyes. I love the way you lie, I do…

Harry had decided that he wanted to take time to have a break from studying and relax, so he realised that there was no place better than the prefect’s bathroom. Once he had gotten there, he quickly undressed and lowered himself down in the water. He rested his head back against the wall of the large bath and closed his eyes. Since deciding to return to Hogwarts for his final year, Harry had been hounded by fangirls, all eager to get his attention. Since his return to Hogwarts, Harry had been dumped. Ginny had seen something in him that he hadn’t realised. His blatant attraction to men. He tried to deny it, but he couldn’t help but think about it from time to time, and maybe, just maybe, she was right.

Deep in thought, Harry hadn’t heard the door click open. He hadn’t heard the footsteps of none other than Draco Malfoy. It was clear Draco had the same thoughts as Harry, a need to relax and distract himself. When Draco had laid eyes on Harry, he felt his heart flutter. Of course the flutters had happened numerous times before. They would happen when he caught Harry laughing at one of Weasley’s terrible jokes, they would happen when he caught Harry smiling, and they would happen everytime Harry walked into their shared dormitory. But they had never happened like this. Seeing Harry Potter in the bath, clearly relaxed, had sparked the flutters in a new way. Then it hit him that Harry was most probably naked under the water, and that caused a warm flush through his stomach and down to his thighs. Should he go? Should he stay and pretend he didn’t see Harry? Just as he was about to turn to go, having decided that it was better to leave Potter to it, a croaked voice filled the room.

“Malfoy, you may as well stay. It’s a communal bath.” Harry muttered, rubbing his eyes and turning to look at Malfoy.

Draco cleared his throat and replied, “fine. Look and I’ll hex you, Potter.”

“Like I would, Malfoy.”

And yet, both of them wished so dearly to look. But Harry obeyed and closed his eyes again while Malfoy climbed into the otherside of the bathtub.

They sat in silence for a while, tension thick in the air. Of course, having been roomed together, they had grown closer and had somehow become friends, despite their explosive history. Yet neither of them realised how close the other wanted to be.

Draco couldn’t help but catch glimpses of Potter, sitting there in the tub. He felt exposed, but for some reason he didn’t mind this in the slightest. He just ached for Potter to touch him. Yet, that wasn’t ever going to happen. Potter was The Boy Who Lived and Malfoy, well, Malfoy was Death Eater on Parole.

Both boys jumped cruelly when they heard the familiar squeal of Moaning Myrtle. She soared through the air and around the bubbles in the water.

“Well, well, well,” she giggled, “you could cut the tension in here with a knife.”

The boys shared a nervous glance, gulping in unison.

“I hear whispers, you know. Your friends.” Myrtle giggled, floating to rest between the boys. “Whispering about your sexual tension.” She giggled once more, the drone annoying both boys.

“What could you possibly mean, Myrtle?” Draco almost hissed.

Myrtle shrugged and giggled, floating off towards the pipes.

Harry looked dumbstruck, blinking a few times and gulping the lump in his throat away. “I don’t understand her sometimes…”

Draco hummed in agreement, running a hand down his face. He was flustered enough without Moaning Myrtle coming in and causing trouble.

Harry gulped. He knew there was tension between them, but he didn’t know if Draco felt the same, so it couldn’t possibly be sexual tension.

Silence rang out between them for a while, until Harry gathered the courage to speak up once more.

“Do you think there might be sexual tension between us?” And there it was. As soon as he said it, he regretted the words. He wished he could take it back.

Draco stared at him for a minute, blinking a few times in confusion. Was this Harry’s way of saying he felt the same? Draco’s heart dropped as he tried to figure out what to say.

“Couldn’t possibly be.” He replied shakily, praying that Potter disagreed with him.

The boys found themselves moving closer to the other, their hearts racing.

“I guess there’s no way to find out, anyway.” Draco murmured once they were close enough to touch.

“Huh, you think so?”

“What are you saying, Potter?” Malfoy replied, half snapping at the other.

“Maybe we should test their theory. Prove to ourselves that there is no sexual tension or whatever.” He shrugged.

Draco rolled his eyes and scoffed, yet a scarlet blush filled his cheeks. “You’re insane, Potter.”

“Your blush says otherwise, Malfoy.”

“Oh fuck off.”

“Kiss me first. Then we’ll get to the bottom of the rumoured sexual tension.”

Draco thought about it for a moment. Of course he had to weigh up the options. On one hand, he could discover that Potter did not reciprocate any feelings and have his heart broken. Yet, on the other hand, Potter could reciprocate these feelings. There was no other way to know, he thought. Before he could say anything, his lips were on Potter’s, his heart acting before his mind.

Harry was slightly taken aback when Malfoy planted one on him, but once he had realised what was happening, he melted into the kiss. His heart was soaring as he kissed Malfoy. Any feelings he had for Malfoy were confirmed in that moment and he wished deeply for this moment to last. He couldn’t bear his heart breaking. Malfoy pulled away for a second, desperate to catch his breath, but his gaze never left Harry’s.

“That was..-” Harry breathed out.

“-Incredible.” Draco finished the sentence, the idea of shame leaving him.

Harry nodded and leant forward to resume kissing the other, cupping his cheeks in desperation. The kissing lasted a lot longer than they intended, and it was easy to assume that both boys had grown aroused by the action.

Quickly after their kiss, Malfoy and Potter grabbed their things and dressed, eager to get back to their dormitory. Yet once they were in their dorm, they simply laid side by side and talked for hours. By the time they fell asleep, curled in each other’s arms, their feelings had been aired and the spark to a newly found relationship had been ignited.

Hate to say that I'm lonely. Hate to say that I miss you. Hate to say that it's dark in here. But it's true…

A few more weeks had passed, and neither man had heard from the other. Draco hadn’t been round to collect the last of his things, and Harry hadn’t reached out to talk.

Pansy and Hermione had been talking, both very aware of how Harry and Draco were coping. Yet, they felt helpless. Nothing they could do or say was encouraging the men to talk about what had happened. Despite Pansy’s wishes, Hermione refused to lock them in a room together while they were both so fragile. Although, if Harry kept sulking, she would consider it more.

Meanwhile, Harry had returned to active duty within the Auror department. He needed to get back to work, desperate to keep his mind busy. Of course, he had to receive an evaluation on the matter before his superiors allowed him back on the field.

On his first active mission back, Harry concluded things were going smoothly, until there was an unexpected explosion. Aurors around them scrambled around to check for casualties. Ron was the one to see him. Ron was the one to see his best friend unconscious on the ground, several cuts and grazes covering his face and hands. Next to Harry, his glasses sat upside down and smashed. In a rush of adrenaline, Ron screamed for help, yelling Harry’s name. It seemed to Ron that everything moved in slow motion, nobody coming fast enough to help Harry.

“Weasley, apparate him to St. Mungo’s. NOW!”

And Ron did as he was told, holding onto Harry and apparating to the hospital.

Bad habit, I know. But I'm needin' you right now. Can you help me out? Can I lean on you? Been one of those days, sun don't wanna come out…

Suddenly, St. Mungo’s were on high-alert, every available healer poised and ready to support the incoming casualties. Draco was assigning people to beds, trying to allow for things to run as smoothly as possible. Yet, he was interrupted when he heard a familiar cry of a familiar name.

“PLEASE HELP! SOMEONE! IT’S HARRY POTTER!” Ron all but yelled, lifting Harry up into his arms.

Draco was frozen still, his heart dropping as he saw Harry almost lifeless in Ron’s arms. Multiple healers rushed past Draco, almost pushing him out of the way to get to Harry. Time had slowed down and Draco had felt a piece of his heart break, worry creeping up into the back of his throat as he choked back a sob. He had to be strong for this.

“His file! We need his file!” A healer yelled, checking Harry over for injuries so they knew what to do to heal him, as per their job.

Draco had run into the hallway, and collapsed to the floor. He felt the creeping panic attack flood him. This couldn’t be happening. His last memory of Harry could not be breaking up with him, he refused to let that happen. But he could scarcely move for the panic, frozen still in the moment.

“Malfoy.. You’re needed. You’re, uhm, you’re still Potter’s emergency contact. You’ve been released from your duties today.”

Draco was broken from his panic and looked up, tears still in his eyes. He nodded slowly and stood, his legs shaking beneath him. He was fearful of what he was going to see. Was he going to be met with Harry’s corpse? Was he expected to say his goodbyes and support Ron in spreading the news? The thought terrified him, yet his feet moved taking him towards the bed in which Harry was laid. When he reached the curtained off bed, Draco felt himself break again. Draco managed to take a seat next to Harry, watching him carefully. This was too much to handle. He felt as though he shouldn’t be there. Yet nothing could compel him to leave Harry’s side. In his observations of Harry’s injuries, Draco had realised that the other was, in fact, breathing. The sight of Harry’s chest rising and falling with each breath caused a wave of relief to flood through Draco. He wasn’t gone, not yet.

Malfoy sat there for hours, refusing to leave Harry’s bedside. He was terrified that Harry’s breathing would suddenly stop. Terrified that Harry’s injuries would be too severe and The Boy Who Lived would slowly slip away from him. No matter who asked him, Draco simply refused to leave his bedside.

It wasn’t until the next day that Potter stirred, a soft groan escaping his lips as he came back into consciousness. Malfoy was still there, snoozing away in the chair. Ron and Hermione were sitting next to Harry’s bedside, also. A wave of relief crashing through them as Harry stirred. It took him a few minutes to regain full consciousness, yet when he did, he caught sight of Draco immediately. The way he curled into a ball as he slept unmistakable, the mop of messy blonde hair atop of Draco’s head confirming that his former flame was there by his bedside.

“You gave us a bloody good fright there, mate.” Ron choked out, sounding relieved, yet tired.

“Wh-What happened?” Harry choked out, rubbing his aching head.

“There was an explosion. You- you were caught in it. I-It was touch and go for a while.” Hermione answered.

Harry nodded weakly. “A-And Malfoy, wh-why is he here..?” He wasn’t sure if he wanted the answer. Even in his concussed state, Harry had assumed that he was there to gloat that they were separated. He worried that Malfoy was just here to remind them that they were over.

“He-” Hermione sighed, “he’s here because he’s worried, Harry. He hasn’t been doing good since- well, since you broke up. You scared us all, Draco especially.”

Harry nodded weakly, trying to process what she was saying. It was a lot to take in in such a short space of time. Yet, he couldn’t help but look at Draco. He admired the way he slept, finding comfort in the smooshed up snoring face. He knew it was a bad habit, admiring his ex as he slept. But it always brought him comfort, seeing how peaceful Draco was as he slept. Despite everything, he ached for Draco to be next to him, holding him. He ached for the familiar musk, the familiar grasp. Nothing was more comforting than Draco Malfoy in his arms.

Bad habit, I know. But I'm needin' you right now. Can you help me out?

Malfoy had eventually woken, he stretched out and then immediately panicked. He sat up with a shot, looking around him in worry as Harry wasn’t there. However, just as he stood up to go in search of Potter, Harry was wheeled back to his curtained off cubicle. Draco felt a rush of relief, yet again, when he laid eyes on Harry.

“Fuck, Harry, you’re awake!” He almost cried with glee, “you’re okay!”

Harry was slightly taken aback by Draco’s burst of happiness. After all, he had walked out on him just a few weeks prior. “Y-yeah..” he cleared his throat. “I woke up about four hours ago..”

Draco’s gaze hardened as he looked up to Weasley. “And why didn’t you wake me? Harry fucking Potter almost died and you didn’t think to wake me.” Draco snapped at Weasley.

“Enough, Malfoy! I told him not to wake you.” Harry snapped back. “You looked exhausted so I let you sleep.”

Draco’s glare softened ever so slightly and he folded his arms across his chest. He stood in silence for a moment before clearing his throat and sighing. “Well, I can see you’re alive. I best be leaving then. Get well soon, Potter.”

As Draco made to leave, Ron stood in front of him, holding his hand out to stop any further steps he could make. “You’re not going anywhere. You both need to talk and you’re not leaving until you’ve sorted whatever this thing is.” Ron looked between the two of them. “I may not like you very much, Malfoy, and I like you even less now. But you both need to sort your shit out because I really don’t fancy seeing Harry as broken as he is for much longer. Hermione and I will be outside to make sure you don’t leave, got it?”

Draco glared at Weasley, scoffing as he nodded. “Fine, whatever.”

Malfoy was good at pretending, he was particularly good at trying to numb his feelings around those who weren’t worthy enough to see his vulnerabilities. While he considered Harry to be worthy, he would be damned if he showed any weaknesses right now.

“Help me into the bed, Malfoy. This bloody wheelchair is uncomfortable.” Harry muttered.

Begrudgingly, Draco helped him, reminding himself that it was his job to do so, not because he owed Potter anything. Yet he did. He knew he owed Harry everything. Once Harry was back laying in the bed, Draco continued to stand, ignoring how good it felt to hold his former lover again.

“So..” Harry muttered, looking up at Draco,

“So.” The blonde replied.

The tension was thick in the air, neither one of them sure of what to say. Harry knew he had a lot to make up for, he knew he wasn’t as attentive to Malfoy and he knew it hurt him when he spent time with Ginny alone. He knew these insecurities yet he ignored them because of his own selfish nature. Yet Draco knew he shouldn’t have exploded like that, he shouldn’t have taken his hard day at work out on Harry. Harry was simply spending time with a friend, yet it hurt that he watched a romantic comedy with her.

“I’m sorry.” Harry said quietly, looking up at Draco with tears in his eyes.

Draco could feel himself melting, the ice wall he put up to hide his vulnerabilities was slowly being melted. “Harry.. I- you- you don’t need to apologise.”

“No, Draco, I do. I really need to apologise be-because I knew you didn’t feel comfortable with Ginny hanging around the flat when you weren’t there. I dismissed your feelings..” He said quietly.

Draco was taken aback. He wasn’t quite sure how to reply to that. “You-- you don’t need to apologise. I should have trusted you.” He gulped, anxiety taking over as he crossed his arms over his chest again.

Harry felt a twang of guilt once more, but he shrugged it off as he patted his bed, welcoming Draco to at least sit down. “Please, Drac, sit down and tell me why it bothers you.. Properly, so I know how to work around it next time.”

Draco sighed and reluctantly sat down next to Harry, fighting every instinct he had to climb into his arms. “Harry..”

“Draco, please. I-I want this, us, to work. I can’t be without you. I don’t want to fall into bad habits again. I need you to tell me why it bothers you.” Harry took Draco’s hand in his, thumbing small circles into the back of Draco’s hand.

Draco gulped and thought for a moment, allowing himself to melt into Harry’s touch. Draco was scared to say how he truly felt, fearful of the judgment it could bring. He sighed shakily and tried to think of how he really felt. He had snidely said it to Harry the night he left, but was that enough for Potter? Probably not.

“You were never meant to date someone like me. You were supposed to marry Ginny, she’s who you need in life, not me.” He gulped.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Draco. Ginny was the one who called it quits with me... She saw something between us that neither of us saw. Draco, when we got together, it was the most important night of my life to date… Any romantic feelings for Ginny evaporated. You’re the only one I wanted from that night on.”

The blonde sighed, running his hands down his face as he thought. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“B-but what about the headlines in the Prophet? They slandered you for our relationship, Harry. They attacked and hounded us for years, barely giving us a moment’s because The Boy Who Lived was never meant to end up with a Death Eater.”

“Former Death Eater. Reformed Death Eater.” Harry stated pointedly.

“Whatever, former, reformed, current. It doesn’t matter. You would be better with the Weasley girl. She could give you children, satisfy the press, she could be so much better for you and you know it, Potter.”

Harry felt his heart sink, blinking a few times as he processed what Draco had said to him.

“But I don’t want any of those things. I could deal with the press so long as you’re by my side, Draco.” Harry gulped. “I promise you, I can and will do better. Okay?”

“Okay,” Draco gulped in return. “I promise not to get too jealous over the Weasley girl. I have to work on that if I want you to stay in my life.”

Harry nodded. “We have a lot to work through, b-but we can only work through it together. We can’t call it quits when it gets too much.”

Draco agreed, his eyes fixated on Harry’s hands, still tracing circles on the back of his hand.

“Now, please, cuddle me. I really need a cuddle after everything.” Harry pouted.

A smile broke out on Draco’s face as he kicked off his shoes and curled up next to Harry, curling back into his arms.

In that moment, everything felt at peace again. Everything was right for them once again. Together they knew they could work everything out. They knew they were each other's bad habits. They knew they could lean on each other and it didn’t matter what happened, they could get through it, even in the moments they think would be hard on them. Each petty argument meant nothing in comparison to what they had.

Hate to say that I love you. Hate to say that I need you. Hate to say that I want you. But I do…