#and she taught me magic and other things and the secret room became my safe space

[critterofthenight]

i had such a fun dream, i didn't wanna wake up :c

[princess-polls]

I just submitted Elsa from Frozen: the Musical, and since I know most people are only familiar with the movie version so I wrote some really in depth propaganda on the submission page that I wanted to put here too:

“Okay. Everyone knows Elsa. She’s one of the more complex Disney princesses imo, as her magic made others fear her, but more importantly, made her fear herself. She lost control of her emotions, ran off, became snowy girlboss, came back, blah blah blah yeah. But Frozen: The Musical gives her two more songs that give such a major insight into her mind and personality.

“Dangerous to Dream” is Elsa worrying about her upcoming coronation and what it means to her. She had been locked in her room for most of her life and was taught to “conceal, don’t feel.” Nobody knows the secret she is hiding and she feels more pressure than ever to just be normal. And to live the best life for everybody, especially Anna, she can never show anybody her true self. But after she gets through her coronation successfully, she becomes more hopeful. Maybe there is a chance that she can be herself safely.

“Monster” is where shit gets real. The only Disney song I can compare it to off the top of my head in terms of intensity and darkness is “Hellfire” (which obviously is never getting beat but “Monster” is a very solid second place). Elsa has been happier than ever in her ice palace, and she believes it’s best for everyone that she stays here. But when Anna comes to try to bring her back to Arendelle and tells her that there’s a snowstorm caused by Elsa that she’s trying to stop, Elsa freaks out and accidentally shoots Anna in the heart with ice. Now, Elsa is a lone again, only this time she bears the guilt of dooming the kingdom she was meant to lead and killing her beloved sister. She recalls what was told to her in her childhood and how the townsfolk viewed her when she revealed her powers: she was a monster with terrifying powers that had the potential to harm many. She spirals into a panic attack while trying to contemplate what would best save the kingdom. At one point, Elsa even considers suicide, having the idea that if she’s dead, maybe the storm will end. But she eventually decides that she needs to fix things on her own, so she does all that she can to stay alive. The song ends a climactic declaration by Elsa that she cannot, no, WILL not be a monster.

These songs, especially “Monster”, go places that modern Disney movies would never dare to go, and they pay off immensely. They’re tragically relatable songs to me and many other people. Elsa is the Mental Illness Princess™ and the fact that there is a Disney princess with such complex yet real problems makes me feel more comfortable about myself.”

!!!

[the-college-of-whispers]

Interviews With the College of Whispers Staff

Arch-Mage Mazoak Bamhash

“I am a simple man. I became the Arch-Mage of the College of Whispers to protect the mages and other scholars who seek knowledge. Knowledge should not be censored based on the topic. If someone wants to learn about necromancy and the Daedra, why hide it behind more locks? It will simply get people into more trouble if they don’t have a safe place to learn and practice. My family back in Orsinium taught me how to summon my weapons from the planes of Oblivion, and I will use that ability to protect my new family here.”

Pronouns: he/him Race: Orsimer Notable Skills: Conjuration, Two-Handed

Master Wizard Leslan Khur’kern

“Me? I’m from Rihad, before it fell to the Aldmeri Dominion. I left my home and came to the College of Whispers to further my battlemage training on the magical side. I hope to help guide the College of Whispers in the future towards a deeper understanding of magic and its practical applications, whether that be in battle or in everyday life.”

Pronouns: he/him Race: Redguard Notable Skills: Destruction, One-Handed

Librarian Flips-Through-Pages “Page”

“An interview from the staff members? Of course! I am known as Flips-Through-Pages, though the students here call me Page. I was born in the Black Marsh, of course, but I consider Bravil to be my home. My parents took me there when I was young, and I spent much of my childhood dashing through the water channels with my friends. I would find all kinds of books that people just tossed out into the mud and I would bring them home to restore or transcribe. You should have seen the look on my mother’s face when I found a copy of The Lusty Argonian Maid! Ah, those were good days. And now I am here, tending to the books of this great library.”

Pronouns: they/them Race: Argonian Notable Skills: Speech

Cook S’muzi

“Ah, this one is to speak of himself? S’muzi can do that. Unlike most at this college, S’muzi does not have a grasp of magic. What S’muzi has is a magical understanding of food and cooking. Food history and cultural dishes are also of great interest to this Khajiit. If S’muzi really wanted, he could convince the Arch-Mage to let S’muzi hold a seminar on the history and development of food. What was that? Moon Sugar? No, S’muzi does not have any. Perhaps you should visit Elsweyr if you are looking for such a delicacy. Where in Elsweyr is S’muzi from? My friend, some things are to be kept secret, otherwise there would be no intrigue, no mystery. And that would be quite boring, yes?”

Pronouns: he/him Race: Khajiit Notable Skills: Alchemy

Quartermaster Ja’nara

“You have questions for Ja’nara? Khajiit is quite busy, many rooms to clean and many things to repair. Yes, Ja’nara skilled at fixing. This one could probably fix even a Dwemer machine if she were given enough time and tools. Not many things to repair back home in Cheydinhal. Ja’nara does not have skill in magic, but this one makes up for it with quick and quiet paws.”

Pronouns: she/her Race: Khajiit Notable Skills: Lockpicking, Sneak

Chief Alchemist Dathul Eldeth

“Pardon? You want to know what I’m doing here, so far from the Valus Mountains that I grew up in? Well, I teach Alchemy at this college. Sure, sometimes things explode, but that’s what happens when you deal with strange ingredients at time. That is why we practice lab safety! I work with Alteration Master Telonil Kaeire to make sure everyone has their armor spells active before we begin.”

Pronouns: he/him Race: Dunmer Notable Skills: Alchemy

Alteration Master Telonil Kaeire

“Oh, Dathul sent you to me? He’s quite sweet, thinking of me while working. What was that? What am I doing here as an Altmer when we’re usually in the Summerset Isle? Well, I was proudly born and raised in Whiterun, so no member of the Aldmeri Dominion cares much for me beyond my physical appearance. But here, I can teach Alteration more-or-less in peace and spend my free time pondering its connection to nature. Yes, yes, my fellow staff members and the other scholars of this college make fun of me for spending so much time thinking about nature, but the point of Alteration is that we follow the natural order of things, just in a very...different way. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go further my studies. Even masters are always learning, after all.”

Pronouns: he/him Race: Altmer Notable Skills: Alteration

Conjuration Master Herte God-Fang

“Oo, I just hate that smug necromancer- Oh! Sorry, I didn’t see you there. Yes, I’m Herte God-Fang, I teach Conjuration here at the College of Whispers. Well, actually, I teach the proper form of Conjuration, calling upon the power of Daedra in Oblivion and pulling it to our world for study and battle. Not like that no-good necromancer across the hall, Palel Jorian. Conjuration is meant to pull power from outside of life and death! As a proud Nord from Falkreath, I say that the dead are supposed to be left alone. Bad enough that there are walking draugr in every tomb back home.”

Pronouns: she/her Race: Nord Notable Skills: Conjuration

Necromancy Master Palel Jorian

“Did you hear Herte ranting the other day? My goodness, she should really step back and take a look at what she’s doing. How is pulling on the Daedra any different from pulling on the dead? Anyway, you came to ask about me, so I’ll tell you a thing or two. Necromancy is, like anything else, a tool for mages to utilize. And while I was originally from the Summerset Isle, I found a lot of interesting things in Skingrad and settled there for a good long while to hone my skills before joining this college as a teacher. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and figure out why there are dead rats in the walls when they should be undead.”

Pronouns: she/her Race: Altmer lich Notable Skills: Conjuration

Destruction Master Kelda Thurchim

“Can someone please tell me why I, the teacher of Destruction magic at this college, am the least likely person to burn the building down? This feels ironic somehow. Anyway, hello, I’m Kelda Thurchim. And no, despite how my name sounds, I am neither a woman nor am I somehow connected to the Chim phenomena. I get that question a lot, so let’s clear that up here. Other than that, I’m from Stros M’Kai, and no, I don’t miss the ocean or the beaches. Too many mudcrabs, if you ask me.”

Pronouns: they/them Race: Redguard Notable Skills: Destruction

Chief Enchanter Lamhuk gra-Draham

“I’m surprised people even need to ask about me. Enchanting services are how we make money and how we reach back out to the people of the Empire – and beyond. I’m statistically the first person most new mages to this college will meet just because I get out more. I’m always looking to teach more people about enchanting objects, because the more you do it, the better you’ll be! And while I may be an Orc, I’m no smith, so I often trade magic items from my personal collection for more unenchanted things to work with. I particularly enjoy going back to Chorrol to do these trades so I can catch up with my friends again.”

Pronouns: she/her Race: Orsimer Notable Skills: Enchanting

Illusion Master Erandar Dornstone

“Before you ask, yes, I’m a Bosmer from Valenwood. Yes, I left because of the Aldmeri Dominion. Yes, I do Illusion magic. No, it’s not magic that makes trees grow faster. No, I don’t know magic related to growing plants. And no, Illusion will not make your genitals physically bigger, they’ll just look that way until you actually use them. Yes, I do get those types of questions that often. Now if you excuse me, I have to follow Telonil around and call him a nerd for several minutes straight while neither of us have classes to teach.”

Pronouns: they/them Race: Bosmer Notable Skills: Illusion

Restoration Master Januro Vulipter

“You want to interview me for an entry about the staff here? Alright, let me think...oh, here’s something. For some reason, everyone assumes I’m going to be a woman or a priest – or both – before they get here and meet me. Just because I practice Restoration, that doesn’t mean I’m a woman nor a priest. It’s a school of magic worth studying regardless of gender. I’m from the Imperial City – I know, I know, so expected of an Imperial – and I learned magic from some of the beggars that my parents helped in their soup kitchens. I would do all the dishes and patch up any scrapes, so some of them started teaching me some spells or brought me Restoration magic tomes. I have no idea where they got them. But after a while, I decided to come here to study, and now I’m here as a teacher after thirty years. I travel back to the city regularly to help my parents with their soup kitchen and reconnect with the beggars that did so much for me. What? The Grey Fox? Don’t be silly, of course he never showed up at the kitchen. You think he’d be that easy to find?”

Pronouns: he/him Race: Imperial Notable Skills: Restoration

[iliveiloveiwrite]

Meant To Be // G.W.

Request: Hi! Could you do a George x Reader where he asks her to teach him to dance for the yule ball, because he wants to impresses somebody else, but then they ✨fall in love✨, maybe they didn't know each other before this for that extra awkwardness? Thank you 💕 - anon

A/N: This is so utterly self indulgent and heavily inspired by that one scene from Anastasia. Dimitri was my first love, not even gonna lie to you all. Also, I am the furthest thing from a dancer so if I have explained anything wrong in this, I am so sorry! Despite that, I hope you all enjoy!!

Warnings: she/her pronouns, pining, feelings, emotions, dancing, mentions of food, feelings of sadness, very very light angst. THIS HAS A HAPPY ENDING!!

Word count: 4.1k

Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry had many traditions that dated back to the time of the four founders; the houses and their competition, the Quidditch tournaments, but the one that excited the entire student body had to be that of the Yule Ball.

The Yule Ball accompanied the Triwizard Tournament – a competition held between the magical schools of Europe to promote cooperation and boost friendly relations between students. From the very announcement of the Triwizard Tournament, the student body of Hogwarts became more focused on the Yule Ball and what to wear rather than the dangers posed by the trials being faced by their fellow students.

“The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the other houses for over ten centuries. I will not have you, in one night, besmirch his name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons,” McGonagall’s voice calls out across the hall; her eyes steadily meeting every single gaze of the students sat around her.

Those in the hall seem to cower under her scrutiny; the power that she wields over this house being enough for every student in Gryffindor to try their best to impress the head of their house.

George has very little faith in himself at this point. A master prankster, and secretly one of the smartest wizards in the school, he has little talent when it comes to dancing. As he watches his youngest brother take to the floor with the head of Gryffindor, George feels something close to dread settle like lead in his stomach.

He would need help, and he would need it fast, especially if he wanted to ask Margot Banbridge to the ball. Margot – the girl who had caught his attention at the beginning of the month with her secret smiles and wide blue eyes. George so desperately wanted to be the one to take her to the Yule Ball, but then again, so did many of the other lads in the year. George needed to stand out and being able to dance would be the perfect way to do so.

-------------

The common room is loud that very evening. All students talking about the upcoming ball and the lessons completed today. Ron’s face was still red from his dance with McGonagall; he would never live this down. However, for now, George wasn’t too concerned on joking with his brother, but rather how he was going to solve the predicament he finds himself in.

“What do I do, Fred?” George pleads to his twin, “I have no idea how to dance!”

Fred laughs, “Can’t help you there, mate. I’m just as clueless as you.”

George groans; resisting the urge to shove his face into a cushion and wallow in self-pity. If he didn’t know how to dance, how could he impress Margot?

“Talk to (Y/N),” Hermione offers, absentmindedly turning the page of the heavy hardback laid in her lap, “She dances as a hobby. She might be able to help you, George.”

“Do you think she would?” George asks, worry niggling the back of his mind. He had so rarely spoken to you before despite being in the same house, “We’ve never really spoken before.”

Hermione nods, “I think she would. She’s always been kind to me when I’ve asked her for help.”

George smiles; nodding at his younger brother’s friend. “Alright,” He decides, “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

--------------

You could feel his gaze burning a hole into the back of your head. All morning, in every class your shared with the Weasley twin, his eyes had rarely left the back of your head. By morning break, it had started to get on your nerves. By lunch, you were more than ready to accost the redhead and demand the reasoning behind this newfound attention he seems intent on giving you.

Pausing outside the Great Hall, you move to one side to let younger Gryffindor’s pass. Out of the corner of your eye, you see George pause, turning to his twin to look as if he wasn’t just following you for the sake of it.

“Weasley!” You shout. George jumps; not out of terror, but out of being caught ogling so openly. Fred laughs as he leaves his twin to talk to you. George rubs a hand across the back of his neck, “(Y/N)… fancy seeing you here.”

You roll your eyes, “What do you need?”

“What? What makes you think I need something from you?” George questions; slightly affronted at your sudden jump to his needing of something, even if it was right.

You place your hands on your hips; shooting him an unimpressed look, “This is the longest conversation we’ve ever had in our whole seven years of education so it’s safe to say you want something from me. That, and the fact that you’ve been burning a hole into my head all morning so what do you need, George?”

George sighs; running a hand through his too long hair, “Hermione said you would be able to help me.”

Your face softens at the mention of the bright witch; you had a soft spot for the younger girl, her knowledge and thirst for witchcraft something to be found as inspiring. “What did Hermione say?”

“That you dance as a hobby and that you might be able to teach me.”

“Hermione is right on both counts. I do dance, and I am able to teach you,” You state, “But why do you need to be taught, George?”

George leans closer to you; his voice dropping to a whisper as he confesses, “I want to ask Margot Banbridge to the Yule Ball.”

“Ah,” You sigh, “So it’s all for one night with a girl.”

George frowns, “It’s for more than one night. Hopefully something will start after the Yule Ball, but I need to be able to impress her first and not step on her toes.”

A small smile graces your face as George struggles to get through the sentence without blushing. “Meet me every Saturday in the Room of Requirement. I’ll teach you how to dance.”

“You will?” He asks; hope shining in his voice.

“I will, but I’m doing this to protect the poor girl’s toes, Weasley,” You state sternly; your smile lingering at the sweetness of the redhead.

George nods solemnly, “And it’s a service you shall be recognised for. Thank you, (Y/N).”

Without helping it, a smile crosses your face. Grabbing your bag, you hoist it up on your shoulder, “Room of Requirement on Saturday at 10am, Weasley. Don’t be late.”

-------------

By 10am on Saturday, George can only be described a bundle of nerves. He had barely made it through breakfast; Fred teasing him all the way through it as Ron and Harry laughed along with him. The only support he found was in Hermione who seemed genuinely pleased that he had asked for help. George sent her a small smile as he managed half a piece of toast before rushing from the Great Hall; frantic about not wanting to be late for his first lesson with you.

His hands shake as he walks past the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, thinking of you and your whereabouts. The door appears after his third walk past and George hurriedly tugs open the door before he can talk himself out of it.

The room in which you have conjured reminds George of the Hall in which McGonagall had taught her first and only dance lesson. However, you’ve conjured a whole wall of mirrors that have a bar running across the middle.

George pauses in the entryway as the large wooden door slams shut behind him. The noise still hasn’t alerted you to his presence as you fiddle with a record player, a small collection of vinyl’s laid out on the small table. He watches you twiddle with the settings; the volume dial and checking that the needle is secure before turning to survey the room.

You jump when you spy George standing by the door. You greet him with a large smile, beckoning to him with an outstretched hand, “Come on in, George, I don’t bite.”

George laughs despite himself; stepping further into the large room. “What is this place?” He asks.

You turn around; arms stretched wide as you explain, “This is what the dance studio back home looks like. It’s where I spend all my time when I’m home for the holidays, so I bring it here when I can.”

“It’s wonderful,” George comments; breathless at the sheer amount of detail and personality personified by the room. He barely knows you, yet he realises he’s standing in an incredibly personal room that you’ve trusted him with. He feels honoured that you’ve put this much trust in him already.

You smile at him in thanks before turning your attention back to the vinyl’s littering the small table. You tap your fingernails against the table as you sift through the records, trying to decide which would be best to start with.

It takes a moment or two, but eventually you settle on a vinyl catering to classical music. You turn to George, holding the cover up for him to see much to his dismay, “The first few dances will be to instrumentals I’m afraid, so it’ll be classical for now.”

George frowns, but he nods, nonetheless. He’s never been a fan of classical music; not understanding the feelings that could be evoked from it. He needed lyrics in order to feel something; he needed to hear the pain or joy in the singer’s voice for him to feel the true extent of the song.

“First things first, show me what you think a hold looks like.”

George raises his arms; only feeling slightly foolish as his right arm stretches out and his left arm curls around an invisible body. His left splays across an invisible back, and he watches you appraise him.

“Am I okay to touch you?” You ask; not wanting to make him jump as you start grabbing his arms. At the nod of his head, you start to feel his framework, checking for where it lacks in definition.

It takes the better part of fifteen minutes to explain why his frame is essential to the dance when George believed that it would be his footwork that solely mattered, but by the end of your rant, he understands it all a lot better.

Then you move onto the footwork. Explaining to George that spending every minute of the song staring down at his feet was going to cause more issues than anything. You can’t help but laugh slightly each time he steps on your foot; he apologises with such sincerity that it’s hard not to forgive him either though you know your feet will be bruised tomorrow. However, as the song finishes and the needle begins to click onto empty record, you feel that George has what it takes to become a good enough dancer to woo Margot.

Breaking the hold, you rush to the record player, lifting the needle from the record and setting it to one side. “Tell me about Margot, George. Why her?” You ask as you pat your face down with a towel and grab a bottle of water, offering another to George.

George shrugs, taking the offered water bottle, “She’s gorgeous, and she’s ridiculously talented in Charms and Transfiguration.”

“Huh,” You comment.

“What?”

“I don’t know,” You reply, shaking your head with a smile George couldn’t define, “I didn’t think you would favour brains over looks for some reason, but you’ve surprised me.”

“Have you got a date?” He asks; curiosity getting the better of him.

You shake your head, “No date, but I am going to the ball with a group of my friends. It’ll be a good night; I’m looking forward to it.”

“It will,” George echoes; mind faraway, to a night in the future where he grabs and keeps the attention of Margot.

“All we need to do now if get you ready for it. You’ll be a pro in no time, Weasley.”

“You think?”

“I don’t think, I know,” You gloat, a smile crossing your face, “If we continue to meet every week until the ball, you’ll be waltzing Margot into a tizzy.”

George barks out a laugh at your words, heading for the door, “I’ll see you every Saturday then.”

“Every Saturday,” You echo as George leaves. You shake your head; vaguely wondering about the outcome of these lessons.

--------------

Two weeks into the lessons and a friendship forms between yourself and George. He was so enthusiastic; he was happiness personified. It was hard not to find yourself caught up in his retellings of pranks he was behind, or stories of being at home over the holidays. He had a knack for storytelling; punctuating in the right places and creating a set up that had your sides hurting from laughing so hard.

You find yourself sitting with his friends more – at meal times and in the common room; getting to know the rest of the golden trio other than Hermione, and finally meeting Fred Weasley.

“So you’re the one who’s been teaching our Georgie how to dance,” Fred states; mischief in his eyes and a smile on his lips.

“I am,” You comment, smiling politely, “He’s doing well, if you wanted to know.”

Fred grins, reaching for the jar of orange juice in the centre of the table, “I don’t doubt it.”

George rolls his eyes at the small conversation taking place between you and Fred. You smile at his reaction, but also at the blind faith placed in George by his twin brother.

“You should have seen him the other night, (Y/N),” Fred cackles, “He was practicing some footwork, stating that he needed to get it right before your lesson.”

“You weren’t?” You ask George; delighted in the blush staining his cheeks.

“I was,” He admits shyly, “But it was that really tricky part that I couldn’t get last time.”

“That’s adorable, Georgie,” You coo; reaching over to pinch his cheek. He bats your hand away with a laugh but keeps hold of your fingers for a tad longer than he should have, enjoying your attention and the sound of your laugh.

“How did you get into dancing?” Ron asks; voice curious as he munches on a piece of toast.

“It was something my mum signed me up for when I was four years old and it grew from there.”

“Do you mainly dance ballroom?” Hermione asks; eyes bright as she basks in the happiness to have her older friend sit with her usual friends.

“Not just ballroom,” You state, “I tap dance too as well as some ballet.” At their wide eyes you backpedal, “My mum wanted me to have the grace and dexterity of a ballerina before she realised I much preferred the other two. I finished ballet when I was thirteen, but I still do the stretches,” You shrug, “They help with the warm ups for other dances.”

George grins; eyes darting between you and his friends, “What did I tell you? She’s a wonder.”

You roll your eyes, “You’re only calling me that because you feel guilty for how often you step on my toes.”

Fred snorts, “Does that often does he?”

George blushes; reaching for his drink. You shake your head with a laugh, “Not now. He did a lot in the beginning, but he’s much better now.”

George’s blushes deepens as the warmth of your words settles on your skin and he meets your eyes. The gaze holds; both of you forgetting you’re sat at a table with friends as you both smile softly at the other.

Someone clearing their throat has you breaking the gaze with George. Your face heats as you meet the interested stare of his twin brother; Fred’s eyes darting between you and George as if seeing something that wasn’t obvious for the two of you.

Conversation starts up again; Fred talking to George and Ron asking Harry about a piece of homework. As their voices gather around you, you give yourself a moment to come to terms with the feelings raging in your body. You let yourself have a single instant in which you wonder whether this friendship has developed into something more for you.

-------------

A week before the ball and you’ve accepted your feelings for the redhead. You’ve accepted that in just over a month, he’s not only formed a friendship with you, but he’s also gotten you to fall in love with him. At eighteen years old, the world tells you that you’re too young to know the meaning of the word, but what else could describe the way you feel when you look at him? What else could explain the racing of your heart when he meets you outside your classes, an arm ready to grab your bag?

At eighteen years old, the world expects you to know so much, but not your own mind. However, at eighteen years old, you know that you’re in love with George Weasley, and all from him asking you to teach him how to dance.

“What do you think? Ready to practice a waltz, George?”

He laughs lightly; the sound being music to your ears, “Let’s try a waltz.”

From the moment the needle meets the vinyl, George has his hold ready. You glide into it seamlessly; hands joining together as George begins to lead you through the one, two, three steps of the waltz.

Distantly, you hear the music sounding from your record player. Distantly, you hear your footsteps on the wooden floor, but all you can focus on is how good it feels to be in George’s hold. To have his hands on you; how warm they feel against your skin and just how much you want him closer to you.

He continues to lead you round the floor; his eyes not leaving yours as his grip on you becomes tighter. Your mind heads into overdrive; wondering how it would feel to have his hands on different parts of your body; how he would react if you leaned forward that little bit and kissed him.

“I’m feeling a little dizzy…” You murmur; whether it’s from the spinning or from the close proximity of George, you can’t tell.

“Kind of lightheaded?” George asks; a small smile on his face, “Me too.”

“Maybe we should…” You trail off; truly not wanting this moment to end as George pauses mid spin.

“Stop spinning? I think we should too.”

“We have stopped,” You say; refusing to drop the hold, refusing to leave him.

George shakes his head; his mind becoming clearer as he comes too from the daydream he found himself in as he spun you around the Room of Requirement.

Neither of you know how long you stand there; his hand on your waist and yours on his shoulder. Neither of you know how long your chests heave; from the breathlessness of the dancing, but also from the hormones and emotions flying about the room that neither of you are truly ready to address.

Stepping back - protecting your heart mainly - you drop the hold, moving off to the side where your bag waits for you. George opens and closes his mouth a few times; unable to find the words he wants to say, unable to comprehend the feelings coursing through his body this very minute.

Holding your bag to your chest, as if having a physical barrier between yourself and George will stop the cracking of your heart, you whisper, “I think you’re ready, George.”

“You do?” He asks. They aren’t the words he wants to say; they aren’t the words that are carved into his heart, mind, and soul, but they are what he says because he can see the look on your face, and he doesn’t know what to do.

You nod, trying your best to stave off the wobbling of your lip and the breaking of your heart until you’re back in your room. “Yeah,” You say; smiling weakly, “You’re ready, Georgie. Go get your girl.”

You leave him there; rushing from the room with the last of your broken heart trailing behind you. The tears begin to fall on your way back to the common room; unable to look anyone in the eye as you sprint to your room and throw yourself on your bed.

Hiding your face in your pillow, you barely repress the scream that’s been working its way out of your chest. The way your heart was cracking in your chest, you felt certain the whole school could hear it. You felt the fool; how could you not fall for him? How could you not fall for every aspect of him? You saw him at his most nervous and you saw him at his most confident; you saw every aspect of him, and your heart gave itself so willingly that you hadn’t even noticed until it was too late.

It was too late. He was ready; he could waltz the night away with Margot and he would be none the wiser to your feelings. There was no need for him to know just how he made your heart race, or how he was the reason behind most of your smiles these days. He didn’t need to know how he featured in your daydreams; distracting you from classwork.

He didn’t need to know any of that because by the end of the Yule Ball, he’ll have wooed Margot and you’ll have returned to your dance studio alone.

-------------

The dance studio feels cold without him; as if in the sort time you had been teaching him, it had also gotten used to his warm presence and the light he exudes.

Following your old routine, you select a record and place it on the player. Setting the needle down, you roll your neck, stretching your muscles out as the first song begins to play.

Needless to say that while you lose your body to the music, the steps being second nature to you, you do not lose your mind. Your feet follow the steps, but your mind does not quieten as it flips through images of what George could be doing right now. How his hand would feel on small of Margot’s back; how his hand would clasp hers tightly as he leads her confidently around the dancefloor.

You hadn’t been able to attend the ball in the end. Too afraid of what you might see, and what you might feel. Too afraid to meet the eyes of those you now class a friends and see the pity reflected in their eyes as you realise that your feelings for the Weasley twin had been obvious to everyone but him.

You gasp as you catch movement in the corner of your eye; regretting leaving your wand so far away on the table. You hold a hand to your heart as you face whoever had found your room.

He stands just in front of the door; chest rising rapidly as if he ran to all the way here.

“George?” You question; automatically stepping closer to the redhead, your heart starting to sing at his very presence. Every part of you wants to reach for him, but the logical side of you makes you wait.

“I waited for you,” He states plainly with no greeting, “I waited for you and you didn’t come.”

Your eyes drop to the floor as you confess, “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t watch you with her.”

You couldn’t watch from the sidelines as George danced the night away; dancing what you had taught him. It only felt like further punishment, and for now, you had had enough of that.

“I waited for you,” He repeats.

“Why?” You ask; needing to know.

“I couldn’t take her. Not after our final dance lesson, it wasn’t fair to her or to you. So I didn’t take her. Instead, I waited outside the Great Hall for over an hour, hoping you would make an appearance. When you didn’t, I had to come find you. I knew you would be here.”

You sniffle, “You came for me?”

George nods, “I realised something after our final lesson.”

“What?”

He steps further into the room; striding forward until he stands in front of you. He tilts your face up sing two fingers; his eyes shine with happiness as he whispers, “I don’t want to dance with anyone but you.”

“You don’t?”

“I don’t. If I’m to dance with anyone, it’ll be you. I think we were meant to be; don’t you agree?”

You nod your head, faintly brushing your lips against his as you whisper, “I agree. I think we were meant to be.”

********

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George Weasley taglist: @susceptible-but-siriusexual @ickle-ronniekins

[the-wayward-arc]

Emperor: MAGNUS, I WISH TO SPEAK TO YOU ALONE.

Magnus: What, are we gonna have a father to Son talk? Shall I get the tissues?

Emperor: YES. WE ARE. NO BULLSHITTERY THIS TIME MY SON.

Magnus: *Surprised* What are you trying to get at here father?

Emperor: YOU HAVE A CHILD, DO YOU NOT?

Magnus: What!?! How did you know that?? Did you invade my mind with your damn deity powers?

Emperor: NO, I SAW HOW YOU REACTED TO YOUR BROTHERS CHILDREN AND THE FACT YOU RECOGNIZED THE PLANET, YOUR CHILD IS THERE AS WELL, AREN'T THEY?

Magnus: *silence as he looks down* Yes, she is.

Emperor: SHE IS THERE NOT BY ACCIDENT IS SHE?

Magnus: No she isn't. I sent her there long ago. To protect her...

EMPEROR: TELL ME WHY.

-long long ago-

Magnus: my daughter was the result of an experiment of mine, a ritual that at the time I thought was a failure, turned out to be the greatest success I've ever done.

Magnus looks down at a small infant, at first there was a scowl on his face to see that it was a child and not a fully grown vessel like he had hoped. He motioned for his servants to take the child away and as she they did, she looked up at him, a small smile spreading on her face as she laid eyes on her the crimson king. A strange feeling creeping onto him as the child began to cry as he started to fade from her view.

Magnus: I didn't want anything to do with child at first, I was just gonna let the people of my planet take care of her but when I went to see her one last time, she looked at me and smiled. She was happy to see me. When I gazed upon her, I wondered if this what you saw when you looked upon us.

Emperor: YOU HAD A MUCH GRAND PURPOSE FOR THE EVOLUTION OF HUMANITY BUT...I HAD WONDERED HOW THINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN IF I HAD RAISED YOU ALL TOGETHER, WITH ME.

Magnus: Much like what transpired in that laboratory when we were all whisked away from you, the same thing was gonna happen to this child. Except it wasn't some damn gods asshats but rather me, a voluntary choice of sending her away just because I perceived her creation as a failure. I didn't want that, I felt a bond with her that was like the bond I felt towars you father when we were reunited.

Emperor: YOU RAISED HER, AS SHE WAS YOUR DAUGHTER.

Magnus: Yes, she was my daughter. Born of my blood and actions. I named her Salem, after an old friend from Prospero.

Magnus held Salem within the palm of his hand, the child trying to grab onto his large red finger as she laughed.

Magnus: As she grew, I taught her all that I knew. Her powers were great, not surprising considering who her father was.

Emperor: DON'T HURT YOURSELF WITH ALL THAT BACK PATTING.

Magnus stood in front of a child Salem, wearing acolyte Robes in the same color as her father's legion, her platinum blond hair tied into pony tail as ran towards her father. Flames of Warp fire erupted from her hands as it raced towards Magnus, only to be deflected by his own powers. Salem retreated slightly before summoning a lesser demon that she commanded to attack her father. Magnus was impressed but the small demon was no match for the red giant as he squashed with ease, just as he was about to speak a ball of fire blasted into his face. He stumbled backwards falling to one knee with a loud thud. He looked to see Salem standing away from a fading visage of herself, a smile on her face. Magnus laughed a bit, Impressed by how far she was coming.

Magnus: You caught me my child! *laughs* You are getting better and better! *bends to one knee, patting Salem's head gently*

Salem: Thank you Father, I do have the best teacher after all!

Emperors: HER POWERS WERE GROWING EVERYDAY WEREN'T THEY?

Magnus: Yes, again given her family it came at no surprise...but I knew I wasn't the only one noticing.

A teen Salem stood in front of two Rubric marines, ordering them ease while also summoning more lesser daemons though she was staring to put slight stronger demons under her thrall. Magnus watched above as Salem was practicing with her powers, doing his best to ensure a ritual was holding to keep a certain god from detecting her growing powers.

Magnus: Her powers were getting closer to my own, her control over the Rubrics and the daemons my Legion had enslaved were proof enough that she would reach my level soon. I was afraid. Afraid of what Tzeentch would do if he discovered her, discovered that I was hiding her with a ritual. I was terrified of him taking her and her becoming like me...so I had to make a decision.

Emperor: YOU WERE GOING TO HIDE HER.

Magnus: Yes. I summoned Ahriman back to the planet of sorcerers, despite our history he hated Tzeentch and I knew he was still loyal to my Legion. We scoured a place untouched by both the Imperium and Chaos, which we discovered Remnant. It had a unique relationship to the warp that basically hid it from the chaos gods. Souls there rarely entered the warp, rather they became part of the planet unless they were immensely powerful. So, I sent her there...I gave her false memories of this placing being her home. I alerted the memories of an ancient ruler so that he would protect my daughter and think of her as his own.

Magnus looked upon the sleeping form of Salem, a tear running down his face as he opened a portal to Remnant and to the kingdom she would placed in, no words were said as he took her through the portal, laying her down onto the bed. He gave one her one last look before going back, the portal closing behind him as Ahriman stood close by. To protect his daughter from Tzeentch, sacrifices must be made.

Magnus: I watched her grow, becoming a strong and capable leader. Only to see that bastard lock her away, but to interfere would mean Tzeentch might notice as well as the others. I couldn't risk that chance, so I had to watch my child be locked away for powers that exceeded all those around her. Then I watched as Events unfolded I could never predict and wish I would have to save her the pain.

Magnus watched through a small tear, a small window as his daughter was saved from the tower. Finding freedom and love with a young man, she watched their adventures as his daughter grew more accustomed to her powers, he saw her happiness and had hoped this meant he had been right about this place despite what had happened to her. But over the years, he watched more and more how things began to turn away from her; losing her husband, trying to revive him only to be stopped by those twin bastards, watching as they tried to tell her about balance only to disrupt the balance themselves by killing all the humans on Remnant and casting the blame onto her.

Magnus: She went through pain. Guilt, thinking she was to blame for the deaths of untold billions. When it was those two bastards throwing a tantrum for the actions of a few.

Emperor: WHAT BECAME OF THEM?

Magnus: I don't know but I have my sorcerers to this day looking for them, so I can kill them both personally.

Emperor: I'LL JOIN YOU, A GOOD OLD FASHION FATHER AND SON BONDING MOMENT.

Magnus: *Chuckles* Yeah, that'd be fun father.

Emperor: WHAT BECAME OF MY GRANDCHILD AFTERWARDS.

Magnus: She wandered for a long time, as humanity grew back and rebuilt. She assumed she was cursed with immortality but it wasn't a curse that those two claim to have given her, it was a gift from me. So that one day we could meet and she could see the galaxy and all the secrets that it holds. I wanted to protect my daughter, I did so much to make her both Immortal and invulnerable. But she saw it as a curse when she tried to take her own life. But she found her love once more, reborn by those two bastards. She had a family but that didn't last either...

Emperor: WHAT HAPPENED?

Magnus: An argument between her and her husband about the fate of their world escalated when he tried to take away their children, my granddaughters. They too were growing powerful with their newfound powers or magic as they called it. But they were caught in the crossfire and were slain.

Emperor: WHAT BECAME OF THEIR SOULS? *ANGER RISES* THEY WERE NOT TAKEN BY DEMONS WERE THEY?

Magnus: I would never allow such a thing to happen! No, I intervened and saved their souls, *produces an orb, The Emperor has the orb floated towards him and he can hear children laughing* Their souls are in there, safe. To them, that was all a bad dream and they are just living their lives as children again. I would never allow harm to befall them, they are my grandchildren and they will always be safe no matter what.

Emperor: HAVE YOU SEEN THEM? I KNOW IT IS POSSIBLE.

Magnus: *looking at the Orb, hearing the children play* A few times, but I never truly interacted with out of fear that Tzeentch would find it.

EMPEROR: MAGNUS, HE CANNOT GET YOU HERE, IT WILL BE SAFE FOR YOU TO SEE YOUR GRANCHILDREN. WHAT HAS BECOME OF SALEM?

Magnus: She is angry and saddened, now that the have been to that planet and that you have ensured the Imperium cannot touch it, I wish to see her soon. To be her father once more.

Emperor: SOON, YOU SHOULD SOON. MY SON, I SHALL ENSURE THAT PLANET WILL BE SAFE FOR NOT ONLY YOUR CHILD BUT ALL OF MY GRANDCHILDREN. MY GREAT GRANDCHILDREN AS WELL, WHEN WE UNFUCK THE IMPERIUM, I WILL HELP YOU RESTORE NOT ONLY SALEM BUT YOUR GRANDCHILDREN AS WELL.

Magnus: T-Thank you Father, *holds orb Close*

Emperor: OF COURSE MAGNUS.

-Remnant, Land of Darkness-

Salem tosses and turns, nightmares that have plagued her for centuries, she awoke suddenly surrounded only by nothing the nothing suddenly being replaced with a room, one that looked familiar to her. Books stacked high with various scrolls strung about, she picked up one to see it was her hand writing! But what her caught her more by surprise was her skin, it was back to normal. Back to human! So was her other arm! She immediately ran to a nearby mirror to see she had regained her humanity, no longer looking like a Grimm personified. She heard the small pitter patter of feet, turning around quickly, she was greeted by the sight of her 4 daughters running up to her. She took a step back in shock as they hugged her, smiling.

Celeste: Mommy! Mommy! There you are!

Faye: We were wondering where you were!

Salem was still shocked, this couldnt be real! No! This was a nightmare, the moment she touched, they'll be ripped away from her! But she slowly raised her hand to her oldest daughters head, nothing happened save for the feeling of her hair and Celeste laughing. She hugged her daughters, nothing happened save for them hugging her back! This wasn't a dream and even if it was, she didn't want to end. She cried as she held them close, hugging them tightly.

Amber: Grandpa said you would cry, but its okay Momma!

Salem: I know, I just...missed you all *hiccup* so much! Wait, what do you mean grandpa? *she looked at them all, each one smiling as they looked back*

Magnus approached, the giant of a man looked at Salem and her daughters. A warm expression on her face, even as Salem got protectively in front of her daughters.

Magnus: Hello Salem, it has been too long.

Salem: w-Who are you!? *warp fire appeared in her hand, she would not let this giant harm her daughters!*

Magnus: *chuckles* Seems I need to get rid of that memory altering *he waves his hand as a mist quickly envelops Salem before quickly dissipating*

Salem: *Looks at Magnus, anger raising but slowly new memories began to surface, memories of this room. Training, reading, laughing, smiling. Memories of him* F-Father? *she falls to her knees, her daughters around her concerned as more tears steamed down her face as Magnus dropped to one knee*

Magnus: There is much to talk about my little book worm.

[justcourttee]

Love, Right?

This was an ask from AO3, but I loved it so much and wanted to post it here too.

vasiliassuns asked: aaaaa!! i love all these one shots so much:)! would it be any trouble to ask for the waynes (minus alfred, he knows all) being in paris to research ladybug and accidentally see marinette transform before watching her whoop ass? (i know theres a lot of fics with this in the damianette tag, but aa!! such a good trope,,,and your writing is awesome.) its totally cool if not! i also wanna add that im super excited for the next chapter:) seriously tho your writing is awesome and i adore it

If you had told Damian Al Ghul Wayne that he would discover the love of his life in a shotty alleyway in Paris, France, he would’ve laughed in your face.

Yet there he was, his heart racing a million times a minute as he watched her swing into action sending the akumatized person sailing with a solid kick to their chest.

‘Flawless Execution, I couldn’t have done it better myself.’

Damian ignored the crowds pushing against him trying to take cover in the nearest shelter. He knew that by now his family would’ve seen his transmission from the camera contacts that Barbara had provided them before leaving Gotham. They would also be racing toward the battle hoping to catch a glimpse of how these victims communicated with the notorious Hawkmoth.

He turned the corner colliding into three other rushing bodies.

They all fell to the ground with a groan, each holding their own heads with equal scowls directed at the others. Damian was the first to find his feet as he crossed her arms, glaring down on his mess of brothers. Three voices filled the alleyway simultaneously, all as panicked at the other.

“Damian was that the coffee goddess-”

“Damian was that the flying angel from the acrobat gym-”

“Damian was that your girlfriend-”

Everyone silenced as their gazes shifted to where Jason stood. He only shrugged his shoulders in response, that familiar smirk pulling at his lips.

“She’s not my girlfriend Todd.” Damian tried to say it with the straightest face he could manage but he could do nothing to hide the red that had crept up his cheeks.

“Well, whatever she is doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the flying angel is Ladybug! That information would’ve been helpful earlier. We were already hanging out in civilian form, I mean, we could’ve been having our top-secret meetings without the masks!”

“Dick, some of us care about our secret identities unlike you.”

Dick pouted as Tim elbowed his side.

“All I’m saying is that if she can trust me to catch her 40 feet above the ground, then she should be able to trust me with her secret identity.”

“It’s not like she knows our identity’s Richard.” Damian narrowed his eyes at the older boy essentially silencing his continuous whining. “Besides, she probably didn’t want to harm us. If we showed care for her superheroine side, then Hawkmoth could try to attack us to get to her.”

Jason flailed his hand around mocking Damian’s speech behind his head earning a giggle from the others. Damian’s whole face flushed red as he tried to count backward from 10 to avoid killing Jason.

A blur of red landed in front of him, her slightly flushed face staring above them, as determined as ever.

“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

Her eyes darted down to meet his, a slightly surprised look crossing her face.

“Gentlemen, please return to the shelter. It’s not safe right now.”

The boys stared at each other, calculating their best chances of regrouping if they split now. She swung off before she heard their answer shielding them from the oncoming blow. Damian wanted to rush to her side and help her back to her feet but it wasn’t the right moment.

As they made their way back toward the shelter, Damian’s mind was racing a million times a minute.

The quiet girl with a load of sass who helped him study French couldn’t be the bold superheroine who fought crime on a daily basis right? It seemed illogical.

Yet the more he thought about it, the more he could see it. The way she stood up in class to Chloe and Lila whenever they attacked him, the way she could maneuver around every situation within mere seconds of seeing how it would play out, the way those same blue eyes would shine with determination when she knew she was the smartest one in the room and was only being challenged to prove it.

“I’m so stupid.”

“Wait, can you say that again? I wanna make it my ringtone.”

Damian stuck his foot out as he skidded to a stop taking joy in seeing Todd tumble to the ground, a satisfying rip coming from his new leather jacket.

“Ah, c’mon man, it was just a joke!”

A small scream of terror caught their attention. A girl stood in the middle of the cobblestone, clinging to a stuffed bear, the Akuma looming over her as if ready to strike. Damian knew he couldn’t make it quick enough, but damn if he wasn’t going to try.

The Akuma's hand came down before he had even moved an inch, a sickening smack turning Damian’s stomach. As the dust cleared, Damian raced forward, intent on beheading any man who dared to lay hands on a child so small, but the Akuma was nowhere in sight.

The only thing that was left was a breathless Ladybug, dropped to her knees in front of the small girl, a white butterfly fluttering into the sky.

“Mar-Ladybug!”

Her head perked up at the sound of Damian’s voice as he fell beside her, checking her over for any injuries.

“I’m fine Damian, please, check on the girl.”

As if Damian needed any more confirmation that Ladybug was Marinette. Here she was not even denying that she knew him in that cute stammering manner she did. With a small nod, he turned to check over the girl, making sure the Akuma hadn’t bruised her.

Beside him, Ladybug stumbled to her feet throwing her Miraculous Cure into the air. Instantly, Damian noticed all the damage disappearing under the blinding lights as if the battle had never happened in the first place. He wanted to ask her how the magic behind it worked, but the sound of a shout cut him off.

“Oi! Get back here you little brat! I’m not done teaching you a lesson for eating my food!”

Instantly the girl in his arms became smaller. Ladybug noticed it as well as her eyes hardened, almost daring the man to take a step forward.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to stop right there. You were just a victim of Hawkmoth’s powers and need to be checked over by Chat Noir.”

The blonde hero nodded warily as if ready to attack from behind if things went south.

“I ain’t doing any of that. This child right here is mine and needs to be taught a lesson one way or another.”

Ladybug glanced behind her at the small girl’s silent tears as she clung to Damian’s arms as if they were her lifeline.

“You will be doing no such thing. In fact, by the end of today, she will no longer be your child. I suggest you leave now sir, I wouldn’t want things to get ugly.”

The man had the audacity to laugh. It fueled the rage inside Damian, but he refused to let go of the girl. He feared that if he did, she would run.

“What are you gonna do? You superheroes can’t touch me if I’m not akumatized.”

In a flash, he lunged forward. Ladybug wasn’t even fazed as she sidestepped him, pushing his head down into the cobblestone below. It was only one blow, but he was out cold, a small split on his forehead.

Damian couldn’t help the way his jaw hung.

“Medic, he’s going to need stitches. Sir,” Damian shook the shock from his face as he met her eyes. “This child seems to have taken a liking to you, would you mind taking her to the police station for me? Tell them I will be there soon to make my report and check on her.”

Damian nodded, unable to find his voice as those intimidating eyes stared down into his.

“And one more thing, I’ll be checking in with you later as well. It seems we have much to talk about little bird.”

Damian’s entire face flushed red as she swung off with her partner, his eyes never leaving her figure until she was out of sight. The sound of pounding feet on the pavement brought him back to reality as his brother’s skidded in front of him, their faces as impressed as his.

“Hey Damian, this is your fair warning. If you don’t date her, I might.”

“Ditto.”

“Me three.”

Damian stumbled over his denial as he watched his brother’s burst into laughter. Dick gathered the young girl from his arms, cooing at her until she was calm once more, allowing him to finally stand.

“You all are not worthy of her, only I am.”

Jason crossed his arms mocking Damian’s half pout as he and Tim shared another laugh at the murderous look in his eyes. He could care less what these imbeciles thought, the only thing that mattered was what she did.

And he couldn’t wait to find out.

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[lomlmarvel]

As The World Caves In (Fred Weasley x fem!reader)

Summary: Song imagine based on “As The World Caves In” by Matt Maltese. We see Fred and the Reader’s relationship timeline leading up to the Battle of Hogwarts.

Word count: 3k

A/N: so sorry in advance. it’s angsty but with some fluff¿

My feet are aching

And your back is pretty tired

And we've drunk a couple bottles, babe

And set our grief aside

Fred Weasley remembered the summer after the Triwizard Tournament. It was a dark time for everyone. The days felt cold and gloomy, with a presence of death. Cedric Diggory’s death had shaken the wizarding world. No one imagined that a teenage boy would die in the first reinstallment of the Triwizard Tournament. No one imagined that a boy would die.

Many didn’t believe Harry Potter when he stated that He-Who-Shall-Be-Named was back. They thought that Harry killed Cedric in the maze and lied to cover up his cruel act. But Fred knew Harry, and he believed him. He remembered when Harry apparated with Cedric at his feet during the last challenge of the tournament. Fred’s best friend, Y/N, who also happened to be Harry’s older sister, was the first to jump out of her seat when she saw the younger Potter on the arena floor.

He remembered her screams and sobs. Sometimes at night, when it got tranquil, the painful cries sounded through his mind. The rest of that day was a blur. He remembers dragging Y/N away from her boyfriend’s corpse. Not even his dad was able to pull her out, but somehow he and George managed to ease her back from Cedric. Cedric’s dad clutched onto his body as his cries were heard from the entire audience. Dumbledore made quick to move Cedric away from the students’ prying eyes. Still, once he was able to, everyone knew what had happened.

After the term ended, Arthur had invited Y/N to stay at the Burrow over the summer. She turned of age a few days into the summer and therefore wasn’t legally bound to stay with the Dursley’s. Harry admitted that it would be best for her to take some time for herself and enjoy a stay with the Weasley’s. He assured his older sister that he would be fine alone with them.

Ginny had generously agreed to share a room with Y/N, stating that she didn’t mind at all and had wanted to spend more time with the eldest Potter. Over summer, the Weasleys tried their best to console the young teenaged girl as she grieved her former boyfriend. After a while, Molly and Arthur began to notice a change in her attitude. She seemed like she was starting to move on, and she smiled on most days. The letters between her and Harry became less consistent as the younger boy stopped replying to every message she sent.

One night, after a big dinner with the Weasleys, Y/N and Fred hung out in the field to watch the sunset. Fred had stolen a Firewhiskey bottle from his parent’s secret cabinet, and the two shared the full bottle. Fred had laid on his back to look up at the sky as the girl in front of him sat with her legs crossed. She had managed to sneak back into the house and steal another bottle as she swung a big sip of it.

“Harry stopped replying to my letters, and I think I know why,” Y/N hiccupped. She was halfway done with the bottle, and her world was upside down.

“He feels alone, I know it. He just doesn’t wanna talk to me. He thinks he’s at fault for—for what happened to Cedric,” Y/N managed to let out. Fred leaned over to take the bottle from her hands. She pouted at the loss of alcohol at her reach and waited for Fred to finish taking a sip.

“I know you’re still not over it, Y/N. You can’t lie to me. I see right through you,” Fred admitted. He had watched as his best friend had put on a show for the rest of his family. She pretended that she was okay, that she had finally accepted his death, and was ready to move on. But he could read her like an open book.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Can we talk about the shop instead?” She asked her best friend. The one who had been in love with her since he stopped thinking girls were gross. The one who had put his feelings aside in fear that she didn’t feel the same way as him. He silently watched as she dated a Ravenclaw named Mark and then Cedric. The most painful part was watching her fall in love with Cedric when he was still in love with her.

The Papers say it’s doomsday.

The button has been pressed.

We’re gonna nuke each other up, boys.

‘Til old satan stands impressed.

Fred remembers that day he and George decided to drop out of Hogwarts and pull one last prank before they left in style.

Umbridge had made Hogwarts a living hell. She had taken away everything that made school fun. The last straw was when they caught a young boy outside of her office, crying in pain because of the new scars on his forearms.

That night the twins talked about leaving Hogwarts, something that had been on their minds since Umbridge began setting rules. The following morning he met with his best friend, privately telling her the new decision he and George had decided to take. They would plan their grand exit for three days and leave just before the weekend to catch their parents by surprise.

Y/N knew that the boys had a dream job of running their own joke shop. She knew they had the talent to run a shop successfully. Hogwarts hadn’t been the same upon her return. Even though a whole summer had passed, being back on school grounds brought back memories that she wanted to push away. She spent the first few weeks crying, unable to contain the emotions she felt while the memories flooded through her head.

When Fred had told her about their plan, she asked if she could tag along. She was willing to drop out of Hogwarts to help the boys start up their joke shop. She never really knew what she wanted to do after school, but now she knew she would never get the chance at a proper education with Umbridge in charge.

Their prank coincidentally fell on an OWL’s exam. As Fred and George lit up their fireworks and flew above castle grounds for the crowd of students, Y/N filled Harry in on the details. Saying goodbye before hopping on her broom and flying away. The magical fireworks canceled exams for that day, destroying all the encased rules that Umbridge had set. The Weasley Twins left in fashion and established a loyal customer group for their new business career.

And here it is, our final night alive.

You put your final suit on

I paint my fingernails.

Oh, we’re going out in style, babe.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were on a mission to destroy all of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. The Order of the Phoenix, now joined by Fred, George, and Y/N, kept themselves on a low radar. After the attack at Fleur and Bill’s wedding, they needed to remain alive and safe. Fred and George continued to open their shop and operate like a regular business. The Ministry began to arrest Muggle-born witches and wizards, causing the wizarding world to fog up in the presence of an incoming war.

The death eaters and Ministry were hunting the Golden Trio, but no one knew where they were. Y/N laid awake one night, staring up at the ceiling as she thought about her younger brother out in the world fighting to end this war, as she laid in a warm bed in the arms of her boyfriend.

She thought about her journey to where she had gotten. After leaving Hogwarts with the twins, they were met with an angry and disappointing speech given by Molly to the three of them. After discussing the joke shop idea and showing Molly all the work and thought they had put into it, she knew her children were following their dreams, something she had taught all of them.

As the weeks went on, Y/N started to realize that she was beginning to feel better. Moving into a small flat with her best friends and starting up a new business gave her time to start doing something in her life. She no longer grieved Cedric. Before, he was a painful memory that she couldn’t even think about without crying herself to sleep. Instead, he became a memory that warmed Y/N’s heart whenever she thought about him. They had had a generous and loving relationship, and he was no longer in the world. It still hurt that he was gone. But the world kept spinning, and if she didn’t start to keep up, it would leave her behind.

After a few months, she began to notice something different about Fred. There had always been something she felt with the way he looked at her. It was like if he was feeling real joy whenever they shared looks. She had always felt the pit in her stomach whenever he put his arm around her or made a flirty comment, but that was Fred. He was casually flirty and had always been that way. But because he was her best friend, she had pushed away those feelings to the back of her mind. However, they lived and worked together, and the emotions she was feeling for Fred only began to grow.

She couldn’t remember how it had happened. But on a night out after drinking, the two laid in their living room and drunkenly confessed their feelings. Things led to another, and the two had finally kissed after years of being in love.

“Hey, is everything alright, love?” Fred’s groggy voice took Y/N out of her thoughts. She turned to see her sleepy boyfriend staring at her figure.

“Yeah, I’m just worried. Harry managed to send me a message with the fireplace the other day. I didn’t want to alert you or George, so I let your father know,” Fred sat up to comfort his girlfriend as the tears began to build up in her eyes. “They’re headed to the Lovegood’s for help. That’s all he was able to tell me. He just wanted any one of us to know.”

“They’ll be fine. Those three have managed to survive and defeat any obstacle set in their way. They’ll be alright,” Fred assured her. She nodded and leaned to rest on his chest as he comfortingly soothed her arm.

And everything’s on sale.

We creep up on extinction.

I pull your arms right in

I weep and say goodnight, love.

No one had heard anything from Harry, Hermione, or Ron. No one wanted to admit anything, but they hoped that they were all safe and alive. For the past two days, tensions had been high with the Ministry and the Order. A close watch was being held on previous order members.

Molly and Arthur advised Fred, George, and Y/N to close up the shop and travel to the Burrow to be with the family. They had rejected their offer, stating that during dark times was when they were needed the most. They had to keep hope running, even if it meant keeping their joke shop open. But as the days got colder and darker, fewer people traveled through Diagon Alley, forcing the three to close shop and travel back home.

Molly and Arthur received them with broad smiles and open arms. The relieved hugs that they offered were not hidden insight as their worries faltered. It was nice to see their sons’ faces again and welcome in Y/N once again. She, Harry, and Hermione had already become part of the family, and it was nice to know that they would have company for the next few days.

“Mum loved the Muggle cookbook you gifted her. She was showing me some of the recipes earlier; she was excited for me to try some of her favorite dishes,” Fred explained as the two got ready for bed.

During the rebuilding of the Burrow, Molly and Arthur had received tremendous help from Harry and Y/N. They offered to help rebuild the Burrow. Molly and Arthur had at first refused to take money from them. Still, the Potters agreed that they deserved so much more, and they were doing it to return the hospitality and love the Weasleys had given them for years.

The Burrow rooms were now more prominent; with only Ginny living at home, they didn’t need as many rooms to fit their children. This resulted in two guest rooms that were occupied by George and, in the other, Fred and Y/N.

“Yeah, we baked a recipe earlier for your dad, who loved it. If you and George would’ve finished clearing the garden from gnomes faster than you did, then you might’ve been able to try the dessert before your dad ate it all,” Y/N chuckled at the memory of Arthur not resisting the temptation to finish the entire batch of brownies.

The two settled into the bed and cuddled up against each other—the quiet of the night set in as the two laid wide awake.

“I love you; you know that, right?” Fred broke through the silence. His voice calmed Y/N down. She relaxed in his arms and nodded.

“I love you, too,” she replied, pressing a kiss to his chest.

“I know you’ve been feeling anxious lately, and I just wanted to let you know that I’ll keep you safe,” Fred whispered. Y/N felt his grip on her tighten a bit before he relaxed against her skin. “Tonight, tomorrow, and every day after that. I’ll be by your side.”

“I love you, Freddie. Goodnight,” Y/N leaned up to kiss him goodnight as the older twin laid wide awake till the early hours of the morning.

And here it is, our final night alive.

And as the earth runs to the ground.

Fred and Y/N walked through the sea of Hogwarts students, offering aid to whoever needed it. As Harry, Hermione, and Ron delegated roles to Dumbledore’s Army; the Order worked to protect the castle in whatever way possible.

As they waited for the inevitable arrival of Voldemort and the Death Eaters, the twins rested against the hall bridge fence that overlooked the grand entrance and the great hall. They spent years finding the knicks and knacks of the medieval castle. At some point, these walls were victims to their pranks and were filmed with memories of laughter of students and causally professors. It had been their second home for years.

“Remember when Filch ran into that wall after he was the test subject for the first successful boxing telescope,” George asked his older brother, pointing to a brick wall by the grand entrance.

“You two tried the daydream charm on me when I was walking down those stairs,” Y/N pointed out as she joined the twins on the upper levels. The twins erupted in a small chuckle. That day they had caused Y/N to score detention with Snape after she had fallen to their prank during Potions.

The three mellowed in their silence. They tried to enjoy the memories that appeared in their heads, but all that they could think of was that they were going into a battle. A battle that they had no assurance to come out of alive.

“It was a pleasure, mates,” Fred jokingly stated, causing the two people at his side to shove him playfully.

“I would do it all over again with you two,” George added.

“Me too,” Y/N stated. The three looked at each other in gratitude and with love.

Oh, it’s you that I lie with

Yes, it’s you I welcome death with

As the world, as the world caves in

George laid defeatedly against the ground. He had stopped crying hours ago. The aftermath of the battle consisted of a mixture of emotions. They had won, but they had also lost.

George leaned over to soothe the back of the woman still clutching onto his brother’s dead body. Arthur had tried everything to pull Molly away from the body of their deceased son, but he had had no success. Just like Ron had failed to remove Harry from the grip he held on his sister’s corpse.

The two had fought together till the end. Successfully deflecting hexes and curses sent by death eaters, until they were ambushed and both lost their lives protecting their loved ones. They hadn’t died instantly. Y/N and Fred laid on the clock tower grounds, staring into each other’s eyes with their hands intertwined and held on tightly until they both shared a mental and mutual decision to let go. The fallen heroes of the Battle of Hogwarts were never forgotten, but it never stopped hurting. 

Fred Jr. nervously walked through the castle grounds at night, whispering lumos to guide him through the dark. It was his first time trying to sneak into the kitchen after curfew, having heard that many students managed to do it successfully. He had been lost for the past ten minutes, and his worst fear was being found by the groundskeeper or a professor. His small body turned cold when he heard a voice in the back of him.

“I think the kitchen is that way,” Fred Jr. turned around to see a familiar face. Only that she didn’t look exactly the way he had seen her. Her pictures hung in his house and at his grandparents and uncle’s house. Her grey appearance didn’t frighten him but instead made him feel at home. 

“It’s never too late for a midnight snack, don’t you think, Y/N?” Another voice sounded through the dark hall. Fred Jr. spun around to see another ghost, one that looked a lot like his father. 

“Never, Freddie. So, how about we help Fred Jr. here find the kitchen?” Y/N responded, flying down to meet Fred Jr.’s level. 

“Are you sure we won’t get caught, Aunt Y/N?” Fred Jr. asked, tightly holding his wand. 

“With us? You have nothing to worry about,” Y/N replied smiling widely at the young Weasley. A smile broke out on his lips, and he followed after the two ghosts.

[thedigitalnativee]

do mi ti. (fred weasley x fem!oc x theodore nott)

summary: during the spring of ‘96, fred and george weasley departed from hogwarts. but fred didn’t just leave hogwarts behind, he left his beloved lena too. while fred was gone, lena made a mistake that is now threatening to come to life.

warnings: ANGST, mentions of death, mentions of cheating, like super slight nsfw (literally will miss it if you blink), i think that's it but let me know if i missed anything.

notes: i split it into two parts and i will post part two as soon as it’s finished. lena’s name is pronounced LEH-na (the european way, not the english way) and her house is ravenclaw :)

Lena face claim:

•••••••••

It had been six months since Fred and Lena had been reunited.

She had been at The Burrow with Mrs. Weasley, waiting for the seven “Harry’s” to return. She had no idea Fred was on the mission until she saw Harry’s boy-ish face transition into Fred’s freckled, masculine one.

It was the first time she’d seen him since he and George left Hogwarts.

Since that night, Lena had been attached to Fred at the hip. She never wanted him to leave the way he did again.

But there was something she was hiding. Something that she planned to take to her grave.

~

December 31, 1996

Lena’s hands gripped the expensive fabric of Theo’s white dress shirt, pulling him into her. His hands roamed across her back gently. Both of their minds were slightly hazed by the amount of alcohol both of them had consumed. The sound of the other’s ringing in the new year echoed down the hall where they were.

Theo pressed Lena against the cobblestone of the dungeons. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she felt his manhood rubbing against her sex. Lena tilted her head back and let out a breathy moan as his lips attacked her neck. “God, you’re so beautiful,” Theo whispered against her skin and she felt a chill run down her spine.

Lena’s nails dug into his back as she heard him begin to unbuckle his belt. She peppered sweet kisses down his neck, her moans vibrating through his skin as he pushed her panties to the side.

He very slowly lowered her onto him, letting each inch of himself sink into her. Lena breathed out as he bottomed out inside of her. Theo buried his face in her neck, grunting as he gripped her hips. “Theo,” She breathed.

Lena gently moved up and down to meet his thrusts. A delicious swoon came over her as Theo pulled her top down to reveal one of her breasts. His soft lips wrapped around the sweet bud and sucked lightly, swirling his tongue over the sensitive skin.

She didn’t want to admit it, but he felt better than anyone else she’d been with.

He even felt better than Fred.

Months of yearning for each other. Stealing glances from across the library and potions classroom. Their passion had built up, boiling over and burning them. Just the touch of Theo’s fingers on her sent the young witch into a tizzy. The way he kissed her and held her so tenderly was so unlike Fred, but it was oh so good.

Theo lightly bit down on her shoulder as both of them came to their climax. Lena cried out as her orgasm hit her in waves. Each of Theo’s thrusts sent shockwaves through her. His eyes screwed shut as he spilled into her warmth. “Fuck, Lena.” He said lowly.

Moments later, after the fact, the guilt consumed her. She could feel the tears and the panic rise as she and Theo stood in silence.

She had cheated on Fred.

How could she do that?

She loved Fred, Fred loved her. She had no reason to be unfaithful, right?

It had just been so long. Lena hadn’t spoken to Fred in nearly a year. She craved a man’s presence, the feeling of someone else’s weight on her. And Theo was handsome and intriguing and he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

It would never happen again. She didn’t need Theo when she had Fred.

She loved Fred and didn’t want anyone else. She’d chalk up her encounter with Theo as a moment of weakness. Fred was her soulmate, and that was all.

~

July 27, 1997

Lena’s head rested against Theo’s chest. Theo played with each of her fingers

The war was beginning to rage and so was Lena’s anxiety. Not only did she have no clue where Fred was, but she knew Theo wanted to fight.

Theo was stubborn and still had that Slytherin determination as if he had something to prove. Ever since he defected from being a Death Eater, he had this horrible chip on his shoulder. He wanted a fight, he looked one for everywhere he went. He’d settled a little bit, finally, after Lena convinced him to go into hiding. She thanked the gods every day that Molly agreed to take him in until Tonks found somewhere permanent for him to stay.

Theo often mentioned the idea of running away. Just her and him, moving from place to place before they settled once all of it was over. But Lena refused. She had to see the war through to the end. But in all honesty, the idea was tempting. Especially if it meant that Theo would be safe.

Their affair started as a way for her to cope. Fred was gone and she craved companionship. She desperately needed to feel the weight of a man on top of her, holding her. But it turned out that Theo was too good at his job.

She started to feel more for him very quickly. And she swore that the moment she started to feel soft on him, she would never lay with him again. But then it kept happening. Before she even realized it, she was kissing down his chest as her hands roamed across his broad back.

And now, here she laid on his chest, overwhelmed with anxiety over his well-being.

Part of her felt guilty. Technically she was still with Fred. But she hadn’t seen Fred in a year.

When Fred and George left Hogwarts, they truly left without a trace. No one, not even Molly, had heard from the two boys in ages. The last thing Lena heard about them was that they were traveling across the continent selling products from their business.

But she was also angry. If Fred truly loved her as much as he claimed, why hadn’t he written to her? Why hadn’t he called? Was he so busy that he couldn’t even be bothered to pass along a message or send a bouquet of flowers on her birthday? The fact that he was able to continue in life so easily without her hurt.

“We could still run, you know? I could make a portkey that’ll have us in Iceland by morning.” Theo smiled down at her.

Lena chuckled lightly, “The answer is still no, Silly. Now come, Molly must need help with dinner for Harry and the others when they touchdown in a few.” She said as she got out of bed.

They’d been keeping themselves a secret from Molly. Though Theo was fairly certain that she had her suspicions. Nonetheless, Lena made sure she entered and exited his room as discreetly as possible.

She got dressed and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek. Before she could walk away, Theo caught her wrist. She turned back around and looked at him with confusion.

Theo’s face looked grim as he swallowed harshly. He gently pulled her down to sit next to him. He sat up slowly and cupped her face in his hands, his hands flattening her hair. Lena’s brows furrowed as his eyes ran across her face. “What’s the matter?” She placed her hands on his wrists.

He shook his head and let his thumb rub her cheek, “Nothing. Just let me look at you.” He caressed the top of her hair and forehead.

Lena closed her eyes and let herself feel his touch. She tried to ignore the guilt racking through her.

Fred, Fred, Fred.

What’s wrong with you? You love Fred.

Fred is who you want, remember? Your loving boyfriend who would do anything for you?

Theo’s hands drew patterns across her cheeks. He connected the beauty marks on her skin with lines and squiggles. He drew stars above her eyebrows before letting his fingers ghost over her lips. And just as he leaned in for a kiss, Lena cleared her throat and stood.

“Dinner,” She said, “We should go help Molly with dinner.”

Theo fell back onto the bed with a sigh, his bare chest glistening. “I’d rather stay here and have an obscene amount of sex with you.” He smirked and Lena felt butterflies soar through her stomach.

Lena rolled her eyes playfully, “Haha, very funny.” She put her hair up. “Try to do something though. Even if you don’t come downstairs and help with dinner. I hate how you stay locked away in this room. Read one of Percy’s old books, or ask Ginny if she’ll go for a round of quidditch.” She suggested.

“You’re right, I should do something. Come here and keep me busy.” He said suggestively.

Lena stopped at the door and chuckled, “Always a cheek one, You.”

She raised her hand and twirled her fingers lightly. “Amorcaptus.”

The spell lightly flowed towards Theo. Pink and crimson hearts danced through the air, dissipating once they got to him. A smile came to both of their lips. “What’s this?” Theo asked her.

“Amorcaptus. It’s a lesser-known spell now, but it was really popular in Germany when my mother was young.” She explained to him.

Her mother taught it to her when Lena was very young. “With love” is what it meant. Her mother told her that it became popular in Germany during World War II when many Jewish witches and wizards cast it as a final goodbye to one another before they were separated.

Lena couldn’t tell Theo she loved him. It was wrong and a horrible thing to do to Fred. So she said it with her magic instead, hoping it would be enough to get the message across.

She shrugged, “It’s the only wandless magic I know. Maybe one day I’ll teach it to you.” She smiled and then she was gone.

Later that night, Lena helped Molly set up the extra rooms for when everyone touched down at The Burrow. And after practically begging him, Lena convinced Theo to read one of Percy’s books. He settled on 1984 by George Orwell.

As Lena fluffed the pillows on Ron’s bed she heard the familiar crack of thunder sound off outside. A moment later, Molly called up to her to tell her that Hagrid and Harry had made it back safely.

Lena ran down the stairs and outside to the front lawn. “Harry!” She smiled and wrapped her arms around his short frame in a hug. “You’re okay?”

Harry nodded, “Has no one else come back?” He asked.

“No, you two are the only ones so far.” Lena told him.

Harry’s skin paled slightly before he put on a smile as to not worry Lena. But Lena could see the thoughts in his head swimming.

Ginny came outside, followed by Theo. Lena felt her breath hitch at the sight of him, still stunned by handsome he was after all this time.

Harry ran to Ginny and lifted her into the air. “I was so worried,” Ginny said as Harry spun them around.

Theo’s eyes caught Lena’s and he slowly strode towards her with a slight smile. Lena saw Harry’s face drop at the sight of Theo, his jaw clenching with contempt.

Lena was well aware of how Harry, Ron, and Hermione felt about Theo. And she loved her friends, but she couldn’t tell them about her and Theo. They didn’t even understand why she was nice to him at all. To them, he was just another Death Eater that defected to avoid prison. She couldn’t imagine how they would react to her and Theo being together.

Everyone was focused on Theo discreetly linked his pinky finger with Lena’s. His ice touch made her gasp slightly. It was the most public display of affection they had ever shared, though it was still so small.

Lena closed her eyes while Theo’s eyes scanned over her sculpted face. As he stared at Lena he took in every detail. How the moon beat down on her freckled skin. The way the wind blew her raven-colored hair across her face. Her fluttering, silken lashes and the soft champagne pink of her cheeks.

His lips parted slightly as he tried not to let his thoughts get away from him. But he couldn’t help the way his thoughts ran wild.

Theo cleared his throat, “Lena, I-”

Almost as soon as he opened his mouth, another crack of thunder came down. Lena’s eyes shot open and she didn’t even realize that Theo had said anything.

Her body reacted before her mind fully registered that it was him. At the sight of his fiery hair and tall frame, an electric current soared through her.

He looked up, his downturned eyes looking towards The Burrow. That was when she knew it was him.

Lena didn’t think twice before snatching her hand away from Theo, running towards Fred with a sob. Theo winced and tried not to show his disappointment on his face. He rubbed the back of his neck to hide his reaction.

Fred’s eyes found Lena as she ran to him with her arms outstretched. A feeling of pure euphoria came over him when she hauled herself into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her hair forming a curtain on his shoulders. He felt her tears staining his clothing as she violently sobbed.

“Oh, my love.” She cried into his neck before pulling back and kissing him on his plump and slightly bruised lips.

A year. That’s how long it had been since their lips touched, since she had held her face in her hands and looked at him so closely.

Fred smiled against Lena’s lips, “Hello, Lovey. Missed me, I assume?” He asked into the kiss.

Lena almost felt like slapping him harshly across the face. How could he be so nonchalant about disappearing for a year? It was like their time apart meant nothing to him. He didn’t even shed a single tear. “What are you- What are you doing here?”

“George and I decided to surprise everyone. We got the message about the mission and showed up at the Dursley’s. Quite a shock for everyone when they saw us.” He explained.

Theo wasn’t even a thought in her mind anymore. That was until she saw him again, and her feelings for him flooded through her all over again. Her love for him hit her like a tidal wave. She hugged Fred but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from Theo.

You fool. Theo thought. What did you expect? You both always knew that this arrangement was temporary.

Fred set Lena down and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He saw Theo standing a few feet away and smiled at him. Theo tried to put on a smile to be polite. “Nott, it’s good to see on the right side.” Fred nodded at him as he walked towards the house with Lena.

“Thanks, Mate...” Theo acknowledged.

Fred patted his shoulder, “Yeah, no problem. It feels good to do good.” He said to the younger wizard passive-aggressively.

It feels good to do your girlfriend, you fire-crotched bloke. Theo couldn’t help but think.

Theo felt like tackling Fred and slapping his smug smile off of his face. He knew how the Weasley’s felt about his Death Eater past and heritage. He knew that most of the Order of the Phoenix looked down upon him. He was tired of putting up with the staring and the whispers and the backhanded comments.

But instead of slamming Fred to the ground, Theo just nodded. “Yeah... feels good.”

Lena felt like her heart was nosediving into her stomach. Her two lovers were interacting with each other. Their alpha-male personalities were clashing slightly. She silently hoped that one wouldn’t say something to set off the other, fearing where confrontation may lead.

Fred kissed the top of her head and Lena eyed Theo guiltily. Theo just stared back at her with an unreadable expression.

“Come on, Lovey. Smells like Mum’s made beef casserole.” He said and Lena smiled slightly at his keen sense of smell.

Theo watched the pair of them saunter towards the house, Lena’s hands running through Fred’s hair and her soft lips peppering kisses across his face.

Lena tried to focus on Fred and how he was finally with her again. She tried to force herself to feel that joy she should have felt after seeing him so long. But she could tell that she was only happy to see him because she felt obligated to. And she also realized that she would have rather been kissing Theo.

~

August 1, 1997

Fred and Lena laid in bed together with nothing flowing between them, despite having just made love to one another.

They had tried to restore what they once had. They spent all of their time together, they tried different ways of showing their affection to each other, they even tried new things in bed to see where it may lead. Nonetheless, Fred and Lena were at all standstill.

Fred could tell from his first night back that she was apprehensive. But he just thought that it was because they hadn’t met for a year. He figured her wariness around him would go away with time. But after nearly two weeks, something was still plaguing his witch.

It wasn’t that she didn’t love him anymore. She’d checked after there was no spark when they made love that first night. She did still love him with all of her heart. But she couldn’t escape how much she missed Theo. She craved his lips and his touch. She craved it so much that Fred’s lips and touch felt like nothing against her skin.

So, she had come to realize she loved them both.

Lena pulled the covers over her chest as she cleared her throat. “The wedding is gonna start soon. We should get ready.” She said and he nodded.

He didn’t know if he should ask her if something was wrong. He could be opening a can of worms without even realizing it. But he wanted her to look at him the way she used to. Like he was the best thing in the world.

“Lena,” He started as she began to get dressed.

Lena turned away from him and scrunched her face. She recognized that tone in the older wizard’s voice. She tried to pretend like she didn’t hear him say her name. Perhaps he wouldn’t try to call to her again if she ignored him.

“Lena,” He said more firm, “we need to find time to talk today.” He stated.

Lena winced internally but said nothing but, “Alright.”

She left almost immediately after, deciding to spend the rest of the day with Fleur and the other bridesmaids. Being around her cousin had been effective in distracting her from Fred and Theo. Plus she could always talk to Fleur considering she was the only person that knew about Theo.

Lena would have told Hermione, but she knew the Gryffindor Princess wouldn’t understand no matter how hard she tried to. She hated that she couldn’t even tell her best friend.

At the wedding reception, Lena tried her best to avoid Fred. She knew it was the perfect time for him to pull her away and speak to her. She just wasn’t ready to confess to him.

She tried biting back that slight pang of jealousy she got when she saw Fred talking to Angelina, his ex. She knew when she and Fred started dating that he would always have a bond with Angie to an extent. Plus, she rationalized that she couldn’t be upset considering Theo.

About an hour into the reception, Fred finally approached his girlfriend. He came up behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on the space between her shoulder and her neck. He placed a soft kiss on her neck, “You look gorgeous in blue.” He smiled and so did she.

Lena closed her eyes and silently prayed he wouldn’t bring up wanting to talk with her. “You look good in orange, but we already knew that.” She giggled.

“Do you want to dance?” He asked.

Lena titled to look at him before she nodded apprehensively. Fred smiled a bit more as he took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

Theo watched from outside of the tent. He would have joined the others, but he wasn’t sure if he was welcome. Despite Bill and Fleur saying he was more than welcome, he still felt like an outsider. But it wouldn’t have mattered or hurt nearly as much if he had Lena.

He had kept his distance from her since Fred’s return. He didn’t want to complicate things even more for her. But he had to admit that he missed her, and being away from her was agony.

He watched Fred and Lena dance together. Her head rested on his chest as they swayed. Fred’s fingers gently raked through her dark hair as he kissed the top of her head. Her eyes fluttered closed in contentment.

Theo cursed himself for the ache in his heart. What a foolish, sorry sack you’ve become. He thought.

He had had his share of conquests. He, Blaise, and Draco had flipped the skirts of many dames in their time as young men. He’d even had an affair with the daughter of the caretaker at his parent’s home in Greece. So, he wasn’t able to understand why the thought of not having Lena anymore pained him.

Never had he ever felt for a girl the way he felt for Lena. He felt like a fool, stupidly in love with a girl who used him. But he couldn’t help but love her. Who wouldn’t fall in love with a girl as beautiful and kind and intelligent as Lena?

Oh, how he wished that he could dance with her publicly. Or do anything publicly, for that matter.

He wanted her, he wanted her in the true way. Not in the way of sneaking around, kissing in empty dark rooms, and linking pinky fingers. He wanted to hold her hand as they walked down the streets of Diagon Alley. He wanted to sit with her in a sandwich shop and talk the way they did in private. He wanted her to read him in the mornings as he made her coffee just the way she liked it.

He just wanted her.

“You could go inside if you’d like.” He heard a girly voice from the side of him.

Theo turned and saw the infamously quirky Luna Lovegood. She had a slight smile on her lips and her eyes gaped just like always.

“What?” He asked the strange girl.

“I’m sure no one will mind if you go inside. I think Lena would enjoy seeing you.” She said as if she could read his mind.

He wanted to scoff at her. How naive of her to think that the situation was so black and white. But he held his laugh in, remembering how Lena told him that Luna didn’t have very many friends.

“It’s a bit more complicated than that, Luna.” He pushed his hands into his pockets.

A giggle escaped her, “That’s not very Slytherin of you.” She shrugged absently.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He said, slightly offended.

He was so sick of the other three houses looking down upon Slytherin. As if they were the only house to produce dark wizards and Death Eaters. And being constantly surrounded by Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs made him the outlet for almost everyone’s animosity towards Slytherin.

“I don’t mean to offend you. I only mean to say that my favorite quality about Slytherin house has always been your drive and desire to get what you want. It’s not like you to walk away from something you desire.” She explained.

Theo’s defenses came down slightly as she explained herself. He should have known better. Luna Lovegood would befriend a Dementor if she could.

He looked down at the dress shoes Arthur let him borrow, “She doesn’t want me.” He said quietly.

“Sure she does. I’ve seen how you look at each other. She’s just scared is all. But I’m fairly certain she’ll feel better once you tell her how you feel.” Luna assured him.

He felt her place her hand on his shoulder. The two of them stood there in silence, staring at the jubilant scene in the tent.

He’d always dismissed the eclectic Ravenclaw as daft. She did tend to go off on irrelevant tangents. And she did come off as an airhead at times. But Luna Lovegood was actually quite insightful. And she was pretty good at giving advice.

Theo heard a rushing sound from above, a small blue light visible out of the corner of his eye. Both he and Luna looked up and saw a blue sphere flying past them and directly towards the tent.

“Well, that’s peculiar,” Luna said as Theo pulled her away from the tent with him.

Lena heard gasps from around her and felt Fred’s grip on her tighten. She opened her eyes just as the Patronus landed in the center of the room. Fred pulled her behind him to shield her from any potential danger.

Everyone backed away from the Patronus, which Lena now recognized as Shacklebolt’s lynx. Lena peered around Fred and spotted Hermione across the tent. She felt someone grip her hand and looked down to see Fleur’s manicured hand.

“The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming.” The Patronus announced cryptically.

Lena felt her blood run cold. Without The Ministry, there was no form of government to keep the Death Eaters at bay. The Death Eaters essentially had the will to do whatever they pleased.

The Patronus disappeared and the entire tent went into a panic. Everyone began to either run or disapparate as far away from The Burrow as they could.

Bill and Fred kept Fleur and Lena behind them as they found their way to George and Ginny. Death Eaters began to invade the tent, casting killing curses almost as soon as they apparated in.

Lena’s mind raced.

We’ve lost. We’ve lost the war.

My parents don’t know if I’m safe. I don’t know if they’re safe.

Harry. They’ll kill Harry. He’s our only hope.

Theo...

Theo!

Her thoughts stopped running about when his name came to mind.

Theo. She thought. He’s still at the house. They’ll kill him and hang him for all to see if he’s found.

She began to feel sick. She remembered how Theo told her that his father vowed to kill him himself for abandoning the Dark Lord’s cause. And now, possibly an army of Death Eaters were on their way to The Burrow.

She couldn’t leave him, she wouldn’t.

Theo couldn’t die.

He can’t die! She panicked internally.

Not after they worked so hard to protect him. Not after he made her love him.

Lena stopped running, gently pulling Fleur back. Fleur turned and looked at her like she’d lost her mind. She didn’t even think before she began tugging her along again. “Lena, let’s go!” Fleur yelled.

“No! No, Theo is at the house still! We have to go get him!” She said to her cousin.

Fleur gave Lena an apologetic stare, “We have to go, Lena. When we get somewhere safe we’ll send a signal to let him know where we are.” She tried to pull the younger witch along again.

“No!” Lena insisted.

Before she could protest anymore, Bill intervened. He gripped Lena’s other hand in his, making sure the hold was tight. Instinctively, Lena gripped his hand back. She didn’t realize what he was doing until it was too late. She saw Fred and George’s hands on both of Bill’s shoulders. Ginny had her arms around his waist tightly. As soon as Lena tried to pull her hand away, Bill disapparated all six of them out of the tent.

Theo and Luna watched as people began rushing out of the tent.

Theo’s feet immediately started carrying him towards the tent, towards Lena. But Luna pulled him back before he got too far.

Xenophilius rushed out of the tent and frantically searched for his daughter. Luna spotted his floral waistcoat and his ice hair. “Here, Dad!” She called to him.

When Theo saw him, he knew that the man had to be Luna’s kin. They were dressed almost exactly the same and he had the same silver eyes as Luna.

Xenophilius came to the two young wizards, “Thank the gods, you’re alright.” He hugged his daughter. “Come, we must leave immediately. We’ll stay at your grandmother’s until everything settles.” He added and Luna nodded.

Xenophilius’ eyes landed on Theo. He recognized him as the boy the Weasley clan had taken in. The defected Death Eater. He held no prejudice towards the young boy. After all, he was just a boy and not much older than Luna. He couldn’t leave him.

“You are welcome to come too, my boy,” Xenophilius said to Theo.

Theo didn’t know why, but Xenophilius’ invitation shocked him. He knew that much of The Order didn’t care for him. He had expected to be left as Death Eater bait. He hadn’t expected Xenophilius or anyone to offer him asylum.

Xenophilius saw the wheels turning in Theo’s head. “It’s alright, Son. Any friend of Luna’s is a friend of mine.” He said sincerely as he offered Theo his hand.

Theo swallowed harshly, Lena’s sly smile and freckles coming into his mind. “Lena,” He strained out.

“Lena Humphries?” Xenophilius asked recalling how Lena had been something of a role model for Luna. Theo perked up and Xenophilius nodded, “She’s safe, I believe. I saw her disapparate with the bride and groom.” He reassured Theo.

A Death Eater soared past them and Xenophilius pulled Luna closer. The Death Eater landed and cast a killing curse at one of the guests. The sight of the green beam shook Theo to his core.

“We must go!” Xenophilius said to them and Theo nodded, finally taking the man’s hand.

Theo closed his eyes to shield himself from the chaos around him. He wondered if his father was among the Death Eaters attacking the wedding. He felt his body separating as Xenophilius disapparated them. The last image he saw being The Burrow up in flames.

[jwillowwolf]

Magic and Miracles - Prologue

Tag List: @sandersidesbigbang @thomassanderssidesbigbang2021 @theimprobabledreamersworld

First Chapter > | Masterlist

This is a multi-chapter fic I've been working on for the last couple of months as a part of the 2021 Sanders Sides Big Bang. The original idea came from this post by @remy-please-come-back [thanks again for letting me use the idea 💜].

Summary: Ever present, never seen. Feared and admired by all beings. The life that bursts from the earth, the secrets hidden in stone. It dances in the fire’s flames; it gives the wind its mournful tone. Here it is, this is it. Defined yet unexplained. In the depths of the ocean, and of your own mind. In the veins of all creatures, including humankind. For magic is in everything, yet unknown all the same.

For the longest time, Logan wanted to learn magic. So, when he was offered the chance to study it at a new magic school, he decided to follow his dreams. Along the way, however, he'll learn about so much more.

Warning/s: food mention.

Characters: Logan, Emile, Remy, OCs.

Read on AO3

0 | The Underdog's Debut

Ever present, never seen. Feared and admired by all beings.

The life that bursts from the earth, the secrets hidden in stone.

It dances in the fire’s flames; it gives the wind its mournful tone.

Here it is, this is it. Defined yet unexplained.

In the depths of the ocean, and of your own mind.

In the veins of all creatures, including humankind.

For magic is in everything, yet unknown all the same.

Perhaps this was why people found it so intriguing from such a young age. They wanted answers to what magic was, and while they didn’t find what they sought, they did learn how it could be used to their advantage. Spells were created to do anything that their caster’s heart desired. From creating a small orb of light for reading in the night to manipulating a tidal wave that could crash down on your enemies.

Magic was something not easily understood, which was one reason why the Council of Wizards evaluated all potential magic users. They wanted to gage that these young mages could safely use the power they were wielding. If not, then they needed to be properly dealt with before things got out of hand.

This was a good thing, but also not because to learn magic safely you would need someone else to teach you first-hand.

Now that doesn’t seem like much of an obstacle, except the only established wizards were of the nobility, and therefore only worked with nobility. The system was pretty much rigged to make it hopeless for average people to learn and use magic. Or it was until our protagonist came along.

He rose from poverty to royalty, became a hero among heroes, and faced off against one of the greatest threats to humankind that ever existed! But I’m getting ahead of myself -sorry- let's start from the beginning, shall we?

Oh, but where to begin? Ah! We’ll start from his first test with the Council of Wizards when he was only a young lad of 15. It was the beginning of spring, which is when the COW always held the learner’s test. This test evaluated your magical potential and gave the council a heads up on how many new mages there were. Yes, COW, don’t ask me why they went with that acronym.

The ceremony was being held in the grand hall of the palace, and it was open for anyone from the Srednas Kingdom to come and watch. The test itself was rather simple but the festivities that came with it made things feel like a special holiday. Nobility and common folk alike were gathered to watch and see what new wizards would be taking on learning magic. There was even a small market of sorts set outside the palace to take advantage of the crowds and sell foods, drinks, and commemorative merchandise.

Inside, people were everywhere, talking excitedly to one another and trying to find good places to view the proceedings. At the end of the room, there was a dais with two thrones where King Thomas and his husband, Prince Consort Nico, sat to watch. In front of the dais were nine chairs for the COW members, who talked with the royals and amongst themselves. Even they seemed eager for what was about to happen, and yet no one knew truly how monumental today was going to be.

The event had begun the same as any other year. Noble children from across the land showed off whatever three spells they’d learnt for the test. Most were common tricks like lighting candles or making plants grow. A handful showed off with advanced versions of these spells, such as holding the flames in their hands or making entire trees grow. Still, regardless of how many times these spells were cast, the crowd watched in awe with each new user who passed their test.

And then a young man in a simple navy tunic and black trousers stepped forward. He looked to be in his mid-teens, the same as most of the young mages and walked with an air of subtle confidence. He had a slender form and soft features that pronounced his youthful appearance. His hair was raven black, swept neatly to the side, and his eyes were such a dark brown that they seemed almost black.

“Please state your name and title.” Silvia, the eldest council member, said.

“My name is Logan Picani.”

“Title?”

“I don’t have any.”

Silence fell over the hall. “Pardon?”

“I don’t have any titles.”

“How do you not have any titles?”

“I’m not a noble.”

Some people audibly gasped and began whispering conspiratorially to one another.

“Young man, you do understand what this test is, correct?” Allen, another council member, asked with a thinly veiled look of disgust.

“Yes sir, I do. I also know for a fact that there are no rules against my taking the test because of being a commoner.”

Allen frowned and opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Silvia. “I suppose not. Well then, let’s see what you can do.”

Logan took a deep breath and then held up his hand, “Ignyght.”

The tip of his little finger began to glow with golden light. The crowd watched on in silence as he carefully moved his hand to draw the necessary rune with the trail of light that flowed from his finger.

Once the rune was complete, he spoke again. “Solhart.”

The rune turned stark white and then disappeared. For a moment nothing happened, then a small white orb appeared where the rune had previously been floating. This earned a few excited claps from the crowd and an approving nod from two council members. But Logan didn’t stop there.

“Groh.” This time the light from his fingers was bright green. He made a different rune then repeated the sealing word, “Solhart.”

The orb multiplied until nearly fifty of them were floating in a cluster before Logan.

“Stahwynd.” A deep blue light flowed from Logan’s finger as he drew the final rune. “Solhart.”

The orbs burst apart from one another like birds flying off a tree in fear. Some people from the crowd shouted in shock as the balls of light zoomed off in all different directions until finally, they stopped. Now they were floating all around the room above the spectators who gasped as they realized what Logan had done. The hall’s ceiling was pitch black, so the lights looked like stars in the night sky. It was a breath-taking sight that inspired many to cheer and clap for the young mage.

“Alright, please settle down,” Silvia called over the noise before looking at Logan with a thoughtful expression. “Where did you learn this?”

“I taught myself.”

Silvia nodded then turned to talk with her fellow council members in hushed tones. Allen and two others seemed upset, while the rest of the council were neutral if not mildly impressed. After a few minutes, she looked back at Logan with a soft smile.

“Mr Picani, you are officially granted your learner’s license. I hope when we see you again in a few months time, you will once more surprise us all.”

The crowd cheered and Logan nodded before walking away with a look of pride. As he made his way through the crowd, he received congratulations from many strangers. And then he was tackled to the ground by an enthusiastic brown-haired girl.

“You did it! You did it! I knew you could do it!”

“Everleigh, my ribs.” Logan wheezed, causing the girl to release him.

“Oops, sorry. My bad. Is your chest okay?”

“It’s fine.” Both youths got up with smiles on their faces. “I did it.”

“Yep. In a couple of months, you’re going to be an official grand wizard.”

“Considering I just got my learners, I don’t think I’ll reach such a title that quickly.”

“You just created a night sky in the palace ballroom! I think you’re underestimating yourself.”

Logan smiled softly, “Come on, we should head back to the bakery to celebrate.”

Everleigh nodded in agreement and linked their arms so they could walk side by side. As they walked, Everleigh excitedly told Logan about how incredible it had looked from the crowd, and what kind of reactions the people around her had had.

Logan was uncharacteristically grinning by the time they’d reached the bakery. Walking inside only made his smile widen as the smell of fresh bread and sweet pastries filled his senses. It was after all the smell of home, so of course, it made him feel warm and welcomed. His father, Emile Picani, was standing by the counter helping an elderly customer when Logan and Everleigh walked in.

“Thank you, dear.”

“Oh, I should be the one thanking you, Mrs Goldstone. The brownie recipe you gave me has become a bestseller.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Have a nice day dear.”

“To you as well, ma’am. Oh, Logan, Everleigh, you’re back. And smiling,” Emile gasped, “did you get it?”

“He’s a wizard!” Everleigh dramatically announced.

“Not yet, I still need to finish the second test in a couple of months. I do have a learners’ license though.”

“Well, I think this calls for some celebratory tarts,” Emile said, ushering both youths into the back of the shop where the Picani’s sitting room/kitchen was located. “I’m proud of you logan. That hard work really paid off.”

“Speaking of hard work, you are going to take a break, right?” Everleigh asked.

Logan looked away from her sheepishly. “Well…”

“Come on, Lo. You’ve been working hard non-stop for months.”

“Yeah, kid, you work with me in the bakery all day, then study well into the night. And don’t think I haven’t seen you pull an all-nighter here and there.” Emile chastised.

It was true that Logan had worked long hard to get to where he was. it wasn’t exactly a simple task when books on magic were hard to find, and what knowledge they had was even harder to grasp. Figuring out pronunciation for the initiation/sealing words and learning to keep his hand steady as he drew the runes.

It had taken him many long nights of studying by candlelight to figure out the spells he’d performed. But with Everleigh’s library apprenticeship and his own persistent nature, he’d managed to learn a good deal about the basics. And now it was paying off. He officially had a learner’s license and would get a chance to become a genuine wizard.

Then he could use magic to help so many of the villagers who couldn’t afford the high-priced assistance of other magicians. Medicinal potions? Enchanted prosthetics? Transition spells? He would be able to give all this and more at prices his peers could afford.

Logan knew that what he was doing seemed near impossible, but he was going to do it or die trying! …okay, so maybe Emile and Everleigh were valid in their concern for his health, but this was his best and only way to study magic.

Before Logan could argue this, however, a stranger walked into the bakery. He was tall and slender, with a bronze tan and confident bearing. He was wearing a black leather jacket over a clean white tunic, black trousers, and dark brown riding boots. His short curly hair was the same dark brown shade as the boots, and his eyes were hidden by black tinted glasses.

“New customer, how do you how do?”

The stranger smiled. “Hey there, gorgeous. Sorry but I’m not a customer today. Is this where Logan Picani lives?”

“Yes, that’s my son.”

“Son? No offence honey but you look too young and handsome to be a dad.”

“Is there something I can help you with, sir?” Logan asked, taking over the conversation for his blushing father.

“Ah, yeah, I’m here to offer you a very special opportunity on behalf of the crown prince.”

Logan and Emile gaped. “The crown prince?”

The stranger nodded. “My name is Remy Animosni, and on behalf of his highness, I’m here to extend an exclusive invitation to the Srednas Magic School.”

Logan frowned. “I wasn’t aware that there was a magic school here in Srednas.”

“Well, that’s because there wasn’t, not until now anyway. It’s something that the prince arranged to start this year with a few students to show how good it could be to the council. You particularly caught his interest today with your starry spellcasting, hence the personal invite. You would learn alongside six other students under me about everything there is to know concerning magic, from the full basics of spells to how you can modify your own enchantments.”

“That sounds incredible,” Emile said.

Remy nodded. “Yep, and not only that but you will be given your own room at the school and anything you may need or want during your stay will be provided by us, free of charge. The location of the school is just an hour out of town, so you could visit home on weekends if you desired. So how about it, kid?”

Logan was gobsmacked. The crown prince had not only seen him but was impressed enough to send an invitation to learn magic at a special new magic school.

“Wait, what do I have to do for the prince in return?”

“Absolutely nothing. The offer is completely free of any fees or deceptive dealings. I promise. The prince even sent this with me to make sure you could have physical proof if so desired.” Remy stated, producing a scroll from inside his jacket.

Emile and Logan both looked over the document and found no problems. It was a straightforward invitation for Logan to study magic at the prince’s new school, with promises to provide anything he could need while he was living at said school, and nothing more. The father and son shared a thoughtful glance. It was definitely an opportunity.

Emile smiled. “Do it.”

“Really? You think I should accept?”

“A chance like this only comes around once, and I can always hire someone if I need the help. Follow your dreams kiddo.” Emile said with an encouraging smile.

Logan bit his lip as he considered things. He really hadn’t thought today could get any better, then this happened. He was worried about leaving his dad, but Emile had told him to take this chance. And he was right about this being a once in a lifetime opportunity. Besides, Remy had said he could still visit the town on the weekends…

“Okay. I accept.”

---

A/N: thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this. I'll be posting two chapters a day until the full fic is up, so if you want to be tagged, you can just ask. [Also, here's a link to chapter 1]

I'd love to hear what you thought about the chapter if you wouldn't mind commenting. Thanks again for reading! Here's hoping you have a magical day 💜

[gottawriteanegoortwo]

Mermay - Dilliam - An Introduction

Happy Mermay!

William discovers that Mark’s girlfriend is hiding a secret known as ‘Damien’. He’d never guess the truth.

Word Count: 2,807 (I got a little carried away, and this wasn’t even what I intended to write!)

-

Even if William had known Mark and Celine for two years, he always felt like he was on the outside of the group.

(Aside from feeling like the third wheel as Mark and Celine had been in a steady relationship since Mark first introduced his childhood friend to his girlfriend)

Mark, Celine, and her family seemed to have a secret. Whenever they would chat, there would be mention of "Damien" in passing. But when William tried to ask for context, he was never given it. Mark and Celine would conveniently slide the topic elsewhere to avoid answering the question, while he was in no position to ask her parents. All William could gather was that Damien travelled but occasionally returned to the family home. Was he a businessman, forever on the roam? Was he a soldier like William? Was he family or a friend? After several years of being left in the dark, he had accepted that he'd never learn the truth.

In January, he had been sent overseas with the military as part of a peacekeeping mission. Even if there were opportunities for video calls, the three decided to write letters to give William something to do while on duty and to make the time go by a little faster. The young Colonel realised something interesting - by Celine's fourth letter, she had mentioned Damien. He guessed that the vagabond must have returned while the soldier was overseas. He noted in his next letter that he was surprised Celine willingly mentioned this mysterious figure (William? Bitter? Of course not!). As though adding to the mystery, the letter he received in reply was a curious one:

"I'm sorry I couldn't explain it before. Damien is my brother, but he's very shy. He doesn't like others knowing about him without being told first. I have told him about you and he's rather interested in what you're doing."

William was FLOORED. He'd known Celine for two FULL years and there had never been mention of a sibling?? He didn't remember a family photo with unfamiliar faces. Deciding it was a better argument to have when he was home, he instead crammed two letters into the one envelope - one for Celine, one for Damien. If the brother was secretive, it might be best to prove that William was a trustworthy friend. Friendly, short letters would be a good way to start.

--

For the next two months, the letters became a great distraction from his duties. Mark was asking William for advice on how to propose. Celine was updating William on the house she and Mark had bought, including sending photos of the ocean just at their doorstep. Damien, while proving that he was a secretive individual, wrote short letters about himself. The mysterious brother kept to himself, and it got William wondering about how shy Damien was. It was endearing, in a way. William accepted that he was wrong to take the news so harshly at first. Celine was merely doing right by her brother. 

It wasn't long after William sent his letters in response that his squad was ambushed. The attackers were defeated, but not without William having his leg broken in the process, among other things. He was sent to a local hospital before it was decided that getting him home would be more beneficial. Any letters that arrived at the base for William were instead returned to sender, as the soldier was being transferred too frequently while being treated to determine where he would be at a given moment.

-

It was June by the time William arrived home. Not even a medical boot and a crutch could dampen his spirits. Mark's hug of relief nearly knocked them both down, but Celine joining the hug successfully toppled them over William's rucksack as they erupted into laughs. The couple gave William the grand tour of their new home. It was as charming and elegant as Mark would like, while secluded from frequent public activity as Celine desired. Not only that, the house was near a cliff edge, which allowed a beautiful view of the ocean. William took in this view as he sat in the living room with a glass of water.

"Will?" Celine's voice stirred him from his daze. "I know you've done a lot of walking to get here and you're likely tired but… Would you like to meet Damien today?"

"Would I like to what?" William repeated blankly, a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Your idea of sending him letters worked a treat. He asked me every day if there was a new letter for him. He's very curious about you."

"From what you told me, I thought he would have been gone by now." William's observation had Celine shaking her head.

"He waited to see you. I think learning about your injuries worried him." Celine's gaze lifted briefly to the water before she added, "He'll understand if he needs to wait until tomorrow -"

"No, no. I'll admit I've been curious to meet him as well. All this time you've had a brother and no one could tell me. What time will he arrive?"

"Actually, he's already here. Come on. I'll show you. There's one more part of the house you haven't seen."

-

William was fully expecting there to be a secret basement. Instead, he was led out to the back garden. It was small and neat, complete with a small wall to give some semblance of shelter. It looked like it belonged to a farmland cottage, especially given the gate at the bottom. Celine unlocked it and went first. William could see a path that led down to the ocean. The steps were man-made and weren't too steep. It would be a slow walk down but he could manage it in the medical boot.

"Damien is my twin brother," Celine began as she guided William down the steps, "and nearly everyone who knows my family doesn't know he exists. You and Mark are the only one of my friends who know and, well, you'll understand soon."

At the bottom of the steps was a seating area protected by some large rocks that created a safe area to swim in without worry of sudden tides whisking you out to sea. William hobbled over to one of the large rocks so he could sit down, gather his energy and curse the boot. Celine followed, climbing onto a neighbouring large rock.

"Damien? Are you here? I have my friend William, the Colonel!"

Ripples began to spread through the still water. William watched with wide-eyed curiosity when he caught movement below the surface. He had been watching the water while coming down the stairs, and there weren't any items or clothing strewn about. Before he could ask Celine, a head popped out of the water in front of him.

It was a man, or what looked like one. His smooth skin was as white as porcelain and shimmered in the sunlight. There were tiny bubble-like markings that William swore looked like scales. His hair was as dark as Celine's, but with a blue tint with the right light. It appeared to hold its shape by being stylised into smaller 'chunks' to form larger strands of hair. The ears were finned and had a pale blue along the edges. His face, despite not looking fully human, reminded William of both Celine and her father. The eyes were a different shape to the rest of the family - presumably more rounded and large to help with hunting - but the 'nose' and mouth were a perfect match. Even the eye colour was the same as Celine's.

"Damien, I take it?" William thought it absurd, but his hunch to ask immediately proved to be a good thing. The head ducked back under the water. Celine gave a knowing smirk and stepped back. In a flash, a large blur pounced for the rocks and climbed up with surprising agility, revealing what was actually a merman in full display. From head to tail, the skin kept that white tone, unlike what William would have seen in movies. There were fin-like protrusions emerging from his collar bones and his upper arms, which went from that pale blue on the edges to a dark purple at the base, almost like a sunset. This coloration was also on the frills that went down his stomach and on either side of his tail, before all three trailed off at differing points to allow the splendour of the large tail tip. William did remember Celine having posters of betta fish in her room when they met, was this why?

"The Colonel, yes? Oh, it's such a pleasure to meet you! Celine has told me so much about you! I'm so sorry I wasn't able to meet you sooner." Damien had snatched up William's left hand with both his webbed ones and shook eagerly, until he caught himself and quickly pulled back. "I'm so sorry. It's not often I get to meet new people." As quickly as he had sprung forward, Damien pulled back as his sister sat down beside him, ears flattened in embarrassment. The twins had such a likeness once the obvious differences were put aside.

"Don't apologise. I've been looking forward to meeting you too. I can't believe no one told me before I left. I'm offended!" William put a hand on his chest and dramatically sighed, only to erupt into cackles when Celine reached over and slapped his arm.

-

The three sat on the rocks for the afternoon. Celine and Damien took the time to explain to William about their genetics. Their father's grandfather was a merman who had decided to leave the life of the water behind and marry their great-grandmother. The merfolk genes became a passive trait. Their descendants had natural aquatic talents but all were completely human. Their mother, however, had magic in her bloodline, and this strengthened the recessive merfolk gene. When she was expecting twins, one was a regular human pregnancy, while the other was cocooned in water. In that regard, Damien was a miracle that he survived and had a healthy childhood...

"- but it meant no one outside a small circle knew I existed," Damien sighed. "Celine was able to go to school, make friends, while I was taught by our grandparents, as well as Celine who showed me what she learned in school. Because I'm not human-passing like movies show, I couldn't use a wheelchair and a blanket like I wanted." Not only that, there wasn't a large community of mythical creatures that they knew of. "But don't take this to be me lamenting my fate. I've had a wonderful life and have made connections with many merfolk communities around the world who welcomed me in while I am studying."

"Studying?" William looked confused, but Celine took the moment to wrap her arm around Damien's shoulder.

"You are looking at one of the top merfolk experts on culture and tradition, as well as a general fish expert. Speaking of," she patted Damien on the shoulder as she rose to her feet, "I should go back up and help Mark. We're having dinner down here." With that, she hopped off the rocks and began the ascent back up the house. Damien and William watched her go, before the soldier turned back around.

"So, an expert, eh? I happen to be rather unintelligent compared to your sister and Mark, so I'm afraid you'll have to tell me everything." He rested his elbow on his good leg, and propped his chin on his hand as he grinned at the merman. Damien's eyes darted aside and his ears flattened in embarrassment.

"Well, I wouldn't call myself an 'expert'," Damien admitted quietly, "but actually… I'd rather hear about you. I really enjoyed receiving your letters while you were away. Is that why you wear those clothes?" 

"Oh these?" Whoops. William had forgotten to change when he arrived. He barely had a moment to drop his bags to the guest room. "This is my military uniform. It's commonplace to wear it when you're on duty, even if you're simply being sent home. It's not the normal battle uniform, not anymore. That's just regular camouflage. This is an everyday uniform that shows off any badges you have earned and -" William stopped as he felt his hat being plucked off his head. He hadn't noticed Damien crawl over until it was too late. Instead of snatching it back, he ruffled his hair so that it lost the 'hat hair' look.

"How can you wear this? I've never seen anything like it!" Damien, after a brief examination, decided to try it on. The strange shape of the hat meant that it kept falling forward on him, no matter what he did to try and keep it in place. Instead of helping, William simply laughed at the merman's misfortune.

-

When William eventually agreed to help Damien wear the hat in a way that wouldn't fall off, he began to share stories of his early days in the army. Damien was enthralled, asking questions in a bid to learn more. It was no wonder that both were startled by the arrival of Mark and Celine with lanterns and all the necessities for a feast by the sea. Damien returned to the water while the humans set up, only to resurface when they were ready. His skin needed to be rehydrated for what he knew would be a long evening ahead.

Food, drink and merriment were had that night. Damien had hoisted himself onto the bench so he could fully join in. William honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd had such a good night in the company of his dear friends. Perhaps not having to worry about a secret made it a lot easier to converse. For the first time in a long time, William didn't feel like an outsider amongst his own friends; but he didn't dwell on it much. Instead, he gave witty commentary during Mark's dramatic retelling of events the pair went through as youths.

At some point, Celine had fetched blankets from a sturdy, weathered box hidden amongst the box and wrapped one around herself and Damien. The twins nestled together as time passed, and Damien was content to enjoy being in the company of Celine and all her closest friends at last. 

The low flickering of the lanterns was the cue for the humans to return indoors. With William staying for a few days, Damien was content to let them go without feeling too sorry for himself. There would be plenty of time to chat. He sat on the rocks as he watched Mark help William back up the steps. Even from a distance, he could hear William barking something about how "this means nothing and I'm still stronger than you" and "I swear to God I'll push you down the stairs if you keep laughing at me Mark". 

"He's a good man, that Colonel." Damien jumped when Celine spoke. When did she move to sit beside him?! "When Mark introduced me, I was worried that his loud voice and brashness meant bad things, but he's been such a good, loyal friend over the last few years. I hope that he wasn't too 'much' for you today."

"N-no, no. I… he's exactly like you said he'd be." His eyes were on the two men as they disappeared out of view. "He's not angry that he didn't know about me, is he?"

"Nah." Celine leaned back, enjoying the light sea breeze. "He knew we were hiding something. I think he's happy to know he can be trusted. And he'll be stuck here for at least a day or two while Mark and I are working thanks to that broken foot. I'd bet he'll make it his mission to come down here alone just to show he can."

"I'd like that. He has a lot of stories to tell… Would it be weird if I ask him to keep talking?"

"Not as weird as it is that you've caught some sort of feelings for him. Did you get bitten by a love-bug, brother dearest?"

"Shut up, darling sister," Damien quickly nudged her, only to receive a counter-shove in response. "Just… don't tell him, alright? I know better than to interrupt a human marriage like that." He'd content himself with the company of the man who had captured his attention from the first letter. Celine slid off the rock and stretched. She glanced over her shoulder with a knowing smirk, gesturing to her left hand, which Damien knew was the hand with her engagement ring.

"His ring is on the other hand, Damien. It's a birthday present from his father. Goodnight, brother~" And off she went, gleefully ignoring her brother's confused questions.

"What do you mean he doesn't have a partner??"

[the-melting-world]

The Empress | Side B: “Oats In the Water”

Art by @markmefistov

~ In which a humble gardener loses control…

The Trio Appearances: Kipling | Khleo | Ozy

Arcana LI Appearances: Asra | Nadia | Muriel 

Track Origins: “Oats In the Water” by Ben Howard

Not sure if this is the right track? The full album can be found here: The Empress

cw: blood, violent descriptions

~ 1.4k words

The very large portal that Kipling opened has just taken her best friend Khleo. Kipling and Ozy were too caught up in their argument to notice...

The rain was coming down harder. Kipling was tired of arguing with Ozy. She was getting wetter and wetter by the minute, and this conversation was going nowhere. If Ozy said one more thing about her so-called third eye, she was going to lose it. Ozy was still shouting at Kip when she finally decided to tune him out completely and go back to what she was doing with Khleo. Based on how the storm was growing, it didn’t seem like going back to the grotto was an option.

Kip looked over to where Khleo was standing. Only, he wasn’t standing there anymore. 

“Khleo?”

Not only was Khleo gone but so was the portal.

Kipling heard Ozy’s incredulous gasp before she registered the reality of the situation.

“No, no, no. Khleo. I told you to wait!”

Kipling turned slowly, her eyes burning in Ozy’s direction despite the rain. 

“Ozy.” Kipling bit at his name. “Where is Khleo? Where’s the jump off?”

For the first time, Ozy looked unsure. He never looked unsure when it came to the portals. He always had the answers, always knew what to do and how to do it. Now he was looking down at his hands, counting his fingers, muttering under his breath, glancing this way and that.

Kipling barely noticed that her hand that wore the gauntlet was slowly curling into a fist.

“Ozy. The jump!”

“We never made one!” He burst.

Kipling was squeezing her hand so tightly that it went numb. “So? Make one now.”

Ozy faltered. “I only know how to make exit portals after the entry portal is opened. You can’t create exits if the entrance no longer exists.”

“What? What do you mean you can’t...” Kip trailed off, disbelieving.

Ozy threw his hands up in the air. “I don’t know how to get Khleo out!” He could barely bring himself to look at Kipling. The way she backed up on trembling legs, eyes darting around the rocky shelf for something to hold her up – she was in shock.

“I told Khleo to wait,” Ozy groaned weakly, barely feeling the tropical storm beating down on them both. The water sluicing down his face, mixing in with his tears turned from warm to cold as the winds picked up.

Kip kept turning in circles, as if that monstrous portal would show up at any moment and bring back her friend.

“He’s gone? Khleo’s gone? You… Ozy, you…”

Her spinning was starting to make Ozy feel sick.

“I told him to wait, Kip! I told him to wait for me.” Ozy approached, determined to take Kip’s shoulders and steady her. “Khleo didn’t listen to me and neither did you, Kip. You didn’t lock the portal right! No one ever listens to me!”

Kipling reluctantly came to a halt, but she shoved Ozy’s hands away. It seemed her emotions had finally caught up to what was registering in her brain. Because now she was screaming. 

“That was my best friend, Ozy.” She raised up her gauntlet. “My best friend!”

Then there was only rage. Blood. The cracking of skin. Bone breaking. 

Now...Ozy was on his knees, trying to hold his face together. Begging. Painful sobs under the blanket of blood and disrupted cartilage.

Kip looked down at her hand that wore the gauntlet. Looked at the sticky evidence of violence that refused to go with the rain.

A storm so tiresome and overwhelming created its own vortex of wrath all around them.

A storm so great and yet… so empty.

***

Kipling woke up again covered in seawater. She wasn’t in her and Asra’s bedroom this time. She was in the reading room. There was standing water everywhere, like a small flood had passed through. All of their magical artifacts were drifting about, some getting ruined. 

Not again.

Kipling didn’t scream or sob or call out for Asra as she had done in the past. She had grown tired of putting her body through more stress. This unwelcome teleporting in her sleep became more terrifying with each new incident, but they also happened frequently enough to be normal at this point. 

Once Kipling’s disorientation subsided, she sat up on the reading table to see that she had disturbed Asra’s deck. All of the minor and major arcana were scattered about the table, damp and wilting under the weight of the saltwater.

Kip cursed as she tried to gather them up. Really, it was pointless. There was water everywhere.

“Kip! Kipling!”

Asra appeared before the doorway, white curls disheveled, the hem of his loose pants soaking as he picked his way across the flooded room, and concern streaking his features.

Kipling wished he didn’t have to worry about her all the time. To know that he wanted to help her and could do nothing about it really made her heart ache.

When Kip began to apologize, Asra cut her off with warm, unconditional embraces. Each one was peppered with soft encouragements and even softer kisses.

Kip wished she could lean into them and forget that this even happened. Flooding the room where they did their readings was not the end of the world. A little drying spell was all it took to set things right.

But Kip had ignored this problem too many times. She couldn’t control her primary magic. She couldn’t suppress it anymore. It was tied to her memories and ever since she and Asra had defeated the Devil, her memories hadn’t stopped making their way back to her.

***

Asra slid the cup of lemongrass tea across the table to Kip.

“You know,” he said quietly, “not all the cards got wet. There was one that, for whatever reason, remained untouched by the water.”

Kipling wasn’t ready to walk away from the subject of her memories. She stared down at the cup of hot tea, unable to bring herself to drink it.

“When I woke up from…” it was still hard to talk about it “the Lazaret… did this ever happen? The nightmares and the portals appearing out of nowhere?”

Asra sighed. “Only a few times, but yes. I didn’t know what to make of it. The more of your motor skills you recovered, the less your primary magic would flare up.”

Kip considered this. “That was probably because once I had more control over my body, I could suppress the magic better. The more I remember about my time in the Melting World, the more I can recall being taught how to keep my magic limited and weak until it eventually became second nature.”

Asra reached across the table and fed his fingers around Kipling’s wrist.

“But you got older, stronger. Your magic grew. It’s not something that’s meant to be suppressed. It never will be.”

Kip closed her eyes as a wave of anxiety suddenly caught her off guard. She flinched at the thought of a circular Door exploding into existence, interrupting her peace. Just an emotionless, bottomless stomach that took what she loved the most when she least expected it.

Why would Kip ever want to go willingly through one?

Asra squeezed her wrist. “Kip? Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“The recent nightmares I’ve been having have all been the same. But I realize now that it was a memory. There were other children there. They were my cousins… my friends.”

Asra didn’t interrupt. Kip stretched her mind to places she otherwise wouldn’t.

“Ozy.”

With Ozy she associated old books, older artifacts. Sharing silly rhymes that hid darker truths. Becoming masters of grey magic without the help of grownups. 

“And…”

Her memory flickered more sharply with the next one.

“Khleo.”

With Khleo it was all wildflowers and warm leisure. Sometimes midnight rendezvous to take out secrets and safely wonder at them.

Asra’s fingers pressed into her wrist. “Is that all?”

Kip looked at him. No. Not even close. Ozy and Khleo. There was so much behind both of them. So much emotion. Kip looked down at her tea. It was too early. Too soon to unpack all of that right now.

“That card that survived the flood,” Kip said, her lip quirking up in an effort to salvage some lightheartedness to get through the day, “which one was it?”

Asra, knowing Kip’s limits and respecting them, mirrored her grin, regarding her no longer with concern, but with genuine intrigue.

“The Empress.”

[gryfon-spanish-werewolf]

Uuh dunno if you would like this prompt : Anna and Elsa as a mythical creatures.

Would love too see what you will write them as ^^

@like-redhead-probably I sat thinking about this ask for a long time, because while I IMMEDIATELY thought of one for Elsa, Anna’s absolutely eluded me. And I know you were probably looking for a story, but I am unable to stop myself from first EXPLAINING my choices xD

I was already thinking about the myth of the Hulder (or huldra if we’re speaking of the creature in general instead of the specific Norwegian myth) for other story-related reasons, and as I did more research, I felt like the Hulder REALLY shared similarities with Elsa.

Generally speaking the huldra is a Scandinavian myth of a pale skinned, blonde or brown haired, attractive young woman who lives in the wilderness, often luring men away with song or dance to be killed or misled, stuck wandering forever. Sometimes she’s connected strongly to water, and instead of making men lost, she drowns them. Sometimes she is described as similar to an elf or fey-like creature, with characteristics related to other Huldufolk (we’ll get to them later) such as living in a parallel world, or a world Underground, and therefore preferring caves or appearing and disappearing suddenly. Sometimes she is depicted as having a hollow back, or a cow’s tail, which she hides out of embarrassment or to conceal her true identity. Which… how cute is that?

Before the 11th century, the myths were focussed more around the Huldufolk, which literally means “Hidden Folk”. There are lots of stories as to why and how the Huldufolk came to exist, but for the purpose of Elsa I think it most appropriate to look at the Christianization of the myths. Why?:

Frozen and Frozen 2 are modern movies made by an American company and Christianity is nigh untanglable with American culture, they take place in ~1840s Norway, F1 has a dedicated place of Christian congregation depicted in said movie, an official royal crowning overseen by a Christian faith leader, and the adaptation of Frozen generally comes from author Hans Christian Anderson and therefore should take his life and society into account, etc.

The Christianized myth says that one day Eve was washing her children (presumably after Cain, Abel, and Seth) in the river, when she heard God approaching. Ashamed that He would see her kids unclean, she hid the half she wasn’t done bathing, and when God asked, “Where are the other children?” Eve claimed that she had all of them present, indicating the clean ones. This gave God pause, but in the end He said, “Then let all that is Hidden, remain Hidden.” The children that Eve lied about became the Huldufolk, unable to live among humans. These people would eventually become characterized as dwarves, elves, fairies, etc., as time and interpretations rolled on, the huldra being just one of many mythical “species”.

So. Who is Elsa? She’s a:

fictional, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned young woman who led thousands of men wlw to wander helplessly into the dark caves and wildlands of social media with a power ballad and a jaw-dropping transformation sequence

Okay I’m joking… mostly…

In fact my interest in choosing the Hulder for Elsa lies purely outside of any romantic or sexual appeal, especially since Elsa as a character exhibits next to 0 romantic or sexual interest across two whole movies and an additional two shorts. Indeed, there’s a reason people headcanon her as either asexual, aromantic, or both! No, the reasons I chose the Hulder are:

Elsa’s name

Her upbringing

Her duty as queen, and

Her general behavior, specifically in regards to Frozen 1, as Frozen 2 Elsa is, at times, an almost completely different character

Elsa’s name was chosen very specifically by the filmmakers because it means “God is my Oath”. Oaths are binding, heavy, and invoke the maker’s or subject’s actions and personhood in the future. In Elsa’s case specifically, it invokes divine witness: perfect for a queen, someone born to rule. A promise to be fair, to uphold, to protect, to lead, to be a dignified and honorable face for the country. And Elsa was so ready to be that… except for the powers of course. Or at least, when they became something other than a magical gift of wonder and joy. When they became dangerous. Then there comes another oath, spoken to powerful creatures of magic, the Trolls, and born from parental fear: “She can learn to control it.”

Binding, heavy, invoking of Elsa’s future. As she grows, Elsa becomes closed off, quiet, hiding in her own home. She still takes her duties seriously, but now that she has been Other’d, taught to hide herself and her curse, she is just as much shadow as person. To young Anna, Elsa must have been almost ghostlike, disappearing right when Anna thought she’d cornered her, only to reappear sometime later down the hall, out of arm’s reach.

God promised Adam and Eve that their children would inherit the earth, even after leaving the Garden of Eden. Then suddenly that changed, due to Eve’s fear and shame of her unwashed children, and some would now inherit Underground, or somewhere else entirely. The lost children of Eve had become Other’d, needing to hide, disappear, and resort to inhuman tactics just to exist. Maybe they’re jealous, maybe they're just tricksters. But it’s not their fault. And it wasn’t Elsa’s either. Another reason they are similar.

Now, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Hulder, or for Elsa. While the Hulder is generally known for her more chaotic and negative attributes - just like our favorite snow queen, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. There are a few myths that say burning a charcoal fire -instead of a coal or gas one- is most pleasing to the Hulder, that she’ll even watch over it during the night, and wake the sleepers in case something happens. If a traveler leaves supplies behind with a note or offering for the Hulder, they will travel safely. In fact, some people leave caches for her, as though to cater to specific requests. Coming across the Hulder by chance can have a multitude of outcomes, but if an astute observer spots her cow tail and mentions it, she may become shy and run away. Don’t mention the empty back though, that’s almost certain death.

Basically my point is… trade out the word “traveler” for the name “Anna” and we can draw all the similarities we want. Anna did all of those things, in a way. Anna gave Elsa a little gift of their favorite snowman every Christmas. Anna knocked on Elsa’s door and spoke to her, treated her kindly despite the distance between them, literal and metaphorical. It’s not hard to imagine that Anna left little notes around the castle, hoping Elsa would find them, read them, and know that Anna still loved her, still missed her. And, well, hopefully Anna wasn’t setting any fires and falling asleep next to them - but Anna always kept a light on for Elsa, in her heart. And it flickered and wavered sometimes, but it was a strong fire most days. And we know Elsa was always drawn to it, drawn to Anna because she loved her right back. Loved her first, even. And because it was a warmth that pleased Elsa, she tended it, quietly, carefully, warmly. Like putting a blanket over an Anna that had fallen asleep in the painting room, refusing that slice of chocolate cake so Anna could have two desserts, and listening, for hours and hours, days and days, for the sound of Anna’s glorious bonfire-like soul outside her bedroom door. Even when her secret was revealed, Elsa believed that the best way to protect Anna’s life, her flame, was to distance herself, running to a secret, special place all her own - much like the Hulder might run away back to the Underground.

And this last part’s just me, but I’d like to think that if the Hulder was treated kindly, respected, and given dignity, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if someone came across her accidentally. That instead of being instantly drowned, or the Hulder becoming sheepish and attempting to run, it would feel recognized. It could be called by name. And instead of feeling the need to hide it’s Otherness, it could be treated as part of it, and cared for just the same. I don’t even need to be subtle here: Anna called Elsa by Name, really saw her, and reframed her darkness into light. Anna hasn’t fought God yet, but she did walk through hell and back for a sister that everyone else saw as a threat, monster, and sorcerer. A category 9 Other. Too bad for them, Anna’s got a Category 10 heart.

Speaking of. We finally got to Anna.

Anna was difficult to pin down because to me, Anna is so very, very human. That’s what makes her special! Yes, yes, you could throw any mythical creature at Anna and the fun part would be trying to make it work within her personality and characterization BUT since the question was Anna AS a mythical creature, that changes the game! The word ‘creature’ itself tends to conjure something distinctly INhuman. So I…. tried, and cheated maybe a little. Because I picked for Anna the Norse Valkyrie.

Most people know what Valkyries are so this one takes significantly less explaining. Valkyries are women that are warriors, shieldmaidens, and the hands of Odin, and they choose who lives and who dies during battle. Their chosen dead ride with them to Valhalla, while those they choose to live are usually granted honors in life. There are the darker sides of Valkyries that paint them as blood hungry maidens waiting on the sidelines before a war, singing the names of who will die with glee… but generally speaking the version of Valkyries that most people know and admire today are accurate! And thank goodness because attempting to depict Anna the other way would probably give me an ulcer.

Anna, much like the Valkyries, is a woman of valor and strength, who is perceptive, guides others, sees into people’s hearts and reveals their goodness. Valkyries are also warriors of prowess themselves, and Anna in Frozen 2 with that ice sword? We all know she was ready to use that for real. She also exemplifies traits that Valkyries both look for and have! Bravery in the face of danger: hello Marshmallow, Elsa’s own blizzard, Hans’ lethal sword strike, LIVING MOUNTAINS, and a damn collapsing.... dam. She also defends those who cannot do it themselves: saying publicly that, “My sister is not a monster… she was scared, she didn’t mean any of this,” even if that cast suspicion or doubt on herself, and the crown, as a whole. Anna knew and believed in Elsa, despite all the years and heartbreak and anger. Despite the impossible magic that literally just happened before her very eyes. Belief in character, despite appearances. And once they were reunited, Anna made every effort to stay by Elsa’s side because she STILL had that faith in her. Anna’s name means “Grace” or “of Grace”, and damn if she didn’t extend that to the person others found most unworthy, even to Elsa herself. Valkyries see what others don’t, and their decisions are final.

[Deep breath] SO! You asked for Anna and Elsa as mythical creatures. You got… a small academic paper, by social media standards xD. I intend to write a little piece about a Valkyrie who encounters the Hulder on the edges of a battlefield and… realizes she never made a choice about this particular woman. And wonders why she can’t ;). BUT I didn’t wanna leave you hanging any longer. Hope you like my choices!

Oh also, nobody asked, but Kristoff is a werebear. No research required

[bush-viper-cutie]

“Uncovered and Secured” || YEAR 3 – Ch.38 (HP au)

                              Chapter List

<-- Last Chapter                          Next Chapter -->

Day posted: 1/9/2021

Word count: 3, 411

Relationship: EVENTUAL severus X oc (slow burn)

Rating: E for everyone

Warnings: none

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A/N: This is my first fan fic I’m writing mainly as a way to practice. This is a retelling of the hp books with an inserted character. Although most every character will be written about, this is mostly for the pro snape fandom. Please do not fear, although this is a severus x oc story, it is an incredibly slow burn as I do not intend for them to get together at all until after the final book events. Chapters will be posted twice a week.

This derivative work follows the events of the Harry Potter books by Jk Rowling and is intended as a fun way to practice my writing. Thank you for reading :D

Happy Birthday Severus Snape!

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~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~

Heather wiped her mouth with her sleeve and turned back around.

Harry pulled her aside, frowning. “Heather are you ok?”

Heather looked over Harry’s shoulder at Black, Lupin, and Crookshanks – who was hissing, spitting, and snarling with claws out and ready – surrounding the cowering man. Professor Trelawney’s words were spinning around in her head like a twirling tornado. Sirius Black was a convicted murderer, CONVICTED. Even Fudge went to see him. Surely… Surely he must have been given a chance to explain. Someone must have looked into his involvement. Dumbledore must have known somehow… ANYTHING. But Peter... Lupin was convinced Sirius Black was innocent. If Peter really was the one who betrayed their parents, then it would be Peter who would be returning to Voldemort tonight.

She looked at Harry again and shook her head.  

Lupin took his wand back and Sirius Black picked up Snape’s. Both men held them out, pinning Peter in place.

“Hello, Peter,” Lupin greeted him pleasantly, as if they had both bumped into each other on the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley. “Haven’t seen you in some time.”

Peter was still crouching, trembling slightly, trying to make himself shorter than he already seemed. He had his hands out close to his chest like Scabbers had often done when he sat on his hind legs. He had a bald spot in the middle of his matted blonde hair that grew out in tufts that stopped at his sideburns. His eyes were beady and looked around at Lupin, Black, and Harry and Heather.

“S-Sirius… R-Remus…” Peter squeaked. “M-my old friends… M-my friends… I’ve missed you so!” He gave a small smile that wrinkled his eyes.

Black raised his wand arm, ready to unleash a flurry of spells but Lupin’s free arm extended out, stopping him from reacting to the small man’s words.

“How nice it is to have you join our little chat,” Lupin’s voice remained soft and casual. “See, we’ve been talking about the night Lily and James died.”

Peter’s smile dropped. He licked his dry, cracked lips and turned his hands palm up, though he still kept them tucked close to his body. “Remus… Y-you don’t believe him do you? He tried to kill me… murder me… Remus…!”

Lupin fixed his jaw, setting it tight at the sound of his name. “Yes. I’ve heard.”

Peter stuck out his middle finger and pointed it at Black – his hand had only four finger, with the knuckle of his index finger ending in a clean scar where a finger should have been. “He’s come to kill me!” The unnatural squeak of his voice turned raspy. “He killed Lily and James and now he’s come to murder me too… Remus… You’ve got to help me…”

Sirius Black was baring his teeth and looked at him with even more hatred than he’d looked at Snape. His eyelids pulled back so far his red-rimmed eyes bulged and his face looked more skull-like than ever.

“No one’s going to die tonight until we’ve sorted some things out… Peter,” Lupin lightened his cold voice, “Let’s clear up one or two little matters about that night, shall we?”

“What matters?” Peter squeaked. He looked around the room wildly and pointed at Black again. “He’ll kill us all with his Dark powers! He broke out of Azkaban when no one’s ever done it before, imagine what he’ll do to us all! Who knows what more of the Dark Arts He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has taught him! H-horrible things I’m sure… Horrible Dark tricks…!”

Heather felt the room spinning as fast as the tornado in her mind. “Harry,” she hissed. He turned to look at her and she knew she had to tell him. “A prophecy… Professor Trelawny she – ”

Black barked out a laugh, dropping his wand arm to hold his stomach. It struck the air horribly sending a chill down everyone’s spines. “Taught tricks? From Voldemort?”

Peter flinched, as if he’d been struck in the face.

Black sobered immediately, focusing his gaze on Peter. “What? Afraid to hear your old master’s name?” Black slowly smiled again, grinning at how horribly Peter was shaking. “Of course you must also be afraid of all your old palls, too, aren’t you? I hear they aren’t very happy with you… Not happy at all. I hear…” Black stepped forward menacingly, grin slowly shrinking. “They think the double-crosser double-crossed them. I hear…” He stepped closer once more. “They all think you’re dead, or you’d have to answer to them. I hear they all know Voldemort went to the Potter’s on your information… and met his downfall there. And that’s just what I hear from Azkaban… I hear… Not all his supporters ended up in there though. Did they? There are plenty still out there, biding their time, pretending they’ve seen the error of their ways… If they got wind that you were still alive… for twelve years alive and hiding from them, Peter – ”

“D-d-don’t know what – ” Peter swallowed. “What you’re talking about…” He wiped his face on his sleeve like a twitch and looked around again, his little eyes searching. He turned to Lupin again. “Remus! You can’t believe this – madness!”

“What innocent man spends twelve years as a rat, Peter?” Lupin shook his head. “It’s a little hard to understand.”

“Innocent! Yes! But also scared! If-f Voldemort’s supporters were after me then it is because I put their best man in Azkaban! The spy – Sirius Black!”

“Me? A spy?” Black growled. “When have I ever been the one to sneak around people stronger and more powerful than myself? You, Peter – Why I didn’t see you were the spy from the start. After all! You always liked big friends who’d look after you, didn’t you? It used to be us… Remus, me… and James… But there were bigger friends out there. Weren’t there?”

Peter was panting, looking around wildly again. “Me? A spy… madness… you must be out of your mind… I’d never… don’t know how you could say – ”

“I convinced James and Lily to make you Secret-Keeper,” Black hissed, forcing a panicked jump out of Peter. “I thought it’d be the perfect plan… a bluff… Who’d ever use a weak talentless thing like you as their Secret-Keeper? I was sure Voldemort would come after me… I was prepared. Ready… Waiting to give up my life while little Peter hid, keeping our friends safe… I can’t imagine how grand you must have felt, telling Voldemort you could hand over the Potters – Must have been the finest moment of your miserable life!”

“Most farfetched… Absurd – ” Peter’s eyes were darting from the floor to the ceiling, the boarded up windows, to the closed door behind Lupin and Black. “Lunacy…”

Heather settled her eyes on Peter Pettigrew, ignoring the panging feeling that everything would go horribly wrong like it always did. He was looking for escape, but was it for fear of Sirius Black, or was he planning to run in search of his most powerful ‘friend’, Voldemort?

Hermione stepped forward again, swallowing thickly at the sight of the distraught man in front of her. “If… If I may ask – Why had he never tried to hurt Harry, if he was working for Voldemort? Scabbers – I mean – this man – he’s been sleeping in the boy’s dormitory for three years.”

Peter perked up at once and pointed at Hermione with a smile. “See, Remus! I would never want to hurt a single hair on Harry’s head! Why should I…? He – ” He pointed at Sirius Black again. “He injured Ron! Bit his leg and he would have hurt Harry if he had to! I kept them safe, running away when I did!”

“Easy answer,” Black snapped, ignoring Peter. “Why? Because this useless thing never does anything if he can’t see what’s in it for himself! Voldemort’s been in hiding for twelve years. He wasn’t about to commit murder right under Dumbledore’s nose – not for a half-dead wizard who’d lost all his power. That’s why you found a wizard family to take you in. To keep an ear out for news. Just in case your old protector came back and it was safe to rejoin him.”

Peter was opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water trying to breathe.

“But – so then – How DID you get out of Azkaban if you didn’t use Dark Magic?” Hermione asked.

“The dog. You turned into a dog, didn’t you?” Heather looked at Black who nodded. “They didn’t know you were an animagus when they locked you in.”

“That’s only part of it, I suppose.” Black shrugged. “I’m not too sure if that’s the reason – though that’s my guess as well… I kept sane as best I could, knowing I was innocent helped. And knowing I was innocent wasn’t a happy thought at all, so the dementors couldn’t suck that out of me. I repeated it to myself… over and over… It helped me keep my powers – weak as they became – until the day came when I transformed myself…” He looked at one of the windows, as if he could see out beyond it. “Dementors can’t see, you know… They let people’s emotions guide them… I think they could tell my emotions were less… human.” He swallowed. “I was obsessed, first with my innocence… then when I saw that picture – I knew where he was, in Hogwarts with Harry and Heather. Perfectly positioned to deliver the last two Potters should he hear word that his side was gathering strength again… Who’d dare say he betrayed Voldemort after that? He’d be welcomed back with honors... Knowing that, I became even more obsessed, and that cleared my mind… When the time came, I transformed. I slipped past them when they opened my cell to bring me my food… It’s hard for them to sense animal emotion… not impossible… but much harder. Then I swam as a dog back to the main land and journeyed north.”

“You were at the match that day…” Heather realized Harry had told her the truth about seeing the Grim, not just in the clouds.

Sirius Black looked at them, his sunken eyes much softer. He faced them fully and nodded. “Yes… Harry you fly as well as your father… I’m sad I could not watch any more matches. I did not want to bring any more dementors into your games.” He looked deeply into both Harry and Heather’s eyes, as if baring his soul to them. “Believe me… Please. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them.”

Heather swallowed. Suddenly, the man she had feared all year didn’t look anything like the man he was. Although he had the clothes of a prisoner and a wild dangerous look about him despite being skin and bones… Heather could see the genuine sadness of a man who’d lost someone he treasured. It was a pained longing… the same look she saw in Harry sometimes, deep into the night on hard summer days.

Harry looked at her and nodded. If anyone could recognize the hurt of losing James and Lily, their parents… it would be him. She nodded back.

“NO!” Peter fell to his knees and scuttled closer to Professor Lupin, his hands held up over his bent-down head as if in prayer. “Remus! You can’t – ”

Sirius kicked him onto his side and growled.

“S-Sirius! It’s me… It’s Peter… Your childhood friend… you wouldn’t…” He reached out to grab for Sirius. “You couldn’t possibly hurt – ”

Sirius stepped back. “I don’t need more filth on me.”

Still coiled in on himself Peter looked up imploringly at Professor Lupin. “Wouldn’t Sirius have told you they’d changed the plan…! Wouldn’t you have found out?”

Professor Lupin gave a quick tisk. “Not if he thought I was the spy… I assume that’s why I wasn’t told?” he asked Sirius casually.

Sirius gave an embarrassed smile. “Forgive me, Remus.”

“Not at all, Padfoot, old friend.” He began rolling up his sleeves. “And in turn, will you forgive me for believing you were the spy?”

“Of course, Moony.” He too began rolling up his sleeves and gestured to the sad heap of a man still coiled on the floor. “Shall we kill him together?”

Professor Lupin gave a nod. “Yes, I think so.”

Peter gasped and shuffled to his feet, still crouching down to half his height. “You won’t…! You can’t…!” He turned quickly and for the first time since he’d turned back, faced Ron and Hermione. He dove for Ron, holding up his hands again pleadingly. “Ron! I’ve been a good friend… a good pet to you!”

Ron looked more disgusted than when he’d drank the tea that Fred and George had melted all the bad flavors of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans they’d collected over the last five years.

Seeing the look on Ron’s face he turned to Hermione and shuffled on his knees to her. “Clever girl… You don’t believe them… how could you! Help me… Help – ”

Hermione backed away, drawing closer to Ron.

Peter turned slowly to Heather and Harry, his hands coming up to hid his face. “H-Harry… Heather… You’re parents wouldn’t – ”

Sirius seized Peter by the collar of his tattered robes. “HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO THEM! HOW DARE YOU FACE THEM! HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT THEIR PARENTS IN FRONT OF THEM! AFTER WHAT YOU DID?”

Peter’s head fell limp on his shoulder and he looked at them despite Sirius’ face being inches from his own. “They wouldn’t have wanted me killed… James would have understood… he would have had mercy…”

Sirius threw him back onto the floor with disgust. “Do you deny selling James and Lily to Voldemort? DO YOU DENY IT?”

Peter’s face contorted and he began bawling. Great heaping tears rolled down his cheeks as he gasped and drew them away with the backs of his trembling hands. “S-Sirius! What could I have done! The Dark Lord… You have no idea…! He has weapons you can’t imagine…! I was so scared, Sirius… I was never brave like you and James and Remus! I never meant it to happen… He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me to – ”

“YOU FRIGHTFUL LITTLE RAT!” Sirius bellowed. “YOU’D BEEN HIS SPY FOR NEARLY A YEAR! GIVING HIM INFORMATION FOR NEARLY A YEAR BEFORE JAMES AND LILY DIED!”

Peter shook his head and sobbed like whining child. “Because he was taking over everywhere! W-what would have been gained by refusing him?”

“Only INNOCENT LIVES! What more could one hope to gain when fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?”

“You don’t under-understand! He would have killed me, Sirius!”

Sirius clenched his fists and began trembling as hard as Peter was. He bent down furiously. “THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED! RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!”

Sirius stepped back, panting, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Professor Lupin as they both raised their wands.

Professor Lupin shook his head. “You should have realized… If Voldemort didn’t kill you… We would. Goodbye, Peter.”

The knot in Heather’s stomach loosened and she felt she could finally breathe. She turned away, although she knew she’d feel nothing but relief knowing there would be no servant making his way back to his master tonight.

“NO!” Harry yelled.

Heather whipped back around to see Harry had placed himself in front of Peter. “Harry!”

He faced their wands with open arms, shielding Peter. “You can’t kill him. You can’t.”

Professor Lupin and Sirius both looked startled and staggered back a step.

“Harry, this pest is the reason you have no parents… This truckling piece of vermin valued his own skin over your whole family. You heard him. He would have delivered you and your sister to Voldemort without a second thought if it meant he could continue about his filthy life,” Sirius snarled. “Step aside, Harry. He deserves this and more.”

“Yes, I know! But you can’t kill him… He should go to Azkaban. We’ll take him to the castle… hand him over to the dementors – just don’t kill him.”

Heather looked at him surprised. It was months ago, weeks go… hours ago that Harry would have killed the man who murdered their parents. He almost had. And now the pitiful wheezing man behind him was being shown great mercy… and now it was her that was willing to see him dealt with.

She sighed and moved next to Harry. “H-He’s right.”

“You sweet… children – I don’t deserve – thank you!” Peter bent his head down so that his forehead rested on Heather’s heals.

“Get off her!” Harry kicked him back. “We’re not doing this for you.” He turned to look Professor Lupin and Sirius in the eyes. “I don’t think Dad would have wanted his two best friends to become killers over someone so pathetic.”

Heather nodded. “And Peter can clear your name… Sirius.”

Sirius looked into her eyes and nodded, grasping the delicate extension of friendship and trust Heather had just thrown him. “In the end… it’s you two who have the right to decide what happens to him.” He lowered his wand hand.

They nodded.

“Very well… Stand aside and I’ll tie him up.” Professor Lupin motioned for them to part and as soon as they did, thin cords shot from his wand and wrapped around Peter.

Peter was groaning and wiggling under his binds but seemed well enough secure that Heather could catch her breath from the whole experience.

Peter stopped wiggling when Sirius pointed his wand at him again. “If you transform, Peter. We WILL kill you. Do you agree Harry? Heather?”

Harry nodded. Heather breathed out and turned away from Peter. “Yes.”

“Right, then.” Professor Lupin walked over to Ron and assessed his leg. “Why don’t we strap your leg up and take you back to the castle where Madam Pomphrey can mend your leg.”

Ron nodded and winced when Professor Lupin tapped his leg and said ‘Ferula.’ Bandages sprung out of his wand end and wrapped around Ron’s bloody leg. He stood with the help of Hermione and tapped his foot lightly on the floor. “Doesn’t hurt much anymore. Thanks.”

Heather looked over at Snape still knocked unconscious and poked his shoulder with her wand. “Er – what about Snape?”

Professor Lupin walked over and examined him. “There’s nothing very wrong with him. Still knocked out from those two spells – a little overenthusiastic with it weren’t you?”

Heather’s cheeks heated. “I didn’t like what he said… But I regret it.”

“I don’t,” Ron cut in with a laugh. “First Hermione now you. I hope you two DO keep up the good work coming next year.”

“Next year?” Hermione huffed. “We’ll be expelled after this!”

Professor Lupin chuckled. “I’m sure the Minister of Magic won’t allow the expulsion of Harry Potter, his twin, and the children responsible for capturing Sirius Black, clearing his name, and also capturing the man really responsible for those crimes…” He gave a smile and a shrug. “It’s not good press.”

“But we attacked a teacher,” Hermione whispered stubbornly.

“Right well. Perhaps we hold off on waking him up until we’re safely back in the castle.” Professor Lupin looked at Sirius and jerked his head back at Snape’s unconscious body.

Sirius nodded and pointed his wand. “Mobilicorpus.”

In an instant, Snape was lifted up into the air by his shoulders into a limp sort of standing position. His head rolled around as Sirius motioned him off the bed, and he looked more like a ragdoll then than seconds before when he was first lifted.

“Two of us should be chained to this, on top of the ropes… Just in case.” Sirius prodded Peter with his foot.

Ron stepped up, looking down at Peter with disgust. It looked like he was taking Scabbers’ true identity as a personal insult. “I’ll do it.”

Professor Lupin fixed the ropes and attached chains connecting Peter’s left arm to his own right and Peter’s right arm to Ron’s left. “Then it’s settled. Let’s make our way out… And leave all this in the past… as it should have been.” He looked around at the old and dust shrieking shack and gave them a grimace of disgust.

Crookshanks led the way out of the shrieking shack, tail held high at a job well done, and they all followed. Professor Lupin, Peter, Ron, and Hermione went through the trap door first, then Snape’s limp body, Sirius, Heather, and Harry.

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[anonbeadraws]

Nephele was born hungry, in many respects. Orphaned early and adopted late, her drow heritage apparently a draw back for those apparently so desperate for a child to love, she was eventually taken in at the age of 13 by a crotchety old halfling woman named Melda.       Her children were grown and had left home years ago, all travellers and adventurers and Melda was happy to take in, as the carers had told her, sat at their tall desks with their religious wimples and holier than thou smiles, a homebody who preferred to stay in and read. Not an interesting child, they intoned, but certainly an easy one.      Melda thought she could deal with that, something quiet after her rowdy brood, someone gentle and sweet who she could feed up and teach her great grandmothers knitting secrets to. Someone she could talk to, after her beloved’s passing. Melda would be happy on only one account she came to find, since her new charge seemed to be a bottomless pit, forever hungry for such new delights, pastries and roasted meats and fruits, the likes she had never seen at the Home.    (This of course, endeared her to her new halfing community, even the ones who cast second looks at her indigo skin and strange eyes and whispered of bad luck, would admit that anyone who could eat a blueberry pie with such ectasy in their eyes, no matter the colour, could not be so terrible)    Otherwise, the only other hunger the silent Nephele seemed to have was for books. Anything, everything, romantic novels, pamphlets left by passing adventurers, even dusty old tomes on family history which were not particularly sparkling material (though you’d have to drag that out of any self respecting halfing with the wildest of horses of course) and it was with books that Melda noticed her strange, quiet, charge came alive.     It took a while for it to happen (and much coaxing with home made biscuits and the odd apple turnover) but as the months passed, Melda’s quiet table, lined with empty chairs that only sat two now, sat also discussions of whatever Nephele had dug her nose into. Melda had never seen such excitement at the idea of learning, especially from her own children, and decided to encourage it the best she could. she began sending off for books and tomes unavailable to their village and when Nephele grew old enough and her interest turned to the magical, determined letters to the local wizard, a human woman who’d moved to the forest long ago, before Melda’s time.      Not a popular creature certainly, Melda had considered as she sent the letters off, and definitely someone the halfings avoided, but neither was her own child and even if it was someone older, outside of the community, it would good to see her girl make her first friend.

Sori was as strange as Melda had predicted, twitchy and wide eyed and clueless about how to drink tea politely, but intrigued to take on an assistant.  "You’ve taught her so much!", Sori exclaimed, crumbling more shortbread into her half full cup. “her affinity with language and its connection to magic is amazing, I’ve never seen the like in someone so young!”   Melda, who could not even spell her own name, only nodded sagely, subtly moved the shortbread out of reach of the wizard who drank half liquid biscuit from her cup, and made arrangements for further lessons. She could easily see the good the lessons were doing, the excitement and satisfaction they brought the girl.      Melda felt a little pain that she could not bring such glee to her child's face anymore, for how could apple tarts contend with the ability to create flame and ice on command? How could she, an old halfing even compare with a wizard, albeit a strange one, who taught her child to create her own spells, to blend old spells together to create something new? It was a little pain.   Manageable. It was more painful, as the years went by, to see her child withdraw, to go into herself. Research and books and scrolls, Nepheles room became a library, not that she was around often enough to enjoy in it. Nephele’s visits to Sori became longer as the months go by, she’d be gone for days at a time, on little errands for the wizard.    It’s just assistant stuff, Nephele would shrug, stuffing her bag for another journey, grabbing a pastry before she vanished again and kissing her mother absently goodbye.     She was a young woman now, Melda mourned as she tidied around her child's room, edging carefully around each symbol and scrawl. Of age and able to do what she wanted. It had only been when Melda had not heard from Nephela for many weeks, far longer than her usual stints away and found her letters ignored by the wizard, that she gathered up the courage to visit Sora and get some answers.Melda had expected something perhaps older, maybe a cottage taken over by vines and dirty plates and books, something broken down and as scattered as the wizard herself. Maybe some awkwardly offered beverage that Melda would politely take and never drink. Melda had brought some nibbles, hoping that would make the wizard open up to telling her what was happening with her little one.   She didn’t expect destruction. Not fire and flame and the woods around them burning and whatever had remained of Sori’s home blackened and charred, the smell of brimstone, terrible and unavoidable, the ashes of books floating everywhere.  Not Sori, severely shaken but not a scratch on her, not even a burn, shaking and shivering in the middle of the wreckage, stuttering that it ‘was all gone’.   It took a few hours for Sori to calm down, safe in the house Melda seemed to live alone in most days, and tell her something useful. To tell her that Nephele had been sent on errands yes, that they were to do with magic, yes. But not the simple fetching assignments Melda had been led to believe, not simple ingredients or herbs attained in the local forests or as far as the next village as Nephele had so often reassured her mother.    She had been sent out to steal. Not real stealing! Sori had pleaded under placating hands as Melda had begun to ratchet up her good yelling voice (which had terrified generations at this point).  Nephele had been sent to old places, ruins, to find old spells, abandoned by the uncaring and unwilling. Nothing bad, just the recovery of magic. The two of them had carefully planned out the areas, finding resources to ascertain the safety of the journey and what kind of magic lay behind locked and ancient doors. Nephele had found this one on her own, whispers from distant mouths, a great power, something life changing and she was so desperate to find it.   Oh my girl, Melda thought, her heart heavy, my hungry girl. With reservations, but a hunger of her own, Sori had let her go, pack full and had begun preparations to translate whatever her protege brought back. It would be a while but it didn’t hurt to be prepared.  Sori was sorely unprepared for what was brought however. It had been quick, (the time it took for a wooden cottage to set alight, Sori mused aloud at Melda’s dining table.) and Sori only understood a little of it but what she did know, was that her protege had burst into the house, not with her usual glee and delight of a job well done, but with some fear and a strange determination Sori had never seen in Nephele’s eyes before.   That. And a demon. It seemed that the job had been far more dangerous than they could’ve imagined. That Nephele, though quick and clever enough to avoid the traps and puzzles inside, had made a great mistake. That some power, even those lost and fabled underground, should not be tampered with and that sometimes, even if a voice  whispers and promises knowledge beyond ones wildest dreams, that perhaps one shouldn’t say ‘yes’.   Or perhaps, they shouldn’t say yes, then immediately bail out of the agreement upon grabbing the scroll and running for their lives back home, with a fiery demon at their heels.    Sori had only seen Nephele for an instant, long enough for her to see the scroll, see the demon and to see her protege cast a spell-  (Sori had smiled a little, relaying this back to Melda. It was one of ours, our best protection spell! she did so beautifully!) and then vanish, the demon with her. Melda took Sori in, though it took a week and several pitiful attempts at shortbread for Melda’s stoney glare to soften and her anger to abate. It didn’t help Melda’s standing in the village to do so, not even her blueberry muffins would be enough to undo the rumours that floated around her child or the strangeness of her current houseguest, but as Melda settled down to sleep, she knew it was the right thing.  Even if the reason for her child’s disappearance was sleeping just down the hall. Even if the house was empty again. Even if her heart was too. And if her heart, hungry for her daughter, for her safety, imagined her little ones voice again, strangely clear and certain, just as her mind turned towards the blissful void 'mamon. I’m safe but running. Sorry. Will find a way to fix it. love you” perhaps that was right too. a random roll for @pathcrier, who designed most of the character but wanted me to take a spin at the backstory! This is one of my longer bgs for sure, but so fun! THANKYOU HUN

commissions!|kofi

[is-it-madness]

My Glorious Purpose | Loki x OC Chapter 3

A/N: Hi guys! I’m so sorry I haven’t posted chapter three until now. This whole quarantine thing is really messing with me, I’ve been stressing a tad bit because my mom works at a hospital and the cases keep getting worse. So please, everyone, please be careful and stay safe. This really isn’t a joke. Anywho, here is the long overdue, chapter three.💜

Pairing: Loki x OC  (Tera Digitalis)

Word Count: 2k+

Warnings: None in this chapter :)

Chapter 3: Escape

(Loki’s POV)

I must admit, I’m surprised by the way Agent Romanoff was able to get me to reveal my plan to her. She was intelligent. For a mortal. And yet she had decided to leave a child to guard my cell. The mere thought of it brought a smile to my face. I would easily manipulate her to join me. I did not need my scepter for this. My silver tongue would suffice. I saw the worry on her face when Agent Romanoff told her to stay here and watch me, but now her back was turned. I began to listen to her thoughts, curious as to what she thought about being left alone with me.

Okay. I hear her tell herself. I can do this, it’s just standing guard. It’s not that big of a deal. It’s literally just standing. A pause before, Please don’t let him talk to me!

I smile. 

“Don’t you know that it is rude to have your back facing another?” I tell her.

I begin to listen again when she doesn’t turn.

Don’t you know it’s rude to try and take over planets? Or were you not taught that in your etiquette class?

I laugh, she is quite amusing. And stubborn.

 “No, I do not believe I was ever taught that.”

Dammit, Tera! You know he can read minds!

“Is that your name?” I ask her, curious, her back was still towards me. Hmm. She knew I was reading her thoughts. Interesting. 

 “I wish to converse with you face-to-face Tera, like civilized people.” I’m beginning to become frustrated.

Okay just don’t think about anything! He can’t read my mind if I’m not thinking anything, she tells herself.

I laugh again. “Please.” I tell her, “ I can do much more than hear your thoughts mortal girl. I can dive into your subconscious, I have the ability to learn your greatest fears and deepest secrets. And I will do so if you do not face me!”

She sighs in defeat. She turns around slowly to face me, but she refuses to look at me. Her eyes wander everywhere else, but she refuses to meet my gaze. 

“Look at me.”

“Or what?”

“Hmm. I think I will kill you myself when the Chitauri invade.”

She snaps her head up to me. I can see the fear in her eyes.

“That’s better,” I say with a smile. Finally, someone who knows when they are threatened.

I return to sit on the uncomfortable bench. I gesture for her to sit as well. I may be attempting to take over the Earth, but I am still a gentleman. Mother would be disappointed with me if I kept a lady standing. Even if she is a Midgardian.

“I prefer to stand,” she says coldly.

I smile and bow my head. “You wish to remain standing to keep your guard up, yes? I will respect this decision child.”

I noticed she clenches her fists when I call her a child.

This will be fun. I smirk.

“Since Agent Romanoff has completed her interrogation with me, perhaps I can ask you some questions.”

She frowns. “You aren’t going to be getting any answers from me.”

I chuckle. “No, no. You misunderstand. I simply want to ask about you.”

She looks at me, shocked. “Me?” 

“Yes, you. You may answer my questions to the best of your ability, and if you choose not to answer, I will respect that decision.”

“What’s going to stop you from reading my mind?” she asks, on edge, looking as if I might pounce on her.

“I admire your skepticism mortal, but fear not. You have my word that I will not make any attempt to read your thoughts.”

“Okay,” she says quietly. “ Can I think about it for a sec?”

“By all means.”

She begins to pace, and I watch her. 

Wanting to earn her trust, I restrain myself from hearing what she is debating. After several minutes she turns to face me. 

“Have you made up your mind?” I ask her.

“Yes. You can ask me some questions, but remember, I don’t have to answer if I don’t want to and you can’t read my mind. Agreed?”

I nod. It was good thinking on her part to lay out the term. She kept surprising me with her actions.

“Okay, what’s your first question?”

“Your first name is Tera, yes?”

She nods.

“I notice you became annoyed when I call you a child. Is this true”

“Yes.”

“Well if you are not a child, how old are you?”

I see the suspicion growing on her face.

“What will you gain by knowing how old I am?”

I smile, “I will learn that you are not a child.”

She glares before answering, “I’m 19.”

I continue smiling. “Yes, I suppose you are not a child.”

 “Humph.”

“Alright, here’s another question. How did you know I was able to read your mind? And what did Agent Romanoff mean when she said you know me better than anyone here besides the oaf?” 

I need to know how she knows so much about me. This is my first time on Midgard and yet she knows of my ability to read minds.

She smiles. “Well, before I met you and Thor, I believed you were myths, legends, stories of old. When I was younger, I was fascinated by mythology. Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Norse,” She says giving me a knowing look. “I would try to learn anything and everything that had to do with mythology. I guess you could say it was a hobby,” she shrugs. “I was always reading. Any chance that I got, any free time I had, I would use it to read. Still do actually,” she says with a small smile. 

She looks back at me after her gaze had wandered. I hold her gaze. She quickly looks away. I make a note of the flush rising to her cheeks. I want to delve into her mind. To know what she is thinking, but I held back. I gave her my word.

 I start laughing, realizing something.

“Perhaps you and I are not so different, Tera,” I say.

She scoffs, “I’m sorry, what?”

“We are intellectuals, you and I. We both indulge in the joys of reading.”

“Oh.” 

“What else do you know about me?” Just how much of my power does she know?

“Oh, um, well you can read minds, cast illusions and spells, shapeshift, you have super strength.” She hesitates before continuing, as if wanting to say something else, but she held back. “Yeah that’s pretty much all I know.”

“Shame,” I say. “ I liked hearing you list off all my abilities. They sound better coming from a mortal.”

She looks at me, puzzled.

I sigh, “I was jesting. Do you mortals engage in this past time? Based on all the people I have met so far, I would think not.”

She laughs. “You haven’t exactly given a reason for us to joke with you.”

I smile, “No, I suppose not.”

“Do you have any other questions for me?”

I hesitate before asking, “Do you have any family?”

The smile vanishes from her face. “I don’t wish to answer that question,” she says quietly.

I nod, “I understand,” I pause. “I have enjoyed this chat of ours.”

And I did. Finally, someone who is able to hold a normal conversation with me. It’s a shame I would be taking over this planet. But I have a duty. I have no time for distractions or pleasantries. 

She gives a small smile. “Glad to know that we bonded,” I can hear the sarcasm in her voice. “Now I’m sure you’re going to continue taking Earth over.”

I chuckle, “You’re not wrong.”

I know that Barton has reached the helicarrier, and I know that the beast will be unleashed any second. For reasons, I am unable to explain, I did not want this Midgardian child in harm’s way. She may believe she is not a child, but I disagree. She is extremely small. If the beast reaches her, well, he would be able to snap her neck before she knew what was happening. I didn’t want her to die. Not yet. I want to know why she wouldn’t speak of her family. I want to find out.

I begin muttering an incantation under my breath. 

“What are you doing?” she asks, taking several steps away from the cage.

I wave my hand, casting a simple sleeping spell on her. She drops to the floor with a thud. I walk toward the edge of the cage. 

I crouch and I tell her with some amusement, “For someone who knows so much about me, you should have known that I would be able to use my magic on you.”

I hear her whisper, “I hate you,” before passing out. I look at her, I don’t know why but my heart feels regretful. Seeing this girl, laying on the floor. But there are more important things than a small child. Much more important things.

I’m snapped out of my thoughts by the roar of the beast. I smile and wait, knowing that Thor will be here to make sure I’m still locked up. Several minutes pass by. He must be engaging with the beast. A moment later, I see Thor running into the room. I begin to let myself out.

“Nooo!”

He runs towards me, I crouch, making him believe I was preparing for impact, but he went right through one of my illusions, straight into the cell. The door closes behind him. He stands up and looks around before his eyes land on me.

I gave him a look of disappointment. “Are you ever not going to fall for that?”

Frustrated, he begins to pound away at the cage with his hammer. The glass begins to crack, but the cage holds. I laugh, mostly from joy but also from relief.

I begin to walk towards the control panel. “The humans think us immortal. Shall we test that?” I ask him.

“What have you done to the girl?”

I turn. I had moved her out of the way before Thor came barreling in here. She was laying at my feet, still asleep. 

“Don’t worry brother. She is not dead. Yet.”

He looks at her in horror. “If you so much as touched her, I swear-”

“Relax. I have only cast a sleeping spell on her. She was tiresome, non-stop talking, I simply did it for silence,” I lie smoothly.

I turn back to the control panel and am about to push the button that would drop Thor back to Earth when I suddenly hear someone say, “Move away please.”

It is one of the agents, wielding a rather impressive looking gun. Hesitant, I back up.

“Do you like this?” He asks about his weapon, as we both took several steps closer to each other. “We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don’t know what it does. Do you wanna find out?” He begins to fire it up.

Foolish mortal, I think to myself. Did he really believe I would allow myself to be captured so easily? I approach him from behind, thrusting my spear through his chest. I hear the sound of him yelling. My second illusion disappears from in front of him.

“NO!” yells Thor slamming the cage.

The agent drops to the floor, still holding the gun, blood coming from his mouth and breathing heavily. I walk towards the control panel and lift the cover from the button. Thor glares at me as I open it, the gateway to his hopeful demise. He takes several steps back and looks down with worry. He looks back up at me. I smile before sending him tumbling through the sky.

I turn to take my leave, but pause when I hear a faint, “You’re going to lose.”

I turn around. It was the dying agent. “Am I?” 

“It’s in your nature.”

“Your heroes are scattered,” I tell him. “Your floating fortress falls from the sky. Where is my disadvantage?” I took several steps towards him.

“You lack conviction.” He answers.

My face hardens. “I don’t think I-”

The agent blasts me with the weapon and I am thrown back, through the walls, a flaming ball. I get up and leave. I cross the runway, to the awaiting airplane. We take off as soon as I enter. I smile.

(Third Person POV)

 Fury enters and sees Agent Coulson on the ground. He kneels down by him.

“I’m sorry boss,” Coulson apologizes. “They got rabbited.”.

 “Just stay awake. Eyes on me,” Fury orders him.

“Oh I’m clockin’ out here.”

“Not an option.”

“It’s okay, boss. This was never gonna work- if they didn’t have something- to-”

His breathing halts and Fury stands to let the medical team through. He leans against the railing. He turns his head and sees another body under the control panel. He rushes over. It was Natasha’s mentee. He quickly checks for a pulse. Natasha had already lost Clint. He didn’t want her to lose the kid she was so protective over.

“Medic! Come here. We got another one. She’s alive but I want you to check her out. Make sure she’s okay.”

They put the intern on a stretcher and take her to the med bay.

Part 4

[bffhreprise]

Entry 344

 Watching Dani solve crazy puzzles while chatting with the others, I was really glad no one had ever put me through all that work for my birthday.  Dani seemed to be enjoying herself, but all of the time spent searching for presents took away from time spent enjoying the presents!  If anyone shared my thoughts, they weren’t bringing them up, so I kept my mouth shut, other than to comment about how incredibly smart the girl was.  Deyanira would have loved seeing this.  Maybe Mila will show her a recording when she arrives.

 “What was that?” asked one of the twins.

 “Just a little spell I taught him on our honeymoon.  He was letting Dani know his parents are here.” explained Alma, looking weirdly natural with a smile.  “You'd be amazed how much he's taught me as well.”

 “What?” questioned the other twin in blatant disbelief.

 James, smirking at her, asked, “Mila, mind showing me of what Jarod's buckle is composed?”

 A diagram of the belt buckle appeared on a different mirror than the one showing Dani’s hunt.  Looking at the chemical formulas, I was just glad I didn’t have any job that had me reviewing chemistry.  There was little chance such a job would come to me in the first place, but…  I could imagine the pay would be extra good.  Everyone knew Jarod’s average job paid far more than most of ours, but the stuff he did was way out there.  Well, everything he did in that lab of his was way out there.  Sometimes I wondered how a guy like that was still so down to Earth, but he was a great pal, watching James with interest.

 After a few seconds of looking at the diagram, James turned around and glanced at Jarod’s belt.

 “Have a problem with my…  Whoa!  Is this real gold!?” asked Jarod in shock as he caught sight of his new bling.

 My mouth was hanging open.  There had been no transition I could see.  One moment his belt was a typical silver, and then it was gold.

 “That has to be an illusion.  Transforming substances accurately is impossible.” asserted a twin.

 “You'll have to change if he doesn't dismiss it.  That doesn't work with your outfit.” insisted the other one.

 Not doubting James for a second, I quickly exclaimed “I'll take some bling!”

 From off to my side, Dejon asked “Is that how you became so rich?”

 “No.  I wasn't nearly so capable with that type of magic before my honeymoon.” replied James with a smile.

 With one of the twins bent over to examine the buckle, I kept my eyes carefully elsewhere, not wanting my friend to think I was enjoying the view too much  

 Patting her back, Jarod said, “I'll do an analysis on it later.”

 “Should be roughly fourteen karat.” stated James.  “I didn't feel too much gold would be good for a buckle, but I wanted to pay for the inconvenience.”  He playfully winked, but still didn’t reply to me.

As Jarod laughed, I waved my hand in James’ view.  “Seriously.  I don’t mind pure gold.” I told him, picturing myself with a number of shiny adornments.

 “And where would you sell it?” questioned my sis, frowning at me as if I had done something wrong.

 “Sell it?  I really want the bling.” I assured her.  “I figure Jarod or Mila will probably help touch it up as needed.”

 She just rolled her eyes, acting put upon by my tastes.

 Catching my eye, Alma looked almost like her previous self as she said, “You can afford your own bling without troubling my husband.”  Even those words didn’t quite have the kick they did before her honeymoon.  There wasn’t really any hint of danger in her tone.

 “Troubling?  He made that look easy!” insisted Dejon, who surprisingly seemed to be taking my side.

 “The spell was incredibly complex and took a large amount of energy, so not easy by any standard I recognize.” argued one of the twins, who probably had actually watched the spell.

 Sometimes, I did wish I had a knack for using that type of magic, especially when James did something unbelievable, but most of the descriptions sounded like so much work.

 “You really must get used to watching magic around you.” insisted the other twin as she frowned at me.

 As far as I knew, no one had a clue I had ever even seen the energy.  I was taking that secret to my grave if I got to keep skipping out on magic practice.

 Before I could reply, both sets of double doors opened, revealing James’ parents strolling inside.

 “Good morning.” stated Mr. Somerset as he carried a large present into the house.

 Mrs. Somerset waved and asked “Where's the birthday girl?”

 All of us looked up at the screen where Dani seemed deep in conversation with the little fairy from the forest.

 “She has apparently been distracted.  Alma and I hid her presents throughout the yard and house with clues where to find them.” explained James to his folks.

 Alma grinned as she said, “I blame Aaliyah.  She's the one who told us that simply handing over gifts from us was too boring for our daughter.”

 “Dani enjoys the puzzles.” insisted James somewhat defensively.  Seeing him interact with his parents was refreshing, reminding us that he really was still human.  More often than not, he seemed… greater.

 “Jarod, dear, that buckle really doesn't go well with your shirt.” commented Mrs. Somerset, catching sight of the bling.

 “Blame your son.” complained Ai and Mai in unison as they stared daggers at James.

 “Yeah, well… I felt like demonstrating a spell the twins would find difficult, and turning his belt buckle to gold qualified in my mind.” replied James, still sounding defensive.

 Mr. Somerset just shook his head as he said, “Your mother's right, you do have the golden touch.”

 I laughed with the rest.  Who could argue when James was making the company flourish.

 “Happy birthday!” exclaimed Mrs. Somerset, stepping over to embrace Dani.

 With the birthday girl back inside, we had a wonderful breakfast at the long kitchen table with even more varieties of food available than normal.  If not for the few of us with bottomless pits, so much food would go to waste daily.  Over breakfast, Dani pleased with Mr. Somerset to join her in the hunt for presents.  Kayla, of course, couldn’t be left out when Dani’s pleas made the hunt sound so excited.  She almost even had me convinced, but my stuffed belly helped to keep me seated.

 Mrs. Somerset followed the rest of us into the ballroom, where some of us discretely logged into Ancient Tribes of Earth while occasionally glancing over to see how Dani was doing.  I doubted I even got to play for an hour before Dani came inside, but I was looking forward to seeing her reaction to my present.  Despite James, and even Alma, assuring us that we didn’t have to get Dani anything, no one wanted to be the one person who didn’t.

 Knowing that Dani was bound to already have any serious gift I could dream up giving her, I went with a gag gift, surprisingly the only one.  Dani was surprisingly delighted when turning the handle produced music, but seeing her jump as the clown popped out was hilarious!  The shock and slowly-spreading grin were fantastic!  The look she gave as she recovered and thanked me made me a little nervous, but I doubted she’d could one-up me on gags.  Despite seeming almost as old as most of us, Dani had obviously lived in a very secluded part of the world.  Someone with her looks and vibrant skin would have hit the net the day she entered a city if she hadn’t been in the middle of nowhere.

 My jaw dropped open when I had found out that Dani had never seen Star Wars.  As was tradition here, all of us showed up in the theater with full costumes, slightly improved from last time.  Jarod and the twins were oddly in agreement against wearing exactly the same thing twice.  Jarod loved to tinker too much to not make any adjustments on the sabers and utility belts.  The twins were just fashion nuts, two of the few people willing to spend hours talking with Brenna about her modeling jobs.  No kid of mine would ever do modeling, not when there were so many more entertaining things to do.

 Dani was prone to loud exclamations throughout the first movie.  She was probably thinking that she could easily take some of the Jedi in a fight.  With James dressed as Darth Vader, who was going to argue if she declared war on the rest of us?  

 A spontaneous fight broke out after the first movie as a few of us had restroom breaks.  I had expected as much and was raring to go, charging at one of the twins with my lightsaber.  That… didn’t go so well.  I did manage to get a sneaky attack in on Sis before Emma cut me down.  Avoiding Dani turned out as a safe plan than actually fighting the girl for me.

 First off, Dani knew basically nothing about Force powers, having only seen a tiny bit from Episode IV.  She had hurled fire in a couple different ways that seemed unbefitting the force, and she actually threw some real electricity instead of an illusion of it another time.  Then there were the magical traps she had made on the fly…  James straightened her out each time before anyone was injured, but I still felt safer fighting on the other side of the room as her.

 After a good battle, we all had some lunch, which was an even grander affair than breakfast had been.  The fight coming back a little in the kitchen ended with us all being sent to the dining hall.  Marco was adamant that his kitchen would not have any sort of fighting, and James backed him up immediately, apologizing for all of us.

 Though they had plans to head back home after lunch, Dani had easily persuaded her grandparents into staying for another movie… and then another.  When dinner was over, they finally were allowed to leave, with Alma convincing Dani that they really didn’t want to spend the night here, not when they had plans for the next day already.

 Surprisingly, we didn’t hit the prequels after Mr. and Mrs. Somerset left.  Dancing was apparently something people did in the middle of nowhere for birthdays, and Dani could really dance.  None of us had a problem with showing off some moves, since our dance parties were a bit rare, but I doubted I was the only one pointedly keeping my eyes off the Boss’ daughter whenever I wasn’t dancing with her.  Even Deyanira, who had shown up for dinner with a necklace for Dani, admitted that there was something about how Dani moved when we were alone later.  Yep, life here was never dull.