#at least that's how it was for me and James

[my-castles-crumbling]

aquarium - jegulus - server microprompt challenge - word count: 278

"C'mon, James, just tell me where we're going!" Regulus nearly-whine, frowning as his boyfriend led him by the hand down the sidewalk.

"You'll see in a moment," James replied, trying to keep the giant grin off of his face. He knew this date was a little bit of a gamble- Regulus wasn't one for new things or surprises. But as soon as he'd thought about how much the younger man hadn't had as a child, James had set his mind on giving him every experience he'd missed.

When they turned onto the next road, the destination was immediately obvious.

"Are we...are we going to the Aquarium?" Regulus asked in a small, shocked voice, staring up at the giant billboard showing a sea turtle. His face was full of hesitation. "Isn't that...that's for kids, isn't it?"

Most people would have taken this question as an insult, but James sensed the insecurity behind it. "Not just for kids, love," he smiled down at him, squeezing his hand. "Everyone needs to go to see the penguins at least a few times in their life. Plus, this aquarium has an exhibit where you can touch the stingrays!"

The younger man's eyes went wide, full of childlike glee. "Really?" he whispered, like he was trying in vain to hide his excitement.

"Yeah. So can we go? At least for me?" James asked, fighting back a smile at Regulus's adorable reaction.

The shorter man schooled his face into an expression of nonchalance. "I...I supposed for a few minutes," he shrugged, though his cheeks were pink.

"Thank you." But when James turned, he could see his boyfriend beam out of the corner of his eye.

[winterst4n]

Sit still!

Pairing: Nurse!Reader x Grumpy!Bucky Barnes

Warnings: Very, very light swearing. Just pure fluff!!

Word count: 1.3k

Summary: After stupidly jumping out of a craft on a mission, ending up with many broken ribs. Bucky is placed under your care unwillingly and he makes the week hell for you. But when the week ends he starts to regret everything.

A/N: This is pretty short and maybe i’ll come back to it another time and try something new but so far i like how this turned out. If you like this, i’d really appreciate it if you could share or leave comment!

“Will you just sit still?!” You grumble at Bucky for what feels like the millionth time today.

“Well stop poking me and maybe I will.” He practically hissed at you. You swear that when Fury assigned you to take care of him he was plotting your early death– or at least Bucky's death.

“If you sit still I'll give you a cookie…” you try to bribe, but of course this just earned you a very hard and angry glare from Bucky.

Due to Bucky’s recklessness on a recent mission, he is now under your care until he can breathe without whining and groaning about his ribs, which he broke several of. He thought the easiest and quickest way to land by a mission base was to jump out of the craft without a parachute– stupid!

You were the nice nurse. The nurse everyone on the team liked to be cared for the most when they had an injury, except a certain fossil. He was grumpy and rude to you for no reason, always making an effort to ruin your day with some stupid comment every time he saw you. But this week had been hell!

So here he was pouting and glaring at you in the plush armchair in your office that practically cowers under his large frame. “I need to check the progress of your ribs and I can't do that without touching you. So please…just sit still.” You sigh, your patience being stretched very, very thin.

Bucky notices your stress and annoyance with him and he does feel some sort of pity but he can’t shake this unfamiliar feeling you give him everytime he feels your hands on his body or your gaze on him. “...Fine.” He mumbles grudgingly.

You move your hands back into place against his chest, gently feeling where the broken ribs are located. Due to the serum, he had enhanced healing abilities but it never failed to amaze you how fast they fixed up his and Steve’s body.

“They’re healing just fine.” you say as you pull your hands away and move to sit by your desk. “I still don’t recommend doing any strenuous activities just yet but, you’ll live.”

Bucky just rolls his eyes like usual and keeps his unwavering scowl on his face– it annoys you and somehow hurts you to see just how unwilling he is to accept any help. That was the way HYDRA treated him though, you knew that. Hell, everyone knew that.

“James…” you start softly with a quiet sigh. “It’s just me and you in here…i need to know if you’re in pain so i can fix it.”

Silence– as expected.

He sighs and looks down at his boots, his feet shuffling slightly as he thinks about your words. Soft brown locks fall over his eyes and shields you from looking into his broken and guilty eyes. “I’m fine” a hoarse voice says so quietly.

Hesitating for a moment, you look over his body language and think about his tone. “Okay…” you respond simply, knowing not to push him.

Within the silence, Bucky stands up and storms out of your office– he almost let it all out. How did you have this effect on him? You were so easy and sweet, the complete opposite of him, he couldn’t let you in and see what HYDRA did to him. You weren’t allowed to see how everytime you checked his vitals, he felt like he was back in HYDRA’s claws, back to being prepped to be shocked again. No, he had to keep you away from that.

The week passes and ends, you were no longer assigned to take care of Bucky anymore and he’s back to missions and training– avoiding you. Part of you is happy that he’s not around you everyday by force, no longer having to endure his glares and rudeness but another part of you felt shitty.

That week felt like showing Bucky for the first time that it was okay to be cared for, to be looked after with no ulterior motive except for the benefit of his health. You wish he had that reminder everyday instead of throwing himself into missions, being reckless with himself because he didn’t think his body was worth protecting. This feeling was stronger than the happiness over his departure from your care– a lot stronger.

It seems you weren’t the only one thinking about that week. After some reflecting and thinking (a.k.a, talking to Steve), he realised why he felt so strongly when you touched him and why he wanted to open up to you. Yes, he was angry at the reason why at first. Angry at himself for being so foolish and falling for the team nurse, “She’s supposed to be caring!” he repeated like a mantra. Angry at himself for feeling like it was okay to let you in, to want you to care about him, to know why he struggled.

But Steve explained to him that you weren’t as weak or as fragile as he kept insisting you were– scolding him slightly for the way he dismissed you. Bucky realised that he should probably explain some things to you– or at least apologise, you were only doing your job and he took it out on you.

That night he wrote a letter to you, the words were genuine and words he knew he would mess up if he tried to say them to his face–

“Hey, I'm sorry. I know that’s pretty generic but it’s the truth. I’m still figuring this shit out so don’t take it too personally, it’s just really hard for me. I know you were only doing your job and I'm so sorry that I made it difficult. I wish I could take it back and just be open with you. I know you would’ve treated me the way i needed if i asked, you’re sweet like that. You’re good at your job and I'm pretty sure my ribs feel even better than they did before I jumped out of that plane. Anyways, i hope you’re free tomorrow night so maybe we can grab a drink, I’ll even buy you one of those fruity cocktails if you’re into that,

James Buchanan Barnes.”

Sealing the letter, and addressing it to you on the front, he walked through the compound and eventually found your office and slid the note under the door for you to find in the morning.

But on this night in particular, you decided to stay late to finish some work, maybe by luck or fate the note arrives while you’re already there. You read through the letter and smiled softly, touched that Bucky would let you in like this, you knew it was rare considering he really only spoke to Sam and Steve.

Pocketing the note, you quickly walk down the hall to head to Bucky’s room to give him an answer. Your feet carry you as quickly as they can without running, trying to catch up to Bucky as soon as possible.

You arrive at his door and knock three times in a very desperate motion before the door swings open. There he is. In his sleepy and shocked state. He’s surprised to see you here so soon but he’s slightly anxious for your response– he’s practically anticipating for you to throw the letter back at him and insult him.

To his surprise, you don’t. “I don’t need a fruity cocktail, I'd prefer a coffee…tomorrow morning, in my office?” you say softly as you bite your lip back gently in anticipation.

Bucky’s eyes seem locked in place on your face, his lips parted from surprise until they slowly break into the tiniest smile that lights up his face in your eyes, a smile that gives you a glimpse into the charming soldier before HYDRA.

“Coffee it is then, Doll” he says in a low tone before gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear, wanting to fully see your face in all its beauty. Wanting to see the face of the person he was about to let into his life and hopefully never let go of.

[vinylfoxbooks]

February 21 - Room of Requirement | @into-the-jeggyverse | wc: 686

“And where are you going, my dearest Prongsie?” Sirius asks, dramatically throwing the curtains to the end of Remus’ bed open as James is attempting to leave. It was late enough that they assumed their friends were fast asleep -- Pete’s snoring away with his own curtains drawn, so at least they were partly correct -- so they figured that slipping out would be easy.

Unfortunately, they forget that SIrius grew up in a home where he had to learn to identify footsteps and awake from the deepest of sleep to fully alert at the smallest of sounds that could possibly mean danger. So they sigh, “I’m just going out for a walk, mate.” They shake their head, “I woke up and I can’t fall back asleep so I’m going to clear my head.” 

Sirius watches them for a while, his eyes narrowed, as if trying to sniff out their lie. 

He doesn’t find one, so he hums, “You have the cloak?” 

James nods, bringing their arm off to show off the shimmery fabric, “And the map.” 

“Be back soon.” 

“Of course, dad.” They roll their eyes, turning and leaving the dorm, letting out a gentle breath at the fact he bought the lie. 

James makes quick work of leaving the common room and the tower, throwing the cloak over themself then rushing to get to their meeting place. 

Regulus’ name disappears on the map just before James turns the corner and would be able to see him. He likely heard them coming and rushed in, either to get the room prepared, or to hide from a potential teacher -- he wouldn’t need to, not with his prefect duties and his capability to lie effortlessly. James follows suit, heading into the hidden room and throwing off the invisibility cloak.

The room that Regulus has conjured up is incredible, its line with two dark coloured chaise lounges sitting across the room from each other, a coffee table between the two. The far end of the room has a cobblestone fireplace with dark bookshelves against the wall, full and nearly sagging with various books. The walls are a deep burgundy colour and lined with the same dark wood as the shelves. 

Regulus is lounging on one of the couches already, draped in comfortable clothes and smiling up at James with a salacious, cocky grin. He hums, “Hi, Jamie.” 

James smiles at him gently, folding the cloak quickly over their arms and placing it, and the map, on the coffee table before going to crawl over their boyfriend. The two maneuver so that Regulus is lying mostly on his back, though he’s turned to the side just enough that he can hold his torso up with his elbow. James is laying on top of him, half on him and half on the couch, head resting on their boyfriend’s chest. 

“How have you been, my love?” James asks, curling their arms around Regulus’ waist. 

Regulus hums, watching them for a while, “Tired. Barty and Evan have been fighting again.”

“What are they fighting about?” 

“Oh some stupid bullshit. Barty was flirting with someone and Evan got jealous, Barty doesn’t know why Evan’s jealous so he’s such getting upset at Evan, which is making Evan more upset at Barty because he thinks he’s stupid,” Regulus recounts, his voice flat and tired, “I keep telling Evan to just fucking tell Barty that he’s tits over arse for him but he refuses.” 

“I’m sorry,” James hums, “I could do what I did with Sirius and Remus.” 

“I think they’d just fuck then deny that they have any romantic feelings for each other if we did that.” 

“I guess.” They smile, “Though you weren’t much better.”

“I beg your finest pardon, what does that mean?” Regulus scoffs. 

James closes their eyes and buries their face further into his chest, “How long were we shagging before you finally admitted that you might feel something for me and weren’t just using me to get off because I was convenient?” 

Regulus groans, and James can feel the way that he throws his head back, “Don’t remind me.” James just laughs.

[pomodoriyum]

James Fitzjames and the Island of Bird Shit: historical connections/references in AMC's the Terror, and what that might say about JFJ's character

finally had time to write this up; below the cut is a brief introductory discussion of historical happenings re: guano trade. by no means am i a historian or an expert, but its a topic that's highly important to me especially when trying to understand a character like james fitzjames. Just a head's up-- it's pretty damning, and continues to add layers to his character, especially what his arc has to say about imperialism.

So let's begin-- key here will be the phrase:

First, a few sources that serve as a good introduction to the topic. Below, I've bullet-pointed the most important aspects of the articles (at least, as they relate to this meta).

Key points/areas:

WTF is guano: it is poop. "Guano islands" are small islands that are inhabited by bats & birds, esp. for breeding, and are mostly found off the coast of Peru. they are (or were) giant piles of poop. literally the size of mountains. Andean people harvested guano from these islands for a long time-- at least 1,500 to 5,000 years before colonization.

The guano age (1802-1884): note that the 'discovery' of guano by westerners happened sometime in the 1500s, and that its popularity as a fertilizer (and material for gunpowder) didn't hit until the 1800s (and 1870's for the gunpowder?). this caused a farming boom across the united states and europe, and a massive demand to extract it via mining. this extraction was done in the most evil and foul way possible, of course, because of capitalism, racism, and colonial imperialism.

Guano was such a powerful trading tool and moneymaker that the USA (and other countries too, I think) passed laws that encouraged citizens to claim any guano island they came across (hypothetically, these islands had to be 'unclaimed' by other governments, but, y'know how those things tend to go & who the USA deigns to recognize as a government). I believe that the USA still claims ownership of at least 10 islands (many in dispute), and the Guano Act also ensured that it was 'legal' for the USA to hold lands without declaring them as part of the USA, all while taking resources, enacting &enforcing laws, allowing the US military to operate on these places-- without the benefits of statehood & representation for the people who live there. This was the act that created an excuse for continued colonialism and theft, all in the name of money & literal shit. (no hate to the birds & their poop, though! I <3 ecology). also fuck the supreme court they were the ones that really solidified this into law with the case Jones V United States (1890), which was about a labor revolt where the workers (black) killed their overseers (white). they added bricks to the foundation of USA as Empire

Imperialism & colonialism, displacement & colonialism, Slavery-- all of these were things that happened in lockstep with the guano trade. It was horrible. Details about it can be found in 1493 by Charles C Mann

Working Conditions, slavery, exploitation of chinese immigrants & hawaiians, exploitation of black american immigrants-- almost all of these people were tricked into signing false job contracts, then kidnapped and brought to the islands by force where they would endure unimaginable working conditions until they were worked literally to death. please recall the context of the opium wars, as well (1839-1860), which happened during the same time frame, and which JFJ participated in.

Ecological importance & links to unsustainable farming practices that are causing climate crises / pollution / loss of topsoil (beginnings of over-reliance of fertilizers, which stress soils and cause microbial problems when misused-- which is all the damn time, because massive monoculture capitalistic farms don't care (and frequently the farmers themselves can't afford to care due to bottlenecks in the packing market!) about maintaining their soil. that's a whole other can of worms though and is worthy of another post.) nothing to do with JFJ tho. Important to note that the ecology of these islands has been destroyed for mining, like almost every known mine industry in history. extraction has a really, really high cost, and that cost is foisted onto the people who are being exploited by richer nations. please remember that this pattern still happens today, and that the overconsumption and lavish lifestyles of the global north are directly to blame for the climate crisis that's causing untold misery in the global south. <- this part isnt in the articles, btw, and if you want a more thorough discussion on this i'm happy to recommend some places to start. i fucking hate US empire and the 'conveniences' of consumerism. ouuughhhh mad now. if youre in the global north please stop ordering packages from amazon and fight for public transportation near you. im begging. like obvs theres much to be done but those things are simple and easy places to start. unhook yourself from the 'joy' of 'purchase'. p l e a s e. p l e a s e. OK. back 2 post

Historical connections to the irish potato famine (the andean potato blight hitched a ride to britain in a shipment of guano, kickstarting the famine [which was then intentionally exacerbated by the english])-- how does this impact JFJ's relationship with Francis?

It's important to note that these mines are still active, though the labor conditions have improved since their inception (i havent done much research into the labor conditions currently, so keep in mind that 'improved' might not actually mean that the quality of worklife for miners is acceptable or humane!). I think Peru is the place with the most well known guano industry, and it's still one of their exports.

TLDR: 1. guano became popular as a fertilizer in the USA/europe. 2. this caused massive demand for guano mining and mine expansion, including voracious demand for workers. 3. slaves, prisoners, and immigrants were all forced to work in horrible conditions mostly to death to fill ships with mountains of unprocessed shit. 4. This guano also was a vector for the potato blight which started the Irish Potato Famine. 5. i love birds & bats and im so fucking mad that guano was used to create bad farming practices that destroys our soil

If you'd like to read a more detailed discussion of the guano trade and its impact on people, I strongly recommend checking out 1493 by Charles C. Mann -- very user friendly and good for people who don't enjoy super dry history (like me). i'm sure theres other great resources about this as well.

Okay, so now that's out of the way. You too, reader, have at least some idea of the broad horrors of the guano trade. So what's that to do with Mr. James Fitzjames?

Let's take a look at this picture again. I think it says all we need:

most importantly, this line specifically links James Fitzjames to an island covered in bird shit. this is absolutely a reference to the guano trade, which occurred beforehand and in parallel to the franklin expedition.

the next question is: in what way is JFJ linked to the guano trade? was he an overseer there? was he 'just passing by?' Did he act as part of a military enforcing terrible labor conditions? We don't really know and can't say anything conclusively as far as show!JFJ, but the implications are not great.

obviously crozier bringing this up serves to shut the conversation down. nobody likes that he makes this comment; it's reminding them of something distasteful. jfj never expands on this point about 'birdshit island'-- honestly, i suspect it's something he's got a great deal of negative feelings about. i'd read it as guilt, but im not a great person to ask because i have a really hard time being objective about JFJ (he's one of the people from the show that I'd most like to hit with a car)

Please note that one of the populations of folks being kidnapped and worked to death were Chinese people. taken in the context of the rest of that conversation, where JFJ brags and laughs about setting chinese people on fire , it's uh-- well, it really, really emphasizes just how much harm JFJ does to chinese people specifically. And sure, we don't have confirmation about what exactly he was doing on 'birdshit island'-- but if it's something he's bragged about before / told stories about before, I don;t think it was anything good, considering what he enjoys telling stories about. especially since the Navy is used to enforce authority on people and as a tool of oppression.

Fascinating to note that the trade of guano is intricately linked to the irish potato famines, as the guano both enabled the monoculture farming practice and acted as the vector from which the potato blight spread. Francis is Irish!! this is just such an interesting detail!!!

In conclusion, there's nothing really definitive that we can say about what exactly JFJ was doing at the islands-- except that it probably wasn't a good thing. i do think we can safely read that he was involved in the industry somehow, which is pretty fucking damning in terms of his own ethics (or lack thereof) and how much he embraced english imperialism. it's one of those tiny details that has so much to say when you peel the layers back, and i wanted to bring some attention to it, because i haven't seen anyone talking about this before.

also, i *just* noticed this, but slipping the word capital in there is so so fucking slick. right on the money, we could say. three big cheers for the people who wrote and performed the Terror, because holy shit is it so good

EDIT: there's some additional discussion in the replies section of this post that's critical-- it seems like JFJ was (peripherally?) involved in the guano trade in Africa, *not* Peru, which changes things forsure. bird shit island how you intrigue me....

[bradleysass]

Parasitic Love - wc: 782 - @leeny-leens fuck you for the idea.

It starts with something insignificant. It always does.

Regulus is exhausted, drained from the week, and James—bright, insistent, James—is hovering. He’s reminding Regulus to eat, to sleep, to breathe, and something inside Regulus just snaps.

“Merlin, James, do you ever stop?” Regulus mutters, rubbing at his temples.

James’ brow furrows, his concern unwavering. “When it comes to you? No.”

Regulus exhales sharply, his patience fraying. “You don’t need to micromanage my entire fucking life.”

“I’m not trying to—Reg, I just care.”

Regulus lets out a short, bitter laugh. “Caring. Right.” His fingers tighten around the edge of the table. “It’s suffocating, James. You are suffocating.”

James stiffens. “I’m just trying to help—”

“You’re not helping,” Regulus snaps, voice sharp enough to cut. “You’re just clinging to me, sucking the life out of me like some parasite.”

The words hang in the air, cold and venomous. Regulus doesn’t realize what he’s said—not really—until he sees the way James’ entire body locks up.

James’ breath stutters, and his voice comes out small, broken. “What?”

Regulus falters. He wants to take it back, but the damage is already done. He can see it in James’ wide, wounded eyes.

James swallows hard, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. “I told you that.” His voice is barely above a whisper, hoarse and shaking. “I told you that in confidence. That my biggest fear is being a burden, that no one actually wants me.”

Regulus’ throat is tight. “James, I didn’t mean—”

But James lets out a bitter laugh, something hollow and wrong. “No, I get it now. You just waited until you could use it against me.”

Regulus flinches. “That’s not—”

“No?” James’ voice rises, something sharp and desperate beneath it. “You want to talk about parasites, Reg? Fine. At least I don’t tear people down just because I know how.”

Regulus freezes, eyes darkening. “Excuse me?”

James scoffs, the hurt twisting into something cruel. “You think I don’t notice? That you do exactly what your parents did? You know just where to hit people, just what to say to make it hurt. Spiteful. Vicious. Just like them.”

Regulus stares at him, mouth slightly open, something cracking behind his ribs.

James isn’t done. His voice wavers, but his anger keeps him standing. “You hate them, but you’re still your mother’s son, Regulus.”

Regulus’ breathing stutters. The words feel like a slap, like something inside him has been punched in the chest and left to bleed. “Fuck you.”

“Right,” James lets out a breathy, humorless laugh. “That’s all you’ve got, isn’t it? Just words. You throw knives and expect people not to bleed.”

Regulus’ eyes burn. His hands shake. “You want me to bleed, James? You want to see how much?” His voice cracks, something fragile breaking loose. “Fine. Here it is—I love you, but you exhaust me.”

James recoils like he’s been shot. His vision blurs, his lungs squeeze tight.

And maybe it should end there. Maybe one of them should walk away before it gets worse. But it never works like that with them.

Because James is crying before he even realizes it. His hands shake, his chest aches, and Regulus—Regulus is crying too, his entire body trembling as he sinks to the floor.

James follows, because of course he does. Their knees bump, and James barely has the strength to look at him. “I don’t want to be something that drains you.” His voice is so small, barely a breath between them. “I don’t want to be something that you need to escape.”

Regulus shakes his head rapidly, like he can somehow undo everything. “You’re not.” His voice wobbles. “James, you’re not.” His hands twitch, hesitant, but then he’s reaching for James, desperate and clumsy. “I was angry, I—I wanted to hurt you, and I did, and I—” He chokes on a sob, eyes screwed shut. “I love you. I love you so much it terrifies me.”

James lets out a shuddering breath, his fingers gripping Regulus’ sleeve like he might disappear. “Then why do we do this?” His voice is cracked open, raw. “Why do we keep hurting each other?”

Regulus exhales shakily. “Because we’re scared,” he whispers.

James nods, throat tight. “I don’t want to fight like this.”

Regulus swallows, pressing his forehead against James’. “Me neither.”

They sit there, knees touching, hands gripping fabric, tears drying against flushed skin. Neither of them moves for a long time.

And then, finally, James breathes, “I love you.”

Regulus grips him tighter. “I love you too.”

And maybe love is enough to keep them from breaking.

Maybe, this time, they’ll learn how to hold on.

@accio-sriracha @rosiesangel

[httpvomitello]

Hey! Would you be willing to write a Draco Malfoy x potter reader where their parents are still alive (no voldy au?) and her parents find out that they are dating? Like Harry, James, and Lilly's reactions and maybe remus and sirius's as well? If not that's okay! Hope you have a great day/night!

OMG YEEEES! I was so happy to write this, you have no idea. My dear Potters, along with Sirius and my husband Remus deserve a beautiful happy ending (to be alive). I hope you like it ~ ♡

Love and War *⁠.⁠✧

Summary: Being Harry Potter’s sister meant that your life was anything but simple. Still, you had managed to keep one secret safe—your relationship with Draco Malfoy. That is, until your parents found. Bringing home your Malfoy boyfriend was bound to be… interesting.

draco malfoy x f!reader

WARNINGS: Marauders AU, no war, everyone is alive and happy (except James for knowing that his little girl is dating a Malfoy).

It wasn’t like you had been planning to tell them.

Not yet, at least.

Maybe after you and Draco had been dating a bit longer. Maybe after you had figured out how to not break into a cold sweat at the idea of your father hexing your boyfriend into the next century. Maybe after you had prepared Draco for exactly how dramatic your family could be.

But the universe clearly had other plans.

Because James Potter had the worst timing in the world.

And now you were standing in the middle of the sitting room, Draco Malfoy beside you, while your father looked at him like he was trying to figure out which hex would do the most damage.

“Excuse me?” James said, staring at you like he had misheard.

You took a deep breath, gripping Draco’s hand a little tighter. “I said… Draco and I are dating.”

The silence was suffocating.

Your mother was the first to react, her eyebrows shooting up as she exchanged a glance with James. “Oh.”

“Oh?” James repeated, his voice going slightly high-pitched. He turned back to you, his eyes wide with disbelief. “You—you’re dating him?”

Draco cleared his throat. “It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Potter.”

James blinked. Then blinked again. “You hexed my son in third year.”

Draco grimaced. “In my defense, he was being very annoying.”

You elbowed him in the ribs. Not the time, Draco.

James made an indignant noise. “That’s your defense? That’s your defense? Oh, this is fantastic. Just brilliant.” He turned to Sirius, who was sitting on the couch with an expression of pure amusement. “Padfoot, are you hearing this?”

“Oh, loud and clear, Prongs.” Sirius smirked, his gray eyes twinkling. “Honestly, I’m just impressed. Our little girl bagged a Malfoy? Bold move.”

You groaned. “Please don’t say bagged.”

James ignored you, still looking very much like he was going to have an aneurysm. “Lily. Lils. Say something.”

Your mother, who had been silently watching this entire trainwreck unfold, sighed. “I think we should all sit down and talk about this rationally—”

James threw his hands in the air. “Rationally? I am being rational! I am so rational right now!”

Sirius snorted. “Sure, mate.”

“Remus, back me up here!”

The werewolf, who had been calmly sipping his tea throughout this entire ordeal, finally sighed and set his cup down. “Well, James, as much as I understand your… concerns…” He cast a glance at Draco. “I do think Y/N is capable of making her own choices.”

James gaped at him. “You’re okay with this? You’re okay with Lucius Malfoy’s son dating my daughter?”

“I wouldn’t say okay, necessarily,” Remus mused. “But I also don’t think hexing him is the answer.”

James grumbled something under his breath, but he didn’t argue.

Your mother turned to Draco, her expression much softer than your father’s. “Draco, dear, I hope you understand why this is… a bit of a shock.”

Draco, who had remained remarkably composed throughout this entire ordeal, nodded. “I do, Mrs. Potter.” He glanced at James before adding, “And I promise, I care about Y/N. A lot.”

You squeezed his hand, silently thanking him for holding his ground.

James ran a hand through his already messy hair, letting out a long sigh. “You owe me for this, kid,” he muttered, glaring at you.

You grinned. “Love you, Dad.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He groaned. “Merlin help us all.”

If there was one person you had not wanted to find out about your relationship with Draco just yet, it was Harry.

Because unlike your father, who at least had some level of restraint, your brother had a very bad habit of acting first and thinking later.

Which is why, when Harry walked into the sitting room and saw Draco standing there—hand in yours—his reaction was, well… predictable.

He stopped dead in his tracks. His green eyes darted between you and Draco, his brows furrowing. “What’s going on?”

James let out a sharp laugh. “Oh, nothing much, son. Just found out your dear sister is dating Malfoy.”

Harry’s face went blank.

Then he laughed.

Like, actually laughed.

A short, disbelieving chuckle, like he thought this was some kind of joke.

Then he saw your expression.

And the color drained from his face.

“You’re serious?”

You swallowed. “Yes.”

Harry turned to Draco, his whole body going tense. “Are you serious?”

Draco exhaled, looking like he was bracing himself for impact. “Yes, Potter. I’m serious.”

The silence was deafening.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Harry was moving.

Draco barely had time to react before your brother was shoving him backward, his hands gripping the front of Draco’s robes.

“Harry!” you gasped, grabbing his arm, but he wasn’t listening.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Harry snapped, his face inches from Draco’s. “Did you forget that you made my life a living hell for years? That you—”

“That was years ago,” you interrupted, yanking at his arm. “People change, Harry!”

Harry scoffed, still glaring at Draco. “Do they?”

Draco—who, to his credit, hadn’t fought back—held his gaze. “Yes.”

Harry let out a sharp breath, his grip tightening for a second before he finally shoved Draco away.

“Why him?” he demanded, turning to you now, his voice laced with disbelief. “Out of everyone, why did it have to be him?”

“Because I love him, Harry!”

The words came out before you could stop them.

And just like that, the whole room went silent.

Harry stared at you, his chest rising and falling quickly.

James ran a hand down his face. “Oh, bloody hell.”

Sirius whistled under his breath. “Well, that’s one way to break the news.”

You ignored them, your eyes locked onto your brother’s. “I love him,” you repeated, your voice quieter but just as firm.

Harry exhaled, his shoulders sagging. He looked at you, then at Draco, then back at you.

And for the first time since walking in, he actually looked at Draco.

Not as an enemy. Not as some childhood rival.

But as a person.

A person who, for some reason, you had chosen.

“…Does he make you happy?” Harry finally asked, his voice gruff.

Your expression softened. “Yeah. He does.”

Harry’s jaw tensed, and for a moment, you thought he was going to start yelling again.

But then he just sighed, running a hand through his messy hair.

“I still think you’re an arsehole,” he muttered, glaring at Draco.

Draco smirked slightly. “Likewise, Potter.”

Harry rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.

Lily, who had been watching all of this unfold, clapped her hands together. “Well. That could’ve gone worse.”

James groaned. “This is a nightmare.”

Remus patted his shoulder. “It could be worse. She could’ve brought home a Death Eater.”

James shot him a glare. “Not funny, Moony.”

Sirius grinned. “Oh, come on, Prongs. Look on the bright side—at least she didn’t end up with a Slytherin worse than Malfoy.”

James narrowed his eyes. “And what, exactly, would be worse than Malfoy?”

Sirius shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe someone who actually likes Snape?”

James shuddered. “Ugh. Fair point.”

You rolled your eyes, turning back to Harry. “So… we’re good?”

Harry exhaled. “I’m still mad. And I still think you could’ve done way better.”

Draco huffed. “Charming.”

“But,” Harry continued, ignoring him, “if he really makes you happy…” He sighed. “Then I guess I’ll just have to deal with it.”

Your face softened. “Thanks, Harry.”

He grumbled something under his breath before pulling you into a quick hug. “Just… don’t expect me to start inviting him to family Quidditch games anytime soon.”

Draco smirked. “I’d wipe the floor with you, Potter.”

Harry shot him a glare. “Oh, you’re on.”

[sunsets12]

I absolutely love your fic 'The Shark in Your Water'! It's amazing!

I’ve also really enjoyed the fic recommendations you’ve been sharing. I’d love it if you could recommend more fics, maybe from other fandoms like The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Naruto, or something else!"

My fandom history is a bit all over the place, so I'll just rec some of my favorite fics of all time:

First fandom: The School for Good and Evil

(which if you've never read, has a phenomenal first book and an okay second and third. There is also a second and third trilogy I haven't even touched. + a Netflix movie, which admittedly isn't the best, but I love it anyway. Very much so a guilty pleasure for me. I would genuinely recommend watching the movie/reading the first book and then reading the following fics.)

Scott Street by astardanced (Agatha/Tedros):

Agatha and Sophie realise quickly that ‘going home’, and ‘living in Gavaldon for the rest of your miserable existence’, aren’t quite the same thing. With the barrier between Gavaldon and the Endless Woods permanently damaged, they’re offered a chance to return to the School, for what the Deans promise to be a ‘new and improved!’ and ‘much more serene!’ second year. Agatha doesn’t exactly believe them; but there are reasons why they might consider going back. A few… Well, anyway. Don’t be a stranger.

Remember how I said I didn't like the second book? This fic pretends the second book doesn't exist---it's a complete rewrite of it, and I love it a lot.

Simmer: Or, A True History of the Second Life of One Callis Wardwell, Witch, Who Cheated Death (And More Besides) by astardanced:

Making it out of two Gavaldon witch burnings alive takes a special kind of audacity. Thankfully, Callis has plenty of it. But chasing Agatha back into the Endless Woods, leads her directly into a web of lies, intrigue and backstabbing that points all the way back to Rafal, and her time at Evil. It’s lucky, then, that Callis’s infamous mother is so good at all of those things, because in order to survive this brutal extension of their tale, Agatha, Sophie and Tedros are going to need all the help they can get. But everyone knows parents are peripheral, in fairy tales. And being peripheral is much harder than it seems. They’ll do what they can. or, callis survives into the camelot years.

This follows the main character's (Agatha) mom, who is a single mother + a witch + has a cat companion who talks. I genuinely cannot think of a fic that was written more for my specific interests than this

Technically this is a sequel to another fic, but I didn't know that the first time I read it and I understood everything fine. I love this fic a lot.

Second fandom: Harry Potter

The Heir to the House of Prince by elph13 (need an ao3 account to read this) (Harry Potter/Theodore Nott):

"So you're adopted? "Supposedly." "So your Dad ... he's not ...?" "Seems like it." "Huh." Theo stares at Harry with those grey eyes that look silver in the cauldron smoke between them. "But you're the heir to this ... House of Prince, so he's probably -" "Yes. Probably." Harry looks at Theo sharply. "You don't know who he is, do you?" "No." Theo looks back just as sharply. "If I did, I would tell you. You know I would." "I do." Something loosens inside Harry's chest. Something that has been tightening ever since Cedric died. He may not have his friends, or Sirius, or even know who he fucking is anymore, but he has this. At least he has Theo. Summer of 4th year and Harry's all alone, dealing with his grief and the sudden revelation that James Potter is not his father. Support comes in a strange form. The form of Theo Nott, son of a death Eater. A strange friend who says he'll help him find his true father, whoever this Lord Prince might be.

This deviates drastically from canon, so if that's not your thing steer clear. With that being said, I remember this fic being very charming when I read it. Also major trigger warnings for suicide, torture, and child abuse (plus some other things I might be forgetting, it's been a hot minute since I last read this)

Too old to be this young by Nadia_Castillo (Harry Potter/Tom Riddle):

He was smiling. At Tom Riddle. He was going to get murdered before the year ends, he just knows. Alternate universe/Post-Hogwarts. warnings: mature themes, drinking, swearing. An adult Harry Potter with all his knowledge and experience is transported to his 23yo body in a universe with no war.

Crack, stupidly overpowered Harry, and simping Mister for Magic Tom Riddle. Still updating

Third fandom: DC (Batman/Superman specifically)

Batnesia by Qui (Superbat):

In which Bruce forgets a few key facts, and Clark has to go along with it. Or, the Bruce-Has-Amnesia Fic we've all been wishing for.

Every ship needs an amnesia trope fic

ship-to-ship combat by pomeloquat (Superbat)

"Clark. What the hell is this," Lois asks, staring at Clark's Bruceman WIP folder. Clark's first instinct is to fly away, but that would still leave his fic on display for her to see. His second instinct is to blast a hole straight through his laptop screen with his heat vision, which isn't much better. Clark, in an attempt to make some spare cash, unintentionally stumbles into the world of superhero fanfiction, becomes a prolific writer for Gotham's OTP, and tries his best to fend off rival fans who want him to convert to superbat instead.

Identity porn, crack, characters-are-involved-in-fandom trope

scramble by IHadHimOnTheRopes and rory_gone_mattie (Superbat):

The words on his skin were his everything. After everything he'd seen, done and been through, they were a reminder that Bruce Wayne still existed. That somewhere there was a person who would love him despite the coldness in his chest and the scars that roped their way across his skin. A reminder that he wasn't alone - that he wasn't destined to live forever in the shadows, silent and isolated. That somewhere out there was the other half of his soul. He just wasn't expecting the other half of his soul to be an alien.

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? by poisonivory (Damian/Jon) (NSFW):

After years in the future with the Legion of Super-Heroes, Jon is finally back in Damian's life, and Damian's determined to keep him in this century. If that means a little fooling around between friends, so be it. It doesn't have to mean anything. (It just might mean everything.)

I love nineteen year olds being dumb

Forth fandom: Star Wars

The Emperor Skywalker Conspiracy by loosingletters:

The Emperor is dead and so is Darth Vader. So. Uh. Who exactly inherits the Galactic throne? Or, the Holonet discovers the existence of one Luke Skywalker and promptly makes it a meme. I present you the one long rant of a lone blogger trying to disentangle the mystery behind Luke Skywalker and his maybe inheritance of the Empire.

A blogger talks about the end of Return of the Jedi. Originally it had embedded memes, but they seem to be broken now, which is really sad. One-shot.

Fifth fandom: Danny Phantom

I Panicked, Okay? by newdog14:

“Danny, we can’t help you if you don’t tell us what’s going on,” his mother said, clearly picking up on his panic and gentling her tone, as if he were a skittish animal. “Whatever that ghost is doing to you, you can tell us. It’s not your fault, Sweetheart.” “No, Mom, he’s not…it’s not like that,” Danny said. Her reassurances were setting off all kinds of alarm bells, but they also gave him an idea. It wasn’t a good idea, not by any means, but he couldn’t think of anything better, and he needed to say something. “Then what is it like Danno?” his dad asked, giving Danny a worried look. He had the Fenton Xtractor in hand, and Danny spared it a wary glance before looking between his parents. Tucker was never going to let him live this down. “We’re dating!” "WHAT?!"

Don't you hate when you have to pretend to be dating your secret identity so you're parents don't accidentally destroy you with their ghost hunting weapons?

The Trouble with Ghosts by Lynse:

Lancer hadn’t realized how closely young Mr. Fenton’s school troubles-–and the secrets he surely wasn’t telling his parents–-were tied to ghosts until after that encounter with Phantom.

Okay, I last read this fic in 2020ish, so I don't remember it that well, but I really like outsider POVs and bookmarked this as one of my favorites, so!

[thesoundofspeed]

last song: probably death anniversary by chanmina (PLEASE LISTEN TO HER MUSIC ITS SO GOOD) (I recommend death anniversary duh, voice memo no. 5, NG, and harienchi to start :3)

last book: how to make friends with the dark by Kathleen Glasgow

last movie: Sonic 3 if you don't count youtube movies, LPS Extraordinary Magic if you count them (LPS ARE COOL SHUT UP)

last tv show: again, if you don't count youtube shit, then kitchen nightmares

sweet/savory/spicy: prolly savory but it depends on the time of day tbh

relationship status: single and aroace :3

last thing I googled: "James Marsden" (it was for a drawing)

current obsession: sonic and littlest pet shop they have my soul in the palm of their hands (or paws)

looking forward to: re-doing my bedroom (new bigger bed and moving around other furniture)

erm idk that many people I'm interested in learning about (at least not that im too scared to tag lol)

@rednexxsaysthing(ik you tagged me lol I just wanna make sure you see this) @captainsquiddd @silvermuncher

10 things for 10 people you'd like to know better

last song: You Go Your Way - Perrie Edwards

last book: As She Fades - Abbi Glines

last movie: We Live In Time (woah, it was a whirlwind)

last tv show: Shadow and Bone

sweet/savory/spicy: I'm spicy for sure, but more sweet when I'm on my period.

relationship status: single

last thing I googled: A cucumber and aloe mask

current obsession: uhh, anything Marvel, geeking out about the new movies coming out this year

looking forward to: Moving and getting my Master's Degree.

Thank you for tagging me, @ailoda! This was so cute <3

No pressure tags! (so sorry if you’re not interested / have already done this): @princess-lil-spidey @laaundromat @ficcharsimp @mgchaser

[cowardlycowboys]

parents empowered need to hire like I dunno young people because I swear they are just driving kids to want to drink

[houseswife]

[apoetsworld]

Sorry, but Sirius would not be the rebel you think he is. Like sure he doesn't feed into all that blood purity shit but that boy was spoiled rotten. He grew up eating with silver enchanted utensils, wearing the finest clothing, eating the most precious foods and learning the most pretentious habits from the most pretentious people...he was posh, and so was James and so was Peter. It takes years to unlearn all that, to recognize not everyone had it as good as him (disregarding the neglectful treatment from his parents).

However, I will agree, his character development after meeting Remus is substantially impacted. Since a boy with absolutely nothing becomes Sirius' everything.

[dontcxckitup]

His body was no longer thirty years old. It had aged, got weaker, no matter how much Gareth was exercising. It was just nature. So was it really a surprise that eventually, he had passed out from the pain? It was luck, really. He didn’t know how much longer he would have made it. Every single whip felt worse than the previous; his back burning from the open wounds, the warm, sticky blood running down his skin.

Sanderson had truly made a masterpiece here – at least he thought so. Still it was…disappointing. Mallory was no longer screaming, no longer shifting. He wasn’t moving. Frowning, he went back over to him, grabbed his arm, and pulled. Not even when he fell to the ground did he make a sound or moved. Sanderson bent down and put his fingers on his throat, feeling for a pulse. He was still alive. Sanderson scoffed and turned to Hugo. “What a whimsical bastard.”

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

Maria didn’t have to tell him twice. James scanned their surroundings trying to find something; an entrance, a hole – anything. Anything indicating where they could have gone. It had to be small and inconspicuous, but big enough to drag an unmoving or even struggling grown man through. Something-- He frowned. “Maria.” James pointed at a stone wall that looked like it had been moved not too long ago. “Help me with these.”

Eventually James pulled them up onto a street where the van had last been seen and Maria jumped straight out. She didn't know what she was looking for but given the van had stopped here and then driven off lighter than it arrived it had to be here that they'd brought him.

"There's nothing here." James said scratching his head as he looked around. The houses surrounding them were either empty or contained families. Gareth wasn't in those.

Maria was thinking though, thinking about the video about the accusations about whatever plot this was. Whoever was working on this with Hugo they didn't intend Gareth to come out of it alive and it made Maria more urgent to find him.

"There are tunnels, under the city. There's gotta be an entrance around here. Something conspicuous enough not to draw attention but easy enough to find." She suggested.

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

Sweaty and spent from putting his back into whipping Gareth, Sanderson leaned back breathing deeply and enjoying the way the blood ran down the others back.

"Are you sure you don't want a go? It's very, very cathartic?" Sanderson asked but Hugo shook his head. The truth was he hadn't really known who he was jumping into bed with when it came to this plan. He hadn't known just how much of a psychopath Sanderson was and now he was being shown it.

Hugo had never had to watch Maria tortured, whipped, he'd just accidentally instigated it. There was a part of him, an uncomfortable gnawing in his stomach that was starting to make him wish he'd just planted everything, shot Gareth and called it self defense. Maria never would have believed that though and for her to see him he needed Gareth destroyed.

Still, even in his messed-up mind Hugo felt a pang of regret, of uncomfortable, harrowing disgust gnawing at his stomach as he watched Sanderson take so much joy in watching and causing someone, who by all accounts hadn't really done anything wrong, agony.

[dreamsrunfaster]

james t. kirk, tarsus survivor, whenever someone needs help and support: we should get hotdogs. in fact we should get two hotdogs. i’m going to get cookies. we’re going to split the cookie.

[wishchip106]

he’s gaming

[unlimitedhearts]

RIP Tumblr you would have loved Psych 😭

[ottogatto]

To anon:

What makes you think that sending someone (that you hate ans routinely bully) to the equivalent of a rabies-afflicted man-hunting wolf accounts for a prank rather than murder attempt?

What makes you think it qualifies as a prank in the first place?

What must it take for you to rule out that it was just a prank?

What makes you argue that luring a kid to a werewolf is not serious despite the danger and the fact that the one who lured him knows of that danger?

Are you denying that Sirius wanted to cause harm to Snape?

Are you denying that pranks (or "pranks") can pertain to means of ruining someone's life?

And considering that Sirius Black laughed in approval when James Potter said that the problem is that Snape exists, what makes you say that Sirius Black wasn’t motivated by the wish to end Snape's life through this very obviously lethal mean?

“Leave him alone,” Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. “What’s he done to you?”

“Well,” said James, appearing to deliberate the point, “it’s more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean. . . .”

Many of the surrounding watchers laughed, Sirius and Wormtail included

Now apply it to the real world. And tell me how'd you judge this: https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/transgender-girl-stabbed-nine-times-at-a-roller-skating-party-lying-gender/

Other members of the group encouraged the woman to arrange a fight with Betts-Ramsey, but Ms Heer said it was "all a ruse" to attack her.

Phone evidence revealed that during a call, Betts-Ramsey told someone: "I have to go to Harrow to beat up some... a f****** tranny bro."

On February 10, the woman left her home, believing she was going to a roller-skating event with the group, the court heard.

Betts-Ramsey, from Barnet, Harris, from Harrow, Osei, from Tadworth, Surrey, Hindes, from Southwark, and the 17-year-old boy were all dressed in dark clothing, with masks and hoods, and were waiting for her at the bus stop.

Once at a nearby car park, she was "immediately attacked", and she had no time to say anything or do anything to defend herself, the court was told.

Once she was on the ground, Betts-Ramsey took out a knife and stabbed towards her at least 14 times.

As Betts-Ramsey was stabbing her, the others continued to attack her with kicks and punches for about 45 seconds before the group left the scene, the prosecutor said. [...]

Members of the group bragged about the assault later, posting footage on social media, Ms Heer said.

The 17-year-old boy sent the woman a message which said "Ur lookin sweet", the court was told.

That night, a message was sent to Betts-Ramsey which said: "stabbing a girl cus she's trans... its disgusting", to which Betts-Ramsey replied: "IT deserved it".

Funny

you see, Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me —”

Black made a derisive noise.

“It served him right,” he sneered.

to know how "safe" as a person you are.

Sirius' in The Prank can't be considered attempted murder because there was no intent to kill Snape. I don't think Sirius wanted to kill him, just play a prank on him, so it can't be seen as something that serious.

False. There doesn’t need to be premeditation for something to be considered attempted murder. In fact, it’s precisely attempted murder because there’s no premeditation or malice aforethought in the action. If the victim had died, instead of premeditated murder, it would likely be classified as reckless homicide, for example. So, starting from that basic premise, what you’re saying is absolute nonsense, because the very charge itself is based on the lack of intent.

Furthermore, even if your defense strategy were based on claiming that Sirius was completely innocent because it never crossed his mind that Severus could be harmed (which is absolutely unbelievable, but sure), you’d have to prove this to the judge beyond any reasonable doubt. And considering Sirius’ history of harassment, abuse, and violence against Severus—along with the aggravating factor that he always went after him with a numerical advantage—it would be pretty damn hard to convince anyone with half a brain that it was just an “innocent prank.”

And if, on top of that, the victim’s prosecution lawyer were even a quarter as much of a ruthless bitch as I can be, they’d be putting down a deposit on a flat in central London just with the commission from the psychological damages compensation they could secure if they played their cards right.