#aurore's mail

[ayo-edebiri]

your blog is almost entirely made up of examples of you going out of your way to reframe, wildly misinterpret, or straight up erase literally every meaningful moment between steve and nancy, just to make it about steve and eddie instead. so... is there actually a reason you hate her? or is your delusion really that bad?

I hate Nancy because i don't like Stancy? I love the way you think, it's amazing. I adore her, and i think Nancy and Steve both deserve better. They just don't match anymore. once again it's MY opinion and you have YOUR opinion. I'm allowed to gif what i want. At least i don't send ask to people who don't have the same opinion as me.

Block me, love ❤️

[literatooru]

pairing: f!reader x miya atsumu

flufftober 2024!

On a regular day, the Great Hall is mostly peaceful—the only disturbance is usually mail delivery in the mornings, which makes sense if you take into account the dozens of owls flying around the room delivering packages and letters from the students’ families.

As usual, you place a hand over the rim of your cup to protect your pumpkin juice from any loose feathers. It is not an owl, however, what crashes into you with enough force to almost knock you off your seat.

The one responsible has a name you’re all too familiar with. Atsumu Miya.

“Bloody hell!” you exclaim, brows pinched into a frown as you glare at him briefly before reaching for a napkin to wipe the bit of juice that sloshed out of your cup and onto the table. “What is wrong with you?”

“Somebody call the Aurors, my heart has been stolen!” says the idiot that currently has an arm curled around your shoulders. “If bein’ cute was illegal, you’d have been sent to Azkaban long ago, you criminal.” 

His words make you start, to say the least. As used as you are to Atsumu’s antics, this is… extremely odd. Even for him. He sounds almost drunk, yet he seems in complete control of all of his senses. 

You slap his hand away before he manages to caress your cheek and whirl your head around with a bewildered look taking over your face. Just what in Merlin’s Beard is going on?

Your eyes finally settled on an out of breath Osamu. Your friend clutches his chest as he pants heavily, grabs the collar of his twin’s shirt and yanks him back and away from you. Atsumu yelps, although he doesn’t resist. Instead, he stands beside his brother and shoots you a wink.

“I’m so sorry,” Osamu manages to say once he’s able to catch his breath.

You blink at him.

“Yeah, I’m going to need a little more context, Samu.”

Osamu lets out a sigh so heavy that seems he’s been holding for as long as he’s known his brother and plops down on the empty space on the bench next to you. He has the good sense to force Atsumu to sit next to him, which doesn’t stop him from sneaking glances at you with the most simpering look you’ve ever seen anyone wear.

“Yer so gorgeous. Are ya sure yer not part Veela?” Atsumu mutters over his twin’s shoulder.

Samu’s face twists with annoyance as he shoves his brother back into his seat and shoots you the most exhausted look in the world.

“We were gonna prank Rin and we, well— Atsumu made a love potion. I made the pasties.”

Your face falls.

“Don’t tell me—”

“Yup,” he interrupts you, and at least has the decency to appear apologetic. “He mixed the pasties that didn’t have the potion with the ones that did and… well, he ate them.”

You groan, frustration clear in the sound and the way you rub your face with your hands. It’s not like you rarely see the twins; you see them every single day, almost every hour of the day. And you don’t even know how strong the love potion was; it could take hours for its effect to wear off, maybe even days!

“Why me though?”

Osamu opens his mouth, shuts it, then does it again. He looks almost as puzzled as you feel.

“That, I actually don’t know,” he admits. Samu slaps a hand over his brother’s mouth when Atsumu takes a breath to butt in. “I’m thinkin’… since he made it, and drank it himself…”

“No,” you immediately say, shaking your head profusely. “You’re saying he likes me.”

“I’m actually sayin’ he’s head over heels for ya.”

“Absolutely not,” you repeat.

“But we’re gettin’ married!” Atsumu cranes his neck as much as he can to talk to you.

Both you and his brother ignore him.

“I mean,” Osamu begins, pursing his lips for a brief moment before continuing. “He has to feel at least somewhat attracted to ya. Listen, it’s the only thing that makes sense. Because none of this makes sense, to be honest!”

“Atsumu’s entire existence doesn’t make sense,” you grumble under your breath.

Atsumu hears you and lets out an odd, pained squeak as he clutches his chest right over his heart.

“But I love ya!”

“Shut up, will ya?” Osamu mutters. He turns to you and lifts his palms in surrender. “I tried to stop him, I really did.” He looks at the ceiling, then at you, and smiles before leaning closer. “But maybe you should think it twice before eatin' my chocolate frogs.”

Your eyes widen and your whole body turns to the side to face him.

“What? I didn’t, they escaped!” you say and instantly cringe internally when you notice how lame of an excuse it is.

Osamu raises his eyebrows. For the frogs to have escaped, the boxes must have been opened. Besides Atsumu, you were the only one who knew where he had stored them while he got around to eating them. Welp!

“All of them?”

Your friend snorts when he sees you visibly deflate after his statement. Really, it had been obvious who had done it, and it just so happened that his idiot brother decided to consume a love potion right when he was plotting his revenge.

“I just wanted the cards,” you reluctantly admit.

“Right, well.” Osamu claps his hands and jumps to his feet. He smiles at you with such genuine humor that you curl your fingers into fists and glare at him in exchange. “Enjoy your Tsumu filled day.”

“What? Wait, what am I supposed to do?”

“I figured it out, I’m sure you can, too.” He takes a step back, halts, and shoots you a smug look over his shoulder. “It did take me a couple years though.” And Osamu walks away.

“Samu!” you yell. 

You jump to your feet, take a couple steps forward, and yelp when your arm is yanked back and your face is squished against the soft fabric of Atsumu’s sweater.

“Finally! I thought he’d never leave.” Atsumu wraps his arms around you and pulls you as close as he can, burying his face in the crook of your neck. “Yer as warm as the sun itself. So pretty!”

You pause when you hear the deep breath he takes.

“Are you… smelling my hair?”

“It smells so good!”

Stupid Osamu. Who gives a damn about some chocolate frogs! This is going to be absolute torture.

Much to your dismay, Atsumu shares every single class with you today. You thank the heavens that he has to somewhat restrain himself in the classrooms, but holy crap, he clings to you like a Grindylow to its prey.

When he takes your bag to sling it over his shoulder and interlocks his fingers with yours, you merely sigh and press your lips into a thin line. It takes you a moment to understand that the twisting of your stomach isn’t due to annoyance but because it feels… nice. The warmth of his hand against your skin, the way his fingers curl to envelop yours—there’s even something strangely comfortable about the callouses earned after so much time spent on a broom.

“So I’ve been thinkin’,” Atsumu’s incessant chatter drags on as you do your best to ignore him and fail miserably. “Maybe you could come over to meet my parents durin’ the winter break. Just ignore Ma when she starts talking about grandchildren.”

At this, you dig your heels into the ground to halt your walking and sputter at the guy holding your hand with widened eyes. 

“Just what did you put in that love potion?”

Atsumu giggles—actually giggles— and pinches your chin between his forefinger and thumb.

“Yer so cute when yer all flustered like that.” And then he screams at the top of his lungs; “Gallopin’ Gorgons, just let me kiss you already!”

You can’t help the snort that escapes you as you throw your entire body forward to slap a hand over his mouth, a nervous laugh slipping past your lips when you notice most people around you shooting odd looks in your direction. The rest of them either don’t care or know Atsumu Miya well enough to understand that this is (mostly) his regular self.

“Shut up, Miya! I will murder you.”

Atsumu sighs against your hand, clutches your wrist, and takes your hand to place it on his chest. You stagger a little when you feel his racing heart right under your fingertips.

“Murder me, marry me, lock me up… do anythin’ you want.”

Really, the one who should be murdered is his twin for putting you through this. You’ve definitely learned your lesson though: no more stealing chocolate frogs (really, not stealing anything, period) from Osamu Miya.

“You’re mad,” you grumble.

Resigned to your fate for the day, you yank his hand to interlock your fingers with his and drag him to your next class. He’s practically a clingy cat with the awful exception that this one talks.

Atsumu is so present throughout the day that you eventually get used to it, even start to appreciate it a little. It’s not too bad, really—he carries your bag, helps you with your assignments, carries your small mountain of books around the library. It turns out that, as long as you keep your hand in his, he won’t utter a word. 

“All right, I’m done,” you mumble, patting him gently on the shoulder as you stand up. You arch your back, hands placed on your lower back, and bend backward until you hear a satisfying pop. “I need sleep.”

Atsumu immediately jumps to his feet.

“I’ll come with ya!”

“No, you will not.”

Before you can feel the slightest hint of remorse (if there’s anything he’s aced is putting on a puppy face to get his way), you place your hands on his shoulders and pull him toward you so you’re at eye level.

“Are we about to kiss right now?” he whispers, a smile on his lips.

If you’re not wrong—yup. He’s blushing.

“No,” you say, trying to sound as firm as possible. He pouts. “But I have a very important task for you. And I will be extremely grateful if you do it.” At that, he straightens up. “I need you to take this book to Cressida. She should be in the Quidditch pitch right now.”

“Consider it done.”

Atsumu snatches the book out of your hands and darts off, although not before blowing a kiss over his shoulder. You press your lips together to hold back a laugh. Why is it that all of a sudden it’s not so annoying and actually starting to seem a little endearing?

Whatever the reason, you heave a sigh you’d been holding for a couple hours now, sling your bag over your shoulder, and head to your common room for some much needed rest.

As tiring as spending an entire day with Atsumu clinging to you is, at least it’s come to an end. Surely when you wake up tomorrow, he’ll offer you the biggest batch of chocolate frogs you’ve ever seen and  (hopefully) promise to refrain from making any more love potions.

With that in mind, you sit in your bed with a textbook in your lap to study for the test you’re to present in the morning. Thankfully it’s nothing too complicated. Unlike some, you’ve always had a knack for potion making, and your room is empty right now, which is perfect for studying.

At least it was, before one of your roommates pokes her head in through the cracked door and raps her knuckles against the wooden surface to catch your attention. You give a discreet, soft sigh, close your book, place it on the bed, and look at her with what you hope is a friendly smile.

“Can I help you?”

“Sorry for bothering, y/n. One of the twins is asking to—”

“You’re literally standin’ between me and the love of my life,” you hear Atsumu mutter behind your roommate.

“Atsumu?! How’d you even get in? You’re not allowed in the girl’s dormitories!”

You jump to your feet and hurry to the door. Before stepping out, yo grab your jacket from the rack. The girl offers you an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers to you, half her body in the room, the other half seemingly trying to be pried away by Atsumu. “I told him he couldn’t come in but he refused to take no for an answer. I didn’t want to risk him throwing a Dungbomb in the Common Room.”

“It’s okay, Priscilla, I’ll deal with him.”

Once she steps into the room and you step outside, Atsumu’s face breaks out into a grin that’s so big you fear it might split his face in two.

“What do you want?”

“I came here to ask ya on a date. Just you, me, and the stars.”

You roll your eyes.

“Couldn't it have waited until tomorrow?” When there are no remnants of the potion in your system and you totally don’t want to date me anymore, you don’t add out loud.

“Love shouldn’t have to wait,” he insists, and by the way he grips your shoulders and the intense look in his eyes, it seems he firmly believed it.

“All right, that’s it. I’m taking you to Madam Pomfrey.”

Atsumu squeaks dramatically. “What, why?”

You clasp your hand around his bicep and attempt to drag him away. Unfortunately for you (and fortunately for Atsumu), he’s much bigger, and it proves even more difficult to attempt when he digs his heels into the ground and throws his entire body weight backward. You huff an exasperated breath.

“Because it’s been hours!” You let go of his arm only to jab your index onto his chest. “The potion should be out of your system already!”

“It is,” Atsumu blurts out.

To be completely frank, there was something about Madam Pomfrey that sort of terrified him a little bit. He’s been to the infirmary more times than he can count—mostly due to Quidditch incidents— and he would rather not step a single toe inside unless he’s a breath away from death.

For a moment, you both simply stare at each other in silence. 

“What do you mean?”

Atsumu’s eyes dart to the side, which is a very easy telltale sign that he’s been caught red-handed.

“Well… the effects had already passed by lunchtime.”

He visibly cringes when you slap your hands on your cheeks to clutch your face.

“You’re telling me… that this whole time… you’ve been pretending to be under the influence of a love potion—”

“Not the whole time,” he cuts you off. 

“Why?!”

Atsumu opens his mouth wordlessly before clamping it shut and offering you a mere shrug as an answer. You swear you’re going to strange him.

“I just… I wanted to ask ya out. On a date.”

His words make you freeze in your place before you can pull out your wand to at least jinx him. You have to admit that after lunch, he had seemed to visibly tone it down a bit. That is, before he barged into the girl’s dormitories demanding to see you. Part of you is still tempted to jinx him and glue his feet together to make him trip over. The other part is fighting for dear life to ignore to heat creeping up your neck as you avert your gaze.

“So why didn’t you ask me out?”

A frown takes over his face and he has the nerve to scoff at you.

“I just did.”

“Without the love potion theatrics, you idiot!”

“Well… I figured you’d say no.”

And now you understand. If he asked you and you said no, he could simply blamed it on the potion. Still, you can’t fathom what pushed him to attempt it in such way. So many things could have gone wrong.

“You’re a bloody idiot.”

“I know,” he groans.

“And I will go on a date with you.”

“I kn— wait. You will?” His entire face lights up after hearing your words. As an answer, you nod. “You won’t regret it. I promise, it’s gonna be the best date of your life. I’ll let you know the details tomorrow.” His feet seem to have a mind of his own as he darts away. Before he can get too far though, he halts, whirls around and runs to you once more. Atsumu cups your chin, lifts your head, and leans down to place a resounding peck on your cheek that manages to catch you extremely off-guard. “Night!”

And he’s off.

You take a hand to your cheek, feeling so very grateful that no one’s here to witness the idiotic smile that spreads across your lips.

“Night, Tsumu."

[iamnmbr3]

ok ok what even is this?

"Harry hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table."

Um. There is. So much here. They've only been at school a few weeks. And in first year the Gryffindors and Slytherins only have one (1) class in common which only meets once a week. They've barely had reason to interact much yet.

And yet Draco "of course" notices the frequency of Harry's mail. Harry unfortunately does not notice that this is strange behavior because he ALSO KNOWS the exact frequency and content of Draco's mail even tho he has to look all the way over to the Slytherin table to see it. He even knows exactly what kind of owl Draco owns.

Why are they both spending their first weeks at magic school cataloguing each other's mail like they're Aurors on a stakeout?! They are so not normal about each other but neither notices bc they're both like that.

[metalomagnetic]

Hello Metalo

I love the Disgraced Witches's Den, they are just chilling and having fun.

Has Walden and Mr McNair gotten back in contact with Evy since under Sirius support she is back in society ? Also, is Sirius giving Bella access to black gold or is her father? I remember how Bella helped Sirius out when he ran away...

Walden has always kept in touch with Evy, though before Sirius, it was very hush-hush. Now that she's been accepted back by most of the younger crowd, Walden publicly acknowledges her (also, it's helpful that she supports him with money, even paid for his wedding and a home for him). Her parents do not acknowledge her at all. If you ask them, she is dead as far as they're concerned.

Bella is not allowed to step foot inside Gringotts, or any public institution (unless it's St Mungo and she personally needs treatment there- otherwise she's not allowed into the Hospital as a visitor. Special requests were granted for her to attend her father's funeral, since it was so public and on a semi-public magical place). So she hardly needs gold, since she has nowhere to spend it anyway, in theory. However, she did take some trips to some shops in Knockturn, where she trusts no one would call the Aurors.

She also goes to Muggle London, since no one knows her there; Sirius and Andromeda sometimes convince her to join them there to eat at a restaurant or just get her to see something other than a rotation of manors.

She has access to gold or pounds. (Sometimes she orders via mail from magical stores all around the world, mostly gifts for her loved ones or dresses for herself, and her favourite perfumes haha). When she lived with her dad, she was too drugged up to want anything, but then she moved in with Narcissa and you can imagine, Narcissa paid for everything Bella wanted, or handed her gold/pounds if Bella asked.

Now she lives with Evy, but both Cygnus and Sirius go and leave a bag of money for Bella every month in case she needs it for whatever, without being asked. And since Andromeda moved there, too, Cygnus and Sirius also gave gold to her. Now, it's just Sirius.

Cygnus left the majority of his assets to Bella, Andromeda and Narcissa, but he set a little something apart for Dora and Draco, in the interest of being fair to his grandchildren, too, even if Draco hardly needs more gold. (Same for Pollux, he left A LOT, like outrageous amounts of gold for Draco, Marvolo and Orion even if neither kids could possibly ever need it, but he wanted to be fair to all his great-grandsons. However he was an old-fashioned bigot, so he left nothing for Elara, since she's a girl, and nothing for Dora, since he and Irma never accepted her because of her blood.)

So Andromeda has her own gold now, though it's not a fortune or anything; I think Cygnus was wealthy enough, but nothing ridiculously so (like say Sirius or Lucius or other first born sons; Cygnus was more like Alphard. Rich, but not filthy rich), so after his wealth got divided in five, it's not a huge amount for Andromeda, but enough that she would be able to sustain herself independently if need arouse. (Both Bella and Cissa offered for Andromeda to have their share of the inheritance, since they hardly need it, but Andromeda firmly refused.)

However, Bella cannot have access to her gold, either inherited from Cygnus or the enormous wealth in Lestrange vault. So, for now, it's Sirius that takes care of Bella's needs, and also for Andromeda (even if she tries to refuse, but he won't hear of it), and he insists he's the one to pay for whatever Dora needs, and advised Dora to leave whatever she got for Cygnus untouched for now, even if she is seventeen. But Dora already has plans to get a job as soon as she's done with Hogwarts and earn her own gold, because she's very driven and independent, and Bella encourages her thoroughly and also trains Dora whenever Dora is on holiday, in both duelling skills and Potion Making.

Druella has her own gold, as inheritance combo from her own father, grandparents and an assortment of odd uncle and aunts, but since both Bella and Andromeda are living with Evy, Druella moved in with Narcissa after Cygnus died, because Narcissa (even if not close to her mum, is dutiful, and in her view it's necessary and a social obligation to take care of a mother and not abandon her to live alone. Lucius is *delighted*, I tell you. Poor man. But at least he has many opportunities to suck up to Druella, trying to make sure Druella will leave her gold to Draco, because hey, Lucius is of the opinion that more is always better, even if not remotely needed).

To Walburga's horror, after Cygnus died, now she has to take care of her own mother, since she's the only child of Irma's left, so now Irma is living in Grimmauld, and it is a very big house, but it somehow feels tiny for Walburga lol (she's using Sirius' old hiding spots to hide from her mother when she needs space). Thankfully, Irma adores her grandsons and great grandchildren, so she's mostly preoccupied with them, and when she doesn't do that, she likes to find ways to be a bitch to Astrid and Isadora, so she doesn't have much time to pester Walburga. Irma was always a terror, a veritable force of nature, and now she is the OLDEST living Black, the matriarch of the entire horrible family. Plus, she has a way with Sirius, whom she always spoiled since he could crawl, and Sirius isn't inclined to go against her. Irma is living her best life, even if she misses her husband dearly. To be fair, Irma aways lived her best life, but now her social status is basically God like lol 😂

That was probably more information than you asked for lol, but I like to think about this fic all too often and ramble about it, so sorry!

[jilyawards]

The Jily Fandom Rec List 2024 is a compilation of Jily stories our readers want to keep an eye on for this year's awards.

MAY

All The Lonely People (Where Do They All Come From?) (WIP, 4.9k as of 31 May 2024) by @nodirectionhome-ao3. Rated M.

James Potter is a Ministry agent. Lily Evans is a disrupter. But Lily is gone...a figment of the past... Or so James thinks.

Risky Behaviour (completed, 1k) by @jamesunderwater. Rated M.

Lily is determined not to get distracted during rounds again. Written for @jilymicrofics Mystery Microfic May Prompt 27: Risk

Sweet Seventeen (completed, <1k) by @jamesunderwater. Rated G.

James is dating an older woman. She loves snow. He loves... well, it's too soon to say it.

here lies (completed, 4.4k) by @gigglesandfreckles-hp. Rated T.

“Were we expecting you?” He looks slightly horrified, as if he’s forgotten an important appointment, and turns to his wife for help. “I’m sorry if— “No, dear.” Euphemia shakes her head, moving toward him and running a smoothing hand through his mop of messy, white hair. “Lily here was just depositing our highly inebriated son.” “Oh, that’s rather charitable of her.” [or: James can't hold his drink, or his affections]

the same rule applies to goodness and grief (completed, 3.6k) by @gigglesandfreckles-hp. Rated T.

“I need your assurance that if this all goes tits up and you end up dead, you’re not gonna haunt me for stealing your family.” “I’m starting to question whether your concern for my safety is genuine.” “Just can’t help it, Prongs. World's cutest baby. You and stupid Evans. Beautiful people. I hate you both.” “Good night, Sirius,” says Lily, shaking her head in laughter. [or: James is starting to worry Lily so she calls in reinforcements]

maybe it was egos swinging (maybe it was her) (completed, 11.1k) by @apalapucian. Rated T.

james starts rolling his shoulders, wincing. "jesus, evans." "back at ya," says lily, testing her wrists. "ever heard of taking it easy?" "with you? never." "can’t believe you’d use confringo on me." "knew you'd block it," he says. "can’t believe you’d use depulso." she shrugs, grinning. "knew you'd block it." (or: seventh-year, auror-aspirant, academic rivals, head boy and head girl james and lily.)

Hitchhikers May Be Escaping Inmates (WIP, 24.3k as of 31 May 2024) by @themaraudershavethephonebox. Rated T.

At eighteen, Lily Evans learned she had a soulmate. June seventh she woke up with scrawled text over her ribcage that could not come off in the shower no matter how hard she scrubbed, or with the wipes her mother used to get pen ink out of her father’s clothes, nor the acetone her sister used to remove her nail varnish. Lily Evans still believed in love, in magic. That she could fly. But the universe would not be calling the shots when it came to it fuck you very much.

Love for the Summer (WIP, 51.9k as of 31 May 2024) by @missgryffin. Rated E.

It's the summer after sixth year, Lily Evans is realizing she fancies James Potter, and James has Sirius Black's motorbike to thank for getting Lily out of the friend zone.

The Loyal Companion: A Tale of Bad Dates and Good Whiskey (WIP, 10.7k as of 31 May 2024) by @sophie-hatter-jenkins. Rated M.

Lily Evans endures a series of disastrous first dates at her new favourite bar, The Loyal Companion. Still, at least the whiskey is good. And the bartender is cute. Not her type though. Nope, definitely not.

Just the Two of Us (completed, 10.2k) by @arianatwycross. Rated T.

Head Students James and Lily face a perilous twist when a malicious potion surfaces in hate mail directed at Lily. Dumbledore orders a week-long quarantine in the Head Students' suite. With unspoken crushes lingering, the duo navigates close quarters, leading to unexpected revelations, lingering looks and forehead kisses.

silence and patience, pining in anticipation (completed, 1.2k) by @kay-elle-cee. Rated T.

Lily’s been hung up on James for years; a tipsy conversation might be the push she needs to do something about it.

A Heart of Coal (completed, 8.6k) by @wearingaberetinparis. Rated T.

They say fortune favours the bold, yet Lily Evans was given her death sentence at seventeen. As soon as midnight strikes on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, her heart will turn to coal. Gryffindor knight James Potter, however, is the last to accept such a fate. For while Lily Evans’ curse foretells her death, his foreshadows a life without his unrequited true love at his side. Written for the March Jily Challenge. Prompt: A curse will strike on A's birthday and that can only be undone by a dragon’s fire, true love's kiss or a fairy's tears. None of those three even exist, or do they?

meet you there (completed, 7.8k) by flagpoles. Rated M.

Lily Evans to James Potter: why is this bar called the horse and carriage btw James Potter: romantic gesture from binns for his ex wife James Potter: it was their nicknames for each other. wish i was joking Lily Evans: fuck me i would also divorce a guy who nicknamed me carriage James Potter: believe it or not she was horse Lily Evans: well christ // they work in a bar and things are going completely fine, actually

Check out the previous months' recs too: January, February, March || April

Happy reading!

[rewritingcanon]

Headcanon that harry doesnt let any of his kids become aurors. He just chucks their application in the fire and is like:

no :)

“it must have gotten lost in the mail 🙂🧍‍♂️ sorry babies 😁”

[hsvh-hp]

what drarry fics would you recommend that are very in character?

Before I get into it, I’d just like to say that I started working on a fic rec sideblog last month. The posting schedule doesn’t kick in until April, so it’s blank at the moment. But, it’s there, if you’re interested in giving it a follow!

Anyway, two caveats about this: one, I read a lot of drarry fic and have a bit of a poor memory, and two, I'm not certain that what I consider in-character to be the majority consensus of the drarry fandom (for example, I don't like down and out Draco, soft Draco, Draco hating either of his parents, or Harry being overly judgmental or unforgiving (though that's not to say I haven't read those tropes and enjoyed them)).

In general, any fics from my ao3 bookmarks will meet my bar on being in-character, since I tend to hit the back button if I start asking myself, 'who are these people?'. I took a cruise through my bookmarks in spirit of the ask though, and I'll post a list below the cut of fics that stick out in my memory as having some of my favourite characterizations:

Twelve Months by dysonrules (14,840 words)

Hermione buys Harry a journal and he ends up using it to record his DEEP THOUGHTS. Not surprisingly, those tend to mostly involve Draco Malfoy.

This one cracked me up. Since it's written in journal form, we get Harry's running internal monologue about his life. And a lot of Draco, because of course we do. I also always enjoy a Draco who actually is up to something, but it’s for a good cause.

The Gentlewizard Club by Sophie_French (28,129 words)

Draco wants what Draco wants. And if he has to snuggle up to Harry to get it, well, surely, Draco can handle that. Problem is, not sure Harry can.

This fic starts with Draco and Harry as both friends and Auror partners. As friends, the high point of every day for Draco is when he gets to read (oft-times aloud, and dramatically so) Harry's fan mail as it's delivered to their office. As Auror partners, Draco is barred in writing their field reports because he sucks at it. He's very happy to put that work onto Harry, and Harry is happy to do it (because he's pining hard, okay?).

That Draco and Harry are Auror partners isn't actually important in this fic (although the sequel has a case that they tackle). Harry gets a letter about having been admitted into a club that Draco really, really, really wants to join, and he begs Harry to sponsor his admittance. Harry can't say no to him, therefore, commence operation fake relationship for a weekend getaway. I love the balance in Harry trying to give Draco what he wants while fearing that what he wants will only hurt him.

Martyred by dothechachaslide (82,004 words)

Harry Potter only wants one thing: to take care of the people he loves. After Teddy’s abrupt departure from his role as Andromeda’s caretaker, Harry decides it’s finally time to step up and handle the job himself. Castoff Manor, an old Black family estate, has never seemed as sinister as the stories make it sound, but it’s there that Harry stumbles upon ghosts, haunting family secrets, and a familiar, snarky blond gardener hell-bent on chasing him out. Maybe if Harry sticks around long enough, he’ll finally learn why all of Andromeda’s previous caretakers have fled without looking back.

Harry and Draco are in their fifties, in this fic. The summary about sums up Harry's characterization: he takes care of the people he loves, and a mystery at hand draws him obsessively in. As for Draco, I would consider him post-redemption. He took the consequences handed down to him after the war seriously, and has grown so used to the Muggle world that he lives there as comfortably as the magical world. He tends the garden at Castoff Manor to prevent anyone else being harmed in the role (part of the fic's mystery), and tutors Squibs in the nearby village.

One small detail that I love about Draco is how every time he gets uncomfortable, he hops on his bike and runs away. It's one of those things that, despite the rather far-flung future from the canon years, it's so absolutely in-character across time and space for him. He's changed so much, but there's still this degree of pettiness and cowardice deep down inside. It's just expressed in a less harmful way than it used to be.

Lethe by QueenieJinny (70,885 words)

A new form of vanishing sickness is sweeping across Britain. Healers Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are on the case. When Draco Malfoy is admitted to the isolation ward, Harry never imagines falling in love with him will be the easiest thing he’s ever done – and watching him fade away to nothing will be the hardest.

Like above, Harry again takes care of the people he loves and cannot resist a mystery to solve. He's a Healer in this fic, a line of work that suits him well for his compassion, and Draco ends up his patient. Draco is on the difficult end of the spectrum as far as patients go (are you surprised?). Watching their Healer-patient power dynamic swing toward equilibrium is wonderful. They fall in love, Draco comes to terms with his (temporary) mortality, and Harry goes as far as he possibly can for Draco after he's gone: finding a way to rescue him from where the vanishing sickness took him.

Draco Malfoy, Bloodsucking Fiend by Kbrick (23,198 words)

There are two things that Draco’s Auror partner, Harry Potter, must never know about him. One is that he’s a vampire. The other is that he’s been completely, pathetically, head-over-heels in love with Harry for years. But when the duo is trapped inside an old shop on Diagon Alley with no means of escape, Draco finds himself fiending for blood and unable to put even a modicum of distance between himself and the man he can’t stop lusting after.

There are 3 of Kbrick's fics on this list, and I could have honestly added more. All of her fics that I haven't gotten to yet are on my to-read list. I just love the way she writes Draco and Harry, okay?? I'm a big baby when it comes to angst and hurt/comfort (more on that further down), but I absolutely trust her to put the boys in a blender on the highest setting that I can personally handle.

Anyway, this fic in particular, I'm all about that pining and the feeling of a countdown being on. Draco is resisting on two fronts: his feelings for Harry and his need as a vampire to feed. Harry is perfectly balanced in his obliviousness and perception.

You See Through My Disguise by aibidil (9,666 words)

Bellatrix's knife flew across the room, but Harry leaped, pushing Dobby and Griphook to safety but stranding himself at Malfoy Manor. Now he and Draco are locked in the cellar with Wormtail's corpse and a rat, waiting for Voldemort to return and decide their fate.

The premise is on the tin. As for their characterizations, Harry and Draco are on a countdown to sort themselves out enough to make an escape from the dungeon at Malfoy Manor during the war. They can't help but poke at each other, so the fic is a compelling balance of ego and necessity.

Criminal by The_Sinking_Ship (83,497 words)

Things were going just fine for Draco Malfoy. He successfully conned and counted cards across Europe and America, amassing a small fortune, along with a lengthy rap sheet. That was until he made the grave mistake of returning to England for a high stakes card game and got himself caught – by Harry Potter no less. Now, Draco is stuck in England under Auror Potter’s guard with no friends, no distractions, and no escape. How the hell will he pass the time? And since when did Potter get so bloody fit?

I'd had this fic on my to-read list for ages before seeing it on a rec list for morally grey Draco. That's my favourite kind of Draco, so I decided to jump this one to the top. Also, like I said about Kbrick above, The_Sinking_Ship is another writer with whom I've either enjoyed everything I've read (recs within recs: Never Mind the Bullocks, Dwelling on Dreams, and Chasing Dragons) or I've simply yet to get to the rest of their work.

For this fic specifically, Draco's done the best he can with the shit situation his life was in post-war, and he's a lion in a cage when he gets legally stuck in England. He and Harry meet for check-ins, and the chemistry goes from there. Draco has some self-harm tendencies, and his want for Harry ends up (temporarily) going that way for him. Harry's in a rut in his life as an Auror. I love fics where he goes into the force and then becomes disillusioned with it. That feels very in-character for Harry, to me.

AITA for being "obsessed" with my childhood nemesis? by RainstormRadish (4,289 words)

Alrakis I [24M] attended a small boarding school in the UK. There was a boy in my year, a couple of months younger than me, and he became my nemesis after we developed an intense rivalry. My friend [25F] told me recently that our dynamic was "weird back then" and that "it’s even weirder" that I still think about him today. She argued that I talk about him all the time, but I believe the amount I talk about him is reasonable. AITA? prongymcprongface i completely get what you mean. i had a nemesis (like a school one, separate to my other nemesis) and we had a dynamic super similar to what you are describing. having a nemesis is a very cool and normal thing dw about it. NTA In which Draco asks the internet if he's being reasonable. Only one commenter is sympathetic. They start talking.

Draco and Harry cross paths on Reddit. Everyone else in the AITA thread thinks Draco (the OP) is absolutely nuts for his 'nemesis' situation. Except one, because of course that one person had a similar situation and it was totally normal, don't worry about it. I'm aware I basically just repeated the summary, but it says it all, really!

Rookie Moves by peu_a_peu (75,328 words)

Aurors Potter and Malfoy crack the case.

More Auror partners with a Draco that is unhinged. Tbh, I am very fussy on Auror Draco fics. I don't see Draco as someone to subject himself to much pain and suffering (like in fics where it's emphasized that he was subject to much bullying/pranks/etc during training, and he persevered regardless). He's too hedonistic, and I don't particularly think that the war would have warmed him to the Ministry or the means it possesses of authoritarian force. Fool me once, and all that.

In this fic, each chapter covers a job or case that Draco and Harry embark upon. It's meant to be funny, and holy shit is it ever. These two are such dumb cops. Even with the genre shift from serious to goofy, they get the work done. It's been long enough now since I read it that I can't remember specifically, but I feel that sometimes Draco and Harry being disasters helped them solve their cases. The other fics in the series Rookie Moves belongs to are 100% reading through as well. I cried happy tears in the end.

Timeshare by astolat (14,156 words)

“It’s not for long,” Hermione said. “By the time we get back to Hogwarts, the Unfettering Brew will be ready.” “Listen to you!” Ron said. “He’s got to get through a month with the Dursleys and a month at Malfoy Manor. With Draco Malfoy.” “Yeah, thanks,” Harry said, because he hadn’t just spent the last week contemplating just how much more horrible his summer holidays were about to be than they’d ever been before.

This fic has wonderful fuck/fight dynamics between the boys. I also like fics where the writer isn't afraid to let Draco be flawed with bigotry. Things like that he cannot fathom 'Potter's Muggles' talking to him and that he whinges the entire month he's at the Dursleys' house that it's too small, and the food isn't up to par, etc. As for Harry, he wants Draco despite all this, as well as despite how uncomfortable his month at the manor with Lucius and Narcissa is. I love when Harry is allowed to be flawed in that way.

Hey, Potter by SunseticMonster (16,024 words)

Harry returns to Hogwarts for his 8th year, determined not to let Malfoy get to him. But when the snarky teasing starts up again, Harry finds that returning the jibes with compliments has a far more interesting outcome.

This fic explores something that I've always headcanoned about how Draco and Harry got along throughout the canon books. We never see them have a single good or even neutral interaction (rather than Draco's part in their Madam Malkin's meet). They're always going at each other with their claws and teeth out, taking everything the other does in the most bad-faith interpretation. So, what happens when Harry starts killing Draco with kindness? I personally believe that if Harry did as such in the canon books, he would have very easily won Draco over.

Lumos by birdsofshore (41,476 words)

Harry never expected to spend eighth year listening to Draco Malfoy wanking.

I love eighth-year fics where Draco doesn't return to Hogwarts with his chin down and shoulders hunched. It doesn't feel in-character to me; he'd feel just as free as anyone else post-war, and I can't see him even hiding his relief and happiness for it to be over for the sensibilities of the other survivors. On top of that, Draco coming back to Hogwarts and immediately pushing Harry's buttons? 100% him. Harry playing into it every time? Also 100%.

A Convenient Impracticality by firethesound (38,540 words)

Somehow Harry ends up agreeing to a fake relationship with his ex-nemesis-turned-friendly-acquaintance-with-benefits, except for some reason it involves an awful lot of actual dating and, sadly, not much sex. Confused? Harry is too, but when has anything with Draco Malfoy ever been as straightforward as it seems?

More fake relationships! Harry and Draco fucking but not being sure what they are or what the other feels in return is so my jam. I can see both of them being attracted enough to each other to land in bed together, but the intimacy is more hard-earned because of their history. It's all the more satisfying once they figure it out.

Who we are in the shadows by Quicksilvermaid (99,714 words)

What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost. But nothing is exactly as it seems. Not even Harry himself. And as he gets drawn further and further into Malfoy's world of honour and deception he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew—about his childhood nemesis, the Ministry job he misses so much, and most of all, about himself. What happens when you’re forced to see that you were wrong?

I wrote up above about loving a Draco who's up to something, and it's for a good cause. This fic takes that notion and turns it up to like, 15 at minimum. Draco's an investigative journalist, and he's going after some very dangerous people. He needs muscle, enter security agent Harry who's still adjusting to life as a werewolf. Harry tags along out of (hired) necessity on Draco's job, and they are a team not to be reckoned with. On top of their chemistry, this fic left me gasping for breath. Folks who've read it before will know what I mean when I say my heart was pounding out of my chest during the tunnel scene.

Star Quality by who_la_hoop (118,607 words)

Two years after the war, and Harry’s content with his life. OK, so it’s a little annoying that he keeps winning Witch Weekly’s Most Eligible Bachelor award, and he’s really not looking forward to the unveiling of an enormous gold statue of himself, but he loves his friends, and he loves being an Auror. And if he yearns for something more, something he can barely bring himself to think about, well, he’ll probably get over it. No one’s happy all the time, are they? But then everything changes, and Harry’s thrown into a new and dazzling world he’s not sure he can actually escape from. And as time goes on, he starts to wonder: does he actually want to?

Draco and Harry end up in such a wonderfully ridiculous situation in this fic. Harry wakes up in an alternate (Muggle) universe where Draco is a pop star. The Draco of his universe has come along with him, and he's a total shit about helping Harry get them back home. Harry's grumpy, Draco's having a blast. It's fun. It's them.

The Day Before the Wedding by Kbrick (39,419 words)

Harry's getting married to Ginny tomorrow. The problem is that he can't seem to get beyond today.

Time loops and Kbrick, my beloved (Turning Leaves is another excellent fic of hers with this trope). The summary says it all for the premise. Like Star Quality above, Draco is 'in the know' with Harry (though he doesn't tell Harry right away lmao). Harry makes some Realizations in the time loop. Seeing as it's a Drarry fic and Harry was meant to get married to Ginny, I'm sure it's quite plain as to what that might be.

Bad Habits by No_One_Special_01289 (70,509 words)

Circles can be tiring. They have no end. But sometimes, the path is set for a reason, as anything outside the circle is even worse than what's within. Harry is running in circles with Draco Malfoy, and no matter how hard he tries, he can't escape.

Another fuck/fight kind of Drarry fic. This one takes place through OOTP, HBP, and DH canon, as if Draco and Harry had a secret sexual relationship throughout. I love how they come together like two accelerated particles, only to scatter to lick their wounds or attempt to process just what the hell is going on. It has the explosiveness that I love to see in Hogwarts-era Drarry fics when the war is on and they remain on opposing sides through to the end of it.

Dwelling by aideomai (83,382 words)

Curses, James and Lily Potter ride again, several Ministry balls, a teenage Summer of Love, a grim young adult dystopian winter, a few different Draco Malfoys, secrets and the problems re: not having any, alternate lives, impossible lives, real lives, allusions to Dirty Dancing, and just because it's not called the Mirror of Erised doesn't mean you shouldn't know better.

Listen: I bawled. I'm going to try to say this without spoiling the big twist. The fic nails how Harry and Draco tick together twice. Whether it's in a No Voldemort AU or a canon post-war era, these two cannot stay away from each other. I love the solution Harry and Draco reach at the end of the fic - the only way they can fathom any sort of resolution for what happened to them, despite how turbulent their waters remain.

Lovesick by corvuscrowned (7,688 words)

People keep spiking Auror Harry Potter with love potions. Healer Draco Malfoy keeps having to pick up the pieces. But it's getting harder and harder for Draco to watch Harry fall in love with everyone except for him.

corvuscrowned is another writer I put in the same category as Kbrick and The_Sinking_Ship. I've either read their fics and loved them, or just haven't got to the rest yet. What can I say? I love a slow burn. For more excellent fics from corvuscrowned, I will also humbly offer Loverboys (their first fic I read, which blew me away) and Seeker's High for your future reading consideration.

For this fic, the premise is on the tin, and crow executes it perfectly for characterization. I love their Harry in general, how he has his own complexes and the Harry POV isn't just Harry witnessing Draco's character. This fic is Draco POV, and Harry under a love potion is great. So is Draco's pining. They're perfect.

The Matchmaker's Spell by Kbrick (20,859 words)

Thanks to a spell cast over all of wizarding Britain, Draco is forced to marry Harry Potter, who still hates him. But Draco refuses to live a cold, sexless existence, choosing to fill the emptiness in his life and his bed with a parade of lovers. And while Harry may not be able to stand Draco, he despises seeing him with anyone else.

Remember earlier when I said that I trust Kbrick to put the boys in a blender at the exact intensity I could personally handle? This fic is right on the precipice of that. It's so angsty and dark. Draco and Harry are forced to marry, and their journey is so turbulent. Draco cuckolds Harry to push his buttons, and at one point their marriage goes well for a little while before shit happens and they're back on the rocks. They almost had it! We saw a glimpse of their potential!! Also, Draco's lovers keep mysteriously dying? That's sure weird and coincidental. The last scene in the fic made me gasp out loud.

Salt on the Western Wind by Saras_Girl (60,549 words)

When the war isn’t quite as over as it first appears, a guilt-ridden Harry is sent to a mysterious safe-house. Among sandwiches, insomnia, and Mills & Boon, he discovers something quite unexpected.

This fic starts up right after the Battle of Hogwarts, where Narcissa demands the trio take Draco into forced hiding with them. This leads to Draco and Harry being accidentally bonded. Oops! I don't think I have to make the case for how well Saras_Girl characterizes the boys, but I think this one is my favourite so far of the ones I've read (also, obligatory Turn and All Life is Yours to Miss mentions here).

Recalibrate by Saras_Girl (20,921 words)

Sometimes, you need to step back and think about things from a new perspective. Other times, you’ve just got to open your eyes to what you needed all along.

Yay, more eighth year! I read this one a looong time ago, but I still remember reading this and thinking 'oh, this is so them' at so many points. I am overdue for a reread.

Actually, that's probably true of all of these, lol. I should reread them and give them their own post/shower of love on that rec blog I mentioned.

This list took a couple days to compile. I could never make a wholly comprehensive one, but I believe I answered your question, anon. 🤪

[kdval]

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

› Faces of Night City [7/?]

Today's FoNC issue is the last one this year and a bit unusual. It's basically a giveaway. New year is coming soon, isn't it? So I went out onto the NC streets and met these happy and unharmed chooms (it's my pony world, remember? No one dies here). Now imagine that I sent you these polaroid photos/postcards/whatever you wanna call it by mail. Let's start!

Macha&Vinnie for @imaginarycyberpunk2023

Dietlinde&Lina for @dreamskug

Takemura for @breezypunk

Songbird for @cyberpunkaddict

Madam president for @wanderingaldecaldo

Kurt for @ouroboros-hideout

Valentin&Mitch for @pinkyjulien

Aurore&Aymeric for @beckiboos

Jackie for @theviridianbunny

Dum Dum for @wraithsoutlaws

Mr. Hands for me :D (don't you think I'll leave myself without a gift?)

If I missed someone or didn't tag you but you want to get your own card - just poke me. See ya in 2024!

[ginnyw-potter-archive]

No more late nights Written for @hinnymicrofic, January prompt 13: Mail

Harry heard Ginny gasp as she walked into the hallway.

“Since when do we get fan mail delivered to the door,” she complained.

He could hear her kick off her shoes like she did every evening.

“It’s not fan mail,” he told her from his desk. He had one box open and had taken out the first folder.

“Please tell me this isn’t work…” she muttered as she walked into his office. “You said no more late nights…” Her hand caressed her bump, as if to emphasise why he had promised. She raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

“It isn’t,” he told her. He handed her the folder.

With a sigh she opened it, but her expression immediately softened. “Your parents…”

“After we discussed naming that little one over there James,” he said, pointing at her belly. “It made me realise how little I knew about them. I want to be able to tell our kids what they were like and so… I made a special request with the Minister of Magic…”

“I am sure Kingsley had many objections,” Ginny said, reading on.

“The Auror department had a file on nearly all the Order members at one point or another,” he continued. “It’s not perfect, but there is actually plenty on them. Mentions in the paper of what they did… reports from Hogwarts professors…” He swallowed. “Kingsley even took some time out to assign ‘unkown’ duels to them, because he knew it was them of course, so I could have all of it.”

Ginny smiled at him. “That’s lovely.”

She came to sit on his lap and he kissed her cheek. She put down her folder and pointed.

“Yes, it looks like my dad runs his hand through his hair as well,” he commented.

Ginny looked at him brightly. “In exactly the same way!”

He chuckled. “Well, our boy may inherit it as well.”

Ginny laughed and leaned into him. “Oh, Merlin. That’s promising.”

[axolot-of-ideas]

as a transmasc

i wanna be her

ok so totally normal question

but if in miraculous ladybug, it was stormy wqeather who got ther stoneheart treatment, and a lot of people turned into her

would that possibly crack a few eggs?

[ayo-edebiri]

SAY IT!!!

it was stupid, i was just thinking about Eddie Munson. He cannot be bi, i have never seen a gayer character. It's not interesting sorry :/

[sailtomarina]

Dog walk

In any other scenario, Hermione would consider today the perfect fall day. The grass still retained dew from the past several days of rain. She breathed in air that was crisp in the sun’s light. Fresh fallen leaves crunched underfoot. She loved autumn. She loved walks, when she could be bothered to shrug off her blankets and books to take them. The season reminded her of carving pumpkins, apple cider, and bundling up next to a bonfire.

Today would be perfect, if not for Aspen.

Aspen was Harry’s dog, or, more precisely, Albus’ dog. As is the case with most children and pets, the responsibilities ended up falling on the parents, Albus only claiming the dog when convenient, which was never at the same time as walks or meals.

She cursed the Potters under her breath as she struggled with the leash and the 6-stone dog threatening to yank her off balance.

“I’m so sorry, please, just keep walking,” she gritted out with a pained smile, the couple walking by with their twin Staffordshire terriers looking at the pair of them like they were both hell dogs out to drag them to their deaths.

Aspen was inconsolable at not being allowed to run straight up to the other party as they scurried by. “Leash reactivity,” Harry had called it.

What a fat load of bollocks.

Oh, she believed there was a term for the way their super mutt rescue went completely ballistic every time he was on the leash and saw another dog, but it had been years now since they’d adopted him. Surely, by now, they should have trained the behavior out of him?

Now here she was, barmy to have accepted not only house sitting for her best mate and his family while they were on vacation, but dog sitting with all the activities it entailed.

Like walking. Three. Times. A day.

“Aspen, come! Aspen, look!” Her commands went straight over the fuzzy black head without eliciting any response. He continued to tug forward without looking to her for approval or permission.

This is why she preferred cats. Even owls, with their razor-sharp talons and grouchy nips were better. At least they delivered mail.

Giving up, she allowed herself to be pulled along their usual route along the gravel path around the pond. They took this walk every morning, then in the afternoon they went the opposite direction through the little Muggle subdivision of homes. One final evening walk to work off dinner cut partially through the same neighborhood into a cleared  path through the nearby forest.

She didn’t begrudge the multiple walks—they afforded her regular exercise and well-needed breaks from the tasks into which she often lost herself.

It was encounters with others that made her drag her feet in putting on the leash and harness.

Aspen would be a lovely companion if not for his loss of self at the sight of another dog, delivery truck, bicycle, and scooter. He draped himself over her every morning and she cuddled him for the next half hour as she slowly woke up. He kept her feet warm wherever she perched, book or pen in hand. He eagerly followed her to sleep at night, curling up at the foot of the bed with his head towards the door to guard their dreams.

“Oh! Finally.” She perked up as the dog curled into a familiar position.

It was as she settled down into a crouch, hand reaching out with a bright blue bag towards a steaming pile of shit that Malfoy found her.

“Hey, Aspen, and—Granger?”

Her stomach dropped at the voice she’d recognize anywhere. She might as well continue what she started. Without looking up, she proceeded to bag the poop and tie it off before standing to face the man jogging in place next to Aspen.

“Hello, Malfoy.”

She bobbed her head politely, hoping the stench from her hand didn’t reach him. If this area wasn’t Muggle she could vanish the bag. He didn’t give any indication of discomfort. In fact, he looked good.

Despite the cool weather, he wore a simple black vest and matching joggers, the prominent muscles of his arms revealed for all to see. He looked every inch the Auror that he was, one who rivaled Harry as his partner and featured far too often in Hermione’s fantasies.

He brushed back a fallen strand of hair, returning his platinum locks to their usual perfection. How could a man out for a run look so put together? Hermione wasn’t a slouch, even jogging on her own a few times a week, but her hair had a tendency to explode outward as if the steam from her head filled it to bursting with nowhere else to escape.

“Why are you walking Aspen?”

He didn’t say it with any disdain, but Hermione couldn’t help but bristle.

“Why can’t I walk him?”

He raised a slender brow and finally stilled his movements, hands moving up to rest on his hips. Her traitorous companion immediately butted up against his legs begging for attention, which, of course, was given.

Bent over, fingers digging into Aspen’s soft fur, Malfoy looked up with his mercurial eyes, famous smirk in place. “Of course you can; I asked why you were doing so. Where’s Potter?”

Hermione wanted to kick herself in her annoyance. Why was she being so prickly towards Malfoy? It wasn’t like she still harbored resentment towards him—it had been nearly a decade since Hogwarts and they’d bumped into each other often enough over the years. She could be civil.

She blamed Aspen and his reactivity.

“They’re on a family vacation and I agreed to house sit.” She bit her tongue before she could say anything more.

Malfoy had given into temptation and dropped down to spoil the mutt with both hands ruffling his ears and massaging his sides. That lucky fucker.

With a gasp, she realized she was jealous of Harry’s dog. 

The wizard looked at her once more at the sound, never ceasing his ministrations. “Everything alright?”

“Yes,” she cleared her throat, “I just realized I might have left the stove on. We should get going.”

His lips twitched almost like he was holding back a smile, like he knew she was lying. 

Was tonight a full moon? Is that why she was feeling so affected by the sight of his wide mouth, his full lashes rimming the prettiest grey eyes she’d ever seen that seemed to change with his emotions, and his visibly veined arms wrapping around Aspen? He could probably pick up the behemoth of a dog without breaking a sweat.

She blinked with surprise when he smoothly stood and approached her with a palm outstretched. Looking down at the hand, then back at him, she could do nothing but gape in confusion.

He snorted, thrusting his hand out even closer to her direction. “I’m not going to hex you, Granger. It’d be rude of me to not offer my farewell.”

“Yes, but must we shake on it?” she blurted out, still nonplussed.

A wrinkle formed between his eyes, and she realized she was being horribly rude. They might not be friends and she might harbor fantasies of riding him like a bull until she collapsed on top of him boneless and breathless, but it wouldn't do to ignore a friendly handshake.

The instant her hand slid into his and his eyes flashed silver, she remembered just who it was she was talking to. Smug satisfaction flickered across his face, and, with a wrenching twist to her gut, they disapparated.

Leaves fluttered into the air at the precise spot they’d left. A squirrel scampered across, nuts pocketed in cheeks meant for winter storage.

They reappeared at Harry’s front door, Hermione stumbling forward straight into Malfoy’s sturdy frame.

“What the bloody hell, Malfoy?” She smacked him with the end of the leash in rhythm to her yells. “You can’t just apparate people without notice!” He’d side-apparated not only her, but also Aspen, and the magical finesse behind such a feat turned her on even as it infuriated her. “You could have splinched us! Killed Aspen! What would I even say to Harry? Albus would be devastated—”

To her complete and utter shock, he shut her up with a kiss.

She stiffened for a couple of seconds, poop bag dropping forgotten onto the door mat behind her along with all pretenses of a stove left on, but as the realization hit her that this was not a dream and that none of them had lost limbs in their teleportation, she let herself feel.

His warm, very large arms wrapping around her to pull her flush against him.

His head tilting, lips slanting to meld against her own.

His tongue swiping at the seam then dipping in to taste her.

The scent of him, woodsy and spicy and rich, and she knew it to likely be from some stupidly expensive cologne in some foreign language and nearly impossible to find.

Aspen leaning against their legs, for once not being a brat and shoving them apart the way he did to Harry and Ginny.

By the time he pulled away, Hermione was breathless and even more befuddled than before he’d appeared in front of her and interrupted her walk.

“What—”

He dropped another kiss, this one chaste and sweet.

Words left her, and she simply stared up at him in wonder. This had to be a dream. Or perhaps a nightmare? Maybe she’d wake up in bed, smothered underneath dog hair, painfully alone again since her last relationship several months back.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” he said with a grin, leaning his forehead against her own.

“Stealth apparate a witch?” she asked, thoughts still moving sluggishly, her heart beating slow and loud in her ears.

“Shut you up with a snog.” His smile was so wide, it threatened to reach his ears.

“Since when?”

His smile dropped as he stared at her silently. She tried to pull away, but his arms tightened around her, keeping her in place.

“For longer than appropriate.”

Her eyes widened at the revelation. She had only been around him because of Harry—the two work partners had become friends enough to go out regularly for drinks. She’d been invited to many of them, her interactions with Malfoy short but always memorable. They usually argued, but occasionally they talked. Not the sort of meaningless chatter she loathed, like scrambling for Quidditch news or the weather. Heavy topics, like modern applications of runes. Variations on magical bonds. Merits of the Statute of Secrecy.

She’d always known he was smart, even since their school days, but these moments where she could stretch her mental muscles and find herself well and truly challenged by Malfoy’s views were liberating.

So, she fantasized.

Now, he revealed he’d wanted to kiss her for quite some time.

“Do you always jog around the pond in the morning? Why haven’t I seen you before?” She’d been here for the past five days and this was their first encounter. They were also nowhere near his ancestral home in Wiltshire. His being here today couldn’t be a coincidence.

“I might have been the one to show this neighborhood to Potter. My flat is nearby.”

Aspen had finally gotten bored and was now winding around their legs, the leash ribboning around them.

“And the timing?” she prompted.

For the first time, a faint pink blush tinged his cheeks.

He looked adorable.

“I did see you. You’re just usually so distracted that you don’t notice when I run by.”

Oh.

This time, it was her turn to blush. She didn’t doubt him. She had a habit of daydreaming, even when out for a walk. The solitude of nature and her presence in it induced her to disappear into her thoughts.

“Well,” she gathered up her courage to put her hope into words, “you are welcome to join me on my walks whenever you see me. If it doesn’t cut into your exercise, that is.”

His smirk was back, and she couldn’t help but breathe in deep to savor the delicious scent of him. It might be a new favorite for autumn.

“How much longer are you house sitting?”

“A little over a week.”

“Consider us a dog walking team until then.” With a snap of his fingers, arms still hugging her close, the leash was unwound and hanging loose down to where Aspen had stretched out on the ground.

She searched his eyes, for what, she wasn’t sure. Truth? Determination?

One hand came up to cup her cheek, his skin almost scalding against the coolness of her own, his thumb ghosting down to trace her lips.

She parted them just slightly to whisper, “And after?”

He twisted his hand to brush knuckles up her jaw, then push wayward curls over her shoulder. The simple touch shouldn’t have felt as sensual as it did, but the motion betrayed a desire for familiarity born from years spent together. A touch that meant more than just friendship, more than a fling.

“We can still go on walks without Aspen.”

The innocence of his suggestion encouraged one snort, then another, and before long, they giggled together at the idea.

Dog walks, but without the dog.

WC 2212

Cross posted on Tumblr  and AO3

Aspen is modeled after my own dog of a different name, including the physical description. 6 stone roughly approximates to my own dog's 85 pounds. The pond is also pulled from my own neighborhood where I frequently walk him. Yes, he has leash reactivity. No, I haven't been able to fix it ;_;

This was meant to be a short with my own self-prompt that I thought of on my walk this morning, but now I can't stop thinking about this setting and these characters.

Fall is undeniably the best season.

[prettybillycore]

FOR TOMMY | ONE

Pairing(s): Thomas Shelby x Original Character

Universe: Peaky Blinders / Fantastic Beasts

Summary: Veela and Seer- a powerful combination of traits for one person to have. Edith Lillian Scamander falls in love with a young Thomas Shelby while working in a nurse’s ward during WWI. Will her feelings be requited, or will she be doomed to pine over the man of her dreams for eternity hopelessly?

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 0.4k

Warnings: none

Read on AO3 or Scroll down to read it right here on Tumblr below the cut!

Most days started the same for her, and she was tired of it. The boredom had finally gotten the best of her. Lilli had worked for the Ministry of Magic as a potential auror since her late teen years, but her work had become incredibly formulaic now that the war had ended. 

Before the war, she didn’t mind the patterns of her work. Things felt like they were formulated and well-planned. In other words, she felt comfort in the normalcy of her life after graduating from Hogwarts. She went to work every day with her brother and went home to her Slytherin fiance at the end of the night. 

But that was before the war. That was before she met Thomas Shelby. 

When the war started, her brothers were both called into the armed magical forces, which nearly sent her over the edge. The final shove was when her fiance, Lucretius Malfoy, was called to serve. She couldn’t bare the idea of her three boys all away fighting while she sat and twiddled her thumbs at home. No, that wouldn’t work, so she joined the force as a healer. Of course, the force was happy to have her– everyone wants a seer with remarkable healing magic as a nurse. Her family was not happy when they heard the news, but they were spread out over the wide reaches of the world fighting; they couldn’t stop her from joining. 

When the third year of fighting rolled around, Lilli was switched to a mixed magic/muggle ward in France. She knew how to hide her powers well in healing elixirs and the secret usage of magic-dipped bandages. This is where the trouble started– it’s when she met Tommy.

Since the war’s end, she’s felt her heart call out for Tommy. She knew it was selfish– she had a perfect life planned out for her in London. But she couldn’t ignore the sparks she felt in her chest when Tommy’s letters arrived in the mail. She also couldn’t ignore how she read them by candlelight after Lucretius went to bed. She tried to convince herself that it was just a taste of his own medicine; he wasn’t exactly faithful to her. No matter what way she twisted it, she felt guilty for her actions, and she knew she couldn’t carry on like this. 

We’re coming up on a year now, Lilli. Why do you still write me back?

She knew that he had a point. Why was she still writing him back if she had a life in front of her? She decided he needed to know. 

_________________

[falkendreamsxxx]

Hear me out…

Dramione but a spooky murder mystery

Lucius Malfoy is found dead in Malfoy Manor and his body is like totally mangled/decayed, unlike anything anyone’s ever seen. Possibly some new curse or dark magic.

The auror department (aka Harry & Ron) can’t solve the case and basically dump it on Hermione. They also mail Draco a letter stating his cooperation in the investigation is rEqUIrEd, because, big surprise, Draco is Harry’s # 1 suspect.

So Draco returns to London, pissed as hell, storms into the Curse Breaker Division (CBD) and finds none other than Hermione Granger.

Hermione takes on the case and starts scrubbing every inch of Malfoy Manor for clues. Draco is an unhelpful jerk, but annoyingly hottttt. And Malfoy Manor is giving bad memories + haunted house vibes.

Hermione ends up uncovering a long kept Malfoy secret that turns the whole investigation on it’s head.

It’s big, and Draco has been lying about it this whole time.

Hermione knows that solving this case and digging deeper into Malfoy secrets would be a huge win for her at work, so she convinces Malfoy, who she doesn’t trust at all, to help her.

Hermione basically moves into the big, super creepy, definitely haunted Malfoy Manor so she can work 24/7 on solving this mystery.

And of course, she keeps all of this a secret from her friends.

These enemies eventually become lovers; they do it on the piano, in the library, EVERYWHERE. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Then just as Hermione starts to catch feelings, everything implodes.

She uncovers something so dark and so dangerous that she might not live to tell the tale.

Will Draco save her? Will they continue their secret affair once Malfoy Manor’s secrets are unveiled? How will Harry and Ron react? Will Draco finally tell her the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Will she find out who really killed Lucius Malfoy and why?

Check out my WIP on Ao3 and Fanfiction.net

The Best Kept Secrets Are Curses

By FalkenDreamsxxx

[londonhalcyon]

More slow going progress from Chapter 42. Here’s some familiar faces—and the calm before the storm.

* * * *

I had made the call I had promised Mason the week before, to no avail. Getting, or getting around, the right paperwork on such short notice, particularly for an island country with a valid reason to dislike uninvited critters, would have risked drawing too much attention from Magical Customs—and by extension the Ministry. Attention by the government—any government was the very last thing Mason needed, as I relayed to him over the Cauldron’s rarely used telephone. He had been surprisingly chipper about it. Not to worry, he’d told me. He had a better idea. One of his sisters had shouted for him in the background before he could explain what he meant.

Now Mason was two oceans away, and I had a bowtruckle in my tea. Needless to say, I had figured it out.

“I told you not to let him swing from the light,” Kathy scolded as she vanished the spilled tea from my robes.

Sam accepted the waterlogged Samuel from my hands. “He was on my shoulder two seconds ago!”

I had no comment; I was laughing too hard.

Both witches were notably calmer than they had been at the funeral, as was Robin, who was present for my second visit. Kathy and his new guardian had apparently arranged for him to visit weekly, partially so Robin could see his aunt more often, mostly so he and Sam wouldn’t be alone over the summer. I was relieved. So was Kathy.

At one point, when Sam and Robin had gone out to pick up groceries for dinner, Kathy said about his guardian, “He’s not a bad chap, but I think he’s in over his head. He came across a bit too eager when I offered to let Robin stay over.”

“At least he’s trying?” I said.

“He is. He calls sometimes, to ask for advice. I can relate, if I’m honest.” She was perched on the kitchen counter, a fresh cup of (bowtruckle-less) tea in hand. She watched the steam rise, fogging up the edges of her glasses. “Better me than an Auror, I suppose. But I’m starting to worry.”

“For Robin?”

“For all of them.” She set her cup down. “I quit my job at the pub. The Muggles there don’t need a witch among them. We’ll be all right,” she added, before I could say what I was thinking. “We can pull from the rainy day fund for a while. It’s safer for everyone this way.”

Familiar words. “If you need anything…”

“We’ll be all right,” she repeated.

I leaned back against the counter. The flat was a little smaller than the Cauldron’s, and messier. Dishes crowded the sink, the water quite turbid. A pile of mail sat on a side table by the sofa, opened but not dealt with. I crossed my ankles; crumbs scattered around my feet.

Star-shaped paper lanterns had been strung along the walls, their feeble glow struggling to make up for the room’s single window. Non-magical, by the looks of them. There was a telly by the sofa too, a haphazard stack of tapes by its side, which was a rarity in any wizard home. Not counting Muggle-borns, it wasn’t often I came across a witch or wizard who could comfortably set foot in both worlds. Even I struggled with it more than I cared to admit. These days, it was only getting worse.

“You look tired,” I said. Again.

Kathy grimaced. “Ministry business. Mr. Thicknesse…the way he’s been acting lately… Well, I’m not sure I should say.”

“Everything all right?”

“No, but it’s not like it’s not all right either. Or not not? It’s fine.”

Also familiar words. “I can bring you more potions,” I offered. “Or Rosmerta’s cooking.”

“Ha! I might just take you up on that.”

Sam and Robin stampeded into the kitchen with the groceries a short time later, just as I was getting ready to leave—to their dismay.

“You’re still going to stay in Hogsmeade, right?” Robin asked. “You’ll be there when we return to school?”

“For as long as I can,” I said.

Sam looked startled. “What?”

“I’m not planning on going anywhere,” I amended. Not yet.

Kathy became unusually interested in her near empty teacup. I hadn’t said those last two words aloud, but it didn’t matter.

I twisted the silver ring around my finger. Some things were better left unsaid.

[coffeeandmagicaltales]

The Auror & The Devil part 19

AesopSharpxadultMC, no disclaimer

Aesop knew perfectly well that if he took even a few days off, he would completely break down. He was struggling, feeling terrible, and the pain in his leg was increasing, but... After a few days, he simply gave up and concluded that this was his fate and he had to endure it, somehow learn to function with it.

He wandered alone through the forbidden forest and marshes. His heart still bled, he constantly thought about Morana, catching himself looking for her during dinner in the great hall. Once on a Saturday, he absentmindedly prepared sandwiches for her, accustomed to her coming to him hungry without breakfast exactly at that time... He cried for hours afterward, unable to control himself.

He had the horrible feeling that what he felt was some form of mourning, even though Mora hadn't died... She had, however, disappeared from his daily life, leaving a cruel emptiness in her wake, she was gone. He felt uncomfortable with the thought that he had fallen in love with her. Professor Fitzgerald's words hurt him deeply; she had scolded him like a student who didn't know that what he had done was inappropriate and improper. He realized the mistake he had made by burying his professionalism for Morana. He didn't need to be reminded of it...

He worried that someone might find out...

He listened for gossip even more attentively, was alert, anxious, slept very poorly, waking from nightmares in which Professor Black summoned him and bluntly told him he was being fired because he knew about his feelings for her, or, Merlin forbid, accused him of being seen having sex with Morana on school grounds, and despite Aesop's denials that it never happened, he was expelled from Hogwarts and publicly humiliated... He woke up screaming, drenched in sweat, trembling with fear, rummaging through his mail, looking for a non-existent reprimand from the Ministry...

It was also painful that he had no one to share his fears with; he was completely alone with his anxieties.

He didn’t want anyone to find out, furious with himself for revealing it to the Guardians in a fit of anger. He didn't have the courage to talk about it even with his mother or the goblins, because they would only worry unnecessarily. He knew he had to occupy himself with something... to return to the life he had before he met that black-haired woman in Fig's office. Somehow not go crazy... Get out of this terrible abyss that had consumed his mind and emotions.

One morning, as he dragged himself to breakfast with no appetite at all, a familiar owl dropped a letter on the table in front of him. He trembled immediately, knowing who the message was from. Before he could pick it up, a few more envelopes fell in front of him, the new Prophet, the "Even Bigger Cauldron" monthly, and he used the moment of commotion and the distraction of other teachers grabbing their mail to hide Morana’s letter deep in his pocket. There was no way he would open it here, fearing what it might contain, expecting a message saying, "I don't want to know you anymore," though there was no reason for that...

The rest of the letters? Some nonsense from the Ministry, which he didn’t even open, correspondence from parents panicking before exams, and... What a surprise... He immediately cut open the envelope addressed to him by Miss Galatea Flint, curious about its contents.

Aesop,

after recent events, I have only now found the strength to apologize for my behavior.

I am terribly ashamed. I had no bad intentions towards you, and I did not mean to hurt you, but that does not mean it didn’t turn out quite the opposite. I have no excuse for my actions, I acted wrongly, and I am ashamed to ask if I can somehow make it up to you. However, I want you to know that if there is a need, I can use my influence in the Ministry as much as I can. Recently, the situation here has been quite tense due to the deaths of Aurors and the suspicion of goblin retaliation for Ranrok’s death. There is talk of some dark magic weapon they are creating... I have taken the liberty of attaching the results, or at least everything I managed to gather about Mr. Moon, who, without the help of some artifact, would still be hiding his lycanthropy. If it weren’t for your instinct and the help of your friend, I probably wouldn’t be here anymore. I ask you to remain vigilant, though.

Not everything seems clear.

Galatea

Aesop moved in surprise and glanced at the hastily written parchment attached to the letter, marked with ink blots, as if Galatea had written it in great haste. "Unknown magic, seems to work similarly to Crucio (?), literally tearing life energy or more specifically the ‘magical essence’ or soul from the victim, only magical creatures (?), I'm not sure, Mr. Moon permanently maimed, torn wounds."

He had mixed feelings towards her, but he didn’t want to label her as "evil." He was above that, and besides, he had made many mistakes in his life that he sincerely regretted to this day, having lost dear friends. Everyone deserved a chance. She had hurt him, but he saw that she was far from immoral and corrupt. She sincerely regretted it and apologized, which was enough for him, despite the disgust he still felt at the thought of her hands on his body. He closed that chapter easily and should have done the same with Morana...

The longer he postponed reading the letter, the more he feared its contents. Even when he had long finished his lessons and it was late, the unopened envelope still lay before him on the desk in the classroom. He stared at it, not knowing how much time had passed, and when, angrily, he decided that reading the letter shouldn’t be difficult, fear quickly overtook him again. He frantically arranged scenarios in his head of what Morana might have written, most often imagining that for some reason she had learned from the Guardians about his feelings and was ordering him to disappear from her life...

Trembling all over, he finally cut open the envelope, and almost immediately, a shining black feather fell out of it. He was sure it belonged to her.

Aesop,

The flight went without any problems, though I got caught in a snowstorm. A flock of wild ravens, whom I befriended, helped me get out of it. I got a bit lost on the way and only arrived two days ago. It seems the Ministry forgot to inform that I had transferred schools, and only those enrolled at Durmstrang know where the castle is... There was some confusion. The castle is truly beautiful, but it can't compare to Hogwarts... Well, one of the pluses is that there are many more Slavs here, a few people even come from the vicinity of Nitra, but once again, I am the 'new' and have to learn the local customs... So far, I am making nothing but blunders, no one here speaks English, barely any German, and the Durmstrang welcome is rather chilly, perhaps because everyone is focused on the exams that I had already passed at Hogwarts... I have been told that due to my age, I will be treated more as an intern in one of the senior professor's workshops, an assistant...

I definitely plan to learn more about ancient Magic, on the way I saw many sources, abandoned castles that could have been created by people like me... Don't worry, I won't abuse diffindo, if trouble comes, I still have your marvellous potions.

I know I haven't been myself lately, probably because everything overwhelmed me... I hope that being far away from it all, everything will somehow work out.

I don't know how to thank you for everything... In the envelope, you will find a small token imbued with protective magic, you could say it's a kind of amulet. The spells, whose words I cannot reveal, I have learned come from my homeland, they are very old and will serve you well. I've heard various disturbing rumors that are hard for me to believe... Goblins are not likely planning any attack, the Ministry is clearly afraid to admit that they are dealing with someone dabbling in dark magic. They are probably doing everything to avoid causing panic... I don't know what to think, I just want you to be safe, and the only dark magic you’d have to deal with at Hogwarts would be a biting toilet into which Garreth poured the contents of his cauldron.

Yours,

Silly Bird

Aesop stared blankly at her signature, overwhelmed by a flood of thoughts and feelings. He took the feather in his hand, watching the candlelight glint off its iridescent colors. He stroked it, feeling its familiar softness under his fingers, then brought it to his lips and kissed it. Immediately, he smelled the scent of malt and herbs. He sank into the chair, clutching Morana's feather to his chest.

Even though he wanted to, he probably couldn't close that chapter of his life. He felt both relief and terrible pain, anger that she had written at all... And foolishly, after pocketing the gift, he began to write a reply.

“May I interrupt?” He heard Mrs. Weasley's voice as she knocked hesitantly on his classroom door. “I know it's late, but you weren't in your room...”

“No, no, it's ok... What happened?” he asked, quickly hiding Morana's letter with a flick of his wand. The woman's expression was very somber, and he became worried. “What happened?” he repeated.

“Did you read the letter from the Ministry?” Surprised, he shook his head. Matilda pulled out a piece of paper, adjusted her glasses, and began to read. Her voice was breaking.

Dear Faculty,

This year, the application rules for the position of Aurors have been changed, and the recruitment will only be a necessary formality. Graduates will not have to take internal exams at the Ministry and will only undergo a few weeks of training. Please encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity. This decision has been approved by the Minister of Magic, who has unofficially declared a state of emergency due to the growing threat from the Goblin community, which must remain strictly confidential. The letters are secured with tracking spells, and we will know if anyone reveals this, with the expected penalty being a minimum of one month in Azkaban.

We cannot afford a repeat of the rebellion sparked by Ranrok. Currently, his scattered ranks are regrouping into smaller factions led by self-proclaimed leaders experimenting with dark magical artifacts to create powerful curses.

I also inform you of the immediate recall of all retired Aurors to the reserve, which will transition from dormant to active duty in the event of a worsening situation. This applies irrevocably to all former Aurors and, for now, will remain a formality as there is no immediate need for radical action.

Teachers are requested to remain vigilant and report any deviations from normal student behavior, limit the time students spend outside the School's walls to the absolute minimum. The same applies to visits to Hogsmeade.

Sincerely,

Chief Constable

Vincent Ærinbjørn Fromm

Aesop froze.

“Encourage the students!?” he growled after a moment of silence. “Have they completely lost their minds!? It’s a certain death sentence for those fresh out of school. No, Matilda, I won’t be a part of this, even if I have to fail everyone this year without reason, I... I refuse to comply, do you understand!?”

Matilda nodded sadly and patted him on the shoulder.

“Parents’ ambitions won’t be diminished by this...” she admitted sadly. “They’ll think it’s a great opportunity, not knowing the Ministry’s true intentions and the issues with the lack of Aurors...”

“I’ll tell everyone, damn it!” Aesop stood up abruptly, wincing as a bolt of pain shot through his knee. “I’ll go to Azkaban for a month, so be it! But they must know that...”

Matilda pointed her wand at him.

“I won’t let my best friend fall into the hands of the Dementors! One more step and I’ll erase your memory!” she shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You’re not a Gryffindor to play the hero, Aesop!”

“What am I supposed to do then!?”

“I don’t know, I really don’t...” Matilda sank onto one of the stools at the students' desks and sighed deeply. “Use your Slytherin brain!"

“We should call a staff meeting... Professor Hecat will surely have something to say about this, it’s worth thinking it over together...” Aesop leaned against the edge of the table, his hand slipping into his pocket to absentmindedly stroke the feather. “The only thing we can do is effectively discourage the students from joining... I see no other way but sabotage.”

Matilda nodded.

“What do you think about all this?”

Aesop shrugged.

“It’s definitely not the goblins. I spoke with Torq two days ago. The Bank is fortified by wizards, the Aurors are quite aggressive... Both sides are scared. One reckless move and it could get ugly. They can’t reach an agreement... I think someone is benefiting from this chaos. The Ministry knows this and prefers to cover it up rather than cause more panic... Or they prefer to have ‘some’ culprit rather than ‘none.’ Maybe they’re conducting some secret investigation, Singer hasn’t said a word, the sneaky snake has some good connections.”

Matilda nodded and added after a moment.

“Aesop, what if... What if they summon you?”

Aesop took a deep breath and shrugged. He really didn’t know what to expect, but he doubted that anyone would need him, a cripple, as he would only hinder the work. He reassured her, nothing bad will happen.

Matilda stayed with him for a while longer and then went to rest in the Faculty tower.

Aesop still had his night watch in a few minutes. He sat at his desk, lost in thought. He took out a parchment and began to write. '

Silly Bird!

You have no idea how helpless and lonely I feel without you. Without my best friend, the only person who would know how to advise us in a difficult situation... You would probably come up with some crazy and dangerous idea, which would definitely include a few of my stolen explosive potions, at least one dragon, and probably Miss Sweeting as company. You have no idea how much I’d love to be part of such a mad escapade, even as Madame Niffleur...

I miss you.

Things are going badly. The Ministry is doing everything it can to hide someone dangerous from the wizarding society, probably out of their own pride. They can’t show that they have lost control of the situation, that some wizard has slipped through their fingers. It’s not someone previously known... Or they’ve been hiding cleverly... My intuition suggests a few scenarios, but they are just guesses for now...

The investigation, some goal, is the only thing that still convinces me that I am worth something. And maybe my duties to the school... I want to feel at least a bit needed. My place is at Hogwarts, especially now, when things are getting dangerous again.

Would... Would you like to visit me someday? Maybe come over for the holidays, if it wouldn’t be a bother?

I have so many things to tell you. Things that shouldn’t be written down. Although I’ll probably burn this letter. It will never reach your hands.

I’ve fallen in love with you.

It sounds awful, I know, but I couldn’t control my feelings for you. I don’t know when I realized it, probably very late; suddenly I stopped seeing you as a student and saw Morana—the woman I would want with all my heart to call 'my beloved', to be her partner, to serve her with my advice, my help, to be close, to spoil her... I’d give anything to be your family.

I don’t know what the future holds. I have bad premonitions. With your departure, a part of me has died.

Forever yours,

Aesop

The letter immediately burst into flames and turned to ashes.

Morana sat in the middle of the floor surrounded by unpacked suitcases. Overwhelmed.

She didn’t know where to start, feeling the weight of the letter that had flown a few days ago with her owl to Aesop. She glanced at the fireplace to make sure that the other letter she had written first, along with the words of the spell she had cast on the feather, whose visible words still read “...may it protect him from evil and death, I beseech by my love for him. I beseech with magic...,” had turned to dust.

Well, she had achieved her goal. The world of Ancient Magic was open to her, surrounded by people from her region, and she had immediately received a well-paying position... She shouldn’t feel like an outsider here.

Why didn’t that feeling disappear?

Why did she still feel ‘incomplete’? What had gone wrong?

After all, all her sorrows, longings, and passions were thousands of kilometers away... The thought twisted her stomach, and she glanced at the fireplace once more. The die was cast, she couldn’t go back, it was better for everyone this way. In her dreams, she increasingly saw herself walking a dark path, led by the glow of Aesop Sharp’s Patronus trotting ahead of her... She felt so safe with him... As if Aesop knew she needed to find her way through the darkness and sent her a part of himself... She had no idea if it would actually work, or if it was some open-to-interpretation vision showing how desperately she wanted to be close to him.

With a heavy heart, she got up from the floor and glanced at the upcoming schedule... She had two days off and didn’t intend to waste time sitting in the castle. It was time to occupy her mind with why she had come here.

She unfolded the maps of Europe, marking probable sources of magic in Norway, near the castle. However, she felt she would only find trolls and a few old books with knowledge she had already acquired at Hogwarts. Her gaze also fell on a marked spot much lower, in Central Europe, “NITRA.”

She had spoken with Slovaks from those areas, and they all knew the Witch of Gymes Castle. They knew she was a Muggle and couldn’t explain what her ‘magic’ was, but it seemed to work. Morana opened the narrow window, letting a gust of icy air into her chamber, and stood on the windowsill before throwing herself into the abyss, easily transforming into a raven. A long journey awaited her.

The Witch might still know a lot. Her instinct told her that this was where she needed to look, or at least that’s where Aesop would have started.

Something Wicked was coming this way, she was dead certain.

End of part 19, thanks for reading!