#avery does not deserve this

[awordlybeing]

"It will never be enough."

MY HEART ACHES FOR YOU GRAYSON HAWTHORNE

[transmasc-tabris]

.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

There's a viral video circulating from the Fort Worth Zoo, of two keepers who ended up in a habitat at the same time as a silverback gorilla. Spoiler for good news: neither the humans nor the gorilla got hurt. It's a bad situation that ended extremely well, and that's why I want to talk about it.

The audio for this video is mostly someone praying loudly, so if you need to turn the audio off to watch it, you won't miss anything relevant. If you don't want to watch it, here's the summary: it starts with a keeper running around the corner into the main exhibit, pursued by a large male gorilla. She is quickly able to get into a doorway at the back of the exhibit, but does not completely close the door because the gorilla is standing across from her, watching. He eventually moves off to the right hand side of the exhibit, where we can see a keeper is trapped in the corner at the front. She was trying to move towards the exit as he moved to the right, and she stops, standing very still behind a tree, while he stays along the far right wall. They stay like that for a minute, and then the gorilla runs to the front right corner, and the keeper is able to run to the door in the back of the exhibit and get to safety.

Let's start with basic information. Even though it's just going viral now, this video is from October of 2023. It was taken not by a guest, but by the zoo security officer responding to the situation. Hmmm, seems like he maybe should have been doing something else during that situation, instead of than taking a phone video. It's going viral now because the guy (who is no longer employed at the zoo) decided to post it on TikTok for his five minutes of fame. This guy immediately started giving all sorts of media interviews, answering questions like "why no tranquilizers" inappropriately, making memes out of his own video, generally distasteful shit.

Zoo spokesperson Avery Elander gave a public statement that "thankfully, there was no physical contact between keepers and gorilla, and all staff and animals are safe." A comment from the zoo has also indicated that the incident was due to keeper error. (As opposed to, for instance, something in the fencing breaking.) According to the guy who posted the video, a lock was left unsecured and the gorilla was able to open the door to the habitat. I don't know if I buy it, and again, this just... is probably why he doesn't have a job anymore. By sharing that detail - real or not - he places a ton of public scrutiny and blame on that keeper team. (If that's what happened, I can promise you it will have been dealt with internally.) He also was nice enough to say he wouldn't name the women in the video... but verified they're still staffers at the zoo... which means they're eminently identifiable! Excuse me while I ragequit for a second.

So there's two reasons I wanted to talk about this. The first is to make sure it is well known that this guy is purposefully and intentionally exploiting the worst day of someone's life for media attention. Their lives were in danger, and he's using it for fame. His name is in the media articles - I'm not going to share it because he doesn't deserve that attention. The second reason, though, is because this video is a masterclass on how to survive if you end up sharing space with a gorilla. Every zoo person I've spoken to or seen comment on the video is so, so impressed with how the keepers handled themselves.

The gorilla in this video is 34-year-old Elmo. All apes in AZA zoos are managed in protected contact, so keepers are supposed to be separated from them by a barrier at all times. The zookeepers were in the habitat putting out a mid-day meal when he got out. Watching the video, you can see he's not actively being aggressive towards them - he's not making threat displays or trying to approach them. Mostly, Elmo seems like he doesn't know what is going on and he's kinda freaked out about it. (This is confirmed in the zoo's press statement, too). The staff stayed calm, and importantly, watched and waited to see how he'd move and act.

The zoo did say one thing, though, that's a bit misleading. In one article, their press person I quote as saying “In general, gorillas are considered the “gentle giants” of the great ape species.” Just because this may be true in comparison to other great ape species doesn't meant gorilla aren't still incredibly dangerous. This type of messaging always worries me, because I think it leads people to misunderstand the risks of being close to megafauna. Gorilla are extremely strong animals, and their social norms/behaviors are very different from that of humans. That's why it's such a big deal any time people end up in gorilla habitats, and why sometimes in those circumstances lethal measures have to be taken to protect human life.

These keepers are incredibly lucky to be unharmed. These women stayed safe specifically because they're trained professionals who knew how to act around gorilla, they knew this particular animal well, and they'd learned the escapes from the exhibit just in case this ever happened. We should applaud them for their cool heads and quick thinking.

As for the guy who posted the video? As a colleague put it, may he always step on a Lego.

[wornkindnessa]

this is one of those deserves it's own meta posts but with just how smart she is and how she constantly wanted to know how everything worked or was done, no stone was every left unturned. this included cooking / baking. which means despite her royal status amelia can do both and she's really rather talented at it (this talent does in fact carry across all verses)

[euniexenoblade]

alright since every shit stirrer is sending their anon's around, here you go.

Avery predstrogen did not sexually harass anyone. This is a massive stretch from using the word cocksucker one time.

No, she did not sexually harass minors or whatever. It's just a stupid claim.

She isn't a pedophile, didnt support rape, didn't get banned for "having her dick out" (the picture terfs use to prove this doesn't even have dick in it)

No, she didn't write call outs.

She had beef with a few users but having beef with a few users and criticizing them does not equate a call out.

she has been the target of multiple hate campaigns before she was nuked, and now with photomatt showing his whole ass she is once again, with every terf and transandrodork and run of the mill transmisogynist starting shit and lying about her to try and justify the transmisogyny she faces.

Now if y'all could delete those anons, stop making posts centering transmascpetewentz and demily as the true victims, and stop being lying sacks of shit, we can work on the world being a better place.

Edit: I should clarify, demily is not making this about herself, other people are saying Avery deserves it for not liking demily. That was unclear which is my fault. But yeah.

[d-targaryenshoe]

Frozen Pain - Jackson Avery

Word count: 1600

Summary: Love that's real, doesn't know a distance, does it?

You're holding a cup of coffee, comfortable in the luxurious beige couch in your penthouse apartment in New York. You held a letter in your hand, visibly upset.

Hey y/n

I hope this letter finds you very fast. It has been quite some time since we last saw each other at the hospital, or even had a good talk.

And I wanted to let you know that everyone misses you so bad. The hospital just isn't the same without you, or our after-shift drinks at Joe's.

There have been changes since you left. So stay calm when reading this. But Jackson and Maggie are dating now. It came as a surprise to all of us, and it may seem evil but I miss seeing you happy with him.

 I thought you should know since you were...you know what I mean.

I know it's been a while since we last spoke, but I hope you'll find the time to write back when you receive this letter.

Take care, I hope to hear from you soon.

Amelia

"I can't believe this... Jackson and Maggie?" You muttered to yourself placing your cup of coffee on the table and folding the letter closed. 

Images of you and Jackson together, happy and in love, flash across the screen. The memories of your past relationship flood your mind.

You take a deep breath, trying to compose yourself. You pick up your phone and dial Amelia's number. After a few rings, she answers.

"You have no idea how much I waited to hear you." Amelia sounded emotional about the fact she noticed you calling for the first time after you had left. "Y/n?"

"Amelia, why didn't you tell me about them when I was still there?" Your voice trembled even if you didn't want it to. "I should've known, you know I should've."

" I didn't know how to break it to you. I thought it would be better if you heard it from me." Amelia spoke, sounding apologetic.

"Well, thanks for that. I can't believe he moved on so quickly." You sighed, leaning back into the couch, staring out of your window. "Maybe I left at the right time."

"I know it hurts, but y/n, you decided to leave Seattle. You had to follow your dreams, remember?" Amelia reminded you.

You sighed deeply, nodding your head even if she couldn't see. " I know, but it doesn't make it any easier. I thought what we had was special."

"It was special, and it still is. But sometimes life takes unexpected turns. You deserve happiness too, you know that." She answered on the other side.

" I just wish I didn't have to find out this way." You muttered, wiping away the tears that fell from your teary eyes.

"I understand. But remember, I'm here for you, no matter what." The Shepherd sister spoke. "Just remember, you're strong and capable of creating your happiness."

 "I will try to remember that." You hang up the phone and take a moment to collect yourself. Despite the pain, you know deep down that you made the right decision by pursuing your career in New York. 

You open your laptop that's on the coffee table and check your emails. You notice a mail from Jo with the subject 'Don't hate me'. You click on the email and start reading.

From: Jo Wilson 

Subject: Don't hate me

Hey y/n,

I hope you're all settled and doing great. I wanted to let you know something that happened yesterday. 

I bumped into Jackson and Maggie in the parking lot, and it seemed like they were arguing, or breaking up, or anything else that wasn't any good. And yes, sometimes I'm too nosy.

 I know your history with Jackson, so I thought I should let you know.

But here's the thing... I accidentally I repeat, accidentally, let it slip that you live in New York.

 I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to reveal any of it! Not without your permission. I just wanted to give you a heads-up that there's a big chance he's on his way to you. 

You quickly close the laptop, unsure of what to do next.

You grab your cup of coffee and walk over to the sink. You place the cup in the sink and turn on the faucet, letting the warm water flow.

"Might as well do something productive to distract me." You whispered to yourself, looking at the dishes. 

You proceed to wash the glasses, rinsing off any soap residue before placing them on a drying rack. 

Suddenly you hear a knock on the door. You cautiously make your way to the door and open it, revealing the last person you'd expect standing on the other side.

Not thinking for another second you tried to shut the door.

"Even three seconds is enough...I just need to know that you're okay." He said, placing a hand on the door, making sure you didn't close it. "Wilson told me you took the offer in New York. I just- I had to see it for myself."

"Well, as you can see. I'm in New York not in Seattle." You shrugged at the man you once fell for or still had, but you couldn't show. "Maggie knows you're here?"

"Who told you that..." He furrowed his eyebrows, taking his hand off the door. 

"Amelia wrote me, Jackson. I know you've moved on, so I think it's best if you do as well." You gave him a small smile, trying to close the door once again. 

 "You've been avoiding my calls and messages. Can we at least talk?" Jackson asked, his eyes staring back at yours. 

" I guess we can talk, but I'm not sure what there is left to say." You sighed, opening the door wider for him to walk inside. "What do you want to know?"

You closed the door, sitting down on your couch.

"I just want to understand why you left so suddenly without talking to me. I thought we had something special." He folded his hands on top of his knees, looking at you. 

You shook your head in denial, staring at the ceiling, feeling the tears pricking in your eyes. "Jackson, it's not that simple. Andrew died, Alex left, Meredith was going to leave, and I needed some time to process everyone leaving me."

"But why didn't you talk to me? We've always been open and honest with each other." Jackson turned his body towards you, leaning an arm on the couch headrest. 

" I know, and I'm sorry. I should have talked to you, but I was terrified. Scared of losing you, scared of facing my own emotions." You answered, placing your face in your hands. 

"I broke things off with Maggie, she...she doesn't feel as home as you do. We've been through hell and back, we can do it again." He said.

"Jackson, it's not that simple. We both have our baggage and unresolved issues. We can't just start from where everything ended?" You got up from the couch, walking over to the huge window, staring down at the busy city.

"I believe in us. I believe that we can work through our problems together." He spoke as you felt him standing behind you.

"I need time to figure things out. I need to understand my feelings and what I want. It's not fair to either of us to rush into anything." You replied, turning around, your heart quickening as you stared back into his bright eyes. 

As Jackson stood in front of you, his eyes filled with determination, you felt your resolve waver. 

"I'd do anything if I have to, only to make things work out between us," he said earnestly.

You let out a heavy sigh, "Jackson, you know it's not that simple. You've just left Maggie behind."

"I know, I know," he said, running a hand over his head. "But I've let go of things in the past that I regret now, but y/n, you? You're, you're something I could never regret, ever."

You turned back around, fighting back the emotions swirling inside of you. "I don't know if I can do this again." You whispered.

"Just...just give me a chance to show you." he pleaded, taking a step closer to you.

The memories flooded back, the laughs, the tears, the late-night conversations. Despite your best efforts, you felt a small smile tug at the corners of your lips. 

You looked up at him, and he smiled back, a hopeful glint in his eyes, and the city lights twinkled outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of your penthouse.

 He leaned in, and your heart skipped a beat as his lips met yours. The kiss was intense, filled with both longing and regret.

"What are we doing?" you whispered, breaking away.

"Right now? I don't know," he confessed. "But I miss this and I miss us."

The ache in his words mirrored your own emotions, but you knew it was dangerous to reopen old wounds. "We can't keep doing this to ourselves," you said, trying to keep your voice steady.

"I know, but I can't walk away." Jackson pleaded, his eyes searching yours.

A surge of conflicting emotions coursed through you, and you let out a frustrated moan. "And you think, I can?" you admitted, feeling the weight of those words hanging in the air.

He pulled you close, and a bittersweet laughter filled the room. "Then let's try," he said, his voice determined.

As you looked into his eyes, the city hummed in the background, and you knew this decision would change everything.

[luveline]

Hi Jade! Congratulations on 40k (deserved deserved deserved!!!!!)

Can I plz request some KBD Steve and Reader for 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐞𝐛 ?

Maybe they’re on a rare date night and they love getting to be alone together but they do miss their babies!

tyvm <3 kisses before dinner —dad!steve and mom!reader go on a date (for a little while). 1.3k

"Are you sure I don't look really stupid?" you ask as Steve opens the passenger door.

"You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," Steve says simply, hand out to help you from the car. You smile and take his hand. You've done it hundreds of times, but you remember the first. 

"Woman," you correct without irritation. You've been together for almost ten years and you have four children. Four. "I don't think many people would say I'm a girl anymore."

"Ah, but you're my girl," —Steve laughs as you laugh, pulling you from the path of the door to close it and lock it— "so forgive me. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. 'N' I love white on you, as you know." 

You laugh more at his formal talking and fold your arm between his. Robin has made it so you can wear a white dress without fear of stains, agreeing to have your four girls for the day. Though day is a gentle term, because you don't expect anybody to be able to cope with children that aren't theirs for more than a few hours. You suspect you'll have four or five hours (Robin is well-trained and, more importantly, extremely loving toward your children) before one of them has a meltdown from missing you. 

Dove is the likely perpetrator. "She's really moody lately," you say, knowing Steve will get exactly who you mean as you begin walking from the parking lot and down the street to the coffee shop. 

Sure enough, he covers your hand where it rests in the crook of his arm and says, "She's in her terrible twos. But maybe you should be spending a little more time with her." He isn't judging or criticising you, just making an educated assumption. "Heather steals all your attention." 

"You can call her Heather as much as you like, but it isn't her name," you say, nudging his chest. 

"Can, will, is. I think she just misses you." Steve sees you squinting in the sun and offers his sunglasses. You lift your head and let him slide them up your nose, more for his touch and attention than a real need for them. It's a surprisingly sunny day in late September, the wind blowing warm on your bare legs and arms. "You know you're her favourite." 

"Do you ever worry that it's 'cos I don't see her enough? I mean, I'm home now, but that's only for another month. What if… like, what if I work and she grows up missing me so much she resents you?" 

"Do you think that's gonna happen?" Steve asks genuinely. 

"No. I dunno." You turn his face to yours in the middle of the street. You've changed a lot over the years. Being pregnant does that, but so does ageing, and living. Steve looks at you like you're charming, like the fact of your existence alone could make him laugh. You look at him the same. "You know, you get more handsome all the time." 

You kiss him. Steve closes his eyes and follows your lead. He bumps the sunglasses with his enthusiasm, and his kiss grows softer in apology. 

"She'll be okay. But you need more time together. And Avery needs more time with me, and Bethie needs less time in my lap–" 

"I can't see that happening," you say. "She's your pest." 

Steve hears the fondness in your voice and presses his hand to his chest, leaning back. "My girls," he says. 

You pass him back his sunglasses and look around. You and Steve have a favourite coffee shop slash smoothie place that serves all manner of hot snacks. You would've gone for lunch, but you promised Bethie you'd make her special toast (French toast) and might have been too greedy about it. Steve is a slammer for food even now, his metabolism doesn't slow, and you figure he'll have grilled cheese with his smoothie or a cup of soup. 

You didn't tell Steve you couldn't manage lunch, he just knew. He can read your mind these days. You love it more than you can explain. 

"Nice flowers," you say, pointing at the florists. 

"They don't have your favourite ones ever," Steve says, hand on your shoulder to hold you out of his line of view. "They're nice though, the white ones." He points at a bucket on the low sill. "Do you want those?" 

"No, I'm just saying they're nice," you say. 

"Come on, let's go get some. I should've got you some anyways, that's the point of a date." Steve offers his hand. You take it shyly, not so secretly pleased at his insistence. 

You stand in the cool air of the flower shop hand in hand, picking out flowers. It starts with Steve trying to buy you flowers, you buying him flowers, and then the two of you spend forty minutes picking flowers out for the girls. Avery loves roses, Bethie isn't picky so long as the buds are impressively big, Dove couldn't care less about flowers and little baby ‘Heather’ sleeps and eats solely. You get Dove a small bunch of pink peonies and decide to share your bouquet of white flowers with the baby. Steve gets a mixed bouquet and doesn't protest. 

You have too many flowers to take with you to the coffee shop. You both refuse to admit what's happening until you're back in the car. 

"Are we really doing this?" you ask. 

"Why, think we should've bought flowers for Robin?" 

"I think the thank you movie tickets and the chocolates and the five minute hug you forced her into was thank you enough, but maybe we should've." You beam at him. "I mean, are we really going home? We didn't even make it to the coffee house." 

"We could take these home and put them in some water and come back…" He scratches a hand through his hair. "I miss them more than I thought I would. We've been glued together for a month, and I can't stop worrying about the baby." 

"I miss them too," you admit. 

You and Steve get drive through, and you kiss and murmur stupid shit at each other in the car outside of Robin's house for a perfect ten minutes, until Avery throws open your car door to scream hello. 

"I'm so happy you're home so early!" she shouts, scrambling up the foot well and straight into your lap. "Did you have fun at your date?" 

"Well, we were late leaving the house because I realised Dove's been drawing pictures on my button downs, and I almost crashed the car and scared mom half to death because the sun was in my eyes, and we were distracted looking at flowers for years and now we're home," Steve says. 

"So yeah, we had fun," you say. 

Steve leans over to kiss you. Avery laughs and shoves her hand between your faces, "Guys, I think Aunt Robin needs help, the baby won't stop crying and crying and crying and Dove tipped her drink all over Beth's pink dress. I think on purpose." 

Robin is very very sorry, and she didn't even call you guys, so why are you back? But she's grateful to be released. Not nearly as much as the girls are to see you guys. 

Robin is a great aunt, but you have clingy kids. 

"Mom!" Bethie shouts, pointing down at her sodden dress with a wobbly lip. "Look." 

"Aw, sweetheart, I see it. I put spare clothes in your bag, let's go get changed, okay?" 

You and Bethie leave hand in hand to clean up. Steve juggles the three remaining children dextrously, the baby against his chest, Dove's shoulder under his hand, and Avery crowding his other side. He's barely in the living room. 

"Hello," he says, kissing one little head after the other. "Hi, honey. You okay?" 

"Did you at least have a good two hours?" Robin asks sympathetically. 

Steve nods happily. "We did. Really. Next time I think we might even make it to the coffee shop." 

[bookwormangie]

Defending Lily

As someone involved in the Snape fandom, I’m frustrated by the unfair criticism Lily receives. It’s disheartening to see so much disdain directed at her character, especially when many of these judgments overlook the complexities of her situation. Despite being a minor character in the books, Lily is often misunderstood and unfairly vilified, and as a Snape fan, I feel compelled to defend her. Lily deserves a fairer assessment that considers her full context, rather than being unfairly vilified.

Lily ending her friendship with Snape

Lily was fully justified in ending her friendship with Severus after he called her a slur. Although Snape was being bullied and humiliated at that moment, such a hurtful term doesn't slip out easily—it was already part of his vocabulary. He used and associated it with Muggleborns in general among his Slytherin friends, as Lily pointed out when he attempted to apologize.

““…But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?””

It's important to note that the slur wasn't the sole reason for the end of their friendship. Their relationship had been strained for some time. Snape had long been involved with a gang of Slytherins who aspired to join Voldemort and were deeply involved with the Dark Arts. Given that Lily, his best friend and a Muggleborn, was part of the very group his associates aimed to terrorize, his affiliations were deeply troubling. Despite Lily’s efforts to distance him from his dark associations with Mulciber and Avery, Snape remained entrenched in his choices. She had been excusing his behavior for years because she cared about him deeply and did not want their friendship to end. However, everyone has their breaking point. When he called her a Mudblood, it was the final straw. She could no longer overlook his behavior or excuse it.

“It’s too late. I’ve made excuses for you for years.”

And:

“I can’t pretend anymore. You’ve chosen your way, I’ve chosen mine.”

Ending the friendship was a painful but necessary decision. It's unfair to expect Lily to bear the burden of continuously trying to "save" Snape when he was unwilling to change his ways. Despite her attempts to guide him and communicate her concerns, his own choices ultimately drove them apart.

The "Smile" During SWM

Another point of contention is the exaggerated focus on Lily’s supposed 'smile' during Snape’s bullying. It wasn’t a smile—it was a very brief twitch of her expression. When James flipped Snape upside down, Lily’s expression twitched momentarily before she continued to defend him. Some people are really blowing this out of proportion.

““Lily, whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile, said, “Let him down!””

From my perspective, her reaction seems to be an involuntary response to the sudden shock of seeing Snape's underwear. It's not uncommon to smile or refrain from smiling at inappropriate times due to shock or unexpectedness. Alternatively, it could be seen as an indicator of a shift in her and Snape’s relationship, considering their strained friendship. However, Lily's subsequent actions—defending Snape and admonishing James—demonstrate her clear disdain for bullying. Furthermore, the assumption that Snape called her "Mudblood" because of her reaction is also unlikely; Snape was too preoccupied with his own humiliation to notice a fleeting twitch. Harry, observing his parents closely, might have been the only one to catch it.

Criticizing Lily for this brief, involuntary reaction and portraying her as evil is deeply unfair. It shows that she is a flawed human being like the rest of the characters.

Lily's Stance Against Bullying

Another argument I’ve heard is that Lily didn’t defend Snape from the Marauders' bullying at all or does a half-assed job. While our information is limited, we do see her stand up to James when he and Sirius insult Snape on the train to Hogwarts in their first year. Before that, when Petunia called her a freak, Lily stood her ground and told her sister it wasn’t a nice thing to say.

"“Lily sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike. “Come on, Severus, let’s find another compartment.””

And:

“—you think I want to be a–a freak?” Lily’s eyes filled with tears as Petunia succeeded in tugging her hand away. “I’m not a freak,” said Lily. “That’s a horrible thing to say.”

Lily is depicted as a person who stands against injustice and bullying. She consistently demonstrates moral courage and empathy, defending those who are mistreated, even when it involves confronting her peers or family members. Her actions reveal a strong sense of fairness and a willingness to speak up for what is right, showcasing her integrity and compassion. Given this, it's likely she defended her best friend on numerous other occasions. Additionally, Snape probably kept most of the bullying incidents a secret from her, viewing it as humiliating. Even Sirius noted that Lily wasn’t aware that James continued to hex Snape in their seventh year. This suggests that it’s not far-fetched to assume Snape may have kept much of the bullying from her.

Lily's Marriage to James

At last, I understand why some might feel uneasy about Lily marrying James Potter, given his history as a bully toward Snape. It's completely reasonable to feel conflicted, as reconciling her choice with her past can seem challenging. However, it's important to note that by the time Lily had gotten with James, she and Snape hadn't been in touch for about two years. Their friendship had ended, and she was no longer involved in his life. This doesn’t mean she was dismissing her past with Snape; rather, she had moved on from that chapter of her life. As I mentioned earlier, Lily likely wasn’t fully aware of the extent of Snape's bullying. Additionally, she saw qualities in James that indicated he had matured to a point she could accept. Lily is not a grudge holder; she is a forgiving person who is willing to give second chances when she perceives change, which she probably saw in James.

All of this doesn’t diminish Snape’s suffering or the challenges he faced, but it highlights the complex realities of both their situations. It’s crucial to consider Lily’s perspective and avoid unfairly condemning her. She shouldn’t be demonized; her actions reflect her own limitations and struggles. Just like all the characters in the series, Lily was flawed and real. Recognizing this can help us move past the simplistic view of her as bad person and appreciate her as a multidimensional character who, like everyone, had her own battles and growth.

[inmyheaddd]

libbynash headcannons

thank u sm for the req! 🤍 my literal parents they are too cute wc: 649 masterlist

nash tries to surprise libby by cooking her favorite dishes/foods.

libby tries to conceal the fact that it’s definitely not the best but nash can read her like an open book.

“darl, you don’t have to lie to me.” he says with a chuckle.

“no! it’s, it’s really something. i swear it’s good!” she responds muffedly, covering her hand over her mouth.

they both end up laughing, and libby says something like, “nash i love you, but please never make that again.”

he practiced for a week and made it again.

he got avery to be the judge before he presented it to libby, and made sure it was perfect.

libby didn’t even know how to react, knowing that he put that much time and effort into learning something for her.

lots and lots of kisses always

nash also learns how to play her favorite songs on guitar.

he made a little song for them himself on the guitar that he showed her the night after the wedding when it was just them two, and she was literally in tears.

libby makes drawings/paintings of their favorite places to keep as memories.

they are both always exploring and traveling, they make a playlist for everywhere they go to.

she still gets flustered at the nicknames or the endless compliments nash gives her. he’s so down bad.

their music taste is all over the place because there’s little hints and touches of eachother in every aspect of their life.

libby has a cowboy hat collection that matches her cowboy boot collection. nash thinks it’s the cutest thing ever.

libby doesn’t like ordering at restaurants, so nash does it for her, but whenever she does he’s cheering her on once the waiter leaves.“you did so well, sweetheart.”

he’s literally her no1 cheerleader, he’s inlove with anything she does.

they are equally as enamored with each other. on the rare occasion when they are out somewhere they’ll be photographed, they always have coordinating outfits and you never catch them not smiling at eachother with the most lovesick eyes.

libby is obsessed with her ring. she doesn’t know how nash could pick something that was so perfectly her, sometimes it felt like he knew her better than he knew himself.

nash lovess picking her up and spinning her around

shes always running a hand through his hair when laying down, or rubbing his back. he’s obsessed with it.

libby likes tracing “i love you” on his arms/back mindlessly, she thinks he doesn’t notice, but he does.

libby is always wearing nash’s clothes, and he has absolutely no problem with it. he loves seeing her in his clothes

whenever she’s sad it’s like a switch goes off in nash’s brain, he’d do anything to keep her happy and it kills him inside when shes anything but.

he’s by her side and knows exactly what to do and say to make her feel better.

whenever someone wrongs her, or attempts to, he goes and does them 100x worse. he doesn’t tell her this, because she would feel like somewhat of a burden, or that she doesn’t deserve it.

he’d literally give up anything for her.

they are the parents of the group. libby has to gentle parent basically grown adults jameson when they are about to do something stupid.

“that’s a good idea, but why don’t we think of other ideas! ones that don’t potentially harm you and other people?”

they take a disposable camera on every trip they go to, there’s something about the film that they love so much. libby takes them as reference afterwards and paints them for decorations around the house. mentioned above

they started a scrapbook together when they were 2/3 months in the relationship and always frequently add to it.

they can’t wait to show it to their kids one day.

[x-liv25-jamieswife]

can i request hawthorne headcannons pls :)

hawthorne brothers head canons

hi! i think by this you mean hawthorne brothers so thats what im gonna do, but if you wanted smth else, feel free to request it. @ariscats helped with this one. hope you like them <3.

they absolutely love watching friends together. growing up, every friday night, they'd all make time to get together and watch a few episodes. avery, libby, and max joined their watch parties after ave inherited the money.

when they were kids, they once fought over which brother was the best. they all ended up making powerpoints about it and presenting them to each other (xander ended up winning bc he came up with some really fucking smart shit).

xander used to invite his brothers for tea parties at their treehouse. jamie, gray, and nash knew this meant a lot to xander so they always showed up even when they didn't want to.

xander once made his brothers sit through an entire speech where he just ranted about his favorite book boyfriends.

xander buys all of his brothers flowers every once in a while bc boys deserve to get flowers too.

jameson is usually the one who planned each other brother's birthday parties. whenever other people try to plan it, he comes in, says that his brothers deserve smth big and extragavant, kicks everyone out, and does it himself (no he doesn't end up pranking them. he genuinely comes up with things he knows his brothers would like and stuff)

we all know they have a 911, but they also have something called he 119 (or idk anything works) which they can use as many times as they want and its to tell their brothers that they wish to be alone.

for this to make sense, i hc that jameson loves the wear jewelry (rings, chain necklaces, etc). for jamie's 16th birthday, all of his brothers got him a customized ring with their initials engraved on the inside alongside 'i love you'. its quite simple for a hawthorne gift, but it meant a lot to him (bc tobias convinced him he's worthless) and it's now become his favorite ring (he never takes it off)

grayson's favorite painting he's made is a painting of all of his brothers at the beach having fun in the water. the picture he based himself off of to make the painting dated from before things went to shit with emily which is one of the reasons he loves the painting so much.

they always tease nash bc he's the shortest. sometimes he'll be getting smth off of a shelf (which he can reach perfectly fine), and xander or one of the others will pop up and be like 'let us help you, brother, we know you can't reach high places by yourself'

for halloween, one year, the three youngest ones dressed up as alvin and the chipmunks and nash dressed up as the old man who takes care of them in the movie (i forgot his name)

grayson had a phase where he hated taylor swift and nash and xander (even jameson) were horrified. they spent weeks converting him into a swiftie and it worked. gray is now ashamed of his taylor hater era.

when avery and jameson were in their like friends with benefits era in the hawthorne legacy, nash and xander would not leave him alone. they'd constantly be like 'you dumb fuck, you obviously have feelings for her' and he'd be like 'nah yall are crazy' (grayson was too busy ignoring his feelings)

jameson and grayson used to want to celebrate their birthdays at the same time (like one half of the house was decorated for jamie and the other for gray for two days) when they were younger, but, after emily started tearing them apart, they started to distance themselves from one another and stopped celebrating their bdays together (i think it was mentioned in tbh that they hated having their bdays so close to one another but im choosing to ignore that). for jamie's 20th bday (and gray's 21st), they decided to celebrate together again and xander and nash cried.

xander, jamie, and gray once found nash grinding against a pole (basically pole dancing) to i can fix him (no really i can) by taylor swift. they filmed it and sent the video to libby. they now play it at every single one of his bdays (and his wedding).

gray, xander, and nash filmed jamie a video for his birthday where they just yapped about how amazing he is and how much they love him. jameson managed to keep it together until he went up to his room for the night and started sobbing. his brothers found him and tried to comfort him. that entire day is like a core memory for them.

so this is a libby hc but my moot came up with it and i just couldn't not include it. avery and jameson are libby and nash's first kid's god parents. the kid is named sarah after what libby knew avery's mom as. even after she found out it wasn't her real name, she couldn'y bring herself to change her mind bc she decided on this name when she was nine. anyways, all of the brothers (and avery and max) will babysit the kid and gift her the loudest toys in existence just to piss of nash and libby.

when jamie started to self-destruct after emily, xander and him started to drift apart (they were very very close before it). they used to hang out all of the time, but, after emily, didn't really speak for almost a year. this is one of the reasons why xander accepted tobias request when he asked him to overlook the games in tig. he thought it would be an opportunity to get closer with jameson again.

when they were younger (not nash bc he was older), the youngest ones used to have a color for gifts if that makes sense. like all of jamie's gifts would be green, gray's would be grey, and xander's would be red (he gives off red energy). no one explicitly said they wanted the color, but it sort of just became a thing.

there's a dumb song in how i met your mother called nothing suits me like a suit. jamie and xander made it gray's ring tone (for calls, alarms, etc), and xan programmed it in a way that makes it impossible for gray to change it (only xan can).

[reyreadersblog]

ALRIGHT Y'ALL MADE ME DO IT!!!

My unpopular tig/tgg opinions!!

FIRST!

These are MY opinions and i'm allowed to have my own thoughts on certian things, just as you are, okay..? Just wanna..get this out of way, i know everyone is respectful in this fandombut still.

1. this is something that should NOT be an upopular opinion. AVERY IS THE MAIN CHARACTER FOR A REASON. okay? She is a girlboss, and she needs more appretiation, cus literally search up tig on tt rn. Everybody and their cat named Stewie is talking about Grayson and Jameson? WHAT ABOUT MY MG AVERY? And if you see any post about her, it's probably a hate vid about how Avery should've kept the money...SHUT UP. Read what she said carefully..."no one deserves that kind of power.." and then think about it deeply.

2. I DO NOT WANT TIG TO TURN INTO A TV SERIES (or even a movie). i can't name all the reasons 'cus then the the list would be endless. First of all, i know, I JUST KNOW, they'll choose the worst cast ever. And even if they find the most accurate cast for the Hawthorne brother i will still be dissapointed, because the images of them i have in my head...THEY'LL NEVER TOP EM. second of all, they will leave out important moments, just as simple as it sounds, and trust me they will, just like they do with most of the live adaptations of books. Third of all, SHIP WARS!!! I phisically can't with ship war, like I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF EM IN THE PAST WHEN THE BOOKS WERE STILL COMING OUT. And just the thought of Averygrayson shipper saying "yeah Avery and jameson were endgame in the books but they might change it in the movie..." GIVES ME NIGHTMARES. and overall, not everything needs a live adaptation yk? sometimes things just have to stay the way they are.

3. ...this is a bit contrevertial.and i don't want to sound like a hater since i've said this a multiple times before but Rohan's pov was my least favourite in the grandest games. Purely bcs whatever Savannah and Rohan had going on...don't get me wrong, i like Savannah (even tho she did and said some fucked up things) and Rohan, SEPERATLY. But them being together...idk man, they were too..."booktokish" for my liking, yk? and i do love banter and teasing, but they were like basic "i like you but i like winning more" "couple". Not to mention they were so random...like where did they come from? I remember when we first saw Sav and Rohan having the same symbols on their cards i was very excited, i expected a different dynamic between them...PLUS THE WHOLE GAME THEY JUST WANTED TO FUCK💀

4. Hating Alisa Ortega and loving Grayson Hawthorne is CRAZYYY, and i'm saying this bcs they're pretty similar in different ways. And the thing is people are mad at Alisa for "saying mean words to Libby" (she was literally doing her job, you would understand if you were at her place) MEANWHILE GRAYSON LITERALLY THREATENED A HEIRESS! (sayin this as a Gray stan) *sigh* y'all are something else🤦🏻‍♀️.

5. Ohh...this one is risky...BUT CAN Y'ALL STOP ACTING LIKE JAMESON IS BLAMELESS?? all i see is Grayson slander, AND I UNDERSTAND, he fucked up, but saying "Jameson was so much better than Grayson" is a lie, at least for me. (He was better for Avery tho) he fs made mistakes that fandoms chooses to ignore. Like lets not act like treating Avery like a toy wasn't wrong. Lets not act like him blaming Grayson for everything wasn't wrong. Let's not act like him reminding Grayson of Emily's death wasn't wrong. And i know that later on both him and Grayson had a great character development, but still, i've never seen anyone talk about this.

6. This isn't about tig. But LIKING JLBS WORK AND BEING HER FAN DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE GLAZING HER💀 (talking about an argument i had a while ago...) like is it so hard for your brain to understand that it's called having an opinion. Idc if it's JLB or any other author, okay? Like i've read almost every Jlb's books and i love them, AND i also publicly talk about how much iblove her work, does that mean i'm glazing her? UHM NO WTF💀.

7. LET. PEOPLE. HAVE. PREFRENCE. (I'm talking about ships btw) . Someone prefers LyraGray over Averyjameson, and that's okay. Someone loves Averyjameson the most, and that's also okay, someone likes Libbynash more then Xandermax, AND THAT IS ALSO OKAY.

I'll probably do part 2, i have more to say i'm just really tired rn.

Also it's not proof read so sorry if there are many mistakes.

[lil-luvxo]

Angsty AveryJameson headcanons plsss

these are kinda bad and cute but hey here they are: angsty (ish) averyjameson head cannons ・❥・

word count: 377

avery has nervous habits like digging nails into palms, lip biting so when she does this he’ll either grab her hands and like play with them or kiss her 

jameson always feels like he’s not good enough for avery as he’s like the “reckless, irresponsible” one - he’ll sometimes just whisper stuff into her ear which sounds sweet but really is him showing his worry as to her leaving him. they’ll be things like “i don’t deserve you” “i wouldn’t know how to live without you - please don’t leave”

ave gives jameson little massages or shoulders rubs when he’s all stressed or worked up 

their first fight/argument was badddd and avery didn’t know what to do because she was knew to the whole relationship thing so she just kind off shut down and didn’t speak to anyone 

avery worries a lot when jameson comes home late to the point where she’s spirally and asking oren if he sent out people to protect him or to track down where he is 

when they do argue it’s kind of about everything in their lives (like mentally, worries about the other or like work if that makes sense 😭) and it results in deep convos from an unsaid tahiti 

their really open with one another and will drop everything if the other person needs them - they also have a never go to bed angry rule

even though they have the odd spat every once in a while they DESPISE arguing with each other 

at night they sleep with some sort of background noise (e.g. music or a tv show) because they both can’t stand silence due to it making them think about everything but their always cuddling each other for comfort 

following on from this sometimes they sing or just talk to each other about their day when the other is stressed or can’t sleep

when avery has panic attacks or flashbacks from the bombing jameson is one of the only people who can calm her down and he will sit with her for however long she needs. he’ll breath in and out with her, draw circles on he back and make her come back and laugh. 

[lyrakanefanatic]

OKAY THERE ARE SOME NEW LYRA CHAPTERS ON THE INDIGO APP SO IF YOU HAVENT CHECKED THAT OUT YET THEN SPOILER WARNING BELOW BC IM GONNA GO OVER SMTH:

OKAY, SO THIS IS WHEN LYRA GETS THE INVITATION TO THE GRANDEST GAME, AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY, WHY DOES THIS NOTE SOUND SO PREDATORY?? 😭😭

MY GUESS IS ITS GRAYSON WHO SENT IT, (because of the “dark blue ink”, since dark blues his colour, and the fact that only he really knew about her) SINCE HE PROBABLY GOT ZABROWKSI TO LOOK INTO HER AND FOUND OUT ABOUT HER PARENTS NOT HAVING MUCH MONEY, BUT WHY DOES IT SOUND SO CREEPY??

LIKE I CANT STOP READING IT AS “YOU DESERVE THIS 👹👹👺” AS LIKE IN A CREEPY STALKER WAY, BUT IM SURE ITS JUST GRAYSON TRYING TO SHOOT HIS SHOT OR SOME SHIT IDK

OR WAIT WAIT WAIT, SHE MENTIONS THAT “YOU DESERVE THIS” NOTE BEING THE FIRST LETTER AND THE INVITATION BEING THE SECOND, SO MAYBE ITS FROM A COMPLETELY DIFF PERSON?? LIKE MAYBE ITS FROM SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS ABOUT HER PARENTS HAVING TO SELL THAT ONE HOUSE THAT I ALR FORGET THE NAME OF WHO MAYBE HATES HER FAMILY? (the kanes) IDK, BUT IF THEY’RE ALL SIGNING THEIR NAMES ON A TREE THEN THAT MUST MEAN THEY COME FROM A BIG FAMILY, MEANING ONE OF THEM COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING STUPID (prolly her bio dad 😪)

ALSO ITS CONFIRMED SHES 19 WHICH MEANS GRAYSONS 22, WHICH MEANS IF THEY DATE THERE WILL BE A 3 YEAR AGE GAP BETWEEN THE TWO ☠️☠️☠️

GRAYSON RLLY LIKES THEM YOUNGER DAMN, FIRST AVERY NOW LYRA?? 😪😪

LETS JUST HOPE THAT ITS ACC A 2 YEAR AGE GAP AND SHE JUST HASNT TURNED 20 YET BC GODAMN 😪😪

ANYWAY I ALR LOVE HER BUT I STILL HAVE NO CLUE WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE APART FROM HER BODY (the silhouette) BC JLB ISNT TELLING US ANYTHING!!! 👹🤬🤬

[the-inheritance-games]

Couple questions I have after reading the first 7 Ch.

SPOILERS——

1. What do Jameson and Avery and the rest of the Hawthornes know about Lyra?

Jameson seemed intrigued by Lyra, and he apparently told Gray the wrong time so he would be late, was this bc he wanted to observe her himself for some reason? Avery also apparently chose Lyra, so its possible that Grayson suggested Lyra as a deserving player, but that doesnt mean he told them everything or at least I hope not bc like Lyra said he is the only one she's ever told and that's her story to tell.

Also there's always a possibility that Grayson also doesnt even know who she is, but that's unlikely in my opinion.

2. Why did rohan let Gigi have the ticket? Did he know it was her before he left it there? Why does he “need” a queen?

Rohan is a mystery to me idk

3. Who is the third player that got the ticket? And why?

I'm guessing its Brady Daniels since he was not on the chopper but you never know it could still be Either Knox or Oddette

4. This is the biggest question I have is, What happened during the FIRST tgg?

In the little snippet of the press release we got from Rohans pov the reporters were asking Avery some interesting questions about how this years game was different than the first, there was also the comment jameson made about how Gray “will be making sure everyone follows the rules this year” which implies that maybe some people didnt last year and they needed to bring in the big guns, aka Grayson, this year (lol)

5. Why hawthorne Island of ALL places?

Like that just seems like bad PR and just extremely questionable to bring 7 strangers and lock them on the island where people died…..

Also wasn't Avery told never to step foot in that town again by her grandmother? 😭

Like im worried for my girls safety and the rest of them too. But also this could mean we could be learning more about Averys family or might find out that they somehow tie into this story.

Or maybe that Lyra is tied with the people who supposedly died on that island like Collin, ik that was a theory out there too but idk much about that so I cant say much on it but if you know pls let me know.

5. One last thing not really a question but how is it gonna work if grayson himself also doesnt know anything about the game? I feel like he should know something but idk

I have more thoughts but I think im gonna hold off until we know more bc im supposed to be focusing on other things rn and I cant, soooo yeah :)

[theonlyskyehawthorne]

The one and only Skye Hawthorne .

Net worth?

Interested in tarot cards and long bubble baths.

My babies :

@therealgraysonhawthorne heir apparent , bribe , threaten , buyout

@jameson-hawthorne just like me

@xander-hawthorne-is-the-best my most sensitive and wonderful son

@the-eldest-yehawthorne Nash , my dear firstborn

@zarahawthorne-calligaris my dear sister , despises me for being better

@nan-hawthorne my grandmother , loved her

@emily-laughlin likes to call me a hoe but cant even understand her own limits

@the-hawthorne-heiress took my family's money . She does not deserve my son .

@leelee-ortega Our wonderful lawyer . Shame she couldn't keep Nash around .

@gothic-cupcakemaster nash's fianceé , now wife . She is ...... different.

@motherfaxingmax Ava's friend

@evelaughlin looks just like my dear emily, may she rest in peace

@rebeccalaughlinsblog emily's sister (i hope that you are ok)

@theaaacalligaris dating rebecca , emily's best friend

@omg1g1 Shef's daughter

@savannahgrayson Shef's daughter

@lyracattalinakane she seems to delude herself into thinking that my dear Gray likes her.

@rohan-his-lordships-successor someone told me he is in the grandest game .

@acaciagrayson such a bitch . Kept my Shef all to herself

@john-oren avery's and my sons family bodyguard

@gimmechocolatenow tiramisu the dog .

[fortisfilia]

Promised Part 10 - Tom Riddle x reader

Info: This is a rewrite of a story I've posted on my old account years ago. If it sounds familiar, that might be why :)

Summary: In this story, Tom didn't grow up as an orphan, but with his grandfather and uncle. Reader's sister got very sick and the Gaunts offer their help. But not without asking for something in return.

Warnings: Arranged marriage

Word count: 3k

Masterpost | Masterlist | Part 9 | Part 11

Part 10 - Mors Grano

The days after Avery’s poor attempt to gather information went by quite eventfully. Not only had Avery and Lestrange almost gotten expelled by Dippet for what they had done, but had received the worst detention you had ever heard of. 

Every day, up until the N.E.W.T.s would start, they had to help Mr Carpe, Hogwarts’ caretaker, clean every last bit of the castle. Without magic of course. And when they weren’t scrubbing floors, cleaning windows, or polishing trophies, they were copying the school rules on parchment, by hand. The amount of paper they had to fill wouldn’t even fit into an entire classroom, had it not been rolled up. 

Even if they wanted to, their new schedule didn't give them enough time to follow you or even think about you. They barely had enough time to finish their homework before tumbling into their beds. You would have felt sorry for them, but Tom’s snarky grin, which he wore every time you saw the two in the hallways, was a reminder that they deserved it. 

Thank Merlin you hadn’t told Avery much when he had disguised himself as Tom. You had just confirmed that the engagement had been arranged but fortunately hadn’t said anything about your sister. There had been worse rumours going around about Tom and you. 

Camille almost didn’t believe you when you told her what they had done. After a lot of head shaking and “no, they didn’t”s she just stared at you with her mouth open and proceeded to laugh for a full minute or two when you told her about their punishment. 

It was a lucky coincidence that she had found an interest in Ben, as she didn’t mind now that you were spending a lot more time with Tom. She was preoccupied as well by the looks of it. 

After the accidental sleepover, you had stayed in Tom’s dorm overnight more often. Not on accident though. It had become a routine, to have another quick chat with Camille after classes, arrange some dates for when you wanted to study together and then make your way to Tom’s.

Tom was sitting at his desk when you entered the room, apparently deep in thought and studying the Potions book he had gifted you.

“Alright?” you said when you closed the door.

He nodded as you went up to him.

“Found anything interesting for the Moly?” you asked. “It still looks quite healthy to me.”

“Not really,” he answered and turned towards you. “Nothing specific.”

“Oh, I just got an owl from my parents.” You crammed the letter out of your bag and handed it to him. “They set the date. For the wedding.”

Tom read the letter quietly, his eyebrows twitching slightly once or twice.

“June 30th,” he said.

“That’s only one day after we graduate,” you stated. “Seems like they can’t wait for the big day.”

He nodded as he gazed into the flames inside the fireplace, a tiny grin pulling on the edge of his mouth before he looked up at you. “Can you?”

To keep the giggle that was building up inside you from bursting out, you took Tom's hand, tugged lightly on it and gestured towards the couch where you wanted to sit. He closed the potions book but kept a finger in it, taking it with him as you led him over.

“Well, I don’t know,” you said as you let yourself fall onto the cushion. “It still doesn’t feel real, does it?”

He nodded in agreement.

“I can’t wait to try on the dress, though. That’ll be exciting,” you went on and noticed him smiling. “And then there’s the most important part, of course.”

He gave you a look as if to say he didn’t know what you meant.

“Elsie,” you explained. “Your uncle will lift her curse completely then. Or so I hope at least.”

Morfin had to, didn’t he? It was part of the pact after all. Tom and you would get married so that they would free your sister. As much as you wanted to believe that the Gaunts were trustworthy, there had been a nasty sting in your stomach ever since the engagement. Would they give up, even when they had won? They wouldn’t be able to control you anymore afterwards, or Tom, or anyone but themselves. Marvolo’s filthy grin appeared in your head. Would he ever give it a rest?

“He will free her, won’t he?” you asked.

Tom looked into your eyes for a moment, then cleared his throat. “Well, it’s what they agreed on.”

“But?”

“But,” he went on, “You’ve seen how they are.”

An invisible weight seemed to pull on your limbs and the sting in your stomach got more intense. 

“They’ll never let go,” you sighed. “But how-”

Tom shook his head and exhaled slowly. “I have to show you something.”

He gave you the Potions book and opened it at the page where he had put his finger before. “I thought you’d come across it on your own, but as I noticed you wouldn’t… Just see for yourself.”

You stared at him for a moment, wondering what Morfin’s book had to do with anything, before looking down at it. Tom pointed at a recipe, written in scrawled handwriting:

Mors Grano or The Dust Of Slow DeathThe dust is used to be scattered over an item and will cling to the first person that touches it.Vanishes the second the victim comes in contact, which makes it very hard to be detected and cured.Victims will suffer from a distinctively harsh cough, as well as pain and flu-like symptoms, which will worsen each day until they become fatal. The average time until death is around three weeks after the first encounter with Mors Grano. In most cases, the victim will lose their life before the appropriate antidote can be given. 

You didn't bother to read the list of ingredients, your hands shaking too much to make out a word. You had heard of Mors Grano before. Professor Binns had mentioned it in History of Magic when you had learned about the Passing of Men in 1650. Hundreds of witches had poisoned their abusive husbands with it when the dust had been invented. It had taken years to find out what had caused such an increased number of deaths, all of them male wizards. The potion and most of its ingredients had been banned, and no cases had been reported since.

Until now. Suddenly it all made sense. The Gaunts had sent the letter and covered it in Mors Grano. They had known all along how to cure Elsie and had waited patiently, days and weeks, letting your sister suffer until Father had contacted them. No wonder the owl had given her the letter, even though it was addressed to Father. They had specifically chosen her. A ten-year-old, innocent, little girl. 

Nausea hit you like a brick, coupled with the immediate need to punch something as your stomach twisted and turned in ways you had never felt before. A thin layer of sweat had formed on your forehead and your hands were still shaking.

“They…” you whispered. “And you knew?”

Tom swallowed thickly. “I didn’t at first. But then I came across it when Morfin prepared the poison.”

"And you never told me?" you asked, your voice rising and threatening to break as you tried to get up.

“Let me explain,” Tom said and grabbed your hand. “Sit down.”

“What is there to explain?” you asked, trying to pull away from his grip. “You’ve known for months. Even before your first visit. Before Elsie got sick. And you never tried to prevent it, nor did you tell me.”

Tom's grip on your hand tightened the more you tried to get him off you. “I said let me explain. I let you explain yourself when I saw you with Avery, didn’t I? Imagine I just ran away then. Now sit down.”

Finally, his grip loosened, allowing you to tear your hand away from him. Not knowing what to think or say, you sat down but couldn’t bring yourself to even look in his direction.

“Yes, I knew,” he began with a sigh. “And I didn’t care. But even when I started to care, I couldn’t tell you. Or anyone. I still can’t. I’m unable to talk about it. They were a step ahead. Understand?”

The Gaunts were a step ahead. They always wanted to be. Just like on Christmas Day, when they wanted you and Tom to do-

“An unbreakable vow?” you asked with wide eyes. “You had to vow not to tell anyone.”

He nodded. “I vowed not to tell. But I didn’t vow not to show.”

He turned one page inside the book and handed it to you again.

Mors Grano - antidote

Ingredients: 

The skin of a snake

2 fresh Foxgloves

3 blossoms of a Moly

4 drops of Moondew

5 tears of a Banshee

The antidote. Full with an ingredient list and instructions. 

“Morfin brewed it already then? They gave it to Elsie, otherwise, she wouldn’t have gotten better.”

“He didn’t complete it,” Tom answered, apparently trying not to say something that would interfere with the vow.

“He left out something? They gave her an unfinished antidote?”

Tom nodded. 

“The tears?” you guessed, solely because it was the most powerful and rare item on the list.

“I’m not sure. They never let me into his chamber after the engagement.”

“Can we… Can we steal it from him? And add the last ingredient?”

“Marvolo has the flask on him at all times. He’s suspicious, even of Morfin.”

Bloody hell. Marvolo’s paranoia was a real pain. You scanned the antidote again, thinking of all the ways you could get your hands on that potion.

“But I could brew it myself. Most of the ingredients are easy to find. Foxgloves are for sale in Diagon Alley, I’ve seen them countless times. The Moly, we have it here,” you listed and looked at it standing on the desk, finally realising why Tom had tried to keep it alive so badly. “Snakeskin from Nagini. We just wait for her to shed. Moondew and the Banshee tears will be tricky, however.”

Tom nodded at every new thing you had said. “You figured it out.”

Your stomach had stopped squirming at the glimmer of hope you had for saving Elsie. You carefully read the recipe for the antidote again, understanding how long it would take and how hard it would be to get the potion right. If everything went well, it would be finished by mid to late June at the earliest. Besides, Slughorn had never taught you such advanced techniques. Now that you were thinking of your Professor, it began to dawn on you. “Do you think Slughorn has Moondew and Banshee tears in his chamber?”

“Possibly,” Tom answered. “But do you really want to steal from him after what Avery and Lestrange did? I’m sure he’s got it all locked up in his office now.”

“Well, I have to try. Where else would I get those things from? And I better try soon. The antidote will take months to make as it is and the earlier I start, the better.”

Tom took the book, got up from the couch and put it into the drawer of his desk, closing it shut slowly.

“What are you doing?” you asked.

“We’re going to Slughorn then, aren’t we? Come on.”

You followed him out hastily, trying to sort out your thoughts. Frankly, you had not expected to get the ingredients this quickly.

“Wait, how are we going to do it?” you asked, struggling to keep pace. “We can’t just sneak in and grab the things we need. He might be in there.”

“Even better then,” Tom said, not deigning to look at the other students strolling along the hallways. “I talk, you get the stuff.”

Slughorn's office was on the sixth floor, so it took a while to reach it. Your mind was still racing around the facts you had just been given and you needed to talk about it.

“I can’t believe they made you vow,” you muttered. “Marvolo and Morfin are…”

“Bastards,” he finished your sentence when you stepped from one of the moving staircases to another. “I’m aware.”

Everyone who knew them longer than a minute had to be aware of the fact. You were the only people on the staircase, floating higher up towards your destination. Tom looked over his shoulder to double-check if anyone could hear him.

“You know what,” he said pensively. “I actually expected people to ask me what I, or my family, had done to make the engagement happen. Seeing as it was them who got the ball rolling. But everyone suspected you. They all thought your parents bribed us.”

A sour smile had formed on your face as you thought about what to answer. One that, for all you knew, every woman had worn at least once in her life. 

“A woman's intentions will always be questioned a hundred times harsher than those of a man, Tom. What else is new?”

He pressed his lips together, nodded and kept quiet until you reached the sixth floor.

“Wait,” you said and got a hold of his hand when you had entered the corridor of Slughorn’s office. “I wanted to thank you. For helping me. The book, the Moly and now this. You know you don’t have to.”

He squeezed your fingers lightly in response, stepped closer and you pulled him in further. With his arms around you and your head pressed against his chest, you shut your eyes for a moment, feeling his lips on your forehead for a fraction of a second. When you looked up at him, his mouth parted, then closed again, stopping himself from saying something. His eyes, dark and restless, searched yours for a moment before returning to their usual deadpan state.

“Believe me, no one hates Marvolo and Morfin more than me. If I can make their lives more difficult, I’ll gladly do it.”

There wasn’t a lot of time to take in Tom’s words when you separated. There it was. The door to Slughorn’s room.

“Get behind me,” Tom instructed. “Make sure he doesn’t see you.”

You did as he said, your back against the stone wall, watching from a distance how Tom knocked on the door and Slughorn opened it.

“Oh, Tom,” the Professor said. “Good afternoon. What brings you here?”

“Good afternoon Professor. I hope I’m not disturbing you. I have some questions about Avery and Lestrange. I’m trying to sort out some things for Professor Dippet. Would you mind letting me in?”

Slughorn opened the door fully and stepped back. “Of course, boy, of course. Come in.”

Tom had left the door open for you to slip in behind them, which you instantly did. He lured Slughorn to the far end of his office, walking backwards and keeping an eye on you. Slughorn’s potion stock was right next to the entrance, where you knelt between the shelves, in case he would turn around unexpectedly.

The small drawers weren’t tagged, but you noticed that their contents were sorted alphabetically. As you silently roamed through them, you could hear Tom and Slughorn speak.

“So, Professor,” Tom said. “Do you know if Avery and Lestrange have taken anything else? Apart from the Polyjuice Potion?”

The Professor hummed. “Not that I’m aware of, no. Why?”

Every single drawer was filled to the brim with ingredients, some vials even contained finished potions, but you still hadn't seen the things you were looking for. It was a delicate act to go through everything so quickly while remaining quiet and ensuring not to miss anything.

“Well, there were some items found. Residues of Moondew and Banshee tears,” Tom explained.

“Banshee tears?” Slughorn asked.

“Yes. We can’t be sure if it was them, but I thought if you missed those things from your supply, the two might have something to do with it.”

“No, everything else is there, I counted it myself,” Slughorn assured. “What baffles me are the Banshee tears.”

Tom was an excellent liar, even though Slughorn would have probably bought anything his favourite student said. The bottom drawer at the penultimate row was stuck. You pulled the handle tightly but it only opened up an inch and gave a screech while it did, making you freeze from fear.

“Did you hear something?” Slughorn asked, his voice echoing your way.

“No, I didn’t,” Tom answered and coughed. “Why are you surprised about the Banshee tears, sir?”

“Well, those tears are rare,” the teacher answered, his head directed towards Tom again. “Very rare and also not very legal, boy. I’ve never seen them anywhere in my whole life. They couldn’t have been from me.”

No Banshee tears from Slughorn then. You pulled out your wand and cast a nonverbal spell to loosen the stuck drawer. Should have done that right away, you thought to yourself. Finally, it opened smoothly and your eyes went over all the flasks and their name tags. Mandrake, Maw, Mistletoe berry, Mollowsweed ... Moondew. Thank Merlin! There were over ten vials of it in the drawer, so you hastily took out one and put it into your pocket.

You peeked over the counter, locked eyes with Tom, and pointed towards the door to let him know you would leave.

“I see,” Tom went on, his eyes back on Slughorn. “We’ll have to look into that. Anyway, if you do notice some Moondew missing, against all expectations, I’m going to have another talk with Dippet about Avery and Lestrange.”

“I’ll let you know, boy. Thank you.”

“Enjoy your evening, sir.”

Masterpost | Masterlist | Part 11

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