#barnabys face was so much fun in the first picture

[jazzzzzzhands]

AWWWAAA TY! QwQ <333 Gah! just look how small Wally's hand is on Barnaby's big ol' mitts! Barnaby is rly getting fun to draw! But also.. bonus. i couldn't help but think..

[that-damn-fouth-chaosemerald]

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 ♡

See my other Welcome Home work here!

Requested by @mugmaya19

Request: If you are taking in requests could you do one where we just randomly grab their face and kiss them around their face’s before we just walk away like nothing happened? Again if you aren’t doing that then feel free to use this as a way of creative thinking! Have a good day

×A/N×

Omg I had so much fun the writing of this!! I love them so much! 😭❤

I think the chosed scenario was adorable and I absolutely loved it!

I hope you'll have the same fun with the reading of this!

Btw sorry for the picture of Sally :")

(You don't know how much I loved writing Poppy's part- 😭❤)

×❢ About my work ❢×

no proofread, it can have spelling mistakes, look, idk if they can blush or even have a heart, but now they do, okay? lol, no smut, just sweet fluff, no pronouns used for the reader, petnames like darling, love, hon.

Fandom: Welcome Home horror project by Clown

Character(s): Wally Darling, Barnaby B. Beagle, Eddie Dear, Julie Joyful, Frank Frankly, Howdy Pillar, Sally Starlet, Poppy Partridge, The Reader|You| (Y/N) |Neighbour

Ship(s): The characters x The Reader|You| (Y/N) |Neighbour

Form: Headcanons

Wally Darling

"Wally, come here, I want to show you something!" 

• after you placed his face into your hands 

• You started kissing him around

• cheeks, lips, nose

• gosh he felt like heaven between your kisses

• he just sat there still as he accepted his fate

• not like he would want to disagree :D

• after some time, he even leaned forward a bit to have more

• he decided that it was his turn to give you kisses

• he was planning to give a "mwah" to you

• but you turned away and left him

• (a.n: *dramatic gasp* how dare you?! >:c) 

• he was just sitting there and confusedly watched as you left

• "Where are you going, neighbour?"

• dw, if you're not getting his smooch now, you'll get it later, I can promise that! 😌✨

Sally Starlet

"Sally, can you come here for a minute?"

• she was practicing, so at first she wasn't too happy that you disturbed her

• "Yeah, yeah, I'm almost finished (Y/N)!" 

• after a few minutes she were already in front of you with a furious look

• (a.n: how dare you disturb her? >:( /jk) 

• "What do you want, (Y/N)?" she asked impatiently. 

• but you just stood up and gave a small kiss on her lips without an answer

• she was too surprised to react anything, so you continued

• her face was between your soft hands, while you gave an another kiss on her forehead

• she didn't fight too much about it

• she even leaned into your touch

• after you were done, you thought that you can just simply walk away

• well, *chuckle* no. 

• you DISTURBED her practice, then made her heart skip a beat and fall in love with you AGAIN, and after all this, you wanna just WALK AWAY like nothing happened?! 

• she quickly catched you by your wrist with a unsatisfied look and a smirk on her face

• "No, I think not, (Y/N). We need to talk."

Frank Frankly

"Frank, can you come here?"

• first he just approached you innocently, but he could feel that you were planning something

• he didn't know what specifically, but the aura around you could tell that you're on something

• but he still walked up to you and asked 

• "What do you need, darling?"

• you gently put your hands on his face 

• and give one kiss to his forehead 

• an another to his lips

• and an another one to his right cheek

• "What are you doing, darling?" he asked as he softly pulled you closer to him by your hips. 

• you just kept kissing him, didn't bring yourself to answer

• you didn't let him to give back the kisses, but he could catch one and return it

• he even hummed from the enjoyment of your affection

• he could stay like this forever and ever

• but you let go from him

• the moment that he realised that you're planning to go away, he quickly grabbed your wrist and pulled you back to him

• "Where do you think you're going, love?" 

Barnaby B. Beagle

"Come here, Barnaby!" 

• he feels like heaven between your hands

• he immediately leaned into the touch as you started kissing him around his face

• gosh your rubs feels so good! 

• I can imagine that he gently starts biting your hands in an affectionately way

• he even closed his eyes from your sweet kisses

• but as soon as he stopped feeling your touch, he quickly opened his eyes confusedly

• in the last minutes, he still hoped that you'll turn back

• but you didn't :(

• "Uhh... (Y/N)? Buddy? Where are you going?" 

Howdy Pillar

"Howdy, can you help me, please?" 

• he came up to you obliviously

• "What is it, hon?" 

• he's always ready to help you, when you need him

• you asked him to come closer and he did as you requested from him

• you softly grabbed his face and started placing sweet kisses on his face

• he softly chuckled at the first ones

• he's more like a kiss giver than receiver, but although he enjoys it

• when you wanted to leave, he just simply whined

• "No, don't go, (Y/N)!" 

Poppy Partridge

• Today Poppy seemed like she was pretty frustrated. Her wings were shaking, making the binding more difficult to her. You decided to check on her and give her a little comfort. 

"Wa- Wait, Poppy, let me help you!" 

• you made her to let go the sweater that she was working on and after her attention was on you, you've finally could help

• you gently started to caress her wings, attend to not to crease her feathers

• and gave soft kisses around her beak

• but she's just got more frustrated and flushed

• when you were about to leave, you actually changed your mind

• she didn't say anything 'cause she was too nervous and shy to say it out loud, but her eyes were literally begged for your affection

• please give her more, she deserves it! ♡

• (btw the sweater which was she working on, it's actually for)

Julie Joyful

"Hey, Julie, come here!" 

• she approached you happily and smiley, like she always does

• what she didn't know that you were planning to make her heart jump out of her chest

• ( i mean, in a metaphoric way)

• "What is it, (Y/N)?" 

• you didn't pay attention to answer, instead you just grabbed her face and started kissing her around

• i can imagine that she giggles while you kissing her 

• she actually leans forward to make your work easier

• when you walked away, Julie just simply started to follow you with a disappointed look

• "Aww, where are you going, (Y/N)?" "Don't leave me here!" "But (Y/N)!" 

• she will keep ask more until you actually give the kisses to her

Eddie Dear

"Eddie, can you come here for a second?"

• I can assure that you kept kissing him much longer than just a second lol

• he was there in seconds

• just like always, he's ready to help you in anything

• "Is there something wrong, hon?" 

• at first, he wanted to return the kisses when you started to give them to him

• but later he finally catch up that it was you what will give the kisses

• so he just leaned into your touch and enjoyed your soft kisses

• as he got more comfortable in your touch eventually he closed his eyes

• he was just about to get too comfy, when you stood up and walked away

• He calls after you worriedly. 

"(Y/N)? Did I do something wrong?"

• he's more worried than confused, 'cause he's afraid that he did something wrong to you

• please give him more kisses to make sure that he's loved and he did nothing wrong (and that he doesn't cry) 

[sleepingdeath-light]

how he’d be as a father hcs ; barnaby

requested by ; anonymous (21/05/23)

fandom(s) ; welcome home

fandom masterlist(s) ; here

character(s) ; barnaby b beagle

outline ; “Hello! I LOVE your welcome home fics so much! 👉👈 would it be ok to request Barnaby adopting the reader/ being the reader’s father hcs? I love the idea of Papa Barnaby,

Hope you are having a wonderful day!”

warning(s) ; none, just fluff!

barnaby is, first and foremost, a dad who is trying his best — he’s not a perfect parent (then again, who is?), but he does whatever he can to keep you happy, entertained, taken care of, and accommodated in whatever ways you need (whether that means cooking old favourite meals in new ways to accommodate any allergies or aversions, asking howdy to order in medications for the bugdega, helping you decorate your mobility aides, or taking you out of the neighbourhood to go to check ups)

he calls you his ‘pup’ and is constantly bragging about how amazing his kid is to anyone who will listen — he’s the ultimate proud dad and will celebrate each and every achievement of yours, no matter how small, with the same level of boundless excitement towards you and everyone nearby (which is usually his best friend, and your ‘uncle’, wally)

he’s protective of you but he’s not overbearing — he wants you to explore and have fun and make mistakes and learn (of course he’ll be there for you every step of the way, though), but the moment someone tries to be cruel towards you, you can bet that barnaby will be stepping in and correcting that behaviour as swiftly as possible

he saves every drawing and painting and card you make/write for him — hanging them up on the fridge until there’s no room left and then buying a bit folder to keep the rest in (and when you’re an adult, you’ll catch him flipping through its pages often with a nostalgic smile on his face — and the pictures on the fridge never get taken down)

barnaby is forever joking around with you — encouraging you to have fun and be yourself whilst providing an endless stream of puns, dad jokes, pranks and more (and he gives as good as he gets, complimenting you for a prank well done and laughing at every joke)

he also loves playing games with you — whether that’s something sporty, something active that you just made up, a board game you bought (for two shiny pebbles and a really pretty leaf) from howdy, or something completely different — because he loves making you laugh and smile

he’s not afraid to ask for help from his neighbours when needed and he makes sure that you have a good community around you as you grow up: uncle wally and aunt sally are always there to help you explore your creative side, your uncles eddie and frank are happy to help you get a thorough understanding of the world (with the latter arranging the actual topics of learning and the former turning them into fun and memorable activities to make sure it all sticks), uncle howdy calls you his ‘little helper’ and is always willing to lend a hand (or four) to look after you when your dad is busy whilst helping you develop a solid work ethic, your aunt julie is there to help you learn to express yourself and find your style whilst developing your confidence as a young person, and your aunt poppy is always the first to volunteer to babysit you (helping you develop key skills like cooking and cleaning and baking whilst being a comforting presence for you to talk to about any topics that you’re nervous to discuss with barnaby)

and on top of it all, you also have your beloved grandmother there to spoil you rotten — always visiting with stacks of gifts and foods piled up in her wings, smothering you in affection whilst your dad puts everything away (well, the delicate things anyway — the hardier stuff just gets left in a pile somewhere out of the way)

[blairsanne]

DFP Actors August: Joel Tobeck

NZ actors tend to end up in a lot of the same shows over the years it seems. I have a lot of fun spotting familiar faces, so I thought this would be a fun and silly little project, seeing which actors have repeatedly been in things that Deano was also in (not necessarily alongside). Just a bit of trivia. Enjoy!

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995-1998/1996-1999)

Dean played a few different characters on this show: Iloran - S1E12 "The Gauntlet" Young Iolaus - S4E3 "Regrets... I've Had a Few", S4E11 "Medea Culpa" and S4E20 "Twilight". Ruun - S4E7 "Prodigal Sister"

Interestingly, Dean played that 'Ruun' character (not pictured) randomly between other season 4 episodes where he appears as Young Iolaus, and he really doesn't look very different from when he's playing Iolaus, so I feel like even casual watchers would have easily recognized him. At least his season 1 character, Iloran, looks very different with his neck beard and shorter hair. Ruun just looks like Iolaus got some scars.

Joel played a few characters as well: King Boreas - S2E18 "Promises" Strife - 6 episodes between S3E13 and S4E15 David Scott Pollison, office production assistant - S4E15 "Yes, Virginia, There is a Hercules" Deimos - S5E20 "Fade Out" and S6E2 "Love, Amazon Style"

Xena: Warrior Princess (1996-2000/2000-2001)

Dean played two roles: Homer/Orion - S1E13 "Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards" Wiglaf - S6E9 "Return of the Valkyrie"

Joel also played two roles: Deimos - S5E22 "Motherhood" Lucifer - S6E13 "You Are There"

It may be worth noting that Deimos is a character that also appeared on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and yet his name is spelled incorrectly in the credits for his appearance on Xena, so he's credited as "Demios" instead of "Deimos" which meant that I spent a stupid amount of time trying to figure out if it actually was the same character or not because I don't have that season of HTLJ and had to go digging on fan wikis. Bless the fans.

Shortland Street (1996/1996, 2015-2016)

Dean played Nurse Harry Martin in 1996 (per IMDB). Joel played Craig Develter in 1996, and then Jimmy Isaac in 2015-2016.

The Chosen (1998)

I can't find a copy of this anywhere. I did find a trailer for it but I didn't recognize anyone in the clips they used.

Dean plays Andrew Scott. Joel plays Trevor O'Connor.

Young Hercules (1998-1999)

Dean plays Iolaus, the sidekick/bff to Hercules, throughout the series. He is credited for 46 of the 50 episodes (I haven't finished it yet at the time of prepping this post - what's with the other 4 episodes?? Unacceptable lmao.)

Joel plays Strife (aka 'Nysus Gaius') - a henchman to the antagonist Ares - and is credited in 12 episodes (I think some is flashbacks).

I love both of their characters so much, omg. Joel totally stole my heart being a goofball in this role, and Dean is a dreamboat as well as hilarious. I have such a soft spot for weird/funny sidekick characters, ugh.

Westside (2016-2017/2015-2016)

Dean plays Evan Lace in 9 episodes, S2E2-S3E3. Joel plays Des McEwen in 8 episodes, S1E4-S2E10.

Hillary (2016)

Dean plays George Lowe (in all 6 episodes). And he's lovely. Joel plays Bunny Fuchs in (episodes 4 and 5). He's not as lovely but Joel looks great.

The Brokenwood Mysteries (2018/2022)

Dean is in S5E4 "The Dark Angel" as Barnaby Buchanan. Joel is in S8E1 "From the Cradle to the Grave" as Bobby.

Joel's episode only just came out in July! I had this post all queued up without this included, and then happened to see him in a BTS shot Fern Sutherland shared on her IG story and was like "IS THAT JOEL!?!?" and had to edit this post to include his Brokenwood appearance. ♥

One Lane Bridge (2020/2020-2021)

Dean plays Andrew "Grub" Ryder, and is credited for the first 6 episodes, S1E1-S1E6. Joel plays Stephen Tremaine, and is credited for the first 11 episodes, S1E1-S2E5. This show looks real sad.

And that's what I got for these two - do you know of anything I missed?

[thinkingimmensely]

No Expectations

Pairing: Charlie Weasley x Reader / MC [Jacob’s Sibling]

A/N: Hello everyone! I’m back with another x Charlie Weasley fic~ I found this a few days ago while I was going through my drafts and realized this was the prequel for After Breakfast. The story how Y/N and Charlie got together~ I forgot I even had this! So I decided to finish it (I was actually already halfway done with it before going on a hiatus), and now it’s here for you guys to read! <3 I hope you all like it because this was a lot of fun! 

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything in the Potterverse!

———————————————

The leaves crunched beneath your boots with every step you took as you neared a homely cottage; its roofs rigged, a few of the wall boards had scratches and smoke coming out of its chimney.

As you stood outside the door with your hand raised to knock on the entranceway, you thought if this really was a good idea.

It’s been a year.

A year since you last saw Charlie Weasley since the lot of you graduated from Hogwarts and he immediately whisked away to Romania to follow his dreams to be among dragons while you tried to get your life together. Gringotts offered you a job— cursebreaker. The very title that was practically engraved in you right now. The only upside was that you got to work beside Bill Weasley, Charlie’s older brother and one of your best friends.

You could’ve gotten any job you wanted, your Professors back at Hogwarts even said so, but something inside you yearned for the familiar, at least for that moment in your life.

The door opened even before you got the chance to knock and you were left stunned, your hand still raised.

Charlie Weasley still had that effect on you.

He looked quite shock too, but a huge smile instantly broke out when he realized it was you. “You’re here!” Did his voice always sound that deep?

You smiled back at him, and he pulled you in for a quick hug– nothing intimate at all, he still smells like grass and honeysuckle though.

When you two pulled apart he opened the door wider and motioned for you to come in; the cottage surely wasn’t as lively as The Burrow, but it still had a similar aura to it. He had the kettle brewing with chamomile– your favorite. Your heart leapt a little at such consideration as you placed your bag down beside the sofa.

“This place is nice.” You commented and removed your coat.

He shrugged, “Well yeah, it’s pretty neat; and no brothers who take my stuff without permission so...” he trailed off and took your coat from your hands and hung it by the door.

When he stopped, you looked at him and raised a brow; he was looking right back at you but realization dawned in his features and he quickly turned away and cleared his throat. “Um, tea?”

You beamed, “Yes please.” He immediately shuffled towards the kitchen area and turned the stove off. He whisked his wand towards the cupboard and the cups came floating towards the table, softly landing on tiny plates.

After a few minutes, the both of you sat around the small dinner table with a cup of hot tea steaming on your hands. You took a sip and savored the the hot drink. “So,” you started, “when are you showing me the dragons?”

He grinned at you at that, he always was excited to anything related to dragons. “Is tomorrow good? I wanted to show you the entire sanctuary! We can go first thing in the morning.”

You talked more freely afterwards, like you two haven’t ever been apart. You had asked him all that he’s been up to, if he made any new friends and such. He had, actually, his companions at the sanctuary were as much his friends than the lot of you had been at Hogwarts were.

You had soon relocated to the sofa at the living room where he told you stories of how he got Hagrid’s dragon Norberta out of Hogwarts; Liz, Barnaby, Tonks and Tulip had helped him with that and you wished you’d been there too; but you and Bill were probably stuck at a ruin somewhere in Egypt at that time.

“So what about you?” He asked.

You quirked a brow, “What about me?”

He nodded and unconsciously scooted a little closer to you. “What’s new with you, I mean. Tell me anything and everything.” He leaned forward, his undivided attention on you.

You thought about it. What was new with you? Your hairstyle may have changed, you grew a little taller before stopping altogether but you had an inkling he wasn’t interested in any of that. So you shrugged, “Nothing, I guess? I mean... I’m basically the same since I left. Curses and all that. I don’t have any interesting stories like you.”

Charlie scoffed and leaned back on the couch, his head craned to look up at the ceiling and you flushed as your eyes studied his features for the umpteenth time that day. “Everything about you is interesting to me, Y/N. Ever since Hogwarts, and it hasn’t changed since.”

He turned towards you with a look you had never seen his face before. A look you saw on Andre Egwu when you had asked him to the Celestial Ball, the look when Barnaby Lee told you he liked you very much, right in front of Ismelda Murke no less when the lass was professing her feelings for him, and also the look Talbott Winger gave you when the both of you went on your first date together. But never Charlie.

Never Charlie Weasley.

Charlie smiled sweetly then got off the couch telling you that he had to prepare for dinner.

Were your eyes playing tricks on you? Or were you just seeing what you wanted to see for the past three years when you guys walked the halls of Hogwarts together? Because why now? True, you hadn’t been obvious about your feelings for the redhead before, but were you that obvious right now?

Calm down, this was nothing. You chastised yourself mentally. Things were always easier when you had no expectations regarding the ginger. You’ve never had any expectations that he’d notice how your gaze always found him, how every time you’ve ever hugged him, your touch always lingered for more than necessary as a friend. How you were willing to run away with him that one time during 6th year. Just to get away from everything, just to be with him.

“You know,” he called out from the kitchen, bringing you out of your hung-up thoughts about him, “There’s a pub just below the mountain. We should go there after dinner. It’s a homey place, good for a drink.”

You stood up from the couch and leaned against the entranceway of the kitchen, “Charles Weasley, I didn’t know you drank.” You said.

He grinned and gave you a shrug. “Occasionally, and you being here is an occasion isn’t it?” He got the pot out of the stove and placed it down on the table. “I mean, it’s not everyday I could snatch you away from my brother’s side.” He laughed.

You chuckled and took a pair of plates and utensils from his cupboard and set it down the table. What’s Bill got to do with anything? You thought idly as you sat and the two of you started eating dinner.

Right after doing the dishes, the two of you began your journey down the mountain to that pub Charlie mentioned. At one time, you almost slipped, luckily he held your arm just in time. “Careful.” He muttered as you regained your balance. He held your hand the rest of the way down. ‘So you wouldn’t slip again’ he said, and you were thankful for the night because you literally could feel the blood rush to your face.

The pub was quaint, there weren’t a lot of people either. Only wizards and witches went here, Charlie informed you as you took your seats.

“Ey Charlie! Surprised to see you here mate.” One person called out as a group of people entered the pub.

The two of you turned and Charlie immediately got off his seat and clasped hands with the group, greeting them. They approached you, wide smiles on their faces, “Y/N, these are my mates back at the Sanctuary. Guys, this is Y/N, we went to Hogwarts together.”

You got off your seat as well and extended your hand, which they gladly shook one by one, and they all started talking at the same time.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Charlie told us a lot about you.”

“Did you know that he carries a picture of you around?”

“It’s true, takes it everywhere with ‘im.”

Charlie pushed them all away, “Okay boys, that’s enough, try not to overwhelm her will ya?” He laughed.

The waiter served your drinks, two glasses of butterbeer. “Sorry about them. They always tend to overshare.” Charlie apologized, his face was flushed which took you aback.

Charlie Weasley was blushing?

“It’s alright, they’re a fun bunch. Seems like good people too, I can see why you’re friends with them.” You replied in a smile, taking a sip of the froth of your butterbeer; it wasn’t like Madam Rosmerta’s butterbeer, but it was close. “You carry around a picture of me?” You asked.

He flushed a deeper shade of red and you thought that was absolutely adorable. He cleared his throat, gulping down his butterbeer. “I-um...” he stammered, “I’ll go order us another serving yea?” He stood up and headed to the counter, escaping you and your confused look as fast as he can.

Did he perhaps...? You shook your head in denial, no expectations, you reminded yourself, no expectations.

You couldn’t help the frown that made its way as you saw a woman approach Charlie, a smile on her face and her hand on his arm as she chatted him up.

She fluttered her long lashes at him and flipped her hair back suggestively. You gulped down your butterbeer and stood up and made your way towards them.

“Maybe you and I can grab a few drinks sometime?” The woman flashed him her white pearls.

Before Charlie could even reply, you arrived by his side and his attention shifted to you fully. “Sorry, but he’s busy.” You interjected and grabbed your friend and pulled him back to your table, missing the way he smiled brightly at you. You took the shot of firewhiskey from his hand and downed it.

“You okay?” He hesitantly asked, his brow arched in curiosity.

“Of course.” You immediately answered. No expectations, you reminded yourself for the umpteenth time that day.

Besides that minor incident with the random lady, the rest of the night was relatively enjoyable. You switched your butterbeer for firewhiskey after that shot and the two of you joined Charlie’s friends and had a blast time sharing grand adventures and embarrassing stories.

By the time the both of you arrived back at the cottage, you were hammered, giggling at every little thing.

You crashed in the sofa with Charlie, the wood crackling at the fireplace, you two were still talking, energy nearly spent as your voices softened and more sighs escaped your lips. You were distinctly aware how the both of you were closely huddled up on the sofa, and maybe if you didn’t have alcohol running through your veins right now, you would’ve been embarrassed and utterly self conscious.

You looked at Charlie to find him already staring at you silently. He reached out to tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear and caressed your cheek lovingly.

“You’re beautiful.”

Your eyes widened and you could feel your heart hammering wildly against your chest. You gulped and wet your lips, an action that made him look down to it, and making his eyes glaze with an emotion you dared not even think about.

You took his hand in yours, “You’re much of a looker yourself.” You tried to pass it off as a joke, a compliment from one friend to another, but your voice wavered and you prayed he didn’t notice.

He grasped your hand tightly, you hoped he couldn’t hear your heart beat because it would be a dead giveaway of your outpouring feelings right now. He kissed the back your hand, and then slowly leaned in towards you.

Closing your eyes, you felt his lips press against yours soon after and you thought your heart might give out because this was everything.

You kissed him back almost immediately and he pulled you closer towards him, his hand behind your head while his other hand rested on your waist.

Your fingers ran through his soft locks as Charlie slipped his tongue inside yours, deepening the kiss and you barely register the fact that you were already leaning down on the sofa, the man of your dreams on top of you.

The kiss was intoxicating and you couldn’t get enough of him. Of his taste, of his smell, of his entire being and you would’ve been alright with the fact that his hand played with the hem of your sweater, itching to touch your skin until a dragon’s roar vibrated the entire house.

It was like you’ve been dumped with a bucket of ice cold water as you pushed him away from you. Trying to catch your breath, surprise and realization dawning on you on what was just about to happen had you not come to your senses.

“You’re drunk.” You stated with a shaky voice. “Hell, maybe I’m drunk too.” You mind was reeling as you ran a hand through your hair, frustrated at yourself, whatever happened to no expectations?

“I’m sober enough to know what I was doing.” He breathed, and that confession ignited that little ray of hope inside you. He didn’t try to close the distance between you right now, which you were thankful for. He always was considerate, and that made you fall a little harder.

You wrapped your arms around yourself, you could feel your eyes water because you loved Charlie Weasley. Loved him so much that it hurt. “What are we doing, Charlie?” That wasn’t what you wanted to ask him, but somehow you just couldn’t get the right words out.

Charlie faced you, and took your hands in his again; you didn’t even try to pull away and maybe that’s what fueled the determined look in his eye. You were there, sitting across him, with your heart on your sleeves, waiting for him to say something, anything.  

“I-“ he started, and took a deep, steadying breath, “I’m in love with you.”

———————————————

Related Stories: After Breakfast | Before Dinner

Permanent Taglist:

@oreofrappiewithblueberry , @coffeeismylife28

[official-weasley]

The Irreplaceable Charlie Weasley: Pt. 6, Ch. 11

PART 6: THE YEAR WHEN EVERYTHING FALLS INTO PLACE Chapter 11 - See Anything You Like?

Nova

I woke up the next day with the biggest smile on my face. I don’t even know when I came back yesterday. I thought Charlie and I wouldn’t be able to leave each other to go to sleep. We didn’t return to the Ball as we knew our friends would be all over us and being embraced under that tree was something I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

I looked around the room and felt relief as I saw Tulip’s bed empty. Of course, she slept somewhere with Jae. I put on my Weasley sweater and some comfy jeans and made my way to the Great Hall. I can't deny I was sad when I saw Charlie wasn't there. I couldn't wait until this evening, to have our first official date!

I was so filled with emotions from yesterday that I didn't feel like breakfast at all. I spotted my bubblegum-haired friend at the Hufflepuff Table. I sat down next to her only to find out she was sleeping. I was curious about her kiss with Barnaby but since Charlie and I want to keep things private I won't pressure her to tell me anything.

“Tonks?” I nudged her gently. “Are you awake?”

“Wotcher, Nova.” Her voice was rusty. I chuckled.

“Everything okay?” I put my hand on Tonks' back.

“Peachy.” She replied and opened one eye.

“Why are you not sleeping in your room?” I couldn't help but giggle at her. She was adorable. She was wearing a Slytherin jacket and her hair and makeup were still from last night. Wait...A SLYTHERIN JACKET?

“I believe Muggles call it the walk of shame.” She finally lifted her head.

I gasped. I knew what that meant but I thought she was only going to kiss Barnaby.

“Slytherins have a very green and wicked Common Room, did you know that?” She continued as if this was an everyday type of conversation.

“You...” I didn't even know what to say. We asked our Heads of House for permission to enter each other's dorms and here were Tulip and Tonks sneaking into Gryffindor and Slytherin's Common Rooms like it was nobody's business.

“He's a good kisser, Barnaby.” She continued. Apparently, she was awake enough to notice I was completely speechless.

“Did you...” I didn't know if I wanted to ask. I felt bad because I didn't want to share any details about my night but at this point, she brought it on herself. “You know...have sex?”

“That I did.” She replied and placed her head back on the table. “Not bad in bed, either.” She added. I was in pure shock. I knew Tonks wasn't into dating and she only went to the Ball with Barnaby because we made her to even though she smelled his scent in the Amortentia potion.

“I thought you didn't want a relationship?” I asked, bemused.

“I don't and turns out neither does he, we're a perfect match.” She looked at me, her head still laying down and she was beaming.

“Tonks, I am not going to lie, I have no idea what is happening.” I answered honestly. “Did you have a one-night stand or is this going somewhere?” I scratched my head, failing to understand the whole situation.

“We didn't have that much time to talk if you know what I mean?” She winked at me.

“Really?” I giggled. “And you're okay with this? I thought you had a crush on him?” I still didn't know if she was happy or sad about it.

“Absolutely! I told you I wouldn't do anything about it but when he invited me to his dorm I said yes. We talked in his room and then it just sort of happened.” She rose her head again. “I never thought he was such a passionate guy. But hey, more fun for me!” She gave me a thumbs up.

“So this is not just a one-time thing?” I narrowed my eyes.

“Giving that he already invited me back tonight, I would say no. What'd you reckon?” She asked with a serious face.

“I would say that you're definitely getting some tonight.” I laughed. “I'm sorry for asking this but wasn't this your first time?”

“Yeah. Not as painful as I thought it would be. He was gentle...” She grinned. “At first, if you know...”

“I know what you mean, no need for details!” I covered my eyes as if that was going to help me not to picture them together.

“Well, we have to hang out more often.” I was being honest. “I did not know you wanted a friends-with-benefits type of relationship.”

“Neither did I.” She admitted. “But it happened and it felt good, so why not.”

I just nodded. I guess she had a point. It was none of my business and good for her! If she was happy being in this kind of relationship, I was happy too.

“Then congratulations!” I said and hugged her. “If you're happy, I'm happy.”

“Thank you for not judging me.” She smiled at me.

“Why would I judge you?” I frowned.

“Yeah, you're right. You're not Penny.” She leaned on my shoulder. “It's easy to talk to you, Blackwood.” I grinned. That meant a lot to me. I might not spend a lot of time with Tonks alone but when I did, we always found it so easy to talk to each other.

“Can I ask you a favor?” She looked at me, still leaning on my shoulder. I nodded.

“Is there any chance that the conversation we just had, stays between us?” She asked.

“Not a problem. Your secret's safe with me.” I ruffled her messy hair.

“So, want to talk about you and Charlie or...?” She lifted her head and leaned on her hand, looking at me.

“If you mind, I rather wouldn't.” I tried keeping a straight face.

“Can I ask you just one question and you nod yes or no?” She asked, her face serious.

“Okay.” I said slowly. I was pretty sure I knew what she was going to ask me and I didn't know if I would be able to lie to her.

“Are you and Charlie together?” I liked how she asked casually, not making a big deal out of it. I nodded.

“Good.” She nodded once. “Want to keep it a secret for a while not to have all eyes on you and enjoy your transition from being friends to a couple?” I couldn't believe how understanding she was. I should talk to her alone more often. I nodded again. I couldn't stop the blood rushing to my cheeks as I relived the events by the Lake in my head.

“And you probably don't want to be together in public because of all of Charlie's brothers?” Was she there yesterday, when we had this conversation? “I imagine you would like to tell his family on your own accords.” I nodded again.

“Your secret's safe with me, Blackwood.” She grinned and pulled me into a hug. “You have no idea how happy I am for you two.” She whispered.

“Thank you, Tonks. This was by far the best conversation we ever had.” I smiled.

“We don't get to be alone that often, huh?” She gave it a thought.

“I was just thinking the same thing.” I giggled.

“Well, if it happens that you need some sneaking around with Charlie, owl me.” She winked and got up.

“Where are you going?” I turned around as she stood up and made her way out of the Hall.

“To sleep before Penny finds me. You should hide too, you have no idea how much she talked about you two last night.” She rolled her eyes.

“Thanks for the warning.” I smiled and got up.

We made our way toward the exit of the Great Hall and just as we were about to walk out I bumped into Charlie.

“Good morning.” He grabbed my waist to keep me steady and smiled at me. I could see last night rolling across his eyes.

He looked at Tonks who winked at us and he quickly let go of me.

“It's okay. She knows.” I grabbed his hand and took him to the Main Courtyard. I wanted to avoid Penny even more now, after Tonks' warning.

“What happened to not telling anyone?” He chuckled and pressed me against the wall. Before I could answer his lips were on mine and I forgot my name. He tasted like peppermint toothpaste.

“She can keep a secret and she offered to help us sneak around if needed be.” I said when we finally pulled apart.

“If you trust her, I do too.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “I don't care if you tell the girls, I just don't trust my brothers not to tell my entire family back home.” His voice was so soft and gentle.

“I know. Trust me, if your mum finds out so does mine.” I chuckled.

“Double the trouble.” We both laughed and then he kissed me again. I could have his lips on mine all day long and I wouldn't get enough of him.

“I have to reply to the Sanctuary and finish my Transfiguration essay.” He brushed the hair off my face. “Or at least try.” He chuckled.

“You should do that. I have to find a good hiding place. Tonks warned me that Penny has a full parchment of questions for me and I don't know how to avoid her.” I giggled.

“I think your room would be your best shot.” The way he was looking at me as if he wanted to memorize every single part of my face. It made my knees weak.

“Is our date still on?” His eyes sparkled.

“Hmm, let me see my schedule?” I joked and opened an imaginary schedule planner. He laughed.

“Never change.” He cupped my face with his hands and gently parted my lips with his tongue. How was he such an amazing kisser!

—

“Did you just come in?” Tulip came in the room just after me, a towel on her shoulder and a toothbrush in her hand.

“No, I was already down for breakfast with Tonks, sleepyhead.” I smiled.

“So, how was your night?” She asked, hanging her towel.

“It was nice.” I tried acting relaxed. I didn't want to talk about me and Charlie to anyone else. “How was yours?” I tried steering the conversation to her.

“It was interesting. Never thought I'll do it in a hot tub.” This was the price I had to pay being quiet about Charlie.

“How's that like?” I pretended I wanted to know the details, even though the images were already burning my eyes.

“Wet.” She chuckled and sat next to me by our beautiful window.

“Want to talk about it?” She put her hand on my knee.

“Not really.” I shook my head. I couldn't believe she didn't bombard me with questions. Was I wrong about my friends?

“No problem.” She smiled, understandingly. “I have nothing more to say to be honest.” She chuckled. “Oh, really.” I winked at her and we both started laughing.

I was getting nervous as it was 6 o'clock and Tulip was still in our room. I was hoping I wouldn't have to explain where I was going at 7.

“Want to grab some dinner or are you avoiding Penny?” She giggled.

“Not really that hungry and yes.” I answered honestly. I knew I would have to face Penny sooner or later and I knew it would be better sooner as the more I wait the worse it will get but I didn't want to tell her anything.

I was so happy Tulip and Tonks left me alone and I think Tulip knew something was going on but I was glad she didn't ask me about it.

“I'm going to go.” She put on her cardigan. “What should I tell Penny if I see her?”

“Tell her I got down with something. I don't want her to be angry.” I frowned. I hope this won't mess up our friendship.

“She has nothing to be angry about.” Tulip said as she was putting on her shoes. “She just wants you to be happy and likes to know...well...everything.” We laughed. “Don't worry, I'll keep her off you.” She winked and exited the room.

I waited for her to leave for good and then I jumped out of my bed. I had no idea what I was going to wear to my first date with Charlie and I only had 45 minutes to figure it out. I took a quick shower and brushed my teeth. I decided to wear my hair in a ponytail and I put on my favorite jeans. I was never a skirt type of a girl anyway. I decided to wear my favorite jumper that my mum got for me for my birthday last year and it was my favorite color too, navy blue.

I took a quick glimpse of myself in the mirror. I think I was cute enough! I ran down the stairs and through the Common Room.

When I got to the Seventh Floor, Charlie was already there, waiting for me. The biggest grin painted his face when he saw me. I liked that he went with casual attire too. His burgundy Weasley jumper and jeans.

“You look beautiful.” He pressed his lips on mine and wrapped his finger around my ponytail.

“Thank you.” I said, blushing like mad. “And you look very handsome.”

“So, how does this work?” He looked at the wall in front of us, trying to ignore my compliment that made the skin under his freckles turn scarlet.

“You close your eyes and ask for what you need.” I explained. “Want to do it or should I?”

“May I?” He asked gently and I nodded. I wanted to see how he imagined our first date.

He closed his eyes and after a few seconds, the door started to appear on the wall.

“Wicked.” He whispered, looking at it, amazed. He stepped closer and locked his eyes with mine. I nodded for him to open the door.

I was awestruck when I saw the room. Everything was made out of wood and it smelled like it too. There was a beautiful table with flowers on it. A small fireplace with a crackling fire and the walls looked like we were in a cottage. There were two stands with candles on them and a table in between with some food. I never thought he was such a romantic.

“Shall we?” He stretched his arm at me. I placed my hand in his and he took me inside.

“Char, this is...” I was looking around, my mouth open.

“Is it too casual? Were you hoping for something fancier?” I finally looked at him and he looked embarrassed, his hand scratching the back of his head.

“What are you talking about?” I scolded him. “This is the most beautiful place for a first date!” I was still in awe. I never really thought about how my first date would look like but I am sure Charlie's idea would beat my idea's arse.

He came closer to me, his cheeks bright red, and put his hands on my waist. I couldn't believe all those freckles on his face were finally mine.

“Want to eat something?” He kissed me softly.

“Something small. I have enough butterflies as it is.” I giggled.

“You too? What a coincidence, so do I.” He pulled out my chair for me. Could he be more perfect?

He extended his arm and I did the same so we held hands. He looked at my wrist.

“Is that the necklace I gave you?” He was flushed.

“You didn't notice it yesterday at the Ball?” I chuckled.

“I was too busy looking into your eyes.” He grinned. I know it was cheesy but I also know he was being honest.

“Andre told me to transfigure the necklace into a bracelet because he reckoned it doesn't go with my outfit and I never took it off since you got it for me so we made a compromise.” I explained.

“I didn't know you wear it all the time.” I think he just fell for me more because of what I just said. I couldn't distinguish his skin from his hair that's how red his cheeks were.

“That's because you only look in my eyes.” We both laughed.

“So, yesterday you said that you had a crush on me since our Third Year. When did you realize that?” I really wanted to know. I couldn't help but feel guilty because my feelings didn't last as long as his.

He told me that once he admitted to himself that he has a crush on me, he realized it happened the day when I befriended that Hippogriff. He told me that he stopped denying it when we were in the Forest with Bill and Barnaby. He admitted that Penny knew since they brewed that potion together for Tonks and it all started to make sense.

Penny was always so confident that Charlie likes me back and she always winked at me when Charlie popped into the conversation or when something awkward happened between us. She knew all this time and didn't tell me. She was a good friend for keeping his secret.

Then I told him that I felt something when we made up in the Forest. How I tried to deny my feelings because I didn't want to lose him as a friend and how I was sure he didn't like me back when he didn't ask me to the Ball. I was so relieved that we could laugh it off and just leave everything behind us. We were both shy and silly but it didn't matter. In the end, we agreed that we came together at the right time and it couldn't be more perfect.

We then moved our conversation to the armchair by the fire. Charlie sat down and I sat in his lap. The way he was looking at me, like I was the most important thing in the world, melted my whole being. I was the luckiest girl alive and I couldn't believe my mum was right since our First Year. How did she know?!

“You reckon it's getting late?” He pulled his soft lips away from mine.

“And we care because...?” I kissed his freckled nose.

“We're Prefects.” He chuckled.

“Andre will take care of it.” I swung my hand and made him laugh. He put his hand behind my head, pulled me towards him, and glued our lips together.

I don't think it's enough if I say that it was more than my dream date. I returned to my dormitory at 1 o'clock in the morning and as I woke up as tired as ever, I understood Tulip not wanting to get up for breakfast.

“Morning.” She beamed at me from her bed. The one time she didn't have to be in our room, she was.

“Good morning.” I answered, as normal as possible.

“So where were you until 1 in the morning?” I tried avoiding her gaze.

“Prefect's duty.” I answered quickly.

“I'm sure you did a great job.” She giggled.

“Want to go to breakfast with me?” I changed the topic.

“Sure!” She jumped off her bed and we were on our way.

“Where...were...you...yesterday?” Penny poked me in the shoulder the second I sat down next to her in the Great Hall. Charlie and Jae were sitting opposite us. It was hard not to go to Charlie and give him a kiss but we had to act as if there is nothing going on between us.

“Didn't Tulip tell you?” I cleared my throat. “I came down with something.”

“Sure you did.” She narrowed her eyes.

“It's true.” Tulip said, pouring milk over her cereal. “You should see her, she looked like a Vampire.”

“You magically got sick the day after the Ball?” She still didn't believe me.

“She wasn't feeling well at the Ball either. I took her to the Ravenclaw Tower when we exited the Great Hall.” Charlie went along with Tulip's lie.

“Wait, you're being serious?” Penny's face fell.

“Why would she lie about it, Haywood? Give her a break.” Tonks rolled her eyes.

“Oh, I thought...” I can't believe she bought it.

“What?” I asked casually, trying hard to keep my eyes on hers and not look at Charlie. “You know...” She quickly glanced at him and back to me.

“Penny, I told you. Was not the best night for me.” I sighed and took the piece of bacon Tonks left on her plate.

“But-” She mumbled but then finally let it go when Tonks rolled her eyes at her again.

I couldn't believe we would get away with this. I know she wanted to ask me 100 questions but couldn't because Charlie was right there and I know I would have to answer them sooner or later but now I have an excuse that nothing happened between us at the Ball.

—

It didn't take long for that moment to come as Penny decided not to pay any attention in Herbology.

“So, tell me what really happened.” She turned to me the second Sprout finished her introduction.

“I told you nothing happened. We danced and then he took me to my Common Room.” I whispered, rather annoyed. I wish she would let this go as Tulip and Tonks did. I didn't even have to tell them and I know they both know. If she was as casual about it she would know that we are together.

“So he didn't say anything and neither did you?” She sounded so disappointed that I felt guilty not telling her but I couldn't risk it.

“No, and I want to keep it that way.” I hissed at her.

“Why?” She frowned. “Why are you doing this to yourself?”

“Because when we were dancing I realized that if we ever become something more, I will lose my best friend forever. And I can't do that. It wouldn't work out anyway after he leaves for Romania.” Penny looked like I just crushed her dreams. It broke my heart but I knew she would tease us and talk about it all the time and we would never have a private moment again.

It wasn't fair to her because both Tulip and Tonks knew about us but so far they kept my secret and I was grateful for that. As soon as Penny drops her obsession we can go back to normal and Charlie and I can sneak around and hopefully have more amazing dates like the one we had yesterday.

“Pen, drop it. It's Nova's decision what she wants to do no matter how much we think they are perfect for each other.” Tonks scolded her.

“Alright.” She scoffed. “I just don't want you to regret anything.” She frowned at me but her expression quickly softened. “You do know we just want you to be happy?” She grabbed my hands.

“I know, Pen. But I am content with my decision.” I hugged her and I could hear her sobbing.

“Okay.” She whispered. “I will let it go.” Our eyes met for a second and she blinked her tears away.

I hated that I had to do this to her. I knew she just wanted us to be together as it was so obvious we fancied each other but we couldn't risk it. I knew she would tell Andre even if I asked her not to and somehow let it slip or want us to hold hands and we couldn't risk our families to find out. I knew I did the right thing and she will find out soon enough.

—

Tulip's wish to take the Apparation test finally came true and she did it, first try. Charlie retook the test and he passed with flying colors this time. Gryffindor became the Quidditch House Champion for the fourth year in a row and it was the only time I could stare at Charlie, following his every move without Penny narrowing her eyes and thinking what is happening between us.

Despite promising me that she will let it go, she didn't. She kept asking me about the Ball and when I will tell him and kept reminding me that I am making the biggest mistake of my life. Tonks and Tulip were losing it with her and kept telling her to stop but she never did. She only confirmed that not telling her was the right decision.

I still felt bad but if Tonks and Tulip don't ask questions, why can't she do the same. It would be so much easier if she just let it go.

—

Exams were fast approaching and this was the first year that I actually worried. Penny tried to the best of her ability to make us notes but with the Ball and everything that happened this year, even she wasn't prepared.

I was leaning on my hand, staring at my boyfriend. It was one of the rare occasions that none of our friends were in the Library during the exams. Jae, Tonks, and Tulip were in the Kitchens as usual and Andre and Penny were probably in the Potions Classroom. Charlie was going through my Transfiguration notes and I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was so extremely handsome when he was focused. “See anything you like?” He took his eyes off the notes and bestowed me with one of those smiles that just melted my whole being. I looked around to see if anyone could see us and I stole a little kiss. “All the time, every day.” I answered. I couldn't believe I was dating Charlie. A month ago I was beating my head over the fact that we are best friends and I can't have these feelings for him and now I am falling for him so fast that I don't have the time to spell Quidditch! He went back to his notes, I couldn't understand how he could focus at all. The only time I could study this year was when he wasn't around and that wasn't very often so I just kind of gave in to the fact that I'll fail my Sixth Year.

Did I care? No.

Did a couple of hardcore Ravenclaws just faint by me thinking I don't care about exams? Yes.

Am I falling in love with Charlie Weasley? Absolutely.

My staring session went from his face to his arm. He had a white t-shirt on and even though I knew he had freckles on his arms as well I never paid that much attention to them. I was a sucker for his freckles! I tilted my head to the left like Pip does when he is looking at my drawings and started counting the freckles on his nicely muscular arm. I really was blind not to notice his figure. He always said he was short but he was just the right height for me to bury my head between his neck and shoulder. He was nicely built. Very sexy and defined back and muscular arms but just enough to fill the sleeve of his shirt, not too much. And even though we have only been dating for a month I couldn't help but imagine what hides under that shirt of his. Does he have freckles on his chest as well? “What did you discover this time?” He chuckled. He was pretty used to me staring at him and seeing all the little details that I have been blind about before and I know it not only didn't bother him but he enjoyed it as well. “Just counting your freckles.” I poked him with my finger a couple of times so it seemed I was pressing on different freckles. He let out a silent laugh. “That's going to take a while, love.” I felt my cheeks turning red. It happened every time he used that nickname and it was growing on me. “I know you're self-conscious about your freckles but I adore every...single...one...of...them.” I poked him as I said every word slowly. “Want me to give you some of them?” His smile was killing me. “No! Then I would stare at myself and not at you and we don't want that, do we?” I chuckled. “Oh, no. We want your eyes on me.” He cupped my face and parted my lips with his tongue. He was such a good kisser! It wasn't a quick kiss and I have noticed that we are sometimes not even trying to hide anymore. But who cares if we get caught with lips as soft as his. “You know, my mum always said that freckles are cute and I know she only said it because she knew how much I disliked them but you are simply obsessed with them.” He winked at me and sent shivers down my spine. I never imagined that this is how it feels being with someone you really like. “Only with yours, now go back to studying and let me count in peace!” He let out a suppressed laugh so Madam Pince wouldn't hear him and turned his head to the notes. I turned my attention to the freckles on his lower arm. I poked at them with my fingers and even though he looked like he was still focused, studying, I knew I was distracting him and I couldn't help to hope he would give up and we would sneak into the Forbidden Forest to snog. Our first date was absolutely one of my favorite moments we shared so far but we still found it easier to sneak into the Forest. We know we're alone in there and we could just be us. I started gently brushing my fingers against his lower arm. With one hand still supporting my head. I was completely lost in my thoughts. “Can you stop that?” He said gently. I lifted my head as he disturbed me from my daydreaming. “Is it tickling you?” I teased and continued doing it. “No.” He said smiling and pretending to move his arm away but I knew he wasn't really trying. “Then what is it?” I leaned back on my arm, staring at his face, waiting for his response. “Nothing.” He said so quietly that I barely caught the response. “Char...” I knew that face. He was shy to tell me something! “Why don't you like it?” “I like it a bit too much.” He turned to me, and there was something else in his eyes. “It's turning me on.” He winked at me, his eyes full of passion. I stiffened and bit my lip. “And that...” He brushed his finger over my lip. “Turns me on even more, so have mercy on me will you, love?” He kissed my forehead and focused back on the notes. I always got nervous when we mentioned sex. It's going to be the first time for both of us and I know it is going to be beautiful but whenever these moments happened we knew we weren't ready yet, no matter how curious we were. We were best friends for so long and even though everything we did felt so

natural so far, we both said we want to take it slow. However, I already made a mental note that that turns him on. “Alright, alright.” I sighed and leaned my head on his shoulder to see the notes too but he started putting them together and into my bag. “What are you doing?” I lifted my head. “Well, I have been studying for two hours, to the best of my ability.” His face smug. “You, however, have been learning a subject that won't do you any good on the exams.” I giggled. “So how about we go to the Forest so that I can catch up on the lesson as well?” He winked and kissed me so passionately that I thought I was going to melt in the middle of the Library.

—

As we were almost over with our exams and I have to say I didn't do all that bad, Charlie and I discussed what we are going to do this Summer.

Tonks got an internship because her mother knows someone in the Auror Department and she was over the roof about it. Penny was taking her Muggle Vacation as always, except that this year, Andre was joining them.

Tulip was spending half of her Summer with Jae's family and half working in her mum's shop. She wasn't keen about the latter but her mum wouldn't let her go to Jae's otherwise.

I wrote to my mum and she told me she won't have the time for us to take our second Muggle vacation as we planned. But it didn't bother me as it meant I would be able to spend more time with Charlie at the Burrow until he leaves for Romania. He owled his mum if I could stay with them even when he's gone and we weren't really that surprised when Molly replied with an excited yes.

I was going to miss him in July. When we were just friends I already didn't like spending a Summer without him but now it was going to be even harder. However, I was excited to become one of the Weasleys and spend more time with Ron and Ginny. I liked all of Charlie's siblings but those two just melted my heart. Perhaps I would even be a little daring and pull a prank with Fred and George.

We also knew we would have to be careful, with a full house of his family members we would have to be very sneaky for them not to see us. We weren't ready to tell them yet. We couldn't even tell our friends and we didn't want any family to get involved.

We enjoyed our first month in peace so much that we weren't really in a hurry so I don't know when we would tell them. What I did know was that I was completely and without a single doubt falling in love with my best friend and for the first time, I didn't have to resist it, because I knew he felt the same way.

END OF PART 6

[missnight0wl]

Unpopular opinion: I wish dating was never introduced to HPHM.

I was always rather open about the fact that I don’t have much interest in dating content in HPHM, so you might say it’s very subjective rambling. But I think I also have some more objective arguments for that statement, so… hear me out (or don’t; I can’t tell you what to do).

Some spoilers for the Festival Fun TLSQ, the Celestial Ball TLSQ, the First Date TLSQ, the Valentine’s Day TLSQ, the All-Wizards Tournament TLSQ, and “Cooking Up Trouble” SQ.

First of all, I want to address the most obvious counterargument for my wish: “but people want dating!”. Yeah, I know. But here’s a thing. A long time ago, almost at the very beginning of the game’s existence, when we were only speculating about any love interests, people were referencing one article. The article where the creators claimed that romance is planned for the future (among other things). And if you ask me, it was their mistake. It was a mistake because it created expectations which they had to react to. The problem is that they were never ready to introduce such type of content. I mean, just look at the past events. Andre mentioned dating when he was first introduced back in Y3 (!), and he said then that most people don’t date until they’re in the fourth year. And yes, the Celestial Ball was eventually placed as Y4 Achievement, but the main story was well into Y5 already! What I take from this is that at best, they had only a rough idea for the ball when they wrote Andre’s comment in Y3 (if it took them so long to actually create the quest). And so, I have to wonder – why they even talked about dating in Y3 if they were not ready? Now, I’m not saying that nobody would ask for dating if Jam City didn’t mention it in that article, or Andre omitted that topic in Y3. There’d definitely be people still wishing for some romance. But there’d be no actual reasons to expect that. Because HPHM was created as a mystery story (even if people don’t remember about it anymore), and a mystery story doesn’t really need romance.

The second thing I’d like to point out for the sake of this discussion is that the dating quests require quite a lot of work from the devs team. Admittedly, the quality of those efforts is sometimes questionable, but still. I’m also no tech or game design expert, but here are some things which I believe make dating quests more time-consuming than most of the others:

Designing outfits. Each of the datable characters is given a new outfit (+ new outfits for MC). I also want to notice that most of those outfits are one-time-use. Well, except maybe for the bundles available to buy for real money…

Creating new locations/characters. To be fair, some of “regular” quests require those too, although the majority uses things already existing and being used in the main story.

Creating new animations: dancing, holding hands, pecks on the cheek, more (new) dancing.

Creating multiple routes for different date options – and even if it’s mostly copy-paste, it takes time nonetheless.

To be clear, creating new things for the game is not bad. My point is that basically every dating adventure required ALL of that invested in one single quest – and pretty much none of that can be reused outside of dating. In fact, they’re not even reusing those animations completely for each new date. The kiss from the Valentine’s Day was different from the recent one, the Festival had new dances added to make it more diverse in comparison to the Celestial Ball etc. And what those unique quests have to offer? One cute moment with your date, which is… kind of meaningless. I’m sorry, but dating stories are basically irrelevant in the bigger picture. I mean, yeah, they’re adorable, but that’s it. And it’s just NOT proportional to all the work put into them. Because look…

The dating quests add very little to nothing to flesh out the characters – and if they do, it has nothing to do with dating.

The Celestial Ball did a pretty great job at adding to Rowan and Ben. People often criticise MC for “forcing” them to come to the party, but the problem was clearly about them feeling not good enough to go (not necessarily about them not wanting to go), and so I really loved working on their self-confidence. Bill also grew a lot in that quest, overcoming his rejection from Emily Tyler. Andre discovered his styling talent, so he was no longer “just” a brilliant Quidditch player. Even Penny had some insecurities to face as she wanted to prove that she’s not only popular but she can also create fantastic decorations. So… couldn’t it just be a quest about FRIENDSHIP and our friends growing? The whole dating subplot felt kind of forced to me, or maybe rather detached. Not to mention that THAT was kind of a dick move to leave Rowan and Ben after using the argument:

The next quests were more oriented on dating itself, but at the same time, they’re focused less on the characters’ individual personalities. Sure, there are some differences between dates, but it’s more about distinction than adding anything new. For instance, in the Festival Fun TLSQ, every character yells out loud that you’re on a date (unless you chose to keep it a secret), MC just points out that it’s unlike them in the case of Talbott, Jae, and Chiara. Next example: I thought it’s pretty amusing that Jae writes dreadful poems with cheap rhymes, but it turns out that the note with Butterbeer could also be left by Barnaby. I know that in MY playthrough, Barnaby didn’t leave it, but I can’t see it as Jae’s characteristic, simply because it wasn’t written for his character – it was written to fit Jae and Barnaby, so it’s kinda meaningless in my eyes.

Another thing is that even if those dates added something individual, it’d be relevant only for a limited audience. Like, I’m really happy for people who wanted to date Badeea, but for me, she barely existed in this quest. It added NOTHING to her character. During the First Date quest, Tulip revealed that girls in her family are being named after flowers (her cousin is called Marigold), which is a pretty neat fact, but I wouldn’t know it if I didn’t put extra effort to see different options. And believe me, there’s a big part of the payers who don’t do it. I’m still seeing on social media people being surprised that Rowan’s gender and House are connected to MC’s.

And speaking of that already: this is why the dating options are being cut off. And honestly, it sucks, but I get it, I really do. The devs have to spend the same amount of time on a character dated by 6% of the players as on a character dated by 36% of the players. Let’s add real money to that, and let’s say that 10% of all players buy gems/energy on TLSQs. Jam City will make more money out of that 36% than out of 6% - it’s as simple as that. At the end of the day, they are a business. Would it be nice to make all players happy? Of course, but it’s easier to keep the majority happy.

The dating quests don’t really matter for the main story – and they won’t matter more in the future.

Why? Because it’d be too complicated at this point. All we’re getting (and what we’ll ever get) are subtle differences in dialogues. And you know what? Even that doesn’t matter much. For example, in Y6, there’s a scene where Talbott calls MC to the Owlery and offers his help in searching through the letters. He talks then about their friendship, and if you took him on a date, he mentions it as well. The thing is that Talbott is pretty heart-warming here in general, how he opens on us being friends:

Sure, that one additional line is pretty cute, but again, is it really a satisfying pay-off from the dating quest, considering how much was put into it? And I don’t think they even can do more because they always have to keep in mind the players who didn’t manage to finish TLSQs in time or just didn’t want to do it.

I don’t want to be only negative about dating because that’s not really my point, so here are some ideas on how to invest all of that time better (and no, it’s not just the lore and in-depth history of the Cursed Vaults because I know I’m in the minority who cares about it):

More outfits for NPCs which could be used for variety. I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of seeing characters like Penny, Merula, Ben, or Talbott in their full school robes ALL THE FREAKING TIME. Ideally, I wish every character to have three outfits: full school robes, some variety of a uniform (so something like Tulip and Barnaby) used in the school but outside of classes, and something totally casual used outside of the castle.

More animations between characters like hugs, patting on the arm etc. Anything which could be used almost on a daily basis, and which would make our interactions looks more natural and less stiff. Seriously, I’ll take a supportive hug instead of a peck on the cheek ANY DAY.

More character-centric quests. So many of our friends need their own SQ: Tulip, Badeea, Liz, Diego. The rest could probably also use them to expand their characters – because those SQs do a great job at this. Like, I took Jae to the festival, and it was alright, but to be completely honest, his “Cooking Up Troubles” SQ was SO MUCH BETTER for his character. We learnt new things about Jae, we had some really cute friendship moments (like this and this)… And it was a super simple quest with only seven parts in total! It just needed to be written: no new locations, animations etc. Yet, the pay-off was just… better, more meaningful.

Another thing that could be done in those character-centric quests is more focus on the relationships between our friends because, in my opinion, this is needed as well. I want to talk here a little about the “All-Wizards Tournament” TLSQ, which I think is really underrated. This is probably because of people claiming that Jam City is reaching too much to reference the books events AND because of Rowan’s absence. And don’t get me wrong, those are valid objections. But when it comes to the characters… this TLSQ was pretty great. We saw a lot of our friends' insecurities (Barnaby, Jae, Liz), we saw their more competitive side (Andre, Badeea)… Badeea was especially interesting to me as she showed that she can be quite cunning when she somehow learnt about the first task. She also didn’t reveal that information to Merula and Ismelda because they were occupying the training dummies, but she did share with MC (meaning that you really want to have her on your side…).

It somehow made me think about the situation from Y5 when she admitted that she tricked Jae into thinking that she knows Apparition by using an Invisibility Cloak. It’s nice to know there’s more to her than meets the eye, which was also cohesive with the main story (even if we don’t see it much). The TLSQ also showed some dynamics between our friends, like Jae and Andre (which I mentioned here). And of course, I really enjoyed the ending conclusion: that some tasks can be dealt with only when you work together. Again, I’d love to see this theme being explored more because it creates such a compelling contrast between Jacob and MC. Jacob didn’t have many friends at school. We only know about Duncan and Olivia, and it’s still unclear if Olivia was an actual friend or a colleague they worked with. Not to mention that it was implied that for some time, Jacob was working all alone. Meanwhile, MC has basically the whole army at this point. It’d be interesting to see that this is one of the things which makes MC stronger than their brother.

Now, the reason why the “All-Wizards Tournament” TLSQ could focus on all of that is because we didn’t waste the time on all of “secret admires mystery”, “oh, who should I choose” etc. So, just as a thought experiment, let’s think about how the Festival Fun could improve if we’d eliminate the dating aspect. First of all, more characters could get more screen time, like Badeea, maybe Tulip… Liz? Diego (our dancer!)? Ismelda? Even Talbott didn’t have a big role unless you chose him as a date. The plot could also be more dynamic instead of a whole bunch of stalling. I’d leave the investigation with Andre because I think it’s a great addition to his character, but it’s also fucking sad that any development he’s getting is around dating. Like, the boy deserves so much better. So, let’s change that! Let’s say he asks MC for help because he’s styling some summer outfits for the upcoming festival, but one of his fabrics is missing. Perhaps it’s a bit more expensive material, so they suspect that Jae might’ve “borrowed” it to make some money. Jae, of course, is deeply insulted because he’s a smuggler and an occasional cheater, but not a thief! They argue with Andre, but eventually, they come to understanding. Then, MC remembers that Badeea wanted to experiment with painting methods, so perhaps she decided to incorporate some fabric into that. We find Badeea and Barnaby, they don’t have what we’re looking for, but there’s some action going on there, maybe including Talbott… Long story short, it turns out that Tulip needed it in preparation for Cruppies race or something. I don’t know, I’m coming up with it pretty much as I write. The point is that the time spent on talking about dating could’ve been used on something more specific, individual, which could be more meaningful in the light of the main story. And since there’d be no routes, all of that would be relevant for everyone after completing the quest. Want it to be even better? Make it a regular side quest, not time-limited.

All right, but couldn’t we just have both: characters development and dating? Of course, that’d be ideal. But as I said before, Jam City is a business and rarely any business is ideal. They’ll always prioritise a limited number of things, and since people whine about dating, we’re getting dating. And again, I’m not saying that dating is totally worthless, and I get that people find it cute and whatnot. I just believe that what dating ultimately adds to the game is not proportionate to the time and effort those quests require to be created. That it could’ve been invested better. Dating is basically stopping us from getting better content (at least in some areas). And we’re kind of asking for that…

[carewyncromwell]

Next installation of the POTC AU, at long last! Sorry for the delay...RL has been a bit of a hindrance, and I also had to kind of restructure some things in the storyline to help with flow and such, and that resulted in me having to draw another drawing, and yeah, blah blah, Tory lost her sense of rhythm and pretty much daily update schedule in the process. XD; Mea culpa!

In this part, we’ll have focus on both sides of the “divide,” with both Carewyn and her new ally Davy Jones/Finn McGarry @theguythatdraws and Charlie Weasley (pictured above in an even more pirate-y coat and hat than we saw last) and his sloop’s passenger Chiara Dalma. Will our pirate friends be able to reach Shipwreck Cove before they’re cut off by our non-pirate ones?

Interestingly enough, there was a pirate called Moody in the 1700s, though this one was Christopher Moody, not Alastor. Not much is known about him aside from his brutality (refusing to take prisoners), his unique Jolly Roger flag (which was red and gold rather than black), and his death by hanging in 1722. Pirate!Mad-Eye is going to be much more like his book/movie/game counterpart, but I just thought it was a fun coincidence. (Particularly his red/gold color scheme for his flag, which of course are Gryffindor colors!!)

Jules Farrier-Weasley belongs to @cursebreakerfarrier, last part is here, and whole tag is here! Hope you enjoy!

x~x~x~x

Carewyn knew there was no way she would be able to get Jones’s heart as long as her men were guarding the Chest -- yet, at the same time, she couldn’t just order them to abandon it without cause...and she’d need that time, if she wanted to unlock it without stealing the key from Rakepick. And so she’d need a proper diversion.

Davy Jones himself came up with a solution. If the Flying Dutchman was engaged in battle, then the soldiers might have to jump in to help defend it. All they’d have to make sure of was that the enemy they engaged in battle was one Cutler Beckett would approve of -- namely, one of the more wanted pirates in the Caribbean, and someone who could end up being one of the Pirate Lords.

“I do not know any of the pirates’ current list of so-called ‘Lords,’” said Jones, “but if I were to guess, I would say your brother’s a viable candidate.”

Carewyn shook her head. “Rakepick blew up the Tower Raven. Jacob managed to escape, but he only has one other person with him and he won’t have a ship.”

“Not his flagship, perhaps, but the rest of his fleet would have still survived,” pointed out Jones. “And the more ships there are, the most justification there would be for your Navy reinforcements. Once I have my heart returned, I can always call off the attack -- there’s no need for me to capture or kill them, aside from following Beckett’s direction.”

And so it was very reluctantly that Carewyn agreed to let Jones covertly seek out the remainder of the Tower Raven’s fleet while supposedly looking for Shipwreck Cove. Little did Carewyn know that the Tower Raven’s fleet was likewise headed for Shipwreck Cove, and that they were on a collision course with a tiny red sloop steered by Charlie Weasley.

When Charlie came upon the fleet of pirate ships, he initially wasn’t too worried. Yeah, naturally, they dwarfed his vessel easily, but he presumed that they were heading for Shipwreck Cove as well, and they didn’t have much reason to attack a small sloop like his. What Charlie hadn’t factored in was that the captain of one of those ships -- Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody -- had gone through his fair share of trauma when he used to be in the Navy and was something of a paranoid sort...and so within minutes, the little sloop Charlie and Chia Dalma were on was soon pursued by Moody’s much larger galleon, called the Phoenix.

Fortunately Charlie was more than talented enough of a sailor to keep his head. Using the advantage of his boat’s size, he weaved expertly through the remainder of the Tower Raven’s ships to evade the Phoenix’s cannon fire.

“Oi!” Charlie bellowed up at one of the ships he was hiding behind. “Tell your mate to bugger off! I’m not with the bloody Navy!”

Chia made no move to help Charlie: instead she stood on the other side of the sloop, watching the seas with a wary eye. There was something troubling on the wind -- something in the air...

A pirate from the Phoenix came up to the railing to look down at Charlie and Chia on their sloop as Charlie sailed it around his galleon. He was a broad-shouldered man about Charlie’s age with dark red hair under a black bandana and small emerald green eyes, and he was dressed in a burgundy-colored coat.

“Hey -- you!” the pirate bellowed down at him. “Down there! Shout up your name!”

Charlie hesitated at first. He knew it was unlikely that most pirates would recognize his name as being that of a pirate -- if anything, the name “Weasley” was associated more with the Navy, even if he, Jules, and Bill had recently been branded criminals.

‘Even so,’ he thought, ‘I’m never going to be able to build a reputation as anything other than a Navy veteran if I don’t use my name. And well, these guys answer to Carey’s brother -- it should be safe...’

“I’m Charlie Weasley!” he shouted back. “Quartermaster of the Revolution under Captain Jules Farrier-We -- ack!”

Before Charlie could even finish, both he and Chia had gotten a net thrown over them and they were hauled aboard the Phoenix.

As Charlie had feared, the name “Weasley” made everyone on the Phoenix tense up with suspicion. Charlie’s “twin,” it turned out, had been swept up by Cutler Beckett, who was now flaunting the fact that the famous, brilliant young Commodore Carey Weasley was answering to him and helping him with his new anti-piracy campaign. Charlie knew full well the only reason Carewyn could be associating with Beckett was to try to sabotage him, but the Phoenix’s Captain Moody seemed doubtful of that explanation. His First Mate, Barnaby Lee -- the young man who had first demanded Charlie’s name -- seemed noticeably less suspicious, but wasn’t half as assertive or articulate as Moody, so the Captain’s conclusion won out among the crew.

Charlie and Chia were soon hauled down to the brig with the thought that once the fleet arrived in Shipwreck Cove, Moody’s superior, Black Jack Roberts -- were he still alive -- would be able to discern how best to deal with them. Charlie hadn’t been too surprised that Jacob hadn’t told everyone in his fleet that “Carey Weasley” was really his sister, but he couldn’t help but curse the fact that Jacob had merely ordered that his men not “damage anyone with the name ‘Weasley’ and immediately bring them to him to deal with.” Even if he had to keep up a “tough guy” image, it would’ve been nice if Jacob had factored in the possibility that he wouldn’t be leading his fleet.

Unfortunately Moody’s suspicion had a real cost. Because of his focus on Charlie and Chia Dalma, he wasn’t focusing on the turbulence of the seas and skies that Chia picked up on -- and so had no warning whatsoever when the Flying Dutchman attacked. Soon the entire fleet of ships that once sailed under the Tower Raven was hotly engaged in battle with the infamous ship of the damned, pirates facing off against both cursed sailors and Navy officers.

While Davy Jones, his crew, and the Navy’s officers were fighting on the upper deck, Carewyn had stowed away below deck to where the Dead Man’s Chest had been left. After sending the remainder of the patrol above deck to help with the sea battle, Carewyn immediately got to work picking the lock on the Chest. Although it was a bit trickier to do it on her own than it had been with Percy, that hindrance was counteracted somewhat by her having unlocked the Chest once before. Within fifteen minutes, Carewyn had unlocked the two-sided lock and opened the Chest.

But when she opened it, she found it completely empty.

“It seems we truly are as alike as I thought.”

Carewyn whirled around.

Rakepick was leaning her shoulder against the door frame. She’d discarded her tricorn hat just as Carewyn had since they were no longer on deck, and her dark blue eyes were locked on the Commodore’s face as though it were a target.

Carewyn immediately pulled out her pistol, pointing it right at Rakepick.

“Where is the heart?” she said very coldly.

“I confiscated it,” said Rakepick simply, “back when I checked to make sure Jones’s key works.”

“On Beckett’s orders?” asked Carewyn.

Had she truly not fooled Beckett, after all? Had Rakepick been sent to watch her as well as Jones? Her face blanched at this thought.

“For my own benefit,” said Rakepick. “Just as I daresay your attempt to steal the heart also was.”

Carewyn’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not stealing anything.”

”I don’t know what else you’d call picking the lock on a Chest that’s in the custody of the British Navy,” said Rakepick with a rather cool smile.

Carewyn clicked her pistol and pointed it right at Rakepick’s head.

“Hand over the heart,” she murmured, “now.”

Rather than looking the least bit intimidated, however, Rakepick almost looked more pleased. She eased herself off the door frame and took a few steps closer to Carewyn.

“You intend to kill me, Commodore?” she said.

“I would prefer not to,” Carewyn answered icily. “But I suggest you don’t push me -- I can still shoot you in plenty of places that would be extremely painful or deadly, if left untreated. And no one would come to help you with your wounds -- there’s more than enough noise above deck to muffle any gun shots that might come from down here.”

Rakepick’s lips spread into an even fuller, satisfied smile as she came to a halt just a foot from Carewyn. “I see. If I’m dead, you won’t learn where the heart is. Very astute, Miss Weasley.”

Carewyn stiffened sharply.

“I knew it as soon as I saw you,” said Rakepick softly. “I daresay because your family is poor, you didn’t have enough prospects to just marry into money. Probably were too independent and self-sufficient to settle for that, as well....so you joined your brothers in the Navy by dressing as another son. I suppose ‘Carey’ is just a play on your real name -- is it Cara? Or Carina?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Carewyn whispered.

She tried to obscure her fear with anger, but it was proving difficult -- her face was as white as a sheet.

Rakepick couldn’t fight back a scoff. “Now, really, Commodore -- do you truly think you’re the only woman who realized how few opportunities there are, for us to get ahead in this world run by men? I dressed as a man and joined the Navy myself during the War, fighting the French off the coast of Africa as a privateer for his Majesty’s Navy.”

She started striding in a leisurely circle around Carewyn, even as the Commodore kept a beady eye on her.

“‘Patrick Rakepick,’ I was called then. I probably would’ve continued that way too, had privateering not been outlawed with the end of the War. Suddenly all of the skills I had learned -- just as with all privateers -- became illegal and therefore useless. I was at the bottom once again, even worse off than before, thanks to the time lost and the injuries suffered. So I did what many other privateers did -- I became a pirate, so I could continue using those skills the Crown had taught me to support myself -- ”

“By pillaging merchant ships and attacking innocent people,” Carewyn spat. She wished she’d been able to keep her temper, but the mental image of this woman shooting Jacob in the back and pushing him overboard had rippled through her mind and it was a knife to her heart she couldn’t bear.

“We all have to do things we’re not proud of in order to survive, Miss Weasley,” said Rakepick very quietly. “That’s the reason you’ve stayed in line with Beckett yourself, is it not?”

Carewyn’s eyes narrowed. Rakepick took her silence as an excuse to press further.

“I saw the way you treated the prisoners from Tortuga. You did not treat them as Jones would, or even as any other officer would. You insisted they be fed and watered consistently, despite their large numbers and their shortened lifespans. You gave one a Bible, on request. You even moved a woman into a different cell so she could be with her husband for the rest of the voyage back to Port Royal, without even being asked.”

Rakepick’s dark blue eyes surveyed Carewyn with something interested, almost admiring, as she came to a halt just behind the shorter young woman.

“You have the heart of a guardian, Miss Weasley. Something not frequently seen in any line of work I’ve ever been part of -- privateering, piracy, or pirate hunting...and something never found among men like Cutler Beckett. It makes you want to protect others as well as yourself. It makes you a natural leader -- one that anyone would be foolish to deny their proper place.”

“I don’t need your flattery, Rakepick,” Carewyn said coldly, turning on her heel to face the older woman once again.

“This is not flattery,” Rakepick answered just as coldly. “It’s advice from someone who has been in your shoes. It’s not easy for anyone without money and status to get ahead in this world, but it’s even harder for a woman. Even when she’s able to acquire those things, there’ll always be a man attempting to clip her wings, so as to make him feel more powerful -- more in control. Even the tale of the goddess Calypso herself proves this. She ruled the seas, until the Pirate King and his Brethren Court ‘bound her’ into human form and stole control for themselves. They were powerless in the face of the Crowns of Europe...and so they exerted power over someone they could hurt.”

“Yet Cutler Beckett hired you, regardless of your sex,” said Carewyn, raising her eyebrows.

Rakepick crossed her arms over his chest. “Cutler Beckett will clip anyone’s wings, female or otherwise, if it benefits himself. Hence why I need this leverage over him.”

“Seems like the leverage is much more over Jones, considering you hold his life in your hands,” Carewyn cut her off harshly. “Now enough stalling -- give me Jones’s heart.”

Rakepick gave a half-frustrated, half-exhausted sigh. “Miss Weasley, do you truly think I wouldn’t have handed the heart over to you already, if I could? I’ve already made it more than clear I trust Beckett as little as you do. I’m not in this fight for him. I have no more love for either the Navy or the pirates than you do. I assure you -- we’re on the same side in this.”

‘Doubtful,’ Carewyn thought spitefully.

Nonetheless she could tell that she’d been outmaneuvered. Rakepick wasn’t going to hand over Jones’s heart, whether because it wasn’t on the ship or Rakepick was just too brave to give in to any threats she might make. She’d lost the element of surprise completely...and if force wasn’t going to work, then a new strategy was clearly needed. She needed to find out the heart’s new location. So, very reluctantly, she tucked her pistol back into its holster.

“If you’re so out for yourself,” said Carewyn coldly, “and you believe me to be just as out for myself...then we can’t be on the same side, Rakepick.”

Rakepick’s eyebrows rose over her narrowing dark blue eyes.

“I never said you were out for yourself, Miss Weasley -- merely that we are alike.”

She swept past Carewyn and headed for the door. When she reached the door frame, however, she paused. Turning her head back toward Carewyn, she spoke a bit more seriously.

“The battle between the Navy and the Pirate Brethren Court is going to be a fierce one. It would truly be in your best interest to get and stay off the Dutchman, before that fight begins.”

Carewyn shot a suspicious look over her shoulder without turning around.

“What battle?” she asked lowly.

“The place where all pirates will have to make their final stand.”

“You’re so assured of that? We haven’t even found Shipwreck Cove,” Carewyn pointed out. “Come to think of it...shouldn’t you know where Shipwreck Cove is, since you were a pirate yourself?”

Rakepick’s eyes flashed.

“I’m afraid not,” she said, her voice noticeably icier than it had been previously.

The question seemed to have gotten under Rakepick’s skin, and Carewyn suspected she knew exactly why. Only pirate captains were generally told the the location of Shipwreck Cove -- since she hadn’t assumed captainship through “Code-sanctioned” means, Rakepick couldn’t have been told by anyone else on the crew of Howell Davis’s ship where Shipwreck Cove was.

‘Serves you right, for what you did to Jacob,’ Carewyn thought, and she couldn’t completely fight back a small smirk.

“Regardless,” said Rakepick, “it won’t take long to find it. You saw the map Beckett designed, in your office -- it’s been finished, since you last saw it. The world’s edges have been drawn and charted, and so too have all of the places pirates could’ve once hidden. Now that they’ve been fenced in and the British Crown has allocated its Navy to the East India Trading Company’s war on piracy...it’s only a matter of time before all pirates face extinction. Those in power will not surrender it peacefully...least of all to those they’ve decided to treat as inferiors...so they’ll use every bit of that power they’ve accrued to try to quash any resistance. Those remaining pirates will have to either adapt to this terrifying new world their rebellion has molded...or perish.”

Rakepick turned away.

“And you, Miss Weasley...should not remain on the Dutchman. You don’t belong on a ship like this.”

Even as Rakepick left, Carewyn remained where she was, standing straight-backed in the center of the room with her fists clenched. Then, after a long moment, she brought a hand up to the lid of the empty Dead Man’s Chest and shut it with a harsh SNAP.

The sea battle up above raged. Captain Moody, it seemed, was truly a force to be reckoned with, despite his age and wooden limbs. When Navy officers and Dutchman pirates found their way onto the Phoenix, he fought four of them off single-handed, even going so far as to yank a blunderbuss out of his pants and shoot one of them right in the head before smacking two of the others with it as if it were a club. It was just fortunate that Charlie -- newly escaped from the brig thanks to a charm of Chia Dalma’s -- was able to block the sword belonging to the last of them with his own dragon-hilted blade.

Despite this, the Phoenix and the rest of the Tower Raven’s old fleet was severely outmatched, since Jones’s crew couldn’t die. Many ships had already started to flee, only for the Flying Dutchman to cut them down with cannon fire. Even though the Dutchman was no larger than the pirate galleons, it seemed to have the supernatural ability to heal any damage dealt to it within the span of a few minutes -- an ability not shared by Captain Moody, when he swung over to the Dutchman and pursued Jones with singular, irrational focus, only to finally be overpowered and killed by Jones himself.

“NO!” bellowed Barnaby.

Charlie straightened up sharply, his eyes widening in horror, at the sight of Moody falling to his knees, Jones’s blade stuck right through his chest.

Jones regarded the old man with a grim expression.

“Alastor Moody,” he murmured, “do you fear death?”

Moody glared up at Jones with his one good eye, but was clearly too badly injured to speak. So instead he spat at his feet.

Jones looked almost jaded by the reaction -- the way any embodiment of Death would likely be, whenever anyone got mad at them for doing their job.

“Clearly not.”

With this, he rather callously tossed Moody back over onto the deck of the Phoenix and whirled back to his crew.

“Ready the cannons!”

Barnaby immediately rushed to his captain’s side to help him up.

“Captain -- Captain, are you -- ?”

Alas, Moody was still too injured to speak clearly. When he opened his mouth, all he could do was cough up blood. Charlie rushed over too.

“He’s hurt bad,” he muttered. He turned to Chia. “Is there anything you -- ?”

Chia shook her head, her gray eyes very solemn. “I’m sorry, Charles Weasley. There’s no more time I can give him.”

Charlie was startled by the sensation of someone grabbing the collar of his shirt. Moody pulled him down closer to him, trying to whisper into his ear.

"You -- ” he choked through the blood in his mouth, “ -- have the Pacific Ocean’s Piece of Eight -- ?”

Charlie blinked in surprise. He glanced down at the anchor-trimmed “S” button Chia gave him, which he’d pinned to his vest for safe keeping until he could properly sew it somewhere more secure.

“...Yeah,” said Charlie. “Chia Dalma gave it to me.”

Moody squinted up at Charlie.

“...Shipwreck Cove -- is due west, of here. Fifty miles -- through the D-Devil’s -- Throat. Take -- the crew there.”

Charlie was completely blind-sided. “What?”

“Lead them. Take them to -- Shipwreck Cove. To the rest of the Court. To -- Black Jack.”

Charlie’s brown eyes rippled with sadness, seeing how much difficulty Moody was having talking. He was out of time, as Chia had said -- and yet, here he was, putting his crew first.

‘For all of his faults,’ thought Charlie, ‘Mad-Eye Moody is a good captain.’

The second-eldest Weasley took Moody’s wizened hand in both of his and gave it a squeeze.

“I will,” he said firmly. “I promise.”

Blood streamed from Moody’s lips as they curled up in a pained smile. “That’s a good lad...”

He coughed, trying hard to take another breath. This time, however, the blood blocked his throat enough that no oxygen could reach him. And so Moody, in the last shreds of his life, bravely raised his eyes to the sky with a smile.

Barnaby had brought his two large fists up to obscure his face as he started to cry. Charlie hung his head respectfully over the fallen captain of the Phoenix. After a moment, he brought up a hand to close Moody’s eyes and then rose to his feet, his eyes blazing with determination.

“ALL HANDS, PREPARE THE CANNONS!” he bellowed. “We need all the explosives and smoke bombs we have -- we’re getting the Hell out of here!”

Charlie’s strategy was to assault the Flying Dutchman with two waves of attack. The first would be to damage the ship enough that it would need a few minutes to repair itself -- the second would be a smokescreen, so as to hopefully put enough distance between the Phoenix and the Flying Dutchman that the second couldn’t actively take down the first with its cannon fire. When Charlie ran to the edge of the Phoenix beside Chia Dalma to make the order to fire, he was startled momentarily by who he saw coming up onto the deck of the Dutchman.

It was Carewyn.

Jones confronted her immediately, his eyes narrowed sharply as he barked something to her -- Carewyn looked rather frustrated herself, but Charlie couldn’t make out what they were saying. Within seconds, however, both Jones and Carewyn turned their focus to the battle -- and they both caught sight of the two people at the railing.

Jones’s eyes flickered with shock, disbelief, and something oddly more vulnerable. He’d never seen the human woman on that ship’s railing in his life...but he knew those gray eyes...

“Ca...lypso...?”

Chia Dalma’s hands clutched the railing as her eyes filled with tears and a weak smile prickled at her features.

“Finn,” she breathed.

Carewyn, meanwhile, had met Charlie’s gaze straight on. Her eyes were very wide at the sight of him, just as much as Charlie’s was at the sight of her.

“Carey!” cried Charlie.

His heart felt like it was fit to burst, seeing his surrogate twin again. Part of him just wanted to throw himself over his ship’s railing over to her and pull her into the biggest hug, and yet --

She was on the Dutchman -- the Flying Dutchman, the ship of the damned --

Carewyn’s eyes flooded with fear as she shot her head around, taking in her soldiers fighting off pirates from the rest of the Tower Raven’s fleet on the deck of her ship and the Phoenix’s cannons being turned into the proper position.

Her gaze then shot back to Charlie’s face with urgency.

“BECKETT IS COMING!” she mouthed to him desperately. “BECKETT IS COMING! GO!”

She then yanked her pistol out of her belt and purposefully shot right over Charlie’s head, to make her point. Clenching his jaw, Charlie nonetheless nodded firmly, blinking back some traces of tears as he whirled on his crew.

“FIRST WAVE, FIRE ALL!” he roared.

With the Dutchman effectively hampered by both waves of attack, the Phoenix was able to successfully put a respectable distance between it and the Flying Dutchman. Carewyn tried to keep their focus on the rest of the fleet and on capturing prisoners from those vessels, but Rakepick contradicted her, ordering the Dutchman to shadow the Phoenix in case it was heading to Shipwreck Cove. What Carewyn did not expect was Jones agreeing with Rakepick.

“I want everyone on board the Phoenix locked in my brig,” said the captain of the damned icily, his gaze flaring with raw emotion as he glared at Carewyn. “I will not let them escape me.”

Carewyn knew she’d been outmaneuvered again. There was nothing more she could do, to protect everyone now. It was all up to Charlie now, to warn Bill, Jules, and Jacob...to warn Orion...

The memory of the pirate captain’s calm, dark eyes made Carewyn’s heart clench with longing and pain. He’d always made her feel so much stronger, whenever she felt most useless and hopeless...but right now, more than anything, she longed to have him at her side -- to feel his shoulder resting against hers and see his soft smile once more...

Rakepick was right -- the final battle was coming, sooner than anyone could’ve ever predicted. It was all up to Charlie to warn the Brethren Court now.

[normadeathmond]

the spanish princess ep 3 thoughts

(now with pictures!)

this week was surprisingly silly for an episode named ‘grief’, and indulging in entertainingly dumb historical shenanigans is when this show is at it’s most enjoyable. comments, complaints and lots of poking fun inside.

- i am not the biggest fan of charlotte hope’s performance in this series, but i thought she did good here, showing catherine fighting her grief before putting on a brave face. i do think she would do better in the role if catherine wasn’t written as such a cardboard strong woman™ all the time. 

- lmao i love wolsey and how low-key hammy phil cumbus is playing him, you can tell he’s having a whale of a time

- political genius maggie pole, everyone

- love that catherine’s seduction technique is to bring up wolsey, there rlly are three people in this marriage

- what even was that scene - catherine pressuring henry for sex, him calling blow jobs unnatural and then trying wank off to the sight of her neck (was that supposed to be a hint at him beheading his later wives)?? rip to whatever got left on the cutting floor to make room for that nonsense

- blah blah blah the scots are violent and barbaric, lather rinse repeat. i am always distracted by how there is not even one nursery maid in the whole of scotland

- i enjoy catherine dunking on the name barnaby, it deserves it. (surely one of them babies should be named henry after the king?)

- given that there’s a reference later on to thomas more being a great favourite of henry’s, why isn’t he hanging out in these council scenes? i’m sure he can still eyefuck maggie pole while also dispensing sound advice. and is howard just gone forever now? i was hoping he’d stick around as catherine’s begrudging ally

- his smug little face! perfection!

- ursula, possessor of this show’s singular brain cell: marrying for political power and monetary gain? sign me up!

- jokes aside, this was a good scene. i like that ursula isn’t portrayed as greedy, but instead someone who’s realistic about what she wants from life based on her family’s experiences so far, even if she is a little naïve to think money and titles will protect her absolutely. i also liked that maggie’s objections weren’t so much “but twu love!” as much as “but maybe find someone you can stand to be around for twenty years of marriage”

- catherine: i am a political genius   also catherine: *can’t keep a straight face in public for two seconds*

- honestly catherine is a real shitty friend. i get that she’s struggling, but calling lina’s kids “ordinary children” like they don’t matter and her bitchy “you’re having a girl” last episode is such mean girl behaviour. 

- the great scottish babysitter shortage of 1515 continues

- hahaha of course the one good scot™ is a raging anglophile

- also why is angus being written as such a literal angel? he’s going to have to turn into a prick at some point

- if catherine can hire lina some wet nurses do you think she can throw a few coins meg’s way for a nanny?

- please can all of catherine’s scenes just be her and wolsey cattily sniping at one another

- i really dislike how in order to make catherine seem smart everyone else has to be clueless - first advising maggie pole on how to petition the king like she’s new to court and then being the one to suggest mary pick her second husband. it’s a weak way to prop up an under-written heroine. 

- my baby ;_; (georgie really is shining as an actress this season)

- this part was very cute, i like their squabbling childhood friends with secret deep romantic feelings dynamic. i thought we would get more of mary this episode though :(

- the court musician is the babysitter now? pay one female extra to hold the baby, i beg you

- sorry to my girl meg but this speech/sing-a-long was bad. this show is just not good at the rousing speeches.

- guess everyone’s going on a road trip to france! the whole royal fam taking a nice holiday to recently enemy territory seems totally believable! 

- seasick wolsey is the highlight of this episode

- maggie: all creatures crave union, there’s nothing fanciful about it ♫ you and me baby ain’t nothing but mammals ♫

- ARE these two gonna fuck?? i genuinely thought it wouldn’t go beyond a lot of angsty longing looks because matthew graham compared their plotline to remains of the day and laura carmichael said something like “it’s the incredibly religious, pious people’s version of a steamy romance”, but uhhh their horny little convo in the coach is starting to make me wonder if thomas more’s cold bed isn’t going to get a little warmer in a few episodes

- also i was hoping more’s marriage would be portrayed as two pals who got married for convenience rather than his wife being painted as a prude who denies him sex

- this dress 😍 also, her face 😍

- i can’t tell if maggie is an impatient idiot or a genius who figured henry would give her everything she wanted out of spite if she said catherine told her he wouldn’t (i give this show too much credit, it’s definitely the former)

- i know groom of the king’s stool is an easy thing to dunk on for a modern audience but the royal arse wiper was a very trusted and intimate friend of the king who commanded a lot of royal favour, so maybe hop off your high horse maggie

- tudor sexpert maggie pole: don’t say yes yet, sweetie, u gotta check if you’re hot for him first   ursula: please stop talking 

- i hate myself for loving them

- i like that even though compton is an awkward, slightly creepy weirdo, his crush on maggie does seem 100% genuine. i assume he’s going to get entangled in the henry/anne hastings affair next ep and that’ll let maggie wriggle out of the betrothal somehow?

-not this show making me feel sorry for henry. i like that they’re giving him human feelings about the loss of his children and ruairi is giving a great performance. 

- this was really the best french accent they could find? but mary attempting death by pillow fight was hilarious

- no one:   bessie: your grace, I do believe charlie brandon is truly sex on legs

- lina seems absolutely terrified that she pissed off catherine, a very healthy friendship dynamic there!

- shouldn’t wolsey have a swankier outfit now that he’s an archbishop?

[alice-beaumont-ravenclaw]

A Night to Remember (Part 1)

A/N #1: It is finally here! The Celestial Ball fic!!! 23 pages total, hence why I divided it into two parts and will also insert text dividers so that if you can’t read it in one shot, you can easily find where you were. Here are the other fics in the series: You’ve Got a Friend in Me | Distraction | Something There | One Step Closer | Fashion Emergency | Get Your Head in the Game | Der Walzer von Alice | Of Quidditch and Ballgowns | From Paris, with Love 

There was only one day left before the Celestial Ball. The last exam before the Winter Break had been less than a week ago, so everyone was busy preparing for the ball. Alice and her friends were helping Penny complete the decorations in the Great Hall. Many students could be seen running around Hogwarts as they tried to finalize their ball outfits or tried desperately to find dates.

“Why is everyone so desperate to find a date?” asked Alice as she handed Penny a star.

“Because it’s way more fun to go to a ball with a date,” explained Penny, as she hung the star.

“Really? But it looks so stressful to try to get one. If it weren’t for the fact that prefects are the first ones to dance, I would just have gone with all you guys. Do you have a date for the ball, Penny?”

“I was so busy with the decorations committee that I just asked Andre,” she replied, hanging another star.

“Thanks a lot, Haywood. Now I feel really special,” shouted Andre, near the ceiling on his broom, hanging decorations.

“Come on! You said yes because you don’t have the guts to ask the Hufflepuff seeker to the ball,” replied Penny, acting fakely offended.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” said Andre before flying to another section of the Great Hall.

“What are you talking about?” asked Alice, handing her friend a big moon.

“Andre has a thing for Artemon Spooner, Hufflepuff’s Seeker. Another player told me that, when they practice together, they spend most of their time flirting with each other,” replied Penny.

“Why would a Keeper practice with a Seeker?” asked Alice, looking at Andre before bringing her attention back to Penny.

“Excellent question! Probably why nearly all Quidditch players know about the crush they have on each other,” said Penny, rubbing her chin.

“But why don’t they just admit it to each other?” asked Alice.

Penny stared at her as Alice looked back with her wide eyes. “Well, sometimes, it’s not that simple. Fear of rejection plays a huge part in whether you are willing to reveal your feelings to someone or not.”

“But… They flirt with each other. So… Isn’t it obvious they have a thing for one another?” asked Alice, scratching her head.

“Oh, some people can be oblivious to that. Believe me, I’ve seen it,” said Penny, looking back at her friend with a small smile.

“Really? When?” asked Alice, but before Penny could say anything, Charlie ran up to them.

“Alice, it’s time for our last dance practice,” said Charlie, pointing at his watch. 

With that, Alice and Charlie walked out of the Great Hall together. Penny looked at them leave, a small smile gracing her features. “Merlin, she’s oblivious,” she whispered as she shook her head.

In the evening, when Alice finally returned to her dorm, the first thing she saw was Rowan looking mortified. She turned to see what was causing her friend such distress.

“Tulip!” she exclaimed, looking at the red-haired Ravenclaw.

“What?” asked Tulip as she poured something in a small cauldron on her bed.

“What are you doing?” asked Alice.

“A face mask mixture! I heard some girls talking about face masks to have smooth skins, so I figured it’d be fun to try one before the ball.”

“Hum… Since when have you been so… girly?” asked Alice, raising her eyebrows.

“She omitted to tell you her main ingredient,” pointed out Badeea, who was busy sketching on her bed.

“It’s dungbombs…” whispered Rowan, still staring at Tulip.

“Of course it is… Tulip, do you want to repeat the dungbomb incident of last year?” asked Alice.

“Well… It was technically this year, since we are still in 1988,” pointed out Tulip, adding another ingredient to her cauldron.

“Tulip…” grumbled Alice. “I covered your arse last time. I don’t think Flitwick would believe me if I told him you had an ‘accident’ again.”

“Ugh, fine, fine! I guess we won’t have soft skins then,” she said as she opened a window, dropping the content of her cauldron outside.

“Wait! Don’t!” shouted her three roommates, all running towards the window.

They heard a splash followed by a scream. They slowly looked out the window. All the way down on the ground was Filch, covered in Tulip’s mixture. They all quickly took a step back before he had a chance to look up.

“Tulip, slowly close the window,” whispered Alice. “Rowan, scourgify Tulip’s cauldron and hide it.”

“She can put it in my trunk,” said Tulip as she closed the window.

“Hide it from Tulip,” specified Alice. “We don’t want her to make our dorm stink or explode before the ball.”

“I just love how you trust me,” said Tulip.

“What can I do?” asked Badeea.

“Hum… Oh! You can sketch our alibi! Just draw Rowan reading and Tulip playing with her dungbombs.”

“What about you?”

“Well, I arrived moments before the incident, so having a full sketch of me doing something wouldn’t be very credible. So just a vague shape on my bed.”

“Alice, don’t you think it’s a bit much? It’s not like we are trying to get away with murder,” said Rowan.

“It’s Filch. He’s going to look for a culprit. He probably knows it came from the Ravenclaw tower. Which Ravenclaw do you think he’ll suspect?” 

“What can I say? He’s so fun to mess with,” said Tulip, shrugging.

Alice sat on her bed, massaging her temples. “I swear, Tulip… I have enough stress as it is with the ball fast approaching, I really don’t need the extra stress of Filch conducting an investigation.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll be nice until this is all over. I think I’ll be able to stay out of trouble for one day,” conceded Tulip.

“What about Winter Break?” asked Badeea.

“Oh, I’ll get to annoy my parents back home, so it’s all good.”

Rowan stared at Tulip before turning back to Alice. “Why are you stressed? Your dress is ready; you have every element for your outfit, you have someone to dance with… Oh!”

“Yeah… I will be dancing in front of everyone. Everyone will be staring. One false move, and I can already hear Merula laugh.”

“Why do you care so much about what Merula thinks?” asked Badeea

“I don’t really care about what she thinks, but she’s been a thorn in my side since our first day at Hogwarts. If I screw up, she won’t just think I suck; she’ll keep bringing it up, which is so annoying. There are days where I wish I could just cast Silencio on her,” explained Alice.

“Alice?” said Tulip.

“Hmm?”

“If Merula is an arse during the ball, can I use a dungbomb on her?”

“You have my blessing.”

“You sound like the Godfather,” remarked Badeea.

Alice looked at her before realizing what she was referring to. “Should I make her kiss my ring?” she said before laughing.

“Your godfather makes people kiss his ring?” asked Rowan.

“And he asks people to use dungbombs?” asked Tulip.

The next morning, the Great Hall was abuzz with conversations about the ball. At the Ravenclaw table, Andre was busy suggesting various hairstyles to Alice. 

“What about Audrey Hepburn’s hairstyle at the beginning of Breakfast at Tiffany’s?”

“Too much,” replied Alice between two bites of toast as Barnaby sat next to Andre.

“What’s going on?” asked the Slytherin.

“Andre is suggesting hairstyles for tomorrow.”

“I don’t think you have enough hair to make that hairstyle,” said Barnaby as he looked at a picture and then at Andre.

“It’s not for me! It’s for Alice,” replied Andre, letting out a sigh. 

“I like Alice’s hair right now,” said Barnaby, looking at Alice with a smile.

“But it’s too plain! We need something amazing!”

Alice narrowed her eyes. “Thanks, Andre. But honestly, I don’t want a hairstyle that is too over the top. The dress is already dazzling, not to mention the hair accessory I have…”

“But…”

“Andre. I won’t be a contestant in a beauty pageant. I don’t need to outshine everyone. I just want to look good for myself. I want to be able to recognize myself in the mirror,” pleaded Alice.

“Alright, alright. Anyway, with the outfit I’ve put together for you, you’ll outshine everyone.”

“I have a question,” said Barnaby.

“Yes?” said Alice, turning her attention to her Slytherin friend.

“Where can I get a buccaneer?”

“A buccaneer?” repeated Alice, taken aback.

“In the Caribbean, about two, three centuries ago,” answered Andre. “Why?”

“Well, I heard Merula and Ismelda talking about it last night in the common room. Merula said her date better have one,” said Barnaby pensively.

“Kinky,” mumbled Andre, stifling a laugh.

“Did Merula say anything else about the… buccaneer?”

“Well, she did say she hopes the flowers won’t clash with her dress.”

At the mention of flowers, both Alice’s and Andre’s eyes lit up.

“Ah!” exclaimed Andre.

“A boutonnière!” said Alice.

“Showing off your French, Beaumont?” snickered Andre.

“Shut up,” mumbled Alice. 

“Wait, isn’t it what I said?” asked Barnaby, rubbing his chin.

“Not exactly… Anyway, a boutonnière is a single flower you wear on the lapel of your suit. So I guess you could go see Professor Sprout for one,” explained Alice.

“But it’s really not necessary. I wasn’t planning on wearing one, and Charlie’s suit doesn’t have any lapel…”

“Oh! Speaking of Charlie’s outfit…” started Alice, her curiosity piqued.

“Tonight,” replied Andre.

“Awww, come on! All he told me was ‘Dragons!’ I’m starting to imagine a suit covered in little dragons.”

“That sounds so cool!” exclaimed Barnaby, resulting in Andre staring at him.

“You know I would never do that,” said Andre as he kept glancing at Barnaby.

“Could you cover mine in bowtruckles? No, wait, puffskeins! Oh, oh, no, even better…” said Barnaby, visibly excited at the idea of a dress robe covered in magical creatures.

“No! Your dress robes shouldn’t look like a 5-year-old’s pyjamas!”

“Aww, come on, Andre, at least give him a little embroidery,” said Alice, drinking her tea.

“Ugh, fine… Can I go to Paris this summer?”

“Only if you shut up about you-know-what,” replied Alice, not looking up from her cup.

“Could you make me some PJs with all the creatures after?” asked Barnaby as he got up.

“We’ll see. Alice, think about your hair and your makeup while I’m busy with the man-child,” said Andre before following Barnaby.

“Be nice!” shouted Alice at him, smiling before taking another sip.

Back in her dorm after breakfast, she stood in front of the mirror, playing with her hair and the tiara her grandmother had given her. She tried various hairstyles, holding her hair up, then half-up-half-down, her tiara at the top of her head, then at the back. She sighed and dropped on her bed, her face in her pillow.

“UGH!!!” she let out, the pillow muffling the sound of her exasperation.

“Are you ok, Alice?” asked Badee in a soft voice.

Alice looked up from her pillow. “Uh? Oh! How long have you been here?” 

“I just came in,” answered Badeea, sitting at the edge of Alice’s bed. “What’s going on?”

“I’m trying to figure out a hairstyle for tomorrow that goes with this,” said Alice, pointing at the tiara on her nightstand.

“Oh! It’s lovely!” exclaimed Badeea, delicately picking it up and observing its details. “The craftsmanship is amazing. Did Andre make this?”

“Hum… No… It was a… family friend,” replied Alice, unconvinced by her lie.

“I see,” said Badeea, a small smile appearing on her face as she glanced at Alice. “So, what kind of hairstyle are you going for?”

“Something simple. I don’t want to look like a wedding cake topper.”

“What about… a braid, going around the back of your head?” suggested Badeea.

“Like a milkmaid braid? Sorry, but I forgot my dirndl at home,” replied Alice, raising her eyebrows.

“No, no. Not a milkmaid braid. I was thinking more of taking parts of the hair at the side of your face and braiding them towards the back of your head until both met. Your tiara could go just underneath.”

Alice stared at her for a few seconds before jumping out of her bed and hugging her. “That’s brilliant!”

Startled by the hug, Badeea was rendered speechless. It was extremely rare for Alice to initiate physical contacts. She slowly tapped Alice’s back before the latter took a step back. 

“You think you could make a quick sketch for Andre? It doesn’t have to be super detailed, just for him to understand the idea,” said Alice. 

Badeea simply nodded as she watched her friend, who said a quick thank you, run out of the dorm. 

As she ran down a corridor, smiling brightly, Alice bumped into Andre, who was coming back from the Slytherin common room. 

“You look like you are in a hurry. Your cheeks are all flushed! Actually kinda looks good on you,” noticed Andre, staring at his friend.

“There you are,” said Alice, ignoring his remark. “Badeea came up with a brilliant hairstyle for tomorrow! Taking the hair at the side of my face and braiding them towards the back, like a braid crown, but only at the back, and we could place my tiara right underneath it! She’s going to make a sketch so you can see,” she said as she started to drag Andre in the direction she came from.

Andre stopped her in her tracks. “Woah, slow down there, Alice. Breath in, breath out. Now, I’m glad you figured out your hairstyle, but what about makeup?”

“Make… Up… Awww, great. I forgot about that… Well, I can already tell you that I don’t want to look like Cyndi Lauper. Her music is rad, but her overall look is a bit too over the top for me,” said Alice as she crossed her arms, leaning against a wall.

“Oi! I could make some suggestions,” said Tonks, who’s head popped up from behind Andre.

“No! After the Camden incident, I want your makeup ‘skills’ to stay as far away from me as possible,” exclaimed Alice, terrified at the prospect of Tonks applying her makeup.

“Do I wanna know?” asked Andre, looking between the two girls.

“Nah, just that little Miss Sloane Ranger here doesn’t like edgy makeup,” replied Tonks, doing her best not to laugh at Alice’s face.

“Edgy? I looked like a panda! So did you, for that matter,” said Alice with a huff.

“Sloane Ranger?” said Andre, raising an eyebrow as he stared at Tonks.

“Yeah… Think Lady Diana, Princess of Wales,” summarized Alice. 

“Oh… Oh!” exclaimed Andre, his eyes lightening up.

“What?” asked Alice, furrowing her brows as she looked at her friend.

But before she could say anything else, Andre had grabbed her wrist and had started running towards the Ravenclaw common room, leaving Tonks behind. Once inside, he dragged her to his dorm.

“Oi! Egwu! What’s going on? Why did you drag me all the way here? Am I even allowed to be here?” asked Alice, looking around the boys’ dorm.

“Yeah, you are,” said Andre as he started to rummage through his trunk. “Guys are not allowed in the girls’ dorm, but girls are allowed in our dorm.”

“Could you two keep it down?” said a voice behind them.

Alice turned around to see Talbott staring at them from behind his book. “Oh, sorry, Talbott. Didn’t see you there.”

“No wonder. You stormed into here,” grunted Talbott.

“I thought you would be hanging in the owlery like you always do,” said Andre, barely paying attention to his roommate.

“The owlery is too busy, people sending thank you notes to their families for the stuff they sent for the ball,” explained Talbott, his attention back to his book. 

“Oh, are you going to the ball, Talbott?” asked Alice.

“Nah, I avoid crowds,” replied Talbott.

“Oh, that’s too bad,” said Alice, a light pout appearing on her lips.

“Let him be…” said Andre, suddenly raising a magazine above his head triumphantly. “There! Found it!”

“What?”

“Your makeup inspiration! Princess Diana at Canne last year!” said Andre, shoving the picture in her face.

Alice took a step back to have a better look at the picture. “Oh! How lovely! It looks really natural and timeless. I love it! But maybe not the blue eyeliner I’m kinda seeing…”

“Don’t worry; blue wouldn’t go with your green eyes. I was actually thinking of forgoing the eyeliner, and simply go for blush and mascara, and perhaps a natural shade of lipstick.” 

“There’s just one problem… I don’t have any makeup with me.”

“Mmm… I might know where we can get some… To the Hufflepuff common room!!!”

“Penny!” exclaimed Andre, standing beside Penny, quietly reading while her face was covered with a clay mask.

“AH!” screamed Penny, making her mask crack. “Ugh! Look what you’ve done! I’ll have to start all over again.”

“As if you needed a clay mask… We need your help, Penny. We finally figured out a makeup style for Alice, but we don’t have any makeup!”

“How the hell did we get in here…” mumbled Alice, looking around.

“What do you need?” asked Penny.

“Blush and mascara.”

“I can do the blush, but sharing mascara is very unhygienic.”

“We could use Scourgify on the brush?” suggested Alice.

“Every time I dip the brush in, I contaminate the product, so even if you clean the brush, it’s pointless.”

“Don’t you have a spare?” asked Andre.

“Well, I do, but…”

“Please! It’s for Alice’s big night. She’ll be dancing in front of a huge crowd with, you know, Charlie,” said Andre, winking.

“Huh? Oh!” exclaimed Penny, suddenly realizing what Andre was hinting at. Tonight might be the night the Dragon Boy and the Curse-Breaker would confess to one another. “Alright, you can have it. I’ll just go and fetch it.”

“Thanks for reminding me of the huge crowd…” grumbled Alice.

“Oh, you’ll be fine. You’ll be in the arms of Charlie Weasley, dancing to the sound of a waltz, in your own little world,” daydreamed Andre.

“All that’s missing is an evil step-mother, and we’d have a fairytale,” said Alice, rolling her eyes. 

“Oh, Alice, where is your sense of romance?” asked Andre, letting out a sigh as he looked at his hopeless friend.

“Andre, I don’t have time for romance. I have to protect you guys from ‘R,’ whoever that is, and I have to find the portrait vault. Romance would just be a distraction. Anyway, who would be interested in a danger magnet like me?”

Andre stared at his friend, letting out another sigh. Everyone could see how much Charlie was smitten with her, except her. “Fine, fine. Why don’t you go and eat lunch? It’s going to be makeover time after lunch!”

“Why am I afraid?” said Alice as she left the Hufflepuff common room, just as Penny arrived with the makeup.

“There! Alice will look like a fairytale princess for the big confession.”

Andre didn’t say anything as Penny handed him the blush and mascara. He just kept staring at the now-closed door of Hufflepuff’s common room.

A/N #2: That’s it for Part 1! Part 2 is HERE! I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought in the comments! (Kinda fit this challenge’s “Ball” prompt...) Oh, and what are your thoughts on the text divider?

[scarlettroubles]

13, 30 and 39 for the oc asks please

13. What do they do for fun?

Eileen being the workaholic dumbass she is thinks working is fun. It gives her a sense of being in control when everything else around her is pretty much a mess and she likes being productive. Things she actually does for fun include : talking and debating about books with Rowan, Going fishing at the lake near her uncle’s house in the summer, kicking Diego’s ass in duels, caring and learning about magical creatures, singing when she thinks nobody is around, hanging out with friends at the three broomsticks and painting with Badeea and Barnaby.

30. When frightened, will they resort to “fight” or “flight”?

Fight. Her rage and need to protect those around her almost always overpower her fear. Jae, Tulip and Tonks once tried to spook her for Halloween and she ended up punching Tonks in the face and she ended up in the hospital wing ( she’s super embarrassed about this ).

39. What does their happily ever after look like?

I’m gonna end up rambling about what I have planned for Eileen’s story, specifically my version of the cursed vaults for some context.

In my version of the story, you don’t just try to find the location of the vaults with the little clues provided and end up fighting whatever the hell is guarding it, no. The vaults are sentient to an extent and play mind games or form illusions to test whether or not you’re actually worthy of whatever is in them. Each one of these tests are unique and have a certain theme to them. For example, when Eileen, Bill, Tulip and Barnaby enter the Vault of Fear, they black out and find themselves separated and trapped in their own worst fears ( Bill watching his family being slaughtered by death eaters and utterly helpless to run to their aid, Eileen hunted down by her own family, Barnaby with the dark mark on his arm with his family surrounding him, and Tulip all alone with Merula’s voice taunting and mocking her from all directions ). Tulip is the first one to realize what is happening and conquers her fear of not being worthy of anyone’s friendship and goes to find  the others and helps them to conquer their own fears before finally facing the Voldemort boggarts. Or in the buried vault where the team find themselves trapped in a portrait, a picture perfect fantasy that they want so badly to be real but it’s not, it’s just a pretty picture they painted in their heads. I don’t have any ideas for the other vaults but I do know that I want the Sunken Vault to be about facing trauma and grief so it all comes full circle. 

When the vaults are over and she graduates Hogwarts, Eileen and Jacob join The Hunters of Artemis to hunt down the rest of R’s members and to be forgiven for the disrespect and betrayal they showed towards the family name. When her term of 5 years ends, she ends up traveling the world with Will Scarborough ( who belongs to @cursebreakerfarrier ) and a few friends, desperately trying to finally move on from the vaults and Rakepick. The vaults eventually become a memory but Eileen definitely never fully healed from the experience. Eileen’s ‘ Happily ever After ‘ is her and Will with their 4 kids, on the Scarborough family estate. Eileen a successful magizoologist and Ex Hit-witch and her husband, a renowned Hit-wizard, the vaults behind them and doing their best to move forward.

I’m sorry i rambled about my ideas for the story,I hope these answers were satisfactory~

The character asks r still open btw!!

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

Back again with one of my classic asks. With spooky season nearly upon us, I’d love to know what you think the boggarts are for the HPHM crew. 👻

Oh snap, I’ve thought about this a lot and it’s another one of those magical signatures that flesh out a character that are always fun to think about. Let’s see what I can come up with! This is going to be very disorganized and I apologize for that. 

Some of the characters are confirmed, we know for a fact that Tulip and Penny’s Boggarts are Merula and a Werewolf respectively. We also learn some of the other characters’ fears, although it’s not confirmed if they would be their Boggarts. Bill fears losing his family, meaning his Boggart would very likely be the same as Molly’s. Though it might be an easy way out, I think that Charlie would have the same values and probably have the same Boggart. Rowan feared failing their exams, which means that maybe it would be similar to Hermione’s and just be their Head of House condemning their failure. Or perhaps someone closer to them. Just imagine Rowan seeing their brother, or MC looking at them in disappointment? 

Barnaby is said to fear clowns, and that’s genuinely hilarious. However, I have to wonder if they would  really be his Boggart form. Though he pushes it down all the time, Year 5 makes it very clear that he lives in an abusive household. I’ve seen a lot of head-canons that Lucius would be Draco’s Boggart, but I’ve never agreed with them because however terrible Lucius was at parenting, he was never abusive - at least not to Draco. Barnaby, on the other hand? I wouldn’t be surprised if his Boggart is his father. Alternatively, I find myself remembering how he gravitated toward Merula and Ismelda, despite how they would hurt him. MC helped him see that he was being used. Maybe Barnaby fears being hurt by people close to him? Maybe the Boggart would be something more like a shadowy, scary figure - beckoning to him. The dissonance when one isn’t sure about the difference between abuse and love.

Then there’s Tonks. She’s said to fear losing her abilities. This is one of the only times she ever talks about her shape-shifting powers in a serious moment that isn’t played for laughs. She fears losing her powers? Why would that be? I think I know. I think I know why she constantly makes animals noses, and has her hair pink or purple or whatever color. I think I know why she prefers her surname. And sure, part of it would be that “Nymphadora” sucks as a name, but it’s not like “Tonks” is that much more “normal.” No...I think Tonks wants to distance herself from her mother’s side of the family. I think she’s low-key ashamed to be related to people like Bellatrix. I bet she’s the spitting image of Andromeda, who as we know, is the spitting image of Bellatrix. Maybe that’s why Tonks never shows her real face. Why she embraces the muggle side of her family more. Why she would fear the loss of abilities that let her present herself as she wants to be. As to what her Boggart would physically look like? Maybe Bellatrix herself.

We don’t have any canon information about any other characters, but let’s talk about Ben. I can’t say for certain what his Boggart would be, but I know where his fear lies. Ben is keeping some kind of secret. He’s definitely on our side, but he’s not telling the whole truth. Maybe he’s trying to protect MC, I don’t know. But I bet he fears, or at least feared, what MC’s reaction would be to learning this secret and learning that Ben lied. Imagine his Boggart being MC hating him and turning their back on him for it. Of course, after Chapter 18, I think it would turn into Rowan’s corpse. I doubt I need to explain why. 

Let’s get a bit obscure for a second. This one is more of a head-canon than anything else because there really isn’t any evidence for it beyond how I interpret the character. But when it comes to Badeea, I think she fears the loss of her senses, and her awareness. To put it simply, she fears losing her mind. Being unable to appreciate the world for all of the beauty and wonder it has, all of the new secrets she can learn. I think she’d be afraid of going blind, because that would painting a lot more difficult. I can envision her Boggart taking the form of Badeea herself, visibly unhinged. Blind and stumbling around, muttering to herself. 

I’m not sure what Liz would have as a Boggart, but I have to assume it would reflect on what she finds important. The things that are important to us are ultimately going to shape our greatest fears. Liz is an activist, we know this. I think she fears the evil that humanity is capable of, especially to the innocent. She fears the trauma that cannot be spoken, because the victims lack the language to ask why this is being done to them. Children and creatures, primarily. I could see Liz’s Boggart taking a couple of different forms. Maybe a wounded animal in a cage. Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out what a Boggart would do for the more abstract fears...

Merula is one of the characters that I know exactly what her Boggart would be. At first it was Jacob’s Sibling. She feared them, felt intimidated by them. We know this - that was the real reason she locked them in a room with Devil’s Snare. She’s also envious of them - I wouldn’t be surprised if they played some role in her Erised vision as well. But post-Portrait Vault? Come on, we all know who her Boggart is. That seems almost like a given. You may be surprised that I’m not listing her mother, but Pre-Portrait Vault and post, I just don’t believe it would be. I’m not saying Mrs. Snyde is a good person or a good mother, but Merula seems to genuinely love and miss her. 

Chiara is different from Remus in that he hated himself for what he was. I don’t think that Chiara does. I think she has self-respect, but just because that’s true, it doesn’t mean the rest of the world respects her or would look at her with anything but fear and hatred if she shared her entire self. We see this with her trauma over what happened with Selina, and I think we have our answer right there. Young Selina, screaming and terrified when she saw Chiara’s transformation. We never got official confirmation that this was her Boggart, but it’s exactly the kind of thing that would be. It represents all of her insecurities. And sure, MC witnessing her transformation may have helped with that, but I don’t think for one second that it all went away. 

Talbott is another character who all but tells us what his Boggart would be. It’s said that many people who grew up during the First Wizarding War had Voldemort as their Boggart, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Talbott did. (Would make far more sense than MC having Voldemort as a Boggart, that’s for damn sure.) Or if not Voldemort himself, a Death Eater. Could also be his parents’ corpses. Hell, he said that they only found his parents because of the Animagus Registry. Suppose they were killed in animal form. Suppose his Boggart is a swan, lying slain and bloody. There are multiple forms it could take, but it’s crystal clear what Talbott fears the most. He fears the people who murdered his parents, and he fears that he’ll suffer the same fate and that they will have died for nothing.

Okay, I knew you were waiting for this one. Skye Parkin. Another character who’s anxieties are worn on her sleeves, pretty much blatantly. I’m not sure what form the Boggart would take. But it seems clear to me that she’s insecure about her own talent as a Quidditch player, not to mention her lack of social skills. She’s under tremendous pressure and she would have anxiety about not living up to that pressure. Would her Boggart take the shape of Ethan? Maybe. But similar to Merula, I’m not sure because at least on a conscious level, Skye doesn’t seem to realize that she fears him. The Boggart could just as easily take the shape of Rath. Either way, it would have quite a bit of fear to go on. 

Let’s talk about Jae. I’m not sure how canon this is but I’ve heard that the reason he’s dealing in Dark Artifacts is for the sake of his mother, and I really like that idea. It implies that there’s a lot more going on with him and with his family. I can only assume there’s no Dad in the picture. I can only assume that perhaps they aren’t doing that well financially. He can bond with Charlie over that. In any event, I think Jae’s biggest fear is his operations shutting down, that he might get caught or busted. Because he probably depends on this business to help his mother. Not sure what form that Boggart would take, perhaps Ministry wizards showing up to arrest him? Perhaps something to do with his mother? 

Ismelda. Oh Ismelda. Again, we all know what the source of her fear and her pain is. We all know her baggage. Then again, I think her reaction to her family has manifested more into hate, than actual fear. On the other hand, she seemed pretty scared when she thought Merula was going to ditch her for MC. I have to assume that, at one point, she desperately wanted her parents’ attention and feared that they would never love her, before she settled into bitter acceptance of that. I think Ismelda’s fear would look similar to Badeea’s, in that it would take the shape of Ismelda herself in the state that she fears - her being all alone with no one caring about her. Or maybe it would take the form of her sister, throwing this in her face.

Orion seems to value one thing more than anything or anyone else, and that is his family. He lost one family before, and now he has a new one in the form of his Quidditch team. I think he has an interesting perspective about them, and however odd his choices may be I think he’s fully invested in helping them and seeing them grow into the best people and players they can be. I wonder if the reason he’s hesitated to get too involved in the whole fiasco with Skye, is because he fears conflict? If so, I can relate to that. Or maybe he sees something that we don’t. Either way, I don’t think he’ll ever kick Skye off the team because she’s part of that family. His Boggart is probably something to do with his family, and serious harm coming to them. I’ve always speculated that his family died of natural causes. Maybe he fears his new family will dissipate in similar ways? The old fear of losing touch with people after everyone leaves school? Again, this is getting primarily into head-canons and I know I’ve rambled on, but I wonder if his Boggart wouldn’t be the members of his team, reuniting with him and barely remembering or caring about him...

I haven’t covered everyone, but with characters like say, Murphy and Diego and Andre, I have genuinely no idea what their Boggart would be. These are the characters that I’ve had ideas about for a while and I’m so glad I was able to share them, so thank you for that!

[aion-rsa]

The 21 Best Christmas Horror Movies

https://ift.tt/3lZGPFt

Technicolor lights are about to illuminate every other home in the neighborhood; carolers are marching through the streets; even that old tree in Rockefeller is shining brightly.

For some folks, that’s enough to make you want to grab an axe. But don’t do that. Watch demented men dressed as Santa Claus or a demon Krampus indulge your Anti-Christmas sentiments with maximum gore. Indeed, this list isn’t about the most charming, heartwarming, or schmaltzy Christmas viewing traditions. Nah, this is about the 20 grossest, nastiest, and all around most fun Christmas horror movies. The kind where the greatest gift you’re going to get on Christmas morning is escaping with your life and maybe some psychological triggers whenever you see jolly men in red suits.

Yep, these are the very best Christmas horror movies. Ho. Freaking. Ho.

Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

Almost certainly one of the sweetest, most positive, and upbeat Christmas movies on the list is this wonderful feel good musical romance from director John McPhail, which also happens to be a zombie movie. It follows a group of friends in a small Scottish town who are just about to finish school and are making plans for the future when a zombie outbreak lands. 

Incredibly catchy tunes which take inspiration from Buffy musical episode Once More With Feeling, mix with inventive festive kills – zombie snowman decapitation is a highlight – in a way that manages not to tonally jar. It’s mostly thanks to the super-likeable performances of the young cast, headed up by Ella Hunt, and the teenage troubles, romances, and heartbreak which form the backdrop of the movie. Paul Kaye also pops up as the school’s tyrannical headmaster – his musical numbers aren’t the best but he brings cartoon villain energy to an unusual but rather adorable Christmas horror that’s way better than you might expect.

– Rosie Fletcher

Better Watch Out (2016)

Home Alone is surely one of the most popular and iconic Christmas movies of all time, though it is not, of course, a horror. However, if it was, it would look something like Better Watch Out, a slick reinvention of the home invasion sub-genre. Olivia DeJonge plays babysitter Ashley, who attempts to protect her charge, 12-year-old Luke (Levi Miller), when they are threatened by intruders in his home. But all is not as it seems.

DeJonge and Miller spar beautifully in a movie which plays with gender and coming of age tropes and includes handfuls of gruesome set pieces, while Ed Oxenbould brings comic relief. This is clever, funny and gruesome stuff from director Chris Peckover which might not become a new Christmas tradition but should definitely be watched at least once.

– Rosie Fletcher

Black Christmas (1974)

Getting stabbed by a unicorn head to the tune of carolers singing “Silent Night” is probably not how you want to spend Christmas Eve. This pre-Scream holiday slasher claims its victims in a sorority house haunted by creepy phone calls (sans ghost mask), demonic noises, bodies eerily shrouded in plastic wrap, and one perverse killer whose voice alone is enough to freeze your blood.

Read more

TV

13 Craziest Interpretations of Santa Claus to Ever Slide Down a Chimney

By Daniel Kurland

Movies

17 Movies Secretly About Christmas You Need to Watch

By Mike Cecchini and 4 others

When an unidentified caller keeps harassing your entire sorority house with obscene things you can only half-understand (because he sounds like a deranged Donald Duck that laughs like the Joker), you should run even if it is 10 degrees outside. The blizzard of murders keeps raging with one victim dragged screaming by a hook, and another bludgeoned to death. Never mind the one suffocated by plastic wrap and left next to the window like the vacant face of a doll staring out into the night. You’ll hardly sleep in heavenly peace after this one.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

Christmas Evil (aka You Better Watch Out) (1980)

In his one and only film as writer/director, Lewis Jackson crafted a smart and clever black comedy that’s more character study than straight horror film. John Waters insists it’s a comedy about a closeted transvestite (of a sort), but it’s much more than that—it’s the Taxi Driver of Yuletide shockers. Brandon Maggart plays a man who takes Christmas way too seriously. His home is filled with bright holiday decorations all year-round while Christmas carols are playing on the stereo. Santa is his role model, a symbol of all that is good and just in the world. He even works at a toy factory.

He so identifies with Santa, he takes to spying on the neighbor kids, keeping his own carefully annotated naughty and nice lists. But when he recognizes the level of cynicism and hypocrisy among his co-workers, bosses, and the people around town as the most joyous time of the year approaches, well, he goes a little funny in the head. He reaches for the suit and beard and axe, determined to reward the good and punish the evil.

Maggart has since tried to desperately distance himself from the film, but he gives a remarkable performance here as a completely isolated figure with a head swimming with both joy and rage. In the end, the film remains king of the sub-subgenre. Screw It’s a Wonderful Life and Rudolph. Apart from Blast of Silence and Invasion U.S.A., Christmas Evil is the only holiday film I watch annually.

– Jim Knipfel 

A Christmas Horror Story (2015)

Admittedly, a number of horror-based Christmas movie have gone with the anthology angle for their storytelling. Hell, this isn’t even the only anthology film on this list. A Christmas Horror Story may not be on a lot of people’s radar, but it’s a worthy installment that goes to some unusual places purely because both the Christmas and anthology playgrounds have gotten so bloated at this point. This film also benefits from being executed by a cabal of directors who are responsible for directing some of the best horror movies to come out of Canada in passing years, such as Splice, the Black Christmas remake, and the Ginger Snaps trilogy.

A Christmas Horror Story deliciously uses a radio DJ (William Shatner) as the connective tissue that holds together the four stories that comprise the film. Parables on ghost possession, clone doppelgangers, Krampus, and zombie elves all get their due here. The film also has a pretty inspired ending that actually casts the picture in a whole new light. It’s got Santa Claus fighting Krampus. What’s not to like?

– Daniel Kurland 

Dead of Night (1945)

Never play hide and go seek in a house where someone was murdered. While it might be best known for Michael Redgrave’s night-terror-inducing ventriloquist dummy scene that sparked the phobia of possessed puppets, Dead of Night also invites you to a Christmas party with a spectral guest. Spacecase Sally’s genuine terror at realizing what she thinks she saw is what she really saw will forever have you second-guessing shadows creeping in the cold. 

Read more

Movies

New Netflix Christmas Movies in 2020 Ranked from Best to Worst

By Delia Harrington

Movies

Best Modern Horror Movies

By Don Kaye

What is obvious in this scene—encroaching darkness and shadows looming over what a place you know is haunted without ever having to hear the big reveal—is hardly as chilling as what is not so obvious until the truth silently materializes. The ghost of the little boy plays hide-and-seek with the other children as if warm blood courses through his veins. Unlike many stereotypical see-through phantoms of the era, this one doesn’t have that telltale translucence which would set off a chorus of screams. Being almost disturbingly normal is exactly what makes him so terrifying. 

– Elizabeth Rayne 

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Eyes Wide Shut was the non-denominational star at the top of Stanley Kubrick’s Christmas tree. Originally conceived as a Woody Allen vehicle, it almost starred Steve Martin after Allen insisted on reading the script from right to left. It is as much a cautionary tale as Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, bringing the whole family together with a different Christmas tree in almost every frame.  

Kubrick pours on the cheer from the opening sequence at the Christmas party where the first gifts are unwrapped, and oh boy are they unwrapped. Bill Harford, played by Tom Cruise, dives right into the muffled spirit of giving after he performs a more than charitable deed for the party’s host, played by Sydney Pollack.

Read more

Movies

A Christmas Carol: The Best and Worst Adaptations

By Robert Keeling

Movies

A24 Horror Movies Ranked From Worst to Best

By David Crow and 3 others

Harford spends most of the film looking for the perfect gift like a slow motion version of Jingle All the Way, rushing around from New York City’s famous toy repository FAO Schwartz to downtown specialty shops, to the suburbs, where he can find collectors’ editions. Cruise pays Harford like a wooden windup toy, and not a particularly cute one, either. In spite of all the colorful lights and trips above and below the rainbow, Harford just can’t get into the Christmas spirit. He’s not even moved by the uplifting seasonal tunings of “I Want a Boy for Christmas” by the Del-Vettes. He recovers his seasonal facilities while humming along to the chant during the climactic illuminati sex party, though! The song is actually “Here Comes Santa Claus” sung backwards in Latin, adding more menace to the proceedings than Silas Barnaby brought to Toyland in The March of the Wooden Soldiers.

– Tony Sokol 

Gremlins (1984)

Santa doesn’t exist… unless it’s your father in a red suit who met his untimely end trying to slide down the chimney with a sack of presents before getting stuck. Don’t tell that to the innocent bat-like ears of a harmless (for now) Mogwai. It’s exactly the kind of story you expect to hear while hunkering down in the shadows with a flashlight while a bunch of leathery green things with too many teeth ransack the neighborhood.

And as for Santa? That smell coming from the fireplace weeks later was no dead cat. Worst. Christmas story. Ever. 

Read more

Movies

Why Gremlins 2 Is Better Than the Original

By David Crow

Movies

20 Christmas Movies for Badasses

By Michael Reed

This movie should be on every hardcore horror fan’s holiday playlist just for the musical monstrosity of those reptilian things decked out in Santa hats and earmuffs singing “Deck the Halls” at the neighbors’ door, sheet music and all. This is continuing proof that animals have a sixth sense, because her yowling cat senses something off about the voices warbling “Joy to the World” outside. She’s right to have an aversion to Christmas carolers.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

Holidays (2015)

There have been so many holiday-themed horror films at this point—reaching Christmas and going far, far beyond that—so why not make an anthology film that takes that idea to the extreme? Holidays hits the expected staples such as Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day, but part of the fun here is how holidays with lesser expectations like Easter or St. Patrick’s Day deliver some truly horrifying content (seriously, the St. Patrick’s Day segment is disturbing, bonkers chaos).

The Christmas segment comes courtesy of Scott Stewart (Legion) and has Seth Green trying to survive the holiday as he attempts to get his son the perfect gift. Stewart’s installment feels very reminiscent of a Black Mirror episode with virtual reality, consumerism, and the dangers of mob mentality all playing their part here.

A lot of these anthology films also try to bank off of the name recognition and notoriety of the assembled directors, but Holidays proudly features a collection of mostly fresh faces (although Kevin Smith and Starry Eye’s Kevin Kolsch contribute segments). It’s fun to discover a bunch of new blossoming talents here.

– Daniel Kurland 

Jack Frost (1997)

This ain’t the cringeworthy father/son bonding vehicle starring Michael Keaton. No, this is the Jack Frost where the killer snowman’s nose functions as both a killing tool and a device to sexually assault his victims. All square? But hey, at the least the film isn’t afraid to ride its ridiculous premise as hard as possible.

First of all, an actual killer named Jack Frost crashes into a truck of “genetics material” that causes him to transform into this cold abomination in the first place. That sets the tone pretty nicely for the abundant murders, sex, and plot holes that plague the town of Snowmonton (yup). It’s hard to believe that this film got made, with all of the visuals being some real spectacles that you don’t typically see in the horror genre.

Read more

Sponsored

Hasbro Gift Guide: Best Hasbro Toys, Action Figures, and Games for the Holidays

By Chris Cummins

Movies

The 16 Best Winter Horror Movies

By Daniel Kurland and 3 others

Jack Frost is the perfect Christmas horror film to shut your brain off and watch, or the title that you should be selecting right in the middle of your deep eggnog haze. It’s utter nonsense, but it knows that it is and has tons of fun with itself. We need more talented individuals trying to tap into the killer snowman subgenre. There’s still a true classic waiting to come to life here.

– Daniel Kurland 

Krampus (2015)

Morbidly funny in its anti-holiday sarcasm and ridiculous demons, Krampus is like a mashup of the Griswolds, the Grinch, and every mythical beast that has ever been rumored to devour children on the naughty list. You’d rather get coal in your stocking than a killer jack-in-the-box jump scare… or find chilling hoof prints in the snow that are definitely not from Rudolph.

Krampus is one Yuletide monster actually worse than the Grinch. The grisly inspiration for this tale is a Germanic one about a hairy, horned, and cloven-hooved demon who stuffs naughty children in his sack and either beats them with a wooden switch or eats them (depending on who you ask). Also, his heart won’t grow three sizes from gorging on human flesh, either.

This version of Krampus is also hungry for anyone who’s lost their holiday spirit—whether or not you otherwise qualify for the nice list. Watch this with the lights off for the full effect of the power outage that works to the creature’s advantage as he goes hunting for holiday nonbelievers. Kids, don’t scorn Santa or Krampus will come to collect you.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

There are some of us who know this movie verbatim and to the point where we will shamelessly break out singing “This is Halloween” and raise Jack’s quasi-Shakespearean monologue from the dead even in the middle of July. Or keep warning people that tragedy’s at hand. Or correct anyone who says there are 365 days until next Halloween by growling “364!” The stop-motion animation saga of the talking skeleton turned “Sandy Claws” bewitched an entire generation of ‘90s kids. 

Even people who hate Halloween will stare with delight and awe when Jack’s skull bursts out of a snowdrift, and he first puts colored lights in his eye sockets and explores every “what’s this?” in Christmas Town like a spook in a coffin shop. You just can’t help but love the adventurous skeleton, even if he does end up making haunted houses out of people’s living rooms on Christmas Eve. Whether you’d rather be making Christmas with strangely somber carols, reanimated reindeer or toys that bite back, it’s now an officially unofficial holiday classic.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

P2 (2007)

On the sillier end of the Christmas horror spectrum comes P2, a film named after a section in a parking lot, starring Wes Bentley and Rachel Nichols. She’s a business woman trapped in a multi-story parking garage on Christmas Eve, he’s the insane Security Guard who’s obsessed with her and really wants her to try his festive eggnog, so to speak. 

Camp and gory, this is the directorial debut of Franck Khalfoun who would follow it up with a remake of Maniac. The movie was co-written by Alexandre Aja who made one of the greatest cat-and-mousers ever in Switchblade Romance. The set up is formulaic, perhaps, but the game performances and relentlessness of the action makes this worthwhile. And if that’s not enough check out a deranged Bentley dressed as Santa, for the angel on the top of the Christmas tree.

– Rosie Fletcher

Rare Exports (2010)

There couldn’t possibly be a more sinister place to search for Santa’s ancient burial mound than in the frigid depths of Lapland. It’s the same supposedly enchanted place Dick van Dyke hiked to in the search for Santa in an ‘80s musical Christmas special, except this time you won’t find him in a cozy cottage with stockings hung by the chimney with care. You won’t find the guy in red from the mall, but anything that takes a disembodied pig’s head as bait couldn’t possibly be jingle-belling on a sleigh with eight tiny reindeer, especially when he seems to have a ravenous appetite for said reindeer. 

This time, “the spirit of the season” is literally the most malicious Christmas spirit that has ever terrorized the Yuletide. Even if you watch the whole thing in Finnish and don’t understand a word except the screaming, the ghost of the child in you that really did believe there was a guy in the North Pole will be forever traumatized. This glaze-eyed zombie incarnation of Mr. Claus doesn’t laugh like a bowl full of jelly. You better watch out, indeed.

– Elizabeth Rayne

Santa Claws (1996)

You do have to wonder what happened to John Russo along the line. 30 years after co-writing Night of the Living Dead, he came up with this decidedly sleazy but sadly unoriginal wonderment, which was much more focused on boobs than Yuletide butchery. In what by that point had become a battered cliché of the Slasher Santa subgenre, a young boy named Wayne (Grant Kramer) sees his mom having sex with a man wearing a Santa hat (!), and so murders them both. I’m not exactly sure how this transference would work in Freudian terms, but when he gets older, he a) becomes obsessed with a low-budget scream queen named Raven (played by low-budget scream queen Debbie Rochon) and b) decides he’s Santa.

As you might imagine, stalking someone when you’re wearing a Santa suit is no mean feat, but Wayne gives it his best shot. Most of the film, however, focuses on Raven and her extended family as she gets undressed a lot and wonders not only why that creep in the Santa suit keeps showing up everywhere, but why everyone around her keeps dying in a particularly bloody fashion. It can feel like there are two films going on here, a by-the-numbers stalker/slasher movie and a holiday horror film, which leaves me thinking Russo had one of them in mind, but after some eight-year-old smarty-pants came up with that clever “Santa Claws” pun, well, he just had to run with it.

– Jim Knipfel

Santa’s Slay (2005)

Christmas can sure scare the Dickens out of people. Hence why you can’t not watch a holiday horror flick in which Santa is the Antichrist, sentenced to 1,000 years of delivering gifts after losing a curling match with an angel, and played by former pro wrestler Bill “Who’s Next?” Goldberg.

As the only son of Satan (you know what they say about rearranging the letters in that name) whose grim legend is immortalized in the Book of Claus, he can now at last spread Christmas fear with weapons, karate kicks, hand grenades, exploding presents, and his own perverse idea of what “Ho ho ho” should really mean. Them’s the breaks once the bet’s terms are done.

Read more

Movies

MST3K: A Christmas Episodes Guide for Mystery Science Theater 3000

By Gavin Jasper

TV

Christmas in The Twilight Zone: Revisiting Night of the Meek

By Arlen Schumer

Santa’s methods of murder are fiendishly festive—to say the least. There is no naughty or nice list when it comes to an insatiable appetite for violence. He even knocks out poseurs in red suits and drives a sleigh with a rocket engine like it’s the Batmobile. Mall Santas everywhere are shaking in their pleather boots.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Naughty children get punished with more than just a stocking full of coal in this Christmas chiller. Just the opening scene with all those empty-eyed animatronic toys haunting a window display after-hours should tell you that this is not a movie that’s going to end in visions of sugarplums. Forget that it’s supposed to be the season of all things magical. Those things can be more terrifying than every single plastic skeleton and gaping zombie mask you’ll ever see in a haunted house around Halloween.

You’d better watch out for that psycho in the red suit who grabs a hatchet off the wall as if it was his bag full of toys and packs an automatic pistol in his fur-lined pocket, murdering misbehaving kids he’s been watching undercover of shadow. This sadistic Santa clearly doesn’t believe in sliding down chimneys—and the only red he’s interested in wearing is the blood of innocents. If that won’t convince you to stay awake because he sees you when you’re sleeping, you must be Freddie Krueger.

– Elizabeth Rayne

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

Three years after the shit-storm sparked by the original’s ad campaign, some smart cookie decided a sequel was necessary. A tough call there, given most all the principals were killed off pretty thoroughly the first time around, but still, right?

But there was money to be made, so they brought in an untested director (Lee Harry), a mostly untested crew, and a cast of mostly non-professional actors. After a half-dozen writers took a swipe at the script, they came up with a confounding but tepid rehash of the first film. This time around, and mostly in flashback, we learn that after the first killer Santa was sloppily dispatched at the end of Part 1, his brother Ricky becomes determined to uncover what went wrong.

Read more

Movies

9 Jolly Santa Slasher Movies

By Jim Knipfel

TV

100 Best Christmas TV Episodes of All Time

By Wesley Mead

He pays a visit to the sadistic Mother Superior at the Catholic asylum where his brother had been kept, and before you can say “ho ho ho,” Ricky ends up donning the red and white suit himself to do a little rampaging, though without nearly half of his brother’s imagination. They even used the same fucking poster design, just slapped a “2” on it. I guess hoping they might raise the same sort of ruckus the first one had. Sadly, it was too late for that.

– Jim Knipfel 

Sint (2010)

Dutch director Dick Maas took some early steps toward Krampus territory with his re-imagining of the legend of the warm-hearted Saint Nick. Borrowing heavily from earlier Italian, Spanish, and American horror films, as well as Danish folklore, “Sinterklaas” here was actually a bloodthirsty medieval murderer and all around brute who oversaw a savage reign of terror. Finally fed up with all his nonsense, the ornery local villagers banded together on the night of Dec. 5 and lynched him. As per tradition, however, in the moments before he died Sinterklaas vowed vengeance from beyond the grave, promising to return every 32 years on that very night to do bad and icky things to the villagers’ descendants.

Over the centuries, the story was mainstreamed and soft-pedaled, becoming part of the local folklore. The character of Saint Nick became much more benevolent and child-friendly so as not to scare the wee folk. Then, well, wouldn’t you know it? That anniversary creeps around again, Sinterklaas is true to his word, and Amsterdam turns all bloody, leaving it up to an intrepid teenager named Frank to put a stop to the mayhem.

Read more

Movies

The Best Christmas Movie Soundtracks of All Time

By Ivan Radford

TV

The Twilight Zone Marathon: A History of a Holiday Tradition

By Arlen Schumer

A stylish, wicked, and hugely entertaining take on the darker history of a beloved legend. It was also the top grossing film in Denmark in 2010, which either says something about the Danish film industry or the Dutch themselves.

– Jim Knipfel

Tales From the Crypt: And All Through the House (1972)

The Crypt Keeper first emerged as a ghoulish EC Comics horror host in the pages of Tales From the Crypt who crawled onto the big screen in this horror anthology, welcoming unknowing tourists to his catacombs with bony arms open. What the tourists don’t know is that they’re all recently deceased. The invite is to a subterranean story-time in which he unearths the gruesome details of their deaths with a gap-toothed grin. Creatures are obviously stirring when killer wife Joanne is stalked by a homicidal Santa in this warped homage to ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas titled (appropriately enough) “… And All Through the House.”

So it is that “O Come All Ye Faithful” is interrupted while playing on the radio by a scratchy warning of a homicidal maniac run amok. And wouldn’t you just know it, this occurs right as Joan Collins is offing her husband with a shot to the head—and then realizes she has to dismember the body before cashing in on his life insurance. Her blissfully naïve daughter lets the killer jolly old elf in, shrieking that Santa finally came before he erupts into psychopathic rage. Clement C. Moore must be turning in his grave.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

The Wolf of Snow Hollow

Certainly less purely Christmas-y than other entries on this list, The Wolf of Snow Hollow is nonetheless a wintry delight set during the holiday season. Carols play ominously in the background during key moments, and the immaculately snowy white setting of Snow Hollow, Utah is broken only by splashes of color from lights on homes and Christmas trees. Oh yes, and the blood of the titular werewolf’s victims.

Read more

Movies

The Wolf of Snow Hollow Review: A Quirky Werewolf Movie

By Don Kaye

Movies

13 Must-See Werewolf Movies

By Mike Cecchini

Jim Cummings’ film is heavy on cozy, ski town holiday atmosphere without leaning on its actual Christmastime setting at all. But good werewolf movies are a rare breed indeed these days, and a werewolf movie set at Christmas? Well…now you know what to watch when the moon is full each December

Mike Cecchini

Got any other suggestions for Christmas horror movies that we missed? Let us know in the comments!

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post The 21 Best Christmas Horror Movies appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2Jwjb4Q

[rudra-writes]

A Disappearance

It was O’ndanya Liza’s opinion that rolanberry tarts were always delicious. Furthermore, the ones Barnaby Wyznfarr baked were, in a word, sublime.

Not that she thought the one that had been cooling on the counter had really been meant for her. But what did Barnaby expect? Surely he didn’t think it would still be there when he came home, as long as she was crashing at his apartment?

She’d had a good turn of fortune, and she knew it. She’d first encountered Barnaby when she’d tried to burglarize his home, a moon ago now. Covered with grime and wearing dirty, torn shreds for clothing, it had been plain to see O’ndanya was one of Ul’dah’s many homeless urchins. He’d caught her in the act, and although she’d hissed and scratched him several times in the encounter, he’d shown compassion towards her.

Now, she sat on his bed, wearing clean clothes Barnaby had bought for her out of his own coinpurse, her pink hair and fluffy tail silky clean. She hummed to herself with pleasure while her tail swished over the duvet, polishing off the last of the tart with a noisy burp.

She’d finished it off not a second too soon. She heard the front door open and shut. A moment later, the hulking form of the roegadyn trudged into the room.

His great shoulders slouched, and his face looked distraught about something.

O’ndanya burped again, louder this time, then hopped down on all fours to brush against Barnaby’s leg. She was only thirteen, and her ability to move like a coeurl was something Barnaby hadn’t seen among miqo’te before. He guessed that perhaps it was something their children sometimes did, that they outgrew as adults.

“Ni-ahh! Did you bring me something to eat?” O’ndanya serenaded, as she wound about his leg. “Look how hungry I am, Barnaby; I am withering away!”

Barnaby turned towards her, his brows furrowed in a picture of worry. He sighed, slowly sinking down into a chair.

O’ndanya blinked at him. Deciding to make herself even more of a pest, she leaped into his lap, brushing his face with the end of her tail. “You’re frowny today. That isn’t fun,” she complained.

Barnaby sighed again, trying to push the end of her tail out of his face. “O’ndanya, something’s come up.” He pressed his lips together, trying to think of how to explain what had happened to a 13-year-old. “A friend of mine… C’arli’s... gone missing.”

“Missing? Now why would she do that?” The miqo’te child pouted at Barnaby, as if this were all his fault. “Maybe she just got tired of everyone else, and wanted a break? I know I don’t always want to be found.”

“No, it’s… complicated.” Barnaby rubbed a hand over his face. “She feels responsible for a death. This person that died, was someone very important, to someone important to her.”

“She killed someone?” O’ndanya’s feline ears perked up with interest, and she grinned. “She must be really strong!”

“Oh, she is. And this was a wartime death. Even if she was responsible, she must know deep down that she shouldn’t blame herself for it.” He sighed, his expression weary. “...I’ve been making inquiries all over Ul’dah… If… If I had been a more supportive friend, or if I’d been more attentive… Maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

Barnaby crossed his legs, looking sad. “I hadn’t… been spending much time around her. But there was a reason for that, and I believed it to be for the best. If I’d known what she was going through… That she struggled with something like this…”

His voice trailed off, and he stared vacantly at the wall.

O’ndanya considered her friend’s words. “You already do so much,” she replied slowly, her tail twitching. “I’m sure she knows how much you care about her. How much her other friends care.”

The miqo’te pawed at Barnaby’s cheek. “I think you’re worrying too much. Maybe C’arli had a bad day. Maybe she needed time to think about things alone. Maybe she’ll come back when it’s the right time. If she can kill someone, then she can handle things by herself?”

“Yes.” Barnaby smiled slightly. “Of that, I have no doubt.”

The Hellsguard looked a little more at-ease. He brought his feet underneath him, and rose from his chair. O’ndanya hopped off his lap, accompanying him as he went into the kitchen.

The tart he had baked earlier was conspicuously missing. Barnaby frowned at O’ndanya reproachfully. “That wasn’t meant for you.”

“Ha ha ha!” O’ndanya laughed at him ruthlessly. “Then who was it meant for, ni-ah?”

Barnaby looked to be about at the end of his patience. “That isn’t any of your concern, you imp. Off with you, now!”

He waved her off, O’ndanya giggling madly as she vanished from his sight.

[lins-fandom-hub]

HPHM Profile: Clara Lin

Template by @hogwartsmystory​

Identity

Name: Clara Xing-Hui Lin (林星慧）

Gender: Female

Age: 17 as of May 31, 1990

Birth Date: April 25, 1973

Species: Human

Blood Status: (Pureblood, Half-Blood, Muggleborn)

Half-Blood? Both her parents are Muggleborn and were chosen by magical institutions to study magic.

Sexuality: Heterosexual.

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Ethnicity: Chinese

Nationality: English? She’s born in England after all.

Residence: Oxford, England

Myer Briggs Personality Type: ESTJ

The Mage

1st Wand: Acacia wood with Unicorn Hair, 12 inches, pliable

A very unusual wand wood, which I have found creates tricky wands that often refuse to produce magic for any but their owner, and also withhold their best effects from all but those most gifted. This sensitivity renders them difficult to place, and I keep only a small stock for those witches or wizards of sufficient subtlety, for acacia is not suited to what is commonly known as ‘bangs-and-smells’ magic. When well-matched, an acacia wand matches any for power, though it is often underrated due to the peculiarity of its temperament.

2nd Wand: Ebony wood with Dragon Heartstring, 11 and a quarter inches

This jet-black wand wood has an impressive appearance and reputation, being highly suited to all manner of combative magic, and to Transfiguration. Ebony is happiest in the hand of those with the courage to be themselves. Frequently non-conformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of outsider, ebony wand owners have been found both among the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix and among the Death Eaters. In my experience the ebony wand’s perfect match is one who will hold fast to his or her beliefs, no matter what the external pressure, and will not be swayed lightly from their purpose.

Animagus: Chinese Li Hua (a type of tabby cat found in China)

Misc Magical Abilities: (Legilimen, Seer, Parselmouth, Obscurial, ect)

In the canon story, Clara is a born Legilimens, first practising the art with a wand and under Snape’s tutelage before perfecting the art on her own time without the pressure of the final Curse on Hogwarts and without a wand. It made reading the minds of her family much easier, especially when it came to how they felt about Jacob’s return and the downfall of the Lin reputation all those years ago. In a way, she tried to use it for good.

Boggart Form: 

Considering that Clara’s got as many fears as the typical human being, it could take the form of knives coming her way, or a puddle of blood turning into a torrential flood around her ankles. But her biggest fear, and hence her Boggart, was hearing her friends and family say that she was hopeless, worthless, and useless. Backstabbers, to put it concisely. Her Boggart would be in the form of her friends and people she trusted coming in at her, spitting out those words she didn’t want to hear.

Riddikulus Form: 

If said Boggart appears before her, Riddikulus would make their tongues all tied and saying such pure nonsense that it’d make her laugh. Why would she feel bad about imagining them affected with the Tongue Tying Curse, anyway? They’re not real.

Amortentia: (What do they smell like?)

If anyone was to smell Clara’s scent, they’d smell jasmine, burning wood, and a hint of orange juice. Okay, don’t ask about the orange juice. Something citrussy goes well with something sweet.

Amortentia: (What do they smell?)

Clara would smell petrichor, fresh linens, and an aromatic sort of wood--pine, maybe? Not sure? Something that calls her to the woods.

(*cough cough* totally not *cough* Barnaby’s *cough* scent *cough*)

Patronus: 

Clara’s Patronus is a unicorn--a pure creature with a sole intent to protect, it can outrun any danger and face it head on.

Patronus Memory: 

You mean her happiest memory? Seeing the stars one summer with Jacob and her little sister, Em, one summer. Feeling the close ties of her siblings was what made her happy.

Mirror of Erised: 

In the past, she would have seen herself surrounded by all the people she loved, just being happy together. This image used to include Rakepick until she revealed her true colours in the Buried Vault--since then, her image had been forcefully shunned.

Following certain events in year 6 that caused Clara to lose her friend, the reflection had now changed to an image of Clara and Rowan, both sitting together and laughing together like they used to in old times. The sight of their smiles would have been enough for Clara to just sit in front of the mirror without any sense of time. If only she could have done something to save her best friend...her tree twin...

Specialized/Favourite Spells:

Reparo (and yes, she is fully aware that this does not heal a broken heart)

Incendio

Stupefy

Protego

Appearance

Faceclaim: N/A

**I haven’t thought of a face claim at all when making Clara, as she’s literally based off of me, appearance and personality wise. So we’ll say I’m her face claim? Though I’m not that comfortable allowing a picture of myself to circulate around Tumblr, so I’m going to leave this part out.

Height: 5′7″

Weight: I mean, she’s not overweight but not underweight? Does that count?

Physique: Somewhat slender figure, overall an average build

Eye Colour: Dark brown

Hair Colour: Black

Skin Tone: Pale

Body Modifications: N/A. She does wear glasses, though.

Scarring: N/A

Inventory: (what do they carry on them?)

a lucky Knut from her sister

her textbooks

her quills

her ink

two silk bookmarks

her wand

a couple pieces of miscellaneous candy

Allegiances

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor

Ilvermorny House: Pukwudgie

Affiliations/Organizations:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Gryffindor House)

Auror Office, Ministry of Magic, London

Chinese Wizarding Task Force, Beijing

Professions:

Auror

Free-lance Magizoologist

Free-lance Curse-Breaker

Free-lance pianist/musician

Hogwarts Information

Class Proficiencies:

Astronomy: E

Charms: O

DADA: O

Flying: E

Herbology: E

History of Magic: E

Potions: O

Transfiguration: O

Electives: Care of Magical Creatures (O), Divination (A), Arithmancy (E)

Quidditch: Gryffindor Chaser from year 3 to year 6 at Hogwarts

Extra Curricular: 

Frog Choir

Music Club

Duelling Club (on occasion)

Favourite Professors:

Professor Minerva McGonagall

As Head of Gryffindor House, Clara looks up to her a lot and always turns to her for troubling issues arising. Well, it wasn’t solely based on the fact that she’s Head of Gryffindor that she felt so connected with her. She had a strict air but it was not always for the worst circumstances. In some ways she reminded her of her mom. 

Professor Filius Flitwick

As Jacob really loved Professor Flitwick, Clara always tried her best to make Flitwick proud of her Charms work. In a way, though, she always felt like he was encouraging her to do her best every time, almost the same way Jacob might have if he was still present with her. Besides, Flitwick was an insightful person when it came to certain magical phenomena she didn’t understand.

Least Favourite Professors:

Professor Sybill Trelawney

There was something a little off about the way Trelawney presented herself to her Divination class, and honestly it made Clara question her legitimacy in her pursued arts. However, she did well not to question it openly, as she knew Trelanwney would do more than challenge her.

Professor Severus Snape

She knew she could trust him, but his sullen disposition still scares her and makes her very wary about him. Truly, she couldn’t find herself entrusting him with even the most serious of her secrets and problems. Nothing good would come out of their interactions, even if he did show a sliver of care for the girl.

Relationships

Brother: Jacob Pan-Hui Lin

Jacob Lin is her closest sibling and the one person she knew she would always stand by no matter what. After all, they were close when they were kids, despite him being 6 years older than MC.

In the olden days, he used to tease her a lot on her potential music career. It wasn’t bad, of course--just something for lighthearted fun.

Jacob’s known to be quite the fashionable neat wizard in his old days. He was really picky about what he wore and how his hair looked before heading out for the day. Eventually those thoughts faded away with time.

When he attended Hogwarts, Jacob was Sorted into Gryffindor.

Most of his time at Hogwarts was a mystery, but few people who came in after his expulsion knew that he wrote in a private notebook, had a chamber where he sorted all his information and gathered clues about the Cursed Vaults, and left in his wake a rather...interesting mix of emotions.

Jacob didn’t want to be a Curse-Breaker at first, but the Cursed Vaults kept luring him in that direction until he eventually accepted its calling. Well, with severe consequences, of course. 

Misc Siblings:

Little Sister: Emily Wen-Hui Lin

Emily, often nicknamed little Em by the two older siblings, is 5 years younger than MC. She was very young when Jacob disappeared, thus she had very little memories of her brother.

There were only a few moments little Em could remember when her parents were actually peaceful and at ease. Most of their time, though, was spent fighting, and...well...let’s just say she tried to ease the rifts but with no luck.

When she eventually entered Hogwarts, while her older sister is in sixth year, she got Sorted into Hufflepuff, making her the only sibling in the family to be Sorted in a different house apart from both her siblings.

Upon her graduation, Em went on to become a professional herbologist and potioneer, working closely with Penny and Chiara in her endeavours

Father: Sueh-Yen Lin

Sueh-Yen was born in China and attended Mahoutokoro at the age of 7. Following the end of his magical education he began to pursue his passions in herbology in London, where he met Clara’s mother, Renee Tao. After he became a family man, he began to work as a landscaper, helping other people design and nurture their gardens both Muggle and magical. Following Clara’s fourth year, he began to work at the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes.

Mother: Renee Lin (nee Tao)

Renee was born and raised in America, attending Ilvermorny and being sorted into the Horned Serpent house. While she was at school she developed an interest in psychology and the mind, and so she began to take up studies in such areas and continued to branch her studies further after her graduation. She attended a Muggle university in England then, majoring in psychology, and eventually she met Clara’s father. She began to write books for both Muggle and wizarding communities after she became a mother, her topics focusing on proper child discipline for parents. Following Clara’s fourth year, she also took up work at the Ministry of Magic, in the same department as her husband.

Love Interest: Barnaby Lee

Before Clara’s third year, Barnaby was an insignificant student whose name had been mentioned once or twice by her peers. Then she knew of him in his third year, and at first they couldn’t stand each other. At least, Clara couldn’t stand him. Eventually they warmed up to each other through an uneasy, almost awkward, interaction in the Three Broomsticks following a duel. Well, you can find all the information on their relationship here. 

Best Friends: Rowan Khanna, Penny Haywood, Nymphadora Tonks, Tulip Karasu, Jae Kim, Charlie Weasley, Diego Caplan, Liz Tuttle, Badeea Ali

Rival: Merula Snyde

Enemy: Rakepick, R, Voldemort

Dormmates: Rowan Khanna, three other female Gryffindors

Pets: Clara was allowed to take Wagner (her owl) and her cat (Chopin) home after every year at school. As for the other pets in her dormitory, she would give them all to Hagrid every year before leaving Hogwarts for the summer.

Closest Canon Friends: 

Rowan Khanna

Nymphadora Tonks

Penny Haywood

Tulip Karasu

Charlie Weasley

Closest MC Friends: 

Sarahi Silvers (@dat-silvers-girl)

Aleksia Aries (@aleksia-aries-hogwartsmystery)

Aisilng Baskerville (@elefseija)

Helene Adler (@heleneplays)

Carewyn Cromwell (@carewyncromwell)

Kyril Vasiley (@kyril-hphm​)

Cato Reese (@catohphm​)

Xia Howlett (@ljthebard1​)

Katriona Cassiopeia (@mcnullychaser​)

Montague Donohue (@montaguehphm​)

Septimus Crowe (@brothergrimm71​)

That’s all for now unless you want me to add your MC to the list...

Flavio Ceccere (@sirfluffig​)

Alvina Arcane-Zheng ( @oneirataxia-girl )

Background/History

Born on April 25, 1973, Clara was surrounded by love from her first cry

Okay, well, you know how it is--babies cry the instance they’re born, so don’t shun me for saying this

Clara first witnessed her parents’ occupations watching them work at home when she was young. She always loved interacting with the plants whenever she helped her dad in the family garden, and she saw her mom’s growing success with her expertise on child discipline translated into writing

When her little sister was born, Clara and Jacob both loved her dearly, but as she was too young at the time they relied on each other for many things

Clara began to take up playing the piano when she was around four years old--she first learned from a teacher just down the street for about five years, then she continued learning on her own

Her interest peaked when she was young and she saw some street musicians performing on the streets. She took up said instrument as a hobby, and eventually developed a gift for music through her education.

Clara got glasses when she was seven years old due to prolonged exposure to tiny notes on the paper. Yes, that’s a valid reason for people to get glasses. Since then, she had to go to yearly eye appointments every summer just to make sure her eyesight isn’t getting worse.

Jacob went to Hogwarts, and soon Clara saw his transformation due to his slow growing obsession with the Cursed Vaults

Eventually, when Jacob went missing in the beginning of June 1984, it was the family’s last straw

Clara’s parents both began to row over every single little thing now, leaving poor Em almost traumatized and scared of arguments

Em had been told at the time that Jacob was on vacation, thus she didn’t understand why her parents were arguing so much

Clara’s mother had resigned from writing another book after Jacob’s disappearance, having received so many negative reviews from critics (and she had been bombarded by owls with such slander)

The family gardens almost completely wilted in her father’s negligence, and had it not been for little Em the garden would have withered completely

The events of Hogwarts Mystery unfolded

Following Clara’s graduation, she began to work as an Auror in training alongside Tonks and Talbott

She and Barnaby, her love interest, got a place of their own, where they lived happily for a while

Three years into living together, Barnaby and Clara got engaged

In the summer of 1995, shortly before their initial wedding, Clara was called away for about a year and a half to China

The dark wizards expelled from Mahoutokoro have now started their own band and began to infiltrate most of China by the time Voldemort had risen once more. Clara was dispatched to Beijing, China, at her own will, and with the help of some other wizards and witches in the group they trained together and began to take down these Japanese foes

During this time, Clara stayed with her maternal grandmother (her grandfather passed away during her fifth year), occasionally visiting her paternal grandmother once in a while to make sure everything there was okay

The training with this task force was very different from her training as an Auror given the circumstances. Clara had to learn to work not only with her wand, but also in martial arts (notably taichi, taekwondo, and kung fu). She was also given a magic carpet to travel from one place to another in place of her broom.

Clara only returned to the United Kingdom when she heard of Dumbledore’s death, and attended his funeral. However, she had to return to China shortly after as the dark forces there got so strong that the task force could not hold them back without her. 

Clara returned to the UK once and for all on May 1, 1998, and fought alongside her friends in the Battle of Hogwarts and survived. She married Barnaby following the end of the war, but not before they and their surviving friends first paid tribute to the fallen.

The Chinese Wizarding Task Force disbanded upon Voldemort’s fall.

They eventually had three children--Melvin and Milo (twin boys) and Sylvia--and they lived in peace ever since.

Personality

Clara’s a very well-rounded person who understands that life is all about taking risks and making mistakes along the way

Okay, well maybe one shouldn’t solely focus on making mistakes. She just acknowledges that not every person is made perfect and so she embraces everyone’s different personalities, understanding every flaw that made them who they are.

She’s analytical in many circumstances, always stepping carefully in every interaction and situation to avoid any sudden flares of attacks

She’s studious in academics, and friendly around many people, to put it in short

She won’t hesitate to help anyone, but if they knew they lied, she could never find it in her to forgive them

If someone tries to double cross her, though, she’d get really angry and wouldn’t hesitate to show her opponents how powerful she could be.

Misc

Clara’s not a very good cook. It wasn’t until her detention in fifth year when she was asked to make a simple sandwich, and from there she began to work on her rough cooking talents--almost none when she first started, and still basic when she left, but it was enough for her to sustain a simple meal.

Professor McGonagall gave Clara a room for her to practice piano at Hogwarts if things became too stressful. Not many people stumble upon this room except for one particularly curious person...

Though Clara’s dorm was decked in red, her favourite colour was actually purple. And blue. No, she couldn’t choose between the two.

Clara would always have a mug by her bedside so that whenever she had a nightmare she would make herself a mug of hot chocolate (and yes, in the middle of the night--don’t ask)

Clara could speak somewhat fluent Mandarin. She eventually continued to hone that skill when she was in Beijing working with the Chinese Wizarding Task Force.

More facts to come...

[swimwriter]

Bathbombs and Soaps

Pairing: Charlie Weasley x Reader

Warnings: None

Notes: None

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This is agony. A total disaster. How are you supposed to decide? There are literally thousands of options! And you must find the perfect one. Nothing else will do!

Maybe the one with lavender? But then again, he is not exactly a lavender person.

Rosemary? Or is that too cliché? But it has a nice, earthy scent and that is more his thing.

Mint? No, that is just implying things you do not want to imply, especially with the prank and the reason you are standing in this shop anyway.

So what? What’s it gonna be? This is so stressful, not even the choice of a dress for the ball was this nerve-wracking.

Then again, there Andre only gave you three options and now you are here, in front of this wall full of soaps and don’t know which to pick. This is the wo-

“What are you doing?” You jump up on the spot, freeze in mid-air and almost fall flat on your face. Penny is standing behind you, smiling bemused and behind her, you can see Barnaby standing in front of the bath bombs with what looks suspiciously like a full mouth and foam coming out of it. You flush a bright red and avoid her eyes as best as you can. She bends down until she can look at your face again.

“Hello, earth to our resident infamous curse-breaker. What are you doing here?” She smiles, brightly, or as brightly as she can muster with the weight of her sister being trapped in a portrait on her shoulders. You mumble something and shuffle on your feet. Penny leans in your direction.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

“I said I am searching for a gift for Charlie!” A few people turn in your direction and give you a funny look before going back to their own shopping. Barnaby saunters over to you, looking entirely too innocent. Penny smiles at you, a little bigger now.

“Is it because of that rumour about you letting loose a horde of frogs in the prefect’s bathroom and him getting caught in it?”

“It was frog spawn soap. A lot. A whole lot, oh Penny! I was so hoping it would be someone I can’t stand but it had to be Charlie. How is he ever gonna forgive me for this?” You bury your face in your hands and are this close to just hex a hole into the ground to swallow you up.

“I thought you already had your explanations and forgiveness done?” Barnaby cocks his head to the side and uses the back of his hand to swipe some foam from the corner of his mouth. You give a frustrated sigh and nod your head.

“Yeah, but I want to do something nice for him, as an additional apology.” Penny gives you a sly little grin.

“Also, because she likes him.” If it is possible, you get a shade darker. Your affection for the younger Weasley is very apparent, at least to all your friends. Well, except himself. And you are not exactly a forward person with your innermost feelings.

Barnaby makes a gesture to the bath bombs behind him.

“You know, they have ones that are shaped like dragon eggs, I bet he’d enjoy this.” You had already seen those and almost bought them, before you remembered that he would actually have to bathe with those and that was just a recipe for unwanted memories. So, you got stuck with the soaps.

But Penny was already shaking her head and looked to be deep in thought, before her face practically began to glow with how much she was smiling.

“I have an idea! But it might take time to get it right and a lot of trial an error, are you up for it?” There was a determined look on her face, but it was Penny, you would trust her with your life. And were this close to losing your shit, you would try about anything at this point. So, you nodded, and she stepped next to you.

“First, we are finally gonna choose one of those. Don’t worry about the shape, just think about the scent. What do you think he’d like?” She gives you an encouraging smile and you slump your shoulders.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out for the last hour.” It’s a little pathetic to think that you already spent an entire hour stuck here because you can’t decide. Barnaby nudges your shoulder.

“It’s not that complicated. What smells good? What reminds you of him? Things like that, like this one for example.” He picks up the rosemary scented one that you toyed with earlier and you make a vague gesture with your hand. It is good, but not quiet right.

“I think we can rule out sugary sweet things. But herbs and the like? That is a good starting point.” And so your two friends help you spend an entire afternoon in a magic shop that sells actual bath bombs, soaps that change colour and never-ending shampoo to find the perfect one to give to the redhead whom you gave the shock of his life.

*********

A few days later you are sitting in an abandoned bathroom, a small cauldron and a fire lit underneath in front of you. Next to you lie a semi-sharp knife, a nice wooden box and a variety of earlier tries that did not go as perfect as you hoped. Penny sits down next to you with another batch of melted and then reshaped soap and hands you the oval containers.

“My mother used to do this as little gifts for all her friends. She’d either make soap or just melt it and then press it into other shapes or cut them to a certain size.” And so here you were, trying (and failing) to make the forest scented soap look like a miniature dragon egg. It was more complicated than it should have been. You already nicked your hand more times than you can count and so far have produced one decent egg.

You carefully crack open the first container, take out the soap and grab the knife lying next to you. Carefully, you start making scale-like shapes in the soap, modelled after the picture of the egg of a Hungarian Horntail in the book lying next to you. This one seems to be a decent one as well and you are almost finished, when a voice asks, “What are you doing?” behind your back. Shocked, you almost jump up and drop the fake egg which chips when it smashes into the ground. Duncan is floating behind you and looking over the little station you and Penny have set up with great interest.

“Trying not to drop the soap when ghosts scare us!”, is what you throw back at him, a little miffed, while Penny swings her wand and the fruit of your labour is whole once more. Duncan has the decency to look a little sheepish, but then he tilts his head to the side and narrows his eyes.

“Why are you making soap?”

“It’s a present”

“For who?”

“I think you can guess.” He thinks for a moment before his mouth drops open in an exaggerated ‘O’ and his eyes widen.

“It’s for the redhead! Your unwilling victim of the frog spawn soap!”

“Correct.” You concentrate on the soap in front of you again, putting the finishing touches on it and setting it to the other one into the small box. Two out of three done. Duncan floats next to you with an interested look on his face.

“Why are they shaped like this?” he asks and tries to poke one of the eggs. You sigh and carefully extract the next one.

“It’s because he likes dragons, it’s practically all he talks about like, 80 percent of the time. He wants to work with them when he is through with school-“

“And she has a huge crush on him.” Penny throws in with a grin and you drop your head into your hands.

“Do you have to say that to everyone?” is what you mumble miserably, and she pats you on your back. Duncan’s head shoots up and he gives you a little grin, the one that you have seen before and that promises nothing good.

“Do you want me to get him? I’ll go get him! Charlie was it, right?” And before you can get a word in edgewise, he floats out at the speed of light, leaving you dumbstruck and Penny giggling.

“This is my nightmare. This is how I die!” you mumble and are contemplating how much work it would be to flush yourself down the toilet. Your blonde friend just gives you a clap on the shoulder.

“It won’t be that bad. How is the last one coming along?” With that you remember the object in your hand and start laying into it you’re your knife. The carving gets easier each time you try and by now the first few rows of scales get done quickly and beautifully, it’s the more delicate part an the top where they get smaller that you still have some problems with. And wile you try to make this one as perfect as possible, Penny leaving. You don’t notice the door opening again minutes later and footsteps approaching. What you do notice is someone leaning over your shoulder and therefore right next to your face.

“These look really realistic,” Charlie smiles, and you manage to cut yourself again! Seriously, what is it with you and sharp objects? He immediately curses and digs through his pockets to find a handkerchief and wraps it around your palm.

“Are you okay? Bloody hell, that looks like it hurts!” He exclaims and then stops when he notices all the other cuts on your hand. He gingerly takes it into his palm and turns it over to inspect all the other injuries.

“How did you manage to get so many of them?”

“I am not good with sharp objects. Jacob always made fun of me saying I shouldn’t even be allowed to eat with a fork and has never let me forget it.” You admit this between grit teeth as it really hurts. Charlie stands up and drags you with him from the bathroom floor to one of the sinks where he holds your palm under cold water. It becomes slightly pink before disappearing down the drain. With a quick flick of your wand your skin is slightly pink but good as new.

“Why are you making dragon eggs out of … what is this even, it smells really nice.” The redhead tilts his head and gives you his best impression of puppy-dog eyes. Merlin, how weak you are for these eyes!

“It is soap and was supposed to be another apology to you. For the other soap that ruined baths forever for you. They had bath bombs in the shape of dragon eggs and I almost bought those but, well, the bath thing …” You trail off when you see his slack jawed face and want to disappear into the ground.

“But you already apologized! You didn’t have to give me anything else.” He looks at you as if you are a marvel and it make you feel as if your cheeks are on fire. Charlie seems to realize that he is essentially still holding your hand and while a blush spreads from his ears down under his shirt, he still entangles his fingers with yours. You notice and blush an even deeper shade of red, almost rivalling his quidditch robes.

“Want to show me how it’s done?” He asks with a little smile on his face and you manage a nod, before you drag him over to your little work station and sit down cross legged across from him. Then you hand him one oval soap egg and Penny’s knife that she left on the floor.

Between the two of you, various re-melting and re-shaping trips and some cuts on the redhead’s hand, you manage to get ten eggs total. He looks really happy as you give him the box of soap. After you two clean up the bathroom he stops you before you leave and holds out the last egg he made.

“But why?” is all you ask as you gingerly take it from him and almost press it to your chest. He shyly rubs the back of his neck and looks anywhere but you.

“Well, you were so nice to make me these and put all the work into it, so I thought you deserved one too.” It’s so sweet that you just can’t anymore – your eyes go wide; your mouth falls open a little and then you make the single most impulsive decision of your life. You shuffle closer and lean up on your tiptoes to reach his cheek on which you plant a kiss.

For a moment time seems to stand still. Everything is fuzzy around the edge and then you have to drop down onto your feet. Charlies looks dumbstruck. He is absolutely red in the face, his eyes are wide as saucers and his mouth opens and closes rapidly. In a millisecond, your brain supplies you with a thousand ways this scenario can go now. What it certainly doesn’t come up with is Charlie looking determinately at you before he sets the boy in his arms down, takes your egg and lays it on top, before he puts one hand on your waist and the other on your shoulder and leaning down to kiss you.

Your hands manage to find purchase on his shoulders and then slide up to his jaw, while his slides to your neck. Now the world completely falls away from you and only when you are sure you are about to suffocate do you separate from each other. You can’t suppress the big grin on your face and Charlie laughs, before dropping his forehead to yours.

“You are absolutely forgiven for the disaster in the prefect’s bathroom. But if this is what I get every time you play a prank on me please, never stop.”