#barty has learned sign to talk to him

[lupiinist]

i was almost falling asleep, it's 2 am and i need to wake up at 7, but this like, just took my brain's place and i wouldn't have known peace if i didn't write it

[ellecdc]

Mother, i have another poly!moonwater request but its a little angsty and tbh its probs mostly Barty appreciation because i 100% believe he'd be the best support system.

So, it doesnt happen very often but Reggie and reader are fighting. Idk what about, maybe she put herself in unnecessary danger or hid a wound?? But Remus has to take Reggies side or maybe he refuses to get involved.

Anyway, as a result she runs to Barty (i imagine she's his James and hes her Sirius) because he's her safe space and is surprisingly soft and comforting. If its readers fault he would be gently upset with her but calmly talk it out with her however he's still on her side and would hide her away for a couple days and let the boys panic for a minute because thats his person aaaaaand he is a little insane.

Hope that all made sense, and then a happy ending or i will cry.

Love youuuuuuu 🫶

'happy ending or I will cry' say less, babes 🫡 Barty to the rescue

poly!moonwater x fem!reader who's best friends with Barty

CW: mentions of fainting, angst, hurt/comfort, mention of blowjobs, Barty wishing people dead (what's new?)

Remus, throughout his life, has not been a stranger to conflict. His father spent Remus’ earliest years in constant battle at the Ministry fighting against werewolf rights. That conflict turned into Remus’ own lifelong curse of lycanthropy as a form of revenge. Remus’ muggle mother and wizard father spent many years in conflict over how to best love and support their werewolf son. Remus and his father experienced a lot of conflict when Dumbledore invited Remus to attend Hogwarts despite his lycanthropy. Remus experienced a lot of conflict with pureblood supremacists at school. Remus experienced conflict with his own friends, namely Sirius, after an unfortunate ‘prank’ that nearly cost both Remus and another student their lives.

But one aspect of Remus’ life that had yet to be a source of conflict had been his relationship with you and Regulus.

It seems almost unfathomable that the three of you managed to intertwine your lives without so much as a clash, but it was true. Regulus brought a confident and assured energy to the relationship, you brought an empathetic and quiet energy, and Remus supposed he was perhaps the most easygoing of the three of you, and that was good for the group. 

It is because of this lack of conflict that Remus was very confused to walk into the private study room that the three of you had reserved to find you and Regulus in the middle of a very heated spat.

“And since when don’t you tell me these kinds of things?” Regulus barked angrily at you. Remus actually had to shake his head as if he were hallucinating; he could have easily mistaken Regulus for his brother who was far more hot headed.

“I didn’t know I had to keep you posted on every little thing that happens, Regulus; I was busy.” You spat back.

“Whoa, okay. What have I missed?” Remus asked cautiously, placing his book bag down slowly on the table as if the situation in front of him were a live wire.

“Your girlfriend” Regulus spat as if girlfriend was a dirty word, “fainted today. And I had to hear about it from Pandora!”

Remus ignored most of the things that came out of Regulus’ mouth at the sound of ‘fainted’.

“Dovey! What happened?” He asked, looking to you in horror.

“What happened is she’s been overworking, under-sleeping, under-eating, and she needs to learn to say no to people!”

You scoffed at that. “You mean learn to say no to McLaggen. Just say it Regulus, this about me tutoring the sod in Herbology.”

“This isn’t about some bloke, Y/N!”

“You fainted?” Remus interjected, looking you over as if he may see signs of a fall. He did suppose you looked slightly peaky, but you were clearly worked up over whatever was going on with Regulus.

“Only a little.” You mumbled; voice still taut with impatience though you lowered the derision in your voice when you spoke to him.

“Right. And tell me, how does one only faint a little?” Regulus sneered.

You met him head on, grunting “Knock it off, Regulus. I mean it.” 

Remus noticed a slight quiver in your lip, but you stood your ground. He couldn’t say he completely disagreed with Regulus, but he didn’t think shouting at you like this was particularly helpful.

“Dove, we’re only worried about you. It makes us nervous if you’re not taking care of yourself and we don’t know about it, if we at least knew-” He tried, but you scoffed again, but this time at Remus. 

“Of course you’d side with him. I don’t need the two of you looking after me!”

“Well apparently you do.” Regulus barked. You didn’t bother dignifying that with an answer.

“Can we just talk about this later, please?” You asked quietly, eyes turning towards the table.

“No, we’re talking about this now. Because Salazar only knows what I’ll be hearing from Pandora next!”

“Maybe I didn’t say anything because this is exactly how I knew you would act.” You glowered at him.

“Are you even supposed to be out of the infirmary yet? What were Madame Pomfrey’s instructions?” Regulus demanded.

“I’m not doing this right now. You’re acting-”

“What were the matron’s instructions?” He asked again, voice threateningly low.

“Stop it, Regulus, I'm ser-”

“When I ask a question, you answer me.” Regulus ordered; voice booming and full of authority. 

You paused in packing up your bag to look at Regulus, holding his gaze as if daring him to utter another word. The atmosphere went from the heat of battle to ice cold in a matter of seconds.

Remus took one last look at Regulus, knowing this would be it; this was how they would lose Regulus. He’d have to tell Sirius that his brother was dead, and it was just better if they all moved on. Cause of death? Oh, Y/N burnt him to ashes with nothing but a glare.

You dropped your bag back onto the table and took a step towards Regulus, dropping into a verydramatic curtsey, making sure Regulus watched.

“Yes, Master Regulus.” You sneered with contempt before returning to your full height, eyes still never leaving Regulus’. “I seem to have forgotten myself. I live to serve the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.”

And with that, you snatched your book bag and left the study room, slamming the door behind you. 

Remus was admittedly very surprised everyone survived this ordeal, though he took a moment to examine Regulus’ form.

“Well...” Remus started. “You’re not bleeding.”

Regulus let out a breath he’d been holding and sunk into his chair. “I don’t...I don’t understand. Was I wrong?”

Remus felt like this may have been a trick question. “Well, I don’t think you were right.”

Regulus looked over miserably at that, eyes begging Remus for comfort. Remus unfortunately couldn’t give it. 

“I’m sorry, love. You went too far.”

“I should go after her.” Regulus sighed, looking like he was thinking of getting up.

“Do you value your life?”

“Remus...”

“You need to let her cool off, Reg.”

“But-”

“I mean it, Regulus.” Remus said sternly, raising his eyebrows at the shorter boy. “You were too angry to see it but she was very upset – probably even more so if she’s already not feeling well.”

Regulus crossed his arms not unlike a petulant child being told they weren’t allowed to have a cookie before supper.

“Fine, but soon it won’t just be Y/N I have to convince to forgive me.”

Remus, completely unsympathetic to his boyfriend’s grumblings, smirked as he took out his homework. 

“Well, perhaps that’s what you get for acting like your father.”

Regulus let out a very inelegant groan and let his head fall onto the table with a thunk.

Everyone had their person, for better or for worse. Sirius had James, Regulus had Pandora, Remus had Lily, and you...well, you had Barty.

And perhaps whatever Barty lacked in terms of critical thinking skills and sanity, he made up for in terms of loyalty and enthusiasm. 

You knocked on the door to Barty’s dorm from the hallway when you heard a muffled “occupado!” through the wood.

“Barty? It's me.” You called quietly, hearing the sound of a locking charm being lifted from the door immediately.

You pushed open the door to see Barty laying back against his pillow with a cigarette in his hand and Evan Rosier laying on top of him with a book as he read. 

“Hiya, treasure. Where’d ya leave Reggie?” Barty asked, blowing smoke away from Evan’s book.

“We got into a fight.” You admitted quietly. 

Suddenly, Barty’s cigarette was flicked towards the fireplace and Evan was, very roughly and unceremoniously, dumped from his lap.

“Ah! Fuckin’ hells Junior, what was that for?” Evan muttered as he rubbed the back of his head, standing from his newfound place on the floor.

“Out! I need time with my beloved!” Barty squawked, sitting up further against the headboard and opening his arms for you as an invitation.

“Wha- what do you mean? I’m your sodding boyfriend!” Evan beseeched. Barty spared the boy a glance at that.

“Exactly, you’re only my boyfriend, Y/N is my soulmate. Now out with you.” He dismissed, returning his eyes to you. 

You (somewhat meekly as you passed Evan) made your way over and crawled into Barty’s lap as Evan let himself out of the dorm room (his own dorm room, mind you).

“Alright, my sweet treasure, spill. What are his crimes?” He murmured into the top of your head.

“He yelled at me.” You said meekly, voice turning up at the end as you felt tears well in your eyes.

“Dementor’s kiss.” He proclaimed without hesitation. “Egregious, absolutely horrific crime.”

“Barty...” You moaned.

“What? I’m not kidding, I want him dead. Yelling at my sweet girl like that. For shame.”

You let out a sigh as the first few tears fell onto Barty’s shirt. You knew he was seriously hurt on your behalf for not saying anything about ruining his silk button up.

“What reason could he possibly have had to yell at you?” He murmured again into your hair, rocking you back and forth.

“I fainted... in class today.” You admitted with a grimace.

As you expected, Barty paused in his movements and lifted you up off of his body to examine you.

“Fainted!?” He hollered. “How, treasure?”

You groaned and leaned forward, wanting to hide your face in Barty’s chest again. Thankfully, he allowed you to do so.

“I don’t know...Madame Pomfrey said it could be a few things. Not enough sleep, not eating enough, stress.”

“And he yelled at you for that?”

“Well...sort of.”

Barty hummed in acknowledgement but allowed you to sit in silence as he rubbed circles onto your back.

“He was mad because he found out from Pandora.” You admitted. 

“Hmm, sounds like Regulus felt stupid. Not an easy task, sweets, Salazar knows I’ve tried.” Barty determined.

“How do you mean?” you asked into his chest.

“He just always seems to know the answers when I-”

“Not that, Barty!”

“He didn’t know you had fainted, and it sounds like he perhaps didn’t even realize you were unwell. He would have thought that made him look like a fool, which it does.” He explained, lacing the words at the end of his sentence with disdain.

“Barty...” you chided.

“I mean, come on treasure; you have two boyfriends, and one of them is a Slytherin! You’re telling me neither of them noticed their most perfect, sweetest angel was struggling? Foolish. You can’t blame Lupin, though, he is a Gryffindor after all; hanging with the likes of those oafs ought to cost him a couple brain cells each day. Hey, listen... you say the word and you and Lupin are more than welcome to shack up with me and Evan.”

“Barty!”

“I’m just saying!” He yielded, holding his hands up in surrender. His faux-serious façade fell away when he noticed the corner of your lips quirk into a smile.

“I’m sorry he yelled at you.” He offered.

You half sighed half groaned as you fell back into Barty’s chest.

“I guess he was just worried about me...” You relented.

“Yes. But don’t make it easy on him, okay? It’s fun to see the sod sweat every now and again.”

“Regulus...I don’t know if this is a good idea. I really think we should let her come to us.” Remus muttered quietly from behind Regulus, but he wasn’t having any of it.

This had gone on too long, in Regulus’ opinion. You were hiding in Barty’s dorm room whilst Regulus stayed in Remus’, and while he loved Remus, he hated Gryffindor, and he missed you.

“Enough is enough, Remus. I want her back.” Regulus declared as he stepped up to his door and banged on the back of it none too gently.

“Junior!” He barked through the door. “I want my girlfriend back!” 

“No one’s home!” Barty called through the door. 

Regulus rolled his eyes so far back into his head even he was sure they were going to get stuck there.

He put his hand on the door handle and was hit immediately with a localized stinging jinx, causing him to rip his hand back off of it and hold it to his chest protectively. 

“Ow! Fuck Junior, what did you do!?” He called through the door. 

“Leave a message!”

“Oh, I’ll leave you a message alright.” Regulus spat.

“Dovey?” Remus tried calling gently through the door. “Can we come in? Please?”

It was quiet for a moment before Barty answered for you. “No.”

Remus shared an eyeroll of his own before cautiously touching the doorknob – apparently it had only been cursed against Regulus. 

“Okay, I’m opening the door.” Remus warned.

“I wouldn’t do that! I’m shagging your girl in here.” Barty called.

Regulus watched Remus’ face and knew two things to be true: that Remus was 97% sure that wasn’t true, and that Moony was very worried about that 3%. Ultimately, it appeared that Moony had won, causing Remus to barrel into the room rather ungraciously. 

Barty was sat in a chair with his feet kicked up on a desk and a book in his hand, which he lowered to examine the two intruders casually.

“That was very rude, you know. What would you have done if the lady had been indecent.” Barty scolded, using his book to point at your curled up form on Regulus’ bed, pointedly facing away from Remus and Regulus. 

Regulus felt his heart crack painfully at the sight, sharing a look with Remus who gave him an encouraging nod.

“Amour?” Regulus called gently, moving around the side of the bed in an attempt to see you. His heart cracked again when you hid your face in your arm.

“Please, my love. I’m...I’m so sorry.” He pleaded, kneeling down in front of you and cautiously stroking your arm. “I should never have spoken to you like that, I...I was wrong. And rude. And out of line. I’m sorry. Please? Please look at me, mon amour, laisse-moi arranger ça?” 

You turned your head up at that, and the final splinter that carved Regulus’ heart into two was the tear stains on your cheeks. 

“Oh, mon amour, je suis vraiment désolé. Je suis le pire, je suis vraiment désolé.” 

“Your fancy sweet talk won’t do you any good here, Black!” Barty hollered from his place across the room. “I’ve already told her that she and Lupin are more than welcome down here with me.” He added with a lascivious wink in Remus’ direction.

Regulus could see Remus’ cheeks pink at the compliment, but he also gulped at the threat.

“Say it ain’t so, mon amour.” He said to you, caressing your arm with one hand and delicately taking yours in his other, bringing it to his lips for a delicate kiss. “Is it finally happening, are you going to leave me for another? Surely you can do better than Junior, non?”

Regulus’ heart sped up almost double time as you offered him a watery smile. “No.”

“No? You can’t do better than Junior?” He teased.

You rolled your eyes as you sniffled and tried to wipe some of your tears away. “No, I’m not leaving you, you sod.”

“Oh, thank gods.” Regulus sighed dramatically, letting his head fall into the bed in front of him. He heard you chuckle above him, and you moved your hand into his hair, gently massaging his scalp.

“Oi! How come he gets head scratches for being a wanker and I get jilted?” Remus pouted from the middle of the room.

“Oh, come here lover boy.” Barty cooed at him, opening his arms and spreading his legs to make room from the lycanthrope.

Remus let out an awkward ‘erm’ from the middle of the room before you chuckled and invited Remus to join you for his own head scratches.

He opted to curl up behind you as the big spoon and wrap his arms protectively around your middle, adding his hand to Regulus’ shoulder as he still knelt on the floor at the head of the bed. Perhaps not the best angle for head scratches, but he was clearly very happy with his current predicament.

“Right then; have either of you tossers seen Rosier?” Barty asked as he stood from his chair.

“Common room.” Remus and Regulus answered in unison.

“Thanks.” He said as he made his way to the door. “Stay out of the bathroom for a while, yeah? I owe that sod so many blowjobs after all of this.” 

[wisedelusionalmarshmallow]

@rosekillermicrofic, September 6th - Book, T, Word Count - 721

It was a really regular day today at the bookstore where Barty works.

Like really regular.

Like 'all of his regulars came in today' regular. 

The couple who comes here every two weeks to buy two books. Barty learned that they trade the books once they’re done with them and then have bookclub-style date nights. Which is really cute but totally not his thing.

The old ladies who come here for an actual bookclub. Barty had to stifle a laugh at today's choice, some 'murder mystery’ that was a lot more romance than their usual mystery or horror selection.

The one young boy who spends all his weekly allowance on the newest Batman and Spiderman comic.

Even the young woman with the service dog. Barty always has good conversations with her, even though he can never remember her name, and isn’t too keen on asking for the fourth time.

The entire day, Barty was waiting for the ball to drop. Waiting for a call from his boss telling him a shipment got delayed or that he’ll have to cover for Avery again because somehow he’s always sick the day there’s a concert playing in the city over. Figure that one out.

But none of that happened.

It was half an hour to closing when Barty heard the doorbell chime, signalling someone had just entered the store. 

Now, he doesn’t have the best view of the door from where the counter sits—his manager trying to get more stock shoved on the shelves rather than worrying about the safety of the store—so he doesn’t really see the customers until they ask a question or come to check out some items.

That’s how he found himself leaning over his counter, trying to figure out the new scheduling system on their computer. He'd been putting it off all day and just needs to get it done before the store falls into more chaos than it already is. But he just can’t even get past the sign-in. His manager left a sheet of employee codes, but every time he would input it, nothing would work.

That’s when the stack of computer science textbooks appeared on the counter in front of him. Ah, the customer was ready to pay. But if they’re taking computer science, would it be rude to ask for help? No, right?

Ugh. Whatever. Without even looking up, Barty talks to the customer. “Hey man, I’m gonna guess you have some sort of experience with computers or whatever... Um, this—” he turns the monitor and points to the screen. “—is not letting me sign in, like at all. And I kinda need my schedule.” The customer laughs a little and that causes Barty’s head to shoot up. Holy—

Fuck! Why did he have to be hot? Barty awkwardly smiles at the man; he thought he would look like just another college nerd, not a literal Greek god.

He quickly surveys the issue. “Are you forgetting your password?”

“Nope. I have it right here,” Barty smiles, very nervous and flustered about the situation.

“Hmm.” The customer places his head in his hand, surveying the screen before looking down to the keyboard. “Ah.” He reaches forward and clicks a single key. Caps Lock. Could this day get any more embarrassing?

“Thank you,” Barty sighs. Then turns the monitor towards himself again and enters the password, the little ding coming from the speaker, and the application finally loads. He looks over to the books on the counter before looking up at the man’s face again. “I wish I could give you one of those for free, but my boss didn’t really like it when I did that last time.”

“I’ll just take your number instead then,” he says casually.

Barty’s ears go red. Oh my god, did he just ask for my number? Ohmygodohmygod. “Uh–I. Sure.” Barty grabs out a new roll of receipt paper, the closest thing to scrap paper that he has right now, and rips off a piece, quickly scribbling out his number, praying he remembers all ten digits correctly.

He hands the paper off and smiles at him, waiting for the customer to say something and then leave. Except they just stand there in silence. Staring at each other.

That is, of course, until the ball drops. 

“...you gonna ring me up?” 

[santrrl]

Midnight walks BCJ x R

This was a requested fic !! So thank you so much for the request, my schooling is so stressful currently, and i nearly got murder three times so I apologise for not getting many fics out!! But the summary of this fic is that there's an arranged marriage between reader and BCJ 🥰! I've decided to make it like an old friend, to awkward, to learning to love if that's ok!! and i know next to nothing about marauders so i changed the timeline a lil, where barty sr finds outabout him being a death eater and attempts to set you up to 'knock it out of him' persay, so i apologise!! SIDE RANT. MY FUCKIN WINDOW IS PERFECTLY SHINING THE SUN INTO MY EAR I FEEL LIKE A PIG OVER A SPIT. Anywho- ENJOY!!

Bartimus Crouch Jr was a strange man. Always had a way of winding up people, even before he could talk, as long as senior wasn't around. Growing up with magic, he always found a way to annoy people, whether it be stealing, or pure dark pranks. He used to mean no harm, when you were five, all~ the way up till he turned eleven. The day he turned eleven he was like a different man. Being a year younger, you knew he was getting shipped off to some school, and you shortly after.

All summer you'd written to him, even though he'd never reply. All summer waiting eagerly at your shared meeting place, hoping, excited. However once he had come back, it was clear something was off. Even a ten year old saw it.

"B? What's wrong?" You'd ask him, before he'd just scoff and walk past you. That was the beginning of the end. The boy you'd once played with almost every day, the one you'd steal food with, your first kiss even, gone. Poof. He'd never answer the door to you, never answered you, the boy who was always asleep by eleven sand as you entered your first year, you'd given up. Something must've happened to him in the school, you just didn't know what.

Being sorted into slytherin didn't help your unease, the sinking feeling deep down that he ultimately just didn't like you, even though that's the complete opposite. It's not unknown Barty was smart, and he was smart enough to cut you off before you got messed into the same crowd as he did.

Your first year, you attempted to talk to him, only to be met with a silence, or a glare, or straight up ''Leave me alone, child.'' Child? Is that all he thought of you?

Your second year you noticed him struggling a little, hearing him complain about both his father and his grades, and you didn't know how you resisted the urge to slap him and then run off, it was so tempting.

During your third year, his fourth, was when you noticed he was finally glancing at you, occasionally the other boys he was with, including Sirius black, glancing over, earning you some popularity at least, even though you were already quite known due to also be quite smart.

During your fourth year, you didn't see him at all. Nowhere, nada. Hell, even you resorted to asking Lupin if he knew where he was, and even he didn't know. The unease of not knowing if he was okay was getting to you, and his approaching O.W.L's, but you ultimately decided to cut him from you entirely at this point.

His final year, your second last, you'd notice an immediate change. He was glaring into you. You couldn't decipher it, to anyone else it looked like he wanted to murder you, but you knew better, you knew he was deep in thought.

It was only after a month of glaring, and 'accidental' shoves in the corridor, did the truth come out. It was a news day, with your mothers owl gracefully dropping a short n' snug letter.

'' My dearest, your father has lost his mind. You surely remember the fellow you'd play with? Barty? As you were young? Yes, your father being the insolent intolorable man he is, has signed you up for a marriage with the boy. He claims it was Mr crouches idea, as i'm not sure if you know, but jr has, how do i put this. A special mark. I'm sure you understand, and Sr, as he put it, wants to do his wife happy and try and change him, so my darling i pray your safety and safe home,

Always awaiting your arrival, mum.''

You nearly fainted reading it. You? Barty? Mark? That explains his absence, but damn your father for throwing you under the bus like that. Glancing down the table, you already knew Barty was watching you like a hawk.

Excusing yourself from your friends, you had to go to the bathroom, asap.

Before you knew it, hours had gone by of you just thinking, pondering, about how awkward this whole situation is, how horrible, vile, cute, degr- no! Not cute- no- You'd reassure yourself, before exiting, noting how pitch black it was outside.

''Lumos." You mumble, as you began walking around, not in the mood for sleep yet. As you wandered around, you took note of things you'd never realised. The statues of famous wizards, carvings of cherubs, and Barty standing menacingly in the dark looking like he wanted to beat you black and blue.

"Fuck!-" You screamed, scared and dropping your wand, but before you could pick it up, his hand was on your mouth. "Shut. it." He growled, looking at you. God he smelled the same as ever, hair still looks as soft, eyes still dancing wit-

"Who's fuckin idea was it because I am not happy!" He snapped. "Wehthunuhmuhhuhyuhhuh." You mumbled, his hand still on your mouth, muffling everything. As he looked unimpressed, he took it away, leaving you gasping for breath dramatically. "Your dads. I'm not either." you growled, looking away. "Fucking dick. Always messing my shit up." He growled, emo teenage hormones on full display.

Even then, you couldn't resist. "So you gonna talk to me now or somethin?" You snapped, glaring at him. "You have no idea what i've done for you, so don't even start." He raised his voice. "Oh yeah? Ignoring me after all these years, glaring at me, accidentally hitting me my ass, you sent sirius to make my bag grow legs at one point!" You fumed.

"If i talked to you he would've got you too." He whispered, voice thin but stern. "If he got you i'd kill him myself." He snapped, pacing at this point. "It was either you or the longbottoms, and if i chose you...be fuckin grateful!" He spat.

"Wait, long...is that why alice is missing!?" You gasped backing away. "I didn't mean too, but I did, no going back now. at all. Listen I don't care what you think of me, but I'd rather marry you on my own terms, not under my dads stupid thing.." He rambled, hands flying dramatically everywhere as you picked up your wand finally.

"Once your done, we got a plan to foil dearest husband." You scoffed, waiting for him to follow once he came back from the dead.

"You...me?" You raised a brow. "Ye-no..shut up, and for once help me beat my dad instead of the other way around." He growled, stepping closer, holding out a hand. However instead of taking it, you hugged him.

He was taken aback, but didn't reject it, not in the slightest. If anything he lunged to hold you back. "I'm sorry..I'm...so sorry." He breathed out, after ten minutes. "I should've found a way to-" You for one, didn't give two shits, as you just kissed him, leaving him stunned, before turning on your heel.

PT 2? I HOPE IT WAS GOOD FOR YALLLL

NOT PROOFREAD I WILL GO BACK OVER THIS TBF

[ghostly-runes]

Deaf/Hard of hearing Black family (And a bit of the Tonks/Rosier/Malfoy/Lupin/Riddle family (Pretty much everyone in the family tree I could think of))

Note: I am not deaf but I am disabled so I am somewhat pulling from my experiences so, if I get anything wrong or am insensitive in anyway please please let me know

- Sirius was born hard of hearing but never got the support he needed in childhood

- He didn’t know and wasn’t taught sign language until he was older and could learn it by himself

- Regulus and Andromeda were the only ones to learn BSL (British sign language) with him (More so Reg than Andy because he lived with Sirius)

- Deafness runs in the Black family but most of them learn to live with it so they don’t seem “crippled” (Narcissa and Orion are the only ones that aren’t hard of hearing or deaf in the family)

- Regulus grew up hearing but midway though his years at hogwarts he started losing his hearing (Pandora pointed it out)

- This is one of the few times during their years at Hogwarts and after Sirius runs away, that Regulus comes to Sirius because “How can he be the perfect heir if he’s ‘defected’. ”

- They had a long conversation about how that didn’t determine his worth and he wasn’t ‘defected’ or anything of that sort

- In a They all live!AU Regulus would have been completely deaf by 30

- Luckily though, at the age of 15 Regulus has a close knit friend group and they’re all willing to learn sign language for him (He sucks at lip reading)

- Sirius also has incredibly close friend group and they all start to learn sign language for Sirius, even if it’s just common signs

- Sirius actually doesn’t tell his friends that he’s hard of hearing, James just picks it up 2nd yr and when asked Sirius tries to deny it but he sucks at lying to James

- After a bit they tell Peter and then Remus

- After Remus, Sirius finds it gets easier and easier to tell his friends and soon most (if not his whole) friend group knows

- Regulus on the other hand doesn’t tell anyone but Dorcas, Barty, Evan, Pandora and Sirius for a while. (James and Lily have to learn about it from Sirius)

- Andromeda is born completely deaf and it scares her mother half to death because it’s not often that the Black children are born that way

- Because of this she isn’t able to talk very clearly and struggles quite a lot

- Bellatrix, like Sirius is Born hard of hearing but her mother is a little more accepting of it and makes sure her daughters learn sign language

- So the girls grow up learning and knowing LSF (Langue des signes française/French sign language)

- They teach the brothers bits and pieces when they get the chance but Orion refuses to let them use it in the house

- Orion and Cyprus both don’t start becoming hard of hearing until they are teenagers and even then they never go completely deaf

- Walburga was born hard of hearing like Sirius and was considered a failure by her mother for this (she continued the cycle of this to Sirius)

- Alphard was not born completely deaf but is by the time he is a small child he is (His parents are reallyyy not happy about this)

- Because he went deaf after he began to talk he can talk mostly clearly, he does struggle a bit at times but it’s not normally noticeable

- However, he cannot speak English as he didn’t learn any before going deaf (French is his first language) and he only knows bsl after he moves out

- Tonks (Nymphadora) is born hard of hearing and grows up in a house that uses sign language

- Draco, like his mother is one of the few family members that are born hearing but he starts losing his hearing a bit earlier than most folks

- Teddy is also born hearing but grows up with Andromeda so they learn sign language as one of their first languages

- Scorpius was surprisingly born hard of hearing considering his mother, father and grandparents are not deaf or hard of hearing

- But not to worry, the family trauma is being healed and he grows up with a good support system and people who know sign language and use it with him

- Delphi and born hearing and doesn’t usually have any problems with her hearing until she’s a preteen

[ashesandhackles]

The Hogwarts Express scene in Prince's Tale: A Sirius and Snape analysis

I really, really enjoy Sirius and Snape as characters and their respective narrative functions in story. But what gets me most about them is how much Rowling hints about their backgrounds and so much of it makes sense with regard to who they are as adults. So I am going to be breaking down a very small scene from Prince Tale and getting into long winded hypothesis about their respective childhoods.

So, let's start with Snape. The scene begins with Snape rushing to find Lily, already in his Hogwarts clothes. Harry notes he must have been eager to get out of his clothes - ones that look like he borrowed from his mother, as Petunia spitefully pointed out. This has always been a very interesting detail to me - first off, it indicates how poor Snape's family is. Second, this indicates his tiny rebellion from his father - he refuses to wear clothes of the abusive man, and prefers his mother's. I admit, I am partial to the reading that Snape refuses to associate with his father in tiny ways, rather than Tobias refusing to hand his son clothes.

(I have seen readings which say that it is also a sign of neglect - perhaps his parents bought clothes that simply don't fit him, but I am more inclined to think it's a hand me down, simply because Harry identifies so strongly with it. Because Harry knows what it is like to wear a hand me down that don't quite fit, that are too big for you, or the ones that make you look ridiculous.)

Lily and Petunia's relationship is fraught with Petunia's jealousy. And young Lily is upset over it when Snape meets her. "I am not talking to you. Tuney hates me" she tells him. "Because we saw the letter from Dumbledore". Young Lily shows signs of being extremely emotionally reactive and this scene is one of them. It's easier for her to deal with Petunia's rejection of her by telling Snape she doesn't want to talk to him. It's a childish displacement of her hurt over her sister's rejection. (I am genuinely baffled by interpretations that Lily and Hermione are similar. Hermione is very cognitive person, Lily, as we have been shown repeatedly in memories, is not).

Snape, however, with his bad history with Petunia and his inability/ poor social skills to understand why this matters to her, goes: "So what?"

Lily, who throws him a look of deep dislike, says "So she's my sister". This seed is important because this is what develops into "he doesn't get me" feeling she later displays in her teenage scenes with him. Interestingly, most of Lily's personal relationships have deeply interwined love and dislike - Petunia (whose rejection bothers her but she cheerfully informs Sirius that Harry nearly broke a vase her sister sent - which means there is resentment on her end too), James - who she was attracted to even before 7th year but also disliked at one point, and Snape - again, a contentious friendship filled with love and distance.

"She's only a -" we dont get to hear what Snape intended to say. And given his own acrimony with Petunia, it could be anything. However, I read it as "She's only a Muggle" because it ties into his feelings about his father. Snape, who is proud of being half a Prince, emphasizing his magical lineage from his mother's side, his refuge in a violent, neglectful home. (Barty Crouch Jr and Snape with their disappointing fathers - I imagine Voldemort is supremely attractive leader to people with broken homes like this)

Snape, by all accounts, shows a disorganised attachment style. His caregiver, his mother - and perhaps the only parent he seems to have regard for, is too preoccupied by her own abuse to be there for her son - we see this in glimpses Harry sees in OOTP: " woman cowering" where a man shouts at her, and a young, neglected Snape cries in the corner. Children born in homes like this have trouble regulating their emotions, simultaneously displaying tendencies to aggressively lash out or show disassociative symptoms. Both of which Snape displays. Statistically, this is also seen more in low income households where economic instability and resulting domestic instability creates an unsafe environment for the kids to safely form ideas of their identity, or express emotions in healthy ways, modelling instead out of behaviour seen at home.

Then, Snape reminds her that they are going to Hogwarts. He is already in his Hogwarts clothes - now, Snape gets to be the impressive figure. The one who told her about magic, who theorised about how Muggles get letters from magical people, the one who told her about Dementors and Azkaban. He has already left behind the Spinner's End version of him, he wants to bigger than that, and is keen to be in place of magical learning and to join Slytherin. Essentially, he shows signs of unstable identity, insecurity - all prime for grooming into a cult.

And here comes along James Potter, who looks around at the mention of Slytherin. James's comment uses Snape's line and directs it to Sirius instead and it becomes a conversation between them, as a way to bond more with a fellow "rowdy boy" Sirius. Effectively ignoring the other two.

Sirius as we see here, "does not smile" when James talks about Slytherin. He essentially says something that can be construed as a way to nip that conversation in bud: "My whole family has been in. Slytherin". This suggests to me that there is some loyalty to his family there and his disillusionment with them isn't entirely fixed yet. After all, Sirius's intense loyalty to his friends, more specifically James, did not come out of thin air. It is reasonable to suggest that he felt some loyalty to his family at some point and the intensity with which he regards his friends is a reaction to burned off and being a "displaced person without a family" as Rowling put it.

Interestingly, while his reaction to his mother and Bellatrix are obviously sore spots, his response to Regulus is comparatively quite soft. ("Stupid, idiot" - something he calls James later on in the same book, OOTP). I imagine Sirius has quite complicated feelings about his brother and he is capable of nuance (when the person isn't Snape, where his dislike seems to be borne of an intense projection): "The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". As someone who is grown up among them, Sirius would understand that.

His framing of Regulus's need to please his parents also further highlights what exactly is the source of disillusionment. He calls Regulus "soft enough to believe them" - which means he is crediting his own intelligence to see through his parents bigoted world view. Clearly, bigotry is not something the Blacks explained in a way that Sirius, eldest of their male line and their heir, bought it. It also probably didn't help the Blacks case that Grimmauld Place is in a Muggle neighborhood and that their eldest son is a bit of a wild boy with interest in pushing boundaries. His intellectual disconnect leads to the righteous rage he later feels but it began there. (Boy, it must suck to discover that everything you have been taught to value in the world and in yourself as the heir is essentially rubbish). Since his differences with his family began with seeds of intellectual disconnect rather than on intense empathy with downtrodden, it makes him, as a pureblooded privileged boy, unable to truly understand Lupin's fears regarding his lycanthropy. Hence, the Werewolf prank (I am not getting to the Snape bit, just the Lupin bit). To James' credit, he does understand what that means for Lupin and saves all three of them from different set of consequences.

Anyway, back to the scene. James, who has made an ass of himself in front of his new friend, who he was getting along with fine until now, then goes "Blimey, I thought you seemed alright". (Btw, I find James wildly large ego kind of hilarious here, especially in light of Snape's comment about him to Sirius in OOTP: "You will know he is so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him"). Sirius, who I believe has been raised like "royalty" as Blacks would, has good enough social skills to defuse a situation. He grins and says: "Maybe I will break the tradition".

This line is an indication of Sirius's desire for independence, an identity seperate from his family. The use of the word "tradition" is interesting. It sounds like Sirius is expected to behave in a certain way, the heir of Black family whose parents thought being a Black "made you practically royal". Adult Sirius is contemptuous of this, or their "valuable contribution to Ministry" which means they just gave gold - it tells me that any and all conditions put on him by his family were to fulfill tradition that is either worthless or holds no meaning in his eyes. The root of the emotional abuse Sirius suffers from his family is this - realising his parents love for him is conditional on him being a certain way. (In fact, you can read Regulus desire to emphasise his connection to the family as a reaction to what he sees with Sirius - Sirius does not behave, Mum and Dad don't love him). As a child with unconscious knowledge of lack of love, Sirius then acts out, they react, rinse and repeat "until he has had enough". Sirius chafes against boundaries well into adulthood and doesn't react well to people enforcing it on him, even if it is out of love for him. Cue the fire scene with Harry where he behaves as if Harry is rejecting him instead of protecting him.

Sirius asks James about where he wants to go, and Snape, who is incensed about James being insulting about a House he put stock in, which he made part of new identity (so that he is no longer that Snape boy from Spinner's End) and was in general trying to be impressive about in front of Lily, "makes a disparaging noise" once James talks of Gryffindor. Snape's response to James' : "Got a problem with that?" is interesting. He says: "If you'd rather be brawny, rather than brainy-"

This is an important value for Snape. He knows he is clever and values it. He spends his spare time inventing hexes, making great shortcuts to Potions. He has genuine thirst for learning and he hones it. In SWM, we see that he has written far more longer answers than anyone else, he is poring over his paper after exams. He even mocks Hermione's lack of inventive answers: "Answer copied word to word from the textbook, but correct in essentials". He values originality. It may be me stretching this, but I am partial to the reading: this is his way of rejecting his father once again, who is implied to be a violent man. (in other words, someone who is hypermasculine - "brawny". In fact, Snape's rejection of hypermasculinity is a huge post on it's own - Potions (brewing, cauldrons - coded as feminine arts), the doe Patronus, his proficiency in Occlumency and Legliemency (intuitive mind arts, again seen archetypically feminine) etc).

"Where are you hoping to go, seeing as you are neither?" - Sirius is quick with emotionally cutting insults. Snape hasn't even finished his sentence, but Sirius is already on his case. Which suggests growing up in a household with sharp tongues. It's a fair assumption, given Mrs Black's half mad portrait. It also tallies with Sirius's talking about his mother: "My mother didn't have a heart Kreacher, she kept herself alive out of pure spite" . The wounds are fresh enough on this. (Another interesting way Snape and Sirius act as inverse mirrors - Snape rejects his father, Sirius rejects his mother. Sirius acts as proxy for James for Harry while Snape takes on Lily's role of protecting him). However, you know who else is spiteful? Sirius.

While James is the physical bully (the tripping Snape, doing most of the bullying in SWM), Sirius attacks emotionally. ( Sample the one about Snape's appearance - "I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment, there will be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word" or even the carelessly vicious- "Put that away, before Wormtail wets himself in excitement"). Curiously, with all that talk of how his mother being spiteful, it's her room he spends time in when he is depressed. (Again, in inverse mirror way, we can talk of how Snape looks for a father figure in Dumbledore - craves his validation and is proud of Dumbledore's trust in him). We could argue it's also because Buckbeak is there, and perhaps it's the largest room in the house, but it's very telling that's where Sirius spends time when he is "in a fit of sullens". Sirius's sense of abandonment from his family, makes him look for family connections with friends - a trait he shares with Harry. Interestingly, the first time he glimpses Harry in Privet Drive, Harry is also running away from home - just like he did. Anyway, I could go on.

[starlightshadowsworld]

Son of none

Based off this post: Aka Percy Weasley was abandoned by his family and I don’t think they realised just how much danger an 18 civilian blood traitor son would be when stuck behind enemy lines. Well never fear, a fic is here as if I don’t have any other drafts...any whoooo

@transparentfreakpursepanda

Warning for blood, torture, self loathing. Mentions of bullying and neglect. Cursing.

(Also while writing this I was listening to Polaris by Natewantstobattle and...yeah if you want more angst while reading this listen to them and think of Percy :)  )

Percy deserved this.

Knowing that didn't change things. It didn’t make it easier to make it duck past the office that had once belonged to Barty Crouch Sr without feeling dread and greif. As harsh as the man could be and that he had not bothered to learn Percy's name... Percy still mourned his loss. For all that he was, Barty Crouch Sr had been a good man.

Life at the ministry taught him quickly, that kind of wizard was few and far between.

He wondered if the look Barty Crouch Sr had shared with his son before his death wax the same his father had shared with him the day he left.

Maybe it wasn't wise to compare yourself to a deranged murderer, but if that's the kind of wizard his family thought he was...

"Weasley"

It was stern, drenched in spite that was not unlike his old potions professor. But sadly even Snapes treatment of him in class did not hold a candle to what was happening now.

Percy lifted his head, it felt heavy. Infact all of him felt that he was on fire. The figure infront of him came into focus, not that Perch could quite recall his name. Edward? No that didn't seem right. Not Edward was his wand in hand and looked very annoyed, his dark mark was on full display.

Percy became very well aware in that moment that he couldn't move. He was bound to a chair in a room that looked very much like a cellar. He was still in his ministry robes, though they were dirty and tattered and stained in something.

It took Percy longer than he should've to realise it was his own blood. Not that he knew where he was bleeding from. "You Gryffindors and your bloody stubbornness" sneered Not Edward, he was a broad man, towering over Percy.

"You're wasting my time, and yours of you don't hurry up and tell me where your family is hiding." Percy shook his head, defiantly even if his body protested at the sudden movement. "Like I said before, even if I did know, I would never tell you." 

And than Not Edward would shout profanities all the while using his subordinates to use Percy as target practice till he passed out. That had been the cycle for... Well he wasn't sure for how long. Apart from the first time when Percy had weaved a convincing story about the family heading to Romania to hide away with Charlie...a whole false hunt that ended with the brand he now had on his arm. 

But this time was different.

Not Edward smirked "thought you'd say that, no matter. We've found out how to get there attention, and they'll hand themselves over." Percy laughed, it was a strangled and it sent another wave of pain through his body.

Not Edward was still smirking, in fact if anything his confidence grew. "And better yet, you're going to the bait that brings them here." And that stopped Percy laughing at once, he was quieter. "What makes you think they'd come" the words were barely above a whisper that echoed throughout the room.

Not Edward (Percy really needed to learn this man's name for his own internal monologue's sake) rolled his eyes "don't pull that on me, you Weasely's are more attached than a bunch of grapes. Rest assured, they'll be coming one way or another."

With that he left. Percy tried not to think about the fact a death eater had more confidence in his families arrival than he did. His mind wandered to the day he left, guilt pooled in his stomach. No amount of head trauma would erase the disgust and rage in Arthur’s eyes, Percy knew at that moment he had lost all right to call the man father. 

He could never look him in the eye again, he couldn’t even look himself in the mirror without seeing him staring back. His mothers eyes haunted him, she’d been the only one to try to reach out but he had slammed that back in her face. Not that Percy should have been surprised, he’d always been a parasite. 

If anything they must’ve been relived to be rid of him. 

They wouldn’t come, he knew that. Than why did his heart race, did tears threaten to fall and his stomach churn at the thought? Percy thought of his siblings, young and old...they wouldn’t have given him a second thought. Fred and George would mourn the loss of their favourite target, but they would move on they all would if they hadn’t already. 

For Percy though, this was the end of the line. 

_______________________________________________________________

Weasley family dinners were always something else, Bill knew this better than most. He smiled to Fleur who sat at his side, amusement on her face as they both watched Molly do as she does best. It was organised chaos at its finest, and while Shell cottage was a far cry from the Burrow, somehow it all came together. Harry was laughing at a story Ginny and the twins were telling, Charlie and Hermione were actually helping Molly along with Arthur. 

But even with how familiar it was, it was missing a certain brother rolling his eyes at the story and telling the true ending to the annoyance of the twins. Who would than direct the others to helping out with dinner to there mothers amusement. 

Percy. 

Ever since the watch, a muggle watch at that had arrived on his wedding day, with no name for the sender but only Bill’s name signed by an all too familiar handwriting...Bill hadn’t been able to take his mind of his little brother. His absence at his wedding and just seeing him around the house stuck out like a sore thumb to Bill. He wasn’t the only one either, he could see how his Mum would pause her eyes searching before looking down and moving onto something else.

Much like now when she put down the plates and realised that she’d left a little extra to the side. “Mum, I get that you miss him but you can’t keep doing this. Percy’s not coming back” the first to say it was Charlie, his voice soft like he was talking to an irate dragon. “Good riddance” that came from Ginny, in that whisper that wasn’t even trying to be quiet. 

Instantly Molly became much like a dragon. “Ginevera Molly Weasley, don’t you dare speak about your brother like that!” She yelled, hot tears burning in her eyes. “Molly...” Interjected Arthur, putting a calming hand on his wife’s shoulder “you can’t blame her for her anger. Come on, let’s dig in.” And that should have been the end of it but Molly turned to him, her own temper boiling. 

“Don’t you start, Arthur. Don’t you tell me I should be sat eating dinner while my son is out all alone.” She spat. “Mum, it’s fine Percy’s probably having high tea with the new minister, talking about the importance of  cauldron bottoms” snickered Fred, “pfft yeah, just sat around telling the dark lord about his book report” agreed George. Bill frowned, as did Fleur but that was nothing compared to Molly. 

Her gaze hardened and the twins shut up instantly, they’d never seen her this mad. “I dont care if you hate him, I don’t care if this isn’t my home...you speak of my son following HIM, get out of my sight now.” She said, slumping into a nearby chair. Bill stood up, putting his own hand in his mums which she took gratefully. “Percy may be the most ambitious lion around, but he wouldn’t join you know who. He left to join the ministry because that's what he believed in, death eaters isn’t even in the equation.”

And Bill meant those words. More than he ever thought he would. 

“Though is there any difference between the death eaters and the ministry anymore?” Asked Harry, the place was filled with them after all. “Yeah? Might be but they’ve kept the employees, not that I know what’s going on in there anymore.” Said Arthur, adding his 2 galleon’s into the mix. “And there not going to take kindly to a Weasley” Said Hermione, making everyone look down as if they hadn’t just realised that. 

It didn’t matter if Percy had disowned himself, his family was very much publicly fighting the people he was now stuck with. 

And that was when fate decided to be extra cruel and the radio burst into life. 

“Greetings from the Ministry. Our daily transmission has already been received today but we have an exceptional treat for the wizarding public. We will be instead hosting an interview with one of our newest employees, give a hand folks to Percival Ignatius Weasley.”

Everyone in the room froze, and yet Ron who was the only one of the family minus Fleur not to speak, ran to the radio and put the volume as loud as he could. 

“Say hello your family, Percival.” Taunted the voice, it was very gleeful as it spoke. No response was heard. “Oh, silly me I forgot how many hours you young people work, not to worry let’s get him up boys.” 

A splash was heard and a shuddering scream. “Morning Percival, sorry do you prefer Percy? Don’t care, lets start the interview. So Percival, how are you finding the ministry?” Everyone sat with baited breathe.

And yet it was there Percy who, through shuddered breaths managed to whisper a “fuck you...fuck you and your ministry”

“Well that is very rude, and here I thought your mother would have taught you manners” “don’t...don’t you talk about her.” Said Percy, Molly broke down into tears and Bill held her close. Unable to tear his gaze from the radio, no one could. 

“What do you want to say them? I’m sure they’ve missed you. In fact, just for you we’ll be hosting a party. And there all invited to the ministry, so long as they bring a certain Mr Potter.” 

There was a silence before “don’t come...don’t. Whatever you do, don’t... it’s fine. I’m fine, I love it here.” He laughed, everyone cringed at the sound he made, as if he was choking. “It’s fine, don’t come...parties are overrated yeah.” The transmission started cutting off, Ron frantically along with the twins tried to get it working. 

They heard “too busy. Don’t come, Harry don’t...stay where you are!” Before the  transmission cut off.

No one could speak, horror was etched into all of there faces. The twins were scrabbling over themselves with wand in hand to track where the transmission had come from. 

The Ministry. 

“We’re going...now” said Molly, standing up. Her tears were gone, grabbing for her wand and coat. “Molly...be rationale, we need to plan this.” Said Arthur, Molly spun on her heel and glared. “I am not going to sit here while those...monsters torture MY son! Planning will take to long, did you hear him Arthur?! Did you hear your son crying out in pain...he doesn’t have long left...” Arthur looked down, unable to respond. 

Molly looked at the rest of the family, her gaze saying it all: You can come with me or you can stay. The first to stand was Bill, closely followed by Fleur who met his thankful gaze with a determined smile. Charlie and Ron were next, grabbing there wands with Harry and Hermione following. Ginny and the twins exchanged guilty looks but stood. Arthur couldn’t look at any of them, he simply picked up his wand. 

“Harry, I understand if you wish to stay” said Molly, he shook his head. “I might not know him well but Percy’s family 2...I cant sit here while you guys go even with the danger.” He replied, and somehow that was all it was, Percy was family...enough said. 

And so the family of lions got up and left, to find the one they left behind. 

_______________________________________________________

Percy was terrified.

A part of him argued that he should be grateful they came at all for him. Maybe it was out of pity, out of ensuring that he wasn't able to be used against them.

Yes, that's all it was. He was nothing afterall, he was merely a civilian in a war.

And yet hearing Molly tearfully and frantically whisper his name. Hearing Hermione yell the counterspell to his imprisonment to Ron who did so perfectly. Seeing the light of spells cast by Ginny and the twins to stun Not Edward... (Who was apparently called Edgar... Eh close enough.)

Feeling Charlie carry him in his arms, mumbling curse words. Smelling Arthur's cologne.

It all felt right. It was warmth that he couldn't remember experiencing. It was enough to lull him to a facade that everything was fine.

But when his wounds were healed and he saw them all looking at him... Percy knew he had to shelf that dream. "I told you not to come" was the first thing he said, averting his gaze. (Couldn't look them in the eye)

"And you must've lost a few screws if you thought we wouldn't" said Bill, meeting Percy's gaze. "You shouldn't have" is all he replied. "And what, let you be killed by the ministry?" Gaped Ginny. Percy shrugged "wouldn't have made much difference, you've only gone and put yourselves in more danger."

"Are you... Are you fucking with us right now?" Asked Fred, incredously. "No, im too busy ranting about cauldron bottoms to do that." And if Fred paused, Percy didn't see it.

Seeing as no one was getting anyway, Bill sat beside Percy who immediately felt on edge. "Thanks for the watch" he said simply. Everyone blinked in confusion and than realisation as no one has known where Bill's new watch had come from. Percy smiled faintly "You're welcome, reminded me of you."

"Although, I do wish you could've gave it in person" continued Bill, testing the waters. Percy surprised him by shaking his head "no you wouldn't have. It was your day, I wasn't going to ruin it." Bill frowned "is that what you think?" Percy shrugged again "it's what I've been told."

"You are way to chill after being tortured" said Charlie, Percy looked at his bandaged arms and snorted. "Eh? It's nothing new. That guy was just there for the theatrics, sadist if you ask me." Charlie raised an eyebrow "nothing new?" Percy nodded "yeah, what you think the ministry that's so far up Voldermorts ass would allow me to work there without some 'interviews'."

Everyone paled.

"But than why stay there?" Asked Arthur, Percy froze. Steeling himself, switching from calm to panic to calm in an instant but they all saw. "I've got business there, things I need to get done and ensure are done. Speaking of which, thanks for the rescue but I should be off."

He didn't belong here. Not anymore.

"Percy, you can stay." Said Molly, already standing up to get his room prepared. "No, I can't. I have work, I have a duty... And I'm no longer part of this family." When he said that, Percy felt like the wind was knocked out of him but stood his ground. "Percy... That's not true.."

Percy met Arthur's gaze, his father's eyes. "Really? Than pray tell why did no one tell me you were all in hiding... Or a warning? And don't say it was impossible because I managed to send a parcel to a location I didn't even know about nor knew existed."

No one could answer that.

"I'll be off, and don't worry I won't tell them anything. Just do what you do best, and leave me alone." Arthur managed to grab Percy's wrist though he hissed in pain and pulled his arm back like he'd been burnt. "Don't.. Touch me, Arthur Weasely."

Arthur recoiled, Percy looked away. "I spent my whole life wanting to be someone you could be proud off...I listened to all the critism and yes I was a prat. But the moment I made my own choice you already made me aware I didn't belong in my own house. I’m sorry...that I’m not athletic like Ginny, I’m not smart like Ron or as successful as Bill and Charlie, I’m not a hero like a Ron or fun like Fred and George. That I’m just plain ol prat Percy.”

He began to walk away. Just like he did before.

"That choice was against following Dumbledor, turning against the light." Said Molly, wanting him to understand. Percy laughed, with no humour at all but glaring hard. Rage emanated from him.

"I'm sorry if I choose not to stand behind an old coot who routinely sends an abused boy to his abusers, who nearly got 3 11 yearolds killed because he wanted to weed out a possibility. Who nearly got thousands of children killed and did nothing to save Ginny with the chamber. The man who wouldn't give an innocent man a trial and got him sent to the worst prison for 12 years... Who put teenagers in a death game and let an underage kid join because why not. That man is a monster and I refuse to follow someone like that. But no that means I'm blindly following authority." He sneered, staring at them all.

"And the ministry? Because as corrupt and fucked up as it is I know I can do something. That changes can be made in the systems to benefit everyone, Dumbledor is someone who breeds child solider’s and let's a known abuser teach at his school and somehow I’m the only one who isn't okay with that."

And with that Percy left, no one knew what to say. They simply sat in silence, absorbing everything they just heard. Ginny thought about how Percy had profusely apologised after she was free from the chamber, how he’d made time for her since than. Ron thought of all the times they’d have an adventure and Percy would watch over them like a mother hen. 

Bill and Charlie recalled when Percy would still come to them for help before he started Hogwarts. When they found him bruised and broken from bullies except this was because of them. “He really thinks that doesn’t he...?” Said Fred, George nodded. Neither could smile, guilt pooled in their hearts that they didn’t think he felt like that. 

Molly sobbed for her son who was once again lost and Arthur wondered where he had gone wrong to lose his son all over again. 

________________________________________________

Meanwhile Percy entered a muggle flat in London. Alone again just like he belonged, laying on his bed and looking at the brand on his arm.

'Son of none'

And if that didn't hurt most of all.

Suffice to say they all things to think about for when they’d meet again. 

[walkerismychoice]

Queen of My Heart - Chapter 38 (The End!)

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Drake X MC, Liam X Olivia, Hana X OC Lydia

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The show comes to and end, and Riley contemplates her future

Author’s Note: I can’t believe I’ve finally brought this series to an end. There was quite a long time I thought I may never finish. I want to thank all the readers and friends who’ve read and encouraged me along the way. I want to especially thank @debramcg1106 as of late for helping me work through the ending and pushing me to finish it out. This is the technical end of the story, but I do have an epilogue planned as well.

Tag List: @khakie4 @dreadpirateemma @ritachacha @blackcoffee85 @choices-fanatic @boneandfur @butindeed @simplyaiden-blog @bobasheebaby @traeumerinsworld @theroyalweisme @umccall71 @lizeboredom @debramcg1106 @enmchoices @withice @viktoriapetit @mfackenthal @drakesfiance @drakelover78 @speedyoperarascalparty @silviasutton1989 @krisnicjack @devineinterventions2 @choiceswreckedme @notoriouscs @blackcatkita @hamalu @akrenich @drakewalkerfantasy @jamielea81 @andy-loves-corgis @jlouise88 @jovialyouthmusic @sleepwalkingelite @i-miss-trr @dragonball-luver @gkittylove99 @lovingchoices14

Word Count: 2230

Queen of My Heart Chapter Index

Due to everything that transpired, filming of the finale was delayed two weeks. Riley was grateful for the time and hardly left Drake’s side during his recovery. He was sent back to the palace after a couple days, and Riley had to convince him that whiskey was not a suitable replacement for the antibiotics and pain medication the doctor prescribed. Reluctantly he obliged. He worked with physical therapy, and by the end of those two weeks, you’d have hardly known he’d been injured at all.

Olivia was salty her ball had been ruined, but the production staff made up for it, giving her and Liam an overnight filmed at Olivia’s northern Lythikos retreat. She was still worried the country would favor Riley with Liam, but Kat assured Olivia between her heroic actions, personal growth, and some favorable editing, it would be hard for most people not to be on her side.

As for Madeleine, it was still unclear if she would be charged criminally or would be incompetent to stand trial due to her mental health, but either way, she wouldn’t be a danger to anyone for quite some time. It was questionable if Jo’s involvement in the whole thing broke any laws. She wasn’t Cordonian, so she couldn’t be charged with treason for skirting security and endangering the life of the crown prince, but authorities were looking to see if there was anything they could make stick. At the very least she was blacklisted and would never work in television again.

So finally, on a calm, clear, day, there was only one obstacle left. Riley met with Liam, adorned in a stunning, body-hugging, Swarovski crystal filled dress, to put on the performance of a lifetime and act as if he’d shattered her heart. Of course, it wasn’t that easy. There were a couple of takes where neither of them could keep a straight face followed few that were unbelievably dramatic, but ultimately Riley was able to tap into her vulnerability and the tragedy she had faced to bring genuine emotion and tears to light. It didn’t matter that it was unrelated to what was happening in the scene, it was real. Kat said it was perfect, and Liam was free to propose to Olivia.

-----

Now that all is said and done, who will Liam choose to be his future Queen? Will it be the fierce Duchess Olivia, or the plucky newcomer Riley? Stay tuned for the finale of Queen of My Heart.”

Maxwell draped his arm around Riley’s shoulder. “What do you think, sis? How did I do on my television debut.”

Maxwell, Bertrand, Savannah, Hannah, Lydia, Liam, Olivia, Riley, and Drake were all huddled in the palace screening room to watch the finale as it aired.

Just about anyone would have been an improvement over Chad,” Riley teased, ”but the squid suit was definitely a nice touch. Your delivery was great, but did you have to call me plucky?”

“You know I had to play it cool,” Maxwell explained. “Plucky is good, but not over the top. Don’t want anyone thinking I’m playing favorites because you’re my sister.”

Riley rolled her eyes. “The suggested ‘noble newcomer’ would have been sufficient.”

“It was a stylistic choice.” Maxwell made a gesture with his hand indicating a mock hair flip.

"Ugh, enough about Maxwell," Olivia groaned. "I'm ready to get to the good part. Can we just fast-forward through any mushy Liam and Riley stuff? Nobody needs to see that."

"I second that." Drake raised his hand in rare agreement with Olivia.

Liam just shook his head. "I know nobody watches live network television anymore, so you must have forgotten how this works. There's no fast-forwarding. Not even through commercials."

"That's fine with me." Lydia chimed in. "More time for making out."

"Lydia!" Hannah's cheeks turned a deep shade of pink.

Lydia pecked her on the lips. "Sorry babe. You're just too damn cute when you blush."

Hannah remained quiet but her smile gave her away. Lydia, with her outgoing, bold, and slightly unpredictable personality, was the perfect complement to Hannah being so shy, proper, and focused. They brought out the best in each other, and the difference in Hannah between when Riley met her until now was night and day.

The friends watched the show and Riley only cringed at herself in a few places, which was much less than she thought she would. Things did get a bit awkward during the montage of kissing scenes between Riley and Liam, and Maxwell and Bertrand made a show of covering their eyes for the steamier parts. They all laughed inappropriately when Liam dumped Riley since they knew it wasn't real. And then finally when Liam proposed to Olivia, everyone cheered.

Riley thought of her friends and family at home. She pictured aunt Susan, Sarah, and Daniel all rooting for her and how disappointed they must have been that she "lost." She couldn't wait to tell them, however, she hadn't lost at all.

"Wow, Livvy." Drake quipped, bringing Riley out of her deep thoughts. "How much did you have to pay them to give you such a flattering edit?"

Olivia threw a pillow at his head which he deftly dodged. "Fuck off, Walker. You were so desperate to get on the show, you leapt in front of a bullet."

"Now, now children." Liam said in a mock scolding tone. "Let's all play nice."

"Yes, father," Drake and Olivia replied in unison, causing laughter to erupt around the room.

Riley still didn't have all the answers about what her future would hold, but she had found her people. Where she was in that moment was where she needed to be.

Savannah yawned. "It's getting late. We should probably go and relieve the sitter." Riley hasn't wanted to pry into Savannah and Bertrand's relationship, but they were working together to parent Bartie and things seemed to be falling into place for them.

"Yes, yes." Bertrand agreed. "Time is money!"

"Oh my god, Bertrand." Savannah rolled her eyes. "Life isn't all about money."

"She’s right." Maxwell propped his arm on Savannah's shoulder. "Besides, now that the show is over, we'll be getting some money, and Kat said if viewers responded well to me, they would probably offer to extend my contract in the franchise. By the looks of these tweets, I'm going to be rolling in dough. 'That Maxwell guy is so hot...ridiculously funny...just what the show needed.' Should I read more?

"Please no." Bertrand groaned. "We can talk finances later. Goodnight, all."

As the rest of the crowd dwindled, Liam asked Drake and Riley to stay behind. He kissed Olivia and promised to join her when the conversation was through.

"So what's up?" Drake got right to the point once only the three of them remained.

Liam cleared his throat. "Well as you know, I highly value your loyalty to the crown."

"Heh." Drake let out a terse laugh. "I don't really give a fuck about the crown, but I do care about you."

"In any case, you take your job very seriously and I could see you as head of the guard one day, once Bastien retires." Liam paused before continuing. "However, I do have another proposition for you."

Drake raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Go on."

"How would you like to be the head of Valtoria?" Liam asked expectantly.

Drake' eyes narrowed in contemplation. "I thought Valtoria was unoccupied. Is there a new Duke or Duchess there now that needs a security detail?"

"No, no." Liam laughed. "Well, there could be. That's what I'm trying to ask you. I would like to give Valtoria to you."

"No fucking way. You have to be kidding me. Did you sign up for some royal version of a prank show now?" Drake scanned the room as if searching for hidden cameras.

"I'm serious, Drake. I think you would make a fantastic duke."

Drake scoffed. "I'm a commoner who despises most nobles and everything the monarchy stands for."

"That's exactly why you'd be perfect for the role." Liam explained. "Cordonia needs a fresh perspective - someone who can resonate with the people the monarchy serves. Just think, you could have a real voice in creating change. I don't want to rule like my father has and his father before. I want the people to have the representation they deserve, and you are a key to that."

Drake sighed deeply. "I don't know Li. Even if I could do this - if I wanted to - what makes me worthy? What's everyone going to say when they find out you gave an average dude the title of Duke just because he's your best friend?"

"I'll tell them that Drake Walker is anything but average. He's smart, capable, and fiercely loyal. He's saved my life more times than I count and has more integrity than anyone I know. Public policy can be learned, but these qualities cannot be taught. He may not be noble by blood, but he is my family, and he belongs."

'Wow, Liam." Drake ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know what to say."

"You're quiet over there." Liam directed at Riley. "What do you think?"

"Me?!" Riley had been as shocked by this as Drake, and she didn't know what to think. This was about Drake, not her. Did her opinion really matter? "I, uh.... think this is really Drake's decision."

Drake took Riley's hands in his. "But it's yours too. I mean, if we are going to be together..."

"Oh, well..." How was Riley supposed to help Drake decide such a life altering thing when she didn't even have her own life sorted out?

Drake didn't leave her fumbling for too long. "Liam, I really don't know if either of use is equipped to answer this question right now. It's a very generous offer, and the fact that I'm not totally shutting you down for suggesting such a ridiculous thing as me being a Duke should tell you I'm genuinely willing to entertain the idea."

Liam chuckled. "I completely understand. This life is new to both of you in different ways, and to navigate a new relationship on top of all that is a lot to ask. I'm in no hurry to fill the vacancy. Consider it an open-ended invitation. I trust that you'll be ready to make your decision long before the public pressures me into making a new appointment."

"Thanks, Liam." Drake gave him hug and patted him on the back. "Now get back to your fiancé before she blames me for keeping you too long."

-----

Back in her palace guestroom, Riley nestled into Drake, her head resting on his chest. "It's been quite a night, huh?

"You could say that again." Drake pulled her tighter against him.

"I kind of feel like we're moving so fast, we're skipping steps - like we're being asked to decide the rest of our lives before we even know what we want to do tomorrow." Riley knew nobody was outright asking for an immediate decision, but she felt the weight of everyone's expectations. Whether she stayed in Cordonia or went back home, she'd probably be disappointing someone.

"Who says we have to?" Drake asked. "You heard Liam. He doesn't need an answer right away. I Know you haven't decided what you want, and I sure as hell don't know what I'm going to do yet. Why don't we take some time together to just...be. Do normal couple things and see where the relationship takes us."

"Normal couple things... I mean I don't know how I can go back to my normal peasant life after attending weekly balls dressed in couture gowns," Riley teased, "but I think I could make that sacrifice for you, my commoner boyfriend."

"Hey, watch who you are calling commoner." Drake pinned Riley down and tickled her sides until she begged him to stop, and he collapsed beside her again. "I just may outrank you soon if I so choose."

Riley laced her fingers through Drake's. "It's crazy to think how our lives have changed in a few short months. I don't think I could have made it through all of this without you, and not just because you kept literally saving my life."

"You may not have taken a bullet for me, but you've saved me too. For once in my life, I see multiple paths with meaning and purpose. I've seen so much of myself reflected in you, but it id the version of me I want to be, not the one I was. You've shown me trials and hardships don't have to make you bitter, and that you don't have to fit the cookie cutter mold to find your place here... Oh, God, listen to me. What have you done to me Bennett?" Drake shuddered in mock disgust.

Riley softly pressed her lips to his and pulled back with a smirk. "I don't think I can take all the credit, or the blame as you might put it. But enough talk about the future. You said we should focus on the now, and right now all I need is you."

"Well then, your wish is my command." Drake pulled Riley tight to him and then they lost themselves in each other, completely unencumbered by any decisions about their future. Those could wait for another day.

[slyther-bi]

Badass Snape Headcanons

Inspired by the song "Freeze" Ez Mil

I did my best, today is a hot day and I'm finally awake and energized to work on this. Due to the heat it may not be a lot.

for @justbored531

He became associated with a small gang from Cokeworth

They taught him how to fight and to conceal his emotion

He began smoking in his 5th year

He was arrested by the cops along with father for fighting, his mother had contacted authorities.

He was 16 at the time

He broke Barty's jaw, in his last year in Hogwarts

Lucius has had to stop him from fighting Rabastan

Severus chugged an entire bottle of fire whiskey in under 6 seconds and he didn't feel any type of buzz

He once downed a bottle of poison without a second thought and ended up alright. He was never given an antidote.

He got a tattoo on the back of his shoulder, it's of a Raven engulfed in purple flames

For a short time he taught Lucius a few fight moves

Severus learned how to ride a motorcycle

He stole a cop car during the first month of him being a death eater

He once punched a hole in the wall in Malfoy's house after finding out Peter was a death eater to prevent himself from killing the rat

He once a police station on fire

He has obtained a lot of blackmail material and has used it to his advantage

He once sliced a random Person's hand after they tried to touch during the Malfoy's Annual Christmas party

He races other people

He was once hit with the crucio curse and showed no signs of pain

He once shot Rosier

He got drunk with the Dark Lord

He beat Bella in a duel

He's capable of wandless and wordless magic

He once talked an auror to letting him go when he was caught during a raid.

He hadn't used magic.

He sells illegal potions

[fizzing-imagines]

A Choice With No Regrets; Act 1

A/N: First of all, I want to thank @darlingreich so much for helping me get ideas, inspiration and helping me design this version of Delphini! To make it short, I read the Cursed Child and liked Delphini Riddle. What I didn’t like was her whole story arc. So, I went and made my own story of her, to give her what she deserves! Please leave feedback if you like it!

Words: 5,190

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Being nervous was an understatement. My hands were shaking and my throat felt incredibly dry, and adding to my dry throat, every breath I tried to take came out insanely shaky and stung in my nose. Every time I took a step further my feet felt like they were floating. The only reason why I knew that they were, in fact, still on the ground was that I heard my black heels hit the ground with every step.

It was a cold and windy night. The wind blew in my face, and hit my legs. Small shivers made their way up my body from time to time. A dress wasn‘t the best choice for this night. Before entering the grounds of the mansion, I stopped and looked around for any source of life in the windows of the house. There was a little light coming from one of the upstair windows. I pulled the hood of my black cape further in my face and continued my way.

After a while I realised that wearing high heels while waking to the Riddles mansion wasnt the best idea. It recently rained and the ground was mudy. A cleaning spell will definetly be needed before I dare to face him. Before approaching the large front door of the old mansion, I looked around for any mudbloods. None there. ‘‘Alohomora‘‘, I whispered and the door unlocked. I silently snuck in and closed the door behind me. After it closed I pulled off my hood and opened my cape. I let it slowly slide down my shoulders and hung it up on a dusty coathanger a few feet away from the door.

‘‘Welcome home, mistress.‘‘, I heard an oddly familiar voice say in parsel. ‘‘Nagini‘‘, I answered in the same language. ‘‘So you‘re my fathers new pet‘‘. Before going here, I have recieved a message from Peter Pettigrew that I might be greeted by a large boa constrictor. Nagini started sliding up my left leg and slowly wrapped around my waist. She smelled me for a while before I continued talking. ‘‘Where is my father?‘‘, I whispered in english. Nagini let go of me and slid back on the ground before moving to a staircase. ‘‘Go upstairs‘‘, Nagini told me. ‘‘He‘s in the room at the end of the right corridor.‘‘. Nagini turned and slithered away, probably to explore the mansion. I slowly and carefully walked up the stairs and looked to my right as soon as I took the last step up. Faint, male voices were heard from down the corridor, so I followed the direction of them.

The wooden floor was creaking underneat my 5 inch black heels. My fathers followers must bestupid, or else they would have alredy heard me. Before taking any further step, I straightened my hair and made sure my dress didn‘t go over my knees. After all, I needed to look presentable. ‘‘My Lord?‘‘, I called out while taking some further steps. ‘‘Father?‘‘ The door to the dimly lit room swung open and a familar face met my eyes. ‘‘Pettigrew.‘‘, I said in a monotone voice upon seeing his face and stared walking up to the door. I ignored the rat-looking man, I couldn‘t stand him just from hearing about him. He‘s nothing more than a coward who hides behind the next most powerful person. He isn‘t loyal and never will be.

There was an armchairs back facing me, with Barty Crouch Jr. squating next to it. ‘‘Mistress.‘‘ Crouch Junior said, a little gibberish. ‘‘I wasn‘t hoping to see my bosses son today, but it‘s always a nice suprise.‘‘ I walked a few steps up to him. ‘‘Where is father?‘‘

‘‘Delphini.‘‘ a high-pitched, yet cold voice coming from the armchair said. ‘‘My child, come here.‘‘ I walked around the armchair and was met by my father. But he didn‘t look like my father. He honestly looked like the miscarriage I had 2 years ago. ‘‘Father. It‘s so nice to see you again.‘‘, I said again and squated next to the left armrest. The fetus-looking creature that was currently my father moved his head in my direction.

‘‘Move further into the light, I want to see my heiress.‘‘, he demanded. I did as he said and moved further into the light given by the fireplace. It was silent for a few seconds before my father broke that. ‘‘Such beauty, is she not Crouch?‘‘ my father said and his fetus-face had a smirk eched uppon it. ‘‘Not a single drop of muggle blood, that‘s the secret ingredient.‘‘

He‘s been claiming of me being a pureblood all my life, however, I‘ve always known the truth. I just never dared to correct him. ‘‘Just like you, father.‘‘, I answered to his compliment, which he seemed pleased with.

‘‘Take a seat.‘‘, he ordered me. Pettigrew dragged a chair across the room so I could sit down next to my father. ‘‘Now my dear,‘‘, he continued. ‘‘what about your position as a teacher?‘‘. A smirk ran across my lips as he asked.

‘‘All is going according to plan. I recieved a letter from Dumbledore two days ago that I was accepted as the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher.‘‘, I proudly told him. ‘‘At least one of the Riddles will finally take on the position.‘‘

‘‘A good girl like you‘ve ever been, that‘s just what I‘ve expected of you.‘‘, he said with a miscevious smirk on his face. I replied with just a smile.

‘‘I‘m really sorry my husband and I can‘t take you in father.‘‘, I said to him and took his fetus-hand. ‘‘But with both of us working a ministry job and me working under the man ho trialed my mother it‘ just too dangerous.‘‘ I kissed the back of his hand once, as a sign of submission.

‘‘It‘s alright, Delphini. I have quite the comfortable place to stay here.‘‘, he replied, and I nodded to show that I‘ve understood.

‘‘My Lord, may I ask how long we are going to stay here?‘‘ , Pettigrew interrupted our conversation.

‘‘A week,‘‘ said my fathers cold voice. ‘‘Perhaps longer. The place is moderately comfortable, and the plan cannot proceed yet. It would be foolish to act before the Quidditch World Cup is over.‘‘

"The - the Quidditch World Cup, My Lord?" said Peter. "Forgive me, but - I do not understand - why should we wait until the World Cup is over?" "Because, fool, at this very moment wizards are pouring into the country from all over the world, and every meddler from the Ministry of Magic will be on duty, on the watch for signs of unusual activity, checking and double-checking identities. They will be obsessed with security, lest the Muggles notice anything. So we wait. "

I nodded in agreement. Working in the department of international magical cooperation I‘ve noticed that all too well. I‘ve had much more work than before, so much that I now also have to work at home.

"Your Lordship is still determined, then?" Wormtail said quietly. "Certainly I am determined, Wormtail. " There was a note of menace in my fathers cold voice now. A slight pause followed - and Peter spoke, the words tumbling from him in a rush, as though he was forcing himself to say this before he lost his nerve. "It could be done without Harry Potter, My Lord. ". I looked at Pettigrew with slight shock. How could he say something like this? "Without Harry Potter?" breathed my fathers voice softly. "I see. . . " "My Lord, I do not say this out of concern for the boy!" said Pettigrew, his voice rising squeakily. "The boy is nothing to me, nothing at all! It is merely that if we were to use another witch or wizard - any wizard - the thing could be done so much more quickly! If you allowed me to leave you for a short while - you know that I can disguise myself most effectively - I could be back here in as little as two days with a suitable person -" "I could use another wizard," said our Lords cold voice softly, "that is true. . . " "My Lord, it makes sense," said Peter, sounding thoroughly relieved now. "Laying hands on Harry Potter would be so difficult, he is so well protected -" "And so you volunteer to go and fetch me a substitute? I wonder. . . perhaps the task of nursing me has become wearisome for you, Wormtail? Could this suggestion of abandoning the plan be nothing more than an attempt to desert me?" as he said that, I couldn‘t help but smirk. "My Lord! I - I have no wish to leave you, none at all -" "Do not lie to me!" hissed my father. "I can always tell, Wormtail! You are regretting that you ever returned to me. I revolt you. I see you flinch when you look at me, feel you shudder when you touch me. . . " "No! My devotion to Your Lordship -" "Your devotion is nothing more than cowardice. You would not be here if you had anywhere else to go. How am I to survive without you, when I need feeding every few hours? Who is to milk Nagini?" "But you seem so much stronger, My Lord -" "Liar," breathed my fathers voice. "I am no stronger, and a few days alone would be enough to rob me of the little health I have regained under your clumsy care. Silence!"

Peter, who had been sputtering incoherently, fell silent at once.

After a few seconds I cleared my throat and asked ‘‘May I speak, my lord?‘‘. He wasn‘t to mess with at this point. I learned that the hard way as a child.

‘‘You may‘‘, he allowed me, and I once more cleared my throat.

‘‘It will not be a problem to get to Harry Potter once I am at Hogwarts. Wormtails concerns about the boy are for nothing.‘‘, I assured everyone in the room. The two men and the form my father currently posessed looked at me, and no one dared to correct me. ‘‘I will keep contact with my husband while at Hogwarts. He‘s the heir of the Jugons family, who were loyal to you. Everything regarding the boy will be brought to you.‘‘ I continued talking. ‘‘If you‘d want me to keep contact with someone else though I will gladly do so.‘‘

‘‘The Jugsons will do, Delphini.‘‘, my father assured me. I nodded too show that I understood.

‘‘You have work tomorrow, don‘t you?‘‘ I nodded once more.

‘‘Use your words.‘‘, he told me. So I said ‘‘Yes, I do.‘‘

‘‘You may proceed to go then.‘‘, my fathers cold voice spoke. ‘‘We wouldn‘t want you tired and worn-out at work. You still need to get us information after all.‘‘

I slid off the chair Peter has given me earlier and bowed down in front of the arm chair my father rested in.

I took his hand again and said ‘‘Thank you for your generosity, my Lord‘‘ before kissing his hand once more.

Peter tried to help me to get up afterwards, but I slapped his hands away. I don‘t want those touching me.

‘‘Bring her to the door, Crouch.‘‘ my father ordered the Junior. He did as comanded and walked behind me while I walked thowards the door. However, when I opened it I saw an old man, a mudblood standing in the door.

‘‘Father, we had someone listening.‘‘, I said while looking the old man in the eyes.

"Invite him inside, Wormtail. Where are your manners?" my father said. ‘‘You may go, Delphini.‘‘

The old man was led inside while I left the room with Crouch Junior.

While walking downstairs, Nagini passed us. Poor old man.

We proceeded towalk downstairs and when we arrived at the front door, Crouch Junior took my coat and went to help me put it on. I didn‘t say anything and just let him do it. I didn‘t have a problem with him so there‘s no reason to not let him do it. However, I did close it myself.

‘‘We‘ll surely see each other again.‘‘, I said to Junior and put my hand on the doorknob.

‘‘Until then, Mistress.‘‘, he said. I turned the doorknob and opened the door. I first thought if I should say something about me seeing his father at work, but I just let it be. I had no good reason to tease him.

It started raining again while I was with my father, so I pulled the hood of my cape further into my face once again and stepped outside. I heard the door close behind me and I took a few steps further away from the mansion before apparating home.

                                                            ***

I was pleasantly suprised that it was only 1:30am. In all honesty, I thought it would take longer. Not wanting to accidentally wake up my husband, Amancio, upstairs, I took off my heels and got readynfor bed in the guest bathroom downstairs. I took off my makeup and dress with the stockings. The dress and stockings I brought into the laundry room and put on one of my husbands shirts for sleeping. Finally, I tiptoed upstairs into our bathroom. Soft snores came from Amancio, which confirmed to me that he was asleep already. I carefully slipped underneath the sheets and cuddled up to my husband before noticing that something fluffy was laying next to Amancios head, right over mine. ‘‘Looks like you tried to replace me, Misty.‘‘,I whispered to my husbands cat before cuddling into his chest and falling asleep.

                                                            ***

Our enchanted clock woke me up from my sleep. I‘m glad Amancio enchanted it to birds chirping. Misty woke up from the chirping as well and jumped out of bed. I turned off the clock and went to get up. My husband wrapped his arms tightly around me while I was sleeping, so I had to wiggle myself out of his arms. Amancio murmured in his sleep but eventually turned over and continued sleeping. I smiled to myself and then stepped out of bed. I went to our closet and got my work clothes out before walking into te bathroom to get dressed and do my makeup and hair for the day.

I did my makeup first, some eyeliner and mascara on my upturned eyes, blush to define my high cheek bones and I coloured in my thin and arched eyebrows. Then I put some almost white powder under my eyebrows, the inner corner of my eye and the back of my nose. Lipstick I was gonna apply after breakfast.

I continued putting on my dress, a black, short-sleeved dress that went down to my knees with a white collar. The dress was tight around my waist to show off my figure. That is a standart woman of my class. I put on skin-coloured tights and checked once more if everything was in place.

My hair was next, but it wasn‘t anything special. I just brushed my hair and left it like that. It was naturally straight and I never had to do anything special to it for the office.

I proceeded with my accessories. My engagement and wedding rings were always around my finger, but I still had to put the Lestrange family ring away. So I did. My earrings were adorned by small pearl earrings. Fitting to my red nailpolish, I put a small, red ribbon around the collar of my dress. Now I was ready for the day.

I went downstairs to enchant our kitchen supplies to make breakfast: Pancakes with bacon and butter. As the supplies started doing their thing, I started making coffee and feeding our cat.

While Misty was eating and the coffe brew, I went upstairs to wake up my husband. Lucky him, he didn‘t need as long as I do in the morning. Upon entering our bedroom, I sat down on the edge of his side of the bed and brushed my left hand through his dark brown hair. ‘‘Amancio‘‘, I said with a smile on my face. He grumbled a little, but didn‘t do anything further. ‘‘Il mio amore.‘‘, I said and placed a few kisses across his nose. He scrunched his nose and thick, dark eyebrows and rolled his face into the pillow. ‘‘5 more minutes.‘‘, he grumbled into the pillow.

‘‘You slept enough, bello.‘‘, I said and then proceeded to plaster kisses on the back of his neck. ‘‘I‘ll blow raspberries if you don‘t get up by yourself.‘‘

Amancio chuckled and turned back around onto his back. His emerald green eyes gazed into mine and I couldn‘t help but grin at the sight of it. Due to his tanned skintone they looked so much more intense. He sat up straight and pressed a short kiss on my lips. ‘‘Good morning principessa‘‘, he said and grinned at me.

‘‘No need to call me princess, I‘m not 15 anymore.‘‘ I said with a small giggle. ‘‘You woke me up so I can call you a princess at least.‘‘, he defended himself. I laughed a little and got up from the edge of the bed. I went over to our closet and pulled his work clothes from his side of the closet. ‘‘Breakfast is done any minute, hurry up.‘‘, I told him and handed him his clothes. Amancio got up and took the clothes from me. ‘‘Also,‘‘, I started ‘‘we need to talk about our Lord.‘‘. Amancios face became serious and he nodded. He proceeded to leave the room while I walked downstairs into the kitchen. Our kitchen equipment was already cleaning itself, so I took the two plates with our breakfast and put them on our breakfast table. The coffee and mugs followed and I also put a bowl of blueberries on the table. I already poured some coffee into Amancios mug and added some milk, just how he likes it. My mug was filled with plain, black coffee. That‘s how I like it. Shortly after I sat down, Amancio came in the kitchen and sat down on the seat in front of me. His face was still serious and I could notice that he was thinking while getting ready since his tie wasn‘t like he normally does it. Before even grabbing his mug, he asked ‘‘What did he say?‘‘. I could her the anxiety in his voice, something really rare for him.

‘‘It‘s my duty to get him the boy. Pettigrew can‘t even nourish him.‘‘ I took a sip of my coffee. ‘‘I made the decision to build up his trust while at Hogwarts. It‘s easier to get him to my father that way. Until then, I will regularly send letters to you and your parents so you can update our Lord. It shouldn‘t be to hard to get in contact with Peter and Barty Junior for any of you.‘‘

You could see the relief in my husbands face.

‘‘We can definetly do that.‘‘, he said with a small smirk.

Amancio wasn‘t a death eater yet. He didn‘t posess the dark mark, and so did I. We were very young when my father fell from power. But his parents were loyal followers, and so was my mother before she was send to Azkaban.

‘‘This is the first time I‘m properly serving him, so I shouldn‘t mess this up.‘‘, he added and started drinking his coffee.

I chuckled a little at what he said. ‘‘Considering the fact that my father doesn‘t know you and my mother probably doesn‘t even know that I‘m married you should really try your best.‘‘

A short laugh came from my husband before we both started eating breakfast.

Amancio and I knew each other since I was ten. After my mother was imprissoned I went to live with my aunt Narcissa and uncle Lucius with my cousin Draco, and Amancios mother was a good friend of Narcissa. Our wedding was set up by my uncle and his father when we were 13. At first, we were against it but ended up deciding that we should make the best out of it and become friends at least. Turns out we‘re really compatible, so we started dating at 14. All went well and we got married three years ago, just a week after Amancio graduated from Hogwarts. We‘ve never regretted it.

Breakfast went along in a comfortable silence. While Amancio put away the dishes , a post owl arrived at our kitchen window and I let her in. As always, she gave us the Daily Prophet and two letters. One was for Amancio and me from his older sister Amara and the other one was from Dumbledore for me.

I already expected what was written in Dumbledores letter, I recieved a 5-page letter about what will be taught in which grade regarding Defense Against the Dark Arts. I also got a small instruction on the grading system. Internally, I thanked him for the grading chart. I never went to Hogwarts, so I don‘t know how the grades work.

Amancio opened the letter from Amara in that time and it was a letter from her and her husband, a picture drawn by our niece Selene and a picture of Selene with the plushed Kneazle we got her for her birthday. She turned 3 last weekend and was very excited about the plushed animal, which currently was her favourite creature of all time.

I looked at the picture of our niece in adoration, yet there was a weird feeling in my stomach. It might be because I already had two miscarriages. I was still happy for my sister-in-law, it‘s just that I miss both of my angel babies.

While I looked at the moving picture of Selene, Amancio got both of our briefcases from our workroom and put them on the table. He proceeded to pack lunch in two lunchboxes for us. Amancio packed them with leftovers from yesterday, rice and steak, even though he packed more in his than in mine. Not because he didn‘t want me to eat, but because I don‘t eat a lot. I have a certain body type and weight to maintain. He never failed to sneak a small candy heart, carefully wrapped in golden paper, in there though. I watched him doing that with a smild etched upon my face. He packed each lunchbag in the right briefcase and walked over to me.

‘‘Phini, we should get going.‘‘, he said and placed a kiss on my temple. I nodded and both of us grabbed our briefcases. We walked into the hallway and put on our shoes. It wasn‘t until now that I saw all the mud on my heels from yesterday. I put on my black, 5 inch work heels and took my red lipstick and hand mirror out of my briefcase to put it on.

‘‘One last kiss.‘‘, Amancio said before kissing me on my lips. He always kissed me before i applied my lipstick since he knew that it would smear all over his face. I gave into the kiss, and it lasted for a few seconds before we let go of each other. Amancio grinned while I put the lipstick on my lips and put everything I used for the application back into my briefcase. One last glance at the clock told me it was already 7:40am. We‘ll have to start work at 8.

Good thing the fireplace in our workroom was connected to the floo powder network. I removed the large fireplace fence and stepped into the fireplace first. Amancio handed me the bowl of floo powder and I grabbed a handful of it. ‘‘Ministry of Magic!‘‘, I shouted and threw the powder on the ground. I was surrounded by green flames for a while and I felt my body float before landing on my feet again and stepping out of one of the ministry fireplaces. There was a little bit of dust left on my clothes, so i took a few steps further away from the fireplace and dusted those off with my hands. My hsuband followed shortly after me and after he dusted his clothes off as well. We smiled at each other before we started walking to the elevators. I had to get into the fifth level while Amancio had to get to the second, the Department of Magical Law Enforcment. To be more specific, he worked in the department of improper use of magic and was responsible for the wizards who want to homeschool their children. We tuffed us in the already packed elevator and lucky for us, both of the buttons for our level were already pressed. Amancio was the first one to get off, and he smiled at me once more before disappearing in the crowd of people. My journey to my office continued and it got more empty with each level. There was only a handful of wizards and witches left when I got off to my department.

I walked straight into my office, where three of my colleagues were already getting ready for work for the day. ‘‘Good morning‘‘, I greeted them and sat down in my workspace. There were multiple letters on my desk, all of which were written in a foreign language. I had a folder with already answered letters, all sorted after months of this year. There were many more folders like thi in the bookshelf standing on one of the walls of the office.

Our small office was one of the most important ones in this whole department. Our office had the witches and wizards in that spoke the mot languages, ones that most employees don‘t speak. If we have exchanges with wizards that didn‘t speak english, it was send to us. Most of the letters I recieved from foreign countries were in greek and italian. The co-worker, Aluro was his name, sitting on the desk in front of mine spoke turkish and finnish. Hera who just came through the door, spoke the most languages out of the five of us in this office. She spoke a total of eight languages fluently, four of which were some of the hardest to learn.

My other three coworkers were Asteria, who spoke turkish and russian, Endymion, who was fluent in hebrew, romanian and dutch, and Serena, who spoke norwegian, serbian and hindi.

Due to being homeschooled I learned many more langauges, five in total. English is my native language, and spanish and french was spoken by many people in this department. Latin wasn‘t used for communication anymore, so only my fluent greek and italian is what saved me a spot in this certain office.

I put my parchment and quill on my desk and started working. First, I took onto the greek letters. It took me quite some time to first, write a translation for my boss, second, write a reply and third, then write a translation of my reply for my boss. I was down on two letters when our boss, Barty Crouch Senior, and his minon Percy Weasley came in the office. They did that every day, and he tended to stay in our office rather long.

‘‘Good morning.‘‘, he cheerfully greeted us. Most of us replied with the same, but Asteria and Endymion were so deep into translating that Asteria greeted him in russian and Endymion in dutch. That caused a small chuckle from most of us before we continued working.

I hated when he came over, but he did every morning. He had one of those creepy old man crushes on me. Barty probably thought I wouldn‘t notice, but it‘s blatantly obvious. One thing I‘ve inherited from my father were his looks, back when he still looked human. Combining that with the facade of a young, sophisticated, innocent and loving woman I am the perfect bait. As long as his weird crush is helping out my fathers causes, I won‘t exactly reject him. Good thing he thought that my husband and I aren‘t actually in love, but just set up to marry.

Talking about him, he walked over to my desk and looked me over the shoulder. ‘‘Good morning, Mr. Crouch.‘‘, I greeted him and turned my head to face him. It wasn‘t until then that I noticed that Percy was standing right behind him. ‘‘Mr. Weasley.‘‘, I said and smiled at him.

‘‘How is the work going?‘‘, Crouch asked me. The letter I was currently writing was in greek, so he couldn‘t read anything. ‘‘I already replied to the letter about alligning cauldron thickness with the greek ministry. Another one from greek was about the trade of muggle guards. I‘ve made some notes for the right department so they‘ll know what they need to do.‘‘ I took the translated letter with the notes and handed it to my boss for him to read. ‘‘I can‘t reply to it until the right department took care of it, and considering that I‘ll be gone by the end of this week this would need to happen fast.‘‘ It was Tuesday, and my last work day will be on Saturday. I‘ll have a free month to prepare classes before then going to Hogwarts. ‘‘I think we can prioritise that trade.‘‘, Crouch said and handed the letter and note to Percy.

‘‘I hope you‘ll find someone who speaks greek. Italian might be easier to find, but good luck with the greeks.‘‘, I jokingly said, just to keep my facade. Barty laughed about that, and his laugh was so utterly disgusting to me. Seeing the man who imprissoned my mother, one of the few people to not treat me as just an heir to my fathers legacy, displaying any form of happiness made me sick to my stomach. Yet I kept up my facade, his trust will give me the best information I could recieve.

‘‘It‘ll be hard to find someone to replace you, that‘s for sure.‘‘ he grinned at me, with a look no young woman would like to see from an old man.

‘‘I‘ll miss this office as well. Adapting somewhere else will be hard. But change is good for me, I believe that.‘‘ Everything that just came out of my mouth was an absolute lie, but I really didn‘t care.

‘‘I hope you really thought about becoming a teacher in that position. Defense Against the Dark Arts professors don‘t last longer than a year.‘‘ Good, I didn‘t intend to be there for longer than a year.

‘‘I‘m a skilled witch, nothing bad is going to happen to me.‘‘, I reassured himwith a small smile. He looked satisfied with what I said.

‘‘You surely are, Delphini.‘‘, he answered to that, still with his awfully happy smile on his face. ‘‘I should get going now.‘‘, he then said. I nodded and smiled at him. ‘‘Just put a note about the outcome on my desk with the letter, so I can answer them.‘‘, I said to Barty and his minion. Percy nodded, and Barty did the same (still with his horrible smile) before they turned and left our office. Crouch took one last look at me before closing the door.

Old creep.

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRH Book 1, Chapter 13 (One Last Yeehaw)

• It's the chapter everyone's been waiting for! We're pregnant, we get to tell our spouses, we get to tell our friends, we get to tell the courtly ladies, Olivia wears leather, our MCs get to buy a crib for an poppy seed-sized something in their womb that doesn't even know what hands and legs are yet (forget cribs), and the best news of all...WE ARE FINALLLY LEAVING TEXAS!!!!

• If you don't want to see this post on your dash, these are the tags to block: #trh quick thoughts, #trh qts, #trh qt reblogs and #long post.

• Screenshots:

Hana: The Universal Studios 77 YouTube channel

Drake: @thefirstcourtesan and the HIMEME YouTube channel

Maxwell: @itsbrindleybinch

Title: Spreading the Word

Alternative Title: It's a Child, Not the Gospel 🤦🏽‍♀

• Before I start talking about the chapter...storytime!

• Sooo...my first pregnancy was a couple of years ago. And I like telling the story of how I broke it to my husband coz it is pretty damn funny. We'd been trying for two years, and had a couple of times when our tests would be met with a disappointing negative. So by the time I did get pregnant, the hubby was a little wary of hoping too soon.

• I had an inkling just before my periods were expected to arrive, because I found myself flopping down on the bed immediately after work, without even making dinner. No morning sickness, no giddiness initially, just constantly feeling so tired. Anyway, hubby insisted I wait a couple days more before a test because he was too afraid of getting his hopes up, and I agreed.

• I took my test around 4 or 5 that morning? And had to wait a couple minutes for the lines...and THERE WERE TWO. Do you really think I could keep such news to myself for more than ten seconds?? (even that was too much). Of course I was going to shake poor hubby awake and show him the test.

• It took five vigorous shakes to wake the poor guy up, and as soon as he was somewhat awake I shoved the test in his face (I was excited ok! 🙈) forgetting that without his glasses he couldn't see shit (very high power). "I can't see anything," he said sleepily, so I gave him his glasses. Ensuing conversation went as follows.

H: There are two lines.

Me: Yeah...sooooo...? 😀😀

H (sudden realization what two lines are supposed to mean): OMG there are two lines??? *sleepy smile*

Me: YES. I'M PREGNANT.

H (weakly): Yayyyy. (pause)...can I go back to sleep now?

Me: But what will I do???

H: You also sleep.

Me (running on sheer adrenaline now) : I CAN'T SLEEP I JUST FOUND OUT I'M PREGNANT.

H: Oooookay. (is too sleepy at this point to process anything).

Me: (excitedly hops over to Google at 5.20 in the morning and types out "I'm 4 weeks pregnant now what")

LMAO. That first pregnancy was quite something.

• The chapter begins with the MC sending her spouse a text. Depending on whether you mentioned a surprise, mentioned that you need to have a talk or texted emojis instead, the LI will react accordingly.

• With the surprise option, the LI flirts with her. With "we need to talk", they appear tense and believe she's angry with them. The emoji option is the funniest, coz the MC sends a string of emojis with the last one being this: 🍞, and the LIs are confused and referencing the bread (I've seen only two routes of this one - Liam talks about the Cordonian Baker's Festival which will only happen after a couple months, and Hana speaks about a bread course). The MC is puzzled at first, then gets to choose how to tell her spouse the news.

• AAAAAND NOW THEY KNOW.

Liam: Ecstatic and excited at the thought of holding his own child in his arms. Immediately after, he worries over the preparations they will need to make, the childproofing of the throne room and the things they will need to get ready, and it is the MC who calms him down.

I personally love that the narrative makes a mention of Liam "recentering himself" here, because it does show me that this is a rare display of raw emotion, of Liam letting go of his control, and you get a glimpse of what calming down for him looks like. Wish it hasn't taken four books to actually muster up the effort to write that.

Hana: One of the sweetest reactions ever - "We're going to be moms?" and a hearty squeal after that. She then becomes emotional and teary, cries with joy. There's some gentle teasing of each other where they call each other "cute", and then Hana tells her she's so glad she gets to share both this moment and this entire journey of pregnancy with the MC.

Hana doesn't show many signs of her intensive planning in this particular scene, because this - again - calls for raw emotion where the LI basically forgets their "normal" and truly savours that moment, but we do see signs of the same type of planning in other scenes.

Maxwell: WHOOPS with joy and excitement as soon as he realizes. Wants to scream out the news on a mountaintop. He promises the MC that their family will be the most awesome, most fun one that the kingdom has ever seen.

I love how Maxwell's overall vibe in this chapter seems to reflect his family situation - he definitely wants to be the exact opposite to his own child what his father has been to him. It's a pity they don't explore that enough.

Drake: Wild with joy, can't stop grinning. But also worried about whether he is being careless with the MC and is overly concerned for her. Calls her not just by her surname but also her first name. I wonder if that should be added to my Book 1 tallies 😂

• That TRR lullaby music is going to be played so much after this that we'll eventually get sick of it. I know it. I know it already.

• The LIs also get to check in with the MC about how she's feeling, and you as the reader get to decide how she is feeling at the moment (ecstatic, nervous, scared?). We also get the option to decide when to break the news to our friends (at the reception itself, or the next morning at breakfast). I think enough of us had an axe to grind with Savannah and Bertrand for the stunt they pulled (with our help) last book, that most people slammed that "reception" button like their lives depended on it.

• The LIs also act in different ways before their friends find out about the pregnancy:

Liam and Hana both dote on the MC, and Hana specifically keeps the MC's dietary restrictions in mind (gets sparkling water/orange juice in place of champagne/mimosas, asks about caffeine content/salmon during breakfast - this varies depending on when you make the announcement). With Drake, the group figures out that he has something on his mind because he's grinning nonstop, and Maxwell tries really really hard to hint at the MC's pregnancy by using phrases like 'bun in the oven' and 'expecting', and gives up in frustration when no one catches on.

• There are three ways you can tell the news to the group - if you're at the reception, you can leave them to guess, get the LI to announce via loudspeaker or scream it out. If you're at home, the same three options except the second one is simply the LI delivering the news in a more low-key manner.

•

YOU'RE SUCH DORKS ISTG.

• Bertrand is happy for us but Savannah is surprisingly (to my great joy) nowhere to be found.

• CELEBRATORY DIAMOND SCENE. For 30 diamonds, which is usually reserved either for finales or turning-point diamond scenes. Again, these scenes deal with the newness of it all, the jubilation, the end of a (not very long, actually) wait, and the LIs get to talk about family.

•

The sex part is 🔥 🔥 🔥 as usual, but the parts that really justify the 30 diamonds we're spending come before and after that. Each LI, as I've mentioned before, responds differently, but the thread that connects them all is the awe and wonder at this new life, and their plans and worries for the future (Good. You all should be worried if Olivia's diamond scene is anything to go by).

- Liam: In the pre-sex portion, the focus is on celebrating this moment they have alone - as parents - together, because once this news is brought out to the world, both they and their child will be thrown into the spotlight. I have spoken in this essay about the kind of upbringing royal children tend to have and the lessons they unknowingly learn in that environment. Liam has gone through this, he is aware his child will go through it too, but he wants the child to have as normal a life as he as a father can provide. This is clear in the last portion of the scene, where he touches the MC's stomach, marvels at the life they both created and - as per the MC's choice - communicates with said child. My favourite option of course is the lullaby, because it's one that Eleanor used to sing to him - and it is interesting how a lot of Liam's memories of an actual parent, doing actual parent-things, is of his mother.

- Hana: In the pre-sex portion, she speaks about how nervous they've both been over whether this pregnancy would happen and the pressure from the court, and how excited she is that that moment is finally here. When the MC asks her if she is nervous or scared, Hana tells her that even though everything that has led up to this (leaving her parents, having a new life in Cordonia) has been unknown and scary, knowing that they will finally have their own family outweighs "all the worries in the world". In the last portion of the scene, they flirt playfully, leading Hana at some point to wonder about whether they should set ground rules if the child is going to be such a charmer. She's already got a whole range of things prepared - from a pregnancy kit to snacks and drinks appropriate for the MC's condition - but the MC encourages her to relax and not worry too much. You can tell that Hana is already in the zone of wanting to be a better parent for her child than her own.

- Maxwell: I find the Maxwell version of this scene really interesting this time, because it deals with both his struggle to change for his child, and his struggle to NOT be the kind of father Bartie Sr was (finally they address this!). The first part of the scene involves Maxwell being his usual excitable self, wanting to scream the news from the rooftops then realising that it might be too risky for his wife. He speaks of wanting to "rewire" himself into "Good Dad mode". The last portion is especially poignant, because he speaks both of what a life without the MC would have been life (an enjoyable Beaumont Bash, but one where he is forever searching for someone, and feeling constantly lonely, like something is missing in his life), and he also promises his wife that he will be the kind of father who will learn and grow from his mistakes, and who will be there whenever his children need him most, not just drop by on the day of their child's wedding.

- Drake: Drake also falls back into old-habit before getting into father-mode - he mentions celebrating with drinks before realizing the MC cannot have them. The MC gets to choose either a non alcoholic beverage or a massage, and as far as I have seen the massage comes with yet another family story about his father massaging a particular spot in his mother's shoulder that would easily tense up. It astounds me how much effort the writers make into making Drake's scenes and exchanges so much more personal than the others. Like the others have their moments in this scene too - but in their cases such moments are the exception, not the norm. In Drake's it's always the norm.

In the aftermath of the scene, the couple get to discuss how they will bring up their child, even though that child will be heir to Cordonia's throne, and get to choose if they want to bring that child up with a sense of normality, or to appreciate the benefits they get from the royal life. In the end, all Drake wants this child to know at the moment is how much their parents love them.

• We now have brunch, hosted by the newlyweds. If we have not yet announced our pregnancy, Bertrand will simply announce us the way a herald would at a royal event before Savannah teases him for doing so, and if we have, he mentions that we are "celebrating the happy news with them once more". Bertrand speaks of being overly formal when he's very happy, and is even happier to mention the word "wife". That'll last.

• Leona gives Bertrand a cup of bourbon as a reward for the way he stood up to Chuck, claiming that she thought of him as a "pretty boy" who knew nothing, but was impressed by his behaviour on the wedding day. At this point I can only roll my eyes and finally celebrate when Auntie Bitch disappears. We've wasted way too much time than necessary on Drake's shitty family.

• If you haven't announced the news, you announce it after this scene. There are a few slight changes, esp the drinks mentioned in certain cases because the brunch is a more relaxed atmosphere than the reception so the food and drink items mentioned are pretty low-key. But everything else is pretty much as is.

• Bertrand and Savannah have a honeymoon to plan, which means we will finally get a break from them too, and Bianca asks us what we're planning in order to celebrate the news. Maxwell suggests getting a gift for the new arrival (9 months before arriving), and Savannah suggests they go to the general store and get something from there. The MC is nervous, because she wasn't exactly planning to meet Cassidy West again. Thankfully, he isn't at the store, so she's pretty safe 😂

•

All the LIs have items they will check out with their friends/wives, but the scene varies related to who the MC married. Minimally in most cases, quite a bit in just one. As usual.

Maxwell shows us baby socks, and realizes that this child is a "miniature human" who will have small-sized everything. Virtually nothing changes in this scene except for Maxwell calling the child "our baby" instead of "yours" in his own playthrough. Everything else is disappointingly identical.

Hana shows us a toy tea set (it's still early days but Hana tells the MC it will be fun to practice and to think of the treats the child can eat from that). If you are married to her, she gets a single line referencing the childhood scene where she waited in vain for her mother at her own tea party.

Liam's scene is the one wit the diamond option - as the King of Cordonia whose entire country's future rides on this child, he is the one who gets to show the MC (+ LI in their respective playthroughs) the crib. There are two variations in this scene - the ones where Liam speaks about "our heir". Other than that, very little difference (though he does mention Constantine in one line later, so I guess that's a plus).

Drake shows the MC a wooden rocking horse. In his friend playthrough, he speaks of the gift as something the child can have to remember "ol' Uncle Drake" by. But if you're married to him, there is a whole set of dialogues where Drake talks of riding horses being part of the Walker DNA, and there is a reference to the secret wedding (riding off into the sunset), and there is interactive banter between the MC and Drake that you don't see much of in the other playthroughs. I wish I could say I'm surprised.

• I mean...seriously??? Maxwell gets NO OTHER VARIATIONS??? Hana's mention of her mother never coming to her tea parties isn't even followed up by a line expressing comfort from the MC????

• Just as we got there options for our nursery decor, we also get three options for the crib (classic, royal, forest fairytale). The royal option is lavish, all gold and cream, and the fairytale option is whimsical, wood finish and the same patterns of forest animals and flowers and leaves as the walls. The classic option is, like its corresponding decor, "very neutral. very baby".

• We exit the shop as quickly as we can either because Maxwell broke a trampoline (in the Liam, Hana and Drake playthroughs), or Hana dropped some teacups (in Maxwell's playthrough).

• Once we're done shopping, we get a call from Olivia, who is at our estate in Valtoria, asking us for the most precious thing in our room. But before she can ask, we tell her we're either furniture shopping or pregnant. The option the writers want us to be choosing is "pregnant", because there's a scene where Olivia secretly happy-cries for us when she learns the news. We can agree to loan her either some fancy shoes, our engagement ring (in the Maxwell playthrough, apparently, there is a reference to the twig ring he made back at the beginning of Book 3) or the Cordonian Royal Sceptre. She isn't sure if she'll come back alive, so she thanks us in case she doesn't.

• The ensuing Olivia diamond scene comes with a chance to figure out what Olivia is upto, an advantage over Auvernal, and a tiny hint at a Nevrakis name for TRM.

• I must say, the writers never cease to go all out for Olivia. Even over the female LI that should have been treated like a co-protagonist. And it's tiring because yet again I'll have to see half the fandom drag Hana just so they can drool over the white girl (in fact I already have).

• Olivia's sprite on the left side of the screen...is going to take some getting used to. It's disorienting. But it's fine after a second one!

• Anyway. She is now at a casino in Monte Carlo, meeting up with Bradshaw and Isabella. She's clearly in super-spy mode, since she refers to the King and Queen of Auvernal as targets rather than their names or titles. She has a better edge over the two if she is honest about her intentions and doesn't pretend she just bumped into them.

• Bradshaw speaks about King Liam sending his 'attack dog' to them and 'not doing his own dirty work' which is hilarious considering this man is from a militaristic society yet doesn't even know the C of combat training and has never done anything besides strategizing.

• Isabella always delivers her stinky, unwarrented opinion as if it holds any weight or has any relevance. In Olivia's case, she mentions Anton's marriage contract with Olivia and wonders aloud how the Queen/Duchess still trusts her enough to allow Olivia in her inner circle after that. All three options to push back at Izzy are 🔥 but my favourite one is "you look like you know all about poor judgement" (which is true, look at who she married).

• Olivia then gambles with Bradfraud and Stinkybella, with whatever the MC chose to give her as stakes. The best option is to simply call Bardfraud on his bluff, because he folds easily. Depending on whether Olivia wins or loses the game, he either asks the guards to place the item in the penthouse, or to get more funds from there. Olivia takes note.

• She then has to make sure she nicks the key to the penthouse from Stinkybella, either by acting tipsy or by coming closer to her for an "awkward hug". Both do the job.

• She learns the following from the penthouse:

- Bradfraud and Stinkybella stay in separate rooms, which means things "aren't as rosy" between them.

- She finds a letter of rejection, doubtless from another royal couple, and this is an indication that they aren't as popular as they pretend to be.

- She finds a map of a land she doesn't recognize (is it Monterisso? Olivia would recognize a map of her own country...and neighboring countries...but who am I fooling it's not like team TRH concerns themselves with such ridiculous things as logic!), which has troop formations on it. They're planning something called Operation Swan. I've heard of "Black Swans" and "Swanning About" used as military terms, but there's not a lot I understand from this. Perhaps this leans more towards a "black swan" idea - where they will launch a surprise attack with a nation they are allying with? IDK.

- Basically, we have enough leverage to win against these two, thanks to Olivia's work.

• In any case, someone comes to the room, and Olivia is on the verge of getting caught. So she'll need to scale her way down.

• This shows us if you have Olivia pray to her ancestors for wings:

(Theodosia is clearly the Renaissance Nevrakis)

• If you don't choose to scale down, Olivia will land on the pool instead, but even then she makes it out okay. She decides to keep an eye out because Bradfraud and Stinkybella could pose as a problem for Liam and the MC.

• Olivia is operating on her own, as far as she has told Bradfraud, but the possibility that Liam is aware of what she is upto still exists. And the MC has no clue even if she is Liam's wife because:

a. The writers are too lazy to code this for Liam, and

b. It's not like the MC puts any effort into finding things out anyway

• We're now leaving the Walker Ranch, a couple hours later, and saying our goodbyes to Drake's mother and aunt. I heave a sigh of relief at the fact that there's no additional "memories" from Bianca become this family has gobbled up enough of our attention. Seems like their horrible attitude was really about the money they didn't get after all (it's a fair gripe to have, but doesn't exactly warrant the attitude they've been throwing around).

• Leona still acts like she did us a huge fucking favour hosting us, even though she was an awful host and seriously deserves to lose her ranch. Bianca tries to be civil but no apologies from her for allowing her son in law to be treated like crap until his wedding day. Seems like all Walkers have a habit of expecting civility from others while giving none.

• Bianca asks us to keep in touch and I'm pretty sure a huge chunk of the fandom said "no way in Yeehaw Hell".

• Liam continues to be mysterious with regards to what Olivia is up to, and Esther - who I HC'd as inquisitive - seems not to care enough to ask more.

• The LI tells us, as we leave, that Kiara, Penelope and Madeleine will be traveling in the jet with us, and it's up to us to decide how we break the news to them. If you own corgis, that features as an option. Two of the options (writing on a cake and announcement by corgi) come with a simple "Coming Soon...The Royal Heir", but the charade one is my favourite 🤭

• Penelope is that particular Drake/Walker Ranch stan who loved the time we spent at the ranch and Kiara is the rest of the fandom, who would much rather be in Cordonia than cooling her heels in Texas.

•

AAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHA.

The MC then tries another charade, one that resembles cradling a baby in her arms, which Kiara takes to mean "American football" (thank God they don't force Cordonians to call it "soccer" anymore), Madeleine takes to mean "a common pirate jig" and Penelope somehow gets the guess right (though Kiara is the one who straight-out says it).

• The ladies are ecstatic, and congratulate us. Penelope calls for drinks, but Kiara has the common sense to add that the drinks should be alcohol-free. Madeleine informs us of the events lined up for us, including the Apple Ball which will doubtless be the ball we will be attending in the finale.

•

There's a small private moment where the LIs dote over the MC more than necessary, wanting to pamper her and keep her in comfort. The MC calms them down, convinces them that they have a very good support system/are a great team together who can achieve anything.

• Mara still finds out about the pregnancy via Maxwell scouring the online shops for corgi-themed onesies even when he is the father. Which makes sense. It's still Good Dad Mode 😁

• In the tiny space of time it took between Madeleine finding out we were pregnant and us talking to people, she managed to schedule a conference for the same day! At least let us confirm the pregnancy with our docs???

• Plus, announcing this early, even if you're not royalty, is pretty risky. You're mostly advised to not disclose it too soon because the first trimester can be a little risky. And there are also cases where your first ultrasound turns out to not be that happy moment where you see that yolk sac and hear its heartbeat, or an ectopic pregnancy 😔. I recall reading about it on pregnancy forums before my first ultrasound (and stressing, but I had to be prepared) and not being satisfied until I confirmed it for myself.

• The writers and the readers know she'll be pregnant because that is what the story is, but perhaps if the team hadn't wasted so much time on the Walker Ranch, they'd at least not have to hurry like this.

• Actually...no. "Hurrying" would be the wrong word. Because they're going to stretch the press conference itself to like two chapters, it seems like. Basically they will spend time on everything that isn't important to the story as long as it's important to their pet character.

• The summary of Chapter 15 (CHAPTER FUCKING FIFTEEN. We're stuck at the beginning of all this even by CHAPTER FIFTEEN) speaks of the press conference heating up, so I'm having an inkling that there will be some pretty heavy stuff being asked in between? Maybe with regards to alliances, or a new scandal, or something else. But it's not going to be easy at all, that much is pretty clear. It's going to be frustrating and there's going to be stuff that will anger the LIs I think. I could be wrong, though.

• Overall this chapter does better in terms of variations even though they still do beef up Drake quite a bit over the others. But at least Liam, Hana and Maxwell get the rare opportunity to briefly address the mistakes (too small a word for what they've done) their parents have made. It's still not enough though. Esp considering the last 9 chapters have seen such an overall of Walker history and Drake's memories and the others have barely a handful of chapters to catch up.

• Sometimes I wonder if Olivia's independent investigation is also fueled by her desire to be so different from her parents and aunt as to wipe out the memory of their betrayal through her deeds. I do wonder if she will burn herself out completely in the process. She is made of sterner stuff than that, I know, but the determination she was showing in this scene and in the last few chapters was on another level.

• I wonder if we will get intel on Monterisso as well (I don't fully trust Amalas yet), or whether the narrative plans to establish this country as the underdog we will be supporting. Who knows. But I'm sure we will see more of that country in further chapters as well.

• That's it for this chapter, I think. Until the next one!

[blankdblank]

Anaticula Pt 44

Pt 1 - Pt 2 - Pt 3 - Pt 4 - Pt 5 - Pt 6 - Pt 7 - Pt 8 - Pt 9 - Pt 10 - Pt 11 - Pt 12 - Pt 13 - Pt 14 - Pt 15 - Pt 16 - Pt 17 - Pt 18 - Pt 19 - Pt 20 - Pt 21 - Pt 21b - Pt 22 - Pt 23 - Pt 24 - Pt 25 - Pt 26 -  Pt 27 - Pt 28 - Pt 29 - Pt 30 - Pt 31 - Pt 33 - Pt 34 - Pt 35 - Pt 36 - Pt 37 - Pt 38 - Pt 39 - Pt 40 - Pt 41 - Pt 42 - Pt 43 -

Eager to just get this monstrosity over with, you all dressed in your favorite jeans and sweaters in the oddly chill drizzly morning. The trip to the station went easily and through the crowds of Muggles and other students whispering as soon as they saw your group. At the train you all headed for the seventh year car where Cedric let out a relieved sigh as you entered your usual booth, “There you are! Such a fuss they’re throwing up, huh?”

You all sat down saying, “You have no idea.”

With a grin he asked, “How’d your summer go? Get those papers signed yet?”

*

Farther down the train the fifth years all settled into their own cars, strolling past a full car Harry and Ron walked to their usual car passing other students along the way, “Dean, Seamus.”

Harry, “Good holiday?”

Dean, “All right. Better than Seamus', anyway.”

Seamus, “Me mum didn't want me to come back this year.”

Harry, “Why not?” More students poked their heads into the hall listening in.

Seamus, “Let me see. Because of you. The Daily Prophet's been saying a lot of things about you, Jaqi and Dumbledore.”

Ron, “What, your mum believes them?”

Seamus, “Nobody else was there the night he supposedly came back. Cedric can’t remember anything.”

Harry mumbled brushing past the pair to head to their car, “I guess you should read the Prophet, then, like your stupid mother.”

Seamus, “Don't talk about my mother.”

Harry turned back to him seeing Dean now standing between them, “I'll have a go at anyone calling me a liar.”

Hermione finally climbed on the train after handing over her trunk, “What's going on?”

Ron said nodding at Seamus, “He's mad, is what's going on.”

Seamus, “Do you believe the rubbish he's come out with about You-Know-Who?”

Hermione, “Yeah. I do. Jaqi showed me the memory herself.” Parting his lips. “The Prophet is rubbish and Fudge is just a coward hiding behind headlines.”

Ron, “Has anyone else got a problem with Harry?” The others pulled their heads back in their own cars while Seamus’ eyes lowered in thought.

Harry stormed straight to the final car with the pair behind him, there Neville unpacking his carry on bag in search of his crosswords book from you asked, “You all right?

Harry, “Fine.”

Ron, “Seamus was bang out of order, mate. But he'll come through, you'll see.”

Harry huffed and plopped back onto his bench in the corner while Neville asked, “What’d Seamus do?”

Hermione, “Just believing the Prophet rubbish.”

Neville, “He’ll come around.”

***

A song of quick comeuppance and the toppling of the unstable left you all chatting amongst yourselves until Minerva returned with the first years who were all excited for their new houses. The small group was all securely tucked into their new spots already trying to make new friends with those around them, Dumbledore’s rise however signaled the elder students to point out the need for them to go quiet for the welcoming speech.

“Good evening, children. Now, we have two changes in staffing this year. We're pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank who'll be taking up Care of Magical Creatures while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave. We also wish to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Dolores Umbridge. And I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing the Professor good luck. Now, as usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you...”

Umbridge clad entirely in pink stood after clearing her throat interrupting Dumbledore making him turn to look at her, “Thank you, headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. And how lovely to see all your bright happy faces smiling up at me. I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends.”

You and the twins mumbled, “That's likely.”

Umbridge, “The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved perfect what can be perfected...and prune practices that ought to be prohibited.”

Dumbledore forced a grin and turned back to the students, “Thank you, Professor Umbridge. That really was most illuminating.”

Ron, “Illuminating? What a load of waffle.”

Collin, “What's it mean?”

Dumblebore, “Magic is forbidden in the corridors...”

Hermione, “It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts.”

A tap on your arm at the start of the feast had you grinning at the first year girl asking excitedly, “Is it true you’re in a film with Max Troublane?”

You nodded and the girls around her squealed making you turn your head back to your juice you took a sip from wondering why they were so excited over a middle aged man you barely had two minutes screen time with. But still politely you answered their questions until they broke into another conversation on their homes and family freeing you to turn back to your friends and teammates ignoring the pink clad woman staring out at you all coldly. Even Snape, a former Slytherin himself along with Barty refused to acknowledge her place at the table.

At the end of the feast however at the glint of your Head Girl and Prefect badges seemed to instantly spark a flash of rage in her eyes unsettling you. Alongside the twins and Cedric you guided the first years to your common room and helped them ease into their first nights away from home before using your enchanted doorway to head down to the Chamber of Secrets. It didn’t take much and with a whole wing of the palace sized home you had been allowed to use for your snakes Tulip had plenty of room and company for this year so the Ministry couldn’t find or hurt her. Opal and Norberta as well were informed of the plan and regrettably you returned to your dorm and left your hammock in your trunk just in case she ever came in there she wouldn’t suspect anything of it.

…

Breakfast was followed by Herbology. Magical Creatures was next and was a simple intro back into the course followed by an extensive list of potions you tried to make the most of for a hefty supply of house points. Double Charms was next and as seventh years nonverbal spells were required after the first few tries of a new complicated charm.

*

11 am brought on the much dreaded Pink Toad-Face the first three year students had all gossiped about being a waste of a class. All together they took their seats eyeing the odd blue and white text books looking like they were from the 1800’s that they all right away flipped through growing more disappointed by the minute.

“Good morning, children. Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations.” Extending her wand to have the piece of chalk tap under each letter across the board, “O- W-Ls.” Another flick had the acronym underlined and the chalk was set down again, “More commonly known as OWLs. Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe. Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. But you'll be pleased to know, from now on you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes?”

Hermione, “There's nothing in here about using defensive spells? Using spells?”

Umbridge, “Well, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom.”

Seamus, “We're not gonna use magic?”

Umbridge, “You'll be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way.”

Harry, “What use is that? If we're attacked, it won't be risk-free.”

Umbridge, “Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class. It is the view of the Ministry...that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations...which, after all, is what school is all about.”

Draco, “And how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?”

Umbridge, “There is nothing out there, dear. Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourself?”

Harry, “Oh, I don't know. Maybe Lord Voldemort.”

Umbridge, “Now, let me make this quite plain. You have been told...that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie.”

Harry, “It's not a lie. We saw him. We fought him.”

Umbridge, “Detention, Mr. Potter.”

Draco, “Jaqi’s throat was cut of its own accord?”

Umbridge, “That was a tragic accident.”

Ron, “It was an assault. Voldemort’s Death Eaters did it. Stabbed her in the back too.”

Umbridge, “Enough! For all we know Potter or Diggory did that!” Open mouthed the students peered up at the Professor straightening her pink tweed jacket, “Enough. See me later, Mr. Potter. My office.”

The remainder of the class a simple set of chapters they read quietly. Already she could tell there would be a struggle against her methods and was penning her mental draft of a letter to Fudge for initial status for how she was received.

*

Noon again had you all in the oddly warm day out in the main fields practicing a basic set of spells to dust off the summer months. The growing group that the first years flocked to out of curiosity had the pink clad Professor fuming from up in her classroom. Silently seething until a glance through a book pulled from her purse reminded her of the spell to draw on a nasty down poor she assumed to ruin the club for the day that only meant you took it up to the RoR.

Lunch after the club came next, followed by another break after leading into Transfiguration. A request for a report on how the class went was given at the end of hers. A creeping feeling spread through you all and straight for the usual room you went to inspect yet another Professor undertaking the task.

“Good morning, children. Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test.” Extending her wand to have the piece of chalk tap under each letter across the board, “N-E-W-T-S.” Another flick had the acronym underlined and the chalk was set down again, “More commonly known as NEWTS. Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe. Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. But you'll be pleased to know, from now on you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes?”

Flipping through the book you heard Bryt ask, “There’s no spells in here.”

Umbridge, “Well, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom. You'll be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way.”

Cedric, “Lot of good that would have done us the past few years.”

Cho nodded, “The school does seem to have a reputation for mischief.”

Umbridge, “Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class. It is the view of the Ministry...that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations...which, after all, is what school is all about. No matter what lies are being spread,” her eyes shifted to you as you propped your chin in your palm reminding yourself not to be goaded on. “Who would ever attack children such as yourselves?”

Strolling past you she patted your shoulder making your eyes flash silver in her stroll past you revealing she had summoned those Dementors that attacked Harry after a few glimpses of her early life, “Now, let me make this quite plain. You have been told...that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie.” For a few moments you tapped your finger on your cheek until she strolled back to the board finishing her rant about the importance of the new regime for the graduating class. “Good test scores can guarantee you all can live up to your family names and make your families proud,” then her eyes fell on you, “Or otherwise be every bit a waste of a wand the civilized Wizarding world assumes you to be. Now I know you especially have quite a hurdle to cross, being more than just another criminal. Anyone can be an upstanding citizen, if they simply make the right choices. Do you want to, Miss Black, make the right choices?”

Lowering your hand you forced a grin, “Well with great role models like you how could I refuse the offer for guidance.” A grin eased onto her face and you continued, “I mean just look at you, Madam Undersecretary, Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, so close with Minister Fudge himself,” she nodded and let out a giggle, “Your father must be so proud.” Her grin flinched and smirks spread through the class, “A worker in the Department of Magical Maintenance, to see his daughter grow from an unspectacular Slytherin student of average standing, a halfblood no less, to climb so high under Fudge’s pureblood biased regime.” You gave her a few sarcastic claps, “I am truly in awe.”

Resting your chin in your palm again with a wider grin her way as her eyes narrowed and she turned back to the board to move around her desk to sit down “It seems you will be in great need of some private lessons on improving your outlook on life. Detention, perhaps one week might sort you out.” That single challenge seemed to spark up something in the other sixth and seventh years already done with her regime.

One questioning on the first page led to a backhanded comment from a Slytherin student, from there another picked up what was meant to be her defense only to insult her more until one after another the entire class had landed themselves in detention at 6. Exiting the class when the hour was up Umbridge was seething, huffing and puffing turning to her desk to write to Fudge with no clue about the yellow dust falling off her back from you and the twins casting your duck charm on her so she would be little more than a loud nuisance.

For your free course in the absence of Muggle Studies you joined the other free students into the Study Hall Barty was hosting where even he couldn’t help but smirk hearing how the class had unfolded. Guiding you all to the tables at your shared wish not to go back again he said, “You are able to sit for the NEWTS for a course without attending the course you know. I’ll send a note up to Dumbledore alerting him to the dilemma, above OWLS it is not a mandatory course.”

…

6pm came and along with the full sixth and seventh year class you attended were joined by Harry and a few fourth years from families in the Ministry she found unworthy of their positions. Inside her class you took your seats in the desks provided much smaller than your usual ones to fit you all with paper and quills provided.

“Come in. Good evening, come in. Sit. You're going to be doing some lines for me today. No, not with your quill. Going to be using a rather special one of mine. Now... I want you to write, ‘I must not tell lies.’”

Cedric, “How many times?”

Umbridge, “Well, let's say for as long as it takes for the message to sink in.”

Harry, “You haven't given me any ink.”

“Oh, you won't need any ink.”

Steadily you all began to write and fists clenched through the room as you all began to learn the trick, the quills carved the words into your skin and wrote with your own blood. In a pass by Harry she raised a brow, “Yes?”

He curtly replied, “Nothing.”

She smirked and leaned in for a moment, “That's right. Because you know, deep down you deserve to be punished. Don't you, Mr. Potter? Go on.”

.

Ron inched a bag of sweets closer to Hermione in their own Study hall before dinner, “Care for another? I'm not asking you to write all of it.”

Hermione, “Please.”

Ron, “I've been busy studying for these stupid OWL exams.”

Hermione, “I'll do the introduction. That's all.”

Ron, “Hermione, you're honestly the most wonderful person I've ever met. And if I'm ever rude to you again...”

Hermione, “I'll know you've gone back to normal.” At Harry’s entrance her eyes moved to his scabbing hand, “What's wrong with your hand?”

Harry flashed her his unharmed hand, “Nothing.”

She fired back, “The other hand.” Reaching out she grabbed it and gasped as Ron did at the words carved into his hand, “You've got to tell Dumbledore.”

Harry pulled his hand back settling his bag in his lap waiting for supper to pop up in front of him, “No. Dumbledore's got enough on his mind right now. I don't want to give Umbridge the satisfaction.”

Ron, “Bloody hell, Harry. The woman's torturing you. If the parents knew about this...”

Harry, “I haven't got any of those, have I, Ron?”

Hermione, “Harry, you've got to report this. It's perfectly simple. You're being...”

Harry, “No, it's not. Hermione, whatever this is, it's not simple. You don't understand.”

Hermione, “Then help us to.”

In a glance up the trio looked to you and the others from detention, all with bandaged hands parting their lips to the sheer number of you all. Ron grumbled out, “Bloody hell, what did she do, give the whole final two years detention?”

Harry nodded, “Just about, few fourth years too.”

Hermione, “Something has to be done!”

The Professors all strolled in and filling up the table they all took their seats and watched Umbridge stroll in, all clearly aware of the sheer number of kids in detention on her first day. Pausing on the raised floor in front of Dumbledore’s podium with a clearing of her throat, “In accordance with the behavioral codes pertaining the Prefect and Head Boy and Girl statuses any students ever having gained a detention are forfeit of the rights pertaining to the title.” 

A flick of her wand she brought out meant to fetch the pins from those breaking the rule sent a flock of ducks out of her wand. The descending feathers from them made you smirk as you led the full group of Prefects and Topper to remove your pins you floated over to the table in front of Minerva while Umbridge inspected her wand muttering about the unnoticed cap on her magic repeated in a few random charms she cast next all resulting in more ducks.

On his feet Dumbledore sighed saying, “Now that we have been stripped of our entire student governing body, Miss, Umbridge,” Emphasis on the Miss, “Let us eat.” He clapped his hands and supper appeared in front of you all signaling you to eat.

.

One whole week you sat through the detention and let Umbridge just sit in her empty classroom through the striking two upperclassman courses while you all took up space in the courtyard reading through copies of the typical manuals for your years aloud. The impromptu class drew out Dumbledore to assist in guiding you through the ones you all asked about. No matter her frustrations she couldn’t seem to find the way to break her magic block and borrowed wands the block still remained angering her even more as she had no way to find out who had issued the charm.

Though a commotion brought you indoors to find Umbridge and Minerva arguing.

Umbridge, “Pardon me, Professor, but what exactly are you insinuating?”

Minerva, “I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices.”

Umbridge, “So silly of me, but it sounds as if you're questioning my authority in my own classroom...Minerva.” Her name accentuated by moving up a step to be even with Minerva.

Minerva held her ground, “Not at all, Dolores, merely your medieval methods.”

Umbridge, “I am sorry, dear. But to question my practices is to question the Ministry, and by extension, the minister himself. I am a tolerant woman...but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty.”

Minerva, “Disloyalty. I am not the one carving into the skin of students Dolores! How would the families of these students feel about the Ministry’s treatment of their children? Hmm? They trust us to protect their children, not maim them. But I feel quite a riveting mood to write some notices of my own since you seem to have a flurry of owls off to Fudge on the hour, let us bring some awareness of Fudge’s beliefs on how these children are to be treated by the Ministry!”

Umbridge, “Is that a threat?!”

Minerva, “Oh I don’t have to stoop to threats, or fear mongering methods to see these children on the proper paths, unlike some. But only one who does could see a threat in the truth being revealed. And all that would be needed for proof is carved into the skin of those around you, I would sure love to see you cover that up, come on give that dud wand of yours a swish and bring on a storm of ducks to fill up Black Lake!”

Dumbledore glanced down to your raised hand he compared to those of the twins and his eyes narrowed in a silent muttering of a spell of his own then turned back to the courtyard, “I believe we were on barrier charms, Cedric, your turn.” All of you turned to join him as Minerva stormed off to her office, out of which the stacks of letters to each parent zapped off using a spell of yours with photographic proof with patching sets to each of the newspapers and magazines she could think of.

Screams however echoed through the school at Umbridge’s collection of quills, both for detentions and her own personal use were blown to bits with revealing pools of ink making her contact to Fudge all the more difficult. In a frenzied trip to Hogsmeade she returned with a fresh supply to pen letters off to Fudge. “Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action.”

..

Between the flood of magazines filled with the proof and statements on the detention treatment coverage in the Daily Prophet centered around the marriage of Donaghan Tremlett and reports on the trial of Sturgis Podmore for trespass at the British Ministry of Magic on 31 August. At least until the end of the week, in the sea of stolen or exploding Quills Umbridge was amassing in Dumbledore’s jinx she seemed to sneak off a letter to Fudge all the same and then a burst of news exploded all the same.

“Having already revolutionised the teaching of Defence Against the Dark Arts, Dolores Jane Umbridge will, as High Inquisitor, have powers to address the seriously falling standards at Hogwarts School.” Fudge’s quote rippled through the Wizarding world and with Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three the grin on Umbridge’s face deepened as finally after being passed over for power positions in her former school she was the second highest in command and had the power to really change the school to fit a whole new regime.

McGonagall was first under her unscrupulous inspection, yet the more she tried to interject and question the more steadfast Minerva became in proving herself unflawed in her teaching worsening Umbridge’s mood even more.

Flitwick was next in his Charms course just before lunch, in which she did little to question him and merely measured him with a sneer at having to share a space with the halfblood Professor.

The inspections got around and right after lunch the scrutiny was shifted onto Professor Trelawney in Divinations.

Umbridge, “Just one question, dear. You've been in this post how long, exactly? Could you please predict something for me?”

“I'm sorry?”

“One teensy little prophecy?”

“Pity.”

“No, wait. Wait, no. I think I do see something. Yes, I do. Something dark. You are in grave danger.”

Scribbling the note down in pencil she mumbled to herself, “Lovely.” Then strolled out.

Pt 45

[purplebenjy]

Barlights || AU 2018

“Amycus. Come on. You’ve got to let me in.”

Benjy’s arms cross over his mesh shirt, partially in agitation partially to try to warm himself up. 

“It’s fucking cold out here, man.” 

Amycus for his part, genuinely looks the part when he sighs and shakes his head. 

“Can’t do it, Benj. I know you’re not eighteen.”

Benjy scoffs, his breath turns into a poof of smoke in the air that lights up pink from the Lagoon’s neon sign. It was a seedy, shithole gay bar-and thus the best place for rich closeted men to frequent. If people recognized them, they were either in the same boat or too blitzed to care. And even recognition was difficult inside the club with it’s nearly pitch dark lighting and constant color changing and flashing lights. 

Benjy has been going pretty consistently over the past two years, that was, until last week, when someone snitched on him to Oscar. A lot of the other men he worked with were jealous of Benjy’s ability to both appeal to and woo the higher end clients. It was a side effect of growing up in the Black’s various mansions-even if he was just their Show and Tell only foster child. When there were big events, chances for Mr. Black to look good and devoted, they rolled Benjy out, droning on and on about how full he made their lives-their only son.  As soon as the cameras left, they went back to ignoring him save for a weekly chore list he had to work on-nevermind the girls never had to lift a finger. Still, even being basically a servant, Benjy had picked up on a thing or two-including a decently posh accent. He had a client tell him one time that paying him for sex didn’t seem as dirty because Benjy didn’t seem as dirty. He still isn’t sure if it was a compliment or not, but it definitely stuck with him. If anything, Benjy has ramped up the poshness, embodying the dutiful doting nature of too many of the women he had witnessed in his foster mother’s inner circle. And it worked.The men ate it up and he was making more money than he ever had before in his life-clearly someone had tipped Amycus off in an effort to try to move in on his business.

“You don’t know I’m not eighteen.” He says easily as he steps into Amycus’s personal space. He’s not ugly-not that that matters anymore- with big broad shoulders and dark almost perfect skin. He’s got some sort of scar that looks like a burn mark on his neck-Benjy bets it’d be sensitive if he kissed it. Amycus’s brown eyes watch him warily as Benjy produces an ID.

“See? Eighteen.”

“According to that, you’re twenty.”

“Yeah.” Benjy says easily, not missing a beat. Lying is so easy at this point it’s basically his second language. 

“Benjy, this is an even worse fake than last week’s.”

Benjy sighs, takes a step closer.

“Maybe we can work something out?” His voice is low, his touch soft as he traces the outside of Amycus’s thumb around his fake ID. For his part, Amycus’s breath hitches just slightly.

“I don’t sleep with little boys.”

“Who’s little? I’m twenty-one.”

“Twenty.” 

Benjy laughs. “Sure.”

He leans forward and carefully kisses the spot on his neck, smiling when he feels Amycus melt under his lips. That never got old-regardless of who it was or how much he was making. After a few more kisses, Amycus’s strong hands pull Benjy away, resting on the outside of his arms. He’s trying and failing not to smile as he speaks, holding Benjy in place.

“You’re something else.”

“So I’ve been told.”

Amycus’s smile wins out and Benjy smiles back. He is pretty cute. A small part of him wonders if he could push this further-get Amycus to claim him permanently, but he pushes that pipe dream away as soon as it crosses his mind.

“Go ahead.” Amycus says, nodding to the three older men who have materialized out of the shadows. After they enter the club, Amycus turns back to him, still holding him at arm’s length.

“How the hell’d you end up here anyway, Benjy?”

Benjy shrugs as best he can.

“How does anyone?”

He remembers briefly. Andy popping up in his room at 2 in the morning, whisper yelling at him in a hushed voice  that Narcissa had seen him kissing his friend Ollie before Benjy got out of his car. How she just told The Blacks-how her father was planning on sending him to some sort of camp in the morning. She’d helped him pack and given him one hundred quid she’d stolen. That first couple of months spent bouncing between shelters and motels and the street, texting Andy when he could find Wifi, trying to survive. He’d found a job cleaning office buildings until his coworker and eventual room mate Gideon showed him just how much he could make on the street. Gideon introduced him to Barty who, for 40% of what he earned, let Benjy stay in the run down apartment building his family owned. Barty, who was expecting a big amount of money from him tonight and would do lord knows what if he didn’t bring it to him.

“Come on, Amy. Please?” 

Amycus knew Barty-that was how they ended up at this club in the first place. Amycus sighs, Benjy tries again, speaking quickly.

“It’s not like anyone is gonna call about me being in there-there's too many risks and too much loss for everyone if the Lagoon shuts down. Come on. I won’t even drink. I promise.”

Amycus chuckles slightly.

“You promise, huh?”

Benjy nods really enthusiastically. 

“Yep. Hate drinking when I do this anyway. I really need the money, mate. Can you help me out?”

Amycus’s eyes meet his and Benjy knows he’s won.

“When’s your birthday?”

“November. November 23rd.”

Amycus drags his fingers slowly down Benjy’s arms, making him shiver.

“If I let you in-and you don’t drink-and you’re still on the scene by your birthday...maybe I’ll let you pay me back.”

Benjy grins.

“Does that mean I get to go in?”

Amycus rolls his eyes good naturedly. 

“Fine. But if you drink-”

“I won’t.”

Benjy closes the distance between them and gives Amycus a sweet kiss on the lips. He tastes like cough drops and cigarettes.

“A taste of what’s to come in November. There’s no way I’ll be anywhere else.”

But Benjy had no idea how wrong he was.

~

It’s been a relatively good night, and Benjy’s only been inside for an hour. Someone had pulled him into the alley and paid him for a blowjob that had lasted maybe three minutes-easiest fifty bucks he’d made. The man left without looking at him and that had stopped hurting a long time ago. Benjy stands, counting the money again as he put it in his pocket, and heads towards the side door, sneaking back in. A few people leer at him as he makes his way through the crowd, but he’s expecting it. He’s in what he calls his uniform-or one of the versions of it. Black mesh shirt so he can show off the tattoos on his chest-face shaved, his long dark back in a small ponytail with a few pieces springing out to frame his face. He’s got on tight faux leather pants-glorified leggings really-with nothing on underneath to allow the easiest access to his body as possible. Most of his clients liked to fuck him in the alley behind the bar, or, if they were really feeling fancy, the backseats of their luxury cars. He’d learned early on that underwear just got in the way. He has on his old beaten up Doc Martens that were a size too big-easy to slip on and off and also good for a well placed kick if he needed to get away. He’d been lucky in that aspect, though Benjy suspected that had largely to do with Barty and his nearly constant stream of blackmail threats if clients didn’t pay or got too aggressive.

He smiles at the bartender and one of the owners-Alecto-who sort of smiles back. She always gives him shit but she also looks out for all the boys who come through there, kicking out and banning the particularly nasty older men.

“Diet Coke please, Lecto.” 

“And?”

Benjy smiles at her. “Ice cubes.”

She rolls her eyes and starts making his drink. Benjy turns around from the counter, his back pressed against the bar as he surveys the crowd.

“Kept your promise, I see.” 

The sound of someone else startles him, but Benjy recovers quickly, glancing to his left at the sound of the voice.

And his heart stops.

He’s looking at the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. He’s got green blue eyes that sparkle when they meet Benjy’s, perfectly coiffed dirty blonde hair. He’s got the perfect amount of stubble on his strong jawline and the only thing that takes Benjy’s eyes away from that is his perfect, white smile. It feels like the swallows tattooed on Benjy’s collarbone are swooping in his stomach when this stranger licks his lips.

“Uh…” Benjy says, turning himself to fully face this man. “What are you talking about?”

The stranger jerks his head to the front door.

“Your promise. To Amycus. Not to drink. I heard you two talking on my way in.”

Benjy’s eyes must grow wide cause the Stranger’s smile grows.

“Your secret is safe with me, Benjy.”

Oh the way he says his name makes him want to sink to the ground right there, but he resists-he doesn't really get a choice as to when he does that these days. He smiles, still not taking his eyes off of this stranger.

“I appreciate that.”

“Is it short for anything? Benjy?”

Why does it feel like he’s looking through him when he talks? And why is Benjy desperate to know what he sees? 

“Uh, yeah. Benjamin.”

The stranger hums, finally looking away when Alecto puts a drink down beside Benjy’s still untouched Diet Coke.

“I like that.”

“Then you can call me it.”

The stranger smiles as he takes a drink of his gin. 

“You’re pretty adorable, you know that?”

“I’ve been told.” 

Benjy grins when the stranger laughs. 

“God, you’re a touch cheeky too? It’s almost unfair.”

Benjy takes a sip of diet coke to wash the taste of his last client out of his mouth.

“What’s unfair, handsome?”

“That I have to go through a few hoops before I get to have you.”

Benjy smiles, looking over at him as he slowly creeps his hands towards the stranger’s, not speaking until Benjy’s fingers dance along the back of his palm.

“It’s probably not as many hoops as you think.”

The stranger chuckles.

“How much?”

Benjy shrugs one shoulder. “Depends on what you want, honey.”

“To take you home.”

Benjy stills and he knows the stranger can sense his hesitation.

“I uh, don’t think you could afford it. If I go home with you...I lose a whole night of work.”

“How much?”

Benjy laughs at that.

“Cute.”

“I’m serious.”

Benjy looks in his eyes and his blood runs cold with excitement. He is serious.

“Um…” He chuckles. “Well, if I was having a good night...”

“I’d say you are.”

“...then I’d make about two grand.”

The stranger nods.

“So we’ll call it three?”

Benjy laughs, not believing him. The stranger opens his wallet  and pulls out the biggest stack of hundred pound notes Benjy has ever seen. He counts out three thousand worth and puts it gently on the counter in front of him. 

“Believe me yet?” 

Benjy stares at the money, dazed.

“Uh…”

“You’re not forgetting about my commission, right Benjy?”

Barty appears out of nowhere, sliding up behind Benjy and draping his arm over his shoulder.  Benjy stiffens.

“No…”

“Hello, Crouch.” Forest says easily, and Barty quickly removes his arm to stand up straight.

“Everly. It’s been a minute, hasn’t it?”

“A few.”

The stranger, Everly, says coolly.

“Look, you’re interrupting something here. What’s your commission?”

Barty’s hand appears on the small of Benjy’s back, gripping his skin so hard that it  stings. Benjy gets the message-shut the hell up.

“Fifty Percent.”

With a shrug, Forest counts off fifteen hundreds and pushes them into Barty’s chest, sweeping Benjy off his school and collecting the money on the bar in one movement as he stands.

“Fine. Now sod off.”

Benjy is shocked when Barty doesn’t argue, disappearing into the  crowd. Everly’s hand moves off of Benjy’s back for a moment and hands him the money.

“What do you say?”

Benjy is stunned beyond words, something that never happens. Carefully, he takes the money, folding it as much as he can to put it into his back pocket. It’s so much money, money he can’t even imagine-even if he did make two grand tonight, Barty would’ve taken a chunk of it. And it was handed to him by a man who he’d easily go home with of his own accord if he had any left. Everly smiles at him softly as he keeps ushering Benjy out of the bar. Benjy doesn’t speak until they’re past Amycus.

“Um-as excited as I am, there’s a lot of men back there who wouldn't have cost you four thousand five hundred pounds.”

“But they aren’t you.”

Benjy laughs.

“What’s so special about me?”

Forest beeps the unlock button on his Jaguar and then opens the passenger side door for him. Like a gentleman. Who the hell was this guy? That scared Barty enough into silence, that threw money around like it was nothing and opened doors for him? Benjy’s instincts tell him Everly is powerful-but he’s not quite sure if he’s safe. But Benjy decides three grand is worth the risk. Maybe he likes to choke and hit during sex-not Benjy’s thing at all for for three thousand pounds? He’d do about anything. 

“Do you always question your...suitors like this?”

“Most of my clients don’t even want to look at me in the face or tell me their names, so no. Can’t say I do.”

Benjy settles into the seat in silence as Everly gets in and starts the car. Benjy can’t even begin to fathom what it cost.

“Forest.”

“What?”

Benjy likes his smile even more in profile if that’s possible. He watches him as he speaks.

“My name’s Forest. Do you really have no idea who I am?”

Benjy doesn’t say anything for a second, worried he’s offended Forest, but then Forest snorts.

“Bloody hell that sounded pretentious. Sorry. I just figured with Crouch saying my last name you’d uh, you know, put it together.”

Benjy blinks slowly as it dawns on him.

“Everly like….like the deputy Minister?”

“Exactly. That’s my father. I’m sure you understand now why I have to be discrete.”

Benjy doesn’t keep up with politics, but as Forest drives in an easy silence, his mind races, piecing it together. The Everly family has been involved with the government practically since it started. A Dynasty. The Blacks were always excited whenever a member of the Everly family was slated to be at one of their events. There’d been a son, he remembers. Older and handsome. And Benjy was now sitting in his car. 

“You still didn’t really answer my question though.” Benjy says softly, breathing in slightly when Forest’s hand moves from the gear shift to his knee. 

“What’s your question, Benjamin?”

“Why me? You could get anyone and I’m…”

He doesn’t even know how to finish that sentence. Next to nothing is the phrase that comes to mind. Trash is another.

Forest looks over at him as he takes a turn.

“I like people who keep their promises.”

~

Benjy tries to keep his cool when he follow Forest into the elevator, but he knows he’s fighting a losing battle when he pushes the lift button for the penthouse.

“It’s so posh.” He mumbles, shifting between his feet, suddenly feeling a tad out of place. He relaxes the second  Forest holds his hand.

“Nothing to worry about, love. It’s just gonna be me.”

Benjy nods, smiling despite his nerves at how good Forest’s hand feels in his.The doors open into a beautiful, clean, white apartment. Decorated minimally but still somehow inviting. Forest, still holding his hand, leads Benjy across the hardwood floors towards an all white conversation pit.

“Get comfortable. Do you want something to eat?”

Forest looks about as in his element as he could be, while Benjy’s black outfit makes him quite the contrast. Benjy pauses as he gets settled on the couch.

“Um...no, I’m okay. I don’t like to eat before uh, I do my job.”

He blushes and he’s not sure why. Nor why he’s being coy-Benjy’s been on the streets for almost two years-why is he acting like a fucking virgin? 

“I’m not going to have sex with you, Benjamin. What do you want to eat?”

Benjy stares at him, eyes wide as his brain races, blurting it out before he can stop himself.

“Why not?”

Forest laughs, moving something around the kitchen. Benjy watches as he pulls out and pours one glass of wine.

“Clearly you don’t know me well. And I intend to fix that. You’re underage, Benjy. And I can’t be with you that way in good faith while that’s the case.”

“So you don’t want to have sex with me.” Benjy says, not even failing to hide his disappointment. Forest chuckles, bringing over a cheese plate and a glass of wine for himself.

“Oh, quite the opposite. But not while you’re still seventeen. Come on. Eat something? You look hungry.”

He was starving, he’d skipped lunch, but Benjy still doesn’t move towards the plate.

“So what are you going to do to me?”

Forest looks at him, his face softer but his eyes almost dangerous.

“Well I was hoping you’d talk with me.”

“And what else?”

Forest laughs.

“Eat maybe?”

“But what’s the catch? What happens after?”

Forest shrugs. “You can sleep here if you’d like. Though I’m afraid we’d have to share a bed. There’s no catch, Benjamin. I just want to get to know you. You’re beautiful and you’re interesting and I just...have a feeling about you.”

“You shelled out 4500 pounds because you have a feeling?”

Forest smiles, taking his hand again.

“It’s a really, really good feeling.”

~

They talk for hours, learning so much about each other. Benjy realizes he’s never told anyone the full story about what happened to him, but he tells Forest. He listens. When he gets choked up, Forest takes him in his arms and pulls Benjy so he’s sitting sideways on his lap. Nothing sexual, just close. He holds him and he lets him be sad. Benjy can never remember ever feeling as safe as he does then. He listens to-about how hard Forest struggled, how when he told his dad he might be gay he beat him until he almost died. And how after Forest had left the hospital-the papers had reported it as a motorcycle accident-he was sent to the camp that Benjy had been supposed to go to. Changed, tortured and broken, Forest had done everything he was supposed to, and the second he got the chance, pretended to be ‘cured.’

“I’ve made a big enough name for myself now.” Forest says, handing Benjy another slice of the massive pizza they’d ordered once Benjy finally agreed to eating something. “That I’m able to have some fun again. And when I saw you tonight I just….knew.”

Benjy blushes, warmth spreading up from his chest and coloring his cheeks.

“You’re going to have fun with me?”

Forest nods.

“Not the kind of fun you’re thinking, not yet at least,  I just...you’re easy to talk to Benjy. Maybe, uh, and you can say no of course, but maybe every time I need someone to talk to, I come to you?”

Benjy grins, still on Forest’s lap as he pushes his face into his shoulder.

“You wanna see me again?”

Forest puts his slice of pizza down and takes Benjy’s face in his hands, they’re greasy but Benjy doesn’t care when Forest smiles at him.

“I need to see you again.”

Benjy leans into the feeling of Forest’s thumb caressing his cheek, savoring the moment before speaking.

“You can call Barty anytime. He always knows where I am.”

Forest scoffs.

“Barty. Please. Benjamin…”

He pulls away.

“I know this is crazy, and I know it’s too fast-but, well, I was thinking if tonight went as well as it did-you could move in here. I don’t-I can’t be here all the time. I have to keep up appearances with my wife, but during the work week I stay here. I can get you your own bed if you want but…”

He plays with Benjy’s fingers.

“I like the idea of you being here. Keeping me company. Telling me about yourself. And I just can’t stand the thought of you being out there-other people touching you...hurting you. I want to help you, Benjy. I want you to stay safe. I can keep you safe. And you can keep me company.”

Benjy’s head is swimming but he feels like he’s floating, not actually believing what he’s hearing.

“You want me to live with you?”

Forest chuckles.

“It’s too fast. I know.”

“You want me to live...here?”

Benjy looks over Forest’s shoulder into the rest of the apartment.

“Do you want to?”

Benjy grins. 

“I mean, I don’t know-I haven’t even seen the bedroom-”

Forest laughs and Benjy feels like he’s won something.

“Are you saying yes?”

“There’s really no catch?”

Forest shrugs.

“Well I mean...when you’re eighteen, I would like to explore a physical relationship with you. So I guess that could be the catch.”

“So the catch is something I want anyway?”

Forest laughs.

“You’re supposed to want whoever pays you though, isn’t that your deal?”

Benjy shrugs.

“I would’ve come home with you for nothing if Barty wasn’t around. Here.”

He shifts, digging the money Forest had given him out of his pocket and holding it against his chest.

“I don’t want it.”

Forest shakes his head, pushing Benjy’s hand down.

“It’s yours. Keep it no matter what.”

They sit for a while, quiet, feeling how the fit together. Benjy breaks the silence first.

“If I live here...would I be your boyfriend?”

Forest nods. “Something like that.”

Benjy’s face hurts from smiling. 

“I’ve never had one of those before.”

Forest smiles back at him.

“So you’ll move in?”

Benjy nods.

“One condition?”

Forest traces Benjy’s lower lip.

“Anything you need.”

“I wanna-can I kiss you?”

Forest groans.

“When’s your birthday?”

“November. Two months. That’s it but...I can wait on everything else, Forest. I promise. But I can’t wait for this.”

There’s something about his eyes that makes Benjy want to fall in.

“Please?” Benjy asks, surprised at how quickly he’s become desperate. Forest smiles softly at him, somehow wanting and wicked all at once.

“Okay. Once. Then we have to wait.”

Benjy nods as he sits up straighter. Tomorrow, when he wakes up in the big white bed in Forest’s arms, he’s still not going to believe it. He’s going to spend his first day getting used to his new life, take Forest to his apartment building and watch as he covers all the debt he supposedly owes Barty. He’s going to load the meager possessions he has into Forest’s trunk and come back here to start anew.

And he’s going to spend tomorrow, and every day after, ignoring the creeping feeling that he, Benjy, has become a possession in his own right.

But for now, he closes his eyes and seals his future with a kiss, happier than he’s ever been in his entire life.

[darkobsidianquill]

Harry Potter and the descent into Darkness.

Chapter Thirteen.

One of the things he enjoyed most about Moody's Defense Against the Dark Arts classes was that they were often very active, and focused on practical work. Moody didn't spend the entire class block lecturing, or having them read from their textbooks. He almost always set them to actively practicing spells in class.

The class was currently spaced around the room, all partnered off, and practicing the disarming charm. The thing about the class was that it had an odd number of students, so they could never get an even partnering set up. Since, by this point, Harry knew most of the spells that Moody was teaching the 4th year students, he had taken to standing back and observing in the class, or sometimes even reading.

'Moody', however, had also taken the opportunity to take Harry aside and teach him some slightly more advanced spells from time to time. Something which Harry had appreciated greatly. He now wondered exactly what the man's motive was behind the action. For that matter, 'Moody' had been trying to help him with the tournament the whole year.

Harry had come to the realization that he was not entered in the tournament so that he would die in it. Voldemort needed him in order to complete his resurrection ritual. So killing Harry was most definitely not the immediate goal. So why enter him in the tournament at all? Harry didn't know. But he intended to find out.

In fact, there were a lot of things that Harry wanted to find out, and his ultimate conclusion was that there was only one man who could really answer all those questions, and that man was Voldemort himself.

The rest of the students in his defense class were scattered around the room, all weakly attempting to disarm their partners, and most of them were failing miserably. It was quite honestly pathetic. Harry sneered at their pitiful attempts and rolled his eyes. He pushed himself off the wall that he had been leaning against and walked casually towards Moody, who was correcting Seamus's wand movement.

"Professor," Harry said in a quiet voice.

'Moody' turned and narrowed his one proper eye at Harry. "Yes, Potter? You need something?"

Harry glanced back and forth to see if any of the nearby students were paying them any attention. When he was sure that they weren't he leaned in a bit closer. "I was hoping that I could speak with you after class. Privately. It's important."

'Moody' looked suspicious – but he always looked suspicious, so this wasn't much of a change – and finally he nodded his head curtly.

Harry grinned lightly and took a few steps away and 'Moody' refocused on a Ravenclaw boy and started yelling at him for his poor pronunciation.

–

"You coming, mate?" Ron asked as he slung his bag over his shoulder and started heading for the door of the defense classroom.

"Moody asked me to stay after class," Harry said, as he finished back up his notes.

"What's he want?" Ron asked looking confused. Hermione's head came up and her eyes were filled with curiosity but she didn't say anything.

Harry shrugged. "Won't know till I go talk to him, will I? I'll catch up with you guys later. I may be late to diner if whatever he has to talk about takes a while."

Ron shrugged and started to leave, but it was obvious from Hermione's face that she was dying to ask some questions. Harry pointedly ignored her and turned to head back to the front of the class where Moody was standing beside his desk. His one normal eye was narrowed on him suspiciously, while his magical one was trained on him intently.

Harry waited until both Ron and Hermione had gone, leaving only he and 'Professor Moody' left in the room before he turned and smirked at the grizzled-looking old man.

"I asked you to stay after, did I, Potter?"

"I do apologize, sir, but their curiosity has been getting rather bothersome lately. Hermione especially, has been getting exceptionally nosy," Harry said with slightly annoyed look to him as he glared back towards the exit of the classroom. He refocused on 'Moody' and grinned. "Can we take this into your office?"

The suspicion in 'Moody's' eye grew several measures but he nodded his head and motioned with his arm for Harry to head towards the door at the rear of the classroom that come into the back of Moody's office.

The two entered the cluttered room and Moody sat down in his chair. Harry noticed that the older wizard had his wand clasped loosely in his hand and was twisting it in between his thumb and forefinger.

Harry hesitated before sitting in the chair opposite the desk and glanced at his professor. "Do you mind if I cast a privacy ward?"

The corner of Moody's mouth turned up in apparent amusement. He waved his hand. "Be my guest, Potter."

Harry pocketed his wand and held his hand out, palm facing towards the front of the office. He slowly began to hiss out a sequence of words to form a rather powerful privacy ward over the room. It would not only place a silencing spell over the room, so no one on the outside could hear them; and lock the doors; it would also set off an alarm the second anyone approached either of the doors to the office. It was a fair bit more powerful and useful than the 'normal' magic privacy ward he knew, and he had no qualms using parselmagic in front of 'Moody'.

Once he was done and he turned back to the professor, he could see the surprise and curiosity glowing in his eyes.

"Interesting piece of magic, there Potter... I must say, I'm more than a slight bit curious as to where you learned it."

Harry grinned and let himself fall gracelessly into the chair opposite Moody's desk. "From a book."

"Mind your cheek, Potter. Not gonna give me more than that?"

Harry chuckled and shrugged. "It was a book that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin. Before me, the last owner was a man named Tom Riddle. Heard of him?"

"Slytherin! Where in Merlin's name did you find a book that used to be owned by Slytherin?" Moody exclaimed, not responding to the second half of the question.

"Down in the Chamber of Secrets, actually. You didn't answer my other question. Ever heard of a man named Tom Riddle?"

"Riddle?" Moody paused, looking thoughtful, although the man's expressions were somewhat hard to differentiate given how scared and messed up his face was. "Can't say that I've ever heard the name. Down in the chamber, you say?"

"Yeah. The chamber. And I suppose I'm not too surprised that you hadn't heard the name," Harry paused and sat up a bit straighter, giving the old wizard a calculating look. "Before I say what I've got to say next, I want you to promise that you'll hear me out before you start throwing curses."

'Moody's body tensed, and his grip on his wand visibly tightened. "What do you want, Potter?"

"I want you to take me to him. Screw this waiting till the end of term, or the last task, or whenever the hell it is you lot were planning on taking me. Take me now."

"What the hell are you talking about Potter!" Moody spat with a tone and stance that spoke of ignorance and confusion, but Harry could see the tension and wariness in the other man's pose and demeanor.

"Voldemort. Take me to him. I'm volunteering my services. My blood. Whatever the hell he needs for this resurrection ritual of his. He can have it." Harry paused, and then smirked. "Well... up to a point. I'd really rather not end up dead. But I suppose that's part of the reason I'm volunteering."

Moody was standing before Harry was even done talking and he had his wand trained on him. Harry left his wand in his pocket in hopes of it being a sign of non-aggression. He was fairly confident in the parselmagic shield charm he knew, as well as his ability to dodge.

Harry raised his hands, palms out to show he wasn't putting up a fight. "I asked that you hear me out," he reminded the older wizard, loudly.

"And why, exactly are you coming to me about this suicidal little request of yours?" Moody spat, still attempting to feign ignorance.

"Because I know you're not Alastor Moody," Harry said, as he continued to sit in the chair with his empty hands bared. "You're Barty Crouch Jr. Convicted Death Eater, who was supposed to have died in Azkaban about a decade ago. Why you're not dead, and why you're here, I can only guess. I figured maybe you dad broke you out and left your mum there in your place. Couldn't quite figure out why, but I suppose that really isn't any of my business, is it?"

'Moody' was strafing slowly out from behind his desk and kept his wand trained on Harry the whole time.

"And how, exactly, did you work all that out, Potter?"

"A whole slew of different sources that I pieced together on my own. Most of those sources, no one else could have access to, so you really don't have to worry about anyone else working it out the same way."

"Is that so?" 'Moody' spat, disbelievingly.

"Look, Crouch. I've known that you were impersonating Moody for months now. I didn't realize that you were the same Barty that was working for the Dark Lord though. I only just figured that out this last weekend, which is why I finally figured I'd come and have this lovely little chat with you. Now, if I had been so inclined to turn you over to the old goat, I would have done so ages ago. Dumbledore has no idea about any of this, and it is entirely my intention to keep him in the dark."

"And you think you can just offer yourself to the Dark Lord and then walk away from it, unharmed?" 'Moody' sneered before chuckling darkly.

Harry shrugged. "I think I have things to offer him. I know he wants me dead, but I think I can be of a greater value to him alive. I also happen to know that this resurrection of his could be more powerful if I participate willingly."

'Moody' looked at Harry skeptically and paused. "How do you even know about it? And what makes you think your cooperation would make any difference at all?"

"I have visions. I see into his head sometimes. It's random, and admittedly, I have no control over it at all, but I've been in his head several times this year."

"You? In the Dark Lord's head?" he hissed, disbelievingly.

Harry rolled his eyes and raised one hand to tap at his scar. "This is more than ornamental, you know. I'm connected to him. He left a bit of himself behind that night when he tried to kill me. This year I stopped fighting against that bit and started accepting it instead. It's brought about a real change of heart in me."

'Moody' gave him a long, hard look. "Is that so?"

Harry just shrugged and rose his eyebrows a bit into his forehead before relaxing back into the chair.

"So basically, I just want to see him. I need to tell him some things, and honestly, I'd like to ask him some things too. We also need to work on this ritual of his because I'm positive that once he learns about my decision to say 'eff you' to the old goat, he'll need to make some adjustments to it.

The old ritual he was planning on using at the end of the year would really only work if my magical affinity was light... which it's not."

"Really, now? Has been Dumbledore's golden-boy been tinkering in the dark arts?"

Harry curled his lips into a fierce sneer. "I am not Dumbledore's anything. And I certainly know my way around the dark arts."

"And how exactly have you been able to to practice any of this dark magic of yours? The wards around the school notify the old man of any dark magic cast."

Harry snickered. "Nothing to be worried about. I've actually been having quite a bit of fun down the the Chamber. Best thing about it is that it's beyond the reach of the school's wards. Dumbledore doesn't know a damn thing about what I do down there. And you know, while we're on the subject, I've been incredibly curious about that stunt you pulled at the start of year where you cast the Unforgivables in class. Dumbledore had to be aware of what you did – he had to have thrown a fit over that!"

'Moody' snorted. "He got over it."

Harry chuckled. "Awesome. So. Me going to see the Dark Lord. My greatest asset to him will be if I can maintain a cover here after everything is said and done, so if we can work my visits to him to be as inconspicuous as possible, that would be better."

'Moody' gave him a speculative look. "You're really serious about this, Potter? You know you very well be going straight into you death? There's absolutely no guarantee to you that you'll be allowed to leave alive."

Harry shrugged dismissively. "I'm pretty confident."

'Moody' gave a disbelieving snort. "Cocky brat."

"So do you have a way to get to him? A portkey or something? And do you have a way to contact him?"

"Of course I do. But in order to use the portkey we have to go beyond the boundaries of the castle and it's grounds."

"Are you aware of the secret passage way down the hall from here?" Harry asked suddenly, and 'Moody' looked a bit surprised by the sudden question.

"Secret passage?"

"Yeah, just down the hall from the defense classroom is a statue of a one-eyed witch with a hump-back. If you tap her back with your wand and say dissendium, it'll open up and reveal the entrance to a secret passage. It goes down a ways and eventually leads to a tunnel that goes all the way to Hogsmeade. It comes out in the cellar of Honeydukes. About half-way through the tunnel, you escape the reach of the castle's anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards. We can just slip down there, go half way through the tunnel, and take the portkey from there. Is it a two-way portkey?"

"Of course it is. And you really seem to have thought this through."

"Well, I've been researching and planning it for a while now."

"You've been planning on going to the Dark Lord?" 'Moody' said with surprise and a tinge of respect.

Harry paused and looked thoughtful as he cocked his head to the side slightly. "Not... exactly... But... I suppose a part of me has been considering it for quite a while. Longer than I really realized it, anyway. I feel... drawn to him. I didn't used to understand it, but I do now," he chuckled and shrugged. "I suppose it all comes back to this," he said as he reached up and tapped his forehead again. "I'm bound to him. Trying to deny it has only brought me trouble, my whole life. Ever since I started to embrace it, I've been much better off, as far as I'm concerned."

"Hmph..." 'Moody' snorted. "Alright then... I'll contact the Dark Lord tonight... I can't say I'm all that comfortable with letting you leave here, knowing what you know..."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I've known what I know for ages now. If I haven't gone to the old goat before now, I'm certainly not about to go do it now."

"If you've known for ages then why haven't you come forward before now?"

"I told you – I knew that you were impersonating Moody with Polyjuice, but I didn't realize that you were Barty Crouch Jr."

"Who did you think I was?"

"Your father, honestly. Which really only confused me further."

"My father!"

"I've got this charmed map of the school. It shows a small dot to represent every person in the castle at any given time, and has their names listed beside the dot. Where I would expect it to say Alastor Moody – say, when you were at meals or teaching class and I was looking straight at you, instead it said 'Bartemius Crouch'. The map only gives first and last names. No middle names and no extra bits like Jr. or Sr."

"Do you now? Sounds like a rather interesting magical artifact... does anyone else have access to this thing?"

"No. I keep it on me at all times. And it's the only one. My dad made it back when he was a student here."

'Moody's' eyebrows rose a bit, to show he was mildly impressed. "So how did you finally figure out who I was?"

"Well I've seen you, as 'Barty' in my visions from Voldemort. I'd heard him refer to you as 'Barty'. But since I knew what you looked like, and you most certainly didn't look like the old man that I associated the name 'Bartemius Crouch' with, it never even occurred to me that the 'Bartemius Crouch' impersonating Moody could be the same Barty that was working for the Dark Lord. This last weekend I was talking with someone and found out a bit about your dad's backstory. Someone was talking about your being caught as a Death Eater and getting sent off to Azkaban, and that someone referred to you as 'Barty'. It simply turned on the light switch in my head."

"Light switch?"

"Sorry. Muggle thing. Nevermind. Anyway, my er... friends are gonna start getting suspicious if I take too much longer," Harry said as he reached into his bag and began to dig around. 'Moody' tensed and watched him carefully. Harry brought out a piece of folded parchment and placed it on Moody's desk.

"What's this?" 'Moody' asked, eying it skeptically.

"It's a charmed parchment. Anything you write on it will disappear and appear on its counterpart, which I have here," Harry said as he held up another identical piece of parchment. "It's not perfect, but I was a bit rushed. Anyone could read it, for example, so don't go leaving it around, and when you write something on it to me, keep it inconspicuous."

"I'm not a moron, Potter," 'Moody' snapped.

Harry smirked. "Obviously not. Honestly, I think you're pretty brilliant, even if you're not really Alastor Moody. You've been my favorite defense teacher, second only to the werewolf that taught us last year."

'Moody' snorted.

"So," Harry continued. "I'll check my parchment as often as I can for any messages from you. If you get word from the Dark Lord on when you and I can show up there, let me know. My house mates are getting a bit annoying in their curiosity about my frequent disappearances, but they've also become rather used to them. I usually disappear down into the chamber every bloody day, so if I suddenly disappear to some other place instead, no ones going to notice. Still can't be out past curfew though, or even more people will start asking questions."

"I'll take that into consideration. What's your schedule like, Potter?"

"Mondays, Thursday and Fridays are completely full. My last block on Tuesdays is open, but Wednesday I'm free from lunch on since I've only got Charms. My standard habit for the last few months is to head down to the chamber as soon as I'm done with dinner and not come back for about an hour and a half. My dorm mates are used to that, and it won't look strange if I'm gone for an hour after dinner most nights."

'Moody' nodded, as he memorized the information. "Alright, Potter. Now get the hell out of here."

Harry snickered and stood up. "I see that I've worn out my welcome. I'll be in touch."

– –

"What was that all about, Harry?" Ron asked as Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table in the great hall several minutes later.

"Moody wants to offer me some advanced lessons during and outside of class. Seeing as how I've already taught myself all of the 4th year defense spells that we're learning in class, and I'm going up against people three years ahead of me in schooling for the tournament, he figured it could do me a lot of good," Harry lied effortlessly as he began to pile food onto his plate.

"That's fantastic Harry," Hermione said softly, although the enthusiasm in her voice seemed a bit forced.

"Yeah, sounds wicked," Ron said, "Moody is a brilliant teacher... totally mental, but brilliant. But will this mean even more homework and stuff? I mean, you're already so busy all the time..."

"I'll probably be doing the extra defense lessons on Wednesdays when I've got the whole afternoon off. My evenings are starting to free up now so I may be spending some of them with Moody instead."

"Your evenings are freeing up?" Hermione asked, innocently and pointedly not making eye contact. Harry's eyes narrowed minutely, but he kept his overall disposition amicable.

"Well, most of my old projects are running dry, now that the second task is over. Some of the things I was studying weren't really 'done' with the task, and they were interesting so I kept working on them, anyway. I did sort of stumble upon a new thing though."

Hermione looked like she was struggling between being ecstatic that he was telling them things, and being frustrated by how vague he was being.

"New thing?" Hermione asked.

Harry looked up at her with consideration for a moment. Harry had spent the previous night with companion... or Voldemort's soul shard... or whatever, trying to brainstorm on some ideas of how to deal with his 'friends' and specifically, how to deal with Hermione.

She was only going to grow more and more suspicious of him if he didn't do something soon. His companion had suggested involving her in his most recent project. Specifically, his attempt to learn Old Aldric and translate the ancient book that was hidden beneath Slytherin's desk. The idea was to let her think that he was finally sharing something important with her, to set her off all of the other things he was working on. And as a side benefit, he would get some help translating the book.

Harry had instantly been wary of involving her with it, but his companion had insisted that the information that they would translate would only enlighten her, and would pose no threat to Harry, or what he was doing.

He wondered what exactly that meant, but if there was anyone left in his life that he honestly trusted, it was his companion.

Feeling resigned, Harry sighed, reached into his bag and pulled out the book on Old Aldric. "It's an ancient language that was spoken by the British elves before they left this realm. I found a book that was written in their language, and I've been trying to translate it. This," he said, motioning to the book, "is a book on the language and how to learn it."

Hermione's face was alight with that excited glow she got when exposed to some great new learning opportunity.

"Harry this is incredible!" she exclaimed, snatching the book and running her fingers over it reverently. "The elves, you said? Oh Harry! This is remarkable! There is hardly anything left in recorded history about them! It's all myth and legend! You seriously found a book that was written in their language?"

"Yeah, but it's falling apart it's so old. I'm hesitant to even move it. I've started just copying it so that I can translate from the copy and not have to man-handle the original so much. I'll bring you a copy of it as I get it ready."

She gasped and looked as if she were about to burst with excitement. "Oh Harry! This is so incredible! Where on earth did you ever find such a thing?"

"Sorry Hermione. Not telling that part. I'm letting you in, but only so much. Prove to me it's not a mistake and I might tell you more." Harry said in a straight, serious tone before turning his attention back to his plate.

Hermione's excitement came up short, her brow furrowed, and she looked thoughtful for a moment. Finally she nodded her head in determination. "Alright Harry. I'll prove that you can trust me again. Let me help you."

Harry looked up at her, feeling rather skeptical, but he nodded in response.

Ron, sat there, watching the two of them through their entire exchange looking utterly confused.

"What in Merlin's name are you two on about?" he finally asked, when his confusion became so frustrating that he could no longer remain silent.

"Harry found a book written by the elves!" Hermione said with the excited glow returning to her face.

"House elves?" Ron asked, twisting up his face?

"No, Ron! Not House Elves! High Elves! The ancient elves of Britain!"

"Oh, that's a load of malarkey! There's no such thing," Ron said dismissively.

"There was to Ron! And this here is proof! It's a book all about their language!" she said, holding it up in front of him defiantly.

"That could be a book about anyone's old language. What proof is there that that came from High Elves? And if High Elves really existed, then where did they go? How come no one has ever seen one?"

Harry twisted up his face. "I think they left... to another realm, or something."

"Why would they do that? That's just silly."

"I'm still working on that part. Although, I think that the story in this book actually talks about it..." Harry said, hesitantly.

Hermione gasped and looked at him with even greater excitement. "Are you serious, Harry!"

He shrugged. "I think so, actually. It seems to be an origin story. It talks about what happened to the elves, and how human's first got magic."

Ron snorted. "Fairytales."

Hermione scowled angrily at Ron before turning back to Harry. "Harry this is an absolutely astounding discovery. I'm dying to know how you came about it, but I'll hold my tongue for now, alright?"

Harry grinned and nodded his head. "That would be appreciated."

"Can I borrow this book to start reading it?" Hermione said, looking down at the Old Aldric book in front of her.

"Actually, I can just spell you a copy. That book predates the copyright charms that are on all the books in the library, so there's nothing stopping us from just making you a copy."

Hermione gasped again. "You can perform the book copy charm! Harry that's an incredible bit of transfiguration! That's beyond NEWT level! It's hard enough to conjure something from nothing, let along permanent conjuring, and of something as detailed and thick as a book!"

"Well, I won't lie and pretend that it's easy. I've had more than a few failures, but I've been practicing quite a bit lately and I'm pretty sure I can make you a copy of this one."

Hermione gave him a speculative look. "You've been practicing the book copying charm?" she asked, with mild confusion. "Why?"

"I've been copying some books," he said with a smirk and a pointed look, silently reminding her of her promise not to ask too many questions.

She huffed a bit in frustration of being denied answers to her questions and pouted, but didn't press.

Harry grinned. This would probably work pretty well. Hermione had a desperate thirst for new knowledge, and as long as he was holding this elf stuff over her head, she was going to be a lot more cooperative.

"Anyway, once we get back to the common room, I'll work on spelling you a copy of the Old Aldric book, and you can start reading it. Unfortunately, the other book is far too fragile to risk using the spell to copy it so I'm having to do it a page at a time. It's taking me ages, so I'll need to disappear again tonight so I can keep working on it.

"That's where you were yesterday?" Hermione asked in a quiet voice. Harry huffed.

"Yes. That is where I was yesterday."

"Why couldn't you just have told me that?"

"Because you want to know where specifically I'm going – right?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"And you want to know where I've found these books?"

Again, she nodded.

"Well I can't tell you. And as things stand right now, I don't intend to tell you. If you can work with me, without knowing those details, then we're golden. If not, then there's nothing more we can do about any of this."

"I'll work with you Harry!" she said with an air of desperation in her voice. "I'm going to prove to you that you can trust me. I just... I want to make sure that you're not doing anything that might be putting you in danger. I mean... you aren't leaving school grounds, are you! You heard what Sirius said, Harry! If you leave, it makes you exposed! You could be attacked!"

"I'm not leaving school grounds. I swear. Nothing I'm doing, with these books, is at all dangerous and no one can attack me. Alright?" Harry said in a calm, reassuring voice.

Hermione gave him a long hard look, seemingly trying to gauge his honesty. Finally she nodded her head and smiled.

"Alright, Harry. I trust you. Thank you for finally telling me some of it."

Harry gave her a soft reassuring smile and nodded his head. He still wasn't entirely convinced this was a good idea, but at least it would keep her distracted for a bit. And he had to admit, he could definitely use the help in translating the book.

– –

Potter -

Can you get out late unnoticed?

Harry sat at Slytherin's desk, looking at the recently changed parchment, and chewing on the tip of his quill.

Yes, but it works best if I do it after all my dorm mates are already asleep. 1am would be best.

He wrote on the parchment and the words disappeared from the parchment a moment later. Harry had a full set of classes the next day, so he didn't exactly fancy staying up all night, but he would if he didn't have any other option. His first class on Fridays was History of Magic and he could always use it for a good nap if needed.

As he waited for a response from Barty, he returned his attentions to the ancient elvish book and his slow, tedious job of copying the contents of each page the hard way. He had found that he'd gotten quite accustomed to the strange shaped letters, and his handwriting had improved dramatically as he progressed. Hopefully Hermione wouldn't have any trouble reading it.

1am it is, then. Meet me by the statue you mentioned, tonight.

Harry glanced over at the spelled parchment and watched as Barty's writing appeared. He groaned internally, grieving the imminent loss of sleep. If he was going to see Voldemort, he knew there was no way that this would be a brief visit. He wondered if he could sneak into the hospital wing and nick a vial of Pepper-Up potion to help him function, come morning.

Fridays were his busiest days, and he didn't have a single free period the whole day long. Worst of all, he had double-potions in the afternoon with Snape. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Harry tapped his wand on the parchment, clearing the last message before bringing his quill down and responding with a quick, 'Agreed. I'll be there.'

Harry took one more long look at ancient elvish book and sighed. He stood up, reached into his pocket and pulled out his trunk. He tapped the top of it, and restored it to it's full size, before hissing the third compartment open and beginning to sift through the books within.

– –

Sneaking away from the dormitory once all of his roommates were asleep was just as easy as it had been back when he was taking his potion once a week. Only this time he didn't tell Ron he might be waking up early, since Harry hoped that he would be back before any of the other boys woke up.

He slipped through the castle, beneath his invisibility cloak and with the activated Marauder's Map under the cloak with him. He got down to the second floor defense corridor and saw a dot for 'Bartemius Crouch' standing beside the one-eyed witch statue. When he actually approached, he didn't see anyone though. He reached out with his magic and could sense the presence of another wizard and after squinting, he determined that the other man was under a disillusionment charm of some sort.

Harry pulled back the hood of his cloak and smirked at the spot where he could feel Barty's magical signature coming from. He checked the map one more time just to make sure no one was going to be showing up in the next few seconds, before taking out his wand and tapping it on the witch's hump.

"Dissendium" he whispered quietly. The passageway quickly opened up and he nodded his head towards it.

'Moody' appeared and was eying Harry speculatively. "How exactly did you know I was there?"

"I could feel your magic," Harry said with a dismissive shrug. 'Moody' looked skeptical, but quickly made his way through the opening and down into the tunnel. Harry followed and closed it behind them. The two each cast Lumos spells on their wands and started a brisk pace down the tunnel.

About ten minutes of walking later and Harry came to a stop as he felt the oppressive weight of the castle wards suddenly lift from his shoulders and he let a small relieved sigh escape his lips.

"Okay, we can use the portkey now," he said as he turned to the older wizard. 'Moody' rose his eyebrows in mild surprise.

"You can sense the castle's wards?" he asked with mild skepticism.

Harry blinked back at him. "Yeah... you can't?"

"I'm perfectly capable of sensing magic, brat. I'm just surprised that you can."

"I don't see why that should be such a surprise... I mean, sure, a year ago I wouldn't have been able to do it, but I was wasting the majority of my magical energy on trying to keep a portion of the Dark Lord's soul from devouring my own. Since I stopped wasting so much of my bloody magic on something so pointless, I've got a much better handle on things. I figured this was probably what it was like for everyone."

'Moody' snorted. "Hardly, Potter. Very few wizards are in tune enough with the flow of magic to detect wards and auras. It is not a common talent."

"Hm," Harry hummed in his throat as he rose his eyebrows mildly. He gave a dismissive shrug, as if it really didn't matter... because, honestly? It didn't. And he held his hand out. 'Moody' looked at it and cocked a single curious eyebrow.

"The portkey?" Harry said.

'Moody' rolled his eyes and dug into his pocket, pulling out a bottle cap with a hole punched in it and a small thin chain going through it.

Once Harry and 'Moody' were both holding the chain, 'Moody' said "morsmordre" and the portkey activated.

The feeling of having a fish hook latch on to the back of his navel and pull him backwards through a straw overcame him, and a swirling moment later, he was landing unsteadily on the floor in the entry hall to a very familiar manor house.

He only just barely managed to keep from falling over, and quickly steadied himself. His heart was racing, but he was honestly surprised to find that it was eager excitement far more than fear that was powering it. He was still a bit worried. There really was nothing guaranteeing that he would be leaving this building alive tonight, and yet he was oddly confident that he would be.

Harry paused and looked around the large, grand space. It was obvious that the muggles who owned the house before Voldemort took up residence, had been very wealthy. It was also obvious that it hadn't actually been inhabited in a great long while. Harry knew that Wormtail had been tasked with cleaning the place up a bit, but the man was clearly no house cleaner.

Still, it was grand and impressive, and with a little spell work, the place could probably look quite nice.

Harry's musings were brought to an abrupt halt when he felt the cool point of 'Moody's' wand press into the back of his neck.

"Is that really necessary, Barty?" Harry said in a bored tone.

"Your wand, Potter."

Harry sighed and dug into his pocket, pulling it out and handing it over.

"It's not like I could really use the thing all the way out here anyway. This far away from Hogwarts and using it would set off the Ministry trace," Harry grumbled, defiantly.

"Up the stairs, Potter," Moody said, ignoring Harry's comment, and jerking his head towards the stairs in front of them.

Harry rolled his eyes and set off at a brisk pace.

"Is he in the library, or the study?" he said casually, over his shoulder.

'Moody' paused and Harry could almost feel the man's narrowed, suspicious eye burning into his back.

"The library," he said after a moment.

Harry reached the top of the first flight of stairs and made a right, heading directly for the library. 'Moody' came up beside him and continued to eye Harry suspiciously.

"So, out of curiosity," Harry began to speak in a casual tone, "Are you going to let your polyjuice dose wear off while we're here? I'd be interested to see you with your real face, rather than Alastor Moody's."

"Probably not, Potter."

Harry shrugged, only mildly disappointed before he came to a stop at the wide double-doors that would lead to the library and paused, glancing over at his escort.

"Just open the doors, Potter," he said.

Harry grinned and reached out with each hand to open the pair of doors in one sweep. A few steps into the room and Harry's eyes were drawn to the back of the small, levitating chair that he had become familiar with through his visions. He could just barely make out a small hand with long, skeletal fingers curling over one arm rest, showing him just enough to know that Voldemort was currently occupying the chair. The visual was merely a confirmation though, since he could feel the waves of magical power emanating from the occupant of the chair.

The feel of that magic was remarkably familiar, and the intensity of its darkness was literally intoxicating. Harry took a deep breath and had to fight to keep his eyes open and looking forward. The sheer power of the dark magic that was rolling off the Dark Lord was indescribable.

"My Lord," came 'Moody's' reverent, awe-filled voice, from behind Harry. "I have brought you Harry Potter."

"Ah, yes... so you have... you have served me well, Barty. I am pleased."

Harry took a few more steps closer and came to a stop. The chair began to turn, slowly, to expose the small homunculus vessel that the Dark Lord Voldemort currently resided in. He was piercing Harry with bright red, narrow, and suspicious eyes

Harry took two quick steps forward that caused 'Moody' to tense and aim his wand at Harry. Harry ignored the man and lowered himself onto one knee in a quick, fluid movement, and bowed his head.

"My Lord," he breathed the words, through his insane elation. He looked up at the piercing red eyes, through his fringe of messy black hair, and knew that his own emerald eyes were probably glowing with his excitement. His blood was pounding through his veins and his magic was dancing around him maniacally.

He couldn't rationally understand how he could feel so excited at this moment, but he was. He felt almost giddy. He was really here! Before the most powerful dark wizard of his time, and the man was looking straight at him, and he could feel the man's magic lashing out and tangling with his own. Licking at each other's magic like flames, and then dancing together dangerously. Deliciously.

He barely suppressed a shudder as he saw the Dark Lord shift forward in his undersized levitating chair.

"Your Lord?" the high pitched voice of Voldemort's homunculus spoke with a mixture of disbelief, and amusement. "I never anticipated such a thing would ever be willingly uttered by the Boy-Who-Lived," he said, sneering the title with obvious disdain. "You will forgive me if I am appropriately skeptical of all this."

Harry's eye twitched and he sneered lightly. "I hate that name," he muttered under his breath.

"Hmm? What was that Potter? Speak up brat."

"I hate that name," Harry said, louder, as he rose his head and smirked at the miniature dark lord. "The Boy-Who-Lived. What a load of tripe. Famous for something I don't remember and had absolutely no control over. It's idiotic."

"Hmph. Yes, well, I can't say that I entirely disagree with that assessment," Voldemort said, raising a single hairless brow. "Still, I am quite curious about this 'My Lord' business. Not that I do not believe that I am more than deserving of your respect and deference, but I am curious as to what has spawned the realization in you."

"It is merely fact. You are the lord of all dark wizards. Magic deemed it so, right? That's just how it works. I am a dark wizard. It is both my chosen, and practiced magical affinity, so that makes you mylord. It's just that simple," Harry said with a simple shrug, as if this were obvious.

The look in Voldemort's face said that he had not expected this response.

He held his wand in his bony, undersized hand and performed a few quick swirls and flicks.

Harry blinked and raised straightened slightly, while still remaining bent on a single knee, as he sensed a wave of magic course out of the wand and encircle him. There was a confused moment where he wondered what exactly the spell was, but all thought left him a moment later as he felt the powerful magic course through him. It was all Voldemort, and it was incredible. His magic tasted like him, if that made any sense at all, which Harry knew it didn't. It just reeked of the man in every indescribable way, and feeling it for the first time as it came out and touched him, was mind blowing.

The spell wasn't intended to actually feel like anything, he could tell. It wasn't the spell itself that was affecting him, but rather Voldemort's raw magic that formed the spell.

Harry's head had fallen back onto his shoulder and a small noise emanated from deep in his throat before he felt the magic leave him.

He blinked in surprise, and mild disappointment at the sudden disappearance of the spell – whatever it was. It hadn't been a curse. For that matter, it hadn't even been a dark spell, but Voldemort's magic was fundamentally dark, and that had been more than enough to effect Harry deeply.

Harry suddenly became aware that a bright, saturated, red light was now glowing from around him. He raised a single questioning eyebrow and then looked back up at the Dark Lord questioningly. The man had an expression of mild surprise on his face, which was slowly morphing into a wicked grin. A wonderfully frightening cackle emerged from Voldemort's lips next and it sent a thrill down Harry's spine.

The cackling died down a moment later, but the amusement never left the Dark Lord's face.

"Oh, this is just precious! Dumbledore's little golden-boy, with a powerful affinity for dark magic!"

Harry blinked and he realized what spell had been cast on him. "That's the spell that reveals a person's magical affinity, wasn't it?"

"Yes, of course, you stupid brat. What the devil did you think it was?"

Harry shrugged. "I do not doubt that you probably know thousands more spells than I do. There was no telling what you were casting." Harry paused and looked rather thoughtful. "Is there a way to prevent that spell? Block it or something? It would be incredibly inconvenient if someone cast that on me at school.

Voldemort's amusement shifted slowly to the cold calculating curiosity from earlier. "There is. Perhaps I will tell you later. Now, tell me how this happened brat. In your first year, you were every bit the stupid Gryffindor beacon of the light."

Harry snorted and looked away slightly. "Yeah, well in first year I was a naive, stupid little eleven year old boy who hadn't known a damn thing about magic a year prior. Dumbledore stuck me with muggles to keep me ignorant of the magical world and malleable to his ideals. He wanted a clean slate that he could write only what he deemed appropriate on, once I came to Hogwarts. I acted the way I felt I was expected to act. My only real priority was to be accepted by those around me because I spent my entire youth being loathed by those who were supposed to be my family.

"Dumbledore worked it so that he had full control over what information I had access to, and he had full control over what opinions I could form about the way of magic and the wizarding world. He set it up so that he could mold my thoughts and ideals towards his own. It worked... for a while. This year, however, I had a bit of a wake-up call," Harry said with a sly grin.

"Do go on," Voldemort said, waving his hand and grinning. He seemed entirely amused by Harry's rant on the damned old fool, Dumbledore, and honestly a bit impressed that Potter had managed to see what the Light's beacon was doing, for what it really was.

Harry paused and shifted his position slightly. "Can I sit? This story will take a bit of time, and the whole kneeling thing is going to get rather uncomfortable rather quickly."

Voldemort looked less amused at this, but sighed a bit in exasperation before waving his hand and summoning a chair from some place in the room and bringing it to rest beside where Harry was kneeling. "Impudent brat," he muttered.

Harry grinned roguishly and quickly stood up and shifted over to the chair. He threw himself into it in a rather undignified manner and Voldemort sneered slightly at Harry's inexplicably confident demeanor, given his situation and surroundings.

Harry, oddly enough, found himself feeling right at home in the manor library. He had strange, vague impressions of memories of spending a great deal of time relaxing and reading in this room, in addition to the very clear memories of several visions that had taken place mostly here.

But aside from his comfort with the room he was sitting in, it was the magical ambiance from the Dark Lord opposite him that felt the most familiar. It wasn't quite the same as the vibe he got off of his companion, but it was remarkably similar. It made sense, when he thought about it logically, but it was still seriously weird when he realized just how strong the urge was to go touch the man... er... little creature, opposite him. The only positive touches Harry had ever regularly experienced had been in the embrace of his companion... who was in actually, a piece of the wizard sitting opposite him.

Combining his strange familiarity with the room, and the irrational comfort he got from being so near the magical signature of the Dark Lord, he almost felt as comfortable here as he did down in Slytherin's chamber with his companion whispering to him.

"Oh!" Harry said, having suddenly remembered something. "I almost forgot," Harry said as he reached into his robes. 'Moody' who was standing to the side with his wand trained on Harry, tensed and watched Harry's movements very closely.

Neither of the men had entirely expected to see Harry pull out a small object, the size of a matchbox.

Harry took his miniaturized trunk and set it down on the floor in front of him. He paused and looked over at 'Moody'.

"Can you unshrink it? Seeing as how you've taken my wand, I can't do it on my own."

"What's in it?" 'Moody' asked, eying the tiny trunk as if it were contaminated with something deadly and dangerous.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Just books, and none of them are even cursed."

Harry noticed, out of the corner of his eyes, that Voldemort's demeanor shifted slightly, and a margin of curiosity entered the tiny figure's eyes. "Do it, Barty," Voldemort said with a disinterested tone that didn't fool Harry at all.

'Moody' walked over and tapped his wand on the top of the trunk. It instantly returned to it's normal size and Harry leaned over, turning the latch and hissed out the password to the third compartment.

Voldemort's eyes widened and blazed with curiosity.

"Notechus?" Voldemort asked, translating the name that Harry had used for his parseltongue password back into English.

"Er, yeah. Notechus Noir is the alias I've been using when ordering things from Knockturn Alley, and any questionable vendors. The name Harry Potter is a bit too well known, after all. Notechus is the Latin name for the tiger snake. Noir is for Black, as in my godfather, Sirius Black..." Harry paused and looked around the room, suddenly. "Where is Wormtail, by the way? I was honestly hoping to see the little rat bastard while I was here."

"Wormtail is otherwise engaged at the moment... how is it that you knew he was here?" Voldemort asked with annoyed curiosity blazing in his eyes.

"Ah, yes. I'll be getting to that real soon here. Let's get this out of the way first. Consider it a bit of a peace offering, I guess. It's sort of an 'I'm sorry I was such a stupid little brat in my first year and delayed your revival by an extra three years'-gift. I won't apologize for the thing that happened when I was a baby, because I honestly don't think that I had anything to do with that. I mean... I am sorry that it happened because a decade as a floating spirit really had to suck, but I don't think it was my fault." Harry said as he began to pull book after book out of his trunk and stack them on the floor beside it.

"Those books!" Voldemort gasped as he began to recognize them.

"I brought you the originals. I made copies of quite a few of them for myself to keep though. When I first thought up the idea to bring them to you, I kind of hated it because it would mean parting with them myself and I've grown quite fond of these books. I set myself the task of figuring out how to copy them, and since pretty much all of these books predated the copy-protection charms that book publishers use these days, it wasn't too hard for me to manage. In the end I knew it was worth the effort. I knew you'd appreciate this more than just about anything else I could bring you right now."

By the time Harry had finished talking and pulling out all of the books he had prepared to give to Voldemort, the small man-creature had directed his levitating chair up much closer and was now leaning forward and inspecting the books with wild, excited eyes.

"You found Slytherin's study." Voldemort stated, not taking his eyes off the books.

Harry grinned. "Yup. Been spending most of my time there this year, actually. The chamber is just fantastic for dark spell practice since it's not connected to any of the school's wards, but still shielded from the Ministry's magic detection. I can cast all sorts of nasty things while I'm down there and no one is the wiser at all. It's bloody brilliant!"

Voldemort continued to examine the pile of books with a carefully concealed excitement for a moment longer before his eyes narrowed with suspicion and they slowly trailed up to look at Harry.

"Enough stalling brat. I want an explanation. You know things you should not know. There is more going on here than you've let on. I demand answers."

Harry nodded his head and gave a weak grin. "Alright. Are you aware that you left a piece of yourself behind when you tried to kill me when I was a baby?"

"A piece of myself?" Voldemort said in an almost mocking tone. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"A sliver of your soul broke off and got stuck to me."

Voldemort's face took on a look of incredulity, which morphed into shock, which then morphed into dawning realization and understanding. Harry found it fascinating to watch the expressions unfold on the face of the miniature snake-like human creature. All of this transpired across his face in a matter of seconds before he mastered his expression to a mask of suspicion.

"Explain," Voldemort ordered in a harsh whisper.

And so Harry did. He began by telling the dark lord how he used to escape into his mind when he was younger, but there was a dark spot there that scared him, so he began to try and build a mental wall around it. About his theory that he had done some sort of accidental mind magic, and had, for years, continued to focus an enormous amount of his magic towards keeping that wall up, and keeping him separate from the dark spot in his mind.

He told him about at the Halloween feast, when his name came out of the cup, how everyone had turned against him. About how the supposed great, indestructible friendship between he and his Gryffindor friends, had been tossed aside so easily.

He explained the first night that he slipped back into his mindscape in years and years, and his rediscovery of the dark spot. His realization that he had been throwing a mountain of magic at it all these years, and his decision to take the magical wall down.

Voldemort remained surprisingly silent. He didn't even snap at Harry for going on about idiotic sentimentalities. Instead he had a calculating look to him. He was obviously taking in every detail the boy was saying and analyzing the hidden meanings and explanations behind every event that Harry still didn't entirely understand.

"Looking back I see how much the way my mind works changed during that time... but at the time, I didn't notice anything at all," Harry mused at one point. "I started thinking differently. Not having so much of my subconscious dedicated to keeping up that wall allowed my mind to work so much faster and clearer. I was able to see the hidden motives and agendas behind things. I..." he chuckled and shrugged, "I became a lot more cynical about things, but honestly, I like to think that I became lot more realistic. Less gullible. Less foolish.

"I started to see Dumbledore's manipulations for what they were. I know you've got Wormtail here, so I assume you know at least a bit about the whole business with my godfather? Sirius Black was my parents secret keeper, and he got framed for giving them up, and then killing all those muggles that the rat blasted apart. He got sent off to Azkaban without a trial. Not even a questioning under Veritaserum. Nothing. Just carted straight off to prison.

"Thing is, I started to wonder – why wouldn't Dumbledore have done anything to make sure Justice was properly served? That's his thing, isn't it? All moral high ground and that rot. He's the head of the Wizengamot. He could have insisted that Sirius at least get a questioning under truth serum. Shouldn't he have wanted to? To get some more information about me having survived? If he was really your follower and was in on the whole you coming to get us plot, then he might have known something. He should have been questioned. But Dumbledore didn't insist on anything of the sort. He let him just get carted straight off to prison.

"So I was wondering... why? But then I found out something even more interesting. Apparently, Dumbledore had me taken straight from the wreckage of my parent's house to the Dursley's front porch, the night it all happened. I was found on their doorstep on November 1st. Sirius hadn't even caught up to Wormtail by then, let along have been accused of killing him and a bunch of muggles. When I was left in the hands of those disgusting muggle trash, I still had an entirely valid and worthwhile guardian assigned by my parent's will, to take me in.

"I wrote my aunt a letter about a month ago asking her about what they were told by Dumbledore about having to take me in. I knew she would never be too keen on helping me out, so I laced the letter with a compulsion charm, and the stupid bint wrote back right away. Apparently Dumbledore only left a letter with me. That was it. He left me on their bloody doorstep, all night long, with nothing more than a letter, telling them that they had to take me in. He didn't even stick around to talk with them. Just ditched me on the porch. In his letter, he gave every indication that it was a permanent placement, and they had no choice but to accept. He had no intention of me ever leaving them to go to my godfather.

"That's why he let Sirius get carted off without a trial. He didn't want me to end up with him. He wanted me with those muggles. His excuse about me getting a fat head from fame, if I had been raised in the wizarding world may sound valid enough, but I think it's a lot more insidious than that. He wanted me ignorant," Harry growled. He didn't realize it, but his eyes had slowly begun to glow a deep verdant green as the slow boiling rage within him grew. Voldemort watched this with concealed glee, and a powerful curiosity. The glowing green color was remarkably reminiscent of the glow of the killing curse. He could feel the dark magic rolling off the boy and he had to admit that Harry Potter seemed to contain a monumental amount of magic for his age.

Voldemort's experience observing the boy during his first year had been annoyingly disappointing. Harry Potter, his prophesied vanquisher, was a down-right pathetic student, and a below-average wizard. There was nothing magically remarkable about the boy at all. In fact, he had seemed magically weak. But now, knowing what he knew about the boy having dedicated what had to have been a tremendous amount of his magic to keeping his horcrux at bay, the boy's poor magical performance earlier in life made a world of sense.

Harry sighed and ran his hand through his head as he visibly centered himself and pushed down some of his rage. Next he began recanting how his 'companion' began to grow in consciousness. How it became a presence in his mind, and how it began to relay images, ideas, and emotions to Harry, even during his waking time spent outside of his mindscape.

Harry described the potions class when his 'companion' first spoke to him, and then how he was gradually able to speak more often, and remain in Harry's conscious mind for longer periods of time. Harry explained about how his companion's voice tended to be a rather raspy staccato, and how he was more often than not, rather vague, but that he was still able to get the message across when it was really important.

He continued on, eventually covering the visions, and the various things he had gradually come to understand over the last few months.

–

Voldemort found it utterly fascinating that his horcrux had become sentient and powerful enough to communicate with the boy, and yet he was mildly concerned that it had told him what it was. As Harry continued to describe his interactions with his horcrux and the things it had taught him, and guided him to figure out himself, he was intrigued. Apparently it had only recently told him what 'it' was. That it was a piece of Voldemort's soul. It had also left out the fact that there were others, or what they were called. Potter never once uttered the word horcrux, and it appeared this 'companion' as Potter referred to it, had a tendency to be rather vague when explaining things. Still, the fact that anyone knew about his horcruxes was upsetting.

The fact that he had inadvertently made Harry bloody Potter into one left him in a state of uncertainty. He needed time to analyze the various ramifications of this. He also needed to completely rethink his resurrection ritual.

When Barty had first come to him and told him that Harry Potter had come to his office, and volunteered to help with Voldemort's resurrection, his initial reaction was to think the whole thing a trap, and wonder how the hell the old man had found out what was going on.

He had known that if it were true – which, surely it could not be true – that he would need to make a few alterations to his ritual. It would be considerably more powerful if Potter's blood was given freely in an act of betrayal... and if the boy's magic was truly dark, as Barty had suggested it might be, then... well the possibilities were rather intriguing. His resurrection could be going much better than he had expected, if any of this were true.

But now... now! Oh, how this changed things... The boy truly was dark. Incredibly so. He rarely saw such a purely dark aura, and never in one so young. Granted, his own aura had been that dark at this age, but he was rather unique. But it really did make sense when considering that his own soul had tainted the boy so thoroughly. So the boy was dark, and it really did appear that Potter was willing to betraying everyone and joining his side. The boy honestly wanted to aid in his resurrection of his own free will. All of these factors would drastically change his ritual, but add the fact that the boy was a horcrux, and he was having serious trouble reigning in his own insane glee.

He had wanted to involve one of his horcruxes in the resurrection ritual. It would have made things so much smoother, and returned his new body to full strength almost instantly. There would be no long arduous process of acclimating the body to his magic once it was completed.

It had been one of the reasons he had made Nagini a horcrux using that stupid ministry bint, Jorkins, who so conveniently stumbled across him the summer prior. But Nagini was a horcrux created after his body had been destroyed and he discovered that this would prevent him from properly using her in the ritual he devised. No... it had to be one he had created prior to the disaster with the Potters. But would one created because of said disaster work? It would! He was sure of it. In fact, it was ideal.

When he'd first realized that Nagini wouldn't work he had considered going after one of his other horcruxes, but that hadn't been a viable option in the end because he was no where near strong enough to get past all of the protections he had placed around the ring and the locket. He had no chance of gaining access to Hogwarts for the diadem, and didn't trust anyone else in retrieving it for him. Bellatrix was locked away in Azkaban, so he had no access to her vault to get the cup, and Voldemort didn't trust Lucius and his powerlust with Voldemort in his currently weakened state.

So he had had to settle for other options. He had turned to relying on only the boy's blood instead.

But now... now he could have the best of both worlds. It was as if the Fates were finally smiling upon him.

But that thought really only brought him back to other concerns.

The damned Prophecy. What would all this mean with the prophecy? He never had heard the entire thing. Could it have perhaps spoken of the boy turning? If he allowed the boy to live, would he be putting himself at risk? The boy couldn't possibly vanquish him, seeing as how as long as the boy lived, Voldemort was immortal. The boy's very existence made it impossible for him to die.

There had to be more. It was more obvious than ever that he needed to learn the full prophecy. Could he use the boy for that?

Voldemort refocused on Harry Potter and a sly grin spread across his lips. He had remained quiet for several long minutes once the boy had stopped relaying his story, and the other had been surprisingly patient for someone his age. He looked oddly... comfortable. That was almost unsettling. No one ever looked comfortable in his presence. Terrified, cowed, reverent... but never comfortable.

"I will need some time to rework the ritual," he said finally and Harry grinned and nodded.

"I figured as much."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed but he didn't acknowledge the statement any further. He had been greatly unsettled when Potter had recounted his 'dream visions' he had where he had been inside Voldemort's mind. Seeing, thinking, and feeling as him. Given the nature of their unique connection, he could understand how it was possible, but he was still entirely displeased by this breach of his mental security. If things had been different; if the boy hadn't turned dark; the breach could have been disastrous for him.

However, Potter made it sound like any of these 'visions' that he had, before embracing Voldemort's horcrux, had been vague, difficult to remember, and so painful he found it difficult to think clearly after one. It wasn't until he had begun to turn dark and meld with the horcrux that the visions cleared up and became coherent.

Voldemort considered his next action for a long moment. He was greatly inclined to simply hold the boy at the manor until his preparations were complete. The idea of letting this opportunity slip through his fingers by allowing Potter to go back to Hogwarts, left bile in his throat. But it would be a necessary test.

If he was to incorporate the boy's voluntary participation in the ritual, it had to actually be voluntary. The boy had to choose to return for the ritual. And he felt strangely sure that the boy would return.

"Barty will take you back to Hogwarts. I will contact him when I am ready to perform the ritual. It shouldn't be long. You will come when he says it is time. Is that understood?" Voldemort said in a tone that booked no room for argument. Oddly enough, the boy grinned.

"Sounds like a plan. Not that my input is really welcome, but if you could work it to be on either a Wednesday afternoon or sometime during a weekend, that would be great. If it's got to be an all-night sort of thing, then a Tuesday night would be grand. I've only got charms on Wednesdays and nothing else. I could easily skiv the class off too, if need be."

"Still so confident that I'll be letting you leave, afterwards?" Voldemort remarked drying with a raised brow.

"You're letting me leave now, aren't you? Besides, even without the whole 'my existing makes you immortal' thing, I know I can be useful to you if I stay on the 'in' with the old goat."

Voldemort smirked, even thought he knew he should have glared. The brat was obstinate and impertinent, and yet it somehow didn't piss him off. The boy reminded him of himself at that age, only with far more pathetic manners, and an annoyingly cocky demeanor. But he could work on that. This arrangement with Potter could prove to be extremely beneficial if he played his cards right.

He had thought that Dumbledore was trying to groom the boy into taking his place as Lord of the Light, but it was looking more and more that the old man had only considered the boy his weapon, and nothing more. Well, if he had hoped the boy to one day take his place, he was in for quite a surprise.

His grin spread.

Very interesting, indeed.

–

It was nearing dawn by the time everything had been completed and Harry returned to the manor's entry hall with 'Moody'. The man had continued to drink from his flask and maintain his transformation, rather than under go the painful discomfort of transforming back to his true self, and then back into Moody when it was time to leave. Harry was mildly disappointed at not getting to see Barty in his true form, but knew it really didn't matter at the moment.

They activated the 2-way portkey and reappeared at the exact same spot in the tunnel that they had left from. Harry was exhausted and once he and 'Moody' parted ways after exiting the tunnel, Harry slipped on his cloak and made his way to the hospital wing. He'd been there plenty enough times that he knew exactly where Madam Pomfrey kept the Pepper-Up potions and a simple Alohomora was all that was needed to unlock the cabinet. Considering that the unlocking charm was a second-year spell (although, of course, Hermione had known it in first), he wondered why people even bothered using such a weak locking spell on anything.

He slipped the potion into his pocket, intent on taking it shortly before breakfast, and slipped out of the hospital wing unnoticed by any. By the time he made it up to his dorm room, there was only an hour and a half before the rest of his dorm mates would be getting up to get ready for breakfast. He quickly changed into bed clothes and laid down in bed. An hour and a half of sleep wouldn't likely do him much good, but he could at least slip into his mindscape and discuss the nights events with his companion.

The experience had been bewilderingly exhilarating. Part of him still couldn't believe that he'd really done it. He had gone to Voldemort! He had spent the night in the company of the most powerful dark lord to come about in centuries, and he had loved every ruddy minute of it. Just being near him had been incredible to Harry's magical senses. The very air was alive with the powerful wizard's magic, and that was despite him being in an extremely limited form.

He couldn't wait until the man was fully restored. How insane was that? He was bloody excited, and vibrating with anxious anticipation for the resurrection ritual. He wished it would be that weekend, but he doubted it would be ready so soon. Perhaps it would be the following Wednesday? If it ended up needing to be any other day of the week he could still make it work. It would make Hermione suspicious, but hopefully he could work around it. Make something up about the old Albic book? Or maybe something else entirely. He'd work something out.

Harry let out a long sigh, trying to disperse some of his excitement, and slipped into his mindscape.

[ionlyreadfivebookslastweek]

Bless the Broken Road - 7

The next day, Jack called Jane to ask her how the date went.

“It was great!” she told him. “We had a really nice dinner and great conversation and he walked me to my door at the end of it.”

“And...”

“And that’s it.”

“That’s it?” he questioned.

“Yeah, that’s it. I thought he was going to kiss me, but then he just walked away,” you explained.

“Well, he said he had fun right?”

“Right.”

“Then I don’t think you did anything wrong, he was probably too nervous to do it,” Jack reassured her.

She heard what sounded like a door opening and closing in the background of the call.

“I have to go, my girlfriend just got here,” Jack told her.

“Wait, girlfriend?” Jane questioned, her eyes widening. “I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone.”

“Yeah, um, her name is Ashley.” “Well, I’m happy to hear that. Next time we talk, I need to hear more about this girl, but for now, I’ll let you go.”

“Alright, bye. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

~

Later in the day, Jane was watching movies on her couch when she got another phone call, this time from Reid.

“Hey Spence!” she greeted, moving to sit up more.

“Hey, I was just calling to see what you were up to today,” he told her.

Through the phone, he could hear her tv, “YOU’RE WAND, HARRY!”

“Goblet of Fire?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Yup!” she cheered.

“Anyways, would you be interested in going to the library’s coffee shop after the  10th doctor shows up?”

“Who?”

“David Tennant.”

“Barty Crouch Jr’s in Doctor Who?”

“I guess we haven’t gotten you that far in the series yet...whoops.”

“I’ll let it slide,” she told him with a shrug he couldn’t see. “Coffee sounds great.”

“Great! I’ll be over in 2 hours.”

~

A little over two hours later, Reid and Jane sat at a table in the coffee shop area of the library.

“This place is nice!” Jane told him, looking around at all the shelves full of books. He nodded in agreement. “Why’d you choose the library’s coffee shop over a regular coffee shop, say the one we both go to before work?”

“I figured this one would be quieter. And this way I could pick up a book or two while we’re here,” he explained.

“A book or two, more like a book or ten,” she laughed.

“Touche,” he chuckled. “So how’s Jack been doing?” he asked.

“He’s been doing well, thanks for asking. Um, I actually talked to him earlier in the day and apparently he has a girlfriend.”

“He didn’t tell you?”

“No. Today was the first time hearing about her and that was only because she had come over to his place. Otherwise, I’m not sure if he would’ve told me about her.”

“Maybe he was waiting to see if things were gonna go well first?” he suggested. Jane shrugged. “If you’re done with your coffee, do you want to walk around and find some books?”

“Yeah, sure!” Jane agreed. They threw away their cups and headed over to peruse the shelves.

After they looked around for a while, Jane spoke. “Speaking of not telling people things, maybe it’s best if we don’t tell the team about us quite yet,” she said.

He turned to look at her. “Us? As in we’re officially an us?”

She smiled. “I mean, yeah if you want to be.”

He stepped closer to her and took her chin in his hand, gently raising it up towards him. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

When he pulled away, she grinned and said, “I take it that that’s a yes.” She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him back down for another kiss.

“You know, we do work with a team of profilers,” Reid pointed out as they turned back to look at the books again. “They’re going to find out eventually.”

”I know,” Jane assured him. “But I just don’t want them to make a big deal out of it right now. Can we please keep it a secret for a while?”

”Alright,” he agreed. “We can do that.”

~~~

Around mid-morning on Monday, the team had a case come in. They gathered in the roundtable room and Garcia began the briefing.

“Over the last few months, four women have been found dead on the edge of town in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. All had signs of sexual assault and had a COD of blunt force trauma to the head,” she shared with the team.

Hotch signaled an end to the briefing after a bit more discussion, telling the team, “Wheels up in 30.”

When the team touched down in Tennessee, Reid and Addison worked together on victimology.

“The UNSUB definitely has a type. Perhaps these women were surrogates for the real object of his frustration, probably an ex-girlfriend,” Jane pondered, examining the photos they had hung on the board.

“Probably,” Reid agreed. “All women were in their twenties and had brown hair with blue eyes..” he trailed off, turning to look at her. She looked a lot like the victims.

~

After the team delivered the profile, they called it a day and headed out to dinner.

“How’s Henry doing, JJ?” Reid asked, making conversation.

“He’s good! He misses you, you’ll have to come to visit sometime,” JJ replied.

Rossi turned to Hotch and asked, “And what about Jack? How’s he doing?”

“He’s good,” Hotch informed them.

“I didn’t know your son’s name was Jack,” Jane spoke. “That’s my brother’s name.”

“How’s he been doing?” Morgan inquired.

She turned to him. “He’s doing better. He even has a girlfriend now,” she shared. “I promised him that if he gets better and sticks to taking his medication that he could come have dinner with all of us sometime.”

“We’d all love to meet him,” JJ told her. The others nodded in agreement.

After dinner, they all headed back to the hotel for the night. Before heading off to their separate rooms, Reid asked Jane if she wanted to grab coffee in the morning.

“Yeah, sure! I’ll see you then. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

~

In the morning, the pair met in the lobby to head to coffee. Before they could leave, Rossi entered the room and spotted them.

“Good morning,” he greeted them.

“Good morning,” Jane repeated back to him.

“Are you two heading out to get coffee?”

“Yeah,” Reid confirmed.

“Good. I’ll come with. I’d like to grab some too.”

Together, the three set out to find a local coffee shop. They had some time, so they found a table and sat down for a while.

Spencer looked at Jane from across the table. Rossi sat between them. He gave her a sideways smile as they sat in awkward silence, Rossi completely ignorant to the fact that he had intruded on a date.

After another few minutes of agonizing silence, the three headed to the station to meet with the rest of the team and review the information they had so far. During their review, the sheriff came in to tell them that they just got a call about another girl going missing. Her mother had been the one to report her disappearance.

“Reid and Addison, go talk to the mother. See what you can find out about her,” Hotch ordered.

They grabbed the keys to the SUV and quickly headed out.

The missing girl’s mother let them into her home and invited them to sit down in her living room while they asked her about her daughter.

“Mrs. Scott, is your daughter involved with anyone currently?” Jane asked her.

“No, not right now. But Kali was with a man about five months ago. His name was Corey Jones,” the woman shared.

“Was it serious?” Reid asked.

“Yeah, I believe it was, but she broke it off and he wouldn’t leave her alone. She finally got a restraining order against him a couple months ago. She had to move pharmacies too.”

“Pharmacies?” Jane questioned.

“They worked at the same pharmacy and she had to transfer to a different one to avoid him,” she clarified.

“Which pharmacy was that?”

“The Walgreens one on Lebanon Road.”

The pair stood up. “Alright, thank you for your time, Mrs. Scott.”

They exited the house and headed back to the vehicle. Reid pulled out his phone and called Garcia, putting it on speaker phone.

“What can I do for you, boy and girl wonder?”

“Garcia, can you see which pharmacies the victims used?” Jane asked.

“Of course I can, love. Just give me a sec….all of them went to the Walgreens on Lebanon Road.”

“Can you see if a Corey Jones is working right now?” Reid asked.

“He is indeed, Tarzan,” she confirmed after a moment of searching.

“Tarzan?”

“Oh come on. Tarzan and Jane?”

Spencer and Jane shared a look and Jane said, “Bye, Garcia.” before reaching over and hanging up the phone. “We need to call Hotch. The rest of the team is closer.”

They called him and informed them all about what they learned. While the rest of the team went to arrest Jones, Reid and Addison headed back to the station to work on a geographic profile. They still needed to find Kali Scott.

When they brought Jones in, Rossi and Morgan interrogated him. Hotch, Reid, and Jane watched from outside the room. So far, Jones refused to say a word to them.

“This is going nowhere. He’s never going to tell them where she is,” Jane pointed out.

“Just trust them,” Reid told her.

She let out a groan of frustration and turned to Hotch. “Let me talk to him.”

“What? No!” Reid protested.

“Please, Hotch!”

“You’ve never interrogated anyone before!” Reid pointed out.

“Well, there’s a first time for everything! Their tactics aren’t working. Maybe a different one will.”

Both looked at Hotch expectantly.

“Alright,” he said. He went over to the door and knocked, telling Morgan and Rossi to come out.

Reid touched Jane’s arm and she turned to him. “I don’t want you in there with him,” he insisted.

“Cause I look like the victims? I’ll have Hotch with me. He can’t hurt me. I’ll be fine, trust me!”

He sighed and took a step back, allowing her to follow Hotch into the room. Hotch remained in the back of the room while Jane took a seat across from Jones.

“Well hello there, beautiful. Who might you be?” Jones asked, speaking for the first time since he was brought in.

“My name is Dr. Addison,” she introduced herself.

“Hello, doctor. You can examine me all you want. Maybe you’ll let me examine you too,” he smirked.

“I hate this guy,” Reid growled, watching from outside the room.

“Calm down, man,” Morgan warned him. “She can handle it.”

“What happened with Kali?” Jane asked Jones.

He scoffed and leaned back in his chair. “Like I’d tell you where she is.”

“I didn’t ask you where she is. I asked what happened,” Jane clarified.

His eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“I mean what happened between the two of you before all of this occurred? You were so close, inseparable. You had moved in together, I bet you were even considering buying a ring soon.” He looked away. “You did buy a ring, didn’t you? You proposed and she said no.”

“I did everything for her and made that night perfect! It was supposed to be the perfect night; low lit room with no noise other than crickets around us, the moon peering through the cracks of the wood, and she said no.”

“She did, but you couldn’t believe it. You were in denial. You pretended as if it never happened and you were still together. You wouldn’t leave her alone until one day she gave you a restraining order and you were forced to take to other methods. If she wouldn’t be yours voluntarily, she’d have to be forced.”

He leaned forward. “You’ll never find her. I’m not charged with anything. I can’t be held here forever.”

“I think we’re done here.” Jane got up and exited the room, Hotch following after her.

“What good did that do?” Reid questioned as they exited the room.

Her brow furrowed. “I thought you would have caught on and called Garcia by now.” She pulled out her phone and called up the tech genius. “Hey Garcia, does Corey Jones own any rural property?” she asked.

“No, he does not,” she informed them.

“What about family members? Parents, siblings…”

“Looks like his parents owned an acreage. When they died, it remained vacant. Sending address now.”

“Thanks, Garcia.”

“But how did you-” Reid began.

“He told me where to look by describing the proposal night,” Jane explained. They began to head towards the SUVs. “Low light, cricket sounds, cracks in the wood,” she listed. “He proposed in a barn and it’s likely that’s where he’s been keeping Kali.”

“Alright! Girl wonder figures something out before boy wonder can,” Morgan teased.

“Morgan, not the time,” Jane scolded.

JJ met the rest of the team at the SUVs and they all climbed in, racing off to the location Garcia sent them.

They were able to find Kali Scott alive in the barn, just as Jane had predicted. Kali confirmed that it was Jones who had abducted her and they were able to charge him, putting an end to the case.

~~~~~~~~~~

Bless The Broken Road Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~

Tag List:

@cynbx @neon-deanmon  @drw0301bieber

[supercasey]

Nomad of Nowhere Episode 12, Season 1 Finale Thoughts

Jesus Christmas, it’s finally here! Time for me to go ape-shit! ((This is really long and I’m sorry for that, so just skip to the bottom if you want to see Actual Theories (TM), but otherwise the top part is just me live-blogging the episode.))

The Nomad looked so offended when that Dandy Lion tried to get him off his pinata horse.

The miscommunication among the crowd... God, I love this fucking show.

Seriously, I can’t get over the fact that the Nomad can’t talk and everyone just tries to figure out what he’s trying to say regardless. He’s trying so hard. I love how he keeps getting increasingly frustrated.

I love Barty. He immediately just goes for the shins and I adore him. Also, him and his dad teaming up to fight the system is a Mood.

tHE DANDY LIONS, I LOVE THEM. THEY’RE JUST ROCKING OUT AS THE REVOLUTION BEGINS AROUND THEM. NEVER CHANGE, BOYS. NEVER FUCKING CHANGE.

Don Paragon: *kicking the Nomad out the window* “YEET!”

Damn. Just... burning down everybody’s houses. That’s harsh.

I love Skout... that’s it. I love her.

The two Dandy Lions having a romantic evening tho... that’s a Mood.

Skout’s so authoritative! Gosh, wonder where she learned that from... ;3c

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again- Red Manuel is an interesting character! I want to see more from him! He has a wife that’s shitty to him and an even shittier mom! Let him grow to be something more!

Never mind, he just got fuckin’ launched. Damn, Skout, that was savage.

sHE FREED HER CRUSH!! YES!!!

The Nomad just... throws his own fucking leg at him. Iconic.

Look, I know that he can’t fight with swords and that’s why he tossed it aside, but him standing there with that sword... I need to see him learn to fight with swords, guys, pLEASE!

rOCK FRIEND SUIT! IT’S A SUIT MADE OF FRIENDS TO PROTECT THEIR FRIEND!!!

sKOUT!!!

((No joke, I audibly gasped when Skout got crushed by the billboard)).

It’s... it’s a FUCKING WIG!?

Don Paragon: “My wig!!! sNATCHED!!!”

I know that someone already commented that it was hot to watch Toth break a sword WITH HER FOOT, but... it was Hot.

She’s just going and going. I fucking love Toth so much, I can’t wait for her to someday join the Nomad Protection Squad... she will kick ass.

DO NOT. HURT. THE LITTLE ROCK. HE IS SURRENDERING AND YOU NEED TO RESPECT THAT.

No eyes. That’s weird.

Now it’s Nomad’s turn to yeet.

The Nomad’s so goddamn small compared to everyone else (save for Skout). I... love him.

sKOUT! MY HERO!

Skout is so cute and lovely... she doesn’t want to take any of the credit, but the Nomad won’t let her forget that she’s a hero. I... love these kids.

Toth is struggling so hard to fight Skout... God, RT, please give them a happy ending by the end of this series, they deserve some happiness.

HE CONTROLLED THE STATUE WITH HIS CHEST! IT GLOWED! IS IT BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT THE STONE’S THERE!? RT, I NEED ANSWERS!!!

Toth looked so scared before she got hit! Don’t hurt her!

The thumbs up... I love him.

I love the old dude just fuckin’ CHUGGING water like it’s alcohol... you go, old dude, you go.

The sheriff is a dad to all these kids... you can’t change my mind. Also, I used to at least find the glasses wearing kid annoying (he still kinda is) but I’m growing to like them a lot! Hope to see these kids again next season!

The Dandy Lions!!! I love them all so much, I pray to fuck they’ll be around in season 2 even though Don Paragon’s been vored.

Ah... yes... That.

I can’t... believe... that this is actual fucking vore.

Literally, El Rey said he’s “Hungry”... I’m deceased.

My reasonable sister: “Maybe we’ve taken the vore joke a bit too far?” Me: “I don’t care.”

tOTH RUN! FUCKING RUN!!!

((Yo, I’mma light this post up with ideas I’m REELING))

So his chest is still gonna glow when he does good deeds? Is it gonna restore itself/put up shields around the stone to keep it from getting damaged? I really wish we had seen what happened to the stone after episode 9- it seems like it’s fine but I’m still worried about it. Straw ain’t gonna stop a bullet, fam.

Skout and Nomad... look, I know the theory’s been more than disproved, but I still think they’ve got a good sibling-like dynamic going on. I’ve seen some folks saying that the Nomad might start acting as a dad to her and... I dunno, I just don’t see it. So I’m gonna stick with them as siblings.

And that’s that! Hyped for whenever season 2 is announced!

Me going into more detail/theories below:

The Nomad making the statue come to life DEFINITELY shows us a few things. 1, he’s getting better with his magic. Remember the watermill? Remember how terribly that went? The kid’s learning to control bigger things. SPEAKING OF WHICH- 2, he can control it! That’s wild! So ARE they at all sentient? Because in episode 5 it seemed to hint at the fact that they were their own beings, but this says otherwise. Are some sentient? Are some not? RT, I need answers.

I’m so glad that Skout saved herself this episode! Like, I was so certain that she was gonna get really hurt by that billboard, but nope! She’s up and at ‘em in no time flat! Sign me the FUCK UP for the Nomad being a damsel in distress and Skout swooping in to save him! ((Also, for those who ship Nomad/Skout... I’m really not into the ship since I spent so long thinking they were siblings, but I can’t deny that y’all got a lot of fodder this episode. Y’all have fun with that.))

El Rey communicates through crows, huh? I think... I think someone actually guessed that??? At one point??? (May’ve been on Amino), But either way, that’s fucking neat as hell! It also leaves the door open for some underhanded bullshit... imagine if during Skout and Nomad’s adventures, they come across an injured crow? They’re both sweethearts so OF COURSE they take care of it, but what is this? It talks? And it knows the way to safety? Well, let’s follow our new friend! (Cue some heartbreak).

Looks like Toth’s still on the path of evil (or at least of antagonist). I’m really psyched to see if she’ll be getting magical powers. I’ve heard a few people throwing around that lightning abilities would be cool, but what about fire? ((Mostly I wanna see fire because it could remind the Nomad of Melinda so Skout has to save him and maybe we’d get some more flashbacks??? Sign me the fuck up, fam)).

Now that we’re back on the road, I’m hoping we’ll see more bounty hunter type characters. Will they be personally hired by El Rey? Or will the bounty hunter interactions be replaced by Skout and the Nomad knowingly looking for trouble by taking on El Rey’s men? I’m excited either way.

I’m sure there’s more shit I’ll go on about later, but I’ve got work today, so I’ll wait to get into it tomorrow. With a majority of the fandom having to wait a week (or two for the Youtubers) for the new episode, it looks like this fandom’ll still be kicking for a bit before Hiatus Hell kicks in. Hopefully that means we’ll all have time to theorize (and write fics) before the new season hits! I’m so HYPED!!!