#extremely fond of these pictures. they also made me realise i need to cut my hair Stat so i've just chopped off two inches

[lesamis]

POV you are my dad and you're trying to capture the moment i emerge from my thesis defense but your camera won't focus the lighting is bad and also i like won't even look at you bc i am so in love with my friends

[softspaceboibrian]

One More Present (Ben Hardy x reader)

Request: Can you write a ben hardy one where its the readers birthday and she celebrates it on the bohrap set and they have a party and ben proposes to the reader? (@kellysimagines )

A/N: I hope you like it!! I tried my best (and got very cheesy at the end lol). let me know what you think! and for everyone else, remember, don't be afraid to send in you requests!!

Warnings: none, just super fluffy and cheesy

Wc: 2312

Being Ben’s girlfriend had definitely its perks, such as being able to visit him whenever he was on the set of one of his new movies, meeting the cast and getting a few sneak peeks. And that was the case with Bohemian Rhapsody. As soon as he found out he was going to be playing none other than Roger Taylor in the new Queen biopic, he called you to let you know. He sounded ecstatic and you were thrilled for him, you were happy he was finally getting some recognition for his talent.

When the “band practice” for the movie started, he never missed the chance to bring her along with him to their usual get-togethers, dinners and so on, wanting her to get to know his new cast mates and secretly wanting to show her off. It goes without saying that you immediately grew close with Lucy and Priya, having girls night in and out. But a friendship that didn’t go unnoticed was the one between Gwilym and you. Ben found more than once the two of you chatting about something too clever for normal people to understand, as Ben and Joe would say. But luckily Ben never got jealous, not of him, at least. He trusted you and the feeling was mutual.

When your birthday came around, Ben thought it would have been nice to throw a little surprise party for you on set. He started organising everything almost a month prior, wanting everything to be perfect. Nothing too big, since he knew you weren’t that fond of surprises, but he wanted to do something special for you, something to celebrate the love of his life. He even went all the way and brought you a few small presents, something to show you how much he loved you.

When the big day finally arrived, you woke up in an extremely good mood. The previous night you had baked some cookies for the cast – and they loved your cookies. You rubbed the sleep out of your eyes, before sitting up, the smell of freshly made coffee and pancakes hit your nose, bringing a smile to your face. You pulled yourself out of the bed, dragging your feet down the hallway, yawning while walking inside the warm kitchen.

Ben was just placing your plate on the table when he saw you, walking over to you and pulling you into a soft yet firm hug, his lips gently pressed against your forehead. “Good morning, birthday girl” He whispered, his hand reaching for yours and guiding you towards the table, pulling out the chair for you. “How did you sleep?”

“Pretty well, thanks. My boyfriend never fails at keeping me warm” You giggled, holding his hands for a few more seconds, enough for you to place a quick kiss on his knuckles, before letting go.

Breakfast was good, as always. It might not look like it, but Ben was an amazing cook, and you were sure his pancakes were the best of London, if not the whole United Kingdom. After placing all the dishes in the sink, you ran inside the bathroom, wanting to be able to shower before him, so that you could have enough time afterwards to blow dry your hair and get ready. You had talked about it with Ben, telling him how much you wanted to spend your birthday with the cast, with your friends. And Ben was happy to have you there, on set, with him, for a whole day. Suspiciously happy. He had been acting weird for a couple weeks at that point, but you didn’t worry. You thought he was simply stressed out because if this role. Little did you know it was for a totally different reason.

You had decided to put on a nice, black shirt-dress with pink flowers all over it, cinched in with a belt, accentuating your curves. It was your day after all, and you wanted to look at your best. You slipped on your black platform boots and your jeans jacket, before walking into the living room, where Ben was standing, waiting for you, probably texting the boys. As soon as he saw you, his face lit up. He stepped closer to you, his arms finding their way around your waists. “A princess” he whispered, only a few inches away from your face, with that devilish smile of his on his lips. “I’m so luckily to have you”

“Shut up” you giggled, burying your face against his chest, trying to hide the blush on your cheeks. You loved when Ben talked to you like that, telling you how pretty he thought you looked, how luckily he was to have you in his life, and lately he had been doing it more and more often. “We should probably get going” you said, pressing a quick peck on his lips, before starting to walk towards the front door, Frankie tiptoeing right behind you, probably hoping you would take her with you.

“You sure you don’t want to stay here for a little longer? I mean, we could run a little late and say we just got lost doing breakfast or got stuck in traffic” He was right behind you in a heartbeat, hands lingering around your waists, pulling you closer, so that your back was pressed against his chest, his crotch against you ass.

“As much as I would love to do that, I think we should postpone our plans till tonight. Because, babyboy, not even Brian would buy that excuse” You giggled, turning around in his arms and pressing yet another soft peck against his lips, before taking his hand and walking out of your shared apartment, while Ben protested.

You had moved in with Ben a little over a year into the relationship. He had told you how much happier and relaxed whenever he got to fall asleep with you in his arms and wake up the following morning to find you there, still asleep, lightly snoring, your hair a mess. You had protested, saying that you didn’t look good in the mornings, and he replied by saying that you were a vision for sore eyes, even when at “your worse” – which, he reminded you of each morning by peppering your face with gentle kisses.

When you finally arrived on set, you walked to Ben’s trailer, wanting to leave there the cookies and the champagne you had brought to have with the cast during their lunch break. As soon as you reached the set, everyone immediately showered you with birthday wishes. Even Brian and Roger, who Ben had made sure would be there, hugged you and wished you “happy birthday”. And that was more than enough for you. You didn’t need parties, dinners at fancy restaurants, brunches and all that stuff, all you needed was your friends.

“Bunny, you think you could get going and pick up the stuff we brought from the trailer? We’ll be with you at the tables in the lunch room shortly” Ben said in his full on Roger costume, looking as good as ever. He pressed a quick kiss to your forehead, before going back to running a few more lines. You simply agreed, think it would be a smart move and you would also have time to call your parents, check in with them and thanked them for the sweet messages they sent you that morning. So, just like that, you wandered off, greeting a few people on your way to the trailer, thanking them if they wished you a happy birthday, until you finally reached your destination. You did what you had to do and picked the bag with the cookies and the champagne bottle. You were too lost in your thoughts to realise every one was already standing in the break room when you finally walked in. The only thing that brought you back to reality was everyone’s voice screaming in choir “Surprise!”, catching you off guard.

“What is this?” You asked, a bit confused, but with the biggest smile presses on your face.

“It’s for you, silly” Ben walked over to you, pulling you immediately against his chest, enveloping you in a warm hug. “Happy birthday, my love”

You couldn’t actually believe your eyes. Ben had done all of that just for you: he made sure they were going to be eating your favourite food, bought helium balloons of your favourite colour, even asked to have the afternoon off so that he could spend it with you. You didn’t deserve him, you thought to yourself, walking over to where everyone else was standing, thanking them for the surprise.

The lunch went great, you all had fun listening to Brian and Roger telling you about the good old days, about something stupid they did that one time with the band in that one city in the US. When you took out your cookies, everyone cheered; Joe even stole one of the two boxing, telling you he loved them too much and he was going to take them home and eat them that night. Then, it was presents time: you told everyone they didn’t have to, that their friendship was more than enough, but Rami replied by telling you that you needed to be spoiled, at least on your day. Everyone bought you something. Gwil gave you that book you two had been talking about lately, with a cute note inside; Lucy and Rami bought you tickets to the West End musical you wanted to see so badly; Allen and Priya got together and bought you a purse. Joe, wanting to be a bit more sentimental, gave you a beautiful picture frame with a picture you took all together at one of the first dinners that was hosted at Roger’s. Roger and Brian thought it would be nice to give you something of their own: Roger gave you an old fur coat he used to wear in the 70s and Brian one of his old jackets that had thought of lending to Gwil for the movie, but that didn’t make the cut. Last but not least, it was Ben’s turn. You looked at him, your head slightly tilted to the side “Is everything okay?” He looked nervous.

“Yes, I just hope you like my presents” he smiled, before handing you the slightly bigger of the two velvet blue boxes he was holding in his hands. You smiled, gently opening the box: inside there was a small necklace, with your favourite stone and an engraved pendant that said “like the sun loves the moon”. Your eyes immediately became glossy at the memory of the first time he told you that phrase. It was the time he told you he wanted something more serious with you, he wanted to go public, he wanted you to move in. “Because I love you. I love you like the sun loves the moon, that dies every night just to let her breath”.

“That’s cheesy” commented Joe, after you quickly explained what that phrase stood for.

“ Let them be, Mazzello. You’re just jealous” Lucy laughed, winking in your direction.

“That’s possible” he said, looking at Ben. They exchanged a few silent words, a quiet conversation that ended with Ben nodding his head, before turning it once again in your direction.

“There’s one more present” he said, giving you a soft smile, before handing you the other blue velvet box. You took it from his hands, feeling everyone’s gaze on you. You didn’t know why, but you started to feel nervous. You looked down at the box in your hand, opening it slowly. As soon as you saw what was inside, your heart skipped several beats: it was a beautiful ring, with a stone that matched the necklace. You turned around to thank Ben and you found him there, knelt down on one knee, with glossy eyes and his beautiful smile. “I wanted to do this since the day I met you. That was my plan all along. You know, like Jim from The Office, marrying you a long, long time ago, pretty much the day I met you” you could help but let out a watery chuckle, gently placing your hand on his cheek. “But then I decided to wait, to see where this would take us and, now, look at us. If I’m living my dream it’s because of you and all the times you told me to keep going, to keep working for it. So thank you” At that point you knelt down on your knees before him, your thumb gently stroking his cheek. “I want to have what we have for the rest of our lives. I want to wake up next to you, I want to fall asleep on the couch and having to pick you up bridal style to take you to bed, so that you don’t wake up. I want to surprise you with your favourite flowers and fight with you over who had to wash the dishes. I want to grow old with you and have a family, a real family. I want to be the father of your children. I want to take care of you till our dying days.” Tears were streaming uncontrollably down your face. You couldn’t believe it was actually going to happen. “Marry me. Marry me and make me the happiest man alive.”

You didn’t reply, you simply nodded and pushed yourself on his lips, needing to feel him close to you, in that moment more than ever. You could feel everyone around you cheer, applause, even whistle. When you eventually pulled away, he looked at you, his thumb gently brushing away the tears from your cheeks, before taking your hand and whispering a soft “Shall I?”. Next thing you know, the ring was on your finger and you were the soon-to-be Mrs Hardy.

Best birthday ever.

[anditendshowyoudexpect]

i was just browsing to get a new picture for my avatar

(from the book Gimson’s Prime Ministers by Andrew Gimson, illustrated by Martin Rowson)

LORD MELBOURNE Lived 1779–1848; prime minister 1834 and 1835–41

ON BEING ASKED to become prime minister, Lord Melbourne said he thought it ‘a damned bore’, and was ‘in many minds as to what to do’. 

His private secretary, Tom Young, retorted: ‘Why, damn it all, such a position was never held by any Greek or Roman; and if it only last three months, it will be worth while to have been prime minister of England.’ 

‘By God that’s true,’ Melbourne said. ‘I’ll go!’ 

We have this story from the diarist Charles Greville, who saw a great deal of Melbourne but, like most people, could not quite make him out: ‘Everybody wonders what Melbourne will do. He is certainly a queer fellow to be prime minister.’ To the world in general, Melbourne concealed his thoughts and emotions behind an affable, witty, tolerant, teasing exterior. As a young man, he had suffered the most notorious marital difficulties of any future prime minister. Yet he still loved and needed the company of spirited women, and became in the first years of her reign the adored prime minister and mentor of Queen Victoria. She saw at once that he was ‘straightforward, clever, honest and good’.

He was born William Lamb. His mother established herself as a great Whig hostess: beautiful, intelligent, vivacious, ambitious and promiscuous, she had children by several men while remaining married to the rich but unremarkable Lord Melbourne. William, her second son, was generally supposed to have been fathered by Lord Egremont and was educated at Eton, Trinity College, Cambridge, and Glasgow University. He grew into a tall, dark, handsome, amusing and unpushy young man, who was liked by everyone he met. The death of his elder brother enabled him to renounce the legal career on which, with no enthusiasm, he had embarked and to enter in 1806, at the age of twenty-six, the House of Commons. 

It also enabled him to propose marriage to the 19-year-old Lady Caroline Ponsonby, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Bessborough and niece of the Duchess of Devonshire, with whom he was in love. She was an upper-class wild child – slim, high-spirited and used on all occasions to getting her own way or else throwing a tantrum. For a few years they were happy, then they were unhappy. In 1812, she began a conspicuous affair with Lord Byron, a month after the poet awoke one morning and found himself famous, thanks to the publication of Childe Harold. It was Lady Caroline who described Byron as ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’. He called her ‘the cleverest, most agreeable, absurd, amiable, perplexing, fascinating little being’. But he soon tired of her impetuous rages, realised her parading of their affair was doing him social harm and decided to break it off. She was infatuated with him, and refused to let him go. Her rages grew ever more extreme and culminated at Lady Heathcote’s ball in July 1813, where Byron refused to dance with her, so she broke a glass and began gashing her naked arms. 

The scandal was the talk of London and was followed by Lady Caroline’s excruciatingly embarrassing autobiographical novel, Glenarvon. Melbourne’s family urged him to separate from a woman who had heaped humiliation on them all, and most particularly on him. He agreed, but could not bring himself to leave her until 1825, and even after that, with tender good humour took what care he could of her until her death in 1828. They had one son, who was mentally handicapped, to whom Melbourne was devoted and who died in 1836 at the age of twenty-nine. 

For many years, his political career seemed no happier than his marriage. In 1812, he left the Commons, unable to stand the heavy cost of getting himself re-elected. He told his mother that leaving Parliament felt like ‘actually cutting my throat’, for it deprived him of ‘the greatest object of my life’. He cared about politics more deeply than he would generally admit. In 1816, he returned to Parliament, but these were the long years of Tory domination under Lord Liverpool, when there was no place for even a moderate, middle-of-the-road Whig like Melbourne. 

In 1827, Canning became prime minister and needed some moderate Whigs to serve in place of the stern unbending Tories who refused to join. In came Melbourne as Chief Secretary for Ireland. It was his first real job, and he demonstrated his ability to conciliate Catholics as well as Protestants, and also his well-hidden capacity for hard work. In Dublin, he relaxed in the company of the young, beautiful and animated Lady Elizabeth Brandon. Her husband, the Reverend Lord Brandon, attempted to get a bishopric for himself out of this, and having failed to do so, sued Melbourne, but was unable to prove that anything improper had occurred. 

The following year, Melbourne was one of the Whigs who resigned in sympathy with William Huskisson from the Duke of Wellington’s government. But at the end of 1830, when Lord Grey replaced Wellington, he appointed Melbourne to the vital post of Home Secretary. For while the Reform Bill made its tempestuous passage through Parliament, the country had to be saved from sliding into civil war. This Melbourne did with energy and firmness. He avoided sending in troops, but urged magistrates to use their powers to the full. Once again, he had given proof of his executive abilities. 

By 1834, the government was disintegrating and Lord Grey retired to Northumberland. William IV had to decide which of the Whigs to invite to take over as prime minister. His choice fell on the dependable Melbourne, for he seemed best placed to preserve the still-precarious order. His Cabinet colleague, Lord Durham, offered another reason for choosing Melbourne: ‘He is the only man to be prime minister because he is the only one of whom none of us would be jealous.’ 

So in came the amiable Melbourne. He was fifty-five and lasted for 121 days before the King decided to replace him with the Tory leader, Sir Robert Peel. The most memorable event at this time was the burning down, in October 1834, of the Houses of Parliament, an event greeted with cheers by the London mob. Peel had no majority in the Commons, so called an election, but made insufficient progress to gain control, so in April 1835 resigned. 

Melbourne, with some reluctance, was back. Few people expected him to last long, and he had renewed difficulties in his private life. He had for several years cheered himself by calling on his way home in the evenings on Mrs Caroline Norton, a beautiful and high-spirited young novelist who had established herself in rooms at Storey’s Gate, not far from Parliament. She was the granddaughter of the playwright Sheridan, a famous Whig whom Melbourne had known in his youth. 

George Norton, her villainous husband, decided to sue Mrs Norton for divorce, with Melbourne cited as co-respondent. But there was no evidence whatever that she had slept with him. When she was ill, Mr Norton had actually accompanied Melbourne to his wife’s bedroom. On another occasion, Mr and Mrs Norton had visited Melbourne together in his house in South Street, Mayfair, where he continued to live even after becoming prime minister. 

Melbourne asked William IV if he should resign. The King said definitely not. He and the Duke of Wellington suspected a shady plot to discredit Melbourne, and neither of them wanted anything to do with it. So Melbourne fought the case, though he did not appear in court himself, but sent the attorney general to make the case on his behalf. The court proceedings caused huge excitement but only lasted a day, for the main witness Mr Norton had managed to recruit was a drunken groom called Fluke, whose ludicrous evidence fell to pieces under cross-examination. The jury acquitted Melbourne without even leaving their box to confer. 

This was a success of a kind, and one which showed the prime minister’s resilience under pressure. But it also left a gap in his emotional life, for while he remained anxious for Mrs Norton’s welfare, he could no longer risk visiting her. This void was to be filled in a most unexpected way. 

In June 1837, William IV died, and was succeeded by his niece, the 18- year-old Princess Victoria. She was on bad terms with her mother, the Duchess of Kent, whose husband, the duke, had died when their daughter was only one year old. During Victoria’s childhood, the duchess, prompted by the unscrupulous Sir John Conroy, cut her off from other sources of advice and tried to lay the foundations for permanent control over her. 

Victoria was determined to resist them. But to whom could she turn for help and comfort in this endeavour? As soon as she met Melbourne, she knew she could count on him. And on whom could it be more proper to rely than on her prime minister? He became her private secretary, spent six hours a day with her and soon had his own bedroom at Windsor. Ministers were allowed to do pretty much as they pleased. Lord Palmerston, the Foreign Secretary, nearly started a war with France. Melbourne was engaged in the vital work of tutoring the young Queen, for which he was entirely suited. As she herself wrote, ‘he alone inspires me with that feeling of great confidence and I may say security, for I feel so safe when he speaks to me and is with me’. 

His conversation was fascinating. He dropped the swear words, but was as witty as ever. He had known everyone worth knowing for the last forty years, including her own family. Her uncle George IV had been as, Prince Regent, a regular visitor, and something more than a visitor, to Melbourne’s mother, and had become very fond of Melbourne himself. 

For although Victoria was Queen, the Victorian age had not yet set in. Melbourne remained, in his manners and sense of humour, a man of the eighteenth century, who detested earnestness and refused to admire the middle classes. His attitude is caught in his remark after hearing an evangelical sermon: ‘Things have come to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade the sphere of private life.’ He was deeply interested in religion, and had read widely on the subject. But he was not pious. 

Nor was he abstemious. He ate and drank huge amounts. In 1838, Lady Lyttelton observed that he was quite safe in office ‘unless he contrives to displace himself by dint of consommés, truffles, pears, ices and anchovies, which he does his best to revolutionise his stomach with every day’. 

In 1839, he made a dreadful error of judgement. One of the Duchess of Kent’s maids of honour, Lady Flora Hastings, had been unkind about Baroness Lehzen, who ran the queen’s household. Now Lady Flora grew unexpectedly large, and Melbourne encouraged the Queen in the idea that Lady Flora might be pregnant. When Lady Flora died, she was found, at the postmortem, to have an enormous liver tumour. The Hastings family were furious, and Victoria became for a time very unpopular. 

In the same year, Sir Robert Peel seemed about to become prime minister, but indicated that he would expect the Queen to replace some of her ladies-in-waiting. Victoria said she could not bear this, and Melbourne encouraged her in her resistance. Somewhat irregularly, he remained prime minister for another two years. 

In his offhand way, he helped to clarify the doctrine of Cabinet responsibility. For when he and his colleagues were discussing the Corn Laws, he told them: ‘Now, is it to lower the price of corn, or isn’t it? It is not much matter which we say, but mind, we must all say the same.’ 

But in 1840, he became superfluous to the Queen. She married her cousin, Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who transported her to a state of married bliss, and quickly became her chief adviser too. She wanted to make Albert a King Consort, an idea against which Melbourne quite rightly warned: ‘For God’s sake, let’s have no more of it, Ma’am. If you once get the English people into the way of making Kings, you’ll get them into the way of unmaking them.’ 

The following year, he called a general election, lost it and resigned. A year later, he suffered a stroke from which he never fully recovered. He died in 1848. Anyone who likes the sound of him is urged to read Lord David Cecil’s wonderful two-volume biography of him, which captures better than any other the Whig attitude to politics.

[zuzkyblog-blog]

The Night Visitor - Part 2 (Credence Barebone x Reader)

Part 1

Summary: It’s Credence’s turn to fall ill and be taken care of. Reader finds him standing delirious on a street while it’s raining and quickly takes him home to do something about his fever.

Pairing: Credence Barebone x Reader

Word Count: 3497

Warnings: mentions of abuse, possibly angsty themes like loneliness (?) etc.

Comment: Comments/thoughts are LOVE, don’t be scared to drop a few words if you like this, it keeps me going.  So, there’s the sequel and there is much more Credence in it, with some fluff too. I hope you enjoy!

Ten days. It had been exactly ten days since Credence winded up in a certain apartment belonging to a kind and pretty witch - namely you - in the middle of the night. He had absolutely no idea how he'd got there, but he understood one thing: something was seriously wrong with him and it wasn't the high fevers and terrible lethargy caused by the flu he had apparently caught somewhere and which was bothering him since yesterday.

His illness was excruciating, but he would gladly endure it if he didn't have to stand on the corner of the street with a stack of leaflets as usual. He was freezing and it was getting late. He'd stood there for nearly four hours now and yet he managed to give out only about five of the cursed papers. If he wasn't hoping to see you so much, he would probably go home straight to bed, even if it earned him beating administered by his surrogate mother.

Seeing your smiling face was the only thing that kept him going lately. Since that fateful night, you always stopped by - sometimes even twice a day - to exchange a few polite sentences and take a leaflet from him. Occasionally you even brought him snacks when Mary Lou wasn't around. He wondered if he could even see your face today if you showed up. His eyes were tired and his vision a messy blur. On top of that, it was beginning to rain.

As the rain turned into a heavy downpour and streets grew empty, Credence still stood there, drenched to a bone, and hot tears began pooling in corners of his eyes. He was so tired; if only he could somehow end up in your apartment again. Desperate for comfort and attention, he felt his consciousness drift away, as if he was changing into something else.

"Credence, what are you doing here?"

A familiar voice brought him back. He opened his eyes and stared right into your face. You stood much closer than usual and upon closer inspection he realised you were holding his hand by its wrist.

"M-Miss (Y/N)," he whimpered weakly and began to cry. He realised he wasn't standing in the rain anymore because you held an umbrella over his head. You rarely used No-Maj umbrellas, but you could hardly go out with a magical one, so you quickly transfigured your shawl into the item you needed, a black umbrella big enough for two.

"Credence, I'll take you home. My home," you said quickly, your face full of worries and sympathy, things he'd never seen in the face of his Ma.

"I-I can't, Ma will… Ma will get angry," he shook his head in spite of himself. He wanted this, he wanted to be with you again, so why he fought it so much? You reached out with your lips tightly pressed against each other in disagreement, and touched his forehead, because you had a hunch he might be sick.

"Merlin's beard, you're burning," you squeaked. In the cold rain it almost felt like his forehead scalded your hand. "Come!" You grabbed his arm and dragged him off the street to a dark alleyway nearby. From there you took out your wand and apparated by the front door to your apartment.

"Ugh," Credence let out a choked growl and got sick.

"I'm sorry, I should have warned you," you apologised while unlocking the door. "I couldn't get us inside. I have my apartment warded against teleportation spells." Your explanations weren't meant to provide info, they were meant to distract him. He was still sobbing a little, although you did notice how he relaxed as soon as you tugged on his arm.

You opened the door and gently pushed him over the threshold, following him and locking the door behind you with Colloportus spell.

"Y-You shouldn't have…," he sighed as you led him to the kitchen.

"Well, what should I've done then? Leave you standing in the rain with a fever?" you said a bit too sharply for your liking. Credence shivered as if he was scared of your tone so you decided to mellow it down. "It might sound silly, but I care about you, Credence. I couldn't just walk away, could I?" you smiled and seated him on a chair. You could feel his eyes on you as he began to sob again at your words. "Ok, first things first, Credence. Give me your hands," you told him as you rolled up your sleeves.

"W-What? No, my hands are alright," he protested.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it. Yesterday the leaflet I got from you had bloodstains on it," you insisted, and soon enough he opened his palms for you to see a new set of cuts. They might not bleed anymore, but they were far from sealed. You held your wand to his broken skin and healed it. Taking a deep breath, you wanted to provide him with a few words of comfort in regards to his abuse injuries, but it felt too painful to acknowledge it like that.

"Thanks," he whispered to wake you up from your pensive daze.

"Alright, now to do something about your fever…," you mumbled and walked to your stash to check if you had enough ingredients. Credence's gaze never left your figure, no matter how tired he was. "I'm surprised you're sick now. Incubation period for influenza is much shorter," you wondered aloud while taking out what you needed.

"I-Incubation period?" Credence repeated after you. He didn't understand the words. After all, his Ma was never fond of the idea of him getting a proper education.

"It's how long it takes for illness to affect you after being exposed it. On average it's about two days for flu and you've taken care of me ten days ago," you explained, grabbed your tin cauldron and washed it thoroughly in the kitchen sink. You had no idea about it, but at that moment Credence smiled a little. He was extremely grateful that you didn't question his appearance in your apartment at all. He was worried you would be angry about his intrusion, but you didn't seem to mind at all. If anything, you seemed kind of happy about it!

"L-Lately more and more sick kids are coming to the church. I had to catch it from one of t-them," he said quietly.

"Hmm, could be," you shrugged. It wasn't important where he'd caught it anyway.

"M-Miss (y/n), w-what are you going to do?" he asked tentatively as you dried your cauldron with a cloth.

"I'll make you a potion," you smiled.

"A potion? Like… a witch's brew?" he gasped.

"Well yeah, basically. It's primarily against fevers, but it's antiseptic, so it should help to fight the infection too," you explained and placed the cauldron on the burner. "Incendio!" With a nifty fire spell you turned the burner on. Credence shuddered. Every action you took surprised him more and more. It was like watching a stage play.

"Y-You don't have to do it. I'll be fine," he bowed his head humbly.

"I have to, because I want to help you like you helped me last time," you sighed. "Besides, you are skinny and weak. You might even be malnourished. It could be lethal for you if we didn't do anything about it."

"That might be… for the best," he sniffled; his shoulders were shaking as he tried to fight the emotion.

"Don't say that, honey," you murmured as you came over to him, kneeled by his chair and made him look at you. When your eyes met, he raised his hands as if he was asking you to hug him. Your cheeks turned pink. You held his hands, but didn't initiate an embrace even though you wanted so badly. "There will be time for that later, alright? I promise. Look at you, you're completely drenched," you told him softly.

"R-Right. Sorry," he sighed and tried to pull his hands back, but you held them tight.

"Wait here, I'll get you something to change into," you said and left him in the kitchen for a while. Credence looked around the room. The furniture looked fairly ordinary, but decorations and various utensils looked anything but normal. He hadn't noticed the last time he was there, but the pictures on the walls were actually moving! He shook his head and rubbed his eyes to see if he wasn't dreaming. After all, he was so tired his mind might be playing tricks on him. He also noted an unusual clock on the wall. Besides time, they also showed what day, month and year it was, along with weather and an extra small dial with twenty eight days. He had no idea what that one was for, except for maybe moon phases.

You returned to the kitchen to find him staring at the clock as if he was hypnotised.  You chuckled quietly, because he looked at your wall with a child-like excitement and it was simply adorable. Credence heard your steps and looked at you, noticing the stuff you were carrying. A fluffy white towel, a plain striped pyjamas and a bathrobe.

"I got you pyjamas, but I'm not sure about the size," you said, "I've just enlarged my old one. I might have overdone it and made it too big." Credence just blinked at you in confusion. What did you have in mind? You didn't have to be a Legilimens to know what he was thinking; all the questions appeared on his face. "Why don't you go and take a shower? Just leave the wet clothes on the floor, I'll wash them later. When you're done, come back to the kitchen and from here it's straight road to bed."

"Oh, I-- I can't, Miss (y/n)," he panicked. "I c-can't stay. Ma will get angry. I-I still need to give out all the leaflets."

"The leaflets…," you repeated after him, your eyes darting to the word DOWNPOUR on your magical clock. Hell, even if it was sunny, you wouldn't allow him to leave and distribute the rest of the papers. You were getting more and more frustrated with that Barebone woman. What hypocrisy, calling people like you witches, while the only one who deserved to be burned at stake was her!

You exhaled and closed your eyes to calm down. You were on the verge of screaming and it was the last thing this poor soul in front of you needed.

"Let me show you what I think of the leaflets and your Ma," you said coldly, but the coldness wasn't directed at him. Placing the towel and other things on the table, you grabbed the wet stack of leaflets and held it to the flame coming of the burner. Credence watched in disbelief as the papers eventually caught fire and slowly disintegrated in your hand into ashy black pieces. "Now there aren't any leaflets to give out, so you can stay," you looked at him as you got rid of the last burned bits of paper.

"I--I still can't stay too long," he shook his head and once again bowed it so he didn't have to see your face.

"Alright, Credence, I understand. Let's make a deal then. You'll stay till the potion takes effect, ok? I'll give you some of it to take with you, but make sure no one finds it." It wasn't ideal; you really wished he stayed overnight so you could take care of him properly, but it couldn't be helped. Mary Lou Barebone's power over this poor young man was too strong. Credence nodded at your proposal. "Good. Now the shower." You handed him the things and he took them hesitantly. "Can you manage on your own?" you worried when you saw him drag his feet toward the door you pointed at.

"I'll be fine," he forced a smile.

"Ok. But if you need anything, just call me. I'll get the potion brewing meanwhile," you smiled back and waited till he was gone. First of all, you cleaned your bedroom a bit and changed bedcovers so it was ready for him. After that you returned to the kitchen and began to prepare the potion.

Many things ran through your head, mostly related to Credence . You were starting to toy with an idea to invite him to stay with you. Your apartment was spacious enough; after all, you'd originally moved in with your ex-boyfriend, but things didn't turned out well and your relationship didn't last.

You questioned yourself if you wanted to live with Credence just because you wanted a replacement for your ex. Even though it'd been a year since he left, it still caused you a great deal of pain. In the end, you realised it didn't even matter. You might be lonely, true, but Credence really needed to get out of that cursed place. There were other things you were concerned about more than the chance you were considering taking Credence in out of your selfishness.

You still weren't sure who he exactly was. He didn't seem to be able to do magic, but at the same time he reeked of it. You'd always been sensitive to people with magical power, so you could tell. He didn't seem like a squib at all; more like a young wizard who never got into a magical school. There was also the weird dark matter you'd found in your kitchen that night almost two weeks ago; the matter that was gone as soon as Credence appeared. You couldn't get rid of the idea that it might have been an Obscurus after all. Sure, Credence was too old to be an Obscurial, but everything else matched the descriptions you'd read about in books.

Speaking of Obscurials, there was also one experience that made you very uncomfortable. A few days ago, as you were leaving the office, you bumped into your boss Percival Graves, the Director of Magical Security. You exchanged a few words and in the fit of curiosity you asked him whether he thought it was possible for an Obscurial to exist in New York in this modern age. He seemed to be surprised by your question and rejected it quickly, saying MACUSA knew of all wizards and witches in New York, but the unusual glare he directed at you had been haunting you ever since. You couldn't say for certain, but it seemed like he knew.

"I'm back."

Credence's quiet voice pulled you out of your thoughts just when you were adding powdered ginger into the cauldron. You looked at him and smiled as soon as you noticed the pyjamas you gave him. He had to roll up sleeves and legs quite a bit and it looked ridiculous.

"Oh my, it's even bigger than I thought," you laughed. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok," he shook his head and came a bit closer. "I left my clothes on the floor as you asked, but… you don't have to wash it," he spoke slowly and his cheeks turned bright red even though he didn't usually have much colour in them.

"Why not?" you wondered, observing his face curiously.

"W-Well, there's my underwear and... it's d-disgusting, right?" he squeezed out of his throat. Your heart broke how ashamed he seemed to be about it.

"It's not disgusting at all. It's pretty normal," you pouted a little and returned to adding more ingredients to the brew. Credence stood in place and watched you. You were painfully aware he had more on his mind. "Did shower make you feel better?" you asked encouragingly to make him less worried about speaking his mind.

"Yes," he nodded. "I--I don't think my clothes will dry in time though," he added with a heavy heart.

"Ah, don't worry about it, I'll get them to dry quicker," you waved your hand.

"The same way you dried the leaflets?" Credence asked you. You froze in place for a second, then quickly turned to him. A smile appeared on his sweaty face. You gazed at him, utterly mesmerised by what has just happened. It must have been that very moment when you fell in love with Credence Barebone.

"D-Did you just… Was it a joke?" you gasped, still unable to believe it. Credence looked away and shrugged, but his smile still lingered on his lips. "Well," you cleared your throat with a small cough, "I could, if it made you feel better."

"I think it would," Credence admitted, "But I don't think it's a good idea."

"Don't worry, I'll just dry them with a drying spell," you assured him, threw the last ingredient into the pot and then grasped his hand. "Come, you need to lie down."

"I don't want to, Miss (y/n)," he shook his head. When he noticed your questioning look, he continued: "I don't want to be alone. C-Can I watch you as you make the potion?"

"Heh, the most interesting part is already over. From now on it's just making sure the temperature isn't too high or too low and stirring it in a specific way," you warned him.

"I still want to stay here with you," he said stubbornly. You giggled at his expression. You wouldn't admit it to him, but you were really happy about his decision.

"Ok, I'll just get a blanket to wrap you into," you agreed and went to the bedroom. You returned with a cosy, thick duvet, wrapped him in it so he looked like a giant caterpillar, and seated him on the chair again.

"I-Is it necessary?" he complained, but seemed happy and relaxed.

"Yes, you need to sweat as much as possible, young man!" you laughed and to your pleasant surprise he chuckled as well.

Credence said he wanted to watch you and it's exactly what he did. You weren't talking much, there was no need to. You weren't exactly a person who enjoyed attention from others, but Credence seemed to find pleasure and relief in your presence, so you happily obliged and let his gaze follow you around the kitchen. If you took a chance and met his eyes, you would surely notice a great portion of fondness in them. At least if you didn't notice the snot running down his upper lip first.

You were nearly done with potion-making when you noticed he'd fallen asleep somewhere along the way. You finished the potion, took the cauldron of the heat to let it cool down a bit and began cooking chicken soup in a pot. It would go much smoother and quicker, because you could easily use magic for that.

"Credence, wake up," you carefully called his name a bit later, armed with a cotton handkerchief, a cup of herbal tea and a glass of the antipyretic potion. His eyelids fluttered open and it took him a moment to realise where he was.

"M-Miss (y/n)," he mumbled your name deliriously. He was sweating like crazy and his skin felt like fire. He tried to focus his eyes on your face, but it wasn't going well.

"Do you think you can walk?" you asked and he nodded in reply. "Ok, here, blow your nose."

You handed him the handkerchief and he did as you instructed. When he was done, you took it and wiped his chin with it. He had a snot there as well. Credence looked away in shame.

"It's alright, sweetheart. You're sick, so don't feel bad about small things like that," you cooed and took the glass of disgusting and smelly yellowish green liquid off the table. "Here, drink it. It tastes absolutely horrendous, so the quicker you get it over with, the better."

You watched him as he took the glass in his trembling hand. Thank Merlin his nose was all stuffed, at least he didn't have to smell the repulsive odour. He watched the glass for a second. When he was done gathering his courage, he took a deep breath and drank it all in one go, even though you could see he was almost gagging on it.

"Good job," you cheered, as he handed you the glass back, his eyes tightly shut. He was struggling to swallow the last sip.

"It w-wasn't that bad," he commented. His expression said the opposite.

"Heh, you don't have to lie, I know how it tastes," you sneered. "It's smells like cat shit and tastes like…"

"P-Please don't describe it," he butted in and covered his mouth. He was getting slightly green.

"Sorry, but you get my point, right? Here, drink some tea, it should help you with the aftertaste," you gave him the cup next. He drank it even quicker than the potion. "Let's take you to bed now. I'll finish cleaning up and get back to you as soon as I can, deal?"

"D-Deal," Credence nodded. You helped him to bed, tucked him in and tenderly caressed his hair before returning to kitchen.

***

(I originally wanted to make this a trilogy, but it’s getting bigger and bigger it seems :-/ Next chapter soon!)

[velvetcream03-blog]

How much sugar are you REALLY eating? Three women were put to the test - with shocking results!

Are you a sugar addict? Three women keep food diaries to track their daily consumption - including one Haribo-loving caffeine junkie our expert described as 'thin on the outside, fat on the inside'

Expert dietitian Helen Bond analysed the eating habits of three women

They had varying levels of 'sugar addiction' and were asked to keep food diaries 

The recommended intake is no more than 30g of added sugar a day  

The sugar and caffeine junkie had the worst sugar intake at 200 grams a day

By Chloe Morgan For Mailonline and Vanessa Chalmers For Healthista

Published: 07:25 GMT, 9 January 2019 | Updated: 13:47 GMT, 9 January 2019

We're all aware that eating sweets and chocolate will push up our sugar consumption, but many of us have no idea just how much of the sweet stuff we're really getting through.

While expert dietitian Helen Bond says we shouldn't be eating any more than around 30g (seven teaspoons) of sugar a day, the average British adult is getting through almost double that at 57g.

She analysed the eating habits of three women with varying levels of ‘sugar addiction’ to show how easy it is for excess sweetness to creep into your diet. 

Healthista asked  London-based Kirstie Johnson, 22, Laura May, 39 and Anna Magee, 49, to keep an honest week’s food diary for Helen to analyse - and the results may shock you...

THE SUGAR AND CAFFEINE JUNKIE

Name: Kirstie Johnson

Age: 22 

Week total sugars: 1440g

Average day: 200g

Kirstie Johnson, 22, had the most shocking results according to dietician, Helen Bond. In just one day alone she consumed eight times the recommended amount

Speaking of Kirstie's body, Anna said: 'What’s worrying is that she appears lean or slim, but her body is thin on the outside and fat on the inside. Someone might look well, but on the inside it’s not so healthy'

FOOD DIARY

‘On a normal day I’m on my feet for about 8-10 hours as a Head Veterinary Nurse and I rely on sugar and caffeine,' said the self-confessed sugar and caffeine junkie.

'Within the day, I have bursts of extreme energy and then all of a sudden I’ll be crashing and half asleep. I don’t sleep very well either.’

She added: 'I’m on a prescription at the moment to control acne. My diet was discussed, but due to my work life, it wasn’t something I felt I could change. Picking at sweets and having drinks is a lot easier for me.

‘I am currently 55kg (8.6 stone) but I would like be leaner. I’ve got bits of fat on my tummy and hips and I think that’s a lot harder to shift because of my diet.’   

Kirsite admitted that while her diet was discussed, due to her acne, her job as a Head Veterinary Nurse made it hard for her to change. Picking at sweets and having drinks seemed like the easier option

HELEN'S VERDICT 

‘Kirstie’s sugar diary was the most shocking. If she has a 190g bag of Haribo’s in one sitting, that alone is three times the recommended maximum limit of free sugars in a day (30g).

Kirstie's fondness for sweets and eating cereal instead of a proper dinner puts her average daily consumption at 200g of sugar a day 

'On Saturday, she has 250g which is eight times the recommended amount. Her habits include having lattes with four pumps of caramel syrup and whipped cream. Every pump is an extra teaspoon of sugar.'

'Kirstie is obviously very busy and fuels herself with sugar and caffeine. These spikes in blood sugar levels will affect her mood and skin. A high sugar diet can aggravate the balance of sex hormones which then causes spots. 

'Luckily for her, Kirstie has youth and good genes on her side. She has a high metabolism and is running around all day burning calories. But things will slow down and things will catch up on her over time. 

'What’s worrying is that she appears lean or slim, but her body is thin on the outside and fat on the inside. Someone might look well, but on the inside it’s not so healthy.’

Helen's tips 

· Start slow and steady with small steps

· She can start with using diet drinks instead of fizzy drinks [one can of coke contains 33g of sugar] or a Splenda Mini in her coffee or tea

· Low calorie sweetners do get a lot of bad press but they are completely safe and hugely help people who eat a lot of sugar

· Instead of 2tbsp of Nutella for breakfast, peanut butter would provide protein and make her feel fuller.

· Low GI diet: These are foods that release energy slowly instead of spiking blood sugar levels. I would recommend wholegrains, such as wholemeal bread and rice [instead of white], buckwheat and quinoa.

· Kirstie needs more fruits and vegetables in her diet. Enhancing the nutrients in her diet would benefit her skin, B vitamins, and regulate blood sugar levels.

· Introduce more good fats - oily fish and omega 3 will dampen down inflammation in the body

· Be organised: Try and get healthy snacks pre-prepared and avoid buying sweets that lie around that are tempting

THE WEIGHT WATCHER 

Name: Laura May

Age: 39

Goals: Weight loss and pain management

Week total sugars: 365g

Average day: 50g 

Laura described her relationship with sugar as 'mostly reliance and denial.' She doesn't sleep much and so turns to things full of sugar to get an energy spike

Laura May, 39, changed her diet just six weeks ago when she decided to go gluten and dairy. It took away 60-70 per cent of her Fybromyalgia and IBS symptoms. Above, with her 14-month-old-daughter, Frankie and her partner

FOOD DIARY

‘My relationship with sugar is mostly reliance and denial. I work full time and have a 14 month old daughter, Frankie. 

'Having a baby and being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia changed a lot for me. It’s a chronic pain disorder which makes me feel very fatigued. It can feel like I’m carrying extra weight, trying to run through a swimming pool.'

She added: 'Six weeks ago I went gluten and diary free. It took away 60-70 per cent of my Fibromyalgia and IBS symptoms, as well as clearing up my skin. At the moment this is more of a priority for me than my sugar intake.

'I lost a stone after having my baby but I’m struggling to lose another stone and feel ‘myself’ again. I don’t know how to approach it without eating rabbit food.

‘I don’t sleep much, on average six hours a night because of the baby. Then I’ll turn to things full of sugar to get an energy spike. I never ate so much chocolate before I had a baby.’ 

While Laura managed to lose a stone after having her baby, she admitted to struggling to lose another stone and feel herself again

HELEN'S VERDICT 

‘Laura has had a tough time. But she is well within the 90g recommendation and that’s mainly because she’s clearly substituting some processed foods. 

Although Helen likes the occasional sugary bar to start the day, she's within the daily limit

'Her free sugars are creeping in with biscuits and I worry about the coffee shop treats like the Pret popcorn bar. However, her choices aren’t all bad.  

'For example, she has a KIND Caramel Almond and Sea Salt Bar which has almonds in and is low sugar.

'The glasses of Prosecco on a Friday night stood out to me. Even as a lower sugar drink, each glass has 1.5g of sugar, which is a teaspoon after three glasses.

'Alcohol contributes to 9 per cent of our sugar intake. Laura is choosing red wine, with no sugar, over sweeter wines. This is good, but there are still a lot of calories in there. Sugar is only part of the picture.’

Helen's tips

· Get adventurous with grains: Laura is lacking in wholegrains with fibre. It’s great she cooks from scratch and she can try gluten free grains such as pulses, teff, brown rice and quinoa to get more nutrient variety. A portion should be the size of a tennis ball, as too much can make you sleepy

· Rather than getting her sugar fixes from bars and popcorn, she might find she’s OK with oats which aren’t gluten free. Oatcakes with avocado or nut butter would be a good snack

· Home baking: Working in an office can be dangerous as temptation is often laying everywhere. I would recommend Laura makes gluten free biscuits at home as you can use sugar substitutions to cut down free sugars and calories

· Improve sleep quality: Not having enough will affect her hormones and it will stimulate her hunger signals. Light exercise and carbohydrates in an evening meal will make her feel more sleepy. If she decides to have dairy again, a glass of warm milk helps to boost serotonin, which at night time turns to melatonin which makes you sleepy. She should also be careful to avoid caffeine up to five hours before bed

· Mediterranean style diet: This is low in sugars and has a lot of healthy fats. It encompasses a lot of the food groups that are good for overall health and well being. It can dampen inflammation in the body from free radicals and wouldn’t aggravate her symptoms

THE HEALTH-AWARE SUGAR ADDICT

Name: Anna Magee

Age: 49

Goals: More energy, better ageing, stable mood

Week sugar total: 520g

Average day: 75g

While Anna Magee, 49, realised she was a 'sugar junkie,' Helen believed her overall diet was healthy and her daily sugars were under the limit 

FOOD DIARY

‘Writing this diary has made me realise what a sugar junkie I am and how erratic my eating is. I can’t live without fruit and little bits of sugar every day. 

Smoothies and fruit have pushed Anna's sugar consumption up to an average of 75g a day 

'I like to snack on fruit – I can have five pieces in one sitting – but I don’t have things like dessert, cookies or cake unless it’s a celebration.

‘I don’t feel restricted, but I do have a sweet tooth, especially after and between meals, and will find ways around it with things like grapes, sweetcorn in my salad, sweet chilli on kale, or oat milk in my coffee.

‘I’ve given up sugar entirely before – it was hard for three weeks but then I didn’t even think about it. 

'It really improved my mood. I hope the solution isn’t to eat more things like cheese – I don’t like cheese and I’m mostly vegan!’

Anna said she 'can’t live without fruit and little bits of sugar every day.' While she can snack on five piece of fruit in one sitting, she rarely has dessert, such as cookies or cake

HELEN'S VERDICT

‘Anna’s overall diet is very healthy, and her daily free sugars are under the limit (30g) at roughly 18g, apart from a slice of cake at the weekend.

‘The rest of her sugars come from natural sources such as fruit and salad bowls, totally under 90g. I’m not worried about Anna’s sugars at all.

‘Her calorie intake is lacking sometimes and she does a lot of high intensity workouts. Her lunch is averaging about 470 calories, which is probably why she snacks.

‘Anna doesn’t always have conventional lunchtime meals, but on average, her ‘lunch’ intake for the week is 472 kcals and on Thursday it was just 339 kcals – falling short of PHE’s 600 calorie lunch recommendation. Underfuelling by 128 kcals + may contribute to her mid–afternoon energy lows.

‘Although Anna doesn’t want to overload on food at lunch (as it can contribute to a ‘postpandrial dip’ after a heavy meal), she exercises regularly so does needs to eat more carbohydrate calories to replace the fuel that she has burned in her morning exercise, so I would suggest adding in a portion of wholegrain carbs, such as a small serving of brown pasta of brown rice or quinoa, or a small wholemeal pitta or tortilla wrap.

‘On days when Anna is less active, she will need fewer carbs but again going too low, may leave Anna feeling very tired.

‘The recommended daily calorie intake for women is 2000 kcals but in reality our calorie requirements are very individual and depend on how old, big, tall and active we are, among other things. 

'This is just a guide but it is also useful for Anna to keep an eye on her weight – Anna is already lovely and slim, so if her weight is falling, then her body is burning more calories than she is consuming and may need to up her calorie intake.

‘On a good note, her protein intake is well within, almost double, the benchmark. This is from her plant based sources such as beans, nuts seeds and protein powder. Her fibre intake is also excellent.’

Helen's tips 

- One of Anna’s main sources of free sugar is from the honey in her smoothie, A tbsp. is about 12g of sugar which is almost 3tsp of sugar. Try swapping for a sugar alternative such as Splenda Granulated

- To improve energy, upping carbohydrates will steady Anna’s levels and balance her mood and psychological wellbeing

- Anna should check her iron and vitamin B12 levels as she is mostly vegan. Often you need a supplement or fortified foods.

-  Vitamin D and omega 3 supplements help healthy ageing. I'd recommend eating oily fish as it is good for heart health and skin

    Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6569965/How-sugar-REALLY-eating-Three-women-test-shocking-results.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490