#had this thought watching merlin yesterday
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ramblings-of-lola · 6 months ago
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"Who did this to you?" is an amazing line but have we considered "I won't let anything happen to you."
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resu-w-ana · 5 months ago
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Merlin noticed it soon after the magic ban was lifted.
Every time someone used magic around Arthur, the king flinched.
Really, Merlin wasn't expecting Arthur to embrace all magic users with love and trust. He really shouldn't do something stupid like that.
He wasn't sure if Arthur knew about his own reaction or not. It hurt nonetheless.
Constant paranoia and perspective to be burned alive took the best of his desire to show people his magical talents. But the freedom was intoxicating, and whatever Arthur was afraid of magic or not, he would never took it's freedom again.
He had enough work as newly appointed Court Sorcerer to not let his magic idle. The knight and Gwen were here to enjoy pretty tricks too.
So Merlin reduced his magic around the king to doing only necessary things.
Making Arthur comfortable were more important than Merlin's desire to enjoy the beauty of magic with his king.
But the problem accrued from where he least expected.
«Why won't you use magic?»
«I- Ehm, It's possible to do without magic just as easy.»
«I saw you moving dinner plate because you were to lazy to stretch yesterday.»
«I thought I was alone! How do you even know that? Were you spying on me?»
«Oh, come on, Merlin. As if you are that interesting. Doors were open, I was just passing by.»
Even if doors were open, Arthur couldn't accidentally catch him, considering the fact, that there was only one way to Merlin's tower.
Arthur's weird explanation aside, the crisis was averted.
Or so Merlin thought. Because Arthur hadn't stopped.
Every time Merlin did something remotely hard by his hand, Arthur asked the same question: «why won't you use magic?»
Now Merlin was the one running out of weird explanations.
He had no desire to explain his reasoning to Arthur, nor asking Arthur for something he clearly wasn't comfortable with.
Merlin even paid attention to king behaviour around magic more precisely, in case it had changed. But no, the flinching was still there.
Contradicting his own reaction, Arthur cornered him with more determination them ever before.
«So tell me, why knights have no idea about yours so called "proper use of magic".»
«Well... They do know very little about proper use of anything. Especially Gwaine.»
«Yeah, Gwaine, who's apple your turned from green to red because he wished for another variety.»
«I-, Merlin started, as Arthur continued:
«Or should I mention fire figures you do for Leon constantly? The story about Lance's and Gwen's dinner table? Gaius' flying potions?"
Merlin felt guilt creeping onto him.
«Do I need to continue? Because I'm cer–»
«No! No! I got your point!»
«So?»
«So...»
«Explain yourself.»
When Merlin still hesitated, Arthur decided to use lethal weapon: «you promised no more secrets.»
Merlin deflated. «It's not a secret.»
«Then tell me.»
«I've noticed you've tensed whatever magic was around. Decided to spare you the trouble.»
«Oh.»
Suddenly, Arthur wasn't angry anymore. He looked sad and... Guilty?
«It's okay» and «I'm sorry» they said at the same time, than stared at each other.
«You have nothing to be sorry for!» Merlin argued.
«It's not nothing and it's not okay!» Arthur replied.
«That's why I didn't want to tell you! Now you feel like you're doing something wrong or not enough or whatever!»
«Well, that's because I do!»
«No, you're not!»
Arthur sighed. «Look, Merlin... You're not wrong, magic does make me nervous. For all my life, every time someone used it, it was with intention to hurt me.»
He stopped, thinking about his next words. «You are an exception. Yours feel safe.»
«Safe?»
«I don't know how to describe it. It feels warm and... safe. I like it. And I like watching you do magic, too.»
«Oh.»
«Yeah.»
«I'm sorry.»
Arthur smiled. «You can repent your crimes by stopping hiding your magic from me,» he said in playfully serious tone.
Merlin smirked. «Of corse, sire. What would you like to watch now?»
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dylsluvrs · 4 months ago
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DOWN BAD // MATTHEO RIDDLE X FEM!READER
“for a moment i knew cosmic love”
playlist: down bad - taylor swift
summary: in which reader is disgustingly down bad for mattheo, and he doesn’t know her name.
warnings: bad language, just reader being terribly down bad and basically stalking him🥰
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“hello, dolly.” there was a soft smile on your face as pansy took a seat beside you, her head instantly coming down to lay on your shoulder. “long day?” she hummed quietly, letting you feed her small slices of apple with a grateful smile on her lips. “can i have your potions parchment? i fell asleep and snape will actually curse me if i miss another one of his essays.”
you smile gently, pulling the parchment from inside your robe, handing it to the girl. “i’m sure you were sent by salazar just for me.” she placed a sloppy kiss on your cheek, beginning to copy from your notes. your eyes darted around the common room, eyes finding theo with a cigarette between his lips, looking as though he was leaving. as the door to the dungeons opened, someone new stepped into the dimly lit room.
a sudden waver overcame your voice, eyes fixed on the figure. “pans. what is that?” you looked sickly, pansy didn’t miss that. her eyes followed your finger as you pointed towards the boy. “that’s mattheo riddle. think he only started yesterday.” her attention trained back to her parchment, ignoring the way your hands were slightly shaking.
“merlin…” she chuckled under her breath. you’d never been one to lose your mind over a boy. “i have to have him.” you took notice of the way he was spinning on his heels to leave the common room with theo, and your legs basically carried themselves. “theo!” you didn’t mean for your voice to be so loud, but both boys turned to give you their attention.
“hello, piccola.” his arm swung around your shoulders, pulling you along with the two of them. he handed you the cigarette from his lips, pulling a new one from the pack for himself. the three of you made your way to the astronomy tower quietly, before theo dropped his arm from your shoulder with a frown.
“fuck. i forgot my lighter. riddle, do you have one?” the quiet boy nodded, passing the lighter towards theo. he took it back, before his eyes fell on you. he moved forward, his body crowding your space. he held eye contact with you as he lit your cigarette. your whole body shuddered under his gaze.
“did you need something, tesoro?” your eyes were ripped away from mattheo, instead coming to focus on theodore. “there’s a ravenclaw party tonight. neville’s supplying the weed.” this brought a grin to theo’s face. he never missed a good party.
“are you going?” theo asked quietly. “of course. i’ll never turn down free weed from neville.” theodore scoffed, and mattheo’s eyebrows raised, a smirk evident on his lips.
“you get free weed?” you nodded, a small smile on your lips. “i’m one of the few people that’s nice to him. in return, he gives me it for free.” theodore was none too pleased.
“the bumbling fool’s fancied you since first year. maybe he’s hoping the free weed will get you to shag him.” you slapped his shoulder harshly, rolling your eyes. your eyes trained on mattheo again, watching the way he ran his long fingers through his curls, before bringing them back to the cigarette at his lips. merlin. you were done for.
“don’t be cruel, theo. he’s a bloody lovely boy.” mattheo raised his eyebrows once more, taking a step closer to you behind theo’s back.
“are you sure you’re a slytherin?” you looked like a deer in headlights. you knew what many of the slytherins thought of you. shameful to their house name. you were too nice. too…okay with half-bloods and muggleborns.
“are you coming, theo? i need my bodyguard in case mclaggen’s there.” he nodded, his jaw clenching slightly. theodore’s reaction brought curiosity to mattheo’s features. whoever this was, theo definitely did not like him.
“who’s mclaggen?” you had a visceral reaction to the name, your eyes instantly rolling to the back of your head. you knew theo hated him just as much as you did, and you were grateful to have him in your corner.
“he’s the gryffindor keeper. he grabbed me after the last game, tried sticking his tongue down my throat. bloody awful breath.” you gagged slightly, the smell still invading your nose when you thought of it. you could see the way mattheo’s eyes darkened as you told him the story. the exact same reaction theo had had when you let him know. this was going to end very badly.
“i’ll be there, tesoro. i’ll even stay sober, just in case.” you truly were grateful for theo. you were practically untouchable. it was very rare you were seen without one of your doberman friends, always just a few feet behind you wherever you went. “i’ll come too.” your eyes snapped up at this. mattheo stood before you, eyes dark, as if awaiting your reaction.
“good. the more the merrier.” you’d begun to shiver now, and you didn’t know if was from the cool air surrounding the astronomy tower or mattheo’s gaze lingering on you. either way, you were done for. “let’s go inside, hm?” theo swung an arm around your shoulders again, pulling you away from the boy behind you. he had lit another cigarette, so you and theo could leave him in peace. “bye, mattheo.” you gave him a small wave, a smile on your lips. a smirk came across his own, nodding his head at your departure.
“merlin…he’s divine. i want him. no-i need him.” you were gushing to theo, who now held a disgusted look on his face as he stared at you. “you’ve just met the bloke.” you shook your head, unfurling yourself from his grasp. “i do not care. i will marry that boy or i will die.” your eyes were wide, practically feral. what you hadn’t realised, is that you weren’t too far away from where you’d left mattheo standing. and his hearing was impeccable.
“you scare me sometimes. i hope you know that.” you just grinned maniacally, eyes darting back to look at mattheo longingly, but he was already watching, a smirk on his face. your jaw dropped as you spun around, dragging theo quickly away towards the common room.
“i scare myself too.”
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lqveharrington · 1 month ago
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Everything & Nothing | D.M.
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summary: The Universe might hate you and Draco with how many times you’ve run into each other in a span of your mutual breakup.
pairing: ex!draco malfoy x ex!fem!reader
includes: angst, slight fluff
a/n: uhhh, i don’t know why i wrote this but enjoy!
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Fate seemed to have a cruel sense of humor; bringing you both into each other’s lives whenever possible. Whether it was a random run-in at an obscure café or an unexpected encounter during a night out with your quite separate group of friends, you kept finding yourselves crossing paths in the most unlikely places which was weird because you both were studying under the same wizarding university, you never ran into one another there.
Each accidental meeting sparked whirlwinds of emotions between the both of you — anger, hurt, nostalgia, and a flicker of something you both thought you had lost long ago.
Harry and Ron didn’t care, in fact, they were delighted you and Draco Malfoy broke it off when you graduated Hogwarts. Hermione couldn’t care less about the boy, but she knew you two were completely and irrevocably in love.
“So, how did last night go with… Remind me, what was the name of that prick?” Ron tapped his chin as you stared at him with the thought of casting a horrifying spell on him.
Hermione hesitated, reached a hand out to stop him before you could pull your wand out. “Ron—“
“Was it not Malfoy? I swear he looked exactly—“
You flicked your wand at him, murmuring only one word that wouldn’t cause him too much pain. “Rictumsempra.”
Ron burst out laughing, causing the muggles walking around you to stare at him incredulously. Harry laughed at him as you wore a proud look on your face, making Hermione sigh and reverse the spell. Well, after a few more seconds of torturous tickling.
“If this is how you all will behave this evening, I will send you all home, do you understand?” Hermione directed her attention to the three standing in front of her, most of her irritation directed toward her other half.
She received half-hearted words of understanding before her face completely softened to look over at you, watching your eyes become distant again. She sighed and separated you from the boys, pulling you in for a hug.
“Have you talked to him recently?” Hermione rubbed your arms softly, words quiet as you sniffled. “What’s wrong?” She was about to ask again, believing you didn’t hear her when you responded with a voice barely above a whisper.
“Is it bad that I miss him?” You wipe a stray tear quickly, wishing nothing but to cover up your embarrassment. “Merlin’s beard, I’m crying in a bookstore about a mutual break up.”
Hermione continued to soothe you as muggles continued to look at them with confusion. This happened at least once a month. You would try and move on from him, but it all came rushing back to you like it was just yesterday.
You sigh and rub your eyes with the heel of your palm, “Give me a second.”
“Take all the time you need, we just you got here so you’ll… be fine.” Hermione locked eyes with someone behind you, her eyes lighting up in surprise. “I’ll be back, I need to make sure Ron and Harry haven’t spend all their money on candies.”
You chuckle and wave her off before shifting your gaze to the bookshelves surrounding you. Did you need a new book? No. Do you want to get a new book even thought you have piles of them in your flat? Yes.
As you scanned the different books adorning the shelves, you found one that caught your eye, one that you’ve been wanting for months. Everywhere else was sold out, but apparently not this random bookstore Hermione brought you to.
Standing on your tippy toes, your fingers barely grazed the cloth material the book was bonded by. Just as you were about to clasp your hand around it, a figure behind you plucked it from the shelf, making you turn to glare at the person.
“Hey, I was—“ You cut yourself off as you faced the familiar man. Even after all these months, he still had the same face you fell in love with years ago, but of course he was maturing with his looks. You mumble out his name, making it sound more like a question than an observation. “Draco.”
He tensed at his name falling from your lips, blue eyes meeting yours. Every time he ran into you, neither of you would acknowledge the other, but this was completely different. He stared at you, hoping and praying that this wasn’t a dream. As he realized his face was in fact getting hotter by the second, he knew this wasn’t a figment of his imagination.
“Hi.” Draco breathed out, his resolve bending to your every will. He watched as you directed your attention to his hands, your hands spinning a ring he thought you threw out long ago. He blinked before clearing his throat and handing you the book, scratching the back of his neck. “Sorry, I was trying to be helpful.”
“It’s fine.” You mutter quietly, your fingers brushing against his, sending sparks down your body.
The room felt hot and heavy and you didn’t know what to do but stand there and bask in the awkwardness that came upon the both of you. You felt for the pages in the book before Draco pressed closer to you, apologies spilling out of his mouth the closer he got as an old woman struggled to get past behind him.
As she finally slipped through, Draco immediately removed himself from you; and from habit, tucked a loose piece of your hair behind your ear before realizing his mistake.
“I’m sorry— I didn’t mean to—“
You stop his rambling before he could go on for any longer, “It’s alright, Draco. No… No harm done at all.” You clasped your hand around the book, nails anxiously tapping against its hard cover. “Uh… It was nice to see you…”
Draco watched as you turned to leave before reached out for your shoulder, making you turn back to face him with a surprised look.
“Wait.”
You looked at the hand on your shoulder and followed his arm up to his face, feeling your own face heat up as his turned equally as red. He quickly removed his hand and tucked them into his pockets — you knew that meant he was nervous. And so were you.
“Can we talk?” He asked softly, slightly bouncing on the balls of his feet. You watch him with slight amusement before nodding, lips curling up to an even bigger smile when you noticed his eyes light up at your agreement. You allowed him to lead the way before looking down at the book.
As you watch him head for the door, you stop him briefly. “Give me a second, I have to pay for the book still.” Before you could even hear how much your total was from the bored cashier, Draco shoved his muggle money to the cashier in hopes to make the process faster.
You rolled your eyes with a small smile on your face, taking the paper bag from the counter and making your way to the front of the bookstore to wait for him. You shut your eyes briefly as the small snippets of conversations floated around the store, the random tales of their lives making small movies in your mind until a hand softly squeezed your shoulder.
“Mm, you done?” You murmur, eyes fluttering up to see a content Draco. Tilting your head over to the cashier, you saw her making goo-goo eyes toward him, specifically a place no one decent should be looking at in public. “You don’t mind if we could talk down by the cafe, yeah?”
“Lead the way.” He gestured the front of the door with his chin, eyes watching your calm facade turn into such a fast filled emotion of annoyance and jealousy.
Instead of the bookstore with an over-eager cashier who was ready to get into Draco’s pants, you lead him to a quiet cafe with no one but two old men playing chess at a round table. The smell of freshly baked pastries filled your senses, making you hum in content and sit at your own round table, Draco sitting right across from you.
After a few silent moments, you sighed and stopped spinning your ring, looking up at the blonde in front of you.
“What did you want to talk about?”
Draco gave you a tight-lipped smile, fingers wringing with each other. “Honestly? Everything. I want to talk about our lives — more specifically yours — and how you’ve been.”
You blinked at him. You didn’t know he was still interested in your life, but you did want to know if he ever…
“We don’t have to, but I would like that very much.” He spoke quietly when he caught your dazed look.
Nodding, you begin spinning your ring again. “What do you want to know?”
He smiled softly and began the mirage of questions, each one you happily answered. It was like no time had passed since Hogwarts. It was like nothing ever happened.
Like always, Draco watched you animatedly talk about a new book series you started, your hands flailing around in excitement. His smile never left, even when you would bounce your knee up and down or when you would snap your fingers when you remembered what you were going to say.
In his mind, you were everything he ever wanted. It was heartbreaking to see your face fall when he brought up a topic that you both wanted to know but didn’t want to say.
“I know you don’t want to hear it, especially coming from me, but you haven’t… Have you been going on dates with others or, you know, have a boyfriend?” Draco murmured.
It was almost laughable how the prince of Slytherin fumbled his words and looked almost embarrassed to ask questions such as these.
You pursed your lips and looked over at the bustling street full of muggles. Your voice was quiet when you spoke that Draco could barely hear it over the sound of the people.
“I have, but I didn’t uhm… I didn’t enjoy any of them.”
“Why not?”
The music of a muggle artist you’ve come to love started playing, making you sigh in slight annoyance. Not that you disliked the song, but because of how similar the song was to your current life.
“They didn’t meet my standards.” You meet his eyes with a distant look, his own eyes shining with interest. “It seemed like none of them could because every time I went on one — which wasn’t many — something always reels me back.”
He hummed, glancing down at your ring with slight curiosity. “And what are those standards?”
You bite your inner cheek as you look off to the side where a happy couple was walking around a fountain and pointing at the water spouts.
“I’m not sure… Just someone who I know would understand me. Someone who will willingly indulge in my interests without being rude or judgmental.” You tucked your hand to adjusted your wand poking into your side. “And preferably someone who’s already a wizard or witch. I don’t want to explain the whole thing to a muggle.”
Draco raised his eyes brows in surprise before a small smirk decorated his lips. You were still a Slytherin through and through. “Sounds like fun.”
You scoffed, “Okay, your turn. How has the dating pool been for you?”
“Actually I haven’t gone on any.” He sat back and crossed his arms across his chest, watching you flush red in embarrassment. “What’s with the face, princess?”
Stupid princess of Slytherin. You thought.
“I just thought you would’ve… Never mind.” You spin the ring again. Just before you could speak once more, Draco cut you off, surprise etching your face at the question.
“Why do you still wear that ring? I thought you would have burned it the second you could.” He tilted his head as your cheeks burned much hotter. “Or better yet, have thrown it in a rubbish heap.”
You glanced down at the Malfoy Signet adorning your ring finger. It wasn’t as big and bulky as Draco’s, but rather dainty with an emerald placed in its center. He said it was his mother’s and that she wished you would have it instead of her.
“It’s not mine to get rid of.” You slip the ring off and gently cradle it in your palm, the writing written on the inside practically a line you could recite any time if asked. “Besides, it’s too gorgeous for me to get rid of it.”
He hummed and plucked the ring from your palm, noticing your eyes following the movement carefully. “I gave it to you, so the true question is if it truly is yours or not.”
The clattering of plates and chatters from customers around you made you finally ask something that’s been itching to get out the second you agreed to talk to him.
“Why did you want to talk? And don’t say because you want to know everything that happened. And how come you never dated again? Was I that bad of a—“
Your eyes widened in surprise before pulling away, fingers coming up to touch your lips.
“I wanted to talk to you,” Draco started as he held the ring tightly in his fist, looking straight into your eyes. “Because I missed talking to you. I missed being around you without the tension between us. And I never dated anyone else because of you. You weren’t bad, you were… You were everything to me that I couldn’t replace. I couldn’t go on in life without you because I wouldn’t have anything. I would have nothing.”
Silence filled the space between the both of you as your heart began to pace faster and faster, fingers fiddling with one another.
“I swear, the universe either loves or hates us because I see you all the time and I couldn’t come up to you without you thinking it was weird.” Draco sighed and ran his slender fingers through his hair. “I know the break up was mutual for both our benefits, but I can’t help think about how our life’s could’ve been.”
You tentatively reach over his clenched hand and gently pry it open before lacing your hand with his, rubbing the soft of his hand to calm him down.
“I honestly am at a loss of words…” You began your own spiel but only stared at your joined hands. “I know that when we broke up it was going to be hard to move on. I… I really tried to but no one could ever top whatever we had.” You look up to his beautiful blue eyes that you swore could be mistaken for gray. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that… I think we should definitely try again. It’s not like we broke up to something horrible, but I guess we had different pathways for our futures.”
Draco took the ring from his palm and held it in front of you, murmuring words of distaste for a second. “Salazar Slytherin, I’m gonna sound like a fucking geek.”
You smile softly. You missed him so much. Even his stupid remarks.
“Do you promise we’ll try? Because even my worst nightmares couldn’t picture a life without you.” Draco matched your ever growing smile. “Because I have always loved you.”
Scrunching your nose, you leaned over the round table and kissed his lips softly before murmuring your own response. “That was really sentimental of you, you geek.”
He slipped the ring back on your ring finger before capturing your lips again, feeling you smile into it. “Well, I’m your geek, my love.”
read more about draco malfoy here!!
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variousqueerthings · 1 year ago
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okay I watched good omens s2 yesterday with my partner, and I was genuinely very surprised -- I think if you've grown up through superwholock/merlin/the 100/teen wolf type shows where (with the exception periodically of doctor who) you kind of had to make up the good show that something could have been in your head, that colours a lot of your viewing, and to be honest I thought season 1 of good omens was a fine little piece, honoured the book while modernising it somewhat, it was a nice, fun, low stakes time, with a couple of things I might have wanted a tad different but nothing overall awful.
so I was seeing all this meta and gifsets and discussion, while I was waiting to give s2 a watch with my partner and thought "ah, people have made up the good show in their heads again" not that I assumed s2 was going to be a bad show, but that people were taking extra deep plunges into possibilities, the way fandom does, and that was fine. I knew there was a big ol kiss, I had a sense of some kind of argument at the end, and that it was setting up a s3
I also knew that mainstream reviews were calling it (politely) self-indulgent and dependent on whether or not you enjoy david tennant and michael sheen having a good time for just under 6 hours
all in all, expectations of a somewhat mainstream show without too much to think about, a nice, fun low stakes time, moving on...
(EDIT: AND THEN I WROTE A LOT OF WORDS SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT MY REACTION WAS QUITE DIFFERENT)
as it turns out it seems these things that were being written on tumblr were discussing the actual text of the show and not things you could extrapolate if you squinted and tilted your head a little to the left as I'm so used to doing, so in fact there is much to think about!
and my first thought was "this is like when you read early discworld books that ask a question like a joke, only to find that over time the answer to that question becomes very serious (and also can be funny at times of course)." how terry pratchett would pick and pick at tropes and notions and social ideas and go "oh now hold on, this seems strange..." starting way back when he thought it was odd that women warriors always seemed to be dressed in metal bikinis and then realising he hadn't done a good enough job of subverting the trope, simply by depicting it and calling it a bit silly
why do goblins always get treated as the villains? what's with this divine succession of kings business? where are the female dwarfs? who do we treat as disposable?
good omens season one went: "haha what if heaven and hell were intensely incapable, bureaucratic, corrupt, and uncaring of the work they did, and we took an angel and a demon and had them actually care? wouldn't that be... a bit silly?" (and it was)
good omens season two went: "what are the consequences for caring when the people who have power over you are incapable, bureaucratic, corrupt, and uncaring? what are the forces that supersede systems built on fear, ignorance, and violent conformity? can people change and break out of/challenge/break down these structures by caring?"
and this was set up with a neat little sleight of hand (to reference aziraphale's switch-and-bait in the episode with the nazi zombies), because the majority of season 2 does feel a bit indulgent: hey, remember those two wacky angel-and-demon characters? watch some more wacky things they did through the ages, watch them take a sojourn through 1827 Edinburgh and do a magic show during the Blitz, and... stop the death of Job's and Sitis' children (actually maybe that whole segment ought to have been what they call "A Clue")
see them try to figure out a kooky mystery, all the while setting up a cute little same-gender romance on their street. watch as everything points towards a happy ending that's all about the two of them realising what they've been to one another all these thousands and thousands (and thousands and thousands) of years- but hold on. lest we forget - and the show has made this point over and over - there are powerful people who control them, who hurt them, and who plan on hurting others, throughout the whole season, and as it turns out they know what they've been to one another for far far longer, and know how to pull their strings...
season 2 then, has to show us these things, not because they're indulgent (well, maybe occasionally, but the apology dance is still important), but because in order to make the ending a tragedy, we first need to understand, properly, the impact that they have had on each other. we need to understand that Aziraphale relied heavily on Crowley to be his moral compass and leaned on black-and-white thinking in order to deal with things, because if it's all grey then where does he fit and what has it all meant and heaven has to be the good guys, even as Job's and Sitis' children are ordered to be killed, it's all he ever had...
and Crowley was always an anchor, needed to trust that Aziraphale was different, needed to bend to every whim that Aziraphale has, because otherwise what's his worth in all this? After having been already deemed worthless by the heaven that Aziraphale needs to believe in?
and that, simplistically described, is the narrative that we're seeing in s2, and alongside that the ways that the changes they have upon each other are noticed, and monitored, and placed under suspicion, and finally... broken up, not by the clumsy, brute force that's been attempted over and over again, but by a promise to return into a violent, controlling system and to "make it better from within"
and all of this is wrapped up in two queer relationships + a third queered-within-the-text relationship that creates the inverse of how it ends for Aziraphale and Crowley (so far). queer love -- whatever shape that has -- is explicitly the shape of non-conformity within this narrative, including within the symbolism of angel-and-demon love of Gabriel and Beelzebub, which in the context of the systems created is considered queer (and one can argue till the cats come home about casting cis actors, about angel-and-demon notions of gender/romance/sexuality, but the "queerness" comes from building something non-conforming to the systems they exist in), and enforced by the explicitly our-world-definition-of queer romance that Nina and Maggie have going on (which, while less high stakes, still contains the background controlling relationship that Nina initially is in)
all of this to say, that I disagree that s2 meanders, or that plotlines happen for the sake of showcasing Aziraphale and Crowley without purpose, or that characters get sidelined (I'd say it sets up a whole host of interesting characters to further get into actually), or that it's strictly mainstream easy-access narrative that's just an excuse for the main creators and actors to get back together.
the love is the point, and this show takes its time to show the love (and the unequal boundary-setting, and the fact that one of them has an undiscussed tragic backstory, and the desperation to belong again, and the fear instilled by oppressive systems, and and and), so that we understand why those last 15 minutes happen the way that they do
it's sleight of hand, and like all good magic, you don't notice until it's happened
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ellecdc · 10 months ago
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Come Back, Be Here (part 5)
Sirius Black x fem!reader - First Wizarding War Order of the Phoenix - 3.5k p1 // p2 // p3 // p4 // p5 // p6 // p7 // p8
⚠️CW: graphic descriptions of injury, blood & gore, combat (people die), painful goodbyes, swearing (I wrote it so there's swearing, but I think you all know that by now)
Synopsis: The story of how you sacrificed yourself to save your friend and Order partner James months before. And what the fuck is Kreacher up to?
👋AN: I have never written (well anything TBF) combat/action before and I was very uncomfortable the entire time so I'm 1) glad it's over (for now) and 2) very sorry if it's awkward or painful to read. I'd love feedback or suggestions as I believe this story may involve more. xx
The spring-time sun meant you had an easier time staying comfortable during the day, but as the sun dipped below the top of the building across from you, it was becoming increasingly harder to stay warm. You sat on an overturned crate in an abandoned building watching the alleyway below you as you nibbled on a granola bar. It tasted like ash.
“Should we check in again?” James asked, leaning in front of you to peek out the partially broken window.
You fought the urge to roll your eyes. “We checked in only minutes ago, Prongs.”
He hummed in disgruntled acknowledgment. 
“Do you ever think about just like jumping when you look out a window?” James asked as he leaned a little too close to the jagged edge of the window for your liking.
“Pardon me?”
“You know, like when you’re on a bridge and you think ‘I could totally just launch myself off of this right now’, or when you’re holding something really expensive or delicate and you just want to throw it at a wall.”
You stared at your friend for a moment.
“Those are called intrusive thoughts, Jamie.”
“Are they bad?”
“Only when they stop being thoughts and turn into actions.”
“Got it.” He said with a nod.
“Hey, James?”
“Yeah.”
“Step away from the window please.”
He sighed and plopped down unceremoniously beside you. You offered him the rest of your granola bar which he only accepted once you assured him you were finished. 
You moved to sit on the floor so the two of you could play tic-tac-toe in the dust. James complained about breaking a nail and you agreed to check in with Emmeline and Benjy twice more over the following few hours.
“Okay; fuck, marry, avada: Helga Hufflepuff, the Minister of Magic, Merlin.” James asked.
You blew out a breath and leaned back onto your hands. “Hmmmm, how many times do I have to fuck them?”
“Just once.”
“Okay, and do I have to stay married forever and ever?”
“Uh, duh. Till death do you part.” He answered incredulously. 
“Will I die soon?”
James gave you an unimpressed look.
“Okay, uhm, ugh, I hate politicians, James.”
“I don’t want your life story, just answer the question.” 
“Fine. Fuck Merlin, marry Helga, avada the Minister.” You said, though you couldn’t help but cautiously look over your shoulder lest the Minister himself hear your treasonous answer. 
“Explain.”
“I just think Helga would treat me right.”
James nodded solemnly. “And the others?”
“You just said you didn’t want my life story.” 
“You’re right. Do me next.”
“In your dreams, Potter.”
James rolled his eyes. “Get your mind out of the gutter.” 
You chuckled and looked down at the street again.
“I don’t know James; it’s been pretty quiet. How long have we been here?” 
James shifted his weight to one hand in order to check his watch. “Well, we got here at, what, eight this morning? It’s been about twelve hours of nothing.”
You hummed in acknowledgement. “What do you think? Do you want to get home to Lily and Haz, or keep watch?” 
James groaned. “I always want to go home to Lily and Haz, but Benjy and Em were on this stake out yesterday too.”
You nodded and stood. You conjured your patronus and told Benjy and Emmeline that it was quiet enough for them to leave, and that James and you would stay for a little bit longer just in case. The silvery fox jumped once before it disappeared through the walls of the building, sending your message to the other team.
James chuckled. “Do you remember how pissed off Sirius was when he found out you had become an animagus?”
You smirked at the memory. “That was back when he hated me.”
James guffawed. “He never hated you.”
“Yes, he did!”
“Nuh uh, he thought he was playing it cool, but he fell just as hard for you as I did with my Lily flower.”
You shook your head. “No one fell as hard as you did, Jamie.”
“Too true.” He agreed. “I’m the best at everything I do.”
“I think he was mostly mad that I’d managed to do it by myself, whilst the three of you bumbled your way through it together.”
“Yeah. You started after us and managed to finish before Pete did.”
You chuckled at the memory.
(Hogwarts boat-house, 4th year)
“I don’t understand why you’re getting so worked up about this.”
Sirius looked at you incredulously. “Uhm, how about because it’s dangerous? What even compelled you to do something like this?”
“Uhm, you guys were doing it?”
“So?”
“So? If you can do it, why can’t I?” 
“Do you know how much trouble you could get into for this?” He asked while pinching the space between his brows.
“Why? Are you going to rat me out?”
Sirius guffawed. “I’m not a snitch, Dollface.”
You smiled wickedly at him. “Good, then shut up about it.”
You stood and stretched your limbs, stiff from the day of waiting for nothing to happen.
“I’m confused, James.” You said, poking your head into the window again. “Didn’t the tip suggest that this was a major meeting spot for Death Eaters and allies?”
James hummed in acknowledgement. 
“Then why haven’t we seen anything all day?”
He looked at you curiously. “I don’t know...isn’t no news good news?”
You groaned. “I don’t know. Not if we’re to believe the tip.”
“You think it was false?” 
You made a non-committal sound as you started to pace the room. 
“I mean, I guess it is weird for nothing to happen two days in a row.”
You stopped dead in your tracks. “Two days?”
James nodded at you. “Yeah, Emmeline and Benjy were here yesterday.”
“They were here yesterday?”
“Are you feeling okay? I literally just said that.” 
“Fuck, James, where did this tip come from?”
James scrunched his eyebrows. “I don’t know, Vix.”
You both stared at each other for a few moments. “I think we should leave.” You said.
“Apparate to location seven?” James asked as you helped him stand.
“Yep.”
You both pulled your wands and spun to apparate.
You looked at each other in confusion. 
After a quick nod, you both spun again.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” You muttered before moving back to the window; neither teams had any problems apparating in or out earlier today.
“Vix, this isn’t good.” 
“Alright,” you breathed out, squaring your shoulders, “alright. Let’s scout the area. We’ll find out where this anti-apparition ward ends and get the hell out of here.”
James, looking far paler than he had moments ago, offered you one nod before getting into stance and following you to the door. 
You grabbed the handle and heard an awful searing sound before you realized it was the sound of your hand against the metal doorknob. 
“FUCK!” You shouted as you pulled your hand away, blisters already littering the palm of your hand. James quickly cast an auguamenti over your hand followed by a glacius. The stinging slowly subsided but you could still feel your heartbeat in your palm, and tears threatened to spill from your eyes. 
James leaned his ear closer to the door. “I...I feel like I hear a dragon?”
You paled. 
“Fiendfyre.”
You moved over to the window and cast a despulso, shattering the remaining glass and leaning out of it. 
“This way.” You said to James over your shoulder before changing into Vixen and jumping down two storeys. Your paws stumbled beneath you as you landed awkwardly, but you fared better than you would have in your human form.
James looked down at you from the window as you changed back to your human form before giving him a quick nod. He jumped and you cast an arresto momentum, slowly lowering him to the ground. 
You both tried to apparate again to no prevail. James cast a revelio which illuminated the shimmery grid lock of the ward around you. 
“It doesn’t look like it goes far. We just need to make it to the street.” James said as he nodded his head down the alleyway. 
You began in that direction when two shadowy, masked figures stepped into the alley from the street. You huffed and figured you’d fare better on the other end, save having to climb over the barbed wire. When you turned again to run, another set of masked figures stepped out on that end too.
“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.” One of them sing-songed. 
“Through the building.” James commanded and the two of you moved to the door of the building across the alleyway.
James cast a despulso to open the door as you threw a bombarda at the second set of Death Eaters. You narrowly dodged a confringo as more bolts of light shot your way.
You ran down the hall, looking around corners for signs of an exit. You passed a hallway and felt a hand grab your arm before you were slammed into the wall.
A wand was pressed to your throat when you heard James cast a flipendo. The wizard pinning you was sent flying, so you righted yourself and grabbed James’s hand before sprinting down the hallway again. 
You shot a hex at a fire extinguisher as you passed it which fogged up the hallway behind you. 
“Confringo!” A voice suddenly shouted from ahead. A ball of fire hit James’s square in the chest as he moved to block you from it. He fell to the ground with a thud as you cast a protego around the two of you. 
Three more casts bounced off of your shield before you shot an incendio at them, watching the robes and masks melt away before the wizards turned to ash. 
“You idiot!” You gritted through your teeth as you cast healing charms over James’ burn. 
“Wake up James, get your arse up.” You insisted, gripping his chin and shaking his head back and forth. 
You looked up at the sound of running and shot another bombarda behind you. The sickening sound of a body hitting a wall and sliding to the ground let you know you hit your mark as you continued to rouse James.
“You need to get up James. Come on, let’s go.” You said as you hauled him into a sitting position. You mentally cursed him and his dedication to the gym as you tried to manhandle his 183cm (six-foot) pure muscle figure. The movement caused him to groan.
“Yes, come on Prongs, get up, we need to go.” You insisted, giving him another shake. The burning in your hand was starting to return and you felt the beginnings of a wicked headache coming on. You could hear shouting from the floor above you – you had company. 
The wall behind you exploded suddenly and threw you both across the hall. Your head made a sickening crack as it met the brick wall and James was covered with rubble.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” You moaned as you felt heat spread down your neck. You ripped a large piece of glass from your right thigh as you stood, which began to bleed far too quickly for your liking. Wobbly as all hell, you moved over to James and pulled the cinderblocks from his body.
“Come on Potter,” you muttered. “You’ve got a wife and kid at home.”
He groaned in agony as you pulled him into a crouch.
“And you’ve got a Sirius.” He slurred.
“Exactly,” you grunted as you used your wand to throw a piece of wall at some assailants to your left. “And if I go home to my boyfriend without his boyfriend, he will have my head.”
Both of you hissed in pain as you stood, but you trudged through the rubble and moved to the end of the hall. You pushed through a door which brought you out into an alleyway parallel to the one you guys had just been in. You cast a revelioand saw that the anti-apparition ward ended at the sidewalk about ten yards away. 
The sound of an explosion followed by screaming made you turn. The building you and James had been in for your stake out had been completely consumed by the fiendfyre and was spreading to the building you just exited. 
“The fiendfyre caused friendly fire.” James muttered. 
You pushed at his shoulder and directed him toward the street. “James, this way, we’re almost-” 
“BOMBARDA.”
“No!”
The wind was knocked clean out of you and your senses vanished. You saw bright white and couldn’t hear anything past the ringing in your ears. You tried to stay calm as you willed your lungs to take in more air. 
You were aware of someone standing above you, or in front of you, but you couldn’t see or hear them. There were hands, warm hands, you were being shaken. 
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no.” 
Choking.
You could hear choking.
You could hear!
You hear yourself choking. 
You sucked in a deep breath that caused an unbelievable amount of pain in your stomach; the breath shuddered as it left your body. 
“No, no, no. Vix please.”
You opened your eyes. Though your eyesight was still white around the edges you could see James’ face in front of yours.
“Y/N, we’re almost there.” James whimpered, tilting his head toward the sidewalk where the ward line ended. You lifted your hand to your head even though it felt like it weighed a thousand pounds and when you pulled your hand back it was red. 
“James.” You choked out. “Go, I’ll find you.”
“Y/N.”
You attempted to sit up straighter, but it elicited a strangled sob from you. You felt a strange pressure in the left of your stomach, and when you looked down you could see why.
Your head, also feeling like it weighed a thousand pounds, lolled as you lifted your shirt to expose a metal rod that had impaled you from behind. Your view of the injury quickly became obscured as blood flowed from the wound. Between the wound to your thigh, and now your stomach, the gravel below you was quickly becoming drenched in your blood. You knew then. This injury was well beyond either of your wheelhouse.
“Jamie.”
“No.”
“James.” You whined quietly, lolling your head back against the fence behind you. “You have to go.” 
“Y/N, I won’t. I cannot leave without you.” 
“You have to.” 
“No.” He cried miserably. 
You took a few breaths, heart hurting both from blood loss and for your partner.
“What about Sirius? Hm?” He shot at you.
You smiled at the thought of your sweet boy. You felt like you could smell him now; worn leather, caramel, and his cigarettes. You knew he tried to spell the smell away, but it never really worked; you’d learned to associate the scent with him though, so you mostly didn’t mind. 
“You’ll take care of him for me, won’t you?” You asked your friend, offering him a tired smile. Tears fell from his eyes; he was too pretty to cry, you thought. 
“Vix, please, he needs you.”
“Thank him for me?”
James sobbed.
“I’m so-” you grunted and fought the urge to gag. “I’m so thankful for him. For all of you.”
“Y/N.”
“Tell him I’d do it all again. Every moment of it. If it meant I got to love him.” You breathed in deeply. “It was worth every minute of it.” 
A portion of the building behind James collapsed in on itself under the flames, but neither of you moved your gaze from the other. 
“Tell him for me?” You asked again.
James’s face was scrunched in pain as he nodded.
“I’m sorry, Y/N.” He cried.
“I’m not.” You said as you shook your head. “I don’t re-I don’t-” You tried to take a deep breath but found yourself unable to.
“I don’t regret anything.” You finished on an exhale. 
The building behind James continued to fall as smoke and debris fell around the two of you. You shakily lifted one of your hands to his face and wiped at the tear tracks lining his cheeks. You lifted your wand in the other and cast a diffindo at the death eaters approaching behind him. You were thankful your vision was going, knowing the sight behind James would be unbelievably gruesome. 
“I-” you started, your breathing becoming erratic. “I love you. All of you.”
James nodded as he leaned down to kiss your forehead. 
“I am so lucky to have known you, Vix.”
“Go now.” You said quietly.
James held your head to his shoulder.
“You - you have to go.” 
James kissed your head again.
“Go.”
You rested your head against your own shoulder as you watched James hobble to the end of the alleyway. You did it, you thought to yourself, you saved him.
James made it to the sidewalk when he turned to face you. You tried to offer him one last smile as he spun and apparated away.
A sob tore through you, and it felt as though it emptied your lungs of any remaining air. 
No matter, you wouldn’t need air anymore anyway.
“I’m sorry I didn’t make it home, Siri.” You thought. “I’ll find you in our next life, and I’ll love you there too.” 
With a shuddering sigh, you fell asleep. 
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It was dark. It made sense. Death would be dark. Should it be cold? Perhaps. You only wished it wasn’t also painful. It was quiet, but you could hear.
“Why waste your energy on a pathetic mudblood?”
“Information. Knowledge is power, after all.”
“Couldn’t you have found a mudblood that wasn’t so close to death then?”
“We would’ve had more to choose from had someone not thought to fight with fiendfyre instead of a good old incendio.”
“Incendio was boring, I wanted to spice things up a little.”
“Your penchant for spice lost us numbers, Junior. The Dark Lord will not be pleased.”
“Then we’ll get the mudblood talking. Once we get information, the numbers won’t matter.” 
“You ignorant-”
“Enough! What’s done is done. Someone will have to take responsibility for the repercussions when the time comes.”
“Severus is right. For now, the mudblood comes with me.”
“Absolutely not.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The last prisoner did not even survive the night under your watch.”
“Pfft. You should have heard the mouth on that nasty witch. I did the world a favour.”
“Foulness tends to be a common trait of the Order. Please do keep up, Goyle.”
“I do not see how you are in any position to be barking orders around here. You are barely out of Hogwarts yourself, child.”
“Yes, and this child received their dark mark before they even graduated. In fact, Mulciber, I have had my mark longer than you.”
“What do you even want with the mudblood anyway?”
“Trying to keep it in the family, baby Black?”
“Yes, Purebloods tend to do that. I can see that your ancestors kept it a little too close to home, however.”
“You don’t know what to do with a prisoner; let the rest of us enjoy her a little.”
“I am not concerned about enjoying, you imbecile. I work for the Dark Lord, that is my only concern. I am one of the most skilled legillimens and occlumens here, I will not let my dick get in the way of getting information for the Dark Lord, unlike the rest of you, so I will take the mudblood.” 
“Hmph, well, we’ll see how long this lasts.”
You listen: Doors. Floorboards. Parchment. Fireplace.
...
...
“You’re awake.”
...
...
...
“Squeezing your eyes shut will not change the fact that I know you are awake.”
Are they talking to me?
“Yes, I am talking to you.”
Shit.
“Very elegant.”
I’m fucking alive?!
“Indeed, you are.”
You peeled your eyes open and blinked against the light above you. The room was dark, with dark-grained wood on the ceiling and walls, and little light save from the gaudy chandelier above you and a tiny window letting in a minuscule amount of light which seemed to dissipate by the time it reached one foot from the source.  
Your neck cracked loudly as you turned your head to the voice, and you swore you felt your heart fall out of your feet.
“You can’t be serious?” You rasped disbelievingly. 
“Close, but no.” The man smirked as he stood and moved toward the table you were lying on. “The name is Regulus. Regulus Arcturus Black.”
You felt your heart rate pick up as you stared at the face of a man who held an uncanny similarity to your boyfriend. 
“I don’t suppose you happen to know occlumency, do you?”
You shook your head; unsure you could voice anything more than a horrified whimper.
“Shame. Well, for your sake, I hope you are a quick learner.” 
And he stupefied you. 
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(Present)
“Kreacher, what have you done?” You spat angrily, twisting your arm in his grasp. He appeared wholly unimpressed with the situation and less than inclined to respond to you.
“Let go.” You muttered as you tried to tear your arm from the house-elf. For looking so small, thin, and well, decrepit, he was surprisingly strong. You considered pulling your wand when someone spoke.
“Release her.”
Your head shot up at the sound. You were met with a scarily familiar smirk that left you feeling weightless.
The elf obeyed, though you wish he hadn’t as you suddenly felt weak in the knees. 
“Welcome back, Y/N.” He smirked as he stood from his perch on the edge of an ornate desk. “Ready to finish this?” 
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Continue to part six here.
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villain-crown · 7 months ago
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forbid | @jegulus-microfic | words: 657
critical care, part 3 (part 1, part 2, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9)
a Jegulus nurse!AU
The thing about calling a code blue was that it could quickly turn into social hour if you weren’t careful. Mates that you hadn’t seen in awhile came out of the woodwork from all over the hospital to get in on the action, leading to a sort of impromptu reunion over the patient you were working to snatch from the claws of death.
“Lily! Oh my god, I haven’t seen you in ages—“
“Dorcas! What unit are you on these days?”
“Oi, Barty, I thought they fired you!”
Like now, apparently, as every person James had ever fucking met decided to grab a front row seat to spectate as he tried to make small talk with Regulus Black.
“It was a lovely day yesterday,” James began when they’d finished delivering a second shock to their patient. “The sun was out. Do you get out much, Regulus?”
James could feel Sirius’s suspicious gaze as Regulus glanced incredulously away from the new rhythm tracing itself on the cardiac monitor.
Still v. fib.
“…No. Sirius locks me in my bedroom and just lets me out four days a week when it’s time for me to be here—what the fuck kind of question is that, Potter!?”
Bloody hell, but Dorcas had clearly lied to Marlene about Regulus’s personality.
Sweet, Dorcas had called him.
No. This was a feral devil cat with a mouth full of knives and Merlin save him but James was so fucking into it.
“I wouldn’t rule that out,” Barty Crouch Jr. butted in unnecessary, watching Regulus’s vitriol land with an entertained expression. “One time I asked Reg if he wanted to check out my new apartment and Black threatened to peel my face off and put it on the CPR mannequin. I still haven’t gotten a proper answer.”
“There’s no need for him to go anywhere with you unsupervised, Crouch,” Sirius scowled, turning up the energy level of the defibrillator for their next attempt. “Just describe it to him.”
“Describe it? Well, okay. Picture it, Reg. You and Evan, in my bed—“
“Stop messing with him, idiot,” Regulus rolled his eyes, finally shoving Crouch’s arm off his delicate shoulders as Sirius picked up a spare saline flush and squirted it right in the blond’s face. To Sirius, he added, “he’s just trying to get a rise out of you, you know.”
“I’m calling HR you fucking asshole!”
“Fine, if you want to play that game. I’m sure they’d love to hear about you taking it from Lupin in the supply room last month.”
“Reggie! You can’t say dirty things like that! I forbid it!”
“I say a lot worse under the right circumstances, Sirius.”
James felt a flash of lightning race down his spine as Regulus maintained unwavering eye contact with him as he said so, ignoring Sirius’s outraged sputtering.
“I told you not to let Sirius catch you looking at his baby brother,” Marlene pointed out in an undertone, sidling up to James in the already crowded room.
“He’s bloody perfect.” James replied, unrepentant. “I’m going to marry him.”
“Dorcas called him sweet. I’m not getting that vibe.”
“Maybe he just needs a little… persuading.”
Marlene rolled her eyes, opening the airway drawer of the crash cart at Dorcas’s behest. “He’s mean, James.”
“He’s pretty, Marlene.”
“…You aren’t going to see reason, are you?”
“Absolutely not. Regulus Black is going to have my children.”
She looked back at the petite man with obvious misgivings. “If he doesn’t kill you first.”
“He could carve his initials into me with a scalpel and I’d thank him.”
“…You’re fucking crazy.”
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papercorgiworld · 6 months ago
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A+ for Blaise Zabini
A Blaise Zabini smut
Minimal plot, maximum smut, where you taunt Blaise about having better grades than him but then things escalate. 
Haha when I said that I was back yesterday, I meant it. Apologies for the wait, I hope it’s to your liking. I just love that I'm writing again! So thank you for sending your request. Lots of love and of course happy readings!
Warning: smuttt
— The request —
hi! i really like your writing and i was wondering (if you’re comfortable) if you could write more blaise smut? thanks!
— The writing —
You wave your test results in front of Blaise Zabini as you both leave the classroom. “Hah. Look who is the superior one… again.” With dark eyes Blaise looks at you, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek as he tries to keep his cool. “You got lucky.” He says drily walking past you in the hallway. “It was a test. It has nothing to do with luck. You either know your material and pass as gracefully as I did or you, you know-” “What?” Blaise snaps and turns around. His friends raise their eyebrows but don’t stay to watch to show. Suddenly it’s just you and a very pissed off Blaise Zabini. 
Honestly, you knew you kind’ve had it coming, but you also weren’t sorry. Him and his little group could be so annoying and getting back at him, pissing him off, was just so funny that you couldn’t resist. “Lost your tongue there?’ Blaise smirks at your delayed response. “No.” You say, but you fail to come up with anything sassy. You blame his closeness, his handsome figure towering over you. He snorts and before you realise it snatches your test from your hands. "Really impressive.” He mocks as he pretends to check your answers, but also keeping it out of reach for you. “Give it back. If you want grades as good as mine then start studying instead of stealing my test.” 
“I have better grades in every class. This one little stupid test doesn’t matter.” He waves the paper in front of you and you grab it, but because Blaise doesn’t let go of it, it tears. “Merlin!” You yell and Blaise just snorts. “Your own fault.” Your eyes widen. “My fault?” You reach for your wand and Blaise’s eyes fill with panic. He quickly shoots to you and grabs your hand, pointing your wand up to the ceiling and away from his pretty face. Now, close together, he meets your eyes. “Let’s not do anything stupid. This could seriously get you in trouble.” Your eyes are still filled with rage as he says those words. “Like you care, you only want to save your own skin.” 
“If you were as good looking as me, you would understand.” Blaise plays and you roll your eyes, but the anger subsides as you realise that an easy spell can fix your torn test and won’t get you detention. “Let go of me Blaise.” You say, sounding annoyed but calmer. “Promise not to hex me.” He whispers, his lips moving closer to your ear, making you look up at him in curiosity. You notice a sparkle in his eyes, something you’d never seen before. There was something playful in the always so reserved slytherin. 
There’s this moment of intense silence as the air between you two fills with sexual tension. “Blaise-” You breathe out not really knowing what you wanted to say or what you wanted from him. Blaise’s eyes move to your lips still parted from saying his name a second ago. A breathy sound escapes Blaise as he pushes you against the wall. One arm resting next to your head, while his other hand keeps your hip pinned against the wall. You lean your head back against the wall as a silent way of surrendering to what is about to happen. His lips hungrily crash on to ours.  
He pushes his whole body against yours and you feel overwhelmed with sensation as his warmth fills you with lust. His hand moves to open the door of the broom closet right next to you. “We are not doing this.” You state with a soft voice and your stern eyes meet his. “No?” He asks with a raised eyebrow, not convinced by your weak protest. Merlin, this man is attractive. Like he can read your thoughts he smirks and moves a hand to gently squeeze your ass, making you jump a little and allowing him to pick you up. You wrap your legs around him as he walks you into the small space to push you against a wall and kiss you passionately. With one flick of your wand you lock the door and he genuinely looks impressed by your quick thinking and use of magic. 
His lips hover over yours. “You’re far from innocent.” You roll your eyes. “Shut up and kiss me.” You demand, moving a hand to the back of his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. To your disappointment he’s quick to move away from your lips. “I had something else in mind.” You frown for a moment and are little concerned over his smug smile. Blaise finds your confusion both adorable and amusing and he slowly and teasingly moves to his knees, making you throw your head back in realisation. 
His fingers tenderly move up your thighs as he places soft kisses while pushing up your skirt. Your breath hitches as he lowers your panties and continues to kiss you. He wraps his arm around your leg pushing one leg over his shoulder, making you whimper in anticipation. “Please.” You manage to say, swallowing your pride and urging him to give your pussy some much needed attention. Instead of gloating in your desperation for him, Blaise is more than happy to be a gentleman and take care of the lady in front of him.
He grips your hips and passionately sucks and licks at your sensitive spot, making your breath go unsteady as you try to keep yourself from moaning loudly. After a moment of trying to keep composure you fully surrender to him, allowing yourself to rest on his strong shoulder and sinking your cunt onto him. He's pleased to have you all to him and feels himself get harder as you struggle to keep quiet. You gently buck your hips as you feel yourself get closer and his fingers dig into your skin as a response to your neediness. “It’s okay, pretty girl, just relax.” Blaise almost moans against your pussy and you cling to the shelves behind you for support as you moan his name louder and hornier than intended. While you feel your climax rush through you, Blaise feels himself get painfully hard. The sound of his name coming out of your mouth in such a filthy way did things to him and the way he got to taste you almost made his mind go blank. He wanted and needed that moment to last forever, but it didn’t. You went quiet again as you came down from your high. 
However, Blaise was eager to relive that moment and wasted no time getting up and meeting your lips. Your hand moves to the back of his head as you meet his passion in the kiss. “You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.” Blaise breathes in between kisses and before you can respond he continues. “So fucking gorgeous.” His lips move away from yours so he can take in your figure for a moment before kissing you sloppily. “You haven’t seen the best part yet.” You tease and push him away to undo the buttons of your shirt. His eyes are glued to your fingers working those buttons and you love how hooked he is. “Hey Zabini, this isn’t a one man show.” You play and tug his shirt. As you slip down your shirt he quickly pulls his over his head, before slamming his body against yours again, like magnets that pull towards each other. He admires your lingerie for a moment before quickly undoing your bra, while you work his belt. His pants drop to the ground and he tugs your skirt until it also slips down. In love with your breasts Blaise gently cups them, massaging them while kissing you hungrily.
He slips two fingers through your folds, making you moan and part your lips so he can sneak his tongue in and kiss you roughly, silencing your moans as his fingers stretch your pussy. Once you’re throbbing and soaking wet for him, he pulls his fingers away making you cling to him as he teases your sensitive cunt with his precum soaked member. He enters you slowly but pushes deep, his eyes never leaving your glassy ones as he fills you with his length. He cups your cheek and kisses you. “So good.” He breathes with a husky voice, trying not to moan as he feels like he could climax just because this intimate moment felt so good. He manages to give you one more sweet but sloppy kiss before hiding his face in the crook of your neck and fucking you at an amazingly steady pace, hitting you right every fucking time and making your mind go hazy with pleasure. It was like he was on a mission to make you see stars and you cling to him, nails digging into his skin, like he was the only thing on this earth. Pornographic moans slip out of your mouth and Blaise can no longer keep himself quiet as you both close in on your orgasm. 
Blaise’s animalistic grunts and moans fill your ears as your legs tremble in his hands and your second orgasm hits you, making you softly dig your teeth into Blaise’s shoulder to keep yourself from moaning his name too loud. With sloppily moves Blaise works your sensitive pussy until he cums. Panting, he presses his forehead against yours. His high is keeping him from saying anything, but his dreamy look says it all and you steal a tender kiss from him, making him smile like an idiot. “If this were a test I would say you passed with flying colours, A+ for Blaise Zabini.” A soft and exhausted chuckle escapes Blaise. This one really is something.
Word count: 1606
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lazykatie · 4 months ago
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What could’ve happened at Castlecoming Week (Part 2)
Pairing: Young Captain James Hook x Princess Bridget of Wonderland
You can find the part 1 or part 3 here.
You can find the Aftermath of the Castlecoming Ball here (part 1, part 2, Part 3).
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Bridget couldn’t help but feel happy. How couldn’t she? Tomorrow was Castlecoming, and everything seemed to be falling into place. She had her gown ready, her best friend Ella was going with her, and she had even baked treats for the occasion.
For now, she was handing out her latest creation—cake pops. Nothing special, just leftovers from yesterday’s cupcake that have gone untouched. She didn’t really want to have a repeat of yesterday since she wanted to make amends with Uliana tomorrow. Today, she let Uliana cool off, hoping they could start fresh at Castlecoming.
As she handed out the cake pops to passing students, she felt a presence behind her. Turning, she saw Hook, slightly towering over her, casually picking up two cake pops from her tray.
“You wouldn’t mind if I took two, right Pinkie?” Hook said, a slight grin on his face.
Bridget's cheeks warmed at the close proximity. She shifted slightly to face him, trying to maintain her composure. “I don’t mind,” she replied with a smile, “In fact, take as many as you want.”
“Woah, woah. Are you sure about that?” He asked skepticism painted all over his face.
“Are you trying to make a flamingo too?” He raised his right eyebrow, teasingly.
Bridget gasped her expression a mix of shock and amusement. “No! I would never do that,” she insisted. Hook struck a pose, feigning elegance. “Not that I wouldn’t look good as a flamingo,” he quipped.
Bridget giggled at his antics, shaking her head. “I have no doubts about that, but there's nothing in these—just plain old cake pops.”
Hook's eyebrows remained raised, clearly unconvinced. Bridget felt a pang of disappointment but she can’t blame him. So, she did the only thing that she could think of to make his doubts vanish.
“Here, I’ll eat one.” She said, grabbing one stick of cake pop from the plate.
She was about to place it in her mouth when she asked, “Or we can do it at the same time?”
Hook hesitated for a second before raising his cake pop in a mock toast. “Cheers,” he said, his tone still playful.
They bit into the cake pops simultaneously. For a moment, there was silence. True to her word, nothing happened. Like, nothing at all. Or so it seems. Hook's eyes widened slightly as the sweet strawberry flavor filled his mouth.
Bridget watched him, relief washing over her as she saw his expression soften. The treat was simple, but it was made with care, and she hoped it conveyed her intentions.
Hook swallowed, a small smile playing on his lips. “Not bad, Pinkie. Not bad at all.” He proceeded to eat several more cake pops, clearly enjoying them.
He was reaching for another when a passing student, a prince, grabbed the last one. “Hey! That’s mine,” Hook called out, but the student quickly walked away upon realizing it was Hook he had crossed.
“They’re called royalty but couldn’t even bother to learn some etiquette.” Hook muttered, displeased at losing the last cake pop.
Bridget giggled at his grumpiness before she said, “Don’t worry about that, I’ll make some more in the future.”
Hook’s eyes lit up unexpectedly, a contrast to his usual demeanor. Was the bribe working on him? He quickly shook off the thought and murmured, “Why would you do that for me? Why are you so nice all the time?”
“Well, you get more with sugar than salt.” She said with a smile.
“But even salt can look like sugar.” Hook countered. 
This made Bridget smile drop. “I know,” she said, remembering her experiences back in Wonderland. 
People were kind to her as their princess. But, she had overheard the maids mockingly calling her a naive princess. She hoped that after graduating from Merlin’s Academy, her people would see her differently.
“You can get the most out of people if you use fear.” Hook said, breaking Bridget from her thoughts.
“What do you mean?” Bridget asked, intrigued and a bit confused.
“I mean, Princess, that you could get people to respect you. Listen to you.” Hook explained, gesturing to himself. “Just look at me. I’m a captain of my own ship at this age.”
Bridget looked thoughtful, still grappling with his words. Hook sighed and tried to clarify, “All I’m saying, Pinkie, is that LOVE. AIN’T. IT.” 
Before Bridget could respond, they heard Maleficent’s voice from down the corridor. “Hook! Where are you? Uliana’s going to kill you if you’re late again.”
Hook turned back to Bridget, taking her hand and pressing a brief kiss to it. “I’ll be going now, Princess,” he said with a mischievous grin before rushing off to find Maleficent, leaving a very confused Bridget in the courtyard.
~~~
A/N: As promised (was it really a promise tho?), @ladyofthesun. Hope you like it! Part 3 would be the last part of the HookedHeart Ship. It depends if I can think of a scenario after the Castlecoming :> ANYWAYS, Happy reading!
Edit: Sorry for adding this here but I hope you can make time to see this post. Someone is in need of our help. Click here to see.
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turvi · 4 months ago
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Promises
Severus Snape x Fem!Reader
Severus tossed and turned on his bed for Merlin knew how long. Nightmares are his only companion tonight. Right now Severus lay on his back, his breathing erratic, his heartbeat racing. He felt like his body is trying to kill him. He finally got up, knowing well tonight is another night he won’t sleep. He walked towards the balcony, the moon looking upon him.
Severus never believed in wishes, thinking people who did wish were selfish. He never wished for anything but not tonight. Severus felt defeated, scared, and anxious he had no tears left to shed tonight but he held on to the balcony railing so tight that his knuckles were pale. He looked at the moon teary eyed wishing for a moment of rest. He couldn’t take this anymore. It wasn’t fair. 
If you haven’t noticed life isn’t fair. His own words echoed back at him. All he wished for was for a few moments of happiness. Was it too much to ask? He decided to roam around his house when he heard rapid knocks on his door. He took out his wand and cautiously walked towards the front door. He quickly opened the door already pointing his wand at the visitor to find Dumbledore on the other side of his wand.
"What are you doing here," he asked lowering his wand.
“I need your help with a matter” Dumbledore invited himself in at which Severus made known his displeasure with a grunt. 
“What has Potter done now?” He snarled 
“Nothing… yet, but she could use your help,” Dumbledore said pointing at nothing. Severus looked at him with confusion. Dumbledore turned around to see no one behind him. 
He sighed and peeked outside the door “Dear come in, it’s fine it’s safe here” 
You walked up at the entrance to watch Severus’ face soften at your appearance.
It looked like you had not slept properly for days. Severus had only met you thrice with you being the Dark Lord’s captive. He could still remember those days as if they happened yesterday. All those times you walked in on him crying and the times he did. 
“I guess I won’t have to introduce you two?” Dumbledore asked hinting at the times Severus told him about you. 
“I still don’t understand how I can help” His tone was softer than earlier, he always had his softest voice reserved for you when he saw how the Dark Lord used to yell at you. He couldn’t help but feel bad. After all, you were his age. 
“Well the Dark Lord is returning as we all are aware and he will look for her” Dumbledore explained to him 
 “I don’t know Dumbledore it’s dangerous”
“Please I will be quiet and do all my work, you won’t even notice that I am here” you finally spoke up. It broke his heart to see you like this. He didn’t see you much in Hogwarts, every time you met him was when he became a death eater as you were imprisoned by Dark Lord. He never knew why your meeting was always short. 
“It’s too risky Dumbledore and you know why, what if Dark Lord decided to visit me or he finds out she is here” 
Dumbledore sighed “Severus, of course, I thought of that possibility but I don’t know where else can I hide her, you have been able to fool him so far I am sure you can do it again” 
Severus looked at you to see that you were still not making eye contact with people. 
Severus pinched his nose bridge letting out a sigh, he was furious at Dumbledore. He couldn’t really blame you, clearly, you went to ask for help from Dumbledore, and he as usual dumped this issue on Severus. 
“Alright I’ll figure something out” Severus sighed 
“Thank you, Severus,” Dumbledore said. He turned around and comforted you ‘He is going to take care of you, and my office is always open for you, you can come by whenever you feel like it.” With that Dumbledore left Spinner’s End. 
Severus cleared his throat. He has never felt this awkward since he was a teenager. He finally spoke up “Do you want something to eat?” 
You quickly nodded your head “No I had dinner with Dumbledore” 
“Oh good at least he offered that” he mumbled under his breath 
“I am sorry to bother you, Mr. Snape” 
“You have nothing to be sorry about, it’s just that this was unexpected, please make yourself comfortable Miss-” 
Oh right you never got to tell him your name “Y/n L/n”  
Severus stood there not knowing what to do with himself now. He rarely had someone over at his home let alone a woman.  
“Would you like some tea?” you asked him, he chuckled “I should be asking you that dear please settle down and let me make you some tea” 
Your heart warmed up by the nickname he gave you. You have heard a lot of rumors about the Potions master. How he is one of the most strict professors, he hates everyone and everyone hates him. How no one has seen even a small smile from him and he has no heart. But you find out that maybe they are lying because no heartless man would care like this about a person they only met three times.
Part 2
REBLOG AND COMMENT IF YOU LIKED THIS FIC
A/N: I am back guys this is one of my old fics that was supposed to be a series but because of lack of interactions I discontinued. My ask box is open again send me requests
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fierymiasma · 2 years ago
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۵ The Spare ۵ // Sebastian x f!MC x Ominis - Silver Trio
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Summary: Ominis tries to be happy for Sebastian and their new friend. Really he's happy that his two favorite people have starting seeing each other.
...It's too bad that he wasn't included.
Sebastian and f!MC try repeatedly to court Ominis, too bad he's oblivious.
Tags: Love triangles, Slight Angst with eventual happy ending, Confessions, Mutual Pining, Fluff, OT3, Silver Trio, Making Out
Word Count: 5k 🍃
A/Ns: Got a lot of requests from readers to do a spin-off of my other Silver Trio Fic "Between". It's a bit longer but hope you enjoy it!
|| My Other Work || AO3 || Other Silver Trio Fic
"Your willingness to use powerful spells is admirable.  You're much more powerful than you ever let on."
"Sebastian, please, you can stop with all the flattery."  She laughed, trying to fight the rising blush on her cheeks.  She casted another spell at the practice dummy.  "I've already promised you that I'll take you on my next outing to fight the poachers instead of Natty.  You have already gotten what you want!"
The boy in question mocked offense.  "What?  I can't give the most powerful witch our age a simple compliment?"  She rolled her eyes playfully, pretending to be annoyed.  Sebastian was unrelenting.  "I bet you could even give Professor Hecat a run for her money."
Ominis's hand trembled on his wand, unable to cast the new spell they've been practicing.  His stomach couldn't help but churn in disgust as his friends continue to tease each other.  Even in the vast space of the Undercroft, it felt too stifling whenever Sebastian charmed their mutual friend.
His wand showed him the hazy rough outlines of the other two.  Sebastian's arm practically draped around her.  Ever since the start of their 6th year,  the trio had been spending more and more time together in the Undercroft.  Sebastian and the Hufflepuff frequently snuck out of the castle at all hours of the day, finding adventure elsewhere.
Ominis tried not to let it bother him, how close they were getting.  They had invited him along, of course, time and time again on all of their adventures.  Ominis had no idea why they thought that he would like to trail along after them.  Be a bystander to the newfound romance that the other two were so clearly keeping a secret from him?   Hard pass, thank you very much.
"Your spellwork is exception."  Sebastian continued, watching her land a particularly nasty hit on the dummy.  "You'll have to teach me some of the tricks you've picked up."
Ominis could feel the palpable embarrassment emitting from her.  She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears.  "Well, I did take a leaf out of your book, Sebastian.  I picked up this jinx from one of the books I 'borrowed' from the restricted section."
Sebastian laughed.  "Getting into places you're not supposed to be?  A woman after my own heart."
Ominis swallowed thickly.  It felt like it was only yesterday that Sebastian returned after his first night sneaking into the restricted section with the new student.
Sebastian groaned, flopping face first into his bed, exhausted from a night of crouching around the library away from the searching eyes of Madam Scribner. 
"Did you have fun, Sebastian?" Ominis drawled from his on bed, having been rudely woken back up by Sebastian's return.
To Ominis's shock, Sebastian sighed dreamingly.
"Merlin's beard, Ominis.  She's exceptional."
Something ugly festered inside Ominis.  He wanted to be done with this conversation, to go back to bed and wake up to a reality where he could still pretend he had a chance of being with Sebastian.  "I'm afraid I don't know what you're referring to."
Sebastian rolled onto his back, looking up at the top of his canopy bed, as if he was trying to picture her face.  "The new girl.  On her very first duel, she knocks me flat on my bum."  He scoffed.  "Said it was good practice.  What I won't give to duel her again.  Makes getting detention for her entirely worth it."
Unable to stomach any more of Sebastian's words, Ominis fluffed his pillow before turning away from the other boy.
 "Ominis, she's beautiful.  Her lips, her eyes, her hair.  Merlin's beard, Ominis, she could be part Veela for all I know.  The second she walks into any room, it's like everything else fades away."  Sebastian squeezed his pillow close to his chest as he faced the other boy.  "Ominis the things she can do with a wand.  The way she took down that troll…"  Sebastian sighed, lost in his own thoughts. 
Ominis was glad that his back was facing Sebastian.  He was afraid that his expressions would betray his inner anguish.  "Fighting a troll for you on her first day of Hogwarts?"  Ominis's nose wrinkled.  He was painfully reminded of all the other giggling girls who threw themselves at Sebastian's feet. "There is a such a thing as trying too hard."
Sebastian's smile dipped downward.  "No, Ominis, the fight was almost easy.  That's how brilliant she is."
Ominis had always known that the crush he harbored on the other Slytherin boy was doomed from the very start.  Sebastian's silver tongue had the entire female population of Hogwarts (and some of the wizards as well) completely under his spell.  Why, with enough effort, Sebastian could certainly find a witch he liked enough to settle down with.
It seemed like, Sebastian already had.
Tears burning his eyes, Ominis pulled the covers over his head, trying to drown out Sebastian's stream of consciousness as he continued to heap praises on the new student. 
"Ominis?"  She shook his arm gently.  "Ominis, are you with us?"
Ominis returned to the present.  Honeysuckle, rosewater, and ivy.  Her perfume was a familiar comforting presence.  His tight knuckles relaxed on his wand.  His eyes felt too hot, and he hoped he hadn't teared up in front of them.  He could feel the other two exchange concerned looks.  She reached over.  Her thumb rubbed soothing circles on Ominis's biceps.  Even under all his layers of fabric, he could feel goosebumps starting to form. 
He withdrew from her hot touch. 
His parents had always told Ominis that love at first sight (or lack of sight) was a fairy tale fantasy left for those of lesser blood or muggles.  So, Ominis was entirely unprepared for it when he confronted the Hufflepuff sneaking out of the Undercroft for the first time. 
He heard the telltale mechanical whirls of the clocktower that hid the Undercroft.  He heard distinct footsteps, light, with a high heel to them. 
It was just as he had feared.  It wasn't Sebastian.  The magical aura that surrounded this next person didn't feel quite like Sebastian's.  It was foreign, ancient and old.  It was the newest addition to the Hogwarts student body.  The insufferable show off who somehow seduced her way into winning  a duel against Sebastian.
Ominis couldn't tell what he was more angry at: her existence or Sebastian who had betrayed his trust by telling a practical stranger the secrets behind the undercroft.  It was Ominis's hiding place, his secret to give.  It was special, a place where Sebastian and Ominis could be together, alone.  Where Ominis could pretend that he had escaped from the cruel reality of their lives.
He turned that infamous Gaunt anger onto the new girl.  She was a Hufflepuff, like all of her brethren, Ominis was sure she would wilt under his venomous tongue.  It wasn't the first time Ominis sent a girl crying back to her dorm.
"Did you just come from the Undercroft?"  He snarled.  "How did you get in here?"
Calmly, the new student answered.  "Actually, Sebastian brought me there.  But he made it perfectly clear to keep quiet about it." She had a soft, soothing melodic voice. 
Ominis scoffed, ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat at the sound of her voice.  Typical Hufflepuff, soft-spoken, meek, quick to squeal and rat out their friends the second their arm got twisted. 
"You breathe a word about this place to anyone and not even your precious Professor Fig will be able to help you."
He could tell that mentioning Professor Fig had struck a nerve.  The quiescent unnamable magic swirling around her grew sharp, its aura almost suffocating Ominis.  She took a firm step forward towards him, her heels echoing loudly against the marble tiles.  Her voice grew louder, firmer.  "You needn't threaten me, Gaunt.  But mention Professor Fig again, and even your family name won't be able to shield you from me." 
She took another step forward.  Ominis took a hesitant step back.  He didn't expect the badger to have claws.  "I was trying to defend Sebastian.  He was clear that this was a secret place, and I was to tell no one."  Ominis was startled by her closeness.  He could smell her perfume, flowery.  Honeysuckle, rosewater, and ivy.  She took another step forward.  "Sebastian's a good friend.  He cares very deeply for you." 
Ominis's lips curled.  As if she knew anything about Sebastian.  About what Sebastian's wants and needs were.  He held his ground.  "I don't need you to tell me about my oldest friend, thank you very much.  Sebastian gets himself in enough trouble.  He doesn't need your help." 
To Ominis's surprise, her shoulders relaxed a bit.  Her arms uncrossed in understanding.  "You care for Sebastian.  You worry over him."  Ominis's throat felt dry.  Was she trying to insinuate something?  "You needn't be concerned, Ominis.  I can see you're scared."  Ominis was about to deny her accusations but found that he couldn't breathe.  "I am not trying to come in between you or Sebastian.  Your…bond is sacred."  Was he that obvious?  "I'm not trying to steal anyone's…friend away from them."  
For once in Ominis's life, he was speechless.  It was rare for him to find someone who could match his venomous tongue and cruel words. 
"I'm not sure what you're implying."  Ominis lied.  "You forget yourself, new girl."
"Ominis!  Ominis!" Sebastian practically shouted in his ear.
Ominis jumped.  Too lost in thought, he hadn't realized that he had been daydreaming again.  They were still in the Undercroft, practice dummies now completely forgotten.  Her soft hands were still on his arm, trying to comfort him.  Sebastian, on his right, hovering a tad closer than a concerned friend normally should.
His throat felt dry.  He wasn't comfortable being the center of their undivided attention.  He needed air.
"You two keep practicing your hexes."  Ominis muttered, pulling his arm away from her and turning away from Sebastian.  "I need to lie down for a bit."
Ominis wasn't able to see the way Sebastian's eyes met the Hufflepuff's, a silent conversation held with just eyes alone.  "Is everything alright?"  Sebastian asked.  "Ominis, you can confide in us, if you need."
Ominis snorted as he threw his satchel over his shoulder.  Like he could ever reveal his true feelings to the happy couple. 
❀⊱┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄⊰❀
He avoided the Hufflepuff and her Slytherin for a better part of two weeks.  A difficult task given how persistent the other two were.
"Ominis!  There you are."  Sebastian purred, his voice dipping down an octave.  "You've been rather difficult to pin down lately." 
Ominis didn't even pause.  If anything, he walked faster down the hallway to his next class.  "I'm sorry, Sebastian.  Far too busy with this extra essay Professor Sharp assigned me.  I'll see you at dinner."
His partner in crime appeared around the corner, as if she apparated to Sebastian's side.  "A-Ah, hello, Ominis!"  She nervously greeted.  "Your hair looks rather nice today!  Looks kind of like the portrait of the bloke we're learning in History of Magic."
Ominis did finally pause in his stride.  "Uric…the…Oddball?  I look like a lunatic who wears a jellyfish on his head?"
Her shoulders fell.  Maybe she should have paid more attention in class.  She hadn't actually thought that one through too much. 
Without another word, Ominis swept away around the corner, onto his next class.
Now properly alone, Sebastian groaned.  "Merlin's beard, sweetheart, what was that?  Were you trying to woo him or get him to commit you to a loony bin?  We want to charm him not send him running away screaming!"
She glared at him in offense.  "I'm not good at flirting!"
Sebastian sighed, running his fingers through his hair in fake exasperation.  He couldn't help but smile, as he looked at her teasingly.  "It is truly one of Hogwarts biggest mysteries how you managed to bag someone as charming as me."
She tried to kick him in the shin for good measure.  He calmly took a small step back avoiding her rather short legs.
"Don't worry, sweetheart.  Sebastian's here for you.  Time to show you how to properly sweep a man off his feet."
She rolled her eyes, "Like you can do better."
❀⊱┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄⊰❀
[Cont reading here]
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miss-anachronism · 6 months ago
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I posted something yesterday throwing my hat into the ring of Merlin and Valen relationships, and people seemed to like it! These guys are best buds to me, im glad yall see it too. It inspired me to write a little drabble, so here ya go <3 this is Valen and my (fem) Merlin, so it gets kinda specific at parts lol
It’s been a long day.
And as much as Valen wishes it were the easier type of long day: boring and uneventful, where he has to drag himself from task to task; it was quite the opposite. Exhilarating, exhausting, and deadly; now he was sinking into a sofa chair in the Mystical house, nursing a spiked drink and a sprained ankle.
It wasn’t even a mishap- he’d launched the attack perfectly, but that godforsaken golem had grabbed his leg at the last moment and slammed him back down into the ground. Lucius said he was lucky to have avoided a concussion. But what does Lucius know, anyway.
All this to say, the entire ordeal has left him grumpy and secluded. He’s tucked into the library, where the din of the bar can’t touch his slowly receding headache. It’s lovely in here, quiet and serene, fresh air drifting through the large open windows on the south wall. The smell of old books mingles nicely with the outside breeze, stopping just shy of being overwhelming. He would have never thought himself a library person; the one in Holistone was lackluster. But Merlin, as she often did, had flipped his conceptions upside down, and provided Valen one of his favourite spaces in her impressive library.
It’s a little ridiculous to expect privacy and solitude from a house that isn’t your own, especially one housing at least five others, but Valen still finds his every muscle tensing when he hears the library door open and close with a soft click.
He exhales slowly through his teeth, trying not to make his disappointment too obvious. He sends his farewells to his peaceful rest, and a quick prayer that whomever has entered isn’t in a talkative mood. He really doesn’t feel up to playing up the charm.
The soft pattering on the floor and the long exhale that come from behind him, however, chases those fears away. The momentary panic slips from Valen’s body, and he glances to the side, grinning when a green, eerie eye catches his gaze.
Merlin grins back at him, though she looks just as tired as he feels. “Hey, sorry. I know you’re hurt, but it’s winding down out there, and I wanted to do some research before I turn in. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course not,” Valen chuckles, “It’s your home.”
“Well, yes, but you’re my guest. And if you want me to shut up and leave you alone, say the word and I’ll be gone, no harm no foul.”
“It’s alright, Merlin,” he confirms, slightly surprised that he doesn’t even need to lie, “your company is appreciated.”
She grins at him and sets her own drink down on the small coffee table, and pulls another chair up. “Thanks, Val. I’ll keep it down, promise.”
She’s true to her word, shuffling through a few eclectically stacked books around the floor of the library before settling with three in hand. She puts the biggest one between them, and opens it up to reveal a collection of beautiful woodcuts, depicting various temples across the globe.
Valen lets out a low whistle and leans in, watching as she flips through a few illustrations, and then spins the book around to show him a full two-page print. It takes him a moment to recognize.
“The Moon Temple?”
Merlin nods, her eyes never leaving the paper. “Back in its heyday. We were talking about it, and Dolly mentioned that I should have an old book of prints in here somewhere. I’m lucky I found it so quickly.”
“How old is this book?”
“Four hundred years, give or take.”
Valen half gasps and half laughs, staring at the book in wonder. He’s shocked Merlin even has the balls to touch the thing, let alone open it.
“I can’t believe you just have ancient scripture lying around.”
“Hey, this is far from ancient,” she teases, glancing up to wrinkle her nose at him.
“You’re right, you’re right. It doesnt hold a candle to the oldest artifact in this room: you.”
Merlin sticks her tongue out at him, and Valen returns in kind, before they both return to the book.
The Moon God had been dead for a thousand years or so before this print was made, so the Temple isn’t exactly in perfect condition. Still, it’s a far cry from the decrepit ruins that it’s in today. Beautiful pillars surrounding the pouring, majestic fountains, each flaw and imperfection dutifully recorded… Valen finds himself being drawn in by the skilled execution of the print itself, scanning over the evenly spaces hatching and intricate detailing in the stonework, the water, the attention to values… it’s a beautiful recreation. Valen can even make out the carvings on the pillars themselves.
There’s a little blurb of writing at the bottom of the page, in a language Valen can’t identify. He reaches out to tap at it, stopping just shy of actually touching the book.
“Can you read this?”
Merlin hums in assent. Instead of flipping the book back around to face herself, she stands and moves over to Valen’s side of the table, kneeling next to his chair.
“It’s not much. ‘The Moon Temple, for the greatness and majesty of Nakalig the many-faced…. Cast a moonstone into the divine spring… a chance for divine lunar enlightenment…’ yeah, we know all this already.”
“It’s still interesting,” Valen contests, watching as Merlins finger drifts over the words. “You’ll have to teach me how to read this.”
Merlin scrunches her nose again. “The language is pretty dead, Val. I think you’ll only find Celestials who speak it fluently, nowadays.”
“So? If it’s spoken by Celestials, I’m sure it’s gorgeous. And mysterious. All the more reason to learn it.”
Merlin scoffs. “If you received a love letter written in the old, dead language, would you actually go on a real life date with the sender?”
“A date? I’d bed them on the spot,” Valen jokes, and Merlin throws her head back and cackles.
“Gross, ugh.” She sneers, giggling. Valen grins.
“Thousands of years old, and you still have the humour of a teenager.”
“Shut up,” she huffs, lightly punching him in the shoulder, only for her eye to immediately widen in concern.
“Ah, shit, that didn’t hurt did it? You’re hurt, I shouldn’t be jostling you around.”
“Merlin, babe, do you really think you can push me around?”
“You underestimate me! I could totally beat you up.”
“Mhmm,” Valen chuckles, taking another sip of his drink. Merlin gives him a wry smile.
“Seriously, though, you okay?”
Valen pauses a moment, taking stock of himself. Yes, his ankle still aches, but the spinning pain in his head has thankfully receded. The exhaustion still runs deep in his bones, however; he thinks if Merlin asked him to stand up, he’s simply collapse.
“I’m alright, all things considered,” he settles on, “but tired. Exhausted.”
“Hey, bright idea here! Maybe you should go to bed!”
“A genius, you are.”
“They don’t call me Merlin for nothin’.”
He chuckles. “It’s nice here. I don’t get much time to relax. And the sun’s only just setting,” he waves a hand towards the window, bathed in pinks and oranges, “let me have an hour, at least.”
“Fine,” Merlin conceded, resting her head on the arm of his chair. Dutifully, Valen proceeds to use her head as an armrest. She huffs in amusement.
They stay like that for a few minutes, Merlin lazily flipping through the book, pausing every time Valen leans closer to inspect a print. Eventually, she complains about her neck, and Valen lets up to allow her a slightly more comfortable position.
“I don’t know how to teach languages,” Merlin says suddenly, startling Valen out of his concentration, “but I think, with Hammie’s help, I could teach you a couple phrases and see where it goes from there?”
Valen blinks in surprise. “You don’t have to do that, Merlin.”
She shrugs. “I want to. Gives me something to do. If you want to, of course.”
Valen pauses, thinks it over, takes another long sip of his drink.
“…sure. We’ll see where it goes.”
Merlin nods, and flips the book closed.
“but if I’m a bullshit student, you can’t be mad at me.”
“I’ll never believe you are,” Merlin sniffs, scooping the book up and standing with a grunt. “Deep down, you’re a nerd like the rest of us, Mr. Playboy Solitaire.”
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idksmtms · 2 months ago
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I had to hop on here real quick with a thought: so I re-watched the first Kingsman movie yesterday (I haven’t seen the others so don’t spoil) but why tf did it take me so long to realise Mark Strong is acc so hot??? Like him as Merlin?? The absolutely insanely hot stoic but sassy DILF?? Like how has it taken me this long to realise this??
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mysticsublimeperson · 8 months ago
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<< Part 3
Merlin always has slept quietly. He didn't move much or snore, he tended to move when he was settling in, but once he found a good spot he slept like a corpse. Arthur always found that a bit funny, that he was so full of movement and life during the day and so still while sleeping.
He also found it a bit infuriating, he never really wanted to be the clingy one, it was a bit embarrassing to him at first, but Merlin never denied him, not even asleep. Arthur gravitated towards Merlin, not always a full on cuddle, sometimes that could be a bit overwhelming to Merlin, who had his spot perfectly climatized, but he always ended up having a point of contact.
Merlin found it "cute" and Arthur found that comment offensive. Merlin said that he didn't mind cuddling but that if he wanted to cuddle he needed to do it from the start, apparently Arthur was like a furnace (Arthur also found that comment offensive) and if Arthur suddenly hugged him in the middle of the night it made think there was a fire somewhere or he had developed a fever, Arthur promptly threw a boot a him.
Merlin also woke up slowly. Arthur found this really surprising. Merlin had a flexible schedule, which actually meant that he was practically enslaved. He could say anything about his job, but would never complain of the hours, he had to be there at 9 and out at 5 (not that he actually did it, but that's not the point). Merlin had the lab at the university, he had to be there at least 4 times a week, but the hours depend on the experiment, and then there was his non-profit which took most of his time. So even tho that pretty much from the moment that he woke up he was needed somewhere, Merlin always took his time to wake up.
Another shocking thing is, he never used alarm clock. Merlin woke up on time always, without help. Then he went back to sleep a couple of minutes more, or spent too much time preparing for the day, or didn't know what to do for breakfast so he froze up at the kitchen table thinking for 10 minutes... the thing is, Merlin woke up on time, but was always late.
That being said, one Arthur's favorite moments where those rare mornings he woke up first, and there was no rush, and he could see Merlin fight the wakefulness, rub his face to the pillow trying to find a cool spot, watch stretch and reach out for him. Merlin would open his eyes slowly and look for him, at him. And the way that he looked, like he was still dreaming, like Arthur was his dream. Nothing made him feel more loved, and full of love than that. It was so unrestrained, so pure.
He wanted that.
He wanted to be like that.
They didn't sleep together much, their schedule was sometimes incompatible, but when he could afford it, he stayed with Merlin, even tho it meant he had to bring a spare suit, and wake terribly early, and catch a cab, and be init for 45 minutes because of the morning traffic... just for the tiny possibility of watching Merlin wake up.
It's been almost three months since the chance of waking up next to Merlin became zero.
Arthur woke up sad, dreaming of Merlin by his side just to wake up alone in his flat, was increasingly difficult each day.
When they broke up, when Arthur accepted this, he couldn't actually imagine how ingrained Merlin was in his life. He had been there for him since (Merlin's) first day. He should have known.
Merlin was the biggest, best, and only choice Arthur had made. But he never actually committed, Merlin was his, but he could never be fully in Arthur's life. No matter that the life without Merlin was a life that he hated, he still was living it.
"I told you that yesterday was important, you knew that. And you choose him" Merlin had said.
Arthur had never seen that like a choice, never seen he actually had one. When his father talked he didn't expect an answer, so he never thought he could give one regardless. That day his father had entered his office and said that he had to a attend to a very important meeting that afternoon, Arthur tried to give options, suggested Leon as replacement, tried to tell his father that maybe he will arrive late or maybe leave early...
"Don't be difficult Arthur" Uther spoke dismissing his arguments "I don't care whatever plans you have, you have a responsibility to this company, to each and every employee and towards me. You are going to step up to the position of CEO sooner or later, you need to maintain your image, or it will reflect poorly on everyone"
Thinking back, he could not help but cringe to the condescending tone of his father. At that moment in his mind, it had seemed like a sound point, it had made sense, now all he could hear was the selfishness of it. In the end it hadn't even been a meeting, it was a fucking cocktail, a very exclusive cocktail for a gallery opening that Uther was looking to collaborate with (to put expensive artwork in his expensive buildings). Coincidentally a lot of his friends and colleagues were there, and their daughters.
Every time he thought about it he had to fight the urge to hit his head on a wall, repeatedly. He really thought that his father had his, and his employees best interests at heart.
He regrets a lot.
He hated that he hurt Merlin, he hated that it had ended up in this situation. But at the same time, he didn't hurt Merlin only that time, he had been hurting him, always without noticing, always without caring to notice.
Merlin never slept at his flat, even tho it was much more comfortable and spacious, and it was more or less the same distance to his lab. But Arthur hadn't wanted Merlin to be seen leaving his flat in case de doorman told his father or worse, that his father showed up unprompted one day and watched Merlin in his flat. So Merlin never slept there, no matter how late it was Merlin always went home, and told his doorman that he was his PA, not to rise suspicion.
He was an asshole.
And Merlin didn't deserve that.
So they needed this, yeah.
He needed time to fix it, to make himself worthy.
But he didn't know how to do that, and he was starting to feel hopeless.
It had been three months, and although in the moment he had offered Merlin to cut off Uther from his life for good in that moment, he was thankful that Merlin did not take it.
He didn't really want to leave his job.
He liked his job.
Well, he liked part of his job. It was just the expectation, and the need to make connections...
And well his father was tough, and definitely not perfect, in fact very much flawed, but it was his father. He loved him, and cut him off seemed like too much.
What could he do? He had been stuck in this point since the break up.
He needed help.
But the person who was always for him in this situations was Merlin, strangely wise occasionally.
He pulled out his phone. His friend were good and true, but the topic of Uther was complicated, most people couldn't understand why he would want to keep that relationship alive. It was also a really vulnerable topic, and he wasn't known for his heart to heart. Arthur wasn't good with feelings.
He keeps scrolling.
Gwen might understand but she was Merlin's best friend, he didn't want her to feel like she was switching sides or something, Merlin also needed someone.
The he stopped at a name at his contact page.
He didn't really know if it was a good idea. It most probably wasn't but he didn't really have any other options.
What does he have to lose?
He needed to find a solution to this, he missed Merlin, and he wanted his friend back.
He tapped the call button and waited.
Worst case scenario, he kept going like that and slowly died while Merlin tried to redo his life. Unacceptable.
"Hello?" the confusion was evident as well as the weariness, but, well, she still answered "Arthur?"
"Hello, Morgana"
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isaacarellanesismyhusband · 2 months ago
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day 11: yule ball flashback
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pair: Draco Malfoy x reader summary: Draco would reminisce about dancing at the Yule Ball with y/n(she/her)
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The fire crackled softly in the Slytherin common room as Draco sat in his usual spot, staring into the flames. His quill hovered motionless above a blank piece of parchment, his mind drifting away from his unfinished letter to his mother. It wasn’t uncommon for Draco’s thoughts to wander like this lately, but tonight was different.
Because tonight, he was thinking of you.
He hadn’t meant to. It was just that the upcoming holidays had reminded him of that night — the Yule Ball. The memory was so vivid it played out in his mind like it had happened only yesterday.
Draco could almost feel the weight of your hand in his, the delicate fabric of your dress brushing against his legs as he spun you across the dance floor. You had looked so beautiful that night, the soft glow of the enchanted snow falling above you making you look like you belonged in a dream. And if he were honest, that’s what it had felt like to him. Dreamlike. Surreal.
He smiled to himself, remembering the way his heart had pounded in his chest when he first saw you. He had tried to hide it, of course—keep up the cold, aloof mask he always wore. But Merlin, it had been impossible with you looking at him like that. With your bright eyes and soft smile that seemed to melt away every wall he’d ever built.
The two of you had danced under the twinkling lights, surrounded by the laughter and chatter of others, but all Draco could focus on was you. Every step, every twirl had felt more intimate than it should have, and it was terrifying how vulnerable he felt. You had a way of doing that—making him feel like it was just the two of you in the world, like he wasn’t the heir to an ancient family, like he wasn’t expected to be perfect and untouchable.
You had brought him down to earth that night, made him human.
Draco’s heart swelled as he thought of the way you had teased him for being too stiff, your soft laugh breaking the tension as you whispered, “You can relax, Draco. It’s just me.” The memory of your voice sent a warmth rushing through him, and before he knew it, a soft, genuine smile crept onto his face.
He hadn’t smiled like that in a long time.
Even now, thinking of it, his cheeks burned. The way you had rested your head against his chest toward the end of the evening still made his stomach flip, and if he closed his eyes, he could almost feel the weight of you leaning into him, trusting him. His arms had wrapped around you so naturally, and for once, Draco hadn’t cared who was watching. He hadn’t cared about anything other than the fact that you were there, with him.
He had never told you how much that night had meant to him—how much you had meant to him—but it was there, in every stolen glance, every quiet conversation since then.
He sighed softly, running a hand through his platinum hair as the memory faded, leaving behind a warm, fluttery feeling in his chest. Draco wasn’t sure if he would ever find the courage to tell you how he felt, but Merlin knew, if you could see him now—sitting by the fire, cheeks burning, heart racing at the mere thought of you—you’d probably figure it out.
For now, though, he was content to keep that memory tucked safely away. A moment of vulnerability, yes—but a moment he wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.
And as he closed his eyes, he let himself get lost in it again, imagining the way your hand had fit perfectly in his, and how, for the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy had felt truly at peace.
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holdupjack · 10 months ago
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Forgetting You Pt.2
——————
Part One
Pairing: Hermione Granger x Fem!Reader
WARNING: None
——————
Third Person P.O.V:
Two Years Later
Hermione sat comfortably on her plush sofa, a warm blanket draped over her legs, as she gazed intently at the dancing flames in the fireplace. The fire crackled and popped, casting a soft orange glow across the room.
Every once in a while, a piece of wood shifted, sending a shower of sparks up the chimney. The sound and warmth of the fire were soothing, and Hermione found herself lost in thought as she watched the flickering flames.
It's hard to believe that almost a decade has passed since she last saw Y/n. It feels like just yesterday that they were laughing and joking together, planning their future adventures. But time has a way of slipping by, and before she knew it, Y/n was gone.
Two years ago, she made the difficult decision to leave Ron. It wasn't an easy choice, but she knew it was for the best. She needed to find herself again, to figure out who she was and what she wanted in life.
And so, one year ago, she bought this small home in Hogsmeade. It's not much, but it's hers, and it's a place where she can start anew. She's slowly been making it her own, adding her own personal touches and creating a space that feels warm and welcoming.
As time went on, she couldn't help but notice the open spaces and empty shelves that were waiting to be filled around her. Despite the lack of clutter, the home felt incomplete, as if something was missing.
She realized that what was missing was Y/n's belongings. Hermione had always held out hope that Y/n would come back and start to make this place a true home. It was a silly dream, but it made her smile every time she thought about it. As she reflected on the memories of Y/n, a small chuckle escaped her lips.
She remembered the time when Y/n had run to her dorm with the biggest grin on her face. It had to be in their fifth year because she had this certain haircut that Hermione still adored in her memory. The thought of Y/n's joy and excitement filled Hermione's heart with warmth, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of longing for her return.
"Guess what!" Y/n had said panting as she walked over and sat down on Hermione's bed.
"What is it, my love?" she asked with a small smile as she pushed back her books and gave her lover her full attention.
"Lee Jordan is going to let me announce with him at the next Quidditch game! McGonagall gave the 'go ahead' too!" Y/n said with such excitement that she was almost buzzing. Hermione chuckled and walked over to her, sitting beside her and giving a big kiss on her cheek.
"That's wonderful! But no dirty humor, I don't want to spend my Saturday night studying outside detention" Hermione warned with a soft smile as she kissed her girlfriend's cheek again, earning a chuckle in return.
"I promise"
During the game, Y/n had kept the promise that she made, but as the game progressed, she suddenly announced how much she loved her girlfriend. The girls around Hermione were all in awe, while she was blushing furiously, turning as red as a beet.
"Merlin, how I wish I could feel the love you gave me, once again," she says, looking away from the fire with a wistful expression.
She had taken every lead she could from people around the region, even McGonagall had been sending her any tips she could find, hoping to put an end to the mystery of what happened to one of her favorite students.
Hermione had spent countless hours following every lead she could find, scouring every nook and cranny in search of Y/n. But no matter where she went or who she talked to, every trail seemed to lead to a dead end or put her in a never-ending circle.
Frustrated and desperate, she even sought out the help of Professor Trelawney, who delivered a cryptic message that Y/n was somewhere dark, cold, and underground.
Which just sounded like a grave.
Hermione had almost backhanded her.
The sound of a soft sigh escaped her lips as she slowly rose from the comfortable couch, causing the warm blanket that was draped over her legs to slip and fall to the ground. With a sense of purpose, she made her way towards the small kitchen, taking measured steps with her bare feet gently padding against the cool wooden floor.
As she opened the fridge, a rush of cool air hit her face, providing a momentary respite from the warmth of the room. She reached for the bottle of water, feeling the coolness of the condensation on her fingertips, and unscrewed the cap with a satisfying twist before taking a long, refreshing sip.
As the sun began to set, its rays filtered through the nearby window, illuminating her face. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, running her fingers through her curly hair.
In front of her on the counter was a half-empty bottle, which she had been drinking from earlier. The silence in the room was only broken by the sound of her breathing and the occasional creak of the floorboards beneath her feet.
She heard a sudden and loud pounding on her front door. Startled, Hermione jumped slightly and turned her head towards the entrance, her heart pounding in her chest. She hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and quickly stepped towards the door, her hand trembling as she reached for the doorknob.
As she opened the door, she was surprised to see Professor McGonagall standing there, looking rather excited and nervous. Hermione felt a mix of emotions - surprise, confusion, and curiosity - as she greeted her former professor.
"Professor? Hello. What's the matter?" Hermione asks with furrowed brows as the older woman just summoned the coat that was lying over the kitchen chair, and her shoes skidded over to the former Gryffindor.
"Follow me. We need to speak... privately" McGonagall said quietly as she looked over her shoulder, then back at the younger girl.
Hermione furrowed her brows, but nodded at the Headmistress, soon slipping on her coat and shoes. Her front door locked behind her as she followed McGonagall into the busy cobblestone streets of Hogsmeade, students of different ages ran past them with laughter echoing off the buildings.
"What is the matter?" Hermione asks as she follows her closely, but gets no response as they zigzag between alleyways. It seemed as though McGonagall was trying to lose someone that Hermione couldn't see.
After a few more lefts and rights, she was ushered down into The Hogs Head Inn Cellar, where one single light flickered and the floorboards above them creaked with muffled laughter.
"Professor, what is the matter?" Hermione whispered with so much confusion behind her voice, that she was surprised she hadn't asked more questions on the walk there.
"I have gotten a lead from one of my friends in the Law Department of the Ministry" The older woman replies in a hushed tone, making Hermione's eyes widen.
This had to be more than a word-of-mouth rumor if they were hiding away from any unwanted ears or eyes.
"A lead? What is it? Is she alive? Did they find her body..."
Hermione couldn't bring herself to say the rest, she took a deep breath as her heart began to pump rapidly, shuddering in her chest like a jackhammer.
"She told me about how Y/n's case had been brought out of its filing cabinet again. There had been a rumor going around for years about dark wizards who had gone rogue during the battle." McGonagall starts, clearing her throat slightly as some dust falls from the floor above them.
"Many did. Why does that matter now?" Hermione replies, confused again by this information. It wasn't a secret that many of Voldemort's fighters had left his side once their numbers began to dwindle.
"No. The ones that had taken a different course of... beneficial security, during the war," she says, a nervous look in her eyes as she scanned the cellar around them.
Beneficial security?
"What are you talking about?" Hermione demands, anger showing itself as she seems to be tiptoeing around the topic, instead of just telling her where her Y/n was.
"They believe Y/n was taken during the chaos"
That statement alone snatched the air out of Hermione's lungs, she took a step back from the headmistress and looked at her in disbelief.
"T...Taken? You mean-"
"Yes."
Hermione felt her knees go weak as she stumbled toward a dust-covered chair, her mind reeling as she realized something.
Everyone had thought she had just run away.
Hermione had looked for her, before trying to settle her pain away with Ron, and she had come to terms with the same thing. She was hiding out and didn't want Hermione with her.
That wasn't the case at all.
"Oh god," Hermione whispered as tears filled her eyes, before immediately locking back with McGonagalls, who had a look of pity on her face.
"How? How could that have happened?" she whispered harshly as she gritted her teeth. She wasn't mad at Minerva but at herself for ever letting Y/n slip from her grasp.
"Have you ever heard parents cautioning their children about the dangers of predators lurking in crowded places, waiting for an opportunity to snatch them away without anyone noticing?" she asked, her voice laced with gentleness.
Y/n might have been taken in the middle of a fucking battlefield, and no one ever noticed.
"Yes" Her response was barely audible, as she whispered back softly. She avoided making any eye contact and her gaze shifted downwards towards her feet.
As she spoke, she felt a sudden discomfort in her stomach, almost as if it was being squeezed tightly. The overwhelming emotion she was experiencing made it difficult for her to maintain composure.
McGonagall didn't know what to say or do but knew she had to give the last bit of information to the distraught lovebird.
"They found the location of an underground den for a trafficking operation" she finally reveals, making Hermione leap to her feet with pure adrenaline.
"Trafficking? There's human trafficking in our world?" Hermione asks angrily, now fueled with so many intense emotions, that she thought she was about to explode.
How could she not know this? Why wasn't this more known? How the hell-
"A Magic Trafficking Ring" McGonagall whispers sadly as she clears her throat again, fighting back her own anger from the mere thought of one of her old students being held there.
"What does that mean?" Hermione asks as more dust falls from the floors, landing between them on the cement.
"It's been rumored that many people that have gone missing over the years have been put to auction by this group...sold to wealthy Muggles as a sick form of entertainment" the older woman states with disgust as she tries to shake off the feeling from her body.
Hermione felt as though her world was crumbling. Where was Y/n? Who has her now?
Was she even alive still?
——————
Six Months Later
Hermione felt the familiar sensation of apparition wash over her as she closed her eyes and focused on her destination. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing on a narrow trail that snaked through the dense forest of South China.
She took a deep breath of the humid air and looked around, taking in the lush greenery and the sounds of birds and other creatures rustling in the trees. She could see colorful butterflies flitting around, and she could hear the distant roar of a waterfall. Hermione dusted off her clothes and adjusted her backpack, taking a moment to orient herself and get her bearings before setting off down the trail.
As the moment of truth arrived, she felt a mix of emotions that were hard to contain. She knew that the next few hours could make or break everything. It all came down to this one decision that could change everything.
She had to bring Y/n home, but the stakes were high. Either Y/n would come back home alive, or she would have to lay her to rest. It was a difficult and emotional choice that would impact Hermione’s life more than it already had.
She took a deep breath as she pulled out an enchanted compass. It spun a few times before finally landing in front of her. Within the metal was a chip of Y/n's wand, showing her where its owner lay waiting.
To construct the specific device, Hermione needed access to it, but it was being held in the evidence locker.
Fortunately, Professor McGonagall was able to help out - she managed to pull some strings and secure the necessary item for Hermione. With the assistance of Hagrid, Hermione was then able to successfully the compass.
She had told no one that she had left. Not even her parents. Afraid to put them in danger, or worse.
Who knows what she was walking into?
As she stood at the beginning of the forest, she felt a shiver run down her spine. The dense foliage seemed to be hiding something ominous, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Was there a den full of criminals and killers, lurking within the shadows of the trees? Or perhaps it was a mass grave, hidden deep beneath the earth? Her heart raced as she contemplated the various possibilities
Hermione's voice was barely above a whisper as she stared intently at the compass in her hand.
"Oh, Y/n... where are you?" she murmured, her brow furrowed with concern. She took a deep breath and continued to follow the compass, her steps quickening as she grew more and more anxious. Despite her exhaustion, she refused to give up until she found the love of her life.
With each passing moment, her huffs grew more audible, a sign of the physical strain she was putting herself through.
As the day progressed, Hermione continued to walk through the dense forest. She soon reached the edge of a huge sinkhole that seemed to have no end. Peering down, she could see even more trees and vegetation below.
Casting her eyes around the horizon, she spotted a small tent in the distance. It seemed to be in a man-made clearing in the middle of the sinkhole. She could even see a campfire burning brightly in front of the tent.
She brought up the compass and knew deep down in her soul that Y/n had to be there. She could even feel her past lover's wand almost shuddering with excitement from within her backpack.
Hermione's heart was pounding as she looked down at the gaping sinkhole in front of her. She knew that she had to be careful, but she also knew that time was of the essence. She took a deep breath and pulled out her own wand, slowly making her way down the steep incline towards the base of the sinkhole. Her hands were shaking slightly, but she tried to remain calm and focused.
The journey down was treacherous and slow-going, with loose rocks and dirt threatening to give way at any moment. But Hermione was determined to reach the bottom, no matter what. It took another hour of cautious descent before she finally felt her feet hit level ground. She let out a sigh of relief and took a moment to catch her breath, surveying her surroundings.
Despite the danger and the difficulty of the journey, Hermione knew that she had to keep moving forward. She had a mission to accomplish, and she wasn't going to let anything stand in her way.
The sun was gone now, but she had a clear shot of the roaring campfire that was just a small orange dot in the distance at that moment.
This was it.
Her exhaustion had disappeared, and she began to jog toward the single-form light. Her mind started to fill with nothing but Y/n.
When she finally got the the edge of the clearing, she kneeled down and stared at the one person that sat near the fire. It was a small, lanky, middle-aged man.
Hermione looked down at the compass and it shook tightly as the tent. She was there. Y/n was a stone's throw away.
Passion and determination surged through her chest as she stuffed the compass back into her pocket and slowly began to sneak up behind the man. Every step was calculated, stepping over twigs and leaves as her eyes burned a hole into the back of the blissfully unaware man's head.
When she was fully behind him, she pressed the tip of the want to his neck and he tensed immediately.
“Where is she?” Hermione whispered harshly as her other hand gripped his shoulder with a warning. She wasn't in the mood for questions.
“W-Who?” he replied, which just made her even more angry, so he pressed her wand more against his skin.
“Y/n Y/l/n. The student who disappeared from Hogwarts,” she states as her grip became harder against his shoulder, making him sink down slightly to ease the pain.
“Basement! Please don't-”
“Stupefy”
Hermione cautiously approached the tent's flaps after the man collapsed on the ground. She nimbly stepped over his body and entered the tent, only to find that the interior was much more spacious than she had anticipated. However, to her surprise, the place appeared to be completely deserted.
She treaded lightly towards a set of stairs that descended further down, each creaking floorboard making her inwardly curse. Despite her efforts to stay quiet, the sound of her footsteps echoed through the empty tent, making her feel increasingly uneasy.
As she descended the stairs to the basement, she felt an eerie chill run down her spine. The musty smell of damp concrete mixed with something else, something that made her want to gag. And that's when she saw them - cages, lining the walls, one after another. She approached the first one, her heart pounding in her chest, but it was empty.
She moved on to the next and the next, but they were all the same - empty. Her stomach sank as she realized that whatever had been held in these cages was long gone. The silence was deafening, broken only by the sound of her own breathing. And then she smelled it - the unmistakable stench of death. It grew stronger the further she walked until it was almost suffocating.
“Y/n!” Hermione called out, not caring if she was caught. Yet, she heard nothing in return. Her head turned from left to right as she continued to hope that she would see Y/n.
Alive.
When she reached the end of the hall, the smell was overwhelming, and she soon noticed a makeshift sign that read ‘Morgue’. Hermione took a step back and shook her head.
“No…no, please” she begged out loud as tears filled her eyes. Was she too late?
Hermione then pulled out the compass again, but when she looked at it, it was pointing behind her. Y/n wasn't in there.
As Hermione walked down the dimly lit row of cells, her heart was racing with anticipation. She had to find the right one before it was too late. With each passing second, her sense of urgency grew stronger. She picked up her pace and started walking even faster than before. The sound of her footsteps echoed through the narrow corridor, making her feel even more anxious.
Suddenly, she noticed that the compass in her hand had started to turn to the left. Hermione's eyes flickered up and down, scanning the cages on either side of her. She was looking for something specific, something that would help her achieve her goal. The arrow on the compass was pointing straight ahead, but then, it made a sharp turn backward when she passed a certain cage.
Hermione stopped in her tracks and took a step back. She peered through the bars of the cage and saw what she had been looking for: her Y/n.
“Y/n!” she called out in a sigh of relief as the curled-up figure sat in the shadowed corner of the cell, Hermione had completely missed her the first time she had looked into it.
“I did what I was told, you promised to stop with the hallucinations” Y/n’s raspy voice replied as Hermione quickly unlocked the door and opened it. When she stepped in, she kept her distance. Hermione had no idea what kind of mental state Y/n was in, and she didn't want to scare her.
“Love, it's me. I've come to bring you home” she whispered back with tears in her eyes as she sank down to the floor on her knees, and fought back every urge to jump into Y/n’s arms.
Y/n slowly looked up, and her eyes began to widen like she had seen a dementor. In her entire time here, never once had she been shown an older Hermione in her forced hallucinations. She didn't know what that would look like, until now.
“Mione?” she called out softly as she slowly leaned forward and reached out to touch her. Hermione smiled as tears fell down her cheeks, feeling as Y/n’s fingertips traced her jaw.
Then she just flung herself into Hermione's arms, which the other girl quickly accepted with more happiness than she had felt in years.
“You're real! You found me!” Y/n cried out happily as she sobbed into Hermione’s shoulder, who was also fighting back an onslaught of tears.
“Of course” Hermione whispered back as she gave into her needs and kissed the side of Y/n’s head, but soon they parted as they looked into each other's eyes.
“We have to get out of here before they return”
——————
Two Weeks Later
Hermione lay in bed as Y/n slept beside her, her fingers running through the girl's hair as the clock struck midnight.
They both gave the exact location of the operation to the authorities as soon as Hermione got them to the nearest Wizarding Hospital.
They don't know if the authorities were able to stop the monsters from moving locations, but Hermione prayed hopefully.
Y/n had explained that she had been left behind by the sellers because she was getting too old. She was going to be killed that night once they got back. Which only made Hermione thank every higher power for her timing once she was told this information.
Hermione never pushed for any more information as time went on, only gaining the knowledge when Y/n would randomly spew it out.
All the little stories made her stomach turn.
Y/n was doing better, slowly starting to gain weight and relearning some basic things that had been lost to her over the years.
Hermione had taken her in immediately, watching Y/n like a hawk when old friends came by for a reunion, or if Rita Skeeter was trying to corner her for an interview when they sat outside.
She slowly pulled Y/n closer to her chest, running a comforting hand up and down her spine as she thought about everything.
“I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner” Hermione whispered as she kissed the top of Y/n’s head, and took in the smell of the new shampoo that Y/n had picked out when they went shopping the other day.
“But, I'll never let you go again” she promised softly as she let her eyes shut, and her lips kissed Y/n’s head a few more times.
“And I'll never forget you”
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