#he needs to prepare to become an auror

[slydeliss]

Severus Lives, but not freely, many want his head, Voldemort's followers must say. The need of a bodyguard at every public event is humiliating but becomes a habit, Harry volunteers and becomes his most paranoic protector, the need to protect the one who cared for him so much is unbearable.

Harry means well but he really needs to stop death-staring to the Waiters...

[in-class-daydreams]

Oh Yeah, Baby! (Sebastian Sallow x Reader)

Pairing: Auror!Sebastian Sallow x Pregnant!Fem!Reader Synopsis: You visit your husband at work, where you meet some of the new junior Aurors he's helping train. You're beyond pregnant by now, but some things never change. Alternatively: Just Because You’re Pregnant Doesn't Mean You Can't Throw Hands TW: On the spice scale, mayonnaise with a dash of paprika.

Hogwarts would always be the most beautiful piece of architecture you’ve ever witnessed, considering the hidden rooms you’ve become privy to and how the school brought you and your beloved husband together. That said, the Ministry of Magic was a close second with its tall, domelike structure with talented witches and wizards scurrying about making sure wizard society was on the up and up.

You tug at the waistband of your skirt. The bulk of your belly is at an angle where your skirt always rides up to accommodate and you are tired of it. You're due to pop any day now and no matter what anyone says, pregnancy is not a wonderland and you want this baby out now. You put a lot of thought into your coordinated work outfits with Sebastian, and Baby Sallow makes it impossible for you to wear half of them. Sure, you didn’t have to wear that particular skirt, but it’s easy to hitch up, and no matter what Sebastian says, it can’t hurt to be prepared.

On your way through the gates, you hear a voice call out to you. You turn to find a familiar face bouncing up to you. Venusia Crickerly is a tall, lithe woman with dark brown hair and a smattering of freckles across her nose. She has a thick Irish accent and is both a talented Auror and your husband’s boss, your own job making it easy for you and her to become fast friends. Though, you think, Venusia was the type of person who could make a friend out of a boggart, if she were so inclined.

“Look at you, you’re positively glowing!” she exclaims, pulling you into a big hug, conscious of your protruding stomach. “How are you?”

“I feel like a whale, but otherwise I’m quite well.”

She laughs. “Understood.”

The two of you proceed through the gate, chatting about work and the baby and Ve nusia’s new giant plant, Smashley.

“So, you’re bringing your doting husband lunch?” She points at the cloth wrapped parcel in your hands.

“Yes, but,” you wave your hand and a glass bottle of peach juice appears and floats over to her. “I had a feeling I’d see you today.”

Venusia squeals with delight and snatches the bottle out of the air to down half of it in one gulp. Peach juice was a bit hard to track down these days, but you’ve always been good at finding things, and your friend’s enthusiasm made it worth it.

“You’re a gem! I don’t know what Sallow did to make you fall for him, but it must’ve been magnificent!” she says.

Both of you flash your badges at the security checkpoint. The guard glances at them and lets you pass through the glamour-deactivating mist, which clears you without a hitch.

You smile at the memory. “The short of it is, we were at Hogwarts and I needed to get into the Restricted Section of the library. Sebastian helped me because he tended to do that kind of thing often.”

“Sounds like him.”

“Sebastian got caught first and instead of giving me up to secure himself a lesser punishment, he took the fall for me.” Even after all this time, you still feel giddy and shy thinking about it. How it felt to be protected by someone for a change. “Then all of a sudden I was head over heels.”

Venusia claps a hand over her heart. “How sweet! He’s been all in on you since the beginning, hasn’t he?”

You rest a hand on your bump. “He really has.”

Upon entry to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, you don’t see your husband anywhere in the bullpen. Venusia gestures for you to follow her down the leftmost hallway, which you remember from a tour with Sebastian leading towards the training arena.

As you pass the individual rooms with enchanted glass, you see various witches and wizards practicing spells on dummies or dueling with each other.

“State-of-the-art facilities, are they not?” Venusia says with pride.

“They really are,” you reply.

“You could have access to them, too, if you came to work for me.” She’s only half-teasing.

Admittedly, the thought had crossed your mind more than once. The Department of Mysteries gave you a substantial maternity leave considering your line of work was already hard on your own body. Exposing your unborn child to it could prove detrimental. That said, when you originally applied for the job, you were still the ‘live fast, die young’ type. You fought Ranrok and Victor Rookwood for three reasons: for Fig’s sake, for the greater good, and because you couldn’t just let them kill you because it’s the principle of the thing. If you were to fall, you’d want to fall in battle, but not to either of those two, because they were disgusting little mole men that needed to be put down. Suffice to say, starting a family didn’t really cross your mind.

Now, though, perhaps it was time to find an easier line of work so you could, you know, actually get to raise your child. The concept of Sebastian being a househusband was more than tempting. You’d come home from a long day, covered in soot and blood. Your husband would be home making dinner, a babe on his hip while a toddler clung to his legs.

Yes, the prodigal Auror, son of two professors, Master of the Dark Arts, doing housework for his beloved wife. You bite your lip at the delicious thought.

“-ello? Anyone home!” Venusia’s voice snaps you out of your daydream. When you come to, she’s eyeing you warily. “What’s gotten into you? Is it the babe?”

You shake your head. “It’s alright, I’m fine.”

She doesn’t seem to believe you, but doesn’t pry. There’s not much time, anyhow, since you come upon a larger gym where you know Sebastian and the other Aurors that go out in the field more often tend to train.

Venusia says her goodbyes and drops you off at the door. Your timing is impeccable, and you just manage to catch the unmistakable figure of your husband launching his opponent clear across the padded floor. You smile to yourself, thinking that if you weren’t viciously pregnant, you’d challenge Sebastian right now and thrash him soundly in front of his coworkers. One would think that would be a bit embarrassing as a husband, but the ever-surprising Sebastian quite enjoys getting schooled by you. After all, he originally fell for you while on his ass in Hecat’s classroom, your wand still hot and glowing.

Sebastian helps his coworker, whom you recognize, to his feet, another one sitting on the bench catches his attention and nods their head towards you. Your husband’s head snaps around like an owl and the goofiest grin spreads across his face. He drops his coworker on his ass and bounds up to you.

As he wraps you in a gentle hug, he doesn’t even bother to wipe the sweat off his brow and his forearms are glistening and peeking out of his rolled up sleeves. You inhale deeply, basking in your husband’s scent and thinking about how you’d love to make him sweat in a different capacity.

Sebastian pulls back. “Brought me lunch, did you? Can’t seem to keep away from me, can you?”

You hum contentedly and rest your hands on your baby bump (definitely more than a bump).

“If I could keep away from you, Sallow, I wouldn’t be here growing your child,” you reply.

Your husband smiles boyishly at you, his hands on your hips.

“Best learn to call me by my name. There’s about to be three of us living under one roof soon enough,” he counters.

From across the room, his sparring partner calls out to him. You recognize most of the group from a number of work functions you’ve accompanied Sebastian to, but not him.

“Oi, Bastian!” called his coworker with a thick Scottish accent. He and a few of the others - the ones you don’t recognize - jog over. “This your wife?”

“My favorite one, anyway,” Sebastian says and grins cheekily. You swat him in the shoulder. “Love, these are some of the rookies. They’re getting some hands-on learning from us today.”

You greet Sebastian’s juniors and shake all of their hands. Part of you feels old now that you’ve met new Aurors when yours and Sebastian’s N.E.W.T.s feel like yesterday, but you ignore it and decide to feel old once your child goes off to Hogwarts.

“You’re the Unspeakable, then?” A young woman in the back asks. She looks like she should still be in secondary school, but you have been noticing that the young people have begun to look younger.

“The one with Ancient Magic?” someone gasps in awe.

“Ancient Magic! I heard she can damn well chuck lightning at someone!” exclaims another.

You laugh and shake your head. “Something like that.”

“You should spar with Reilly!”

“Yeah!”

The junior Aurors clamor, eager to see your skills in action. You open your mouth to gently decline, but are interrupted by the entrance of the one junior who didn’t come running up to you.

The young man is tall, about Sebastian’s height with dark blond hair and blue eyes. He has a smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks. In fact, something about him reminds you of your husband when you first met him.

Oh. Now you remembered. Your husband had mentioned him more than a few times in passing. He stated that the boy was ‘quite good for a cheeky bastard,’ which meant that you were right on the money and the lad reminds Sebastian of himself.

“You called for me?” Reilly asks, hand in his pockets.

His peers clamor and urge him to spar with you. How it’s a great opportunity and not every new Auror gets to practice with an Unspeakable, much less one of your caliber.

“Now, really, I can’t,” Reilly insists. “Not against a witch with a record such as hers.”

Flatterer.

Reilly places his hands behind his back. “Not pregnant, anyway. I’ll wait to earn my victory fair and square when she’s at full power.”

Never fucking mind.

Sebastian lets out a tired sigh and rests a hand on your arm. “My love, you don’t have to–”

“Here are the terms, then, boy,” you say, smiling, hands clasped in front of you. “Obviously, you can’t attack me, but if you can evade me for thirty seconds, you win. Actually, that’s unreasonable. I’ll say twenty.”

Reilly scowls. “Thirty.”

You shrug and gesture for him to lead the way.

“Please don’t injure him too badly,” Sebastian implores you. “This could be a learning experience for him, but not if you slam him into the ground.”

You wave him off. “Experience is the best teacher!” you insist.

“Experiencing broken ribs and a shattered ego is not,” Sebastian sighs, but pulls out his watch to time you. "Remember what the doctor said!"

"That I'd be just fine performing magic?" you say dryly.

"That your powers make your body unpredictable. Just be careful." Sebastian goes to take his place.

You and Reilly draw your wands and stand on opposite sides of the padded floor. His peers watch eagerly from the sidelines and you even see some money change hands between them.

“Ready?” Sebastian asks from a platform overlooking the arena.

You remind yourself to honor Sebastian's wishes and not overdo it. The doctor said you were free to perform magic and the baby would be just fine, but you ought to keep in moderation.

You and Reilly nod and Sebastian starts the duel.

Feeling generous, you cast a few basic spells at the young Auror to test him out. He deflects them easily. A few times, he simply dodges instead of casting protego. When he dodges one of your other attacks, he takes a moment to wink at the group of his peers.

Just like Sebastian indeed. Extraordinarily gifted and all too aware of it. Your guess is that, like Sebastian, he learns best when he faces someone far better than himself.

You feel the familiar crackling of electricity coursing through your veins. You feint and telegraph the movement to ensure your opponent puts up a defensive shield. Thunder roars and you bring down a particularly gentle beam of lightning crashing into his shield, which holds, but the force of impact sends him slamming into the floor, where he lays winded.

Above you, Sebastian calls the match, then gazes down at you fondly. He bites his lip and you just know his heart is racing from your display of power. It never fails. You feel warmth pool between your legs.

Reilly has struggled to his feet and declined his peers’ attempts to help him walk. You frown at the slight bruise forming on his cheek but he gives you a weak smile. He holds his hand out for you to shake, which you do. Then you frown at the growing wet feeling between your legs. You’d only ever felt that way about your husband.

As the wetness grows, you look down and see the front of your skirt is wet and it’s seeping into your socks and shoes. Then it clicks. Who knew all it took was a bit of lightning?

“Ah. The baby’s coming,” you say.

Reilly looks horrified. "What? Are you sure?" he shouts.

You nod. "Quite sure. Seb!" You call up to your husband. "We need to go to the hospital!"

Sebastian quickly makes his way to you. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"Oh, no." You wave a hand. "The baby's coming, so we should head over before I get more fluids on the floor."

Sebastian pales. "The baby's coming??! Lead with that next time!"

You wrinkle your nose. "Next time? I'm not sure if I'm letting you do this to me again, this was not a fun experience."

"Just--!" Sebastian groans in frustration. "Let's go!" Sebastian ushers you to the nearest exit before you can say another word.

[daegutowns]

svt as your hogwarts boyfriend

tags: hogwarts au, gn!reader

gryffindor: seungcheol, hoshi, chan 

seungcheol: quidditch team beater, quidditch team captain

prepare to be sick of him!! 

very competitive, so match days are always so big for him

if you’re not dripped out in gryffindor colors (regardless of which house you’re in), it’s over. he’ll be so pouty and whiny

“baby, it’s match day. why are you not wearing your custom made quidditch jersey i made for you?”  

“don’t talk to me, you’re wearing [house other than gryffindor] colors. nope, obviously you don’t wish me good luck.” 

big bad quidditch team captain has nothing on his lover 

says he plays better when you’re cheering for him 

claims he’s mcgonagall’s best student

he’s actually very good at transfigurations

he wants to be an auror one day, so this is just a step in the process

mcgonagall actually does adore him

very protective of his quidditch team members and would gladly start a fight to defend any one of them (hot-headed but won’t admit it) 

always says he’ll buy you anything, no matter how many galleons he has to spend

actually gets upset if you try to pay for your own chocolate frog on the train

the type to always want to sit next to you if you share a class together (except potions)

hoshi: quidditch team chaser 

he is mr. horanghae…. mr. quidditch is in my blood…. mr. tiger chaser 

his plans are to become a professional quidditch team player

the british national quidditch team coach has already scouted him out

genuinely a quidditch prodigy, since he’s a muggleborn wizard. just picked up a quaffle and was an instant baller 

mcgonagall’s pride and joy…. she lives and breathes quidditch 

he has nothing else going on for him academically, really -- just trying to pass and that’s it lol 

snape hates his guts. didn’t even have to do much, really 

only asks for quidditch stuff for his birthday

he loves when you shout out nonsense stuff like “get ‘em tiger!” or “horanghae!” or “tiger’s gaze!” during the quidditch match. it’s soooo embarrassing for you but it actually gets him fired up 

the type to fall asleep in class and then ask you for notes afterwards 

chan: 

he wants to be on the quidditch team starting line so bad, but he’s been benched… then injured… then benched again… 

but he’s, like, lowkey highkey very good at defense against the dark arts??? 

like, conjured a patronus at the age of 12 kind of good

comes from a family of aurors (his dad’s side), so this kind of just runs in his blood 

he offers to tutor you in it because it’s his greatest passion in life 

of course, he’ll need some tutoring in all the other subjects…. snape has lit his ass on fire (metaphorically, for legal purposes) due to many badly made, strange potions he’s made 

hufflepuff: dk, mingyu, seungkwan, vernon 

mingyu: quidditch team beater 

of course this big puppy is a hufflepuff! but, he’s the most gryffindor-like hufflepuff ever

even the sorting hat had trouble placing him in the correct house, but ultimately chose hufflepuff 

he honestly didn’t even know if he should be trying out for the quidditch team, but dk brought him there and he barely even had to struggle at tryouts

his big frame and strong arms make him an excellent beater

he still has a fear of heights, he just forgets about it during quidditch (like what)

he loves when you praise him for his quidditch skills, especially after a particularly hard practice or grueling game 

he just wants to be held in your arms near the fireplace, is that too much to ask for ?!?!?!!?!!

surprisingly very smart at most subjects too, especially potions

the only thing he struggles with is herbology (like wtf would he be doing near all these screaming plants or oozing flowers????) 

kind of based for a hufflepuff to not be good at herbology bc of professor sprout but alas…. 

he loves care of magical creatures, because he’s like a dog -- just friends with everyone 

he’s kind of like the cedric diggory type ngl -- well liked, friendly, athletic, smart 

the type to want to walk around the castle holding hands all the time 

deekay: quidditch team chaser 

the most stereotypical hufflepuff ever 

so kind, so loyal, so hardworking, so….. 

the happy virus, sunshine, rainbows shooting out of his ass kind of guy

seriously, there’s not one hufflepuff that doesn’t love him 

he plans on becoming a charms professor at hogwarts one day! 

he’s soooo good at charms 

so much so that girls around hogwarts giggle and call him a charmer

like he got people blushing n shit 

turned down the offer to become captain because it was a lot of pressure! he is still going to be the next quidditch team captain next year. 

he simply did not have a choice in this matter 

loves going to hogsmeade and sitting in the three broomsticks with his friends laughing because it’s so cozy. he wants to live in that feeling forever 

the type to send you a love letter by owl on valentines day to watch your reaction while you sit with your friends 

seungkwan: hogwarts choir soprano 

he is THE boo seungkwan of the hogwarts choir! 

professor flitwick (the conductor of the choir) is always amazed at his performance ability. seungkwan has never Not had a solo in the hogwarts annual christmas choir performance 

likes to watch quidditch practices while he does his divination essays 

he feels like it gives them a certain vibe while he makes up dreams about his imaginary rabbit dying for trelawney 

if dk was everyone’s crush, seungkwan is everyone’s friend

there’s no table he’s not welcome to sit at, and definitely no house that would turn him away

the most social butterfly in hogwarts, even more so than the weasley twins

his networking capabilities is insane, but necessary for his life path 

he wants to work in the ministry of magic, close to the minister of magic 

this requires lots of connections! he wants to collect those wizard society inductions like pokemon cards 

the type to ask you to come to his birthday party as a special guest but he actually invited half the castle and dumbledore 

vernon: 

he’s just here for the vibes 

very seriously collecting all the chocolate frog cards. if you see one, please check with vernon to see if he has it or not. he’ll give away the ones he doesn’t need and is always willing to trade

please help him. this is his life’s goal right now

is really good at quidditch but doesn’t really vibe with organized sports, so he just comes to tryouts to play with other people

tried to start a recreational interhouse quidditch team to play outside of the house matches but it turned messy so he gave up 

really good at herbology and care of magical creatures! he just understands 

not sure what he wants to do in the future, but he’s honestly down for whatever

the type to ask you if you’re free for a date and then forget, so you both end up just asking the house elves in the kitchen for food 

ravenclaw: jun, wonwoo, woozi

jun: quidditch team chaser  

another person who is just here for the ride

just naturally gifted at a lot of subjects, so he doesn’t really study that much for the exams either. it really makes other people mad

once you asked him for help in a class (“jun, why is this the right answer?”) and he just gave too vague answers (“that’s just the order the things are put in.”) that you just kind of gave up 

will definitely be asleep in class if you let him 

history of magic is spent 90% of the time with his head on the desk sleeping away zzz

sometimes just gets really sleepy, what can he say???

a really good chaser, but just plays quidditch because it’s fun

he goes to practice because games/matches are more fun when you’re actually good at playing 

self-dubbed “arthur wen of quidditch”

what does it mean??? you will have to ask him yourself

the type to sneak you into his bed on friday nights so you can spend all weekend cuddling together

wonwoo: prefect  

what an absolute heartthrob

he’s not really a man of many words, so he was genuinely surprised when he became a prefect for his house 

is actually a very understanding and caring prefect

he doesn’t really like taking points away from other houses or giving out detentions and only uses it as a last resort 

you can usually find him reading novels/writing essays in the library (madam pince is very enamored with him) or playing wizard chess in the ravenclaw common room

he’s VERY good at wizard’s chess

if he could be a professional wizard’s chess player, he would.

ron weasley has nothing on jeon wonwoo

a lot of younger ravenclaws like asking him questions because he always explains things so thoroughly and patiently

tutors younger students in other houses for extra money -- fellow ravenclaws free of charge! -- and sends it to his family 

wants to be a professor at hogwarts but still isn’t sure which subject he wants to teach. he figures he could be a librarian like madam pince if he were allowed to be

the type to gift you a new book on christmas every year and highlight/annotate things that reminded him of you 

woozi: 

also legendary in the hogwarts choir

he arranges all the pieces for both the choir and band

wants to be a professional wizard producer and music writer

once got to meet the weird sisters and got a random muggle t-shirt signed by them that he carries like his most prized possession

other than that, he just like hanging out with you, his friends, and going to the quidditch matches whenever ravenclaw plays 

he’s not really that interested in other house matches unless it’s an important one that affects ravenclaw 

he tries to be interested in your house’s matches too (if you’re not a ravenclaw) but you can tell he would rather not 

tends to befriend a lot of gryffindors (like seungcheol and hoshi) for some reason unknown to even himself 

the type to write poems to you when he gets bored in class 

slytherin: jeonghan, joshua, hao

jeonghan: prefect

oh, don’t even try to mess with him, because he will get you back and worse 

definitely takes advantage of his prefect status way more than he should, but rules are meant to be bent 

sneaks you into the prefect bathroom because “you shouldn’t have to take a bath with the rest of the normies” or so he says. 

likes pranks and practical jokes, so he often turns a blind eye to the weasley twins when they stir up trouble 

they have an unspoken partnership

weasley twins don’t prank him, jeonghan doesn’t snitch on them 

it’s honestly a win-win for both of them. 

he’s really good at charms

this is mostly because it teaches you shortcuts of how to do everyday things but just faster and lazier with magic 

his favorite is using the duplication charm to make copies of polaroids he took with you so both of you can have a copy of it 

he likes messing with the younger students and getting them to loosen up (like what are they always so serious for?) with him + reminding people when to have fun (but also when to buckle up!) 

the type to ask you on a date to three broomsticks and then prank you into thinking he forgot his wallet in his room 

joshua: head boy 

classic head boy vibes from a gentle sexy. jk he is so chaotic, but no one really expects it from him until after he gets all these privileges 

you want a permit to paint a brick pink? just a single brick? okay done.

you want to rearrange the quidditch trophies by most to least impressive accomplishment? okay done. 

you want to take a date walking around the castle while he patrols the hallways? okay done. 

he lives for the things that are ambiguously not breaking the rules but definitely not abiding by them either 

kind of athletic (grew up playing quidditch in his neighborhood around the other wizard children) but never liked it enough to actually play for the team

it’s way too competitive + he wants more time for you. it’s already hard enough with all the head boy stuff 

also was in the hogwarts band but then it was too much work so he only did it for a year 

very gifted in potions and transfigurations! 

he always wants you to teach him the more boring subjects like history of magic since he always finds himself doodling instead of listening or dozing off in that class

his dream is to become a healer at st. mungo’s hospital for magical maladies

likes to tease you that you’re mrs. head boy 

he treats you like you’re the first lady and he’s the president. it’s a very american way of thinking, but then again, he is american. 

if he catches you doing bad stuff, you’re legally required to write him a love letter. it’s the rules. no detention, no points taken away from your house. just a nice love letter. 

the type to let you dress/style him for all your dates because he wants to have matching outfits always

hao: quidditch team seeker

he’s actually one of the most popular people in slytherin house due to his insane skills as seeker

his catch rate is insane, like he can sniff out the snitch on the field

he’s already set to play for the national team in the U20 league and for the montrose magpies (the british-irish quidditch league team with the most wins)

his knack for flying was discovered during their first year flying class with madam hooch. after the class, she spoke with snape and set him up to shadow the quidditch team to be on the starting lineup starting his second year

he pretends like he doesn’t care if you come support his matches or not but is always visibly happy when you do

the times when you can’t because you’ve got a big essay due the next day or you’re sick is when he pretends he doesn’t mind (because you gotta focus on yourself too!) 

his favorite subject is divination (because he really vibes with the tea leaf readings)

but, his best subject is astronomy. he’s the best student as has been the best student in astronomy out of your entire year (all 7 years!) 

the type to ask you if you want to share your scarf while you walk around the castle together 

[starsofleo]

prompt: attack|day: 25|word count: 511|@rosekillermicrofic

tw: grief result of MCD, cop bashing

“You’re sure this is them?” Barty asks, eyes narrowing as he worries his bottom lip between his teeth and stares at the small cottage.

He never pictured Alice living in a place like this—quaint and perfect, with a little white picket fence and tulips in window boxes.

The Alice he knows wears all black, has a mullet, listens to metal, and had pierced her own nose fifth year.

This isn’t her. 

They’re friends. Well… they were friends.

Before the war.

Before the Dark Mark on his forearm.

Before the argument that made her stop speaking to him.

Before she got married to that stupid bloody Hufflepuff and decided to become a cop like him.

Before Barty had saved her life by warning her about the plan to attack her house. 

Before she helped kill Evan.

Before she killed him.

She killed him.

Barty was there. Evan had saved Frank’s life. He’d saved that bastard’s life and the Aurors had attacked him for it.

Five on one.

How is that fair?

Cruel and unusual is what it is.

Though, Barty guesses, not that unusual for a bunch of fucking cops.

He blinks and realizes Bellatrix must’ve responded and has led him and the others up through the garden. Frank and Alice have to know they’re here by now. There’s not enough time for them to flee. Are they hiding their small son? Is Alice saying goodbye to him? Frank will probably be standing at front of the door trying to protect her.

Alice doesn’t need his protection—she’s one of the most talented witches in Britain. It’s Frank that’ll need her protection.

Barty slams into Bellatrix’s back and curses as he rights himself using her hips, and she spins around to stare at him.

“The fuck, Black?” he spits, letting go as he glares at her. Why does she have to look so much like Regulus? He’s grieved enough over his best friend, why does she have to rub it in his face by existing?

“Are you prepared for this? I can’t deal with you seeing her and losing your nerve. I have enough going on here,” Bellatrix says, and it almost sounds like she actually cares.

“I’m fine. They’re going to pay for what they did to him,” Barty growls under his breath and makes to move around her but she places a hand on his shoulder and keeps him there.

“My point is that I need you to stay sane and not go taking your revenge out right away. You can’t just kill them. We need information, Crouch.”

Right. The Dark Lord. That’s what she cares about.

“Yeah, I fucking got it.” Barty’s glare turns murderous, and he pulls out of her grasp.

Fuck all of them. At this point, he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care what information they want. He doesn’t care that they want to bring the Dark Lord back. There’s nothing left for him.

All Barty wants is to be in Evan’s arms. But he doesn’t get that.

Instead, he’s going to burn the world down.

This is an 18+ blog. Minors DNI

[tarasmithshifts]

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐃𝐑 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓 part 1

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐑. 3 years 𝐀𝐆𝐄. 17-20 𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏: sirius, remus, james, lily, peter, dorcas, marlene, mainly people from gryffindor and ravenclaw

𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒. taken

「 ✦ 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓷𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼 ✦ 」

im crying rn. I AM SO HAPPY TO BE BACK IN THIS DR SOME CRAZY STUFF HAPPENED SOOOOO LETS GET INTO IT. THREE YEARS. gosh this is so crazy

— ୨୧₊˚ click here to read part 1 of my last update

— ୨୧₊˚ click here to read part 2 of my last update

i will write this storytime in 3 parts probably, i am noooooooot ready. NOT AT ALL.

be ready for 2 next parts because in this one nothing really happened, there was nothing crazy or something. let's say it's an interlude to the next 2 parts 🌷🌷🌷

「 ✦ 7th year ✦ 」

𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓮 - 7𝓽𝓱 𝔂𝓮𝓪𝓻

summer - sirius got his own place to live

summer- i bought a house in yorkshire

september - june -> final school year

july - odd proposition

okay so as we know we are in year 1977!! my last year at hogwarts with marauders :'( literally one of my best shifting experiences was hogwarts with my boys and girlssss

okay let's go because this is gonna be crazyyyyyyyyyy

ＳＵＭ ＭＥＲ

— ୨୧₊˚ last shift update ended in may and here i just wanted to say that i of course graduated!!! i just don't like wasting space for that info bc it's so obvious lmaoo

okay soooo i bought my house, as well as sirius!!! we got money from Alphard, who passed away and we split the money in half. i afforded a cottage in yorkshire, where i moved on in july, i was contacting with remus through letters, also because war intesified. then one day in the beginning of august he appeared at my front door and i kneeeeeeeeew something was wrong. and i was like "what is going on???" he asked if he can come inside, i said he doesn't have to ask and that he can ofc come inside, we sat in my living room and HOLY SHIT

lyall lupin is dead y'all.

my jaw was on the floor. and he didn't show any emotion while he was saying me that. and i was there. DEVASTETED. apparently death eaters killed him when he helped some aurors with their job outside of london, and he said that he just got the news from ministry.

and we sat there.

in my living room.

in silence.

gosh you should've seen him. i was not prepared to this at ALL. AT ALL.

so uhhh we decided that he will stay at my place for few days (he stayed with me all summer hahaha) the next day we went over to sirius to tell him, as he knew lyall as well. during next week remus planned, but it was right before full moon so i said to him that i will take care of it. i didn't want him to stuggle even more. full moon happened on 16 of july, remus was in worse state that i expected but we got through it :') the funeral happened few days later, it was a small ceremony, without anybody around us. in documents it was stated that lyall had a heart attack so there wasn't any problems with people thinking about how he actually died. he was buried next to hope lupin :(

we spent whole summer at my house, sometimes visiting his to clean up or move some stuff, and sometimes we visited boys and i went over to lily 💗 i don't have much to talk about here so i'm not going to describe anything lmao

and one of the things that we do at my house is listening to remus mum records from the opera 🥲🥲🥲🥲 it’s so cute and i can confirm, his mum was AMAZING

also i forgot to say that during summer sirius and james encountered two Muggle police officers on FLYING MOTORBIKE. are you kidding me LMAO 😭😭😭

S C H O O L Y E A R

in this school year most of the time we spent learning for our finals :')

i needed to pass 5 N.E.W.T.s so i had a lot of work to do, as i wanted to become auror in the ministry.

also many people we knew from ministry was dying because of war, all of them were mentioned in daily propet, we read it DAILY. we didn't care for it earlier, but from that moment we read it religiously.

i think that we were also scared that there will appear a name of someone that we knew personally.

hogwarts was not the same that year.

also james and lily were made head boy and girl of gryffindor! james was super proud of himself and at the beginning he was telling EVERYONE around how cool he is. and lily is super happy with him which i'm so THANKFULLLLLL they are so cute you need to believe me lmao 💗💗

me and remus were helping each other A LOT during this school year, because of n.e.w.t.s i saw that he was super stressed about them :/

alsooo we had inter-house quidditch cup!!! we had some changes in positions, me and sirius took beaters positions (which is pretty funny because years later fred and george weasley had this position too, and they are also twins lmao) arthur browne took the keeper postition, james, geoffrey fawley and marlene were chasers, and phoebe dawson was a seeker.

also regulus became captain of slytherin team, and gryffindor lost match with them, so we were super angry but it is what it is lmao 😭

also boys did not spend that much time with each other, all of them became more serious about their future (okay, maybe except sirius lol) so they were not doing that much pranks etc. i spent more time with lily, she helped me a lot with potions too, also we sat together on potions because slughorn LOVED HER. literally she was his pearl in the eye,he invited her to his partys etc, gave her books she could learn from even more, which helped me not her LMAO 😭😭😭😭😭😭

ALSO from funny things that happened, one night after mine and sirius' birthday, we were sitting down in boys dormitory, me, ofc marauders, marlene, lily and dorcas, there was silent moment and sudenly dorcas went "is it only me or dumbledore is gay" AND WE WERE LIKE "WHAT" and we had full debate if he is gay or not LMAO and yup the verdict was that he is gayest of all gays ever LMAOOOOOOOOO 😭😭😭😭😭😭

about n.e.w.t.s - I PASSED 6 SUCCESSFULLY IM SO HAPPY AHHHHHHHHHHH

DADA - i totally slayed this one HA

POTIONS - it went better than i thought, so i'm safe with this one

CHARMS - it went even better after dada exams because i was sure it will be easier than dada one, and i was right

TRANSFIGURATION - thanks to mcgonagall, without her i would be screwed with one lmao

HISTORY OF MAGIC - okay this one went worse than i expected but i still got E

CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES - this one was HELL. literal HELL TO ME because i did not like this subject and learning it for n.e.w.t.s was a torture, but i passed it with E

me and remus decided to move into my house together :')) so did lily and james, they bought a cute house at godric's hollow 💗💗💗

J U L Y

me and remus lived in yorkshire, we used teleportation to see sirius, peter, james and lily from time to time. in the middle of july sirius appeared at our door. we were at home, so we let him in. and he started yapping about some kind of order, he was talking so fast we literally had no idea what he was saying. when we sat him down, he started from the beginnig, and he told us about the order of pheonix. that dumbledore is looking for people that are talented and brave enough to fight against voldemort. and that he wants to prepare us before dumbledore will appear at our door. he said that he already joined the order, as well as peter. he started telling us who already is there, and that he wants to give us more time to think because albus wants immidiate decision.

so after sirius left me and remus were talking for HOURS about what should we say to dumbledore after he will appear. and we both agreeded that joining order will be the best decision for us. we could finally help in war, and not only help other wizards but also save muggles.

in the evening somebody appeared at our door. we heard the teleportation sound outside. out there it was very dark, like every light on the street disapeared. remus told me to stay inside and opened the door by himself with his wand raised, but he only saw dumbledore, and immediately lowered wand. dumbledore looked at him and just said "if it wasn't me, you would be dead already remus."

i stood in the kitchen but observed the whole thing, and finally stood outside so albus would see me too. "you should ask me a question" said dumbledore, still not coming inside. i just stood there and waited for remus to say something, and remus finally spoke "who told severus snape about the secret" obviously he was telling about the prank, dumbledore only smiled and said "oh of course mr. black" and came inside. he looked around and i showed him the way to living room. me and remus sat on the couch, while dumbledore sat on huge armchair that we bought recently. "you need to be more creative next time" he said "they can get such and information" and after that he started to TALK and when i say talk, he talked for like about 30 minutes NON STOP. about the order, about his trust in us, about the need of our magic, about the importance of defeating voldemort. and after he stopped talking, he just looked at us, and we both immediately said "yes".

and from that moment, nothing ever will be the same.

「 ✦ end notes ✦ 」

gosh i finally published this

HELLO IM SO BACKKKKK and i can't wait to tell you more, because this was super short and it was just the beginning of spiral chaos that will happen, so BE READY.

anyways, IM SO HAPPYYYYY and i can't wait to tell you moreeeeeeeeeeee 🌷💫💗

[sitp-recs]

hi! would you recs some fic where draco & harry are in a love/hate relationship ? thanks

Hi there! Some fics came to mind, you might also want to check these rec lists: enemies to lovers and hate sex. Enjoy!

Clean by @shealwaysreads (E, 1k)

Sometimes they fight, sometimes they do the other thing.

Defined Parameters by Amelior8or (E, 4k)

Harry is a security officer on a ship stuck in the far end of the Delta Quadrant. Malfoy is the Maquis First Officer they tentatively have an alliance with. If they're going to spend the next 70,000 lightyears together, they need to define the parameters of their power. They just so happen to define it on the Holodeck, during a bout of Turkish oil wrestling.

Between Two Fires of Beltane by secretsalex (E, 5k)

As the war drags on, Draco becomes a spy for Voldemort and works his way into Harry’s good graces—and his bed. When the Order prepares to invade Malfoy Manor, Draco is forced to examine his loyalties.

November Flush by @thecouchsofa (E, 5k)

Draco Malfoy might be an absolute raging arsehole, but he gives Harry exactly what he needs.

Let Me Have You and I'll Let You Save Me by Frayach (M, 6k)

Draco keeps coming back, and Harry keeps letting him. Draco can’t stay away, and Harry can’t live without him.

What I Do to You by gracerene (E, 9k)

These days, apathy fogs Harry's mind. Malfoy's the only one who makes Harry feel anything at all. Harry doesn't really care that the feelings aren't good ones. He deserves it.

I'll never be your chosen one by Andithiel (E, 15k)

Draco doesn't know what exactly he’s doing with Potter, he doesn't know how their unspoken agreement even started, and doesn't know where it will end. The only thing he knows is: he's not in love.

Vanishing Cabinets by Romaine (E, 18k)

Take one Wizarding Family Values politician who has a secret life, and add one Auror who detests discrimination of any type, but becomes a bit obsessed with said politician, and you have enough sparks to ignite a Beltane fire.

Another Mask Behind You by lettered (E, 116k)

Draco is a high-end prostitute who hides his identity. Harry unknowingly hires him. And then there is porn, questions about identity, domestic bliss, more porn, and truth as seen through a web of lies.

He Comes Like a Thunderstorm by korlaena (E, 140k)

Draco is doing his best to balance the life he wants to live and the life he’s forced to live. He’s nearing the tail-end of a long, post-war probation when Harry Potter crashes back into his life with all the grace of a charging Erumpent, breaking through his carefully constructed rules and routine. Caught up in a whirlwind of sex and lust, Potter unwittingly shows Draco that his life as an Incubus doesn’t have to be as lonely and unfulfilling as he thought, but how long can it last?

Temptation on the Warfront by alizarincrims0n (E, 180k)

Draco Malfoy is forced into hiding with the Golden Trio and dragged into their search for horcruxes. What ensues is a journey of redemption, unexpected friendships and an unwanted, turbulent romance with Harry Potter. Warnings for swearing, sexual content, and dark themes.

Bonus: Dronarry scene from a Dron series 👀

Hard to Explain by MildredMost (E, 6k)

Draco is so desperate to avoid the misery of post-war Malfoy Manor, that he and Ron and have fallen into an enemies-with-benefits arrangement. They don't expect Harry to catch them out.

[tedwardremus]

Rage Against The Dying Of The Light

Chapter 11: The Patronus in the Kitchen

There was a reason Frank Longbottom had become a popular figure in the press during the war—he was, quite simply, very easy to like. His approachable demeanor and unwavering positivity stood out against the often grim backdrop of the conflict. Frank had a natural charm that endeared him to the public and his colleagues alike. When James and his friends joined the Order, many of the members were wary of the group's youth and inexperience, fearing that they might become liabilities in an already dangerous situation. Frank, however, saw things differently. While others were cautious, Frank recognized the potential in James and Sirius. Frank was supportive and generous with his time, teaching James and Sirius Auror tactics. Frank took a seat, casually crossing his ankle or knee. He lit his pipe with his wand and puffed before looking around at the others in the room. "Alright, what’s on the agenda today?" "We're working on a draft statement for you to read in front of the Wizengamot," Avalon explained. "We want to address the issues with the Aurors working against the Ministry during the war and individuals in the department knowingly collaborating with Death Eaters. We also want to highlight the need for proper justice, not rushed convictions." Frank nodded thoughtfully as he read over the draft they had prepared. "They’ll not want to hear it," he said, his tone practical.

[seriouslysam8]

Do you see Harry as a professor or Auror trainer? I could see him temporarily becoming an Auror trainer if he injured himself and needed time off the field work for a bit but I can’t see him doing it permanently. I can’t see him becoming a professor at all. If I’m reading a fic and someone has him transitioning to a professor I end up losing interest. I could see him dropping in DADA from time to time a guest speaker but there is NO WAY Harry Potter is wiling to take a career where he has to read through multiple papers and prepare for exams. I can see him loving the practical part but that’s it. It would become dull in seconds, and Harry wouldn’t last more than a year. I know a lot of people write him becoming an Auror then professor, because of ootp but Harry Potter doesn’t like paper work, and grading multiple papers for people would be a headache for him. But the thrill of solving a case and locking up criminals is exactly where Harry belongs.

I agree with you. I know that’s an unpopular opinion.

I just cannot jive with DADA professor Harry. It actually makes me nope out of a story. Harry is smart, but he’s not studious. He’d be bored to tears grading essays and tests and all that. I think he’d enjoy the practical teaching, but it’s all the back end stuff that he’d hate. I feel like he’d be so bored that he’d perk up when someone said they lost their quill so he could investigate the case of the missing quill to make life a little more exciting.

I DO like him eventually becoming an Auror trainer when he’s old. I can see him teaching a dueling class with no essays or tests. It’s all practical and it’s very much like the DA and he enjoys it in his old age.

[bridenore]

HD fic recs : mpreg!draco (part 1)

Here are a few recs involving mpreg!Draco. This is part one of two and focuses on shorter fics (up to 30k). Listed in alphabetical order, as always.

And Hope Says, Perhaps Today by @thisbloodycat [10k]

It’s for the best, Draco keeps telling himself—over and over like an endless mantra. But self-deception has never been that high on his list of coping techniques.

Azkaban Redemption by Sita_Z [15k]

Post-war Azkaban has no dementors, but Trainee Auror Potter still feels as if it is sucking out his soul. He would leave, if not for a certain inmate who clearly needs his help. Harry Potter is about to become obsessed with Draco Malfoy again.

The Baby by @kikibluemay [5k]

It was supposed to be an easy affair, devoid of complications. Then Draco got pregnant.

Close To Ever After by oldenuf2nb / @dianacopland [15k]

When Harry Potter finds he’s been cursed, he withdraws from the world and prepares to die. But when have things ever gone the way Harry Potter planned?

Coming to Terms by RurouniHime / @thegertie [16k]

Of all the lives in all the world, Harry had to own this one.

Dissonance by BummedOutWriter [17k]

Draco met Harry’s eyes directly, and spoke to him for the first time in eleven months, “Avada…”

 The rest was muffled in trauma as Harry felt a familiar warmth of magic, a flash of emerald light descending rapidly as he squeezed his eyes shut, and braced for—

Or: In which Draco becomes a death eater, has a daughter, and tries to forget about her.

Heal Me Slow (Love Me Fast) by crazyparakiss  [11k]

Being a father had never been in the cards.

Here Comes the Sun by ad_libitum [5k]

He’s touching me the way he did that morning, with a reverence I didn’t deserve then but now couldn’t be more fitting: this child we’ve made cradled within me and between us, flesh, blood, and bone spun from our deepest, most desperate desires.

Hold Close Your Heart and Take the Leap by  @dracogotgame [19k]

Draco knows he needs to tell Potter their lives are about to change forever. But ‘knowing’ and ‘doing’ are two very different things.

“I’d Rather Change Nappies Than Have My Cock Sucked” and Other Ravings of a Pregnant Wizard by Frayach [23k]

Like everything else between Harry and Draco, pregnancy and child rearing are fraught with drama

If Wishes Were Children by oldenuf2nb / @dianacopland [14k]

Harry Potter has tried to move on with his life after Draco Malfoy walked away from him months before with little or no explanation, but it’s been hard. Then, on a joyous day at the Burrow, Narcissa Malfoy makes an unexpected appearance…

If You Miss It, Try Again by dodgerkedavra [23k]

The healers promised Draco he wouldn’t get pregnant a second time.

They were wrong.

And this time, he’s pregnant with his best friend and roommate Harry Potter’s baby.

Nine months is all he has to figure it out.

In a party bathroom by KatieScarlet [16k]

He hadn’t even wanted to go to the ridiculous party, let alone planned on shagging Potter in a port-a-john while he was there. But he did, and oh, what fun the consequences it brought were…

Jolene by @romaine2424 [21k]

Harry comes back from a mandatory holiday and finds that an Auror raid on his favourite establishment could expose his biggest secret.   However, another has even more secrets than he does at stake.

Jolene Deux by @romaine2424 [5k]

Draco makes special plans after being told by his Healer that he’s fully recovered from being pregnant and having given birth to his and Harry’s daughter, Violet.  I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into Harry’s and Draco’s future life together.  The story begins immediately after where Jolene ended.

Jump Into the Fog by taradiane [9k]          

Draco returns to Hogwarts for his eighth year carrying a secret that will change not just his life, but Harry’s as well.

Never the Same Again by dragon_charmer / Frances Potter [22k]

The war is over … in fact it never really got started because the Dark Lord proved to be the more powerful. Now five years after Dumbledore’s death, Draco Malfoy has something else to worry about besides being a spy.

‘Ohana by plumeria47 [11k]

It started off so simple: sex whenever they wanted it, with no further expectations.  But life has a funny way of turning everything up on its head.

On Truth and Understanding by @iero0  [21k]

“I questioned it,” Draco says, factual as though to convince himself. “I questioned everything I’ve been taught as a child.”

“To what decision did you come then? Do you want children?” Harry asks.

“It’s sometimes hard to know,“ Draco replies oddly quickly, "what one really wants.”

–

Draco doesn’t know how to say certain things. Harry doesn’t know how to ask for them. On a sultry summer’s night, they finally talk about past wounds, current problems, and the future options that will change their lives forever.

One Day’s Difference by @melcalder [10k]

Draco’s sacrifices his god-given body and has (mostly) no regrets.

Take What’s Left of Me by Frayach [22k]

One day Draco just left without saying a word, leaving Harry reeling.   You’d think that after what Draco did, Harry could move on, but he can’t.  When Astoria miscarries and Draco comes to him pleading for a baby, Harry can’t say no.

Unbroken by taradiane [18k]

Memories make us who we are. What happens when they disappear?

Where You Belong by @coffeejunkii [11k]

“Harry Potter” and “impossible” cancel one another out.

you’re alive by KatieScarlet / @kat-the-wren [27k]

The most boring shift in the world, filled with Muggle car ride games to pass the time, was interrupted by a tow-head boy begging for help to save his papa and ultimately changed Harry’s life from there on out.   For the better, of course.

I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I did!

[tomjamesavery]

Strawberry Ice Cream Written for the Ginnyversary Bingo Challenge with the prompt: #N34 — "Of course it is happening inside your head, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" Read on: AO3 “Mum can I have stwabewwy ice cweam!” Ginny only rolled her eyes, at her daughter's shrill voice, it wasn’t even 9 in the morning yet, and the first thing Lily Luna wanted for breakfast, was a big scoop of strawberry ice cream. To her dismay, this had become a regular occurrence lately. Ginny put down the Quidditch part of the daily prophet she had been reading, looking up just as her daughter stepped into the living room at Grimmauld Place. Her eyes still sleepy, she clutched her plush black-kitten toy-, she had named Mrs Meow, -tightly. Ginny stared at a set of brown eyes, so similar to her own, and couldn’t but smile at her daughter. “Lils, it's still early, don’t you want something proper for breakfast, I could whip you up an Omelette?” Ginny asked sweetly, looking at her youngest child of five years. “No! ‘Don’t want your omelette, only Daddy can make them nice.” She exclaimed, now holding out her kitten plushie. “Mrs Meow wants stawbewy ice cweam!” Ginny sighed, saying no to her children was one of the hardest things she knew. She wasn't as bad at it as her husband, but as soon as one of them turned their big round eyes on them, they caved, almost every single time. But today wasn't one of those times, she would be stern, she couldn’t have her daughter eat ice cream for breakfast every day, she needed something with more substance, Ginny thought. She had to find a way to convince Lily, otherwise this could end in a crying fit. “Ohh but Mrs Meow told me, that I should prepare you two an omelette with vegetables for breakfast.” Ginny lied, trying to find a way of convincing her young daughter. But the little red-haired girl only shook her head in response, her two pigtails swinging out to the sides. “No! Mrs Meow wants ice cweam, no omelette, and no veggies.” She confidently exclaimed as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. A move that reminded Ginny very much of her own younger self. Ginny suddenly had an idea, she bent down petting the kitten plush's head before she spoke up again. “But I promised it to Mrs Meow, she told me she would be sad if she hadn't had omelettes today!” Ginny’s voice was soft, as she seemingly talked with the toy cat. “No! You didn’t even talk with hew, she was with me all the time!” Lily pointed out. “And also I will only eat daddy's omelettes!” Lily seemed set in stone with her opinion as Ginny continued to try. Where was Harry when she needed him she thought, he sadly had been called into the Auror’s Office for a weekend shift today. “Mrs Meow visited me in my dreams today! That’s where she told me!” Ginny lied again, and Lily looked taken aback before she replied. “So you mean Mrs Meow can talk to me in my dweams?” The small girl asked, her brown eyes wide open. Ginny nodded as she continued to explain. “She can, and she does, that’s how she told me, and I imagine she tells you lots of things!” Lily looked dumbstruck, seemingly lost in her own thoughts as the girl intensely stared at her kitten plushy. Ginny used the moment, to walk over to the kitchen counter as she swiftly pre-heated a pan, before feeling someone pull on her Weasley jumper. “Mummy, but how can it be weal when it’s only in my head?” Lily asked, her eyes still wide. Ginny turned around and got to her knees as she smiled sweetly at her daughter. “ Darling, of course it is happening inside your head, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" She pecked Lily’s forehead-, making the girl smile, -before turning around again, and cracking two eggs into the heated pan. "Now who wants omelettes?"

[tommarvoloriddlesdiary]

Numbers 1, 13, 17, and 18 sound very interesting! Are there any snippets that you can share?

oh my 🥹 a lot to get through! hold on tight 💀

unnamed fic number one also known as spy, has a lot going on 😭

it’s very much inspired by the Alex Rider series (specifically the book: Point Blanc) - for those who don’t know what that is, it’s about a young boy whose uncle dies, and he becomes deeply entangled in a world of espionage while trying to find out who killed him. it’s really good, and they have a tv series out for which season 3 is airing in April - give it a watch! i take this concept and sort of run with it - so Harry is an in-coming seventh-year Hogwarts student who finds out his Godfather, Sirius, has died during an auror mission gone wrong. he knows someone isn’t being honest with him - and he doesn't plan on resting until he has answers. here’s a cut:

Harry takes a look around. What was it that Sirius’s mind healer used to say? Five things you can see?

He sees rows and rows of conjured chairs, a raised platform, delicately floating candles - unlit, and the billowing peak of the tent. More than ever Harry can hear Sirius’s dismay at the lack of clowns in attendance.

It’s safer here, so Harry cracks a smile and finally settles his eyes on the dark, gleaming black coffin in the very centre.

He walks carefully through the rows of chairs all circled around it and stops just before the platform raises. Harry feels the telltale sign of overwhelm brew like a potion just behind his eyes, but he shakes it off, tries to delay it. Harry is aware now that he stands there for a long, long while.

Taking a deep breath, Harry places both hands on the edge of the coffin lid and pushes up.

It doesn’t open.

————

mockumentary, also known as fic number thirteen: triwizard tournament, was discussed a bit here! but it never fails to make me laugh, so i’ll share another little cut 🤣

-

Olympe rises from her chair and towers over them. The camera tilts up until it can’t anymore and still cuts off the top of her head. She walks over to the balcony, ducking to pass through the doorway, and crosses her arms behind her back.

She gazes down at the fury of elegant chaos, a smirk creeping up her mouth. The seventh-year students are gliding to and fro, preparing to leave in abraxan-drawn carriages while the younger years watch on with wide, awe-filled eyes.

She continues, “Zhis year will not be une répétition of seventeen-ninety-two.”

————

unnamed fic number seventeen, also known as assassins, is vague one 💀

when I originally wrote down this idea, it was this: spy fic concept - Tom is an assassin, and Harry is a spy; they keep running into each other on various missions and have developed an unlikely friendship. NON-LINEAR - back and forth between past and present narrative — here’s a cut!

When Tom arrived on location, it was to a mess.

Harry Potter never held any qualms or hesitations. If there was a job that needed doing, and the justifications were moral enough, he would do whatever it took to complete it successfully. Unfortunately for Tom (and the meaningless lives that tended to be involved), Harry Potter’s modus operandi typically included wide-scale destructive explosions or the occasional all-out brawl.

This particular scenario happened to showcase the latter.

Potter was panting over an unconscious body. Possibly unknowing to the splatter of blood dotting across his chin, cheeks and nose like crimson freckles. It seemed that he’d been here much longer than Tom - deep cover, likely for months now judging by his scruffier than usual appearance. That hair in particular.

Tom exhaled softly, and thought, He looks good in red.

————

interview with a dark lord, also known as fic number eighteen, is pure nonsense 🤪 here's a cut:

-

Harry glanced over his notes, shuffling them around once, then twice. His eyes fell on one of the many, many questions he and the other Gryffindors had compiled over the night.

“Would you say your field is expanding or decreasing?” Harry asked.

“Decreasing,” Voldemort replied without hesitation. Harry’s scar prickled with something vast and telling - something that felt a lot like immense satisfaction.

A morbid curiosity reared its ugly head. “Really?” he asked and squinted his eyes a bit at Voldemort, looking him up and down. “You don’t seem to be taking that very hard?”

“Yes, and why would I, Potter?” Voldemort leaned back and crossed his legs, definitely looking smug. “It is not Dark Lords; it is Dark Lord. If my field is narrowing, and I remain the only one, all’s the better.”

————

if you'd like to send me a wip, please do! my ask box is open 🥹

[jlhynde-insanitybrilliance]

UDLTTOM WORLDBUILDING RAMBLES: Harry Potter vs AUROR Harry Potter (a progression of idealistic boy-who-lived to the disillusioned Head Auror)

I like to believe that after the war Harry Potter became much more nuanced in his thinking regarding light vs dark magic and good vs evil & possibly disillusioned with the whole argument.

I finished watching season 1 of True Detective (I know I’m real late to the show, but it’s been on my to watch list for years), but what really struck me about it was how you have these two detectives become so disillusioned with the police force and the whole government structure of Louisiana that they Both end up leaving it. There’s this scene where one of the detectives is talking about why he left & how incident that pushed him over the edge was finding the remains of a baby a tweaker had put in a microwave. And there was just something so profound about how Woody Harrelson played that role of a man wanting to be a good cop, a good detective, slowly lose the will and faith in the goodness of humanity to do the job that really struck a chord with me & reminded me of how I’m characterizing Harry in UDLTTOM.

I think that while the 2nd Wizarding War was terrible & awful for Harry on a personal level. I think that the aftermath & joining the Auror department opened up a view of senseless depravity that he was likely not prepared to handle. I listen to a few true crime podcasts & the sort of stories you hear in those…I just imagine the sort of true crime stories wizards would have & the scenes Harry has witnessed as an Auror & think that:

Yes, maybe he does start to understand what Voldemort meant by :“There is no good and evil. There is only power and those too weak to seek it.” And this understanding is why Harry stays at the Auror department even though he’s so disillusioned with the Ministry & Magical Governments as a whole, because if people like him (people who want to make things better & more fair across the board) are not there, the disparity will only get worse. Because you need power to incite change & Harry is trying to be the change he wants to see.

(At it’s core it’s idealism wrapped in a layers in anti-ministry sentiment.)

So yeah, UDLTTOM Harry is characterized as morally ambiguous and someone who recognizes that not everything is so black and white morally but it’s better to be kind than not, & not everyone can be saved but you should still try to help those he can, & sometimes terrible people were once victims of other terrible people but that in no way excuses their behavior, & you can’t judge children for being a product of a societal systemic problem but he can teach them to think about their world differently.

[allycat319]

Unlikely Affection Chapter 12: Outstanding Expectations

Authors Note: Hello Everyone! I have updated my masterlist so it is now in the description of my blog and it has the links to all of the chapters to make reading this story a bit easier! Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Even with the end of the school year and the third task on the horizon, the fifth years were still subjected to O.W.Ls. Which meant I was spending most of my free time in the library or in Severus’s office studying for the examinations.

On one of those evenings in particular, Severus was grading tests from that day and I was sitting at one of the workbenches, scribbling away at my notes. Dropping my quill in frustration I growled and laid my head in my hands. “I’m going to drop out…I’m going to drop out and become a barmaid.” I heard Severus chuckle at me. “Which subject are you preparing for?” I heard him ask.

I picked my head up from the desk and glared at my lover, “Potions.” I snarled and he bit back another laugh.

“Why do you look so worried? Potions is your best subject.”

“I've heard from a few friends that the test is ridiculously difficult.” I rubbed my throbbing temples.

“Do you doubt that I have prepared you well enough to pass?” He asked, scooting his chair away from his desk and leaning back, arms crossed over his chest.

“I never said that. I just know that usually potions N.E.W.T classes are not full due to your restrictions and without that class, I can’t be an auror.” I declared, standing up from the workbench and stretching my sore limbs. “I think if I write any more notes about the uses of common potion ingredients I might scream.”

“I thought you would be spending your time revising with Mr. Finley, Instead of withering away in the dungeons with the great Hogwarts vampire.” Severus teased and I laughed.

“You know Edwin is absolutely rubbish at potions, if I have any hope of passing these tests I will avoid Edwin and his endless questions about which ingredients are found in what potion.” I walked over and plopped down on the desktop in front of Severus, my uniform skirt rising just slightly so my thighs were exposed.

“I am so exhausted from all of this revision, you could distract me…Professor.” I bit my lip and eyed him up and down. He leaned forward and placed his hands on my thighs, squeezing them lightly.

“If you are too exhausted to revise…You must be too exhausted for anything else.” Severus leaned back again. “I think it is time for you to make your way to Gryffindor Tower and get some much-needed rest before tomorrow.” I huffed and slid off of the desk, straddling his lap.

“You could quiz me if I get a question wrong… you can spank me.” I wiggled my eyebrows and kissed his jaw.

His hands gripped my hips and I rocked myself against his hardening member, kissing his lips and hoping that my efforts would be rewarded with a trip to his chambers.

But of course in normal Severus fashion, after a few moments of thinking I was victorious, he gripped my hips harder, stopping my gentle rocking against him. I continued to kiss him, slipping my tongue sneakily into his mouth, deepening the kiss, and attempting to distract him from telling me that I needed to go to bed.

He pulled away from my kisses and chuckled at me, “As tempting as you are–.” I interrupted him with a sensual kiss and he pulled away again to continue his statement. “You need rest,” I whined and flopped my forehead onto his shoulder, finally defeated.

“Don’t fret my Little Star. When your exams are over, I will have you on every surface available in my chambers.” He patted my rear, and I peeled myself off of his lap begrudgingly.

I gave him a final kiss before I walked back over to the workbench and threw my books into my bag, tossing it over my shoulder and heading towards the door.

“Little Star?” I stopped when I heard his voice behind me and turned around.

He gave me an encouraging smile, “Just remember…No matter what happens you will, without a doubt do better than Finley.” I smiled.

“I will let Edwin know you have the utmost confidence in him.” I blew him another kiss before heading to Gryffindor Tower.

When I arrived at the common room, I joined Edwin and the group of fifth years studying by the large fireplace. We poured over our notes until half past midnight when everyone decided that we could not possibly cram any more information into our already overstimulated brains and headed off to bed.

The next week was filled with revisions and exams, luckily for me when the week was finished I had made outstandings on almost all of my exams…minus potions and charms, those were exceeds expectations. However, I was still incredibly proud of myself and when it came time to enroll in the N.E.W.T classes with Professor McGonagall, I was more than ready for that meeting.

Much to my dismay, that meeting did not go as planned and I was livid as I made my way to the potions classroom. I had been denied into the N.E.W.T level potions class because of my Exceeds Expectations grade on my potions O.W.L. While I was speaking with Professor McGonagall she informed me that I could potentially ask Severus to allow me into the class due to my job as his assistant, counting it as some form of extra credit. I informed her that I would be making my way to his classroom to speak with him and she gave me a reassuring smile in return.

I knew Severus had a free period so I decided to confront him. I flung open the door and he looked up at me quickly as the door hit the stone wall of the dungeon, he was seated at his desk grading when I approached him. I placed both of my hands on his desk and glared at him. “Needs to get outstanding in order to proceed with N.E.W.T level potions?” I growled at my lover. He placed the quill that he had been holding in the inkwell, sighing at me.

“You know my expectations for my classes,” Severus stated matter-of-factly, meeting my eye contact.

“How am I supposed to become an auror without N.E.W.T level potions?” I ask, raising my voice slightly.

“You should have studied more for your exams, Miss Astrill.” He stood, walking over to the shelves in the corner, beginning to sort ingredients for his next class.

“I studied a great deal, professor,” I emphasized his title with gritted teeth and a bitter tone. I walked over to him, leaning on the cabinet beside him. “Are you trying to ruin my future career endeavors?” I asked, throwing my hands up in exasperation.

He glances at me from the corner of his eye, the nerve of this man. “Again.” He said plainly “You know my expectations, likely, better than most. I will not be altering my decision based on my feelings for you.”

I scoff at him “Well, thank you sir for single-handedly ruining my career prospects.” I growled as I walked swiftly through the door, slamming it behind me.

***A few hours later at dinner…***

“You need to eat something, Rora,” Edwin said, nudging me as I scooted the green pea around my untouched plate for the fiftieth time.

“I'm not hungry Eddie,” I grumbled and Edwin sighed. “What did he do?” He glanced quickly to the head table before returning his gaze to me.

“Apparently, my O.W.L. score was not high enough to be placed into N.E.W.T level potions.” Edwin looked at me and grimaced “How bad did you do?” He asked and I rolled my eyes. “I got an E, I was only 5 points away from an O. Apparently, I know his expectations,” I emphasized the quote with a horrible impression of Severus, and Edwin laughed. McGonagall said that I should ask him if he would count being his assistant as some form of extra credit, but I know he won't do it.”

“Did you ask him about it?”

I shook my head, “No…I sort of lost my temper.”

Edwin raised an eyebrow at me. “So really, you’re just assuming…you never actually asked him to take your position as his assistant into consideration.” I nodded slowly and he rubbed his forehead.

“Go talk to him, you idiot.”

“He isn't going to change his mind–” Edwin shushed me and pointed towards the door to the Great Hall.

“Nows your chance…He just walked back towards the dungeons…Go. Talk. To. Him.” I huffed and got up from my seat, walking quickly out of the large wooden doors to catch up with Severus.

[hp-fanfic-archive]

Summer Fic Reading Challenge Bingo [3/?]

Bingo Number 3 for my summer reading challenge for my @ficreadingchallenge card. Find Bingo 1 and Bingo 2 for more recs.

Mission Fic: Bitter Honey, Green Night by Faith Wood [Harry/Draco, E, 14k]

An inn, an Auror, a criminal, a mystery.

Dressing Up: not so spooky surprise by leivol6 [Harry/Severus, G, 906]

It's Halloween and the Potter-Snape household is all about dressing up.

Found Family: saying goodbye (to a best friend) by cosmicwritings [James/Lily, T, 8k]

"The bedroom door creeps open and Lily, through her snot and tears, is trying to apologise, because she knows Remus has an early shift at Tesco’s tomorrow morning and Peter has got to catch a train to visit his mum and Sirius hasn’t slept much, if at all, since the car crash. She’s trying to apologise, but Harry gets lifted out of her arms and Lily collapses into a sad puddle on the floor, hair in her eyes and mouth. Through the red streaks in her vision, she can see Sirius holding Harry and trying to sooth him, rocking him in his arms back and forth. She’s trying to apologise, but she can’t get any words out, can only see baby Harry and keeps thinking, James, I wish you were here, I need you here so badly." or lily becomes a uni student, a girlfriend, a dropout, a wife, a mother and a widow all in the span of four years.

Historical AU: Let Me Call You Mine (Just For Tonight) by daisymondays [Harry/Draco, E, 6k]

When Pansy suggests they sneak out of the castle to experience the commoners' festivities, Draco thinks it's the worst idea she has ever had. That is until he meets Harry and he's forced to reconsider everything he ever believed. Draco has always known it's easy to be the person you want to be when you're wearing a mask, but he's never been prepared for what happens when the masks come off.

[rainebxw]

HP Fic Rec Masterlist

CW: some fics include smut, but from the ones I’ve read, those sections aren’t essential to the plot and when I’ve skipped them the story has still made sense to me:)

Read (CR or Completed)

Draco/Harry -

 A little bit confused but not at all surprised by indigospacehopper

When auror-in-training Harry Potter accidentally drinks a truth potion, he’s sent straight to St Mungo’s for their expert potions master to help him. The problem? Draco Malfoy is the expert potions master, and he’s having far too much fun taunting Harry about his problem. However, more sinister things are afoot and whilst Harry and Draco bicker and flirt, dark forces prepare to make their move…

It Started With A Handshake by i_dont_read

One year after the war, Draco Malfoy is fresh out of a three-month term in Azkaban. As part of his parole, he's back at Hogwarts as an eighth year student to finish his studies. All Draco wants to do is lie low and make it out of Hogwarts in one piece, but when he finds that he's forced to room with none other than Harry Potter, that proves to be much more difficult than Draco anticipated. After a particularly eventful detention together, Harry and Draco must reconcile their relationship. What started as a volatile feud eventually becomes something much deeper than either of them could've imagined. The question is, will Draco ever come to terms with his feelings, or will he be left pining forever in secret?

red and green are complimentary colours by ace_0fhearts

After the war Hermione manages to convince Harry to go back to Hogwarts for his eighth year. Expecting an uneventful year of classes and rooming with the other Gryffindor boys, he’s surprised when McGonagall tells him he’ll be sharing a room with Draco Malfoy. Now Harry has to get through a year of arguments and awkward silences. Or he would, if Malfoy would stop ignoring him and moping around the castle alone.

The July Tree by oknowkiss

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail… nor well-meaning friends, nor questionable communication skills, nor seven years of hating each other’s guts can keep Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy from falling in love.

Draco/OC -

The Girl Who Lived by missingnote

A miserable childhood of neglect, Harper Potter needed someone to teach her the ability to love in order to overcome the darkest wizard of all time. She just wasn't expecting that someone to be the guy who taunted her every quidditch match.

Training Wheels by dyiansobrien

In their four years of knowing each other, Draco Malfoy and Amora Buckley have never managed to see eye to eye. However, when the pair are locked in the library overnight together, things start to change between them. And neither of them like it. Throw in Harry Potter's not-so-subtle crush on Amora, the fact that her cousin is Hogwarts' golden boy Cedric Diggory, and that her mother is the Muggle Studies professor and things are bound to get even more complicated...

You Found Me by wildermind54 (one of my fav fics ever)

The epic saga of Guinevere Easton and Draco Malfoy’s romance from their younger years as they struggle with family, growing powers, and growing up.

Choose Me Instead by dreaming_about_fanfictions

Pretending to be in a relationship with Draco Malfoy to get back at your ex might have not been the smartest idea you ever had. Especially now where you should be focusing on your last year of Hogwarts. However, you are just pretending. There's no way in hell you'll actually catch feelings for someone like Malfoy... Right?

TBR:

Draco/Harry -

The Complexities of Us by indigospacehopper

The Dustless Mirrors by sugarplumsenpai

The day you bloomed by Soliblomst

The Silence of Your Love by malfoypolix

there will be time, there will be time by waterwings

Not So Different by Nightstar_Fury

Rules and Rivalries by Taylorisnotcute

Spinning Fouettés by hdbang_mod

As The Tide Pulls by TracingPatterns

Loverboys by corvuscrowned

Protected By Your Love by heartsfromheaven

Harry Potter and the End of the Line by use_it_well

survival is a talent by ShanaStoryteller

Tea and No Sympathy by who_la_hoop

Crimson and Clover - A tale in canon by dontthrowsticksatme

Lily's Boy by SomewheresSword

Draco/OC -

Queen of the Night by dragonchallenge

Lover of Mine by unleeshedd

Bruised & Broken // Draco Malfoy by kiiia

Bound by Blood and Mind by CaityBrooklynnn

An Unexpected Ally by hollyjanepeters

I Can't Sleep (D.M. x O.C.) by bruhdawg

Cruel Fates by capricornbaby_0

Harry/OC -

Eyes of Violet by macadoodle1996

𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 | 𝐡. 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 by cottonsoxs

to be continued and expanded upon...

[ivpapaemeritusiv]

We Will Break Away Together

Summary: In this chapter, Swiss and Papa prepare to join Sister in eliminating the dangerous members of the clergy who pose a threat to their lives. Addy battles to break free from the emotional chains of her past, while Swiss grapples with the uncertainties of his future. Their struggles intertwine as they face the looming danger together, each dealing with their inner turmoil while gearing up for the impending confrontation.

Word Count: 2,700

Sister and Copia sat in their office plotting the cult's downfall. "I know them," Sister said, "They will never expect an attack from within the circle. We shall keep the weaker among them and smite the founders."

"What about Psaltarian?"

She placed a hand under her chin, "Psaltarian is a friend. True, he does not like the idea of you being Papa for very long but I think he is harmless. We will let him live."

Copia nodded his head. He was never intent on murdering people, but he'd do anything to save his family. "How do you suppose we carry out this plan, Sister?"

She smiled, cleverly, "The same way I killed Nihil's sons."

Copia sank in his seat, "You? You killed Nihil's sons?" A shiver ran down his spine as Sister's grin did not falter.

"I will stop at nothing to put you at the top, my boy."

Sister Imperator outlined her chilling plan, detailing how she would summon her most loyal followers and some of the ghouls who often handled the clergy's dirtiest tasks. Papa knew Swiss would be among them. "We will host a grand dinner," she began, her voice dripping with malice. "As they revel in what they believe to be a moment of camaraderie, our operatives will strike. They will swiftly and silently stab each target in the neck with a syringe, injecting a potent poison. The victims will be left to endure an excruciatingly painful death, right under our watchful eyes."

Papa shivered at the woman's heinous plan. "My Satan, mother, you are evil."

She laughed, her eyes gleaming with malice. "When they are gone, you and I will run this ministry together. Just don't tell your idiot father. He'll ruin it all."

At that moment, none other than Nihil appeared, his presence casting a shadow over the room. "Don't tell me what, Seestor?" he asked, his voice dripping with suspicion.

She quickly masked her true intentions, looking at him with adoring eyes. "Oh, nothing, Papa. Just that you are the most talented and handsome man, so sensitive, so passionate, so hot..." she trailed off, her breath becoming heavy with feigned admiration.

Papa Nihil, completely taken by her flattery, responded, "And you, Seestor, are the most beautiful creature I've ever laid eyes upon. One touch from you can make me—"

"OK!" Copia interjected, unable to bear the scene any longer. "I'm out of here. I don't need to see this."

As he hurried away, Imperator called after him, "Cardi, remember what I told you, dear boy."

"Yeah, yeah... I got it," he replied, quickening his pace to escape the intimate and unsettling exchange between his parents.

*

The plan was set, and it was time for Papa to send his beloved children to his nemesis. Elizabeth, as always, had something to say on the matter. "Daddy, how long will we be at your ghoul's house? It's quite a simple place, isn't it? He doesn't even have servants, and I'm accustomed to the finer things, you know?"

"Elizabeth," Kaisarion interjected, "Don't be so snooty."

"I'm not snooty!" she retorted at her brother, and then bringing her attention back to her father, "But shall we bring our nanny?"

"Oh yes!" Addeline quickly added, "We will most definitely bring the nanny."

"Now, Amore," Papa addressed his wife, "Can I trust you at Swiss's?"

"Yes, Papa," she responded, "How could you even ask me something like that?"

"Addy," his tone was stern, "It will not be just me you hurt if you cross any lines."

Addy nodded, understanding that Copia was talking about Aurora. She knew that Aurora would be devastated if anything happened between them again. The memory of Aurora's plea after Faith was born resurfaced vividly. Aurora had come to her, eyes filled with desperation, begging her not to call upon Swiss. At the time, Addy was conflicted, unsure of her own feelings. But now, she could see the depth of Aurora's love for the man.

"I understand, Papa," she replied softly.

*

Swiss was in the kitchen when the phone rang. It was Papa, telling him that it was time. The ghoul confirmed the plan and slowly placed the phone back onto the receiver, his face clouded with a somber expression. The weight of the conversation hung heavily in the air as he heard Aurora approaching, her voice a melodic contrast to his troubled thoughts. She was chattering away about something, but his mind was elsewhere, unable to grasp her words. In her usual cheery manner, she walked up to the fridge, pulling out a beer while still speaking animatedly.

When she finally caught sight of Swiss's grave expression, her demeanor shifted to one of concern. "What is it?" she asked, setting the beer on the table with a soft clink.

Swiss looked at her with a heavy heart, his eyes reflecting the turmoil within. "Aurora, I need to ask you to do something... and I don't think you're going to be entirely thrilled."

She shook her head, stepping closer to him with a mix of curiosity and worry. "What? What is it?"

He sighed deeply, the sound filled with the weight of unspoken words, and took a step back from her. "Liv, I have to ask you to go home."

Her concerned expression quickly morphed into one of aggravation. "Go home? Why?" She already had an inkling of the reason but needed to hear him say it. "Why, Jutty?"

He remained silent, his gaze unwavering. Aurora placed her hands on her hips, looking down as she processed his request. She exhaled sharply, a sarcastic smile tugging at her lips. "I don't believe this. It's Addeline, isn't it?"

Swiss didn't know how to respond. He just continued to look at her, his silence confirming her suspicion. Aurora let her head fall back, rotating her neck to crack it a few times, trying to release the tension that had settled in her shoulders.

"I can't believe you're asking me to go," Aurora snapped at Swiss, her voice trembling with a mix of disdain and confusion, "I mean... I thought your home was my home. We're having a baby for God sakes."

"Liv, baby, it's only because I need to tell her about our kid," Swiss replied, his tone soft but firm, trying to calm the storm brewing within her.

Aurora stood in front of him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She clutched his hands tightly, as if afraid he might slip away. "I understand, but..."

"But what?" Swiss pressed, his eyes searching hers for the unspoken fear.

"Jutty, I love you so much. I need you like I've never needed anyone else," she confessed, her voice breaking. "But I don't think you love me the same. I think you love her more. I'm scared you'll..." Her voice trailed off, choked by the weight of her insecurities.

Swiss, sensing her turmoil, gently placed his palms on her stomach, feeling the life they had created together. His eyes softened with an intense, unwavering devotion. "Olivia, don't ever for a moment think that you aren't the most important woman in my life," he whispered, his voice filled with sincerity. "I care for Addy and her safety. I love her as the mother of my child, but you? Liv, you mean everything to me. Trust me when I say nothing will happen."

The room seemed to hold its breath as his words hung in the air, a promise wrapped in the tender embrace of his touch. Aurora's fears began to melt away, replaced by the warmth of his reassurance, "Okay," she replied.

"Besides," he attempted to joke, "There are going to be eight kids in the house. How would we do anything with that many munchkins running around?"

She nudged him playfully, "Soon to be nine."

"Yes, my love, soon to be nine," he echoed, a soft smile touching his lips.

"I know you won't tell me what's going to happen, but I trust you're going to be safe? I don't want to raise this baby alone," she said, her voice tinged with a mix of concern and hope.

Swiss pulled her closer, his arms wrapping around her protectively. "I promise, Liv, I'll do everything in my power to come back to you and our baby. You won't have to do this alone."

*

Hauling Addeline and all of his children in one vehicle was no easy feat. Papa had the nanny drive a car as well with the youngest ones, while he and Addy drove the older children. Once they arrived at Swiss's house, Elizabeth, Kaisarion, Opus, and Cirice tumbled out of the car, racing towards him.

"Swiss!" shouted Kaisarion, "Can we play cards?"

"No!" Elizabeth countered, "He's going to play world domination with me!"

"Hey kiddos," Swiss greeted, his eyes lighting up as he saw them. He looked up at Addeline, who was walking toward him with Faith in her arms.

"Hey you," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Need me to grab anyone?"

"Yes," she replied, a hint of relief in her voice. "As a matter of fact, can you get Mary out of the car? I think Papa has Belial."

Swiss clapped his hands and rubbed them together, a playful grin spreading across his face. "I'm on it, darlin'."

Swiss noticed Opus wandering off with his sister. "Hey, hey!" the ghoul yelled, "In the house, guys!" Papa wouldn't admit it, but he was thankful for the extra set of hands. Once everyone was inside, Papa pulled Addy into a kiss, not holding back the passion. He couldn't resist the urge to assert his dominance in front of his wife's former lover. Swiss, catching the display, rolled his eyes in mild annoyance.

He released Addy from his grasp and shot Swiss a knowing stare. "Don't forget the plan, ghoul," he commanded, his voice dripping with authority. Swiss locked eyes with Emeritus, his gaze steady and confident, and gave a subtle wink that seemed to say, "I've got this."

The hours of the day passed with Swiss getting a firsthand experience of what it was like to parent eight children. Despite the help of the nanny, he found himself constantly on the move—making food, wiping noses, giving bottles, washing hands, playing dolls, and even pretending to be a peasant in Elizabeth's game of Kings and Queens. By evening, he was utterly exhausted. Once all the children were finally asleep, he collapsed onto the couch, his shallow breaths a testament to the day's hard work.

Addeline walked in and laughed at the sight. "Kids, huh?"

He locked eyes with her, raising his eyebrows sarcastically. "I don't know how you do it, Addy."

"And you wanted to take us all and run away with us," she teased.

The mood shifted from lighthearted to heavy. His smile faded, replaced by a look of earnestness. "Addeline, I would have taken you guys away. I meant that."

With a heavy heart, she stared at the floor as she walked over to him. She let herself plop down beside him, the weight of their unspoken emotions settling between them.

"But it's too late now, isn't it?" Addy asked, not expecting him to answer. She continued, "Now that Aurora is pregnant."

A look of shock overtook Swiss's face. She knew. He couldn't believe she already knew.

"Addy," he began, "How did--"

"Swiss, I've been pregnant seven times. You don't think I can spot another pregnant woman? You sending her inside with the ridiculous oversized hoodie was an insult to my intelligence."

His expression was overtaken by angst. "I was waiting on the right time to tell you."

"I knew you were just trying to protect my heart. It's okay."

He took the woman's hands into his. They looked at each other for a long while without breaking eye contact.

"Hey, remember what we used to do on this couch?" she broke the silence.

He laughed, trying not to reminisce too much. He could already feel himself becoming aroused by thoughts of the past. But he made a promise to Aurora, and he wasn't going to break that. He broke their gaze and explained, "I need to get ready."

She shook herself out of the heat of the moment and brought herself back to reality and the task at hand.

"You're really not going to tell me what you and the Cardinal have planned?"

Swiss shook his head gently. "I think it's better if you don't know. You and the children will be safe here while Copia and I make the ministry safe for you there."

Addy nodded, still gazing at him with a mix of curiosity and concern. "I'm tired. I think I'm going to go to bed. Tuck me in? No funny business, I swear."

Swiss laughed as he stood up, pulling Addy along with him. "I'll show you to your room. You already know I don't live in a big ministry with a hundred rooms, so you're bunking with your little dictator."

Addy chuckled, "Elizabeth is something special. She's going to be somebody one day, you know?"

"I don't doubt it for a second," Swiss replied as he led her into a cozy room. "All three babies are in here too, just in case you need to feed them during the night."

As Addy looked around the room, a wave of worry washed over her. The reality of the impending plan, whatever it was, began to sink in. She felt a growing concern for Swiss, for Papa, and for their future. The thought of everything going wrong and leaving her as a widow weighed heavily on her mind.

She threw herself into Swiss's arms and held him tight. "Please, be careful. Please protect Papa. Don't let anything happen to him."

He pulled her closer to his chest, letting his face nuzzle into the crook of her neck. He inhaled deeply; the sweet aroma of incense lingered in her hair. "I won't let anything happen to him, Addeline. I swear."

Her scent was intoxicating, like quicksand pulling him deeper into a whirlpool of desire. Every breath he took was filled with her essence, trapping him in a haze of lustful thoughts. He wanted to devour her, to lose himself in the moment. He inhaled deeply, noticing that he had given her goosebumps.

In one swift motion, he lifted her effortlessly, cradling her as tenderly as he would his own child. Her head rested against his chest, and she could feel the rapid thumping of his heart. His hand slid under her rump, gripping it firmly as he bent to lay her gently on the bed. As he straightened, he felt Addy's hands clasp around his neck with surprising strength. She gazed up at him, her eyes filled with adoration and longing.

He chuckled softly, a thought crossing his mind that he could take her right then and there. She wouldn't resist, he knew. She would welcome him, savoring every moment of what he would do to her. But he didn't want to complicate things for her. He knew she had found solace in her relationship with the Cardinal, and he didn't want to disrupt that peace.

With a gentle touch, he pried her hands from his neck and laid them softly on the bed beside her. He leaned down, his lips brushing her forehead in a tender kiss, a silent promise of restraint and respect.

With a final, reassuring look, he left to make his way to Meliora's room. Stepping carefully over Opus, Cirice and Kaisarion who were sprawled out on the floor, he approached the toddler's crib.

He stared at the child, a smile tugging at his lips as he admired the features that mirrored his own. This little boy was his shining light through all the darkness. As thoughts of the woman who had given him such a precious gift filled his mind, he wondered if he would feel the same about Aurora and the new baby. Would there be enough love in his heart?

In that moment, he made a solemn vow: he would return. He wouldn't let the clergy get the better of him. He would help Papa take them out one by one and come back to the things that mattered most to him.