#he spent years killing muggles and now he's just like them

[calamitoustide]

regulus survives the cave but getting out strips him of his magic so he's weak, living alone, with a Horcrux he has no power to destroy. in all honesty, he would die before sending out for help, so he wanders around his house like a ghost barely keeping himself alive. that is until kreacher had enough and goes against his orders to get him help. that's how he lands on james' doorstep, the boy regulus cries out to during his worst nights, forcing him to come with him in hopes that he can get regulus' heart back.

[whorediaries-09]

down bad;

pairing- james potter x reader warning(s)- death, angst. a/n- i'm in my moods lately. a bit of angst to calm my soul and to feed my babies. short and sour :)

little train.

death was easy. unlike the concept of pain that came along with death, which had been ingrained into your mind as you grew, it was easy. even if you lay on the cold hard ground, slowly losing your senses as the acid from your stomach burned your organs, destroying them. your eyes ran dry, hands slowly losing strength and senses to hold back the blood flowing from your stomach.

or perhaps it was interest you lost. in saving yourself. the bloodcurdling screams had stopped, your ears were cold, devoid of hearing anything.

bellatrix knew how to kill. she didn't kill for vengeance. she killed because it was her passion. to kill and hurt people. to destroy them and their loved ones. her words were colder than any sword that could kill one. one could see the mad love behind her eyes as she killed.

you knew that. nobody could've known it better than you. but yet when it was time to choose between your life and your friends, you'd chosen your friends. your friends had families to build. your friends had someone waiting for them. but you had no one.

so, you decided to confront her, despite the protests of your friends.

the duel had been going pretty well, before she decided to puncture your emotions. it began with calling you a nobody in the wizarding world. it ended with you on your knees, as she taunted you for falling in love with a married man.

'what would you know about love, bellatrix? you belong to generations of inbreeding,' you spat. you saw the color leave her eyes. you saw yourself touching a nerve. and before you could do anything, you found yourself lying on the cold hard ground, blood oozing out of your stomach like a fountain.

she screamed, hysterically, maniacally, joyfully.

'oh i know about love! look what it's done to you now,'

*-

with shaking hands, james put the tape in the tape player. it was an anonymous mail. he knew better than accepting anonymous mails, given the high risk due to the circumstances. he'd just lost a friend. the grief and guilt still weighed down upon him.

he consoled himself by thinking that the death eaters wouldn't know the muggle ways of tapes or mails. they were petrified of the idea of death.

there was a static noise, before a cough. a cough he knew a bit too well. it hit him like a jab in the stomach.

'hi. if you're hearing this, then i'm dead. but i cannot simply die without confessing a few secrets you should know. so, this is my confession.'

james knew this voice a little too well. the girl he'd first fallen in love with. the woman who was dead, and would never return.

'i've never actually loved someone. it had just been you i'd decided to fall in love with. but of course. fate has always been cruel with me.'

james felt a growing lump in his throat. his eyes burned.

'before i could ever confess to you, i found out lily had finally said yes to your date after the years you'd spent pestering her. i don't remember feeling anything particularly. i remember it hurt me. it wounded me, it made me numb.'

the tears that flowed down his cheeks were warm and salty. the day was crystal clear in his memories. how you'd stopped talking to him, and started avoiding him and his constant confrontations asking you about your absence.

'but then it started to hurt. so much. it began with you changing places with peter to sit beside lily. then began her melodious laughter ringing into my dumb eardrums. then began the start of your beautiful relationship. which was nothing but an eyesore. i knew i had to get myself out from your friendship to end what i'd been feeling.'

he swallowed thickly, tears uncontrollable. he remembered how he'd had a crush on you as a fourteen year old, but you weren't quite close to him or his friend group back then. as he got to know you slowly, he realized that he'd never liked you. he liked the idea of you. he had always loved lily.

'then started your confrontations. i tried to ignore you, and i thought it wouldn't be too hard, given there was not much time left for school to finish anyways. turns out i was wrong. we had to join the order, since voldemort is at large. and we had to spend more time together. at meetings. at missions.'

james could remember the first time he'd seen you after hogwarts. you had changed a lot. it seemed as if you'd lost your charm. your shine.

'then you took me to choose the ring with which you proposed lily. and i think, that was my last straw before i let loose of any hope. and i knew it is wrong. but i'm doomed aren't i? always have been.'

james hated the fact that he hadn't done anything. even if he'd never liked you romantically, he'd loved you. you'd left the world without any closure. the closure you thought you didn't need. the closure he thought you deserved.

'you thought that it would be a nice way to catch up. but you only lost me. but trust me i was happy for you. i was happy that you got to marry the woman you'd always wanted to marry. i am happy that you got to marry the woman you'd loved. but sometimes i turn sour, thinking why couldn't it be me? and i really hate myself for it.'

your voice paused, and you took a deep breathe. cold air chilled down his spine.

'i didn't opt to be your odd man out. but i guess, that's what i was. but now that i'm no more, and you can't confront me anymore, i just need to say this, no matter how morally wrong it might be.'

james felt his heart pause. it was like a rare breathe.

'i love you.'

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[satureja13]

While Vlad and Ji Ho and Sai and Jeb enjoy their couple time together, good mates Jack and Kiyoshi are having a picknick. Even though they are supposed to meet for dinner soon. Jack is always hungry. And Kiyoshi wonders why they are not having pizza again, Jack's favourite.

Kiyoshi doesn't realize he's walking on the water again. Or he forgot they are back in the Muggle World and he shouldn't reveal his divine nature here... Let's just hope no one notices him ö.Ö'

And while Jack is happily riding around with a Jet Ski he rented, Kiyoshi is happily browsing his phone. He'd even been longer without reception than the others. 60+ years! A lot to keep up with.

When Jack finally left the ocean and joined Kiyoshi on his blanket, it already got dark and they have to leave soon to meet the others. But Jack wanted to talk to Kiyoshi. He needs to make sure this mateship of theirs is not going to drag them back down to the hell they've been in during their relationship. Jack is not sure how to start and how Kiyoshi would take it so he waited until they were almost due to leave... Jack: "Kiyoshi..." Kiyoshi: "Hm?" Jack took a deep breath in and then he let it all out: "You know, after I - uhm... left you, I had to have a talk with Greg. And as much as I hate him, I think I have to admit that he was right - in some points at least. He said a relationship is hard work. And he didn't hesitate to point out that I also played my part in ruining - eh, us. So I want to make sure we talk about things that make us feel uncomfortable. And things we need - and want." Kiyoshi laughed: "Ah, he gave me that talk too. Even twice. To make sure it seeps through, I guess." Jack: "What? When?" Kiyoshi: "When we were here together, at Beltane. I was still a bit out but he managed to reach me, he is very powerful. And wise."

Jack: "So, what do you think?" Kiyoshi: "I think we should follow his advice and work hard. I cherish ... our mateship too much to let it go to waste again. I promise you, I won't keep anything from you and talk to you if I feel uncomfortable. And about my wants and needs. I will share it all with you. No more hiding - no more secrets." He wanted to say '...you' instead of '...our mateship', but it's not the right time for this when Jack wants to discuss their mateship. And he's still so anxious and vulnerable. It's just the beginning. And they have all the time in the worlds to sort it out. And so they agreed to the new terms and conditions of their mateship.

But Jack was so anxious of being hurt again, he couldn't help it and asked: "Do you think it will work?" Kiyoshi: "Let's just do our best, hm? We both changed, a lot." Jack pondered about it for a while and came to the conclusion Kiyoshi was right. Kiyoshi had spent 6 decades in that tree to reflect and Jack went through the hell of pain for leaving him, his Alpha. And the therapy game chased him through an almost relationship with Lou and even killed him so he could make a brandnew start. They now both know what they have lost. And what they have been missing. A chill wind blew over the ocean to the beach and Jack, who was still wet, shivered. Kiyoshi noticed it: "Don't tell me you are cold!" Jack: "What? No! I'm the Super Soldier, after all!" Kiyoshi laughed: "Hey, no more secrets! You promised!" Jack: "Fine! I'm cold. But it's just a reaction. Because my skin is still wet!" Kiyoshi: "Aouwww. Come here." And he pulled Jack close.

And Jack leaned in. He felt warm in an instant. Kiyoshi smelled so good. Like sun and ocean and food - and Kiyoshi's very own, incomparable scent. Jack: "Do you think this is a weird thing to do for mates?" Kiyoshi: "It's only weird when we make it weird. If it feels good for both of us and we agree on something, nothing should be weird between us. Right?" Jack moved even closer to Kiyoshi's warm body: "Right. We can't compare our mateship with what others have and do, I guess. Not even our woohoo felt weird for me. It felt good, great even. Even though we didn't both agree beforehand. I only felt so bad because I thought it was - eh ... inapproprate, you know. Since you're a diety now." Kiyoshi: "And I was horrified because I knew what you went through and I - eh ... felt I kind of exploited the situation. Though, I had no choice, like you. But it felt good for me too." Jack sighed as he remembered: "So good." Kiyoshi pulled Jack a bit tighter and put a soft kiss on Jack's wet, sandy hair.

They sat there, cuddling, until Jack's phone made weird zombie sounds (that's his ringtone for Sai...) Message from Sai: 'Where are you? We're waiting at the restaurant!' Seems it's really about time to leave. Kiyoshi was already dressed while Jack was still shaking the water - and sand - out of his hair. Kiyoshi endured it - and smiled. It might sound strange, but this quirky side of Jack played a big part helping Kiyoshi get out of the tree. And he wouldn't want to miss it.

Eventually they put the blanket in Jack's inventory and ran over to the restaurant boat in the harbor of Porto Azzurro. Jack knew they would have pizza for dinner, so he was fine with eating something else at their picknick ;)

Ah, it's been a long time since I've seen them so happy together. One of the best days I've ever had with them <3

'It's merely human situations The moments between us both The distance, the passions Finding a reason. Today...Like always, I am thinking of you.

Yes, you see. It's merely human conditions Feeling well or not If it's by day, or if it's by night If it's nostalgia or post-love. Today...Like always, I am thinking of you

Like our time hasn't yet passed. Tell me, where are we? What could happen? Hearts bound by an arrow, but, To each other that's the barrier that must be demolished I am thinking of you. I am thinking of me' Cosas della Vida - Tina Turner & Eros Ramazotti

Outtakes

Ah, I so wanted them both on the Jet Ski, like on their date over a year ago here at Tartosa! But Kiyoshi refused to stay in the water because he developed thalassophobia (fear of water). Who knows when -.- And I only realized hours later: I should have given him that fear-be-gone potion or already turn off that stupid fear option (but it would also remove the wants, I guess?) but I don't use them anyway either. Little Goat: 'That's boring!' Little Goat: 'Let's go over and watch Ji Ho and Vlad again, then!'

From the Beginning 🔱 Underwater Love 🔱 Latest

Current Chapter: 'Here comes the Sun' from the beginning ▶️ here Last Chapter: 'Who killed Jack?' from the beginning ▶️ here

📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 23-28

[bibbityboppitybillyharvgrove]

A Happy Christmas - R.Lupin

Summary - Remus and his wife have a tradition they follow every Christmas Eve, wrap the remainder of their children’s gifts and pull an all-nighter to get some extra alone time together.

Word Count - 821

Warnings - Female Reader, Potter!Reader(No physical description given), use of Y/N, Not sleeping (Let me know if I missed any)

Author's Note - Welcome to day 9 of 25 days of fics! I know that this one is later than usual and I apologize. I'm super sick at the moment with a bad head cold so I'm trying! I hope you enjoy!

Harry Potter Masterlist

my masterlist

25 days of fics masterlist

Feedback is welcomed and encouraged

Enjoy!

not my gif

not my gif

It was Christmas Eve, snow was falling, the fireplace crackling and the children were sleeping. Now Remus never thought he would have a life like this because of his furry little problem but he was happy that he was proven wrong. Y/N Lupin, once Y/N Potter, had been his wife for nearly 10 years, the two of them getting married right after graduating Hogwarts. James was always their biggest advocate and number one supporter no matter what.

They usually spent Christmas together, at James and Lily’s house so the kids could all be together. Being with family was the most important thing to Y/N, she always had someone with her when she was running errands or doing some housework. She was never alone so of course she wanted to spend the holidays surrounded by loved ones. James offered to host because, simply put, his house was bigger and could hold more people easier, thanks to professionally playing quidditch. 

All of the adults in the house were still awake, rushing around to get last minute gifts into the house or wrapped up with pretty paper to be put under the tree and torn open a few hours later. James and Lily had just finished up putting Harry’s things under the tree before calling it a night and going to bed themselves. This left Y/N and Remus alone and awake, wrapping the last of their childrens’ gifts.

They could do it with magic but both of them preferred the muggle way, wrapping the gifts by hand. That's why it usually took them twice as long to get everything wrapped and put away. This was their routine every Christmas Eve: wrap the presents together, put them under the tree and spend some quiet time together, knowing everyone was sound asleep.

As they finished putting the gifts under the tree, they took the time to just hold each other and watch the snow fall outside the window, just enjoying each other’s company. Y/N also never thought that she would have a life like she does now, she never thought that Remus reciprocated her feelings. She never thought she was good enough for him but to him, she was more than enough. She was the love of his life, the one person that he would protect with every fiber of his being. Once the kids came along, he knew that he would never give this life up for anything. He would kill for his family, he would sacrifice himself for his family because he knew that they would do the same.

They watched as the sun began to rise, the birds chirping outside, the footsteps of the kids running down the stairs followed by James and Lily’s lazy ones. When James took notice of his sister and his friend, he smiled sleepily knowing exactly what had occurred. “You two never went to sleep, did you?” He asked the pair.

“No, we stayed up watching the snow. Lost track of time. Happy Christmas James,” His sister responded, smiling right back at her big brother.

“Happy Christmas Y/N.”

“Mummy, daddy, can we open our gifts now?”  The youngest Lupin boy asked innocently as he hugged her leg.

“Go on then, they aren’t going to open themselves,” Remus teased as he ruffled his son's hair. 

With the proper go ahead, the three children tore into their gifts, paper flying all over the place. The parents huddled together, watching the delight in their children’s eyes as they took in all of their new toys and clothes. Little Harry was especially excited to see his very own broom gifted by his aunt Y/N and uncle Moony. This was the life that they wanted to live and enjoyed every second of it.

“Happy Christmas my love,” Remus said quietly to his wife as he handed her a small wrapped box.

“Happy Christmas Remmy,” She replied, handing him his gift. The two of them opened them together as the kids all giggled in the background. Remus had given her a gorgeous necklace that held two interlocking hearts that held their initials. Y/N had given him a new sweater, one he had been eyeing up the last time they went out to the shops together. “There’s something else under the sweater,” She hinted to him.

So he took out the sweater to reveal an ultrasound picture. “You’re kidding? Please tell me this isn’t a joke,” He had a wide smile on his scarred face, excited at the fact that they were bringing another kid into the world.

“It’s not. We’re having another baby!” She exclaimed, James and Lily immediately ending their conversation as they overheard. Remus engulfed his wife into a tight hug, lifting her off of the ground as he laughed happily. 

The whole house was overjoyed with the news, everyone smiling big and giving hugs wherever they could. It was a typical Lupin-Potter Christmas.

[futurecorps3]

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭

Masterlist<3

Summary: Sirius and reader finally get together and it's time for dinner at the Potter's! Pairing: Sirius Black x fem!reader Warnings: Idk if it counts as a warning but there's Remus x Regulus for a quick second because I really just couldn't help myself HAHA, and brief mentions of war. Let me know if I missed any! Word Count: 2.8k Requested: Yes A/N: This request is so lovely,, I want to bawl my eyes out. Thank you so much @siriuslyjanhvi for this sweet little piece <3 hope u like it.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* "Darling, are you almost done? I don't want to rush you but- shit." His leg stopped bouncing and if his anatomy allowed it, his jaw would be on the floor. Y/N stood there in the black silk dress and chunky heels of the same color she got on their shopping trip last week, clumsily fidgeting with the silver necklace as she'd been too stubborn to ask for her boyfriend's help sooner. "I'm sorry love, it's just this stupid necklace clip won't...well, clip. Can you help me?"

Sirius stood behind her and gently took the metal piece off her fingers, noticing the retouched black nail polish now matching with his. "You look gorgeous," he mumbled, easily fixing the simple looking yet fancy piece of jewelry around her neck and placing a kiss on her shoulder blade. Y/N turned around, wrapping her arms next to his head as he cradled her waist. They've spent so many hours like this since they started dating -and even a little more before- it now feels too natural not to do it when facing each other.

"You don't look too bad yourself, Pads" the girl smiled cheekily, pecking his nose and pulling away from his grasp. "Let's go. Lily will kill us if she finds out we're late because we spent too much time 'gazing into each other's eyes' as she says we do." Sirius laughed airily, grabbing the coat she was clearly forgetting and fixing his hair one last time in the mirror before exiting their bedroom.

As they got into the cab and drove through the rainy streets of London, the boy looked over to Y/N who was intently staring at the droplets of water in the window. Anyone else would've guessed she was looking out into the sidewalk or small businesses along the road, but he knew better. He knew her. Sirius' mind then wandered to all those years he spent staring.

Staring at the way her cheeks reddened when he'd throw one of his seemingly meaningless flirtatious comments. Staring at how her hands contorted when writing, the specific position they had and how much strength she was applying in order for the parchment to stay intact but her letters to be clear. Staring at her as the sun came up on Hogwarts's rooftops and lit up her face beautifully, making him believe in that god his muggle friends mentioned so often.

Oh, how much time he had wasted! But he was too daft to realize little Y/N Y/L/N felt exactly the same way about him. She stared too. Lily once told him after he confessed that she sometimes zoned-out when thinking or staring too hard at him. They were equally whipped for each other and their friends even thought of running a bet on who'd break first. Sirius did and James, Peter, Marlene and Regulus would be fifty galleons richer to this day if the bet would've been concealed.

He felt his hand being squeezed, now actually staring at her and not lost thinking about her while his eyes happened to be directed in her direction. "M'sorry. What?" "I'm really nervous," she giggled anxiously and just then he realized she was tapping her feet lightly on the car's carpet. "Love, they've known you for years! Us moving together let alone dating won't change how they perceive you" "I know, it's just... Euphemia and Fleamont were too polite as to say anything last time we were over for movie night and I noticed little reaction from either of them!" That was over six months ago and they had been dating for four prior to that. After said night, the couple had independently seen Jame's parents, but not really together as a couple.

Euphemia had made small comments around the time they moved in together and Sirius figured she was trying to be respectful of his pace to formally introduce the lively girl they knew all too well as his girlfriend. That day was today. "We're going to be fine, my dear. They're well aware of what's been going on with us... consider this dinner to be merely a catch-up." She let out a breath she didn't know was holding and squeezed his hand again in confirmation.

Soon, the cab stopped. They both walked out after Sirius payed the man, almost giving him galleons. The Potter household had been some kind of sanctuary during the past few years, Y/N recalled as the warm lights bled outside. Inviting. Tender. Just like the family, the house sheltered. "Y'ready darling?" she asked now, as if she was not shitless scared herself. "Let's go," Sirius nodded, taking her hand in his once again and walking firmly towards the door.

The boy walked the few cobble stone steps that led to the entrance and knocked twice. "If it isn't the Blacks!" James smiled, engulfing his best friends in a bone-crushing hug, as always. He had this on-going joke after he proposed to Lily (and she said yes) that Sirius' had to pop the question to Y/N soon and referred to them as "The Blacks" every time they saw each other. "Hello, Jamie" Y/N giggled, kissing his cheek and stepping inside, letting her boyfriend's boyfriend and boyfriend hug for a little longer.

She looked over to the living room and found Remus sitting in one of the green and yellow corduroy couches, smoking a fag he quickly put out in the glass ashtray when she walked in, knowing there was nothing she despised more than the smell of smoke after she quit. Y/N's heart warmed at the action and opened her arms as the lycanthrope approached her. "Hello, sweetheart" he mumbled against her scalp "Hi, baby".

To anyone outside their circle, the interactions Y/L/N and Lupin had might've seemed odd; the nicknames, the regular physical touch, or the constant acts of service. Some could've thought they were dating and certainly there were more than best friends. They were in love with each other as one's in love with pretty flowers or sunsets. Purely platonic, but with a passion that could exterminate kingdoms if given the time. Almost like James's love for Sirius and vice versa.

"Have you tried the coffee?" he asked, pulling away while keeping an arm draped around her shoulders and pressing his mouth against her head. Y/N peered up at him with excitement in her eyes at the thought of the Colombian coffee Remus had gifted her. She looked forward to drinking a cup or two every morning. "It's the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love how you can bite into some tiny pieces of the coffee beans that remain after brewing it". Moony laughed at that, knowing exactly what she was referring to.

"It's great," Sirius' voice was heard as he was standing in front of them now. Remus smirked at his best friend. "I recall I bought that for Y/N/N, not for you, you nasty dog". Y/N's boyfriend barked a laugh and hugged him while roughly patting his back. "Good to see you too, Moons" he said between chuckles before pulling away.

"Mum and dad are in the kitchen, feel like making your grand entrance lovebirds?" James asked from afar, already walking towards said area with Remus trailing behind him. With Remus's warm embrace and how loved her friends made her feel, the stress she had been going through for the past days hours washed away. It was just Euphemia and Fleamont. It was just the Potters. They'd be okay.

Y/N looked at Sirius with expectancy in her eyes and a promise on her lips; they were ready. They held hands, squeezed his lightly and stepped to where their friends were. The spicy smell of whatever James's mom was cooking filled their nostrils, almost making them sneeze. She loved to experiment with them. Lily sat at the table, waving them briefly before she directed her gaze at her in-laws to see their reactions.

Euphemia and Fleamont stopped the meaningless, playful argument they were having about the dish in question and just stared. The silence made the fright come back. She wasn't sure if the sweat that now made her hands wet was from Sirius or from her (or both), Y/N sported a timid smile. "Mum, dad..." her boyfriend started, tightening her grip around her hand "...this is my girlfriend, Y/N". Remus couldn't help but giggle at his mate's behavior. "They know her already Pa-" "I know." He stated all too sure of himself, everyone except his parents laughing.

"Merlin" Euphemia sighed, walking towards them and stopping right there. "My babies!" he squealed, hugging them both just like James had when he greeted them. Y/N could barely return the hug before Euphemia cupped her face while smiling. Then she turned to look at Sirius. "Took you long enough! I thought I'd die before seeing you two together." She smiled wholeheartedly as the others laughed and uttered small agreements.

Fleamont then approached the girl, a knowing eye in his gaze as he always knew Y/N had a thing for Sirius. "I'm thrilled for you kids" he spoke, deep voice lazed in kindness just like the boy he raised. "Y/N was a nervous wreck before we got here," Sirius teased, and his girlfriend looked at him with wide eyes. He did not. "Why!? There's absolutely no reason for you to be-" "Your son's a liar, Euphemia. Come on, let's set the table boys" she cut off, glaring daggers at her lover as he responded by blowing her a kiss with a little wink and an arrogant smirk.

James's mom couldn't help but smile at the exchange. After some time, everyone sat at the table, eager to taste whatever the 'oh so great matriarch' (Lily's drunk praises) had prepared for them. Y/N sat next to her boyfriend, Lily, James and Remus on their other side and their parents sat on both vertical sides of the table. Sirius always left a seat next to him in case his brother showed up.

Naturally, he received invitations whenever these little gatherings would occur since he stuck around his boyfriend, but wouldn't show up or otherwise politely decline. Remus wasn't too bothered by it, knowing he had a hard time settling calmly in "enemy" lines with the whole deal of him being a spy for the Order. They all hoped he'd walk through their door one day... so, until then, the seat would remain intact.

"Be careful, it's burning hot" Euphemia warned, taking her place at the dinner table and smiling sweetly at everyone. "Here, darling" Sirius said, placing a napkin on Y/N's legs and as James noticed the gesture, did the same for Lily. His dad chuckled at that before everyone digged in.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

"Oh, I have one!" Her boyfriend said, patting his feet eagerly on the floor when Euphemia asked for anecdotes of their Hogwarts youth now that they got older and could disclose the details they all kept hidden when they were younger. "My dear girlfriend was advised by some former booger goblin that goes by the name of Lily Evans to take a shot of firewhiskey for confidence when playing truth or dare on Christmas break-"

"Oh no" Y/N facepalmed in embarrassment at the memory as her cheeks turned red. "-so she'd dare me to kiss her!" Remus groaned, knowing where the story ended. The room fell silent, Sirius and Y/N looking daringly at each other. The girl mouthed something, and he shook his head no, continuing with his story after his girlfriend rolled her eyes playfully.

"So, we are all sitting in the common room, merely cheery as miss Y/N is fully drunk from too many confidence shots and it's her turn to dare me... Mum, any guesses on what happened?" Sirius quizzed the woman on his right and she tried hard to guess.

"Your first kiss!" she exclaimed, eager to hear the end of the story as she and her husband remained ignorant of the situation when all the others knew it by heart. "No..." Sirius grinned as James made a buzzing sound like the one of the alarm on that shitty game show he watched with his fiancé. Batting his eyelashes at Y/N, her boyfriend graciously requested "Care to finish the story, babe?".

Theatrical silence fell into the room, broken by a giggle when the secret glance the couple shared (only Euphemia could perceive) became too much for the girl. "I chickened out and made Remus and Siri kiss...". James bursted out in laughter along with his father. His mom gasped and snickered as Remus smirked with Sirius grinning in satisfaction with his arms crossed around his chest, leaning back on his chair.

"I mean, there was a first kiss, right?" Y/N laughed, looking at her boyfriend. "You'd make a lovely couple, guys!" Fleamont said jokingly, and Moony gagged at the mere thought of dating his brother-in-law. "Oh come on Moons! Even mum agrees. Maybe you'll get lucky enough to be with the handsomer brother in the next life... Y/N/N won in this one" Y/N loved couldn't stand his audacity and delivered a well-deserved smack on the back of his head that had everyone laughing. "Kiss it better" Sirius demanded, leaning in as she pecked his head.

The moment came for everyone to move on to independent conversations, too invested in varied topics. "Mum, you're staring" James smiled, unbeknownst to the couple in question who were now gossiping amongst themselves about anything and everything. "They're perfect for each other, Jamie... He looks at her with adoration and so does she. I'm glad they found each other just like you did with Lils" she nodded, an honest smile adorning her cheeks.

The rest of the evening was spent in laughter, wine and enjoyable conversations, and, as Sirius stared over at the people he held most dear in the universe, he found his heart was full. For many years, this is what he'd wish for every night; a family. Back at the place those people dared to call home, the boy felt misplaced. Lost, like a coin someone dropped behind the couch and is never to be found. He had a family now, and he hoped he'd be able to keep it perpetually.

Around eleven; Remus left, the boys were smoking a cigarette outside, Lily was sleeping on the couch since she had been oddly tired in the past few days and Y/N along with Euphemia were washing the dishes.

"You look happy" the older woman said, passing her another wet dish Y/N dried with a red washcloth. "I am. I'm wearing the smile he gives me" she nodded and Euphemia giggled. "Everyone seemed to know except you guys, growing up" "What gave it away?" Y/N flushed "Eye contact is way more intimate than words will ever be and we always try to hide our feelings but we forget our eyes can speak; you stared a bit too long to be just friends".

The water on the sink started going down the drain with a funny sound as they both wiped away "When he confessed he said he had loved me every day of every month of every year since and asked if I had a single idea of how much he wanted to grab my face and kiss my god dammed mouth. I felt like the biggest fool... and a bit sad we lost so much time" Y/N reflected at the memory of her love spitting those words like a madman.

"Oh darling, you didn't lose time! Everything happens at the time that's meant to happen... it was certainly a excruciating long one in your case, but few couples have the connection you do. You're best friends. I see the secret glances and the pure interest when the other opens their mouth, no matter what they'll talk about. He's right; you're lucky to have him, and Sirius is lucky to have you." Euphemia rambled, the dishes long forgotten.

Y/N smiled, seeing a new perspective on a matter that had been in her head since they had started dating. Time only made the connection stronger. "Thanks, mum" she mumbled as the woman pecked her forehead "You're welcome, baby".

Meanwhile, outside, two best friends and their dad were having a very serious conversation. "It's been three weeks!" Fleamont exclaimed, puffing the smoke out his lungs "I know, I know... your baby boy has been non-stop bugging me about the matter since I got it" the raven haired boy snickered, flicking his second cig down to the floor and stepping on it. "I just don't get why it's taken you so long! What? Are you afraid she's gonna say no?" James now chimed in.

Sirius took the small velvet box out of his jacket, opening it and staring at the ring as he had been for the past month. He was absolutely fucking terrified. Not of her saying no. He knew she'd say yes... hell, even if she proposed he'd say yes in this lifetime and in the next trillion ones. "I just want it to be perfect. She deserves perfect".

Sirius Black ended up proposing to Y/N Y/L/N on a Tuesday morning over coffee. They hadn't slept at all the night before, and when the sun came up with the light bleeding into their shared home, he was looking at her. That was perfect.

And she said yes.

[sodamnradd]

(Slytherin Hermione, No Voldemort)

Since first year, they shared a hunger for knowledge, success, and tormenting obstinate Gryffindors.

Draco was mean. Hermione was sharp and temperamental. They made a fierce pair.

When they became older, Draco started sneaking girls into empty classrooms after curfew. Hermione maintained a long-distance relationship with Viktor. They were never single at the same time. And yet, they were never apart.

They spent candlelit evenings sharing magic and getting up to mischief. In fifth year, they created prohibited Portkeys, and on Hogsmeade weekends, slipped into Muggle disguises and snuck off. Crashing dazzling parties in Bath mansions and London lofts. They drank stolen wine and danced drunk. Sixteen, adrenaline-fuelled, fortified by one another’s presence.

At the end of seventh year, Hermione nailed her N.E.W.Ts, was graduating Hogwarts with a prestigious law apprenticeship and without a boyfriend.

It was time to date people in the real world, she claimed, oddly unaffected.

Graduation marked a new era. One where Draco would start his day without Hermione in their common room. Where they wouldn’t share every meal together, or divide-and-conquer assignments. It was a harrowing thought.

Imagining her ‘dating people in the real world’ ate at him. She would sit across the table from somebody else. Somebody else would know her better than he did.

Narcissa made a fuss when her son stubbornly attended his graduation party in Muggle formalwear. But if Hermione was wearing Muggle clothing, then so was Draco.

Hermione showed up at Malfoy Manor looking indecently gorgeous.

He had a way of making himself miserable, Draco. The words ‘old times’ ‘childhood best friend’ ‘the one that got away’ entrapped his mind like Devil’s Snare and weaved his stomach into knots.

At Hogwarts, whenever he felt lost, his internal compass pointed to Hermione. Tonight was no different.

She wasn’t a social butterfly like Draco. She thought niceties were a waste of time and preferred to hover on the outskirts of a social scene, observing the chaos in judgy silence.

“Where have you been?” she demanded, balancing a glass of weekend rosé between her fingers.

Moping. “Mingling. You should try it sometime.”

“I survived seven years of Hogwarts tolerating nobody but you. Can't kill my streak now.”

“In that case,” he offered her a folded handkerchief from his breast pocket, “got one more adventure in you?”

When Hermione stepped forward to take it, Draco’s hand twisted around her arm, tugging her into him. His mouth slipped over hers as the Portkey tided them away.

By the time they landed on the dewy grass, Hermione’s arm was around his neck, and she was kissing him with just as much enthusiasm.

He clutched her hip and held her close, fears that plagued him all day long misting away.

It was no surprise that the kiss was explosive. Draco had always known it would be. That they would be.

When they stepped apart, Hermione yanked the lapel of his jacket. Relief swimming in her eyes.

“You idiot,” she whispered, smoothing his shirt. Her palm pressed over his heart. “Why did it take you so long?”

(509 words, photo prompt from twitter, potential ecdysis au where hermione's accepted by the slytherins?)

[iwriteasfotini]

September Full Moony Excerpt

I am so excited to share this story with everyone. Waiting is SO hard. In celebration of the full moon tonight, here is a subtextual Wolfstar moment from The Bonds of Friendship, Chapter II - A Trip to Diagon Alley. Read it and then tell me you couldn't picture it perfectly in your imagination. :-P

James and Sirius have spent the summer together and are in Diagon Alley doing their school shopping. 

[James and Sirius] ordered the ‘giant’ sized bowls, which allowed them to choose five different flavors of ice cream and three toppings apiece. Sitting under a colorful umbrella outside the shop, they watched the bustle of shoppers, and searched for their other two best friends. 

James spotted Peter first, accompanied by his mum. 

“Pete!” James called, waving energetically. Peter beamed and hurried over. James wrapped him in a hug and Sirius also stood to hug Peter across the bench seat. 

“Blimey, those are the biggest bowls I’ve ever seen,” said Peter, eyeing their ice creams, which were about halfway finished. 

“Here, sit down, and you can have some of mine,” James offered.

Peter looked to his mum for permission, and she said, “oh go on Peety, I’ll go shop for you. Just stay in this general area.”

The three boys smiled widely at her and Peter took a seat, digging into James’ ice cream with gusto. 

“Why did you have to get chopped nuts?” asked Peter, chewing thoughtfully. 

“Because I like chopped nuts, and I wasn’t choosing with you in mind.” 

Peter shrugged, and picked around the remaining nut pieces. 

It wasn’t long before a head of tousled light brown hair caught James’ eye, and his eyebrows shot up as Remus and his mother came fully into view. Remus had grown. A lot. He had already been as tall as his mother last term, and now he was half a head above her. 

Sirius nearly upset their table in his haste to rush out onto the cobbled street, shouting, “Remus!”

“Where’s the fire,” scoffed Peter. 

But James was right behind Sirius, and he wrapped his arms around both Sirius and Remus in a tight embrace. 

When they broke apart, Remus’ mum looked quite pleased. 

“Mam,” said Remus, “this is James, and Sirius.” Pointing at each of them. 

“Peter’s over there as well,” James said, Peter gave a wave when all heads turned in his direction. 

“Alright. It’s so nice to finally meet you all, Remus talks about you so much at home. I am grateful he has such good friends at Hogwarts.” Remus’ mother smiled kindly at them. 

“Oh and this is my mam, Hope,” Remus said quickly. 

“Nice to meet you Hope,” Sirius stepped forward and kissed her on the cheek. James and Remus exchanged an amused glance. 

“Oh, there’s lovely Sirius.” Hope was blushing and seemed rather taken aback. 

“Is that a pureblood thing?” Remus asked bluntly. “Or are you desperate to get in my mam’s good graces?” 

James reached over and smacked Remus on the back of the head. It was actually over and up, because yes, Remus actually was that much taller than him now. Remus retaliated in kind, while Sirius looked a bit sheepish, and Hope suddenly had to dig something out of her handbag. 

“Look,” said James, breaking the awkwardness, “we were just finishing up some ice cream, care to join us Remus?”

“Er, I need to shop with my mam, she’s not used to wizard money and shops.”

“Of course.” James internally chastised himself for forgetting Mrs Lupin, Hope, was a muggle. 

“Meet us when you are done?” suggested Sirius. 

“Tidy.”

“We might poke around the shops, but we won’t go far,” James said. 

Remus and his mother left to shop, while James and Sirius returned to their table to find Peter had finished off both of their ice cream bowls. 

“Hey! I didn’t offer you any of mine,” Sirius objected. 

“Whoops, sorry,” said Peter. “We can go to Sweet Fangs, I’ll buy.”

So they headed off to the sweet shop across the way. 

…

Find out more about this series in my pinned post.

Ahhh, the anticipation is killing me! It’s like waiting for Christmas Eve, my favorite day of the year. I post a writing update every week. This excerpt is from the third installment titled The Bonds of Friendship which will begin daily posting on AO3 on February 14.

[loserboyfriendrjl]

sirius lingered around the station for as long as he could. he passed the barrier by james’ side, talking to him as if another summer wasn’t going to part their way. euphemia and fleamont potter came through a few steps after them, watching the two boys attentively.

“you’ll write,” james said, engulfing sirius into a tight hug, “and we have the mirrors. you can just say the word, it’ll always be around me.”

“i know.” sirius chuckled, his voice muffled into james’ hair. “don’t worry about me,” he added.

fleamont potter put a fatherly hand on sirius’ shoulder. “if you need anything, don’t hesitate to send a letter to james or to let us know.”

he nodded; he wasn’t used to being able to depend on people. he didn’t need them, he would do just fine; but there was a mutual understanding that if he did need them, they would be there for him, which brought sirius a strange kind of comfort. “of course,” he lied.

“take care of yourself, sirius,” euphemia potter said, giving him a hug. he stood there, for an awkward moment, before putting his arm around her; she was quite shorter than her and displays of affection were weird for him, but he accepted the hug from james’ mother nonetheless.

they parted ways, the potters leaving king’s cross and, sirius noticed, slipping on a dingy street, then promptly disappearing. he considered that his cue to leave, and noticed he didn’t look strange at all among the muggles in king’s cross, besides his trunk (which could have passed as a traveller’s, now that he thought about it) and the wand tucked into his pocket. however, his long hair, his large jeans and his leather coat made him slip unnoticed through the station.

he decided he’d take the tube back to islington, mostly to just kill time. another holiday back in grimmauld place meant another soirée among people he couldn’t stand, another posh family dinner in which the only subject to discuss would be the greatness of the dark lord, another handful of weeks in which sirius felt trapped, weeks he’d spend in his bedroom doing nothing but hating the person he ought to become.

at last, when the tube arrived, ticket tucked between in his palm, he hopped inside and wrapped his fingers around the metal bar. he almost believed he saw another hogwarts student, who turned out to be dorcas meadowes, a slytherin from his year that sirius had had the opportunity to get to know in the duelling club, and who turned to be both vigilant and aggressive in tactic.

sirius felt grateful that the tube ride felt like it was going to take ages; he wanted to postpone his arrival at grimmauld place for as long as possible. but he would know best that no good things last forever, and, going up the stairs, he put his hand through his pocket, in search of a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. toying with the latter, he put the cigarette between his teeth and lit it up, considering that one of his last moments of freedom before he’d have to tuck them at the bottom of his trunk. his mother would surely say something about how he smelled like nicotine.

his steps were as slow as humanly possible, and he took a moment to appreciate his surroundings which, in the winter cold, were thoroughly depressing. he lit himself up another cigarette; christmas was bound to be miserable, as it usually was.

holiday cheer never got to sirius; however, he was happy that his friends enjoyed those times of the year. he put up decorations with them in the dorms and they exchanged presents earlier in the morning, they wore father christmas hats and sang off-key wizarding versions of carols. sirius vaguely assumed he’d prefer holidays if he spent them at hogwarts. he was going to, next year; he already knew that.

he stepped to the front door of a block and cupped his cigarette with his palm to light it up. he put it between his lips and took a long drag, shoving his hands into his pockets. he noticed a few girls, who looked a few years older than him, glance in his direction and giggle, then continue making their way through the snow-covered street.

sirius threw his cigarette on the ground and stubbed it with the heel of his boot. merry fucking christmas.

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Under The Christmas Tree - Sirius Black X Female (Wife) Reader

Title: Under The Christmas Tree

Sirius Black X Female (Wife) Reader

Additional Characters: James (Mentioned), Lily (Mentioned), Filch (Mentioned), Molly Weasley (Mentioned), Charlie Weasley (Mentioned), Minerva McGonagall (Mentioned), Harry Potter (Mentioned), Peter (Mentioned), Remus, Albus (Mentioned), Harry's Aunt and Uncle (Mentioned), and Hagrid (Mentioned)

Requested by Anon!

WC: 3,370

Warnings: Death mentioned, murder mentioned (J&L), slight angst, pregnancy mentioned, unapproving parents mentioned, Azkaban mentioned, Prisoner Of Azkaban timeline mentioned, Order Of The Phoenix references, grief mentioned, depression mentioned, anxiety, nervousness, teasing, bittersweet, abuse mentioned very briefly, crying, family reunion, pranks mentioned, Reader's children have chosen names, nervous Sirius, Sirius is smitten seriously, emotional, alcohol (wine), Reader is somewhat a Muggle, family fluff, and romantic fluff

You hummed to a Christmas song that was playing on the radio in the kitchen as you hung the fairy lights up on the ceiling of the living room, standing on the near top of the ladder you were on. You tried to reach up to hook the line of the lights to the hook on the ceiling, wobbling slightly as you tried to maintain your balance. After you managed to hook the last of the lights, you hopped down the ladder, brushing off imaginary dirt on your hands. You continued to hum as you turned on the lights, watching them with a smile as the lights twinkled and shined. You placed your hands on your hips victoriously, slowly turning around the small living room, admiring your finished work. Candles lit, the fire raging in the fireplace, and stockings hung over it. The Christmas tree was up, lights wrapped around it, and ornaments along with it; hung with the help from your children. Filius and Sybill Black, your twins, your pride and joy, had helped make sure everything would be perfect for tonight’s celebration. They called themselves 'Mom's Little Helpers' and you thought it was quite adorable. The house smelled like warm spices and pine needles as you breathed in deeply, smiling softly at the smell. With everything ready, now, you just had to find your husband.

Sirius Black was your one true love, and no other could compare to him. He made you feel whole. You had gone to Hogwarts with him, but your love didn't blossom until the fifth year. Sirius was such a great wizard, talented, kind, brave, and funny, not to mention incredibly handsome. It was easy to fall in love with him when you spent so much time with him and the other Marauders. 

Somehow, you had bewitched Sirius, making him fall for you completely. It was one of those sudden realizations for him, seeing you laughing and talking with your friends. He knew then. He knew that he loved you. He found himself only caring about you, and only you; completely forgetting about his playboy antics. He didn’t dare look at another witch. He even asked you to marry him when you were seventeen, after dating for three years. Your parents had opposed it, naturally, but you didn't care about them. In fact, they weren't worth thinking about anyway; you married Sirius right after you both graduated from the magical school, a couple months after Lily and James. 

You bought a small home, a cottage at the edge of a small wood, and only a couple minute walk from the closest town. You spent your days there together, reading, enjoying each other's company, and planning your future together. You loved your home. This place felt like a sanctuary, away from unapproving parents. A true place you could both call home. But, Sirius was taken away to Azkaban after you both found out that Lily and James were killed. You knew he didn't do it, he didn't kill Lily, James, or those twelve Muggles. You knew your husband. You knew your Sirius. If he was this so-called killer, why didn't he kill you? Being a Muggle-witch yourself. You tried to do something, but you couldn't and in the night… They took him away.

And that was the night you found out that you were pregnant. 

Your children, Filius and Sybill were born nine months later, twins. They looked just like their father, with curly, black hair. But, they had your beautiful eyes and your smile. It was hard in the beginning, seeing your Sirius's features on your children. You missed your husband so much, especially when your children started asking about their father and where he was. But, it wasn't your children's fault... It was Peter's. You tried to let go of the past, going forward with your life with your children, becoming a stay-at-home mother while Remus helped with some home expenses. You were so thankful that you had Remus to lean on when things become difficult. Especially Albus, he helped with clothing and small gifts for the twins. Even Minerva came to visit sometimes.

Because Sirius was taken from you, you cherished every moment with your children. Taking them to parks, having reading time in front of the fire, and even going through old pictures of you and Sirius. The kids loved seeing pictures of their father, and they loved being told stories by you about Sirius. It was bittersweet, but you wouldn't say no to your children if it ever came to them wanting to know more about their father. Soon, a couple years later, your children were sent letters from Hogwarts, and you had a blast finding their books, pets, and wands. Sybill, you little prankster, like her father, had chosen an owl, and Filius, sweet and a book fiend, like you, chose a cat. Their names were Feathers and Mittens The Third respectively. 

~~~

You were insanely proud of your babies, helping them run through the brick wall with ease. There was where you were reunited with Harry. You didn't know if he remembered you, he probably didn't, but you had taken care of him for a couple of months before he left to live with his aunt and uncle. You had heard from the grapevine that they were terrible people, and you hoped that Harry would stay safe at home and at school. You reintroduced yourself and your kids to the boy, telling him how you knew his parents, and how proud they would be of him. You were surprised when he said that Minerva spoke of you, and he thanked you for your kind words. You felt your heart warm as you wished him luck in his third year, and you were pleasantly surprised when your children began to bond with your godson. You shed a few tears as you watched Harry, Filius, and Sybill all get on the train, after hugging them all goodbye. Your twin's nerves dissipated as Harry helped them with their luggage, and they waved goodbye to you as the train started to rumble and go down the track. You smiled to yourself as you left the train station, beyond happy.

But, one night, there was a knock at your door, and you were confused. You weren't expecting anyone, not even Remus, and your children were at Hogwarts in their first year. You stood up from your comfy chair and opened the door. Looking down, you stared at the large dog in front of you with wide eyes. Not in fear, but in awe. You recognized that dog, your Sirius in his animagus form. You were quick to usher him in, finding a pair of his old clothes and finding out what had happened... How he escaped. That was two years ago and you were so happy to have Sirius back again. And you were never letting anyone take him away again. 

You sighed, leaning against the doorway of the bedroom, watching as Sirius tried to finish wrapping the presents. You bit your lip as you watched him struggle with the tape, before secretly using his wand to perfectly finish wrapping the gift. Sirius was beyond wonderful with the twins. He was a bit surprised at first and even a bit nervous when you had told him that you were pregnant the night he left. He felt terrible, but Sirius went right into 'dad mode' after he met them.

You loved to replay their meeting in your mind. You, yourself had been a bit nervous, but your excitement quickly overcame you. The children had known of their father's escape from Azkaban during their first year, along with hearing it from Harry and his friends. They were hesitant with the news, but they knew from you that their father would never harm anyone. You picked the twins up from the train station during the beginning of the holiday break, and drove them home. They told you how exciting and fun Hogwarts was, even with all the dangers they nearly dealt with. You were immensely worried for their safety, but they were insistent that they would be alright. They would protect each other.

You felt so excited as you entered the home, your children behind you. There, they froze upon seeing their father in the living room, sitting in his old chair. 

“Syb, Fili, honeys. This is your father, Sirius.” You spoke up, as Sirius fiddled with his hands before him, looking down at the two children before him with a small smile. “Sirius, this is Sybill and Filius.”

“Hello,” He spoke up, before you felt all the stress and nerves leave you as they ran into his arms.

“Dad!” They both cried, Sirius wrapped his arms around them tightly, holding them both close to him. He looked at you, his eyes filled with tears of complete joy as he smiled, before pulling you into the family group hug.

“They look just like you.” He had muttered to you and you couldn’t stop the tears that fell down your cheeks. “They have your beautiful smile.”

“Well, they have your hair. It’s sometimes unmanageable.” You laughed, before your children began to ramble and bombard Sirius with questions.

“Dad! Is it true that you pranked Professor McGonagall?” Filius asked, looking up at his father as Sybill jumped up and down beside him.

“Is it true that you pranked Filch with Slugulus Eructo? And does it work? I want to prank Franklin in my class, he stole my quill.” Sybill spoke as Sirius smiled with the shake of his head. 

“I did, but I wouldn’t do that spell, try Dungbombs, they work splendidly in stinking up the place.”

Sybill grinned mischievously, “I could hide a few in his bag.” She stated and Sirius laughed proudly, ruffling her curly black hair.

“Excellent idea, my dear!”

You let out an amused huff as you cursed yourself for retelling Sirius’s pranks, but it was nonetheless a beautiful sight.

~~~

You sighed again, laughing lightly as Sirius looked up, noticing he had been caught.

"What?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders, "I can't use this... Muggle tape." He spoke slowly, finding the right words for the item that had been discarded on the floor. 

"You can use it, Siri..." You spoke, pushing off the doorway and walking over. "You just have to be careful." You gave him a smile, sitting down in front of him as he smiled weakly, taking the tape into his hand once again. He then put the last present in the pile in front of him.

"I'm sorry. I'm just still getting used to this." He spoke, finally being able to peel off the tape. "It's been a long time." He muttered and you nodded.

"I know, baby." You began, placing your hand on top of his, making him look up at you. "You don't have to apologize. What matters now is that we're together again." You smiled softly, stroking his knuckles with your thumb. "We're here now. We're together." You finished, your gaze falling upon the twins as they ran past the room with Mittens The Third chasing them. "If you'd rather, you can use your wand. The kids won't know the difference."

"Remus will." Sirius spoke with a smirk, "Too smart for his own good."

You pat Sirius's hand, nodding, before scooting around to sit beside him, leaning your head on his shoulder. "He won't say anything though." You chuckled, "He's as polite as he is smart."

Sirius hummed, finishing the last present before setting down the tape and his wand. His arm came to wrap around your waist, pulling you closer, your head resting on his chest. He kissed the top of your head before laying his cheek on the top of yours. Tonight was going to be a long night.

~~~

The party was in full swing, Remus was with Sirius in the kitchen, drinking some wine as Bill and Fleur were chatting in the corner of the living room. Molly was with the twins, having gifted them matching red homemade sweaters with their initials. And even Albus was there, sitting by the fire with Hagrid. Music danced in the air and you could tell everyone was enjoying themselves. You leaned against the entranceway of the kitchen, swirling your drink softly in the tall glass as you watched everyone have a great time. 

Suddenly you heard a whistle, your guests chuckling in your direction as your daughter, Sybill, pointed up above you. "Mistletoe, Mom!"

Your eyebrows furrowed, "Mistletoe..? I didn't hang any of those." You looked up and sure enough, there was a little mistletoe above you, dropping your shoulders, you turned around as you heard quiet laughter. Narrowing your eyes, you crossed your arms as you stared at Sirius and Remus. "Sirius..." You scolded knowingly as he wiggled his eyebrows. 

"It was partially Remus's fault." He tried to blame but Remus shook his head, nibbling on a bar of chocolate you had gifted him.

"I tried to advise that he shouldn’t..." Remus spoke, "But we both know he doesn't listen."

You nodded, before speaking, "Sirius, get over here." Sirius said nothing but strutted over proudly, taking you in his arms, you blushed heavily as the guests of the party watched, cheered, hooted, and hollered. "I'm getting you back for this." You muttered as Sirius leaned down, his nose softly caressing yours. 

"Forgive me?" He whispered.

You couldn't stop yourself from smiling, "Of course." You whispered back.

"Good," Sirius responded before kissing you deeply, your fingers running through his hair. The guest cheered as Sirius pulled back slightly, looking deep into your eyes. "Happy Christmas, my love." He whispered, smiling as you nodded.

"Happy Christmas, my Siri." You replied.

You both turned as you watched Filius with his hands covering his eyes, he peeked out from them, and let out a breath as he noticed you had both stopped kissing. "Gross."

Sybill nudged her twin's arm, "You'll be doing that too when you're older, you know?" She spoke knowingly as Filius stuck out his tongue in disgust. 

"Ew, bloody hell, no!" And everyone let out a laugh at his remark.

~~~

The night was coming to an end, people had already left for their homes, whether with some Floo Powder or otherwise; the party was over. Your children were passed out on the couches, Sybill clutching a dragon plush from Charlie Weasley, her idol; Sybill dreamed of working with dragons someday. And Filius, little Fili, was on his back, mouth open as he softly snored, his new book from Albus on his stomach; raising up and down with each breath. You hummed, finishing the rest of your drink as you watched Sirius close Filius's book and place it aside before tossing blankets over both his children, making sure they are tucked in and warm. Sirius was such a good father, always protecting them from harm. He made sure they were healthy and safe whenever they were gone at school and he kept the house clean and even did the dishes. A perfect father, a perfect husband, and a perfect Sirius. He, himself, was perfect.

Sirius let out a sigh as he stood straight, peering down at his children as he played with the curl of his mustache, a small nervous habit of his before he turned to you. His small frown turned into a smile as he walked over to you, taking you in his arms as he gently swayed with you, humming a soft tune. You leaned your head on his chest, your arms looped around his waist. 

"I love you, Y/N." He muttered, planting a kiss on your head.

"I love you too." You answered before lifting your head. "I love you so much, Sirius." 

Sirius gazed down at you, his eyes soft as he pulled you into a deep kiss, holding your face with one hand as he held your waist with the other. You smiled softly, loving every second of your time with your husband. As he pulled away, his eyes widened slightly in realization. 

"I forgot," He began, pulling away from you to quickly speed-walk to your shared room. You bit your lip, excited and yet confused as you watched him come back down the hall to you with a small box in his hand. "Your present." He gifted it to you, placing it in your hands.

You smiled as you looked down at your gift, terribly wrapped with pieces of sticky tape. The wrapping paper was gold and red striped, reminding you of his house at Hogwarts. You loved it. Sirius watched with anticipation and anxiety as you walked to the tree, and sat down. Sirius followed, plopping down in front of you as you began to unwrap it, revealing a red box. You continued to worry on your bottom lip as you felt your heart skip a beat. Opening the box, you gasped. It was a small notebook, and on the cover, was an old moving photo of you and Sirius. Back when you were still in school. You were in the Gryffindor common room, sitting in Sirius's lap, your hand in his hair as his arms wrapped around your waist. You were laughing at something, as Sirius stared at you with such adoration. You remembered that night, he and James had just won the Quidditch cup. That was the night Sirius had asked you to marry him. 

"Oh, Sirius..." You sighed, tears forming in the corners of your eyes as you closed the notebook. "This is beautiful." You looked up at him, your hands gripping onto the fabric of his slightly unbuttoned red shirt tightly, "Thank you." You smiled as he wiped a tear from your cheek with the soft pad of his thumb.

"I thought maybe you'd need another notebook. You've been writing a lot lately." He explained as you let out a wet chuckle.

"Yeah, I have." You looked down at your new notebook. "Thank you, my darling."

"Of course," Sirius muttered, a smile enveloping his face as he felt his own cheeks flush. “Anything for you.”

You gently placed your notebook down beside you as you grabbed the last present under the tree beside you. It was a bit smaller than the box Sirius gave you. You felt your heart continue to race as you passed the box over to him, wrapped perfectly in red with gold stars, and a thick white ribbon. Sirius did his best to unwrap the present, making sure not to rip the wrapping paper as he did so. Revealing a brown box, he hesitated before he opened it. His reaction was identical. His eyes grew large as he saw what was inside, and you couldn't help but grow a bit nervous.

"I know you lost most of your things when... When they took you..." You began, swallowing thickly as you let your smile soften. "I was able to find another ring for you. The same one as the first, just... A bit different." You explained as Sirius took the silver ring out of the box. He held it up slightly, the soft fairy lights glinting beautifully off of it. Tilting it, Sirius noticed the small inscription inside of the ring, 'You're not a bad person. You're a very good person, who bad things have happened to.'

He smiled as he muttered the quote, before glancing up at you, "Well, done, my love. And thank you." He spoke, before sliding the ring on his ring finger. "I might have to steal that."

"Absolutely," You chuckled softly, placing your hand on his, your ring shining next to his. "By all means."

Sirius intertwined your fingers with his, the two of you scooting close together, before falling back on the ground as you stared up at the sparkling lights of the tree above you. The two of you lay there enjoying each other's company in silence, only broken by the sound of crickets chirping and the occasional owl hooting somewhere in the distance. Wrapped tightly in each other's embrace, your fingers caressing the tattoos on his chest, your breathing slowly evened out; eyes drifting shut. The two of you quickly fell asleep under the Christmas tree.

[shrimpalbuspotter]

Get ready guys because this is a DOOZY and it's LONG

I've been thinking about an alternate cursed child timeline where Harry Potter lived (no need for logistics... cough) but Voldemort still ruled so the world was Dark, and Harry has all three of his children (albeit, Albus and Lily were accidents. Oops) but when James is 9, Albus is 7, and Lily Luna is 5, the Death Eaters find where they had been hiding. Ginny and Harry are killed almost immediately, and being the Gryffindors they are, James trys to save them and Lily refuses to leave her big brothers side, whilst Albus runs off to hide. James and Lily die. (At this point, Snape would be teaching and Hermione is out scavenging with Ron. None of them could have helped. They blame themselves, but Snape always tells them it was inevitable despite being distraught himself)

We cut to see Voldemort and Delphi (who would be 15, as she's only 8 years older than albus I think) walking around the house the Potters had been hiding in, and Delphi makes the discovery of a trembling little boy hiding in a wardrobe. Now, Delphi had been waffling on about wanting a pet for years. Typical child things, which Voldemort always refused, as he sees them as useless, and isn't Nagini enough? She's much better than some pesky Kneazle.

But alas, looking at this terrified child gave Delphi a new idea, one her father might just not refuse. Upon asking Voldemort if she can keep this halfblood as her new pet, promising to feed him and train him and wash him all by herself, Voldemort laughed. Wouldn't it be the cruelest revenge on Harry Potter, and his blood traitor slash mudblood friends that just keep causing trouble, if he took in the young boy? Yes. It would.

Now when I first thought of this timeline it was really dark like, Albus wasn't allowed to go to Hogwarts as he was The Augureys pet and a Halfblood, so his whole education was locked in a room with Delphi Riddle whilst reading tens of books a day. Ofcourse, this was all useless, as he wasn't given a want and infact, his pasttimes included snapping the wands of the people who they capture. Also, he wasnt socialised at all until he was 11 and spent those 4 years alone with death eaters. He worked as that of an assistant, to both The Augurey and on occasion the Dark Lord if he was needed. Albus is given the nickname Munin, one of the messenger birds of Odin. It's rather muggle, but Delphi had an odd fascination for those types of things. In this timeline Albus isn't as snappy or angry. Instead, he's jittery and hyper vigilant, he still hates loud noises but his reaction to it is always rather 10x more, so he'll rather physically jump/scatter to hide behind Delphi OR he'll look as if he doesn't care at all, merely blinking. He also still hate seeing touched, but doesn't do anything to stop people if they pat his shoulder or his head in passing. He scurries instead if walks, like he's constantly scared he's going to be late to something. But he never stutters, speaking clearly and calmly whilst rubbing his sweaty hands together to stop his nerves. Basically he's anxious, all the time. Besides this, he's in some parasocial relationship with Delphi where he worships her like she's some type of god because she has tricked him into thinking that she saved his life, and without her he'd have been avada kedavrad already. Delphi doesn't play into these silly feelings but she absolutely uses them to her advantage. Albus would be sent off to deliver messages to people, or help out on voldemort day, or chaperone Delphi everywhere. He needs to declare whenever she enters a room. She'll often taunt him by making him tag along with her on matters which don't need him, usually because they are in Hogwarts. He hates walking through Hogwarts, getting whispered about always makes him feel sick. (Now just letting you all know everyone HATES Albus because he's Harry Potters son, but they can't do shit about it because he's also The Augureys favourite.) It isn't all bad though as during a lone mission in Hogwarts to go deliver a message to Headmaster Umbridge is where he first met Scorpius, the Scorpion King. (They were 11)

But... now that I've really gotten into the timeline, I feel like it isn't silly enough... like, why not. Why isn't it silly. Why can't I make it a little silly. So, I kept everything that was dark about it, and just added small stuff that was stupid.

Albus talks back to Voldemort and has no idea why everyone else always panics when he does so, because Delphi does it all the time so isn't it normal.

Albus has free range of whatever Manor Voldemort resides in. He is always in that fuckass kitchen eating crap

He writes a letter to Hermione, Ron, and Snape once every 2 weeks when they finally have the ability to talk to him again because they hadn't seen him since he was 7, Snape being the exception, but they never had the chance to speak). They are so confused by the shenanigans he gets up to. Also, why does he keep telling them about Delphi sneaking into the Dungeons to talk to some muggle girl?

Him and Scorpius or on that bullshit. Like, they are always up to something whenever they see eachother.

Instead of having a dark mark like everyone else, he has a matching Augurey tattoo with Delphi on his back. It works like a dark mark, but the charm on it is less potent.

He also has matching outfits with Delphi, he's kind of like her dress up doll. She gave him a little feathery cape and a backless suit.

He quite literally sits at Delphis feet like a dog. He sleeps on the floor with like pillows and blankets. His back aches.

One time Hermione had told Albus they should all meet up, and said she'd make a plan so he could leave safely without getting caught and hurt for wandering around. Albus asked for where they would be meeting and as soon as he got a reply, casually just strolled out of the Manor with a simple nod to one of the deatheaters on watch outside

There's more stuff... more serious, more silly. I'd say he's alot like Snape with Voldemort but he really isn't. Delphi quite literally just views him as a cute little pet she can carry around and show off, and all the assistant things he does is just some added bonus. He isn't a spy for whatever Is left of The Order, refusing to give them information when they first met up (information he knows because he is always following behind Delphi during meetings and mission etc etc)

I might draw him... maybe.

[someonexsomeone]

Valentine

Title: Valentine

Author: SomeonexSomeone

Word Count: 2.5k

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Reader

Summary: Life is difficult when you're living through a war, but no one told him how hard it would be to handle the after.

Authors Note: Day 4!! I almost missed this week with all the hecticness happening in my life right now, including a stress rash that has spread to my face. Also, because my roommate finally got me to download the FF.net app and all I want to do is read all day. Thank you for everyone who has been liking and leaving kind messages on these! You have no idea how much it makes my day :)

For a long time, the word ‘after’ didn’t exist for Draco Malfoy. A simple word, a word much too short to hold such meaning, such a tight grip on his life, but a word that made his skin bristle like he was hit with a skin-tingling hex. ‘After’ was for people who had the luxury of knowing they were safe in the present, for people who could plan ahead and have some sense of trust that they would make it to ‘after’. Those people were the ones who didn’t have their formative years shaped by a brewing war, the aftermath of being on a losing side (because let’s be honest, Drace always thought, was there ever a time when they could have won?), and then somehow being on the losing side again. His Father was smart to keep things from him, to keep the secrets of the Death Eater whispers just that until they were sure the Dark Lord would actually rise again, but sometimes he wondered if knowing longer would have given him a chance to change, to prepare, to forgo the memory that shot ice through his veins. After all, most people didn’t learn evil incarnate was being resurrected over family dinner.

No, Draco was not ‘most people’, and that made the word ‘after’ that much more terrifying.

During the war, there was hardly time to think about the present, let alone the aftermath. His days were spent hiding, using the one tool in his arsenal he could always trust to get out of participating in the worst of the killing, and using his ability to repress bad memories to cope with those times he couldn’t get out of them. Bullying his classmates, pretending to believe in the Dark Lord’s every desire, playing the role of the perfect heir, all those things he could do in the present. Fake it till you make it, as the muggles say. Those were easy, consequences or rewards come quickly when you have to stare something in the face and not think of the future.

And then one Harry Potter showed up at his house, the building that once made him feel safe and content turned into a dreary cave, face distorted in a near unrecognizable way and eyes that mirrored his own. All at once, the last six years of rivalry came crashing down on him, an ugly truth of near-perfect understanding that maybe, just maybe, the Boy-Who-Lived could actually understand him. Their eyes reflected the same fear, the same pressing desire for all of this to be over, to stop the fighting, the killing, the fear to think about what could come after. Because Harry Potter, the boy, the child, destined to kill the darkest Wizard in the last 100 years, also didn’t have the luxury of thinking of after. He, after all, had people to protect, just like Draco. 

So, in a moment that Draco would never be able to put a feeling towards, he looked at his aunt and lied, and felt the split second of desire to think about an after.

That was many years now, of course. Life continued on, even if it didn’t feel like you could hold on for a second longer. Boy-Wonder and his rowdy crew were able to save the day, Draco begrudgingly admitting to himself that there was always a part of him that hoped they would (though he would rather die than admit it out loud), and he walked hand in hand with his Mother to the apparition point, disappearing before the celebration began. He couldn’t think of an ‘after’ even then, hurrying to help his Mother hide their most prized Dark possessions, helping his Father reach out to anyone that would help their case on the Wizengamot, and burying the last bit of his fear so his hands wouldn’t shake when the Aurors arrived to collect them and any other known Death Eaters that survived the War. 

The last time he had seen Potter, at least in person, was during his trial. His Father, of course, was sent to Azkaban, his Mother placed on probation for her involvement, and him…let free. He couldn’t believe it. Even as half of the Wizengamot looked on with displeasure, Draco was let free, with minor charges, all based on the word of the same boy who he spent half his life abusing. Even Potter’s face flickered back and forth, like he couldn’t believe the decision he made, but his stance was resolute. Drace Malfoy would be let go as long as he paid a fine to rebuild part of the Wizarding World and a promise that if he ever committed another crime he would face the full force of the law. His Mother wept, his Father shocked. Draco, for lack of better understanding, refused to let himself feel anything but disgust. Disgust for being pitied, disgust for Potter’s good heart, disgust for the horrible ball of gratitude he felt swirling in his gut. He glared at Potter, who only met his eyes with a reflection of his own - now what?

He left London as soon as he could. There was, after all, a War to clean up. The decision was fast, too unknowing for even his Mother to comprehend, but there was something posted on the board outside the Wizengamot for a meeting to collect a group of eligible healers and potionmasters to travel the country, volunteering their time and effort to help in those worst off part of the country. He needed to get away, far away, so far that even his Mother’s compassionate eyes couldn’t reach. The effort was so in need of volunteers they only spared Draco a second glance, and a watchful eye for a while, before letting him join on.

What was supposed to be a few months turned into a few years, gaining more skills and knowledge than he would have ever been able to get working at St.Mungos. Not only did the open air allow his lung to fully breathe, something he once thought would be shallow for the rest of his life, but every day was a challenge in the best way, another victim coming forward with new turned lasting injuries, his healing abilities turned wandless, his potions more accurate than he ever thought possible. Pride, a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time, weld in his chest every time his supervisor-turned-mentor complimented him and his work.

“Excellent brewing today, Draco,” she would say, patting him gently on the back.

Draco would just roll his eyes, smirking to himself, before muttering, “Naturally, which always earned him a smack on the back of his head. His smirk, more often than not, would turn into a small smile. And, he hated to admit it, he was starting to love the feeling.

Then, the dreaded day came.

“Your Father has passed,” his Mother’s letter said, a statement that to anyone but him would read emotionless. “His body is being removed from Azkaban next week. I’ll write once again when we’ve set a date for his funeral.”

And, like he had been living for longer than he could remember, Draco said a simple goodbye, a thank you for everything his colleagues had shown him, and left without a backward glance.

There was no time for ‘after’ once he left. Mother needed him, whether she wanted to admit it or not, the funeral arrangements needed his input, and the countless letters of condolences needed him. 

His Mother was worried about him as soon as he arrived.

“It’s alright if you need a moment, Draco dear. I can do these things if you need a moment.” There was very little Draco had to work through, if he was being honest with himself. There wasn’t much affection, if any, remaining towards his Father since before the War. When he was younger, yes, Draco can remember fondly the days he trailed behind his Father, imitating his every move in hopes that one day he would be as great a man. But, when War comes knocking, and your Father is a coward, the magical image from a child's perspective can be easily ruined. Though he had his self-preservation skills all thanks to his Father’s example, their relationship had dwindled until nothing remained but that of a ward and their master. His Father was not the one who took care of him all those years, he realized one afternoon as his Mother fussed over him, and had done nothing but prepare him to be a prize offered to the Dark Lord as a bargaining chip to save his own life. 

At the end of the day, Draco knew that though the man was a stranger to him by the end, he was still his Father. His Mother at one point loved him, though he doubted he would ever learn if it was a true love or merely an infatuation of nearness, he would not allow her stress to become overwhleming while trying to grieve properly. 

It was a never-ending stream of work, but it allowed an all too familiar feeling of dread to be easily pushed down in favor of productivity. There was no time to, not when the house needed to be readied for guests, the garden needed to be arranged to allow a mourning space, and guests themselves needed to be invited. Granted, the list had dwindled significantly in the aftermath of the war, but his Father deserved more than just an open invitation in the Daily Prophet. After all, he would roll over in his grave if so much as one person from the winning side showed up to his wake.

The day was just as busy as the preparations. Of course, Draco should have expected this, but there was such a difference between the planning and the doing. 

For the tenth time in the last hour, Draco ran his fingers along the seam of his collar, giving some distance between it and the sensitive skin around his neck. There was just something about the immaculate black robes he wore that made it suffocating to breathe and made the day that much harder. Draco’s resolve hardened. Yes, that must be it.

People were trickling in before the service began, offering their condolences to both him and his Mother. Narcissa was as regal and strong as she had been the day of the War, holding her head high. There wasn’t a hint of the woman who wept openly in front of the Wizengamot, the broken woman who was afraid of losing her only child, and instead found compassion. Even so, Draco occasionally ran his hand down her arm, reminding her he was there. 

“Oh, Cissy!” A woman yelled, practically throwing herself at his Mother. “I can’t believe it actually happened! The Wizengamot should have taken him out of there as soon as his health worsened, what a cruel bunch!”

Draco couldn’t help but stare, watching as his Mother politely took the older woman's hand,  patting it gently as if she was the one who just became a widow. He couldn’t help the scoff that left him.

A giggle beside him startled him.

“Some people just can’t let an event be about someone else.” Your voice was different, older, a little rougher, but the twitch of your lip was exactly how he remembered it. “I’m sorry about this. My grandmother is always for the dramatics.”

When your eyes met, he couldn’t help the clench of his heart. The corners softened, just the smallest bit of pity within them that made his entire body seize. The last time you looked at him like that, he was apparating away from the very thing that plagued his nightmares…

“Yes, well. I would appreciate it if you could get her under control before we begin.” Your brow twitched in surprise.

“Not a demand? My, my, Mr.Malfoy. Who has been influencing you to be so kind?” He bristled.

“I don’t have the faintest idea what you’re saying-”

“Yes, yes,” you said, waving your hand dismissively. “I promise to keep your secret. No one can know you’re kinder now, image is everything, right?” Despite the friendly tone you tried to keep, he couldn’t help the pang in his heart at the familiar words. The words he said to you so long ago, maybe the last conversation you ever had. “Don’t worry, she’s a dramatic one, but she’s not that heartless.” Draco didn’t respond, merely narrowing his eyes in your direction. “What? Don’t trust me?”

“Those aren’t the words I would use, no.” You winced dramatically. At least he knew where you got it from now.

“Hurtful, Malfoy. But I suppose you have a point.”

The silence that stretched was painfully awkward.

“Thank you,” he said, suddenly remembering where he was, “for attending.”

“I don’t know if your Father would be too happy to see me, but I’m not really here for him.” Draco raised a brow, confusion evident on his face. You met his gaze head-on, smile turning a little fond. “I like this look on you.”

“Can you hear yourself?” He couldn’t stop the snap in his words.

“It’s not very often I can bring you to confusion,” you said, completely ignoring his words. Your hand raised gently, pausing when Draco flinched, before gently resting it against his cheek. Resting, he guessed, was generous. Your hand hovered cautiously near his face, close enough he could feel the heat from your palm, feel the electricity crackled between your skin strongly enough that it felt like you were actually touching him. For a desperate moment, he wanted to push his head into your open hand, take any comfort he could while he could. Who knew when he would get it again.

“What…what are you doing?” Your thumb was near undetectable, smoothing away the scrunch between his brows. Well, trying to at any rate.

“I’ll be staying far past the end.” Your voice was quiet now. “Whenever you’re ready to need me after, I’ll be here. ”

Draco felt his breath hitch. You smiled delicately, meeting his eyes once more, before pulling your hand away and ending whatever moment of peace was created from your nearness. He watched your hair sway as you turned, grabbing your grandmother's arm and gently leading her to a group of people nearby, relieving Narcissa of her duty with a soft condolence. He couldn’t help his eyes as they stayed on your figure, watching and memorizing every one of your moves, letting his mind wander.

“I’m not very fond of the grandmother, but…maybe I can learn to tolerate her.” Draco blinked, meeting his Mother’s eyes.

“Why would you ever need to get along with…her?” His Mother scoffed, the first unladylike behavior she had allowed herself to do in a long time. Draco’s eyes widened.

“Draco, my dear. I know your Father and I weren’t the best example, but I had hoped you learned a little something.” He continued to look at her quizzically. “Go after, okay? You deserve a quiet moment, and I have a feeling your meeting will be exactly what you need right now.”

After, Draco thought. For the first time in who knows how long, Draco let himself be excited for it.

______________________________________________________________

masterlist  l What is Laufeyfest? l Laufeyfest masterlist

[prongsfish]

sigh

im post blocked

anyway

FISHALICIOUS

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE EVAN ROSIER HEADCANONS

(ive been asking everyone because he's slowly becoming my favourite)

just now realising you asked this nearly a month ago i'm so sorry i don't know why i struggle with answering asks so much!! but anyways evan headcanons i will GLADLY give. my characterisation of him is less concrete than characters like barty or regulus but i think about him loads still i love him...

this is a classic ofc but i will always see him and pandora as twins!! i love siblings in media so much and i think it allows for suuupper interesting dynamics between them, even in canon

in muggle aus my go-to career for him is either a piercer or something in the medical science field. i can just picture him as this mildly off-putting medsci student who goes on to be a forensic pathologist or something, he's really intrigued by the human body and how it functions in various ways. could definitely also go the way of unlicensed surgeon or mad scientist who performs fucked up experiments on people but that sort of thing doesn't quite fit into every fic lmaoo

i've always thought of him as more of a piercings guy than a tattoo guy (which is the opposite to barty). he'd definitely have both but i associate him more with piercings if that makes sense? i imagine he'd have a labret, bridge, stretched lobes (~7/8"), stretched septum (~0g), eyebrows (normal and middle placements), and high nostrils. all symmetrical!! plus probably some other non-facial piercings

he'd love sci-fi, thriller, and horror (especially psychological) films. anything super tense and probably confusing

when he was a child he and pandora would trap and kill insects. they'd spend ages examining little bug bodies and dissecting them with sticks and stuff... as he grew older he became more and more interested in bigger animals. occasionally he would kill animals himself but more often he'd search for those already dead, especially roadkill. once he was finished with any given specimen he'd carefully remove, clean, and reconstruct their skeletons to give to pandora. she didn't like the organs stuff as much as he did but she loved collecting bones and taxidermy insects, in exchange one year for his birthday (10-14th, maybe) she spent ages searching to buy him a surgical set from an antique store

waaay scarier than barty. if you don't know them you might be more initially scared by barty but while barty is loud and crazy and violent and laughs at pain/danger, evan is creepy. he knows way a million and one ways to kill someone without leaving behind any evidence. he knows every single pressure point on the human body. someone mentions a medicine they've taken their whole life for the first time and when someone else asks what it is he can explain in minute detail exactly how it works to the point where not even the person who takes it knew even half of what he says. he's super quiet moving without even meaning to be so he scares the shit out of people all the time. he doesn't blink as often as he should but just often enough that you don't notice until you're paying attention. and this is all revealed gradually, whereas barty's most "scary" traits are purposefully the most surface level things about him

he loooves medical dramas. he's watched tons of them. he HATES the good doctor though, purely on principle because once someone said that must be his favourite because he's autistic. his actual favourite is house

he runs cold and NEVER wears shorts. lots of beanies and jackets

these were so random and i went on a few tangents but oh well i did like five other things between writing these so it's a bit of a mess LMAO

[whatastrangewriter]

The effects that no one saw (part 2)

Lily Evans flinches whenever she hears a word that starts with m, because she always expects to hear a slur follow after it. She goes out of her way to avoid that letter. She pretends that she doesn't care if people call her a Mudblood. She pretends that the word isn't repeating itself in her mind 24 hours a day, slowly destroying whatever self-confidence she ever had.

Arm tattoos become unofficially taboo overnight. No one dares to so much as entertain the possibility of getting a tattoo anywhere below their elbow, because they know that it will always remind them of the Dark Mark. Alice Fortescue almost cursed someone once, because they had a tattoo on their forearm. She thought it was a Death Eater. They were actually a muggle.

After the war truly begins in their sixth year, James Potter invites his friends to stay with him every holiday. He laughs it off as wanting to play pranks on his parents with them. He doesn't tell them that it's because he needs to know where they are, needs to know if they okay, needs to know that they're alive and safe. He doesn't tell them that he asks them to stay with him because he's scared of letting them leave his sight.

Minerva McGonagall has never been so terrified as when the school closes for the year. Every year, she looks at the faces of her students, and she prays that they will all make it back safely. Every year, a piece of her heart dies when she notices the faces that are missing from the crowd.

There is an attack on Hogwarts halfway through the Marauders' sixth year. It is the first attack, but it will not be the last. For the four boys, the war was not truly real until this attack. Sirius, James and Peter will never forget the horror at seeing Remus lying bleeding on the floor of the Great Hall, having taken a curse to protect some of the younger children. Remus only survives because he is a werewolf, and heals faster than the average wiccan.

Once, students spent their afternoons laughing with each other in the corridors. Now, there is no more laughter to be heard. Everyone has forgotten what laughter sounds like. During their free time, students study books on healing with a religious intensity, and practice curses on makeshift targets. They practice every spell they know until they can kill someone in their sleep. They still don't feel safe.

Mary McDonald says goodbye to her friends before leaving to visit her family during the Yule Holidays. Her friends get back to school once the holidays are over, and Mary is not there. They think she just missed the Welcoming Feast. They hope that she is just coming to school late, because of a family thing. She never returns to Hogwarts. No one knows what happened to her, only that she is dead.

Marlene McKinnon learns to hate saying goodbye, because that feels too much like an ending. She never says the word 'goodbye' anymore, not after Mary disappeared. After leaving an Order of the Phoenix meeting, she smiles at her friends, and she says, "see you next week!" It is a promise that she keeps religiously. Until her friends receive news of her death one day. They hope it is just a mistake. She never arrives for the meeting.

[phoebe-delia]

Dear Rowan; Love, Harry.

This is a belated birthday gift for @basicallyahedgehog. Rowan you deserve much much more than this, much sooner. I'm so so sorry it's late. In my timezone, I am one day late for your birthday, but in yours I am two, and neither is acceptable in my book. So, because of that, I have written you something...unique. I suppose. That's a nice way to put it.

This is a letter. From Harry. To you. On your birthday. But not just any Harry. This is Harry from "this is me trying," and he has a message for you.

(For everyone else: This contains MAJOR SPOILERS from my fic "this is me trying." Like. Major. So. Don't read this if you haven't read that.)

Dear Rowan,

Er, hi? I guess? That's how letters are supposed to start....this is awkward. Why am I making this so awkward? It's not my fault I'm this way—Phoebe wrote me like this. It's her fault. Anyway.

First of all, happy birthday. Phoebe has advised me that it wouldn't be odd for me to catch you up on everything that's happened since we left off in Draco's and my story; because it hasn't ended. Far from it.

The bakery is doing well. Really, really well. Like. I had to hire someone to manage the front. (I'm quite certain I could've handled it myself, but Draco persuaded me to hire help because I "shouldn't have to do everything yourself, you stubborn Gryffindor. Now finish writing yet another chocolate buttercream recipe and come back to bed!"

Truthfully, business isn't quite as hectic as it was the first few years. Draco would say it's because the novelty of the "Saviour" owning a bakery finally died down, but I think the real reason is because he hasn't been doing his writing here as much. He says I have adoring fans, but he doesn't seem to remember that half the people who asked for autographs were his own fans. Honestly, he acts like he's not a best-selling author and poet. I should know. I was the one who baked the cupcakes for his meet-and-greet.

He insists working in the bakery is too distracting for him, which I understand. It can be loud in there, especially when there's a big crowd. And now he's got his own big, fancy study at home where he can do his writing, plus there's Grimmauld Place's extensive library. So he's happy. And he knows he's always got a table to himself at the bakery when he does come in, which is a distraction for me. Because there's nothing to stop me from bribing him with sweets in exchange for kisses. An even trade, if you ask me. And I think even he would agree.

Let's see. What else. Oh! Ron and Hermione are doing well. Hermione instantly took a liking to Draco when they met again. They've spent hours talking about both Wizarding and Muggle literature. And Ron's just happy to have someone to play chess with who's as skilled as him.

Pansy is doing well, too. Not much to report on her. Truth be told, that woman frightens me. But she's got a wealth of information about Draco, especially when she's had a little wine. (But don't tell either of them I said that. They'd both kill me.)

That's all to say, really. We're all happy, and Draco and I are in love, and now all the late-night drives I take are with him in the passenger's seat. It's good. It's so, so good. I wouldn't trade it for a thing.

Now onto you, the birthday-haver. Phoebe tells me how proud of you she is, and I can see why. Draco and I think you're fantastic, and we're incredibly impressed with how far you've come. We love every story you've made about us. Thank you for creating worlds for us to love each other, to be ourselves, and to be happy, above all else.

Thank you for being Phoebe's friend. When she wrote Draco's and my story, she was in a difficult chapter in her life, and she says you were a big part of why she was able to come out of it for the better. She wants me to tell you she feels beyond lucky to have you in her life, and from what she tells me, I can see why.

We love you, Rowan. Draco and I, and also Phoebe, who insisted with an odd gleam in her eyes that she loves you more, and Draco and I were not about to argue with that. Happy Birthday. Here's to another year of trying to figure out the difference between who we think we're supposed to be, and who we really are.

Love,

Harry

[james-sunshine-potter]

Random Maurders Headcannons:

>James is tall. Like super tall. He wasn’t that tall from like first to third year but over the summer before fourth year he shot up. Going from 5”5 to 6”. He didn’t stop growing until he reached 6”2. He’s 5 inches taller than Regulus, and that drives him insane.

>Peter, when he was younger, had a strong speech impediment. He went through years of speech therapy for it. Sirius, James and Remus were the first people he meet who didn’t mock or make fun of him for it. They’d actively defend him when people made fun of him. Once, James punched someone so hard cause they wouldn’t stop, that not only did he break their jaw, but two of his fingers. People stopped then.

>Remus has a gap in his two front teeth. He couldn’t afford braces when he was younger so it never got fixed, now he can’t imagine what he’d look like without it so he hasn’t magically fixed it.

>To get better at painting their own nails, Sirius would ask anyone who was willing to let them paint their nails. It was typically Peter or James.

>James’ eyesight was a lot worse than he’d let on, and deteriorated over the course of his years at Hogwarts. He started having to wear glasses at five, with a pretty bad prescription for his age then. The optician he saw predicted it would get worse but would stop at like ten. He was wrong. By fifth year, he had a prescription of -9 in his left eye, -9.5 in his right. He had to magic his glasses to not make his eyes look stupid. It was a miracle he could play quidditch without killing himself. By his last year in Hogwarts, his eyesight deteriorated to the point he couldn’t read even with his glasses on.

>Mary had cello lessons when she was younger, and did grade exams. She reached grade 7 before she eventually quit.

>Peter was terrified by spiders after waking up to a massive spider on his chest when he went camping once with his family when he was seven. He couldn’t stand being around them, and had to get Remus (who was the designated spider remover of their dorm) to carefully remove spiders when they found their way to the dorm. Cause even though he didn’t like them, he didn’t want to kill them.

>Sirius snored. It wasn’t loud or obnoxious, but he did it if he slept on his back. Remus would chuck pillows at him to wake him up, so he’d stop.

>Lily loved knitting. She would do it for hours. Her parents would send her care packages full of interesting yarn and new needles every couple months, and she’d go through them like wild fire. She eventually taught Mary and Peter how to knit cause they wouldn’t stop asking. She’d give homemade knit wear for everyone’s birthday.

>James was red/green colourblind. Spent the entire first year confused on why everyone was saying that Gryffindor was red when it was clearly brown. He asked Sirius, they laughed until they realised James was being dead serious. They laughed for five minutes.

>Marlene was dyslexic. Didn’t know their lefts and rights. Dorcas would just pull them in a direction and they’d just go with it. None ever commented on it, except Dorcas. But she was the only one who was allowed to.

>James was super sensitive to sound. He spent a lot of lessons sitting with his hands over his ears because the people around him were too loud, and he can hear every quill, he can hear his breathing and Sirius’ breathing next to him, and there’s noise outside the classroom which he can hear- and it was all so loud. McGonagall noticed pretty early on and charmed a pair of muggle headphones to be soundproof for him. He wore them so much that they were practically falling apart, but any time they actually did, McGonagall would fix them for him.

>Dorcas used to sleep with a night light as her older brothers convinced her that there was a boggart in her wardrobe. She told Mary once when she a little too drunk but doesn’t remember. Mary hasn’t told anyone.

>Mary doesn’t know how to tie her laces. Everyone has desperately tried to teach her. It never works.

>Remus has absolutely terrible posture, James always jokes how he’s a foot taller when he straightens his back. Remus doesn’t laugh.

>James has pretty bad acne. He’s always had pretty spotty skin, but around fifth year, it just developed into something worse. It’s mainly on his checks and forehead though. He asked Marlene and Mary for skincare advice, but it doesn’t really work.

>Marlene is Non-Binary. They realised around fourth year, and Mary jumped at opportunity to make a badge for Marlene with their new pro-nouns so everyone would know.

>Lily went to Brownies (the British Scout Program for anyone who doesn’t know) when she was younger, and brought all her badges to her first year to show off to all the other muggle-borns.

[kheta]

The Life and Adventures of Severus Snape an Unwilling Isekai Protagonist

(TW: Death, suicide, mutilation, depression, torture.)

Basically just me putting Snape through Pain for about 5000 words.

Severus dies at 29 in his first life. Youngest Triple Master in all of Great Britain, right hand man to the Dark Lord himself, a legend to all but himself. They win the war, he kills Potter in their final skirmish against the Order, Dumbledore keeling over at Bella’s hyena-like screech and Lily laying in the dirt as she had for over five months now. The war is not the glory that had been touted through his school boy days. Instead Severus has the murder of an eight year old on his hands, a mercy kill perhaps, but one that has left him nauseous all the same.

Children were supposed to be protected, it was why he had followed Cyrus to this hellscape, why he had divested himself of his very soul, rotted to coal as it was. Death Eaters originally had a purpose, to protect the traditions of their ancestors, to protect all magical children from the uncouth Muggles who existed only to destabilise their communities.

But they had not protected anyone in their quest for glory. Cissy can no longer look at him, not when he stood there as their Lord, their Leader created a shell of her husband. Cissy refuses to look at him, Draco his godson, now forever cursed with scars from a bout of curiosity that laid him before the Dark Lord’s feet.

Indeed few had left the war unscathed. The turncoat Pettigrew dead in a fool-hardy Gryffindor act of courage, saving whatever remained of that infectious mutt. Avery and Evan, felled by some two-bit Auror. Andromeda the blood traitor, leaving behind an orphan child to be raised by Bella and her ilk. Nose-turned Tuney who used to make Severus and Lily cakes for their birthday each year until their fourteenth, dead only because her Brother-in-law had continued displeasing the Dark Lord. And him, morose and tainted and dark, alone at the shambles in Ends he called home.

There was no glory in bloodshed, no glory in the tainting of his soul. So it stands to reason that there is no glory in his death. He mumbles the killing curse as he has been doing since his sixteenth and greets death with the relief of a sorely missed friend.

This was not the end for Severus Snape.

He wakes warm, dark eyes flashing at him. To a crowd laughing at his humiliation.

Severus apologises to Lily in this lifetime. A whole flurry of nights spent looming outside her common room, waiting for a chance to see her whole. To see her alive. She does not accept, so he rids himself of her, falling back to Cyrus’ side.

He tries harder this time round, drops his DADA and Herbology Masteries so he can see the Death Eaters to their prosperous future. Reminds his friends of the true cause, to protect the future of magical Britain.

It works, for a while. Wilkes never betrays them, Cyrus lives on past Macdonald’s death. Bella never meets the Prewetts, does not lose herself to madness in the wake of Rastaban’s death and Rodolphus’ tightly-wound anger.

It is not enough. Evan dies, taking down as many Aurors as he can. Regulus disappears one day and the resulting snap of his lost magic against Black wards has Bellatrix seeking vengeance at every corner, honing her crucio into perfection.

Their cause crumbles once more, sooner this time around as Severus hears of a cursed prophecy that steers their forces towards children.

In this life, Severus reaches 38, almost ten years older than the last. The casualties in the first war is many and varied, Evan and Avery both still felled in battle. Tuney lives, as does Harry, the bitter reminder of fruitless glory. Lucius coos over his son as he grows, arrogant yet brilliant, a cocky head of blonde hair and soft questions at his godfather.

Bellatrix becomes a cackling madwoman, gone is the snide, rude friend-of-a-friend who would indulge him in battle and wine, leaving behind a cruel shade of the brilliant, loyal witch she was.

Seventeen years he spends protecting the life of a child who he has killed once already, just to sheperd him towards another death.

He knows not what happens to Harry Potter, only that the last thing he sees are eyes that glimmer in a harshly familiar way.

Again he is awakened, bereft of his clothing, a marionette strung up in the air.

He dies too young in his third life, all of twenty, wanting for too much. Playing hands too boldly.

Lily accepts his apologies in this lifetime, accepts him as he shoulders the blame for two lifetimes worth of mistakes. Accepts his humility even as he continues to scheme.

He loves Lily. But he loves Cyrus just as much. The cause for Death Eaters may well fall too soon, may be instead the reason for vitirol hate, but all the same these people who walk in the shadows are his friends. His family. While he knows now that he can never rid himself of the care he felt for Lily, he also knows he can never be free from the bonds he had made as a mouthy, ill-tempered, half-blooded Slytherin. Where Eileen had ignored his existence and Tobias had scorned it, the Slytherin's in his age group had relished in Severus and all of the anger he held. Had seen the abuse he suffered at the hands of people who had not cared for him correctly, yet stuck with him all the same.

But neutrality is only another word for cowardice in the blurry lines of war.

He slips a few times too many. Wants to save all the contained, fleeting moments of happiness he can for those he calls his.

The Order never come to offer him a place at their side, his friendship with Lily still too tenuous to guarantee his loyalty. This is fine with him because he has little loyalty to a side that fights with lofty goals. To a group of bullies and spectators and few truly kind, truly just people.

He denies the mark at every corner, always has an excuse at the ready even as he continues to support the side of Dark, continues to the soirées that mask their actual functions, funnelling information to Lily through thoughtless comments. His friend thinks herself a spy, looking at him with trepidation and guilt aplenty. He plays her as he does everyone else, each thought, each word carefully composed to his advantages. ‘I am not ready, I must complete my Masteries, I am not competent enough, there are potions and spells in need of patenting and an affiliation with the Death Eaters will surely ruin me politically.’ Perhaps he relies too much on the memories of companionship, for the pressure to join digs at each passing meeting.

Either way his lack of a mark, lack of a brand is what kills him. Voldemort is no longer the patient Master he had once been, he takes care to make an example of Severus and his reticence, his disloyalty. Regulus is green as he watches, hands unnaturally still. Lucius is as pale as he had been the second time around, freshly from Azkaban. Bellatrix keeps her lips pursed, eyes far away in the telltale sign of occlusion, she's not lost in the famed Black madness just yet, has toed the line of love, lust and power but not yet crossed it. Cyrus does not look at him at all. Rodulphus the smug bastard grins the whole time. Severus dies in a matter of hours, the pain sharp and slow and seemingly never ending.

A shout of Snivellous, a whip of air tight in his lungs.

Severus is once more cursed with life.

Something inside of him begins to give way, fractured and aching and lounging in the Dark. He has loved Cyrus for three lifetimes now, has wanted so badly for the Dark Lord's vision of an equal, singular world of shared magic to come to fruition. Instead he closes his eyes to visions, to shadows of his friends dying, tortured and lost. To a crumbling system that time and time again put the brutality of mercy-killing children to the forefront of their crusade. He has loved Cyrus three times over and three times over Cyrus has loved Macdonald, has signed himself over to The Dark Lord.

Severus has won the war once, seen the devastation left by it in another life and failed all those dear to him in a third.

For his fourth life he changes his allegiance. The Dark is enticing but he has studied it over three lifetimes, he knows not what the Light has to offer.

Lily accepts his apologies begrudgingly then with palpable relief when he distances himself from Cy– from Mulciber. Never one to do anything in halves, Severus makes a show of befriending her friends and finds himself genuinely shocked when the show becomes a reality. Him and McKinnon will likely never like each other, both too cold, distrustful and guarded, but Mary's hot temper and wicked tongue is less disdainful when he has seen her temper cool and felt the genuine weight of her apologies. Alice is still a raging bitch, but she's like that with everyone so he takes no offence to her burning glares, instead relishing in the hot blush consuming her entire being whenever Longbottom falls to her feet. It's almost a shame to see the not-yet-couple graduate before them.

The four foolish, arrogant, Gryffindor toe-rags are still a bitter fight between the two best friends from Cokeworth, but he learns to quiet his rage, even if he does not imagine ever liking them.

Considering some of the constants across lifetimes, he thinks it will be harder to keep Pettigrew in the Light. Instead the rat-bastard accepts a blithe invitation to the cinema and falls at Tuney's feet, love-struck and vying with a gentle attention that has Lily's cruel sister thoroughly enthralled. Considering her husband across two lifetimes used to beat her silly, he does not complain about the change in pace.

Come the end of Hogwarts he has a tentative peace with Potter, who now lives in genuine fear of what Severus will do to his bollocks if he were to hurt his best friend. He would still sell Black to the dementors for nary a knut, a shared opinion really. He still throws acidic barbs at Lupin, even as he brews Wolfsbane with gathered ingredients, hiding the sliver of kindness behind a Masteries project he has no claim to. Belby delighted in their shared correspondence however, happy to attach his name as a sponsor to Severus' endeavours.

After three lifetimes of Slytherins, its maddening being around so many Gryffindors. They do not hide their plans to overthrow the Dark Lord. They walk into every room with a swagger and run to their future with a bullheadedness he can scarcely understand. Black and Potter steadfast in their desires to be Aurors, taking their Junior positions under the newly married Longbottoms with surprising grace, not offended that the two year gap has already seen the Gryffindor/Hufflepuff couple into Seniority. Pettigrew happy to travel the world with his new girlfriend. Mary and Lily throwing their own weight into healer courses. Lupin is still red-taped and hesitant to find a proper job, McKinnon happy to stumble through life whimsically. Most surprisingly, they do not need to be swayed by his words and neither do they mind when he so obviously plays them to his advantage.

Lupin and McKinnon listen to his arguments against the segregation of Muggle or Magic and House Rivalries widening a divide with rapt attention. They don't offer unsolicited, baseless arguments against Muggle customs entrenched in the hatred of differences, instead researching their rebuttals carefully. The trio spend hours of their first year post Hogwarts trying to define a future shaped by somewhat optimistic Laws that could benefit both wizarding and non-wizarding kind alike. So many hours discussing this in fact, that when the invitation to live on the McKinnon grounds comes, he's not actually that surprised. Her manor is huge and old, but not the looming ancient quality of the Malfoy manor, instead there is life and kindness and love to the wooden structure, to the large, blooming fields.

He plays some bold hands when the trio end up living together, practically throwing a Mastery sponsorship at Lupin and making small, sly comments about Slughorn's impending retirement. The shock of a future has Lupin almost red-faced as he spouts idillic beliefs of a new generation of kindness, of equity coming to grace Hogwarts. McKinnon, no longer drinking herself blind, seems to toy with the idea of a Transfiguration apprenticeship when he brings Avery over for a quick catch up.

He is 19 and also over a hundred and this new world in the Light is so very different to what he thought it would be.

Of course 20 comes in dark and dreary as it wont to do.

Most of his Slytherin friends had seen his loyalty to Lucius and Mulciber wither and die and had left him with cruel sneers and harsh curses that he accepted. He has chosen the Light and left his friends to die. Again he is the youngest Triple Master in all of Great Britain, even younger than his first life. Nothing else is quite the same, not even the Light.

As attacks on Muggleborns get bolder, Dumbledore the paranoid war-general seeks to reap the loyalty he has sown in his ex-students. Again, he does not approach Severus and when the first meeting his friends were invited to finishes, Severus is sat with a full kettle of chai and sweets on the table, his research into blood-wards stretched wide. McKinnon storms in angry in a way that is surprising considering the last three months they have spent living together, even the usually mild look on Lupin's face is tight, lips quivering.

Behind them is the host of Gryffindors he hasn't seen since Yule. He raises a brow, flickering his hand to start on more tea and spelling some liquor to the table. Black wrenches the Firewhisky open, dribbles of alcohol spilling out of a few heavy handed shot glasses.

Through halted, tight breaths they tell him of an Order he was thoroughly aware of; tell him of a meeting he had not been invited to; tell him of an idiotic, hasty decision made by five teenagers who had been obviously throwing themselves to the tides of war. They tell him of loyalty to a bitter, sarcastic, cruel, ugly man who had been enthralled in the Dark and still chose the Light. Tuney and Pettigrew are still travelling across Asia, Pettigrew desperately trying to keep his beloved safe, but the rest of the foolish Gryffindor's had seen his lack of a presence at a meeting so perfectly tailored to their desire and instead, chose him.

Three lifetimes given and in the fourth, he is finally chosen but not by the man he had most wanted. It's a gratifying feeling.

None of them join the Order, though Frank will occasionally drop information at Potter and Black, careful to be wondering aloud and not to them. All of them, all now his to protect, create another option. He desists on his research, entrenching himself instead in the way of Magical Law, forces his knowledge down both Potter and Black's throats because the dunderheads are the future of Wizengamot whether they desire it or not. Vouches for Marley's Transfiguration apprenticeship at Beauxbaton. Assures Remus that there is no betrayal in accepting a job offer at the most prestigious Magic School in Great Britain. Asks for a hushed favour from Peter when Avery comes crashing into the McKinnon estate, cursed to a pale filth and crying for a mark he cannot refuse when his sister is still in school. Lily starts a crusade for an integrated Healer/Auror unit, Mary as her second, even as she retroactively starts researching a specialisation in mind-maladies. He escorts Marley down the aisle at Lily's wedding, brushes shoulders with Remus in drunken glee, shares light-hearted barbs with a pregnant Tuney across the dinner table, Peter's newly met 'cousins' awkwardly sat at the long table with them, Aid brushing their knees together.

It is a start of a future that leaves him all the more hopeful, all the more willing to put his life in the hands of Gryffindor's if they could produce such foolishly bright paths.

This future becomes more solid, a tentative, rocky truce across most of the year levels at Hogwarts, all silently reproachful and admiring of the stunningly fair, scarred Potion Apprentice signing up to take Slughorn's position. A St.Mungos healer makes a poor attempt at stitching up a half-dead Corbin Yaxley and Lily and Sirius sue for malpractice with the sort of indignant, reckless fury he's always known them to posses. Marley loses her parents and it becomes international news, a French Reporter railing for action against the Dark plaguing Britain, decrying the inaction of French Wizardingfolk marking it as cowardly as the inaction France had been met with during Grindelwald's reign, waxing about the small, misfit group that finally took that particular Dark Wizard down. Regulus meets Sirius for an awkward dinner, the two brothers watched carefully by both he and Cissa, the two unrelated Slytherin's in the room both masking their surprise at the protective detail sat in opposite sides of the bar. Cissa could have half this pub in a tangle of rumours and fights before he could draw his wand. He could have Reg sulking at his feet with only a fierce look. The Black brothers chose their overseers well.

Draco Malfoy meets his Uncle Sirius with graceless tugs at black curls and a wide gummy smile that has his once-Godfather cooing like a blithering idiot. His parents quiet and fearful as they tug the wards around them.

Harry James Potter is born and he has his mother's eyes and his father's hair and a bounding of curiosity that has all of his Aunties and Uncles roaring with laughter, parents more frazzled than ever.

Twenty one has never felt more harrowing, and Severus has spent six years in the company of Gryffindor's, so of course their brash stupidity rubs off on him. He knows not what shapes the Dark Lord's horcruxes takes, but he knows enough to distance himself from the future he is seeing, to bury himself in the Dark he has always sought.

Regulus lives past nineteen, dragged ashore by the bitter asshole he had enviously viewed as a traitor and an inspiration at once. The locket is blast with the darkest magic Severus can conjure, he knows his dark magic well and the locket screeches as the soul within it dies. Severus loses a hand to a ring that Dumbledore had sought out, two lifetimes ago, but it is a victorious loss that assures the future of those he calls his. He sprinkles his knowledge of dark magick across the information net that encompasses The Order of The Phoenix, allowing it to slip through his constructed cracks and into the ears of the wisened wizard he respects ardently and hates all the same. His death is a quiet, bitter thing, him and Bellatrix both burning in the tangle of dark, angrily shouted spells, the reclusive safe house of some old Pureblood decaying with him. The snap and crackle of his magic felt by his shrieking, six year old nephew in the Potter Manor and the hoarse, anguished shouts leaving Marley's mouth as the wards that once tethered him to the McKinnon estate released his magic to the world. There is no body to bury, the crips he knows it will be.

A snap, a marionette laying in the air and Severus, once more cursed with life.

He is old, he tries. Rewrites the history of the last two lifetimes, pulling his Slytherin friends ashore to the Light and tethering himself to the Gryffindor's he has come to love.

Twenty three, dead.

Four horcruxes found, destroyed. A patent for a Wolfsbane potion that renders the user of sound mind and turns their bones to jelly just long enough for the transformation to not hurt. No mastery. No nights spent crowded over a kitchen table with Marley and Remus. A crusade of peace and understanding underpinning his every move. Avery dead for abandonment of duty at seventeen, Mulciber sentenced to a kiss for murdering a minor, Bellatrix once more drowning in grief of her baby cousin's death.

Again.

Frank is a single father at twenty four, Neville not even one yet. Alice avenged by Moody, his anger taking down the stuttering Avery and the overtly powerful Lestrange brothers. Marley is finishing up a study in Magical Law and plays footsie with Meadows whenever they go pub-crawling. Sirius becomes Lord Black as soon as Regulus is of age, his younger brother relinquishing the title and fleeing to studies in Egypt. Peter dies at eighteen, a raid in Knockturn Alley turning violent by the presence of Death Eaters and too rough Aurors, Tuney survives and never steps foot in Magical Britain again. Harry is born and he and his parents are given warded necklaces, tokens to protect them from as much Dark Magic as is feasible. Voldemort is defeated, but not dead, the Potter family somehow safe in the aftermath of the attack. Remus takes on the role of DADA Professor and lives to carry that title on for more than 5 years. His connections to these people become tenuous the longer he passes through their lives. He has no godchildren and no one to come home to disappearing in the cloak of nightfall and spreading his magical research across the continent with broad strokes and badly maintained whispers in the right ears. All in all this is the only death not made in the throes of war, he dies at twenty nine, during the peace filled years in an unexpected car wreck.

Just once more.

Mary dies a week from graduation, taking Mulciber down in the scuffle. Lily disarms and arrests Bellatrix Lestrange two years into being an auror. James lives to name his son and can never again hold his frail form, never again ride a broom, not with the soft whisper of crucio creating tremors from his once steady grip. Out of pure spite, Severus throws tomes of wandless magic at the once auror, refusing to see the man who had run head first into war become a snivelling, regretful coward. Marley and Meadows hold hands as they walk down the street, both already making names for themselves in the Ministry, unafraid to use nepotism to their advantage if it meant fighting for their relationship to be open and honest. Regulus dies fresh from Hogwarts, and there are no apologies sincere enough, no rationalisation strong enough to salvage the friendship Sirius had with Lily. Sirius loves James and loves Harry and can never forgive Lily. Remus fights the war and loses a foot for it, but he finds a quiet cottage to call home in Ottery St.Catchpole and ends up in some odd, quasi threesome and marriage with the Lovegoods that he does not mention in any length. Peter and Tuney still live in Cokeworth, have two sons both glad to look over their baby cousin once he starts Hogwarts. Severus once again falls to the shadows, trying his damndest to kill the wizard he once admired, to finally put a damn end to this curse. He dies as the Dark Lord is once more resurrected, his flung protego protecting Diggory, but not even his strongest wards, his strongest tokens can stop Evan from drawing Harry's blood to the caldron. He spells the portkey to the foolish boys he had come to protect and hears Harry's shout of no in the same moment he sees the jet of dark green flying his way.

By his eighth life he is so tired of war. Does not care if Dumbledore wins or Voldemort wins or if his friends die. He has witnessed so many iterations of them fall before him.

Severus dangles in the air, falls against the ground and does not move.

His mind is a fracture of mazes and occlusion is the only peace he knows, burying what remains of his conscious beneath the icy depths of water.

Through a haze he sees faces. Genuine concern in cool, blue eyes, no twinkle in sight. Guilty, surly faces of enemies and friends and people he may yet love. Severus has played fate so many times, he is so tired, prefers to sit himself unmoving in a white hospital bed. Cyrus kisses him exactly once, the raging inferno of thousands dispelling the calm of his steady river. Severus sinks further, intent to never again see the light of day.

He does not know when he dies, notices a steady lack of visitors, meets a cherub faced Harry and loud hollering Draco and knows no more. Then a blank series of nurses and the old coot who was the most piss poor Headmaster to ever grace the earth. Seeing the ageing visage almost has him leaving the peace of his own mind, though he manages to wrangle those intentions far below the surface.

Snivellous.

Godric Almighty he's fucking sick of this shit. He breaks the spell he had created so many lifetimes ago with ease, lets the familiar weight of his wand rest to his hand, tilting the wooden conduit to his chin and traumatising more than fifty kids by just topping himself there and then.

ANOTHER ONE!

He doesn't care if he has to off himself a thousand more times. He. Will. Not. Stay.

A few Ravenclaws and Gryffindors misreads his intent and disarms him when his magical core begins to coarse with violent, deadly cracks in the ground. Dumbledore comes to speak to him, he does not care. A whole week spent planning his inevitable demise, waiting for Poppy's damned charms to free him from their horrifying, well-meaning grasp. When he's finally released he storms to the top of the Astronomy tower and just jumps.

Of course he had forgotten about the hedge magick surrounding Hogwarts. Another five days of sad useless interrogations and crying Lily and angry Cyrus. When he's at the Great Hall that night, he's so mad that two attempts had failed and just plunges a butter knife as violently as he can through his neck. Sod everyone else.

But no, no dying doesn't work. Death doesn't want him. Not in the tenth life, the fourteenth life, not in his seventeenth life will he finally stay down.

He's tried it all. Suicide by cop, mauled by animals, starvation. It does not stick. He runs away to the Muggle World, does his O-Levels and A-Levels, gets a degree in Chemical Engineering and a Muggle Husband and Son that he gets to see murdered before his very eyes. Very much not because of magic, no, but because apparently leaving your ex-wife for your son's primary Science teacher is a crime punishable by death. Apparently picking your wonderful, kind Da over your abusive, psycho Mum is all strangers need to kill you like mindless savages.

After that awfulness, he runs to East Asia, learning ancient branches of magic. Ignores his unfinished OWLs and the degree he does not have and the permits he most certainly lacked as he trudges through Mainland China, Taiwan, Bangkok, Singapore, India, through the Middle East. He learns enough magic to no longer need a wand, ever, though he shrinks his wand and attaches it to an earring, if only for the companionship it has given. Dies facing a particularly pissed dragon in this life.

Out of boredom he becomes an screen-writer and actor, just drops school and uses ancient Chinese rituals to spell his hair sleek and silky, uses colour correcting charms passed through Indian households to even out his skin tone. A Filipino potion has the bones of his teeth and nose evening out into something more normal looking. By the end of it he might have actually looked a bit fit. A few lifetimes having to lie his way to Helheim and back means he's something of a good actor with enough tragic stories to tell, that he's never in need of a role. He's been through enough pain, enough anger, enough betrayal to embody every character given to him smoothly, to give charming, dry smiles at his co-stars after performing monologues that leave them gasping in fear. This is a fun life, spent with magic oozing from his every move and addled by whatever drug seems to hit his fancy. Bellatrix hunts him down after he's nominated for an Oscar for his role as a naive General under Hilter's regime in love with a poor, captive Jewish mother. Not his own work, but it's his first Oscar nomination so he's a bit smug and really fucking trashed when she finds him at his unguarded apartment. She calls him a blood-traitor and fool and scorns the power she can feel radiating from him, unmasked and developing with him. She gives him a choice for glory. Severus has known glory and hated it all the same, so he sends her off with a kiss against her cheek and promises for dinner. Two days later Macnair, Rosier, Crouch and Scabior come to claim the dinner invite he had given and honestly, it's just easier letting them kill him then it is to fight back. Based on the sharp gleam in his eyes and the sudden raising of brows, Evan realises he had given up long before they got there.

He does manage to kill Voldemort, for good in his eighteenth life. Just follows his magical signature set on the ring to the rest of the bloody horcruxes and uses some refined Japanese spellwork to mutilate the damned things. But Voldemort's death makes no happy ending, creates instead a power vacuum that is still unstable when he steps into as the new Dark Lord. Cissa kills him in this lifetime, a poison in his drink that he could smell when he'd kissed her fingertips.

By the time his twentieth lifetime comes, Severus has knowledge of every form of magic known to wizarding kind, except the kind that will ensure he is never again reborn, has exactly no attachments to anyone and is only searching for a peaceful way to die.

Content to let things lie, he waits until Potter has placed him back on the ground. Spells his wand to a makeshift earring. Flies off to hunt horcruxes, but does not kill the Dark Lord because he can't be arsed looking for the paranoid man on top of everything else. Writes theses under psuedo-nyms, sends ideas where they can be cultivated, puts a very particular potion recipe in Lupin's room and goes searching through Ethiopia to Pakistan looking for a good and permanent death.

Why Potter nee Evans, McKinnon, Mulciber, Malfoy and Malfoy nee Black decide to interrupt this journey almost four years later, he hasn't the faintest idea.

Life would be so much better if he could just die.

(If ever I come back to this, the original idea is Lily, Marlene and Narcissa decide to investigate what the hell happened to Severus Snape and why their family magic seems to be honing in on the supernova that is his magical signature. Lucius is going so those damned Gryffs don't hurt his lovely wife and Cyrus just wants to know why the heck he keeps seeing Snape die. Along the way they decide to get attached to him and make sure he's just as attached to them and not spending all of his waking time trying to off himself. It's a particularly long journey.)