#high horses and just accept they're both as wrong as each other

[54625]

Morning crew discourse in fandom is so fucking funny .

"Morning crew are a family!! Fathers and their son!" (They constantly make dirty jokes towards each other/ make sexual innuendos about eachother, are generally very inappropriate and weird about eachother)

"Morning crew are a relationship! They're all in love!" (They have called each other family on countless occasions, Fit called himself an older cousin/uncle figure towards Tubbo, says Tubbo reminds him of Ramón and acted like he was a stand-in Ramón while he was missing, Ramón calls Tubbo his brother)

remind me to introduce yall to this crazy concept called a friendship

[chamomileteainabuttercup]

For the ask game bobacobb, genuinely as many questions you want to answer (including the spicy ones lol)

I love them and I’m really interested to hear your thoughts!

oh gosh, that's a lot to choose from!

I have thought of a couple of different scenarios for the two of them getting together, in Just Business, Nothing Personal and Charm the Pants Off Him. It's never easy and it always starts out somewhat adversarial or deceptive, but I always want to lead them towards a loving relationship that makes both of them happier than they were, because that's just the sort of thing I like (particularly for characters who are older and have been kicked around a lot by life).

So for these questions, I guess we imagine them in that kinda stable state, either living together or at the very least frequently spending nights at each other's places. Heck, maybe Boba decides Jabba's palace is tacky and probably haunted and he's going to relocate his headquarters to Mos Pelgo. He staunchly denies that this was a romantic gesture. He doesn't do romantic, but he does do convenient and it is obviously a lot more convenient to have your main squeeze within arm's reach/easy squeezing distance.

This will undoubtedly get long, so I'll put it behind a cut!

1. How do they fall asleep? Wake up? Any daily rituals?

They have two main falling-asleep modes - the We Are Passionately In Love mode of slipping into a sweet exhausted sleep entwined in each other's limbs after vigorous fucking, and the We Are Two Old Farts mode of sitting up in bed with their books (and reading glasses, you're welcome) until they get drowsy and agree to turn off the lights and curl up together. Sometimes they segue from one into the other depending on mood. Either way, they wake up much the same, spooned up (Boba is the habitual little spoon, it makes him feel very safe, and getting to feel very safe is a luxurious indulgence for him) and with the covers half kicked off because they get very warm while they sleep. Their daily rituals tend towards helping each other out with thoroughly unromantic self-care - they're both living with the effects of old injuries and having a partner to rub the knots out of your back really helps.

2. How’s their team work? Do they share well?

They struggle a bit with teamwork in their early days, which is odd because they both find Din Djarin intuitively easy and satisfying to work with, he's like both their best friend, so why do they rub each other the wrong way? Each of them is perfectly comfortable letting Din take the lead if it's his plan they're doing (and he's good at plans), so why do they each get huffy about the other telling them what to do? Cobb bristles up and gets on his high horse about being a leader with responsibilities to his people and being independent and taking orders from no one (all of which are legitimate and important but he will start defending them before Boba's even looked at them sideways); Boba gets grumpy and taciturn and does things on his own initiative without discussion. Each finds it much easier to yell at the other for doing something dangerous than to say in the first place "I worry about you because you're important to me, please be careful." Their early fights about these things lead to mutual sulks which have to be broken up by friends with their heads screwed on right. Eventually they manage to accept that neither of them is trying to control or boss the other - they just both want to be listened to and to make decisions together, what do you know!

There are some mildly weird jealousy issues concerning the Fett family armour. Cobb misses it and he was good with it. Indeed, it bugs the crap out of Boba that he was able to do some tricks with it that he can't. It's not something they can share (only one person can fit in it at a time, it's not their Get-Along Shirt) but they do have to get comfortable with the fact that each of them has a genuine bond with it, and Cobb is not in fact going to try to steal it back.

They're fine sharing less emotionally charged things like food and drinks, and slip into sharing a bed quite comfortably.

3. Are they open about their relationship? How do they feel about public displays of affection?

Once they've got through their initial conflicts and are clear in themselves that they love each other, Boba has some "If people know we're together they'll see you as my weak spot and attack you or try to get at me through you" worries which have to be assuaged by the fact that Cobb is as tough as old boots and will, yes, OKAY, call on him for help if anything untoward happens. Because of this they're somewhat reserved in public in the early days, but that gradually wears away because each of them is just so damn proud of the other and wants to show him off to people all the time. In terms of affection, unless it's a deliberate display to make a point (for example, to make Boba look like a great big stud as part of his dominance over the Tatooine underworld, which they both find highly entertaining; Cobb puts a lot of thought and mischief into his infatuated trophy husband performance), they aren't lavish - it's more quick, gentle touches on the arms or back, leaning together, an arm around the other's shoulders while they sit. There have been a few moments of celebratory hugging and kissing when something very good happens or something very bad turns out not to have happened, which mildly surprise witnesses.

4. First impression of each other? Was it love at first sight?

It was not. Their first impressions of each other are formed in odd ways - Cobb got to know the armour which is an extension of Boba's self and carries all sorts of traces of him before he met the man himself, and Boba had Cobb under surveillance, waiting for a good opportunity (which never came) to nab the armour back, before he ever saw him close up. That first face-to-face meeting (and let us assume it's actually face-to-face, not face-to-helmet) involved both of them being thoroughly flustered to feel so intensely and immediately physically attracted to someone they kind of resent and distrust to begin with. High levels of "Oh shit, he's hot. Now what?"

5. Nicknames? Pet names? Any in-jokes?

Well, in JBNP I have Cobb sarcastically nicknaming Boba "hoss" and later coming over hopelessly sentimental and addressing him as "sweet thing," while Boba struggles with not knowing what to call Cobb that won't feel fake or ill-fitting. I haven't quite worked that out yet.

6. Any tasks that are always left to one person?

Anything to do with cleaning and maintenance of the armour is Boba's territory and Cobb stays well clear of it. On the other hand, helping Boba to take it off when he's tired or hurt is an accepted part of Cobb's role (see above about unromantic self-care assistance).

7. What annoys them the most about their partner? Would they change it if they could?

Cobb gets very annoyed by Boba's above-noted tendency to act on his own initiative without discussion, whether about something big like "hey I'm moving my whole operation to your town, we'll be able to hang out more" or something small like leaving the house for an errand without saying bye. It's the natural result of a life spent mostly as a lone wolf and it does not mesh well with now being a leader with a settled base and a small group of close friends and a partner who loves him and would like to be consulted or at least kept apprised of what he's doing, doggone it. He would absolutely change it if he could and luckily for him Boba is actually making an effort to change it because he can see it's no longer serving him, and annoys Fennec and Din too.

Boba is mildly annoyed that Cobb seems to be so good at everything he does and so handsome and charming and charismatic and good-humoured and makes it all look more or less easy. He doesn't want any of that to change because it's obviously unfair and dickish to wish for Cobb to be less than he is. It takes him a while to realise this is a man with just as many painful memories and nightmares as he has, and that sometimes the charm and good humour are a thin shell over just-controlled panic. This activates the rare but powerful Boba Protective Mode and greatly mitigates the annoyance.

Oh, and he squeezes the toothpaste tube anywhere he happens to grab it, instead of squeezing up from the crimped end the way you obviously should. One of the pettiest things Boba has found himself doing is kneading the toothpaste tube back into shape any time he's in Cobb's bathroom alone. He isn't generally a fussy person, but by hokey this one inconsequential thing gets under his skin. It's so easy to do right. Why does he not just do it right.

8. What do they like best about their partner?

On Cobb's part, he loves how funny Boba is, in his dry, understated way that means it sometimes takes you a moment to realise you just heard something very, very funny. He likes his quiet, firm confidence and the way he can dominate a room by sheer force of personality. He's very turned on and a little scared by the volcanic anger just under the surface which only really shows when Boba fights; it gives him warm tingly chills that someone so efficiently deadly treats him so gently. He has the deepest respect for how Boba's survived a life that seemed determined to brutalise him and come through it with some integrity intact and a desire to make things better; that he's chosen not to dwell on his resentment of all the injustices done to him, which is a choice Cobb also has to keep making every day. He feels it, it's there, but he doesn't dwell and that makes all the difference. He really likes his voice (he thinks his accent is cool) and how physically solid and chunky he is.

On Boba's side, he obviously likes how charming and easy on the eye Cobb is. He can easily lapse into just looking at him appreciatively and lose track of what else is going on for a few moments. He likes Cobb's adaptability and versatility, and at the same time his tenacity. He likes how expressive his face is, how bright and sharp his eyes are, how sunny his smile is, and the moments when you can see the sunshine is glinting off sharp steel. He has a similar admiration for Cobb's endurance and resilience as Cobb has for him; that he never accepted that it was right for him or anyone to be enslaved (and is furiously indignant on Boba's behalf that he was incarcerated as a child, a goddamn child), that he's suffered so much physical pain and hardship and kept going without cringing or flinching from danger, that he's this foxy, feral creature surviving and thriving on the ragged edge of civilisation. He very, very much likes how Cobb makes him feel safe and calm and like he can relax with him and be looked after.

9. Do they discuss big issues? Religion? Marriage? Children? Death?

Neither of them is particularly religious because they've both reached the conclusion that they can't be living in a universe with any kind of benevolent divinity, because look at the shit that happens all the time. They will concede that the Force is a thing, because they've witnessed spooky stuff, but they don't trust it - they share a belief that what matters is what ordinary people do for themselves and others, and if all the Force users everywhere just disappeared one day, the rest of the galaxy could get along quite nicely, in their opinion. It's not so much that Cobb automatically dislikes Force users as that he refuses to trust them without good proof that they're decent people by his standards. No one should have that kind of power over others. Boba, obviously, has a long-standing personal beef with the Jedi but, perhaps surprisingly, is willing to give the new generation a chance to be better than their predecessors were, just so long as they stay out of his way.

Death is a thought they're both used to living with and they really don't like to talk about it. Life is dangerous and unfair and you could lose the people you love at any moment and if you think too much about that you'll be paralysed by it. They're both actually kind of surprised to be as old as they are and still kicking.

Marriage and children is a big HMMMMM. Growing up, Cobb saw family relationships as a constant potential source of pain because spouses and parents and children could be permanently separated at any time at their owners' convenience, and he never wanted to be a father while he thought that could happen to him. He also fiercely resented the thought of being bred to provide more labour. (That's a bigger objection than the fact he's never felt attracted to women.) Now he could actually have a family semi-safely he thinks he's probably left it way too late to do so. He would kind of like to be married to Boba but wonders if it would really matter; isn't the living together and taking care of each other more significant than formalising the relationship?

Boba has some conflicting feelings too - he thinks a lot in terms of his legacy, the same way his father did, and whether it's going to take the form of children or only of the changes he makes to Tatooine. He really, really wishes he could talk to Jango about these things and understand his decision-making from the perspective of an adult rather than that of a child who just wanted to know that his father loved him and he was making him happy. Why did Jango choose to be a single parent? Did he not want a relationship like marriage in the first place or did he just never find the right person and decided he couldn't wait around any longer if he wanted to be a dad? Would he want Boba to follow his example or would he advise him to act differently? What does he know now that Jango couldn't have known back then and how should that affect his decisions? Would he even be a good father, after the life he's had? He still feels his dad was a good one, even as his adult perspective has led him to see more of his flaws, so maybe. Should he adopt a kid? What if the kid had been through really awful experiences like he had - would he be able to handle that and help them settle and feel safe or not? Should he try to have one biologically - probably not cloning, but surrogacy with an egg donor might work - and come to that, should it just be one or should he try for more?

And all of these questions in his mind are still, habitually, "should I" and not "should we." He hasn't begun to wrap his mind around the prospect of having and bringing up children with Cobb, and those children being Cobb's legacy as much as his. They really need to have a proper conversation about it, because they are not getting any younger and nobody wants to be dealing with a teenager when they're grandpa-aged, but they might never get to it.

10. Who drives? Cooks? Does the handiwork? Cleans? Pays the bills? Handles the public?

Only Boba drives Boba's ship. That's understood. It's more about his relationship with his inheritance than about needing to be The Guy Who Drives (the fact that he took out the passenger seats that used to be in the cockpit probably means something about his expectation of loneliness). Planetside he is actually quite happy to sit in a sidecar attached to Cobb's psychobilly podracer hoverbike, or to ride pillion. If they have to take a long trip across the surface together they just take turns driving and riding shotgun so neither gets too tired.

In terms of cooking, cleaning and handiwork, Boba is used to doing all of these for himself in the confines of a small ship. He has no idea how to keep house. He also started doing these things for himself as an unsupervised adolescent, so some of his standards (particularly for what counts as "a meal") are not as high as they might be. He keeps things tidy and organised for practical convenience and pays no attention to whether the place looks nice. Cobb has been in self-sufficient bachelor mode for a long time, but is a lot more conventionally domestic than Boba because to him his home is a symbol of his freedom and agency. It's worth his while to make it cosy and attractive because nobody can take it from him or make him leave. He likes having people over for meals and hosting barbecues and is a pretty good cook in a simple style. He mends his own clothes and makes some, not too shabbily. He's surprised at some of the things Boba doesn't think to do.

They each pay their own bills in general, as long as they're maintaining separate homes, but Cobb is happy to let Boba pay for him in restaurants - it's not good for a kingpin's reputation for wealth and largesse to be seen splitting the check with his boyfriend, and besides, Boba is actually pretty minted and he gets to eat fancy stuff that he couldn't afford on his own.

Handling the public is something Cobb is decidedly better at, in the way of many small conversations throughout the days. Boba is more of a "make a speech, take questions, that's it" guy, and he's happy to let Cobb deal with situations that call for charm and a little bit of bullshit.

OKAY that's ten that was long I hope you enjoyed it! I'm going to do some more later because I'm having fun with it.

[anarmorofwords]

I kinda wanna write a better version of tlh where Tatiana is still insane but there's no Belial bc that makes zero sense to me

In this version there would be:

Kamanna done correctly with actual genderqueer rep and not toxic relationships

Barbra and Oliver bc fight me she didn't die

Genie and Filomena bc I love them and all the lightwoods are queer

The gracelet doesn't even happen bc I refuse to write that

Grace is pretty much still the same but she breaks off their(hers and james') relationship bc she notices that he loves Cordelia

No bad James. He's not a shitty person to Alastair, and he doesn't treat Cordelia like a sex object

Anna puts a stop to Kellington and Matthew's relationship before it gets serious. She also tries to get him to stop drinking all the time

Alastair apologizes around seeing them again for the first time. The merry thieves are a little reluctant because of some of the things he did but they don't actively try to keep him away from events that they're at

Matthew notices how Alastair looks at Thomas and locks them in the sanctuary with Genie and Cordelia's help

Grace gets badly injured due to a mistake in necromancy and Christopher helps her treat it without letting people know

Lucie meets Jesse, and falls in love ofc, so in order to bring him back successfully she asks Malcolm to train her in using her magic

Matthew opens up to his mom about the incident. She doesn't blame him at all and instead apologizes for often putting her work before him

Matthew finds out about Charles and Alastair because he found Alastairxs break up letter to Charles

Matthew, the mother hen he is, decided to attempt to murder his older brother, only being stopped by James who had been there at the right time

Kamala ends things with Charles and tells Anna that she still loves them and hopes that she will give her another chance

Anna told her that they needed time to think, and that she is worried how Kamala's reputation will be affected if anyone besides their friends and Anna's family finds out

Kamala respects her decision and doesn't contact her until Anna's ready to talk about things

The merry thieves don't ignore Christopher and they actively listen and help him

The merry thieves also aren't terrible to Grace bc they realize she's been isolated alone with Tatiana and 1) she might not understand what's saying/doing is wrong or 2) that sometimes she's trying to push them away so her abilities don't accidentally make them do something

Good tid parents

James and Alastair being respectful to each other despite personal differences

Matthew, Alastair, Kamala, Christopher, and Grace being besties, or as I call them, the neglected squad

No fetishizing mlm/wlw

Domestic cuddles and taking care of the other one when they're sick

Jesse/Lucie/Matthew pairing bc I love them and I refuse to pick between lucie/matthew and lucie/jesse

Christopher teaching Grace the elements(at the time) on the periodic table

Tatiana dies at the end yay

It's very unpolished and I'm open to b hearing any feedback and/or suggestions that anyone may have

The idea came to me and I decided it would be best if I told someone before I forgot

hi, I'm sorry it took so long,but I wanted to properly answer this and I keep having either internet connection issues or little time

DON'T BE SHY, WRITE THIS 👀

In all seriousness tho... THIS IS ABSOLUTE PERFECTION?!? I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START I AM UTTERLY IN LOVE WITH THIS IDEA, I NEED IT

Look, I've been on the verge of rewriting ChoI, and I keep saying I want someone to write a TLH that will live up to its potential, but I've never actually came up with a proper idea for it, and you?!! YOUR BRAIN DARLING THIS IS GENIUS

ok hold up I'll just react to each and every single one so

yes please?!? I mean it started off so sweet in EEV?! Also actually genderqueer Anna and not dancing around the subject like CC is doing now?! That's what they deserve, and that's what we all deserve too

yesss please. also just,,,, Barbara, the feminine, not-wanting-to-fight-which-doesnt-make-her-less-badass queen that she is, getting the page space and appreciation she deserves

that's actually brilliant?!? it would be so great, just imagine the new girl arrives for her travel year and Genie is completely awestruck. I'm so invested in Joshwood it's difficult to imagine not having them, but this is actually the only valid alternative?!

ok that's fine. I think it could still happen and be done well, but tbh for now... the gracelet doesn't seem to have done anything relevant to the plot itself? I mean yeah it messed up James's life and Jordelia, but what did it give Belial? Tatiana? nothing. It makes no sense atm.

could be! maybe she's still encouraged by Tatiana to befriend/seduce him, but without the gracelet it doesn't work out? or maybe James somehow manages to realize that she's in danger and he actually like,,,, kidnaps her? idk idk

yes. YES. just,,,,z James is a sweet compassionate literature nerd who accidentally makes a good leader and he actually cares about people, and not just judges them from his high horse; he does still have hero syndrome, but he's kind and respectful and overall a good character

ANNA INTERVENES ABOUT KELLINGTON PLZ. PEOPLE ACTUALLY NOTICE MATTHEW'S STRUGGLES. JAMES DOES, TOO, BECAUSE THERE'S NO GRACELET.

ok yes, so what about: basically TMT don't harass Alastair and accept his apology, and realize they were also being stupid and mean at times at the Academy (especially Math). Matthew doesn't want to accept Alastair's apology, because of The Sin, but his behaviour alerts the rest of TMT and they inquire what's wrong and he tells them about the sin and that's how he later tells his parents (because his friends encourage him) and as you say, she just hugs him and reassures him it's not his fault; so after that Matthew slowly begins to heal and accepts it wasn't Alastair's fault, and also since they've kind of adopted/started including Alastair in things, he can't help but notice he's actually changed and he even starts to grow fond of him

then like you said, Matthew notices Thomas likes Alastair PLEASE HE SO WOULD. I'm not sure about the Sanctuary, if it actually happens (I'll get to why later on), but him and Lucie get really invested in the matchmaking schemes, they include Genie/Kamala because these two are friends with Alastair (both? Or at this point only Kamala?) but they also share some Moments during their scheming/talking about love 👀 (yes I'm a Fairdale shipper, I think it's time to expose myself lol)

Which leads me to (sorry I'm going off order rn) YES YES YES LUCIE AND MATH PLEASE. A FELLOW SHIPPER, HELLO, NICE TO MEET YOU. But since we're actually fixing him then we can give Jesse a personality and I'm totally down for poly Math/Lucie/Jesse

Lucie seeking Malcolm's help in secret, morally gray heroine style?!? no, it's probably not legal. but also has there ever been a Shadowhunter like her? If the Law doesn't expect such situations, it can't really forbid them...

Plz Matthew ready to strangle the carrot when he learns about their relationship, YES. sure, maybe he's still not the biggest fan of Alastair, but he's seen how much the boy's been through and starts to develop an attachment to him, and besides, NO ONE DESERVES TO BE GROOMED AND TREATED LIKE THAT. He's SO MAD at Charles, and he confronts him about it - remembering Kellington as he does, and it makes him sick to think his brother would do the same thing to someone. Maybe he gets very emotional over this and later finally tells his friends about Kellington? Maybe they didn't know before, only Anna did? So when they all realize what was happening then they comfort him etc? Or maybe it's just Alastair that learns now, and the others knew before, and they share a bonding moment over that?

Injured Grace seeking Kit's help is a genius idea I didn't know I needed

Kamanna giving each other time and space and deciding they need to question their relationship and figure out if it actually makes sense would be great. Anna realising she's very privileged and Kamala doesn't have those same opportunities, and also in general realising coming out should never be pressured or forced. Just,,,, Anna being self-aware and respectful towards Kamala. Well-written Anna. Plz. Also Kamanna is actually developed and not just "in love" because,,,,, they're attracted to each other? Maybe even remaining friends while Anna makes up their mind?

yeah just TMT being more compassionate and less judgy because they're not written by Judith so her bias isn't projected onto them

It's not a want, it's a need. They adopt Alastair and Grace eventually. Like, maybe not literally - although, Grace? - but you know what I mean.

I think they all should just have various friendship dynamics and switch between them, because people need more than one friend group

no fetishizing, no watching your brother make out with his lover, yessss

yes domestic cuddles, affection, taking care of wounds, all those things. plz.

Gracetopher bonding over science yes

obviously. or maybe she's imprisoned?!

ok, now for some more notes/my ideas etc., if you don't mind:

I actually think Belial could still be featured? After all, I don't think Tatiana could do much on her own, and since she seeks help from demons, it makes sense to include a Greater Demon as well. But Belial would have to be a stronger villain, written better; I'll think more about this

if that was the case, the serial killer plot could still happen, but be done better. and it would allow for a scenario I talked about with @littlx-songbxrd to happen, where it's Alastair who's falsely accused of murder. It creates a great opportunity to explore some things, because we know Alastair is much more likely to be seriously suspected, considering all the prejudices and bad rep his family has and all that

...what do you say to well-written Jordelia? 👀 Cordelia hasn't been obsessively in love with James since childhood, she only had a crush then. And now that they meet again, she's fond of him but not in love, not straight away. They're both grown up, and different people, but as they spend more and more time together, they fall in love. What if Cordelia gets to flirt with some other boys first? What then. What if she ends up choosing James, instead of going for the only boy she's ever had feelings for and idealized since childhood. What if we even make it friends-to-lovers and have James be a little jealous at some point?! but not in a possessive awful way, just "oh damn oh no"

Now I won't know peace until this exists BUT THANK YOU

[skippyjo94]

Something Special

Albus Dumbledore was no stranger to special witches and wizards. He had encountered more than his fair share in his life.

His entire family was talented for one thing. His brother, outstanding. His father, insanely powerful. His mother? Never outright showed it, but the ease with which Albus witnessed her performing any of her magical affairs, he had a hunch she may be more powerful than them all.

His sister hadn't had the chance to be anything special, rest her soul. But he knew in his heart, she would've put them all to shame.

Albus himself, of course, was nothing to scoff at. He had always been a natural at all things magical. He had watched other children struggle to learn things that came to him effortlessly. It had always bothered him when he could watch and see what was wrong, what his classmates were missing. He was always one to jump in and help.

At times, he admits, he may have seemed to be a know it all. He truly just wanted to help. He grew to understand, through life experience, that he may have been less than gracious in how those handled situations.

Everything that happened with his sister and his father and then his mother made him a bit resentful of it all. His natural ability had gotten him exactly nowhere. He still had to return home and do all the things everyone else does, be less, even, than what everyone else is.

He met Gellert Grindelwald. He was another outstanding wizard, both in the conventional way and a way all his own. They did their thing. Two wonderful wizards, making plans to make a better world. One that corrects the injustices Albus has faced in his life.

Until it happened. And then they couldn't anymore. Albus couldn't. He wasn't the same person he had been.

He understood. He understood all the wrong, all the misconceptions they were under, all the unfairness and lies. It was like the glass shattered. Suddenly he saw what this new world would be. What it would turn into.

It wasn't what Albus wanted.

He had always loved seeing witches and wizards excel. He had always been one to excel himself, so he knew how elated they were when they got that new spell finally. When they were told their potion passed with flying colors.

Grindelwald's world didn't allow for that. It didn't allow for people to succeed that way. For the peers he had helped, even though he hadn't been too gentle with their feelings he now knew, to have the chance to get there too.

Gellert's world, it only allowed for the exceptional to succeed.

Albus now recognized the error in this way of thinking. He had always known, but now it was all he could see.

They were all exceptional. Every witch who was the best at transfiguration, who puts her whole class to shame. Every wizard who took three attempts to make the perfect sleeping draught because he was distracted from a lack of sleep the night before. Every muggleborn child who got their Hogwarts letter at 11, and even their younger sibling that didn't.

Not a single one of them was unexceptional.

Even his brother, who people often see as exactly that, unexceptional

And just like that, he knew there was more he had to do. He had to be the one to make them see just how much potential they had, each and every one of them. How exceptional they could be. And he had to help them make sure they got there.

Some years down the road he had become a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He liked to think his students benefitted from his efforts in teaching. He liked to think his students enjoyed having him as a teacher.

He made an effort with each and every student that came through his doors, to make sure they felt confident and as if they were one of the brightest students he had ever met. It was hardly a chore. They were each amazing in their own right.

Every year there was that one child that stood out above the rest. Usually a student to whom magic seemed to come especially naturally. They were usually much like him in this way.

He always strove to set them on the right path. He had been dangerously close to making an irrevocable move down a path he would rather not accept existed most days.

He made sure he could use his own experience to stop others like him, others whose horses were maybe too high some days. To ensure they knew it was alright to stay a bit lower to the ground, lest they stop seeing where their hooves fell.

The one student this year was peculiar. Usually Dumbledore could pick out his pivotal pupil, as Professor McGonagall jokingly called them, within the first week of classes. This year was different. No one seemed to stand out to him really. They were all exceptional, but none that truly caught his focus.

Until about halfway to the Christmas holiday. It was during a lesson with the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff first years. There were only about eighteen students in the class, one of the smaller groups, with several out with whatever illness was ransacking the castle.

The lesson was on how to fend off various beasts, generally a popular subject among the younger students. Especially those born from Muggles, having grown up without the knowledge that all sorts of magical creatures they've heard about are far from the myths they were raised to believe.

One such beast was under discussion, what it may do upon catching a human, how to defend against it. Not always the most palatable of discussions but a necessity none the less.

Rarely did Dumbledore have a student disagree with his teachings. A small boy, reddish-brown hair a mess atop his pale, slightly freckled face, spoke up.

"Why wouldn't you just distract it? Or get its attention and make it trust you?"

The innocence in his voice was striking. Dumbledore suddenly realized he had never heard this student speak before.

"There are times that is a viable option of course," Dumbledore began, thinking through his answer carefully. "Other times, though, there may not be a choice. Of course we never want to unnecessarily harm a creature, but in life there may be situations where they don't leave you with another option."

He hated to put that thought into their minds, especially that boy who asked the question, innocent as he seemed. "I do sincerely hope none of you are ever in a place to make such a call."

The boy seemed to have more to still be displeased with the answer but chose to leave it at that. Dumbledore was grateful, he didn't want to see a more displeased look on the young boy's face.

Yes, this boy was something special.

It went on like this for the rest of the semester. Newt, he discovered, Newt Scamander was the boy's name. He had an older brother, Theseus, who was quite talented at defensive enchantments.

The boy was very quiet, studious, though without any real desire to follow the rules it seemed. He was very intelligent, and exceedingly awkward. He seemed to light up whenever the lesson or conversation turned to any kind of magical creatures.

Newt had a wealth of knowledge on magical creatures, rivaling that of any upperclassman. He knew things even some of the teachers only vaguely remembered hearing, obviously stemming from his own research.

It was clear he was entranced by creatures, not just for their uses, but for their well-being above all else.

One day Dumbledore came across Newt out on the grounds. He appeared to be speaking rather intimately to a tree.

Not wanting to startle the boy, Dumbledore stopped a safe distance away and watched. What was happening soon became apparent.

The boy stuck out his hand, slowly, no sudden movements and continued speaking softly to the tree. His words were too quiet to be heard from a distance, but his actions seemed to be encouraging.

Just as Dumbledore was about to walk away, write it off as one of the boy's many peculiarities, a small movement caught his eye.

It could have been the wind, but something about it made him stay. A while later, long past when Dumbledore's own patience would have worn thin, a tiny twig seemed to inch out of a hole in the bark.

A Bowtruckle. And then another.

A couple of very tiny sticks with eyes are inspecting the offered hand very cautiously. They must decide the boy is safe as they crawl into the open palm.

Dumbledore starts walking forward carefully, making enough noise to announce his presence but not enough to seem threatening.

Newt never looks away from the treasure in his palm. He stays facing the tree, keeping the bowtruckles close to their home to ensure they feel safe. He is a new person after all, they mustn't feel separated from their home.

"What have you found there, Mr. Scamander?" Dumbledore kept his tone light so as not to startle the peaceful moment.

"Not what. Who. There is a Bowtruckle family living in this tree. They only live in wand wood trees so I've never seen one in person before." Rarely had anyone sounded as happy as Newt.

"I've never tried to get one to come out. How did you manage it?" Dumbledore knew plenty about Bowtruckles, but he was eager to learn more about his boy.

"Well, they aren't very trusting. They have to feel safe to leave their home, which means they have to recognize you." Newt recited the facts as though they were second nature. "There is very little information on them as a whole because they so rarely leave their trees. I wanted to learn more about them, so I've been coming here for the last couple of months and talking to them."

Dumbledore was surprised by that. "Talking to them?"

"Yes," Newt responded. "They're wonderful listeners. I come here after classes are finished, before supper. I tell them about my day, my classes. Sometimes I read to them from our books."

Dumbledore wasn't sure what to do with that. It made sense from the boy somehow.

"At first, they acted like they weren't there. They must've been frightened. Then I read them the story the knight and his dragon from our History of Magic class, and they forgot to pretend they weren't listening." Newt smiled then, proud of himself for his efforts. They had clearly paid off.

"They have never let me hold them before. They have been coming out to talk for a couple of weeks now. Well, to listen. But they're a very responsive audience." Newt looked up at Dumbledore for the first time in their exchange. His eyes were shining.

"I think they're just shy, Professor. I think they don't mind humans at all, just no one ever takes the time to get to know them, to gain their trust." Something in his expression made Dumbledore positive they weren't just talking about the Bowtruckles.

He looked down at the tiny creatures in Newt's hand, and sure enough, they were leaning into Newt's chest where he had his hand cradled, looking up at Dumbledore warily.

"I'm sure you're right Mr. Scamander. People must learn to be more patient. Not all creatures are kind, and some are more cautious of who they place their trust in." Dumbledore was amazed at how wise this young boy was. "It would do us all well to remember that. And perhaps be a bit more like that ourselves."

Newt had long since returned his gaze to the Bowtruckles tucked safely into his chest. His gaze was one of adoration, something surely reflected in Dumbledore's own gaze upon the scene.

"I think it best if I leave you to your observations now," Dumbledore said fondly. "We have yet to become acquainted and I would hate to cause them undue stress. Perhaps in time, I may earn their trust as you have, hmm?"

"Yes, of course Professor." Newt looked pleased that someone he seemed to hold in such high respect was treating his knowledge as the authority on the matter. "They really are a gentle species. They are just...misunderstood I think."

Misunderstood indeed, Dumbledore thought. "Then we must fix that at once. I believe you to be the right man for that job." Newt looked up again at the thought, hopeful at the opportunity and responsibility he had been given. "If anyone can properly understand them, I am sure it will be you."

Newt felt his face flush at the confidence in his teacher's voice. No one had ever had such unwavering faith in his abilities before.

Dumbledore turned to head back to the castle. He had only made it a few steps away when he heard the boy, barely loud enough to hear even from this small a distance, "Thank you, Professor."

Dumbledore turned to look back at his surprising young pupil. "I feel as though very soon, it will be I thanking you, Mr. Scamander." He made sure to make eye contact as he said this. "Bowtruckles is just the beginning for you, I'm sure of it."

Newt looked away, uncertain what to do with the praise. "I look forward to being learning from your observations, Newt."

And with that Dumbledore was off, back to the castle, his initial destination long forgotten.

He had dealt with a great many exceptional students. Though so far, none as surprising as this boy, with no friends to speak of, but the trust of a creature thought, until now, to be notoriously coldshouldered to humans.

Yes, this boy was going far. He was destined for great things. This boy was truly something special.