#holly sallow

[daffodilldoodles]

since art fight is over... heres all attacks i made on @the-dist-ortionist bc HIS CHARACTERS ARE SO FUN TO DRAW (we made a crazy promise of a giant revenge chain)

[the-dist-ortionist]

Redraw of old art I exclusively posted on artfight

[kiwiplaetzchen]

Oh~

Don't mind me. Just lying on the floor because of a feckin' CUTENESS OVERLOAD THANKS YOU @esolean!!!

PREPARE YOUR EYES!! AND HEART!!

Because mine is still recovering.

@esolean, my lovely Cupcake!! Thank you so much!! 💚🥹

[shipperoffanonships]

WTF?!?!?!!?!?!?!

Sooooo Isidora Morganach and Anne Sallow are voiced by the same actress.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Word Alternatives: Colours

BLACK atramentous, charcoal, coal, crow, darksomeness, denigration, duskiness, ebony, funereal, jet, inkiness, melanism, melanotic, midnight, niello, obsidian, pitch, raven, sable, singe, sloe, smirch, smoke, sombrous, soot, swarthiness, swartness, tar

BLUE aquamarine, azure, berylline, cerulean, cerulescent, cyan, cyanosis, cyanotic, electric blue, ice-blue, indigo, lividity, midnight, navy, Oxford blue, pavonian, pavonine, peacock blue, robin's egg blue, royal blue, sapphire, turquoise, ultramarine

BROWN adust, auburn, beige, biscuit, braise, bay, bronze, brune, brunette, buff, burnt umber, burnt sienna, caramel, castaneous, chestnut, chocolate, cinnamon, cocoa, coffee, drab, dun, embrown, fawn, grege, hazel, henna, infuscation, khaki, mushroom, ochre, paper bag, pumpernickel, raw sienna, raw umber, roan, rubiginous, rufous, russet, rust, scorch, seal, sepia, sorrel, suntan, sunburn, tan, taupe, toast, umber, walnut

GRAY ashiness, canescence, cinereous, cineritious, dullness, ecru, fuscous, glaucescence, greige, grisaille, gunmetal, hoar, iron, lead, mousiness, oyster, pewter, slatiness, smokiness, steel, taupe

GREEN aerugo, aestival, avocado, beryl, chartreuse, chloremia, chlorophyll, chlorosis, chlorotic, emerald, foliaged, glaucescence, grass, greensickness, ivy, jade, loden green, holly, olivaceous, olive, patina, patinate, pea-green, smaragdine, springlike, verdancy, verdantness, verdigris, verdure, vernal, virescence, viridescence, viridity

ORANGE apricot, cantaloupe, carotene, carroty, ochreous, ochroid, pumpkin, saffron, tangerine, terracotta, Titian

PINK carnation, coral, coralline, flesh-pink, incarnadine, peach, primrose, roseate, rosy, salmon

PURPLE amethystine, aubergine, bruise, empurple, fuchsia, lavender, lilac, lividity, magenta, mauve, mulberry, orchid, pansy, plum, puce, purpure, purpureous, raisin, violaceous, violet

RED beet, blowzy, cardinal, carmine, carnation, carnelian, cerise, cherry, copper, crimson, damask, encrimson, erubescence, erythema, erythematous, erythrism, erythroderma, ferruginous, fire, floridity, floridness, flushing, gules, hectic, henna, incarnadine, infrared, laky, lateritious, lobster, lurid, magenta, mantling, maroon, miniate, port, puce, raddle, rose, rosiness, rouge, rubefaction, rubicundity, rubor, rubricity, ruby, ruddiness, rufescence, rufosity, russet, rust, sanguine, scarlet, stammel, vermeil, vermilion, vinaceous

YELLOW aureateness, auric, aurify, banana, begild, bilious, biliousness, cadmium, canary, chartreuse, citreous, citrine, citron, engild, fallowness, flavescent, flaxen, fulvous, gildedness, gilt, goldenness, honey, icteric, icterus, jaundice, lemon, lutescent, luteous, luteolous, mustard, ochroid, old gold, primrose yellow, saffron, sallowness, sandy, straw, sulfur, topaz, xanthism, xanthochroism, xanthoderma

WHITE achromatic, alabaster, albescent, albinic, besnow, blanch, bleach, bone, calcimine, chalk, cream, cretaceous, eggshell, etiolate, ghastly, ivory, lactescent, lily, lime, milk, pearl, sheet, swan, sheep, fleece, flour, foam, marmoreal, niveous, paper, pearl, phantom, silver, snow, driven snow, tallow, teeth, wax, wool

VARIEGATION (diversity of colors) spectrum, rainbow, iris, chameleon, leopard, jaguar, cheetah, ocelot, zebra, barber pole, candy cane, Dalmatian, firedog, peacock, butterfly, mother-of-pearl, nacre, tortoise shell, opal, kaleidoscope, stained glass, serpentine, calico cat, marble, mackerel sky, confetti, crazy quilt, patchwork quilt, shot silk, moire, watered silk, marbled paper, Joseph's coat, harlequin, tapestry; bar code, checkerboard

variegation, multicolor; parti-color; medley or mixture of colors, spectrum, rainbow of colors, riot of color; polychrome, polychromatism; dichromatism, trichromatism; dichroism, trichroism

iridescence, iridization, irisation, opalescence, nacreousness, pearliness, chatoyancy, play of colors or light; light show; moire pattern, tabby; burelé or burelage

spottiness, maculation, freckliness, speckliness, mottledness, mottlement, dappleness, dappledness, stippledness, spottedness, dottedness; fleck, speck, speckle; freckle; spot, dot, polka dot, macula, macule, blotch, splotch, patch, splash; mottle, dapple; brindle; stipple, stippling, pointillism, pointillage

check, checker, checks, checking, checkerboard, chessboard; plaid, tartan; checker-work, variegated pattern, harlequin, colors in patches, crazy-work, patchwork; parquet, parquetry, marquetry, mosaic, tesserae, tessellation; crazy-paving; hound's tooth; inlay, damascene

stripe, striping, candy-stripe, pinstripe; barber pole; streak, streaking; striation, striature, stria; striola, striga; crack, craze, crackle, reticulation; bar, band, belt, list

mottled, motley; pied, piebald, skewbald, pinto; dappled, dapple; calico; marbled; clouded; salt-and-pepper

Source: The Concise Roget's International Thesaurus, Revised & Updated (6th Edition) More: Writing Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[milunalupin]

— eleven pipers piping

sebastian sallow x reader ★ 1.2k words

twelve days of nico-mas masterlist

The castle had come alive with festive cheer, its stone walls adorned with twinkling lights, wreaths, and garlands that filled the air with the scent of pine. Inside, the Great Hall was the center of all the holiday excitement as Sebastian Sallow hurriedly paced across the room. This would be the first year that you and all of your friends would be staying at the castle for the break, and he knew how much you loved the holidays. He had planned every detail of the holiday party for you, hoping it would be unforgettable. But, of course, things were going... wrong.

"Amit, these lights are supposed to glow, not flicker!" Sebastian grumbled, his brow furrowed in frustration. The enchanted lights above the tables were sputtering and flickering, creating an almost chaotic pattern.

Amit, standing nearby, raised his wand and muttered a few incantations, but the lights only flashed faster and more erratically. "Sorry, Sebastian! I'll get it, I swear!"

Sebastian sighed, rubbing his temples. The party was supposed to be perfect. But now, with each passing moment, it seemed more like a disaster in the making.

He turned to look at Garrett, who was tinkering with a large cauldron in the kitchen. From the smell wafting in the air, it was clear the latest dessert creation wasn’t going to go as planned. "Garrett, what exactly are you trying to make this time?"

The door to the kitchen swung open, revealing Garrett standing proudly in front of a bubbling mess of burnt sugar. He grinned sheepishly, holding up a sticky spoon. "It was supposed to be a cake, but... well, it’s not. Maybe a bit more like candy... burnt candy."

Sebastian stared at the wreckage, then sighed. "Of course it is."

In the midst of all this chaos, Natsai and Poppy were on the other side of the hall, struggling with decorations. Poppy had a wreath of mistletoe that kept floating off to the wrong place, while Natsai was trying—unsuccessfully—to charm the holly garlands to stay in place. Each attempt seemed to only make things worse.

"It’s not supposed to hang like that," Poppy complained as the mistletoe hovered over Imelda’s head, who had been eyeing it suspiciously.

“Maybe we should just let it hang,” Natsai suggested. “At least it’s... festive.”

Imelda, who had been helping with the seating arrangements, scowled at the rogue decorations. “It’s chaos. Not the good kind.”

Sebastian winced. "Everything’s falling apart," he muttered to himself, glancing over at Ominis, who had been trying to keep an eye on things from a corner.

Despite his usual cool demeanor, Ominis was clearly trying his best to keep the peace. “Sebastian, it’s not as bad as you think,” he said, his voice calm but laced with amusement as he overheard the frustrations. “It’s a holiday party, not a formal gathering. There’s no need for everything to be perfect.”

Sebastian, however, was far from convinced. He wanted everything to be flawless, especially for you. You had always been there for him, and tonight he wanted to give you something truly magical.

Deek, the house-elf who had volunteered to help with the cleanup, shuffled up beside Sebastian with a tray of snacks, his wide eyes sparkling with excitement. “Master Sebastian, the party will be wonderful! Everyone’s so happy already!”

“I just want it to go well for her,” Sebastian muttered, looking over at you across the room. You were talking to Leander, who was practically bouncing with excitement about some new Quidditch strategy.

"She’ll be happy just being here, you know," Deek said with a wise grin. "All the little things don't matter as much as you think. It's the people who matter."

Sebastian’s eyes softened as he glanced over at you again. You were smiling, laughing with your friends—completely oblivious to the turmoil swirling around the event. You always had a way of lighting up a room, no matter what went wrong.

“Maybe you’re right,” he murmured, his voice softening.

You caught his gaze and made your way over to him. Your smile was gentle and reassuring, and Sebastian’s heart skipped a beat.

“What’s going on?” you asked, your voice a mixture of concern and curiosity as you noticed the tension in his expression. Deek nodded to you before patting Sebastian on the back and shuffling away.

Sebastian hesitated for a moment, clearly wrestling with his thoughts. “It’s everything. Amit’s lights aren’t working, Garrett’s dessert might be more dangerous than edible, and the decorations—well, they’ve gone rogue. Nothing is going right, and I wanted everything to be perfect for you.”

You chuckled softly, reaching out to gently hold his hand. “Sebastian, it’s okay,” you said, squeezing his fingers. “I’m already having the best time because I’m here with you and everyone else.”

“But I wanted to make it special,” he insisted. “You love the holidays, and I know you were upset you couldn't be at home. I wanted everything to be just right.”

“You did make it special,” you said, your eyes meeting his with sincerity. “You’ve done all this for us, for all of us. That’s what matters.”

A soft blush crept across Sebastian’s cheeks, and he couldn’t help but smile at your words. You had this way of making him feel better, even when everything felt like it was falling apart.

“Well, I suppose it’s too late to fix everything now,” he said with a small laugh.

“Exactly,” you agreed. “And who cares? Look at everyone—they’re all having a great time.” You gestured around the room, where Anne was chatting with Leander and Ominis, and Garrett was chasing Poppy with his questionably purple spoon, causing everyone to laugh.

Sebastian took a deep breath, trying to relax. “You’re right. It’s about the people.”

As the evening continued, everything that went wrong somehow turned into something right. The flickering lights cast a strange, magical glow over the room, giving it a unique charm. Garrett’s failed dessert became the center of hilarious conversation, with everyone laughing at how “experimental” it was. The decorations, though slightly disarrayed, brought an unexpected warmth to the atmosphere, with the floating mistletoe wreaths causing more giggles than complaints.

Leander, Imelda, and even Anne joined in on the fun, laughing about how nothing had gone as planned. Ominis, who had initially been quiet, found himself laughing along with the group, caught up in the cheer.

As the night drew to a close, you gently pulled Sebastian to the center of the room. “Come on,” you said, a twinkle in your eye. “Dance with me.”

Sebastian hesitated for a moment, but then, with a soft smile, he let you lead him. The music played softly as the two of you moved together in the midst of your friends. The imperfections, the mess, the chaos—it didn’t matter. You were here, surrounded by people you loved, and that was all that mattered.

When the song ended, Sebastian leaned close, his voice barely a whisper. “Thank you,” he said softly. “For everything.”

You smiled, pulling him in for a gentle hug. “No need to thank me,” you said, your voice warm against his ear. “You’ve already made this the best holiday party I could ever imagine.”

And as the night ended, Sebastian realized that maybe, just maybe, the most magical moments were the ones that weren’t perfect at all.

— taglist ♡

@willowlovestheweasleys

[pupsmailbox]

MOTH︰BUTTERFLY ID PACK

NAMES ⌇　acantha.　adela.　adley.　aetheria.　aiden.　ainsley.　alis.　allison.　amos.　angle.　ankova.　antler.　apollo.　apple.　arches.　arden.　argent.　ari.　aruna.　ashworth.　aspen.　asteria.　astralyn.　atlas.　barberry.　bay.　bee.　belina.　bellamy.　belle.　blair.　blake.　blossom.　bright.　brighton.　bryn.　butter.　butterfleigh.　butterfly.　cadi.　cai.　calesia.　cali.　canary.　carson.　cayana.　chai.　cherry.　chouko.　cinnabar.　cistus.　clancy.　clifden.　cloud.　clover.　cosmia.　crimson.　daisy.　dakota.　december.　dewick.　dorian.　dot.　dusk.　dust.　eclipse.　eilira.　eilliot.　ellison.　elnora.　emerald.　ermina.　ermine.　esmerelda.　esther.　evelyn.　evern.　falena.　fern.　finley.　fisher.　flora.　fly.　flynn.　forest.　fox.　foxglove.　galatea.　galium.　garnet.　ghost.　ginny.　greta.　grey.　haden.　haven.　hawk.　haworth.　hayden.　heath.　herald.　hesperia.　holli.　hollis.　isabella.　ismeria.　isola.　jael.　jayden.　jersey.　july.　june.　juniper.　juno.　kahli.　kai.　karran.　karson.　kentish.　kimko.　kit.　kori.　lace.　lackey.　langmaid.　lepida.　light.　luca.　lucy.　luna.　lunar.　malam.　maple.　march.　mariposa.　marlow.　marrow.　mars.　may.　micah.　mirza.　mocha.　molie.　monroe.　moth.　mothra.　mothy.　nettle.　november.　oak.　ocaria.　oleander.　opal.　palmyra.　paru.　parvaneh.　peach.　pearl.　pepper.　pine.　pinion.　plume.　poppy.　psyche.　quinn.　reed.　reid.　rekoa.　remi.　riband.　ricki.　robin.　rose.　rosy.　rowan.　ruby.　rufous.　sable.　saffron.　saga.　saige.　scarlet.　scotch.　sibylla.　silver.　skyler.　sula.　swift.　tara.　tate.　tatum.　tawny.　tera.　thora.　tiger.　una.　vanessa.　violet.　virginia.　weaver.　winter.　wren.　yara.　zephyr.　zephyra.　zion.　zoumi.

PRONOUNS ⌇　admir/admiral.　ant/antenna.　anten/antenna.　antler/antler.　apple/apple.　blood/blood.　blue/blue.　bu/butterfly.　bug/bug.　butter/butterfly.　carpet/carpet.　chalk/chalk.　cherry/cherrie.　chrysalis/chrysali.　clear/clearwing.　cloud/cloud.　cocoo/cocoon.　cocoon/cocoon.　dagger/dagger.　dark/dark.　dew/dew.　dot/dot.　dusk/dusk.　dust/dust.　erm/ermine.　eye/eye.　flame/flame.　flap/flap.　flow/flower.　flu/fluttflutter.　fluff/fluff.　fluff/luff.　flutter/flutter.　fly/fly.　forest/forest.　fri/fritillary.　frit/fritillery.　goat/goat.　gold/gold.　hair/hairstreak.　hawk/hawk.　hawk/hawkmoth.　heart/heart.　hide/hide.　hook/hook.　in/insect.　insect/insect.　lace/lace.　lamp/lamp.　leaf/leaf.　lepidoptera/lepidoptera.　light/light.　lu/luna.　luna/luna.　lunar/lunar.　maple/maple.　mo/monarch.　mo/moth.　mocha/mocha.　moon/moon.　mor/morpho.　moth/moth.　nec/nectar.　night/night.　night/night.　nocturnal/nocturnal.　noct/nocturnal.　oak/oak.　plume/plume.　reed/reed.　riph/ripheu.　rose/rose.　sallow/sallow.　shark/shark.　sil/silk.　silk/silk.　small/small.　snout/snout.　squeak/squeak.　squeak/squeaker.　stripe/stripe.　sul/sulphur.　swa/swallow.　swa/tail.　swall/swallowtail.　swift/swift.　tiny/tiny.　tuss/tussock.　wax/waxe.　wing/wing.　☁️ . ⭐️ . 🌕 . 💡 . 🦋 .

[artzyleen]

I DIED AND CAME BACK TO LIFE 😭🫦

''Make love to the camera''

[quibbler-quirks]

Perfect Imperfections - Ominis x fem!Reader

Summary: Ominis asks MC to the Yule Ball. Or at least that was his plan.

Word count: 1.5k

Tags/warnings: she/her pronouns, a little bit of angst, assumed Triwizard Champion MC

A/N: Thank you for all of the love for my first post! I am truly not a writer, but Ominis has been bringing me lots of comfort. Just a little scenario I thought of~ I hope you enjoy!

-------

It was a terrible misunderstanding really.

Upon the end of her fifth year, MC had thought she had seen all the wizarding world had to offer. Magical prowess beyond her wildest dreams, a goblet of flames spitting out perfectly unburnt paper, and friends that seemed to transcend consequence. That is why strolling into the Transfiguration Courtyard as silent snowflakes fell from the sky, she could not understand why the pale hands of a certain Ominis Gaunt were in the hands of a particularly bubbly Anne Sallow.

It was not as if Ominis and MC were officially courting, but MC had thought after what had happened in their fifth year, they truly had a chance to become friends in their sixth and seemingly more in their seventh.

In her unoccupied hand, Anne held a beautiful bouquet of white roses and snowdrops, sprinkled with opulent green ferns and frosted holly berries. The perfect bouquet to ask someone to the Yule Ball with and with sudden clarity, it all made sense. Ominis had invited Anne to the Ball and not herself. Of course, nothing could triumph a childhood love, especially not after going through extreme measures to find a cure for Anne. MC knew Ominis had cared deeply for Anne throughout their search, but she felt embarrassed by her own ignorance realizing his care was out of love for the Sallow twin. 

With the sight of the bouquet blurring, MC continued hastily through the courtyard into the Defence Against the Dark Arts Tower, hoping no one could see the tears that welled in her eyes.

-------

“Bombarda!” a barrel explodes into splinters.

“Confringo!” a suit of armour topples to the ground.

How could she have been so blind? So selfish? While her feelings for the Gaunt boy had blossomed, it did not mean his feelings had done the same. Frustrated between being happy for her friends and heartbroken, MC lashed out spell after spell, aiming at particularly nowhere. The Undercroft was alight with flashes of colours as if someone had set off fireworks. She should be happy for them. Both were such kind souls and had helped each other through thick and thin, but thoughts of how well they matched did not comfort her. Besides, she had bigger things to worry about.

Continuing to bellow out spells, MC did not notice Sebastian had been watching her for some time, unsure of how to stop her. 

Suddenly, the gates of the Undercroft were once again creaking open, but MC’s shouts deafened her senses.

“MC?” called out Ominis.

“She’s been at it for centuries,” Sebastian remarks. “I can’t seem to get her to calm down.”

“What did you do?”

“Why do you always assume it was me?”

“Because it is always you, Sebastian,” Ominis grunts, “if it was not you, then what happened?”

“That… is a fair point,” Sebastian admits in defeat. “I’m not sure, I just know she has been like this since I got here. Practicing for the next challenge maybe? You can give it a go, but I’m going to find somewhere else to read. Good luck.”

The room felt a lot emptier since Ominis had last been there. Hearing Sebastian’s footsteps fade up the stairs, Ominis could also hear just how sharply the spells echoed off of the Undercroft’s stone walls. As if none of the crates and barrels he knew to be placed there existed at all. 

“I’m sorry love,” he whispers, directing his wand to the voice of MC. “Arresto momentum.”

Time suddenly stops for MC and her mouth fails to produce another coherent word.

“Reparo!”

The shattered state of the Undercroft begins to repair itself as Ominis carefully strolls over to MC, bringing down her arms and tucking her body into his chest. He could feel her wet tears seep through his wool jumper. Just how much had she been crying?

“What did you do?” the voice of Anne Sallow shrieks.

“Again, why does everyone always assume it was me!” Sebastian retaliates as the twins reappear at the base of the Undercroft.

Slightly embarrassed his childhood friends might have seen him holding their mutual friend quite intimately, Ominis jumps away, a blush rising to his ears. 

Seeing the tears falling down her best friend’s face, Anne rushes over to MC, bouquet forgotten on the floor, ready to embrace her. “What did my oaf of a brother do this time?”

Suddenly processing the other people present in the Undercroft, MC wipes her tears and tries to compose herself. “I’m sorry I didn’t see you come in! Don’t worry, Sebastian didn’t do anything… this time… that I know of...”

“Hey-” Sebastian starts.

“Never mind him then. My brother said you were crying as he was coming out of the Undercroft. Is everything okay, MC?”

“Yes, no worries! I’m sorry for worrying you! I was just, erm, worried about the upcoming challenge? Lots to practice I’m afraid”

“That’s bullocks,” Sebastian scoffs, “the Second Task isn’t for another two months! You’ll be fine.”

“Well, something must be on your mind,” Anne says, voice laced with concern.

“Maybe it’s just the Triwizard Tournament in general! There’s so much going on! Seriously, Anne, I’m fitter than a Fwooper! I just came from Professor Weasley’s office and I suppose the pressure really got to me,” MC forces a smile, eyes dropping to the fallen bouquet that lay near Ominis’ feet. “Besides, we have the holidays and the Ball to look forward to! We still have to go shopping for your dress, Anne! Even if our dear friend can’t see how stunning you will look, I think it will still be nice to dress up,” she continues to ramble on, gaze unmoving from the bouquet.

Slowly putting together the puzzle pieces, Anne gasps and steps back from MC in shock. Looking at the fallen bouquet, the Gaunt boy’s red ears, then her friend’s tear-stained face, she realizes MC must have seen her and Ominis in the courtyard on her way to the Undercroft. It really was a terrible misunderstanding.

“You, Gaunt, have some fixing to do,” pointing at the poor boy despite his lack of sight. She huffs over, picking up and shoving the bouquet into his arms.

“What did I do?” he pleads, genuinely concerned.

“Yeah! Why do you always assume it’s us?” Sebastian cries out again.

“Boys…” Anne mutters, dragging her brother back up the stairs past the gate. “I think you have something important to address.”

And with a final grit of her teeth, the Sallow twins disappear back into the tower, leaving a baffled MC and an even more confused Ominis.

Feeling the leaves of the once pristine bouquet tickle his chin, Ominis searches his mind for any reason Anne would ruin the surprise he had prepared.

“That really is a lovely bouquet. Anne is very lucky,” MC breaks the silence.

Oh… Oh! Cursing under his breath, Ominis finally understands what Anne had meant. Oh, this was not going according to plan at all.

Eyes opened wide and stammering over his words, Ominis speaks, “No! No, you are mistaken! These aren’t for Anne! Why would I give such a thing to Anne? A bouquet? That’s ridiculous. Not that bouquets are ridiculous or that I wouldn’t give anything to Anne..” Taking a deep breath, he finishes, “This was meant for you.”

Slightly shocked, MC starts, “But I saw you and Anne in the courtyard and I thought–”

“These were meant for you! I mean, these are for you, love.”

“I don’t think I’m quite following.”

Ominis approaches her carefully, reaching out for her hands and gently placing the bouquet in them. “I am asking you if I could have the honour of accompanying you to the Yule Ball.”

MC’s jaw drops in shock. Too stunned to say anything.

“That is if you are not already going with someone. I know it is rather late of me to ask, but I had this whole thing planned where I was going to–”

Then suddenly his words are cut off by the feeling of lips pressed against his. It is short and it is sweet. It is clumsy but evidently full of love. Everything a first kiss could ever be.

Breaking the contact, MC steps back, clutching the bouquet in her arms. “Wow, what a mess and a fool I am… I didn’t think you were going to ask. I would love that very much, Ominis.”

Smiling and reaching out to place his hands on top of MC’s, Ominis chuckles, “What a mess indeed. I apologize for all of the trouble I have caused. Anne actually was the one helping me pick out the flowers for you. I wanted them to be even a fraction as beautiful as you are, little dove.”

“They are perfect.”

“Not as perfect as you.”

-------

Bonus:

“OH! I UNDERSTAND NOW!” Sebastian shouts. “That sly dog! Took him long enough.”

“Boys…” Anne grumbles again, but holds back a smile as she watches Ominis and MC hand in hand walking across the courtyard where just moments before everything went astray.

[bibliophilicstranger]

Honestly, I must admit that I'm not too fond of fan artists changing/headcanoning Harry and James to be as desi/dark skinned. I personally think the Dursleys are far more despicable due to hating on someone not because of skin color/racial prejudice(because then they would've no doubt hated Kingsley), but because someone is not their definition of 'normal'/ looks & acts not to their standards. It's already stretching it with race changing Hermione and making her a big target of wizard prejudice on muggles. And it also kills the prejudice Lily faced, because she's still fair skinned.

The short answer: I generally do not agree with changing any character to a race other than the one they were originally written as, in any media, and particularly in what can be considered official adaptations (such as the new HBO series, which I am hoping adheres to their previous statement of "sticking close to canon" in all ways rather than those they pick and choose).* I'm more forgiving with fanworks, so long as they acknowledge it's a personal headcanon rather than an attempt to change or ignore canon. I don't know where the trend with Harry/James came from but it has surprised me that it's become so prevalent. I tend to scroll past them in favor of other portrayals.

The long answer: I believe that in most cases it is just as wrong to make a white character into a person of color as it is to make characters of color into white people. If it's wrong have the main character from The Ghost in the Shell played by Scarlett Johansson when she should be Japanese, then it's equally wrong to change Hermione/Astrid/Pepper/Ariel/Annabeth/Elphaba/Nessarose to be black.^

Most authors put a lot of effort into character creation and there can be important details in characters' physical appearances. Harry is supposed to have his mother's green eyes; ergo, both Harry and Lily should have the same green eye color in adaptations. The Weasleys are all supposed to be redheads, to the point that someone with red hair and freckles can be accused of being a Weasley without introduction, so anyone playing a Weasley has to be a redhead or have being a redhead suit them. Snape is a sallow-skinned man with greasy, long black hair-- his physical characteristics contribute to his image as a villain. He plays off villain stereotypes and gives off villain vibes. Annabeth Chase is blonde and has to combat dumb-blonde stereotypes, that being a part of her character, therefore she should be played as someone who looks like that stereotype. Pepper is literally called that because she's a freckly redhead, ergo, she needs to be a freckly redhead for that nickname to even make sense.

Ages too, are important to adhere to; as amazing as Alan Rickman was as Snape, he was far too old and his casting dragged all the Marauders-aged characters up in age, despite the fact that that means they all look like they should be wiser than they are, rather than the young men and women whose lives were changed tragically young by death/prison/betrayal. The actress playing Elphaba is a nearly 40 year old playing someone meant to be around 20, if not younger, and she looks middle aged under all the makeup. Gender is also key to characters: the Artemis Fowl movie was a mess for many reasons, including casting Julius Root as female, which ruined one of the driving parts of Holly Short's character arc, as she was no longer the first female Captain in LEPRecon. In general, a person should be cast who looks like the character as they were written, or who can take on those looks without it being strange.~ Obviously you have to change an actors hair or eye color sometimes, but you should test that before final determinations of casting to make sure that works.**

It's not a new idea that casting should take an actor's background into account. I've seen plenty of articles over the years lambasting casting decisions to have straight/cis actors play gay/trans roles. Moana was lauded for casting Pacific Islander voice actors in all the main roles (except for the chicken). Disney also had an all-Asian cast in the live action Mulan (they may have run into controversy over other things, but they tried hard on that bit). These were good things to do. They made sense. It's hypocrisy to treat other identities differently. There would be far fewer people offended if the role of Leonard Bernstein in Maestro had gone to a Jewish man rather than a goy with an antisemtically-large prosthetic nose.

As far as Harry and Hermione are concerned, anon, you've hit the nail on the head with why it's particularly problematic in their cases.

While there's no evidence that I know of where Vernon displays racial prejudice, his personality does track for it, and were Harry to be desi, I can't see that not coming into things. Can anyone really believe that James' race wouldn't be a factor in the insults of him being good-for-nothing and a wastrel? I really don't think Petunia would be any better. This would remove focus from what they really don't like, which is the existence of magic as a force they cannot control and which can easily be weaponized against them. Their obsession with normality and their treatment of Harry is a direct product of magic and their fear of it. They keep trying to remove Harry's connection with magic, to make him normal. They can't, but it probably is a genuine belief that they could. If they had removed his ability to have magic, I don't know that they ever would have treated him as equal to Dudley, but I do think they would have treated him better than they did. They wouldn't be able to do that with his race. Also his hair, if it's differently textured and messy because he's of a different race, then that whole bit gets racial/racist tones even if you change nothing else. As something for a fan to write a fic to explore where you can write extra chapters and dive into the differences, sure, go ahead. But you can't just arbitrarily change people's races in official productions and think that has no effect on the story.^^ Wouldn't, for instance, a desi Harry who'd probably been raised without a lot of that culture gravitate toward Parvati and Padma more, for more knowledge about the culture he's probably been denied? He barely talks to Parvati until the Yule Ball in canon. In a fanfic where you can build those connections, that can be an interesting angle to explore, but it doesn't work if your goal is making something accurate to canon.

As for Hermione, you have several complications if you make her black when she was originally white (and if you don't believe she was, look at JKR's original drawing from The Midnight Duel and compare her drawing of Hermione to her drawing of Gary/Dean-- he has shading on his skin that she doesn't in that or any other of JKR's sketches). I'll go into some of them that I've seen discussed, though there may be others that I miss.

For one, it makes a lot of the teasing she faces for her appearance take on racial tones. Teasing her for her bushy hair isn't right when she's a white girl, but it's worse when you decide that 'bushy' means the natural texture of black hair. It also adds a lot of problems around her straightening her hair for the Yule Ball, implying that her appearance is only acceptable because it's straight-- Black women and girls have issues with natural hair vs straightening their hair into white-approximate styles so now there's a message that only by straightening their hair do they make it beautiful/acceptable. The canon, mildly problematic trope of the bookworm to the beauty is amplified and worsened extensively if she becomes black.

Then you have SPEW. Canonically, Hermione is laughed at and ignored over her support for house elf rights and her insistence that their condition is slavery is generally explained away by various characters. Make her black and everything becomes much worse. Think about the implications of having a black character in particular advocating for the abolition of slavery and being laughed at or told she's being irrational while being given historical excuses for perpetuating slavery. It's bad enough when it happens to a white Hermione-- the message from a black one getting the same treatment is worse. Then you add in her being muggleborn, the main muggleborn of the series, and everything about blood prejudice becomes racially coded in a different way than canon (compounded by one of the other muggleborns we see the most of being Dean Thomas). While we see more prevalent and pervasive prejudice against other muggles and muggleborns, including Lily, later in the series, Hermione is the main one we see take insults for her blood-status from the beginning. We see other muggleborns attacked, but not teased and taunted in the same way.

There is certainly a place for more diversity in media, but it's not in taking white characters and making them black or Indian, or Chinese or whatever else. It's in writing compelling stories with characters of color. Marvel has had significant issues with altering some characters, but they've also made strides to add superheroes from non-white backgrounds, like Black Panther and Shang-Chi. Do you know what would be an amazing addition to the Harry Potter universe? A story at one of the other major wizarding schools, like Mahoutokoro. Get a team of Japanese writers, put together a small team of Harry Potter superfans/experts to canon-check anything they come up with so it doesn't come into conflict with anything already out there (every Harry Potter-related thing should have such a team; it would stop some of the idiotic things they keep doing, such as apparating into Hogwarts), and let the Japanese writers invent characters and stories that blend Japanese culture with the Harry Potter universe. Japanese people would do the writing so you wouldn't get accusations of cultural insensitivity or offense. You could even twice-record it in English and Japanese so that you didn't have to deal with dubbing! It would be so cool! You could do this with Uagadou or Castelobruxo as well. They draw from far more diverse populations and you'd no longer have to shoehorn more diversity into Hogwarts, which is in a country which is not that diverse, and which Rowling wrote in 1990 to be more diverse than the UK even was at that time.

Seriously, if you break down the 1990 class list with the assumption of 40 total students in Harry's year, then we know there are at least two black students, Dean Thomas and Blaise Zabini, and at least three if not four Asian students, the Patil twins, Su Li and possibly Lily Moon (who could be related to the Korean Moon character who is the caretaker in Hogwarts Legacy). With 40 students in the year, that's a population that is 5% Black and 10% Asian. This is higher than the general UK demographics today! If you go by the 1991 demographics, then proportionately there would be a single Black student and a single Asian student in Harry's year. JKR exceeded that with Harry's year alone, without taking into consideration the amazing characters of color from other years/ages. I'm pretty sure most of the people bitching about diversity must be American, where the demographics are significantly different, or they haven't scaled their expectations down to the size of Hogwarts. Just because the main trio of characters are white doesn't make the whole series lack diversity. And while contemporary Britain is somewhat more diverse, at this point Harry Potter took place ~30 years ago; as such, you should be going by the historical diversity, not the modern diversity.~~ And yes, it has to take place in the 1990s. A lot of the ties back to World War II don't work as well if you pull it forward and technology would almost certainly change the way the seventh book specifically works out.

Harry Potter has amazing characters of color. Angelina Johnson is a badass quidditch player and Dumbledore's Army member. Kingsley Shacklebolt is an auror, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, the man trusted to protect the Prime Minister, and a future Minister Magic of Magic himself. Dean Thomas, Parvati Patil, and Lee Jordan were all in Dumbledore's army as well. Dean is a spectacular artist and a brave duelist-- he tries to fight in the Battle of Hogwarts without a wand. Parvati is a caring and loyal friend-- we see repeatedly that she stands up for the people she's closest to. Lee is funny, loyal, and brave-- he helps host Potterwatch during the war and works with the Order. Highlighting their best moments would be a far better way to show the diversity of the wizarding world than by changing the race of white characters.

In conclusion, while there is a place for diversity in the Wizarding universe, and in media more generally, it shouldn't be achieved by altering the races of already established characters or historical figures out of a wish to make a story more diverse. It's far better to create new characters and build their backgrounds and stories to fit the identity you want to display. You'll get deeper, more meaningful portrayals that way.

* I do make certain exceptions for some modernized adaptations--such as The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, insofar as the resetting of Pride and Prejudice to modern day California makes an expansion of the characters' diversity feel natural and there's some attention paid to making those changes fit-- or adaptations that transpose cultures entirely. These adaptations are more fanfic than the kind that aim for portraying the original Austen story, and so I give them more leeway. They're not going to mislead someone who is watching the adaptation but hasn't read the book.

^Elphaba is green you say! Yes, but one, her sister isn't, and two, the magic-potion-dye didn't change her facial structure. There are a lot of issues with Wicked's casting generally, but this is a big one. Let's make the two "evil" witches who everyone hates and calls for the death of both black. That doesn't have troubling implications at all.

~Yes, I have an issue with Daniel Radcliff and all the Lily actresses (at the very least they could have made sure they had blue eyes to match his if they weren't going to deal with the bit where he couldn't wear the contacts he was supposed to). I also have an issue with Ariana Grande playing Galinda-- she's not meant for that kind of color palette. Even with the blonde dye job the pink makes her look washed out in every clip I've seen. A character that fashion conscious would wear clothes better suited to her coloring.

** Emma Watson is a good example of this latter point-- she isn't naturally brunette or bushy haired, but they did a good job with making her so in the first two movies (they should have continued to do so later on, but didn't). The Phelps twins are as well-- they're brunettes who look remarkably well as redheads.

^^ One of my main issues with the post-Hamilton era of media is that there seem to be people who do just that and then suddenly historical figures who very much were white are black. I'm sorry, but does no one else think that if Anne Boleyn was black, that they'd have found a way to use it against her if they could have?

~~There's a Hallmark Christmas Rockette movie that screwed this one up big time, probably on purpose. They had Black Rockettes at a time that there were none, which I think is problematic. Sure it makes the movie more diverse, but it also "colorwashes" history. If we keep making representations of history that are more diverse, with people of color in more privileged positions than any actually were, we run the risk of people not taking it seriously when we discuss how screwed up the past was (people are dumber than you think they are; they will take fiction as fact). Black Rockettes in 1958 make it seem like there was less racism in NYC/the North/the USA than there was back then. In reality, the Rockettes didn't get a non-white member until 1985 and an African American member until 1987, nearly 30 years after the movie and way later than I would have thought. Instead of sliding something in to point out the historical issue, they just ignored it.

[sammiesunkara]

Samantha Hayes - Hogwarts Legacy OC

ABOUT

Full Name: Samantha Jean Hayes Nickname(s): Sam, Sammie, Sammie Jean Date of Birth: October 26, 1874 Birthplace: Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Blood Status: Muggle-born House: Slytherin Wand: Classic Black - Holly - Dragon Heartstring - Unyielding - 9 3/4 Inches Wand Handle: Imperial - Grey & Silver Sexuality: Straight Height: 5'4" Hair Color: Dark Brown with subtle red highlights in the sun Eye Color: Hazel Green Quidditch Position: N/A

PERSONALITY

Traits: Shy, Protective, Caring, Submissive, Sarcastic, Loyal, Perfectionist, Persistent Likes: Reading, Quiet Places, Laughing, Singing Dislikes: Disloyalty, Stupidity, Lack of Common Sense, Crowds, Heights, Spiders Boggart: Before Hogwarts - Spiders, After joining Hogwarts - Ominis being Tortured Patronus: Ball Python

FAMILY

Parents: Jonathan Hayes & Diana Hayes (nee Goebel) Siblings: None

RELATIONSHIPS

Partner: N/A, quietly in love with Ominis Gaunt (He doesn't know) Best Friends: Ominis Gaunt, Sebastian Sallow, William Hawke, & Lenora Shore Enemies: HOBHOUSE, Anyone who messes with Ominis or her other friends

FUTURE

Career: Healer, location unknown Residence: Unknown Children: Unknown Pet(s): Unknown

Other Facts:

1. She suffers from frequent migraines. These migraines cause her magic to become weak. 2. Samantha is an exchange student from Ilvermorny. She does not have Ancient Magic, and she was sorted the same day as William Hawke. 3. Samantha is plus size, wearing a size US 18. She is EXTREMELY self conscious about her body. 4. She is always covered from head to toe if in public, no matter what the weather is. 5. She REFUSES to let Ominis touch her since he's the only one who doesn't know what she looks like and doesn't want to ruin anything. 6. She is extremely touch starved and has a severe fear of abandonment. 7. Ever since she became friends with Ominis, eventually Ominis opened up about his past and his torture became her Boggart. 8. Even though she is shy and quiet, she will use any means necessary to keep those she loves safe. 9. Her favorite color is black. 10. She loves cheese and chocolate, and no, not together.

To hear what Ominis' first look at Samantha is like during their 7th year, please listen here. (All characters are 18+)

[the-dist-ortionist]

Quick drawing of my least favourite woman ever‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

[amethystandemma]

Full Name: Eleazar Andrew Sallow

The Basics: Eleazar is the only son of Sebastian Sallow and Althea Moonlace and the couple’s second child. He enjoys dueling and helping Evangeline, his older sister, catch poachers. It’s on one of these trips that he is murdered by a descendant of Victor Rookwood.

More info below the cut

Genealogy

Family (immediate)

Sebastian Sallow (father)

Althea Moonlace (mother)

Evangeline Sallow (older sister)

Miri Sallow (younger sister)

Family (extended)

Helga Hufflepuff (ancestor; maternal)

Anne Sallow (aunt; paternal)

Newt Scamander (brother-in-law)

William “Willi” Scamander (nephew)

Lavina Scamander (niece)

Marco Glasspetal (nephew)

Love Interest(s) 

Zelma Silverthorne (ex-girlfriend)

Child(ren): N/A, dies at 19

Physical 

Gender: male

Height: 5’10

Eye Color: blue

Hair Color: pink

Blood Status: pureblood

Other: 

Other

House: Slytherin

Quidditch Position: Keeper

Wand

Holly wood

9 inches

Hard

Mooncalf hair

Patronus: eagle 

Favorite Spells: light spell (Lumos)

Content

Gallery

[oldfashionedmorphine]

well now i can’t say “nobody asked for this…”

(dear anon, i hope this helps!)

fyi—i spend way too much of my time looking things up for this fic… and this is some of what i saved when it came to outfits/hair and also just some basics info/stuff :)

———————

mike in 2004

hair: styled like johnny depp’s hair in the 90s… he’s kept it shoulder length or longer since 1986—he ditched the bangs at some point in the early 90s! and since he doesn’t dye it, there’s some gray throughout

outfits: white or black t-shirt’s, black jeans, and converse high tops are still his bread-and-butter base. his style is pretty consistent because he’s not a big fan of change—he likes what he likes! it’s just super easy for him to throw something else over a plain t-shirt and walk out the door.

overall: he doesn’t typically keep his face clean-shaven, call it laziness, but sometimes he will wait two weeks or more between picking up a razor. he’s still skinny because he doesn’t always eat right, skipping meals because he gets too distracted with video games, but years of drinking are starting to take a toll and reflect in his skin, at times looking sallow

———————

will in 2004

hair: styled basically like whatever hayden christensen was doing to his hair in 2003/2004, also not a fan of hair dye, and also as he got older there was a bit more wave to his hair

outfits: wears lots of flannels, band/graphic tees, polos, button ups with sweater vests, jeans/corduroy/khaki pants, adidas/saucony jazz/new balance style sneakers—usually laid back but he will also use any excuse to dress it up! wears square-framed tortoiseshell glasses since 2001 (when he had to renew his driver’s license he couldn’t pass the eyesight test—got his eyes checked and sure enough he needed glasses!)—and included that picture of noah wearing glasses cause when i saw it i was like, wow yeah, that’s not too far off, just change the frames and age him 15 years… lol

overall: usually keeps his face free of any stubble, also has a few gray hairs but not as many as mike and he likes to walk or run for exercise to better keep in shape, in the summer he’s been known to pick up a tan, and he has one tattoo—the word “love” written in morse code under the scar from where nancy burnt him with a hot iron [ .-.. --- ...- . ]

———————

holly in 2004

(holly is 24, about the same age as kristen bell so I kinda picture her from veronica mars season 1 but with long hair/dyed like cady heron from “mean girls”—holly watched the movie earlier that year and liked the look!)

outfits: low rise flare jeans, denim jackets, fitted shirts, canvas vans sneakers, low top converse

———————

el in 2004

hair: long, always past her shoulders at least—she doesn’t like cutting it short for obvious reasons—she also dyes it and never skimps on spending money to maintain it and loves adding things like butterfly clips or barrettes with sparkles

outfits: she loves fashion and experimenting with her wardrobe. lots of delicate details and whimsy. a lot of what claire danes and anne hathaway were wearing 2002-2004

what she’s up to: el never went to college, but attends a few business seminars in between all her world travels and eventually invests some of her government hush money into opening a vintage/antique shop in hawkins that her and joyce run together.

el’s exact outfit from ch 8!

———————

outfit inspiration for mike + will in 1999 (aka for ch. 15)

mike: black jeans, ochre yellow striped button down, and of course he would’ve worn his typical converse shoes if he had to physically travel to the house that night, but alas… lol

will: brown dress shoes (normally wears sneakers, but for special occasions he gets fancy), light wash denim with navy turtle neck, plus brown leather jacket

(yes… i purposefully made them wear each others colors 😏)

———————

the mood board i made for nancy + jonathan’s wedding in 1993

(i’ve posted this before but idk how many of you saw it lol)

of course there is more i could add and sadly there’s things i’ve since cleared from my phone like the picture i had saved of a wedding dress i thought nancy would wear… but if there is anything else you’d like to know, i’m always down to talk more about this story! send me a message—you don’t have to stay on anon unless you wanna, but i don’t bite!! ;)

[film-in-my-soul]

I know, I already asked one, but icemav AU: dealers choice?

As agreed upon, Stargate Atlantis AU! Though I'm not gonna lie, this ended up being longer than intended .-.

.⋆｡°✩ Chasing after what might be a ZPM, Maverick and Ice are ambushed by a group of Wraith. ✩°｡⋆.

WARNING: Violence and Hurt/Minor Comfort

Maverick would love to say that the second they stepped through the Stargate it all went to hell, but it didn't, and in hindsight, that makes it worse because it leaves them relaxed when their initial sweep turns up nothing. Combined with the fact they're not even sure they're chasing a ZPM, it's a recipe for a disaster, and they don't even realize it.

Ice gives assurance that his scanner isn't wrong, but Maverick's heard that before, though, and he lets the lead science officer know, accepting the stern glare with a gleeful roll of his eyes. He dutifully follows behind the blond man into the thick forest that's emanating the signal they're chasing, assuring in a whisper that if they wrap up before nightfall, he'll make up for being a brat when they get back to Atlantis. Ice likes it when Maverick works up a bit of a tally anyway, and Maverick enjoys the game of it.

It all feels too calm, but with their last two ground missions leaving the entire team run ragged, Maverick can't help ignoring the small siren wailing in his mind. They're due for an easy in-and-out assignment. Still, he's not team leader for nothing (though Ice would argue it's because someone has to do the real work, and they'd needed Maverick to pick up the slack), so he breaks them off into teams of two, flanking the clustered woods in a wide semi-circle. He and Ice will arrive at the signal first, and with any luck, if they do run into trouble, Wolf, Holly, Slider, and Goose will get there just behind them to help, only stretched out in half-mile sectors.

Of course, that's all easy enough to say and well enough to plan. It doesn't mean that it's guaranteed to work out as well. It doesn't mean that when Maverick and Ice start bickering ("Bet you it's not a zero-point module," "What do I get when you lose?" "Guess you can come to my quarters after dinner and find out if you don't."), heading straight to the little glowing dot on the scanner, Maverick will be able to react when three figures drop, heavy as hell, from above him, taking the both of them to the ground.

In the struggle, before the butt of a rifle is brought down sharply against his temple, and unconsciousness is unavoidable, Maverick catches sight of familiar leather and waxy sallow skin. He has just enough energy to reach, fingernails digging into the soft forest floor toward where Ice is being restrained, the other man's name on his lips before a sweeping blackness swallows up all his thoughts and drags him kicking and screaming into temporary oblivion.

When Maverick comes to, it's with a trickle of blood sluggishly dripping from the point of his chin and nausea rolling up his throat. He's sitting upright, his hands looped behind the tree he's secured to, and across from him, equally as bound, is Ice. The only notable differences are that his lip and left eyebrow are split, his shirt is open, and his uniform jacket is pulled to the sides.

The urge to throw up doubles because Maverick's not an idiot; he knows why the Wraith would do that. He's not made to wonder long if his assumption is correct either because one without a mask, the leader of their three-party trap, steps into Maverick's line of sight and beside Ice, far too close for comfort.

"I will make this simple," the Wraith says, voice low and hissing, its English garbled and rough.

Maveric knashes his teeth, animal instinct kicking wildly in his chest. "Well, it'd be a first for you guys."

The Wraith signals with his head, and from the corner of his eye, Maverick has just enough time to tense his stomach before it's struck hard by a boot, taking his air with it. Tears of pain spring to his eyes, but he refuses to bow and lower his gaze from Ice, who makes a valiant attempt to struggle against the rope holding him.

"Simple," the Wraith repeats, smugness crawling through its tone, making Maverick's skin crawl with disgust. It raises one hand and slowly, tauntingly, brings it toward the patch of exposed skin of Ice's chest. "You will provide the coordinates to Earth."

"Like hell we will," Ice says, thrashing uselessly again, and Maverick feels a pang lance him. The Wraith pays Ice no attention, eyes steady on Maverick.

"You will provide the coordinates. Or I will strip this human of his life force, one year at a time. I will do this slowly. I will make you watch. It will be your fault."

Maverick grinds his back teeth and makes a show of trying to arch forward into his bindings, using the new angle to check where the lead Wraith's two guards are positioned. He notes that they're not watching behind his tree. With that knowledge, Maverick carefully slips the small razor he keeps tucked into the edge of his jacket free, breathing hard as it lightly thumps to the earth before he's able to snatch it up between his fingers a moment later.

"What makes you think reinforcements won't be here before you can do anything?"

The Wraith doesn't answer, simply tilts his head to the side as if sizing up Maverick's bluff, and then lets his hand fall unceremoniously onto Ice's chest. The scream is immediate, and Maverick, forgetting himself, forgetting the idea of freedom, flails his legs and strains in reaction. It's over in less than five seconds, but it doesn't matter. Ice is panting; there's a stamp of red in the shape of the Wraiths palm slits blistering his skin.

"You bastard," Maverick growls, unconsciously holding the razor in his hidden hand tighter, cutting his palm and recentering him at the same time.

"The coordinates. Your remaining team members are being handled as we speak. Attempting to stall me will not aid you, only prolonging your scientist's suffering. Perhaps he can suffer the loss of five years, but more? Would you have him discover this?"

Fuck. Hell. Maverick is going to vomit, and then he's going to carve himself free, and then he's going to kill all of these lifeforce-sucking, vampire assholes.

"Don't- don't you give them anything," Ice wheezes, panting around the pain that's no doubt lingering. "I can take it."

And Maverick, as much as it makes him sick, nods in agreement.

They reach five years gone (assuming the Wraith isn't lying, skimming more off the top), and Maverick can feel that he's only one more careful draw of his hidden weapon from being loose enough to break from the ropes. Ice has screamed himself raw, and he's sweating up a storm, hair flat and damp against his head, limbs shaking so hard that Maverick can see it even at their current distance from one another.

He's reading himself, coiling his muscles in preparation to spring, when from the edge of the small clearing they've been brought to, Maverick catches the faintest hint of movement. For a split second, he's sure it's the other Wraiths trolling around, only, a moment later, just as slowly, he sees the tips of two fingers rise above the topmost leaves of the bush that had shivered. It's an indicator Maverick knows well, and for the first time in the thirty minutes he and Ice have been trapped, he's relieved.

The maskless Wraith draws close to Ice again, and Maverick watches with anguish as the blond tries to press himself back against the tree as far as he can to escape. The look of terror on Ice's face (still mixed with the steadfast determination and rage that attracted Maverick to him in the first place) makes Maverick's decision for him.

"When I get this fucking rope off me, I'm killing you first," Maverick says, and the edge in his voice must be sufficiently sharp because the Wraith pauses for just long enough, turning to gloat or posture. It's the few seconds Maverick needs.

Uncaring of hurting himself, Maverick wrenches his razor back, and with a satisfying snap, the bindings keeping him locked to the tree break, and he's off the ground just as a shot from the treeline takes down the guard on his left. Instinct guides Maverick's movements, and in less than a second, he's scooped up the downed Wraith's stunner pistol and has it aimed at the leader's chest. He squeezes the trigger before he makes the conscious choice to do so, and just in time- the bastard had whirled back on Ice, ready to suck him dry.

Instead, the blast from the stunner hits, and Maverick follows it up with two more, stepping closer with each discharge until he's practically on top of the alien. Only the arrival of the rest of the team and Ice's labored breathing eases some of the red haze from Maverick's vision and reminds him that his priority isn't the now unconscious Wraith but Ice.

Getting him freed with one hand is challenging, the meat of his palm notably stinging from two deep gashes that hadn't been important moments before. Still, Maverick manages it, catching Ice around the waist and easing him to his knees once the restraints fall away.

He's still shaking, his mouth pale and bloodless, his chest red and bleeding from where the Wraith had touched him. Maverick notes, with a stab of guilt so strong it threatens to double him over, that the very edges of Ice's temple are peppered with streaks of silver-gray hairs.

"Mav..." Ice's voice is weak, but it forces Maverick's attention again to where it needs to be.

"Hey, don't talk," he gentles, getting one arm beneath Ice's to bring them slowly back to standing, "I've got you."

From around them, Maverick hears Slider calling in for a Puddle Jumper and extraction and watches with a dangerous kind of satisfaction as Goose and Hollywood level their rifles point blank against the Wraiths, just waiting for the excuse.

"T-told you I could take it." Ice's smirk is wobbly at best and not in the least bit reassuring, but Maverick forces himself to grin even as he bites the inside of his cheek bloody.

"Yeah, you did."

And Maverick is damn sure that it'll be over his dead body if Ice is ever in the position to have to do it again.

Ficlet Bingo! (Still Squares Left!)

[hufflepuff-16]

To the One I love the most >゜)))彡

Chapter One - The Taste of Jealousy

Hermione Granger x OC (enemies to friends to lovers) ( 〃▽〃)

Summary: Returning to hogwarts was difficult for the brightest witch of our age. She wanted this year to be the perfect year it would be if it wasn't for her. Hermione Granger hated Holly Sallow for many petty reasons, but when she lashes out at Holly, she feels immense guilt.

Warnings: angst, OOC Hermione (don't worry, she gets better), crying, guilt.

A/n: Sorry, I've been absent, I have been doing some volunteering work. Here is the first chapter of my new series!

Thank you so much for twenty-one followers, I know this series won't be as popular as my other works, but I don't care. This has been an idea of mine for years!

Prologue

Link to my Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Hermione holds the book to her chest as she hurries down the halls of Hogwarts. She ends up bumping into a hufflepuff girl accidentally and says,

"Uh, my sorr- Oh, it's you"

She says with a certain resentment and disappointment when she realizes it's none other than Holly Sallow.

Hermione had never liked Holly, something about her annoyed Hermione. Was it her perfectly cut Bob, her blemish free face, her compassion to slytherins even though she is a hufflepuff or maybe it's the fact that she had gotten all Outstanding in her O.W.Ls and had beaten her in getting the place of head girl, leaving Hermione as deputy, nope definitely not the latter.

Hermione glared at the Hufflepuff girl as if offended by her existence.

"Um, hello Hermione, how has your day been?" said Holly, confused but polite nonetheless.

Her eyes narrow, not even looking at the hufflepuff, still holding the book to her chest, looking as if she's a pile of dirt she just stepped in.

"My day was good before I ran into you thing."

She says as she turns her back and runs away before Holly can even utter a word.

"Rude....." Holly mutters under her breath as she sees Hermione run away. She had been very patient with Hermione, but you felt like her Hufflepuff patience was running out.

After making a stop at the library to return a book she borrowed, Holly makes her way back to her dorm room.

She found Hermione sitting in their shared dorm, reading a book on the sofa

"Hello Hermione," she says, not bothering if Hermione answers are not, Holly makes her way over to the chest table, which has an unlit candle , using a quick spell she lights the candle. She loved scented candles. Something about them is just so lovely.

Hermione doesn't even look up at her, glaring over the top of her book. Her arms are crossed, and she glares at Holly like she committed a crime.

"What.....do you want?" She grumbled.

"I... just said hello. There's no need to get so defensive!" Holly replied, raising her hand in mock defence.

Now Hermione glares at her even harder and looks at Holly like she's an insane person.

"Really? Really?! I mean, you've been pestering me since the start of the year, you were the reason I didn't get head girl, and just a little while ago, you were standing in my way like a wall! And you're wondering why I'm getting so 'defensive' with you?!"

Holly had now lost her patience. How dare she! She was the one who bumped into her! And has been non-stop rude to her this whole time!

"Oh, shut up, Hermione, it's OK if you didn't get head girl, you're still one of the saviours of the wizarding world, YOU HELPED DEFEAT BLOODY VOLDERMORT!"

Hermione looked shocked that Holly dared speak up to her, but not offended or anything, she looked shocked. She glares at the hufflepuff and says:

"Shut up? Shut up? SHUT UP?! Really? Really? Are you really going to talk back at me? After all that, you're going to yell at ME?"

Hermione stands up, now staring at Holly as if she's going to kill or something. She's so mad that she's not even thinking straight.

Holly rolls her eyes at Hermione's childish attitude and ignores her, making your way into her room and slaming the door, placing a complex locking charm on the door. Turns out the brightest witch of our age is a snobby little bitch.

Hermione stands there for a moment in complete disbelief, but then she shakes herself out of it and runs over to Holly's door. She then begins banging on your door with full force, yelling and screaming,

"THAT DOES IT!!! COME BACK HERE AND FACE ME!!!"

Holly began to quietly sob, Hermione Granger was truly not a nice person. She was supposed to be the brightest witch of our age. Why was she so rude? Holly continues to ignore Hermione as tears fall down her eyes. She lies on her bed with a pillow over her head to block out the noise.

Hermione hears the quiet sobs and feels a wave of guilt. She didn't like this version of herself, not one bit. She takes a deep breath, sighs, and whispers to herself:

"I'm sorry for yelling. I got upset, but that doesn't excuse that kind of behaviour."

She waited for a response, but none came, so she said louder this time,

"I'm sorry for getting mad at you. Please forgive me"

Hermione goes to her room and leaves Holly alone finally.

Hermione sits in her room, feeling horrible about herself. She looks over at her books and thinks to herself,

"What have I become?"

Hermione goes over to her bookcase then. She takes out A History of Magic, turns to a page on the first wizarding war, and begins to cry.

"It wasn't supposed to go this way. I just wanted this year to be a year of peace,"

The End