#hope they marry in alecto and get a room

[sugarxinim]

imagine being god's daughter in law

i'd be mad too

also bonus

[phantomato]

Number 20, Lily/Alecto

#sorry not sorry 😁

Lily/Alecto, <1k, prompt #20: saving their life. 💛

“Words mean things, Al. It’s right there: born to those who have thrice defied him, that’s what Dumbledore said.”

I was not my best self. I was panicked—nothing betrayed that more than being here, with Alecto, rather than staying in my husband’s home.

He, at least, was on the right side of this war.

“Words do mean things, but,” Alecto tapped her nails, filed smooth and round and kept deliciously dark, “see, it says ‘those.’ That’s plural.”

I wanted to tear out my hair, to leave it in bright red chunks across her coffee table as evidence of my distress. Hair was easy to preserve, wasn’t it? Hair is a dead thing, like I soon would be. Alecto could bind it into a locket and remember my sorry fate. “Yes, and my baby has two parents!” I screamed at her for want of a better target, which was unfair and thrilling. “It’s too late to change the father, Al, and I am not getting rid of him.”

My baby was not planned, my baby had not been wanted, but my baby was in me and he was mine.

“Leave James,” she said, like it was the simplest thing in the world. “Leave him now.”

“He’s still the father.”

“I’ll take the role. A baby’s born to whoever holds your hand in the delivery room, not the knob who shot the sperm.” 

I loved her before, but my love for her then was a solid weight in my chest, the vital organ that gave life. 

“I certainly haven’t defied him,” she said.

I stood. I peeled back the jumper she wore, so that she was down to her camisole, and the mark of her allegiance was made bare. I never hated it—oh, I should have, I should have cursed her name and burned her face from my memory when I first saw. That would have been the loyal and true choice.

I was not loyal. I was not true. I married a man for security once, and I fucked a lover before our first anniversary. The loyalty I knew was to myself, and to my child; I was a product of Cokeworth, not class.

Alecto’s mark was bold, black as night in the height of Voldemort’s activity and power, and a gorgeous promise of continued life. I kissed it. I took her arm between my hands and I kissed the skull’s open mouth, I licked the path of the serpent from nose to tail, and I pressed my lips to the grinning death’s head once more.

Overcome, I giggled and asked, “Does he feel this, do you think?” I nipped at her skin and she shrieked. I kissed with tongue. “Does your Dark Lord know what we’re doing?”

Alecto, my dearest, leaned over my wide belly and kissed me properly. “I sure as fuck hope he doesn’t,” she told me, “because that was hot, and now I want you to ride my arm.”

I did. In her bed, I sat on that happy skull, Alecto’s arm between my thighs, and rubbed my cunt against her until I came. Laughing, breathless, I made her come: her tit in my mouth, my hand on her clit, and an inky wet snake staring at me from her skin. 

The baby, our baby, kicked his way around my womb. He always made himself known when I was active. I was tempted to define him by James—athletic, energetic, troublesome—but that wasn’t his lot any longer.

“Irreverent, like you,” Alecto complained. She kissed the place where his foot had been.

Her hair was sweaty and dark, only red where it caught the light, as I plaited it in messy clumps. “How long,” I asked, “have you wanted to be a parent?”

“How long have you been pregnant?” she replied.

I took her point. “I still don’t want it, I think. Partly—I never envisioned it in this way, at least, not in this mess.”

“You don’t have to.” She kept her hand high on my stomach, brushing the underside of my breasts. “But you should stay. Either way, you should stay. He doesn’t make you happy, and he’s not any safer than going it alone—not with how he goes out.”

“When I first realized,” I gestured to myself, “I thought, maybe, it would change him. I thought I might get the unremarkable life that would make us safe.” Alecto frowned. I smoothed the line between her brows. “I’m not really safe with you. We both know it. I’m trading out one threat, at best, and hoping the next one won’t be so dire.

“But even if I don’t want the situation, I want him,” I hugged my own belly, where my baby’s future balanced on the edge of prophecy, “and I want you.”

“It wasn’t meant to happen this way,” she agreed. Her nails were black against my freckled skin. She tweaked my nipple and traced down the dark line of my belly until I could no longer see her fingers, only feel them scraping my short hair. “It will, though. Lily, I will have you live.”

[chaoswillfallrpg]

AMYCUS CARROW is TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OLD and a BARMAN at THE GRAVE AFFAIR in KNOCKTURN ALLEY. He looks remarkably like DACRE MONTGOMERY and considers himself NEUTRAL. He is currently OPEN.

→ OVERVIEW:

tw: death

The strong, silent and sadistic type, Amycus Carrow has always enjoyed feeling like the most powerful person in the room, no matter what it takes for him to gain that feeling he craves. The eldest child of IRIS HOOKUM and EROS CARROW, Amycus has always been someone who liked to cause mischief but knew when exactly to step aside and allow everyone around him to take the fall when the going gets tough. A strong yet silent charmer, despite his beauty Amycus has been used to being slightly overlooked due to the large personality of his twin sister ALECTO. A few minutes separate Amycus from his younger sister, though in his mind it might as well have been a decade. His best friend from the moment she was born, Amycus wasn’t exactly certain when he had made the pact with himself to protect Alecto but he has spent a lifetime looking out for her and oftentimes taking the brunt of punishment for her actions. A schemer, Amycus enjoyed playing small pranks on the elves they had working at Carrow House. Curious about their magic, Amycus enjoyed prodding the elves to see what magic they might use against him and if despite his youth he would be able to counter their magic. The game between him and the elves was one of cat and mouse and began his interest in pressing the buttons of others to gauge how much he would get away with. For Amycus it was all about power. How much power could he wield over others and what he had in his possession.

When some elves were promptly punished and dismissed by his mother for their insolence, he didn’t feel sorrow as many children did. Amycus felt pride. Proud he had engineered such an encounter and interested to see what else he could get away with. Alecto also enjoyed punishing the house elves, though Amycus noted that it came from a completely different place for his sister. Alecto was consumed with rage, enjoying the pain she inflicted on others and doing anything in her power to feel the thrill of the reactions she garnered from both the elves and their family. At first, his mother presumed Alecto to be behaving out of childish wickedness, but as she got older it hinted as something a little darker. Alecto loved chaos and to be the master of it sitting at the helm and watching drama unfold before her pale green eyes. Despite his sister being quite willing to throw him under the Knight Bus headed straight for London in order to get out of trouble, Amycus felt very protective over her. If Alecto took some scissors to his mother’s gowns in anger, Amycus was found holding them. She wanted to eat biscuits before dinner, he was caught by their father getting them off the shelf and passing them to his sister. Having a very mischievous side, Amycus was always happy to aid Alecto in any of her schemes and took little to no persuasion to be part of her double act, but when their parents eyes focused in on them, Alecto was quick to point the finger and Amycus was happy for her to do it.

They were different in their pursuits of chaos. Amycus liked to get his hands dirty, Alecto preferred to watch other people carry out her dirty work for her. Alecto was the only person he would ever take the heat for, otherwise Amycus was quite a selfish person but his selflessness for his sister cost him his relationship with his father to a degree. Alecto was their father’s undisputed favourite, whilst Amycus held the favour of their mother. Though both the twins were high spirited, Amycus was more predictable than his sister. Away at school, he continued his role of keeper to Alecto. Slotting into a group of mischievous fellow Slytherins which jettisoned off NARCISSA BLACK’s court of subjects, drawing out the cruelty in an otherwise subdued VICTOR YAXELY and giving WILLIAM GOYLE and outlet for all of his most wicked thoughts and feelings. Narcissa might have ruled Slytherin with a cold heart and an iron fist, but Amycus and Alecto left people running scared. Muggle-Borns in particular ran in fear, but some fought back. MEAGHAN MCCORMACK was particularly mouthy, but Amycus enjoyed seeing how his persistence might mentally break her down. That was Amycus bread and butter long before he would learn of the unforgivable curses, toying with the kids of others like a cat with a ball. Even his own friends weren’t safe. Amycus had long suspected his best friend Victor as having feelings for him which Amycus mainly entertained for his own enjoyment. 

The reality of it was Amycus was only drawn in by people of strength and whilst most people found Victor’s twin sister ELEANOR YAXLEY unbearable, Amycus could see more of a future with her due to her unwillingness to be walked on. Amycus had a very high opinion of himself and whilst he has enjoyed various flings throughout his life, he truly believes no one is his intellectual match. At school, this high opinion of himself manifested in his attitude to teachers, constant trips in and out of detention hindering his grades and stunting whatever natural ability he had. Despite being a talented wizard, his arrogance and willingness to protect his sister above all else ensured his future would only ever be as the head of Carrow House. Alecto by his side and elves at their back and call it was enough for him, but his mother wanted more for her children. The Carrow twins might have been horrible characters but they were very beautiful and from a Sacred Twenty-Eight family which instantly made them desirable prospects for people who might try and tame them or had aspirations of marrying into an elite family. Eros had very little interest in marrying off his children, but cared about the continuation of their line and needed at least one child to carry it forward. Amycus had very little interest in children and was bored by the idea of marriage but allowed his mother to do her very best to try and match them up with someone.

If Amycus was to marry he wanted a challenge and would only settle for his equal in charm, beauty, blood and intellect, which was a fairly tall order. PERSEPHONE WILKES was a witch who liked things her own way and played second fiddle to no one which Amycus found interesting. Over the course of their courtship, Amycus tried his best to get in her head and under her skin, but only found boredom and distain from her. Tired, he focused his attention on trying to steal away THORFINN ROWLE from under ANASTASIA DUPONT’s nose but that only entertained him for so long. Iris was irritated by his behaviour who seemingly was showing the door to any suitor who knocked on it including Victor Yaxley but at the very least someone was there knocking. No one was even stupid enough to try to make a play for his sister and this realisation made his mother resort to desperate actions. Urging Eros to join the poker nights of CECCILY GREENGRASS, CYGNUS BLACK, WALBURGA BLACK, ILLAR TRAVERS and EELIS BURKE in the hopes of marrying off Alecto. It was eventually decided Alecto would be passed off to CAIUS BURKE, filling their mother wit joy, Alecto with anger and Amycus into fits of laughter. With his mother drawing up a contract with the Burke family, Amycus was left to his own devices, as was his father who had gotten a real taste for gambling whilst the back of his family was turned. Quietly, Eros had been getting a hole of debt which saw Ceccily Greengrass in possession of their home and demanding money from the family they no longer had. It wasn’t long before RITA SKEETER found out and it became known the family was broke. 

Alecto lost her contract, powerful people lost interest in Amycus and suddenly they had nothing. Power and status was everything to Amycus and now the stares of fear and admiration in his friends and foe had been replaced by pity. He was disgusted. Like a flash, his life had changed. He was the heir of Carrow House and now he was serving drinks to his friends at The Grave Affair. His reputation had followed him and his sister and it seemed that only CHRISTIANO and ANDRESSA PARKINSON felt pity for their situation. Amycus and Alecto did their best to pass their sentence working at the bar, conning people out of their money and mixing drinks that were so strong they could knock you out to those they despised. It was a small shred of what he had but it didn’t make him happy. Then one day he set his sights on someone who brought a glimmer of hope back into his life. LUCILLE JONES was a slightly older witch with so much self-confidence she seemed like a tough nut to crack. From a liberal family with a wicked streak similar to his own, Amycus has been slowly getting to know her and has felt shards of himself return as he watches her from across the bar. Although Amycus never thought someone would be able to play his intellectual games, Lucille has proven a formidable opponent, even if she is only a Half-Blood. With the aim of getting Lucille like putty in his hands, Amycus is interested to see how much he can get to do for him. Give him inside information? Steal from her aunt? Turn her family? Only time will tell.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Blood Status → Pure-Blood

Pronouns → He/Him

Identification → Cis Male

Sexuality  → Pansexual

Relationship Status → Single

Previous Education →  Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Slytherin)

Societies → N/A

Family → Alecto Carrow (sister/best friend/colleague), Primrose Jorkins (estranged cousin), Daisy Hookum (estranged cousin), Poppy Hookum (estranged cousin/adversary)

Connections  → Victor Yaxley (best friend), William Goyle (close friend), Persephone Wilkes (close friend), Violet Bulstrode (close friend), Lucie Hollow (close friend), Walden MacNair (close friend), Eleanor Yaxley (friend/colleague), Narcissa Black (friend), Rabastan Lestrange (friend), Andressa Parkinson (boss), Christiano Parkinson (boss), Adrasteia Greengrass (colleague), Rita Skeeter (adversary), Lucille Jones (acquaintance), Tilden Toots (former adversary) 

Future Information → Eventual Death Eater, Father of Flora and Hestia Carrow, Defence Against The Dark Arts Teacher and Deputy Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

AMYCUS CARROW IS A LEVEL 5 WIZARD.

[darkestdawnhq]

OTTO BAGMAN is a 31 year old HALFBLOOD, a former HUFFLEPUFF, and a DRAGONOLOGIST who is a CIVILIAN and uses HE/HIM pronouns. They are categorized as CODE THREE. They are currently CLOSED.

Dirt always embedded under your nails | Protecting those you love without putting anyone in danger | House plants spread out on every available surface | The smell of sage and lemon | Keeping the peace and the wanting the best for everyone around you | Herbology and cooking books stacked in the kitchen | A reliable ally

HISTORY.

Born to a Pureblood-Wizard father and a Muggleborn Witch of a mother. Otto grew up with little difference between any blood status in the wizarding world.  In fact he wasn't even aware it was a social construct until he arrived in Hogwarts and first crossed paths on equal standing with members of the sacred twenty-eight.  Otto found it strange that anyone could consider themselves more powerful then others simply because of who their parents were.  Skill and Prowess were things you earned, not things you were born with.  At least that is what his parents had instilled in him from a young age.  

In their youth Otto was close to his brother Ludo, often indulging him on anything he wished.  Taking him to quidditch matches, on travels into the muggle world to meet and hangout with their mothers parents.  He thought he was doing what was best to show his brother, the same world he saw but he never realized how different he and his younger brother were.

During his fourth year, he cheered as his brother was sorted unaware that it would be the end of what kind of brotherly bond they had.  He tried during lunches to sit with him or get him to meet some of his fellow half-blood and muggleborn friends but Ludo fell into a crowd of Lucius, Alecto, Amycus and Bellatrix.  Following them around like he had finally found his home, which broke his brothers heart.  He hadn't realized the resentment he had toward their father for marrying a muggleborn, but he wished his brother knew they would never hold him to the same standard as themselves either.  No matter how much he renounced his family, he was still a half-blood and in their eyes he was lesser.

By his Seventh year, Otto gave up trying.  He was tired of his brother pushing him away and ignoring him with every opportunity he gave.  So he focused on his specialization.  Magizology with a specialization in Dragons.  He had already had an offer by the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary and after his graduation, he was gone.  He spent a majority of his time traveling.  Exploring and training, he still found time to write but his brother never wrote back in response.

As the war grew, a letter from his mother is what brought him home.  The war had been targeting Muggleborns at disproportionately larger rates then any other blood class. His mother and father needed help out of the country, and he was happy to oblige them in their older age.  He snuck them aboard a transport of dragons, getting them across the boarder and allowing them to gain a flight out of the country and toward the independent United States of America which hadn't fallen under the sway of blood supremacy.  He thought they would only begone for a time being, but alas the end of the war came and it wasn't the way he was naïve to believe it would have ended.

He knows as long as the new world order exists, his parents can never come home and despite their pleadings for him to flee over seas and join them.  He refuses to leave his brother behind, believing in the good of the people that remained.  He still has hope that the country will be set right again but with each passing day, that hope fades just a little bit more.

CONNECTIONS.

ARTHUR WEASLEY: Companion. Otto met Arthur when he was hiking out in the country collecting some herbs he needed for his personal supply. The man lived nearby it seemed, but the two started talking and he even invited Otto back to his house for some tea and to meet his wife. While there, Arthur showed off his collection of muggle artifacts and Otto took it all in with a polite smile and friendly questions. He may not have the same admiration for muggle objects, but he can appreciate his seemingly new friend’s love of them. Otto has owled Arthur a few times since then, and even brought him a new muggle object he found when he was exploring that part of London. 

EDGAR BONES: Best Friend. They’ve been best friends since their first day of school when they were sorted into Hufflepuff together. That day at the big table in the great hall, they were bonded as brothers. They were together all the time, trying to encourage each other through all the exams, staying up late in their room, facing the world together after graduation. The only time they were not together was when Edgar got involved in the Order of the Phoenix as the war ramped up for everyone in their world. It wasn’t that Otto believed in the blood purity of the Death Eaters, but he thought it was too dangerous to join the Order’s cause. With the war over and known Order members now wanted criminals, he’s glad he didn’t join. He’s still there for his best friend, and will do anything to protect the secret of Edgar’s alliances. 

THEA ROSMERTA: Ex. When Otto started dating Thea a few years ago, he still couldn’t believe that she had said yes to him and that she had been single. He saw the way she glowed when she smiled and he was sure that everyone around her fell in love with her. Things were going well between them too and then the conversation of commitment came up, and that was when everything went wrong. Thea told him she couldn’t give him what he wanted and they broke up that night. It’s been a few months and he’s still licking his wounds. It’s not that he hates Thea, a part of him will always care for her, but he needs time to heal from the abrupt end to what he thought was perfect. Things are awkward between them right now, and he has been trying to avoid her for the time being. 

FRANK LONGBOTTOM : Estranged Old-Friend. Frank and Otto were in the same year back at Hogwarts and one of the first friends he made outside of his respective house.  Their friendship carried out in even a professional sense.  Their paths crossing every now and again during rogue thief matters.  He found comfort with him and Alice and during the early stages of the war, he was asked by both to join the order but he refused.  Insisting he wanted only to stay independent.  He wasn't a fighter after all.  As the war progressed he fell out of contact with them both and only found out of the murder of Neville and Alice through the newspaper.  He has tried to reach out too him ever since, but with Frank's new allegiances.  He is almost unrecognizable to his old friend.

Currently portrayed by CASEY DEIDRICK

[callwrites]

BENEATH THE WILLOW TREE: Chapter I

This is, at some level, a love story. But before Andromeda’s name was burned from the tapestry of her family tree, before she took Ted’s name and Ted’s ring, she was Andromeda Black; a girl caught between worlds. This is the story of how that came to be.

read on a03 @Linquist 

Narcissa’s hand gripped Andromeda’s arm so tight she  was sure it would leave a mark. On her other side, Bellatrix’s elbow dug into her ribs and she could vaguely hear Valerian growling lowly in distaste. But the discomfort only lasted a couple seconds before the pressure was replaced with the stifling heat of the platform.

“Merlin, I despise apparition,” gasped Narcissa, stepping away from Andromeda and the cat whose voice was slowly rising into a yowl.

“It isn’t so unpleasant when done by a wizard,” said Bellatrix stiffly, also instinctively stepping away from her sister and her distressed pet. Bellatrix’s own dark gray owl, Wenlock, eyed them all judgmentally; displeased but without a feather out of place. “Thank you, Winny,” she added as an afterthought.

“Yes, thank you, Winny,” agreed Andromeda, offering a small smile to the little house elf who had been holding Bellatrix’s other hand.

Winny lit up at the praise, which did little to improve her features. The ancient house elf was more wrinkle than elf at this point, bent in on herself and leaning on an old chair leg that had been fashioned into a cane.

“Of course, mistresses,” squeaked the elf. “Winny hopes you have a wonderful year at school.”

“Narcissa, thank Winny.” Andromeda frowned at their youngest sister, but Narcissa was already tugging at the robe of her sleeve.

“Oh, please, Meda, can I please come to the prefects compartment?” She begged for possibly the millionth time that day. “I’ll be completely quiet, I won’t say a word.”

With a crack, Winny disapparated back to the estate; causing a fourth year nearby to almost jump out of their skin.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” said Andromeda with an unlady-like snort. “And Bellatrix already told you no. I know you just want to get a peep at Lucius.”

At this, Narcissa flushed bright red. “I-”

“And if Lucius ever took a real look at you, I’d skin him,” threatened Andromeda.

“She could do worse.” Bellatrix pointed out, fingering the lock on Wenlock’s cage.

“When she’s a third year, I’m not sure she could,” said Andromeda with the sigh of someone who had said this many, many times.

“I’m turning 14 in two months,” complained Narcissa.

“And if you like your boyfriend with his skin attached you won’t try flirting with him,” Andromeda replied in a sing-song voice. “Then I’d be out of a prefect partner.”

Narcissa scowled, but had to stifle her smile when Andromeda pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Now go, I can see Alecto and Amycus trying to wave you down. Poor Amycus’s heart would break clean in two if he knew who you really pined for.”

If possible, Narcissa flushed a deeper red. But a few train cars down, Alecto was waving for her friend and Narcissa reluctantly scampered off to join them.

“You’re too hard on her,” drawled Bellatrix. “You know Mum’s been encouraging her little crush all summer.”

“She’s too young, Bella,” sighed Andromeda. “Let her have silly crushes on boys her own age before you try to marry her off.”

The sisters made their way onto the train, Bellatrix waving her wand so their trunks and carriers lifted themselves up the steps and floated in front of them. “You know Mum will be depending on you to make sure she keeps the right company next year,” reminded Bellatrix for the thousandth time. “She won’t be happy to hear you chasing off appropriate suitors.”

“I know, Bella,” said Andromeda patiently. “But it isn’t like I chased her into a compartment of Gryffindors to talk about muggle studies. She’s with the Carrows.”

Bellatrix reached the prefect’s compartment first, which already contained several familiar faces. Narcissa’s beau in question sat by the window, conversing quietly with Evan Rosier, the 6th year prefect. Opposite, two Hufflepuff prefects and a Ravenclaw were talking in low voices. The Ravenclaw in particular cast a cold and appraising glance over at Bellatrix and Andromeda. She snorted, seeming to not like what she saw, and turned back to the Hufflepuff boy.

But standing in the center of the compartment was someone very familiar to them indeed, checking something off a sheet of parchment with an eagle feather quill.

“Rodolphus,” nodded Bellatrix.

“Bella,” he nodded back, then smiled slightly. “Andie.”

“Rod.” She smiled. “Settling into autocracy already?”

“It’s a natural gift,” said Rodolphus sagely, then glanced at Bellatrix who looked impatient. “After you two we’re just missing the Gryffindors and a couple of the Ravenclaws. We should be able to get started soon.”

Bellatrix sighed, waving their suitcases up over the seats. “Leave it to the Gryffindors.”

Andromeda took hold of Wenlock’s cage and Valerian’s carrier. She carefully stowed Wenlock off to the side of the compartment with some of the other owls, but kept Valerian at her feet. The cat had finally settled down after the traumatic apparition, but Valerian always was a nervous traveler.

While they waited, Rodolphus sat down beside her and nudged her side. She smiled at him and received one in return, causing the shadows under his eyes to soften. He was far more handsome when he smiled, though in fairness he never looked bad. His dark hair somehow always looked soft and perfectly smooth. His features had grown more defined over the summer, she realized; his jaw sharper, his cheekbones more pronounced. Normally she never noticed the minute changes that happened over time. She saw him too often. But this summer, she’d only had a couple weeks with him at their family estates in France. He’d even lost the last of the tan he had gained from their walks on the coast. But his eyes were the same: hazel and kind whenever they settled on her.

Across the compartment, Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at her and mouthed the words ‘too young’.

Andromeda rolled her eyes. This was different. Narcissa was only thirteen and Andromeda hardly believed she was in love with Rodolphus. He was her friend, her person. He had been so since they were children when she would follow him through their families’ formal parties, clutching at the back of his robes. Sure, they both knew where it was going; precisely where their parents had encouraged it to go practically since birth. But Andromeda counted herself lucky.

Her future was known, secure with a man who knew her well and treated her kindly. She shuddered to imagine being in Bellatrix’s shoes, knowing her distaste for the ‘afternoon teas’ she had been forced to sit through all summer as parade after parade of mothers and their sons visited the manor.

The last two prefects arrived, rowdy Gryffindors who were playfully shoving each other as they walked in. They settled with only a hard stare from Bellatrix, a skill which Andromeda had always envied.

Rodolphus cleared his throat. “Good morning, prefects. Welcome back. I am Rodolphus Lestrange, I’ll be your Head Boy for this year.”

“Bellatrix Black,” Bellatrix put in, glancing around dismissively at the gathered prefects. “Head Girl.”

Rodolphus launched into a basic explanation of prefect duties and Andromeda allowed her mind to wander as Bellatrix took over the explanation on patrols and how they would get their schedules. She knew the duties well enough, both in following Bellatrix around on enough patrols and from her mother’s instructions. Prefect wasn’t an extracurricular option for the Black girls. If there was a measurement of excellence, they would achieve it.

Outside the train window, they had finally left the urban setting of London behind. Her thoughts were already flying ahead to Hogwarts, causing butterflies to erupt in her stomach. Perhaps butterflies was not the right word. These felt much heavier and nauseating than butterflies; slugs perhaps. Fifth year was the start of O.W.L.s. Another measurement where nothing less than perfection would be tolerated. The thought alone had Andromeda wringing her hands in her lap.

Bellatrix was wrapping up her explanation of patrol schedules and Rodolphus tapped twice on her knee. She tapped back. It had been their ritual since they were children, not allowed to speak out of turn. Tapping first was a question. Tapping twice back meant ‘I’m okay’.

But apparently Rodolphus was also making sure she was listening, because he didn’t then wrap up the meeting to let them patrol the train or return to their compartments.

“Dumbledore asked me to address a couple things,” said Rodolphus, clearing his throat. “After the events of this summer, he wants everyone to feel assured we are taking student safety seriously.”

“Oh, I bet you care about every student’s safety, Lestrange.” The surly Ravenclaw from earlier snorted.

“Something to add, Meadowes?” Rodolphus asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Nothing at all,” she said and crossed her arms.

“For that reason, there will be a few changes this year.” Rodolphus went on as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “Patrols will be done in pairs, no exceptions. If you need to reschedule, you will have to trade patrol partners with someone. If you have a conflict, you’ll need to let Bellatrix or I know a week in advance.”

“That’s unreasonable!” Cried a Gryffindor. “We have quidditch practice and assignments!”

“You’re a prefect,” Rodolphus said coldly. “At this point, you are expected to know how to balance your responsibilities.”

“Prefects will also be required to patrol during Hogsmeade.” added Bellatrix, seeming displeased with the safety measures. “We’ll sort out a schedule once we are notified of this year’s Hogsmeade weekends. There will also be a curfew of 9pm. Students will need to check in with a prefect when they return to the common room at night to ensure everyone is accounted for.”

“Professors are able to give permission slips for studying or detentions,” said Rodolphus. “But they will need to be given a day in advance. 7th year prefects will be given a list of their house after the sorting and will be in charge of their students this evening, but we will be sending out a schedule sometime tomorrow.”

“Isn’t this a lot to ask of prefects?” Abigail Clearwater, the 6th year Slytherin prefect, asked with uncertainty.

“I'm certainly glad.” A Hufflepuff girl said nervously. “One of the girls in my dorm was at Diagon during the attack this summer.”

The Hufflepuff next to her patted her hand comfortingly, but Bellatrix went on as if she hadn’t spoken.

“If anyone doesn’t feel up to the task,” she frowned, “they may turn in their badge with either Lestrange or myself. It hardly seems to me like the Headmaster has picked the best this year,” said her sister derisively, finally looking at the two Hufflepuffs. Andromeda was pretty sure they were both muggleborns and the girl flinched under Bellatrix’s cold stare.

“That will be all then,” Rodolphus finished with a clap of his hands. “Collect your schedules and you are free to go. It will include your patrols for the train ride.”

Bellatrix had the schedules for the girls, so Andromeda held back while the other prefects flocked around the head boy and girl. When all the others had collected theirs and departed, only Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Andromeda, and Lucius were left in the compartment.

Bellatrix tossed the last schedule at Andromeda and collapsed onto the seat opposite her.

“I still can’t believe we have to go so far out our way for the safety of a bunch of mudbloods and blood traitors,” Lucius Malfoy grumbled.

“It wasn’t only muggleborns at Diagon Alley this summer,” Andromeda pointed out. “Azalia Greengrass was in St. Mungo’s for three days after the attack.”

“But Hogwarts is not Diagon Alley,” argued Lucius, lip curling. “And certainly no one is going to be attacking one of us here.”

“Merlin only knows with Dumbledore,” sighed Bellatrix. “He allowed three mudbloods to become prefect this year.”

“It will be good for us to maintain appearances,” Rodolphus frowned. “Discretion will be wise given recent events.”

The other three exchanged a look and, not for the first time, Andromeda felt like she was out of place among them. They had always spent so much time together, both before and at Hogwarts. During breaks they had practically been inseparable. But this past summer, she had hardly seen Lucius and Rodolphus. Even Bellatrix had rarely stayed at their summer estate for long. It had begun to feel like they were all part of a club to which she didn’t belong, which she knew wasn’t far from the truth.

“I’m going to go find Camelia and Alder,” she mumbled, taking hold of Valerian’s carrier and shuffling to her feet. “I’ll see you all at the feast.”

“Hold on a second, Andromeda,” called Rodolphus. “I’ll come with you, I have my patrol anyways.”

Her heart was still sinking somewhat, even as he got to his feet to follow her into the corridor. But she kept her expression even as he slid the door closed behind them and placed a hand on her back.

“Haven’t gotten to see you in weeks,” he said as they walked and it sounded apologetic. “I’m sorry for how chaotic things have been.”

“I understand,” Andromeda said with a small smile. “I know your father has you readying for the estate.”

He flushed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. He often seemed uncomfortable whenever the subject of his duties came up and it only had seemed to grow worse in recent months. “Yes, well, I’d much rather have spent the summer with you . The rest of the summer was … uneventful?” He asked and it was Andromeda’s turn to flush.

“Yes,” she said, a little harsher then she intended. “I mean … I mostly just spent it on the estate,” she said more quietly. “I learned a few new pieces on the piano.”

“I didn’t mean … I just….” he broke off, flushing again. “Well, I’d love to hear them sometime.”

“Sounds like a date,” smiled Andromeda as she spotted Camelia and Alder in the compartment next to them, already drowning in sweets. She leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you at the feast?”

“It’s a date,” he repeated with a strained smile and let his hand fall away as she slipped into the compartment and closed the door behind her.

“Your beau let you go?” Camelia asked with a raised eyebrow as Andromeda let Valerian out in the much calmer compartment. The fluffy white cat purred as she stretched and nosed around for Alder’s familiar offered hand.

“He’s not my beau,” Andromeda said airily, but she was smiling. “And he didn’t ‘let’ me do anything. I was on my way and he walked with me.”

“I don’t know how you like him,” Alder shuddered. “He gives me the creeps.”

“How was your summer?” Andromeda asked, ignoring his comment. “Did you get my gifts?”

“Nearly had to face my little sisters in hand to hand combat for the last of the macarons,” joked Camelia. “But nothing exciting. Mum wanted me to start looking at internships, but I persuaded her that it wouldn’t make sense until I had my O.W.L.s.”

“It’s been miserable since I wrote,” Alder said glumly. “You remember my cousin Molly?” The two girls nodded, remembering the red-haired girl who had graduated last year. The two never spoke, hardly acknowledging each other. “She eloped with that Weasley bloke and Mum has been wailing ever since. I mean it was hardly any secret that that side of the family were blood traitors, so I don’t know why she is making such a big deal of it now. You’d think Molly’d broken off an engagement to Salazar Slytherin and eloped with a muggle the way she’s carrying on.”

“I can’t imagine what Aunt Walburga would do if I’d done the same,” Andromeda joked weakly and both of her friends winced.

Valerian was pawing at the seat beside her, so Andromeda swept aside Bertie Bott’s containers and pumpkin pasty wrappers to make room for the cat. Feeling Andromeda pat the empty space, she dutifully hopped up, circled a few times, and then curled up purring.

Andromeda remembered Molly from the few encounters they’d had. She hadn’t seemed too bad, if a bit strange - especially her interest in that odd Arthur Weasley fellow. But Bellatrix had hated her and frequently returned from prefect meetings raging that Dumbledore had allowed two of the biggest blood traitors at Hogwarts to be prefect. While Andromeda understood to keep her distance, she had never quite grasped what had been so particularly offensive to her sister.

But Andromeda’s words left a moment of discomfort in the compartment. Both friends understood that any pressures from their families had nothing on what it meant to be a Black. Druella had been displeased with even Andromeda’s choice of friends - despite them both being Sacred Twenty-Eight. But they were Ravenclaws and not of the same ‘class’ as the Blacks, Lestranges, and Malfoys. Andromeda was sure it was only Bellatrix’s assurances of Andromeda’s otherwise spotless behavior that kept her parents from cutting off the friendships.

“Ah, well, why would you elope when you’re likely to get drowned in galleons for your wedding,” Camelia teased, perhaps a little too late to feel totally natural. “Is it a Lestrange honeymoon tradition to shower your new spouse in jewels, or do you think that will just be because you're you?”

“Shut up,” Andromeda said with a roll of her eyes, but she was smiling.

They settled into a more relaxed conversation about how they had spent the couple weeks since their last letters, before focusing on the sweets that still had yet to be tackled. Andromeda’s turn for prefect rounds finally came in the last hour of the train ride, so she left Valerian in the care of her friends - who were crinkling up wrappers and tossing them for the blind cat to hear and give chase.

The train corridor was darker now, the yellow lights flickering as the shadowy silhouettes of the Scottish mountainside flashed past. Dusk had settled too much for Andromeda to make out details as she walked farther down the train. She periodically glanced into compartments, occasionally waving to familiar faces, and once breaking up a fight between two second years with a threat of telling McGonagall once they arrived. After so many hours on the train, most had settled, already changed into their robes, and were unlikely to wander far. Her patrol was uneventful, therefore, and her evening quiet.

She made it to the back of the train, alerted two seventh years that the loo was not the most subtle of places to snog, and began the process of wandering back towards the front. She’d have to make a write up of her patrol, but both the second years and the seventh years had cleared out and calmed down without any trouble. She didn’t feel the need to report them to lose house points when they hadn’t even arrived yet. A first year nervously tugged at her robes and asked where they would need to go when they arrived, but once she had sent them back to their compartment with answers and a chocolate frog, nothing much else occurred.

Most of her hour patrolling was up when she finally reached the front of the train. She was considering making for the trolley and fetching a glass of pumpkin juice when she realized the door to the prefect compartment was slightly ajar and familiar, frustrated voices were drifting out.

“-know Cissy and Meda aren’t fighters,” Bellatrix snapped. “It is okay, since it is clear they’re both going to make good matches, but you know it is even more important that he does not doubt her loyalty.”

“I understand that!” Rodolphus answered sharply. “He has no reason to. Unless you’re suggesting something?”

“Don’t start that with me!” She hissed and Andromeda pressed herself against the wall between the prefect compartment and the end of the train car. It sounded like they were the only two left in there. “Andromeda has always kept herself in line. But that doesn’t explain why he expressed his concern for my sister’s loyalties. He certainly didn’t mean Narcissa. She’s a child.”

Andromeda’s heartrate picked up. She had a good idea of who Bellatrix and Rodolphus were talking about. Their father had sung his praises enough times over the dinner table. Until this summer, Andromeda hadn’t even truly thought he was real. She had thought him just a rumor that people like Cygnus and Druella Black wanted to believe in. But then her sister and Rodolphus turned 17 that summer. Pollux Rodolphus had brought them both to a ‘meeting’ and that was when things had really begun to change.

Summers before had always been spent with each other, their summer estates close enough that their families were always together. If it wasn’t all of them, it was Rodolphus and Andromeda. But that summer they both disappeared for weeks at a time. Rod would return looking exhausted, Bella almost manic . But why would he  be saying anything to Bella about her ? Unless Rod had told him … but he wouldn’t. He promised.

“There’s nothing he would have to be concerned about,” Rodolphus said firmly, but Andromeda didn’t think it sounded convincing. “And you know our families are just waiting until I’ve graduated to make the formal announcement. Once we’re married, he’ll welcome her.” He said this with more confidence.

At these words, Andromeda shivered. She was not sure she wanted to be welcomed by him, regardless of how her father seemed to like his ideas. The reverent way her relatives spoke of him, like he was some kind of deity frightened Andromeda. She was perfectly content keeping her distance. Even Bellatrix’s involvement seemed too close.

“You had better convince him,” Bellatrix threatened, but she too sounded afraid. “I am not losing my sister, Rodolphus.”

“You won’t,” he promised fervently. “I’ll take care of her, I always have.”

Andromeda softened slightly. Then someone cleared their throat on the other side of the prefect cart door - causing Andromeda to jump and something to knock over within the prefect cart.

The sour-looking Ravenclaw prefect, the one Rodolphus called Meadowes, stood watching her from where she had emerged from the front of the train. She raised an eyebrow as she took a slow lick on the blood-red lollipop in her hand. Andromeda froze where she stood, having clearly been eavesdropping.

Meadowes was a small thing - almost a foot shorter than Andromeda, who wasn’t that tall to begin with. But the tight coils of her hair added several inches and her attitude made Andromeda feel strangely small; irritating her somewhat. She raised her chin defiantly, waiting for Meadowes to oust her. They stared off for a moment, until the Ravenclaw girl snorted and banged open the sliding doors to thrust a fairly crumpled report into Rodolphus’s hands.

“Here you are, Head Boy,” she drawled as Andromeda walked in casually behind her. “Caught that rat brother of yours trying to turn a first year’s scarf into a snake. Have fun with that one.”

She turned on her heel and bumped into Andromeda, taking on a look of theatrical surprise that only Andromeda could see. “Oh, didn’t see you there,” smirked Meadowes as walked past.

[useless-slytherclaw]

TW: Child abuse

“Absolutely not.” Sirius has told his mother when she told him about the engagement she has been planning with Mrs. Carrow.  

“The Carrows are a good family, Sirius,” his mother explains.  “Alecto is only two years behind you.  It’s a good match.”

“I’m fifteen!  I’m not even an adult.”

His mother looks at the ceiling like she’s praying for patience.  “You are almost an adult.”  Sirius thinks it’s funny that she says that now when she’s constantly reminding him that he is a child under her roof.  “You don’t have to get married until after Hogwarts.”

“I’m not getting married at all!” Sirius interjects.  Walburga brandishes her wand at him in a silent threat not to interrupt her.  Silencio will be the least of his worries if he keeps pushing her.  

“Cissy was 13 when she agreed to marry Lucius.  This is how things are done, Sirius.  You know this.” She continues as if Sirius hasn’t said anything.  “Can’t you see? This is what’s best.  You have your whole life ahead of you, Sirius.  Your father and I want to set you up for success. Can’t you see that? You are the heir to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, you can be the best of them.  You have it in you.  We want to set you on the right path.”

“I don’t want this!” He yells.  “You can’t make me marry someone I’ve never even talked to.”

“You’ll get to know her,” his mother starts.

“I don’t want to!  I don’t love her!  I won’t love her.” He can’t tell his mother that he loves a certain brown-haired boy, that there’s a werewolf that has his entire heart.  Not ever. 

“You don’t need to love her.  That isn’t what this is about.” 

“I won’t!”

“Sirius,” she says and her voice is rapidly growing impatient.  “You are acting like a child.”

“You are acting like a controlling old hag.” Sirius spits at her.  And he can see in her face that he’s gone too far.  With a flick of her wand, Sirius feels his voice leave him.  

“You will take your punishment for impertinence.” His mother says.  “Then you will apologize.  Then, you will go to your room until you are ready to be reasonable and mature.” 

Sirius can’t respond.  He knows he should bow to her.  He should take the lashings.  But he doesn’t.  He can see her mentally counting, giving him time to take his punishment politely.  He doesn’t.  Walburga sighs as if she is the one being wronged as she moves her wand,  forcing Sirius down onto his knees.  He doesn’t wince as his knees hit the hardwood; he’s been here before.  Another movement of her wand and his spine is bowing so he’s cowering before her, and his face is almost pressed into the hardwood.  Despite himself, he gasps as the pain hits.  It’s not crucio.  He actually doesn’t know what it is.  It’s something that mimics being hit with a switch, without the physical damage.  Sirius bites back a groan as the pain fills him.  It feels like he should be bleeding, but he’s not.  Ten switches later, he’s muttering, "Sorry mother," into the floor and being dragged by Kreacher back to his bedroom.  

So, Sirius doesn’t care that he’s locked in his bedroom.  It’s not as if he wants to be out there.  He reaches into his school trunk and pulls up the false bottom.  His two-way mirror for James is in here, but that’s not what he’s looking for.  He pulls out a piece of parchment.  It’s ragged around the edges from how many times he’s read it.  

Pads,

I know we won’t be able to write to you for the summer, so I hid this in your trunk.  I’m going to miss you while I’m stuck in Wales all summer. I hate thinking of you in that stupid house. 

These last few months together have been amazing.  Not that the last four years as your friend wasn’t amazing.  You know what I mean.  

I’ll miss sitting with you in the astronomy tower.  I’ll miss your laughter and your kisses.  I’ll miss passing notes in classes.  

I sound like a sappy idiot don’t I?  You are probably rolling your eyes.  Still.  I want you to know that I’ll be thinking of you, and I hope that you think of me too.

September can’t come fast enough,

Moony

Remus and kissing on the Astronomy tower seem so far away right then.  But he clutches the parchment and wills the memory to fill him up.  No matter what his parents do to him.  This is his.  This is real. 

He reaches for the two-way mirror next.

In my head, the tattoo is in Remus' handwriting, from the letter he wrote to Sirius.  With how he was raised, Sirius probably doesn't feel lovable or loved most of the time (even when he is).  I think a tattoo like this would permanent reminder that he's cared for.

[dareinfernum2]

･ﾟﾟ･｡ ( ester exposito, cis female, she/her ) — 𝒉𝒐𝒈𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 ALECTO CARROW, the NINTH year SLYTHERIN student ! i hear that the NINETEEN year old is known to be BEGUILING and AMBITIOUS and also very SADISTIC and DUPLICITOUS. however, if you ask me, the fact that they are a PUREBLOOD and leaning towards the side of the DEATH EATERS is a lot more telling.

disclaimer: names & details may change slightly but the end product remains the same so here we go. also the headcanons are all included from my application.

links.

biography.

statistics.

connections.

pinterest.

recap.

alecto was born and raised with the purpose to continue pure bloodlines. her childhood was filled with the finer things in life; galas, dinners and not to mention the never ending etiquette and dance lessons. she was taught to be attentive and intelligent enough, but not to show off.

it really hasn’t worked out for her parents the way they had planned. not because alecto doesn’t care about bloodlines. but, because she hates playing dumb for the benefit of someone else’s ego.

to top it off she thinks there are other ways, better ways, for her to ensure bloodlines in the wizarding community remain pure that don’t involve becoming a housewife and popping out children for a husband decided for her.

alecto has had a fascination with fire since she was eight years old and accidentally, somewhat on purpose, set her mother’s greenhouse on fire because she was told she was no longer allowed in there.

it extends further, and she wants to work with dragons.

personality wise alecto is pretty cold. she prefers solitude and her cat over rambunctious parties. but at the same time she is also very caring in a more gentle and intimate setting. she cares for a few and when she does her care goes deep.

she is unpredictable and chaotic, keen to set things on fire when distressed or upset about something, throwing things around and breaking whatever she can get her hands on when she falls into her fits of rage.

so while she seems calm and almost apathetic a lot of the time it is preferable to the opposite, because no matter what when alecto shows any feeling it is extreme.

alecto does not have the dark mark, yet, she is intrigued by it though and could very easily be convinced to get it now rather than wait longer.

connections.

just suggestions and highly wanted, all come from the connections page linked earlier in the post.

betrothal ;; her parents tried once before with a poor fellow from france. this time they've looked closer to home in hopes that alecto won't find a way to chase them off; they're betting on their own social circles to be enough to control her. 

best friends ;; a partner in crime, the ying to the yang. the pair or more that are typically attached by the hip, consult each other, and couldn’t live without one another.

childhood friends ;; friends since the diaper days, could be a brother/sister or sister/sister type connection. may or may not still be friends.

frenemies ;; they’re nice to each others faces and act like friends but are constantly talking badly about each other.

friends with benefits ;; friends who hook up and either have or haven’t blurred the lines between the physical and emotional connection.

on again, off again ;; (ariana’s voice) make up, break up, total waste of time. this is basically a couple that you’d get whiplash from on whether or not they are together.

exes with lingering feelings ;; exes that broke up but still have feelings towards each other and can’t help but feel jealous/hurt seeing the other with someone else.

headcanons.

i. theodosia carrow - cat.

at sixteen years of age alecto walked through diagon alley a young woman on a mission. it was no mission most other people would not have found it as important as she did. but alecto carrow was about to buy her first cat, the first pet belonging to only her and not in any way any other family member. this wasn’t the owl bringing their mail she affectionately fed treats at the kitchen table only to get a light nip in return.

walking into the store alecto looked around at the cats, a small bengal kitten perking up at the sight of her, curious eyes staring into her own bringing a smile to her lips. after that there was no question about who was coming home with her, and moments later alecto carried the kitten in her arms as she made her way home.

alecto named the cat theodosia and since she came home with her they have barely been separated. the feline has chosen alecto over anyone else, often climbing up on her shoulders to wrap around her, purring softly in the crook of her neck as alecto reads in the common room. when alecto is distressed theo curls into her, meowing and pawing at the teenager to get her attention, refusing to stop fussing until she can feel alecto calm.

ii. herbology.

ever since she was a little girl life and death has intrigued alecto. she looks at the flowers blooming in spring before slowly decaying as the cold comes during the autumn months. when she was young she spent countless hours in the gardens around the carrow manor, she planted seeds of flowers and made sure they got attention, they got water and sunshine. alecto learned about life and death from plants, she learned how she had the power to keep them alive, but also how some of them had the power to take hers. she found beauty in all of it, and it’s been close to her heart ever since. even when she started school and it became about books and essays rather than lying in the gardens at the manor.

iii. fire.

if you play with fire you’ll get burned. alecto knows this, in part because she has literally played with fire and gotten herself burned more times than she can count on two hands before the age of thirteen. but, she understands it metaphorically as well. alecto understands that when people say fire they are referring to a chaotic event capable of ruining something good happening to people, something of your doing which can turn the world upside down.

alecto has always liked chaos. she has liked turning the world upside down. but more than anything she has liked fire. it’s been made obvious since she was eight and set her mother’s greenhouses on fire after the woman told her she was no longer allowed in them. in a fit of white hot fury alecto lost control of her magic and before she could react the buildings were in flames. instead of screaming alecto had smiled, she stood serenely watching the flames with a calm smile on her lips as if she was just watching a sunrise.

since then that’s the way it’s been, fire calms her. watching the flames dance and the smoke billow, watching how it can transform almost everything to ashes, she loves it.

iv. althea carrow - mother.

like any teenage girl alecto has had her fights with her mother. they have fought since she was a child. they have fought about alecto’s attitude, how she came home with ripped clothes and dirty elbows, how she didn’t speak to her elders with enough respect, how she didn’t speak to her peers with enough respect. then there was the potential fiancé from france, she definitely got in a fight with her mother about how she spoke to him. the fight they had after alecto scared him off is the angriest she has ever seen her mother.

but they love each other all the same. at least alecto knows she loves althea, at times she is unsure whether or not her mother actually returns the sentiment. it was her mother who introduced her to the art of herbology, her mother who taught her which fork to use at the dinner table, who reminded her of her posture, who protected her when she had a bad dream and checked for monsters inside her closet.

so yeah, over the years they have fought and when they do it is explosive. but alecto loves her mother. it is that love which has caused her to rebel so many times because, when alecto got older her mum stopped checking for monsters and stopped reading to her. the one thing that didn’t stop was pointing out her flaws so alecto makes sure her mother sees how flawed she is, that way she doesn’t loose her completely.

v. father - nicolas carrow.

when alecto was a little girl she had a tradition with her dad. while he was reading the newspaper she would sit underneath the table and once he had finished one section he would hand it to her, she would read it and fold it together before her gave her the next. it was their thing. she was his daughter and they read together every morning. until they didn’t.

alecto couldn’t understand when her dad suddenly appeared to stop caring about her. nicolas carrow didn’t look at her the way he once had, when she was six and came home with scraped knees crying he comforted her. when she was twelve he didn’t look her way beyond a disdainful glare. she was a disappointment and alecto could not even tell when it had changed, when she had started to do things all wrong in her father’s eye.

what she knows now is that she isn’t doing anything wrong. she is doing things her own way and her way isn’t compatible with the way her father wants for her. he wants her to marry, to have children, to carry on a pureblood legacy. alecto wants more than that and it’s not something her dad can come to terms with.

vi. amycus carrow - brother.

there is no one else in the world alecto thinks could ever really stand her the way amycus does. she knows she is a lot. she knows her mood swings from serene and smiling to hurricane like destruction is exhausting. she knows that her constant need to be right is annoying. she knows that it is too much when she tries to decide everything about everyone all the time. but those are things which makes alecto who she is and without her brother she knows she would be so much worse.

to alecto her brother is less of a sibling and more of an extension of herself. he knows her secrets and her flaws, he is her strengths and the sides of her that she actually likes. while alecto always wears her heart on her sleeve, she truly is terrible at hiding them, it is her brother who she actually opens her heart up to. amycus knows her and she loves him, throughout her entire life of protecting each other the only thing that has made sense is knowing they’re in it all together.

alecto looks at her brother and sees hope. she sees her ability to love and can be surprised that is even a possibility. she didn’t think she would be able to love someone like that. but, she looks at him and knows she is not a lost cause. she is not all destructive chaos, she is a person capable of opening up her heart if only to the right people and maybe someday that capability will let her fall in love as well. one thing alecto knows is if she ever does fall in love it will be because her brother taught her she is worth it.

vii. thestrals.

when alecto was thirteen years old she walked into the forbidden forest and stumbled upon a clearing. she had been upset. it was the anniversary of her grandmother’s death and she needed to get away from everyone, including her brother. so she ran, ran into the forest and hoped no one had seen her and was off to tell on her to one of the professors. they didn’t find her but she found the clearing and the winged, black, skeletal horse creatures standing there with understanding in their eyes.

her heart was captured the moment she saw them. alecto saw a beauty in their cold and harsh appearance. she saw the softness in how one of the younger ones bumped into her playfully with their head and kept doing so until she was laughing. they cheered her up and then hours later when she got back to the castle she went to the library and found out just what the creatures were - thestrals.

since that day the clearing in the forest is one of her safe spaces. when alecto needs a break she’ll go there, she’ll bring apples for the creatures and she will sit, watching them live their lives and it helps her ground herself in her own life.

viii. the future.

the future quite honestly terrifies alecto more than anything else in the world. her future has been decided for her since the day she was born. she is meant to learn how to dance and play the piano, and speak eloquently and stand up straight, know which fork to use at what point during a dinner, to take care of a home, to have children. she is meant to be the perfect wife. but since she was a little girl alecto has known that what she is meant to be and what she wants to be, have never been the same things.¨

alecto wants to go to mainland europe, or north america, she wants to work with dragons. she has read about the dragon sanctuaries, where they look after the creatures and rehabilitates them when they have been harmed by other witches and wizards. that’s what she wants to do. she wants to help these creatures that have been hurt and care for them.

[hvrtlings]

                               “ no matter how fast light travels, it finds                                    the darkness has always got there first “

* ╰   lorenzo zurzolo ;  18 ;  he/his  —— wow,  lachlan hawthorn  sure has changed. i guess  he  is feeling isolated from the other  gryffindor  members. guess you can’t really blame him. i still remember him being so  curious & adaptable  now he just seems  frustrated & evasive  guess being a  halfblood  isn’t helping matters much either.  i’m hopeful though. they’ll be just fine.  (  zoe ; cst ; 21 ; she/her  )  

WARNINGS:  infidelity, murder, car crashes, mention of war & hospitals & general bigotry    ADDITIONAL MATERIALS:   lachlan’s stats page, playlist, & pinterest board   ADDITIONAL NOTES:  this is fully a few thousand words longer than either nate’s or alecto’s intros and i should edit it down but i also need it to not be in my drafts. really sorry about that. if you want a tldr version please hmu!! or if you just want to plot!!!

when lachlan’s biological parents married, rumors abounded. plenty of couples from their class got married right out of hogwarts   ---   but none of those other couples were such a puzzling case to their peers. no one knew what sweet serena alessandri saw in declan glynne. sometimes, even serena wasn’t quite sure what it was about him; he was a dark beauty, something she could only call him in her head. he was the sort of boy who’d bristle at such a feminine compliment as beautiful; never mind that it was true. but for all his good looks, no other girl had been interested in him. maybe because he wasn’t a sweet guy   ---   just a guy who was sweet to her. 

sweet serena alessandri: deposed princess of a new money pureblood family, she hailed from italy and had lived her whole life in clueless luxury. right up until her new money family found themselves newly penniless, and escaped to england to hide their shame. 

the girls and boys she’d grown up with, gone to school with   ---   they turned on her and her family the moment they lacked the funds to support the frivolous life italian purebloods led. 

oh, but they were mean. they rubbed her family’s new poverty in her face with well calculated cruelty. they were the reasons she vowed to keep her head down when she transferred to hogwarts. she was wary of befriending muggles and muggleborns, but wary of hating them, too. haughtiness got you nothing; she knew this well. 

serena was hurt and young and foolish   ---   not to mention ever fearful of seeming those things. declan never acted like she was; maybe that’s all there was to her love. a sense of safety, if only from ridicule. 

surly declan glynne: why, he hardly warranted a full backstory. he was an angry pureblood boy from a long line of angry pureblood boys who’d never had enough money to back up their feelings of superiority. 

he was almost militant in his hatred of muggleborns and muggles; he hated muggles with a quiet passion, but muggleborns were the real problem. muggleborns infected his everyday life, stole opportunities directly from him. 

hardly a radical feeling, but still   ---   his bigotry and working-class roots didn’t make for a winning combination. swimming in friends and admirers, he was not. 

so the unlikely hogwarts sweethearts settled down months after graduating, and bets were made among their peers on how long they’d actually last. 

everybody who bet that the answer was  ‘ not long ‘  had plenty of evidence to support their stance   ---   namely, that while declan scrounged up a job in the magical maintenance department at the ministry, serena went to muggle university   ( excelled there, in that world of finite answers and figures, like she never could in the magical theory and feeling and pronunciation at hogwarts )   and ended up working at a muggle accounting firm. 

that while serena was making more money than the highest ranking official in declan’s department, declan stewed in his anger. 

his resentment bled into the relationship. they’d never had too much in common; when the sweetness declan used to treat her with left, serena was so confused. but she hated asking questions   ---   fearful as ever of seeming young and hurt and foolish, wary as ever of showing a chink in her armor to people far better equipped for cruelty. just as she learned that the purebloods of her childhood were crueler than her, she knew without needing the lesson that her husband was crueler, too. 

serena’s muggle coworkers and classmates had always liked her. 

she’d always told a version of the truth, to explain why some simple things confused her so much   —   after all, it wasn’t a lie that she was grew up in a rich italian family who lost the fortune when she was in her teens and left her kind of adrift. 

her confusion at taxis and ball point pens could be laughed off as a sign of her former rich-girl ways. 

as could her need to be liked. they all knew she attended a string of elite boarding schools but ended up having to pay her own way through university   ---   knew that she worked hard and wanted people to see that about her. 

so, yes: they’d always liked her. she was kind. 

her coworkers noticed the seemingly sudden shift in her mood, and one brave man she’d worked on a few projects with took that notice a step further   ---    friendly and concerned about her, just as kind as serena had always been to him, andrew reynolds asked her out to lunch one day. and there, he asked why serena was feeling so low.

the sweetness and the kindness from him was enough to open the floodgates. maybe, she could admit, she’d felt a little starved for those two things. declan’s moods had only ever gotten worse. she answered andrew’s questions with all the honesty the ministry allowed. 

she revealed that her husband wasn’t sweet to her anymore, that he was actually kind of cold. she revealed she was hurt and unsure of what she did wrong. andrew paid for her meal and told her that she hadn’t done anything wrong. 

that one lunch, where he said he’d be there for her, devolved into many lunches, and then late-running meetings, and finally time spent out of the office. they fell in love   —   and she became pregnant.

she hid it from declan for a while; they hadn’t been having sex all that frequently, with his sudden ire at her putting a dent in romance. but she hurried to initiate it as often as she felt was  ‘ normal ’  for a happy marriage, after she found out she was pregnant.

she wasn’t happy being married to him, but the idea of separating was alien to her   —   so she needed him to think that the baby was his.

she only got more unhappy with him, when she figured enough time had passed that she could reveal the pregnancy without suspicion. serena wasn’t sure how she’d have felt if declan had been pleased to hear they were having a baby   —   if any excitement or warmth would have won her back to him, if a return of love would’ve erased all her hurt. but the news only seemed to make him more miserable; so serena never had to find out. 

fast forward: lachlan is born, the staff at st. mungo’s hurrying as best they can to get out of a room so tense where it should be joyous. declan named the baby, and serena let him. a pang of something wrong rang through her but she ignored it in favor of plastering on a warm smile.  

then the trio returned home. 

apparently declan   ( who’d never been all that smart, whose suspicions never seemed to touch his wife, for all his anger at her and the world at large )    had wondered at serena’s change in mood before the pregnancy. he hadn’t really noticed she’d started feeling small and hurt and lost at home until she was happy again. and when she was happier, he got suspicious. he followed her physically when he could, spied on her magically when he could, and never got proof of an all-out affair   ---   but declan glynne had been born suspicious. he could wait. 

here’s the thing: all babies kind of look the same. lachlan’s looks weren’t a shocking departure from declan’s and serena’s. andrew reynolds had been white, too, so it wasn’t like baby lachlan’s skin tone was super different. but declan had just made a deal with himself, like   —   serena and I both have light hair; if this baby’s hair isn’t almost transparent, I’ll know. 

baby lachlan was born with a shock of honeyed-brown curls. so that was that. 

declan was, all records would show, an anti-muggle wackjob. and he was beyond furious that serena   ( his wife. he may not have loved her any longer, but she was his )   thought to pass off some  ‘ muggle’s bastard ‘  as his son. 

they lived in a little wizarding neighborhood a small ways away from godric’s hollow; some might say, kindly, it was more quaint than godric’s hollow. others, honestly, might point out it was a way cheaper godric’s hollow. a neighbor saw and understood what the flash of green light in the glynnes’ windows meant, and alerted the aurors. 

baby lachlan was left generally parent-less, as serena was dead and declan ended up in prison. he might have ended up dead himself, had the aurors not arrived on time. godric bless nosy neighbors, and all that. 

declan wasn’t a smart or wealthy enough pureblood guy to get away literally murdering his wife over an affair. 

some people probably sympathized with him   ( serena cheated on him with a muggle. when that saucy story hit the news, that fact was hammered in and plenty of people got where he was coming from )   but it wasn’t enough to keep him out of prison. 

lachlan definitely did have a still living parent who would’ve jumped at the chance to take care of him   —   but the wizarding authorities never even considered andrew reynolds for any real length of time. 

a peek into the auror office’s thought process:  if we give him the baby we have to explain how and why and that serena’s dead. and it’s just easier to not do that.

a peek into the world of wizarding adoptions: even smarmy, blood purist wizarding society is all about preserving magical blood. so magical orphans aren’t long left without homes; magical orphanages aren’t a thing. wizarding families are often huge. so orphaned wizards are shopped around to even distant relatives and then, if that doesn’t work out, given to other families.

scandalous, family-less, little baby lachlan wasn’t long alone.

meet the hawthorn family   ---    edmund hawthorn was born edmund shafiq and was quietly exiled from his sacred twenty-eight family when he came out. which was fine, because his husband travis hawthorn came from a sprawlingly big and welcoming half-blood family and they took edmund in right away. 

edmund still wrote to his parents, and they wrote back; they hadn’t disowned him out of bad blood. he knew his parents still loved him. they just loved the family’s image more, and needed to give him the boot in order to name his brother orlando the heir  ...   since he could give them more heirs. 

travis, conversely, had a lovely relationship with his family. 

both edmund and travis were pretty high ranking ministry workers. edmund worked in the office for the department of magical law enforcement   —   not an auror, but someone who puts together files and goes over paperwork and traces patterns. travis was a liaison minister with the department of international magical cooperation. they’re good guys with good reputations and the ministry was honestly relieved when they offered to adopt lachlan. 

lachlan grew up with two sisters: della, who was five years older, and laurel, who was just ten months older. he loved them with all his heart. 

people tended to think he and laurel were twins, especially growing up   —   the dads cut her hair a little short because she was always getting into a mess, and it was easier to clean mud and neon paint out of shorter curls than long ones   —   but with their matching hair and their alliterative names, their propensity to always cause trouble as a team   ...   they just seemed like twins.

him and laurel seeming like blood related siblings to the outside eye made it easier for the world to forget that the hawthorn’s son was the baby that caused that big scandal.   

edmund and travis never lied to the two of them and said they were blood related twins or siblings, outright. but they did let the world outside their family assume that. they figured life would be easier for lachlan if that was the readily accepted truth.

lachlan wasn’t all that adventurous on his own, but found himself dragged into his sisters’ adventures; he could vouch from experience that mud and neon paint were a pain to wash out as it was, and couldn’t imagine adding more hair into the equation. 

his sisters might’ve been better at getting into messes, but lachlan made up for it by being a mess. he was always having a crisis as a kid   —   his stuffed dinosaurs were just ravaging the block city, dad, but what about the finger puppet people in that apartment building? do they even sell dinosaur insurance?? why didn’t I think of the implications here  ... 

he and laurel played knights a lot, with toy swords and helmets modeled after the suits of armor in hogwarts  ( travis asked edmund if that wasn’t a little much, when they bought them; they were a few years out from school, after all, they didn’t care that the helmets were accurate   —   )   and lachlan always wondered about the ramifications of two knights fighting each other. laurel always took the ensuing soliloquy of hypothetical questions as opportunity to knock him flat backwards.

he was a needy kid   —   he always had questions at his lips, a thousand moral quandaries to discuss. he had an active imagination and a tendency to let situations snowball into situations.

he was often hilarious, and rarely on purpose, and very easy to like. anyone who knew his birth mother would’ve been surprised to see lachlan   —   he truly was nothing like serena. he was bright and sweet and openly curious about everything. he loved storytelling and art and music; a perfect case to show that nurture always won out over nature.

when it was time for him to go to hogwarts, he wasn’t at all sure what house he’d get sorted into   —   it wasn’t the sort of thing he’d ever been hung up on thinking about, for all that he’d wondered about every other part of the hogwarts experience. his dads had both been in different houses, and he had no way of knowing what houses his birth parents belonged to. the sorting hat cried out GRYFFINDOR a scant few moments after touching down on his unruly curls, and lachlan decided that felt right.

he loved hogwarts.  

 lachlan made friends easily and often   —   he’d grown up in the constant companionship of his sisters and knew well how to start conversations and shift them from uncomfortable topics, was skilled at asking questions that made people feel good and liked. 

he was a little overzealous in class, but most of his professors liked him well enough. lachlan was still a curious guy, and seemed to genuinely care about each subject   —   something that went a long way towards endearing him to hogwarts’ staff.

though, some of the staff might’ve been endeared to him even if he wasn’t generally endearing. 

his interesting past wasn’t a secret from most of the professors; travis and edmund had done well enough redirecting people’s memories around their son, but then most people had already forgotten about serena and declan, or else had never really known them in the first place. but many hogwarts professors recalled teaching the couple, recalled the shock their ending gave them, when the news hit.

lachlan’s  ‘ story ‘  wasn’t something his dads had shared with him just yet, so lachlan himself didn’t know. it was a little maddening walking around the castle, when it felt like all the adults looked like they knew something he didn’t. 

dumbledore, being dumbledore, took it upon himself to tell lachlan the whole sordid tale himself, when lachlan was just starting his fourth year. it was a shock   ( it majorly pissed off travis and edmund, who never found out why the old man did such a thing )   but the next time he went home for the holidays his dads sat him down and explained that, no they weren’t hiding it from him and yes, they’d had plans set to tell him when he was seventeen and of age.

wizarding authorities could have hunted down andrew reynolds and told him he had a son, but they didn’t. travis and edmund, however, wanted to find andrew just in case lachlan ever wanted to meet him. so lo and behold   —   once lachlan knew, his dad’s set up a meeting for the four of them in muggle london. it went well; kinda full of shock and crying, even without breaking the  ‘ wizard ’  of it all to andrew, but still well.

lachlan was perfectly happy with his sisters and his dads; for all that he’d always known he was adopted and for all that he’d always been curious as hell, he’d never really pushed his dads about his birth parents. his dads just were his dads. end of story   —   no need for questions. 

which was part of why it was easy for him to go fourteen years before learning about his past. lachlan could not be paid to stop the flow of his curiosity, but there were somethings that seemed so solidly true he never thought to question them.

so while it was kind of cool meeting andrew, it was also kind of weird. knowing about andrew at all was weird   —   because it meant knowing that his mother had died days after giving birth to him, alone and scared and unhappy. and that her husband had been a bigot and a murderer; that declan glynne was still alive in prison somewhere. it was a suckerpunch to the gut knowing that lachlan had come close to being killed himself, if a neighbor hadn’t called the aurors on their house just in time to save the baby he used to be.

listen, he’d never wanted to know where he came from. 

but he knew he’d feel, like, kind of bad if he just never saw andrew again. so with his dads’ permission   ( and encouragement; edmund and travis thought this would be good for lachlan, like getting to know his Muggle Heritage from his Muggle Birth Father )   he hung out with him on occasion, during holidays and school breaks.

even though the professors clearly knew about his past, and his dads did, and his sisters did once he decided he wanted to tell them   ...   lachlan kept it all under wraps around his friends at school. he liked to think he was an open book, before. but learning where he came from made him want to play his cards a little closer to his chest. he couldn’t put his finger on why   —   he knew it worried his dads, he knew it did, and figured he’d get over it in due time, once he settled into the truth.

it just didn’t seem like the truth wanted to settle around him.

declan glynne had family. he was a middle son from a whole gaggle of bigoted, disillusioned glynne brothers. the ministry just never considered them when they were trying to figure out who would take lachlan on. they looked at serena’s family and saw no options, but declan was not lachlan’s father and, like andrew, was never even considered. 

ian glynne had a bone to pick with this   —   had a bone to pick with lachlan’s whole existence, too, had a problem with that almost more than being overlooked. 

( he thought that if serena had just kept her legs shut she’d never have gotten herself pregnant and gotten herself dead and gotten her husband sent to prison. more than that, he thought if she hadn’t gotten the idea of a muggle career into her head and made his brother upset, what with her math and her decent paycheck, she really would’ve staved all this off. but serena was dead   —   so it was easier to blame the baby, who wasn’t. )

he was a fan of simmering in his anger and hatred and kept up with the news about lachlan, at least enough to know who he ended up being adopted by.

and from there he got an idea; the hawthorns were good people   —   a compliment that would’ve come out as a sneer if ian voiced it, the judgement and sarcasm inherent in every syllable. he figured at some point, they’d tell lachlan who his birth parents were, maybe even introduce him to that homewrecking muggle. and if they did, and if ian kept a low profile, kept observing   …   they’d lead ian right to the muggle at the root of his brother’s injustice. 

he wasn’t always watching lachlan, just keeping an eye on him by keeping an eye on his dads. he’d never been all that smart or ambitious   —   the glynnes were a family that thrived in their self-righteousness and self-importance and didn’t feel like they should have to act on those things to get what they deserved.

but his anger, his half baked plot, was enough to spur ian to action for the first time in his life. he rose through the ranks of the ministry through pure determination and will and ended up working in the same office in the department of magical law enforcement as edmund. they almost became friends; not earnestly, not honestly   —   not on ian’s part. but they did. friendly enough for ian to ask after edmund’s kids and get answers, friendly enough to hear about the trip into muggle london to visit someone edmund described as one of the kids’  ‘ distant relatives. ‘

he followed them.

and he didn’t do anything that time lachlan and the muggle were in the same place, but he started to plan.

it would’ve been too hard to keep magical surveillance over lachlan and the hawthorns, so he hadn’t, not ever. just kept an eye on them the old fashioned way, through word of mouth and casual water-cooler conversation. but andrew reynolds had no means of catching ian glynne in the act of spying. so, spy he did.

muggle police would later rule it a tragic car accident   —   shaking their heads at the carnage as they carted lachlan off to the muggle hospital while he clung with bloody hands to consciousness. it took hours for the dads to find him there and by the time his family reached him he decided he wouldn’t tell them any of the truth of what happened; told the official from the auror department once he got relocated to st. mungo’s, but only because he had to. 

he never asked if that official told his dads. none of the hawthorns talked about the situation anymore than they had to, after that.

here was the situation:

ian glynne tailed lachlan and andrew all day   —   a saturday during easter hols during lachlan’s fifth year wherein andrew showed lachlan around muggle london. the pair had lunch together, looked in a few shops, and were set to drive out to andrew’s home outside of the city, where edmund and travis and lachlan’s sisters would meet them later for tea. 

ian glynne got them on a secluded section of road just far enough away from both the city proper and andrew’s home to cause immediate alarm.

he came out in front of the car and andrew made to swerve around the man, but ian cast some defensive spell lachlan had yet to learn at the hood. it exploded   —   felt like they crashed into another vehicle even though they were the only car on the road.

lachlan and andrew both slammed into the windshield, but neither crashed through it. ian came ‘round to andrew’s side of the car and started screaming questions at him about serena and declan; then he shot him with a muggle handgun, something lachlan had surely never laid eyes on before.

andrew did not die from that initial gunshot   —   ian was a terrible shot, and was half out of his mind besides. the bullet just grazed him, and he inelegantly dragged andrew out of the car after. 

lachlan made his way out of the vehicle too, bleeding and hurt, all cut up and bruised from the crash and the glass he had to wade through. he thought, maybe, he was in shock. he was certainly in shock once he finally bambi-legged his way out of the demolished vehicle and saw ian cast a cruciatus on his biological father. 

and, still in shock when he saw ian whammy andrew with a killing curse after that. 

ian did not attempt to turn his wand on lachlan   —   this was the second time in his short life that a glynne brother forgot to kill him once done with a more satisfying target. ian took for the bare april greenery lining the road and lachlan   ( curious, trauamtized dumbass that he was )   ran after him. found a gun pointed at him for a terrifying moment before the muggle police sirens cut the air and sent ian apparating on out of there.

he fought to go back to hogwarts right away; it was only the first saturday of the holiday that all this went down, so lachlan felt, since he spent the whole rest of it in hospitals and bed, surely he was fine. the dads disagreed, and his sisters disagreed, and the auror working on ian’s case disagreed. he’d just become, in a way, an orphan. and it felt like no one around him cared to see him recover in the way he wanted to.

lachlan managed to bargain that he’d get to return to school as soon as ian was sent to join his brother in prison   —   none of the world any wiser that he’d been there when the newest glynne family crime was committed. 

laurel decreed that it’d look less strange if both of them stayed home until then, and that was that. the dads wouldn’t begrudge lachlan the company of his sister, if he couldn’t return to full normalcy just yet.

della was graduated at this point, technically an adult working a fancy job at some boutique robe shop, but she came home every day from work and glued herself to her younger siblings’ sides. lachlan recovered his new, strange orphan-hood with his not-twin and big sister at his side, dads hovering around as much as their jobs allowed.

the hawthorns were tight knit and loosely configured all at once   —   always brimming with love and independence in spades, care expressed tenderly and roughly, like no one was sure how to be earnest. edmund and travis had always expressed affection like that: through arguing and debating and ribbing more than any big displays. 

the kids worked the same way. family dinners used to be more running jokes and teasing than anything, raucous like none of them knew the definition of serious.

the five hawthorns weren’t really sure if that old normal was still achievable; lachlan’s brush with near-death met the daunting news lurking on the edge of their world. the whispers of war.

things became very real for the carefree family   —   the fact of edmund’s disownment, and travis’ famous half-bloodedness.

that all three kids were adopted with far-from-simple origin stories   ( even if lachlan’s was the loudest, neither laurel nor della came from a closet free of skeletons ),   that the dads were gay and the kids were open in their opposition to anti-muggle and anti-muggleborn sentiment

ian glynne might not’ve gone after lachlan for any of that, not really. but the possibility started to hit with dizzying closeness.

two weeks after the holiday officially ended, laurel and lachlan returned to hogwarts. if lachlan had seemed new and different upon receiving the news of his biological parentage, then he seemed really different following his brush with death and new witness to murder. it was the kind of different that was hard to put your finger on. he smoked now, and drank more; he was liable to fall into fits of melancholy. 

cynicism did not come easy to him, but he found that wariness did, that secrecy did. it was shocking.

he finished his fifth year chomping at the bit to do something, anything, about the awful ways in which his world was changing. the next year only held more tragedy   ---   attacks and deaths and disappearances. no one knew what happened to him unless he chose to tell them   ( and in truth, there was almost no one he chose to tell )   but he couldn’t help but feel a kinship with everyone newly hurt by this world. he’d been hurt by it, too, after all. 

there was a small degree of safety offered within hogwarts’ walls, but he couldn’t help but want to be free of them. to be out there, doing something. lachlan would wait for now, ask questions and notice things and store them away the way he always had. but it started to feel like he was just biding his time until he had something to do with every new thing he learned. 

[ferventfury-blog]

hey isn’t that ALECTO CARROW over there? yeah that is HER, standing there with those other SLYTHERIN’s. i’m pretty sure they’re in SIXTH year and i think i heard sybill saying they look like DANIELLE CAMPBELL… whoever that is! when she looks into her crystal ball she see’s that they’re the REVELER. anyway i’ve heard they’re pretty CHARISMATIC and INTELLIGENT but kinda HEDONISTIC and DEVIOUS too, apparently they’re a PUREBLOOD but i’m sure that’s not related. 

hi friends!! i’m marie, i’m 21, and i use she/her pronouns — i’m also super excited to be here! below you’ll find a messy summary of my baby because i wrote this in two seconds seeing as i was too busy watching ODAAT, so sorry for that!

PLEASE GIVE THIS POST A QUICK LIKE IF YOU’D LIKE ME TO SLIDE INTO YOUR DM’S FOR PLOTS <3

tw — alcohol.

so this alecto is kind of different from my usual alecto — mostly because i’m focussing on making her a little more “teenager” and a little less sadistic fucker. that doesn’t mean she won’t be sadistic though, it’s just still in development for her. right now her focus is to see how many tequila shots she can down without passing out.

kind of a typical pureblood upbringing, raised in wealth and with parents that teach her and amycus that any kind of muggleborn was made by satan and their to ruin all their hopes and dreams. that sorta thing, you feel?

they never really paid much attention to alecto bc #Traditional and they prefer to focus on their son and heir more. ofc she had to do whatever they asked of her and follow all her lessons and eventually be married to someone of equal status and pop out his kids, but aside from that, their focus was 100% on amycus. 

not to be a cliché but as of recently she has kind of started rebelling against that. first it was by trying to be better and brighter and more spectacular, but considering that was practically something expected from her and didn’t give her any recognition, she switched to a different strategy: downright misbehaving. 

her parents were shocked to find out their supposedly perfect pureblood princess was actually getting detention every week and hosting parties whenever she was able to, and god forbid, also playing quidditch. they’ve threatened her with many things but have yet to make any big moves as punishment, mostly because they’re highkey obsessed with their reputation and don’t want the rest of society to know they can’t control their daughter. but the reckoning is def coming for her.

for now though, she keeps going bc it gives her the attention she wants from them, but alecto is also having fun breaking away from her traditional role. aside from that, she is also starting to realize the sheer talent she possesses for many things her parents don’t want her associated with, like duelling — and being able to make herself the center of attention in her room, not just a demure background figure. she feels like she is thriving, and really doesn’t want to go back to what she had before.

some wanted plots 4 me are:

a partner-in-crime that isn’t amycus and doesn’t seem like someone she would necessarily engage with?? they likely bond over rule breaking and throwing parties and all that sorta stuff, but there might be some fundamental differences that could eventually break them again when things get more serious.

honestly i’d like her to have some darker influences??? right now her efforts are mostly fixed on “how can i annoy my parents even more”, but she’s finding out she has a talent for the dark arts but aside from hexing filch, she’s not doing much with it.

so my thoughts for her parents punishing her is that they set her up in a betrothal???? preferably with someone she can not STAND.

friends with benefits would be cool 2 have???? alecto is bi as fuck but also a commitphobe so that would be fun to see happen.

some more superficial friendships????

at some point i’ll add links to her bio, stats, etc on here — but i’m currently just trying to get this off the ground rn because i’m excited and would love to make some plots before i crash out <3

[alckto]

— hey isn’t that ALECTO CARROW over there? yeah that is HER, standing there with the other SLYTHERIN. i’m pretty sure they’re in SEVENTH year and i think i heard sybill saying they look like MADELAINE PETSCH… whoever that is! when she looks into her crystal ball she sees that they’re the TEMPEST. anyway i’ve heard they’re pretty ELEGANT and DIPLOMATIC but kinda TEMPERAMENTAL and CRITICAL too. apparently they’re a PURE-BLOOD but i’m sure that’s not related. —— 

Alecto Caimhe Carrow was born seven minutes after her twin brother Amycus. Those seven minutes set her fate in stone, sealing her fate in the twisted world of the carrow family and pureblood elite.  

Alecto was a very quiet baby, she was comfortable beside her brother and calm in his presence --- when she was allowed to be in it. From the very start alecto was neglected in favor of her brother, his first born status and gender made him the accepted and exalted heir of the family. Alecto, as a girl, was not as valued or desired and was taught to value only her outward beauty in the hopes of marrying into a wealthier or more popular family. When she was just a toddler she was placed in elaborate outfits, family friends would comment how stunning she was, and still so young, she’d be a heartbreaker. But her brother was given other words to chew on, strong, wise, determined. Alecto could only take those words through closed doors, or from the mouth of amycus himself. She wasn’t jealous of her brother, she knew better than anyone how he suffered at the hands of their parents, how desperate they were to mold him in their image and the lengths they went to to sculpt him. She would sneak into his room at night and just lay beside him, hold his hand. They’d talk about the future and the dreams they held close to their hearts in secret.

Alecto grew up very much in shadow, she was not often instructed directly but heard all the prejudice second hand, she was left alone more often than not, given neither a scolding or anything resembling care or affection. She began to believe her parents didn’t know how to love their children so they chose to “educate” instead. Left to her own devices, outside etiquette lessons, she would read. She once thought if she could be more like amycus her parents would want to spend time with her too, she showed them once how smart she was and earned the attention amycus received, the kind that left the skin mottled purple and yellow. After that she crafted a mask of elegance and obedience, she had to pretend she didn’t the answer to questions asked of her that didn’t revolve around being a future wife and bigot. She parroted the things her parents said and cultivated her physical appearance. She made herself out to be exactly what they wanted and nothing ----nothing changed. She was not more loved because she was beautiful, she was not given attention because she said she hated muggles. Satisfaction was worn on her parents faces but eventually she had to come to terms with the fact they did not, could and would never love her the way she wanted or needed.

At school alecto once again conformed, she asked to be put in slytherin even though the hat whispered of towers and stars and ravens. She kept silent or in agreement when housemates spoke of mudbloods. But she couldn’t fake her intelligence, she couldn’t put it aside when she did essays and exams. Alecto began to think her parents whole focus was on amycus, so she used their neglect to her advantage outside the home. She excelled in classes but kept her good marks to herself and foolishly began to dream of a future where she could be a potioneer. She takes her studies seriously but often has to lie to friends and housemates about it, to dumb herself down, to catch a husband. As for her friends, many she has known since diapers and others she gathered at school. Alecto has spent so much time with her nose in a book, in secret, that she has formed her own opinions and values. But she still hears her parents words in her head and confusion reigns supreme over issues like muggles. In her experience she has nothing really awful to say about them, or their magical offspring. Magic seems to choose people, just as a wand does and alecto is sure no one group should get to decide who was worthy or not of being successful and loved in their world. If that was the idea then why wasn’t she loved or worthy? She was beautiful, talented, intelligent and still felt she was overlooked and underestimated. She’d spent her entire life hearing how dangerous and terrible the muggles were but observation and experiment said otherwise. She had a mind that was too quizzical to simply accept what she was told but she was torn between her experience and her loyalty. But to survive in the world she was born into she couldn’t express a free or independent nature or thought and it was becoming stifling.

Alecto in real life is tender, compassionate and very discerning. She is an asset to her friends and those that choose to think she could be valuable in any way. To strangers however she has to be guarded, she has to wear the mask carelessly made for her by her parents but she hates every second of it. Though she is seemingly free where amycus is not she is constrained by the same values and expectations, she knows a misstep could be dangerous but the closer she gets to graduation the less she cares. In fact she has taken to silently hexing classmates who bully the other students, the halfbloods and muggleborns. It goes unnoticed but it makes her feel more like a human being. She gives advice to those same students when she is sure they won’t be caught, tips on how to avoid the other pureblood bullies and on basic hexes. If she can’t protect them outright she’ll show them how to protect themselves. It’s a dangerous game she’s playing but eventually she won’t care at all about the fallout, eventually she’ll embrace who she really is and damn the consequences. She’ll wear the mask of monster in public and one of her own making in private, but only as long as it keeps amycus safe. Her brother is the one person she has total faith in, the one person she’d do anything ( and be anything ) for. And recently he seems to be changing too. Alecto doesn’t want to be foolish but she’s begun to hope for a better future for herself and her brother, and the people caught up in a war they never wanted to participate in.

tldr; alecto appears to value beauty and purity, think muggles are less than but she doesn’t really believe that and hides her intelligence and compassion behind a mask made by pureblood society standards.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

1. boyfriend/girlfriend (alecto is bisexual but it is yet another thing she has to keep secret, so if you are interested in bringing a girlfriend for her it would have to be a secret relationship).

2. dormmates/housemates

3. non pureblood students she’s helped ( very important, very much want!)

4. a possible betrothed

5. her best friends ( i think this is filled with EMMA VANITY and NARCISSA BLACK)

[buoyantsaturn]

Liability [Reprise] (2/2)

a/n: happy last day of solangelo week!! it's been a great time yall and now i'd like to apologize for what youre about to read!! youre gonna cry, and not just because solangelo week is over, but because i'm a monster! i hope you enjoy it and dont hate me too bad after its over!!

part one here

read it on ao3

On the first day of Will’s second year in residency, he collapsed in the middle of the emergency room. He was diagnosed with severe exhaustion and dehydration and prescribed bed rest and a lot of fluids.

He woke up in his own private room, groggy and disoriented, with a clearly upset Nico sitting at his bedside.

“How are you feeling?” Nico asked, irritation evident in his voice.

“Tired,” Will croaked.

“I told you so,” Nico said, and Will rolled his head to the side to look at him, though he didn’t respond. “I told you this would happen,” Nico continued, voice rising in volume. “I told you that if you didn’t slow down, then something like this would happen. Do you get it now? Do you get that you’re killing yourself and that it’s time to quit whatever stupid game you’re playing? Just--” Nico sighed and grabbed one of Will’s hands between his, pressing his lips to his knuckles before he whispered, “Just come home with me. Come home, and we can stay in bed for a few days, and after that we can...we can do anything, whatever you want. We can travel all over the world, or we can find some...some volunteer work somewhere to keep us busy. We could get a dog or a cat, or become temporary foster parents, Will, we could have a family.”

“Being a doctor is my dream,” Will told him. “I’m not giving up on my dream.”

“So take a break instead,” Nico argued.

“I’ll take as long as I need to recover,” Will shot back. “As soon as I’m cleared, I’m coming back to work.”

They stared each other down in silence, daring the other to say anything more. Nico felt his chest constricting more and more with every breath, and his eyes began to sting with forming tears. He broke eye contact and stood up abruptly, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jacket - it was times like this that he most missed his oversized bomber.

“Fine,” he croaked, and he left the room.

He barely made it five feet from the door before he broke down, collapsing and sobbing into his hands.

They were twenty eight when Will spent his last one month in the Underworld. He seemed to finally be taking Nico’s advice to rest and relax and spend time with his boyfriend of over ten years. They would have lazy mornings in bed and take romantic walks through Persephone’s gardens (and Will had long gotten over whatever he’d had about having sex in Hell). They were happy again, happy like they were teenagers again, before Will had eaten that pomegranate seed and doomed his own life.

They were so incredibly happy, except for the times that they weren’t.

Whenever Nico brought up even the possibility that Will stop doing surgery or even take the shortest of breaks, it was like something in Will snapped. They would argue for entire days and end up sleeping in separate rooms. They would scream at each other until one of them would leave the room to avoid saying something they would regret.

One minute they would be talking about the idea of getting married. The next would end with a slamming door and objects thrown at the wall out of anger.

It was near the end of the month that Nico reminded Will that he should take it easy when he returned to work, so that he wouldn’t collapse on the job again. Of course, since it was a sensitive subject, Will’s frustration with his boyfriend spiked once again.

“I’ll be fine,” he said, trying to keep his cool.

“Maybe, but you know how tired you usually are after being here for so long,” Nico argued. “You’re not as healthy as your coworkers, and you might not be able to keep up with them--”

“I’m fine,” Will shouted, rising to his feet and stepping closer to get in Nico’s face. “I’m perfectly healthy. And when we get back home, I’m gonna show you how healthy I am, got it? I’ve got a long life ahead of me. I have a ring for you at home, hidden in my sock drawer, because I know I am going to live long enough to marry you.”

Will’s words were like a knife stabbing into Nico’s back. He knew Will didn’t have much time left. His estimation of mid-thirties was going to fall short; Will would be lucky to see the new year.

Nico folded his arms across his chest and dropped his gaze from Will’s eyes. “I’d say yes,” Nico said softly, but his gaze hardened. “If you lived that long, I’d say yes, but I’m not stupid.” He turned away, walking toward the door, but stopped before he left the room. “I’ll ask Alecto to take you home in a few days. Don’t expect me to be there waiting for you.”

And he walked out.

He couldn’t bare to return to the surface for more than a few hours - the risk of seeing Will was too high. He asked his father for errands to run instead, to keep his mind busy, and when he sensed that it was time, he shadow traveled into their apartment - uncleaned, since Will never had the time or energy to bother with organizing - and dug around in Will’s sock drawer until the found the ring box.

Will didn’t make it back to the apartment that night.

One second, he was at work, running toward the ambulance bay to intercept an incoming trauma. And the next he was kneeling at the foot of Hades’s throne, feeling lighter and stronger and more relaxed than he’d ever remembered feeling.

“You’re an idiot,” Hades called down to him, and Will glanced up to see the god towering over him, probably intending to look more intimidating than usual. “I do not understand what my son sees in a child of Apollo, especially one as stupid as you. However, I love my son, and he has loved you, so I supposed I can tolerate an eternity with you, if that is what Nico chooses. If he welcomes you back, then you may spend your afterlife with him in the Palace.”

“Thank you, Lord Hades,” Will said, bowing his head again. “Um, is he here, somewhere?”

“In his chambers, waiting for you,” Hades answered, and so Will got up and left.

He tried forming his apology in his head as he walked down the long halls to Nico’s room, but there was too much to say and his thoughts kept getting jumbled. What could he even say to get Nico to take him back? Why would Nico want him back, after the things he’d said and done?

He walked up to Nico’s door without a single coherent thought in his head, but he knocked on the door anyway, opening it once he heard a response from within.

Nico was sitting on the bed, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, gaze locked on the floor, darker-than-usual circles under his eyes.

Will walked forward and dropped to his knees in front of Nico. “I’m so sorry,” Will started, and his composure broke instantly. “You were right, and I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you. I was so focused on being a good doctor that I neglected you and only thought about myself, and-- Shit, Nico, I’m so sorry.” He choked out a sob, furiously trying to wipe away his own tears before they splashed against the tiled floor. “I’m such an idiot, I should have been there for you, I’ve been acting so stupid for so long. I don’t deserve you, and...and you don’t deserve someone like me, and I know that, but-- I know now how wrong I was for the last...however many years, and I know I don’t deserve another chance, but please, give me a second chance. Or third, or fiftieth, or however many, just one more. I don’t want to spend another second without you, and I want to make up for how shitty I’ve been. I love you, Nico, I love you so much, please forgive me.”

Nico stood up, and Will had to dry his tears to see that Nico was holding out a ring box - the same one that Will had had in his sock drawer. That was Nico’s ring, and he was giving it back. Will felt his heart break all over again.

He reached up with a shaky hand and took the box from Nico. “That’s...a no, then. Huh. I...don’t know if I was expecting that, or not.”

“No, stupid,” Nico said, and Will did expect the anger in his voice. “You’re already on your knees, so I’m telling you to put that ring to good use.”

“You want me to…? You mean, you’re not mad at me?”

“I’m pissed at you,” Nico clarified, “but I’ve always loved you more than I could ever manage to hate you, so are you going to ask, or not?”

Will blinked up at him a few times, then glanced down at the ring box. He cracked it open slowly, presenting the ring, and said, “Nico di Angelo, will you spend an eternity in Hell with me?”

Nico lowered himself to his knees and cupped Will’s face in his hands before pulling him in for the softest, sweetest kiss. “Of course, Sunshine.”

Will let out another sob as fresh tears started to fall and he collapsed forward into Nico’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around his fiance’s waist.

“I missed you so much,” Nico whispered into his ear, allowing a few of his own tears to fall as he stroked Will’s hair. “I love you, you big idiot.”

Will pulled back and leaned his forehead against Nico’s. “I’m gonna make it up to you, for everything. I’m going to spend the rest of eternity making you as happy as I possibly can. I’m gonna give you the greatest wedding the Underworld has seen since Hades and Persephone’s. Anything you want, just say the word.”

Nico smiled, and it felt so much easier than it had in so long. “All I need is you.”

buy me a coffee | more about solangelo week

[gatesofember]

The Privilla: Chapter 6

PJO Arranged Marriage/Royalty AU Part 2

Rating: G | Pairing: Solangelo

Prev | Next | AU directory | Read it on AO3 (Recommended) | Arranged Marriage AU Masterpage

Summary: Almost ten years after their first introduction, Will and Prince Nico meet again. But this time, they are no longer children. Will, the illegitimate third son of Duke Apollo, has had a few prospective suitors, but none of the offers have been as lucrative as his family has hoped. Prince Nico has had his fair share of suitors, as well; with the pressure of being heir to the throne of a kingdom in economic turmoil, Nico is expected to marry for profit and security. However, his icy personality has driven many impatient suitors away. The two young men may prove to be exactly what the other needs.

It was early the next morning after they had eaten when Nico took Will back to the Palatium de Divitae.  Nico decided to ride there on horseback rather than take a carriage, in part because he liked being outside, but also because that way he could easily slow down and point out things to Will while they were riding, like the lake where he sometimes hunted waterfowl or a hill in the distance where Persephone kept a vineyard.  Jules-Albert stayed nearby in case Nico required his service and Reyna accompanied them as a chaperone, but she said little.  Asterion went with them, as well, having apparently invited himself along.  Asterion tended to follow Nico wherever he went; Nico liked to think that he made Asterion feel safe, and he was glad for the dog’s company.

They took their time traveling to the Palatium de Divitae, so it was already past noon when they arrived.  Nico requested a lunch be prepared for them while he took Will to the conservatory.  Will offered his arm, which Nico accepted, and then Nico led Will through the lines of trees inside the glass building with Asterion following silently behind them.  “My mother enjoys fruit quite a lot, particularly ones that only grow much farther south,” Nico said.  “The conservatory was a wedding gift from my father so that she could have those fruits grown here.”

William nodded with interest.  Queen Persephone was the daughter of the Duchess of Ceres, which bordered Diana in the Juvian Empire.  Many of the fruits they grew came from Ceres.

“We grow oranges, of course,” Nico said.  “We will try to grow pineapple next season, and we have tried bananas, but my father despised the taste.  However, we are most known for our pomegranates.”

“I have heard of your conservatory, Your Highness,” Will said.  “The Queen’s gardens are quite famous.”

“And she is very proud of that,” Nico answered.  His mother took a great interest in the gardens, to the point of sometimes attending to them herself.  Her hands were not soft like other court ladies.  Nico liked that.  Lady Maria, Nico’s birth mother and childhood governess, had also had rough hands.

“If you would permit me to make a confession, Your Highness,” Will added.  Nico was apprehensive, but nodded.  Will lowered his voice to a whisper, as though he was confiding a great secret, and said, “I have never eaten a pomegranate.”

Nico tried to suppress a smile before he laughed, his fingers tightening on Will’s arm.  “Then we must remedy that,” he said.  “Come, our lunch should be ready by now.  I am sure that we will be served a bowl of seeds.”

Nico guided Will out of the conservatory and across the field of white asphodel towards a pavilion where their lunch would be served.  Nico liked the asphodel.  He went to the field to escape if the palace became too stuffy or he wanted to hide from the world; he felt a special connection to that place.  The flowers had been planted in honor of Bianca.  Nico had not been there when the field was planted, but when he finally returned to the palace after his long years in the countryside, it was the place that he ran to hide when his mind held too many dark thoughts to bear alone.  He would pretend that Bianca was there with him.

In the pavilion, there was a table prepared for them with a platter of small sandwiches and, as Nico had predicted, a bowl of pomegranate seeds.  Jules-Albert served their plates before stepping back, and Reyna was near enough to watch without being close enough to distract them.  Asterion lay down beside Nico’s seat, quietly waiting for his master.

“I thought I would show you around the Palatium de Divitae after we finish,” Nico said before he picked up a sandwich.

“Yes, I would like that,” Will replied.  Nico watched with interest as Will quickly spooned some of the red seeds into his mouth.

“Well?” Nico asked expectantly.

“Very good, Your Highness,” Will said.  “Tart, but not unbearably so, and they have a touch of sweetness to balance it.”

“Excellent,” Nico said with a nod.  “Pomegranates are among my favorite foods.  I am glad you enjoy the fruit from our conservatory.”  If Will was going to live with Nico in the Palatium de Divitae, Nico wanted him to be as comfortable as possible.  But then, perhaps Will would spend a great deal of his time in Venadica when they married.  Either way, Nico did not want Will to dread living near Nico too much.

When they finished the meal, Nico led Will inside the palace, Asterion following behind them, and gave him a brief tour: he showed Will the Hall of Gold (which Will had already seen), the opera house, the drawing rooms and studios of the King and Queen, and Nico’s collection of rooms (which attached to Hazel’s).  He heard Hazel in her music room, so he brought Will to investigate.  Hazel was playing on the piano with her tutor, and old woman with a sharp face named Alecto, standing close by, but she turned when Nico walked in.

“Brother!” she said happily.  “I thought you would be in the Privilla?”

Nico thought Alecto looked a bit irritated by the interruption of her lesson, but she bowed to Nico and greeted him politely.

“I thought I might show Lord William around the palace,” Nico replied.  “I brought him here to take him through the conservatory.”

“Good afternoon, Lord William,” Hazel greeted belatedly, rising from her bench and lowering her head respectfully.  “I’m glad to see that my brother hasn’t sent you home yet.”

Nico’s face burned in embarrassment.  He pursed his lips and glared, and then he saw Alecto raise her hand to her mouth as she gave a fake cough to conceal a short laugh.  At least William had the decency to blush, as well.

“Your Highness,” Alecto said to the Princess, as if she sensed the tightly wound cords of Nico’s patience about to snap.  “If you would return to the lesson, please.  Would you like to play the Allegro we reviewed earlier for His Highness and Lord William?”

“Oh, of course,” Hazel said, sitting back on her bench.  She straightened her skirts and shuffled her music sheets until she found the right page, and then she began to play a brisk, lively piece.

His embarrassment cooling, Nico turned to Will and whispered, “My sister is quite talented with the piano and with her paints.  She is but eight years of age.”

“That is most impressive, Your Highness,” Will replied.  “My tutor tried to teach me to play music at a young age, but I’m sorry to say I have no talent for it, although my brothers and sister are quite skilled.  Do you play, Your Highness?”

“Yes,” Nico answered.  “Although I suspect Hazel will become much more skilled than I am.  I presume that you dance, Lord William?”

Will smiled and ducked his head the way he had so many times before, which Nico thought meant that he was embarrassed or shy.  “You taught me to dance, Your Highness,” Will said, a smile playing at his lips.  “At my aunt’s inauguration, you asked me to dance, and I fear my nerves caused me to forget everything I knew.”

“Oh?” Nico asked.  He did not remember that happening.  “What did we dance?”

“It was a country dance, Your Highness.  Although, I’m afraid that you abandoned me afterwards in favor of your sister and I was left alone very suddenly.”

It took Nico a moment longer than it should have to realize that the sister Will had referred to was Bianca, not Hazel, and he had a sudden memory of dancing with her that night.  Bianca had promised him a dance, but Thalia, Percy, and Jason had kept stealing her away from him, so Nico ended up having to grab her arm quickly after a dance to get her attention.  He remembered a flash of messy blond hair, and then a boy approaching him after the dance with Bianca ended, and Nico recalled asking that boy to dance again....

“But then I asked you for another one, did I not?” Nico said.

Will looked delighted.  He smiled at Nico widely and said, “You remember, Your Highness?”

“Yes,” Nico answered.  “The memory is faint, but I recall that much.”

“You are correct.  We danced one more time before I retired to bed.  At the end of the night, you had me promise to learn minuets so that we could dance one the next time we met.  I did not know when that would be, so I made sure to learn it as soon as I was back in Diana.”

“As you learned Acies?”

Will ducked his head with an embarrassed blush.  “I like to believe that I am a bit more successful at the minuet than at Acies, Your Highness.”

“Well, now you must show me,” Nico said, offering Will his hand.  “Hazel, would you play us a minuet?” he asked.

Will���s expression was blank when he took Nico’s hand, like he hadn’t expected the offer and didn’t quite know what to make of it.

“Unless you would rather not,” Nico added.  

“No, Your Highness, I am honored,” Will said.  He turned his eyes downward, once again adopting the bashful expression he made so often.

Nico looked over to see Hazel watching with a wide grin.  “Hazel, the minuet,” he reminded.  She turned back to the piano quickly, taking the sheets of music that Alecto offered her, and then she spread out the sheets to read before she started to play.

Nico brought Will to the center of the room and they bowed to each other before beginning to dance.  Will still looked down shyly rather than into Nico’s eyes when they stepped forward to meet each other’s hands, but his footwork, Nico noted, was not terrible.  In fact, it was quite good.

“You’ve gotten better,” Nico remarked.

“You remember that as well?” William asked, raising his eyes to meet Nico’s with an embarrassed smile.

“You were quite bad,” Nico answered.  He tried not to laugh, but was unable to suppress a chuckle.

Will blushed as he and Nico stepped around each other, their hands meeting in between them.  “But, as I said, I think I was more successful with learning to dance than I was at learning to play Acies, Your Highness.”

“That is true,” Nico answered.  “You dance quite well.”

Will lowered his eyes again.  “Thank you, Your Highness.  For a long time, I practiced very hard in the hopes I might impress you if we ever danced again.”

Nico felt himself blush and he nearly missed a step.  “You should not tease, Lord William.”

“I do not, Your Highness, nor do I speak to flatter.”

When William looked back up and met Nico’s eyes, Nico felt his heart flutter for a moment.  Will meant it, he realized.  He’d learned to dance for Nico.  “But I am flattered,” he said honestly.

“Then I shall remind you as often as you like.”

The minuet came to a close before Nico could think of how to respond, and they ended the dance with a bow to each other.  What would it be like to marry Will?  Would he say things like that to Nico every day?  Could Nico really be so fortunate as to have a husband who thought so highly of him?

He was shaken from his thoughts when he realized that Hazel was about to say something embarrassing again, judging by the glee on her face as she watched them.  Even Alecto, whose face was always stern, looked surprised.

“Thank you, Hazel, that was lovely.  We’ll be on our way now.”  He urgently offered Will his arm and hurried him away from his younger sister, lest she say something to cause him further mortification.

“Supper,” he said suddenly, desperate to change the topic.  “Supper will be held soon.  Would you like to take our meal in the gardens again?”  He was not eager to eat with Persephone and Hazel; perhaps Persephone was less likely to embarrass Nico, but not by much.

“Of course, Your Highness,” Will replied.  “Whatever pleases you most.”

Nico notified Reyna, who took care of his request, and then Nico led Will outside again while they waited for supper.  Will seemed to like being outside, so Nico thought it would be good to bring him there more.  For a while, as the sky became orange, they sat side-by-side on a bench in the Queen’s Garden, and Nico listened as Will told him about Diana, about his family, and about Venadica.  Asterion had followed them and Will petted and scratched the dog, occasionally speaking to him in a sweet, quiet voice, and Asterion rested his head on Will’s knee.  Asterion approved of Will, it seemed.

Nico chuckled at the thought, and Will looked up at him questioningly.  “Your Highness?” he asked.

“It is nothing,” Nico answered.  “Only I am glad that you like him.  He likes you, too.”

They ate in the pavilion again, this time dining by gaslight as the sky grew dark, overlooking the grounds lit only by the warm glow of lanterns in the distance.  They looked like stars, Will told him—stars that were close enough to touch.

Nico knew that it was late and he ought to return to the Privilla with Will, but when the meal finished, he found himself saying, “There is another place I would like to take you, if you wouldn’t mind staying out with me a little while longer.”

“I wouldn’t mind at all,” Will answered.  “I’d like that very much, Your Highness.”

“Come this way,” Nico said, rising to his feet.  He whistled for Asterion to follow—although Asterion probably would have done so anyway.  He led Will into the palace and up the grand staircase, and after another flight of stairs, Nico brought them to the Hall of Ouranos.

He heard Will gasp beside him when they entered and Nico felt himself swell with pride at the reaction.  The Hall of Ouranos was, in Nico’s opinion, the grandest room in the Palatium de Divitae.  Nico also thought it was most beautiful at night.

The hall itself held few pieces of furniture and very little decor.  It had the same black marble floors and gold-trimmed walls as the rest of the palace.  What made it so amazing was its domed, windowed ceiling that showed a clear view of the sky above them.  The sky was dark, deep blue, with a sliver of purple and gold in the distance as the sun disappeared beneath the horizon.  Nyx had started to dot the sky with stars, filling it with specks of light in her daughter’s absence.  Nico sometimes slipped into that hall with Asterion at night when he was unable to sleep, and he’d look at the sky with the dog lying beside him until his mind finally started to calm.

The hall was unlit, as it was hardly used anymore, and it tended to be cold because the glass ceiling and the large size made the room difficult to heat.  Nico remembered the days when the room would be full of people in beautiful clothes dancing to music or chatting with a glass of Persephone’s wine in their hand.  Such fêtes were uncommon after the disease, and although the room was regularly cleaned, there was a sad, forgotten element to it.  Sometimes, Nico felt like he could hear the ghosts of laughter and the echoes of clinking wine glasses.  

“It’s unbelievable,” Will said, his voice soft with awe.

“This is one of my favorite rooms,” Nico said.  “My sister comes here some days to paint; she likes the lighting.  Of course she has a drawing room in her chambers where she paints, as well, but on occasion, she escapes up here.”

“And you, Your Highness?” Will asked.  “Why do you come here?”

Nico stared at the dark sky quietly while he thought of how to answer.  It was, in part, because he thought the room was beautiful, especially at night, and he loved to look up and see the snow or rain falling from the sky during storms.  He recalled sneaking up to the room with Bianca, and they would dance or play at having fights with wooden swords.  More than once, Nico and Bianca had fallen asleep up there only to be awoken by the rising sun, then they would hurry back to their shared apartment and hide in their private bedchambers, hoping that no one had noticed their absence.

“I have fond memories here,” Nico finally said, reaching down to pat Asterion when the dog approached him.  “And I think it is beautiful.  Don’t you?”

“Yes, indeed, Your Highness,” Will replied.  “Thank you for bringing me here.”

Why had Nico brought him there?  Nico silently mulled over that question while watching Will circle the hall, looking at the glass ceiling in awe.  Had he wanted to entertain Will?  To impress him?  Maybe he’d just wanted to share this room with him.  Maybe he’d only wanted a friend.

“Lord William?” Nico said, and Will looked up from the dark marble floor where he’d been examining the starlight reflecting off its shining surface.

“Your Highness?”

“Am I still permitted to call you Will?”

Will’s expression brightened.  “Yes, Your Highness.  You are welcome to call me whatever pleases you most.”

“And tell me, Will, when do you plan to return to Pluto?”

“I travel to Venadica every summer for my schooling,” Will answered.  “Over winter, I continue my studies on my own in Diana.  If it pleases you, I am able to alter my plans.”

Nico nodded slowly.  “When you are in Diana, may I write to you?”

“Nothing would bring me more joy, Your Highness,” Will said, and Nico could almost believe that he meant it.

Nico examined Will curiously.  He could see nothing in his expression or posture to suggest that he was teasing or flattering Nico.  Will looked genuinely happy.  Nico did not quite understand why, but decided against questioning it.  For the time being, Nico would gladly accept his good fortune.

“I would like to continue to meet you, Will,” Nico said, attempting to sound confident and composed.  His voice did not waver when he spoke, for which he was glad; it seemed that his tiresome voice and speech lessons had paid off.  “I believe that a marriage between us could work well.”

“I am honored,” Will said.  “And I would like that very much.”

“My father will begin preparations to formalize the betrothal once we receive approval from you and your family.  You will see to it that the Duke of Diana will be in contact?”

“Yes, Your Highness.  I will speak to him immediately upon my return home.”

Nico tried for a smile.  Will returned it with one of his own bashful smiles, as though he really was happy to receive Nico’s attention.  And maybe it was true.  It would be a couple years before they were old enough to marry, but Nico felt relieved to know that after all his family’s searching, they had finally found him a husband.

“We should return to the Privilla,” Nico said.  “I fear Lady Reyna will have my head if we stay out longer.”

He led Will back down the stairs and found Reyna waiting for them.  She did nothing more than raise an eyebrow, having enough tact to wait until later to lecture Nico.  The ride back to the Privilla, Nico couldn’t help glancing at Will a few times.  When Will glanced back, Nico found himself glad for the darkness because his face grew hot at Will’s smile.

The next morning, when Nico and his family saw Will and Artemis’ party off, Nico found himself at a loss for words.  He wasn’t quite sure how to say goodbye, nor how to express his regret that Will had to leave.

“I...I will write to you,” he finally said.  “I expect I’ll hear word from your family soon?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Will answered.

“And you will write to notify me of your safe return home?”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Nico cleared his throat.  “Then...I suppose I will wait to hear from you.”

“I will write to you every week, if that is what you desire.”

“It is,” Nico admitted before he could say differently.  “Well, then, I...I wish you safe and fast travels.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Nico wet his lips nervously.  “Farewell, Lord William,” he said, adopting a more appropriate address for his suitor in front of so many people.  “I hope it will not be long before we meet again.”

“I, as well,” Will answered.  “Farewell, Your Highness.”

Nico held out his hand and Will bent to kiss it.  When he straightened his posture, he offered Nico one final smile, and then he followed his aunt into the carriage.

Standing alone on the steps of the palace, Nico flexed his fingers while he watched them fade into the distance.  He could still feel the heat of Will’s lips on the back of his hand.

Next

[carelessgraces]

canon verses added, as well as some notes & restrictions on my canon verses. everything under the cut & a tag drop —

ON THREADS & PLOTTING I will only write in these verses with plotting. These verses are only available by request and to established partners.

ON CHARACTERIZATION I do not consider The Cursed Child, the Fantastic Beasts series, or any of Rowling’s recent statements to be canon. For me, the series ends with the epilogue. I do accept the epilogue as canon, as well as some of Rowling’s earlier statements on the Greengrass family. When I began writing Astoria in 2012, I built her based on the information we had: her name and her sister’s name, her age relative to her sister’s, her marriage to Draco and the existence of their son, and the following statement:

Draco married the younger sister of a fellow Slytherin. Astoria Greengrass, who had gone through a similar (though less violent and frightening) conversion from pure-blood ideals to a more tolerant life view, was felt by Narcissa and Lucius to be something of a disappointment as a daughter-in-law. They had had high hopes of a girl whose family featured on the ‘Sacred Twenty-Eight’, but as Astoria refused to raise their grandson Scorpius in the belief that Muggles were scum, family gatherings were often fraught with tension. (source)

I built Astoria’s characterization on this information. I have not adapted anything from later statements, except that Astoria and Draco had a very solid relationship, and were very much in love. I will not write in a Cursed Child timeline, nor will I write in settings in which Astoria will die for the sake of her husband’s and son’s character development, or in which Astoria has a misogynistic blood curse for the sake of her husband’s and son’s character development.

ON SHIPPING Currently, all canon verses are single ship with potterstillstinks. While this may change in the future, it will only change to incorporate existing ships. I’m not currently interested in developing new ships in canon verses. It’s safe to assume that in all post-war threads, Astoria and Draco are involved.

ON ROWLING I do not care for her, I do not care for what she has to say, I have no interest in promoting her work. Racists and transphobes have no place here, nor do their disgusting little manifestos. Joanne, if you’re reading this: eat shit.

HALF-BLOOD PRINCE The summer before the start of her first year, Astoria is introduced to her godparents: Amycus and Alecto Carrow. At fourteen, Astoria doesn’t see the way that they manipulate her into isolation: with each letter sent, certainly risking arrest simply to communicate with her, she feels more and more appreciated and loved, certain that they understand her in a way no one else ever has. ( Fourteen is a difficult age. The Carrows do not make it easier. ) As their correspondence continues, Astoria’s time outside her lessons is spent increasingly on the reading lists they provide, and the spells they suggest she learn. Astoria is removed from Hogwarts the very night Albus Dumbledore is killed, and she spends the summer that follows with the Carrows in hiding, as they teach her the skills she will need to accept the Dark Mark at the end of the summer, mere days before her fifteenth birthday. Astoria becomes the youngest Death Eater ever Marked, and is placed in direct competition with Alecto’s rival, Bellatrix Lestrange, and her protege, Draco Malfoy.

FC: Katherine McNamara.

DEATHLY HALLOWS Newly Marked, Astoria returns to Hogwarts with the Carrows. Having been extensively trained in the Imperius and Cruciatus Curses, she is established quickly as their enforcer, used to carry out punishment in detentions with other students. Exploiting her apparent delicacy, Astoria begins resisting in her own quiet way. As she allows the Carrows to underestimate her, deliberately failing at times to mislead them, she occasionally lets slip details regarding the Carrows’ plans and patrol schedules when she knows members of Dumbledore’s Army are listening. Throughout this, she develops a close friendship with Draco Malfoy, learning to rely on the only other person who understands what it is to have one’s childhood ripped from them by war. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Astoria frees the Carrows from imprisonment before turning herself in to Aurors. She is tried that summer, and found guilty of war crimes — and, due to her age and the clear psychological torture she endured, she is sentenced to time served, and monitored during a probationary period of several years to ensure that she is truly reformed.

FC: Katherine McNamara.

SIXTH & SEVENTH YEARS Learning to bridge the gap between surviving and living is a difficult process, but Astoria doesn’t have much of a choice. The terms of her release dictate that she must return to Hogwarts and complete her education, and that she submit to unscheduled visits by Aurors, visits which include interviews and searches of her belongings. Her tenure as the Carrows’ golden girl is not easily forgotten, and her participation in the torture of other students, as well as her trial, and Astoria finds herself isolated, with all of her siblings graduated and Draco serving a sentence in Azkaban. The isolation proves more difficult than she had initially anticipated, and this, combined with a growing fear of magic (especially her own) forces her to grapple with some unpleasant realities — among them that she will not have the grades necessary to pursue a career in Healing like she’d once hoped, even if she thought a former Death Eater would be welcomed as a Healer. Astoria’s friendship with Draco, carried out over occasional visits and frequent letters, and her renewed closeness with her siblings is all that gets her through her final years at Hogwarts.

FC: Katherine McNamara.

COLLECTOR After graduation, Astoria returns to Dublin, her hometown. On a whim, she buys a building for sale on Dawson Street, a shop with a flat above, and continuing with her mother’s family history, Astoria opens an occult shop with her brother. Called Belladonna Apothecary, the shop stocks books, divination tools, and herbs for use by Muggle practitioners; customers in the know are able to take a look in the back room for stock with real magical properties, including rarer artifacts, often obtained on commission (and with some difficulty). Dublin grants her the space she needs to begin to heal, and Draco’s return after completing his sentence gives her the partnership and connection she so badly wants. Straddling the line between magic and the mundane, and finding a way to live in both worlds, Astoria comes into her own once again, despite the pain caused to her by the Carrows. She and Draco marry soon after his release, and after several years together they have their first child (a son, Scorpius), followed by three more girls (Aurora, Selene, and Elanor) over the next decade.

FC: Katherine McNamara, Miriam Leone.

AUROR No one could have seen it coming — a friendship between the child Death Eater and the Boy who Lived — but it becomes a lifeline. As Harry joins the Aurors in their unscheduled visits to Astoria, the two become close, their trauma and experiences providing them with a foundation for a deep and unshakeable bond. When Harry offers her the chance to become an Auror, she accepts it, working to overcome her fear of magic and hoping to make up for some of the wrong she’s done. Harry leaves a couple of years into their partnership, and Astoria follows suit after her marriage and the birth of her first three children, when she realizes that the Auror department cannot give her what she needs: to them, she’ll always be a photo op to exploit, and Astoria has never done well with turning over control of her life to someone else. With Draco’s support, Astoria takes a year off to be with the new twins, and begins looking for new opportunities of employment. Just as her maternity leave runs out, she takes a job with her grandfather’s law firm as an in-house investigator.

FC: Katherine McNamara.

INVESTIGATOR The change is a good one. The work gives Astoria a chance to be with her family more often — seeing Draco at the office and coming home at a decent hour to their children prove to be exactly what she needed, and the opportunity to have more control over her own life is a blessing. They have one more daughter, settling comfortably into a life as parents first and foremost, facing no greater threat than the annoyance of Rita Skeeter's new career as a very bad novelist. (Her first book is called The Cursed Child — Astoria is killed off before the book even begins, Scorpius is presented as Astoria's child with Voldemort after a time-traveling escapade, and Draco flirts with Hermione Granger. The girls are a little disappointed to have been written out. Scorpius and Draco are disturbed. Astoria might punch Rita Skeeter in the face, if no one plans to stop her. It's a far cry from war, and even in her anger, Astoria is relieved that this is the greatest challenge they face.)

FC: Miriam Leone, Sarah Rafferty.

[chaoswillfallrpg]

ALECTO CARROW is TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OLD and a BARMAID at THE GRAVE AFFAIR in KNOCKTURN ALLEY. She looks remarkably like ABIGAIL COWEN and considers herself NEUTRAL. She is currently TAKEN.

→ OVERVIEW:

tw: death

An agent of chaos, Alecto Carrow is the kind of witch who likes to keep people guessing. The youngest of the Carrow twins by a few minutes, Alecto grew up shielded by her brother AMYCUS who took the brunt for a lot of their shared schemes. A mischievous child, Alecto was the bane of her mother’s existence. IRIS HOOKUM had married into the Carrow family with the best intentions, pouncing on EROS CARROW who had recently been bereaved. The only Carrow left as Dragon Pox had taken his family, his parents had made him promise to carry forth their family name and keep their line pure. Iris certainly took advantage of his grief and although she wasn’t his ideal choice she was the perfect Pure-Blood wife. Laughing  with the likes of DRUELLA BLACK and MARIE LESTRANGE, cutting off her family before her husband and throwing such splendid parties it would have been easy to mistake her for a member of the Twenty-Eight since birth. Only Alecto spoiled her mother’s aspirations. Alecto enjoyed doing things for shock value, which only worsened as her powers began to spiral out of control. When she was seven she watched as a cake floated across the room and landed on NARCISSA BLACK, spoiling her beautiful white dress which was stained cherry red from the garnishing. Arguments with her mother sometimes resulted in the chopping up of her favourite handmade spider silk gowns and Merlin bless anyone who tried to force her into a dress.

Unsuspecting victims were always the favourite target of Alecto, but poor house elves who would attempt to make her presentable were also unsafe from her fury. When it came to her father, Alecto often came out unscathed. A gleaming little grin on her porcelain features. Iris Carrow knew her daughter was the devil incarnate, but to Eros she could do no wrong, mostly because her brother often took ownership for her wickedness. As the slightly older twin, Amycus was always very happy to say he had dared his sister to do things or had held something over her head to behave the way she did. Iris knew he was only doing it to be kind to his sister but despite their mother’s protests Eros took his confession at face value and so Iris and Eros believed they had brought two very naughty children into the world who egged the other one on. They were not completely wrong. Although Alecto was often the instigator, Amycus was more than happy to go along with anything she proposed and did also suggest people to torment or new ideas for them to try. The main difference between Alecto and Amycus was a small but vital one. Alecto was a better liar and was sneaky enough to not get caught unless it was what she intended. Amycus loved her enough to take the hit and whilst she loved him deeply, Alecto Carrow would always love herself more than anyone else. At Hogwarts, Alecto’s chaotic ways followed her. She spent the majority of her time irritating others rather than actually focusing on her education.

Sorted into Slytherin she was the favourite of mischievous boys. WILLIAM GOYLE in particular was always happy to run away with her on her schemes, whist VICTOR YAXLEY was happy to involve himself in anything that involved targeting his sister ELEANOR. Despite making new friends, Amycus was still her best friend and the pair stuck together through thick and thin, sitting at the back of PROFESSOR BINNS’ classroom, chewing sweets and spitting them out at unsuspecting mudbloods, MEAGHAN MCCORMACK and ARASH MORADI. Out of all those she terrorised, TILDEN TOOTS was someone who intrigued Alecto. Tilden would always fight his own corner, hurling insults and hexes her way that gave her the biggest thrill. Alecto respected Tilden, though she would never admit it to him. Her targeting of him at school made her a number of enemies. SAOIRSE MACMILLAN, SYBILL TRELAWNEY, EVE DIGGORY, EDGAR BONES and AUGUSTUS ABBOTT made it their mission to spoil her fun, though Alecto didn’t let them get in the way all that much. Frequently in dentition, Alecto eft Hogwarts with very minimal qualifications and not a lot of prospects. Arriving back at her family home, Alecto was ready to enjoy the rest of her life as a socialite in London, causing trouble at large gatherings and living at Carrow House on the outskirts of South West London but Iris had other ideas. No sooner had the twins turned twenty-one and they were out into society with their mother working hard to procure them marriage contracts. 

Eros had little interest in interfering in the affairs of his wife and children, as long as they eventually came to marry into Pure-Blood families and ensured at least one of them had an heir to one day inherit their house he was completely uninterested. A carousel of people would come to Carrow House to attend events held there, all thrown in the hopes of attracting someone to take on Alecto. When she was all finished and dressed in her finery, Alecto Carrow was so beautiful that her flaming red hair and piercing green eyes could rival that of Narcissa’s widely discussed good looks. But finding someone to handle Alecto would be her mother’s biggest fear. With no sorcerer seemingly up to the task it was Iris instruction that Eros begin playing cards with other notable families, in the hopes of getting into the good books of someone who would hopefully not have heard of Alecto’s wickedness enough to consider her a potential daughter-in-law. With EELIS BLACK in attendance at the bequest of his wife with no interest in gambling away any of his hard earned money, he was quite quick to offer up his son CAIUS BURKE to Alecto’s father, having seen a photograph of her and knowing her last name were enough to please both his wife and son. Alecto’s mother was overjoyed. Alecto on the other hand was less than impressed. A very self-assured and independent witch, the fact she had been offered up to a boy without her say had bothered her immensely, but instead of arguing with her mother she decided to do things her way and drive Caius away herself.

To her surprise, Alecto found that Caius had as much self-confidence as she did, was a terrible flirt and was so intent on pleasing his mother he was willing to marry her despite her horrid personality. Except to Caius she wasn’t horrid at all, she was a mysterious challenge he wanted to figure out like the artefacts which sat in his family shop. The more Alecto tried to outwit him, the more he surprised her and somewhere along the way she began to feel some genuine attraction toward him. Suddenly becoming Alecto Burke didn’t seem like the worst idea in the world, she liked Caius far more than anyone else her mother had attempted to throw her together with, but just as she found a prospect she was pleased with fate pulled out the rug from under her. Eros’ gambling was the reason her marriage contract had been drawn up and it was the reason it was also ripped apart. It seemed her father had enjoyed gambling a little too much and had found himself in a considerable amount of debt and the deed to their home in the hands of CECCILY GREENGRASS Due to her fondness for gossip and a tip off to RITA SKEETER it soon became known the Carrow family were broke. Iris had no money from the Hookum family as a result of her cutting them off and their father had gambled away whatever else they had. Iris was outraged and Amycus and Alecto who had never worked a day in their lives were promptly turned out into London to attempt to find work with their pitiful grades and notoriety as purists.

The only people who would take any pity on them were ANDRESSA and CHRISTIANO PARKINSON who saw something in the twins they thought was worth nurturing. What Alecto lacked in ability as a witch she made up for in intellect, tact and manipulation. Alecto Carrow had a way of reading people, she knew what they wanted, what they liked and what to say to get people to part with information and with their money. Twirling her long red hair around her pale finger, Alecto is known to be able to get high profile people into The Grave Affair and set them on a course of ordering the most expensive things on the menu. When she gets bored, Alecto and her brother fill their time by pickpocketing easy targets, making bets with one another as to who can get the most money at the end of the evening they then tell the Parkinson twins they earned in tips. It was a simple life for two people who thought they’d be sipping champagne in paradise for the rest of their lives, but strangely Alecto was happy. There was only one thing bothering her, something she didn’t know she wanted until she was told by his mother she couldn’t have it. Caius Burke. Alecto has overheard it being talked about that Caius’ mother is set to marry him off to ADRASTEIA GREENGRASS who curates the menu and creates the cocktails for The Grave Affair and currently holds the deeds to her house. Intent on reinstating their family name, wealth and wiping Adrasteia off the face of the earth, Alecto is determined to ensure she is once again given her rightful place in society. Whatever it takes.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Blood Status → Pure-Blood

Pronouns → She/Her

Identification → Cis Female

Sexuality  → Up to Roleplayer

Relationship Status → Single

Previous Education →  Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Slytherin)

Societies → Pura Sorores

Family → Amycus Carrow (brother/best friend/colleague), Primrose Jorkins (estranged cousin), Daisy Hookum (estranged cousin), Poppy Hookum (estranged cousin/adversary)

Connections  → William Goyle (best friend), Victor Yaxley (close friend), Lucie Hollow (close friend), Persephone Wilkes (close friend), Beatrice Davies (close friend), Violet Bulstrode (friend), Eleanor Yaxley (friend/colleague), Narcissa Black (friend), Rabastan Lestrange (friend), Caius Burke (friend/object of interest), Andressa Parkinson (boss), Christiano Parkinson (boss), Adrasteia Greengrass (colleague/adversary), Cecily Greengrass (adversary), Rita Skeeter (adversary), Tilden Toots (adversary), Saoirse MacMillan (adversary), Augustus Abbott (adversary), Eve Diggory (adversary), Sybill Trelawney (adversary), Edgar Bones (adversary)

Future Information → Eventual Death Eater, Muggle Studies Teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

ALECTO CARROW IS A LEVEL 3 WITCH.

[ms-alectocarrow]

1978 | Wedding plans

Alecto Carrow was engaged. She was engaged and going to get married as soon as she graduated from school. Theo had proposed to her during the Christmas break and now she had a wonderful engagement ring on her finger. Some girls approached to her and congratulated her, probably in hopes of recieving an invitation. Of course that was not going to happen.

They arrived to Hogwarts and after settling in, she took a bridal’s magazine and walked downstairs to the common room. That’s when she spotted Amycus sitting on their usual place and walked towards him. 

“Hullo” she said, letting herself drop on the couch next to him and crossed her legs. “What are you doing here by yourself?”

@mrcarrow 

[totallyrad-tilden]

PROMPT 006. ORIGIN STORY

MATILDE ‘TILDEN’ TOOTS / HUFFLEPUFF ALUMNA / FC: KATIE FINDLAY / TAKEN

AFFILIATION : Neutral (Order of the Phoenix ally)

BLOOD STATUS : Muggleborn

BIOGRAPHY :

     ( tw: homophobia, discrimination )

Matilde Polonia Toots was born in Ottery St. Catchpole to a middle-class muggle family, the only child of Donald Toots and Cornelia Shu. Donald and Cornelia met through work, in the small office of the film company that employed Donald, when Cornelia was transferred there as a secretary. The couple were always ones for the long run, and were together for seven years before they finally got married. They always knew they wanted to have a child, and after three years, they finally became parents to their only daughter and child. She was a blessing to the couple; growing up, she was surrounded by love and kindness, and learned to carry those same things into her life. Tilden was a bit of an oddball growing up, in more respects than one. She had a peculiar fascination with plants, spending most of her day in her family’s small garden, digging up mushrooms and climbing trees to get a better look at some particularly interesting fungus. Her little pink room was quickly filled up with books about plants, about insects, and eventually a pet tortoise that she called Bot, short for botany, what she always said was going to be her greatest love. She was a bit of a wild child, proving herself to be extremely different than the neat little neighborhood folk of her family’s social circle. But a fascination with botany and a hatred of shoes was hardly the strangest thing about Tilden. 

It started happening just after her ninth birthday. Tilden was climbing one of the trees in her backyard when  one of the branches snapped. She fell, but much to her surprise–and the simultaneous horror and relief of her parents–she froze midair just before she hit the ground and gently glided down the rest of the way. At first, they all convinced themselves that they’d imagined it. It wasn’t possible, what they’d seen, it must have been some sort of strange hallucination. The Toots family were quick to convince themselves that what they’d seen wasn’t real, and most certainly wasn’t magic. Magic was the sort of thing that only existed in books and Donald’s films, it wasn’t real. But more and more things started happening to Tilden as time went by, strange things that none of them could explain any other way than magic. Objects would float around at Tilden’s command, she could make lightbulbs glow just by touching them, and the plants on her windowsill would grow instantaneously at her touch. After a while, it became impossible to ignore. Especially when Albus Dumbledore showed up on their front step and explained that Tilden was, in fact, a witch. At first, Tilden’s parents thought it was some sort of joke. But after some coaxing, and a demonstration of magic, they eventually fell silent, listening with stoic expressions on their faces as Dumbledore explained to them about Hogwarts school, and that Tilden would learn to control her abilities there. Tilden took one look at her parents’ faces and immediately told Dumbledore that she wouldn’t go. “No,” her parents said in unison, before she’d even finished her sentence. Pale-faced, her father told her that she should go, that it would be best–for all of them–if she left. Tilden was stung by her parents wanting to send her away–they wouldn’t even agree to send her to boarding school because it meant she would be less than an hour away not three months ago–and now they wanted to send her all the way to Scotland. But Tilden agreed, and one month later, she was on the Hogwarts Express headed towards a completely new world.

Any fears Tilden had about Hogwarts were quelled when she arrived. Overwhelmed and awed by Hogwarts and the new world she was now a part of, Tilden was happily sorted into Hufflepuff house. She thrived there, and quickly discovered her passion in Herbology. She was lighthearted, humorous, and made friends easily. It took her some time to become aware of the war raging in the wizarding world, safely sheltered among her fellow Hufflepuffs. But discovering the war and its cause planted a seed in Tilden that she could never shake, and she decided halfway through her sixth year that she wanted to do something about it. She had a voice, she had beliefs, and she wanted to share both with the world. The summer of her seventh year, Tilden started her radio show, “Toots, Shoots, ‘n’ Roots with Tilden Toots” (incidentally, when she started going by Tilden rather than Matilde, because “Matilde Toots sounds like a fungus, and while fungus is groovy, I don’t want to sound like a fungus, just a fun-guy”), which she continued after graduating from Hogwarts.

Tilden moved to London after graduating, feeling more than ever the separation that had grown between herself and her parents who, though supportive of her, had never truly accepted the fact that their daughter was part of an impossible world that they could never understand or be a part of. Tilden moved in with a few friends in a small flat, got herself a job at a Potions shop, and expanded her radio show. News of the war continued to grow, and Tilden continued to speak out, determined that nothing would quell her voice, no matter how dangerous things seemed.

Things were a bumpy road for Tilden after she left Hogwarts, and her disillusionment with the wizarding world was something that she couldn’t help but struggle with. How was she supposed to belong in a world where she wasn’t wanted, and how could she go back to a world where she no longer belonged? Tilden struggled to find her place outside the walls of Hogwarts, and embrace her muggleborn heritage in the only way she knew how-- loud and proud. It wasn’t the only thing that Tilden had to be loud and proud about. She’d figured it out during her years at school, in a few fleeting affairs with fellow classmates. She was never going to have the picturesque little suburban life that her parents wanted for her. Their final hope of being able to connect with their daughter as she became a wife and a mother was snuffed out when she came out to them, and with reluctance and sadness, Tilden and her parents finally shut the door on each other’s lives for good. Tilden threw herself back into the wizarding world with a determination and a fire, and her softspoken pride in her muggleborn heritage grew into something much more unfaltering than anything before. She was different, she was scarred, pushed down and aside. But she was done being pushed into the dirt. Roots planted firmly in the wizarding world, her future set there, there was only one thing to do-- grow. 

DETAILS :

AGE : 20

TRAITS :

+ : Quirky, easygoing, righteous

– : Nervous-talker, blunt, sensitive

CANON INFORMATION : [x]

OCCUPATION : Radio personality, employee at J. Pippin’s Potions

SUGGESTED CONNECTIONS :

Daisy Hookum : best friend, secret crush

Mary MacDonald, Pandora Aldridge, Xenophilius Lovegood : best friends

Amycus Carrow, Alecto Carrow : old tormentors, terrified of

Alice Longbottom, Frank Longbottom : close friends, like family

Quirinus Quirrell, Isaac Stebbins : friends, used to tutor in Herbology and Potions