#howls moving castle fic

[waifu-13]

Midnight a howl x reader

tw slight cheating (youll see)

an hiii im back sorta, thank you for all the love while i was gone, i missed this so much

The town where you're from seems so tiny compared to the places you are seeing now except none of them have him, howl pendragon with his lush blond hair and blue eyes you could always get lost in but most importantly he's the one you describe as your first mature connection but as you look out of the tour bus window you think of what he actually was to you. You both had different goals in life. He had everything in order and you had bigger dreams than a simple life. His goal was to make you his wife and yours was to build a name no matter what, so you too had to depart. eventually, you found your way out... you never lost touch with howl tho.

But on nights like this were its almost midnight and your boyfreind has yet to show up for what time he said he'd be done working. You never would of guesed the reason you have a name is cause of your boyfreind but atleast you made it. Eventually he shows face

"babeeee I'm back" Your boyfriend's voice excited as if you haven't been waiting for him.

"hi. I'm going to bed" a cold response too tired to deal with shit, nights like these make you miss Howl so much knowing he'd never do this to you but knowing you can't go back, the next stop of the tour being in your home city doesn't help being hunted of the past but hey.. the show must go on.

You love your boyfriend he's sweet, good-looking, and highly talented just horrible at actually showing up.. with countless talks on being better at communication you just learn to deal with it but of course, sometimes when you know you're being slightly mistreated your heart gonna long for the only man who's treated you right.

before you know it the bus makes it to your city. you take a deep breath as you join your boyfriend in the before-show setup, helping with prep work, and making the VIP area look just right. All the fun stuff, the behind-the-scenes things you've grown accustomed to doing.

"hey babe, are we actually gonna do something after the show tonight?" you ask your bf as he's doing some last-minute prep.

"duhh everything will be wrapped up but 10:30 so I'm all yours at 11, I swear" he gives you a sweet smile

"Pinky promise?" you hold your pinky out

"Pinky promise," he says wrapping his pink around yours. leaving a kiss on your hand to sweeten the deal.

As the night goes on the show is incredible n everything goes smoothly as the time slowly creeps up no word. no word no sign of your bf. you look down at your phone only to see 11:30 pm lighting up across your phone screen.

"fuck it" You grab your phone and walk off the bus in tears, calling the only person you know who will come get you. searching for howls contact pressing dail

"..yn? it's late is everything okay? are you in trouble?" howls a concerned voice rushing through the phone

" yeah.. um... I'm in town.. can you come to get me please?" you managed to spit out in your upset state

"WAIT REALLY? But yeah of course hun ill be there send me an address. ill be there as soon as possible". you send him an address sitting on a curb waiting for him to show up hoping no one from your boyfriend's team shows up.

After about 20 minutes of waiting you see headlights pull up beside where you're sitting and a familiar voice chimes through the window.

"WAIT DON'T GET IN" Howl rushes out of the car hugging you... shit, he smells so good.. like wood and fruit.. somethings never change. he lets go of you opening the passenger-side door for you to get in.

The car ride back to his place was full of laughter, catching up and some tears.. howl is in disbelief at how your bf can just abandon you after promising to show. He shows you some projects he's done, and you are so proud of him seeing how far he's come in his career path going into his place you look around seeing it is exactly how you remember, him having to duck when he walks in, the wall of pictures that you told him to start, you walk over to it looking at each photo.

"you still have one's of us, we were so young. look at that" you say with a slight sadness in your tone

"Well yeah... it's a memory wall and it's not like we hate each other. we just didn't work out.." you nod in agreeance, the silence is broken by your phone ringing.

"you wanna get that,?" howl says nodding toward your phone,

"no, I know who it is, and it's the last person I wanna talk to right now, let's watch a movie or something..." Changing from the subject at hand. he agrees as you two make your way to the couch sitting down close to each other as you both pick a movie together. After some time of watching the movie howl looks over leans in and kisses you. you pull back.

"Howl.. hun you know I have a boyfriend. I stupidly love him. "

"i-i know I'm sorry just old habits.. also yn he's sorta a dickbag yn.."

"I know howl, I sometimes miss u but we weren't made for this timeline, hopefully, the next one ill love you again...ill get going" You get up from the couch closing the door leaving howl.

Rain, he wanted it comfortable I wanted that pain He wanted a bride I was making my own name Chasing that fame He stayed the same

All of me change Like midnight

[yesnoidkiguess]

wolfstar from “A heavy heart to hold" by @magswrite for @rsbigbang 2024

read on ao3

[aeshttp]

a lazy morning.

an average morning between you and your lover howl.

read under the cut!!

Soft, warm rays of sunlight slipped through the billowing curtains, splaying across your face, highlighting delicate features, as you slept peacefully beside Howl- who stared adoringly.

It was rare for Howl to be awake before you- adamant on his 'beauty sleep', and that it was entirely inappropriate to attempt to rouse him from bed before 1pm.

Yet with the alluring scene before him- long lashes dusting gently against smooth skin and pink lips slightly agape as you inhaled, it was a shame that he almost always missed you in all your radiance whilst asleep- the true sleeping beauty.

Feverish with love, Howl clambered on top of you gently, making sure not to put his entire body weight unto you, before peppering kisses all over that pretty face, starting from your forehead and skirting just by your mouth.

"Darling..." he moaned, akin to a petulant child demanding attention, pouting as your nose twitched and brows furrowed, lightly attempting to buck Howl off, most likely still enraptured in a dream.

Huffing indignantly, he took placed his head in the crook of your neck, slowly inhaling the citrusy scent that permeating from you, thoroughly comforted that you smelt so similar to home, a place that he'd always be able to find within you.

He found that it was easier to feel at ease snuggled up to you, rather than simply draping a leg over your torso or practically shoving you off the bed as his body subconsciously demanded space. From here, he could here the slow thrum of your heart, a direct contrast how his was beating rapidly- almost about to burst. You needn't do anything and you'd succeed in driving him insane, carrying so much love for you he could hardly contain it, unable to swallow as he closed his eyes, content to feel your body under his, a way to guarantee you wouldn't leave him.

A content purr left him, feeling your hands rake gently through his locks, inwardly preening at the care he had taken towards it so that you could enjoy its full extent.

No words needed to be exchanged between you, actions enough to convey the devotion you felt for each other.

Howl decided that early mornings weren't that bad.

[rebrandedbard]

How does the great Sandpiper successfully smuggle 130 children out of the Nilfgaard-occupied territory of Hamm? With the power of a forgotten story, a traditional song, and a masterful lie.

A piece for my upcoming fic, The Piper of Hamm, based on The Pied Piper of Hamelin, next in my fairy tale series.

[vofart]

@sensitiveheartless

Also a wonderful seen from Senharts Dazai's Moving Detective Agency

I dub this piece the Silverware Dance

[marigold-hills]

The Black Wizard (Part1)

When Remus leaves his hometown, it’s not to seek his fortune, or adventure, or – gods forbid – love. He leaves because he’s a monster, and monsters do not belong in society. They belong in the Waste.

This is how it happens:

It’s May Day. The village of Hogsmead is abuzz with excitement. Revellers and drunks, lovely dressed up ladies and dapper gentlemen circling one another, for propriety's sake staying respectable distances away. The gentlemen whistling at the ladies, the ladies pretending to be aghast by the behaviour, covertly blushing and giggling.

It’s a perfect day. Sunny, warm, bright.

For Remus, it’s perfect for a different reason.

Everyone is too busy to notice their pockets getting lighter. Too buzzed to pay attention to the man dressed in ill-fitting clothes waking too close to others. A casual jostle is just this - casual. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to raise concern.

Remus has a few pilfered wallets in a hidden pocket he sewed onto a stolen vest, along with his favourite book of poetry he never parts from. Some small valuables nobody would notice missing until it would be too late to track it to him. It’s easy, this. He’s done it for years.

“My apologies,” he smiles at a man in a soldier’s garb, whose money pouch he just appropriated. This one feels good for more than one reason - the soldier was in the process of accosting a lady who did not seem pleased to be accosted. She takes the moment he gets distracted by Remus and ducks away. Remus would like to say that he makes sure to only steal from those who deserve it, but it wouldn’t be true.

Food is food, and money is money, and both are something he needs to live. Remus can’t get a job, on account of being a monster, on account of how many days he has to take out to recuperate and travel somewhere far enough to make sure he wouldn’t let himself lose on Hogsmeade. He’s tried: he worked in a bakery right after his parents’ passing, then in a post office, a fishmonger and a greengrocer. He tried his hand at hunting game and selling it at a market, but his aim was poor and he couldn’t stomach the job. Each time he had to take sick days talk begun: simple at first, concerned. That poor Lupin boy, they would say, all alone now and so sickly. But soon the compassion ran out in favour of annoyance (“you need time off again? It’s barely been three weeks”). Followed, unfailingly, by questions.

Questions he has to steer people from if he wants to keep himself safe.

He’s tall but can make himself look unassuming, his hair once golden-auburn now streaked with grey from the effect of too many full moons. It’s perfect for this job, being easy to look over and hard to describe. He’s young but looks old. Feels old, too, but that’s not something for people to see.

Remus makes mistakes in this work so rarely that he doesn’t notice he’s made one until it’s too late.

He’s following a well-dressed man, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The man is exceptionally pretty, with short black curls barely skimming the tops of his ears and a gait like royalty. Remus follows behind him at a stretch, slow and careful, until they round the back of a seedy pub and the man turns around like he is the one who set the trap.

Green eyes like poison.

“Trailing the Wizard of the Waste, that’s brave of you,” the man says with a voice that freezes Remus midstep.

Because he knows better than that. He knows not to go for the people who are dressed overly expensive, with rich black fabrics and shining peacock plumes in their hats. He knows chances are somebody is watching over the really rich. That the possibility of a greater payoff doesn’t compare to the risk of being caught.

And yet here he is: caught.

“Or maybe simply foolish,” the Wizard says. “You don’t look a fool, but such things can be so deceiving, don’t you agree?”

The way his eyes pierce through Remus: all he can think is he knows. Somebody knows. Remus has been found out.

“You would know all about deceiving looks, wouldn’t you,” the man finishes like a purr of a cat poised to kill.

Remus turns and runs, tripping over his own feet in his haste to get away. Remus remembers what the townspeople did the last time someone was found out. Remembers the stench of burning flesh.

He doesn’t look back once before he flees, not even when the Wizard shouts “my regards to Sirius!”, to his retreating back. 

***

The road to the Waste is long and winding. The moon was not long full, and Remus still feels the effects it had on his body. He walks slow, using a stick he found in some bushes as a makeshift cane. Takes breaks. Bundles himself up tighter against the bracing winds. Admires the views. His hometown grows smaller and smaller, falls silent at the foot of the hill, lovely little toy buildings with their twinkly lights of windows.

He wonders if he’ll miss it. Can’t make up his mind, one way or the other. He should – right? It’s all he’s ever known.

“What do you think?” He asks his cane, because there is no one else to talk to, “will anyone notice we’re gone?”

The cane, of course, doesn’t answer. Only the wind blowing past him hears his question.

At the top, the hill becomes a plateau. Flat, green, peppered with clearwater lakes. Stretches for miles, in all directions. Remus remembers, from long-ago lessons, that the Capital is due North, and that to the East is the border with a neighbouring kingdom. It’s hard to believe when as far as the eye can see the Waste stretches, neverending and full of things ready to strike.

The sun is starting to set when he spots the Castle.

It moves towards him at considerable speed, rattling along the grass and shaking like it could come apart. By some miracle, or some magic, all of its various sticky-outy parts stay precariously attached where they seem to belong.

Remus thinks well, this is just my luck because the Black Wizard lives in the Castle, and the Black Wizard eats hearts. The heart of a monster is rumoured to give great strength, indulge the power, strengthen the spirit. Remus expected dying in the Waste – he just didn’t think it would be before nightfall on the very first day.

From Remus’ hometown the Castle could sometimes be seen far off in the mountains. It looked grand and stately, mysterious in how sometimes it was low in the hills and sometimes almost completely out of sight and far away, plumes of coloured smoke raising from its chimneys colouring the sky in reds and golds.

Up close, the Castle is ugly. Makeshift. Materials that don’t fit together, made to be imposing rather than reasonable. The embodiment of style over function. There are turrets where no turrets make sense, windows with no light behind them, and the whole front of it looks like a giant open maw. A lion’s jaw.

Remus stands still. “Now we’ve done it,” he says to the cane. Casts a final look back at the town. At the setting sun. At the lake some distance away, great and shimmering as it reflects the last rays of sunlight.

The Castle stops, the entrance at his feet. The door opens.

Remus walks towards it.

***

The Black Wizard isn’t inside. There’s only an abundance of spiders and one very chatty fire.

Remus is cold. His joints ache where they were broken apart and stitched back together not five days earlier. If the Wizard set a trap for monsters, then this monster walked right into it, with no fight.

“That’s a nasty curse you’ve got on you,” the fire’s voice is like crackling kindling.

Remus sits in a chair at the hearth. Lets the heat unlock his body. “Mmm,” he says, half in response and half in bliss.

“I could help you with that, you know. There are potions. Maybe spells.”

“Could you now,” Remus isn’t convinced. The fire sounds like he would expect – fickle, volatile, unreliable.

“Sure I could,” the fire answers. “But you’d have to help me out first. We’d call it an exchange.”

“Mmm,” he’s falling asleep now. The walk was long, and the warmth is so very pleasant.

“My name is James, not that you’ve bothered to ask.”

Remus doesn’t respond. He’s already asleep.

PART 2

******

NOTES:

Hi! I’m back with another part-per-day fic. As it’s December I’ve gone with my ultimate comfort movie to make an AU from because who doesn’t like cosy ghibli vibes?

IM SO EXCITED to say this has a companion artwork by the ridiculously talented @jaioes go check it out and give them lots of love.

See you tomorrow and happy December!

@tealeavesandtrash

@hoje--aqui

@cocoabutterandbooks

@onion-sliced-apples

@prancingpony42

@digital-kam

@remoonysiriusly

@sweetstarryskies

@a-sunset-outside-my-window

@procrastinatingstuff

@annaliza999

@wannabelilybriscoe

@quiethauntings

@veganbutterchicken

@euripidestrousers

(let me know if you do/don’t want to be tagged!)

[ticklygiggles]

Lovelynim's tickletober Day 19: Makeup

Howl x Sophie

A/N: big thanks again to always sweet @squeenxart that knows perfectly well that Howl is baby and need his ticklies! I hope you enjoy this~

"How do I look, Sophie?!" Markl asked excitedly, looking up at Sophie as if she wasn't the one that spent hours painting that skull all over his face.

"You look so terrifying, of course!"

Markl giggled happily and he rushed out of the room, probably to show Calcifer and Howl. As Sophie put away all the paints and brushes, she couldn't help but laugh when she heard a perhaps too high-pitched scream coming from the kitchen.

"But who did that to your face?! No, of course I know the answer - Sophie!"

Sophie rolled her eyes and continued packing everything into a small bag. She soon heard Howl's hurried footsteps and didn't even turn around to see him as he entered the room.

"Sophie! You can't do that kind of thing on Markl's face! What will we do if you accidentally use your magic on him and he looks like that forever!"

"I want to look like this forever!" Markl yelled from the kitchen and Sophie giggled.

"I didn't use my magic, I just said he looked terrifying and he does!" Sophie finally turned around, an eyebrow raised as she looked at his very agitated husband. "Do you want me to do your Halloween makeup too?"

"Are you insane?! Of course I don't want to- no! Don't come near me!"

Sophie giggled as she rushed towards him. Instead of leaving the room, Howl walked further into it, trying to put the bed between himself and Sophie, but he was a mess even in his own home, tripping over a piece of furniture and falling face first into the bed.

Sophie wasted no time, she quickly climbed onto Howl's back and lifted up his white shirt to expose his milky skin. Howl screeched and tried to escape from under Sophie, but Sophie pressed the paintbrush in her hand against Howl's side and the wizard burst out laughing.

"Let's see, let's see," Sophie said, painting up Howl's side. "Since Markl looks like a skeleton, I think you and I should be one too, Howl! How about I draw some ribs here on yours, hmm? Don't move too much or I'll have to start over."

Howl was cackling, squirming and jerking as Sophie carefully traced his ribs, drawing them over his skin.

"It tihihickles! Stohohop! F-Fihihine! Fine! Mahaharkl can gohoho trick or treating! He c-cahahan gohoho!"

"Ah, I'm glad you want Markl to enjoy the festivities, but I still haven't finished your costume. Now stop moving."

"Sohohophihihie!"

[decarbry]

howl's moving castle au

[sweetmelodygraphics]

Hiiii 🩷🌸🎀✨

I love your dividers SO MUCH, you're my absolute favourite on here (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)

I was wondering if you could do some Studio Ghibli themed ones? Tbh I'd love to see more Howl's Moving Castle personally, but really, any that are Ghibli related would do. Thank you so much! 🩵🧡🩷❤️💜💛💙

Aww, thank you! 😊 I would love to do that for you. Howl's Moving Castle is one of my favourite books, I haven't actually watched the film yet.

[xanthippe74]

Coming tomorrow!

Pull on your seven-league boots! At long last, my Drarry re-imagining of Howl's Moving Castle will begin posting tomorrow, February 27! There are six meaty chapters (a total of about 60K words), completely written, edited, and ready to roll out. New installments will post on Tuesdays and Fridays. For those of you who prefer to wait for the whole enchilada, the final chapter will arrive on March 15.

Featuring: Harry as Sophie/Draco as Howl, a sassy house-elf apprentice, a Fire Demon who needs to make a bargain, a witch with a grudge, a house that floats in a cloud, some displaced spiders, and one very hairy disaster.

I hope you'll join me for the adventure!

[killerandhealerqueen]

✨ weekend wip exposure club ✨

rules: post 7 sentences/a snippet of an unfinished work

@hyperbolicgrinch and @theotherwhybietoldmeso (happy weekend my lovelies!!)

From my newest F1 fic, Mama I'm In Love With a Criminal. A Loscar mafia x doctor au (my favorite kind of mafia au to write). And for anyone curious, it's Mafia!Logan x Doctor!Oscar

            “Well well well…what do we have here?” a voice purred, making Oscar look into the eyes of the man who grabbed him before he shook his head.             “Look, I’m not looking for trouble, I’m just trying to go home” he explained, just as the man trailed a finger down his jawline, a predatory grin on his face.             “Aren’t you a pretty thing?” he cooed, just as another man stepped into the alley and grinned.             “Oh, who’s this?  Is this going to be our new friend for the evening?” he asked.  The first man chuckled and nodded.             “I believe so” he replied before he looked over at the other man.             “Isn’t he pretty?” he asked.  The second man nodded as he walked over and looked Oscar up and down.             “He is” he agreed before he reached out and took Oscar’s face in his hand, turning his head so that he could look at him better.             “He has pretty eyes…and such pretty pink lips” he observed before he ran a thumb over Oscar’s bottom lip and hummed.             “They’d look quite nice wrapped around my—” he started, just as a figure appeared at the entrance of the alley.             “Now I know you boys aren’t causing trouble on my turf” they called out, making the two men stiffen before they, and Oscar, looked over to see a tall man, who looked to be rather young, maybe around Oscar’s age, with dirty blonde hair and eyes the color of the sea during a storm, standing there, dressed in all black.  At the sight of the young man, the two men cursed softly before the man holding Oscar’s face quickly released it and took a step back as the tall man slowly walked over to them and stopped before them, staring pointedly at the hand still holding Oscar’s arm until the man quickly removed his hand and took a step back.             “Sorry, Sargeant.  We didn’t…we didn’t know—” he started when the man, Sargeant, narrowed his eyes.             “Don’t hit me with that “we didn’t know this was your turf” bullshit, you knew.  You knew this was my territory and yet you still decided to do something like this” he growled, making the two men flinch as he turned and looked at Oscar, raising an eyebrow.             “You okay, sweetheart?” he asked.  Oscar blinked, surprised that he was addressing him, before he nodded.             “I’m…I’m fine” he assured, making Sargeant nod before he turned back to look at the two men, who immediately flinched and lowered their gaze, and huffed.             “Get out of here while I’m still being nice” he ordered.  The two men nodded.             “Y-Yes sir.  Thank you” one of them thanked before they turn and ran, only for Sargeant to pull a gun out of his waistband and fire two shots, hitting them both square in the back.  As they fell to the ground, dead, Sargeant tsked and shook his head before he turned back to look at Oscar, who looked at him with terrified brown eyes, and smiled slightly.             “Sorry about that” he apologized before he looked him up and down.             “You sure you’re okay?  They didn’t do anything to you?” he asked. 

Tagging: whoever wants to play

[virtualsoup]

I heard book!Sophie has straw-red hair🧐

Find me in the future!

[twogolddoubloons89]

I’m not at all an ACOTAR fan but I also adore Elucien and feel the urge to write a Howl’s Moving Castle inspired fanfic set during the first book where Lucien, instead of living in the Spring Court, moves around Prythian in a castle (hence the Howl’s Moving Castle bit) and one day Elain wanders upon him and somehow ends up hired as a cleaner in order to earn money and romantic shenanigans ensue

[veryace-ficrecs]

Howl's Moving Castle Fic Recs

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

Dealing With Dragons by Flamebyrd - Rated G

In which a dragon kidnaps Howl, and Sophie talks to a lot of inanimate objects. Oh, and the dragon.

Sleeping Beauty by haraamis - Rated T

One day, Sophie just doesn't wake up.

Romantic Comedy by nuricurry - Rated G

If there was one nice thing to be said about the notorious Wizard Howl, it was that he had an excellent eye for detail. That was how he began to notice certain things about his wife Sophie— small, homey, insignificant things, that made him feel terribly romantic and domestic and all manner of endeared to her.

In Which Sophie is Introduced to the Rugby Club by DwarvenBeardSpores - Rated T

Howl takes Sophie to Wales to meet his friends and watch a game. They get drunk, and there is more magic than anticipated. Of course.

heart palpitations by doesnotsuffice - Rated G

“Sophie, my chest aches.” “That’s your heart, Howl.” It takes Howl time to adjust to just how painful having a heart is.

Remarkable by jumpinginmuddypuddles - Rated G

“You’ll have to explain to the Matron.” Markl grumbles, but grabs Pendragon’s hand anyway and allows himself to be tugged to his feet. The Wizard’s hand is warm, worn and large. It swallows up Markl’s in a pale fist, but for once, Markl doesn’t really mind. “She’ll think you kidnapped me.” “I can do that.” Pendragon laughs. Markl doesn’t want to let go of his hand. “My name is Howl, by the way. You mustn't work under me and still call me sir. It’ll make me feel old.” Howl doesn’t take his hand away. Neither does Markl. /// Markl, on gaining a family in the weirdest sense. Howl isn't his father, nor Sophie his mother, but they're the closest he'll probably get, and he's okay with that. He's okay with them.

sunward i've climbed by elegantstupidity - Rated M

It's one thing to demolish an entire, magical castle in the pursuit of saving the man you love. It's another to try and live in it afterwards. Or: Before she can get to the business of her happily ever after, Sophie has a hell of a cleanup ahead of her.

your heart has called me closer to you by hophigh - Rated M

Sweet vignettes of Howl and Sophie's growing relationship after the events of the film.

Hearts and Their Consumption by setepenre_set - Rated T

Wizard Howl eats hearts. This isn't just a metaphor.

Natural by Minutia_R - Rated G

"Someone," said Howl with an ominous flourish of sleeves, "and I'm not naming names but it starts with an S—has tipped all my hair spells into the sink." In which Howl learns to stop worrying and love his natural hair color. In a way.

Lady of the Castle by SweetDragonSeeker - Rated G

Everyone knows there ain't no girl in Howl's castle. Right?

[vofart]

For you @sensitiveheartless because I have a feeling you enjoyed writing these scenes and i really love them

Your gonna have to click on the to read them

[marigold-hills]

The Black Wizard (part 2)

PART ONE | PART THREE

There’s a man looking at him, upside down. Black hair framing a slender face. Eyes like diamonds.

Remus has his head thrown back against the chair. The man stands over him, a curious glint of an expression.

“And who are you, prey tell?”

Remus scrambles up and off the chair, falling to the floor in the process. Hears a snort of laughter like wet logs popping in a fire.

The man raises one perfect eyebrow, watches him closely. White billowy shirt just open at the collar, showing dark ink of tattoos. Tight (tight) black trousers. Necklaces and rings and delicate gems adorning him, reflecting light, maybe radiating their own. 

The Black Wizard is much more handsome than the stories gave him credit.

Remus is staring, and the Wizard stares right back.

“Remus. Remus Lupin, sir.”

The Black Wizard visibly flinches. “Don’t call me sir,” he responds, and the cheerful tone of voice seems forced, “that’s what people called my father.”

“My apologies, umm… my lord?”

There is a laugh from the fire, and a louder one from the Wizard. It sounds like the bark of a dog. Sudden and unrestrained.

“Definitely not that. Sirius is just fine.”

For a moment Remus thinks this is a test. One isn’t supposed to get chummy with wizards. That’s how one gets their heart eaten.

But Remus is a monster. His heart is as good as gone anyway. What difference does it make, if he gets a bit too close and personal with the handsome man?

“Pleasure to meet you, Sirius.”

It’s a strange situation they find themselves in. Remus, still on the floor, limbs in a disarray of knees and elbows. Sirius, immaculate, perturbed and amused about it, like he’s waiting on the punchline.

“How did you get into my Castle, Remus?”

“It stopped and let me in?” Remus answers but it comes out like a questions, like: front door was open so I walked right in. Didn’t you know?

“Has it now? It doesn’t do that.”

Remus bristles. “I’m not lying.”

“My apologies,” Sirius takes a strange little bow. Nobody has ever bowed to Remus before. “I didn’t mean to offend. I merely meant it doesn’t do that for just anyone.”

Sirius leans down, extends a hand to where Remus is (still) half sprawled out. It’s soft to the touch but strong when it pulls him upright.

He’s surprised to find that he’s taller than the Wizard. It doesn’t seem right to be towering over a man with such a fierce reputation, yet there he is: towering. The top of Sirius’ head is rather fetching.

“If you excuse me,” the Black Wizard says with a strange flourish of his hand, “I had a rather long night. The last room at the top of the stairs is empty, if you wish to use it. James!” He shouts towards the fire, already half-way up the stairs, “be a darling and warm up the water for my bath.”

NEXT PART

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