#i already hear you saying that normal should be a hufflepuff but take that opinion and SHOVE IT because NO

[ithinkdogshouldvote]

Dndads sketch dump

(this goes without saying but i do not support the batterwitch herself. i was just watching the starkid musical and started doodling. trans lives matter. jewish lives matter. reclaim what she made into something inclusive.)

[jishyucks]

Eight Count ‣ lmh

‣ genre: fluff, enemies-to-lovers, hogwarts!au, I think it's a slow burn

‣ wc: 10.8k

‣ summary: "There's honestly no way Minho would like me. And me of all people would know that." ; in which fate decides to be an ass and make you and Minho dance partners

‣ an: I'm sosososo sorry @ whoever requested this bc of how long it took. I didn't mean for it to be so long but it kept going and uni is to blame bc all of the work :(( but anyways enjoy !!

i.

You feel the beat of your heart quicken as you maneuver through the maze of corridors that you had begun to approach. Time was ticking. The first classes of the day had already started about half an hour ago, and here you were, racing down the stone hallways, tardy and a bit dazed.

It had only been a mere five minutes since you had woken up in the dormitories in pure panic, the realization that everyone had left and you were still cuddled up against one of the pillows in your bed driving you to act quick. You could accuse your housemates of not even bothering to check if you were alive, but you soon decided to place the blame on your body's restlessness and inability to go to sleep when you wished. You wouldn't call it insomnia, but your sleeping patterns weren't normal either.

Approaching the dance room with a quiet sigh of relief, you tug at the wooden door and peek in, hoping that you weren't barging in at such a humiliating time.

Scattered around the rather room, students were paired in twos. Each couple's bodies had been facing each other, hands sitting awkwardly in the other's while their faces were turned towards the dance instructors, Professor Shin and Professor Na. By the look on Professor Shin's face, it was evident that she was about to continue speaking, but the door swinging open had caught her attention.

"Ahh Y/N, nice of you to finally join us," she clasped her hands in genuine excitement, passion towards dance obviously bubbling up inside of her.

You grinned crudely and bowed your head, "W-what should I do, Professor?" Spotting your best friend Felix within the group of students, he tried his best to send you a look of 'we were supposed to be partners'. You shot him an apologetic expression back before turning your attention back to both professors.

After a brief pause in thought, Professor Na's face lit up, "Ah yes! Lee Minho lacks a partner as of now!" Following the eyes of your teacher, they brought your line of sight to the far corner of the room where Minho had been sitting. At the mention of his name, he raised his head to see that everyone had been gaping back at him in what seemed like total silence.

A sharp intake of air through your nose had replicated a gasp, eyes growing wide, "P-pardon?" Out of all the boys in the class, an amount you couldn't keep track of with your fingers, you had to end up with Lee Minho? The human embodiment of a wet sock?

Minho was… unbearable, to say the least. It wasn't that he had done something for you to hate him, which made you seem like a bad person, but in all honesty, your guys' personalities didn't seem to match. He was too arrogant, in your opinion. He has this energy that he carries that really didn't sit well with you, and by the looks of it, the feeling was mutual. It was as if you both ended up on the opposite bc end of everything.

It really doesn't help that you're a Hufflepuff, and he's a Slytherin. For some unknown reason, they always loved teasing the people from your house, though Hufflepuffs chose not to return their actions.

"Mr. Lee is the only student remaining with no partner."

You gulped and slowly approached him, only because your professors had motioned you over to him. If you could protest, you would, but what was holding you back was the attention given by the entire class and the teacher's who seemed too excited for their own good.

Minho pressed his tongue against his inner cheek, eyes lighting up in wrongly-fueled happiness. He hopped from the upper bench and down across from you. You blinked back at him dryly, maintaining calm yet trying to speak to him with your eyes.

Crossing his arms, he leaned forward and smirked, "Why the bitter face? You should relish in your luck for ending up with me."

"Stop talking, dead cells are coming out of your mouth… Luck my as��"

"Now! That everyone has a partner, I'd like you all to stick with these individuals until these classes are finished," Professor Shin had announced. It was quickly followed by groans and whining from many of your classmates. Though you hated your partner and wished you had arrived earlier and paired with Felix, you stood quiet, isolating the anger within your chest.

"And before we begin once again," Professor Na added, "I'd like to point out that this is still a class. We will be holding a class particularly focused on evaluation and your grade will be heavily based on participation over the length of this course." Once again, a chorus of grumbles had flooded the room.

You hear Minho curse under his breath, only because he was now two steps too far into your bubble, "This is utter bullshit."

This time it was your turn to taunt, "Why? Are you scared or something? Can't dance? Can't keep up with everyone?"

Narrowing his eyes, he scoffs, "Oh, shut your mouth, bumblebee. Just wait and see."

ii.

"Get up!" Felix tugged at your arm, voice sounding louder than it actually was. When you hadn't shifted at all in your bed, he sighed and tugged once more, "Y/N!"

"Wha– Felix you're not allowed in here!" You kicked at your blanket and sat up.

"We need to get to dance class," he clicked his tongue, "Let's go~"

"I really don't want to go," you whined, "I'd rather fail a class than hold hands with Lee Minho for an hour and a half." Felix dragged you out of your bed to see that you were already dressed in your robe, only your yellow and black tie had been carelessly tied.

"Wait, did you not change out your clothes from yesterday?" Felix jumped back in exaggeration, alarmed and slightly grossed out. His nose scrunched while he judged you through his eyes.

You glared at him and scoff, "Of course I did, you idiot. And don't act like you haven't done that." You take this as your victory as it was true, Felix had gone two days without changing, and it was a bit nasty considering all the places he's gone to in a day.

This time it was his turn to glare at you, "You shut your mouth! Now let's leave before Snape sees us roaming the halls once class starts."

Minho winced slightly, trying not to let your feet ruin the simple waltz routine that the class had finally run through, "If you step on my foot one more time, I'm shoving yours up your arse." His teeth were gritted in frustration, looking down at you with narrowed eyes.

"Then stop stepping on my feet," you muttered back, hoping that no one else, especially the professors, were hearing you two bicker.

It had only been about two lessons into the class and that amount of times that Minho had purposefully disrupted the routine… as if it were good, to begin with.

The two of you found it difficult to fall in sync with each other. It was always either going too fast or too slow, someone making an 'accidental' mistake, and Minho's favourite, holding your hand and hip with a tight and stubborn grip. It wasn't evident whether he was doing it on purpose, either, but you had pointed it out plenty of times, and he never seemed to loosen them.

"I'm not stepping on them," he pushed you back a little too early in the dance, causing you to stumble on your own feet. This caught the attention of those around you, though they carried on almost immediately after.

"Tell that to my bruised toe," you argued back.

As if you were being blessed, the music had finally come to an end. You promptly retracting your arms and to your body and taking a step back from Minho. He had done the same, going an extra mile to turn away from you and to the professors.

"Perfect! Perfect!" Professor Na's face lit up from excitement, "Now that we have learned this simple routine, next class we are moving on to one of the actual dances done in the Yule Ball as tradition. I hope you all are excited as I am!" Very few students had taken time to let out a "whoop" while everyone else, including you, chose to retrieve their books at the seats.

Felix approached you with a pitiful smile. He already knew what you were going to say, patting your back gently, "So how was it?"

Exhausted, you just shook your head and shrugged. Being partners with Minho honestly had been completely draining for you, mentally and physically, which was unusual as you could often live through such situations without feeling the need to scream.

"What else do you think?"

Felix nodded apologetically and puffed out his cheeks, "Is it as bad as the potions exam we had in fourth year?" He shuddered subtly and led you out of the classroom. Just thinking about that exam made Felix want to claw at his brain. If there was a way to take a particular memory and make it disappear from the chamber of long term memories, he would. Maybe then he'd be able to get a few more hours of sleep.

"Yes," you replied simply. The test was equally as horrible for you, but a test didn't force you to 'create chemistry' with a certain Slytherin.

"You're lying… can't be that bad," Felix laughed lightly.

"Easy for you to say," you sighed.

From behind, you feel someone bump your shoulder and pass by you, "Oops," he snickered, walking backwards to watch your reaction. The only thing he was missing was popcorn.

You turned to see Minho and rolled your eyes, "Ha-Ha, you're so funny, Lee Minho." Such a childish joke and you guys were almost leaving Hogwarts.

Though your reply had been dripping in sarcasm, Minho's wit had dodged it entirely, "Well thank you very much," he bowed, more like a manly curtsy, before he ran off, leaving Felix slightly puzzled at what just happened.

"Don't you see how much of a dingbat he is? He constantly chooses to pick on me just to get a reaction out of me," you utter, "He should be glad I was raised to be patient, if not I'd be hexing him like the world was near its end."

"I see a pattern," Felix hummed. The expression on his face looked as if he had come to an incredible epiphany.

Making a face, you click your tongue, "What do you even mean by that?" What pattern? Green, white, green, white? Minho and his constant need to be the crow to your crops?

Felix patted your head, "You're slow sometimes, you know that right?" He puffed his cheeks up and raised his brows as he looked down at you as if you were a kid.

"Can you just spit it out?" you narrowed your eyes at him before you physically pried his hand off your head.

"Minho does all of that just to get a reaction out of you," Felix presses his lips into a thin line, slowly forming a smile.

Finally arriving at the next classroom, you groaned, "You basically repeated what I said earlier…"

"If you didn't know this already, boys love getting attention from someone they are attracted to," Felix plopped into his seat. You followed right after, "I should know… I'm a boy."

You almost laugh at the tone of his voice. The confidence and the look he gave you to emphasize his statement; was all too funny, "So what you're saying is… Lee Minho has a – and god forbid– crush on me?" Felix nods like a young child, with eyes wide and a tight-lipped smile.

"Bollocks," You burst out laughing, "Felix, I love you, don't get me wrong, but you've never said anything more rubbish in the years I've known you."

"The chances are never zero," Felix put his index finger as if he were saying it in 'a matter of fact'.

You lean forward and sit your chin at your folded forearms. You eyed the teacher as she made her way into the room, "You're right there, Lix, but there's honestly no way Minho would like me. And me of all people would know that." You locked that statement in, feeling your words and emotions contradict.

Right?

iii.

"And then Y/N had the audacity to step on my foot," Minho kicked at the bench across from him, frustration released after what seemed to Seungmin was years of ranting. He didn't mind though, in years of being in the same house as him, he learned how to block him out yet still know what was going on when Minho asked for some sort of reply.

Minho tapped the end of his pencil against his textbook, eyes drifting off elsewhere in the grand hall. Students were clumped at their respective tables, studying for whatever class they had. Minho was trying to do the same, but his state of mind was not in the mood. But he was trying, he was pushing himself, that's what mattered in his opinion.

Turning his attention to Seungmin, who was seated next to him, he jumped, seeing that Seungmin's eyes were wide and directed at him, "What the hell!?"

"What?" Seungmin shifted back forward, facing his own books. In a sense, the scene was hysterical. He acted as if he hadn't done anything wrong or out of the ordinary, but Minho still tried to push an explanation out of him through looks.

"What do you mean what? Why were you looking at me like that?" Minho put his pencil down and closed his book on it.

"I was trying to see something," the boy shrugged and got back to his own work.

Again, Minho furrowed his brows at Seungmin's lack of detail in his response. What in the world was he even trying to do? "Trying to see what? If you don't answer me properly–"

"Okay! Okay!" Seungmin exclaimed a little too loudly, earning looks from other wizards in the room, "You know that saying that if you're in love, you start to glow?"

"No? What type of nonsense are you saying?" Minho scoffed, "Love? Are you sick or something?" Roughly, Minho brought the back of his hand to Seungmin's forehead, which Seungmin had thrown off almost right away.

"You've been talking about Y/N this entire period, you haven't stopped until moments ago," wiggling his eyebrows, Seungmin whispered his reply to Minho, making sure no one would be able to hear him this time.

Minho's face had contorted into one of disgust and confusion, "And?" Where was Seungmin even going with this? He was just relieving stress. It's not that deep.

"My point is that they're the only thing you've been talking about lately," Seungmin scribbles his pen at the top of his paper to get it to work, "Even if I start the conversation, it somehow just shifts to Y/N. Normally I'd be mad, but since you're in love, I'll let it pass."

"In love?" Minho's jaw dropped, a mixture of emotions swimming around inside of him, "In love!?" Trying to find words to perfectly reflect what he was saying, he fails, shoving Seungmin off the bench. Actions spoke louder than words, right?

Seungmin smirked and chuckled, unfazed, "What? Cat got your tongue?" He gets up, dusting his robe off before sitting back down, "It's because I'm right, aren't I?"

Minho gulps, "Will you quit it? You're…"

"I'm…?"

"You're confusing me. Quit it," Minho huffs, gathering all his things as he was planning to return to the dormitories. This was a different way of playing with emotions. There was a zero per cent chance that he liked you, or worse, loved you. That word was way too strong, dangerous like amortentia.

"I take that as a yes!" Seungmin stood his ground, just letting out a genuine laugh.

Minho held a finger up at Seungmin, who still laughed, unbothered. He didn't like you. And if he did, it wasn't wrong to do so. It was an ordinary mortal thing to have feelings. But that didn't matter right now because he didn't like you, not even a tiny crush.

But that slight state of unfamiliar panic in his heart says otherwise.

iv.

The muscles in your arm were aching from the horrible fact that Minho had been purposefully letting his arm go limp while he was holding your hand, which somehow led to you holding up his arm with your arm. You frowned at him, tempted to let your arm fall in the middle of the routine.

"Can you actually put in some effort?" you whispered through gritted teeth. Squeezing Minnho's hand, you directed a look of annoyance that only returned with an amused look. Underneath his robe, you could tell he had been intentionally dragging his feet, causing the both of you to slowly hold those partnerships behind you up.

"I'm not wasting energy on this," he shrugs quietly, "It's ridiculous."

"What don't you find ridiculous?" you rolled your eyes, "You Slytherins and the lack of interest in anything but yourselves. Where's the excitement in that?" No, you didn't want to generalize the entire Slytherin population, especially since you had family members from that house, but you knew exactly how to rev up Minho's engine. Just by the way his face twisted, you knew damn well you hit the right spot.

"Shut your mouth before I spin you a little too hard…" he said a little bit louder, "I don't find it ridiculous, I just find that us being partners is ridiculous… who in this entire school would want to be partners with you?" Before you could even reply, he had caught you, "That's not from your house."

"Jokes on you, I know plenty of people who would be partners with me," you scoffed, and it was true. There was Jisung who had somehow been sorted into Gryffindor, Hyunjin and their seniors, Bang Chan and Changbin. And there was Jeongin, who was a Ravenclaw. You could list a handful more, but that's beside the point.

"Silence is deadly," he stifled a laugh which had driven you to 'accidentally' stumble over your own feet. This caused him to stumble himself, only he wasn't prepared for it, "I'm blaming you for ending up being my partner. I was hoping someone else would've entered the room. But no, it had to be you."

"You're blaming me? For this?" You shake your head out of disbelief, not noticing that your voice had gone louder. You were catching the attention of those around you and the professors at the front of the room, "You could have found a partner you wanted in the first place but you probably decided to stay back and wait for someone to go up to you. No one wanted to be partners with you, which is why you ended up alone in the first place."

Minho's eyebrows furrowed, eyes almost on fire at what you had just said, "You know what?!"

Before he had been able to continue the banter, Professor Shin had cleared her throat. The glares that they both were sending your way had caused the both of you to stop with the squabbling, "Y/N, Minho, I know we've never talked to the two of you about your constant bickering, but it is simply interrupting the atmosphere of my classroom."

Taken aback, the both of you had stumbled over each other's feet, falling to the ground and causing a domino effect among the rest of the students.

Flustered, you turn to Minho, "That was all your fault, Lee Minho." You huffed and attempted to get up, failing once you noticed that Minho was practically lying on your leg.

"Oh be quiet," he rolled his eyes and dusted himself off, "That was all you! You and your two left feet." The rest of the room was silent, regardless of the incident. All ears and eyes were on the 'love birds,' not entirely sure whether or not they should blame you both on what had just happened.

Sliding out from underneath him, you scoffed, "Don't speak so highly of yourself, Minho."

Minho cackled, "Highly? Of myself?!"

"Stop this instant!" Professor Na had finally mustered up the courage to intervene, anger bubbling in his stomach, "Enough!" The two professors began helping the students up, scolding both of you as they did.

"Five points deducted from your respective houses," Professor Shin said sharply, "And you both are now in charge of polishing the floor every Friday for the following three weeks."

"But professor–"

Minho was cut off, "That, or ten points off for your houses…" And without another word, you both chose to polish the floors after all classes were done for the day.

Day one of polishing the floors was practically the most difficult. Not only did the professors restrict using magic to finish the chore, but the overall idea of doing something alongside Minho aggravated you, which was why you hated dancing with him so much. The comments he'd make, the taunting looks he'd give you, the jokes that were obviously uncalled for, they all were honestly bringing you to the point of near insanity.

At first, both of you had decided to start off on the same side, almost the same corner. But the moment you noticed Minho constantly glancing your way in the corner of your eye, you decided against it, "How about I start at that end."

"Whatever floats your boat," he mumbles, "I don't care."

The tone in his voice hadn't matched yours, which you assumed was polite enough not to spark some type of that energy in him, but it did.

"Whatever," you make your way to the other end, sliding your robe off on the way. You let it hang off one of the benches, making sure it wasn't touching the floor. You rolled up your sleeves and started polishing the further end of the room, a bit relieved that Minho wasn't hovering anywhere within your line of sight. It was better that way.

The second day, you were hoping that you could get through a period of cleaning without hearing Minho's ungodly voice. He had been moving back and forth from one corner to the other, feet squeaking seemingly endlessly against the floor. You wished that the volume of the music could be turned up louder.

"I'm doing more than you are," Minho pointed out. You turned to find that he was standing in the middle of the room, hair messy and beads of sweat lining his hairline. His collar was out of place, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows just as yours were. Did he, for some reason, look attractive, or was it the lack of light in the room? Probably the latter.

"What do you mean you're doing more than I am?" you feel your eyebrows knit together in confusion, "I'm doing the same amount of work as you." And you were, but you were working just a bit slower than he was. He had probably sped through his area with the idea that the sooner you both finished, the sooner you were able to leave.

"Just hurry up," he groaned. Minho dragged his feet over to a lone stool, pushing it against the wall before plopping into it. The music continued to play, drowning out the shuffle noises of his feet.

"No," you replied, keeping your speed consistent. It wasn't like you wanted to stay longer. It was the fact that Minho couldn't leave until you were finished that was making you act this way. Maybe if he did his job well, he wouldn't be sitting around doing nothing.

Tile by tile, you continued to carry out the chore given to you, not paying mind to the pair of eyes that were burning holes into your back. You ensured that the areas you had worked on were basically spotless, reflection or not, you assumed that shiny meant clean.

Minho had been humming along to the somewhat catchy tune, foot tapping to pass the precious time he believed you were wasting. Nonetheless, he leaned back and sighed, hoping you could finish in time, so he had time to nap before dinner.

"Why do they even need classes for dancing?" He sighed out. At first, you weren't quite sure if he was speaking to you or if he was just thinking out loud, "I feel like we'd be fine either way…" You turn to look at him, seeing that he was already staring at you down.

"I mean it's going to look nice at the Yule Ball,"

You replied.

"Yeah but not everyone's going… it's a waste of time," Minho had a point, yet you still found it somewhat amusing that the school would want to organize such things.

"I don't see why you don't just skip class if you find it a waste of time," you moved onto another spot and sighed, "No one's stopping you."

"Yeah but who'd be your partner then?"

Not knowing how to react to his question, you keep quiet. Minho decided not to follow up on the problem, thinking that he had said something out of the ordinary.

The sun had reached the horizon when you finished your portion of the room. You stood up to stretch, hearing the joints of your knees and back pop out of exhaustion. It was satisfying to see the difference between the used, scruffy floor and the clean, polished floor.

"Okay Lee Minho I'm finished," without taking a glance at the boy, you made your way over to the record player. You lifted the needle off and picked the record up, slipping it into its sleeve. It didn't occur to you that Minho hadn't shifted in the past thirty minutes, silence filling the room because you turned the music off.

"Minho?" Finally turning to him, you found him sleeping with his head sat back against the wall. His mouth was wide open, practically becoming a makeshift trap for bugs that happened to be flying around. The rest of his body was limp, legs spread out beneath him. It was surprising that he hadn't fallen off yet.

You walked up to his sleeping figure and laughed lightly, wishing you had a camera to capture this moment. It would've been great blackmail. Maybe then he'd start being nice to you. Naturally, your eyes followed the slope of his nose, then to the two front teeth that stuck out from underneath his top lip.

He had bunny-like features, and you didn't mean that in a wrong way. His face was still sculpted nonetheless. Anyone with eyes would have to admit that he was attractive.

"Done staring at me yet?"

You screamed and jumped back, pressing your hand up to your chest as if to calm you down. Looking back at Minho, you find that his eyes were still closed, yet a smirk had replaced his gaping mouth. The number of curse words that threatened to leave your mouth was countless, the embarrassment creeping up to your cheeks. He finally lifted his head to look at you, eyes still a bit droopy from his nap.

"I-I wasn't staring at you," you denied, shaking your head a bit too aggressively, "Well I was… but because I was laughing at how foolish you just looked."

An offended look surfaced Minho's face, scowling at you as he stood, "I have this feeling that you're lying, bumblebee… Anyways, this is where I leave. Finally, after years." He shook his rolled-up sleeves so that the cuffs slid back to his wrists. You let him leave without another word from the two of you, still in a bit of shock at what just happened. You knew he was never going to let you forget that.

You slumped next to Felix as dinner was being served, an expression almost as heavy as your posture. He looked down at you, debating whether or not he should interrupt the mini montage you were probably playing through your head.

"I want to ask you how the cleaning today was but I think I already know just by looking at you," he stated, sliding a piece of roasted chicken your way, "Unless you do want to speak about it. Just eat and the day's over."

You gave him a grateful smile and gestured for him to eat too, eyes lighting up slightly, "I'm actually not tired from cleaning that stupid dance room, but it's just… this thing that happened. It was beyond embarrassing."

Felix snorts and stuffs his cheeks with food. His words came out muffled as he still chose to reply with a full mouth, "What happened this time?"

You glanced towards the Slytherin table, eyes scanning it quickly to get one quick look at Minho before you whispered, "Minho fell asleep waiting for me to finish cleaning. He looked idiotic as he did so I sorta just—how do I say this— stared at him? But it wasn't like I was admiring him, it was more like I didn't want that stupid look on his face to go away. It was amusing."

"And?"

"In the middle of that he went, 'are you done staring yet?' It was like he had a sixth sense or something," you muttered, "Now I feel like he's making fun of me."

"Doesn't he always make fun of you," Felix had yet again stuffed his mouth, so his words were still muffled, "Why does it matter this time?"

"It's different. It's not some useless situation… it was genuinely embarrassing," you poke the food before taking a bite of your own, "He's going to it against me, I already know."

"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure he'll forget it sooner than you will."

"Hey remember when I caught you staring at me?" Minho's voice echoed faintly throughout the room. He stood up to stretch before he crouched back down.

"I never stared at you," you sneered, "And why are you talking about that as if it happened years ago. That was literally last week."

"That's long enough in my book," he retorted, "Good times." A small reminiscing type smile appearing on his lips.

"Can you not start? I sorta want today to be stress-free and you're literally ruining it," you roll your eyes and move onto the next tile on your side. Minho had decided to choose a different record to play today, one the professors had never played in class. It had been hidden behind all the other records being used, and it took Minho a good five minutes to rake through all of them just to get to it.

The songs were more upbeat than the waltz music you were forced to listen to, which was actually much more perfect for cleaning to. It made it a bit more bearable than the last two times you had to clean.

Minho didn't reply, though you didn't see how he switched glances between you and the mechanical polisher in hand. The track had shifted into a faster song, something that was easy to dance to. From where he stood, he could see your knitted eyebrows, eyes dropping from the slight fatigue blanketing over you after a long school day.

Upon awareness that his shoulders were slumped, he straightened himself and sighed. This week had indeed been a long week, and it was evident in some way in both of you. This was the last of the week's labour before he could go and relax while mindlessly saving his homework for Sunday.

The music had been tempting to let go earlier than he should for the week, the steady beat and the catchy melody filling the room.

Putting the polisher and the rag down, he took a few steps towards you, still contemplating whether he should do what he was thinking or not. He was unsure whether it was bizarre for him to pull such a thing. But you did say you wanted a stress-free day, so he thought he should switch up a bit.

He started moving his body to the rhythm of the music, head bobbing as it took over him naturally. It was easier dancing alone than with a partner, that's for sure, but he wanted to invite you.

"Y/N!" He was freestyling, arms flailing and legs bringing him across the room with a swift movement.

You sighed, "What now?" Turning to Minho, you find him in the middle of the dance room, doing what the room was made for. He had a foreign smile on his face, not the usual smirk you'd find him sporting.

"What the–"

"Join me!"

You went through several different emotions in seconds, confusion, amusement, joy, contemplation… how were you supposed to react to a goofy Minho?

"Join me!" He repeated. This time he approached you, hands out in invitation, "C'mon it's fun!"

"Minho, we have to finish this so we can leave, remember?" You tried to keep a stern look on your face, yet you couldn't hold back the smile that had been forcing itself out. Minho suited this look; It was happier and carefree. You didn't know that his eyes would light up when he smiled a somewhat gummy smile.

"I know, but let's take a break," being the impatient boy he was, he took hold of your hands and pulled you up. He led you in a dance that probably wasn't considered a partner dance. He just pushed your arms back and forth like those scenes in the movies.

"Minho!" You finally let out a laugh, feet unable to keep up with his. He was sidestepping left, then sidestepping right, then back and forth, all unplanned. You stumbled, letting out joyful laughter that was rare around Minho. He laughed along with you, eyes disappearing the bigger his smile got.

When your legs had gotten worn out from constant movement, you tripped over one of them, sending you and your dance partner to the ground. Instead of erupting anger that would have usually washed over you, fits of laughter fell in its place, echoing throughout the room.

Before you could ask if he was okay, you hear footsteps enter the room, a confused Professor Shin staring the both of you down, "What are you two doing?! This is not polishing the floors!" The exasperation changed the normal hue of her skin into a shade of crimson.

Quickly apologizing, you get up and return to your so-called 'stations,' not being able to say another word about what had just happened to each other.

You wouldn't admit it out loud, not in front of Minho at least… but that was the most fun you've had in weeks.

Little did you know, Minho felt the same way.

v.

There was a part of you who had gotten used to Minho's horrible dancing after two weeks of dancing classes. After what happened last week, there was a tiny sliver of toleration that had surfaced from both of you. It was mutual. But obviously, neither of you were going to admit it.

Though Minho was starting to get somewhat bearable, there were still days when he'd begin to act up, smirk pinned tightly on his lips while he mischievously pranced about in the dance room. Today was one of those days.

When Professor had slipped the record onto the play, dropping the needle onto the very edge and starting it, Minho had chosen to let his body go heavy, relying on you to haul him around like a giant, weighted ragdoll. You knew he wasn't tired, just judging by the look in his eyes.

"Give it up," you tugged him roughly in one direction, then again towards another, feet hardly following the steps the class was taught the past few weeks. If Minho let his body grow just a bit limper than it already was, his head would have fallen directly onto your shoulder. If you were being honest, you didn't want any attention from anyone else in the room, "Lee Minho, I'm not in the mood for this today, okay?"

Minho's ears perked at the foreign tone that had slipped from your lips, sensing that you were being serious. You would tell him to quit it most days, but never with that tone; It was no fun if you weren't fighting back. Sighing quietly, he had picked his body up and started to follow the eight-count that Professor Shin was practically yelling out.

This minor change didn't go unnoticed by you, feeling his body grow lighter just moments after you'd ask him to quit it. Did he just…?

Other students in the room were surprised that you two were going more than thirty seconds without arguing like a married couple. Many sets of eyes didn't bother leaving the both of you, watching what would happen next in the twist of events.

Minho's feet carried his body swiftly; for the first time, he was guiding you like he was supposed to, but his eyes were glued to his feet, not wanting it to become weird if he were to make accidental eye contact with you. He didn't like how quiet it was between the both of you. The music didn't even do its purpose by filling the silence.

"Are you going to the Yule Ball?" Minho asked awkwardly. He twirled you as part of the dance. He recognized that look on your face which was basically a wordless reply, "That was probably a dumb question." Shaking his head, Minho mentally slapped himself. Never in his life did he fail with words.

"Of course I'm going," you replied rather expressionless, "Why would I not?" You were almost as confused as earlier. Minho trying to make a civilized conversation. Who the fuck was this? It wasn't Minho.

He shrugs, "I don't know… I guess you have a date…?" Minho, what the fuck. He squeezed his eyes shut as if the stone floor would swallow him wholly to take him away from this situation.

As puzzled as you were, you still decided to keep the conversation as it was, "Nope… I think I'm just going with Felix for fun." You tried to keep your tone calm when really you were freaking out. The only thing was you had no idea why you were freaking out, "Y-you?" Facepalm.

"No one."

None of you chose to speak after, not knowing where the conversation was going. The song was slowly reaching the end, which you had wished came sooner. Minho's hands were growing sweaty, and you wanted nothing more than to wipe your hand off. It was getting hot in the room too. Your collar was growing tight, throat itching for water.

Minho's heart was beating a bit too fast for his liking, but it was probably because he was growing tired from the moving. He wondered if you could feel how sweaty his hands were getting. Embarrassing.

"Final counts!" Professor Na called out before the static of the record player replaced the music. The two of the professors had clapped in adoration, overlooking all the students in the room.

Professor Shin had a broad smile on her face, "Beautiful! Gorgeous! Best one so far!" She twirled in place, "Thank you everyone! The Yule ball is in two weeks so I am very pleased with the effort you all are putting into this class! Remember we still have the final class in which you are graded, which I'm sure you all will ace."

"I couldn't care less," Minho mumbled, only so you could hear.

You turn to him, squinting your eyes and tilting your head to express your slight frustration, "You know I'm your partner right?"

"Oh no~ really?," he stuffed his hands into his pockets, "And?"

"And? I don't want to fail this class, even though I'm forced to dance with you," you stated, "So don't you fucking dare fail us both." That tone in your voice was evident once again, catching Minho off guard. The only reason that it had this effect on him was that he was so used to you choosing to fight back. It was like some sort of reminder that everyone around him was getting old, and soon all those around him were expected to be serious.

Nevertheless, Minho shrugs to annoy you, "Whatever."

Instead of answering, you eyed him once more. Your dancing just a few moments ago says otherwise.

You had practically sighed out the total capacity of your lungs as you hung onto Felix's arms on the way out the door.

"What are you sighing about?" He chuckled.

"You already know," you elbowed him.

Felix rolled his eyes and sang, "I saw you guys dancing earlier~."

You pushed him away gently, shock littering your face and posture, "What the bloody hell are you on about now, Lee?"

"You guys actually look cute together when you aren't babbling and all," he grinned innocently. Your heart had the audacity to skip a beat, startling you just as much as Felix did.

"Cute?" You scoffed, "First you said you think he liked me, now this? Are you his wingman or something? Are you trying to get me to like him?"

Felix skipped in his step, "I don't even talk to Minho, Y/N, don't be ridiculous… wait… did you basically just say you're starting to like him?" He gasped, hand slapping over his mouth, which had fallen in shock.

"No," you say flatly.

"Liar," Felix poked at your rib, "Liar. At least confess that you find him less bad."

"Sure, whatever makes you happy, Felix."

When you had fallen out of Felix's line of sight, you let the corner of your mouths turn up slightly. He said we looked cute, you think, only followed by you flicking yourself in the temple.

-

"I thought you were staying here until it closed?" you frown at Felix, who started gathering his stuff. You both had planned on cramming everything in for a test the next day, but plans didn't go as planned when Felix was eager to go back to the dormitories to sleep until the morning.

"My eyes are going to fall out of their sockets if I don't go and sleep, Y/N," he pats your head as if he were talking to a young child, "You can stay if you want. I know how much you hate studying in the common room." He double-checks his area to ensure he hadn't forgotten any of his belongings before patting your head once more. He grins and turns towards the door of the library, leaving you sitting alone at the table.

"Felix ~" You called out quietly, only for him to wave with his back facing you. You sighed and slumped back in your chair, resting your arms on the handles. Libraries were so much better when you had company.

The words in the textbook were starting to turn into blobs of ink, and for a second, you were thinking about following in Felix's footsteps. After moments of consideration, you shook your head and sat up. You'll stay, even if it was against the will of your fatigue self that had been prompting you to leave. This was all your fault anyway. Procrastination was a cruel thing.

Hunching forward, you let your eyes trace over the words, trying to process the information. You rewrote the info you wished to remember carelessly. Your notes resembled chicken scratch, but at this point, you didn't care because it was simply supplementary to your studying. The sun was close to its horizon, and the library was close to empty. It was somewhat more motivating.

Slowly the information had started to get more interesting. It was easier to run through the key terms and ideas listed in the textbook, and you could feel the exhaustion simply leaving your body. I'll finish this one last chapter and then save the rest for lunch tomorrow.

Your focus on the book had hindered your peripheral vision that the presence of another wizard floating over your shoulder went unnoticed. It was only until they had sat down next to you when you finally noticed.

You jumped in your seat, eyes growing wide. You had luckily suppressed your scream with your hand, which you had, out of defense, swung forward, slapping the person in the chest.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You don't sneak up on people like that, Minho," you rolled your eyes at the Slytherin, shifting away from him before turning your attention back towards the textbook. He scooches closer with intentions of irritating you, pushing his face towards your book, "What are you doing?"

You push him away and stick one of the thicker books between you both, "What does it look like?"

"Studying?"

"You're smarter than I thought, Lee Minho," sarcasm dripped from your voice as you glared at him. Attempting to continue with the final chapter, you miserably fail when Minho interrupts your concentration by tapping his fingers loudly against the wooden table.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" you say numbly, voice muffled by your robe, "I was literally just sitting here and you decide to do this."

Minho shrugs and uses his arms as a makeshift pillow, "I was bored, saw you, here I am, I'm here to stay."

Your eyebrows furrowed at the fact that Minho decided to 'spend time with you upon seeing you. You had no idea whether to feel flattered or irritated, but you knew you were confused. He could've just gone back to the Slytherin dungeons to sit with his housemates, but he saw you and decided to sit with you.

Staring blankly at the bookshelves across from you, you huffed out the corner of your mouth, blowing a stray strand of hair by your cheek. You did say you wanted company. You just weren't sure if it was Minho's company that you wanted. Glancing down briefly at him, and looked back up to the bookshelves.

"Fine," you say after pondering about the idea.

Minho's ears perked up, raising his brows, "Fine?"

"Just don't be loud."

Minho's head tilts in confusion, though he still complies, sitting next to you patiently. You continued to read through the final chapter, which you had underestimated in length. The chapter was a good half a centimetre in thickness. Though it didn't seem as much at first glance, the pages were practically dipped in ink, words covering it from one corner to the other.

You could feel your eyes grow heavy as you delve deeper into the chapter. Your bed was calling for you, but there was no way you were going to give. Not until this chapter was finished.

The library had been silent except for the occasional click of the pen from the librarian's desk. You had been mentally counting down the number of pages left to skim over, eager to feel that feeling of satisfaction you usually get once you finish a task. It was the same feeling as crossing or checking off a chore on a to-do list.

Minho had settled his eyes on the centre of your book, keeping them steady even as you flipped the pages. He felt the lids of eyes gradually get heavier as each page went by, and by the time you shut the book in delight, he had fallen asleep.

"Again?" You furrowed your eyebrows, remembering the last time he had fallen asleep in your presence. You darted your eyes away from his dormant figure, not making that same mistake twice, "Minho, wake up."

He stirs right away, head rising from his arms. This time he says nothing, pushing himself off of the library's chair before stumbling over his own feet as he makes his way to your side. He looked like a toddler, and it was admittedly adorable.

"Why didn't you just go straight to the dorms if you were tired," you snorted at his dumbassery. Some students still littered the halls even if curfew was nearing. Instead of parting from your side at the library's entrance, Minho stuck by your side.

"I wanted to spend time with you outside of class," he grumbles. He blinks at the long corridor in front of you two, eyes barely staying open from exhaustion.

Feeling your heart skip a beat, you tried to pick out if he was joking or not, but his tone screamed, 'I'm tired.' Any other emotion was hard to comb out, so you sighed and shook your head, pressing your lips into a smile, "Sleep that cheesiness off, Lee Minho."

Minho continued to walk next to you, silent and confused about what you just had said. It wasn't like he was drunk. He was well aware of what he just said. Nonetheless, he subtly walked you to the kitchen corridor, parting ways with you with an uttered 'goodbye.'

vi.

Sitting against the stone wall, you watched the rest of the class carry out the dance routine, formation changes and all. You ran through it with them, only mentally as your partner was nowhere to be found, and the class was halfway done.

There were barely any classes left before the final graded run through, and Minho really thought it'd be funny to skip? You would have let it pass if you guys weren't the worst duo in the room, but you guys are the worst duo in the room, which made the situation different.

"Professor Na," You asked quietly, "Has Lee Minho been excused from today's class. Is he ill?" You didn't want to jump to conclusions, keeping in mind that people did have their own reasons. Maybe he had caught a cold or was doing a missed exam that was far more important than dancing.

"No word from Minho, Y/N," the professor hummed back.

You frowned and thanked him, turning back to the main dance floor, students moving in sync. Where was he?

Just as you had finished your train of thought, the door had swung open just like it probably did on the first day of class. Minho stumbled in, hair a mess and a rather sheepish smile stamped on his lips.

"I apologize Professors," he bowed deeply, following the perimeter of the room. He bowed again as he reached the two instructors at the front of the room.

Professor Shin stopped her counting, "No need to apologize to us, apologize to your partner." She gestured towards you, already looking back. Minho nodded and approached you, though when he did reach you, he didn't apologize.

"And?"

"And what?" Minho ridiculed.

"Aren't you going to apologize like what the Professor asked?" You tried not to laugh at how Minho had been acting.

Minho let out a cackle, “No? Why should I? Can you stand up so we can start dancing or something?" His hand was itching to reach out for yours, feeling like he should pull you towards him, but he hindered himself from doing so, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Instead of pushing the apology out of him, you decided against it, not wanting to waste any of your time, "Why are you even late?"

The two of you followed the crowd, joining in at the perfect time. Minho smirked, "Worried about me or something? I know I'm in your head twenty-four seven, but I didn't expect you to be so obvious about it."

Tightening your grip around his hand, you gritted your teeth, "I wasn't worried about you, nitwit."

"Then why are you asking?"

"Because you made me sit, doing nothing for nearly forty-five minutes?" You reply as if you were pointing out the obvious, "So why are you late and coming to class looking like a mountain troll?"

"Wow, ouch," he sighed, "I slept in. Am I going to hell for doing so? Because I can recall you did the same the first day and got us into this mess."

"This is about you, not me," you applied pressure onto his hands, causing him to stumble back slightly, ruining the rhythm he had built up. He furrowed his brows at you and did the same, only you were somehow ready for it.

"Oh please," Minho rolls his eyes, "You've done the same so you shouldn't even be mad at me."

"I'm only frustrated, not mad, there's a difference," you point out, "And I'm frustrated because we have that graded dance next week. If we fail, it's going to be your fault."

"It takes two to tango," he quoted, "And you already know where I stand on that. I don't ca-"

"Shut up, the professors are looking," you warned, flashbacks to the three weeks you had to polish the floors.

Minho laughed slightly, letting air blow out of his nose. He let his eyes drift down at you, keeping them there for a little too long.

"What?"

"Nothing," he shrugged, spinning you along with the other students, "You just looked way too terrified." The next move had the two of you closer than the initial space between you.

"I don't want to be spending an extra three hours with you after classes polishing the floor," you retort sharply. Instead of holding eye contact with him, you stared at the Slytherin crest on his uniform.

"I know you liked spending time with me, don't lie," he rolled his eyes teasingly.

"I'm not lying."

"You staring at me says otherwise."

"Oh hush about that already, I literally told you that I wasn't staring at you," Inwardly cringing, you felt relief once the music had stopped. You stepped back and eyed down the boy in front of you, "Why do keep bringing that up?"

Before Minho could give reasoning, Professor Na had spoken up from across the room, reminding everyone that the next class was the graded class. Though they wouldn't be strict with grading, he still wanted to see the students' effort 'flowing'. After a chorus of groans, class ended, allowing you to avoid Minho and find your way to Felix.

-

Someone tapping your shoulder had woken you up, head jolting up as if you were frightened.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Chaeryeong gasped sheepishly. She was hovering over you slightly, eyes wide. She was changed into her nightwear.

You sat up, only now realizing you had fallen asleep in the common room, "It's alright. What time is it?" You didn't even remember how you fell asleep, but you sure did have a good sleep.

"It's almost midnight," she replied, "I needed to grab water from the kitchen, then I saw you here and figured it'd be more comfortable for you to go to sleep in your own bed rather than this tiny couch."

You grinned, "Thanks Chae… I'll probably get something from the kitchen as well."

She nods and mumbles out a quick goodnight before disappearing to the girls' dorms. You return her farewell before standing up, eyes drawn to the wrinkles your nap had made on your robe. Attempting to straighten the robe and yourself out, you stumbled towards the Hufflepuff house entrance, exiting promptly.

The fireplace had been lit, a few house elves roaming about and carrying out their own duties. They paid no mind to you, as midnight snacks weren't out of the ordinary for Hufflepuffs.

You asked for what you needed, then was given it with no delay, "Thank you." The house elf nods before turning away with a grunt.

You sit at one of the tables, zoning out as you stared at the blazing fire across from you. School was getting a bit more stressful than it usually has, which was probably the reason why you had fallen asleep without knowing. You remember coming back from a long library visit. Maybe you collapsed on the couch once you did.

You made mental notes on the work still yet to be done before the following week, spontaneously creating a headache. Standing up, you figured it was best for you to go back to sleep. Slipping the dish into the sink, you started making your way back to the dorms.

You rubbed your temples and shook your head as you closed your eyes. It probably hadn't been a good idea to be wandering with your eyes closed as you had immediately bumped into something firm.

"Y/N?"

Looking up, you came face to face with Lee Minho, who was just as shocked as you were. He had been dressed down in a knitted Slytherin sweater and pyjama pants.

"Minho? What in the world?"

He backs up after noticing how close you were to each other, "Could say the same 'bout you."

"My dorms are right there," you point just down the corridor, "While yours is in the dungeon…"

Minho blinks before he tries to move around you, eyes avoiding yours.

"What are you doing here?" you grab his wrist, eager to find out why he was roaming the halls. It wasn't unusual for students to be breaking the rules, especially Minho, who loved living up to the stereotypes of a Slytherin. He smirks at the skinship, which prompts you to let go of him, heat rising up to your cheeks without warning. You're suddenly glad it's dim around the two of you.

"I was… taking a walk," he successfully pushes past you and into the kitchen, a glass of water already there for him. He thanks the house elf, leaving the glass, before turning back to you. By the looks of it, it seems like he's been doing this before, like a routine.

Rolling your eyes, you scoffed, "Taking a walk? You're painfully awful at lying." And the pause in his speaking gave that away. You followed behind him, expecting an honest answer as if you deserved to know.

"Weren't you just leaving?"

"But my question is unanswered," you shrugged.

"I answered you, I was taking a walk," he pushed the answer. Putting the cup down, he turned to you, "I have… sleeping problems."

"You just lied again," you nonchalantly, "Just tell me the truth. No judgment. A Hufflepuff's promise." You weren't usually one to push an answer out of someone, but this situation was different.

"You say no judgment but I already know how you're going to react to the truth," he takes another sip of water.

"So you were lying!" You raised your brows, "I knew it!"

"You don't deserve the truth," he sighs. Finishing the cup of water, he starts to make his way out, not even turning to look back.

"Lee Minho!" You groaned. Maybe it was your fatigue self or the fact this felt like some sort of game, but you weren't holding yourself back, "When I said I wouldn't judge, I won't. My mind's open to whatever you're going to say."

Minho spins around to face you, stumbling backward a few more steps before he halts, "I was practicing the dance steps."

No judgment.

The flat expression on Minho's face indicated that he had no intentions of lying this time. He had his hands hiding behind his back, eyeing you just to see if you would live up to your promise. Instead of his expected reaction, he finds you smiling, something he'd only see when you were around your friends.

"Wipe that smile off of your face, bumblebee," he mutters.

"Didn't you say you didn't care about that class?" you quoted, a smirk slowly replacing your smile, "Why are you practicing the steps?"

Minho licked his lips. He was at a loss of words, nothing but the truth occupying his mind… Why the hell not?

"Because you care."

You blinked back at him, lips parting and meeting several times as you tried to find the right words to say. The silence was deafening. "What?"

"Because you care," Minho repeated. He kept his expression still, eyeing you, trying to figure out how you were taking this in.

How would he further explain it? He didn't know. All he knew was that ever since that specific moment between the both of you the other day, he took it upon himself to better his partner dancing. He didn't want anyone else knowing, not you, and especially not his housemates, which was why he chose to stay up late to do this; it was the real reason why he had shown up late to class.

You weren't sure if it was because it was quiet, but you could easily hear your heartbeat as it quickened. You try to cover up the fact that you wanted to freak out, "I don't know whether I should laugh or–"

"Yeah, whatever, shouldn't have told you in the first place," he mumbles. For some reason, he felt his heart lub-dub in a way that it shouldn't. He frowned and sighed, "Just forget it."

"Wait, Minho," you call quietly. He stopped in his tracks and turned, partially facing the wall and facing you. He stared back at you with a vacant look, waiting for you to say something. If you weren't going to be saying something nice, he didn't want to hear it after exposing himself like that.

"'Because you care?'" you frowned, "You can't just say that and leave." You already made up a possible answer to the countless questions through your mind, but it was still unclear whether or not that was it.

"What else do you want me to say?" Minho stuffs his hands into his pockets.

"I just want you to explain it," you reply quietly.

Minho glanced out the window sitting by you both before sitting down on its pane, "Remember that other day… when I told you I didn't care?" You nod and move closer to where he sat, unsure whether or not you should sit next to him or not, "I don't know… you were really serious back then… I guess I wasn't used to that. So I figured…"

There was a quick moment of silence before he huffs, almost sounding defeated.

"Did you know that I genuinely don't dislike you as much as you think I do?" He says out of the blue, throwing you off. You wanted to tell him to sleep it off again—why did moments like this always happen at night?

"I don't either," you say back, "At first I did… but I matured."

"I only ever argued with you out of amusement. You're the only person outside of Slytherin that could out-talk me and it bothered me for some reason," he laughed as if he recalled a memory.

"Me intimidating a Slytherin? Just wait til the others hear about this," you joke. He glanced towards your direction and saw a clever glint in your eye.

"Don't you dare," he holds back a smile before standing up to face you directly, "Or…"

"Or what?" You challenged, "Imagine how Seungmin would react! Donghyuck and Renjun? What about Yeosang and Wooyoung?" You start listing the other well-known Slytherins off of the top of your head, holding back a laugh as you watch Minho's face crumble into an expression that looks far too close to fear.

Minho recollects himself and shakes some sense into himself, "Or I'll make you go to the Yule Ball with me." He hadn't planned on asking you today, but the timing was perfect. It fit with the situation. If you were to react unfavourably, then he could just joke about it.

His question shut you up. Your eyes widened at him as you processed what he had used as a threat, "What if I want to go to the Yule Ball with you?"

Minho takes a step towards you, a smirk appearing on his lips. His confidence was skyrocketing, and you can tell, "Then I guess it's a date?"

Rolling your eyes, you let a smile grace softly onto your lips, nodding, "It's a date."

Bonus:

"I told you to wear something with gold," you whined jokingly as you were greeted with Minho, who had completely dodged your request. Instead of the black and gold look you were going for, he decided to wear a black suit that had traces of emerald. As much you wanted to match with your date, you had to admit that he still looked as handsome as ever in the attire. He looked like a prince.

"And look like a Hufflepuff? No thanks," he scoffed teasingly. He pulls out a corsage, one that matches the clothes he wore, tying it gently around your wrist, "You look very beautiful."

"Well, you look very handsome."

Minho laughed as he sticks out his forearm, a brow raised in your direction. Music being played by the live band had been spilling out of the ballroom; the voices of everyone attending gave the ball more life. It was exciting.

"Minho!" Seungmin had called. Felix, who had slipped from your side the moment Minho approached you, was standing by Seungmin, smiling brightly. He had been hyping you up the entire night, telling you that there should be nothing to worry about.

He was right.

"Shall we?" Minho asked. It was cheesy, but it worked.

"We shall."

Hope you enjoyed it! A like would be appreciated <3

[sparklingchan]

Mischief Managed || Kim Doyoung(NCT)

Pairing : Reader(fem.) X Doyoung

Word count : 7k+

Warnings : A few cuss words here and there, gets suggestive towards the end, not proof read I’m sorry :(

Genre : Fluff, a hint of angst , romance, Hogwarts au, fake dating au.

Description: You are forced to befriend Kim Doyoung under unexpected circumstances but as two lonely souls meet, you find yourself enjoying his company a little too much.

A/N : I had the idea for this fic while I was travelling but I was too lazy to actually write it until recently. Harry Potter aus just never seem to bore me no matter how many times I write them ( it’s fate at this point XD)

Enjoy!

Doyoung is bad at taking criticism. Not even sulky bad but angry, tantrum throwing bad. He'd rather be slapped than criticized. Metaphorically, of course.

"What do you mean she won't go on a date with me?" Doyoung hisses ,his voice an octave lower than usual. The bedroom consisting of three noisy boys suddenly falls silent at his words. For the first time in forever.

Jaehyun shifts in his place , the soft mattress dipping under his weight. He looks at his friend full of concern. "Look , you're not the only person trying to ask her out. I heard that some Gryffindor boys were trying to shoot their shot this morning. And that's just the beginning."

Doyoung clenches his blanket into his fists, "Claire is mine. They can't have her."

Johnny scoffs from his bed , his eyes never leaving the book he had been reading from the past one week, "Are you sure the sorting hat did a good job by putting you into Ravenclaw? That pride of yours sure does sound like Slytherin to me."

"Oh shut up. That's not even the point right now. I need Claire to go on a date with me. It's not a matter of interest anymore, it's a matter of pride. I will not back down just because there's competition." Doyoung shoots back.

The boys' room erupts with Johnny and Jaehyun's laughter, their beds shaking with vibrations and their voices probably disturbing the people sitting outside in the Ravenclaw common room. But it's been a long time since either of them have cared for what other people say. Ever since the three boys met on the Hogwarts Express six years ago , they've been inseparable, finding a home , a family in each other. And as time passes by, they're only formulating a stronger bond , unbeknown to the rest of the world.

By the time Jaehyun and Johnny come down from their laughter high, Doyoung is already throwing a fit , muttering under his breath , and clutching his blanket like his life depended on it. Typical angry Kim Doyoung.

"Everything else is fine, Dodo, but does Claire even know you?" Jaehyun asks, fanning his red face.

"Of course not , Jae. But in the sea of all the other boys ,she'd obviously notice our Doyoung first!"

Doyoung sucks in a deep,frustrated breath, reaching under his pillow to find his wand - Alder Wood, Dragon heartstrings core (11 inch) - his one true best friend.

"Aguamenti." Doyoung murmurs, ponting his wand at them. With a big splashing sound , a stream of water squirts out from the end of the wand , wetting everything that comes in contact with it - including Jaehyun and Johnny and everything else they possess.

That night , as the two boys try to dry themselves and the rest of their belongings, Doyoung stares up at the wooden ceiling, carved beautifully into swirls and waves and flowers ,he wonders why his friends think he wouldn't be able get Claire to go out with him, why did they make it seem so hard when it really wasn't.

His ego feels hurt, injured even. Maybe Johnny is right - maybe Doyoung is more Slytherin than Ravenclaw, but it didn't matter anymore. Because the Slytherin princess Claire would be his by the time Halloween arrives, no matter what and his ego and pride would be restored.

Or at least that is what he had initially planned.

 ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Everyone has that one subject they truly hate with every fiber of their being. They might not be particularly good or bad at it , but they often wonder the significance of this immeasurably disliked subject in their lives. For Doyoung, it is the potions class.

Brewing potions, remembering the recipes, knowing the job of each ingredient seemed too heavy a job for a divination loving man like Doyoung. Potions is way too practical, way too boring.

"Psst, Jae." The class must have been going on for about barely ten minutes when Doyoung decides he's had enough and that he would rather get in trouble for disturbing his friends.

"Jae, I'm bored. Johnny is in quidditch practice too." Doyoung pokes Jaehyun's back with the end of his wand. The latter squirms in his seat, subtle enough to not disturb anyone in the class, who unlike a certain Kim Doyoung were attentively listening to the professor.

"What?" Jaehyun turns back only enough to meet Doyoung's bored gaze.

"I think I'm going to ask Claire out today. During dinner. What do you think?" Doyoung whispers.

Jaehyun shakes his head , putting his quill down on the table, "Are you sure? You guys haven't even talked properly yet."

Doyoung stays silent for a few seconds because yes, Jaehyun is right. He doesn't even know what she likes , where is she from, who her friends are but he is willing to take the risk. For someone as beautiful as Claire, Doyoung would risk the whole world.

"I mean I can try, right?"

There's a sudden scoff escaping from your lips - whose name Doyoung never bothered to ask - sitting next to Jaehyun, the green of your robe hinting at your belongingness to Slytherin. "You're stupid, Kim Doyoung. Claire is not going to go out with you. Especially not when you're being such a creep." You say, your eyes fixed on the professor and your quill writing notes in quick movements.

Creep? Did you just call Doyoung a creep?

"Y/n, it's none of your business." Jaehyun rolls his eyes , "Stay out of it."

"Why? Is Mr.Snowflake here too egoistic to face the truth?" You turn around to look at Doyoung, a smirk finding it's way to your lips.

Doyoung clenches his fists, nibbling at his bottom lip as anger fills him up like water filling up in an empty jar; quick and to the brim.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion, " he says, then bitterly adds, "Miss Y/n ,who no one happens to care much about."

The sound of scratching of quills and quiet mutter of spells fills the air for a few seconds before you say something.

"I'm not giving you my opinion, it's just an advice. From first hand experiences. Many men have tried to win Claire over yet only a few of them have ever succeeded. " you say, "And boys like you often tend to seek her only because she's good looking so she actively makes sure to avoid your kind. ,"

Jaehyun looks at you ,stunned, "How do you know all that? Are you guys friends?"

Doyoung is not sure what to say anymore - he's as confused as Jaehyun is, maybe a tad bit more. For someone he'd properly talked to for the first time today, you sure do have a lot to say about his personal choices and ambitions. Big words do not faze him anymore.

"No , we're not friends." You giggle, "I'm her cousin. You almost couldn't tell, right?"

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

"It's finally Hogsmade weekend again. I thought I was going to suffocate in that stupid common room of ours." Johnny sighs , waddling towards his bed and slumping down like a little boy.

"Yes, I also need a cup of butter beer the first thing we arrive there." Jaehyun says, "What about you, Dodo?"

Dodo ,on the other hand is far too gone in the sea of his thoughts to pay heed to what his friends have to say. His eyes are on the patterns of the ceiling but his mind is with Claire and mostly with you, who he unintentionally might have offended today during potions class. Doyoung didn't have any particular interest in you per se but as Claire's cousin, it is important for Doyoung to be accepted by you first. You might be a know-it-all ,annoying and ghostly but he needs to befriend you again, start everything from scratch. And who knows ,if he got lucky enough, you'd put in a word or two on his behalf to Claire.

"What's he thinking about?" Johnny whispers to Jaehyun, "Did something happen?"

Jaehyun shrugs, "Usually, I'd say he's thinking about Claire but today,I'm not so sure."

The next morning is as noisy as all of their Hogsmade mornings have been. Doyoung only remembers hearing Jaehyun's yells and Johnny's giggles and the Hufflepuff girls singing a beautiful Winter song on the journey to Hogsmade village.

No matter how hectic it is, he has always liked these weekends the best.

"Have they changed their services to self service or what?" Johnny asks ,tapping the marble surface of the table in the Three Broomsticks, "Where's Madam Rosmerta?"

Doyoung shrugs ,his eyes scanning the unusually quiet room. He realises that the only company they have is the empty chairs and tables and the flying bottles of water emptying themselves into small glasses. "Should we just grab our drinks and put the money on the counter?" Jaehyun offers.

Before either of them could answer, the main door of the room slams open, urgent with force and the three boys see you rush inside, panting and huffing and murmuring. Your hair is messy and your clothes are disheveled, yet Doyoung thinks you look...different. Different from what you look like at school at least. Better ,even.

"I'm sorry I'm late. We weren't expecting guests so early. I hope I-" you stop mid sentence when you realize Doyoung and the other two boys were the only ones in the pub, "Oh. It's just you three."

"Yes,y/n, it's just us. Can you get us three butterbeers please?" Jaehyun says.

You sigh with disappointment. A 'hi, y/n, how are you?' would have been nice but then again when has anyone ever bothered to greet you with so much sweetness? Jaehyun and you are study partners , to say in a way. You never bothered to befriend him and he never bothered to do the same so that's just how its been since first year - studying together in the library and pretending the other person doesn't exist under normal circumstances. You liked it that way but sometimes, just sometimes you did wish Jaehyun tried to treat you in a more friendly way.

"What's she doing here?" Doyoung ,who is genuinely taken aback by your presence, asks.

"She works part time here. Madam Rosmerta is a family friend of hers." Jaehyun answers.

If Madam Rosmerta is a family friend of yours then she must be a family friend of Claire too, Doyoung connects in his head, and Claire's name somehow ignites a fire of enthusiasm within him.

He drags his chair across the floor and gets up , walking toward the counter where you're working. A little nervous Doyoung is , but he still manages to start a conversation with you, "Hey, y/n ,right?"

You swiftly twirl your wand around in the air , and ten cups of butterbeer and gillyweed water present themselves on a tray. You turn away from him to clean up the other plates , "What do you need?"

"I um..wanted to apologize for the insensitive comment I made yesterday. We started off on the wrong foot, I'm really sorry." He says, rubbing the back of his neck. Autumn is starting to set in slowly, but Doyoung feels the sweat sticking to his skin as if it were a hot summer morning.

You pause for a second. What was he apologizing for? You honestly couldn't recall and whatever it might have been, you are sure that it wasn't worse than what your other classmate have said before ; which is why you don't remember Doyoung's supposed insensitive comment.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it, " You say, "I've had worse, actually."

Doyoung's heart drops - there is no phrase more pain inducing than the one you'd just spewed out so carelessly. And for some god forbidden reason, Claire suddenly slips out of his conscience mind.

"No, no. I want to start anew. Be your friend." Doyoung insists, leaning against the cold wooden counter.

You sigh, "Are you sure that's what your intention is? Because I don't think so. "

Doyoung scowls, "Of course that's my intention. What else would it be, y/n?"

You swing your wand and three glasses of butterbeer arrive directly in front of him. His eyes widen for a split second but he bounces back quickly.

"Just say that you need help with Claire." You sigh.

Oh,right ,Claire. Shit how could I forget? Doyoung feels silly.

"I mean...in a way yes. But that's for the later part. Let's first be friends, yeah?"

You shake your head , "If I help you out with Claire ,will you stop trying to be my friend?"

You absolutely despise yourself at times like these - when you are trying so hard to push people away when they're only trying to befriend you (for whatever reason it might be). You're so lonely yet so afraid of attachments that you always tend to do this. The same repeated routine. You hate it. You sometimes wonder what it would feel like to be in Claire's place, to be loved by everyone, to have people lining up just to take you out on one date . But it would never happen, because Claire is Claire : the Slytherin Princess and you are just you..someone who has barely ever talked to more than one person at school.

Doyoung gulps and then nods, "Okay. I will." Because befriending a Slytherin outcast will never be more important than scoring a date with the Slytherin Princess.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

The Hogwarts Library is most empty during noon, something which you've concluded with years of experience and getting shoved out of your seat by your classmates who are way above you on the social ladder.

"So, " Doyoung finds a comfortable seat opposite to you , his hands fiddling with the pages of his diary, " how have you been?"

You give him a tired smile, "Can we get straight to point? I hate casual conversation. "

Doyoung snickers, "Wow, aren't you approachable today."

You lean back into your chair , eyes scanning Doyoung's face for any signs of regret . You'd never been the warm, bright sunshine kind of a person and you have accepted it without much protest. But of course, people take a lot of time to grow used to your sharpness and more often than not, people walk away even before you soften around them. It's a survival mechanism, you always convince yourself.

"What do you want help with? Do you want to know about her interests or past relationships or something else ?"

Doyoung pouts, his mind filling up with all sorts of ideas to impress Claire. It's like he's hit a jackpot by meeting you.

"I want to know what I have to do to gain Claire's interest. Be her friend and then eventually, a boyfriend, if I'm lucky enough." He suggests.

"First of all ,you need to stop gawking at her from afar. You need to start conversations with her ,no matter how short. She likes it when people approach her first." Talk about having a big ass ego.

"Okay, noted." One quick wave of his hand and his quill is immediately noting down sentences in his diary, " You seem to know her quite well. You guys are close, I am assuming."

You and Claire used to be close. Used to. In the past tense. As children you were inseparable, but as you slowly grew up, she realised how boring and uncool you were and that you belong to the shadows while she belongs in the spotlight. She's not tried to talk to you first for a long time now. But you weren't about to explain all of this to Doyoung, who is visibly smitten by your estranged cousin so you just shake your head , "No, not anymore."

Your ears perk up at the unexpected sound of approaching footsteps towards you and before you could ask Doyoung to relocate to a more secluded area, you hear her loud and clear voice.

Claire.

"Oh, hey, Doyoung!" She greets the man in front of you, walking upto his side. Her shiny shoes creating a tip-tap noise against the floor, and the green of your robe almost feels dull as compared to her bright one.

When her eyes fall on you,  her mouths twists as if she had one of those stupid vomit flavored chocolates. "What are you doing here, y/n?" She sneers at you.

If you could ever get a hold of the invisibility cloak, the first thing you'd do is slap this bitch right across her face. She has always had this sense of superiority , even when she's never done anything quite as heroic or deserving of that fame. And it infuriates you even further when you see Doyoung freeze in his seat, eyes glued to Claire's face.

"We were studying. I was about to leave now anyway." You mumble , gathering your books and tucking them under your arm.

When Doyoung hears your chair drag across the floor , he snaps out of his trance.

Why were you leaving? You promised you'd help, why couldn't you put away your past tensions and deal with it?

"Hey, where are you going?" He grabs your arm out of the blue, sending a wave of shock jolting through your body.

You immediately pull your hand back, "I'm hungry. I want to eat something."

Claire glares at the two of you and how suspicious your behavior is , you'd always been weird but she never took Doyoung for the weird kind at all.

You quickly jog away from the scene , cheeks tinted red.

Doyoung suddenly comes with a horrendous idea and he knows you'd hate it but in the heat of the moment, this feels like the only sane idea to make you stay and help him . He looks at Claire directly in the eye ,making sure to keep his voice as loud as possible so you could hear it too,

"Y/n and I are dating."

 ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

The red, orange leaves rustle under your feet , disrupting the otherwise silent walk back to the Slytherin dormitories. A cold wind blows and you tighten the muffler around your neck.

"Y/n, I've been looking everywhere for you. "

And there is that leech again, making sure you don't come to have a single second of peace in your already hectic daily lives. For the past one week, Kim Doyoung has latched himself onto you like a leech latches to it's host. Wherever you go, he goes. It's maddening.

"I told you to stay away from me, Doyoung! Our deal is over. " you yell at him , your feet picking up a faster pace.

Without even looking back, you know that he is groaning under his breath, the look of hopelessness evident in his otherwise sparkling eyes.

"Our deal was that you help me. You're not helping me out at all! You're treating me like I'm invisible." he replies.

Just how I'd been invisible for years to you, you think.

"I didn't agree to be a bait in this stupid love game of yours. You literally pushed me down the cliff to save yourself. " you say. You feel a sudden gush of wind on your face and Doyoung is standing right in front of you - inches away, instead of a few feet behind you.

You gasp, "You apparated! Kim Doyoung, this is against the school rules."

Doyoung bites down on his lower lip, throat growing dry with anxiousness. He couldn't explain why - he'd apparated before within the school grounds and it's been okay then why is he feeling dizzy all of a sudden? But on second thoughts, maybe it wasn't the apparition that caused the dizziness, maybe it was the spooky possibility of you hating him for lying about you two dating that triggered it. And like salt dissolves in water and disappears into the liquid, Claire- who is the original cause of all of Doyoung 's concern, disappears from his thoughts. All that matters to him now is that you speak with him again and forgive him for his impulsive words . He wants to assure you that you aren't a bait , at all.

"Just hear me out, please. I promise. " he says, "if you don't talk to me, I'll try to be your friend. I assume you don't want that."

You sigh , pressing a hand to your face, "Okay, spill. And be quick. I have club work."

Doyoung nods, a small smile forming on his lips. He leads you under a bushy tree nearby, sitting down on the stone bench constructed there. You follow suit. "I'm sorry for telling Claire that we're dating but I was in a critical situation at that time, okay?"

You frown, "That's all you had to say? You aren't here to persuade me into fake dating you so you could make Claire jealous?"

Gosh , Doyoung , why do you keep forgetting your main motive of talking to y/n?

He blinks at you awkwardly, "Primarily, yes. But now that you've said it...it does sound like a good idea. "

You deadpan. Your eyes close as your lips heave out a tired sigh. Just when you thought he was here to actually talk to you and not about Claire.

"Fine ,whatever. Just don't be a creep or I'll bury you alive." You huff.

Doyoung giggles as his eyes curve into cute little cresent moons.He has a pretty smile , you catch yourself thinking.

He scoots over closer to you ,pinching your cheek. "Okay ,madam. I won't creep you out but I cannot guarantee that I won't flirt with you . I have a thing for Slytherin girls, you know.", He winks.

Your cheeks heat up involuntarily.

"Bye. I have work." You get up, walking away hastily.

"Bye! See you tomorrow at The Three Broomsticks," he calls out behind you,"Babe."

You'd never smiled so wide in your life.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Your part time job at The Three Broomsticks has never felt so much like a blessing than right now - when Kim Doyoung casually sits on the floor with you and helps clean the utensils.

"Are guests rare on weekends?" Hs asks as a white cloth floats around in the air, drying up the freshly washed utensils.

"They're less in the morning but it gets very crowded by sun down. Aunt Rosmerta joins me by that time." You reply.

Doyoung nods ,his eyes glaring at the white cloth when it falls at his feet. "Wingardium Leviosa. " he mutters and the cloth goes back to doing its work, while Doyoung carefully guides it using his wand.

"When do you have to go back?" You ask, purely out of curiosity as to why he is so into the role of your boyfriend when no one is even watching. You would rather die than admit it , but you liked this attention. A lot more than you thought you would.

"Whenever you're done. A good boyfriend accompanies his girlfriend ,right?"

Oh, the beating of your heart that suddenly picks up its speed at his words. A combination of words you'd never thought you'd hear in this lifetime, from anyone at all.

"Yeah,whatever. " you whisper under your breath.

Doyoung giggles ,leaning forward toward you , "Why are so shy ,y/n?"

"I'm not shy." You smack his forehead, "You're just being a creep."

Doyoung fake gasps, clutching the left side of his chest and blinks his eyes as if he were tearing up. "Ouch ,y/n,how could you say that to your own boyfriend?"

You roll your eyes but the smile on your lips doesn't disappear.

Before either of you could reply , the door of the pub clicks open and you immediately get up , dusting off your clothes , ready to welcome guests. Doyoung, who is very new to this , tries to mimic your careful, calculated actions.

"Hello, welcome to the Three Broomsticks-" your words are cut off when you see Claire , as glamorous and confident as ever, walking toward the both of you. Your heart sinks. You feel betrayed , annoyed even ; just the way little children feel when their favorite toy is taken away from them and given to someone else and Claire has, in fact, had a history of taking away a lot of your favorite toys when you were kids.

"Good morning, Doyoung," she greets him with the prettiest smile but it fades away as she turns to you, "You too ,y/n."

"What do you want?" You ask her, rather terse in tone.

She tilts her head , her bright red tinted lips sending a flirty smile in Doyoung's direction, "I'm here to see my friend Doyoung and well ,his new girlfriend. "

You scoff - since when has Doyoung become her friend? Last you checked, Doyoung wasn't even sure she knew him.

"Since when have you and Doyoung been friends, Claire? That's some news to me." You say.

Claire glares at you, "Well, I've always liked Doyoung. Too bad a dumb girl like you got to him first. I shouldn't have waited for him to approach me first , right?"

Doyoung - who until a minute ago was genuinely mesmerized by Claire's unexpected visit is now turning to frown at her. "You can take him if you want. I don't mind." You suggest ,turning away from them.

"Yayy, Doyoung ,you heard your girlfriend? Come on , let's go to the candy shop and enjoy there! It'd be so much fun!" Claire pulls at his blue-black muffler. He backs away a little. The image of Claire he had in his head was ..well, different from this arrogant , possessive woman in front of him. He feels disappointed but also relieved?

"Um - actually I'd rather stay here and help y/n, " you snap toward him faster than light , "I dislike candies anyway. Sorry, Claire."

When Claire's mouth gapes with surprise, Doyoung leans backward and pulls you into him , arm wrapped around your shoulder and chin resting on your head. Your heart hammers hard against your chest as all your senses blur away , only the feeling of Doyoung's warm body pressed against yours is what keeps you grounded to reality.

Its fake, y/n , get yourself together.

"Fine. " Claire growls and stomps away, mumbling curses under her breath.

The moment she walks out of the door ,you shove Doyoung away , "What the hell are you doing! She invited you to hang out with her and you let the chance go!"

He blinks at you , puzzled as if he is finally coming back to his senses. "Oh - oh ,its okay. I'll get another chance since she apparently likes me too. Don't worry about it."

I'm not worrying about it , you idiot , I'm happy about it , you want to say to him. But there are some words you'd rather never say out loud.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

"Where are we going?" Doyoung huffs , jogging down the lush green hill leading straight to the Forbidden Forest. Fear is evident on his face , and it's rather amusing to see him like this.

"The Forbidden Forest, obviously," you say , pointing at the tall, strong tress that patiently await your arrival into the forest.

"What? Y/n, that's against the school rules. It's way past sun down now!" He hisses but still keeps jogging beside you.

You grin at him, "Says the man who apparates in broad daylight!"

The woods are as cold and spooky as ever , but not unfamiliar. To you atleast. You often come here when you need to get away from everyone else. You would sit at the top of the tallest tree, the soft breeze blowing away all your worries along with it. And the creatures in the forest have never bothered you anyway. You don't know why you are bringing Kim Doyoung - your pretend boyfriend- to a place that holds so much importance to you and is like your escape from the world, but this place was the first and only one to come into your mind the moment Doyoung said you should choose the location for your next 'date'.

"So how do we get up there?" Doyoung and you stand at the roots of the tree. He looks up at the branches in awe and you look at him with admiration - when he's not running his mouth around uselessly everywhere ,he's not that bad to be with , you realize.

"We apparate , you idiot." Wrapping a firm hand around his arm, you apprate to the topmost branch of the tree, the wind suddenly knocked out of your lungs at the sudden shift. You laugh a little.

"Wow, you're breaking rules." He comments. He doesn't bother to remove your hand from his and neither do you - so you end up sitting there , shoulders touching and breaths matching.

"You know when I first met you , I almost took you for a Ravenclaw. If it hadn't been for your robe, that is." He says , looking at the beautifully lit school building that seems to be floating around near the horizon. This is more magical than any magic he's ever been taught , he thinks , he'd never seen Hogwarts this way - so far away yet so close, so peaceful, so breathtaking. The starry sky acts like a beautiful backdrop and your soft hand wrapped around his arm makes him ten times more attentive to every sound and every sight. He wants you to never let go - even if Claire or anyone else somehow appears out of nowhere.

"I get that a lot, actually. " you chuckle , "and ironically ,I almost mistook you for a Slytherin."

Doyoung looks at you in amusement. What a peculiar coincidence!

"But now that I think about it, it doesn't matter what kind of traits you show. The sorting hat doesn't put just traits into consideration- it puts in your will too. You belong where you want to belong. Nowhere else." He replies.

You stare at him, and get embarrassed at how wonderfully close he is to you right now. All your life ,this is what you've craved; this warmth , this closeness and fake or not, you're thankful for it.

"Wow, that's some deep words, Kim Doyoung. I didn't know you had them in you." You comment.

"Hey, why can't you call me something cute?" He whines , "Kim Doyoung is too formal."

You pinch his cheeks, adoration pumping through your veins for the man in front of you. "Okay, I'll call you Dodo then. "

He is left wide eyed again, his face red with embarrassment. He never took you for the observant type at all.

"I heard Jaehyun call you that."

The moon shines at your face , highlighting your features like no make up ever could. He notices your hooded gaze and the happy stretch of your lips and the strands of hair that sway with the wind. He leans in closer , "Hey, now that I look at you up close , you're not that bad to look at."

You're not that bad to look at either, Dodo.

 ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Jaehyun has this annoying habit of tapping his wand against the table when he is studying , and he has never even tried to rectify himself whenever you call him out several times.

"Can you stop that? I'm trying to study. " you groan in a quiet voice.

The library- much to your dislike - is packed with people this afternoon. Yellows and reds and blues and green , all of them seem to have decided to use the library in the afternoon today of all days.

"Yeah. Sorry. " he says and puts his wand down, flipping the pages of his notebook carelessly ,"but um -y/n, can I ask you something?"

Looking up from your Potions book , you nod , "Yes, of course. "

Jaehyun shifts and gulps ,visibly worried and anxious about whatever he is about to ask you. It's not like him to ever be so nervous around anyone. He was usually very uptight and spoke only when spoken to. This is very new.

"How long are you and Doyoung going to continue this fake dating thing on for? It's been half a month already." He asks.

Now it's your turn to be nervous.

"I-I don't really know. It depends on how fast Doyoung is able to get Claire to go out with him. I guess." You reply with an awkward laugh, "I hope the day comes soon."

You'd been so immersed in fake dating Doyoung all along, trying to spend every waking hour with him , taking care of him, laughing at his stupid jokes that you almost forgot everything was just a show to get Claire to go out with him. And as Halloween comes closer , you are sure the end of your supposed relationship is coming closer too. Your heart breaks at the sudden reality check. Like a glass vase thrown on a hard ,wooden floor.

"Okay, don't tell Doyoung I asked you about it - " he pauses when you both hear a woman's voice from behind you , startling the two of you.

"Hello, dear cousin. " Claire says with a big smile. Her arms are crossed in front of her chest, robe loosely tied around her body,"What are you doing in this stupid library on your birthday, y/n? Shouldn't you be celebrating with Doyoung ?"

Her words have never slapped you as hard as they do right now. She's been mean to you for almost half your life , but this time it hurts worse. You've always been insecure about your birthday, and Claire knows it. She knows how much you hate bringing attention to yourself and you'd rather get some small gifts from your parents than big gifts from people who you barely know. And she's now using all that against you.

"Or did he not bother to ask you, just like all of your former friends?" She smirks.

You know that feeling when there's a small wound on your body and a single contact to the wounded area hurts unbearably? That's what her words made you feel like. Sick and pathetic.

But you don't let it surface on your face. You muster up all your courage before speaking up, "Claire, are you so jealous of me dating Doyoung that you're bringing up past incidents to make yourself feel good?"

Claire is left astonished by your new found boldness and for the first time in forever, she doesn't comment back at you after you turn on your heels and walk away from the scene.

You are far too weak and slow to actually walk down to the Forbidden Forest, so you settle yourself on the top floor of the astronomy tower. The cold ground under you feels weirdly comfortable and the ticking of the grand clock helps you calm down your nerves.

Claire has never treated you like an equal in your entire life and you've tried so hard to ns like her always . To fit in to her ideas of an interesting person. She was your sister, she is your sister yet you've never despised anyone as much as you do now. And to imagine that Kim Doyoung, your Dodo might end up dating her just makes you feel sick to the stomach. Jealousy is an intense feeling but so is hatred.

You hear quick footsteps walking up the stairs and by impulse, you point your wand in that direction,"Expelli-"

"Hey, hey. Don't 'expelliarmus' me. I'm just here to celebrate my best girl's birthday. "

Kim Doyoung stands in front of you , hands occupied with bags of delicious candies and sweets. He smiles at you sheepishly as you call him over to sit beside you.

"Why didn't you tell me its your birthday today? This is all I could manage in a span of fifteen minutes." He complains ,placing the bag softly in your lap, "Happy birthday, y/n."

You smile , a little embarrassed but thankful still , "Thanks. Jaehyun told you?"

Doyoung nods ,scooting over closer to you. In presence of so much space on the floor, he somehow manages to almost cuddle with you in a small corner of the place. Your heart is no longer sitting in the cage of your chest ; it's escaped and landed onto Doyoung's palms ,giving him full freedom to do whatever he wanted with it.

"Doyoung ,I..um.."

"Yeah?"

Words , oh ! words have never been your forte. The only thing you were good at was actions - to express, to show , to communicate . That's all you've ever known.

So you lean in towards his face and place a chaste kiss on his lips. It lasts for a fraction of a second but your lips are left burning with the desire for more. More of him, more of this.

But when you see his face once you pull away, your blood runs dry. For a moment, you think so you see a flicker of happiness which quickly gets replaced by coldness, frustration, some degree of anger.

"Y/n, you know I like Claire!" He says , separating himself from you. Your body feels bare, "This was all for her. How could you ever think doing this would be a good idea?"

No,it wasn't for Claire. It was barely an excuse to bother you more, to see you roll your eyes at him , to spend time with you, but as Johnny says , his ego is too big to accept his liking towards you and not Claire.

He gets up.

"I-I will be leaving now."

He hasn't completely put a full stop to your fake relationship, he hasn't even said anything much yet but you know that he's left not just the astronomy tower, he's left you. All alone. As they always do.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Only the heavens know how you've barely managed to make it through a whole week avoiding Doyoung. The tear stains on your pillow , the muffled sobs in the washroom, the torn pages of your notebook are the only witnesses of your turmoil. For everyone else, you were still y/n, the girl who barely talks to anyone . And maybe, that's everything you'll ever be no matter how hard you try.

It is Hogsmade Weekend and Halloween which means you'll be packed with guests at the Three Broomsticks. It's a good thing ,you hope, it'll help keep you distracted from any painful thoughts and memories.

The cups and glasses and bottles dance around you as you put the chairs in place, your wand doing most of the work while you quietly murmur spells. It feels rather abnormal not having Doyoung around to help you. It feels too quiet ,even though the quietness is familiar to you.

A faint click sound echoes in the room and you immediately snap to look at the main door.

"Y/n?" Doyoung's head gently pokes in through the small gap in the door, “Happy Halloween.”

Your heart stops beating for a solid second, brain going fuzzy with a mixture of fear, excitement and relief. You want to run towards him and jump into his arms like how people do in those muggle movies but you restrain yourself; since it's not your place to do that. Not after you'd kissed him out of nowhere a week ago.

"Y-yea?" You stutter nervously, dragging a chair away from the table just to make it look like you are busy with work.

"Can we talk?"

Doyoung has always been very persuasive and he knows exactly what to say at a given instance. He's a Ravenclaw, after all. So he finds his way towards the table ,shyly so , and he pulls a chair for you to sit on ,"I won't take long, I swear."

You nod and sit. Better to be done with it than avoid it. "What is it? Shouldn't you be at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop? Enjoying with Claire and the other cool people?" You ask.

Doyoung gulps ,"Yes, I was there a minute ago. But it's too noisy there. I don't like it." And it's too dull without you.

"Okay. What did you want to talk about ?"

He plays with the buttons of his warm looking purple coat, his eyes shifting from the tablecloth to the glasses of gillyweed water to his fingers - anywhere but you.

"I'm sorry about running away that night. It was wrong of me," he begins, "And I regret it. I really do." "When I went back to the dorms, all I could think about was you and how much I loved hanging out with you and how pretty you look even when you're not trying and how desperately I wished you'd kissed me a second longer that night so I could have kissed you back. Because I really wanted to. "

When you start to reply , he shushes you, "No, it's not Claire that I want. Maybe it never had been because I don't even know her! But I know you and I think you're the coolest person in Hogwarts. I cannot love Claire, who I know nothing of but I can love you. I want to love you. If you'd let me."

You stare at him , your tongue suddenly losing all it's sense of functioning. Your eyes bore into his ,and you see it - the sincerity, the adoration, the desire. And you realise it has always been there. Just the two of you were too stupid to see it earlier.

"Okay. I guess." You reply , rubbing the back of your neck shyly. Your cheeks are tinted red but you put no effort in hiding it anymore, " I'm sorry, I don't know how dating works. What am I supposed to do?"

Doyoung giggles , tenderly taking your face in his hands, "Just do whatever you want to. It's just me."

"I really want to kiss you. " you whisper and he immediately tilts his head such that his lips easily captures yours. The kiss is warm and cozy yet fierce. His hands are locked on either side of your face while your lips perfectly mold around his, as if they were meant to be that way since the inception of time.

You don't believe in miracles , given your magical allegiance but you do believe in fate and soulmates. You believe that there's someone for everyone out there - no one knows how or when they'll cross paths with you, but they will surely do it one day. Because no force can stop one from getting the love you deserve. It's just like a string - there's one person at each end and you're so thankful that it is Doyoung that happened to be at the other end of your string.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

[theoreticslut]

The Truth that You Deny // Part 2

pairing: fred weasley x reader x george weasley

word count: 2, 442

warnings: drinking?? nothing much more than that

A/N: here’s part 2!! I’m so glad you guys are liking this so far :) I haven’t written in a while so it makes me so happy to see people still like it a bit. anyways, i still have a few more parts to this so let me know if you’re liking it and if you’d like to be added to a taglist for it.  

taglist - @justmesadgirl @xuckduck @yikesyikesyikes95 @filipi-yes @aestheticwh0r3 @siredkai

you can find part 1 here!

The next couple weeks are more than awkward between the three of you and everyone is starting to pick up on it, but none of them dare ask anything in fear it’ll make whatever is going on worse.

Truthfully, the twins were still acting like themselves around everyone - they were laughing and joking and just as vibrant as they had been before - but it was how silent you had become that created the tension amongst everyone. It was like you to be quieter than the rest of your group of friends, but you had never been as disconnected from the group as you have been lately.

Granted, you were stuck inside your own head analyzing your thoughts and emotions towards the twins and trying to figure out if you did like them or not. Deep down you know the answer, but you don’t want to admit it to yourself yet because once you do that unleashes a whole new set of problems.

“Y/n!” Lee nearly shouts, snapping his fingers in front of your face.

“What, Lee?!” You snap a bit, not knowing why he’s raised his voice to you.

“Have you heard anything we just said?” He asks, the rest of your friends looking at you.

You stare back at him and then look around the group for any kind of clue yet you find none.

“N-no. I guess not.” You sigh.

“I’m sorry. What were you guys talking about?” You ask, glancing over everyone but settling your attention on Stephanie.

“There’s a party tonight and we wanted to check and see what everyone thought about it.” Fred says as you turn your attention towards him.

“What about it?” You ask, not sure what they’re looking for.

“Like if you wanted to go? If so, when you wanted to go, et cetra”

“Uh, yeah. Sure. I’d like to go. Who’s throwing it?”

“Ravenclaws.”

“Okay. Uh, yeah. I’ll be there.” You say, giving a small smile to try to give the illusion that you’re totally not lost inside your own head.

He nods and looks back around the group to get everyone’s final opinion.

~.~

“Hey, beautiful. How are you doing?” Steph asks as she walks into your dorm.

“Fine. I’m just trying to get ready for the party. What do you think of that dress on the bed there?”

“The white one?”

“Yeah. Do you think it’ll be too much?”

“I don’t think so. If it is then at least you know you’re the best dressed, yeah?”

“I guess so.” You chuckle as you finish applying your lashes.

“Look, y/n, I don’t know if this is really the cause of why you’ve been acting so disconnected lately....but I’m sorry for pushing you about liking Fred and George. I...It’s none of my business and I should have stayed out of it.” Steph apologizes as she sits down on your bed, wringing her hands together.

“No, you were right. I mean you shouldn’t have pushed it so hard, but I...well, I do like them. I didn’t want to admit it to myself because it just makes everything more difficult, but you were right.” You sigh, walking over to sit next to her.

“I’m still sorry. It was none of my business, but what are you going to do now that you admitted it?”

You sit there for a minute thinking about it before you reply.

“Get plastered tonight and hopefully forget about all of it. You?”

“Maybe not get plastered, but get drunk and just have fun.” She laughs.

~.~

“You ready? Everyone else is already inside.” Steph asks as you both click your way to the ravenclaw house entrance.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” You smile as she gives the password to enter.

Once you do, you’re immediately encompassed by the sound of loud music and overlapping chatter broken apart by a few shouts from one person to another across the room. Besides the sheer volume of the room, you’re also hit by the smell of sweaty bodies, much too strong perfumes and cologne that have muddled together into one scent, and various different alcohols.

“Girl! Ugh, You look amazing.” Some 5th year hufflepuff girl compliments as you start to make your way through the room in search of the alcohol.

“Thanks. You too, beautiful!” You smile, admiring her pale yellow velvet bodycon she’s wearing with nude/clear wedges.

“Where can I find the alcohol?” You ask and nod as she points off into the room.

~.~

After a handful of shots taken with a few people hanging around the alcohol table, you find yourself dancing carefree. You honestly can’t remember the last time you’ve just let yourself go and have fun without worrying about the consequences or something else that you should be doing. You’re having an absolute banging time and are thoroughly enjoying yourself for once, which is being noticed by two of your friends across the room.

“Y/n seems to be having a lot of fun tonight.” George points out to his brother as they hang out on the outskirts of a crowd, Fred dancing along with them.

“Yeah, it does. It’s nice to see. It’s not like her to be so down like she has been.” Fred replies.

“I know. I’ve been wondering what’s on her mind. You don’t think we upset her do you?”

“Nah, I don’t think so. We pushed her, but I think whatever it was she’s been thinking about had been on her mind long before that.”

“Yeah. You’re probably right. I’m just glad to see she’s finally getting out of it.” George trails off as Fred nods in agreement, still dancing.

“She looks real nice tonight.” George points out.

“Yeah. She does.” Fred smiles, watching you as you dance with some 4th year ravenclaws and some of their friends both in their year from other houses as well as higher years they’ve met through older ravenclaw friends.

Neither of them could help but look you up and down multiple times throughout the night. You wore a bright white bodycon dress that falls just above the middle of your thighs. That alone is sexy enough, but you had to go even further in getting a dress that had a bit of a slit on the right side that was outlined with a string of crystals that hang over your thigh. Throughout the night, anyone could have found both Fred and George seeming to stare at your thighs, but really they were just in awe with the way the light caught the crystals as you moved. On top of that you wore nude heels that seemed to elongate your already gorgeous legs. Not to mention your makeup. You didn’t wear it often, but in the name of Merlin, you sure knew how to.

As the night progresses, you continue drinking anything and everything you can find that tastes decent enough. As you told Steph, you wanted to forget everything you’ve been thinking about for the last two weeks, and you were almost there.

Way too many drinks ago you found yourself starting to slur, yet you kept on drinking. You’ve started to get wobbly on your feet yet you’ve continued drinking. You’re honestly not sure if you even remember your name or where you are anymore, yet you’re stumbling your way to the alcohol table to get yet another drink.

“Having fun?” You hear someone ask.

You try to turn toward them, but the problem is you’re not quite sure which direction their voice came from.

Eventually you find two...wait four...nope, two red heads behind you.

“Y/n, are you having fun?” The other one asks and you nod even though their words have yet to fully register in your head.

“Y-yeah.” You hiccup. “Lots.”

“What in merlins name? Y/n...are you drunk?” Fred asks, watching as you sway in your spot which he’s positive you aren’t purposely doing.

“Drunk? Not even cl-ose.”

“For merlin’s sake, y/n.” George frowns, catching you as you start to lean too far forward.

“I don’t think we should let her drink anymore, Fred.” George says, taking your cup from you and setting it on the table behind you guys.

“No. No, we shouldn’t. In fact we should probably get her back to her dorm.”

“And how do you plan on doing that without getting caught? I don’t think y/n here is going to be very quiet.” George says as you’re rambling to yourself about one of the songs that just played.

“Uhm, I don’t know? Maybe we could cast muffliato around us?”

“It’s worth a shot.” George says as he picks you up bridal style instead of trying to guide you through the halls.

“Hey! I can walk myself.” You say, awfully slurred, as you try to work your way out of his arms.

He doesn’t budge, counteracting each of your movements and keeping you in his grip. Watching you try to stand still just now proves to him that there is no way to get you back to the gryffindor common room with you walking.

“Hey, you’re strong.” You say in regards to him fighting you and still holding you. “I don’t like it.”

George chuckles and shakes his head at you. You’ve never been drunk around them before, and not surprisingly they find it quite adorable. Sure you guys have had drinks together before, but you’ve never gotten drunk drunk.

“Alright, are you ready to go?” Fred asks having cast the spell.

“As ready as we can be.”

“Okay, well then let’s head out. Here’s hoping the charm works.”

“Your charm works.” You giggle as you wink at him.

He chuckles and shakes his head. Never in a million years did he expect y/n y/l/n to be a flirty drunk.

“Well, I know. Thank you.” Fred smiles, joking around.

“Welcome” you hiccup, following it with a burst of giggles.

“I don’t think drunk y/n knows how to be quiet.” George laughs. it’s such a contrast to your normal personality that he can’t help but laugh.

Normally you were pretty quiet. You knew how to speak up when needed, and were often quick to, but you were quiet the majority of the time. That’s not saying that you were insecure or scared, but that you knew how to listen. It’s impossible to count the amount of times the twins have come to you with one problem or another for you to listen and help them figure out a solution. They adored you for it and that’s part of the reason you three became such close friends. You were a voice of reason to their chaotic energies and in turn they were just the right amount of wild to get you out of your comfort zone.

The twins knew pretty early on into your friendship that you were more to them than just some casual friend. Hence why you’ve been over to the burrow at least twice a year since your second year of school. They loved having you around and when you weren’t, they could feel that something was missing.

They both loved you, even though neither of them were quite aware of that fact.

“We’re almost there.” Fred whispers. George nods, adjusting the way you’ve settled into his arms.

Even though you’re beyond drunk, George can’t help but admire the way you’ve curled into him. You’ve somehow twisted just enough that you’re facing him, your head resting on his shoulder.

“Okay, we’re here.” Fred says.

“Where? Are we at another party?” You ask, really wanting to get another drink.

Fred whispers the password to the portrait so they can get inside and, hopefully, up to her dorm.

“Party?” You ask, frowning as you enter your common room to find complete silence.

“No more parties, unless you wanna have a slumber party. Alright?” Fred tells you as him and George make their way up to your room.

“Is there alcohol?” You ask, stumbling as George finally sets you down inside your room.

“Not anymore. C’mon let’s get you to your bed.” George says, leading you towards your bed.

“But I need another drink. Wanna forget.” You mumble as you fall into your bed.

Both the boys stop, looking at each other confused before looking back at you.

“Forget? What do you wanna forget, love?” Fred asks as he starts taking off your one shoe as George works on the other.

“Thoughts.” You yawn, trying to curl up onto your side but George is still working on getting your shoe off so he keeps you from turning.

“What kind of thoughts?” George asks, finally getting the buckle part undone so he can slide off your shoe.

“Boys I like.” You mumble, finally able to curl up on your side.

Even though you’d deny it if directly asked, you were beyond tired and the twins knew it. If they ever wanted to figure out who you had gone so quiet over, they’d have to keep you talking.

“Can you tell us about them?” Fred asks, looking over at you as you shiver a bit.

It’s honestly no wonder given it’s nearing the middle of winter and you were wearing this. Neither of the twins could say that you didn’t look stunning, but it really wasn’t that hard to believe that you’d be cold. Nonetheless, Fred helps you to get under the covers.

“Hmm?”

“Can you tell us about the guys you like? They’ve got to be mighty special if you go silent over them for a whole two weeks.”

You smile as you think about them, not realizing that they’re the ones with you right now.

“They’re my best friends.” You mumble, smiling dreamily as you’re half asleep.

Fred looks over to George who is looking over at him. Both had the same thought run through their head - us?!

“They’re funny....and brilliant....absolutely adorable....they’re kind.” You continue mumbling as both of the boys watch you, a warmth igniting in their chest. While they couldn’t place exactly what the sensation was, it hadn’t been the first time they’ve felt it when thinking about you.

“Yeah?” George asks, smiling happily at you.

“Yeah,” You hum. “I love when they’re around and just thinking about them makes me happy, but they’re my best friends....and I don’t want to screw anything up between us, but I think I really love them.”

“You do, hmm?” Fred asks, not able to help a smug smirk play on his lips even though this admission overjoys him.

“She’s talking about us, isn’t she Fred?” George asks, smiling at the thought.

“Yeah, George. I believe she is,” he smiles, looking over your sleeping form. “She won’t remember any of this tomorrow.”

[hellothirteenhere]

Jujutsu Kaisen x Harry Potter

I feel as though every fandom has that obligatory multichapter Harry Potter!AU. Of course, that’s not to say that our amazing writers hadn’t been writing fic within this universe. (For example, check out seadawnn’s ‘Conquest of Hearts’ - Wholesome™ Itafushi that makes me smile every time I read it.) But I’m interested in seeing how a full-blown Jujutsu Kaisen universe would be like in an alternate Harry Potter-setting. So! I’ve been thinking long and hard about how it would play out and here are my headcanons for our very own Golden Trio! Couldn’t quite place them definitively in their Hogwarts Houses, so I would love to hear your opinions on where each of them should go, as well as your own personal headcanons.

Yuuji Itadori | Gryffindor/Hufflepuff (5th Year)

Ok, so here's the thing: typical shonen protagonist conventions tells me to put Yuuji Itadori in Gryffindor. And it makes complete sense! We see that he's brave - fucking demon possesses you and all you say is "What are you doing with my body?"?. But he's also willing to admit when he gets scared, like when he first faced a Special Grade. GryffindorJock!Itadori who is the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team is a mental image I'm not willing to let go of anytime soon. However, Yuuji is also an incredibly kind individual who just wants to save other people. Hufflepuff!Yuuji is that guy who is popular with everyone at Hogwarts, he cooks meatballs in the kitchens at midnight as he talks to the house elves as though they were close friends, and he would definitely take a curse or two in order to save his friends if the situation calls for it.

Background

Yuuji grew up as a mostly normal kid. Sure, there had been strange (almost magical, somehow) instances here or there but he was an energetic enough child that it never really occurred to him to dwell on them for too long. 

As long as he could remember, it was just him and his grandfather. Supposedly, Yuuji had an older brother. But for some reasons that his grandfather refuse to tell him; he had to go away when Yuuji had been very young. He doesn’t even remember what his older brother looked like. But then again, Yuuji can’t even remember what their parents had been like - so he doesn’t really feel as though there was anything lacking in his upbringing. After all, how can you miss something you never had? 

On his eleventh birthday, his grandfather solemnly sits Yuuji down and tells him that he was a wizard.  He was a “Pureblood” - and potentially very powerful - wizard. His grandfather had been born a squib but he had known enough to explain to Yuuji the basics of the world that his parents had once belonged to. 

Imagine: “Yer a wizard, Yuuji.” “….Sweet.”   

His grandfather then hands him two things: 

First, a letter from some Hog-Wash-Hagwarts?? Warthog? School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that he was to attend. His parents had gone there as well to learn magic. 

Second, a long, sturdy piece of polished wood. When grandfather had taken it out of its box, Yuuji had looked at the wand skeptically - almost a hundred percent sure that the entire thing was one huge joke. But his grandfather was no prankster, after all, because as soon as his fingertips touched its surface, he felt a warm glow rush into his fingertips. 

According to his grandfather, the wand had been his mother’s, passed on to his grandfather for safekeeping after she had died all those years ago. 

When asked about the whereabouts of his father’s wand, his grandfather’s face turned dark. It was with Yuuji’s older brother, he said. His older brother who had also been attending the same school that he would be. 

Headcanons

Itadori is one of the best Defense Against the Dark Arts students of their year. He also gets great grades for Charms and, much to everyone’s surprise, Potions. A Chaotic Good™ through-and-through, Itadori tends to forget to follow the very strict instructions that Potions Master Kento Nanami wrote at the blackboard, and yet despite eyeballing the ingredients, his Potion turns out great every time. HOW? No one knows.

His dorm room is filled with Muggle posters - it just feels too weird to have a magical poster of a tall woman with a big ass greeting him every time he woke up or entered his dorm room. He learned the hard way that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing when Todo gifted him a moving poster of Jennifer Lawrence.

He tries his best to collect Chocolate Frog cards, bless his heart - but he always tend to lose them in the journey between Hogwarts and his home every summer. Little does he know that Kugisaki and Toge pilfer the ultra-rare ones that he somehow manages to pull in a semi-regular basis. 

Megumi Fushiguro | Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw (5th Year)

Primarily, I want Ravenclaw!Megumi Fushiguro as an aesthetic. We already know that he likes to read non-fiction books in his spare time (babes, i love you but that is nerd behavior), and he's shown that he's very sharp and intuitive when it comes to battles. He is also very knowledgeable about the Jujutsu World. Also, pretty boy looks damn good in blue. I can just imagine Megumi as the quiet, brooding Ravenclaw who is somehow friends with every insane person in Hogwarts. However, Hufflepuff!Megumi embodies who he is as a character. He's loyal to his friends and family, selfless when it comes to protecting the others, and he's willing to work hard behind the scenes even if he doesn't get recognition for it. We also saw how Megumi was willing to be the sacrifice bunt if it meant that Kugisaki had the chance to move forward during the baseball scene.

Background

Megumi came from an aristocratic Pureblood family, the Ancient and Most Noble House of Zenin. An extremely powerful wizarding family rumored to be distant relatives of Salazar Slytherin himself. Only - his father Toji had been born a Squib who married his mother just to spite his conservative family. Much to his surprise, however, Megumi was born not only an incredibly talented wizard but also the first parseltongue of the Zenin family in years.

Professor Gojo - back when he was still an Auror and not the DADA instructor at Hogwarts - came to the Fushiguro family household after he had apprehended Fushiguro Toji or, as the wizarding world commonly knows him as: the Sorcerer Killer. Much to his surprise, he doesn't find Toji's wife nor his stepdaughter - instead, he finds tiny Megumi talking to his pet garden snake, Orochi. He ended up taking Megumi under his wing, letting him live at the Gojo family’s home and later taking him to Diagon Alley a week before he started in Hogwarts. 

Gojo buying Megumi his pet owl, Nue. 

No, YOU’RE crying. 

Of course, the Zenin family kick up a fuss about custody. It's only Gojo's status as the strongest wizard alive - as well as his well-placed threat to make the knowledge that the notorious Sorcerer Killer had once been a Zenin known to the wizarding world - that keeps them quiet.

Headcanons

Megumi's best subject is Care of Magical Creatures - though he’s also great at Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration. Students are, by school regulations, only really allowed one (1) pet (an owl/cat/toad). And legally, Megumi has his horned owl, Nue. It is, however, an open secret within the Hogwarts community that Megumi Fushiguro walks around the castle with his pet snake Orochi wrapped around his wrist under his cloak. No one questions that Megumi arrives at Hogsmeade, conveniently trailed by the same black and white dogs every weekend. His roommates learn to turn their heads the other way when the bunnies under Megumi’s bed escape their cage.

He used the expansion charm in order to house his ever-growing collection of pets. Imagine Newt Scamander’s suitcase but, instead of a large sprawling space, it’s a cozy room filled with books and pets and pet paraphernalia.   

He’s not competitive enough to play Quidditch, but he attends every game to support his friends. He also attends their practices sometimes but just sits at the pitch to read his book, do homework, or take a nap. 

Half-Veela!Megumi make brain go brrrrr

Kugisaki Nobara| Slytherin/Gryffindor (5th Year)

Out of everyone, I had the hardest time placing the Kugisaki. I feel as though Slytherin!Kugisaki is the girl who dropped everything in order to go live in the city - the girl who was willing to do anything, even join a career with a high possibility of dying, just to follow her dreams. She is unapologetic about being herself, highly resourceful, and is one luxurious queen. But Kugisaki is also incredibly brave - unafraid to stand up for the girl who was being ostracized by everyone in their part of the countryside. I implore you to imagine Gryffindor!Kugisaki pulling the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat in order to save other people. 

Background

Kugisaki is a Muggleborn who used to live in the quiet countryside. She’s an incredibly talented witch who started showing signs of magic at an early age - something that had frightened her, especially because it was clear that it also frightened her parents. She tried to suppress her abilities, trying to fit into society for a while - that is, until a girl named Saori moved in from the city.

Saori had been a Pureblood witch who had grown up in the Wizarding World. She had been the first person told Kugisaki that her magic was a blessing instead of a freak of nature or something that she had to hide. Saori talked to Kugisaki about the wonders of their world that she would one day get to take part in. She told Kugisaki about Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and all these wonderful places that she would get to go to. 

However, because they were a Pureblood family, Saori and her family did not know how to integrate within the Muggle community. Not too long after their arrival, horrible rumors about their family started spreading - that they were cultists, satan worshippers, etc. Eventually, they decided to move away from the country. Before leaving, Saori made Kugisaki promise to find each other one day and to never turn back on who she truly is.

When Kugisaki first received her letter from Professor Shoko Ieiri who mysteriously appeared in their doorstop the night of her eleventh birthday, the professor explained to her parents about magic and the wizarding - only, Kugisaki was only half listening. 

Unlike her parents, she wasn’t surprised one bit - it was only a matter of time, after all, and she was finally going to get to go to Hogwarts. Surely, Saori had already graduated by the time she entered but it was definitely one step closer to finding her childhood friend. 

Headcanons

Kugisaki has pretty good grades all around - but she is definitely known as the best in their year at Charms. She also has great grades at Defense Against the Dark Arts. She and Yuuji definitely almost failed History of Magic, though. They have too much energy to just sit quietly and take notes in class - especially one taught by a ghost. 

Every store owner in Hogsmeade knows Kugisaki by name - and by extention, they know Yuuji and Megumi too. She has long since mastered the art of dragging her friends all around the shops and still not paying a single Knut by the end of their Hogsmeade visit. At the end of every visit, Yuuji and Megumi swears that it would be the last time and yet, every visit, she still manages to wrangle both of them into coming with her 

In Potions, Kugisaki is a force to be reckoned with. Her cauldron always appeared to be on the verge of exploding and yet, somehow, a supernatural force (or by the sheer strength of her own willpower) seem to keep her from completely fucking up every time. 

BeaterNobaraBeaterNobaraBeaterNobaraBeaterNobara  

COMING UP

Slytherin!Sukuna Ryoumen

Ex-Auror-turned-DADA-Professor!Gojo 

Potions-Master-not-Professor!Nanami

Slytherin!Maki Zenin

Ravenclaw!Inumaki Toge

Hufflepuff!Panda 

[halothenthehorns]

THE EGG AND THE EYE

Despite Remus' rather tired eyes as he never enjoyed being active any days preceding or following the full moon, and it wasn't helping the ever growing fear of the next task creeping closer, Remus wouldn't deny he couldn't think of how better to be spending his time as he got started.

Harry wasn't sure how long this bath would take, so he chose to do it after school hours so he could take his time.

"You make it sound so difficult to lock a door," James shook his head.

"I think he's just making up excuses for using that Prefect bathroom, and after hours is the best time," Remus smirked.

Harry ignored them both.

Though still not wanting to take any advice from that Hufflepuff, Harry also chose to use the prefects' bathroom, at least fewer people were likely to be in there.

Harry grumbled something about how he still wasn't going to admit they were right, it's not like he'd wanted to go in there just because he'd heard rumors about how cool that place was, and they couldn't force him to say otherwise.

  Harry had to be careful with this excursion, he'd been caught out of bed by Filch once before,

"The fact that you've only been caught once is what gets to me," Sirius shook his head fondly.

"By our fourth year we'd caught up with him as much as any teacher," James agreed.

"And you only got caught that time because you forgot the cloak," Remus snorted. "If you'd paid attention a little more, even then you would have gotten away with it."

Harry wasn't sure if they were teasing him for not being as trouble making as them again, or trying to mock him for that experience again, either way he chose not to answer.

and had no want of a repeat. He made sure to have his Invisibility Cloak on him,

"At least he'll remember it this time," Lily reminded to get the boys to stop smirking.

and the Marauders Map.

"The two kind of go hand in hand," Remus agreed.

On Thursday night,

"Why did you wait almost a whole other week?" James asked.

"Homework," Harry used as a main excuse, but also adding, "plus I spent a few nights making sure I could walk down there and scout the place out without getting caught."

"Look at you, finally showing some forethought," Sirius praised.

Harry slipped through the common room much like he had the night he'd gone to visit Hagrid, waiting for Ron to open the portrait hole to get out.

"Still think that one's a bit too paranoid on your part," Remus rolled his eyes. "No one ever pays much attention to that."

Harry made his way down to the correct door, whispered the password, and stepped inside before locking the door behind him. His first impression was it would be worth being a prefect just to use this bathroom regularly.

"Well now you can without the responsibility," Sirius smirked.

"You're lucky you never got caught in there," Remus reminded him, "or I would have most likely gone down with you. Then of course I would have had to pay you back for getting me into trouble."

Sirius had a challenging smirk in place as he stated, "wouldn't be the first, wouldn't be the last."

Candles softly lit the marble chamber, a large rectangular shallow pool filled the main portion of the room with a hundred golden taps all around the edge each encrusted with a different jewel, along with a diving board.

Harry's mind was starting to gape a bit at such grandeur. A diving board for a bathtub! The splendor of the castle had always seemed like a lot to the boy from the cupboard, but this new leap of wealth still somehow managed to surprise him.

Fluffy towels were in a cubby in the far wall, and opposite that was the stained glass image of a blonde mermaid fast asleep.

Then Harry felt a zap pelt his brain, now blinking spastically as he was sure that should have meant something more to him, but was instantly distracted by Remus trying to cover up some laughter. He quickly smothered it and explained for Harry, "I don't know who conjured up that image, but it's the farthest thing from what Merpeople actually look like."

Harry was very sure that news shouldn't have come as a surprise to him, but simply nodded in understanding.

Harry's footsteps echoed a bit as he walked up the few steps leading to this, and though he was very impressed and aching to try all those taps, now that he was here he was more sure than ever Cedric might be playing him.

Remus was suddenly distracted as well from Harry getting to find this new place, to his mind spinning back to that noise again and why Cedric would have lead Harry hear. Water, in the Prefects bathroom, it couldn't have anything to do with that particular painting of the mermaid? He'd only ever heard descriptions of them, but apparently they had a beautiful singing voice, underwater. Above water it was a senseless high pitched noise. He was immensely curious to know if this had been what Cedric had figured out, but even if it was, what would the second task have to do with Mermaids? They were bottom dwellers, even in the Hogwarts lake they were only rumored to have come to the surface once in the school's history. He kept the thought to himself for now until he was more sure of this.

How was this place going to help him solve his egg?

He was already here, so he decided to enjoy himself anyways, setting all of his stuff aside as he got to work. Every tap shot out water the perfect temperature he wanted, and each was also mingled with magical bubbles. One set such a thick foam Harry could have sat on it, another left a purple mist hanging just above the surface, Harry's favorite was the one that shot patterns in the water's surface.

"I used to spend hours playing with all of those taps," Lily agreed fondly. "Sometimes I'd even drain the water again just to watch them fill all over again."

After a surprisingly short time to fill, Harry slipped inside and treaded water for a bit, his feet barely touched the bottom.

Harry was surprised at his own daring at that, as he'd never learned to swim. Though he supposed being in there by himself was a good way to practice and it didn't seem deep enough that so long as he didn't try anything foolish he shouldn't have a problem.

After a few laps, Harry went back to the edge and picked up his egg, but still had no new revelations for it. Even opening still created the same cacophony, if not worse because of its new echo. He'd been leaning over the side concentrating so hard, he dropped the egg with a start when someone spoke,

All five of them couldn't help but startle a little as well. That's all Harry needed, to get caught and in trouble on top of this tournament mess.

telling him to put the egg in the water.

"Guess that's better than, what on earth are you doing in here," James raised a surprised brow, trying to figure out who'd catch him there and not tell him off.

Harry swallowed a large amount of bubbles in surprise as he spun around, seeing a ghost sitting on a nearby tap.

"Oh hey, Myrtle's back," Sirius said, relaxing back at once.

"Why is she in there?" Lily demanded around a squeaky voice, her hand already twitching like she was going to cover her modesty now.

"We told you she went snooping through some of the other bathrooms," Remus snorted at her surprise. "Why would you think this one was excluded?"

"Did she really spy on me though?" Harry couldn't help but fidget at such a perversion of privacy.

"Well yeah," Sirius couldn't help but give Harry a sad little smile, "but I like to at least pretend she closed her eyes while you were changing."

Harry still couldn't help a disgusted shiver, even with his memory finally being soothed of why he'd wondered he would run into the ghost again in another bathroom, this wouldn't have been his choice of moments.

It was Moaning Myrtle.

Harry yelled at her in shock, stating he wasn't wearing anything! The surrounding water was thick enough this wasn't the point, but Harry suspected she'd been around longer than he'd been in.

Myrtle told that she'd had her eyes closed when he got in,

Even with Myrtle having said it herself didn't make the shivers quite stop.

and then reminded how he hadn't come to see her in ages.

"Can't imagine why," James scowled at the reminder of that Chamber. Myrtle used to be something funny to think about, she was always a good laugh and sometimes even helpful considering all the times she'd spied on people in the bathrooms and if cajoled right she'd pass along the information. Now all he could think about in relation to that ghost was a basilisk fang.

Harry floundered for a moment, still keeping his knees bent so all Myrtle could see was his head,

Sirius wanted to make a comment about that, but actually managed to restrain himself with Lily still looking flustered and her husband in the room.

before reminding he wasn't supposed to be in there, it was a girls one.

"Bit of a pointless thing to say after spending half a year in there," Remus snickered.

Myrtle reminded he didn't use to care, he'd been in all the time.

"Not for the exclusive company though," Harry muttered.

While that had been true in his second year, this was only because of the private location so they could brew a secret potion. Aloud he told her that he'd been caught for going in there, which was half true, Percy had once told them off for coming out.

"Yeah, and I know how you always listen to everything Percy says," James stated with the utmost sincerity.

Fibbing he hadn't gone in after that.

Myrtle was not impressed as she switched back to telling Harry to put the egg in the water, that's what Diggory had done.

"How often does she spy on people in there?" Lily demanded, her voice still a little too pitchy than normal, the Marauders were taking this far to casually in her opinion.

"Don't know, never kept a record of her or anything," Remus shrugged.

"Often enough it wasn't exactly a surprise if we found her in there," James couldn't help but laugh a bit at his wife's continued squeamishness over this. She was just a harmless ghost, he was honestly convinced she did it more for attention than pervy intent.

Harry demanded how often she spied on people?

Myrtle just said sometimes, though Harry was the first she'd spoken to.

"Because that's so much better," Lily groaned. "How did you know she was there then?" She asked of the boys.

"If Harry had been keeping his eye on the map, he would have seen her show up," Sirius reminded.

"How on earth does that thing work," Lily demanded of them. "Ghosts aren't alive, why would she register?"

"The Homunculus charm," Remus said like that explained everything.

Lily looked honestly surprised, but Harry had no clue what that was so she told him, "the charm marks where everyone is in a specific location so long as they have even a vague human mind. Like the ghosts and Peeves would be included," she added on for herself. "It just never occurred to me that was the spell they used, because I could never find the incantation, just mentions of it in old texts."

"Sirius found it in a book from his house," Remus shrugged.

"There's a lot of musty old stuff in that place," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I got bored and looked through it at one point, came back and found it a few years later when it actually came in handy."

"Would the basilisk have shown up on the map?" Harry asked, thinking normal pets like Crookshanks never had, but then Mrs. Norris had so was the giant snake stretching it?

"Nope," James stated, "not human like enough."

"So how come Filch's cat's on there?" Lily demanded of them.

"She got her own separate charm to track her," Sirius grumbled, "we realized that mistake and added it after the fact."

Harry sarcastically snapped back how honored he was, telling her to keep her eyes shut as he crawled out.

He made sure she wasn't looking as he dried off and went after his fallen egg, then set his towel aside again and slipped back in. Myrtle looked up after that, repeating for him to stick the egg in the water.

Remus was instantly distracted from his old pet project and was now much more focused on seeing if his idea was right. He couldn't think of too many other creatures that this would apply to...

Harry opened the seal beneath the surface, but among the new bubbles no screeching echoed underneath, instead Harry could swear he heard gurgling singing.

"Oh," Remus smiled in triumph at the exact moment the other three stated in surprise.

Harry gave an agitated little sigh, he was sick of always being the one things to had to be explained to, but didn't question it as he had a gut feeling he'd come to his own conclusions on this soon enough and watched impatiently as Remus happily yelped, "it's mermaids."

"What does that have to do with a triwizard task?" Sirius demanded grumpily, the first one had been bad enough, and this wasn't starting off much better. Those creatures were rumored to be as vicious and territorial as dragons, with the added bonus of drowning their victims to death rather than setting them on fire.

"No clue," James tried to shush him and wave him quiet so he could hear this.

Myrtle told Harry he had to be underwater as well to hear the words, and when Harry hesitated she got a bit bossy by telling him to get one with it.

"Guess she doesn't get the opportunity much," Lily grumbled, though even she was finally distracted from the ghosts habits to pay attention to this.

Harry took a deep breath before ducking down as well, and finally heard:

Insert mermaid song

"That, was not encouraging," Remus' smile slipped right off his face as the full impact of the challenge sank in.

"Hang on, read that again," James requested, sure he'd heard a bit wrong.

Remus obliged, to the now stunned faces of the others.

"What's this on about an hour?" Lily demanded as she began biting at her lip at once at the thought. "What are you looking for?"

"Another bit to lead you to the last event I guess," Sirius sighed, but even as the worry started flooding him he couldn't deny at least this sounded more bearable and doable than the first.

"I'm still stuck on that part where they took something," James grumbled, running his hand through his hair in thought. "Are you looking for two things, or is the challenge personalized?"

"I really don't like the sounds of this," Remus groaned the more he thought about it. "They're only giving you a pinch more information than the first time, and it still seems as deadly as ever." He was still categorizing everything he'd ever heard about mermaids as well as aquatic life in general, none of it exactly pleasant, and all very hard to deal with inside the water where only a few select spells worked properly.

"Let's look on the bright side," Lily tried to keep their attention. "Least now he has something to work with, and I'm sure Harry'll figure it out," she gave him a winning smile at the end.

Harry wasn't as sure as her, unable to erase the nasty feeling that this was hardly his favorite challenge and he'd still take the dragon back, but didn't argue the point either.

Harry came back to the surface for air, tried to recite it, but then had to go under a few times before he got it right. Then he set the egg to the side again, and began swimming a few laps as he thought it all out.

Myrtle called him slow for not guessing who this could be about, while smirking down at him.

"No," Remus snapped at once, as he'd noticed that look on Harry's face. It must be annoying to constantly have things explained to him, then and now with his lapse of the magical world, but that was hardly his fault as he stated, "it's not exactly a common problem for many wizards, I'm positive it'd be just as hard to work out for the other champions."

"You guys figured it out in like, a second," Harry grumbled.

"We," James quickly corrected as he gestured at first Sirius and himself, "have a running expert on all things beast," now waving vaguely at Remus who was squinting at him like he was trying to decide if that was supposed to be insulting or a compliment. Knowing James, a combination of both. "So we know a bit more about it than the typical person."

"I didn't get it until he said it," Lily shrugged as she jabbed her thumb at Remus as well, "I was just surprised you could suddenly hear it underwater."

Harry did at least feel marginally better his mother had at least been on the same page as him for most of it.

Harry hadn't seen Myrtle this cheerful since Hermione had a tail.

"There's a fond memory," Sirius couldn't help but laugh, the magical mistakes people could do to themselves had always endeared him.

Harry ignored her as he kept up his swim, puzzling together that whatever this was must have something to do with a creature underwater if that's where you could hear the voice. He realized he was speaking aloud when Myrtle agreed that had been Diggory's conclusion, it had taken him ages to put this together.

Harry mostly ignored her, his eyes still on the water as he asked what else was in the lake besides the giant squid? Myrtle was not happy with the answer that there were all sorts, she'd been flushed down there from time to time.

All five of them made spluttering noises of disgust at that!

"Are you telling me the plumbing empties into the lake!" Sirius demanded, going a little green at the thought. "I thought it was just banished once it left the pipes. We never found where they exited off, so-" he cut himself with a retch.

"Great, and I used to go swimming in that," James groaned, his skin starting to crawl.

"I like to think Sirius was half right," Lily had her nose crinkled so much she looked like she was imitating a pug. "Surely it goes through some sort of magical cleaning system. There are creatures like the giant squid living in there who would get sick from that."

"Let's just move on," Remus grumbled, not really wanting to sit around thinking about it.

Trying not to think about Moaning Myrtle zooming down a pipe to the lake with the contents of a toilet.

"Can't imagine why you wouldn't want to paint that picture," Sirius muttered to find some amusement again.

Harry instead looked around himself again, his eyes landing on the painting of a human voice coming out of the water, like the mermaid.

"You see, that's a brilliant deduction," Lily smiled.

"I probably never would have got there without that painting," Harry tried to brush off.

"But you did," James rolled his eyes, "so take the compliment."

Harry muttered something that didn't quite mask the pleased look on his face at his parents complimenting him.

Harry asked if she'd seen any of those down there, and Myrtle praised that had been what Diggory got to in the end, but he'd taken hours and that was with her awake.

Harry's pleased feelings increased into a full blown smirk, unable to really beat away that pride that he'd done something faster than Diggory. Then he got an intense curling feeling in his gut, and Harry was once again wondering why his own jealous feelings at Cedric really hurt like that.

Harry was suddenly bubbling with his own excitement as he was sure he'd got it, the second task was to go into the lake and find merpeople!

His happiness drained as suddenly as if someone had pulled the plug in this tub. Harry could hardly swim.

Sure a bit of floundering in his water was easy, but while Dudley had taken lessons in his youth, his aunt and uncle had never ponied up the money for him, most likely hoping he'd one day drown.

"Oh thank you for that lovely bleeding reminder," Lily narrowed her eyes nastily, all of them having to fight down the urge to go drown those people in a bathtub.

Harry spoke his problem aloud to Myrtle, asking how he was supposed to breathe?

Harry looked around expectantly, to find they looked rather stumped at the thought.

"That, is a remarkably good question," Lily frowned, fidgeting with a lock of her hair as she cast her mind around for a spell or potion she could lock on. There was a potion that would temporarily give him gills, as well as some transfiguration, but those were advanced, and she'd be surprised if an older student could pull it off in time, let alone a fourteen year old.

"Well, it's not exactly common for people to do so," James explained as his mind offered up a few suggestions he quickly dispelled as they wouldn't be any use to Harry's age. "I'm not really sure how Hogwarts expects you to pull it off without adult help honestly."

"Um," Sirius cocked his head to the side in thought, "ah, let me get back to you on that one."

At this, Myrtle's eyes filled with sudden tears again.

"Uh oh," Remus groaned.

"Now you've done it," Sirius sighed, resisting the temptation to plug up his ears at the thought of this.

"What'd I do?" Harry yelped in surprise, they'd gone from speculating his problem to all looking annoyed in an instant.

"Not sure," James rolled his eyes, "but you said something to set off Myrtle, so here we go."

Wailing at how tactless he was, talking about breathing in front of her!

"Oh," Lily nodded, "well I've seen her be set off by less."

Harry was starting to regret that he hadn't put his trousers on the last time he'd gotten out, so maybe he could have snuck away by now.

She buried her face in her sleeves, and Harry only now remembered how touchy she could be, when other ghosts didn't react to that kind of stuff.

"Well you said it," Sirius sniffed, "Myrtle's one of a kind."

He impatiently apologized,

"I wasn't aware you could be impatiently sorry," Remus chuckled.

"But I'm glad you can pull it off," James grinned.

while Myrtle brokenly stated he wasn't the first, nobody had cared when she was alive. It had taken the school ages to find her body.

"Here we go again," Sirius threw his hands up in exasperation. "This is the story we mentioned before, if ever you asked how she died she'd just go on about this bit."

"Not even a very thrilling tale," James agreed with a sigh.

Olive Hornby had been the first to do so, laughing about how she'd probably been in there crying again, and Myrtle had made her pay for that. Myrtle haunted her for years, even going to a wedding to follow her around.

Lily still felt kind of bad for Myrtle, but it didn't stop her snapping, "what's she blaming her for? It wasn't that girl who got her killed. Why's she even allowed to do that?"

"Well you know Myrtle doesn't even know who did it," Remus reminded, "so she's just haunting the first person who came into contact with her after the fact."

"I think at some point she got a restraining order from the Ministry banishing her back to Hogwarts," James shrugged. "At least, I hope Olive did, I know I wouldn't want to put up with that."

Harry had stopped listening, still playing the song in his head about how something he'd miss would be taken. What were they going to take?

Myrtle was still chatting about how the Ministry of Magic had eventually got her to stop stalking and forced her back to her toilet.

"Fair compensation for stalking," Sirius snorted.

Harry vaguely agreed that was a good idea,

"I can see you were just riveted by that," Lily giggled.

while deciding it was time for him to go. He demanded she keep her eyes shut while he got dressed again, and once he was done and picking up all three of his things Myrtle asked if he'd come visit her again?

"I'm sure that's top of your to do list," James rolled his eyes.

"Could always find some more illegal potions to brew in there," Sirius offered, "I'm sure you'll come up with a reason to eventually."

"You're not encouraging," Lily grumbled at him.

Harry lied that he'd try, while privately thinking he wouldn't unless her's was the last bathroom available.

"And even then I'd rather use the lake," Remus finished as if reading, "because apparently it goes there anyways."

The others got a fascinating combination of laughter and disgust on their faces, so Remus admitted he'd been joking but still kept going with a wicked smirk in place.

Harry said his goodbye as he slipped his cloak on and activated his map to track the school again, the egg under his other arm. Filch and Mrs. Norris were down in their office, Peeves was bouncing around the trophy room, all seemed calm and a peaceful walk back to his tower, until he spotted something odd.

"Was it Sinestra sneaking into Vectors office?" Sirius asked innocently. "I caught that a fair few times."

"And I begged you every time not to tell me," Remus grumbled without looking up.

Peeves was not the only thing that was moving. A single dot was flitting around a room in the bottom left-hand corner - Snape's office.

"I can understand why you'd be keeping an eye on him," James muttered in disgust, he was always top of his list to keep tabs on.

But the dot wasn't labeled 'Severus Snape,' it was Bartemius Crouch.

Remus had to blink down at the pages several times to convince his brain he'd read that, and by the time he was convinced that name wasn't vanishing Lily had come over her shock and snatched the book away to see for herself, now juggling the thick spine and baby all at once and still managing to hold a look of disbelief in place.

"What on earth is he doing?" Sirius tried to demand, but his voice failed him in shock so it came out more of a whisper.

"How can he even be," James waved his hand around for emphasis of not even being aware what this was. "I thought he was so sick Percy was doing his job, now he's crawling around the castle."

"In Snape's private office," Remus agreed as he gently took the book back.

"I really want to know what's changed this guy," Lily demanded as she kept glaring at the book. "The only time he's acted the way I know him now was at the World Cup. Ever since then he's been acting like, well I don't even know."

"I have a bad feeling about me finding out," Harry grumbled as he kneaded his temple with his knuckles, something was pounding away in there insisting what he'd said was true enough.

"Well, best get it over with then," Remus tried to shrug this off for Harry's sake, his own mind wondering how much Dumbledore knew about this. Surely Crouch wasn't on the property without the headmaster knowing, which surely meant Snape had knowledge of what was going on and maybe invisible Harry would find something out. There was no doubt in anyone's mind Harry would go investigating this.

Harry watched the dot uncertainly, trying to understand how Crouch could be so sick he'd miss the Yule Ball, but was now sneaking around his school after midnight. The little label was moving around and occasionally pausing.

"Bit of an odd time for an inventory check," Sirius muttered.

Curiosity getting the better of him,

"No surprise there," James agreed.

Harry changed course and headed that way, his nose still pressed to the map as he moved along, passing into a shortcut. This seemed very out of character for Crouch sneaking around someone else's office.

They all agreed, none of them could come up with a feasible explanation for this. Even Remus' idea about the teachers having foreknowledge was lacking when he was reminded of the time, surely nothing so pressing was happening that Snape's cupboard had to be raided at this time.

Halfway down, Harry's leg suddenly wasn't level, and in fact had sunk into a trick step.

"Oh bugger," James groaned, already his fingers sliding past his glasses to hide his eyes from what this could mean.

He wobbled, and the still damp egg came free of his grasp, clanging on every step on the way down,

Sirius was counting all the ways in his head how bad this was, and already reaching double digits for his poor pup.

while the Invisibility Cloak tried to slide down with it, and in Harry's wild grasp to catch that the Map slipped free floating halfway down the stairs as well from where Harry was jammed.

Lily was biting her tongue to stop herself bemoaning that this really couldn't get any worse, then she realized next thing his wand was probably going to go sailing away as well!

The golden egg fell through the tapestry at the bottom of the staircase, burst open, and began wailing loudly in the corridor below.

"And that's my limit," Remus groaned, letting his head hang for a moment before looking pleadingly at his friends, "anyone else want to read about the travesty to come?"

"Nope," Sirius shook his head quickly, "that's all yours."

James removed his fingers so that he could glare at the book doing this to his son as he stated, "sorry Moony, you have fun with that."

"He's just going to get caught out of bed," Lily tried for some optimism. "Worst that can happen is he might get a detention."

"With the cloak and map on him," Sirius tallied up for her. "Try week's worth of detentions."

"Maybe being a champion they'll cut him some slack," James offered weakly.

"Good luck with that," Remus snorted.

Harry tried to reach with his wand to wipe the Map blank, but it was too far.

"And why did that stop you?" Sirius asked, rolling his eyes, "just say the spell and it'll still be done." Then he suddenly brightened all the more and said, "you've still got your wand on you, least that didn't come loose. Just summon everything back to you and hide under the cloak."

"You'll still be stuck in there until someone pulls you free," James winced, "so it's a question of being caught or let your leg go numb for how many hours."

Harry had gone from looking flabbergasted at Sirius, the thought hadn't even crossed his panicky mind, to thinking that his dad's options were more likely.

Making sure the cloak was still covering him, all Harry could do was tense in fear as the roar reached his ear, Peeves!

"There's a momentary relief," Remus couldn't help a small smile, "least he's not approaching you at defcon five."

"Filch always blames Peeves first," Sirius agreed.

Filch had arrived almost instantly upon the racket the egg was making, shouting about the poltergeist, but quickly catching sight of the real noise.

They all tensed in preparation for Filch making the connection...but then James suddenly brightened with the widest smirk in place. "Actually, this could still work out. Harry's hiding under the cloak, Filch shouldn't be able to find him. That could belong to any champion, so Harry could just steal it back before anyone's the wiser when Filch takes it back to his office."

"Could work," Sirius agreed eagerly, "so long as Harry keeps his head."

Harry could hear him stoop to pick up the egg, the wailing was cut off, and Harry stayed very still

"Not like you had a choice," Remus muttered.

as he waited for Filch to pull back the tapestry to his hidden corridor, expecting to see Peeves, but instead his eyes would surely land on the Map.

"No, really," Sirius insisted, watching Harry with the most disappointed eyes he could muster. "Summon it back to you already. You are losing some very important scheming points for not reacting already."

"I panicked," Harry defended, "went on lockdown, I think I stopped breathing for a few moments, let alone think."

Filch began whispering to Mrs. Norris about how this was a Triwizard clue, Peeves had been stealing from a champion.

"Actually no," Lily shook her head, "I've never known Peeves to actively steal personal belongings, or at least hang onto them. He might chuck it across the room."

"I can still see him trying this though," Remus disagreed. "If one of the champions had left it out, Peeves would think this was a great idea."

He ripped back the tapestry,

"Like Peeves would still be hiding there though," James scoffed.

"He'd either be floating above laughing, or at the other end of the school by now," Sirius agreed.

and Harry got a proper look at Filch's strained face and popping eyes landing on an apparently deserted corridor.

Filch began whispering to himself about how Peeves could hide all he'd like but surely Dumbledore would have him kicked out for this.

"I am as positive as can be Dumbledore has no control of Peeves being in that school," Remus snickered.

"I've never known magic that could get rid of one," Lily agreed, "and even if by some miracle you did, another would just appear. They're spirits of chaos after all-"

"And who harbors more chaos than a school," James finished for her.

"Really makes you wonder if Fleur was lying," Sirius cocked his head to the side, "I wouldn't honestly be surprised if all schools housed one of some kind."

"I wouldn't put it past her," Lily tisked, thinking she'd probably exaggerated every bit of her perfect precious school.

Filch began climbing the stairs, still muttering to himself, his cat at his heels now watching Harry with her eerie eyes through the Cloak. This wasn't the first time Harry had to wonder if this worked on cats.

"And the answer is still yes, physically she can't see you," Remus sighed.

"But she can use her other sharper senses, like smell," Sirius grumbled. "It just depends on how intelligent she is to work out if the scent is old, or fresh and she should get Filch, or what."

James was muttering under his breath about how bad this could get and didn't add in.

Harry tried desperately to wrench his leg free as Filch kept climbing closer, he'd reach the map first or walk right into Harry-

then someone called for what Filch was up to?

Lily scowled and said a few choice words even as relief flooded her, Harry's life really knew how to set the tension.

Filch stopped where he was and looked back down to see Snape.

Remus couldn't help face planting the pages for a moment, counting up all the number of times this guy kept showing up to ruin their lives and not happy at all with the number.

"Of bleeding course!" Sirius snarled in outrage. "Because if there's one person to make a situation worse, it'll always be him to show up!"

"I swear he has a radar on my last name," James moaned, "there is no other explanation how he keeps doing this."

He was wearing a long gray nightshirt and he looked livid.

"Because I always wanted to know what he slept in," Sirius crinkled up his nose.

Filch explained himself, showing the egg still in his grasp and what he knew Peeves had been up to.

Snape quickly reached his side, his eyes taking in the scene while Harry watched with a pounding heart he was sure would give him away.

"You're not helping by exaggerating," Lily sighed, though honestly she couldn't help a small smile at the same time. After all the heart pounding, fear inducing moments this tournament had already done to her, a thing like dealing with Filch and detention felt like a cake walk.

Snape's first comment was to say Peeves couldn't get into his office.

"Oh?" James drew the vowel too far out in surprise. "Well maybe we were slightly wrong, and it was a surprise visit being conducted."

"Hope he gets fired for something," Sirius grumbled, knowing it wasn't exactly Crouch's job to do...well whatever on earth could even be going on, but if it was putting Snape in a bad mood he was all for it.

The two began talking over each other, Filch still trying to go on about what Peeves had done, Snape saying how someone had broken into his office and only a wizard could have done so. Snape won by snapping out that he didn't give a damn about that Poltergeist, he wanted Filch's help to search the castle for whoever had been in his office.

Remus couldn't help a petty little smile that Snape was running to anyone for help, thinking the last time Snape had needed something he'd turned to Filch then to. Seemed the caretaker even he'd hated in his youth was the only friend he seemed to want help from now, not that he had any others.

Filch tried to argue, looking longingly towards the way he was sure Peeves had gone.

"He's kidding himself," Lily rolled his eyes, "he must know better than anyone Peeves wouldn't still be hanging around. He's got his evidence, he can come back later."

"You be sure to tell him that dear," James smiled at her.

Harry was pleading with the universe they'd just go, while Mrs. Norris was still keeping eyes on him. Harry knew if anything she could smell him, why had he used all that scented soap!

"Yes, why indeed did you not have the foresight not to play with that new toy," Sirius scolded, wagging his finger in Harry's face for emphasis.

Harry momentarily considered trying to catch that finger and hold it hostage until his godfather reconsidered doing it again, he was wound tight as could go at the remembered stress of this, but then Sirius turned eagerly back to listen to Remus and Harry lost his moment.

Filch told Snape he'd help, but first he had to see the headmaster, there was no way he'd condone letting Peeves get away with this.

Snape replied his office was more important than that- but was cut off by a distinctive and repetitive clunk.

"And the party continues?" Remus raised a sharp brow.

"Just how many teachers wander around this castle at night," Harry threw up his hands in exasperation.

"More than you'd think, but few enough this usually isn't such a problem," James said in what he was sure was a wise old voice.

Both stopped speaking at once as Mad-Eye appeared.

"While the footsteps were distinctive enough I guessed as much," Lily rolled her eyes, "could it not have been anyone else besides him. Harry actually had a chance to get out of this mess, but the one person in that castle who can see past that cloak shows up!"

"So glad we're on the same page love," James huffed as he slumped back into his seat, the game was definitely up now.

Moody took in the full scene, his first response to ask the two if they were having a pajama party?

"Well I should hope not," Remus tried for a laugh, "McGonagall wasn't invited, and you know how upset she'd be about that."

"See, this is why you should have stuck around," Sirius grinned at him.

Filch began explaining everything, but when he got to Snape's office Snape snapped at him to shut it.

Lily raised a sharp brow like she wanted to give Snape a suspicious look for doing that. What was he trying to hide from Moody?

Moody took a few steps up so he could be more on level with them, his blue eye alone being able to take in the full scene.

"Someone should make that the next painting hung up in school," James couldn't help a small smile, "it feels like the perfect metaphor for how Harry's life goes. Mostly observing and just waiting to get caught."

"I'm sure Snape would love one hung in his office," Sirius agreed.

Moody's lopsided gash of a mouth opened in surprise.

"What master Auror skills he has," Lily grimaced. "He practically gave away Harry's position before he said a word."

For a moment he seemed to be deciding what to do, then he closed his mouth and turned to Snape.

They all braced themselves for this boot to drop.

Asking about this person who broke in?

"Again," James couldn't help but point out with a smirk, though it faded right back off as he couldn't help but question, "though even knowing who did it doesn't help any of my questions."

"He's not going to tell," Lily yelped in surprise.

"I guess not," Remus agreed slowly, "if he didn't say it right off the bat, I can't imagine he would...but why not?"

"Who cares," Sirius grinned, "Harry's going to get away with it for sure now."

Snape replied it was of no importance to him.

"You weren't saying so a second ago," Sirius sneered, knowing Snape thought anything concerning him was the most important thing in the world.

Moody disagreed, asking if Snape had any suspects?

Snape grudgingly admitted it was most likely a student, this had happened before so students could steal and make their own potions.

Remus enunciated each syllable carefully, "hypocrite." Before continuing on more casually, "I know for a fact he used to filch from Slughorn all the time to brew his own vats for whatever he wanted."

Lily didn't bother to deny it, she'd just never wanted to ask where he got them.

Moody asked if he was sure he didn't have anything else hidden in there?

"Oh please have Moody go check next," Sirius sneered. "Would make my day for him to get fired for something illegal I know he has in there."

"I wouldn't hold your breath," Lily couldn't help but mutter a tad bitterly.

Snape narrowed his eyes at Moody as he said dangerously Moody knew full well he had nothing else, he'd searched his office already.

"Well lookie there," James' grin managed to spring back to life instantly. "As if Moody hadn't already proved himself useful to this school, now he's actually listening to us."

"Pity he didn't find anything," Remus sighed.

"Probably keeps a secret stash hidden in the dungeons somewhere, so he can torture students at his own disposal," Sirius said, only half kidding.

Moody agreed that was a privilege Dumbledore had allowed-

Snape cut him off with a temper, saying Dumbledore trusted him and he still didn't believe the headmaster had granted this!

"And yet he did it anyways," Lily snapped back, "which finally shows there is still a brain in his head."

While honestly pleased his wife still hadn't switched back to even remotely defending Snape again, he still couldn't help but expect a relapse, this new version was honestly scaring him as he recoiled slightly. Lily was speaking of him with as much hatred as she'd once shown James, so it wasn't exactly as pleasant a new sensation as he would have once thought.

Moody agreed Dumbledore did trust Snape, the man believed in second chances.

"What did he do with his first chance?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Most likely, got caught as a Death Eater," Sirius growled. "We've only heard rumours before now he was one, but that seems the most likely. I'm just wondering how in Merlin's beard Dumbledore let that slide enough to give him a job."

"I'm sad to say we probably won't find out," Remus huffed.

Moody disagreed, saying there were some spots that didn't come off, finishing with an obvious look at Snape.

His eyes narrowed, and he did something very strange, his right arm flinched like he meant to grasp hold of his left forearm like he'd been stung.

Harry felt a buzzing go off in the base of his skull, glancing down at that forearm as well and so very sure he should remember something being there on Snape's... but then he looked around and saw no one else had a clue what this could mean so he didn't press it.

Moody laughed at the reaction, telling Snape to run along to bed.

"Be a good little bat and I'll throw you some fruit later," James happily agreed.

"Don't be ridiculous Prongs," Remus said back without looking up, "he's obviously more of an O- type."

"Why should that stop me?" James demanded over the other three's giggling, "as if I'd ever give him what he actually wanted."

Remus could have kept the banter going, but he was far too curious for this night to be over and Harry to get away from Snape in general to keep on.

Snape was outraged, exclaiming he had just as much a right to walk this castle as anyone.

Moody agreed he could prowl away, but he was now looking forward all the more to meeting him in a lonely corridor.

"I am begging you to sit in on that one pup," Sirius turned pleading eyes on Harry. "Foot trapped or not."

"I'll get right on that," Harry shot back, not at all denying he'd pay good money to see that fight.

Then Moody added as an afterthought that that he'd spotted the map and Snape must have dropped it.

"Oh bloody hell," Sirius yelped, his heart starting to beat too hard at where this could lead.

"Remus isn't around to keep him away this time," James groaned.

Harry couldn't deny any such things of happening, because he was quite sure he wouldn't have his map for some time after this night, and it was not an encouraging thought at all.

Harry realized what was happening as both Filch and Snape spotted it for the first time, and Harry threw caution to the wind and waved to get Moody's attention under the cloak, mouthing at the DADA teacher that was his!

"Not sure how that makes it better," Lily got out around gnawing on her lip. "He's doing you a favor by not telling your there, not sure if that'll extend to your stuff."

Snape was reaching for it, an expression of dawning comprehension on his face -

Remus was resisting the urge to chuck the book across the room, he didn't want to read out this next part.

but Moody reacted fasted by summoning it to him, the parchment zooming right out from Snape's fingers.

"Moody is officially my favorite person ever," James sagged in relief.

"We owe him big for doing all this," Sirius agreed fervently.

While as happy as the boys, Lily was still more than curious as to why Moody was. Even having helped out Harry before with the first task, that should have been out of pity or even a reward for Harry doing the right thing. Helping to keep Harry out of trouble like this though was just odd, what was the reason? Surely even Dumbledore wouldn't have gone this far.

Quickly stuffing it out of sight and correcting himself that was his, he must have dropped it earlier.

Snape wasn't paying this any attention, his mind clearly putting together what only Snape could,

"Well yes, he does have the extenuating circumstances of knowing all of that is yours," Remus rolled his eyes.

"But even he can't think you're stupid enough to have just thrown those around willy nilly," Sirius scowled, "so you've got to wonder what he really thinks Harry's up to."

"Here's hoping I don't have to find out," James huffed, wanting Snape to be gone already.

Whispering the name Potter.

Moody asked what he meant, and Snape turned back in Harry's direction now, his eyes landing unerringly right on him as if he could suddenly see him there now that he knew.

All five of them gave a nasty shudder at that, more than thankful whatever magic possessed that cloak didn't work like that.

Putting together that everything that was here belonged to Potter, he was here underneath his Invisibility Cloak.

"I forgot he even knew about the cloak too," James groaned in disgust. "Merlin that man has successfully wrecked my school life by knowing about both of those now."

"It does indeed put a damper that he figured out that was Harry's that night," Sirius agreed, this not even having occurred to him at the time as he'd been more focused on other things, but it was true, Snape had found it and at once linked it to being Harry's. The man must have put it together as well as the Map that he'd seen it in Marauder hands often enough he'd pieced it all together.

Snape suddenly put his arm out and began climbing the stairs, clearly thinking he was going to find Harry like a blind man, Harry swore he saw his nose dilating like he could sniff Harry out.

"I always said that over large nose had to come in handy for something," Sirius rolled his eyes at the idea.

Harry was forced to lean as far back as he could while still being stuck in place to avoid the fingers, just as Moody barked Snape was being ridiculous, there was no one else around. He'd be happy to pass along the message to Dumbledore though that Snape's first thought was Potter.

"I should be flattered," Harry grumbled.

Snape stopped his approach, turning back to glare at Moody what he meant by that?

Moody stated that Dumbledore wanted to know everyone who had it out for the boy. In the torchlight illuminating his face, every scar and misshapen feature seemed to hold a whole new ghastly shadow.

James' face gave a nasty twitch at the reminder he hadn't forgotten, it was still very unsettling to picture Moody like that.

Snape did not reply to that, instead his arm dropped back down to his side and he stated he knew Potter had a habit of wandering after hours, he'd only been looking out for Potter's best interest.

"A top priority of yours, as you've always made clear," Sirius said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"Habit?" Lily repeated in disgust. "Harry really doesn't do it that often, not even as often as I did. Two or three times a year at best."

Harry did a double take at his mum saying that, she'd never mentioned any explicit school breaking like that to him, but Remus was still eagerly reading and now clearly enjoying Snape's predicament against Moody to notice.

Moody didn't seem to believe him as he repeated that back at Snape.

There was silence all around until Snape spoke up again that he was going to bed.

"Scamper off with your tail between your legs," Sirius chirped, still wishing more than anything Moody had been around in their day, he clearly came in handy.

Moody agreed that was the best idea he'd had this night. Then he turned dismissively away from him towards Filch, telling him to hand over the egg.

Filch refused, clutching the egg as though it were his firstborn son.

James scowled lightly as his mind flickered to that feeling, not ever having believed he'd mock anyone for that description, but it reminded him too much of his numbered days being able to do that for his own infant and any mockery of it didn't sit right.

Protesting this was evidence of Peeves' doing!

"Bloody hell man, you're never getting rid of that poltergeist, move on," Remus sighed.

Moody shot back it was the property of a school champion and it was to be handed over. Snape walked past the squabbling duo without any acknowledgement, and clearly outed here, Filch unhappily passed the egg along and turned to leave as well, muttering to his cat to come along, they could still go to Dumbledore and report this.

"There's Moody's point," Lily rolled her eyes, "Filch can still tell for all the good it'll do without the egg in his possession."

When both were far out of sight, Moody heaved himself up the stairs to Harry's position, mentioning how close that had been.

Harry thanked him for not mentioning he'd been present.

Moody asked what the Marauder's Map was, pulling it back out of his pocket and investigating it.

"Something of the utmost genius," Sirius stated at once.

"Crafted by only the keenest of artists," James quickly tacked on pompously.

Remus pretended he wasn't going to add on by reading, but no one could deny the faint tones of pride lacing his own voice while reading about their map.

Harry tried to explain what it was while wincing around some pain, his leg was beginning to hurt in its trapped position.

Moody's magical eye was going haywire as it studied every inch of the paper,

Harry couldn't help but to start twitching in unease, some feeling trying to rear up in him warning he didn't like Moody having hold of his map...

telling him this was some object to be had.

"Yes!" James crowed as if he'd received the end of all compliments. "Can you believe the Alastor Moody just complimented us!"

"I'm at a loss for words," Sirius agreed, his eager smile not being dampened one bit.

"Can you imagine when you do become an Auror and mention this to him before he even finds it," Remus added for his friends benefit. "Moody'll be so impressed, he'll probably try having you make some for even more buildings and places."

James's chest swelled with pride at the very idea of receiving this praise in person, but would never dream of denying, "well of course I just drew it, if he wants full replications he'll owe you two some compensation as well."

"This could be fun," Sirius' smirk widened at once. "Can you imagine us actually making a business of plotting out and recreating our map for other buildings."

"Places like the Ministry for example would go haywire for dozens of copies," Lily couldn't stop herself adding in.

They all looked floored at the idea, nothing like this had even crossed their minds before as anything more than a childhood pet project for their own security, and partial vanity, but this really was the first time they realized what they really could have on their hands.

Harry agreed it came in handy, trying to ignore his eyes starting to water from the pain as he asked his Professor to give him a hand.

Sirius was suddenly accosted back to this reality, and remembered back to a time he'd found P-, that rat, stuck in there. He'd fallen in hours ago apparently and was limping for ages afterwards, it really could leave a bruise if someone was left in there long enough not being able to pull themselves out. He didn't say this aloud, what had once been almost a funny memory suddenly made him realize who his brain had been intentionally leaving out this whole discussion of their map and he was not happy at the reminder.

Moody was momentarily surprised at the interruption before looking up and realizing where Harry still was, quickly grabbing hold of him and pulling him back out. Then he asked Harry if he'd seen who was in Snape's office?

Harry agreed it had been Mr. Crouch.

Harry felt his jaw do an odd number, something in him kicking and screaming to say that wasn't quite right, but Harry had more than enough practice to hastily brush that aside and ignore it best he could.

Moody's magical eye whizzed over the entire surface of the map. He looked suddenly alarmed.

"Well that can't be right," Lily cocked her head to the side. "He's supposed to be heading security or something, there's no way Crouch got onto the property without Dumbledore knowing, and why wouldn't he tell Moody as well."

"Something about this really isn't adding up," James agreed.

Harry gave a nasty twitch but still declined his answer which he knew he'd be grateful for in the long run.

Moody found this very interesting, still taking this map in.

Harry couldn't think of any way to reply. He was grateful Moody had gotten him out of trouble, and wanted to ask about all this, so threw caution to the wind and asked what Crouch would be doing here?

Moody's magical eye went and landed on Harry now, clearly sizing him up on how much to tell him, before answering that while Moody may be obsessed with catching Dark wizards, it was nothing compared to Crouch.

"Interesting way of putting it," Lily sniffed.

"Moody caught them," Sirius explained for Harry.

"While Crouch threw the book at them, the heaviest and hardest ones he could find, on even the smallest of charges," James finished with the smallest of frowns showing his displeasure.

"It's supposedly to show he's not taking any Death Eater's lightly," Remus sighed, "but really, from what I've heard, he gets bleeding cruel sometimes."

"It seems to be working though," Lily sighed, "as no one's trying to stop him."

Harry was getting a terrible feeling as this continued, he was very sure he had strong feelings about this topic that just weren't coming to the surface quite yet, but thanked them all the same as clearly they didn't like talking about it. Even as anti- Voldemort as they all were, obviously something of what Crouch was doing didn't feel much better.

Harry then asked if perhaps Crouch knew something more was going on?

Moody looked at Harry suspiciously, asking what that could be?

Harry didn't want to admit he'd been hearing things from the outside, fearing it could lead to some inquiries about Sirius.

"I can't really see me being his first train of thought," Sirius gave an uneasy smile, "he and the likes would still think I'm after you after all."

"Better safe than sorry," James muttered, hoping Harry did keep his mouth shut.

Still, Harry tried to play it off he'd just heard some things, like the Dark Mark at the World Cup and things from the prophet, it was all odd.

Moody watched Harry with something like mild respect before telling Harry what a sharp lad he was.

"Is that really so hard to work out?" Lily rolled her eyes. "No one would think to put those two together?" She wasn't trying to underplay Harry for knowing this, but it wouldn't take a genius either.

"Well most his age are only concerned with Quidditch stats," Remus shrugged, "so I guess it's more of a compliment for paying attention like that."

Moody's eyes were back on the Marauder's Map as he said Crouch was most likely thinking along the same lines as Harry, all this talk going around was making people nervous. Then his lopsided mouth did something resembling a smile as he finished if there was one thing he hated, his eyes now on the left-hand corner of the map,

The Marauders knew that map like that back of their own wand of course, so they realized he was in fact looking at the dungeons, back in Snape's direction.

it was a free Death Eater.

Harry just stared, sure Moody couldn't mean what he thought he did.

Lily didn't even need to see the map to put together what that meant, restraining herself for saying just a few more foul things at yet more proof of what Severus had turned into.

Then Moody turned and said now he had a question for him.

Harry's heart sank as he guessed what was coming, he was going to be asked where this map had come from, which could lead to some awkward answers involving his old teacher Professor Lupin and even his dad, plus the Weasley twins.

"Two of which aren't exactly Moody's concern," James muttered with just a tad more sulleness in his voice as he realized he was technically speaking of himself in past tense.

"Is this thing even technically legal?" Lily suddenly asked as she did worry about Remus, and the twins for that matter. "Wouldn't you need permission from the Headmaster to have such a thing?"

"Don't know, not like we asked," Sirius rolled his eyes at the thought.

"There's not technically a rule against it," Remus put just a touch more emphasis than was called for into that.

"Of course that makes it all better," Lily snorted.

"This is all pointless anyways," James tried to wave back attention to the important matter, "it's not like Harry's going to spill."

Instead, Moody asked if he could borrow it?

"Err," James stuttered, sure he'd heard wrong.

"Great, if it's not one teacher confiscating it, it's another," Sirius scowled as he realized what that really meant, like Harry had a choice.

Remus flushed in remembrance of that action, Sirius had made it clear he wasn't holding a grudge about that but it still wasn't a pleasant reminder as he quickly read in hopes Harry would somehow get past this, or at least have the intentions of stealing it back.

Harry was so surprised, and grateful Moody had done him a favor this night, he supposed he should return it no matter how fond he was of his map.

"Well I guess," James blustered, "when you put it like that."

"So long as it's a temporary loan," Sirius stated in no uncertain terms. "If Remus couldn't break the curse no one can, and Moody doesn't need to be leaving with that at the end of the year."

"I'll make sure of it," Harry swore, that uneasy feeling in him still not settling even if he did now understand why he wouldn't get his map back tonight. Something in him was kicking his insides telling him he should have taken another long look at that map before he handed it over...

He agreed, and Moody thanked him while telling him to get back off to bed. The two climbed the stairs and at first headed in the same direction, Moody still holding the map like a treasure.

James still couldn't stop a genuine smile creeping across his face. He hadn't been able to help it last night, in between his tossing and turning and thinking over all the events to come, his realization of what had happened to Moody had lingered in there as well. Fear for his life, less accurately his face but still, really had been leaving him slightly dubious of his job of choice he'd been set on...but now he really was considering something else. He always had been a good artist, he'd been the one to hand draw out that map that even impressed Moody in this way, so if he could be of help to this department some other way...

They meant to split off when they reached Moody's office, but the teacher called Harry back and asked if he'd ever considered a job as an Auror?

Lily and James couldn't help but startle, the idea hadn't even yet occurred to them that though Harry was the age, he'd have some job in his life. It was really saying something if it was in fact the very one his father was looking for.

Harry said no in surprise, and Moody told him he should be considering it, while also glancing at the egg back in Harry's arms and also pointing out Harry hadn't been taking that on a walk.

"Without a leash? He wouldn't dream of it," Sirius smirked.

Harry agreed he'd been working on the clue, and Moody told him he had no doubts Harry would work it out. Then he did leave.

Harry made his way back to Gryffindor Tower, his mind still churning over Snape and Crouch, Crouch being dominant with all the questions about him. Why was he pretending to be ill but coming up here? What had he been doing in Snape's office?

"Both excellent questions," Lily wrinkled up her forehead, not coming up with an answer she did like, either in explanation or just plain chasing away her chills.

There was also that small other thing, that Moody actually thought Harry could be an auror. The idea seemed intriguing, but Harry decided as he climbed into bed, he'd like to see a few more noses on the other Aurors before he considered it.

Causing some smattering of laughter in the end as Remus handed the book a little guiltily to Lily, not wanting to admit that he was rather relieved he wasn't going to be the one to read that next task as well, and masking that by telling Harry, "I do believe the majority of them at least have the full percentage of their noses."

"That's right comforting," Harry smiled back, but something in him was lingering on the idea.

[sweeethinny]

You’re The Right One - Chapter 1

There are people we would walk through the fire for, people we never imagined we could meet, and for James S. Potter, that person is Mira Hazel. The temperamental madwoman who was in the compartment next to him in Hogwarts' first year, and who has been by his side ever since. In the fifth year, however, Mira begins to gain another angle through James' eyes, however much he doesn't want it. You shouldn't look at your best friend that way, let alone want to kiss her every time they're close. He definitely shouldn't be jealous of her. She is just your friend, best friend, and James should put his head in place and forget about all this crazy stuff to avoid problems ... But he never went after problems, anyway, they always find a way to find him.

AO3

first of all, I would like to thank @theroomofreq​ who is beta of this fic, thank you very much for helping me to put this story in the world <3  this is a story that is almost finished in the original version, so my days of creative block will not hinder her progress

that’s it, thank u if you’re read till here, i hope you like my characters and my vision of the next gen <3

Walking excitedly among all the people, carrying his owl and bags in the cart, and rushing his parents every moment they were less than two steps behind him. James grinned from ear to ear on a lively September morning, the one where he would mark his first school year at Hogwarts.

''Let's go!’’ He pulled his father by the hand, who had stopped to show Lily, the youngest of the family, the huge dog that was walking illustriously beside the owner.

Both Harry and Ginny walked slowly to enjoy what would be the last time they would see their eldest son until Christmas, when they would force him to return to spend the festivities at home. For the father, it was a joy to see that little kid who barely reached his chest, saying what a great Quidditch player he would be and that Gryffindor would be, certainly, his house.

'' What if it happens to be Hufflepuff? Albus asked, a little frightened by his brother's enthusiasm that morning

'' It won't happen '' He rolled his eyes when none of the parents looked at him '' I'm too brave '' And the two laughed among themselves, thinking that the son was a copy, much more genius should be said, of the mother and the uncles Fred and George. And Harry was not ashamed to admit, that he saw himself much more in Albus, frightened by that determination, than by the flames of excitement that prowled James eyes. At least not at that age.

'' Come on, you and me first '' James barely waited for his father to hold the stroller bar, safely crossed the 9 3/4 barrier, reaching the spot where his eyes twinkled, and his whole body shook from nervousness and anxiety. Soon the mother with Albus and Teddy appeared, as always, the calm face of the woman making the boy brake and answer the silent request of '' wait! ''

'' How do you feel? '' Wizards were everywhere now, there were owls hooting, cats purring on their owners' legs, and frogs in the clothes of some, showing only their big eyes.

'' Anxious '' He spoke the truth for the first time, still smiling, but now a little more slowly. '' Do you think I'll be able to fly? '' This time he addressed his mother, speaking quietly so that only she could hear, watching Albus and Lily listening to his father's story about his first day there, while Teddy made some joke about how old he was. Ginny smiled kindly, warming the boy's heart, arranged the hair that fell in his eyes and rubbed his young face

'' Of course James, but if you have difficulties, which I doubt, we can train at Christmas '' He nodded, more hopeful this time. If her mother, a famous Quidditch player, had told him he could do it, then it would become true. Right?

'' Let's go just before the train leaves '' This time it was Harry who stirred, pushing the way while James saw the faces that would soon become known to him. Whether they are friends, colleagues, or enemies. (Even though his father made him swear that he would not start  unnecessary fights)

Smoke spread in the air, a lot of students - young and old - boarded the train and packed their bags in the cabins, then returned to hug their parents, be  scolded, or just talk. Heads floated in the window, students laughing excitedly with the anxiety of finally leaving, and James couldn't help feeling different.

'' I'm going to miss you, brat '' Teddy ruffled his brother's at heart hair '' First year is an important year .. write me if you need anything '' James nodded, slightly nervous as he watched the man change his hair for go dark like his, smiling a little too watery for his opinion

'' Me too. And ok, I will '' James hugged him, and then turned to his parents, almost feeling like he was about to scream in excitement and fear.

'' Be careful '' The father looked at his son, a little laughing and a little serious, raising his eyebrows '' I'm watching you ''

'' Ok '' He nodded excitedly '' And I know you will ''

"Take care, okay?" It was Albus' embrace, two years younger, tight and full of anticipation that made James smile without grace, his cheeks warm with that affection. As annoying as he could be, he would miss having someone smaller than himself to win the blame.

'' Yes, I’ll miss you too '' And then everyone got together for the squeeze, almost breaking his ribs, and making him blush with embarrassment '' No ... I can’t ... breathe ''

The little sister gave his cheek a wet kiss - which James automatically wanted to wipe but did not do when he saw his father's gaze - his mother had passed on some instructions about the houses and how he should be calm regardless of the choice.

'' The house that Hat draws will be the right one for you, and we will be happy regardless of the result. Write to us as soon as you can, preferably today '' He nodded laughing, thinking of the red and gold lion.

'' Now, listen '' The father had crouched down, keeping close eye contact, his green eyes almost bursting into orbit '' I don't want you to be around getting in trouble, understood? '' For the fiftieth time he nodded '' Don't worry if you are alone, people always arrive in the compartment , you can meet great friends inside '' Once again he moved his head

'' Stop being so melodramatic, man. '' Teddy laughed, winking at James, who seemed to have read the mind of the boy who was thinking about the whole castle to explore.

'' I'm going to send you news '' he assured, entering in the train

'' Every day. '' James frowned, eliciting laughter from his parents '' Answer us always, and if you need to ... ''

'' I know, Dad, I know ... Professor Longbottom can help me. '' The train started to leave, they exchanged a few more words, he waved at them as they got smaller, and then that was it.

James was finally on his way to the Witch School.

Anxious, he ran to the  single empty compartment  he found and began to contemplate the path they were taking. It seemed that magic was already taking place there, it was like the sensation of climbing up  a gigantic peak, analyzing the view from the top , the fall that he would soon make. It was scary, but impressively, it also seemed to cause a huge euphoria that would make him jump.

"Can I come in or is it full already?" The female voice woke him from his daydream. He had heard many love stories that began in train compartments , his godfather for example, swore he was one of those who unknowingly knew the love of his life. Grandpa, whose name he honored, met Grandma in one of those too. But if James knew anything, it was the  girl, a few inches shorter than him, with long blond hair braided, wearing a funny black cap and school robes, would not be his love.

She wasn't ugly, but she looked ... clumsy. Her eyes were large pits of the darkest pitch, the pupil barely visible, her  cheeks pink and large, eyebrows as clear as lashes (little more colored than the fair skin), and her  teeth a little apart, in addition to a pink lip fatty. Her legs looked  long compared to her  body, even under her robes, and her arms were thin, as if she had started to stretch-but only on some limbs.

'' Uh ... no. '' But you couldn't deny friends, of course. "You can sit down."

'' So ... '' She packed her bags '' It was full up front '' Justified herself by picking up a 'Quidditch History' book and sitting in front of him '' And I thought .... Hey, I think I know you from somewhere '' James blushed, even though he straightened up and tried to look more secure than he really was. Being recognized was never fun. '' You are Ginny Potter's son, I saw you on the Prophet's cover! My God, your mother is awesome '' She spoke in a way that her eyes almost popped, such excitement, gesturing and bulging her eyes.

'' I know '' James bragged, even if uncomfortable '' She's the best '' He spoke as if it were the most normal thing in the world. His mother had retired as a chaser  after Lily was born, however, he had gone to a few games and could remember it  being amazing. In addition, every time they played in the vegetable garden, the father had to sweat so that they would not lose by more than 100 points - even if someone on his team caught the snitch.

'' I want to be like her , you know .. '' The girl straightened up on the bench, pulling her legs up, leaning her back against the cold window, the book resting on her knees '' I want to play like that. '' James thought she was funny, but he didn't comment, a little scared by how intimidating she looked. '' My parents hate flying, but I like it. I mean, I’ve only  flown a few times, but it's soooo fun. '' He wanted to laugh, staring at her curiously. Her hair resembled Aunt Fleur's hair, long and light, but it was much less styled than the hair of the older woman  '' I really like to imagine myself playing. ''

''To imagine? Have you never played? '' The nameless girl denied, making a face

'' My parents are not the biggest Quidditch fans, so to go to a game, it was like Mass '' "Mass?" He frowned.

The blonde looked at him, this time curious, '' Yes, it's a muggle thing, you know, about religion, some are too long ... so the saying... '' James nodded

"Are you Muggle-born?" She shook her head, fiddling with the worn book unpretentiously, and then shrugged.

'' My parents are wizards, but my grandparents are muggles and I spent  a lot of time with my maternal grandmother, so '' she shrugged '' That's why I never played, I had no one, but I know how to play volleyball and maybe it will help me. And Tennis '' the girl shrugged again '' Anyway, your mom is a big inspiration to me, I wish I could have seen her play. ''

'' So ... you didn't say your name '' And again she moved, sitting forward and holding out her hand to him, which was full of different rings. James wondered if that girl could be weirder than Dominique. Or Aunt Luna.

'' Sorry, I was so excited ... I'm Mira Hazel. '' He smiled kindly

'' James '' Even though he didn't need to, he was happy to say '' What house do you think will be in? '' She straightened up again on the bench, without opening the book this time, looking at him with full attention.

'' I hope Ravenclaw. What about you? '' Mira Hazel said, as James grimaced.

'' Gryffindor, obviously. Why do you want that one? It's so full of ... idiots '' The girl raised her clear eyebrows, her body moving into an attack position as if she might pounce on him, much like a cat. James was concerned that she was carrying a cat beside her, but there was no sign.

'' My parents are from there .. You know. Gryffindor is not the only good house at school, if it were, it wouldn't make sense to have others, would it? '' James swallowed the words, arranging his back on the bench and thinking what he would say Next. Of course, his father had warned about this, but how could he not want to go to the house that housed his whole family?

Before he could give a bullshit answer that would make coal eyes explode, the cabin door was opened again, this time a boy with black hair and frightened eyes appeared, his cheeks flushed and what appeared to be a frog in his front pocket. "Sorry, wrong cabin."

When the door closed again, silence radiated over them, James too affected to admit that maybe, for a few seconds, she was right. Only the pages broke the silence,, as she leafed through the book almost aggressively,.Mira seemed to have read it many times judging by  the yellowish color that marked the edges, in addition to the lower spine looking punished with use. He thought of asking what Quidditch position she wanted - for he had imagined that if they both wanted to be keppers, they would fall off their brooms before the snitch was even released - but he kept the words to himself.

The food cart was not long in arriving, much to his delight, and the two bought what looked like food for five more, still without speaking a word, which was driving him crazy.

"Aha! I finally found you. '' The female voice broke through the air. Mira smiled at the chocolate frog, taking the card in her hands

'' Who did you find? '' James smiled when he saw Merlin smiling on his own card.

'' Hermione Weasley '' And as if it were pure gold, she carefully tucked it inside the Quidditch book.  '' My mother met her ... they made Runes together '' Mira nodded, seeming to talk to herself more than to him '' A very smart witch ... I should want to be like her too, don't you think? ''

'' Are you always this weird? '' He joked, happy that she had talked to him again. Her silence was claustrophobic, which was very strange, since Albus used to give him a cold shoulder whenever they fought, and it was never this bad. 

'' Ah ... no, I’m just nervous. '' It seemed like a lie, but he didn't say anything 

'' But tell me, what is it like? Having these people in your family '' Mira asked. 

James grimaced when he swallowed a Bertie Botts every flavor bean,  '' Ear wax, ew, I don't know how I was wrong. I thought it might be popcorn ''

''Normal '' He moved his shoulders, precisely choosing a bean, loving the taste of strawberry when he threw one in his mouth '' They are normal people most of the time '' 

'' It can't be normal '' She rolled her eyes '' There must be something extraordinary about being the son of Harry and Ginny Potter '' 

James tried to shake the thought from  his mind, remembering all the years living in his family and all the stories that he had heard (even if in half).

Sometimes it was quite difficult, people used to be so intrusive  at partie, s it was almost impossible for them not to be stopped by some journalist wanting to know the latest gossip that involved their name.

James thought it all sucked. It was very tiring.

He had thought that now as he was going to Hogwarts he could finally be James. Simply, James, and no longer,live in the shadow of his parents great deeds. Even if no one asked him to follow in their footsteps, stressing the irrecoverable losses they had made along the arduous path, he felt as if nothing he did was really interesting.

Going to Gryffindor, being a good keeper and a good student, was not just to ensure that his track record was brilliant, but to guarantee a place in the genius tree. He hadn't fought like his mother and father, but he had done something good while he was at school, proving his worth. Proving to be brave and fearless.

'' Except I can get a lot of cards from chocolate frogs more easily '' He smiled at the girl who laughed in denial, her cheeks turning pink again, and her eyes no longer seemed to carry the fury she had earlier presented.

She wasn't all bad, after all.

[...]

‘’James Potter .. what an honor!’’ Hagrid, a half-giant who always showed up at his house telling stories about strange and dangerous animals, smiled at him, hitting him on the back with a force that made him walk two steps forward.

‘’Hi Hagrid.’’ He returned the smile, looking  excitedly behind him and seeing the boats positioned.

After the rookies were summoned and put on boats, crossed the river below the night sky with few stars, Mira was beside him, her eyes looking like a part of the sky, shining with the magnificent view of Hogwarts. The castle looked bigger and more splendid than any photograph, description, or drawing he had ever seen and heard. It was real, grand, and now it was his new home.

As they left the boats and were led into the castle, the children's voices seemed to triple- the excitement of standing in that hall, waiting to be called up for the sorting. A tall, strong, well-groomed professor, showing a scar that cut his eyebrow and a little bit of his left eyelid, appeared. ,He explained the houses, the hat and introduced himself, Frank Johaan, Defense Against the Dark Art teacher . When they entered the Great Hall, which his father had spoken so much of, James thought he might fall over right there, looking at the tables, the teachers, the decoration above him, the walls laden with flags of the houses, the ghosts walking around. .. It was almost like daydreaming. No photograph  lived up to what James was seeing

And just as his father had informed him, when the time came, the Sorting Hat on a stool, looking old and worn, began to sing.

When Headmaster McGonagall gave a slight smile after welcoming the students - and James thought he saw her smile bigger when she saw him - Professor Johaan stood erect beside the stool, a scroll in his left hand and the right on top of the hat

‘’When I call your name, come here and sit down.’’

The names began, applause whenever the house was shouted at by the patched hat.With each person, the boy felt more apprehensive, looking around anxiously and seeing Mira from a short distance, looking confident, hardly even blinking during the wait.

‘’Potter, James Sirius’’ He could have sworn he saw the Headmistress getting ready in the chair to watch, making him feel even more nervous; And with weak legs, but without showing it, he started the long walk to the stool, everyone's eyes following him, and the teachers looking at him with curiosity. He took a deep breath before sitting on the stool and left his mind free, listening even to his heartbeat.

‘’Ah a Potter ... I know them so well. A brave heart ... ‘’ Said the hat, and he thought it was magnificent ‘’I can't help but notice, too big even for a giant's body’’. Without thinking, he looked sideways at Hagrid, who was smiling anxiously while sitting in one of the chairs set for the teachers. ‘’But would that only help you? .. A vast intelligence, certainly, but I cannot deny the truth ... Gryffindor!’’

The Gryffindor table rose to a fuss, eagerly applauding and welcoming him, with huge smiles and nods when he sat down, everyone congratulating him and talking about how amazing it was that they had a Potter there.

‘’Hazel, Mira’’ She walked confidently, not even blushing.  Her braided hair trailing behind her and her black eyes looking like two black holes in her pale face. She sat on the stool, waiting for the call, the sorting hat was put on, and stayed there for some time.

James’ godmother had told him about this, about students sometimes sitting up to five minutes waiting, they were students who confused the hat, they had many attributes that stood out and could easily fit in more than one house, as had happened with her.

The blonde was waiting in the same way as when she sat down, calm and seeming to assess with the hat, after what seemed like three or more minutes - he hadn't been there so long, and if he had, he would have died of anxiety - the hat screamed;

-Gryffindor!

His  house table began to clap again, the blonde descending cheerfully and full of smiles, greeting those at the end and sitting next to James, her eyebrows half-arched and in an almost balmy way, showing in her eyes

‘’It looks like we'll be colleagues, Potter.’’ Mira said as she raised her chin and exuding confidence , drawing a laugh from James. 

‘’So it seems.’’ And for some reason, he was happy with that.

[arysafics]

Out Loud

Summary:  Clarke is really into quidditch, but since she sucks at playing, she's forced to annouce the matches at Hogwarts instead. Except she kind of keeps going off on tangents about how hot the Gryffindor captain is.

Rated T, ~2,500 words

Clarke isn’t allowed to commentate Slytherin quidditch matches anymore, on account of how Professor Jaha says she’s too biased. Clarke is still of the opinion that it’s the umpire that’s biased, and not her, but she handles her ban reasonably well, considering she only got to announce for three matches before it happened. Only Professor Diyoza, head of Slytherin, realises that Clarke was the one to curse the Ravenclaws’ brooms so they release green smoke when used.

“If only you would put your talent into something useful, Clarke,” Diyoza sighs. She takes 5 points from Slytherin, but she doesn’t tell anyone else about what Clarke did.

Clarke’s ban doesn’t extend to commentating the other matches, though she is on probation. She swears to herself she’ll be on her best behaviour when commentating the upcoming Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff match. Well, to the best of her ability. The problem is, her mouth kind of runs away with her while she’s announcing. The filter that’s normally there in everyday conversations disappears, and whatever comes into her head pops out. She needs to get a handle on it though. If they ban her completely, she’ll have to just watch the match with the rest of the plebs.

See, the thing is, Clarke loves quidditch. She goes to the World Cup with her dad every year, and she’s always arguing with someone or other about who the best players are, who has the best strategy or who’s going to win. She goes to all the Slytherin training sessions, even though she’s not on the team. Her classmates are careful not to bring up quidditch in front of her, because they know it will just set her off and they won’t be able to shut her up about it for at least an hour. In fourth year, she was caught taking bets on the school tournament. They almost banned her from quidditch entirely then and there.

Despite her love of quidditch, Clarke can’t play for shit, and it’s always irked her to no end. It’s her only failing, as far as she is concerned. She just doesn’t have the coordination or something. She tried out for the Slytherin team her first five years at Hogwarts, for every position. Not agile enough to be a chaser or a keeper. Not enough power to be a beater. Not swift enough to be a seeker. So now they let her commentate.

“Remember you’re on probation, Clarke,” Professor Jaha tells her as she takes her place in the commentator’s box. “I’ll be right here making sure you don’t say anything you shouldn’t say.”

“Yes, professor,” Clarke sighs. She turns her attention to the stands, full of students wearing house colours and waving banners. They’re already cheering and screaming, though the players aren’t even on the field yet. Clarke gets her wand out, silently casting the amplifying charm to project her voice over the stadium.

“Welcome back everyone!” she says. “I’m Clarke Griffin and I’ll be commentating this match. Yes, that’s right I’m still here, even after Raven Reyes tried to get me banned after my commentary on the last match.”

“Clarke!” Jaha scolds. She gives him a sheepish look. She turns her attention back to the pitch as the players fly out and the crowd cheers even louder.

“Today’s match is Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff! The winner of this match will play Slytherin in the final. Gryffindor have been playing a little too well this year so let’s hope Hufflepuff wins this one. Although I, am of course, completely unbiased.” Clarke glances at Jaha to see him rolling his eyes. The players take their places around the centre ring. “Today’s umpire is Professor Pike of Ravenclaw.”

Pike stands in the centre ring and releases the bludgers and snitch from their wooden case. He picks up the quaffle and throws it into the air, blowing his whistle as he does so.

“And we’re off! Finn Collins, Hufflepuff chaser, and two-timing bastard—”

“Clarke!”

“Sorry, professor. Collins has the quaffle. He dodges a bludger, struck by Octavia Blake. He passes off to Harper McIntyre, who shoots for a goal and—it’s nicely defended by Gryffindor captain, Bellamy Blake. Side note—did the Gryffindors get new uniforms? I’m sure Blake didn’t look that good last match. Like he looked good, but the way he fills out that new uniform is something else. Okay, he’s passing the quaffle to Zoe Monroe, who skirts around Collins, heading straight for the goals.”

“Clarke, keep your commentary on the game please!” Jaha scolds.

“I am! Ooh! Kyle Wick just hit a bludger right at Monroe! She managed not to get hit but she dropped the quaffle and now it’s in the hands of that dirtbag Finn Collins again. Personally, I think he should be banned from the team, because if he cheats on women, who’s to say he doesn’t cheat at quidditch?”

“Clarke! This is your last warning!”

“Collins passes to Gina Martin. She’s squared up against Blake, ready to take a shot at goal. This is awkward, they used to date.”

“Clarke…”

“It’s relevant information, professor! I’m just giving context! It’s not like I’m speculating on why they broke up. Although I think it’s because they had zero chemistry. Watching them kiss made me want to barf. She’s going for it and… Blake dives for it, giving us a glimpse of those magnificent abs. Ooh, he misses, but at least he looked good doing it. Ten points for Hufflepuff!”

The crowd erupts into cheers from everyone but the Gryffindors themselves.

“Ooh, Blake does not look happy about that!” Clarke says. His scowl only grows as Clarke says the words. Bellamy fetches the quaffle and throws it back into play forcefully.

“Monroe has the quaffle again. She passes to Wells Jaha. He’s really improved in the last year—he’s flying down the field. No one can stop him now! He’s going for goal—it flies right past Lincoln, the Hufflepuff keeper, and we are tied at ten all!”

Lincoln wastes no time putting the quaffle back into play, and in thirty seconds it’s back at the Hufflepuff goal end.

“It’s Harper shooting for goal again—and Blake’s defence is flawless. Harper needs to up her game if she’s going to get it past Blake. Ooh, a well place bludger by Echo as Blake tries to pass the quaffle off to Monroe. It’s missed him, thankfully—wouldn’t want to mess up that pretty face—but he’s dropped the quaffle, and now it’s a race between Monroe and Harper to see who can get there first. And it’s Harper! Can she make the shot this time? She hasn’t been able to so far, maybe she’s distracted by Blake’s arm muscles. Seriously, they got new uniforms, right? Or did someone put a shrinking hex on his? Because that thing is so tight is almost indecent, and it can’t be just me having indecent thoughts right now… Ooh! He grabs the quaffle, but he fumbles it a little. It’s okay, doesn’t make him any less of a great quidditch player. They all have a little fumble now and then. I’ll tell you what, I’d let him fumble around my—”

Her wand is snatched out of her hand before she can finish. She whips her head around to see Jaha glaring at her.

“That’s enough, Clarke.”

“What did I say?” she whines.

“Well, I wrote it all down and I’ll be sending it to your head of house. Get back to the Slytherin common room now. Diyoza will deal with you later.”

“But I want to watch the rest of the match!”

“Now, Clarke.” He hands Clarke her wand back, and Clarke takes it from him, reluctantly descending the stand. By the time she reaches the ground, she can already hear Jasper Jordan taking over as announcer. Jaha must have had him on standby, knowing Clarke would screw up. She scowls. She doesn’t even know what she said wrong! She was just saying what she saw. And now she doesn’t even get to stay and watch the end of the match. It’s so unfair.

  Clarke slouches in the chair across the desk from Professor Diyoza, her expression sour. After the match, Diyoza had called Clarke straight to her office.

“I really thought you learned your lesson after last time,” Diyoza says. “You’re normally so careful with what you say. I don’t understand.”

“I guess quidditch just gets me all riled up,” Clarke shrugs. “I can’t help it. I don’t even know what I said that was so bad.”

Diyoza pulls out a piece of parchment. “Jaha made sure I got this exact dictation of what you said.” She looks down to the parchment. “First you called Finn Collins a two-timing bastard, and also a cheater and a dirtbag.”

“He is though.”

“Not related to quidditch.”

Clarke huffs. “What else?”

“Most of the other stuff is just you going on about how hot you think Bellamy Blake is.”

“I did not say that.”

Diyoza eyes her with amusement. She reads directly from the page. “The way he fills out that new uniform is something else. Blake dives for it, giving us a glimpse of those magnificent abs. He misses, but at least he looked good doing it. It’s missed him, thankfully, wouldn’t want to mess up that pretty face. It can’t be just me having indecent thoughts right now—”

“Okay!” Clarke interrupts. Her face is flaming. “I’ve heard enough.” She can hardly believe she said all that out loud. She can tell Diyoza is laughing at her, even if she isn’t actually laughing. “So, what’s my punishment then?”

“To be honest, I think it’s punishment enough that the entire school now knows you have a thing for the Gryffindor quidditch captain. That’s pretty embarrassing, right?”

Clarke scowls. “Shut up,” she mutters.

“Do you speak to all your professors like that?” Diyoza asks, rolling her eyes.

“Am I being punished or not?”

“Yeah, twenty points from Slytherin. And you’re banned from announcing all future matches.”

“Fine.”

“Don’t sulk, Clarke. I doubt Gryffindor’s resident golden boy will find that attractive. They won, by the way.”

“You’re the worst house leader ever,” Clarke says, mostly trying to disguise the fact that she’s blushing again. She gets up and stalks out of the office, Diyoza’s laughter trailing after her.

On her way back to the Slytherin common room, she spots Bellamy coming towards her and quickly changes direction. He’s the last person she wants to see right now. Unfortunately, the hallway is empty apart from the two of them, and he sees her before she can escape.

“Hey, Griffin!” he yells. Clarke stops, squeezing her eyes shut. Her face is hot already, and she hopes it doesn’t look as red as it feels. She turns to face him, trying to muster up some semblance of nonchalance.

“Bellamy,” she says. “What’s up?”

“What the hell was that out there?” he says angrily.

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean. All the shit you were saying. That was really uncool.”

Clarke cringes. “Sorry I embarrassed you,” she says shortly. “If it makes you feel any better, I totally humiliated myself as well, so there’s that.”

“How exactly did you humiliate yourself?”

“You heard what I said, right?” she snorts. “I kind of admitted to the whole school that I’m into you. Which would be fine if it were anyone else, but no, I have to have a crush on perfect Gryffindor quidditch captain Bellamy Blake. It’s totally ruining my cool Slytherin brand.”

Bellamy is staring at her like she just grew a second head.

“What?” she snaps.

“You’re into me?” he says dumbly. Clarke stares back, confused. He did hear everything she said at the match, right? “I mean—you didn’t just say all that stuff to throw me off my game so we’d lose the match?”

Oh. Oh, that would have been a great cover. Clarke only wishes she’d thought of it herself. And fuck, now she’s blushing again.

“I—” she swallows. “Fuck.” Her eyes drop to her feet, unable to look at his deep brown eyes scrutinising her. “I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut,” she mutters.

“You’re into me,” he repeats, almost wondrously. He laughs. Clarke looks up, glowering at him.

“No need to laugh at me.”

Bellamy’s wide grin drops, and he quickly turns apologetic. “Oh, no,” he says. “Sorry. I’m not laughing at you. I—uh—” He rubs the back of his neck nervously. “I’m kind of into you too.”

Clarke gapes at him. “What?”

Bellamy laughs again. “Yeah. It’s really annoying.”

Clarke’s heart soars, and she’s not sure she’s doing a great job of keeping the goofy grin from her face. “I bet I’m more annoyed about it that you are.”

“No way. My crush on you is way more inconvenient. Your stupid sexy voice always distracts me from quidditch. Today was especially bad. It’s like… my brain was sure you were saying all that stuff just to put me off, but my dumbass heart got all worked up because it wanted you to mean it.”

“Well, you’ll be happy to know I got banned from announcing any further matches.”

“It was probably because of the part where you said you wanted me to fumble around your—what was it? You never finished that sentence.”

“Oh my god,” Clarke groans. “I’m so embarrassing. This ban is probably for the best.”

Bellamy eyes her, smile playing on his lips. God, she feels like she could melt into a heap under his gaze. Her heart is beating so fast she thinks it’s going to burst out of her chest.

“Clarke?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you?” Clarke nods, and then Bellamy is closing the gap between them, taking her face in his hands and pressing his lips against hers, so gently Clarke thinks she might be imagining the whole thing. She deepens the kiss, opening her mouth for him, letting her tongue brush against his. Her whole body lights up for him. He groans softly, then pulls back. Clarke opens her eyes to his. Goosebumps cover her skin.

“Everyone is going to make fun of us for this,” Clarke says.

“No one would dare,” Bellamy laughs. “Everyone knows you can hex anyone and get away with it. Like what you did with the Ravenclaws’ brooms.”

“You know that was me?”

“Everyone knows. Mostly because I figured it was you and I was so impressed I told everyone. But I made it seem like I thought it was a stupid thing to do.”

Clarke smiles. “You think I’m impressive?”

“Don’t tell anyone.”

“I’m going to tell everyone. Especially Diyoza.”

Bellamy shakes his head, confused but endeared. “Okay? Weird, but okay.”

“So, do you want to like… date me?”

Bellamy grins. “Yeah, I want to date you. If you’re not too concerned about your cool Slytherin brand. Which, for the record, you don’t have.”

“Shut up and kiss me again.”

“Gladly.”

[graceful-defender-of-paris]

“i’m a quidditch player, and you’re the announcer, and i am trying really hard not to notice that your comments about me are becoming less and less about how i’m playing, and more and more about how i look in my quidditch uniform” + robbaery!!

(sorry it’s so late)      

ship:Robbaery

Words: 2234     

also on Ao3                                

 *******

The first match of the year. Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff.

Normally the Hufflepuff team wouldn't be considered a real threat but ever since Loras Tyrell had been made quidditch captain they were formidable. he had the team practising every second of the day, the last he had heard she nearly worked her chaser Podrick to exhaustion and had been sent to madame Pomfrey and given a prescription of pepper up potion to keep him awake in classes.

So it was safe to say (but not in front of any of his sibling or else he would never hear the end of it) that he was somewhat shitting a brick over the match)

Not that the Gryffindor team was bad per se, it’s just that since Brienne Tarth left they were sort of in shambles.

It wasn't helped that most of the team was made up of his family and if he screwed up he would never be allowed to forget it.

“ARGH!” Robb shouted as he was tackled to the ground off the bench at the table by a small blur of Gryffindor colours.

Arya was a bundle of energy, overexcited for her first quidditch match as the Gryffindor seeker. From where he had landed on the floor he could see his little sister fluttering about as though she was the snitch herself, at least there was something to be excited at.

And surely that will take the heat off him.

His other sister was seated by Theon and was utterly devoid of the usual green garb she wore as house pride (and partly their mother had told her she suited the colour when Sansa was distraught over her placement) but instead decked out head to toe in red and gold to support her siblings.

Sansa and Bran were the only Starks not in Gryffindor (well, Rickon had yet to be sorted but everyone agreed he was too wild to be anywhere else than Gryffindor), they were in Slytherin and Ravenclaw respectively. Family was more important than house pride so he saw no reason to cast out his sister even though many in his house view her with suspicion.

He also may have had a months detention after one of his dorm mates had suggested that she "was an icy bitch" and that "he wouldn't be surprised if she killed them all" which was bad enough but then Harry Hardyng said he "wouldn't mind getting under her skirt first though" so Robb obviously had to defend his sister's honour. And may have forgotten he went to a wizarding school and could use magic, so he may have beat up harry the muggle way and sent him to the infirmary.

(Jon had detention with him too but Arya was the only one wise enough to not get caught, Harry   had been hexed by Arya to get snowed on every time he even thought about Sansa so he would be frigid )

Robb had only managed to start on his toast when Jon jumped up saying they were going to be late to get Bran a good seat.

Bran had suffered from a splinching accident a few years ago, he had been attempting magic from a very young age. Catelyn was happy when he would cast Lumos or Wingardium Leviosa but then bran had become a little ambitious and trying harder and harder spells. He got it into his head that he could try to apparate. He was ten and so excited for Hogwarts.

Sansa thought he was dead when she found him lying in the garden with blood pooling around him. He had splinched a part of his spine and though they rushed him to saint mungos they couldn't repair the damage fully and bran would never be able to walk again. With a few levitation spells and Featherlight charms the healers had managed to sort a chair out for Bran to use, it wasn't the same as before but it gave him the freedom his legs wouldn't anymore.

It worked well but it would still take bran some time to get to the Quidditch pitch so soon the entire Stark family were making their way down to the pitch absurdly early.

Sansa was by Bran’s side talking his ear off about one of her friends, Theon was trailing along beside her. Which was a bit weird it's not like Sansa needed his help.

He was in his head about the Quidditch so Robb was only hearing every other word of Sansa’s conversation but it was something about her friend commentating and her dreamy brother on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team? He wasn't quite sure but Theon was sulking. Perhaps she had insulted the Iron Krakens again.

Finally getting into the air he felt all of his worries melt away. All that mattered was him, his broom and the bludger.

A bracing wind was rushing past, nearly deafening him to the roar of the crowd. Swooping past the commentary box he could hear the announcer

"First match of the year and first year for Loras Tyrell as Quidditch captain and early opinions suggest a Hufflepuff win in the works or so I've heard from a very reliable source- my brother. Professor’s not biased, Loras is a reliable source!"

There was some grumbling and then the crackle of the amplifier started up again "well ladies and gentlemen I've been told I can't use my brother as a source  which seems entirely unfair.”

Robb gripped his beaters bat tight as he saw the bludger fly towards Arya and he zoomed across the pitch to hit it out of her way.

“Ooh Stark is racing after the bludger heading towards stark- miss can I just refer to them by their first name cause this is getting confusing”

He screeched to a halt just in front of Arya in time and directed the bludger at one of the Hufflepuff chasers. Arya gave a bark of laughter and shouted over to him “I could have handled it”

He didn't bother to reply to her only rolling his eyes.

She didn’t see though as she was to busy racing off hopefully chasing after the snitch.

The match continued, Gryffindor-30 Hufflepuff-170 so they were not doing well. but after an hour and a half in the air, he began to notice the commentary had rather changed in tone.

“Robbs quidditch kit is quite tight, isn't it? His bum looks lovely”

Scundered, he was completely scundered. He just knew theon would never let him live this down.

Arya flew over, completely ignoring the match going on just to make fun of him. She was clutching at her stomach and she nearly fell off her broom laughing at him. Robb could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. His cheeks were clashing furiously with his hair and though he was annoyed by his sister he did fly over and steady her.

“It should be a crime to wear those trousers that well. They look like theyre painted on- miss its perfectly relevant I’m commentating”

He was going to die of embarrassment before this match was over, all he could hope for was that Arya would catch the snitch already .

There was little else to do until Arya did her job, he blocked a fair few bludgers often tossing them between himself and Jon in the boring bits.

Dacey Mormont was their best chaser and they were about to take the lead when he saw a bludger come straight at her as she rushed to the goal.

Jon was too far away after getting in an argument with the Hufflepuff beater Meera Reed and the chaser Matthos Seaworth that their last few scores were lousy.

“Arya stark has spotted the snitch!” the cheery announcer shouted. He would really have to find out who she is.

There was a split second, a choice to make. He could either rush over- but he knew he wouldn’t make it in time hoping that it would miss her but if Arya caught the snitch they would still be behind and lose the match.

And with that, his decision was made. He would go after the bludger.

The wind was even harsher now that he was racing through it, his grip on his broom was tenuous at best with his bat in hand but now he was rocking from side to side, he hit one of the viewing towers after a hefty gust of wind caught him and he let go of his bat. It became a mere pin drop in the distance.

Dacey was almost at the goal post now- as was he but the commentary again came into his mind “Robb stark looking very dashing as he races to protect Mormont from the stray bludger- wait, it’s not heading towards her. It’s going to take out Renly!”

The sense of honour that his father had drilled into him was screaming at him. He had to save Renly even though he’s the Hufflepuff keeper . If they win it’s going to be fair and not because he had let Renly get hospitalised.

So because he never thinks things through he threw himself between the incoming projectile and Renly. His last thought before he blacked out from the pain as he fell through the air was “Arya better have caught the damn snitch.”

Blearily blinking awake Robb found himself surrounded by his entire family, quidditch team and the Hufflepuff team?

Sansa was the first to realise he had woken up, “oh Robb thank goodness you’re okay! We were so scared, seeing you drop from such a height it was horrible!” her eyes were red-rimmed and even bran seemed more solemn than usual.

Jon and Theon were the complete opposite “YOU BLOODY IDIOT!” and “you know throwing yourself in front of a bludger is not going to make any of us forget that you were called ‘hotter than a herbology classroom mid-June with the windows shut’ right?”

“I DID NOT WANT TO REMEMBER THAT” a petulant voice he recognised as Aryas called out. Well, Robb did hope that would be left out of the letter to his parents.

Sansa gave a rueful smile as though she knew something he didn’t.

He didn’t have long to think about it as he saw a barrage of yellow fly at him, it was Loras Tyrell and Renly Baratheon “you didn’t need to take that bludger for me but you did so uh... You're just like the stories of your father and an uh good sport.”

While Loras reached out to shake his hand which Robb just realised was completely bandaged. “Oh well…um ” Loras rapidly searching for a way of saying thanks and settling on patting Robbs shoulder.

Well, that was weird.

A sharp wolf whistle took over his sibling’s titterings and theon- the culprit of the noise just winked at him while Sansa elbowed him so harshly he let out an “oof”.

The pretty brunette girl he always saw Sansa hang around with was walking towards him and give him a lopsided smirk “What my dear brother was trying to say was thank you for saving his boyfriends life”.

He certainly knew that voice .

“YOU WERE THE COMMENTATOR!?” Robb desperately looked for confirmation from anyone at his bedside but all he was met with was giggling.

“What did theon pay you to say that stuff?”

Her eyes were a warm brown that he could just melt into and her hair was a torrent of waves the same colour. She was utterly gorgeous close-up and he refused to believe that she wasn’t persuaded to embarrass him .

Jon suddenly stood up and pushed Bran’s chair out of the infirmary “that’s our cue to go” and was followed like a mother duck and his sisters his ducklings- though Sansa and Arya were dragging Theon out of the room.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief and she came closer to him, shooing away everyone else. Even though everyone had now left it felt incredibly claustrophobic like they were stuck in a broom closet together. She consumed all his senses and he was internally cursing himself for not noticing her earlier.

“Why would you think I was joking?”

He didn’t know how to reply to that without making himself like a blundering idiot but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to.

“Well… um, it’s just that if you uh weren’t joking… its a ah rather public way of saying such uhm things.” if all the blood hadn’t rushed to his head to make him blush like a tomato he would eat every puke flavoured Bertie botts bean.

“Maybe that was the only way to get you to notice”

Okay, so it appeared he was an idiot.

“Oh”

“Yeah”

“So… if I were to say that you were the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen and if your half as brilliant as Sansa tells me then you’re the most wonderful witch I’ve ever met you wouldn’t be mad?”

“No you idiot” her voice was filled with faux scorn but she leant down to kiss him.

“No more visitors! Mister Stark is to rest and recover from his broken bones I will NOT be having any cavorting in my infirmary” Madame Pomfrey shouted.

Margaery gave him a peck on the cheek and rushed out of the room before she left Robb called out to her saying “does that mean you’ll go on a date with me to Hogsmeade?”

She just smiled and replied “maybe”.

[the-amazing-spider-bi]

the college au nobody asked for I leta lestrange/newt scamander I 4k I ao3

The roommate AU in which otters hold paws while they sleep, Leta didn’t think she would ever fall in love with someone who can’t even handle his coffee without milk, Credence collects crushes on all of his male teachers like they’re Pokemons, and Dumbledore finds endless amusement in his students’ antics.

Read on ao3 or under the cut!

“Hi,” Leta says. “I heard your group was still missing a member for the Sociology of Fashion project, so I was wondering if I could join you?”

The gaggle of girls in front of her startles, but when Leta smiles, they smile back. She tries to be as friendly as she can - which is difficult since she is more used to projecting a bitch resting face than acting innocent - until they end up exchanging numbers and agreeing to meet at the library on Monday to write their outline.

They go their separate ways when the other girls, who are obviously a group of friends, go see a movie, and Leta pretexts a previous engagement so they don’t have to invite her out of pity. They still wave goodbye, and Leta smiles one last time before she turns around. She tightens her grey and green scarf around her neck and walks away in a flurry of fallen leaves. She is going to get coffee, by herself, and then barricade herself in the coffee shop until she finishes her Power and Privilege essay - for a seminar, it sure involved an enormous amount of work.

Leta isn’t the type of girl people like. According to her classmates, she is posh and weird and standoffish, all of which are true. She doesn’t talk or smile or try enough to please people. She knows she could, really - she just doesn’t care to. It is alright with her, though. She would rather be alone most of the time than go back to the endless string of dinners and playdates her parents used to make her attend back when she was a girl.

So she is surprised when her phone lights up with a notification, thinking these girls are really fast to text.

Newt Dorkmander: did you know otters hold paws when they sleep?

Newt Dorkmander: actually it is to avoid drifting off of course but still

Newt Dorkmander: the thought is lovely

She tries not to smile at her phone as she types, you do know just because it’s a text doesn’t mean this won’t be deduced from your daily animal facts quota, don’t you? - she has to take off her gloves to type, and then when she comes into the shop the sting from the cold metal handle surprises her.

Newt Dorkmander: i do my best to lighten a cold november day and this is how you thank me

Newt Dorkmander: i cannot believe it

“Well someone is uncharacteristically perky today.”

She pockets her phone and does her best impression of her grandmother’s dignified stare. In front of her, Credence the coffeehouse guy is grinning in his green apron, already preparing her cup. Credence the coffeehouse guy is exactly Leta’s type of man, by which she means he is quiet, doesn’t bother her any more than he has to, and brings her coffee.

“I’m not perky,” Leta states. “Take it back.”

“Nah, it’s too late, your reputation is ruined forever,” Nagini, who is almost always to be found wherever Credence is, says from that seat in front of the counter she claimed as hers at the beginning of the year.

Leta rolls her eyes at them. “You freshmen are growing more annoying every year.”

“You’re barely one year older than us,” Nagini points out.

“College years are like dog years,” Leta informs them. “As such, I am fifteen years wiser than you.”

Credence the coffeehouse guy smiles and says, “Americano?”

“Americano,” Leta confirms, and if she refrains from making a terrible The Fault in our Starsjoke, then she will carry this secret to the grave. But still. A genuine John Green reference. She spends way too much time with Newt.

Of course, this isn’t like it’s a recent development - they have known each other since they were thirteen and Newt quite literally stumbled in her life with freckled cheeks and messy hair, then through their teens when he tiptoed around awkwardly with a lanky, ridiculously tall figure and she rushed through everything with the dedicated anger of a rebellious posh girl.

Then Newt had been expelled, and everything in her life went bonkers, but this is the part she tries not to think about.

Credence hands her her coffee and doesn’t make any more comments about who she was texting or how happy she looked, because he doesn’t make it a habit to comment on people - or talk to them - and he really is one of her favorite persons on campus.  

She spends the rest of the afternoon hunched over getting five thousands more words done, and when she leaves, Credence the coffeehouse guy has been replaced by Rita the coffeehouse girl, who she likes a lot less. She takes care to avoid eye contact and pulls out her phone, scrolling through social media feed without really reading anything until a headline catches her eye. She reopens her conversation with Newt, whose last message was an apocalyptic string of texts about being out of tea.

Leta Lestrange: you know netflix just uploaded the new planet earth season

“I know,” he says.

She looks up, startled. “What are you doing here?”

Newt is standing up in his usual blue overcoat and a faded yellow Hufflepuff scarf she gave him for Christmas when they were sixteen. (They had a price limit that time, so she had to knit him the scarf and ended up buying one anyway after a few unsuccessful hours. It’s not like he noticed anyway.) He is so outrageously tall she has to tilt her head to see his face, just so that he can avoid her gaze.

He shrugs and smiles at the ground. “I was on my way from the library, and it’s nicer to go home together.”

She frowns. “And how did you know I was there? Mister Scamander, are you stalking me? Should I check for hidden cameras? Do you keep pictures of me under your pillows?”

“Don’t be silly,” Newt says placidly. “I sleep in the next room. I can just come over to watch you sleep the normal way.”

She laughs. “Always good to know you have a lot of opinions on the best way to stalk me.”

“Well, one can never be too prepared, can they? I could always end up as a handsome brooding vampire if my zoologist plan doesn’t work out. I think I have the smoulder.”

“You certainly dress like you’re from 1910,” she says.

“You’re just jealous you can’t pull off the trench coat detective aesthetic as well as I do.”

She opens her mouth to tell him he has never pulled off anything, ever, in his life, but feels a shiver crawling up the back of her spine and changes her mind. “Just a second,” she says as she whips around to glare at Rita the coffeehouse girl who watching them raptly from behind the class. She scrambles to pretend she is not.

“Being noisy is an understandable flaw, but there is nothing worse than being noisy and bad at it,” she says conversationally.

“If you’ve sufficiently scarred her, can we go now?” Newt asks. “I’m freezing.”

“Bossy,” she complains under her breath.

They walk home together.

Around them, the atmosphere is wet and chilly, and not quite snowy either, which is the worst type of weather, according to her. It feels like the cold slips into her clothes in between the threads to stick to her skin in a damp layer that feels like sweat, only much worse. She doesn’t think twice about leaning close to Newt to protect herself from it, and he doesn’t think twice about wrapping his scarf around her shoulders, still talking about the cool things he learned in Introduction to Zoology module. For the entirety of the trip home she drifts in and out of focus, sometimes picking a specific topic he brought up and asking for more details or an explanation, sometimes daydreaming when he explains some technical part of Neurology he doesn’t quite understand yet himself. By the time they get to their flat, he has moved on to complaining about his Introduction to Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience course, by which he is clearly bored to tears and that he still wants to attend anyway. She doesn’t press him about it but she is pretty sure his scholarship involves perfect attendance.

They walk up three sets of stairs - the place is right outside campus in this tiny brick building, rent as cheap as any flat with three rooms can be, which means no elevators, to Leta’s great despair. Without having to ask she gets in front of him to open the door herself, because Newt always loses his keys inside the holes in his ancient coat pockets, so it is just faster this way.

Immediately as she opens the door a dash of brown fur bounces into the hallway, climbs the sleeve of Newt’s coat, settles his shoulder where its nibbles at his ears.

“Hello you,” she hears Newt coo at Pickett. She rolls her eyes good-naturedly as she goes to take off her coat inside. There is a hot shower she has been dreaming of ever since she woke up this morning waiting for her, and then undercooked pasta in front of an animal documentary.

Whoever said college students weren’t living the dream?

When she wakes up the next morning, Newt is hunched over on their couch, copper hair messed up beyond repair, eyes half closed. She takes in the sight of his plaid pajamas and the squirrel burrowed in his hair, because he keeps spoiling Pickett then being surprised when he doesn’t want to join his siblings in the great wild outdoors, the moron. He looks utterly miserable.

He started up the coffee maker, though, so she can work with this.

“We’re buying tea this afternoon,” she says, before adding, more gently: “Hey, do you want me to do that hot chocolatey coffee you like to survive your morning classes?”

“Yes, please,” Newt says in a tiny voice.

She presses her hand against his shoulder as she goes behind the counter to make him a mocha and make herself an entire Thermos of black coffee. He gets dressed while she pours them their drinks, by which she means puts on the first wool sweater he found and jeans. She does the same while he sips his cup and checks on all his rescued animals of the moment - Niffler the magpie with the broken wing who keeps escaping his hen coop to steal their shiny cutlery or her silver earrings, Pickett who resolutely doesn’t want to leave, and an enormous Maine coon Newt insists on calling Zouwu despite how ridiculous it sounds. When she leaves in a hurry of perfume and long trench coat with her Thermos in hand, Newt looks considerably perkier.

A few hours later, she is considering the pros and cons of the infamous Veggie Salad versus Caesarean Salad case. Since Newt’s class finishes in one hour when her afternoon ones begin, and, well, she doesn’t really have any other friend nor a lunch break long enough to go home, she is planning to get some food from the cafeteria before she goes to her classroom and eats in front of her book. It sounds sad, but it’s actually a very good book, Jane Austen’s Emma, which she had somehow never read before, her high school curriculum consisting only of Pride and Prejudice again and again and again. She is usually more of a gothic, Byronic hero kind of gal, with a bit of sci-fi thrown in when Newt recommends one of his nerdy books to her, but well, it’s Jane Austen.

She looks forward to that lunch alone watching Emma and Mr. Knightly fall in love. The universe doesn’t care about that.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Nagini says behind her.

She turns around slowly. The younger girl isn’t quite smiling, as she rarely ever does, but she looks as friendly as she can be with eyes surrounded by eyeliner and black lipstick, black clothes, black boots, black eye, black everything.

“Freshmen have lunch breaks now? Back in my time-” Leta starts teasing.

“You ate on the floor some gruel right out of the bowl before your Latin class started?” Nagini guesses.

Leta chuckles. “Close enough.”

“Wanna sit with us, or will it ruin your street cred?” Nagini asks, eyes shining with curiosity, or maybe just hunger.

Leta shrugs and pays for her salad at the counter. “If you promise never to use the words street cred ever again, sure.”

At Nagini’s left, Credence smiles shyly. She has never seen him out of his coffee shop uniform, and he is definitely not what she imagined, with a tiny silver cross hanging from a chain on his neck, a rainbow lapel pin on his jean jacket and an undercut.  They move from the cafeteria’s blinding artificial lights to the tables outside - they are already in winter and it is cold out, but Leta is used to avoiding loud, busy rooms, what with Newt’s condition, so it doesn’t bother her all that much. As for the two kids, tables are almost empty by this time of the year, so it doesn’t take a genius to get what their appeal can represent.

Nagini kicks up her feet on the table and leans sideways on Credence’s side while Leta has a wooden bench all to herself.

“So, about your ruined reputation,” Nagini starts. “What was up with you yesterday?”

“Did you see Professor Grindelwald falling down in the street?” Credence asks and takes a tiny bite of his apple.

“I wish,” Leta says, because if there is one thing that unites Nagini and her it is their mutual hatred for Grindelwald. He still teaches one of her classes today and she had him twice last year, once in her Introduction to Political Science class and another time in an Advanced Rhetorics option she picked up and gave up on soon afterward. The university is divided into two camps, really. There are those who think Grindelwald is like a white-haired, mole-rat-looking reincarnation of Jesus Christ or Martin Luther King or whoever teens idolize these days. Then there are people with common sense who see him for what he is, like Leta.

“The other day he took Credence’s phone in class and when he gave it back he changed his lock screen to a picture of him,” Nagini recalls. “Not even a funny picture, just this close up on his face, staring at the camera, Big Brother style. Credence still hasn’t changed it either.”

“What do you want?” Credence says with a self-aware smile. “I have terrible taste in men and daddy issues.”

“Gross,” Nagini whines.

“That’s not the problem,” Leta says. “The problem is out of all the silver fox material in this college - we have Dumbledore and Graves teaching - you went ahead and got a crush on him.”

“Bold of you to assume I don’t also have a crush on Dumbledore and Graves,” Credence says.

They laugh about it. Before an awkward pause can settle, Leta says, picking at her plate with suspicion, “Anyway, no, my roommate just sent me something funny.”

“What was it?”

Leta knows about retelling past jokes and that only waste, you just really had to be there, you know? and fake laughs this way come, so she says, allusively, “Just a fun fact about otters. He’s really into animals. He’s a bit of a dork about it, eats vegan, picks up every stray cat that crosses his path, the whole deal. Zoology students and all that.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” Nagini says. “This school has one of the best programmes in the country, don’t they?”

“Yes, that’s why we chose to come here,” Leta shrugs off, scrunching her nose at her salad, poking it around. It even smells weird. “This is way more disgusting than I remember it to be, isn’t it?”

There’s a silence. When she looks up, the two freaky twins are both raising their eyebrows the exact same way. It’s uncanny.

“That’s nice,” Credence drawls out.

“That my salad tastes like rotten grass?” Leta asks, raising an eyebrow as she grins at him.

“No, though it always tastes like cold garbage, so you only have yourself to blame,” Credence says. “You chose your college depending on your friend?”

Leta is uncomfortable. “He was - is my best friend. We met in boarding school when we were kids, with all the rich posh kids running around. It was hell, so, that makes friendship very intense.” They still look at her weirdly, and she is good with words, but even she doesn’t know how to convey the harshness of boarding schools when you are a bit different, a bit weird , so she adds: “Anyway, he was expelled in the middle of high school, and it was even worse without him here, so we decided we would stick together through college at least.”

She doesn’t talk about being the only black girl in her year, or Newt being diagnosed at thirteen, or how cruel children can be. Sometimes when she thought about it too long she felt so angry, almost as angry as she used to be in these years where she would talk back to the other kids when they mocked her and end up in detentions more weekends than not. She is quieter now, almost free of all of that teenage angst, better, but sometimes she feels like she is only pretending to be tamed, to be something she is not, like Pickett the domesticated squirrel.

“That’s actually very cool,” Credence says. “I can’t imagine living with my old middle school friends. Well, I didn’t have friends in middle school, probably because they were scared by my raw coolness, but even if I did, I guess I just changed a lot since then.”

“I don’t know. I never really thought about that,” Leta surprises herself by saying.

In the end, they move on from the subject to discuss Credence’s thing for every forty-something male teacher he meets, the revelations about a Moscow Trump tower, and salad that tastes like cardboard. When she gets to class, though, she keeps thinking over and over about growing up. She has always prided herself on being more perceptive than others - not even considering that Newt might be a different person as an adult than as a freckled thirteen-year-old is blindsiding her in a way she doesn’t care for.

She tries to forget about it and focuses on getting her degree.

But the thought planted by Credence sticks in the back of her mind, feeling so very foreign to her. It is relentless and invading and points its ugly, alien head at the most inappropriate moments throughout the week, and she can’t help but wonder.

She is the one who picks her roommate up at the end of his classes on Fridays, waiting with a coffee in hand for her and a chai for him. It is part of their routine. She watches the first wave of bouncing, impatient Bio students leave the building, then a second one, even bigger and noisier somehow, until Newt emerges from the lot and walks towards her. For the first time since they were fifteen, she appraises him. He looks like, well, Newt. So ridiculously tall he has to hunch over a little to pass doorsteps, shy smile, hands in his pockets. Then her gaze stays on him just a second too long, and he has the same wiry, messy-haired, freckled figure than when he was a kid, but maybe it looks less lanky now, somewhat. He doesn’t stare at the ground quite as much when he is out, his eyes darting from one point to the other in wonder, and suddenly she wishes she could know about the patterns he sees when he stares at the world like that.  

She still smiles in the same way she always does when she offers him his cup and his fingers brush against her gloved hand.

“Thank you so much,” he says, smiling. “Not to be dramatic, but I think if I have to listen to one more Neurology class, I might gouge out my own brain.”

“Lovely,” she comments. “You talk to Professor Dumbledore with that mouth?”

“Indeed, Mister Scamander,” an older man butts in with an amused expression and sparkling eyes behind half-moon glasses. “If you feel that strongly about my classes, I am always pleased to hear my students’ feedback during office hours.”

He trips over his own feet and stammers his excuses as Albus Dumbledore laughs at him in polite silences, and Leta tries not to be too amused by his misfortunes. If warmth oozes in her stomach, it must be either laughter or the hot coffee she is gulping down. It burns her tongue and her throat and keeps her hands busy not fixing Newt’s half-bent collar.

Newt is still talking with his hands to Dumbledore about his Zoology project when they leave campus. She has never had him in class, and never will, but even if she had never met him before, she would like him for the encouraging way he smiles as Newt talks to him about slugs’ brains or whatever he is explaining right now. Despite teaching one of Newt’s least liked courses - too many human examples, not enough slugs - he is still by far his favourite professor. It is enough for her.

Dumbledore goes home on a scooter, of all things, a Vespa, and Newt doesn’t get how funny it is when she tries to explain.

“I’m sure it’s very practical,” he tells her as they climb up the stairs.

“This is clearly not my point,” Leta says. “You’re just willfully blind because you have a crush on him.”

“What? I-I do not. He’s my teacher .”

Leta raises her eyebrows. Oh, really now. “And?”

“This is- wrong, and ridiculous, is what it is, and I will not talk to you about it any further.”

She stays silent as she opens the door. He gets even more flustered. His entire face is blushing all over, his skin like a sunset from his neck to the tip of his ears, and he fidgets with his sleeves, and it is sort of adorable, really.

“I don’t have a crush on Dumbledore!” he says, too loudly.

Then they go in and Niffler has gotten loose somehow and all of their spoons are in his cage, so he has reasons to get busy, but as soon as they’re sitting on their old couch again with a cup of hot cocoa, she raises her eyebrows again and he almost throws his cup at her. She breaks out laughing.

When she opens her eyes again, he is looking pointedly at his computer screen. This is when it happens. She can only witness in horror Newt’s profile rearrange itself in her head, move away from chubby cheeks and bitten lips, and this is when, as if she has never seen him before, she realizes he is handsome.

In some abstract way, she knew this before. She had noticed defined cheekbones, jawline, eyes with ever-changing colors, pushed him towards a girl or a boy or anyone and told him to just try his luck. It was only theoretical, though. It is like - she knows gravity exists, knows Earth rotates around the sun drawn by its sheer weight, but she also doesn’t know it, doesn’t understand it or feel the push of the sun’s attraction. This is like being in the reach of a supernova.

“Why are you still looking at me,” Newt complains, frowning at his screen.

Shit.

“No reason,” she says, not averting her eyes.

“Alright, so maybe I have a tiny crush on him. Just a smidge. It’s just- I- he’s so nice,” Newt says, turning around to look at her with wide, earnest eyes that look green today. “And a role model. Sort of.”

This is not the crush she is worried about.

[moniehp]

Support April Potter

There was silence in the hall. "April Potter," Dumbledore said again. I felt myself fading into the back but was grabbed by Harry who was also shocked. "April go up there" Hermione whispered. I gave her a look but straightened up and made my way to Dumbledore. He had a grave face handing over the parchment with my name on it. I just nodded and walked to the back ignoring the whispers behind my back. When I walked back to the trophy room, Cedric saw me first. "April have they called for us?" Before I could answer him, the adults were coming down the stairs all shouting their different opinions to professor Dumbledore. He walked up to me keeping eye contact. "Ms. Potter, did you pout your name in?" I shook my head rapidly "Headmaster I did no such thing I'm not an idiot" "Lies Karakoff shouted. "Ms. Potter may be advanced for her age but has not been one to break the rules unlike her brother" Snape Voiced. "Barty, what can be done?" McGonagall asked. "There's not much to be done the Goblet has a binding magical contract" Mr crouch turned to me "As of tonight Ms. Potter is a Champion."

Dumbledore dismissed us all for the night. Cedric volunteered himself to walk me back to the Common Room. "Crazy thing isn't it who could've put your name in?" I just shrugged "Don't know I was against this tournament from the beginning I just wanted a normal school year" Cedric just chuckled keeping pace with me. "From what I hear you just sit in class because you're so ahead" I smiled nodding. "I don't know about that" When we came to the portrait of the fat lady I turned to Cedric smiling "Well this is where we part ways you didn't have to walk me Diggory" Cedric shrugged sporting a smile. "I wouldn't be much of a gentleman" That made me roll my eyes "Goodnight Cedric" Cedric nodded his head and walked down the hall to his common room. "He's an attractive young man" I turned to the fat lady sneering. "Deviance" She glared while opening the portrait for me.

I walked in seeing Hermione and Neville still waiting up for me. "April are you alright?" I sat down near the fire staring at the flames letting every emotion hit me. "I have to compete there's no other way." Neville gasped sitting next to me "That's insane you're only 14, but I have faith in you" I smiled patting him on the back. Stopping actually to look around I noticed someone was missing "Where's Harry?" Hermione stood in front of me looking grim. "He had a row with Ron about you...Ron thinks that you entered" I stood up outraged. "What! How could he think that?!" Hermione rubbed my back calming me down. "It's okay April he'll come around" I shook her hand off and stepped back "I'm going to go up...see you guys tomorrow" I ignored their looks of pity and walked to the girl's dorm hoping this was just a nightmare that I'll wake up from.

The next morning was a mess everywhere I went people stared. Hufflepuffs were glaring at me, I felt like..a Slytherin. It was now Charms class, and I was just sitting back in my charm blocking out Flitwick's discussion on some spell I had already mastered when a piece of parchment fell on my book. I sat up opening the parchment. Whoever put your bloody name it is bonkers. I looked around to see Malfoy staring at me. I huffed and wrote back How do you know I didn't jinx the Goblet and out my name in? I folded up the parchment transfiguring it into a spider, watching it crawl over to Malfoy. When he received the paper, he just smirked and wrote back. I looked around the room to make sure no one was watching us. The paper flew back grabbing my attention. You're not stupid April otherwise you'd put my name to see me fail. I stifled my laughter and looked at his smirking face. "Ms. Potter are we paying attention?" I jumped a bit looking in Flitwick's direction. "Of course Professor I'm still awake" Flitwick nodded and continued his discussion. I glanced over at Malfoy seeing him trying to stifle a laugh also

The class was over, and everyone was filing out. Malfoy walked up to me as I was putting my potions book away. "So how much do your lions hate you?" I chuckled ignoring some looks from people exiting the class. "Wouldn't know haven't been in my common room that long to see" Malfoy nodded placing a pin on the desk. On the pin in red letters flashed "Down With Diggory" then taking its place was green letters also flashing "Support April Potter" I picked up the pin astonished. "Did you make these?" I asked Malfoy. He just shrugged with a small smile and walked out the room not saying anything. I smiled down at the pin again Flitwick snapping me out my thoughts "Ms. Potter best not be late for lunch" I nodded grabbing my bag and making my way to the Great Hall.

       Walking in the Great Hall was a bad idea. It still felt a little strange feeling people's eyes on me knowing I was the topic of their discussion. How did Harry deal with this? I found Hermione and Harry already sitting and from the looks of it arguing with Ron probably about me. When I sat down next to Hermione, the talking ceased. "Oh no please continue I'm not here" I grabbed some potatoes and poured juice looking for more food to eat. Ron folded his arms sitting across from me eyeing the Slytherin table. "I see you already have your supporters figure it'd be from them." We all glanced at the table seeing everyone including Pansy wearing the pins that Draco made. I chuckled facing Ron again. "If you think I put my name in that goblet you are mental." Ron just scoffed and got up leaving us. "I'm sorry about him April," Harry said touching my hand. "Don't worry about it I should get used to people thinking the worst of me right?" Harry and Hermione didn't comment and just left me with my food. It did hurt that Ron thought I did it I mean yeah we aren't close, but still, we've known each other for four years now. I glanced back at the Slytherin table catching Draco's eye. He gave me a wink before looking away.

[happynessalways]

DAY 1: Harry Potter AU

I DID IT (who cares it’s the 4th already? I dont). Also, English isn't my first language, but I tried my best, sorry if I messed up something.

“Professor Sprout?” Moon Byulyi called, entering the small office, unsure.

The older woman was facing the window, checking one of her plants, completely focused. She turned around when listened to the girl’s voice, surprised for having a visitor. Specially one proudly wearing green and silver uniform. Only hufflepuffs used to go there.

“Miss Moon,” she smiled kindly. “can I help you with something? Is your Dittany growing well?”

“Yeah, it’s okay.” Byulyi smiled shyly. “I wanted to talk to you about something, but it’s not Herbology-related, tho.”

“Please, sit down.” The professor asked, ready to take her sit as well.

Byulyi nodded, still nervous. She looked around, realizing she’d never been in Professor Sprout’s office. She felt comfortable and well received. Byulyi stared at the dark wood table while waiting for the older woman to say something.

“What happened, sweetie?” she asked, both hands on top of the table, playing nervously. The small wrinkle between her eyebrows suggested she was worried.

Byulyi bit her bottom lip, pretending to think about what she wanted to talk. As if the subject wasn’t practically carved in her brain for thinking about it too much. It wasn’t easy for her to ask for help to anyone, but she figured Professor Sprout was the one to go to. She was optimistic. Probably the most of all, capable to find the bright side of literally everything. The opposite of Byulyi.

“Well, the Winter Ball is coming…” the slytherin started, her voice a bit louder than a whisper.

“Right…” the Professor muttered, encouraging her to continue.

“And I really wanted to ask someone.”

The older woman laughed, shaking her head a bit. Byulyi looked at her, confused.

“Times have changed, sweetie. Girls ask boys out all the time, you shouldn’t be ashamed. It’s completely normal.” She smiled. “I couldn’t do it when I was young, you know, so we had to wait for the boys to take some initiative and we know how boys can be clueless…”

The big smiled made her eyes small and even kinder, but Byulyi was still serious. She wished her problem was so simple. Asking boys was nothing compared to ask girls. Girls she didn’t even know could like her back or not. So confusing.

“What about asking another girl out? Is that okay?”

Madam Sprout seemed a bit surprised by the question but didn’t took her long to nod, smiling kindly.

“Listen to your heart, sweetie. Love can never be a bad thing.”

~*~

Byulyi took a deep breath for what should be like the hundredth time. She didn’t know how long she was staring the other girl in the owlery. She was too distracted petting her grey owl to notice Byulyi’s presence. The love she had for the animal was something really unique.

Finally, Byulyi got courage to talk to her, she stepped in, entering the space full of birds.

“Yongsun?” she called, hesitating.

The girl turned around, slightly surprised but smiled brightly when she saw Byulyi.

“Hey, Byulyi” Yongsun answered, still caressing the owl.

Byul had to look away for a moment, because she knew her cheeks were turning red. She had the biggest crush for Yongsun since second year, when they had to do a Herbology paper together. Writing three scrolls about herbs shouldn’t be fun, but Yongsun turned it into something good. In Byulyi’s opinion, Yongsun was the prettiest girl in school. The kindest, too. She was a hufflepuff, after all.

“Are you ok? You look pale.” She asked, looking worried.

Byulyi laughed, nodding. It would be really great if she could accomplish her mission without throwing up in the process. She was happy they were alone, at least. She couldn’t ask Yongsun to the ball under the curious eyes of all the Hogwarts students. It was bad enough she had to expose herself in that way to someone. And, if everything went wrong, it wouldn’t be long before everybody knew, anyway.

“I just… wanted to ask you something?” she was so nervous it sounded like a question.

“Yeah?” Yongsun stopped what she was doing and the owl hooted in protest.

“Do you have a date to the ball?” she asked rapidly, trying not to think too much about it and give up for the seventh time.

Yongsun smiled shyly, brushing a lock of hair from her face.

“Some people asked me, yeah.” Byulyi stopped breathing for a few seconds, too afraid of what was going to come. Couldn’t she have a little bit of luck at least once? “But I didn’t decide anything yet… Why?”

“I was just thinking… and…” she cleared her throat, putting her hands in her pockets and staring her feet while trying to figure out how to continue. Her thoughts were a mess and she didn’t know what was happening anymore. She sighed and shrugged. “You know what? Forget it, it’s nothing important.”

Yongsun giggled and Byulyi was sure that was the most beautiful sound she heard in her life.

“Finish the sentence, please.” She smiled kindly.

“I thought maybe you want to go…with me?” she raised an eyebrow, analyzing Yongsun’s expression. She knew how stupid she sounded. “It’s ok if you don’t want to. It’s a terrible idea, anyway.”

“With you?” Yongsun frowned, thinking about it.

“I don’t know what I was thinking.” Byulyi laughed nervously. “You probably have better plans than… Well, me.”

Yongsung shook her head, making her curls bounce, horrified with the thought.

“You never said stuff like that again, Moon Byulyi.” She scolded, pointing a finger in the other’s direction. “You are so much better than you think, do you hear me?”

Byulyi laughed without emotion, disagreeing.

“I’ll leave you alone now. I’m sorry.”

She turned around and was ready to go away when the hufflepuff called her.

“Byulyi, I didn’t gave you an answer.”

The blonde laughed again, turning again to face Yongsun.

“So?” she raised an eyebrow.

“How would it work?” Yongsun asked, approaching her. She was cautious but a smiled was on her face. “We’d go as friends?”

Byulyi shook her head, incapable of believing she was so vulnerable in Yongsun’s presence.

“More than friends, then?” Yongsun bit her bottom lip, catching Byulyi’s attention.

The slytherin looked away, embarrassed for her actions. She could feel how hot her face was, but nodded. Yongsun took another step closer, carefully holding Byulyi’s hand between yours. The blonde didn’t know what was happening and everything made even less sense when Yongsun kissed her cheek gently.

“Moon Byulyi… It’ll be a pleasure to go to the Ball with you.”

[skamfairy]

I want to hear about cleo and willow's relationship!!! You can't just mention them and not tell us how they are doing dhdjej also, I'm the anon that asked about the society and idk if you got my last ask, but i want to hear more about that too

Snsjwkwkwkwkwk OKAY OKAY OKAY So I gotta explain everyone’s personalities because they are all different! Go ahead and tag yourself after reading

Oscar

Oscar is an absolute sweetheart. He sleeps, he eats, he gets super close to you because he needs the comfort and love and he will follow my dad EVERYWHERE. he also lets Cleo kick him out of his bed and he’ll sleep next to her on the floor. He’s pretty clingy but it’s just cos he needs love and attention because he’s getting older and sadder everyday. It’s not a lie that he has a sad soul, there’s something in his eyes that share so much sorrow but he keeps going and he loves people so much. He’s a good baby he’s just so tired he’s had a god damn life you know? He’s for sure a hufflepuff

Cleo

Alright this gorl, bless her god damn heart I love her but she’s so fucking dumb. I’ve never met a more stupid cat. She’s an idiot but she’s a happy idiot you know? She’s got the spirit. SHE LOVES FOOD and she’s super enthusiastic and happy she even let my sister put socks on her. She’s just like sure man do whatever I’m a free spirit. She never thinks of the consequences and doesn’t understand anything but she’s living her life to the fullest and that’s all that matters. She’s a gryffindor. She’s just so happy and optimistic and carefree I love her she’s like a sunshine.

Willow

Okay sup here’s the best one. Willow is the smartest binch in the house. She knows exactly what’s up and how to dodge any activity she don’t want in on. We have to tie her travel cage up because she knows how to unlock it FROM THE INSIDE. She is extremely anxious. She’s been diagnosed with anxiety from the vet. She hates it when I leave her :(( but more than anything she is anxious of the vet hence the survival instinct with the cage. More than anything tho, willow is the most loving angel in the world. She don’t trust many people but when she does it’s like you’re her whole world. She’s so sweet and loving and would never hurt a fly. She is so good at understanding when someone is sad too like she ALWAYS KNOWS and will come and cuddle you which is amazing because cuddles are on HER TERMS. Willow has resting bitch face and looks done with life on the outside but on the inside she’s the most softest angel in the world. She’s a slytherin.

Okay so willow and Cleo’s relationship is complicated because Cleo wants to play with her all the time and willow is like no bitch I want my space leave me alone. They will play but sometimes Cleo doesn’t take willows hint that she’s not in the mood and will go too far and willow will be like bitch leave me alone and then come cry to me about it. (Willow goes all draco on us and is like “wait til my father hears about this” im the father) so yeah you think these siblings just don’t click BUT THEN when it’s sleepy time and Cleo comes to sleep with willow I’ll catch willow GROOMING HER and my heart explodes it’s so cute they basically have a normal sibling dynamic. They love each other but Cleo can be an annoying little sister and willow will be all LEAVE ME ALOOOOOONE MUUUUUUUUUUM. I love them.

My little sister thinks it’s funny because willow is my cat but she thinks she’s more like willow than I am and thinks I’m like Cleo who is her cat. So yeah I’m the happy idiot snwjwkwkwkwkwkw

OKAY THE SOCIETY I’ll put this under the cut cos spoilers

I don’t think I did get your last ask! So let me know what you wanna hear specifically but basically I found it entertaining anajakak I dislike so many characters including Allie whoops (i haven’t been in the tag so i have no idea if this is an unpopular opinion. let me know!) but yeah she just annoys the CRAP out of me it just got worse. 

 but I like a few like kelly I got super attached to kelly, i really love her idk why. sam and Gareth ofc are the goods and becca too love her and sams friendship. Oh and I like Helena A LOT I think she should be their leader she’s the most adult like I’d let her lead me sure. Maybe I’m saying this cos I’m a lesbian tho asjhasjhjahs

i wish cassandra didn’t die so soon like i was digging her for sure. like she did have this whole perfect thing happening but i wanted to explore her as a character more it would have been interesting if they touched on her flaws and shown that she was still a kid just like everyone else you know she don’t have all the answers. but nope. 

i think them making allie the fucking leader just cos her sister died was so dumb like what a stupid idea. like “oh they respect you cos you’re their leader” bitch i would be annoyed, like sure lets make the grieving 16 year old the leader of us. (i forgot her age so this might be wrong) im sorry allie is just asjhsajhasjhas so annoying to me if she’s your fave im sorry and im sure she’s great and i just missed something 

oh and yeah i like Elle, i just hate seeing her in pain all the time, save her already. 

also her boyfriend and sam’s brother i just. my issue with him is how he is written? i think it’s pretty lame for a show or a movie to just say straight up “oh he’s a psychopath so this is our bad guy” like what?? where is the depth and the story and the characterisation? like okay not to be like this but imagine if he was clearly a horrible human being in the real world and someone else is like !!!! so perfect and respected, but then they go to this crisis world and somehow the situation changes him and he has a whole character development and our BIG BAG is someone we never would have expected who seemed so good and innocent. 

idk that just would have been a better story than just creating a shit human being right of the bat in every way possible and even having to tell the audience HE IS EVIL FAM like lol what. so yeah from a nerdy storytelling view, not a fan of the character writing of that guy. 

man i love kelly tho, to be fair not sure why cos it’s not like the story focuses on her much but i’m just a fan of these kind of stories, showing how someone changes and she had a lot of change and i support her learning and helping becca and just GIRLS. 

im sorry this seems very negative but i actually enjoyed watching the show a lot there was just a lot of annoying characters which i’m sure you’ll feel it can’t just be me. i hope shjashjas 

i have no idea what the world is or whats happening pls tell me any theories if you have any!!! i really liked that scene at the end with peter pan that was great. OH ALSO I LIKE THAT GUY the smart guy who was into cassandra and bean!!! 

if kelly has to be with a guy i want it to be him defs. 

anyway omg im so sorry if my opinions were like sahashjashjahjs frustrating for you let me know what you think!! change my mind sjahjsajh my mind can be changed for sure with this. but yeah i did like it because i was super entertained and i wanna know whats up. 

oh and i didn’t mention sam and gareth much but yes love them they are so sweet help

[pviiiton-is-dead]

Stella and Jenny

Stella and Jenny- Part 1 out of ? (It was originally only going to be a short story but I ended up falling in love with the characters and the storyline so this is going to be a whole series i guess)

Author: Peyton M. @hufflepuff-on-the-tardis @peys-shorts

Word count: 2,391

Jenny’s P.O.V.

I really don’t care if you re-blog so… here goes nothing!!

You know what is absolutely cruel? The way North Florida High makes me wait through multiple boring-ass classes that don’t teach me squat about actual things that I will need in life, all for the glorious thing that I call pizza, and then have it be the most shitty pizza on the planet. On top of that, they make me eat it in a room full of people. I hate it.

When I retrieve the shit pizza, I go and sit with my best (and only) friend, Max, who is already done with his pizza. Today his hair is a borderline neon shade of green, and only yesterday it was pink. I plop my rear end on the bench, and dig in. The pizza is doughy, greasy, and the cheese is totally fake, but right now, it is the best thing that I have ever tasted, I am so hungry. You see, I made the mistake of not eating breakfast this morning, which is in fact not good for a 16 year old girl who is only five feet tall but a totally kick ass skateboarder. Yep, that’s me, in case you were wondering.

As soon as I finish the pizza, Max stands up, and over all the noise, yells, “I’m going to head to the library.” I nod, and he walks away.

I hear someone calling my name, and turn around to see Stella Alden heading towards me, accompanied by her bratty bestie, Laura Jones. Laura hangs behind Stella as she comes up to me. She stops, and says, “Hey, Jenny. Do you know what the homework for last period is? I forgot to write it down yesterday…” Stella is in the same History class as I am. The thing about Stella is that she’s pretty, smart, has a great sense of style, and is one of the nicest people in the school. It just doesn’t seem fair to me, who is none of those things. It really pisses me off sometimes.

“Yeah. We were supposed to be writing an essay on the Trojan War,” I tell Stella. She smiles, thanks me, and then she and Laura saunter away, (this was mostly Laura) their long, blonde hair bouncing. I’ve never understood why Stella hangs out with that spoiled bitch. I sigh, and begin to stand up. Suddenly, I feel something hard hit the back of my head, and a cold liquid runs down my back. I whip around, and see a milk carton on the floor and Matthew Jackson and his entourage doubled over with laughter. He flipping had the nerve, I think. I start shaking with rage, and I’m seeing red. I’ve had to deal with Matthew’s shit since my freshman year, and I decide that I am done. I begin to storm up to him, but someone steps in front of me. It’s Stella.

“You asshole.” This was the first time I’d ever heard Stella swear, and by the astonished looks of everyone around me, it was their first time, too. Matthew stops laughing, and his mouth hangs open. “Leave her alone. If you’re going to bully her like that, you’ll have to do it to me.” Stella places her hands on her hips, waiting. We all know that he would do nothing to hurt her, seeing as she’s A) Popular and B) Naturally good-looking. Matthew grunts, and he turns around, and walks away, shoulders hunched, and his gang following close behind him. Stella makes a small hmph noise, and says, “That’s what I thought.”      

Laura looks back and forth between her friend and Matthew, then hurries after Matthew, yelling, “Wait up! She didn’t mean it!”

“Heck right I did!” Stella says. She turns around to face me, and begins to say something but I interrupt her, saying politely, “Thank you, but I could’ve handled it myself.” Her eyes widen, and she replies with,

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… I mean… Sorry.” I tell her that it’s cool, and head to the bathroom to clean myself up. I wipe the milk from my short, red hair, and curse myself for choosing today to wear my favorite Paramore t-shirt. I throw away the poor paper towels, reapply another coat of plum lipstick, and am on my way to my next class.

When I get to my last class for that day, my History class with the ancient Mrs. Leeman, I sit next to Max after handing in my Trojan War essay. “I heard about lunch,” Max whispers to me. I shrug, and open my textbook to page 97, like Mrs. Leeman wrote to do on the whiteboard. On the top of the page, it says, “World War II.”

I look up from my book just in time to see Mrs. Leeman go up to the front of the classroom, and she says, “Today, I am going to be assigning partners for a group PowerPoint project on World War Two. I know, we’ve already gone over this, but you each will be focusing on a different part of the world during that era.” I groan. I hate group projects from the bottom of my heart, and if Mrs. Leeman will be choosing our partners, who know who I’ll end up with?

She begins to call out names. “Laney will be with Dillon, Rose with Rory, Jaiden and Terrianna, Amalia and Tyler, Parker and Haiden, Sadie with Sean, Taylor and John, Luka and Dean, Saniya with Harry, and Jane with Max,” Max stands up to go join his partner, and my heart drops into my stomach. “So that leaves… Stella and Jenny.” Shit.

I stand up, my face burning red. I go and stand with Stella, who gives me a large, blinding smile, and I give a small one in return. I realize that Stella is a whole lot taller than I am, and I try to stand up a little straighter, because I’m not about to be outdone by Stella Alden. I am still only as tall as her shoulders now. It’s okay. I’m used to being short.

Mrs. Leeman tells everyone which part of the world we would be researching for the WW2 project, and when she gets to Stella and I, she says America. I feel a bit better about this stupid project, since we wouldn’t have to do it on another country. We go and sit down at Stella’s desk, and divvy out responsibilities. I need to collect information on the military, and Stella would focus on the civilian aspect of things. We exchange phone numbers and E-mails, and I go back to my desk, and Mrs. Leeman tells us that when we have finished, we are dismissed for the day.

I go out the classroom door without looking back, and head to my locker. I grab my backpack and my gym clothes, which are in desperate need of a wash. I begin to hurriedly walk outside when someone taps me on the back. I turn around, and see that it is Max. “Hey,” he says.

“What’s up?” I ask. He smiles slightly, and I know exactly what he is going to say before he says it. “Nope. Nu-uh. Not again. I mean it. This is the fourth time this month.” Max has been trying to set me up with a boyfriend for as long as I can remember. He would set up dates for me with guys that I don’t even know, then expect for there to be some sort of spark or something. As much as I love Max, (platonically) I tend to get a tad annoyed whenever he does this. Just a tad. The last one went especially horribly after the guy who I was with tried to kiss me and I kinda freaked out and yelled, “HOLY FUCK NO!” way too loudly and got us kicked out of the restaurant. My bad, I should have known that explicit language was not allowed in that fine eatery.

“Can’t you just accept the fact that I’m perfectly fine being single?” And plus, I like girls. I don’t say that out loud, but I think it. I haven’t told anyone yet, not even Max. I figured it out after I saw this hot ginger in Publix a few weeks ago and had the overwhelming urge to kiss her. I didn’t, (sadly) and I ended up not even saying a word to her. On the drive home, I realized that this may be why I haven’t ever had a boyfriend. ‘Cause I’m a lesbian.

“Nope, I can’t accept it,” Max says, smirking.

“Have you ever thought about the fact you are single? You idiotic goose.” Max smiles.

“What a lovely name. I almost like it. Much better than the usual spread.”

“Shut your mouth, you filthy son of a bitch.” I sigh, and we go out to my car. I unlock the doors, and throw my backpack into the trunk. I am max’s ride to and from his house because he is still fifteen, thus he is not able to drive for another two months. As we pass the park, I turn down the radio, which is up all the way, and ask, “What time, and where? And what’s his name?”

“Five thirty, El Jalisco’s, and Dillon.” I nod, and turn into our neighborhood. I drop him off at his place, which is at the beginning of the six mile long drive to my house. I really like being in the car, the car radio blaring Twenty One Pilots, (ha-ha, get it??) and the bumpy road making my car shake softly.

I pull into the driveway, and get out of the car. I grab my gym clothes from the trunk, but leave my backpack. I’ll get it later. I unlock the front door, and step in. My little sister, Jamie, and my brother, Joshua, aren’t home yet, because Jamie’s only in 6th grade, and Joshua’s in 8th. Middle school doesn’t get out until about 4:30, and they take the bus home, so that means they normally are home at about 4:50-ish, which is good for me, so I have some time to do my homework while the house is quiet, even though I have all weekend to do it. I get started with math, and then move on to science and English. Before I know it, it’s nearly 4:00. I decide to start getting ready for tonight, and head up to my room. I hop in the shower, then wrap myself in a fluffy towel and brush out my short, brown hair. I slap on some heavy eyeliner, mascara, and bright red lipstick, and decide to give whoever I’m on the date with tonight a chance.

I put on my one pair of jeans that don’t have holes in the knees, and a clean Twenty One Pilots t-shirt. In my opinion, I look pretty nice, at least, nicer than usual. I check my phone. 4:30. I go downstairs, and turn on the television. I watch Doctor Who, and Joshua and Jamie come home. They go right into their rooms and get started on their homework. They often complain about how much their teachers make them do, and it always takes all of my willpower not to say, “It’ll only get worse.”

5:15 comes before I know it, and I grab my keys and hit the road. The drive to El Jalisco’s only takes me about ten minutes, so I go ahead and go inside the restaurant. There is a server (who is my age and totally good looking) who shows me to my table. I order a Sprite, and wait for Dillon to show up. Five minutes passes, then ten, and twenty. My waitress keeps coming back and refilling my drink, giving me looks of pity. It takes thirty minutes for me to realize that my date fucking stood me up. I want to blame Max, but he isn’t responsible for the actions of his friend, who I’ve never met but I’m already assuming is a d-bag. I mean, who leaves an amazing girl like me hanging like this?

I pay for my drinks, and leave the restaurant. On the drive home, I think of what a crappy day today has been. I call Max. “Hey, Jenny. How’s the date going?”

“He didn’t show,” I say, stopping at a red light.

“What do you mean?” I don’t respond. “Oh my god, I’m going to kill that-“

“Listen, I have to go. Talk to you tomorrow.” I hang up, and pull into my driveway. I go inside, and see that my Mom is already home from work. She is sitting with Joshua and Jamie at the dinner table, dishing peas onto Jamie’s plate. “Hey honey. Where have you been?”

“Nowhere. I’m going to bed.” I begin to turn around, but my mom says,

“Jenn, why don’t you eat some dinner?” I tell her that I’m not hungry, and go up to my room. This has been a shitty day if there ever was one. I put in my earbuds and get on Tumblr. I have a new message from The_potato_171023, who’s real name is Lizzie. She is someone that I’ve been talking to for a couple of months now. She is my age, and runs a fandom blog, like me. I haven’t talked to her in real life yet, but she is easily my second best friend. She said, Hey. Five minutes ago.

I message Lizzie back, saying, Hey. Wuts up?

She responds immediately, Nothing much. U?

I’ve had a pretty crappy day. Date stood me up, I type.

Sucks. Theyre obviously not worth ur time. Don’t think about it too much. U don’t need them. Ur beautiful. I think about this, and realize that she’s right.

Thx, I type back. I turn off my light, and turn up my earbuds. It doesn’t matter. I’m a fabulous little lesbian, anyways. I decide to come out tomorrow. Look out, world.

There will be a part 2 in a different P.O.V.