#listen the girls came out of the Cauldron wrong

[flowerflamestars]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Azriel/Lucien Vanserra, Cassian/Morrigan (A Court of Thorns and Roses) Characters: Nesta Archeron, Elain Archeron, Feyre Archeron, Azriel (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Cassian (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Morrigan (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Lucien Vanserra Additional Tags: Reborn wrong, High Fae are not the top of the food chain, failmarriage, Cassian decides death is better than divorce, (and also fails to get ritually devoured), Nesta and Elain living their best monster lives, Kindness repaid, cruelty also repaid, High Lord mantle vs legal heir chicanery Series: Part 2 of Don’t give them your name. Don’t let them get close. Summary:

There is only me, Cassian wanted to shout, to insist, a misery that sat seated so deep in his bones he could not question the absurdity of it.

[thenerdykneazle]

Left Behind

Summary: Ominis is feeling forgotten when he discovers his partners have run off on yet another adventure without him. He frets about the future of his relationship with two people who seem to neither need nor want him around. Can Sebastian and MC make amends with him when they return to the castle?

A collab with the lovely @darch7995, who gave me the prompt and created the audio version of this story. Listen here.

Ominis Gaunt x F!MC x Sebastian Sallow

Warnings: light angst, sad Ominis

Word count: 2511

Ominis could hear the scrape of metal on stone as the door to the Room of Requirement materialised before him. He pushed it open and stepped inside. He could hear several cauldrons bubbling and the magical loom weaving away. The aromas of mallowsweet leaves and shrivelfigs hung thickly in the air from the potting tables along the wall.

“MC? Sebastian? Are you here?” he called as he took echoing steps into the centre of the large room.

A soft pop came from his right. “Deek saw the students leave nearly an hour ago,” the house-elf said.

Ominis groaned. “Ugh, of course, they did,” he groused. “Off to fight some dark wizards or search for artefacts in a hidden cave, no doubt.”

“MC told Deek they were going to collect ashwinder venom for a new potion,” Deek said timidly.

“What a surprise!” Ominis said sarcastically as he began to pace around the room. “That’s obviously more important than working on our project for transfiguration – like we had agreed on days ago! And, naturally, they didn’t tell me they’d miss our appointment. Plus, why ask the boy who can speak to snakes to tag along? Why would he be useful?”

Deek let out a squeak of fright as Ominis sent a hex at the adjacent wall, singeing a portrait of a witch with her pet niffler in her lap. “Deek is very sorry if he upset you,” the meek elf said in a trembling voice.

Ominis winced. “No, I’m not upset with you. I…I’m sorry,” he said, as a pang of guilt stabbed into his stomach. He hadn’t meant to scare the innocent elf. He was just frustrated.

Deek apologised again, as if he’d done anything wrong, before popping away again.

Ominis sighed as he trudged forward into the forest vivarium. Inside, he could hear unicorns galloping across the ground and jobberknolls soaring above the trees. Wand outstretched, Ominis walked down the cobblestone path to a bench by the water. The sun warmed his skin as he stepped out of the shade of the trees. As he sat there, a light breeze tousled his hair, making a few strands fall across his forehead. He usually liked to nap in the spot, but he didn’t feel up to it at the moment.

His attempt to brood angrily failed miserably, as Ominis just felt dejected. He sniffed as unshed tears made his nose begin to run. He didn’t understand why his companions constantly neglected him in favour of each other. He had been elated – eventually – to have MC make him and Sebastian a trio again. Something had been missing ever since Anne had to leave school. He thought MC had filled that void – not that she had replaced Anne, as the other Sallow twin was still like a sister to him. She was far better to him than any of his actual siblings, and nothing would change his love for her. But she wasn’t there anymore.

And Ominis’s feelings for MC were certainly different than his ones for Anne. Right from the start, they were a lot more like how he felt toward Sebastian. It had felt like a dream come true when they had decided to date each other – Ominis had thought he couldn’t ask for better partners. They both made him laugh. They both knew how to comfort him when he was upset. They both made his heart skip beats when they sat close or grabbed his hand to lead him to some newly discovered oddity in the castle or out on the grounds. Ominis normally hated when people grabbed him, but it was different with Sebastian and MC.

Though, neither was dragging him much of anywhere lately. The girl who had stolen a piece of his heart had also managed to steal most of their boyfriend’s time. They were always sneaking off to Merlin-knows-where to get into untold trouble. It made Ominis feel like an outsider in his own relationship.

Heavy thuds behind Ominis announced the approach of the hippogriffs even before Highwing’s chirping made their presence obvious. She nuzzled into the boy’s side before flopping down on the ground beside him, resting her head on the bench beside him. Caligo settled down on the opposite side of the boy.

Ominis laughed softly, despite the heaviness still in his chest at being abandoned. “At least you two still like me,” he said, giving each beast a pat on the head.

Caligo chittered happily as Highwing rubbed the side of her face against Ominis’s thigh in a display of affection.

“Maybe I should take a page out of Poppy’s book and promote you two to my best friends,” Ominis joked. He could feel Caligo’s head tilt with his hand still resting atop it. “You wouldn’t abandon me for each other, would you?”

They gave no response.

“What am I saying? Of course, you would,” Ominis said, shaking his head. “You two are a bonded pair.”

The words tasted bitter in his mouth.

“You know,” he continued to the hippogriffs, “I used to think Sebastian and I were a rather bonded pair. And, while I was sceptical of MC when she first arrived, she won me over. I thought I had gained a new partner in crime. I didn’t realise then that my old friend and my new one would slowly decide they were better off without me.”

Highwing made a sympathetic sort of chirp. At least, Ominis thought it sounded so.

“Yes, I suppose MC left you behind on this adventure too, didn’t she?” he observed. “She has a fancy upgraded broom and a duelling champion. What’s she need any of us for? Never mind that you saved her from those poachers. Or that I helped her defeat all those inferi in the catacombs – inferi that Sebastian created, mind you. But why have the blind boy tag along, right? I couldn’t possibly take care of myself – or, shock of shocks, be helpful.”

Caligo rested his head in Ominis’s lap. The boy stroked the creature’s head, smoothing his feathers gently. It made his fingers feel powdery to run them through his plumage, but it also soothed him.

“I just….I really can’t believe Sebastian replaced me so easily,” he said, struggling to get the words out as he was getting choked up. “After all we’ve been through together. After all that I’ve stood by him through. And MC…I confided in her about things I’d never even told Sebastian. They both mean so much to me, and…it’s like I’m expendable to them. They just ran off without telling me. Again. Not only do they not need me, they…they don’t even want me there.”

Ominis stayed in the comforting presence of his feathered companions. He felt a bit less alone with them on either side of him. Completely losing track of time, he just sat and sulked with them until two more people burst into the vivarium.

“Ominis?” MC called as she wound through the trees.

The blond didn’t bother replying. He had little interest in talking to either of his so-called partners. The hippogriffs scampered off when they heard their master’s voice.

“Traitors,” Ominis grumbled to himself.

“Ominis! There you are!” Sebastian said as the pair arrived at his bench. “We’ve been looking all over for you! We were worried something happened to you when you weren’t at dinner. You’d just disappeared!”

Ominis snorted out a laugh. “You two are the ones who disappeared,” he accused, crossing his arms over his chest in indignation. “We were supposed to work together in the library this afternoon, and you couldn’t be bothered to tell me you weren’t going to make it.”

“That was today?” MC asked guiltily, shifting nervously where she stood and making the leaves crunch under her feet.

“Yes, it was!” Ominis shot back irritably. He shifted away from her voice, turning his nose up in the air. “But I should’ve known better than to expect my boyfriend and girlfriend to show up to our study date.”

“I’m sorry, Ominis. We just got caught up–” Sebastian started, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Ominis shrugged him off. “You’re always getting caught up in something! And always leaving me behind!” he interjected.

“We didn’t think you’d want to come,” MC admitted, sounding remorseful.

Good, Ominis thought. She should be sorry.

“We had to fly up into the mountains to find the ashwinders’ nests, and you hate flying,” she explained.

“But I love the two of you! I would’ve gone if you’d asked,” Ominis retorted. “But you clearly didn’t want me there.”

“That’s not true!” MC insisted.

“Isn’t it?” Ominis replied.

“You know it’s not,” Sebastian stated firmly, breaking back into the conversation. He often let MC handle Ominis when he was upset, as Sebastian was under the impression that MC “had a way with him.” The blond had clearly struck a nerve to make him feel the need to speak up.

“No, I don’t, Sebastian!” Ominis argued, growing angrier. Before he knew it, he was on his feet and jamming a finger in Sebastian’s chest. “You two just don’t want your little blind pet getting in the way. You don’t think I can handle myself out in the forest, right? You think you need to protect me from harm while you both run headfirst into danger. You treat me like a child!”

“Ominis!” MC gasped, taken aback at his outburst.

“Do either of you even want me around anymore?” he asked, trying not to let the pain show in his voice.

“Of course, we do,” Sebastian said, and his anger had dissipated. He took hold of Ominis’s hand. Ominis squeezed his in return. “We didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I didn’t think you would want to go gallivanting through the Highlands.”

“What I want is to spend time with my boyfriend and girlfriend again. You two are always gone lately,” Ominis admitted.

MC wrapped her arms around him from behind. “I’m sorry, Ominis. We found a potion that might be able to cure Anne, and I’ve had tunnel vision about the whole thing. But I also didn’t want to get her hopes up if it didn’t pan out. I wasn’t sure we’d be able to find all of the ingredients.”

Ominis rested a hand on her arm that was across his stomach. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he croaked.

“Ominis,” MC said chidingly, “you know you’re rubbish at keeping secrets from her.”

The boy’s cheeks flushed with heat. “I’m not that bad,” he said defensively.

“You told her what I’d bought her for Christmas three years in a row before I started hiding it from you, too,” Sebastian argued, making MC chuckle.

Ominis could feel her chest rumble against his back, and he melted into her.

“So, you two aren’t tired of me, then?” he asked a bit timidly.

MC laughed. “Hardly,” she replied before giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek.

“Who else would be the voice of reason?” Sebastian joked. Tenderly cupping his hand over Ominis’s cheek, he added, “You know I’m mad about you, you stupid git.”

“Ever the romantic,” Ominis replied drily.

MC giggled as Sebastian crashed his lips into Ominis’s. He had clearly taken the heir of Slytherin’s words as a challenge. One he met with force. If MC hadn’t been behind the lithe boy, Sebastian probably would have knocked him to the ground.

Sebastian tasted like the treacle tarts he always gorged on after chasing MC around on some ill-advised adventure. Ominis fisted his free hand into his boyfriend’s robes as he kissed him back, sliding his tongue into his mouth and making him moan. Sebastian quickly returned the favour – and then some, as he moved to trail open-mouthed kisses down the side of Ominis’s neck.

Panting as he pulled back, Sebastian’s smirk was practically audible. “Better?” he asked cheekily.

Ominis chuckled. “Much,” he replied silkily, stroking his thumb over the back of MC’s arm, which was still wrapped around him.

“Does this mean you’d want to help us get venom from the snake I’ve got in my nab-sack?” MC inquired, lifting her head off his shoulder. “Because I’d really prefer not to get bitten again.”

“You were bitten?” Ominis roared.

“Three times, actually, but Nurse Blainey patched me right up when we made it back to the castle,” she replied as if it were as casual of a fact as that it might rain the following afternoon.

Ominis felt like he might pass out before the rage steadied him. “You let her get bitten three times?” he growled at Sebastian.

“How is it my fault?” Sebastian asked, bewildered, but Ominis had already spun away from him, refocusing on MC.

His hands worried over every inch of her. “Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked. “Are you dizzy? Or in pain? Do you want me to take you back to the hospital wing for the night, just in case?”

“I’m fine,” MC insisted, and Ominis would bet a pretty galleon that she’d rolled her eyes.

“I got bitten too, you know,” Sebastian sulked.

“Merlin, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Ominis said, pulling MC into a tight hug.

Sebastian pouted even more at being ignored.

“I am as long as I can breathe,” MC choked out.

Ominis instantly released her. “Sorry,” he muttered, raising a hand to her cheek and gently stroking his thumb over the smooth skin.

“It’s all right,” MC replied kindly before turning her head to press a kiss into his palm. “You’re sweet to worry, but I really am fine.”

“Barely! You’re never going out without proper supervision again,” Ominis asserted.

“Now who’s being treated like a chi–” MC started.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sebastian asked, offended.

“You know exactly what I meant, Sebastian,” Ominis said severely. “Clearly, you two are hazardous left to your own devices.”

“I’ll let that slight pass if it means you’ll start coming out with us,” Sebastian said lightly.

“Yes, I’ve quite made up my mind on it,” Ominis replied seriously.

“Brilliant! It’ll be great having more help. And if we all get stranded in one of those remote little cabins and have to share the one, tiny bed all pressed up against each other, well…all the better,” Sebastian added cheekily.

Ominis jumped slightly when he felt a hard pinch on his bum. “You’re a degenerate, Sebastian,” he tried to assert, but his face was going red imagining the scenario.

“You love me,” the mischievous boy stated confidently.

Ominis could tell he had stepped in rather close, because he could feel Sebastian’s breath puff over his nose and cheeks.

Ominis gave a dramatic sigh, refusing to give Sebastian the satisfaction of swooning at his flirting. “Against my better judgement, but, yes, I do. Both of you.”

“Good. Because we’ll never be tired of you, so you’re stuck with us,” MC said.

“Promise?” Ominis asked, feeling a jolt of insecurity.

Sebastian rested his forehead against his, their noses brushing together. “Promise,” he vowed.

Ominis relaxed. Pressed between the two people he loved most, he felt anything but unwanted.

[undercrofttt]

𝚙𝚘𝚕𝚢𝚓𝚞𝚒𝚌�� | 𝚜𝚎𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠

[sebastian x fem!reader]

sypnosis: imelda comes up with a scheme to force you and sebastian to confess your feelings for each other.

garreth paced around the dimly lit broom closet, occasionally looking at the door and then at imelda, who was sat criss crossed on the floor with a smoking cauldron in front of her. he then glanced down at the various parchment paper and opened books sprawled throughout the floor. the slytherin girl didn't look at all troubled as she began pouring ingredients into the pot while her eyes wandered across one of the book's pages.

"are you sure this is going to work?" garreth asked as he scratched the back of his neck. "this could go terribly wrong, you know."

"oh, hush, will you?" imelda quipped, stirring the pot and glaring up at the gryffindor. "if you just follow my lead, then everything will go according to plan."

"how did i even get tied up in all of this?" garreth frowned, crossing his arms. "i only agreed to help you with your plan because you let me copy your transfiguration notes. i didn't think it would be this mad!"

"honestly, you're a gryffindor, why don't you act like it?" imelda scoffed. "and give me the vial over there!"

garreth sighed before kneeling on the floor and passing imelda a vial that was farther away from her. imelda held the empty vial in one hand, while she held a ladle in the other. she carefully began to scoop up the concoction from the cauldron and into the vial. after she was finished, garreth watched in bewilderment as imelda held the vial up with a proud smirk.

"and with this, i won't have to listen to (y/n)'s rants about sallow." she huffed and garreth couldn't help but look at her with an incredulous expression. "what? why are you looking at me like that?" imelda tilted her head in confusion and glared at the gryffindor.

garreth's eyes nearly popped out of his head at her nonchalant attitude. "are you mad?! how do you even know if this will work? if anything, sebastian is going to kill me!"

"that's exactly what we need!" imelda's lips stretched into a sly smirk and garreth felt a shiver go up his spine at the sight. "sallow just needs a push and this is it! if he sees '(y/n)' being cozy with another boy, he's sure to lose it!"

garreth knew that he couldn't escape being imelda's accomplice. not when he had promised her anything in return if she lended him her transfiguration homework.

"so, you know what to do, right?" imelda asked with a raised brow and garreth gulped before hesitantly nodding. "perfect. now keep watch at the door. i don't want anyone knowing we're in here."

garreth let out a heavy sigh and did as imelda said, shuffling toward the door and cracking it open.

"okay, how do i look?" imelda's voice behind him asked and garreth reluctantly turned around to face her.

garreth's eyes nearly bulged out of his head and his jaw dropped at the sight. imelda's polyjuice potion had been a success! there imelda was in front of his eyes, looking exactly like your clone. no, imelda was you. there was no doubt that anyone would be fooled.

"i-it worked!" garreth stammered and imelda crossed her arms over her chest with a proud grin. "you look exactly like her!"

imelda walked over to him and smacked his head. "of course i do, you git! that's how a polyjuice potion works."

garreth rubbed the spot that imelda had stuck him and frowned. he watched as imelda untied her hair, letting the (h/c) tresses fall down her shoulders and ruffling her scalp. garreth looked confused as imelda loosened her tie and unbuttoned a couple of buttons on her dress shirt.

"wait, what are you doing?" garreth averted his eyes to the ground and imelda roll her eyes.

"following the plan."

came her quick response and garreth let out a yelp as her hands found his own tie. "w-wait, what on earth are you doing now?!" he hissed as he felt his tie being undone and imelda didn't respond as her fingers now worked on unbuttoning his dress shirt. garreth stared down in horror as his chest was no exposed.

"okay, finishing touches." imelda mused as she pulled out a stick of lipstick from her robe's pocket. she applied it on her lips before puckerin and glancing up at garreth, who was still trying to process what was going on. "here." the girl swiped a bit of the product on her thumb before smearing it across the corner of garreth's lips and a bit on his collar.

"great. move." imelda pushed him aside and peeked through the door. her (e/c) eyes lit up at the sight of sebastian sallow in the halls, a few meters away from the broom closet that they were in. "alright, weasley, it's time. try not to blow our cover."

garreth was confused, but was quickly stunned as imelda grabbed his hand and rushed out the door.

"play along." imelda whispered to the gryffindor and garreth winced as he looked down at her face-or rather your face. this seemed incredibly wrong. garreth was staring at imelda who was now wearing your face at the moment.

imelda guided garreth's hands to her waist with one hand, while the other rested on his chest. garreth tried his best to play along with her antics, forcing a smile on his face, although garreth figured he actually looked constipated. "is sallow looking?" imelda whispered, leaning up toward garreth's face and he quickly glanced toward sebastian, who was now staring at them with an unreadable expression.

garreth nodded hesitantly and imelda smirked before cupping his jaw. she let out an innocent giggle, acting as though garreth had said something funny. garreth's lips quirked into a nervous smile and his unconsciously eyes met with sebastian's.

if looks could kill, garreth would be dead on the spot. the glare that sebastian pierced into him caused a shiver to run up garreth's spine. sebastian's fists were balled at his side and were slytherins always this intimidating when they were mad? garreth was sure that sebastian was going to walk over at any moment.

imelda noticed garreth's frozen state and tilted her head slightly to view sebastian's reaction. her eyes met with a pair of angry ones. sebastian's brown eyes were darkened menacingly at them before turning around and storming off in the other direction.

"and now we wait." imelda huffed with a smirk as she pulled away from a very stunned garreth. "lucky you, weasley. sallow didn't kill you, now did he?"

garreth said nothing as he looked to where sebastain once stood. if sebastian sallow didn't kill him now, there was no doubt in garreth's mind that he'd do that later.

-

sebastian charged into the undercroft with his fist balled tightly at his side. he was fuming! if anyone could see him now, they'd be able to see the smoke coming from his flushed ears. his brows were wrinkled into a glare, his eyes were dark, and his face was nearly red with anger. even the dimly lit room that he was in could be lit with the rage that he was feeling in his chest.

what did i just witness?, sbeastian thought as he paced around the hard stone floors. you with that garreth? no, his eyes must have been playing tricks on him. there's no way that you'd fancy such a such a daft, idiot like garreth, right?

sebastian knew that he had no right to be angry. especially when he knew that you and him were nothing more than friends. partners in crime that took down trolls and dueled together. all this time, sebastian has pined for you, yet never had the courage to ask you to be his. now someone else has you. the thought made him grit his teeth. he should've asked you a long time ago to be his.

with sebastian's head filled with regrets and doubts, he hadn't heard the entrance of the undercroft open. he certainly didn't notice you and ominis walking into the room, which greatly confused you both as you exchanged confused expressions.

"sebastian?" he heard your voice call out to him from behind and he quickly snapped out of his thoughts as he twisted around. "are you alright? you look red in the face. are you running a fever?"

sebastian said nothing as he stared at you with an unreadable expression. you paid no mind to his silence as you shuffled over to him, drawing close to him to lay your hand on his forehead. he was burning up.

"don't act like you care." sebastian seethed suddenly, pulling away from you and your touch. your expression fell as his cold tone pierced an arrow through your chest. "really, (y/n)? garreth? you can do so much better than that."

"what on earth are you talking about, sebastian?" you uttered, feeling hurt at the sudden cold stare that you were receiving.

"what am i talking about?" sebastian hissed, before abruptly pointing a finger at the exit. "i'm talking about you coming out of the broom closet with garreth fucking weasley a couple minutes ago. looks like you had a great time with him in there."

"sebastian, are you mad?!" ominis quipped, holding his hands out to stop his friend from saying anything else. "(y/n) was with me in the library. we were studying for the upcoming test for potions class."

"i'm not stupid, ominis, i saw her with my own eyes!" sebastian boomed and (y/n)'s brows furrowed her brows in confusion.

why was he acting like this?, you thought before turning around to ominis who was getting irritated by sebastian's behavior.

"ominis, if you don't mind," you say with a bit of assurance in your voice. "i'd like to talk to sebastian alone."

ominis' lips pursed together and you were sure that he was contemplating whether or not to listen to you. sebastian was acting strange and ominis wanted to figure it out as well. nonetheless, ominis agreed after a few minutes of silence. you and sbeastian watched as ominis turned around, letting his wand lead him to the exit of the undercroft.

as soon as you heard the doors shut, you turned to sebastian who was glaring down at the floor. you slowly took a step toward him, making sure that he could see your hands.

"i won't touch you if you don't want me to." you say in a hushed tone and he glanced up at you. this time, his glare softened and you could see his eyes swimming with conflict. "please, sebastian, tell me what is wrong? you're acting strange and i just want to help."

you watched as he turned his head away from you. sebastian could barely look at you without feeling his chest tighten. all he could think about was the way your body pressed into garreth's. the way garreth's arms were wrapped around you waist so tenderly. the way you giggled at something weasley had said as if he had said the most funniest thing in the world. the image of you and garreth coming out of the broom closet, looking so disheveled plagued his mind.

"sebastian?"

merlin, your voice sounded so small in his ears. the soft and caring tone in your voice made him want to take back his actions. sebastian was acting like an arse, yet you still talked to him like he was the most delicate thing in the world. without a word, he looked back at you with a more pained expression, which made your lips pull into a frown.

"what's wrong?" you asked again and sebastian sighed, knowing that he could never escape you. not when you looked at him with a pleading expression. you looked like you could cry at any moment.

"i-it's nothing," sebastian stammered. "i was just overreacting."

"sebastian, you've never acted this way with me before." you pressed, coming closer to him until you were an inch away. you gently grabbed his hand into yours. "you mentioned something about me and garreth. what happened?"

sebastian seemingly looked embarrassed now as he brought his other hand up to scratch the back of his neck and averted his eyes to the ground.

"i saw you and garreth coming out of the broom closet on the fourth floor. you both looked...cozy. listen, if you and weasley are seeing each other, then fine-i mean, i-i'm happy for you if you're happy, but you can do so much better than that-"

sebastian was quickly cut off by your laughter echoing through the room. he was stunned for a moment as you bent over to quell your never ending giggles.

"sebastian, what are you talking about?" you wheezed in between giggles and you squeezed his hand tighter. you took a minute to calm down, however when you did, you gazed up at sebastian with an amused smile. "i was with ominis in the library, so it couldn't have been me. how could i be in two places at once?"

sebastian recalled what ominis had said. you were in the studying with ominis in the library the whole time. he was confused now. could it have been a mistake? did he think it was you? no, you had turned around. sebastian was sure that he saw your face.

"b-but i saw you." sebastian stuttered and you titled your head.

"i promise you, sebastian, i was with ominis since classes ended." you say with a smile and sebastian could see no hint of deceit in your eyes. "and garreth?"

you let out a laugh once again and sebastian's lips quirked into a small smile. your laughter really was contagious. he couldn't help it at all. sebastian could never resist you.

"honestly, garreth is a nice fellow," you say with a hint of teasing. "but i could never have feelings for him. besides, i'm in love with someone else."

sebastian's eyes snapped up to meet yours and you were sure that you saw a flash of hurt in them. you could basically see his shoulders slump in disappointment. it made you stifle a giggle.

"you might know him, he's always the talk of hogwarts." you grin, deciding to play with him a bit. "he's quite a trouble maker, witty, and cunning. a true slytherin, if i do say so myself."

a slytherin?, sebastian thought and was visibly intrigued with you description.

"but, he is also very charming and kind. he knows how to make me laugh and smile when i'm feeling down. he cares for those who are close to him. he'd do anything for them, even if it meant risking his own life. i admire him for that. how could anyone not fall in love with him?"

sebastian's face was glowing with anticipation and you chuckled as you let go of his hand to poke his cheek. "he also gets very jealous easily, but i don't mind. i find it to be quite adorable."

you laugh as you wrap your arms around his midriff and tucked your face into his chest with a knowing smile adorning your lips. you could feel sebastian stiffen against you and you propped your chin up on his chest to gaze up at him.

sebastian's heart felt like it could nearly beat out of his chest at any moment. his eyes seemed dazed, as if he was just waking out of a dream. this had to be a dream, right? you, his longtime crush, was admitting to being in love with him. is that what you meant?

"you...you love me?' sebastian uttered in disbelief and you slowly ran your hands up his back to cup the back of his neck.

"yes, you idiot." you mused with a genuine smile. "i'm in love with you, sebastian sallow. you and only you."

before sebastian knew it, your lips were pressed firmly against his in a gentle kiss. his eye shot open in surprise, but still returned your affection. his arms circled around your waist, pushing your body firmly against his own. sebastian had been waiting for this moment to come. to finally feel your lips against his. to press his body against yours with his arms around you.

to make you his.

"i love you, (y/n)." he said in between kisses and you smiled against his lips before pulling away.

"say it again." you say and sebastian could see excitement filling your features.

"i love you, (y/n) (l/n)," sebastian firmly said, bringing one of his hands up to cup you jaw and rubbing his thumb across your cheek. "merlin, i'll say it as many times as you want. just be mine."

"i am yours, sebastian," you sighed, tilting your head into his palm and gazing up at him so lovingly. "it was always you. nobody has ever made me feel this way."

sebastian couldn't bring himself to say anything as he stared at you. he wanted to memorize every feature of your face as you confessed your feelings for him. he wanted to engrave this moment into his head forever.

"and i am yours, (y/n)."

[Bonus]

you and sebastian walked out of the undercroft with lovesick faces. your clothes seemed wrinkled and disheveled as you exited. all the snogging that you both had done had clearly shown through your clothes and hair. as you both turned the corner of the hall, you heard someone clear their throat.

"ahem!"

you and sebastian pull away all too quickly at the sound of ominis in front of you. you both bashfully looked toward him and although you both knew that he couldn't see you, it still felt like he could sense something going on.

"oh, ominis, we were just..." you trailed off as you noticed imelda and garreth following behind with guilty expressions. "imelda? garreth? what are you two doing here?"

"i believe i've caught the culprits." ominis mused as he held up a vial filled with an unknown liquid. "quite cunning, those two. i don't believe we've learned to make polyjuice yet."

you and sebastian looked at each other with an unreadable expression and the hall was filled with silence. all of a sudden, you two bursted into laughter. perhaps you should thank imelda later. her plan had been a success.

sebastian was yours and you were his.

[achaotichuman]

So this came out of nowhere in my mind but like, Elaine's POV when she starts noticing that Lucien is much more distant, rarely visiting anymore, barely looking at her why, and then she noticed how Lucien's heated eyes goes over to Tamlin, how he would breathed deeply whenever Tamlin passes by, how he brushes close to Tamlin.

And then she realizes.....

Heheheheheheheh

*Maniacal laughter as I type away like an evil maniac writing this scene* This would be very fun indeed.

The dough beneath her fingers was sticky. Quickly Elain doused it in a handful of flour, continuing to quickly and forcefully knead. A few moments passed and she rounded it into a ball before tossing the bread dough into a bowl and covering it with cloth.

With quick, practiced elegance, Elain washed off her hands and took the bowl out into the sun. After placing it in the windowsill she wiped her hands on her apron and made to begin cleaning what mess she had made.

A low hum left her throat as she continued to work. The sun drifting in through all the open windows. The sweet smell of pollen filling the warm air. A beautiful afternoon which would give way to a star filled evening.

Everything was going well. Incredibly well in fact.

If it weren't for the fact the hollowness in her chest just seemed to continue getting bigger and bigger until it felt like Elain herself was simply a thin shell.

The mating bond had been relentless as of late, pulling her deeper and deeper into a state of utter numbness. She couldn't rid herself of it. Normally she was not on the receiving end of such feelings, she could feel the hollow empty feelings from Lucien's side of the bond at times, but she tried to ignore it, tried to not feel so guilty about it.

Now that she felt it, it... she hated it, she didn't understand how Lucien hadn't demanded she acknowledge the bond like she wanted to right this minute.

Still, she persevered, this was what she wanted right? For Lucien to finally ignore her? Pretend she didn't exist?

Yes, this was what she wanted.

Right?

***

Wrong.

This was not what she wanted at all.

Lucien hadn't visited the Night Court in six months, six months with no word, not even a report to Azriel. The Inner Circle had no immediate need for his presence, so no one had thought to send him even a letter. But it was driving Elain up the fucking wall.

No one had so much had mentioned his name, which around her wasn't an uncommon occurrence, but Elain liked to eavesdrop on conversations every now and again. After all she was just the hollow-headed flower girl, so no one cared too much to hide their conversations when it was only her in the house. Even still, no one so much as murmured his name.

Elain found herself time and time again looking over at the door when it was knocked upon. She glanced up with more enthusiasm whenever someone walked into the room, desperate to so much as glance that head of thick red hair.

Still, nothing. Not a letter, not a whisper.

Like Lucien had disappeared with the wind.

***

It seemed he had in fact not disappeared with the wind. Lucien, it seemed was somewhere to be found.

It was another lovely evening when Elain felt the pulsing of the mating bond. A magnet drawing her closer to the man on the other side. Then he walked through the front door, Azriel behind him, Cassian in front. As if they were escorting him.

Elain watched hidden around the corner of a hallway with an overlook of the foyer. She half-expected Lucien to listen to the call of the cauldron gifted bond and look her way, but he didn't so much as glance. Feyre and Rhysand were sitting on a lounge, Nyx in between them playing with some blocks. Elain couldn't quite see their facial expressions from where she was, but by the look on Cassian and Azriel's faces, Lucien visit here wasn't for pleasure.

"I hear Spring has returned to its former state of glory." Rhysand drawled.

"Spring has finished rebuilding yes." Lucien said, matching Rhysand's tone.

"Have you been reelected for the position of Spring emissary, I didn't think you'd go back to him so quickly, Lucien."

"I do not work for Tamlin any longer, however as my letter stated I will no longer work as emissary of Night. My duties elsewhere have taken priority."

Elain blinked, so Lucien wasn't working for Night anymore? Was that why he hadn't come? He sent a letter; did he even mean to step down from his position face to face with all of them or was this meeting Rhysand's request?

Cassian curled his hands into fists, and Elain felt a protective urge to scream for none of them to consider laying on a hand on Lucien.

This was new, this protective urge was new. This... this was because Lucien was adamantly ignoring her, and not the other way around.

"If confirmation is all you wanted, I will be taking my leave of you." Lucien said, already preparing to head out the door.

His hand just caught the threshold when Rhysand said, "Just remember, Lucien. You can go crawling back to him as many times as you want, but he'll never choose you."

Everyone appeared confused by that statement except for Rhysand and Lucien. Elain watched as a spark of anger overtook Lucien's face, his hand tightened until his knuckles were white, he didn't look back at Rhysand.

Instead, he looked right down the hallway to see Elain's face. The Archeron sister held in a gasp at what she saw.

Fire, burning flames directed right at her. Elain felt like she might burn up in them.

Then he turned and walked out.

Something was different. Something was so, so distinctly different.

And Elain had no clue what it was.

***

She had no clue until the next High lord meeting. This one she was expected to attend, it was a chance for all the Courts to come together and mingle a touch. Get to know one other more, establish connections and alliances, discuss matters of politics and trade. Elain had to attend.

When they walked in, Elain was just behind her youngest sister, head down, eyes up. The perfect display of the High lady's other hand. Her sister, a Lady in her own right.

When the doors flung open revealing the Night Court entourage Elain had a good view of everyone in attendance.

And her eyes landed on Day. As Beron was recently assassinated, the Lady of Autumn Andrea had returned to her mate Helion. He had an arm around the back of her chair holding her close. But they weren't who Elain was looking at.

Rather her eyes went to Lucien, who was dressed in the colors of Day. A band of gold circling his head. He didn't wear the toga his father did, but still he looked regal in the linens and whites and the Day Court. Sunlight seemed to gleam from his very skin, lighting up the gold embroided down his shirt and jacket.

And so, so close to him, was the High lord of Spring. Who today, looked every part the High lord of Spring.

His hair was down and wild, with curls and small braids. Flowers and vines were weaved through his hair, creating a crown of Spring. Antlers struck out of his head, a crown themselves. He was dressed in glorious green and gold. When Elain peered closer, she realized his very clothing was weaved from the strings of plant stems and spider silk.

She felt underdressed compared to the two. When she looked over at Rhysand who glared at the two, she knew their glorious robes were sending some kind of a message, what message she was unsure of, but it was something.

They sat down and the meeting began. An hour passed and nothing exciting happened. Elain sat there, perfectly still and perfectly bored out of her wits.

Then something did happen.

Rhysand had turned to Lucien, "So I see your priorities now belong to Day?"

Lucien gave him a look that could only be described as sneering, "My duties in my home Court take priority over others."

Helion shot Rhysand a look that said, 'Don't push him.'

Rhysand ignored Helion's warning and said, "You do hop around quite a bit, don't you little Fox? How are we supposed to know which is your home Court?"

"You know now," Lucien simply said, "Now, we have more important matters to discuss."

"I simply thought it may be Spring, considering how much time you invest in it. Or are you waiting for the inevitable downfall of its current High lord." Rhysand gave a grin to an entirely too still Tamlin.

"Afterall, you have no Heirs, or family, do you Tamlin? The magic tends to hop bloodlines at times, is your precious fox waiting for when you'll kick it so he can jump the mark?"

"Look me in the eyes when you speak of me, Rhysand." Lucien hissed.

"Or is he waiting for another mark to jump? You don't tend to take lovers you don't care about, he, after all, is your only option left-."

Rhysand's voice cut out. He continued talking like he could hear himself but suddenly Feyre's eyes went misty as she mentally informed him no one could hear his voice. Then Rhysand's face went red with anger and embarrassment, and Tamlin let out a dark chuckle.

"Do us a favor Rhysand and talk only in your little bubble there, we don't need to hear it." He spoke. Elain stared agape at Rhysand, who looked as though he would kill Tamlin.

Tamlin had trapped Rhysand in a bubble of air, not allowing his voice to escape. Only Rhysand could hear himself talk.

Rhysand's eyes went misty for a moment, like he was trying to get into Tamlin's mind, but the High lord tutted, "Go into my mind Rhysand, and I will cause the pocket of air around you to collapse."

There room went entirly still as they all understood the graphics of Tamlin's threat.

An instant kill.

That would instantly kill him.

Then Tamlin's voice went so, so low, a chill ran through the room, "You think you're the most powerful because of how much magic you generate. But all I need to kill you is a little creativity."

As if for emphasis, Tamlin snapped his fingers and fire sparked int he air around. Eris nearly jumped out of his seat when he saw it.

"Air is an all encompassing element. I may have the least magic out of all of you, but I don't need a well full of power to beat you."

Then Tamlin leaned back in his chair, "Now, like Lucien has stated, we have more important things to discuss."

Everyone was silent for a heartbeat, then the next.

Then Eris cleared his throat and addressed Tarquin, they began to discuss the trade between their own Courts, and soon everyone followed suite, ignoring the anger leeching off of Rhysand from the bubble he was in.

Elain struggled to hold in a laugh, as she watched her dear younger sister's face go white with anger, her hands curling into fists. Everyone glared sharpened daggers at Tamlin, but no one dared test to see if he would hold out to his threat.

Elain's eyes wandered back over to Lucien. Lucien who was struggling to hold in his own laughter.

The Archeron sister then watched, as Lucien turned his eyes to Tamlin, those eyes holding that fire, those burning embers. Tamlin met his gaze.

But that fire was different than that of the flames Lucien had when he looked at Elain. These flames burned with a different heat.

Tamlin slipped out a hand discreetly, everyone else was too caught up in their own conversations or anger to see it, but Elain did.

Tamlin curled a pinky around Lucien's. They both stared at each other like they had forgotten other people were in the room.

The bond leapt and writhed, but Lucien didn't care, not in the slightest.

***

Yes, something had changed, and Elain found out what it was later that night.

A ball was thrown, Rhysand was let out of his bubble with a harsh warning from Helion to let it go. The Night Lord had crossed his arms and strutted away in anger, his Circle following after him. Elain found herself wandering away.

The party was extravagant, and music played, swirling through the air. A harmonic symphony that vibrated her very bones. Beautiful, a lovely song.

Elain walked the outskirts of the party, she did love the social aspect, but something called her to continue walking the direction she was.

Every window was open, curtains pulled back exposing the bright moon and stars.

Then Elain spotted something odd.

One large floor length window had the curtains drawn closed. Odd, perhaps someone had forgotten to open it.

Elain quickly went over and drew back the curtain a crack, preparing to throw it open, when she stopped in her tracks.

Turns out it was a doorway that led to a balcony overlooking the gardens below. And turns out the curtains had been closed for a reason.

Elain watched as in the moonlight, holding each other so tightly against one another, was Tamlin and Lucien. Tamlin with his head resting on Lucien's shoulder, one hand intertwined with Lucien's. And Lucien, with one hand wrapped around Tamlin's waist, and his lips pressed against the High lord's hair.

They gently swayed to the music, completely lost in the notes and each other. Not noticing Elain standing there in the slightest.

"Was it too much earlier?" Tamlin asked, "With Rhysand?"

Lucien laughed breathily, "Oh I think he got exactly what was coming to him."

Tamlin laughed and lifted his head to face Lucien.

When they kissed it was like Elain could see sparks in the air. A love burning between them that she had never seen before, not even with Feyre and Rhysand.

As the kiss began to get more and more heated, Elain drew away, silently closing the curtain and walking back into the party.

She looked down at the floor, processing what she had seen.

What now? Did she reject the bond? What could she do?

Elain smacked right into someone. Quickly she stumbled back, saying apologies and all the like.

"It is quite alright, my Lady. I fell into you." A beautiful voice murmured to her.

Elain looked up the see one of Nesta's Valkyrie friends looking at her with a smile. Gwyn her name was.

"I am so, so sorry Gwyn-" Elain said.

"Like I said, it is quite alright, my Lady." Gwyn assured her.

Elain blinked at her, cheeks flushing a deep red color. Gwyn was dressed to the nines with a floor length deep blue gown and her shiny red hair pinned in a beautiful style, pearls woven through it.

They were in the middle of the dance floor, and someone bumped into Elain again, sending her flying into Gwyn's arms. Elain's face went even redder, and she was about to start apologizing again when Gwyn laughed and held her steady.

"Perhaps we should join in so we're not just standing here?" Gwyn offered.

It took Elain far too long to realize Gwyn was asking her to dance, but once the question finally processed, Elain found herself nodding vigorously, "Yes! I-um, yes that would be... would be wonderful, yes, thank you."

What was that? That was barely a sentence she was stuttering so much. Gwyn however, just beamed a happy grin. Elain and Gwyn fell into position. Slowly beginning to dance to the music in the air.

All of a sudden, the bond in her chest seemed to die down. As if, for now, it was content with this.

Maybe the bond had been wrong, because for tonight, the mated pair were happier in the arms of others than they ever were in each other's.

Thank you so much for the prompt I had a lot of fun writing this!

[ofhopess]

‘ acya aysin turan , cisfemale, she-her, 31 / 310 , illyrian ’ ― cauldron save you. it seems SIRI SOYAL has finally made it to the capital, the GENERAL OF THE ARMIES from THE NIGHT COURT is said to be DECISIVE and is said to describe themselves with THE NEVER ENDING SWEET SMELL OF CHERRIES, LEATHERS THAT SHOW JUST A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH SKIN, RED NAILS TO MATCH GLOWING RED SIPHONS , SKIN TOO SOFT FOR THE BLOOD ITS SEEN AND INABILITY TO EVER ADMIT SHE'S WRONG and with all of this in mind their INTOLERANT nature always seems to get them into trouble. may the mother hold them as they navigate this unthinkable time.

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼ℝ𝔸𝕃 𝔻𝔼𝕋𝔸𝕀𝕃𝕊.

FULL NAME:  Siri Soyal NICKNAME(S):  none. NAME MEANING: beautiful victory AGE: 31 - 310 SPECIES: Illyrian. PLACE OF BIRTH: Night Court Palace GENDER: cisfemale PRONOUNS: she/her SEXUAL ORIENTATION: bisexual

ℙℍ𝕐𝕊𝕀ℂ𝔸𝕃 𝔸ℙℙ𝔼𝔸ℝ𝔸ℕℂ𝔼, 𝔼𝕋ℂ.

HEIGHT: 5'9 BUILD: slim and defined TATTOOS: varying black ink tattoo's across her whole right side. CLOTHING STYLE: mixes of black leathers and dark red and purple dresses DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: long jet black braids, a scar up the side of her neck she wears proudly and forever red nails. SIGNATURE SCENT: fresh cherries ABILITIES: flying, siphon magic and winnowing

𝔹𝔸ℂ𝕂𝕊𝕋𝕆ℝ𝕐.

siri was fighting to prove herself from the moment she was born. the youngest girl in a string of boys, she was ready to fight for attention from the second she came out screaming with her wings flared.

though her brothers tried to steer her away from the life of a warrior, insisting she would be better off without trying to prove herself, she never listened to them and was instead far to focused on being better than they were. she might have been smaller but that made her nimble and faster and her flying was some of the best anyone had seen in years for her age always giving her an edge.

when she completed the blood rite at the same time as three of her brothers went through the trials, plenty of people claimed they had helped her through it and tried to make her forfeit her warrior status so the following year she voluntarily re-entered the rite and achieved carynthian status all on her own.

siri worked her way through the ranks of the armies slowly, proving her worth and resilience time and time again. one day, having being sick of listening to the general of the armies moan about more women taking the blood rite, siri challenged him to a dual. only one would walk away and they would keep the title of general of the armies. she knew that she risked the wrath of the high lord, but given then were somewhat friendly she took the risk.

the pair of them fought for over 12 hours, uninterrupted before siri was able to finally sink her blade through the back of his wings and right into his heart, ending the dual finally. one by one, the other warriors around her dropped to their knees and siri took over as the general of the armies, determined to make them a better place.

she has worked hard to continue to prove herself, and is often in the very mix of any sort of battle or war, proving why she is worthy of leading the illyrian armies.

ℍ𝔼𝔸𝔻ℂ𝔸ℕℕ𝕆ℕ𝕊.

tba.

𝕎𝔸ℕ𝕋𝔼𝔻 ℂ𝕆ℕℕ𝔼ℂ𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ𝕊.

past & current lovers.

friends.

any other illyrians that don't think she should be general that likes to fight with her.

close fae buddies from other courts.

[ensnapemysenses]

The Wolf, The Bat, and The Girl

Part 2: Hogsmeade (but can be read on it's own!)

Pairing: Snupin, Severus Snape x Remus Lupin

Warnings: None

Genre: Fluff

Part 1 (Also can be read on its own)

Masterlist

Word count: 1,069

A/N: This is part of a one-shot series in an AU where Severus has an eleven-year old daughter named Hazel. More details on the first part if you are interested in knowing more about this AU!

Severus was having a rough day, everything that could go wrong had indeed. First, he woke up late and had to rush to get ready, bolting down to the Slytherin dormitory to wake the remaining stragglers of Slytherin house and shoo them out for breakfast. Then, in every class, some daft dunderhead blew up at least one cauldron, one of which spilled a highly caustic liquid all over his robes resulting in him having to dispel them immediately! Thank goodness he always wears an extra set of muggle clothes under his robes just as a precaution for such an incident. 

With all of these events occurring, Severus had given more detentions just today than he had ever done before. It really was no surprise that he was on the end of his rope and about to lose every ounce of patience he had worked so hard to build up over many years. A booming knock at his classroom door snaps him out of his grumpy trance and makes him audibly groan. He’s had it with everything today and the last thing that he wants is someone trying to talk to him. 

“Come in,” he drawls, collapsing into the chair behind his desk. “Remus, what brings you here?” he asks at the sight of the tall man with graying hair that stops in front of his desk, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

“I came to ask permission for your daughter to accompany me to Hogsmeade this afternoon. I may have let slip that I was heading there to do some shopping for some supplies and she may have overheard me. I tried telling her that first-years aren’t allowed into Hogsmede but of course, she didn’t listen. Said she’d been many times with you already, Hazel, that clever girl,” he smiles. “So what do you say, Severus? Can she come shopping with me? You can come along if you want as well. I don’t have the heart in me to tell her no, so you will have to if you say she can’t.”

Severus sighs. The last thing he wants to do right now is go out, in fact, he had plans to collapse in his chambers as soon as he retired there for the night. But something about Remus’s plea has him captivated, reminding him of the times he used to venture out with his wife and baby Hazel. He knows he can probably trust Remus with his daughter alone, but then again he still has his doubts, even more so he’s worried about what students will think if they see the three of them together. 

“Hazel has us both wrapped around her finger,” Severus chuckles. “I can’t tell her no either, it’s been so long since we’ve done anything together. I guess she can go, but I will be accompanying her.”

“As you wish, I’ll meet you both at The Three Broomsticks at six o’clock. We can grab dinner if you’d like.”

“I’m sure Hazel will enjoy that. We will see you there,” Snape concludes.

~~~

As soon as Severus told his daughter about their evening plans she squealed in excitement, tackling her dad in a huge bear hug right in the middle of the Slytherin common room. She had been worried that her father would say no but had plans to plead and beg until she broke him down anyway. She knew how to get under his skin.

“Hay! Can you release your grip on me? I can barely breathe!” Severus gasps, trying to fill his lungs with enough air to get a good breath.

“Sorry, dad!” she exclaims, letting go of her father who pulls on the neck of his robes to readjust them. “I’m just looking forward to spending time with you and professor Lupin! He’s my favorite professor and I think he’s so cool! Wait! Let me show you the book he gave me to read!” Hazel rummages around in her bag before pulling out a green leather-bound book and handing it to her father.

“ ‘Defense Against The Dark Arts: A Complete History,’ ” he mumbles, turning the book over in his hands before returning it to Hazel. “That’s one of my favorites,” he muses.

“Really? I asked him for some extra reading materials and he said this book would surely cure my curiosity being as it contains all known history of the subject,” she laughs, tucking the book back away in her bag.

“He is quite right there,” Severus agrees, surprising himself at his willingness to agree with Remus lately. “Now, go work on your homework or I’ll be going to see Remus alone.” Severus playfully wags a finger at her and Hazel sticks out her tongue at him. Both fall into a short laughing fit before Hazel waves goodbye to head to the library to work on her homework.

~~~

A few hours later Severus and Hazel enter The Three Broomsticks hand-in-hand. Hazel keeps trying to wiggle out of her father’s grasp to run over to Remus, her green eyes crinkling at the edges as a huge smile overtakes her face. Sighing Severus lets go of her hand and she takes off, running to the table in the corner under a staircase where Remus is sitting, his nose buried deep in the Daily Prophet, sipping on a glass of firewhiskey.

When Hazel reaches him, he immediately places the paper down and embraces her, pulling out the chair across from him for her to sit down. Severus greets Remus with a bow of his head, choosing to sit beside Hazel. 

“Would you like anything to drink, Severus? Perhaps a butterbeer for you, Hazel?”

Severus nods and says that he would like a firewhiskey and Hazel agrees to a butterbeer as well. Excusing himself Remus returns shortly after, drinks in hand.

“Thanks, Professor!” Hazel begins sipping on her drink happily humming to herself.

“How is it, Hazel?” Remus asks her.

“It’s great! I love butterbeer; it’s my favorite!”

“That’s nice,” Remus hums, directing his attention to Severus. “Anything you need to pick up while we are here? I had planned on swinging by Dervish and Banges.”

Severus shrugs. “I’m here to accompany Hazel.”

“Of course. I’d hate to think you were here to spend time with me,” Remus smirks.

The two men, along with Hazel, find themselves in Dervish and Banges shortly after, but soon Remus and Hazel slip away together giggling while Severus is distracted. The two quickly make their way over to Honeydukes hand-in-hand. 

“Okay, Hazel, hurry up before Severus realizes we are gone! You can grab two candies,” he says holding up two fingers. 

“Three!” Hazel insists, pushing Remus’s hand down and holding up three of her fingers in his face.

“Fine,” he groans. “But don’t tell your dad I snuck you away to buy you some treats!” 

“Don’t tell her dad what now?” a low voice inquires from behind Severus.

Remus’s eyes bulge and he slowly turns around, sweat dripping down his face at the sight of Severus behind him, his eyes narrowed and arms crossed. “Oh, um, Hazel?” Remus whips his head around to get Hazel to explain their actions to her dad but she’s nowhere to be found, already wandering around the store for her three sweet treats. “Fuck,” Remus mutters under his breath, smiling sheepishly. He attempts to back away from Severus but he grips his shirt, holding him in place.

“Language,” Severus tuts. “You thought you could slip away from me, huh?”

“I - I guess,” he stutters.

“Let this be a lesson to you, Remus. Nothing goes unnoticed by me.”

“Duly noted,” Remus responds, shaking slightly.

“Professor Lupin I picked out my sweets! I want a chocolate frog, these exploding bonbons, and a sugar quill.” Handing the treats to Remus she bats he eyes at her dad innocently. “Please, dad! Professor Lupin promised to get me some candies!”

“Fine,” he huffs. “If this idiot wants to buy you some candy that’s on him,” he mumbles, his lips turning up just a bit in the corners into a small smile. It warms his heart to see Remus caring for his daughter and treating her to something special, even if it is just a bit of candy.

[shadowsinger90]

Azriel X Female reader

This is my first Drabble. It does get a wee bit spicy. I apologize for any mistakes I was never good at English.

This was bad.

This was very very bad.

You see Rhysand has sent you and Azriel to go spy on Eris in the Autumn court. Not trusting him completely, he has sent you just to check in to make sure he wasn’t double crossing the Night court. The only problem was the main palace in the Autumn court was heavily guarded. Beron wasn’t stupid he knew someone was plotting against him. All was going well until you heard approaching footsteps. You immediately shoved Azriel in the nearest closet. Unfortunate for you it was a tiny one. His wings took up more than half the space. You both were squished. His thick thigh was wedged between yours. He was constantly fidgeting to get somewhat comfy with his wings and his thigh rubbed closer and closer to your core.

You hadn’t been touched like this in so long. Your body aches for more but your mind screamed for you to stop. You breaths came out heavier as your nipples rubbed against your cool leathers. You had opted against wearing underwear today since it was already a warm day in the Night court. Even wearing the thinnest pair of leggings you owned. Winnowing was not an option. The storm Beron created from stress made things even more difficult. You prayed to the mother above that Azriel couldn’t smell it. You begged and begged you couldn’t handle the embarrassment. Until he stopped moving, you avoided his gaze. Not only he could smell it, no he could feel it dripping through your pants and onto his leathers.

He stared at you through the dark. His shadows keeping watch in case someone comes by. He pressed his thigh harder until he heard a soft moan come from your lips. Gods. He wanted to make you scream his name. Grabbing your hips he pushed you down harder, earning another gasp. He angled his head between your neck, giving feather soft kisses.

“Tell me to stop and I will.” He said with a dangerously low voice.

“Gods don’t stop.” You pleaded desperately.

He continued to grind you on his thigh. He palmed your breast through your leathers. Alternating between squeezing and pulling. Your breath was coming out harsher along with small moans that were gradually getting louder. He slapped his hand onto your mouth silencing partially silencing your moans.

“Dirty girl, you want all of them to hear you don’t you? Hear the dirty sounds you’re making.” He groaned in your ear. Moving you faster and faster. You were ashamed of how fast he was going to make you cum. It had been 10 years since your last hookup that wasn’t even that great. Sure you touched yourself, but it never felt this way.

“A-Azriel!” You cried getting closer and closer. You were just about there only a few more seconds.

“Gods, do you want yourselves killed?!” Eris. Dear mother why.

You wanted the earth to swallow you whole. You couldn’t look at either of them. You climbed off of Azriel and moved out of the closet.

“Cauldron, you smell of sweat and shame.” Eris scolded. You didn’t bother looking up or saying anything. He led you down a hall which led to a bunch of underground passageways.

“So why are you both here?”

“Rhysand said you’ve quiet so we came to make sure nothing was wrong.”

“The old bat still doesn’t trust me does he?” Eris said with a smirk. Azriel responded with a growl. Eris only rolled his eyes. “Listen, Do not come back here. You are lucky I found you two and nobody else.” He then turned his back and walked away. Leaving you and Azriel to walk in silence until you were in far enough range to winnow.

You returned to Velaris after a very long and tense 15 minute walk. The minute both of you landed in the townhouse you were greeted by your friends. But you and Azriel had quickly separated and briskly walked away from each other. You went to you room and shut your door as Azriel went to update Rhysand. The rest of your friends looked at one another with confusion. The two of you have never acted that way around each other. They knew it was bad when Azriel shut the door to Rhysands office.

Thank you for reading! Feedback is always appreciated :)

[mmvalentine]

Heyy i reallyy love your writing. Could u please do an alternative inn scene (from acomaf) where rhysand asks feyre what she wants and feyre replies with 'you' instead of 'i want a distraction'?? I would very much love thatt! And also insert whatever u know u write best😉😏

OH INTERESTING okay, yeah I'll bite! Gonna just start by copy pasting a whole chunk because I quite liked the lead up but yeah let's get real divergent.

You

I murmured, "We should go to sleep."

The patter of the rain was the only sound for long moment before he said, "All right."

I crawled over the bed to the side tucked almost against the slanted ceiling and shimmied beneath the quilt. Cool, crisp sheets wrapped around me like an icy hand. But my shiver was from something else entirely as the mattress shifted, the blanket moved, and then the two candles beside the bed went out.

Darkness hit me at the same moment the warmth from his body did. It was an effort not to nudge toward it. Neither one of us moved, though.

I stared into the dark, listening to that icy rain, trying to steal the warmth from him.

"You're shivering so hard the bed is shaking," he said.

"My hair is wet," I said. It wasn't a lie.

Rhys was silent, then the mattress groaned, sinking directly behind me as his warmth poured over me. "No expectations," he said. "Just body heat." I scowled at the laughter in his voice.

But his broad hands slid under and over me: one flattening against my stomach and tugging me against the hard warmth of him, the other sliding under my ribs and arms to band around my chest, pressing his front into me. He tangled his legs with mine, and then a heavier, warmer darkness settled over us, smelling of citrus and the sea.

I lifted a hand toward that darkness, and met with a soft, silky material- his wing, cocooning and warming me. I traced my finger along it, and he shuddered, his arms tightening around me.

"Your finger... is very cold," he gritted out, the words hot on my neck.

I tried not to smile, even as I tilted my neck a bit more, hoping the heat of his breath might caress it again. I dragged my finger along his wing, the nail scraping gently against the smooth surface. Rhys tensed, his hand splaying across my stomach.

"You cruel, wicked thing," he purred, his nose grazing the exposed bit of my neck I'd arched beneath him. "Didn't anyone ever teach you manners?"

"I never knew Illyrians were such sensitive babies," I said, sliding another finger down the inside of his wing.

Something hard pushed against my behind. Heat flooded me, and I went taut and loose all at once. I stroked his wing again, two fingers now, and he twitched against my backside in time with the caress.

The fingers he'd spread over my stomach began to make lazy, idle strokes. He swirled one around my navel, and I inched imperceptibly closer, grinding up against him, arching a bit more to give that other hand access to my breasts.

"Greedy," he murmured, his lips hovering over my neck. "First you terrorize me with your cold hands, now you want... want is it you want, Feyre?"

More, more, more, I almost begged him as his fingers traveled down the slope of my breasts, while his other hand continued its idle stroking along my stomach, my abdomen, slowly- so slowly- heading toward the low band of my pants and the building ache beneath it.

Rhysand's teeth scraped against my neck in a lazy caress. "What is it you want, Feyre?" He nipped at my earlobe.

What did I want?

I wanted his hands lower, and all over me. I wanted to not feel guilty anymore for Tamlin. I wanted us all to be okay and to not have to worry about a war coming our way.

"What do you want?" Rhys's words rumbled against my skin and his nails scratched lightly back and forth above my waistband.

And Cauldron damn it, at the end of the day what I really wanted was to just fuck all of it off and to just be with Rhys.

I had no idea how to say that though, without it all sounding so... trite. So human. And there was Rhys, waiting with his nose under my ear and the unliftable weight of his court on his shoulders.

What did I want?

In the end, all I could say was, "you." And it was as much a relief to admit that to myself as it was admitting it to him.

Rhys's hands stopped moving and for a second, I thought I'd said the wrong thing. He went so still- then I remembered his words.

I can't breathe when I look at you.

Let me touch you.

Because I was jealous, and pissed off...

She's mine.

And I knew better.

"You want me?" Rhys echoed, low and dangerous in the curve of my ear. He started moving again, coming up and over my body like another heavy layer of darkness.

"Yes," I whispered, and he nudged my knees apart so that he could settle between my legs.

"Is that so?" Rhys leaned his forearms either side of my face, and rolled his hips against mine so that the heavy length of him ground into me just where that ache needed the friction. I bit my lip against the things that did to me, and struggled to control my breath.

Not to be out done, I reached up and smoothed my hands across his back and up the arches of his wings. The shudder this produced had him rocking into me again, and now both of us were breathing a little hard.

"You'll be the death of me, Feyre darling," Rhys said, and then he kissed me and everything went more thoroughly dark than I had ever experienced in my life.

At the time I honestly could not have said whether this was Rhys's power flaring, or whether my mind just blanked out hard as soon as he kissed me. But what I knew is that I couldn't see anything and that just left me to feel everything a hundred times over.

The weight of his body pinning me down on the mattress.

The pull of his fingers tangling into mine just above my head.

The almost bruising pressure between my legs.

And the sure but honey-slow movement of his lips against mine, one lush press sliding into another.

Rhys groaned softly against my mouth, and I felt the sound all the way down my spine. The first touch of his tongue had me leaning up off the pillow, unable to reach for him because his hands still held mine against the bed. Rhys let go of one hand to smooth down the side of my thigh, sliding under my calf to hitch it to his hip. I threaded my freed hand through his hair, but Rhys chuckled and gently pinned it down again.

"Feyre," he purred. "Feyre, Feyre you have to tell me. What do you want?" His lips moved down the column of my throat and I struggled to answer him.

"I told you," I gasped. "I want you."

"You're going to have to be more specific," Rhys murmured against my collar bone.

"I want... everything." I lifted my hips for emphasis, and loved how his flexed in response. Rhys's mouth came down on mine again, this time hungrier and less gentle. He ground his erection into me and I moved back against him eagerly. He finally let my hands go and I twisted them around his neck, pulling him closer. The taste of him was intoxicating, all sea spray and cointreau. One of Rhys's hands slid behind my head and into my hair, and the other snaked down between us and slipped between my legs.

My moan broke the kiss, and I could hear the grin in Rhysand's voice. "Is this what you wanted?" he asked me. He moved his fingers slowly, rubbing against my clit through my pants.

"More," I groaned, and with a flicker of magic my clothes vanished and his fingers were still against my bare pussy. My nails dug into his shoulders and I couldn't care enough to be embarrassed about how loud the next moan was.

"Mmm Feyre you're so wet for me," Rhys muttered. His fingers started moving again, at first just going back and forth over my clit but I moved my hips up to him.

"More," I ground out again, tilting so that his fingers were reaching further down. Rhys took the hint and pushed inside of me, swearing softly as I started to fuck myself on his hand. Rhys's other hand came up to squeeze my breast, his thumb stroking over my peaked nipple.

"Just like that?" he asked me.

"Gods yes," I struggled out.

"Still want more?" he said. I couldn't quite formulate a response because he had just added another finger. Rhys didn't wait. He ducked his head down, and while his fingers were still pumping inside me, he sucked my clit into his mouth.

"Fuck, Rhys!"

Rhysand did not respond. Just kept flicking his tongue, while my fist tightened in his hair and my climax built behind my eyelids.

"Rhys, I'm... Ohgodsfuck," I mumbled incoherently, my brain not connecting with my tongue.

What was that darling? Rhys asked without lifting his lips. I moaned. The intimacy of him speaking right into my mind was almost unbearable right now, and in the moment I had completely forgotten we could communicate like that.

Rhys... I sent back, but even non-verbally that's all I could muster.

Are you going to come? he asked me. Are you going to come on my tongue like a good girl?

Black talons scraped down the shields of my mind and they may as well have scratched straight down my belly.

Do it, he said. Come for me.

And cauldron help me, I did. I came so hard the scream hurt my throat, and then before I could fully regain consciousness Rhys was rising back up toward me and kissing me with pussy wet lips so I could taste myself on his tongue.

"Mmmm, you," Rhys said between kisses, "are absolutely, fucking delicious." I kissed him back and tried to catch my breath, but now his cock was twitching against my over-sensitive clit and my head was empty.

"What do you think?" he asked me, grinding slow circles with his hips. "Had enough pleasure for one night? Should I let you get some sleep?"

"No, please," I whimpered. "Need you so badly." My hands clawed at his chest, tried to reach down between us to touch him.

"You know, I have had a very long time to think about how and where I want you," Rhys said. The darkness lifted a little, and I could now dimly see Rhysand's face above mine. He was so beautiful I wanted to cry. "And I never thought it'd be in a tiny room where I can't even fuck you against the wall." I shivered at the suggestion.

"I don't care where we are," I breathed. "Just want you." Rhys moved his tongue the hollow of my throat.

"Do you?" he asked softly.

"Of course. I want you, I want all of you, I want..."

Rhys cut me off by kissing me, and I had to remind myself to breathe in.

"But do you know what all is?" Rhys asked hoarsely. And then I looked into his eyes and realised that there was real fear there. That for all his swagger, the reason he kept asking was because he still wasn't sure what I wanted from him. I put my hands on his face.

"Rhysand," I said. "I want every single, beautiful, terrible, wicked, brutal, lovely part of you. Okay?"

"Okay," Rhys whispered. But he just started at me for a minute.

"Don't you want me, too?"

And that got him moving again.

"Do I want you?" Rhys slid his hands under my shoulder blades and skimmed his nose across my jaw. His fingers tightened beneath me as his teeth tugged my ear lobe and his lips began working once more. "Feyre, gods. You have no idea how much I..." He cut himself off and groaned as his erection pressed insistently against me. "Feyre."

I pushed at the waistband of his trousers and he let me, kissing my lips as he removed the rest of his clothes. And then he was completely naked above me, and his bare cock on my pussy was more teasing than I could take.

"Rhys, please," I whimpered, my fingers finally touching the length of him. A snarl rumbled out from Rhys's chest, and then he was pressing into me.

Just a little. Just the head of him. But my body caught fire, and then started to tremble as the pressure built. He was big enough that he had to wait for me to adjust, and yet the need for him pulsed through me like a madness and my nails dug into his arms so hard I might have cut him.

I breathed through my nose as Rhys pulled out and came back, pushing a little further in this time with a hiss through his teeth.

"Fuck," he whipped out, half way in with the third pass. His forehead dropped to mine and I took his bottom lip between my teeth as he finally sank all the way in, eyes snapping open as we hit the hilt.

For a second, we just stared at each other. His eyes were black, and raw, and bottomless. Then he started to move and my mind slid.

In and out, painfully slow, and as my body got used to the size of him suddenly he was perfect. Suddenly something snapped into place and being with Rhys was like breathing air. I moved with him as he picked up his pace, and with every stroke I was being filled with something better than oxygen until I was brimming with it.

But somehow the more complete I felt, it appeared the more Rhys was coming undone. He buried his face in my neck, and his movements became more frenzied, more desperate. He gathered up my legs like he just needed to be deeper and couldn't get enough, and the sounds he made were like a starving man.

And all of it felt so fucking good. I went liquid under his touch and let him devour me. Rhys drew back a little to look at me, and when he made eye contact I almost came again. My eyes rolled back, but Rhys tugged at my chin.

"Don't ask me if I want you," he said when my eyes were back on his. "I will always, always want you." Rhys gripped my hip tightly as he fucked me faster. "I want you more than I've ever wanted anything." His other hand cradled the back of my skull. "I want you more than I want my next breath." And indeed his breathing was labouring now, and his movements jerked hard into me. "I want you to be mine. Mine. Mine." His hips punctuated his words, slamming into me harder and harder each time until I was out of my body and screaming and coming and trying to tell him that I already was his.

When Rhys came he shuddered and shook so hard I heard his teeth click, and maybe my shields had slipped but I swear I felt his climax rip straight through my body like it might tear me in half.

I couldn't have moved even if I wanted to.

Of course as we lay there in that tiny room, in the dark, I never wanted to move again. I wondered, and could not bring myself to ask, if it was always like this for Rhys, if this was just how good he was in bed in general, if I was just overwhelmed because I didn't have much experience with fae.

"No," Rhys said quietly. "It's never like that for me, either."

So my shields were down.

But I didn't care at all, not in this state, not when Rhys carefully pulled out and rolled me onto my side so he could pull me into his arms again, not when he cleaned us up with a breath of magic and then started stroking gently over my flank while consciousness slipped from me.

"You want me?" Rhys whispered into my hair. "You've got me, Feyre darling. You've always had me."

And that was the very last thing I heard before sleep found me.

*****

MASTERLIST

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[onlyfreds]

I Told You to Behave | F.W.

Title: I Told You to Behave

Requested: Yes/No

Summary: We all know that Fred has trouble behaving

A/N: A huge thank you to Holly for sending me the prompt that inspired this fic! I had so much fun writing this and I hope that I did this justice.

As soon as I wrote down the concluding sentence of my essay, I threw my quill on the table as I leaned back on my chair, breathing a sigh of relief.

I then heard a small knock on the dorm room door, thinking it was one of my roommates I immediately answered, “Come in!”

But, instead of Angelina or Katie or Alicia, the person who came in was none other than my handsome, lovable, sweet, caring (and did I mention handsome?) boyfriend, Frederick Gideon Weasley.

I smiled, my mood immediately being uplifted, while I lazily pushed my chair away from the table, standing up and walking over to him as I wrapped my arms around his torso and breathed in his scent.

“Hey darling.” He cooed with a small smile, combing his fingers through my hair.

“What have you been up to?” He asked.

I looked up at him, “Just finished that 12-foot essay for Transfiguration.”

“How about you?” I then asked, “What brings you here?”

He raised a brow, “What brings you here? She asks. I missed you. Isn’t that obvious? Why else would I be here?”

I shrugged, giving him a small smile, “Dunno, maybe you need something from me?”

Fred gasped as he placed a hand over his heart, feigning offence, “How could accuse me of such a deed?! Honestly woman, you call yourself my girlfriend.”

I laughed, pressing a small kiss on his lips, “I’m just joking love. Besides, I know how clingy you could be.”

“Hey!” He protested, “You’re clingier.”

I stuck his tongue out at him, “Am not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“Am not.”

Fred rolled his eyes, knowing that I wouldn’t back down because of how stubborn I could get. He crashed our lips together, causing me to stumble back slightly from the force of the kiss.

He sunk his teeth on my bottom lip, nibbling it gently, causing me to moan softly against his mouth.

He placed a hand at the back of my head while I rested my hands on his chest. While he deepened the kiss we slowly walked backwards until my back hit the wall.

The two of us pulled apart, breathless and the temperature of the room rising up by a few degrees.

I looked up at him, feeling my cheeks being painted a tint of pink, “Is that your way of telling me to shut up?”

He grinned sheepishly, “Maybe?”

I giggled, “Then maybe you should shut me up more often.”

Fred smirked, leaning closer that I could practically feel his breath fanning over my face, “What if I shut you up now?”

I bit my lip, feigning innocence, “What’s stopping you?”

My boyfriend was about to reconnect our lips, when a knock on the door caused him to jump slightly.

“Oi Fred!” The familiar voice of his twin could be heard from the other side of the door, “Are you in there?”

Fred muttered something about wrong timing as he answered, “I’m kinda busy at the moment.”

“Well, now’s not the time to be making babies.” His twin retorted, “This product needs your immediate attention. Emphasis on immediate.”

“Why don’t attend to it?” Fred asked, rolling his eyes.

“I have a date with Angelina you oaf! Now, stop your baby-making, get your arse here and fix this.”

“Fine.” Fred huffed as he opened the door and took the box from George.

I sat down on the edge of my bed while Fred sat down on the floor and starting to figure out what was wrong.

“So much for the mood.” I said with a small laugh, moving to sit down in front of him.

“This fever fudge has been on trial for weeks.” He groaned, looking over the ingredients of the product again.

“What’s wrong with it?” I asked, resting my chin on the open palm of my hand.

He frustratingly ran a hand through his hair, making it even messier, “It malfunctions. Once you eat it, your temperature will rise up to 40 degrees. Then within mere minutes it’ll go back down to your normal temperature even without the cure.”

I reached out my hand, “Can I see the list?”

He nodded, handing me the piece of parchment as I read over the messy, but thankfully eligible, handwriting.

“That’s why.” I muttered once I’ve finished reading the whole list.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Fred asked as I handed it back to him.

“You’re missing an ingredient.” I explained, “That’s why it malfunctions.”

“What ingredient?” He asked.

I shrugged, “Just a mandrake leaf. Though, I’ve run out of stock. I’ll go ask Hermione if she has some.”

We then started making the potion again, now all we needed was the mandrake leaf.

I walked towards the door and before leaving to Hermione’s dorm, I warned my boyfriend, “Whatever you do. Don’t add anything else to the potion. You behave until I get back with the mandrake leaf.”

Fred nodded, giving a mock salute, “Yes Ma’am!”

I playfully rolled my eyes at him before shutting the door behind me.

(Fred’s POV)

As soon as the door closed, I looked back down at the parchment in my hand, double checking the whole process to make sure that we did it right.

I took a glance at the bubbling potion that was sitting in the cauldron, that’s strange. If I wasn’t mistaken the potion had to be orange, not purple.

I went over the list again and thought that we’ve must’ve added a little less unicorn horn powder than required

Unscrewing the jar, I was about to add a dash of the powder when I stopped in my tracks remembered what my girlfriend told me.

“Whatever you do. Don’t add anything else to the potion. You behave until I get back with the mandrake leaf.”

I hesitated, the ladle hovering above the cauldron.

She did say that I should wait for her, but I’m pretty sure that nothing will go wrong if I just add a dash, right?

Right?

I sighed, quickly tipping over the ladle, watching the powder drop into the potion.

I waited a minute, but nothing seemed to happen.

At that moment, I realized that I should’ve listened.

Fireworks started to explode from the potion, bouncing off the walls and knocking stuff over.

Once the fireworks disappeared, the room was a mess. I mean a literal mess.

Before I could think of a solution to make it look like that nothing happened, I saw the door knob turn.

She was back. I was dead.

(Reader’s POV)

“Thanks Hermione!” I called after the girl as she headed down to Ron and Harry.

I then opened the door to my dorm, only to see a wreck in front of me and my boyfriend with the look of a guilty puppy.

“What in the name of Godric Gryffindor happened here Freddie?” I asked, staring at him agape.

He gave a shy smile, “I may have added a dash of unicorn horn powder to the potion.”

I glared at him as I took out my wand and waved it, the room cleaning itself up, “What did I say?”

He seemed to cower a bit, “You told me to behave.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, “And what did you do?”

Fred gave a small, innocent smile, “The exact opposite.”

I sighed, suddenly remembering my Transfiguration essay and rushing immediately towards the table. I let out a sigh of relief, seeing that the essay was perfectly fine. I tucked it away in my bag before any damage could be made.

I was aware of Fred staring at me with big doe eyes, silently begging me to forgive him.

I gave him the silent treatment, fixing up the rest of the stuff until the room was back to its natural glory.

I suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, breathing in Fred’s scent as he rested his cheek on my shoulder, his hair tickling my ear.

I looked at him, once again seeing those big doe eyes.

“I’m sorry.” He said, almost in a whisper, “I should’ve listened to you.”

I licked my lips, “You’re lucky the essay I worked on for three hours didn’t get ruined.”

Fred’s eyes lighted up, “Do you forgive me?”

I playfully rolled my eyes at him, “I’m talking to you now, aren’t I?”

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to my cheek, “See? You can’t stay mad at me for long?”

I raised a brow at him, “You want to test that theory out?”

His eyes widened, shaking his head vigorously, “No thanks.”

𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝:

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[lifeofkaze]

hello i have fallen i love with your charlie fic (❤❤!!) and i want to ask if you could you write some angst where barnaby has a crush on mc and they're super oblivious and later they start dating someone else ans barnaby realizes he lost them?

My dearest anon, let me say: I AM SORRY. Writing your ask took me forever (literally, lol) even though I had it in my head the moment I got your asks all those months ago. But I never felt the right inspiration to actually write it down until today. Today it just hit me. I do hope you're actually still around and reading what I made out of it.

I'm really truly sorry. 😅

So, without further ado, I present to you:

Missed Chances

Barnaby Lee x Reader

Barnaby Lee wasn’t the smartest kid around.

He was by no means dumb, he just wasn’t as clever or booksmart as most of his peers, a fact he was well aware of. But it didn’t bother him that much, really. He had found his means of getting by during classes and ever since distancing himself from Merula Snyde back in their third year, he had been able to gather a circle of friends around him he could fall back upon.

There was popular Penny Haywood for Potions, shy but gifted Ben Copper for Charms, and ever so patient Rowan Khanna when he had troubles with Transfiguration.

Barnaby’s favourite study sessions, however, were those for Defense Against The Dark Arts. Not because he was particularly bad at the subject; on the contrary, he was a skilled duelist and most charms and jinxes came naturally to him. No, the real reason those lessons were his favourite was because it was you who was teaching him.

Ever since he’d been drawn into your close circle of friends, his above average DADA marks had been plummeting, since he kept getting distracted during class. The professors weren’t impressed but neither surprised at his apparent lack of academic skills and under normal circumstances, Barnaby would have tried everything in his power to prove them wrong, that he could do better, that he wasn’t as stupid as everyone made him out to be.

But when you offered your help in catching up on the subject, Barnaby had changed his mind. You were always top of your DADA class and what better way to spend some time alone with you while listening to your beautiful voice explaining the differences between a curse and a hex.

Barnaby knew most of the things you were telling him already, so he had ample time to just watch you talk during your study sessions. He knew no one else could get so excited over dark creatures and cursed objects like you did. The way your eyes were sparkling when lecturing him on the differences between a werewolf and regular wolf had him enthralled every single time and the proud smile you gave him when he answered one of your questions correctly never failed to make Barnaby’s heart beat hard in his chest.

He would have loved to see that smile more often, but he made sure to let his real knowledge of the subject shine through sparingly. He was afraid that if he got too good, you might want to drop studying with him and that was something he couldn’t risk; spending time with you had become the highlight of his day. No one he knew rivalled the warmth you radiated and the unbroken faith you had in him, a sentiment that was completely new to Barnaby.

When the big news of the Celestial Ball was announced, it was all his peers could talk about. What to wear, how to look and who to bring were the questions dominating all of the four common rooms.

Barnaby never had to think twice who he wanted to be his date for the dance. He thought about how to properly ask you out for days on end; you were no common girl after all. You were the most extraordinary girl he knew and thus deserved an extraordinary invitation. But when he finally plucked up the courage to ask you out, you looked at him sheepishly.

“That’s so sweet of you, Barney. I’m so flattered, really. But I already promised Rowan and Ben to go with them. You know, just as friends.”

His heart sank at the words. Why hadn’t he acted sooner? Maybe people were right about him being stupid after all.

Seeing his disheartened look, your face changed into something softer. “But I’m sure Rowan and Ben wouldn’t mind if you came along with us? As another friend?”

Barnaby beamed at her. “I’d love that. We’re going to have such a great time together, as friends,” he added, not quite sure whom he wanted to reassure, you or himself.

He would probably never forget the night of the Celestial Ball when he saw you in the dress André Egwu had designed for the first time. Rowan and Ben had arrived at the ball before you and when you stepped into the Great Hall all on your own, Barnaby’s breath stopped for a moment.

You were dressed in a beautiful, burgundy dress with intricate patterns embroidered around the neckline. Your waist was accentuated by a small belt and the skirt of your dress flowed around you in several layers of fabric. You looked like an ethereal being to him as you walked through the crowd over to him, Rowan and Ben, your skirt trailing slightly behind you.

His eyes didn’t leave you for the whole evening even for a second. He could hear you laughing when you danced with Rowan and Ben, the sound like silver bells to his ears. When he asked you for a dance with him, your hand just happened to fit perfectly into his and your bright smile made Barnaby forget everything else around you and him. He did take great care to not step on your dress, however. You looked so perfect, he didn’t want to ruin it with his own clumsiness; although he pretty much doubted anything could have taken away from your beauty.

When the Celestial Ball was over, Barnaby took the chance to walk you back to your common room. You had your arm linked with his and marched in step with him. As he was taller than you, it required some effort on your part, the strange walking rhythm making you giggle. The sound had Barnaby’s heart beat faster.

Barnaby was almost reluctant to let you go when you had reached the concealed entrance to your common room. He wasn’t quite sure what to do; all he wanted to do was put his arms around you, drawing you as close to him as possible and never letting go again. But he hesitated; what if you didn’t feel the same?

To gain some time, he cleared his throat. “I had a lot of fun tonight.”

“Me too,” you smiled at him. “I’m glad you came along. You just have the most fun with your friends, right?”

The word ‘friends’ put a damper on the butterflies that had been swarming in Barnaby’s stomach until this point.

“Yes, friends,” he echoed, “because we’re friends.”

A look of confusion crossed your face for a moment. “Are you alright?”

“Of course I am,” Barnaby lied quickly, glad that the flickering light of the torches hid the blush spreading on his cheeks. “Just exhausted from dancing, I guess.”

“Oh, alright. I’d better get to my common room then. Good night.”

There was a short, awkward pause, before you smiled at him, waved and vanished into your common room. Barnaby sighed; at least for night, he had definitely botched his chances.

Ever since the Celestial Ball and the anticlimax of its ending, Barnaby had made it his mission to convince you there was more to him than being your friend. He’d ventured into the library on his own and gathered together all books on romance he could find and read every single one of them. Most of them, especially the older ones, had given him quite some headaches, but he knew you enjoyed reading old love stories, so maybe they had some useful information to offer. How someone could spend their free time reading things like Jane Austen for fun, however, remained a mystery to him.

And apparently, the tips he had sourced weren’t that helpful either. Barnaby tried it all, he complimented you, he brought you flowers and small gifts that reminded him of you and tried connecting with you over things he knew you loved. Whenever he saw the chance to ask you out he tried. But as soon as he had gathered his courage, you had already promised one of your numerous friends to go with them instead. It was exasperating, really.

All the while, the study sessions with you continued. Barnaby had stopped pretending to be as oblivious as he made himself out to be in the beginning; he knew it was risky, in case you might want to drop studying with him if he got better, but he was too addicted to your smile at this point. No matter how hard his day had been, a smile from you and everything else was forgotten.

Barnaby wished you would finally notice just how much he adored you, but as long as he could spend time with you, listen to your voice and hear your laughter, everything was fine with him.

Until it was not.

He had noticed you were distracted lately and not as talkative as he was used to. Today’s Potions class was no exception. Professor Snape, who was even moodier than usual, was lecturing the class on the importance of knowing potion recipes by heart.

“You will not always carry a textbook with you,” he droned, “and while I wouldn’t trust half of you to brew a potion even with proper instructions, maybe some of you will be able to produce something remotely resembling a proper concoction by sheer luck. If I see one piece of parchment on the table, you will clean your classmates’ cauldrons after class. Begin.”

Dreading the next two hours of guessing which ingredients to use in what order, Barnaby glanced over to you. But you hadn’t been listening to the instructions, it seemed. Your attention was focused on a piece of parchment in front of you, hastily scribbled lines running across it. Barnaby tried catching a glimpse but when you noticed, you blushed deeply and quickly covered the parchment with your hand.

Barnaby, however, wasn’t the only one who had noticed the piece of parchment. Before you could do anything, Professor Snape had appeared next to you and snatched the parchment out of your grip.

“I thought I said no notes allowed, or didn’t I express myself clearly enough for your convenience?” he snarled.

“No, Professor, you misunderstand,” you gasped, “these aren’t Potions notes, it’s private. Can I please have it back?”

You reached for it, but Snape jerked his hand up so it was just out of reach. “That gives it even less reason to be present in my classroom,” he said coldly, a cruel smile stealing onto his face. “Let us share with the rest of the class what is distracting you from my lesson.”

Your cheeks were glowing bright red as Snape started reading the content of your note.

“Do you like me? Yes or No. Circle your answer,” he read out loud. “How droll,” he sneered over the chuckle of your classmates, “I suggest, next time you concentrate more on your potion and less on your silly personal bearings. Perhaps the result will be more decent then. 10 points from you and detention tonight.”

As he swept past your table, Barnaby noticed your hanging head. You had your hands clasped tightly together in your lap and seemed so small all of a sudden that he felt furious. Even though Snape was his head of house, he had no right whatsoever to embarrass you in front of everyone like that.

“Are you okay?” he asked you gently.

Not looking at him, you shook his head. “Why did he have to do that?” you whispered. “He could see I wasn’t taking notes. There was no need to read it out loud.”

“There wasn’t,” Barnaby agreed. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out and lightly placing his hand on your arm. “He’s just a big, old, mean bat. Everyone says so.”

You sniffed, a small smile already spreading on your face again. “That’s true. Thank you.” You covered his hand with yours and squeezed it lightly. The touch sent jolts of energy through Barnaby from where your hands connected. His skin was still tingling when you turned towards your cauldron again, breaking the contact.

“Who was your note for, anyway?” Barnaby asked, trying not to sound as if this wasn’t the question burning red hot on his mind.

You looked at him wide-eyed. “I can’t possibly tell you.”

“Why not? Do I know him?”

Blushing again, you could only nod before dropping your gaze.

“It’s someone I’ve been friends with for a while now, but I don’t know if he feels the same. I don’t want to ruin our friendship by making a stupid move.”

Barnaby held his breath. You couldn’t possibly be talking about him, could you?

“How could it ruin your friendship?” he asked. “If he’s your friend, he’s your friend and nothing can change that.”

He took a deep breath. “Maybe you should just tell him,” he said deliberately casually, “who knows, maybe that friend of yours has been feeling the same for some time now, too.”

You looked up at him in surprise. “You think so?”

Barnaby nodded in agreement. “Definitely. Just try your luck, maybe you’ll be surprised.”

After the class was over and you had parted ways for the rest of the day, Barnaby counted the minutes until the evening when you had agreed to meet for another study session before your detention. He was positively bouncing with energy ever since lunchtime. You had come over to him with a nervous smile on your lips to ask him to meet up with you later.

“Chances are, I’ll need to tell you something,” you had said with a shaky laugh before joining your other friends for lunch. Barnaby had swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to look unfazed, but his insides had been burning with impatience ever since.

That was why he had arrived earlier than usual at the library that evening. He picked all the books out you would be needing and stacked and restacked them several times at the table you were usually working on.

It felt like an eternity until you finally entered the library, each second dragging into an eternity of its own. Barnaby saw you first. You stood in the entrance to the grand room and all of a sudden the library seemed to be a little brighter just by you being there. You scanned the rows of bookshelves with your eyes and a wide smile appeared on your face as they fell on him, waiting for you between books and quills in your favourite spot.

You quickly bounded over to him, a spring in your step that was a stark contrast to the miserable mood you had been in this morning. Before Barnaby even had a chance to ask what made you so happy, you had flung your arms around his neck in a tight embrace.

On instinct, Barnaby put his arms around your waist and held you for a sweet moment that he wished would last forever. He could smell the flowery scent of your perfume and breathed it in deeply, trying to commit every last detail of how you felt in his arms to memory. He was sure you had to feel his heartbeat; how could you not with how hard it was hammering against his ribcage?

“He said yes, Barney! He really said yes!” you squealed, not caring one bit about Madam Pince’s indignant shush.

The sheer happiness coursing through his veins turned into ice that froze him from the inside in a matter of seconds. Confused, he loosened his hold on you and pushed you far enough away from him to look you in the face. The joy visible on it almost broke his heart.

“What?”

“My crush!” you beamed at him. “I followed your advice and asked him out, just now! And he said yes!” you repeated, hugging him again.

“You’re the first person I wanted to tell,” you said. Barnaby could feel your breath on the skin exposed by the open collar of his shirt. He hated himself for the shiver running down his spine.

“Why?” was all he managed to whisper in response.

“Because without you, I’d never have the courage to talk to him upfront. It’s all thanks to you that I have a date now. You’re really the best friend I could ask for.”

Every word you spoke was like a dagger pushed up to the hilt into his broken heart, every second he saw you smile at the prospect of going out with the boy you wanted to be with - the boy that wasn’t him - a twist of the blade until he felt like he couldn’t breathe anymore. His heart, that had beaten so wildly just moments before when he had held you in his arms, could have stopped beating right there and then; Barnaby doubted it would have felt much different to the consuming emptiness he felt at this very moment.

You were rambling on and on about where you wanted to take your date and what you would wear but Barnaby wasn’t listening. He didn’t even know who you were talking about; all he knew was that it wasn’t him and that thought was louder in his head than your words could ever be.

“What do you think of that?”

Barnaby realised you had come to the end of your explanations and expected an opinion from him. He forced himself to smile apologetically at you, when all he wanted to do was scream.

“Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that,” he croaked out.

Your brow creased. “Are you okay? You’re so pale all of a sudden.”

“I’m good,” Barnaby answered with a hoarse voice. He cleared his throat and started again. “I’m good, I just caught a cold, I think. I should go see Madam Pomfrey later.”

You made a sceptical sound and raised one eyebrow. “If you say so. So what do you think? Is Madam Puddyfoot’s Tea Shop a good idea or not?”

Barnaby had never heard of this tea shop before, but he’d go to Knockturn Alley for a date if it only was with you. “It doesn’t matter where you take him. He’s lucky he gets to go with someone like you in the first place.”

“That’s sweet of you to say.”

“I’m just happy you’re happy,” Barnaby said and even meant it, in a way. He just wished the source of your happiness was him and not somebody else.

You hugged him once again and he was glad that you couldn’t see the pained expression crossing his features for a moment. “You’re the best, Barney. I’m so glad to have you in my life.”

You let go and turned towards the table laden with books Barnaby had so carefully set up. “Shall we?”

He sat down with you and watched as you started taking out your notes on objects cursed with minor jinxes. Your eyes were sparkling even more than usual and even now, you were so beautiful to Barnaby it hurt.

With a sigh, he concentrated on what you had to say for a change. His time spent daydreaming about you was over for good now, so he might as well do what the two of you were here for and study.

No, Barnaby Lee wasn’t the smartest kid around.

But even he knew that when it came to you, he had missed too many chances.

[comfortwriting]

Unbreak My Heart - F.W

Fred Weasley X Reader Part 2 of ‘Call Out My Name’, inspired by the song ‘Unbreak My Heart’ by Toni Braxton.

Part 1 , Part 3

About: Fred realises he has everything wrong. His heart aching for the reader after pushing her aside for someone else, he searches for her to apologise for what he’s done and to admit his true feelings for her.

Theme: Heartache, sadness, moving on, relationships, rumours.

Warnings: mentions of raw emotions, *incredibly light* smut, depression, body image issues and swearing.

Don't leave me in all this pain Don't leave me out in the rain Come back and bring back my smile Come and take these tears away I need your arms to hold me now The nights are so unkind Bring back those nights when I held you beside me

The first thirteen months without Fred were the worst. You couldn’t face visiting Weasleys Wizard Wheezes no matter how many times George asked in his letters which you ignored. You couldn’t go into Diagon Alley without hearing news about The Weasleys - more importantly, the news about Fred and his darling; they were now engaged.

You kept to your bedroom, crying to sleep every night, looking through all the pictures you had taken of and with Fred over the years that you were with him. Letters you had written to him laid scrunched up all over your floor like an author going mad over a sticky, confusing, part of the story - but that was exactly what this was. 

Everywhere you went as you entered Diagon Alley, you were forced to listen to the news over and over again that the shop was a success. You wanted to congratulate George, but after ignoring him for so long you couldn’t bring yourself to pick up a pen to reach out to him.

Too afraid to let anyone in after the damage Fred inflicted on you, you didn’t bother meeting anyone new.

Plenty of people offered and even your sister tried to match you up with a friend of hers from work, but you declined and allowed Fred’s damage to take over you.

You only left the house for work which was torture enough as you worked with Percy at the Ministry. You ate one meal a day which was an apple on your lunch break. You didn’t dream of moving out despite your parents encouragement and you simply just collapsed in on yourself whilst your family constantly complained about Fred, swearing that you chose the wrong twin.

Although you hated Fred - or at least convinced yourself that you did - you still thought about him every single day, and at bedtime you would envision yourself back on his sofa in his arms underneath that scratchy patchwork blanket you shared many memories under. 

Laying awake staring at the ceiling, you took a deep breath. It had been over a year. You couldn’t go on like this. You needed to claim your life back, one step at a time. Sitting up in your bed, you grabbed the last of your parchment and leaned it against an old book. Dipping your feather quill into your ink pot that rested beside your bed next to the framed picture of you and Fred, you wrote to George.

You began apologising for not replying and for not visiting the shop, explaining why, and asked how everything was going - you missed your friend and it became suffocating to ignore him reaching out.

Un-break my heart Say you'll love me again Undo this hurt you caused When you walked out the door And walked out of my life Un-cry these tears I cried so many nights Un-break my heart My heart

It had been another five months since you wrote your letter to George and you were still waiting for a reply. You told yourself that perhaps he got too busy with the shop or he just didn’t want to mend things after you ignored him for so long. Either way, you didn’t ponder on it, sprayed yourself with some perfume, and got ready to leave for your third date this week.

George wasn’t ignoring you on purpose. He truly was too busy with not just everything at the shop, but also helping Fred plan out this so-called wedding and engagement party that came out of nowhere. He planned to write back but time got the better of him, he knew you wouldn’t take it personally.

“Oh look at you!” your sister grinned, “Same guy?” she asked enthusiastically. 

“No,” you shook your head and grabbed your coat, putting it on, “I don’t see the same guy twice if the spark isn’t there.”

Your sister smiled to herself and told you to have a good time. You enjoyed yourself temporarily until you remembered Fred Weasley and what he did. He was the reason why you decided against seeing the same person twice. If there was no chemistry during intimacy you moved on. Speed dating was the perfect temporary aid you needed at the moment.  

And just like Fred and his fiancé, word got out about you and how desirable you were. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, you started looking after yourself and forced yourself into the limelight. Even if it didn’t result in finding your true love, you still wanted to have fun along the way.

Your parents went to The Leaky Cauldron, and just as they were leaving, they bumped into Molly and Arthur Weasley. Your parents flinched at first sight, but swallowed the anger they had towards their son Fred.

“Oh Mr and Mrs Y/LN! what a lovely surprise to see you!” Molly chirped up. George turned his head and stood up to greet your parents. Unlike Fred, they loved George.

“And you.” Your father replied, his voice monotone.

“We haven’t seen your daughter for ages. We missed her last summer, please ask her to come and see us. George misses her and it’s our Freddie's engagement party tonight!” Molly babbled on, pointing to George when she mentioned him and Fred.

Molly and Arthur loved you coming over to the burrow. They loved you even more seeing how happy you made their son. In their eyes you brought out the best in him. On the other hand, they weren’t keen on the girl Fred decided to marry, she was inconsiderate, selfish and didn’t know what hard work was - she was handed everything she ever wanted, the exact opposite to you.

Your fathers face flushed with frustration. Didn’t they know why you never came around anymore? Were they not aware that Fred was the reason she screamed and cried every night for over a year?

Your mother hesitated but decided against holding back. She liked the Weasley family, but she couldn’t allow Fred to get away with what he had done. 

“Maybe you should ask your darling boy, Fred. Or maybe George will tell you, he’s the decent one of the two.” 

Your mother said no more and stormed out of the packed pub, your father trailing behind nodding a goodbye to George. Molly and Arthur stood there speechless and looked over at George, demanding that he tells them what happened as soon as they arrive home when everyone has gone to bed.

Fred felt strange throughout the whole party. He didn’t feel happy like he thought he would - he hadn’t been feeling happy for the past five months. Something in his life just didn’t feel right and he couldn’t put his finger on what was wrong -waking up next to his girlfriend made him feel sick and he realised how stupid he was thinking that getting engaged would make everything better.

Molly, Arthur and George sat at the dining table when everyone else was in bed. “George you better tell me what happened, now!” Molly hissed in a low whisper.

George spilled absolutely everything, from beginning to end. As much as he loved his twin, he didn’t shy away from any details even if they showed Fred for exactly who he was, and the awful things he did. Molly and Arthur were outraged at their child's behaviour. Molly had to restrain herself at the table whilst she sobbed into her hands.

Far away, you panted heavily as you came down from your high with your date. Unmounting him, you laid beside him in his bed. He took off his condom and breathlessly offered taking a shower with him. You accepted his offer knowing that you could go home straight after, you wouldn’t need to stress about hurrying in the morning to get to work on time. 

Take back that sad word goodbye Bring back the joy to my life Don't leave me here with these tears Come and kiss this pain away I can't forget the day you left Time is so unkind And life is so cruel without you here beside me

Work at the ministry became more tolerable over the next six months. Percy smiled at you more often and you couldn’t understand why. You didn’t look into it and simply smiled back. You flourished even more within the same time - you had got into a relationship with the one night stand you shared a shower with. The curly haired bookshop assistant grew on you and you didn’t mind, he often made you laugh so hard you burst into tears.

Whilst you were finding yourself, running with the wind, Fred had fallen apart completely. He overheard George spilling his guts, and finally realised why everything felt so wrong, why he wasn’t happy. You were the missing piece. His guilt and mistakes were eating him alive. He broke off the engagement - to his parents delight - and vowed on finding you and making everything right. George felt relieved that he had his own room because Fred’s cries were enough to make anyone feel ill.

Fred slept with the Irish scarf he bought you from the world cup, and he kept the patchwork blanket on his bedroom, refusing to bring it back downstairs.

Memories flashed back to him, the two of you in the tent, “Oh Fred are you sure?” you asked him as he put the scarf around your neck.

He chuckled and kissed your head, “Anything for you, my love!”

Then memories from the sofa flooded in, hurting him even more. 

“I’m so in love with you,” you moaned, cupping his face while he made love to you. 

He shook his head and came to his senses, angry that he put such a lovely girl in the firing line.

“Percy, Y/N works with you doesn’t she? Can you tell her I need to see her.” He later begged.

Percy refused, “That would be an incredibly inappropriate thing to do in the work place!” 

Fred wrote you letters, but you never got them. The family refused to lend him their owl and Fred couldn’t understand muggle post. Getting desperate, he would stay in Diagon Alley trying to see where you were lurking after work, asking strangers if they had seen you, showing them the only picture he had of you.

“It’s going to be perfect here!” Your mum smiled looking around your large half unpacked apartment, “When will he be moving in?” She winked.

You finally saved up enough money to move out and you were planning on asking your boyfriend to move in if things continued to run smoothly. You had got your furniture, all you needed were the items left in the big green box from your bedroom. “I’ll collect them next week.” 

Feeling brave with your partner, arms linked, the two of you visited George’s shop. He had sent you a letter letting you know when Fred wasn’t working and you felt confident that you wouldn’t bump into him.

“I’m so proud of you!” You cheered for George, giving him a hug.

After paying for your bits and bobs you previously saw in the design stages, you walked out of the shop and bumped into someone. Looking up to apologise, you realised it was Fred. He stared at you - both of you mirroring each other looking like a deer caught in the headlights. 

You shook yourself out of the immediate shock Fred was still stuck in. 

“Sorry,” you muttered, walking away, your boyfriend asking what his problem was.

Un-break my heart Say you'll love me again Undo this hurt you caused When you walked out the door And walked out of my life Un-cry these tears I cried so many nights Un-break my heart

Another week went by and Fred was going stir crazy. Customers in his shop who knew you both were whispering about how happy you were now. Him and George argued when he discovered the letter between you two.

Fred rifled through the stacks of letters and found your parents address where you no longer lived. He got on his broom, not caring if muggles saw him, and landed on the roof. He crawled down to your window and gave it a tap with his wand with a soft “Alohomora”.

Expecting to find you asleep, he discovered only disappointment that your room laid bare and empty. The bedside table had nothing but a folded photo lying face down on it, the bin on the floor full of parchment balls.

He unfolded the photo and put a hand over his mouth, seeing you and him moving during your morning walks. He bent down and grabbed a ball from the bin, unravelling the parchment. He cried reading the letters you had written him but never sent. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the green box on your bed and he went through it, more tears spilling down his face.

“I’ll just grab my box!” He heard you yell, walking upstairs. 

Without giving him time to hide, you opened the door, revealing him standing in front of you. You held back a scream of shock and took a deep breath shaking your head, “Fred please - you can’t be here.” 

Fred shook his head and cried, “I’m so sorry, for everything,” he made his way closer to you, “I got everything wrong, her, everything.”

Not wanting your parents to see him, you closed your bedroom door and locked it, your heart pounding. Tears fell from your eyes, the walls you put up against him crashing down, your hate for him melting away and your love for him surging inside.

“Why are you here?” you questioned him through your cries.

Fred walked over to you slowly not wanting to scare you off. This was the closest you had been to him since you bumped into him at the shop. The young man you fell in love with wrapped his arms around you, tangling his hands in your hair. You stayed still with your hands by your side.

“I’m in love with you.” Fred choked out between sobs. He pulled away and gently put your hands in his, your tear filled eyes getting lost in his.

“Fred- I can’t!” you shook your head crying, feeling weak at the words he said and the ones you replied with. 

“Please,” Fred begged getting onto his knees, staring up at you, “please let me make things right.”

Don't leave me in all this pain Don't leave me out in the rain Bring back the nights when I held you beside me

“I think you look stunning,” Fred complimented you, soot spread out all over your nose.

You chuckled and sneaked a kiss on his lips, only to hear a loud thud on the desk in front of you.

“One weeks’ detention for the two of you,” Professor Snape snarled, “and fifty points will be deducted from your house.”

Un-break my heart Say you'll love me again Undo this hurt you caused When you walked out the door And walked out of my life Un-cry these tears I cried so many, many nights Oh, un-break my

“What do you mean you’re taking her instead of me!” you freaked out, throwing your earrings at the mirror. 

“It’s just a bloody Yule Ball. Y/N. It doesn’t mean anything.” Fred argued.

“Well it does to me!” you argued back, “I’m guessing I was just your back up plan if she said no.” 

Un-break my heart, oh baby Come back and say you love me Un-break my heart, sweet darlin' Without you I just can't go on

Fred held you in his arms, the two of you watching the muggle horror movie in amazement. You nuzzled your head into his neck, planting kisses on it softly. Fred let out a soft shaky moan, his hand making its way up your thigh. “We’ll need to be quiet,” he whispered, pulling your underwear off.

Can't go on (Say that you love me, say that you love me) (Tell me you love me, un-break my) (Say that you love me, say that you love me) (Tell me you love me, un-break my)

You stared at Fred, still trying to process what he said. You pursed your lips and stayed quiet getting lost in your thoughts. Fred noticed you were in shock and lost for words. He pulled out the scarf from his coat pocket and walked over to you, wrapping it around you.

You stared up at him, getting lost in those gorgeous eyes that you missed so much. You looked down at his lips and kissed him impulsively.

He kissed back.

[xxreader-writerxx]

Study Buddy (Part 2 I guess)

Fred Weasley x Fem Reader

Warnings: Smut, NSFW, fingering, oral (female receiving), unprotected sex, exposition, and cursing.

Y/N= Your Name L/N= Your Last Name Y/H= Your House

You walk into where you and Fred usually meet, his dorm taking off your jacket still stressed from Hermione’s interrogation. You get shoved against the wall lightly, feeling his warm lips on yours. “Hi Freddie...” You giggle when he finally lets you go. “Hello darling...” He says while playing with your blouse buttons. “Woah woah woah… Where’s the work?” You ask, smiling goofily matching his smile and he moves over to show you his desk. You look at his papers which have close to chicken scratch writing all over it. He massages your hips standing behind you with his chin placed on your shoulder humming as he fights the urge to leave hickeys all over your neck.

“This problem is wrong.” You point out a few and he sighs. “Just the tie then? Or like halfway unbuttoned? Or cuddles?” He asks and you laugh nodding. “Fix the problems and we can cuddle.” You tell him and he nods turning faster than light to his papers. You watch as he bites his lip as he tries to correct them. He finally finishes and you nod smiling. “Perfect.” You tell him, kissing him quickly as you take off your shirt beneath his view. “What’s that for?” He asks, smiling. “You did finish your work. Just rewarding you.” You mumble going in for another kiss as you both lay down. As he wrapped his arms around you falling asleep quickly from his insane day of Quidditch you couldn’t help but remember how it all started.

---------------------------------------------------

I sit eating my favorite meal at the Gryffindor table laughing with my friends, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Lee, and Angelina. I’m in Lee and Angelina’s year but I never really made friends with anyone else in my year. Lee keeps trying to introduce me to the Weasley Twins every now and then but I either choke up last minute or get busy. The Weasley twins are the hottest people, and sadly the most troublesome, in our year. I can tell the two apart from a scar on Fred’s eyebrow but we’ve never truly met. I have classes with both but we haven’t talked. I’m the top of my year and I was always on time for class so me and them never really ran in the same circle. They rather prank and be wild. I love a good prank but I rather study.

I head to potions and the twins have already created havoc. The room was filled with a smoke and I realized it from the smell right away. I cover the bottom of my face with my sleeve running over to the cauldron which has a lot of already sleeping students next to it. I throw a lid on it and use a vacuuming spell to get rid of the leftover smoke quickly. I make a batch of the counter potion and put it in a spray bottle. I walk over to the first few students spraying it on them. I get to the end finally spraying the potion on Professor Snape. Everyone is awake and coughing. I go over to the culprits checking if they're ok. “Hi?” Fred says and I shush him checking for any lung harm. “That was dangerous.” I mumble and he nods rubbing his eyes. “George. George, wake up.” I say shaking the other twin. He pops his head up and looks at me quizzically. “H-How did you know who was who?” He asks, still groggy. “It's fairly obvious.” I mumble still in Healer Mode. “And who are you?” He asks as I move on to the next student. “Y/N L/N” I spit out and they nod. “I can handle this Y/N” Professor Snape instructs and I move so he can handle them.

“Now...” I say turning to the two boys. I slap their heads and they groan, rubbing their heads. “That was an idiotic thing to do. You are lucky I got here in time. If I didn’t that sleeping potion would make your lungs stop working and numbing your body. Let alone the others in the room. You better apologize and I will be writing to your mother.” I start to ramble but get cut off by Fred smirking. “You’re cute when you’re angry.” He says smiling and George nods. “Very kissable.” He agrees and I blush against my will. “Listen flattery won’t get you anywhere. Your mother Molly will be hearing of this.” I say and they whip their heads to see me. “Y-you know our mother?” George says now nervous. “Yes. I visit a lot you two are just too insane to notice.” I spit and they look at each other then me with their eyes squinted. “Oh my god- Y/N?! The no-boobs Y/N?! Well you certainly- Grew.” Fred says and I give him a death stare. “Sorry.” He mumbles and I nod.

I walk over to Snape and check his pulse and everything since he cannot do it himself. I nod curtly stepping away and he fixes his collar. “Good job Y/N/ 150 points to Y/H, 115 points from Gryffindor.” He reports and I nod going to my desk. Instead of my usual partner I get greeted by Fred who is smiling wildly. “Yes?” I ask and he shrugs. “I like this seat.” He explains and I nod.

We finish our class and Professor Snape calls me up. I walk over and he points at Fred. “He and George are falling behind. They have potential but waste their time doing pranks and jokes. Could you help Fred do work? I will give you extra credit. Me and his teachers think you and another girl are the best for the two. Top of your years of course.” He explains and I nod. “Yes sir. I will definitely get on that, no extra credit needed.” I say making him raise an eyebrow. “The joy of teaching of course.” I mumble and he nods questionably.

***

A few hours later I’m banging on Freds door. He opens the door only wearing sweats and I cover my face with papers. “Sorry. Thought you were my roommates.” He explains shyly grabbing a shirt off of the ground out of the millions of piles. I look around with my nose scrunched at the mess. “I always love getting that reaction. Helps the ego.” He says looking at the mess before him.

“Anyways...” I say and turn, giving him the books. “Read these. I have noticed your usual reading rate is around 160 pages per minute. But when you like the book it's 300. Try to meet me in the middle. I also noticed you dog ear pages. When you do that its bad for the book. Bookmark. Now what I think we will start off studying potions and finishing that workload. When you finish that we do transfiguration. Then some DADA homework. And-” I stop myself seeing him walk over to his bed reading a pranking magazine. “What are you doing?” I ask and he looks up at me. “Zonkos.” He points out showing me the magazine. “I know that… Why are you reading it?” I ask sitting down moving his legs. “Work.” I point out the books and he nods. “Read em all.” He explains. “What do you mean?” I ask and he laughs. “I read 'em. How do you think me and George make those potions? We know our shit, it's just the work we don’t bother doing.” He explains. I nod grabbing the magazine earning an upset groan. “How bout each workload you finish you get to read an article.” I propose and he groans getting up.

A few minutes later he’s finished and snatches the magazine from me grumpily. I smile reading the work. It's perfect. Some mistakes but it was only the hard stuff. I smile hugging him lightly and I back away quickly realizing I just hugged Fred Weasley. “Sorry.” We both say and chuckle. “Ok. Next piece of work.” I say and he groans, giving me the magazine. “This counts as slavery” He points out and I shake my head laughing. “I did want to say, your laugh is my favorite.” He says and I look at him confused. “Just because I didn’t remember you doesn’t mean I don’t notice you. You aren’t stuck up like most of the smart kids. I always liked that.” He tells me and I blush. “Just do your work you flirt.” I say blushing and he winks grabbing his quill. “Only flirt with the pretty ones.” He says and I blush more.

He finishes all his work after about two hours the whole time we joked around and laughed. I get up to leave but he stops me smiling. “Want to stay a little longer?” He asks and I kiss his cheek sweetly. “Gotta study myself.” I say and see he’s now blushing. “You studied this entire time.” He tells me and I laugh. “I have advanced classes, always gotta study.” I explain and he nods his smile only dropping a tiny bit. “Maybe later.” He says with a wink. I walk out blushing and sit next to Hermione who laughs at my state.

***Fred POV***

I walk over to Ron with George. We grab his collar from behind lifting him up and bringing him into a nearby storage closet as he yells. “WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!” He yells at us and we look at him annoyed. “OH GODRIC- MIONEEEE- L/N- SOMEONE BLOODY HELP ME THESE TWO ARE GOING TO HURT ME I KNOW THE LOOK!” He yells banging on the door. We grab his collar again earning a shriek. “CALM DOWN I JUST HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT Y/N YOU TWIT!” I yell over his screams and he looks at me confused. “Y/N? What about her? She came over last christmas.” He explains and we look at each other slapping each other’s arm. “Why the hell do we not remember?!” We ask each other and he shrugs. “Fred was snogging some girl and George was drunk and high.” He explains and we look at each other annoyed.

“So what are your questions?” He asks and we nod. “We need the insider information. The pretty girl that he’s been drooling over is actually Y/N. She’s tutoring Freddie Boy and he’s got a crush.” George explains and I blush hitting his arm. “Do not.” I say and he scoffs.

“Do too.”

“Do not!”

“Do too!”

We start shoving each other and Ron stops us. “What the hell do you want to know?!” He asks and I nod. “Stuff like her favorite flower, favorite food, favorite everything.” He asks and I nod. “Well- She likes Blue Irises, but she’s allergic. Her second favorite is roses, she loves when guys know the meaning behind them too. I remember you read up on them so go with that. She doesn’t have a favorite food but if you want to be alone with her she’s always in the library after dinner. Tell her you wanted some extra study time or something.” He explains and we look at him skeptically. “Why are you telling us this?” I ask and he opens the door a little and points at a table in the Great Hall. “Malfoy’s making moves on her. I much rather Fred than him.” He explains. I watch as she giggles with Malfoy smiling besides her. “He’s probably just trying to use her. She’s hot as hell and smart too.” Ron admits and we nod.

“Well that isn’t happening.” I say and conjure a bouquet of light pink, peach, and coral roses. I walk over to her table and hold them up for her. She looks at them putting a hand to her chest. “Oh my god Fred what are these?” She asks, smiling and I smile back warmly. “I just wanted to say thank you for helping me with my school work.” I explain and she smells them smiling. “So the pink is for how sweet you are for helping me. Then the orange means appreciation because I really do appreciate it. And finally coral means friendship.” I say lying on the last part. She chuckles taking the coral one and smelling it. “Coral actually means desire but this was so sweet!” She says hugging me tightly. I smile at the short girl trying her best to wrap her arms around me and look at Malfoy as he sneers at me. “So Draco… As I said I’m now tutoring Fred, and have been for bout a week, so sadly I can’t tutor you. But maybe when his grades get up I’ll help with yours.” She explains and quickly kisses his cheek. I feel as if I just got a bludger to the chest and I keep my composure.

***Y/N’s POV**

I’m studying inside the library when I hear scuffling at the doors. I walk over to see Fred fighting Ron and George as they shove him into the library. I laugh quietly watching as they shove him inside. I can’t make out what they’re saying but they finally get him inside. They talk for a few seconds and Ron grabs his shoulders then slaps him a few times. He stands up nodding and they leave. He tries running out but they shove him back inside and I laugh a little louder. It gets his attention and he fights them harder making me feel a little upset. I walk over as he fights them and tap his shoulder. “If you’re afraid of me you can just say that.” I tell him and he looks down at me blushing. “N-no no no. I just don’t want to be studying but they’re forcing me.” He explains and I nod.

“Want to study with me? The library’s a little stuffy so I was just about to head to my dorm. If you’d like I would love it if you’d join me.” I ask shyly and he looks down at me smiling. “Well… Don’t want you to be lonely...” He says and I laugh holding my hand out. I drag him to my dorm sitting on my bed.

After some time of studying I catch myself looking up at him even though his back is turned to me he’s hypnotizing. I watch his strong arms move from one book to another or how he would lean his head back all the way. I rub my thighs together lightly as I try to take my mind off of it but I soon realize I have a mirror right in front of him. He spins around in his chair looking at me with a smirk. “Watcha doin?” He asks and I shrug acting innocent. He nods turning around chuckling.

***

A few days later I’m tutoring him in a classroom as he sits at the desk and he finally gets annoyed. He pushes all of his books on the ground getting my attention. I turn and see him walking up to me smiling flirtatiously. “I have been staring at your ass for way too long for that to be allowed.” He says and I blush furiously. “What?” I stutter and he grabs the side of my face kissing me. I give in to the kiss holding the back of his head and he slips his tongue past my lips. I moan lightly at this as he picks me up massaging my ass. He sets me on the desk when he finally retracts his head, placing his forehead to mine. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.” He whispers out of breath. I kiss him again and feel his hands start to undo my polo. I place my hand on his chest and he looks at me worried. “W-we shouldn’t be doing this...” I mumble and he kisses me lightly. “We don’t have to, but I do think we totally should.” He says and I chuckle. I kiss him again and pull away stopping myself. “Godric why do you have to be so hot?” I ask and he shrugs smiling.

“What if...” He starts. He walks over to his desk and taps it. “Each piece of work done. One article of clothing. Then you're still doing your job and we still get to have fun.” He proposes and I chuckle shyly. He picks me up from the front desk placing me on his with my legs on either side. “Well?” He asks again and I bite my lip. “We would be breaking the rules...” I mumble and he laughs as if I said the funniest joke ever. “Like I care. Now. One piece for one piece of clothing?” He asks and I finally give in nodding. He kisses my thigh and I feel it go all the way to my core.

He rubs my thigh absent-mindedly as he works on the paper. He finally gets the first one done and hands it to me as he unbuttons the polo I have on. I check it and place it behind me. “First one done.” I say as if my shirt wasn’t off and he wasn’t eyeing my chest. “One kiss?” He asks and I laugh kissing him. He starts kissing down my neck and I finally stop him, handing him the next piece of work. He gets that done quicker than ever and tries taking off my bra but I stop him. “Underwear last.” I tell him and he nods, kissing my thigh again sending shivers through my entire body. He helps me shimmy off my skirt and throws it on the ground. “Godric you are beautiful.” He mumbles looking at me with a hunger I’ve never seen before.

He finishes another assignment at record speed. “Are you sure darling?” He asks before taking off my bra. “Please.” I mumble and he nods taking it off. He keeps his eyes on my chest making my cheeks turn pink. “Darling… You are gorgeous.” He tells me, kissing me roughly. He massages my chest making me moan. He drags my hips to fall into his lap as I feel contact with my aching clit and his trousers I moan louder into his mouth. “I know darling..” He mumbles as he moves to my chest sucking on my nipple and massaging the other. “Freddie...” I moan as he leaves hickeys on my chest. I remember the work and almost don’t care but making him wait would add so much more fun.

I give it to him sitting back in my place and he groans hitting his head on the desk lightly. “You are murdering me here.” He mumbles and I chuckle massaging his head lightly. He picks it up, moving his work back on the desk. Every now and then he’d glance at my chest smirking and working harder. He finishes the homework, giving it to me and I read it over slowly. He finally grabs it viciously and slamming it behind me, making me jump. “Darling please take off those horrible panties before I cut them off.” He tells me and I nod quickly. I shuffle them off and he flicks his wand to silence and lock the room.

He tugs my hips to the edge of the desk kissing my inner thigh. He moves to right above where I want him to be kissing it and I whine lightly. “Aw darling… Would you like me to lick your pretty cunt clean?” He asks and I nod furiously as he finally licks all the way from my entrance to my clit and lightly swirls his tongue around it making me moan. He starts eating me out (is it obvious I don’t know how to word it-) and rubbing my clit as I moan his name over and over again. He pulled away right before I was about to come, leaving me to let out a whiney moan. He kisses me lighty and pulls away chuckling. “Sorry I just can’t take the trousers right now.” He mumbles softly. He gets up taking his clothes off and I watch biting my nails lightly.

He kisses me finally and I stop him before he sits down. “I-I’ve never. Ya know...” I mumble and he kisses me. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He tells me and I shake my head. “No I just want to warn you...” I explain and he kisses me softly. “You sure?” He asks and I nod, biting my lip. He sits down and moves me slowly on him. It hurts at first but Fred’s kisses helped me and the pain turned quickly into pleasure. I nod and start moving when he gives me the go-ahead. I feel his hands guide my waist as I go up and down against his dick. He chuckles, kissing me, moving one of my hands that are clutched to his shoulder to my stomach, smirking. “Feel that? I shouldn’t even fit” He chuckles and I nod kissing him roughly. I feel him massage my ass with one hand still guiding me with the other. He moans my name, moving his head back. I feel myself get close as he keeps moving me sucking on my chest. “Freddie ‘m gonna come.” I mumble and he nods kissing my shoulder. “Go on. I want to see your cum spill on my lap.” He mumbles and I nod, continuously going up and down.

I moan out his name loudly when I finally come all over his dick and he lightly praises me. I keep going until I feel him cum inside me and I fall into his arms exhausted. “So… Do I get out of tutoring now?” He jokes and I laugh lightly. “I will not succumb to your seduction.” I mumble and he laughs. I feel his chest rise and fall violently from laughter and I just hum in ecstasy.

We get dressed and he stops me blushing lightly. “Is this… an only one time thing?” He asks and I laugh. “If you think you will take my virginity and it being a one time thing I will hex your cute ass.” I tell him and he smiles pulling me in for a long kiss. We sit down facing each other and I grab my notebook. “Whatcha doin?” He asks and I click my pen. “We need rules” I tell him and he nods.

“Ok so You follow the school rules, I follow yours. You don't, you don't fuck me for a week per rule broken got it?” I ask caressing his cheek as he melts into it smiling goofily. “Yes ma’am...” He mumbles and I write it down. “Let's also make the clothing=work. Not all the time, just when I’m tutoring you.” I tell him and he nods happily. We continue making rules while he rubs my wrist lovingly.

---------------------------------------------------

I get snapped back to reality as Fred is giving me a light backrub to soothe the tension from Hermione’s questioning. “Right there darling...” I mumble and he moves a little to go to where I was pointing. “What were you thinking about?” He asks and I nod as he tries his best to massage my back. I smile at the question and rub his hand. “When we got together four months ago.” I mumble and he chuckles. “That was a many blow and hand jobs ago.” He jokes and I slap his hand laughing. “Can’t believe they still haven’t found out! Like should we tell them already?!” I ask and he laughs shaking his head. “It's funny watching them prod and wonder.” He tells me. I hear the door rattle and George mumble a spell. I jump to the floor and roll underneath his bed quickly. Should I make a part 3 where they get caught? So sorry if its bad

[therealtsk]

tsk i’m DYING to hear your play-by-play on which worm characters have dumb fanon interpretations

UH OH YOU JUST OPENED THE FLOODGATES so the short answer is pretty much every major character but I am a high-effort bitch so let's do this: Taylor Hebert: jfc, I could probably hit a word count limit talking about Taylor alone. First you have the dumb as shit TINO (Taylor In Name Only) phenomenon where people just straight up SI as Taylor but pretend it's her and she's basically a different person wearing Taylor's skin like an ill-fitting suit. Then there's the Memetic Escalator Taylor interpretation where Taylor's Warlord era characterization is flanderized so hard that she turns into her world's version of Doomguy where her response to literally everything is ultra violence, mutilation and torture and she can totally beat up anyone you guys hahah coin sock goes brrrrr you go brutalize those totally deserving victims queen. And then there's shy, stuttering, soft spoken "useless lesbian" Taylor which is not as common but still, fuckin straight men and the way they infantize gay women. Taylor is perhaps the most consistently inconsistent characterization I've seen in fandom, it's fucking wild Lisa Wilbourn: Has two fanon settings. Taylor's best friend who exists solely to give exposition and get the "Stop Coil" subplot rolling (occasional gay subtext will be added in a way that feels fetishy) Or, the evil bitchy blonde who is first target of the SI. I constantly wonder if the people who write the frankly masturbatory SI's are aware that we can tell they're still bitter about girls not dating them in highschool. Brian: basically does not exist in fic aside from the occasional joke cause racism and also because of how popular wlw ships are in Worm fandom. you deserve better dude Alec: has a few token appearances in wormfic fandom that usually have him as the comic relief alongside Aisha, which might actually be for the best considering he's a rapist and the Worm fandom's uhhhh tendencies. Moving on- Aisha: prankster girl that alt!Taylor will adopt as a younger sibling. hopefully is not part of the totally-not-a-harem considering she's even younger then the rest of these teens Bitch: Another girl to fall into alt!Taylor's definitely-not-a-harem, but with more butch tendencies. Basically has no personality in fanon outside of her dogs Parian: SHE DOESN'T HAVE A SHOP FFS also another member of Taylor's totally-not-a-harem Flechette: yeah it's a harem Sophia: holy shit you think Brian's bad? The racism in pretty much every fanon depiction of Sophia is off the charts. Hyper-violent, super edgy, "predator/prey" speech inbound, will get humilated/killed in some new, supposedly satisfying but actually just deeply uncomfortable way, probably throw in some E88 shit too just because Emma: again, do the writers know we can tell they're still malding over the fact that the pretty girls in highschool didn't date them? fanon emma is pretty much a cardboard cut out of whoever was mean to the author. something something bitches three Madison: in fanon has a C53 fetish, occasionally is also Browbeat. don't ask why Victoria: gets hit with the blonde stereotypes even harder then Lisa, "Collateral Damage Barbie" is one of the phrases that activates my flight or fight responses. she basically is an entirely different character in fanon. bubbly dumb blonde girl with a massive temper and well other sexist bullshiit Amy: I hate even touching this character with a ten foot pole but basically is hit with the "soft useless lesbian" trope hard enough to make her into a completely separate person from her canon self. whether or not this is a good thing is still up for debate Carol: in fanon, an evil bitch who exists solely to bully Amy Mark: who? The rest of New Wave: cannon fodder for Leviathan Danny Hebert: literally stale milk instead of a personality, will probably die before the fic is over but we won't care because the author did not care either Armsmaster: hahaha robotman go brrrr or is an arrogant self-aggrandizing shit, can't interact with people without Dragon helping him 24/7 Miss Militia: fanon bat'd into team mom,

idk where this came from considering her first instinct upon seeing children is to pull out a gun holy shit wait is she actually Taylor's true mom- Velocity: canon fodder for levi Battery & Assault: sitcom wife, sitcom husband! please ignore how fucked up this relationship is if you look at it for more than two seconds Dauntless: haha armsy is JEALOUS also cannon fodder for levi Triumph: who? The BB wards in general tend to be incredibly bland, the only ones who have fanon personalities of note are Clockblocker and Vista. The former being such a huge prankster that every other line is a joke- or him complaining about how BULLSHIT Alt!Taylor's powers are. Vista is an angry kiddo who says that Shadow Stalker doesn't count as being a girl on the team The E88: no personality for any of them except that Kaiser is noble and really isn't that bad and also Purity did nothing wrong totally she's just a hot mom trying to do her best, please ignore how she exclusively targets characters of color and literally calls white criminals more civilized than miniorities- the worm fandom has something of a nazi problem i hate it here The ABB: racism and honorable samurai lung even though that has no canon basis so again, racist stereotypes The Slaughterhouse 9: This one makes me just as sad as the Lisa shit because dear god this is such a good cast of villains that fanon completely flattens to bowling pins for the Alt!Taylor of the week to mow down, why does this fandom suck so much. Anyway Jack is just the Joker, Crawler is masochistic, etc i'm moving on now The PRT/Protectorate as a whole: They are an evil paramilitary organization that pressgangs kids into signing up to become child soldiers, and somehow at the same time, they are a bunch of idiots who listen to the PR department and have stupid things like RULES that prevent capes from COMMITTING VIOLENCE. Being called "the biggest gang of all" is common and some shit like "at least the criminals are honest" is a likely statement. Cauldron: whoo boy this one really boils my blood but fanon Cauldron are just a bunch of evil idiots who can't even tie their shoelaces. basically a bunch of dudebros are upset that women run the world and that two of them essentially have "I win" powers so they have to make them lose to their SI- er, Taylor in fics so they can assuage their masculinity, which totally isn't pathetic Scion: Is at once the end all be all of worm you can't write a wormfic without scion or else it's TOTALLY MEANINGLESS because what is the point of a story if all the characters are going to DIE in a few years anyway, and at the same time is incredibly easy to defeat- this ties into how Cauldron is stupid. Scion Truthers pls shut up and go read something else okay I think that's everyone I would apologize but the only thing I'm sorry for is how messy this is

[bwbatta]

Dating Fred Weasley and being a Ravenclaw would include

A/N: divider by the talented @firefly-graphics! Requests are open!

You knew of Fred from the moment he blew up Snape’s cauldron in class

The Weasley twins were very well known across the castle after that

So it was hard to ignore the fact they existed

How Fred noticed you however

Was when you showed up Flitwick in his own charms class

Flitwick had written something wrong on the blackboard

And well

You were apparently the only one to spot it

So you could either bite your tongue and not say anything

Or force yourself to point it out and look like a know-it-all

So naturally you pointed it out

Rowena would be proud

And Fred was just hooked after that

I mean you outsmarted a teacher

Somehow Fred’s eyes would always be drawn to you in the classes you shared

And George would notice

So with a sly grin and a plan

When you had to partner up in class

George would just so happen to partner up with Lee instead

“Sorry Freddie, looks like you’ll just have to ask that pretty Ravenclaw you keep eyeing up”

Fred would roll his eyes at his brother before his Gryffindor spirit kicked in 

And before he knew it, you were his transfiguration partner

And the two of you just clicked

Your witty comments along with his incapability to take anything seriously

McGonagall would wonder what she’s done wrong in her life every lesson

(But secretly have a bet with Dumbledore as to when you two would get together)

It was when Fred and George were going through their plans for another of their pranks

In not so quiet voices at the library 

You were a bit confused as to why they were there out of all places

“Are you lost?!”

“Ahh my dear little Ravenclaw, we are in need of your assistance”

They were looking for a specific book which included the spell to turn anything pink at just the touch

(The Slytherin common room may or may not have been their proposed victim)

So when you happened to know the exact spell they needed

Just because you did some light reading

Fred just stared at you like you were the eighth wonder of the world

I’m talking pure admiration 

Especially when you performed the spell on a stack of random books which Madam Piece, the librarian, was trying to organise

After that, it seemed like the twins came to you with any prank they had in mind

Asking you what they needed to make it work

Of course there were a few pranks which you refused to help with 

(A butt biting broom jinx for the Slytherin quiddich team was one of then)

But the mildly harmless ones you definitely had a hand in creating

So when one prank went very wrong, and the Great Hall became flooded with lava

You took the blame instead of the twins

Considering the most you’d be given was detention

You really were one of the top students in the school

After that, Fred was smitten

Wanted to ask you out so bad

So when you walked into the Great Hall one morning for breakfast

With fireworks spelling out “Go out with me to Hogsmeade?” in the air

You couldn’t say no

(Dumbledore passed McGonagall the 5 Galleons he owed her which she accepted confidently)

Though you didn't expect the when he would take you to Hogsmeade

Would be that very evening

And through a secret passageway nonetheless

But the Butterbeers were worth it

Especially when you knew random facts about them which amazed Fred

“Did you know House elves can get drunk off Butterbeers?”

“I didn’t but I love the fact you did, Sweetheart”

Also while we’re on that

Pet names

He’d have a whole list dedicated just for you

“Sweetheart” and “Love” would be his go to’s

But don't be fooled

When in a playful mood you can expect the most ridiculous ones 

“Sugar muffin”

“Love nugget”

“Cherry hug pie”

“Honey bunny pudding cup”

The whole of your first date the two of you were laughing

In fact you don't know when you’ve ever laughed so hard

Fred told you all about his family

And especially about the time he and George turned Ron’s teddybear into a giant spider

After the first date you had, there was definitely a second

And then a third

And then a forth

You best believe this guy asked you to be his girlfriend with a prank of some sort 

One where everyone would know you were going out with him

And how much he a d o r e d you

So when Ginny let it slip in a letter to Mrs Weasley that Fred had gotten himself a girlfriend

Who was smart and pretty

She was over the moon

Literally crushing you in a hug as you got off the Hogwarts Express at the end of the year

“Gosh you are gorgeous aren’t you!”

Summers at the Burrow would be your happy place

Especially because Fred was in his element 

Playing around with his siblings

Pranking Ron specifically 

But also late night star gazing with you

The two of you wrapped up in a blanket watching the lights twinkle above you

And he’d just hug you close

And press a kiss to the top of your head

Soft kisses

Passionate kisses

Long sweet kisses

He would want to kiss you as much as he could

Always try to steal a kiss or two from you

Also a random kiss from him during the day when you’re not feeling too great

Or just had a really bad day

A kiss from your boyfriend would turn your mood right around

So when Fred and George left Hogwarts in a blur of fireworks

You missed Fred everyday afterwards

Especially as you didn't get your daily kisses

Fred asked you to come with them

But alas

Your Ravenclaw nature wanted you to graduate and get your NEWT grades to be the best that they could

And of course when you did graduate and get your results

And you were of course the top of your year

Fred was so DAMN proud of his girl

Would literally tell anyone who’s listen

His entire family heard about it almost daily

The postman

Random people in their shop

Waitresses/waiters at cafes you went to

Even the odd person you’d pass down the street

So damn proud

You’d move in together after you’ve graduated

And you’d help out with creating new products or ideas for the shop

He’d be your biggest fan

100% supportive of what you’d do

oh my lord this man 

[ialwaysgobacktoit]

Azriel surprises Gwyn for her birthday PART. 6

Guys just so you know i need to think of a better name for this bc like THIS IS GETTING BIIIIG (I have a playlist on spotify called "what would gwynriel sing" and i think i'll draw inspiration from there lol)

IT'S GWYN'S POV AGAIN (and this one's a little shorter lol i'm sorry... Rhys is in this chapter bc i honestly share the headcanon that Gwyn and Rhys would be close friends!)

MY GIRLS: @starbornsinger @madie2200 @katiebellf here it is!! And check out the Chapter List here

Gwyn couldn’t deny. She was nervous. That morning the words just rushed out about leaving the library, because she truly felt inspired by Diane’s words. She had spent the previous night awake, even if Emerie and Nesta had long fallen asleep, thinking about what she had to do next. She was feeling braver. Maybe it was because that was the best birthday she had since Sangravah, or perhaps ever, due to the circumstances. She still missed Catrin like crazy during the day, still felt that familiar ache in her chest when she worked at the library in the afternoon, or went training in the morning. But somehow, after everything that has happened in the evening, the lingering image of her sister started being more of a comfort, a companion, than the sorrow and guilt she was accustomed to.

Still, she was nervous.

She did really want to leave the library, and Clotho seemed happy, maybe even proud, to let her go. Merrill didn’t care as long as she kept working for her, at least a couple hours a day. One day, Gwyn thought that would change too. But for now, one step at a time. The night she went to the Town House and dined with the Inner Circle was one of many small steps Gwyn’s been giving these last few months towards more autonomy, independence, and strength. Towards the life she wanted for herself. And now, the day where she decided to move out of the library was the day she took another one.

And Azriel… Honestly, she thought she would be more scared about the prospect of having a mate than she actually did. Most of all, she was happy. She felt lucky and had the confidence that if anything were to happen between the two of them, they would take it slow, at her pace. She wouldn’t have it any other way. That if Azriel were to find out about the bond any time soon; or if she would summon enough courage to tell him. Because if he did know, he would’ve said something by now, wouldn’t he?

Yep. She was very nervous.

What she dreaded the most was the fact that Azriel, well, he may not feel the same once he found out. The Cauldron could be wrong, after all. And all these last months of getting closer to each other, training in companionable silence, laughing together, bantering… She was more than grateful for their friendship, but she knew that Azriel still had some things to figure out – about Elain. If he truly still felt something towards her, that was enough to strain Gwyn’s hopes for the moment. To maintain the quiet feeling to herself, and what it meant; that she was indeed worthy of happiness not only alone, but with another one.

She tried to push all those feelings aside as she was getting ready for dinner at the River House, the High Lady and Lord’s official estate. She looked at herself in the mirror, spinning side to side. It wasn’t much – after all, she didn’t have any clothes besides her robes, nightgowns and training leathers – but the outfit the House provided was more than enough. Her baggy turquoise linen pants and her white, loose crop top made her extremely comfortable, even if the latter was slightly shorter than what she was accustomed to.

She still wore the necklace Azriel re-gifted her. When he told her a few months back about the whole story, she truly understood him. He was in a bad place at the time, but so did she. And even if he had indeed made a mistake, she was glad to have it now. To know that someone gave it to her willingly, that was the thought she held on to. First person considered or not. And besides, it looked great against her freckled skin.

A gentle knock on the door of her new bedroom sounded. “Gwyn, you ready?”

“Yeah, come in”

Nesta opened the door and something sparked in her eyes as she stared at Gwyn through the mirror.

“You look beautiful, girl”

She spun on her heels and smiled at Nesta.

“I do, don’t I?”

They both laughed as they linked their arms and left the room.

“So” Nesta begun, as they walked towards the main entrance together “How are you settling in?”

“It’s very cozy, and I just love that view. The House is providing me everything I need at the moment. Thank you for inviting me to stay.” She gave her sister a grateful smile

“Well, I was serious; you can stay with us for as long as you want.”

“That means a lot.” Gwyn couldn’t contain her smile as she gently nudged her head against her sister’s.

“Don’t mention. I know you’d do the same for me.” And Nesta was right. Without thinking twice, Gwyn would have done the same for both of her newfound sisters. She was so grateful and thrilled their paths had crossed this way.

“By the way” Nesta mentioned innocently when they reached the common area “The room you chose, well, that’s three doors up from Azriel’s. If you have a problem with that, feel free to say it.”

And as she was summoning his presence, that was the moment the Shadowsinger came to vision, talking to Cassian in the balcony – waiting for them.

Gwyn drew on a breath, staring straight at him. When he caught her eye, she couldn’t help her smile. And when his eyes glittered, scanning her from head to toe, she answered quietly to her sister:

“No. I think that’ll be fine.”

*******

The River House was beautiful. Gwyn admired it as the four of them stood by the front door. It was big, but the decoration made it seem comfortable and cozy, despite its size. A true home, Gwyn thought.

Feyre opened the door, a warm smile instantly on her face.

“Come in!”

As soon as they stepped on the entrance hall, Gwyn marveled at the big painting on display. It was a portrait of Nesta as she held the line at the Pass of Enalius. Her cunning eyes seemed to look directly at anyone who came in, daring and challenging. “This is amazing.” She said, tearing her eyes from the image at last and looking at Feyre. Cassian and Nesta had already entered the living room and Azriel stood by the doorway, lingering.

Feyre was still smiling at her when she answered. “Thank you very much, Gwyn. I have others I can show you later, if you’d like.”

“I would love to. You have a beautiful home.” And she could barely conceal the emotion in her eyes as Feyre held her hand and sighed gratefully. She, maybe more than anyone, was well aware of how lucky she was to have such a family.

“We do.”

It was just when she reached the living room and beheld all of those who Feyre and Rhysand loved the most she felt Azriel’s presence still a few steps behind her, his eyes fixed upon her. A tendril of shadow curled up slightly at her wrist, as if saying We’re here. So she looked back for half a second before entering further into the room, only enough to meet his cryptic gaze and give him a half-smile. And couldn’t help the sparkling feeling in her chest when he gave her a reassuring nod.

*****

The night was going on peacefully. Gwyn didn’t say much, and it was rather content in observe. That way, she didn’t feel exposed, and also could get to know the Inner Circle better: their dynamics and bantering, how they acted around each other and discussed both serious and light topics. Elain, for example, was sitting in a chair in the corner, drink in hand. She only joined for dinner, ate quietly and then excused herself from the table for a long time. Rhys and Feyre took turns in watching Nyx, since this evening he went to sleep early. Emerie and Mor were having what seemed to be a very intimate conversation, knees touching and heads close, and Nesta and Cassian, well… They were being their usual selves.

And then she landed her eyes on the Shadowsinger. He was definitely the quietest of them all, even if during dinner he had participated in the more serious subjects of conversation and exchanged a few casual words with Gwyn. She could observe enough to notice he didn’t once glance at Elain, or her at him, and that they kept their distance. He actually seemed to have spent the evening doing the same thing Gwyn was, which was observing; except for him it was natural, a second skin. He certainly had enough time these hundred years to know well about the rest of his family, while she was doing that precisely to learn more about them. If it was easy for her to be like this, for him was instinct.

She couldn't stop but detain herself on the details of his face, though, as he now spoke to Mor, who had subtly approached him. He wore that inexpressive mask, but she could see the way his brows were slightly furrowed, his jaw set just slightly... There was something concerning him, making him uneasy. She wondered, maybe for the tenth time, when she would tell him. Or if she should let him find out by himself. And again, her heart fluttered as he put his hands in his pockets and nodded along, listening to Mor.

How could the Cauldron have chosen this? To have defined them as mates... He was the one who saved her, who’d seen her low, who helped her at the very worst moment of her life. And although she would be forever grateful for it, she was aware he had enough on his plate – to burden him with her feelings... She didn't know what to do. It was at that moment their eyes locked across the room. She didn't realize she had still been staring, and quickly darted her eyes away.

Only to meet with Rhysand’s staring at her from across the table.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry.

Oh, shit. Shit. Gwyn contained her gasp. He heard her. She didn't know for how long, but he could read her thoughts.

I was just going to ask you if you were feeling okay.

She knew what he meant. But still...

"Please. Please don’t say a word". She managed to whisper to that presence in her mind.

He doesn't know? She could feel his curiosity. Although they were still staring at each other, his face yielded nothing.

"I don't think so. Please, just…"

Don't worry, Gwyn. I won't tell him.

She could've cried in relieve. "Thank you."

He only nodded at her and raised his glass, and she could feel his presence fading from her mind.

*****

When they arrived at the House of Wind, a few hours later, Gwyn was still a little uneasy. She needed to learn how to shield her mind properly; even if she felt she trusted Rhys’s word, she couldn’t feel relaxed at the thought that someone else knew about what she’d only recently discovered and were still trying to figure out.

She could barely stare at Azriel when they flew all the way back. They remained silent all the way to the House of Wind, and her gaze remained fixed on the city landscape below them, or on the skies above. Never on him or their closeness, even if she’d caught him glancing at her a few times. They landed just a few minutes after Nesta and Cassian. When she meant to let go of his hand, he held it just for a moment longer:

“Did you have fun tonight?”

She nodded, managing to bring a smile upon her face. She didn’t want him to see how nervous she was; they were never like that around each other.

“A lot. Your family is very…”

“Extravagant?”

“I was going to say kind. But they might be a little extravagant, too.”

The corner of his lips tugged upward, and she let out a quiet laugh. “Are you going to sleep now?”

“In a few hours, maybe. I think I’ll hit the training ring first.”

She nodded. His shadows swirled a little at his shoulders. She seemed to forget about her nervousness for a second as she noticed his slightly furrowed brows, as if he was concentrating: “You know you don’t have to restrain them, if it tires you.”

“They should behave better.” It was all he grunted back, slightly annoyed at his dancing shadows.

“Well, I don’t mind at all. I like them. So at least around me, you shouldn’t worry about it.”

The seconds her eyes held his stare were enough to make Gwyn feel like she could burst – or touch him, again. So she turned away and smiled over her shoulder. “Goodnight, Az.”

All she felt before reaching the stairway was a tendril of shadow gently curling around her arm.

[whatifxwereyou]

The Oncoming Storm Part 18: Nemuri Hime

Liu Kang x Reader and Kung Lao x Reader (gonna do both, two paths!)

Kung Lao gets serious. But forgets to tell you all the important things. Boy, he's good at talking. Lol. Hope you guys are still loving the Lao time! Liu will be back soonish. Planned out his whole part last night and then the future. Question! Are you guys READY for the choice or do you want it drawn out more? Also, for the future of this tumblr, is anyone interested in oc x reader stuff? I have so many ideas that I have never shared Lol. Anyway, thanks for reading. Much love. Update Sunday!

Part 17 Part 19 Chapter Index

“They’re going to have someone in there keeping an eye out now.” Kung Lao kicked a loose stone on the walkway, arms folded over his chest. “So much for that idea.”

“For now. We weren’t getting anywhere anyway.” You were still in wonder that any of that had happened. It felt like a fever dream. Your whole life kind of felt like a fever dream now. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it isn’t in there. I tried to trust the vision and my gut, but it led us in circles. Nothing looked the same as it did back then.”

“Why would it lead you there otherwise? Maybe this shrine has changed more over the years than we thought.”

“You think so?” You furrowed your brow. He had pushed you like you’d been doing something wrong for a small moment inside the shrine but there he was, preaching his belief in you. It’d been easy to escape the frustration of not knowing where you were going with all that had happened in the shrine, but it was back in full force now. You were grateful to Kung Lao for not making it weird, but it was also a little weird to act like it hadn’t happened. You had a feeling that he knew exactly what he was doing.

“I trust your gut, Y/N.” He shrugged as if it were nothing. That was nice. You weren’t sure anyone trusted you those days so to hear it put so plainly as if it were no big deal was wonderful. “Let’s take a walk and rethink our strategy.” Together you walked around the shrine and along the path slowly, making your way toward the volcanic cauldrons.

Some were surrounded by posts and signs, expressing what they represented and why the water was the way that it was, but you didn’t stop to try and read any of them. Many of the cauldrons had small statues lined up surrounding their edge, placed there for prayer. You didn’t speak much. It seemed that rethinking your strategy was mostly just thinking. You were okay with that. Your head was still buzzing.

It was important to try and clear the fog from your mind. Between the disorientation of this place being so different from the vision in your head and then everything with Kung Lao, you were dizzy. You stopped before one of the cauldrons and Kung Lao read the sign above it.

“One of the hells of Mount Osore…” He was not good at silence, it turned out. He hadn’t been when you were younger either. You’d asked him once back then and he’d said silence was too loud. The dizziness became a buzzing, and the buzzing became darkness. You thought that you’d drifted to sleep to the hum of Kung Lao’s voice.

When you opened your eyes again, you gasped for breath. Your lungs were on fire, as though you had been deprived of oxygen for too long, as if invisible hands had reached into your chest and grasped your lungs to force all the air out. You lost your footing and stumbled forward but before you fell, Kung Lao had his arms around your middle and was pulling you back to him with a forceful yank. You lost your balance and collapsed into him, grasping his arms in surprise with a yelp. He held you upright.

“What the hell, Y/N? You can’t just do that!” He scolded. You gasped to refill your sore lungs and the ache began to fade. You weren’t where you’d been when you’d been listening to Kung Lao but you recognized the place immediately. It was the lake of blood from your vision. You turned in his arms to apologize but the words didn’t come. How did that happen? How had it happened? His expression went from frustration to concern quickly. You wanted to ask what happened, you wanted to ask him how you’d gotten there, but in your mind’s eye, you could see your body falling into that pool and the horned creature staring over you as you drowned beneath the red water.

You shuddered and covered your mouth. Maybe Raiden was right. It hadn’t felt like there was a shadow hanging over you until then when your body had moved beyond your control.

“Y/N, did you hear me?”

“What happened? What are you talking about? What did I do?” The words came out extremely fast, all at once almost. Bless Kung Lao for understanding a word of it.

“I was reading about that cauldron over there.” He gestured down the path. It seemed so distant now but that was the last thing you remembered. “And you walked away. I followed you and you stepped up and just went to jump right in. Right into the blood lake. Didn’t respond to me when I called you.” He tried to joke but there was an underlying concern that neither one of you could shake. “If you wanted to take a dip, Y/N, then you just had to say so. There’s those bathhouses.”

“No, no Kung Lao. I… I’m confused, that’s all. I don’t remember coming here. I closed my eyes to listen to you talk.” His low and deep voice was soothing, but you wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that right now. “Then I felt like I was falling, and I couldn’t breathe. Then you and… here we are.” You gestured to his arms that still held you and you felt his fingers sink a bit further into the clothing at your waist as if that would protect you somehow.

“You really don’t remember walking up to the creepy blood lake and almost throwing yourself in?” His face was flooded with concern. You shook your head no. “Okay.”

“You believe me?”

“Of course I do, Y/N. You’re white as a ghost. Why would you lie about something like that? Also, you’re terrible at lying.”

“Thank you?” You couldn’t decide if that was a dig or not.

“Okay.” He exhaled and you watched his face contort as his tongue ran over his teeth. “In that case no more wandering away from me. You stay with me at all times. Got it? We tell Raiden as soon as we can.”

“Okay except that I don’t remember wandering away from you, Kung Lao. You were reading and then…”

“What do you think caused this?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t. Honestly, afterward I saw this part in my vision. I’d been choking on ink but in my head, I was drowning.” You pointed toward the red volcanic cauldron. “In there. And I could see that creature. He was watching me. I… I thought it was just my brain interpreting the ink in my throat but… what if… Raiden’s right?”

“You doubted that Raiden was right?”

“This has been a lot, Kung Lao. Accepting it all at face value is difficult.” You responded somewhat defensively.

Kung Lao finally let you go and turned away. He pulled off his hat, pushed back his hair, and then cursed. That would have been funny had you not still been coping with almost drowning because your body had decided to try to kill you. “Okay. We’ll deal with that as we go. I’m changing the subject now because I’m not sure how to process what you just did without talking to Raiden.”

“Smart. Avoiding the problem. Like it.” You were happy to go back to thinking about literally anything else. Up until now you’d handled all this nonsense with relative poise. You’d like to keep it that way.

“Let’s discuss strategy. What do you remember from your vision about the room where this artifact is supposed to be?”

“There was a well. The creature placed something inside of it and I heard this horrible ringing in my head. It was… sad?” It was difficult to describe a ringing as having emotion, but it had been sad. You’d had the distinct feeling that it was sad.

“Back up. What about the well? There was no well in that room. In fact, the whole shrine is elevated. There was a step down in the back for dining, maybe? Could the well have been in that area?”

“I think the floor of the shrine used to be level with the ground. Maybe they built over it? I read that it was abandoned here for some time.”

“That’s a very distinct possibility. Great. Now we get to desecrate a holy place. Loving this more by the second.”

“Or we can hope there’s a hatch above the old well or a way to get beneath the shrine without destroying it.”

“There are way too many people here for us to search that thoroughly without being caught.”

“You’re right. We need privacy.”

“And I’m all out of excuses, honestly.”

“The excuse you came up with earlier only really works the one time before it becomes incredibly suspicious.” You felt your face flush despite yourself. Kung Lao stood just behind you and bent over to be closer. You could feel the smirk on his face.

“You kissed me back so… didn’t feel like much of a lie.” He made a kissy sound near your ear and you tilted away and swatted at him.

“Stay focused, Kung Lao! So, we spend the rest of the day and then pretend to leave ahead of everyone. Then we can sneak in after the monks are at rest, right? Hopefully, we find an easy way to get to where we need to go.”

“That’s as good a plan as any.” Kung Lao began to lead you away from the volcanic cauldrons and you were grateful. The air was thicker there and, quite honestly, the more distance between you and the blood lake the better. “And if we’re caught tearing up the floor of the shrine in the middle of the night, then I’m pretty sure that no amount of making out will get us out of it without getting into trouble.”

“If we’re caught then we could try to be honest about it like I wanted to be in the first place.” You stuck your tongue out at him. “You could try it every so often. It works.”

“Wow.” Kung Lao sounded truly insulted but also laughed as if surprised you had the audacity. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Let’s just talk like adults for a few seconds. I’m not that little girl that you teased all the time. You don’t have to come up with crazy fake-date schemes. Hell, I’m surprised that you didn’t say we could only afford one room at this point.”

“Oh.” He straightened his posture and furrowed his brow. You nodded as if to confirm that he was far more obvious than he thought he was. “Does it really bother you?”

“Bother is a strong word, Kung Lao. Sometimes you’re just… all over the place. You go from pushing me too hard to not listening to me to having unwavering faith in me. Sometimes in a span of like ten minutes. I don’t mind the teasing, honestly, but it’s difficult to focus when I can’t tell what’s going on with you.”

“Okay.” He puffed up his cheeks as he thought and then exhaled deeply. “So, I don’t quite know how to act around you.” You were genuinely surprised that he was speaking so candidly. You’d expected him to laugh it off and move on. He didn’t.

“Why? I only expect you to be yourself.”

“I know. That’s not on you. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“You don’t always act like there’s a whole lot going on in there.”

“Wow.” He winced.

“Sorry, it was easy. I get it though. I have a lot on my mind too, but you are all over the place since you got back. You tease me like we’re kids, then you flirt with me like we’re very much not kids, then you push me when I tell you that I can’t be pushed anymore. It is a rollercoaster spending time with you.”

“I guess I didn’t realize I was so all over the place.” He laughed and you walked together again. The further you were from the cauldrons the better you felt. “It’s funny. I’m still a little shocked that you’re here with me. Little Y/N. My Y/N. Weirder than that is that you are the person I found peace in when I returned home to clear my mind. I never thought I’d see you again. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you.” He avoided your eyes, and you got the chills but refused to shake them off. Him speaking so fondly of you in such a serious tone was freaking you out. These were things that you probably should have talked about far sooner. Instead, it felt as though he’d gone into some weird unspoken competition with Liu Kang for your attention. It wasn’t a competition. You just wanted to talk to him. “Your hair threw me off, I think. You didn’t keep it white. Same face now that I know. Cheeks aren’t so chubby anymore, though.” He pinched your cheek playfully and you scrunched up your face and swatted his hand away.

“I… didn’t recognize you either and you came into my store at least a dozen times over the last couple years. And the dojo just as many. I remember you fondly. You were always very kind with the students. And you look way different, I mean I can still see it, but you had these… dimples as a kid.” You poked the sides of your mouth. “They were so deep then. You still have them but they’re much more subtle.” It was funny. Something about his honesty cleared the air at least for the time being. “Also, I thought you were dead. So, I never considered I’d see you again.”

“You would have been crazy to have guessed it was me.”

“Sometimes I think that I have gone completely crazy and I’m in a hospital somewhere. That this is all an elaborate fantasy that my mind has conjured up to help cope with my madness.”

“I could see that.”

“What? The wild improbability of the truth?”

“No. You being in a nuthouse somewhere.”

You laughed and shoved his shoulder. He nudged you in return. “Some things don’t change, I guess.”

“I defaulted to sarcasm with you. Being together reminds me of when life was simpler. It’s easy to joke and get carried away but I understand that there is also distance with time and age and that this is extremely complicated. And that we haven’t talked about it. Talking about this kind of stuff makes me feel… uncomfortable.”

“What? No. I couldn’t tell.” You walked peacefully along the stone path. Across the way the monks were giving a demonstration and others were setting up tables for a meal near the white beach.

“Can I confess something?” He led you off the stone and down onto the white sand that bordered the beautiful, but absolutely artificial looking, lake. He offered you his hand to help you down and you took it. He didn’t let go of it as you walked together. Fun new game again: fake date or Kung Lao being affectionate? Your brain hated this game. Your heart hated it even more.

“That depends. Is it appropriate to say? Will I smack you when you make this confession? Will you be getting smacked and are you ready to risk being smacked?”

“Maybe. It’s hard to gauge how grown-up Y/N will react to most things.”

“Go ahead, Kung Lao. I’ll try not to smack you but no promises.”

“I uh…” He hesitated and then let go of your hand in favor of grasping the air in front of him as if trying to reach for the words to say what was on his mind. “I hate that you have the dragon mark.” You stopped in your tracks and Kung Lao stopped with you. Of all the things you’d expected, it hadn’t been that.

“What?”

“Yeah. Little Y/N. The girl with the gift, mom called you. You had enough problems. Now you’re here. A warrior chosen to fight for earthrealm alongside me and a bunch of other misfits with the same mark. Lost your home. Your life.”

“I could see your logic, Kung Lao, but I’m tough.” Your heart was racing again. Was this serious conversation better or worse than the rollercoaster ride that was Kung Lao? You couldn’t decide.

“Yeah, Liu showed me the bruises you’d left on him. I was a little impressed. However, you, just moments ago I might add, unconsciously almost drowned yourself in a lake of blood. Went completely gray, weren’t breathing, just walked over and almost threw yourself in.”

“Yeah, that is concerning.” He was right. The dragon marking and your arcana had awoken things within you that were beyond anyone’s control, especially yours. You were scared. You couldn’t imagine how it had to have felt to be watching it happen to someone you cared about. “You know, Lao, it’s probably not actually blood. I’d guess it’s algae making the water red…” You tried to joke but it was a feeble attempt. Kung Lao didn’t even smile.

“That’s not the point.”

You stepped in front of him and offered him a tired and forced smile. “I don’t regret where I’ve wound up, Kung Lao.” It was your turn to speak honestly. To say things that you’d meant to say and had been afraid to say for a long time. You’d kept waiting for the ‘right time’ but the time would never be right. “I’m terrified.” You searched around them just to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. “I killed people, Kung Lao. I never thought I’d be capable of such a thing. My dojo? My shop? They’re gone. I probably won’t see my family ever again or any of the people I associated with home. That life is gone. It scares me. Everything I knew is… being unlearned and relearned. At the same time? I feel like this is where I’m meant to be.”

“Yeah. You didn’t really get to process much of that, did you? Just went straight to studying and training with Liu Kang.” Kung Lao sounded almost bitter. You hadn’t thought about it that way. Liu Kang had been a beacon of comfort to you but was that healthy? Maybe some of what had escalated your whatever-it-was you were had something to do with your sudden lack of control. You were attracted to him, sure, in a crazy way even, but you were also vulnerable. Maybe the attachment between you had gone from big to huge because of it. You felt guilty. Liu. Oh, no. You’d kissed Kung Lao. Not just kissed him but kissed him. Things were instantly that much more complicated and messy. You had to talk to Liu. You had to sort out your thoughts. You had to do the same with Kung Lao. But you didn’t know how and just kept kissing them. It wasn’t like you’d ever been good at romance.

“It’s been difficult. But also surreal. Easy to forget some of it.”

“I get it. Really, I do. Because I’m not done confessing things yet.” He still sounded uncomfortable but urged his hand to your back and continued your walk. “I’m also super grateful that you have the dragon mark.”

“Well, that’s conflicting as hell. I’m having a hard time processing that.”

“I never would have gotten to know who you were or get to know you again at all without the mark. It’s brought me closure, in a way. I never thought I’d see you again.” You walked in silence and you felt your eyes burn just enough with tears that you thought talking was a mistake. You breathed through the sudden urge to cry until it faded.

“I’d like to state for the record, that you being this serious is freaking me out a little.”

“It’s been known to happen now and again.” He bowed his head politely to you after tucking his hat beneath his arm. “I’m sorry that I’ve been weird since I got back.”

“It’s okay, Kung Lao. This has been difficult.”

“Y/N?” He started, as though he had something important to say. He hesitated then exhaled and replaced his hat back on his head, tucking the strap under his chin. “Let’s keep walking.” He turned away and did just that as though he’d said nothing at all. There was clearly something on his mind that must have been difficult to share. You caught up to him.

“What aren’t you saying?”

He turned to you and searched your face with a glint of worry that faded so fast you weren’t sure if you’d imagined it or not. Then he smiled.

“I’m starving. That’s what I’m not saying. The sun is going to set anytime now and they’re setting up food so we should grab some.” He started back across the sand. You grasped his hand and pulled him back. That was not what he’d struggled to say.

“Lao, really. You can talk to me.”

“I know, Y/N.” He smiled so you let go of his hand. Whatever it was, he wasn’t ready to talk about it and who were you to say he should be? “Let’s get some food. You’re still gray so I’d like to see you eat.” If nothing else, he at least seemed less all over the place. What were you going to do? You didn’t know so you couldn’t think about it right now. You’d take everything one step at a time. It was all you could do.