#maybe some dogs. i think harry needs dogs and deserves them

[greenerteacups]

thoughts on Ginny and Harry as a couple?

There are a lot of people who find their romance in HBP forced. I don't think it's forced so much as underwritten, and the books don't get the chemistry quite right (though the movies certainly don't, either). There's potential, but they just don't get enough actual scenes of substance (besides Harry thinking she's pretty or feeling jealous of Dean) for a lot of readers to buy that they're not only in love, but deeply enough in love to break up, get back together, and wind up married.

That's not to say I don't see the appeal. There's a very cool scene in Book 5 where Harry's doing a woe-is-me-Chosen-One act, and Ginny effortlessly puts him in his place about it by reminding him that she was possessed by Voldemort at eleven, which is a rare glimpse into her character and also a great synecdoche for their relationship — Ginny is a grounding presence who, like Ron and Hermione, isn't going to be awed by his past adventures because she knew him before they happened. In that respect, Ginny's probably one of the few women Harry could feasibly wind up with, because he only ever seems comfortable around people (let alone girls) who can see past the Chosen-One schtick and treat him like a normo (see: Ron, Hermione, the Weasleys, Luna, Hagrid). True to type, he doesn't get interested in Ginny at all until she's ditched her celebrity crush and ceased to view him as an idol, because in his heart of hearts, Harry wants to be a normal boy, and it's stressed over and over that part of what he likes about his relationship with Ginny is how normal it feels. He kind of has a horribly supercharged version the celebrity dating problem: after the Battle of Hogwarts, anyone he meets is going to know him first as Harry Potter, Chosen One, Boy Who Lived, and Actually Fucking Resurrected Messiah of the Wizarding World, which is... I mean, it's possible that there are witches out there who could get over that, but Harry's not an extroverted guy, and I'm not sure how he'd go about finding them. Ginny's the one who's been there since the beginning, doesn't need anything about him or his past explained to her, and actually likes him for who he is.

When you look at it that way, it's not surprising he married his high school girlfriend. She's one of the few people still alive who doesn't see him as a demigod.

[ravenoclock]

@labyrinthhofmymind

It’s that time again

the following content contains spoilers on a fic called presque vu by bizzarestars

SO

Chapter 25

- Sirius trying to convince Remus that he’ll be the better parent figure

- SIRIUS’ MENTAL HEALTH

OH MY FUCKING GID. AND HE SAID IF HED STAYED WITH REMUS HE PROBABLY WOULDVE HAD A BETTER CHANCE AT HEALING??!!

CAN I DIE NOW

- Sirius calling him beautiful

Yes, she's biased towards him, but that has fuck all to do with his lycanthropy. In Sirius' eyes, Remus is better than anyone, werewolf or no.

(wolfstar in a nutshell)

TWUAIAJHDHWAJAJSOSOADHKSKAJDJSIAJIFISJANSHFIWKNDOWISHDJSJSIFJEKDJSHAODJJTYOEKJALSJHYNEOAKJSJFJTKSJOAJSBDIEOAOHSJDNFPROAJSHUDNTJ

⚰️ <- me

Sometimes, the bare minimum is all they've got.

…

Don’t even know what to say

I need whatever tf zar was on when they wrote this fic like OH my FUCKING GOD

I CANT DO THIS

IM IN THE MIDDLE OF CLASS RN AND THATS THE ONLY TJING STOPPING ME FROM BREAKING DOWN RIGHT FUCKING NOW

Maybe it's the potential of what could have been that's throwing me off.

- ok so who gave Sirius the fucking mic

- WHAT

- this is her talking abt hermione and harry and how Harry would’ve been an older sibling if they’d had the time :(

"You talk like you're old," Remus says, amused.

Sirius shoots him a wry look. "I am old."

"What's that make me, then?"

"You? Oh, Moony, you're in your prime."

…..OLD COUPLE BANTER

I CANT

I LOVE THEM TOO MUCH I FORGET THIS IS A CANON COMPLIANT FIC AND I WISH THEY DIDNT DIE AND I WISH JKR DID THEM JUSTICE AND I WISH THEY GOT TO HEAL TOGETHER AND MAKE OUT LIKE THEY DESERVE TK BUT THEY CANT AND THEY DONT AND IT MAKES ME WANT TO TEAR MY SOUL OUT AND CRY AND CRY AND CRY

"Freddie Mercury was a legend," Sirius states firmly. "Some people just didn't like him because he could be…eccentric. Same thing with Bowie. There's no accounting for your uncle's taste, clearly."

HARRY LISTENING TO BOWIE AND QUEEN. HE IS MY QUEEN. OH MY FUCMING GOD I LOVE THEM SO MUCH SNAKJSJDHSJA

Sirius being like ‘wait u think we’re a couple’ and Harry being like ‘um, you aren’t?’

…nevermind he said ‘hug like brothers’

I shall not be forgiving Harry in the near future. WHAT THE FUCK MAN. YOU WERE ON A ROLL. AND YOU RUINED IT WITH ‘YOU HUG LIKE BROTHERS’ WTF. NOT COOL.

Remus' expression doesn't crack, but the humor in his eyes is evident, and Sirius considers sticking their tongue in his mouth right then and there, just to prove a point. See if Harry calls that brotherly. Fucking hell.

THEY SHOULDVE. THEY SHOULDVE MADE OUT RIVHG THERE AND THEN.

NOT REMUS FRIENDZONING SIRIUS GAHSBSHHAHAHAHSJSJ

SIRIUS CALLING HIM A GOOD BOY

RHEKAKAKJDKSJSJSJDJDJSJJSHS AND THEM GRINJING WHEN REMUS BLUSHED

Sirius knows for a fact that they've managed to fluster him just by how he's talking; whether it's from the good boy comment, or just their teasing look, they don't know. It doesn't really matter, because it pleases Sirius to no end anyway.

SIRIUS KNOWS HOW POWERFUL SHE IS OMG AKRJJWS

…Sirius comparing Molly and Walburga :/

THE BOGGART

WHAT THE FUCJ

THE BOGGART I CSNT I CANT I CANT I CANT I CANT I CANY I CANT I CANT I CANT I XANT I CANT

‘Padfoot is Harry’s dog’

- why

- did

- I

- sign

- up

- for

- this

ANYWAYS

That’s it for now and I’m taking healthy breaks throughout this fic cuz I don’t plan on killing myself before I finish it so it’ll be slow updates. :)

Thanks for reading

[astraea802]

Merlin "Rewatch" w/ Mom -- 5x10

("Rewatch" here meaning "Mostly first time watch, but with the knowledge of what happens.)

First of all: WHAT THE HECK WAS UP WITH THAT HORRIFIC FACE DISFIGUREMENT THING AT THE END?? I've never seen ANYONE discuss how messed up that is, and they SHOULD. I know this aired in the same time slot as Doctor Who, but Mom and I were NOT prepared.

Second of all: Uggghhhh

We're coming into the final three episodes.

Mom doesn't want to know what's coming, but knows it won't end well. She suspects Arthur's going to die (but we all know it's the execution that's the real kicker).

I will say, I was surprised Season 5 has actually had a lot of nice moments I never knew. It's a little moodier than I'd like, and Merlin as a character makes me sad, but there's still some nice comedy and character moments. Like Arthur saving that woman from being burned at the stake, that was so good! (Maybe it's easier for me to appreciate certain scenes knowing what's going to happen? I'm not as tense?)

(It also helps I sat out The Disir and The Dark Tower since I was walking the dog. I don't know I could have bore either without spoiling the finale out of pure frustration)

Mom's been just absorbing it all. She's had a lot of questions, like:

Mom: Why did Aithusa join Morgana? Me: We don't know. They never told us. 😒

Mom: (after The Dark Tower) How did Gwen turn evil? Me: Magic. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Mom: Oh, for gods sake! 🤦‍♀️

Mom: When do they find out about that bracelet Morgana gave Gwen to make her love Lancelot? Me: They don't. 😤 Mom: ...Are you kidding??

The deaths have been a little tougher this season, especially Elyan's. She liked the Dolma, but rolled her eyes a bit at Merlin trying to "act like a woman" instead of just getting on with curing Gwen. And she was NOT happy with Uther's ghost (who was??) or Gaius telling on Merlin and endangering Finna.

But god... watching Merlin's struggles, I just keep thinking, what was the point of it all?

There's so much back and forth the whole season, the whole series really, about destiny and duty and following your heart, and I just... what's the moral here? Follow destiny and get screwed? Follow your heart and still get screwed? It's good to know prophecies and Merlin just didn't know how to handle it? It's bad to know prophecies because you cause them to happen? If that was the case, why did Finna die to pass that last prophecy on? Also, you deserve to die, even when you haven't done anything wrong, because a prophecy says you will? You have choice? You never had one? Some will say the point is "the friends we made along the way", or there doesn't need to be a moral, but there's just no consistency, except whatever keeps the drama going.

It doesn't help that, except for the Camlann prophecy, we never actually hear any of the other prophecies everyone talks about. So we never know for sure if the problem was a misinterpretation of the prophecies in terms of what the Golden Age looked like, or if Merlin failed because of his choices, or if he was ALWAYS going to fail no matter what he did, or if he even failed at all! Because the dragon tells him he didn't in the end, but it doesn't make much sense.

Did the writers even know? They have admitted in interviews they were working nonstop on the show for five years, at grueling pace, so I forgive them for being fuzzy, but it seems like the show's moral code and prophecy lore really depended on who was writing the episode that week.

What I've always loved about Harry Potter is that while prophecies exist, the power of choice is emphasized. Prophecies can be, and often are, misinterpreted. Not every prophecy in the Department of Mysteries was ever fulfilled, so destiny is not the be-all end-all. It's made very clear that it's whether you act on prophecies or not that matters. The characters' beliefs and convictions still matter. It's consistent, it's clean, and it leaves the characters' agency.

In Merlin... you can interpret it a million different ways and still be wrong. And maybe part of the issue is that while Harry agrees to be the Chosen One since he already wanted Voldemort dead, Merlin's heart and destiny are so often divided. And that's what makes it so darn frustrating. And why I believe they gave Merlin too much of a burden for one person. No "almost" about it.

(We'll see if I revisit this after the finale)

[cowgirl078]

Season 7 of 911 if I was a writer/in charge. It's a bit much...

Now I don't know what abc has planned for the rest of the season; however, if I had been pacing the season...

Episodes 1-4 remain the same...loved the pacing and the storyline. That 3 part premiere was amazing. Episode 4 was set up beautifully.

Now on to 5...I think that this should have been just the storyline with Buck x Tommy and Eddie x Marisol. Add in a call that connects to both situations like they used to do in seasons 1 & 2. And have some of the wedding planning happening. Maybe with all the girls, outfit shopping? Situation arises from another wedding party. We also get a mention of Hen's excitement for their new addition to the family and Athena can bring up Harry and how he's doing with his community service. I just want that connection of episode and storyline back.

7x06 I personally think that Henren's storyline should have been pushed to this episode. That would have given them more room to let the audience focus on them. Add in the call we got in 7x05 abt the dog. And to give us a lighter note and breathing room...date montage...Eddie x Marisol and Buck x Tommy. Show both couples learning abt each other and having a great time doing it. Yes I know it will upset some people, but oh well. We also get Maddie x Chimney planning the wedding in that montage.

7x07 Best Man/Maid of Honor...the 118 realizes that neither Maddie nor Chimney have stated who is going to be what in their wedding. Questions and havoc arises...at home, in the station, and on call with them trying to prove who should be what.

7x08 WEDDING and apparently a wild bachelor party gone wrong. Chimney vanishes? All the families need to be there. I have no idea what they have planned, but I do oh so hope that Tommy brings Chim back to the wedding in his helicopter. All couples get a slow dance... Bobby x Athena, Eddie x Marisol, Hen x Karen, Maddie x Chimney, Buck x Tommy

7x09 Honeymoon for Maddie x Chimney...saving a life at some point and then getting right back to the honeymoon. Bobby and Hen talking to Buck abt his relationship. We need to see Hen and Bobby's reaction. And Hen and Tommy I feel deserve a moment as well, so they can have that when Tommy comes to pick Buck up after shift. Talks all around. But it actually turns out to be a double date between Eddie x Marisol and Buck x Tommy. Tommy gets called in... has to leave Buck with a sweet kiss goodbye.

7x10 Finale. Storm/fire or something that Tommy was called in from last episode. Maddie dispatches the 118 to help after his team calls for backup. I'm picturing a cliffside mansion up in flames, probably cause I've been reading some amazing ao3. Either that or a high rise... one way or another the helicopter is going down with Tommy barely escaping and Bobby dispatching the team to both save Tommy, get the people out, and put out the fire. I want to see a full circle... Tommy was with them risking all to save Athena x Bobby. The 118 are going to do whatever it takes to get to him while still doing the rest of their jobs. I want them worried, determined, and all the amazing things they are. 118 officially adopts Tommy into the family even though he stays stationed as a pilot. We get family dinner at Bobby x Athena's with all the beautiful and happy couples.

And that's all I got! Cue end of season 7.

[alicepao13]

Hudson and Rex S02E06 - Under the Influencer

I don't really like this episode, I find the subject surrounding the murder and the whole influencer thing boring, plus it somehow was the most repeated episode when it aired in Greece (somehow they managed to put a few of them on a loop. Idiots). But I'll make an effort.

I think someone knew that the subject isn't too appealing which is why in the scene after the murder we get Charlie and Rex playing/training.

I know Diesel is a well-trained dog but I can't help thinking that a) I wouldn't put my hand there and b) I hope they pay John Reardon well.

I am with Charlie on this one, we shouldn't know about any of these people's lives. It's all like a bad reality show, and reality shows are already bad.

"Weddings and bad luck are virtually synonymous in my books" - Charlie Hudson. So, we're going with this now. And it's a cute small scene with Sarah and Charlie discussing weddings.

"Until death do them part, or another man in my case". Poor resentful man. It will get better.

If anyone actually speaks like that in real life, please don't tell me. Leave me blissfully unaware.

It's so insane how no literally no one actually cared for Katie enough, not even her mother, and the man who seemed to care the most about her actually killed her.

Rex: *repeatedly barks to indicate poison* Charlie: *repeatedly ignores him*

That's a lot of purple for a wedding.

Fun fact: The Greek word for the flower "snapdragons" is skylaki which translates to "doggo". I am not making this up. So, maybe that's why Rex likes them lol

Poor Jesse had to explain the term shipping to Charlie and Joe.

Charlie Hudson canonically ships Batman and Robin. Huh.

Fiance gets brought in for questioning because he has set up a ship account shipping him and one of the bridesmaids. We live in crazy times.

"I know this looks like a thirst trap..." And Charlie is error 404.

Katie may not have deserved to die but she was an awful human being.

"Your children's interests infiltrate your brain" I don't know what Joe is talking about. The only thing my parents ever got out of my interests as a child was a deep hatred for Pokemon, video games, and television, and a mild approval for the Harry Potter movies (at least back when JKR wasn't an unhinged right-wing nut).

Well, that reaction I get. Also Rex's what-the-fuck as well.

Sarah: The happier people look online, the sadder they are in reality. Charlie: You should post that.

Remember when Joe wanted things to be done by the book in the previous episode? Well, in this one Charlie is breaking into the storage locker without a warrant, right after asking Jesse if they're actually going to get that warrant and being assured that it won't be a problem. Good tv? Yes. Bad police procedure? Also yes.

For a shirt that says Katie club? Bitch, please.

"When you're a social media star, having trolls is a sign of success". Yeah, no. Any idiot with a few hundred followers can have trolls.

The scene with Rex's takedown in the storage area is almost comical and badly edited, with too much slow-mo. The scene with Rex's takedown outside the airport is better, has some obstacles which are good for jumps and such, and doesn't make me want to cringe. Although again, more slow-mo than what is needed.

Well, I'm glad it's on this show because in other fandoms this wouldn't have gotten weird so fast...

[sussex-newswire]

"Instead of going down smoothly, With Love, Meghan has sparked criticism around its star's supposed unrelatability, snobbery, and lack of a personality. If two out of three of those descriptors scream dog whistle to you — ding ding ding! Welcome to the fascinating, infuriating world of Markle hate, where the racist double standards are strong.

...

"As a working royal [Meghan]'s every move was scrutinized, from her choice of nail polish (entitled!) to her love of avocado toast (drought…causing?). Every action or tiny shard of personality revealed to the public was put under a microscope and used against her. [Meghan]'s pride in having good handwriting became supposed proof of her being 'emotionally insecure and self-pitying'; the letter she wrote at age eleven protesting a sexist dish soap commercial��made some see her as 'aggressive and brandish.' To put it simply: The woman couldn't catch a break. Ever. Not once. 

"The press and the public's relationship to [Meghan] has been rooted in misogynoir since the moment her relationship with Prince Harry became public. They called her 'straight out of Compton' and used a white woman's alleged tears to vilify her. [Meghan] was so horrifically treated by the press, the public, and reportedly the royal family that the experience very directly drove her to suicidal ideation. 'I didn't want to be alive anymore,' [Meghan] told Oprah. In 2020, as a direct result of all of the above, [Meghan] and Prince Harry stepped back from their senior positions in the royal family.

"Without the financial backing provided to senior royals — and with their son Prince Archie to protect — [Meghan] and Prince Harry needed money, and fast. They needed a new place to live that could shield them from paparazzi scaling walls. They also required extraordinarily expensive security detail to protect them from daily death threats. So they signed many-million dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify. 

"Read that last paragraph again and ask yourself a question: Is relatability really a fair scale to judge Meghan...when those are the realities of her life?

...

"With Love, Meghan is perfect laundry-folding TV. It is not meant to be watched with rapt attention; you are supposed to put it on in the background of your regular-degular life and let Markle and her rotating cast of buddies convince you that you, too, can salt-bake a fish. This is a show about sanding down life's edges. It's about making your world more beautiful; it's not about all the regular or even ugly moments in between. The series has made no room for anger, sadness, or even the messy moments of Markle's history we already know about. It's hard to say how much of that is for our sakes — don't we deserve some smooth-brained TV? — and what's for hers.

"...But lemme tell you: After watching Episode 5 I am convinced I can salt bake a fish, and I am actually going to try. Maybe she didn't connect with everyone through With Love, Meghan — but she connected with me, at least a little bit. And for a show like this, I think that’s enough."

[zot3-flopped]

I think Niall appreciates his luck and behind the scenes he does seem to put the work in. I'm not a fan - his music bores me. But looking back, I'm impressed that he has trained his vocals to sing the way he does now - he can tour with his voice. Of all of the four that aren't Harry, I can see he's achieved a lot *for him*, and with The Voice and the golf thing, plus let's not forget a steady relationship that seems to be pretty private, he's doing great. Of all of them, I think he has always been aware that the level of stardom he gained from 1D was out of proportion to his talents. I wish he didn't cosplay Harry quite so much, it's getting a little weird, but it also shows someone who's willing to observe what works, and the other three don't have that ability!

Liam, to me, seems to be in a bad place, psychologically, maybe psychiatrically. He can't do this job. He can sing well - if you like that sort of thing - but he hasn't got such talent that he can wow people. I think in the beginning Simon thought he did, perhaps, but 1D ended up being a curse for Liam. The whole project very quickly overshadowed him. He worked so hard to be part of it - and he *was* good in the band, no doubt. Vocally he was vital. He just didn't appear to have much guidance about the rest of 'being a pop star' post-1D and he seems not to have a foundation within himself, for whatever reason, that he could build on (unlike Harry, with his laser focus on who he is and what he wants). It's my view that he's got a personality disorder of some sort and of all of them, I think he is most in danger of ending badly.

Zayn I think is just a prick. There isn't much to say about him. I was the anon the other day who was utterly shocked at his live stream singing. People talk about him having the best voice in 1D. Yeah, maybe for one line and a high note per song. He has not got nearly enough talent or good personality to have garnered the adoration of his stans. He has not got anything to him, that he can take forward, and I'm glad this latest song hasn't hit. He doesn't deserve anything.

Louis is such a mess but he is making it work for him in his own weird way. I suspect he's losing money, but he's crafting for himself the tale he wants to tell (bolshy singer who did it his way against the odds, thousands of adoring fans to support him). The way he creates this underdog image, then has the balls to go on stage and patently be unable to sing or even move, the dogged repetition of his mantras about needing the fans' support: it's an exercise in manipulation on quite a large scale. I think he knows exactly what he's doing with it, but I can't see what he plans for the future. I'm curious to see him in five, ten years' time - still no relationship whatsoever with Harry to please the fans; the music scene will have moved far beyond him. I reckon someone in future will make a podcast series about his last few stans and he'll end up a weird footnote, a grizzled, addled recluse who was the centre of some strange people's lives for a while.

🤣🤣 Love this! Excellent points. Agree about Liam, unfortunately. I do think he'd be happier retiring from the fame game and just enjoying his millions. He should stop calling the tabloid paps everywhere he goes and find a partner who supports a sober lifestyle and isn't a wannabe influencer.

[spiritussancto1]

Multilingual

 Wolfstar microfic--wordcount:1028

Remus Lupin could speak to cats. They had volunteered to babysit Harry so James and Lily could have a well deserved night out, having barely left the house since his birth. Their large tabby cat was sitting on the windowsill when they arrived, surveying them curiously through the window. Sirius hadn’t had much experience with cats. The Blacks would never have allowed anything so cuddly and independent under their roof. Lilly’s cat Hieronymus had been a present from James.   “Our first love child!” James had crowed when Lily lifted the kitten out of his box, and he was indeed very cuddly with them. He’d never had much interest in the rest of the marauders, getting occasional scritches as he went about his Important Cat Business(tm).

  Remus and Sirius were flopped on the couch, having finally gotten baby Harry down when Hieronymus hopped up, trilling, and settled between them purring gently. Remus stroked him absentmindedly.   “I know, right? I’ll work on dinner as soon as my legs work again. God I’m knackered.” Remus sounded it.   “What is for dinner? You sound like a man with a plan.” Sirius hoped Remus had a plan. He was far too tired to do more than order pizza.

  “Hmm? Oh I dono. I was talking to him.” Remus was petting Hieronymus and staring vaguely into space   “You do that a lot. Does he talk back? I always suspected he had a bit of kneazle in him.” Sirius reached out to stroke an outstretched paw. Hieronymus flexed his claws and pulled his paw under him, yawning. Sirius pulled his hand back, slightly hurt. Remus had his whole arm resting along the fuzzy warm body.   “That wasn’t a rejection,” Remus said, having seen the flicker of hurt cross his face

  “No? What was it then?”

  “He just doesn’t like his paws being messed with. You can pet him. He likes you”

  “How do you know?” Sirius asked, genuinely curious

  “Well cats don’t relax like this around people they don’t trust, do they? My little man here knows you’re good people.” Remus was rubbing the cat's soft warm belly. Hiero had rolled half onto his back in the liquid way of sleepy cats. Sirius stroked his cheek and got nuzzled in return

  “I think i understand him a bit better now, having spent so much time around you as Padfoot,” Remus said

  “What does that mean?” Sirius was only feigning offense on principle. Cats versus dogs. Of course the only other cat he knew was Mrs Norris and she was a cunt.

  “Nothing! Just, when we’re together at the full moon, we kinda talk, don’t we? I mean you’d remember better than me but...we’re pack. We understand each other, you know?”

  Sirius did know. When Padfoot ran with the Wolf sometimes they wrestled and played. Sometimes they hunted. Sometimes they....Sirius wasn’t sure what to think about some of those times and resolved yet again to just let them be what they were. 

  Whatever the marauders were doing, whatever form they were in, they understood each other. The Wolf needed to be in control. Needed to lead and protect and provide. Sirius could see traces of Remus in the Wolf, traces of the Wolf in his friend, though he would never say it. Dogs, rats, and deer were not equipped for human speech so they’d all gotten extremely good at charades, which was a large part body language, a large part context cues, and only occasional vocalizations. It was a skill you picked up over time but it was much easier to understand Prongs than Hiero, despite the cat being far more expressive.

  “Yeah, I think I get you. We’ve all gotten good at body language”

  “I think it’s more than that. Maybe it’s a werewolf thing. I can...almost hear him. Like I can hear you during the moons.”

  “Is that hearing?” Sirius was thinking about the subtle head gestures, the way his friends' bodies tensed or relaxed, a look that carried the same meaning as a sentence. 

  “Dono what you would call it but...I feel you. I understand you,” Remus said slowly, as if he was just now puzzling out what he understood. He met Sirius’ eyes and he understood too. A deeper communication than words. A familiarity with Remus’ heart and mind. A bond between them that carried far more insight than language. Love swelled in Sirius and he blinked a few times

  “Dumbledore claims that words are our most inexhaustible source of magic,” Sirius knew he was changing the subject but it all felt a bit raw at the moment.

  “Yeah well, Dumbledore doesn’t turn into an animal. I think there is a bit of magic to it though. I noticed when I was around the other wolves. I think they were influencing how I felt about them but they didn’t mean to, if that makes any sense. Connecting like that, sharing emotions, it’s just what they do.”

  “Is it like legilimancy?” Sirius remembered Walburga rummaging through his mind and felt an icy finger trail down his spine. He tried to keep his uneasiness from showing. Remus never talked about werewolf magic if he could help it.

  “No...maybe a little? It’s in the same family of magic but it’s not done maliciously. Or at least no more than words are intentionally malicious. It’s more...honest. Werewolves don’t really hide things from each other. Not feelings anyway. It’s more like a cultural difference. Like you know how deaf culture can seem kinda blunt if you’re not used to it? Sign language isn’t rude, it’s just different”

  “When did you learn sign language?” Sirius was absentmindedly playing with Heiro’s tail, marveling that even after all these years, Remus surprised and amazed him with his insight, an instinctual understanding of magic and people that was subtle and deep.

  “Oh I didn’t. There was a bloke at the home had gone deaf as a little kid. He showed us how to swear in sign.” Just then Heiro decided he’d had enough of Sirius’s fiddling and swatted his hand, giving a low meow of warning and irritation

  “The first words learned in any language throughout time. As it should be”

[titaniasthings]

New Ventures

ao3 link if you're interested

The remnants of the green flame from Ron and Hermione’s fireplace flickered away as they carried the rest of an angry Harry through the floo network.

 “He reacted better than I thought,” Hermione did not take well to Ron’s sarcasm, aggressively picking up the cups from a disastrous tea and bringing them to the kitchen. 

 “He’s not the only one upset,” She turns to look him in the eyes. They were the same puppy-dog brown but with a fierce resoluteness. Hermione had to remind herself she was mad at him, “ Honestly, Ron, you can’t just decide to leave your job without any discussion. We have a child on the way, and you can’t keep making rash decisions,”

 “This wasn’t rash. Ill-planned, I’ll admit, but I didn’t just decide this on a whim. It’s been bothering me for a while,” Ron runs his hands over his face and moves closer to her, resting his hand on the counter next to her. 

Hermione struggles to understand how he could’ve thought this through. He hadn’t always loved working for the Ministry, she knew that, but he wanted to keep fighting them. They all wanted to be a pressing thumb in holding the Ministry accountable.

“I don’t understand,” Hermione admitted. “I know the job can be difficult, but how else are we meant to change things? You told me you weren’t going back to Hogwarts because you wanted to help people. You said you knew there was going to be a need for support. What’s changed?” 

“Nothing changed; that’s the problem,” he muttered. “My whole life, I watched my dad break his back trying to disprove prejudice, and they laughed at him, mocked him. I thought if we just garnered enough respect, people would listen to us,”

“But they do respect you!” Hermione added. She’d always seen the Weasleys as a genuinely honorable family. Their kindness, values, and sense of justice made her proud to be one. 

“You know better than anyone that respect isn’t enough,” He looks at her, now somber, “The prejudice runs too deep with these people,” Hermione looks down at her hands, twisting her wedding band.

 She faced their bigotry every day. The little comments about her aptitude and how capable she was from higher-ups. She heard cases about the Ministry's mistreatment of werewolves and house elves all the time. Voldemort dying didn’t change centuries' worth of bias, but who would she be if she didn’t try? 

“I’m not Harry. I can’t get away with making as much noise as he does. They don’t listen. I won’t be some pawn, a war hero they can’t flaunt around to carry out their misdeeds,” he shakes his head, “It’s all bullshit, and I’m done playing their game,”

Hermione wraps her arms around his broad frame, resting her head against his back. “You are the wisest wizard I know. Any person who ignores what you have to say is a pillock,” He turns around to face her, wrapping his hands around her waist.

“They don’t want to listen, and I can’t force them as an auror,” He presses his lips against the top of her head.

She looks up at him. The boy who’s been through everything with her. The one who made her feel at home when she felt like an outsider. The big dolt who’d broken her heart a million times just to rebuild it bigger and stronger. She can’t imagine a department deserving someone as thoughtful and sincere as him.

 “I understand. I really do, but we can’t give up. I can’t give up,” Hermione admits to him. She can't sit by and let them get away with this. 

“I don’t want you to quit. I think if anyone can make the Ministry pull their head out of their arse, it’s you. You’ll force them to do better,” Ron lowers his hands to her little baby bump, staring wondrously at it, “Now I only answer to the both of you… and sometimes mum,” Hermione cracks at his quip. Adjusting would be hard, but she didn’t marry Ron for his status. She married him for his kindness and his mind. Hermione had to let him follow through with it. 

“I’m sure Harry will come around. He loves you almost as much as I do, maybe more sometimes,” Ron laughs at that assumption.

“Probably, but there will be plenty of me for both of you,” She snuggles into his chest once more and stand in the home they created, treasuring their moment of peace.

[cerebrobullet]

Sharpe's Fury Very Belated Final Book Report:

honestly been putting this one off because i know the battle scenes are coming and i need to be in a Mood to survive them sometimes. also im busy vibrating violently over my gf visiting in a week and there's very little brain space for other things to exist.

pat smelling sharpe's bullshit from a mile away but having to just let him Be Stupid. rip pat i'm so sorry your boyfriend is an idiot. himbosexual problems.

sharpe thinking at pat that it's "not his fight" when he keeps butting in, like.... bud, buddy, whatever you do is pat's business and pat's fight.

god i forgot sharpe got shot in the head. that scene deserves an expansion. maybe sharpe being laid up in bed for a bit with just harper to look after him :3c. what if i wrote a fic series that just expands on all the injury scenes to give them the solid h/c treatment they deserve

harper glaring harris down from protesting following sharpe heheheh

vibrates excitedly over the men bantering while on their "walk on the beach". cornwell please gimmie 20 more chapters of just that, just them being little shits while following their officer around like a pack of happy dogs ready to chew the face off of anything that threatens him

oooh the voice the narrator used for when sharpe spots the colonel he's trying to kill was *chef kiss*. very fine acting, loved the... fury in it *eyebrow waggle*

aaaaaand that's the end of that one! did enjoy moon's change of heart at the end hah, and sir thomas being all "well he hates you sharpe so clearly he'd not lie for you!". love it when sharpe going feral makes other officers want to put him in a lil baggy and tote him around. god i love feral characters SO MUCH

also blessing be that the girl of the week had an american accent, forcing the narrator to make her sound like leroy and therefore not insufferable.

hmm overall would rate fury solidly upper c tier i think. loved most all the bits with sharpe running around the city with a head wound and a devious lil queer man. loved the vibe sharpe had with henry. it had some solid stand out bits! and was overall very acceptable. 👍

Next, we return to the 90's writing era with Battle.

[obsoleteozymandias]

I want more self care headcanons for my boys!!! They deserve it after all they have been through. Could I please get some bath time headcanons for the DE boys? Stuff like the kinds of smells they like for soap and candles. If they are the kind to wash their partner, have their partner wash them or a mix of both. Small things like how their hair feels all soaped up, maybe add something where the reader does something like spike their hair while helping wash it, or making bubble beards or hats for themselves and the boys.

I also imagine Harry loves baths but doesn't get the chance to indulge in them alone due to his chaotic mind and work. He definitely wraps a towel around his hair and maybe even wraps the towel all around his body and not just his hips.

Surrrrrre thing baby. I didn’t really include a reader in this one, just FYI.

Headcanons: Disco Elysium

+Self Care!

Harry du Bois: 

Harry is the kind of guy who smells awful, but adores luxurious bubble baths. He loved the soaps and oils Dora used, so after she left, he bought himself some of them.

I feel like pre-mart Harry would have been sensitive to being seen as not hyper-masculine though, so he would have compensated for the floral scents with ungodly amounts of cheap cologne. 

He loves to just sit in a warm bath with candles and sink into his own mind. On a bad day he listens to the radio and tries to stay further away from his own thoughts. 

Mans goes commando after a bath. In the comfort of his own home, nobody can tell him to wear pants. 

I imagine he’d like being washed by someone, like a big ol’ dog. 

Kim Kitsuragi: 

Kim will take a nice long bath occasionally. He believes it to be a bit gross, soaking in your own filth, and truthfully prefers a shower. But after a long case, when he could give less of a shit about how he gets clean and more about how he feels during it, he’ll give in. 

Candles, burning hot water, and silence. He’ll occasionally listen to a TipTop race if there is one playing, but otherwise he’s pretty much like a corpse in the water. 

He’ll sit forever, just letting himself feel warm and relaxed, not worrying about the next case while he still can. 

Afterwards, he’ll smoke a cigarette in an old bathrobe an ex bought him as a gag gift. It was too comfortable to throw away. 

I don’t think Kim would be all to opposed to having someone help him, but just with the harder to reach areas. He likes being independent. 

Jean Vicquemare: 

Jean takes baths as often as he can. He really needs that full-body relaxation after a long day of dealing with idiots (read: Harry, Mack, and Chester). 

He reads while bathing, typically the news, but occasionally some cheesy horror novel. I also feel like Jean likes non-fiction, so maybe he reads up on some history. 

Thinking about the past can make the present easier to handle.

 He will also smoke while in the bath, which is horrendous, but nevermind that. 

He also has a bathrobe, one which used to match with Harry (another gag gift) that he kept. 

I think he’d like to bathe alone, given that it’s his personal time to think over the day. 

[bllsbailey]

HOT TAKES: Hilarity Ensues When Dodger Blue Meets MAGA Red Hat

Welp, it was inevitable. California conservatives and MAGA supporters are becoming emboldened, flying Trump flags and <*clutch the pearls*> wearing Red MAGA hats in public. But to wear one on the first night of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees—that is beyond the pale.

This woman was spotted sitting behind home plate, and she had the unmitigated GALL to wear her MAGA hat to the game. Where does she think she is, Georgia?! 

Citizen Free Press spotted her first:

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 26, 2024

One TV producer called it out, and predicted a trend. He's a little late to the party.

— Bradford Broyles 🌴🐊🇺🇸 (@BradfordBroyles) October 26, 2024

Of course, left-leaning Dodger fans are being triggered, and some are losing their minds. Many took to X to post their displeasure, even tagging Magic Johnson (a Dodgers co-owner) and the Dodgers' X feed.

There's a woman wearing what *appears* to be a red MAGA hat right behind home plate at Dodgers Stadium. It's annoying and distracting.#WorldSeries— Barry+ 🖖🏼 🇺🇦 🏳️‍⚧️ 💉💉💉💉💉 #🟦 (@bmerer) October 26, 2024

Maybe pull out a vape to make yourself feel better—or has Gavin outlawed that too? Alex Timmons was next to raise a hissy fit.

WARNING: Language (sorry, these are leftist, after all)

Of course there’s some piece of shit sitting right behind home plate wearing a make America great again hat looking for attention at the World Series. Hey @Dodgers you gonna do anything about really divisive political statements on such an important world wide event like this? pic.twitter.com/B0GmT74Sd2— @a1extimmons.bsky.social & threads (@A1exTimmons) October 26, 2024

Timmons had to go to the WinRed website to prove his point. Maybe we need to check his or her credit card purchases.

Can’t even watch the World Series without the nastiness of MAGA— John Yazek (@john_yazek) October 26, 2024

Listening via radio comes to mind. But that's probably way above their heads.

Ben Whitehead wanted to see the woman forcibly removed for offending his sensibilities. If he's one of those "White Dude for Harris" then we know he's very sensitive.

Hey @Dodgers - The lady directly behind home plate with the MAGA hat… remove her ASAP.— Ben Whitehead (@thebenwhitehead) October 26, 2024

Another individual thought it had to be a paid psyop by the Trump campaign. After all, anyone who loves Trump cannot appreciate baseball... or something like that.

MAGA hat at the Dodgers game hasn’t watched one pitch. I want to smack that thing off this paid plant’s head so bad.— Chris Martin (@CPMartini) October 26, 2024

And one game watcher appealed to Kamala supporter Magic Johnson, mansplaining that having a red MAGA hat in the midst of Dodger Blue could really ruin the Dodgers' image.

@MagicJohnson The MAGA hat behind home plate is not a good look for @Dodgers.— WMJ (@wmjenkins3) October 26, 2024

And some "fans" decided that the Dodgers deserved to be cursed by this blatant display of fascism.

The Dodgers deserve to lose just for having that #MAGAmoron behind the plate. #BeatLA #WorldSeries— Adam Doctolero (@AdamDoctolero) October 26, 2024

One leftist complained that because someone got kicked out of an Oriole game for brandishing a Free Palestine flag, that this MAGA riff-raff should not be allowed to sit through the game. Well, someone paid for the seat, didn't they?

but dodger stadium has let a woman sit front and center behind home plate with a maga hat for 5 innings https://t.co/6VB172MB6o— Begrudging Yankees Fan Brennan 🍉 (@BayAreaBrennan) October 26, 2024

There were many other uses of profanity and curses lodged against this ballsy young lady, from hoping she chokes on a Dodger Dog to wishing a foul ball would hit her. The ever-tolerant Left on full display. 

But not everyone was upset, and many of them expressed their admiration. What did Orwell say? “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” 

— Will (@WillsWill1776) October 26, 2024

Shoutout to the fan behind home plate at Dodger stadium wearing a MaGA hat— Paul (@PaullyyM) October 26, 2024

— Duce (@Duce_iz_loose) October 26, 2024

— Ricky_Media 🫡🇵🇷🇺🇸 (@Ricky89841208) October 26, 2024

The meltdown has been hilarious, and it will no doubt make the evening news. Now L.A. MAGA needs to spread the word to ticket holders so that more numbers can show up for Game 2. Watching heads explode like in the movie "Mars Attacks" always makes for great entertainment.

[alarrytale]

People need to realize that Louis travels to places most artists don’t. He did that for his European tour & latam. Places that aren’t in the best economic standing and most artists don’t feel it’s worth going to. Even though Louis keeps his prices reasonable compared to other artists, Louies were still sponsoring other Louies to go to latam dates so fans would get a chance to go if they can’t afford it. It’s clear when he performs in places like Mexico, he can sell tickets. 73k tickets were sold for that one show and no that doesn’t include the charity livestream for WarChildUK. That was purely in person tickets sold.

People need to leave their bubble and understand not every country is going to be in the same situation economically or have the same type of venues but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to have shows in their countries and see their fave artists. Louis and the Louies that sponsored people made that happen for those fans.

For a singer who isn’t played on the radio, he still pulled some good audiences and fans had fun.

Why does he even bother booking into a stadium of 55k size if he's only going to put 20k up for sale? Just so he can say he's played a stadium? I don't get it. All those empty sections looked awful.

Maybe because it’s not possible to get an arena with a capacity of 20k, most arenas is max 15k and often only 10k. Therefore rather book a stadium where you can make arrangements to fit the demand. Rather empty seats than disappoint fans who can’t get a ticket if they choose a 10k arena.

I remember them changing the venue in one country because of high demand and the fans were furious because of that, therefore I think they want to avoid such an issue again and chooses a large capacity venue from the start.

Alternatively he should have several dates in the same city, but with a world tour like his it would be almost impossible because of the amount of dates he already had

I'm guessing it's because there isn't an alternative option when he's due there that fits his demand? And he's not sure of the demand and would rather overbook and let everyone who wants to come see him, rather than book a 10K venue and have to turn down 10k people? //

There are plenty of 20k venues in Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo. These are enormous cities. I think Louis thought about what 1d and Harry sold and thought he could sell similar as he's really popular but maybe people didn't have much money to spare this year.

Hi, anons!

I think all of you make great points. Louis does put up shows in countries, and in places that usually don't have many big artist visit. He's playing "Festningen" in Trondheim like lol? He does keep his ticket prices reasonable, or as low as possible. We don’t know how many venues are available to him at the date he's visiting. It may not be possible to book three nights at a 5k venue, if the demand is 15k, and there are no 15k venues free. Arenas are usually fully booked, because they're so versatile. Dog shows, car shows, concerts, ballroom dancing, stand up shows you name it. Stadiums are usually for sporting events or concerts, and are easier to book, with less demand. If it's less demand, prices are lower if it's outside of sporting season. If it was expensive to book, ticket prices would need to be much higher. They aren’t.

While i think Louis and his team were unsure of the demand in certain places (they miscalculated big time in Asia), i don't think they aimed for 1D or Harry numbers. They know how his streams are faring, measure his engagement and know how many watched aotv. They have a good read on the numbers. They don't do things without making a profit.

The venue change you talk about was a downgrade, not an upgrade. He played for 2.5k in Indonesia after changing the venue. Again, miscalculating big time in Asia. This was also after the Asia leg cancellation, in which he managed to piss of most of his fanbase by poor handling and communication. So... He did pull 73k i Mexico, and like i've mentioned many times now, he can easily pull 20k in major cities like NY, LA and London.

I think he's doing decent numbers, while trying to visit as much of the world as he can.

[blouisparadise]

Today we have a second part to our historical rec list for you! You can find the first part here. Check out these amazing fics and be sure to show the authors love. If you enjoy our rec lists, please be sure to like and reblog this post to help spread the word. Happy reading!

1) Alone Too Long | Explicit | 10317 words

By the time The Temptress finally reached bay, the Captain only had one thing on his mind, and that one thing was Louis Darling.

2) Across the Grey, Salty Sea | Explicit | 19968 words

Prompt 212: Alex from Dunkirk and French escort/prostitute Louis who ends up in Alex’s quarters more nights than not. Alex gives him his dog tag to wear maybe just a lot of smut and dirty talk with Louis being a pretty princess.

3) Angel Of Small Death And The Murder Scene | Explicit | 20634 words

Ever since Louis read about the new up and coming Detective in town, he had immediately disliked the man, despite never having met him. So, naturally, it can only be the worst thing that could have happened to Louis when he gets stuck with Detective Styles trying to solve a murder during his supposed to be relaxing vacation over the seas.

4) The Sovereign And The Sorcerer | Explicit | 22760 words

The silhouette of the person barely gave away his features. He could make out a tall frame, strength packing around his body like an armour. The scent hit him next, a thoroughbred alpha, Louis bared his teeth in warning. He would bite if this man tried to touch him.

"I suppose you are hungry," an amused voice regarded him, his accent giving away that he was from enemy lands, not that Louis needed any more confirmation than the situation he was currently in. "I brought some food and water," the stranger elaborated.

Louis rolled his eyes, tugging the chains to make them rattle, "I don't suppose you would be letting me out of these chains."

5) Ours Are The Moments I Play In The Dark | Mature | 30830 words

Jane Austen's Persuasion AU. Nine years ago Louis Tomlinson was persuaded to break off his engagement to Harry Styles, a poor sailor. Since then Louis has come to regret being so easily convinced to give up his one chance of happiness. Now Louis' family is in debt and his childhood home is being sold. In a complete reversal of fortune, Harry has returned to England a wealthy bachelor looking to settle down. Events conspire to bring them together once more though Louis is- must surely be- the last man on earth that Captain Styles would think of now.

6) Through Chaos As It Swirls, It's Us Against The World | Explicit | 31728 words

Corporal Styles is sent on a suicidal mission, at his hands the lives of hundreds of men that are going straight into a trap. He ends up finding Louis, the French and most beautiful boy he ever seen, and a baby, in a basement of a dead city.

7) Best Colours For Your Portrait | Explicit | 37717 words

Louis bites his lip in, his eyes leaving Harry's face, they are cast low as he takes a deep breath before sighing, "In solitude, I felt the liberty you spoke of."

"But," The omega glances up, his eyebrows twitching as he brings his face closer to Harry's neck to overpower the alpha's scent with his scent, "I mostly felt your absence."

8) Letters To June | Explicit | 41150 words

It's 1915, Europe is in the middle of the Great War. Omega Louis decides to join the Letter Home Project to become someone’s penfriend. Through this he meets a lovely soldier who hasn't got anyone else to send a letter to. Along with his letter, comes a picture of the most handsome alpha Louis has ever seen.

9) Now I Think That I Could Love You Back | Explicit | 42255 words

“I do not care if she banishes me to my chambers for a month or the rest of the year, you two must see reason,” Louis protests, feeling a minor fit coming on. “He is nothing but an insufferable, cocky, cloddish, pitiful excuse for an Alpha, and he deserves to live the rest of his days in solitary, not me.”

“My, my, what an array of abuse. I surely would loath to be this inadequate excuse of an Alpha you speak of, but alas I cannot relate to possessing such deficiency,” a honey-glazed voice drips out from behind Louis, and the omega can feel the steam pouring over, ready to burst out of his already flushed ears.

10) Oubaitori | Explicit | 48822 words

Louis and Harry meet again after years apart and have to learn to live together by detangling their shared past and uncovering old secrets.

11) In A World Alone | Explicit | 51152 words

Harry’s breath catches as the glow grows bigger and bigger until he’s squinting his eyes and blinking at the sudden intense brightness. He closes his eyes, rubbing at them helplessly. When his eyes open again- he gasps, grip loosening on his bow as he gawks at the sight before him.

Because the swan is gone.

And in its place is the prettiest omega Harry has ever seen.

12) Untamed Hearts Align | Explicit | 55795 words

For as long as Louis has known her, Lady Margaret Tomlinson has had two aspirations for the remaining years of her life. The first was to out-dress the Duchess of Kent at every soirée and gathering. The second was to marry off her omega nephew to the most honorable – and highly ranked – alpha suitor she could find.

He does not expect for her to arrange a marriage between him and the crown prince, and he certainly does not expect to fall for him.

Everything changes when Harry disappears.

13) If You’re Out There (I’ll Find You Somehow) | Explicit | 55916 words

Harry looks so intensely into Louis’ eyes it’s as though he’s reaching in and touching his very soul. “I never thought… I never… I’ve been searching for so long, Louis, but I never gave up. I couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop trying,” Harry says, bottom lip trembling as he strokes the backs of Louis’ knuckles. “I just knew that if you were out there, I’d find you somehow.”

14) Lunar Waltz | Explicit | 56795 words

“You want me to seduce an alpha,” Louis hissed.

“I want you to marry an alpha. It’s the only way I could ever get back on my feet. You didn’t think a few dances at a ball would do anything to Alastair’s reputation or mine...”

“And what if Alastair comes back? Have you thought about him in all of this? You’re going to marry him to an alpha he doesn’t even know!”

“Oh he does know him, in fact... he’d be ecstatic to know he got to marry him.”

Louis’ blood ran cold, already suspecting who was the alpha the earl was talking about.

“Who is he?” he asked anyways, hating how fragile and almost scared his voice sounded.

“Lord Harry Styles.”

Louis' stomach dropped, the words came smelling like danger, sending a bolt of fear down his spine, the Earl wanted Louis to seduce The Duke of Death.

15) Let Your Damage, Damage Me | Explicit | 57077 words

A low and dangerous growl was ripped from the future King’s chest.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” the alpha snarled, eyes dark and nostrils flared.

Even as anger rushed through him at the alpha’s brutish display, Louis felt breathless at the intense gaze of the man that was going to be his future mate.

‘Tomorrow I’m going to be under all that. He will be inside me, all muscles and rage.’ Louis felt his cheeks heat again, but refused to be cowed. So he put his best smirk on display, the one alphas despised to see, the one that assured them all he had the upper hand.

“Thought you were expecting me, dear husband. I’m your future mate.”

16) From Chaos | Explicit | 62764 words

“Your majesty, is everything okay?” a man, fully covered in a black armor from head to toe, harshly opened the door.

Louis’ breath hitched, not quite registering the honorary term the man used for him but fully recognizing two things; first, the black crown of thorns on top of his head, making the dark veil that covered his face sit in place. There was a symbol on his chest, two serpents intertwined in what appeared to be a circle, who represented Orcus' connection with life and death. A reminder to everyone in the order that death was constant, and infinite.

The man who stood in front of him, tense and alert, was a knight, an Orcus’ knight. Louis took an uneven breath.

What type of nightmare was this?

17) These Still Waters Run Deep | Explicit | 64602 words

Having accepted his engagement to Viscount Andrew, Louis is aware that it isn’t a love match and has no wish to be swept off his feet… until he meets the viscount’s brother, Harry, who makes him second-guess everything.

18) Mead Of Poetry | Explicit | 65053 words

Under the pressure of continuing the Styles viscountcy line now that he is getting older, Harry sets himself three rules to finally settle down and marry: firstly, the omega needs to be reasonably attractive, secondly, they must be of great mind, thirdly, they cannot be anyone he would ever fall in love with.

Enters Charlotte Tomlinson, the diamond of the first water of the upcoming season and seemingly the perfect candidate to the viscount’s plan, but her omega brother, Louis, is in Harry’s way. Louis only seeks to protect his sister and he sure is not going to let a rake play with her heart.

19) Where They Glow | Explicit | 70509 words

“Look, sweetheart,” Harry starts, shaking his head. “Name your price - seriously. I’m willing to be generous, just don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be. I’ll take my crown and we never have to see each other again. Easy peasy.”

Louis frowns at the term of endearment that sounds condescending dripping from Harry’s lips, stepping closer. “Something brought you here, Harry Styles. Call what you will: fate, destiny…”

“Liam Payne,” Harry mutters.

“And I have made the decision to trust you,” Louis says, ignoring the odd comment.

“A horrible decision, really,” Harry says, looking amused. “Then again, I’m the one sitting here in ropes with multiple bruises on my head so who am I to say anything about decisions?”

20) Late Nights and Good Intentions | Explicit | 71808 words

Victorian era AU where Louis pines for his overprotective older brother’s very charming best friend.

21) Shooting Stars In The Woods | Explicit | 81771 words

A Tudor era AU. Prince Louis I of England has everything a man could ever dream of, but his lack of husband is driving his father, the King, to madness. But Louis doesn't want any of the eligible bachelors his father pushes his way. All he wants is to be able to do is marry the knight he's been in love with for two years now.

The love story of a royal and his servant, separated by class but joined by heart. Their relationship has remained a careful secret for a long time now, but when a threat to the kingdom forces them both to leave the palace, it turns out their secret isn't the only one that could topple everything they’ve ever known.

22) Cherry Red and Gloomy Blue | Explicit | 94940 words

Summer had never quite been like this before. Yes—it was still sticky, Diletta was the same as always and Louis’ family estate in the Italian countryside hadn’t changed one bit. However, something the young omega would’ve never expected was for a handsome, Italian alpha to completely turn his life upside down—hopefully for the better.    

23) Locked Hearts | Explicit | 100499 words

England, 1840. Triggered by a heart filled with ambition, the powerful Pack Alpha Harry Styles decides to create an alliance with the neighbouring pack through marriage. The de Winters, having heard of Styles’ reputation as a charming yet abusive lover, refuse to put their only omega son through a life of misery—although they have no qualms coming up with a plan to make the advantageous alliance happen, even if it means subjecting someone else to that fate.

Enters Louis Tomlinson, a servant with a pitiful past who, against his wish, finds himself roped into a dangerous scheme that might very well cost his life in the end.

24) Billow and Breeze (Islands and Seas) | Explicit | 102506 words

It was bright; that was the first thing Louis could recall. With a groan, he winced at the throbbing behind the sockets of his eyes and rubbed his temples in an effort to soothe the pain. Maybe he really did hit his head when he took his tumble. The omega squinted as he looked at the surrounding rolling hills and fog hanging over the countryside. As strange as it was, the world felt different, though it looked practically the same.

Disoriented and confused, Louis padded through the moss and listened for his husband. “Liam?” he croaked shakily. Nothing but a symphony of woodland creatures met his ears. His footsteps were muted by mossy green grass beneath his feet and soil fragrant as he neared the crest of the hill. At the top, he froze, lips parted in horror and eyes widening at the expanse of empty farmland—not a soul in sight. It had only been less than ten minutes prior that he could see Inverness from the crest, but now there was nothing.

“Impossible,” he whispered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief—his mind not quite able to make sense of it.

25) A Taste Of Desire | Explicit | 104414 words

A Victorian ABO where Harry is the owner of the most successful cotton mill in Manchester, and Louis is an opinionated social activist about to disrupt Harry’s world.

26) Turn The World To Gold | Explicit | 142676 words

A Helen of Troy AU featuring two great love stories, one of the greatest battles ever fought, and a giant wooden horse.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[drarrily-we-row-along]

Day 108: Ideal (Happy Birthday, Harry Potter)

Harry hadn’t had very many good birthdays.

Somehow, in spite of that fact, he’d imagined that his 19th birthday would be different. Last year, on his 18th birthday, when they’d spent the day rebuilding Hogwarts, Harry had reflected on his many terrible birthdays and told himself that 18 would be the last bad one. He’d told himself that on his 19th birthday there would be a party, he’d have his friends around him, and maybe just for that one day, they could forget everything bad and just have fun.

But now he was single, living in muggle London, without any friends nearby, and without any happy plans in place. He decided that he had to do something today, there must be something that could make his birthday not quite so glum.

He set off toward a coffee shop a few blocks from his house and ran smack into a door as a woman was coming out. She apologized but Harry was too distracted by what he saw inside of the store. From where he stood he could see reptiles, and birds, and he thought he could make out cats in the corner, and somewhere there was the faint sound of puppies yipping.

Waving the woman off he entered the animal shelter, feeling like might have found something good after all. He wandered in; first past the birds, then the reptiles, then to the kittens and full-grown cats. He paused with the cats for a little while, trailing his fingers along their cages and talking to them softly. Then he moved past them to the dogs and puppies.

There had to be about 10 altogether, different breeds and types, some sleeping, some playing together, some just wandering about sniffing. Several came charging over to the edge of their pen when they saw him, wagging their tails eagerly and he just knew. He looked up and waved to a sales associate who was straightening some pet supplies. “Sorry, I just wonder if I could meet some of the dogs?”

“Oh, sure!” she replied brightly. “Draco is on the dogs today, I’ll call him over. Just a mo.”

That was an odd name, Harry thought, it must be a coincidence. Surely Draco Malfoy wouldn’t be working in a Muggle Animal Shelter of all places. It was preposterous. Yet a moment later he heard a voice he’d recognize anywhere, “Sir, is there something I can help you with?”

Harry’s jaw dropped and he turned to look at the boy who had been his nemesis for several years, “Malfoy?” he asked incredulously, yet somehow he couldn't find it in himself to be surprised. It was his birthday after all.

(Read more below the cut)

“Potter? What in Merlin’s name are you doing here?”

“Oh, you boys know each other?” Annie asked with a wide smile.

“Uh,” Harry said inarticulately even as Malfoy said, “Yes, we went to school together.”

“Oh, it’s always nice to run into old friends!” she exclaimed. “Well, I’ll just leave you two to catch up and to find this young man a puppy!”

“You’re here to adopt a puppy?” Malfoy asked incredulously.

“Or a grown-up dog,” Harry replied defensively, feeling like this sort of luck was quite typical of his birthdays.

“And you just happened to show up at the one shelter in all of London that I work at?”

“Well, it’s not like I knew you worked here. It’s my birthday and I just wanted one happy thing-”

“A dog is a big commitment. It’s not just something you decide you want one day then discard the next.”

“I know that!” he protested. “And I want a commitment. I want something to love and take care of, something that loves me in return. I want something that is there all the time.”

Malfoy stared at him for a long moment. “Alright. What kind of dog are you looking for?”

“I don’t know. I thought maybe I could meet them and then I’d know which one was the right one.”

“Trust me, Potter, if you do it that way you’ll take home 5 dogs.”

“Maybe I want five dogs,” Harry said stubbornly. “It’s not like I’ve got anything else on at the moment.”

Malfoy snorted, “Have you ever owned a dog, Potter?”

“No,” Harry replied. “Have you?”

“No,” Malfoy said. “For one thing I’m not allowed to have them in my flat and for another, I don’t have the time and energy for a dog. Dogs are a lot of work and I’m not saying you can’t do it,” he said, as Harry opened his mouth to protest. “I’m just saying, maybe you should start with one dog.”

Harry frowned but it did make sense, he supposed.

“Come on, Potter, tell me about your ideal dog and I’ll still let you meet all of them,” he said as he started toward the back. When Harry didn’t follow he said, “Come on, you can’t meet them out there.”

Harry followed him through a door that led behind the glass.

“So, when you imagine your perfect dog, do you think you want a dog with a lot of energy or that’s a little more lowkey?”

“Umm,” Harry said, imagining that he’d like a dog who wanted to play but also thinking of how hard some days were. “Maybe a little lower energy, but one that would still like taking walks and want to play a little bit each day.”

“Well, most of our dogs will want to play at least a little bit here and there,” he replied. “So meet Artemis first,” he said, as he went into the area all of the dogs were in and led one dog out. “She is not for you,” he said as the dog bounded over to Harry and Harry knelt down to pet her. She licked his face and put her paws up on his shoulders to sniff his hair.

“Why isn’t she for me?” he asked, tipping his head up to avoid being licked in the mouth. “Hi Artemis,” he said. “Hello, beautiful girl,” he said as he stroked her sides, combing through her soft fur. “You’re a lovie, aren’t you?”

“She is,” Malfoy confirmed, rubbing her head between her ears. “But our Artemis is part Australian Cattle Dog which means she is very high energy. She needs to run every day regardless of the weather and she needs a lot of stimulation. She is a very smart girl and there will be a perfect home for her, but you aren’t it.”

“But I like her,” Harry said, wrestling with her a little bit.

“You’ll like lots of them,” he said. “I promise.” Then he added, “And if she is your favorite, there’s nothing saying she can’t come back out so you can have her.”

“Alright,” Harry agreed reluctantly.

“Alright,” Malfoy repeated. “So that’s Artemis, you can meet Pontus next,” he said, before calling Artemis back to the playroom where the other dogs were. “Pontus isn’t completely trained yet, we’re still working with him on basic commands, so I’ll just have to go in and get him.”

Harry nodded and sat back on his heels to wait, a moment later a huge dog came out, panting and dragging Malfoy behind him.

“Pontus,” Malfoy said reprovingly.

Harry couldn’t help but laugh as the dog barreled into him and knocked him off his feet with a couple of raucous barks. He pinned Harry’s shoulders to the floor and licked his face quite thoroughly, butting his glasses completely off his face. “Hey, boy,” Harry managed, pushing at his broad chest so he could sit up.

Malfoy was tugging at the dog’s collar, seemingly to no avail. Finally, between the two of them, they got him enough off of Harry that he could sit up.

“Well, hello to you, too, handsome,” Harry said with a chuckle as he scratched behind his ears and Pontus tried to sit in his lap.

“Pontus is very sweet but he is an oaf,” Malfoy said as he brushed his hair back out of his face. “He is part American Pitbull and part something huge and dumb. We can’t quite figure him out.”

“He’s a nice boy,” Harry said as Pontus tried to chew on a bit of Harry’s fringe.

“No,” Malfoy reprimanded the dog, tugging him back from Harry. “Yes, he is, but he needs a firm hand, Potter, and you are too soft. Once he’s trained a little bit he’ll be a very good boy but you just let him eat your hair so you’re definitely not his.”

“Yeah,” Harry said, patting the dog’s side. “I think you’re probably right.”

“Did you hit your head on the floor when he knocked you over?”

“Not really,” Harry said as he reached back to rub the back of his head and Pontus butted him to get him to keep petting him, “Yes, alright, you demanding thing,” he said with a chuckle. “Why do you ask?”

“Well because you admitted I was right and it didn’t seem to hurt you even a little bit.”

Harry laughed, “You’re a git. I’ll have you know it didn’t hurt me one bit.”

“My, my,” Malfoy said with a small smile, “Is this what we call character development?”

“Yes, I see you,” Harry said as Pontus flopped over onto his back on top of Harry’s legs so he could rub his belly.

“He likes you,” Malfoy said with a grin.

Harry looked up at him, “He seems pretty friendly, Malfoy. I bet he likes everyone.”

Malfoy shrugged one annoyingly elegant shoulder, “Not really. He’s usually not too keen on men, in fact.”

“And you let him all but attack me?” Harry asked in mock offense. “I mean, I know you don’t like me, Malfoy, but killing me seems a little much.”

Malfoy rolled his eyes, “He doesn’t attack people. It’s a common misconception about his breed. It’s all about how they are raised and trained, just like it is with every dog. Except possibly chihuahuas.”

Harry laughed, “I don’t know anything about his breed,” he said honestly. “I just meant that he tackled me to the floor pretty quickly.”

“Yes,” he said, “But when Pontus doesn’t like someone he cowers from them, he doesn’t attack them. He will do whatever he can to put as much distance and as many obstacles as he can between him and the person he’s afraid of.”

“Well, I think he’s sweet,” Harry said, his heart in his throat at the thought of this poor dog being so afraid. “Maybe I could adopt him-” he started.

“Oh no you don’t,” Malfoy said and he leaned down and grasped Pontus’ collar once more. “His person will come and in the meantime, he will have us to look after him. He is not the dog for you; he will wreck your entire house and you’ll let him. He deserves a family who will train him and teach him to be a good boy because he wants to be a good boy.”

Pontus stood up and wagged his tail at Malfoy, slapping Harry across the face. “Ow!” Harry said, shoving at Pontus’ rear end, “Stop hitting me with your tail. That hurts!”

“His tail is very strong,” Malfoy said with a chuckle, “Come on you,” he said to Pontus, “You can go back and play.”

A moment later he came back in, carrying a squirmy puppy in his arms. Harry reached out for it immediately, “Hello,” he cooed at it as the pup started to sniff him.

“This is Caerus,” he said. “He’s a beagle mix, which is quite obvious by his love of sniffing and by his sweet floppy ears.”

“Hi Caerus,” Harry said, holding him up so they were nose to nose, “You are very cute. Yes, you are.”

“He’s just going up for adoption,” Malfoy said. “He was a little touch-and-go for a while, his brother and sisters all died. He was in a very unsafe situation when we found him and we really didn’t know if he’d make it or not, but he’s a fighter.”

He squirmed to get down and Harry set him on the floor and he took off sniffing around the room they were in, following his nose.

“He will have no trouble being adopted. He is young and adorable, and people love puppies.”

“He is really cute,” Harry said as he watched him run around. “But he’s not for me.”

“I agree,” he replied.

“Why?”

“Oh, you’re looking for someone who’s a real rescue.”

“What does that even mean?” Harry asked.

Malfoy watched the little dog walking around the room, investigating and sniffing as he said, “It means that you have a hero complex, Potter, which I can’t even blame you for because you were raised to have one. But you want to rescue a dog who’s come from a rough life and knows it. You want a dog that will love you unconditionally and whose sun rises and sets with you.”

“Well-” Harry started, feeling a little defensive.

“That wasn’t a criticism,” Malfoy said quickly. “It’s a good thing. It means that you want to really bond with your dog and vice versa. Frankly, you’ll be a great pet parent.”

“Err,” Harry said inarticulately. “Thanks, Malfoy.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said with another one of those shrugs. “Besides, you’re not cut out to train a puppy.”

Harry laughed, “I could learn.”

“You could,” he conceded. “Maybe. You don’t like to be the bad guy and sometimes when you’re training a dog you have to be able to say a firm no. Especially with puppies.” Before Harry could respond, Malfoy was bending over and scooping up Caerus, “Alright, Mister. Back to the puppy room with you,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

When he came back he brought two puppies with him, both with curly, white hair. “Meet Castor and Pollux,” he said.

“Hello,” Harry replied, petting both of them as they squirmed on the floor and started to tousle with one another, both yipping happily as they played.

“We are hoping someone will adopt them as a set. They’ve never been apart a day in their lives and they basically only socialize with one another, no matter what we do with them. They both cry inconsolably when they are separated.” He crouched down beside Harry and stroked one of their backs, “They are also definitely not for you, but I told you that you could meet all of them.”

“Thanks,” Harry said with a smile as Malfoy scooped them back up and carried them back to the other room.

A moment later he came in, walking slowly and leading a dog who limped along behind him. “This is Molly,” he said as he led her over to Harry. She wagged her tail happily at him and plopped down next to him. “She is the sweetest, gentlest dog you’ve ever met.”

Harry stroked her head and she laid her head on his lap.

“She’s a black lab mix and she is a love,” he said as he crouched next to Harry once more, “She has had a hard life and she would love you until the day she died, but she is also not for you.”

“What?” Harry asked, looking up at Malfoy, “Why not?”

“Well first because she is special needs, she’s blind, her liver is pretty much shot, she’s all but deaf, she can’t manage stairs, and she is on a variety of medications.”

“I could learn how to deal with all of those things!” Harry protested. “Poor girl, she just needs a home.”

“That’s the second reason you can’t have her,” he said. “She’s already been adopted. She’s the owner’s dog. He just brings her along because he can’t leave her alone at home all day.”

“Oh,” Harry said.

“Yes, oh,” Malfoy replied. “She’s a good old girl.”

“Why doesn’t her name match all the others?”

Malfoy flushed slightly and Harry couldn’t help but find it a little charming, “I named all of the others,” he confessed. “We just need something to call them while they’re here and I like to give them new names if they’ve come from somewhere else to help distance them from their pasts. People can change their names when they leave.”

“That’s sweet,” Harry said.

“Shut up,” Malfoy replied.

Harry laughed, “What? It is.”

He rolled his eyes, “Alright, Miss Molly, let’s go. We have to find this prat a dog and you can’t be it,” he told her as he gave her a gentle tap and started leading her out. “No, you cannot. Your dad would never give you up. No,” he said as the door closed behind him.

Next, he came in carrying a tiny dog who was yipping at him, “Yes, yes, Hermes. We all hear you.”

He set the dog down and he immediately ran over to Harry, still barking at him. Harry held out a hand to the dog to sniff, “Hello there.”

Hermes yipped at him and then ran over to Malfoy yipping before returning to Harry once more.

“Hermes thinks it’s his job to tell everyone everything. He basically never stops barking.”

“Aptly named then,” Harry said as he reached out and stroked a hand down his back.

“He’s part chihuahua, we’re certain,” Malfoy continued. “And he is trained and housebroken, his only problem is that he doesn’t stop barking.”

“Will a dog like this find a home?” Harry asked, even though he knew it couldn’t be with him.

“Oh, certainly,” he replied. “He’s young and healthy and has his basic training. There are people out there who will not mind his barking one bit.”

“I’m not one of them,” Harry said as he handed Hermes back to Malfoy.

“No,” he replied. “There are two more,” he said. “And while I think either of them could be right for you, I’m saving the one I think is perfect for last.”

“Alright.”

“I only say this so that you don’t fall completely head over heels for the next one before meeting Penelope.”

“I’ll do my best,” Harry assured him.

A few minutes later he returned with a giant black dog ambling along behind him, “This is Gaia,” he said.

Harry’s heart melted as the dog walked straight over to him and flopped down on his feet. “Hello beautiful girl,” he said as he stroked through her thick fur.

“Gaia is a six-year-old Newfoundland mix. She is house trained already, she’s a very low energy dog but she’ll go on walks and play with you. She is a very sweet girl.”

“Yeah,” Harry said, he brushed his thumb along her cheek and she stared at him with her big brown eyes. “Hi,” he said softly.

“She would love you unconditionally,” Malfoy said as he knelt beside Harry.

“Why do you think she isn’t perfect for me?”

“More than half of her life is already over,” Malfoy said. “Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.” He glanced down at the dog and stroked her side.

“But...” Harry prompted.

“But,” Malfoy said before taking a deep breath. “You’ve seen a lot of death,” he looked up at Harry then, his eyes so clear and sincere that they seemed to pierce into Harry’s very soul. “Newfies typically live 8-10 years.” He raised one shoulder, “She would be great for you, but she is going to leave you far too soon.”

Harry’s eyes stung and he looked away from Draco and down at Gaia who had fallen asleep. “Will she get adopted?”

“Yes,” Malfoy said without even a moment’s hesitation. “She is a sweet, sweet girl and people love big dogs. I give her two weeks in here tops.”

Harry stroked her ear between his fingers, “If I tell you to bring in the last one but decide I like her better?”

“You can still adopt her,” he said quickly. “Sending her back now doesn’t hurt a thing.”

He nodded once, “Alright.”

Malfoy nodded back, “Come on, Miss Gaia,” he said. “Up you get, you sleepy girl.”

She stood up, turning to look at Harry for a moment and wagging her bushy tail at him, before lumbering after Malfoy once more.

When he returned he was leading a small tan dog behind him. “This,” he said as he scooped her up, “Is Penelope.”

As Malfoy started to hand her to Harry she started wagging her tail so hard that her entire body wiggled with the movement. Harry laughed as he took her into his arms, “Well hello little one,” he said. She bumped her nose against his before licking his cheek. “Hi,” he said again.

She squirmed a bit, so he set her down, thinking this is where any that had gone wrong went wrong but she didn’t walk away, she stood up on her hind legs and pressed her front paws against his chest so she could lick under his chin.

He laughed and stroked down her sides, she was super soft and he said as much to Malfoy.

He nodded, “Yeah, our best guess for breed is a chihuahua-frenchie or chihuahua-pug mix. The pug or frenchie would account for the wrinkles that she gets in her forehead, how soft she is, her barrel chest, and the way her little ears look. Chihuahua would account for the long legs and slender build in spite of her barrel chest.”

She took her feet off Harry’s chest and Harry held his breath to see what she would do. She turned away and he thought that his mind was made up but then she turned in a circle in between his legs, then another, then a third before laying down pressed against his body as close as she could get.

Something made Harry feel like he was choking as he watched her settle against him.

“She likes you,” Malfoy said softly. “Miss Penelope is almost two. She is potty and kennel trained already but will need a little help learning basic commands, she’s relatively young so it shouldn’t be too hard. She doesn’t like going on walks when it’s too hot or too cold, but when the weather is nice she enjoys them. She likes to play fetch and she really likes to chew things. But her favorite thing is a lap to curl up on under a blanket.”

“She’s so small,” Harry said softly.

“Fifteen pounds,” Malfoy affirmed.

“Would she want to sleep in a kennel at night?” Harry asked.

“If you wanted her to,” he said.

“And if I didn’t?”

“She loves to get up on furniture with people. I’m sure she’d be glad to sleep in bed with you if that’s what you’re asking.”

She lifted her head up from where it was tucked against her chest and plopped it on Harry’s thigh, gazing up at him with warm caramel eyes.

“She would adore you,” Malfoy said softly. “I named her Penelope because I knew that whoever she chose as her person she would be unendingly faithful to.”

“Yeah,” Harry said, stroking her head before running her ear between his fingers.

Over the earpiece Malfoy was wearing, Harry could hear Annie requesting back up on the sales floor.

“Why don’t you two take a little more time together,” Malfoy said. “I’ll go check in with Annie and then when I come back you can tell me what you’ve decided.”

Penelope lifted her head as Malfoy left the room watching him until the door closed before turning to look at Harry.

“It’s alright,” Harry said, stroking his fingers down her side. “He’ll be back.” He picked her up, holding her in his arms like an infant, and she huffed a little breath before settling her head on his shoulder, tucking her nose into his neck.

“It’s alright,” he said again, even though she didn’t seem perturbed in the least. “What do you think, then?” he asked her. “Hmm?”

She pressed her nose against his neck and gave him a tiny lick.

“Do you want to come live with me?” he asked her.

Her tail twitched back and forth a few times.

“Is that a yes?” he asked as he turned his head to press his face into the fur on her shoulder. “Hmm? You want to come home with me?”

More waggles and Harry couldn’t help but smile at her.

“Do you like the name Penelope?” he asked her, shifting her so that he could see her face, he brushed his thumb over her black whiskers and she turned her head away, “Well you don’t like that, do you?” he asked and he brushed his thumb under her eye to clear a little gunk. “Sorry, little one.”

She let out a little huff at him and he couldn’t help but chuckle at her.

He held her and pet her, talking to her softly. He fell completely in love with her in a matter of minutes.

When the door opened and Malfoy stepped back in, Harry said, “Can I take her home today?”

“Yeah,” Malfoy said with a smile. “There’s a whole bunch of paperwork for you to fill out first but wait until you get a load of their quills. There’s no inkpot or anything.”

Harry laughed, “They’re pens, not quills.”

“You know about them?” Malfoy asked incredulously.

“I lived with muggles after my parents died until I was 11. Yes, I know what pens are.”

Malfoy huffed, “Why wouldn’t you have brought them to Hogwarts? Why didn’t you use them there? It would have been so much smarter.”

“You wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with pens,” Harry replied with a laugh.

“Well, that's probably true. But I was an idiot.”

Before Harry could say anything in response or even process that remark fully, Malfoy was reaching for Penelope, “Let me put her with the others while we get you squared away.”

“No!” Harry said quickly, clutching her tighter against him.

“I’ll give her back, I promise,” Malfoy said.

“Can’t she just stay with me?” Harry pleaded.

Malfoy looked at him for a moment, “Yes, alright, but don’t let her distract you from the work you have to do.”

“I won’t.”

“Here,” he said, holding out a contraption to Harry. “Put this on her, she can’t be loose out on the sales floor.”

“Err,” Harry said as he reached for it. “How do I?”

Malfoy rolled his eyes, “Merlin, Potter. It’s a harness,” he said. “Here, set her on the floor and I’ll show you how to put it on her. It’s so you can walk her on a leash.”

“Can’t I just use a collar?” he asked.

“No,” Malfoy said as he lifted one of her front legs through a hole, then the other. “Small dogs, in general, do better with harnesses than collars. Unlike larger dogs, she has a more fragile trachea so we put a harness on her instead.”

“Is she okay, though?”

“Oh, yes,” he said quickly as he snapped the harness over her back. “Right,” Malfoy said, passing him the end of her leash. “This way, I’ll take you in to see Jeff and get her paperwork filled out.”

“Great, thanks,” Harry said, “Alright, Penelope,” he said, “let’s go.” She wagged her tail and stared up at him.

“Do you have the things you’ll need for your home?”

Harry shook his head, “Can I get those things here?”

“Yes. After you fill out her adoption paperwork.”

“Will you help me make sure I get everything she needs?” Harry asked quickly, afraid he’d miss something essential.

Malfoy gave him a smile and a small nod.

When they went to the office, Malfoy knocked on the door and someone, Jeff, Harry presumed, called for him to enter.

“Hi Jeff, this is Harry Potter,” Malfoy said, gesturing for Harry to enter the room. “He’s here to adopt Penelope.”

The man at the desk looked up over the top of his glasses and gave Harry a warm smile. “That is wonderful news! Come in.”

“I’ll just leave you to it, then,” Malfoy replied.

“Draco, you should stay. I’ve been meaning for you to learn more about the actual adoption process,” Jeff said.

It took a while to fill out all of the paperwork, but once they did, Jeff said, “perfect. Now there’s just the home visit and you’ll be all set.”

Harry looked over at Malfoy and Malfoy looked at him, both realizing at the same time what a bad idea it was to have a muggle come to his house.

“I’ll do it,” Malfoy volunteered quickly.

“Your shift is almost over,” Jeff said, looking at the clock on the wall. “I can take care of it.”

“That’s alright,” he said. “I don’t mind. We’re old,” he broke off, glancing at Harry, “friends,” he finished a bit awkwardly. “I’m helping him make sure he has everything he needs anyway.”

The other man nodded, "If you're sure."

"I'm sure," he said, nudging Harry out of the office.

Malfoy helped him to buy supplies for her, laughing as Harry picked out far more toys and treats for her than he thought was necessary. The sales associate helped them to box everything up and Malfoy helped him carry everything out of the store. "How far do we have to walk?" Malfoy asked.

"Just a couple of blocks," Harry said. "Do you want me to take that?" he asked, offering him Penelope's leash in exchange.

He shook his head, "It's fine." He hoisted the box a little higher in his arms.

"Do you live near here, too?" he asked, watching Penelope trot along tail wagging as she sniffed.

"About twenty minutes by bus."

He couldn't help but chuckle, "Draco Malfoy riding a muggle bus, who would have thought it?"

But the other man didn't seem to find that amusing, he frowned, "I'm not the person you remember."

"No," Harry said quickly, "I know," he added. "I wasn't trying to say anything unkind."

"Sorry," Malfoy replied, shaking his head slightly, "It's been a while since I've seen anyone from the wizarding world." He paused then added, "People from the past don't generally say kind things."

Harry hummed, "The wizarding world is full of hypocrites and people unwilling to see the wrong they themselves have done." He shook his head, "It's a lot. It's why I left."

He nodded to the door ahead of them, "This is my house," he added.

"It's nice," Draco said.

"Thanks," he grinned as he opened the door. "Sorry, I didn't realize that I would be having company or I would have cleaned up a little more," he added as he let Malfoy inside.

He took the harness off of her and let her investigate her surroundings.

"Did you say that you aren't expecting company?" Malfoy asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, keeping one eye on the dog as he started setting up her little bed and basket of toys.

"But it's your birthday," he said.

"Yeah," he mumbled.

Malfoy stared at him for a long moment before clearing his throat, "Do you have a back yard?"

"Yes," he said, glad for the change of subject, "This way," he added, nodding toward the back door. "It's fenced in but it's not very big, I'll take her on walks," he hastened to add as he opened the door. Penelope wandered out and started sniffing around and something warm unfurled in Harry's chest just watching her.

The other boy glanced out the door and nodded, "This is fine, it passes the inspection."

"Good," Harry said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Come on, Penny," he called and the little dog perked her head up and came dashing across the yard and back into the house."

"Penny, huh?" Malfoy asked with an amused little smile.

"For short," Harry nodded.

"I like it," he said as they turned and headed inside. "Well, I'll get out of your hair-"

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Harry asked without really thinking about why.

Malfoy's brow furrowed, "Do you want me to?"

He shrugged one shoulder, "Only if you want to." When Malfoy didn't reply immediately he shook his head, "Never mind, it's silly. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm lonely, ignore me."

"No. I'd," he swallowed, "I'd like to stay for dinner, if you wanted. I just couldn't imagine that you'd want..." he trailed off.

"We're not the boys we were," Harry said, holding out a hand, "Harry Potter."

After a heartbeat Draco reached out and clasped his hand, "Draco Malfoy."

"Do you like pizza?" Harry asked.

He nodded, "As long as you don't put peppers on it."

"Done," he replied as Penny came over and put her paws up on his leg. He scooped her up and smiled, thinking for the first time in a long time that maybe everything was going to turn out alright.

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

Sorry friends, this one really got away from me. It's super long. I hope that you still enjoy it! <3 Lots of love, -c

Day 107: Charge | Day 109: Coffee Shop

[snifflesthemouse]

There's a sense of freedom that comes with anonymity of online interactions. This sense of freedom only exists because of the fact it's difficult for the real world to catch up with you in your real life. Unless of course, you go after the wrong one.

When a person goes after someone else solely because they think differently or have a strong opposing opinion, they often do so with a false gusto and bravery that only exists in the virtual realm. Like many say online, "You'd never say that to my face." And that's true for most people... but not all people.

And because of this anonymity, that affords all internet users the freedom to say whatever, a real life concern spawns from a virtual world. This real life concern is often referred to as "doxxing" where one internet user uses what clues and resources they have available to "expose" another internet user's real life. This has happened to many people I watch on YouTube. Some have even had to involve the real life police, as well as uproot their entire lives and move because of doxxing.

For example, Murky Meg has been doxxed a couple times now. She's had her real life threatened by doxxing. Terrifyingly, she wasn't the only target threatened because the douche flutes also brought her children into it. Yes, the same people who worship the Montecito Madam and preach the mantras of "compassion and kindness" and "leave children out of this" have gone so far as to go after Murky Meg's real life and real life children. And sadly, the threats and attacks never really stop. Especially when articles like the one I wrote about make the rounds. But Murky Meg doesn't allow this all to silence her; she keeps calm and carries on regardless.

Another example involves Yankee Wally. She was targeted repeatedly over copyright infringement on her YouTube channel, as well as having her social media accounts suspended repeatedly over the last few years. And even though Yankee Wally has never pretended to be anything or anyone else than who she is in real life, people have attempted to use her past as a weapon to discredit her. Those attempts are futile, though, because Yankee Wally has always been open and honest about her life. She's also been very clear to the people watching her that she will fight back if need be.

Then there's According2Taz. While Taz has gone through the same ringer that so many others have gone through (from doxxing to threats, harassment, and verbal abuse), she has also been attacked financially. Especially when it comes to her supporting good causes. Some twat waffles have sent her £0.01 via PayPal with notes attached. Notes that are grossly abusive, calling her fat and ugly, and saying her husband is cheating on her. Others have sent requests asking her to pay them £100 with notes attacking HRH Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge and her book. Murky Meg got a similar request, as well. But the most heinous impediment coming from the Montecito Madam's extremists, involved charity. Once, when Taz was raising money for Australian wildlife affected by the wildfires; someone reported her PayPal account and those funds were held up for some time before getting released for the cause. Then, again, Taz was targeted when she was raising funds to help an elderly woman who got robbed. Yes, the very same people, who stand on custom-made soap boxes emblazoned with the Sussex monogram, did everything they possibly could to marginally disrupt charity. Yet Taz does not waiver; she keeps going.

As bad as Murky Meg, Yankee Wally, and Taz have had it, they're sadly not alone. No, they are only three examples from a plethora of examples. Of that plethora, one more example comes to mind. That example involves DanjaZone (Ashli).

Ashli, who started her YouTube channel before the whole Megxit ordeal as a way to keep in touch with family, was even the subject of a blind item from CDAN (crazy days and nights). You see, Ashli and her family lost everything they had in a horrible house fire. Rumors swirled around the fire, but the most heinous comments came from the Sussex Squad's more prominent loudmouths. Some accused Ashli of lying about the fire in an attempt to scam people for money. Others called her white trash and trailer trash. So while Ashli was going through the loss of her home and everything she owned... while she was grieving the loss of family pets and irreplaceable family mementos... while she was down and out on her luck and trying to cope with all the pain and loss... while she was going through all of the attacks from doubters saying she faked the fire or was lying, that she was trailer trash... the disciples of the Duchess were laughing and celebrating her pain as a win. Never once considering the fact that Ashli has been in recovery for years now, and the stress from the fire coupled with the heartless, feckless attacks, could in fact push her over the edge.

No, the very same people, who scream via CAPS lock on social media that critics of Meghan should "leave her alone", that her critics drove the Montecito Madam to "suicidal ideation while pregnant" could care less about Ashli's mental health. Yes, the very same people, who lodged over 50,000 OFCOM complaints against Piers Morgan because he questioned their beloved's outlandish attacks during the Oprah interview, previously found no issues with attacking Ashli during one of the hardest times in her life. Yet, Ashli picked up the pieces and never gave up or gave into their attacks.

Again, these four examples are just the tip of the hypocritical iceberg. There are countless more examples out there. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people who criticize Meghan's and Harry's behaviors can all relate. Nobody is safe or off limits from this iceberg; from Royal Rota reporters, celebrities, and politicians to regular people who aren't rich, famous, or in possession of a global platform.

Yet nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody, in the media or in journalism ever cover any of this. You can find articles galore written with the intentions of exposing "Meghan Markle Haters". Articles like the one I wrote about attacking critics and reducing us all to the stereotypes of racist, misogynist, bigot, envious, etc.

What that does is send a clear, prominent message to the people who cling to every word of the Montecito Madam. The people who cling to the wind coming from her mouth, her "close friends" or fake "palace insiders" hear those dog whistles loud and clear. The dog whistles that say "It's okay, keep attacking and hurting people. They're evil, hateful racists. They deserve the abuse. You're on the side of good. Go harder!"

When in truth, the wind they cling to coming from their beloved's mouth or mouthpieces is actually falsehoods, lies, and manifestations of grandeur that is no more real than Netflix's The Crown. No, the wind they cling to really comes from the south mouth of their beloved. But God forbid anyone hold their little cult accountable.

We cannot have a society where sensationalism trumps truth. We cannot weaponize the press and use it against people simply because they criticize the Meghan Markles of the world. It is unacceptable for the press, media platforms, or anyone with a prominent influence on society, to celebrate defenders of the Meghan Markle faith without first acknowledging the truth.

The truth, which is often dream dashing and harsh, is that "Meghan Markle Lovers" could care less about compassion, kindness, charity, children, or community. The truth is, they could care less about forgiveness or loving thy neighbors. We don't have to look to their savior figurehead to prove this to be true. We only have to look at the comments section or Twitter.

Those of us who criticize or dislike Meghan and Harry because of their behavior know all too well the truth will never be written up on the front page of the Sun, the Daily Mail, or People Magazine. The mirage of us being the racists, misogynists, or detesting haters sells papers. And the papers don't want to be in that same category.

Maybe one day the press will tell the stories of people like Murky Meg, Yankee Wally, Taz, Ashli, and countless others in an effective way that exposes the real haters in the relationship. Maybe one day, the victims of the Montecito Madam's cult following will be doxxed, exposed, and sent a new message. A message that says, "We see you for the hypocrites you are. You may repeat the preachings of your Madam like it's the new woke gospel, but you don't practice it. You're a big reason why people loathe your beloved. You make her look worse. You aren't defending her, you are condemning her. Keep it up, because we see you and we will expose you!"

If only...