#merula snyde you beautiful woman

[yourgaypenguin]

AYUDA NO PUEDO SOY MUY HOMOSEXUAL

[libellule-ao3]

Life Links

8. Jae Kim / Shadow partners

Summary: Jae Kim and Annie Thorn make a final rescue before the battle.

⚠️Warning: Violence and torture. ⚠️

Chapter index - previous chapter (Jacob Thorn)- next chapter (MC - Annie Thorn)

A/N: I couldn't find any image corresponding to what I wanted. So, I take advantage of this chapter to share one of my headcanon: Jae's patronus.

"Foxes are cunning, resourceful and fiercely intelligent. [...] Foxes are also highly adaptable and can live in many diverse habitats around the world. If deep down you’re channelling the fox, you’ll likely have resilience in spades." (Extract from Wizarding world)

I always thought it fit him like a glove. 😊

Determined, Jae Kim walks through the gloomy forest surrounding Snyde Manor. The hasty departure of wildlife fleeing the human approach echoes in the night, lit by a gibbous moon. The tension of his silent companion is tangible. Annie disapproves of this meeting place. The risk of ambush is too great. This is precisely why no one else could have accompanied him.

After Voldemort’s rise, Jae used his smuggling routes to ex filtrate Muggleborns and other Death Eaters targets, and Annie used her duties to cover them up by leading their pursuers on false leads. Thus, Chiara, their werewolf friend who deserted her pack that had fallen under Greyback’s domination, could take refuge in France. Diego too.

Annie is an Auror. Jae is a smuggler cook. They are not on the same side of the Galleon. Yet, they have always helped each other. He contributed to the success of her missions by providing her with information; she saved him from Azkaban or from his rivals. They are friends, partners, and they have been lovers for a long time. Their relationship has always been one of total trust and non-judgment, and since their teenage years, their respective solitudes have met every time they were single. They can’t love each other, so they gave each other pleasure. It’s better than nothing.

For several months, another woman occupies Jae’s thoughts. Always present to concoct the potions needed for certain negotiations or to repair the side effects of a few dubious transactions, she has supported him in most of his undertakings. Her solar beauty, her gossip and her kindness won over his heart, which Jae had long thought closed to all the other women who were not Annie. Alas! Penny Haywood was brutally torn away from him before he could confess his feelings.

But after weeks of investigation and negotiation, Jae is going to get her out of this Hell. The last evacuation before chaos and war.

Nobody at the meeting point, a clearing with a rune stone. Annie's spirit slips through his mental defences to comfort him, but through her legilimency, he also detects her anxiety.

Suddenly, a veil seems to be torn away to reveal a witch flanked by two people huddled together. Jae stiffens. This is not what they have planned. They are two. The witch pulls her hood over her shoulders and steps aside to expose her prisoners. Penny and… Jacob?

Merula’s vanity feeds on power, and money is an excellent source of it. So, the smuggler throws a well-filled purse at her. She weighs it and with a look allows Penny to join him. He takes her hand in his, trying to convey all the affection that no words can describe. Her chapped lips draw a tired smile, but full of promise. Then Merula unlocks Jacob’s handcuffs and pushes him unceremoniously toward his sister, stunned. He is in an awful state.

“Get him out of here!”

Jacob rushes to Annie, snatches her wand from her hands, and turns it on his jailer.

“Traitor!”

The air becomes electric as the two enemies stare at each other as if the world no longer exists. Jae shudders, fearing the worst, blood pulsing in his ears. He stands in front of Penny and probes the Auror, undecided.

“Go on! What are you waiting for?”

“Merula, don’t provoke him. We’re going to leave nicely and...” says Jae.

“Crucio!” Jacob’s voice has the hardness of a block of ice.

With a blood-curdling howl, Merula falls to her knees under the power of the terrible curse as Annie throws herself on top of her brother to stop this madness.

“Stupefy!” shouts Jae.

The prisoner collapses. Merula pushes Annie away, who wants to help her. “Get out!”

She stands up and walks towards the fainting mage. The witch bursts into a sinister laugh, her amethyst eyes full of painful madness. She curtsies mockingly. “I bow low... Me, I would never have succeeded in using this magic against you!”

With a sneer of bitterness, Merula turns on her heels. “You have fifteen minutes to leave my property!”

Annie pours the essence of dittany to heal Jacob's raw wounds–the rest will wait. Then Jae wakes him with a spell. “Renervate,”

The quartet leaves the premises without a word. First on foot, then by teleporting to the shore where a Portkey awaits them.

“This book will take you to Deauville. Chiara and Diego are waiting for you there,” says Jae to Penny.

Her emaciated face and bleary eyes knot his stomach. She looks so vulnerable in her rags, barely concealed by that cape. He feels like he’s leaving a puppy by the side of the road and hoping it will survive. Doubt and guilt assail him like stakes in the abdomen. Jae Kim never thought he would be torn between the two women in his life.

“And you? What will you do?”

“I’ve got stuff to sort out,” Jacob scolds before disappearing, giving no one time to protest.

As usual, Jae sees Annie break down under her brother’s apparent indifference.

“We’ll fight at Hogwarts,” he says.

Annie places a hand on the smuggler’s shoulder. “Go with her... You’ve done enough,”

“That’s not our plan,”

Annie’s eyes get cloudy. “That’s my plan... Petrificus Totalus!”

“Why?”

The two friends accompany him to the ground, stiff as a board. Annie kisses the corner of his lips. A soft, wet imitation of their first kiss in the Hogwarts kitchens, the one he won after a bet.

Her answer resonates in his mind as she pulls herself together. “You know damn well why,”

Petrified, Jae wants to protest!

“Take care of each other!” orders Annie, placing a Portkey and a bag full of gold in Jae’s immobile arms. “In case of defeat, never come back!”

In tears, Penny briefly hugs the Auror. “Be careful,”

Helplessly, Jae endures the whirlwind of a journey in the arms of the one he loves while his mind focuses on his lifelong partner.

Annie...

[theguythatdraws]

Chapter 2: Answering the Call

Part 2 of the story. The Sedgewick should be a lot of fun. MC's used: Aishwarya, Matthew and Roman. @demon-twins-and-co @hphmmatthewluther and @hogwarts9.

"You don't think its too subtle, buddy?" Shouted Finn from the ground. "You don't think people are going to drive down and not see the sign?"

He was overseeing a man putting a sign outside the firehouse. It wasn't much, just a white rectangule that said Ghostbusters in big black basic letters.

He heard a honking, and turned to see a dark blue 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Futura Duplex hearse driving up to the firehouse.

"Hey! You can't park that here!" Shouted Finn.

Aishwarya got out of the car, smiling.

"Everybody can relax, I found the car! It just needs some suspension work. And shocks. And brakes, brake pads, lining, steering box, transmission, rear end-"

"How much was it?" Asked Finn.

"Only $4,800." Said Aishwarya. Finn groaned, which went unnoticed. "And maybe new rings, also mufflers, a little wiring..."

----------------------------------------------------------—

It was decided; if they were answering calls to supernatural phenomenon, they needed someone to answer those calls. So they found the perfect someone; a secretary.

Merula Snyde was a young woman who had messy brown hair, with a splash of orange, and purple eyes. Right now, she was reading a magazine.

Finn walked over to her, carrying some folders.

"Merula! Any calls?" He asked.

"No." She responded.

"Any messages?"

"No."

"Any customers?"

"No, Dr. McGarry."

Finn just sighed. "It's a good job, isn't it?"

Merula just smiled.

"Type something, will you? We're paying you for this stuff! I'll be in my office." He said, leaving. That's when Matthew popped up out from under Merula's desk after fixing the computer.

"You're very handy. I can tell. I bet you like to read a lot, too." Said Merula.

"Print is dead." Said Matthew, examining the computer.

"Oh, that's very fascinating to me. I read a lot myself. Some people think I'm too intellectual, but I think it's a fabulous way to spend your spare time. I also play racquetball. Do you have any hobbies?" Asked Merula.

Matthew just stared at her for a minute. "I collect spores, molds and fungus." He said before leaving.

That's when a woman with silver-white hair entered the building. She looked around at the mostly renovated firehouse, walking past Aishwarya who was covered in soot and oil from working on the car. She poked her head out from under the hood and smiled at Chiara. She walked over to Merula's desk.

"Excuse me. Is this the Ghostbusters' office?" Asked Chiara.

Merula looked up from filing her nails. "Yes, it is. Can I help you?"

"Well, I don't have an appointment, but I'd like to talk to someone, please."

Finn looked up from his desk and was taken aback by the very beautiful woman at the front desk. So much so, he rushed over to meet her.

"I'm Finn McGarry. May I help you?" He asked.

Chiara stammered. "Well, I-I don't know. What I'm about to say may sound a little unusual."

"Ma'am, that's all we get day in, day out around this place. Come into my office, Miss -"

"Lobosca, Chiara Lobosca."

----------------------------------------------------------—

Before she knew it, the two scientists had Chiara hooked up to a machine and asked her to tell them about the incident.

"...and this voice said 'Zuul'. And then I slammed the refrigerator door and I left. That was two days ago, and I haven't been back to my apartment since." She finished.

Finn rubbed his chin. "You don't normally see that behavior in a major appliance. What do you think it was?"

"Well, if I knew what it was I wouldn't be here, would I?" Asked Chiara.

"Matt, what do you think?" Asked Finn.

Mattew, who was wearing a head lamp, turned towards Finn, blinding him. "She's telling the truth. At least, she thinks she is." He said.

"Well, of course I'm telling the truth! Who would make up a story like that?!" Said Chiara

"Some are people who just want attention. Others, just nutballs who come in off the street." Said Finn.

"You know what it could be?" Chimed in Aishwarya as she drank a soda. "Past-life experience intruding on present time."

"Could be erased memories stored in the collective unconscious." Added Matthew, picking up a box of Cheez-Its. "I wouldn't rule out clairvoyance or telepathic contact, either."

Chiara shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't believe in any of those things."

Finn got up and sat down next to Chiara. "Well, that's all right. I don't either. But there are some things we do. Standard procedures we carry out in a case like this which often bring us results."

"Well, I could go down to the hall of records and check out the structural details in the building. Maybe the building itself has a history of psychic turbulence." Said Aishwarya.

"Right, go do that." Said Finn.

"I could look for the name Zuul in the usual literature." Said Matthew.

"Spates Catalog?" Said Aishwarya.

"Tobin's Spirit Guide." Corrected Matthew.

"And I'll take Miss Lobosca back to her apartment and check it out, okay?"

"Okay, thank you." Said Chiara.

----------------------------------------------------------—

Finn and Chiara went to her apartment, and Finn went inside first. "Let me. If something's gonna happen here I want it to happen to me first."

He looks around and uses a machine. He pumped one end that looked like a perfume sprayer, and held out the long wand-like end, pointing it at stuff. He also opened a few doors, just for good measure. Then he walked over to the piano and played the two highest notes over and over.

"They hate this. I like to torture 'em." Said Finn smiling. "That's right, boys. Its Dr. McGarry!" He shouted. He looked around the apartment. "Just you here?" He asked.

"Yes." Answered Chiara.

"Hm. Cool." He said. He opened another door.

"Oh uh, that's just the bedroom. Nothing happened in there." Said Chiara.

"Hm. What a crime." Said Finn.

"You know, you don't act like a scientist." Said Chiara.

"What are they supposed to act like, stiffs?" Said Finn.

"You act like a...game show host."

Finn was confused. "Uh, there's the kitchen, right?"

He walked in and looked around. There were some marshmallows, dried lettuce and cooked eggs on the counter.

"Are these the eggs?" He asked, lifting them with his tool.

"Yes, see, I was over there, and the eggs just jumped right out of their shells and started to cook right on the counter." Said Chiara. "And then that's when I started to hear that awful noise from the refrigerator."

"I'll check the fridge." Said Finn, stepping towards the refrigerator cautiously. Finally, he cracked it open. "Oh, my God!"

Chiara gasped.

"Look at all the junk food!"

Chiara walked over to peer inside. No monsters. No temple. No fire. Just food. "No, Goddamn it! Look, this wasn't here."

Finn picked up a package of bologna. "You actually eat this stuff?"

"Look! This wasn't here!" Said Chiara adamantly. "There was nothing here! There was a space, and there was a building or something with flames coming out of it, and creatures writhing around and they were growling and snarling! And there were flames! And I heard a voice say Zuul! It was right here!"

Finn looked at his machine. "I'm sorry, I'm just not getting any reading."

"Well, are you sure you're using that thing correctly?" Asked Chiara.

Finn stared at the machine. Truth was he just grabbed the first device in the firehouse he saw and brought it. "Well, I think so. But I'm sure there are no animals in there. Not any alive ones at least."

"Well, that's just great. Either there's a monster in my kitchen or I'm completely crazy." Said Chiara disappointed.

Finn tried to cheer her up. "I don't think you're crazy."

Chiara just stared at him. "Good, that makes me feel so much better." She said sarcastically.

Finn furrowed his eyebrows and walked into Chiara's living room, sitting on the couch. "Let me tell you something about myself. I come home from work to my place and all I have is my work. There's nothing else in my life!"

"Dr. McGarry-" Sighed Chiara.

"I meet you, and I say, my God, there's someone with the same problem I have!" Finished Finn.

"Yes. We both have the same problem. You!" Said Chiara, stifling a laugh.

"I'm gonna go for broke." Said Finn, standing up. "I am madly in love with you."

Chiara held back her laughter. "I don't believe this. Will you please leave?"

"And then she threw me out of her life." Said Finn, acting defeated. "She thought I was a creep, she thought I was a geek and she probably wasn't the first..."

"You are so odd..." Said Chiara, giggling.

"I've got it!" Said Finn, turning around.

"No, no, no, no, no."

"I'll prove myself to you!"

"That's not necessary." Chiara was pushing him towards the door, giggling harder.

"Yeah. I'll solve your little problem." Said Finn.

"Okay..."

"And then you'll say, 'Finn McGarry's a guy who can get things done!'"

"Right."

"'I wonder what makes him tick!'"

"I wonder!"

"'I wonder if he'd be interested in knowing what makes me tick?'"

"Right!"

"I bet you're going to be thinking about me after I'm gone."

"I bet I am!"

Finally, Chiara pushed Finn out the door, but he stuck his face back in with a cocky grin.

"What, no kiss?"

Chiara pushed his face out the door and shut it, laughing to herself. Out in the corridor, Ben came out and saw Finn, before trying to get back into his apartment, but the door had locked him out again.

----------------------------------------------------------—

It was night by the time Finn got back to the firehouse. Matthew and Aishwarya ordered Chinese food from a nearby restaurant, and they were washing their meals down with some sodas.

"To our first customer." Said Finn, holding up his can.

"Our first and only customer." Said Aishwarya, as she and Matthew toasted with Finn.

"I got to take out some petty cash. We should take her out to dinner. We don't want to lose her." Said Finn.

"Uh, this magnificent feast here represents the last of the petty cash." Said Aishwarya, eating.

Finn groaned, eyeing the sad looking Chinese food. "Slow down, chew your food." He said.

Downstairs, Merula was getting ready to go home, when the phone rang. She picked up the receiver and put it between her shoulder and neck, as she tried to put on her shoes.

"Hello, Ghostbusters." She said. "Yes, of course they're serious..." She straightened up, listening to the other end. "You do? You have? No kidding?" Merula scrambled for a pen and paper. "Uh-huh. Well, just give me the address. Yes, of course. Oh, they'll be totally discreet. Thank you." She finished as she hung up.

"WE GOT ONE!"

Merula slammed a red button on her desk, and a bell rang throughout the firehouse. Upstairs, the trio looked up from their dinner.

"The call!" Shouted Aishwarya, as all three of them scrambled for the fire pole. They slid down and opened their personal lockers, putting on their gear, getting ready for their first job.

The garage door for the firehouse opened, and out rolled the car. Finn has to admit, Aishwarya did a great job with the car; it almost looked brand new. The car now sported a bright white color scheme, with red fins, as well as an array of odd equipment adorning the car's roof. On the passenger doors were no-signs over cartoon ghosts. Aishwarya even got custom license plates, on the front and back, which read ECTO-1. The lights on the roof were flashing blue, and the siren was making a continuous wailing as they drove to their destination.

----------------------------------------------------------—

The Sedgewick Hotel was a well renowned hotel, known for friendly staff and excellent service, but also for some rumors of strange phenomenon.

The Ecto-1 pulled up to the hotel, and the three Ghostbusters walked inside.

"Hey, anybody see a ghost?" Said Finn, as the trio admired the lobby.

They were all dressed in their uniforms; black heavy duty boots, black undershirts, elbow guards, belts with equipment, and beige jumpsuits with the no-ghost symbol on the right sleeve. Above the trio's left pecs/breast, were name tags, black rectangles with their last names in thin red letters.

But on their backs were the strangest looking devices. They looked like they shouldn't be able to work, but they did. They looked almost like mechanical backpacks, with hoses that attached to a wand-like end. Matthew called them proton packs.

"Thank you for coming so quickly." Said the Sedgewick's manager, greeting the Ghostbusters. "The guests are starting to ask questions and I'm running out of excuses."

"Has it ever happened before?" Asked Aishwarya, putting on a pair of odd looking goggles.

"Well, most of the original staff know about the 12th floor- the disturbances, I mean- but it's been quiet for years. That is, until about 2 weeks ago." Said the manager. "It was never this bad, though."

"Did you ever report it to anyone?" Asked Matthew.

"Oh, heavens, no. The owners don't even like us talking about it. I just hope we can take care of this quietly." Said the manager.

"Yes sir, don't worry. We handle this kind of thing all the time." Said Aishwarya.

The Ghostbusters walked up to the elevators, and a large man smoking a cigar looked at them humorously. "What are you supposed to be, some sort of cosmonaut?"

Finn chuckled. "Nope, we're exterminators. Someone saw a cockroach up on 12th."

The man eyed their proton packs curiously. "That's gotta be some cockroach."

"Bite your head off, man."

The elevator opened and the trio entered, pushing the button for 12th.

"You know, it just occurred to me that we never had a completely successfully test of this equipment." Said Aishwarya.

"I blame myself." Said Matthew.

"So do I." Said Finn.

"Well, no sense worrying about it now." Said Aishwarya.

"Why worry? Each of us is just wearing an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on our backs." Said Finn.

"Yep." Said Aishwarya. "Well let's get ready. Switch me on."

Matthew flipped a switch on Aishwarya's proton pack, and it whirred to life, making noises that made everyone nervous. Matthew and Finn backed away from Aishwarya.

Finally, they arrived on the 12th floor, as Aishwarya and Matthew drew their Neutrona wands, like soldiers expecting an ambush. Meanwhile, Finn just watched from behind.

They heard a noise behind them; Aishwarya and Matthew wasted no time. They threw proton streams at the noise, screaming, as Finn tried getting them to stop.

In a word, the proton streams were mesmerising yet unsettling; they were wildly whipping orange beams of nuclear energy, followed by blue electricity, that scorched and destroyed any and everything in their path, including the cleaning cart that caused the noise.

Toilet paper and cleaning supplies caught fire and a terrified maid crawled out from behind. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Aishwarya and Matthew looked embarrassed.

"Sorry." Said Aishwarya.

"Sorry." Said Matthew.

"Sorry about that." Said Finn. "We thought you were someone else." He turned to his colleagues. "I'd call that a successful test."

"I guess so. We should split up." Said Aishwarya.

"Good idea." Said Matthew.

"Yeah, we can do more damage that way." Said Finn.

----------------------------------------------------------—

Matthew walked down a hall, absorbed in his PKE meter. He ran it over the walls, the floorboards, over doors and guests, much to their confusion.

----------------------------------------------------------—

Aishwarya was strolling through the halls, looking around, until finally, to her surprise, she found it.

The Sedgewick Hotel ghost.

He was glowing green, with no legs, and extremely fat. He had small black eyes, uneven teeth, and short arms, which he was using to shovel food from a service cart into his mouth. Obviously, he's never heard of a fork.

Aishwarya backed away, looking down the hall. "Finn? Finn!" No answer. She looked back at the green ghost in disgust as he horked down more food. "Ugh...disgusting little blob. I'm going to have to hold it myself."

She activated her Neutrona wand, and threw a proton stream at the ghost. It missed, however, and burned the wall. The fat ghost screamed and floated down the hall, the service cart pulled behind him by some mysterious force. Aishwarya chased the ghost as he phased through a wall, and a green slime oozed from where the ghost went, followed by the service cart crashing into the wall.

----------------------------------------------------------—

Finn turned a corner, and was met with a fat green ghost. The two just stared at each other, as Finn unhooked a walkie-talkie from his belt and spoke into it.

"Come in, Aisha." He said, not taking his eyes off the ghost. "Finn! I saw it! I saw it! I saw it!" Said Aishwarya excitedly on the other end. "Yeah, I see it, too. And uh, it's looking at me." Said Finn.

"Ugly little spud, isn't he?" Said Aishwarya.

"I think he can hear you, Aisha." Said Finn.

"Just don't move. I don't think he's going to hurt you." Said Aishwarya.

"Aah!" Finn yelled as the green ghost flew towards him, screaming. He threw up his arms to cover his face.

"FINN!" Shouted Aishwarya, as she ran down the halls, trying to find her colleague. She found him sprawled out on the floor covered in some kind of green substance. "Finn! What happened?! Are you okay?!"

"He slimed me." Said Finn.

"Thats GREAT! ACTUAL PHYSICAL CONTACT!" Shouted Aishwarya. "Can you move?!"

"Guh...I feel so funky." Said Finn.

"Aisha, come in!" Said Matthew over his walkie-talkie.

"Matt! I'm with Finn! He got slimed!" Said Aishwarya into her walkie. "Thats great, Aishwarya, save some for me. Get down here right away. It just went into a ballroom!" Said Matthew.

She ran to the elevator, with Finn in tow, trying to shake off the slime.

----------------------------------------------------------—

The Alhambra Ballroom was usually reserved for events, and tonight, the hotel was hosting the Eastside Theatre Guild's Midnight Buffet.

"Okay, sir. If you and your staff will just wait out here, we'll take care of it." Said Aishwarya, reassuring the manager. The trio locked the doors behind them.

They hid under a table as Aishwarya put on her Paragoggles, trying to find the ghost. She looked up at an expensive looking chandelier, and saw the little slimeball floating around it.

"There it is, it's on the ceiling." Said Aishwarya.

Finn glared at the ghost. "That's the one that got me."

The trio crawled out from under the table, Neutrona wands drawn. "All right, guys. Ready? Throw it!" Shouted Aishwarya.

The trio threw proton streams at the slimeball, but contrary to his appearance, the ghost was quite agile, and flew away. Unfortunately, Aishwarya's proton stream veered too far and cut the chain and the cord of the chandelier, which fell and crashed onto a set table.

"My bad! That was my fault!" She said.

"That's okay. Table broke the fall." Said Finn.

"Guys, there's something very important I forgot to tell you." Said Matthew.

"What is it?" Asked Finn.

"Don't cross the streams."

Finn looked at him confused. "Why?"

"It would be bad."

"I'm fuzzy on the whole good-bad thing. What do you mean, bad?" Said Finn.

"Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light." Said Matthew.

Aishwarya looked worried. "Total protonic reversal."

"All right, that's bad, okay. Important safety tip, don't cross the streams. Thanks, Matt. All right. Aisha, take the left. Matt, take the right." Said Finn, taking the lead. They walked over to the buffet table, where the ghost was drinking a bottle of wine but unfortunately it just passed through him, spilling onto the tablecloth underneath him. "Okay, Aisha. Give me one eye on the outside...now!" Shouted Finn.

Aishwarya threw a proton stream, which missed the ghost, but successfully destroyed a portion of the buffet table, including a chocolate fountain.

"Matt, fire!" Shouted Finn.

Matthew threw a proton stream, which destroyed a layer cake, and when the ghost flew to a wet bar, he ended up destroying that, too.

"Ok, cool it, Matt!" Shouted Finn. Matthew just stared at the damage he caused. "Nice shooting, Tex."

"Ok, guys, that last throw took something out of him, but he's gonna move! I need some room to put the trap down! Make me some room!" Shouted Aishwarya. Finn and Matthew picked up a table and threw it to the side, shattering the champagne glasses on top of it. "Ok, good! We're getting this in the clear!" Shouted Aishwarya.

"Hold on, I want to try something!" Shouted Finn. He grabbed a nearby tablecloth, and pulled it fast, knocking everything off it except for a flower vase. "And the flowers are still there!" Said Finn.

Aishwarya rolled the ghost trap out on the floor. The trap itself looked like a little box on wheels with a handle attached to a thick cord. "Okay, on my signal! Matt, I want a confinement stream from you! Okay? Go!" Shouted Aishwarya.

Matthew fired a capture stream and it surrounding the ghost like a lasso, keeping him trapped.

"Okay, hold him up there! He's gonna move! Hold him up! Go, Finn!"

Finn fired his own capture stream and it surrounded the ghost, too.

"It's working, Aisha!" Shouted Matt.

"Ok, start bringing him down! Start bringing him down! You got him! Don't cross the streams!" Shouted Aishwarya.

"Yeah, maybe now you'll never slime a guy with a positron collider, huh?" Shouted Finn. He and Matthew started bringing the ghost down.

"Finn, shorten your stream! I don't want my face burned off!" Shouted Matthew.

"All right! I'm opening the trap now! Don't look directly into the trap!" Shouted Aishwarya. She stepped on the button on the cord of the trap, and it opened with a bright flash of light. Matt's eyes widened. "I looked at the trap, Aisha."

"Bring your streams off as soon as I close the trap!Get ready! I'm closing it, now!" Aishwarya slammed her foot on the button as the two men cut off their proton streams. The ghost was sucked into the trap, and all was quiet. The Ghostbusters look at the trap as a red light turned on. Matthew tapped it with his foot and except for some blue electricity, nothing happened. "It's in there." Said Matthew.

Aishwarya chuckled. "Well, that wasn't such a chore, now was it?"

The trio stepped out of the ballroom, triumphantly. "We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!" Shouted Finn.

"Did you see it? What is it? Will there be any more of them?" Asked the manager.

"We got it!" Shouted Aishwarya, holding up the now smoking trap, excitedly. "Sir, what you have there is what we refer to as a focused, non-terminal repeating phantasm, or a Class Five full roaming vapor! Real nasty one, too!"

Finn jumped in. "Now, let's talk seriously, now. For the entrapment, we're gonna have to ask you for four big ones. $4,000 for that. But we are having a special this week on proton charging and storage of the beast, and that's only going to come to $1,000, fortunately."

The manager looked shocked. "$5,000? I had no idea it would be so much. I won't pay it."

"Well, that's all right! We can just put it right back in there." Said Finn.

"No, no, no, no! All right! I'll pay anything!" Said the manager.

Finn smiled. "Thanks so much."

Aishwarya chimed in. "Thank you! Hope we can help you again! All right, coming through! Watch out! Class Five full roaming vapor! Watch out!"

----------------------------------------------------------—

As it turns out, the Sedgewick was just the beginning. Word got out about the Ghostbusters, and soon, they were everywhere; magazines, TV interviews, front page news, radio shows, they were celebrities! And everyone was calling them, hoping they could help take care of their paranormal problems. But it also meant the the trio was getting overworked, and soon they came to a unanimous decision; they needed some help. And what better way to find it than a job offer.

A young man with black hair and blue eyes stood outside of the Ghostbusters firehouse- complete with a brand new plastic neon sign- clutching the Classified section.

"Do you believe in UFOs, astral projection, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trans-mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis?" Asked Merula.

Roman Rokudo stared at her, with a blank stare. "If there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say." He said, finally.

[fischerfrey]

HPHM APRIL PROMPTS 2021 - DAY 2

Prompt # 2 - We all know that MC is the hero of Hogwarts. But what if they weren't? What if MC was evil? Illustrate or write a paragraph about your MC, except they're evil.

I missed the first day but I’m here to offer you a very, very heavily canon-divergent au in which Verna has lost just a little bit of too much. These prompts are the courtesy of the awesome @stupendousbookworm

HPHM fic: One May Smile, and Smile, and Be a Villain

Summary: Verna has lost her friends, her brother, and her touch on reality.

Characters: MC, Merula Snyde, Wormtail, several random Ministry workers.

Pairing: OC/Merula Snyde

Warnings: Murder, violence, blood, arguing, unreliable narrator.

1994:

"We're done here," said the tall, dark-haired woman and stepped over a shape lying on the ground. The man with her flinched out of her way, as if the mere air around her was painful to stand in. The woman scoffed. "Pathetic, Wormtail. Clean up this mess," she said and with a loud pop, disapparated.

The man called Wormtail was left behind in a vast room, but he was not alone. Three shapes were laid out on the floor. Two of them unmoving. One was trying to reach out a hand, plead for help. Wormtail didn’t have a wand so he stepped closer and loomed over the man. "Please, please don't-" the man began, but speaking was clearly painful after what the Lady did to him. Wormtail wrapped his hands around the man's throat and squeezed.

After the deed was done, he set the place on fire. It was an old mansion, belonging to an esteemed wizarding family, with a long history of holding important Ministry offices. Wormtail watched as the flames engulfed the house and hoped that the Lady would be pleased. ~ The dark-haired woman apparated into a beautiful room, decorated with paintings and flowers, and Victorian furniture.

She set down her cloak on the back of an armchair and called: "Merula? I'm home!"

Not a hint of the previous malice was detectable in her voice. She smiled, as another woman entered the room, shorter, and somehow timid-looking next to the first woman. Her hair had outgrown its intended shape and her eyes looked tired. "Rough day at work?" Merula asked. The first woman nodded, and her smile didn’t falter even for a fraction of a second. "A lot of cases, I don't know what's gotten all these dark wizards on the move..." "Come here," said Merula and the woman walked into her open arms, embracing her. Later, when they were lying in their bed, Merula wanted to ask about the blood splatter on her lover's shirt sleeve. Or the way she cringed away when Merula touched her right shoulder. But she'd always been a coward so she said nothing. ~ The Ministry was trying to hide the murders. It didn’t matter. She didn’t care about causing hysteria. She only cared about revenge. Everyone she loved was gone. Everyone but Merula. And she’d do anything to keep her safe. Anything. Up to and including working with that wretch Wormtail. She had found him wondering Knockturn Alley, delirious and lost. At first she had felt sorry for him. Now she didn’t feel anything. Every kill became easier than the last. Initially, the killing curse hadn't obeyed her and so she had had to resort to more creative methods. But the longer she hunted for the people on her list, the easier it became. Still, she preferred to switch it up sometimes. She liked to see them realize that death was coming. They deserved to realize it. Avada Kedavra was too easy. Too painless. These people were the reason her friends were dead. These people were the reason Jacob would never get out of Azkaban. These people were the reason Merula was being hunted every single day of her life. They deserved to suffer. ~ The woman was terrified. Her wand gone, she was trembling but refused to stand down. "You killed all the others?" she asked, tears welling in her eyes. The woman with the dark hair stepped closer and pulled her hood down. "You're.. you're Verna Malinda? No- no there must be some mistake-" "You put my brother to Azkaban for killing Rakepick." Verna said, voice steady, cold even. She was holding her wand loosely in her hand, as if this was all just a bit of fun. "I was just doing my job!" the woman sobbed. "Yes, well... that's too bad." "Please, please don't do this! I can help you! I can help you get him out!" "No, you can't." "Yes I can! I can, I swear-" "You can't because you'll be too dead to do anything." Verna sliced her wand through the air in a swift, brutal motion. Seconds later, the Ministry official was lying on the ground, her throat slit. "Disgusting," Verna muttered and turned to leave but instead of an empty alleyway, she saw someone standing there, at the entrance to the alley. "Who's there?" she asked, pointing her wand towards the figure. It moved from the shadows, inching towards her. It was Merula. She looked shocked. But also furious. "What the fuck have you done? What was she talking about?? Who have you killed?" she demanded, face twisted in an expression of betrayal. "I..." "Don't fucking lie to me." Verna sighed. She didn’t have time for lies.

"I killed everyone who covered up the murders of our friends. And everyone who put Jacob to Azkaban." "You're insane." "You're telling me?" Verna asked, not moved by Merula's anger. "You tried to kill me multiple times at school, I don't think you have the moral highground here." "Fuck you! I changed! I worked to be a better person and I did all of it for you!" Verna shifted her weight around and crossed her arms. This was becoming complicated. "Merula, let's talk about this back home," she suggested. The dead woman's blood was beginning to seep through her boots. "What's your grand plan, huh? What's your endgame?" "I'm going to kill Dumbledore,” Verna said, simply. Merula stared at her in disbelief. "What? You'll get yourself killed!" "Maybe. But I can rage against the Ministry all I want, nothing’s going to change as long as that man keeps putting children at risk." "Fuck! You gotta be kidding me!" Merula cried out, frustrated, disbelieving, furious. She ran a hand through her hair and she looked beautiful. Beautiful but tired. Verna raised her wand and stupefied her. She didn’t have time for this, she had a plan to follow.

[cursed-ice-spirits]

Unique First Impressions Part 2

When one turns 17, a young pureblood of a noble house will be eased into society through a party held by the Head. Rebecca Lord is no exception.... but perhaps, she has something up her sleeve.

MC Featured: Aleksia Aries @aleksia-aries-hogwartsmystery, Aisling Baskerville @elefseija, Garrett Avery @thecursedvaultchild

Previous.

Next

The first of the guests trickled in and already Rebecca buzzed with unrestrained energy. 

Standing still for so long without something to fidget with has always been an issue. All she’s been able to do is curtsey to any purebloods who came through, shake their hands, maybe let the young men and Heads kiss her hand, and wave at them as they come in. It’s been the most physical contact she had with strangers in one night and it’s far more than what she’s comfortable with. 

Her hands twitched as she nodded another guest in, but one look at her uncle’s glare had her gritting her teeth and curling her hands into fists to try to still them. This is revenge for that warning, she told herself, taking deep breaths so she won’t lash out at him. He's a petty bastard and I’m not apologizing.

But by god, that is hard.

“Rebecca!”

A sharp tap prodded the back of her head. She sent a quick scowl at her uncle, before realizing it wasn’t her uncle who called out her name, and looked to see who it is, because if someone’s calling out her first name explicitly, then it must be a friend.

Two friends actually. Aleksia Aries and Aisling Baskerville strolled eagerly up, warm smiles on their faces as they waved, their parents trailing behind them. 

Aleksia was dressed in blue, a deep royal blue that suited her perfectly. It’s made out of floral lace from the texture, creating an interesting layer. It has a V-neck with spaghetti straps. The back of the skirt skims her ankles, while the front merely covers her knees, and is cut in an A-line style. She had smokey eye makeup, with gold and silver mixed in, and her hair was loose, with several smaller parts sectioned off to twist into braids. 

Aisling’s dress is one of red and reaches down to her ankles, and the top is of floral lace as well, with butterfly sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. The lower half had black lace layered over it, matching her heels, with vines and flowers covering the dress. At a closer look, the flowers were glittering roses, with little leaves sticking out. It was laced up at the sides with a wide black waistband. Her hair was braided into a side mermaid braid and tossed over her shoulder, two smaller braids tugged into the main tail, and red highlighted her eyes and lips.  

 Rebecca barely caught glimpses of their parents’ elegant attire before rushing to greet them — it was one thing to hear that they’re coming, it’s another to actually see them — but a soft cough stopped her in her tracks, and reminded her exactly who she was standing next to. 

She quickly smothered her grin with a stiff smile, dipping down into a curtsey as they approached. “Hello to you both as well.”

Aleksia gave a wary glance at her Uncle, no doubt seeing the tension between her and her uncle and connecting it to her own father, before settling on Rebecca and she smiled brightly. "It's so good to see you, my friend. It's been too long!" she grasped her hands and gave a gentle but reassuring squeeze. Her eyes shone with an unnoticed promise of support, something that reassured her greatly.

Rebecca couldn’t help it. Her smile softens and she squeezes back. “It has only been a month since we've seen each other, Aleksia.”

“Oh, but a month nonetheless!”

Nicknames are fragile here. Her uncle must not know how close she is to Aleksia and Aisling. It is enough he knows she cares deeply for Summer and Garrett. Aleksia knows enough about this to understand why.

She turns her attention to her other friend. Aisling scans Giddeon with the same amount of caution, something she’s not too surprised about, but once her eyes land on Rebecca, she smiles too. Then she does something odd. 

She flicks her eyes to her parents then to Giddeon. They glance at her, then at each other, then smile. 

Her father murmurs something into Aleksia’s mother’s, Leanna, ear, while Aisling’s own steps forward. Immediately Rebecca sees the resemblance. Both seem soft, but just like Aisling, Brighid Baskerville can be fierce.

 “A good evening, Giddeon.”

Giddeon raises an eyebrow. “I’m surprised you came. When my niece persuaded me to send an invite, I didn’t think you’d exactly come.”

The corner of Brighid’s lip twitches into a smile. “We Irish are full of surprises.”

She pulls him into a deep conversation, the other two adults joining in. With Giddeon’s eyes away from her, Rebecca blinks, and realizes just what Aisling was planning.

That sneaky girl.

She lets out a laugh, then pulls the other into a hug. “You know you didn’t have to do that.”

Aisling smiles and hugs back, Aleksia quickly joining the hug. “Oh, but I wanted to.” She says as they pull away. “You were so tense until now.”

“Well, that’s what happens when you’ve spent the last hour greeting arrogant purebloods.”

They laugh, quietly so they won’t catch her uncle’s attention, and she smiles too, her shoulders easing up.

“I didn’t think you both would come. I know I convinced my uncle to invite your family, but I thought Irish purebloods don’t trust purebloods from Great Britain.” She glances at Aleksia. “And you don’t go to these parties either.”

Aisling shrugged. “We saw it was about you, so of course we’ll come. Why wouldn’t we?”

“And well,” Aleksia folds her arms and takes a look inside the ballroom, “my father and cousin aren’t here, right?”

Rebecca laughed. “No, we’re a lesser family. Maybe some families come to see who they’ll be working with but with the kind of people your father and cousin are, there’s no way they’re going to a party belonging to us.”

Aleksia beamed. “Then I’m safe here and we’re coming to support a friend. It’s a win win.”

Gods, she really does have wonderful friends, huh. Her smile widens. “Thank you both.”

 She takes a few moments to converse with them for a while, before complimenting their attire.

“You both look wonderful by the way.”

“You too!” Aleksia beamed. “Is that Andre’s work?’

Rebecca nodded. “It is. I wanted to pay him but he refused. Said it was an honor to do my dress.”

“Well, he did a wonderful job.” AIsling smiled. “I’ll give kudos once we’re back in school.” She glanced toward the adults. “We better get going. Our parents can’t distract him forever.” She squeezes her hand. “See you inside?”

“Of course.”

They gave her one last hug, then grabbed their parents and disappeared into the ballroom. She watched them go, then sighed and let herself get a breather for a moment. Her hands itched to do something…

“Heads up,” Giddeon said simply, not looking at her. Her smile falls. She’s not so lucky now. She was only allowed one chance to relax and she won’t get it again. She shot him a glare and straightened, eyes flickering to the persons approaching and forcing a smile on her face despite how much she wanted to throw hands with her uncle and scream at him to get her out of here, but she knew how that would go. 

So instead, she watched as two ladies, one older and one her age, approached the archway, both dressed in black. She went to blend down to greet them… until she saw the orange patch in one of the ladies’ hair.

You have got to be shitting me.

Merula stood in front of her, lavender eyes glowering. Her hair hung over her face, uncombed and wild as always although this time it seemed like someone took the liberty of styling it so it looked more natural. Her lips were painted a ruby red and they were pressed into a firm line, likely in disdain at the sight of her. She wore a black dress with specks of green that admittedly looked very beautiful, and she sported black heels at her feet. As the light flickered on her, the black fabric shimmered with delicate embroidery. 

If Ethren was here, Rebecca is sure he’ll be struck by her beauty, but to Rebecca, Merula is decidedly not a welcomed sight. 

Rebecca folded her arms, a deep frown replacing her fake fake fake smile. “Snyde,” she said, a layer of ice coating her voice. 

“Lord,” Merula said through gritted teeth. 

“Girls,” Giddeon said sharply as he greeted the woman with Merula (who Rebecca suspected was her very absent aunt). “Behave.”

The last sentence was directed at her, which annoyed her, considering she’s not the only one involved. 

“Yes Merula,” Merula’s aunt said airily. “Behave. This is the young Caldwell’s introduction party after all. We came here for a reason.”

As Rebecca turned to look at her, she finally took her in. Dark hair fell in curls and framed her face, which held elegant features and dark eyes. Pearls decorated her dark attire and looped around her neck, and crystals decorated her ears and hair. Several rings were set on her fingers.

She was the very description of beauty and Rebecca would have mistaken her for someone close to Merula due to her rich background if it weren’t for the emotional distance between the two.

Merula shot her a glare, but pulled herself together and dipped into a curtsey. Not too deep, but not too short either. A show of respect, something that surprised her coming from the Slytherin. Rebecca followed suit, jerking her chin up proudly as she straightened. Her eyes flickered to the adults, who went back to conversing, before flickering back to her enemy. 

“I’m surprised you bothered to come. We are known for our… mutual dislike,” Rebecca said lowly, eyes narrowed in suspicion, wary of any sabotage. Maybe she wasn’t as bad as their first few years but she’ll still keep an eye out. 

Just in case.

Merula let out a soft ‘hmph’ and folded her arms over her chest. “Of course I came. Your uncle invited us. It’d be a great offence if I didn’t come.”

“In other words, your aunt forced you to come.”

Merula glared at her. “Watch your mouth, Lord,” she warned her. “The only reason I’m not bad mouthing you right now is because my aunt told me to behave.”

“As if you don’t find an excuse to insult me anyway.” Rebecca gave her a sweet but sharp smile, just for appearances. “Be thankful Ethren likes you.”

“Be thankful Caplan likes you.”

“Come along Merula,” Merula’s aunt said suddenly before Rebecca can say something she will surely regret (in the face of her uncle). “I must see who came to this party.”

In other words, flirt with them. Giddeon tilted his head, giving the woman a firm smile. 

“It was a pleasure to meet you both.”

Merula eyed him, an odd look flashing over her face, as if she didn’t know what to think of him, but she turned her face away and followed her aunt inside the ballroom.

Giddeon folded his arms behind his back. “You weren’t joking when you say you and Miss Snyde don’t get along.”

Rebecca let the smile fall off her face and rolled her eyes. “Like cats and dogs, sir. And what use would I have to lie about that?”

“Point taken. Ah, Lord Avery. A pleasure to see you here. I am surprised you came.”

If it was possible, her heart lifted and shrunk at the same time. Quickly snapping a polite smile in place, she straightened her shoulders and glanced at the direction of the men approaching. 

The first of them was of medium stature but carried himself as if he was the tallest in the room. His hazel eyes were dark and intimidating, neatly framed by gelled dark hair. The rings on his fingers indicated he was one of high standing and large wealth. Black robes flowed around him, making his sons behind him seem smaller.

Immediately behind him was a man slightly taller than the first. His dark hair was long and pulled back in a neat ponytail. His identical hazel gaze swept critically over Rebecca and Giddeon, a faint sneer as he observed the party.

And trailing behind was Garrett, taller than his father and brother by a few inches, and nicely dressed in dark blue. His dark hair was swept to the side, handsome as ever. His green eyes were tired but quickly brightened as he met Rebecca’s gaze. Her own smile widened as well.

And noticeably absent was Lady Avery, having been dead for some years now.

"Thank you, Caldwell. Yes, well, you can thank Garrett for that. He said he'd come without me but that simply wouldn't do. After all, this is certainly a party to evaluate Miss Lord's entrance to society." He took her hand and kissed it, barely grazing it, just enough to be polite. She fought the urge to pull away. This is the man who hired us to kill his own son after his graduation. And you can’t do anything about it.

Garrett's roll of the eyes did not go unnoticed. His brother, Gerald, elbowed him. She fought back a smile, then, as she gazed at her friend, she got an idea.

Perfect.

"It is much appreciated to have you all to witness her entrance," Giddeon said, a half smile on his face as he took a half bow. Making sure he wasn’t looking, she flicked her eyes to the ballroom, then to Garrett, the corner of her mouth twitching, and hoping he'll get the message.

He did.

Once Lord Avery pulled away, she took the corner of her dress and dipped into a curtsey.

"Thank you for coming nonetheless."

Lord Avery nodded and swept away, Gerald following close behind. Garrett lingered longer, more subtly winking then slowly walked after his family.

Rebecca glanced at her uncle, who was keeping an eye on who's coming next and was thankfully distracted, then murmured through the corner of her mouth, low enough that only Garrett can hear. 

"Mind dancing with me for the first dance?" Her words were normal, but her eyes shone with excitement. 

Translation: Sum and I got a surprise. Mind helping me out?

His eyes gleamed and his mouth curled mischievously. "I'd be honored to."

She kept her reaction neutral, but her lip twitched into the faintest of smirks as she turned her face away. "I'll see you then."

He looked as though he was suppressing a growing smirk, but he nodded. "Catch you around." He swept into the ballroom, looking around, most likely for Summer.

With nobody as a witness, she allowed herself a smile, the smile she usually wears when she’s planning something. 

Step one complete.

[hotpotrandomfics]

Fifth Year Summer AU: A Tropical Journey to my Boyfriend

Summary: Merula and some her companions have been invited to visit Jason in the Dominican Republic. However, the Great Snyde must face her greatest task yet. Jason’s mother.

Word Count: 5,600

The school year had come to a close, and all the students of Hogwarts had all headed home. Merula had made friends with Jason friends one at a time. They had bonded with each other in the last few months of school and had become friends themselves. Merula actually had planned to hang out with Penny during some of the summertime they were off. Mainly because the two had a plan.

"So do you think he'll be surprised, Penny?" Merula asked as she looked through her suitcase, making sure she had everything necessary packed. "It's not weird if we show up, right?"

"No, why would it?" Penny said as she checked her hair in her mirror.

"We have only been together for a few months. So I'm still nervous about him and me being so close. I mean we are talking traveling to the other side of the planet here!" Merula looked at her as she flopped down on the ground groaning. "I mean, this would be the first time I would meet his mother! What if she doesn't like me or she thinks I'm not pretty enough for him. Penny, you know Jason is a knockout, and his little fan club went mad when I took their idol!"

Merula kept going on and on about how nervous she was about this secret trip she and the rest of the curse breakers had planned. The whole reason being is Jason's parents had divorced, and his parents had agreed to shared custody despite their constant bickering that he should stay with one or the other. But Jason made it clear to his parents he'd rather be on his own if his parents couldn't compromise. If not with each other at least for his sake.

"Merula, I'm sure it'll be fine. Remember, you're the girl who bagged the best guy at Hogwarts!" Penny patted Merula shoulder, giving her a thumbs up. "Trust me, plus once Jason gets a load of you in all these cute outfits, there is no way his mum is gonna argue against this. Or is the self-proclaimed best witch of Hogwarts too scared of her future mother-in-law?"

"I'm not scared!" Merula snapped out of her little funk. "W-who would be scared of that? I'm not!"

"Merula, your shaking like a leaf. Everything will play out, and we'll have a good time. His mum knows we are coming with a few more. Rowan, Ben, and Barnaby are coming with us too- oh look at the time!" Penny shouted as she looked at her watch slightly panic. "If we don't hurry, we'll miss the port key!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the girls finished their packing and made their way to the port key location. The girls were taken by Penny's parents to the local train station and had traveled to an old train station frequented by wizards. The two met with their friends at the coastline where a man stood with an old fisherman outfit and staff. He pulled a pocket watch from his pocket as the five of them made their way to him.

"Payment and passports?" the old man asked as the teens stood in front of him.

Each of them pulled a few Galleons and their passports, paying him as he inspected their passports. After a few moments, the old man smiled as he was satisfied with the amount of coin he weighed in his hand.

"Alright, go ahead and grab the pot," the man directed them.

The friends laid their hands on the pot, waiting as the old man counted down. They all shook with anticipation waiting for their little "flight" to take place.

Five. Four. Three. Two. One...

As the old man uttered the last number, the kids were sucked into a cyclone, pulling them into the shoe as they screamed, not of fear. But out of pure excitement, they never traveled by port key, so their expectations weren't let down. After a few moments of screaming the group of friends landed on the sandy ground. They groaned as they stood up, dusting themselves and looking around themselves: Sun, palm trees, mountains in the distance, and the buzzing of the local town behind them.

"Wow, this place is beautiful," Merula said as she gazed at their new surroundings. "So exactly how are we going to Jason's place from here?"

Just then, a pearl white limousine rolled up next to the group with a tanned elderly man dressed in an elegant suit and gloves.

"Senor Rowan. Senor Ben. Senor Barnaby. Senora Penny and Senora Merula. Welcome to the Dominican Republic,"  he bowed with one hand across his chest, "I am Manuel, your guide and the head butler for the De Leone family. Dominar Jason's mother's side of the family. If you, please follow me." Manuel drew his wand, lifting their suitcases, and guided them into the trunk of the limousine.

"Well, that's how," Rowan said as he and the rest of them entered the rear of the limousine.

Inside of it, the interior was tanned coffee leather with a minibar toward the front section, with a raised roof with shelves of different forms of alcohol and coffee beans. Five goblets of water flew into the passenger's hands. It was impressive to see the progress of magic and the combination of muggle technologies. The car began to move as the friends watch the city pass by and they made twists and turns till they reached a narrow alley wall, plowing through a building as the group of teens screamed but then the car phased through the wall.

They were now in the wizard city of Pueblo Leona, a port town famous for one of the best Quidditch teams in South America, resorts, cliff diving, and the hometown of the De Leone family. As they drove through the town, they stopped at a large golden gate with two lion statues that stood fifteen feet tall. The statue's head followed the car as the gates opened, and the limousine pulled in front of the manor before them. It stood three stories tall, designed in the form of a Mediterranean with white marble columns with blue and gold accents to the edges at the bases of the walls. The roof was made of wood and polished to the point it reflected the light of the sun.

Manuel stepped out, holding the door of the car as the teens stepped out and looked at the mansion in awe.

"Jason said his family was wealthy..." Rowan said as he stared at the building in awe.

"No, kidding. How does anyone find their way around a place like that?" Penny chimed in.

"I hope we don't get lost," Ben muttered as they followed Manuel into the demesne.

The ceilings were raised high with polished wooden beams mounted with golden chandeliers and a central staircase with an azure carpet draping the stairs. The walls were decorated in paintings of the sea, port towns, and ships. As Manuel was explaining the layout, the head of the house came down the stairs. A woman who'd worn a blue sundress, with golden bracelets on either wrist and a necklace made of gold. Her skin was bronze with dark brown hair and blue eyes. She was around the same as Merula, Jason's mother, Thalia De Leone.

"Hello, welcome," Thaila said with a gentle smile, "I hope the drive wasn't too rocky. Let me see if I get this right, Penny?"

"Yes, ma'am! It's a pleasure," Penny smiled brightly.

"Ben?"

"H-hello ma'am," Ben stuttered as he stared at the woman. "I am Ben C-Copper..."

"You're right Penny, and he does seem nervous. You needn't be worried mi nino." Thaila laughed as she continued. "Barnaby?"

"That's me!" Barnaby laughed.

"Energetic, quite nice. You are Rowan?"

"A pleasure ma'am, your son is-"

"You're his best friend, I know. Thank you for watching him." She nodded then turned her gazed to Merula.  Studying the girl carefully invading her personal space. "And you..."

"Hello, Miss De Leone. I'm M-Merula Snyde," she muttered. What was with her, she thought. Usually, adults didn't intimidate her, but this one did oddly. Her bubbly demeanor and the analyzing look she had in her eyes were similar to eyes she knew too well.

"Merula Snyde. Hmm, you bullied my baby boy, and yet," Thaila's expression turned severe.

"I um..."

"But," she grinned and pulled her into a tight hug. "You made my boy smile!"

"Miss De Leone! You're crushing me!" Merula coughed as she was mumbling confused.

"Oh sorry! And dear, call me Thaila. Or mom." Thaila let Merula go as she rubbed the back of her head like Jason. Yep, they were related. "Ah, Jason should be out on the veranda in the back. Warning though, he doesn't know you're here. So you gotta be sneaky."

The group nodded in unison as they followed Thaila through the home. They gazed at the artwork and architecture in amazement. The detail was so subtle and precise that it would sin to touch even the walls. As they approached the double doors leading to the back they saw the young man they had all been looking forward to seeing.

Jason was sitting at a table sipping away some coffee while reading a book with his free hand. He wore his necklace Merula had gotten him for Christmas while a black v-neck, ripped jeans, and his hiking boots. How he wore that in hot weather was anyone's guess. He seemed too invested in noticing the door opening. But something did catch his attention, a particular scent that sent him over the edge — the aroma of fresh mountain air with the hints of lavender and nail polish.

"Jason, I have a surprise for you-" Thaila began speaking but was through off when her son jumped over the table and tackling Merula. "Jason Piscius Aurelius De Leone! Do not jump over the tables!"

"Ah! Jason!" Merula squealed as Jason lifted her and spun her around almost slinging her into their friends who had to dodge out of the way. "P-put me down, you knucklehead!" She laughed as her boyfriend pulled her into a hug but started to blush when she realized everyone was staring.

"Oh, sorry!" Jason placed her down while looking at his friends and giving them all hugs with the same amount of happiness. "What are you all doing here?"

"Well, we came to see you. Isn't it obvious?" Rowan laughed as he tapped his friend in the chest.

"I orchestrated the whole thing with your mum. I hope that's okay." Penny laughed as she hugged Jason sided.

"Really now? Gracias ma," Jason turned to his mother, smiling at him.

"Of course. I must say though," she looked at Merula and nodded in approval. "You got a good taste in women. She reminds me a little bit of me when I was younger."

"Haywood!" Merula cheeks started turning red as she wrapped her arms around Jason's arm. "How long are you gonna hold on to my boyfriend, hmmm?"

"Oh! Sorry, Merula!" Penny let go laughing as let Jason go. "She is similar to me in that regard," Thaila laughed. "I was a bit possessive of my men."

Merula blushed at the comment Thaila. She doesn't like others touching her stuff; especially touching Jason. She buried her face into his chest and sighed, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Oh Meri," Jason leaned down and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

As the group of friends was each shown to their rooms, they all had lunch out on the veranda. They chatted all about how the summer had been for the first few weeks. Penny and her family had gone to a muggle theme park in celebration of Beatrice being freed from the curse of the portraits. Barnaby had gone to Germany visiting many magical creature sanctuaries. Rowan visited his relatives in India while reading a small library worth of books. They shared many other stories until Jason suggested he showed them around the city. Everyone agreed to it with much enthusiasm.

Manuel had the limo drop of the teens in a market area. Manuel instructed them he'd come to get them before dinner for the evening was prepared. The group then followed behind Jason as he showed them the town. The streets were littered with people working stalls, kids playing, and many tourists enjoying the city's bright and vibrant life.

"Wow," Penny looked around at a stall of bright dresses and swimsuits. "These are so pretty! Merula, look at this!"

Merula walked over and looked at the wares intrigued by the patterns. Some of the models and symbols she saw looked as though a child drew them.

"Jason, what are those characters?" Merula looked at him bewildered.

"Huh?" he walked over and looked at them. "Those are Taino symbols. They were the natives of the Caribbean. They were relatively peaceful. That symbol is the "sun" or "sol." It looks a little odd, doesn't it?"

"It does but has a unique charm to it." Merula smiled at him. "So what else can be done around here?"

"Well, we can go to the beach? Surfing? Cliff diving?" Jason held his chin as he ran through his thoughts.

"Beach? That sounds nice!" Rowan chimed in as took off a mask he had bought from a kiosk. "Jason, do you have a spot in mind?"

"Wait, we left our swimsuits in our luggage," Barnaby said as he had been stuffing his face with ham croquetas. "I mean I got no problem swimming in my underwear-"

"Barnaby, no." Merula shuddered at that suggestion. "The beach does sound good, but we don't have our suits as Barnaby said."

"I think I can help with that. Follow me," Jason said as he took Merula hand as their friends followed Jason into a nearby shop. "Tio Rodrigo, donde estas?"

"Aquí mi sobrino, ¿qué necesitas?" said an older man walking out to the front of the store dressed in slacks and a button shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His skin was slightly tanner than Jason's but had a similar glow to him. "Oh my! What beautiful girls you brought here? Who are they?"

"Tio, this is my girlfriend Merula and my friends, Rowan, Penny, and Barnaby," Jason said as he explained they're from school and came to visit it (with it being planned by his mother) and that they needed swimsuits for the beach.

"Well, that is how my cousin is. But yes, I think I got a few things for you. Gimme a hand sobrino," he said as he walked into the back with Jason following.

A few minutes later, as everyone went through the store's wares, Jason and his uncle walked out with a few different swimsuits for everyone to try. They were each given individual bags so they could be their stuff separated. As they all decided and put their clothes over the suits, Jason tried to pay his uncle only for him to deny him as it was a free service since his friends came all this way to see him. Jason thanked him and left with his friends to the beach.

The beach was a sight to behold as the crystal clear water glistens with the gentle warm breeze of the sea. The gang made their spots and tossed off their clothes revealing for the first time their swimsuits.

"Jason, your abs," Barnaby commented as he poked at them, "how are they this sculpted?"

"It is interesting," Rowan commented as he did the same thing as Barnaby. "How often do you exercise or rather where do you find the time to do such things?"

"My parents tell me I must keep my appearance up and all. So can you stop- oh, Merlin." Jason stopped as he eyed Merula, who was looking at him nervously as his heart raced. He walked over to her as she looked away messing with her hair.

"W-well? Does it look weird?" Merula glanced at him.

"Meri, the only words I can use to describe you is beautiful, but even that doesn't describe how amazing you look." Jason smiled as he lifted her chin. "How I was blessed with such a beauty I got no clue."

"Oh, s-shut up!" Merula hid her face into her hands, trying not to peek at him. "But I do look beautiful?"

"You always do, mi amor," Jason blushed as he took in her appearance as a whole. Her swimsuit suited her well, he thought to himself.

A two-piece bikini in with an emerald shade and silver specks that acted like stars; the sight could make any man fall in love. Lucky she has already had the one person heart she needed.

"Um, guys?" Penny called to the adorably innocent couple. "Are we going into the water or not?

"Uh, y-yeah! Let's get going!" the two lovers said in unison, pausing briefly to laugh at their synchronization. They really were a match.

With that, the friends ran to the water and begun the joys of their vacation. Barnaby, in his excitement, picked Jason up and bodyslammed him into the water with a loud splash. Barnaby then picked up Rowan holding him over his head with screaming Rowan begging for mercy only for Jason and Ben to tackle their large statured friend. Merula and Penny laughed as the boys were acting well like boys. It was a pleasant sight to see their friends all having fun. While the two girls were laughing the boys snuck up and lifted them only for them to protest as the boys got ready for tossing them.

"One! Two! Three!!!" The four boys said in unison as they tossed Penny and Merula having loud shrieks pierce the air.

"Let's do it again! This fun!" Barnaby bellowed as he clapped his hands on Ben and Rowan's shoulders. "That was brilliant!"

"I dunno Barnaby, I don't want anyone getting hurt," Jason said only to feel something grab his ankle. "Huh? WOOOAH!" Jason yelped as he was pulled under the surface.

"Ha!" Merula said as she broke the surface. "Wait, that wasn't Barnaby."

"No, it wasn't Snyde," Rowan answered giggling.

Merula screamed as her boyfriend wrapped his arms around her and dragging her under. It was a surprise, to say the least as she wormed her way out of his grasp. As she stood up coughing, she looked around trying to find her giant dork.

"Are you alright, Meri?" Jason looked at her with an apologetic look. He hoped he didn't let his excitement get the best of him.

"Oh I'm fine, but you are a dead meat!" Merula lunged at Jason, climbing over to his back and putting him in a headlock while wrapping her legs around his waist. "You are in trouble you little twit!"

"Ah! Meri-" Jason yelped as he tried to keep his balance in the rocking waves of the shores. He tripped as a massive wave, swallowed him and Merula. The two rolled around in the waves until Jason was able to get his footing back. "For Merlin's sake, what were you thinking?" he coughed as Merula held onto his back.

"You were the one who tossed me in, so it's your fault," Merula said as she coughed up some water, "or do I need us to go under again?"

"You win. I submit to Merula Snyde, the most powerful witch on the beach." Jason laughed as Merula climbed off his back, and the two hugged each other with Merula flicking his nose. "Ouch!" What did I do?"

"Nothing, just need you always to remember even if I'm shorter than you I can still reach you somehow." Merula grinned as she wrapped her hands around the nape of his neck.

As the afternoon progressed, the friends walked around the city some more as Jason talked about some of the significant landmarks. One was the quidditch field at the center of the town, The Emerald Lion Dome, name mainly due to the emerald-shaded dome on the structure carved of white marble. It stood twenty-three kilometers wide and was to be the grounds for the next quidditch world cup as the sun started to set the group head back to Jason's home.

"God, I got sand all over!" Ben whined as he tried to shake off the sand that was slowly stuck on his body.

"I know, right?" Barnaby said as he blew his nose out. "It was so much fun, though. Did you see that sea serpent?"

"Sea serpent?!" Ben gulped at Barnaby's excitement of seeing a sea serpent.

"Oh? Yeah, don't go playing with the serpent." Jason said as he walked his friends back to their rooms. "It tends to eat those not paying attention. Don't worry Ben, and no one has been eaten in a couple of days."

"Wonderful." Ben opened the door to his room, scared.

"Dinner is gonna be in an hour or so. Get cleaned up and prepare for a feast!" Jason smiled as he made his way to his room.

"Oh, boy, I'm starved!" Barnaby groaned as his stomach growled.

Jason chuckled at his friend's honesty as he entered his room and making his way to his personal bathroom. He looked through his closet and thought about his options. Since his friends were here and how his mother was, he needs to consider something fun and functional.

On the other end of the manor, Merula had finished cleaning herself up and looked through her outfits. Penny had helped her pick out. She debated between a sundress Penny said looked good on her and a skirt with a blouse. What would be the best to impress Jason's mom and Jason himself?

"Awe, you all look amazing!" Thaila said at the first three to show. Ben, Barnaby, and Rowan had been told to dress for a party. Thalia had been planning this little piece while the teens were up and about exploring the city.

"Thank ma'am!" Barnaby smiled, puffing up his chest. He wore a green button-up, black trousers with his signature rings, and new dress shoes.

"I wish I asked Andre more on dressing advice." Ben looked at his own outfit. His attire consisted of a red polo with a golden bird on upper left pectoral, off-white slacks, and cleaned tennis shoes with what seemed to have a checkmark? Maybe from a muggle company.

"I agree we all look well, Ben. Stop worrying for a bit. We're here for fun." Rowan placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. Rowan had an olive sweater, with beige dress pants and black dress shoes.

As the festivities began, relatives and friends from the De Leones flooded the manor. Many had brought dishes from their homes and thus began the largest welcome party some of the young wizards had ever seen.

Merula had just stepped out of her room when she heard the sounds of festivities. She gazed out to a window adjacent to her door, seeing the people enjoying themselves. "Quite rowdy," she thought to herself as she started making her way down the hallway to the main stairs. Merula heart had been racing ever since she left her room. So far, the day has been good, but she hoped it stayed as she hoped. Merula was at the top of the stairs before she noticed someone across the adjacent section of the stairs.

Jason had finished getting cleaned up before he walked out to the stairs in an excited mood. He hadn't expected to see his friends till school or at least till he had done part of his summer in Italy with his father. But he couldn't think of that for the time. Right now was a time for celebration as his friends were here; and one that was a special one at that. He took a deep breath as he descended the stairs to meet Merula in the middle.

"You look amazing-" the couple said in unison.

"You go first!" Jason spoke with his nerves evergrowing.

"N-no, you go first!" Merula responded.

"No, I insist the most powerful witch goes first."

"So thoughtful of the gentleman," Merula smiled as she took a good look at Jason.

He wore blue chinos with an off-white button-up with his sleeves rolled up. Jason wore his necklace Merula had gotten him for Christmas, charcoal dress shoes, and an onyx-colored watch. His hair combed, and the scent of his cologne sent Merula heart ablaze.

"You look quite dashing if I must say," Merula blushed as her eyes dart to Jason and shot to the left, repeatedly.

"Not as beautiful as you though. You look amazing Merula," Jason caressed her cheek while giving an earnest smile.

"It doesn't look odd? I mean this isn't my cup of tea. Haywood suggested this and other outfits." Merula had decided to go with a sundress with a jade green tint, with her necklace from this past Christmas, and sandals.

"Merula," Jason took her chin and gently kissed her. "No matter what you wear or how you think you look, I'll always believe your beautiful."

"You're such a sweet talker, you know?" Merula stood on her toes and kissed him back. "Let's get going. I want to see what all the noise about."

Jason laughed as he took her hand and led her outside. The two walked arm in arm as the party seemed to be going well. Ben talking with some of Jason's uncles while playing dominos and as far as Jason tell his friend needed some work on it or they'd bleed him dry. To the left, Barnaby was helping himself with the food while two girls were trying to get his attention. They were most likely daughters of his mom's friends probably.

Jason had gone around introducing Merula to his many, many, relatives. Some young cousin. Aunts and uncles. All of them welcomed Merula as one of their own and comment on how she's so beautiful like Jason described. Clearly, someone can't help but brag about the best witch of Hogwarts. Over at a table, Rowan was sitting with Penny and Thalia. He and Merula decided to head over and sit down next to them.

"Ah! Mi hijo y mi futura nuera. You two look amazing!" Thaila smiled at the two love birds.

"Mama! ¡No digas eso!" Jason faced turned red.

"Aye. Sorry hijo, I just can't help myself at times. Merula, your dress looks lovely. It compliments you very well."

"Thank you, ma'am," Merula smiled, feeling happy by her dress selection.

"Now then, I want to know something if you don't mind me asking." Thaila leaned forward with her head in her hands.

"About what ma'am?" Merula asked.

"How much do you love my son? What is it that makes you love?" Thaila grinned like a schoolgirl finding out the latest gossip.

"Mom!" Jason shouted, embarrassed at his mother's questioning of his girlfriend.

"It's alright, Jason." Merula squeezed his hand. She cleared her throat and tried to muster as much courage as she could. "Well, Jason and I never got along in the beginning. I didn't think that someone like him could even consider loving me."

"Because of your lineage?" Thaila raised an eyebrow.

"Y-yes," Merula sighed, "but the fact he treated like an average person. Correcting me whenever I was in the wrong and trying to get me to see my actions will determine my fate. That I am the one to make my choice if I want to be like my parents." She glanced at Jason with a smile.

"And my dear?" Thaila looked at Merula curiously.

"Jason risked death for me too many times that I could even count. He saved my life and me from myself. From the monster, I thought I was," Merula looked at Thaila. "That's why I love him."

Thaila had her eyes clothes as she was in a deep thought considering Merula words before smiling at her. This girl has given her son happiness, and he has done the same for her. Now Thaila was thinking about planning their wedding in secret but knew Jason would find out and possibly flip his lid if she got ahead of herself.

"You are how he describes you truly. I can see why he loves you. You better not go breaking this heart mi nino, am I clear?" Thaila looked at Jason with a severe glance. "Am I clear?"

"I think I rather face another dragon than risk a broken-hearted Merula. I could at least die, knowing I didn't hurt her."

"Hey! I thought we agreed! No, dying!" Merula grabbed his ear, pinching it till his ear turned red.

"Ouch! Meri! Please, that hurts! Aaaaaaaaah!" Jason yelped as Merula tormented him as she did when he got all "tempt fate" and see what would happen.

"I think a dead you would be heartbreaking!" Merula pulled him close, releasing his ear and kissing it.

"Awww, Merula being friendly!" Rowan teased.

"Khanna, I swear I will end you!"

"Noted." Rowan held his hands up, surrendering to the threat. "But, I got to admit it's nice seeing how you act with him."

"Rowan, buddy?" Jason called as rubbed his ear.

"Yes, Jason?"

"Shush, please. I don't want any dead bodies on my home because I'm sure I'll have to bury them," Jason looked at his friend smirking.

"Well, that's enough of the talk. Come along children. It's a party after all!" Penny said as she took Rowan's arm and decided to hit the dance floor.

"I'll leave you to allow, but don't get too crazy now," Thaila smiled and winked at Merula and Jason, making her way to a group of adults.

"Um, sorry my mom put you on the spot." Jason hung his head as he rubbed the back of his neck. "My mom is eccentric and is-" he tried to continue but was cut off by a finger to the lips.

"Jason, you don't need to make excuses." Merula smiled. "I understand she is just concerned. Any parent would wonder who the person that has their child's heart is. Mine does because I brag about you in my letters."

"Meri," Jason smiled and pulled her into a hug, "I love you so much."

"And I love you," Merula pecked his cheek. "Why don't we go join the fun?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

The couple made their way to the dance floor and danced to their heart's content. Merula had gotten better at the dances Jason had shown her these past few months since they started dating. Some of Jason's relatives comment on how she moved well. He knew how to pick 'em. The two of them danced till they couldn't anymore. Sweat dripping down their faces with shallow breaths being taken.

"You hungry?" Merula panted as she held Jason's hand. "I'm starving," Jason said as they made their way to the food table.

"Good grief, this all smells delicious and looks the part.

"Presentation is always keen with food," Jason laughed as he handed her plate and got one for himself.

The two filled their plates and walked to the low standing section of a wall by the view of the city and sat down to eat. As they ate, the two had talked about how the quidditch world cup was coming soon. Though they had different teams, they agreed that somehow they'd go to see it someday. Maybe someday soon. Who can say?

For now, Merula just wanted to enjoy the time she has with Jason. This has probably been one of the most fun days she has had all summer. Her nerves about meeting Jason's family were put aside as she had his mother's approval. It was funny how Thaila is more than willing to welcome her as her future daughter-in-law. If Jason was okay with it, that is. But that was a thought she could think for another day.

"Hey," Jason wiped his face with a napkin, "there's something I want to show you."

"What is it you got to surprise me this time?" Merula looked at him curiously. "You better not try to propose to me," she teased.

"No! Well not now," Jason muttered nervously. "Come on, follow me." Jason offered his hand to Merula with a smile as she took it.

The two left the party and headed down the hill where the mansion was located. Merula wondered where Jason was taking her at such a late time in the evening. As the two made their way down a couple of blocks, they reached a beach closed off.

"Another beach?" Merula smirked. "Again?"

"Look closely," Jason pointed out to the gentle waves.

"If you say so- what the?!" Merula gazed at the water, shocked as it began to glow in a soft color.

"Impressed? Those are supposed to be bioluminescence from how muggles believe it is, but no one truly knows."

"It's beautiful," Merula said as she tried to comprehend the beauty of the lights.

"I don't understand it much myself, but I thought of it like stars swallowed by the seas. I wanted to show it to you because it is one of the most beautiful things I've seen," Jason gazed drifted to his love.

Merula didn't notice until Jason hugged her from behind. He was warm, and the scent of his sweat mixed with his cologne was all too familiar. Jason was, is, this best person Merula had ever know despite how he doubted himself and never tried to be someone he's not. An honest and caring person.

"So what's holds the spot as number one?"

"You."

[charlieweasleyxmc]

Gold Dragon

(Y/N) scuffed the ground with her shoe, urging it to yield beneath her anxiety. Her ears were strained, listening for any sound coming from the castle. The training grounds were eerily quiet at this time of night and she began to wonder if she should have tried to meet Bill, Charlie, and Ben at the Gryffindor common room instead of waiting for them, Merula, and Madam Rakepick here.

She heard a snap of a twig and flinched, searching the dark.

But her eyes only caught on a small animal, a squirrel or maybe a rat.

She shook herself, telling herself she was being overly paranoid. The others would be here in a few moments. And there was nothing here that could hurt her. No, the danger was the dragon they might meet in the Cursed Vault.

She shivered, reaching into her coat. When she felt the cool metal of her pendant beneath her hands, she relaxed.

My good luck charm, she held it, drawing strength from the thought as ginger hair flashed across her memory.

The Forbidden Forest.

Knowing that she was going to sneak into the Forbidden Forest, as a fourth year student no less, caused her to pause every time she thought of it.

Was she being too rash? Was she being stupid?

She pushed the worries and concerns out of her head, instead focusing on the excitement of her Care of Magical Creatures meeting.

It wasn’t really a club, more of a small gathering of creature lovers.

But when she walked into the Three Broomsticks with only Hagrid, Barnaby, and Charlie at the table waiting for her, she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“What are we discussing today?” she asked, sliding into the seat beside Hagrid.

“Phoenixes!” Barnaby said, his eyes alight.

Charlie was grinning too, but he turned his eyes to her, a question in them.

“I’m going to go get butterbeers,” he said, rising from the table.

He took one last look at her before departing to the bar.

(Y/N) looked after him, dully realizing that Hagrid and Barnaby had already engaged in discussion again.

“I’m going to go help Charlie carry,” she said, getting only absent nods from the other two.

Charlie smiled when she reached his side.

“Thought you might not make it today,” he said, his words murmuring out.

She grinned, becoming friends with Charlie was already one of the best parts of this year.

“And miss the chance to see you and Barnaby gush over Hagrid’s magical creature knowledge. Psh!”

She waved a hand, a smirk crossing her face.

Charlie smiled, pushing off against the bar.

“Uh, can I show you something outside?”

She glanced back at Barnaby and Hagrid, but the two of them were still intently engrossed with their discussion.

“Sure,” she said.

His eyes lit up, relief flooding them.

“Alright,” he said, “come on,” before weaving his way through the crowd and leading her out of the pub and into the cold air.

The street was lined with merry makers despite the cold and (Y/N) smiled as she recognized some of her friends passing by.

“I have something for you,” Charlie said, forced nonchalance in his voice as he reached into his satchel.

She immediately saw the glint of gold as he pulled it out by the string, the sunlight reflecting off of the metal.

“Sort of as a good luck charm for the forest.”

She blinked, staring at the pendant as it swayed between them.

It was a dragon, a beautiful dragon pendant that looped into a circle of gold.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, “Thank you.”

Charlie grinned, the shy, abashed side of him coming out as he dropped his eyes. “It was nothing.”

“Could you…” she hesitated, “put it on for me?”

His eyes snapped up to hers, but only a moment’s hesitation flitted across his features before he reached forward, not saying a word, and for a moment all she could see was his ginger hair, blocking the view of everything else.

It smelled like his mother’s homemade soap.

And then the smell was gone the next moment as he pulled away, the necklace tied around her neck.

“Thank you,” she whispered again, holding the necklace in one hand as she watched him.

He grinned, and it was no longer abashed, but the joyful grin she was more used to.

In fact it was the same grin he got when he was talking about dragons.

“Well,” he said finally, breaking her gaze as he glanced back at the open pub door, “should we go in and get those butterbeers?”

She nodded, “yes, and I also want to get in on this discussion about phoenixes.”

He met her gaze again, his eyes smiling at her excitement.

“I’ve always loved them,” she said, slightly embarrassed.

He grinned, “No it’s okay. I think—”

But she never got to hear what he thought because the next moment a snowball had dropped out of the sky and landed square in his hair, Nymphadora Tonks chuckling and walking up to brush off her work the moment after that.

She didn’t mind. She knew all he was going to say was that he loved phoenixes too.

A twig snapped again, a much louder one that pulled her out of the memory, and as (Y/N) opened her eyes, she knew instantly it was time.

Sure enough, she could see red hair on a tall figure flash across the grass.

She was about to yell a greeting to Bill, when the figure moved closer, revealing a much more feminine outline.

Madam Rakepick.

(Y/N)’s face fell in an instant.

Madam Rakepick, she said politely, nodding her head as her Professor reached her, Merula on her heels.

“Where are those Gryffindor boys?” she asked, her nose twitching in what almost seemed to be a sneer.

(Y/N) shook her head, “I’m sure they’ll be here any minute, Professor.”

Rakepick raised an eyebrow at her, “they better be,” her face seemed urgent, “we need them.”

(Y/N) gazed at her quizzically, but the older woman was now looking at Merula with a slight smile.

“Miss Snyde is on time of course. Always so prepared.”

Merula beamed and (Y/N) suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, instead smiling in what she thought was a supportive way at Merula.

Merula was so focused on Rakepick, she didn’t even notice (Y/N)’s attempt.

Another noise from across the grounds echoed in the silent evening and (Y/N) whipped her head around to see both Weasley boys emerge from the shadows of the castle.

They had thought of coming together. Why hadn’t she thought of that, instead of waiting in the dark grounds alone for everyone to show up?

“Mr. Weasley,” Rakepick acknowledged Bill with a simple nod of her head.

Charlie came behind him, a little slower paced, and he moved towards (Y/N) as Rakepick murmured lowly with Bill and Merula.

“What have you got there?” Charlie murmured, stepping towards her, hand outstretched for her hand that she hadn’t realized had pulled her pendant out of her jacket and was clutching it desperately.

She took a step back, shaking her head, about to say it was nothing, when he reached forward again, gently pulling her hand away from her chest with the necklace still clutched in it.

He eased her hand open, revealing the dragon pendant.

His eyes opened wide as he recognized it.

Finally, he looked up at her, his hand still cradling her’s with the dragon necklace resting on her palm, “for good luck?” he asked.

“For good luck,” she nodded, watching him. The shorter ends of his hair had fallen out of his rough low ponytail as they always did and they were cradling his face with orange locks.

Her gaze moved from his hair to his eyes.

His softened at her notice and she became very aware of how still they were, his hand holding hers.

Then his eyes snapped behind her, an urgent look flashing across them.

He released her hand, letting it drop, her necklace falling to her chest as she turned around to meet Rakepick’s intense stare.

She was smiling.

“Are you ready, Miss (Y/LN)?”

“I am.”

“Very good,” Rakepick said. “Let us get into position,” she smiled as she moved to position herself beside Merula, leaving a space beside her for (Y/N).

“We can’t wait for Mr. Copper any longer.”

(Y/N) breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ben coming from across the grounds before Rakepick could echo a second thought.

“We don’t have to,” (Y/N) said briskly.

Ben rushed up to them, an apology rushing from his lips as he came to Merula’s other side.

Rakepick gave him a dissatisfied look that (Y/N) didn’t see as she turned to hear Charlie talking to Ben.

“—I don’t know as much about curse-breaking as all of you do.”

Bill put a hand down on Charlie’ shoulder. He was taller than Charlie, but Charlie was broader and his shoulder was sturdy beneath Bill’s grip.

“We’ll be alright, Charlie. I’ve got your back,” he said.

And suddenly (Y/N) saw the older brother in Bill. He had been an older brother to her and her friends in so many ways and he had always been a buddy with Charlie, but she suddenly didn’t picture her friends, but his many siblings as the people he cared so much to protect. He had always watched over her so well that she supposed she hadn’t remembered he had chosen that role, but there were five other Weasleys sitting in the Burrow with two older brothers that had always loved and protected them, that it was his duty to watch over.

What would it be like to be a part of their family?

Whatever the case, she needed to make sure that those five Weasley siblings still had their two older brothers after tonight, that they would always have them to look up to.

“Me too,” she said, both Weasley boys turning to look at her, “We’ll all have each other’s backs.” She gave them what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

Then, surprisingly, it was Merula’s voice that spoke up calmly, though a little sarcastically, “if ever there was a time for me to put others first, it’s now.”

(Y/N) bit off her smile at Merula’s snarky grin.

“Also…I’ll be there,” Ben said with a hesitant wannabe-confident smile.

Madam Rakepick gave him a dull look before opening her arms to look at each of them, an intent look on her face.

“And I’ll be keeping watch over all of you,” she said, “no matter who or what we find inside the cursed vault.”

She turned to (Y/N), handing her the portkey, “Everyone! Take hold of the vault portrait…NOW!” she yelled when everyone didn’t act immediately.

Her friends grabbed onto it, startled as the thing began to shake with incredible force, Rakepick the last one to clasp onto it.

In the split second before they were pulled off into space, (Y/N) glanced across the circle, her eyes locking onto Charlie’s.

He smiled, the quickest smile she ever saw and mouthed the words, good luck charm, before smiling once again.

It was almost as though the dragon pendant had turned into molten gold and leaked into her heart for all the warmth it gave her.

But she didn’t get a chance to smile back before they were all whipped up into the sky.

Check out this incredible artwork at

https://wispila.tumblr.com/post/174787340187/team-dragon-is-discussing-something-it-might-be

https://wispila.tumblr.com/?amp_see_more=1

P.S. Charlie was going to say that he thought her excitement over phoenixes was adorable.

P.P.S. Here is a preview for “The Horntail.” Coming soon!

Horntail Preview

(Y/N) reached forward, petting the puppy crup along its fuzzy spine, soft hairs peeking up between her fingers as she rubbed her hand along its back. The crup yipped, panting.

She glanced back at Professor Kettleburn and just saw him give her a thumbs up before she rushed off to the next challenge.

Rushing straight forward, she reached the next black veil, hanging above her in the forest.

The veil dropped and she breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the kneazle sitting there. Moving forward, she allowed it to sniff her hand, and slide down to rub its own back along her hand. It then continued on to slide behind her and she jumped to her feet, wiping off her hands and glancing back for the okay at Professor Kettleburn to move on, but saw a strange looking witch in dark robes talking to him at the start of the obstacle course. There was more commotion. The students who had not yet done the course were shoving between each other to look at the other wizards and witches passing through.

(Y/N) glanced back at the remaining veils, but decided against continuing on while Professor Kettleburn was so distracted. She jogged back to the front of the course, Kettleburn not even registering she was there as he stared in concern at the witch speaking to him.

“Who is she,” (Y/N) asked Liz, who was next up to take the obstacle course, the black veil that (Y/N) had moved around in front of Liz blocking the other girl from seeing any of (Y/N)’s strategies with the creatures.

Not that Liz needed any help with her Care of Magical Creatures O.W.L.

Liz grimaced, “I don’t know what’s going on, but that woman is from the magical creatures office at the ministry. I heard her say something about dangerous to Professor Kettleburn before he got her to quiet down.”

(Y/N) frowned.

Dangerous?

Finally the witch stopped talking to rejoin two other wizards who had remained to wait for her. Professor Kettleburn turned back to the group of students waiting to take their O.W.L.

“Professor,” Rowan called first, “what is going on?”

Kettleburn smiled in what (Y/N) thought was a reassuring way, but which succeeded in only looking dejected, “These witches and wizards are just coming to collect a creature at Hogwarts. Nothing to be concerned about.”

“But Professor!” Penny called, “I heard her say dangerous.”

At this, the witch stopped and turned around to glance at the students. She came back a few steps and smiled at Penny and then all of them in what (Y/N) once again thought was meant to be reassuring, but wasn’t.

“It’s nothing to worry about, children,” she said, her tight bun giving an air of authority, “we are just coming to collect The Hungarian Horntail found in the Cursed Vault a few days ago.”

“The Horntail?” Charlie asked, his voice edged, “why are you collecting the Horntail?”

“Oh, no need to be scared,” the witch smiled at Charlie, “The thing will be exterminated soon enough and won’t be able to hurt anyone. We were just discussing with your Professor where to keep it till then.”

Charlie gaped, his eyes unseeing, his face horrified.

The rest of the class stared shocked as well, but the woman just nodded resolutely and moved to walk away.

Before she could reach her co-workers, a ravaged voice hollered towards her.

“No!”

(Y/N) knew immediately it was Charlie.

“No!” He cried, taking a few steps and reaching towards the witch, “You can’t! He didn’t hurt anyone! He’s not dangerous!”

The woman raised a quizzical eyebrow, “not dangerous. Son, you may not know, but he nearly killed a whole group of students. We would be irresponsible if we left him alive.” She pivoted away.

“No!” Charlie screamed, trying to run after her, but being caught almost immediately by Jae and Diego. “No! Please! Please don’t hurt him! Please!”

She heard the wracking sobs before she saw them, as she was watching the ministry official walk away, but the sound crashed into her heart and she stumbled at a jog towards Charlie a moment later.

He had clattered to the ground, Diego and Jae on the ground a foot from him, clearly having let him go once he fell.

She didn’t know what else to do. So, she fell beside him.

He didn’t even register her presence, which scared her more than anything else.

So, she did the only thing she knew how to do, she wrapped her arms around him the way he had for her all those weeks ago, pulling him back against her. He cried into her as she held him, hoping that some way she could piece him back together the way he had her.

[slytherin-puffskein]

Withered Orchid

Note: the / / / symbol followed by italicized text, then finished with / / / again represents a flashback. I also want to stress on the fact that this is an Alternate Universe. It is not the canon Barnalau story.

* * *

/ / /

“If you mess with Merula, I’ll vanish your bones” Barnaby said with a cocky voice, a smile on his face as he tilted his head.

He couldn’t look more proud over what he just said. Now, he was showing exactly why Merula chose him ! Because he was strong and scary ! By seeing him, King will definitely falter, and Merula won’t have problems with him anymore ! After all, his threatening skills were pretty damn solid... right ?

Laurent Dorian King, however, didn’t look impressed. He barely stared back at Barnaby, checking his nails instead and

( mmm, they’re starting to get long, I should clip them )

not paying any sort of attention to Barnaby. After a few more seconds of silence, during which Barnaby did his best to keep on his smile, Lau finally looked up.

“Oh... so you were, like, already done ? Vanish my bones and that’s all ? That’s juvenile”

Barnaby’s eyes widened, so much that for a second, Lau feared they might fall out of their sockets and fall on the floor ( plop ! ). Finally, though, the other Slytherin opened his mouth to speak... but he realized he had no idea what juvenile meant. Lau rolled his eyes, and took a step forward, which made Barnaby almost jump in surprise.

“Now, you’re the one who is going to listen to me, Mr.I’m-Merula’s-New-Pet. The last thing I need is you and Ismelda trying to bother me, so we’ll make a deal, all right ?”

He suddenly pressed his index finger against Barnaby’s chest.

“You are going to leave me alone, and I am going to leave you alone ! Is that a deal ? Oh wait, I’m gonna answer for you: yes, it’s a deal ! So now you better walk away and never speak to me again”

And with that, King spun around, his wizard robes fluttering around him, and he left the Potions Classroom. Barnaby Lee was now alone... if you ignored Snape who was giving him an annoyed look.

/ / /

The sky is in different tones of grey as Barnaby keeps marching forward. His cheeks feel cold, as well as his hands, and he can feel his fingers tremble sightly. He should have checked the weather forecast before dressing up, he would have brought a coat. Now, because of the snow twirling in the air, his shoulders were covered in white powder. Luckily, it was pretty light, and would drag itself away as soon as Barnaby would move. At least, he was lucky with that.

Shit, did he shave ? He brings his fingertips to his chin, feeling the slight stubble. Oh, no. He totally forgot... but hopefully, people will be willing to ignore it and simply avert their eyes.  How deeply he wishes that... but that scenario might not happen. He is well aware that everyone’s attention will be on him, and him only. He nervously squeezes his small orchids bouquet. Purple, and absolutely beautiful. Like his own little orchid. His own small, redheaded, beautiful orchid.

( stop calling me that, you numpty !, Lau would giggle. )

It was probably the only times he didn’t mind being called as such, and that said a lot. He keeps walking, the snow crunching under his footsteps.

/ / /

“I don’t understand anything” Barnaby whined, before pulling his textbook away and slamming his face against his hands.

Merlin, what kind of class was Herbology anyway !? Watch over a bunch of weird flowers, water them and take notes !? What... what was interesting about that anyway ? Laurent King, however, seemed absolutely fascinated, and he giggled at Barnaby’s reaction.

“Come on, Barnaby, it’s not that bad. Your Valerian is in pretty good shape, in fact ! It might just need a little bit of water... and dragon dung... and...”

He quickly trailed off as he realized Barnaby’s Valerian might not be as good as he initially thought, and smiled shyly... before stepping closer to Barnaby.

“Come on now, Sprout isn’t looking” he whispered. “Let me help you !”

Barnaby finally removed his hands from his face, and he stared at his small friend.

“H-Help me... ?”

The last person who helped him in any class was Merula Snyde, and she kept calling him an absolute idiot. For a moment, he dreaded that Lau might do the exact same thing... but the redhead gently smiled at him, then observed his Valerian.

“Yes, help you ! I’m a sucker for Herbology, Barnaby. Follow my advice, and your Valerian will look absolutely beautiful !”

Valerian, what a pretty name, he couldn’t help but think. He then stared at Barnaby with a smile.

“So ? What do you say, Barny ?”

And his eyes widened as the nickname showed up by itself. Barny !? Oh Merlin, Barnaby will hate it, Laurent was certain of it...

But as he looked at Barnaby Lee, he saw that the boy was beaming.

“I’m in ! Teach me everything, Lau !”

/ / /

As he finally reaches his destination, Barnaby spots a familiar figure. Once he gets closer, he recognizes Merula Snyde. She, as opposed to Barnaby, checked the weather forecast, and she decided to wear a fancy black coat, her hands stuffed into her pockets. Her cheeks are sightly rosy, surely due to the terrible cold. It seemed like whenever a second passed, the air would suddenly get chillier. Barnaby couldn’t help but wonder if by midnight the entire city will be a block of ice.

“Hey, Barnaby” the young woman finally says.

Barnaby simply nods. Maybe the cold prevented his lips from moving too much. Or maybe he just wishes to not speak at all. Whatever the reason, Merula keeps speaking anyway.

“Gotta say, we all have a terrible timing” she mutters. “Everyone’s gonna freeze their asses off by the time it’s over”

“Well, there’s dinner at my place afterwards” Barnaby shrugs. “I guess I’ll just have to make something warm...”

“What, were you planning to serve ice cream or something ?” the young witch exclaims.

Barnaby can only shake his head. Speaking that amount already exhausted him, since he haven’t been talking much since the past few days. His vocal chords were strained, and trying to push out a single noise from them demanded great effort. For a few minutes, there was only silence between them. The snow kept slowly falling, and Barnaby watched as it landed on Merula’s hair.

( Ah, just a lot more and she’ll start looking like a snowman. I should get a carrot... )

“Remember when you first met Lau... ?” Merula shyly asks. “You told me he pretty much yelled at you the entire time... what is it you told him, already ?”

A weak giggle escapes Barnaby’s lips.

“If you mess with Merula, I’ll vanish your bones”

“Wow, were you even that good at magic to do that ?”

“Probably not, I just wanted to... impress him, sort of scare him”

A small smile shows up on Merula’s lips, but silence falls upon them again. It seems as if none of them are able to carry the conversation.

“Did you... did you know ?” Merula finally asks.

And Barnaby feels himself freeze.

/ / /

It was a warm summer day, and Barnaby Lee had never felt this good before. He was relaxed, he was calm, he was... happy. And all of this was because Laurent Dorian King was with him. He was certain that this was the sole reason of his great mood. Not the fresh grass they were laying on, not the clear blue sky without any clouds, not even the delicious pie that they will bake later. No, he was happy because Laurent was with him.

On this weekend, Charles Edward King had a business trip in order to try and associate the King-Clemence farm with bigger, more successful farms. As a way to take advantage of the situation, Lau invited his friend for a weekend of unrestrained fun. After all the struggles they had that were linked to the past school year, they needed some time to relax together at least once during vacations.

“This feels so good...” Barnaby breathed out.

He never thought that laying on a field would be this great. Lau was right next to him, making a flowercrown with a bunch of orchids he found. Purple, his favourites. Barnaby, on the other hand, 

( why do you like orchids so much ?, Barnaby had asked him once )

( because people see them as pretentious flowers, Lau replied. I decided to not judge them as fast )

preferred sunflowers. Huge, beautiful sunflowers. Maybe one day he can ask Lau to make a sunflower crown for him... that would be pretty cool. He turned to his friend to ask him, but he suddenly saw his expression: a profoundly sad and thoughtful one, and Barnaby immediately learned that he hated seeing his dear friend like this. He frowned, looking at Lau.

“Lau... ? What’s wrong ?”

Lau’s hands suddenly froze... and he slowly turned to Barnaby. Their eyes met, chocolate and emerald. As Lau weakly smiled, Barnaby’s chest tightened. He’s so caring, he doesn’t want me to worry...

“You know how I told you my mom died from an illness, right ?”

Oh yeah, Lau definitely told him about that... he nodded slowly, wondering what Lau exactly wanted to talk about. His friend suddenly turned to look at his orchids again.

“My mum loved daisies. And orchids. I guess I lied a little to you, that time you asked me why I liked them so much... I like them not only because they are misunderstood, but also because my mum adored them. Tending to them... feels like I’m still with her, in some way”

With his fingertips, he gently caressed a purple petal. He might have been too harsh, though, since it slowly fell on his chest.

“She was sick... so sick, Barnaby. It was unbearable to see. She... she looked like a zombie, a few days before she died. And she wouldn’t speak, she wouldn’t move. She’d just stare. Stare at us without a word, not even a smile... and that was terrifying”

For a seven years old boy, at least. He sighed softly, staring at the sky and extending his arm, as if he was aiming to catch it.

“Sometimes, I wonder if she’s out there, looking for me... cheering for me. Because I try so hard for her, Barnaby. I try so hard to live so that her death will mean something. That despite what happened, I’m still able to... to do my thing, you know ? And I know she would have hated it if I had simply let grief swallow me up...”

Barnaby listened carefully, as if he was listening to the most serious, yet most fascinating tale. By the time Lau was over, they were hugging each other, in that large, empty field.

Then they made a strawberry pie.

/ / /

“I knew” Barnaby admits at last.

Merula stares at him... but she doesn’t say anything. That’s Barnaby’s cue to continue.

“He told me how his mother had it, and how terrible it was for him. He was... he was just a child, and he had to see this... I don’t know how he managed to stay this positive afterwards”

Back in Hogwarts, you would rarely see Laurent Dorian King with a long face. He’d always be smiling, giggling and trying to cheer his friends up by offering them flowers or comforting words, sometimes both. Merula can’t hold back a sad smile.

“It’s Lau. That’s just how he is...”

A little ray of sunshine, Barnaby thinks. A beautiful orchid, misunderstood yet beautiful.

Because boy, did people misunderstood Lau. Weak, fag, coward, all of these words would be said about him only because he dared to be his delicate, flower loving self. Whenever he’d stand up against bullies, people just seemed to turn a blind eye to that, and only focus on what was deemed as ‘girly’, therefore ‘weak’ to several mean male students..

“Yeah, that’s just how he is...” Merula repeats herself at last.

“He didn’t tell me it was hereditary” Barnaby suddenly confesses. “He thought it wouldn’t get him. He thought he was strong enough to avoid it”

“Emphasis on the word ‘thought’” Merula replies bitterly.

Indeed, huge emphasis.

“Let’s head inside” Barnaby says at last, eyeing the giant building.

“Yeah, let’s do that. I’m freezing”

He wraps his arm around her shoulders, mostly because he needs to be close to someone.

/ / /

“Merlin, can I say how terrible Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop is ?” Lau asked, laughter in his voice. “I can’t believe Tonks and Charlie made us live this complete mess !”

Barnaby started laughing as well, and he wrapped his arm around Lau’s shoulders. It was getting darker, so it was starting to get cold... but really, his main objective wasn’t to warm Lau up. It was, in fact, his second. His true goal was to simply be closer to him... and Merlin, did that feel good.

“How about we plan our second date already, to forget about that Tea Shop ?” Barnaby joked. “We could have a fun time in the Magical Creatures Reserve... that would be amazing !”

“Oh, yes !” Lau exclaimed, his eyes suddenly filling themselves with stars. “And think about how many flowers we can find there ! Maybe beforehand we can also have a nice picnic in front of the Great Lake...”

And he gave Barnaby his most charming smile, and the Slytherin’s heart skipped a beat. He’s so cute.

Suddenly, however, Lau froze, and turned to Barnaby.

“Does that... does that mean you want a second date... ?”

A smile immediately showed up on Barnaby’s lips... and he nodded.

“I’d absolutely love to, Laurent. But only if you want to”

“Of course I do ! I-I’ve just been so scared I screwed up the date. I mean, the Tea Shop was terrible”

“But you know what wasn’t... ?” Barnaby asked with a shy look on his face. “You. It might sound cheesy, but... this was my most amazing date”

“But you told me you never had dates before” Lau said, skeptical.

“Yeah... true. But it’s the best, because... because it was with you, and I’d love to have a second date with you...”

And now, they were blushing. As bright as tomatoes, the both of them.

“I, too, would love to have a second date with you, Barny” Lau whispered softly.

Then... it simply happened. Lau tip toed closer to Barnaby, and Barnaby wrapped his arms around Lau’s waist.

And they were kissing.

/ / /

And everyone was now looking at him. Him and his orchid bouquet. Penny Haywood, Andre Egwu, Bill and Charlie Weasley, Tulip Karasu... everyone. And Barnaby can only lower his eyes in an attempt to avoid all of these glances. He decides to focus on how the room looks.

A lot of red chairs, as if they were all blood stained. Neatly arranged in rows, just like in a classroom. But in front of them is no teacher. No McGonagall ready to teach them about Transfiguration, no Flitwick telling them to ‘swish and flick’ their wands, no Kettleburn and his missing limbs. Instead, there are colourful flowers everywhere. Roses, daisies, chrysanthemums... orchids. All of these beautiful little things surrounding a large, open casket. Barnaby quietly steps towards it, his heart beating against his chest. On either side of the casket, small wooden pillars were holding large orange candles.

( Orange, his favourite colour )

A slow music was playing as a background noise. Le Temps de L’Amour, Françoise Hardy. Barnaby takes a step closer, looks inside the open casket. His heart twists itself inside his chest, and he wants to scream.

Laurent Dorian King is here, and... he looks peaceful. He looks normal. The mortuary cosmetologist did a great job with hiding traces of the illness, and Lau only looks as if he is sleeping and he’ll wake up at any moment. His eyes will flutter open, he’ll smile at Barnaby and stretch himself... and then ask him to bring him home.

However, as Barnaby keeps staring, Lau doesn’t moves. The illness definitely took him, and sweetly tucked him inside of that casket.

/ / /

“Everything is at stake now, isn��t it ?”

Lau’s voice piped up into the darkness, and Barnaby slowly opened his eyes. Of course they weren’t sleeping... who would, now that Lord Voldemort was at his full power ? And to think that all possible hope was resting on young Harry Potter’s shoulders... he was only a child ! He should be relaxing and hanging out with friends, not saving the world !

“I... I guess it is” Barnaby whispered.

As if speaking any louder would summon Death Eaters. Lau was a muggleborn, after all. He was greatly at risk, because of something he couldn’t even control: his blood status.

“Do you think he’ll make it ? Harry, I mean ? Merlin, Barnaby, he’s just a boy... he’s only seventeen... I know he’s technically an adult, but still !”

He choked up, and Barnaby could guess that Lau was crying. He immediately turned around in the large bed, and pulled his lover against his chest.

“Everything will be alright, Lau... when the moment comes, we’ll be here to help him. Us, Tonks, Lupin, Bill... everyone. And You-Know-Who will bite the dust”

“Promise... ?” Lau softly whispered.

Barnaby kissed his forehead.

“I promise, Lau”

( and as soon as this war is over, I’m marrying you )

/ / /

Now comes the time to carry the now closed casket. Barnaby is one of the pallbearers, as well as Tulip, Merula and Penny.

It’s heavy. Usually, Barnaby has no trouble with carrying heavy weights... but now he finds himself deeply struggling, even with the help of his friends.

( I used to be able to carry you so easily, it was almost ridiculous. How come you’re ten times heavier, now ? How come a huge casket is keeping us apart ? How come I can’t see your smile again ? )

/ / /

“Barny ?”

It has been about a year ever since Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort. Ever since the constant fear was gone. Ever since Barnaby Lee married Laurent Dorian King.

Barnaby took some time to find Lau, but he finally found his other half in their room. He was sitting in the bed, wearing Barnaby’s old Slytherin sweater. Man, despite all this time, it was still too big for him. He sat next to Lau, a smile on his face, waiting for what he might say. Considering the fact that Lau was also wearing his boxers, revealing his long, sexy legs, he quickly had... ideas of what Lau might want.

But his husband’s face said many things, and it certainly didn’t say sex. Lau finally turned to Barnaby, a weak smile on his face.

“My mother’s illness, Barnaby... it’s hereditary. I didn’t tell you about it at first, because I didn’t think I’d have it... I thought I was strong enough to fight off the virus before it even touched me...”

A tear suddenly rolled down his cheek. Barnaby wiped it away.

“I’m sick, Barnaby”

/ / /

Speech. He must make a speech. The casket is right here in front of him, in the cemetery. Everyone is, once again, looking at him. He still haven’t let go of his orchid bouquet. He holds them tightly, as if they are a safety buoy and he is drowning. He surely feels like he is drowning... but he can’t stop that horrible feeling. It attached itself to him ever since Lau closed his eyes for forever.

Another look at the casket. Merula lowers her head.

“Lau... when I first met you, you basically told me to go fuck myself”

A few giggles, but they died down rapidly. That’s bullshit, Barnaby thought. Lau would have wanted people to laugh at his funeral. He wouldn’t want people to be this sad over him.

“A-And... Merlin, I can’t believe I’m doing this right now... I can’t believe this is happening... you were my forever, Lau. Did you know that ? As soon as we kissed, I knew it instantly. That... that you were the guy I was going to love and marry. And I loved you, I loved you so much... and I married you. I married you as soon as I could, and our wedding was probably the best day of my life”

He takes a step closer to the casket, tears now streaming down his face.

“Remember when I told you I liked sunflowers ? I... I always felt like one whenever I was with you. You were my sun, my wonderful sun, and I was instantly drawn to you. I had to look at you all the time, I had to love you all the time, because... because that’s how things simply were”

He takes a pause, and uses it to cry for a moment. His tears splash against the orchids.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t fight this illness off you, Lau. I wished I could have found a way to get rid of it... seeing you suffer everyday was terrible... and yet you were so caring. You’d always worry about me, never yourself. You didn’t want me to feel sad... you wanted me to be happy for the remaining time we had together. And I think this describes you pretty well. You hate when people are sad and worried, you want them to smile and laugh. And that makes you the most beautiful person to be... the most beautiful orchid to be”

He leans down to place the orchid bouquet on top of the casket, among the other flowers on it.

“I love you, Laurent Dorian King. I loved you, I love you, and I will love you. You’ll always be in my heart... and there won’t be a single day during which I won’t think about you”

( because you are my sweet orchid, misunderstood and yet perfect )

[lxgendlynn]

you’re on

chapter: 1/?

pairing: merula snyde x mc (lynn morris) word count: 1125 (short, sorry)

a/n: this will be a rewrite of the hogwarts mystery story, with very few links to the canon. it will follow the story line loosely, but i will be changing a lot to fit with the way i wish to write this. also, rowan is in ravenclaw, because that’s where they belong.

I felt completely overwhelmed as I stepped foot in Diagon Alley, watching as young people walked by with excited looks on their faces, others with that of dread. I was somewhere in between both feelings, a knot in my stomach as I held the list of remaining items to my chest.

It was time to prepare for my first year at Hogwarts, and I had absolutely no clue what I would do with myself as I took small and careful steps, being sure not to bump into anyone around me. The last time I had been here was five years ago, Jacob’s first year at Hogwarts, and even then my older brother had done everything on his own. It was at that moment that I began to panic, jumping slightly as I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, sorry,” I heard someone’s voice as they walked in front of me, “I didn’t mean to startle you. I just noticed that you were a bit lost, and saw the robes you’re wearing. It’s your first year as well?” I looked them up and down, noticing that they had dark skin, messy black hair, and black rimmed glasses pushed up their thin, somewhat long nose.

“Yes,” I nodded, glancing down at the list that was clutched in my hands. They looked over my shoulder, eyes drifting down the things that were already marked off. Their dark eyes seemed to brighten as a smile grew across their face.

“You only need to get your wand and books now? I already have everything, so if you want I can help you around!” they grinned excitedly, and I couldn’t help but to smile myself. Oh God, who thought excitement could be so infectious.

“Alright, sure,” I responded with a small laugh, and their already large smile grew even more.

“Splendid! My name is Rowan Khanna, by the way.”

“I’m Lynn Morris.”

And so we went on and collected the last of the items that I needed, Rowan also buying a scarf that caught their eye. I was happy, having found my very first friend, and the anxiety had almost completely melted away. That was when a certain someone grabbed my attention; a short girl, who had messy brown hair that had a streak of orange in it, as well as piercing violet eyes. The girl was intimidating, yet infatuating at the same time. I felt something weird in my chest, and I wanted to talk to this beautiful eyed girl. Rowan, who was unnoticing, then grabbed me by the arm and began pulling me to our next destination: the Hogwarts Express.

I didn’t see the girl again throughout the whole train ride, but I couldn’t help but think of her, especially her eyes. They were something extraordinary, and I had never seen anything like them. Maybe I’d be able to ask this mysterious girl about it if I saw her again. It took a moment for me to realize that Rowan had stopped talking, and was looking at me expectantly. Oh no. They must have asked a question.

“Sorry, what was that?” I asked, not caring if this showed that I hadn’t been listening to the excitable first year seated across from me.

“I asked,” they began, “what house do you think you’ll end up in?”

I pondered the question for a moment, before finally shrugging. “I’ve no clue, honestly. All of my family has been in different houses throughout the generations.”

“Right,” they nodded thoughtfully, eyebrows furrowing, “your brother was a Gryffindor, wasn’t he?” I responded with a grunt of confirmation, uncomfortable with the mention of Jacob. Rowan took notice, swiftly changing the subject. “I believe that I’ll be in Ravenclaw.”

“I guess that we’ll see soon.”

The rest of the ride was in silence, except for the polite denial of snacks from the trolly. It felt like an eternenty before we arrived.

I walked beside Rowan in the great hall, marvelling at the large room. I was able to see candles floating high above our heads, as well as the beauty that the stars and moon held, visible from the ceiling. I barely listened to Dumbledore’s speech, hearing from Rowan that he says almost the exact same thing every year. I instead waited for names to begin being called. My eyes focused on an older woman, who Rowan said is Professor Minerva McGonnagal, who had a scroll in her hands. I recognised the name as the same person who signed my letter.

She began reading out names, and I became nervous. It wasn’t long before Rowan was called up. A wide smile grew across their face as the sorting hat yelled out “Ravenclaw,” and I felt pride for my friend. After a few more others, it was my turn. There was a knot in my throat as I sat down on the stool, feeling the hat, which was far too big for me, be placed on my head. I heard inaudible mumbling coming from it as it shifted around, the entire hall going silent. I felt like I was about to explode, like if it didn’t sort me soon then I’d burst into tears.

“SLYTHERIN!” it finally shouted, and I let out a breath that I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding in. I felt relieved, not because of the house I was sorted in, but because of the attention no longer being on me. I smiled sheepishly as I approached the Slytherin table, where some of the teenagers in green and black robes hooted and cheered, while others seemed disappointed. I knew exactly why the opinions on me were so split. I was the younger sister of Jacob Morris, the boy who ruined the reputation of Gryffindor while searching for the cursed vaults. That’s why Jacob was expelled. That’s why he ran away from home a year ago. That’s why I had to find him, and there was no better place to start than the cursed vaults.

“Merula Snyde,” McGonnagal called out, causing me to look up to see who was next to go. My eyes widened slightly when I saw that it was that same girl with violet eyes. I finally knew her name, and our eyes locked as the hat was lowered onto her head.

“SLYTHERIN!” it shouted immediately, to which I averted my gaze. There was far more clapping for her than there was with me, which was to be expected. The girl, Merula, sat across from me. I looked up at her and our eyes met again, and this time she looked back at me with a smug grin. It was almost as if she were challenging me. ‘Okay, Merula Snyde,’ I thought, a feeling of determination passing through me.

‘You’re on.’