#mollie is very scared and everyone else in the house fell asleep before they went back to the overlook

[molliehaswords]

Really good that the episode of “Make Some Noise” that I’ve decided to watch as a palate cleanser after finishing the director’s cut of Doctor Sleep is the one where the first player (Josh Ruben) enters doing an impression of Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Perfect. 😅

[xmalfoyweasleyx]

I hate that girl - F.W

Summary: Fred doesn’t really know how to cope. He hates y/n and everyone loves her. But is the feeling truly hate, or something else?

Warnings: Mean Fred, eating, semi-smut it's just oral: male receiving, a little hair pulling and stuff like that :)

A/N: Maybe I'm going to write a PART 2, with the rest of the smut? Idk? What do you guys think? x

Words: 2,1k

It was summer, finally, my favourite season. I sat at the table with my family at the Burrow, enjoying my moms dinner.

“So, y/n is coming tomorrow mom, you remember?” Ron asked while trying to put a big piece of meat in his mouth.

“Of course I remember dear!” Molly smiled.

“Pfffttt ohno” I sighed, making the whole dinner table glare at me.

“Don’t be mean Fred, I really don’t know what’s wrong with you” Ginny said angrily.

What was wrong with me? That girl was wrong.

I hated how my whole family fell for her trap. Like she’s so innocent. They all believed her act. But I knew the truth, I hated the girl. She wasn’t sweet and shy and helpful. I just knew it. She couldn’t be. I didn’t believe it.

I never liked the girl. She visits us every year, being very good friends with... yea, almost every person here.

She was a liar, I saw it in her eyes. The girl was always like: “Molly can I help with the dishes” or “Hey George, I looooveee the new joke product” with her silly sweet voice.

No I didn’t fall for that. She didn’t even say those things to me any more, I've already scared her away. Well, great. That’s great.

“I really don’t understand why you hate her that much Freddie” George sighed when we were back in our bedroom.

"Well and I don't understand why you like her that much Georgie, are you in love with her or something?" I accused him.

"It seems like you are the one in love with her, silly brother" he answered laughing.

What the hell??

"WHAT? For God's sake! Why would you even think that?!" I screamed defensively. George only laughed.

"I give up" he smiled. Leaving me extremely irritated.

Me in love with y/n, like I said, I hate that girl.

*

I almost threw up seeing the girl acting like that.

We were all welcoming her in the living room. She hugged Ginny, then my mum and Ron and... you know how it goes.

Then she hugged George giving him a kiss on the cheek. Urgh disgusting. It was my turn. It was clear she didn't really know what to do. It was pretty awkward.

"Fred" she nodded staring at me full of doubt. She gave me a sad look and I almost fell for it.

I knew my sister was looking at me with eyes full of anger without even looking her way. I couldn't take it any more and just left without saying a word.

"I'm sorry about him" I heard George saying to her. "It's okay" she answered softly.

*

It was quiet at the burrow, everyone was already asleep. I've always been the only person in this house that stays up this late.

I was getting tired so I decided to get ready for bed. Even George had ignored me all evening, I don't get it, why are they this mad? I mean, okay, I wasn't very nice to y/n. But I can do what I want and I can dislike who I want, what do they have to do with it?

So I opened the bathroom door and before I could process what happened, my face was already bright red. Y/n was changing, her, apparently pretty, chest was bare in front of me.

The first thing I did was slap my hand to my face, trying to close my eyes and hide the redness. What the actual fuck, did I just see the girl naked?

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE THIS LATE" I screamed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I should've locked the door, I'm sorry" she answered embarrassed.

Okay how could I ever get this image out of my fucking head?! Yes, she did have an impressive body, and...but... BUT NO FRED, NO.

"Stop apologizing all the time, for god's sake, it makes me crazy" I hissed angrily.

She didn't really answer and she ran past me, I didn't even see the look on her face. Maybe that was a good thing, because I knew I may have been a bit too mean this time...

*

"Fuck Fred, keep going" y/n moaned, she looked like a mess and her perfect boobs bounced up and down when she rode me. It was the hottest and the best thing I've ever felt. Moans and grunts left my mouth. "Fuck I'm cumming baby" I grunted.

Suddenly a loud knock on my bedroom door woke me up. Y/n wasn't there any more.

Shit, was this a dream, an actual sex dream? About her?

"FRED WAKE UP IT'S ALREADY 1 PM, WE'RE GOING TO SWIM!" I heard my little sister scream at the door.

I freaked out immediately. I could never face y/n again after this, why did it happen? Why is my brain like this? And then I had a little problem down there too, I had an obvious boner.

"I'm coming Gin wait a minute" I answered nervously.

An hour later, I finally reached the lake that was a mile away from the burrow. The others were already there.

Great, swimming.

The dream was still spinning around in my head. I was so confused and like it couldn't get any worse, they decided to swim. Why today?

This was the worst moment ever to see y/n in her bikini. I saw her from a distance. God she looked hot. Her perfect boobs in the red bikini top, and damn it, that ass...

Bloody hell, STOP IT FRED, I just got rid of my boner, I don't need it to come back again.

"There you are Freddie, finally!" George smiled when he saw me. Damn it.

Y/n looked up too, still smiling at me even though all the mean things I said or did to her. Her hair was in a perfect bun and I could see her red bikini better now. I never really realized how sexy and good she looks until now, until the moment I walked in on her changing this night. Or maybe that was the problem, maybe I always knew, but shut it out?

But what if this was her trap again? The trap everyone fell for except me. I couldn't allow myself to fall for it, I promised myself!

I walked up to them and tried to get out of my confusing thoughts. "I'm sorry I didn't realize I slept for so long" I answered trying to sound okay.

"Guess it's because you were still up pretty late" y/n joked. Her pretty smile appeared and out of nowhere my legs were weak, like jelly.

"Fuck y/n SHUT UP, SHUT THE HELL UP" I snapped out of nowhere. My face went red and the others looked at me in shock.

It was quiet, y/n gaped at me, speechless.

"I.. I-" I tried to apologize when I saw y/n her hurt eyes, but nothing came out. My heart broke when a tear fell down her cheek. Maybe I was wrong about her.

I was the bad person in this story, not her.

She ran away and I heard her sobbing behind me.

It wasn't a trap, she never acted like she was an innocent sweet girl, she really was an innocent sweet girl. It wasn't her trap, it was my own trap, a trap I made up in my own head.

*

I heard sobs coming from her room. I stood behind the door. I promised my siblings I would apologize, because it was true, maybe I was wrong about her.

I opened the door slowly.

"Fred, please go away, you don't have to act like you're sorry because I'm crying. I know you hate me." she sobbed when she saw me.

“N-no, I, I don’t know what’s wrong with me” I stuttered.

She looked confused. Her red eyes really broke my heart. It was my fault.

I sat next to her on the floor and put my hand on her leg. She seemed shocked.

“Why do you hate me?” she whispered.

I sighed. Not really knowing what to answer.

“I don’t hate you, I just had the wrong idea about you y/n, I’m stupid.” I answered.

It was weird, she was still in her bikini and this was so not the right moment, but I felt that bulge in my swimming trunks appear again. I guess it’s because of the dream that was still so damn clear in my head. And of course, the fact that my hand was stroking down her bare leg.

Before I could cover it up, her eyes were already on it. Fuck.

We both didn’t utter a word. It was silent.

“You have a problem down there” she whispered, breaking the silence.

I gulped, trying to not get red.

“Is that why you hate me? You just want to fuck me?” she grinned extremely bold.

I wasn’t really used to being this speechless. But she was right. So, so right. So I just nodded.

Suddenly she was on my lap. My breath hitched in my throat. Her, so perfect, boobs now pressed to my bare chest.

“You make me crazy, I can’t even explain how crazy y/n” I finally said.

Her hands were now stroking my hair. Shit. My tummy tingled. Was George right, am I in love with her?

“So you just decide to be mean Freddie? Ignore me? Hurt me? Why?” she squeaked, searching for a rightful explanation.

“I... I’m sorry, I don’t know what I feel. I’m so confused but I know I was wrong about you now. I’m sorry for hurting you.” I apologized.

“It’s okay Freddie, I understand, we have enough time to find out how we feel” she promised me while lightly stroking my cheek with her small fingers.

A wave of electricity went from my feet to my head. So is this what being in love feels like? I wasn’t sure, maybe it was something else. I’ve never experienced this before. But one thing was sure: my pants got too tight now.

And that’s when I felt her move slowly. She moved the (oh so thin) fabric of her red bikini against my clothed cock. I could feel everything that was underneath and a shock of pleasure went through my whole body.

She kept grinding down on me, a soft whimper left her mouth and a grunt left mine.

I slammed my lips on hers. They moved perfectly in synchrony. They were soft and sweet. It was perfect.

I’ve kissed before, a lot. But this. This was different. The passion was overwhelming.

Her tongue explored my mouth while I helped her hips grind up and down.

She stopped the kiss and her beautiful y/e/c eyes locked with mine. In an instant, she was already on her knees in front of me, pulling down my swimming trunks.

"Can I?" she asked politely. I nodded eagerly.

She kissed my tip gently making me gasp a little. Her beautiful, soft hands stroked down my thigh.

"I'm pretty sure you're finally gonna stop hating me after this" she promised.

"You already succeeded princess" I praised, making her eyes go wider because of the nickname.

She started to kitten lick my tip slowly and my hands were already in her hair, making a ponytail with my hand.

She took my whole cock in her mouth, all at once. A grunt escaped my lips when I felt my tip hit the back of her throat.

"God y/n where did you learn this" I moaned huskily.

A smirk appeared when she started to bob up and down. I tried to control myself but I couldn't resist from pulling on her hair a little, guiding her head up and down. It was clearly something she liked because a moan left her mouth. The oh so sexy sound and vibrations made me grunt loudly. "Fuck baby" I moaned

I tried to hold it in but my hips started to pound a little into her mouth, making her gag on my cock.

"I'm gonna cum" I stuttered. One second later her mouth was already gone. I whined with a frown.

"Now already Freddie?" she smirked.

"Please don't stop, your mouth is amazing y/n" I asked trying to not sound too desperate.

She didn't answer but put her lips back, taking my cock in her mouth again. Now she started to suck fast and harder, making me go completely crazy.

She was so beautiful and so so so sexy. I couldn't hold in any longer. My head fell back and my eyes scrunched shut, a loud moan slipped from my lips when I came. I've never felt this amazing before. It was perfect. Y/n stuck her tongue out, showing me she swallowed all of my cum.

"Good girl" I praised huskily.

"Did it feel good?" she asked. She looked a little insecure now.

I grabbed her hips and placed her on my lap again.

"So good, I think I might be in love with you, and not just because of this moment, but for so many reasons y/n" I admitted.

"You.. you do?" she whispered getting red and shy. But the little smile on her lips said enough

_____

[odetolocksmiths]

“Make that Three”

A/N: I’m back! It got soooo busy with school and everything and it was causing so much stress so I set this blog aside for a little while. While going through my drafts yesterday, I saw this story and I really liked it. My original author’s note said I was so, so sorry because I thought it was bad? But coming back, I’ve come to the realization that I actually like this story ha! Anyway, if you’re still reading this author’s note, I hope things are going well in your life, and if they are currently not; I am sending out my thoughts and positive energy for you. My dm’s are always open <3 Enjoy reading :) xo Xuck

Summary: A few weeks before Molly decided it was time to bring the family back together, you run into George. After a special afternoon while spending some time with him, you show up at the ‘family sleepover’ holding a big secret.

 Warnings: Fluff, mentions of pregnancy and a piece of art written with some grammar mistakes 

"Y/N, my dear! How are you doing?” Molly asks while coming at you with her arms open wide, inviting you into a cuddle. You laugh and hug her back. 

“Hi, I’m doing good. How about you?” You answer while unwrapping your arms. Molly lifts her hand, places a hand on your cheek, and smiles. “Now that you are here, I’m doing great!”

“I’ve missed you all so much! Come, come. Let’s get you something to drink.” Molly’s hand grabs your wrist and before you know it, you sit at the kitchen table with a cup of hot cocoa in your hand. You look around the kitchen and you see that practically nothing has changed, everything was in the place where it belonged. You let your eyes roam over the wall of photographs, every member of the family was on the wall multiple times. There were photo’s of all the Weasley children while they were still young, photo’s of everyone celebrating Christmas, and photographs of the children with their significant others. 

You giggle at the photograph of Ron and Hermione on their wedding day, remembering the prank the twins had pulled on Ron. Fred and George had stolen his wedding suit and had it hidden somewhere very obvious. You have never seen Ron so stressed. Yeah okay, normally he is pretty stressed already, but this day topped it. Eventually, everything turned out to be fine.

You let your eyes roam the pictures again, now searching for the photographs with you in it. There were a lot because ever since you came home with Fred and George that one holiday, you were a part of the family and Molly saw you as one of her own. You let your eyes linger on the photograph of you and George longer than the others, your heart fasting up its pace and forming a small smile. It has been a couple of weeks since you last ran into him and things took an unexpected turn. It was a night of secret confessions, stolen glances, and lingering touches. The things that happened that one night, turned into a big, little secret no one knew of.

Molly intruded your thoughts as she began saying that it shouldn’t be long before the others are here. “It’s been a long time since everyone was home at the same time!” 

You laugh at her and before you get the chance to answer, the front door opens and reveals the sounds of the voices from the rest. Everyone planned to show up at the same time, bombing the silence in the burrow.

“Y/N/N!” Hermione screamed, flinging herself into your arms. “Dear Godric, I missed you soooooo much.” She says and you giggle. “Hi ‘Mione, how are you doing?” 

It took a good ten minutes taking the time to greet every member of the family minus three. Fred and George still had to work in the shop that day, so when the shop is closed they could come over with Fred’s significant other, Angelina. 

Everyone is taking their places at the dinner table, as it is the best place for everyone to be catching up at the same time. There are so many stories to be told, some needing to be told multiple times because the others got into a conversation of their own. No one got a hold of the time and before you know it, a couple of hours have passed. 

The front door slams open once again, revealing the last three persons missing at the table. Fred and Angelina took the first steps into the house. “Good evening my dearest family! How are you all doing?” Fred practically screams with a huge grin on his face. The whole family flew to the new people, hugging them and saying their greetings.

You were one of the last to greet Fred and Angelina, telling them your hi’s and how happy you are to be seeing them. Last but not least, you were the last to greet George. You e/c eyes catching his deep brown ones, showing a sparkle. He smiles softly and wraps his arms around your waist, while you throw yours around his neck. “Godric, I’ve missed you so much.” He mumbles and presses a secret kiss in the crook of your neck. With one last squeeze on your hips, he releases you and walks into the kitchen, ignoring the funny look on Fred’s face.

-

You and George were not official. There was in no way you could say you both were dating and it got a bit on your nerves right now. Everyone was done with eating and were now having a conversation - the millionth time today. You looked around the table and your gaze lingered around George’s. He was already looking at you. His mouth made the slightest smile which made you blush. It took everything in your strength not to fly over the table, grab George by his tie and kiss him on the mouth. You sigh and took another sip of your seventh cup of hot cocoa. Normally you wouldn’t have this much chocolate to eat, nevermind to drink, but lately you were craving it more and more. You knew why, it was a secret no one else knew so far.

Suddenly Molly gasped, flinging her hand over her mouth and looked surprised. Everyone stopped talking and stared at her. “Oh my, I’m so sorry!” She looks around, setting her eyes on Arthur. “I have made a mistake with counting the beds! We are missing one bed.” She puts her head in her hands and takes a deep sigh.

“It’s okay honey, we’ll figure it out.” Arthur says, putting his hand on Molly’s back.

“Well one of us has to sleep on the couch then.” Fred jokes and Ron laughs. 

“I’ll sleep on the couch.” You say and look Molly in her eyes. “No, no. You won’t have to sleep on the couch.” She mumbles and pulls her arm around you. 

“No Molly, it is okay. I don’t mind sleeping on the couch, I’ve grown to love it, to be honest.” You grin and take another sip of your hot cacao.

It's true, you have grown fond of the couch. You stopped numbering the moments you fell asleep on it, finding yourself waking up with a blanket wrapped around your body.

“Are you sure?” Molly asks and you nod. “Don’t worry, as long as I have my blanket and pillow, I can sleep everywhere.” You wink and she laughs.

-

It’s two o clock in the morning. Everyone went to their beds over two hours ago, leaving you in the living room with a blanket and a pillow. Molly has asked you a dozen times if you really didn’t mind and after practically sending Molly upstairs, she eventually accepted your answer. Right now you were sitting on the couch, the blanket wrapped around you while reading your book when you heard footsteps behind you.

“You really shouldn’t be sleeping on the couch. Take my bed, please.” The voice of George sounded. He came to sit next to you. “And sleep with Fred and Angelina in one room? No thanks.” You giggled and put your book down. 

George opened his arms, inviting you into a cuddle which you gladly accepted. You put your head against his chest while folding your arms around his waist.

“I missed you, you know.” George whispered into your hair, placing a kiss on top of your head. You felt your face heating up, happy he couldn't see you blushing. "I hate that we haven't talked since that night." 

"I know, me too." You mumble, pressing your face more into George's chest. "Do you really meant what you say back then?" You ask.

"Yes, I do." George puts his finger under your chin and lifts it so you have to look him into his eyes. "I want to continue this. What we have." He places a kiss on your mouth. Before you could answer his kiss, he has removed his lips already. 

"I want that too." You smile at him. He grins and pulls you closer. 

"Mom's going to ask us tomorrow if we all want to come along on vacation this summer. Should I say she has to reserve two places? You and me?" George asks, wrapping a string of your h/c hair around his finger. 

"Make that three." You whisper, looking into his eyes. You see his eyebrows turn into a confused state.

"What did you say?"

"Make that three. Three places." You repeat and you grab his hand and place it on your belly. "I meant to tell you tomorrow when I saw the chance of getting you alone but here we are." You throw him a soft smile. Scared of his reaction, you distance yourself from him and look into the fireplace.

"Are you serious?" His voice sounds hoarse. All you can do is nod. "Checked it multiple times, different methods. All came back positive." You mumble, still not looking towards George.

"Look at me." Was all he said, but you didn't hear him. "Love, could you please look at me?" He asked.

When you turned your head, all you could see was George with one of the biggest smiles you have ever received from him. He grabbed your face and placed a kiss on your nose. Then one followed onto your forehead, both your cheeks and eventually he left one on your mouth.

"I love you so fucking much.”

[pregnant-piggy]

A place to call home - part III

Sirius Black x reader

This is part of All I want for Christmas is fanfiction

Words: 2.4k

A/N: and this is the part where it gets interesting...

The week passed by quickly. The meeting on Friday got cancelled as both Moody and Kingsley were occupied with more important things and they were supposed to lead the thing. You and Sirius spent your days clearing out the guestrooms and your evenings in the living room, not talking much, but enjoying each other’s company as you both did something for yourself.

In the past month you had grown to Sirius. More than you had expected. He was fun to be around and he brought light in your dark life now. His jokes had often made the tears roll down your cheeks and his stories were always interesting to listen to. You felt the sparkle there, but if you were completely honest you were a little scared. Scared of falling for someone and then getting your heart broken. So you had kept your distance. Not only from Sirius, but also from the house. You didn’t want to get attached to a place that wasn’t your home. It felt wrong to you to think of this house as your home, when it was Sirius’ home. You were just staying here until it was safe to go back to your apartment, which, as you had heard, would take a while.

But all your insecurities disappeared as you were spending time with Sirius. He made you forget about your worries for a while and instead brought a smile to your face.

On Saturday morning you and Sirius were making the beds in the guestrooms; the final touch before the guests came.

It was the first day of the Christmas break and in a while the Weasleys, along with Harry and Hermione would come to spent the holidays at Grimmauld Place. You had been looking forward to meet everyone. You had only seen them, apart from Molly and Arthur, whom you had gotten to know quite well in the past time, shortly at meetings in the summer, but never talked to them.

‘Sirius,’ you said, your voice a little hesitant. ‘I don’t think we have enough beds…’

He looked up and closed his eyes. You saw him counting and did the math yourself. Harry, Hermione, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, Arthur and Molly would be sleeping at the house. Those were eight people, nine including you and there were only eight beds. Four rooms with each two beds.

Sirius had come to the same numbers.

‘We do still have my parents’ and Regulus’ room, but we haven’t cleaned them yet and I don’t think anyone wants to sleep there,’ he said.

‘Maybe I can sleep with Ginny and Hermione. I could easily put a mattress on the ground here,’ you said, pointing at a spot on the floor.

‘I’m not letting you sleep on the ground!’ Sirius cried out.

‘Sirius, what else can we do? They are guest, we cannot ask them to sleep on the ground. We just have to find a place for me to sleep.’

Sirius stayed silent for a while and you could see he was hesitating to tell you something. He looked at you, but quickly averted his eyes to his feet as you looked back.

‘You could, if you want to, sleep with me…’ he almost whispered.

You looked at Sirius and saw that he was not joking. You thought about it. It would definitely be better than sleeping on the floor, but you would be sleeping in the same bed as Sirius. Little butterflies came up in your stomach as you thought of sharing a bed with Sirius and you were shocked with yourself. Did you just get butterflies from thinking about sleeping with Sirius?

You looked up to Sirius, the man who had taken you in his house to protect you, the man who had made you feel at home, the man who proved to be a little kid sometime, the man you had grown to over time, and you smiled.

‘Yeah, I would like that,’ you said and caught a flash of relieve in Sirius’ eyes.

For a second it stayed silent and you let the realisation take its time to get to you. You’d be sleeping in the same bed as Sirius. With Sirius. You would be sharing the covers, lie with your head on the pillow next to him and fall asleep with very little space between the two of you.

‘Let’s make it happen then!’ Sirius said and his face turned into his usual smirk.

You gave Sirius and soft smile and turned back to the bed you were making. Just as you threw the pillow on the mattress, the doorbell rang. Excitement bubbled inside of you and you turned to Sirius, who was looking nervous. You took his hands and forced him to look at you.

‘Just relax. These people came to spend Christmas with you, there is nothing to be worried about,’ you whispered and Sirius relaxed a bit. ‘I’ll get the door.’

-+-+-+-

‘No, no, y/n! You have to tell!’

‘Please George, no one wants to hear it anyway!’

It was late at night and you, Sirius, the Weasley siblings, Harry and Hermione were sitting in the living room, a bottle of Firewhiskey on the floor in the middle of the circle that had formed. Arthur and Molly had gone to bed, thinking everyone else had gone too. But as soon as they had disappeared, Fred had pulled out a bottle and given everyone but Ginny, who hadn’t let that pass without any drama, a glass. Figuring that it was the first night of their break and the fact that you nor Sirius were their parents, had made that you had let it slip. Quickly everyone was tipsy, the younger ones quicker than you and Sirius, and secrets were being spilled.

Now it was your turn to tell your worst prank.

‘Fine, but if you ever tell anyone…’ you said slowly, letting a silence fall for effect. ‘Okay, in my fifth year we had this terrible DADA teacher. He always took unfair points from everyone and gave us really difficult assignments and then scolded the class for not understanding. And it wasn’t just that, he was mean too. He made offensive jokes to people and one time he even hit a girl in her face. So-’ you giggled and took a deep breath before continuing ‘-me and my friends got enough of him. We had tried to do it the normal way, but none of the teachers wanted to listen to us. Instead we took the matter in our own hands. We made a potion that makes you go bald, but not forever. Just for a month or so. We had to make the potion ourselves and well, long story short, we made potion too strong and he never got his hair back.’

Everyone in the room burst out into laughter and Hermione shook her head, though she had a smile on her face too.

‘There’s no way you did that!’ Fred cried out with mischief playing in his eyes.

‘Oh no, it’s true. And the best thing is that they never caught us. They did suspect that we did it, but they never found any evidence.’

‘What happened to the teacher?’ Ron asked.

‘He quitted his job, I have never seen him again. It was a bit sad, though. He had been working there for a long time. But you know, he deserved it.’

‘Wait, do you mean Richardson?’ asked Sirius, who was sitting behind you. You turned around to him and nodded.

‘Yeah, do you know him?’

‘I do, he was horrible. We pulled a lot of pranks on him. But I thought that he had left in our sixth year,’ Sirius said and you nodded again.

‘He came back in my fourth year. Worst decision he ever made,’ you laughed.

-+-+-+-

At the end of the night, when all but you and Sirius went to bed, you sat on the ground with your back against the couch. You rested your head on the seating surface of the sofa and tool a deep breath. Sirius was watching you from his place opposite of you. The contours of your face were lit up by the light of the fireplace and your silhouette contrasted with the darkness of the room. Sirius had to suppress the urge to reach out his hand and trace the shapes of your face.

‘These kids sure know how to drink!’ you said as you held the empty bottle upside down above your tongue. Sirius laughed and shook his head. He liked you even more now, knowing some secrets of you. Though you hadn’t told your deepest secrets, Sirius was happy that you had felt comfortable enough to open up a little. It surprised him that you had been somewhat of a rebel in your teenage years.

‘We should go to bed,’ Sirius said, feeling a twitch of nervousness as he realised that you’d be sleeping in his bed. ‘We’ve got a big day tomorrow.’

Sirius got up and pulled you up too. ‘I don’t want to go to bed!’ you whined.

The nerves increased in Sirius’ stomach and he tried not to show it when you stood next to him and wrapped your arm around his waist. You rested your head on his shoulder while you stared at the fireplace.

‘Why is that?’ Sirius asked, though he feared the answer. Maybe he had made a mistake by asking you to sleep with him. Maybe he should have let you stay with the girls, like you had suggested.

‘I’ve had so much fun today. I don’t want this day to be over yet,’ you whispered, your voice barely audible over the sound of the fire.

Sirius turned to look at you and he pressed a kiss on your hairline when he saw your sad face. You looked at him and flashed him a sad smile.

‘I know,’ Sirius whispered. ‘But tomorrow is a new day and it’ll be just as much fun as today. I promise.’

‘How can you promise that?’

‘Because it will be my task to make tomorrow just as fun as today,’ Sirius said and he grinned at you. ‘And I never fail my tasks.’

-+-+-+-

You sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed. When Sirius had suggested to sleep in the same bed, it had seemed like a good idea, but now you were doubting. What if it would get awkward? There’s no turning back now.

You put on your sleep shirt and stood by the window. Outside the street was white with a layer of fresh snow. Little snowflakes were blown against the window. You could feel the cold from the window embracing you, asking if you want to come out. You placed your palm flat against the glass and shivered as the cold spread through your hand.

Two people were walking hand in hand through the snow, their smiles visible from your place behind the window. You chuckled at the two persons slipping on the sidewalk. They were holding onto each other and when the one fell, the other was pulled down too. One of the two scribbled up and pulled the other against their chest. The two lovers stared at each other and then shared a sweet, passionate kiss.

Your hand on the glass cramped together and made a fist. Pain flowed through your body in a shock, leaving a burning feeling in your heart and kicking the air out of your longs. It had been a long time since you had felt something like you had seen outside. You had thought you had found it in your last boyfriend, but that had been proven wrong only three months ago. Although you knew it was way better now you were apart, it still hurt to think of him. To think that everything had been right until one day your heart was ripped from your chest.

The painful thoughts swam in your mind even minutes after the people are gone, causing tears to roll down from your cheeks to the windowsill. What pulled you from your thoughts was a hand on your shoulder. You turned around at the sudden touch and looked in the worried eyes of Sirius. Without thinking you leaned into his touch and wrapped your arms around him, crying in his chest. He put his arms around you and kissed the top of your head. Breathing on the pace of his breath you calmed down.

‘I think that is enough emotions for a day. You should sleep,’ Sirius said and pushed you a little back so he could look in your eyes. You chuckled watery and nodded.

Slipping under the covers you watched Sirius as he closed the curtains, after looking outside to see what you were crying about. A warm feeling spread in your chest and wiping the tears away with the soft sheets you smiled.

Cold air hit your leg and the mattress moved when Sirius lied down next to you. The warmth and closeness of Sirius’ body made you blush. You were happy it was dark and the colour of your face was hidden from him. You moved so you were lying on your side and looked at Sirius’ silhouette in the dark. He was busy trying to get the sheets right and you smiled.

‘Thank you so much for letting me stay here,’ you whispered, when Sirius lied down. He turned his head to you and by his hot breath on your skin you noticed he was close.

‘Of course, darling. Where else would you have gone? I couldn’t let you stay out on the streets, you’d freeze!’

‘No, I’m serious-’ Sirius let out a laugh and you sighed as you realised your mistake, ‘oh, shut up. But really, you have created a home for me here and I can’t think of a better place to spend Christmas than here,’ you said and added in a soft whisper: ‘with you…’

Sirius didn’t react and your heart started to beat in your throat. You feared you had made a terrible mistake and sweat broke out, but Sirius took your hand and pulled you closer to him. He placed his left arm under your back and rested his right hand on your waist, so you were lying on your stomach with your head on his chest.

‘Me neither,’ he whispered and kissed the top of your head.

That night, you fell asleep listening to Sirius’ heartbeat.

- - - - - - -

taglists:

Sirius Black: @treestarrrrrrrr @bumbelbeeesblog @with1love1anu @transparentttttttttt @sirius-satellite @cheoco @malikinglove @alwaysinmydaydreams @eateraa @bi-andready-tocry @fangirlofbooksandpasta @littlemissgothgirl @always394patronus @heavenly-ascended-melodies @coldlilheart @fific7 @april-showers-and-flowers @susceptible-but-siriusexual @classicrocketqueen @kingalrdy

general HP: @kitkatkl @girllety @yuptha-tsme @sleep-i-ness @iamak20 @thefuturelawyer @thefuturelawyer @missmulti @deafgirltingz @moonstarrnghtsky @mytreec @lilulo-12fanfiction @emmaloo21 @kashishwrites @ananad1 @figlia--della--luna @kylosleftbuttcheek @mrs-malfoy-always @thefandomplace @magicwithaknife @mt2413 @aesthetically-hailey @superbturtlemakerathlete @the-natureofme @missswriter

Marauders: @secretsthathauntus @ronniethelost @hxrgreeves @wecouldbreakthedistance @valentina-007

MASTERLIST

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

Blank Slate

Summary: After losing her memories of her life with her family, the reader has to try and piece together what exactly happened to her with her husband’s help...

Pairing: Actor!Dean x reader

Word Count: 9,500ish

Warnings, language, angst, head injury, minor violence

______

“Hi mom,” said a five year old girl at the front door, the man next to you giving you a smile.

“Hi, uh, Harper,” you said.

“Harper’s my sister,” she said with a frown, glancing at the man.

“Oh, uh, hi...” you said, looking at the man for help.

“Holland. We call her Holly,” he said.

“Hi Holly,” you said, giving her a smile, watching a careful one cross onto her face.

“Mom’s head is still hurt?” she asked. The man nodded, telling the girl to go play as you caught sight of a few more adults in the house, older looking than the man by your side. He kicked off his boots and helped you with yours, letting you look around the foyer. You wandered over to a wedding picture, tilting your head at it.

“You remember anything?” he asked. You shook your head, a white framed letter hanging beside the photo you started to read. “I wrote that for you as a wedding present.”

“It’s very sweet,” you said when you finished, looking back at the picture, turning to look at him. “I can’t even remember my husband’s name without looking at a piece of paper. Or my wedding day or the names of my kids.”

“I know. I know. The doctor said this is all trauma based so your brain is all okay. We just have to get you to access those memories again. That’s why you came home from the hospital, so we could try to get them out here. Do you remember that?” he asked.

“Dr. Henderson said that yesterday,” you said, the man giving you a smile.

“Yes. He did. Your short term memory is getting better. I know you don’t see it honey but it is,” he said. “We’ll get you there. I promise.”

“What’s your name again?” you asked.

“Dean,” he said softly. “Sometimes you call me Dean or Winchester or De or dork or honey or babe or Deanie Weanie if you want to tease me or...you’ve got a lot of nicknames for me actually.”

“Dean,” you said with a nod. “Dean...”

“Winchester,” he said with a smile. “That’s your last name too.”

“It used to be Y/L/N,” you said, Dean nodding. “I remember old stuff. This must be really annoying for you.”

“Nah. I get to remind you why we fell in love all over again. What’s so bad about that?” he teased, kissing your cheek. You liked it, not sure why but then his lips were pulled away and he was holding your hand, moving you along to the back of the house. You entered a kitchen area, spotting three kids playing in a family room, two other adults talking at the counter. “Hey guys.”

“Hi sweetie,” said the woman, walking over and giving you a hug. The man did the same as you took a moment to see a few similarities between them and Dean.

“You’re his parents,” you said, Dean smiling wide. “Don and Molly?”

“John and Mary but close,” she said.

“You remembered that on your own,” said Dean.

“Your perfume sort of...reminded me of a cozy house on a rainy day, it smelled like vanilla inside I think,” you said.

“It was raining the first time I took you to my parents house,” said Dean. “I told you coming home would be good for you.”

“So what are you guys doing here?” you asked.

“We’ve just been helping out with the kids,” said your father in law, his smile falling away when you frowned. “It’s really no trouble.”

“Where are my parents?” you asked. You saw your in laws look at Dean, his gaze going to the floor. “I remember my parents.”

“I can’t keep doing this to her,” said Dean quietly , looking at his dad. “I can’t.”

“They died,” said John, Dean squeezing his eyes shut. “A while ago, honey. You were at college when they were in a car accident.”

“Oh,” you said, blinking a few times. “I didn’t know Dean back then, did I.”

“No, you didn’t,” said Dean, lifting his head. “This isn’t your normal reaction to that news.”

“How many times have you told me this?” you asked.

“About ten or so. About once a day you ask,” he said. You stared at him, that happy mask slipping slightly. “Normally you get upset. Really, really upset.”

“How did I hurt my head? Or have this trauma thing happen to me that’s making me forget?” you asked.

“I can’t answer that, sweetheart,” said Dean.

“Why not?” you asked.

“The doctors don’t one hundred percent know,” he said.

“You’re saying I went insane or something? Why not lock me up then?” you said, not sure where your anger was coming from. Dean scowled at you, grabbing your hand and asking for a moment of privacy. He pulled you upstairs and to a bedroom, sitting you down before he knelt in front of you.

“All we know that happened was it was a Friday morning. You were perfectly fine when I buckled up the kids for daycare and to drop them off at school and stop at the winery quick. We have one of those by the way. You were alone for a few hours, taking some time to relax, do a few things around here. When I got homelater on, you were sitting in the middle of the floor just completely out of it. After you woke up at the hospital, you couldn’t remember anything. We were doing a few renovations on the house so the security system was down for a few weeks and that’s around when all of this happened. You just locked up on us, honey. You wouldn’t tell us what happened and then we realized just how bad your head got hurt. Nothing was stolen and the police are still working on it but we just don’t know what happened to you,” he said.

“Did I give the bruises on my arms to myself? Could I have just fallen down and hit my head?” you asked, holding them up.

“It’s possible but I don’t believe that, not with how scared my badass wife was,” he said. “I think someone came here and hurt you.”

“You think someone hurt me?” you asked. “Do you think it was Ricky?”

“Ricky?" asked Dean. “Your college boyfriend? I know you guys had a bad breakup but didn’t he turn out to be like a pediatrician?”

“Well my brain is weird right now and to be honest, you’re a stranger to me,” you said. “I don’t even remember you. I don’t remember any of these people in this house.”

“Do you want them to leave? I can ask my parents to take the kids,” he said, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. You grabbed his wrist and brought his palm to your cheek, moving his fingers.

“Do that again,” you said.

“Why? Remember something?” asked Dean, brushing his thumb over your cheekbone.

“No. It makes me feel okay even though I am definitely not,” you said.

“The stuff I told you didn’t scare you?” he asked.

“It scared me. But everything is scary right now. I remember from school that if your memory doesn’t come back soon after an accident, it probably won’t, not all the way,” you said. Dean looked down at his feet, shoulders sagging. “It’s okay.”

“I have more scary news if you think you can handle it,” he said.

“Like I said, it can’t get much worse,” you said.

“What is the absolutely last thing you remember? Not me or a hospital but before that,” he said.

“I was in a car with my parents,” you said.

“That was the accident with your family, this memory thing...it’s mental right now. It’s not physical. The memories are there but your brain sort of froze up, using that other traumatic event as a stopping point,” he said.

“So I’m the one preventing me from remembering?” you asked.

“Yeah but it’s not that simple. You had a trauma and no one knows exactly what happened. Until you can process it, you’re in a bit of limbo for now,” he said.

“So I’m nuts,” you said, an angry glare crossing his face. He sat back on his heels and put his hands on your legs, lifting his head up.

“Please stop saying that. You’re hurt, not nuts,” he said.

“I have brain trauma that’s all likely mental from what you said. I think I’m nuts,” you said.

“I was the one that told you to take the morning off, enjoy yourself. I’m the reason you were here alone,” he said.

“It’s not your fault I went full on Cuckoo's Nest,” you said.

“You were attacked. You are not crazy and I’m sick of having this argument,” he said.

“How many times have we…” you said.

“This is the fourth time. Normally you don’t get this far in the conversation before you ask to be left alone. The whole you not remembering these conversations is the reason they say it was mental trauma,” he said.

“What’d you do different this time?” you asked. “I’m not going to ask you to leave me alone.”

“I don’t know. You’re home for the first time, some place familiar. Maybe you feel safer here, maybe less, maybe it’s because it’s Thursday. I don’t have a clue, Y/N,” he said.

“I don’t want to argue with you,” you said.

“Me either,” he said.

“Tell me about you, or us, or our family,” you said.

“You want to know how we met?” he asked.

“Yeah. I think I’d like that.”

“Hey, kiddo,” said your father in law a few hours later. The kids were in bed and most everyone was asleep apart from the two of you and Dean who was off somewhere else in the big house. “How you holding up?”

“Okay,” you said, flipping through a wedding album, trying to put names to faces. “Thank you for watching the kids.”

“It’s not a problem,” he said. He was quiet as you flipped through the rest of the book. You looked happy and completely in love with the man in the photos. You wished you could remember it though. “You got that look on your face.”

“Hm?” you asked.

“You’re thinking hard about something,” he said.

“I’m trying to figure out my life,” you said.

“I’m a hell of a lot older than you and I haven’t figured it out yet,” he said.

“It’s been almost two weeks Dean said. I barely remember any of that,” you said.

“S’alright,” he said. You stared at him, getting a smile in return. “Do you want to know the first time he introduced you to us?”

“Sure. Earlier he said it was raining, right?” you asked.

“I think so. It was a few weeks before thanksgiving. He wanted to make sure you got to meet us first before the whole family,” he said. “You weren’t the first girl he ever brought home but it was different than the few before. He liked those girls but they were too different to ever work. You were quiet but friendly, kept trying to help out in the kitchen or with dishes. More than a bit nervous. You two kept looking at each other, like you were asking him if you were acting okay.”

“That’s normal,” you said.

“Yeah. It was still a little awkward and then I asked a question about your family or something like that and Dean got very defensive. I remembered he’d asked us not to bring that up but I was trying to get you to open up. You snapped at him a little, told him it was alright even though you clearly weren’t comfortable with talking about it. We sort of left you two kids alone for a minute before he walked into the kitchen. I was expecting an apology but he was still angry and wanted to understand why I’d done it. We’d never seen him like that before and realized it’d really upset him. He was afraid that you wouldn’t like us because of it and he went off on a tail spin when I caught you standing in the doorway and you just looked at me with this smile like you knew he’d calm down in a minute,” he said.

“Did he?” you asked.

“Yeah. He left after a moment to go find you and you snuck in and apologized for him. I told you not to do that and that he was an adult and could do it himself. You told us very calmly that you disagreed. I thought that was an odd thing for you to say and you just stared, with that same look on your face, thinking hard of how to say what you wanted to,” he said.

“What did I say?” you asked.

“Dean came back and sighed, apologizing and trying to get everyone past the whole thing. But you were more guarded with your answers and questions after that. You excused yourself to the bathroom and he said you two were going to get going. You’d only been over for two hours but things were going south and we know our boy. Sometimes he just shuts everything out when he’s stressed and wants to get out of the situation. We were going to let him go but you came back and saw him getting ready to leave and pulled him aside. I don’t know what you said but he was more relaxed when he came back, said he was mistaken about the time or something like that. Total bull but he was just better again. No one had ever gotten through to him before when he gets like that, no one. But you did. You kept trying to be relaxed for us and him after that and later on you tried to explain that he got protective of you, like it wasn’t obvious.

“That’s when you told me this was important to him, to you as well, but very much so to him because there was no meeting the parents for him. There was no meeting the family. He really wanted us to like each other because he wanted you to have something you’d lost and missed. And all you were concerned about was that we weren’t mad at our son because you thought that’s what was important. You wanted us all to have a good relationship because you thought he was important. It hit me that you didn’t care about getting close to anyone past a surface level. Then it hit me that despite all that, you were still trying, for him. He got close and I guessed you didn’t want to like him or fall in love with him or any of it. But you did, and you tried, because when you love someone like that, you try for them,” he said.

“I have a feeling we’re close despite our first interaction,” you said.

“By the time thanksgiving rolled around it was like you were another one of the kids. You warmed up to us real fast,” he said.

“So were you trying to say that I shouldn’t worry because I have a good husband looking out for me?” you said.

“I was simply saying how we met. Up to you to look at it like that,” he said with a smile.

“”You’re definitely that guy’s dad,” you said. He laughed and stood up from his chair.

“Yes, I am and alright eavesdropper, I’m heading to bed. You should probably get this one in one soon too,” he said, glancing at a doorway, Dean rounding it with crossed arms.

“How do you always know?” he asked.

“You’re my kid, that’s how,” he said, ruffling Dean’s head as he went past. “Goodnight.”

“Night,” you said. Dean gave you a soft smile. “Tired?”

“Everyone had a long day. We should get some sleep,” he said.

You followed him upstairs, Dean showing you your closet to change in, banging a few things around in the bathroom before you walked out and caught him in a tee and boxers.

“I turned up the thermostat since you like it warm,” he said. “I’ll be down the hall if you need me.”

“We don’t sleep in the same room?” you asked. He gave a quiet laugh before offering a smile.

“I’m not making you sleep next to me when you don’t know me,” he said. “We got a comfy couch I can crash on.”

“Thanks,” you said. “For trying to not scare me.”

“Of course, honey,” he said.

“But the point of me coming home was to get me back in my routine and I think we should sleep in the same bed,” you said.

“If that’s what you want. Feel free to kick me out anytime though,” he said. You waited by the end of the bed, Dean next to you. Both nightstands were fairly empty at the moment and you couldn’t tell from that who had what side. He seemed to stare at you, waiting to see if you’d remember.

“I sleep left but...I think you like the left too so you get that side and…I got something for it,” you said.

“You got to pick out our dog at the shelter,” he said. “You remembered that just now.”

“It was more a gut feeling than memory,” you said.

“It was still something,” he said. You shrugged and crawled into bed, Dean sliding under the covers after a moment but keeping his space in the king sized thing. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” you said, turning onto your side.

“Love you,” he said quietly, more for himself than you. You looked over your shoulder, his back to you. You reached a hand out and rested it on top of his head, slowly moving your fingers through the strands. His muscles relaxed, a large breath leaving him.

“I don’t know you but I’m glad I have you to help me,” you said.

“S’been a long two weeks,” he said quietly. “I’m scared you’ll wake up tomorrow and have forgotten again.”

“I’m not,” you said.

“Why?” he asked.

“Just got a good feeling I won’t,” you said. He rolled over onto his back, smiling softly at you. “I love you.”

“You don’t have to say it, Y/N,” he said.

“Just because I can’t remember that I do doesn’t mean it’s not true,” you said.

“Alright, you win this one, Winchester,” he said. “Night.”

“Night, Dean.”

“Morning,” said Dean, walking out of the bathroom in a t shirt and pair of comfy looking sweats. “I figured a lazy day at home would be best to ease into things.”

“Yeah. I think so too, Dean,” you said, scratching your head with a sleepy smile. “I remember yesterday so no need to freak out on me.”

“I will let you get ready for the day then,” he said, watching you move out of bed and back to the closet, pulling out some clothes after a few helpful nods to the right drawers to go to. He let you take care of yourself mostly, lingering in the bedroom only if you truly couldn’t find something you wanted before he eventually left.

After a hot shower, you changed and headed down the stairs, a small child nearly tripping you as she ran past in the kitchen.

“Holly! No running!” said Dean, the little girl immediately freezing. “We got to be careful of mom, remember?”

“Sorry,” she said, turning around and walking over to you. She seemed hesitant but you bent down and gave her a hug, a smile instantly across her face. “I made my bed and helped daddy make the pancake batter.”

“You did? You’re such a big girl helping out like that,” you said, picking her up and carrying her over to the counter, quickly finding her far heavier than you were expecting. She stared at you for a moment before looking at her father.

“Daddy says you can’t remember us because your head got hurt,” she said.

“That’s right,” you said, taking a seat next to her, Dean watching the pair of you from the other side of the island where he worked. “I know I love you very much though.”

“But you’re gonna remember, right?” she asked. “You’ll get better?”

“Holly,” said Dean quietly. “We talked about this. Multiple times.”

“But-”

“Holly. I need you to be a big girl for me, okay? For me and mom,” he said. “Mommy’s going to try to remember but if she doesn’t, that’s okay too.”

“Okay,” she said, looking at her placemat. “Can I have orange juice?”

“Sure,” you said, getting out of your seat, pausing when you couldn’t find a fridge.

“Right here, hun,” said Dean, slapping a cabinet. You pulled on the handle and realized it was a double door fridge with a freezer on bottom.

“Are we rich?” you asked, Dean smirking as you found the orange juice. “What do you do for a living? What do I do for a living?”

“Well at the moment, you’re a stay at home mom and you run the winery with me and my brother,” said Dean.

“We must make like super awesome wine,” you said, looking at the cabinets, Dean nodding towards one and you found glasses inside.

“Daddy plays pretend on TV,” said Holly.

“An actor?” you said, shaking your head. “You are so not an actor.”

“I so am an actor,” he teased, sliding a few pancakes onto a few plates. “You little missy, wrote for that TV show until we had the second round of kids and it was too much to juggle everything. You occasionally do some editing now that the winery is going good but mainly keeping care of the rugrats is your main job.”

“Speaking of which, I have other children I...I don’t remember them,” you said quietly.

“Grandpa and Grandma took the twins to swimmies,” said Holly, squeezing a big puddle of syrup on her pancakes.

“Oh. Do you know how to swim?” you asked, Holly nodding.

“Harper and the little dude are young but even with the pool and the fence around it, we figured better safe than sorry,” said Dean.

“Little dude,” you said, knowing he was trying to get you to remember. “We have three kids?”

“Yup,” said Dean, motioning for you to sit down, Holly already chowing down on her first piece as you sat next to her. You grabbed your fork and knife, taking a few deep breaths. “His name is Axel.”

“I don’t remember anything,” you said, gripping the utensils tight until Dean rested a hand on your thigh. “I don’t remember.”

“Mom,” said Holly, poking your shoulder. You looked away from Dean, a curious little face looking up at you. “S’okay. I still love you.”

“You are the sweetest thing I’ve ever met,” you said, giving her a hug, Dean rubbing his hand up and down your back as you ate breakfast together. Holly was very well behaved and you had a feeling she was used to helping out in the kitchen, working with Dean and showing you where things went as you picked up.

“Can I go play in my room?” she asked, Dean humming before she took off.

“Wow. She’s mature for her age,” you said.

“Sometimes,” said Dean with a knowing smile, just in time for the door from the garage to open. You recognized John and Mary, walking in with two small kids. The kids both stared at you for a moment before they ran over and hugged your legs, both trying to pepper you with kisses. “Mommy’s home, guys.”

“Mommy, I miss you,” said the girl, Harper. The boy echoed a similar sentiment, his vocabulary not quite there yet but he was hugging you so tight it may have rivaled his father’s.

“Mommy,” said Axel, wrapping his arms around your neck, attempting to climb on top of you.

“I missed you guys too,” you said, picking them both up and giving them each a kiss. “How was swim class?”

Axel went off on a tangent, most of which you didn’t understand but Harper interpreted what he was saying, something about a big splash and soon Dean was over, scooping Harper out of your arms.

“Alright. I think you two are due for a bath to get that stinky chlorine off you and we’ll give grandma and grandpa some time to themselves for a change,” said Dean.

“It’s the first full day back, Dean,” said Mary, giving you a smile.

“I know and you’re not on babysitting duty today. Go hang out at home. If I need you, I’ll call,” he said.

“Call anyways,” said John. “We’ll see you guys real soon.”

“Later,” said Dean as they headed out, carrying Harper over to the stairs. You followed with Axel, same green eyes as Dean, your son staring happily at you.

“I love you, mommy,” he said.

“I love you too,” you said, kissing his cheek, pausing at the top of the stairs. Dean turned around, looking at you.

“Y/N? You alright?” he asked.

“I got one of those feelings again,” you said, walking again.

“What kind of feelings?” he asked.

“I love these kids so freaking much,” you said, Dean laughing.

“Well that’s good,” he teased, stopping outside of a door, pushing it open. You followed him inside to a bathroom, playful colored towels and kids shampoos in the tub area. “This is the bathroom for the kids. Holly has a bathroom in her own room but we decided to wait until she’s a little older to have her own.”

“Alright,” you said, Dean setting Harper down on the floor. He went over to the tub and put in a stopper, starting to fill it up as he tugged off her clothes. You mimicked what he was doing with Axel, Dean laughing when you had trouble getting his shorts off.

“To think I’m the one that’s always been awful at this,” he said, helping you get them off. He peeled off Harper’s diaper, tossing it in the trash, doing the same with Axel’s. He tested the water with his hand to make sure it wasn’t too hot before he lifted him up and set him in the water, up to his little waist, doing the same with Harper. He put a few little rubber toys in the water to distract them. “Okay, mom. Normally we wash hair first then soap up.”

He reached around you and grabbed some kid friendly shampoo, squirting some in your hands. He did the same and worked on Harper’s hair, nodding for you to clean up Axel. You were paranoid about getting it in his eyes with how much he turned his head around, Dean sighing and grabbing your wrists, moving them a little lower. He shook off his hands in the water and grabbed a pair of little bowls, handing one to you.

“Just watch me, Y/N. It’s super easy,” he said. He filled it with water and put his hand on Harper’s forehead, he head tilting back with a little giggle as he gently poured the water out. You started to do the same with Axel, Dean smiling when you kept pausing to make sure it wouldn’t splash all over his face. “We’ve both gotten soap in their eyes before. It’s not the end of the world if it happens.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” you said, Dean taking the bowl away after a moment, squirting some soap in your hands.

“Neither one of us has known what we were doing from the second we found out you were pregnant with Holly. You get used to it,” he said, rubbing some of the soap on Harper’s chest, playing with one of her boats with her for a moment. You again tried to do the same with Axel, big wide eyes staring at you. “He’s a goof and knows he’s gonna get bubbles all over him so prepare for him to turn into a giggling mess.”

You barely had started to soap him up before you heard the first laugh, Harper joining in as you cleaned him, Dean wearing a big smile as their giggles got louder and louder. You hadn’t realized you were laughing with them until Dean was moving the stopper out of the way and plucking them both out of the tub and wrapping them up in big towels.

“They are so cute,” you said, Dean smiling while he ran a towel through their hair.

“They get it from you,” he said, the two of you working to dry them off before Dean slipped out of the room, returning with two sets of clothes. He grabbed something from under the sink, handing one to you. A diaper.

“I don’t-”

“I know,” he said softly. “Putting it on is real easy and once somebody makes a mess, I’ll show you how to clean it up too. Both these guys are pretty well behaved in that department.”

Dean took extra time to show you how it was done, letting you do Axel with his help, both of you getting them into some clothes.

“Okay, dudes. You’ve had a long morning so time for a little nap,” said Dean, picking them both up, getting a round of giggles as he carried them across the hall and into their shared bedroom. He set them each down in their cribs and gave them both a blanket and stuffed animal, the pair of them passed out before he could leave the room. “We’ll wake ‘em up in about twenty minutes. They need naps after swim days or else they get very cranky by the time lunch rolls around.”

“I need a parenting guidebook,” you said. “Or a drink.”

“We got both but probably not a good idea just yet,” he teased, heading back down stairs with you, plopping down on the couch. You sat next to him, Dean smiling at you. “You look tired, sweetheart.”

“My head feels like it’s going a thousand miles an hour straight into a brick wall. I keep trying to remember things, like giving baths, but I just can’t,” you said.

“You’ll get there,” he said.

“Will I though?” you asked.

“If you don’t, we’ll still be here for you,” said Dean, smiling softly at you.

“What do I normally do when I’m not feeling great?” you asked.

“Cuddles. A blanket,” he said. You nodded and grabbed one from a nearby basket, sitting down closer to him, leaning your head on his shoulder.

“Is this okay?” you asked.

“Whatever you’re comfortable with,” he said, moving his arm around the back of your shoulders. “Is that-”

“It’s okay,” you said, glancing up at him. “If it’s ever not, I’ll let you know but you don’t have to ask all the time, Dean.”

“Alright,” he said.

“This is something we normally do, right?” you asked.

“Sit and cuddle each other? Yeah. Even your manly husband likes a good cuddle,” he said, a laugh in his words.

“Oh,” you said.

“Oh, what?” he asked.

“You seem very sweet is all, not like you’re a tough tough guy. I mean you seem tough but not mean. I’m sorry that doesn’t-“

“It’s okay,” he said. “You just have a well rounded husband.”

“That sounds nice,” you said.

“It is. It’s a bit of a lie,” he said, smiling sadly at you. “I get wrapped up in my own head sometimes. Take this whole situation for instance. Normally, you’d be the one telling me it wasn’t my fault and a whole bunch of other stuff to help me realize that. But you can’t do those things right now, which is totally okay, but I have to try and be that person on my own and it’s fucking hard.”

“Well I don’t blame you,” you said.

“You don’t know what happened,” he said.

“No but I don’t blame you,” you said.

“I don’t think you’re in the position to really think straight,” he said.

“Well I don’t think you’re in the position to tell me how I feel,” you said, sitting up to get a better look at him. “I look at you and I worry and I do not understand why. All I can guess is that it comes from a place of love. Maybe I don’t remember how to tell if you’re feeling crappy or whatever but a part of me does and it needs you to be better too. I know this is hard and you basically wound up with another kid to watch and make sure I’m okay but we’ll get through this.”

“But what if-“ he said before you put a finger to his lips.

“Relax,” you said, Dean slumping back into his seat.

“I’m supposed to take care of you. Not the other way around,” he said.

“I’m guessing that we normally take care of each other and trying to get me normal again means we act normal which means I take care of you too,” you said, leaning back against his shoulder. “I have the feeling you haven’t let anyone take care of you the past few weeks.”

“Even when you go all beautiful mind, you still know the right thing to say,” he said, brushing his finger over your cheek.

“Did you insult me while we’re having a moment?” you deadpanned.

“Now you sound just like you,” he teased, kissing the tip of your nose. You got a headache and sat back into the cushions, wiping at your nose. “Y/N? You okay?”

“My nose,” you said, tapping the end of it. “It was wet. I remember it was wet!”

“That...okay,” he said, forcing a smile. “I suppose that’s...helpful.”

“Why would my nose have been wet?” you asked. He cupped your cheek and smiled, tucking your hair behind your ear. “What?”

“You take a shower every morning. You’re probably just remembering that, honey,” he said.

“Oh,” you said. He kissed your cheek and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his chest but you were pretty sure it was more for him than you. “Dean, I’m alright.”

“Someone hurt you,” he said. “And I have no idea who did it. I couldn’t protect you the first time around and I have no idea if I can do it if this person comes back.”

“But you’re really big and strong,” you said. “And who knows? Maybe I fell and am just nuts or something.”

“Y/N. I know being nice to yourself isn’t always easy but can you please stop calling yourself nuts. Something traumatizing happened that caused this. You aren’t nuts. You got scared because something horrible happened, I’m sure of it. Please don’t say that again. I hate it,” he said. You turned your head and gave him a small nod. “Thank you.”

“You need to let someone take care of you too though, got it? I can’t remember, it doesn’t mean I’m useless,” you said.

“Okay,” he said softly. You reached a hand up to his hair and rubbed his head, Dean nuzzling into the touch. “We got a doctor’s appointment to get you to soon.”

“That sounds not fun,” you said. He chuckled as you gave him a head massage, resting it on your shoulder for a moment.

You still didn’t really know him or who he was. But you could feel something towards him, very much like the reaction you had with the kids.

“Can I kiss you?” you asked. He nodded and you leaned over, pressing your lips to his. Dean didn’t move and you shifted back after a moment. You tilted your head at him, doing it again once more before you sat back in your seat. “That is so weird.”

“What is?” he asked.

“I am in love with you. Unconditionally. I barely know a thing about you but I know that much,” you said.

“Even if it never comes back, we got this, alright?” he said.

“Yeah. Can you show me around the house some?” you asked. He smiled and grabbed your hand.

“I’d love to, honey.”

“I don’t like it here,” you mumbled, kicking your legs against the bed in the doctor’s office. Dean hummed from the chair in the room, giving you a smile when he glanced away from his phone. “I want to go home.”

“The doctor just has to give us the test results and then we’ll go. Want to grab some food on the way home?” he asked.

“Okay. I still don’t like it here,” you said, rubbing your bare arm.

“I don’t like it here either,” he said, leaning back in his seat. The door opened and he stood up, the doctor giving him a friendly smile.

“Dean, Y/N. Sorry about the wait,” he said, holding up a file. “So...we did a blood test when you first got in. Dean, if you wouldn’t mind waiting outside a moment?”

“Why,” he asked.

“Because I asked. It’ll only be a moment,” he said. Dean glanced at you but you nodded and he left, the doctor shutting the door. “Y/N, we saw something a little odd in the blood work.”

“Odd?” you asked.

“Traces of a drug. Most people know it by its street name. Roofies,” he said.

“Someone gave me roofies?” you said.

“Well, no but it’s very similar. It didn’t show up on any tests before because we weren’t looking for it,” he said.

“Why’d you decide to look for it?” you asked.

“Because something seems off about this whole situation which is why I asked Dean to leave the room,” he said.

“You think my husband drugged me?”

“I don’t know who did what. All I can say for certain is that there is a four hour time period in which you could have been drugged. It would explain the memory loss of that event. The rest...it’s likely a combination of the drugs and self-regression,” he said.

“So I’ll never remember?”

“I’m not sure you’ll ever remember the event. But everything before that, I think you can. I think whatever happened you didn’t want to deal with it so you shut it all away. Your physical injuries weren’t life threatening so that leads me to believe it was environmental, something that was said or threatened. I think, because of the reaction you had, it had to have been done by someone close to you, someone you trust,” he said. “Who that is, you and the police have to figure out but that’s my medical opinion on what happened.”

“Dean wouldn’t hurt me,” you said.

“Y/N.”

“He wouldn’t,” you said. “Now let him back in.”

“I know the cops think I did it,” he said, rubbing his temple at a red light. “Why wouldn’t they suspect me? I make sense on paper.”

“I don’t think you did it,” you said.

“Thanks,” he laughed, hitting the gas when it turned green. “No one is really going to listen to you at the moment though, sweetheart.”

“Well we’ll figure it out then,” you said.

“How do you trust me so easily?”

“Because I still feel good and safe with you. If you hurt me, I don’t think that’d be the case,” you said.

“You might not remember if I’d hurt you though,” he said.

“Do you want me to believe it was you or something?” you asked.

“No. But I don’t want you to be so trusting of people,” he said. You stared at him as he drove, Dean resting his head in his hand. “What do you want to eat, honey?”

“You pick what you want,” you said.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, sighing as he made a left towards a to go place. He parked and moved to get out of the car but you grabbed his hand, Dean staring back at you.

“I won’t be so trusting of people. But I’m going to trust you, okay?” you said.

“Okay,” he said. “Okay.”

“Hey, Dean,” you said, finding him in the home office after lunch, going over some bills from the look of it. “How come I haven’t met Sam? Well...seen Sam?”

“He’s kind of doing both your jobs right now and hospitals make him...ah, Jess. I forgot. You wouldn’t know. So our sister-in-law, Jess, she almost died in a fire once. It was a really bad night for Sam. When everything went down with you, he volunteered to deal with the kids and stuff so he wouldn’t have to go back. It sounds shitty but the guy is freaking terrified of hospitals. We can invite those guys over for dinner if you want,” said Dean.

“I was just…” you trailed off, Dean lifting his head.

“You think it was Sammy,” he said.

“I didn’t say-“

“I’ve been thinking it too unfortunately,” sighed Dean. He ran his hands over his face and you shut the office door, taking a seat on the comfy chair. “He’s been reluctant to see you and I haven’t spoken to Jess in weeks.”

“Do you think something happened to her?” you asked.

“Jess? No. Sammy would kill for her. He’d never…” said Dean. “Oh shit. I think I know what’s going on.”

“What’s going on?”

“Sam,” said Dean at one end of the conference table in the police station. “I’m gonna kill you.”

“Dean,” said a police officer, holding up a hand. “Let’s try to be calm.”

“He tried to kidnap my wife!” said Dean.

“But I didn’t,” said Sam. “I’m risking Jessica’s life just saying this. I am lucky she’s even still alive.”

“Oh so it’s my fault you nearly killed my wife?”

“I was never gonna kill her! Even drugged up...” said Sam. “Then I just...came to my senses and left.”

“Well thanks for traumatizing her!” growled Dean.

“Guys! Both of you just shut up and let the cop talk,” you said.

“Thank you,” said the officer. “Now, Sam. You were saying after you decided not to follow through on abducting Y/N, you returned home?”

“Yes. I thought she was gonna be okay and left. Then I got a call from Dean asking to pick up the kids later from school because Y/N was having a hard time remembering. He said someone must have come in and attacked her and I am so sorry, Y/N.”

“You don’t talk to her,” said Dean.

“I think I can decide who does and doesn’t talk to me, Dean,” you said. “Keep going.”

“He-“

“Sam,” you said, cutting Dean off. “Talk.”

“So...I didn’t do what I was supposed to obviously but I was offered another chance to get Y/N and bring her to this person. Trade for Jess,” he said. “I’ve been buying a little time and said Y/N got hurt and it would be impossible to get her and...I was gonna say something. I just…” said Sam, closing his eyes. “I got scared.”

“I can’t…” said Dean standing up and grabbing your hand. You shook out of it, Dean staring at you. “I’m not leaving you in a room alone with him.”

“First off, there’s a cop literally right there. Second, if he wanted me, I’d be gone. You need to go cool off. Go. Now,” you said. Dean shook his head and walked out, the officer staring at you. “What?”

“Your brother-in-law did admit to trying to-”

“I’m not pressing any charges against him,” you said, Sam turning his head towards you. “Shocking, I know. But Dean’s pissed enough for the both of us right now and I know...you could have hurt me if you wanted to. But you didn’t and Jess still needs help so right now, let’s just work on that, alright?”

“Thank you,” said Sam, giving you a half smile.

“Alright,” said the officer with a deep breath. “Do you have any idea who this person is that took your wife?”

“I think it’s a woman to be honest,” said Sam.

“Why would you say that?”

“When she let me talk to Jess she was using one of those voice things to make her voice deeper but she moved it away to put Jess on and she told Jess to talk and it was definitely a chick,” said Sam.

“You’re saying a woman took Jessica and is the one that wanted Y/N?” he said.

“Wait, my husband is kind of famous, isn’t he? TV famous but still…” you said, the officer nodding his head.

“Let’s go see if the other Mr. Winchester is calm enough to join the discussion again.”

“Bonnie Tyler,” said the lead detective on the case, slapping down a file a few hours later. “Your stalker from six years ago.”

“She wasn’t a stalker,” said Dean. “Just...an overzealous fan.”

“Bonnie Tyler put in her notice at work shortly before Jessica disappeared. She has also started, according to her credit card statements, frequenting the winery. Are we staring to get the picture?” asked the detective.

“But if she took Jess, why wouldn’t she ask for Dean instead? Isn’t that who she wants?” asked Sam.

“Oh I’m sure of it. But Jess most likely hasn’t seen her face if Bonnie’s willing to risk running into her again,” said the detective.

“Running into her where?” said Dean.

“Most likely the winery where I suspect her plan was to introduce herself to the newly single Dean Winchester,” he said. “If Y/N were to go missing that is.”

“What,” said Dean.

“She targeted the girls so that she could, likely, attempt to swoop in and become romantically involved. It’s probably not good news for whatever she had planned for Y/N,” he said.

“Oh. Awesome,” you said.

“Jess was taken because of you,” said Sam, cocking his head at Dean.

“You think I don’t know that?” said Dean, putting a hand on his head. “Can’t you guys just go to this psycho's house and arrest her?”

“We risk a chance of losing Jessica if we do that,” said the detective. Sam dropped his head, Dean glancing across the table at his brother.

“I am sorry, Sam. I am. It doesn’t excuse what you did,” said Dean.

“Well, I’m gonna have to live a dead wife most likely so thanks for adding onto the already giant pile of shit I feel like,” said Sam.

“I said it doesn’t excuse it, dumbass. I didn’t say I don’t forgive you,” said Dean. Sam lifted his head up, Dean giving him a nod. “I’ve been plenty scared the past few weeks too so I get that helpless feeling. I do. But we gotta be on the same team.”

“I’ll do whatever they want me to,” said Sam.

“Me too,” you said, both of them turning to you. “I can’t remember but not helpless, remember?”

“There’s a ploy here,” said the detective, looking at you and then Sam. “But I want to see that Y/N’s mentally fit before we even consider it.”

“Y/N, you don’t have to do this,” said Dean, tucking your hair behind your ear a few hours later.

“She’s our family...and Sam made a mistake, a mistake you very easily could have made if you were in his place,” you said.

“I know. I don’t...if I’m being honest with myself, I’d have considered it. It’s impossible not to,” he said.

“So you don’t hate Sam?” you asked.

“No. He didn’t know that would happen with you. No one did,” he said.

“I’m sort of hoping I get another kind of shock and it all comes back,” you said.

“Well, it’s not everyday you get to play victim in a police operation,” he said, rubbing up and down your arms. “If things go bad and this bitch gets near you, you put her down. I ain’t raising three kids by myself.”

“I’ll be okay, Dean,” you said.

“Be careful,” he said, kissing your temple as Sam walked over. “If worse comes to worse-”

“I got her back,” said Sam. “Jess is gonna kick my ass for everything so you’ll have to get in line behind her.”

“If worse comes to worse, both of you don’t be idiots, alright?” said Dean. You nodded and Sam gave Dean a small one.

“You two ready to go?” asked the detective as he came over.

“As we’ll ever be.”

You weren’t entirely surprised when things stopped following the plan and you and Sam were left to wing it. Jess looked relatively okay and aside from a look at Sam like she was pissed, the actual swap went okay.

The you getting in a car part with Bonnie definitely wasn’t happening though.

“But I don’t understand,” you said, trying to play the idiot. “I don’t even know these people!”

“Listen, I know you’re even more of an idiot now than you were then but you got to go,” said Bonnie.

“I don’t even know who those guys are! I don’t remember anything!” you said. She shoved you against the car door, cocking her head. “Please. I don’t care what your problem with these people is, just let me go.”

“I can’t,” she said.

“If I did something to you, I’m sorry. I don’t remember,” you said.

“It’s not personal, alright? You’re just in the way,” she said.

“Tell me how to get out of it and I’ll move,” you said.

“Sorry. You’re too recognizable and they won’t stop looking until you’re gone,” she said, pulling out a knife. “Get in the car, Y/N.”

“Can I at least-“ you said before you kicked out with your leg and proceeded to head butt her. She groaned and you kicked out again, slipping out of the loose zip ties finally.

She clocked you in the face and your head spun but you managed to hit the knife out of her hands.

“A little help over here!” you shouted, blocking a hit, surprised at yourself for doing so. She tried to go low but you stopped that one too. “Guess who’s got muscle memory back.”

“Guess who can shut up,” she said, pulling out a second knife from her back pocket. You glanced your eyes just over her shoulder, Bonnie spinning around long enough for you to get the drop on her.

“Bonnie, just stop,” you said, kicking away the knives. She took the opportunity to push back and slam you against the car, breaking free and shoving you again, your head hitting the back door.

You woke up with a headache but you felt intact. Dean was yawning as he watched TV, a stuffed animal shoved next to you.

“Hey,” you said, Dean turning towards you, immediately waking up some as he moved his chair around. “Dean Winchester, born January 24th, grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and who hid hiccups at our wedding.”

“I’m glad to know you’re still going to tease the shit out of me over that,” he said, wrapping his arms around you. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I kinda remember being halfway decent in that fight earlier,” you said.

“Well you are pretty good, if you could have remembered the moves,” he said.

“Should have got her in the stomach,” you said, closing your eyes. “I’ll take the fact I’m not dead as a good sign?”

“Yeah. They grabbed her. Jess is okay, a few doors down actually. She nearly strangled Sam and then strangled me and let’s say Bonnie should be living in fear from Jess’ wrath,” laughed Dean.

“How’s Sam?” you asked.

“Oh, wallowing in self-guilt when he’s not doting on Jess. You know, typical, Sammy behavior,” he said with a smirk.

“I can remember more of what happened, with Sam,” you said.

“Sammy not giving us the full picture?” asked Dean.

“He didn’t scare me. Not really. In fact, it was no one’s fault at all,” you said. “Remember what I said about a wet nose?”

“Yeah?” asked Dean.

“I was in the bathroom, getting ready for the day and Sam came over. We had coffee for a minute which is probably when he drugged me but then he had this really guilty look on his face. He kept trying to get me not to drink it too, steal it back. So he was over and while we were fighting over the coffee, I spilled some. So I went and put on a new shirt and tossed the other one in the laundry basket. That’s when I saw in the bathroom, the floor was all wet. The sink was leaking again. I called in Sam and he was trying to help fix it and he did a good job. I felt a little funny so I got off balance, slipped in the water and bam, hit my head against the tile floor. Sam tried to catch me. That’s why I had bruises on my arms. He left to get help and in my dumbass state, must have wandered into the bedroom and by then, you were getting home and I think Sam just freaked and left since you were there.”

“You slipped in some water,” said Dean.

“Yup,” you said.

“Why would Sammy say…” said Dean. “Cause the little idiot thinks it was his fault anyways. If it’s anyone’s fault-“

“It’s Bonnie’s. Not anyone else’s,” you said. “I’ll talk to Sam and remind him of what really happened.”

“I feel kind of bad about plotting his murder for like five minutes back at the police station now,” he said.

“I appreciate the thought, De,” you said, pulling the stuffed dog from your side. “Was Axel here?”

“No. He and Harper both wanted mommy to have their favorite toys to get better,” he said. You glanced at the bag on a table across the room. “Yes, Harper’s creepy ass doll is in there. I didn’t want to scar you further.”

“You’re a good husband,” you said, sinking back into the bed. “It is so weird to be able to remember everything again.”

“It’s so nice to have you back again,” he said, sitting up on the edge of the bed, pulling you to lean against him. “Although I have a feeling you would have fell for me all over again if we had to go that route.”

“In your dreams, Winchester,” you teased.

“I’m so happy you’re back,” he said.

“So am I, Dean. So am I.”

_______

[sincerlypadfoot]

Invitation (Chapter One)

Dumbledore sends Dobby to retrieve a old student who left year one after her brother died, Dobby brings the girl a letter, begging with her to come back with him to a place, Grimmauld Place.

A/N I love triangle between Eliza, Charlie Weasley and Sirius Black??? I think So?

Word Count-1.8K

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“Simple really,” Eliza Miller, a long blonde hair, twenty three year old girl smiled, landing back on her bed and looking up at the roof. She was born June 29th 1972, only attending hogwarts for less then a year.

She heard a bark, then her bed shifting a bit, then slobbering kisses. Her small pup of a german shepard sat on her chest, liking her cheak.

“What shell we do today pup?” Eliza had lived by herself, dog included since she was nearly thirteen, trauma really, is what she told people, shrugging her shoulders.

No one tend to question her, as everyone thought she was crazy. Not lasting a year at Hogwarts before she had ran away, leaving the friends she had made in the nine months.

Pup let out a little bark, rolling off of Eliza and running out of the room, she smiled, pinning herself up with her elbows and looking around her room.

Nineteen Ninety Five was a lonely year, is was the month of August, the trees slowly starting to turn into the pretty colors of fall, having to wear comfortable jumpers outside, well still wearing shorts acceptiply.

Eliza grabbed a random album from her stand, pulling out the recond and tossing it on her recond platter, her room filled with music.

She smiled, tossing all her windows open, the blinds were up and wind was blowing into her room. Music was her happy place, the place she had gone when she had no one, the one thing she had left was music.

Eliza moved across her room, letting her hair down as she started tossing her clothes into a basket, flicking her fingers, letting the basic levitate on it’s on. Continuing to toss her dirty launders.

“Oh I just wanna be free!” 

Pup sat back on her bed, watching as Eliza danced around her room, her sleeves falling down revealing her shoulders. Her golden hair flaying as she danced.

“Please just dance with me!”

The record came to a end, letting Eliza breath, her room was now spottless, she moved from her room, letting her laundry basket follow her, flicking her fingers again, now moving away to her laundry room.

“What a good day to be a witch isn’t it Pup,” Eliza smiled opening her fridge and pulling out a bottle of water.

Pup ran across the room, zooming a bit before stopping at the door. Eliza watched him curiously, before pouring out her large living room window, seeing a unfamiliar little thing walking up her steps.

“Protect me now,” Eliza whispered, gripping her wand beside her as she walked to the door. She waited a couple seconds before opening, swinging the door opened, pointing her wand down in front of her and squinting her eyes.

“Who are you?!” Eliza shouted looking around, a short house elf stood infront of her. She crooked her head looking down.

“Dobby the house elf,” Dobby smiled, walking passed Eliza, coming face to face Pup, who looked at Dobby for a couple seconds before licking his face.

“What are you doing here Dobby, I don’t associate with the Wizarding world no more,” Eliza shut her door, turning around and looking at Dobby, who now held a letter in his hands.

“Dobby has been requests to bring you home,” Dobby smiled walking towards Eliza and holding the letter out.

Eliza took the letter out of Dobbys hand, addressed to her and all. “Who send you?” She asked crossing her arms.

“Dumbledore, you must come with me now, we don’t have any time spare, Dobby has been told to get you back as soon as possible,” Dooby put out his hand, trying to grab Eliza hand.

“Go back to where you came from, i’m not going back,” Eliza walked passed Dobby, tossing the letter on her counter before shaking her head.

“Dobby is very sorry for this,” Dobby followed Eliza, Pup falling behind her. Dobby jumped onto Eliza's back, causing her to fall to the ground.

“Get off me you stupid elf!” Eliza cried out, grabbing Dobby, Pup parked jumping and placing his paws on Eliza's back, parking in Dobby's face now.

“Dobby is sorry,” Dobby repeated, flicking his fingers, disaparting Eliza and Pup. 

Eliza screamed in angry as she fell on a hard floor, Dobby jumping off Eliza back and moving away from the angry girl.

“I’m going to kill you!” Eliza cried out jumping to her feet and turning to Dobby who stood looking at Eliza.

“That is enough!” Dumbledore shouted, causing Eliza to turn and face the grey haired man.

“I wanna go home, you bring me home now!” Eliza cried out backing away from the man. “I don’t belong here!”

“Quiet down!” Dumbledore yelled once more, tears fell down Eliza face in fear, her heart was racing. “He is back don’t you understand,”

Eliza shook her head in fear, cowering herself on the wall. “He killed my brother, I can’t Professor,” 

Dumbledore shook his head, then looked over at Dobby. “Fetch her some nice clothes now Dobby, presentable,” 

Dobby nodded his head, taking off from the room, then Dumbledore looked at Eliza. “You're a very powerful wizard Eliza, now i’d appreciate if you went and changed, we’ve got a meeting to attend,” 

Dumbledore walked off, leaving Eliza speechless, Pup was laying on the couch across from Eliza, asleep and having not a care in the world.

Not a word could come out of Eliza mouth, so she sulked her head down, walking out the door where Dobby had just walked out and up the stairs.

“In here,” Dobby chimed opening the door to a room, there as Eliza walked in laid a outfit, fit for her. “I’m sorry, Dobby really is, he thought that you wouldn’t get so angry,”

Eliza shook her head, smiling down at Dobby. “I don’t belong here, and I appreciate your thoughts, but i’m going home tomorrow,”

Dobby didn’t say anything, but walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Sirius and Remus looked at Dumbledore as he sat down, interlocking his hands with a smile, everyone that sat at the table looked at him.

“Whats got you so happy?” Sirius mocked curling his lips and shaking his head. “This isn’t a time for smiles,”

Dumbledore leaned back in his seat, letting out a sigh. “I’ve brought someone here, someone who can help us, so if you’d like to continue bannering me, i’ll just send her home and we can do it ourselves,”

Sirius raised his hands in the air, leaning back in his seat and rolling his eyes, Remus nudged him under the table annoyed.

“And who is this mystery person, that is so special she’ll help us?” Sirius said crossing his arms.

“Shut it Sirius, you’re going to cause trouble,” Remus muttered under his breath, kicking Sirius under the table once more, causing him to snap his neck.

“She’ll be down in a moment, you’ll know her as the girl who ran away, not out of fear, but out of anger, it took me a long time to find her, and she won’t like being here, so if you guys could be kind,”

Sirius leaned more back into his seat, looking at Remus with a fake smile. Then at Molly who had a real smile on her face.

“I’ve heard of her before, went to school with Charlie, isn’t that right?” Molly looked at Charlie who was home from Romania, jointing the order.

“Yeah she was pretty weird, after her-,”

“Enough,” Dumbledore shouted shaking her head. “She won’t like bringing up her past, you lot will just scare her away,”

Molly tossed the rest of the vegetables into her pot then looked at Dumbledore. “When will she be down here, i’m sure she’d love to meet everyone,” 

“Come out Eliza,” Dumbledore huffed looking towards the door, everyone's heads turned to Eliza who opened the kitchen door, she had been standing and listening the whole time.

“Why am I here?” Eliza asked looking around the room, not recognizing anyone but Charlie, professor Snape and Dumbledore who all looked at her.

“You, produced a full body patrumon, can do spells without your wand, so we think,” Dumbledore suggested looking around the room. “You could help us with Voldemort, i’m sure you’ve heard he’s back,”

“I’ve read something about it, but i’m not interested, i’d like to go home, i’m sorry Dumbledore but it’s really not my thing,”

Molly walked over with a smile. “Molly Weasley dear, are you hungry? I’m sure Dumbledore hasn’t been the kindest host, come sit down,” Her hand went onto Eliza's back, guiding her to a seat, right across from Charlie.

“Eliza,” Charlie said with a smile nodding his head. 

“Charlie,” Eliza smeared, leaning back in her seat.

“Eat up love,” Molly placed some soup infront of Eliza, placing a spoon in the bowl, then passing everyone else theirs.

“You Eliza, are a very powerful witch, and i’d like you to sleep on your decision, think on it please?” Dumbledore asked standing up and looking around. “It was nice to see you all but i’ve got some business, Harry Potter trial, he’ll be here soon, be kind to our guests,”

In a second, Dumbledore disapparate and Eliza was left, without a way to get home, the only thing she’d not be able to do without getting horrible sick, or splinched was apparate.

“I think I need to lay down, or do something, this was really good thank you Molly,” Eliza nodded her head, standing up and apparting her bowl to her sink with a smile, without a word.

“Sick,” Sirius smirked at Eliza walked out of the room, coming face to face with pup who looked at her wagging his tail.

“Thats a pretty cute dog you’ve got there,” Charlie smiled coming up behind Eliza, looking over her shoulder at Pup, who looked up at Charlie.

“Yeah, got him only a couple months ago, was tired of roaming my home alone,” Eliza hadn’t fancied Charlie after he lit her hair on fire the first week of meeting.

“Glad to see you, thought you’d never come back,” Charlie moved to Eliza's side, leaning against the wall. “You know I actually did work with dragons, going back to Romania in the summer,”

Eliza smiled leaning against the opposite wall. “Not surprised, that's all you talked about at school, even aced all the tests about them, not sure about the transfiguration ones,”

Charlie and Eliza both shared a laugh before the front door opened, Pup went running, Charlie was faster then Eliza to hold him back.

“It’s okay dude,” Charlie whispered lowering down and stroking teh dogs head at Tonks and Kingsley came into view, smiling at Eliza and Charlie, then Madeye who double looked at Eliza, without saying anything. Then Harry Potter.

“Hello there,” Harry smiled looking at Charlie then the dog. Then looked up at Eliza who gave a slight smile.

“Harry dear,” Molly chimed interrupting the moment and bringing Harry into a hug. “Go upstairs, first door on the right now, you’ll have to wait tell after the meeting to have something to eat,” 

Harry was shipped upstairs, not before giving Charlie and Eliza a slight wave.

“You’ve got any dog food for him?” Charlie asked smiling at Pup, still petting him up and down.

“At home, but i’m sure I can find something around here to feed him until tomorrow,”

“No worries Eliza, i’m sure my mom will let you go home to get your things, you’ll stay won't you?”

Eliza stayed quiet. “I’ll sleep on it, but i’m sure they’d let me go to my house and grab some things, thank you Charlie,”

[talicat713]

It’s Always Been Molly

John Shelby x OC

Part Sixteen

*GIF CREDIT TO ORGINIAL POSTER*

A/N: hi all! Another update is here! I do want to let everyone know that I have the rest of the story planned out so I’m thinking, if all goes well, four more parts until the end of the story 😬 BUT I am thinking about doing something special that involves you guys once the story is finished. I hope you all enjoy this update and have a wonderful week! Talk to you next week🤞🏼 Much love💜

Warnings: language, angst, breastfeeding, cursing, *sorry if I missed any*

READ PARTS 1-15 HERE

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Taglist: @haphazardhufflepuff   @pijoendios   @theshelbyclan   @wnygirl2012 @bekkimahonxx95 @pleasantlyspookycreation  @lovemissyhoneybee @shelundeadxxxx  @lotsoflovefromlea   @theunderlier   @envysorrows   @healthygirlsdoitbetter   @account71453  @blindedbypeaky   @xshinytrashcanx   @wednesdayqueen-18   @chaotichurricaneoffandoms   @jrdpdlcki @lettersshapes   @rosesandrap  @jenni-jones00  *if you would like to be added please let me know*

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Previously:

“I called this meeting tonight to let you all know I’ve set up another meeting with the Lees. It will be in two days at Charlie’s Yard. I’ve arranged a nanny for your children and Karl. Benjamin and Eleanor will come with us,” Thomas states,” But before I plead my case with them, I would like to share with you both my plan of getting Zilpha to annul the marriage.”

Tommy then grabs a file folder from Polly and begins to lay out photos onto the table. Molly and John look at the photos in silence for a little while. It wasn’t until Molly picked up a photo of a man, that looked like her brother, and a woman kissing outside a pregnancy clinic.

A sudden rush of realization hits Molly,” This is Jacob,” she says looking at the photo. As she looks closer at the woman in the photo, her eyes widen, “And is this... Esme?”

=================================

The room was silent. No one wanted to speak up. Molly was still very confused,” Esme is pregnant... And it’s my brothers? Will someone please explain what the hell is going on?”

Polly sighed,” There isn’t much else to explain love. You told me and Ada he hasn’t been coming home for a while and John says she’s been throwing up every day for weeks. I’m not surprised their affair came to this.”

While Molly continued to look at the photos, John finally spoke up,” Who took these? How long have you been having her followed?”

“We’ve had a Blinder on her since the first time she went to her brothers,” Arthur answered.

“But she actually went to her brothers that time,” Thomas continued,” Any other time she said she was going to her brothers, she actually went to a hotel a few towns over and met with Jacob. I’d say she’s been stepping out on you since your fourth month of marriage.”

Molly couldn’t comprehend what she was hearing. She couldn’t believe that Jacob would choose to have a relationship with a woman who was married. She then thought about the baby that was on its way. Could it be John’s?

“John, could the baby be yours? ,” Molly asked quietly.

Johns eyes widened with shock, and he shook his head,” No my love. We never consummated our marriage.” John then grabbed Molly’s chin and made her look at him,” I was so angry that the thought of having sex with her never crossed my mind. And then finding out you were pregnant made me just want to be with you even more,” he said as he pulled her face to his lips,” It’s always been you Molly.”

The two shared a kiss as tears fell from Molly’s eyes. The silent room, then filled with Eleanor's soft cry’s. Ada quickly stood from the table to grab her before she woke her brother. Ada then handed the baby to her mother, who snuggled the baby close.

“So the plan is to get them to admit the affair at the meeting? ,” Molly asked after she settled the baby.

“Yes,” Thomas continues,” and if they try to deny it, then we will hit them with the evidence.”

“Tomorrow I should have proof of the pregnancy from the clinic,” Polly added.

“How’d you manage to get that? ,” Ada asks.

“Oh Ada,” Polly smiles,” us Shelby’s are wonderful liars.”

“You used my name Pol? ,” Molly asked,” It would be the only way. I am the only registered medical professional in this family.”

The entire family looked at Polly for an answer,” Well of course I did,” she confessed,” I would have asked you to do it anyways. I just wanted to make sure we had the papers before the meeting.”

“Polly, that illegally obtained medical information! We can’t use that against them,” Ada exclaimed.

“I’m sure Zilpha will know she is expecting the moment she speaks with her, so hopefully we won’t have to use it,” Thomas interjects,” Either way, are you both okay with me using this information to plead my case?”

“Of course I am Tom,” John answers,” I’d do anything to be with the love of my life and have my family be together.”

Thomas nodded and then looked at Molly,” What’s going to happen to Jacob? ,” she asked,” Do you think they will keep the truce even though he isn't a Shelby?”

“Molly, you and Jacob have been honorary Shelby’s since the day your mother met ours and Polly. Heck, I think our grandmothers grew up together,” Thomas answers,” If this doesn’t hold the truce, but annuals the marriage then I will be fine with that. I just want you and my brother to finally be happy.”

Molly nodded,” Okay then, I’m fine with this.”

“Well, good, then I will see everyone back here in two days. We will all go to Charlie’s together,” Thomas says as he gets up from the table. Everyone nodded their heads and started to leave for the night.

Molly hasn’t moved from the table. She was still deep in thought, trying to process everything. She was taken out of her thoughts when John placed a gentle hand on her shoulder,” Let’s get you three back home love.” Molly nodded as John took Eleanor from her and placed her back in the pram with her brother.

Once they got back to Molly’s, John helped get the babies to sleep while Molly got ready for bed. “I’ll see you sometime tomorrow love,” John says, placing a kiss on Molly’s forehead. Molly mumbled an answer as she snuggled into her bed. John turned her light out and made his way back to his home.

Molly never did fall asleep. She was still processing all the new information she received that evening. She said some silent prayers that whatever the outcome of this meeting was, she hoped she wasn’t going to have her heart broken again.

=================================

The next day, Molly and the babies spent a good amount of the morning and afternoon with Polly. They had taken a trip to the clinic to pick up the documents. It was true, Esme was about three months along.

Molly continued to be shocked at all the information. She knew she needed to get Jacob alone before tomorrow to have him explain.

“You are still very distracted, aren’t you dear? ,” Polly asked, taking a slip of her tea. The two had stopped at a local café so Molly could feed the babies.

“I just don’t understand Pol,” Molly sighs,” Did he purposely go after her or did they just happen to fall for each other?” Molly wipes her eyes and continued,” I need answers which I would prefer to get before the bloody meeting.”

“Have you slept at all love? ,” Polly asks.

Molly gives her a confused look,” No, I couldn’t sleep last night and the babies are walking up in the middle of the night more, but what does this have to do about Jacob and Esme.?”

Polly smiles softly,” I just think you are over thinking and emotional because you are exhausted, so let’s get you home to take a nap.”

Polly then gathers their things while Molly situates the babies in the pram, “I’m not being emotional. I’m just confused and tired, so I’m not going to fight you today about a nap.”

Polly chuckles while rolling her eyes,” Good! I’ll let John know that you are home, so he can stop over after he finishes at the shop.”

The two women walk back to Watery Lane in silence. Polly stops at the betting shop while Molly continues to her home. Once Polly can see Molly is in her home, she walks into the betting shop to find John. She finds him in his office going over some papers.

“John, Molly and the babies are off to take a nap. I think she would enjoy a visit after you are finished,” Polly suggests as she entered the room.

“Nap? Molly doesn’t usually sleep when the babies sleep during the day,” John states, “Is she alright?”

“She’s fine, just exhausted,” Polly says,” Your children are keeping her up more at night, and she’s been worrying about this meeting.”

John sighs,” She never said anything.”

“That’s because she doesn’t want to pull you away from your marriage and other children,” Polly exclaimed,” But hopefully tomorrow that will change. Just make sure you go see her.” Polly then left the room while John leaned his head back against his chair, hoping Polly would be right and this would all be over soon.

=================================

Molly was awoken by a loud bang coming from her kitchen and the cries of her babies. Jumping out of bed, she ran to the nursery only to find the babies not in their bassinets. Molly started to panic as she ran out of the room and down the stairs.

John cursed to himself as he dropped a pan onto the floor. He had taken Polly's advice and gone over to Molly’s after he finished work. His plan was to surprise her with dinner, but that wasn’t working out in his favor.

He heard Molly run down the stairs, with a panicked look on her face. He quickly walked over to her, grabbing her waist,” Hey, hey it’s okay. It’s just me,” he spoke softly, trying to calm her.

“Fuck, John, I thought there was a bloody burglar in my house,” she replied, gripping onto his shoulders,” What are you doing here? Why did you take the babies from the nursery?”

John pulled her into him, resting her head on his chest,” I’m sorry for scaring you love. Polly said you were napping and I thought you would enjoy some dinner. Ben and Ellie woke up as I let myself in and I didn’t want them to wake you. You looked so peaceful.”

After taking a couple deep breaths, Molly pulled away from John, “Well, I appreciate you letting me sleep, but where’s my dinner,” she smiled up at him.

“Well, if I knew where you kept all your pots and pans, it would be almost done,” John smiled back at her,” I think our little ones might be hungry. You feed them while I make you dinner.” Molly nodded, placing a kiss onto Johns cheek.

The two sat and talked while John cooked and Molly fed the babies. Once they finished, Molly put them in their bassinets in the parlor and finished helping John cook. The two sat in silence for a while until John spoke up,” Molly, how come you haven’t told me you haven’t been sleeping?”

Molly sighs, looking down at her plate,” I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to take you away from your other children.” Molly then looked up at John,” They need you more than ever right now. Everything in their lives is uncertain and changing right now. I didn’t want to be the reason you weren’t with them, so I didn’t say anything to anyone.”

John gave Molly a sad smile,” I’m sure after some explaining they would understand love.”

“What’s going on is something children should never have to go through. I didn’t want to tell you this, but Katie opened up to me about her fears of me and the babies taking you away,” Molly admitted, as tears fell from her eyes,” It truly broke my heart, and I promised her I would never take you away from them.”

John reached over to wipe her tears,” I’m sorry love. I’m sorry you have had to deal with this. If we had just agreed to tell everyone we were back together, this situation would have never happened. This is all my fault.”

“John, you can’t take all the blame. I didn’t want to tell anyone either. Hopefully tomorrow will sort everything out. Why don’t you get back home and I’ll clean up,” Molly says as she stands up.

John just nods as he stands and brings the dishes to the sink. He pulls Molly into him before he leaves. The two stand in the middle of the kitchen holding each other, neither wanting to let go. John sighs, then placed a kiss onto Molly’s forehead,” I will see you in the morning okay. Try to get some sleep.” Molly nods her head and pulls away. John then grabs his coat and heads out the door toward his home.

A little while after John leaves, Molly hears the babies start to wake up. She makes her way over to the bassinets,” Well hello my little loves,” she coos as she leans over to pick them both up,” I hope you had a good nap. Are you both hungry? I’m sure you are! You know sooner or later you both won’t fit in the same bassinet.”

Both babies look up at their mum with big gummy grins. Molly chuckles and makes her way to the sofa. She continued to talk to them while they both ate. Molly couldn’t help but wonder what feeding times would be like in the future. Would they be just like this, her alone in her home or would she be watching Johns other children run around? She was still hoping and praying of the latter. Once the babies were finished eating, Molly gave them a bath and got them ready for bed.

She then went downstairs to clean up the mess John made in her kitchen. While she was doing dishes, she heard the front door open and shut. She looked over and saw Jacob taking off his cap and coat,” I’ve got a plate of dinner here for you if you are hungry,” she said gesturing to the plate by the oven.

“I’m starving sister, thank you,” Jacob answers.

Molly turns around with a soft smile,” Go wash up and I’ll heat this back up.”

Jacob ran upstairs and returned minutes later,” Smells so good sis, thank you,” he said as he dug into his plate.

Molly sat down at the table with him,” The meeting with the Lees is tomorrow. Tommy wants us all to be there.”

“Okay,” Jacob answered, looking up at Molly then down at his food.

Molly sighed,” Is there anything I need to know before we go tomorrow? ,” she asked, hoping to get the answers she been looking for.

Jacob looked up at Molly again nervously,” No? Why would I have something to contribute?”

“Just tell me the truth, Jake. I know you’ve been sneaking around with Esme and that she’s pregnant with YOUR baby. We all know, but I need to know if you did this on purpose so John and I could be together. I need to know Jake, please just tell me the truth,” Molly exclaims.

Jacob sets his fork down by his plate and leans back in his chair as he runs his hands over his face, “I know it looks like I went after her on purpose,” he says as he finally looks up ashamed,” But I promise you I didn’t. We met one night at the Garrison. At first, I didn’t realize who she was, but then I saw her walking Johns kids to school the next day and it clicked. We met for drinks a few more times after that, while John was at meetings and the nanny was watching the kids. We went out on dates and spent some nights together, but we were always careful. I guess we weren’t careful enough since she’s pregnant now.”

Jacob finally looks up at Molly, who has a surprised expression on her face. She is slowly taking in all the new information her baby brother just told her. The two sat in silence for a few minutes until Jacob cleared his throat,” Well, are you going to say something? ,” he asked nervously.

“Yes, I’m sorry. It’s a lot of information to take in,” she answers,” When did you meet her and how did you not know she was Johns wife?”

“We met a few weeks before John found out you were pregnant. I wasn’t at the wedding, and she never told me she was married. We didn’t agree to start secretly seeing each other until after the first meeting,” Jacob answers.

Molly nods her head like she’s starting to understand how everything happened,” Does her mother know she’s pregnant? Also, why did you keep all of this from me?”

Jacob shakes his head,” I don’t think Zilpha knows yet. I didn’t say anything because I knew you were having a hard time with the pregnancy and after you had them. I didn’t want to add any more stress. Esme knows John doesn’t love her, and she doesn’t love him. She loves the children, but knows you love them more. She says she can feel an aura in the house that’s saying she doesn’t belong there. Esme told me she is going to sway her mother into the annulment. She thinks that’s the best she’ll be able to do. The truce will be between her mother and Tommy.”

Another round of silence hits between the two. Molly still is slowly processing all the new information. Jacob reaches across the table to grab Molly’s hand, pulling her from her thoughts,” Molly, I’m so sorry I kept this from you. I never meant to upset you.”

Molly smiles softly,” I’m not upset. Not anymore, at least, now that I know the truth.” Molly squeezes Jacobs hand,” Thank you for telling me. I feel better knowing the truth now than finding out tomorrow.”

The two smiled at each other, both relieved the truth was out in the open. They sat for a while, at the dining table, talking about what they hoped the future would be like. And after, the two made their way to their bedrooms to, hopefully, get some rest before the eventful day they would have tomorrow.

(posted 10/11/2020)

[calitraditionalism]

Arc Three: Chapter Three

(AO3 counterpart here.)

TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO

Redpaw gazed at her mother.

It wasn’t fair, really, how peaceful they had managed to make her appear in death. Her eyes were closed serenely, her fur neatly groomed, mouth closed and cleaned of froth. She looked as though she was just asleep and having a nice dream. As if this whole ceremony was a joke. As if she would wake up any minute.

It was stupid. She wasn’t coming back. Why taunt everyone like this?

“Roany?”

Redpaw managed to tear her eyes away to meet her stepmother’s. The cream molly, Palefeather, was looking down at her with love and concern.

“How are you doing, honey?” she asked softly.

It was a stupid question, but Redpaw knew she meant well. She took a breath and looked down again.

“You wouldn’t think the white fury was in her blood,” she said. She was grateful that her voice was at the right volume, quiet but audible, because she had no say where it was herself. “She’s… she looks content.”

“She does.” Palefeather stepped in beside Redpaw, and the two stood in silence together.

Cats walked by them, pausing to crouch and whisper their respects to Thornfang – not touching her, as was custom of handling a white fury body – and offering a sympathetic nod to Redpaw and Palefeather before moving on. The Clast were shifting around in groups to swap stories about one of the most well-loved warriors in the community; how she had been unmatched in her battle strategies and hunting skill, how she had been a wonderful friend and a hilarious storyteller, how brave she had been in leading away the rabid dog that had gotten through the Hillock border, sacrificing her own safety to trap it in a currently dry gash in the earth that the dog had broken its neck falling into after it had bitten her. It was a shame she never became deputy, they said. She would have been a legendary leader in time.

Redpaw didn’t want to hear any of it. She pinned her ears against her head and shut her eyes tight, trying to mute out everything, but the conversations dug into her mind and latched on with terrible little claws, forcing her ears to stay open. Her own claws scraped against the stone floor.

Palefeather must have noticed, because she started grooming Redpaw’s head, purring quietly. Redpaw latched onto the sensation and focused as hard as she could on the feeling of a rough tongue and a soothing purr. Gradually, she relaxed.

“It’s not fair,” she murmured eventually. “She shouldn’t be here right now, on the ground.”

Palefeather paused her ministrations to reply. “She isn’t, Roany. She’s in StarClan now. She’s safe and happy. We’ll see her again one day.”

Redpaw opened her eyes halfway, returning her focus to her mother’s body. She wasn’t satisfied with that, but she couldn’t bring herself to argue against her stepmother. She knew that Palefeather needed that comfort as much as she did. She just sighed, shut her eyes again, and leaned into her only living family.

 Over the next week, Redpaw hunted alone. The rest of the Clast knew to leave her be – though perhaps Palefeather had a paw in that. Redpaw said nothing to anyone and ate very little of what she brought back. More often than not, she was out in the night while everyone was asleep, just to ensure that promise of solitude.

One evening, as she stalked, sniffing the air, she caught something new. A cold scent, that smelled of the dark and the mist. She frowned and stood straight, opening her mouth to taste it.

Very odd.

Very interesting.

Redpaw looked around in the moonlit hollow, thick with grass and cut through by a stream. She could swear that, under that chill, she had caught the scent of another cat.

“Is someone here?” she asked, calling just loud enough to be heard across the way.

You could say that.

Redpaw flinched. The voice was there, seemingly in her ear, close as a thought, but she couldn’t distinguish who it was or if they were near her. She looked around again, but even with her feline eyes, no one popped up out of the shadows.

Then, there – something thin, dim, a silhouette under a lone tree.

She relaxed and approached a few steps. “I didn’t know anyone else was awake.”

I’m always awake, the silhouette said. Sleep begets nightmares.

Redpaw frowned. Why couldn’t she define how this voice sounded?

“You’re not from the Clast,” she said.

The sensation of eyes regarding her, half-narrowed. I wouldn’t know anymore.

Redpaw didn’t know how to respond to that. She stopped walking and squinted, trying to make out whoever this was. They seemed little more than a shadow.

Who…?

I know about your mother, they said suddenly. I’m sorry.

Redpaw’s head went back a little and she blinked. “No one’s left the Clast this week. Why would you know about-?”

Saw it. Their long, narrow head tilted to the side. Wanted to stop her, but that never works. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer molly.

Redpaw stared. “You saw her and you didn’t come to the vigil?”

I wouldn’t be welcome in most of our society. They gazed at her silently for a moment. I can’t tell you how much I regret her fate.

Redpaw was confused by this riddle-talking… whoever they were. She still couldn’t make out their features, and it was starting to unnerve her.

Still, she could remain polite.

She recited Palefeather’s current mantra. “At least she’s happy in StarClan now.”

The silhouette rippled suddenly, violently. Don’t follow that hollow sentiment, Redpaw. It’s not true.

Redpaw flinched and took a step back, somewhere between offended and alarmed.

StarClan is the last place you want her to go, they said – and their voice did not get louder in her head, but it became more intense, more powerful.

Redpaw didn’t know what she wanted to say, but she managed a, “Why not?”

The rippling ceased and there was a long, low breath… or perhaps it was the breeze. When you go to sleep, call for her. Dream tonight. You’ll see.

Then they were gone.

It took Redpaw a moment to realize that she was alone. She blinked, looking for that silhouette, and then turning this way and that, a little afraid. No one was with her. The scent of cold and dark and damp had vanished.

Redpaw told no one about her encounter – something in her advised against it, and she followed her instincts. She was lucky that most of the cats had retired to their nests by the time she got home. Hardly anyone lifted their head to even greet her. She took her nest that she had pushed to be a little further away from the usual cluster in each house, curled up, and shut her eyes, trying to will herself to become sleepy.

“Mother,” she whispered under her breath, to avoid catching any attention. “If you can hear me…”

Something creaked.

She opened her eyes and startled. All around her was a grassy, beautiful clearing. Flowers in a scattered rainbow of colors caught the sunlight that warmed Redpaw’s pelt. Redpaw recovered from her shock and shook it out of her fur. She inhaled deeply, blessed with the scent of prey and ground just drying from the rain.

She seemed to be alone, but hesitantly, she called, “Mother?” and, after a pause, quieter, “Is this StarClan?”

There was an odd sensation, like Redpaw’s sight shuddered, and something sun-bright was in front of her. She squinted, eyes relaxing slowly as it dimmed, until she recognized her aged spitting-image in front of her.

“Mother,” she breathed. Elation straightened her posture and her fur flared with excitement. She stumbled a step forward.

Then she stopped.

Thornfang’s eyes were wide, darker than they were in life, sunken in. They bulged with terror. Her claws sunk into the grass, her tail bristled like a coyote’s. Why did she look so gaunt?

Redpaw looked at her mother. Thornfang looked at her.

“Run,” she said.

The ground burst open behind her, rocks splitting and jutting out skyward. Redpaw fell to her stomach as the earth shook. All around was a deafening, grinding groan, slow and strained.

Thornfang started forward. Something eye-searingly bright shot up out of the opening in the ground. It wrapped itself around Thornfang’s sides and jerked her up off her feet.

“Run!” Thornfang shouted, voice cracking in animal terror.

Then she was pulled into the hole, and the earth shook again, violent. It crumbled away, closing in on Redpaw until she had nothing under her paws. She half-fell, half-floated in the

 in the

  She saw it.

  She screamed.

   Hush.

Redpaw shot up out of her nest, hyperventilating. She pedaled backwards until she hit a stone wall, too terrified to think straight. She was on the verge of passing out, and she knew it, and it scared her, as if she might return to that thing once she lost consciousness.

In front of her was the dark figure, free of the shadows. They stood tall, thin, long, and unnaturally calm.

And shush, they said. Now Redpaw knew their words were in her head – no one so much as flicked an ear in their sleep. For it may be listening.

The very last string of sensibility grabbed at Redpaw’s heart and held on, ordering her to slow her breathing. She was barely able to obey, taking deeper, more elongated breaths, until she was merely trembling and not frozen in place.

The silhouette nodded once. Come.

They turned and walked out of the house. Their tail was like a snake, but it seemed to be fading at the tip.

Redheart looked around to ensure that no one had awoken – they hadn’t – before shakily following the figure out of the silent, night-stained settlement and towards the area they had first met.

You saw it, then, they said at last. You know now.

“I don’t know what I saw!” Redpaw cried. “My mother- something- it got her-“

Yes. They turned to her, an oddly comforting look on their face. It was StarClan. Or the thing pretending to be StarClan.

Redpaw listened in horrified silence as they explained a truth that she would carry with her for the rest of her life.

I’ve been trying all my afterlife to warn everyone, they concluded, but it’s done a good job of ensuring everyone flees or tries to kill me or alerts it to my location. I am merely a devil now to most.

Redpaw wanted to weep. She maintained her composure and lowered her head. “Then you’re…”

The Runagate, they said quietly. Yes. You are one of the only ones that know about me. About my truth. About the truth.

Redpaw’s head jerked up immediately. “There are more?”

What little Redpaw could deduce of their face twitched, like it was wryly amused. One, at least. The veil doesn’t touch him. It may do good to find him.

Sudden and slight, there was a spark of anger in Redpaw’s heart. She latched onto it, warmed it, let it begin to turn into a small flame of righteous determination. “I’ll try. I'll find him as soon as I can. I can’t… I can’t shoulder this alone. I don’t know how you did.”

The Runagate’s entire posture relaxed, and the voice in her head had a smile in it. I don’t anymore.

 ---

 “Then that’s how you two met,” Darkpelt said, almost in awe. “All this time, the connection was there, and no one knew.”

“Greyleaf didn’t know her.” Mistface shook his head. “I would’ve heard about it.”

“No,” Greyleaf replied with a sigh. “You wouldn’t have. I never told you.”

Mistface stared at him, eyes wide.

“I never told you about any of this.” Greyleaf had settled down as Redheart’s tale went on, but now his tail tapped the ground in stress. “Nor Mama, nor my mentor. I couldn’t tell anyone. I didn’t know about the whole truth, at first.”

Flyfang cleared her throat, her voice still ragged. “I guess you have your side to tell, then.”

Greyleaf closed his eyes. “I guess I do.”

[weasleyimaginewheezes]

George x reader / ‘ear’s to us

A/n I’m sorry for the title but I had to. So I thought I’d make some George fic because I felt like it. It’s some angst but mostly fluff. Takes place during and after the battle of the seven potters. I couldn’t remember every detail and I went more off the film than the books so fair warning. Plus the ‘saintlike’ scene is one of my favourites of part 1 A/n

Word count: 2k+

Warnings: details of injury, swearing.

George’s heart pounded as he and Lupin flew into the sky. He knew it should’ve been safe, it should’ve been easy. As soon as he saw masked figures surround his friends and family as well as himself, he knew that the plan had been compromised and had turned to shit. He wouldn’t have easily admitted it but he was scared. Scared for his safety but also for everyone else’s including his twin. Lupin told him to stay alert and ready as they continued to their destination. He pulled out his wand and fired spells at every death eater that flew close. He turned to fire quite quickly at a closing-in figure before he felt something hit him. It was a spell, of that he was sure, a dark spell. He suddenly felt very dizzy and in heightened pain. The left side of his face was bleeding heavily. He reached out to tell Lupin who looked over his shoulder and upon seeing the blood sped up his pace to the burrow. He was talking, George could hear him but not greatly. He reached up to touch the side of his head and noticed that something was missing, it took all his energy not to scream at the feeling of a hole where his ear should have been. He felt sick.

They landed and he was suddenly being rushed into the house by the real Harry and Lupin as the Polyjuice potion wore off and he returned to looking like himself. Blood was everywhere, that’s all he could notice besides the pain. His vison was blurring just he heard his mother’s voice and was laid down onto the sofa. Someone was stroking his hair and he felt himself slip in and out of consciousness slightly. He heard people talking but didn’t register their voices until the only other person he was worried about spoke to him. He watched Fred rush in and kneel down by his side.

“How’re you feeling Georgie?” Fred’s voice was full on concern and worry. George did what he does best and joked about being ‘holey’. He was grateful as the people around him including Fred laughed and joked back.

He tried his best to stay present as everyone else came back. He heard the news of Mad-eye and like everyone else, was shocked at the news. He felt his mother and Fred stay by his side, the former trying her best to stop the bleeding. George saw her face whenever she looked at what used to be his ear and although she was trying to be brave, George could see the hurt at one of her children being injured. He fell asleep quickly and before anyone else had left for bed. Fred stayed by his side until his mother insisted he get some rest himself to which he begrudgingly went to bed.

The first thing George noticed as he regained consciousness was that the left side of his head hurt immensely. It took him a small while to remember exactly why this was until he felt where there should have been an ear and felt nothing but drying blood. He grimaced from disgust and pain, slowly opening his eyes. As he slowly blinked them open, he noticed and felt a figure curled up in the small space next to him. His lips raised into a small smile as he watched (y/n) sleep next to him. She must have arrived when he had fell asleep. He wondered what she had thought upon seeing him, had she been disgusted at the sight of him? saddened?

George shifted uncomfortably in pain, the action of which woke (y/n) up. She seemed to falter sleepily until she remembered where she was and who could have possibly woken her and her eyes shot open. “Georgie!” Her smile was relieved as though she was worried he might not have woken up. She wrapped her arms around his neck as best as she could and buried her face in his shoulder. He sighed happily and rubbed her back, leaning more into the awkwardly situated hug. (y/n) pulled back and bit her lip as her eyes darted to the bloody side of his face. George watched as her eyes built up with water and her breaths become slightly uneven.

“Hey,” George continued to rub her back comfortingly as best he could. “I’m okay. You might just have to speak louder when you’re with me.” He gave a smirk at his own joke and was pleased to hear (y/n) give a watery chuckle in return. They had been sat awake as they were for a couple of minutes now and yet it was only in that moment, as George brushed away a stray hair on (y/n)’s face that he realised how close in proximity they were. (y/n) seemed to realise too, fairly quickly as her eyes widened at George. She was about to pull away, he could feel her hesitation so his hand which was still resting close to her face, stroked her cheek sweetly. She leaned into the touch and smiled bashfully.

There had been this connection between them for a while. A will-they, won’t-they kind of thing that they were often teased about. They tried to act oblivious but there was only so much you could pretend especially when your brains went blank. George and (y/n) had shared a kiss in their last year of Hogwarts but it had been brief since Umbridge tore them apart with a spell soon after their lips had connected. But the kiss had still sparked a fire in both of them and had made them realise what they had been avoiding.

And then life got in the way. With the DA being shut down like it was and exams right around the corner, they barely got time to see each other. Part of (y/n) was grateful for the excuse because she was scared. Scared of what was going to happen to her and George if they entered a relationship. Their friendship would most definitely be ruined if they were to break up and George was leaving soon anyway to go and start his new life, (y/n) was unsure of how exactly she fit into that life. But she still visited their joke shop every other day when she had finished school because she didn’t like the thought of not seeing her best friend due to her stupidity of wanting more.

George was surprised to see her at first but then it became a regular occurrence, for (y/n) to walk in and talk to him until Fred got annoyed that he wasn’t doing any work and he’d be called back to reality with promises of meeting her tomorrow. And they did meet up for ice cream and then drinks and all the awkwardness that (y/n) had feared would still exist after that fateful kiss seemed to fade but the tension, the energy between them, it was still there and it couldn’t be ignored forever.

When Molly reached out to her saying George had been injured, (y/n) rushed to the burrow as quickly as she could and when she saw him lying on the sofa barely conscious from the blood loss, her heart stopped in her chest. She didn’t realise she was crying until Molly told her he’d be alright, wiped a tear away for her and offered her a cup of tea. Molly had soon after retired to bed and said that (y/n) was more than welcome to stay in the spare bed in Charlie’s old room. But she didn’t want to stay in a room without George so she settled for sleeping in the small space George had left on the sofa without even thinking about it. She had decided then as she looked at the gaping hole on his face that she had to say something, he could’ve almost died for all she knew and he would never have known.

She had whispered it to him in his slumber but he clearly had not heard her and she was partially grateful because saying it to him when he was asleep was hardly the right time. So now as she stared into his deep brown eyes that shone in the dim, dark light of the burrow, she got the courage just as it seemed that George had as well.

“George I love you-“

“(y/n) I’m in love with you.”

They both blinked at each other as their words overlapped before they both broke out into simultaneous laughter. It was a joyous sound to the both of them as all the nerves from what they had just professed left their bodies and was replaced with happiness. It went on for a little while before the laughter faded into wide smiles, their close proximity then seemed a blessing as neither had to move far to close the gap between their lips. It was a soft kiss just like it had been 2 years ago but this time there was no rude interruption, no aspect of life pulling them apart. It was just them. (y/n) was able to marvel at how gentle and soft George’s lips were as they moved delicately against her own. George could finally feel his beating heart’s content feeling as he kissed the girl he had been in love with so long. Her lips, which he had craved since their first brief kiss, started to pick up the pace and deepness of the kiss. His hand moved again to cup her face lovingly and brought them closer together. They were getting more and more lost in each other’s touch so much so that when they felt the air fading from their lungs it seemed impossible to part. When they did, neither could help the large grins on their faces or the way that each of their eyes shone with happiness.

(y/n) began to kiss George on the cheek, trailing kisses down to his collarbone. (y/n) heard his breath hitch and smirked into the small kisses. She began to kiss further and further down, pulling his shirt away to be able to kiss his bare skin without taking it fully off, out of fear of discomforting him. George hummed in appreciation before he had to pull his mind back to reality and get her to stop.

She lifted back up to look at him apologetically. “I’m sorry I got carried away.” She laughed a little making George smile. 

“That’s fine, honest I want you to, eventually” George nodded surely with a smile. “but maybe not here when my whole family is asleep upstairs and I’m not covered in dry blood.” He twisted his smile into more of an apologetic grimace as (y/n) agreed with a small kiss. She stroked his hair which was slightly stained with blood and sighed sadly. George could only reach down to grab her hand gently to reassure he was fine in response. She smiled at him again and then snuggled up into his chest, nuzzling his clothed skin.

“Will you two shut up?!” The familiar voice that didn’t sound from either of you made you both jump. Fred raised up from where he had laid out pillows on the floor as a makeshift bed. He had clearly come down when the both of you had been asleep and settled himself by his brother’s side.

“Fred!” George yelled in a hushed tone down to his twin in irritation. Fred just yawned and looked dazedly up at them both. “What the hell?”

Fred shrugged but George knew. It was something Fred wouldn’t easily confess but George knew he was there because he was worried about him. (y/n) gave George a small smile to indicate she knew also and to leave him be. George nodded and snuggled back up to (y/n). Fred laid back down to sleep with a final sentence of embarrassment, “Next time check your surroundings before you try any funny business, will you?” George felt (y/n) bury her face into George’s chest a little more with a giggle. George kissed her hairline and then fell back to sleep, easier than he had done before.

When they sat at breakfast the next morning, George now with a bandage wrapped around his head. He complained that it was squishing his face to laughs from the table, (y/n) stated it looked cute to some surprise around the table before kissing his cheek. George blushed and then kissed her on the lips without even thinking twice about it as everyone smiled knowingly. And then suddenly the whole table burst into sounds of awe and chatter.

“Finally!” Ginny exclaimed, patting you on the back. There were hums of agreement from the table.

“You two make a really cute couple” said Hermione.

“Yeah, ‘ear, ‘ear.” Fred joked, raising his glass of pumpkin juice to which Molly gave him a glare. Everyone else tried to stifle their laughter apart from George who found it hilarious. “What? Too soon?” Fred shrugged looking at his mother before even she couldn’t help but crack a smile, happy for her son and for the atmosphere to be so normal especially after last night. 

[littlerose13writes]

Mission Successful by LittleRose13

I wrote this a while back, and then @blvnk-art posted this piece, which sort of felt like she’d reached into my head! Merry Christmas everyone!

Day 12, The 12 Days of Shipmas - It’s Christmas Eve and you’re not here?😢 Words: 4,020 Pairing: Harry/Ginny

24th December, 2009 “Mummy, Jamesy says it’s Christmas Eve today. Is it really?”

Ginny turned around at Al’s little voice, momentarily looking away from feeding Lily, and noticing that he’d picked all of the blueberries out of his pancake and left them on the side of his plate. “James is right, today is Christmas Eve.”

“See, Al. I told you.” James drank some pumpkin juice smugly.

“But today can’t be Christmas Eve,” Albus persisted, ignoring his brother.

“Why can’t it?” Ginny asked, grabbing Lily’s last slice of banana before she squished it into her hair.

“Because Daddy isn’t home yet,” he stated factually and Ginny’s heart sank. “He’s been gone for ages.”

“Daddy left on Saturday, today is Thursday. That’s five days.” Ginny tried to pretend she was just practising the days of the week with her younger son, and didn’t think about how this was supposed to be a two day Auror mission.

“Will he be home today?” James asked the one question Ginny didn’t have an answer to.

“I hope so, sweetheart.”

James’ face fell. “You hope so? So he might not be home today?” His lip trembled and his eyes filled up with tears.

“Is Daddy gonna miss Christmas?” Albus voiced everybody’s biggest fear in the inquisitive way only a three-year-old can manage. As he spoke, he turned to James with a scared expression and saw that his brother was crying. This seemed to confirm the worst for Albus and he began to cry too.

“Daddy!” Lily cried desperately, and she started to cry, because that was just what Ginny needed in that moment. She honestly felt like joining her three children in their sobbing fest.

“It’s not fair!” James bolted from the breakfast table and over to the window seat, where he buried his face in the cushions and sobbed. Albus took one look back at Ginny and followed his brother at top speed, throwing himself down right beside James in equal misery.

Ginny sighed, looking up towards the ceiling. This was not going to plan at all; things never did when Harry was on a mission.

“Jamesy Awbus cwy,” Lily observed, still sniffing herself. She wasn’t really old enough to know it was Christmas but she was able to understand that Daddy wasn’t there and hadn’t been for a few days.

“Let’s cheer them up, Lily-Lu.” Ginny unintentionally borrowed Harry’s nickname for their daughter and picked her up. If Lily thought this was strange, she didn’t show it.

“No cwy Jamesy Awbus.” Lily toddled over and roughly patted both her brothers on the back.

“I got sad stuck in me,” Albus explained to her, lifting his head from the cushions. James just continued to wail.

Ginny opened her arms out and Albus fell into them instead of the cushions where he continued to cry. “We’ve all got some sad stuck in us today, Al. Maybe we can help each other get the sad out?”

“Yeah!” Albus agreed triumphantly.

James joined the group hug. “How do we get the sad out?”

“Hello, it’s Christmas Eve! We have the best Christmas Eve ever.” Ginny put on an excellent imitation of a bright and positive person. “Starting by flying in the garden in our pyjamas!”

It was a cheap trick, to distract the kids with something like a pyjama fly, which they hardly ever did. But if it kept her children happy, at least for now, Ginny was willing to try every cheap trick in the book.

At five, James was old enough to have his own training broom which rose to about three feet. Being a smaller baby, Ginny could still wear Lily on her chest, and Albus was able to perch in front of her on her own broom and she could keep him safe. Not that Ginny would be flying any higher than three feet anyway, only one Potter parent needed to be in danger right now.

Don’t think about that.

Pyjama flying kept them going for forty five minutes before Lily got too cold to stay outside any longer.

“I don’t want to go inside yet!” James complained and Ginny thought fast.

“You don’t want to come inside and play Bubble Ball?”

Bubble Ball was another activity that rarely happened in the Potter household but when it did, it was the biggest treat ever. There were no rules or even skills to Bubble Ball, just that Ginny used her wand to conjure large, everlasting bubbles which the children batted around the room to general delight. After a good few bats, the bubble would pop and rainbow sparks would rain down over the person who popped it, at which point the children would all shout bubble ball!

Bubble Ball lasted until lunch, Lily was exhausted and Ginny thought she could definitely get away with putting Albus down for a nap with her too. She decided she was correct, when he nodded off into his lunch, waking with a start with his fringe covered in tomato soup. She knew she’d have to give him a bath and wash his hair later, but maybe Harry might be back by then, Ginny felt herself childishly hoping.

With the two youngest asleep, Ginny cleared up from lunch while James coloured at the table. His artwork was abstract at best and the helpful accompanying written explanations did nothing to clarify what he had drawn ever. She sat down with him and drew a big Weasley jumper picture and coloured it in with as many different colours as possible, James helping her towards the end when he’d finished his own picture.

“What do you think, James, shall we show this to Grandma Molly tomorrow for her next design?”

James nodded and laughed. “I think she should make it for Uncle Percy! He would look great.”

Ginny smiled proudly and caught sight of James’ own picture, which contained lots of squiggles, a few recognisable letters, several smiley faced, stick-bodied people, and his own name printed at the bottom. “What did you draw, James?”

“I wrote a letter to Father Christmas,” James explained. “Shall I read it to you?”

Ginny was very glad he hadn’t asked her to read it out loud and become upset when she couldn’t read out exactly what he’d meant to write like last time. “Yes please, Jamesy.”

“Dear Father Christmas, I know I already wroted to you a long time ago, but I wanted to say a few changes to my first letter please. First, don’t worry about the new broom. You can give it to Al if you already got it. Second, you don’t have to put anything in my stocking this year.

There’s only one thing I really want for Christmas, and I know you can make it happen. Please, for Christmas, I would like my Daddy to come home and never go away again. Thanks Father Christmas. From James.”

His eyes skimmed vaguely over the squiggles as he clearly made the words up as he went. The sentiment was clear though and it made Ginny’s heart ache.

“That's… a very nice letter, James. Why don’t you put it at the fireplace so Father Christmas can collect it from the chimney? I’m going to get your brother and sister from their nap.”

She didn’t go straight to the children’s bedrooms, instead taking a quick stop in her and Harry’s room, which she’d had to herself for five days now. It was starting to feel cold and empty compared to the rest of the house.

Ginny didn’t mind that Harry’s job took him away like this from time to time. She’d known when she married him that she was hardly signing up for a quiet life, and that hadn’t changed just because they’d had three children. There was just something about it being Christmas Eve that made it all the more painful to be away from him.

The head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (Harry’s boss) updated her regularly with enough information to know Harry was alive, wherever he was, and would be home as soon as they could spare him. She unfolded the last letter she’d received, the night before, simply confirming he was safe and with the hope that it would be the end of the mission, then a reminder that she couldn’t contact him directly without compromising his safety.

“It’s Christmas Eve, and you’re not here,” she whispered to herself, clutching the small pendant necklace Harry had bought for her birthday which she never took off.

A cry from Lily’s room brought her back to her senses and she went to retrieve her daughter, who cheered up immensely when she saw Ginny, and was chattering away happily to her about a dream she’d had involving a yoocorn. This was quite the contrast to Albus, who was sleeping so peacefully, it broke Ginny’s heart to wake him, but he’d never sleep at night if she didn’t. When she leant over and stroked his back to wake him up, he scowled at her and threw a leg out, kicking Ginny in the head in the process.

“Ow,” Ginny muttered, gingerly leaning back over to try again. This time he let her pick him up, but he wasn’t happy about it and he miserably nuzzled into her neck, his hair all scratchy where it had soup dried in it that hadn’t scourgified out.

Ginny had reached her last resort and settled the children in front of the rarely-used television with a muggle film. Albus refused to leave her side which meant James and Lily were equally clingy, but it was rather nice to snuggle with all three of her kids at the same time.

It was dark by the time the film ended, and Ginny realised some small part of her had been convinced that Harry would be back by the time it was over. It was getting closer to the time each day where she tended to receive an owl informing her that Harry was still safe but the mission was taking longer than they thought and Ginny’s heart sank. She gave the children dinner but was unable to eat anything herself, her stomach churning with anxiety and disappointment.

She pushed the feelings to one side and focused on giving the children a bath instead, managing to pass off all three of them sharing as an amazing treat rather than because she didn’t know what else to do. Things were fairly peaceful, Lily passing a floating giant squid toy back and forth with Albus, while Ginny washed the tomato soup out of his hair. James broke the peace in a heartbeat only minutes later when Ginny was combing conditioner through Albus’ dark hair.

“Don’t worry, Lily. I wroted to Father Christmas and asked him to bring Daddy home tonight. He might even be here already.” He spoke very sincerely to his little sister, playing with a handful of bubbles and making her laugh. Lily hadn’t listened to what he’d said at all, but Albus had.

“Daddy’s home! Can we go and see him now?” He tried to pull himself up on the edge of the bath but in his haste, slipped sideways and fell backwards into the bath water, where Ginny quickly caught him before his head went under. It scared him and he didn’t move, gripping onto Ginny’s arms.

“Jamesy, you know Father Christmas will try his best to bring Daddy home for Christmas,” Ginny started gently, setting Albus upright and rinsing his combed hair with her wand. “But I don’t think he’s home just yet.”

She hadn’t received an owl yet, but she also knew it was too good to be true that Harry would be waiting for them downstairs.

“But he’s Father Christmas. He can do anything!”

“I want Daddy!” Albus added.

Ginny was rapidly running out of distraction techniques.

“Why don’t we go and hang your stockings by the fireplace?”

James gave her a reproachful look like he knew exactly what she was doing, but it worked on Albus, who pushed his wet hair away from his eyes and beamed, and Lily reached her arms up, asking to be taken out of the bath.

Ginny dried Albus’ hair with her wand while James helped Lily put her pyjamas on, his own pyjamas especially adorable with a pattern of Hippogriffs wearing Christmas jumpers. Albus had a matching set which he begged Ginny to find once his hair was dry.

“Here’s mine!” Albus said, holding up a Christmas stocking with his name on when they were downstairs and by the fireplace. “I’ll find yours too, Lily.”

Only James had remembered what he’d said in the bath, and he looked around the empty living room in disappointment. Ginny placed her arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. “Let’s hang your stocking, Jamesy.”

“Okay,” James sighed, unenthusiastically.

With four stockings in her hand (one was for Teddy, who would be coming over before they all went to The Burrow), Ginny levitated each one to hang on the mantelpiece. Albus watched her delightedly cross-legged on the ground like it was a show, with Lily sat on his lap. James stood, looking very small with his arms folded.

Instead of hanging them straight up, Ginny made the stockings whizz around the room, floating past the children and skimming Albus’ fluffy hair (Ginny never had got the hang of drying it with her wand the way Harry did). James reluctantly smiled and let out a tiny laugh when his own stocking span round his head.

They left a plate beside the fireplace, with a mince pie for Father Christmas and a carrot for Rudolph. It sat beside James’ heart-wrenching letter. Lily yawned widely and Ginny took all three children up to bed, putting Lily down while the boys brushed their teeth. She left James finishing off his teeth while she read Albus a story and he fell asleep.

James, however, was not in his bedroom or the bathroom when Ginny came to tuck him in. She had a suspicion as to where he might be instead, and sure enough, a snuffling noise gave away his hiding place under the Christmas tree downstairs.

“James, come on. Your brother’s already asleep and it’s past your bedtime.”

“No, I’m waiting here for Daddy to come home.” His voice was muffled by branches.

“Father Christmas won’t be able to leave you any presents if you’re not in bed,” she gently coaxed.

“I don’t care, I want Daddy more than presents.”

“Jamesy, come out now please.” He noticed the change in her tone and slowly crawled out, tears on his face. She scooped him up and cradled him to her like he was a baby again and he clung right back. “I want Daddy to come home too, more than anything, and he will come home very soon. Maybe in time for Christmas Day, maybe not. I promise, we’ll have Christmas Day with Daddy, even if we have to make our own Christmas Day when he’s home.”

James listened to all of this and allowed Ginny to rock him gently while she spoke. Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny noticed an owl swooping towards the kitchen window. She shifted James so he was sat on her hip, walked him to the kitchen, retrieved the letter from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and placed it unopened on the table - she would read it after James was in bed; she knew what it said anyway.

Lily was sleeping soundly in her bedroom, Albus’ bedroom was also silent but James was sobbing noisily into his pillow, and no amount of singing or hair stroking was doing anything to help. Ginny felt her own breath catch in her throat at the sight of her heartbroken son.

“What will make you feel better, Jamesy? How can Mummy help?” She would have been surprised if he was able to articulate what he needed in that moment, but he considered her question.

“Can I sleep in your bed with you?” he asked innocently.

Ginny reached out and pulled him in close for a hug. “Of course, sweetheart.”

James smiled and crawled out of bed, following Ginny into the master bedroom. The bed was unmade and a snuffling sound was coming faintly from somewhere in the middle. Ginny suspected she knew the source of the snuffling, and sure enough, when she gently lifted the duvet up, Al’s small figure was curled up at the foot of the bed. His face was red from crying and his hair sticking up at all angles. He looked relieved to see his mum.

“I’m too sad to sleep by myself,” he whispered and it was the most gut-wrenching sentence he could have possibly said in that moment.

James wriggled his way into the bed and curled up on one side, while Ginny picked Albus up and smoothed his hair back into place as best she could. “Looks like I’m going to have both my boys with me tonight.”

Albus snuggled against James, who threw one arm loosely around his brother. For all their squabbling, they really did love each other so much and in that moment, Ginny knew the two of them completely understood how the other was feeling. It was enough for them both to feel safe enough to fall asleep under Ginny’s loving gaze.

She kissed both their foreheads, and crept from the room to set up the living room for the morning. The little presents she and Harry had bought for the children fitted neatly into their stockings; the bigger presents they’d written to Father Christmas for sat waiting patiently by the Christmas tree; she took a bite out of the mince pie; everything was as perfect as it could be, without Harry there.

The boys were still sleeping when Ginny quietly got ready for bed and joined them, their tiny bodies warm as they curled up around her. It had been an emotionally exhausting day, and tomorrow would be no easier, but for now she needed sleep.

She dreamt of crying children who she couldn’t reach. It was as if she were rooted to the spot, unable to move, even though she really wanted to. She heard James sobbing mournfully and Albus crying softly, Lily wailing and even Teddy bursting into tears.

“Jamesy, wake up! Father Christmas is downstairs. I can hear him walking around,” Albus hissed at his brother. Ginny blinked in the darkness, realising she wasn’t dreaming and remembering she had her boys with her, but Albus didn’t seem to be crying. “I’m going to see if I can see him!”

Before Ginny could process what was going on, the bed shifted and a little shape wriggled off and whizzed from the room, clattering down the stairs excitedly.

“Oh Merlin, no. Albus!” Ginny muttered to herself, pulling her body out of the bed where James was stirring too.

“Al, wait for me!” James cried and he too rolled out of bed and dashed off.

The thundering footsteps down the stairs courtesy of James woke Lily up and she was crying loudly from her bedroom. Ginny stood on the landing, torn between retrieving her sons and going to Lily. Lily’s cries were distressed and panicked, so she chose to go there first, picking her up and rocking her while simultaneously walking downstairs.

“Was it really him? I heard him in the fireplace! I did!”

“It was him! Our stockings are full, we missed him!”

“Did his reindeer eat the carrot?”

Damn. The carrot. Ginny knew she’d forgotten to do something.

“Yes! Look, it’s all nibbled.”

Brilliant, they had mice.

“Mummy, Father Christmas has been!” Albus announced when he saw her, then he spotted the stern look on her face and remembered he wasn’t supposed to be out of bed. “Oops.”

“He took my letter, he took it up the chimney with him!” James was so excited. “That means he’s read it and he can bring Daddy home!”

“Daddy!” Lily echoed her brother.

Ginny didn’t know what she had done to deserve such an emotionally taxing Christmas Eve.

“Daddy!” Lily cried again, more insistently.

“You’ll see Daddy soon, petal,” Ginny soothed, not really wanting Lily to be awake for much longer. Lily herself had other ideas and squirmed violently to be put down, which Ginny hardly had time to argue against.

She ran to the fireplace where James was peering up, looking for Father Christmas. “Daddy shoes!” she insisted.

Albus spotted what Lily was looking at before Ginny did. “Daddy’s shoes are here. Why are Daddy’s shoes here? Unless…” A look of understanding passed over his face.

“Daddy’s home!” James yelled at the same time as Albus cried “our Daddy is Father Christmas!”

Ginny’s heart felt lighter than air as she joined all three of her children in rushing into the kitchen and barrelling straight into Harry. He was there, really there, standing in the kitchen, his arms round her tightly, pressing kisses all over her and the children.

“You’re home,” Ginny breathed into his shoulder as he held her tight with one arm, the other wrapped around all three of their children.

“I’m sorry, Ginny. I had no idea, I wanted to come home sooner. I’m so sorry.” He sounded erratic and exhausted.

“Don’t be sorry, we’re just glad you’re home.” She hugged him tightly again. “Was it you who got the carrot?”

Harry pulled away and winked at her. He knelt down to the children’s level and they threw themselves into his arms. “I missed you all so much, I love you.”

“Daddy!” Lily cried happily, clamouring to be picked up.

“I love you, Daddy,” Albus buried his face into the crook of Harry’s neck.

“I wroted to Father Christmas and asked him to bring you home and he did,” James explained.

At the risk of being knocked over backwards by the excitable Potter children, Harry diverted them to the window seat James and Albus had sobbed into that morning. Lily perched on his lap and James and Albus curled into an arm each. Harry reached around Albus and held Ginny’s hand, although of course she didn’t mind their children getting all the space.

“We’ve had the best Christmas Eve ever when you wasn’t here!” James gushed about their pyjama fly, with some major exaggeration about how high his broomstick had been.

“Then we played Bubble Ball and Lily won,” Albus continued. “And I falled asleep in my soup so Mummy had to wash my hair again, even though she already did wash my hair yesterday.”

“Is that right?” Harry nodded with raised eyebrows, ruffling Albus’ hair, then shared an understanding glance with Ginny. “It sounds like Mummy’s had the best Christmas Eve ever too.”

“It just got much better,” Ginny said, squeezing Harry’s hand.

“But guess what, Daddy? Father Christmas has been and he put presents under our tree and in our stockings!”

“He did? How exciting!” Harry pretended to be shocked, realising Lily had fallen asleep on his lap and pulling her closer to him so she was comfortable.

“Can we open presents now it’s Christmas and Daddy’s home?” James asked hopefully.

In that moment, Ginny and Harry both realised they’d lost their big ace card for getting the kids to sleep tonight, because Father Christmas has already been and no threat of him not coming until they were asleep just wasn’t going to cut it.

“How about a big sleepover in Mummy and Daddy’s bed?” Ginny suggested, hoping this would distract James. Harry half raised his eyebrows in question and she muttered “that’s how I’ve got through today,” in response.

Harry carried Lily from the room, with Albus riding on his back and James at his heels. As they passed the kitchen table, the Potter family didn’t notice the letter from the ministry owl flutter to the floor and fall from its envelope. The letter inside was not the one Ginny had thought it would be; instead, it was much shorter and brought better news.

Mission successful. He’s coming home.

[sherl-watson-holmes]

Welcome to London (Sherlock x reader) Chapter 4

For faster updates on this story and other oneshots I write, visit my wattpad: -kavacado-

*time skip to the day before Christmas vacation*(sorry I thought it'd be really mundane and boring for you to read about them going to school and getting closer) "Is that our professor?" You said laughing loudly. "I believe so, I guess no one wants to be at uni at this point." John said chuckling. You, Sherlock, John, Jim, Mary, and Molly had decided to skip class at Speedy's the day before you all had break since none of you were going to be together during it. Everyone, except you was going home to see their family, all against their wishes. You on the other hand decided against going back to America, you were in no mood to see everyone that you left behind and be told that you should come back home. "I'm dreading going home. I cannot go see Harriet again, I'll end up not talking to her at all one day if we keep fighting." John sighed. "I too loathe to see my brother and parents." Sherlock added. You laughed "oh c'mon Sherlock, your family is so sweet! Your brother did kidnap me, but I'm sure it was out of love for you." Everyone laughed at this. You'd all been kidnapped at least once by Mycroft. You, quite a few times. You honestly liked Mycroft, he didn't express it well, but he really did just care for his younger brother, and you found that endearing. You got along well with Mycroft and even had lunch a few times, to Sherlock's distaste of course. Mycroft was like a brother to you now, he had begun to care for you, and you him. "I honestly don't wanna visit my family either, I just wanna be with you guys." Mary said. "Aww, I don't wanna leave you guys either, honestly I'm not excited to play straight for my parents when I go home." Jim frowned. You laid your head down on his shoulder, rubbing his back comfortingly. You and Jim had bonded over mutually being a disappointment to your parents in the short time you had known each other. You'd grown closer to everybody in such a short amount of time, even Sherlock tolerated you at the very least. They accepted you whole-heartedly into their little group and you would forever be thankful as it made your move to London so much easier on you. They had become your family and you loved them more than you could even begin to express. "I think I'm just gonna cancel going home, hopefully my parents just forgot about it, I just wanna stay here and relax during break." Molly brought you out of your thoughts. "It'll be okay guys, just come back to me alive and okay. I can't lose any of you, we'll be back together once uni starts again." You looked at all of them lovingly. Your eyes locked with Sherlock's for a second before you quickly looked down. You'd taken a liking to Sherlock and you'd do anything to prevent him from knowing that, but little did you know, he had taken a liking to you as well. He was just really bad at showing it. In his own confusion towards what he felt for you, he failed to deduce your feeling towards him. You all kept chatting until you're phone started ringing with an unknown number. It was from America, 'weird' you thought. "I'll be right back guys, I'm getting a call." You walked a few feet away from the table you all were sitting at in speedy's. "Hello." You waited for a response. "Hello, is this (f/n)?" "Yeah, who's this?"  "I'm calling from Northshore Hospital, there's a patient here and you're their emergency contact." Your heart sank, who could it be, you weren't close to a lot of people. "What's the patients name?" You asked. "(Choose sister name), she's gotten into an accident and things aren't looking good, could you please come to sign some papers?" Your heart felt like it had stopped. You weren't aware of everyone getting up from the table to come to you when they saw your expression. Sherlock's hand came to your back, startling you. You were suddenly aware of everyone looking at you for an explanation and the tears streaming down your face. "(Y/n) what's happened?" John asked softly. "I have to go home." And with that you ran to 221C with everyone trailing behind you. You rushed into your room and started packing a big suitcase. Mid-way you realized you needed a ticket and pushed past everyone that was standing in the doorway to you bedroom to your living room. You sat on your chair and opened your laptop and started looking for the next flight to New York. Mary came and sat on the arm of your chair and laid a hand on your upper back. "(Y/n), honey, what's happened, why do you have to go home?" She asked you, taking the laptop from your hands and putting it on the table in front of you. "M-my sister, I just got a call from some hospital, she got into an accident or something, I don't know, I have to go see and her and sign stuff or something, I'm not really sure." You replied, tears still streaming down your face. "Do you want one of us to come with you? You shouldn't go alone like this." She kept rubbing your back. "No, I'll be fine." You put your head in your hands taking a long shaky breath. "I'll come with you, it's not like I wanted to see my family anyways." You heard John say. "I'll come to, I can't leave my best friend alone." You heard Jim say before he came and hugged you tightly. "I'll come as well I suppose." Sherlock said with a slight smile on his lips, trying to make you feel better. "We'll all come! Don't worry (y/n), it'll all turn out fine, I'm sure of it!" Molly sat on the other arm of your chair and smiled at you. You smiled through your tears "Thanks guys. I don't know what I'd do without you." You really didn't know what you'd do without them. You all spent the night getting tickets, packing your bags, and calling family to explain that you wouldn't be coming to visit because of an emergency.  Come morning you all took cabs to the airport and got on the plane. You sank into your seat and pressed two fingers to your temple attempting to soothe the pounding headache you felt. You sat in between Sherlock at the window seat and Jim at the aisle seat. Mary, John, and Molly sat in the row behind you. Jim pulled your head to his chest and ruffled your hair comfortingly. He soon fell asleep but you couldn't. You couldn't stop your mind from wandering, and you kept thinking about what might happen. You slowly slid out of Jim's grip and decided to watch a movie. Sherlock was in his mind palace beside you. Watching the movie, your mind was finally exhausted enough to allow you to sleep. Slowly you nodded off and your head fell onto Sherlock's shoulder. The sudden weight on him brought Sherlock out of his mind palace and he looked to his left to find you peacefully asleep on his shoulder. He smiled at the sight of you, it was the most at peace he'd seen you since you got the news. He decided to take a break from his mind palace and put his head on top of yours to join you in your slumber. You awoke to Sherlock buckling your seatbelt. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up, but we're about to land and you need your seatbelt on." You nodded sleepily and rubbed your eyes. As soon as you got off the plane, you went to a pay phone and called your mom to figure out what the hell was going on and where you were supposed to be. "Hello." "Hi, mom, what the hell is going on, what hospital is (s/n) in? Is she okay?" "What?" You heard muffled whispering from the other side before your mom said "oh, um, just come straight to the house." "Mom, could you just explain what the hell is going-" she cut the phone. You were getting really anxious now, why wouldn't your mom tell you anything? You went back to everyone waiting for you at the gate. "My mom just said to come home, she wouldn't tell me anything." You said shaking your head slightly. Mary wrapped an arm around your shoulder and squeezed it lightly. "It's okay sweetie, let's catch a cab there and figure out what's happening." You all walked out of JFK airport and shuffled into cabs. The cabs pulled up in front of your house and you got out. Embarrassed, you let your hair fall in front of your quickly reddening face to shield it. "This is your house?!" Molly said as her jaw dropped. You stood in front of a mansion-like house with four bedrooms for you and your family and three more for guests. It had a fountain bigger than you in front of it with a path for cars going around it and into the driveway. It had a huge double door entrance and large windows in every room. Most people said it was a beautiful house, you said it was pretentious and embarrassing. You hated it as a kid because other kids bullied you until they found out your parents were rich and then they feigned kindness. You hated how fake it made people. Noticing your discomfort, no one questioned you further. You all went to the front door and you pulled out your spare keys that you kept with you even in London. You opened the door and let everyone in. "Mom? Where are you?" You questioned making your way to the living room. And there you saw your sister sitting on the sofa, looking perfectly healthy and across from her sat... your ex-boyfriend, David. LHey (y/n)." Your sister waved lightly to you with a smug grin on her face. "You aren't in the hospital." "Nope." "Why the hell is he here, and why did I get a call saying you were in the hospital, explain now." You clenched your fists and put on a stern expression. "Well as for me, I just had a colleague of mine call you and make up a little story. How else would I get you to actually come back home? And as for David, I'm reuniting you two." She said grinning from ear to ear. "Are you kidding me? I was so scared! What the hell is wrong with you?! And David, really? He fucking cheated on me (s/n)." Everyone stood behind you as you fumed at your sister. "One flaw (y/n), no one's perfect. You definitely aren't." She finished with a smug grin. "I can't believe you." You shook your head at her and stormed out of the house. Sherlock ran after you while everyone else stood awkwardly in the living room trying to figure out a way to explain why they were there. You kept running until you reached your favorite place in the world, the one place you went to get away from everyone and everything. There was an abandoned building near your house you climbed the stairs to the highest floor and then I used a small ladder to get near the ceiling and push open a small trapdoor to get onto the roof. You didn't see that Sherlock had followed you up there and sat beside you went you went to the edge to swing your feet off of the building. You both sat in silence for a while as you calmed down. "Are you okay?" He looked at you. "I don't know." You replied looking at the city skyline. After a few more moments of silence you began "I'm just so mad at her. She made me think the worst just because she wanted me to come home and she wants me to continue to be with someone who's already been unfaithful once. It was a stupid high school relationship and I don't wanna continue it, but he's going to Harvard and my sister likes Harvard. She's so annoying. She never ceases to remind me that I am the disappointment of the family and I am just so done with it. I came all the way to London and I still can't get away from her shit." You sighed, leaning back on your hands. "What about your other sister? Where's she?" Sherlock asked you. "She's probably with her in-laws for Christmas." Sherlock hummed in response.you both sat there for the rest of the day just watching as the sun set behind the New York skyline. You sighed as you watched the sky turn dark. "Let's go back, I guess we can try to make this trip worthwhile as long as we've come so far." You both made it back to the house in silence. You opened the door and went to show Sherlock his guest bedroom. You checked on everyone making sure that they were in a room, Mary and John were in one together, and then you went to your old bedroom to try to sleep yourself. After tossing and turning for a while you finally fell asleep, deciding to deal with all the shit life was throwing at you in the morning

[reelaina]

Quarantine Prompts | Six Prompt: Your character gets a text message from an unknown number saying, “Meet me outside. Now.” Challenge: It happens either very early in the morning or very late in the evening.

Mollie having her own room meant Ree could sneak in and cuddle at night. One of the perks of being an older kid in the house meant your own bedroom, and as the older kids moved out, that meant there would be room for the younger kids when they became older kids. For the time, though, Ree was stuck sharing with Maya and Sunny. She didn’t mind though. After having lived on her own with Jesse for so long, she was enjoying the company of having roommates. Plus, it was fun to just be a girl and share clothes and gossip at night. Sunny usually had Preston over at night, and Maya always made herself sparse in the evening time, so Ree wouldn’t be missed if she went off to Mollie’s room for a while. 

After a few hours of kissing and cuddling and dreaming up what the future would be like, the two girls fell asleep, Ree as the little spoon that night. But it was at 1:07am when Ree’s phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. Four missed calls and six text messages. She didn’t have the number saved, but they clearly knew who she was. They used her name in text messages, and the only thing Ree could think of was that her mother escaped prison and was coming back for her. Ree had forgiven her mother, but she didn’t want to see her. By no means did she want to see her mom. 

Bzzzzzzz. NEW MESSAGE: Meet me outside. Now.

Ree tiptoed through the house in just a pair of socks with leggings and one of Mollie’s hoodies on, and though she did pass a few friends still awake, she said nothing to them. After all, it was just Isaiah and he looked about as coked out as anyone who stumbled in at that time of night. Ree closed the door behind her to see a man standing in the yard, just outside of where the house light reached. Upon seeing him, she was confused and felt the urge to run back inside, wake up Nora, and call 9-1-1. The reason so many felt comfortable in Nora’s home was the lack of a strong male presence, and there was a clear shift in energy when Aleks moved in to the apartment above the garage. Now, there was a man standing there. 

Then, he turned around. Jesse. Ree sighed and took her hand off the door knob. She walked down the porch steps, but didn’t step into the grass from the paved walk way. Ree didn’t want to get too close to him. She wasn’t scared of him anymore, but she did worry he would try to do something. Mollie and Ree’s relationship wasn’t public knowledge yet, so there was no reason for him to be there to try to win her back out of jealousy or spite. Besides, Jesse knew and, for the most part, respected the fact that Ree identified herself as a bisexual woman. So it wouldn’t matter if she was in a relationship with a girl or a guy. It shouldn’t even concern him. 

“What are you doing here?!” Ree demanded. 

Jesse walked closer, but it was clear he didn’t want to get too close to the house. Jesse was loved while he was in the house. He was quiet, like Holland was, but interesting, and even then, Ree found him to be sexy. The scruff on his face and his messy blond locks. His eyes reflected the light of the moon, and it was almost as if just looking at him made up for all of the shit he put Ree through. His temper and his words. He was nasty and cruel when he was angry, but he was sweet and a wonderful lover when he wasn’t. He was Ree’s first real, true love, and there he was again, standing before her. 

“I wanted to see you,” he said. You could see his breath with each word he spoke. 

“Why?”

He shrugged. He looked small and vulnerable, and that’s how he would get you. Ree fell for it every time, and though she really did believe that he wasn’t trying to be rude or abusive in any way, it’s just how he had treated her. 

After a long silence, Ree said, “I’m going back inside.”

“No, wait.” Jesse cut her off almost immediately. “I just wanted to see you. I just.... I miss you.”

“You didn’t have to bombard me with texts and calls from a number that isn’t even yours!”

“I changed my number.”

“Why?”

“It’s hard to explain.”

“Well I have time.”

Silence. 

Ree was fuming. Her jaw was clenched and so were her fists. Her stomach was flexed, and her fight or flight mode was kicking in. This time her body chose fight. One loud scream would wake some of the house up, and she was sure, with as many light sleepers as there were in the house, that she had already woken up some. That was a downfall of the house. With so many people, there was so much noise. However, nearly everyone in the house had some form of trauma which caused light sleepers in each room. Ree included. 

“I’m sorry,” Jesse said. 

Ree looked from her feet to the street lamp that was up on the road, and she noticed Jesse’s parked car. He never left Brooksville after they broke up, but nobody had seen him since Ree moved back home. Occasionally people would mention seeing his car, and word on the street was that he moved into an apartment in the same complex as Bryce and Ryder, but she knew nothing of that. 

“For what?” She finally asked. 

“Everything,” Jesse said, his voice cracking. “I went to rehab. Got help with my anger issues and substance shit.” Ree nodded, letting him know she was listening and to keep going. “I miss you.”

“Don’t say that.” 

“I do!” Jesse said. She could see a tear fall onto his face and roll down. Light from the porch was reflected off of it. “I miss you, and I wanted to see you. That’s all. I don’t... I don’t know why I’m here other than that.”

“What else are you sorry for?” Ree said, wanting to hear something very specific, something very traumatizing, something she herself had to seek help with recovering from. 

Jesse took a few steps closer and grabbed Ree’s elbows and she gave him her hands. His skin on hers felt electric. It felt like she was on fire. She knew the feeling of him on her all too well, and for the first time ever, she missed him. She missed the good parts of what they had. He wasn’t an asshole, really, and if he said he got help, then she believed him. Jesse was much taller than Ree, but he contorted his back so that they were eye to eye. 

“I’m sorry for blaming you,” Jesse said. “I knew it wasn’t your fault, but I was so fucked up that I didn’t know who else to blame. And it’s not your fault. It was never your fault. It was just really shitty luck, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry you had to go through that, and I’m sorry I left you while it was happening.”

It was referring to the miscarriage, sparking all of their issues that were to follow. They were so excited. There were six positive pregnancy tests over the course of two weeks, and they even went to the doctor to confirm. Yup. A strong heart beat, and everything was looking great. It was all looking great until it wasn’t. Ree started cramping while at work one day, and the next morning, she woke up in the worst pain. She went to the bathroom to throw up, and then there was blood trickling down her leg. By the time Jesse got home, as he was working nights at the time, there was entire pool of blood surrounding Ree, and she knew what had happened. He instantly got angry, yelling at her, telling her to clean it up and take herself to the doctor to figure shit out on her own. Ree cried for weeks over the baby she had lost, and besides Jesse, Nora was the only other one who knew. 

“It wasn’t right for me to do that to you.” Jesse spoke, crying again. “I was hurting, and I didn’t know how to deal with it. I had never seen something so bad before, and I wanted to pretend like it wasn’t happening.”

“Oh, I know,” Ree said. Her heart had sank into her stomach. She hadn’t thought about the baby in a long time. “Believe me, I went through every emotion possible about it, only to move back in to a home where everyone is fertile all of the time and seem to have no issues getting pregnant.”

“I wanted that baby so bad,” Jesse said, now taking a seat on the porch steps. “I had a whole life imagined. You, me, the kid. We were gonna--”

“--gonna move to Portland and open a coffee shop, I know.” Ree said, turning and joining him on the step. “We talked about it endlessly. You remember what names we had picked out?”

Jesse grinned through tears were still falling, “Gavin for a girl, and Emerson for a boy.”

“Yeah,” Ree nodded, laughing a bit. “I always thought the baby was going to be a boy.”

“Me too.” 

Ree and Jesse’s hands were interlocked at this point. There was something that felt so right about him being there. About being back, and he did seem lighter. He really did seem like he just needed closure. 

“Are you with anyone?” Jesse asked. 

Ree nodded a little bit, “Yeah, I am.” She didn’t want to talk about Mollie. Mollie had no idea that Ree lost a baby or that her heart longed for one. “It’s still fresh and new.”

“Come with me,” Jesse said, turning to look at Ree. “I’m leaving for Portland, and I want you to come.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Ree asked with a spark in her tone. 

“No, that’s not why I came, but.... But being here, being with you, feeling you here,” he said picking up their hands. “It feels right. Ree, c’mon, we can go. We can go to Portland, start our company, and have Gavin and Emerson and Sage and River!”

Sage and River were the back up names to Gavin and Emerson, just in case they decided against them. 

“We can move and start fresh,” he continued. “We can find our loft apartment to start in, and decorate it just the way you want it. We'll work jobs that don’t go anywhere until we can get on our feet, and we can just start new. We can learn more about each other and with each other, and.... And we don’t ever have to think about this stupid town again or the shit lives we lead before we knew each other. Because there’s a before and an after, and i want that after to be with you Ree. I miss you. I’ve missed you, and I know i was shitty, but I never stopped loving you.”

And just like that, she kissed him. Part of her to get him to stop talking and the other part was for closure for herself. A long, slow, wet kiss, but that one kiss turned to two, which turned to three, which turned to his tongue in her mouth and her hand on the back of his head. And though there was a camera guarding the front door, Ree didn’t care. She pulled off Mollie’s sweatshirt and threw it up to the landing of the porch and Jesse pulled Ree on top of him. She could feel how hard he was through his jeans. Ree pulled away for just a moment, and without thinking, she said, “I want you.” HIs hand was now down her leggings and her mouth was on his neck. He was whispering dirty things to her, and she was repeating them back to him, breathing in and out every kiss that was exchanged, and right before she could really enjoy anything that was happening on that porch Ree realized what she had done. 

She jumped up and off of him in one swift motion. “Go, get out of here!” She shouted at him. She pulled her leggings back up and Mollie’s hoodie back on too. “That can never happen again!”

Jesse was crying now too, and he jumped down the porch stairs as he had done so often when he was living at the house. “I’m sorry,” he shook his head. She was sorry too, and she repeated it back to him. “It won’t ever happen again. I’ll.... I’ll leave you alone. I won’t ever reach out again. I’m sorry.” 

And though that would have been a good time for him to walk back to his car, that Ree was now seeing a big bag packed and tied to the top of, they still just stood there, looking at each other. Ree tried to wipe the kisses off of her mouth, and she was concerned about the hickeys that might show up later, but what she wanted was for him to hold her. Mollie wouldn’t be able to understand, so she promised herself she would never tell. No one would ever find out, and she’d figure out a way to get rid of whatever footage the front door camera had picked up. 

“Bye Jesse,” Ree finally said. 

“By Ree,” he said. And though he hadn’t moved, Ree went back inside the house. 

She shut the behind her and cried silently for a few moments before heading back up the stairs. She went back into Mollie’s room, where she was still soundly sleeping. She pulled off her leggings, now feeling disgusted for sitting in them, and she pulled off Mollie’s hoodie, knowing she’d get too warm. Then, she crawled back into bed, still crying. Mollie stirred and asked Ree what was wrong. 

“It was just a bad dream,” Ree said, though she knew it wasn’t. “Go back to sleep.”

In the morning, Ree checked the window, and Jesse’s car was gone. It was like he had never been there to begin with. She was disgusted with herself and with what she had done. Her leggings were still on the floor and so was Mollie’s hoodie. She cleaned up her things and went back to her room so she could grab a few things for the shower. And she sat in the shower for a long time. There wasn’t enough hot water in the world to make her feel less dirty than she felt, and there wasn’t enough time to take that kind of shower. When she got out, she examined herself for hickeys but couldn’t find any, which was a good sign. She ran her hands over her naked body and had the urge to punch the mirror out. Instead, Ree got changed, left her phone on her bed, and went for a really long drive. She didn’t have plans on where she was going, and she had no clue when she was coming back. All she knew is that she couldn’t be in Brooksville any more.