#molly would just move in during the summer let’s be real

[leiafett]

Professor Harry Potter and he offers all of his students to stay at his hamlet manor over the summers for those who don’t have a good place to call home. This is canon and no one can me otherwise. He can still marry ginny and have children. But he’s Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Since JK was striped from being allowed to write things.

[anxiousnerdwritings]

Your idea about Molly throwing Weasley!Reader on the back burner until they start making money breaks my heart but it’s so real

Lestrange!Daughter would catch onto it before anyone else — seeing her darling trying to buy his mother’s love with desperation — she’d call Molly on it but never in front of him knowing it would make him upset

And it’s something the three Black sisters notice to.

Bellatrix isn’t sure how to approach the situation, for all the faults her parents had, they were nothing but loving towards the three girls so it’s a completely different atmosphere watching a child nearly kill himself for scraps of his mother’s attention

Andromeda’s heart breaks in the rare times she bares witness to it, wanting to go all mama bear, and Tonks would be just as protective

Narcissa, much like her niece, would simply resolve to making snide comments about it

Definitely! I imagine the dynamic between Molly and the Reader is what really garners Bellatrix’s, Andromeda’s, and Narcissa’s own fondness towards him, leading to their own maternal obsessions kicking in cause how dare Molly treat such a precious child like that, let alone her own child for that matter.

Lestrange!Daughter!Oc would greatly resent Molly for the fact she neglected and put the Reader to the side in favor of his other siblings. And she would not bite her tongue about it either, at least not when her darling was around. She doesn’t need her darling to divulge anything to her about the situation or how he feels about it, she knows him better than anyone after all and she can see plain as day how much he tries to earn an ounce of his mother’s attention, let alone her affection. And it enrages her to no end. After all, her darling only ever took up being a criminal and building a criminal empire in the first place to support his family, to support his mother. And Molly is none the wiser to how she’s treated him, or rather how she hasn’t treated him, all she sees is that one of her sons has come into money and a consistently large amount of it at that.

I definitely see Bellatrix basically adopting Criminal!Weasley!Reader especially after knowing about his relationship with his mother, or rather the lack of it. She would be more affectionate towards the Reader, she would tell him how proud she is of him, she would actually make the effort to know about him, to see him as his own person unlike what his own mother has gone about doing herself. Like, does Molly even know his favorite color?? No. But Bellatrix does and she didn’t even need her daughter to tell her.

Bellatrix would greatly detest Molly, at first it was only for her amusement and in defense of her daughter that she behaved the way she did but after learning how Molly has been towards the Reader, Bellatrix can’t stand the woman whatsoever and would insist that the Reader live with her and her daughter even before he graduates. Even if he doesn’t move in right away, Bellatrix will ensure he stays over during the entire summer. Hell, she may just pop into the Burrow herself and collect all of the Reader’s belongings herself or she’d probably just buy him everything new that he nor she has to go back to the Burrow and be in the presence of that woman again. She would really try to get him away from Molly as soon as she can.

Andromeda would honestly be disgusted with Molly. She gets that Molly and Arthur have quite a few of children but there’s no excuse to not pay any mind to one of your children more so over the others until they start bringing something to the table that benefits you and the rest of the family. Unlike, Bellatrix and Narcissa, Andromeda would bite her tongue and keep her opinions very much to herself but she will make sure to give the Reader the attention he deserves and more so that he does feel seen and heard. I can imagine her actually really only having long in depth conversations with the Reader that isn’t just small talk and fluff to fill an awkward/uncomfortable silence. She greatly enjoys the Reader’s company, criminal or not, and she would be more than happy to have the Reader stay over at her home if ever need be, possibly in the scenario that Molly does find out about him being a criminal let alone him running an entire criminal empire and kicking him out (possibly even going as far as disowning him?) for it before he’s even close to graduating Hogwarts.

I could see Tonks taking on an older sister figure relationship with Weasley!Reader. Maybe she’s even come across him doing his criminal activities as an Auror and she just turned a blind eye, even going as far as covering for him. She knows he’s not a bad person, he’s just trying to make a living to support his family the only way he can. She doesn’t exactly know the full depths of Criminal!Weasley!Reader’s activities and inner workings, and honestly she doesn’t want to know in case she’s ever used to try and get to him by the Ministry, but she’ll help protect him however she can. Not to mention after finding out about how Molly treats the Reader, Tonks would very quickly lose respect for her and not be able to look at her in the same light again from then on.

Narcissa would be very similar to her niece and Bellatrix in how she doesn’t hold back too much from ripping into Molly. The only difference is the way she goes about it, she chooses her words very wisely but they’re still sharp enough to cut deep. And she aims to cut Molly very deep. Narcissa would prefer not to interact with Molly whatsoever but especially after finding out about how she’s been towards the Reader his entire upbringing. She would be outright appalled to hear how a mother can treat her child so terribly so and without meaning to. Like, it’s not like Molly purposely picked the Reader out of the lot and chose to neglect him the most out of his siblings, but that’s just how it ended up. Either way, Narcissa is only all the more repulsed by the Weasley matriarch after learning everything. Similar to her sisters, Narcissa would also give the Reader all the attention and praise he deserves, tenfold. Whenever Molly is gushing about one of her other children, I could see Narcissa being the first to chime in/interrupt her about the Reader and the accomplishments he’s made for himself all on his own, not allowing Molly to get away with neglecting the Reader anymore than she already has.

Basically just these three women becoming absolute protective mama bears for their poor neglected and pushed aside ginger bby. Meanwhile, Lestrange!Daughter being that overprotective wife of her darling husband who deserves more than the world has to offer for doing what he does solely to help his family have a life they never had the chance to experience before. And Tonks being just as protective of the Reader cause he felt the need to go down the route he did believing it to be his only option.

[myfictionaldreams]

12 Lonely Years (Ch. 1/2) // Sirius Black x Reader

Request: Your husband, Sirius Black was finally a free man, cleared of all of his charges and he was coming home to you and Harry. But the dark thoughts spiraled through your mind, you couldn't help but wonder if he even loved you anymore so you shut him out. What happens when Sirius finally snaps after you get hurt.

For: @silverose365​ (thank you so much for requesting! Part 2 will be posted soon ♥)

Tags/ Warnings:  descriptions of selfharm, blood and injuries, depression, anxiety attacks, self-destructive behaviour, reunited,angst, fluff, happy ending, (sirius just wants to be a good husband)

Word: 4.7k

my masterlist 📚 AO3 Link

The three-worded headline stared back at you, all you could manage to do was collapse back into your chair and remember to breathe.

“Sirius Black Innocent”.

After all these years, twelve long hopeless years had passed since he left to chase Pettigrew. The metal ring around your finger suddenly felt heavy, finally having meaning after all these years, but would he still want you? He'd been in Azkaban for over a decade. How could you be so selfish to think about yourself right now? As your thoughts started to spiral, a flash from the fireplace snapped your attention to it at the same time an owl arrived at your window. Standing you moved towards the fireplace first, fishing out the letter that was sitting on the edge of the cold wood, and then another one flew in, whizzing past your head, the one in your hand you recognised the writing as Molly’s. Turning towards the window you opened it wide, the summer breeze flowing past you as Hedwig hopped onto the window ledge, letter in her beak. With shaky hands you took the letter, reading Harry’s words on the front, “Aunt y/n”. Once again you staggered back until you found yourself sitting in the chair, letters still collecting by the fire as another owl arrived but you couldn’t bring yourself to open any of them. This was real, he was really a free man. You don’t know when the tears started and stopped as you sobbed into your arms as your husband was finally a free man.

“So when is it that he is supposed to be home then, dear?” Molly asked at your side, shouting over the noise of the Hogwarts express that was arriving at the station. You waited impatiently, trying to reach onto your tiptoes for any sight of a spiky-haired teenager.

“Tomorrow, the ministry is still trying to right their wrongs with him but from what I’ve heard they’re trying to buy their way out of him talking to the press”, you answered hurriedly, not wanting to waste any time speaking about this anymore otherwise your nerves might get the better of you.

“Why don’t you have a little get-together? Have a few of the old order members over, I know they’ll want to see him” Molly suggested, waving her hand into the air as she spotted a few redheads, and right behind them was who you were looking for, Harry who you waved at just as enthusiastically.

Rushing forward you grabbed onto your godson, holding him close. Harry laughed and pulled away. “Harry, I swear every time you return back from Hogwarts you’ve grown another few inches, you’re nearly taller than me now! And your hair, did you even try to comb it this morning?”, you reached forward to try and control his crazy hair, something he inherited from his father but Harry ducked out of the way.

“I’ve missed you too Aunt y/n. So where is he, has he come with you?” Harry looked over your shoulder and you tried not to let the disappointment show on your face, of course he would be excited to see his godfather and from everything he had written to you about what occurred at Hogwarts during the last year, dementors, Sirius escaping but then revealing that Peter Pettigrew was the one to have betrayed his parents and kill all of those muggles, something you had been telling him since he was a child and now Sirius being a free man, Harry was bound to be exhilarated to see him.

Wiping a speck of dirt off of his shoulder you tried to keep a smile on your face, “Sorry kid, he’s still with the ministry but he’ll be back-, he’ll be home tomorrow.” Harry nodded and walked ahead with his luggage, talking with Ron and Hermione who both waved at you.

You jumped on the spot when Molly was suddenly at your shoulder, Ginny by her side. “So? What do you think? I could always help you prepare for a get together and I’m sure Sirius would love to see everyone again.” Your thoughts were racing, did you really think you could handle seeing everyone and be reunited with Sirius at the same time? But then again, at least it could be a distraction for you both, the negative thoughts have been taking over already, you could put off the eventual let down of Sirius declaring he doesn’t love you anymore, that he’s there to look after Harry, it wasn’t your job anymore. Blinking quickly, trying to quiet the voice in your head you turned to Molly and agreed that the get-together would be nice.

As the hours ticked by, you didn’t sleep for a second as you prepared your cottage, luckily due to the summer sun, it was still light until late so you could decorate the large table. Looking back towards the kitchen, you spotted Harry unpacking his luggage, you guessed you weren’t the only one anxious for tomorrow. For hours Harry had been telling you every little detail about his year, putting emphasis on Sirius and how he couldn’t wait to be a family-like you’d always told him you would be. That nearly destroyed you on the spot but you guess you’d been your own worst enemy, having spent years telling Harry stories about Sirius, about how you fell in love as teenagers and moved in together as soon as he turned 17, marrying the day after you both finished at Hogwarts and then when the dark lord’s armies became stronger, he always kept the moral up for everyone. That was until news came of the attack at Godric's Hollow and that was that last you saw of him, you knew he never would kill innocent bystanders, no matter how angry he was, he’d never do what the ministry said he did. The glasses that you were moving through the air wobbled, nearly falling to the floor as you snapped out of your thoughts, something you seemed to become lost in over the last few days.

You didn’t stop fussing all night, making sure the house was perfect, and decided at 4 am to move all of your clothes and essentials into the spare bedroom. Sirius would want his own space on his return, especially not wanting to share with you if he had lost feelings for you that you’d now convinced yourself was the truth. Finally, the guests started to arrive, Hermione along with all of the Weasleys, Kingsley, Mundungus, Minerva, Albus, and lastly, Remus who arrived looked tired and worn out. Everyone mingled around, telling the kids about all the old times with the Order but you didn’t stop, making sure all the food was cooked, everyone's drinks were filled up, not giving yourself time to stop and think about the last arrival and no one stopped you as they watched you, assuming how you were acting was from nerves and it was, but also dread.

The time was 11:59 and everyone was gathered, glass in hand waiting by the front gate, everyone kept ushering you forward but you stayed to the back, having been throwing up with anxiety only minutes before, you couldn’t even hold a drink as it would expose your trembling fingers. You couldn’t even see the gate as you heard the recognisable sound of someone apparating and then cheers from everyone, bile rose in your throat as the group around you celebrated the arrival. Then you heard him, the voice you loved so very much, with every ounce in your body, the one you had craved to hear for the last 12 years, “Harry Potter!” Another cheer followed as Sirius and Harry hugged, emotions flowing through everyone.

One by one people stepped forward to greet Sirius but you still stayed back but you were finally able to see him. The last time you’d seen him, he was 21 years old, he’d only just begun growing out his facial hair, a big grin constantly spread across his face and now, he was 33 years old and matured, grown into the man you wish had been by your side. He was thinner than he used to be, probably from all the time spent in Azkaban, hair curly and grown to his shoulders, with a beard that framed his mouth beautifully but his smile, it was still the same as it used to be. Your feet started walking of their own accord as you found yourself inside the bathroom, locking the door, you only just made it to the bathroom before you threw up once more, tears streaming down your cheeks.

It took you 10 minutes to cool down, finally calm enough to take a draught that settled your stomach and nerves, wishing you had taken it earlier, you stared back at your reflection in the mirror trying to make yourself look presentable. You needed to do this, you needed to stay strong, if not for yourself but for Harry, he expected so much since Sirius’ return home. All you wanted was a happy family but knowing that probably wasn’t going to be a possibility, you could at least put on a brave face until he returns back to Hogwarts.

Returning to the building you put on the perfect facade, everyone had joined around the table, you served drink and food, made polite conversation with people, and then you were face to face with your husband. You hardly even looked at him as you whispered “welcome home” before moving to Molly, silently proud of yourself for not fainting as you walked past him and smelled the irresistible scent that was so purely him.

The rest of the day passed with laughter, tears, happy memories as the sun started to set, Arthur arriving later than everyone else as he was called in to work earlier but managed to get tickets for the upcoming quidditch world cup as a reward, that Harry and Hermione were promptly invited too and the pure joy on his face made the whole night worth it. Slowly the guests started to leave as it approached night, Remus being the last to leave, wanting to have a drink with Sirius, finally having his old friend back. You had to practically drag Harry to bed after you’d said farewell to Remus. “But I’ve still got so much to talk about Aunt y/n, please just another hour” Harry argued with you at the bottom of the steps, Sirius watching you with a glass of whisky in his hand from the kitchen.

“Harry James Potter if you don’t get up those stairs in 5 seconds I’ll make sure you don’t go to the world cup, am I understood? You have all summer to talk so please listen to what I say.” Sirius smirked at your mum voice as Harry grumbled a goodnight before trudging up the stairs, his footsteps heavier than they needed to be. “I love you!” you shouted after him, smiling to yourself when he shouted it back as his bedroom door closed.

“You raised him well. James and Lily would be so proud of him and of you.” Sirius’s voice echoed around the living room where you stood. Trying not to dwell on his words you gave him a quick smile before continuing to tidy up and Sirius didn’t try to interrupt you again during that time, only silently watching. If only you knew that he was thinking just as you were, you’d probably fallen out of love with him, and couldn't stand to be near someone who had spent the last twelve years in Azkaban. He watched as you wished him goodnight, stumbling upstairs and closing the door, and soon he made his way upstairs and stepped into the main bedroom, expecting to see you in there but the bed was empty, no sign of your stuff in there. Frowning he walked out into the hallway and saw the spare bedroom light was on and seeing this only confirmed his suspicions that you didn’t want to be with him. Both adults, both unbeknown to each other, sat in their separate beds, lonely and sad, desperate for each other's company but too frightened to confront one another with the fear of being rejected.

This is how you spent the next month and a half, looking at each other when you thought the other wasn’t looking, only talking to one another if Harry was there, both of you then running to your rooms at night, fighting the urge to run into each other's arms. You could feel your dark thoughts running around your head, screaming at you daily, there wasn’t a second that passed when you were by yourself that you weren’t sobbing and it all came to a head the day the quidditch world cup came and the dark mark was blasted high into the sky and the campsite attacked. You felt like you were having a heart attack when you got the news, instantly apparating with Sirius to the Weasleys where Harry was waiting for you, having returned just before you arrived. After this, it started to feel like it did twelve years ago, Order meetings started up and you were faced with a lot of new and old faces, one being Severus. You’d never been friends whilst at school together but during the toughest times of your life, the weeks after Sirius had been arrested, he was one of the few to visit where he revealed his love for Lily. Since then you’d been in regular contact, particularly now Harry was at school and causing all types of trouble, you needed someone to keep a close eye on him which Severus has been able to assist you with.

The days ticked on and it all was becoming too much for you, the deep ache in your chest never becoming any easier, all you felt was pain and loneliness and that's when you started to relapse, using your wand to cut small scratches into your forearm, the blinding hot pain acting as a distraction for you. It was a habit you formed after your parents died and again when Sirius was arrested but looking after Harry and caring for him as a toddler soon snapped you out of it putting all of your soul and energy into looking after him but now he was older, he had all of his friends to look after him, therefore not relying on you as much. You always tried to heal the cuts after doing them but they always looked red and swollen and noticeable so you kept long-sleeved shirts on, even during the hottest of days.

After an exceptionally long meeting that was taking place in the cottage, rumours of the latest death eater movements were discussed, the sun had long since set as everyone started to leave. Picking up your glass to take it into the kitchen, Severus stepped up beside you, “walk me out, won’t you, Black?” Nodding, you motioned for him to step towards the front door, and you both walked in a comfortable silence up towards the gate but as you reached for the latch, Severus’ hand gripped your wrist, not painfully but your eyes snapped up to meet his with a questioning look.

He shuffled you both so his taller frame framed you from any eyes looking from within the house and he lifted your sleeve. You tried tugging your arm out of his grasp but he held you strong, eyes drifting over the small cuts that littered your arm, all vaguely fresh. Snape's eyes met yours briefly, hurt and sadness flashing in them for a second before he lifted his own wand and brushed along each one, muttering a spell you’d never heard of before. He did it slowly like he was trying to show you what to do as each of the cuts turned into thin lines of silver like they’d been done years before. Trying not to let the tears fall from your eyes, he did the last one, patting you on the shoulder and left. You didn’t move for a few moments, trying to keep your heart rate under control but if you’d looked up, you would have seen Sirius at the window, only being able to have seen Severus stood close to you, he couldn’t see what he was doing but anger and jealousy rippled through him, rushing to his room and silently cursing the day Snape was born.

The summer slowly turned to autumn as September 1st arrived, Sirius and you taking Harry to Kings Cross Station, you held him close, not wanting him to go back but from what Molly had been hinting, he would be having a fun year at Hogwarts. You and Sirius watched in silence as the train disappeared into the distance. You’d wondered what it would be like without the comfort of Harry being there, you both couldn’t go on living in silence, ignoring one another, you’d contemplated moving out, finding it increasingly more difficult to be around him, wanting to run up and hold him but the thought of him pushing you off stopped you immediately. But this cottage had been your home for most of your adult life, you didn’t have the guts to move out, not unless Sirius asked.

So here you were, eating your dinner across the table from Sirius in silence, that was until Sirius suddenly said, “I’ve heard the Triwizard Tournament is what Harry will be expecting this year.”

Surprise flashed across your face, “I’m surprised Dumbledore would allow that to happen this year considering all these dark events occurring but, I guess it will be a nice distraction for them all.” You both once again returned to eating in silence and as soon as you’d both set down your cutlery you picked up both plates and moved to wash up.

“You really don’t need to do that, it’ll take me two minutes to finish” Sirius commented from the table, looking at your hands as they washed up.

You shook your head, hardly concentrating on what you were doing, this being the most he had spoken to you since returning home. “No, it’s fine, I don’t mind doing it by hand- ow!” A searing pain sparked through your palm, glancing down the water started to turn red from the blood that was seeping from the cut that you’d accidentally given yourself from grasping a knife at the bottom of the sink.

Sirius’ chair squeaked behind you as he rushed to your side, hand reaching for your wrist “let me see”. You recoiled back at his touch, not from pain but from the warm spark his skin touching yours caused, not having felt that in so many years but to Sirius it looked like you flinched away from him and it was enough for him to finally snap. “Damn it y/n, would you please let me look at my wife's injury, are you really that disgusted in me that you won’t even let me look after a scratch?” You stood still, beyond shocked at his outburst, his words being the last thing you had expected him to say as you held out your hand, blood slowly dripping from your palm as he pulled out his wand and started to heal it, the magic-making your hand tingle.

As the cut was fully closed, you expected Sirius to drop your hand but he didn’t, instead just holding it in his own, staring down at the wedding ring that you never wanted to take off. “I’ve been patient with you, I know the last few years have been difficult for us all but I can’t live like this anymore y/n. All summer I’ve had everyone singing your praises, saying you never lost faith in me even after all these years, you knew I was innocent. So when I finally came home, having spent twelve long years dreaming of nothing more than being home to my wife and Harry, and at last being together in our little family, instead you tried to run and hide from me. I guess I should have seen it coming, that you would fall out of love with me, not want me anymore, and if you wish me to leave I will because I can’t keep doing this, I can’t keep living with you and not being your husband and having to watch you with the likes of Snape and doing house-elf chores, my wife shouldn’t be doing that.” You don’t know when your tears started to fall but you just watched Sirius, pain flashed across his face as he spoke. Releasing your hand he gripped your face in both of his large ones, thumbs lightly stroking across your cheeks to wipe your tears, he looked into your eyes with pain and longing, “I love you so much y/n, I always have and I always will. All I want to do is care for you, comfort in your darkest days, be the reasons there's a smile on your beautiful face, be the husband I should have been for the last twelve years but if you don’t want me here, if you don’t want to be my wife then please, just tell me, because this is killing me.”

You stared desperately into his grey eyes, tears starting to form in the corner of them, threatening to spill free to match your own. “Sirius'' his name came out no louder than a whisper as you struggled to think of what to say in response, internally cursing yourself for ever thinking he didn’t love you anymore, all this time you had wasted, the tears, depression, anxiety, and pain that you didn’t have to live through. Taking a deep shuddering breath in, you moved your hands up to hold onto his wrists. “Sirius Black I could never stop loving you, you’re my whole world aside from Harry. All this time, I never wanted to ignore you, Merlin, I’ve spent hours contemplating speaking to you but I was so afraid. Afraid that you wouldn’t want me anymore, you’ve been in Azkaban for so long, I couldn’t be sure that the feelings I held for you, you felt the same for me.” The lonely ache that you had become used to over the past few weeks started to ease in the pit of your stomach as Sirius’ shoulders relaxed slightly but a frown crossed over his face.

“But you’ve been sleeping in the guest bedroom, and the way you’ve been acting with Snape, I thought-” as he spoke your friend's name he spat it out with as much venom as possible, you refrained from rolling your eyes at him.

“I didn’t want to overstep by sharing a bed with you and with Severus, he's been… helping me with something.” Your eyes dropped down to the floor, not knowing how to explain yourself. “Do you remember when my parents were killed, during our last year at Hogwarts and I- I did something stupid.” You tried to think of the right words but you couldn’t, instead, you glanced up quicking at Sirius as he seemed to understand what you were referencing, his frown softening as he looked at you with even more sadness so instead of talking, you pulled down your sleeve. Sirius released his grasp on your face and held your arm.

“Oh darling, I knew you were hurting but this?” You bit your lip to hold in the sob that was building in your throat. Sirius' gaze left your arm and returned to your face, stroking your cheek.. “Let me just make sure I’m correct here when I say that we’ve both been wanting the same thing for all of these weeks?” You smiled lightly, nodding at him as his face started to relax, returning your smile. “Sometimes I think James was right when he said that I was the dumbest Marauder.” You laughed, the noise-like music to his ears as he pulled you close, his smell washing over you, finding the most comfort that you’ve had in years. “Why don’t we start again? We’ve been married for 15 years and I’ve been gone for twelve, we’re practically newly married still”, both of your grins widening as you didn’t dare blink, wanting to spend eternity looking at the joy on his face.

“I’d like that Sirius, I’m sorry for everyth-”

“No, please don’t apologise you’ve done nothing wrong, my love, let’s just take this slow. Starting with no more house chores.” He swiped his wand into the air and the washing up started to magically be completed. “No wife of mine is getting her hands dirty doing menial tasks, and if you want anything done then ask me, I want to take care of you so please, allow me that luxury.” You nodded in agreement as he added, “And please, move back into our room, I’m not saying anything has to happen, I’ll sleep on the floor if you want me to, I just want you close to me.”

You didn’t verbally answer, instead, you placed both hands onto the lapels of his jacket and stepped onto your tiptoes, planting the softest kiss to his lips that you could possibly do. His eyes slide shut, arms wrapping around your back as he leaned down to rest his forehead on top of yours. “Of course, I will do all of those things with you. I will forever be yours, Mr. Black and I’ll stay with you tonight, and the night after, and forevermore.”

Sirius' smile nearly reached ear to ear at your words, not being able to hold back anymore as he leaned down to kiss your lips passionately. His beard tickled your cheeks as your hands held onto his cheeks, feeling wet droplets hitting them and you were sure he felt the exact same as you both cried with joy. His lips felt like home, the feeling being one that made you feel safe, loving every single thing about this man and him feeling the exact same for you. Sirius leaned back, looking deeply into your eyes he reached up to take one of your hands, “well then Mrs. Black, I think it’s about time we both went to bed, don’t you agree? I don’t know about you but I’m ready to have the best night's sleep I’ve had in twelve years, what do you say?”

You took a step back towards the stairs, tugging on his hand so you both started walking in the direction of your bedroom. “I think that’s the best idea you’ve ever had, my love.” Turning, you pulled him up the stairs, Sirius waving his wand to turn the lights off as you stopped at the guest bedroom. “Go ahead, I’m just getting my nightdress, I promise I’ll be with you in a moment”. Sirius nodded, hand on hip he leaned down to place a delicate kiss on your forehead before moving onto the bedroom, the beating of your heart not slowing as you watched him walk away. Your hands shook with adrenaline as you changed, trying not to sprint to the bedroom.

As you entered, Sirius stood in the centre of the room, pillow in hand, eyes traveling down your body to see that your so-called nightdress was actually one of the muggle shirts that he’d purchased to piss off his parents as a teenager. You began to speak but cut yourself off, questioningly looking at the pillow in his hand. “I told you I didn’t want to overstep y/n, I’ll be just fine sleeping on the floor.”

You tried to hide your smile at his thoughts, slowly sauntering over. You took the pillow from his hands and threw it onto the bed. “No husband of mine is sleeping on the floor.” He sheepishly smiled down at you as you both moved towards the bed, one that you’d spent the last twelve years sleeping in on your own but now, it smelt only of him and you nearly cried out with joy as you both finally pulled the duvet back and climbed in. Instantly you placed your head on his chest, his warm arms wrapped around you, kissing the top of your head once more, the beating of his heart beneath your ear. “I love you, Sirius”.

“I love you too, I promise, I won’t ever leave your side again, thank you for always believing in me.” You both fell into the first peaceful sleep you’d experienced in years.

[jmagnabo92]

Letters to Harry part 1

These letters were written by Sirius during 5th year and Harry finds them after traveling back in time on accident.  So little snippet from then.  

Sirius and Harry Saturday (even if Saturday has not started yet).

***

Dear Harry,

           I’m sorry that I wasn’t as focused as I should’ve been this year, if I had been, I could’ve told you these stories in person, but as I wrote before, I have this feeling that we won’t have time in the future.  It had taken an attack last summer for Dumbledore to move you to the Headquarters, and Dumbledore had only allowed you to come to my house for the holidays because of what happened to Arthur.  I have this awful feeling that he doesn’t think I should be around you. That’s the real reason I gave you the mirror that I forgot to remind you about, and that’s the real reason that I didn’t tell you what it was in front of everyone.  I just have this sense that someone would tell Dumbledore and he would take it away.  

           Anyway, I know that I was telling you the story of our Hogwarts years, but I was thinking about you today, about when you were born.  Even when Lily had discovered she was pregnant with you. James had gone out to the store, and Lily and I were home alone.  I had my own place, but I was more at home with James and Lily.  We were all living in Potter Manor in the summer of ’79 (even after the marriage in December of ’78), but after losing your grandparents, James and I, we couldn’t live there anymore, it felt…wrong.  So, we – they – moved to a different property, more of a cabin or cottage on the outskirts of a lovely wizarding village in Wales.  

           Back to what I was saying, James was out, and Lily was nauseous for weeks after Halloween.  It was early December, which was why Lily tried to hide that she was still sick. Anyway, she had obviously been suspecting something, and I found her sitting on the ledge of the tub in the bathroom staring at the muggle pregnancy stick (apparently, she preferred the muggle tests), completely shocked.  

           It hadn’t taken long for her to tell me that she was pregnant, and she was so worried that James and I wouldn’t be happy, but we were.  Of course, we were also scared, the idea of bringing a child into a world full of war was terrifying, but we couldn’t wait to meet you. Although excited, and happy about a new baby, James fainted when we told him.  I didn’t let him live it down for weeks.  By Christmas, he was going out to the store and buying all sorts of things for you.  We had Christmas presents for you before you were even born.  

           I know that you …haven’t known love or that we loved you before because of the Dursleys, but I want you to know that we did love you, I still love you more than anything.  I know that I’ve never said it, it just didn’t feel right to say in front of other people, and no one lets me be alone with you… but I love you so much.  You’ve always been our little prongslet – although Lily preferred ‘fawn’ – and I preferred ‘pup’, especially now, I think that if you were going to become an Animagus you’d be dog more than a deer.  If only because despite your leadership skills, you prefer to blend in rather than stand out.  

           Damn it, I hear Molly yelling for me.  I swear it’s like she comes here just to drive me crazier than I already am.

           Look, pup, I love you, you’re my son, godson, whatever.  You’re the only family I have left, and I just want you to know that you mean the world to me.  

           I’ll write again, soon.

           Always, Sirius

[jamilelucato]

Popcorn Taste [F.W]

Pairing: Fred Weasley x reader

Summary: It’s a bit awkward spending Christmas in the Burrow after what happened between you and Fred.

Warning: there’s a drunk scene, but the characters are not underage; fluffy;

A/N: of course I’m participating in my own challenge, why not? So this is Day 7- Making A Popcorn Garland for the A Very Harry Potter Christmas with @whack-ed​

Harry Potter Masterlist ||  Musical Hogwarts Series

Generally, being invited to spend the holidays with the Weasley was all you could’ve wished. This year, however, staying in that small house locked with tons of red-heads was not your first goal.

Nevertheless, when the letter arrived, there was nothing you could do but sigh and reply with “thanks for the invite; yes, I’m coming; no, I’m not bringing someone with me.”

Mrs and Mr Weasley had a special place in your heart — for all the days they allowed you to stay with them, particularly during the dark times of war, and after it, when you were alone. You had no choice but to show up and, fair enough, it wasn’t all that bad. You liked the older couple; you always laughed around Bill; Charlie had unique stories to tell, and even Percy remained quite pleasant and able to communicate when you were around.

It was the next son in line that worried your guts and caused the butterflies in your stomach to fly around.

You took one last look at your flat before holding tight to your luggage before Apparating to the Burrow. It was one week before Christmas, but it was the exact day — and time — that Mrs Weasley had written for you to show up.

CRACK!

The loud sound (of what probably used to be) a vase breaking echoed in the house, and you involuntarily ducked, even though there was no one in the living room to see you.

“[y/n]? Is that you?” Molly’s voice found its way to where you were still scared to move and break something else.

“It’s me, Molly,”— she would never allow you to call her Mrs Weasley in front of her — “and I think I broke something.”

She found her way to the living room, carefully stepping away from the broken pieces and reaching for you with her hands, firstly cupping your face and squeezing your cheeks before pulling you in a proper hug.

“It’s okay, dear! I’m so happy you came,” she whispered in your ear, before pulling you away and reaching for your luggage, not even asking if you wanted help.

“She’s been talking about you all week.”

At first, the voice seemed familiar, and it made you shiver until Molly stepped out of your sight and revealed the real speaker, standing near the door sill — and although he looked a lot like who you thought he was, he still wasn’t him.

“Hi, George,” you smiled sympathetically, slowly moving towards the younger twin, paying attention not to step on the broken vase.

He received you with a quick but tight hug. When you pulled away, your eyes searched for the other half of that pair, but you didn’t find the other identical face.

“Fred’s coming later,” George explained the question that you didn’t ask aloud.

“I wasn’t looking for him,” you denied with some charm, more out of fear of Molly listening and having second thoughts than fear of George finding out what was going on in the dark corners of your mind.

After all, you were pretty sure that George already knew.

When you surreptitiously looked back, however, Molly and her bags were no longer in the room.

“Since Mum’s taking care of your accommodation, come help me with de-gnoming the yard,” George suggested, putting one of his long arms over your shoulders and pulling you close.

“I thought this job was Ron’s,” you said, having a vague memory of a Christmas years ago, “and Potter’s.”

George smiled. “Ronniekins and Harriekins are only coming later in the night,” he explained, guiding you out of the Burrow. “But I think you’ll like to see who’s helping me out in the yard.”

As soon as he opened the door to the back, your eyes scanned the place, soon finding red hair in the wind, too long to belong to any other Weasley but: “Bill!!” you shouted, running towards him.

Bill smiled when he turned and saw you, and greeted you with a warm hug, as he always did when you spent days at the Burrow and felt left out.

“Hi, little one,” he stroked your hair before putting you back on the ground. “I think we have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Tell me about it! You’ll never know...” Bill let you vent until you saw the platinum blond woman coming towards the three of you, and she had a hand positioned at the end of her belly as if it was too heavy to carry. “Oh, my Merlin!!!”

Bill chuckled at your reaction at his pregnant wife.

You rushed to get closer to Fleur, afraid she was too slow because of the child she carried in her womb, but you slowed down when you got close, scared you could hurt her.

“Fleur! I can’t believe it! Can I...?” you looked down at where her hands were placed.

“Sure,” she said with her French accent still very strong. She smiled at you while you delicately pressed your hands on her belly, trying to feel the life growing on her. 

“How long...?”

“Four months,” Bill answered from behind you. “We wanted to be sure before telling the family.”

“And you were right in doing so,” you said between gasps of surprise — you were still very much fascinated with it. “Hey, George, when are you and Angelina....”

“Don’t even start!” he interrupted you in a protest and soon everybody was laughing, just like old times.

--

You weren’t surprised when, after a long two hours of de-gnoming the backyard and a well-deserved hot bath, you found your suitcase in the twins’ room.

Molly had installed you there for two reasons. The first was that gradually over the day, the rest of the Weasley siblings were arriving, and so the rooms filled up.

Bill and his wife stayed in his room; Percy and his wife switched places with Ginny in search of a larger one, so Ginny and Hermione were cramped in Percy’s old small room. Ron and Harry would share Ron’s room upstairs, and Charlie had his room to himself, as it was also a tiny room.

Therefore, the only room large enough to accommodate an extra mattress was the twins’.

The second reason was that you had been used to sleeping there since you were fifteen when on the hottest summer nights you ran away from Ginny’s room and were welcomed next to Fred and George. When you were a teen, you believed you did a great job being discreet, but now at 21, you reconsidered that maybe Molly always knew, but pretended not to see.

You quickly changed, afraid the boys could come in at any moment. You had heard Fred’s voice — Merlin, you’d recognize it at any distance — when you were getting out of the bathroom, so you were extra nervous when you left the room and headed to the kitchen, where the majority of the family was. Except for Fleur who needed to rest and Percy, his wife and Charlie that were in the living room.

“Here, she is!” Fred’s voice greeted you in that heartwarming way that only he had, and with just a couple of steps he reached you and held you in a tight hug, slightly taking your feet off the ground. 

“Hi, Freddie,” you whispered in his ear with a chuckle while he put you back on the floor. You saw his cheeks turning red because of the nickname and thought it was the cutest thing ever.

“Hope you’re hungry,” said George from behind Fred, but you couldn’t see him — Fred was your only view at that moment.

“Always am, Weasley,” you replied, placing your hands in the back pockets of your jeans and walking towards the smell of warm food. You had no idea what it was — you always sucked with scents — but it looked good. Fred turned in the direction you were walking, watching you.

Like you, he was scared to death that you both would be startled the next time you saw each other, but as soon as his eyes met yours, he couldn’t contain the joy and desire to at least embrace you.

The thing was, last time you two had seen each other was on a party in the twins flat, and, after a couple of drinks, you ended up kissing Fred in a bathroom. It actually happened like this:

“What are you doing here?” Fred asked when you stepped in the small bathroom of his room. He wasn’t angry, just surprised. Besides, he wasn’t naked or something — he had already done whatever he needed to do in the bathroom, but he needed to wash his hands before leaving.

“I know you said for us to use the guest bathroom, but whoever is in there hasn’t left since,” you sighed, staring at him slowly, taking your time to appreciate the view, “and I need to pee.”

“Oh, I’ll leave.”

“Please, don’t,” you said, a bit too fast. Even drunk, you noticed that you didn’t even hesitate. “It’s just... I’ll get lost in here alone.”

Fred looked around. He was drunk too, but he still had a clear idea that his flat wasn’t at all that big.

“Okay,” he agreed slowly, unsure of what else to say. He then turned to face the door, allowing you to do whatever you needed to do with some privacy.

Deep down, he loved the idea of being in a small room with you. It’s just, he was drunk, so it wasn’t the first scenario he had in mind.

“You can turn now,” you said; your voice followed by the sound of the flush. You stepped closer to the sink — there really wasn’t much space there — and after washing your hands, you were left to confront your darkest fears.

Fred stared down at you, his head above yours just like always, only this time, he was so close that it was almost terrifying. It made you weak in the knees. And you were so drunk...

“Kiss me.”

“Huh?” Fred shocked his head. He had heard you, he just wasn’t sure you wanted to make his wildest dreams come true.

“Kiss me, Freddie,” oh, the nickname — it was his weak spot, and he was so close now. Your hands cupped his cheekbone.

“You are drunk,” he stated, noticing that at any other circumstances, you wouldn’t have the balls.

“So are you,” you smiled, leaning closer to him and finally ending the last millimetres that were in your way.

Both of you remembered the kiss, even though the approach seemed to be like it never happened. It didn’t last much — someone knocked on the door, asking for Fred, saying they needed to say good-bye, and so he left you alone in that bathroom with just your thoughts and his smell all over you.

It had been two months since the kiss, and you two ignored each other since. Some nights, you wish you could’ve forgotten it, but how could you when every time you closed your eyes your brain replayed the moment?

--

“Lost in thoughts?” asked Molly as she placed some food in your plate during dinner.

You stared at her — truly lost in thoughts. She smiled, forcing you to smile back, but the corner of your mind was still thinking about Fred and the fact that in a couple of hours you’d be sleeping in his room. With him.

Dinner went well, and even the late hours by the fire — even though Ginny and Ron left you to sit on the floor. It was easy to distract yourself from Fred when he had like, a ton of other siblings to talk to. And unfortunately, that’s what you did — avoided talking to only him the whole night.

When you finally gathered enough courage, you went to the bedroom, already in your pyjamas. You came across a snoring George (how easy it was for him to sleep, it was a mystery), but Fred’s bed was still empty.

As you entered the room trying to make as little noise as possible, you realized that there was already a body on your mattress on the floor.

“Fred?”

Red hair fluttered, and in the dim light of the only candle in the room, you saw Fred’s eyes shine when they met you.

“What are you doing on my mattress?”

“Yours?” he asked in a voice not as low as yours. Perhaps he knew the limits of his brother’s hearing better than you. “You didn’t think I was going to let you sleep on the floor, did you?”

“Fred, please, it wouldn’t be a bother...”

“[y/n], just accept my bed for today. ’M already very well settled here to leave,” he debated, gesturing with his neck towards himself, where he really looked comfortable under a thick blanket.

You sighed, knowing very well, after years of being Fred and George’s best friend that there was no point with arguing. So you jumped on his old bed, trying to find a position, but already knowing it’d take you at least a couple of hours to finally sleep.

In a quick and not calculated movement, your head ended up turned on the pillow, making your breathing more limited, thus having to breathe through it.

It was a bad idea because, without warning, Fred’s scent invaded your nostrils. It wasn’t a bad smell, quite the contrary — it was very much inviting and, knowing that Fred was only less than a meter from you and remembering the taste of his kiss, sleeping was suddenly impossible that night.

You sighed, but could not move, paralyzed in that position — it was as if your body was addicted to his scent, and you wanted more and more. When you finally fell asleep, the dream that invaded your subconscious was not much different than what you imagined before you went to sleep.

--

“Popcorn duty?” asked Fred, catching up to you with just a couple of large steps.

“Yeah,” you sighed, trying not to sound so disappointed. Of course, spending time with Fred was marvellous, but since you kissed him and he never mentioned it again, it kinda seemed fair to you not want to be alone with him.

Fred didn’t notice something off with your tone, so he kept walking next to you towards the kitchen, where Molly had told you the popcorn was.

Placing yourselves next to each other, you were left responsible for holding the fishing wire, and Fred was in charge of the popcorn. You handed the point of the wire for him, who sought advice with his eyes.

You helped him with your hands — this time, you were the one to blush with the touch. You did not expect his hands to be so warm in the middle of winter.

“Do you reckon Mum would mind if we ate one?” he asked, raising a single popcorn up. “Or two?”

You chuckled at his worries, looking down at the bowl filled with old popcorn. You had no idea why he thought that was delicious. It still smelled like good popcorn, but you knew that, for these types of garlands, it needed to be ready, like, at least, one week earlier.

“They don’t look very appetizing to me,” you commented, tilting your head towards him, holding tightly to the wire since Fred seemed reckless with the thing.

“Ah,” Fred sighed, using the popcorn that he was about to eat to place in the garland. He seemed to be getting the hang of it by now. “Well, I’m just hungry,” he shrugged innocently.

“I bet. It’s not like you just ate breakfast, right?” you chuckled, and Fred joined, looking at you with the same sparkly eyes that captured your heart when you were just a kid. He had no idea that you have been liking him for so long.

“I’ll tell you what, before we go to bed, we can watch a movie and I’ll make you new popcorn,” you offered after a moment of silence. Fred wasn’t the quiet type of guy, so when the room was filled with it, something was definitely wrong.

He smiled with the opportunity you gave him. “Asking me on a date, [y/n]?”

You elbowed him, laughing nervous first, but when you realized that he was just teasing you, your laugh became more real. It was so easy to have fun with Fred.

After a few years of romantically craving him so strongly, you had forgotten that he was also a great friend.

“You wish, Weasley,” you chuckled.

Charlie walked in the kitchen, followed by Ron, and both of the brothers stared at you two for a while before getting back to what they planned on doing.

“Having fun?” asked Charlie with the cutest British mixed with Romanian accent ever.

You exchanged looks with Fred.

“No, he’s pretty boring,” you shrugged, before dropping your act and laughing out loud. 

“[y/n] won’t let me eat the popcorn,” Fred said, getting on board with your joke.

“That’s not what I said,” you raised a brow. Ron was about to roll his eyes, very much tired of your thing with Fred. He remembered you two back in school and how annoying and oblivious you two were. He was just like that with Hermione, but you were never the one to point it out. 

“I said that this popcorn is old,” you reached for one yourself, “and disgusting.”

“Are you complaining about Mum’s food?” Fred asked, dropping the wire over the table and crossing his arms, trying to look intimidating.

“She didn’t make it for us to eat it,” you pointed out. 

Charlie was leaned in the sink counter, watching the scene with a glass of water in his hands, trying hard not to laugh at the fact that you two were acting like an old couple. It kinda reminded him of when he was younger, and Arthur and Molly couldn’t stop arguing about what to do with the too-big-to-enter-the-house Christmas Tree.

“Let’s go, Charlie,” Ron called his older brother. “The ball ornaments won’t paint themselves.”

“You guys are painting the ornaments?” you expression suddenly turned blue. Fred looked down at you, feeling worried. “Oh, I wish I was painting.”

Fred bit his lip before suggesting “Why don’t you go with them? I think I can finish this myself.”

You looked from the bowl of popcorn still full with it to Fred, who had the cutest of faces. 

“Nah, you need me,” you said and then gulped at the double meaning of your words. “I mean, need me to finish this.”

Charlie and Ron exchanged suspicious looks while Fred stared at you, smiling with his eyes.

“Should we...?” Ron whispered to Charlie, who just placed his hands in the youngest’s back and pushed it.

“Just go,” Charlie whispered back, leaving you and Fred to get back to your own rhythm with things, distracted with each other.

--

When the popcorn garlands where ready, the tree was already inside the house — job done by Arthur and Bill. They had picked a beautiful tree (and to Charlie’s relief, this one fit the house).

Ginny and Hermione were the two focusing on placing the decorations on the right places, following the orders of Molly and Fleur (although the girls seemed to be paying attention only to Molly’s suggestions).

You were about to sit in the middle of Fred and George in the couch when Ron, Charlie, Percy and his wife walked in the house, holding a big transparent box filled with painted balls.

“Ow, let me see them!” you rushed next to Charlie and deepened your hands inside. “Are they still fresh?”

“No,” Charlie replied, noticing you were scared of ruining the ornaments.

The first one your hands touched you brought up, noticing it had two different names on it. In one side, [y/n] was written, but the other had Fred on it.

“Why two names?” you really wanted to ask why it was yours and Fred’s, but there were too many people on the room.

Ron and Charlie gulped, while Percy and his wife exchanged happy side looks.

“Mum wanted two names in each because she felt like our names were too short,” said Ron, but his explanation didn’t please anyone on the room, “or something,” he added a second later.

You placed the ball in your hands back in the box, and Charlie offered you a sympathetic smile.

You headed back to the couch, watching the girls finish placing the ornaments. Molly walked in, with a lot of bags on her hand, so Bill and George got up to help, leaving you and Fred on the couch alone.

“So... our date’s still up?”

You turned your face to him, at first confused, but then giggling.

“It’s not a date.”

“Did you invite anyone else?” he asked, leaning closer to you involuntarily.

“No,” you said as if it was clear.

“Then it is a date,” he smirked. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone you asked me out.”

“Oh, shove off, Weasley,” you pushed him slightly, both of you laughing. Oh, how you wanted it to be a real date.

But sure it wasn’t. It couldn’t be, right? you wondered, staring at him from the corner of your eye.

--

“Okay, they’re gone,” Fred said, calling you from the stairs. You left his room on tiptoes, scared of waking the house up and reached him at the bottom of the staircase.

You two waited for everyone to leave the living room — where the only TV in the house could be found — and pretended to go to bed as well. When Fred’s watch pointed to one in the morning, he shook your arm slightly (waking you up but you’d never confess you had slept) and you both left for your adventure.

“So what movie did you get us?”

He turned to face you, who was sitting in the couch, bringing the blanket you had taken with yourself closer to your chin.

“While You Were Sleeping,” he answered. “Seemed to be the youngest Mum had around.”

“It’s a romance,” you pointed out, tilting your head provocatively.

“It’s not a...” Fred looked up to the TV where Sandra Bullock started walking around the streets. “It’s a romance,” he sighed, defeated.

You chuckled. “I like it. But do you?”

“Ahn,” he seemed lost in thought. “It doesn’t matter.”

You had no idea what that meant, but you gave him some room to sit next to you in the couch and for him to get under the covers, while the popcorn in your lap kept you two moving your mouths.

The movie seemed quite pleasant, but it was hard to pay attention when Fred’s smell was all over you once again, the only smell your body had no problem identifying.

You gulped in the dark. “Are you enjoying it?” you asked, sure that romantic movies could not possibly be Fred’s favourite genre.

“Yep,” he answered a bit too fast. Suspicious, you thought.

“Who’s your favourite character?” you decided to test him.

“The girl.”

“Why’s that?” his answers seemed too generic so when replied this last question you made, you were surprised.

“She likes the guy, but she’s afraid to give up what she idealized. She’s scared of the new,” he said, and although the answer appeared accurate to the movie, something told you he was not talking about Sandra Bullock’s character.

You turned to face him, noticing that he was way closer to you then you thought. Perhaps all the warm did not come from only the blanket. Fred gulped when he saw you staring at him.

“I think she has a valid reason for that.”

The corners of his lips raised just a little. “What’s that?”

“The guy hasn’t been very clear about what he wants either.”

Fred gulped, feeling his cheeks burn. You were right — he wasn’t talking about the movie character.

“Kiss me.”

Oh, the sentence that has been hunting both of you down this time was voiced by Fred Weasley and that could have not left you more speechless.

So you knew what you had to do, after all, the guy was being very clear about what he wanted.

Your lips met his, this time with no rush. It was like when a hummingbird meets a flower — delicate, even though deep down very much desperate.

At this moment, you two were alone, and you had time, and you weren’t drunk. This time was going to be perfect, and Merlin, how it was! Fred had this unique way of touching you softly but fervently, and each time his hands changed position, your body twisted, wanting more, wanting him to kiss you everywhere, hoping he wouldn’t go away.

When you two finally parted, after several attempts to do so, but neither wanting to stop kissing yet, he smirked down at you, leaving your body in his embrace.

“You taste like popcorn,” he said, breaking the silence of the living room since the movie had ended and neither of you had noticed.

“I hope it’s the good one,” you smiled too, feeling surrendered to his charms.

It was good to have him around you, his body twisted with yours, and it was even best to know that he wanted you as much or even more than you craved him.

“It’s the best one,” he said, before kissing you again.

[joyfulnoisexoxo]

Who Needs Family Anyway?

Summary: The Weasleys take you in when you get kicked out of your toxic pureblood home and treat you as one of their own, showing you everything you missed out on growing up.

When they find out you never got to celebrate your birthday, they promise to make your next one absolutely incredible.

But it seems promises don't mean as much as you thought they did...

***

Warnings: Just angst and sadness, I hurt myself with this one.

I kind of hate it but I'm posting it anyways because it took forever

Word Count: 3078

A/N: So Charlie exists, also your birthday is July 21st in this story

Happy Reading! :)

Today was the day that you had been so excited for all year since you moved in with the Weasleys.

July 21st.

Just a little over a year ago your pureblood supremacist of a mother had disowned you. It was three days before your birthday and the two of you had gotten into a bigger fight than usual about the “idiotic blood traitors and mudbloods!” you were friends with at school, which resulted in some nasty spells from her doing more damage than should be possible and her throwing you out of the house, not even giving you the slightest chance to grab some of your things.

You had spent the next week sleeping on park benches and trying to get a proper meal with what little money you had on you before Mrs. Weasley had found you in the road while she was shopping for some groceries. Once you explained what had happened between you and your mother, Molly didn’t even bat an eye before insisting that you come home with her.

After a bit of resistance from you and insistence from Molly, you finally agreed to go home with her. She apparated the both of you to the burrow where you found nearly the whole Weasley clan (and Harry) somewhat shocked by your sudden appearance.

You were very good friends with Ginny, despite being in Rons year, and you were one of George and Fred’s favourite students in the years below them. Because of that you were fairly well-known and liked among the Weasleys, however, they all knew that they would never have a chance of seeing you during holidays due to your parents and their strong feelings concerning the whole pureblood supremacy deal.

Molly had gently escorted you inside and towards a couch in the living area of the burrow, all the while quietly reassuring you that everything would be alright and letting you feel the first sense of comfort you had felt since the beginning of that summer break.

Once your situation had been explained to them, the rest of the family had welcomed you in with a warmth you hadn’t known existed before your years at Hogwarts.

While telling them about what happened, you also mentioned the fact that you were on the street through your birthday. They were all shocked when they learned that not only would your mother go to such extremes, but she would do so mere days before your birthday!

You had shocked them all even further when you offhandedly mentioned that your birthday was never really celebrated in your house, your mother had always said it was unbecoming of a lady to fuss over such frivolous occasions.

Each and every one of them that were present immediately assured you that next year, they will make sure you have the best birthday possible to make up for all the lost years. Fred and George spoke up promising that they would show you what real family looks like while Ginny simply hugged you tight, not wanting one of her best friends to be hurt any longer.

You had settled in with them quite quickly after having Arthur apparate you to your mothers house to pick up your things, including the key to your personal vault at Gringotts. After all, the Weasleys were already so gracious in taking you in, they shouldn’t have to pay for everything you need especially with the amount of children in the house already.

During the Christmas break that year, you got to meet Bill and Charlie. They immediately accepted you as their second little sister, showing you so much brotherly love in such a short amount of time that it was nearly suffocating.

Fast forward to the current day, the middle of summer break, your one year anniversary of living with the Weasleys fast approaching, your birthday just a few days before.

You were so excited to spend your birthday with them all since they told you the year before that they’d make it fun for you. Molly had even put a big red mark on her kitchen calendar just to make sure she’d remember.

Honestly, you didn’t have very high expectations, you really would be more than satisfied with anything really, the only things you hoped for were that they would have a cake for you, and that they would remember.

The night before your birthday you fell asleep in your shared room with Ginny, with a soft smile on your face in anticipation of spending tomorrow with the people you love. You hadn’t officially called them your family yet, your hesitance mainly due to your “family” you grew up with.

However, in that moment you were sure that this time you had chosen the exact right people.

They were your family.

***

You woke up the next morning with excitement running through your body as you practically jumped out of bed. You looked to the other side of the room, expecting to see Ginny, only to realize that her bed was already empty meaning she must have been downstairs already.

You shrugged a little to yourself as you quickly got changed into a comfy summer outfit and made your way down to the kitchen. Once you walked in, you saw Molly standing at the stove using her wand to finish cooking what looked like eggs, Arthur sitting at the table reading the Daily Prophet with a cup of coffee and Percy sitting across from him, staring into space looking as though he were trying to collect all the inner peace he could before the day fully started.

Arthur glanced up from the newspaper as he heard you enter the room.

“Ah good morning y/n! Fine day isn’t it?”

Although you might’ve been expecting some sort of birthday greeting, you just brushed it off and returned his greeting with a “Yes sir, I’m looking forward to today.”

Percy gave you a slight nod in acknowledgement as you passed him, which you returned with a smile and wave.

“Hello Molly!” You greeted her as you walked in her direction.

“Good morning, y/n, dear. Say, would you mind going to wake up Ron? He should have been out of bed a full thirty minutes ago but I still haven’t seen him! Honestly sometimes that boy really just gets on my nerves, he needs to learn to wake himself up or he’ll sleep his life away.”

You interrupted Mollys ramblings with a quick “No worries, I’ll go wake him up.”

Feeling slightly disappointed that nobody had said anything yet about your birthday you trudged out of the kitchen and started up the stairs. You were most of the way to Ron's room when a red-headed blur zoomed past you down the stairs with a loud laugh. Not 10 seconds later, a large violet-headed blur all but flew down after it with a distinctive scream of “GEORGE TURN MY HAIR BACK TO RED NOW!” only to be followed by a “But Fred you look so much better with the purple!”

Chuckling to yourself at the twins' antics you, oh so helpfully, added “like a very pretty grape” from your spot on the stairs before taking the last couple steps up to Ron's room.

You walked into the room without bothering to knock, already knowing it would take much more than that to wake the boy up.

You glanced over at the boy sleeping soundly as you thought to yourself ‘Aw he looks so peaceful’ and as that thought passed through your mind you knew exactly what you would do. Turning yourself back towards the entryway you reached for the door handle. Then, all at once, you slammed the door shut as hard as you possibly could while simultaneously launching yourself backwards, effectively crushing a very shocked and still extremely sleepily-dazed Ron.

He had shot upwards out of his deep sleep with a yelp, awoken by the sound of the door slamming, which meant that when you landed on him he got shoved sideways, falling off the bed entirely.

“Why, y/n/n? Why do you choose to make my existence miserable?”

“Because I’m basically your sister at this point so I know you love me even when I’m mean. Also, if you tried to get me back Molly would ground you for ages” you responded with a laugh causing him to roll his eyes good-naturedly because you both knew there was definitely truth behind your words.

“Whatever, y/n.” He grumbled as he stood up and began moving around the room sluggishly attempting to find some clothes for the day.

Again being a bit confused at why even Ron hadn’t said anything about your birthday yet you tried to prompt it out of him hoping he would say something.

“Hey, Ron, what day is it?”

“Maybe the 21st? The 22nd possibly? How should I know?” He spoke, still seeming disgruntled at being yanked away from his precious slumber. He let out a comment of “What do I look like, the bloody calendar? Honestly.” Although it was more to himself than you as he walked towards the door to exit the room, you felt your heart sink a little more.

It seemed like most of them had forgotten your birthday and you couldn’t help but feel incredibly let down.

You dragged yourself out of Ron’s room and headed back to the kitchen to get something to eat. You joined the rest of the family at the table, quietly reaching for some of the toast laying out on a dish. They all carried on their separate conversations, filling the room with the usual loud chatter that would usually bring you so much comfort but today only made you feel even more forgotten. Ginny who was sitting next to you reached over to hug you from her seat, breaking away from conversation briefly.

“Good morning, y/n/n!” She pulled away from the hug and continued on, speaking softly. “Are you feeling okay? You seem a bit quiet this morning” to which you didn’t know quite how to respond.

Should you tell her that it was your birthday and see if that would change anything or should you not bring it up and see if anyone would remember your birthday at some point? Internally choosing the latter, you spoke in the same soft tone “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit of a headache is all.”

“Okay well let me know if there’s anything I can do to make you feel better” she gave you a sweet smile before turning back to her conversation with Percy about whatever studies he had read in days passed.

A single tear ran down your cheek as you silently excused yourself from the table, retreating to the landing just off the first floor where yours and Ginny's room was located.

You laid in bed with the covers over you for what could’ve easily been 2 or 3 hours, not answering Ginny the couple times she came to check on you, instead pretending to be asleep.

The day went on like this for the most part. Staying hidden in your bedroom, joining everybody for meals before returning to your room and telling them you had a headache when anyone would ask why you kept going back to your room.

You laid in bed wishing that once, just once, somebody would remember your birthday and care.

That somebody would show a sign that they remembered this day. That they remembered you.

It wasn’t until after the sun began to set that you went downstairs to sit in the living room with the rest of the family and settled into an armchair with a book you had been meaning to read.

Everybody was busying themselves with their own individual activities; Ron winning a game of wizards chess against Percy, Ginny reading a book she got last Christmas about quidditch plays and tactics, George and Fred working on a new creation that does Merlin knows what, while Arthur was reading and Molly was elsewhere.

Every Weasley member seemed content, and despite the noise coming from everyone in the room (mostly the twins) it felt oddly peaceful.

But of course, nothing lasts forever.

You were reminded of this fact when the door to the burrow burst open to reveal a very tired, somewhat disheveled looking Bill and an overly hyper Charlie, both with big smiles on their faces regardless of their contrasting appearances.

“It took an overpriced trip on the Knight Bus, two dragons, and a very hesitant peacock, but we’re here now!” Charlie announced to the room, a proud smile on his face.

“Now where is our little Iris?” Bill asked with an equally proud smile.

That was the nickname Bill and Charlie had given you.

When you had met them during the previous Christmas break they had been informed of your old home situation as well as your birthday and how everybody was planning to make it extra fun for you when the time came around. After hearing all of that and noticing your optimistic attitude despite all you’d been through, they nicknamed you ‘little Iris’ because the iris flower represents hope and courage as well as the fact that it normally blooms in July, right around your birthday.

**You can blame Bill for the overly detailed flower nickname - he went through a floral phase a few years back and still remembers everything he learned**

Back to the present moment, Molly must’ve entered the room to see what the ruckus was because she immediately ran over to her two eldest sons pulling both of them into one large hug with a short shout of excitement.

The rest of the Weasley siblings crowded their oldest brothers, exchanging hugs and greetings.

“What are you two doing here? I can’t say I’m complaining but what's the occasion?” Arthur inquired, putting his book down as everyone settled into their spots, some on couches, some on the floor.

“What do you mean ‘what’s the occasion’?” Bill asked, sending a puzzled glance in Charlie’s direction.

Charlie looked back at Bill, seeming just as confused as he was as he spoke once more.

“It’s y/n/n’s birthday of course!”

If you thought the family of gingers couldn’t get any more pale than they normally were, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Every single Weasley apart from two new arrivals blanched and turned to where you were hiding yourself underneath a blanket, guilt and understanding immediately flooding their expressions.

Charlie spoke again, still a bit confused at what was going on. “What's going on? Why am I not seeing any decorations or fireworks or-”

Bill placed a hand on Charlie’s shoulder, silently asking him to stop whatever was about to come out of his mouth before looking between each of his family members individually.

“Really?” was the first thing to come out of his mouth, accompanied by an expression on his face that could only be described as a mixture of blatant anger and disbelief. “How could you all possibly forget that it’s her birthday? Especially after making such a big deal of building it up all year! I cannot believe that you-”

Bill was starting to raise his voice, feeling very overprotective of the girl he thought of as a sister. However, the last thing you wanted to do was cause conflict between family members so you piped up, interrupting Bill before he could yell.

Sticking your head out of the blanket trying your hardest not to let them see the tears that were dropping from your eyes, you spoke up in a shaky voice “It’s alright Bill, it’s really not a big deal, I understand.”

Charlie stood next to Bill and chimed in, finally understanding what had happened.

“It’s not okay, y/n! You deserve to be celebrated on your birthday and most of it has just been wasted!” It felt like Bill and Charlie were only going to get more upset the more you said it was fine so without sparing a single glance towards the others, you stood from the chair and ran out of the room and up the stairs.

You climbed up the stairs, past yours and Ginny's room, up past the twins room and Percy’s room, not stopping until you reached the attic. You climbed into the attic, crawling through it, avoiding the Weasley family ghoul as best as you could in your tearful journey, and pulled yourself through the little window in the corner to sit on the ledge.

Living with the Weasleys has been great, but it’s a lot more chaotic than you’ve ever been used to dealing with year round so it didn’t take too long for you to find this little escape spot. You found it one night when you couldn’t sleep, just before going back to school, crawling out to sit on the little ledge with just enough room for a few people to sit comfortably with their legs dangling off the edge.

This was your safe haven on the occasions when the fun chaos of the Weasleys got to be too much.

You sat down and finally just let yourself breathe in the night air, looking up at the starry sky as the tears fell for what felt like the thousandth time that day.

You were still observing the stars above when you felt somebody sitting on either side of you.

“Happy birthday, little Iris. We’re sorry that it went so awful.”

Feeling so exhausted from all that the day had made you feel you couldn’t help yourself as you simply replied with “All I wanted was a cake, maybe a card too?”

Bill wrapped an arm around your shoulders and pulled you into his side as he spoke softly. “Well then it’s a good thing we came prepared, isn’t it Charlie?”

Charlie reached next to him and pulled a full size birthday cake, seemingly out of nowhere.

“Ta-daaaa! It’s your favourite kind too! Now, you’ll just have to imagine that there are candles lit on top of it because we didn’t have a chance to pick any up on the way here but hopefully it fits your birthday cake expectations regardless. Although we could probably find some sort of substitute somewhere, maybe one of Ron's f-”

“It’s perfect. Really, I love it so much and you both as well. Thank you for remembering, you’ve made this day a whole lot better.”

“Of course, anything for a sister of ours.”

“Happy birthday, y/n.”

~~~

If you liked it, please share and reblog!

<3

[helnjk]

If I Could Tell Her - H.P.

Harry Potter x reader

this is my next installment of my showtunes fic list. this is based on the song If I Could Tell Her from the musical Dear Evan Hansen. this is also the first fic i’ve posted for harry on here ! 

Word Count: 2.7k

Summary: nearly a year after the final battle, harry is still struggling to gain his bearings in the world. luckily she’s there to hold his hand along the way.

Warnings: mentions of food, & just a whole lot of mutual pining

lyrics are bolded & italicized

–

He just seemed so far away

Y/N took a deep breath.

With one foot in front of the other, she took a step and twisted to the right, feeling the familiar tightness that came with apparition. In the blink of an eye she found herself in front of the home that she and her friends had spent their summer before 5th year in. 

She chose to skip the knock on the door, opting instead to just let herself in. Many changes had been made to the house since it was the Order headquarters. The biggest and most obvious one being Harry taking up permanent residence in it. 

“Harry, love?” She called out, despite knowing that he would be where he always was. 

“In here!” A disembodied voice replied, coming from towards the end of the house. 

Like so many times before, Y/N found the dark haired boy in the kitchen. He was sat at the dining table, a few parchments spread messily in front of him and detailing the plans he had yet to accomplish for the renovations. 

The war had taken a toll on Harry, it had taken a toll on everyone really, but no one could blame him for wanting some time by himself for a while. They all knew how much he deserved to rest and recover.

But now, nearly a year after the final battle, Harry found himself less and less willing to venture out into the world again. It was as if everyone had started moving on and making progress with their lives without him. And in some ways, they were, but he couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that he was able to live a life without the looming threat of war on his shoulders. 

Instead, he focused his attention on the house left to him by his late godfather, and vowed to make a home in it. 

While most people left him to his own devices, Y/N knew that he craved companionship most days. Having been friends with him from the moment she stepped into the train compartment nearly eight years ago, she understood him more than most. So began the habit of popping by every so often to have a cup of tea and a chat. 

“Been hard at work, have you?” She smiled, taking a seat across from him. 

“Just trying to figure out what to do with the drawing room on the second floor,” He said and she noticed how his brows furrowed ever so slightly at the puzzle in front of him. 

“You mean the problem you’ve been ‘figuring out’” She used her fingers to make quotation marks, “For the last three weeks?” 

Harry didn’t answer, but she noticed him roll his eyes playfully. Y/N knew that this meant he was in a relatively good mood today, and he could take the barrage of news from the outside world that she had brought with her. 

So, she took a seat across from him and began her recount of the stories she heard throughout the week.

“So Bill and Fleur announced that they’re having a baby,” She began. 

–

The pair of them continued on with their regular routine, Harry would busy himself with his plans for Grimmauld Place while Y/N brought him up to date with the events of the outside world. Every so often, he would risk a glance up at her and the edges of her lips would curl up in a smile.

It was during these moments that Y/N always had to pause. It only took one look from Harry for her to become a puddle of unexplainable emotions. During the war, when they had gone on their horcrux hunt, there wasn’t any time to dwell on these things. Survival was always the top priority. But now, now she had months and months of these little interactions and her heart was finding it hard to ignore. 

She often found herself shaking her head and trying to clear her daydreams of the two of them. Too often she would fall asleep to images of her and Harry going on dates and pressing soft kisses on each other’s lips. But she knew in her heart that that was all they were, daydreams and fantasies. 

Harry needed her as a friend, and she could give him that. 

As the afternoon wore on, she remembered the main reason for her visit that day. 

Harry was in the process of clearing up the cluttered table and she took the opportunity to bring it up, “So there’s going to be lunch at the Burrow this Sunday.” 

His movements paused. She continued, “And I was hoping that you would come with me. Molly always has loads of food and I’m sure you’d enjoy it more if it were fresh and not leftovers like I usually bring over.” 

There was another lull in the air. 

Y/N opened her mouth to try and convince him further but he cut her off, “Sure.” 

“What?” 

His eyes met hers and he gave her a small smile, “I reckon it’s been too long since I’ve last had Molly’s amazing cooking.” 

A slow smile stretched across Y/N’s face. This was the most he had agreed to in nearly a year and she was hopeful about slowly reintroducing his loved ones back into his life. 

“Perfect.” 

There's nothing like your smile

Sort of subtle and perfect and real

The Burrow hadn’t changed much since Harry last saw it. 

The peculiar house still stood tall and proud in the Devon landscape, held together undoubtedly by magic. The smoke billowing from its chimney reminded him of cozy Christmases spent together with everyone he held close to his heart, and the lively chatter filtering through the open windows made his heart stutter in anticipation. 

Y/N took his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Her smile was gentle, letting him know that she was there if he needed it. He could tell that she was nervous too, not for herself, but for how he would react to being surrounded by so many people again after so long. 

He couldn’t tell how he knew, he just saw it in the way she smiled. But he was grateful for it, because without her steady grasp on his hand, he probably would have disapparated before he even got through the threshold of the place he used to call a second home. 

“Come on then,” She urged, beginning to take steps towards the entrance, “Let’s see who’s already here!” 

“Oh Y/N, you made it!” Molly’s voice exclaimed as they entered the home, “I was wondering when you’d get here–”

The Weasley family matriarch paused at the door between the kitchen and the living room, her eyes set upon the boy she considered her son.

“I can’t say no to a gorgeous meal of yours can I, Molly?” She joked, slightly tugging on Harry’s hand to bring him into the room, “And I brought a guest with me today.” 

Molly seemed to gain her bearings once again as a radiant smile crossed her face, she knew not to make too much of a fuss about Harry being over after months of hiding away. Instead, she simply patted his cheek, “Lovely to see you again, Harry dear. Now come on, there’s enough food to go around!” 

The kitchen of the Burrow was alive with conversation. Most of the Weasleys and their significant others were gathered around the magically enlarged table, chatting over steaming dishes of wonderful smelling food. 

Their entrance garnered many beaming smiles, but everyone knew not to pay them too much attention. Harry chose to take a seat next to Ron, who nudged him with a small smile on his face. He returned the gesture, already feeling more at ease. Since his hand was still connected with hers, Y/N chose to take the seat right next to him. 

Throughout the meal, Harry hadn’t spoken much, only nodding to whatever the person he was in conversation with said or sometimes adding a little quip here and there. He took comfort in Y/N’s steady presence beside him, once in a while squeezing his thigh or patting his arm. 

“–and he wouldn’t tell me how to turn it back to normal!” 

Ron’s particular way of storytelling brought him out of his stupor. He was in the middle of an exciting story on the twins’ latest prank on him, and Y/N had let out a snort of laughter. 

Harry’s heart seemed to stop as he watched her and he couldn’t take his eyes off her as he noticed the smile on her face. Of course he knew that she was beautiful, it was something so obvious to him as they grew up together. But there was something in the way her smile lit up her face at that moment.

It was like a breath of fresh air after being underwater for too long. To him, her smile was refreshing, invigorating, and all-consuming. Harry looked at Y/N and felt as if he could never get enough of her. A spark ignited in him and suddenly he was determined to keep her in his life as long as possible. 

Y/N caught onto his stare as her laughter tapered off and she raised an eyebrow, “Everything alright?” 

As quickly as it had come, the spell she had on him vanished as he nodded, “Yep. Brilliant.” 

The conversation flowed around them, merry laughter filling the air once again from different areas of the room, but Harry only had eyes for Y/N. 

But he kept it all inside his head 

What he thought he left unsaid

“Y/N-” He cut her off. 

Her eyes darted to him confused. He could feel his pulse in his neck and blood rushed to his ears. Suddenly he couldn’t help but wring his hands together nervously, unable to explain his actions. 

“Yeah, Harry?” She asked, fully turning her body to face him, “You okay?” 

“I’m brilliant,” He mumbled, heart pounding in his chest, “I just have something I want to tell you.” 

Anxiety bubbled in his chest and up his throat as the words came out of his mouth. He hadn’t even planned on telling her anything as she arrived that day, yet here he was. She just looked so beautiful, the soft candlelight almost glowing on her skin and highlighting her features. Harry was sure he had never felt more in love with her than he was in that moment, and she hadn't even been doing anything. 

Her eyes shined with concern and her attention was fully on him now. He hadn’t been known to interrupt her when she went on her long spiels of updates. Sensing his nervousness, Y/N placed a reassuring hand on his arm. 

Unbeknownst to him, her own heart pounded in her chest. Against better judgement, she had imagined a scenario exactly like this wherein Harry would spontaneously profess his undying love for her too many times. And secretly, she hoped that this would be the moment her daydreams would come true, nearly holding her breath in anticipation. 

It wasn’t. 

“I’m thinking about asking McGonagall about how I can become a professor.” 

It took Y/N a few seconds of blinking at him to completely process what he had just said. Despite the slight twinge of disappointment in her chest, she knew that this was such a big step for him that she couldn’t feel bad about it. 

“Oh love that’s wonderful!” She nearly yelled, throwing her hands up and wrapping them around him, “You were such a good teacher in fifth year, I know you’ll do great!” 

A soft blush formed on his cheeks at her praise, but he happily accepted the hug, “Thank you. I figured it’s about time I started focusing on myself and what I want to do, instead of just this damn house. Being a teacher just feels right.” 

Despite all appearances, Harry berated himself silently. He had completely chickened out. Of course, he really had been thinking about sending an owl to his old head of house, but that was not what he planned on saying at all. 

He didn’t know what happened. His mouth just blurted out the first thing that came to mind, but he couldn’t take it back now. The moment was ruined. 

If I could tell her

Tell her everything I see

If I could tell her 

How she’s everything to me 

Y/N could tell Harry was nervous. 

He was hosting a dinner at Grimmauld Place with the Weasleys and a few of his friends from school to announce his plans to get accredited to be a professor. He also wanted to show them how the renovations of the house had been going. She had arrived at his place early, as she always had, to help him prepare but he was a bundle of nerves and couldn’t sit still. 

So, she did what she always does whenever he got into a little bit of a panic. As plates and cutlery floated to their designated places and the table set itself, Y/N kept the conversation flowing. Although, it might have been more of a  monologue with the way he was only responding to her in hums or soft grunts. 

She was unaware of the inner turmoil raging in Harry. He had decided that he would finally tell her exactly what he felt about her. To hell if she didn’t feel the same, he thought recklessly, as long as he got to finally tell her what he had been feeling for nearly a year. 

During a lull, he finally plucked up enough courage to speak. 

“Listen Y/N–” 

“Harry–” 

The pair stared at each other, amused. This had always happened to them when they were still in school, as if their wavelengths were always on the same page. 

“You go ahead, Haz.” She smiled at him. 

He took a deep breath, “Alright.” 

Plucking up whatever was left of his Gryffindor courage, he turned to face her, a fierce sort of determination in his eyes. 

“I love you, Y/N.” He spoke clearly despite the ball of uncertainty in his chest.

Y/N opened her mouth to speak, her eyes shining with something he couldn’t place. He stopped her, though, placing a hand on her arm, “Just let me get this off my chest, alright? Then you can say what you want to say.” 

She nodded. 

“Looking back at what my life’s been like this past year, and honestly the years we spent at Hogwarts too, you were the only constant thing I had. And I’m sorry that it’s taken so long for me to figure out what I was feeling, especially when you were being so patient with me. But, yeah, I-I’m in love with you, Y/N.” 

For once in her life, she was left speechless. In all of her daydreams, Y/N always had a witty quip up her sleeve after Harry confessed his feelings, but now they seemed to just escape her. 

“I love you too,” Was all she could choke out, a small laugh tumbling out of her lips. 

The two shared a dopey smile as their bodies gravitated towards each other. Their lips met in a soft kiss, with a certain slowness attached to the relief and exhalation that came from their confession. Y/N couldn’t help but smile into the kiss, arms slowly snaking around his neck, as Harry pecked her lips over and over. 

A soft ‘oh’ echoed through the silent room and the pair of them broke apart. Molly Weasley was stood at the door, holding a roast in her hands and blinking furiously at what she had just witnessed. Behind her, most of the Weasley clan stood eyes slightly widened and small smirks on their lips. 

Ron was the first to speak up, “It’s about bloody time.” 

As he spoke, the silent spell cast over the lot of them was broken. Hermione rolled her eyes at the lack of tact her boyfriend had, but she was secretly thrilled. 

“Well, now that that’s finally settled, I think it’s time for dinner!” Molly bustled in, looking for a place to put her food down and the rest of them clambered through the door.

Harry spared an embarrassed glance at Y/N, but she was grinning from ear to ear. He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze before going to help set up. 

[chudleycanonficfest]

you belong with me

Day 11, story #1 is by @accio-broom

Title: you belong with me Author/Artist: accio-broom Pairing: Arthur Weasley / Molly Prewett Prompt:  Soulmate AU Rating: T Trigger Warning(s) (if any): None, unless Arthur Weasley trying to enjoy his birthday offends you.

When Arthur Weasley woke on the morning of the 6th February, nothing was out of the ordinary. He took his time, easing out of sleep like a man with nothing to do. He stretched out his body with a loud yawn, then pulled back the curtains of the four-poster bed, ignoring the attack of the winter air that filled the dorm room.

He was going to have a perfect day.

Wiggling his toes on the plush rug next to his bed, he greeted his fellow dorm mates.

“Morning, Ry.” Arthur tipped his head towards the Gryffindor on the bed opposite him. “How’s it hanging?”

Ryan was not a morning person, and he grumbled at Arthur before snuggling further under the duvet. Arthur chuckled and joined in the conversation about the latest Quidditch scores, trying his best to not lament too long on the disappointing Cannons scores. He gathered his wash bag, and made sure he had clean briefs with his uniform, then waved a cheery goodbye as he wandered off to the bathroom, whistling as he moved.

Today was Arthur Weasley’s birthday, and the day he came of age, although the notion was rather peculiar to him. He didn’t feel all that more responsible than he did yesterday, but according to Wizarding Law, he could now leave school, get a real job and get married, should he wish.

He scoffed as the thought of getting married flitted into his head, disappearing as quickly as it came. That would mean actually landing himself a girlfriend, something he hadn’t yet achieved during his six years at Hogwarts. He hadn’t even come close.

As he showered, Arthur mapped out his day in his head. If it all went to plan, he’d enjoy a big breakfast with the rest of his school friends. His classes today were straight forward—double Muggle Studies this morning, then Potions this afternoon. Between these would be lunch, and a free period, where hopefully, he’d be able to go for a fly, if the weather was okay.

If he survived the day, then he and his friends were planning a night of wizard chess, birthday cake and butterbeer, which hopefully Ryan was going to sneak from the kitchens for them.

Shower done, he dried himself off in front of one of the mirrors. As he did, he examined his body. He didn’t look any older than yesterday, there were no new lines or hairs on his body. He was still the same gangly lad with violent red hair and far too many freckles to count.

Arthur settled his glasses on his face, then loosened his towel. Without warning, a soft femine voice filled his head, taking him by surprise.

Merlin, I hate red hair.

Tightening the towel around his waist, he looked around the bathroom for the source of the sound. 

“H-hello?” he called out, but the only reply came from the echo of his greeting bouncing off the tiles. “I-is anyone there?”

I wish I were blonde or a brunette—anything but this. Nobody fancies redheads. 

His heart pounding, he checked all the nooks and crannies in the room, only to find that he was the only one there. The tips of his ears turned bright pink as he turned his attention back to his reflection. Dark circles sat under his eyes, and a frown covered his face. He was tired. It was the only explanation for the voice that was still filling Arthur’s ears with insecurities. There had been a few late nights in the library recently, as well as some early morning Quidditch practices. They must be catching up on him.

He’s no spring chicken, after all.

Hurriedly pulling on his uniform, he combed his hair then carried on whistling, hoping to block out the now persistent voice in his head.

⁂

The girl’s commentary didn’t stop whilst Arthur ate his breakfast. It filled his ears, dragging his shoulders down with negative thoughts and observations.

Everything is so greasy here, the voice wailed. No wonder I’m putting on weight. I’ll get spots if I carry on eating like this. I wish Mary wouldn’t wear so much perfume. It makes me feel sick.

The negativity depressed Arthur and was the last thing he needed on his birthday. He’d hoped for a nice day, full of presents, and easy lessons and time spent with his friends, but instead, Negative Nancy was ruining his time. He didn’t even fancy opening his gifts, which had been delivered by owl mail just as he sat down for breakfast.

Glancing down the table, he tried to work out the source of the interference in his brain, but the Gryffindor table was full of people, and conversations flew around them from every angle. He sniffed, wondering if Mary’s perfume could lead him in the right direction, but all he could smell was baked beans.

With a sigh, he shoved his second sausage into his mouth, letting the taste of his favourite breakfast food cheer him up, even if it was only a little bit.

Muggle studies was Arthur’s favourite topic, but he found it hard to concentrate as his head filled with arithmancy. He hated the subject, there was a reason he didn’t choose to continue the subject after their O.W.L.’s, so it irritated him greatly that the thoughts were disrupting learning more about muggle bridges. They were such beautiful contraptions, too.

Lunch was just as bad. Although the voice was annoying, Arthur was starting to get used to it. However, what was infuriating him was how familiar the voice sounded, yet he couldn’t work out who it belonged to. Whenever it filled his mind, it brought warm feelings and stirred something new deep inside his belly. Whatever was happening to him, he felt awkward that he was getting a very up close and personal look into someone else’s thoughts. Throughout the morning, he’d experienced such a vast range of emotions, and he felt like he might explode.

His birthday was going downhill rapidly.

By the time Potions came around, Arthur was exhausted. He arrived at class before the rest of his peers, and as soon as he settled into his usual seat, he folded his arms and rested his head on them. He was about to drop off to sleep when…

“Good afternoon, Arthur. Are you enjoying your birthday?”

Arthur’s ears pricked up. It was the same damn voice he’d been hearing all day, but this time it was loud and happening outside his head. Peeking over his arms, he watched as Molly Prewett sat down next to him and gave him a warm smile.

It was her, the voice inside his head. How had he not realised this before now?

Although he and Molly weren’t best friends, she had been his potions partner since their first year, and they often found themselves sharing a table in the library late at night. Could she hear his thoughts the same way he could listen to hers? Or was this all one-sided?

“Oh, yes, it’s fine,” he said, finally lifting his head from the desk. “Perfectly spiffing.”

Perfectly spiffing? He’s never spoken like that before, and definitely not to Molly Prewett. He usually chooses his words carefully around her, not wanting to look like an imbecile.

She giggled, and Arthur goggled at her. Was she only laughing at his choice of words, or was his internal commentary amusing her. His pulse started to quicken. There had been many thoughts throughout the day, some that would mortify him if anyone else heard.

Arthur checked on Slughorn, who was distracted writing today’s recipe on the board. Summoning the courage, Arthur took a deep breath then reached out with his mind. He crossed all his fingers and toes that this would work as he thought hard.

“Hello? Molly?”

All of a sudden, Molly sat upright in her seat. Her face turned towards him, and even through the smoke from their cauldron, Arthur could see that her eyes were wide, and her jaw was almost reaching the desk.

“Arthur? Oh Merlin, is that really you? Is it your voice I’ve heard all day?”

“Yes? I mean, I think so. I’ve been hearing your voice since I woke up, and I was curious to see if you could hear the same.”

A red blush crept from Molly’s neck and onto her cheeks, and Arthur was sure it wasn’t from their cauldron or the heat of the dungeons.

“How much did you hear?” Molly averted her gaze from him.

Arthur paused, weighing up his options. Should he lie and protect Molly from inevitable humiliation? Or should he tell her the truth? It was a difficult choice, and both came with a list of pros and cons. But Arthur wasn’t a dishonest man, and if this problem continued for much longer, Molly deserved to know what she was exposing him to.

Plus, if she was experiencing it too, then she probably had a good idea of what he’d heard.

Reaching a decision, he flexed his mind again. “All of it. I’m sorry, Molly. I tried my best to ignore it all, but it’s all I can hear.”

“What’s going on? Do you think we should go and see Madam Pomfrey?”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle. The mind-reading was not an illness or spell damage, and they hadn’t been near each other recently, save for right now. 

It’s no coincidence that this started on the morning of his seventeenth birthday, and his brothers had mentioned something similar happening to them, although at the time, Arthur put it down to them yanking his wand. They often liked to tease him, as older brothers do.

It was Percival who’d mentioned it, while they were tinkering with a Muggle car in their father’s garage last summer.

“So, this school year is going to be fun for you, Arthur,” he’d said, a smile on his face. “Coming of age, you’re allowed to go to Hogsmeade without supervision, you’ll hopefully get your apparition licence too.”

Arthur had smiled, his stomach lurching with excited nerves. “If I pass.”

Bilius had piped up. “The family record is five attempts.”

“And Dad has never grown his eyebrows back.” Percival smirked at his brothers.

Arthur joined in with the laughter, relishing getting to spend time with Percival and Bilius. Percival had married almost straight out of school, and although Bilius remained single, he was always away on secret missions for the Order of the Phoenix.

Grinning at Arthur, Pervial spoke again. “Of course, apparition isn’t the hardest thing you’ll have to deal with. If the voices start, you’re in for a treat.”

“Voices?” Arthur fumbled with his screwdriver as a frown appeared on his face.

“Yeah, don’t you know?” Percival continued, adding oil to the engine. “When Weasley men come of age, they have a special way of finding their one true love.”

“What? No, you’re making this up. This is all fairy tale nonsense, surely? Bilius hasn’t met anyone!”

“How do think Perce landed his wife so quickly?” Bilius laughed. “Wasn’t his charm or good looks, that’s for sure.”

Percival and Bilius had erupted into giggles again. The tips of Arthur’s ears burned pink. There was no way this sort of thing happened, they were just having him on. But still, the thought had appealed to him. He was so unlucky in love, that the thought of being able to automatically identify his future wife had piqued his interest for sure.

Would he be like Percival or Bilius? Only time would tell.

⁂

Arthur hadn’t thought back on that conversation since it had happened. But if what his brothers had told him was true, then there were worse women in the world to be hearing in his head. Molly was kind and pretty. He’d always had a soft spot for her, but he’d never acted on it for fear of being rejected. Now, he probably didn’t have a choice.

Taking a huge breath, he reached for Molly’s hand and squeezed it. His grip trembled but felt it pertinent for him to try and be brave, given the enormity of what they were facing. In an attempt to distract himself from her internal panic, he wet his lips before finally whispering in a low voice, 

“What do you know about soulmates?”

[potter-imagines]

George Weasley Dating Ravenclaw!Reader Would Include...

-       George loves to take photos of you

-       Like absolutely adores it

-       His side of his dorm has at least ten different pics of the two of you taped to the walls

-       Fred never misses an opportunity to taunt George for this

-       “Jesus, George, you’d think you’re an obsessive stalker with the amount of photos you have of Y/n. Kinda of concerning…”

-        George brings you home for Christmas break

-       Molly adores you- like is way more excited to see you walking through the front door, rather than her actual children. “Y/n! Oh, Y/n, dear, you look beautiful! Come inside! Out of the cold you go- I’ve got a warm cup of tea waiting for you, dear.”

-       Fred would walk in behind you rolling his eyes mumbling, “Good to see you too, birth giver. I missed you as well, love you too.”

-       Pulling all nighters with him

-       Some were for studying, some just to spend some more time with each other, and some because you two couldn’t seem to uh, ‘fall asleep’ or rather, keep your hands off one another

-       If you didn’t know how to already, George would teach you how to play Quidditch

-       You’re typically the little spoon and even though he’d never mention in aloud, he secretly loved when you were the big spoon

-       When you first started dating, George’s friends would tease him for being with a Ravenclaw

-       They classed you as a stereotypical Ravenclaw, before even speaking with you

-       Fred reassured them they’d like you but Ron was skeptical

-       Mostly because he couldn’t understand why a Ravenclaw was dating his brother

-       Although you were a true Ravenclaw at heart, that didn’t mean you were a bookworm ‘nerd’ who only cared about school and had your nose to the sky

-       Most Ravenclaws you knew were more honest that stuck up, you had a tendency to say exactly what you thought

-       And George loved this

-       He had never met a girl like you before- one who served it the teasing and flirtatious wilderness right back to him

-       He’d plan extravagant jokes with his twin to try an woo you

-       Your friends would giggle and whisper whenever George came around, all staring at you knowingly

-       They had all placed bets on how long it would take George Weasley, the jokester Gryffindor, to ask you, the clever and competitive Ravenclaw, out on a date

-       It only took about two weeks after that for him to make the first move

-       After Potions class, George would walk with you in towards the Great Hall, complimenting you the entire way

-       You two would sit together, much to your surprise and by the end of the meal, he would ask you out on a proper date for that weekend to Hogsmeade

-       He’d buy magical eternal flowers at Hogsmeade on your first date

-       Flirting doesn’t die down with George just because you’re a couple

-       If anything, he becomes cheekier and touchier

-       He isn’t huge on PDA, but he likes when you sit on his lap in the courtyard or either of your common rooms.

-       PDA for the two of you is more hand holding, forehead kisses, arm around your shoulder, small pecks, tight hugs before class, etc.

-       Snape had scolded the two of you more time than you could count “There will be no embracing of any sorts outside, or inside my class, Miss. Y/l/n and Mr. Weasley.” “Yes, professor. We’re sorry-” “No we’re-“ Having to drag George away before he gets you two into more trouble.

-       He’d call you sweet names like; love, darling, princess, and angel (His favorite name to use in the bedroom.).

-       But his absolute favorite nickname for you is “little Ravenclaw”

-       He loves buying you maroon presents

-       He likes to think he’s secretly converting you to a Gryffindor, but he knew you had too much pride for your house and would never fully switch to his side

-       You two will play childish games like hide and seek around the castle during the weekends

-       It’s more fun when you include your other friends

-       But when it’s just you and George playing

-       The game typically ends with the two of you half naked in an empty classroom

-       Walks behind you up the stairs so he can pinch your butt “George- knock it off!” “But it’s so cute and I wanna touch it.” “Not now.”

“So you’re saying there will be a later, right?”

-       Studying together

-       Despite common assumption, George Weasley is exceptionally brilliant

-       You two have competitions on who can score the highest mark

-       George was usually a point or two away from you but it didn’t stop you from gloating

-       “Ha, ha, Georgie. Take that! Now you owe me a back massage and a butterbeer this weekend!” “I can give you more than a backrub, darling.” “George!”

-       Sneaking him into the Ravenclaw towers past curfew

-       He loves that you are willing to break rules for him

-       It exhilarating to you both

-       You’re very close with his friends- especially Fred and Hermione

-       Fred and George would convince you to help them with pranks, little at a time

-       But soon enough

-       You’d basically becoming a trio

-       They’d find a way to drag you into planning and executing nearly all their pranks with them

-       It made you extremely nervous at first

-       You had never been in real trouble before, and it wasn’t something you desired

-       But George would reassure you constantly “Love, you don’t have to help if you don’t want to, we won’t be upset. But if you do, I won’t let anything happen to you or let you get caught. I promise, darling.”

-       And he never failed to keep his word

-       Until one day

-       There was one time, late winter of your final year

-       Fred and George were readying to leave Hogwarts to open their shop, Weasley Wizard Wheezes, and had invited you to join them

-       You contemplated the thought for a week before deciding to finish off the end of your year, then move in with George and his brother once summer came

-       The twins’ pranking antics had grown more intense since Umbridge arrived

-       Everyone despised her- well except the Slytherin’s who she favored

-       The twins’ landed themselves in detention with her on more than five occasions and they had enough

-       Late one Saturday in February, Fred and George had enchanted a portal swamp outside Umbridge’s office door, a spell you had taught them

-       Right as the swamp appeared, footsteps began to approach quickly from behind

-       Fred darted left and George took off after him, both assuming you’d follow

-       But panic hit and you ran in the opposite direction, smacking right into Filch, Umbridge emerging not long after from the other corridor

-       You were caught red handed, Umbridge took the wand in your grip as enough evidence to prosecute you

-       George had reached the end of the corridor when he turned around and realized you weren’t behind him but by the time he and Fred stealthily snuck back to Umbridge’s office

-       The door was swinging shut

-       And the once bubbling green swamp was gone

-       Not long passed before George could hear your voice and his chest stiffened at once

-       The twins hid behind a wall, until George ushered Fred off to monitor the hall leading towards their common room

-       Ten or so minutes passed until the door squeaked open and you quickly rushed off, salty tears threatening to spill over your eyes

-       George yanked you softly from behind a wall before you could make it up the first step of the shifting stairs

-       You hissed in pain when his fingers unknowingly wrapped around your fresh wound “Ow, my hand- George it hurts.”

-       His eyes would widen, then soften with comfort as he studies your hand “Darling, I’m so sorry. I should’ve taken the fall- I should’ve realized you weren’t following us and went back sooner. I’m so sorry, Y/n.”

-       You’d cry, not because you were mad at him or blame him but because of the never ending burning sensation in your bloodied hand

-       You’d reassure him and insist it was your own fault

“I froze, Georgie. I’m the only one to blame. I don’t know why I didn’t go the same way as you guys, I just got scared of getting caught… and now this happened cause I was dumb.” “You’re not dumb, darling, don’t say that. I promised to never let you get hurt because of one of our pranks and I broke that promise. Umbridge is a cold bitch, I can’t keep putting you in these risks situations and letting you get hurt.”

-       He’d sneak you into his dorm that night

-       None of his friends would oppose, especially after hearing about what happened

-       Fred and Lee slept on the large couches in the common room so the two of you could have the night alone

-       George is an amazing cuddling partner- like the best

-       You two would lay in his bed together, snuggled under a stack of blankets

-       He’d convince you to wear one of his Gryffindor shirts

-       Then take a picture of you in it when you weren’t paying attention to tease you with

-       “I’m going to show this to all your little Ravenclaw friends to show them that you’re really a Gryffindor!” “Am not! I’m a Ravenclaw-“ “I’m gonna put some Gryffindor inside of you tonight, princess.” “You dirty bastard! Don’t you say that in front of any of my friends, please, I’m begging you.” “I’m sure they already know, love. It’s not like they haven’t heard us before.”

-       You would get annoyed beyond beliefs after being with George for years and your friends still confusing him with Fred, or assuming they were the same person

-       You loved Fred, but you were in-love with George, and there were many differences between them besides your relationship status

-       Fred was the friend who could cheer you up, listen to you rant, help you get revenge on a professor for poor marks, hangout with you, give you advice, and all the great qualities that a best friend should have

-       But George Weasley

-       George was all of the above and more

-       He had a different thought process- slightly different mindset than his twin

-       You loved the deep, intellectual conversations you could have with George

-       One moment you two would be discussing the purpose of life and the origination of languages

-       Then the next you’d be debating over the worst flavor of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans

“George, how you can you even argue this? You know vomit and rotten egg are the two worst flavors!” “Vomit, yes. Rotten eggs, no. I’d take that over earthworm. Now that one is bloody disgusting!”

-       There was a connection- a magnetic pull that drew you and George together

-       He understood you on a more personal level than any other person you knew

-       There were secrets he’d share with you late at night that not even Fred knew

-       Like how he wanted to be a Mediwizard up until his fourth year

-       George would bring you books he’d read on break for you

-       You two liked to start a book together right before break, then finish over break and talk about it once you returned to each other

-       Fred would tease George relentlessly for reading over the holiday break “God, next thing I know you’re going to starting knitting sweaters with each other and painting your nails together.” “Jealous, Fred? A shame you can’t find an intelligent girl of your own but don’t be made that I have.”

-       George will write you letters when you’re away for each other

-       He’ll do cute little things like send a single dainty flower that he picked from his mom’s garden and seal it inside the envelope

-       His favorite to gift you are lilacs- the smell reminds him of you and is comforting when you’re gone

-       He’s always been a bit more in touch with his emotional side than his twin

-       But you loved those differences

-       You two hard a pretty serious relationship from the start but that didn’t mean you weren’t playful

-       You two hard a pretty serious relationship from the start but that didn’t mean you weren’t playful

-       Both George and you knew you wanted to spend forever together the first time you walked through Hogsmeade together

-       And neither of you wanted to waste anytime fooling around when you knew what you wanted

-       George is a honest gentleman, always putting your needs first

-       Even after you leave Hogwarts with the twins

-       With all his busy work and the booming business and success of the shop, you assumed your time together would be spared

-       It was in a way

-       But George always put in the extra effort to keep the spark alive

-       Before opening the shop, he’d usually try to set your alarm clock back three hours in hopes of you getting the extra sleep he knew you deserved

-       Sometimes it worked, but other times you’d meet him in the shop at open with a smug smile on your face “Love, you should be asleep! You’re too clever, little Ravenclaw.” “You still call me that, even after all this time?” “You’ll always be my little Ravenclaw. I could never love another.”

-       He’ll surprise you during work with random sweets, sentimental cards, picking you up lunch and a coffee/tea, and buying you flowers

-       George can be extremely sweet when he wants to and for you, there is never a moment where he doesn’t

-       The two of you would get married shortly after the second war ended, not that anyone was surprised.

[weasleysbride]

Long Locks

Fred Weasley x Fem Reader

Warnings: Some swearing, bit of fluff

Description: You and Fred knew each other for years. Your families were best friends and you took every chance you had to spend time with Fred. He only just found out how gorgeous you were, especially when he see’s the real length of your hair.

* The summer after the Triwizard tournament *

You and Fred hadn’t had hair cuts all year. His entire family had missed the opportunity of getting hair cuts, however, you didn’t really mind. You’re hair, however, was nearly past your butt. Putting it in a ponytail didnt help much either, as it only multiplied the chances of you whacking either yourself or others with it, so you often put it in a bun.

You had already spent a week at the burrow. The entire family had gotten their hair cut, all except for you. You didn’t mind though, the long h/c hair wasn’t annoying you in any way, since you always had it up the same. Only George knew how long your hair really was, as he’s walked in on you brushing out your long hair before. He kept it a secret though. Thankfully.

George and Fred were your favourite Weasley’s. No doubt about it. Only, you saw them as two different types of bestfriends; George was a more sympathetic person, and saw you as his younger sister, and was super protective of you in a brotherly way. Fred, however, was different. You saw him as more than a best friend, but not in the brotherly way. Maybe it was the way he always flirted with you, in a different way to most girls.

You were definetly in love with him.

You were lying in Ginny’s room on your bed. Ginny’s room was your second bedroom, and you loved it. It was 3 in the afternoon and you hadn’t seen anyone all day, since they had gone to visit Bill Weasley. You had a headache from always wearing your hair up, even in bed, so you explained to Molly that you didn’t feel very well, and that you needed rest. She agreed.

So there you were, sitting cross legged on the end of your bed, with your hair falling naturally. There were a few strands on the book that you were reading, but you didn’t care. You were so busy with what you were reading, so engaged in the fantasy, that you didn’t hear the footsteps leading up to the room you were seated in. You heard the door creak open slightly, and you looked up from your page a little startled, only to see Fred looking back at you, shock written all over his face. You then remembered why.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” You said sarcastically as you ran your fingers through your hair, moving it out of your face.

“Haha, very funny love.” Fred said, still looking a bit dumbfounded as he walked over and sat beside you, keeping his eyes locked on you as he did. “ Why have you never worn your hair down before?”

“I don’t know, honestly.” You said, closing your book and looking up at him. His brown eyes were filled with wonder and magic, as you saw his eyes twitch down towards your lips and then up to meet your eyes again.

“You’re absolutely gorgeous with it down, y/n.”

“ Aww, thanks Freddie.” You said, heat rising to your cheeks as you gave him a warm smile. You could hear him take in a sharp breath. You ruffled his short red locks as you stood up, brushing your hair away from your face again.

Before you could reach towards your wrist to grab your hair tie to tie your hair away from your face, Fred grabbed your wrist tightly and sat you back down, this time, on his lap. Your eyes widened, as he didn’t let go of your wrist and laid it on your lap as he interwined his fingers with yours on your other hand. His hands you much bigger, and it made you feel safe. You sat in comfortable silence, your hair in your face a little, but the rest on Fred’s lap under your butt.

“I can’t anymore Y/n.” Fred said, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck. You knew that this would either end good or bad.

“Is everything okay Freddie?” You asked, slightly worried.

“No. Nothing’s alright. I can’t be your best friend anymore. I just can’t. Before you start assuming the worse, I need to admit how bad I’ve wanted you since I met you. You’ve always been so perfect. I can’t go a single day without seeing or hearing from you, and every time I have to restrain myself from coming up and kissing you like it’s my last breath. I need to be more than friends. Y:n. I need you.” He said,confidently squeezing your hand and wrist, while still nuzzled into your neck, his breathing rough and hot.

You were left speechless. You had always loved him, yet you thought he never would. “Now I don’t have to explain what you do to me, considering I do it to you.” You said, removing your wrist from his grip and pulling your hair away from your neck and underneath you, exposing your neck.

His lips curved upwards into a smirk as his breathing became extremely sharp, before moving his hand that was once holding your wrist from your lap to your waist, pulling you closer to him as he pecked your neck.

He lightly licked the spot he has been kissing, before biting down and leaving a large love bite. You let out a small moan, still holding the back of his head with your fingers tangled in his firey hair.

You could feel a small lump forming beneath you, knowing exactly what you’re doing to him.

The silence was defening, but comforting. You let out small moans as Fred moved down your neck and to your shoulder, where he left one last slobbery kiss, sliding the spaghetti strap of your tank top down your shoulder.

Fred squeezed your hand one last time before letting go and grabbing your waist with both hands, his fingers bound to leave small bruises of where he has touched you. He lifted you off his lap and turned you around. You were now straddling him.

He smirked as he eyed your lips before leaning in and giving you a small but passionate kiss. You were surprised at first, but really into it, so your arms made their way through Fred hair while one of his hands left your waist to push your hair back to one side again. You pulled away, needing air.

“Wow.” Fred whispered, looking deeply into his eyes. His lips were swollen slightly from you biting his lip and his hair a bit messy. Your strap was still hanging off your shoulder, Fred couldn’t help but smile at the beautiful sight. Not only were you absolutely gorgeous no matter what, but he got to see you with your lushious h/c hair out of the way for him to please you. He was delighted that he kissed you. His best friend, his love, his everything.

“Be mine.” He said in a small shished whisper, still gripping your waist and your hands still wrapped around his neck tightly.

“Now why would I do that?” You asked, teasingly.

You pecked him on his lips one more time, but he held you there against him. The lump in his pants was much bigger now. He kept the kiss passionate, not letting you go, when you tried to open your mouth for air, he saw it as an opportunity to slip in his tongue, exploring your mouth. You decided to fight back, only his won dominance.

You both needed air, so you pulled away, both your lips bright red and swollen. You both gasped and gave a small smirk at each other. It was a dream come true.

“WE’RE HOME DEARIES!” You nearly fell off of Fred’s lap at the sound of Molly Weasley announcing their presence. You were busted.

“Let’s continue this later, but I think you should first cover those marks.” Fred said as he lifted you off of his and down next to him, nodding towards the side of your neck that he had kissed. Shit.

“Thanks, love.” You replied, giving him a wink as you hot up and headed your way to your trunk. Little did you know that Fred was blushing head to toe, as he had never had a girl he loved so much call him that with such confidence. But he knew just how to get you back.

Later on at dinner after you had tidied yourself up ( covered everything on your neck and tied up your hair as well as changing into a loose jumper and jeans ), you made yourself downstairs to see everyone gathered at the dinner table, talking while dishing up their dinner.

You sat down next to Fred, and you gladly made your way next to him. Fred then randomly asked for attention as he stood up, looking very proud. Everyone turned their attention to him, as they placed their cutlery down since they had finished.

“I would just like to announce that Y/n and I are now dating, and I couldn’t be happier. She is an amazing young women, and is absolutely gorgeous, especially with her hair down.” And with that, Fred reached for your hair and took out your hair tie, your hair instantly falling down over your shoulders, a strand landing in front of your face. You blushed head to toe a bright red as everyone stared at you with shock in their eyes.

“ FINALLY!” George and Ginny said together clapping.

Molly was ridiculously excited. She quickly got up and walked over to you, giving you a tight hug while you still sat in your chair, giving Fred a glare as he returned a cheeky grin at you.

“Oh how wonderful! My baby boy has finally grown up! Oh and he is right hun, you are absolutely gorgeous with your hair down, you should have it out more often!”

“YOUR DAD OWES ME 10 SICKLES!!!” Arthur exclaimed happily. Everyone gave him a puzzled look, before he began to explain.

“Well, me and y/n’s dad made a bet. I said they would begin dating while you’re at our house, but he said it would happen during the school term.” He said, proudly. Molly shook her head before her and Ginny began doing dishes, and everyone started to leave the table. Before you could get up, Fred’s hand snuck up to your upper thigh, squeezing it lightly. He gave a small grin before you pecked his cheek, leaving him dazzled as you went upstairs to have a shower.

I know I’m absolutely terrible at writing, but I hope you enjoyed it even the slightest bit. I will be writing more often, and don’t be afraid to leave requests!

[lomlmarvel]

As The World Caves In (Fred Weasley x fem!reader)

Summary: Song imagine based on “As The World Caves In” by Matt Maltese. We see Fred and the Reader’s relationship timeline leading up to the Battle of Hogwarts.

Word count: 3k

A/N: so sorry in advance. it’s angsty but with some fluff¿

My feet are aching

And your back is pretty tired

And we've drunk a couple bottles, babe

And set our grief aside

Fred Weasley remembered the summer after the Triwizard Tournament. It was a dark time for everyone. The days felt cold and gloomy, with a presence of death. Cedric Diggory’s death had shaken the wizarding world. No one imagined that a teenage boy would die in the first reinstallment of the Triwizard Tournament. No one imagined that a boy would die.

Many didn’t believe Harry Potter when he stated that He-Who-Shall-Be-Named was back. They thought that Harry killed Cedric in the maze and lied to cover up his cruel act. But Fred knew Harry, and he believed him. He remembered when Harry apparated with Cedric at his feet during the last challenge of the tournament. Fred’s best friend, Y/N, who also happened to be Harry’s older sister, was the first to jump out of her seat when she saw the younger Potter on the arena floor.

He remembered her screams and sobs. Sometimes at night, when it got tranquil, the painful cries sounded through his mind. The rest of that day was a blur. He remembers dragging Y/N away from her boyfriend’s corpse. Not even his dad was able to pull her out, but somehow he and George managed to ease her back from Cedric. Cedric’s dad clutched onto his body as his cries were heard from the entire audience. Dumbledore made quick to move Cedric away from the students’ prying eyes. Still, once he was able to, everyone knew what had happened.

After the term ended, Arthur had invited Y/N to stay at the Burrow over the summer. She turned of age a few days into the summer and therefore wasn’t legally bound to stay with the Dursley’s. Harry admitted that it would be best for her to take some time for herself and enjoy a stay with the Weasley’s. He assured his older sister that he would be fine alone with them.

Ginny had generously agreed to share a room with Y/N, stating that she didn’t mind at all and had wanted to spend more time with the eldest Potter. Over summer, the Weasleys tried their best to console the young teenaged girl as she grieved her former boyfriend. After a while, Molly and Arthur began to notice a change in her attitude. She seemed like she was starting to move on, and she smiled on most days. The letters between her and Harry became less consistent as the younger boy stopped replying to every message she sent.

One night, after a big dinner with the Weasleys, Y/N and Fred hung out in the field to watch the sunset. Fred had stolen a Firewhiskey bottle from his parent’s secret cabinet, and the two shared the full bottle. Fred had laid on his back to look up at the sky as the girl in front of him sat with her legs crossed. She had managed to sneak back into the house and steal another bottle as she swung a big sip of it.

“Harry stopped replying to my letters, and I think I know why,” Y/N hiccupped. She was halfway done with the bottle, and her world was upside down.

“He feels alone, I know it. He just doesn’t wanna talk to me. He thinks he’s at fault for—for what happened to Cedric,” Y/N managed to let out. Fred leaned over to take the bottle from her hands. She pouted at the loss of alcohol at her reach and waited for Fred to finish taking a sip.

“I know you’re still not over it, Y/N. You can’t lie to me. I see right through you,” Fred admitted. He had watched as his best friend had put on a show for the rest of his family. She pretended that she was okay, that she had finally accepted his death, and was ready to move on. But he could read her like an open book.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Can we talk about the shop instead?” She asked her best friend. The one who had been in love with her since he stopped thinking girls were gross. The one who had put his feelings aside in fear that she didn’t feel the same way as him. He silently watched as she dated a Ravenclaw named Mark and then Cedric. The most painful part was watching her fall in love with Cedric when he was still in love with her.

The Papers say it’s doomsday.

The button has been pressed.

We’re gonna nuke each other up, boys.

‘Til old satan stands impressed.

Fred remembers that day he and George decided to drop out of Hogwarts and pull one last prank before they left in style.

Umbridge had made Hogwarts a living hell. She had taken away everything that made school fun. The last straw was when they caught a young boy outside of her office, crying in pain because of the new scars on his forearms.

That night the twins talked about leaving Hogwarts, something that had been on their minds since Umbridge began setting rules. The following morning he met with his best friend, privately telling her the new decision he and George had decided to take. They would plan their grand exit for three days and leave just before the weekend to catch their parents by surprise.

Y/N knew that the boys had a dream job of running their own joke shop. She knew they had the talent to run a shop successfully. Hogwarts hadn’t been the same upon her return. Even though a whole summer had passed, being back on school grounds brought back memories that she wanted to push away. She spent the first few weeks crying, unable to contain the emotions she felt while the memories flooded through her head.

When Fred had told her about their plan, she asked if she could tag along. She was willing to drop out of Hogwarts to help the boys start up their joke shop. She never really knew what she wanted to do after school, but now she knew she would never get the chance at a proper education with Umbridge in charge.

Their prank coincidentally fell on an OWL’s exam. As Fred and George lit up their fireworks and flew above castle grounds for the crowd of students, Y/N filled Harry in on the details. Saying goodbye before hopping on her broom and flying away. The magical fireworks canceled exams for that day, destroying all the encased rules that Umbridge had set. The Weasley Twins left in fashion and established a loyal customer group for their new business career.

And here it is, our final night alive.

You put your final suit on

I paint my fingernails.

Oh, we’re going out in style, babe.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were on a mission to destroy all of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. The Order of the Phoenix, now joined by Fred, George, and Y/N, kept themselves on a low radar. After the attack at Fleur and Bill’s wedding, they needed to remain alive and safe. Fred and George continued to open their shop and operate like a regular business. The Ministry began to arrest Muggle-born witches and wizards, causing the wizarding world to fog up in the presence of an incoming war.

The death eaters and Ministry were hunting the Golden Trio, but no one knew where they were. Y/N laid awake one night, staring up at the ceiling as she thought about her younger brother out in the world fighting to end this war, as she laid in a warm bed in the arms of her boyfriend.

She thought about her journey to where she had gotten. After leaving Hogwarts with the twins, they were met with an angry and disappointing speech given by Molly to the three of them. After discussing the joke shop idea and showing Molly all the work and thought they had put into it, she knew her children were following their dreams, something she had taught all of them.

As the weeks went on, Y/N started to realize that she was beginning to feel better. Moving into a small flat with her best friends and starting up a new business gave her time to start doing something in her life. She no longer grieved Cedric. Before, he was a painful memory that she couldn’t even think about without crying herself to sleep. Instead, he became a memory that warmed Y/N’s heart whenever she thought about him. They had had a generous and loving relationship, and he was no longer in the world. It still hurt that he was gone. But the world kept spinning, and if she didn’t start to keep up, it would leave her behind.

After a few months, she began to notice something different about Fred. There had always been something she felt with the way he looked at her. It was like if he was feeling real joy whenever they shared looks. She had always felt the pit in her stomach whenever he put his arm around her or made a flirty comment, but that was Fred. He was casually flirty and had always been that way. But because he was her best friend, she had pushed away those feelings to the back of her mind. However, they lived and worked together, and the emotions she was feeling for Fred only began to grow.

She couldn’t remember how it had happened. But on a night out after drinking, the two laid in their living room and drunkenly confessed their feelings. Things led to another, and the two had finally kissed after years of being in love.

“Hey, is everything alright, love?” Fred’s groggy voice took Y/N out of her thoughts. She turned to see her sleepy boyfriend staring at her figure.

“Yeah, I’m just worried. Harry managed to send me a message with the fireplace the other day. I didn’t want to alert you or George, so I let your father know,” Fred sat up to comfort his girlfriend as the tears began to build up in her eyes. “They’re headed to the Lovegood’s for help. That’s all he was able to tell me. He just wanted any one of us to know.”

“They’ll be fine. Those three have managed to survive and defeat any obstacle set in their way. They’ll be alright,” Fred assured her. She nodded and leaned to rest on his chest as he comfortingly soothed her arm.

And everything’s on sale.

We creep up on extinction.

I pull your arms right in

I weep and say goodnight, love.

No one had heard anything from Harry, Hermione, or Ron. No one wanted to admit anything, but they hoped that they were all safe and alive. For the past two days, tensions had been high with the Ministry and the Order. A close watch was being held on previous order members.

Molly and Arthur advised Fred, George, and Y/N to close up the shop and travel to the Burrow to be with the family. They had rejected their offer, stating that during dark times was when they were needed the most. They had to keep hope running, even if it meant keeping their joke shop open. But as the days got colder and darker, fewer people traveled through Diagon Alley, forcing the three to close shop and travel back home.

Molly and Arthur received them with broad smiles and open arms. The relieved hugs that they offered were not hidden insight as their worries faltered. It was nice to see their sons’ faces again and welcome in Y/N once again. She, Harry, and Hermione had already become part of the family, and it was nice to know that they would have company for the next few days.

“Mum loved the Muggle cookbook you gifted her. She was showing me some of the recipes earlier; she was excited for me to try some of her favorite dishes,” Fred explained as the two got ready for bed.

During the rebuilding of the Burrow, Molly and Arthur had received tremendous help from Harry and Y/N. They offered to help rebuild the Burrow. Molly and Arthur had at first refused to take money from them. Still, the Potters agreed that they deserved so much more, and they were doing it to return the hospitality and love the Weasleys had given them for years.

The Burrow rooms were now more prominent; with only Ginny living at home, they didn’t need as many rooms to fit their children. This resulted in two guest rooms that were occupied by George and, in the other, Fred and Y/N.

“Yeah, we baked a recipe earlier for your dad, who loved it. If you and George would’ve finished clearing the garden from gnomes faster than you did, then you might’ve been able to try the dessert before your dad ate it all,” Y/N chuckled at the memory of Arthur not resisting the temptation to finish the entire batch of brownies.

The two settled into the bed and cuddled up against each other—the quiet of the night set in as the two laid wide awake.

“I love you; you know that, right?” Fred broke through the silence. His voice calmed Y/N down. She relaxed in his arms and nodded.

“I love you, too,” she replied, pressing a kiss to his chest.

“I know you’ve been feeling anxious lately, and I just wanted to let you know that I’ll keep you safe,” Fred whispered. Y/N felt his grip on her tighten a bit before he relaxed against her skin. “Tonight, tomorrow, and every day after that. I’ll be by your side.”

“I love you, Freddie. Goodnight,” Y/N leaned up to kiss him goodnight as the older twin laid wide awake till the early hours of the morning.

And here it is, our final night alive.

And as the earth runs to the ground.

Fred and Y/N walked through the sea of Hogwarts students, offering aid to whoever needed it. As Harry, Hermione, and Ron delegated roles to Dumbledore’s Army; the Order worked to protect the castle in whatever way possible.

As they waited for the inevitable arrival of Voldemort and the Death Eaters, the twins rested against the hall bridge fence that overlooked the grand entrance and the great hall. They spent years finding the knicks and knacks of the medieval castle. At some point, these walls were victims to their pranks and were filmed with memories of laughter of students and causally professors. It had been their second home for years.

“Remember when Filch ran into that wall after he was the test subject for the first successful boxing telescope,” George asked his older brother, pointing to a brick wall by the grand entrance.

“You two tried the daydream charm on me when I was walking down those stairs,” Y/N pointed out as she joined the twins on the upper levels. The twins erupted in a small chuckle. That day they had caused Y/N to score detention with Snape after she had fallen to their prank during Potions.

The three mellowed in their silence. They tried to enjoy the memories that appeared in their heads, but all that they could think of was that they were going into a battle. A battle that they had no assurance to come out of alive.

“It was a pleasure, mates,” Fred jokingly stated, causing the two people at his side to shove him playfully.

“I would do it all over again with you two,” George added.

“Me too,” Y/N stated. The three looked at each other in gratitude and with love.

Oh, it’s you that I lie with

Yes, it’s you I welcome death with

As the world, as the world caves in

George laid defeatedly against the ground. He had stopped crying hours ago. The aftermath of the battle consisted of a mixture of emotions. They had won, but they had also lost.

George leaned over to soothe the back of the woman still clutching onto his brother’s dead body. Arthur had tried everything to pull Molly away from the body of their deceased son, but he had had no success. Just like Ron had failed to remove Harry from the grip he held on his sister’s corpse.

The two had fought together till the end. Successfully deflecting hexes and curses sent by death eaters, until they were ambushed and both lost their lives protecting their loved ones. They hadn’t died instantly. Y/N and Fred laid on the clock tower grounds, staring into each other’s eyes with their hands intertwined and held on tightly until they both shared a mental and mutual decision to let go. The fallen heroes of the Battle of Hogwarts were never forgotten, but it never stopped hurting. 

Fred Jr. nervously walked through the castle grounds at night, whispering lumos to guide him through the dark. It was his first time trying to sneak into the kitchen after curfew, having heard that many students managed to do it successfully. He had been lost for the past ten minutes, and his worst fear was being found by the groundskeeper or a professor. His small body turned cold when he heard a voice in the back of him.

“I think the kitchen is that way,” Fred Jr. turned around to see a familiar face. Only that she didn’t look exactly the way he had seen her. Her pictures hung in his house and at his grandparents and uncle’s house. Her grey appearance didn’t frighten him but instead made him feel at home. 

“It’s never too late for a midnight snack, don’t you think, Y/N?” Another voice sounded through the dark hall. Fred Jr. spun around to see another ghost, one that looked a lot like his father. 

“Never, Freddie. So, how about we help Fred Jr. here find the kitchen?” Y/N responded, flying down to meet Fred Jr.’s level. 

“Are you sure we won’t get caught, Aunt Y/N?” Fred Jr. asked, tightly holding his wand. 

“With us? You have nothing to worry about,” Y/N replied smiling widely at the young Weasley. A smile broke out on his lips, and he followed after the two ghosts.

[harryissuchalittleshit]

Molly and Arthur's relationship with their children and significant others. Ik Molly didn't like fluer at first and I get the feeling she's one of THOSE mother-in law's even though I love her to deatg

Bill&Fleur:

Bill is the oldest

The younger four saw him almost as another parent, being so much older and often having been asked to babysit them

So both Molly and Arthur have a soft spot for him

They remember the two years that was just the three of them

As we know Bill started to rebel once he was out of school and went to Egypt

He made a strong stance on it when he returned to England during the war and even after

Okay, so Fleur and Molly did have a strain relationship, but after Bill was attacked, a respect was formed between Fleur and Molly

You can’t see someone you love and care for almost die and not bond

Arthur has never had a problem with Fleur and recognizes that she is a seriously gifted witch

And Fleur has a great relationship with him

Molly and Fleur get along a lot better once Victoire is born

And Molly and Arthur help them get the hang of parenting their rebellious children when they’re older

They have a LOT of experience in that field

Charlie:

Charlie is a mama’s boy

He gets along well with his parents, but living so far away is hard on all of them

I like to think that Charlie starts making sure to come home at least every other summer and every Christmas to stay with Molly and Arthur and spend the summer with all of his nieces and nephews

He spends a lot of time writing letters to home

When Molly and Arthur’s health start to fail he moves home permanently to take care of them

He’s a good son to them, but the distance is what hurts their relationship

Percy&Audrey:

Percy is a definite mama’s boy

More so than Charlie

If he would’ve had to see Molly at the ministry instead of Arthur he would’ve returned home a lot sooner

His relationship with the family as a whole is very difficult after the war, but between Molly, Charlie, and George everyone else accepts him eventually (except Bill, big thoughts on that)

Audrey is the perfect daughter in-law

Molly adored her the second she met her and Arthur knew her from the ministry before she and Percy start dating

She knits with Molly while pregnant with her daughters

She is also Muggleborn, so she indulges Arthur’s curiosity a lot

They remind her of her own parents and the simple life she had before she went to Hogwarts

All in all, Audrey is the reason Percy fits in with his family so well after the war

George&Angelina:

It’s hard after the war

George eventually moves out of the Burrow and back to the flat over the shop

He puts a show on for a long time, but then he and Angelina reconnect

It’s not a “she fixed him” story, it’s a “we were both hurting and misery loves company, but now we feel better” story

She brings George back to them and they are forever grateful to Angelina

George becomes part of the family again and he becomes really close to Arthur

But he only talks about Fred to Molly, and she starts sharing stories about her own brothers

Angelina and George have the first family wedding after the war and they make it a very joyous event

It’s exactly three days after Molly and Arthur’s wedding anniversary

Angelina is also a half-blood and answers a lot of Arthur’s questions about Muggle medical equipment and practices

Angelina is Arthur’s favorite of his in-laws

Ron&Hermione:

Ron is Arthur’s son

Out of all their children, Ron is Arthur’s kid, the one that can be depended on to want to spend time with dad ALL the time

He is the kid that gets dragged to the ministry all the time, as he can be expected to behave and not wander off (at least not too far)

But he is also Molly’s kitchen buddy

Pretty much when he was little, he would hide in there when Fred and George hanged up on him, and molly gave him a bit of work

He asks his parents if it would be a good idea to propose, as he values their opinion on the matter

Molly and Arthur love Hermione so they push Ron to propose and make her an official part of the family

Things do fall apart a little after Rose is born and Hermione goes back to work and Ron steps back and becomes a mostly stay-at-home dad

But things are patched up by the time Hugo is born

Harry&Ginny:

The baby girl

Ginny gets away with a lot when she’s little

She grows closer to her parents while in hiding

She sees them age so much during that time and after the war

She writes home every week of her seventh year, mostly to Arthur

Ginny has never been “girly” enough for Molly, but after the war that falls away

They all realize that it’s time to let go of perceptions and to just love one another for who they are

Molly is the only one to go to Ginny’s very first match with the Harpies

She’s benched the whole game, but Molly is so proud of her that it doesn’t matter

So Harry is Molly’s favorite of her in-laws

He can do no wrong and it’s obvious to everyone that she thinks this

He was family long before he asked Ginny to marry him

He did ask permission just because he thought it was the proper thing to do

He got told to go through the brothers

James is their first grandson and that cements Harry as Molly’s favorite

Bonus, relationships with the grandchildren:

Victoire:

She’s the first grandchild

She has a special place in their hearts

She is the first in so many ways and when she runs away to France they are the only ones she writes too

She is the oldest by quite a bit, so she gets to remember a lot of time with just her, Molly, and Arthur

She will always be close with them

James:

The oldest grandson

He reminds them of Bill

He has a trouble streak that breaks when he’s made Head Boy

They see so much potential in him and that ever goes away even as he gets older

He makes them hopeful in a way they hadn’t been in a long time

Freddie:

The second grandson

Despite being named after Fred, he’s a mini George

He holds so much in and then explodes

He gets on well with Molly and Arthur, and his other grandfather Micah

While he’s good with jokes and puns, it’s his facial expressions that really make him funny

He’s also always willing to help out with anything, and enjoys degnoming the garden

Roxanne:

The second granddaughter

She’s beautiful and witty and funny even as a child

She goes to Arthur for cuddles and Molly for sweets

She has a way of getting out of any trouble, even if she is the instigator

She’s a lot like Ginny when she’s younger, one of the boys and never too fussed about anything

She goes to them for comfort

Rose:

Rose is just like Molly

She is a mother hen, she loves to cook, and she loves spending time with Molly

The feeling is very mutual

Rose always finds Arthur first at any family event to give him a big hug

After she loss her Grandma Jane, she clung on tighter to Molly

After she loss her Abeulo Javier, she made sure to always tell Arthur she loved him between visits

She write them at least twice a month at Hogwarts, and she leaves out no details

They were very proud of her becoming Head Girl

Al:

Just like Arthur

They both like to sit at the edges and just watch the chaos

Al goes out of his way to learn about Muggle things so he always has something to talk to Arthur about

When he’s older he gets really interested in the space program and that becomes their thing

Molly loves how close Arthur and Al are

Molly:

Remember that Percy is a mama’s boy, well Molly is named after both of her grandmothers

She adores Molly and Arthur

Her other grandparents were killed in the war, so she only knows them

In the summer holidays, she’ll go over every Sunday morning for tea

It’s her time to spend with them alone, just by herself

She picks up knitting from Molly and really enjoys it

Molly is the one to carry on the family legacy, she has seven kids (six daughters, one son)

Lucy:

She is also close to her grandparents

She is often found tucked beside Arthur at family events

Just like Al, she finds something specific and Muggle to talk to Arthur about

Hers is travel, and they end up talking about trains a lot

When Lucy gets pregnant with her oldest, she goes to Molly with questions

Every Monday she makes sure to visit and usually brings along her children

Dominique:

She doesn’t write her parents, but she writes Molly and Arthur

She feels like she was always pushed off onto them

Between Victoire’s rebellions and Louis’ autism, she was the one pushed onto others

When she gets pregnant at sixteen, she tells Molly and Arthur first because she doesn’t know who else to tell

She always has dinner with them every Wednesday

Hugo:

He reminds them of Fred

He has an endless amount of energy and talks constantly around them

He constantly spews knowledge and always wants people to know what he knows

Because he sees Rose always helping in the kitchen, he helps in the kitchen and learns how to cook from Molly

When his Abeulo Javier dies, it really affects his relationship with Arthur

He’s scared to lose another grandparent and he actively seeks out Arthur at family dinners

When he finally has children, he makes sure to let them know Molly and Arthur and have a real relationship with them

Louis:

He loves the Burrow

He likes to visit when he knows no one else will be there

Molly and Arthur are just happy to have him, they’re not used to quiet though

He makes a portrait of them for their fiftieth wedding anniversary and one of the Burrow for their seventy-fifth anniversary

Louis very much is about presence and not words, so while he doesn’t know much about his grandparents, he knows them as much as he needs to

When Molly and Arthur pass, he gets all the old family photos

Lily:

She’s the baby of the whole family

She will always be the baby in their eyes

She dances before she walks, and it’s while she’s “helping” Molly at the Burrow

Molly tells Harry and Ginny to put her into dance classes and that changes her life forever

Lily always seeks out Arthur at every family dinner, even if it’s just to give him a hug and a kiss

The summer before her seventh year, she goes to the Burrow almost every day

She wants to know everything she can, about them and their life

She keeps a journal of all their stories and after her oldest graduates from Hogwarts, she writes a book of their life

It brings her and Hugo closer and they are the only ones who have signed copies by both Molly and Arthur

Teddy:

He is the oldest, but he had Andromeda until she passed when he was four

He had been living with Harry for about a year by then

He is the reason why Molly goes by ‘nana’ and Arthur goes by ‘grandad’

He is their grandson in every way but blood relation

He makes time every week to spend time with them and writes to them every other week while at Hogwarts

When he’s down, he goes to the Burrow

His children know Molly and Arthur as their grandparents

Send me a Weasley and I’ll give you a fic, a couple of head canons, or my opinion on them in both canon and fanon!

[callsign-mischief]

Chilly Summer Nights.

Day 14 of ‘A Very Harry Potter Summer!’

@hufflefluff-writer

Ron Weasley x Female!Reader!

Word Count: 2.6K

You were currently running frantically about your room packing your school trunk with everything you would be needing for the upcoming school year; as you were preparing to stay at your best friend's house for the remainder of your summer holiday. Your grandmother called out to you from the bottom of the stairs leading to your bedroom.

“(Y/N)! Let’s get a move on young lady! I sent an owl to Molly half an hour ago saying you would be arriving soon! Let’s not keep them waiting any longer!” 

“Sorry Gran!  I’m almost done, I promise. I’ll be down in a- woah!” You yelped, as you tripped over your trunk and crumpled to the floor with a loud THUD!

“That hurt..” you grumbled, with your face flat against the hardwood flooring of your bedroom. 

 Heavy footsteps ascended the stairs and before you knew it, your grandmother was stepping over the threshold of your dainty bedroom. She peered at you with her hands placed on her hips, brows arched high in curiosity.

“What did you do this time?”

Standing from the floor rubbing your sore knees and cheek, you look at her with an embarrassed smile. “Tripped over my trunk. But I’m okay Gran, don’t worry.” 

“Glad you are alright but- for Merlin’s sake!” She yelped as her eyes left your body and scanned over your messy living space. “You certainly don't know how to pack correctly, my dear. Please do step aside so I can finish this quickly and you can head off. It’s getting quite late.”

 Nodding your head, you step aside as you watch your grandmother pull her wand from her cooking apron before giving it a wave. You watched in silent awe as various strewn items, ranging from clothing to new schooling supplies, flew from different spots around the room. Into the trunk it all went before it was snapped shut and buckled then sent flying down the stairs, landing by the fireplace. Even though you were thirteen years old and were raised all your life around magic, it still amazed you.

“There, much better. Far quicker at that too! Now grab your school bag and Wisp so we can go!” 

“Yes, mam.” You acknowledge as she waltzed out of the room and back down the stairs. Hauling your bag over your shoulder and grabbing Wisp’s pet carrier and your wand from the bedside table, you exited the room, shutting the door tightly and gliding down the stairs with a newfound pep in your step.

Meeting your grandmother in front of the fireplace, she gave you a once over before giving you a loving, tender hug, and ushering you into the fireplace. Making sure you were settled in,  she offered you the pot of Floo powder with a gentle smile. Wisp, your loving black cat, gave a loud meow as a goodbye to your grandmother. Smiling at her, you take a handful of the powder before speaking clearly of your intended destination. 

“The Burrow!”

Instantly, you’re engulfed into flames and your sneakers reach the hard ground of the Weasley’s fireplace below you as you are hit with a quick bit of dizziness. “Gosh, I hate that sometimes.”

With Wisp’s cat carrier in one hand and your trunk in the other, you step out of the fireplace careful to not dirty up Molly's floor. When the dizziness in your eyesight has cleared, you are met with the sight and smell of the cozy home of the family you have come to love and adore over the past few years. 

You barely have a second to walk into the quaint living room and set down your belongings before two bodies come crashing into yours at full speed.

“You’re finally here!”

“It’s about time you’ve arrived, love! We were beginning to think you abandoned us!"

Chuckling at the two people’s words, you wrap one arm around each of their torsos, hugging them as equally tight as they were you. 

“Yes! I have arrived, Georgie. And Fred, that’s pure nonsense! I would never abandon you two! You are my favorites after all…” you pause to stand on the tips of your toes and whisper in their ears, “Just don’t tell your sister I said that. She would hex the daylights out of me once we got back to Hogwarts!”

The twins couldn’t help but laugh and release you from their smothering grasps as Ginny was heard barreling down the stairs to greet you.

“You two step away from her this instant! She is MY best friend!” She yells, running into the room.

“You should have gotten to me quicker then Gin.” You couldn’t help but grin as you were enveloped into yet another bone-crushing hug. You squeezed her back just as hard, beyond ecstatic to be reunited with your best friend after weeks apart. You break away from each other, catching up on the past couple of days leading up to your arrival when Mrs. Weasley walks in from the kitchen with Arthur in tow. 

“(Y/N), how lovely to see you, dear. It was ‘bout time you’d be arriving.”

Flushing red, you step up to her with open arms. “Sorry Mrs. Weasley, that was my fault. Got a late start to packing and Gran had to help me finish making sure I had everything I needed.”

Embracing you into her warm arms, she squeezes you gently (unlike her children), patting your arm lightly. “No worries dear, we’re just glad to have you with us.”

Moving on from Molly, Arthur gave you a hug as well. During your quick embrace, he began telling you all about the long list of new questions he had about Muggles. You couldn’t help but laugh and tell him that you would answer any and all questions he had throughout your stay. Once released from Mr. Weasley, Ginny, George, and Fred swept you away talking excitedly about the upcoming Quidditch World Cup match you all would be attending next week. Barely into the discussion, your ears perked up as you heard two more sets of footsteps descending the rickety staircase. Your face flushed a light pink instantly knowing who one of those footsteps belongs to. 

“What the bloody hell is all the ruckus down here about?”

Glancing over in his direction you couldn't help blushing a darker shade of pink. “Hi, Ron.”

Eyes bulging in shock, his face matches yours, flushing as red as his hair. “H-hey..you..you’re here! Why..w-why are you here?.” 

Ginny lets out a snort of annoyance, “If you can have your best friend here then so can I!”

The twins share a knowing look between themselves before Fred slings an arm around your shoulder smirking at his younger brother in the process, “Don’t act like you aren’t happy to see her mate.”

“I’m not!” Ron yells back defensively. But realizing what he had said, his hands fly up in surrender. "W-wait! No! That is not what I mean! I'm not not happy to see you -I..I am glad to see you! Ecstatic, even!” he scrambles trying to save his last shred of dignity. 

  Harry smirks, slightly leaning in close to the redhead, “Nice save there. Real nice.”

Ron shoots Harry a daggered look as his face flames in embarrassment and irritation, but his anger is short-lived as Molly announces from the kitchen that supper is ready. 

Jumping at the chance to leave from the room, Ron grabs the smirking dark haired boy beside him running away to the awaiting food with the towering twins following them out. Before you can fall in line behind George, Ginny grabs your wrist bringing you to a halt. 

“You like my brother!” 

Don’t panic, don’t panic. “I like all your brothers. They’re all quite nice and enjoyable really. Nice boys each of them are Gin-”

“No. I mean Ron specifically! You like Ronald.” It wasn't a question of 'if'. 

Feigning ignorance you brush off her statement, “Pfft. I do not! You’ve gone right mental Ginny.”

Before the feisty redhead could speak once more, her mother yelled for the two of you to come take your seats at the table. Thank you, Molly.

Sending one last look your way she narrows her eyes in a playful manner, “Do not, for one second, think that you are off the hook about this!” 

This is not good. Not good at all. 

Attempting to forget about the conversation with Ginny, you basked in the presence of some of your most favorite people. Dinner was amazing as always. The food was beyond delicious, smiling faces were seen all around- it was just perfect. Nothing could ever be better than this. You had spent most of the meal interacting with Mr. Weasley. Of course- the topic of choice being all things Muggle but that was all okay! You loved being helpful and answering any questions he had. 

When everyone’s bellies were stuffed to the brim with food, Molly excuses herself from the table to begin putting away any leftovers. Arthur follows after his wife while the Weasley boys and Harry disperse quickly, the twins dashing up the staircase conversing in hushed tones while Harry and Ron make their way into the living room. 

You and Ginny share an eye roll and begin to rid the table of all dirty dishes. With dinnerware piled in your arms, you two girls carry everything into the kitchen and are instructed by Mr. Weasley to place them on the counter top by the sink where Molly was waiting. With a grateful smile, Mrs. Weasley ushers you and Ginny out. You two venture into the cozy living room to see the two fourth-year boys sitting on the floor playing a game of Wizards Chess. Ron is leaning back against the sofa while Harry sprawls out on the floor on his stomach. You venture over to the sofa while Ginny takes the armchair by the fireplace. You plant yourself on the old piece of furniture, lying down behind the redhead and getting comfortable before cracking open a book you had brought with you. He glances over his shoulder, giving you a shy smile before turning away to take his turn. 

The rush of butterflies in your stomach was instant. You couldn't help but blush and move just a tad bit more towards the edge of the couch to be closer to him. You only hoped he didn't notice the shift, not wanting him to think of you as weird but he felt it. He didn’t mind though. He wanted you to be close to him. He couldn’t help but blush at the thought of you wanting to be closer to him too.

After a while, the heads of the home walk out from the kitchen bidding you all a quiet ‘goodnight’ before heading up to bed. Shutting your book, you place it on the coffee table beside you before your eyes slowly flutter over to the boy in front of you. The silence of the house is interrupted when you hear two sets of footsteps tiptoeing not so quietly down the stairs. Looking away from the youngest boy in the family, you see two identical faces pop out from around the corner.  

“Oi! You four come with us!” Fred whispers across the room. 

Without questioning the request, the four of you make your way out of your seats and follow behind the mischief makers. They lead you through the house and urgently usher each of you out the front door of the home into the chilly evening air. You couldn’t but shudder as a gust of wind rushes past you, sending tingles down your spine once you step out. You really wished they had let you grab a sweater. 

Lighting their wands with ‘Lumos’, Fred and George lead you all into the field eventually coming to a stop by a pile of old wood and sticks. 

“What’s all this?” you question as George sets down the box he had been carrying. 

“This, love, is our wood pile for a bonfire! And to make it even better, we have supplies for a snack! It’s a muggle treat, actually. What do you call them Harry?”

Harry chuckled, “S’mores. My cousin Dudley eats them all the time in the summer.” 

You couldn't help the excited giggle that spilled from your lips. You had heard about these but never got the chance to try one! Without wasting another second, you quickly set the twins on getting the fire started while you found yourself a small log to get comfortable on, ready for the fun to begin as you curl up to get warm again. The fire is quickly lit (all thanks to Harry) and everyone begins to dig in to make the famously sweet and gooey treat for themselves. The youngest Weasley son jumps at the chance to follow in your footsteps, planting himself on your small log seat. You peer at him with a wide grin causing his cheeks to flush pink. 

Tonight had been amazing. And although you loved your summer holiday’s, the one thing you didn't appreciate was that the later into the evening it got, the chillier it got. The fire had helped keep you warm but not completely. After seeing you attempting to hide your shivers due to the chilly breezes for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, Ron couldn’t bear to see you so miserable any longer. Scooting closer, he wrapped his arm around you, pulling you flush against his side. With wide eyes and cheeks flaming as red as his hair, you turned to look at him. He’s facing the roaring fire but you could see a content smile graced upon his lips. How is his side profile just as attractive as his entire face?!

Sensing your stare, his head turns. “You okay, love?” Love.

“Y-yeah! I’m great. But w-why?” you jester to his arm around your waist.

"You kept shivering so I thought this might help get you warmed up a bit more." 

Oh.. so he's just being friendly. Right. Of course he doesn't fancy you in return. That only happens in cheesy romance novels. 

He watches as your face falls slightly but before you can move away he tightens his grip on your hip.. "I-it's not just that ya know.." 

"Wait, what? W-what do you mean?" Your heart begins to beat out of your chest. ‘Please, PLEASE be the reason I'm hoping for.’ your mind pleads. 

He clears his throat nervously. "W-well..I um..I have fancied you for quite a while now a-and I um thought this," he nods at the position you were in "was a good way to show it. I-its okay if you don't feel the same, of course, I just wanted to make it known.." The poor bloke was shaking! How can someone be so nervous but still be so cute?!

You couldn't believe it! The boy you've been pining for for two years has feelings for you too! "Y-you do!? I like you too Ron. I really really do!" you all but exclaim, flinging your arms around his neck in an excited hug. Your cheeks ached from how hard you had been grinning and you couldn't help the giggles that slipped past your lips in pure happiness. 

His grin matched yours as he squeezed you even closer to his body, if that were even possible and placed a loving gentle kiss to your forehead. "I'm so glad you do." 

This felt like a dream. If all it took was a couple hours out in the chilly evening air to get where you were now, in Ron's arms, you would happily do it again anytime. Chilly summer nights were not so bad after all.

[like-a-bag-of-potatoes]

Chapter One - Hello Chicago

A/N: So this is my first crack at Chicago fire fanfiction, so don't judge too hard, alright? This will unfold from the beginning of season three, so if you haven't watched it yet, but plan to; SPOILER ALERT! I tried to follow along with the storyline of the show, but some things have been changed. Shout out to my superawesome beta @thorne93​, you rock! 

Fandom: Chicago Fire

Pairing: Kelly Severide x Beth (OFC) 

Warnings: None. 

Wordcount: 2975

Three weeks ago: 

It was a beautiful summer day in Chicago, the sun was high in the sky while a warm breeze fanned the air, providing some much needed relief from the scorching sun. Beth had just moved into a cozy little apartment on West Wolcott, a seemingly friendly neighbourhood that she hadn't really had the time to explore yet. One thing she had noticed though, was the little bar on the corner, Molly’s. It reminded her of the last place she worked at back in New York before she picked up her life and headed for the windy city. On this particular day, she saw a ‘help wanted’ sign on the bulletin board outside, and without thinking twice, she climbed the three steps and walked inside. A little bell above the intricate mahogany door chimed, and before it even closed behind her, three confused faces looked up at her from a table near the bar. 

“Sorry, we’re closed,” the woman in the group said, offering Beth a friendly smile as she did. 

“Oh…” Beth started, looking between the three of them. The woman was a beautiful latina, around Beth's age, with a kind smile. One of the men, the older one of them, looked like he was in his mid forties maybe, and the other one was around Beth's age, maybe a couple years younger. He had big brown puppy dog eyes and a thick mustache.  “I just saw the help wanted sign outside, and figured I'd see if you had an application I could fill out,” she explained. “But I can come back later,” she suggested when there was no answer. It felt as though she had walked into something here. She didn't know them, but it seemed as if there was a sadness behind their smiles. 

“Nonsense,” the older man exclaimed, getting to his feet. “Come sit down.” 

Beth put down her groceries at the door and went to join them. 

“I'm Christopher Herrmann,” he introduced, shaking Beth's hand. “That's Gabriella Dawson-” Beth shook her hand too. “And this here is Otis,” he said, patting the guy's shoulder. 

“Brian,” the younger man corrected. 

“Nice to meet you all. I'm Beth Andrews.” 

“So you’re looking for a job?” Gabriella wondered. 

“Yeah. I just moved in down the street last week, and I saw the sign upfront today,” she explained. 

“You have any experience, kid?” Herrmann asked in a very prominent Chicago accent. 

“I do. Spent the last ten years working as a bartender in New York. Two different nightclubs for about five years and then nearly five year's at a neighbourhood bar like this,” she explained. “Then I moved here. I have references,” she added.

“Any other work experience?” he wondered. 

“Yeah. I was a paramedic with the New York Firedepartment for eight years. We were on 24 hours and off for 48, so it was easy enough to combine with other jobs.” 

The three of them shared an amused look and Beth wondered if she had said something wrong. 

“We all work for the CFD at house 51 here in town. Gabby is a paramedic, Herrmann and I are on truck,” Otis explained, and Beth chuckled at the coincidence.

“Paramedic for now,” Gabby corrected. “I've graduated from the academy, and hope to start fighting fires soon.” 

“Really? Congrats,” Beth offered. 

“Thank you,” Gabby said with a wide smile. “Are you looking to be a paramedic here in Chicago too, or?” 

“Not really, no. I got injured on the job and the more time passed, the harder it was to get back to it. I made a real effort about three months ago, but the job had changed for me,” Beth tried to explain, hoping that a fellow paramedic would understand. 

“Alright,” Herrmann dragged. “So why Chicago?” 

“Heard you guys were hiring. Couldn't let that opportunity slip through my fingers,” Beth joked with a coy smile, looking between the three of them. 

Gabby looked at the other two and nodded before looking back at Beth. “Welcome to Molly’s.” 

“Really?” Beth exclaimed. 

“Yep,” Herrmann confirmed. “Be here at five and we’ll get you settled in.” 

***

And that was how Beth landed her job at Molly’s. A job that she absolutely loved. Never had she imagined that a simple bartender job would come with such a wide network of people and friends, but Molly’s had that family vibe to it. It was a place where firefighters, police officers, and doctors came to hang their hat and try to find a good end to an otherwise shitty day at work, or a place to celebrate the good days. She found many acquaintances during her first three weeks, but also some good friends… like Gabby. 

After Beth had Gabriella and her fiancee - who was a lieutenant at firehouse 51 - Matt Casey over for dinner, Gabby had convinced her to come to the house and cook for them all, which she gladly did. One thing she had learned through her year's working at NYFD was that the fastest way to a firefighter’s heart was through their stomachs. 

Firehouse 51 was still mourning the loss of one of their paramedics, Leslie Shay, who had died on the job just a few weeks before Beth rolled into town. Her death still cast a shadow over the place, but they were all trying to get back to normal. A normal that would be hard to find before the lieutenant of Squad 3 came back from his furlough. Kelly Severide had been Shay’s best friend, and the one that took her death the hardest. No one had seen or heard from him since Shay’s funeral, and they were all starting to wonder if he would ever return to the station at all. 

Beth hoped that a good meal would help cheer them up a bit, even if it was just for a little while. 

“This smells amazing, Beth,” Cruz complimented as he hovered over her in the kitchen. “Where did you learn to cook?” 

“Yeah… Tell them the story,” Gabby said with a chuckle, not looking up from the magazine she was flipping through. 

“Alright,” Beth dragged, very aware that all eyes were on her all of a sudden. “I was dating this guy back when I was nineteen. He was a really nice guy, but I didn't really see it lasting very long, so when Valentine’s rolled around I didn't want to splurge on a big fancy gift for him. So I got him a pen,” she started explaining. 

“You gave a guy a pen for valentines day?” Cruz asked with raised brows. 

“Yeah - well- he was studying journalism and I had it engraved.. It was a nice pen, kay? My point is I wasn't too invested in the relationship at this point.” 

“As evidenced by the pen,” Otis chimed in, earning himself a bitchface from Beth. 

“But it seemed as though he was in a different place then I was at that time, so he gave me a gift certificate for cooking classes, worth about 500 dollars.” 

A round of ‘aww’s’ went around the room followed by Gabby’s “Wait for it.” 

“For about two seconds I felt really shitty about the 14 dollar pen I had gotten him, so I started telling him that I couldn't accept his gift. That it was too much.. Too generous. He shut me down and told me it was an investment in our future and that - and I quote - he saw real potential in me, but if we were to start a family, he needed to know that I would be able to cook for them.” 

Now there was a mixture of ‘eww’s’ and ‘oh, noes,’ going through the room. 

“So I took the gift certificate and left. Then I spent 6 weeks learning to cook all these delicious meals that he will never get to taste,” she concluded. 

“Good for you, Beth,” Sylvie complimented. She was the newest member of the firehouse, filling Shay’s position after she died. Sylvie was a small town girl that had this sort of careful nature to her. She was very sweet though. Beth liked her a lot. 

“I don't get it,” Cruz said with a puzzled look on his face. “He was planning a future with you, isn't that nice?” Coming from anyone else, this comment would probably piss Beth off, but she knew him, and knew that he didn't really mean anything by it. 

“He wasn't planning a future with me, he was planning my future for me,” Beth explained. “Look… being a stay at home mom is tough work, and I admire the shit out of those who do it, but at that point I had my own aspirations and goals for my future. It was pretty clear to me that even though he knew all of this, he didn't care as long as he got the family he pictured in his mind.” 

“Oh… well… when you put it like that,” Cruz said, an apologetic look on his face. 

“It's alright,” Beth assured before she announced to everyone that dinner was ready, and for all of them to dig in. 

***

Dinner had been a huge success and she left the house with an open invitation to come back whenever to cook for them, which was their way of telling her that she had been accepted into their little family. 

Now she was back behind the bar at Molly’s, which was easily her favorite place in the world right now. Lieutenant Casey had finally been able to track down and convince Lieutenant Severide to come back to Chicago, and they had all decided to throw him a little welcome home party at Molly’s.

Gabby had already been in Beth’s ear about Kelly Severide, warning her that he was a bit of a ladies man, but Beth assured her that she wasn't interested. She was excited to meet him though, besides being a ladies man, Beth had heard a lot of great things about him. 

There was a good crowd already at the bar when Kelly finally showed up. The first thing that Beth noticed was that the pictures of him at the station didn't really do him justice. However, it wasn't the ocean blue eyes, or the plump lips, or even the broad shoulders. It was the way he carried himself. Standing tall and confident in his shoes as he was welcomed into the bar with cheers and pats on the back. There were few things more attractive in a man than confidence, Beth thought to herself, but there was a really fine line between confidence and arrogance, and from where she was standing it looked as though he was on the right side of that line. There was something else that she noticed about him, something that saddened her in some inexplicable way. As soon as the charming smile fell from his lips, his expression hardened. Not in an angry or mean looking way, but more… stoic. Like a man carrying around a pain inside of him that he didn't want anyone to see. Like he was trying to hide his vulnerability by appearing unapproachable.

Beth knew that underneath all that, there was a good man. Of course she hadn't met the man yet, but she knew that from the way people spoke about him. 

He didn't take a seat at the bar, instead he wedged himself in between two stools and leaned against the counter.   

“This is Beth, Molly’s new bartender,” Gabby said and Beth reached over the bar to shake his hand. 

“Kelly,” he said, his piercing blue eyes tracking her features. “Nice to meet you.” The hardness of his face melted away as he smiled politely at her, revealing a little gap between his front teeth. It was as though she caught a little glimpse of who he was behind the hard exterior. It was just a flash, a fraction of a second, and then it was gone again.   

“You too,” she offered. “What can I get you?” 

“Whiskey,” he said simply before he got roped into a conversation with Chief Boden and Casey. 

Beth did her best not to stare at the man, but throughout the night she caught herself looking for him, letting her eyes linger whenever they found him while her mind wondered who this man was underneath. Already then she knew she was in trouble 

“I knew it,” Gabby said suddenly into her ear. Beth hadn't even seen her approaching. 

“What?” she asked, pretending she had no clue what Gabby was on about. “I'm allowed to look,” she defended when her friend sent her a knowing look. 

“You’re allowed to do whatever you want to do,” Gabby said with a coy smile. “Just know what you’re getting yourself into.” 

“I'm not gonna get myself into anything,” Beth assured.

“Mhm… Anyway, Matt and I are going to head home. You okay to lock up?” Gabby asked. 

The bar was mostly empty now. Just Severide, Cruz, and Otis remained. “Absolutely,” Beth assured. She said goodnight to her friend and then made her way over to the three men. “Last call, boys. What can I get you?” 

The level of inebriation around the table was pretty darn high, but considering this was last call and they would be out soon, Beth didn't worry about it too much. As per their request, she grabbed them each a beer and then made her way back behind the bar to start getting ready to close up. 

“Hey, Beth,” Kelly suddenly called out, making her spin around. “Come have a drink with us,” he lightly demanded. 

She mulled it over for a second before she poured herself a glass of ice water and went to join them. 

“What's this?” Kelly asked, pointing to her glass with furrowed brows. 

“Water,” she stated simply. 

“You don't drink?” he asked, looking into her blue eyes. 

“Not at work.” Holy shit was he gorgeous, she thought to herself as she pried her eyes off of the freckles that peppered his nose. She hadn't noticed them earlier, but now that she was so close to him, she could clearly see them. She could still feel his eyes on her when she looked away, but she did her best to ignore the warm feeling that settled in her body under his gaze. 

“How are you liking Chicago so far?” Cruz asked. 

“It's good,” she said with a bob of her head. “Your pizza sucks though,” she added as an afterthought. 

“Oh come on,” Otis exclaimed. “Chicago style beats New York style every day of the week,” he argued, getting support from the other two. 

“Uhm.. no. Deep dish pizza tastes like tomato sauce and dough, and nothing more. New York style has the perfect toppings to cheese ratio on a crunchy crust. It's perfection.” 

“You’re wrong,” Cruz chimed in. “The thin crust does not support enough toppings. It's structurally unsound.” He gestured as he spoke, as if he was caught in a heated debate about the state of the world or something. 

That spiraled into a half an hour long argument about pizza and toppings, ending only when Beth said that she would prove them all wrong by coming into the fire house and cooking them some real pizza. This was met with much enthusiasm. 

“Alright, boys. Time to get out so I can close up,” she announced after checking the time. 

“You throwing me out of my own bar?” Otis asked as they all got to their feet. 

“Damn straight,” she said with a smile, trying to ignore the looks she got from the very handsome lieutenant.

“This because of the pizza thing?” 

“Absolutely,” she confirmed with a playful smile. 

“Never argue with the bartender,” Kelly noted. 

“Exactly,” Beth agreed. “Now get out so I can get home,” she ordered. 

The three men were still outside waiting for a cab when Beth locked the door behind her. From what she could tell, Kelly was trying to rope the other two into continuing the evening somewhere else, without much luck it seemed like. She felt for him, she really did. Being alone with your thoughts after losing a loved one was hard, she remembered all too vividly what that was like. 

“What about you?” he said, looking at Beth. “Wanna come have some drinks with me?” 

“Not even a little bit,” she said. It was a lie. She would very much like to go with him, but she knew how that would end, and tempting as it was, it wasn't really an option. “I'm gonna go home and slip into a light coma.” It seemed as though her answer surprised him, and she got the impression that he wasn't really used to getting turned down. 

“Can I walk you home then? Can be scary out here at this time of night,” he tried. 

“My apartment is right there-” she pointed a few houses down - “I'm sure I'll make it home before your cab gets here, so you guys can just keep an eye on me from here.” 

Cruz and Otis kept their eyes to the ground, trying to not get roped into this awkward interaction. They mumbled a goodnight as Beth left them, trying to hide their smiles from the lieutenant. 

“What just happened?” Kelly asked with a confused expression on his face. 

“You just got shut down, bro,” Cruz explained. 

“Twice,” Otis added, making the two of them laugh. 

Kelly watched as Beth made her way to her building, and just as the cab pulled up, she unlocked her door. He raised his hand and gave her a small wave before he got into the backseat of the car. For a while, he had the image of her bright smile, and big eyes in his mind, but soon enough she was replaced by Shay, and grief overtook him once again. 

If you want a tag, just shoot me an ASK and we’ll make that happen. 

If you like what you read, press that little reblog button, maybe leave me a little comment. Feedback is a great source of inspiration for me. 

[morningfears]

Television Romance [Chapter One]

Rating: PG-13 (some swears, nothing major)

Summary: Natalia Adler is a stressed out grad student who attempts to escape the noise of her office by visiting her favorite coffee shop. However, instead of a few hours of writing, she gets a lap full of coffee and a date with the most gorgeous guy she’s ever met.

Word Count: 3.4k

Chapter Two

The graduate student office was usually busy, bustling with activity and overflowing with graduate students working on various research projects or grading coursework as well as undergraduate students seeking assistance with assignments. It was always difficult to concentrate among the din, there was always some conversation or another taking place that was much more interesting than writing yet another proposal, but Tuesdays were the worst.

On Tuesdays, the graduate teaching seminar met in the student office. For an hour each week, the teaching assistants dragged whatever chairs they could find to the center of the room and formed a circle to discuss problems that had arisen in their classrooms, questions they had about university policy, and an article on teaching practices they were assigned to - but never actually did - read. The class was supposed to be useful, a way for them all to prepare for their futures as academics, but it usually turned into a shouting match as the stronger personalities argued over one another about best practices in classroom management. And after, when the dust settled and the faculty facilitator was gone, students who didn’t have a one o’clock class stuck around to catch up on whatever departmental gossip they’d missed throughout the week.

Most days, Natalia was able to tune it all out. Her desk was in the corner, hidden behind a flimsy partition, and her noise cancelling headphones worked wonders to drown out the arguments. She didn’t love catching snippets of pointless conversations about which departmental policies were outdated - they all were - or which graduate students were sleeping together but she made it work. However, today was not one of those days.

She had several important deadlines looming over her head - conference submissions, revisions for a potential publication, the first draft of her thesis proposal, all due within days of one another - and she was feeling overwhelmed. The argument as to whether the department was too hard or too soft on students - or whether professors played favorites - was only making things worse. Instead of subjecting herself to two more hours of torture, she decided to pack up her bag and head to the coffee shop across the street. Even if it was loud, it had to at least be less hostile than the office.

She stood, satchel slung over one shoulder with her cellphone and headphones in hand, and glanced over the top of her partition at the girl who sat across from her. Nicole, like Natalia, wore headphones whenever she worked in the office and only glanced up when Natalia tossed a paperclip at her.

“I’m going to Molly’s,” she announced when Nicole pulled her headphones away from her ears and glanced up at her. Natalia struggled to keep her voice quiet in an attempt to avoid drawing attention to herself, though she was half certain she could yell and still not be heard over her colleagues. However, she remained cautious as the last thing she wanted was for anyone to join her. “You want anything?”

“A new job, a better salary, a husband who takes out the trash… I could go on,” Nicole answered, rolling her neck and grinning tiredly at Natalia’s deadpan expression. “I’ll settle for a caramel latte, though. With almond milk and extra caramel, please. I’ll Venmo you.”

“I’ve got it,” Natalia assured her with a wave of her hand as Nicole reached for her cellphone, “you got me boba last week. You have class at three, right?”

“Don’t remind me,” Nicole sighed as she dropped the device, straightened up in her chair, and pulled a face as she glanced at the syllabus tacked to her partition wall. “We’re going over how Marxism influenced Burke today. I think I’d rather chew off my own foot than try to teach a group of undergrads about either Marxism or Burke.”

“I know the point of college is to make kids think,” Natalia began as she hoisted her bag a little higher on her shoulder and ambled around her partition to stop beside Nicole’s desk, “but I’m glad I got the class that’s a little more, ‘well, duh,’ than that. We’re going over how fundamentally fucked the US healthcare system is today.”

Nicole paused for a moment, staring at Natalia with a look that reeked of both annoyance and exhaustion, before she dropped her head to her desk and asked, “Is it too late to drop out?”

This was a conversation they’d had at least once a week since their first semester of graduate school and Natalia bit back a laugh as she nodded. “Yep. You’re halfway through your thesis proposal, no quitting now,” she pointed out as she nodded toward the stack of books on religious rhetoric that Nicole had stacked on her desk. “Anyway, only eight more months until we’re free.”

“I’m three pages in,” Nicole informed her, a pitiful whine erupting from her throat as she lifted her head and ran a hand through her unwashed curls. “This is going to be a long semester.”

Natalia, who had been under the impression that she was impossibly behind although she only lacked a completed methodology section, grimaced upon learning just how far behind Nicole was. She gave her friend a gentle pat on the shoulder and, although she had her own deadlines to meet, offered her assistance. “I’ll probably be sticking around after class tonight,” she informed her as she thought about the papers she still needed to grade, “if you need me to help with anything, just let me know.”

“Thanks,” Nicole sighed as she turned in her chair and smiled at Natalia, the exhaustion evident in her features although they were only a month into the semester. “I’m thinking about a writing party on Friday so that people can submit conference papers and then go get hammered after. You in?”

“Always down for drinks after opening myself up for rejection. You can send out an email and maybe follow up with a GroupMe or something. Your husband won’t mind you spending Friday with us?” she asked as she glanced over at the group of students, now talking instead of arguing, that still remained in the room. Although they got on her nerves sometimes, she had grown to love most of them.

“He’s going to a football game with some friends. If I stay home, I’ll just end up falling asleep in the tub with a glass of wine. I’ll send the email after class,” Nicole answered as she grabbed her headphones and moved to reposition them onto her ears. “Go, get out of here before someone stops you. You’ll be back by three?”

“Yeah, I’ll be back before you have to leave. I’ll text you when I’m on my way over. See you in a bit,” Natalia hummed as she tapped the top of Nicole’s partition before maneuvering around the group that crowded the doorway and stepping out into the hall.

The building itself wasn’t that busy, it rarely was, but campus was teeming with students as Natalia stepped outside. They typically opted for afternoon classes rather than morning ones and it was obvious that classes held after lunch were the most populated as she watched students wander from building to building. Her own undergraduate experience had been very different - classes as early in the morning as she could get them and work in the afternoons until late at night - but she understood the desire to take advantage of the opportunity.

As a graduate student, her schedule was a little different. She was usually the first one to arrive in the office, just to get a little work done, and held office hours during lunch. She was a TA for a class that met on Tuesdays and Thursday at three and had her own classes to attend, with each of the three meeting once a week, starting at six p.m. and ending at around ten. 

She was busier than she had ever been, even busier than the two years she spent working two jobs and overloading her class schedule. It was harder and lonelier than undergrad had been. She had little time to feel human or socialize without anyone outside of her program, however, she told herself that it would all be worth it when she finished and had a master’s degree under her belt.

Natalia made the most of the few minutes it took her to walk from her office to Molly’s, the closest coffee shop to campus that wasn’t the always crowded Starbucks in the library. She rarely got to enjoy her days. They were usually spent locked in the office or cooped up in the library, neither of which had enough windows. Although it was September, fall still seemed a lifetime away. 

She could still smell summer as an occasional ocean breeze wafted through campus. The sun was bright and high in the sky and the air was warm. It felt like the height of summer, as it usually did in Los Angeles, and she was grateful that she’d chosen to wear a dress instead of pants as the slight breeze kept her from overheating as she entered Molly’s.

The little coffee shop was every Instagram obsessed student’s dream. The exterior was nondescript with plain white walls and a small patio with string lights and a few small tables, however, the interior more than made up for it. There were walls covered with ivy - though Natalia didn’t know if it was real or not - and neon signs littered around the space. There was also a loft with tables and chairs that always seemed to be quieter than the rest of the shop.

It had all been too much for her the first time she visited. It seemed gimmicky, not the kind of place she wanted to frequent even if it was convenient, however, her opinion changed the moment she tried the coffee. Her predecessors in the program hadn’t been wrong in telling her that it was the best coffee she could get and that it served as a good hideout when the office got to be too much to handle. She understood why it was frequented by both students and the outside community, even if it took them too close to campus.

Although the coffee shop was bustling with students rushing in and out between classes, filled with the sounds of conversation and the excitement that came with a new school year, it still seemed quieter than the office. After ordering her iced coffee and settling into a table near the entrance, Natalia slipped her headphones back on and bit her lip in concentration as she opened her laptop and began working on the revisions she’d gotten back from her co-author.

It was difficult, not paying attention to the patrons that entered the shop as she loved people watching, but Natalia kept her eyes on her screen and typed away. If she had glanced up, she might have seen the looks that people threw one another as two men entered the shop. She might have seen how a few snuck pictures with their cellphones or how others whispered excitedly as they passed them by. But she didn’t. All she saw was the cursor on her document blink as she tried to string together a coherent sentence.

She focused on typing a new explanation for a concept she thought she’d covered well enough to need no further explanation, a metaphorical dark cloud hanging over her head as she let the reviewer’s comments weigh on her pride. However, as she got into a groove, her word count quickly climbing, she felt something cold splash against her right side.

She sat, stunned, for a few seconds, before she pulled her headphones off and blinked at the coffee that stained the right side of her dress and dripped from her skin. Ice cubes gathered in her lap, cold seeping through the fabric of her dress as she attempted to process what happened. It took a few more seconds of staring at the mess before she picked up her laptop and held it away from the growing pool of coffee. Ice cubes clattered to the floor as she stood and she grimaced as she watched them fall. She looked over the computer, sighing in relief when nothing appeared to be wet, before she lifted her head and looked at the person responsible.

Any other time, her attention would be on how beautiful the man in front of her was. He stood a head taller than her, easily, with broad shoulders and a surprised expression that she was sure matched her own. His blonde curls had fallen into his eyes, obscuring the blue slightly, and his cheeks and upturned nose were tinted pink in embarrassment as he looked over the damage he’d done.

They stared at one another for longer than necessary, his eyes lingering on her face just as hers lingered on his, and she was glad that he at least had the decency to stare at her face instead of the wet fabric clinging to her. The man beside him, slightly shorter and more amused than embarrassed, nudged his friend who moved as if he were a video that had been taken off pause.

“I’m so sorry,” he breathed, his words rushing together as he watched her place her laptop on a neighboring table to keep it out of harm’s way before she reached for a few napkins. “Fuck, here, let me help you with that.”

His hand bumped into hers as he reached for more napkins and began wiping at the table and, as cliche as it was, she felt a jolt of something shoot down her spine as she quickly pulled her hand away. It was easy for Natalia to ignore the feeling as she watched him make matters worse. She tried to hide it, however, she couldn’t help but grimace as she moved her bag away from the table, slipping it over her head in an effort to avoid him sweeping coffee inside it.

She shook her head at his apology and reached for another handful of napkins. “It’s okay,” she sighed, not wanting to be rude even though she knew she’d have to take time she was planning on using to write to go home and change before class, “at least it was iced coffee.” She tossed the soaked napkins into the trash and bent down to pick up the ice cubes and cup from the ground. “What happened, anyway?”

“He tripped,” the shorter, dark-haired man informed her before he took a sip of his coffee. He still looked amused, positively delighted as he watched his friend struggle to find the right words to say, and Natalia bit back a laugh as she realized everyone had a friend like him.

“I didn’t trip,” the taller man defended with a roll of his eyes, cutting his eyes at his friend before returning his attention to Natalia. He met her eyes sheepishly, the embarrassment softening his features as he explained, “Someone bumped into me on their way in and I, uh…” He trailed off, clearly having planned on saying that he tripped, and dropped his gaze to the floor as Natalia laughed.

“Tripped?” she finished, a smile on her lips despite the situation. When the taller man grimaced, bringing the hand not full of soaked napkins up to rub at the back of his neck, she laughed once more.

“Fine, I tripped,” he acknowledged, “but it wasn’t just being clumsy. Someone really did bump into me.” He gave his explanation more to his friend than to her and she wondered how often he found himself tripping over thin air. He looked solid, like he wouldn’t be the type to trip over his own two feet, but looks could be deceiving and she knew from personal experience how annoying it was to be the clumsy friend.

“It’s okay,” she assured him, a little more sincere in her assurance this time as she offered him a genuine smile. “Nothing spilled on my laptop and it wasn’t boiling so, worst case scenario was avoided. I think I’ll just not sit near the door next time, though.”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good call,” he agreed. His lips were quirked in a smile, grateful that she wasn’t yelling at him, and he still held the soaked napkins in his hands. “I still feel bad, though. Can I make it up to you; buy you a coffee or something?” he asked, a hopeful lilt to her voice that told her he wasn’t just looking to make up for spilling coffee on her.

As much as it pained her to turn him down - and it hurt quite a bit as she found him to be beautiful, even in basketball shorts and a t-shirt - she didn’t have time. “That would be great,” she began, a rueful smile on her lips as she grabbed her laptop and slid it into her bag, “but I have to run. I need to go get changed before class. It’s really okay, though. No big deal.”

She didn’t miss the nudge his friend gave him and raised an eyebrow as she watched him swat at his friend’s elbow. “I, uh, how about dinner, then?” he asked, his eyes meeting hers. 

He looked so earnest, his skin still tinted pink and his eyes wide, and she felt a giddy excitement bubble in the pit of her stomach. He was gorgeous, the kind of guy she never imagined would be interested in her, and she wanted to give him a chance. She didn’t know him, didn’t know if that chance would turn into a disaster, but she found herself wanting to take that risk.

“I have class until ten tonight,” she told him, biting back a coo when his face dropped at what he assumed was her rejection, “but if you tell me your name, I think I could free up my Friday night for dinner.”

He blinked, surprised at how her sentence ended, and smiled at her. He had a unique smile, his teeth on full display and tongue pressed to the back of them, and his eyes brightened as he nodded his agreement. “Right, yeah. Luke,” he introduced, moving to offer her his hand before realizing he still held the wad of napkins. “This meeting isn’t really going that well, huh?”

“I’d say it went south when you dumped coffee on her,” the friend commented, not even bothering to hide his grin as he watched the interaction unfold before him. “All downhill from there, mate.”

“I’m Natalia,” she introduced, pointedly ignoring his friend’s comment with an amused glance in his direction. “I’ve had worse first meetings, don’t worry. My freshman year roommate opened a door on me and gave me a concussion. You just stained a dress.”

“Oddly, that makes me feel better about this, thanks,” Luke laughed as he reached out and dropped the napkins into the garbage. “Can I get your number? That way you can go change now and we can make plans later,” he clarified, smiling at her as he offered her his cellphone to put her number in.

She felt Luke’s gaze on her as she put her number into his phone and she offered him a smile as she handed the device back. “I have one request for Friday,” she told him as she grabbed her own phone from the table and grinned at the text he sent her with his name, “no tables near the entrance.” Luke laughed at her request, a sound that she found endearing, and Natalia grinned at him. “I’ll see you on Friday, then.”

“See you on Friday,” he confirmed, grinning as he watched her step around him.

Natalia and Luke maintained eye contact for a moment, each giddy and grinning as they felt the butterflies of something new on the horizon, before Natalia bumped into something solid on her way out and made a face before quickly turning to apologize. She tossed Luke a wave over her shoulder, her own cheeks burning in embarrassment, as she heard his friend mumble, “Wow, she’s perfect for you.”

As she stepped out into the world once more, she grinned at the encounter. It made her lose an hour of writing time - and ruined her favorite dress - but maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing. She’d been single for years and hadn’t had any luck with dating apps. She knew that a boyfriend wasn’t the most necessary thing in her life, however, it might be nice to be the girl with a date for once. And it certainly didn’t hurt that Luke was gorgeous.

Whatever the future held for them, she found herself looking forward to it. 

____________________________________________________

Author’s Note: If I try to start another series, someone fight me. Like, actually, genuinely fight me. I’m focusing on Rose Tattoo, These Violent Delights, and this. (And MF if I get inspiration but those updates are more sporadic, never meant to be regular, sorry. :() I want to write a few one shots but they’ll likely be shorter and just fun, you know? Not super plot heavy. I may or may not update the next chapter of this sooner than a week because this is kind of short. But, hey, I’ve got all the time in the world because after I defend next week, I’m done with grad school and that’s mildly terrifying. Anyway.  Here we go.

Tag List (like this post or message me if you want to be added!): @toolazymyguy , @irwinkitten , @jamieebabiee , @glittersluke , @spicycal , @lusbaby , @everyscarisahealingplace, @brokenvirtualheartcollector , @if-it-rains-it-pours, @blisshemmings , @calumscalm , @lovemenowseemenever , @ijustreallylovezebras , @rhiannonmichelle, @p0laroidpictures , @tomscuddles , @loverofmineluke , @harrytreatspeoplewithkindnesss , @blueviiolence , @loveroflrh , @empathycth , @luckyduckydoo , @tobefalling , @bandsandbooksaremykink , @watch-how-she-burns , @megz1985 , @wokeupinaustralia , @lucidlrh , @canterburyfiction , @cal-is-not-on-branding , @t-i-n-y-d-i-n-o , @jaacknaano , @findingliam-o , @old-zeppelin-shirt , @idk-who-i-am-anymore1 , @sammyrenae68 , @flowerthug , @calumsphile , @caitdaniels, @drummerboy794 , @writingfortoomanyfandoms , @x-lover-of-mine-x , @miliefayy , @sunaaii , @canterburyfiction , @sebrox40 , @nati-nn , @opheliaaurora23 , @bitterbethany , @sunnysidesblog​ , @333-xx​

[edie-k]

Legally Ginger - Chapter 3 "What, Like It's Hard?"

Title: Legally Ginger Chapter 3: "What Like It's Hard?"

Rating: Teen (I'm sorry Ron and I are equally fond of the f word)

Summary: Based off the movie Legally Blonde. Ron makes the move to Boston but his Harvard career is off to a rough start.

Author Notes: I do want to caveat that not everyone who attends an Ivy League school is a snob so no offense to anyone that did; it’s just a fun romcom stereotype.

Additionally, I felt the need to address that it can be a bit scary for anyone to stalk someone across the country but particularly a man stalking a woman across country is historically problematic. Unfortunately, given it's basically the entire plot of this story, we can't completely avoid it. So remember, this is a fun thing in movies but a red flag in real life.

And yes, I do crib more from the movie on the curriculum. I did not attend law school and can use the help. So I bolded the language that was either verbatim or heavily cribbed from the movie.

Chapter title is a movie quote.

Thank you so much to adnei for all of the beta help and feedback!

I've been so excited to share this chapter with all of you and I think when you get to the end, you'll know why. Let me know what you think!

Link to AO3 or read more below.

“All set then?” asked his dad, closing the back of the old Ford Escape Bill had passed off to him.

“I think that’s all of it,” Ron agreed.

“Well, I’ll go get your mother then to see you off,” Dad said.

The twins and Ginny were standing on the curb, having already loaded the boxes they carried in the vehicle.

“Well, in two days, you’ll be knocking on Astoria’s door to find out if this crazy plan worked.”

Ron laughed. “Not exactly. Hopefully I run into her the first week.”

George’s jaw dropped. “You spent 90k of Muriel’s cash and wasted the best party semester of your life to hope to run into her?”

He hadn’t gone the entire spring semester without seeing Stori. She’d sought him out a few times for a bit of, as she put it, mutual stress relief, but refused to discuss anything further about their relationship. She had bid him a teary goodbye at their commencement ceremony, where he had been evasive about his post graduation plans.

“The point was to be worthy of her, not scare her. Ginny, imagine you get drafted by the Red Stars and suddenly that douche you dated, Corner, is working there as the strength and conditioning coach. You’d be freaked out.”

“It’s a good point,” said Ginny.

“Look, I’ll show up, I’ll get to know everyone, make my connections, and charm the professors. She’ll know I’m there without me ever telling her.”

“You never faded into the background at CULA,” Fred agreed.

“I’ll say hi if I see her but she’ll be knocking on my door by October,” Ron said confidentially.

“Oh yeah?” George’s voice was skeptical.

“You didn’t think I’d make it this far,” pointed out Ron. “It’s… it’s got to work.”

Suddenly, he felt his confidence drop. Was this a stupid plan?

“Best of luck, bro,” said Fred, giving him a one armed hug.

“Regardless of everything… Ron, you got into Harvard. Harvard. Don’t let them take that away from you,” Ginny said fiercely.

“Yeah, yeah, you sound like Mom now,” Ron said, brushing her off before his cheeks could burn. “Where’s she at? I’m burning daylight here.”

“I’m right here,” said his mom, walking out the front door of the ranch home he’d grown up in, holding a cooler. “I have some sandwiches to at least get you through the first day on the road,”

“First hour maybe,” George scoffed.

“Thanks Mom,” he took the cooler and stuck it in the car. When he turned back around, his dad had joined them again.

“Well, this is it,” he said awkwardly.

“Oh… Ginny, go pack a bag and join your brother. We’ll buy you a plane ticket home. Or I can come along,” his mom blurted out, nervously twisting her hands.

“Mom,” Ron groaned.

“Molly, he’ll be okay,” his dad said gently.

“Call me once a day,” Mom said. “Just during the trip,” she added, when Ron started to object.

“Okay,” he agreed. He drew her into a hug.

After he’d said goodbye to each of them, he whistled. “Pig, come on boy!” The pug ran across the yard and allowed Ron to scoop him up and put him in the passenger seat. He climbed into the driver’s seat and swallowed hard. Was this a big mistake?

“We’re so proud of you, son,” his dad said.

“We’ll see you at Christmas?” his mom asked.

Ron didn’t trust his voice so he just nodded and closed the car door. He started the vehicle and with one last wave, he backed out of the driveway.

**********************************************

Five days later, Ron’s alarm was blaring.

“What fucking time is it?” he muttered, slamming the sleep button. In response, Pig grunted and rolled over.

It had been four days of naps and showers at truck stops, coffee, Monster, and fast food but he’d arrived yesterday in order to get a decent night’s sleep before today’s orientation. He, however, had failed to calculate in the three hour time difference that combined with his driving fatigue, was wreaking havoc on his mind and body.

He sighed and went to a still packed box marked “clothes”. He immediately groaned. His khakis were wrinkled as hell. Should have hung them in the bathroom last night when he showered to at least get a little help from the steam.

Luckily, he had a couple dress shirts in the garment bag with his sports coat and two suits. During his brother Percy’s summer visit, he’d used one of Ron’s rare free days to take him shopping. Percy had gotten some advice from a friend of his that attended the University of Chicago on law school attire and had insisted Ron needed at least three suits.

Ron, who was expecting that this whole thing would be wrapped up by spring, balked at the idea but finally agreed to one new suit to go with the one he already owned, a blazer, khakis, and a few polo shirts. He had shirts and tie combos from various formal and semi-formal events, but doubted he’d need much of it. Percy’s friend had said classes were business casual and while his golf shirts were comfortable enough, Ron really hoped that by the second week, everyone was wearing hoodies in class.

He finished getting ready and then grabbed Pig’s leash. “Come on boy,” he prodded the slumbering pug. “If you don’t go now, you’ll be holding it all day.”

They walked the campus, enjoying the morning quiet. While it didn’t give Ron the ease and sense of belonging CULA did, it was an impressive campus. For a moment, he wished he’d taken his mom up on the offer to come out with him - she’d love to see this. He hated the loneliness he felt and was glad to see Pig do his business. Sooner he could get to orientation and meet some people, the better.

********************************

Orientation had been a mix of boring and interesting. He’d slipped in right at the last minute and sat in the back row to ensure he went unnoticed if he were in the same group of students as Astoria. Luckily, he didn’t notice her in the room. While he missed her terribly, he hadn’t come this far to destroy his plans now, and running into her before classes even started was not the plan.

Now they had moved into the social mixer part of the evening, which he was delighted to see that unlike undergrad, law school mixers included booze.

“Uh… you have anything local?” Ron asked the bartender.

“Nothing craft but I do have Dogfish Head,” the bartender said.

“That’ll do,” Ron responded, sticking a dollar in the tip cup. Had Astoria accepted his proposal, maybe he would have pursued the Boston Beer job and he’d have cases of this stuff in their kitchen. The bartender handed him a glass full of his other life and he wandered over to a small group of people, chatting.

“Hi, Ron Weasley,” he said sticking out his hand to the woman on his right.

“Uh, hi,” she said, sounding surprised but not unfriendly. “Lisa Turpin.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Ernie MacMillan,” said a blonde man, standing next to Lisa. Ron shook his hand and then shook the hand of the man next to him who introduced himself as Jack Sloper.

“We were just discussing undergrads,” Ernie said. “Jack and I were both Princeton men, although I took a gap year in Europe so different classes. Lisa here was an Eli. How about you?”

Ron inwardly winced. This guy sounded so pompous. An Eli, really? Anyone who watched a few seasons of Gilmore Girls knew what that was. Ron took a deep breath. “West coast here. I graduated from CULA.”

“That’s a solid state school system,” said Ernie. It wasn’t an insult, but when he said it, somehow it sounded like one.

“Yeah, well, it got the job done,” he said, forcing his friendliest tone.

“What were your undergrad degrees in?” Jack asked the group.

“I’m afraid I’m a bit of a stereotype. Political science for me,” Ernie chuckled.

“Same,” said Lisa. “Although I double majored in French.”

“I was a double major as well. Economics and Spanish,” Jack responded.

“There just wasn’t time for a double major while I was student body president, I’m afraid,” Ernie said. “What about you, Ron?”

“Uh, yeah, just the one major for me. Food science,” he said self-consciously.

“Food science,” Lisa repeated, her tone again not unfriendly but certainly not welcoming. Ron’s whole body stiffened.

“Like cooking?” asked Jack skeptically.

“No, there are a few different concentrations but I was focused on food biochemistry and microbiology,” he explained.

“I think the only micro I’m aware of with food is microwaves or microbrewing,” Jack said, letting out a condescending chuckle.

“Actually, brewing was a big part of my internship last summer. I was at Anheuser-Busch working on their new sustainable brewing initiative,” he said.

“Interesting,” said Lisa. “Ernie, where did you spend your time abroad?”

“I assume you’re interested in whether I spent any time in France, which I can assure you that I did.”

“I hope when you say France, you don’t just mean Paris,” said Jack and Ron was glad to see his condescension focused on someone else.

Ernie laughed loudly in response. “Of course not.”

Ron took a big swig of his beer. This was going to be a long night.

***********************

Ron shifted his backpack as he carefully studied the room numbers next to each door. Everyone else looked so comfortable and confident and he wondered if all of his fellow students had mapped out their routes in advance of the first day of classes.

His eyes were so busy shifting from the left side of the hallway to the right that he failed to notice someone stopped right in front of him until he slammed into them.

“Ooof,” he said. “I’m sor - ”

“Ron?!”

Of course he had just walked right into Astoria.

Astoria stood there, mouth hanging open as she stared at him. Despite the gormless look on her face, she looked absolutely gorgeous with her blonde hair pulled back into a tight curled ponytail, the kind he used to love to pull out at the end of the day. Even though it was just barely September, she was wearing an orange cardigan and he thought about how she obsessively dressed in what she called “the colors of the season”.

“Hey there,” he forced out in what he hoped was a casual tone.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she asked, looking shocked.

“Going to class,” Ron responded. “Don’t want to be late; see you!” He took broad steps around and away from her.

Ron let out a sigh of relief as his classroom was the next one he spotted. He took a deep breath as he walked into the lecture hall for his first class. He spotted a seat near the middle of the room that felt like the right place for the impression he wanted to make.

“Hey,” he greeted the guy next to him. The guy nodded, not even looking up from his laptop. Ron shrugged and pulled his computer out of his bag and powered it up.

While it was sooner than he had hoped, Ron had played it pretty cool with Astoria during their chance meeting. Short and to the point, nothing dumb or embarrassing said. His most successful interaction at Harvard to date.

While he was congratulating himself, a severe looking older woman walked purposefully to the front of the classroom and cleared her throat.

“Welcome to the start of your legal education,” she said. “I’m Professor McGonagall.”

As the professor began to speak about the syllabus, Ron allowed his mind to wander back to Astoria. She hadn’t looked upset or angry to see him, merely surprised. Maybe a bit uncomfortable, which was understandable. She also looked phenomenal. It had been way too long since they had been together and he had almost forgotten how stunning she was.

“Can you tell us about Gordon v. Steele?”

Ron looked up with a start. “Huh?”

Professor McGonagall was standing right in front of him, looking annoyed. “Can you tell us about Gordon v. Steele as it relates to subject matter jurisdiction?”

“Uh…” Ron said, shocked. “It’s the first day of class.”

The classroom was now silently watching him.

“Did you not read the first fifty pages of the assigned text?” McGonagall asked.

“I didn’t realize there was an assignment,” Ron said nervously. He heard a snort behind him and his head whipped around to look at the source.

Professor McGonagall seemed to hear the snort too and shifted her focus. “And you, young man? You could answer my question?”

“Of course,” the smartass snorter said. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair.

Oh, thought Ron. This guy is the worst.

“So would you support my decision to ask this student to remove himself from class until he’s prepared?”

Ron froze.

“Yes Professor,” said the cocky douchebag.

Professor McGonagall motioned to Ron. “Once you’re prepared, you will be welcomed back to class. Until then…”

Ron packed up his laptop, completely stunned. He gave a hard stare at the messy haired jerk, who smirked back at him as he stomped out of the room.

**********************

“You have to be fucking kidding me. Where the fuck does she get the right… and that fucking douchebag,” Ron muttered.

“Excuse me,” a voice rang out from behind him. “That’s more profanity than I care to hear in a week, let alone at 8:30 on a Monday.”

Ron looked up, irritated by the interruption to his own self pity. The reprimand came from a pretty curly haired brunette perched on a neighboring bench, a giant stack of books beside her. Despite her scolding words, she had a hint of a smile. A smile that actually looked friendly.

“Sorry,” he said, ears turning red. “I just… are they always that mean?”

“Mean?”

“Yeah, like, call you out like that. My professors have always liked me all right,” Ron replied, feeling quite embarrassed to explain this to her.

“Yes, they tend to do that. Socratic method,” said the woman.

“Ah,” he responded. He knew the name Socrates thanks to his philosophy major ex, but nothing of the method.

“Were you with McGonagall?”

“Yeah. She kicked me out!”

The brunette made a sympathetic noise.

“She ever kick you out?”

The woman now looked scandalized. “Never! But I had nightmares about her my whole first week. Who else do you have?”

“Uh, Sprout, Slughorn, Umbridge…”

“Umbridge likes when you speak up in class but make sure you always concede to her in the end. Slughorn’s kind of pretentious but if you make good use of your thesaurus for his papers, he’s easy to please.”

“Nice, thanks,” Ron said, nodding his head with a slight smile. She grinned back at him.

“This place is tough; don’t let one setback your first day throw you off,” she urged.

“I’m glad I picked this bench. So what year are - ”

“Ron? Can we talk?” Astoria was standing in front of him, looking a bit nervous.

“If you want,” he said carefully.

“Please,” she said, taking a few steps back. Ron lifted a hand in goodbye to the girl on the bench before approaching Astoria.

“So… you’re at Harvard,” she said nervously, rubbing her right hand over her left.

“I am,” he confirmed.

“And… you got into Harvard,” Astoria said.

“Clearly,” he answered, a bit irritated by her tone. She didn’t really think he was an idiot, did she?

“How was your first class? “

“It could have been better,” Ron admitted.

“That’s because you-you don’t belong here,” Astoria said. “Look, maybe I shouldn’t, but I’m trusting that you’re not here to, like stalk me or hurt me or something. Regardless, this just isn’t something you can do. The people that are going to be successful here… they’re like, bred for this. And it’s not you. I didn’t break up with you to be a bitch. This just isn’t something you’re cut out for.”

“Stori - ” he tried to interrupt.

“And Ron, it costs a fortune to go here! How are you even covering this? I still care about you. Please, just cut your losses now,” she pleaded.

“No way,” said Ron, feeling the fire to prove himself ignite. “Look, my first class was rough but it’s because I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand how all of this works. Now I do. Frankly, that asshole that got me kicked out did me a favor because - ”

“Stori, there you are.” Out of nowhere, the aforementioned asshole from class appeared and slung a possessive arm around Astoria’s shoulder.

“Oh, hi,” she said, biting her lower lip and no longer meeting Ron’s eyes.

“We haven’t properly met although, after that disaster in class, maybe it’s pointless,” chuckled the douchebag.

“Ron, this is Harry Potter… my fiancé.”

Ron clenched his jaw but he knew his ears were reddening in a dead giveaway. “Really?”

“Harry was my high school boyfriend. We reconnected this spring and it just felt… right,” Astoria answered awkwardly.

“Well… congratulations.”

“Thanks buddy,” Harry said, voice dripping in mock sincerity.

“I, uh, I’ve got to go,” Ron said. Summoning every ounce of self control he had, he quickly walked in the direction of his residence hall, Astoria calling after him.