#poa u the best

[expectopatronum18]

Lily's dynamic with the marauders (unpopular opinion)

Am I the only one who feels that lily wasn't as close to the marauders as the fandom makes her out to be?

Now before u jump at me, it's obviously fun to explore the dynamics btw different characters thru hcs and fanfics. However, i m only considering canon facts in this post.

First off, we never hear sirius or remus speak about lily when james isn't involved in the conversation. James was obviously a close friend, more lyk a brother, so its only natural that they reminisce him often. Both of them remark on harry's resemblance to james pretty often. It's literally the first thing sirius mentions when he sees harry for the first time in poa, saying james would have taken risks for him the same way harry came for ron. Remus compares harry's humor and unflinching belief in his friends to james aswell. There are constant little mentions post gof of james by both of them.

But lily? Absolutely nothing. We obviously can't expect her to be mentioned as many times as james coz she wasn't in their original friend group, but she isn't mentioned at all. The only time she's spoken about is post swm, and that's still in relation to her getting together with james. We learn more about lily from snape, someone she cut ties with when she was 15, than from her supposed besties. Heck, we learn more about her from Slughorn, her school teacher, than we ever did from sirius and remus.

Ik lily addresses sirius and peter by their nicknames in that letter, but i honestly always saw it as a casual thing, obvs in a fond way but not an indicator of their relationship.

There is obviously potential for a close friendship, there's often potential for a lot of things in fiction, but that doesn't make it canon. Apart from fighting the same war these characters don't seem to have anything in common. Yeah, both lily and sirius have complicated relationships with their siblings, but I would hardly compare a failed relation to having your sibling be brainwashed by your abusive family into following a cult that's trying to get u and ur friends killed.... Besides, lily is portrayed as this pure, perfect mother in canon while sirius and remus are both massively flawed characters, and that leaves little room for understanding between these characters.

Now, this isn't to say that the didn't like each other ofc, but the way lily's only mentioned with respect to james, they probably liked and respected her as their best friend's wife. There's no way I'm believing that they were super close when she isn't mentioned on her own even once after she's dead, it makes it pretty clear that the relationship was only because of james. There's nothing wrong with that ofc, it happens in plenty of friend groups and families, i just wish there were more fics representing their relationship the way it was originally written( although fanfics exploring their relationship are LIT in their own fanon way).

[aspiring-artist-em]

get to know better tag

thank you @achilleslikespeas!! you're so so amazing omg- anyhoo

three ships: wolfstar, ineffable husbands (someone pls talk to me about good omens I literally can NOT rn), drarry

first ship: drarry, it’s a tried and true ship for me, ive been shipping it since I was like, a child  (literally flashback to me at like, 7 years old telling my mom that harry and Draco should get over each other and buy a castle and live together forever as a happy couple (parents were not happy that their daughter was saying this (they were homophobic( (im now gay and still shipping it so suck it, ig)))

last song: I would love to lie and say its something cool like “killer queen” or “lady stardust” bc I listen to those a lot, but once again, I would be lying and my actual last song that I listened to was “no hands (ft. Roscoe dash and wale)”, yk, the frat party song, I like to play it while writing angst

last movie: Harry Potter? idk what one, I like to put the tv on while I do stuff like budget money and write fanfic and draw, so honestly idk, it was probably the chamber of secrets, that and poa are my all time favs 

currently reading: ur mom LMAO (im so sorry) no, what im reading is smut, and also like, a good omens fic about Crowley’s fall (witness the fall) bc im trying to forget about season 2′s ending. im also reading away childish things (again) bc like, that's one of my fav drarry fics of all time. if we’re talking about marauders fics, it was probably her body is a temple down in the frozen food aisle  by achilleslikespeas, both for my emotional masochistic enjoyment and bc I wanted to draw a scene in the story (go read it now pls, its really good, Claude is really good a writing and im freaking out bc I wanna draw a scene from every single one of their fics I- like go-to horror dead dove fics for me I reccomend Claude and for smut I go to moonie), if we’re talking books books, Ive been reading yellowface and I am a cat which so far, are really really good, but also like, im really bad at reading so like, I haven't actually touched them in a week LMAO

currently watching: good omens, its playing on my tv in the background both because I love it and also because Neil said if u stream it enough amazon will see how valuable it is (with the strike and everything) and like, actually be willing to negotiate, essentially, help out the strike, go watch gay celestial beings 

last thing i wrote: 'Til Death Do Us Part, and Even Then, I'll Do My Best to Stay With You, its a dead dove fic centering around grief and denial, uh, 2 chapters in lol

currently writing: I have like, a million wips and no motivation to write rn so lets dive into them lol

1) chapter 3 of do death do us part, very sad, like, maybe 3 sentences in?

2) the next part of my lesbian wolf star series, its the one right before the trail one, so like, part 10 is gonna be another chapter centering more around Sirius’s memories and part 11 is gonna be the trial, I have like, 2 separate things ive written for it and I need to decide where I want it to go tbh

3) smut, gay wolf star, frat hazing blow or blow smut. sirius is on his knees and almost throws up but he doesn't and its lowkey like actually non con but its also frat hazing, like, idk how to explain the vibes but sirius is referred to as a dog and a filthy animal and degraded and he's sucking remus’s dick on coke and im like 2k words in and like, running out of ways to describe a cock lol (its also hard to bc like, I don't have a dick and my textbooks are no help sometimes) but he is also called the “pike puppy” and like, I think im smart for that and also its really filthy ngl, not a happy ending?

4) a short fluff fic to make up for the angst I put my readers through, im like 200 words in

5) au kinda thing, inspired by don't worry darling and like a TikTok that I saw (and now people are commenting on me commenting if I can write the idea and asking for the fic name and like, Im 500 words in? pls I need time), the idea is that Dumbledore has everyone under imperio or a potion to get them on his side to fight for him, lily’s pov, I really like it so far, uhh im like 500 words in I think?

so yeah, when I get inspiration im gonna write everything all at once lol, probably when my body isn't trying to kill me lmao or im at work

tagging: @spookymoonie @pinklume @wxlfstxrisbest @spindrifters @siriuslystargazing @siriusly-sapphic @green-lights-33

[padfootastic]

Plot twist: that murder attempt Snape mentions (“Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen,” he breathed. “You haven’t forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven’t forgotten that he once tried to kill me?”) in POA isn’t actually the Prank, it’s some other murder attempt. Sirius just finally got fed up with Snape in Fifth or Sixth Year, and decided he’d deal with the issue himself. Maybe it’s Snape still being a threat to Remus, say he’s still trying to tell people that Remus is a werewolf, and legit everyone just goes “if this near-murder is what it takes to get a single peaceful day around here, then so be it” because Dumbledore’s response is a quiet “My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus” so it sure wasn’t an actual problem in that school. The murder attempt halted the dueling in the corridors, ergo the staff could not care less about the homicidal potential Sirius has (Slughorn just pours drinks and says, “I have taught several of the Blacks, this is the least surprising thing I’ve ever heard” and the others just toast to that statement, truer words and all that)

DUDE. DUDE. YHIS IS LITERALLY THE BEST HC EVER

like. i cannot told u the laughter that burst out of me at ‘it’s some other murder attempt’ said so casual like 😭 it’s as if sirius is in the business of going around doing that lmao

and everyone being SO chill about it bc it’s snape 😭

[limetimo]

Who You Really Are by Ayolen Severus is a girl and he swaps bodies with Lily via a potions accident; Sev in Lily's body is a Marauder's magnet and Lily in Sev's body says yes to a date with Regulus

Fire In Love by English is my death (Lena013) One Piece's Ace, Sabo and Luffy get reincarnated as Regulus, Lily and Harry and they might not live happily ever after but they do live happily for a little while. Very nice

two coffins for sleep by Anonymous for brightened ♥♥♥ Severus treats Regulus' cave-poisioning

The Unknowable Room by QSWP I'm really interested to know where this is going. Lily and Regulus get stuck in a deathly escape room, escape with their life intact, but the mystery remains to be solved

The Depths of the Abyss by Anonymous ♥♥♥♥♥ Wartime Bartylus my beloved I am soft I am tender

Everything Has Changed (Taylor's version) by Youvebeenfandomed Reg gets yote to 1995

Double date by Arik_readsbooks Pandalily Jegulus doubledate!

You've Got Us by Arik_readsbooks Barty and Evan comfort Regulus when he's a saddo

l'éphémère (the ephemeral) by anouri Ballet dancer Regulus gets hit by James on a motorcycle and his leg is FUCKED and since he hit da bricks and changed his name he has nobody to help him while he recovers and so James takes it on himself and it's slowburn

Of Middle Names and Myth by DefinitelyNotStraight bamf blacks

A (somewhat unconventional) Black Family Getaway by Trex_patronus PoA but Regulus is also a Azkaban escapee ♥♥♥

Grey by Nevermindmeatall182 a lot of Regulus whump, read the tags

After all, he's mine by anauro for otrtbs ♥♥♥♥♥ Bad Romance by Lady Gaga is the BArtylus soundtranck bye

Tempest by pjxckson James loses a bet, models nude for an art class, and has sex with Regulus in the bathroom

someday by justwhatialwayswanted crying screaming throwing up I love them your honour Regulus/Evan

tomorrow by justwhatialwayswanted CRYING SCRAMING THROWING UP I LOVE THEM SO MUCH YOUR HONOUR Regulus legally breaks Barty out of Azkaban

daisy chain lovers by Beyond_the_Grace Regulus fucks off to muggle world and dates petunia evans and the world is a better place and harry grows up loved

we'll be okay, won't we? by bee_the_nerd good vibes good vibes, Jegulily!

birthright and brotherhood by paldogangsaan Sirius runs away. Regulus ensures he can remain free.

The Curse of Juno by LdyBastet Lucius/Severus sexy times but Reg is mentioned so like, good enough

Severus' Garden by Bonfoi severus is looking for a husby amongst his past lovers

Black Out by ThinLine_Archivist Severus and Sirius have sex, and talk about regulus

To Touch by OnceUponaLegend Regulus as a Thing for Severus' hands, gentle smut

We are all Stardust by rrosie_08 Seer REgulus ayo Jegulus to be

hearts are wild creatures by brightened Black bros incest also sad

Unresting Death by brightened Sirius is upsetti

Forced to Stay by w0scarz muggle au, regulus has to stay with sirius after their parents perish in a oh so mysterious fire

𝔻𝔼𝕁𝔸 𝕍𝕌 by august (cassiehowardstherapist), cassiehowardstherapist regulus is put in Sirius' custody rather unexpectedly, enither of them likes it

Domestic Life, Was Never Quite My Style by Ick_arus Regulus holds harry for the first time

Good summer, Mr Thomas? by BennieLee Out of Lake Quite Mad but from Dean Thomas' view. Regulus looked much saner from the outside than from the inside

sun and shadow by justwhatialwayswanted marauders era ppl in percy jackson au, Regulus the son of hades has a c r u s h on Evan teh son on afrodita and what would you say it might be mutual (it'S sooooooo mutual Regulus is just oblivious)

The Way We Hold Hands by moonshinemaker modern AU Jegulus and Wolfstar "You bitch why are you dating my best friend/brother" we do love to see it

leo by swirlees Regulus survives and becomes a Creatures profesor

supernova by swirlees Creatures professor Regulus Black would like his estranged brother to stop being a bitch and get caught finally. Also hi hello what a good big black doggo yes

A Full Guide To Gardening For Amateurs by aphrsditea James is bipolar and ADHD and Sirius is in AFRICA and James for got to take his pills... quite a few days in row... and his flowers are dying... but his new mysterious mean but pretty neighbour Regulus has really nice plants so maybe he'll help James save his? I devoured this like, in a day

A Way Out by Anonymous a comics! Peter and Regulus the boyfriedns ♥♥♥ meet up to discuss what to do now that they know about horcruxes.

La Sylphide by pjxckson Ballet dancer regulus is so ♥ jegulus

The First of Many by zeddmarker JEgulily dating! Regulily got together first and i like that

Fated to Fall by ouzell soulamates au jegulus

the world i close my eyes to see by tonberrys blind regulus, he gets around

Unmanageable Mischief Podcast by jeepcharlie modern hogwarts podcast!

where the ice burns by jelenaRusso Regulus in Azkaban huhueheehhe ♥♥♥

Bound By Strings by moonyfest the wallout of war in au where regulus was a spy (read the first part first it'll make more sense) Jegulus and marylily

The Consequences Of Our Actions by Dancersock for Booktopus Jegulily domestic fluff!

All the things you want me to do by Samunderthelights Regulus gets drunk and ends up in Jily's bedroom. They might want more than just sex

Dark Red by veriableflowers Jegulily smut but with a lot of emotions

Unexpected turn of events by Morriguns_box James and Regulus semi-accidentally walk in on Lily domming Severus, they both realise they're kinda into that. Endgame Lily/Reg and James/Severus. James POV

Made Real by Maeglin_Yedi Lily fucked up. I don't know how to tell you this girl but PERHAPS the solution to your husband being hit with an infertility curse is NOT designing a magic ring that will trap you until you have sex with the person you're trapped with. Oh how the tables turn, dead dove do not eat

Snakeface by Mr_Customs_Man Marauders pull a prank, it gets out of the hand in unexpected ways, Severus/Regulus and Severus/James

[imraespace]

hello daily chekcin but im late and this is before i lock in on my work i have like an hour and 15 mins left basicallt bc by the time im done this ITS GONNA TAKE ME FOREVER HELPME

IWAS PLANJINGTO DO ONE DURING LUNCH BUTTHEN I LOCKED IN ON CHEM AND WHY THE HELL IS MY TEACHER MAKING EM DO EVERYTHIGB FOR THIS💔💔 WHAYEVER ITSOKAY

umumUM ONE OF MY FRIENDS OR LIKE CLASSMATES IS LIKE ATTACHED TOME BY THE HIP AND LIKE IRS SO WEIRD TO ME BC IM NOT THAT CLOSE W HIM HE BARELT ACC KNOWS ME HES ALWAYS LIEK wsp 🐙 and im like Hello! and we high five IRS SO FUNNY BUT WEIRD BC HE ACTS LIKE AN NPC (ok #rin itoshi u damn lukewarm npcs!!!) HELPME

i wanan go on a horror movie grind when im done my work and i took the fattest nap when igot hoem mueheueh I HOPE MOMI DOESNT GET MAD GANG BUTITSOKAY im gonna rewatch talk to me its honestly so cool a lot of ppl criticized it i think bc idk BUT THE MOVIE WAS SO INTERESTING TO ME SO IM REWATXHUNG 😈😈 hopefulyl i finish my work i will lock in like RIGHT NOW GUYS

OMAY DAILT QUESITONNN IF YOU HAD TO HAVE A 40CM BLUELOCK PLUSH WHO WOULD IT BE BC IM HUGGING MY RIN ONE RN ‼️‼️

- 🐙

I forgot what I did yesterday HELP school jjst past by and I just came home and I think I was playing wuwa and idk

OH WAIT HELP I READ LUNCH AND I REMEMBERED LUNCHTIMR I was studying for poa I SWEAR I WAS GONNA KNOW EVERYTHING ON THAT PAPER BUT AS SOON AS EVERTONE SAW THE PAPER WE WATCHED WACH OTHER HELP no one fails poa but we have a new teacher and she forces stuff on us and doesn't know what our old teacher taught us so say we learnt something called A we will tell that teacher we learnt A but she will say it's B and change up A into B and it confuses everyone so that's basically was the test we had yesterday and we tried our best! ANS THEN MY SEATMATE CRACKED AND WE DECIDED TO HELP EACH OTHER and it worked out until the last question came and we were both confused so then the cheating started.. SHE PULLED OUT HER PHONE AND FOUND THE SAME TEST ON YOUTUBE AND I WAS GIGGLING BC SHES WATCHING A YT VIDEO INNTYE MIDDLE OF A TEST ANS SHE KEPT HIDING AND PUTTING IT BACK IN HER PICKET BC THE TEACHER WAS STARING AT US AND I WAS STARING AT MY PAPER and TIME WAS GOING AND THAT QUESTION WAS 7 MARKS so she just said f it and pulled out her phone and started writing and I looked on her paper and copied bc yk team work! THEN MY FRIEND BEHIND ME STARTED SHOUTING IN LOWERCASE I WAS LIKE WHO IS SAYING MARA ans I turned and she's like raise up your paper! ans I did YK THIS GIRL WANTED ME TO TAKE A PICTURE ON HER PHONE.. SO SHE WAS PASSING THE PHONE TO BE UNDER THE TABLE ANS MY SEATMATE TOOK MY PAPER FROM MY TABLE AND REST IT ON HER LAP so I can yake a picture but THE TEACHER WAS WATCHING ME SO I KOVED MY HAND FROM UNDER BEHIND ME ANS MY FRIEND LET GO AT THE SAME TIME ANS THE OHONE FELL AND WE ALL STARTED TO GIGGLING AND I COUODNT TAKE IT I RESTED MY HEAD ON THE DESK ANS I TRIED TO HIDE MY GIGGLINGS ANS THE TEACHER DIDNY REACT?? SO I JUST PICKED UP THE PHONE AND SNAP A PIC AND GAVE IT BACK TO HER and handed up my paper..

don't cheat guys it's scary..

WAIT AW THATS kinda cute I used to do that with my bsf when i was like 7 she's 2 years older than me so everything she did I copied say she took some crackers to eat I took some crackers to eat and if she's gonna sleep ill go sleep!

oh wait if yall aren't close then it's odd HELP

NPC IS MAKING ME GIGFLE

I hate horror.. i can't even finish play resident evil 2 everytime I open a door I scream

idk what's talk to me!

YAS LOCK IN AND DONT CHEAT!! I don't cheat.. yesterday was different that was the teacher fault I was scared

PMGAOAMAHWB ILL WANT NAGI!!

[ashesandhackles]

The Resurrection Stone Scene: Culmination Of Harry's Emotional Arc

The series biggest themes surround death and Harry coming to terms with his parents' death is arguably his biggest emotional arc. I have argued in my meta about Harry before that he has passive death wish and morbid fascination with the dead. This is obvious in his desire for the Resurrection stone while Ron and Hermione choose other Hallows, his obsession with Mirror of Erised (to the point he feels feverish) until Dumbledore intervenes, him almost wanting to fail to learn a Patronus because he wants to hear his parents voices,the scene at the grave where he almost wishes he was "lying under the snow" with his parents and that possession scene in OOTP, where he wishes to die so he can be with Sirius. Harry has, in many moments, shown a raw desire for death - in ways that actually scares Hermione and makes Ron uncomfortable as evidenced by their reaction when he tells them why he wants the Resurrection stone.

Harry's fascination with the dead isn't surprising - this abused and neglected boy learned in PS that his parents fought to protect him. Essentially they loved him so much, they died for him and Harry feels robbed of that life, a life with parents who loved him dearly (reference his narration in HBP, where he wonders what life would have been like if Neville was the Chosen One).

So accepting his parents and parental figures' deaths and choosing to return to life - a life of sorrow, pain, and trauma when he could have just gone "on" (or had "an out" as he screamed in OOTP) - is one of Harry's bigger heroic decisions. To come to a point that Harry can ask his parents' murderer to feel "remorse" in an attempt to save his soul, Harry needed to see and hear things he always wanted to hear from the people he loved.

So, the scene starts:

"You've been so brave"/ "Stay close to me"

LILY: While in life, Harry knows a lot more about James than Lily, it is interesting whenever she appears in any form, Harry is looking at her the most ("I will be back" Harry says, tearing his eyes from his mother's face in PS/ and once again in DH, he couldn't stop looking at her: "his eyes feasted on her"). She is his mother, the one who loved him so much, it magically manifested as a protection that gave him 17 years of life. Her love is always there as safety blanket - so even when his father disappointed him in OOTP, he is comforted by the idea that his "mother had been decent". She is his ultimate protector and this is why he asks her : "stay close to me" while she is gently affirms, "you've been so brave". And unsurprisingly, it is this sacrifice that lives on in Voldemort that gives Harry a choice - a choice to return to the living. After spending much of the series trying to be like his father, Harry embodies his mother by invoking sacrificial magic for Hogwarts fighters. But his embodiment of his mother is not an impulsive brave decision, his walk to his death is far more intentional than hers - as the book narration says, "it's a cold blooded walk to his destruction".

"You are nearly there, very close, we are so proud of you" / "Until the very end"

JAMES - his father, the man he looks like, flies like, and tries to root his identity in. Harry spends most of the books trying to live up to the ideal of his father. His Patronus is an embodiment of his father ("Prongs rode again last night"), and it is James' bravery that gives Harry comfort at the traumatic night in the graveyard and makes him want to stand up and fight Voldemort: "He was not going to crouch like a child, he was going to die upright like his father" (as Voldemort taunts him: "now you face me like a man..like your father, straight backed and proud").

James is catalyst to lot of Harry's growth. Harry making an active choice after being horrified by his father's behaviour in SWM, wondering "did he want to be like his father anymore?" is an important character moment for him. He reconciles his view of James, humanises him and thinks of him with "a rush of pride" in HBP as the man who walked into an arena to fight with head held high. So, Harry hears from the father he tried for so long to embody and then surpass in moral character - that he is proud of him and that he will be there to protect him "until the very end".

Here is a meta by u/metametatron4 that tracks Harry's feelings about his father and Snape in detail. Read it here.

"Dying? Not at all - quicker and easier than falling asleep" / "We are a part of you - invisible to everyone else"

SIRIUS - While Lily and James affirm how far Harry has come, Sirius as the parental figure Harry had in life offers him words of comfort when Harry asks if dying hurts.

This comfort has an added layer, knowing Harry's often violent response to Sirius's death. His reaction to his death has been attempting Crucio on Bellatrix, trashing Dumbledore's office in OOTP, along with other stages of grief. At the end of OOTP, Harry is a mess of unfocused grief and rage - one that he will actively repress in HBP. He avoids talking about Sirius until he thinks the person he is talking to is as invested in Sirius - he brings up Sirius with Buckbeak/Witherwings or Tonks, who he mistakenly assumes is depressed about his death. The biggest indication of how much Harry is really repressing his feelings about Sirius's death is his reaction to Mundungus stealing from Grimmauld place. He lifts Mundungus with one hand, chokes him until he turns blue while threatening him with a wand. He had to be magicked off Mundungus because he, terrifyingly, showed no inclination of stopping despite Hermione screaming at him to do so.

The other time he reacts badly is Lupin's scene in DH. The first person he thinks of when he says "Parents shouldn't leave their kids" is Sirius. He sees image of Sirius falling through the veil, followed by Dumbledore. His reaction to Lupin abandoning his child is powered by the unprocessed grief and rage of the deaths he has witnessed, of parental figures robbed from him. And then, of course, his violent impulse to break Bellatrix's wand with the sword of Gryffindor once Hermione points out that the wand killed Sirius. His violent reaction to his death is due to lack of closure.

This is why it is important that Sirius tells him that dying doesn't hurt, because it would have eased Harry to know that Sirius isn't in pain. And he assures "we are a part of you" - so even though there was no body to mourn and Sirius just effectively disappeared - Sirius is still part of him.

"He'll want to be quick, he wants it over"/ "I am sorry too. I am sorry that I will never know him...but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand. I was trying to make the world in which he could live a happier life"

LUPIN - Lupin, like Sirius, also offers comfort by telling him that death will be quick because Voldemort wants to finish it too. It's interesting to me that Lupin is the character that says something that arms him for the future - should he choose to have it ("I'll tell him to follow his instincts which are good and nearly always right" Lupin says earlier in the book).

Lupin is a mentor, a bridge and by DH, a warm friend - he was the one who taught Harry the Patronus charm (a gateway to connection with his father + something that protects him) and it's Harry's trust in Lupin that makes him willing to hear Sirius out at the end of POA, thereby connecting him to a very important relationship. He gives Harry tools to equip him to best live out his life. And once again, Lupin acts as a bridge to Harry's life - he tries to take away Harry's guilt from his own death and leaving behind Teddy. Knowing that Harry survives, this is important for Harry to know so he can live with himself as he takes on godfather role to Teddy.

At the end of this scene, Harry drops the stone, ready for his death. And the fact that he chooses not to go back to it without much inner struggle after the Battle of Hogwarts is a marked shift and beginning for him.

[padfootastic]

no i totally get what u mean! although i have to preface this with: i’m a terrible, terrible person to have a discussion with since i can’t distinguish between canon/fanon/hcs and when i don’t like something, i often just hand-wave it into something i do. i tend to operate by ~vibes more often than not lol

that’s such an interesting point about jily & what they represent tbh. i feel like the marauders just have so much tragedy in their arcs beyond the in-plot reasoning for it. i mean, i usually just think about sirius but him running away from the blacks/trying to distance himself from them and yet never being able to, for example? or, how peter ended up being the most accomplished of them all (no matter how pathetically he lived & died). sort of like—none of the marauders ever grew up from what we knew them as? i don’t exactly mean that in a developmental/physical/maturity sense but james literally never grew up; peter literally spent years as a rat + never grew a spine + despite his actions, never had any dignity (in life or death); remus never came out of his ‘woe is me, i’m a troubled werewolf’ attitude (right up until dh, he uses that as a cop out to abandon his family); and sirius lived & died a perceived black. there was never an arc, never a resolution. does that make sense? but yeah. metaphorical tragedy.

i’m also just…thinking out loud here but what you mention about harry finding out about peter’s betrayal -> james finding out. it feels like something that carries more depth than one’d think, especially keeping all the james-harry parallels in mind. remus saying that ‘james would also consider it the height of dishonour to mistrust his friends’ (even if he was trying to shade harry lol) and how that arguably brought about his demise, in a way. idk. just the whole thing kind of ties into harry’s constant search for meaning + connection to his family? like he’s always happy to be compared to his dad, he’s protective of them even w/o knowing anything about them, the most significant hit to his view of them comes from watching james act like (in his mind) dudley and the implication of that. so peter’s actions aren’t just bad because, ykno, they’re bad but they undermine family & friendship (two things harry desperately craves) in a way that fully enrages him.

snape goes from evil to evil to evil to complicated to what the fuck.

side note but honestly what an a+ line lol.

i agree with you that your readings of peter’s actions would be coming from a ‘there was no them in the first place’ (something i’m…interested in whenever u post that 👀) which is the exact opposite of my ‘tight knit marauders’ ideas lol so there would be some things that we might fundamentally disagree over just because of that. although i do think the text would more heavily favor ur interpretation, i’ll freely admit i don’t have anything backing my opinion except for ~vibes.

1. it’s interesting u bring that up because i think i remember reading something about james, specifically, believing in the idyllic marauders. like he will look at things through a rose tinted lens while at the same time being the glue that keeps them together, all these little mismatched, jagged pieces. also now that i’m thinking about it, it’s also a bit of a vengeful satisfaction moment for peter. they made him secret keeper because no one would suspect him, and that led to their downfall. if by that point, peter was fully disillusioned, then it would be a nice little ‘ha!’ moment for him.

2. that’s such a good point! the symbolic implications of peter being a weak, little, rat that needs protection from the larger predators—relegated to the little tasks but also juxtaposed with him being a survivor, cunning, bending things to his advantage. he can scurry wherever needed, out of others’ sight, and do what needs to be done. his contributions are necessary but undervalued (u need the passage to be opened; it’s necessary but not flashy).

3. hm. see, this one i’m a bit leery on because where/how could that really be proved anyway? what could sirius (or anyone else) have done to show that he’d have died for peter (and is it necessary enough for the plot that it would’ve been shown?) (can’t we simply extrapolate it based off what we know about his loyalty?) it can, however, be tied into ur point about perceived closeness, imo. sirius believed he’d die for peter (and it’s easy to persist in that belief because, presumably, he’s never been placed in a situation where that has been disputed) because he was in the category of ‘his people’ (whether that be possessive or affectionate or practical).

i think, ultimately, what i’m interested in is what made peter turn. the minutiae of it. sirius says it was him running off the most powerful player on the block, and that’s certainly plausible enough. but what caused the cracks? who was the go between? who recruited him? did peter always consider himself to be an outsider or was it something that happened towards the later years that finally pushed him over the edge? it’s a bunch of hypotheticals that depend on headcanons filling in the gap lol. and people like me, who’ll always have a rose-lens reading of the marauders, will fill it in differently, i’d say.

haha no need for an apology. it’s always interesting to see differing peter opinions (esp since i’m not attached to him so discourse can actually be fun) so in that vein, i hope it’s okay i pitch in?

ur definitely right that his betrayal still means something for all those reasons—the potters dying, harry becoming an orphan, sirius going to azkaban—but i’d argue that it became as personal as it did because he was a friend. after all, it was war time, people they knew were dying left, right, centre. violence was everywhere. they knew it could come for them anytime. that it came from one of their own, it had to have hit deeper no?

i guess the reason i feel like peter was One Of Them (beyond personal hcs) is 1. the potters trusting him with their safety in the middle of a war 2. peter being an animagus, knowing & protecting remus’ secret 3. the ‘died for us, as we would have done for you’ line from sirius.

i know there’s parts there that indicate exactly the opposite, the potshots sirius takes at peter’s intelligence + skill + general disposition in the shack but i’d always seen it as more hurting him where it hurts (with the benefit of hindsight) rather than always believing it. the way you’re aware of your friends’ faults but you don’t bring it up unless you wanna hurt them, if that makes sense? (i guess also the ambiguity around peter’s actions make this whole thing more tricky—why did he turn? when did he turn? what was the pipeline like?)

all of that being said, i definitely do agree with you that in that moment it was about james & lily & harry for sirius. when i said ‘the betrayal meant something’ i was talking more of in a larger sense of peter’s actions, not specifically sirius’ pov. some random guy betraying the potters is yeah, fine, whatever, wartime. but their own friend stabbing them in the back is what makes it a true tragedy (kind of like how sirius’ perceived betrayal hit harry particularly hard after the three broomsticks scene because he was his dad’s best friend & best man) but that’s just my opinion!! i’d love to hear ur thoughts :”)

first thank you so much for being ok with my post and second thank you so so much for answering! i love having conversations about this stuff more than anything and it's so rare for the conversation to be two people disagreeing but being considerate since usually this type of stuff ends up for me either just an argument or very one-sided so this is really fresh!

i love love love your last paragraph and i think that's what resonates with me best and kind of makes me see this in a different way. i always viewed the "the betrayal matters since peter was their friend" comment as a very in-plotline/character thing and didn't stop to consider it in the more metaphorical sense, which is always an important interpretation too.

and i'm not saying that to vaguely agree--i love talking about the marauders/their storyline in a metaphorical way. like i may have said before how i see james and lily as the golden age in a metaphorical sense--married, had a kid, the epitome of happiness, head boy and head girl and head of the world; but then they die and whoops there's a war and hey their parents were dead and their son is an orphan. they represent what never was; what harry longed to have but couldn't have (partly why the epilogue is so important). they're the idyllic until they aren't, and their story is riddled with flaws and holes since most importantly it fell apart.

that was off topic but your words got me thinking about the betrayal in the metaphorical/big picture sense rather than the "what were the exact feelings of the remaining marauders" sense and also like...of harry, too. firstly i very much agree--the idea of the tragedy, the betrayal as a whole of the friend who then wasn't. imo it's still about how he wasn't their friend in the first place--on the large interps, poa is when the books start to deviate from black and white and begin the theme of what-you-think-isn't-always-what-it-is (bad wording but you get the idea!) which is huge with the marauders (bully james, werewolf remus, not-murderer sirius, death eater peter) since the first impression ends up being the wrong one but they all stay consistently complex. (james goes from 100% good to bully to complicated but good. remus goes from perfect professor to werewolf to an occasional asshole that's a bit edgy--aka complicated but good. sirius goes from murderer to godfather to responsible to irresponsible to elf hater to dead...definitely complicated but good. peter goes from good and dead to alive and pathetic to evil to pathetic to evil to complicated but dead and bad. snape goes from evil to evil to evil to complicated to what the fuck.) and i believe the peter plotline follows that things-aren't-what-they-seem theme through that his goodness wasn't actually good and that his friendship wasn't actually friendship. big-picture wise.

but--in terms of harry. definitely definitely definitely. actually in terms of all of this -- the wording of "some random guy betraying the potters is yeah, fine, whatever, wartime" is what i'm thinking of right now--how the word friend is important in all of this; no matter what, it's extremely important that peter had a connection with james and with harry, and that it was his friend is definitely what hit hard. especially since sirius and remus and peter all use their connection/friendship with james to get at harry, so that they're important is important. but imo there's the parallel between harry believing peter was his dad's friend -> harry learning peter betrayed his dad (aka was definitely not a very good friend at the very least 💀) to james believing peter was his friend --> james learning peter wasn't his friend...well, not that he learned peter wasn't his friend, but that he died, sadly.

and to clarify, i 100% agree with the sentiment of peter shouldn't be "left out of the marauders" in fics (well you can do that if you want, no need to follow canon, just that it isn't canon) and that they 1) all believed he was a part of the marauders and their friend (including peter, up until the whole joining-the-death-eaters thing) and 2) included him as much as remus was included. and 10000% agree that peter being left out would make the betrayal hurt less--fully agree that a lot of it was about their closeness; i simply believe it to be a perceived closeness.

the way you’re aware of your friends’ faults but you don’t bring it up unless you wanna hurt them, if that makes sense?

irrelevant but slay lily 😍

i guess the reason i feel like peter was One Of Them (beyond personal hcs) is 1. the potters trusting him with their safety in the middle of a war 2. peter being an animagus, knowing & protecting remus’ secret 3. the ‘died for us, as we would have done for you’ line from sirius.

ok i'm gonna be a bit annoying (as if this isn't already help) and just kinda...answer those points? but first i want to clarify i'm part of the marauders-weren't-real squad (i really need to make that post don't i) so that probably results in a large disjunction here since my stance of peter not being "one of them" includes that there is no "them" in the first place but that's a somewhat separate thing

i think that's a super important point of the sort of trust given since trust is a major thing here. again with the parallels (whoops) james trusted peter just as harry trusted peter (ish) and remus (the more prominent poa parallel) and didn't trust sirius. same with harry trusting dumbledore until he didn't, and not trusting snape until he did, and the list goes on and on. and i don't want to invalidate anything and 100% agree the potters trusted peter and that's super important! but imo that shows the "fake" side rather than the truth ig? like the other potter-parallels in poa are of james and lily not trusting dumbledore (and then dying) and sirius not trusting sirius (and then them dying) and there's a lot of. Here's One Side. hahahaha that's wrong you're dead. so i do very much believe the potters believed in that sort of idyllic marauder concept, including with peter as a friend, just that it was wrong and peter was already disillusioned by then.

the animagus stuff is interesting because even then peter is portrayed as behind sirius and james, not on their level, needing help, etc. he's still separated even then, and regulated to level of opening-the-tree-trunk compared to the actual task of holding remus back. and looking at it symbolically, him being a rat even as a 15 yr old is consistent with his portrayal in swm--that he always kinda sucked (not in the terrorism way in the gross-teenager way), and always wasn't a real one of the gang in a sense. but also, yes, there is a definite bond between them and there was a secret kept between the four so you're entirely right there!

this is way too long so i won't go off here but imo all the marauders are very often hypocritical (a parallel to the things-aren't-as-they-seem theme!) and sirius is no exception and well...this line has nothing really to back it on sirius's end given he and none of the rest of them show any willingness of the sort at any time period so imo the sort of symbolism of that line is more 1) the contrast between the other marauders and peter and 2) the fumbling of what's right and what's wrong

i am so so sorry for this long af post but genuinely thank you!!

[urupotter]

So while I've said before that I don't like the HP subreddit, I still frequent it because occasionally I read something insightful. This is one such case, where I read a reading of Lupin that I'd never seen before in response to a comment of mine analyzing the shrieking shack confrontation between Snape, Remus, Sirius and the golden trio, where I mentioned that Lupin was a gaslighter so I wanted to share. It was created by reddit user u/UsuallySiSometimesNo and is posted here with his permission. We had a little conversation in the comments. Read it under the cut

UsuallySiSometimesNo: That struck a cord with me, too. I didn't think about that on a conscious level before, but when I read it, it felt instantly true.

Honestly, I think the strongest examples of Lupin gaslighting are actually done to himself. The biggest, character-defining example, I think, is that after finding friendship with James, Sirius, and Peter, he becomes so desperate not to be ostracized from them (due to his issues of self-worth and his personal brand of impostor syndrome) that he deliberately and routinely feeds himself false narratives about their behavior until he can no longer tell fact from fiction, even as he's experiencing it.

Their relentless bullying of Snape? A childhood rivalry.

Their casual bullying of other students? Kids being young and stupid.

Their clear disinterest verging on contempt for Peter, someone less fortunate and vulnerable with whom they're supposed to be good friends? Just mates being mates.

Even actions taken against Lupin, himself, are revised in his memory to be 'no big deal', because he desperately needs that to be true. Let's pretend for a moment that Snape indisputably deserved to be slaughtered by a werewolf the night Sirius told him how to get past the Whomping Willow. Sirius did not send Snape to be killed by any old werewolf. What happened that night was that Sirius - one of Remus' best friends, if not his actual best friend - attempted to use Remus' curse/illness against someone (which is a big enough betrayal on it's own) without ever telling Remus that when he woke up in the morning (covered in blood and in the presence of a shredded corpse) it would be to find that he had committed the act he was most petrified he might one day commit. In setting Snape up to be killed by Lupin, Sirius, at the very least, risked Lupin's sanity, and, at the very most, risked Lupin being sentenced to death.

Now, I understand that Sirius wasn't thinking about all of that when he did what he did, and I, as a someone removed from the situation (and armed with the additional character/situational knowledge granted to a reader) can even understand why Sirius' own trauma led him to grant such a blind death sentence to Snape (which I think is related to a point you made elsewhere, u/Adventure_Time_Snail, about Sirius' "violence towards those who trigger his fundamental fear of wizard fascists" because of his abusive upbringing). But Lupin's perspective is not one of an unbiased observer. And once James found out what was happening and pulled Snape back before it was too late (which, I would think, was more to save Lupin than to save Snape) and once Remus awoke the next to day to discover everything that transpired the night before, I find it hard to believe there wasn't at least some conversation about the true gravity of the situation. And yet, even all these years later, Lupin doesn't bat an eye when Sirius not only doesn't display shame when the event is mentioned in POA, but offers something akin to regret, NOT at the fact that his actions could have gotten Lupin killed, but that that they DIDN'T get Snape killed: "It served him right...", he sneered. etc. etc.

I think the obvious question here, is 'Even disregarding what Sirius did to Snape - how can Lupin be okay with the knowledge that Sirius has no regret, at all, for what he did to him, even now that they're adults?' Well, we're not in Lupin's point of view in the books, which means we can't hear his internal monologue, but I think a satisfactory answer to the question is that he's done a substantial amount of internal gymnastics in order to get to a point where he doesn't see this as a big deal, or even as something that he has a right to be upset about.... just like a gaslighter does to their victim.

Again, because we're not in Lupin's POV, we can't point to the exact instances that such internal gaslighting took place, but, based on what we do observe from Harry's POV (and based on external knowledge of gaslighting as a true-to-life concept) I wouldn't be surprised if Lupin so desperately needs everything to be okay that he derides himself for feeling bad or betrayed, that he calls himself stupid for thinking terrible things that have happened to him are a big deal, that he wars with himself about how people who are his friends and who are so good to him and who are better friends than he thinks he deserves could possibly do something to harm him/others, and that he beats down whatever emotions and senses and gut feelings he has that tells him something his friends have done might be very wrong. What we see in the books is a man who makes excuses for his friends and harbors a warped perception of reality in much the same way victims of gaslighting do, and he seems to exploit his own insecurities in order to instill doubt in his own experiences in much the same way perpetrators of gaslighting do.

I can't help but think that, by the time Lupin tells Harry that Snape harbors a particularly strong hatred for James because James was a better Quidditch player, Lupin has become so adept at gaslighting himself that he actually believes it.

tl;dr: One of Lupin's defining characteristics is that he gaslights himself out of a desperate need to be liked by others, since he has a difficult time liking himself and seems to believe all of his relationships are incredibly fragile.

Urupotter:

This is a fascinating reading on Lupin that I've never seen. I don't read him the same way, in that I think Lupin actually does know that what he's doing is wrong, he just doesn't have the moral courage to act on his conscience. (I view him as the anti Snape, great conscience, but abysmal moral courage, while Snape had unbelievable moral courage but a shitty conscience. Their arcs are about growing their moral courage and their conscience respectively) Realizing that his negligence almost got Harry killed is what triggers his arc, concluding when he goes back to Tonks and Teddy after running away, taking responsibility for his actions for the first time.

But this reading is so interesting that I'll have to reflect on it. Do you mind if I post it on my Harry Potter tumblr blog? I'll credit you of course, I would just like to discuss it with my followers. Of course if you don't want to I won't.

UsuallySiSometimesNo:

Honestly, I think the lack of in-depth conversation about Remus Lupin (at least compared to fan favorites Sirius Black and Severus Snape) is a missed opportunity and a shame. Don't get me wrong, I can discuss Sirius and Snape until blue in the face, but Lupin's arc is just as powerful in an understated (and often underestimated) way. The muddy, oversimplified truth is, without the fatal-flaw decision making of all four Marauders throughout their lives, the series of events proceeding the first chapter of the first book don't happen, and the story we all know and love never comes to be.

And speaking of sparking a discussion about Lupin...

I think Lupin actually does know that what he's doing is wrong, he just doesn't have the moral courage to act on his conscience.

You know what? I agree. And that's what makes him so interesting, I think. He is constantly and dependably full to bursting with internal conflict. When his friends are wrong/do something wrong/say something wrong, he can and does immediately identify the situation as wrong. When he does something wrong, or when he does nothing in the face of something wrong, in that moment I believe he knows the full weight of the situation. Like you said, he has a strong conscience, as well as a deeper, perhaps more nuanced understanding of right and wrong than do, for example, James and Sirius. Now, Lupin needs his friends. They're not just people to hang out with, they're a lifeline for him. He's not going to engage in conflict with them if there is even the slightest chance that he might lose them (for a variety of reasons, he lacks, as you said, the moral courage to do so). But he's also a generally decent human being, and with a strong conscience comes the capacity for sincere guilt and remorse. So, not only will he not confront his friends, he needs it to be okay that he doesn't confront them. And it's at that point that I think the self gaslighting is triggered.

But Lupin is intelligent and nobody's fool, so the gaslighting creates only a thin layer of ice over the problem. Just enough of a cover that he can live with the things he would otherwise deeply regret. I do think he believes the alternative reality he makes for himself to be accurate as long as it isn't really challenged. Crack the ice, though, and we see him express remorse and reveal an underlying awareness of past and present truths. But then the moment is over, and the war between the uncomfortably and full weight of the truth and his need for the companionship of his friends returns, and then the gaslighting begins again, allowing him an easier return to his closest friends (and eventually his closest friend, singular, after the others have been taken from him as was his fear all along) without conflict and with minimal strain on his conscience.

Once Sirius, the last of his original chosen family is gone - truly gone, as opposed to 'located elsewhere' as he was when in prison - following OOtP, suddenly Lupin's arc takes off at a greater speed than at any point prior. He's now literally lost all of the people he'd been terrified of figuratively losing. Although there are still people and things he cares about, he isn't as dependent on any of them as he was on those foundational friendships, and the finality of their absence allows him to finally grow beyond his stifling cycle of reality shifting, confront the truths of his reality and his circumstances, and, as you said, finally take responsibility by returning to Tonks and Teddy - a decision that, ultimately, triggers his death (I don't mean to imply that it was a bad decision or that it's the sole cause of his death, but Rowling has said that being 'out of practice' contributed to his loss at the Battle of Hogwarts, which makes for a fantastic tragedy).

I don't mean to overstate the importance of this theory or imply that it's always present when he's on-stage, and, as with anyone, many other elements, of course, factor into his actions/words/motives. But I think it's a fascinating potential component of his character all the same. If you have more thoughts on this, I love to hear them - and I look forward to reading the discussion on your blog!

So what do you think? Is this a valid reading of Lupin? I'd say it is, but I'm interested in reading my followers thoughts!

[chaztalk]

I just want to say that although I haven't been a harmony shipper in quite some time, your page is so awesome that I think I might be returning to being a harmony shipper. So thank you.

Although, I have a question: what do you think about the idea that Ron is the glue of the trio?

I saw a post on Reddit (r/harrypotter) this morning about it and I was curious about your thoughts on the subject. Thanks!

Hi Anon! That’s great to hear you might be returning back to this fandom!

Now, let’s see what Reddit post your talking abou- oh it’s from this person. Not surprised. u/Curseofablacklion is a notorious Ron stan and anti Harry (thinks he’s a boring, self-centered asshole protagonist). It’s best to just block them because there’s always gonna be a high percent chance that their posts dunk on Harry to promote their ‘Ron’s the best character’ agenda. But, also, HP Reddit is just a cesspool of this garbage. It’s Quora 2.0.

Almost 1k upvotes on that post, and people still don’t seem to understand what the “glue” of certain group does. To me, the “glue” of certain group is one who is willing to help/encourage their friends to mend their relationships with their other friends who’ve had a dispute with one another that ended up with them not talking to each other for a while. To be clear, none of the trio members are the “glue” of the trio. But it’s most certainly not Ron. At least Harry (PoA, HBP) and Hermione (GoF) try. What does Ron do to help Harry and Hermione’s relationship after Harry’s Firebolt was confiscated? Nothing. How about when Harry and Hermione argue over the Half-Blood Prince book? Nothing. DH? Always sides with Hermione once he returns back to get back in her good graces. So, in conclusion, I don’t see how Ron is the “glue” of the trio when, in reality, no one is.

Thanks for the ask, Anon!

[rollercoasterwords]

it never made sense to me why snape throws such a fit in poa after sirius escapes getting caught and they’re trying to explain that he’s innocent… wouldn’t snape know he’s innocent? cause like if all those death eaters in azkaban knew it was peter who was the spy, surely snape would have known too? do you think snape just doesn’t care and hates sirius so much that he wants to see him thrown in azkaban again anyway? but wouldn’t he have wanted peter found and killed since he ~loved~ lily? none of ever this made any sense to me!

honestly i never even considered that but i think ur right that it just…doesn’t really make sense. the best explanation i can think of is that only ~some~ of the death eaters knew peter was the spy and those are the ones sirius heard yelling about it in azkaban? honestly there’s a ton of stuff in the hp books that jkr just didn’t really think through so it’s just like…what can u do 🥸

although also i can totally see snape just being a spiteful obsessive little shit who desperately wants to see sirius and remus suffer lol i hate that man ��� and let’s be real he never truly loved lily, so i can honestly see him being more bent on revenge than on getting to the actual truth of the matter

[cursestothemoon]

just saw your request are open, I was wondering if you could pretty please make a headcanon about POA!sirius finding love just like remus did, omg and what if she's friends with Tonks?? Wondering if he'll feel like remus, undeserving of a younger lover or if he'll be cheeky like 'u know what? the world owes me this', I'll love to see what he'll be like with her, he deserves nothing but the best😍 thank you and I love your work so so much❤️❤️

thiS IS SO BEAUTIFUL OK

so yes you are friends with Tonks 

have been for a while

and you are adamant on helping the order and kicking some death eater butt

remus likes you

a little worried about you

but he likes you 

however he doesn't think to set you up with sirius because hes a bit preoccupied with 

you know

war

and being used by Dumbledore to go live with werewolves that are actually dangerous and would kill him if they found out he was a spy

but you’d show up with Tonks to a meeting one day 

lets be honest here

you were beautiful

you were cool

you were young 

young enough for the boys to be crushing on you because you were the cool slightly older girl 

and old enough to act like an adult when needed

sirius was immediately drawn to you

and you thought he was quite literally breathtaking 

you also knew he’d been through a lot and the last thing he needed was some bright eyed young girl overtly flirting with him

so you stayed cordial 

a compliment here and there

a small smile

maybe a witty comment or two to him

like you'd lean over and just saw the funniest little one liner and he'd nearly spit out his drink because of how funny it was

and one day he just blurts it out to remus that he thinks you’re attractive 

unfortunately for him tonks hears and is beyond excited because she knows you think the same of him

the next few meetings sirius is super flirty with you

you bring out the young sirius that he thought azkaban took away

when he realizes this thats when he becomes very protective of what you two have 

the witty banter and back and forth flirting

he didn’t want to lose that part of him again

i think he fell in love with you before he even asked you out formally 

he’d have this whole confession speech that you sat through 

and it was the sweetest must unnecessary thing because have of it was him trying to tell you that he doesn’t deserve your love and you should leave

“I can’t give you what you deserve, I can’t give you expensive dates out in the world or spontaneity. I can’t give you what I wish I could, not even a whole man. But damn it Y/n I’m in love with you.”

“Sirius, all I want from you is you. I love you, not your money or anything else so trivial.”

you guys then started dating

you’d visit him almost everyday 

that lasted about a month before he was having you move in

ok so sirius isnt that old 

his like mid thirties 

and you’re like early to mid twenties 

its not that....sirius 

hA

anyway

i think he’d be torn between thinking he doesn't deserve you and he’s robbing you of your life and your future but then the other half is like

you know what

the world has been kind of an aSS to me

and i deserve to be happy with my little minx

but yeah i think secretly he’d think him dating you is taking away your life the same way azkaban took his and one day you’ll wake up and realize you’ve made a huge mistake

the best way to get him out of these moods because these thoughts are ENTIRELY not true 

is by loving on him 🥰

sitting in his lap while he sits in some big chair by the fireplace 

and hold his jaw as you place kisses all over his cheek, down to his jaw, to his neck 

while also telling him how much you love him and how good-looking he is 

bonus points if you do it wearing nothing thin flimsy underwear and one of his dress shirts 

this would pull him out of his thoughts pretty much immediately 

because he has his beautiful little bunny in his lap who obviously must love him at least a little bit to be sitting here and kissing on him and something cant feel this right if its really wrong

his younger self would jump at the opportunity to be with someone like you

and he wants to make that sirius proud

wants to give that part of him what he deserves 

so he is adamant on not losing you

and loving you

and ACCEPTING your love

no matter how difficult it was in the beginning

after that he’s very proud of having a young girlfriend

hes still got it 😏

major daddy kink don’t @ me

feel free to ask for a more nsfw blurb if you want 👀

tags:

@amourtentiaa

@vsawyer1989​

@lifeofkaze

[padfootastic]

You are so right about the way those people butcher Sirius' character, intelligence to prop up Remus and Lily. It makes me cry for my boy. James is also made goofy and dumb. Wolfstar made me dislike Sirius in all those fics😫They water down Sirius to an unrecognisable person to fit Remus. Canon Sirius is an amazing character, he does not deserve the disrespect of being replaced by a remus obsessed, emptyheaded, vain,annoying caricature who cant exist without remus touching him.

this is very valid tbh i will never understand why people who seem to so blatantly dislike sirius write him so often but alas, what can you do? (every time i read a fic where sirius is a one-dimensional character with no depth, i die a little inside)

all i hope for these days is properly tagged fics (i genuinely have the utmost respect for authors who even casually tag ‘x is an asshole/not great/an idiot’ etc just so we get some idea of how they’re written, even if i personally disagree, because then i can just scroll past) but with the prevalence of a certain view for james and sirius, it’s really hard to find marauder fics i can actually get behind.

(and wolfstar portrayals are also so funny to me because *both* remus and sirius are so far from canon characterisations, they’re basically ocs? like i get cherry picking canon, i get hcs, i get tweaking stuff to fit your wants/needs but it’s kind of hysterical to what extent that happens here, ykno?)

which sucks, because i don’t think it’s a secret how much i like james and sirius 😔

it’s a tough life out here being a sirius stan, huh, anon? (lol jk jk but it can get annoying quick)

[limetimo]

rab fics i read 30/10-14/11

Who You Really Are by Ayolen Severus is a girl and he swaps bodies with Lily via a potions accident; Sev in Lily's body is a Marauder's magnet and Lily in Sev's body says yes to a date with Regulus

Fire In Love by English is my death (Lena013) One Piece's Ace, Sabo and Luffy get reincarnated as Regulus, Lily and Harry and they might not live happily ever after but they do live happily for a little while. Very nice

two coffins for sleep by Anonymous for brightened ♥♥♥ Severus treats Regulus' cave-poisioning

The Unknowable Room by QSWP I'm really interested to know where this is going. Lily and Regulus get stuck in a deathly escape room, escape with their life intact, but the mystery remains to be solved

The Depths of the Abyss by Anonymous ♥♥♥♥♥ Wartime Bartylus my beloved I am soft I am tender

Everything Has Changed (Taylor's version) by Youvebeenfandomed Reg gets yote to 1995

Double date by Arik_readsbooks Pandalily Jegulus doubledate!

You've Got Us by Arik_readsbooks Barty and Evan comfort Regulus when he's a saddo

l'éphémère (the ephemeral) by anouri Ballet dancer Regulus gets hit by James on a motorcycle and his leg is FUCKED and since he hit da bricks and changed his name he has nobody to help him while he recovers and so James takes it on himself and it's slowburn

Of Middle Names and Myth by DefinitelyNotStraight bamf blacks

A (somewhat unconventional) Black Family Getaway by Trex_patronus PoA but Regulus is also a Azkaban escapee ♥♥♥

Grey by Nevermindmeatall182 a lot of Regulus whump, read the tags

After all, he's mine by anauro for otrtbs ♥♥♥♥♥ Bad Romance by Lady Gaga is the BArtylus soundtranck bye

Tempest by pjxckson James loses a bet, models nude for an art class, and has sex with Regulus in the bathroom

someday by justwhatialwayswanted crying screaming throwing up I love them your honour Regulus/Evan

tomorrow by justwhatialwayswanted CRYING SCRAMING THROWING UP I LOVE THEM SO MUCH YOUR HONOUR Regulus legally breaks Barty out of Azkaban

daisy chain lovers by Beyond_the_Grace Regulus fucks off to muggle world and dates petunia evans and the world is a better place and harry grows up loved

we'll be okay, won't we? by bee_the_nerd good vibes good vibes, Jegulily!

birthright and brotherhood by paldogangsaan Sirius runs away. Regulus ensures he can remain free.

The Curse of Juno by LdyBastet Lucius/Severus sexy times but Reg is mentioned so like, good enough

Severus' Garden by Bonfoi severus is looking for a husby amongst his past lovers

Black Out by ThinLine_Archivist Severus and Sirius have sex, and talk about regulus

To Touch by OnceUponaLegend Regulus as a Thing for Severus' hands, gentle smut

We are all Stardust by rrosie_08 Seer REgulus ayo Jegulus to be

hearts are wild creatures by brightened Black bros incest also sad

Unresting Death by brightened Sirius is upsetti

Forced to Stay by w0scarz muggle au, regulus has to stay with sirius after their parents perish in a oh so mysterious fire

𝔻𝔼𝕁𝔸 𝕍𝕌 by august (cassiehowardstherapist), cassiehowardstherapist regulus is put in Sirius' custody rather unexpectedly, enither of them likes it

Domestic Life, Was Never Quite My Style by Ick_arus Regulus holds harry for the first time

Good summer, Mr Thomas? by BennieLee Out of Lake Quite Mad but from Dean Thomas' view. Regulus looked much saner from the outside than from the inside

sun and shadow by justwhatialwayswanted marauders era ppl in percy jackson au, Regulus the son of hades has a c r u s h on Evan teh son on afrodita and what would you say it might be mutual (it'S sooooooo mutual Regulus is just oblivious)

The Way We Hold Hands by moonshinemaker modern AU Jegulus and Wolfstar "You bitch why are you dating my best friend/brother" we do love to see it

leo by swirlees Regulus survives and becomes a Creatures profesor

supernova by swirlees Creatures professor Regulus Black would like his estranged brother to stop being a bitch and get caught finally. Also hi hello what a good big black doggo yes

A Full Guide To Gardening For Amateurs by aphrsditea James is bipolar and ADHD and Sirius is in AFRICA and James for got to take his pills... quite a few days in row... and his flowers are dying... but his new mysterious mean but pretty neighbour Regulus has really nice plants so maybe he'll help James save his? I devoured this like, in a day

A Way Out by Anonymous a comics! Peter and Regulus the boyfriedns ♥♥♥ meet up to discuss what to do now that they know about horcruxes.

La Sylphide by pjxckson Ballet dancer regulus is so ♥ jegulus

The First of Many by zeddmarker JEgulily dating! Regulily got together first and i like that

Fated to Fall by ouzell soulamates au jegulus

the world i close my eyes to see by tonberrys blind regulus, he gets around

Unmanageable Mischief Podcast by jeepcharlie modern hogwarts podcast!

where the ice burns by jelenaRusso Regulus in Azkaban huhueheehhe ♥♥♥





[consistentsquash]

5 HP slash fandom meta recs

I picked 5 meta posts. A lot of this is around HP Slash. But some of them also are about more general bigger events like LJ Strikethrough. If you didn't know a lot about those events maybe you'll find it interesting!

The picking criteria is just around variety. Like any rec list this is subjective based on my reading

About HP fanfic exchanges and organization

About HP Slash goggles and ship manifestos

About HP Slash ship aspects and shipping dynamics

About HP Slash darkfic writing

About HP slash purges and LJ Strikethrough

Some [Incredibly Long-Winded] Thoughts on Running a Fic/Art Exchange

by bethbethbeth

 Bethbethbeth explains the details involved in running a fic/art exchange based on her experience running HP Beholder. This has a lot of depth and really goes into the logistics with clear explanations. If you want to run a fic/art exchange definitely check this out! Even if you don't want to do that, it's a great read to show how much work fandom organizers and moderators do!

HP Beholder is one of the highest quality rarepair collections in my reading experience. When I read bethbethbeth's post it's so clear how much work they did to make this happen. HP Beholder was a rare pair fanfic exchange which ran from 2008 to 2014.

You can look up their AO3 collection. The original master lists are posted on the community.

Rec note - Organizing fans is a super power! Check out Special Open Letter to Snarry Games participants and fans written by djin7 during the 1st Snarry Games after HBP and the closure of Detention archive.

 The Case for R/S: Version 2.5

elwing_alcyone

 One of the best, if not the best ship research manifestos I have read in this fandom. Really detailed post going into the canon details which support Wolfstar. Because the author is a shipper they are reading the canon with slash goggles. Ship manifestos were super popular in our fandom. But normally the manifestos discussed similarities between the characters and why they were going to be attracted to each other. This Wolfstar manifesto dives deep into canon with tons of lines from PoA and OoTP to back their points.

Thanks to our Wolfstar expert /u/pomegranate17 for linking this one! It's a great read and discussion fodder. I've been wanting to do a rec list like this. But I didn't have five recs until I got this one and another one this week.

Rec note - A Peculiar Faith is a Drarry ship manifesto. A Fine Line is Atrata's Snarry ship manifesto. You can find a ton of HP ship manifestos on that community!

 Snarry Shipping Aspects

by aubrem

 This post from aubrem talks about three big Snarry ship aspects - Power, Tools of Their Masters, Damaged Goods.

This is not really a ship manifesto as much as talking about the parts of Snarry shipping which can make it controversial. Snarry fandom is somewhat unique in the slash ships because of how even other HP slash shippers can find the pairing controversial. This ship has lots of variety. But it's also got an undeniable fundamental power aspect which attracted authors who wanted to write about these things and gave our fandom some of the best slash fanfics out there.

Rec note - This is why I ship Snarry! The fics which go into these ship aspects are the fics I love the most! Even if you don't like Snarry, it's pretty interesting to read the analysis here. Great read and discussion fodder.

 This Savage Mountain

by eldritcher

 A really poignant meta from eldritcher about writing Brown Sugar. They go into a lot of detail about how it took them nine years to write this fic. There's some really interesting comparisons about their mountaineering hobby and writing Brown Sugar. Their love and serious attachment to this fic shows up so much in this post.

It was captivating to see the jagged contours of ideas through time stitched together. The span and the enduringness of my obsession about writing this story was not a subject I had cared to dwell on, instinctively embracing denial when it surfaced.

There's also some discussion about how the fic was controversial because of its darkfic nature. It's kind of similar to how a lot of Snarry fans have to constantly justify the power aspects of their ship. You can read my review for Brown Sugar on the A-Z rec list.

You don't need to know anything about the fic itself to read this.

Getting the R/S shipping manifesto and this one in the last couple of days filled the gaps for this rec post!

Rec note - This post reads like a New Yorker article. Very much a read it on your balcony with a cup of coffee type of writing.

Check out another really beautiful personal journey meta post from the kinkbingo organizers, Ramp-up Essay: Opening the door, or how fanfic changes everything.

 Pornish Pixies Update

by femmequixotic

 This is an update from femmequixotic who was the mod of the pornishpixies community on LJ during the Strikethrough and Boldthrough time. Pornishpixies is a slash community with tons of kinky fics and art. They got reported for two fan arts about Weasleycest and Snarry. You can find the Snarry art on wayback. The artist, ponderosa121 got banned from LJ. You can find the email the artist got on Wayback..

The Strikethrough and Boldthrough events led to a lot of chaos in fandom. If you check out the last link in this post you can find astolat's proposal for AO3!

To get more details, check out the Fanlore page about Strikethrough and Boldthrough.

Slash purges are happening even today according to this really good writeup A New History of Fandom Purges by @olderthannetfic. This is a great read. Definitely recommend!

A lot of discussion we have today is about purity culture. Older fans who were around for Strikethrough and Boldthrough survived policing and banning controversial stuff. Today's discussions have really got a lot in common with 2007 arguments about controversial content glorifying what the content is about.

Rec note - You can read more about purity culture here. There's a ton of stuff on Tumblr meta posts if you want to find out more about the different sides of this argument! This is a pretty fast moving controversial topic. So definitely do your own research if you want to find out more.

[jacksallys]

oh hi just realized you said I have good vibes 🥺 thank you! I just associate you with Sirius, it’s part of the faeryphilia experience -🐛

u have the BEST vibes i’m giving u a virtual forehead kiss rn. even if ur taller than me. i have a stool i’ll use it. fhdjsksk u don’t understand how happy this makes me sirius has been. my favourite character since,, idk when did i read poa? idk. maybe since i was like. six. yes that’ll be abt right. like i love that guy so much and??? it means a lot that u, a stranger on the internet, automatically associates ME w my favourite character like. pls. this made me so happy thank u

[seriouslysnape]

What about Lupin "send me a character & I’ll answer the following about them!" ask 🌜thanks!

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life 

ACTUAL LOVE OF MY LIFE I LOVE U MOONY.

hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would bang 

WOULD BANG HOT WEREWOLF MAN FOREVER AND ALWAYS.

hogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuff 

I’m assuming this means my House so HUFFLEPUFF. But if it doesn’t then we all know Lupin’s a Gryffindor.

best quality: Definitely his sensitivity and his v o i c e.

worst quality: None bc he’s perfect. No, but like, if I had to pick...his facial hair in POA.

ship them with: Tonks. 

brotp them with: James.

needs to stay away from: full moons.

misc. thoughts: I love him. Everything about him. He’s my silver boy (not my golden just bc that belongs to my boy Cedric). He deserved so much better.