#primrose gray

[catohphm]

Weekend With The Grays 2023 Day 2 Prompt - Welcome Ball III

Once again, thanks, @endlessly-cursed for a fantastic event! Prim belongs to her. I also have mentions of Malcolm by @gaygryffindorgal and Roxie by @mjs-oc-corner, who also owns Bella, Danny's ship partner. This short piece of content reveals a brief fashion emergency the couple has before the third Welcome Ball that becomes a funny story for later.

On the day before the Welcome Ball, Danny and Bella spent the hour before the 6 PM deadline re-exploring the spacious expanse of Winbourne. They found their usual guest room in the course of that. An attendant had been there to receive Danny's broom and the couple's rucksacks when they first landed down near the gates. Their belongings were left where they'd be staying during the solstice celebrations. 

Warm laughter and mingling took place that night and the morning before the ball. Friends took the time to catch up with each other and reminisce about the passing year. One friend in particular Danny and Bella hung out with was Roxie, a fellow auror-in-training of his. It was in part due to Roxie’s camaraderie and friendship that made the intense regimen a small part easier for her and Danny. She was best friends with him and even helped foster his romantic relationship with Bella. The former Ravenclaws were like siblings and were inseparable in their bond.

However, a small rush of panic took place for Danny and Bella before the ball. The necklace for her dress was missing before Lady Primrose and Lord Malcolm were to assemble everyone together in the hall.

She realized she had forgotten her necklace. Bella felt around for it and wasn't wearing it.

“Where did my necklace go, love? I had it when I showed it to Prim a few minutes ago.”

“I mean, we can wait until after the ball to find it.” offered Danny.

Bella immediately started for the small seating area where they chatted with Prim. It was adjacent to the dance floor. “Not that, I'd rather have it now so I don't have to worry later.”

He caught up to her. “Relax.” He checked his pocket watch. “Still five minutes until the ball starts. Let's relax, not get hasty. Can you remember where we sat.”

Bella took a deep breath. Alright, okay. Prim… was in the armchair there. We were on the sofa to the left.” Danny pointed to it. “So that's where you think the necklace should be?”

“Yes.” confirmed Bella. “I know Prim couldn’t have saw it because she left right after giving it back to me.”

They approached their sofa. There was no necklace, but Danny had a hunch.

“This is silly, but I think it sunk into the sofa. We should look between the cushions.”

“It's on me, Danny. I heard the announcement for everyone to gather on the dance floor and got up right away without a second. I never thought to look. 

He sent her a reassuring smile before they started digging in the couch. “All's well once we find it.”

Within a few seconds, Danny felt the neck loop and Bella’s hand! They looked up at each other with wide eyes. Both uttered “wa-lah!” They pulled it up together. It flew out of their grip into the hair and into her cupped hands. 

She looked at her love and giggled. “Now that's a new meaning to we found it together.”

Danny grinned. “Bravo, Bella. I'm glad for two, that's us.”

She was adamant now to get back to the dance floor. “That’s enough, silly Danny.” she joked as she ran her arm through his and motioned forward with him. “We got a short window, Let’s leg it back now, love.

After the Welcome Ball commenced, the couple expressed relief at their quick save.

“I dunno,  I would've probably ransacked the chairs and sofa if you hadn't helped me, Danny. Prim wouldn't-

“Worry not.” he finished. “I'm just happy we got your necklace back. You're splendid with it.”

Bella put her hand on her partner’s shoulder and remarked “Thank you, Danny. It's a special one-of-a-kind. Honestly I wouldn't know I'd react if it was truly lost.”

“You're quite welcome. Of course, you got to think differently when the belonging can't exactly be replaced.” he replied.

“I'm glad you understand. Now enough worrying about the past. Let's see what you got this great night.”

Danny reached his hand to Bella’s shoulder, and they began their dance moves. With nothing else clouding their thoughts, they took in the sight of seeing each other's beautiful face. No matter where and how fast they twirled, the blur was at bay, and the sights between them were clear. In a grand collage of music, sweet swaying souls in the arms of the festive hearth, Danny and Bella were at peace.

[fischerfrey]

OT4 + HOTD AU? Who's team green and who's team black? What house are they in? Are they active in the dance or keep a safe distance? How would they personalities change? 👀

the ot4: house of the dragon au

this kind of spiraled out of control and would obviously need a shitton of work to smooth everything out but here's what i (and annie) put together quickly. a lot is inspired by the book and show but a lot had to be changed around to make this work. also the hp canon titles and social statuses are waaay different in this one.

“then the storm broke, and the dragons danced.”

when king aegar I targaryen names his second son his heir instead of his eldest, the seeds of civil war are sown. aegar's choice is heavily influenced by a prophecy passed down in his family since the days of old valyria, and all signs point to his younger son being the prince that was promised. or so aegar believes...

prince elyan grew up as the prince of dragonstone, destined to one day rule over westeros. but his father deemed him too rash, too unpredictable to ever sit the iron throne, so he named elyan's little brother theodric as his heir on his sixteenth nameday. theo has no taste for ruling but he wanted to make his father happy so he obliged. when king aegar dies only a few short months later, the realm is torn asunder. many lords and ladies still deem elyan the rightful heir, while some, such as the hightowers, lannisters, and baratheons support theodric's claim (maybe because they respect aegar, maybe because they think theo will be easier to control than his brother...)

elyan is a formidable warrior and commands the loyalty of many, especially men of the city watch in king's landing, whom he personally oversaw for a time. he's charismatic and politically savvy but also vicious and cruel, often jumping headfirst into danger. theo, on the other hand, is studious and prefers to keep to himself. his father believes him to be the one of whom the prophecy spoke of and it could be argued that he has a calmer demeanor than his brother, but in truth, theodric can be just as fearsome and unpredictable.

henry hightower grew up in king's landing, where his father thomas served as the hand of the king for both king elyris I targaryen, and king aegar I targaryen. he's not a renowned warrior and prefers books to swords. he loves riding though, and is an exceptional horseman. when war erupts, henry ends up on the opposing side to elyan, with whom he has been in love with for years. he has to choose between duty and love as he finds himself increasingly friendless in the city he once called home.

malcolm stark is the new lord of winterfell after the sudden death of his father. though he is young, he's determined to look after his people as winter approaches. in the middle of preparations, king aegar dies and war starts brewing in the south. malcolm's father alexander once swore an oath of loyalty to king aegar and his then-heir, prince elyan but now the succession has been changed. malcolm must decide whether to march his men south to defend prince elyan's rightful claim or to stay in the north and face the oncoming winter.

lady primrose baratheon is the only surviving child of lord vincent gray and lady victoria baratheon. she stands to inherit her mother's claim to storm's end but lady victoria's claim was contested on many fronts already, and she only held onto it because she was already married and with child at the time of her brother's death. the lords of the stormlands were hoping she would have a son and put such foolish things as women inheriting storm's end to rest. when, despite years of effort, primrose remained the only living child of her parents, tensions in the stormlands started to brew again. prim's position is precarious and now she has a war to navigate. house baratheon is sworn to defend king theodric but elyan is one of primrose's oldest friends. when her mother dies a few weeks into the war, primrose technically has the power to shift her house's allegiance, but can she convince her lords to follow her lead?

"we are as the gods made us. strong and weak, good and bad, cruel and kind, heroic and selfish. know that if you would rule over the kingdom of men."

elyan, theo, henry, and prim all spent a considerable amount of time together in king's landing

there would definitely be pressure from the councils of both sides to put the other to sword so the war doesn't rear its head again but do the brothers actually want to kill each other?

elyan and henry are gay and in love and take romantic flights on dragonback over the crownlands until the war tears them apart :( the whole affair was doomed from the start but now it's EXTRA doomed

eventually malcolm and prim join the war and meet and fall in love BUT there's a huge issue because primrose has to marry some suitable minor lord from the stormlands (who preferrably has older brothers so he doesn't have the pressure of carrying on the family name) and not the frigging lord of winterfell, warden of the north!!! her liege lords don't want some stark bossing them around. if the two manage to make it work and get married then who's gonna inherit storm's end? who's gonna inherit winterfell? we just won't know...

estelle is The Stark At Winterfell while mal is off to war

lots more dragons would be involved than what is mentioned here. theo has a dragon called scrambles called something metal like bloodfyre i'm sure

the other houses like the velaryons and the lannisters would also be involved heavily but i decided to not go as far as to start assigning other characters or i'd never be able to get this out lol

although the slytherins might be velaryons in this, so kerina is a velaryon, and the current lord of driftmark is either kerina's dad or brother

i have no idea who would eventually win although the odds are stacked against theo pretty hard at the minute, poor guy...

feel free to offer your thoughts!🐉⚔

this isn't like a simple elian = rhaenyra (obvs he's more like daemon anyway), theo = aegon II, henry = alicent etc thing. while some characters do fill the roles of actual characters from hotd, it isn't exactly a working comparison. that being said, i love the ottohightowerification of thomas of alderly.

[cursedvaultss]

Weekend With the Grays, The Winter Solstice

event hosted by @endlessly-cursed

4th of December- Back at Winbourne

Primrose Gray belongs to @endlessly-cursed

Malcolm Stolberg-Burke belongs to @gaygryffindorgal

(Note: I decided to make Cordelia the same age as Primrose for this, since I think it's easier for me to work with!)

Cordelia had never been to a grander house than Winbourne. She took in the beautiful gardens and ornate architecture as she joined the queue to greet the host and hostess. She felt rather overwhelmed, as she came face to face with Primrose Gray. Sure, she had gone to Hogwarts with her, but they hadn't been all that close, being in different houses and running in different circles, too. The company Cordelia usually kept was not made of lords and ladies, but she couldn't deny that that was exactly what she had been aiming towards all her life.

"Lady Gray," she greeted the lady of the house when her turn came and then: "Lord Stolberg-Burke. Thank you for your kind invitation."

"Miss Duncan, welcome to Winbourne," Primrose said with a beautiful and dazzling smile. To Cordelia, she felt regal, as did her tall, handsome husband Lord Malcolm Stolberg-Burke.

"Welcome," said Lord Stolberg-Burke, echoing Primrose's words.

Greetings exchanged, it was time to move along, and Cordelia was searching the crowd for familiar faces...

[hphmmatthewluther]

Weekend With the Grays - Day 1: Back at Winbourne

Here we go! Thanks to @endlessly-cursed for organising this lovely event, and for the wonderful character of Prim! This also features a mention of Malcolm, who belongs to @gaygryffindorgal, Helen, one of @camillejeaneshphm 's wonderful characters, and the mention of one of their others....

A small black carriage being pulled along by a single Abraxan thundered through the trees, the mighty stallion seemingly knowing where to go on instinct. Inside the carriage, a young man with bright scarlet hair tinkered and fidgeted with a collection of gears and cogs with a thin golden screwdriver. The woman sitting next to him placed her hand on one of his own, hers just about larger than his.

"Dear, it'll be alright, I promise." Helen Graham said to her husband, smiling down at him. She too had red hair, though hers was more orange. "We're here to celebrate, not to mourn or worry." she reminded him, her voice still retaining a Louisiana accent.

Fred sighed, leaning back on his seat. "I know, I know...I just wonder if he knows that."

"He's not your responsibility." Helen said, sharply. "If he does show up tonight, he knows full well that he's expected to be Merry."

"That's just the thing, though." Fred put the gizmo he was working on back in his pocket as the trees started to clear. "The grief hasn't dimmed his wits. He knows he's being unreasonable, but it's as if he physically can't help it. It must be driving him mad."

"Well, maybe this would do him some good. If Prim can't get him smiling again, no one can." Helen declared, as the huge estate very quickly appeared out their windows.

"I do wish you wouldn't jinx it like that, dear." Fred said, chuckling in spite of himself.

"I'll jinx you in a minute. I'm not having you both moping about, alright?" Helen said, a smirk on her face as the Abraxan pulled in outside Winbourne.

The pair got out, Fred checking the time on a gold and scarlet pocket watch of his own design. "Just on time, I think." He observed, putting it back in his pocket.

Helen leant forward and look at it before he stuffed it away, noticing a small hourglass at its center. "Don't tell me you put one of your Time-Turners in there?" she asked, incredulously.

"It's not a Time-Turner...it's also a Time-Teller, see?" Fred replied, that full grin returning to his face once more. "Come on, we ought to find our hosts."

They walked up the steps towards the gates, Fred pointing out things that caught his eye as they moved through the snow, Helen doing very much the same. It helped that Helen was able to use her Ancient Magic to keep the snow off of them, and Fred was able to slow down the snowflakes so they were suspended in time, very slowly completing their descent. Soon, though, they made it to the front doors, and the one on the left opened to reveal the Viscountess of Winbourne, Primrose Gray herself.

"Prim!" Fred exclaimed on impulse, earning him a raised eyebrow and laugh from his wife. At this point, of course, they had all known each other for years, and were used to Fred saying what came from the heart almost instantly. "...I mean, ah, Good evening, Lady Primrose. It truly is a pleasure to see you."

Prim smiled at the both of them. "Good evening, Fred, Helen. It is always wonderful to see you both. How was the journey? Not too snowy?"

Helen smiled a little and nodded. "Not for us, of course, or our Abraxan." she said, gesturing to the large horse. "A gift from Baroness Osada. She's got...quite a few equines back in Poland."

"I'm sure she does." Prim nodded, looking back briefly into the warm interior of the building. "Well, please, come right in, Malcolm will show you where you can put your coats."

Helen, who to this day had not acclimated to the British winter, nodded rapidly before following Malcolm inside. Fred took a step forward too, but paused. Prim stopped as well, looking over to him. "Something the matter, Fred?"

In his years dealing with it, Fred had found that he had developed almost a sixth sense when it came to telling where ancient magic was nearby. And he felt a very familiar source of it walking through the snow behind him. "...I do believe that's Mr Doherty approaching the gates."

Fred watched as Prim stepped outside, still a little shell-shocked that Atticus had even bothered to show up. Then again, at times the man now shuffling through the night looked like a stranger. His green eyes lacked that brilliant shine he had whenever he came up with a brilliant idea (or any idea for that matter), and his clothes seemed to flow around him, shifting in and out of the darkness. But what really surprised Fred was the fact that on his best friend's head, covering his jet-black hair, was a hat.

A Hat. If it were any other gentleman of the period, nobody would have batted an eye. In fact, it was what gentleman were expected to wear. Yet, here he was, in a hat, walking into Winbourne. Hell must have been as cold as it was outside that night. Fred wasn't sure what to do, but perhaps that was why he wasn't the one hosting. Atticus looked up at Fred and Prim, his expression unreadable. Lady Primrose kept the door held open. "Good evening, Atticus," she said, as the wind howled, the moon appearing briefly in between the clouds. "Welcome to Winbourne. Please, come in, you look frozen, poor thing."

Atticus blinked, clearly not having expected that. Fred recognised the expression now. It was the look he'd always give Lillian whenever she caught him out on a flaw in his logic. "...Thank you, Lady Primrose." he said, almost out of social etiquette. Good evening to you, too." And with that, he was up the stairs and walking into the house. Fred came in afterwards, followed by Prim. In a weird way, he had almost expected the cold to follow Atticus through into the house, but with Prim and Malcolm showing them to a cloakroom to drop off their cloaks and bags, Fred felt a small amount of warmth returning to him.

He looked over to his best friend. Maybe he felt it too.

[the-al-chemist]

The Beginning of a Symphony - Chapter 33

A/N: With the celestial ball fast approaching, the fifth years are on the lookout for romance.

Warnings: mild angst/pining.

OCs featured/mentioned: Siobhan Llewelyn @kc-and-co, Gwen Archeron @thatravenpuffwitch, Primrose Gray and Jesse Seymour @endlessly-cursed, Nadia Erbland @gcldensnitch, William Devlin @unfortunate-arrow, Reuben Willows @that-scouse-wizard, Leila Hellebore @whatwouldvalerydo, Winona Rosewood @usernoneexistent, Nolan Miller @hogwartsmysteryho, Henry Lovecraft @lifeofkaze

April 1897

The Easter holidays had come and gone both all too quickly and far too slowly. With no classes to attend, the two week break had been spent reading books, browsing the shops in Hogsmeade village, and eating copious amounts of chocolate. Anyone would have thought that the idea of returning to a normal school routine the following morning would have cast a dark cloud over the final night of the break, but the fifth year Ravenclaws remained in high spirits. After all, the end of the holidays meant that they were closer to May, when the Celestial Ball would be taking place.

The ball was all anyone had been able to talk about since the Headmaster had made his announcement at the end-of-term feast. Héloïse was half-bored by the endless discussions of dress robes and dance cards and music and escorts. She had never enjoyed spending time in large crowds of people, and so dances and balls had never been exciting prospects to her. And yet…

Perhaps it was because she was now sixteen, no longer a mere child and only a year away from being a grown woman, but each time she heard someone mention what they were planning on wearing or who they hoped to dance with, she felt her heart lift slightly and begin to beat faster in her chest, as if it were already trying to dance. She watched boys asking girls if they might escort them to the ball with fascination, paying attention to the nervous ones’ shaking hands and hopeful eyes, and the confident ones’ polished manner of talking, and the giddy giggles of the girls and their friends after they made their responses. She had read all about the peculiar alignment of stars that the Celestial Ball celebrated, and each night had stolen away to the Astronomy tower in order to see the stars’ progression, as they crept closer and closer to the positions they would hold on the night of the ball.

She was looking forward to the Celestial Ball, really looking forward to it, and that surprised her.

With the return of the school locomotive engine earlier in the evening, the Ravenclaw common room was busier and louder than it had been in the previous two weeks, and the students who had spent the holidays at home were quickly being filled in on what they had missed during the break.

“Oh, I’m so glad that Jesse asked if he could escort you. I’d have felt so guilty being escorted if that meant leaving you to go alone. Now I can attend with William and a clear conscience!” Primrose Grey, who Héloïse had come to realise always knew everything about everyone, was telling her friend Nadia Erbland. Primrose’s blue eyes scanned the room as she continued, “I do believe that most people have arranged to be escorted by someone now. Reuben asked Leila Hellebore straight away, and I think Nolan has now asked Winona Rosewood, as well. In fact” - her eyes settled on Héloïse and her dorm mates - “I know who everyone is going with except for you three.”

Siobhan cocked an eyebrow at her. “Oh, aye?”

“Yes indeed,” said Primrose, with a nod. “So, then. Do tell. Will you all have escorts, or are you going to fill your dance cards on the night?”

“I’m leaving it to the night itself,” Gwendolyn answered. “I think it’s more exciting that way, somehow. Shiv is going to be escorted, though.”

“Who by?”

“Galen Stagg.”

“Really?”

“I don’t see why you are so surprised,” said Siobhan tersely. “Everyone and their granny knows we are friends.”

“Friends, yes, but-”

“Well, then. We shall attend the ball together, and that shall be that, and we shall hear no more on the matter.”

There was a finality to Shiv’s tone that made even Gwen raise an eyebrow and share a glance with Héloïse. Prim pursed her lips slightly, but she turned to Héloïse looking nonplussed.

“Et toi, Héloïse?”

It took Héloïse a few seconds to decide in which language she should reply to Prim’s question. Once she had opted for English, it took her another moment to pick her words.

“I am to go with no one,” she told Primrose, her voice sounding almost defeated in her ears.

“No?” Prim asked. She tilted her head, and Héloïse shook her own.

“No one is asking me.”

That was the problem, Héloïse realised. That was why she sounded and felt so disappointed. She wanted someone to ask her - she wanted Jim to ask her - but now that was seeming an increasingly less likely prospect. And even though Shiv told her that there were stil days to come before the ball, and Gwen said that he may even ask to partner with her on the night, in her heart she knew that he would not do so. There had been plenty of opportunities in which he might have asked her, and yet he had not. With the Celestial Ball now less than a week away, there was only one logical conclusion that Héloïse could draw: that he did not want to attend with her.

The very idea filled her with a deep, unshakeable sense of melancholy, one that accompanied her through the remainder of the evening, until eventually she retired from the Ravenclaw common room and escaped to her usual meditation spot in the Astronomy tower.

She had intended to rest awhile under the light of the moon and wallow in her self-pity alone, however, she soon found herself being interrupted by the sound of a throat being cleared, and an elongated shadow of a wizard appear on the ground beside her. She sat up straight, her chest lifting with her heart. Could it be…

“Jim?”

“I am afraid not,” the newcomer replied, his peculiar accent making his identity known before Héloïse turned to see his face. “Alas, you seem disappointed by the fact.”

Héloïse smiled sadly as her friend Henry Lovecraft approached and sat down beside her.

“Yes. No. I am not…” she sighed. “I do not wish to be rude. I am sorry.”

Henry shook his head. “It is no bother. What is wrong? Are you homesick?”

“No.”

“Then whatever is the matter?”

“I… It is the ball,” saiid Héloïse. “It is so close, and so many girls have been asked by boys if they can to go with them, and no one is asking to go with me.”

“No one at all?” Henry asked, one eyebrow raised as if he knew that there was only one person who mattered. Héloïse shrugged wordlessly in response. “Well, I am certain that it is not for lack of wanting.”

“But I think that it must be for this reason. What other reason would there to be?”

“What reason would there be for someone to not wish to attend a ball with you?”

“I do not know,” Héloïse said. “No. I do know. It is because I am too strange, I am thinking. Too different to others.”

Henry laughed quietly. Héloïse frowned at him.

“Quoi?”

“All people are different to others, Heloise,” Henry told her. “And yet, at the same time, we are all the same. It is a paradox, and that paradox is what makes people so very interesting. And the more different a person, the more interesting they are.” He smiled. “I would not describe you as too different, I would simply say that you are extraordinarily interesting.”

Héloïse looked up at the stars, her lips twitching slightly.

“Merci, Henri,” she half -whispered.

“It is but the truth.”

The air was still and silent for a few moments. Eventually, Héloïse turned to Henry and asked him:

“Who are you to go with to the ball?”

“I am not attending with anyone. I do not… I have no wish to attend with anyone in particular, or at all.”

“But it is so romantic, no?”

“Yes, and that is the problem. I prefer to read and observe romance, rather than to partake in it myself,” replied Henry. He sighed. “I do believe that I am rather different to others, too.”

“Perhaps you would like to go with me,” Héloïse suggested, “as my friend.”

Henry frowned. “You do not need to do that, Héloïse. There is still time for the person you…”

“No, there is not. And if I am too different for him, then I prefer to go with someone who is also different.”

“You mean interesting,” Henry corrected her, and she giggled.

“Interesting, yes. So, do you wish to go with me?”

Henry nodded, and the two of them sat together in companionable silence for only a short while before returning to Ravenclaw tower. They may both have been different to others, but their punishment would have been the same had they been caught wandering the castle at night.

[gcldensnitch]

web weaving: primadia version (@endlessly-cursed)

[potionboy3]

i'm theorically taking a break from fandom but still gonna ask just because i've been wondering since the first rounds: graycrest for if they had a kid meme?

-noe

name: erin arianwyn goldcrest

gender: female

general appearence: flaming red hair, freckles, slim

personality: angry, stubborn, sarcastic, logical, charming

special talents: combat fighting, pyromagic, winning, being right, seduction

who they like better: elian

who they take after more: elian, but has a lot of prim in her too

personal headcanon: i've always said that if elian would have a child, they would be a lot like him. strong, fiery and always right. put prim into this mix and we have a force to be reckoned with. erin would be named like a goldcrest, but her middle name means woman of gray-silver. she would be in slytherin. (no shock there)

face claim: kennedy wals h

[cursed-herbalist]

MOODBOARD MEME | ABE AND PRIM + relationship

Two headstrong children with a passion for pranks turned into 'serious' aristocrats (Abe not so much but hey, he tried no he didn't).

requested by @endlessly-cursed

moodboard ask game

[lilyslark]

so katniss was the narrator of her own story and now we know that haymitch will get that opportunity, as well. even peeta, rue, and prim (each of them being mockingjays in the own right) have their stories told through katniss, their fellow district citizen, somebody who truly knows and loves them.

but lucy gray—the first mockingjay, the first district 12 victor, the tribute who changed the hunger games forever—is the only mockingjay who doesn’t get to tell her story. she’s reduced to a side character in her oppressor’s rise to power. she was the mockingjay before the world was ready for her, before the “sunrise.”

and yes that’s incredibly devestating, but it’s also fucking remarkable. they thought they buried her, but her music refuses to die. they tried to erase her, but her voice fuels the revolution. against all odds, lucy gray lives on.

[katnissmellarkkk]

suzanne collins : “so in the epilogue of mockingjay, katniss only refers to her children as the girl and the boy-”

people who read with one eye shut : “BECAUSE SHE DOESN’T LOVE HER KIDS AND WAS FORCED INTO HAVING THEM BY THE EVIL PEETA MELLARK?”

suzanne collins probably : “because i couldn’t decide on two names i liked.”

[wheelercurse]

"She could fly around District 12 all she liked, but she and her mockingjays could never harm him again."

Yeah, you thought that this was the end

[catohphm]

Weekend with the Grays 2023 Day 1 Prompt - Back at Winbourne

I'm still on hiatus, however I have energy to make some content for my friend @endlessly-cursed's annual Hogwarts Legacy Weekend with the Grays event this year. The character Bella belongs to @mjs-oc-corner. She's shipped with my OC, Danny and their ship is featured here. Thanks Mo for letting me include her in my WWTG content. Prim belongs to Noe, and the viscountess' husband Malcolm belongs to @gaygryffindorgal. Prim belongs to Noe. Hope you all enjoy, and thanks goes to Noe for hosting a wonderful event!

-

Dashing through the winter clouds on a sleek broom was a young, dashing couple. The lad Danny piloted on the front. Leaning over his shoulder was a young woman, Bella. They knew each other well from their Hogwarts days and kept their romance strong after leaving school. The pair always cherished seeing each other even though they trained for different career paths. Curse-breakers and aurors were emotionally fulfilling, yet demanding work. They had this chance to break from their routines and have some leisure over at another place that felt like home. Winbourne.

Bella joined Danny midway or so through his journey to Lady Primrose’s estate. They were returning visitors there. It always seemed to get more and more cozy and inviting the more times they came there.

Over the course of their flight, the pair talked excitedly about old memories and the upcoming festivities. Bella was curious about Danny’s history with Winbourne.

“So, love, when did you start coming over to her place?”

“Good question, Bella. I was a younger kid at Hogwarts when Prim began inviting me over.”

She was impressed. “You must be quite lucky to have been a guest there for a long while.”

“Well, sure, yes. I was like that when I was younger. Now, Winbourne has dawned on me as a nice place to gather with friends and enjoy our own little slice of nature. It’s like coming over to a friend’s house.”

Nodding in agreement, Bella remarked “It’s good to not take it for granted. Winbourne is a magnificent estate and deserves a lot of respect. But there’s something humble about it.”

Danny smiled and looked at his girlfriend for a second. “You got that right, love.”

They approached a break in the clouds. “Looks like Winbourne’s coming up.”

-

Now Danny and Bella were standing in front of Winbourne’s gates. It feeled to them as if they still had a commanding presence, but the blue sky, snow patches and illuminated bare trees added to humble it. Like a butler coming to open the door and standing aside to let the guests in. The pair were wearing clothing for the weather and rucksacks bewitched with enough space to hold supplies for their stay.

Danny pulled out his pocket watch and noted the minute hand on the 30 as the hour hand approached closer to 5. 

“Nothing wrong with being a tad early.” Bella giggled and remarked “Don’t be a show-off now, Danny.” as she reached her arm around his.

“Not at all. We ought to find Lady Primrose and let her know we’re here.”

They proceeded through the open gates and headed toward the main building. As they approached, one of the doors opened. The newly-wed viscountess and her husband Malcolm stepped out. She saw Danny and Bella as she opened the door and smiled at them warmly as she came to greet them.

“Greetings, welcome back to Winbourne, Danny, Bella.”

“It’s great to see you again, my lady.” Danny replied as he did the formal hand-kiss with Prim.

“Same to you.” then said Bella. “I’m glad to be here again with my Danny.”

“I’m delighted to hear you two are getting along well. It’s always a welcome sight to have people happy together here.”

Malcolm chimed in. “Indeed, once again welcome back to our place. Make yourself at home. Hope you two have been well.” 

“We also wish for the well-being of you and Lady Primrose. Life after Hogwarts is not easy, yet we’re meant to make it together.” stated Bella.

“I’m glad to have time off from my auror training. We do a lot of drills and exercises. The training scenarios are fun. They’re demanding and I’m exhausted after a long time, though. I can’t imagine life without my Bella.”

She returned his sentiment. “It ain’t the same without Danny.”

“I congratulate you both on the achievement of marriage, my lady. Hopefully the coming child will be a healthy birth.” 

“Why, thank you Danny. The encouragement and support from you has always been appreciated. Though my husband and I have to be at the gate now to welcome the other guests. Enjoy your stay and we’ll talk more soon.”

“Alright, my lady. Talk to you later.” Danny farewelled. “See you soon, my lady.” Bella said.

Malcolm then closed “Again, as my wife said, thank you very much. Be good, you both.” The viscountess and her husband then departed for the gate.

Now having the moment together, Danny and Bella were looking fondly toward celebrating Christmas at Winbourne.

“Can’t imagine anything better than being in cozy Winbourne together with you, Bella.”

“This is our place, it's special to us, my Danny.” she told her love as she pecked him on the cheek. “Let’s take it in while we can now, while there’s not many around.”

He happily returned “No more ado then, let’s carry on.” Bella gleefully smiled at Danny and they proceeded to walk through Winbourne and refresh their past memories of bliss.

[fischerfrey]

Weekend with the Grays 2023;The Winter Solstice

Day 02: The Welcome Ball III an event by @endlessly-cursed characters: malcolm stolberg-burke, primrose gray, lavinia wakefield, harlan rowle briefly mentioned: elian goldcrest by @potionboy3, atticus doherty by @hphmmatthewluther, the kenways and the northmoors by @legilimenace, simon battersea by @unfortunate-arrow, cecilia balinor by @endlessly-cursed

December 5th, 1900

The Ball

The ballroom was decorated beautifully with silver and gold and the mood, Malcolm thought, seemed to be rather jubilant. He and Primrose swayed to the music and Malcolm couldn’t help but think of how far he had come with his dancing lessons. He still wasn’t anything as graceful as a swan but at least there was no fear of him stepping on anybody’s toes. This year he had to manage for himself though, since Elian wasn’t around for secret dancing lessons. The memory of the previous year amused him, and he had to admit he missed his friend’s presence dearly.

December 5th, 1900

The Ball

The ballroom was decorated beautifully with silver and gold and the mood, Malcolm thought, seemed to be rather jubilant. He and Primrose swayed to the music and Malcolm couldn’t help but think of how far he had come with his dancing lessons. He still wasn’t anything as graceful as a swan but at least there was no fear of him stepping on anybody’s toes. This year he had to manage for himself though, since Elian wasn’t around for secret dancing lessons. The memory of the previous year amused him, and he had to admit he missed his friend’s presence dearly.

“Are you having fun?” he asked Primrose in a low voice.

“Yes,” said Primrose. “Though I can’t help but feel like something is bound to go terribly wrong.”

“Well,” mused Malcolm. “If it does, then we’ll deal with it then, but for now, I’m rather enjoying myself.”

“You’re awfully optimistic tonight.”

“I have a good reason.”

“What’s that?”

“You see, my wife is the most capable, charming, and beautiful lady in all of England,” said Malcolm.

“Oh, you must introduce us,” Primrose said and finally smiled.

“I think you might be rather well-acquainted already.”

Primrose laughed, and really, that was always enough to put Malcolm in good spirits.

“I’m glad to see so many of our friends, though,” Primrose continued.

“Me too, especially Atticus,” said Malcolm.

“Yes, and some new faces too,” Primrose mused. “The Kenways and the Northmoors are attending this year.”

“Oh, yes. And Mr. Rowle decided to grace us with his presence,” said Malcolm.

“He’s not all that bad.”

“He’s like a peacock.”

“Well, yes, but Vinnie likes him.”

“Why she does is beyond me…” muttered Malcolm.

“How’s the book coming along Lav?” Vinnie’s current dancing partner Harlan Rowle asked.

“I’ve got half of it written, I think,” Vinnie said. “The wrong half though, I’m afraid. Beginnings are difficult.”

“I’m sure you’ll crack it,” Harlan assured her. “Or if not, then you can always start working as The Viscountess’ cleaning lady.”

Vinnie punched him gently in the arm. “That’s an important job, you snob.”

“I’m sure it is. I wouldn’t do it, though.”

“You’ve never done a day’s worth of honest work in your entire life so no one’s asking you,” Vinnie reprimanded him. Harlan was some years older (and several thousands of galleons richer) than her and thus they hadn’t known each other at Hogwarts, but since graduating, Vinnie and Harlan had become something that one might generously call friends. It was a bit of a surprise, since Harlan was mostly an utter snob, not to mention a complete arsehole, but he could also be rather amusing.

“Alright, alright,” Harlan said. “I’m actually surprised I get invited at all.”

“It’s because Prim–, Lady Gray isn’t as judgmental as some people.”

“No, I’m pretty sure it’s because Malcolm and I are mates.”

“No you’re not.”

“Well, we could be, if he wasn’t such a stuck-up.”

Vinnie punched his arm again and a couple dancing nearby gave them long looks. “Stop being horrible.”

“I can’t, it’s my second nature.”

Vinnie let out a long-suffering sigh.

“I’m just kidding, Lav, I’m so very grateful to our gracious hosts.”

“Good, you had better be.”

“Have you seen a lot of friends?” asked Harlan, changing the subject.

“Well Simon’s here, which is nice, he was on my year,” Vinnie said.

“Not many faces from my year,” noted Harlan.

“Because you’re ancient.”

“Hey, I’m twenty-six,” Harlan said, affronted. “Not ancient.”

“Alright old man,” Vinnie said with a smirk.

Harlan laughed. The song was starting to wind down and he seemed to notice someone behind Vinnie.

“I think someone’s looking for you,” he told Vinnie, and she turned her head to see Cecilia eyeing them from the crowd.

“Oh, thank you very much for the dance, Mr. Rowle,” said Vinnie.

“My pleasure, Miss Wakefield,” replied Harlan and then added mischievously: “Tell Miss Balinor I sent all my love.”

“I will do no such thing; I don’t want you found dead in the lake by morning.”

“Oh please, she secretly likes me.”

“You have a dangerously inflated ego,” Vinnie teased.

“I think it is appropriately inflated,” said Harlan.

“Whatever you say, Harlan.”

[timeturnerz]

The Hunger Games, 2012 (Gary Ross) and The Hunger Games, 2008 (Suzanne Collins)

It's so interesting that, from the very beginning, Gale is established as someone who has a disregard for human life, and who does not truly view those different from him as "people." We see this here, where he dehumanises the children Katniss will have to fight in the Games. We see this in Gale's vocal resentment of Madge Undersee, in how he despises her for the privilege she was born with and grew up with.

This "us vs. them" infighting and mentality that Gale falls for (a mentality that the Capitol propagates, and that the Games act as a metaphor for) is one that eventually leads him to kill innocent children.

This thinking is also something Katniss must learn to break out of -- when she grapples with killing her opponents in the Games, who are truly just children, or when she realises "who the real enemy is" at the end of Catching Fire.

But Gale is unable to grow past this. He's willing to kill children (!) who are innocents, who haven't committed any crime other than being born in the wrong place at the wrong time -- just like Madge, who Gale despised in Book 1.

And Gale obviously DOES feel bad about "killing" Prim. But what's worse is the thought that, if it wasn't Prim who died, if it was just some random faceless people, would Gale still care?

I think Gale is a really interesting character whose development is so tragic yet still makes so much sense. It's a shame to see people write him off so quickly without seeing the analytical, thematic, and political value that we can gain by exploring his story and ideology.

[hphmmatthewluther]

Weekend With the Grays - Day 3: The Gazebo Cocktail Party

Thanks once again to @endlessly-cursed for organising this and for Prim! Thank you also to @camillejeaneshphm for Helen, Noah and Lillian, @catohphm for Danny, and @mjs-oc-corner for Bella!

"Oh, Atticus, get under here with us." Fred insisted, his arm around Helen's as they walked the Gazebo with the others. Atticus turned around to face him, still looking despondent, and shook his head.

"I am fine, thank you." he said,shivering a little. "I've got my...oh." He reached up for the hat he had worn upon arriving. It wasn't on his head, and the snow was nestling itself within his hair, giving him an admittedly quite humorous-looking salt-and-pepper hairstyle.

"You never were one for hats, Doherty." Helen chuckled, her arm raised slightly as she kept the snow off of her and her husband, "You must have gone out without it on instinct."

Atticus scowled, but relented, walking over next to Fred, and wiping the snow off of his hair with his hands. Fred happened to look over as he did so, and saw strange black splotches moving along them. "Doing more shadow magic, I take it?"

Atticus looked over at Fred, then at his hand, wiling the dark splotches to fade away. "We are all at liberty to use our powers how we like. I can experiment with mine, Helen can command the weather to be however she likes, and you can patent and sell yours to the masses."

Fred shifted uncomfortably, but Helen cut in before he could respond. "You disapprove of how we've made our fortune?"

"No. I disapprove of the fact that there aren't more controls on it. I'm glad that you've decided to have it be Ministry controlled, but I do wonder if they'll give it the attention it deserves-"

"Alright, alright, let's not get into politics." Fred said, raising his arms above his head to hush both Atticus and Helen. "We can talk about this later. The last thing we want to do is start a debate around the Ministry...at least, right now." He suggested, gesturing to the Gazebo whose steps they now climbed.

"No, I suppose that would be a disaster." Atticus said, smirking. "Thank you for letting me enjoy the use of your ancient magic, Helen." he said, moving forward and into the Gazebo to greet the others.

Fred and Helen did the same, before walking to the side and looking out over the snowy estate. "He seems a lot better now. I guess actually doing some dancing was good for him. He seemed to enjoy dancing with you, too."

"Well, I can't take all the credit." Helen said, smirking. "Prim helped as well. I overheard them talking about that plant he gave her, remember? Back when everyone kept spreading rumours about them being a thing?"

Fred nodded, leaning on the wood of the Gazebo. "That certainly was a wild time. Seemed like everyone had rumours flying around about them."

"Considering half of us had ancient magical powers, and some of us flew to France and back one night, it's not surprising our love lives were scrutinised." Helena observed, "It's why I love how you can stop time...give us a place nobody can see us. Atticus and Prim could have used that back then." She gestured over to them, as they talked to Danny Gibson and his partner Bella, who had just entered the Gazebo, Atticus looking far less standoffish than he had a few hours ago.

"Yeah...especially that time I saw them kiss." Fred said, in a lowered tone.

Helen looked down at him, incredulously. "You're kidding." she said, bluntly.

"It was just one time, don't get any ideas-" Fred began, going as red as his hair, "Apparently they'd just decided to wrap up...whatever it was they had going on, and decided to so like that...and with a plant, I guess."

Helen's smile softened. "You know...he asked me and Lillian to help him with that. He wanted to get the floriography right, and we were the ones he trusted for it. I remember it well: Zinnia, symbolising respect and honour. Sometimes I wonder if maybe we should've messed with him and sent a different message."

Fred gasped jokingly. "How awful! I can't believe you'd consider something like that!" he said, laughing.

"I suggested Yellow Hyacinths and Lavender, meaning jealousy and humility. Lillian shut that idea down quickly, though. She said nobody deserved to have Primrose Gray angry at them for no good reason."

Fred nodded, making eye contact with Atticus briefly. He smiled. Atticus smiled back, before returning to the conversation with Danny and Prim, something about how dark and creepy Ravenclaw Tower used to get late at night. "Probably for the best, then."

Helen nodded, bringing a hand up to wipe her eye. "Yeah, probably." She turned around, letting Atticus enjoy the party unwatched, as they both looked out at the falling snow, which landed on the many dormant plants on the estate, including a large bush of Zinnia flowers.

[gcldensnitch]

girlfriends 😍 @endlessly-cursed

MARY STUART and LOLA FLEMING REIGN — 1x14-1x15