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carewyncromwell · 6 months ago

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"In my life I feel like a prisoner, in a light...

Are you feeling me?

'Cause the way you make my

Break my, shake my walls around,

I feel like I'm breaking out!

Show me your colors --

'Cause without you, I'm blue..."

~"Hurry Up and Save Me" by Tiffany Giardina

x~x~x~x

~Inspired by a concept by @ag907 💜~

In the story of Jacob and Carewyn Cromwell, the two siblings had to face a lot of tragedy in their lives. One of the single largest was the loss of Duncan Ashe, Jacob's first friend and love. But what if Duncan hadn't died prior to Jacob's expulsion? What if Duncan had been with Jacob, Peter Pettigrew, and Patricia Rakepick on that ill-fated jaunt to the Portrait Vault that resulted in Jacob's imprisonment? What if, after Rakepick's supposed "betrayal," he decided he'd force the Gringotts Cursebreaker to help him save Jacob from the Portrait Vault and R, by any means necessary? And what if Lane Cromwell and little nine-year-old Carewyn caught wind that the last person known to have been with Jacob before his disappearance was his now-graduated Slytherin classmate, Duncan Ashe?

x~x~x~x

The end of Duncan's Hogwarts career had been very turbulent. However he'd imagined ending his time at school, it certainly wouldn't have involved him becoming an Apprentice Cursebreaker at Gringotts under the tutelage of a R stooge he was currently blackmailing to keep from fleeing the country. It also hadn't included being alone at his graduation ceremony -- sure, he hadn't expected anything more than detached applause from his father and stepmother...but he'd always imagined Olivia and Jacob on either side of him, when he finally accepted his graduation scroll from Dumbledore. And he'd certainly not expected to exchange such a piercing look with the Headmaster while doing it.

"If I'm to help Jacob, then I need to know everything you know about the organization he joined, Duncan."

"I already told you, Jacob and I know next to nothing about R! Even those people who've joined it don't seem to know much about it, and they've done that on bloody purpose. I don't need your help, Professor -- I just need access to Hogwarts. Once I find the enchanted portrait again and break all the Vaults' curses in the proper order, I can save Jacob. I will save him and Olivia, damn whatever R might do."

"You might feel that way, Duncan...but as Hogwarts' Headmaster, I must care about what R might do. I won't hinder you from visiting Hogwarts, should you reach out to me -- but if you are to have free reign, you will have to convince both me and the Minister of Magic that you will not likewise give the Dark Wizards Jacob has aligned himself with access to my school and the students I protect. And you mustn't forget -- Jacob himself now poses a threat, with his own forced allegiance to R."

"...So you don't want Jacob to be free..if it means R could use him to hurt people?! Jacob would NEVER want to be with R -- he would fight them with everything in him, if he could! Whatever dark magic is in that mark they put on him, he'd be doing it against his will! Jacob would never -- !"

"I know. Truly, I do. But until R is rounded up and brought to justice, it sounds as though Jacob will still be a weapon they can use against others, whether he likes it or not. And Jacob is powerful and talented enough that he would be a very valuable weapon for such people. I don't like the situation, Duncan...but until the people holding Jacob's chains are dealt with...it may be safest for himself and others if he -- at least for the interim -- remains contained.”

His last conversation with the Hogwarts Headmaster played over Duncan's head off and on the last month, flooding the Slytherin alum with resentment and rage. It seemed to crop up most whenever he and Rakepick headed to work -- perhaps because just about every time they collided in the Leaky Cauldron, Rakepick would be shooting furtive looks over her shoulder, monitoring their surroundings.

"Take a chill pill," Duncan remarked once dryly as he walked through the brick wall into Diagon Alley, not even looking at her. "Are you expecting some knobhead in a red cloak to pop up in broad daylight?"

"Don't be a fool," Rakepick hissed back coldly.

The twenty-six-year old witch took another critical glance around as they walked side by side down the street.

"R is always watching, Duncan Ashe. Neither of us know the extent of their numbers -- even I can't assess who is a member and who isn't without touching them."

"Let 'em watch -- I don't care," scoffed Duncan. "They only really have the ability to threaten and coerce, to get their way. R has nothing I want, and what little family I do have they can threaten all they want."

Something darker passed over his face.

"I've already lost the two most important people in my life, thanks to them," he muttered. "They've lost all power they could have over me."

Rakepick's lips knit together grimly. She looked away.

"Don't underestimate just how much the wolves of R can take from you, Duncan Ashe," she said lowly. "They feed on far more than just physical flesh."

Duncan didn't answer. Instead he adjusted the collar of his dark green robes and started up the stairs of Gringotts bank.

"Did you track down the portrait yet?" he asked.

Rakepick scowled. "I checked Pettigrew's old flat, but it hasn't been touched since Black supposedly killed him, so it's not there. I frankly don't know where else he might've hidden it -- it's not like he has any friends left in the world, with him having to play dead. It's frankly a miracle I was able to pressure him to help us with the Vault in the first place..."

"If by 'help,' you mean leave us for dragon chow," Duncan said scornfully.

"Beggars can't be choosers, Mr. Ashe," Rakepick shot back coolly. "We needed at least four people if we were to fight a dragon. And I don't believe you, Jacob, or I were about to ask any of the Hogwarts faculty to help."

Duncan scowled, but otherwise dropped the issue.

"We'll have to keep looking, then. Even if we break the other Vaults' curses again in the proper order, it won't mean a thing, if we can't get back to the Portrait Vault..."

"Pettigrew and his little Hogwarts buddies had plenty of old hiding places back on the Hogwarts grounds," said Rakepick, and her lips actually quirked up with a cool smirk. "But I daresay Dumbledore will want a proper explanation for why my Apprentice Cursebreaker would want such unfettered access to the school and would demand proper oversight. The Minister and our Head Cursebreaker, as well."

Duncan shot her a glare.

"I may have been assigned to study under you, but don't forget my terms, Rakepick. I won't tell Dumbledore or anyone else about what you did to Jacob, but you need to help me set him free. Therefore I'm the one calling the shots -- don't you forget it."

"And don't you forget," Rakepick shot back just as coldly, "that you made those terms out of desperation, since the only other great wizard offering you help is more interested in dealing with R, not the Vaults. Without me, you'll never save Jacob."

Almost as soon as the two entered the bank, they were flagged down by Griphook. Rather than give them an assignment as they expected, however, the goblin looked rather critical as he handed a sealed envelope to Duncan.

"A 'Lane Cromwell' sent this to the bank very early this morning for you," he said irritably. "She did not have your current address, so she followed up here instead."

Both Duncan and Rakepick stiffened sharply at the sound of the name.

"Cromwell..." murmured Rakepick.

"I initially thought to dispose of it -- after all, I am no owl, and if the woman had any friendship with you, I would think she'd already know you've been renting a bed at the Leaky Cauldron for the last two months," Griphook said stiffly as he handed the letter to Duncan and then crossed his arms. "But thinking it could be business-related, I thought best to let you deal with the initial letter, and then only burn any subsequent ones she might try to send through me."

He was tapping his long-nailed fingers beside his forearm, seemingly awaiting an explanation. Duncan looked from the letter to up at Griphook and tried to compose himself.

"Sorry. Yes, I...I'll deal with it at once. Thank you."

Griphook gave a sniff and then trudged back toward his desk.

Duncan looked back down at the envelope warily. Written in very neat, but slightly shaky handwriting in dark blue ink were the words:

Duncan Ashe

Gringotts Bank

Diagon Alley, London

The envelope was not the sturdy, wizarding parchment variety, closed with a wax seal. Instead it was very thin and made of simple white paper: a standard Muggle-produced envelope.

Just like Jacob used to use...

Duncan could feel Rakepick watching him. Stubbornly ignoring her, he ripped the envelope open and read the note inside.

Flat 13, 43 Harrison Way

Liverpool

Dear Mr. Ashe,

We have never met, but I'm Jacob Cromwell's mother. I understand you and my son knew each other at school.

At your earliest convenience, I should dearly like to know about your last interactions with Jacob, prior to his disappearance. If a private in-person meeting could be arranged, I am available on weekends. You will need to use the Knight Bus or careful Apparition, however, as my home is in a Muggle district and my fireplace is not connected to the Floo Network. If you'd prefer to simply give me a written account, I'm willing to accommodate, but please expect follow-up questions by Owl Post, preferably at your home address. Slytherin's new Head of House Severus Snape didn't have anything on file for you aside from your family's address, but he signaled you were unlikely to still be there after your graduation.

Hope this finds you well.

Lane Cromwell

"Well?" said Rakepick.

Duncan read the letter a few more times, considering the words carefully as he swallowed.

He hadn't reached out to Jacob's mother at all after what happened. How could he? He felt guilty enough about what happened, and he didn't know the woman at all -- how could he even begin to explain everything he, Jacob, and Olivia had kept under wraps so long? It had been their secret, their goal -- even now that everything had gone so out-of-control, it was hard to reach out for help with it. Especially when Dumbledore flat-out admitted he thought it'd be too dangerous to set Jacob free as long as R still existed and had power over him...

That, and...Duncan knew how much Jacob loved his mother. Not just her, but his little sister, Carewyn. Jacob's love for his sister overwhelmed just about everything else. It had been Carewyn's life being threatened that had scared Jacob so much. It had been Rakepick saving Carewyn that had coaxed Jacob to trust her, only for Rakepick to end up being part of R too. It was Carewyn, and to a lesser extent his mother, that made Jacob do as R said...made him not just run away and change his name and start a new life in freedom far away from R and their threats, the way Duncan had thought they could...

It was Carewyn -- and Lane -- that Duncan knew Jacob would always choose. Over his own safety, over his own life...over any kind of future with Duncan.

Resentment twinged in his mouth as he bit the inside of his cheek.

Rakepick said Jacob's grandfather has links to R, he thought. Anything I might write could get intercepted...knowing them, they probably have Jacob's flat under surveillance, so they'd know if I visited too...

He reread Lane's letter one more time.

Her "L's" had the exact same swirling flourish that Jacob's did.

His eyes narrowed as he finally lowered the letter.

"We're going to meet her," he said brusquely.

Rakepick was taken aback. "What?"

"Jacob's mother wants to meet me to talk about Jacob. You're coming with me."

Rakepick gave something of an shocked, offended cough.

"Have you lost your senses completely?" she demanded. "R explicitly instructed me not to go anywhere near Jacob's family! If you or I made any contact with them, then R would retaliate against both us and them -- "

"'Beggars can't be choosers,' isn't that what you said?" Duncan recurred very dryly.

He folded up Lane's letter and put it into his robes. Rakepick's eyes flashed.

"R already tried to hurt Carewyn Cromwell once," she hissed at him. "I know -- I was there -- "

"Good," Duncan shot back. "Then you can Apparate me cleanly over to their Muggle neighborhood without us being seen."

"If I hadn't turned against my companions that day, then Jacob's sister would've been crippled or worse!" said Rakepick, and her cold, angry voice betrayed the very slightest strain. "She and her mother have already been emotionally destroyed by his disappearance. Do you truly think that Jacob would want you putting his sister in R's cross-hairs again by doing this? Do you have no moral compunctions, putting the most important people in Jacob’s life -- one of them a nine-year-old child -- on the front lines?"

Duncan met her glare head-on.

"'They've already been destroyed by Jacob's disappearance?'" he repeated accusingly. "Then you've already seen them."

Rakepick flinched. Then her eyes narrowed.

"Only Carewyn," she murmured. "And only from afar."

"Well, I’m not such a coward," said Duncan. His own voice was sharper now, more confrontational. “If you want to talk about moral compunctions, how do you justify refusing to face the family of the bloke you got trapped in a portrait?”

Rakepick’s face was almost forcibly stoic, but she could offer no verbal response. Duncan turned his back on her.

“I need a way back into Hogwarts and into the Cursed Vaults. Maybe some angry mother yanking at his beard will make Dumbledore reconsider his stance.”

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #main-character!duncan AU #duncan ashe #patricia rakepick #my writing #albus dumbledore #carewyn cromwell #lane cromwell #olivia green #fanfiction #aesthetic

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ellie-e-marcovitz · 26 days ago

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Christmas time

For @cocochats - Happy holidays and I hope you enjoy it!

Early December, 1988

Ellie’s pov

I fidgeted with my quill, trying to figure out what else to include in my essay for Defence Against the Dark Arts. The requirements that Rakepick had placed were making this harder than ever.

Rowan's cold shoulder didn't help.

A glance at my watch, and I quickly scribbled …something, before gathering my things and bolting for the Defence classroom. I was cutting it really close, too close for my liking.

I stumbled to a halt next to Rowan, who was reading her muggle studies textbook, and shoved my things back into my bag.

It was then that Rakepick opened the door to the classroom, a bright gleam in her eye. “In.”

Without a word, we filed in, not daring to provoke whatever that gleam could mean. Only Merula seemed cheerful and unperturbed by whatever Rakepick had planned for the lesson today.

Taking my seat, I pulled my notebook and quills, trying to shake the nagging feeling in my head. I also noticed Rakepick move to the front of the room.

“A moment,” Rakepick started, standing in front of her desk and quieting the low chatter. “Before I begin today’s lesson, I want to talk about your upcoming midterm.”

That caught everyone’s attention, and murmurs sprung up. Annoyance flashed across Rakepick’s face, until everyone quieted down.

“I have gotten permission from Headmaster Dumbledore to set up a obstacle course, of a sorts.”

More murmurs, a mix between excited and nervous, before quieting again.

“This going to cover both Cursebreaking and Auror specialities, along with some of what you should’ve learned the past few years.”

The last part sent something of a chill down my spine, and I silently gulped. Aside from Professor Stantz, none of the other professors had really tried. Notes were one thing, but they didn’t necessarily reflect how well they’d taught (or not).

Me and Rowan shared a panicked look. This was not going to be fun.

It was one thing to study for a written midterm - another altogether to try and predict a practical one, especially with a teacher like Rakepick, who wasn’t likely to share anymore details until it was underway.

“For today’s lesson…” Rakepick started, barely letting us process the information before starting the lesson for today.

“I need an invisibility cloak,” I grumbled, clutching the brown bag I’d taken from the kitchen during detention earlier today, as I carefully made my way to the fifth floor. Even if I was a prefect, I didn’t really want to cross paths with Snape at midnight, especially considering I wasn’t supposed to be out.

I kept my wand light low, so as to not disturb the sleeping portraits along the now very familiar fifth floor corridor. No need for them to tattle to McGonagall yet again for any night time escapades.

Finding the right door, I pushed it open.

It was eerie, creeping into the Defence classroom after hours, the dragon skeleton not helping, but something was bugging me.

Despite the usual smirks and arrogance, Rakepick had seemed… different. Not happy. More upset about something that wasn’t teaching teenagers.

And somehow, in my brain, I decided I would share some of the shortbread cookies my mum had just sent me yesterday.

Like a madwoman. Even Rowan had (rightly) questioned my actions, despite the icy shoulder she was giving me.

Mum didn’t exactly bake them all the time, mostly this time of year, and so infrequently, getting them this early was rare.

So of course I share them with one of my least favourite professors.

Not that I was planning on directly giving them to her. More like indirectly, by way of the staircase up to her office, and leaving them in front of her office door.

I kicked off my slippers, not needed them to scuff against each step.

But, bloody hell, the stone was cold. Somehow, I kept myself from cursing out loud.

Carefully setting the package at the top of the steps, I bolted down, grabbed my slippers and hurried out.

14 December 1988

It ended up being a joint midterm, both OWL and NEWT students.

Which made sense - we weren't taking the traditional end of year exams like the rest of the school. Not that this exam was anywhere near typical.

Nothing like an obstacle course/scavenger hunt in the middle of winter.

Thankfully, we were allowed to wear muggle clothes instead of our uniforms, which I leapt at the chance. I didn’t fancy freezing my legs off (or getting frostbite, at that) in the uniform skirt and shoes.

Rakepick had also instructed us to gather at the edge of the Black Lake, near where part of the Forbidden Forest opened up before it. This had to be one of my favourite places on school grounds, especially for some star gazing outside of Astronomy.

Despite the several inches of snow, I thought I recognised the crumbling remains of the small hamlet that once sat here. An old story I’d heard about an art-loving goblin flitted through my mind.

Shivering, I pulled my cloak closer, the sound of footsteps getting closer.

Speaking of... “Miss Marcovitz, you’re early.

I looked over. Rakepick had arrived, followed closely by Merula (who smirked) and Bill (who grinned.)

I rolled my eyes. “Better than late.”

Rakepick seemed to ignore me, before she and Merula started talking and Bill joined me next to the remaining house.

The rest of the fifth and seventh years joined us over the next half hour, with my friends grouping up near me and Bill. Even Rowan, despite lingering frostiness. Charlie barely made it, much to both his and Rakepick’s annoyance.

My group joined the rest, rounding it out.

“Now that everyone is here...” she started, silently counting us. “I want the fifth years in groups of four; seventh years, groups of three.”

Murmurs picked up, as everyone started grouping up, quickly making it clear that Merula would have to be in my group, along with Charlie and Ben.

I sighed. At least it wasn’t just me and her. I could deal with Ben’s fears and Charlie was always a good person to explore the forest with together.

As she sent the various teams off, Rakepick held us, and more importantly me, back, until we were the last remaining group.

“A moment, Miss Marcovitz,” she called, beckoning me over, as Rowan’s group headed off. We shared a confused look, before she hurried on.

“Yes, professor...?” I shared a look with Charlie and Ben, before approaching. Her smile seemed to become softer, less of a smirk. At least for Rakepick.

“I wanted to thank you for the biscuits the other night. Surprisingly thoughtful of you.”

I blinked, trying to get my brain to catch up. “Oh?” How the heck did she find out?? “You’re welcome...?” My brain felt like one of those muggle vending machines I’d seen in America, failing to accept a $1 bill that had been crumpled up.

She gave a short nod. “Get going.”

I hurried back over to my group, waiting near the edge, Merula tapping her foot, clearly impatient. “Let’s go,” I said, gesturing to the forest ahead. Charlie and Ben flanked me, followed closely by Merula.

Somehow, like most of my adventures around Hogwarts, it turned into a team effort. As we moved through the forest, we kept meeting up with the various groups scattered throughout.

Slowly, we grouped back together, most of the fifth and seventh years returning to the hamlet grove, chatting amongst ourselves. We were followed by the individual groups we didn’t meet.

Rakepick was a mix of emotions. Pride and disappointment intermingled before she put on a mask and a smirk, before clapping our arrival.

“Well done, everyone,” she said, and everyone quieted. “Your scores will be posted outside the Defence classroom before break begins.”

tbc?

@hphm-fandom-events

#hphm secret santa 2024 #fic #ellie marcovitz #cocochats

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the-al-chemist · 8 months ago

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Crossroads

A/N: Lovely anon, what a lovely suggestion. In this one, Bill has a wobble, and gets a small and much needed dose of sweetness.

This one touches on a subject close to my heart (and the hearts of many of us) — how do you keep loving something after you’ve been disillusioned by a person with whom you associate that very same thing?

The letter arrived over breakfast on Bill’s penultimate day at school. At first, it appeared like any other; delivered by a very normal looking owl, contained in a nondescript parchment envelope. On the envelope was written the single half-sentence: For the attention of (and only of) Mr William Weasley, Esquire. There was no address, but that was not so strange. An owl could find someone without an address, if it was well-trained enough.

It was only when Bill went to open the letter that he noticed anything unusual.

As he tilted the envelope to turn it over, the black ink seemed to fade so that there appeared to be nothing written on it at all. He tilted it back, and the writing reappeared. He moved the letter away from his face, and the ink faded away again. The writing could only be read if he held it directly in front of him, at just the right distance and at just the right angle.

That was bizarre.

Frowning, Bill turned the envelope over. It was sealed with black wax that bore no crest or coat of arms, only a circle with twelve partitions, like a clock. Beneath the seal, four more words were written in the same mirage-like ink: Confidential. Open in private.

There was no place in Hogwarts that was less private than the Great Hall. Bill pocketed the letter and hastily finished up his breakfast, before making his way back up to his dormitory in Gryffindor Tower. With the curtains drawn around the four-poster bed that would only be his for one more night, he opened the envelope and unfolded the parchment within. His eyes widened with surprise as he read its contents.

Dear Mr Weasley,

There are many things that wizards still do not know about magic, about its nuances and limitations. So much about our world and our kind is still incommunicable, unspeakable, shrouded in mystery. Only the brightest and most brilliant minds may seek to solve the unsolvable and comprehend the incomprehensible.

We have recently received intelligence that you are perhaps of such mind. In light of your recently proven academic excellence, it is my pleasure to offer you a position as an Unspeakable.

Should you choose to accept, please respond by owl. Your response should bear the single word ‘Crossroads’, and should be addressed to Level Nine, Ministry of Magic Headquarters, Whitehall. Do not include your name in your response, and do not tell anyone of your acceptance. We shall send further instructions upon receipt. Unfortunately, due to the highly secretive nature of our work, we are unable to answer any requests for further information about the position you have been offered. Information will only be given upon employment.

Yours sincerely,

A Colleague, The Department of Mysteries.

Bill blinked as he reached the end of the letter. He could barely believe it. The Department of Mysteries wanted him?

Him? An Unspeakable?

Just a few weeks ago, Bill would have dismissed the idea out of hand. He had never thought about becoming an Unspeakable before, not even once. There was only one thing he had ever wanted to be, and that was a Curse-Breaker. That was what he had worked for, that was what he dreamed of, and that was what he was going to be. He already had an offer of a job from Gringotts, one he had accepted with pride.

But, now…

He hadn’t told anyone yet — not even Charlie or Penny — but he had been reconsidering his choice of career for the last few weeks, ever since what had happened inside the Buried Vault. Ever since Professor Rakepick had shown her true colours, had tortured Merula and threatened Artemis, before abandoning them inside the Vault.

Bill hadn’t seen it coming. That was the worst thing about it. They had all been shaken by her cruelty, but for him, it had felt like a deeper, more personal betrayal. He had trusted her entirely, had been blinded by his admiration of her and her flattery of him. He had genuinely thought that she had seen potential in him. He had thought that was why she had helped him to get the job at Gringotts, because she had believed that he had what it took to fulfill his dreams. But that wasn’t the case. She had only been using him to get closer to the Vaults, to whatever it was inside. She had never believed that he really could make it as a Curse-Breaker.

Now, Bill wasn’t sure that he even wanted to make it as a Curse-Breaker anymore.

Rakepick had been the one who had got him the job offer from Gringotts. If he took it, he would owe his whole career, his whole life, to her. He would always be in her debt, and every Galleon that he earned would feel like dirty money, forever. Then again, he had worked so hard to get the grades he needed for a career in Curse-Breaking that rejecting the offer from Gringotts felt like an awful waste.

If Bill had ever believed in fate, or the idea that the universe had a plan, he might have thought that the letter in his hand was a sort of sign, that it was his way of knowing that he should give up on Curse-Breaking. The Department of Mysteries wanted him on account of his ‘academic excellence’. He could accept that offer, and his hard work would not have been in vain. It was tempting. His eyes flicked to the top of the letter in order to read it again, but as they did, the ink disappeared from the parchment until only one word remained.

Crossroads.

All it would take was for him to fold the parchment up and post it back to the Ministry of Magic. If he did that, he would be free from his debt to Rakepick, free to do… well, whatever it was that Unspeakables did. He would be untethered. He would be able to chase a new dream.

And yet, he hesitated.

In that moment of hesitation, he heard the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs and the dormitory door opening. He stuffed the letter back into his pocket, and not a moment too soon, for the curtains around his bed were pulled open.

“There you are!” his dormmate, Myron, exclaimed. He flumped back on his own bed and picked up his guitar, strumming it absent-mindedly as he spoke. “You know McGonagall was looking for you, right? She wants your badges.”

Professor McGonagall was kind, but stern. Bill did not want to disappoint her on his last day at Hogwarts. He went straight down to her classroom, where he found her detransfiguring a pile of cauldrons back into cats. She stopped when she saw him, and he side-stepped a cat as he made his way across the room towards her.

“I thought you may be too busy tomorrow to return these before the Leaving Ceremony,” she said, as he placed the two badges in her outstretched palm. The expression in her eyes bordered on affectionate. “Your parents will want to celebrate your many achievements, I’m sure. Head Boy, straight Os in your NEWTs, a job offer from Gringotts… They must be very proud. I certainly am.”

Bill tried not to react at the mention of Gringotts. He forced a smile and nodded his head, but McGonagall was clearly not convinced by his feigned nonchalance.

“For someone who has so much to be pleased about, you could look happier, Mr Weasley.”

“Sorry,” said Bill. “Just… I have a lot on my mind, that’s all.” McGonagall raised one eyebrow slightly, and he sighed. “I’m considering packing it in. Gringotts, I mean. I got a job offer from… from somewhere else this morning, and I think I might accept it. I am starting to think I might be better off with a different career path than Curse-Breaking.”

A few moments of silence passed after he made his confession, during which Professor McGonagall’s face was entirely passive. He had no idea what he had expected her to say when she finally spoke, but it certainly wasn’t, “Would you like a biscuit, Weasley?”

Bill blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“A biscuit,” the professor repeated. “Would you like one?”

“I, er… Yeah, sure. Yes, please.”

McGonagall nodded her head curtly, before walking across to her desk. In one swift movement, she sat in her seat and conjured both a tartan biscuit tin and a second chair, which she looked at pointedly. Bill took a seat. Somewhat apprehensively, he reached forward and helped himself to one of the biscuits from the tin.

“Cheers, Professor,” he said, still baffled by what was going on. Professor McGonagall’s eyes stayed on him as he took his first bite of the biscuit.

“Mr Weasley,” she said, “I have been your Head of House for seven full years. I don’t remember a time in which you did not wish to become a Curse-Breaker. Even before you chose your OWL subjects, you appeared to know what you wished to do with your life. I cannot help but wonder what exactly has prompted this change of heart.”

The look she gave him was meaningful, and Bill could only assume what its meaning was. She knew precisely what had prompted this change — after all, she had been the one he had come to in the immediate aftermath of Rakepick’s betrayal — but she wanted him to be the one to say it. He swallowed.

“Well, you know what happened in the Buried Vault, Professor. I’m not certain that I want to be Curse-Breaker after that.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” said Bill, “I don’t want to turn out like Rakepick.”

He had thought that his teacher might offer him some sort of sympathy, but McGonagall only tutted.

“Now, don’t be ridiculous. I took over this job from Professor Dumbledore. I haven’t transfigured myself into him yet, have I?”

“No, Professor.”

“Well, then.” It seemed that Professor McGonagall considered that to be the case closed. But, then, she continued, “I understand that Patricia Rakepick was somewhat of a hero of yours.”

”I wouldn’t say that.” Bill might have said that, once upon a time. “I mean, I used to really admire her work. I read about one of her expeditions once, before she came here. It wasn’t why I wanted to go into Curse-Breaking, I already did before that, but it definitely solidified that idea.

“So, yes, I was really excited when she came here. And then, when she was here, she was a sort of mentor to me. She was a mentor to me. She did a lot for me. And I...” He frowned. “I did want to be… maybe not like her, but the sort of person that could be her equal one day.”

Bill couldn’t think of anything worse than being Rakepick’s equal now. He didn’t want to be anything like her. He hated that he ever had.

Professor McGonagall sighed. “I’m sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, Mr Weasley, but Patricia Rakepick will not be the last person in your life to let you down. This is what happens. We admire people, we think we know them, and then they disappoint us by not being the person we thought they were.” She pursed her lips. “So, the next time your relationship with someone turns sour, are you going to let that spoil everything that you associate with that person?”

“That’s not…”

“You may be leaving Hogwarts tomorrow, Weasley, but today I am still your teacher. Do not interrupt me while I’m giving a lesson.” McGonagall fixed Bill with a stern glare that made him fall instantly silent. “You need to learn how to protect the things that really matter to you. Your beliefs, your ideals, your dreams. No one person should have the power to take those things away from you. Not even, dare I say, Patricia Rakepick.”

“I’m not sure I understand, Professor.”

“Take Rakepick out of the equation for a moment. If you had never heard of nor met Patricia Rakepick, would you still have wanted to be a Curse-Breaker?”

Bill nodded. “Yes.”

“Precisely. This was something that you wanted for yourself. Are you really going to let her take that away from you?” asked the professor. “Are you really going to allow her such a hold over you? Because if so, you will never be able to be her equal, let alone be better than her.”

“I never said that I could be better than her.”

“But, could you?”

Professor McGonagall’s question gave Bill pause. He took a breath before answering it.

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“I think that you could.” McGonagall smiled a thin-lipped smile. “And if the Department of Mysteries are offering you a position with them, then it would appear that they think so as well.”

How could she have known about the Department of Mysteries? Bill looked across the desk at her quizzically.

“I was once had a bright and brilliant young mind, too.” She reached across and closed the biscuit tin, then placed it into one of the drawers of her desk. “Is that all, Mr Weasley?”

”I suppose so. Thanks, Professor. For… Well, everything, really.” Bill stood up and made to leave the classroom. Before he reached the door, another question entered his mind. He turned back and grinned at his teacher. “Professor, have those biscuits always been in your desk?”

McGonagall inclined her head. “They have.”

“How come you’ve never offered me one before? That definitely sounds like the sort of thing that should be a Head Boy privilege.”

He had never heard Professor McGonagall laugh before. It sounded strange to him, but not unpleasant.

“You’ve always been too self-reliant to require a biscuit,” she told him. “That is why you made such an excellent Head Boy.”

in spite of everything, Bill laughed too. McGonagall was right, he had always been self-reliant. He had known what he wanted, and had achieved his goals. They were his, not anyone else’s. They most definitely weren’t Rakepick’s. He was not going to let her take them from him, not now, not ever.

He returned to Gryffindor tower for his last night in the castle that had been his second home for seven years, and threw the letter from the Department of Mysteries into the fireplace.

#hogwarts mystery #hphm fic #bill weasley #from the vaults #the hexley saga #not Artemis’s version #professor mcgonagall

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hogwarts9 · 8 months ago

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What if your character(s) went through a villian arc?

What would be their motivation and reasonings for turning? Did a traumatic experience happen? Did something shape them to be evil in the first place? Would they even be redeemable or no? Could you even see your character becoming a villian or are they just a goody-two-shoes? Would they be a good antagonist for the mc?

Aishwarya: It will be the death of her friends and family.....if rakepick had killed everyone in her family... close friends.....everyone single one she loves. She would have snapped at once....and killed all her enemies ruthlessly with her powerful chakra magic. She would been a morally grey villian . If her friends had kids before they died....She would take them and raised them under lock and key in the lost kingdom under fear that she will lose them making it an obsession.

To redeem her depends on the person who can convince her to move from the pain....to move fully from the pain of failing to save her love ones.

Arjun: Aishwarya might be a dangerous one....but him......pray....pray that your not his enemy.....he becomes the most dangerous villian with a grey heart in the world. This man will have everything he loves killed,betrayed or taken by either the start of the second war or by the red headed professor. He is a nagin.....And any nagin are ruthless in thier revenge. He becomes a monster even learn all forbidden dark magic he will take good care of the people but if anyone oopos3 his rule despite thw people are well taken care of in his kingdom....off with thier heads.

Same thing with if his dead loved ones had kids....he will be an obsessive father to them giving them all the luxury in the world but never leave his sights till they are old and ready to live in the world. If not then he will use the blood from thier dead bodies and recarnation magic using the nagin stone to make them rebron as children giving that same life.

He will not just take over the Wizardry world on England but the enitre world and destroy any threats of wicked magic make him the dark king of the magic world. His signature kill.....a snake bite.....from a basilisk.

Anika: She can be a villian after losing her loved ones....having a demon as a butler. She used a final command to destroy all those who harmed her family as she sells her soul. After which she will burn herself by sitting in a fire pit to either ,if she is not married, to save her honour or if she married by then...she will placed her husband dead body as well as thier kids all thier heads on her lap as she commints self suicide by fire which Ancient queens took to join thier husband on his death day. ( @theguythatdraws )

But she had her child survived, she will not do thise and make sure she can raise the child but she will suffer with depression as her blindness makes her fear alot that she failed as a mother and wife making her died of depression as her son turns 15....in which she order her butler to do whatever her son says till he is released by them.

Amar: Amar would turn from a fairy to a wizard of dark magic and make them all suffer. He would become a cold ruler as everyone falls victim to his anger. He would use any means necessary to ensure he will neaver be weak again cause him to fall in chaos and psycho things.

#hogwarts mystery #aishwarya mehra #arjun singh #amar gupta #mc #harry potter #hpma mc #lycidas mcgarry #hpma oc #magic awakened

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maelstroumwaterfall · 10 months ago

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Arbormagic Syndrome (The End Of The Magical World) Chapter 4 | Hogwarts Mystery Infection AU

(Warning: !the text contains violent scenes! Hope it's not forbidden here, I've read the community rules and it seemed like it's allowed in my case but I'm not sure 👉👈)

Chapter 4. The Kneazle Incident.

The fact that Merula didn't get any answers from Rakepick only made her more annoyed. After taking a deep breath, she went down the staircase to the Care for the Magical Creatures lesson.

She only now noticed that she forgot to put on her robe that was supposed to be a part of her uniform. She didn't have any time to go back to her dorm room so she just let out an annoyed sigh to contain herself from breaking something.

She reached the training grounds as soon as possible, yet, she was still late for the first time during her studying at Hogwarts.

-The lesson has already started, Miss Snyde. - Professor Kettleburn said but he didn't sound upset or strict. - Hurry up, today we learn about Kneazles. Very dangerous, but intelligent creatures. - he added with a slight smile before turning back to other students. Merula wasn't really surprised by his calm attitude, he wasn't a kind of teacher that would scold someone for being late.

She approached the group of students and stood near Ismelda. Murk turned to her and couldn't not to notice her 'amazing' outfit. She barely managed to hold her laugh as Merula turned to her with a scowled expression. Snyde let out an annoyed sigh as Prf. Kettleburn told them to write down his words as she forgot almost everything she could.

-Ugh.. I forgot my note.. -she mumbled through her teeth and glanced at Ismelda. It was one her special ways to ask someone for something and this one she considered 'too much of' polite. Ismelda knew her friend and just smirked, before handing her a sheet of paper. -And a pen.. - Merula added, trying to keep her unbothered expression even though she looked like she just fell from a tree.

-What happened to you? You look like you had a fight with Chimaera. - Ismelda asked with a some kind of teasing tone and handed her a pen.

-You don't know what happened in the common room? - Merula said in response, being genuinely surprised. She thought that the whole Hogwarts heard how she was yelling at Waterfall. - Well.. I.. - she didn't manage to finish her sentence as she caught Kettleburn's look on herself. It was enough for her to understand that he's not going to be this indulgent if she keeps talking. - I'll tell you later.

Ismelda nodded and noticed that everyone followed Kettleburn to take a look at the creature they're going to learn about. Merula made a quick sketch of the cat-like animal and took a look at the other students while she had some time.

She immediately spotted Maelström. He looked normally, not like this morning. Now he had his usual arrogant and narcissistic look, she now recognized this obsessed with his appearance and gold idiot. She knew that he only pretends that his true intention of searching for the Cursed Vaults was finding his missing brother.

She couldn't help but thought about a possibility of him being affected by Imperius. What else could be the reason of his sudden change of behaviour this morning?

She then glanced at Rowan that stayed near Maelström. He looked somehow upset and tensed. So he also noticed that something wasn't right? He was a very loyal friend, sometimes Merula even felt a little jealous as Waterfall was the only he trusted to. Rowan suddenly turned to her as he noticed that she was watching him and Merula quickly turned away.

The next one who caught her attention was Penny. Then she immediately spotted Nymphadora. Penny looked irritated and Merula was even surprised to see so much hatred in Haywood's look. Tonks also looked quite annoyed but more like offended and hurt.

- Kneazles are considered dangerous creatures. Their claws and fangs are able to tear the skin in a matter of seconds. You should be careful when communicating with them. They're very intelligent and will not tolerate disrespectful treatment towards them. - these words made Merula come back in reality as she went too far in her own thoughts. She glanced at the creature. The Kneazle proudly raised it's chin and wrapped it's legs with it's fluffy tail. It had a beautiful grey fur with some orange patterns. - Does anyone want to try to bond with one?

Barnaby stepped forward and nobody was surprised he was the first willing to communicate with the creature. - Don't worry, I'll be nearby. - professor added while Barnaby carefully approached the magical creature. He smiled at it kindly and carefully extended his hand to let the creature sniff it.

- Also, Kneazles have an uncanny ability to detect dangerous and untrustworthy people. Someone keeps them to guard their houses or even catch criminals. - Merula listened to the professor's words and became a little curious. She was more than sure that if Waterfall got close enough to this kitty, it would tear his face off. Well, at least he would become less ugly.

To this time, Barnaby was already petting the creature that willingly stepped closer and rested it's head on Lee's palm. - Well done, Mr. Lee. You gained the creature's trust. Now, is there someone who wants to feed the Kneazle? You also need to gain it's trust before trying to give it food. - this time, nobody else responded. Professor Kettleburn glanced at the students and decided to choice someone himself. - Well, maybe Maelström would like to show us how to feed Kneazle?

Maelström nodded lazily and stepped forward, he put the note away and took a bag with food before trying to approach the creature. Kettleburn carefully watched the Kneazle and seemed to tense a little when it pressed it's ears and started to slowly, menancingly wag it's tail. - Maelström, wait. - Kettleburn said, but Maelström didn't stop. He was staying right in a front of the magical beast, it bared it's fangs and released it's razor-sharp claws.

- Maelström, step back! - Kettleburn repeated and was already moving towards them. Merula watched the happening and she would probably laugh at the situation as it was exactly what she thought would happen if Maelström approached the creature, if not what happened next. She noticed that creature was rather scared than just agressive, it stepped a little back and pressed it's body down.

Maelström didn't move an inch, nobody could see his face but he was cleary staring at the scared animal. Before everyone could react the creature lunged at Waterfall and pierced his face with it's claws. Maelström immediately rushed back but it was too late. He yelled in agony of pain as the creature's sharp claws were tearing his face and skin.

Merula stared in shock at the happening, she could see how easily the Kneazle was ripping off Waterfall's skin while he could do nothing to push the animal away.

- Maelström!!.. - Rowan yelled in shock and in fear, he already rushed forward to help his friend. Merula couldn't force herself to move or turn away, she could also see Penny that stared at the happening with the tears in her eyes.

Rowan didn't manage to reach Maelström as Barnaby was the first one to rush and help. He was strong enough to grab the creature and pull it away. He gritted his teeth as the Kneazle leaved the deep scratches on his hands, but still held it to not let it harm Maelström further.

This time everyone could see what the Kneazle's claws can do. Merula could barely recognise Maelström's face as more than half of his face's skin was torn. His left eye was ripped off and there were places where his bones could be noticed through the layer of blood that covered his skin and uniform. The creature also leaved scratches on Maelström's neck and shoulders. He kept screaming as he couldn't bear the pain.

Many students rushed for help while professor Kettleburn was dealing with the Kneazle, he wasn't less nervous and worried than others. Merula kept staring at Maelström as she couldn't understand what else she noticed under the blood on his wounds. It was something thin and long, it looked like worms that could barely be noticed under the layer of blood, but she could clearly see something moving under his torn skin.

She looked away in disgust, she felt like she was about to vomit. She didn't even notice when Maelström was already transferred to the hospital wing with Barnaby that was also harshly injured. She just lost the track of time in all the panic and others' screams.

(Thx for reading 💝💝💝💝 Hope u enjoyed the story ;>)

#merula snyde #hp fanfic #hogwarts mystery #infection au #hphm fic #hogwarts mystery merula #hogwarts mystery fanart #hphm #hphm merula #apocalypticfiction #harry potter #hp fanfcition #hphm art #hphm fanart #hp au #harry potter fanfiction #hphm mc

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cocochats · 19 days ago

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Happy secret santa to 0tr45shm0uth! My writing is'nt about Christmas but there are Ben and Farhan.

Summary: Ben faces his first scarecrow in DCFM class.

Ben and his fellow Gryffindor and Slytherin students were waiting outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. Ben was dreading this class. Professor Rakepick had asked them to do an assignment on scarecrows. This certainly meant they would have to face one. Until now, the Gryffindor had been lucky enough never to have crossed paths with a scarecrow. But his luck had obviously run out, for Professor Rakepick had just opened the door to the room.

Ben walked to the back of the room without glancing at the spellcaster. Maybe Professor Rakepick would forget about him with a bit of luck.

Farhan, his Serdaigle friend, finally arrived in the room just before the professor closed the door. He slipped silently to the seat next to Ben.

"As you may have guessed, today's class will be on scarecrows. So I hope for your sake that you've all done the assignment." exclaimed the debour teacher beside a trunk sitting in front of her desk once the last student had settled in.

"You'll have to take it in turns to face the scarecrow. You can refuse to face it, but you'll have to do so before the end of the term, which ends in 4 days. It's better to face it here and now than at a time when you're not expecting it. Do you have any questions?" she continued, observing the students in front of her. No one raised a hand.

"Any questions? Very well, then. Line up in front of the trunk." Gradually, the students rose to do as they were told.

All except Ben, who remained pettified at the thought of facing his greatest fear.

"Is everything all right?" asked Farhan in the face of his friend's immobility.

"What if I can't cast the spell? What if the spell doesn't work? What if..." anguished Ben, staring at the trunk across the room.

"Everything's going to be okay, Ben. You're going to cast riddiculous. Just remember it's not real.

"Farhan replied reassuringly, holding out his hand to help him up. Ben accepted the outstretched hand and they joined the queue together.

°-°-°-

Ben's anguish increased as the queue thinned, some refusing to face the scarecrow out of sheer fear, others out of unpreparedness.Soon it was Farhan's turn and he stood in front of the trunk.

"Ready, Mr. Shafi?" asked the teacher.

Farhan answered with a determined nod. Madame Rakepick opened the trunk with a wave of her wand. The young man found himself face to face with the lifeless body of Jacob, his brother. But he didn't seem to be fazed, and in a loud voice called out Riddiculous, transforming the body into a giant doll covered in baubles and tinsel. The Serdaigle then turned to his teacher, who nodded slightly in satisfaction. He stood by the door, waiting for Ben to leave the room while the teacher returned the creature to the trunk. Ben didn't move, lost in his thoughts, or rather his anxieties.

"Mr. Cooper? Would you like to face the scarecrow another day?" the teacher asked.

"Nn..no… I want to face it now. " replied Ben, snapping out of his thoughts in an unsettled tone. He finally stepped closer to the trunk.

"You can do it, Ben! What the scarecrow shows isn't real." exclaimed Farhan to encourage his friend.

"Are you ready, Mr. Cooper?" asked the spellbinder.

Ben nodded, his throat tightening and his wand held firmly in front of him.

The teacher unlocked the trunk. The scarecrow turned into a bench. A simple school bench in wood. But the mere sight of the bench made Ben livid, and he ran out of the room, leaving the scarecrow to return to its trunk.

Farhan followed him out, while Madame Rakepick continued to let the last students through.

Ben finally came to a halt at the foot of an out-of-breath staircase.

"Are you all right?" asked Farhan in a soft voice.

"I'm… I…can't…face the…the scarecrow…" replied Ben in a trembling voice.

"It's all right. You don't have to. You don't have to." exclaimed Farhan to reassure his friend.

"But if… I have to do it… But I don't know how to make it less scary" retorted Ben, somewhat mollified by the Serdaigle's words.

"What does it represent? Maybe I can help," Farhan asked him.

"I don't want to be alone." replied Ben, tears in his eyes.

"But you're not alone! I'm here Rowan's here and Bill's here. We're all here for you." Farhan retorted, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Ben was at a loss for an answer. But now he knew how to make this bench less terrifying.

"Do you think I can go and face the scarecrow now?" the gryffindor asked timidly.

"We can always go and ask." Farhan replied.

#hphm secret santa 2024 #hphm #patricia rakepick

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bluerosesburnblue · 2 years ago

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I've been putting off writing this because just thinking about it pisses me off, but the last story update in HPHM made my blood boil. I just want to slap half of the characters here

Oh, I'm sure. Because you put in so much effort to keep things from getting to this point. Seven years of "oh, the professors are handling it" and now it's "oh, I was off-ground the entire fight WHOOPS"

You'd better hope that Rita Skeeter never hears that a criminal organization just stormed the bridge while you were away and a gang of students took care of it

He might be your dad, but I'm choosing to ignore both of your existences for the sake of my much better ideas regarding the Dwyn family

YOU LITTLE SHIT I WAS JUST COMPLAINING ABOUT HOW UPSET I WAS THAT THEY NEVER FOLLOWED UP ON THE FORESHADOWING THAT THAT WASN'T JACOB. Jam City is actively trying to piss me, specifically, off with this, I swear...

What? How??? Were we actively ditching class to go talk to Perry? I wasn't informed of this! It's not my fault that they got rid of classes as a mechanic and replaced them with Assignments, Snape!

Which is all besides the point that this scene literally only exists to make you feel bad for poow widdle Mewuwa. She's good now. She didn't contribute a damned thing, but she stood next to you when it counted and that's all redemption really is, right? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

And I'm supposed to find that sweet? "Awwww, she considers you family" NO SHE BROKE INTO A HOSPITAL ROOM UNDER FALSE PRETENSES. This should be very concerning because if the hospital isn't running background checks, that's a bad thing. Call the COPS

NO SHE DIDN'T. She literally was ON THEIR SIDE until the last second, and even then all she proved was that she wasn't loyal to Verucca because, again SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING

"Aww, look how far we've come, Merula helped you make the potion that she initially sabotaged at the start of the game because she's a Good Person™ now" fuck offfffffff

Congrats on being the only person I can tolerate in this chapter, sir. The singular braincell in this entire game is in Snape's possession

A damned shame he just used it up, though

NO! No I'm NOT. She is BANNED FOR LIFE. And if she returns as a ghost I am banning her for her un-life. Once I graduate I'm getting a RESTRAINING ORDER

I will remind you that her vow was to remain loyal to her "true family." Betraying Verucca only proves that she did not consider Verucca her family. It doesn't prove that we are

Especially since I sure as hell am not

YOU WOULD SAY THAT. You WOULD defend your precious Y6 partner-in-crime. Don't you dare speak for me, I don't agree at all

She'd think "Oh my god, you're all the stupidest people I ever met, I'm so glad that I got out of this game back when the writing was at least passable" immediately followed by "why the fuck is Merula 'lock you in a closet with a Devil's Snare, 2x Niffler engorger which could kill it, betrays you to join a criminal organization and then makes excuses' Snyde here?"

Which is precisely why you tried to turn this organization into your own personal anti-Rakepick revenge group throughout Y6, I'm sure

What a shitshow

There's no need to evilly mug at me, sir, I'm non-canon

#harry potter series #harry potter hogwarts mystery #liz plays hogwarts mystery

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grassyhorizon45 · 10 months ago

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Changed. || Marauders - 17

Minuet's POV

“Not you too….” Professor McGonagall groaned. “Minnie, divination is a waste of time, no matter how lovely Professor Trelawney is.”

“But she says she sees potential in me…”

“She’s worse than a babbling bumbling bunch of baboons. Every year I get at least one student that tells me she predicted their death.”

“Every year??— Has anyone died yet?”

“Nope.”

Minuet sighed with relief.

“What made her approach you? You’re not a third year yet…”

“She overheard my conversation with Severus about—” She hadn’t told Erva yet… her sister didn’t know about it.

“—something.”

Minerva raised a brow. Minuet realised how sus she sounded and giggled.

“No, it’s not what you’re thinking! I’ve just… I’ve been hearing things.”

“Oh… What sort of things?”

“It’s like a ‘psst psst psst psst’ noise,” Minuet mimicked. “And only in places with more people.”

Minerva pondered this. “I’m no expert but that sounds more like legilimency than any sort of second sight.”

“What’s…. that?” She was learning so many new terms recently her head was going to burst.

“Legilimency is something like telepathy in muggle books,” Minerva explained.

“So, something like mind reading?”

“Yeah.”

“But I don’t know what you’re thinking about right now, how’s that legi-mency?”

“Well, fair point but maybe it’s in its early stages? I don’t know, I’ll ask Dumbledore.”

“So word got out you’re gonna be taking divination?” Lily asked curiously.

“Apparently so… but Erva says it’s a load of nonsense…”

“Why do they teach it if it were useless?” Severus pointed out. “Surely there’s more to it, right?”

“You make a great point there, Snape. I say just go for it Minnie, you’ll never know till you try.”

Minuet gave Lily a ‘really?’ look but Lily simply nodded. She sighed, now she’d have to start having her hands full with extra classes from Prof. Trelawney on top of her usual workload.

Minuet and Lily said goodbye to Severus and returned to the Gryffindor common room.

“There sure is a lot of commotion in here huh…” Lily mumbled. Minuet nodded and tapped the nearest person’s shoulder, “Sorry, what’s going on?” Minuet asked politely.

“We’re —urgh, watch your step Thompson!— tryna see who made the —THAT’S MY FOOT WEASLEY!!!— quidditch team.”

“Oh… Thank you!”

Minuet looked at Lily, “They’re tryna see who made the quidditch team, Lily.”

“Ah…” she replied. “But why’s there this many people??”

Minuet shrugged. The same senior turned around to talk to them, “Rumour has it, some first year made the team! No one believes so we all want to take a look-see at the name list ourselves.”

“I see! Thanks- uh…”(Minuet)

“Patricia Rakepick. Call me Pat,” she said enthusiastically.

“Nice to meet you! I'm Lily Evans, and you've already met McGonagall…”

“Oh, like the professor?”

Minuet nods.

“Honestly kid, I don't know why I'm tryna cut the cue here. It's utterly pointless,” Pat chuckled.

Lily remembered something. “I thought first years weren't allowed to try out?”

“Exactly. This kid apparently barged into tryouts and caught the snitch before anyone could blink! They say the captain was furious but—”

“He still made the team?” Minuet guessed.

“Yes-sir-ree!”

“Huh, I wonder if we know the guy…” said Lily.

“I bet you we do. Who else in our year has the guts besides Potter and his gang?” Minuet whispered in Lily's ear.

“So Pat, what year are you?” Lily asked, wanting to know the senior better.

“5th year— Be right back!!” Pat said before zooming off.

“I wonder if we'll get to try quidditch in class. It's weird to try out for something you don't know if you're interested in, right?”

Lily laughed, “Great point…”

Lily's POV

“Solace, hey. What are you doing here at this time?”

Isn't she normally out with her friends? She's hardly in our dorm.

“Just resting,” she replied. “You?”

I shrugged.

“Heard some Gryffindor guy in our year made the quidditch team. Any idea who?”

“I do! It's my cousin James, he's absolutely insane,” she chuckled.

I laughed, “Of course it's Potter, should've known.

“I'm almost certain he has a crush on me by the way. Take a look at this-”

I handed Solace the letter Minuet passed me.

She was holding back her laughter while reading.

“I know right, it's only been a month and he's already making a move…”

“Those boys and their dares,” Solace sighed, smiling. “Oh, before I forget– Sorry about that Slytherin friend of yours… I've tried stopping them but it's no use.”

Oh, well…at least she's trying :D

“It's just… why?”(Lily)

“No idea. Boys will be boys I guess.”

Sigh, oh well. Poor Severus.

Previous chapter | Next chapter

#severus snape #hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry #fanfic #marauders #lily evans #quidditch #james x lily #james potter #patricia rakepick

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madelineorionswan · 2 years ago

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The Royal Queen: The Journey of a Young Duchess.

Chapter 5: Meeting Charlie Weasley.

Summary: With a whirlwind start to her reign, things are finally starting to wind down in the country, the palace and her personal life. But as she discovers the world of politics, she realises that it might be a bit more complicated than she anticipated. So she hires a professor who teaches law and politics, as her tutor, who goes by the name of Charles Weasley, more commonly known as Charlie by his friends and family. Madeline confronts her parents about her education and later goes to a county fair and dance, where she dances the night away.

Warnings: fencing(?) a pinch of angst and a ton of fluff, swearing(like once)

A/N: The exciting part has officially arrived, and the much anticipated Charlie Weasley has entered the scene!!!!!! I'm internally screaming as I wrote this chapter, cus this is way too exciting !!!!! Hope you enjoy this chapter guys!

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All of the characters in mention (Except the ones from history) are fictional. The relationships mentioned among these characters aren’t real. I respect all of the characters from history mentioned in the story; the story is in no way written disrespectfully. I am not an expert on history and politics hence the mentions and portrayal of these two subjects are based on my imagination and are not real.

Some time had passed since the coronation and the opening of Parliament. Slowly but surely, the royal household slipped back into the normality of its daily routine at Eallesborough Castle.

Madeline had been rather desolate, always busy with the many new duties her day had been flogged with, never getting a moment for herself. But whenever there were days when she had to only affirm and sign documents or meet the prime minister, Madeline was left to herself, in the eerie silence of her bedroom or office room, where only the scratching of a pen against paper or the rustle of sheets at 11 pm could be heard.

This silence would consume her in depression, like an ominous and dark storm cloud which engulfs every inch of the sky in darkness in its wake. Nights went by without Madeline getting a wink of sleep, staring at the ceiling fan, driving her mad internally, but her face didn't give a single emotion away. After weeks of sleepless nights, Madeline conceded to Rowan's pleading to visit a psychologist for at least one consultation.

Madeline met up with the so-called "Headshrinker" (her words, not Rowan's), with whom, she thought, the meeting would be an absolute waste of time. But surprisingly, it proved to be quite likeable. The doctor diagnosed her with anxiety and depression, prescribing her some medication, and for a while, life went on well.

It was early in the morning when Madeline got up. No one knew where she went, but the moment the staff member, who came with her coffee, was flabbergasted to see her bedroom empty, the whole palace went into panic mode.

---

Rakepick got up from her desk abruptly as the head of the household, Mr Hudson, confessed about the missing queen. She immediately ordered Rowan to look around the front entrance of Eallesborough, along with the extra apartments, while she searched around the castle, followed by a bustling group of staff.

Rakepick rolled her eyes, annoyed as she tried to shoo away the annoying staff, whom she found to be like a comb of noisy bees. The staff were quick to scurry away when they saw her furious expression. Rakepick let out a sigh and returned back to search for the missing queen.

While searching around the back hallway leading to the backyard gardens, she abruptly stopped when she heard grunts and the sounds of a sword's movement. Rakepick opened the door and sighed with relief and annoyance when she saw Madeline fencing with a wooden mannequin.

As the tall redhead approached the queen, she quickly ducked away as Madeline made a feint with her sword. Madeline smirked to herself from inside her helmet.

"Care to join me for a round of fencing, Madam Rakepick?" Madeline quirked a brow. She used the tip of her sword to pick up another fencing sword by the handle, spinning it around the tip and then tossing it over to the older woman, who caught it skillfully.

Rakepick quirked her brow at Madeline, who just shrugged and spun her sword in her hand. Taking the opportunity, Rakepick smirked to herself and charged forward with her sword. Madeline quickly blocked her attack and twisted her blade to turn the charge on Rakepick. But Rakepick too proved to be skilful at the sport as she deflected the attack. The two women went on for a couple of minutes, only focused on the other and the movement of their Epee.

In under fifteen minutes, Madeline had gotten a lead, lunging forward with her sword. But Rakepick, taking advantage of the flexible blade, flicked it in such a manner which disarmed Madeline, declaring her the winner.

Madeline gasped as her sword flew out of her hand and fell beside her, the pointed blade sticking to the ground, making the sword stand as straight as a stick. Rakepick smirked to herself as Madeline sighed, but with a smile on her face nonetheless.

She took off her helmet and mask, placing them on the table beside the mannequin and dropped her sword into a bin full of swords as Rakepick did the same with her sword. The pair quietly walked back inside, not quite sure how to start a conversation. When Madeline shut the door to the back yard she let out a soft breath and turned to face her secretary.

"I'm assuming you didn't just come to have a round of fencing Madam Rakepick," Madeline said. Letting a sigh escape her lips, Rakepick cleared her throat.

"Your majesty, it is simply not acceptable that you leave the household for such a long time without anyone's knowing. You have no idea how much it delayed our schedule," she said with a stern voice.

Madeline scoffed, "I'm sure it wasn't as huge of a problem as you make it sound. Besides, I hadn't left the castle. Is it really that hard for the castle to function for at most an hour without me?"

By this time, the two women had started walking, Madeline walking ahead of Rakepick. The latter frowned at the young queen's disregard and sped up her steps to walk beside Madeline, who pretended as if she wasn't annoyed by the women.

"Your majesty, I do hope you remember that you have a meeting with the prime minister in an hour," Rakepick reminded Madeline. She smirked internally knowing full well that the queen had been too busy in her musings to actually remember the meeting.

Not that she cared about her mental state anyway. She only bothered about getting the work done.

Shit, Madeline thought to herself, why does she always end up forgetting meetings? But she didn't show it. As they walked into the main corridor, Madeline sped up her pace and turned to go to the breakfast hall. Before going inside, she turned to speak to Rakepick.

"I think, as the monarch, I'm quite aware of my duties. But I appreciate you reminding me of them," Madeline pressed her lips into a thin smile before heading inside.

"Absolutely ma'am, after all, it is my duty," Rakepick commented, knowing she had irked Madeline. She smirked and left to prepare her files at her office.

---

After a hurried breakfast, Madeline was quickly escorted to the study room, where the Prime minister was waiting. She entered the Drawing room, where she saw the Prime Minister sitting with her pet dog, Almond. He was happily lying on the sofa next to Mr Richardson, getting belly rubs from the latter.

When he heard the sound of Madeline's heels clicking on the floor, the dog turned around and looked up at Madeline, launching off the sofa. Madeline laughed as Almond snuggled against her leg. She smiled and ushered him out of the room.

"Good morning, Your Majesty", the Prime Minister, Mr Richardson, said as he got up.

"Good morning, Mr Richardson. I'm sorry for the delay, I was a bit busy earlier", Madeline lied through her teeth and sat down on the single sofa opposite the prime minister, "Now, how about we begin where we left off?"

The prime minister gave a curt nod and brought out a file full of newspaper articles and certain documents passed by the parliament that needed the approval of the Monarch.

The morning passed almost instantly with the discussions of economic fluctuations in the market and diplomatic relations with other countries. While Madeline understood a little of everything, certain aspects of economic disparities and political decisions confounded her.

And she hated it.

She drifted off into her thoughts as Mr Richardson continued talking about financial issues. It annoyed her when she was not sure about all the subjects of discussion. While Mr Richardson had helped her a lot to understand many subjects, Madeline felt it was her duty, as monarch, to be aware of all of the aspects of the political, economic and cultural situations that affected the country, her country.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Mr Richardson closed shut his binder full of documents and pushed it forward to Madeline.

"That's all we have to discuss today. These are the papers that need signing, ma'am", Mr Richardson said.

Madeline smiled and got up from her sofa along with Mr Richardson. She extended her hand towards the older man. He smiled and shook her hand before collecting his files.

"I hope to see you at the Prybush ball this weekend then, ma'am", Mr Richardson said as he was heading out. Madeline sucked in a breath with a smile and replied with a curt nod.

"I'm not looking forward too much about the press coverage, but I definitely am looking forward to a nice evening of dancing and music", she chuckled, making Mr Ricahrdson laugh along.

"It's true. Being Prime Minister has been hard work. Every other day I feel like going to a nice country retreat for a holiday! I can't imagine how hard it is for you, ma'am!"

"Yeah, it's been harder than I... anticipated", Madeline said quietly.

"I'm sure you will do alright", Mr Richardson rubbed the back of her affectionately as he held it in his own. He then bowed before her and left the room.

Madeline left the room with her equerry closely following behind. She went back to her study room with the stack of documents. She sat down behind her desk and started studying them closely. The more she sifted through them, the more she started to get confused.

Prolonged and complex words and sentences all firmed a tangled web of confusion in her head. Madeline groaned and fell back on her chair with a sigh.

It was only the first document.

Having no other choice, Madeline went to the library, followed by her butler. Both of them brought back a stack of dictionaries to her study room. Madeline skimmed the first document, letting the stack of books fall with a dull thump on her desk. She marked some of the complicated terms with a pencil and searched the dictionary for their meanings, eventually piecing together the meaning of the statements.

Even though it took a long time, Madeline eventually finished signing and reading all the documents, although it took her 5 hours to do so. She sighed and fell back against her chair, rubbing her eyes. Suddenly there was a knock.

"Come in," Madeline said. the door opened and Rowan entered the room, making Madeline smile a little.

"Long day?" Rowan asked as Madeline nodded.

"I think I need thirty hours a day now. Half the time I know nothing about what the documents are talking about. They all seem like Hebrew to me", Madeline groaned.

"Hmm. All could be resolved if you could've had a tutor though", Rowan half joked as she sat opposite Madeline.

"Yeah", Madeline muttered, dismissing the thought as a joke.

But the more she thought about it as she and Rowan sat in silence, the thought started to make sense.

A tutor! Why hadn't she thought of this before?!

"You know you're a genius, Rowan", Madeline said, getting up abruptly from her chair and standing beside her friend.

"Uhm, Thank you?" Rowan answered unsurely.

"We should hire a tutor! It would be a great help. They could teach me everything and I'm sure no one could refuse the offer of the Queen of the country.

"You're right. I am a genius!" Rowan exclaimed, agreeing with Madeline's idea.

"But Madam Rakepick would never agree to this", Rowan said, her excitement dying.

"Who says she has to know?" Madeline smirked, "While I'm slowly growing to...trust her possibly, at the end of the day, it is my decision about who gets to know what."

"So, Ro, could you please possibly hire someone appropriate?" Madeline pleaded.

"But... Madie... you know this is very risky..." Rowan tried to refuse. But Madeline's puppy dog eyes finally made her agree.

"Fine", Rowan said, a slight smile creeping up her face as she got up to leave.

"Oh, Rowan", Madeline interrupted before her she could leave, "make sure the tutor isn't too old and grumpy and has a sense of humour at least."

"Go it!" Rowan put her thumbs up and left the room as Madeline started to put aside her documents and get ready for a much-needed hearty dinner.

---

It had been a couple days since that conversation. Madeline waited nervously in one of the many palace living rooms, shaking her leg impatiently. Just as Rowan had promised her, she had contacted multiple tutors who were more than willing to help the Queen.

Needless to say, most of them were grouchy-aged men. But with some scouring, Rowan had found a professor at the Royal Oakland University willing to tutor the young queen.

But when Madeline had asked Rowan about the professor, she had refused to tell her more about him, except that he was the same age as her and taught Law and Political Science.

Today Rowan had arranged for him to meet with Madeline hence her being nervous. But she didn't need to wait much. Within a couple minutes of her wait, her equerry pushed open the door and informed her that a "Mister Weasley" was waiting for her. Madeline let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding and asked him to escort the latter in. Within a couple minutes, Madeline's equerry returned, followed closely by a young man.

The first thing Madeline noticed about him was the fiery red and unruly curls that framed his face. His honey-coloured eyes were warm and friendly with a hint of mischievousness. His smile was honest and charming. All of these features were unfamiliar to Madeline and she was intrigued by them. She had never seen such comfortable and kind eyes save for Rowan and Penny.

Madeline felt her lips tug to form a smile and extended her hand to shake his. He gladly shook her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Weasley-"

"Charlie is fine, Your Majesty. Charlie Weasley," Charles Weasley said with a smile as he bowed, although awkwardly.

"It's quite alright, Mr Weasley. There's no need for that. And call me Madeline", Madeline said with a chuckle when she noticed that the man clearly didn't know how to properly bow.

"Please take a seat", Madeline said, sitting on the sofa. Charlie sat opposite her, putting aside his leather rucksack.

"Before we begin, I saw these and thought it would be a nice gift for you", Charlie said, bringing out a small chaplet of White Lilies and White Roses.

"Oh, thank you", Madeline said with a smile, pleasantly surprised. She got up and put the flowers in an empty vase.

Once she returned to her seat, she asked Charlie, "Now, where do we begin?"

"Perhaps you can begin with your problems. Which areas do you face issues in?" Charlie suggested. He brought out a notebook and looked expectantly at Madeline.

"Well... where to begin?" Madeline started with a nervous chuckle, "When I enter a room full of ministers and highly educated dignitaries, it feels like I know nothing. Even though I'm of a higher rank, I can't even hold a decent conversation with them about politics or culture or administration, things that I'm expected to know in detail. So if you ask me, I barely know anything."

Charlie frowned a little and put aside his notebook at Madeline's answer.

"Do you know what educational qualifications you have?" he asked.

"As in?" Madeline asked, confused.

"As in, what level of education have you completed? Like junior level, secondary level or senior secondary level? Maybe any equivalent?" Charlie asked.

Madeline felt embarrassed. She understood that these were basic educational qualifications that any person, especially someone holding such a high office, should have. But she shook her head, denying that she had any formal education throughout her entire life.

Charlie nodded carefully. There was a moment of silence between the two as Charlie thought to himself.

"Well, let's start from the beginning then, with political science", Charlie said with a smile as he brought out a thick book from his rucksack. He placed it in front of Madeline and opened up the first chapter.

Madeline was a bit taken aback. She had expected him to judge her or pity her. But all she saw in his face was an eagerness to teach and a friendly smile. Madeline felt herself start to feel comfortable in his presence. Something about his friendliness and warm smile made her feel relaxed. She listened intently to his lesson, noting some of the main points in a notebook.

Charlie was undeniably a good professor. He made the dull lesson enjoyable with occasional jokes and fascinating stories. Madeline was in awe of the complex and intricate world of politics that she had never been able to understand completely, which started to become more and more familiar to her.

Unfortunately, Charlie had to leave to attend a seminar at the university. Madeline got up along with him as he gathered his belongings.

"Uhm, before you leave", Madeline interrupted Charlie just as he was about to walk away. He turned to face her as she continued.

"I wanted to thank you for agreeing to tutor me. I know it was a bit odd but I found myself enjoying your class very much so thank you", Madeline said with a smile, "I hope we can meet again for our classes?"

"With pleasure Madeline," Charlie said with a charming smile, "I hope we can be friends, more than just being teacher and student."

"I would bet on it", Madeline said, making Charlie chuckle.

"Also, Uhm, could this and the future meeting stay a secret?" Madeline said. Charlie signed, zipping his mouth shut. Madeline laughed a little. The two walked to the door, after which Charlie left with a last smile.

After Charlie left, Madeline felt a sense of excitement for their next meeting, which left a permanent smile on her face for the rest of the day.

---

It was the evening before the Ball at Prybush, the Capital city. It was Madeline's first public Ball which would undeniably be covered extensively by the media.

Madeline was busy practising her speech for the opening of the Ball while Penny helped her dress, so she could charm the crowds. After she helped Madeline get into a chemise and an underskirt, Penny left to find a dress from the selection provided by some designers.

"Which one do you think we should go with?" she asked Madeline, holding up a sleek wine-coloured dress in one hand and a light pink A-line gown in another.

"Uhm... the pink...maybe?" Madeline said unsurely and quickly returned to murmuring the speech under her breath.

Penny sighed exasperatedly and went back to looking through the gowns again. She audibly gasped with delight when she saw a pink floral gown with off-shoulder bell sleeves. It was simple yet romantic, just what the ball needed.

With the dress and a pair of matching flowery gloves in hand, Penny came back, only to see Madeline pacing around in her room, busy memorising the speech. Shaking her head, she approached the young queen and took the sheet of paper from her hand eliciting a groan from the latter.

"You won't be getting that back from me now", Penny said with a mischievous smirk, "Come now, into the dress you get."

After a moment of annoyance from Madeline and some struggling, Madeline finally got the dress on. Penny pushed her in front of the mirror, forcing her to look at herself as she did her hair.

It was gorgeous. She looked gorgeous.

Madeline looked different. The dress was not something she would have picked for herself. It was unlike the darker colours that she usually wore. It added a certain softness to her features which was complimented by the soft smile which had crept onto her face.

"I would say I've outdone myself this time," Penny smiled proudly as she to looked at Madeline's reflection with a proud smile.

"I second that," Madeline said with a chuckle.

Penny then put a dainty diamond chain necklace and matching earrings on Madeline. She then sat Madeline down in front of the vanity. She handed her the gloves eliciting a groan of annoyance from the latter.

"Do I have to put these on? You know how feel about gloves," Madeline protested.

"I do, but it is the protocol that you wear gloves during evening balls," Penny said as she did Madeline's makeup.

"I know, I know. It's just... they're itchy and annoying. And they make me feel more upper class than I'd like to admit," Madeline muttered with annoyance. She begrudgingly put on the gloves as Penny tutted and continued to put on Madeline's makeup.

After a couple minutes, Madeline was ready to go to the ball. She walked down the grand stairs to the entrance of the Palace. There she was met by the ever-serious Mdam Rakepick. They both got into the black cars and set off for the city.

It was only a few minutes until they reached the City Hall. The moment Madeline stepped out of the car, she plastered a smile on her face and turned to face the cameras and media.

For a moment, she was blinded by the constant camera flashes. But after a second to adjust, she focused her eyes on the crowd and waved at them. The throng of journalists and paparazzi cheered for the young queen, boosting her confidence.

She waved one last time at the people before climbing up the stairs and into the City Hall. On entering the hall, she was greeted by the sweet yet intoxicating smell of champagne as the soft ballroom music flowed freely.

The guests inside stood when Madeline walked in. Everyone smiled in awe at the young queen and clapped at her entrance, making Madeline smile too. The Prime Minister, his wife and the Mayor and his wife stood up to greet her.

"Your majesty", The prime minister said with a bow. Madeline smiled and nodded her head curtly in a reply

"Your majesty, it truly is an honour to have you here," the mayor greeted Madeline after the Prime Minister stepped aside.

"It is me who is honoured, Mister Mayor," Madeline said, smiling politely. The mayor bowed and offered his arm for her to take. Madeline accepted and linked her elbow with his. They both walked to the centre of the hall. Everyone clapped as the young queen waved at the guests with a wide smile.

A young waiter handed her a glass of champagne for her to toast. Taking the crystal goblet in one hand, she began her speech.

"Mr Mayor, Mr Prime Minister, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure and honour to be a part of this incredible Ball, which has been hosted in honour of a long line of sovereigns. After today, I hope that I do all of the people proud as sovereign of this country. But for now, I hope everyone enjoys themselves tonight," Madeline finished, raising her glass for a toast. The guests all toasted their glasses in unison before returning to chatting or feasting.

Through the next couple minutes, Madeline was greeted by the nobles and dignitaries who were attending the ball. She made polite small talk with all of them under the watchful eye of Rakepick, although she felt bored and out of place in most of those conversations.

Stepping aside after some time, Madeline decided to munch on some of the locally sourced food. While taking a bite of her food, she saw Madam Rakepick approaching from the corner of her eye. She stuffed the last bite of the ceviche into her mouth before walking up to the older woman.

"I hope you're enjoying the party", Madeline remarked, not exactly hoping to get an answer.

"I've never been one to enjoy parties, ma'am," Rakepick scoffed, "to me, it is a waste of time and words, something which we are already in a deficit of."

Madeline pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. "You know," she said, "I don't particularly enjoy these parties and balls either."

Rakepick looked at the young queen from the corner of her eye with a hint of suspicion, not expecting her to agree.

"You don't have to agree with me," she replied emotionlessly, sipping on a glass of champagne.

"I'm not," Madeline replied, "has it occurred to you that we might share the same opinion?"

"... It's not something I expected," Rakepick replied briefly, "but I suppose it is a possibility."

"Look, Madam Rakepick, I know you aren't quite as friendly with me. But I do expect us to at least get along," Madeline sighed, frowning.

Rakepick remained expressionless for a second. Then she nodded, with what appeared to be a small smile.

"I too hope that we can eventually form a friendship, ma'am," She replied, shocking Madeline a little, but she smiled in reply.

"I hope you enjoy this event, ma'am," the auburn-haired lady said before curtsying and leaving Madeline to continue to mingle with the guests

While conversing with some people, she noticed a young man with messy black hair, round glasses and mossy green eyes standing in a corner by himself. Recognising the young noble, she walked towards him, glad to have seen a familiar face. The man noticed the queen approaching him and straightened himself. He bowed before her, making Madeline smile gently.

"Lord Potter, fancy seeing you here," Madeline said, a smirk forming on her face.

"Well, I-I had a free evening, so I decided to stop by," Harry replied sheepishly.

"It's good to get away from duty for a while, you know. Even if it is only for one evening," Madeline smiled. Harry replied with a nod and the pair turned to look at the crowd.

A peaceful silence fell between the two as people danced the night away. Madeline soon noticed Harry smiling, looking at a young red-haired girl dancing away on her own amongst the people, her smile bright and carefree. Madeline smiled to herself. Then an idea struck her.

"Go talk to her," Madeline encouraged Harry. He looked at her with confusion for a moment before refusing. Seeing that he was too shy to approach her, Madeline grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him to the dance floor, ignoring the younger man's confused reluctance.

"Listen to me, go and ask her to dance with you, Harry," Madeline said almost sternly.

"But-"

"No buts, go ahead! She looks to be free now. Go, will you!" Madeline said, ushering him to the dance floor. Harry sighed and looked at the girl he had been admiring. With one last encouraging smile and nod from Madeline, he left to approach her.

From a distance, Madeline saw Harry approach the girl shyly and ask her to dance, to which she happily agreed. She smiled to herself, satisfied, as she saw them dancing away, dreamy smiles on their faces.

"Young love's always adorable, isn't it?" Madeline turned around and saw the warm and friendly hazel eyes with which she had first familiarized herself a few days back.

"Professor Weasley? I wasn't expecting to see you here," Madeline said with a surprised look.

"Please don't call me that, makes me sound ancient," Charlie said, feigning annoyance.

"Then I shall make it my ultimate mission to call you that always," Madeline joked, making Charlie and her laugh.

"You still haven't answered my question though," Madeline pointed after they both recovered from their fit of laughter.

"I actually came along with my family. That's my sister dancing with the young lad," Charlie pointed at the red-haired girl chatting with Harry. He then pointed her to his family who were standing amongst the crowd. From there she noticed Bill Weasley too standing with them.

"Oh, so Bill Weasley is your brother," Madeline remarked with a smirk, "didn't he ever mention meeting me?"

"Actually, he did, but I guess I never knew which "Madeline" he was talking about. He said her identity was a secret," Charlie remarked.

"All good things said, I hope?" Madeline quirked a brow at him.

"Only the best, Madeline," Charlie replied with a playful grin.

The pair continued to watch the crowd of dancers at the ball. Suddenly, the music changed from the merry tune being played earlier to a more slowed and romantic waltz. Many couples started to dance to romantic music.

"Dance with me?" Charlie suddenly asked Madeline, a lopsided grin gracing his face.

Madeline smiled to herself and replied, "With pleasure," as she accepted his hand and let him lead her to the dance floor.

Charlie looked at Madeline for a split second, silently asking permission as his hand hovered beside her waist, to which Madeline nodded and placed her hand on his shoulder as he gently placed his on her waist. Taking his hand in hers, the pair spun in circles, shuffling their feet to the slow, rhythmic music. As she sensed herself getting lost in the rhythm, Madeline's chocolate brown eyes connected with Charlie's hazel eyes, a mix of warm honey and cinnamon with a hint of grassy green.

"So, how did you enjoy our first lesson?" Charlie asked, breaking the silence, a hint of nervousness evident in his voice.

"I actually loved it! It was brilliant learning about this subject from you. I hope we can do it again," Madeline replied with a smile, making Charlie let out a breath he unconsciously held onto and smile. Charlie then spun Madeline in his arms, almost making her trip, but he quickly helped steady her. The two went back to swaying casually to the beat.

"I'm glad you did, cus I did too. I'm looking forward to doing it again... this Thursday maybe?"

"It's settled then. I'll meet you this Thursday." Madeline smiled, "I'm actually surprised you liked teaching me," Charlie frowned with confusion at Madeline, the song playing in the background long forgotten by them.

"I mean... I know nothing, and you know so much. All I do is cut ribbons, smile agreeably and wave at people. My life is defined by what dresses I wear and whom I smile at, while yours is represented by the vast world of this incredible and convoluted subject" Madeline heaved a sigh, her emotions unclear from her expression.

"Hey, give yourself some credit," Charlie said softly. He slowly moved his body closer to her and continued, "What you do is something very few can do. It's admirable how you keep yourself so composed after all you've already been through. So I disagree about you being bland because you are one of the most fascinating people I have ever met in my life." Charlie replied with firmness and confidence.

Madeline felt blood rush to her cheeks and a smile form on her lips at Charlie's words. It was true that she barely gave herself any credit for what she did. But hearing Charlie's words solidified how little she gave herself credit for. Yet his words provided her comfort and faith about her work, a compliment, something that anyone rarely told her, let alone actually mean it.

"Thank you for that, Charlie," Madeline replied softly.

"I consider it my priority, my Queen," Charlie winked at Madeline with a playful smirk making Madeline chuckle and shake her head dismissively.

Suddenly, the music changed to a classic Mozart piece, one of Madeline's favourites. The melody was gentle yet romantic, making one lose a sense of reality.

Madeline and Charlie continued to dance the night away in their careless dances. They weren't sure what style of dance they were doing. Between Madeline tripping constantly and Charlie almost confusing the right from the left, it was an absolute mess. But they didn't care. It was the company that mattered. They spent the rest of the evening laughing at random jokes and talking about their lives. It was as if they'd known each other for years. It was a magical night for the start of a new friendship.

And maybe something more.

#royal au #royal fashion #charlie weasley x oc #charlie weasley #madeline orionswan #hphm #hphm charlie #harry potter fanfiction #hphm mc #royalty au #princess diana #rowan khanna #penny haywood #madam rakepick #alternate au #harry potter hogwarts mystery

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