#reader x ben copper

[domaslut]

MC spilling tea.

[jacobscursebreakerlilsis]

Charlie: 😏😏

Rowan: don’t worry, no other person in this school is ever going to ask MC out.

Charlie: why not?

Ben: because MC is terrifying.

[violentdelightsandviolentends]

Time.

You get shot in Colombia. Frankie, Benny, Santiago and Will all have their own ways of helping you heal.

Pairing - Santiago Garcia, Frankie Morales, Benny Miller, Will Miller x female reader

Age Rating - 18+

Warnings - Cursing, mentions of blood, gunshots

Word Count - 4329

Author's Note - hi lovely people. i loved writing this one so much oh my :( those four boys in one movie together is a dream. and i don't know if you noticed, but i have a real soft spot for will. and yes, i did photoshop ben afflecks character out of that picture. more than happy to write for any of the triple frontier boys individually - just send me an ask! as always, lots of love x

my other triple frontier fics - Tethered, Tranquility and Home Is Where The Heart Is.

Masterlist. Requests.

It’s been 6 days since you were shot.

6 days of blood, pain, sterility, stitches, hazy memories that float into your consciousness like smoke in the air.

You somehow remember it both clear as day and blurry as night.

The metallic taste of copper in your mouth, clear as day.

The searing, burning pain in your side, clear as day.

The panicked looks on the boys faces, the yelling, the frantic scrambling – clear as day.

The rest of it? Blurry as night.

You can’t remember getting home. One minute you were bleeding out on the ground in Colombia, and the next minute you’re back on US soil, lying in a bed in Houston Methodist Hospital.

You can’t remember your discharge. You fell asleep on those sterile, crinkly white sheets, and woke up in a soft bed, wrapped in a navy blue comforter that smells like Will.

All you’ve known for the last 6 days is sleep. That molten sleep that moves like molasses, warm and slow and sticky. The sun rises and sets, and you’re none the wiser. Floating aimlessly through unconsciousness, just you and your dreams.

Unbeknownst to you, you haven’t been alone for a minute since you got home. The boys have taken turns sitting by your bedside, heart rates rising whenever you stir. All of them silently processing what all of this means, for you and for them.

It was damn close. Too much blood. Pints after pints after pints of it. Pouring over Will’s hands, soaking into Benny’s jeans, slipping beneath Santiago’s boots, choking the air around Frankie where his forehead was pressed to yours, begging you to stay awake. All of them wondering the same thing – where has all of this come from? Surely one person can’t have so much blood in them. It can’t all be from her.

The Doctor said that you got lucky. Any more blood loss and you’d have lost your life too. Your surgeon said that you owed your life to whoever stopped the bleeding.

William ‘Ironhead’ Miller. He’d shoved his hand straight into the wound, applying as much pressure as he could without breaking any ribs. It was the worst thing he’d ever seen, but he was in fight or flight mode. He knew it had to be fight. He hoped you were making the same choice as you were lying there, breath rattling in your chest like pennies in a tin can.

Some would call it a miracle. Divine intervention, perhaps. You shouldn’t have survived. Scientifically, statistically, you should have died right there on that floor, in a mission gone wrong. Tragic accident. Caught in the crossfire. Collateral damage.

But you didn’t. Now, you’re half conscious in Will’s guest bedroom, enveloped by his scent. Warm, cozy, safe, and alive. You’re struggling to stay awake for more than ten, fifteen minutes at a time. It’s all catching up to you. You had to fight so hard to take each breath, that now you’re exhausted. The kind of exhaustion that sleep can’t fix. No, it’s settled into your gut, wrapped it’s limbs around your bones. It keeps you weighed down and heavy, a reminder of the trauma. You’re alive, but you’re tired. So tired.

The boys are worried. Worried beyond belief. When the Doctor told them she was happy to discharge you, reality hit the four of them like a high-speed freight train. How do they navigate this? You can’t go home. You can’t be by yourself. They’re all back on Texan soil, which means work, and family, and bills to pay, and routines to carry out. How do they factor in the woman they call their best friend, who’s currently in the deepest sleep of her life with a healing bullet hole in her side?

“I’ll take her,” Will had said. “She can stay with me, in my guest room. You guys can come over whenever you want. I have the most space, anyway.”

That was true. Santiago and Benny live in apartments, bachelor pads really, and Frankie’s second bedroom is his daughter’s room. She was only with him on weekends, but she needed a place to sleep, so that was him out of the question. Having you stay with Will made the most sense. They all agreed to come and sit with you in shifts, so Will could go to the grocery store, or for a run, or to take a shower. The Doctor never actually said that you needed twenty four hour surveillance, but the boys thought it would be best. Just in case.

So that’s exactly what they did. You’re on bed rest, and they’re all happy to play nurse for a few hours during the day, and to leave you with Will during the night. He’s been sneaking in to sleep in the armchair next to your bed. His room, a mere ten feet away, feels too far. He wants to be able to hear if you need his help. Just in case.

None of the boys quite know how to treat you. They don’t want to act any differently around you, but it’s hard not to. They haven’t seen you like that before. You, a force to be reckoned with. The backbone of the group. You, with your sharp wit, quick humor, blinding smile. You, who always seems to be a step ahead of them. You, a pillar of strength, proving yourself just as capable in this world designed for men. Lying on the ground, painted crimson, you looked fragile. Small. Frail. You looked so… innocent. So afraid. That was the scariest part for all of them – seeing the fear in your eyes. They’ve never seen that before. They never want to again.

So, they all take their different approaches. They cope the best way that each of them knows how.

✵  ✵    ·　 ✵ 　　 *  · ✵

When Frankie visits, he always brings a book.

Cracking open the door, he pops his head around the frame, smiling as he sees both you and Will asleep – him in the chair, you cozy in bed. He gently squeezes the blond man’s shoulder, whispering as he wakes.

“I got her for a while. You go do what you need to do.”

Will shoots him a grateful smile and stretches his arms above his head, before padding out of the room, softly shutting the door behind him.

Frankie opens the curtains, letting the soft morning light fill the room. It illuminates your face, catches on the strands of your hair, making it glow. You look like an angel, in this orange haze. But Frankie already knew that.

Your eyes flutter open, and land straight on the broad man standing next to your bed, trusty cap sat atop his head. You smile, and his heart stops for a second. God, he’s missed that sight. All of the tension from the last week leaves his shoulders, and he sinks into the armchair next to you.

“Hi, Francisco,” you whisper, voice slightly hoarse from minimal use.

“Hi, cariño,” he whispers back. “You doing okay?”

You nod, golden smile still etched on your face. The wound in your side is a dull ache, and the psychological pain keeps washing over you in spontaneous waves. But you’re okay.

“You here to babysit me?” you tease.

He smirks, which is all the answer you needed.

“You don’t need to. I’m okay, I swear,” you insist.

He looks at you and quirks an eyebrow, the corners of his lips still turning up slightly.

“Well, you’re my baby, and I’m sitting,” he winks. “Now that we’ve established that, what do you wanna do for the next few hours?”

His abysmal attempt at a joke makes you chuckle, which in turn makes you wince, pain shooting through your abdomen. He jumps out of his chair towards you, placing a hand on your cheek gently.

“Shit, querida. I’m sorry. Are you alright? Do you need anything?”

Breathing deep and slow, you tilt your head to meet his eyes.

“Yes. For you to stop fussing. Sit down, Francisco. Your nervous energy is making me stressed.”

He exhales carefully, and presses a kiss onto the top of your head.

“Yes ma’am.”

He returns to his original place, and grabs a book from the nightstand.

“Have you read this already?” he asks, showing you the cover.

You shake your head, and he flips to the first page.

“It sounds good, actually. You comfy, cielito?”

You nod gently, holding his gaze. He flashes you one of his signature smiles – the rare, genuine, time stopping ones – and begins to read softly, in that dulcet, honeyed voice of his.

He reads to you for hours. You were only awake for 45 minutes, but he continued reading aloud anyway. Morning becomes afternoon, yellow sunlight beating through the open window. A gentle breeze blows the curtains and ruffles Frankie’s hair that is ever so slightly too long for his liking. He’d be perfectly content to read to you like this forever. He’s gotten so into the plot of the book that he doesn’t notice Will stood in the doorframe, watching with those careful eyes of his. They gleam blue in the sunlight, his golden hair glinting like citrine. He eventually catches Frankie’s eyes, and the older man makes his way over to the door, both boys talking in hushed whispers so as not to wake you.

“Has she been okay?” Will asks, eyes scanning your sleeping form.

“Perfectly fine. She was awake for about 45 minutes,” Frankie replies, pride evident in his tone.

“That’s the longest she’s been conscious since. Progress, huh?” Will smiles. Frankie can’t help but smile too. A week ago, they were huddled around your lifeless body, hands deep and bloody in your wound. Now, they’re watching you slumber peacefully, life returned to you like a gift from the universe.

✵  ✵    ·　 ✵ 　　 *  · ✵

When Benny visits, he brings comfort with him.

He uses his key to let himself into Will’s house quietly, aware that you’re most likely asleep. It’s been a week and a half since everything happened, and while you’re awake more and more each day, you’re also still on bed rest.

Creeping up the stairs and peeking his head around the door that’s ajar, he finds Will sat at the end of your bed. You’re awake, but barely. The light shines from the hallway into the bedroom, and illuminates your tear stained cheeks.

Will wipes your cheekbone with his thumb gently, and moves to meet his brother. The older Miller pulls Benny into the hallway, shutting your door momentarily.

“She’s having a real bad day. The worst since she’s been home. The memories are flooding back man, they’re drowning her.”

All the colour is gone from Will’s face. He looks helpless. His brother hates it.

“I don’t know how to help her,” Will continues. “The tears won’t stop. It’s like every time she calms down, another nightmare takes her by surprise. I don’t know what to do, Ben. I don’t know what to do.”

Will’s voice is shaking, tears threatening to spill from those cerulean eyes. He has a hand fisted into the front of Benny’s shirt, as if he’s grounding himself. There’s something unsettling about seeing the calmest person in the room start panicking. Benny doesn’t like it.

“Hey, it’s okay. She’s gonna have bad days, that’s a given. Go get some fresh air, go for a drive or something. I’ve got her. I ain’t gonna leave her.”

Benny looks pointedly at his big brother, and inhales deeply. They exhale together, and Will wipes his face with the back of his hand.

“Are you sure?”

Benny nods. Will trusts him.

“Okay. Call me if you need anything and I will come straight back. I mean it, Ben. Anything.”

Benny pulls his brother into his chest, holding him for a moment. Will isn’t used to being the glue holding everything together, he thinks. It’s usually you.

Will pulls away and starts his journey down the stairs, momentarily pausing to watch Benny straighten his shoulders and clear his throat before opening your door carefully.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he smiles.

You don’t feel gorgeous. No, you feel like you’ve shattered into a million pieces in William Miller’s guest bedroom. The weight of your trauma has come crashing down on top of you suddenly. It’s suffocating and it’s choking you and no matter how many times you inhale, your lungs won’t fill with air. Tears keep streaking down your cheeks despite your best efforts to stifle them. You wonder if you’ll feel like this forever – forced to carry around the weight of surviving something that you weren’t supposed to.

Benny’s never been any good with words. So he tells you what he needs to with his actions instead.

He kicks off his shoes and shrugs off his jacket, throwing it on the chair. Then, he unbuttons his jeans and slides them off his legs, tossing them sideways with haphazard aim. The last thing to go is his t shirt, which he shucks over his head with ease, landing somewhere with the rest of his clothes. He moves across the room towards you and pulls back the comforter. He strokes your cheek with his knuckles gently, looking at you carefully to gauge your reaction. When he’s satisfied, he climbs into bed behind you, pulling you mindfully to sit in between his legs, his chest pressed to your back. He pulls the comforter back up over the two of you, and uses his arms to cage you in to him, enveloping you in his warmth.

Benny’s always run hot. You joke that he’s like a walking space heater, a radiator if you ever need one. Right now, it’s like having your own ball of sunshine, warming you gently from the outside in. You feel the safest you have in two weeks.

“Relax, baby,” he murmurs into your hair. He pulls you in tighter, and nudges your head to rest in the crook of his neck. You inhale deeply – the first real breath you’ve been able to take all day. He smells like sunshine, and salt, and sandalwood, and safety. You relax into him and let all the tension leave your body. You let go of the flashbacks, and the fear, and the chaos, and surrender yourself to Benny.

He stays with you like that for three days. He doesn’t separate himself from you more than a few inches for 72 whole hours, keeping his arms wrapped around you from behind, as if holding you together. When he gets up to go to the bathroom, he takes you with him. You stay attached for three days, skin to skin, allowing his warmth to seep into your bones, to settle your nerves. You’re convinced that no medicine could heal you the way Benny is. Science doesn’t have a match for this. It never will.

✵  ✵    ·　 ✵ 　　 *  · ✵

When Santiago visits, he brings his guitar.

The first time he came to see you, right at the beginning, he sat with you for 20 minutes before he careened out of the room, gasping for air. The silence was strangling him, sending him into some sort of panic attack. Then, the guilt settled, and he felt like he’d betrayed you so badly that he couldn’t bring himself to go back in. He sat on the floor of the hallway with his back pressed against the door for 6 hours before Will returned home, concern coursing through his veins.

When Santiago explained what had happened, Will looked at him knowingly.

“You don’t have to be deathly silent, you know. You can watch some TV, turn the radio on. Frankie reads to her. Benny talks her ear off - doesn’t stop fucking rambling. I walked in the other day and he was explaining the current state of the NBA to her, team by team. She’ll sleep no matter what.”

Santiago nods, patting Will on the back lovingly before leaving, weighed down by shame.

The next time he visits, he brings his guitar.

If he’s honest with himself, he’s hoping you’ll be asleep. It’s easier to play for you if you aren’t looking at him like he hung the moon with those big, bright eyes of yours. But, lo and behold, he walks into the room you’ve made your own, and you’re wide awake.

“Hi, handsome,” you smile. “Where you been?”

“Oh, you know,” he smirks, “just caring for all the pretty girls that need my help.”

“And here I thought I was special,” you tease.

That smile of yours wraps itself around his heart, tangling in the core of him. You’ve always had that effect on the boys. One grin from you, and all of their problems melt away, even if just for a moment.

“You staying today, or you gonna run away again?”

You’re joking with him. Why are you trying to make him laugh? You should be upset, telling him that he’s a bad friend, that all of the other boys have sat with you for hours, so why can’t he?

But instead, you continue.

“I’m kidding, Santi. I get it, you know. I don’t think I’d be able to sit in a room with you lying there all half dead and helpless if the roles were reversed.”

You’re looking at him with so much understanding in your eyes that he has to choke down the tears that are trying to escape from him.

“It’s not that. It’s just – it’s my fault, bebita. You wouldn’t have even been in Colombia if it wasn’t for me. I’m the reason you got shot.”

He’s crying now – heavy, ugly sobs crawling their way from his chest, up to his throat. His knees give out, and he sits on the side of the bed, hands fisting in your comforter.

“Santi, baby. Hey. Look at me. Please, Pope.”

Your pleading gets his attention. He looks at you with those red rimmed, watery eyes, and your heart breaks so hard you swear you can hear it shatter.

“It wasn’t your fault, Santi. I followed you out there voluntarily. We all did. You know I’d follow you anywhere. I still would. It could have been any of us that got hurt. I’m glad it was me. I wouldn’t be able to stand seeing any of you in a hospital bed. It’d break me.”

You’re crying now too, at the thought of one of the boys in your situation. The bullets, the blood, the makeshift bandages they shoved into your side, ripping their shirts and tearing apart anything they could find. You couldn’t have survived that, if the roles were reversed. You wouldn’t have wanted to.

You press your forehead to his, hands tangling in the front of his shirt. He wraps his arms around you and pulls you into his chest, needing you as close as possible.

You fall asleep like that, face pressed into him, his heartbeat in your ear. Santiago tucks you back into bed gently and takes his place in the armchair, settling down. Pulling his guitar out of the case, he tunes it slowly, meticulously, before beginning to strum the strings carefully. He picks at the strings, playing you tune after tune, only stopping to stretch his arms and crack his knuckles. He plays for you for hours, time slipping by him like sand through his palms. When you wake, you keep your eyes closed, savouring his presence for just a moment longer.

✵  ✵    ·　 ✵ 　　 *  · ✵

Will doesn’t visit.

He sticks steadily by your side, day in, day out. If Frankie visits for 6 hours, Will sits with you for the other 18. When Benny holds you for 3 days, Will gets anxious, popping his head around the doorframe every few hours, checking in just in case. Since everything happened, Will’s whole universe has revolved around you. Which, he’s realising, is the way it’s always been. His whole world has always been you. He’s just been forced to confront that truth now, and it’s scaring him.

He’s suddenly aware of the fact that he almost lost you. He’s never felt fear like that before. He’s had men press guns to his temple, shoot at him from mere feet away, fight him with their fists. That’s nothing, now. He’d take that any day over watching you lie there, drenched in crimson, dripping with pain. His hands, twisted into your side, wet and slipping, trying to quell the dam that’s broken inside of you. Your eyes, looking into his, terror grasping your whole body like a cold chill. When he falls asleep at night, all he can hear is the way you said his name, like it was the last thing tethering you to the Earth.

He makes a silent vow to himself. A promise - to never let you go again. To protect you forever, no matter what. All of this trauma has just made him love you more. He’s not sure what the future will look like, for him, or for you. But he knows that right now, you need him.

And so he pours all of his love into his actions. He makes you breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and sits with you as you eat slowly. He eats at your speed, too - always doing everything at your pace. He combs your hair every morning gently, brushes your teeth twice a day carefully. He tucks you in when you fall asleep, pulling the comforter around you, keeping you safe and warm. As soon as one of the other boys leaves, he takes their place, sitting in the armchair – making sure you’re never alone. Whenever you’re awake, he listens to you pointedly, nodding and smiling. When you have a bad day, he’s right there next to you, wiping the tears from your cheeks and murmuring reassurances gently.

He watches as slowly but surely, you come back to yourself. You’re awake more often, smiling more confidently, cracking jokes and asking for laughs. The two of you are chatting like you used to, about nothing and everything. And you watch as slowly but surely, he returns to Will. The frown lines in his forehead become less pronounced, the worry in his eyes fades slightly. The smiles he throws your way are bigger, more genuine. The scales balance out again.

You’ve been in bed for two weeks when you decide to ask him for a favor.

“Hey, Will?” you query, looking at the blond man who’s currently folding laundry on the dresser.

“Yeah, sweetheart?” he replies instantly, ready to give you anything you could possibly ask for.

“Can we go outside? I think I might go insane in this room real soon,” you smile, bright and bold.

He beams at you, relief washing over him like an ocean wave. You haven’t left your bed for a fortnight. He’s offered a couple of times, but you refused, scared to leave the comfort of the safe haven you’ve created. But you’re ready now.

“Of course we can. You want me to carry you?”

His tone is light, jesting, but you know he’s being serious. Neither of you are actually sure if you can walk all the way outside.

“I can walk if you carry me down the stairs? Not sure I’m quite ready for those yet.”

He grins at you, and your heart stops. That smile of his seeps into your pores, lifts you up, sends energy flowing through your veins. You’re alive, and you’re okay, and Will Miller is looking at you like you hung the stars in the sky. You feel invincible.

Admittedly, it does take you 20 minutes to get from your room to the back patio. Will throws a strong arm beneath yours, holding you up as you take the journey step by step. When you reach the stairs, he picks you up bridal style, carrying you carefully. Before he sets you back on your feet, he nudges his nose to yours, still grinning.

The sun soaks into your skin outside, gentle breeze rippling your t shirt that you’re now realising is Benny’s. The leaves rustle in the trees, and you inhale the world, as if seeing it again for the first time. Will sits right next to you on the bench, hand holding yours tightly, fingers interlaced as if he’s worried you’ll blow away.

You glance at Will’s watch and see that it’s only 1pm. You have so much time left. So many possibilities to be fulfilled, so many people to love, so many places to see. But for now, you press yourself into the blond man’s side, settling in. You fit perfectly. Almost as if this is where you belong.

“Can’t believe I almost died without telling you I love you,” you murmur. It’s quiet, but he hears you, loud and clear.

“It’s okay,” he reassures. “You’re here now. We have time. So much time.”

“Forever,” you whisper. “We have forever.”

He turns to look at you in the hues of the bright afternoon. His blond hair is glowing gold, and his blue eyes match the sky, hopeful and full of promise. His hands come up to cradle your face, and he caresses your cheeks with his thumbs, rubbing comforting circles into your skin. He moves in closer, and nudges his nose into yours. He breaks out into a grin, and you can’t help but join him. Leaning in, he presses his lips to yours, soft and reassuring. You melt into him, running one hand into his hair, the other at the nape of his neck. He pulls you impossibly closer, until every part of you is pressed together. The sun is still beaming, and the birds are chirping, and you have time.

“Forever,” he whispers into your mouth when he breaks the kiss.

“Forever,” you murmur back. “We have time.”

You have time.

You have time.

[viivzn]

Hola, I'm back for more food. Can I request a poly sbg (again.) with a fem reader who is like Wonyoung from Ive (and she's an undercover singer and they all find out because they searched up her group name because they heard people *cough cough *Barron* talking about her (yummy)

CLANDESTINE | sbg gang X wonyoung!reader | m. list

tw. none/barron the stank 🤮🤮

a/n. ew barron mentioned smh!! 🙀 also i know i did this very late but uh here u go 🐢🐢,, i think it'll be a oneshot mixed w some drabbles too cuz!!

a/n#2. also new style?! 🗣️ enjoy btw!!

Being a conspiratorial idol is a struggle ━━━ for the most part of studying at a school where some ruckus or tumult occuring most of the time, a majority of times, you'd have to wear a mask when you're not that congenial nor cozy in public, although as luck would have it, you're glad none of your friends at least knew your whole idol type of experience neither your existence as an artist. thence, you're pretty much at ease hanging around them, so you wouldn't really wear your mask on.

Until a fucking guy named “Barron” whom supposedly the school's trouble maker and a mass shitty manipulator ━━━ was talking about your whole secret identity with his friends or other schoolfellows in the corridors, they were crowding the confined hallway until you came making everyone proceed to you, presumably asking for an autograph, picture, etc. though everyone eventually stopped when a schoolmaster came in your way. you expected your group of friends to be here early than you yet your expectations failed to avail. at least for you.

The following day came, you were slightly overwhelmed or easily agitated, all owing to the fact yesterday and mostly Barron. and there he was again, talking about you for the fact that he still continued till now, and shit you were literally about to throw hands for that guy until Taylor suprised you from behind, and it added MORE problems to your mind, one, your circle of friends might hear what that boy is talking about, two, they might hate you for hiding it from them, three, they'll leave you forever leaving no friends which is pretty much a skill issue, four you'll become depressed over a simple problem which is huge to you.

Nonetheless, by good fortune, class had already started as your schoolmates passed by to their classrooms along with Barron to say the least.

⠀✦

"anyone else find [name] acting completely different till yesterday?" taylor questioned the group with a hint of concern in her voice. "yeah, she seems... dull. from my point of view to say the least of it." taylor's other twin responded with a compact shrug, earning a glance from others. "maybe some problems at home?" logan muttered, placing his palm under his jaw, "nah, her fam is fine." the blonde spoke confidently, leaning back on his seat, "how are you so sure? i mean, you're not that close to her either—", "asked their parents, they're all in good terms lol"

"you can't just question her parents without her knowledge—", "already did" the boy grinned insolently while he scrolled through his rectangular device, receiving a dagger from tyler as he looked back at the group.

"i did hear something about her from Barron," Ashlyn pressed a few buttons from her device before revealing a group of people, "plus there's this one girl who exactly looks like her", "or maybe [name]'s face card is too powerful?—" , "nope, this exactly looks like [name]. you can't change my mind" Tyler debated, looking fixedly at Ashlyn's phone.

"she looks nice" ben wrote on a pad of paper, receiving a small nod from others. "but why would she hide it from us though?" the deep brown haired girl was baffled, her face scrunched up. "maybe because she doesn't have confidence in us? i don't know" the copper hair coloured girl breathed heavily to show disappointment. "okay, let's just pretend we don't know any information we just acknowledge because—" taylor explained until she was cut by a notification from the gc, along with the other people from her group. nevertheless, there revealed a picture of [name] in her artist or idol form, in addition of aiden's message; "this u? loll".

likes, reblogs, and comments are always appreciated!!!! <33

[babes4pdd]

Partner Project- Ben Marshall X reader (smut)!!!!!!

A/N- I think I might be crazy.

Warnings: This is smut so please only read if you're 18+

Fluffy Smut

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Psychology was probably going to be the class that killed you, it wasn’t the concepts per-se, but the sheer amount of work you did in that class. This week was no exception as you listened to your professor announce that she had chosen the groups for your third consecutive group project. As she introduced the project you found your imagination, and eyes focused on something else. Ben Marshall was one of the cutest boys you had ever seen in your life, you had found yourself staring at him since the first day of class back in September, he had come in late, apologizing and ducking his head as he squeezed into a vacant seat in the front row, he caught your eye from across the room and grinned at you, making your cheeks heat up and your eyes immediately look down. Ever since then you have always been consciously aware of his presence, your throat drying up when you run into him in the dining hall and you blushing when he holds the door for you at the library. As you stare at him you listen to your teacher rattle off names, half listening for yours and whoever else you’ll be working with. You keep watching Ben, who has his eyes locked on your teacher and is clueless to you eyeing him up. You somehow can’t stop imagining him kissing your neck and talking you through it. Oh fuck you think. 

You hear your name and jerk, feeling like you just got caught displaying your worst fantasies to your psych 301 class.  You nod and look to where your teacher is pointing, grabbing your bag and moving to where the other members of your group have congregated, ignoring her voice as you weave through chairs and desks to meet up with your classmates. Suddenly you feel a wave of something and turn your head at the perfect time, watching Ben Marshall walk up next to you. Oh fuck. “Hey,” he said, smiling at you, “I think we’re in the same group I’m Ben.” Oh fuck. He was talking to you, and he was smiling at you and you were looking up at him, listening to him introduce himself like you hadn’t daydreamed about his head between your legs. You introduced yourself, hardly believing what was happening as the two of you walked together to join your group. He asked you the usual, Major and Hometown, and he sounded like he really wanted to know, not that he was just asking to ask. The two of you joined your group and you listened to the work get divided up between the six members. You say you can work on a section of the powerpoint and Ben leaps to volunteer to work with you. Something about the way he eagerly asks if he can work with you makes your stomach lurch, the idea of him being so eager to be with you is really getting you hot for him. The group breaks and he turns to where you’re packing up to leave and asks “When do you want to meet to work on it?” as he watches you put away your laptop and zip up your backpack. He continues “I’m free Sunday at like four, we can do it in my dorm if you want”. Something about the way that he says that last part, you can tell he’s so nervous about this, can tell he’s never initiated anything with anyone before. “Um, yeah Sunday is good for me.” you say. “Cool” he says, smiling and breaking eye contact with you as his cheeks flush.

You texted him that you would be at his building in ten minutes and then took a final look in your mirror, Jesus Christ, you were nervous, you ran a hand experimentally through your hair and debated changing into something sluttier, but decided against it. You walk through campus to his building, checking your phone to see a text from him telling you to text him when you’re outside. You respond and a second later he’s opening the door to let you in, greeting you with a smile. Fuck, he looks good. You think, staring at his soft copper curls and his navy sweater that’s pushed back to his elbows. He leads you down the hall, up a flight of stairs and to a wooden door that has three matching name tags that proclaim “Ben”, “Martin” and “John”. It takes him a second to open the door, and then youre inside. It’s surprisingly silent for a dorm shared by three boys and Ben must pick up on it because he answers the question you have yet to ask “One of my roommates went home for the weekend and the other is at work for the next four hours.This place is usually a fucking circus, but I made sure it’d be nice for your visit.” he’s funny, you realize, and oh god is him being funny doing things to you. You try to ignore the heat between your legs and instead follow him though the living room to an open doorway, it’s not until you reach the doorway that you realize that you’re in his bedroom, in all of its navy sheet, Jurassic Park poster glory. He kicks the door closed after you walk in “Sorry, but I only have one desk chair.” He says, “That’s ok, I don’t mind sitting on the bed.” you said softly, sinking down next to him on his twin xl, watching him open his laptop and eventually doing the same. He shifts and you feel his thigh brush against yours, making something inside you scream. 

“Hey, can you double check this, I want to make sure it makes sense.” You say, it’s stupid, you’ve barely written anything, but you want to feel his shoulders lean into yours and his body radiate heat next to yours. “Yeah, let me see” he says, and you angle your screen to show him, as he reads it you lean in, trying as hard as you can to just seem like you’re trying to also look at the words written. “Yeah I think it’s really good so far, like we just need to remember-” your face is right in his as he moves from staring at your laptop to looking up at you. His eyes lock on yours and you can feel yourself blushing as he forgets what he was saying before and instead softly says “Can I please kiss you?” You nod and he moves up to press his lips to yours, he’s gentle and soft and you chase his lips when he breaks the kiss. “I really liked that.” you said softly, one of your hands coming up to brush through his soft curls as he grins. He kisses you again, hands cupping your face. “I have to tell you something.” He says, the next time he takes a breath, you nod and he continues “I really, really like you, I’ve had a crush on you since the first day I saw you.”. He seems really embarrassed by this, and you feel your thighs get hot at the sweet way he continues to hold your face. 

“I really like you too Ben,” you say, which earns you a large grin and another kiss from him. He continues to kiss you, wrapping his arm around your waist, making you lay back, him on top of you, you can feel him hard against your thigh and he kisses you again. You roll your hips against his feeling his hard dick and he groans before disconnecting from you “Fuck I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I-” you cut him off by kissing him, “No its okay, I’ve been wet since I walked into this building with you,” you say through labored breaths. He groans at that, kissing you again, licking into your mouth as he puts his hands all over you. “I’ve never done this before,” he says, “Neither have I.” You respond. “But I bet we can figure it out together.”.

He’s on top of you, the two of you making out while you work to pull off his sweater and unbutton his jeans. You unzip his jeans and go to wrap your hand around him before he stops you “Fuck, I can’t, you can’t touch me, want to wait, want to be in you. Please.” Your head goes fuzzy as you feel one of his hands come down in between your legs, pushing your underwear aside so he can slowly and inexpertly slide his fingertips through your folds, feeling how wet you are and gently exploring your cunt. “Fuck, higher, higher, yes right there.” You breathe out as he rubs circles around your clit and kisses you sweetly, god he knows how to kiss and it make your legs turn to jello.  “Please, Ben, please fuck me, god please.” He kisses you again before he moves off of you to put on a condom. You hear him groan as he lines himself up with your entrance, slowly pushing himself in as he kisses your neck and whispers into your ear. “Oh my god.” he chokes as he bottoms out inside of you “I’m not going to last long, I’m sorry”. He said, his hands touching any exposed skin he could see, desperate to be close to you. You kissed him as he fucked you, tangling your fingers in his hair and scratching your nails over his back. He moves his hips slowly, picking up speed as you pull his hair harder and moan into his mouth. His mouth trails from yours and starts sweetly kissing your neck while he fucks you harder, dropping a hand to your clit to keep rubbing it in tight circles as he brings you closer to your approaching orgasm. “I’m really close.” you moan as he nods and pushes his hips into you harder, groaning a “Please” and rubbing your clit as the two of you cum together. He’s so sweet afterwards, kissing you gently and disposing of the condom before he brings you a glass of water and rubs your back while the two of you lay together in his sheets. “I really liked that. And um, I really like you.” he says awkwardly with a laugh. “I like you too.” you tell him, and you watch him smile and thank your stupid fucking psychology class for this.

[benscursedkid]

Must Have Been The Wind

synopsis: ben’s just a stressed and tired college student looking for a break. strangely enough, the girl who cries in the middle of the night from the apartment directly above his might be just what he was looking for...

pairing: ben copper x f!mc reader

genre: romance, muggle!au, modern!au, f2l???

warnings: implied mentions of insomnia and anxiety if you squint, mature language (v mild)

words: 8k

tag: @badeeaswife

a/n: so this turned out longer than i expected it to be, heh heh. i haven’t seen very many modern aus or muggle aus so i hope whoever reads this enjoys!!

*inspired by the song of the same name by Alec Benjamin*

“we can talk about the noise when you’re ready

but ‘till then

i’ll say it must have been the wind”

“Hey, Ben! How was work today?”

Ben turns at the familiar voice of his neighbor, the pretty blonde girl as cheerful as ever. “It was work, Penny,” Ben shrugs his shoulders, sagging with exhaustion. “There’s not really much one can expect from a job working at a 7-Eleven.”

Penny frowns, leaning against her door frame, mail forgotten in her hand as she gives the man a once over. “You looked tired, Ben. Are you sure you should be taking the midnight shifts?”

Fumbling with his keys, his own mail hanging from his mouth, Ben shakes his head in response. “They’re the only ones I can actually make, Pen. I’m busy all day long with classes and I don't have the time for any others.”

“Yeah, but, I’m worried about you,” Penny sighs, watching the fellow blonde struggle to open the door to his apartment. “You never get any sleep, you rely solely on Mountain Dew to keep you awake, and you barely make your morning classes on time rushing out the door, you’re a full-time college student– double major… You need to take better care of yourself.”

The door finally opens and Ben allows himself a silent victory before turning to address his friend. 

“I know, Penny, and thank you for caring about me,” She offers him a grin, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes, worry replacing the usual brightness. “It’s just until Jae and I get things here a bit more stable, I promise.”

For a moment Penny peers at him doubtfully, but eventually trusts him to come to her if things go astray and she nods. Ben smiles at her, trying his best not to let his eyes droop too low and makes for his apartment. 

“Oh, Ben?”

“Yeah?”

“Someone just moved in upstairs, so y’know,” Pointing towards the ceiling, Penny begins to retreat back into her own home. “In case there’s a lot of noise, don’t worry about it. They’ll move in soon enough.”

A tired groan escapes him, but he manages to shoot the girl a curious glance. “How do you always know everything?”

“I ask.”

“Fair,” He concedes before his door shuts behind him.

⏭

Ben is woken from his sleep by the loud sound of a crash. 

Immediately, his head lifts from its place on his desk, drool already dry on the corners of his mouth and neck popping in protest of his sudden movement. He casts a long, cautious look about his apartment. Jae’s pulling an all-nighter with Badeea, their new partner assignment due first thing tomorrow, so he’s all alone in the empty space, the moonlight just managing to peek through his bedroom window.

At first, Ben’s afraid the sound came from within his own apartment and he begins to panic, his blood running cold. His mind is sifting through all the worst case scenarios out of habit, sweat starting to bead on the back of his neck. Has someone broken in? Did they shatter their windows? It is just the first floor, not exactly difficult to sneak into. Are they coming for him? Are they here to steal? Are they going to hurt him?

 However, these fears are quickly quelled by another sound, this time clearly coming from the apartment directly above his. 

Someone’s crying. 

From what he can tell in his half-asleep state, he thinks it sounds like a woman. The sobs coming from upstairs are faint, but unmistakable. He’s had enough breakdowns in his stressful college career to know what cries sound like. 

Ben ponders what’s happened to warrant the tears from the obviously upset woman. This hasn’t happened before and he’s not quite sure what to do. Briefly he considers leaving her be, knowing that sometimes in bad situations the best thing you can do for someone is to give them space. Though the sound of breaking glass worries him and with a grunt, he gets up to go investigate, despite every bone in his body telling him it’s a bad idea and begging him for sleep. 

On his way out he checks the time on his microwave.

3:53 a.m.

He just got back from his shift close to forty-five minutes ago, likely having fallen asleep finishing up his classwork. Great, he’ll have to finish that when he gets back.

Taking a breath and ignoring his frantic nerves, his walks quietly to the elevator, careful not to wake up any of his neighbors. If Merula or Andre hear him at this hour he’ll be apologizing for weeks. 

Once he reaches the elevator, he checks one last time for any angry complaints, before hitting the button for the second floor. As he goes up, he briefly wonders what he’s getting himself into, questioning whether someone has broken into this woman’s apartment and if he’s walking straight into his own demise. 

A ding sounds upon reaching his destination and he walks down the hall to her apartment, counting each number until he finds the seventh from the right of the elevator, like his own counterpart. Without taking time for thought, in fear of backing out, he raps his knuckles against the door. 

At the intrusion, the tell-tale sound of pattering feet fill his ears and idly Ben thinks of how wrinkled his clothes must be and how dark the circles under his eyes probably are. If he opened the door to that in the middle of the night, he’d probably send whoever it is straight back. 

The knob twists and the door cracks open just enough for a young woman, looking to be around his age, to peak out. Upon deducing he’s likely not a threat, the door opens to allow them a better view of each other. 

He doesn’t recognize you and assumes you must be the new neighbor Penny had told him about. You look as tired as he feels and this brings a small sense of relief to his mind, a tiny solace in this strange situation. Your eye bags, Ben thinks, could give his own a run for their money and your hair is disheveled and shoulders slouched low. Your oversized sweater is pulled up all the way to your chin, almost enough for you to bury your nose in it. 

“Can I help you?”

Your voice is scratchy and raw and Ben is sure you’re the one he’d heard from downstairs. It’s only once he realizes this does he notice the puffiness by your eyes, clearly a sign you’ve been crying. Yet you act as if they aren’t there, looking at him wearily from your place in the doorway. 

Ben shakes himself from his thoughts, a reply spilling swiftly from his lips. “I’m from the apartment below yours and I heard a noise. It sounded like something broke… I just wanted to see if you needed any help.”

Your hand itches to wipe the lingering wetness from your eyes but you refrain, shrugging (hopefully) nonchalantly. “I think your ears are playing tricks on you.”

His eyebrow furrows, unconvinced, but not wanting to pry too much. Still, he persists once more. “Are you sure? Nothing happened? I thought I heard someone…” He hesitates, wondering if he should mention the sobs he’d heard. “...someone break something.”

You gift him a shake of your head and a half-smile with no light to it. “Thanks for caring, sir–”

“Ben.”

“–Ben, that’s nice of you, but I should probably go back in,” You back up from the door and wave to him. “Wish I could tell you about the noise, but I didn’t hear a thing. It must have been the wind.”

“Yeah,” He nods to himself, suddenly wondering why on Earth he’d dragged himself up here at this ungodly hour. You’ve made it clear that whatever was going on is something you can handle on your own. Still, he wonders if you’ll be okay tonight. “Yeah, okay. Sorry to bother you.”

“You’re fine, sorry you came all this way for nothing.”

“It’s okay,” He waves off your concerns like batting away a fly. “Have a goodnight.”

“You, too.”

You close your door and Ben makes his way back to the elevator, more tired than he was before. His feet drag as he shuffles back to his apartment, practically able to hear his bed crying out from lack of use. 

True to character, he takes a Mountain Dew from his fridge, making note to buy some more tomorrow at work, and takes a seat at his desk to finish his assignment. 

It’s only when he crawls into bed an hour later does he realize he never asked your name.

⏭ 

The second time he hears it, Ben knows it’s not the wind. 

It’s been two weeks since he’d gone up to your apartment that night and he hasn’t spoken to you much more since then. Penny was quick to befriend you, though Ben knows first-hand that it’s just a talent of hers. That girl was even able to befriend Talbott from 5D and in the two years Ben and Jae have lived in that apartment, he can count on one hand the amount of times he’s heard him speak. 

Your name is MC, from what he gathered during his talks with Penny. Apparently, you took swiftly to Chiara and Tulip from your floor, two people Ben has only ever encountered during one of Penny’s or Diego’s house parties. He also heard that this is your third move in a year and ponders how long you’ll be staying this time. 

Strangely, he finds himself hoping it’s a while. 

He’s only seen you a few times around the building, with his busy schedule and your free time occupied with moving into your place, it’s rare to catch either of you with a spare moment these days. On those occasions, the two of you weren’t able to move beyond nods of acknowledgement and brief pleasantries. Though, the one time he helped you carry some boxes up to your apartment, he found that he’d really enjoy getting to know you better. 

At current, Ben looks up at your apartment from his place on the floor. He’d collapsed onto the floor of his room after getting off his shift early that night. Evidently, his co-worker –Ismelda?– had been asking around to trade shifts to make her sister’s wedding and for once Ben jumped at the chance for a good night’s rest. Granted he’ll have to make time to come in early tomorrow, but it’s worth it. 

You’re crying again, he realizes upon further inspection. He hadn’t heard a shatter this time, but that doesn’t do much to ease his worries. Slowly, he sneaks into Jae’s room and taps on his sleeping figure, his mind already made up. 

Jae groans into his pillow, burying his head further into the white cushion. Ben takes this as his que to explain. 

“Hey, um– I’ll be right back, okay? I gotta go.. get something.”

His roommate simply grunts and Ben figures that’s as good a response as he’ll get from him at the moment. 

This time it’s only ten past midnight when he leaves his apartment, pajamas definitely wrinkled and hair a mess, but that’s the least of his worries. Making his way into the elevator, he waits until the doors open and makes a beeline to your door, pulling nervously at his sleeves. He’s not sure how you’ll take another late night disturbance, but tells himself it’s best to make sure you’re okay before going back to bed. 

After two knocks, your door swings open and you yawn before greeting your visitor. 

“Ben?” You ask, the same puffy eyes and raspy voice from last time. “What are you doing here? Do you need something?”

Ben chuckles, antsy, and shakes his head. “No, well, actually I was wondering if you’re okay? I was downstairs and I��� uh, thought I heard something.”

You smile at his thoughtfulness, but deny the notion nonetheless. “Nothing up here, sorry. Must have been the wind.”

“The wind, yeah,” The man hums, though it’s clear that he doesn't believe you. You don’t attempt to come up with a better excuse, however, and Ben decides that you’ll tell him when, and if, you’re ready. “Okay, well– um, if you ever need anything, I guess you know where to find me.”

“Yes, thank you,” You reply as sweetly as you can, ready to bid your goodbyes. Though as Ben turns to leave, you can’t help but call out to him. “Oh and, Ben?”

He just turns and the sincerity in his soft brown eyes catch you just a little off guard. “Thanks for caring.”

This time he’s the one who smiles, an actual, genuine smile that makes his eyes sparkle with an energy you don’t recall from last time. You can’t help but reciprocate and you wish him a goodnight before retreating back to the empty shadows of your apartment.

⏭ 

Ben stifles a yawn as he struggles to keep his head from falling on the counter. The store is quiet and empty, not a single person around for entertainment. The sky has long since darkened into an inky black, the clouds shielding the stars from sight. The shift is slow, but then again, he never really gets more than four customers at these hours, anyway. 

He’s resting his head in his hands, preparing to lose his battle against sleep when the bell above the entrance door chimes and he bolts up right. 

Certain he’ll get whiplash at this rate, he peers around the store for the wandering customer. It’s hard to see from his place by the register, but a girl is looking around, huge jacket practically dangling off her smaller figure. She has a hood pulled over her head and he’s unable to identify her, too used to the regulars, but he dismisses it and checks the time. 

He has another half hour before he can go home and Ben tries his best to stay awake until then. 

After five more minutes of looking around, the girl brings a handful of things to the checkout, finally pulling off her hood. He recognizes her immediately. 

“MC?”

You look up from your phone, a shocked expression on your face. Despite the time of night, you don’t look as tired as the last few times he’s seen you and Ben takes that as a good sign. Your eyes also don’t seem to hide the remnants of tears, another good thing that almost has him smiling. Instead, he rubs the back of his neck shyly as a more proper greeting. 

“Hey, Ben,” You offer a half-smile for the first time and it brightens up your entire face, leaving Ben a little short of breath. “I didn’t know you worked here?”

One by one, Ben begins to ring up your things, anxiously chewing at his bottom lip. He’s not used to the attention from anyone besides Penny and he’s not quite sure what to say. 

“I take the late night shifts…”

“I can see that.”

“Right.”

A grimace finds its way on his face, the awkwardness of this conversation enough to make him wish the ground would swallow him whole. However, he’s rendered slightly speechless when a tiny, barely there giggle falls from your mouth. Now he’s sure his cheeks, neck, all the way up to his ears are probably dusted an embarrassing shade of pink, but he can’t really find it in himself to care too much if that sound becomes more commonplace between you. 

“I don’t really see you around the building too much,” You start, examining the nutrition labels of your items with suspicious interest. “Is this where you always run off to?”

Ben shakes his head, going a little slower on ringing up your –groceries?– things. “Ah, not all the time. Most of my time is actually spent at the library, I hardly do anything but study these days.”

“Oh, you attend college here?”

“Yeah,” He’s still a little unnerved, but he’s significantly pleased with how easy conversation flows with you. “I knew going for a double major was a bad idea…” 

You purse your lips in thought, taking a pause to sweep over the man before you one more time. He does look exhausted, every time you’ve seen him since moving in he hasn’t been without the company of tired eyes and a spent expression. Though, you think he could say the same for you, always seeming to catch you at the worst of times… 

“I’ve always wondered what it’s like to double major, seems like it’s not for everyone.”

Ben laughs at this, dry and uneven, almost like it were an inside joke that you don’t understand. “To be honest, I’m not quite sure it’s for me.”

“Then why did you do it?” 

He shrugs then, mindlessly, rotating to bagging the things you’ve bought. “I don’t know, I guess I just couldn’t decide what I wanted to do and I thought I’d do both? Even I don’t understand my logic there, but I can’t just quit now.”

You fish the appropriate amount of money from the pocket of your jacket and hand it to him. He takes it with a customary smile and starts adding your change. “Well, I think it was very brave of you. Not everyone has the courage to chase their dream, let alone two of them.”

Ben halts his calculations, his brown irises snapping up to meet yours, the question on his tongue reflected in his eyes. 

“You think so?” He asks, and when he speaks his voice is so soft, so uncertain, like he has no idea what he’s doing and your heart clenches just slightly in your chest. 

Maybe it’s the time of night that loosens his lips, or possibly his significant lack of sleep, but he finds that your opinion matters a lot to him for someone he hardly knows. 

You nod then, the action relieving some of the weight from his shoulders and he hands you the rest of your change. “I, uh– thanks.”

“No problem.”

With nothing left to say, you’re about to head back over to your shared building when he asks you a last minute question. 

“Do you go to school, too?” He stutters for a second, seemingly rethinking his decision to ask in the first place. “If you don’t mind me asking that is. I don’t mean to intrude.”

It’s endearing, you think, the way he tries his hardest not to offend you, his cheeks pinking just a smidge.

“I used to,” You say, hesitating on whether or not he deserves an explanation. Well, he doesn’t necessarily deserve one, per se, but you like him. You find that you don’t mind if he knows why. “I never finished my junior year… family troubles.”

The store clerk senses that he won’t get anything more than that, not that he cares. He’s really just happy you haven’t asked him to shut up yet. 

He nods, picking his hand up off the counter to wave you farewell in lieu of an actual goodbye. You wave back, your steps a bit lighter than they were when you came in. 

Likewise, when Ben stumbles into his apartment later that night and isn’t greeted with the sound of sobs coming from upstairs, he decides that he definitely wants to get to know you better.

⏭ 

Since that night, you, oddly as far as Ben is concerned, have taken to visiting him during his shift. You always come in around the same time –ten past two in the morning– and he’s starting to wonder if the two of you are just simply nocturnal. 

You don’t ever get more than a handful of items, sometimes you don’t even get anything at all. You’ll just come in and have a seat by his checkout counter and the both of you will talk until it’s time for you to take your leave. The topic of your conversations are mindless subjects, never on the same thing for long. At first you adventured the typical subjects of favorites; food, color, movie, song, etc. However, it didn’t take long for him to grow comfortable in your presence and he’s going out on a limb here, but he thinks you feel the same way.

Now, you often times walk in with something random on your tongue, likely having been stuck in your head all day long. Ben doesn’t mind, he’s grateful for a friendly face to keep him going during his utterly boring shifts, and it’s humorous to him the things that occupy your mind.

At the current moment, you’re seated in a chair Ben has set up just for your visits, humming along to the song on the radio overhead, a bag of popcorn in hand. You had managed to convince him to stay on this one station that doesn’t play anything that came out after the 80’s, but it’s nice to see you relaxed and happier. Besides, he secretly listens to this station before you show up, anyway.

Since your first visit two months ago, Ben hasn’t heard you crying late at night more than three times. Ben hopes these sessions of yours will continue to diminish until it becomes a thing of the past, causing him to wonder if maybe his groggy state had made up the entire thing. Until then, all he can do is give you his employee discounts and hope for the best.

“Do you know this song?” You inquire, ending the comfortable silence that had enveloped you when you came in.

Ben scoffs, the familiar melody flooding his ears. “I’d be more surprised if I didn’t. Penny listens to these guys like it’s her job. ‘Can hear it from across the hall at least once a week.”

You snicker, hiding behind your hand. The ABBA lyrics flowing in your ears, providing you with a bit more energy this early in the morning. “Waterloo is nice, but I personally like Fernando a bit more.”

The blonde shakes his head fondly and you raise your eyebrow at him. “What?”

“Nothing,” He denies, the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I just thought that you’d like something less… mainstream.”

“Mainstream?” You gasp, not believing what you were hearing. You mock offense and Ben chuckles under his breath, careful not to be so loud as to disturb the customer in the back. “Well, what’s your favorite, then?”

He ponders this for a moment, but eventually he sighs, not having come to a definite conclusion. His pink lips curve into a tiny pout that’s much cuter than what you think is fair. “Truthfully, I’m more of a Billy Joel-David Bowie person.”

You want to tease him, but in truth it’s fits him well. It’s all too easy to imagine him sweeping this store, whistling along to the tune of Piano Man, and you grin at the thought. 

“Don’t let Penny hear you say that,” You warn goodnaturedly and Ben shakes his head. “She won’t be as understanding.”

Ben shudders at the implication, a shiver traveling all the way down his spine. “God, no. That girl is really scary sometimes.”

Waterloo comes to its end and is replaced by the melody of Three Dog Night, accompanied by a hint of nostalgia for a time you never experienced. A mistake, you’re sure. 

A memory comes to mind, one that has you pausing in your humming and Ben admires you curiously. “My brother liked David Bowie…” 

Taking notice of your use of past tense, Ben halts as you kick at the dust by your shoe. Only once have you mentioned your brother in the, admittedly short, time he’s known you, but it’s not hard to deduce that it’s a sensitive subject with you. All he knows about the guy is that you don’t talk often, a fact you had stuttered out from nervousness. He knows better than to pry, but he can’t say he isn’t curious.

It’s as he’s debating on changing the topic that you pull yourself from your reverie, playfully throwing a piece of popcorn at him. It’s a half-assed effort, but Ben doesn’t complain as the snack bounces off his forehead. 

Ben huffs and steals a piece to throw at you in return and within seconds you’re littering the floor with cheese powder and popcorn. A piece he throws your way finds purchase in your hair and he can’t help the laugh that tumbles from his throat, or his resulting smile when you do the same. It’s not until he hears the clearing of a throat do you cease fire long enough for Ben to actually do his job. 

After a minute, Ben rings up the man’s things and hands them back to him, waving a weak goodbye to the regular and the store is empty once again. This time, it’s you who clears their throat as you ask him something that you meant to a while ago.

“Do you have any siblings?” You regard him, tilting your head out of interest. The man looks to you briefly and shakes his head. “Only child, then?”

“Yep. I always wanted one growing up, until this one family moved in next door,” He laughs as he recalls the memory of his neighbors, each one with fiery red hair. To this day he still does a double take whenever he sees someone else with the color, expecting six others to be in tough. “After that I realized I didn’t need one to be happy.”

You nod along to his words, suddenly quiet. For some reasons unknown to him, this unnerves Ben, already used to the harmonious sound of your voice and the spark in your eye when you talk about things you like. Watching you now, a look of thoughtfulness on your face, he’d do anything to know what you’re thinking. 

He’s about to interrupt, to ask for himself, but you beat him to it. 

“Do you ever feel lonely?”

You survey him with sad eyes, not quite glossy with tears, but he swears he can see the ones that escape when you think no one is listening. There’s a sense of vulnerability there that he didn’t expect; didn’t expect you to share with him, to allow him to see. In their depths he can see pain, too, though it’s nothing new; everyone knows that it’s loneliness’ best friend. 

Idly, he wonders who put it there. 

However, when you ask him this, your voice wavers, shaky and almost afraid, something he is closely acquainted with himself. You’re seeking answers for something more than just the question voiced, from someone who doesn’t have them. And, dear God, he wished he did, even if just for your sake. Never did he anticipate something like this from someone he’s only known a few months, but that ceases to matter to him as he softens at your imploring gaze. 

The college student decides to answer your question, as that’s the best he can do for you at the moment. 

“Sometimes,” He confesses and somehow he knows that’s not the answer you wanted. You deflate, shrinking back into your winter coat. 

Not giving himself the chance to second guess himself, he reaches an arm out and tucks a stray piece of hair out of your face. His hands are clammy and his nerves are eating at him, but he thinks you’re more important right now. You look up at him like a deer caught in the headlights, but gently lean into the touch even so.

His licks his lips, which are much more dry than they were a minute ago. “But,” He murmurs, the song filtering through the speakers long forgotten, fading into background noise. You cling onto every word he says, desperate for the words of wisdom from someone with experience. “Sometimes the people I surround myself with are all I need.”

⏭

“We are not watching a horror movie,” Ben pouts as his roommate laughs, the sound filling his ears like an echo, mocking him. “You know I don’t like those!”

“Yes, Benjamin, we’re aware that you’re a baby,” Jae sniggers as the other man tosses the closest pillow at his head, the former just barely dodging it. Penny laughs, nudging her own roommate with an ‘that’s totally us’ look. 

The aforementioned roommate, Tonks, takes the opening to throw another pillow at the raven haired boy, causing him to smirk, and Ben knows what that means. Thus a full blown pillow fight arises and Ben is left to pull back to the sidelines. 

Feathers and stuffing is falling from the pillows and Ben decides that they’ll have to get new pillows on his next day off. 

“They’re fighting again?” You sigh from his left, a fresh bowl of popcorn and m&m’s, per Tonks’ request, observing the chaos before you. 

He shoots you a quick glance before humming his response. “Well, if you count pillow fighting ‘fighting’.”

“What other kind is there?” You grin and Ben doesn’t fight the one spreading his own lips apart. 

Tilting his head in a rare moment of snark, he gestures to the bowl in your hand. “The popcorn kind.”

“Touché,” You surrender with a chuckle, going back to admiring your neighbors. “Are they always like this?” Laughing, you offer the bowl to him. 

Ben caves and grabs a handful, earning a sharp glare from you, though the both of you know there’s no legitimate malice behind it. “Yeah, when you put them together.”

“Wow,” Is all you can say as the two of you continue to eat the popcorn for what was supposed to be a joint movie and ‘get to know the new girl’ night, unbeknownst to the others. 

“You think this is bad, you should have seen Diego and Barnaby’s party in July,” He whistles low, recalling the night from last year, a grimace painting his face. “Man, that was insane. Or New Year’s! Honestly, I’m surprised Binns hasn’t kicked them out, yet.”

Sparing him a glimpse, you make no move to join in the battle that’s taken up residence in his living room, albeit beginning to wind down. “I take it you don’t like parties?”

The question has him fidgeting a little, taking his bottom lip between his teeth and twiddling his thumbs. “I’m, uh, not good with groups.”

You nod, taking a leap. “Then thank God two isn’t a crowd.”

His eyes snap to you, but you ignore the look on his face as Tonks points an accusatory finger at you both. 

“Hey! Don’t eat all the popcorn, you fiends!”

...

Ben snaps awake when he registers movement to his left as you get up from where you’d been sitting beside him. He wipes the drool from his chin as you head into the bathroom and he takes a quick scan around the room. 

Everyone is still there, sitting on the sofa, asleep. Jae’s snoring is the only other sound in the room aside from the credits of their third movie. Penny has fallen asleep on his friend’s shoulder and Tonks is spread out across the rest of the couch, head resting on her lap. The glare of the television reflects off the bubblegum pink of her hair and Ben stifles a laugh. Though, it’s not something he sees frequently and it does bring a hidden smile to his face. 

Even if Penny had threatened to spill something into all their drinks to watch Pretty in Pink, he does appreciate their companionship, and he’s glad that they can still find the time to have fun together. 

Ben reaches for the remote to shut off The Breakfast Club, Jae’s pick, and checks the time on his phone.

1:27 a.m.

Running a tired hand down his face, Ben debates waking up his friends to seek the comfort of their own beds or leaving them be to sleep on his couch. He’s about to wake up Jae to ask his opinion when you reappear from the bathroom. 

Even from his place on the couch he can see the tear stains on your cheeks, the moonlight the only thing aiding his vision as it casts a glow upon your face. You pause when you see him awake, surely knowing you’ve been caught, but you stride back over to your seat and wrap yourself back up in the blanket.

Without much thought, Ben offers you more of it and you take it gratefully. Sniffling, you look anywhere but at him and he wonders why it hurts so much. 

Rubbing the back of his neck, a nervous habit, he glances around to make sure the rest of their friends are still asleep before going to question you. When all appears well, he opens his mouth, but you beat him to the punch, something he realizes isn’t so unusual with you. 

“I should probably head back,” You say, providing a small, mirthless smile, and shuffling under the blankets. You pass the rest of them over to him and head for your phone by the outlet in the tiny kitchen. “I’m meeting with someone in the morning about maybe being my roommate so…” 

He nods on instinct, getting up to walk you to the door, remembering you mention something to him earlier. “Yeah, uh- Rowan, right?” 

He doesn’t know why it matters, why he’d said it, but you give your confirmation, anyway. “Yeah. Rowan.”

He can’t help but fidget with his fingers, not quite sure what to do with his hands as you shrug on your coat. Words are failing him, nothing forming or stringing together right as he goes about asking you about what happened. Every time he’s caught you in the past, you brush him off, which Ben isn’t sure is healthy. He’s aware you’re probably not comfortable talking about it with him, and that’s fine, but he can’t just let you walk away while in a bad state of mind. This is especially considering you’ve been a very welcomed outlet for him these past months, helping his handle and manage all his stress, something he’s immensely thankful for. He’s just not sure how to return the favor when you won’t let him… 

His cheeks feel hot now and he’s positive that were there better lighting in the room you’d be able to see it. For once, he is grateful for the darkness of night. 

“You don’t have to, you know. If you don’t want to,” You send him a puzzled look and he sighs, fearing that he’d have to explain. “It’s late and we’re all tired, so you– er, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I know it’s not necessarily a long journey or anything, but you can sleep on the couch if you want, or you can have my bed if you’d prefer that.”

He’s cringing internally, already anticipating your rejection. He was too nervous, too jittery, and now you’re not going to want to come back. Why would you, when all he does is interrogate you and ask questions you don’t want to answer?

You take ahold of his hands that he hasn’t left alone since you got to the door and pull his attention back to you. There’s a smile on your lips when he looks up from his shoes, something that looks out of place on your tear stained face, but still enchanting nonetheless. He’s rendered speechless by the strength he finds in you and you wrap your arms sagely around his neck. 

Ben freezes for a moment, not sure if this is real or not, but when you don’t pull away and he doesn’t wake up back on the couch, he realizes that he is indeed awake. With a start, he goes to snake his own arms around your waist and you grin against his neck. After a few more seconds of reveling in each other’s embrace, you pull away and you don’t look quite as sad anymore. 

“Thank you,” You whisper into the void, silence surrounding you like a mist. You almost go to pull him into another hug as he lets out a breath of relief, finding the action more endearing than you probably should. “But I couldn’t do that to you.”

“It’s fine,” He assures, one hand still lingering on your hip, seemingly going unnoticed by him. “You know you’re always welcome here.”

The words I know are on the tip of your tongue, ready to fall off, to be said and heard, but you swallow them. Instead, you just smile wider, hoping that he senses this is nothing to do with him and that regardless of whether you stay or don’t, nothing is his fault. However, he’s stubborn, something not a lot of people know, and you know full well that his habit of blaming himself is almost as bad as yours. You know that, right now, with your decision made, there’s nothing you could say to convince him otherwise. 

That alone has you close to reconsidering. 

Still, you’re stubborn, too, and insist. “You’ve got enough on your hands with the three of them,” Gesturing over to your other friends, still asleep on the sofa, you open the door and bid your goodnight. “Don’t worry about me, Ben, I’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, yeah, alright. Goodnight then, MC.”

Your heart breaks just a little for him as he closes the door, no mistaking the solemn expression on his face as he does so. It clicks shut and you sigh, asking why you always have to ruin things for yourself.

“Goodnight, Ben.”

⏭

The door to his apartment creaks open as he tumbles in, his muscles begging him for sleep. Thankfully, he finished up his coursework during his shift tonight and he has nothing left to do other than crash and attempt to get as much sleep as he can before his 8 a.m. class. 

The place is eerily silent when he closes the door behind him, the sound of Jae’s loud snores absent, something he’s become accustomed to hearing upon his return home. 

Walking around, he manages to spot a note taped to the fridge and he walks over to read it. 

Ben,

staying at billingsley’s tonight, assignment due tomorrow. 

be back later.

-J

With a sigh and a shrug, he tosses the note and grabs a glass of water before heading to bed. Grabbing one from the cabinet, he does his best not to fall asleep before reaching his room. He never likes being home alone after a shift, something about the complete and utter silence always unsettles him. 

He’s ready to go to sleep, skipping putting on pajamas and going straight to bed, when he’s met with a familiar sound, one he hasn’t heard in a while. 

It’s you, and you’re crying again. 

A curse leaves his lips and his chest feels tight. You’re crying, again, and he doesn’t know what to do. He still doesn’t know why you’re always up at this hour or what it is that makes you cry, but he swears if he has to hear you suffer one more time… 

His hands itch for a plan, something to do to help you, make you feel better, but his mind is blank. If you hadn’t confided in him all the times before, what makes this time any different? I mean, why would you let him in this time? Even so, he decides, there has to be something he can do, because Ben knows that the whispering of the wind doesn’t sound like heart wrenching sobs and a promise broken by empty words. 

With nothing else to do, he trusts his instincts and goes with the first thing that comes to mind. 

Dragging one of the chairs from their poor excuse of a dining table, he walks it over to where the sound is loudest, figuring that must be where you are. Pulling his phone from his pocket and grabbing the bluetooth speaker off the counter, he climbs up onto to chair and pulls up a song the two of you heard on the radio a few days ago during his shift. He places the speaker as close to the ceiling as he can and takes a breath. 

He knows how weird this must look from an outside point of view, hell this is weird to him, but it’s the only thing he can think of. He doesn’t know if this will work at all, quite frankly he’s pretty sure it won’t, but he has to try, right?

He closes his eyes for a second and hopes against hope that the walls are thicker than he knows them to be before pressing play. 

As the music of Lean On Me begins to play, drifting smoothly throughout the dullness of his apartment and the voice of Bill Withers fill his ears, the crying ceases. He allows the song to play, wondering and wishing that you can hear it and know what it means. He’s never been the best with words, or expressing himself, but he hopes this conveys the message for him. 

Seconds pass and he doesn’t hear anything, he just stands there in silence, holding the speaker up to the roof. No sound comes from your apartment and he wonders if maybe you’re ignoring him, or perhaps you went to sleep. Just as he’s starting to think that maybe he fucked up, there’s a knock at his door. 

He puts the speaker down, but doesn’t turn it off on the off chance that you’re still upstairs listening to it, and walks over to his door. His first thoughts are that it’s one of his neighbors, here to complain about the noise at three something in the morning. Merula, possibly, or Andre. He’s not really sure which one he prefers.

Though, when it swings open, that’s not what he finds. 

You’re there, hair and eyes wild as you regard him. As he expected, there are fresh tears in your eyes, though this time you don’t bother hiding them or wiping them away. You simply stand there, regarding him with a frown tugging your mouth down in a somber expression. You’re in your pajamas, wrinkled and much too big for you, but you don’t seem to care much about how you look right now. Instead, you look at him, a desperate plea dying on your tongue and his mind hurls to a stop. 

Without a word, you throw yourself into his arms and this time he doesn’t hesitate to reciprocate the hug, pulling you closer into him. Ben holds you like porcelain, afraid that if he squeezes too tight you’ll break. He cradles you to him, delicately, like one would a distressed child. A few more tears slip from your eyes, dampening the shoulder of his shirt. He doesn’t care. 

You stay there like that, in each other’s arms where both of you feel the safest, door wide open for anyone to see while the song reaches its crescendo. As the music fades and the speaker goes quiet, you pull away, but stay nestled against him. 

Ben takes this opportunity to speak, deciding to hell with it and saying something he should have said a long time ago. 

“Look, MC, I’m not playing tricks on you, okay. You’re always welcome to come in, no matter what time it is or what you’re here for. You can stay here for an hour or two or three or however many you want when it’s too quiet in your apartment or the space feels too big or if you just need a friend,” The words are out in the open now, and distantly a voice in his mind is yelling at him, telling him to stop while he’s ahead, or more accurately, before he’s too far behind, but he can’t. The words, they tumble from his mouth one by one, unable to stop himself. “I’m sorry for always bothering you. I know you probably don’t want to talk about it, but you don’t have to. I’m here if you just want company–”

“Ben–”

“No, you need to hear this!” He pushes on, knowing that if he stops now, he’ll never be able to bring himself to do it again. “We can talk about the noise when you’re ready, but ‘til then…” He sighs, not wanting to give you an out, another excuse to bottle things up, but he knows pushing you won’t do any good either. “...it must have been the wind.”

Your breath catches in your throat, your own words from months ago echoing back in your ears. It sounds fake, even to you, though you always knew it did. There was just nothing else to be said at the time… but there is now.

“It’s not the wind,” You hear yourself say, the words leaving your mouth in a rush, like it was something you had to get off your chest. It is. 

The shock you see in his eyes is expected, but the way they begin to soften the longer he looks at you with those gorgeous, sincere brown irises of his gives you the push you need to finally tell him everything. 

“That first night you came to my house, the crash you heard was me being a klutz and dropping a picture frame,” You admit sheepishly, the night from all those months ago something you’ve tried not to think about since it happened, though it’s easier said than done. “It wasn’t really the frame that I was upset about as it was the picture in it.”

Ben reaches for your hand, giving you a patient nod to continue. “It’s the last picture I have of my brother and me. I was already stressed with the move and being reminded of things just didn’t help.”

“MC,” Ben whispers, careful not to scare you or make you feel pressured. His tone is soft and light, kind, and you appreciate it in this moment. “What happened to your brother?”

You gulp, dreading saying it out loud, it always makes it feel more real that way. Though it’s not like you doubt the truth in it, anyway. 

“He went missing almost two years ago,” The confession causing new tears to sting your eyes, already red and puffy from minutes ago. You ignore them, having grown used to their company. “Nobody knows where he is, how he went missing in the first place, how he’s doing, if he’s even alive…” 

“Sometimes I like to call his cellphone, just to hear his voice again when I’m sent to voicemail, though I’m not really sure why I keep doing it. I know it only makes me feel worse,” You shake your head and tears drip onto his shirt. Ben pulls you to him for another hug and your arms wrap around his waist as you tuck your head into the crook of his neck. 

“Is that why you haven’t gone back to school?”

You nod, not moving from his hold. “He wasn’t just my brother, he was my best friend, and now that he’s gone I just… I don’t know what to do. He always had all the plans and he always knew what to do when things went wrong, but he never told me what to do if he disappeared.”

“It’s not fair,” You find yourself growling, surprised at the anger, the resentment in your voice, though should you be? He left without a single word and really, what are you to do about that?

“I know, you’re right,” Ben agrees, wishing more than anything that he could help you, that he could fix it, but he knows he can’t. He can’t bring your brother back, he can’t give you closure or any sort of explanation other than: “It’s not fair.”

You sniffle, seeming to have run out of tears for now, or water in your body. Though, you can’t deny that the support of the blonde man before you doesn’t play a big role in that. “Sometimes… sometimes it’s just really hard not to feel completely alone.”

“You’re not,” Is what comes out of his mouth and the persistence behind it is not something he’s used to in himself, but he can’t dwell on that right now. “You’re not alone, MC, I can promise you that.”

“I know,” Those words, they’re not just something you wish were true now; now you know and can say with full, complete confidence and honesty that you believe. “Now I have you.”

And when you pull back to smile at him, a little broken but hopeful for the first time in what feels like forever, and press your lips softly against his, you know that so long as you have him by your side, you have nothing to worry about. 

“we can talk about the noise when you’re ready

but ‘till then

i’ll say it must have been the wind”

[hphm-stuff]

Hi.. I saw your post about hphm writing ask. Would you like to write some fluff about Talbott and my MC Viviana (Viv) please. Even Any fluff about Talbott alone too would be more than enough for me 🙂. Looking forward to it . Thanks and have a great time 🌸

I love Talbott and was really excited to get this request! As a general rule, I just right x reader fics so that everyone can enjoy them. I’m more than happy to write the fluff, and I really hope you enjoy it! I took this and ran with it, so hopefully it’s to your liking!

Pairing: Talbott Winger x Reader

Warnings: None, pure fluff.

Word count: 1.9k

Summary: Lil’ eagle boy overworks himself often, and you have to step in to remind him to take a break, take a breath, and enjoy the little things. Like flower crowns.

Note: I can’t draw for the life of me, but I would literally pay for a picture of Talbott with a flower crown. Please message me if you would let me commission that or something.

Flower Crowns

It was a Saturday, and you couldn’t find Talbott anywhere. You knew, knowing him, that he would be studying somewhere. The library? Too loud. His common room? Also too loud. His dorm? Not enough room for all his books at once. Your feet took you toward the abandoned Transfiguration classroom before you even realized where you were going. It was quiet, out of the way, and empty until Monday. That was the perfect place for him to go to focus. You stopped in front of the classroom and pushed the door open. It creaked gently, and you winced as you stepped in. You knew your boyfriend, and knew that he hated to be interrupted while studying. His head whipped around. The look on his face was a mixture of stress and annoyance, but once he registered it was you, it was replaced with a gentle smile. “Hey.”

“Hey. I was just looking for you.”

His smile grew ever so slightly and his voice took on a playful tone. “Miss me that much? We just saw each other last night.”

With a roll of your eyes and a light smile, you moved to occupy the vacant seat beside him. You turned to him, noting the literal mountain of books beside him. They had to be stacked at least a foot tall. A sigh escaped your lips as you looked over them. “It’s Saturday, T. Saturday afternoon. It’s a beautiful day outside. Why are you in here?”

He was scribbling something down on his parchment and answered absentmindedly. “There’s a Potions test on Monday, love. Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“Of course I didn’t forget. Do you do anything other than study?”

He looked at you like that was the dumbest question he’d ever heard. “You know I do other things. We went to Hogsmeade last weekend.”

“After I practically begged for you to go. I’d asked you every week, and you finally relented.”

He shrugged, almost brushing you off. “I want to do well in classes.”

“Talbott, you already do well in classes. I can guarantee you that you’ll walk into that Potions test and ace it, without even trying.”

He sighed. “I just want to make sure I do that.”

“You need to stop working so hard sometimes. You’re so smart, T. So smart. You need to take a day to yourself sometimes.”

He was staring at his books, but you knew he was hearing your words. You watched him from your spot beside him, waiting for any sort of response. When he was quiet for a bit, you prodded more. “You need to think about yourself, T. You’re going to overwork yourself and burn out.”

“I’m fine. Really.”

“When’s the last time you went a day without cracking open a book when you didn’t absolutely have to?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Please, take a break today. Let’s go do something. I don’t want you burning out.”

“Let me just go over a few more things and then I’ll put the book away, alright?” he sighed.

You relented and kept him quiet company as he worked. It took hours of you trying to entertain yourself and pestering him for him to finally pack up his books. It was getting into the early evening when he finally packed up.

“Can we finally do something?” you asked.

There were only so many things you could do to keep yourself occupied in an empty classroom. You’d already roamed the class, looking at all the books that line McGonagall’s shelves. You’d looked through the books Talbott brought that he wasn’t using. You’d even stared out the window for longer than you even knew.

Talbott looked at you with a gentle grin and nodded his head. “We can do something.”

You grinned in response. “Meet me by the forest in ten minutes. If you’re not there, I’m coming to find you.”

“I’ll be there. I’m just going to put my books away,” he responded after a light chuckle.

You took his word for it and made your way back to your dorm, grabbing a bag and shoving a comfortable blanket in there. You also grabbed yourself a sweater, tossing it in the bag as well, just in case it got chilly later. Once you’d grabbed everything you needed, you set off toward the forest. Talbott had beat you there, and he greeted you with a playful grin. “For a second I thought I’d have to come find you.”

You rolled your eyes, grinning as you made your way toward him. You took his hand and led him toward the outskirts of the forest, far enough away to be safe. The area you chose was riddled with little flowers of all colours. You then set down the bag you brought with you, pulling out the blanket and laying it on the grass. You heard Talbott speak from behind you, the smile evident in his voice. “What do you have planned?”

You let out a soft giggle and moved to sit on the spread out blanket, patting the spot beside you. He sank down onto it, turning to you with a smile. You returned it. “I just wanted to spend some time with you. I feel like we haven’t had a full conversation in forever.”

Talbott was leaning back a little, his hands on the blanket behind him to support him. He scooted closer to you, his tone light. “Or, maybe, you’re too high maintenance.”

He was grinning, his tone light and playful. You gasped, feigning offence. “Excuse me?”

He laughed gently. “Clingy might be the better word? Attached? Maybe obsess-”

You cut him off with a kiss. He smiled gently against your lips as he returned it. When you pulled back, he was grinning. “What was that for?”

“Your Ravenclaw was showing. I needed it to stop.”

He laughed gently, leaning in to press a light kiss to your cheek. “You usually love it.”

“Not when you’re making fun of me.”

He grinned, moving to place an arm around your waist. You looked at him, taking in that beautiful moment with that beautiful boy. It struck you, just then, how far you two had come. Talbott, usually reserved, quiet and lonesome was different with you. He was almost carefree. It was a wonderful feeling, realizing that you brought this out of him, even if it was only with you. He pulled you out of your thoughts with a soft clearing of his throat. You felt a blush rise to your cheeks before looking away. “Sorry.”

He tugged you closer by the arm that was draped around you. At this point, your thighs were pressed against each other. You picked your head up to look at him, and found that he was already looking at you. “What were you thinking about, (Y/N)?”

You shook your head. “Nothing.”

“I don’t buy that,” he mused.

You gave him a timid smile. “Just thinking about you.”

“About me?”

“Yeah.”

“What about me? Good things?”

You giggled. “Always good things, T. Just shocked at how different you are with me than you are with other people.”

A grin took over his face. “What can I say? You bring out the best in me, darling.”

His cheesiness made you roll your eyes, but the smile on your face was sure to let him know that you appreciated the comment.

The two of you spent some time chatting out in the open field, enjoying each others’ company. You, at some point, absentmindedly started to play with the flowers around you. You picked one, and with a grin, stuck it in Talbott’s hair while he was mid-sentence. He turned to you, raising an eyebrow. “Really?”

You beamed at the sight in front of you. Talbott was a slightly intimidating looking guy, and the flower in his hair was in total contrast to that. “You look so cute.”

He dropped his gaze to the blanket in front of him. You caught the smile and the light blush that dusted his cheeks. You giggled softly, moving to lean into his side. He wrapped an arm around you. “Well, if it looks that good, I see no need to take it out.”

You continued to pluck some flowers, suddenly getting an idea. You started tying them together with the stems, starting to make them into a haphazard circle.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s a flower crown,” you replied as if it was obvious.

“A what?”

“Usually you need a wire to put the flowers on, but we don’t have that right now. You just tie the flowers together and make them into a circle that will fit your head.”

You glanced over at him and caught him starting to gather up his own flowers. A light smile found its way onto your face as you turned back to the crown you were working on. When you were finished, you proudly presented it to him. It was a floppy mess of stems and blossoms, but he looked at it like it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

“For you, my love,” you giggled as you set it on his head.

He grinned at you, halfway through his own. You took in the sight of him with the crown on his head, looking even more beautiful than he had with just the single flower in his hair.

The sun was setting, and the golden glow on him in that moment made your heart skip a beat. He looked so soft. So sweet. He didn’t even notice your staring as he was so focused on his own crown. He got it done a few minutes later and grinned as he held it up for you to see. It looked a lot worse than yours, but you loved it because he made it. He moved to set it on your head. “You, my darling, look radiant as ever.”

You giggled, and for what felt like the millionth time that night, blushed. The two of you sat together under the setting sun, chatting and cuddling up for warmth, or so he said. The night air was not, by any means, chilly, but you suspected that he wanted to be close to you without admitting it.

After sitting out there well past curfew, the two of you decided to pack it in for the night. Hand in hand, you walked toward the castle, still wearing your flower crowns. He walked you back to your common room and the two of you stood there for a moment. He finally spoke. “Thank you for convincing me to do something other than study. I needed that.”

You giggled. “I’m always happy to distract you. Those books get more attention than I do.”

“That’ll change, I promise.”

“It better,” you replied playfully.

He grinned at you, leaning in to place a delicate kiss to your lips. You placed a hand on your cheek as you returned it. When he broke away from it, he gave you a light smile. “Maybe we can do something else tomorrow?”

You grinned. “Of course. Any suggestions?”

“Doesn’t matter to me, as long as I get to spend time with you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After one more gentle kiss, he was off to his common room. You watched him go, only turning to head inside when he was out of sight.

[domaslut]

What can I say? She was getting tired of waiting for him to make a move… And you can tell she is a good student: he gave her instructions, she pursued them.

TAKE A HINT FELIX. SHE’S DROOLING AFTER YOU.

[sagi-babe]

Sensitive senses

In the library...

Mc: *sitting next to Talbott chatting with Rowan*

Talbott: *try to focus on his book*

Mc: Oh hi Talbott! *she comes close to his ear to tell him a funny secret and blows when whispering to him, it wasn't even that close actually*

Talbott: *His skin bristles and he closes the book so fast to run flushed from his face to his neck* Damn, I can't ever concentrate with her around...

Mc: What just happened?

[unlikelymilkshakedream]

Those Damn Freckles

A/n: okay so I may or may not have like the biggest crush on charlie weasley right now so I'm going to write this fic. This is defiantly going to be a series, three or four parts, maybe more. Hope you enjoy!

To say that charlie weasley and you were best friends was an understatement. You two were practically soul mates, platonic of course. However you were starting to wonder if there could ever be more. Ever since you had stayed at the burrow for like a week over summer, you haven't been able to stop thinking about those damn freckles.

You descended the stairs as the clock struck one am, the short shorts clinging to your legs nicely. You couldn't sleep for hours, tossing and turning in the worst way. You decided to finally get up and get some water, thankful that no one else was awake. You went to the sink and grabbed a glass, pouring water and looking at the vast fields in front of you covered in the moonlight.

The feeling of the water slipping down your throat brought you a strong sense of calmness. You felt as though the craziness of your life, such as your family, your future and the upcoming tests in your 5th year at Hogwarts, had all paused even for a split second and you felt good.

You were brought out of your daise by a noise behind you, you whipped your head around and saw in the dimly lit kitchen charlie weasley's silhouette standing on the last step. The sudden movement of your body caused the glass to fall and shatter on the ground. "Shit charlie, you scared the crap out of me." He huffed humorously.

"Sorry, I didn't think anyone was awake." I pulled out my wand and repaired the glass.

"Yeah, I was enjoying the silence, this house is never silent." He walked over to you and took the glass out of your hand.

"Yeah, these hours of the day are some of my favorite." He smirked at the light blush on your cheeks as he thought of how pretty you looked in moonlight.

"I will admit it is peaceful here, thanks for inviting me." He chuckled.

"Of course, I wish you could stay longer." You smiled.

"Yeah, I bet you do." You chuckled. He stepped closer to you, your bodies inches away.

"Want me to show you how much I want you to stay?" Your cheeks were definitely a crimson color now.

"Ch-charlie, what're doing?" You whispered. You were staring at his freckles, thinking about how much you loved them. You looked into his eyes as he towered over you and swore he could see directly into your soul.

"I can't stop thinking about you y/n. You're my best friend and I can't live without you."

"Charlie, I- i don't know what to say." His smirk faltered.

"I'm sorry y/n, I don't know what I was thinking." He started towards the stairs before you could stop him.

"Charlie, wait I-" he ignored you and continued up the stairs to his room.

Now, as you were boarding the train to your fifth year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, you felt a subtle stress settling on your shoulders. You sighed and looked through compartments, smiling when you saw your best friends Nymphadora Tonks and Ben Copper sitting in a compartment.

"Hey! I missed you guys so much!" They both smiled as they saw you put your trunk into the overhead compartment.

"Hey y/n! How was your summer?" Your smile subsided. "Great, how was yours?"

"Awesome, I went to new york of all places, saw the empire state building-" you smiled as tonks recounted her summer to you and Ben. You sat back as the train pulled away feeling more than content.

As the train pulled up to Hogwarts and students got out, you and tonks made your way to the platform, Ben left to go with Barnaby Lee and Andre Egwu, both of whom greeted you with hugs. Now it was just you Tonks and your friend Tulip Kasaru.

Tonks wanted to make sure her dungbomb was secure in her luggage but you and tulip wanted to go with the rest of the leaving students to dinner in the great hall. You checked her luggage and went back to the platform where it was almost completely deserted. You both let out groans of annoyance.

"We have to hurry, we'll be late and thats not a great way to start our fifth year." Tulip said as you nodded. You three hurriedly ran to the great hall, getting death glares from Filch and Mrs. Norris. As you were sitting down at the Gryffindor table, you looked over and saw Charlie looking at you. You looked at him and blushed, going to ask him if you could talk later, just then Dumbledore's voice broke through the great hall. You turned away from Charlie to listen to the speech.

"Welcome, welcome, to another year-" you drowned out the speech and thought of that night with Charlie, you turned to look at him, seeing him looking at Dumbledore and Dumbledore only. You looked back at Dumbledore as first years began getting sorted into their houses and tried to stop thinking about that damn red hair you loved so much.

After dinner, you and your best friend Rowan went to the common room and sat down. "Hey y/n, how was your summer?"

"It was pretty good, how was yours?" She smiled and leaned back on the couch.

"It was amazing. Spending everyday with my family was wonderful. What about you what did you do?" Just as she said that, a certain red head walked in the common room.

"Well, this summer I stayed with a friend for a while, and honestly, things have been a little weird since." You said as Charlie walked by with Andre, you knew he could hear you. He sat down across the common room and looked at you. You smiled and he quickly averted his gaze.

"Really, who and how so?" Rowan asked, munching on some snack nuts. You looked back to her, making your voice a tad bit louder so the red head could hear you in the somewhat quiet common room.

"Well, this friend and I have known each other for years, and we're really close, but I think they have started to catch feelings. I have too, but the problem is over the summer, they tried to pull something and of course, I was too stupid to react in time. Hence the awkwardness." You took the chance and glanced at Charlie, whose gaze was directly on you.

"Damn, have you tried talking to them since?" You responded keeping eye contact with Charlie.

"Yeah, actually, I have, but I wish they would actually talk to me, I mean, I feel like an idiot because I'm not good at feelings, you know?" She nodded and smiled at the same time Charlie looked back at Andre.

"You know, any person is lucky to have you, you are the most generous and caring person I know, I'm sure it'll work out, you just gotta give it time." You smiled at her as Charlie went up to his dorm.

"Yeah I'm sure your right Rowan, thank you." You smiled. "Hey, I'm really jet lagged, or I guess train lagged, is it alright if I go to bed early?" She smiled.

"Of course, sweet dreams." She said as she made her way over to Andre. As you walked towards the stairs, you decided to take a huge chance and went to the boys dorm instead of the girls, specifically, Charlie's dorm. You prayed that he was alone, thankfully, as you opened the door soundlessly, you saw him sitting on his bed, head dropped between his shoulders in an empty dorm. You slipped in and shut the door.

"Charlie," you said in an unsteady voice. He shot up and turned towards you and you realized he was shirtless. He stared into your eyes for a second before he spoke.

"Y/n, blimey, this is the boys dorm," he said as he put on a shirt. You averted your gaze to the floor.

"I know, I'm sorry I just really wanted to talk to you, ever since summer, I feel we've been incredibly awkward in each other's presence." When he didn't say anything, you continued.

"Look, I don't know if you heard me downstairs, but I think you did and I meant what I said, all of it. The part about me being too stupid to realize how to respond, the part about me liking you back, everything." He walked over to you and you held your breathe.

"You mean it, you sure?" You let out a shaky breathe.

"Yes, I mean it i swear, I'm idiot and you're my best friend. Ever since that night, I swear I miss you so much and want you just as much as I miss you." He smiled and took your hand.

"I'm so glad, I've had a crush on you for years" you let out a laugh.

"So does this mean we're dating?" You asked sheepishly.

"Wow you really meant the part about being stupid huh?" You laughed and tried to look offended. Before you could say anything back, he brought his lips upon yours in a long awaited kiss.

Hi everyone! I hoped you like it and like I said I will write another part, probably going to be a few months into the relationship, but I am really excited to write this because I have a huge crush on Charlie. Please let me know what you think, it means a lot to me!

[mysterioushogwartsrequests]

Ceremony (Smugglers, Part 5)

Hello everyone! I am so excited to finally be posting Part 5 of The Smugglers Series! I am so sorry to keep everyone waiting for so long, but I really had a creative stump when it came to continuing this, but I finally figured out the structure. This will be the fifth installment of this seven-part series, the next parts will center around their honeymoon and the Battle of Hogwarts. 

This piece is extremely long and I tried to shorten it, but after all the waiting the fans of the series have done, I couldn’t bear to leave anything out. I started writing Smugglers on a whim about two years ago after reading a Tumblr post and I cannot believe how much this story and this blog have grown. I owe you guys everything and I cannot wait to keep putting out work. I apologize for the long wait, but I went through a painful writer’s block regarding this story and I am happy to be releasing it.

Smugglers Series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

Taglist: @a-sweet-little-fangirl | @homowillraise | @fanfable

Just in case anyone was interested (and for my own visualizations sake) I compiled a picture of the wedding, maid-of-honor, and bridesmaids’ dresses, along with pictures of the various bouquets written in the story. If you guys would like to see them, please let me know! 

Anyways, enjoy the long-awaited continuation of “Smugglers: A Charlie Weasley Fanfiction”

Romania. November 30th, 1994.

The Romanian Dragon Sanctuary was home to an array of dangerous species. The dragons held there ranged from both manageable and potentially deadly. But amidst the potential dangers, foul-smelling cages, and bitter weather, a certain couple spent their final month before they finally moved back to their shared home in Scotland. 

Charlie Weasley, renowned Dragonologist, and fidgety husband to be proposed to master Gringotts Curse-Breaker (Y/N) (L/N) during the 1994 Quidditch World Cup surrounded by their family and friends. Encouraged by the outbreak after the cup and the realization that war could break out at any moment, the two worked quickly to organize and finalize their wedding. 

But before going forth with their wedding, Charlie and (Y/N) were finishing up their tasks at the Sanctuary. The workers had safely transported the four dragons utilized in the first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament back to Romania and they all settled comfortably into their respective nests. Luckily for (Y/N), her last mission reeled in far more gold than the Goblins had expected, and granted her some time off, which she gladly took to spend some time with her fiancé. She was truly enjoying her time at the Sanctuary, although she never encountered dragons while on her trips, she hoped that the information she learned from Charlie and his colleagues would prove useful in the long run. Charlie, on the other hand, spent his early mornings caring for the newly hatched Peruvian Vipertooths and his afternoons patrolling the grounds ensuring the dragons were safely secured for the night. Ever since his departure from Hogwarts, Charlie had spent most of his time studying the various dragon species held at the Sanctuary. During his stint there, however, he had never witnessed the ferocity of baby Vipertooths. 

The nonnative Vipertooths were having a difficult time adjusting to the brutal cold of the Romanian countryside and Charlie worked day and night to ensure they survived. Although quite small, the dragons posed a large threat to whoever handled them due to their poisonous bites and their intense, unsatisfiable craving for human flesh which Charlie – charmed by their adorability – almost fell victim to them the first couple of days they were in his care. 

The Sanctuary workers were in full swing, carefully preparing for the upcoming blizzard. Steady tents erupted near the dragon nests and each worker was tasked with creating protective barriers around them to protect any of the eggs and their mothers.

Back on Ridgebit Rock, (Y/N) trudged through the snow with a clipboard in hand and studying the contents of the wooden crates lined up along the center. Charlie pulled the collar of his jumper higher, hiding the lower half of his face in the turtleneck as he called out numbers to his fiancée. (Y/N) had grown accustomed to the hectic environment and considered the sanctuary a second home so she couldn’t help feeling nostalgic as they finished up the final task. 

She looked around the surrounding forest, closing her eyes and breathing in the crisp cold air, shivering as a gust of wind blew past them. “I’m going to miss this,” she spoke up, clutching the board close to her chest, “You’ve spent so much time here, it feels bittersweet to leave it behind…” She understood that to grow, one must move on, but it was unusual to have their time at the sanctuary come to an end. 

“Me too,” replied Charlie, gazing towards the heated tent that held the small Vipertooths, “I wonder if the Dragons will remember us when we’re gone...” (Y/N) giggled, cut off by a sneeze as another gust of wind blew through the forest. Charlie glanced over at his fiancée, his heart swelling at the tinge of red that spread across her nose and cheeks. “You’re cold, aren’t you?” He asked while (Y/N) blew hot air into her gloves, attempting to cover her reddening nose.

Charlie smiled sweetly, removing his scarf, and wrapping it around her to shield her from the cold breeze. He gazed at her face with admiration, running his thumb across her cold cheek as she leaned into his gloved hand. 

“A little,” She admitted, setting down her clipboard and quill and slipping her hand into Charlie’s with ease, “But, I hope they remember us,” responding to his earlier statement while gazing over the hill where some of the dragons were kept, “They’ll be taken care of here and we can always come to visit.” (Y/N) grinned, squeezing her fiancé’s hand, “I’m sure they’d love to have their best Dragonologist back, not to mention their most handsome one.” 

Charlie hummed in satisfaction, “You’re absolutely right,” He replied, pulling her in for a tight hug and pressing a kiss against her cheek, “We’ve done a lot here and I never properly thanked you for staying by my side” He muttered, his fingers playing with her hair as they embraced. 

“And why wouldn’t I, Mr. Weasley?” (Y/N) teased, “After all, we said ‘til the end of the line our fourth year, remember?” 

All the adventures, family outings, dangerous vault discoveries, and, of course, all the travels that helped them grow as a couple. The two had spent years together, watching each other go through the awkward stages of adolescence and all the hardships that came along with it. From the moment they met, they had each other’s back and although that fact did not need to be confirmed by a ceremony, they knew it was the next big step in their relationship. 

“And soon we’ll be saying, til death do us part�� Charlie added sweetly, pulling her scarf down and quickly stealing a kiss from her.  (Y/N) smiled against Charlie’s kiss, placing her gloved hands on his cheeks, and pulling him in before pulling herself away from his grip, “But we need to finish taking inventory” she joked, picking up her clipboard from the crate and tapping her quill against it. 

“Always so determined,” he replied, rolling his eyes as he attempted to pull her back into his grip and laughing as she ran down the snow, “Let's finish up so we can head home” Charlie smiled, catching up to her and pulling her along the Sanctuary. 

Scotland. November 30th, 1994. 

The warmth of their home quickly enveloped them as they stepped out of the fireplace, the green flames dying down at their feet. Although it was still rather chilly outside, it was nothing compared to the weather in Romania. 

The two walked around the ground floor of their home, hanging up their coats and scarves in the entrance closet. Their usually tidy home had papers scattered over the countertop, along with different types of flowers, silverware, envelopes filled with wedding invitations, and other materials necessary for their preparations. 

(Y/N) sighed at the mess they left behind. Planning a wedding proved to be more difficult than breaking curses at Hogwarts, and she always worried she would miss something essential while they prepared. 

She rounded the kitchen counter, sorting the letters the owls had deposited at their house while they were away. Their wedding date was approaching fast, and the thought of their big day eased her worries but amplified them simultaneously. 

(Y/N) tore open one of the letters, her eyes scanning over the neat cursive with a subtle smile on her face. 

Dear Cursebreaker, 

(Y/N) Selwyn, I wanted to reaffirm how honored I am to hold the position as stylist for this special occasion. I’m sure you’ll recall our previous correspondence where I told you not to stress about any of the fashion choices for your wedding. But knowing you, you’ve spent hours tearing through magazines trying to find the perfect wedding dress and bridesmaids’ dresses.

But I am a man of my word and I intend to provide one of my best friends an eye-catching gown with bridesmaids’ dresses to match. I have enclosed the finalized – and colorized – sketches of your wedding gown and the dresses the girls will be wearing. I’ve included three options for your dress and two for the bridesmaids’ dresses. You’ve never mentioned a maid of honor, but I designed a variant just in case you picked one without informing me. 

Write to me as soon as possible so I can finalize the preparations. If all goes accordingly, your dress should be finalized before Christmas. 

I hope you’re intending on wearing a tiara, I think it would tie everything together and I included them in the drawings so you could visualize it. In all honesty, I truly think this is my best work as your style-Wizard and I expect some well-deserved credit at your reception. 

All jokes aside, take a look at the dresses and send me your response, along with the measurements of your selected maid of honor and bridesmaids. Also, tell Charlie to write back as soon as possible. I sent him his dress robes options ages ago and he hasn’t sent a letter back, I should honestly charge him for it. 

That was another joke, I’m not taking any form of payment from either of you. That’s final so don’t even try to debate me on that. 

I can’t believe you two are finally getting married. You don’t know how long everyone has been thinking about this day, I can’t wait to see everyone. 

I hope you and Charlie are well.

Best Regards, 

Your friend and best style wizard in all of Europe, 

Andre Egwu

(Y/N) reached into the envelope and pulled out several pieces of parchment, each containing intricately painted dress designs in various shades of white, silver, and gold with a thin red sash tied around the waist. She smiled brightly at the letter and tucked the contents back in the envelope, setting it in the bin labeled “important” to remind herself to take a better look at them tomorrow morning. 

She turned back towards the kitchen countertop, gathering the letters from Gringotts, as well as notices from the Ministry of Magic, and sorting them into their respective piles. Charlie came out of the entrance closet where he stashed his dragon-hyde boots and the rest of his fireproof gear to the sound of the rustling of papers. Shaking his head, he turned into the kitchen with a faint smile. 

Even after all their hard work in Romania, she still managed to find another task to keep herself occupied. 

“I don’t think so,” Charlie uttered, pulling (Y/N) away from the mess, and gently pushing her against the kitchen wall. Charlie admired her beauty once more, placing his calloused hand on her waist, “You’ve been working all day, I’ll be damned if I see you cleaning this late” He spoke, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. 

“Charlie,” whined (Y/N), crossing her arms with a pout when her fiancé caged her in, “You know we’re behind on preparations,” she explained, placing her hands on his shoulders, and massaging them gently, “And you haven’t replied to Andre, he’s growing rather tense and so are you, it seems.” He caught himself admiring her once again, admiring how easy it was for her to read him. Charlie thought back to their years at Hogwarts and those moments where she would bring him exactly what he was craving for dinner or when she silently comforted him, even though he had not spoken about what bothered him. And even though he immediately eased up under her touch, his goal to keep her relaxed was unshakable. 

“You, my love,” hummed Charlie, running his thumb against the apples of her cheeks, “Are going to take a nice, warm bath while I make you dinner.” (Y/N) smiled up at Charlie lovingly, wrapping her arms around his waist and nuzzling her face in his broad chest, “What if I want you in the bath with me?” She asked playfully, her hands sliding down his waist and into the back pockets of his work trousers. 

Charlie chuckled darkly, his hands sliding towards the back of her thighs and lifting her off the ground, wrapping her legs around his hips, “Who am I to deny the lady what she wants?” boasted Charlie, tightly gripping the back of her thighs, and leaning his lips close to hers. 

“Such a gentleman,” (Y/N) muttered breathily, her hands gliding through Charlie’s and her nose brushing against his. Her soft lips brushed delicately against his, close enough so he could inhale her breath and feel the warmth radiating off her skin. Charlie’s heart pounded harshly against his chest; the feeling of her lips so close yet so far sending a subtle shiver down his spine. Understanding why she paused, Charlie closed the gap between them, his lips perfectly molding against hers and she swore she felt time stop. 

It did not matter how many times they shared a kiss, it still felt like that moment on the Quidditch Pitch. That moment when Charlie pushed through the crowds of cheering Gryffindors, the house cup forgotten in the hands of another team member, to pull her in for an electrifying kiss, one that set the course of their loving relationship. (Y/N) was so captivated by their kiss that she did not notice when Charlie expertly moved up the stairs and towards the master bathroom. 

It wasn’t until he set her down on the bathroom sink that she opened her eyes, laughing wholeheartedly as Charlie bent down to open the warm water, his endearing chuckle echoing through the bathroom. 

“You’re quite sneaky, aren’t you?” questioned (Y/N) teasingly, hopping off the countertop and making her way towards Charlie, her cold hands sliding underneath his long-sleeve making him jump. 

“And what does that make you?” He retorted flirtatiously and gripping her wrists, pulling her against his chest, his hand trailing down to the side of her neck. 

“Hm, a demiguise, maybe?” She asked innocently, her eyes shifting upwards in mock pondering and Charlie rolled his impatiently, tugging the hem of her jumper and slipping it off her body. 

“Of course, how could I have missed that? The long hair honestly seals the deal. Although…” He trailed off, his eyes scanning her bare torso and sneaking a hand behind her, his fingers drumming towards the clasp of her bra, “I’ve only ever seen your eyes light up like that when your squirming underneath me–” 

“Charlie!” (Y/N) exclaimed, gaping open mouthed at the blushing red-head and failing to catch her bra as it slipped down her front. She quickly crossed her arms over her chest, hiding her exposed breasts, and slid past her fiancée, “Enough playing around,” she stated firmly, turning her back towards him and unbuttoning her trousers, letting her panties fall on the floor with them and sliding into the warm water, “Get in before I change my mind” She grinned, splashing a handful of water across his chest. 

Charlie scoffed, but pulled off his shirt by the neck, almost tripping over his trousers as he tugged them off with urgency, “Alright, alright! I surrender!” With that, he sunk behind (Y/N), pulling her against his chest and peppering kisses against her cheek. 

The Burrow. December 5th, 1994.

“Oh, my dear!” Cried Mrs. Weasley, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as (Y/N) turned in her wedding dress. Andre Egwu stood behind her, proudly gazing and his handiwork and twisting the red sash so the diamond snowflake brooch sat comfortably on the left. 

“Come on,” Andre crooned, “tell me I’m a genius” he prodded with a smirk, stepping back to stand beside Mrs. Weasley with his hands stuffed in his pockets. 

(Y/N) rolled her eyes, but turned to admire herself in the mirror, “I’m going to have to admit it this time,” she acknowledged, looking back at the satin train of her A-line gown, the tails of her red bow falling shorter than it, “You truly have outdone yourself, Andre. I really can’t thank you enough” 

Mrs. Weasley dabbed her eyes with her apron, sniffling as (Y/N) spoke, “You look radiant, (Y/N)! Charlie is going to faint when he sees you,” she beamed and walked to her, pulling her in for a tight hug. 

“But I still think you’re missing something,” Andre chimed in, drumming his fingers against the old brown box sitting on the bedroom dresser, “Like we discussed, Mrs. Weasley?” He added and (Y/N) raised a questioning eyebrow as Mrs. Weasley scurried to the desk and opened the box, shielding its contents from the soon to be bride. 

“It was Auntie Tessie’s wedding tiara,” Mrs. Weasley spoke up, beaming as she faced (Y/N), the sparkling headpiece held delicately in her hands. 

(Y/N)’s jaw almost hit the floor. Of course, she had expected Mrs. Weasley to pull out all the stops for their wedding, but she never thought she’d be hiding such a luxurious piece. 

“Mrs. Weasley– You can’t mean–,” stuttered (Y/N), shaking her head vigorously and her eyes jumping from Andre’s grinning face to Mrs. Weasley’s loving smile. 

“I do, dear,” she reassured, beckoning for her to come closer, “Andre sent me the letter when you picked your wedding dress! Of course, he didn’t know I would have the perfect piece to tie everything together, but Auntie Tessie left this behind when she passed and she especially fond of Charlie,” she began to explain, gazing down at the tiara and turning it to set it on (Y/N)’s head, “She wanted his future wife to wear it down the aisle. If that’s alright with you, of course.” 

(Y/N) turned to face the mirror once again, but this time focusing on the five sparkling rubies in the crystal tiara, “I don’t know what to say,” she forced out, overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of herself in a wedding dress, “And, yes. I want to wear this tiara, are you having a laugh?!” She exclaimed excitedly, tears welling up in her eyes as she threw her arms around her future mother-in-law, “You’ve been nothing, but kind to me all these years. I don’t know how I could ever repay you.” 

“My dear,” sniffled Mrs. Weasley, “How many times must I tell you? Charlie is the happiest I’ve ever seen him and that is all because of you, (Y/N)” she explained honestly, her hand rubbing up and down her back as they embraced, “All these years, he’s only spoken about you. How you make him feel and how important you are to him.” 

“Mrs. Weasley–”

“I think it’s high time you started calling me Molly, dear” interrupted Mrs. Weasley, pulling out of her embrace and holding (Y/N)’s shoulders tightly, “You’re going to make a wonderful bride, my darling” 

(Y/N) let out a small sob, her arms wrapping around her fiancé’s mother once again, “Thank you, Molly” she whispered, wiping her tears away and smiling down at her as tears streamed down both their faces. 

“I hate to interrupt,” Andre chimed in from behind them, the grin still evident on his face, “but I think we should get (Y/N) out of that dress before Charlie ruins the surprise.” 

The women nodded in agreement and (Y/N) removed the tiara, handing it to Molly, who returned it to its velvety cushioned box. 

“I’m going to go work on dinner, I’ll see the two of you down there in a bit,” She announced happily, exiting the room and descending the stairs to her kitchen. 

“Andre–” (Y/N) started, holding her friend by the elbows, “I have to find some way to repay you. After all these years– I mean, you made my first date outfit for Godric’s sake and you’ve never let me pay you once–”

“And I never will.” he retorted defiantly, “Your friendship is far more precious than some stupid galleons,” Explained Andre, placing his hand on her cheek, “You helped me find my passion in fashion design, you and McNully taught me how to become the best Keeper Ravenclaw house had ever seen and,” he paused, shifting around so she could look at herself in the mirror, “even though we’re not at school, you invite me to all your adventures and Ministry events. You and Charlie have given me so much and you don’t even realize it.” 

Andre took a step back, holding (Y/N)’s hands in admiration, “You deserve the very best on your wedding day, and so does Charlie. I’m just glad I’ve been along for the ride, but if you’re so adamant of repaying me,” he grinned, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, “Save me a dance the day of your wedding, that’s all I ask for.” 

The waterworks came once again, (Y/N) let out a small sob as she threw her arms around her long-term friend, “Of course, Andre,” she agreed, her voice wavering while they embraced, “Thank you so much for everything.” 

Andre smiled, his hand resting at the back of her head, “Anytime, Cursebreaker.” He muttered, “But we should get you out of that dress, I need to fix Charlie’s dress robes before dinner.” 

(Y/N) nodded in agreement and stepped out of his grasp, watching Andre head towards the door, “Make sure he doesn’t look better than me!” She joked as the door opened and Andre let out a hearty chuckle. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it!” He shot her a wink and slipped out of the room, the door closing gently behind him and his voice booming down the stairs while he yelled for Charlie. 

(Y/N) laughed when she heard Charlie’s startled yell and the door to his bedroom slamming open. Her hands slid down the soft satin of her dress, the rhinestone straps glinting as the sunset over the horizon and the ghost of a smile decorating her relaxed features. 

“Only a month away,” she thought joyfully and hung up the dress in its black garment bag before joining Molly in the kitchen. 

Scotland. January 5th, 1995. 

Wedding preparations were in full swing at the home of Charlie Weasley and (Y/N) Selwyn. The family of the bride and groom ran up and down the house, folding the seating arrangements and fixing any stray flower bouquets that remained in the kitchen. 

“George!” Bellowed Mrs. Weasley as he and Fred slid down the bannister, their ties around their heads and vests unbuttoned, “You two better straighten up before the guests arrive!” 

“Molly dear,” Mr. Weasley spoke up from behind her, his hands running down her arms soothingly, “They’re just excited, I’m sure they’ll settle down soon” 

Mrs. Weasley placed her hand over her husband’s while the other soothed the velvet of her elegant green dress, “I’m sure you’re right, Arthur. I just want everything to be perfect for Charlie and (Y/N)’s special day.” 

“I know, Mollywobbles,” he muttered, pressing a kiss against his wife’s forehead as she blushes furiously, her cheeks turning as red as her hair.

“Come now, Arthur,” she urged, but unable to fight the smile that formed on her face, “Let us go finish up the tent” 

Outside stood Charlie, running up and down the wedding tent, yelling orders to his younger brothers who had, apparently, never seen this side of Charlie before. 

“No–! Percy!” He groaned, straightening the ribbon against the back of it, “Over and under, like this!” Charlie twisted the ribbon, leaving a delicate bow to decorate the pearl white chairs. 

“I am perfectly capable of tying a ribbon, Charles.” declared Percy pompously, demonstrating his bow-tying skills on the next chair, but struggling a little more than Charlie had. 

Charlie let out a small sigh, adjusting his tie and the lapels of his red and black dress robes, “I know,” he admitted solemnly, “I just want everything to be perfect, (Y/N)’s spent so long planning this–” 

“Don’t worry,” Percy interjected, “With William and I here, everything is bound to go smoothly.” He grinned, placing his hand on his older brother’s shoulder, “We’re the most responsible and we’ll make sure everything goes smoothly, for you and (Y/N)” 

Charlie sighed, but this time out of relief, his arms wrapping tightly around Percy, “Thank you for being here, Perce. I know it wasn’t easy to get time off.” 

Percy let out a small scoff, “You think I would miss my brother’s wedding? Mr. Crouch’s cauldron bottoms can wait until after the ceremony, even though it’s rather painful to put off my work for this long.” 

Charlie fought back the urge to ruffle his brother’s hair, “When did you get so grown up?” He asked playfully, “I still remember you killing spiders for Ronnie.” 

Percy rolled his eyes at his remark, but smiled nonetheless, “We all grow up eventually, Charlie. Just look at today, I could not be prouder of you and I know Mum and Dad are too.”

Charlie thanked Percy with another hug, but their moment was interrupted by Bill, who was waving his wand towards the marital archway, making light silvery roses appear in between the bright red ones, “Oi! Guests are arriving in twenty minutes, we’ve got time for friendly chats later, but we really need to get everything together before they apparate!”

Percy nodded in agreement, striding down the silver carpet and clearing out a path through the snow, raising another set of tents from the entrance of their house towards the wedding tent. Charlie joined his brother near the archway, clapping him on the shoulder and waving his wand so the rest of the flowers appeared on top of the seat ribbons. 

A gaggle of women hid inside the master bedroom on the second story of their home, a half-empty champagne bottle resting on the vanity with six empty glasses surrounding it. Six girls stood around the bedroom window, gazing down at the boys in the garden with wide grins, “This dress is quite beautiful!” exclaimed Rowan Khanna, turning to examine herself in the mirror, “Andre truly has outdone himself!” Her dress was slightly different than the other girls. It was still made out of the same silver fabric as the other ones, but her’s contained an array of silver crystals covering the left side of the bodice while a ruched one-shoulder sleeve came up and around her right shoulder 

“I agree,” chimed in Penny Haywood, twirling around in her floor-length silver dress, “I can’t believe the day is finally here!” she squealed. Her dress also contained a ruched one-shoulder strap but lacked the bodice crystals in favor of a criss-cross fabric belt around her dress, “Tonks! Stop messing with it!” 

Nymphadora Tonks shifted in her seat as Penny attempted to soothe her bright pink hair, which she had grown out to shoulder length for the occasion, “It looks too neat!” complained Tonks, ruffling her unnaturally straight hair, and curling the bottoms of it with her wand. Tonks and Tulip were wearing the second variation of Andre’s dress, it contained the same details as the others, the only difference being the two straps in contrast to the one-shoulder Penny and Merula wore. 

“I think it looks quite nice,” muttered Merula Snyde, gazing at her straightened hair, “Don’t you think this color brings out my eyes?” She asked absentmindedly, her hands running over the chiffon gown.

“Oh, please” groaned Tulip Karasu with a grin, “That’s what you said during the Celestial Ball!” 

Merula glared towards Tulip, “And was I wrong?” she asked, throwing one of the satin dressing gowns they wore while getting ready. The two girls broke out in a fit of laughter, launching the dressing robes at each other and dodging them swiftly and the other bridesmaids joining in until the sound of the bathroom door opening caught their attention. 

“Merlin’s beard,” gasped Rowan at the sight of her best friend standing underneath the doorway, an angelic glow radiating off her, “(Y/N), you look–”

“Breathtaking,” finished Merula, her lips curling into a devious smile, “Weasley is going to lose his mind when he sees you.” 

Penny nodded in agreement, rushing to (Y/N)’s side and taking her by the hand, “I promised you I wouldn’t cry, but I honestly think I am going to break down during the ceremony.” admitted Penny, and the other girls joined her around the bride. 

“You guys,” (Y/N) smiled sheepishly, gazing around her friends, and pulling them all in for a messy group hug, “I can’t believe this is actually happening,” she admitted, a sniffle resonating through the room as she pulled back, “And you’re all here, what more could I ask for?”

“How ‘bout a sack of galleons from your boss at Gringotts?” joked Merula, slapping (Y/N)’s arms and laughing along with the rest of the girls. Rolling her eyes, (Y/N) returned Merula’s slap with one of her own and stepped towards the vanity table to add the finishing touches to her hair. 

“Oh! Let me help you,” exclaimed Rowan, rushing behind (Y/N) and picking her wand up from the table, “I’ve spent hours reading hair-spell books, I want to be the world’s best Maid of Honor!” She ran her fingers delicately through the curls of (Y/N)’s hair, waving her wand and uttering an incantation so a thin stream of hairspray sprayed out of the tip. Unlike ordinary hairspray, this magical substance would ensure the curls stayed intact even if she stood in a hurricane zone. 

(Y/N) smiled at Rowan through the mirror, fighting back the tears that were welling up in her eyes, “Rowan, I’m so glad you’re here, I still remember when we first met and the wonderful scarf I picked out for you” 

Rowan laughed as she sprayed another curl in place, “I still have that scarf, it was approved by Andre and everything so you should start calling yourself a style-wizard as well.” As the two best friends reminisced, Penny and Tonks were opening the brown-leather box, gaping at the tiara with admiration and carefully wiping it with polish to amplify its shine. 

“Some guests are arriving,” Tulip announced, looking out the window with Merula, the two of them craning their necks to see the small group pass through the snow led by Percy and Molly Weasley who bore wide grins. 

In the sitting room, the groom and his groomsmen gathered around the kitchen island, six glasses of firewhiskey resting on the countertop, “No, I-I really shouldn’t” Charlie pleaded, raising his hand out to block the shot glass his best-man, Andre, was forcing into his grasp. 

“Just one!” urged Andre, wiggling the glass in front of him as Bill and Barnaby raised their own in celebration, “(Y/N)’s had her champagne! I saw the glass, I promise!”

“I’m even having one, Charlie!” added Ben Copper, raising his glass to meet Barnaby and Bill, earning a laugh from Jacob Selwyn as he rounded the corner of the island, his own shot glass in hand.

“Charlie, I know you and my baby-sis talked about it and in all honesty, mate…” started Jacob, his eyes scanning Charlie’s tense behavior, “You need to loosen up a little, I saw you yelling at chair ribbons before the guests arrived.” 

The groomsmen laughed, earning a small scoff of amusement from Charlie, “Alright, alright!” He boomed, snatching the glass from Andre, and raising it into the circle with the rest of his men, “But I’m making you all take three at the reception!” 

“That’s fine by me!” cheered Barnaby Lee, “We don’t have drinks at work; they’re all a bunch of prats really” he jested, gazing at the firewhiskey bottle longingly, “I’ll do however many you want!” 

“Enough talking! To Charlie and (Y/N)!” bellowed Bill Weasley, flashing a toothy smile while Jacob patted Charlie’s back encouragingly. Jacob’s relationship with (Y/N) had strengthened significantly as years passed and although he loved having a younger sister, a part of him always wanted a brother. And, after months of getting to know him, finally found one in Charlie. 

The groom and his groomsmen down their shots, slamming the decorative glasses down on the countertop and filing out of the house, excitedly patting Charlie on the back as they urged him out the front door. Several minutes later, the girls, in their matching silver dresses, came down the stairs excitedly waving their red and white bouquets. 

(Y/N) came down the stairs, her dress and veil trailing behind her as she gripped the banister, her other hand carrying her much larger bouquet which contained a set of additional black roses mixed in with the red and white ones to match with Charlie’s robes. With the guests settled in their seats, Jacob ran back into the house and past the curtains dividing the tent connected to the front door. 

“Look at you...” He gaped, his eyes wide in admiration when he finally caught sight of his little sister in her wedding gown, the sparkling tiara sitting perfectly atop her head, “I wish Mum and Dad could see you.” added Jacob in a whisper, reaching for her hands and smiling softly as their eyes met. 

“Me too,” added (Y/N) earnestly, “We’ll visit their grave before the honeymoon, it’s not much, but it’s the least we can do.” She proposed and Jacob nodded in agreement, squeezing his sister’s hands while she spoke. 

“I’ll tell you this, though,” chuckled Jacob, sneakily glancing out the tent as the music started, “I’m surprised Charlie isn’t sweating bullets, he looks more nervous than that time he asked for my permission.” The two siblings broke out in a fit of laughter, heading closer to the door as, unbeknownst to them, the wizard officiant began making his way down the decorated aisle, waving happily at the guests. 

“It’s almost time,” muttered (Y/N), butterflies fluttering in her stomach as they stood behind the icicle wedding curtains, “Oh my god, I’m getting married.” She could feel the nerves overcoming her excitement, a small lump forming in her throat as she worried about the many things that could go wrong, one being tripping down the aisle. 

“Hey,” Jacob spoke out, turning her by the shoulders while Charlie and Andre strode confidently down the aisle, the soft violin accompanying them as the sound of cheering whistles followed after them. “You, my dear sister, have dealt with cursed ice, magical ciphers, loony and manipulative professors, and  – not to mention –  spent the last few months taking care of hordes of dragons. The most dangerous creatures, according to the Ministry registry,” He explained comfortingly, his hands running down the side of her arms, “I think you can walk down this aisle and meet the man you love, and more importantly, who loves you without anything to worry about.” 

(Y/N) bit her lip at her brother’s words, throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug, “Thank you, Jacob,” her voice wavering, “Thank you so much.” 

Jacob rubbed her back comfortingly, looking over her shoulder to see the bridesmaids making their way towards the archway, “Anytime, baby sister. Anytime.” 

“But” he added, pulling away from their hug and grabbing the first layer of her veil, pulling it over her face with a gentle smile, “I think Rowan is about to walk down and the only tears I want to see are Charlie’s.” Pressing a kiss against her cheek, Jacob turned his sister towards the curtain, bright smiles pulling at their lips. 

Charlie stood nervously at the archway, conspicuously twiddling his fingers as the song changed and the icicle curtains were pulled open by an unseen force of magic. At the sound of the change, Charlie looked up and as soon as he met (Y/N)’s gentle expression, all his worries slipped away, and his mind blocked out everyone else at the venue. 

He wanted to burn the image of (Y/N) in her stunning white dress into his memory. A sight he had been dreaming of since their one-year anniversary, one that surpassed the vision of her during their first date or the ones of her during the Celestial Ball. As she was led down the aisle by Jacob, Charlie made a mental note to thank Andre with the largest slice of cake or some-kind of present because this was, honestly, the perfect gown for (Y/N). 

The dazzling white pleated crisscross sweetheart neck bodice fit perfectly, the red sash around her middle accentuating her waist most breathtakingly. The small snowflake brooch on the left side of her sash sparkled brilliantly, matching perfectly with the delicate rhinestone straps that fell delicately over her shoulders. His eyes trailed upwards, his grin faltering at the sight of Great Auntie Tessie’s tiara underneath (Y/N)’s veil and he finally took notice of the tears that spilled out of his eyes. He hastily wiped them away, stepping down towards the carpet to meet (Y/N) and Jacob a few meters from the archway. Charlie grasped Jacob’s hand tightly, giving it a stern shake before taking (Y/N)’s hand delicately into his own, leading her in front of the officiant. 

Charlie held both of her hands, looking her over and sighing in amazement as he pulled the veil back, exposing her flushed face and the dazzling tiara, “You look–” He breathed out, unable to find an appropriate word to describe how incredibly gorgeous she looked.

“Breathtaking?” She finished with a mischievous gaze and placed a kiss against Charlie’s cheek who blushed furiously as they turned towards the officiant. 

“Ladies and gentlemen,” said the sing-song voice of the officiant who raised his arms in acknowledgment to the couple as a collective silence fell over the crowd, “We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two beautiful faithful souls.” 

The wedding guests watched avidly, some moving towards the edge of their seats with intricate handkerchiefs as the couple turned sideways, their hands intertwined. 

“Do you Charles Septimus Weasley, take (Y/N) Selwyn to live together in marriage? to cherish in friendship and love today, tomorrow, and for as long as the two of you live, to trust and honor her? to love her faithfully, through the best and the worst, whatever may come, and if you should ever doubt, to remember your love for each other and the reason why you came together with her this day?” 

Charlie was nodding eagerly before the officiant had even finished his spiel, tears streaming down his face but an unwavering smile decorating his freckled face, “I do. More than anything in the world.” 

(Y/N) beamed back at him, squeezing his hands tightly and releasing them momentarily so Charlie could slip the wedding band onto her finger. The officiant turned towards (Y/N), the smile on his face widening as he opened his mouth to speak. 

“Do you, (Y/N) Selwyn take Charles Septimus Weasley…” the words floated away from (Y/N)’s mind, she registered the officiant speaking but she could only focus on the man in front of her and how his hands felt in hers. The way his dress robes fit perfectly and how they brought out the color of his bright green eyes. She felt her hand moving on its own to grip the golden band and the words, “I do” sliding past her lips and she recalled it being the easiest phrase she ever had to say in her life. 

The two of them did not register the happy sobs of Mrs. Weasley in the front row or the audible sniffles of Barnaby, Penny, and Rowan beside them. They even blocked out the loud trumpeting noises at the back of the wedding venue that undoubtedly came from Hagrid with Professor McGonagall dabbing her eyes an aura of dignity by his side.

The two of them only returned to the present moment when the officiant uttered the words, “Then I declare you, bonded for life.” With that, a stream of glittering snowflakes came out from the tip of the officiant’s wand, spirling over (Y/N) and Charlie’s heads. 

“Come here,” Charlie practically growled, twirling (Y/N), pulling her in by the waist, and pressing his lips against her. At that moment, it felt like all the planets had aligned to create a timeless- one passionate moment that defined the future of their relationship. Overwhelmed by happiness, Charlie turned his wife in his arms and dipped her in front of the whole crowd, the sound of thundering claps and booming cheers filling the tent while they kissed. (Y/N)’s leg was lifted beside him, stretched perfectly and peeking underneath her gorgeous gown as the heat rose in her cheeks, that familiar sensation of liquid lightning coursing through her body. 

The newlyweds turned upright again, pressing their foreheads together as they laughed and returned to the tumultuous crowd surrounding them. Charlie and (Y/N) raised their intertwined hands and the excited guests rose from their seats, their chairs disappearing only to be replaced by the reception tables and an ample dance floor. Overlapping ‘congratulations’ came from the numerous guests, patting the couple in support as they made their way towards the dance floor with their wedding party. 

“I love you, more than you’ll ever know,” Charlie spoke out, spinning (Y/N) as they shared their first dance, the lights dimming around them as the crowd watched them. 

“I love you so much, Charles,” replied (Y/N), placing her hand on his cheek and leaning in to steal another kiss, “And I’ll spend every day showing you just how much.” Charlie let out a gleeful laugh, spinning his wife around the dance floor and pulling her towards their table once they finished. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,” a soft voice caught their attention and they both turned to see Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall, and - to both their surprise - Professor Snape standing in front of them. 

“Professors!” (Y/N) exclaimed, “We’re so glad you could make it! We thought with the tournament it’d be difficult to get away-” 

“Nevermind that!” dismissed McGonagall, placing her hand on the bride’s shoulders, “I’m so proud of you and Charles,” she gushed, unlike her usually composed self, a small hint of moisture underneath her eyes, “Professor Dumbledore insisted we attend.”

“Yes,” added Snape in his usual tone, unlike McGonagall, he was devoid of any emotion, “Even I have to congratulate you on this joyous occasion,” he explained, his black eyes scanning over the crowd and back on his former pupil, “It seems Selwyn- or must I say, Weasley, that you have grown into a capable young witch. One Slytherin house was very proud to have.” 

(Y/N), overcome with the emotion of the celebration, wrapped her arms around the Hogwarts Potions’ Master who returned her embrace with a very stiff pat on the back, “Come now, Severus.” Dumbledore added gleefully, his eyes twinkling with excitement, “I’m sure Mrs. Weasley is just happy to see you.” 

Charlie let out a small snort, unable to contain his laughter as Snape recoiled and his wife returned to his side, “But Minerva is right, we are all very proud of you and I am not one to miss a wonderful evening to celebrate love.” 

“Please, help yourselves with food and drink!” urged Charlie, gesturing towards the tables and bar, “We’ll be resuming the dancing shortly, we’re so thrilled to have you here.” He finishing confidently, shaking Dumbledore’s hand who returned his smile with one of his own. 

“Will do,” He agreed with a nod of the head, “We’ll leave you two to it then!” With that, the three Professors trailed off to speak with Charlie’s parents who stood excitedly at the bar. 

“Do you think I went a bit overboard?” asked (Y/N) cautiously once they left, a small giggle overcoming her as Charlie vigorously shook his head, “Are you mad? It’s our wedding day, we’re allowed to go overboard.” He reassured, pressing a kiss against her forehead.

“Well, if that’s the case… I could use a drink,” she whispered coquettishly but was interrupted by their wedding party clearing their throats behind them. 

“Wow, Weasley,” Merula pipped up, “I thought you were an excellent Legilimens, if you were, you could’ve heard us coming from a mile away” she teased with Rowan waving a shot glass as (Y/N) turned around. 

“You’re not allowed to tease today, Merula!” She exclaimed happily, taking the shot glass from her and pulling Charlie along so he could grab his from Andre, “I’m a married woman now! I get a free pass!” 

Merula rolled her eyes but gave in to her request, “As long as you take this drink, I won’t say anything!”

“Who knew it only alcohol to get Merula to lay off?” Barnaby quipped, earning a small punch which hurt her from than him due to the considerable amount of muscle he gained throughout the years. 

“I’m not going to wait any longer!” threatened Ben, raising his shot glass towards Charlie, “Ready?” he announced and everyone raised their glasses in a circle, “To life and happiness!” 

“To life and happiness!” They bellowed in unison, downing the chocolate vodka liqueur and extending their glasses towards Bill, who had hidden the bottle behind his back.

“Charlie did say three!” He announced, replicating the sing-song voice of the old officiant, “So everyone better have an excellent tolerance tonight because we’re celebrating until dawn!” 

Tonks threw an arm excitedly around Penny’s shoulders, almost spilling the contents of their shot glasses but laughing as Bill continued to pour their drinks. 

“You better switch up the drinks then!” Tulip muttered while sniffing the glass, grimacing at the strong scent of alcohol that practically burned her nostrils, “I’m more of a firewhiskey girl.”

“I’m going to have to agree,” nodded Jacob, “Not about the girl part, but I do like to mix things up… I wonder if they’ll prepare my specialty drink at the bar,” he pondered, looking longingly at the bar with a mischievous smirk. 

“On three!” Andre yelled, catching everyone’s attention and he gestured towards Rowan so she could join in on the count down. 

“Three!” Andre and Rowan finished chanting, throwing their heads back and swallowing their drinks before bellowing out indistinct cheers. 

“I know you guys said three-” whined Penny, shaking her hands in front of her glass but it was snatched away by (Y/N) so Bill could pour their final shot, “Oh, come on! At least let me breathe!” 

“You’ll breathe when we eat and dance!” dismissed Tonks, forcing the glass back into Penny’s hands who reluctantly raised it towards the happy couple, “Your turn!”

“Ready?” Charlie asked (Y/N), a dark blush spreading across his cheeks as he felt the early onsets on the alcohol affecting his body, “Let’s do that arm thing we talked about…” he whispered excitedly, pressing soft kisses against her cheek making her giggle. 

“You’re so in love, Mr. Weasley,” She muttered with a small shake of the head, “But so am I” (Y/N) pressed a kiss against his nose and linked her arm around his, “On three!” she exclaimed, forcing her glass as close to her lips as possible. On three, the wedding party downed their third shot of the evening, some of them shivering as the alcohol coursed down their esophagus. 

“Alright, let’s dance!” yelled Ben and Barnaby, pulling the bridesmaids away towards the dance floor to join the rest of the excited guests. 

“If you don’t mind,” interjected Andre, extending his hand towards (Y/N), “I do believe you owe me a dance?” he reminded her, and (Y/N) quickly slid her hand into his. 

“You’re quite right, most notable style-wizard of all Europe,” she replied, shooting Charlie an apologetic look but he only smiled, “Don’t worry,” He reassured, “I’ve got to see Mum and Dad.”

Andre pulled (Y/N) away towards the dance floor, the two of them spinning away towards the middle with wide grins. Charlie joined his family, who overwhelmed them with hugs and kisses, including his thirteen-year-old sister who had traveled with Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid to be there for the occasion. The rest of the guests danced and conversed excitedly, eating away at the delicious food the white-robed servers had brought to their tables. 

Jacob Selwyn sat at one of the farthest tables, exchanging stories with his sister’s old prefect, Felix Rosier who was accompanied by Angelica Cole, the former Gryffindor prefect. Sometime during the evening, Hagrid appeared in front of (Y/N) and Charlie Weasley in his mole-skin coat and tears streaming down his face, lifting them both up from the ground as he happily embraced the two of them. 

“So grown-up” cried Hagrid, wiping his tears away when he set them down, “I remember when yeh were both this tall” he gestured downwards, replicating their heights during the first-year and the couple nodded happily, red tinges on both their cheeks as the giggled at Hagrid’s remarks. 

The rest of the night went by smoothly, exchanging numerous conversations with witches and wizards they could hardly remember their names of due to the amount of alcohol in their system. (Y/N) was spun around the dancefloor but all of the Weasley siblings, even performing an impressive three-person tango with Fred and George, who seemed to have more to drink than the newlyweds themselves. Charlie was joined on the dance floor by his mother and father, his best man, and, at one point, Jacob who had raised him onto his shoulders at the climax of the song. 

While they were dancing, Ronald Weasley explained his blunder with Hermione at the ball to (Y/N), who automatically dragged him away to the muggle-born witch to correct his mistake and giggled excitedly when she saw the two twirling in a small circle with Harry and Ginny at their side. Some of the guests began to politely excused themselves by midnight, waving the couple off after leaving the gifts at the respective table and heading out towards the garden to the designated disappartation point. 

The celebration did not stop until the first hints of sunlight gleamed over the horizon. At that point, most of the younger guests had retreated inside the home to sleep on transfigured mattresses set up throughout the newlyweds’ home. Rowan and Bill had to forcibly escort (Y/N) and Charlie away from the dance floor since the two expressed their desire to stay until the sun shone above them but kept closing their eyes as they embraced. 

“Come on, little brother” chuckled Bill, winking at Rowan as he pushed Charlie, who continued to hum the processional song, up the stairs. Rowan blushed furiously at Bill’s actions but kept her eyes on (Y/N), who was spinning Great Aunt Tessie’s ruby tiara in her hands at the rhythm of Charlie’s humming, “I’ll have to thank you for that,” whispered Rowan excitedly, gazing longingly up at Bill and successfully getting the couple into the bedroom. 

Bill removed their shoes while they giggled on the bed, exchanging several kisses while Rowan secured the tiara in its leather box, “Think we should help them change?” asked Rowan, turning towards Bill, but quickly realizing the answer to her question. 

“I think that’ll be a no,” declared Bill, running a hand through his hair and extending the other towards Rowan, “Let’s go before we see something we don’t need to see. I think I saw an empty mattress in the room Andre is staying in.” Rowan nodded stiffly, sliding her hand into Bill’s and quickly closing the door behind her, locking the door for good measure. 

On the bed, Charlie shrugged off his overcoat and threw it to the side while (Y/N) pulled on his tie, undoing it and tossing it with the rest of his outfit. His lips mashed against hers, his tongue pushing past her teeth as she gripped his head firmly, locking him in their embrace as she fell back on the mattress and her dress pooled underneath her. 

“My dress,” she moaned against Charlie’s lips and he let out a small laugh, shrugging his dress shirt off and reaching behind for the zipper of her dress, “Of course, we can’t desecrate such a delicate creation,” he mumbled against her lips and lifted her up so she could wiggle out of it. (Y/N) laughed as the cold air hit her body, winking at Charlie as his eyes widened at the sight of the bright-white lacy lingerie she had hidden under her dress.

“Like what you see?” she teased, attempting to wriggle away from his grip, but he caught her by the waist and pulled her onto her back, “Don’t you dare, my darling” growled Charlie, pressing harsh kisses against her neck and pulling her stocking-clad thighs around his waist. 

“I love you,” gasped (Y/N) as Charlie groped her breast, her fingernails digging into his broad back and her hips grinding upwards to meet his, “So so much.” Charlie cupped her cheek, harshly pulling her up to exchange another kiss, not satisfied – no matter how mesmerizing they were – by the previous ones. 

“More,” groaned Charlie, his red-hair falling over his eyes as he pulled away to mutter against her lips, “I love you more” he breathed out, pressing kisses in between each word and pulling his wand out of his trousers, and uttering inaudible silencing charms towards the door. 

The two of them grasped messily at each other, running their hands over each others’ bodies and leaving marks that would surely be visible in the afternoon.

[mooooooooony]

Anyone: *breaths*

Charlie Weasley:

[cor-byn]

Maximus Confidencia Might Be Wearing Off - Ben Copper X Reader

A/N: Hello There! I haven’t been feeling well as of recent, so I wrote this incredibly short fic to cheer myself up. I hope it cheers you up as well!

Word Count: 803

Summary: Ben and the Reader have a discussion after attending the Celestial Ball together. Warnings: None :)

Y/N sat quietly in the artifact room, a book in hand, savoring the quiet she now had. Since the Celestial Ball last evening, she had been bombarded with questions regarding her and Ben attending the ball as dates. 

She knew that gossip regarding dates was likely to happen from the moment the ball was announced (Hogwarts students had a bad tendency to gossip about relationships), but unfortunately for her and Ben, they were the only ones in their group who had paired off. Therefore, all the gossip had been directed towards them. Specifically her, as given Ben's quiet nature, most people sought her out to ask questions.

While she certainly didn't mind having positive attention for once (she would take someone calling her and Ben cute together any day, over being called a lunatic like her brother), she couldn't give an honestly good answer to most of their questions. The reason for this being, mainly, that she and Ben had not yet discussed the status of their relationship. Given both of their introverted natures, as well as inexperience in the realm of dating in general, Y/N doubted that they would have a conversation about their standing for quite some time. Thus, she opted to try and distract herself, settled in between the shelves and beginning to devour her book, only slightly registering the calming sound of rain tapping on the stone roof above her.

As wonderful as Y/N had found her Hogwarts adventures to be this far, she truly savored the simple moments as well.

Within meer seconds, her welcomed silence was broken by an out-of-breath Ben, who had barged in without knocking, and had shut the door quickly behind him. Y/N looked up from her book and blinked in surprise, blood rushing to her cheeks as she studied his form over.

"Ben… is everything alright?" Legitimately concerned, given the shocked look on his face, Y/N put her book aside, and stood up, meeting him just below eye level.

"I-I… Sorry. I didn't r-realize you were in here." Ben took a deep breath and backed away from the door, taking a few steps closer. "Tulip was chasing me, trying get me to tell her a-about… u-us. I managed to loose her, thankfully." He let out a relieved laugh, rubbing his neck sheepishly, his hand just barely grazing the bottom of his honey-blonde hair. How desperately did Y/N want to run her hands through it? She'd never tell.

Offering a smile, she laughed softly at his nervous demeanor. While most students found it annoying, she found it quite charming. "It's alright, Ben… I mean, the room is basically yours after all. I'm honestly intruding." Truth be told, Ben really was the only one who tended the upkeep of the artifact room. At the very least, he was the only one who bothered to dust. "Also, Tulip was trying to ask you about the Ball? People have been chasing me all day to ask." She laughed nervously, not exactly sure if she wanted to open this particular can of worms. However, she figured she better ask sooner rather than later, and risk looking not interested. 

Ben sat down on the floor, back against the bookcase, beckoning Y/N to follow. She did in suit, sitting next to him, her back pressed against the wooden feature as well.

"Yes… Penny, Tulip, and Rowan have tried to interrogate me about it thus far. Honestly, I'm not sure what to tell them?" His chocolate brown eyes locked into her, studying her form over with careful detail, trying to gain her reaction. 

A dusting of pink covered Y/N's cheeks, as she took a deep breath to steady herself. She had always struggled slightly with bravery. "Well, I honestly had quite a bit of fun last night… I hope you did as well. And h-honestly, I was wondering if you might be interested in going on another date sometime… with m-me?" She smiled up at him from under her lashes, feeling like she could melt in his warm gaze.

Ben broke into a smile, and in a sudden burst of bravery, picked up Y/N's hand and intertwined her fingers with his own. "I would l-love that. I was planning to ask you, but honestly I was rather scared to. Maybe Maximus Confidencia is started to wear off… But I thought Flitwick said it was permanent?" 

Y/N let out a soft laugh, not ready to give up the secret quite yet. As much as she liked Ben's shy nature, she also enjoyed seeing him act with more bravery- he honestly seemed happier. "He did, but worse comes to worst, I can cast it again!"

Ben laughed softly, gently squeezing Y/N's hand gently. "I don't know what I would do with y-you."

A/N: Thanks for reading! I’ve been considering writing a much longer second part to this! Let me know if you think I should :)

[rosapeachhogwartsmystery]

I could really use a hug right now (Reader x Barnaby Lee)

Masterlist  (To view my Masterlist, visit my Tumblr page)

Words: 1.7k

Summary: Everything you did or said seemed to be wrong... No one seemed to understand how you were feeling at all. You felt alone and lost and decided to just avoid everyone. Just when you thought you were alone, someone came over to you.

A/N: Sorry, it is a bit short...

_______________________________________________________

You didn’t know what to do anymore. You were tired and felt so lost. Nothing seemed to make sense and you just couldn’t let go of it. You tried to act like you always did, but for how long could you keep up the act? Could you continue the day with a smile on your face all day and just forget about what happened for one second? Could you live up to everyone’s expectations? You were Y/N Y/L/N, the sibling of the infamous Jacob Y/L/N, you were used to unusual situations, right?

If only you could just live up to everyone’s expectations… You weren’t going to be able to just forget what happened and continue like nothing happened. How could you? The reunion with your brother was really difficult… Did he really expect you not to be cautious just because you were related…? After everything that happened, how could you just trust your intuition? Of course, you have seen your brother a few more times, but he always seemed to bring up the fact you were hesitant to immediately help him…

With the Statue Curse around, your friends began to act strange… Penny kept trying to involve you when she and her sister had an argument. You couldn’t help it but to side with Beatrice, considering the girl had gone through a traumatic experience. That probably didn’t help your friendship with Penny… Besides Penny, Charlie began accusing you of bringing danger around and Ben was trying to protect you, making some questionable decisions… You couldn’t help it but to feel hurt. Your friends didn’t seem to understand you.

Despite everything, you tried to keep going, hoping working on the Cursed Vaults would distract you from feeling bad. Although, it seemed like some of your friends were kind of wondering why you didn’t seem to spend a lot of time with them. It was like everything you did was wrong at this point. It made you want to avoid them even more. You didn’t want to trouble anyone. Besides, it wasn’t like they were asking if you were okay either. It was lonely to be alone with these dark and sad feelings you were experiencing lately. You felt like you couldn’t ask for help either… You would just have to carry this burden a bit longer…

 You were currently sitting alone somewhere on the Castle Grounds, just staring at nothing. It was probably better than going to the more public places of the Castle. You didn’t want to deal with anyone and hoped no one would approach you now. If only your Hogwarts years were different… Perhaps if Jacob didn’t go looking for the Cursed Vaults, you wouldn’t be in this mess… Although, you would probably not have made the same friends you have grown to love.

Even though you were having trouble now, didn’t mean you stopped caring for your friends. It was quite the opposite. You loved your friends that much that you didn’t want to bother them anymore. You felt like they deserved a better friend than you… You were only going to disappoint them, right?

 “Y/N?”

 You were slightly startled when you noticed someone was calling your name. You quickly turned into the direction where you heard the voice calling from.

“Barnaby?” You said softly, wondering why he came over to you.

“It’s been a while.” He said with a small smile. “You weren’t avoiding me were you.”

You felt a lump in your throat, not sure what to say. It wasn’t like you were avoiding him in particular, but you have been avoiding him like all your other friends. You just fixed your gaze on the ground, not sure if you could keep looking at him.

Barnaby frowned and then he slowly sat down next to you. “Y/N, is something wrong?”

“… No, there isn’t something wrong.” You mumbled, looking away.

“Then what is bothering you...? You can’t tell me it’s nothing.”

You shook your head. “It isn’t something… Everything is wrong…”

He had a surprised expression on his face, tilting his head a bit. “Everything…? That’s quite a lot…”

“You don’t say…”

“Maybe you could talk about it…? It will probably help a little to just talk about it.”

You let out a bitter laugh. “You will only judge me for it anyways…”

“What…? No, of course not! Why would I judge you for telling me what has been bothering you?” He looked slightly hurt.

“… See, it is already making you feel bad and I have barely said anything.” You muttered, beginning to hug your knees.

  Barnaby began to look concerned. “Y/N… You should tell me what is on your mind… I promise I won’t judge if that’s what you are concerned about. I mean, it’s not like I easily judge others for what they say.”

“… All right. Don’t get mad, all right… I don’t think I would be able to handle it now...” You said softly, barely able to look at Barnaby.

“Don’t worry about it… Just tell me what is on your mind.”

 _____________

 “Everything I say or do seems to go wrong… No one seems to understand my reasoning nor care about how I feel about the situation…” You said with a sigh when finished telling Barnaby what was going wrong.

Barnaby just stared at the grass, feeling a lump in his own throat now. How could he not have noticed you seemed to bottle up all your feelings? No one had asked how you were doing lately, everyone seemed too busy with their own stuff and problems. You had been smiling for their sake, considerate of how they were feeling. Heck, you even let them get angry with you, because they didn’t understand your perspective of things. You had been hurt by them and yet you didn’t say anything about it.

You hugged your knees tighter, not feeling better after talking about this. Actually, you were feeling like you were about to cry.

“Y/N… I’m so sorry…”

You looked up at Barnaby slightly surprised. “What are you sorry about…?”

“Well… I didn’t see what was going on… I didn’t see you were hurt by our actions…” Barnaby began, looking sad. “I feel bad for not being more considerate and aware of your situation… You have been there listening to our problems and even tried to help, but we have never… We have never asked if you needed someone to help you…!”

 You could swear you saw tears in Barnaby’s eyes. It made it even harder to fight back your own tears. “D…don’t blame yourself for this… I-I mean, you guys have helped me out a lot with the Cursed Vaults and-”

“I wasn’t talking about help with the Cursed Vaults...! I was talking about helping you! M-more personally, you know? Like a friend should do...? You needed us and… and we didn’t offer you any help!” Barnaby was definitely crying at this point; he couldn’t hold back the tears.

The tears began to roll down your face as well. “B-Barnaby… Really… You don’t need to blame yourself for this…”

Barnaby looked into your eyes. “I’m so sorry…!”

You shook your head, unable to keep yourself from sobbing at this point. He just pulled you into a tight hug. You were just crying against him, not being able to stop because you have bottled up your feelings for too long. Barnaby was silently crying as well, unable to stop crying because he didn’t like seeing you cry at all.

 After a while, the crying mostly stopped. You let out an occasional sob, resting your head against Barnaby.

“I’m s-sorry for crying so much… I-… I didn’t mean to make you feel bad too…” You said very softly.

Barnaby shook his head a bit. “Don’t apologise for crying…. Really, I am glad you told me.”

“Even though I made you cry too…?”

“Of course… I can… I can be quite easily influenced emotionally to be honest…” He said honestly. “Seeing you so down and hearing how you felt… I just couldn’t help it but to feel really awful…. I wished I had seen it sooner.”

“… You were the first one who asked me what was wrong.” You said softly. “No one else had come up to me to ask me how I was doing… Even before I was avoiding everyone.”

“I understand… However, I still wish I could have seen it sooner… It’s not healthy to bottle up your feelings like that.”

“I know… I just didn’t want to bother anyone…”

“It’s not a bother to talk to others about how you are feeling. Especially since things got more serious… And your brother being out of the painting and all…”

“Jacob definitely didn’t make it feel better at all…” You said honestly.

 “Y/N… If you feel like you need someone to be there for you, know that I am willing to be there. Just like you have been there for me.” He said honestly.

“Thank you, Barnaby…”

 _____________

 Barnaby was walking around the Corridors. He just walked out of the Great Hall after having some sandwiches. It had been a while since you had told him how you were feeling lately. He couldn’t help it but to keep an extra eye on you. He didn’t want to miss anymore signs about you feeling bad… He wanted to be there for you when you were feeling down again.

He looked around a little and suddenly spotted you. He kept his eyes on you and he could tell your eyes were on him as well. He didn’t expect you to rush over to him. Before he knew it, you had your arms around him, your face buried against him. It was obvious, he was surprised by your action, but he slowly wrapped his arms around you as well.

“I’m sorry… I really felt like I needed hug….” You said softly when you looked up at him.

“Of course.” He said with a small smile. “Should we go somewhere more comfortable?”

You nodded lightly, slowly letting of him. He began leading the way to a more comfortable place, keeping an arm around you the entire time.

Barnaby wasn’t going to let you bottle up your feelings ever again.

[hogwartsmysteryscrapbook]

“you‘re basically a member of the family at this point, MC”

“that’s the biggest honor I’ve ever received”

Taken by a seven-year old Ron when MC visited the Burrow for fall holiday, circa 1987

not pictured: Molly telling Charlie and Bill that MC would make the ideal daughter in law

[eclairia-monarch]

Charlie X Jacob Sibling

Synopsis: MC was once again attacked by the mysterious hooded figure. This time, it was her crush that was nearby to save her, and it was none other than the brave Charlie Weasley, a little Dragon in love.

Song(s) Trigger: A dark past, Howl’s Moving Castle [Remix]

You walked quietly along the dead corridor, making sure no one spotted as you headed towards the dark courtyard. It was driving you crazy; the whole cursed vault and being attacked by random hooded figure. Twice you were attacked and yet you had no idea who was the mastermind behind the mysterious hood. Yes, it was revealed to be one of your friend, Ben, but you were sure he was under a controlling spell. The poor boy was dragged into this mess because of your selfish desire to find Jacob, your dear brother, whom had been missing years.

You sat by the courtyard, letting the comforting silence embrace you as you hugged yourself, letting the soft wind blew past. You just wanted a hug, no you needed a reassuring hug, from him. You had always felt remorseful for dragging your friends and especially Charlie into your reckless actions. He had been nothing but a sweet boy and yet you only returned danger for his kindness. You wanted to know what you were doing was right, that you were reaching your ultimate goal of reuniting with your brother but the nagging feeling in your head would not leave you alone.

“You are so useless!”

“You kept pulling your friends into danger, how selfish can you be, (name)!”

“Merula is right, you are as crazy as people said…”

Tears formed in your eyes as all these judgements dawned upon you, drowning you in guilt as it slowly ate you up inside. Your lips quivered as you clawed your arms, shaking as your emotions imploded. You tried so hard, yet a soft whimper leaked out of your lips, betraying your wish to stay quiet and undisturbed.

The wind seemed so cold suddenly, as if chasing you away, as if calling you a call hearted creature and that you should just hide yourself in shame for putting everyone in Hogwarts in danger, for even tempering with the cursed vaults for your self-centred goal.

“Oh, poor little (Full name), crying by yourself in the dark?” A cold voice taunted and (name) quickly smeared her tears away before turning around and kept her guard up. It was the cloaked figure once again but this time, its voice was different. Was it another student being controlled this time or was it R him or herself?

You cussed at yourself for leaving your wand back in your room, as your heartbeat increased tremendously at the imminent danger approaching you. The figure took slow steps towards you, continuing his taunt as you took steps back, eyes not leaving the figure, afraid of what the figure might cast. Was it going to be another Petrificus Totalus?

Sure enough, the figure casted his Full-body bind curse towards you but you quickly dodged and rolled to the side, avoiding the spell. You got up and leaped to the other side of the courtyard. You knew you had no choice but to fight back, not wanting anyone to be in danger. The only option you have now is wandless magic, but you were unsure if you were powerful enough to do so, nonetheless its die trying or endanger the whole school.

You extended your arm and pointed at the red cloak, “Petrificus Totalus!”

The tip of your finger had a small white orb and shot the curse, but they were quick in casting Protego, unfazed.

“Wandless magic? You’re still too weak and naïve. Incarcerous.” You were stunned and unsure of what that spell could do, stupidly getting caught in thick ropes, causing you to trip and fell.

“Death will come, (Full name), and you are the cause of it all.” the cloak figure warned and casted Silencio on you. It disappeared into the night as you kept screaming, hoping the spell would fade but it was no use.

“Bloody hell- (name)!” A familiar voice called out in worry and knelt to your side, lifting you up against him. “Charlie...! What are you doing here?!”

“I knew I had a bad feeling-” He pulled out his wand from his sleeve and pointed at the strong binding ropes, “Emancipare!” The red hair wizard noticed your desperate attempt to produce your voice, realising you had been casted by Silencio as well. “Sonorus!”

The ropes that were just digging into your skin mere seconds ago was now untied, and your missing voice was back miraculously. Your traumatized form trembled as Charlie wrapped his arms around you and pulled you close. It was the very warm hug you needed.

You once again cried, now into Charlie’s chest as he hushed and comfort you, stroking your back and whispered into your ears to calm you.

“Shh, shh it’s alright, I’m here (name), I’m here… Don’t cry, please.” It ached the Weasley’s heart to see you so broken. Ever since he met you at the sorting ceremony, the boy had fallen for your charm and bravery, breaking the cursed vaults, and creating a legend with your name. He was so ever envious you had entered the vaults with Bill instead of him and would always listen attentively to Bill whenever your name was brought up.

He had tried every method he could to get your attention, asking his fellow quidditch friend Andre to name drop him whenever possible to leave a piece of him in your mind, and gazing at you whenever he was near you. A smile was more than suffice to brighten up his days, a laughter from you was more than melodious than any song he knew. To Charlie, even if you never knew of his existence, as long as your smile was as bright as the stars, he was satisfied.

He counted himself extremely lucky when you came to him and have him joined you to the cursed vault in the Forbidden Forest. Charlie relished in every seconds whenever you were next to him, stealing glances and making sure you were safe during the whole journey. He wanted to join you in every adventure possible, just to ensure your wellbeing.

Before he knew it, admiration turned into infatuation and love. He wanted to call you his, wanting your fingers to intertwine with his own and never let you go. He hated to see you doubt yourself and your abilities, he hated that he was unable to make you feel better and he knew if he helped you to search for Jacob, that would bring back the (name) that you truly was.

Now seeing you so broken pained his deeply.

“Charlie…! I’m so… So…!”

“Hush, it’s okay, don’t be scared, I’m here.” Charlie continued and pulled you closer and caressed your hair.

“I’m so weak, Charlie, I’m useless! I can’t even defend myself, who am I to make sure the whole school was safe! I’m so hellbent on finding my brother I keep dragging everyone closer to danger with every vault! And you might even die-”

Charlie tipped your face and he stared deep into your eyes; his brows furrowed. “No one’s dying! (name), you’re not weak. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met! The girl in front of me is a brave, kind witch that has proven time and time again just who is the strongest. (name), never doubt yourself! I’ve admired you since day one.”

“Charlie…” Your face slowly began to glow in pink as you processed his words, internalising everything. Charlie pulled you up on your feet and pulled you into a warm hug in the cold zephyr.

“I’m here for you, Bill’s here for you, everyone’s here for you, (name). We were never in danger because of you but rather we chose to go with you so that you won’t be in danger and battling alone, so that you can reunite with your brother soon. We just want you to be happy! So please, never doubt yourself! Because I never doubt the girl I love, so neither should you.”

Between the attack in the middle of the night and the sudden confession from your crush you knew your heart could not rest well tonight. You knew Charlie could feel the pounding, it was loud as day especially in the quiet night. You hear a contented sigh from the boy as your shoulders began to relax.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be here sooner to stop you from getting hurt, but I promise you from today onwards, I won’t leave your side. And… Sorry that this isn’t the ideal place nor time to tell you of my feelings.” You laid on his shoulder and nodded, wanting for just this moment, to embrace everything. You reached and wrapped your arms around him and mustered a smile.

“Thank you for everything, Charlie… And… Thank you, for loving me.”

Charlie cupped your cheeks and gave you his cheeky smile, wiping your eyes. “Come along, (name). I’ll bring you back to your room to rest up.” The Weasley slipped his warm hand and laced his fingers with your cold ones and tugged you along the quiet corridor and towards your house’s common room.

Outside the common room, you pulled Charlie to a stop, leaving him confused. “C-Close your eyes.” You requested and though Charlie had no idea what you were about to do, he complied. He felt a pair of warm lips on his cheeks, near his lips, a pair of slender arms wrapped his neck and he froze up, before happiness bloomed within, sparks flew in his head.

You two pulled back and stared deeply into each other’s eyes.

“I’ve always love your inquisitive twinkling eyes, (name).” Charlie’s soft orbs gleamed. You chuckled, “and I love your adorable freckles and ponytail.” You gave a quick peck on his lips before running into the room, leaving Charlie dumbfounded, his palm slowly reached to where he last felt your kiss.

The Weasley quickly followed you and pulled you back into his chest. He had no idea what took over him, but the bravado he had allowed him to tilt your head back and captured your lips.

“I love you, and I will never let you go.” Charlie whispered, staring lovingly at you as you smiled back at the boy.

“I won’t let you either.”