#remember the wise words of ''Opportunities like this come once in a lifetime now grab onto that dream with both hands and go big time''

[feralnumberfive]

Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh....

[pomegranates-and-blood]

νοσταλγία (Chapter 25)

νοσταλγία Masterlist

Pairing: Ivar/Reader

Word Count: 3.4k (I’m sorry, these two really like arguing)

Warnings: The usual

A/N: Soo, yeah, here we are. I hope you like this one! Thank you for sticking around, and for reading! Love you all!

The previous chapter was also uploaded today and it is right here

Btw, insider’s tip: keep in mind her words from last chapter about what love is 😉

Taglist: @youbloodymadgenius​ @heavenly1927​ @toe-vind-ek-jou​ @xbellaxcarolinax​ @pieces-by-me​ @angelofthorr​​ @samsationalwilson​  @peachyboneless​ @1950schick​ @punkrocknpearls​ @ietss​ @psych0crybaby​

Ivar startles you one night, sitting in the dim light of your shared room and starting to talk as soon as you walk through the door.

“What would you have done? If someone had come and promised they could take…take something from you, what would you have done to stop them?”

“You didn’t have to stop them, Ivar,” You bite out with no little anger in your tone. You take a deep breath before speaking again, in what you hope sounds like certainty. “Unless I agree, no one will take me from here. And I won’t agree, you should know that.”

“Why should I know that, hm? Why do you act like it should me so clear to me that y-…?”

“I promised,” You interrupt softly, ignoring every bit of who you are and walking towards him. “I married you, Ivar.”

“That doesn’t…” He stops himself, a deep breath of anger and frustration and so much more, and then starts again, “It doesn’t mean anything, though, does it?”

“If that doesn’t, then what would?”

He holds your gaze, but eventually shakes his head.

“That’s enough. Go to sleep.”

“No,” You refuse, raising your chin, “Answer me.”

“I said that’s enough!” He snaps back, eyes wide and furious and set on you.

You only curl your lip in anger, and stomp your way to change out of the dress and into your nightclothes. As you wrap the robe over the nightdress, you can sense his eyes on you, you can feel the chaos lurching under the surface of pretend control.

It usually is that way with him. Chaos and fury and fire perilously kept at bay by gritted teeth and cruelty, wildfire waiting but for one crack in the wall to spill and burn it all.

Burn him, too.

You may still flinch when a fire is breathed too much life, you may still have dreams of charred flesh and screams, but the Gods made you a woman that would never accept fearing any man, no matter the kind of fire he wields.

And because you could never keep your mouth shut and the Gods know you won’t start now, you state,

“You hurt me. You wanted to remind me you could, so you did,” You point out, for once not caring how your voice wavers. “And you get the right to be angry?”

“Be angry, I’m not stopping you!” Ivar yells, turning to you with fury burning in his pale eyes, “Be angry, be cruel! Fight me, I don’t care, just…stop this.”

“Stop what? I haven’t done anything.” You insist, frowning.

“Yes, yes you have,” He lifts an accusatory hand to point towards you, before that same hand runs over his hair, settling at the back of his neck. “You are…” His breath leaves parted lips, “You are soft, and good, and it’s driving me mad.”

“How is that my fault?”

“Because you…” His words fail him and it is with an angry snarl that he stands up, limping towards a table and grabbing a horn of mead, drinking before deciding to turn accusing eyes to you. “You said no.”

“To the merchant?” You ask, a furrow of your brows.

“You had a chance to leave, to escape, and you refused it.

You only watch with wide eyes as his gaze searches the nothingness in front of him. A blinded man trying to make sense of the world, frantic and uncertain.

Ivar’s voice is low but unwavering when he continues, certain and still holding that angry edge, “I’m not an idiot, I know this isn’t where you want to be. I see you still shiver when the night falls, you aren’t used to the cold, you were made for warm and sunny places; I notice you still hesitate with many things about our language, our ways; I…I know you don’t feel at home, I know I took you from the people you loved, from where you belonged.

A part of you, a part of you that you sometimes fear is too alike him, wants to bite back he has no right to say where you do or don’t belong, wants to remind him your mother made you strong and the years made you resilient, wants to let him know no cold and no realm of death can make you break.

But he isn’t saying those words to insult you, or attack you, you realize. In the reminder that you are soft and warm and gentle there isn’t the accusation of a fault in you, but rather…rather a fault in him, in what he did.

You realize the edge of regret in his tone, and a part of you curses Fate for making it so that the one time he admits to regretting something he did, is when he shouldn’t.

Because yes, you aren’t used to Kattegat’s cold, even more so now that winter approaches, but it is easy to forget the cold, when you sip sweet drinks and are surrounded with people of loud laughs; it is easy to feel warm when you have Ivar with you.

And yes, you still have much to learn when it comes to these people and their customs, their traditions and their ways; but you revel in the tales and lessons the women at the apothecary share with you as you work, their voices warm and their laughs light; in the moments you can spend with Ivar having him teach you the way of his people, his eyes bright and voice enthralling, with each tale he tells drawing you further in.

This isn’t the place you were born in, this isn’t the place you imagined your life in, but here you have people you trust, people that love you not because of who your legacy says you ought to be, but for who you are; and the Greeks aren’t with you and your heart mourns for them still, but the people of Kattegat are your people as much as they are. This is your home, too.

But you don’t say anything, you only look at Ivar with wide eyes as he moves to the bed, sitting on it, leaning back on the backrest.

“And after all I did to you, after…everything, you are still soft and…and light, and good and I…”

“You are driving yourself mad?” You supply tentatively, a hint of mirth in your voice.

Ivar chuckles, but it is humorless and it sounds like a dying breath.

“You said no,” He repeats, and it sounds like an accusation at you as much as it sounds like a reassurance for himself. “And you look happy here and I…I wonder if you are fooling me or I’m fooling myself into believing…” He stops himself with a twitch of anger in his nose, the clear tell he feels he’s given too much away. But you remain silent, you refuse to ask him to continue but also to give him ground to retreat. Eventually, he sighs, “Believing you would choose to stay, when this is over. Because you are-…you said no, and…Gods, woman, you know you should have said yes to him. A smart woman would have said yes.”

For a moment as long as the blink of your eyes he is just a Viking and you are just a Priestess, in some old hut in a city you will never return to, being the strangers you will never be again.

His words from that first day echo in your head like an old song, “A smart woman would know better than to deny me.”

And your reply is still the same, “I never claimed to be smart.”

He doesn’t reply, fingers making quick work at the iron braces around his legs, with practiced ease. Before long, he takes both of them off -you’ve noticed he takes the left one first, the armored and heavier one- and sets them in their low table by his side of the bed.

He is maneuvering his legs into a comfortable position -though you notice he doesn’t get under the furs yet- when he asks,

“Why? Why did you say no? Why didn’t you leave?”

The answers come easy to you. Your vow to kill Stithulf isn’t fulfilled, he still lives and so does your desire for revenge. You knew those men would fail at helping you escape, four armed merchants against Ivar the Boneless and his army.

You could answer with any of those reasons, and it would be true. But it wouldn’t be the truth.

“I promised,” You reply easily, holding his gaze. After a moment, your heart trembles its beat inside your chest and your breath stutters past parted lips, and you approach him, sitting on the bed. Your heart has always been foolish, and so it robs you of your choice, making the words leave your lips before you can try to stop them, “I am…I am living on borrowed time as much as you are, this feels…it feels like a strange limbo, a state between being dead and alive.

You remember the Abbasid traveler of weathered skin and wise eyes, Aamir, the man you met on the Roads so long ago. You remember the night he looked right through you, making you think that for a man so certain there was only one God he spoke with the wisdom of those blessed by Apollo.

His words when he spoke of those worlds in between, even after so many years, still echo in your head, a lesson you haven’t forgotten, They are filled with opportunity, life or death, past or future, nostalgia or hope.

You lick your lips before continuing, “I don’t know what my choice would be, I don’t…I don’t want to. I know what I should choose, but I don’t…I can’t make that choice, not yet,” Your words taste like pleas, to Fate, to the Gods, to anyone who might hear, that this borrowed time may last a lifetime. But you can’t admit that, that would mean betrayal of everything you ought to be. “Pretending to know what my choice will be is no different than keeping me from choosing. I only ask you let go of that certainty that I will leave.

And the part of you that is angry and raw and hurt refuses to leave you vulnerable to his answer, refuses to give him ground to stand on, refuses to have him believe this is a war he can win.

So, you continue, spiteful and angry, “But you can’t, can you? Because it would imply trusting me, and you can’t trust me.

You nod to yourself, and at the anger that takes over his expression, the contained vitriol at the realization you are right; you only grow more bitter.

“You know, for a man as cunning as you are, for someone so used to observing people, for how perceptive you are to all that makes me…me; you refuse to see what’s right beside you. You refuse to acknowledge that ever since I stepped down from that boat I have been at your side.

Freydis’ promises she would one day help you escape, the countless times you looked at the horizon of the kingdom you were forced to call your own and knew escaping would be easy, the fights with the blonde you call a friend over the fact that if you just were willing to play you’d have all you ever wanted.

“I have had many chances to betray you, to leave you, before and after we were married. This man wasn’t the first to offer me a life without you in it, and he won’t be the last. Each time, I’ve said no. And for all that will come, I will say no.

You gesture with your hands in a sign of helplessness, of defeat.

“And yet you refuse to trust me,” It is helpless and hopeless, the smile you are able to offer, “You trust me with your life, I know this, you wouldn’t sleep each night by my side knowing I could slit your throat while you’re vulnerable if you didn’t trust your life to me. But you don’t trust me with-…”

Your heart.

You stop yourself, and close your eyes with a sigh. Shaking your head at yourself, at how foolish you are, at how soft and lovesick you remain, you stand up from the bed, walking to your side of it and sitting down with your back turned to Ivar.

You start attempting to untie the knot in the robe you wear over the nightclothes, ready to sleep off these nightmarish weeks, but the sound of Ivar rusting behind you, moving closer to youn on the bed, so close you can feel the warmth of his body at your back, stops you.

Hesitant fingers trace your back, grab an uncharacteristically delicate hold of the ends of your loose hair.

“One braid?” Ivar asks, voice low, hoarse.

You nod, ignoring the part of you that demands you let go of this pathetic softness, that presses you to seal off weak spots, that begs you to hold on to the anger.

You feel him start to make slow work of the one braid to go down your back, and you sigh shakily.

“I’m sorry,” He says, voice so quiet you think you’ve imagined it. A part of you begs you to turn around, but you remain still, waiting for him to continue, “I wasn’t thinking and I…I regret it.”

You feel the stupid urge to cry taking over you, but you grit your teeth and focus on breathing. Giving away weakness is not something you’ll allow yourself now.

Even if your voice is hoarse you for once don’t attempt to hide it, “I care not for regret if it isn’t accompanied by the promise to never do something like that again.”

You know you are pushing your luck, you know somewhere in the world Sieghild is getting a headache at your recklessness, you know a smart woman would back down and accept it as a victory.

But you never claimed to be smart.

Ivar takes a deep breath, and his hands still, their work on your hair paused for a moment.

It feels like asking him to promise you freedom when Stithulf dies all over again. A baited breath, a moment where you fear he cannot guarantee the one thing you ask for.

“You have my word.”

And just like then, to your peace and his torment, he offers a promise.

And just like then, for better or worse, you believe him.

You return to silence, but realize your part of the bargain that comes with this arrangement you two have had for weeks regarding your hair being braided isn’t fulfilled.

“Why can’t you trust me, Ivar?” Is the truth you ask in exchange for the braid.

“I do,” He replies certainly, taking you by surprise, “You insist I don’t, but I do trust you. More than anyone.”

“Yet you think I’ll betray you, you…you think I’d choose anything and anyone over you.”

The only answer you get is the crackling of the fire, the rusting of clothing as Ivar’s arms move as he works on the braid. And so you are lulled into safety, into warmth, by the familiar quiet of your room and the -even now- comforting presence of Ivar at your side.

Without prompting, his voice low, he offers, “I…I can’t stand the thought of them having…having more of you than I do.”

“They don’t.” You reply easily, but still quietly, as if not to break the tentative truce that has settled in the air.

Ivar only huffs a breath that tells you he very much doubts it.

A truth of your own, a truth of how no one has ever had as much of you -of your mind, of your heart, of your soul- as he does, is at the tip of your tongue, but pride keeps those words at bay.

What you offer is the closest you can get to the truth without making it the raw and terrifying reality that leaves you vulnerable.

“With you I…I am the most at peace with myself I have been ever since I was no one, just a healer in the Silk Roads,” Your shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath, “I am myself when I am with you, in a way I never could with any other. Never doubt that.

You turn your head towards him when you feel him let go of your hair, and keeping your eyes on his, for once not hiding anything, you whisper,

“Also never doubt that if I felt for you the same way I do for any of the people you so envy, for what you did to those men, to me, I would have killed or left you.”

____

You hold back a sigh and turn around on the bed, careful not to let too much frigid air pierce the warmth around you.

Before you can ponder too long on what may have woken you, you are reminded of one of the first observations you made about the King of Kattegat: he talks in his sleep.

Ivar lays on his back next to you, one of his arms folded over his head and face now turned towards you.

As you let your eyes trace his features as he sleeps, free of the almost permanent tension that coils around his whole body and expression during the day, the cruel smiles and nose curled in anger absent, you have to close your hand into a fist to resist foolish temptations of reaching up and tracing his face with your fingers.

You did horrible things, once. You did cruel things, played twisted games, and said it was necessary.

You looked into a man’s eyes, promised him forever, swore to love him, and then killed him while his heart still beat by making him realize it had all been a lie, a ruse, a game.

And he forgave you. Narses looked at you and all the awful things you did, and chose to forgive you.

You called him weak, you called him a fool.

But now you look at Ivar, you face every horrible thing he has done, to you and to others; you remember every cruel word and every time he put binds on you; and you realize that you can still find it in you to forgive him.

Maybe you are weak, maybe you are a fool. But it doesn’t scare you as much as it should, the realization of the kind of hold the Viking has on your heart.

It doesn’t scare you, you realize, because what his mind tells him to believe and what it is less frightening for you to have him believe are one and the same: that you are counting the days until your vow is fulfilled and you can make the choice you weren’t able to before.

You know he won’t think your heart is foolish enough to have you make the choice to stay; because a smart a man as he might be, he is also uncertain, vulnerable, and, when it comes to matters like this, when it comes to you, surprisingly defenseless.

This particular secret can remain only yours for a while longer, you think as you let yourself fall back asleep.

Dreams of bloodied lips smiling behind a red veil prove no secret is only yours.

Before you can take your leave the next morning, Ivar quickly grabs at your hand and stops you. Turning around with hundreds of questions at the tip of your tongue, you find those turning into thousands as you meet Ivar’s eyes.

He looks at you with what someone that didn’t know him would think is pain, is fear.

He clenches his jaw, takes a slow breath through his nose before he speaks.

“Have you forgiven me?” His voice is quiet, so quiet.

You search his eyes, and a sad smile curves faintly at your lips. Though a part of you wants to for once allow you to only be soft and gentle, like Ivar said last night, you were never only one thing.

And because you are iron and arrogance and pride as much as you are any other thing, you whisper, repeating back to him his words on your wedding night,

“You’ve chained me, but don’t forget I’ve chained you too.”

I can hurt you, just as you can hurt me.

____

Soooooo, whaddya think?

It was supposed to be a bit longer by adding another scene regarding Stithulf, but I decided to put all that in the next chapter, so this one (and the one before) can focus on the consequences of that one big fuckup and what that means for both of them. This is just a lot of words to say chapter 26 is a 5k beast but ok

Thank you for reading lovelies! Love ya!!!

[i-swear-im-not-a-snitch]

Chapter One: A Chat With Death

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        Harry Potter is gone. Dead. 

        This was the absolute worst case scenario for one Draco Lucius Malfoy, for at the height of the battle, the boy had gone against the Death Eaters and had fought with the Order of the Phoenix. Draco might as well be dead himself at this point. A few months ago, he had overheard a conversation between his aunt Belatrix Lestrange and his father about a prophecy. If Harry had only decided to live through the battle instead of being an idiot Gryffindor and going to the trap in the forest, the battle was as good as won! But Harry Potter just had to go and die. Stupid Gryffindor. Of course the forest was a trap! Did you really think he would let your friends live if they wouldn’t join him? Idiot. Draco was sure he would be executed or publicly tortured for his actions; however, he couldn’t bring himself to regret what he had done.

        When Lord Voldemort strode into the courtyard proclaiming his victory with all his followers at his back laughing in the faces of the survivors was the moment Draco finally lost hope. He felt ashamed as he tuned out the Dark Lord’s victory taunts and avoided his family’s eyes. He felt terrible for betraying them; but, it could not be helped. Despite his family loyalties, Draco understood that it was best if the Order of the Phoenix walked out of the war victorious, there was little hope for that now, though. However, when his Mother called for him, he allowed his familial ties to pull him back to his parents, they had already lost. 

        Several things happened at once. Neville Longbottom, of all people, pulled the Sword of Gryffindor out of the sorting hat and beheaded Nagini. In the midst of the chaos, Harry vanished. He’s alive! Elated, Draco sprinted across the no-man’s land barely dodging several crucios from his lovely aunt to join Neville in valiantly battling the quickly thinning crowd of fleeing death eaters. 

        Across the field, Harry was dodging curses left and right. Harry doesn’t have a wand. In the most Griffindor thing Draco would probably ever do in his lifetime he shouted.

        “Harry!” and Draco threw his wand. However, he would never know if he caught it. At that precise moment, He turned and Lucius Malfoy was standing a few feet away. As he met his father’s eyes, Draco heard two words leave his mouth, Avada Kedavra, and the world went green.

         An Eternity later, the green mist gave way to a forest. Not a dark forest like the forbidden one, but more towards something that could be painted in a tasteful child’s bedroom. It was… soothing. Is this what death is like? Draco strolled down one of the many paths, after a few minutes, he came to a pond with an iron and wood bench by it’s shore. The water seemed to be made of diamonds and glorious Koi fish swam in it’s depths. Finally glancing at the branch, Draco was surprised to find it occupied. Am I not dead? The woman on the bench appeared to be at least the equivalent of a ninety year-old muggle. She had wispy white hair that was neatly tucked into a knit, striped hat. At her side was a similarly knit bag filled with needles and yarn. She makes them herself. I was sure I was dead, I heard the curse. The elderly woman on the bench seemed to sense his hesitation and moved her purse to her lap and patted for him to sit with her. 

        “I must say, I cannot kill you, you are already dead. Sit, let us talk.” He approached the woman and cautiously relaxed into the surprisingly comfortable bench. “That’s better, child.”

        “Who are you, exactly and why are we the only ones here? Hundreds of people died today.” The woman smiled.

        “Yes, but only one Draco Malfoy died today.” She gave him a few moments to think. “Where do you think we are?” He looked around.

        “A forest pond. But I’m dead, so we can’t be at a real pond." Draco thought for a beat. “Are you Death?” The woman grinned wider.

        “You are a smart boy, Mr. Malfoy. Very observant. Yes, I am Death. Very clever, very clever.” 

        “If I may ask, out of all the forms you could take, why an elderly woman?” He politely inquired. 

        “Most people fear me, Draco. If they fear me, my form will frighten them.” 

        “So,” Draco frowned. “I don’t fear you? That doesn’t sound right. Everyone fears death.” She shook her head. 

        “No Draco, you do not fear me, you respect me. Fear and warryness are entirely different.” Death smiled pleasantly, the wrinkles scrunching up in the most welcoming way he could imagine was possible. “It has been a long while since I've talked with someone who is not frightened. It is pleasant.”

        “Thank you?”

        “Tell me, Draco, how did you die?” He grimaced. What do I have to lose by telling her?

        “I betrayed Lord Voldemort and my father killed me for it.” Draco winced in one breath. Death only nodded knowingly. 

        “Do you feel like you died a noble death, Draco?” He shook his head. Death frowned, “Why would you answer no?” 

        “I was a coward, I switched sides when things weren’t going my way. I died a cowardly traitor. I betrayed my family!” he had tears in his eyes now, “The worst part is I would do it again! How could I do that to my own parents?” Death’s eyes shone with understanding. “Hell! If I had the chance I would change sides as soon as I received my Hogwarts letter! There’s so much I did wrong! So much.” He sobbed out the last few words and Death began to rub circles on his back comfortingly.

        “Oh, poor dear, would you really change everything?”

        “If I really knew how wrong I was, I would. I would live on the streets if I had to.” Draco sniffed

        “You are a very loyal young man when you believe in something, Draco, this may help you. Could you fetch the golden cube in the pond for me, dear?” Draco frowned, confused, but nodded anyway. “Good! Bring it back to me when you're done.” Draco nodded again and turned to the pond.

        Wading Into the water, Draco was pleasantly surprised by the soothing temperature of the crystal clear water. The deeper Draco waded the more koi noticed his presence in their territory. Not used to visitors, the fish swam excitedly around him in circles, some rubbing gently against his legs. It was a deeper pond than he thought it was, he was up to his natural waist when he spotted a shimmer of gold ahead of him that was not a fish. Stepping up to the glimmer, Draco nudged it with his foot. It was heavy and square, so he ducked under the water to grasp at the weighty block. Why in Salazar would Death need a golden cube? With great struggle, Draco managed to carry the cube out of the shimmering water and lie back on the shore. Merlin! I underestimated how big the cube was.

        Draco, after a few minutes, rolled over and tiredly sat up to examine his prize. Unlike what he initially suspected, the cube was intricately carved with runes that despite taking Ancient Runes for several years at Hogwarts, Draco could not read or even decide what culture it belonged to. Could it be Death’s own handwriting? That would explain how I have no knowledge about these characters. As Draco contemplated the golden object, a hand tapped him on the shoulder startling him. 

        “Hello Draco, I see you have the golden cube I asked for.” Death held out her hand with kind eyes and Draco almost felt compelled to give it to her; however, after a second of consideration, he handed it over. It would not be wise to anger Death. 

        Death turned the gold over in her hand as if it weighed no more than an empty box and began muttering to herself. 

        “Yes, this will do. Draco, Come here please.” Draco followed her instructions and took both her hands in his hands when she held them out. Death spoke once more and the cube began to spin between them. 

        “En odn uebe mit dnaht aedy am. Lle wtie su, er ar eras ecna hcdno ces. N osos uo yeva el ots uoi cerpo otsi ti ofu oyot erus aer tsi htn rute ri, evo lym, Efil.” And with the last word, the world went black.

        The ground is soft. Grass should not be this soft. What’s the last thing you remember, Draco. … Death. I met Death. Is this the official afterlife? Despite his curiosity, Draco could not bring himself to open his eyes, instead opting for feeling around his surroundings. Moving his hands out to his sides, He determined that he was laying on a blanket. Come on Draco, open your eyes!  And he did. 

        Above him was a canopy enchanted to show an accurate depiction of the stars above in real time. Turning his head he noticed the many dragons chasing each other around on the walls of the room. Salazar! This is my childhood bedroom. The bedroom I vacated in third year! Draco sat up in shock. How did he end up here? Draco immediately began scanning his room for clues, yet, everything was where her remembered they were supposed to be. How odd. At that moment, he noticed a folded piece of paper on the nightstand with his name in the most beautiful handwriting he did not recognise. Did Death send this? 

Draco, 

        I hope your journey has not caused too much shock on your part. However, inquiring about your health is not the purpose of this letter. This is proof. Proof that all you remember is not some strange dream. In your left pocket, you will find a small cube similar to the one I had you retrieve as further proof of your story. You are not crazy. This is a second chance. I have decided that you meant what you said and I will give you the opportunity to turn your speech into action. 

        Today’s date, as you will soon discover, is June 5th, 1991, the day you receive your Hogwarts letter. I implore you to remember and keep your promise and make good with the time you have received with Life. Good luck and may Death and Time be undone. 

Your Final Friend

        Draco immediately ran across the room to find an empty notebook to copy the letter into. When he grabbed a quill and ink bottle, Draco used wandless magic to charm the ink invisible to all but him and duplicated the letter, word for word, in his own neat handwriting. The following pages were filled with everything he could remember about the seven years he attended at Hogwarts as well as all the details from the three years Voldemort occupied Malfoy Manor. Ugh. The occupation, arguably the worst three years of his life.  The next list Draco made was of people who he didn’t want to die again. The list was short, for now, Draco was certain that it would grow as he got to know the other members of the Order of the Phoenix. Oh Merlin, I’ll have to help Harry Potter on all his little quests throughout the years. He groaned. At least school would never be boring outside of History of Magic class. 

        There was a knock at the door and Draco steeled his nerves. He would soon have to face his father, the very man who had shot a killing curse at his only son. Who shot a killing curse at him. It was going to be a very rough morning. Lucius, despite his neglect, made sure to attend all birthday breakfasts. Probably for the special food that was prepared on such occasions. Finally collecting his thoughts into a practiced state of occlumency, Draco opened the door.

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Note: 

Translation of the ritual.

         Life, my love, I return this treasure to you for it is too precious to leave you so soon. Second chances are rare, use it well. May death and time be undone.

Hey yall, MJ here

I’ve decided to start on a harry potter Fiction (Adventures After a Chat With Death)  with my new Pseud! (what do you think?) feel free to comment and message me with questions, criticism and POLITE conversation. If you would like to be tagged please let me know

      Kisses, MJ

TagList:

@ no one yet

[blacklister214]

Illusions: (Chapter 5) The Offer

L.A. 1983

Caleb stood in the stage wing, listening to the applause thundering from the ballroom. Usually this was the best part of the night for Caleb. Soaking in adulation. Being praised to the skies. At the moment though he couldn’t muster the slightest bit of enthusiasm. He knew very well the source of his ennui.

Performing in the park, even for a minute, had been a high Caleb hadn’t felt in quite some time. There were over a hundred ghosts here tonight, and yet somehow it didn’t come close to the two dozen lifers he’d mesmerized that afternoon. The energy just wasn’t the same.

Caleb marched up the stairs. He knew he shouldn’t. He knew that to keep drawing more ghosts to the hotel he needed to work the room. Convince tonight’s guests to bring friends to the next performance. That was how they’d grown their audience from five spirits to the crowd they’d pulled in this evening. Unfortunately his heart just wasn’t in it tonight. The others would have to carry on without him. Delilah would be irate, but then what else was new?

Caleb stopped in his tracks when he reached the green room. A large man with a thick black beard was sitting on the couch, flipping through what appeared to be an old magazine. Caleb was taken aback to see himself posed dramatically on the cover.

“Who are you and what are you doing back here?” Was this rather imposing individual a fan? Caleb had the vaguish sense of recognition, but he couldn’t quite place the face.

“To answer your first question: I am the man who now owns this hotel. As to your second question: I was waiting for you. I confess I presumed I would have to wait longer. You seem like a man who enjoys a good party.” Caleb felt sure he’d misheard. Probably staring into the man’s intense dark eyes had momentary confused him. Or maybe the slight Russian accent had thrown him.

“You own this hotel?” That was impossible. This man was clearly a ghost. Not only could he see Caleb, but he’d gotten to the green room without being noticed. A man this size could not have snuck past anyone.

“Yes, the legal documents are right there if you do not believe me.” Caleb grabbed the papers off the table. They certainly looked official, not that he would have known if they weren’t. In life Caleb’s lawyer had handled these sorts of things.

“Ghosts can’t own hotels.” Buying buildings took money and bank accounts, even Caleb knew that much. Both things were hard to come by without a pulse. The man, however, shrugged as if it were of little matter.

“They can if they have lifers in their employ and the savvy to make the most out of the gifts death has granted us. It is remarkable the fortune one can amass, merely by spying on certain bankers, wall street day traders, and CEOs. But I did not come here to bore you with drawn out stories of my business empire. I am here to offer you the opportunity to become part of it.”

Caleb blinked. That was a surprising offer. He wasn’t sure who this man was, but if he thought Caleb would be caught dead in a business office, he had another think coming.

“I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place. I couldn’t imagine a more boring fate than spying on hedge fund managers for eternity.”  The man didn’t seem at all perturbed by Caleb’s denial. In fact he cracked a small smile.

“You misunderstand me. I would never dream of asking a man of your talents to waste his time skulking around boardrooms. What I had in mind was you becoming my partner in running this club.” If Caleb had had a beating heart, he was certain that offer would have made it stop.

“Club?” The giant’s smile grew another half an inch. Caleb silently cursed himself. He was being too obvious with his interest.

“Yes. The Hollywood Ghost Club. We will close this section off from the main hotel, leaving only one clandestine entrance for the VIP lifers.” Caleb’s head was spinning. It was every fantasy he’d had since returning to the land of the living. But that was impossible.

“Lifers? I thought you said it was going to be a Ghost Club.” A ghost club Caleb could understand. A more polished version of what Caleb was running now.

“Only in that it will be run and staffed by ghosts. The audience, though, will be lifers of the highest caliber who will pay handsomely for the privilege of watching you perform.” Caleb’s stomach dropped in disappointment. He should have known it was too good to be true.

“Except they won’t be able to see me or the band. You do recall the little issue of us being invisible to them?” Caleb was probably being more sarcastic than was wise, but he didn’t care. He didn’t like being teased with his dream and then having it yanked away.

“You did not seem to have any trouble being seen this afternoon.” For a long moment Caleb had no words. How did this man know about the park? Caleb hadn’t even told Delilah yet. He suddenly felt uneasy. Had this stranger been spying on him?

“That was a fluke. I don’t know how it happened.” There was no way he was mentioning Alex. He had no idea who this man was or if his stated intentions were genuine. Caleb was dead, and thus relatively safe from harm, but the boy wasn’t.

The man cocked his head to the side and Caleb had the strangest sensation he had just been tested. Whether he’d passed or failed in the stranger’s estimation was anyone’s guess.

“Mr. Covington, do not be coy. We both are aware it had to do with the child. Alex, is it not? A fine name for a boy, I think.” Caleb didn’t have blood, but he could swear he felt it drain from his face. Was that a threat? If the behemoth even considered harming Alex, Caleb would find a way to destroy him.

“What exactly are you suggesting? That I kidnap a four-year old from his bed every night so he can play with me at the club?” Caleb scrutinized the man closely, watching for any hint of ill intent. He saw none. The giant stayed in his seat, posture relaxed as he shook his large head.

“No. The opposite, in fact. One of the conditions of you accepting this deal would be your ending your association with the child.” The gears turning in Caleb’s mind ground to a halt. Whatever direction he’d assume the conversation would take, it hadn’t been that.

“Excuse me?” End his association with Alex? That was...unthinkable. He felt like hitting the stranger for even suggesting it. Odd because he wasn’t generally a man given to violent impulses. Well...except where Greg Mercer was concerned, but given enough time with the man most everyone would feel that way.

“Do not worry, you do not need the child to be seen. Your connection allowed you to reveal a power that was already within you. The ability is rare, but the energy required to use it can be acquired in other ways.” Caleb was simultaneously intrigued and offended. Yes, he was desperate to learn how to be visible to lifers, but the statement seemed to imply that’s all Alex was to him.

“That’s not the only reason I spend time with Alex.” Caleb would never be so dishonest as to claim the abilities that came with the relationship weren’t a draw, but there was so much more to it than that. Alex filled a hole Caleb had never realized he’d had in him.

Once again he felt the man appraising him. Staring into his eyes as if to discover the secrets of Caleb’s soul. After a moment the giant nodded.

“You are genuinely fond of the boy. I can empathize. It is natural in circumstances like yours, but for your sake, as well as his, you must sever that connection as soon as possible.” That gave Caleb pause. The man’s tone seemed sympathetic, though Caleb was quite aware of how easy that was to fake.

“Why?” What harm could possibly be done to either of them? Alex strengthened Caleb, he was sure of it. He brought him peace and joy. And hadn’t Caleb improved the child’s life as well? Hadn’t he prevented Alex’s father from grinding his son down? Hadn’t he arranged for the boy to pursue his own passions? Hadn’t he taught Alex about music and more importantly about self-confidence?

“What do you know about ‘unfinished business’?” Caleb frowned, unsure where this was heading.

“I’m told the reason ghosts don’t ‘cross over’ when they die is that there is something they left undone in their lifetimes. If they complete whatever task they need to, then they vanish, to whatever awaits them on the other side.” Caleb suppressed a shudder. Crossing over was something he had absolutely no interest in. Even if his parents had been wrong and hellfire wasn’t waiting for him, what was the best he could hope for? It wasn’t like he had anyone potentially waiting for him. Anyone he missed and wanted to be reunited with. What else could heaven hold for him? Wings? A harp? An eternity of serenity? Caleb would pass on that fate, thank you very much.

“Precisely. I do not know what your unfinished business may be, but I can tell you with certainty it is connected to your Alex. The more time you spend with him, the more you risk your existence. Even if that weren’t a concern, you do understand the boy is a lifer. He will eventually die and at present you have no way of ensuring he will return as a ghost.”

Caleb felt his throat close up. The man was right. Alex would die. That shouldn’t be news to Caleb. Intellectually he must have known it, and yet he had never considered it. Alex was so young and Caleb hadn’t really spent much time pondering his own immortality.

Ghosts were uncommon. The small number he’d found in LA told him that. He could be grieving Alex for millennia. Suddenly Caleb remembered something the man said and latched onto it like a drowning man to a buoy.

“At present?” What did that mean? Was it possible to ensure Alex would return as a ghost when he died?

“I can teach you how to bind his soul to yours so that when he does pass on, he will be tethered to you, here in this plane. In the end you’ll have everything you want.”

Caleb thought he’d been tempted before, but now he understood the expression ‘I’d give my right arm for _________.’ A club of his own. A live audience. Alex with him forever.

But he would have to leave him. Leave Alex. He’d miss everything. Watching Alex grow from boy to man. Caleb would be unable to celebrate his successes with him. He  would be barred from consoling Alex through his hardships. He’d have to look in Alex’s tearful face and tell him he wasn’t ever coming back.

“I can’t. I can’t just abandon him. It would break his heart.” No. He couldn’t do that. Nothing was worth that.

“What if I told you I could take that pain from him? Lock the memories of you away in his mind. Let him live a normal life. He would not have to grieve you, and when the time is right you could open that box and be joyfully reunited.”

Caleb tried to think rationally, but it was difficult with the pain emanating from his chest. Alex forgetting Caleb would hurt Caleb deeply, but would it hurt Alex? You can’t miss what you’d don’t remember. And loath as Caleb was to admit it, the man wasn’t wrong about a ‘normal life.’

Typically Caleb scoffed at the term ‘normal’, but he was aware it was what most people wanted. By staying in Alex’s life, Caleb would be denying the boy any hope of that. If the incident at the park was any indication it was already creating tension between Alex and his peers. It would only get worse as the boy got older. Forcing Alex to keep a secret of this magnitude would eat at him. The cookie incident was proof of that fact.

He couldn’t decide. He needed time to think. Time to determine if the offer was even genuine.

“Why me? I’m sure there have been other performers over the years who would have leapt at this offer.” How many people had they asked before him? Why had they turned it down? What had happened to them after they did?

“Los Angeles has seen many talented ghosts, but you have more than just talent. You also have intelligence, ambition, and power. It is a rare combination. We have been looking to establish a club here in Hollywood for some time, but we needed someone special to run it.”

Caleb pondered that ringing endorsement for a moment. How much was true and how much was the man blowing smoke up his ass? Intelligence and ambition? In less than a year Caleb had managed to lay the foundation for a ghost business. His was the only such place in town. Objectively he had to admit that spoke to his drive. Power? He’d discovered for himself his abilities were unusual, especially for a ghost as young as he was. The club only worked if lifers were able to watch the performances. If the man was to be believed Caleb had the ability to make that happen. Perhaps the man was being sincere after all.  

“Are there other Ghost Clubs?” The way the man spoke suggested he’d struck this arrangement at least once before. Los Angeles was relatively young in comparison to other cities around the world. Surely some of them had to have established clubs already in place.

“Rome. Paris. London, Madrid. Moscow. Berlin. Buenos Aires. Tokyo. Hong Kong. Cairo. Athens. The list goes on. Ghost Club performers routinely swap venues. You can travel the world. Be worshipped by fans from every major country.” It was funny he hadn’t even considered travelling since rematerializing in LA. Now that it was offered to him though, it was an extremely tempting prospect. There had to be a catch. Things that were too good to be true usually were.

“You said there was more than one condition. What were the others?” The big man motioned Caleb to sit opposite him. He’d never stood when Caleb had entered and had let Caleb have the physical high ground up until this moment. Was that deliberate? Allowing Caleb to feel more secure? In control of the situation? This though, suggested they had entered a new phase. The business deal.

“The second is very simple. If you come across any exceptionally powerful spirits, you contact us. We are always on the lookout for new talent.” Caleb nodded once. The request made sense. It wasn’t like there were ghost Help Wanted ads. Some kind of headhunting model would be the only way a ghost organization could find suitable personnel. Caleb himself must have reported by someone, and now he was being offered the opportunity of an afterlife.  

“What else?” There had to be more to it than simply picking up the phone from time to time.

“The third condition is that you will take responsibility for the ghosts of Los Angeles.” Caleb was not thrilled with the sound of that.

“In what respect?” Was he supposed to be some kind of undead mayor? Hear grievances. Mitigate petty squabbles? Where was he supposed to find the time, not to mention the patience, if he was running the club?

The man steepled his fingered and fixed Caleb with a penetrating stare. He tried not to be intimidated, but it was unsettling.

“It is crucial to the survival of all ghosts that we remain urban legends. Myths. Stories the world at large scoffs at. We can not afford to become a widely acknowledged reality.” Caleb raised his eyebrows. That didn’t jibe with what he’d already been told.

“You said the guests of the club would be lifers.” If they didn’t know the performers were ghosts, then why would they pay such extravagant fees?

“Select lifers, yes, but we have ways of ensuring their silence. The public at large can not gain proof that we are as real as they are. It would be a disaster. History has proven time and time again that whenever two groups come into contact with one another it only ends one way. War. Sometimes even extinction of one of the sides.” Caleb couldn’t argue with that thinking. Hating the other was something humanity always seemed to excel at.

“What would I be expected to do?” Hopefully the man had the means to enforce this code, because nothing in Caleb’s current repertoire would be much good subduing another ghost.

“Deal with any ghosts who threatens to expose us. How will be up to your discretion as long as the issue is contained. There are skills I will teach you to bring recalcitrant spirits to heel. No one minds a little innocent haunting. A light switch flickering. The car horn beeping. But things on a larger scale, for insistence on your little performance today, would need to be curtailed.”  

That gave Caleb pause. It hadn’t crossed his mind that he’d already broken the man’s policy. Twice actually if you counted his possession of Greg Mercer. He pondered mentioning that incident, then decided against. If the man didn’t know, Caleb wasn’t going to risk the deal by telling him.

“Anything else?” The third condition would be a hassle, but considering what he would be getting in return, it was worth the price.

“One last thing. We would need to establish a soul link.” That sounded very new age, but Caleb suspected it was not.

“What is that?” The giant leaned forward, somehow sensing Caleb’s reluctance despite his poker face. Perhaps this was the least attractive condition for the other potential club owners as well. Undoubtedly it was why he saved it for last.

“It is an energy channel. I put my mark on you and I have the ability to tap into your energy reserves if necessary. You, in turn, will establish your own links with less powerful spirits and be able to siphon some of their energy.” Caleb suddenly had an image of the symbol that had appeared on Alex’s head when Caleb had kissed him. Had he already forged one of these ‘soul links’? His stamina had increased since that day. Was that as a result of his constant practicing, or had he been unintentionally stealing energy from Alex?

“Do they hurt?” Alex hadn’t experienced any pain, if anything he’d seemed comforted by it.

“They can be uncomfortable when they are first laid. Beyond that, it is about intention. The kind I will establish with you and that you will make with your fellow performers will be unnoticeable most of the time. It’s only when you draw on an extreme amount of energy that those with your mark will feel any effects. This is why it is important to have as many soul links as possible. The more ghosts, the less power each has to contribute.”

That made sense. Alex usually became sleepy after Caleb performed tricks for him, but Caleb had just assumed it was because he was a young growing boy who needed naps.

“But there are other kinds of links?” The ‘intention’ comment hadn’t escaped Caleb. Caleb’s intention had been benevolent when he’d kissed Alex, ergo his mark shouldn’t harm the boy. That was comforting. What wasn’t comforting was the implication that marks could hurt ghosts.

“It is possible to lay marks that will drain a spirit’s energy completely.” Completely? What did that mean?

“What happens to those spirits?” What happened when a ghost’s energy reached zero?

“They are completely absorbed by the mark-layer.” Dead. That’s what the man was saying. Ghosts could kill each other. Perfect. So much for his earthly cares being over.

“Sounds a bit like ghost cannibalism.” The giant nodded, as if conceding the point.

“I suppose it does. However, there are dangerous spirits in the world and sometimes extreme measures are necessary to deal with them.” Caleb finally understood. Not only was he potentially going to one day face spirits that could end his existence, he was expected to be ready and willing to do the same to them.

“I see.” Caleb couldn’t help but feel doubt. Before this had been a hard decision, but now it was an impossible one. Caleb had no idea if he could hold up his end of the deal if he accepted. He was many things, but a killer? He just didn’t know.

“I’m sure this is very overwhelming, but think about what you’ll be getting out of this bargain. Your own club, designed exactly to your specifications. A suite in this hotel all to yourself where no lifer or ghost will ever trespass. The opportunity to perform before packs houses around the globe. The chance to one day spend an eternity with your Alex. Not to mention the opportunity to learn tricks like this.”

The man waved his hand and suddenly Caleb’s wardrobe had completely changed. Gone was his magician’s garb, which after wearing it for most of the year, even Caleb was a bit tired of. Instead he found himself in a very familiar looking black suit. It wasn’t contemporary, but from Caleb’s time. There was even a pocket watch. He looked down at the magazine on the table. Of course. He’d worn this suit in the photo shoot.

The giant wasn’t done. Another wave of his hand and two brandy glasses appear on the table. Caleb blinked. That was new. Moving an existing object was one thing but conjuring drinks and, dare he hope, food was quite another.

“May I?” Caleb nodded at the glasses. He’d eaten and drunk nothing since his death. The need wasn’t there anymore, but the longing was.

“Of course.” The man picked his own glass and raised it. Caleb followed suit. “Do smerti!”

They clicked their drinks and Caleb sipped. It was exactly as he remembered. The taste. The warm feeling spreading through his limbs. Incredible.

“What did that toast mean?” He was fairly certain it was Russian, but beyond that he had no clue.

“‘To death.’ Typically my people toasted to heath, but in our cases, ‘death’ seemed more appropriate. What do you say Mr. Covington? Will you accept my deal?”

It was a lot, everything he’d learned in the last few minutes. Everything he’d been offered. He appreciated how the man had answered all his questions. He’d been as upfront about the drawbacks as he had the incentives.

“I’d say it’s an offer I can’t refuse.”  Perhaps if he were another type of man he’d walk away from this opportunity. Be satisfied with what he had, and accept its limitations. Caleb, however, was not that type of man and never had been. He’d risk anything if it meant he could have everything.

“Excellent.” The man extended his hand to Caleb and after only a moment’s pause Caleb took it. The moment his hand made contact, he felt a brief burning sensation on his wrist. When he pulled back to look, he saw a dark red circle and within the circle what seemed to be an upside down capital L followed by an uppercase P. Odd. After a few seconds it sunk into his wrist and disappeared. Caleb rubbed the spot, the pain fading as quickly as it had come.

“It just occurred to me. We’ve just established this ‘soul link’ and I don’t even know your name.” The man grinned wider than he had at any other point in the conversation. Caleb suddenly had the unnerving impression that it was less of a smile, and more of a wolf baring its teeth.

“Grigori. Gregori Yefimovich Rasputin.”

[kee-writestrashh]

Soot & Healing Salve

Charlie Weasley x Reader

ao3

words: 2120

summary: anon request- I was the anon aking if you write for Harry Potter. Do you think you could do something with Charlie or Bill? They don’t get enough recognition

author’s note: okay, but whoever you are, i want to kiss you. I love, love, LOVE the Weasley family and had so much fun with this! enjoy!

It was the opportunity of a lifetime. How could you have said no? It was like everything in your life had led up to this moment. Not many mediwizards got this chance, and especially not American mediwizards. But here you were, about to start your first day on the job as a mediwizard in Dragon territory Romania.

This is what you were made for. Growing up in Boston to a muggle father and witch mother. Your father was a captain of the Boston FD and your mother was a healer in a private Bostonian wizarding hospital. Your life was full of emergency services. You wanted to be like your father, a fireman. Upholding the family tradition of firefighting. But then your Ilvermorny letter arrived, as your mother knew it would, and your only focus was to be the wizarding equivalent to a paramedic, a mediwizard.

Working under pressure came easy for you. Almost as easy as preparing potions while people in pain were screaming at you. You had an uncanny ability to prepare doses and make immediate diagnoses at the drop of a hat. Fresh in the field you gained attention from the higher ups and long time veterans of the field. And your heart was bursting when your commander told you he had put your name in for a job opening as a mediwizard in Romania. But getting the owl to tell you that you had been selected almost made your heart stop. How could you be so lucky?

And now you stood near the medical tent, going through routine wand check and a basic rundown of your skills. You took the shiny badge from your new commander and pinned it proudly on your uniform. A warmth glowing inside of you that surely shone through your eyes.

“Aye, everything seems to be in order. Your partner will escort you to your first station and get you settled in. Welcome aboard, (Y/N).” The commander said, giving you a wan smile.

You fixed your uniform robes and walked out of the tent, eyes scanning the vast land before you. You couldn’t wait to take some pictures to send back home. You were just making mental note of what you would take pictures of first when a voice came from behind you.

You turned at the voice and noticed a redhaired young man roughly your age. He was covered in black soot, which made his smile dazzling against the sun. “You’re (Y/N) then? I’m Charlie. Your partner asked if I would come show you the way. He’s a bit tied up at the moment helping one of the other dragon wranglers who got in a spot of trouble.”

You eyed Charlie up and down and raised a brow, “A spot of trouble, huh?”

Charlie gave a broad smile and a shrug, “The job gets boring sometimes, and well, you can’t just turn down a dare. Word of the wise, pepper makes a dragon sneeze just as well as a person.”

You gave a small laugh, “No wonder you lot are in need of more mediwizards.”

Charlie gave another innocent shrug and pointed his thumb over his shoulder, “If you’ll follow me then.”

You fit right in with the crowd you worked with. There was really never a moments peace. Sometimes lunch and healing salve went almost hand in hand. Dragon wranglers were wild, and that’s all there was to it. They seemed to have no sense of self preservation. ‘Live in the moment’, Charlie would tell you every time you tended to his burns. You almost came to the conclusion that he was stained in dragon fire soot. 

“You smell like a house fire.” You said, tending to the seventeenth burn on Charlie in two weeks.

You were beat. Working around the clock. There were shifts, but even in your few hours off, it wasn’t enough to actually rest. The mediwizard force was really outnumbered and overworked. However, the job was so high stress, not many could make the cut. And now you understood why. You were running on dragon fumes. Quite literally. The constant brimstone smell made your head a bit light from time to time.

“Uh, (Y/N)...” Charlie said, wincing in pain and jerking his arm away from you. “That’s peanut butter.”

“Peanut butter...” You mumbled, dipping the butter knife back into the peanut butter jar. Then the weight of the words hit you and you snapped awake, “Peanut butter!”

You looked down, and sure enough, you had slathered peanut butter on Charlie’s burn, but only after you had made a healing salve and jelly sandwich for lunch. You gave a frustrated sigh and shook your head. “So sorry, Charlie.” You said, pulling your wand from your robe and giving it a small wave.

Charlie reached in his pocket and held out a flask, “You could do with a pick me up.”

You looked from flask to Charlie and raised your brow as you often did with him. He was a trouble maker. He gave a crooked grin and shook the flask at you.

“Go on. A shot of firewhiskey will do you some good.” He urged.

You took the flask and a small swig. the heat in your throat waking you at once. You gave a small cough, feeling like you could breathe fire as well as any of the dragons in the field. A small shake of your head, handing the flask back.

“Is it always this busy?” You asked, hearing a dragon roar, shouting, and feeling the heat of the dragon fire, even if it was a ways off. You moved the peanut butter away and pulled the salve toward you.

Charlie gave a huff, “Not usually. It’s breeding season. And there are more males than there are females that are ready to breed. It’s a nightmare out there. Males will try to eat everything in sight that even moves. Thinks it will try and make a move on his lady. Watched one rip a tree from the ground and chew it up into splinters because the wind made the branches move too much.”

You applied the ointment and tutted. “Males.”

Charlie laughed, a small sigh of relief leaving him as you applied more of the ointment. “Your salve is the best. It soothes immediately and takes the burn out.”

You gave a small shrug, “Spearmint and lavender.”

“When do you get off?” He asked, catching you off guard. 

Your voice seemed to stick and you stared stupidly at Charlie.

“Next crew should be in in about three hours.” Adam, your partner, spoke up as he walked into the tent to set up the cauldron and start another batch of Draught of Peace.

“Well then, how about an actual lunch?” Charlie said looking from Adam back to you.

“What?” You said stupidly.

“She’d be delighted.” Adam answered for you, prodding the bottom of the cauldron with his wand to light the fire underneath.

“I’ll see you in three, then.” Charlie said brightly, leaving your table and slipping out of the tent.

“You’re kinda slow on the uptake aren’t you?” Adam chuckled, ducking under your table to grab the potions kit.

“I am not!” You said defensively, feeling your cheeks warm.

“He’s been hinting for like two weeks.” Adam continued casually, taking out a set of brass scales and giving his wand complicated little waves.

“Tuh.” You hissed in indignation, pulling out your patient report, and pausing slightly when you wrote down Charlie Weasley. Had you really been so obvious at becoming dumbfounded about being asked out? Though, you couldn’t remember the last time you had even made time for a date, or even an event out with friends. You were always too busy with school work you’d say. You’d always take extra shifts.

You shook your head at yourself, consulting your watch to guesstimate the time in which Charlie had walked into the tent for medical attention. “I’m headed to the station.” You said, gathering up your items to move from tent to the station, fifty meters away. Adam simply grunted, biting his tongue as he carefully added potion ingredients to the cauldron.

“Well look at that.” You said, throwing your quill down and standing from your seat three hours later as the next crew came in. “I actually got all my reports done today.”

Adam looked over your shoulder, “And in legible writing even. Go you.”

“Oh hush. My writing is so much better than yours.” you quipped, placing the thick stack of papers in a file folder. “Good luck guys! See you in thirty six!” You tittered, waving at the new crew as you hung up your uniform robe to leave. Alice gave a dismissive wave and her partner Chris gave you a rather rude hand gesture. he looked as tired as you felt. You giggled, stepping back outside of the building, waiting on Adam.

“Chris seems real enthused today doesn’t he?” You said, falling into step with your partner until you reached the apparating point on the edge of the field.

“Commander denied him vacation until breeding season is over because we are so short handed.” Adam said with a small yawn. “I’m sure Charlie will be here momentarily. I’m headed to take a loooooong nap.”

“Enjoy! See you tomorrow-ish.” You said with a small smile, giving Adam a small wave as he turned on his heel and disappeared with a faint ‘pop!’. 

“Hey! (Y/N)!” Charlie called loudly, waving at you. You turned and smiled at him. “So, late lunch. Early dinner. Whatever it is. I owe you for the great care you’ve given.”

“Hows your arm?” You asked.

Charlie held up his arm, there was a very large, shiny scar forming.

You frowned at the scar, “I should have been quicker.” You said, taking his arm and running a finger along the pink skin.

“I think it adds a bit of flavor.” Charlie chuckled. “There’s a pub in the nearest little town. They make amazing sandwiches. Their beer selection is pretty great too. What do you say?”

“Lead the way.” You beamed, taking him in. He was soot free for once. You weren’t even sure that was possible. He smelled nice too. Not like brimstone or healing salve.

He was right. So very right. This tiny pub was exactly what you needed. You felt like some starved animal as you ate two sandwiches and... how many glasses of beer was it now?

Charlie told you all about his time at Hogwarts and his love for magical creatures. He pressed you endlessly for information on Ilvermorny. He then continued the conversation by talking about his family. Very large family. his four youngest siblings still at Hogwarts. His youngest brother being best friends with Harry Potter, and how a couple years ago they had written to him asking if he would pick up an illegal dragon from the school. 

“She’s a real beauty. We call her Norberta. As beautiful as a Norwegian Ridgeback as there ever was. I’ll have to introduce you sometime.” He said fondly before telling you about his older brother Bill, who was in Egypt breaking curses for Gringotts.

You told him about your family, and how your father was a muggle. This made Charlie laugh and tell you all about how fascinated his father was with muggles, and plug and batteries. That made you laugh loudly.

“You know, they’re working out all the kinks... but they’re going to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament. Going to be hosted at Hogwarts. They want us to supply some dragons for one of the three tasks. I’ve been put on that detail. We’ll need a couple Mediwizards on hand, to make sure nothing too horrible happens. You and Adam should put in. I’d love to show you Hogwarts.”

You gave a small grin, elbows on the edge of the table as you held another pint in your fingertips. You took a sip and gave your lips a small smack. “It almost sounds as if you plan on getting hurt.” You quirked your brow again. “I was going through my reports. You have some pretty novice mistakes going on for a top dragon wrangler...”

“Would you believe me if I said that maybe the dragons and I have an agreement that they only slightly maim me so that I can see you? I wasn’t lying when I said your healing salve is the best.”

“Oh, so you only like me for my medicines?” You asked in a mock scandalized tone.

“That, and your soft hands.” Charlie said giving a shrug as he often did when he was called out on something.

“No shame in you is there? You are very charming, Charlie Weasley.”  

[emotionsofthesoul]

Chapter 15 _ Nuevos Comienzos

The following morning both girls got up at 6am and decided to have breakfast where they first met.

Everyone is Placerville was used to the Carvajal family living amongst them. Valentina had been going to that coffee shop since she was a child. Her family was very loved by the local community. Enough that Valentina was on first name bases with the owners of her favorite coffee shop and they often allowed her to display her photography on both floors of their business.

This particular morning her table was not available which she found strange since she had been coming to this coffee shop for over a decade and that was always her table. When the locals at her table saw her they offered to let the girls sit but Valentina waved them off telling them it was fine. There was a new employee and clearly she had no idea that on Mondays that table was reserved for her from 6am to lunch time.

Juliana noticed how this slight inconvenience irritated Valentina and she found it adorable and hilarious how territorial she was over a table. It was a special nook so she partially understood why the girl loved it as much as she did. Nonetheless Juliana wasn’t about to allow this ruin Valentina’s day so she did the first thing she could think of to distract Valentina from this hiccup.

“Val, how about you show me around this place. Show me which pieces are yours. Take me upstairs and we can grab a seat near the giant painting of the elephant that I love. It’s darker upstairs anyway, remember we’re only here for breakfast, it’s not a big deal.” Juliana said looking Valentina in the eyes while holding Valentina behind the ear and rubbing it with her thumb as she tends to do to soothe the girl in front of her.

Valentina nodded in acknowledgment and allowed herself to be led up the stairway. As they ascended the stairs Valentina showed her one of the images on the wall that she captured. It was an image of the building they were standing in that she took when she was 13 years old. Kathy, the owner, had loved it and decided to frame it and has kept it up ever since. When Juliana reached the top of the stairs they were met with a beautiful window light. Juliana thought Valentina looked etherial in that lighting and in that moment she felt like the luckiest girl in the world. Little did she know Valentina was thinking the exact same thing.

“Que?” Valentina questioned with a smile directed at the girl a few steps above her.

“Que de que?” Juliana replied not breaking eye contact.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Valentina asked beginning to blush as her smile grew wider.

“Am I not allowed to look at my girlfriend? Am I not allowed to look at the most beautiful creature in this universe? At the blessing standing right in front of me in human form?” Juliana answered unashamed and with great confidence.

Valentina covered her face and began nodding her head while giggling not knowing how to respond.

“Come here.” Juliana said helping Valentina up the remaining steps and hugging her as Valentina made herself comfortable on Juliana’s neck which had become her favorite place.

Juliana pulled away from Valentina and walked them over to the window where a small bench was placed right below it. They sat down and stared intently into each other’s eyes. Neither girl spoke; they just allowed the morning rays filter in through the window as they observed each other.

“Uhhhh sorry to interrupt but your food is ready…” The new girl at the café holding a tray with their food said, biting her lip out of nervousness knowing she was shattering a moment.

Valentina turned to acknowledge the waiter trying not to make the girl feel bad for interrupting. They decided to eat at the bench pulling it away from the window a bit so they could sit on it while facing each other. They had both gotten a turkey breakfast sandwich with a fruit smoothie. Setting the tray on the ground, they held and ate their breakfast. Valentina told Juliana that while she talked to Renata she would explore around the area and they could grab a snack afterwards.

When they finished their sandwiches they scoot in closer to each other unconsciously as they continued to talk. The more they talked the more distracted they became, stealing glances at each others lips.

“Fuck it.” Juliana said no longer paying attention and instead putting her drink down and pulling Valentina into her as she began to kiss her. Valentina was her first kiss but now that they had shared quite a few Juliana had grown more confident in her skills and was sure of her feelings. She took control of their kisses more often and Valentina definitely did not seem to mind.

When they needed to catch their breath they rested their foreheads against each other breathing heavily and staring into one another’s eyes.

“Wow.” Was all Valentina could say; Juliana had left her breathless and speechless.

“Let’s get out of here, yeah?” Juliana said standing up from the bench and offering her hand for Valentina to take.

Valentina eagerly stood up and allowed Juliana to lead them down the stairs, through the café, and out the door towards her car.

Once inside Juliana’s car they didn’t say anything simply smiled and bit their lips at the thought of their kiss. As Juliana pulled out the parking lot Valentina told her to keep driving east towards Mosquito Rd, passed the bridge and a few houses, towards an empty property surrounded by endless trees. As the car came to a stop Valentina told Juliana to close her eyes. She plugged her phone into the radio and started playing Lana Del Rey. Once the music was slightly turned up as background noise she leaned in and began to kiss Juliana.

As they continued to make out Valentina spoke against Juliana’s lips, “I don’t know what your game plan back there was but I’m all in.”

After a few minutes Juliana pulled Valentina closer into her; enough to practically have the girl on top of her. They stayed in that position for nearly 20 minutes. Juliana took Valentina’s denim jacket off somewhere in those 20 minutes and Valentina as played with the hem of Juliana’s shirt.

When they finally pulled away from each other both girls were completely out of breathe and neither could say a word for what felt like an eternity.

Juliana closed her eyes and bit her lip as she finally mustered up the ability to speak. “We should get going. We’re gonna be late.” She still couldn’t turn to look at Valentina.

Valentina simply nodded to herself as she spoke, “mhm… yeah you’re probably right but I’d honestly rather not.”

Juliana let out a chuckle at Valentina’s statement before asking, “Val, where are we?”

Taking a deep breath to try and compose herself, Valentina ran a hand through her hair trying to get her mind off the kiss; if you could even call it.

“Uhh. This is actually a property I bought when I turned 18. I haven’t done much with it. Nothing really, but it was 300 acres and it was extremely cheap so I took advantage of the opportunity and bought it. I hope to one day build my home here. It’s very isolated and has a beautiful view a little farther up ahead.” Valentina said as if anyone could easily own 300 acres in California.

Juliana’s eyes opened wider than ever before as she turned to look at the girl sitting in her passenger seat very casual about her previous statement.

“Valentina… you don’t realize how rich you actually are do you?” Juliana said in almost a whisper.

Valentina turned her body facing towards Juliana. “What do you mean? I know I’m rich but that doesn’t mean anything. I thought it didn’t mean anything to you?” She said trying not to get defensive.

“No, it doesn’t. I still don’t even know or care how much you have, that’s your business not mine. I fell for the cute girl sitting in a hidden part of coffee shop with her forehead wrinkled as she worked away on her computer not the media heiress you turned out to be. I’m just saying you said that as casually as someone who found rare J’s on specials. This property was probably worth more than what that person would make in their entire lifetime multiplied by 4.” Juliana said trying to get her point across.

“Really? I guess I never thought about it like that.” Valentina said shrugging her shoulders.

Juliana giggled at the face Valentina made.

“Okay morrita, let’s go. I don’t want to be late for my job interview.” Juliana said turning her Mustang on.

“Why… you know you already have the job, this is only a formality.” Valentina said putting her left hand on top of Juliana’s right hand to stop her from shifting the car into drive.

“Formality or not, I don’t like being late. I’ve always lived by the saying, ‘if you’re five minutes early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late.’ So let’s go woman.” Juliana said pulling out of the property.

Valentina smiled at Juliana’s way of seeing punctuality.

They drove while listening to a playlist Valentina had made for Juliana. There was some morning traffic as they reached the exit towards 65th St. Once in the streets they made it to Renata’s shop in under 10 minutes making them 20 minutes early.

Renata showed up right at 9am when they had agreed to meet. Valentina laughed at the fact that Renata was just on time meaning according to Juliana’s saying she was late. Once she greeted her sister in law she told them she’d be back so they had the entire hour to talk business before the boutique was set to open. In the meantime she would go find new photographs waiting to be captured.

When Valentina returned to the shop Juliana and Renata were laughing as Renata was telling Juliana how Eva treated her when she found out her brother was dating his secretary. Renata was working as Guille’s secretary and going to school part time in order to graduate and pay for her school. She never expected to fall for her boss but it happened and Eva hated it. She tried to break them up for the first year until Valentina put an end to it. 

According to Renata, Valentina told her sister, “As a wise man once said, ‘mind yo damn mudafuckin business bitch!’” That shut her up and everyone started laughing because Valentina never cussed at home let alone directed at her stuck up sister. Valentina then went on to explain to Eva that no matter what she thought or said Renata was part of the family and would always be welcomed with open arms by everyone and either she got on board or jumped completely off the boat. This caused Juliana to laugh trying to imagine Valentina saying and doing all of that to protect no only her brother but Renata as well and their love.

“What are you guys talking about?” Valentina said as she came in with a huge smile at the knowledge that the girl of her dreams and her best friend were getting along so well.

Renata laughed before filling Valentina in. The three girls continued to talk until the employees began to trickle in and first customers showed up. Once Renata had to get back to work the girls said their goodbyes and they went on their way.

“What do you want to do now?” Juliana said as she took hold of Valentina’s hand as they walked towards her car.

“Actually I’d like to take you to a nearby park so we can talk. I have good news.” Valentina said with a huge smile that Juliana loved. Handing Valentina the keys Juliana got into the passenger seat.

When they arrived at the Cesar Chavez Plaza they found a bench with a nice shade. They bought corn in a cup mixed with the usual corn on the cob ingredients: mayo, cheese, and chili powder. They also got a raspado; Juliana picking a tamarind flavored raspado while Valentina chose a coconut with lechera raspado.

“Okay what did you want to talk about?” Juliana said taking a sip from her ice cold drink.

“First I want to know how it went with Natty?” Valentina responded genuinely interested on how things turned out.

Juliana’s entire face lit up at the question showing Valentina that everything did in fact go very well.

“It went great! I start on Monday when the new boutique opens. She’s going to train me for a week and it’s paid training! She also told me she wants me to be in charge of that store and manage it for her. I’m up for the challenge so I accepted knowing that if I have any questions she is just a phone call away. I love your cuñada, she’s awesome! She also gave me the date for the admission presentation so I can start school. It’s right before Thanksgiving, so I definitely have a lot to be thankful for this year. She also said she was going to send me a list of affordable apartment complexes around the new boutique so I don’t have to commute too far.” Juliana said very animatedly.

Valentina smiled the entire time Juliana spoke about how things were beginning to fall into place for her. She could only think that this was the beginning of a new chapter in each of their lives.

“That’s incredible babygirl! We can go apartment hunting over the weekend if you’d like?” Valentina said bring the straw up to her mouth.

“Okay I’m down! Now what was your exciting news?” Juliana said still excited about her chat with Renata.

Valentina took a long sip from her drink before beginning to speak.

“Well… I was walking around town and I came across this beautiful couple and I asked if I could photograph them. They agreed and then we exchanged information so I could send them their pictures and I showed them some of my previous work on my instagram. Before we parted ways the man told me he owns the gallery across from the cathedral and he was willing to let me have an exhibit there next month. You have no idea how difficult it is to book an exhibit there. I’ve been trying for months & it practically landed on my lap!” Valentina told Juliana as she thought back to how everything she had worked so hard for was finally going in her favor.

Juliana set her drink and corn down and pulled Valentina into a tight hug telling her how proud she was of her.

“Let’s cheer to things falling into place for us. For new beginnings.” Valentina said when they pulled away each grabbing their drinks.

“A nuevos comienzos.” Juliana said as her tamarind drink collided with Valentina’s coconut drink.

[ashl3yruiz]

City of La Grange Portfolio:

Featured in Fayette County Record “Best of 2020″ Magazine

Tues. 3/1

The Texas Heroes Museum is located inside the Old Fayette County Jail, which opened in 1883 and was in operation until 1985.

Today, the museum honors Texans who sacrificed everything to secure and defend freedom and liberty. The museum covers the time period of the Texas Revolution, through the present day.

When you take a tour you’ll be transported back to a time before, whether you’re listening to stories about the fight for Texas Independence, or recounting the Jail’s century of history.

There is no admission charge to tour the jail and the museum.

March 3rd (3pm)

The Bugle Boy is a nonprofit organization in its 16th musical season, and they are proud to present Butch Hancock and John Baumann this Friday and Saturday, respectively.

The Bugle Boy is home to one of the “finest listening rooms in the nation”, and can accommodate up to 80 people.

They regularly host live shows on Fridays and Saturdays, and you’ll always be hearing the crème de la crème directly.

For tickets visit https://thebugleboy.org/, or call (979)968-9944.

March 5th at 3

What a success!

Because of YOU we sold out of our Rescue ornaments and are now offering these ADORABLE Puppy Pickup ornaments to continue to raise funds for the Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter.

As you may already know, the shelter’s mission is to provide care for homeless, and displaced animals. They rely on donations and grants to support their operations so this has been a wonderful opportunity to give back and support their efforts!

Let’s continue to give to this GREAT cause.

Fri 3/6 Noon

It’s Foodie Friday again!

This week we’re highlighting a La Grange staple… Lukas Bakery(tag)!

During World War II, Raymond Lukas joined the army to serve his country. After he was honorably discharged Lukas continued to serve by baking for those at Camp Swift in Bastrop.

Around this time,  Lucille Kurio was attending a local wedding when she ate a cake so heavenly she proclaimed she NEEDED to marry the man who’d made it.

Remember Raymond? He happened to be the baker of said cake, and by happenstance he’d been standing behind Lucille when she’d made her proclamation. He became enamored with her and 4 short months later, they were engaged.

In 1947, the two opened Lukas Bakery, and it’s been family owned and operated since, baking everything from scratch, just like Raymond once did.

Today, they serve everything from loaves of bread and homemade noodles, to cookies, kolaches, and “the best pigs in Texas”.

Stop in, and check out their AMAZING pastry selection before browsing the rest of La Grange’s Downtown Square!

Just a word to the wise… Lukas Bakery only accepts cash and is open from 5:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m Monday through Saturday.

March 8

The La Grange Visitor Center is proud to announce our partnership with the Rotary Club of La Grange!

We will be selling Australia themed socks with proceeds benefiting the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors foundation established by Steve and Terri Irwin.

Together, we hope to bring relief to the people and animals in Australia.

The socks are $15, and available in the Historic Casino Hall Visitor Center’s Gift Shop.

March 9th

Want to get kids out of the house this spring break? Be sure to sign them up for one of Le Petite’s awesome, fun, and educational cooking classes!

Wish you yourself were more comfortable in the kitchen? Now you can be! Sign up for one of Le Petite’s many classes, improve your skills, and impress your friends and family!

Feel free to stop by Le Petite and see their plethora of different kitchen goodies for sale including: quality cookware, cutlery, tea, spices, coffees, health products, foods, cook books, and other gadgets!

You can even register gifts for weddings, birthdays, showers, anniversaries, and other special occasions!

Le Petite is located on the Square in downtown La Grange.

March

When it comes to the Round Top Antique Show, it’s pretty easy to get overwhelmed by all the awesome vendors!

We know how important it is to have a game-plan going in, which is why we invite you to stop by the Historic Casino Hall for your guide to the 2020 Round Top Spring Antiques Show!

Happy antiquing!

March 11

ALL ABOARD!

If you���re in La Grange this weekend, be sure to stop by the M-K-T Depot!

The Depot was completed in November 1897 by the M-K-T Railroad (specifically: the Taylor, Bastrop, and Houston Railroad). It replaced the earlier depot that was on this site from 1887 until it burned in March 1897.

It’s sure to be fun for the whole family as the depot now houses the La Grange Depot Museum, which has a lot of cool information about train history in the area! It is open to the public every Saturday (except some holidays) from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Thursday March 12th

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY…

Former President Theodore Roosevelt (pictured with the X over his head) spoke a few words to a large gathering of La Grange citizens at the current M-K-T Depot.

At the time, Roosevelt had friends in the area who were privy to the fact he’d be passing through.

Together, the town got to work and sent a telegraph to Judge Walther Burns saying, “The city council of La Grange has passed an ordinance strictly prohibiting any ex-president from passing through this city without making at least a five minute stop. You will please so instruct the Roosevelt committee and warn them against a violation of this ordinance.” Burns immediately passed the telegram to Roosevelt who responded, “By all means, let the train stop at La Grange. We are in a hurry, but are not taking such chances as to violate city ordinances.”

109 years ago today, March 12th of 1911, Roosevelt arrived, shook hands with the friends he knew, and then commenced his 5 minute speech. He was well received by the people of La Grange.

It’s unknown what all was said verbatim, however the clipping of the La Grange Journal from the week of the event stated that Roosevelt had lots of good praise for both Texans, and Texas.

Afterwards the crowd stayed behind to watch him depart and the train disappear.

March 13th at noon

It’s Foodie Friday again!

This week we’re showcasing Texas One Stop!

Located along the stretch between Houston and Austin, Texas One Stop is more than a convenience store.

Texas One Stop is family owned and operated, and EVERYTHING is homemade, from their amazing BBQ, to their flavorful soups, and delicious bakery treats!

Plus they offer catering, clothing, gifts/decor, some farm and ranch stuff, along with convenience items!

Texas One Stop, is really a one-stop shop! Stop by today to get your hands on something good!

City March 12

As the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) evolves, the City of La Grange is working with state and federal officials to share the latest information. While the immediate risk to most residents remains low, we are taking steps to limit the spread of the virus, mitigate health and economic risk, and protect our community.

We have compiled resources to assist you, and educate the public with tips for controlling the spread of the Coronavirus. We will continue to update the linked page as new information develops.

Friday 3/13

UPDATE: We have 13 more Koala socks, and 4 Kangaroo socks at this time. Come get yours and help support this wonderful cause!

The La Grange Visitor Center is proud to announce our partnership with the Rotary Club of La Grange!

We will be selling Australia themed socks with proceeds benefiting the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors foundation established by Steve and Terri Irwin.

Together, we hope to bring relief to the people and animals in Australia.The socks are $15, and available in the Historic Casino Hall Visitor Center’s Gift Shop.

March 14

Do you have the luck of the Irish on your side?

Put your luck to the test with our St. Patrick’s day contest!

Winner will win the St. Patrick’s day decoration and the vase of mints!

Guess how many candy mints we have in our green vase, in the comments, or in person at the Historic Casino Hall 254 N Jefferson St. in La Grange, TX.

MONDAY March 16

It’s important that we continue to support small businesses during this time!

Which is why we must recommend you stop by Julie B’s downtown! They have everything from cute clothes for every occasion, to candles, decor, and jewelry! Not ready to shop yet? Grab a gift card for later!

Julie B also has the FRIENDLIEST staff. Head on in and find the next showstopping piece for your wardrobe!

March 17

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES!

It’s amazing what you can create while quilting! The artists at The Quilt Museum create truly stunning designs.

Over 60,000 people from every state, and 58 different countries have visited the Museum in its lifetime (almost 10 years!).

This week the Quilt Museum will be presenting a new exhibit, and they change it out every 3 months so you’ll always see something new.

We encourage you to swing by, if you’ve never been or if you have before, you won’t be disappointed with their displays! Afterwards stop by their period garden which is adjacent to the Museum it shows what would be typical of “city gardens” in Fayette County and Central Texas around the time of our buildings, about 1890, through the 1930s, and is one of only a few.

[luovita]

Start your day with a positive, powerful approach, meditate and appreciate who you are

Lifestyle Idea: Did you know that how you

start in the morning actually

sets the mood of your entire day?

    Just try to imagine waking up so late, snoozing your alarm to the nth time, skipping your breakfast and rushing yourself to work. Is it like chaos? Let me help you change that lifestyle habit and start planning. It takes practice but it will lead you to success. Make a habit, a daily routine that will bring positive outcome. This routine will help you reduce stress, enhance focus and improve productivity. You have the power to create the day you wish it to be, or even create an ideal lifestyle. Opportunity comes everyday but without a starting your day right, it can already influence your chance of having a happy day.     Now, we listed a few tips on how you can start your day right which in time can be your daily routine. We bet on this list as we are confident that these tips would not bring you any trouble.   1. Be grateful and stay away from negativity Feel grateful for the day ahead, feel that good things are coming, order the day you want it to be, you put the time and energy into it, this energy will come to you, you're creating something new, a new environment. Take all the negativity away. It will allow you to open your mind to yourself and be grateful. Don’t let fear enter your thoughts. You are strong enough to overcome your fears and face the challenges that the world throws at you.   2. No gadgets Don't let yourself fall into the common trap of starting your day by grabbing your phone as you wake up. For some people like those who are making money online, there is a big chance they are guilty of this routine.  Don't allow yourself to do the first thing you usually do, emailing, messaging, and getting involved with social media. It isn't the most positive start that you could have. A good alternative would be, by challenging yourself when you wake up, to meditate and think about how your day would be, for at least half an hour or more on what could be different and how you could go about creating changes to your normal life.   3. Fix your bed Did you know that a lot of successful people starts their day in making their own bed in the morning? It is setting a good habit of organizing your stuff which can already set a good mood before you even get out of your room and eat breakfast.   4. Do not skip your breakfast It is the most important meal of the day. A healthy breakfast is essential to boost your energy and maintain the same level even after hours.   5. Well rested body If you wish waking up with full energy, one must have a good sleep at night. A quality sleep is beneficial to the brain and also plays a vital role in your physical well-being. As much as possible, take a 6-8 hrs of uninterrupted sleep.  

Next Step - Be Good to Yourself

    It is not new to everyone that each of us has the potential to become the most critical judge of who we are, what we do and what we can't do. We often feel disappointed in our own actions, in how we look and act in front of other people. I myself feel so conscious about how people would perceive me. The question is, how do we make ourselves less of this. The aim is being aware of this and shift, if we’re gonna be the biggest bully of ourselves that’s only going to work against our happiness. It’s a valuable skill if you start to notice when you do speak unkindly about yourself because being aware of this in the first place is going to be your fist task. It will probably be a habit and that will require practice. But notice when you think something about yourself it puts you on a positive or negative vibration, brings you down or cheers you up. This will be one of the most important steps of helping you improve your behavior, you know, every thought you have is an affirmation, subconsciously either lifting you up or knocking you down, so it’s wise to pay close attention about your thoughts you’re repeating over and over about yourself or your surroundings. What's important now is to start  thinking the opposite. For example if you’re constantly thinking about how traffic is such a waste of time going to your office, then why not think of something that can make the long hours in traffic a productive one. You can actually condition yourself sleeping and waking early so you can leave the house early. And while in the bus or a cab, you can make use of the time reading, or watching educational films online. Another example is about your body,  you don't like your weight, your appearance, you feel ugly and less confident about your physical look. Now, realize that there is something more about life. Physical appearance is just one of them, yet there are other things that matters most. You can shift the way you think in not dwelling too much about how you don't like your physical appearance, but instead thinking over what can be done to improve your looks. This is very shallow of course, but you can think of other reasons that are more motivating. For example, you want to confidently talk in front of people, that way you are marketing yourself way better than before. Be aware that because you have this old habits this thought are still missing but it’s worth practicing, and, day by day this will get easier and easier until the internal monologue inside your head is one that’s supports you, rather than being your biggest obstacle it is going to be your biggest fan. Believe me you’re powerful, you’re a good person, you’re a wonderful person, you’re exactly where you’re need  to be right now in this world and I want you to celebrate that. Celebrate it with yourself first because its only when you learn to appreciate who you are and what  you’re about that you can share that with the rest of the world and we need to be really our biggest fans internally in order to help anybody else and in order to bring about the best we can be and the best person in us so remember how amazing you are today and I hope that you choose to have a fantastic time today and say nice things to yourself, be kind to yourself as much as  you can, stay aware and take care.

Are you sometimes tense?

    Tension symptoms, would you know if you have them? Why not take a Tense quiz?

  The modern world has gifted us with tension, stress, anxiety, depression and many more psychological and emotional disorders. Our ancestors used to live much simpler lives, and were ignorant of these heavy words. But, with the flow of time, we started to lead a busy life that invited some or the other psychological disorders in our life. The best way to get rid of these unrest is to identify them, as they may lead to depression if not controlled on time. Recognizing your own stress or tension is not a tough job. Take the following quiz sessions to find them out. Mornings are the best time to assess yourself. Check if you are getting up lively, happy and with a smile on your face. It means that you are a happy soul with affirmative thoughts. If not, you are heading towards depression. When you wake up tired or with a mind full of incomplete work, it indicates that tension is engulfing you slowly. If in the morning you are not getting up with a delighted heart, take this state of mind seriously as the stress in your life may affect both your physical and psychological health. You might not realize, but stress can be the actual culprit behind your frequent insomnia and dropping productivity at work. You can even take up the quiz while driving or traveling to your office. If you are traveling unworried and enjoying the sights around, you are definitely a happy-go-lucky person and know the essence of living. But, if you are checking your watch after every five minutes and thinking of the day ahead, then you are not only missing the beautiful sights around but also gradually welcoming stress into your life. Unfortunately, in this busy and eventful world, most of us are unaware of the true purpose of living. Most of us either live with the regret of our past deeds or with our future expectations, and thus miss the beauty of the present. We forget that we do not have any hold on our past or future, rather, we should always cross the bridge when we reach it. I advise my readers to cross the bridge at the right time rather than wasting time thinking about it. uiz yourself often to analyze your state of mind. If you find that you are living a tensed life, take a deep breath and relax. Trust me, self-help is the best help and only you can uplift your mood by taking everything easy.  

Next approach, ask yourself 'How Can I Learn to Meditate?'

    In health wellness lifestyle, there are so much we can do to keep ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy. Luovita will focus on one, Meditation as one of our healthy lifestyle tips. Like fitness training, which is a technique to train the body, meditation too is a technique to train the mind. I would say, learning to meditate can be compared with riding a bike. Once you have learned it, you will not forget it for a lifetime. But where can you learn to meditate? Today, in this era, internet is considered to be an excellent medium of learning and communication. There are a lot of meditation tutorials on this platform. So, you can often start learning meditation from these online courses as long as they are not complicated with lots of jargon. In general, most of these tutorials are good and explain the terms they are using, in detail, so that the beginners can understand them with ease. When you are starting out, it's important to choose a meditation method that's easy to pick up. I would personally suggest practicing breathing exercises in the beginning. Meditation is all about focusing on something and thus, one can learn to meditate by focusing on breathing, walking or any action of their choice. If you prefer, you can also go for a high-tech meditation like Centerpointe, where you need to sit down in a comfortable place and play a CD with a relevant and peaceful music. Once you have decided on a meditation method, try it for a week or so, to check whether you have really got the hold of it. If you have already progressed, keep going with it. And if you haven’t, then try another method instead. Remember, like other aspects of life, not everyone gets on with every method of meditation. So, never be embarrassed if you find you can’t get along with a particular technique. A week or two's trial is a good length of time for learning to meditate. As I said above, meditation is more like driving a car or riding a bike, and it will probably take you more than one lesson to learn it appropriately. Choose a particular time and place to practice meditation each day. We are creatures of habit. Thus, when you are learning something new like meditation, you must set aside a specific time of the day when you know you are not likely to be disturbed and carry out your meditation practice freely. Apart from that, meditation can be learned and shared to everyone. You can influence other people of the good benefits of meditation. You can even blog about it and making money through blogging. Yes, you read it right. You make extra money at home or earn money online as you do blogging. You can read more about here : Blogging  

    To be optimistic in life and know the secret behind a happy lifestyle, read my blog How learn to enjoy your life    

Quick Guide on How to Meditate

      Here is a guide on how to meditate and connect to

your inner being.

  Meditation brings so much positive effect to our body and mind, healthy lifestyle habits that one must start practicing. IWe all deserve this wellness and only takes us 5 minutes every day to at least improve our being.     Even if you are super busy, try to find at least 5 min a day to do this:   1. Get yourself a quiet place that is free of distraction and create an ambiance where you can focus. 2. You may shut your eyes because it’s one of the best ways to meditate, but even if it is not so quiet and peaceful, you may try to concentrate just a little harder. It's a question of mindfulness, observe and embrace exactly where you are. 3. Take slow deep breaths in and out, breath in any way you feel comfortable. 4. Start to release any tension and observe the conscious awareness you are experiencing right now. 5. Invest time in yourself, in your mind and body, in your wellness, if you want to do it with your eyes open, just focus on something peaceful, something with that you feel at peace. 6. Choose to use all senses, bring your attention to your feet, notice where your feet are, and how your soles of your feet feel, on the ground or in the shoes you might be wearing. 7. It is all about observation. Focus on where your feet are in the world. Now shift your mind to the rest of your body, are you seated or standing or lying down? How does it feel where your hands are right now? What can you feel? What sensations is there that can be felt? 8. Are you breathing gently in and out? Divert your attention to the coolness of the air, the gentle rise and fall of your chest and your diaphragm. Observe any noises around you and every sound you can hear, take it in, observe it, and notice any tastes you have in your mouth, any smells around you right now. 9. And if you have your eyes closed imagine a visual light in front of you, a ball of light. Think about what color might be right for you today and focus on that ball of energy. If you got your eyes open, observe the colors around you, and the variety. 10. Stay in there as long as you like, when you are ready, focus on your breathing, then, slowly bring yourself back, feel free to observe the senses further, choose to have a peaceful day today.  

  Finding the Time to Meditate Regularly

    If you won't drive yourself to find time to meditate regularly, then you are missing its benefits. If you want to change your lifestyle, then you must be serious about it. It is identical to the idea of you wanting to earn money online, yet you are not dedicated and committed then result may not be favorable. Nowadays, we all are living a very busy life and always seem to be in a rush. There are so many things around us, competing hard for our time. From food and coffee on the go to speaking on the cell phone and typing away at the computer, all of which clash with each other to get our attention and time. In between all these, we struggle to manage time for positive things like meditation. So, in this fast-paced world, how can we devote at least 15 to 20 minutes of our precious time, simply to meditating? Remember, like brushing and bathing, meditation too is an essential activity for your overall health. Initially, it might seem to be an uphill struggle, but with proper synchronization of time and regular practice, finding time to meditate will no more be a pain. If you seriously want to give some of your valuable time to meditation, start finding it today. Get up earlier than usual, as you never know what would work for you. If you are an evening person, dedicate a few minutes to meditation before you go to sleep. There is no particular time to meditate. Prioritize it at any time, when you are free, calm and at a relaxed state. If you can’t devote sometime every day to meditation, then consider becoming a weekend meditator. Usually, Saturdays and Sundays are not that hectic as the rest of the week and thus it is advisable to indulge yourself in meditation during the weekends.  You will still get benefited from these sessions. Meditation sessions allow you to step away from your busy life and cultivate your inner peace. A small action like re-arranging the schedules of the day can help you to find time to meditate. If you watch the TV news, skip it. If something important happens, it will certainly crop up again in the news channel. You can even ask your family or friends to brief you on the latest updates. I personally practice this habit of skipping the news and catch the important ones on the weekly news. If you have a television recorder, use it to skip the advertisements. This technique will save 15 minutes or more per hour of television you watch. Trust me, when you have the willpower, everything goes smoothly. So, never make an excuse of ‘running out of time’, but rather, find an appropriate time to sit down and close your eyes to meditate. Even if it’s only for a minute, it will do its job perfectly.    

A Tip - 2 Ways to Create Your Own Custom Subliminal

Messages

    A subliminal message is basically an affirmation for your mind, which can be visual or auditory presented below the normal limits of human auditory or visual perception. These suggestions are hidden or exposed for such a short period of time, that your mind may not consciously register them at that time. Instead they are listed in your subconscious. Subliminal messages can be either positive or negative. In this blog, I will discuss the 2 different ways through which you can create your own customized subliminal messages. The best way to prove that subliminal messages work is through a situation you have most likely already experienced. I am sure that you have been in a crowded room with many animated conversations happening all around you. Now, if someone calls out your name from amongst the crowd, you would still most likely be able to hear it, wouldn’t you? The first method I will discuss about is subliminal audios. The great thing about this method is that you can apply them anywhere and everywhere, unlike the other method I will tell you about next. These audios are usually accompanied with either binaural beats or very relaxing music. The messages are repeated so fast, that our conscious mind has no idea what it is suggesting. You can get pre-made and customized subliminal audios. This particular route to persuasion or influence is similar to auto-suggestion or hypnosis. The subject is encouraged to linger in a relaxed state of mind, so that suggestions can be directed to a deeper avenue, the subconscious. The other popular method requires flashing messages on your computer or movie screen. Here, the messages are repeated so fast that your conscious mind does not have time to even read them. You would have probably heard stories of the government and large companies using them in advertisements, etc. Today, you can acquire software which displays subliminal messages on your screen while you are working on it. You can choose and personalize the messages before they are even displayed. Recent studies indicate that subliminal messages, when displayed, reflects a person’s normal interpretations of stimuli. It’s about challenging your mind power. However, there is no concrete evidence to suggest that the viewer will initiate actions based on it.   You may want to check this also:

    Meditation naturally improves memory. No supplement, no

medical intervention, just meditation.

    Meditation is an ancient technique to relax your mind and body. It focuses on concentration and breathing exercises, through which stress can be released from our mind. Practicing it regularly, allows a person to be more receptive and open. Meditation can be beneficial to memory too. Studies say that when a person is relaxed, his memory improves. Few situations like forgetting your loved one’s birthday can encircle you with guilt. Mostly, this happens due to stress, but, the guilt in you starts feeding the cycle of forgetfulness by making you more anxious. As the anxiety grows, you start forgetting other things too. Practicing different meditation techniques, opens up your mind and allows your memory to function well. With gradual execution, your memory will improve, and you will be able to recall things like phone numbers, dates and names easily, without referring to phonebooks or calendars. Meditation is a great alternative to some very vigorous exercises and simple enough to perform on a daily basis. I would recommend you to take meditation classes along with some memory developing programs. This would boost your memory more. Primarily, to meditate, you need a quiet place and finally, the suitable mood and relaxation requires the use of candles and essential oils. It is a proven fact that essential oils are highly soothing and relaxing, and thus, can be beneficial for your memory. Nowadays, meditation classes are offered in gyms and natural wellness centres all over the country. You can find one near you, with a purpose to boost your memory. Apart from improving your retention power, meditation has other benefits too. With its regular implementation, it also helps to improve your self-esteem. If you don’t want to join a class, there are plenty of manuals, books and other equipment in the market, that can help you to start meditation at home. The simplest form of meditation that can be practiced at home is the breathing exercises performed with certain poses. Remember, when your mind is calm and relaxed, your memory will get enough room to grow. Everyone seek for a happy life living an ideal lifestyle and practicing a healthy lifestyle habits.  

Finally - Be Yourself

    Staying honest and true to yourself, looking at yourself clearly and letting people see the real you is the greatest reward you can give yourself. You are not limited in pleasing other people, in interacting how most people interact, you are unique in your own ways. There's nothing really wrong in trying to fit in, but its not always the best idea. You can be who you are so long as you don't hurt someone else. Obviously, people who are not pretentious are more happy.

Let me share some ugly truths about not being yourself, and I hope

it will make you realize to start being real.

  Listening to other people's voices over your own opinion and stand Making other people proud whatever it takes Being conscious of your actions worrying what other people will say about you Trying to fit in when you don't actually need to Losing your self-esteem and thinking less about yourself Your standard is not your own preference, but others   Do you think, you'll feel happy being that someone who isn't really you. Don't make yourself a prison of your own. Be free, from that point on you’re going to feel empowered, more in control of your life, more in control of your happiness and you feel a sense of trust with the world, trust in yourself, trust that you actually know what you’re doing. It feels wonderful to actually be able to live your life with that in mind.    

In the past, I always tried to please others and I am so

afraid of being judged. Here are some realization I learned

in my existence, hope you also realize it sooner than me.

  I am unique, I don't need to fake and pretend I could be like others who are more acceptable by our society or at least by those people around me.     I am happier, there's no pressure at all. Accept me for being me because I won't compromise my happiness just to please you. Sorry for being brutally honest, but that's how I feel. You can't love others, if you ain't loving yourself more. How can you give something you don't have, it's pretty simple right? Being true to yourself, is acting who you are and believing on what you know is right. Self Respect. When you respect yourself, others will respect your too. People will see how strong and that you can stand for yourself and in your beliefs.

How to be true? Try these list below, it worked for me.

Be genuine to yourself and you'll be perfectly fine in being genuine to others Take a firm stand on your value Be decisive, you can make decision on your own Appreciate your own potentials, your talents, your skills Remember that there's nothing wrong in being different Keep in mind that you are influencing people to be the better version of themselves   Now, don't be afraid to show the world the real you. It will make you happy and it will guide you to an amazing life experience.  

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[niklaus-no-mans-son-blog]

This Love is Killing Me || Damon&&Klaus

Klaus: The Hale alpha had moved onto the next person, and Klaus was satisfied with the seeds not so much planted as forcibly grafted into his mind. There, that should get the ball rolling for dear Cora. No one could ever accuse him of not being a team player. He sipped his drink, the grin on his face taking on an amused, almost manic glint to it. Then his next ​date​ sat down across from him, and perhaps mania was too kind a word for the look in his eye. "I think we're a match made in hell, Salvatore. But I'm happy to spend eternity causing you agony, if you'd like. It would do wonders for my temperament," he said with a wicked smile over the edge of his tumbler, the curved glass catching the flame of the candle in the center of the table.

Damon Salvatore: He had to admit that his first date had been a lot more pleasurable than he had expected when he let himself rope in for this whole nonsense. Charlie had been nice to chat with, which pretty much made him forget who else there was present in this room. Not for long though. When he looked at his card and found his next table, he rolled his eyes when he saw who he joined. He put the glass of wine he had brought down a bit too hard, probably, before he sat down opposite the Original Hybrid. "Well, it's good to see you don't even try to keep up appearances. Who do I have to bribe to get away from you as soon as possible?" Those three minutes were going to last a lot longer than he would want them to last.

Klaus: "Get away?" Klaus smirked. "And spoil my fun? Why I don't think so. You know, I made a promise to a mutual friend of ours. Something to do with psychological torture, and ​actual​ torture, of course. Of everyone she's ever held dear, held any kind of affection for, really..." He pondered the words, feeling an incandescent peace settle over him at the prospect of it. "How ​is​ Sweet Elena doing, by the way? Still playing dead? She needn't play, you know. I can give her the real thing," he said, smiling sweetly at Damon.

Damon Salvatore: Great. He was stuck with Klaus, of all people, for the coming time. A Klaus who seemed to be very much in the mood to play around with him, like a cat would play with a mouse. "Why do you think I'd care one bit about your fun? Like that time you showed up to my house? Your threats haven't changed much since then." Torture, death, blablabla... it was all getting old, coming from Klaus. Damon knew the Original could come true on it, but he hadn't done it since he moved to New Orleans. "What's it gonna be this time? Breaking my neck, when just choking me didn't work well enough? Here, in front of everyone who's just trying to have a bit of fun?" He was already afraid Klaus had definitively found out Elena wasn't dead, but he held his hand on the table to make sure he didn't show any reaction on the confirmation of that fact. "Why don't you leave her alone, Klaus. Haven't you done enough to her already?" He chuckled after that and shrugged. "Besides, last time I checked I wasn't her boyfriend. Don't you have the wrong brother for this conversation?"

Klaus: "If you'd' like me to pencil you into my rather busy schedule for some one-on-one bonding time, Damon, you should've just said!" He drawled jovially. "I'll break out my set of antique machetes, and we can get right to it. I should warn you though, they're not in the best shape... rather rusted. Blades are a bit duller than I like...We'll just have to rely on blunt force." Klaus outright laughed at the vampire in front of him. "No wonder the doppelgangers keep choosing your brother, you're so ​dull​," Klaus droned, gulping down his alcohol. Not nearly enough b-negative in it. "Last time ​I​ checked, not being her boyfriend didn't seem to stop you from stalking her across the country. Don't tell me know you've decided to stop watching her sleep."

Damon: "Nah, I think I'll pass.", he frowned. "I've seen enough of you in Mystic Falls to last a lifetime." He tried to suppress a shiver when Klaus was laying out one of the possibilities and where he usually would laugh the threaths away, he was pretty sure Klaus could totally come true on what he had just said. He wasn't really waiting to find out. He shook his head. "Why don't you just stay out of my love life, or that of my brother? It's not like you have any experience on the matter." He had never paid a lot of attention to Klaus' girlfriends, or the absence of them, but when he thought about it, he hadn't noticed one. "I mean, look at you, sitting at a speed date event... are you desperate or something like that? Don't tell me it's just for charity..." He shrugged. "Why does everyone think I came here for Elena? I've lived here before, Klaus. I just came back to revisit old times. It's not like Mystic Falls was a lot fun anymore after you ruined everything." And he wanted to find back Katherine of course... but he wasn't ready to share that with Klaus. Another doppelganger and a mortal enemy of Klaus? No way he was going to make Klaus any wiser on that.

Klaus: Klaus ignored the jibe at his love life. Strains of Aretha Franklin seemed to shiver in his memory, lithe toes stepping on his feet, and... yes. Ignored the jibe at his love life. "I happen to support philanthropy in all it's forms, Damon. Besides, look at us, who am I to pretend I'm too good for fate, hm?" And how he'd so ​love​ to make good on the opportunity fate had plopped in his lap. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much... Quite frankly I don't ​care​ why your in New Orleans, Salvatore. You're here, so you'll make a...captive? shall we say? audience when I sacrifice Elena. This time it will stick, and you will ​w a t c h​ every drop of blood drain from her neck. Let's make it a date, shall we?"

Damon: "You support philantropy as long as it serves you, not longer." He wasn't going to play along this time at the notion that Klaus might be one of the good guys this time, or any time, to be honest. The man was a pest and the sooner he'd be gone, the better it would be. "Us? Trust me, I'd rather be at the other side of the world than share a table with you, charity or not." He was considering walking away, as he had done since the moment fate coupled him with Klaus, but maybe it would be better to just hear the man out, see what he was planning. He shook his head when Klaus kept threatening Elena. No matter how much he was trying to convince everyone around him and himself Elena meant nothing to him, the shiver at his spine, the way fear crept him when Klaus described a possible fate of Elena, told him otherwise. "Really? You are that petty that with all the attractions of New Orleans at your disposal, you still choose to kill a human girl because everything she did was find a way not to die for your greater glory? I'll pass. And I'm pretty sure she won't make time for it either."

Klaus: Klaus picked up a toothpick, rolling the thin wooden needle between his forefinger and thumb as he tuned out Damon's voice. Something about pettiness and glory, he was rather unconcerned about it all. Much more worth his time was Damon's early comment... the ​dare​ to make good on one of his myriad of threats. You know, it ​would​ make this three-minute dirge at least somewhat worthwhile. It wouldn't do to allow one of his inferior to continue this insubordination. A healthy dose of fear went a long way he found... "I'm sorry, you were talking about my greater glory?" Klaus inquired with a smirk. "Rather well documented I should think, though I'd be happy to give you a tour through my personal archives. My influence over Vlad the Impaler's chosen methods of execution remains to date one of my favorite examples," Klaus remembered fondly.

Damon: Damon rolled his eyes when Klaus once again started to boast about whatever he had done in the past. Yes, yes, the guy was evil incarnate, he knew that by now. He didn't need to have it measured out broadly every time he came eye to eye with Klaus, something he preferred not to happen at all. "Is that how you try to rope in all your dates? By telling them all the details about how twisted your mind works? Or do I get the special treatment because I already know how sick you are?" Name dropping some famous figure from the past might work with a human, but when you were almost two centuries old yourself, it kind of lost its greatest appeal. "Or should I have been impressed now because you gave some sick fuck a pole five or six hundred years ago?"

Klaus: The buzzer dinged, and Klaus' laconic smile went razor. "You tell me, Damon." And in a lightning fast movement, had grabbed Damon's wrist, and jammed the toothpick into his ulnar artery, like one would an IV at the wrist, only, perhaps a last less gentle. Examining his work as he let Damon's wrist go, he nodded, satisfied. "Yes, I do think the occasion called for special treatment. Don't seel yourself so short, Damon." He took a sip of his bourbon, then caught himself. "Oh, also, word to the wise, I wouldn't remove that in front of your next date. The arterial spray might be... alarming. Though, it ​is​ the color of the day. Ta ta, now."

Damon: When the buzzer sounded, Damon wanted to stand up, but Klaus was too fast for him. He tried to withdraw his wrist even when he knew the hybrid was too strong for him, so of course he didn't manage. Damon groaned when he felt the wood pierce his skin and lodging itself in the artery, stinging, painful with every move he made. He gritted his teeth. "Fine. You won this round..." If there would be another one, he had to be smarter, better prepared. He cradled his wrist, knowing Klaus was right. He wouldn't be able to get this out and be prepared for his next date. These next few minutes were going to be very uncomfortable. Another thing he had to thank Klaus for... "We haven't seen the last of each other, Klaus...", he couldn't help but say while he walked away, even when he knew it was an empty threat for now.