#remus has magic sharing powers

[wolfprincesszola]

The Fate of the Marked Six Chapter 12

i just realized that a couple of the old chapters have some formatting issues but i'm not sure where, so ig they're staying there until i get it pointed out or find it T-T. but anyways, WOAHHHH WE'RE HALFWAY THEREEEEE~. can't wait to finish with this because the climax keeps building. as always, reblogs and likes are appreciated! enjoy <3 ——————– Summary: Virgil moves into a new town and meets Roman, a ghost that he promises to help in finding the unfinished business needed to pass over. However, Roman's past seemed to be deeply muddled with trouble, an uncurable disease that has started to affect a classmate, and a certain tight-lipped valedictorian. Friendships are made and Virgil finds himself thrown into a situation far more complicated and twisted than he signed up. Hopefully, with the help of his new five friends, he can find a way to bring peace to the town once and for all.

Trigger Warning: None

Content Warning: Possible Death, Illness, Swearing

<Masterlist>

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Chapter 12

Patton was going to be honest, he hated the idea of having a crush on Logan. It made his skin crawl with the uncertainty of how his feelings would one day be happy to see Logan, and the next be absolutely devastated. He had crushes before, but not like this. Not like him.

He thought the worst part about the idea of having a crush on Logan was the fact that he knew Logan wouldn’t reciprocate his feelings back. Logan was too apathetic, too robotic, too studious, too reserved. Not only that, but he didn’t know anything about Logan. Sure, Patton knew his favorite color, but he didn’t know Logan's darkest secrets or what Logan wanted to study. Yet, Patton couldn’t stop talking about Logan to all his friends.

He knew that everyone was already getting annoyed at how much he could say about Logan. It was already annoying to Patton to continue talking about Logan. Patton learned more just by observing Logan. He wore the same style every day, with a pair of khaki pants (or jeans if he was feeling risky), dress shoes, a black polo shirt, and a tie. He almost looked like he was wearing a school uniform, but the tie was always different. Logan even had a system. Dark blue on Monday, light blue on Tuesdays, black on Wednesdays, brown on Thursdays, and finally striped dark blue and light blue on Fridays. On occasions, he would wear a goofy pattern that had anatomical brains or of books, which Patton admitted was the best on Logan. It gave Logan personality that he severely lacked with such roboticism.

However, after Patton dumped paint on Logan and had felt bad, he realized how pretty Logan looked in the outfit Patton picked for him. He looked more like himself in the clothes he had stolen out of his own closet. Even if it was Patton's style, Logan decided not to wear the cardigan over his shoulders the same way Patton did. Instead, he wore the cardigan like it was supposed to be worn and it looked sophisticated on him. However, it was short lived as soon enough, Patton found a bag filled with neatly folded and freshly washed clothes containing the outfit Patton had given Logan.

Patton decided to try to make it his goal to help Logan feel like he belonged in the world. Because it seemed the way Logan was dressing and the way he was acting was not the true way Logan wanted to act.

-+=~=+-

“Hey guys, what’s going on here?” Patton asked as he walked up to the group huddling. Logan and Virgil were in the middle with notes, with Remus and Janus over them, looking at the notes.

“We’re discussing Remus’s illness.” Logan spoke, pointing to his neatly written notes about what he’s gathered.

“I’m currently stuck with him.” Janus clicked his tongue as he lifted his hand to show Remus’s hand intertwined with his. “We can’t let the ghost hear.”

“Tragic.” Remus grinned at Janus to show that he was almost ecstatic to try and goof off with Janus, but Janus was keeping him from doing just that.

“And yet somehow, you guys don’t seem too sad about it.” Patton remarked as he patted Remus’s back, “You feeling alright, kiddo?”

“Yeah.” Remus nodded, looking up at Patton, who yelped and leaped back.

“What?” Logan looked up immediately, a flash of concern fading away as soon as he saw Patton was unhurt.

“Wait…it’s not there anymore.” Patton raised an eyebrow.

“What’s not there anymore?” Virgil asked, raising his eyebrow.

“Sorry. It’s just that….for a second, I swore I could’ve seen something engraved on Remus’s forehead. It looked like a symbol.”

Janus and Remus exchanged a knowing look.

“What did you do to see that symbol?”

“I just pat Remus’s back.” Patton muttered.

“Okay, stay still and try not to jump.” Logan muttered before he motioned for Remus to do something. Remus reached out and gripped his arm, just tight enough so that Patton couldn’t move it easily and just loose enough to not hurt him.

Patton watched as the symbol faded in, and soon enough he could see it on everyone around him. “Everyone has symbols.”

“Can you write Logan’s down?” Janus and Remus asked at the same time.

Patton accepted the pencil that Logan had given, and he opened a new page for him to write it down.

As soon as they did, Logan, Janus, and Remus read it. It almost sounded synchronous.

“憦.” They all murmured.

"Wait, how do you know Chinese, Logan?" Janus raised an eyebrow, "I had to learn it because it was my power and I forced Remus to learn it."

"I took 2 years of Chinese because I already knew Spanish and Latin. Our school does not offer French, therefore I chose to learn Chinese." Logan remarked, almost as if it was obvious.

"How do you already know Spanish and Latin?" Patton asked with curiosity. "That would make you quadrilingual."

"Because my brother learned Spanish, so I learned it to tell him he was stupid in several other languages. Latin, I learned to help me ace the SATs. Are you telling me you haven't learned more than two languages?"

"Alright, before we get severely off-topic, what does that character mean?"

“It’s the fate of regret.” Janus explained, “I think Patton can see my power.”

“There’s no way.” Logan replied as he went to touch Remus’s arm. Immediately, he blinked. “Hey, Virgil, check this out.”

Then, all four of them were holding onto Remus, and were all staring at each other’s foreheads.

“死.” Logan murmured, earning a kick from Janus.

“Who has that?” Remus asked, his shoulders tensing up.

“You.” Logan stared at the symbol above Remus’s head.

“Janus told me that mine was 爱.”

“Maybe it changed.” Logan looked away, clearly haunted by what he had seen.

“Please explain to the two people that cannot understand whatever language that is.” Patton scowled.

“As you know, we're looking at Chinese characters." Logan replied, “Patton, your symbol is 爱. The fate of love.”

“Great!” Patton felt his heart swell. Maybe that meant he'd have amazing luck in love.

“No, not great. It’s not a fate really.” Janus murmured, “It’s a curse most of the time. Those marked with 爱 are destined to be cursed when it came to love.”

Patton screamed internally, knowing that it meant that it was probably why he had awful luck in his crushes with Logan being the worst of the pile.

“So what does Remus’s mean?” Virgil asked.

“Death.” Logan murmured, “He has a mark of death.”

“The mark of death, the baby’s breath, the favorite sun…” Remus murmured.

Logan scribbled something down in his notebook before turning to Remus, “What are you talking about?”

“Hm?”

“The rhyming. The mark of death, the baby’s breath, the favorite sun poem.”

“Oh…it’s just something in my mind. It’s nothing really.”

By the way Patton saw Janus look at Remus, he knew it really wasn’t nothing, but he wasn’t about to call them out if Remus wasn’t ready to talk about it.

Logan let go of Remus, “Either Patton or Virgil, try to touch the other instead of Remus.”

Virgil moved his hand two inches until he was only touching Patton, “I can still see the marks, even if I’m not touching Remus.”

Janus turned to Patton, holding his arm out, “Let go of Re and hold onto me instead.”

Patton stared at him, watching the symbols fade away as he let go of Remus. Then as he made contact with Janus again, he blinked. “I can see the symbols. They went away as soon as I let go of Remus, but they came back upon touching Janus.”

“Interesting.” Logan murmured before he walked over to grab onto Remus’s wrist. “You can let go of his hand, Janus. I need as much power as I can get. Once you see my eyes turn a different color, I need you to grab onto me. I want to see if something happens.”

“Your power of precognition?” Patton raised an eyebrow. “I thought it was a passive power.”

“When Remus’s power strengthens my magic, it allows for a vision.” Logan murmured as he readied himself, relaxing. Almost immediately after he did, he blinked and his eyes flashed into a different color. The beautiful brown that came from the dirt he used to plant flowers changed into a dark blue he saw in the ties Logan wore on Monday and Fridays.

Janus took that time to grab onto Logan’s wrist as well, and soon Patton was put forth into a vision.

It was a dark room. Patton could see Logan, sitting against the wall in chains, yelling out someone’s name. He looked worse than usual. His clothes looked like they had been worn for the last five days straight and his glasses were nowhere to be found. His hair was a mess. He looked tired and as if he could fall asleep at any minute, but still, his body persisted because his mind didn’t seem to want to fall asleep.

“Caleb!”

Who was Caleb? Did Logan trust him?

“Come out, you bastard, and face me!” Logan shouted. The room echoed.

Then, out of the darkness, there was a light that shone directly on Logan. He had to blink before he stared at the man in a black tux, holding a cane. The man's hair was slicked back, and looked about 40 to 50 years old. He grinned, using his cane to lift Logan’s chin up, “You smart little boy. Thank you for using my name.”

Logan moved his face away from the cane, glaring, “Where’s Patton?”

“Ah yes, your beloved-”

“He’s not-” Logan began frustratedly.

“Of course not.” Caleb scoffed, rolling his eyes as he cut off Logan, “It’s just that you came all the way here under the pretense of thinking he was in danger because of me.”

“Under the pretense…so you don’t have him?”

“No, you dolt.” Caleb scoffed, hitting Logan’s head with the cane, causing the cane to scrape against his head. He flinched in pain, but even after the cane drew blood, he didn’t scream of pain. “You’re the bait for him.”

“Why?” Logan croaked, “There is nothing I could offer him. I have been nothing but cruel to him all his life.”

“Oh, but you’re wrong. He was the first one to authorize a search party for you. He is still looking for you, even when the search party disbands for the night. Even when your parents have stopped looking for the night to get some rest, he shows up to school after getting an hour of sleep with no luck of finding where you were. Right now, he has been a mess since you’ve been gone.”

“It doesn’t make sense.” Logan scoffed, “You’re lying.”

Caleb rolled his eyes before he waved his hand and suddenly, Patton was on screen. He was walking around a hill, calling for Logan. Patton could see the bags under his eyes and the way his shoulders drooped. He looked like he was about to collapse but still continued, trying to find Logan.

“Patton!” Logan tried to reach out to the mirage, being pulled back by the chains still clasped to his wrist.

“Believe me now, sweetheart? He cares about you because to him, you have been kind.”

Logan swallowed, his expression different than before, “Leave him alone. Leave Remus alone. In fact, leave all my friends alone.”

“Sure, but that risks you forever losing contact with your brother.”

“What?” Logan’s voice cracked. “Leave my brother out of this!”

“Unfortunately, I can’t. He's a ghost, so he’s under my territory. He may not know it yet, but I have complete control of him.”

“What did he ever do to you?” Logan let the emotions in his voice take him over. He sounded angry and sad. He sounded like he was feeling for once in his life, “He was a good kid. He had a good life. He had good potential. Why is it that he should have to be under your control when he has been nothing but good his entire life?”

“Why, he has control over you, and you have control over Patton.”

“I didn’t know Patton before Roman’s death!” Logan scoffed.

“Because I made sure of that.” Caleb rolled his eyes. “Everything has been laid out for your life, for your brother’s life since you were born. Because I knew you were the one thing most important to the special one.”

Recognition flashed in Logan’s eyes, as he tried to process the saying. “He’s the special one. Patton has something you want.”

“Yes and I am going to get it, no matter how long it takes or how difficult the task is.”

“He doesn’t deserve this.” Logan shook his head, “You can’t do this to him.”

“Oh? But I already am.” Caleb grinned, turning around and snapping his fingers. The lights went out and Logan coughed, collapsing to the ground. Despite it being all dark, with no idea of where Caleb was anymore, Patton saw the flame that burned within Logan’s eyes. The determination burned in his soul, and he knew that whatever he was up to, he wouldn’t allow anyone else to come in the way of his plans.

Patton blinked, coming out of the vision and looking around to see everyone staring at him.

“You were in that vision a lot longer than we were.” Remus remarked. “Your eyes turned brown.”

“What color of brown?”

“My color of brown.” Logan replied as he pulled Janus to grab onto Remus again as he separated from the group to go write stuff down. “What did you see, Patton?”

“Well…a vision.”

Logan rolled his eyes, “I mean, in specifics.”

“Uh…if you got the vision, shouldn’t you know?” Patton asked, not really wanting to remember the vision. The man, whoever he was, terrified Patton.

“That’s the thing though. While you were still in your vision, we were all discussing. We all had different visions.” Janus began.

“Well…Logan was in a dark room. He's chained to a wall, and he looks like he’s been there for a few days. He doesn’t look like he’s slept, but he has been well fed. He yells out for someone named Caleb to come out. A man in his middle ages walks out and they have a conversation together.”

“Anything important in the conversation?” Logan asked as he was scribbling in his notepad.

“Apparently, to Caleb, your life has been laid out from the very start. So has your brother’s. He can see ghosts because he knew about your brother being a ghost. He can definitely control the afterlife, and he seems to have a lot of powers. He was able to create a mirage, and other things.” Patton shrugged, “Oh, and he mentioned I was the special one?”

“Shit.” Janus let the word slip out of his mouth.

“What?” Logan raised an eyebrow as he finished scribbling it down.

“Nothing.” Janus squeaked, “Let’s talk about the others’ visions first.”

“Right.” Logan sighed, “There’s an earthquake in mine. Everyone is trying to escape…except for me and Patton.”

“Where are you two?”

“Don’t know, but clearly in the middle of the earthquake because someone tries to go back for me, only to be stopped.” Logan muttered.

The other visions consisted of nicer things like the six of them hanging out, but Virgil’s was especially horrifying.

“All of us collapsed on the ground unconscious. The only one awake was my ghost friend. He tried going to each of us to try and get us to wake up, but no matter what, we wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. We looked scratched up. Logan looked the worse off. There’s blood pooling from him. My ghost friend tries so hard to wake me up to try and help him. Then, a scratchy voice mentions that there was no way for us to wake up.” Virgil shuddered, “It belonged to a ghost. A different, evil one.”

Patton blinked, “What kind of a scratchy voice?”

“It sounded like an older man, who sounds like he constantly has flem in his throat. He sounds like he’s always on the verge of coughing in front of my face.”

Patton blinked, “Does he have a deeper voice and an accent when he pronounces his ‘th’s?”

“Yeah.”

“That ghost is Caleb.”

“Caleb has to be the ghost inhabiting you then.” Janus turned to Remus.

Remus made a face, “Who decided it was a good idea to put a Caleb in charge of everything?”

“Don’t ask me.” Patton held his hands up in the air, defensively. “I wasn’t in charge of naming him.”

“Alright, that’s not a problem. Patton, I know you have connections. Find anything you might have on a Caleb that died around his 40s to 50s. Virgil, connect with your ghost friend and see how they’re doing on finding out about a way to contact the ghost.” Logan ordered the two.

Patton blinked. “Sorry what?”

Logan flicked his head, “Go.”

“Now?” Patton was caught off guard.

“Yes, now!” Logan huffed, pushing Patton away, “I’ll see you later. I need to talk to Remus and Janus alone. Go.”

“Alright, you’re so pushy.” Patton chuckled as he walked out of the area, deciding to help Logan out.

-+=~=+-

Patton walked into the detention room, fully expecting to see no one else in the room. Instead, he found Logan sitting at the front of the classroom, reading next to the teacher’s desk where their principal sat.

“Oh, hello, Principal Sanders.” Patton sat down near the front of the classroom.

“It’s come to my attention that you haven’t made up any of your 60 hours.” Logan's mother raised an eyebrow, “Mr. Morris, I’ve also learned you’ve been tormenting my son and that’s what most of those hours have come from. I will now be supervising all detentions until you make up all 60, and this is a warning to-“

“Mom!” Logan yelled, slamming his book shut, “I already told you, he’s the furthest from bullying me. Stop threatening to suspend him!”

His shoulders seemed tense, and everything about his position showed he was hostile.

“Honey, I know that you are friends with him, but I think it’s perfectly unacceptable that-“

“No. You don’t get to say that.” Logan scoffed, standing up, “I thought it was weird that for the first time in forever, you decided to try and do your job as a principal. Patton doesn’t deserve the punishment you give him because I have been endorsing this behavior.”

“What are you talking about-”

“Let me finish.” Logan glared, standing up from his chair, “Maybe if you stopped living in your little bubble and for once looked outside you would see that I am not myself when I’m around you.”

“Well, sure you’re quieter, but that comes with grief.” His mother began.

“No, I’m not just quieter. I don’t feel like myself anymore, Mom. I don’t even think I feel and it didn’t come from grief.” Logan’s voice cracked, “And for once, Patton gave me that ability to feel again. Even if it was annoyance, or some sort of irritation, he let me feel and he let me be myself around him. I could’ve gone away with not giving him a fair amount of detention hours, but the truth is that I enjoy spending time with him, and the only time we can spend time together is through detention hours. It helps the both of us, because I get to feel like myself for one second that I don’t have to keep a wall of perfection around him, and he gets to feel safe in an environment where there’s no yelling. He’s a little troubled, and sometimes he lashes out in a way I don’t enjoy, or sometimes we go head to head because the both of us can’t communicate in a proper way, but that isn’t his fault. It’s yours. It’s Dad’s. It’s his parents’. We are like this because of you four, and he shouldn’t be punished for something that I purposely inflicted on myself.”

Patton was speechless. He didn’t know that Logan had felt that way about him. He didn’t know that while a part of Logan was helping Patton escape from his parents, a part of Patton was helping Logan escape from his.

“Mom, just go.” Logan sighed coldly, turning around and looking up in an attempt to not let the tears fall out, “I can deal with all of Patton’s detention hours. Fix them to where they’re accurate to the number of hours he’s supposed to have. I’ll do detention how it’s supposed to be and I’ll have him write the behavioral statements for an hour before he has to stay silent and do his homework. Just…don’t suspend him or put him on warning.”

“Logan-”

“Go.” Logan adjusted his glasses to the top of the his nose, closing his eyes.

Logan’s mother sighed, walking out, “You better have that fixed by the end of the day.”

Logan didn’t answer, still facing away from everything with his eyes closed until he was certain his mother was out. Then, he turned to close the door and walked back to the desk to pull out a box of chalk. “Alright, Morris, you heard me. You know the statements. Go ahead and fill the entire board.”

He took out a chalk and placed it gently on the table before going back into his book. Patton treaded carefully, knowing that if he tried to ask if Logan was okay, it might end in either Patton getting punched or Logan walking out, never to be seen again.

Instead, Patton grabbed the chalk and started to write the sentences he knew by heart. Logan had made him write the sentences for the first 15 hours that he served detention before he was over it and allowed him to do whatever he wanted, as long as his homework was done.

He was not even a sentence in when he heard Logan sniffling and Patton turned to see Logan trying to wipe his eyes before the tears could fall out. Then, he knew he would take the risk of bodily harm if it meant he could comfort him, and calm his aching heart.

Patton walked up behind him, wrapping his arms around Logan and squeezing him.

“What are you doing this for?”

“I’m sorry that I’m a little annoying all the time, and I’m sorry that I haven’t been the best at keeping my promise of being a little kinder to you.” Patton mumbled, “But my goodness…you just have to tell me that you want to spend time with me. If I knew that I was your escape, I would’ve spent every day after school in detention with you.”

Logan didn’t say anything, but Patton felt something cold hit his hand, and he turned a bit to see Logan’s face streaked with silent tears still falling down his face.

“Jesus, you idiot.” Patton snorted, pulling the boy closer and squeezing him tighter. Logan’s arms wrapped around him as well, and he tried to ignore his pounding heart to continue comforting the boy. “Just tell me next time. I would’ve helped. I’m so sorry.”

Logan choked out a sob, burying his head in his chest as he let it all out. All the regret, grief, and anger built up inside of his for the past four years finally released and for the first time ever, Patton saw a gateway into who Logan really was.

“There, there, let it all out.” Patton mumbled as he rubbed his back.

Patton didn’t care that his shirt was being used for a tissue, nor did he think about the fact that Logan was currently hugging him like his life depended on it. He cared about the fact that Logan had never felt like himself and he wanted to give Logan that experience.

“I’m sorry.” Logan murmured.

“Take all the time you need.”

That sentence was enough to establish the relationship between his and Patton. It was enough for Logan right now. It was enough for him.

-+=~=+-

Patton stared at the post-it hung in his room. Although the rest of his house was a mess, his room was the only thing neat, organized and color coordinated. The only thing out of place was the white paper hung up on his corkboard in the middle with Logan’s name and number on it in his neat handwriting. He had yet to need to use it, but he had stared at the number so much that he had it memorized to heart.

Then again, he always had a good memory.

However, a phone call interrupted his thoughts.

Without looking at the caller ID, he picked it up, “Hello?”

“Patton. It’s Janus.” his voice sounded worried.

Patton took that time to look at the caller ID, knowing for a fact that he had never gotten Janus’s number. The name “Remus Porter” lit up and it clicked in his head. Remus had given Patton his phone number after they were paired up together the last year for a class and although they never used it again for each other, it came in handy.

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you doing anything right now?”

Patton heard a crash in the living room, along with the yelling he had learned to block out. “Yeah, why?”

“That sounds bad. Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Patton pressed the phone to his shoulder and cheek as he went to grab the shoes he hid in his closet. He learned that he should always have a way to escape his house through his room. He started to put it on, “What do you need?”

“Remus is in the hospital. Just…come here quick.”

“Wait, wouldn’t you need Virgil and Logan though? They know everything related to his illness.”

“It’s not that. I know everything there is to know about Remus’s illness too. The doctors just aren’t listening to me. They don’t understand that Re will die if he gets put on more pain killers. Just please…come quick.”

“On my way.”

Patton rushed over to the hospital, getting there in less than 5 minutes on foot. He was always a fast runner, and he attributed it to the fact that he had longer legs. It came with the advantage of being tall, and also living close to the hospital.

“Hi, sir, what can I help you with?” The nurse asked as Patton came into the hospital all breathy.

“Where’s Remus Porter being held?”

“Sorry, sir, but the family only permitted relatives to see him.”

“Patton! There you are!” Janus’s face melted into relief, “Remus is in the ICU and I need you to see this for yourself.”

Patton stared at the nurse who sighed, allowing him in and he rushed to Janus, “See what?”

Janus just rolled his eyes as the two of them dashed to Remus’s room where Remus was. He seemed weak, especially attached to all the machines. There was no one else in the room, but the room seemed so loud with the heartbeat monitor continuously beeping.

“Re…I brought Patton.” Janus’s voice was gentler than usual.

“Patton.” Remus croaked, holding his hand out. Patton slowly took it.

“Hey buddy. You don’t look so good. You feeling alright?”

“Shut up.” Remus laughed, “Don’t be like everyone else.”

No quip. No dirty saying. Nothing. Remus truly wasn't feeling good.

Patton snorted, “Janus called me over.”

“I caught a fever from school. Since my immune system is weaker because of my cancer, they have to look me over.” Remus coughed.

“That’s not the problem.” Janus murmured, grabbing Remus’s hand as well. He watched as the Chinese symbols soon appeared on both their heads. “The problem is that he doesn’t feel any better when I am in contact with him. He still feels just as weak, if not even more, and look at the symbol above his head.”

He watched as the symbol of death faded in and out of existence. When Patton could see the symbol, it burned bright red, almost like the color of fire. It looked like it was burning Remus’s forehead.

“Woah.”

“Usually, his symbol goes away after some time of physical contact, but that’s not the case now. And usually it’s not that color.”

“It looks bad. What does that color mean?”

“I’m not exactly sure, since the only place I’ve seen it was on Logan, and he’s very unreadable. I’m guessing it doesn’t mean something too good though. Right now, I think that it means that it means you’re closer to your curse.”

“Yikes.” Patton sighed, “How long they keeping you on bed rest?”

“Until I get better and then a day after.”

“And you don’t think you’re going to be good anytime soon?”

“Nope.” Remus laughed, turning his head to sneeze.

“Bless you.” Patton snorted, “So what you’re telling me is that he’s on the verge of death right now?”

“Everytime he eats a new painkiller, his symbol glows brighter.” Janus murmured, “The doctors won’t stop. They just keep putting him on different medications, hoping one will just stick but it won’t and it’s only hurting him.”

“How do you want me to convince them?”

“I don’t know. You’re charismatic though! You’re the class clown, everyone loves you! You’re the fun, loving Pat! There’s got to be something that you can do!” Janus begged, “Please.”

Patton sighed, “Alright, I’ll see what I can do.”

Remus sneezed, and a nurse came through at that moment.

“Ah, have you brought reinforcements?” The nurse raised an eyebrow, “You have to give some reasoning to him. He’s saying we should get him off the painkillers. It’s almost a death wish for someone with cancer.”

“Except Remus’s a special case. His heartbeat’s weaker and faster ever since you started giving him painkillers. Sure, he may be sneezing less, but his blood pressure is higher. I know you’re recording everything related to his health every hour and giving him new medicines, but the thing is that it’s getting harder and harder to measure them, and you’re afraid that you’ll be sued for getting him off, but you’re actually killing him right now. Do all four of us a favor and stop giving him it. Otherwise...I'm sure you wouldn't want to see me disappointed, missy."

The nurse raised an eyebrow looking at the clipboard in their hand. They sighed, and stared at Janus, “Be glad that your friend here has better reasoning than you.”

With that, the nurse took Remus’s blood pressure and wrote down his heartbeat before leaving.

"Fun, loving Pat to the rescue." Patton flashed a smile at Janus.

Janus sighed before admitting, "Thank you. I couldn't have convinced them without you."

"Of course, Janus! Anything for my bestest friends. If that's all, I'll be going out then."

"Wait, Patton?" Remus coughed as he tried to sit up.

"Yes, Remus?"

“Can you keep this a secret from Logan and Virgil?” Remus asked.

“Why?”

“I haven’t been the most truthful about my illness.”

“What do you mean?” Patton was very concerned now.

“The ghost that’s sucking all my power…has been contacting me more recently when no one’s around. He’s getting more powerful. I can feel him fighting back against my powers, against the painkillers, and more. I feel him fighting back against the blockage of everyone, but Janus.”

“You…don’t want to tell Logan or Virgil? Why? They’re helping you!”

“And I’m so grateful for that, but there are things I just can’t explain to them. I'd rather joke around about my illness and say weird and out-of-pocket things instead of facing the truth that I am dying and there's no workaway around it."

“I’m the least knowledgeable about your illness.”

“That’s exactly why. You won’t try to find an explanation or anything. You just accept it, and will try to help me find a solution. The other two are too obsessed with finding out why it’s like that before they find how to help me.”

Patton sighed, “Logan can see through my lies, so I can’t promise…but I’ll try to keep it a secret.”

“Thank you.” Remus seemed relieved.

Janus rubbed Remus’s forehead, “Alright, get some rest. I’m going to talk to Patton outside.”

“Have fun.” Remus murmured.

The pair walked outside, and Patton turned to Janus, expecting him to say something.

“How’d you know all those things about Remus? I didn’t even pay attention.” Janus asked.

“I didn't. I just winged it, and used a bunch of terms I thought Logan would use.” Patton snorted.

“Nice.” Janus smiled, “I’m not going to stop you from telling Virgil or Logan about Re in the hospital. He’s too important for me to lose. I know Virgil and Logan are going for the slower approach, but I know that approach is probably a stronger cure than the one that Remus wants. He wants a quick and easy way out of his suffering, but it’ll be temporary. Logan wants to find out why so he can find a permanent solution. Virgil wants to make sure that nothing like this happens to anyone else again. I get his point of view, but I also get theirs. I want Re to get better now, but I know that it won’t help him in the long run, and even if we expel the ghost, there’s a chance we could end up hurting someone else. It’s your choice to make on the matter.”

Patton hated the fact that it had to be his choice.

“I trust you either way. I believe we’ll make the right decision.” Janus pat Patton’s back, “I promise you that either way, the group will find a way to get over your choice.”

“Thanks.” Patton gave a small smile. “I think I'm going to head out now. Let me know about anything that changes.”

“I will.” Janus smiled weakly. Patton could see a look of terror and worry flash in Janus, and Patton just pulled Janus into a short hug.

When he left the hospital, he opened up the phone app.

Then, he started to type in numbers. One by one, he typed in the phone number he memorized.

Hovering his finger on dial, he took a deep breath, and let it fall onto the button.

He answered right away and Patton caught a breath, waiting for him to speak.

“Hello?” Logan’s voice sounded sleepy, almost as if he was either just waking up or about to fall asleep.

“You sound awake.” Patton joked.

There was shuffling on the other side, and Patton concluded the boy was still in bed. “Shut up, Morris.” he murmured, “Sundays are my recovery days.”

“You picked up, even if you didn’t know my number?”

“Usually, the person on the other end answers first, and then I reply afterwards, based on the voice and what they say. It has to be someone I know for them to not want to say anything after dialing me first.”

“What if it’s a stalker?”

“They’d have to get through my father who has an extensive knowledge of guns, and me who was trained to use a firearm since I was 10.”

“Fair enough. Just to make sure, I haven’t crossed you enough for you to take out a gun yet.”

“Hm…” Logan yawned, “I’ll think about that.”

Patton couldn’t help the smile that came to his face, “Sorry for bothering you, Sanders.”

“Mh, you always do anyway. What can I do for you?”

“Ah, I can always talk to you later. You sound sleepy and I should let you get back to sleeping.”

“No, you’re already here. Just tell me.”

“You sure you’ll be awake to answer it?”

“I will be if you don’t keep stalling.”

“Fair enough.” Patton chuckled, “I wanted to ask about Remus.”

Logan groaned, “You’re going to make me get up to get my notebooks, aren’t you?”

“I am.” Patton admitted as he walked to a nearby park to sit down at.

He heard shuffling for a while before Logan answered, “Alright, I have gotten it, and have cozied back in bed. What do you need about him?”

“His social security number.”

“Be serious.” Logan scoffed. “I will hunt you down if I find out you made me do all of that for nothing.”

“I wanted to ask about how Remus was. Is he getting better?”

Logan was quiet for a second. “I didn’t need my journal for that.”

“Is it obvious?”

“He’s getting worse. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know the ghost is getting stronger, and there is nothing I can do about it. I’ve tried using precognition, but nothing is showing up. I think the rosary is affecting my powers too since my powers expel both negative and positive energy. The rosary sucks up any negative energy, which protects me from the ghost, but…it also hurts my power.”

“Have you tried it in the shower when you can’t have the rosary on?”

“I’m too paranoid to try taking it off. There’s no doubt I’m a target.”

“I’m sorry.” That was all Patton could say.

“Is that all you wanted to say?”

“Uh…I got records for a Caleb Covington. I’m not certain, but I think it’s our guy. He looks like the dude I got in the vision, and he matches the description, but at the end of the day, he could be one of the workers or pawns for the ghost that’s possessing Remus.”

“Specific details?”

“He died almost 120 years ago in this city, in a freak magic show. He was a magician, apparently he was very well known for being charismatic. After he died, mediums would see him all over the place, and he was seen as pretty friendly. Then, people started to notice that he started to be worse off. Then, one day, he completely disappeared. That happened about 10 years after he died. Then, 30 years after that, ghosts started to disappear. Then, they disappeared completely about 15 years ago, and mediums started to move out of the town. Virgil’s probably the only medium in town right now.” Patton cited off all he could remember from the research he did with his friend who had access to records.

“Huh.” Logan mumbled and he heard scribbling noises being picked up by the mic.

“Did you bring a pen into bed with you?”

“Of course I did. The pen was attached to the journal. I’m not stupid.” Logan scoffed, “Right…thank you for telling me that. I’ll keep my eye out for that.”

“Let me know if you need anything else.” Patton replied numbly.

“I will definitely come to you.” Logan mumbled as he shifted.

“I should really let you sleep.” Patton thought it was endearing that Logan still listened to him fully despite still being half asleep, “What time did you go to sleep last night?”

“Ungodly hours.” Logan sighed, “Are you sure you don’t have anything else you want to tell me? I can hear it in your voice that there’s still something.”

Patton thought about it. Logan knew him too well, but he was also respectful. If Logan believed Patton wasn’t ready to tell him or didn’t want to, Logan wouldn’t press it.

Then, Patton remembered the mark that burned above Remus’s head, and he remembered Janus’s pained face, and the trust Janus had in Patton to make the right choice, and he knew that Remus’s safety was worth more than his pride.

“Remus is in the hospital.”

Logan’s steady breathing, picked up on the mic, hitched as he processed what he said, “Is he okay?”

“He definitely has been better.” Patton remarked, “He caught a cold, and I just only managed to convince the nurse to get him off the painkillers that seemed like they were killing him."

“Good. He shouldn’t be on any pain killers. I told him to stop taking the ones he got from his doctors. He should’ve known his rights. He could’ve refused them himself. Why did he have to be so stubborn and get you to have to convince the nurse?”

“I don’t know.”

“Jeez, Virgil told him to be careful around others because it’s flu season. His immune system is already at risk since we told him to stop taking any of the ones he gets from the doctors treating him.”

“You sound like a worried mother.”

He could practically hear Logan rolling his eyes.

“He’s okay, genuinely?”

“Yeah, for now. I just think that we might need to hurry the process of catching this ghost off guard because right now, he has the upperhand. If it is truly Caleb, he is continuing to get more powerful, and he’s not going to stop until he’s gotten what he’s wanted.”

“Right…” Logan trailed off, yawning again.

“You should go to sleep, Sanders. Sorry for keeping you awake.”

“Mhph, it’s fine.” Logan shifted in bed, “I’ll talk to you later though. I have a lot of thoughts about this.”

“Me? What about Virgil?”

“I’ll talk to him about it after I get more details. Until then, I’ll be sleeping again.”

“Alright. Good night, Logan.”

“Good night, Patton.”

With that, the two hung up, leaving Patton to be smiling at the thought of letting Logan be in his contacts now.

-+=~=+-

Patton liked to think he had a good sleep schedule, but that was later refuted by Logan calling him at 3 am, and him immediately picking up.

“You should be asleep” was the first thing Logan said to him over the phone.

“So should you, Lo. Don’t you need your beauty sleep?”

“Just because I’m a hypocrite doesn’t mean you should point it out.” Logan remarked, “Tell me more about how you know that Remus is dying with the painkillers.”

“So you know how he has the mark of death above his head?”

“Uh huh…”

“In the hospital, it was fading in and out, when usually after some time, it just fades. Then, when it was visible, it looked like it was burning into his forehead, and the color was more of a reddish-orange fire color.”

“Yikes. What does that mean? Does Janus know?”

“Well no, because it had never happened until this year.”

“So Remus’s the first time he’s ever seen it?”

“No…he’s seen it on someone else.”

“Who?”

“You.”

Logan fell silent.

“And I’d love to tell you what I know and what he knows about that, but it isn’t something I can answer, because no one can read you. You don’t tell us anything about yourself, and I’m glad you feel safe with us enough to even talk to us, but please, Logan, Remus’s life is at risk and-”

“It’s probably related to my brother. I hold a lot of regret towards stuff I did to my brother, or stuff I said. I guess, I’d rather keep it away from me, and yet Janus always finds a way to make me feel bad again and remember all the promises I kept to my brother.” Logan sighed, “If that’s the case, and if I feel this intense amount of regret that makes the mark like that, then we need to do something about it. Let’s call a meeting.”

“Right now? At 4 in the morning?” Patton asked, staring at the clock.

“Remus is in the hospital right now, currently dying. Do you really want to stall?” Logan pointed out.

“Good point. How are we supposed to get in contact with them?”

“I’ll deal with that. Meet me at the clock tower at school.”

“How long is this going to be? Because you have to remember that we have school tomorrow.”

“Good thing tomorrow’s a school field trip for the five of us.”

“What?”

“Hey, I promised my brother I’d save the living, but I never promised my parents I wouldn’t abuse my powers. Remus is the living who is on the verge of dying, and I’m willing to abuse a few of my powers to authorize an unplanned school field trip that doesn’t use school funds for a club that does not exist.” Logan remarked.

It was the first time Patton ever heard personality in Logan's voice, and he knew that the Logan he used to be was coming back full force. ——————– angsty logan is my fav to write fr <3 (see porch tears for one example that's so real), but logicality will always be my fav ship, even if it's not really shown in how much i make these two be tortured. but remus having development and being in so much pain that he can't even make his jokes is so sadddd :((((. ANGST DOES GET BETTER LATER THO I PROMISE <3

If you enjoyed this, please consider reblogging! Reblogging helps me a lot and it's just two clicks of a button (trust me, likes don't do anything to help me). Check out my masterlist for more, feel free to request any writings, and stick around if you want to see the rest of what I have in store for this! :)

[writingsfrombeyondthegrave]

Torn from the future- Chapter 1

Tom Riddle X Fem!Reader

Summary- After tampering with a Time Turner, you find yourself back in 1942. You decide that your best chance of improving the future is by befriending a certain man named Tom Riddle. You've heard of him before, but never in a positive light. Will you be his key to power or salvation?

Warnings for this chapter- Mentions of death and war, Stealing

Time travel has always been controversial in the Wizarding World. The Ministry in particular has taken to keeping any form of Time Travel under wraps as to prevent Wizards from dabbling in the illegal form of magical transportation.

Now with the Second Wizarding War quickly approaching, this dangerous threat was overruled by your desperation to change the past and prevent this whole mess from happening. The sorrows of your friends, the loss, the unnecessary violence and rift between wizards and muggles, even further than it already was.

Hermione had recently been popping in and out of lessons unnoticed and denied knowing what you or your friends had accused her of. You knew she had a Time Turner. If you had that, you could find a way to fix things yourself.

The smart thing to do would be to inform your friends so that they could help you but losing them was something that you couldn't bear. Your only hope was to take the time turner and figure it out alone.

Luckily there was no need to fret about your plan since you shared a dorm room with her. You waited until nightfall when the famous Golden Trio left Gryffindor tower, claiming to be sick yourself to stay behind and search for the it

The thing about your dear friend was that she was a perfectionist, not only in her schoolwork, but especially in her living quarters. If even a single paper was out of place, she would scream at you for days. But at times like this, where the whole group was stressed enough as it was, you could easily get by that little issue... hopefully.

Going through her belongings proved more difficult than initially intended, considering you never actually witnessed her putting the Time Turner anywhere away in your dorm, at least not while the both of you were present. She was actually quite protective of the thing, which you could understand given the gravity behind it all.

Digging through the trunk at the bottom of her bed, you searched through a dozen sweaters before finding a hidden compartment tucked away in the bottom corner. Surprisingly it seemed that Hermione had opted to leave the thing behind, too afraid of losing it on their unpredictable outing.

Hurriedly tucking the pocket watch into your bag, along with your journal, you got up from the floor of your dorm and made your way out of Gryffindor Tower.

Hours ticked by with you sitting on the ground of the restricted section. Books were scattered open around you in a circle while you chewed absentmindedly on your thumb nail, a nervous habit that you were too focused to pay attention to at the moment.

Thoughts and plans, one after another swirled in your mind continuously. A headache began forming from it, as you continued to reach dead ends. No plans that you came up with seemed to work well enough. Not to mention the fact that you never actually learned how to use the Time Turner before stealing it. You blamed that fact on your stress and desperation. Normally, you would plan out your actions meticulously but not this time.

Finally, it hit you. Harry's parents, Sirius and Remus, Even Regulus. You could save them all and prevent the heartache. It was simple in your mind, you would go back to the 1970's to save as many people as you possibly could. Maybe you could warn them somehow, or at least prepare them ahead of time for what was to come. It was the only way.

It's not as if you were afraid of participating in the war alongside your friends, it was just that you couldn't possibly stand by and watch your friends die beside you in the bloodshed and horror of war.

Pulling out the pocket watch from your bag, you decided to take the Time Turner apart piece by piece and rewire it to take you further back in time. Normal Time Turners would only send you back a maximum of five hours, which wouldn't have worked for anything you had planned.

Consequences by damned, you thought as you opened the Time Turner and began poking around at the mechanisms inside. The diagrams in the book made absolutely no sense. They only contained detailed drawings of the watch, but previously there had been no history of ever tampering with one.

Ticking began to get louder and louder. The books on the shelves rattled violently as if sensing the worst. You raised your eyes from the Time Turner in your hand and your eyes widened slightly, looking around to see what was happening.

Your finger slipped and accidentally grazed a metal coil that was exposed. Blood dripped down and the watch sizzled from the intrusion. A bright flash of light startled you and threw you back into the bookshelf, causing a copy of Dark Witches and Wizards Through History to crash down on your head.

Time shifted, books disappearing from their place on the shelves, dust cleared, and the watch rattled as you tried to clasp it tightly. Instantly the world faded and the last thing your blurry vision saw was the room spinning fast as you collapsed to the floor.

The creaking of footsteps in the library outside the Restricted Section was what woke you up. Your head pounded and you lifted your hand to place it on the top of your head. Sitting up to regain your balance, you rested your back against the bookshelf, albeit much more carefully than before.

There were no books on the ground anymore, it was only you alone. That should've been your first indication that something wasn't right, but your head hurt far too much for you to worry about your current surroundings.

After shoving the pieces of the Time Turner back into your bag, you finally stood up and made your way out of the library, cautiously avoiding the librarian or wandering Prefects. The only thing on your mind was getting back to your dorm and figuring your next course of action.

The hallways were deathly quiet, not a single person in sight. It must've been far later in the night than you had remembered.

You had almost made it to the Gryffindor Tower when you heard a deep voice speak from behind you.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked, his voice calm and authoritative. You must've gotten stopped by a teacher. Being prepared for a lecture, you raised your hands as you slowly turned around to face him.

"I was-" Your eyes widened as you saw him, words failing you. This boy was around your age, with dark eyes that bore into your soul.

He raised his eyebrow, the tiniest hint of acknowledgment before his expression became emotionless once more. "I know everyone in this school and I have never seen you before. Follow me"

It wasn't a request as he walked ahead, down the hallway. Never once did he look back, clearly expecting you to follow behind blindly. You weren't sure if it was the headache, but you obeyed for the time being.

A/N- Please like/repost/comment and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is always encouraged and appreciated. If I left out an important trigger warning, please let me know and ill add it.

This Series is inspired by Time Warp, written by @astonishment, but I won't be tagging them in every part since that would probably be annoying. I definitely recommend reading their series! Thank you again for letting me use the idea as the basis for me series.

Misc Credits:

Dark Mark Divider- @firefly-graphics

Diamond Divider- @troublesomesnitch

Header- Me

[maxdibert]

James is not only the one who didn’t pay, he’s the only one who didn’t have any mitigating circumstances. Sirius is vicious, but he comes from a vicious family, and him deciding he was going to back James in everything makes perfect sense for a boy trying to break from his background and wishing he had parents more like James’. Remus is a coward, but him failing to stand up to his friends makes perfect sense from a boy whose condition meant he’d never been accepted before. Peter? Who cares, he’s a plot device.

But James? James had no excuse whatsoever. He was well loved, well cared for, well off financially. He wanted for nothing. He didn’t learn cruelty at the knees of his parents, they doted on him. Which means he’s just a sadist who enjoyed the rush of power he got from humiliating easy targets. And Lily is of questionable character for thinking him hot boyfriend material when he never displays any remorse.

It’s why I always say that, to me, James Potter is nothing more than a Draco Malfoy with “progresist” parents. He basically has the same abusive, classist, and violent attitude as Draco, except that, unlike Draco, James believes he is morally superior because he doesn’t share the typical pure-blood ideals. This makes him an absolute hypocrite, in addition to being a violent bully and a rich brat who takes advantage of his economic and social position to abuse those who are at a disadvantage.

It’s funny how people defend him with arguments like “he’s not a racist” because he accepts Muggle-borns. So, because he accepts Muggle-borns, are we going to ignore the fact that he’s a classist jerk who actively mocks people for having a lower socioeconomic status than him? Or that he uses his economic and social capital against those who don’t have it? Or that, knowing he has the upper hand, he torments those who don’t have the same resources? Like, why should I care that he boasts about a supposedly progressive ideology that’s entirely fake, and never really shows any understanding of, when his actions in the canon prove he’s just another member of the elite oppressing those below him, simply because he has the capital to do so?

He reminds me a lot of several guys I met during my time in political activism at university. I used to hang around leftist groups with Marxist tendencies, and there was always that typical rich kid raised in a bourgeois left-wing family, who was there because they were taught it was the right thing to do, but had no clue about the root of social problems or the reality of working-class life. In fact, their supposed political commitment stemmed from a sense of superiority, which manifested in incredibly patronising attitudes toward the working class. And yes, they’d date girls from humble families because it reinforced the persona they’d created, but in the end, they were the same rich jerks you’d find in right-wing groups. At least the rich jerks on the right didn’t have the audacity to give moralising speeches while still acting like pricks. They were just pricks, plain and simple.

That’s how I see James, but translated into the magical world. And god, how much I’ve hated, been disgusted by, and fought with guys like him. They’ve always made me sick. I’ve literally had better relationships with people whose politics are the polar opposite of mine than with guys like that, because I find them a cancer to any political group. But anyway, I digress. I don’t think there’s anything impressive about James joining the Order or dating a Muggle-born. It’s the bare minimum expected of someone who has had every single privilege, support, and education needed to choose the right path. I think it’s basic. Just like it would be basic to expect someone who’s had no problems in life and everything handed to them on a silver platter to be a decent person rather than a bully. But James Potter chooses to be a bully because his ego, as a rich heteropatriarchal man, can’t handle the fact that a poor kid with a non-normative appearance by masculine standards is friends with the girl he likes. And for that stupid reason, he decides to use all the power he has, and the other doesn’t, to bully him for 7 years. But hey, we should forgive him because, at the end of the day, he joined the Order. I mean, what? No, that’s not how it works.

I could say a lot about Lily too, but I’m just going to copy and paste something I said the other day because it basically sums up my opinion of her:

Honestly, I don’t know if Rowling didn’t think much about this, or if simply because she herself is a terrible person, she thought it was compatible to portray Lily as the epitome of goodness, a kind of perfect being like the Virgin Mary, while also having her marry her friend’s abuser—because, honestly, she’s not. To me, it seems like Lily was a person of questionable morals and ethics, which is ironic because her supposed moral superiority is what leads her to break off her relationship with Severus. What I find illogical is presenting a character who constantly talks about what’s morally right or wrong when her actions are quite contrary to her supposed value system.

I’ve had friendships throughout my life that have ended badly, for one reason or another, and that happens. But I would never, ever think of dating someone I’ve known for years as someone who abuses others, much less people who were my friends. Sometimes I think this is either a plot hole or that Lily was just your typical superficial “pick me” girl who wanted to “not be like other girls,” but deep down, she loved that a rich, popular guy like James was chasing after her. That’s the only explanation that gives her actions some sense—that deep down, her inferiority complex (being a Muggle-born and from a family that wasn’t even middle class) manifested in the need to be liked, be popular, and end up as the object of interest and admiration of rich and popular boys. That would actually be interesting because it would give her character some depth. The problem is that, in canon, all we see is a girl lecturing others on morality and then acting with ethical standards that leave much to be desired, with no explanation.

Because no, sorry, you don’t marry a bully. You might marry a bully if you meet them at 30 and you’re unaware of what they did as a teenager. But you don’t marry a bully you’ve seen harassing and abusing people for 7 years—like, what kind of sense does that make? And even less so do you do that and then give yourself the privilege of judging other people’s behavior and decisions. Lily Evans had no moral ground for that.

I could rant for hours about why she’s a terrible friend and a hypocrite, but I’ll settle for defining her as the typical basic girl who tries to act interesting. Unfortunately, many female characters in the series are like that: “pick me” girls. But then again, that’s nothing more than Rowling’s internalized misogyny coming to light, along with her insecurities projected into the need to be “one of the boys” and her unfounded hatred of women with traditionally feminine traits. And that’s another story.

[unconventional-lawnchair]

Random fic ideas

These are just random xreader ideas that I haven't started yet. If this interests anyone you can use the prompts/stories or just voice your opinions about them! Really just need them out of my head. (If you do use them pls tag me I'd love to read em 🥺)

Time travel scenarios:

- Lightning Era Reader goes back in time for a year, only to come back to a shattered timeline. Finding out that Barty Crouch Junior has broken everything to be with her again. (Hurtless by Dean Lewis)

-Marauders Era Muggleborn!reader goes back in time to Tom Riddles Era, where he finds out about her blood status. He tries to get a hold of this oddly powerful wix, only to find she's actively sabotaging his plans. (This isn't a Tom x reader fic, but it will center their relationship from rivals to friends, only for her to go forward in time once more and unleash a new wave of abandonment charged rage against the wizarding world) - (Hunter by Paris Paloma)

-Given the choice, Remus Lupin would go back in time and never involve himself with the Muggle!Reader he lost. Only in his plan to stray away his younger self, he meets her again. Truly to convince himself to walk away from the woman he loves all over again. (LOML by Taylor Swift)

-After James dies, the reader discovers a way to travel back in time to see him one last time, but she’s warned it can only be for one brief encounter. (You Said You'd Grow Old with Me by Michael Schultz)

Memory Loss ideas:

-Remus helps the reader Obliviate herself during the war, but before he does everyone gets together at the Maurader's one last time. They reminisce on their old memories and share their favorite times with the reader. Remus and the reader reminisce on what could and should have been between them; none of them noticing how much this all seems to be affecting James- who has been in love with the reader for years.

Normal scenarios :

- Poly!Wolfstar x Reader fic, after the events of Halloween 1981 Sirius is jailed- Remus and the reader have a falling out that results in him leaving. 12 years later they are forced to reunite for Harry. (Clean - Taylor Swift)

- James Potter will stop at nothing to stop Fred Weasley from coming around his daughter. The only reason he can give; 'he reminds me of myself.' (Magic! By rude)

- Barty x Tattoo Artist!Reader who can't stay out of his lap (I wanna be your Slave by måneskin)

-Slytherin wins the Quidditch cup for once, but what everyone is really paying attention to is how Regulus Black of all people, ran to Potter!Reader before anyone else. (Alchemy by Taylor swift)

-During the peak of the wizarding war, the reader is a Muggle who inadvertently befriends Remus and the others- learns about the magical world. She becomes one of Remus's closest confidants and helps him through some of his darkest moments. But after the Potters are killed and Sirius is imprisoned, Remus obliviates her to keep her safe from everything he had told her. This leads to complications, where she believes she is having flashes of a 'past life,' when the spell begins to fade. (All Too Well by Taylor Swift)

-During the First Wizarding War, the reader and James are are separated as he’s rises the ranks of the order, getting more missions and having to keep more and more secrets from her. To cope with her fear, the reader writes him letters every night, pouring out her love and worries letters she never intends for him to read. (What a time by Julia Michaels)

-Loving James Potter was knowing he'd give you up to save the world. Loving Barty Crouch Jr. was knowing he'd end the world rather then lose you.

-Fred Weasley fic about a Slytherin reader who never entertained Fred's advances. After the war, George sends her a post with one of Fred's old ideas books. Fred kept filled with jokes, pranks, and ideas for future products he never got the chance to share. Each page is filled with his personality, and she can almost hear him laughing with her. The book signed "for her, always."

-Sirius and the reader have always clashed, unable to see eye-to-eye on anything. But when he accidentally ruins her notebook in a prank gone wrong, she storms out feeling humiliated and hurt. Sirius, surprisingly, follows her to apologize.

-James and the reader are fierce rivals in the dueling club, always challenging each other to duels that usually end in both bruised egos and bruised bodies. But one night, after a particularly intense duel, James notices the reader is hurt and insists on helping her. (Much to no one but the reader's surprise)

-As captains of rival Quidditch teams, James and the reader have always been fiercely competitive, constantly taunting each other and getting into shouting matches on the pitch. When she beats him in a close match, he becomes noticeably sour and can’t hide his jealousy when other players congratulate her. "Why do you like everyone but me?"

- Sirius doesn't know what he hates more, your attitude or you going to the winter formal with Evan Rosier and not him.

- James Potter has always been a thorn in your side, with his constant flirting and his annoying cocky attitude. But when he starts to flirt and playfully banter with Lily Potter you can't stand it, but James just loves your reaction

[iwriteasfotini]

The power of commenting on someone's work is quadrupled when that comment is given in person. Like when my partner begins a sentence with "one thing I really like about your story is..." and I want to marry him a hundred times over again.

Other comments he has made in the past 24 hours.

"This is my favorite one so far." - Referring to The Wolf and The Star

"I'm enjoying the dynamic between Sirius and Remus, Sirius' dog being the alpha because he is the one with the big personality. Remus is much more subdued."

"So far nothing I've encountered is explicit, at least in my opinion."

"I love the werewolf magic."

YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to get my cis, white, straight husband shipping Wolfstar!

And people, please leave comments if you love a work, and share it on your socials! It means far more than you realize, to know you (as an author/creator) made someone smile.

[sofoulandfairaday]

Please share all of your Sirius and Bellatrix thoughts ♥️

I have way too many, darling.

The TLDR is it is our choices that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities. The long version is under the cut.

When reading about them I usually prefer stories where their original 8-9 year gap is preserved (it annoys me to no end when people write the Order and the Death Eaters as entirely made up of people in the same couple of years in Hogwarts —really? Was the conflict exclusively waged by child soldiers? Were Dumbledore and Voldemort just chilling before 1977, when they decided to start recruiting?). With that being said, I can also enjoy fics where - for shipping purposes - their ages are more compatible, to make them share time in Hogwarts or during the First Wizarding War.

I think they are very, very alike personality-wise. The narrative draws some delicious writing parallels between them, both physically and in their expressions, vices and virtues, and choices. Directly between them, might I add. The author underlines the difference between Bella and Narcissa more than once, we're meant to see it, and similarly we're meant to see the similarities between Bella & Sirius.

They are haughty, passionate, powerful, competent, arrogant, bright, much more intelligent than the fandom thinks they are. In general, they suffer from the stigmatization that many characters - but some people in real life do too - that someone who is intense and impulsive cannot possibly be as intelligent as people who are meek, soft-spoken, generally more controlled. Think what the fandom does to Sirius vs Remus and Bella vs her sisters, when every arrow points to the fact that they are actually the cleverest in these pairings.

They are both some shade of mentally ill, and not because of the curse of the Blacks - half the Blacks went mad didn't they? What's the saying? Every time a Black is born the gods flip a coin. god the Targaryen-Black parallels are gold - Sirius is very likely horribly depressed in OOTP, something no one around him seems to understand, infuriatingly. The only one that seems to get it is Harry, who has the literal Dark Lord living in his brain (= bigger problems to deal with). Bella is... I don't know what she is, ask me after my psychiatry module next year, but my money is on PTSD after Azkaban - after all, she didn't have the escape of an Animagus form behind bars. She would also very likely be victim-blamed for these different feelings, which would lend itself to a delicious nobody else in the world understands us but us type of post-Azkaban dark!fic which I would love to read.

They are both skilled at magic, and while they might despise each other for their respective political views, they respect each other because of this. Bella is probably above him in terms of magical power and skill, because she's 9 years older and because of Voldemort's training, but Sirius seemed to be keeping up quite well with her during their fight in the DoM.

Speaking of which, I am sure that Bellatrix's scream of triumph was due to her winning their duel, not because she thought she had killed him and that is probably the single thing I love the most about HBC's interpretation of her in the movies. That look. 10/10.

I am of the opinion that Bella is all bark and no bite when it comes to certain members of her family, especially her sisters. Sure, she might say that she wants to prune her family tree but 30 years later in the beginning of DH, she still calls Andromeda sister. I'm sure she would want nothing more than to put him under lock and key for the rest of his life and never let him escape, not kill him. And, to me, the way Sirius speaks of his family is very interesting. I'm sure he firmly believes that he hates them, but his actual feelings are more complex than that. You can hate someone and still desire their love, their respect. You can hate that they are the only people in the world who understand you - and hate yourself more in turn, for it.

Sirius seems to me like someone haunted by his own darkness. He, much like Harry, would be constantly worried that he's becoming like them. I'm sure it's a weak spot for him and I wish we had heard more bickering, or at least a full interaction between Bella and Sirius (I feel like she would claim him as hers, underline how much he cannot escape his own blood, even just to mock him/unsettle him in battle). But what Dumbledore says to Harry is true: it doesn't matter how alike they are, it's their choices that matter much more. And I feel like this is why the two of them would never reconcile in canon. They stand for different things.

I also think there might be some - and I know Freud is controversial nowadays, but bear with me - penis envy, on her part. Because Sirius was born the heir - something she would have given her left hand to be: to be born and die a Black instead of being expected to marry into another family - and he squandered it all away by consorting with werewolves and mudbloods. But no. He got everything and pissed on it, and it's just not fair. And by choosing not to come back, even in the two years after Regulus' death, he made sure that the Black Family name will die with him- and I think that is just something she can never ever forgive him.

Now. Everybody knows I don't like TCC and my preferred view of Bella is someone with fertility issues, even to the point of being sterile.

[I read an amazing fanfic once and a line from it stuck in my brain - "If I can't be life, then I'll be death"]

But. If we do see it as canon. This is also the reason why - despite being overjoyed at Delphi's birth - I am convinced that she wished for a boy when she was pregnant. If she had a boy with the Dark Lord, who couldn't possibly give them his name, the House of Black would have an heir. This is also the reason why I don't thing she was necessarily opposed to having children with Rodolphus - the "spare" would have been her heir.

Bellatrix would say that Regulus was her favourite cousin, but truth be told, it was really Sirius whom she respected more - at her core, in my opinion, Bellatrix is really only someone who respects power. Sirius is like her that way.

But Bellatrix is clearly a cruel person, which Sirius is not (or at least, he tries not to be: Kreacher and Snape are two very particular cases of people who are mean to him back). Also, Sirius' view of the world is much more egalitarian - If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals. Bellatrix is clearly someone who sees the world in terms of hierarchies, and lives within them (see: how she acts around Voldemort and what is implied of her treatment of house-elves who obey their masters: there is a scale and some serve others, and as long as they do so well they have certain rights; disobey, you get punished).

(Bellatrix is somewhat a feminist character but let's be real- she's not a revolutionary. She went to the Dark Lord and showed him just how powerful she was - aka my wand is bigger than all these male DEs' - and he said "okay, fair, I'll give you the Mark", thereby freeing herself. She is not a "equal representation for women inside terrorist organizations!!" type of girlie)

I also love how her death parallels Sirius'. It's thematically beautiful and it excuses her death coming at the hands of one Molly Weasley (who could never ever in a million years have beaten her on skill alone). She dies because she is arrogant. It's one of her traits. Overconfidence. She was always meant to die like that.

[coincidentally one of the reasons why she would not be a hufflepuff like some suggest: this woman is not humble]

I could go on, but I think I've rambled enough.

P.S. Let's not sleep on the fact that the two of them together would be hot.

[alenablack]

In Defense of Peter Pettigrew: an analysis

The rat

In all things Peter is considered inferior. He isn’t handsome, or witty, or magically powerful. His biggest accomplishment is his friends. If they’re a blazing bonfire, Peter is a candle in a window. Small, and hardly seen.

The tag along friends

In multiple instances throughout the series James and Sirius are described as inseparable and easy to mistake as brothers. This leaves Remus and Peter as the add on friends, the back up, the followers. The rise of fandom culture has promoted Remus to the same level as James and Sirius in terms of friendship. However canon does not fully support this.

Example one: ‘This was in contrast to the only wizarding photograph on the walls, which was a picture of four Hogwarts students standing arm in arm, laughing at the camera. With a leap of pleasure, Harry recognised his father; his untidy, black hair stuck up at the back like Harry's and he, too, wore glasses. Beside him was Sirius, carelessly handsome, his slightly arrogant face so much younger and happier than Harry had ever seen it alive. To Sirius's right stood Pettigrew, more than a head shorter, plump and watery-eyed, flushed with pleasure at his inclusion in this coolest of gangs, with the much admired rebels that James and Sirius had been. On James's left was Lupin, even then a little shabby-looking, but he had the same air of delighted surprise at finding himself liked and included ... or was it simply because Harry knew how it had been, that he saw these things in the picture?’

Even Harry is capable of recognizing that the real core of the marauders were Sirius & James, and that both Peter and Remus experienced feelings of inadequacy and as though they did not belong; despite being devoted to Potter & Black.

Example 2: 'You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta, murmured Professor McGonagall. 'Do you remember who his best friend was?' 'Naturally, said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. 'Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here - ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!' 'Precisely,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course - exceptionally bright, in fact - but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers -*... 'You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers!' chimed in Professor Flitwick. 'Inseparable!'

When remembered by professors and town folks it is Sirius Black and James Potter who are both remembered for their intellect and close connection to one another. Peter and Remus are spoken of less, and often less favorably.

While the marauders were a gang; the truth was they were four children who shared a dorm and formed a bond based upon proximity and a mutual interest in causing chaos.

The stupid and foolish boy

When the motivation for Peter’s betrayal come up the discussion generally revolves around his lack of courage or weakness in character. While an important aspect to contribute it’s also important to factor in how he felt about his place within both his side of the war as well as his place within the marauders. Let’s take a look at some moments that display how he is viewed by others prior to his betrayal.

Example 1:

Peter Pettigrew: "I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes, and the tufted tail, but I couldn't think what else —"

James Potter: "How thick are you, Wormtail? You run round with a werewolf once a month —"

Peter’s intelligence is often disregarded or degraded by his friends, despite the fact that Peter was successfully able to become an animagi at the same time as his friends, he is referred to as thick for simply taking more time to decide on his shape. James doesn’t speak kindly to his friend in any flashbacks or scenes we’re privy to; leading to the probability that this was a normal occurrence.

Example 2:

“Professor Minvera Mcgonagall described Pettigrew as a "stupid and foolish boy" who hero-worshipped Sirius and James. She also stated that Pettigrew was a less than average student and was not capable of fighting with Sirius. She was somewhat harsh with him during their years of student-teacher relationship.” (Pulled from the wiki)

This is another occurrence of how Peter was viewed by people meant to support him. If we circle back to the earlier quote by Mcgonagall we can see that she describes Sirius and James in a much more positive light.

Example 3: Peter being chosen as the Potter’s secret keeper. The whole premise of this stems from Peter’s lack of closeness to his friends; he wasn’t considered close enough to be chosen for such a role and therefore would serve as good protection.

What do these examples show us? Even prior to Peter’s betrayal he is viewed in a negative light.

In particular, his intelligence has always fascinated me. How is it that someone who is described as stupid, not magically powerful, or anything more than a follower is able to pull off his betrayal so completely? Not even Dumbledore himself suspected Peter as the spy, while this can be attributed to people’s low opinion of him. How exactly would someone without some level of cleverness keep up such a ruse? How could frumpy, mild mannered, second rate Peter Pettigrew capable of fooling the most powerful wizard alive and the entirety of the order? How could the rat frame the bright admired Sirius Black and murder 12 muggles if he was magically weak?

These complexities are what makes Peter both so fascinating and pitiful. They lead one to believe the general view of him was either grossly misinterpreted or overtly wrong. Was he just a stupid foolish boy who was weak with fear? Or was he a loyal devoted friend for a decade; who protected his creature friend for years, supported sirius through his estrangement from his family, and willing became the secretkeeper to the potter’s despite the target it placed on his back, who despite all this was simply tired of being treated poorly by the people he put first?

Ultimately we’ll never know, but what an interesting character develops from these contrary qualities.

Conclusion

Finally; let’s discuss the betrayal and the events that follow. Was the betrayal of his entire friend group horrific? Absolutely. Was it really that surprising after one dives into the inner workings of that said friend group? I’d said no. Peter is shown to have deep regret for his actions afterwards and in a turn of events helps Harry, but Peter never betrays Voldemort. Even when he is defeated and presumed dead, Peter stays loyal to him. He performs the ritual to bring back Voldemort himself, a magical feat in of itself. What does this say about Peter’s character? It shows both warring factions within himself but also how he is trapped between loyalty and cowardice. Peter is deeply loyal, firstly to the marauders despite their treatment of him, and later to Voldemort despite the fear and mistreatment he experiences.

Would the circumstances of Peter been different if he felt valued by his friends?

Or was he always destined to serve as a traitor?

[tracingpatternswrites]

Rekindle | Wolfstar | HP Recipe Rec Fest

I am so excited to share my entry for the @hprecipe-recfest. This is the first fest I've ever co-hosted and it's been so much fun so far, and I'm looking forward to see even more entries coming up.

For now, however, please enjoy my little fic which features a personal HC of mine: that Remus fled the UK and travelled around the world while Sirius was in Azkaban and spent som time in Sweden (where he apparently learned to cook some Swedish food).

Title: Rekindle Pairing: Wolfstar Rating: T WC: 6k Summary: Things are tense between Sirius and Remus when they're pushed together in the derelict cottage that Remus calls home, waiting for Dumbledore's orders. So much is left unsaid, so many questions need answers.

Remus shares a small part of himself and opens a door to what he was doing during the years that Sirius spent locked up in Azkaban.

Read the whole thing on AO3.

Or a snippet below the cut:

Sirius wakes with a jolt, which is weird because he barely sleeps these days. He doesn’t remember falling asleep, but that’s not unusual. It isn’t so much sleeping these days, as his body simply giving up, passing out when he couldn’t hold out any longer. Usually it happens when he’s curled up as Padfoot, the dog’s mind quieter than his own. He has spent so much time as Padfoot over the last few years that he feels more comfortable in the dog’s fur than his own skin.  

He had transformed back into his human form in his sleep, something that had happened increasingly more often in the past week. Sirius doesn’t know why, just yet another thing he can no longer control. He’s getting used to that feeling. Usually the nightmares wake him up, but not this time. He doesn’t know what did, the cottage seems to be quiet around him.

He had shown up on Remus’ doorstep a few days earlier, after he had followed Dumbledore’s orders to contact the old crowd to tell them about what Harry had seen. Remus had been surprised to see him, and Sirius still doesn’t know if it was for old friendship’s sake or just pity that made the other man open up his home.

Sirius looks around the sparse bedroom, the flimsy curtain that does little to keep out the sunlight. He keeps it closed at all times, but the room is still too bright, the sun is giving him a headache after the cold darkness of Azkaban. He mumbles a spell under his breath and he feels the magic coil inside of him, but the curtain barely moves.

There is a flare of something in his chest, anger or shame or frustration, he doesn’t know for sure. He used to be able to do wandless magic at the drop of a hat. Magic used to flow through him, pour out of him with no effort. Generations of powerful pureblood magic that responded to his every whim but now… now doing wandless magic is like pulling teeth. He needs his wand for the simplest spells, like a meek Muggle-born first-year who had never experienced true magic until they set foot inside Hogwarts.

He reaches for the wand on the bedside table, twirling it between his fingers before pointing it towards the window. He mumbles the incantation again and this time he feels it, the little tug of magic in his gut, the warmth at his fingertips as it flows through the wand. This time the curtain transforms into a heavier fabric, thicker, enough to block out some of the offending sunlight and he breathes a sigh of relief.

He had offered to stay on the sofa in the small living room downstairs since he didn’t sleep very well anyway, but Remus wouldn’t have it. Instead, he’d given up the cottage’s only bedroom for Sirius and taken the sofa for himself. It makes Sirius feel uncomfortable, knowing that he’s hogging the bed and the bedroom, especially as they are closing in on the full moon.

He will have to talk to Remus about it, he knows he can’t put it off for much longer. He drags himself out of bed, stretching before he starts to rummage around for something to wear. Not that he has a lot, only what Remus had loaned him when he had first shown up. 

Sirius had first insisted that he wouldn’t be able to wear it, he had always been broader and taller than Remus, but the other man had looked at him quietly and left the clothes on the bed for when Sirius was done with his shower.

Remus had been right, of course, that annoying habit of his hadn’t changed over the twelve years that Sirius had been away. Where Remus’ jumpers have always stretched tight over Sirius’ broad chest, they now hang loosely over his shoulders. He pulls the strings in Remus’ sweats tight so that they won’t fall down over his hips when he shuffles around the house.

He is grateful now that Remus doesn’t keep a lot of mirrors around. He would have covered them up if there were any in the bedroom, but luckily there aren’t. Sirius isn’t strong enough to face his own reflection more than absolutely necessary, it’s nothing but a painful reminder of the shadow of his former self that twelve years in Azkaban has reduced him into.

He can hear Remus move around downstairs and he knows he can’t hide away in the bedroom forever. He takes a deep breath as he stuffs his wand into his pocket, pushing the door open into the small hallway. He smells it almost immediately, Remus is cooking, and Sirius’ belly does a little rumble at the thought of food.

He slowly makes his way down the creaking stairs, stopping in the doorway leading into the kitchen. Remus is standing by the counter, his back against Sirius. He is slightly hunched over, the kitchen counter too low for him but for some reason, he hasn’t used magic to adjust it. It’s typical Remus, sometimes Sirius thinks he forgets he’s a wizard altogether.

There’s low music playing in the background, no doubt from their old record player that Remus had somehow managed to hold on to over the years. Most of the records were long gone, but Remus had told him that he had started to re-build his library. Sirius recognises the song that’s playing, but he can’t recall the name of the song or the band.

He's forgotten a lot of things, and the longer he spends outside in the real world, the more he realises it. It’s in the small things, an off-hand comment from Remus about something that happened when they were at school, a conversation they once had, something that Sirius had once claimed that he enjoyed doing or eating or drinking.

Sirius has forgotten most of it. He knows Remus can tell, even though the other man doesn’t comment on it. Sirius doesn’t want to talk about it either, there’s nothing to say about it anyway. Azkaban took a lot from him, the memories are only a small part of it all.

“Fucking hell– shit!”

The loud clatter and Remus’ voice are enough to yank Sirius out of his head, and he flinches at the sudden loud noise. The muscles in his back lock up, his heart makes a somersault in his chest, his pulse spiking as his first instinct is to transform into Padfoot. He can practically feel the ripple of the dog through him, but he manages to stop himself last second. He stares at Remus, eyes wide as he clings to his self-control.

“Shit,” Remus says again, and he looks a little frazzled as he bends down to pick up the pan he had dropped, setting it carefully on the kitchen counter. “I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, I just didn’t see you standing there and then I turned around and– fuck. Are you alright?”

It takes a moment before Sirius can get his body to unlock, and he can see Remus’ worried gaze sweep over him. Some of the tension melts away at Sirius’ jerky half-nod though, and he manages a smile so weak that it barely reaches his eyes. Sirius feels his muscles relax though, and it’s not until then he realises he’s holding on to the doorframe tightly.

“Did you sleep okay?” Remus asks, which is ridiculous because they both know the answer to that already so Sirius doesn’t bother replying. It doesn’t seem as if Remus expects him to either, as he barely waits for Sirius to speak before he continues. “Want a cuppa?”

This doesn’t seem to require any sort of reply either, as Remus is already waving his wand towards the kettle which starts boiling immediately. Remus gestures towards the table by the window, and Sirius slowly lets go of the doorframe to straighten himself up.

He walks over to the table before sinking down on one of the rickety chairs, catching the cup of steaming hot tea that Remus sends floating in his direction with another flick of his wand. It’s strong and sweet, the way Sirius has always loved it. Remus always made the best tea; Sirius remembers that much.

“Thank you,” Sirius rasps, and then he clears his throat as Remus turns around to look at him. “For the tea, I mean.”

“You’re welcome,” Remus says, a slow smile spreading over his face and it lights up something behind his eyes.

Sirius feels his belly do a little swoop, like a faint pull of something long forgotten deep inside of him, but then Remus turns away again to return to what he’s doing. He’s working with his hands, Sirius can see, and he has realised over the past couple of days that Remus does that a lot.

Sirius doesn’t know if it’s because he learned to cook from his Muggle mother, or if Remus’ reluctance to use magic is something he picked up during the war. Sirius doesn’t remember, and that realisation settles heavily in his chest. He wants to ask, but he doesn’t want to admit that he doesn’t know the answer.

He watches as Remus puts a cabbage head into a pot of boiling water before checking on the other pot and humming to himself. He turns the oven on with a tap of his wand before summing an empty bowl, getting to work mixing something that looks like minced meat with spices.

Sirius doesn’t know a lot about cooking, he had never mastered it himself and during his childhood all cooking had been done by their wretched house-elf. Right now, he almost wishes he did know how to cook though; it looks relaxing, working with your hands like that. Sirius takes another sip from his tea. When Remus adds milk, cream, and boiled rice straight from the pot to the minced meat, however, he feels like he needs to ask.

“What… are you making?”

Continue on AO3.

[brandstifter-sys]

Prearranged Arrangement

@dukexietyweek 2024 Day 4 - Soulmates + Colors

Word count: 3038 (Ao3)

Rating: T

Characters: Remus, Virgil, Roman, Dragon Witch

Pairings: Dukexiety

Warnings: ftm!Remus, arranged marriages, mild violence, sex mention, soulmate au,

Remus always knew he would have to get married for political reasons, despite being one of the few royals with a soul mark. His only caveat is that his husband has to share him with his soulmate. But his latest suitor has him questioning that condition.

---

Sometimes being a prince was a pain in the ass. Remus sure thought so! He was supposed to be a good little boy and play nice with his little brother, play nice with all the snooty hued nobles and dignitaries, and get married off to secure more political power with his puss. Granted, he would be fine with that last part, if he didn't have a stupid mark on his neck. 

Like most commoners, he had a patch of skin that was a different color than the rest, dark purple in his case, where his soulmate would first touch him. No one else in his family had a soul mark, not since his great grandfather, and it only led to tragedy for him. Remus absolutely refused to let that sorrow attack him. And he would have fun keeping it away. 

“Remus,” the queen hummed as she cut into her fish with the utmost dignity, “We received a marriage proposal for you this morning.” 

“Who's the poor sap who's rejecting me?” Remus jeered and set his silverware down. Roman was scowling at him, waiting for him to make a scene. 

“The eldest prince of Blinthansa, the Vigilant Violet, and he won't be rejecting you. Queen Millicent informed me that she is aware of your mark, and it is not a problem for them,” the Queen said and took a dainty bite of her food. 

“Then I get to reject him!” Remus gasped and wiggled his shoulders. He was a handsome little imp, and any rejection from him would hurt! He was looking forward to causing a little upset! Roman, who was judging those wiggles, glared at him, daring him to step out of line again.

“You will do no such thing,” she huffed, “I have gone out of my way to ensure that our allies and subjects address you as a prince while discarding every proposal letter that dared to revert to your former title. You are Prince Remus the Veridian, and you have to get married for political reasons, you know this—this is a wonderful opportunity for you to make the most of your situation.” 

“So this guy knows I can make babies, and he's still calling me a man? You're really not letting me worm my way out of this! What if I meet my soulmate? I'm not pulling a gramps and letting this suitor kill them because he thinks my cunt is his!” 

Roman jolted to his feet and knocked his chair over. 

“How dare you say such a thing in front of Mother!?” Roman snarled, “Have you no shame!?” 

“Mmmm, nope! I don't see why you care about my future marriage, it won't keep you from the crown when you come of age! If you make it that long!” Remus responded with a dastardly grin.

“Veridian! Vermilion!” the queen snapped, “Enough!” 

Roman wilted and picked up his chair, pouting like a kicked puppy. Remus rolled his eyes and picked up his silverware. He was used to the lectures about his manners. 

“Now then,” the queen sighed, “Remus, you will set off for Blinthansa in three days to acquaint yourself with the royal court and the territory.” 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Remus said and waved his hand, “Isn't he supposed to come here?” 

“Seeing as you would be the prince consort, you would have to go there. If he were merely a noble, it would be as you said.” 

“So I have no idea who I'm supposed to marry, I have to go to a foreign country, and I have to give up my soulmate? And I'm getting kicked out in three days?” 

“You say that as if I wouldn't let you return. Granted, I want this to go well, as a mother and as a ruler. Blinthansa is a hub of magical trade and a powerful ally,” she said and took a sip of her wine, “So give the poor prince a chance.” 

“Fine! But I'm going incognito, no guards or fancy carriage.” 

“Aren't there monsters in Blinthansa?” Roman pouted. He was right, of course, but that wouldn't stop Remus! 

“I'm the best fighter in the kingdom! A couple beasties are nothing!” Remus beamed. The queen knew it was pointless to argue with him over this. Remus would go off on his own anyway, regardless of her concern.

“You must carry a satchel of lavender and wolfsbane if you want to venture off alone. I will send a carriage with gifts for the royal family and your amenities, so I urge you to stay close to the party. And don't forget your scarves. The last thing you need is a scandal over your mark.”

“You got it!” Remus beamed. He would make it to the capital, meet his supposed fiance, and flee into the night after rejecting yet another proposal. It was the perfect way to take back his own life! 

.

A week later…

Remus was so bored! He arrived in Blinthansa a whole day before the royal caravan, and he had no one to talk to or annoy. Queen Millicent was kind enough to welcome him and show him his room, but she was busy being the queen! After two days of doing nothing but building a ballista out of his tea set and ribbons, and wandering the grounds, he needed social interaction! 

He made up his mind to go out on the town and see the sights, without some boring escort. He let a couple of the maids know where he was headed and why he was wearing commoners clothes without a scarf and left before they could protest. What were they really going to do? Get the guards?

The capital of Blinthansa, Spinnaha, was a bustling city on the Webbilubbi river. Remus could fall in love with such a chaotic place. The streets were lined with shops and merchant stalls, and in the middle of the square there was an ornate fountain of a dragon on a spider web. The back alleys were shady and dangerous, there were street performers and plenty of opportunities to pickpocket, and the music that filled the air was eerie and cheerful. 

Remus didn't have much money on him, so he wasn't too worried about getting robbed. He was more concerned about the odd magical creatures that seemed to follow certain people around. There were cats and dogs, ferrets and birds, dragons and butterflies—and so many creatures from myths. Blinthansa was known for its magic, so it was possible they were familiars. And if they were just pets, that was even cooler! 

He noticed one that seemed to be out of place, perhaps even attacking someone. He was near the edge of a small crowd, cheering for a fiddler who was going to town, when he saw a giant spider on the back of a tall, cloaked figure. Its glistening purple fangs were moving as if it were chewing on the cloak with the intent to kill. 

Remus didn't think, he just reached out and smacked the spider off of the cloaked figure. 

“Ack!” 

In a flash he found himself pinned against the nearest alley wall with a gloved hand holding him up by the neck. 

“What do you think you're doing?” the man growled. Remus couldn't see his face, but he could see how built this guy was when he wasn't hunched over and hiding. 

“Oh, just hanging,” Remus chuckled, happy that he could still breathe. 

“Try to rob me again and kiss your fingers goodbye,” he huffed and brandished a knife. Remus had never been more turned on. 

“I was just getting a bigass spider off your back! I'm many things, but thief isn't one of them! Unless you want me to steal your heart!” Remus argued. He was enjoying himself too much! He could only imagine having this much fun when he met his—

Wait.

This guy was holding his neck exactly where his mark was! 

“Don't you dare hurt my familiar!” the man snapped and squeezed his throat. This guy was doing things to Remus and he had no idea! 

“I didn't realize!” Remus gasped, “It won't happen again!” 

The man dropped him on his ass and sighed. To him, Remus was obviously just a confused foreigner, not worth the frustration. To Remus, this man was a total babe!

“If I hurt your pride, I could always kiss it better!” Remus cooed and fluttered his lashes, “I am at the perfect angle!” 

The man snorted and shook his head. 

“You're at the perfect angle to get your teeth kicked in.” 

“Use your third leg and you can!” 

“Are you always this horny or do you really think I might kill you?” 

“That's partly why I'm horny!” 

The man put his knife away and rolled his shoulders. He was clearly not used to this reaction. He even seemed flustered.

“Go jump in the river and cool off. I have better things to do.” 

“What could be better than teaching a sexy little imp a lesson?” 

“Meeting my fiance,” the man shrugged and left in a hurry. Even with that cloak, Remus could tell that the man had a biteable ass. 

Remus swore under his breath. Of course the first person who could be his soulmate just had to be engaged! He was getting cock teased by the universe right before he had to meet the prince. It was so unfair! 

He got up and brushed himself off. It was probably time to go back to the palace and get ready to deliver his rejection. And then maybe flee for his life. 

-

Once he was squeaky clean and dressed in his favorite green and black jacket, minus the tall collar, he was ready to meet royalty. But a certain sadness hit him as he navigated the castle. Remus was about to deal with a marriage proposal from a stranger, a stranger who knew that he would choose his soulmate over a political marriage. And the thought that his future husband would kill his soulmate, just like what happened to his great grandfather, made him sick. 

Remus approached the parlor and knocked on the door, rubbing his exposed neck, since Queen Millicent requested he leave his scarf back in his room. He was not ready for this.

A woman opened the door and smiled at him. She was in a simple, elegant black dress with red scales adoring the collar. Her piercing red eyes matched her lips and her raven hair fell around her horns and over her shoulders. 

“Your Majesty, Queen Millicent the Cerise Dragon Witch, it is an honor to be summoned to your parlor at such a late hour,” Remus said with a bow. Queen Millicent snickered and ushered him inside. 

“Spare me the formalities,” she said and led him to one of two couches. 

“Oh thank gods!” Remus gasped and flopped on a couch, “Formalities are worse than pulling off my fingernails one at a time!” 

Queen Millicent sat down on the couch next to his and chuckled. 

“You really are the perfect candidate for my son's hand. And for the country,” she said and motioned to the coffee table in front of them. It was loaded with tea and sweets. 

“I don't know about that! I’m pretty clueless about the culture here, and I might not even accept his proposal,” he said and poured himself a cup of tea. 

“Why wouldn't you?” the queen asked with a smirk and eyed his mark.

“I might have met someone else,” Remus shrugged, “I like to keep my options open.” 

“Then perhaps you should meet him before you decide. He's having second thoughts as well, but he agreed to at least meet you first. I think that's a reasonable request,” she hummed and got up. 

Remus watched her ghost to the door and open it. It was as if she knew someone was on the other side. 

“Virgil, darling, take a deep breath,” she said as she ushered a young man inside. He was tall and strong with shaggy raven hair and the prettiest pout. He wasn't dressed up to meet a foreign dignitary, in a plain tunic, leggings, and gloves, but he made it look good. 

“Prince Remus, allow me to introduce my eldest, Prince Virgil the Violet of Blathansa,” Queen Millicent said and dragged Virgil to stand next to her. He was staring at the floor and fidgeting like a scared child. 

“Nice to meet you,” Remus said with a smile. Even if they didn't get hitched, he wouldn't mind being friends with this guy! 

Virgil went rigid and his eyes snapped to Remus. There was a mix of emotions on that pretty face that Remus couldn't place. 

“If you don't mind,” Queen Millicent hummed and kissed her son's cheek, “I have to make sure that your father's room is ready for his return. You two should get better acquainted.” 

Before Virgil or Remus could protest, she zipped out of the room. The tension in the air tripled. 

“Are you just going to stand there and admire my sexy mustache or are you going to sit down?” Remus jeered and wiggled his upper lip. He was proud of his mustache—it took so much time and so many potions to grow! 

Virgil reluctantly sat on the other couch, keeping his distance from his guest. 

“So you aren't much of a talker, or are you pissed off I'm marked?” Remus said and took a swig of tea. 

Virgil was silent. 

“Well if the mark bothers you, I have worse news, I think I found my soulmate, and I want him carnally. So if you have a problem with sharing me, we can call this whole thing off!” Remus said and set his cup on the table. 

“I might have a problem with that,” Virgil said softly. If that voice didn't set off the alarm bells, the giant spider that crawled onto the back of the couch did. 

“That was you?!” Remus gawked, wearing the brightest grin. Virgil shrugged and took off his gloves. 

“Back in the market, yeah. I thought it was weird you were flirting with me. I was threatening you and you're out of my league.”

“So that means I didn't meet my soulmate,” Remus suddenly pouted. He was the only royal he knew with a mark. It was silly to think that Virgil would have one, much less one that matched his. 

“You think so?” Virgil hummed and held up his hand. Remus noticed that his forefingers and thumb had a single green mark across the palm side. 

“I get it if you're disappointed—” he continued and averted his gaze. 

He did not expect to get pinned to the couch by a hyper prince. 

“Why would I be disappointed? I'm getting engaged to my soulmate, he's hot and scary and adorable, and I like it here!” Remus laughed, “This is better than anything I expected!” 

“You’re really excited about marrying the guy who threatened you with a knife,” Virgil grumbled and met his gaze. 

“Hell yeah!” Remus grinned and nodded, “I love a man with a dark side and a sexy voice! Don't tell me you're disappointed that I'm the prince they sent! I'm no refined gentleman! I'm a menace!” 

“I’m not disappointed. You don't have to be refined. You're cuter the way you are,” Virgil said with a faint blush. 

“You think I'm cute? You'll change your mind when I'm unbound!” Remus jeered and ran his fingers through Virgil’s hair. Virgil melted into the touch and shook his head. 

“Doubt it. You'd still be a cute little prince.” 

“I’d be a sexy little prince!” Remus countered, “But you're sweet! We should go on a date tomorrow and handle the marriage contract! I'm not letting you get away!” 

“I'll show you around the castle and the training grounds before I have to go  practice. After you apologize to Cass.” 

“Practice? Cass?” Remus pouted and sat on his lap. 

“I play piano and violin, I have to practice,” Virgil explained, “And Cass is my familiar.” 

“Can I stick around for your practice? Please?” Remus gasped and wiggled, “Can you get any hotter?!” 

Virgil blushed furiously and nodded. At the same time that spider chirped and crawled towards Remus cautiously.

“Hi Cass!” Remus giggled, “I'm sorry for slapping you earlier! I thought you were attacking Virge! No hard feelings?” 

The spider chirped and crawled up his arm. Her spider paws tickled, but he didn't jerk away. She rubbed against his cheek and crawled back to the couch. 

“She likes me!” Remus beamed, “I really hit the jackpot! I'm not magic or musical but I get a musician and a witch as a soulmate!” 

“I'm a witch, but you're the spellbinding one,” Virgil grumbled shyly. Remus froze and hid his face in his hands. Oh no, he was smooth too! Remus was going to combust! 

“You okay?” 

“My face is going to explode!” Remus whined and lowered his hands. He was beet red. And Virgil just had to smirk and make it worse. 

“Maybe you're not too far out of my league,” he teased and grabbed Remus' hands, “I'll stop by your room tomorrow morning to show you around.” 

Just to make Remus implode, he kissed his knuckles. 

“Who gave you the right to be romantic?” Remus whined, “Threaten my life and manhandle me instead!” 

“Does that make you uncomfortable?” Virgil hesitated and let go of his hands. 

“It makes me want to cuddle you and rip your clothes off!” Remus argued and crossed his arms. 

“Then I'll just hold off until the wedding night,” Virgil said and gently placed his mark over Remus'. 

“I can't believe this is real,” he said and let Remus lean into him. 

“It's real, I'm real, you're real, and I really want you to kiss me!” 

Virgil chuckled softly and kissed his cheek, releasing his throat. Remus pouted at him and cuddled up to his chest. 

“I'll kiss you on the lips when my mom isn't waiting outside the door. She's waiting for the right moment to catch us in a compromising position,” Virgil explained and hugged him. 

Remus giggled and cuddled closer. He was with his soulmate and they were going to get married. He couldn't be happier. 

[roleplayfinder]

Hello all!

I (20+ female) am looking to make a roleplay group on discord and I am currently looking for around 10 members (18+). I want this group to be close and tight knit, and I want us all to have fun.

I want the group to be Harry Potter themed, Specifically Marauders era. However, I have taken a break from roleplay for two years as well as from the fandom so I’m a little rusty. I am hoping to find people that are into the fandom that can help me run the server!

There will be a mix of CC characters and OC characters that you guys can bring in as well. Everyone can play up to three characters. However, if you want to play a canon character as well, you will only be allowed to play ONE canon character so that everyone has the chance to play their favorite canon alongside their OC characters.

I am all about OOC chat and planning with one another. I love to share posts, Pinterest boards, and edits with those that I am plotting with and I hope that, through this, I am able to find people who feel the same.

There are few rules seeing as we are all adults. I feel that we do not need as many rules, but I want to make a few things clear:

18+ Only!

Three characters Max! One of them can be a canon character.

No controlling the characters of others.

No talks of religion or politics. I want to keep it light and fun for everyone.

✨Plot✨

“Secrets of the Founders' Society"

In the shadowy halls of Hogwarts, where dark wood paneling meets the soft glow of candlelight, secrets are whispered, and the weight of history presses on the shoulders of those who dare to tread beyond the ordinary. It’s the Marauders Era—long before the fall of Voldemort, but already the atmosphere at the school is thick with tension, mystery, and danger.

A student has gone missing. Not just any student, but someone with ties to a hidden society, a society known only in rumors—the Founders’ Society. It’s said to be a group of select individuals, handpicked by a mysterious professor, chosen for their talent, ambition, and intellect. They’re offered the promise of unlocking ancient secrets—knowledge and power connected to the very foundation of the magical world.

But not everything is as it seems.

The professor, enigmatic and charismatic, has a darker motive. Those who join are plunged into a world of hidden rituals, strange symbols, and whispers of something far more sinister than they bargained for. What starts as an initiation into an elite circle soon turns into a terrifying dance with the unknown. The Founders’ Society is not a place for those with weak hearts or wandering loyalty.

With the growing threat of an unseen cult-like influence creeping through the cracks of Hogwarts, the remaining students find themselves pulled into a dark mystery. As they unravel the threads behind the disappearance, they discover a horrifying truth: the missing student may have known too much about the society’s real purpose—and their fate could be a warning to anyone who dares to ask too many questions.

Now, they must decide. Will they continue the search for their lost peer, risking everything in pursuit of the truth, or will they fall prey to the professor’s manipulations and the dangerous allure of the Founders’ Society?

Who can you trust when even your mentors have secrets of their own?

Join us as we weave a tale of mystery, magic, and betrayal, set in the dark academia atmosphere of Hogwarts. With the Marauders on the rise, a looming darkness growing both within and outside the school, and an ancient society’s secrets at the heart of it all, the stakes have never been higher. Original characters welcome to join canon favorites in this twisting plot of intrigue, cults, and the lengths people will go to for power.

Will you uncover the truth, or will you become lost in the shadows?

Canon Characters Available:

✨Gryffindor✨

James Potter

Sirius Black

Remus Lupin

Peter Pettigrew

Lily Evans

Marlene McKinnon

Mary Macdonald

✨Slytherin✨

Severus Snape

Bellatrix Black

Narcissa Black

Lucius Malfoy

Regulus Black

Evan Rosier

Barty Crouch Jr.

Mulciber

Walburga Black (adult)

✨Ravenclaw✨

Xenophilius Lovegood

Pandora Lovegood (future wife of Xenophilius)

✨Hufflepuff✨

Andromeda Black

Ted Tonks

✨Professors/Staff✨

Albus Dumbledore (Headmaster)

Minerva McGonagall (Transfiguration Professor)

Horace Slughorn (Potions Professor, Head of Slytherin)

Pomona Sprout (Herbology Professor, Head of Hufflepuff)

Filius Flitwick (Charms Professor, Head of Ravenclaw)

Madam Pince (Librarian)

Madam Pomfrey (Nurse)

Argus Filch (Caretaker)

✨Original Characters✨

Bring your own twist to the story—students, professors, or those with their own agenda in Hogwarts’ dark halls.

The Founders’ Society awaits...

If you would like to join, reach out to be at Cottonberryfinn on discord!

.

[maladaptivewriting]

On scale from 1 to 10 how would you rate these ships and why:

James/Regulus/Barty/Evan

Lily/Barty/Evan

Narcissa/Lily

James/Regulus/Sirius/Remus

Bellatrix/Rita/Ms.Zabini (I don't think she had a name in canon, tell me if I'm wrong)

Draco/a dragon (you keep mentioning this one fic, you asked for it)

James/Barty

Lily/Pandora/Mary

Mary/Marlene/Dorcas

Lucius/Snape (this ship used to constantly haunt me a few years ago)

wow what a fun ask.

okay i want to preface this by saying that i’m not really into poly ships, but im going to make an exception for this and try to be fair.

1. james/regulus/barty/evan: 5/10

i could this happening like one time as a fun anniversary gift for one of the couples, but i could never see the four of them in an actual relationship.

2. lily/barty/evan: 7/10

i like this to the extent that it is far superior to jegulily which is absolutely despise. i can see barty and evan as people who might have a looser definition of relationships and jealous than james or regulus so rosekiller with lily could be really fun. lily seems soft enough to dull some of their edges. plus the fanart is hot

3. narcissa/lily: 9/10

there is a lot of potential here, especially for angst purposes, but i think this ship would work best in like a bdsm fic/setting. like narcissa is older than lily and she’s definitely the most put together of all the malfoys so i could see her domming lily and i love that for them.

4. james/regulus/sirius/remus: 7/10

putting aside the incest for a second. i could see this happening like once or twice. however i think regulus and sirius are both extremely possessive and jealous people, remus and james too but not to the same extent, so i dont think they would like to share. however i think the possessiveness could be hot depending on how it’s used.

5. bellatrix/rita/mrs. zabini: 3/10

the thing about mrs. zabini is that i just don’t think she likes being tied down and i can’t see her enjoying it with two partners. i like quillkiller but mrs. zabini throws a wrench in things.

6. draco/dragon: 9/10

i have read all the fics with this tag, however i think charlie/dragon works better. but the best option imo is like draco/dragon animagus. so like a drarry fic where harry is a dragon animagus? that would be 10/10

7. james/barty: 3/10

i feel indifferent to this ship, but i don’t think it would work out. one of my closest friends irl is so barty core and i think a james person would piss her the fuck off, they would never work

8. lily/pandora/mary: 6/10

i think there is potential here for something soft and sweet but i would only read this ship if one of them was evil and out to hurt the other two.

9. mary/marlene/dorcas: 1/10

i just cannot see marlene with mary like at all. i actually don’t even think these two would be friends post hogwarts based on their personalities. i think they would seriously annoy each other

10. lucius/snape: 8/10

again so much angst potential. i’ve read this ship a few times, it used to pop a lot as a background ship so i would often see it, and i feel like it can work but there has to be discussions about power dynamics here for it to read well. i prefer snape with a non-magical oc personally

you didn’t ask for full explanations but you’re getting them anyway

[wolfprincesszola]

The Fate of the Marked Six Chapter 9

still busy asf to the point where these updates may be later on in the day but enjoy <3. as always, reblogs and likes are appreciated! ——————– Summary: Virgil moves into a new town and meets Roman, a ghost that he promises to help in finding the unfinished business needed to pass over. However, Roman's past seemed to be deeply muddled with trouble, an uncurable disease that has started to affect a classmate, and a certain tight-lipped valedictorian. Friendships are made and Virgil finds himself thrown into a situation far more complicated and twisted than he signed up. Hopefully, with the help of his new five friends, he can find a way to bring peace to the town once and for all.

Trigger Warning: None

Content Warning: Swearing

<Masterlist>

<Previous> <Next> ——————–

Chapter 09

Patton was sitting on his couch with Logan.How did the two get there? He didn’t know.

They were watching a movie. What movie? He couldn’t tell you because he was too focused by Logan leaning his head against his chest. He had his arm around him. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest, almost praying that Logan couldn’t hear it. What was happening? Why was he so comfortable with him? Why was he so nervous around him?

The movie said something that was almost incomprehensible if it wasn’t for the iconic line that was said. “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

Patton looked down at Logan, who at the same time, looked up at Patton. Then, Logan smiled. Not the smile he often gave to Patton when he was annoyed or tired. Not the smile he faked for professions in front of others. It was a genuine smile that he had never seen his do. It was a smile that caused his eyes to crinkle at the side and a smile that showed his teeth. Logan's laughter rang in Patton's ears and Patton was addicted to the sound. Although it was the first time he heard it, he promised himself he would make it his life goal to hear it every chance he got.

His heart skipped as soon as he saw the smile, but what really got him was the look in Logan's eyes. He had never seen Logan look at someone like that before. Logan looked at Patton with pure love, as if he would never love anyone else the way he did Patton.

Then, Patton sat up in bed. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he groaned, staring at his bed. It was just a dream. That was all it was going to be, and he waved it off. Whatever that was, it was weird, and something that would never come true. He didn’t even like Logan like that.

-+=~=+-

"Hi Remus!" Patton smiled, seeing Remus approach Virgil and him.

"Hey, Patton. Still got that bitch up your asshole?"

Patton let confusion roam his face, "I don't have a dog up my butthole..."

"No, he's talking about Logan." Virgil sighed, rubbing his temples, "Remus, Patton's too innocent to get that type of joke."

"I'll just keep making jokes until they stick." Remus grinned as the three started walking to their first period, which they all had together.

“Uh huh.” Virgil drawled out, “Did you guys do the math homework?”

“Not at all.” Remus snorted, “That’s what first period is for. To do the math homework.”

“I did.” Patton offered, “Just not well. I don’t know what I was thinking when I did it because I calculated 2 + 2 to be 27.”

“Oh jeez, I’m stuck with the dumb people--no offense, Pat. I’m going to go ask Janus.” Virgil moved towards the boy, leaving Remus and Patton to be alone in the hallways together.

Patton hesitated on the topic of Remus, as he had known something was going on behind the scenes. Still, he asked, hoping that for once, Remus wouldn't say anything inappropriate.

“How are you doing?” Patton asked Remus, “You seem…on edge recently.”

"I'm fine! In fact, I thought the other day about how Woody should've said there was a snake up his butthole because that would've been funnier."

Yep. That was on Patton for assuming Remus was going to be serious.

"Really?"

Then, the facade crumbled from Remus' face and Patton saw a side of the boy he had never seen before. This side of Remus seemed more vulnerable, more honest. "Honestly? I haven't been feeling too great. I’ve been hearing some things that I don’t know if they are real or fake. No one has any clear answers, and I feel like if I tell anyone that doesn’t have powers, they’ll just think I’m insane.”

"Oh, Remus. The people you surround yourself with love you. There's nothing you could say to make your friends think you're insane. I mean I already think it's insane that I live in a world where everyone has powers except for a select few. I think you're already insane for half the stuff you say, but I'm not going anywhere."

Remus was surprised by that answer by the sheer mouth agape he had. He pushed his mouth to close before he let himself catch up to Patton, "Record scratch? Patton admits he thinks I'm insane."

"Of course in a good way!" Patton tried to correct himself, "I think it's crazy that you have powers overall!"

“You…know I have powers?” Remus asked.

“Why, of course! I told you that I know when others have powers already." Patton giggled, “You just gotta know what you look for in the auras of magic people, and then you know when someone doesn’t or has powers.”

"Then doesn't that mean that you have magic?"

"Don't be silly. I haven't shown any signs of it."

"Logan told me that only magic users know when other users have magic.”

Patton thought about it before shrugging, "I don't know, kiddo. I know Logan's so smart and everything, but I think I would know if I had magic. I mean look at me. I don’t have anything magic in me.”

Remus raised an eyebrow, but waved it off, deciding he would tell Patton what else has been bothering him. “Apparently, there’s a ghost that’s following me around.”

“Oh? Is it the ghost that’s Virgil’s friend?” Patton raised an eyebrow.

“You know he’s a medium?”

“I mean, it was pretty obvious.”

Remus scoffed, “Moving on, it’s not Virgil’s friend, but…I’m just on edge. I don’t know what to do and how to help myself.”

“Ah, I see.” Patton sighed, staring at Remus, “I think, right now, you’re stressing yourself too much.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. You’re saying that Virgil’s handling it?”

“Yeah.”

“Then trust him.” Patton gave Remus a small smile right as the warning bell rang, “Now come on, let’s go to class before we’re late.”

-+=~=+-

Patton walked into his 3rd period, only to be met with the sweet smell of hot chocolate and marshmallows.

“Welcome, welcome! Take your seats!” His teacher yelled at the front of the class, with a lot of mugs of hot chocolate at the front.

“That smells so good.” Janus groaned, “I really hope he gives us the mugs. I’d love one.”

“Me too.” Patton murmured as he sat down at the table he shared with Janus.

He sat down, staring at the hot chocolate.

All of a sudden, Logan walked through the door, a timid smile on his face. The feelings he felt after the dream he had during the weekend rushed back to him, as he remembered every detail he dreamed of. His heart dropped as he stared at Logan.

Shit.

“Hey, Mr. Lonesins, did you still want me to drop off the boxes over here?”

“Oh yes, Logan, thank you so much.”

Logan nodded, “It’s my pleasure.”

Before he could leave to grab the boxes though, Patton called Logan over, “Sanders!”

Logan looked towards the sound of his voice, walking over, “What do you want, Morris? I can’t physically give you another hour of detention, when you have yet to make up the last 20.”

“What are you doing here? I thought you had a third period.”

“Unlike you, I arrive at my third period early. I TA, and since I had no work, he said I should come over here to help.” Logan rolled his eyes, “Now focus on the class and maybe if you’re good, I’ll give you extra marshmallows.”

“You're my favorite person, Lo.” Patton gasped in excitement, brushing the flush on his face as just redness from the cold when Logan left.

“You’re being weird today.” Janus remarked, but said nothing else. Patton was glad that he didn’t bring anything else up when Patton didn't even know what was going on.

The entire class period, he found himself blushing at the sight of Logan, and had to look away every time he made eye contact with him.

At the end of the lesson, Patton found oddly messy notes, unlike what he usually took. Logan came by at the end of the class period to help pass out the mugs, and after he finished, he asked who wanted extra marshmallows, immediately everyone raised their hands, and Logan went over to Patton first.

“Since you were good.” Logan remarked, giving him three extra ones before passing the other ones out, only giving them two.

“You’re special.” Janus smirked at him.

Oh stars, he really hoped he wasn’t.

-+=~=+-

“So…you’ve been weird. What’s going on?” Virgil asked, on their walk towards the cafeteria. Having Janus and Remus always be there early to get his lunch meant that he could always wait for Patton who was in the classroom right across from him.

“What do you mean?”

“Janus has noticed it too. He told me you were being super smiley today, and not annoying Logan as much as you normally do.”

Patton flushed, “Okay, maybe I just think that he could use a break from me bugging him.”

“But you’re Patton Morris, the infamous class clown.”

“Infamous?”

“Infamous, in Logan’s view. Famous for everyone else.”

“Ah. Makes sense….I don’t know. I think it was that I had a talk with him, and a part of me felt bad that he knew so much about me, but I don’t know anything about him.”

“It’s okay. I don’t think anyone knows a lot about him….but honestly? I think you’re lying to me, and even yourself. Are you sure there’s no other underlying reason?”

“No.” Patton was fast to assert it.

“Wow, feisty today.” Virgil remarked, “Come on, even if you can’t trust anyone, don’t you think it’d be nice to get it off your chest?”

Patton sighed before snapping, an idea coming to fruition, “You know what I can do? Tell your ghost friend, Roman.”

It was a good idea. It would give Patton a chance to let it off his chest, but not to tell someone that knew him personally.

“What?” Virgil raised an eyebrow, “You can’t even see him. You wouldn’t even know if he’s here right now.”

“The problem is the thing that’s haunting my thoughts right now is the thing I can’t tell people who know anyone in this high school. Your friend doesn’t.” Patton spoke, hoping that Virgil might believe him. Patton wouldn't even know how to start talking about his issue even if he could talk to Virgil about it.

Was he falling in love with Logan after just one dream? Was love too strong of a word? What was Logan to Patton?

It made his brain hurt.

Virgil sighed, “Fine, I’ll set up a meeting…as long as you tell me all you got on Roman, because I remembered you promising me that you’d find resources on who he might be.”

“Yeah, so good news and bad news.”

“What?”

“No one shows up with the whole Roman 'died a few months ago’ and ‘has a brother’ Sanders, but interesting enough, there’s no results of him dying a few months ago. There were more than 10 Roman Sanders who had a brother, but I didn’t want to look through all their information. Then, I remembered who else’s last name is Sanders and had a brother, and started working backwards from him.”

“Logan? I thought of him too, but it just doesn’t make sense. He doesn’t talk about his brother, but Logan's brother is 4 years older and Logan talks about him like he didn’t die. Besides, he's adopted or something.” Virgil remarked. "I learned about it through context clues."

Patton seemed to come to a revelation, “He’s adopted!”

It caused everyone else to look at him weirdly, and Virgil pulled his hood over his face in embarrassment from the attention.

“Yeah, so I look at our one and only Logan, and find out that in his family, he has had a brother named Roman Sanders. Roman died almost 4 years ago, and he died when he was 17, a few months before he was supposed to graduate with a high school diploma at this school. He was the valedictorian, but just a few months ago, an exhibit at the art museum was dedicated to him as an exhibit. A statue in the park was built for him months after he died. Then, I go back to the Roman Sanders, instead only checking the Romans who died in the past ten years, and jackpot, I find only 3. Only two of them have brothers, and only one of them died at a young age, as I’m assuming you aren’t really talking about an 80-year-old. That one Roman is the boy that stands at the legacy of this school with the personality of a sun.” Patton grinned triumphantly.

“So what you’re saying is that we’re dealing with having to talk to the most difficult person to open up and talk about his brother, who he forbade us from talking about?”

“Well…when you say it like that-“

“That’s what I thought. We’re going to have a bit more trouble then.” Virgil gave a sharp inhale.

“Sorry, kiddo. That's all I can do.” Patton shrugged.

“No, it’s okay. Thank you for finding all this out anyways.” Virgil sighed.

Patton nodded, as they walked into the cafeteria, “Listen, I’ll try to weasel as much information out of our valedictorian as much as possible.”

“Uh huh, good luck with that.”

-+=~=+-

Patton was sitting at the lunch tables after school when a composition notebook hit the back of his head hard. It made a sound and he let out an audible “OW!” despite not being hurt in the slightest.

He turned towards the person who hit him only for them to walk over to the front of him, slamming the composition notebook down.

“Stop being weird.”

Patton blinked, still rubbing the back of his head as he looked at the person. It was Logan and he didn’t look too amused with him.

“Sorry?”

“Stop being weird.” Logan repeated again, sitting on the other side of the table from him.

Patton looked at the composition book to see at the top it said “Patton Morris” in Logan’s neat handwriting.

“How am I being weird? You're the one that hit me in the head with a notebook, Logan! What is this?”

Logan huffed, flipping open the book to a page that was clearly the most referenced page. At the top, it was labeled “Statistics” and Patton scanned through the rest of the information quickly.

Logan pointed to a couple of the lines, “You, on average, pass by me 12 times a day. You, on average, call out my name upon passing me 9 times a day. You, on average, have 19 interactions with me. You, on average, manage to annoy me 5 of the interactions we have. Even on good days, you bring those numbers to 12, 20, 9, and 3.”

“Okay?” Patton raised an eyebrow.

“Today, you have passed by me 15 times, and have called my name once. Even in the three interactions we’ve had today, you haven’t even spoken a word about what you normally would annoy me about.”

“Do you miss it? I mean I can-”

“No. It’s not the same when you try to annoy me because you think you’re acting weird. It’s never been the same!” Logan huffed, flipping to another page, that clearly tracked all the days he was being off and the reason why.

“Why do you care?” Patton snorted, “I thought you hated me annoying you.”

“I do! That’s what doesn’t make sense.” Logan groaned, standing up and starting to pace around, “Every fiber of my being despises you with a passion. I get so mad when I think of everything you do, and how you always are making me clean up your messes. I think I’m done with everything you do, and yet I can’t shake the feeling that maybe you’re not so bad! You do things like staying to help me clean up my mess, and yell at the hallways to stop talking shit about people they don’t know, and you genuinely respect me, which is something I don’t get from most parents, adults, and students. It frustrates me that you make me feel this way, that I hate you, but I also am the furthest thing from an enemy. Just…tell me what’s going on, so I can just mark it off as another weird day, and then I won’t have to stay awake at night, wondering what I did wrong or what happened with your life, so I can just pretend like things are okay.”

“Lo-” Patton began before Logan interrupted him again, going to sit down to interrogate him.

“Is this because you don’t know anything about me? Is it because I don’t open up about my brother? Is this because of my parents? What is it?”

Patton stared as he watched the boy freak out about the idea of not having Patton talk to him for a day, and a part of Patton got closure of where he stood with Logan. He just let out a laugh.

“What?” Logan stopped his ranting to stare at Patton.

“You’re kinda obsessed with me, aren’t you?”

Logan made a face, scowling, “What are you talking about?”

“Normal people don’t have composition books marking everything I’ve ever done to you.”

“Oh, don’t think you’re so special. I have folders on everyone I’ve interacted with in the school too.” Logan crossed his arms.

“Normal people don’t have that either.” Patton chuckled endearingly. “Normal people also don’t get driven crazy by someone not talking to them, or not annoying them.”

“I’ve always been told I’m not normal.” Logan mumbled, looking away.

“You’re being a little too obsessive right now. I’m fine.” Patton smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder, “I’m just trying a different method of being your friend right now, and it seems like it’s driving you crazy, so maybe I’ll go back.”

“No, no, I kinda like this better.” Logan shook his head, “It’s just that….you really helped me out through my toughest times. I hated how annoying you kept being, but that sense of familiarity really helped me during a time of change where everything around me shifted. I don’t think I’m ready to let go of the only thing keeping me sane yet, and I guess I’m scared that you’re going to stop being my frenemy.”

“I won’t ever stop.” Patton promised him.

“Thank you.” Logan gave a weak smile.

“So…was that your first time being vulnerable and not robotic?"

“It’s so hard.” Logan groaned, slumping in the picnic tables, “My obsessive thinking kept my mind running all day, and it’s tiring.”

“Awe, I was in your mind all day.” Patton teased.

“Shut it, Morris.”

Patton looked at Logan, who seemed almost relieved that Patton was talking to him again. Patton hesitated with his next words, making sure to think about them carefully.

“...you mentioned your brother, but you never like to talk about him. What happened?”

Logan’s face shifted to a melancholic expression, “...he died four years ago, and I have yet to forgive myself for letting him die.”

“Oh come on, you couldn’t have known that he would’ve died.”

“But I did.” Logan sat up, “I have the powers of precognition and months before he died, I kept having the same recurring nightmare of him driving and being hit by a drunk driver. Even an hour beforehand, I had the nightmare, and I told my parents, but they just waved it off. I don’t think my parents looked so angry after they found out my brother died.”

“Oh, Logan...you were what? 13 years old at the time? You couldn’t have possibly been asked to understand at that young age what it felt like to lose someone, who I’m guessing was really important to you.”

“He was so important to me.” Logan murmured, “I remember I spent the following two years after he died just trying to do everything I could towards safe driving, and donating all of his stuff. He said he wanted to make a difference in the world, so…I tried to make his wishes come true.”

“Have you ever tried to contact him through a medium?”

“I researched everything there was to be about ghosts, but I knew that a medium couldn’t do much if he wasn’t a ghost near this area. Most mediums are people who can see the ghosts around them. Besides, when he died, he and I were in a fight. I doubt that even if I wanted to find my brother, he would want the same.” Logan’s eyes portrayed a sense of hurt and regret that he had been clearly holding in for a long time, “I just…wish I had more time with him. I was adopted when I was 6. I wasn’t close with him until I was 8. I barely even got 5 years with him.”

Patton saw tears prick the edges of Logan's eyes for the first time and he was left speechless without words. Still, he forced something out, his voice hoarse, "I'm sorry."

“He’s the reason I’m the valedictorian now. I thought that maybe, I could fill the hole in my parents’ hearts. I thought maybe I’d get to know him more if I became the valedictorian. Except I don’t. Now, all I feel is emptiness. I feel more disconnected with him now than before. I stopped feeling sad or angry or anything really. for my brother and for my life"

“What would you give to see him again? Just at least once.”

“Everything.” Logan whispered and Patton knew what he had to do.

Logan stood up, grabbing the composition notebook, sighing, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Patton. Promise me you won’t be weird?”

“I’ll try my best.” Patton remarked.

Logan was cute, maybe even handsome. He was smart, and funny. he was genuine to Patton, and even when he was vulnerable, Logan still trusted Patton with all the information he normally wouldn’t trust anyone with. Although Logan was obsessive with his actions, maybe Patton could look past it. However, until he found out what he really felt with Logan (whether the dream awoke the hidden crush or the dream instigated the crush), he was fine with learning to be kinder to the boy who had been nothing but kind to him all these years. ——————– Logicality at its finest everyone <3. i feel like this is the closest these characters are going to get to canon because Logan's not really emotional but he's smart enough to know the patterns of everyone while Patton's emotional, but he really knows how to dodge feeling those difficult feelings. Hope you guys enjoy and I promise you that things will continue to go in a direction you probably wouldn't have expected them to go~

If you enjoyed this, please consider reblogging! Reblogging helps me a lot and are very appreciated. Check out my masterlist for more, feel free to request any writings, and stick around if you want to see the rest of what I have in store for this! :)

[allgirlsareprincesses]

If it doesn't have to be romantic... E. T. - The Extra-Terrestrial.

Absolutely, I love this one! Most analyses of ET will lean into the Peter Pan parallels, which are totally valid, but if we get a little deeper into comparative mythology, I'd say there's a lot of Divine Twins going on. Some features of Divine Twins include:

mention of a female figure (their mother or their sister) - often this is a mother who releases the children into the wild, like Romulus and Remus whose mother placed them in a basket on the river bank to protect them

known by a single dual name or having rhymed/alliterative names

associated with horses

of astral nature, celestial, of the stars

magic healers, deities of fertility & life

ET's family (presumably his mother) loses him in the forest when they have to escape government agents, while Elliott's mother is largely absent due to the demands of being a single mother. Their names - ET and Elliott - are alliteratively similar, and they have a psychic connection so close that Elliott eventually starts to refer to himself as "we" as if he and ET are one person. As for the horse association, Elliott and his friends ride bikes as their steeds, using them to escape in a magical chase to return ET to his home in the stars. And of course, ET has the power to bring life to dead creatures and heal wounds, a power he effectively shares with Elliott through their connection.

Psychologically, the Divine Child always appears at moments of great change or renewal. Since Elliott's father left and his mother is largely absent, from his perspective he has been psychically orphaned. Without the guidance of his parents, he must discover his Divine Twin in order to mature and build a new life. This is the inner power, the missing piece of the whole that we all must find. Interestingly, in working together to rescue ET, Elliott rebuilds his relationship with his brother and sister, replacing the missing masculine and feminine influences in his life and forming a triad between the three of them. This triangle is a more stable family unit than the broken and bitter individuals we saw at the beginning. And in finding his Divine Twin in the heavens, one who as ET says will always be "right here" (pointing at his forehead), Elliott is connected to the wider world, finding his place in the community.

Thanks for the great ask!

[maxdibert]

Hello :))

I was reading some of your posts and I found them very interesting and educational, so I decided to ask.

What do you think Severus' relationship with the other DEs was like and how do you think it changed from the first war to the second? Cause I think thats another place where the power dynamics in Severus' life were very strong. Also why would Voldemort give the "poorest and least relevant", in terms of status, of the Death Eaters a favor as great as forgiving Lily? Did Voldemort have a different relationship or perception of Severus than the ones he had with/of thr others?

I think the similarities between Tom Riddle and Severus are enough to generate an involuntary respect from Voldemort towards another halfblood who was trying to get out of the mud he had been pushed into. I say involuntary because Voldemort would probably never want to admit that he sees his "old self" reflected in someone who is considered pathetic by the rest of the society he frequented (blood purists).

Reading some of the Sirius' posts I was thinking that Bellatrix's vision (in the second war especially) of Severus could be a lot like the one Sirius/James had, torn between that sense of superiority that was taught to them and the insecurity of knowing that somehow the halfblood was gradually taking away the place of other purebloods way more important (Lucius and all of the pureblood who were not in the inner circle) next to their lord. Why does Voldemort allow this displacement? What does Severus provide (aside from the information, he is a spy but I belive he could had leave Severus out of it and keep him just as an informant I he really wanted to) that no one else can give him?

This is longer than I expected, but just wanted to know what you think and Im not sure if you already talked about this. Hope you are having a good day I love your posts🫶

This is quite an interesting topic. Personally, I think of Severus as the Slytherin equivalent of Remus or Peter: someone who associated with the strongest out of necessity. Probably people like Lucius (who was older and likely already involved in shady things) must have noticed his potential. On top of that, it was obvious that he wasn’t someone with many social skills, and it was also apparent that he didn’t have many resources, making him perfectly manipulable. Severus was someone who wanted to fit in and find a safe space, and in exchange for that, he was probably willing to "sell" his talent. No wonder spells like Levicorpus became widely known throughout the school. Some people theorize that maybe someone else read the Potions book, but I think it’s more likely that Severus shared his magical successes with his housemates as a way to gain validation and respect as a wizard. His housemates probably used his spells here and there, and that’s how they spread. That seems the most logical to me.

I think the dynamic must have started and continued as something very paternalistic, like, “Let’s take in this one here who has no name or bloodline but has a lot of talent and is willing to do anything for us.” This is very common in gangs, cults, or religious groups: welcoming highly vulnerable individuals and exploiting their gaps and needs. And in this, I think Lucius probably played a significant role, judging by how, throughout the saga, various characters reference how well-regarded he is by Severus. In my personal headcanon, I think Lucius saw potential in Severus and wanted to make him his project: turning the poor boy who didn’t even have a penny to his name and was of mixed blood into someone who could demonstrate that, through effort and the "right" ideas, he could become “useful.” Kind of like the token figures that far-right parties use to excuse their racism and misogyny, saying they have racialized people or women to justify their positions. A way of proving that the problem isn’t the people themselves but rather their unwillingness to "adapt."

This idea holds a lot of weight in my imagination because I think that, in those early years, if someone could set the premise that someone like Severus should be respected in his house, it had to be someone who commanded respect within it. Lucius was older, had been a prefect, had a name and power, and the relationship between the two characters suggests that he could have been a sort of “mentor” to Severus. This would also explain his close relationship with Narcissa and how she knew how to get to his house without any trouble.

The issue with Voldemort is more complicated. Maybe Voldemort saw his talent and found it useful. Severus was an expert Occlumens to the point where even Voldemort couldn’t read his mind, a potions genius, and an excellent Legilimens. Perhaps he primarily valued the talent of his followers, seeing them as tools to achieve his goals. Maybe he thought it was a trivial matter to grant Lily the chance to live if it meant keeping one of his most talented followers happy. What’s clear to me is that, due to his inability to understand others’ emotions and feelings, Voldemort underestimated Severus’s request. Maybe he thought it was just a crush and that Severus wanted to shag her (I think this because of his comment about Severus supposedly having plenty of purebloods to choose from) and that once he got what he wanted, he’d move on. Typical horny young people stuff. I don’t think he stopped to consider the deeper implications of that request because he wasn’t someone who could see beyond his own navel, and he tended to underestimate his followers. I don’t blame him; most of his followers were fanatics who were easily manipulated. It wouldn’t be strange to assume he lumped Severus in with the rest, thinking that given his background and the fact that he joined the Death Eaters under Lucius Malfoy’s wing, he was just an impressionable kid desperate for a father figure (like Barty, lol).

I think unconscious similarities might have played a role, although I don’t think Voldemort saw Severus as a reflection of himself because Voldemort is far too narcissistic for that. In fact, that narcissism is his greatest weakness since it blinds him to others’ emotions and leads him to make mistakes (Lily sacrificing herself for Harry, Severus betraying him for Lily, or Narcissa betraying him for Draco). In that sense, I think if Voldemort could have liked something about Severus, it would have been the fact that it was thanks to his talent and wit that he managed to position himself above people who had everything from birth. That and his disdain for his Muggle side due to daddy issues could also be part of it. Still, it’s hard to know because I don’t see Voldemort as very rational in this aspect—he’s more of a narcissistic psychopath. Perhaps he also thought that since Severus came from nothing, he might have more hunger for power than anyone else precisely because he had nothing, and maybe that appealed to him. Whatever the case, it’s clear that Tommy didn’t know how to interpret or deeply analyze people, at least not beyond what suited him. His massive ego caused him to underestimate more than one person, which later cost him the war.

Of course, Bellatrix couldn’t stand him. Bellatrix and Sirius are very similar and behave in similar ways, only Sirius has fewer mental issues and is on the "good" side. But both are impulsive, loyal to a fault, somewhat sadistic, and prone to letting their anger take over. In HBP, we can see how Bellatrix distrusts Severus and the way she can’t stand him. Obviously, it’s not the same kind of hatred Sirius has for him, but it’s clear they have a very strained relationship to the point where Severus enjoys being rather sassy with her and throwing some verbal jabs. It’s evident she doesn’t respect him because he’s a half-blood and is somewhat envious of his position with Voldemort. Meanwhile, he doesn’t respect her because he knows she’s a crazy fanatic. At least Bellatrix is more honest than her cousin and wouldn’t hesitate to admit that Severus’s origins pissed her off. Sirius, in that sense, was always far more hypocritical. I’m not exactly sure what Severus offered Voldemort to earn his complete trust, and I think it’s a shame Rowling took many things for granted in her story and didn’t bother to expand or explain certain parts because there’s a lot of material there. Referring to what I mentioned earlier, I think it likely had to do with a mix of the talent Severus had demonstrated in disciplines similar to those Voldemort mastered and the fact that Voldemort tended to underestimate those around him. Perhaps he thought Severus, given his background and history, was more susceptible to blindly following him.

(This turned out a bit long, almost Biblical—my apologies, lol.)

[dufferpuffer]

what types of books do you think remus would be into, if any? i see a lot of people tend to view him as a big fan of ancient greek/roman literature or just classics in general and while i do like the idea I'm very curious on what your thoughts would be about it.

Remus book taste HC:

Mysteries, Murders, Detectives - the occasional Spy or Sci-fi... the occasional sweet romance, and the occasional cheap smut. He likes stories of regular, unassuming people being clever and righteous, going on adventures - and getting to know others on a deep, personal level, even if it is just to 'read' them for a case. Non-Fiction - especially when he was a kid - especially magical.

For comics he likes comedy and children's adventures (not heroes)

More below:

I do think he is a bit of a bookworm. It's something quiet to do between jobs, while traveling, while resting (when it isn't too exhausting to read) that takes his mind off of reality for awhile. Being unable to make friends as a kid he probably read a lot then, too.

His father working - his Muggle mother was likely home taking care of him and homeschooling him, so he would be very familiar with Muggle authors, though his dad would have passed down Wizarding stories too. I like to think his mother, an imaginative woman, enjoyed them just as much. They left out any story with a Big Bad Wolf.

I think he would have always struggled a little with stories about friends going on adventures (The Famous Five/The Secret Seven, that sort of thing) - but have loved them the most. The idea of a group of friends going on adventures, solving mysteries was just... an impossible dream. Reading them was bittersweet.

For similar reasons - superhero stories didn't fully appeal. Someone having secret powers, or transforming, wearing a costume so nobody could recognize them... it just didn't hit for him. It felt a little sad that they had to hide themselves, too... that they had to work so hard just because they had a 'responsibility' to keep others safe.

With a dad whose job was studying non-beings, and probably took him out on adventures to find little Dark Creatures and such - He would have devoured non-fiction. Especially magical non-fiction. Seeing the world made him feel more connected with it - and he could talk to his dad about stuff when he was home.

He has a slight taste for the morbid, the dark, the spooky - it's what his life is after all. There's catharsis in engaging with terror when you're in control of it for once, when it is just a story. Spooky stories - as he got older, proper mysteries became his favourite. Agatha Christie is a beloved Muggle author and his mother jumped on the chance to introduce him, as cliche as that is. (It was something Albus picked up on - and shared with him. Agatha was just a little younger than him, and he was rather enamored with her publishing's as they were coming out - he has a personal collection of first editions.)

He stuck with mystery's as he got older, too - the best part about them was they were often about an unassuming hero, a simple detective or a lovely old lady, working largely on their own to do the right thing. Using their minds and never quite trusting anyone. THAT speaks to him far more than any superhero.

Muggle sci-fi could be fun, as could Spy novels... ...But his guilty pleasure, one that physically hurts him to read in the MOST bittersweet way, is romance. Romance and Porn. He rarely does it - it's embarrassing, for one thing - but he longs for connection... and the constant "Wife strangled her husband to death" of murder stories can get depressing.

Sometimes he wants to read about an awkward, stern but thoughtful guy falling for a simple, bubbly dame... he can experience a little bit of love and romance in his life, though he knows its impossible. Sometimes he also wants to read about a flock of Veela fucking the absolute brains out of an unsuspecting captured researcher, too.

With all the stereotypes of "Werewolf libido" (which are not true) he feels guilty engaging with his sexuality at all... stories about men being able to safely let go, lose control and be looked after are a weakness.

He was caught once reading a romance novel at school - and was teased for it by his friends. They'd all look at raunchy magazines together, they were teens. He pretended to be less interested. "Come on Moony - isn't it close to Full Moon? Where's your fire?!" Just another jeer he shook his head at... and worried whether or not the stereotypes were true. He should push it all down, just in case...

... I don't really see the 'classic literature' or 'Roman/Greek' angle. Why? To make him seem smart? He reads old plays from an ancient Muggle period - and 'the classics'...? What enjoyment does he get from that? Like where does that specifically piece into his character? I can see him enjoying some classics, and enjoying some Roman stuff, sure - but he never comes across as a history buff. He comes across as a lonely nerd.

[seriousbrat]

Also I just want to clarify - there’s no wrong answers, I love your opinions even when I have completely different ones - (tho you have changed my mind on several).

Still on the topic of home decor, I’ll leave here a prompt for you to tour us through:

- Remus’s flipped derelict cottage in Wales

- Sirius’ first place he got for himself (is this canon or fanon? Another option is his Azkaban cell, but that just sounds mean)

- James and Lily’s Godric’s Hollow love nest

- Peter’s bedroom in his extremely awkward house-share with Snape.

I’m clocking out! Free at last.

Omg I absolutely love this idea!

-Remus's house: so idk what the deal is with Remus's parents, I believe Hope dies at some point and it's unclear if Lyall is still alive. But let's say Remus owns/inherits the cottage. I see Remus as pretty neat and careful with his belongings; he obviously doesn't have a lot of money as an adult so he has to take care of his things. I see him as pretty minimalist honestly, I think he'd conserve a lot of it the way his parents had it but maybe add some tasteful prints and curios. I WILL say that if Remus was wealthy he'd actually have extremely good taste in interior design. Kind of mies van de rohe vibes although with a little more charm and warmth. To me he's spartan but tasteful.

Also, I love a welsh cottage and I think it works well with what I see as Remus's style, it's slightly colder, more minimal. We're talking SLATE, dark woods, white walls.

-Sirius's flat: first of all it is canon that he got a place at 17! This flat features pretty heavily in the next part of my fic because Lily stays with him for a while, so I've got a pretty clear image of it. I've set it on Railton Road in Brixton and this is how I've described it:

The décor is unexpected, given what Lily knows about Sirius Black. The sitting room’s rather bare, with a moth-eaten sofa and a few upended milk crates functioning as tables, laden with ashtrays and empty cans functioning as ashtrays, as well as an assortment of pamphlets and rolled up copies of the Daily Prophet. The walls are decorated with a few colourfully patterned fabrics and a couple of scattered posters— mostly advertising local gigs, and clearly taken off the street.

Sirius later explains that he hates that his parents' house is full of useless pretentious tat that symbolises the former glory of the Blacks, so he's gone the complete opposite of that. I'd say he's going for squat house core, except (in the universe of my fic) he's been influenced by his muggle boyfriend so the 'colourful fabrics' that Lily describes here are african prints which personally i loooooove. Here's a pic that is Sirius and Lily roomie vibes to me (and yes i just recoloured Jane Birkin's hair)

-NEXT, Godric's Hollow: I see this as a fairly typical quaint little English cottage in terms of decor. To me it's the historic home of the Potters before Fleamont struck it rich and they still holiday there (I believe I have Godric's Hollow in Somerset) so it's rustic, cosy, warm. I think this gels well with Lily's taste so she wouldn't have changed much, plus idk how much opportunity they'd have for interior decorating when they were in hiding.

-lastly (i LOVE this lol) Wormtail's cell in Spinner's End. I might turn this into something of a discussion of the Spinner's End house in general because it's very clear in my mind, but Snape and Peter's roomie era is so funny to me. Snape obviously LOATHES Peter so he'd want him to suffer as much as possible. I think Snape made serious edits to Spinner's End when he moved in (for instance, I don't think Tobias had so many bookshelves and definitely didn't have magically concealed doors behind them) but my view is that Snape gave Peter his old room because to him it's the most miserable one in the house. It's tiny, grimy, with ancient peeling walls, cracked ceilings and very little light. Snape would move into the master bedroom that once was the dominion of Tobias as a power move.

about Spinner's end in general, it's very much a working-class victorian terraced house typical of a mill town, and Tobias and Eileen definitely decorated it in the WORST 70s way possible. It's grimy, dark, cramped, with a soot-stained brick exterior. This is some inspo from a quick search:

you can also check my cokeworth tag for more, though it's mostly exterior.