#slytherin centric friends

[lady-rhaesnow]

Always mine

She had known from the start that it was not true love. Yet, she had married him anyway. Perhaps this was the fates punishing her - a lesson learned, wisdom gained and all that shit... so maybe that accounts for the cheating spouse (soon to be ex), the meddling in-laws, and a new magical bond to content with. But that new fluttering craziness with her heart every time she sees him? It’s not wholly new but in a way it is now that everything is changing.

Either way, her life is a little (a lot) of a mess right now. She can’t help but think the fates are enjoying this a little too much.

Or

Ron and Hermione’s marriage comes to a startling and shattering end but her sassy, snarky lovely Slytherin’s don’t dare let her wallow in misery. They gently (and not so gently) help her heal and put back together her life, as a new bond is fighting to make itself known.

Read on AO3

[seriousbrat]

Do you find it difficult to write for Peter? I imagine it's hard to find the right balance in his characterization, especially considering people will be expecting him to be either totally useless and hated by the group or being totally equal and adored. I do think you do it very well though, he seems pretty realistic and in character imo

Ooh thank you so much for saying so! I really love this question.

The answer is sort of, sometimes! Honestly I don't find his voice difficult at all, I really enjoy writing him, but what I think can be a struggle with Peter is that he isn't a character that (initially) moves the plot along, compared to the others. He follows his friends, he trails behind, he's generally a passive character, so it's hard to give him active things to do within a story. I understand why people have a hard time knowing what to do with him, and either make him exit stage left during most scenes or just kind of eternally hover in the background lol. I know I've done that myself, and honestly, even though I think it was okay in part 2, it's part 3 where his arc really started to come together for me.

I'm obviously talking about the Hogwarts years here, since post-Hogwarts he has a pretty clear arc-- so during the Hogwarts years, it's all about setting up that arc, building up his motivations and foreshadowing his eventual betrayal. The way I see it he's already starting to do things that are basically small-scale versions of the betrayal, but because these actions are so minor they go completely unnoticed by the rest.

In my fic the first major turning point for Peter is during a Death Eater attack in their sixth year, when he turns into a rat and escapes, abandoning his friends who he knows are desperately trying to find him. This is never revealed to the rest of them, and Peter is at this early stage developing a habit of running from conflict and lying to his friends. During his seventh year he feels isolated from his friends and starts spending more time on his own as a rat, even failing to show up for his NEWT and lying about it later-- and in many ways that avoidance of real life is more comfortable for him. Obviously, the most extreme version of avoiding real-life consequences in this way is when he frames Sirius and then spends 12 years living as a rat.

He's terrified-- of losing his friends, of rejection, of failure, of the war-- and yet his fear is shameful to him, because cowardice is considered shameful by the in-group (Sirius and James) so he can't admit it to anyone or really face up to it. Instead he avoids it until it's too late, and then he avoids it some more by turning traitor and then by framing Sirius, then by running to Voldemort, etc etc until his death. It's almost like he's constantly in survival mode and always looking for a way out, while finding himself in situations that he feels are beyond his control but are really a result of his own avoidance.

Personally I did struggle a bit thinking of ways for Peter to move the story along or specific plot points for him during the Hogwarts years, basically ways to make him relevant, but overall I knew he was going to start unraveling early on. Peter's arc is initially very internal, nobody is ever aware of what's truly going on with him so unlike others it's difficult to tie his arc to the main plot-- but at the same time he's very observant, so he's a good vehicle through which to view other characters. He is constantly taking in information and thinking hard about that information, more than anyone else realises, which makes him a very good spy.

It can be difficult to find a balance with Peter though! As you mentioned, his standing in the group is tricky to get right, because it's somewhere between an idyllic, equal friendship and total rejection. They care about him, he is a member of their group, but they can also be disparaging, and they have no idea what's going on with him internally. They aren't consciously overlooking him, but he gets overlooked all the same. I don't think this kind of dynamic is that uncommon in real life tbh.

[marauder-misprint]

do you think you can write a part two to ‚He looks like his father‘? It’s just really great and I’d like to see how it goes on

Here it is! The rest of the day with Sirius and Percy! I 100% put some of Sirius' lines from canon into this - it wasn't planned but it fits.

Hope y'all enjoy ❤︎❤︎❤︎

Old school friends

part one

Sirius Black x fem!Slytherin!reader (mum reader)

3.3k words

cw: mention of war, y/n y/l/n, fluff?

You locked eyes with Narcissa the moment you and Sirius entered the Three Broomsticks. She gave you a small, knowing smile. With a quick glance to the side, you saw that Sirius was tensed up, his jaw clenched. Frankly, you’re not sure if he was scanning the gaggle of students looking for the boy who could be his son or if he saw Lucius and Narcissa and decided that this was a mistake.

“I know you said you were meeting them here, but ugh,” he mumbled as you weaved through the busy pub. 

So the latter. You laughed lightly and scanned the teenagers. You discreetly pointed toward the end of the table where Percy was sitting in between Draco and Theodore Nott.

“Percy’s next to Draco,” you said. 

Sirius looked where you pointed. He tried to see what you and Remus meant by the boy looking like him. He supposed the dark hair and light eyes could be similar, but he didn’t see it as strikingly as Remus did. Sirius’ eyes went wide when you turned for the parents’ end of the table instead of toward Percy.

“I thought I was-” Sirius started to say until you reached to grab his arm.

“I’m not going to interrupt him with his friends to introduce an old school friend,” you said, reminding him of who he was to Percy. “You will tolerate the adults for a few drinks. We’ll probably stop by Honeydukes or something after and you can meet him then.”

Sirius nodded and followed you to where the adults were sitting.

“Cousin!” Narcissa greeted Sirius brightly as you sat down next to her and Sirius next to you. “How is the Potter boy doing?” 

“Harry’s well. Brilliant as his parents were,” Sirius answered, although his answer sounded strained. He obviously wasn’t used to talking politely with the Malfoys or the other smattering of parents around you. 

You looked around the table and realized you recognized a few faces. It made sense that some of Draco’s friends’ families would’ve been invited to the Malfoy’s Christmas parties. 

“Gloria Greengrass! Were you at the game?” you asked a woman across the table. 

“Oh, Y/N, I thought that was your Percy down there,” Gloria responded, a saccharine smile appearing on her face. “Yes, I did attend. Since when has Percy been attending Hogwarts? I could have sworn you said he was at Durmstrang?” 

“He was,” you drawled. It was easy to fall back into the almost pretentious conversation that these pure blood-centric families doled out. “But a promotion brought us to this neck of the woods and, you know Dumbledore, can’t refuse legacy students. I must say, Percy jumped at the opportunity to attend with Draco.”

Gloria laughed and then turned her piercing gaze to Sirius. She gave him an obvious once over.

“And this is?” 

“Sirius Black,” you answered for him. “An old friend that I wasn’t expecting to run into today and we decided that we must catch up.” 

Gloria nodded and whispered something to the woman next to her. You looked at Sirius briefly, but he was trying to wave down Madam Rosmerta to get drinks brought over for you two.

Then Narcissa leaned over to you and whispered, “Gloria is next to Bridget Zabini. Then, you have the Boyles, the Parkinsons and Marcus Montague.” 

“Thank you,” you whispered back, placing your hand on top of hers. 

Between the Christmas parties and Percy’s occasional letters, you recognized some of the names. However, Gloria was the only you had ever really conversed with. You sat and listened politely to their conversations. Sirius got you both butterbeers. You felt less awkward at the table with a drink in your hands.

“Do you know any of them?” you asked Sirius in a low voice.

“Remus and I keep to the Gryffindor families. But I do know Marcus next to me. Parents were friends.”

“Ah, so you’re best friends,” you teased, earning an eye roll from Sirius. 

“Barely. He’s older than Bellatrix.”

“Maybe you have a thing for older men now. It has been a while since we’ve seen each other.” 

He scoffed and took a swig of his drink, the foam sticking to his upper lip. You handed him a napkin. 

“Good to know you still hate the foam,” Sirius muttered as he wiped it away.

“I don’t hate it. I just think it looks sloppy,” you corrected him.

Narcissa leaned forward and said, “She’s right. It does look sloppy. Anyways, Y/N, can I assume that you two have… caught up on big life occurrences?” 

You bit the inside of your cheek to keep from laughing. Narcissa had a certain kind of tact, that was for sure. 

“He is aware, yes,” you said firmly. 

Sirius looked from you to Narcissa to Percy and back to you. 

“And what of it? Where does that leave things?” she pressed.

“Cissa. We can discuss it over tea at a later date. Now is not the time, nor the place.”

She gave you an annoyed look. She wanted details and to know how things were going to move forward with this since Sirius now knew about Percy and you brought him to butterbeers. You were mildly amused that she thought it was something you’d be willing to discuss in front of people you barely knew. 

 Both you and Sirius opted to listen more than participate in the conversations around you. You shared low comments here and there and responded when spoken to, but that was about it. You felt like you were a little kid being allowed to sit at the adult table for once. You understood most of the conversations but not enough to contribute. From how rigid Sirius was, you assumed he felt the same way. Some pure blood families never changed. 

After a while and a few refills, you stood and signaled for Sirius to do the same. 

“It’s been lovely seeing you all, but I have some errands to run before I leave the village,” you told the adults before calling down to the end of the table, “Percy, we’re leaving.” 

Percy said a quick bye to his friends before joining you and Sirius near the exit of the pub.

“Percy, this is one of my friends from when I went here, Sirius Black.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” your son said, holding out his hand which Sirius shook. “Oh, I saw you earlier! After the match!”

“Yes. You were in quite a hurry to get to your mum. Can’t say I blame you,” Sirius said with a smirk. 

You elbowed him in the side.

“Ow,” Sirius hissed as you gave him a sickly sweet smile. 

“Wait, Mum, did you say Black? Sir, are you related to Aunt Cissa?” 

You could tell that Sirius wanted to gag or say something rude. It was instinct for him, but he swallowed the urge down. 

“She’s my cousin, yes.”

“Wicked.”

“Oh, and Sirius is fine. None of that sir business.”

“Perc, do you mind if he tags along? I literally haven't seen him since before you were born.”

“Yeah, whatever, Mum. Honeydukes?”

“Lead the way,” you laughed. 

Percy pushed open the doors. The warm afternoon air enveloped you as you stepped out into the sunlight. Percy wasted no time and headed toward the sweets shop. You and Sirius walked behind him. You couldn’t help the smile that tugged on your lips. It was amusing to see Sirius watch Percy, trying to see what similarities others saw and imagining everything he missed in this child’s upbringing. 

Just outside Honeydukes, Percy stopped and turned to face you.

“Sirius, sir, if you don’t mind me asking, which house were you in?” 

“I don’t mind at all. Gryffindor.”

Percy’s face lit up. “Oh! So you must’ve known my dad!” 

You froze.

“Mum says he was in Gryffindor. Any of your old mates dead?”

Embarrassment washed over you. Your son, despite all the respect and manners Durmstrang taught him, still was a teenager. You looked to Sirius to see how he would respond and you wanted to laugh at his expression. At least you did until he answered.

“Too many of them, Percy. Far too many of them.” His tone was grave. 

“The war,” Percy breathed in realization. “I’m sorry. That was insensitive.”

Okay, maybe Durmstrang did alright. 

“Ah, don’t worry ‘bout, kit. I like to think that the ones we love never really leave us. They’re always in here,” he said, patting his chest. “Anyways, what’s your favorite sweet? I’m buying. A thank you for letting me tag along.”

“Awesome! We’re so getting Shock-o-chocs!”

Percy bolted into the store to find his most frequented stand. You nudged Sirius’ as you took a step forward. 

“Thanks for… not being hard on him about the war.”

“Please, least I could do. And don’t think I’m not getting you Chocolate Eternals.”

Your heart fluttered. He had remembered your favorite after all these years. It must’ve shown on your face. 

As Sirius started walking toward the door, he said, “If I recall, you never could turn them down.”

You followed the boys into the shop. It wasn’t exactly as you remembered it. It felt more crowded with additional stands and a larger variety of sweets. Sirius and Percy were standing among the chocolate options, putting an ungodly amount of packages into a basket that Sirius was holding onto. You shook your head as you walked up to them.

“Not trying to drain his bank account, are you?” you asked.

“Mum, your friend insisted.”

You gave Sirius a soft glare. He had often been the recipient of your glares and knew every variation. Just like he did when you were students, he flashed you his most charming grin. 

“Sirius…” 

“What? If he’s really your kid, then chocolate’s one of his most important food groups and Hogwarts is depriving him of it.” 

“I’m deprived, Mum,” Percy added, suddenly sporting an identical grin to Sirius.

Merlin, they were practically twins. Had this kid not inherited a single one of your genes?

“I mean, I’m not saying no. Just pointing out that Sirius is going to run himself broke.” You crossed your arms and popped your hip out. “I’m surprised you’re broke already.” 

“I’m financially responsible.”

You snorted as you tossed a few Chocolate Cauldrons into the basket.

“You and the word ‘responsible’ will never be in the same sentence.” 

He shrugged. “What’s life without a little risk?” 

“Go buy this before we end up buying the whole place out,” you told Sirius.

Percy gave you a wide-eyed look. “Can we do that?”

“No, Percy, no. You have to pace yourself.”

Sirius, despite being a short distance away as he stood in line, said, “Godric, he’s fifteen. Cut ‘im some slack, love!”

You pressed your lips together at the endearment. The apologetic look that crossed Sirius’ face showed that he noticed his slipup too. You glanced at Percy, but he didn’t seem to think anything of it. You sighed and slung an arm over his shoulder. 

“Let’s wait for Sirius outside,” you said, steering your son out of the store. “Classes going well?”

He nodded. “Bit easier than Durmstrang. Library’s better here. The moving staircases? Stupid,” he said, voice turning bitter at the mention of the stairs. 

You tried not to laugh. Those stairs have always been a struggle for certain students. If Percy had started here when he was eleven, he likely wouldn't be so irritated with them now. 

“Everything else is good though? Sleeping okay? Eating enough? Friends? Girlfriends?”

“Mum!” he whined. “Yeah, I’m good. All good. Got friends.” 

You smiled impishly as your son turned bright red. It was your motherly duty to embarrass your son every once in a while. The bell above the Honeydukes door tinkled, announcing Sirius’ return to you. 

“Where to next, L/Ns? Harry usually insists on Spintwitches, like he needs anything from there.”

“Harry?” Percy asked.

“Did I not mention? I’m Harry Potter’s uncle. You know, Gryffindor seeker,” Sirius answered. 

Percy made a slight face at the clarification. You chuckled. Your indifference-leaning-dislike of James was apparently being relived by Percy and Harry. 

“Not a fan, I take it?” Sirius said.

Percy tutted to buy him a moment before answering. He spoke slowly as if choosing his words carefully. “He’s not my favorite Gryffindor so far.”

“His father wasn’t mine either,” you told Percy, earning yourself an eye roll from Sirius. “Don’t think we need anything from Spintwitches… Uh, Percy, need any supplies? They got parchment, books, ink, quills, potion ingredients. Practically whatever you need.” 

“I know, Mum. Not my first Hogsmeade visit,” Percy said. “Can we stop by Dogwood and Deathcap? I checked the Magic Neep for dittany last week and they were out. Draco wouldn’t go to Dogwood with me.” 

You looked at Sirius, both of you nodding and then turning in the direction of the ingredients shop. Sirius kept looking at you with a smile on his face. You tried to ignore it and the way it sent butterflies into your stomach. You weren’t a teenager anymore. You were an adult with adult responsibilities and adult control over your feelings. Sirius should not have this effect on you anymore. 

“How close were you two?” Percy asked, catching you and Sirius in the act of making eye contact and then immediately looking away. 

“Ah, how do you kids say it these days? Frenemies?” you offered. 

Sirius barked a loud laugh. He knew it was a fairly accurate description, it just left out the ‘more than friends’ portions. 

“Frenemies?” Percy repeated.

“A very love-hate relationship. Don’t think your mum approved of all the trouble I got into,” Sirius confirmed. “She really didn’t like it when she got detention for something I did.” 

You groaned at the memory. 

“Sirius had me be his lookout while he stole from Professor Slughorn’s private stores. Potion master. And someone walked out of the closet when I clearly hadn’t given an ‘all clear’ signal.”

“I couldn’t hear you talking to Sluggy. I’ve apologized hundreds of times!”

“What other trouble did you get her into?” Percy asked eagerly. 

The stories you had told him about your days weren’t the ones that ended with you in detention. You left out the stories that involved stealing from professors and the dueling in the corridors and sneaking around with Sirius and any pranks that you happened to be a part of. 

Sirius hummed. “Did your mum ever tell you about the time she sent me flying into a wall? I was in the hospital wing for a week.”

“What? No? Mum?” Percy gasped. He looked between you. “What happened?”

“Your-ahem.” You cleared your throat. You had almost just called Sirius “your father” to Percy. That was a slip up you didn’t need happening. “Sirius was being an idiot and he ended up on the wrong side of my wand. It happens.” You hoped your nonchalance covered up your earlier mistake.

“The wrong side of your wand,” Sirius muttered with a shake of his head. “She hit me with Bombarda!”

“You deserved it.”

Sirius knew better than to argue with that point, especially since he didn’t fancy landing on a pumpkin in the field next to them. Sirius had been breaking up with you, again, when you sent him into the wall. You recalled it coming out of nowhere, but Sirius knew that James and Remus had urged him to get away from you. While he had been in the hospital wing due to his resulting injuries, you had nightly detention for a week. 

“You went around Bombarda-ing people?” Percy asked. 

“I did deserve it,” Sirius said before you could answer.

“Glad you admit it,” you told him before turning to Percy. “This is a ‘do as I say, not as I did’ situation. I’ve sat through more than my fair share of detention.”

“A whole new side to Mum… When did you stop being wild?” 

You scrunched the left side of your face in thought. “Let’s see, you’re fifteen so somewhere around fifteen years ago?”

Percy made a face at you. The three of you walked up to Dogwood and Deathcap. Sirius held open the door for you. The shopkeeper greeted you from behind the counter but only Sirius got named. 

“Do you have any dittany, ma’am?” Percy asked, leaning his arms on the counter to look behind her.

“That I do… Just let me grab it,” the witch answered.

As she turned to get it, Sirius stepped forward and pulled out his pouch of coins. Then you stepped forward, putting a hand over the pouch.

“I can pay,” you told him firmly.

“I want to.”

You glared at each other, each waiting for the other to back down. Somehow, you both missed Percy pulling out his own galleon and sliding it across the counter when the shopkeeper turned around with a package of dittany flowers. 

“Thank you, ma’am. Mum? Sirius? You ready?” 

You blinked and then looked at Percy. 

“Oh, yeah. How much was it?” 

“Just a galleon. Don’t worry about it. Money’s from Uncle.”

When you got back to the main street of Hogsmeade, Percy saw some of his friends heading back to the castle. He gave you one last hug and shook Sirius’ hand again before joining up with them. You and Sirius stood next to each other and watched him practically tackle Draco. Draco glanced back at you, offering a quick wave before they continued down the path. 

“Didn’t tell him much about me, did you?” Sirius asked, still looking where the boys had disappeared into the horizon. 

“He knows enough,” you said. “Sorry I didn’t tell him about the countless times you broke my heart.” 

Sirius sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“He knows his father was smart, kind and loyal. Stuck up for his friends. I told him that his father had the brightest smile and he got it too. And he does. He has your smile.” You took a sharp breath. “I’m not sorry for leaving certain aspects out so he can have a good image of who his father is.”

“Thank you, then. For making me sound better than I am.” 

You scoffed, or laughed. It was a mix.

“It’s all true, Sirius. The only lie I’ve told him about you is that you’re dead.”

“How did I die?”

This time, it was a real laugh that left your lips, full of warmth. It was the laugh that made Sirius fall in love with you time after time during your time at Hogwarts.

“At the hands of dark magic. If you had died in the war, it would’ve been the truth.”

“Ah, too bad I survived.”

You hummed. “Too bad.” You gave Sirius a kind smile. “I really should be going. And you should be finding Remus.” 

You made to step off to the side where the Floo network was connected, but Sirius reached out to stop you.

“Where are you living nowadays?” he asked rushedly.

“Um, London. Why?” 

“I told you, if you’d want to, I want to try again. Let me take you on a date. I’m in Godric’s Hollow, but I’ll go to wherever if you’re there.” 

You pursed your lips as you considered it. You had said you would talk about it later. Sirius had played nice with the Malfoys and other Slytherin families. He did well with Percy. It had been a nice afternoon.

“Do you have a phone?” you asked.

“No? That’s a muggle thingy, right?” 

You exhaled out of your nose. “Yeah. Then, I mean, I’m reachable by owl. We can grab a drink sometime.”

Sirius smiled widely and let go of your arm. You returned his smile, although yours was more polite while his was full of joy. You grabbed a handful of powder and vanished in a flash of green flames. Sirius waited a moment, staring where you had previously been standing. He had a son and the promise of a drink with you. He shook his head in disbelief as he turned to make his way back to the castle so he could find Remus. This really hadn’t been the day he was expecting when they arrived for the quidditch match, but he wasn’t complaining. 

tags: @corawithfanfiction, @bruxa0007, @ayyeitssarahh, @jgdhmeynsgn

[outromoony]

Some of my favorite Wolfstar WIPs atm because I think we should support authors' works in progress more:

A Breath of Air by EmRoseJori. Slytherin Sirius AU. Guys, you don't understand—it's an obsession. It's so perfect, and the author is really consistent with their updates. Everything about this fic is perfect. (Also, shoutout to another one of their fics, When a Star Fell to Earth, because it's also one of my all-time favorites and so underrated. Precious post-apocalyptic AU.)

Brave Face by zoe_millin_writes. Of course, I had to recommend this one because it's amazing. It's pretty Sirius-centric, with a take on his character that I absolutely love. Slow burn with really good pining and characters that feel SO real. I adore it.

Death, and Other Origin Stories by houseofhebrideanblacks and Thestralsofspinnersend. The writing in this one 😩—I’m obsessed. It feels so poetic. The slow burn is slow burning hard (which I love), and the worldbuilding and characterizations are incredible. It also has an amazing podfic!

As the Worm Moon Dies by Rollercoasterwords. A really dark fic, but also SO good (like everything Rollercoasterwords writes, tbh). It's really dark, so definitely check the tags, but this AU is so original, and the worldbuilding is amazing. (It's a Voldy-wins AU.) And, of course, the writing is incredible because this author is one of my all-time favorites. Plus, it's almost finished!

marginalia by spindrifters—OF COURSE. The worldbuilding in this fic, my God. It's absolutely amazing. So well-written, with incredible characters, a fascinating magic system, and just... everything. Totally worth it.

The Middle Path of Moonlight by AshesEverafter. A really long fic, but I’m enjoying it so much. It’s a Marauders-era story, and I especially love how Regulus is portrayed. Plus, it features an amazing Moonwater friendship—perfect if you love them being friends as much as I do.

A Song for the End of the World by wannabelilybriscoe. Zombie apocalypse AU—do I need to say more? It’s so addictive, with perfect 70s vibes, and the characters are incredible. I’m completely emotionally attached to them now. I’m enjoying it so much, and it’s criminally underrated.

disintegration by moonymoment, of course. Vampire Sirius x hunter Remus. It’s really intense and incredibly plot-heavy, but I’m loving it so far. It’s also extremely long, but the dynamics and relationships are so well done.

And of course on another ocean by colgatebluemintygel. One of my all-time favorite fics, even though it’s a WIP. A must-read, in my opinion. It’s so good—the yearning and pining are just chef’s kiss. And I’m completely obsessed with the Wolfstar dynamic.

Please feel free to recommend more or ever your own works! I will be happy to check them out ♡

[ylangelegy]

(THE)8 DAYS OF MINGHAO.

[SERIES TEASERS/MASTERLIST] An anthology of eight Minghao-centric pieces, to be released one a day ahead of his birthday on November 7. ☆ Tags and word counts to be added when each piece is published + all work will be linked in this masterlist. As always, leave a reply if you would like to be tagged in any specific piece! 🦢 #ylangelegy the8 days of minghao

HAVEN'T WE MET? ♾️ DAY 1 (OCT. 31)

Inspired by Kimi no Nawa (2016), where Minghao sporadically switches bodies with you. ★ 🔖 Soulmates, body swaps, time travel. 9,000+ words.

ALL ITS MILK TEETH ♾️ DAY 2 (NOV. 1)

Inspired by NIKI's Milk Teeth, where you're in a situationship with Minghao. 🔖 Song fic, situationship, angst. 1,400+ words.

THESE CUNNING FOLK ♾️ DAY 3 (NOV. 2)

A Hogwarts AU exploring Minghao's seven years as a Slytherin. 🔖 Headcanons.

WATCH AND LEARN ♾️ DAY 4 (NOV. 3) 🔞

Art student Minghao needs help with his The Art of the Human Form class. 🔖 AU: Non-idol, best friends & roommates, guided mastrubation/fingering. 4,000+ words.

FIGHT MY WAY ♾️ DAY 5 (NOV. 4)

Aspiring Olympian Minghao has to make a tough choice. 🔖 Headcanons.

CALL ME, BEEP ME! ♾️ DAY 6 (NOV. 5)

A peek as to what the inside of Minghao's phone might look like. 🔖 Text imagines, headcanons.

LVR ♾️ DAY 7 (NOV. 6)

Headcanons of Minghao as your boyfriend.

LOST IN TRANSLATION ♾️ DAY 8 (NOV. 7)

The story of how Minghao falls— slowly, then all at once— for you, the group's translator. 🔖 Idiots in love, yearning, hurt/comfort. 25,800+ words.

BONUS: Text imagines sits in this verse.

[st4r-struckz]

i've been lurking around the rosekiller tag for a long while and i see a lot of people asking for rosekiller-centric fic recs, so if anyone cares here's my hand-picked list of rosekiller fic recs. this includes a lot of the popular ones but also some less-popular and very underrated ones (i think). anyways hopefully i'm doing this right cuz i've never posted on here before soo pls be kind if i make a mistake abt something idk.

this includes both long/multi-chapter fics and one shots btw.

also be warned; this is pretty long even though i tried to keep things short-ish (but i can't help it these are all such good fics i have to talk about them!!!). if you want the rough-ish approximation of this list in the form of a spreadsheet with more details (me ranting about how much i love these fics), click here.

LONG FICS (or basically just more than 1 chapter fics)

why do stars fall down from the sky, every time that you walk by by ricecake_13 (E, 117k, 17/?) this is actually my favorite ongoing rosekiller fic ever oh my god, it's a modern high school au with lots of povs and ships though rosekiller is the main one. beautifully written, gorgeous plot/pacing, amazing characterization, incredibly underrated, please read this it's a masterpiece.

The Blood of Hyacinthus by writingamarie (M, 175k, 14/20) another one of my fav ongoing fics, it's a canon compliant rosekiller fic (ravenclaw barty my beloved!!!) starting from first year all throughout the war. this is probably the best portrayal of canon compliant rosekiller i've seen, they aren't portrayed as poor kids who got roped into the war, they made their own decisions, and i love it so much.

Just Deserts by paletragedycat (M, 700k, 43/?) i'm at around like chapter 10 of this absolute beast of a fic and i am begging you guys to give this fic more attention. it's absolutely incredibly written with a fantastic plot, gorgeous characterization, this fic is absolutely insane like. this deserves to be like the crimson rivers of rosekiller. the plot is lowkey kinda hard to explain but umm. some of them are detectives, some of them are bodyguards, some of them are criminals. super cool. this fic is actually just so so impressive and so incredibly underrated it hurts.

sun tea in the summer by cademygod (NR, 44k, 10/12) this is THE rosekiller coming of age story i swear, modern au that starts when they're kids and each chapter they age 1 year, super cute and fluffy, i am such a sucker for childhood friends to lovers tropes omg.

Evan Rosier and the Unbearable Weight of his Own Decisions by Mywifeisaworm (E, 145k, 35/?) another great portrayal of canon compliant rosekiller, i really love how this one features all the slytherins we typically don't like (snape, mulciber, wilkes, etc.) bc it makes this fic feel even more realistic. this is a super awesome take on canon rosekiller and i love it.

Head Over Feet by sanguinerose (E, 136k, 27/27) i'm sure you guys have heard of this one but it's a modern au, super great, it's everything i've ever wanted from a rosekiller high school au. and evan is french btw god i love french evan rosier so much.

PRETTY BOY by IvyCore (E, 96k, 10/10) this is part of a series, the first part is SUGAR HIGH which is a jegulus fic but honestly this can probably?? be read without reading that one first (even though i still super recommend it). barty is a sex worker and a pianist and evan is a restaurant owner and this is just so so good omg.

intermission by bizarrestars (M, 43k, 4/4) very sure you all have heard of this fic (and for good reason too, it's fantastic) but in case you haven't it's a no voldemort au but still at hogwarts and in the same universe as just lovers (jegulus, also amazing, like the second marauders fic i read i think). this is so sweet and fluffy and cute and this fic is what got me into rosekiller i think soo yeah.

Tug by pressedink (E, 70k, 12/?) rosekiller dating app au where they pair two strangers together in an apartment and they can do whatever except they can't kiss or else they can never seen each other again. except barty and evan are not strangers. i loove this fic, and it's super smutty if that's up your alley. (did i use that phrase right? i feel like i didn't but whatever.)

Beneath the Mask by orphan_account (T, 105k, 44/44) okay this one is a really interesting concept, it's broken up into two timelines: one following them during their hogwarts years and the other following evan while he navigates life after the wizarding war. idk it's a bit hard to explain but. you'll see. so yeah all the war stuff does happen but they both survive afterwards. i really enjoyed this, it was a really interesting take on the whole war situation.

A Truthful Joke by justreadandwritex (T, 30k, 9/9) best friends to lovers au set at hogwarts but idk if voldemort exists (if he does he's not mentioned). just rosekiller being incredibly stupid and cute and oblivious.

Straight A's by stargirly161 (T, 32k, 14/14) academic rivals to lovers rosekiller oh my god i need to see more of them. another pretty popular one and understandably so because it's amazing in every aspect, i've reread this one like 3 times.

Ant Pile by sommerregenjuniluft (E, 21k, 2/2) super super amazing rosekiller coming of age fic and childhood best friends to lovers, god i love this fic. the story starts when they're little kids and it is the most adorable thing ever and ends when they're like 18 and it's just. so good. please read it.

having a ghost in my bed by v7lgar (E, 42k, 3/3) modern au and okayyy wow this is legit just smut all the way through and WOW is it something, this is like some of the best rosekiller smut i've read. if you're just looking for some smut this is the place to look.

I'm Not Gonna Teach Him How to Dance with You by greensenne (M, 122k, 18/18) you've probably heard of this one but i'm still including it, this is set post-hogwarts (so there's still magic i think) but it's a no voldemort au. basically barty's getting married and evan is his best man except Feelings get in the way. very very cute, quite slow burn but it's very worth it.

Tender Curiosities, Baby! by otrtbs (M, 79k, 6/6) ahh another popular one, it's in the same universe as art heist, baby! which you have probably definitely heard of (it's a fantastic jegulus art heist fic). anywayss yeah this fic focuses on rosekiller and it is so so good, idk if it can be read as a standalone though...cause there are a lot of references to ahb!

Rock Bottom by floretissogay (T, 7.9k, 10/10) super super cute and fluffy rosekiller texting fic, there's like zero angst it's literally just fluff and silliness.

Off the Edge of the Earth, and Farther Still by typhoid_fluu (M, 17k, 11/?) this one hasn't been updated in a while buut it's a canon compliant rosekiller au following them throughout hogwarts starting from first year. super cute, at least so far (cuz they're still in first year).

annoying by facestraightoutamagazine (M, 101k, 31/31) another great texting fic, it's a wrong number au and goddd i'm a sucker for those. this one has like minimal angst, it's all just vibes and silliness, it's super cute and funny and i've reread this one like 3 times.

Say Something by writingamarie (E, 43k, 12/12) PLEASE give this fic more attention i am begging. it's incredible in every aspect - the writing, the characterization, the pacing (especially the pacing omg you'll see what i mean when you read this fic), everything. rosekiller friends with benefits will always be my favorite. please guys just please this fic is so underrated it hurts.

bad idea, right? by sparklejumpropequeen79 (NR, 30k, 13/?) this fic got discontinued but i really liked it while i was reading it so i'm still mentioning it in case you don't mind reading fics that won't be finished? idk. no voldemort au where barty and evan are really stupid about their feelings. typical rosekiller stuff.

kiss him you fool. by everlovelymoony (M, 8k, 4/4) this fic is so goddamn cute i actually can't. barty is a kindergarten teacher and luna is in his class and evan is luna's uncle. can we please please have more rosekiller teacher AUs please.

Obsessed by andromeden (E, 40k, 2/2) barty stalks his boyfriend's ex and uhh yeah. this is 40k words of barty and evan being incredibly fucked up and also made for each other. rosekiller at their finest, you know. probably mind the tags though.

Ashes to Ashes by lupinist (M, 13k, 3/3) rosekiller friends to lovers never gets old. very well written, amazing dynamic and characterization, super underrated!

a rose will be for a rose (timelessness for your love) by iWrite (T, 6.8k, 2/2) rosekiller spin the bottle and being dumbasses about their feelings. only a light bit of angst, super cute, love it.

show me those pretty white jaws by 214lilacsky (E, 144k, 15/15) recently started reading this one and i do not know what took me so long because holy shit the writing is beautiful, the characterization is beautiful, just like. this whole fic. beautiful. wow. this is a fairly popular one i think and i absolutely see why.

Pickup or Delivery by lifeisabitch (E, 41k, 15/15) this is so so good, i am absolutely obsessed with their characterization and dynamic here. they are absolute freaks and i am living for it.

i would say i love you (but it's so hard, i won't say it at all) by avesgraveyard (M, 74k, 9/?) road trip au with a bunch of other marauders characters, this is super super cute and evan and barty are incredibly bad at feelings (as they always are) and i just. love this so much. i've reread this one many times before.

with a taste of your lips im on a run by siriusstardust (G, 6.9k, 2/?) wrong number rosekiller au that i am really really enjoying so far, it's super cute and funny and silly.

ONE-SHOTS

no one’s gonna say anything against a dude kissing his homie good luck by sommerregenjuniluft (M, 3k) literally the title, they're skateboarding, uhhh yeah. i really like the vibes of this fic, evan and barty are dumbass teenagers who are toootally just platonic, which is honestly my favorite version of rosekiller.

loving you (is the antidote) by serendipitysirius (M, 13k) amortentia fic, sue me i'm a sucker for those. it is canon compliant but voldemort and the war aren't really mentioned.

don’t want none of this (good times, all the time) by cheeryknots (M, 3.9k) one of my fav rosekiller one shots, i swear i reread this like once every two months lol. it's set at hogwarts and they're at a party and they play spin the bottle and they get Jealous and it's just! so good.

Holding My Heart Out In Shaking Hands by twoclosetothestars (NR, 9k) modern au, i read this one a while ago but i remember really enjoying it. this one has it all; smut, angst, and fluff (in that order).

most fun i ever had (i did something bad) by cheeryknots (E, 5k) this is an incredible work of art holy shit. there's also a second part to this series (the series is appropriately named rosekiller murder husbands) that i also adore so check that one out too. this is legit just smut and rosekiller being absolutely insane and very much in love and i love it so much they are freaks your honor.

ghosting by dracure (E, 5.3k) evan and james are together in this one (not for long after the events in this fic though lmao).

my way or the highway by heartnipnops (E, 6.1k) car sex!!! yay. yeah idk what else to say this is great smut uhh yeah.

Shotgun by DayDreamingQueen (E, 3.1k) more rosekiller car sex (more specifically blowjob). except they aren't even together in this one. how do you literally suck your friend off in a car and just. go on with your life. they are actually so stupid it's astounding. great fic though.

16 missed calls by katakosmos (E, 1.9k) i think i'm actually a little insane for age gap rosekiller idk. been stalking the rosekiller tag on here for long enough to know you all are too. so if you haven't seen this..

the best of you, honey, belongs to me by vianexa (E, 7.7k) rosekiller murder husbands with a whole lot of sexual tension except no actual smut happens (it's crazy), god i do love insane batshit crazy rosekiller.

sharpshooter by heartnipnops (E, 4.7k) A+ rosekiller smut, college/university au.

everybody plays the beautiful game while out in brazil by bloodytreason (T, 3.4k) au where evan is an olympic tennis player. this au is something i did not know i needed, like this is gold (wait that pun was not intended oops wait does that even count as a pun), i need more olympics AUs now.

The Way He Loves by wiggentree (T, 4k) i have reread this one countless times over and over, this is one of the first rosekiller fics i read and i will never stop coming back to it. so so good. i think it captures their dynamic really well and i am just. obsessed.

a rose will i bloom in my soul by iWrite (E, 5.5k) holy hell this is actually so good i might actually combust 100/10 rosekiller smut.

limbs by dracure, virginprayer (E, 2.2k) beautiful beautiful smut

sick, twisted, and selfish by jamespottermixtape (fushigayro) (E, 3k) rosekiller murder husbands my beloved they are insane i love them.

You are in love by rachel_elizabeth_truth (NR, 4.4k) this is so beautiful and lovely, it's based off of you are in love by taylor swift which is such a rosekiller coded song tbh.

aces up your sleeve by dracure (T, 1.6k) evan with a tongue piercing. i, like barty, would probably also go feral for that.

Call It What You Want by lxcuxex (T, 23k) clueless, oblivious, idiots in love rosekiller my beloved. incredibly long oneshot about rosekiller trying to get their shit together. love to see it.

my lost lover (i was made for you) by jamespottermixtape (fushigayro) (E, 9.2k) oh my fucking god this is so great, i don't typically read a lot of vampire/supernatural fics but this one. absolutely wonderful.

Midnight Rain by blackmojito (T, 10k) christmas fic (though it's not the main focus), this is so sweet and cute and just so beautifully written oh my gosh.

second guessing by dracure (E, 8k) gorgeous amazing beautiful fantastic everything about this fic. just wonderful.

such a lovely place to die with you by cheeryknots (E, 4.3k) apocalyptic au where they meet at the end of the world, this is so so beautiful.

Eyeliner by aithusarosekiller (NR, 1.9k) evan helps barty get ready for a party by helping him apply eyeliner. honestly i do not blame evan at all i would have the same reaction seeing barty with eyeliner.

remember that night by orphan_account (G, 5.1k) some hurt/comfort about barty not remembering a drunken kiss. really really good omg.

Pretty Cool by trinavera (G, 4k) very very cute high school au where they meet in detention (evan is the detention monitor).

Me and You by polyjuicedpadfoot (E, 8.8k) oh my goshhh i really really like this one, it deals a bit with the war and them becoming death eaters and stuff. super great.

Something of Mine by stoned_regulus (M, 5.3k) rosekiller post breakup, it deals with Feelings and some drug abuse stuff. it's pretty angsty but really good.

speak now (or forever hold your peace) by rweoutofthewoods (T, 3.7k) this is like equal parts rosekiller and jegulus but anyways. yeah james and evan crash regulus and barty's wedding.

like smoke behind glass by 214lilacsky (E, 4.6k) i am definitely super normal about this fic (no i am not i love this oneshot with my whole being it's one of my favorites).

when the heart would cease (ours never knew peace) by boundinchaos (T, 12.5k) au where evan doesn't actually die, but barty still goes to azkaban. also after reading this fic i desperately need more fics about barty and sirius interacting in azkaban.

AND LASTLY...SOME STUFF ON MY TBR LIST

i haven't gotten around to reading these ones yet but i really want to soo yeah. check these out if you want!

we can take it out back by roadsidehorror (E, 78k, 9/9)

Run, Baby, Run by saltywench (E, 16k, 10/10)

Nothing On You by the_brightest_star_in_leo (T, 1k, 1/1)

i desire violently- and wait by archivistrose (cursedstar) (M, 53k, 16/?)

He's Not Mine (but he could be) by the_brightest_star_in_leo (E, 18k, 6/6)

Silencing the Monster by Written_Willis (E, 7.7k, 1/1)

stoned off you (now i'm stone cold sober) by 214lilacsky (E, 30k, 1/1)

Persistence by stellar_jay (E, 11k, 1/1)

sacrosanct by vanity_scribblings (M, 6.3k, 1/1)

okay yeah this is all, i probably will never post on tumblr again and will go back to lurking after this lmao. if you're still reading this i hope?? you enjoyed?? yeah that's it byee feel free to drop some more recs (in the replies? idk how tumblr works lowkey😭) cause i'm always on the lookout for more of these two🙏

[weasleyreidstyles]

Serendipity Headcannons; Mattheo Riddle

series masterlist

A glimpse into our main boy's life leading up to sixth year (where Serendipity kicks off) – eventually going to do them for each character (the ones who are a constant in the series), except meadow since that's more reader-centric but let me know who i should do next (this is me putting off writing chapter 17 because its making me want to rip out my hair)

It actually ended up being so long (i got carried away) that i'll have to do a separate post for the nsfw😏 hcs that i also wrote down - if that's something that people want to see of course

warning(s): cannonical violence, mentions of parental death, menions of torture and abuse (tried to make this as mild as possible), allusions to self harm (literally one bullet point), mentions of blood supremacy/cannonical pureblood madness, mentions of alcohol consumption/drug use, mentions of being sick (sorry fellow emetaphobes), allusions to an ED

Obviously he's Voldemort's son (its a known fact; when his name was called shortly after Harry's during the Sorting Ceremony, people immediately began to fear him for his last name – avoided him in corridors and older students were horrible to him)

His mother died when he was born, so he never got to meet her. But she had loved Tom Riddle with all her heart, despite knowing what kind of person he was (I like the tom hughes fancast for an older version of him – TikTok editors have me influenced)

When he failed to kill baby Harry, Theodore Nott's mum took it upon herself to care for Mattheo (who was only several months older than Harry at the time) – she was close friends with Matt's mum

They may not be related by blood, but Matt considers Theo to be his brother as well as his best friend

Mattheo's childhood (up until he was eight) was relatively acquiescent, but obviously being the heir to the Dark Lord comes with its own traumas – he was plagued with nightmares he swears were real conversations with his father

When Theo's mum died, his father wasn't the nicest to either of the boys; they both grew to resent him – the man either ignored them, shouted at them or beat them senselessly (to build character)

They had a Governess in the years after Theo's mum died, so that they'd be well ahead of their peers once they got to Hogwarts - also a way to keep them out of Theo Nott Senior's way

During his sorting, the hat immediately placed him in Slytherin, but it wasn't as quick to choose, like it was with Draco or Blaise.

Harry had unconsciously made him public enemy number one when he found out who he was (I mean his dad did kill Harry's parents so) as well as Draco and co

Mattheo doesn't believe in the blood supremacy that is spouted around pureblood families – has never used 'mudblood' to insult anyone (draco take notes fr) – but thats only due to theo's mother and the way she raised her boys – also it would be so hypocritical because he's a halfblood (i think, idk the twisted lore of purebloods too deeply)

Professor Quirrell took a particular interest towards Mattheo (his dad was literally playing house on the back of the guys head)

He found out that Quirrell was Voldemort (?) pretty quickly when the Dark Mark was burned onto his left forearm – something that continuously happened in his nightmares so he thought he was in one when it happened

Partly why he didn't say anything – he was also weary that no one would believe him

He tried everything to get it off his skin – burning, scratching, spelling, even carving it out, but nothing worked. The Dark Mark was engraved onto his arm like it had buried itself within the very cell structure of his skin

He didn't gain as much attention as Harry did in first year. He went practically under the rader after the first couple of months, only interacting with his small group of friends (Theo, Draco, Blaise, Enzo and Pansy) and competing for the top academic spot in class – when Theo's father found out that both boys were being beaten for first place by a muggleborn (go Hermione!), he used the cruciatus curse on both of them - moreso on Theo :(

Second year was a completely different story however

When the Chamber of Secrets opened, people whispered that he could be the heir of Slytherin (because his father is literally Voldemort so technically they weren't wrong) and he didn't go as unnoticed as before

He developed a thick skin towards the insults and returned them with steely looks that sent people scurrying the other way

He began physically fighting some people when his restraint snapped at times though – he didn't have a way to relieve the tension from all the agression at this point

The only people who spoke to him with no fear were his friends

When the first student was petrified, he was brought into Dumbledore's office for questioning

During the dueling session, he watched in awe as Harry spoke to the snake but didn't dare say a word

He was the only one in his group that didn't bad mouth Harry at this time or call him the 'heir of Slytherin'

He's actually really smart (not at Ancient Runes though lol) and is among one of Professor Flitwick's favourite students

When Harry and Ron posed as Crabbe and Goyle you (Meadow) had posed as Pansy and he had thought it was strange to see her with the two of them, but she had a small crush on Draco in first and second year so he brushed it off as her trying to impress his friend

But he knew it wasn't her when Draco had mentioned Hermione (calling her a mudblood) and 'Pansy' had gone deathly still

He's been skilled at Occlimency for as long as he can remember, as has Theo. But Mattheo has a certain affinity (he calls it a curse) for hearing people thoughts without even uttering the spell – also why he's so good at preventing people like Dumbledore from using it on him

Wasn't aware of his father's diary being used to lure Harry to the Chamber of Secrets, but at one point he heard the whispers in the pipes and vehemently ignored it until it eventually stopped (big mistake, cus voldy holds grudges very well)

Once Ginny was rescued from the Chamber, he felt incredibly guilty even though he literally had no control of the situation – sent her an 'anonymous' gift basket as an apology (he knew it would never make up for what happened to her, but he hoped it would at least make her smile) – it did, she thought it was a gift from dumbledore though

One of the only times he was even a little kind to the Golden Trio and their friends

The summer after second year was hellish for him and Theo

The basilisk was obviously meant to kill Harry so Theo Nott Senior was angry that his master's big plan had failed (2 years running🤝)

Third year was more mild than the last (thank God, honestly)

Mattheo had made it onto the quidditch team now that half of them had left the year before

He's a beater and proud of it – lets out all that pent up agression on the field, which makes him one of the best in his house (dare i say whole school🤭)

Quidditch became his whole personality basically (he's a teenage boy duh – it's like the football obsessed idiots in the pub levels) and he came to love the attention it brought him – he was starting to be noticed by girls outside Slytherin and making enemies with the rival players

He decided then that he wanted to play quidditch professionally in the future – he would not be caught dead behind a desk in the Ministry (they probably wouldn't hire hom anyway, simply because he's a Riddle)

Because he was on the team, he was invited to more parties which he also enjoyed – the man can drink!

But he wasn't one to jump around like a madman like some people he saw at the parties. He and his friends (those on the team – Theo, Blaise and Draco) would sit around the sofas and play drinking games with others who were sat down – including you and some of your housemates at times – but never the Gryffindors

Sirius Black was on the loose which took the pressure of being Tom Riddle's son off his shoulders somewhat – no one actually dared to fuck with Mattheo now that he was a beater either

Buckbeak took a liking to him, surprisingly, as did the thestrals that only he, Theo and so few others could see

The dementors affected him as much as they affected Harry – he could hear his own mother's cries

During the boggart lesson, he was apprehensive of what he would see – would he see what he sees in his most horrifying nightmares? Or would it be something as trivial as a grindilow or something?

Safe to say he was glad that Professor Lupin stopped the lesson after Harry's turned into the dementor

Speaking of dementors, one of the only spells he cannot cast is the Patronus Charm – even his happiest memories are not strong enough to envoke the magic

People thought he helped Sirius into the castle at one point (absurd, i know)

He and Harry got into some arguments at times – Mattheo liked to provoke him for the fun of it, mostly so that competition on the quidditch field was filled with extra tension, but also because Harry and Ron are dickheads who like to talk shit about him and his friends (hypocrites because the Slytherins literally do the same thing lol)

This is the point where you're on his radar a bit more frequently – you, Ron and Hermione went to Hogsmeade a lot and were frequently in the same places as Mattheo and his friends

He does not like you at all, partly for the fact that you follow Harry and Dumbledore so blindly but also – you are one of the reasons he and theo get so much stick at home, along with hermione being top of the class, you are as well so he grows to resent you a little

He's always there when you're yelling at anyone who says something against your friends (usually Crabbe or Goyle – our mortal enemies fr)

When Sirius escaped the dementors people genuinely thought he helped (again, absurd i know)

Moving onto fourth year...he went to the Quidditch World Cup with Theo and Nott Senior disappeared after the match ended and festivities began

We all know what happened but when the Dark Mark appeared in the sky, Theo, Draco and Mattheo all looked at it in absolute horror, having heard the harrowing stories first hand from their families

Mattheo had a panic attack at the thought of his father returning – after the run in with him in first year, he's been certain that Voldemort isn't really dead, and this confirms it for him (because why the fuck would his father's mark appear out of nowhere?)

Because of that, the school year is off to a great start

He gets into fights left, right and centre – especially since quidditch has been cancelled in favour of hosting the Triwizard Tournament (i've obviously aged up the characters but lets pretend the age limit still exists in some capacity)

The Durmstrang students practically worshipped the ground he walked on – which was ego boosting to start with, but Mattheo quickly grew irritated by their constant infatuation with him – especially Karkaroff who always compared him to the great Tom Riddle or the 'Dark Lord' interchangeably

Whenever Professor Moody stared at him for too long, he got an odd sensation on his left forearm, where the mark sits, like spiders were scurrying and crawling around – he decides after the very first DADA lesson (unforgivable curses) that he did not like this professor.

There was just something off about him, but Mattheo couldn't quite figure out what – foolishly tried Occlimency but obviously it didn't work on the most infamous auror

Wasn't even surprised when Harry's name came out of the Goblet – he is coined 'Saint Potter' by the friendgroup (started of course by Draco)

He and Theo snuck out to the forbidden forest to see the dragons up close before the first task – almost got caught by Charlie Weasley, had Hagrid and Harry not showed up with Madame Maxine mere moments before he could spot them

He took a random girl from Beauxbatons to the Yule Ball because he did not want to deal with the hassle of Hogwarts gossip – but everyone gossiped about it anyway (busybodies)

Rumours went around about the two of them (you know like how Snape caught two people in the carriage🤭)

At this point, you were just his arch nemesis' best friend so you were not fully on his radar past sneering comments and jibes, but a small part of him can admit that you looked beautiful in your glittering dress (think Feyre starfall dress vibes)

The rest of the year went by uneventfully – he got on with his school work and remained one of the top of class except in Ancient Runes which theo tried to tutor him in....unsuccessfully

In the months leading up to the third task, Mattheo noticed Moody's skittish behaviour (also Karkaroff and weirdly...Snape) especially after Crouch was found murdered in the Forbidden Forest after the second task

On the day of the first task, he had the worst gut feeling he's ever felt – bigger than the day he found out that his surrogate mother had died

Sitting in the stands with his friends, near the back of the stadium, his arm begins to burn so painfully that he has to fight physically crying out at the crippling pain (Voldemort just got resurrected as a noseless alien)

Excuses himself to his friends' utter confusion and concern – Theo stops Pansy from running after him, letting him have space, somehow just knowing what Matt's sudden departure meant (he saw Mattheo cradle his left arm while he walked away)

Just before Mattheo walks through the exit, Harry apparates back with the trophy (portkey) and Cedric's dead body beneath him screaming that "Voldemort's back!"

He couldn't hold back the contents of his stomach at the statement because he knew it was true. He just knew it deep in his bones.

He had to hide behind the bleachers of the quidditch pitch while everyone was stampeding to leave, where he just sobbed and sobbed because he knew then what his future would be.

Theo found him an hour later and together they mourned for the future Mattheo had desperately always wanted

That summer was the worst he's ever experienced to date.

He met this snake-like version of his father, his only other memories being of a handsome man (Tom Hughes vibes) not whatever this thing was.

His father thanked Theo Nott Senior personally for taking such good care of his heir – this was such an ego boost for that horrid man

Mattheo was tortured into the perfect soldier that summer – tasked with training other Slytherins/purebloods into the regime

Its not very discernable but if his hands are still for long enough, they begin to shake unconsciously due to just how many times Voldemort used the cruciatus curse on him

His nightmares had become a reality that summer – he no longer slept, and only ate when Draco had to force him to

There was one silver lining at least

No one believed Harry Potter.

So Voldemort's army grew exponentially in secret, as did their knowledge of certain prophecies

We know that Professor Trelawney had the vision but Voldemort has a seer of his own – who made him aware of the order being in possession of a siphon but not able to say who it is (its meadow of course🤪🤪🤪)

His fifth year marked the start of the war, even if the otherside didn't know it just yet

At school, Harry started many explosive arguments with him, that he admittedly fed into a little bit out of pure amusement

His stoic facade was ever present this year. Not an expression painted his handsome face in the public eye. Rarely did anyone catch a glimmer of joy in those onyx eyes.

It was around this time, when he discovered that Harry was being taught Occlimency that you were doing some studying of your own

He heard the soft whisper of your thoughts in his head – a pleasant sound – mumbling little bits and pieces about the art, as if you were revising them over and over like a broken record

He knew you were Theo's patrol partner because Theo would not stop complaining about having to deal with one of Saint Potter's loyal followers (the two of you did not speak for 5 whole patrol sessions – lets say between September and November)

Thats when the idea sprang

Admittedly it started out as a way to satisfy his curiosity

He wanted to know why you were learning Occlimency and actually doing surprisingly well, despite not having someone to actively practice it on/with you, while Potter was not taking it seriously at all

So he asked Theo to try and befriend you – when asked why, he explained that he was curious and wanted to know if he hunch he had was right – his gut feelings are almost never wrong

Theo begins his task of slowly befriending you and relaying anything remotely important to Mattheo – no progress at first, until the two of you happen to bond over your hatred for the new DADA professor

He joins the Inquisitorial Squad because Theo's father wanted him to, and by extension said that the Dark Lord wanted his son to set an example too (lets not forget, in his prime Tom was literally the smartest in the school – was definitely head boy as well as an academic weapon)

This is how he finds out what Umbridge's detentions truly entailed

Speaking of Umbridge (she deserves her own tw actually), she had shown particular favouritism towards Mattheo and his friends, to anyone who was against Harry, really – never gave them detentions and let them off easily, even defended Mattheo's honour against Harry's 'heinous' accusations

But back to the detentions – both he and Theo found out about the blood quill around the same time

He was waiting for Theo to finish patrols so they could go smoke in the Astronomy Tower, when he overheard Umbridge talking to the two of you

Well actually she was talking to you – because apparently it was now against the rules for prefects to walk around past curfew (even though thats their literal role?) and she gave you a detention for it

When you asked why in Merlin's name Theo wasn't being treated the same, she said it's because he's on the Inquisitorial Squad and was therefore exempt from her detentions

You had detention the next day and did not show up to your next few patrols, but Mattheo saw the hints of a glamour covering your non-dominant hand (he would know because he's had a glamour over his scarred forearm for years)

Theo told him that you refused to admit that something was wrong - you hadn't even told your friends about whatever was bothering you

They found out by chance – a first year that had gotten lost was cradling their hand and the boys saw the words of the boy's own scrawl etched harshly into the flesh of his hand

When Matt was observing you in the library one day (happenstance, he's not a stalker lol), he was deducing how far along you were with Occlimency but found that you winced and held your head when he actively tried to enter your mind – not good for how long you'd been teaching yourself the art

So he gets Theo to talk to you mentally and the first time it happens is actually comical – you drop the contents of your potions incredients onto the floor out of shock before you whack Theo across the head with your hardbacked potions textbook

That's really how the two of you became friends, your friendship with Pansy following soon after

Now you're slowly building up the tolerance for Occlimency with a little help from a friend

Leading up to Christmas, the mark burns wickedly against his skin at all hours of the day

Then Arthur Weasley is attacked and Mattheo is surprised that no Weasley has come to deck him in the face for simply being Voldemort's son

Obviously no one does because everyone (barring you and Hermione) have been swept away to 12 Grimmauld Place

After Christmas he does get decked – George sends a bludger his way that most definitely had the power to break his entire arm (and definitely a few ribs); after the abysmal Christmas break he's had, he's almost tempted to let it happen – but his beater instincts kick in and he's pelting the bludger and all its momentous energy towards one of Gryffindor's chasers instead

His Dark Mark burns every time his father fails to retrieve his and Harry's prophecy

He begins to suspect that you are the siphoner when you perform wandless magic like its a second nature during breakfast one morning (you're using your magic to flip through the pages of your book, while you leisurely sip coffee, probably awaiting Granger's arrival)

His suspicions are more than confirmed when your magic seems to literally pulse like your pulling more of it from the air – it's almost indiscernible, but if he paid attention, he could see the symphonic ripple of your magic and the Great Hall's magic mingling in the air (and he knows Dumbledore can see it too)

He explains this to Theo without telling him so much that'll get him involved with what knowing this will mean for his brother

He passes all his O.W.Ls with a plethora Outstanding and Exceeds Expectations grades, except for Ancient Runes where he gets a mere Acceptable (which somehow still allows him to retake the class in his N.E.W.Ts options, funnily enough)

What's not funny is Voldemort's reaction to this anomaly of a result :(

Lets rewind to june 18th (aka battle of department of mysteries; RIP Sirius Black you icon, you legend)

The DA have just been busted (like two weeks/a week prior to the date above) and you're all in detention writing out the line "I must not disobey the Ministry" over and over again – to the point where it has become a permanent scar that you see everyday

Exams are happening and Harry has just been delivered a vision by Voldemort (he just passed out in a DADA exam🫣)

Saint Potter and his band of followers try to break into Umbrige's office and fail exponentially

The Inquisitorial Squad catch you all in the act of guarding the corridor outside her office while Harry, Ron and Hermione try and contact Sirius

You're all trapped in the office and everyone (including the Inquisitorial Squad) is shocked when she goes to cast the cruciatus on Potter – internally Matt is cringing and fighting the instinctive flinch

"You can't do that! It's illegal!" Your defence of harry is ignored as Umbridge puts Fudge picture face down – Matt swears your eyes burn a violent indigo, but it's gone in a blink

Hermione and Harry end up taking her to where 'Dumbledore's secret weapon' is and you lot are now all stuck with the Inquisitorial Squad

Theo actually only holds you loosely, and he's the same with Ginny – not forcefully holding her, but also not allowing her to break free at the same time

Crabbe and Goyle take Ron's bate and eat the Puking Pastilles from the Weasley twins' personal collection and you all escape

Then the battle eventually takes place and everyone knows that Voldemort truly has returned

Now onto the current timeline of Serendipity!!

Mattheo decides over summer that he wants to help the otherside desperately

Especially because Draco is now a Death Eater

And Enzo and Theo are set to become Death Eaters the following Christmas – punishment for what happened during the battle in June

Proposes the idea that he teach you Occlimency in exchange for you helping them get out – the group agrees and Theo and Pansy set out to persude you to help

Roll on the Serendipity plot where he slowly begins to actually care about you (scary feelings; unknown territory)

He's never felt this strongly about someone before, not in the way he feels about you

At first he enjoyed how infuriated you became with him; he also despised how many questions you would ask (but that was your nature and he grew accustomed to it)

You're the only one whose ever called him Théo, after the death of Theo's mother, the name was as good as dead to him, until you started calling him it – he never wanted you to stop

The feelings you invoke in him are what finally allow him to produce a full patronus – when the majestic form of a Hippogriff bursts from the tip of his wand, swirling and spiralling at the thought of you, he let out a genuine laugh

He's so soft for you – his persona changes in the blink of an eye at times – from cruel and brooding to gentle and compassionate

His friends have never seen him happier – admittedly were surprised to learn of your relationship, but when they watched the way the two of you interacted after you'd become a pariah to your old friends, they understood.

Mattheo is so protective of all his friends, and somehow he's even more protective of you – he had wanted to incinerate Harry and Ron on the spot for how they'd made you feel, but knew you would never forgive him for it, despite how badly they'd hurt you

He'd burn the world down if it meant you'd be safe, especially because you had the one power that his father desired to have in his ever growing arsenal

Mattheo always has to be touching you in some way (he's a physical touch kind of guy), whether that be a hand on your thigh when you're seated; an arm wrapped around you as you walk; interlocking pinkies, etc. He just loves feeling you near him.

You're such a typical Slytherin/Ravenclaw couple – your intellect amazing him all the time, and he's no longer miffed that you always beat him for a spot at the top in class – his ambitions and adamant loyalty are something that you admire dearly, and hold close to your heart

You both know without having to voice it that your love is unconditional and eternal. Its a love as rare as your magic.

~∞~

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@whatsupb18

[velvetypoets]

Spoiled Rotten

James Potter always gets what he wants. That's just how it goes.

Warnings: James Potter x reader fanfic, James is down bad, I tagged marauders but no peter, Slytherin reader, Black family reader, reader is portrayed as she/her, reader centric, forbidden love trope, SFW, James perspective, Sirius loves his friends, James is a blurting mess but it leads to victory anyways

thank u sososomuch for the support on the first one!!! im very fond of this work and everyone's been super sweet to me. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE UPLOADED 1 MONTH AGO BEFORE I WENT ON A FIELD TRIP IM SO SORRY my dumbass uploaded it in private. the third might take a longer while since ill' be busier with uni so this one will be a tad longer. ty for the warm support and ily guys <333

[ part 1|part 2|part 3 ]

————————————————————————————————————————

The clock was striking 1:00 when it appears. Perched at the Marauders dorm windowsill stands the purest white owl with beads of orbs so clear James could almost see his own reflection. Its eyes focused on Sirius's drooling face and for every little twitch he makes, the bird's grip on the letter in his claw tightens.

He left a crack of the window open on purpose once Sirius and Remus had fallen still. Sirius had been bullying—Scratch that, James thought. Assaulting every owl that even comes close to the trio the whole day. Looking at it, the bird and Sirius seem well acquainted so what did that Tawny ever do to Pads? James wondered. That owl got a few of its feathers off this morning fighting his friend all for nothing.

 "Emerald," whispered James from his bed. The majestic being blinks slowly before diving in from the open window as she lands gracefully at his bedside table. The letter she was so carefully guarding sits neatly on his lap now. James was simply astonished, "A magnificent bird for a magnificent girl, huh? Thank you, Emerald." 

Emerald blinks to him as she receives James smile. She went straight back to her guard duty and she turned her head dutifully to watch Sirius. He reaches for his glasses and the letter opener next to Emeralds's feet, the bird doesn't flinch one bit. He takes a deep inhale from the velvet green coloured paper as he opens the letter. The parchment smells of the same one that he's been basking in all night. Yes, he slept with his stupid scarf with trails of your warm scent on his neck.

I heard there was an attack on an owl by a wild dog this afternoon. Can that brat of a cousin be any more duller?

James can't hold his smile any longer, he glanced at Emerald who seems interested in his expressions as she keeps looking his way while still keeping guard. "Oh, so you do have a personality," He whispered with a chuckle. 

I don't know how you and Lupin stand him this long. Well, you live and you learn. Now take good care of Emerald. She's fed and full so don't even dare try to buy her love with treats. I told her to keep her eyes on the dog for as long as you're reading this letter. 

Do send her back once you're done, simply say the words. Meet me at the farthest tower of the south near astronomy at dawn. You're a prankster, figure out how to sneak through Filch yourself.

Knock 4 times. Sincerely, 

A blot of ink ended the last word of the letter. James ran a finger softly to it as he let go of the breath he was holding for so long. He reads your letter over and over till he's sure he can recite every word. It was way too short. He reminds himself to ask his charm professor tomorrow of a protection charm to keep time from damaging. 

"Bloody hell, did you really have to risk us all getting the cold for a darn letter, Prongs??" Remus is awake, James expected it. He's a light sleeper and the ruffling paper sound James was making while inspecting the content of the letter to see for any hidden message was probably enough. That and the cold air of a one in the morning approaching winter breeze. 

Remus's drowsy eyes lands on the white snow owl perched on James's table. His brows furry, "Its a snow all along? What was his problem with that Tawny from earlier then??" James shrugs a shoulder still deep in thought, he has not a care in this world right now for anything other than the piece of paper in his hand. "She warned us it was a snow. He shooed all the other owls for precaution I guess,"

Remus lets out an annoyed sigh at James reply, "Those poor birds. We genuinely have enough feathers now to last the three of us a school year thanks to him." 

James hums at the comment. They did keep all the feathers since it'll be a huge waste. They were also avoiding Filch's fury for littering. Remus looks at the sight of his best friend fully immersed in a mere piece of paper, "You're really going through with this?"

The boy halted, looking up to find Remus's concerned face. He knows what he's doing. His best friends are protecting him from what only compares to a mountain of incoming trouble.

Sirius had made it truly sound that your family are absolutely no one to tamper with. With how dramatic he is, he made it explicitly sound like what James has done is an entire war crime. "I told you! Archivus and Nebula Black are not ones to tamper with! They will leash hell on you if you keep this up!"

"Well I can't stop now, Moony."

"You can't or you won't?"  

"Why do you always ask questions you've always known the answer to, my friend?" James lets a frustrated sighs as he rests his head back to his pillow. He cast it to float over his face. All of those words, all 120 of them– 121 since James is counting in the ink blot, they're all directed to him. You took the time to write and send it through your owl, for James. A letter from his new, his cherished, girlfriend.

A full day had abruptly passed by from that meeting with you in front of Charms. Every word and every tune you uttered rings about his head the entire day. Especially the last few bit, one on which you called him your boyfriend. He'd never thought for a million years that you would've called him that soon. James would've never had the guts to do it first. He was supposed to be the courageous one. He's Gryffindors poster boy for Merlin sake!

My idiot boyfriend. Idiot. Boyfriend. Her boyfriend. I'm an idiot boyfriend.

"I don't... know why I'm like this either. I just know I have so much love to give to her.

"Remus turns his head to the window to relieve himself of a smile. He bites his lips for an answer to not let it known, he promised himself he would stay neutral, "I won't stop you."

James closed his eyes. Remus knows the weight he sets free to his friend. He glances back at the owl now looking curiously at him, "Close the window after, yeah? Good night, Prongs."

"Good night, Moony."

——————————————————————————

The marauders had all made up and are back to being attached at the hip again the next day. Remus dragged Sirius the next afternoon to another puzzle night—of which Sirius has a lot to complained about all day— at the common room. Sirius isn't the type to sit around for too long and even for James, finishing a 10k puzzle seems a lot.

The type of person Sirius Black is though, is one that transforms the entire Gryffindor common room decorations and moves the furniture to lay out blankets and swarms of pillows. He even went as far as sneaking to the kitchen and begs the Hogwarts house elves for cookies and hot chocolate. Now there's a huge misunderstanding about the elves point of view in Pads since he is in fact, a Black. But Sirius isn't himself if he didn't have tricks up his sleeves and James has a hunch on that.

"I must say... You've really outdone yourself now, mate," James said, sincerely amused. Sirius put his last touch of fluffing the pillows before he approached James to join him in examining the room, "Oh what would our little Moony do without me, huh Prongsie? Now that I've learned my lesson on that painstaking first game night I'm making this activity worthwhile. He was only going to set up a plain grey blanket and tea! The general ones in bags too! Glad I rid of that one quick."

Sirius makes a condescending tsk, tsk, tsk from his mouth before his brow furrowed, "Say... Where are you off to, Mate? You know you're always welcome to join us. I mean, lily and the other girls said they're joining too."

He wouldn't be able to lie and look at Sirius's face. James averts his attention to kneel and inspect the steaming tray of cookies and fudge laying on top of the puffy carpet. Sirius had somehow got the grant from McGonagall to lay out the Christmas carpet early for the game. Moony's going to have such a headache keeping the carpet out of cookie crumbs.

"Believe me my cookies loving heart breaking here but I've got to talk to Slughorn, Mate. Thinks he's got an idea on improving one of dad's medicines."

Sirius eyes lit up in the last sentence, James wants to punch himself in the face, "That's terrific! That's such good news for Fleamont, Prongs! Why we should be the one joining you!!" Sirius didn't even question him one bit, he pulled him stead to a hug full on the thrill. James hugs him back as he tries to keep his voice from wavering, "Nah, don't ruin your good time with Moony. Go and get absolutely wrecked, man."

Sirius chuckled as he ruffled a hand to James curls, "Oh we'll be so out by the time you got here, don't you worry. I'm going to fill my belly with hard-earned fudge!"

James manages to release himself from Sirius's rough hug and tries to fix his hair up a bit, "I should be going now, but hey! Don't forget to leave me some of that fudge!" He said as he did a bit of run to the door while Sirius tends to Lily and Mary who came just in time to light the candles. Sirius looks back to James one last time, the fangs on him peaking through his grin, "Oh don't you worry, mate. We'll make sure to lick the plate right off tonight!"

James closed the door with a crackle of laughter. He replies to Sirius's grin with an even sassier one, slipping his hand onto his coat pocket that fits exactly four pieces of fudge. He's not James Potter if he doesn't double down.

He puts on the invisibility cloak and makes his way through Hogwarts with ease. Being a Marauder he had his fair share sneaking out a million times and yet, his heart beats so loud it feels like bursting out of him. He's at the southernmost tower bottom of stairs when he heard footsteps.

It was you. You're out of uniform, a Slytherin sweater that's way too big for you and a black coat with emerald buttons that James swears he's seen the same in Sirius's back closet and on Regulus every now and again. You're visibly cold, your cheeks pale as you hold yourself close to keep the warmth in your coat from escaping. Your brows furrowed, James can't think of a more sweeter creature.

Your head whipped right to where he's standing, your face a couple inches away from him. James got absolutely the fear of his life, he almost yelps and gave his presence away. You were looking at the window right behind him, "Dawn is settling... Oh if that man is late for even a minute I'm dumping his ass so hard," You complain to yourself. He held his chuckle and his lips are already giving into a dumb smile as he follows you from a distance. He's thinking of giving you a headstart to make yourself feel better for arriving sooner.

He notices the mystery boxes and blanket you're hiding in the inside of your coat jacket. James eyes widens, it's a thermos that smells familiarly of general store brewed tea, blankets, and a box of magic puzzles.

James freezes in his tracks right then and there, holding his heart to his chest as if its trying to escape. He waits until the door to the tower room at the top creaks open and shuts– to uncover the cloak and lets a laugh for himself. His body trembled the whole time. Tint of flushing red quickly took over his cheeks. James rests his back to the stone wall behind him and let his body slump. He covers his face with his hands before catching his breath and turning to check his faint reflection in the window.

"James Potter you're so incredibly fucked."

——————————————————————————

"There you are!! Do you know how long I've been waiting for you!"

Exactly 9 minutes and 24 seconds James believed. It took him that long to finally rid the tint of his face and regain just enough composure before he's ready to opens the door that leads to you. He counted so he wouldn't make you wait too long. James had decided to set on 10 minutes, max. He closed the door behind him and leaned his back against the door, his famously charming grin forms, "Apologies my darling, I wanted to give you the time to feel like Rapunzel."

Your brows raised, you're sitting in the middle of the room on a carpet with a blanket in your lap. The huge rustic style window behind you makes James view look like a framed painting. "Who's Rapunzel?"

James grin had never fallen that quick, he quickly caught himself, "What? Don't tell me you don't know Rapunzel, Love. Huge Muggle folklore? Long-haired blonde princess that's locked on a tower! She has both a barbie and a disney movie!" His eyes widened in disbelief as he claimed a seat next to you, his eyes met the burnt mark to the hem of your sweater. To rid of feuds from the lack of sharing culture between the Blacks, all family members are required to mark everything they own with a custom spell that burns their names perfectly on the items. (Y/N) Soleia Black He gives a relaxed sigh, he really thought for a second there you were wearing Regulus's sweater or even worse, Notts.

You were nice enough to let him ramble before knocking a soft one on his head, "Really Potter? Muggles? Should I remind you of which lineage I am from?" You shook your head at his clumsiness but you'd be lying if you didn't find that cute. You know what a movie and the gist of it is, Sirius took you to a muggle theatre a while back, "This Rapunzel girl seems like quite the actress to play in a movie with whoever this disney and barbie is though. She's a princess you say, did she ever find her prince?"

You don't seem to be quite aware of the absolute power James is using to not laugh at your innocence, that would be quite rude, "No, well– Yes, she did found her a man but not quite a prince. She fell in love with the thief who tried to rob her and got happily wedded at the end of the story."

You're wide-eyed and let your lips agape at his explanation, James hearts melts at sight of it, "I'm sorry, did you really just say she married the man who tried to bloody robbed her? Happily at that?"

"Oh Merlin, we should really watch tangled together sometimes. I have a telly and the cd at my house, uhh... It's the muggle technology that plays videos on a little screen we learned on Muggles Studies— Well I could just show it to you later, Pads mind was absolutely blown when I showed him," James chuckle as he's reminded of the time he brought his friends over to his house. Sirius keeps trying to look behind the tv to catch some form of little persons coming out.

You giggled at his story, "Is that an invitation for another date, Mister Potter? This one hasn't even started yet," You brought out the box of magic puzzles and the thermos of tea and said innocently, "Why unfortunately for us the wizarding worlds entertainment bizz is limited. Though I did pick up this game that had been trending quite recently. Are you familiar with it by any chance?"

James sighs at the sight of the 10k puzzle game, the same bright colored box with cheesy lines written on it that was sitting as the centerpiece of Sirius's golden plan. Reality is not so subtly mocking him at this point, "Did anybody give this to you or did you lied to the sorting hat and is you just a Ravenclaw in secret?"

You give him a playful punch on the arm, "Hey! Us Slytherins could be smart too! And is capable of doing a little solving here and there, I mean I love to read mystery novels myself. I got the puzzle at the shop but the lame blankets and tea were from this suspicious looking guy in robe that visited me earlier. Made me promised to burn it and never let a wizard know where to find it again. I don't quite get his disgust on the tea, generics are just fine," You pour James a cup of tea from the thermos cup and you look up to find him staring at you like you just said something weird. You raise a brow, "What? You a fancy tea leaves only guy too?"

He snaps back quickly and curses himself in his mind, "No, No! I.. I just never heard you talk that much before," The truth came out of him involuntarily, he's never done this before. Speaking his mind. That only ever leads to bad outcomes, he thinks. Outcomes he can't control. Every second you take to process his words makes him even more anxious, "Look... Fuck, I don't mean anything about it, I love hearing you rant. I'd give everything for it. It's just I've never really heard you talk... This much—"

You watch him stumble on his own words, processing what on earth have you done to this man. For some reason you felt like you've just broken James Potter. Like you went on a ride and it started malfunctioning, is he malfunctioning? Oh God Sirius wouldn't have your head for breaking his best mate right?

"James, it's just me. Breathe, I'm not going anywhere," You said, deciding to save him from more embarrassment that is surely coming if he doesn't stop. It's not just you though, you are not just someone! ,Was all he wanted to scream. You raise your hands to cups his cheeks as it warms your skin almost effectively. James ego can't suffer more than it already is. He is a crumbling, stuttering, mess, all from your presence.

James Fleamont Potter, on his last bit of sanity that hadn't left him yet decides to be truthful for once, "I think your ranting has done burnt my brain."

You stifle a laugh, "Wah-What?! That's your explanation for me? You big foolish mess of an idiot, you! Ohh I'm so going to hex you now! What was all that about, Potter??"

James feels there should exist a spell to make the ground open up and swallow him whole, "Next time you try something new to me, I think you might have to do a bit of precaution first, Lovie," He sighs, he lets a hand courses through the curls of the hair upon his forehead, "My heart nearly jumped out of its place. I'm being truthful to you, you should open your eyes to the crazy things you do to me, (Y/N)."

Hearing your name come out of him feels surreal, not a sweet nickname or your family name, just yours. You don't know how to feel about all of this. You don't know what to think of him. Fuck it. You shoot.

"You don't actually like me do you, James?"

Silence. Then another brain fart erupts.

"What if I said yes?"

That came out too soon for his liking. James lets out a groan as he stops himself from covering his face to hide away, "What about it, (Y/N)? What if I did all this to set myself up with you. What if my thing for our complicated arrangement was you all along?"

You seem to have fallen still again. He brings your hand gently to his face and lightly plants a kiss on the back, "I've completely fallen for you. (Y/N) you have no idea the mess you made out of me. You've not a clue of the lengths I do for you and.. And I feel like I'm always doing the wrong things when I'm with you."

The kiss feels hot on your skin. He continues with his hazel eyes piercing sincerely right through you and it feels like he's seeing you bare for what you are. The girl who was born from the wrong family. A Black with more feelings than the other. The weak one, as your father likes to remind you.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. Truthfully, I'm not used to love," You blurts, biting your lips in agony.

"I, If there's anything I can do to help you..." He sensed the weight anchoring in his stomach long before it falls. His tensed shoulders feel like it's crumbling down on him. You smile faintly and leaned closer.

Don't blame James for feeling so down cause not even Merlin himself would've predicted you to plant a kiss on his cheek, a near miss from his lips.

"I do feel intrigued enough that you somehow managed to trick me into all this. Bravo, Potter. I think I'd give you a chance."

He's stiff as the day he'll be when he's gone. The paleness leaving his tone as warmth fluttery butterflies color him in the reddest hue. You chuckled,

"Well, Potter. You've got your princess. Now what?"

[crescenthistory]

hello miss Carina! I'm not very well versed in the marauders fandom (but I love your works) and was wondering what are the valkeryies?

hello my lovely!! i am SO HAPPY you asked

crescenthistory's introduction to the valkyries

since you said you're not well-versed in the fandom at all, i'm over-explaining to be on the safe side, sorry if you already knew all of this 🙏

"the valkyries" is a group name in the same way as the marauders (james, sirius, remus, peter) and the slytherin skittles (barty, evan, regulus, dorcas, pandora) are

unlike the marauders (who are named explicitly in the hp books through the marauders map), the skittles and the valkyries are fandom names for the different friendgroups at hogwarts

(nb, the skittles are sometimes called the emeralds by people who think that name is too silly lmao, and pandora is traditionally thought of as ravenclaw, despite the name being slytherin-centred)

these friendgroups, of course, often over-lap in fan interpretations as we love to have them all as one vast giant family

in OG fanon lore, the valkyries consist of the three gryffindor girls: lily evans, marlene mckinnon and mary macdonald

lily we know a "lot" about from the books; she is studious, fiery, kind/nurturing, stands up for what is right and loves her friends fiercly

mary is only named as a member of the order who did not die and is mentioned by lily in a flashback where she says mary was a victim of a muggleborn hatecrime

thus we as a fandom have concluded that she is muggleborn and kind. from there, interpretations of her vary, but i characterise her as sassy, down to earth, a bit flirtatious yet shy, kind of cottagecore-y

when we talk about the marauders era in a canon compliant way, most people believe that mary survived the first wizarding war and obliviated herself of any knowledge of magic afterwards because she couldn't live with the trauma. she went on to live the rest as a "muggle"

marlene is mentioned only once in the books and is said to have been a member of the order who was killed alongside her entire family

she is generally characterised by the fandom as being incredibly loyal and family-centric (blood and found family), outspoken/brazen, confident, passionate and kind

most people hc her as an avid quidditch fanatic (wants to be a professional player when she grows up, becomes either that or a healer)

these three shared a dorm at hogwarts and made up the foundation of the friendship between the marauders era girls

(either peter or remus is often hc-ed as being brought in as an "honourary girlie" in some of their hangouts because of their quietness and respect)

they are called the valkyries specifically because valkyries in norse mythology are beautiful female warriors who bring fallen soldiers to valhalla ("heaven") -> a poetic take on who they are

they are close friends with the marauders, depending on your hcs

i for one believe that marlene and james are childhood besties (because wizard families and quidditch) and lily and remus instantly connect (because of similar personalities and views), so the friendgroups are kind of merged immediatley

it also makes sense that the two gryffindor groups are connected to some degree -- i don't like the idea of them splitting up into "genders" so divisively, i view the different friendgroups as originating from their dorms and then mixing from there

where and how the slytherin skittles come in, usually depends on your hcs or the fic (as in, you go with what suits your story)

the obvious connection is regulus and sirius as brothers, so in fics where they are close, it makes sense that the friendgroups merge

other than that, the friendgroups usually merge through different ships: james/regulus, marlene/dorcas, lily/james, lily/pandora, remus/regulus, etc.

most people nowadays (ESPECIALLY ME) consider dorcas and (sometimes) pandora as either parts of the valkyries or at least good enough friends with them that they are together a lot

while i see dorcas and pandora as slytherin skittles/emeralds first and foremost, i will usually also include them in chats about the valkyries and will list poly!dorlene and poly!pandalily under the valkyries tag in my masterlist

they become integrated with the three valkyries at some point during their time at hogwarts; the original trio expands

i usually consider the shift to have happened around fifth year, but it's flexible

(if you want to know more about dorcas and pandora, i have a lot of headcanons about them under the slytherin skittles part of my masterlist)

i personally am an avid dorlene (dorcas/marlene) shipper and don't really entertain other pairings for either party, though i know some people are fond of marlene/mary

marylily is a huge other ship within the valkyries and is often considered "complementary" to dorlene

pandalily (pandora/lily) is also growing in popularity from what i've seen

if you want any headcanons for any of these ships (either on their own or poly x reader), i am more than willing 🥸

there are also wider friendgroups and other characters around at hogwarts that are sometimes mentioned or integrated into fics, either to serve a purpose or just for the vibes

some of these that i occasionally use are: the black sisters (reg&sirius' cousins andormeda, bellatrix and narcissa), amelia bones (hufflepuff), emmeline vance (ravenclaw), alice fortescue & frank longbottom, rita skeeter, ted tonks, the Bad Guys in slytherin lol (severus snape, rabastan lestrange, lucius malfoy, mulciber, avery, etc.)

i hope this gave you a better idea of who they are bubs! let me know if you want any more details or to chat about them<33

since any lore is essentially entirely based in fanon, it is very much up to everyone's personal preference and is even subject to change from fic to fic, but all in all the valkyries are lily, marlene and mary + other potential girlies(gn) they drag with them along the way 🤍

[somecluelessidiot]

I want to write rn but I can't decide what to work on...

I'm writing all of them and some others that I don't feel like writing atm (for me, personally... maybe I'll publish them once I'm done if I like how they turn out) but I just don't know which vibe I'm getting rn.

[SUMMARIES BELOW THE CUT]

Summaries below cut.

Wiseflower

Minerva and Poppy falling in love in their Hogwarts years, probably with some cute scenes from after they've graduated as well.

They're friends with Rolanda (Hooch) and Pomona (Sprout) as well, and they sort of do Marauders-esque escapades too, because I've always seen Minnie as being mischievous in her Hogwarts years, so why not?

It'll be a year-by-year sort of thing and probably quite long.

Skittles

Jegulus and Rosekiller falling in love because I love them so they have to love each other.

Again, it's a year-by-year that follows their storyline as close to canon as possible (but with Slytherin Barty because I cba to make a bunch of random unimportant OCs to sleep in the boys' dorm).

It would mostly follow Regulus's POV, with a few dips into Barty, Evan, and James, and the odd chapter from Pandora and Dorcas's POV as well.

Doctor AU

Inspired by a post I saw on here somewhere (I can't remember whose it was though, sorry), so I'll probably never post it, but it's a bit of fun so...

Chronically ill Remus Lupin starts going to the privately owned doctor's surgery that Regulus works at. But Remus has to bring his overly-protective friend, James Potter, along to every meeting, and Regulus's irritating brother won't stop bombarding them.

Jegulus and Wolfstar. Need I say more?

Effie and Walburga

Obviously, it's set in their time period (I've put them a couple of years ahead of Minnie, so they'd probably be in the same universe if you will). Effie and Walburga fall in love, really they do, but Walburga's twisted views drive them apart, and when she ends up being forced to marry her cousin anyway, Effie has to struggle to move on from the girl she once loved.

There will be a LOT of angst, but everything will because I can't write without angst 😔

Marauders' final year

Follows the Marauders and Co. through their seventh year of Hogwarts (Skittles in sixth) as everyone falls in love. And I mean literally EVERYONE.

Jegulus, Wolfstar, Dorlene, Rosekiller, Marylily, Gilderat??, Pandora/Xenophilius (do they have a name??).

Expect a lot of chaos, confusion, angst, and fluff.

Thanks for voting!!

[moutainrusing]

could you give me some dorlene fic recs where they're the main pairing? if you could find one where dorcas isn't a part of the death eaters but still supports the rest of her friends it would be great! or honestly any dorcas/the slytherin skittles centric fic because honestly i feel they're kind of underrated and overshadowed

also, thoughts on dorlily?? especially as academic rivals

dorlene-centric fic recs (read the tags for more in depth)

The Hand That Feeds (235586 words) by Rollercoasterwords

Every Lover's Game (166133 words) by greensenne

ever the loved (105081 words) by mytinyoceans

No Strings Attached (53729 words) by allthedeadgays

marlene mckinnon is not a coward. (6102 words) by AllThisAndLoveTooWillRuinUs

Hey Dorcas (13952 words) by moonymoment

our house on fire (22434 words) by vaindumbass

The Gryffindor “End of Bloody Sixth Year” Party (2668 words) by aryastark_valarmorghulis

seasons in desire (12159 words) by dykesiriusblack

Invisible String (138766 words) by a1phab3ts0up

The legacy of Marlene and her chipped tooth (2601 words) by riddenthestars

she wears short skirts (5289 words) by thelizbian

i was born for this (18697 words) by toulouser

snow and mistletoe (10363 words) by answerstobefound

Harry gets Decent Parental Figures™ in two chaotic lesbians who are willing to fight God and Albus Dumbledore (1575 words) by Phoebe_M_FB

Separate in death (11971 words) by EllaJernberg

wish upon a star (make it shine, make it true) (1436 words) by the_crownless_queen

Dancing With Our Hands Tied (67969 words) by lesbian4marlene

—

I’ve never read dorlily but that’s a shout, they’d be awesome academic rivals, they’ve both got the brains, they’re both competitive… woah I ship dorlily as academic rivals now, thanks :)

[violettavonviolet]

Long Harry Potter fic recs

I tend to revert back to ye olden ways whenever I'm stressed, so of course I've been going down a rabbit hole of increasingly longer Harry Potter fics. I found some hidden (and not so hidden) gems along the way, and I figured I'd rec them for everyone to enjoy.

Most are slash, some are gen, pairings vary but they are all harry centric!

Fics are completed and arranged by length, do send the authors some love! If you have a specific ship you want recs for, just message me, I probably have some!

The Best

say_no_more

Summary:

Cedric demands only the best of himself, and for himself. The best marks in school, the best position on the quidditch team, and the best reputation. When it's time for him to begin dating, he won't settle for less than the best partner, as well.

80k Cedric/Harry

Independent Study

SomewheresSword

Summary:

Dumbledore doesn't make it in time for Harry's trial, and the outcome is very different. Harry is expelled, his wand snapped.

But he refuses to give up. And he is done waiting around for Albus Dumbledore to give him information.

Deciding to take his life into his own hands, Harry asks for training from several Order members, preparing himself to fight Voldemort while the whole wizarding world believes he's helpless and back in the muggle world. 

Meanwhile, his friends are at Hogwarts, tackling their own problems in the form of Dolores Umbridge. Harry hadn't expected the separation to be so difficult - or for a certain mischievous redhead to make the waiting game they'd entered into so very excruciating. 

He might have lost his home in Hogwarts, but with Sirius and Remus around, Harry begins to learn that rebuilding a family isn't as hard as he'd anticipated.

144k George/Harry

Green & Gold

JessalynMichele

Summary:

Harry Potter is a traumatized war veteran in a body that won’t die and a mind that won’t rest.

Jasper Hale is intrigued by this new student who looks so vulnerable but sends off such overwhelming waves of angst.

Everyone else is just concerned.

Set post Battle of Hogwarts, starting in the summer before Bella Swans junior year.

144k Jasper Hale / Harry Potter twilight crossover

(this is a series, but the works are finished in themselves)

good night, darling

purplemineralwater

Summary:

"I can send you back. Not to your body, but to one many years ago. Harry, you must fix the natural order of Death, on my behalf."

Harry's breath faltered. It was all so confusing... Harry had died. He had died and spoken to Death and suddenly he was standing in Hogwarts, in 1942, and the Sorting Hat had just pronounced him Slytherin. Death had chuckled at that.

Tomarry 160k

 Digging for the Bones by Paganaidd

Paganaidd

Summary:

Rather than allowing Harry to stay at Diagon Alley after he blew up Aunt Marge, the Ministry sends Harry back to the Dursleys. Harry returns to school after a terrible summer, to find that he's not the only one with this kind of secret. A student has been killed by his family. New screening measures are put into place by the Ministry: Every student must be given a medical exam and interview to look for child abuse. With Dumbledore facing an inquiry, Snape is entrusted with the task of making sure EVERYONE receives one.

Answer to the "New measures for screening abuse" challenge at Potions and Snitches.

The first chapter contains a character death and the whole story is quite dark. It begins at the beginning of Prisoner of Azkaban and is AU thereafter. Also note: this story is a "Snape is Harry's biological dad" story. This is not supposed to be the central theme of the story, but people have gotten annoyed that I didn't tell them at the beginning.

200k severitus

The Fourth Horseman

NinjaPandaScholar

Summary:

If anyone's due an identity crisis, it's Harry Potter...especially if he's not really a Potter...and possibly not able to die...yeah, it's been a rough few years...maybe life. Running from his problems and grief sounds like a great idea, becoming a hunter might be fun, too bad it just so happens to be the apocalypse. George is certain this is all just Harry's luck and along for the insane ride and the wonderful distraction. Dean and Sam Winchester are exceptionally confused about why two random Brits are following them around now, and why hasn't anyone seen a single omen for the Fourth Horseman of the apocalypse, Death?

Castiel/Harry supernatural crossover 200k

The Medium Between Life and Death

 NinjaPandaScholar

Summary:

There were very few things in Harry Potter's life that he was certain of. There was one absolute certainty though; he'd felt it in his bones for as long as he could remember. He, Harry Potter, was dead. The living people around him might not believe, but the dead sure did. Oh well, it doesn't impact his life much. Besides, it's nice to get help with his schoolwork from his parents.

250k Cedric/Harry

All Hail the Dark Lord, Or Something Idiotic Like That

NinjaPandaScholar

Summary:

Harry Potter had a plan...it wasn't a very good plan, but at least it was simple.

Step 1: Don't die from the insanely difficult ritual

Step 2: Cause as much chaos to the timeline as possible before getting killed and/or arrested

As it goes, it was really simple...until it became clear he wasn't traveling back in time alone. Now the whole plan has to change.

Step 1: Don't die from the ritual

Step 2: Kill off current Dark Lord

Step 3: Establish following to become new Dark Lord

Step 4: Overthrow Ministry

Step 5: Cause as much chaos to the timeline as possible

Step 6: Keep boyfriend alive and not mad at him

It was a work in progress, but plans hadn't worked out well for Harry in the past regardless. Oh well, it's not like he could make things worse...

270k Percy/Harry

Harry Potter and the Welcome to the World of Grey

sobsicles

Summary:

When Harry fails to keep his anger at bay and Voldemort possesses his mind, the events that follow lead him down a long road to realizing the world isn't as black and white as it seems. 

Chaos, hilarity, and tragedy ensue with a Dark Lord being honest all the time, a rival becoming something else, and a world demanding to be saved. Featuring frightened Death Eaters, deep conversations with a monster, Pureblood traditions being ridiculous, and the fight to do the right thing with no true options. 

Harry's life just gets more and more bizarre with each passing moment. 

~~~

Or, the one where Harry's life gets split in half, and he has to figure out how to bring it back together.

450k Drarry

A Very Slytherin Harry

Creator:

geoffaree

Blaise/Harry 630 k not complete but finished in itself series

[hogwartslegacyreactions2]

biased as always, the number one Anne Stan, ofc i gotta christen this returned account with my girl <3

hlc react to mc developing a crush on anne? from the consistent visits to feldcroft to the occasional outing that mc can take her on, it’s obvious they’re growing to be a little more than friends…

A/N: Anne Sallow simping content coming right up lol

HLC REACT TO MC CRUSHING ON ANNE SALLOW

It all started the day Sebastian introduced MC to her. Even with her tired eyes, they were enraptured by her sweet voice and good nature despite being in such pain. Even if Anne was convinced there was no real help for her, MC was determined to make life just a bit more enjoyable.

At first, It was letters with little gifts. Those turned into visits without Sebastian tailing them. Eventually, sneaking Anne out of the house for some "fresh air." Even without Sebastian around, her uncle was rather unpleasant. Always hovering, to the point of being overbearing.

Their most memorable date outing by far has to have been when MC offered to fly her up the hill on their broom to overlook Feldcroft. She sat sidesaddle on the handle in front of MC and she held on to them as they gently glided up into the air. MC struggled to focus on where they were going having her so close.

So close in fact, that if MC hadn't been so distracted, maybe they would have heard the faint but distinctive whisper of ancient magic coming from the scar on her side.

SEBASTIAN SALLOW: He gets suspicious when MC starts asking too many Anne centric questions. Then he gets REAL suspicious when he walked in on MC and Anne playing wizard's chess. He hadn't announced that he was going, so he was shocked to see MC with his sister alone.

Protective Brother™ mode activated. What were they playing at? His sister had enough to deal with right now, she didn't need MC drooling all over her. He doesn't fall for any of MC's excuses, no one visits Anne more than he does, not even her old school friends. There was no way MC's intentions were "just being friendly".

He keeps an eagle eye out for MC. If he can't find them anywhere, he goes straight to Feldcroft to break up the fraternizing. Anne will have to tell him off multiple times.

OMINIS GAUNT: He doesn't know this is going on until Anne casually mentions it in her letters. This....he struggles with this. Anne is very special to him. They'd been close since first year, she was one of his first and few friends and now she...she seems so...taken by MC.

He wrestles with his own pride and self loathing. He should have said something sooner. He should have told her how much he....it didn't matter now. MC was braver. She doesn't deserve a coward like him anyway. He's happy she's happy. That's all that matters...right?

IMELDA REYES: She knew Anne. They were on the Slytherin quidditch team together before Anne fell ill. She reads about Anne and MC in letters and snorts. She advises Anne to not be so quick to admire MC, they aren't that amazing.

NATSAI ONAI: She finds it absolutely adorable. MC always thinks of Anne, constantly asking her if Anne will like what they've found or bought. Even asks for advice, not that she knows much about relationships, but she tries her best.

GARRETH WEASLEY: He gets nosey, seeing MC almost always nose deep in a letter that smells floral with a touch of birch. He'll poke fun that they're infatuated with their special pen pal and not so subtly imply that he has the perfect potion in mind if they want to speed things along. *Wink*

LEANDER PREWETT: Anne who? Sebastian's sister? Pfffft, good luck with that. Sebastian is a bulldog when it comes to family. Very protective, almost possessive.

AMIT THAKKAR: He first realizes that MC is acting strange when they started daydreaming heavily in class. Even in the more interesting classes. What's got them all starry-eyed and distracted from learning? ....he should have known. A girl.

EVERETT CLOPTON: He hears about it second hand from someone else who heard MC and Sebastian going at it over MC seeing Anne without supervision. Rumors spread like wildfire, especially when the arguably most interesting person at Hogwarts apparently developed a crush on Sallow's sister and was sneaking around with her. Made for very juicy gossip.

POPPY SWEETING: She hears about it through the rumor mill as well and tells MC to fly in on a hippogriff next time. That always impresses the ladies, trust her on this.

ANNE SALLOW: MC brought some color back into her life. They wanted to know all about her, they showered her with gifts, and would come to see her even without reason. She caught on fast that MC fancied her and she had fun playing coy.

Oh, MC wants to know what she likes for her birthday? What an odd, totally random question. MC has been staring at her for the last five minutes, not realizing she's stopped talking, how interesting. She loved pointing out MC's blatantly odd behavior and watching them fluster within an inch of their life. It's the Slytherin in her, she thinks it's funny.

When MC starts asking for more private outings, that's when she really starts to feel special. MC was willing to accommodate her in any way she needed. If she grew exhausted from a walk, they would carry her back. If she was having a particularly rough day with the curse, they'd tend to her hand and a foot, almost fussing as much as Sebastian. Almost.

The time MC flew her up the hill to the lookout, she felt herself falling, in the figurative sense. MC may have fallen for her first, but she fell harder. Holding on to them as they flew, she couldn't take her eyes off their face. She almost kissed them. She didn't, however, miss the fact that her scar hurt a lot less that day.

[severus-snaps]

so I’ve been rereading the books to get the tiny snippets of Snape that don't often get brought up

but so far I’ve only read up to Harry meeting Ron on the Hogwarts Express. Although Snape has yet to be introduced I keep thinking about how similar Snape and Harry were in a lot of ways - and how different - even at the early stages. 

so this is a mostly snape-centric ramble about Harry and Sev's similarities and differences, and what they might have meant for a young Sev during his time as a child, his family, his trip to Diagon Alley, his scene on the Hogwarts Express, and what all of that might mean for his experience of being in Slytherin in his early years

Pre Hogwarts

This started as a ramble, but I’ve decided to organise it slightly - this is difficult as Harry and Snape have slightly different circumstances that are similar in some ways but different in others, so I’ve just gone back to basics for each section here

Similarities

Both are young wizards about to go to Hogwarts 

Both come from unhappy homes

Both cannot wait to go to Hogwarts/escape their ‘family home’

Both have displayed unintentional magic as children

Both as children are in ill-fitting clothes, have poor haircuts (even if Harry's grows back; Sev’s apparently does not), and are scrawny and/or small. Sev is described as looking at odds with James ("conspicuously lacked" looking well-cared-for and adored, which I suspect would also apply to Harry, if the series wasn't half in Harry's POV). 

Depending on whether you take the mistreatment and neglect literally from PS or in a more Roald Dahl-eque way in which I suspect it was initially written, Harry did not have a happy home life until this point, and neither did Snape (a witch ‘cowering’ from a Muggle and Sev’s jacket despite the heat and the Pottermore article suggest and/or state physical abuse in addition to neglect)

As far as we’re aware, Snape is not used as a servant/slave within his own home

Differences

One of the main ways Harry and Sev differ would obviously be magical knowledge; Sev knows he is a wizard, knows a lot about the wizarding world - but Harry does not

Snape is not orphaned; he has both parents (for better or for worse), where Harry has none, unless you count the Dursleys

Both Harry and Sev are obviously neglected, but Harry is neglected intentionally

Harry is intentionally excluded, neglected and ignored - but Sev’s neglect seems less intentional and more… ‘the way of things’

Sev's family are so poor and/or neglectful that Sev doesn't have his own clothes (context clues like living in a dilapidated, small house in an old industrial area suggest they just don't have the option)

Sev’s family either has no inclination or ability to amend Tobias' clothes instead of Eileen's, and/or don’t have any family friends to borrow/take hand-me-down clothes from; they are his parents’ clothes. Harry is ‘fortunate’ in that he has Dudley to take clothes from. The obvious outcome being here that otherwise he’d be wearing Vernon’s old coat and Petunia’s blouse)

Harry is raised in a middle-class home with a reasonable enough income. He gets pocket money (probably paltry and inconsistent: “The Dursleys haven’t given me pocket money for about six years”, CoS) can sneak out and eat at night, get cake (however gross) from his neighbour as she tells him about her cats. He eats with the Dursleys, plays with Dudley's toys if he's left alone, and gets gifts (even if they are pathetic). Harry’s neglect is wilful - and malicious

I get the idea that the Snape family are so poor and so unhappy that their neglect isn't even intentional, it's just how their lives are. they're steeped in it, living in a dilapidated area, poor, in an unhappy and volatile marriage

Sev is described, even as an adult, as being skinny - so maybe that's just how he's wired - but maybe (almost certainly given the other context clues and the era) he's also underfed as a kid

If we reach into parallels with the other 'abandoned boy' (voldemort), sev's mum was possibly similar to merope gaunt - unhappy, and either unwilling or unable to use magic to defend herself or sev against tobias (this conjecture is all from hazy memory; obviously i haven't read that far yet).

Overall ideas:

Neither Sev nor Harry have warm family figures. Far from Molly's checking that her gaggle are in order on platform 9 3/4 the Dursleys leave Harry there alone - and Eileen doesn't seem that bothered when Sev is about to leave (nor does he seem that bothered that he's about to leave her - he's more interested in Lily). But Snape’s lack of familial closeness seems a consequence of their situation, rather than an intentional choice, as it was with the Dursleys and Harry.

Sev (unlike Harry) doesn't really know 'how the other half live' - as far as we can tell, he has no access to the average family dynamic of the Dursleys (and they do seem happy with one another, they love Dudley, and would be living their 'ordinary' dream life if Harry wasn't there to complicate it). To add to that, I get the idea that Sev genuinely doesn't really understand why Lily likes (or loves) Petunia; he has no concept of why a family member’s opinion might count. There's not much love to lose in his family, and like Harry, he can’t wait to leave - there’s nothing holding him back. 

Unlike Harry who doesn’t know anything yet, Snape knows he's a wizard and has known all his life. He knows a lot about the wizarding world, either from his mother or her books; he tells Lily about it. Sev loves (as Harry comes to love) magic, and what it represents: escape, freedom, control over his life - and a certain amount of positive attention and interest from Lily which he is so clearly lacking elsewhere. 

But (sort of like Harry), his house at Spinner's End doesn't seem like the sort of place where magic was used like The Burrow, for example, or Malfoy Manor where Draco already flies ("doesn't your dad like magic?"; he’s alone in his room shooting down flies). It’s also not apparently used for defence/retaliation by his mother, if the shouting scene with Sev's father is any indication.

But (un)intentionally, depending on how you interpret Sev's actions with Petunia and the branch, Sev has displayed magic when he was angry or afraid, much like most magical children - and much like Harry.

Harry's examples are ‘sweeter’ at that age, on the whole: he shrinks an ugly jumper, grows his hair back, and jumps/flies on a roof, and removes glass from a snake enclosure in a comical scene. Sev drops a branch on someone, and they are genuinely upset and leave. (Some of this might be to do with the lighter tone of the earlier books as well).

Seeing as Petunia was fine enough to run away after the event and Lily stays friends with him, it can't have been an enormous branch. Sev seems guilty, so I'm certain that whilst he did want to retaliate (and for something to happen to Petunia), I'm not certain that he actually intended it to (or perhaps he did; I wouldn't blame him. I also really enjoy the idea that he's in control of his magic enough to cause it on purpose; I get the idea he's quite powerful, because of his learning to fly unsupported later in his life, which is no mean feat by this universe's rules, and his skills in wandless magic like Legi/Occlumency, spell creation, etc). [side note: that then opens up a can of worms for me bc how powerful is Lily if she can float/fly at nine, Harry can either Apparate or float/fly in primary school, at presumably a similar age - but those were accidental, brief 'flights' I suppose compared to Voldemort and Snape showing sustained flight during the battle of seven potters and jumping out of a Hogwarts window and flying away - but i digress).

So, while Harry’s no doormat, Severus is possibly more spiteful and reactive at that age; he's defiant when he drops a branch on Petunia, he's shooting down flies when he gets his wand, he's making disparaging noises to James, he's accusing Petunia of spying, and all of the other things people say to suggest he's always been a terrible person. I think, given the glimpses into a stressful, poverty-stricken and loveless home, possibly also abusive, that's essentially all he knows when threatened. Harry seems overwhelmingly polite to Hagrid in early PS - but then Hagrid has always been kind and almost reverential, which in turn would affect how a person responds. We mainly see Sev respond to Petunia in a similar context, and he’s nice enough to Lily, if a bit awkward and lacking in Harry’s politeness. 

I can see Sev, with his more ‘prickly’ upbringing, being more like Tom here in the same situation of not knowing he was a wizard - and acting more like ‘I knew I was special’ than ‘no, sorry, you’ve got the wrong guy’. But again, that might be because of the intersection of his personality and his upbringing - Harry, too, was defiant and neglected, though I get the feeling Sev’s general situation was more violent somehow, so it could’ve gone either way.

Diagon Alley

The next place where Harry and Sev's differences would be readily apparent would be in Diagon Alley. This is less about their similarities vs differences and more of a series of general rambles and speculation. 

Would Snape have even gone to Diagon? By which I mean, would he wear his mother's old robes to school, or get new ones? Did he have her old books? Would she have saved them for 11+ years? (books, maybe; robes, possibly not).

Assuming Sev went to Diagon, as all/most young Wizards do, I imagine that despite Sev knowing about magical culture he's rarely actually seen it in action because of my point above about his father not liking magic/anything much and his mother not using magic to defend herself - so he’s definitely not seen it on that scale. He'd be every bit as blown away as Harry was by the wonders of Diagon Alley, the shops, the brooms, the pets, the books - because his dream is finally coming true! He's on his way to Hogwarts!  

…Until it came to the buying. Young Sev has no vault overflowing with gold. He has no option to realistically contemplate buying a solid gold cauldron like Harry does, even if he might like to. He probably doesn't get a pet as a lovely going away (or in Harry's case, birthday) gift from a parental figure, and there’s no mention of a pet when Sev’s on Platform 9 ¾. Eileen would have had to save, or keep some money back/hidden, for all of that, given the state of his home and Muggle clothes.

tangent: by the time they reach the train, and even in diagon itself, sev is more of a ron than a harry. but how poor is the weasley family really if they always get plenty to eat and a lovely large home and all of their school supplies and brooms at home for so many kids on a single income, even if most stuff is secondhand? maybe i'm just biased bc I grew up poor and it was just me and mum and stuff Just Was secondhand, it's not the end of the world even if ron's embarrassed by it.

it's suggested in later books that ron's never (or rarely) owned a galleon. seven galleons then (assuming the prices are similar in sev's generation) seems a lot then for a wand; 9 galleons for a new book (advanced potion making apparently cost that, HBP); possibly it was eileen's own old book, and I know the curriculum doesn't change much if harry's still using it and the book was printed in the 50s, but in CoS, with lockhart's book(s), and the weasleys talking, suggest they'd have to have bought at least a few new books each year, so we can assume sev would need to do the same and otherwise he’d be borrowing old books. not to mention the potions ingredients, the robes, etc. I assume Sev got his own wand but what if he used his mother's old one (especially if she didn’t use it much - which would be nice/interesting, as another parallel where he takes predominantly after/aligns more strongly with his mother/female figures which was discussed in several other metas).

The other thing that struck me was that Harry wanted to buy a book of curses and jinxes (Curses and Counter-Curses: Bewitch your friends and befuddle your enemies!) for use on Dudley, but Hagrid dissuaded him - much like how Sev was described as knowing "more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year" and maybe might want to curse his father and/or Petunia, but certainly learnt to curse the Marauders at a later stage.

The scene with Draco and Harry at Madam Malkin’s was also interesting to me when drawing conclusions for Sev. When comparing Harry’s experience on the Hogwarts Express to the robe shop, I’m curious how it would’ve differed or been the same. 

At Madam Malkin’s, Draco sees what he would’ve seen in Sev: a boy, small for his age, in hand-me-downs, with possibly weird hair - and Draco attempts to chat with him. 

Draco here, to an extent, represents any Malfoy (as we know, Lucius befriended Sev), and indeed any Pureblood, in the same situation - a boy raised in a wealthy magical family, with all of the experience of magic and privilege that comes with it. He wants a racing broom, he’s practically bored of magic, none of this is special. But it is special to Harry, and it’s special to Sev; it’s their lifeline and their escape. I’m not sure how much Sev would’ve appreciated or wanted to emulate that bored, over it attitude; on the one hand ‘no foolish wand-waving’ indicates that to an extent he’s not impressed with showy magic for the sake of it, on the other, he’s the Half Blood Prince. He’s done plenty of foolish wand-waving in his time, and finds it fascinating. 

Back to the conversation with Draco. Like Harry, Sev would not have played Quidditch (he can’t fly intuitively in the brief memory we see, being more akin to someone like Hermione or Neville in that regard); he would likely not have a broom already. He’s critical of ‘big Quidditch heroes’ - or is he jealous? He certainly enjoys Quidditch enough to have a rivalry with McGonagall, and that might be another part to why he ended up disliking James - maybe he really was jealous of James’ skill on the Quidditch pitch.

Then, Draco discusses houses. Here there’d be a slight difference between Sev and Harry - Harry has no idea, really, what house he’d be in - he doesn’t even know what the houses are. But Sev wants to be a Slytherin, he knows that already. Possibly because his mother was, furthering their similarities/alignment? It does seem to generally run in families, what with James “Gryffindor like my dad” Potter, Sirius “my whole family have been in Slytherin but maybe I’ll break the tradition” Black, and Draco “I know I’ll be in Slytherin because all of my family have been” Malfoy and, of course, the whole host of Weasleys). 

So, wanting to be in Slytherin would be a point in Sev’s favour, as far as the Malfoys were concerned, and wanting it (and possibly having a family member already in Slytherin) would be useful in that context, too, obviously.

But how would Sev react at this point to Draco’s personality? Harry is reminded of Dudley, and I’m not sure we have enough evidence to say whether Sev had someone similar in his life who bullied him (what his father did I would argue went far beyond bullying, and would be a much different dynamic). But Petunia would possibly have acted as a stand-in here, either as herself, or as a representation of the other Muggles in the area who knew ‘that Snape’ family from the poor address, for the reason of why Sev was otherwise friendless. I don’t think it’s a leap to imagine that Sev was unpopular with the other local kids.

Draco goes on to ask Harry whether his parents were “our kind” - to which Sev has a more ‘undesirable’ answer than Harry, because one of his parents was a Muggle. Draco talks of servants, and Sev probably wouldn’t have the same irritable reaction to that, as we don’t see any implication that he was treated in that way by his parents, unlike Harry. But also unlike Harry, Snape would be there with his witch mother (and not a “savage”), and knew about Hogwarts already. Unlike Harry, Snape might have been considered by Draco/the Malfoys/Purebloods as “the other sort” - the child of non-magical people. Draco asks for Harry’s surname, presumably to check whether he was of suitable stock (which Snape, with a Muggle surname, wouldn’t be).

Perhaps Sev would’ve similarly hated the snotty, biased, spoilt brat attitude.

Or perhaps, in this situation, he’d aspire to be like the Malfoys - to become the snotty, spoilt type. To be the bully, instead of the victim. Sev did eventually befriend the Malfoys, after all - but how much of that was an immediate friendship (unlikely, at that point, as Malfoy was older and what ~16yo wants to regularly hang out with an 11yo). We see that he’s possibly headed that way by 5th/6th year by aligning with Mulciber and Avery, but that was a new enough development that Lily commented on it at that point - but at this early stage, it’s made clear that Sev is ‘the victim’ of the bully, or the underdog, like Harry - and someone like Draco probably wouldn’t have thought much of him. (James and Sirius certainly didn’t, though not for these same exact reasons).

The Hogwarts Express

And finally, on the train. Harry has experienced celebrity in glimpses by now, at the Leaky Cauldron and at Ollivander’s - but it’s on the train and the platform where everyone from the Weasleys to Draco wants to gawk and/or befriend him.

I’ve said already that by the time they reach the train, and even in Diagon itself, Sev is more of a Ron than a Harry. Harry knows what it is to have hand-me-downs and not be able to afford anything, but that’s Sev’s continued existence unless his family suddenly won the lottery. And whilst Harry bought a heap of sweets and got a delightful new friend in Ron, Sev and Lily were (as discussed above) compelled to leave his cabin because of James and Sirius… just as Harry was interrupted by Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. But it’s James who overhears Sev and interrupts and then says, practically word-for-word, what Draco does in Madam Malkins’ (James’ “Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?” vs Draco’s “Imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?”). Now, Sev does this too, to an extent, making a small disparaging noise at James too for wanting to be in Gryffindor like his dad (to me, another hint that Sev wants to be in Slytherin because of his mum). But that was after James had already interrupted Sev’s conversation with Lily; otherwise, Sev was content to keep to himself.

And Draco is hounding Harry for opposite reasons. Draco is attempting to ‘befriend’ Harry. Harry is a ‘desirable’ connection - he’s rich, famous, of a good wizarding name, and if adult Snape’s speech to Bellatrix is any indication, possibly considered a ‘powerful dark wizard’ around which Voldemort’s followers could rally. He’s ‘got it all’. By comparison, Snape is undesirable - he has all of Harry’s social setbacks - he looks poor, he is poor, he’s raised by Muggles and has immediate Muggle heritage, he probably wasn’t raised with extensive/overly frequent magic use, and is a bit weird looking in general - and he has none of Harry’s desirable traits like a good name, reputation, money, family, or connections. “Prince” is not a famous name by the time Harry is in school, and given wizard lifespans, they probably weren’t a big name a generation ago, either. All Sev has is knowledge of the wizarding world, which might fool or impress someone like Draco for a bit. But it’s implied that Draco believes there’s a fundamental difference in how Muggleborns/those with Muggle families are raised compared to ‘true’ wizarding families (and there really is). But Sev was raised in a Muggle area, likely not using magic or being an active part of the culture since he’s so starved for someone magical to talk to - and he’s shortly going to be in a wizarding school, where Sev’s second hand knowledge (from his mother) essentially becomes inconsequential anyway.

All in all, Draco simply wouldn’t bother, if this were a different universe. And Lucius (and others in Slytherin) probably asked all of the necessary vetting questions that Malfoy did over the course of the time in the robe shop and on the train, and reached the same conclusion: Snape wasn’t worth their time. That is, until he proved himself an adept wizard, some time later in school. (To be clear if I haven’t already: Draco is just a stand-in in this ramble for general Pureblood/Slytherin beliefs, asking the sorts of questions and acting in ways that reflect those values).

What that all means is that Snape continued to face the everyday challenges that were essentially eliminated from Harry’s life once he reached Hogwarts; challenges which would’ve had greater impact in a house like Slytherin which has a reputation for blood purity and wizarding supremacy, and many people in it who hail from rich, well-connected Pureblood families who probably are all, one way or another, related by blood or marriage anyway. Lucius was a Prefect by the time Sev got to Hogwarts, and I think Draco became one, and those sorts of attitudes were shared by Draco’s Slytherin peers and not outliers. 

Some more conjecture now: I think it’s safe to say that instead of the jocular vibe of the Gryffindor common room, an unofficial but unquestioned hierarchy would inevitably develop in Slytherin and its members would be expected to fall in line. Much like how Crabbe and Goyle followed Draco, and Pansy and Blaise etc followed Draco’s lead, I expect most of Sev’s peers would be expected to fall in line under Lucius and later authority figures as well - to keep the peace in their fancy aristocratic families, to keep the peace in their dorms, and in the real world, with a war going on and Voldemort practically recruiting from the Slytherin common room. It would’ve benefitted Sev to keep his head down in these conditions, to join in, to butter up - because unlike Harry, Sev would’ve had to work hard to make friends (being generally awkward and ‘undesirable’ as a friend by Draco/Slytherin standards). Nobody from Slytherin came to his aid in SWM, possibly because of those reasons and/or because he’d spent years being openly friends with Lily who was a Gryffindor and a Muggleborn (and thus also undesirable).

Anyway none of this is news and I have no conclusion, I just had thoughts 

[starsandsunkissed]

My Fics (Harry Potter)

Cleaved (AO3 links to the series, Cleaved II is currently in-progress)

Genre: Friendship/Adventure

AO3 link | FFN link

Series Summary: By all rights, the story of Holly Potter and Alex Kann should have ended when they parted ways at age 11. Their destinies lay in different worlds: witch and Muggle; magic and science; Scotland and London. Then Alex came up with the idea of selling potions to Muggles. Their waning bond is revived, but can it last while running a nascent illegal business, the challenges of school and new relationships? Fem!Harry, Time-shifted AU, Pre-Hogwarts, Years 2-4.

Cleaved II Summary:

After a death-defying end to her second year at Hogwarts, Holly returns to find an increasingly distant Alex, the chasm between Muggle and Witch becoming ever greater despite her efforts.

On her return to school, Holly attempts to hold on to her waning friendship. Pulling this off will take all her effort, however, with everything else going on. Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban. Eternal Elixirs becomes ever popular with the Muggle world. And why does Hermione seem to vanish at random? Time-shifted AU, Year 3

✨More details ✨

Set in an AU that's moved closer to the present, Fem!Harry makes a friend at the age of seven. This Muggle friend has a Squib mother and she learns magic and the Wizarding world sooner than canon. The family has secrets of their own that she's not privy to, and it's all about Holly and Alex trying to maintain their unlikely friendship while running a "potions for Muggles" business.

This fic was inspired by a number of ideas: ones where wizards secretly sell magical items to Muggles, Harry/Muggle OC fics (and the lack of Fem!Harry/Muggle fics), Squib/Squib discrimination fics a la The Second String, fics where a witch or wizard (Muggle-born or half-blood) befriend Muggles in childhood, but instead of bailing on them at 11, they're let in on the secret, and a few more to be revealed. Starts the summer after 2nd year with flashbacks to pre-Hogwarts events.

Also inspired in part by: A Wizard's Guide to 'Banking', What E'er Therein is Promised by Deeble (formerly on Ashwinder), The (incomplete) Roman Holiday trilogy by Anna (Mainly Jewel of the Nile and Last Tango in Paris - formerly on witchfics).

💫Other Harry Potter long fics (all rated T)💫:

A Date With Destiny

Genre: Angst/Adventure

AO3 | FFN

Summary: After awakening from a magical coma to discover his best friends now dating, Ronald Weasley sets out to forge his own path, discovering who he is by discovering who he isn't. Ron-centric fic, starts HHr, final pairings undecided.

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A Grangerous Adventure

AO3 | FFN

Genre: Parody/Romance

Summary: Even when you're the brightest witch of your age like Hermione, some things are beyond your control. Keeping Harry alive and away from the Weasleys while maintaining her Prefect status is no easy task, and that's before a certain Weasley starts sneaking around with a Slytherin… Crack/Parody, H/Hr pairing. 5th-year subplot.

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Tale of a Weasley Tail 🧜

Genre: Action/Adventure

AO3 only

Summary: After the events of Ron’s second year, the Weasleys go to Australia instead of Egypt. When a series of events leave Ron alone on Mako Island, and his only way out is through a shimmering pool on a full moon night, well…

He always wanted to stand out, didn’t he?

Merman!Ron, AU after second year. Fusion with H2O: Just Add Water. Slow updates.

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Harry Potter ONE-SHOTS:

The Only Normal One:

Mr and Mrs Dursley of Number Four Privet Drive were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

That’s what Mr Vernon Dursley had thought.

Vernon Dursley's thoughts after a worldwide alien invasion where he realizes that he's the only perfectly normal one. Set in the Cleaved Universe. ONE-SHOT.

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(Not) According to Plan:

After Voldemort is defeated the summer before their 6th year, Hermione believes she and Harry will be together for life…but this wasn't quite what she had in mind.

A Harmony fic that subverts and deconstructs the standard tropes associated with the pairing. Not for hardcore shippers.

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Birthday Gifts:

Holly gets Ron a present for his fourteenth birthday. Set in the 'Cleaved' universe. Fem!Harry/Ron.

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Changes:

The thoughts of an old wizard in a changing world. ONE-SHOT. AU. OCs. Fem!Harry

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Teleportation Technology:

A short conversation between a Wizard bartender and Muggle patron. Has a few clichés. Set Post-Epilogue. OCs. ONE-SHOT

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Broken:

AU HBP. In where Ron decides his dignity is more important than a date with Hermione. A short one-shot based off a Reddit comment by Bleepbloopbotz2, and a post by jakky567.

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[xoxmaii]

Ripple Effect | Chapter 1

Word Count: 3.3K (I'm so sorry). Summary: When Cho Chang unexpectedly starts dating Harry Potter, a cascade of turmoil ignites, threatening to throw Y/N Selwyn’s life out of control. As Cho’s once-supportive nature fades, Y/N is forced to confront the dark secrets from her past that start resurfacing with alarming clarity. With darkness and ominous plans lurking in the shadows, Y/N unexpectedly rekindles old bonds of friendship and finds allies within Slytherin, including an enigmatic, aloof sixth-year, Theodore Nott.

A/N: If you enjoy my writing, I will leave my tellonym link so you can leave a comment on my wall! Hope you enjoy my work. All constructive criticism is encouraged! ♡

Y/N Selwyn knew Cho Chang like she knew the back of her hand. Her laughter was a melody that danced through the corridors of Hogwarts, brightening even the gloomiest of days. Once, that laughter was a soundtrack to their shared secrets and late-night conversations, echoing in the quiet corners of the library. But now, it seemed to echo in a different tune—one that revolved around Harry Potter, the annoyingly perfect Quidditch seeker whose mere presence made the air crackle with energy.

As the Hogwarts Expressed chugged along, Y/N Selwyn settled into the familiar compartment, her heart light with the hope of reconnecting with her friends. She had imagined this moment—a chance to catch up with Cho and Luna, to share stories and laughter that would wash away the worries of the past few weeks. But as she glanced at Cho, who sat entranced by Harry’s enthusiastic recounting of Quidditch matches from over the holidays, Y/N felt her hopes shatter like a crystal orb dropped from a great height, splintering into a million pieces.

Harry was in full form, his green eyes alight with excitement as he animatedly described a particularly thrilling game he’d attended. “And then there was this incredible save by the Keeper!” he exclaimed, his hands gesturing wildly. “You should have seen it! It was brilliant! I can’t believe you missed it, Cho!”

Y/N could practically see the stars in Cho’s eyes as she leaned forward, hanging on every word. It was as if the rest of the world faded away, leaving just the two of them in their own little bubble. Y/N’s stomach churned with annoyance, not just at Harry but at herself for feeling so left out. Why did Quidditch have to be the center of Cho’s universe now? Moreover, why couldn’t she be like her friend, having Quidditch be the center of her universe?

Luna, seated beside Y/N, was blissfully unfazed, her dreamy expression indicating she was somewhere far removed from the conversation. She occasionally interjected with a curious thought or observation about a peculiar plant she had encountered, but it only added to Y/N’s sense of isolation. It felt like a cruel joke; what she had envisioned as a friendly reunion had turned into a Quidditch Fan club meeting, and she hadn’t even gotten the memo.

Just as Y/N was about to voice her frustration, the compartment door swung open, and Cormac McLaggen strolled in, his boisterous laugh revibrating off the walls. Y/N’s heart sank. Great. Harry’s best friend was there to join the party. “Hey, mate!” he called out, flinging an arm around Harry’s shoulders with an ease that made Y/N’s blood boil. “I heard you were chatting about Quidditch! What’s the latest gossip?” Y/N rolled her eyes, feeling the walls of the compartment close in around her. Cormac’s presence felt like an unwelcome intrusion, his loud personality clashing with her growing irritation. It was as if the universe conspired against her, forcing her to endure this Quidditch-centric conversation that she had no interest in. Did anyone even notice her discomfort? Had she read her tea leaves so wrong that morning, thinking she was going to have a great train ride back to Hogwarts? Or even worse, a great fifth-year?

“Harry,” Cho suddenly whispered, glancing at Y/N with concern. Y/N caught the worried look on her face, but it quickly faded as Cho leaned closer to Harry, her voice a mere murmur. Y/N strained to hear but only caught fragments of Cho’s words. Harry’s smirk deepened, and Y/N felt a spike of irritation as he shot a mischievous glance her way.

“Cormac!” Harry called, turning his attention to his friend, “What do you think about setting Y/N up with you? I mean, you could use a nice girl in your life.”

Cormac burst into laughter, clearly thinking Harry was pulling his leg, “What? Who’s Y/N?” He looked around as if expecting Y/N to pop out behind a curtain.

Y/N’s jaw tightened. If her grandfather, Bertram Selwyn, had not disowned her from her last name just before entering Hogwarts, she wouldn’t have to endure this mockery. Instead, she was just another face in the crowd, an outsider among her so-called friends. The weight of that realization settled heavily on her chest.

Just as she was about to defend herself and put Cormac in his place, the sweet old lady with the trolley appeared in the doorway, her cart laden with treats. Y/N’s mind fluttered for a moment, her mouth watered with the idea of a pumpkin pie, and her annoyance and irritation melted away as she stood up and approached the doorway. “I could really use a pumpkin pie right now,” she almost said in a sob, rummaging her pockets for the sac of coins. “Excuse me, dear,” the lady said, smiling warmly. “I’m afraid the last pumpkin pie just went to that redhead down the hall.” Y/N’s heart sank once more, a familiar weight settling in her chest as she leaned against the doorway of the compartment, her fingers curling around the frame. Through the glass, the rhythmic chugging of the train filled the air, punctuated by laughter and chatter echoing the corridors. “Is that…?” Y/N squinted, her pulse quickening as a flash of red hair caught her eye. Harry leaned closer; his curiosity piqued. He followed her gaze, his expression shifting from playful to intrigued, “The redhead?” he murmured, a teasing lilt in his voice. “Ron Weasley,” Y/N confirmed, her voice barely above a whisper as if saying his name too loudly might shatter the moment. She watched, her heart racing, as Ron ambled down the aisle, oblivious to the attention he was attracting.

A smirk danced across Harry’s lips, and he leaned back against the wall, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Looks like he got lucky today,” he said casually, a hint of amusement threading through his tone.

“Lucky?” Y/N raised an eyebrow, her stomach turning at the look of Harry’s face. Harry chuckled softly, glancing back at her before turning his attention to Ron again. “I should pay him a visit,” he added, his voice dropping with playful sarcasm. Stretching his arms, he started sauntering down the corridor towards the redhead, “Hey, Weasley!” he called out, plucking the pumpkin pie right out of Ron’s hand without a second thought.

“Harry!” Ron protested, his voice rising in exasperation as he attempted to snatch the pumpkin pie back. “What are you doing? That’s mine!”

Harry simply smirked, holding the pie aloft like a trophy, his green eyes sparkling with mischief. “Relax, Weasley. It’s just a pie,” he said, feigning innocence. He turned to Y/N, pie still in hand, his grin widening like a cat that caught a mouse. “You’re welcome,” he said with mock sincerity, holding the pie out towards her. Y/N stared at him in disbelief, her heart racing with frustration. The way Harry toyed with Ron was infuriating; it was as if he took delight in making him squirm. “You can’t just take things from people!” she finally blurted, her voice sharper than intended, but Harry only laughed, dismissing her anger like a mere annoyance. “Come on, Y/N,” he coaxed, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “It’s just a little pie. You’d make a much better use of it than Ron, anyway.” With a flick of his wrist, he shoved the pie closer to her, challenging her to take it. “Right, Ron? You wouldn’t want to deny Y/N a taste treat, would you?”

Ron’s face flushed crimson as he sputtered, “I—no! It’s not fair, Harry! I got it first!”

“Too bad, Weasley. You snooze, you lose,” Harry taunted, clearly reveling in the redhead’s embarrassment. With a swift motion, he turned back to Y/N, his expression a mix of arrogance and amusement. “Here, just take it. I’d hate to see you go hungry.” He thrust the pie directly into her hand as if it were a price.

Y/N felt the weight of the pie settle in her palms, but it felt heavy with humiliation rather than delight. She couldn’t believe Harry would stoop so low, bullying Ron just for a laugh. She wanted to throw it back at him, to call him out for his behavior, but her voice caught in her throat, stifled by a mix of anger and confusion.

As she wrestled with her frustration, her eyes caught Pansy’s eyes, which were briefly looking into hers, scanning for any sign of discomfort, distress, or… something more. For a fleeting moment, it felt like their old connection was surfacing, a whisper of the bond they had once shared. But just as quickly as it had come, the moment slipped away, and Pansy’s eyes hardened, becoming unreadable once more. The familiar warmth she had hoped for from Pansy felt like a distant memory. Y/N’s heart sank even further at that moment; the flicker of hope she had… extinguished, leaving only the oppressive weight of isolation. Pansy turned away, her indifference a sharp reminder of the chasm that had formed between them. It stung more than Y/N had anticipated, as they had stopped being friends such a long time ago. Without a second glance, Pansy walked past her, not even bothering to acknowledge Y/N’s existence.

Y/N stood frozen, the heaviness in her heart spreading as if to suffocate her.

Behind Pansy, Theodore Nott trailed, his face void of emotion. He stopped for a moment, his dead eyes landing on Y/N as though she were no more than a passing shadow. There was no warmth, no recognition, only a hollow stare. Y/N’s breath hitched, a knot forming in her throat. But Theodore’s gaze shifted, disinterest quickly washing over his features before he turned and continued the corridor behind Pansy, walking with quiet steps. As they moved farther away, Y/N could feel the weight of the stares around her. Heads poked out from the train compartments, students watching with a mix of curiosity and amusement. They weren’t concerned with what had just happened; they simply wanted to witness the spectacle. Her embarrassment deepened, and heat crept up her neck, fueling her anger.

“Damn it,” Y/N muttered under her breath, biting back the flood of emotions rising within her. Before she had a chance to gather herself, a hand clamped down on her arm, yanking her harshly to the side. The grip was too firm, too forceful—it could only belong to one person. Clive Selwyn.

“H-Hey!” Y/N stammered quietly as she tried pulling away from Clive, her cousin.

Clive’s fingers dug painfully into her skin, and Y/N winced, a quiet whimper escaping her lips. She turned to face him, only to be met with the same disdain that seemed permanently etched on his face. His eyes, sharp and cold, flicked momentarily toward Pansy, who had stopped further down the hall but hadn’t bothered to look back. His sneer deepened with disgust as he glared in her direction.

Without a word, Clive dragged Y/N away, his grip tightening as if to remind her who was in control. Y/N’s mind raced, trying to keep up with everything happening at once—the embarrassment, the whispers, and the overwhelming sense of isolation. She tried to focus on anything but the stares, the whispers, the eyes that followed her every step. As they turned a corner, Y/N glanced back, hoping for… something. Pansy had stopped, her back still turned. But then, for a split second, she looked over her shoulder, her eyes connecting with Y/N’s. There, hidden beneath the practiced indifference, Y/N saw it—worry. It was brief, almost too quick to catch, but it was there. Concern flickered in Pansy’s gaze, just for a second, before she turned away, walking off with Theodore Nott at her side.

“Do you always have to handle me like a bloody Neanderthal?” Y/N snapped when Clive shoved her into an empty compartment, slamming the door shut behind him. The confined space only made Y/N’s anger and tears flood out. “What, too barbaric to ask me to walk on my own?” Clive ignored her jab, his piercing gaze locked on her, eyes blazing with impatience. “What happened back there? Why is everyone staring at you like you’re some kind of spectacle?” His voice was low, dangerously low.

Y/N crossed her arms defensively, trying to blink away her tears and push back the growing frustration. “Why does it matter? Since when you care about anything that isn’t about you?”

“It matters because although you go by the last name York at school, you’re still linked to the Selwyns,” Clive hissed, stepping closer, his presence towering over her, “and if you so much as bring shame to the family name—my family name—I’ll see it personally that you regret it. Am I clear?”

Y/N’s jaw clenched as she glared up at him, unwilling to back down. “I’m not doing anything to your precious family, Clive. Maybe if you didn’t drag me around like a puppet, people wouldn’t stare.” He scoffed, his lips curling into a sneer. “You need to stay out of trouble, Y/N. You are usually so quiet and unproblematic. But now? Now I need to monitor you because of whatever this is? It’s an annoyance I don’t need.” He stepped even closer, his face inches from hers. “This is the last time I’m warning you.”

Y/N could feel her pulse quicken, but she refused to look away, her chin lifting defiantly. “I don’t need your warnings, Clive. Maybe you should worry about your own reputation for once,” she spat, her voice dripping with barely contained venom. Every interaction with him left her feeling raw, her words sharper than she intended, but she wasn’t going to let him bulldoze over her—not this time.

Clive’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening as he took another step closer. “My reputation?” he sneered, his voice low and biting. “I don’t have to worry about mine because, unlike you, I know how to behave. I don’t have to play the victim every time things get tough just so you can have my weak father and mother defend you.”

Y/N’s hands clenched into fists at her sides, the words hitting like a slap. Victim? She wanted to scream at him, wanted to tear down every cruel wall he’d built between them. Clive, her cousin, her family, should have been the one to protect her. Instead, he treated her like she was some burden—a constant reminder of everything wrong in her family. His words sliced through her, reopening wounds she’d been trying to ignore for years.

“Behave?” she repeated, her voice rising, trembling with frustration. “You think all of this is just about behaving?” Her breath came out in a shudder. “You don’t know the first thing about what I’ve been through, Clive. You don’t care! All you ever do is tell me I’m a constant disappointment, just like Grandfather—” Her voice caught, her throat tightening around the word. Clive’s eyes darken, a cold fury taking over his expression. “Don’t you dare mention him,” he hissed, stepping so close she could feel the heat of his anger. “You don’t get to talk about my family like that. You’re weak, Y/N. You’ve always been weak. Pathetic, even. You can’t do as you please and wait for my father to defend you, hoping he will be understanding and help you no matter what you do just because your mother died,” he laughed coldly, his eyes glinting with cruelty. “She died when you were eight years old. Get over it!”

The room seemed to tilt for a moment as his words hung in the air, slicing through her like ice. Y/N’s heart pounded in her ears, her body going rigid. Get over it? How could he say that—how could he say that about her mother? Her mother who had been her warmth in a life without her family’s support. Her mother, who gave her the happiest years of her early life before Bertram, her grandfather, had taken her away from the only life she had ever known after her mother’s passing?

“Don’t talk about her,” Y/N whispered, her voice barely audible. Her chest tightened as grief and anger twister inside her like a vice. The pain was raw, fresh, as if she were still the little girl left in the shadow of her mother’s death, trying to understand why her world had fallen apart. She swallowed, her throat burning, but her anger surged, giving her the strength to raise her voice. “You have no idea what I have gone through… You had everything handed to you—your parents, Grandfather’s love and approval—everything.”

Clive let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what you think? That I had it easy?” He shook his head, his face twisting with resentment. “I’ve had to live up to expectations you couldn’t even begin to understand. While you were running around playing the poor orphan, I was being molded into Grandfather’s little soldier.” His words stung, but it wasn’t enough to shut her down. Y/N’s fists clenched at her sides, trembling as she tried to hold onto her defiance. “You make it sound like I chose any of this—like I wanted to be alone, like I—” But she couldn’t finish, her breath catching as she tried to push through the rising storm of emotions.

“If your mother hadn’t died,” Clive continued, voice dropping to a cruel whisper, “I wouldn’t have had to. If only Valonia Selwyn hadn’t brought shame to this family by lying in bed with a married man—”

Y/N’s ears buzzed, the blood rushing to her head, drowning out the rest of Clive’s words. She could hardly think; the weight of his accusation hung heavy in the air, suffocating her. A married man? The implication felt like a noose tightening around her throat, and for a moment, all she could was stare at him, disbelief and anger swirling in her gut.

Before he could continue, the door to the compartment swung open, and Luna Lovegood appeared in the doorway, her dreamy expression completely unfazed by the tension in the air. “Oh, Y/N!” Luna exclaimed, her eyes widening as she noticed the tear-streaked remnants on Y/N’s cheeks. “What happened? You look like you’ve seen a Boggart!” Y/N quickly wiped her face with the back of her hand, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace. “Oh, it’s nothing, really. Just a little—um—plant incident. Some kid down the hall had this awful scent, and I started sobbing,” she said, her voice wavering slightly.

Clive, sensing the shift, stepped in, adopting a charming demeanour as he flashed a reassuring smile at Luna. “I found her looking a bit lost,” he said smoothly, his tone dripping with faux concern. “I thought I’d help her out. Just being a good prefect, you know?” Luna’s expression brightened. “That’s so nice of you!” she chirped, seemingly oblivious to the tension that had just filled the room. “What kind of plant was it, Y/N? I wonder if it was a Spiteful Snare. They’re known to cause emotional reactions in sensitive people! Or perhaps a Flusterbloom? I’ve heard they can—” Y/N seized the opportunity, eager to change the subject and escape the compartment with Clive still hovering nearby. “Yeah, I think it might have been!” she said, starting to inch towards the door while holding Luna by the shoulders. “Come on, Luna, let’s go find Cho and change into our robes.” As they stepped out of the compartment, Y/N cast one last glance back at Clive, who was now watching them with an amused expression, the façade of charm still firmly in place. She could feel the tension lingering in her chest but pushed it aside, focusing instead on the comfort of Luna’s company as they made their way down the train.

I really hope you guys enjoy it ~♡ See you next time! -xoxo Mai.