#sorry i spent the weekend immersed in nature so of course my first day back i must spam the dash

[astrangetorpedo]

she’s smiling at lucy. if you even care 😭

[wondernimbus]

crush — harry potter

pairing: harry potter x female!reader

prompt: harry works up the courage to talk to his crush.

please refrain from plagiarizing my work!

Unbeknownst to the girl sitting in the farthermost corner of the library, the sun has long since set in the horizon to give way to the moon that now hangs in the midnight blue sky. Numerous stars twinkle from up above, shining upon the Hogwarts castle; it paints a breathtaking, almost otherworldly view. One could glance up at the night sky for a brief moment and find themselves unable to tear their eyes away from it.

But the night sky is not what [Y/N] finds herself immersed in. What has her full attention—what has had her full attention for the past five hours now, is the book she holds in her hands: Mind-Boggling Mysteries in Magical History by Atasha Iqinn. It has nine hundred pages worth of exactly what its title states—strange mysteries in the wizarding world that have gone down in history for their oddity—and [Y/N] is already on page 783.

Just like every other weekend trip to the Hogwarts library, [Y/N] has spent a much longer time than intended in the vicinity of the countless bookshelves. She'd told herself that she'd only stay to read for a little while—two hours at most—but five have passed and [Y/N] still hasn't quite snapped herself out of her state of reverie. It's just so easy to lose herself in the abundance of books that Hogwarts has to offer; she'd pluck one out from a bookshelf, skim over its contents briefly, and if she found it to be interesting enough, she would sit down at her favorite table—the one right by the window in the farthest corner—and read.

And she would read for hours and hours until someone—most likely Madame Pince—tapped her on the shoulder and ushered her out.

Today, though, it's not Madame Pince.

—

"Stop it, Ron—"

"Come on, mate—don't be a wuss—"

"Shut up—I'm not being a wuss—it'd be weird if I just went up to her and—bloody hell, stop it!"

Ron stops dragging Harry by the arm and drops his hands to his sides. The pair of them are standing, very poorly hidden behind a bookshelf, near the Ravenclaw girl reading a book in the corner—the same one Harry has been helplessly crushing on for, what, two months now?

It had all started when Harry stumbled upon her in the Hogwarts Express in search for Ron and Hermione. He'd opened a random compartment door and, despite the fact that there were two other Ravenclaws in the compartment, she'd captured his attention first. Up to now, Harry can still vaguely recall the feeling of being dumbstruck by how—well—downright pretty she was.

Harry can't quite call it love at first sight, but he certainly does like her. Is "like at first sight" a thing?

Ever since that very brief encounter on the Hogwarts Express, Harry has only seen her around the castle once or twice. They don't have any classes together since apparently she's older than him by a year, but what Harry has noticed is that she is almost always in the library. 

So naturally, Harry has now become a bit of a bookworm as well. Not because of a love for reading, but because of a particularly pretty fourth-year Ravenclaw.

He'd pass by the library under the pretense of checking out a book just to catch a glimpse of her. He'd spend his free periods there reading the same book over and over just so he has an excuse to be in her presence, albeit he always sits at a table at least ten feet away from her. Ron and Hermione have, of course, noticed, but Hermione isn't nearly as insistent as Ron is being about it.

E.g. right now: Harry has quickly realized that bringing Ron along to the library had been a very, very big mistake. He'd been planning on doing his regular [Y/N]-admiring routine (Merlin, that sounds weird) today, but Ron keeps pestering him to go say hi to her.

Which, of course, is absolutely ridiculous. Harry has never even considered actually trying to befriend her, much less talk to her. He's content with staring at her from afar, thank you very much, no wonder how weird that makes him seem. He's not the type to make a move. Never has—never will be.

But Ron isn't quite helping with that. Harry swats his hand away when Ron makes a move to grab his arm again, presumably to physically drag him over to [Y/N].

"Bugger off, Ron," he hisses, taking a quick peek behind the bookshelf to look at [Y/N], who is still as engrossed with her book as ever. 

Ron snorts loudly. "Don't tell me you can face bloody You-Know-Who but not talk to a crush."

Harry scowls. "This is different." Ron has a point—but he's not about to admit that. "What if I asked you to go confess your undying love for Hermione?"

Ron's mouth falls open; it isn't long before his cheeks turn into a shade of red almost as vibrant as his hair. “Undying love?" he repeats incredulously, opening and closing his mouth like a fish blown out of water. "Undying love—that's ridiculous. I don't love Hermione—I don't like her either—that's just weird.. that's like liking—I don't know—McGonagall or something," he shudders dramatically, but the blush on his cheeks says otherwise.

Harry stares at his best friend, amused, and then reaches out to pat his shoulder. "Whatever you say, mate."

Ron frowns. "I don't—what—" huffing, he realizes that it would be better to just stay silent at this point. With his eyes skittering away, he mumbles something about "crushes.. Hermione.. bloody mental". 

Harry finally chooses a random book and removes it from the shelf—The Wizard's Cookbook by Ellis Ephodal. "Come on, let's sit—and for the love of Merlin, don't do anything dodgy.."

"Dodgy in what way?" Ron asks, carelessly plucking a book from a shelf that he and Harry pass by on their way to Harry's regular table.

"Don't start waving to her or something," Harry narrows his eyes at him, taking a seat on the chair facing [Y/N], who remains completely oblivious to the two Gryffindors whispering about her a mere few feet away. 

"Ha, as if you're not being dodgy," Ron mutters, sitting opposite him and flipping to a random page in his book. "Sitting here spying on her on a daily basis.."

It's Harry's turn to blush. "I'm not spying on her," he protests, his eyes momentarily darting to [Y/N] over Ron's shoulder. "I'm just.."

"Stalking her?" Ron snickers.

Harry shoots him a look. "No. Quit yapping, she might hear you."

Ron looks over his shoulder—or perhaps that's an understatement, because he quite literally twists his entire body around in his seat to look at [Y/N]. Harry gapes at him, reaching over the table to smack his head—and successfully doing so.

"Ow!"

From somewhere in the library, Madame Pince says, "Shhh!"

Clutching his head, Ron turns back to face Harry and glowers at him. "That hurt."

"Sorry," whispers Harry, but the deadpan look on his face makes it very clear that he doesn't mean it. "Did you really have to turn around like that?"

Ron rolls his eyes, still massaging the spot where Harry hit him. "Don't get your knickers in a twist. I could start stripping right now and she wouldn't even notice."

Once again, Ron has a point. But once again, Harry isn't going to admit that to him. The utterly focused look on [Y/N]'s face gives the impression that even if the castle were to start crumbling right then and there, she wouldn't even bat an eye.

Harry and Ron finally fall silent for a few minutes, but isn't long before Ron starts up again and goes, "You know what—"

Harry's eyes dart away from [Y/N] to look at Ron. "Be quiet."

Ron ignores him. "I'm tired of this. As your best mate, I'm telling her you fancy her." Without waiting for an answer, Ron slams his book shut with a loud thud ("Shhhh!" says Madame Pince's voice) and rises to his feet.

"What are you doing—"

"Being a good friend," says Ron matter-of-factly, rolling his shoulders back like he's about to get into a fistfight. "No need to thank me."

With gritted teeth, Harry's eyes dart around the library before he practically dives over the table and grabs Ron's arm, tugging him back down to his seat. "Sit—down—"

"Let go—"

Ron persists, but Harry keeps hanging onto his robes until the redhead finally groans and plops back down onto his chair. "Are you bloody mental?" asks Harry incredulously.

"Maybe, but at least I'm not a wimp!" Ron retorts, exasperated. "Grow some balls, Harry! You don't seriously think you'll ever get the girl if you just sit here staring at her every single day, do you?"

"I'm not trying to get her—"

"What, are you just planning to watch her like some creepy stalker the whole year? What'll you do if some random bloke comes up to her and asks her out? You're flipping Harry Potter—if anyone's got a chance with any girl, it's you!"

"Shhhhh!" chides Madame Pince more insistently this time, poking her head out of an aisle of bookshelves.

Ron gives Harry a serious look. In a quieter tone, he says, pointing his index finger at him, "You've gotta take your chances, mate. If you don't get up right now and talk to her, I swear to Merlin I'm telling her you like her—and you can't stop me this time."

Harry scoffs. "Oh, yeah? Try me."

Ron makes a move to stand up, but at a speed much quicker than lightning, Harry grabs his arm again and pulls him back down into his seat. "I was joking," insists Harry hastily.

"Didn't sound like you were," Ron remarks.

"I was," Harry assures him not-very-convincingly. And then, fidgeting in his seat, he looks at [Y/N] for a half-moment before leaning forward towards Ron and saying quietly, "You're being serious?"

"Hundred percent," Ron assures him, nodding fervently. "I could climb over this table right now and start yelling 'Harry fancies [Y/N]' at the top of my lungs, if you like."

Harry let outs a long breath, rubbing his forehead. "Jesus Christ.."

Ron crosses his arms and props his elbows on the desk, leaning towards Harry with his butt almost hanging off of his chair as he urges in an insistent tone, "Just do it, Harry. You fought off You-Know-Who twice—you can do anything. Come on."

As much as Harry hates to admit it, his best friend once again has a point—if Harry can fight off one of the most powerful wizards to have ever existed, then he can talk to a girl.. right?

Right?

"Alright, fine. To hell with it," Harry gets up from his seat, struck by a sudden burst of courage. "You're right. I can't just sit around here watching her all year—I'm gonna go talk to her."

"Brilliant!" exclaims Ron, clapping his hands together. "You've got this, Harry. Come on."

Clenching his fists, Harry takes a deep breath and starts walking towards [Y/N], whose eyes remain on her book. Throughout the five-second journey it takes for Harry to approach her, Ron keeps whispering hushed encouragements from behind him—"You're gonna ace this, mate, you're a champion". Harry almost turns around to tell him to shut up, but in all honesty Ron's little comments are egging him on, so he just lets him. 

Finally, Harry comes to a stop in front of [Y/N]'s table. He licks his lips nervously, and with his hands curled into fists at his side, he clears his throat.

She doesn't look up.

Oh Merlin this is going horribly wrong.

Harry tries again, this time reaching out to tap her on the shoulder. Finally—finally, she blinks several times, tears her gaze away from the book for what must have been the first time in hours, and looks up at him.

"Um, hi," Harry grins awkwardly, sliding into the seat opposite her. "I’m—I'm Harry."

She raises her eyebrows at him, obviously a little taken aback. Harry flushes and scratches the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Um," he presses his lips together, grasping at words that won't come to him. "I've—I've been watching you."

It takes Harry a moment to realize how horribly wrong that must have sounded like. [Y/N] looks more taken aback than ever—a crease forms between her brows as she asks, "I'm sorry?"

"That came out wrong," he says hurriedly. "I meant to say I've been watching what you read. Unintentionally. You have.. really good taste in books."

With her eyes still narrowed suspiciously, she nods slowly. It's clear that she's still thinking about him telling her he'd been watching her. "Thanks..?"

Harry swallows, trying to ignore the panicky feeling inside his chest that screams at him to run out of there and never look back. Ron's words echo in his head: "You're a champion, Harry.. you can do anything.."

Shifting in his seat, he gestures to the book she holds in her hands and discreetly squints at the cover. "Mind-Boggling Mysteries in Magical History—yeah, great book," he comments much too enthusiastically, "Love that book."

She glances down at the book in her hands and lets out a light laugh—and yes, it's a very awkward laugh, but it's a laugh nonetheless. "It is," she agrees, eyebrows raised. "What'd you think about the Magical Menagerie chapter? I found that one really intriguing."

What the bloody hell is that, Harry's brain thinks, but his mouth says, "Oh, yeah. Loved that one. Really.. really mysterious."

Her eyebrows arch up even higher and she lets out another laugh. A real one this time. Marking the page where she left off, she closes the book shut, sets it down on the table, and folds her arms on top of it. "What if I tell you there is no Magical Menagerie chapter?" she asks, eyes twinkling.

Harry gawks at her.

Oh, I’m done for, Harry thinks to himself, already preparing to get up and run away. But then he hears Ron's voice inside his head again, "Come on.. you're the Chosen One.. shoot your shot, Harry Potter, slayer of You-Know-Who.."

He clears his throat and scratches his temple as if in thought, feigning a look of wonder. "That's funny," he furrows his brows, watching her reaction. "Last time I checked there was—maybe that one was a different edition.."

[Y/N] snorts slightly with laughter, the mischievous glint in her eyes turning into an amused one. "Sure. A different edition—let's call it that. Points for trying, though," she smiles a little. Harry thinks he's doing fairly well—the skeptical, suspicious gaze she'd been staring at him with earlier had turned into one of curiosity.  

"Now, is there a specific reason why The Boy Who Lived is trying to talk to me about books he doesn't seem to know anything about?" [Y/N] asks, tilting her head to the side, still smiling yet with her eyebrows raised expectantly. 

Harry gulps. Oh, yeah—he can think of a few specific reasons.

1. I think you're really pretty.

2. Scratch that: you're absolutely bloody gorgeous.

3. I might have a crush on you.

4. I really, really like you.

"Pick one, oh Chosen One," he imagines Ron's voice saying inside his head. As though he's been possessed by Ron Weasley, Harry blurts out, "I think you're really pretty."

[Y/N]'s eyes widen a little, eyebrows rising even higher. And then she laughs, and then says in a voice tinged with amusement, "Really."

Harry gulps again—he swears the sound is ten times louder than it usually is. "Um—yeah. Sorry," he adds, just because he feels like he's weirding her out. His entire body is burning up; he's probably turned bright red at this point. Yeah, now would be the time to leave. 

He moves to get up from his seat, mumbling something about having somewhere to go, but [Y/N] says, "Wait."

Harry pauses with his butt halfway off his chair, knees bent, and then he sits back down.

[Y/N] is smiling softly at him, lips slightly tugged up at the edges and her cheek twitching like she's suppressing a grin. And—Harry gasps mentally—is she blushing, or has he gone mad? 

"Thanks," she tells him, pursing her lips before adding somewhat bashfully, "For calling me—um—pretty, I guess."

Harry wipes his clammy hands on his robes underneath the table, letting his eyes skitter away because something about holding her gaze for too long is making him jittery. Pursing his lips, he mutters, "You're welcome. It's—well. It's true."

[Y/N] lets out a quiet laugh, shaking her head as though in disbelief. "You're one awkward bloke, aren't you, Harry Potter?" she teases, her eyes sparkling as she leans forward in her seat. "That's surprising, though. I've always pegged you as the arrogant type—you're 'The Boy Who Lived', after all," she grins at him, eyes flicking up momentarily to the scar on his forehead before maintaining his gaze again. "I suppose I was completely wrong. It's a pleasure to meet you—I'm [Y/F/N]."

She sticks her hand out over the table. Harry stares at it for a moment before he realizes he's supposed to shake it. Hurriedly wiping his sweaty palms on his robes again, he takes her hand; "Harry Potter," he grins rather awkwardly, shaking her hand for a brief moment before pulling away. He doesn't know if he's imagining it, but his hand feels tingly. (So does his heart.)

—

Two hours later, Harry stares up at the dark canopy of his bed, listening to the sound of rain falling outside combined with Neville's loud snoring.

For the first time in what seems like forever, normal teenage-boy thoughts are what render him unable to fall asleep. Not thoughts of Lord Voldemort coming back to life, not of Sirius Black hunting him down or of those hooded dementors—no, all that he can think about tonight is a certain Ravenclaw who had captured his heart ever since he saw her on the Hogwarts Express.

a/n: i had loads of fun writing this aaa as always feedback is very much appreciated!

[morkeus]

four months | n. jaemin & l. jeno

Na Jaemin & Lee Jeno | 3.1K In which you learn to get over Jaemin with a little help.

a/n: i’m so sorry that this took so long! i was dealing with my own breakup LOL but yes, i’m back. it’s a little angsty in the beginning but the end is full on fluff so please stay till the end for boyf!jeno ;-)

The First Day

You felt terrible.  If someone had told you that heartbreak would feel this painful, you would not have even fallen in love. You had thought that heartbreak was simply sadness but you could not have been any more wrong. Emotions were overwhelming you – sadness, confusion, anger, bitterness, guilt and pain. You could feel the physical clenching of your heart and taste the tears running down your cheeks.

Just yesterday, your life seemed complete. Just yesterday, you were lying on Jaemin’s chest discussing which movie to watch for your next movie night. Just yesterday, you celebrated your first anniversary with Jaemin. But here you were, curled up in bed. Jaemin came over to your house earlier in the day saying that he had something important to tell you only to end up confessing that he had fallen in love with someone else and that he no longer loved you.

You wished to say that you hated him. How could you? You had loved him ever since you could remember and you even envisioned marrying him when the both of you graduated. How could you hate him when he broke down before you, apologising for falling in love with someone? When you truly love someone, you only want the best for them. You felt guilty for even being angry with Jaemin. If the roles were switched, you knew that he would have let you go, wishing you the best.

How could you hate the boy who had so much love for the world? He loved the people around him so much and constantly showered his friends with affection. With every blink you took, you revisited your shared memories. You saw the way he treated his friends - giving them the best hugs, cooking for them whenever they stayed up to game and buying them gifts. Just thinking of the way his eyes would light up every time he saw Jisung brought more tears to your eyes.

Jaemin saw the best in everyone and he never failed to make you feel loved during your time together. It was during your time together that you realised that he was the best and you could never see yourself loving anyone else.

The First Weekend

It had been three days. Three days of staying at home. Three days without a single sound from Jaemin. Three days of lying in bed wishing it was all a dream. It was your first Saturday without Jaemin which meant that it would be the first time in two years when both of you did not spend the evening cuddling while watching movies.

The pain in your chest never left you during the three days and you were sure that you were cursed to live with it for the rest of your life. There were so many instances in which you found yourself reaching out to your phone, resisting the temptation to call Jaemin. Deep down, you knew that if you begged, Jaemin would return to you. However, you would not be able to live with yourself knowing that Jaemin could be happier.

You spent every waking moment thinking about what went wrong and your dreams were filled with Jaemin’s face. Every corner of your house reminded you of him. When you finally pulled yourself up to your kitchen to get a glass of water, you could see him standing by the stove, cooking your favourite fried rice while you tried to distract him. Stepping into the toilet, you spotted his baby blue toothbrush sitting by your own. Even your sheet stilled smelled of him after the countless nights the both of you spent together.

It was haunting you and you knew that you had to leave the house before you went crazy. Without a destination in mind, you roamed the streets aimlessly, trying to get Jaemin off your mind. Of course, your attempt was futile as you found yourself standing before Jaemin’s apartment complex unintentionally.

Gazing at the building, tears sprung out of your eyes. What had once been a place of comfort and joy suddenly seemed so foreign to you. You could almost hear Jaemin’s laughter bouncing off the walls of his apartment. Leaving the house was meant to help you clear your mind but you only returned home feeling emptier than when you left.

The Second Weekend

Surprisingly, you were doing a lot better than you had expected. Sure, the thought of Jaemin did bring tears to your eyes but you were no longer spending your days in bed - you had migrated over to the couch to binge watch TV shows. While you were still with Jaemin, he would always whine when you watched shows without him. Now that you were single, every night could be movie night.

When you woke up without the pain in your chest, you knew that it was time to clear his belongings from your room. Considering how the both of you were best friends turned lovers, he probably spent more time at your place than his own. His belongings were scattered around your apartment from his clothes taking up a drawer in your closet, his phone charger plugged in by your bed to his Ryan mug lying in the dishwasher.

While combing through your house for anything that belonged to Jaemin, you revisited the memories made in your apartment. Every time you closed your eyes, you saw Jaemin somewhere in your apartment - wiping away your tears while watching Marley and Me wrapped in your blankets, washing the dishes begrudgingly, standing before your wardrobe choosing which hoodie to take back from you and so many more.

You still missed his goofy smile, his sweet talk and most of all, the love you felt with him. It really hurt but you knew you were getting better.

The First Month

Moving on had been a slow and arduous process but you were definitely making progress. That did not change the fact that you heart started beating rapidly when Jaemin’s mother called you. More than you would have liked to admit, you wished that Jaemin’s mother called to tell you that Jaemin had realised that he could not live without you.

“Y/N! I haven’t seen you in so long, how are you?” What? Was she expecting you to be doing great after her dear son broke your heart?

You decided to answer honestly, “Auntie, I’m doing a lot better now. It hasn’t been easy but I’m growing…”

“Ah, school must be tough. Please visit us with Jaemin soon! We miss the both of you so much.” It was then that it hit you that Jaemin had not told his mother about the breakup.

You could not find it within you to reveal to her that the both of you were no longer together, “We miss you too!”

“This son of ours is always making us worry! I wonder if he’s eating well, whether school is stressing him out and so many more!”

“...Don’t worry, Auntie, he’s doing great! Uh, I have to go! We’ll visit you soon!” You ended the call as soon as you could.

Moving on and getting over Jaemin was going alright until his mother had to call you. She reminded of how immersed Jaemin could get into studying and you found yourself sharing the same concerns.

Now that you were not by his side, did he start getting take out for every meal? Did he go back to his bad habit of burning midnight oil? Was he happy?

And just like that, the month of progress seemed to vanish into nothing. Just one phone call had the ability to shatter everything you had worked so hard on. Just hearing his name set the waterworks.

You would be lying if you said that you had not seen the breakup coming. You had watched Jaemin slowly lose interest in you. It started off little and you could not put your finger on it but something felt different. Everything felt slightly off leading up to the breakup. You almost could have heard it in his voice, seen it in his eyes. It started off with the little things - waking up to no texts, calls becoming fewer and farther apart, the lack of emotion and effort, and the piling up of excuses.

That’s the thing, no amount of warning would have changed the hurt.

The Second Month

Two months had passed since the breakup. From time to time, Jaemin would still cross your mind. However, you were marginally better than the month before. You were seated in one of the cafes you and Jaemin frequented, getting some fresh air while reminiscing the time the both of you spent in that cafe.

When you entered the cafe, the barista, Johnny, gave you a small smile before preparing your favourite drink. You guessed that Jaemin had already visited the cafe in the past two months and had told Johnny about the breakup.

Without Jaemin’s laughter filling the air, the cafe suddenly seemed cold and empty. You and Jaemin found the cafe in your second year of middle school and it instantly became your place.

“Hey…” You looked up expecting to see Johnny with your drink but instead, you were greeted by the sight of Jeno. Jeno had been one of Jaemin’s best friends so naturally, he became your good friend too. You had not heard from him since the breakup and you assumed that he had chosen to side Jaemin (not that there was a need to pick sides).

Jeno continued to stand by your table, his expression unreadable. You stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to speak.

“Do you mind if I sit down here?” he asked carefully as if he was worried to scare you away.

Hesitantly, you nodded and avoided eye contact with Jeno. What was he trying to do? During the time you and Jaemin were together, Jeno did not really talk much to you. Of the entire group, you were the least close to Jeno. It was not that you had an issue with him but he never bothered to do anything more than send you a smile once in a while. Nonetheless, you were not uncomfortable with Jeno. It just felt odd to be with him without Jaemin around.

The silence was alright - more comforting than you had expected. Jeno’s presence made it slightly less lonely.

“You’ll be alright, you know?” he started, looking you straight in the eye, “I know it’s not easy, I know it hurts. You’ve probably sat there overthinking - a million and one questions running through your head. You’ve been unable to sleep, creating different scenarios in you mind while making a list of regrets. Stop, you can’t blame yourself for someone else’s inability to provide the love you deserve. Today is just like any other day, difficult as hell but you’ll do what you’ve always done. You’ll get over it. You’ll be alright.”

Instantaneously, tears burst out of your eyes. You had tried your best to pretend to be alright, pretend that moving on was going well. Evidently, your heart was still broken and taking time to mend itself back together.

You expected Jeno’s eyes to be filled with pity or maybe sympathy but all you found was understanding and comfort. Jeno continued, “Cry. Cry as much as you need. Scream, shout, whatever it is. You are not weak for crying. You are brave - gosh, you gave Jisung a black eye after he pranked you with a fake spider for god’s sake. You are a warrior and you know that, I really hope you do.”

And you spent the rest of the evening bawling in front Jeno.

The Second Month and a Week

Following the unexpected therapy session with Jeno, he walked you back home in silence, promising you that you would make it out stronger.

You made your way back to the cafe, craving some of Johnny’s caramel macchiato. Pushing the glass doors of the cafe, you entered the cafe to see Jeno sitting at the exact same spot he was at a week ago.

It was your turn to approach him, “Hey, do you mind if I sit down here?”

He looked up at you with his signature eye-smile, “Hey warrior.”

His smile was so contagious, you found your lips curving up subconsciously. It felt weird, it felt as if it had been years since you genuinely smiled, not just to convince your mother that you were doing well.

“Jaemin and I used to come here all the time together, feels odd without him,” it was not your intention to bring him up but it came out naturally. You saw the smile on Jeno’s face falter slightly for a split second.

Deciding to lighten the mood, he laughed awkwardly, “What do you call sad coffee?”

Jaemin used to complain about Jeno’s dad jokes but you were never on the receiving end of them. Humouring him you said, “Please enlighten me...dad.”

“I’m not really into that kinda thing, warrior. Anyway, it’s a depresso!” he laughed as if he had told the funniest joke in all of history.

As much as you hated it, you started laughing along amused by his sense of humour or lack thereof.

The Third Month

A few days after your encounter with Jeno at the cafe, the both of you swapped numbers. Jeno had wiggled himself into your routine, being the friend you needed despite the unwelcomed jokes.

You were on the way to Jeno’s house after he offered to cook for you. Jaemin still owned a piece of your heart but you were learning to love him in another way.

“Welcome Madame to our Michelin star restaurant! Our renowned chef Lee Jeno has prepared dinner for you!” Jeno opened the door to his apartment with a chef hat on his head while doing a little curtsy.

Trying to hold in your laughter, you followed his lead to the dining table. On the table sat two bowls of ramen with a boiled egg. You knew Jeno was kidding when he told you he could cook - Jaemin used to complain about it all the time. Regardless, you appreciated his efforts.

“I even went to the store just to buy eggs and I don’t even like eggs,” Jeno whined. You stared at him with surprise and confusion.

“You literally have gudetama keychains on every bag of yours. Of course, you’re one of those weirdos who love eggs,” he laughed it off as if it was a casual observation.

After a dinner filled with giggles and more jokes on Jeno’s end, the both of you settled on the couch to watch a movie. Without consulting you, Jeno set his computer before you. Within seconds, you realised that he had picked your all-time favourite, Marley and Me.

“How’d you know I love Marley and Me?” you could not recall ever mentioning your favourite movie to Jeno.

“Duh, I’m a mind reader,” Jeno deadpanned, “Ok fine, you posted a picture of a labrador pup a week ago so I guessed you’d like Marley and Me. Also, you cry all the time.”

As usual, movie night ended with you in tears. It felt cathartic to cry over something other than Jaemin but the movie only reminded you of the movie nights the both of you would have.

Seated on the couch and tucked under Jeno’s blankets, he held your chin up and stared into your eyes, “You’ll be alright, warrior.”

Finally, you started to believe that you would be alright.

The Fourth Month

That faithful movie night drew the both of you closer and you found yourself starting to become more reliant on Jeno. He noticed the littlest things and paid attention to detail. Jaemin only found out that you loved eating eggs a week before the breakup (he always assumed that you just found gudetama cute).

You knew that Jeno would never hurt you. Hell, he was allergic to cats but that did not stop him from adopting cats. That was exactly what terrified you. Jeno made you happy and you knew that being happy was one of the most terrifying things in the universe. Once you were happy, you knew it could be taken away from you.

And that was why you had been avoiding Jeno for a week, coming up with excuses such as being on your period, mourning the fifteen death anniversary of your pet lizard and every other ridiculous excuse you could think of.

Something had changed between you and Jeno. Initially, it had been shy glances then your heart started to beat faster when the both of your pinkies touched while reaching for popcorn. You knew you were screwed when you started to unironically giggle in response to his jokes (only because his smile was so damn contagious).

It was only a matter of time that Jeno would have had enough of your avoidance and confront you about it. You decided to clear your mind by walking over to Johnny’s.

Heaven had a funny way of bringing people together. Jeno was seated at your usual table as if he had expected you to appear.

You sat before Jeno, thinking of ways to start a conversation. What were you supposed to say? Hey I might just love you and that’s scary? What if he did not feel the same way?

Saving you from your thoughts, Jeno started, “I will keep the spiders.”

You stared at him bewildered, “Huh?” After a week of not talking, that was all he had to say?

Flustered, Jeno stammered, “I said, I will kill the spiders. I will walk to the store to buys eggs. I will boil them for exactly eight minutes, no more, no less, because that’s how you like them. I’ll try my best not to get annoyed when you make me wash the dishes. I will watch Marley and Me with you for a lifetime. I will stock up on tissues so you don’t have to use my blanket to wipe your tears. I will stop my dad jokes, sometimes. Or at least I promise to think of funnier ones to make you laugh. I will, albeit begrudgingly, let you fill my bed with gudetama soft toys even though they always end up on the floor in the morning. I will let you take my hoodie, not always, just whenever they get too small for me. I will love you. I will love you, warrior.”

Funny how indecisive love is. Just Four Months ago, you were sure Jaemin was the one and now, here you were with Jeno, redefining the one all over again.

[larryshorcrux]

Fancy Seeing You Here

A little oneshot I wrote a while ago. Hope you enjoy!

Harry and Ginny run into the two people Harry least wanted to see on their first date. As if he wasn’t nervous enough. Or  Harry regrets telling James anything ever

It was a cool October day and the students at Hogwarts were buzzing with excitement due to the Hogsmeade trip scheduled that day. Amidst the crowd of excited students, however, was one student who had been dreading this visit for weeks: Harry Potter.

It’s not that Harry didn’t like Hogsmeade; he loved buying new pranks at Zonko’s and enjoying a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks as much as the next kid. No, what the young man dreaded most about the visit was the date he had to go on.

After skirting around his feelings for her all summer, Harry had finally plucked up the courage to ask Ginny Weasley on a date, much to the chagrin of Ron (her older brother and Harry’s best friend). Harry had been worrying for weeks over whether or not the date would be a complete disaster.

What if he tried holding the door and hit her on accident? What if when he tried to pull her chair out for her, he pulled it too far and she fell? What if she got bored of him?

Oh, Merlin. What if he forgot money and she was forced to pay for everything? None of these imaginary scenarios, however, compared to the fate that awaited the two Gryffindor students.

Harry finished getting dressed and double-ok triple-checked that he had enough money to pay for whatever he or Ginny wanted. Checking his hair one more time in the mirror, he headed down to the common room to find Ginny chatting with another girl in her year Harry knew to be called Sarafine. Ginny politely excused herself, however, when she noticed Harry coming down from the dormitories.

“Finally. You were taking a while up there and it led me to wondering which one of us is the girl here. Tell me, Potter. Was it your makeup that took you so long?” Ginny teased once she caught up to him.

“Actually,” Harry retorted. “It was figuring out what shirt to wear. I just couldn’t find the right one to match my eyes.” He accompanied this comment with an over exaggerated fluttering of his eyelashes.

The two chuckled and Harry relaxed at the light banter, enjoying how easy the two got along. Harry forgot why he was so nervous in the first place as he tentatively took Ginny’s hand and led her out of the portrait hole. He tried to steady his breathing when her hand tightened slightly in his.

Once the pair arrived at Hogsmeade, they spent some time at Honeyduke’s (where Harry insisted on buying Ginny anything she wanted) and, after Harry noticed Ginny shivering a bit, they spent some time in Gladrag’s where Harry bought Ginny a new scarf and jumper.

(He may or may not have gotten a kiss on the cheek as thanks and he may or may not have blushed at the contact)

The two walked around for a while, talking about nothing and everything with a bit of shameless flirting thrown in for good measure. At around six, Ginny suggested they go to the Three Broomsticks for a drink and a bite to eat. Once inside, Ginny went to find a booth for them while Harry went to fetch them some drinks.

On his way back to the booth Ginny had chosen, Harry was confused to see a head of messy black hair identical to his own. Dread set in Harry’s stomach as he let out a list of expletives. Ginny smiled and waved her date over as the stranger turned to greet him.

“Hey, son. Fancy meeting you here,” James Potter smirked at his son  "I was just talking to this lovely lady here about how your date is going.“ Harry never regretted anything more than telling his parents about his first date with the youngest Weasley. "Wow, you didn’t have to get me a drink, Harry,” James said, taking the two butterbeer Harry had been holding and offering one to Ginny with a wink. Ginny started to giggle but quickly covered it up by taking a sip of her drink.

Harry took a seat next to Ginny while simultaneously shooting a death glare at his father that could have given the killing curse a run for its money. “Dad, what are you doing here?” he asked through gritted teeth. The young boy calmed down slightly when Ginny delicately took his hand in hers under the table.

“Well, when I heard my son was going on a date, I was so proud. But then, I realized that you have yet to fully master the ways of the Potter charm. Naturally, I felt it was my duty to help you so you don’t ruin your chances with the girl you’re so crazy about-”

“Dad, please,” Harry interrupted.

“And who you go on and on and on about. I swear all I hear about is Ginny this and Ginny that. Poor kid is completely and utterly infatuated,” James continued, ignoring his son’s protests.

“A Potter so obsessed with a red headed Gryffindor that he can’t stop talking about her? Sounds familiar, eh Prongsy?” a deep voice called out. Harry groaned and slouched in his seat at the sound of his godfather’s voice. “Sorry I’m late,” Sirius Black started. “The line for the loo was terribly long. What’s going on?”

James moved over to allow room for Sirius to sit as he filled his best friend in. “Just helping young Harry on his date here seeing as he has yet to fully master the use of the Potter charm.” At this, Ginny snorted and Harry let out what must have been his fiftieth groan in the span of two minutes. Sirius called over Madame Rosmerta and, after flirting for a bit, ordered two more drinks for Harry and himself.

Harry sat low in his seat, mortified at the story his father was telling about how to two got a bit carried away with a bottle of firewhisky on Harry’s birthday (which Lily thankfully never found out about) and how Harry went on a long spiel of all of Ginny’s best qualities, ending with a quite embarrassing poem about her freckles.

Ginny was fully immersed in the embarrassing tales being recounted to her by Harry and his godfather. “Now, I must know. Has there been any more poems since that incident?” Ginny asked, trying and failing to conceal the smirk playing at her lips.

“Sadly, no poems, my dear,” James said grimly. “But,” Sirius interrupted, “There were so many letters. All of them stating how beautiful you had gotten and how he needed our expert skills in wooing you.”

“Padfoot, those letters were for mum!” Harry cried indignantly. Sirius and James shared a knowing look before James said, “What’s mine is hers and what’s hers is mine, including mail. Plus, your mother is not an expert in the use of the Potter charm so of course I was the only one who could properly help you in wooing your lady love.”

“And I just tag along simply to embarrass you,” Sirius added.

“You know, I think you two have done more than enough to help. Mum must be so worried that you’ve been gone so long and we should really be heading back to school. Maybe you should leave. Ya know, now,” Harry mumbled.

“Alright, alright. I know when my presence is not welcomed. C'mon, James-y. Let’s leave Prongs Jr. alone with his special lady friend so they can get some quality snogging time,” Sirius sighed dramatically, causing the two young teens across from him to blush profusely.

“Right you are, Snuffles!” James started. “But, what encounter of meeting your significant other’s parents is complete without-”

“Dad, don’t you dare!”

“Baby photos!”

Harry groaned and wished he could melt into the floor right at that moment. Ginny, on the other hand, was excited to see what pictures James had brought along and her face lit up like a Christmas tree when James pulled a stack of wizard photos from inside his cloak. He promptly laid the pictures out on the table and pointed to each picture, explaining the story behind them to a giggling Ginny, a smirking Sirius, and a mortified Harry.

“Here we have Harry’s first room ride. The kid was always destined for Quidditch. He got the athletic genes from me, of course. Oh, Harry’s first steps! Lily had just changed his diaper when Harry spotted the cat and got up to start chasing it around. Ah, here’s a personal favorite of mine! Harry’s first bath. Look at his little bum!”

“Would you look at the time! We must really be heading back to Hogwarts,” Harry said hastily. “It was great catching up with you guys. I’ll owl you. Make sure to send mum my love. C'mon Gin.” And with that, Harry grabbed her hand and made a mad dash for the front doors of the pub while trying to hid his red face that could rival that of a Weasley’s.

“It was nice to meet you Mr. Black and Mr. Potter! I’ll make sure to write you, I’d love to hear that poem sometime!” Ginny called over her shoulder before she was pulled out the door and onto the streets of Hogsmeade.

Harry ran a gab through his hair and began to ramble aimlessly. “I’m so sorry about them, Gin. Honestly, I had no idea they would be her. And bloody hell, the baby pictures. I really am sorry. Today was going so well and we were having a great time and then those two show up and ruin it because they just had to embarrass me! Next Hogsmeade weekend, I promise-”

Harry was unable to continue because Ginny, who had been fondly watching him talk, had grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and pulled him down for a kiss. The green eyed boy immediately placed one hand in her hair and the other on her hip, sighing into her mouth as he forgot all about his bothersome father and godfather. Just as Harry had started to deepen the kiss, he was suddenly knocked over. As he sat on the ground, he looked around for what could have caused his sudden fall.

A few feet away from the couple, Harry noticed a shaggy, black haired dog wink at him before running off. He was just thinking of creative ways to get revenge on his godfather for interruptingpozzibly the best moment in his 16 years of life when a smug voice broke him out of his scheming thoughts.

“Wow, Potter. Only one date and you’ve already fallen for me.”

Harry smiled up at Ginny as she offered him a hand. “What can I say, Weasley. You just have that effect on me,” he smirked, taking her hand and standing up. He decided that he could forget about the Three Broomsticks incident for now.

“Now, about that poem…”

Or maybe not.

[laurengoestolyon]

21/05/17

Wow I have been terrible at blogging. Sorry 40 year old Lauren who wanted to remember every moment hahaha

At this point I have less than 6 weeks of my French adventures left which I am so sad about. It’s kind of a bittersweet time for me right now, like of course I am so excited to get home to my dogs and my family but I honestly love Lyon with all my heart and I am going to miss it so much. At the beginning of this year I couldn’t wait to get home, I was crying all the time, moaning about how much of a lie the whole “best year of your life” spiel was. But now I can genuinely say I have had the best time. I have met so many lovely people from all over the world, I have travelled to beautiful cities, I have experienced such a range of weather, I have lived in a wonderful city, I have eaten so many baguettes, I have drunk my weight in orangina, I have had unforgettable experiences. Whilst I may not have immersed myself fully in the French culture, I have had a sneak peek into the life of French people my age and even though I may have found it weird af (trottinettes and guitars in public... come on guys), I am so glad to have had this experience. I’m genuinely getting emotional writing this as I really don’t want to leave - it always gets good towards the end - but I am looking forward to getting back to York.

Anyway, instagram has been a fabulous way of reminding myself where I’ve been but let me briefly recount my travels:

December

Montreux, Switzerland - okay Christmas markets, very beautiful, very cold, touching Freddie Mercury exhibition

January

Saint-Étienne, France - boring, grey, some snow, we stood in a cemetery for ages, went on a Monday so nothing was open, museum on silk, bicycles and weapons... strange combo

Annecy, France - snow, beautiful, lovely little town, incredible view across the lake, adorable little houses, would LOVE to return!

Vienne, France - small Roman town 30 minutes south of Lyon, cute little trail to follow to see sites of interest, quite reminiscent of Colch with the Roman remains etc, had the besssssst pizza (very simple, just veg but my god it was delicious), spent so much time in the musée gallo-romain (musée is masculine by the way 20-year-old Lauren, I was not impressed reading through my old blog posts) where there was a “from Hercules to Darth Vader” exhibition (bizarre concept but was lots of fun)

Grenoble, France - grah-no-blay, the cable cars weren’t working and the snow made it impossible to climb to the Bastille, stayed in a nice hotel though and experienced some French nightlife, reminder: always check the dates before booking tickets

February

Dijon, France - nice town, great range of architecture, very disappointing owl, the musée des beaux arts was okay, ran out of things to do so ended up in a natural history museum (mainly aimed at kids), but it was good and around the time when I started drinking black coffee (character development or what)

Paris, France - soooo expensive, not that I didn’t know that before but bloody hell, terrible weather, SAD is real, very disappointing vegetarian restaurant and the eiffel tower looked shite, it’s ok though because then we spent 2 days in disneyland which was incredible!!!

March

Berlin, Germany - so bloody big, did a 4 hour walking tour with a guy who really loved his job, saw lots of monuments but the weather was horrid, went to a museum where we saw pickled deformed babies, need to go back and see more of it (and actually eat some vegan food!!)

April

Vaux-en-Beaujolais, France - amazing day, hiking in very inappropriate clothing/footwear with Adrien’s parents, beautiful views of the countryside, lovely picnic, tasted some beautiful wine and even bought a bottle of sparkling rosé, amazing way to spend our last weekend together in France

May

Aix-en-Provence, France - visited Flo, climbed a mountain (awful on the way up, incredible at the top, awful on the way down), cutesy little town, loved it

Marseille, France - very hot, very blue, nice views, didn’t see much of it but the Palais Longchamp had a pretty impressive water fountain despite there being no water in it, drank cocktails and soaked up the sun

Geneva, Switzerland - first proper day trip on my own, loved it, so hot (wore all black because I’m an idiot), climbed to the top of a cathedral, drank coffee by the lake while writing a postcard to Grandma and Grandpa, went to the park, saw the Reformation Wall, ate pizza, soaked up the sun after they decided the last boat cruise should just not exist anymore despite being on the leaflet and the ticket stand, also a beautiful city, would love to return with lots of money

Turin, Italy - we got a blablacar with a french couple across to italy, they were nice and we spoke a good bit of french! great coffee, great cinema museum and lovely views albeit not that much to do! our airbnb was fab, balcony overlooking the main street

Barcelona, Spain - a visit to soph! barcelona is an amazing city, it is huuuuuge and there is so much to do. first we went up to the bunker and had a panoramic view of the whole city. then we did all the tourist stuff and the massive park and the beach. it was too hot though ughhhhhh

June

Venarey-les-Laumes, France - a visit to ros! so much beer, delicious food, weird local activities, adorable villages. such a beautiful tranquil place, picnics and beer in the garden were such a simple yet fulfilling activity (lol cringe)

I’d like to finish by saying that I’m writing this while sitting on my balcony on a beautiful evening, the cars and trams and trains are going past and I can hear the voices of the people below as if they were right next to me. I love it so much here and as loud and annoying as these noises can get, I’m going to miss them one hell of a lot when it’s time to say goodbye.

So bisous, à la prochaine... x