#the mcnully twins

[judediangelo75]

Day One: Quidditch

I said I was gonna attempt this challenge for @hphm-ship-week and by the corner of Jesus' pure white robe, I was gonna do it. I'm cutting it close with Day One and I might have gotten a *little* inspired to write this one.

I'm not gonna do a lot of yapping, I'm half-dead as is. Hope you guys enjoy this Kendrick Lives AU installment. (Might as well be my new main storyline).

Word Count: 8,316

Featured MCs: David Willows, Phoenix Lang ( @that-scouse-wizard ) and Katriona Cassiopeia ( @kc-and-co )

Main Pairing: Talbott Winger x Judith Harris (Talith)

Side Relationships: Merula Synde x David Willows (subtle), Murphy McNully x Katriona Cassiopeia (subtle), and plenty of friendship

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Whenever Quidditch season rolls around in the magical school called Hogwarts, you can expect a lot of excitement and hype. The students would crowd their section of the respective house with colored face paint or some Quidditch-afflicted gear to cheer on the players on the field. There was always a sense of friendly rivalry, with its occasional resentment when it comes to a reigning champion. But nothing comes from it. 

The Quidditch pitch is the last place you would ever expect a Ravenclaw loner to be.

Let alone amid the Hufflepuff House section. Wearing one of their player's jackets magically sized up to fit his frame. Next to a Slytherin witch wearing a matching jacket to the boot.

But that was before he started dating a Quidditch player.

Talbott would've gladly flown under the radar during his school years at Hogwarts. But fate decided that would be too boring for him. He was given two years of peace until his third year. Where two Hufflepuffs were searching for him, Hogwarts Curebreakers.

David Willows and Judith Harris. The latter is more infamously known as "Scarface". 

Granted, Talbott knew about these two Hufflepuffs... but Judith proved to make a bigger splash than her Housemate. From what Talbott understood, Judith had the habit of hiding the left side of her face with her hair for the first few months of their first year. It wasn't until a fateful day in October, that a group of Slytherins and Gryffindors found a new target. Judith tried escaping the group, only for one of the boys to grab her by the ponytail, causing her hairstyle to fall apart.

Revealing the most nastiest burn scar anyone has seen. On a child, nonetheless.

To make a long story short, those group of boys learned quickly not to piss off a girl—a Hufflepuff girl, at that.

After that day, rumors about her scar spread across the school like wildfire. And she was christened with her new nickname, Scarface.

But that day in the Great Hall was the first time Talbott properly saw the young witch face to face. Even Talbott's impeccable poker face couldn't hide the surprise upon seeing her face. The large scar covered about half of her face and went back to her ear. Surprisingly, her brow was present, but a bit spotty in some places. Her eye was forced into a permanent glare, he could barely make out the gold of her iris (even though that particular eye looked a bit paler than its twin).

But that wasn't the thing that stole Talbott's attention. It was the almost painfully shy look on her face. Her brows were drawn close together as her lips were pulled down in a timid frown. Her fingers were fiddling with the multiple solid plain rings she had on. Her eyes...

Talbott could see that she was nervous, but there was a particular warmth that seemed to be reserved for just for him. It was confusing but...

He couldn't help but secretly like it. Even though he wasn't ready to admit it.

Took a while for the Ravenclaw to properly acknowledge his feelings for the Hufflepuff witch. With the encouragement of Andre and David, he finally asked Judith out on a date. While it left a lot to be desired (*cough* Tonks *cough*), Talbott enjoyed being close to his date. Amid their growing closeness, that meant Talbott was slowly being sucked into the world of Quidditch. Granted, Andre has been trying to get him to come to a match and teach him the mechanics of the game since the start of their friendship, but Talbott turned him down almost every time. But now with Judith as his blatant love interest... Talbott couldn't help to be a little curious about the sport the wizarding world seem so crazy about.

Honestly when Talbott learned that Judith was the famous "Tigress", he was skeptical. Tigress is one of Hufflepuff's Beaters, one of their best Beaters in many years. With the few snippets of information, Andre tried forcing down his throat, Talbott knew that Beaters were strong. They had to be to beat back iron spheres formerly known as Blooders (Andre would be happy to know that he was learning something, at least). Tigress, like her fellow Beater Hound (who Talbott came to learn was David), was incredibly strong with a deadly aim. A lot of people say it was as if she could interpret the Bludgers movements, knowing when and where to strike. 

Talbott couldn't keep the suspicious look out of his eye for anything when Judith said that she was Tigress during their date. He never asked her about her scar but he had eyes. And he could see that her left eye left her a little impaired. It was the one time he made the girl feel subconscious about herself during their date, which he internally slapped himself for as she turned the left side of her face away from his view.

"I know it sounds hard to believe that I'm Tigress, but I have no reason to lie to you. After my... incident, it took some time to even learn to properly walk. My coordination and balance was terrible. Before, I could only see the vague shadows of shapes. After you helped me become an Animagus, it surprisingly helped my vision in my left eye, though not by much. The outline of shapes are a bit sharper if it's close enough to me and I can kinda see colors if it's bright enough, but there are times my vision will get a little blurry. My dad, along with my little brother and stepdad, spent a lot of time helping me adjust to my scar after I first got it. I was determined not to let it hinder me, though. Papa was the first to train me to be a Beater. I spent the entire summer before second year so I would have a chance to prove myself... to show that I won't be a liability if I was chosen."

Talbott felt like a bastard for doubting the girl, something that she probably felt for years. After stumbling over his apology, he asked if he could watch her play or at least practice if she was comfortable with that. He wanted to understand her and be there for her if she would let him.

And to his pleasant surprise, she readily agreed. 

During that time, Quidditch season was long over. Normally around that time of the year, Judith and David were trying to break the latest curse that befell the school in hopes of finding their brothers. But Judith was human.

A human who was very familiar with stress.

Beating dummies with Bludgers seemed to be one of her many stress relievers. The first time he was invited to watch her practice, he was silently surprised. It was slowly starting to warm up as winter turned to spring in Scotland. Judith was already stretching, seemingly counting the seconds in her mind before switching forms. A yellow sleeveless crop top molded to her upper body and a pair of black athletic tights hugged her legs with black running shoes adorned her feet, presumably for comfort. Her long locs were maneuvered into a low ponytail by a yellow silk ribbon. Granted, Talbott had only seen Judith outside of her usual class robes only a handful of times, but he had rarely seen her show so much of her body and skin until recently.

While being only 15, Judith had muscles a lot of guys in their year and possibly older wished had. But the muscles didn't make her seem like a boy, rather it added to the curves her body was slowly displaying as she matured into a young woman. The dress she wore to their date made him feel like he was hit with the Stupefy spell. Her workout outfit seemed to have a similar effect.

But watching her practice?

Nothing could get him to look away from her. She easily slipped into the familiar notion of her practice exercise. She had three Bludgers sent out, each coming towards her with terrifying speed. Talbott couldn't remember all the details of Quidditch but he can safely assume getting hit by one of those iron spheres meant an overnight stay in the Hospital Wing. But Judith stepped into her swings with the confidence and swagger of the best duelists or even a Quidditch pro. Confident, focused, and calculating. He did take note that she would duck on a rare occasion when she took a misstep and leaned into her left side.

Gods know how much time has passed until Judith whipped out her wand and froze the Bludgers, which dropped to the ground with a frightening thud.

'I would love to never know what it's like to smack with one of those...'

Judith grabbed a water bottle before walking around and sitting next to the awestruck Ravenclaw.

"So what do you think," she asked before taking a swing of her water. He watched as her throat worked around the deep gulps of water she was taking in.

"Is it possible I can come to more of your training sessions?" Judith capped her nearly empty water bottle with a quirked brow.

"You actually like seeing me train? Watching me beat a bunch of Bludgers into some dummies can't be that entertaining," she insisted. Talbott felt a blush work its way onto his cheeks.

"I beg to differ... so is that a no," he said with an embarrassed cough. Judith narrowed her good eye at him before giving him a nod.

"You can come. I don't mind."

It soon became a part of Talbott's routine to sit in on Judith's practices. Talbott finds that she does alternate her routine. And got to witness the relationships with her Quidditch mates. 

Sometimes it'll be just her and the dummies. 

Other times, David would be present to train with her as well. Talbott could see the playful energy between the two Hufflepuffs, almost as if they were siblings. Most times, they would practice beating a Bludger to each other, while others the dummies will be involved. There were plenty of jabs and playful ribbing in their conversations. Whenever they were done, they would join Talbott in the grass for a quick chat until Judith's eyes would get droopy and David would give her a piggyback ride back to their Common Room. 

'Hate to cut the conversation short, mate, but this one needs her rest. C'mon Little Tigress. Time for your cat nap.' Talbott watched in quiet amusement as David shifted on his knees so he could allow the girl to crawl on his back before standing. The young witch yawned, nuzzling the back of her best mate's neck with an annoyed grumble.

'Mmmm... I'm not little, you stubborn git. Later bird boy...' With a cute little wave to the Ravenclaw, Judith allowed herself to be toted away to their shared Common Room. (Talbott would deny blushing at that nickname if you asked him)

Maybe even one (or both) of her on-sight Beater teachers, the fierce Erika Rath or the mischievous Phoenix Lang, would be present. Which he found strangely interesting as Erika and Phoenix were both well-known Beaters of the Houses of Slytherin and Gryffindor respectively, prodigies in their own right. Erika seemed more of the stern one of the two, more in charge of her training exercises while Phoenix would fill in the gaps where she could. Those sessions tended to be more intense as Erika tried to push Judith into using her left side more, which frustrated the Hufflepuff Beater greatly. Talbott knew it wasn't his place to question her mentor's methods but he couldn't help but to worry how close Judith would be to getting hit by the magical sphere of iron. The hits she was able to get in weren't always perfect as far as accuracy and impact. There were times when Talbott would witness Judith would drop to her knees with tears in her eyes. The first time it happened shocked him to his core, his heart ached at the sight.

'I-I-I can't! I can't see well, Rath!' Pale green eyes narrowed briefly before letting out a soft sigh. With a brief spell, the Bludger in use fell to the ground as Erika walked up to her mentee. The older witch rested a hand on her shoulder, giving it a brief squeeze as she glanced over to where Talbott was seated.

'Talbott, was it? Can you stay with her while I find Phoenix? I... I'm not exactly good at "comforting" as I would like to be.' Talbott nodded replacing Erika by the crying girl's side as she disappeared into the castle. 

'Little bird...?' Watery gold eyes glanced at him before Judith roughly started wiping her face to get rid of the evidence of the tears that seemed neverending.

'I-I'm sorry, I... I was hoping you wouldn't have to s-see me like t-this. I promise I'm not this weak-' The girl's ramble was brought to a halt as Talbott grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a hug, tucking her face against his neck. The soft gasp that escaped her tickled the sensitive skin there.

'I want you to breathe with me, little bird. Can you do that for me?' Judith remained still for a moment before giving a shaky nod. Talbott took a slow, deep inhale, feeling the girl do the same. They held it for a few seconds before slowly releasing it. They did it a handful of times before Talbott felt the faint tremor in the girl's body disappear. He gently pulled her away from his neck to look at her face. The tears were still there, but they seemed to have slowed significantly. Gentle hands cupped her face, thumbing away the tears and dried tear tracks that remained. Shaky hands wrapped around Talbott's wrists before Judith leaned into his touch. With one last caress to her scarred cheek, Talbott pulled away a bit only to be surprised by the ironclad grip on his wrists. Judith's eyes reminded him of a wounded Hippogriff, wild with an underlying hint of fear.

"D-don't go... please, don't go...' she whimpered. Talbott leaned in again, brushing a soft kiss to her sweaty brow.

'Shhh, darling. I promise I'm not leaving you. But it would be best if you rehydrated, little bird. Let me grab some water for you.' Judith blinked slowly, recognition flashing in her eyes. She gave a timid nod before letting go of his wrists. Silently deciding not to get up and leaving his little bird's time, Talbott got out his wand to use the Summoning Charm instead. Judith took the bottle with a small thanks before taking small sips. When Talbott was sure she was okay, he tilted her chin up so she could look him in the eye.

'I'm not sure where your head is, exactly. But I want you to know that you're not weak. You're one of the strongest people I know and even strong people can cry sometimes. They can get overwhelmed sometimes. And that's okay. I would never think less of you, and you shouldn't either. I won't let you. Do you understand me, little bird?' Talbott watched as her eyes widened, the scar tissue surrounding her left eye stretching a bit. Judith pursed her lips before giving a nod. That wasn't good enough for the Ravenclaw wizard.

'Words, Judith. I need to hear you say it.' The girl winced at the firm tone before letting out a shaky sigh.

'I-I understand, Talbott. I... I'll do my best to take it easy on myself in these moments.' Talbott gave her a small smile before placing a small kiss on her cheek.

Not even a few moments later, Phoenix came into view while Erika trailed a few paces behind. The Gryffindor Beater fell to her knees before the couple, cerulean blue eyes studying the Hufflepuff's face intensely.

'Judith! Erika told me what happened, are you okay?!' Judith blushed as Phoenix cupped her face, fussing over her. Erika sat down by her rival, silently watching her with a hint of worry. Judith cleared her throat, pulling away before resting against Talbott's chest.

"I-I'm fine now... I just got overwhelmed, b-but Talbott helped me calm down.' The eyes of the older Beaters were suddenly trained on their "guest", who blushed under their intense gaze.

'I... I'm not too familiar with what caused her anxiety, I just knew I couldn't stand there and watch her cry. Judith means a lot to me. Great players can have bad days and she's entitled to have those days...' Phoenix gave the boy a delighted grin while a glimmer of respect can be seen in Erika's eyes.

'I think I like this one for her, Rath. What do you think?' The Slytherin Beater gave an amused snort at the matching blushes that could be seen on the duo's faces.

'As long as I don't always have to find you whenever she gets overwhelmed, he can stay.'

'HEY! I resent that!' Erika let out a short laugh at Phoenix's disgruntlement. Deciding that her student/adopted little sister needed a well-deserved break, Phoenix dragged the girl to head to the Great Hall for some lunch. Just as Talbott was going to head to the Owlery, a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

'Wait.' The wizard turned to find Erika's eyes boring into him. And to his surprise, her stern gaze softened around the edges.

'I just wanted to say, thank you. Normally I don't care what people think of me, especially those who would just be stuck in the sidelines and nothing more. But I see that you care about her. I'm not trying to be a hardass on Judith for shits and giggles. We both are well aware that her left side is a weakness. I suffer from a blind spot, obviously not on the same level as Judith but you get the idea. If people are within that area, they're more than likely to get hurt. I don't want Judith to have to deal with that struggle, or even worse, have that blind spot used against her. I hope you understand.' Talbott's brows rose in silent surprise before nodding.

'I understand... you didn't have to explain your methods to me, but... I appreciate it either way. I'll do my best to be there for her whenever it gets too much for her.' Erika gave a firm nod, before turning on her heel back into the castle.'

Talbott had thought long and hard over what he had seen and what Erika had told him. He hated to see the haunted look in Judith's eyes as she broke down on not doing good enough. He was no Quidditch player so he wasn't sure how to help the girl. He went to the only other Quidditch player he knew for any advice. Granted, Talbott knew that Andre was no Beater, but he knew he had to try. Luckily for him, Andre knew two people who could help. Unluckily for him, Andre saw it fit to drag his ass out of bed on a late Saturday morning. The only day Talbott will grant himself the luxury of sleeping in. With no damn coffee.

'KC, McNully!' The two Ravenclaws, who seemed to be in the middle of a game of chess, looked up to find the Seeker Reserve dragging over one of their fellow Housemates who seemed to have rolled out of bed.

'Hey, Andre! What can we do for you?' the commentator asked with a bright grin. Andre gave a fond smile, clapping a hand on the disgruntled Ravenclaw's shoulder.

'Oh no, honestly, you've helped me enough mate. It's my friend here who could use your creative expertise on the matter of Quidditch.' Talbott shrugged Andre off with an embarrassed glare. The strawberry-blonde girl raised a cool brow, flustering Talbott further.

'My apologies. I asked Egwu for help on a Quidditch issue and this overexcited bloke dragged me out of bed before I had a drop of caffeine in my system.' KC let out a hearty laugh.

'A man after my own heart. Tell you what, I made a pot of coffee this morning. I grab you a mug and you tell us what you need...' Talbott quickly understood what the witch was subtly asking for.

'Talbott. Talbott Winger.' KC grinned, getting up from her comfortable seat to loop an arm around the wizard's arm.

'Katriona Cassiopeia, feel free to call me KC if you want. It's a pleasure to meet you, my fellow coffee fiend.' After Talbott had a bit of caffeine fix (and an introduction to one Murphy McNully), he felt more level-headed about broaching this topic.

'So, what seems to be the problem? Looking to join the Quidditch team? While I don't know you at all, I can see you being a Seeker for some reason.' KC pointedly ignored Andre's offended squawk in the background, eyes solely trained on Talbott.

'No, I'm not looking to join. I didn't get into Quidditch until recently...' Murphy raised a brow, curious.

'Because of our local Pride of Portree fanatic here?' Talbott gave an amused snort.

'He wishes. Egwu has been trying to teach me about the sport or at least drag me a game since we became friends.' KC blinked, confusion flashing in those bright blue eyes.

'So why the interest now?' Talbott coughed into his fist, slightly flustered.

'I'm kinda dating a Quidditch player. A Beater, to be exact.' Murphy gave a knowing smile.

'Is it Judith Harris?' Talbott was glad he didn't sip his coffee when the Quidditch announcer spoke because he was pretty sure he would've spit it out all over his chessboard. Either that or choke.

'Wha-?! Did Andre tell you?!' Andre waved his hands in alarm as Talbott rounded on him with a glare. Murphy laughed, waving off the outburst.

'Well, it's simple really. There are two Beaters to every team. It can't be Rising Star here, seeing how you just met her. And I doubt you know the other Beater on Ravenclaw's team seeing how you're coming to learn the sport and its players. Even if you heard more well-known players like Erika Rath and Phoenix Lang, more well-known as Rath and Fireball on the Pitch, they don't seem like your type per se. And again, you probably don't know the other Beaters on those two teams so that rules Slytherin and Gryffindor from the running. All that's left is Hufflepuff's Beaters, Tigress and Hound. Or as you normally know them as Judith Harris and David Willows. Both are well known enough outside of Quidditch and are in the same year and you and Style Wizard here. Plus, David seems more like a lady's man so that leaves just Judith. It's really simple when you think about it.' Talbott narrowed his eyes, slightly put off at how well someone he just met was able to pinpoint his crush with just one detail and how much he could talk without seemingly taking a breath.

'Yes, it's her...' KC chuckled, giving the boy a grin.

'I think it's cute. But one thing I'm not understanding is why she would need help. She's a phenomenal player. From what I hear, she has a bit of a religious training schedule to stay up to par with anyone on the field.' Talbott sighed, suddenly feeling unsure about exposing what he knew. Technically, Katriona and Judith were rivals. While he may not know much like the average Quidditch fan, he does know not to reveal secrets to potential rivals or enemies. 

But the memory of Judith crying flashes in his mind's eye. He didn't want her to continue to suffer from anxiety attacks if he knew he could find help for her.

'I haven't seen her play but I've seen her train. And she's earned every right to be known as a phenomenal player. But... she's not one without struggle. Can I trust you two with what I'm about to tell you?' KC and Murphy watched as those red eyes carefully studied them both, heavily guarded with a glint of worry beneath the surface. Andre wore down his bottom lip with his teeth at the intense silence. He placed a hand on Talbott's shoulder.

'Tal, mate. I wouldn't have brought you to them if I didn't believe they could help Judith. Let alone hurt her.' Talbott's hands curled into fists on his lap, his gaze stubbornly switching between the wizard and witch sitting across from him.

'I trust you, Egwu. But I need to hear it from them.' KC's eyes softened.

'Hey, Judith and I may be rivals on the Pitch but it's all friendly competition. I wouldn't actively try to hurt someone who pushes me to be a better player myself.' Murphy nodded.

'I wouldn't do anything malicious to harm the girl either. I met her father on the day she tried out for the open Beater position years ago. She's a force in her own right but it's not strange to have flaws. It's not unusual for players to come to me for advice. I do my best to be unbiased so I'm not spilling any secrets to other teams to give them an advantage. Talbott let out a small sigh.

'Thank you. I'm sure you're well aware of Judith's scar. The thing is... she's semi-blind in that eye. While she can see shapes and colors, it's only with certain exceptions. She's been training to strengthen that weakness but she still experiences some difficulties. Maybe she has days where that particular eye would cause everything to be more blurry and of course, that can be a danger to anyone, including her. It overwhelms her to the point she would experience an anxiety attack...' Talbott sighed, running a hand through his messy bedhead.

'I told her that it's okay to have bad days and she should take it easier on herself. But I feel like this cycle will continue if she doesn't find a more effective way of handling this... s-so, will you help?' KC and Murphy looked at each other for a few moments before turning back to the wizard with a nod.

'Of course, Talbott. It might take a little time for us to brainstorm something but we'll help you two. Besides, it would be nice to get to know Judith more outside of our matches.' Talbott let out a sigh of relief at KC's words, giving the pair a small smile.

'Thank you...' Murphy gave Talbott a nod.

'Of course! Once we're ready for you, we'll send you an owl for you to bring Judith to the Quidditch Pitch later on. Don't worry, Talbott. We'll help your girl out.' This time Talbott did end up choking on his next cup of coffee, much to the amusement of the three people surrounding him.

Much to Talbott's surprise, Talbott received an owl the next day from KC. He did find it odd that it said to come to the Quidditch Pitch at night, but he decided to trust his fellow Ravenclaw. Judith accepted his invitation to meet him at the Changing Tents just outside of the Pitch with a bit of wariness.

'Not that I don't like spending time with you Talbott, but why are we out here?' Talbott gave his little bird a small smile.

'I want to help you train. Especially with... your struggle area...' The Hufflepuff narrowed her eyes as they reached the entrance of the Pitch.

'How do you plan on doing that?' Talbott stopped in front of her, taking the time to grab her hand. Judith couldn't fight the blush that crept up to her cheeks as the boy laid her palm over his chest while looking into her eyes. She could feel his heart quicken but his face gave nothing away.

'Do you trust me, Judith?' The young witch didn't have to think about it.

'I do.' Talbott smiled, bringing her hand to his lips to place a soft kiss to her palm.

'Then trust me when I say that I'm looking out for you. Now come on.' Judith stumbled over her feet to follow her crush, fanning her face to cool down her intense blush. They continued to walk until they were in the middle of the field. When she finally got her blush under control, she looked up to find that they were not alone.

'Judith! Glad you could make it!' Murphy greeted with a grin. The witch next to him stepped up to offer a handshake.

'Hey there, Tigress. Nice to officially meet you outside of a match.' Judith took KC's handshake with a befuddled expression.

"McNully, Rising Star, it's... nice to see you too. But, what exactly is going on here?' Now it was KC's turn to give a smile.

'Your boy here came to McNully and I for some help. To help you matter of fact in regards to your blind spot.' Talbott glared at KC's small tease before looking at the surprised face of his little bird.

'You told them about my blindness?' Talbott bit his lip at the question. He couldn't decipher her tone for it gave nothing away. Her face even more so. Outside of the pinch of her brows that signifies her confusion, he wasn't sure how the girl felt about exposing her secret to one of her rivals.

'I did. I-I... I wanted to help you in some way. But I wasn't sure as to how. I know Rath is doing her best but maybe you needed a different approach. I'm not a Quidditch player, let alone a Beater so Andre led me to two people who possibly could provide that. Please, don't be mad, little bird. I know it's your secret to tell, but I couldn't stand to see you like that again. Frustrated and feeling hopelessly lost to yourself over something that you couldn't have helped. I'm sorry if I overstepped.' Judith stared at him for a few seconds longer before bringing him into a hug. Talbott looked down at the girl in surprise but didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her. 

'I'm not mad, bird brain. You have nothing to apologize for. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me, and if you think that KC and McNully can help, I'm more than willing to hear them out.' Talbott squeezed her tighter, hiding his smile in the crown of her head.

'Great to hear that! Now, Talbott if you could remove yourself from my fellow Beater Babe's person, I want to show her what we came up with.' Talbott blushed, taking a stand by Murphy as KC looped her arm with Judith's to pull her to the crate with Beater Bats and a Bludger. There was a few metal practice dummies just a few yards away. Talbott turned to the handsome blonde commentator with a quirked brow.

'Care to share what you and Katriona came up with?' Murphy gave a smirk.

'Nope! For once, my lips are sealed this time. Just watch this lovely lady at work.' Talbott sighed, watching as the two witches converse with one another. He could spy Judith fiddling with her fingers, one of her nervous ticks, before grabbing a bat. KC already had the other one in hand, with her wand in her opposite hand.

'Now I'm gonna enchant the Bludger and we're gonna practice for a few minutes. Remember, don't be too hard on yourself and I'm right here with you so you don't have to experience so many close calls, alright?' Judith nodded, allowing herself to face forward with her left just as KC cast her spell. To Talbott's surprise, the Bludger began to glow a bright yellow, almost like a mini sun, zipping through the air before making its way towards the Hufflepuff Beater. Talbott watched with bated breath as he watched the familiar motion of Judith's swing and-

BANG! And-

CLANG!

Judith's smile was brighter than the glowing Bludger that night. And Talbott couldn't have been more happy to see the pure joy on his little bird's face.

While Judith was big on her training, both day and now night, that wasn't the only thing she did to improve. There were some instances where there were no bats and Bludgers involved. Those days were usually with her Captain, Orion Amari. Talbott found those practices a bit strange as the pair would be sitting on the ground meditating (something Judith would strong-arm him into doing as well), balancing on their brooms on a single leg, or being Inspired Broom Surfing. 

'Training is great to hone your skills, but a clear and steady mind can elevate one's game to substantial heights.' Talbott turned to find Orion standing beside him as he watched Judith surf on her broom. He regarded the older Badger with a raised brow, his silent question loud in the ears of the captain.

'I've known Judith since she was just a second-year student. Seen as a small, skinny, and shy Hufflepuff girl by many but I saw the fire in her eye. A spirit beaten down, but not broken. She wanted to prove herself. Something that is admirable but I could sense it was deeper than that. You saw it too, right?' Talbott froze as Judith's words flashed back to him.

'I promise I'm not this weak...'

'Yeah, I did...' Orion gave the young Eagle's shoulder a warm squeeze.

'You're good for her, you know? I noticed a shift in my Beater. She's not as hard on herself as she used to be. Her smile is brighter. And that only happened a little after you started coming around. And I greatly appreciate that...' Talbott swallowed around the emotional lump in his throat.

'I-It's nothing really. I would do anything for her...' Orion smiled, giving Talbott's shoulder another squeeze.

'The people who love her can see that. Trust me when I say that it means a lot to them and to her...' With that Orion hopped on his broom to surf alongside his student. Talbott watched as Judith gave her captain a bright smile, feeling one make his way on his own lips.

'She's so beautiful like this. In her element. Happy and healthy...'

Seeing her go through these different motions made him think of what she said on their date. How much she represents and values balance in her life. It just made her all the more intriguing and endearing to him.

It wouldn't be until their 5th year when he got to see her practice with her team. While they were real matches, Talbott always found them to be interesting and exciting. Seeing her play in action made him realize how good his little bird was and how well she and David worked together on the field. Even down to the Dobbleganger Defense, one of the most difficult plays for a Beater. The pride he would feel upon hearing the praise of her skill by the Quidditch commentator warmed his chest.

He couldn't wait for the girl's first game of the season.

Of course, he could've done without the pressure of meeting the girl's family. Talbott knew about her father through many sources. A former Beater-a Ravenclaw Beater at that, Talbott knew about her little brother, a Slytherin wizard in his third year if he remembers correctly, who he would see cling to her whenever he could get the chance. How he managed to avoid the little brother up until now is beyond him, but there was no avoiding it when the first fame of the season came around. It was Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw.

There was usually a pregame party happening in the Courtyard before each game but Talbott knew his little bird well enough that she wasn't always one for mingling with others, at least not often. The next best place she would be is the Quidditch Pitch. 

Flying to the pitch was much faster than walking, and Talbott wanted to spend every second with the Hufflepuff Beater before her match. It wasn't until he was flying overhead that he realized that she wasn't alone. Part of him wanted to turn around and transform back into his human form so he could walk into the stadium instead. But Judith, ever so keen with her surroundings, spotted him. She waved him down with a bright smile, while the two males with her looked up to find him circling in the sky.

"Come down, love! I want you to meet my family," she called. After hesitating for a few seconds, he swooped down to land in front of the trio. The man and young boy looked at the eagle with a well-timed head tilt, though Talbott could see the suspicion in the man's pale gold eyes while there was a youthful glint of curiosity in the boy's near-black eyes. He looked to his little bird who gave him an encouraging smile. With that, he allowed himself to transform back into his human form. The boy flinched back before staring at him in awe. The older male version of his little bird only smirked.

"Like mother, like son," her father chuckled. Talbott eyed the man suspiciously. 

"I'm sorry?" Gold eyes regarded him with a knowing glint.

"Ah, you don't recognize me, don't you son?" Talbott's brow furrowed, racking his mind.

Has he met Judith's dad before? There's no way-

'Talbott, this is Kendrick Harris. He's my best friend from when I went to school. And his daughter, Judith...'

Talbott's eyes lowered to find a familiar necklace. The cord was decorated with dark red beads with a tooth of an animal of some sort.

"You... you were my parents' best friend. You came to my house that one time with..." he whispered, eyes watering. He turned to the witch next to him, finding that same warm look from that day in the Great Hall. The same look he got as they sat in the grand old tree on his parents' old property when they were children. Judith gave him a tentative smile, leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"L-Little Bird?" He watched as her smile grew.

"Yeah, it's me Bird Boy." He didn't hesitate to bring her into the circle of his arms, hugging her with all the strength she could muster. He smiled the joyful laughter in his ear.

"Talbott! You're gonna squish me," Judith giggled, hugging him back despite this. 

"You're the powerhouse Beater, little bird. If anything I should be worried about you breaking my bones with your bear hugs," he hummed. Kendrick let out a laugh at that, bursting the bubble the two teens found themselves in.

"As strong as my little girl is, she has one of the gentlest souls on this Earth. You should know," he said, with a kind smile. Talbott blushed before nodding.

"And I have you to thank for siring such a soul, Mr. Harris." Kendrick chuckled, waving him off.

"Call me Kendrick, Talbott. I'm not that old... plus, from what I heard you've proved me right. That you'll be good to my daughter and earn the right to be with her." Talbott and Judith balked at the elder Harris with blushes staining their cheeks.

"PAPA!" Kendrick raised a brow at his daughter's outburst.

"What? I'm the more tame parent. Ava had tried planning you two's wedding when you guys were toddlers," he said with an amused smirk.

"W-With all due respect, K-Kendrick, we're not officially together," Talbott stuttered. The man chuckled.

"Not yet, anyway." Judith groaned.

"Papa Kendrick, quit it. I already have to share Juju with her friends, I'll probably never see her if she gets a boyfriend," Nuri whined, finally chiming into the conversation. Talbott noticed the genuine discontentment on the boy's face. Judith huffed, extracting herself from Talbott's arms to snatch up her little brother. She placed her hands on his cheeks so she could meet his eyes.

"You listen here, Riri. No one will keep me from seeing and spending time with you. You're my little brother and will always hold a special place in my heart, understand," she said sternly. Nuri gave his sister a shy smile, before hugging her back. 

"I understand, Juju..." Kendrick and Talbott smiled at the sight before the man cleared his throat.

"The stands should be filling up soon, best if you boys find some good seats. You go ahead and change, baby girl. And remember, I'm proud of you no matter the outcome." Judith smiled at her dad, giving him one quick bear hug before the man went to the commentator booth. The three of them stood ready to go their separate ways before Judith stopped her brother.

"Before I forget, here you go, Riri." Talbott watched as the Hufflepuff took off her jacket, casting the Enlarging Charm before handing it to Nuri. She pulled the younger boy down to kiss his forehead, before making her way over to Talbott's side to kiss his cheek.

"Hope to see you two in the stands," she said before jogging her way out of the Pitch. 

The two wizards made their way up to the stands. Talbott could see Nuri eyeing him from the corner of his eye.

"What is it?" Nuri flinched, a bit surprised to be caught before deciding to speak up.

"This way is the way to the Hufflepuff Stands. You're a Ravenclaw, shouldn't you be sitting with them instead?" Talbott turned to look at the Slytherin wizard with a cocked brow. The boy didn't sound dismissive or hostile, just... curious.

"I want to support Judith. She's the whole reason why I got into Quidditch in the first place. It doesn't matter to me if it looks like I'm going against my own House. I'm here for her, and will always be here for her." Nuri smiled at the wizard, handing him the jacket her sister was wearing. Talbott took it with uncertain hands.

"Why are you giving me this," he asked as they made their way up the stands. Nuri paused on his next step and gave a shy smile, long fingers messing with a ring on his right hand. The same nervous tick as his little bird.

"My sister always gave me her letterman jacket whenever she played as a way for me to be comfortable sitting in with the Hufflepuffs ever since I came to Hogwarts. I'm going to be honest, I'm pretty selfish when it comes to her, and having to share her has been difficult for me. But as I got to see her interact with others and see those people care and love her too, I began to loosen up. While this is my first time officially meeting you, I can see how you look at her. Like she's the sun. The center of your universe. Papa Kendrick seems to like you a lot and he doesn't like the idea of sharing her love with any boy. Consider this my way of showing you that I'm willing to give you a fair chance. People who love my sister tend to be my favorite people, and I think you could be one of them." Talbott felt a flush wash over his face but he couldn't help but return the smile Nuri was giving him.

"Thank you. That means a lot and I would like to get to know you better too, Riri." The Slytherin boy sent the older wizard a playful glare.

"Okay, that's a step too far. Only Juju can call me Riri. My real name is Nuri. Nuri Lockheart." Talbott laughed at the look, it reminded him so much of Judith so he knew this look well enough to know that the boy wasn't actually upset.

"Heh, got you. I'm Talbott." The two wizards shared a smile as they continued their way up and reached the top of the stands. Talbott took the time to study the jacket, a letterman jacket as Nuri called it.

It was mainly black, with two stitched designs on either side of the torso. There was a gold honey badger symbol on the left side with two Beater bats in an "X" formation on the right. The sleeves were white and a bit baggy, looking like they would fit over his wrists thanks to the yellow cuffs with black and white lines. The same cuffs outline the collar and the bottom of the jacket. It even had decently sized-pockets. He flipped it over to find the word "TIGRESS" stitched on the back, the word beautifully made with gold yarn in impressive calligraphy. Talbott slipped on the jacket and immediately smiled.

The scent of his little bird lingered on the piece of clothing and he felt as if he was being embraced by the girl himself.

'If I could get away with it, I would never take this off...'

The duo decided to sit in the center on the bottom bench, only to be surprised to find someone already there.

"Merula?" The girl's head snapped up to find the two wizards standing beside her. And it didn't escape Talbott's attention that she was wearing a matching letterman jacket as himself, only it was obvious the jacket was made for someone much bigger than her.

"What are you doing here? Ravenclaw is on the other side and Slytherin isn't playing today," she snarked. Nuri frowned at the clear dismissal but Talbott knew better.

"The same reason why you sitting in the Hufflepuff stands. We're here to support someone we care about," Talbott clapped back. The witch blushed, grumbling.

"Fine, whatever. It's not like these seats are taken..." Taking that as an obvious invitation to join her, Talbott sat down next to the self-proclaimed "The Powerful Witch of Hogwarts" while Nuri sat beside him. Within minutes, the stands were starting to fill with eager Quidditch fans and casual watchers for the game. Even though there were some weird looks from the Hufflepuffs at the two newcomers who sat in their section, no one said anything to them. There was a buzz in the air until the crowd quieted with the sound of Murphy's voice.

"Welcome Hogwarts to the first game of this Quidditch season! Are you ready for this year's competition?" The crowds roared with approval and to Talbott's personal surprise, he was right there with that.

Talbott had to admit, he was excellent at getting the crowd going as he introduced the two teams. Ravenclaw had already made their entrance and waited in the middle of the field. It was now Hufflepuff's turn. He watched as the Hufflepuff team flew in, zooming through the stadium. He watched with bated breath as the team briefly paused in front of their stand, to the joy of the students there. Judith found him and Nuri easily, her eyes reflecting her surprise at him wearing her jacket before giving them a large grin. He could see the two top canines of her teeth were capped in gold before they zoomed off to meet their opponents in the middle of the Pitch. Despite being in his own heart-melting moment, he did notice that David, who was beside his fellow Beater, gave Merula a grin of his own followed by a cheeky wink. Talbott pretended not to see the blush on the pale girl's face.

Madam Hooch made sure to set the rules between the two teams, the captains of each team gave a firm handshake, and soon the balls were in.

The game has begun.

Talbott had to admit, it was the most fun he had in a while. Despite not fully knowing what was happening (Talbott was so grateful that he befriended Nuri as he was able to explain the mechanics of the game to him), the energy was contagious. Even Merula was standing and cheering for the team. The players were fast, it was sometimes hard to keep up with the action, even with his 20/20 vision. Sometimes he opted to just watch his little bird, who was her own beautiful force of nature. He watched as her mind was constantly at work, deciphering the patterns of the Bludgers before deciding on a play. Often passing the iron sphere to David, who used it to scatter the Ravenclaw Chasers. Other times, taking out unsuspecting players with a hit of her own. His favorite moment was the well-executed Bludger Backbeat, seeing her use the scarred side to knock a Chaser off their broom while dropping the Quaffle for Orion to steal for a goal, putting points up on the Badger's board. He was so caught up in watching her, he almost missed a stray Bludger making its way to him-

"Talbott, get down-" Nuri tried to warn him, but before he could pull Talbott down, it was deflected to the Ravenclaw Seeker (whom Talbott was sure spitting out some colorful language as they were so close to catching the Snitch). Talbott could only stare in a daze as Judith hovered over him on her broom. 

"You okay, Talbott," she quietly asked. Talbott, still in shock, gave a mute nod. Judith chuckled, leaning in to kiss his cheek before flying back into the fray.

"Awww, what a sweet moment from Hufflepuff's fiercest hunter, Tigress. Saving her handsome beau from a Bludger gone rogue before comforting him with a kiss! And who said romance was dead?" Talbott buried his red face in his hands as the crowd around him cooed along with Murphy's sentiment. Before Talbott knew it, the Hufflepuff Seeker managed to catch the Snitch, signaling the end of the game.

"Give it up for the Hufflepuff team! They will move on to the next round to face off the winner of the Slytherin and Gryffindor match!"

The next hour was a blur. With the win, of course, everyone on the Hufflepuff team had to accept the congratulations from fans and their rivals alike. Speaking eagerly amongst each other and toasting with some Butterbeer. Judith spent some much-needed time with her brother and father before they had to leave.

But soon, the field was empty and it was just Talbott and Judith. The young witch didn't get a chance to say a word as she was swept up in Talbott's arms, sinking into his warmth.

"I'm so proud of you. You were amazing." She smiled.

"How can I not? I have my number one fan cheering me on, wearing my letterman jacket better than I ever could." Before Talbott could say anything, most likely to refute the claim judging by his blush, she placed a single finger to his lips.

"Seriously Talbott. You helped me in more ways than you could ever know, and I wanted to show you by playing my absolute best. Your support, whether on the sidelines during my practices or in the stands at one of my games, means everything to me. Thank you." The boy beamed as he kissed her forehead.

"Anything for my champion..."

[avidrawsthings]

Alright yall, ya gurl drank an entire can of Warheads Four Loko so don't minhd these drunken ramblings cuz these a re ideas ive had for the LONHGEST time i wanted to get out there with the good chance most of them wont go anywhererr:

The wizard in white is an undercover Japanese auror. kazuhiro shiratori is simply his alias. His true identity is Toshiro Ketsueki (???). Yes, he's Victor's older brother and is the same age as Ricardo.

One brother is named Toshiro and the other is named Victor...They're half brothers, much how Reina and Ricaro are half siblings. Yes we'll go with that.

We ship Ricardo x Toshiro in this au. They get married so Rel has two dads. Victor is her uncle and he adores that little munchkin.

Rowan and McNully are a happily married couple. They have the perfect dynamic in my opinion. Rowan replaces Binns by early 1992 after the dude accidentally moves on to the afterlife. Rowan is the one that fills in Harry and friends on the history ofthe Chamer of Secrets.

Thanks to a lil bit of spatial magic, Reina's bakery caters to both Magic and non-magic folk. Her bakery caters to the former in Diagon Alley, and to the latter right outside in London. Non-magic folks simply believe her bakery has a Witchy theme to it, and her unique recipes proved to be a hit.

In addition to dominican styled goods, reina also offers vegan and gluten free options for her clients thanks to some input from liz.

When it comes to their respective businesses, both Ricardo and Reina are very pro-union. They care deeply for the well-being of their employees, and make sure they're paid living wages.

Since we'll likely never get official names, the two oldest of Reina and Talbott's quadruplets, Corvo and Ava, would be named after Talbott's parents to honor them.

Ben and Ismelda eventually have twins. After Voldemort's defeat, they adopt Merula's daughter and raise her as their own. The girl knows who her mother was, but views Ben and Ismelda as her true parents. Haven't decided on her name yet.

In terms of Hogwarts Legacy, the main focus would be Reina's ancestor Angela Caelestis. She'd transfer to Hogwarts for her 5th year and would've been Sorted into Ravenclaw, and be a close ally to the Goblins fighting for their freedom. (My knowledge on the game itself isn't the best since I don't really play mainline HP games anyway-last one i played was quidditch wortld cup on the gamecube lmao)

Since Magic Awakened is set in 2008, it would mean that Reina and Tlabotts quads would have been approve to attend the school at age 10 rather than 11.

I used to have a Winx Club au that didn't really go anywhere since I gave up after I couldn't depict Reina in the show's style that well. For that setting, schools life Alfea, Cloud Tower and Red Fountain are co-ed. We're talking male fairies, witches/wizards and female warriors.

Reina, Rowan and a few others attend Cloud Tower. They'd be a year above the Winx but a year below the Trix. They'd absolutely ally with the Winx. Reina is known as the Rose Witch and Rowan is the Paper Witch. In a Time Skip, Reina would still marry Talbott, open her bakery, and they'd have their quadruplets. The Winx would be honorary aunties to the kids.

In a DC au, Reina would be around the same age as Bruce Wayne, and her kids would be slightly older than Nightwing/Dick Grayson. Ricardo himself would be closer to Alfreds age since his own granchild would be the same age as Jason Todd/Red Hood. Ricardo would also be a rainbow-themed magically powered hero under the name of Arcus.

DMC AU: Reina is the same age as Dante and Vergil, while her quiadds are the same age as Nero. Reina and her kids have a Devil Trigger because of their Demon Ancestry.

Resident Evil AU: Ricardo is the same age as Albert Wesker. Known as Subject 53, Ricardo was the product of what was known as Project Arcus. The intent was to create a bioweapon that could control the masses through hallucinations thanks to the A-Virus. At age 13, Ricardo broke free from captivity by slaughtering his tormentors and livng life on his terms, becoming a game developer. In the brief time he met Albert Wesker and William Birkin in the 80s, he viewed the two of them as good friends, being completely unaware of what the two were really up to. Ricardo's advnaced healing factor makes him functionally immortal, ensuring he'll only die of old age.

Reina was abducted as an infant in the 70s and experimented on for Project Flora, where she was subject 54. The goal was to create a bioweapon that could control all of the known Flora as a form of control on the populace. She was soon rescued by her father, having no memory of her time in captivity. While she can summon and control all existing plants, Reina instead settled into a simple life where she became a baker.

[lifeofkaze]

Okay but today I’m allowed: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE MCNULLY TWINS!!

Thank you for writing this little gem into existence, their different personalities are the sweetest and you can really see their parents mirrored in them. They’re the cutest 💛💙 (or is it 💛💚 now, I’m confused) 🎂

Happy 12th Birthday, Gwen & Amari McNully!

The fankids are celebrating their 12th birthday and they needed another story!

Weiterlesen

[carewyncromwell]

Anybody want some Carion? No? Just me? Okay. XDD This is Orion and Carewyn’s first meeting, back in Orion’s fourth year and Carewyn’s third! (In case you were wondering why Orion doesn’t have his facial hair and why Carey-Bear’s ponytail is so much shorter.)

Newly-15-year-old Quidditch prodigy Orion Amari was named the Slytherin team’s Captain that year, beating out his yearmate, friend, and likely future Wigtown Wanderer Skye Parkin largely because of his infinitely more mediating, leadership-centric attitude. After hearing that one of Slytherin’s Chasers had gotten injured, abruptly leaving the team short a player right before the upcoming match against Hufflepuff, Carewyn -- having gotten into Quidditch friendlies earlier that year thanks to Penny and having trained with Skye -- came to “court” Orion for a try-out. For a prompt, I was asked what Carewyn and Orion’s initial first impressions were of each other, and I answered thusly --

Carewyn about Orion: ‘So that’s the Slytherin Quidditch Captain? …How is he balancing on his broom like that??’

Orion about Carewyn: ‘Short and round, a Snidget’s build – ginger ponytail, like the Weasley boy’s – tight grip on her broom, slightly tense…a Seeker, perhaps? …No. No, those are a Chaser’s eyes.’

-- so that’s basically what’s going on in Carewyn and Orion’s heads right now in this drawing...not even the tiniest shred of romantic attraction from either party yet.

When Orion asked Carewyn to balance on her broom for him, it actually took her quite a while to get the hang of it. She got very upset and internally berated herself, hating that she looked incompetent, but she was so determined to prove herself that she bit back the small tears of frustration forming in her eyes and stayed on her broom until she finally managed it. Orion then had Carewyn meet him a few more times, balancing on their brooms together each time, and although Carewyn was a little frustrated that Orion kept dodging the issue at hand -- namely, the empty Chaser position -- she could sense that he was testing her, in his own way. And so, after that first meeting, she stopped asking when she could have a tryout and decided to prove herself by getting to know Orion better through their meetings when they would talk and “find their center” (sometimes with random distractions thrown in for spice, like a stray swarm of pixies). At one meeting in particular, Orion asked Carewyn what was helping her balance. The third year Slytherin admitted that she was singing a song in her head, which is something Carewyn often does when she’s working on something, even when she’s older. Orion told her to sing the song aloud so he could hear it, and Carewyn through a light flush closed her eyes and started to sing Carly Simon’s “Anticipation” while they “found balance” together. The Slytherin Quidditch Captain enjoyed it enough that he asked Carewyn to sing whatever song drifted through her head while they were training from that point on, closing his eyes and meditating to the sound of her voice.

Orion could tell that Carewyn Cromwell was a little rough around the edges (still being just 13 and only having dealt with one Cursed Vault at that point, Carey-Bear hadn’t fully gained the trademark cool confidence and composure that she expresses from year 4 onward) -- but besides her untrained talent and her pleasant voice, he immediately noted the younger girl’s intense fire, which, when put toward a goal, could be a valuable asset. And as he got to know her better through their meetings, Orion also noticed that Carewyn quickly caught onto his thought process and actively tried to speak on his terms, something very indicative of strong empathy. It was a trait Orion hadn’t encountered much in anyone else before, certainly not to that extent, and when he followed up with his friends McNully and Skye, he found that sensitivity toward other people’s feelings and attitudes was something they’d seen in Carewyn as well. McNully even guessed that it was the reason why Carewyn so wanted to try out for the Slytherin team, since she’d expressed the feeling that they probably were really shaken about having lost their Chaser right before the match and that she’d like to help them if she could. Finally, on the day Slytherin’s tryouts had been scheduled, Carewyn met Orion at the Quidditch pitch already balancing on her broom -- and upon her merely greeting him with a request to practice with him and the team, rather than directly asking for a tryout, Orion’s mouth spread into a smile and he told her to go fetch some robes from the tent. When she went to go borrow some spare robes, however, she instead found a set of Slytherin-official robes set aside just for her. Turns out Orion didn’t need a tryout -- he’d already selected her as Slytherin’s new Chaser.

In the match against Hufflepuff that year, Orion would go on to show enough trust in Carewyn to let her decide how best to approach the match -- and Carewyn returned that trust by pulling out Orion’s own Inspired Broom-Surfing technique at a critical point during the match. The two Slytherins’ minds had truly met, and when Carewyn ended up leaving the Slytherin team in response to both Skye’s unfounded rumors against Erika Rath and the return of Slytherin’s original Chaser, Orion never completely got over her departure, as much as he understood her reasoning. It was rare that Orion felt like he’d found a kindred spirit as it was, and not having Carewyn as part of his Quidditch family when he saw how much talent she expressed in every friendly she participated in and admired how deeply she cared for others was a great disappointment to him.

Over the years, Orion would every-so-often extend an invitation to Carewn to return to his team, even though her extreme focus on the Cursed Vaults and helping her brother Jacob hindered her from ever accepting. It was only in the Quidditch Cup Final at the very end of Orion’s last year at school that he and Carewyn were able to fly side-by-side on the Slytherin team again -- a match after which Orion finally came to grips with how much his image of Carewyn had changed over the years, from a Snidget-shaped girl with a lot of fire and empathy, as well as a calming singing voice, to a beautiful, confident young woman with more fire than a Fire Crab, a voice like a Phoenix’s...and the soul of an Abraxan, same as his.

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

I was always thought that if anyone was gonna checkmate Murphy, it’d be Rowan. Arguably enough, Rowan was always smarter than the rest of our Mystery Squad. Imagine my surprise when my MC actually beat Murphy at Wizard Chess. (Ironically, I’m so terrible at ordinary Chess.)

Rowan was definitely the smartest person in our year. It’s not just heartbreaking that MC didn’t spend as much time with them, it was honestly...a pretty serious oversight on their part, from a tactical perspective. Like even if you head-canon your MC as not liking or caring about Rowan, they’re frigging brilliant. MC should have approached them for help with the Vaults more often. Hell, even Rakepick should have seen their potential...😒

I’m terrible at chess too, but I’ve always loved the concept of Wizard’s Chess, ever since Ron dominated in McGonagall’s chess game. I like to head-canon that the Fawley family are all really, really good at it. And even though Rowan should be on the Quidditch team, I don’t know that they would be the best at chess. Don’t they prefer gobstones? 🧐😂

[that-scouse-wizard]

Through Thick and Thin

Day 4 of @cursebreakerfarrier‘s Back to School challenge (a day late I know 😂) Technically takes place before Hogwarts but this was too good not to use with these two. Characters mentioned here belong to @kc-and-co and @lifeofkaze 

Robin bounced excitedly in her seat as the car came to a crawl before stopping. To muggles, the castle in front of them would have looked ominous and decrepit, not a place any sane person would want to go exploring. For Robin however, the ancient structure was a place she had been excited about since her parents had first proposed the idea to her. Today was the day she and Nick would be attending Katriona Cassiopeia’s famous quidditch camp.

Though she was far more enthusiastic than her twin by a country mile, Nick seemed pleased to have finally arrived as well.

The family exited their vehicle, Robin practically launching herself towards the boot, where her rucksack was stored. “Excited?” David asked, chuckling as he opened it up for her, she snatched the bright yellow Wimbourne Wasps rucksack. Nick by contrast took his dark blue one out much more calmly.

“Right kids, remember. Everything you need is those rucksacks, write to us if you get homesick and most important, be careful. Yeah?” David asked, Robin nodding vigorously, whilst Nick did similar.

“With Rath and Cassiopeia around, I’m sure you’ll be in good hands, stay out of trouble you two.” Merula warned light-heartedly, with Robin due to meet up with Reva, chaos was bound to occur.

“Will do mum and dad, love you!” Robin called as she began sprinting for the castle, “I’ll race you Nick!”

“Hey that’s cheating!” Nick shouted after her, giving both of his parents a brief hug before taking off after his sister.

David and Merula beamed, his arm over her shoulder as they watched their children running for the camp, “You know that without us or the Amaris around Robin and Reva are going to be completely uncontrolled, right?” Merula asked.

“Oh yeah,” David nodded in agreement, “I gave Murph and KC the heads up, they’ll think of something for them.”

“I hope you’re right,” Merula laughed, finally turning her attention from the kids towards her husband, “In the meantime, we’re free to do whatever we want.” David smirked as Merula gave him a knowing look, they rarely had time away from the kids nowadays, they aimed to make the best of it.

Robin cheered triumphantly, entering the foyer where several other children who were first timers had gathered. Even going so far as to do a victory pirouette and bow, she had won the race against her brother. Nick came in shortly after, rolling his eyes at Robin’s showboating. Just as she was about to start jokingly gloating, a squeal of delight cut her off.

“Robin!” It was none other than Reva Amari, who immediately tackled her best friend, Robin happily returning the vice-like grip.

“Have you got the snacks?” Robin asked, Reva nodded.

“Have you got the drinks?” Reva asked in response, Robin returned the nod.

The two of them giggling at the thought of the epic midnight feast that would be sure to come about, chock full of sweets, salty snacks and soft drinks. After a long day of quidditch and causing chaos, such a banquet was the perfect way to celebrate as well as defy any trivial ‘lights out’ rule.

“Alright first-timers, settle down.” The announcement came from Murphy McNully, the crowd of children falling silent as he wheeled over to them, followed by an imposing Erika Rath, “Now as I’m sure you’re aware we have four teams for you to join up with, Rowan’s Ravens, Dora’s Dragons, Freddie’s Foxes and Llewelyn’s Lions. For those who already know what it is the teams do, feel free to choose. If not, Miss Rath hear can explain their functions. In the meantime, I would like to have a word with Reva Amari and Robin Willows.”

A few curious glances went the duo’s way but for the most part, no one but Nick knew who they were. Those who already knew what each house stood for rushed to boxes containing the jerseys. Others began queuing up for questions directed at Erika. In the middle of the chaos, Robin and Reva held each other’s hands so they wouldn’t lose each other.

As Murphy waved his wand to begin levitating his wheelchair up a set of stairs, the girls followed after him, giving them an overhead view of the others below. Robin seeing Nick now donning the pink of Dora’s Dragons, they were focused more on broom making, team management and playing the game at an introductory level. Something that Robin thought would be suited for Nick.

“Now then,” Murphy began as he lead the two of them into his office, “I hear the two of you have a certain talent for pranks.” Both girls grinned at that they did enjoy it, especially if the target was either Dylan or Nick.

“Judging by your smirks I’d say there’s an 89% chance of what your parents have told me being right. Which is perfect as I have a special assignment for the two of you,” Murphy’s statement peaked the girl’s interest, “I happen to believe I’m at least somewhat successful at picking out people with the potential to be great quidditch players, so far I’ve been proven right with David, Lizzie, Orion and even my darling wife. I believe the best way is to get them to hone their talents. However, in your case, I feel that we can channel your innate desire towards mischief-making for not just your own benefits but even the entire camp!”

Robin and Reva gave each other, and Murphy, a puzzled look. Where exactly was he going with this?

“That’s why, I want the two of you to start a prank war with each other.” There was a long pause as such a revelation stunned the two girls.

“You’re serious?” Robin asked, just the faintest hint of joy seeping into her tone. Reva was pinching herself to be sure it wasn’t a dream.

“Indeed,” Murphy grinned, “There are a few things to consider. For one, do nothing that would damage equipment, do not target staff members and above all else, do not tamper with my wife’s coffee.” Both girl’s nodded, shuddering at the last point, being fairly confident nothing would placate Katriona Cassiopeia’s rage if that were to happen.

“Excellent! Now, go fetch your jerseys, I’m sure you’d both make a fine addition to Llwelyn’s Lions.”

The two of them were positively giddy with excitement at being allowed almost free reign to do whatever they wanted as far as pranking went. Yet even so, they scrutinised each other, silently trying to come up with the best way to get ahead in the coming prank war. Even as they took on the Lion’s lavender colouration, they dared not turn their back on the other.

They both rounded a corner into the mess hall, all students from every house were gathered there, enjoying a banquet of sandwiches and cakes with juice and water as refreshments. At the centre piece was a beautifully baked Victoria sponge, somehow untouched and so perfect for smashing into someone’s face.

Robin and Reva looked at each other, they began slowly walking towards the cake, that became a light jog, then a run until finally it was a full on sprint. Robin had always been faster off the broom and reached the cake first. Yet, Reva slammed into her, planting Robin’s face into the cake. Robin was down briefly but far from out. She took a fistful of cake, cream and jam before smearing into Reva’s face.

With that declaration of war made, the food fight soon became a free for all. Something sure to go down in the history books as one of the greatest welcome’s to the quidditch camp.

[lifeofkaze]

Omfg, waking up to this, these are so amazing 🙀

I agree with @kc-needs-coffee you can totally see KC and Murphy in them.

I cant draw very well but I wanted to give a go at digitally illustrating two of my friend’s OC’s. So here’s Gwenllian Dora McNully and Amari Filius McNully! :)

@kc-needs-coffee (hopefully this will get my creative juices flowing)

[heleneplays]

Merry Christmas to my @hphmsecretsanta2020 , @shinyrockalaska ! I tried incorporating some of your faves from your prompt and I got as far as conceptualizing a hangout between some the Vaults + Quidditch crew!

aka Near Christmas break ft. Facepaint Kid & Penny talking ideas while Khanna twins (for fun! we stan Khanna Twins AU in this house) play chess with one Murphy McNully 💞

Hope you like this gift,,, and I wish you have a good holliday and a happy new year!!!

Love, Lee 💖

[indigobackfire]

HPHM MC Profile ✧

Indigo Silverwood

“ Getting near you is like stretching my hand into an open flame. I know I’ll burn myself, yet I crave the heat. ”

Nicknames: Indie. Didi (only by family). Silverwood. Silvie (by people who don't bother learning her name).

Gender: Female.

Birthday: 6th of March, 1973.

Born: Edinburgh, Scotland.

Mother: Clarin (née Tramer) Silverwood - Half-blood, Ravenclaw, English.

Father: Palmer Silverwood - Pureblood, Slytherin, Scottish.

Siblings: Jacob Silverwood (b. 1968), Phoenix Nobleworth Silverwood (b. 1973) - Phoenix was adopted after the death of his parents when he was just a couple of months old.

Ethnicity: Scottish, English, (probably with some Spanish roots).

Sexuality: Straight.

MBTI Type: ENFP-A

Blood Status: Half-blood (by her muggle grandmother on her mother's side).

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor.

Appearance

Eyes: Naturally yellow/golden/amber (nobody knows why, since their parent’s eyes are brown) but both hers and Jacob's eyes are like this). She wears glasses for her Astigmatism.

Hair: Naturally dark brown, but she asked her mother to turn it red when she turned 8 and doesn't plan on undoing it any soon.

• She’s average tall and reasonably strong build, honey-brown skin littered with scars from venturing with the vaults and being freaking attacked by dark wizards, big hands and feet due to her height. A large chest that grows at once in her 4th year (”Everybody's starring, Rowan!”).

• She keeps her nails short. Her makeup is often down to just some lipstick (mascara smudges her glasses, eye shadow irritates her eyes), her hair is often long wavy and fluffed for extra volume. She often smells like coconut oil from all the creams her mother insisted she used.

• She looks a lot like her father which gives her a rather rough look - like a handsome but wild animal - yet has enough of her mother’s attributes to be considered attractive and poise if well-groomed.

Magical Aspects

1st Wand: Red Oak wood with Dragon Heartstring core, 12″, pliable. "The true match for a red oak wand is possessed of unusually fast reactions, making it a perfect dueling wand. Its ideal master is light of touch, quick-witted and adaptable, often the creator of distinctive spells, and a good person to have beside in a fight." Indigo had good times with her red oak wand but as the years went by, her emotions start affecting the wand's efficiency. The wand would bleed a glowing red light in moments of extreme physical or emotional pain and become extremely unstable.

2nd Wand: Beechwood with Thestral hair core, 13", rigid flexibility. "The true match for a beech wand will be, if young, wise beyond their years, and if full-grown, rich in understanding and experience. Beech wands perform very weakly for the narrow-minded and intolerant. When properly matched, the beech wand is capable of a subtlety and artistry rarely seen in any other wood, hence its lustrous reputation." Indigo has a hard time adapting to her new wand, it's stubborn to her spells and acts upon its own will especially considering its unusual and unstable core, Thestral hair, which is of unknown habilities, except for its use in the mythical, Elder wand. Her wand is one of a kind which is why she has to adapt her abilities to match the wand's requirements. Despite all, it's a remarkable instrument for undoing curses/spells and detecting danger.

Animagus: Somali cat. She's already certain she wants to be a cat animagus - harmless, of easy blend, and enables an approach to humans -, but decides for the Somali breed, during the process, for its sumptuous golden fur and agility.

Patronus: Kangaroo, for its fighting spirit and family values, not to mention its strength. (In-game it's the Abraxan, but only because I thought it would be cool.)

Patronus memory: (During the first times) Her first Quidditch match, not just because they won but because everyone she loves from Hogwarts was there, and she got to cheer their victory together. (Later years) Her family gathering for hot cocoa during a rainy night with Jacob with them.

Abilities: Legilimency, and great emotional influence over magic (Don't get her frightened or angry or she will blow you up).

Boggart:  Her boggart changes constantly - she can't decide if it's either because she overcame the old fears, or if the new ones toppled those, creating a pile of fears. And since the new DADA teacher is always teaching Riddikulus again and again, the famous curse-breaker is always the most awaited in the line.

Jacob, eyes dark and musty, clothes covered in blood, someone's blood. He walks to her and slowly raises his sleeve, the Death mark is craved deep in his flesh and it glows. Behind him, it rises the Dark Lord.

Riddikulus: He turns into a younger version of himself from a photograph she recalls laughing about with her mom (he's running wearing a loaded diaper, crazy hair, rosy cheeks).

For a while is someone in a cloak threatening to cast the killing curse over her friends, whispering each of their names like a snake but she's frozen unable to stop them.

Riddikulus: The cloak falls to reveal a bunch of gnomes piled up wearing wigs and makeup.

For another, very realistic corpses of all of her friends spread at her feet, a dark wizard across from her, it's over and there isn't anything she can do to save them anymore - it was a grim day in DADA, but they all wanted to see it didn't they?

Riddikulus: This is the one time she fails to defeat a boggart, letting the horrible scene consume her, she falls to her knees defeated, and even after Rakepick's shouting, when she tries to cast the spell, it fails again and again.

This last boggart came to show everyone around her how truly terrified she was, not for her own life, but for that of those around her. How despite the confidence she was constantly displaying, in reality, she was afraid she couldn't save them from whatever was trying to get her.

Amortentia: Her Amortentia smells like Jacob's cologne — which he used to borrow from their father which is why she recalls so easily —, fresh Catnip ever since she became an animagus, bakings just out of the oven — extra intensity if there's chocolate involved, and freshly washed sweaters (from hugging Barney and the Weasleys).

Mirror of Erised: She's under the shadow of a tree, Jacob on one side along with Phoenix and Aspen, Barnaby's head resting on her lap, Rowan by her side, and Orion for some reason. They're laughing and reading books, it's an eternal spring afternoon.

Miscellaneous

Pets: A Sphynx cat, Mocca, a brown and white rat, Franccesca, and (later in her Hogwarts years) a Great Horned owlet, Plum.

Things she always carries with her: Her wand (duh), a handmade Gryffindor bracelet that used to belong to Jacob, the Handbook of Magical Theory, a handful of peppermints, a pouch with some money, a flask of Wideye potion, some Murtlap Essence, and a family photo during Christmas of 1980.

Lucky Amulets: She has a dream catcher made by Phoenix from feathers he shed during transformations and a "broken" knight from Murphy's chessboard who decided to leave the game for good and now sleeps on Indigo's nightstand with its horse, she likes stroking the horse the night before every Quidditch match

Best Friends

Her brother, Phoenix, takes the crown in matter of importance because, well, they're siblings who grew up practically like twins, but their relationship deserves their own detailing.

Rowan has got to be the first. Not only they share the same adventurous nerdy spirit, but Rowan also is the one to stick around even when everything is dark and uncertain and Indigo's popularity plummets. Indigo is always excited to hear whatever Rowan has to say - most times about books or Bill Weasley - and she's rarely fazed by the weird things Rowan does.

Murphy McNully is a close second, having officially met in the middle of her second year, they're both still fresh in a matter of friendships which allows them to open up, both in desperate need of company and support. He's often a companion in the girl's library and common room study sessions and sits with them during meals.

Charlie Weasley has her heart and soul from the moment they first speak during year one, but it actually takes a while until they form any real bond, which begins after he finds out she has been seeking his brother's help to search for the cursed vaults.

Ben is a friend she cherishes deeply but often finds it hard to break through his protective shell which makes him feel distant even when he opens up to her. Unlike her friends, she grows more liking towards Ben after he has his change in personality, as he feels more open about himself.

Chiara is a friend she deeply appreciates for her courage in reaching out for her help in times of need and trusting her with her secret. In Marauder fashion, she likes keeping an eye on her on the nights of full moon - which is good to train her cat tree climbing. They often have afternoon tea together and she teaches Indigo useful healing spells.

Andre and Indigo didn't have a great start, as she thought of him as arrogant and inconsiderate, and he thought she was careless and selfish. But when she helps him with a transfiguration mishap during their 3rd year when he was trying to be creative - and the reason he now has a two-headed cat - they start opening up to each other and begin a friendship. He's a good friend to confide in about the mundane aspects of her life and Quidditch intrigues.

Orion means to her more than she can put into words. Not only he is her team captain, but also a dear friend whom she turns to in times of emotional instability cause she knows he'll be the one to successfully help her clear her mind. They enjoy each other's company even if they don't have anything interesting to say. They sit together during every Divination class for as long as the subject goes.

She has no "rivals" as she finds that sort of labeling quite petty, but would definitely punch Emily Tyler on the stomach and perhaps Face Paint kid for all his eavesdropping.

She has an easier time bonding with her fellow Gryffindors since they spend most of their time together in classes, lunch, and hanging around in the common room.

Dormmates: She and Rowan got placed in a room for three people, as the ones for five were already full, along with a girl called Tanya. But at the beginning of their 4th year, they find out she has bailed out to another dorm room claiming they 1. Snort and speak in their sleep on a regular basis, 2. Will eventually endanger her with their cursed vault shenanigans, 3. Will get her killed - which, spoilers, actually happens, oops. So they basically have the dorm for themselves.

Academics

Favorite Classes:

Potions

Flying

DADA

Magical Theory

Least Favorite:

Transfiguration

History of Magic

Arithmancy

Favorite Professor: Kettleburn. Despite CoMC not being on her top favorite subjects, she enjoys her time in his classes and reminds her of her grandfather on her father's side who's a highlander wizard.

Least Favorite: Binns. Just retire you old man!

Quidditch Position: Chaser. Despite enjoying her time as Gryffindor's beater, she notices the position takes a toll on her physical wellbeing, having to carry a heavy bat and being injured by bludgers more times than she can keep track of. So she returns to her chaser position after a year.

Favorite Team: Montrose Magpies. She never had an interest in Quidditch before she began playing but decided to pick a team to support. Of course, it had to be a Scottish team and settles for MM because of professor McGonagall who's also a supporter.

She's not indigo's face claim, but it's hard to find good red-haired characters out there.

I guess I'll leave her background and history for another post since it interweaves very tightly with her sibling. And since I'm still exploring her story.

Well this is just an intro to my beloved MC

[official-weasley]

The Irreplaceable Charlie Weasley: Pt. 6, Ch. 1

PART 6: THE YEAR WHEN EVERYTHING FALLS INTO PLACE Chapter 1 - What is he Doing Here?

Charlie

I had nothing but an amazing Summer so far. I did great on my O.W.L.s and my family was proud. Mum told all the relatives how good Bill and I did, without thinking how embarrassed we would be by getting tons of congratulations letters. And to top it all off, Nova was staying with us for the entire Summer, and due to everything that happened in our Fifth Year between us, I was really glad she could be here.

The fight we had still haunted me at night sometimes. We needed almost a week to feel comfortable with each other again and for the things to go back as they were. When she came after me into the Forest, I was hesitant to talk to her. The whole week when she was in the Hospital Wing I was spending with Hagrid or in the Forbidden Forest so I had things to distract me from the fact that every time I went to visit her, McNully was there.

There was a point where I lost all hope that I would ever call her a friend again and it meant so much to me that she finally gathered the courage to tell me everything and own up to her mistakes. That talk in the Forbidden Forest changed everything. I felt different after it and I couldn't help but repeat her words in my head...

“How could you think, after all, we were through, that Murphy would replace you? Please promise me, you will never, not even for a second, think that I would replace you with anybody. There is not a person in the world that could take your place, Charlie Weasley.”

I knew I was self-conscious about our friendship and Bill and Penny both told me that I don't give myself enough credit but I couldn't help it. When you have friends it's expected that sooner or later a love interest will appear and you can't expect that things will be the same after that. When I was sneaking into the Forest that week she was injured, I came to terms with that. I just wanted my best friend back and I was ready to conceal my feelings forever.

But after the things she said, that she wouldn't replace me with anyone I couldn't help but think about something Bill said to me when I told him I fancied Nova when I said it was normal for her to blush even if we're friends.

“No, it's not mate. Do you blush if Jae says something nice to you? Or Tulip? Or Tonks?”

And when she said all those things something clicked in my brain. Perhaps they were right, perhaps Nova did have feelings for me but struggled to understand them as our friendship meant so much to her. The moment she placed that kiss on my cheek I knew that I was approaching the situation all wrong. I was afraid that she wouldn't like me back but instead, I had to be patient. I could feel there was something more between us when we were standing embraced in the Forest. I could feel something with her that I never did before and I knew it wasn't just friendship.

I knew at that moment that I have to be patient with her. Nevertheless, I needed almost a year to admit my feelings for her to myself. I need to give her time to think things through and to sort out her emotions.

My attitude changed with her when I made that decision. I was willing to wait to see if something sparks in her. I was beginning to be calmer around her and talk to her without being so shy and awkward because something was telling me that we were going to end up together.

I was always the shy one, the one that thought nobody wanted because he had freckles, even though my mum always said they were cute. So did Nova, she loved them.

I surprised myself a couple of times when I said something to her that I before would never have the courage to, and I also winked at her a couple of times. To say that it made Nova confused was an understatement. Lately, she keeps looking at me as if I was a riddle she can't seem to solve and I can't help but like it. I am giving her subtle hints that I fancy her and she is too oblivious to notice. I thought Ravenclaws knew how to solve puzzles.

Bill wrote to us a couple of times per week and just like he promised Nova, he sent her pictures of his mates, their regards and at the end of each letter he always wrote that he is okay and safe as he knew how much it meant to her. He was in love with his job and I was so happy for him but I couldn't help to be a bit jealous as I have to wait for two more years to start working with Dragons.

—

It will be Fred and George's First Year at Hogwarts this September and they wanted to know everything about the Sorting Ceremony. Nova and I were sitting on the sofa, as the twins sat on their knees in front of us.

“Oh, it's okay, I guess.” Nova said uninterestingly. I knew the look in her eyes. She was up to something, so I decided to go along with it.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Asked Fred. She sparked their interest.

“You know, there's singing and it's terrible!” She started to explain.

“Yeah, they forgot to give one kid earmuffs, and now he's deaf.” I said, looking terrified. I could see in the corner of my eye that Nova had to try hard not to laugh.

“You're joking!” George said, incredulously.

“Oh, no. It's true.” Nova looked at me. “When they did it to Charlie, he was screaming for solid five minutes.” She pursed her lips, shaking from holding in the laughter.

“It hurts?!” They both sat up straight.

“Didn't I tell you?” I confirmed Nova's statement.

“Mum, we don't want to go to Hogwarts!” Fred shouted towards the kitchen. My mum came to the living room at once, her hands on her waist, narrowing her eyes at me and Nova.

“Charlie, Nova, what did you tell them?” She asked carefully not to sound too angry in front of Nova. I knew that if I was doing this alone she would already be shouting.

“They said that the Sorting Hat hurts you when you get sorted.” Answered George. Mum looked at us as we tried to keep up a straight face.

“Oh, that it does!” She said casually and went back to the kitchen. I can't believe she went along with our joke! The twins were stunned, with their mouths open.

They stood up and ran upstairs and we didn't see them until dinner. They both came down with what seemed every Winter hat in the house. Nova, Ron, and I burst out laughing. My dad had no idea what was going on and my mum rolled her eyes when she turned around to see what was happening.

“Boys! What are you doing?” She asked.

“If the sorting hurts, we might as well do everything to make it as painless as possible.” George said, proud of his idea. Nova and I burst out laughing again.

“What's all this about?” My dad looked at my mum, puzzled. “Nova and Charlie told the boys how much the Sorting hurts.” She leaned to dad to hide a wink from Fred and George.

“Oh, right. Really unpleasant that is.” He said quickly. “Not a bad plan, but the hats won't help the pain, boys.” He added and buried his nose in his newspaper which was shaking and I knew he was trying his best not to laugh.

“Well, that settles it then, we're not going!” Fred took half of his hats off and followed George upstairs.

We waited for a few seconds then everybody started laughing.

“Thanks for not ruining the joke, mum!” I said.

“With the amount of trouble those two have put me through, it's a miracle you found something that scares them.” She squeezed my shoulder.

Even though we didn't even start the school year yet, Nova and I couldn't help but be excited as we would both come of age in December. We couldn't wait to rub it in our friends' faces when we will be able to take our Apparation tests and they won't. We had to wait almost a year to go to Hogwarts, now they will have to wait to get their test!

We also knew that turning 17 meant we could do magic outside of school and I couldn't wait to not think about consequences if I cast a spell outside school grounds.

Besides messing with Fred and George and Nova completely losing hope of ever beating Ron in Wizard's Chess, we spent most of our time on our Quidditch pitch. Nova stayed with Ginny and watched us play because Ginny was too young to fly and because of Bill being gone and Ron playing, there would be an uneven number of players.

I didn't mind as I knew Nova was watching me and it gave me a boost of confidence each time. I was proud of myself for how I was handling myself around her all Summer. Of course, I still blushed every time she leaned on me or hugged me but I was trying my best not to be as awkward. I have never wondered more what was going through her head as she still couldn't figure out what was I doing differently and I could see that it was really bugging her but she was too shy to talk about it.

It amused me to see how she struggled to understand what was going on and I knew I could tell her how I feel but I wanted to make sure that she was over McNully and I wanted her to realize she liked me. I didn't want the idea in her head just because I would tell her that I fancy her. I wanted her to come to the conclusion on her own no matter how stupid it might sound.

—

As always, when one of us goes to Hogwarts for the first time, my mum cried as she said goodbye to Fred and George. She cried when it was Percy's First Year two years ago and she cried when Bill and I first started school. Because Bill wasn't the oldest to be at Hogwarts anymore, mum gave all his responsibilities to me. It felt good being an older brother and I promised her that nothing will happen to her little angels. Even though I knew already that the second they find out the sorting doesn't hurt, they are going to do everything in their power to prank me all year.

Nova and I decided that it was pointless keeping the twins away from Tonks and Tulip as they were asking about their pranks and ideas to cause mischief ever since we mentioned that we all got detention because of Tonks' Dungbomb.

—

After me, Bill, and Percy being sorted in Gryffindor, I wasn't even surprised that the twins were too. When George sat down, our eyes met and he mouthed 'you're dead'. I couldn't help but be curious about what they are going to come up with. Of course, I wouldn't go as easy on them as I did on Tulip and Tonks, since I was a Prefect and their brother, so I am quite positive Gryffindor will come last this year when it comes to House points if they are going to behave as they do at home.

I went down for breakfast the first day of the new term. I sat next to Jae at the Gryffindor Table, surprised to see him. I couldn't find him on the train when I was patrolling the corridors and he came way past curfew to our dormitory.

“Mate, tell me what is going on or I will take 20 points from Gryffindor for coming to our room after curfew.” I sat down and grinned.

“I thought you were asleep.” He looked embarrassed.

“Nobody can sleep through your racket.” I chuckled. “Where were you anyway?” I took a plate and put some eggs and bacon on it.

“I was with Tulip. We're dating.” He leaned across the table and whispered, careful so that nobody could hear him.

“Congrats, mate! We were wondering last year when you took Tulip to the Kitchens if you were doing it.” I winked at him.

“We're not that quick, Weasley.” He rolled his eyes.

“Hey, Tonks asked the question not me.” I chuckled as I remembered Bill's reaction when she said it. I will miss having him around.

“Sooo, how did it happen?” I tried imitating Penny as much as possible as I was sure she was going to be over the roof when Tulip tells the girls.

“We weren't DOING it in the Kitchens that day, but I did tell her that I fancy her.” He said proudly.

“Good for you, mate!” I was really happy for them. I knew he liked her since last year and they did kind of fit together, liking to break the rules and hang out in the Kitchens, out of all places.

“Just please don't tell Nova. Tulip said she wanted to tell the girls on her own.” Jae said.

“Of course! Wouldn't think of it.” I smiled.

“Think of what?” Nova hugged me from behind as Tulip sat carefully next to Jae not to be too obvious. To me, she couldn't be worst at hiding the fact that they were together.

“You.” I winked at Nova. At this point, I knew I was having too much fun messing with her. Tulip giggled and Nova sat down next to me slowly.

“Excited for our Sixth Year?” She changed the subject even though I knew she was still going about it in her mind.

“Sure. Two more to go and then the real adventure begins.” I answered. She didn't look happy about that. I knew it was going to be hard on all of us when we'll have to part ways but I was sure we were going to be just fine.

“That reminds me, Tulip, any career interests yet?” I turned to her.

“I was thinking of looking something at the Ministry and try it out. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.” She shrugged her shoulders and I knew that after Jae told Tulip he fancied her they didn't do any talking. Poor Kitchen Elfs.

“What's up with you?” Nova narrowed her eyes at me after I chuckled at my thoughts.

“Oh, nothing.” I grinned. At this rate, she will be confused the whole year-round.

“Hi, Nova.” And then came the guy to ruin my entire week. I felt Nova stiffen next to me. I don't think she talked to McNully since we talked it out in the Forest. She slowly turned around and I knew she looked at me to see my reaction, before making a full turn.

“Hi, Murphy.” She said and I could tell she was embarrassed. It hurt to know that she wasn't completely over him and I felt bad in a way, knowing that they might've had a future if Nova didn't decide to pick her best friend over him.

“I was wondering if you would like to hang out after class today in the Courtyard?” I was surprised he was able to complete a full sentence without giving the odds of it happening.

“I'm sorry...I can't. I have Advanced Transfiguration today.” I looked at her. I knew that was a lie. I also knew I shouldn't feel good about the fact that she wasn't telling him the truth but I did. It had to take a lot of courage to say no to hanging out with the boy she liked.

“Oh, another time then.” McNully sounded disappointed. Welcome to my last year, Quidditch Commentator!

“Why did you lie to him?” I whispered to her after he left.

“I told you last year, you come first.” She gripped my hand.

“Nova, we're doing fine. You like the guy.” Even I was surprised at my words but I didn't want to be the one to keep her from dating someone. It was obvious he fancied her back.

“No.” She sighed. “I don't even know if I fancy him anymore.” She gave me the same puzzled look as she did when she was trying to figure me out. I smiled as I knew she was getting there.

[judediangelo75]

Til Next Summer, Little Fox

‘Til Next Summer, Little Fox

Amari McNully was many things.

And a quitter wasn’t one of them.

When he first got into Hogwarts, he had his heart set on becoming a Slytherin. To be a Quidditch champion in his own right, much like his mother did when she used to go to school. She and his father taught him all about the sport wizards and witches can come together and bond over.

His parents even created a camp, so already he was ahead of the pack.

All that was left to do was to be placed in his dream House and bring honor to his family name.

Only… it didn’t pan out that way.

When the Sorting Hat declared he was to be a Hufflepuff, he was crushed. Even more so when his twin sister got into the House he wanted and she had no desire to play Quidditch.

He could sit at the Hufflepuff table dejectedly as others around him laughed and chattered amongst themselves.

When he went home that Christmas, he spoken to his mother about his feelings about the entire thing. Talking to her always made him feel better.

Which it did.

Not only did he feel more at peace about the House he was placed in but also he made a little discovery.

An old mentor from his time at camp, a great friend to his parents, was a Hufflepuff alumni herself.

He always remembered the woman fondly.

Judith Winger. A witch with a strict training regime but with a heart of gold to match her eyes. She mainly trained with his team, the Freddie Foxes, which was the considered to produce the toughest team of Beaters.

She always applied pressure on them to hone their skills but was fair enough to stop and talk to someone if they were in a foul mood or they were pushing themselves too hard.

Amari always remembered little tidbits about herself she would share with him.

“My Papa used to be a Beater himself, teaching me some general basics while he was still alive.”

“I always used to meditate or go broom surfing in a quiet place before a match. A still and quiet mind can help in the long run.”

“You know if you asked your mom, she could probably show you the letterman jacket I designed for her when we were in school. I made one for her, Erika, Phoenix, and I with our house colors to wear around. Even with our nicknames inscribed on the back.”

“My gold fangs were a signature trade mark when I was school. My nickname was Tigress on the Quidditch Pitch.” “And you were Little Tigress outside of it!” “DAVID! FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME, I’M NOT LITTLE, YOU STUBBORN GIT!”

He enjoyed having Miss Judith as a mentor, and he could tell that she enjoyed having him as a mentee. She even gave him a pet name.

“Whatchu up to, little fox?”

“Can I help you little fox?”

“Aye, watch the sass there little fox before I made you run three laps around the track.”

One of Amari’s cherished items was a picture from when he was kid.

It was the last day at Camp Cassiopeia. The kids were free to do what they wished and Amari wanted to train with his favorite mentor before he leaves. Miss Judith was always down for some training.

Just as they were heading to store their bats, his mum appeared with a camera in hand, looking to capture some last minute memories of camp that year.

Not wanting to take a picture by himself. He looped his arm around the crook of Miss Judith’s elbow with a laugh.

“Come and take a picture with me, Miss Judith!” He remembered giggling as he said this. Giving a bright, happy expression to the camera lens, he gave his mother a peace sign before she took the picture. Katriona smiled at the pair as she snapped the picture before disappearing to make copies.

Before everyone left, his mum was able to print out the pictures. Before Judith could leave with her husband, Amari ran to find his favorite mentor.

“Ready to go, darling,” Talbott asked his wife, hugging her close while placing a soft kiss on her lips. Before she could reply, she heard a familiar voice calling out to her.

“Miss Judith, Miss Judith! Wait for a second!” Pale gold eyes glanced over to find a familiar styled mop of blonde hair hurdling up to her. Turning around with a smile, Judith stopped to see what the young McNully wanted.

“Hey there, little fox. How can I help you?” Amari stood in front her and her husband, panting to catch his breath before producing the photo of them, along with a pen.

“I-I was wondering if you can sign this before you go…” Judith took ahold of the physical evidence of her little fox catching her by surprise by having her take a picture with him.

The bright happiness that danced in his gray irises and the amused, confused shock reflecting in her own made her and Talbott smile. Tapping the pen against her cheek, she looked down at the young boy with careful thought before writing her message.

“Here you go, little fox.” Amari took back to the picture back to see what she wrote. He half expected to just see her name, but was pleasantly surprised to find a little message just for him.

‘Let people underestimate you… That gives you the chance to embarrass them! ‘Til next summer, little fox. - Judith Winger’

The young boy beamed at her before give her quick bear hug. Judith was happy to return it, ruffling his blonde locks before releasing him.

“Bye, Miss Judith and Mr. Talbott! See you next year!”

Amari forgot all about his little memento until after coming home from Christmas. When he discovered that his own teacher was a Hufflepuff herself. Going through his box filled with his old camp stuff, he found the photograph. It made him laugh a bit because she mainly wore her House colors, she couldn’t be more obvious if she tried.

Judith took pride that she was a Hufflepuff, and a fierce Beater to the boot. She wasn’t always a Quidditch champion but she was fantastic player to be remembered.

Before leaving to go back to Hogwarts, Amari made sure to keep the photo in his bag. While in the train ride back, he took out the picture and let her mentor’s words written in her neat handwriting sink it his mind.

“I will do just that, Miss Judith. I hope I make you proud…”

Whenever Amari felt down, or overlooked, he would take out the picture from that fateful summer and remember her words.

‘Let them underestimate you… That gives you the chance to embarrass them!’

Talk to Amari McNully nice, or you might lose with a resounding “Checkmate.”

————————

And she is back at it again with another one! I’m not 100% yet but I felt inspired to do another drawing with a quick short story.

I did an old drawing of this by hand awhile back but I wanted to do a better job this time. I just turned 22 and have a new program to work with, let’s see the growth, let’s see the improvement.

And now here we are.

I hope you like your surprise @kc-needs-coffee ! Also a short classic David and Judith interaction, even when they’re much older @that-scouse-wizard 🤣

[lifeofkaze]

Original Characters Collection - Masterpost

Lizzie Jameson:

Doppelbeater Defence (feat. Katriona Cassiopeia, Judith Harris)

One Year Older, None the Wiser

The Gift of Winter Veil (Warcraft AU, feat. Samantha O'Connell)

A Not So Secret Santa (feat. Artemis Hexley)

Driving Home for Christmas (feat. Katriona Cassiopeia)

Coffee, Cake and Covert Secrets (feat. Samantha O’Connell)

The Threads of Fate (Circus AU)

The Joker and the King (Cardverse AU) 1 | 2

Little Things

Various:

Death Comes to Deadwood (Selene Fraser, Wild West AU)

The Adventures of Alan the Ferret - The Rescue Mission (Selene Fraser, Ethel Hexley)

Wild Flower (Selene Fraser)

An Explosion of Scent (Selene Fraser, Ethel Hexley, Victoria Summer)

A Very Hexley Birthday (The Hexley Twins)

Not So Bad (Carolyn Nyberg)

A Dame Called Trouble (Katriona Cassiopeia, Murphy McNully)

Boy and the Ghost (Henry Lovecraft)

How to Save a Curse-Breaker (Ava Campbell, Artemis Hexley)

The Ghosts of Christmas Past (Ava Campbell, Leila Hellebore)

Friendly Fire (Ava Campbell x Charlie Weasley)

Tortoise Trouble (Dylan Amari)

Paint Me A Picture (Reva Amari, Farid Sikander)

Twenty-Two (Reva Amari)

Uncharted (Reva Amari, Dante Lopez Briarwood)

Spooky Scary Skeletons (Reva Amari)

[ardent-musings]

THEYRE PERFECT

Hi!

I don’t know if you have face claims for the McNully twins, but they remind me very much of Cody Christian and Chloe Moretz

I hope they don't take offense at me😅

They absolutely look like the twins! I love this. Thank you! 

[ardent-musings]

Car’s Masterlist

04/19/2022

🔥 smut / 🌱 fluff

“The Girl Who Vanished”Multiseries

Part One Part Two (not completed)

Fred Weasley x OC Multiseries

Bibiana Malfoy grew up being exactly who she thought she was supposed to be. Perfect little daughter, perfect little student, perfect little liar. And she was fine with that.

But that changes when she discovers the lies everyone has kept from her. With help from a set of twins and a shy boy, she has to piece together the secrets that reveal not only who she is, but who she wants to be.

NSFW Alphabets

Charlie Weasley/  Murphy McNully/  Neville Longbottom/  Cedric Diggory/

One Shots

Neville Longbottom x Reader

“Make it Up to Me” 🔥

“With Sprinkles on Top” 🔥

“The Sweet Ones” 🔥

“Prove It To Me” 🔥

“Strike Three?” 🔥

Harry Potter x Reader

“Not a No” 🌱

Remus Lupin x Reader

“Study Buddies” 🔥

Charlie Weasley x Reader

“Dessert for Breakfast” 🔥

Series

Coffee & Commentary x Murphy McNully 🔥

Here are my smuts based off the wonderful “Coffee & Commentary” written by the beautiful @kc-needs-coffee Writing these for you truly fuels my little heart. If you have yet to read her series go and give her some love!

Oh, Captain. My Captain. x Orion Amari 🔥

These can be read independently but I do see them weaving into each other. Orion Amari smut for my lovely @lifeofkaze

“Off Kilter”

“Focused” Part One   Part Two

[carewyncromwell]

It’s kinda annoying that the other Quidditch characters didn’t get their own personal arcs like Skye did. I thought Orion was finally going to get one when he got injured in s3 but they never went anywhere with exploring him further as a character. It seems like they just needed an excuse to get him out of the way to have a captaincy plot but without having him graduate. They didn’t really explore Murphy or Rath’s characters on a personal that much either, but they have potential to work with too.

Yeah, I'm definitely annoyed by how much Jam City has just decided to completely sideline Orion in particular, after season 3, and I was really hoping that season 4 would give McNully the chance to shine the way Season 2 gave Skye focus and the beginning of Season 3 focused on Orion. It's also disappointing that they've had Skye and Erika kind of backtrack in their development too, considering they're acting unfriendly toward each other again. I was even complaining to @dat-silvers-girl at several points while watching the latest chapter of Season 4, because almost all of Orion's comments from the sidelines were written as though he were just some random NPC, rather than in his rather distinctive, dreamy voice.

These lines should've been more like --

"We can only benefit from whatever intelligence Rath has against our new opponents."

"Rath is as strong as a Graphorn, it's true...but even a Graphorn needs time to heal, before they can charge at full strength."

"This is certain -- to get to Gruffyd, our only path is through Baglan."

"Our focus must be on Baglan."

"Having the twins as rivals has sparked new flames of determination inside of our teammates."

But yes, back to the overall point, the writing of the Quidditch crew has been incredibly disappointing, as of late. Like the rest of the game, it really feels as though each of them had so much potential for growth and development, but Jam City has seen fit to either deny them it or backtrack any small changes they do go through.

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

Yeah, they really need to add more friendship tasks. I mean, we'll have 3 first years as friends so we can't take them out for butterbeer, and Murphy hates gobstones so he's completely gone from that list. I hope if they ever add Bea, it won't be until next year since she'll be old enough for butterbeer and won't have the same problem as the first years...

As much as it makes sense and is rational for characters like Fred and George to be locked out of Three-Broomsticks visits...it still deeply annoys me because they already have higher point requirements than anyone who’s come before. Leveling them up is even slower now. 

I mean, Fred and George like to break the rules, right...? They could totally sneak into Hogsmeade before they’re old enough. And Murphy? What, he doesn’t like Gobstones? Bro, neither do I! If I have to suck it up and play Not-Ink Marbles, so should you! 🤣