#there will never be anything honestly amusing about privatized healthcare

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be funny if being a dick started being classed as a medical condition considering how much more likely you are to end up with somebody's foot up your ass

insurance company calls you up "hey we're raising your rates. yeah sorry we saw your social media history and you seem to be harassing a lot of people for... [paper shuffling] enjoying a band you don't like. also the rampant transphobia. anyway, you did not disclose being punchable on your preexisting condition paperwork. you can appeal this decision after going to rehab for shitheads. we've emailed you a list of providers"

[pendragonfics]

Thief Stole Your Heart

Paring: Bilbo Baggins/Reader

Tags:  gender neutral reader, no pronouns for reader, alternate universe - bookstore, alternate universe - modern: no powers, actual thief Bilbo Baggins, bookstore clerk Reader, knitting, marriage proposal, awkward flirting

Summary: Bilbo met Reader at a bar, and years later, they're still going strong. What happens when he enters their bookstore and starts acting strange?

Word Count: 1,616

Current Date: 2020-12-22

The first time that you met Bilbo, it was at a pub that both of you didn’t want to be in. With your cider in hand and his beer, you bumped into one another during a kerfuffle at the bar. Something to do with a drinking game between two young men, a tall blonde and a tattooed construction worker gone too far. Whatever it was, you were left wearing his brew, and he yours. Which led to introductions, apologies, and frankly was a tolerable exit from being the third wheel. When you explained you worked in a book store, he had introduced himself as an adventurer.

He didn’t appear to be the sort of man who was an adventurer. He had a trim haircut, clean face, and earnest smile. Wore an unembellished sweater, had a novel tucked under his arm and drank the same beer the whole night. Adventurer. It wasn’t until you realised he had come in the company of a notorious motorbike crew when it sunk in.

This man you had met, the kind-faced, soft, polite man was their…er…handyman. A man who was handy with his hands. In all honesty, didn’t bother you. You were quite the unadventurous type; you drank the same thing every time you visited the cafe, read the same magazines and lived a boring, safe life that kept you in a box. And Bilbo didn’t — and it was for that fact which made you intrigued.

Intrigued enough for the pair of you to remain in each others company for years. Three years and eight months of many a run-in and unplanned shenanigans, somehow, you and Bilbo were still together. You had seen each other in some strange places, too. He had cancelled plans to nurse you back to health (that time after food poisoning, or that time you had the flu or that time with that stomach bug), and you had been his plus one to his unpleasant and estranged extended family gatherings. But mostly, in all that time, you had worked your way from sales clerk to finally, the owner of Shire Softcovers & Hardback Bookstore.

Which led to where you were present. Sitting behind the register on a quilted soft stool, you perch with a ball of yarn between your feet, on the floor. It’s hidden to customers who enter the store, but to those who can hear the telltale cli-click, cli-click’s, you’re knitting. Usually, there were chores, but they were done. Usually, there were customers, but on account of the blustery mid-autumn Sunday afternoon, there were none. Usually, you would be on your phone, but it was flat — and you had forgotten the cord.

It was supposed to be a scarf, but no matter what you did, it wasn’t seeming to grow longer at all. If anything, you swore that the yarn was cursed. An artefact from a horrid hag from a long-gone era who hated knitting. But whatever it was, you kept at it; because it was better than staring out the window, and watching Doctor Peredhel chasing unruly teenagers from his clinic (although you knew you should agree with the older healthcare professional’s actions, it was amusing to watch aspiring graffiti artists misspell gonorrhoea).

It wasn’t until you realised the scarf was growing wider, not long when the little bell at the door tinkled. Glancing from your accursed craft, you met eyes with the newcomer to the store. But instead of it being a customer, it was none other than your boyfriend, and partner in crime.

“Bilbo, thank goodness you’re here,” you gasp, abandoning your knitting to rush to him. Dramatically, you kiss his cheek and pose like a starlet from the silent film era. “I don’t know what I would have done with myself if you hadn’t arrived.”

“Slow day?” He chuckled. Untying his scarf, Bilbo pecked at your cheek.

“The slowest, ” You agree. Straightening the already perfect display of political autobiographies, you add, “I honestly can’t believe it, Bilbo. Nobody at all today. Not even Mister Radagast or Tauriel.”

He raises an eyebrow and sheds his coat onto the desk. He’s wearing a dark green sweater underneath, and the collar of his shirt beneath is rumpled and not on the top. The pockets of his trousers seem full, with an outline of a phone and keys, but there are other lumpy shapes you don’t recognise. At the moment between your remark and the next to follow, he scratches at his left palm idly, his fingernails short and clean. Either his eczema is back, or he’s true to his word and truly has quit smoking.

“I don’t know about the old hippy,” Bilbo says. He takes your hand in his, and swings it somewhat awkwardly — to someone else, yes, but to the pair of you, it’s comforting — at his side. “But I saw Tauriel in the ’shop today. I think Kili invited her.”

You pause. “Tauri and Thorin’s nephew?” You bite your lip, mind full of unpinned threads working their way to conclusions. “I didn’t see that one coming.”

“They seem quite oblivious to it all, however,” Bilbo continues. “Maybe they’ll realise their feelings. Maybe not. They are young.”

“Is this your way of saying that we are not?” You inspect him, part curious, part suspicious.

He wasn’t always so clumsy with his words; Bilbo was a man of forethought, in both his private and work life. It paid off marvellously when he worked for the heist against the antisocial Mr Smaug (a rather awful venture capitalist whose hoard hurt the town for decades) and many other of the jobs carried out by the Oakenshield Thirteen.

“What?” He blinks. “N-no.”

You step around him, trying to see the side he’s favouring, but Bilbo reacts quick enough, circling you as you circle him. His left brow is raised as he watches you watching him, and you narrow your eyes, trying to read his face for clues.

But there are none.

“All right,” you hum, unsatisfied with the turn of events, “Keep your secrets.”

“I will,” he replies.

“Good.” You nod. “I’ll be over here,” you start walking toward the counter, back to the knitting you’d left, but all the while, your eyes never leave Bilbo’s. “…if you need me.”

“I’m not hiding anything,” he responds too fast, and too high a pitch. “But…if I do need you…”

“I’ll be here,” you finish his sentence.

You continue the row of stitches, not bothering to unpick the problematic extra lines of knots you had put there before. As you resume knitting, the wool on the floor rolling about the stool, you can’t help but notice Bilbo as he strolls down the otherwise empty aisles of the bookstore. His hands are in his pockets, pushed deep so you can’t see an outline of anything else that’s in there. He walks from the adventure novels, past the self-help section, and further into nonfiction. You’re trying to pearl the stitches, focusing all of your efforts onto it. But all you can think of is that he’s in the photography section, which borders onto the wedding planning—

You leave your knitting once more, rushing to find Bilbo. You dart around the shelves, trying to find him. You try to stand as tall as you can to see over the shelves, but as low as they are, you can’t seem to see the familiar honey brown head of hair that belongs to Bilbo. You stop, and turn around, hoping he hasn’t snuck behind you in an attempt at a prank, but he’s nowhere to be seen.

“Lost?” He says, behind you.

You turn once more, and standing as if he had been there the whole time, Bilbo tosses a small box in his hands, catching it with ease. His eyes are on you, but the box still falls and rises in his hands perfectly. If you didn’t know his occupation, you would be impressed by the hand-eye-coordination that goes into the party trick. But still, you are impressed, and slightly out of breath from the surprise of it, and you feel somewhat confused as to his behaviour.

“I can’t believe I messed up that segue,” Bilbo says under his breath, catching the box. He doesn’t throw it again; instead, he fiddles with it, single-handedly. “It was supposed to be —” He runs his empty hand through his hair, and slowly, sinks to his feet as if he’s to tie a shoelace.

“What are you doing?” Your voice is shaky.

He frowns, from his knees. “I suppose I’m just down here. You know. With a little box that I bought, and I thought of you and all that I love about you.”

“Bilbo…” you whisper. “I—”

He blinks, a furious blush coming across his face. He sighs and starts to stand up. But before he’s at his full height, you sink to your knees and take him in your arms. It was supposed to be something soft, something romantic; because it had taken you too long to realise what he had been alluding to, and disheartened, he was backing out of it. But instead of the gesture you wished to show, it came out somewhat…like a football tackle, or like a security guard to a thief.

“What was that for?” Bilbo asks, confused, from the floor.

You fumble for the box beside him, and awkwardly, atop him on the itchy carpet of the bookstore, you hover above him, wishing to not crush him. He laughs, softly, and you lay your forehead against his chest, the laughter consuming you too.

“I love you too,” you say, through the laughter. “And I’ll have you and your little box if that’s okay with you.”

[s13e06]

Recuerdos Perdidos Pt 4

Draco Malfoy/ Female Reader

Harry Potter AU

Warnings: implied trauma

Words: 3.6K

Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3

-

Chapter 4

“What do you mean by a healer?” was the first question that left your mouth. Draco seemed to look at you in surprise before seeming to come to a realization.

 “Ah, well I suppose you might call them a doctor”.

You nodded slowly before his words finally began to sink in. This means that you were getting your memory back. All of it. You were finally going to be able to fill in those missing pieces. The pain in your head that never fully went away will finally begin to subside. 

“Will we have to do that magic teleportation thing to get there?” you asked beginning to get a little worried. “I really don’t want to hurl again”. You said with a little frown.

Draco only chuckled at you in amusement before shaking his head. “Don’t worry, we can take the car this time.” 

“Thank god,” you sighed before you straightened yourself up and clapped your hands together lightly. “Alright, when are we going?” 

“As soon as you’re ready to leave,” he replied calmly while giving you a quick once over. 

He had only looked you up and down for a brief moment but it was enough to cause your stomach to flutter. You were starting to get wrapped up in the fact that he was an attractive boy who you happened to be alone with. But what you were so desperately trying to remind yourself of was that he wasn’t necessarily a stranger to you. This was someone from your past. Someone who had already given you up a long time ago. He may have almost kissed you but really it may just have been because he was in a vulnerable state… then again it was the pictures that made him cry. Nothing really made sense and it was becoming increasingly harder to try and convince yourself that you didn’t care about him at all.

Because even though you had no memories of him… it was like somewhere in your mind you had missed him?

“We’re going to go at this hour?” you asked while snapping your attention back to Draco after thinking to yourself for a moment. ”Will the doctors still be taking appointments?”

You must have said something stupid because Draco just smiled again before giving you a kind of endearing look.

“Don’t worry, I’ve made a private appointment with her.” He told you while moving towards your bedroom door. “I take it you’re ready to go?”  He asked while glancing back at you.

“Yeah” you mumbled out as the anxiety began to set in. “better now than never” - The car ride to the “doctor” was a little uncomfortable, to say the least. Neither of you had said a word for the last ten minutes or so and the last thing either of you had said was a half-joking comment from him about how we were traveling there the “muggle way” for your sake. You assumed it was his attempt at trying to deliver some humor to the situation but all it did was remind you just how insane this last week had been.

You went from discovering you had repressed memories to finding out about magic all in the same day. Not to mention a past relationship and odd lingering feelings. Honestly, it was beginning to weigh down heavily on you. You turned your head to the side to glance at Draco. You thought it was kind of funny that he would be driving. Not because you didn’t think he couldn’t but just because he came off to you as the type to have their own personal chauffer. But for all, you knew he did and this was just his way of keeping others out of the situation the two of you were in.

Yes… this situation.

Come to think of it. You never really did wrap your head around the reason why he agreed to get your memories back. It was obviously important to him that you had lost them in the first place. He didn’t even have any intentions of seeing you again so why is he going along with it now? Simply because you asked? That didn’t really make sense…

If you asked would he tell you the truth?

“You’ve been staring at me for quite a while now,” Draco said briefly shifting his eyes to stare back into yours. 

 “Why are you doing this for me?” you asked hesitantly. “Didn’t you want me to forget to begin with?” confusion was etched on your features. Draco seemed to tense a little at your question. His knuckles be

gan to turn white as you watched him grip the steering wheel. “You came all this way despite losing your memories… even when I thought I’d never see you again you found your way back to me”. He began with bated breath. “Restoring your memories after you’ve come so far is the least I can do”. He finished.

You furrowed your brow as you mulled over his words. 

“Besides… once you regain them… I don’t think you’ll want to be near me again.” He added so quietly you almost thought he didn’t mean for you to hear.

“What do you mean by tha-“

“We’re here” he interrupted your questioning as he pulled the car next to a rather dingy looking building.

You decided it was better to not press him further.

As you stepped out of the car and took in the building before you doubt began to set in your stomach. The building was old and broken. The aging bricks looked as though they would crumble in any given moment, the windows were clouded and dirty, and stone steps had begun to erode in some places.

Was this really where magical doctors practiced?

You briefly worried about the state of their healthcare system. Glancing at Draco skeptically he seemed to pick up on your worry. 

“Follow me” he chuckled.

You did as you were told even though you were beginning to question this entire situation. Was it really a good idea to just hop in a car with someone who could be considered a stranger and allow him to drive you to God knows where?

Perhaps all your recent life events had impacted your judgment.

Standing behind Draco as he approached the beaten old door, you watched carefully while he briefly checked his surroundings before pulling out his magic stick and pressing it a few times against the door.

At first, you were unsure of what was supposed to be happening until a soft click noise could be heard coming from the door. Then as if it had a mind of its own, you watched the door slowly creak open to allow you two in. Draco didn’t even spare you a glance before stepping inside and you were quick to follow. 

To say that you were surprised was a complete understatement. 

One quick look around the inside and you found that your previous assumption had been way off. The floors were a sparkling polished white marble, the walls clean and neatly decorated with various paintings, tasteful plants were spotted throughout the area and as you studied them closer you found that they were rather odd in appearance, there were large brown couches for waiting on and neatly done coffee tables placed in front of them, and on those tables were various magazines and newspapers all with moving pictures on them. 

You gaped at your surroundings before you noticed that Draco was starting to walk towards what you presumed to be the reception desk. 

“Hello I have an appointment set with Ms. Snipebane” he spoke calmly.

“Of course, let me inform her that you’ve arrived” the woman behind the counter replied quickly.

As Draco stood at the counter you let your eyes wander to follow some of the people who you assumed were staff at this... was hospital the right word? They all looked very well kept and orderly. All clean clothes and nice haircuts. None of them seemed to pay you any mind either. These people belonged to a completely different world than you and yet they had no clue. 

“C’mon” you heard Draco speak next to you, breaking you out of your thoughts as he gently nudged you to follow him. 

A rather tall red-headed woman led the two of you down a narrow white hallway before making two left turns and stopping in front of a rather crisp looking door. Glancing to the side of it you read a golden plaque that was proudly placed on the wall. It gleamed, “Wanda Snipebane”.

The redhead knocked her fist sharply against the door three times before it swung open revealing a young woman. She was beautiful. A model like figure and perfect skin. You were sure you were staring because she cleared her throat and smirked at you slightly. 

“Draco, how good to see you, come in” she spoke softly as she stepped aside to let you both in. 

“Have a seat, you two” the woman spoke as she gestured to a purple leather loveseat sat adjacent to her desk. 

Sitting down quickly you couldn’t help but feel as though you were out of place. There were more odd plants sat along the windowsill and a few fuzzy books on her bookshelf. You weren’t usually one to judge the appearance of things like books. But usually, they weren’t bound in fur and scales. Looking closer you could even swear you saw one move. Hopefully, it didn’t have teeth as well you briefly mused.  

Your thoughts were interrupted by the woman clearing her voice as she sat down across from the two of you. 

“Now… quite frankly, I never thought that I’d see you in here again Mr. Malfoy” she spoke with a smile. One that read concern and not amusement. You weren’t sure why.

Glancing at Draco you saw him purse his lips. “Yes, well… as you can probably guess I’d like to pick up where we left off last time.” He spoke curtly. “This time I think that you’ll find an answer much quicker as… well, she’s here with me now” he finished while making a slight gesture towards you. 

Just then the doctor’s eyes were studying you intently as a sad sort of smile adorned her face. 

“Ahh, I thought that might be the case,” she said to you leaning slightly forward. “Tell me, dear, why do you think you’re here?”

You didn’t notice the lump in your throat before she called on you to speak but now it was as if you couldn’t swallow it. 

With a heavy sigh, you began to speak, “Well, it seems that I’ve had my memory erased. I don’t remember much of anything, just some flashes here and there. I suppose I wouldn’t have even known I was missing any memories if it wasn’t for the pain that comes with it.” 

The doctor’s eyes grew large at your words. “Pain you say?” she questioned eagerly.

“Yes, certain things seem to trigger memories but they’re hard to make out and the longer I see them the more intense the pain grows. Like a throbbing in my head that will never end.”

“And what exactly is it that triggers these random memories, if you don’t mind me asking?” 

You most certainly did mind as the topic itself was a little embarrassing in hindsight. “Not at all” however, is what you replied. “The first time it was triggered was when I found some old photos that I don’t remember taking. Except I was in them… and so was he” you spoke softer while nodding your head towards Draco. “I couldn’t make sense of it at first… how could I have pictures of memories I don’t have? Of a boy, I didn’t even know… Next thing I knew I was in an unbelievable amount of pain as brief flashes of memories started pounding in my mind”.

Ms. Snipebane looked rather enthralled in your story as she began to scribble some things down on a notepad.

“Then what did you do after that?” she asked curiously. “It’s to my understanding that you’re from and currently live in America, correct? So how did you end up here?”

The fact that she obviously knew you before you even entered this room struck you as a little unsettling but it was the least interesting of all the mysteries currently in your life, so you let it slide. 

“Well, the box I found the pictures in was full of other things from the summer I lived with my grandparent’s in England. I could even see their house in the background of one of the photos. I remembered that trip and almost everything in that box except for a few items and those photos. But I knew I wouldn’t find answers there so I packed up my things and came to my grandparent’s house. I figured it was a start to solving this mystery” you told her, beginning to relax.

“Fascinating” was all she said before her gaze shifted to Draco for just the slightest moment. 

You so desperately wanted to turn fully and see what kind of look he had on his face.

Ms. Snipebane then stood from her chair and made her way over to where the two of you sat.

“Do you mind if I check something, dear?” she asked you with a gentle smile. “Go right ahead” you replied mentally preparing yourself for whatever this magical lady was about to do.

Just as you had predicted she pulled a wand from the inside of her coat. The tip of the wand began to glow as she whispered something in Latin and raised it towards your head. You almost expected it to hurt but instead, all you felt was a little tingle.

She stared at you intensely as her wand moved about areas of your head. You glanced to the side to see Draco watching you too, a sort of fascinated look on his face.

You began to worry just what it was they were looking at when she stepped back. 

“Well” she started with a tight-lipped sort of smile “as you know, the good news is, reversing an obliviation is doable. Not to mention the fact that somehow her mind is already trying to do it for her. I’ve never seen such a thing” she noted. “And the bad news?” Draco asked looking a little tense.

“The bad news,” she said while clearing her throat lightly “Is that the process to complete a reversal is not so easy. I’ve only seen it done once before when I was studying in Australia. It might take me some time to acquire all the necessary knowledge needed to perform it.”

“When will that be?” Draco pressed; subtle irritation laced in his voice. Ms. Snipebane gave him a sort of pitiful smile before her eyes fell upon you again. “For you dear, I’ll have it ready in two weeks’ time”.

~ Draco told you to wait back in the lobby as he spoke to Ms. Snipebane about a few more things. You didn’t like the idea of them talking about you behind your back so obviously. Just because you don’t know anything about magic doesn’t mean you an idiot when it comes to everything else. 

Sitting in the lobby with all the magical folk, you couldn’t help but feel like you were secretly being watched. Like they all knew you weren’t one of them. A little voice inside your head was telling you to just get up and leave. To forget about even recovering these memories. You were perfectly fine before even discovering you’d lost them. 

Weren’t you?

“Let’s go” came Draco’s voice from beside you. The fact that you hadn’t even heard him approach you made your heart race a little in surprise. But you made no outer reaction. Instead, you just stood with a nod as you followed him out the door. 

Getting back into the car the silence quickly became too much to handle and without really thinking it through you turned to Draco and blurted out that you needed to talk. 

“Of course” was all he responded with, looking a little sheepish.

“How did she know so much about me already?” you asked letting out a little huff. “I know she didn’t say a whole lot when I was there but that’s just the problem. She didn’t ask me much because she already knew everything didn’t she?”

You were staring at Draco with a sort of stern look. Trying to appear confident and resolved. He only bit his lip slightly before glancing in the rearview mirror and cursing slightly under his breath. 

Next thing you knew he was swinging the car right in a sharp turn as he veered onto an empty street. 

You looked around a little nervously. If this didn’t look like the perfect place to hack somebody to bits then you’d be dammed. 

“I spoke about you to her when I wrote the letter arranging for the appointment. I had to tell her everything I knew about you so she’d be able to do some research ahead of time. I didn’t want her prodding you with a million questions upon first meeting. I had a feeling you might get a little overwhelmed.” Draco said while lowering his hands from the steering wheel and turning to meet your eyes.

Well, that was kind of considerate of him, you supposed. But that begged the question of why he felt he could trust her so much if his whole family hated you and the wizarding world had some sort of blood class system. 

“You obviously trust her a lot,” you said while forming the rest of your thoughts “and it was clear you knew each other well before. How were you so sure she’d be willing to help?” you asked genuinely curious. 

Draco let out a dry chuckle. “Let’s just say her forte is fixing broken people. I knew she would be willing to help me simply because I’m her favorite client.” She liked to fix broken people? Well, that explained why she’d be interested in you. But, Draco’s comment regarding himself left a heavy feeling in your chest. “Family issues?” you asked, hoping you weren’t crossing a line.

“Amongst other things” he replied.

You could tell the topic was something he wasn’t ready to share yet so you moved on from it. 

“What will you do after I regain my memory?” you questioned him, curious to know what he had been thinking the last couple of days. 

He looked a bit taken back by the question, as though he hadn’t even considered it before. 

“Well… I suppose I just assumed you’d go back home after remembering how things ended between us and I would continue with my… previous engagements.” He said trailing off a little at the end.

The statement had you puzzled. You wanted to question with these previous engagements were or even maybe who they were… but the first part was a much more pressing matter. 

“What was it that happened between us in the end? That’s the second time you’ve mentioned me leaving after finding out the truth… what did you do to me that was so horrible?” you gave him a serious look as you could tell he was starting to get uncomfortable again. “You might as well tell me now considering I’m bound to find out in a few weeks anyway.”

He seemed to consider this.

“I said things to you… in an effort to make you hate me. Things that I… can never take back” he said. 

“Did you mean them?” you asked.

“No, never” was his quick response. Looking into his steely eyes you could tell there was sincerity in them.

“Then I’ll keep that in mind” you responded before you both grew silent. With that, he started the car again and began to drive.

The rest of the ride home was quiet as you both seemed to be thinking deeply. When he dropped you back at your grandparent’s house he simply wished you a good night before driving away again. You knew there was so much left unsaid between the two of you but you figured all truths would be eventually exposed. Looking up at the dark night sky as you walked up the path to your grandparent’s house you felt incredibly small. 

You weren’t sure what time it was but you knew you were much too anxious to sleep anytime soon. 

As you neared your door you suddenly stopped. You had the most intense rush of fear rush through you out of nowhere. It was like you could feel someone watching you. 

Without giving it much thought you whipped your head to the right and stared out into the distant field. At first, you saw nothing as your eyes strained to focus in the dark. But, then you could make it out. The eerie silhouette of a woman standing in the distance, maybe only a hundred feet away. You knew in your gut it was the same woman from before. 

Terror coursed through you as you quickly started to fumble for your keys to unlock the door. In true horror movie fashion, you dropped them just as you were about to stick the key into the hole. Your hands were shaking like crazy as a thousand thoughts coursed through your mind. A voice inside your head was practically screaming for you to run. 

You bent down to pick them up and as you stood you heard a voice whisper from behind you as a chill ran down your spine.

“Care for a chat?”

____

AN:// Uh hello?!?!? I’m back from the dead you guys. I literally have no excuse for waiting this long to release this. I’ve been meaning to finish this chapter for months but today as i was driving home I was finally hit with the inspiration I needed. I have a lot in mind for this work and I hope you all see it through with me. I’m so sorry about taking like 9 months off from writing but ummm I’m back now I promise lol. Please let me know what you all think! :)

P.S a one shot may or may not be coming to you all soon.

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