#this may or may not be a part of my fest fic

[regscupid]

valentine's day snippet <3

thank you for tagging me @bellaxisworld <333

James quite literally cannot be snuck up on.

“James Potter, open the fucking door.”

Unless it’s by an angry Regulus Black.

The sound of his voice makes James jump in his seat. He wonders briefly if he can just pretend he isn’t home, then jumps again when Regulus calls through his door again.

“I know you’re home. Open the door before I do.”

He opens the door hesitantly, like the handle might burn him if he turns it too hastily. Not that it matters in the end, he only has to open the door about an inch before it’s flying the rest of the way.

“What is your problem?”

“Excuse me?” James’ voice cracks on the word ‘me’, but he can’t find it in him to care when Regulus stands directly in front of him. He has to crane his neck to make eye contact, but that doesn’t take away from the danger James feels he’s in.

“What is your problem?”

“I don’t have a problem-“

“Really? Then why have you disappeared off the face of the planet?” His finger jabs into James’ chest, “You don’t get to lead me on for two months and just disappear.”

no pressure tags: @spacexcowgirl @magswrite @drowninginthoughts27 @itsjaywalkers @static-radio-ao3

[aethon-recs]

Tomarrymort Recs by aethon 🐍

Hi! Thank you for your interest in this blog 🤍 This is a rec blog focused exclusively on Tomarrymort recs.

If you're looking for Tomarrymort rec lists, keep reading! I will keep this master list of links updated as I post more rec lists to this blog.

*

My standard list of rec list disclaimers:

• Please mind all tags and warnings on AO3 before reading (including CCNTW, explanation here). I strive to include a balance of themes and a diverse range of fic genres and ratings in my rec lists, so you'll come across lighter fare such as fluff and crack fics, along with fics that may cover darker themes. • Recs are always listed in alphabetical order by title. • Because I'm reccing Tomarrymort ship fics (all ratings from G through E) rather than gen fics, I aim to find fics where both characters in the ship are a meaningful part of the story; there isn't significant focus dedicated to side ships for Harry or Tom before getting to the endgame ship; and the Tomarrymort ship is central to the story. • Finally, this blog is not a fic-finding blog, but please visit our friends at @findingtomarrymort if you're having trouble locating a specific fic!

*

Tomarrymort Recs Master List

I. Longfic Recs

(coming soon) Part 0 — Longfic Master List (56 fics) Part 1 — Tomarrymort Beginner Pack (10 fics) Part 2 — Intermediate Pack (16 fics) Part 3 — Advanced Pack (12 fics) Part 4 — 2024 Longfic Update Pack (8 fics)

II. Themed Rec Lists

Harry-Raises-Tom Riddle recs (14 fics) Voldemort-Raises-Harry recs (13 fics) Fem Tomarrymort (F/F) recs (15 fics) Part 1 — Dead Dove Tomarrymort recs — Non-Con/Dub-Con (30 fics) Part 2 — Dead Dove Tomarrymort recs — Incest / Chan (25 fics) Part 3 — Dead Dove Tomarrymort recs — Necrophilia (11 fics) Tomarrymort Recs by Horcrux (22 fics) Tomarrymort Recs with Hemipenes (25 fics)

III. Answered Asks

Professor Potter recs (13 fics) Professor Riddle recs (12 fics) Tom & Harry Co-parenting recs (8 fics) Creature Fic (naga, vampire, mermaid, werewolf, veela) recs (25 fics) Unhinged/Dark Harry recs (13 fics) Independent/Strong-Willed Harry recs (10 fics) 1940s-era Tomarrymort recs (23 fics) Tomarrymort crack recs (34 fics) Tomarrymort casefic/mystery recs (15 fics)

IV. Recs by Publication Date

24 Tomarrymort Recs for 2022 (24 fics) Jan 2023 recs (10 fics) Feb 2023 recs (30 fics) December 2023 HP Rec Fest (36 fics) 23 Tomarrymort Recs for 2023 — One-Shot Edition (23 fics) 23 Tomarrymort Recs for 2023 — Multi-Chaptered Fics (23 fics)

V. Tomarrymort Weekly Recs (for recent fics)

25 October – 7 November 2024 11 – 24 October 2024 4 – 10 October 20242 8 September – 3 October 2024

*

[feyascorner]

lingering touches

summary. you offer to bathe astarion and he experiences non-sexual intimacy for the first time.

warnings. comfort/fluff

pairing. Astarion x GN!Reader

a/n. since my other post talking about this did so well i wrote a short lil fic on it!! TFBU ch 4 is in the works i swear. you may notice me writing a lot of fluff outside of TFBU because it's just an angst fest over there and i need happy astarion in my life

He trusts you. That much is evident when he accepts your suggestion to bathe after a particularly gruesome day out battling against what seems like half the world. But a part of him--the one stuck in the never-ending loop of Cazador's torturous influence--makes him disassociate when you're a few buttons down his shirt.

He's brought back when you hold his hand, eyes meeting with a softness so endearing that he wants to sink into the water and never let go.

"We don't have to do this," you say.

"I want to. Terribly."

You nod and finish undressing the both of you, leading him to the bath where there's already a steaming bath drawn. When he sinks into the water, you're sitting on the opposite side. And while you're only a foot apart, he wants to pull you closer to him.

He notices the way you're shifting---not quite uncomfortable, but a bit bothered by the heat of the water. Of course, he thinks, of course you'd make the bath hotter than your own body can handle for the sake of his own. And regardless, you don't make the first move toward him, in fear of overwhelming him. He may be a difficult person to read, but he can read you like an open book.

He's almost sure he doesn't deserve someone like you, but he's a selfish person.

So he holds a hand toward you. "Come here, love."

You do so, beaming in a way that makes the smallest of smiles stretch on his own lips. You're infectious in a way that scares him and intrigues him all the same. Soon, he has your back against his chest and his arms looping around your waist while you're leaning your head against his shoulder.

He could die here, and he wouldn't complain.

Wordlessly, he takes the shampoo and mixes it into your hair, drinking in everything you do. The way you sigh while he massages it into your scalp, the way you scoop up the water and lift it to wash the dirt off your face, the way you melt into him as if he's a part of you. He wants to be.

"Does it feel that nice?"

You turn, nodding. "Want to try?"

"Oh darling, I'm fully capable of washing my own hair."

"Well, let me at least return the favor."

He nods, passing you the shampoo. You move behind him, propping up on your knees, and generously pouring some on your palm before slathering it over his curly hair. You stifle a laugh when he flinches at how cold it is.

As you wash, he finds himself enjoying it far more than he should be, and by the time you're almost done, he's leaning his head back as if following your hands. It should be embarrassing how enamored he is, but he can't bring himself to care at the moment.

It's strange, this intimacy that strays away from an endless night of pleasure. But it's not unwelcome. Not at all.

And when he leans his head back further, finally able to meet your eyes, you press a kiss to his forehead, and he realizes he doesn't care about the vulnerability of laying himself bare either. Because it's you.

[roanofarcc]

ONE DANCE, PLEASE?

pairing: trevor lefkowitz x ghost bride!reader

summary: since your death, weddings at Woodstone have been a source of bitterness for you but that doesn’t stop trevor from attempting to cheer you up with a dance

word count. 1.6k || masterlist

warnings: fem!reader, mentions of death, dead!reader

a/n: this is my first ghosts fic so please be gentle! I love the idea of a ghost bride and debated on making it into an OC or reader story. I think I like having it be in little one-shots! it’s a crime more hasn’t been written for trevor (or any of the show’s characters). feel free to request for trevor or any other ghosts characters <3

“Are you going to mope around for eternity?” Sasappis asked you, standing arms crossed in front of a beautiful garden decorated to the nines. The backdrop to your sulking was stunning flowers tied in bunches and pastel dresses moving around the patio-turned-dance floor. 

“Is that not the point of being a ghost?” you replied, jutting out your feet forever stuck in kitten heels and skin-colored pantyhose. Sass lightly kicked your foot with his and nodded his head to the corner just off the dance floor where the rest of the ghosts danced and laughed. A part of you was jealous of how easily they enjoyed themselves at weddings and how they were not plagued with an eternal hatred for them and what they represented. 

It always felt like a cruel joke, even though it never had anything to do with you, when Sam and Jay hosted a wedding at their B&B. As much as you loved the couple, you couldn’t stand what most considered a joyous event. The union of two people in love, not tainted by tragedy, grew your restatement each time. Weddings were a part of the business and helped Sam and Jay bring in the money they desperately needed to fix up the mansion, but that didn’t mean you had to enjoy yourself. Instead, you spent each event sulking on the sidelines, ignoring the pang in your chest, and avoiding your ghostly counterparts' advances to cheer you up. The only thing that would’ve cheered you up was a do-over of your big day that was ruined by a strike of unluckiness, resulting in your untimely death.  

Sass narrowed his gaze at you but decided against saying whatever he wanted to. Instead, he turned on his heel and headed back to the ghosts. You adverted your gaze back down to the beads sewn into your dress, picking at them with the wish you could pull the garment apart with your hands, but since it was what you died in, it would forever stick to you. 

A slow song played through the DJ’s speakers as the sun slowly began to set over the yard. Strung lights glittered warmly, bathing the attendees in a golden glow. The bride had looked radiant since she arrived at the mansion days ago, and all day you had to watch her and her husband’s love run circles around you. Your malice wasn’t aimed directly at the happy couple, but rather at what they represented and the reminder of what you almost had. 

Someone appeared beside you, their presence clouding your solitude-sulking. “What a bunch of losers,” the person said, causing you to turn your head and meet Trevor. “I mean, seriously, this song was lame when I went to weddings and people are still dancing to it? I get the appeal of throwbacks but let’s pick this snooze-fest up a little, am I right?” 

You rolled your eyes. “What do you know about weddings?” 

“I happen to have been invited to a lot of them, thank you very much. Well, the receptions and bachelor parties, usually. Those weddings had a lot more alcohol and single bridesmaids.” You said nothing in response, hoping your dimly lit mood would shoo Trevor away. You were mistaken, though. If anything, your silence only encouraged him further. He moved in closer to your side, standing with his hands on his hips as he gazed out across the crowd. “I think they may need some help livening things up a bit. Care to join me?” 

He often tried to do that, brighten your mood by offering to dance with you. And every time you turn him down, not because you didn't want to, but because you’re worried that the second you start to enjoy yourself at a wedding, tragedy will follow a second time around. You liked Trevor and couldn’t stand the thought of enjoying yourself only to hurt yourself, again, or him. In your head, as long as you moped around, everything would stay the same as they were, which you loved more than you’d admit aloud. You liked your ghost-mates and you liked Sam and Jay. If you somehow brought some unfortunate curse upon any of them because you enjoyed yourself just as you had on your own wedding day, you weren’t sure you could cope with that a second time around, not when you hardly coped with it from the first time. 

“Trevor…” you sighed, defeated and slumped-shouldered. 

Normally, he dropped it after that. He usually sat quietly at your side until his excitement and urge to join the party overwhelmed him and he resumed dancing with Flower or attempting to play pranks on the livings with Thorfinn. That time, however, he took you by surprise. He moved directly in front of you, face set with a certain tone of seriousness that was odd. 

“Nope,” he said, simply. “You are not moping for eternity. I won’t let you.” 

“That’s not your choice.” 

He smirked, cheekily and annoying but stupidly charming. Those three words suited him too well. Trevor extended his hand out, making a grabbing motion with his hand. “One dance, that’s all I’m askin’. That’s all I need to change your mind.” You tightened your grip on the skirt of your dress, unbudging at his request. “One dance. Please?” His voice was a little lower, pleading almost. 

One dance. You never got to dance at your wedding. Something bad could happen, it probably would. 

Trevor’s fingers grazed your knuckles, tapping them lightly and looking at you in a way, underneath the golden light, that made you consider it. He noticed your hesitation and dropped his hand back down at his side. 

“Okay,” he said after a beat before he turned away with a little frown on his lips that made you feel even worse. 

There was something wrong with you, maybe it was some kind of ghostly side effect of dying on your wedding day; perhaps you were doomed to live in the murky waters of what-if and why. 

The bride and groom were in the middle of the patio dance floor, spinning each other around in quiet fits of laughter and bodies pressed as close as they could get with the bride’s fluffy dress. They were married, dancing as two halves of a whole with nothing bad lingering over their heads. There was no impending doom, aside from you sitting on the outskirts. The doom was you and your mind, rippled with jealousy, sadness, and a million questions of what exactly you could have done differently that day. But the truth was, there was nothing you could have done. Fate was fate, as Flower had once said in one of her more insightful conversations. Fate was messy and included bear attacks, arrows in necks, and accidents. Fate found you there, at the Woodstone mansion forever a fiancee but now entangled with the fates of your ghost friends who also found themselves there forever. 

Forever was such a long, made even longer with eternity hanging on your shoulders. How many more weddings would you sit there, watching and sulking in your own unhappiness that others wanted to fix for you? 

Something between a groan and a sigh left your lips as you stood up, letting your wedding dress fall back down to the ground in the pristine condition you had died in it in. “Trevor,” you said again, louder as you called after him. He stopped, slowly turning around with a confused quirk of his brow. You nervously picked at the beads again, but that time wasn’t to pick them off but rather settle them back in place in a similar way to how you had picked at them awaiting your turn to walk down the aisle. A dance was not nearly as monumental as that, but it carried a weight that pressed down on your chest. 

“One dance,” you said. He stared at you for a moment like he wasn’t sure he had heard you right. It wasn’t until Thor punched him in the arm with a hardy laugh and Hetty pushed him forward towards you. 

Trevor approached you, smoothing out his tie. “Really?” he asked. 

You nodded. “If anything bad happens, I’m blaming it on you," you said only half joking.

He smiled, wide and toothy and the way that made you subconsciously want to copy it. “The worst thing that’ll happen is me stepping on your feet. I haven’t slow danced since prom.” Despite that, he dramatically bowed and extended his hand. “May I have this dance,” he said in a terrible accent. You couldn’t help but laugh lightly, some of that weight lifting from where it hurt your chest. 

Once you accepted his hand, he all but dragged you to a quiet corner of the dance floor, away from where any livings would walk through you two, and away from the other ghosts and their suggestive smirks and comments pointed at the two of you. 

When you danced, with his feet clumsily trying to avoid stepping on yours and hands rested on your waist, nothing bad happened. You did not die a second time around, nor did tragedy strike in the way you feared. The only thing that occurred was dancing, peppered with occasional laughter and a quick apology when Trevor stepped on your skirt and halted your movements. You recovered with a shake of your head and a slight lead in the dance, which he didn’t voice but silently appreciated.

[chrisevansonly]

𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒚 | 𝒐𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓 𝒑𝒊𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊

☁︎ oscar piastri x female reader

☁︎ oscar is experiencing thanksgiving with your family for the first time….and boy is it crazy

☁︎ no warnings just fluff and maybe a tad overwhelmed oscar lol

☁︎ i can’t believe october is starting to come to an end, these little fall fics have been making me so happy, i think ill do another one in december too to get ready for christmas 🤭 p.s thanksgiving in canada is beginning of october in contrast to the USA which is end of november in case you’re confused :)

Thanksgiving was a little chaotic in your family, when everyone gathered together and all sat down for the annual fall meal, only this year it was your boyfriend Oscar’s first time attending it with you. He knew you got your vibrant and extroverted personality from your parents, but now that he looks back on it, he’s pretty sure your entire family played a part in it.

“Oscar when do you and my little sunshine plan on having children hmm?” your grandma asked, causing you to choke on your water

“Nana!”

Oscar laughed patting your back gently to help with your coughing

“I think whenever the time is right, we’re in no rush”

“Well you’re only getting older!”

You shook your head at the old woman’s antics your mother stepping in before you

“Mom, leave these two alone, they’re both still in their early twenties, no babies for them, eat your turkey”

“Never too early to have a baby, such nonsense!”

Leaning over to Oscar you looked at him apologetically

“I’m sorry, she’s very persistent”

He only smiled, kissing your forehead as he squeezed your knee under the table

“I don’t mind at all, it’ll happen someday anyway”

The two of you may have been young but you both knew that you were endgame for each other, there was no one else on earth more perfect for either of you, and everyone was starting to see that.

“So Oscar, i’ve been watching your season, looks pretty good this year”

It was your father’s time to chime in, Oscar nodding as he gave your father 100% of his attention.

“Yes, it’s been going really well, the car feels good this year, so i’m looking forward to finishing the next few races and then having some time off” he replied, a bit hesitantly as he always did with your dad

“That’s good to hear, I’d love to come see a race sometime”

You smiled

“You should come to Las Vegas with us dad! You and mom have been wanting to go back there so why not?”

In hindsight you should have asked Oscar first if he was okay with this, but knowing him, he wouldn’t mind at all. He loved spending time with your family as much as you did with his.

“Oh that’s a great idea honey, i’m sure we can figure something out!”

The rest of dinner went off without a hitch, calm conversation and laughter shared between everyone, you could already feel the classic thanksgiving hangover hitting you as you lounged on the couch tucked into Oscar’s side, your eyes heavy and tired.

“NO YOU JUST SLAPPED ME WITH ANOTHER PICK UP UP 4 IM GONNA KILL YOU!!!”

Oscar laughed hearing your little cousins playing uno in the other room as you rolled your eyes. If anyone was the loudest on these holidays it was the kiddos.

“YEAH WELL YOU JUST SUCK AT THE GAME THEN!”

It wasn’t long before your aunt went in there and told them off, quiet chatter resuming after the mini scream fest over the classical card game had ensued. Truth be told you were nervous for Oscar to experience thanksgiving with your family because you weren’t always put together and fancy, you were loud and energetic, your family loved playing games, having treasure hunts and playing games of charades.

You knew deep down it wouldn’t everyone’s cup of tea but Oscar wouldn’t have it any other way. He’d never felt more comfortable and at home like he did with you when you visited your family. It made him feel normal and accepted, he didn’t have to worry about the media, the race track or the constant murmurs going around the paddock.

“How was your first thanksgiving experience love?”

He smiled down at you, his finger tips running up and down your back

“I loved it, really it was so much, I can’t wait to keep experiencing this craziness with you”

“Oscar loves the thanksgiving craziness…never thought i’d say that”

The Aussie laughed leaning down to kiss you

“Well now I get to experience a different craziness from yours everyday”

“Hey!”

You frowned jokingly but he was quick to once again bring his lips to yours, deepening the kiss enough to have your face flush, thankfully your family too enamoured in their own activities to notice your little display of affection.

“I love you and all your craziness darling, it’s what makes you, you.” he stated softly, taking his time to admire you

“I love you more.”

Oscar had all he needed right in front of him, he’d never felt more welcomed and appreciated than he did right now, curled up on the couch at your parents house after a delicious dinner, something he would continue to be apart of for years…and years to come.

[tracksuitponytail]

As the year comes to a close, I want to thank all the writers in this fandom one more time—not only for providing me with a welcome escape but also for inspiring me to try my own hand at writing. Wishing all of you a smooth transition into what will, hopefully, be a more gentle 2025.

🌨 Until by @allwaswell16 [E, 38k, farm]

Rural Eagle County, Colorado wasn’t the type of place to find a famous musician or actor. At least not until songwriter Louis Tomlinson showed up with pop star Niall Horan to visit his uncle’s horse ranch, and they just happened to find themselves next door to a reclusive former movie star.

🌨 Tell Me Your Secrets, Teach Me Your Ways by @insightfulinsomniac [E, 23k, omegaverse]

A regency-ish royalty AU featuring overeager soulmates who maybe give into temptation a little too much on their secret journey of sexual discovery.

🌨 the school of extraordinary lovers by @stylinsoncity [E, 191k, enemies to lovers]

harry is a third-year witch and violinist at Laitswold, the only magical academy in the UK, with dreams of taking on the world, and hopefully breaking the centuries-old curse on his family while he's at it. he does not dream of facing off against his childhood rival and duet partner, but louis is back in town after six years abroad, so that's exactly what happens.

🌨 Curves of your lips rewrite history by @lunarheslwt [E, 8k, royalty]

Everyone bows to Prince Harry, but in the privacy of his four walls, the one he is bowing and kneeling for is his knight, Sir Louis.

🌨 Streetlights in the dark blue by @itsmotivatingcara [E, 120k, murder mystery]

Louis Tomlinson is an investigative journalist.

He's spent the better part of his life researching the psyches of serial killers, and publishing articles to provide a deeper understanding into their methodologies. His pen-name, Orion, is well known around the globe. An alter-ego that keeps his pockets lined, and his identity private.

That is, until a letter arrives at his home address. A letter containing a symbol. One dubbed by a serial killer who'd vanished three years prior. The postage stamp? Bainbridge Island.

He'd spent so long peering into the darkness, it should be no surprise to discover that something had been looking back.

The island presents a host of mysteries. It also houses a nosy witch, determined to break down his walls.

And an FBI agent hellbent on shattering his carefully constructed world.

🌨 Wanksgiving 2024 @wanksgivingfest [fic fest, masturbation]

Why celebrate Thanksgiving when you could celebrate Wanksgiving? And what better way to do that than to write a fic about wanking?

A collection of masturbatory delights and the first fic fest I ever participated in.

🌨 Too Hard to Describe by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright [E, 1.5k, threesome]

Harry's agreed to let someone else fuck Louis. As long as Louis describes it all to him as it's happening.

🌨 'tis the damn season by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf [E, 17k, girl direction]

Harry returns to her small hometown over the holiday season and starts to think about the road not taken.

🌨 To Fall For The Bumblebee by @jaywriteshome [T, 64k, fake relationship]

Their relationship may be fake, but their feelings are real.

After lying to his mom about having a boyfriend, Louis needs to find a fake one stat, so he has someone to bring to his family's annual Christmas party. But as he begins his search, things take a turn, and he attracts the attention of not one man but four.

🌨 Collision by itjustkindahappened / @tequiladimples [E, 226k, enemies to lovers]

Mythology/Fairytale!AU in which Louis is a dainty fairy with a temper who wants to be intimidating and Harry hurts people. Naturally, they hate each other.

[drarry-mini-bang]

Fest rules

What is this fest about?

Drarry Mini Bang is a collaborative fest in which writers and artists come together to create fanwork. The writers will submit their detailed concept for a fic, and artists will claim one or several (up to you!) to create an art piece.

Who can participate?

You must be at least 18 years old at time of signing up.

We also expect you to treat everyone taking part, including the mods, with respect. 

All work must be your own, and we do not allow any kind of fic or art produced with AI.

You may register as both a writer and an artist, but due to the collaborative nature of this event, you cannot claim your own fic as an artist. All the matching will be done through the claiming process, therefore we will not allow pre-made collabs between artists and writers.

What are the requirements for writers? 

Writers will need to write an original fic of at least 10k.

The fic needs to be a stand-alone, unpublished fic. You will be asked to submit your fic concept with an estimated word count, a list of tags and possible warnings/triggers and the rating of your fic. If any of these details change after you’ve submitted your concept and before preview day, you need to let the mods know asap. If something changes after the teams have been announced, please talk to your partner and let the mods know if there are any issues.

Please do not share details of your fic before you are matched with an artist. You can share small snippets and talk about your story after the teams have been formed.

Your fic must be complete and has to be beta read before the submission deadline. Should you need an extension, please let us know as soon as you can.

When you fill in your sign up form, you will be given a chance to decide what type of art you would like to receive for your story.

We will cap writers at 25 participants, but we will open sign ups for pinch hitters. We will try our best to find everyone an artist to work with, but due to the collaborative nature of this event, should we not have enough artists, the people whose fics have not been picked might have to be dropped.

We are expecting writers to tag their fic appropriately and to make sure that they have asked the relevant sensitivity or beta readers to check the fic.

The mods will check every submission, but you are still responsible for the quality of your own work. We reserve the right to add triggering tags or reject any submissions that don’t comply with the fest rules or require more editing/a sensitivity reader.

What are the requirements for artists?

You can create a variety of original fan work based on the story your writer is working on:

- illustrations, both digital and traditional (they don’t need to be in colour) 

- moodboards (at least 6 elements)

- plastic arts (including embroidery and origami)

- playlists (a minimum of 10 songs)

- fic binding

- podfic

We will ask you to create a minimum of one art piece based on the story your writer is working on. If you would like to work with more than one writer (which would make us extremely happy), please let us know in your sign-up form.

There is no cap for artists.

What kind of rating is allowed?

Any rating is allowed for both art and fics, but please tag your work appropriately. 

We support SALS (ship and let ship) YKINMKBYKIO (your kink is not my kink, but your kink is okay) and DLDR (don’t like – don’t read), so we will not tolerate any shaming. 

For this fest, we will not accept any works that contain darker themes or tropes that are usually covered by the "Dead Dove" tag. If you have any doubts about specific content and would like to know if it will be accepted, please do not hesitate to contact us.

If your work is rated Mature or Explicit, the characters involved must be at least 18 years old (Hogwarts 8th year fic are therefore acceptable with any rating).

What is the schedule for posting?

Sign ups open for writers and artists: 20th January

Sign ups close: 18th February

Deadline for fic concepts and details to be submitted by writers: 18th February

Fic concepts sent to artists: 24th February

Artists claim: 27th February

Teams announced: 2nd-6th March 

First check-in: 6th April

Second check-in: 11th May

Last check-in: 8th June 

Submissions due: 2nd July 

Posting begins: 12th August 

Do I need to keep my creation secret?

You can share your WIPs only after the teams have been announced.

This fest is not anonymous.

What if my partner ghosts me or is being rude?

Please let us know and we’ll speak to them. This is a collaborative event - ignoring your partner causes unnecessary stress and anxiety, and we will not tolerate any rudeness or abuse.

We also ask that you stick to deadlines, because we don’t want anyone to be let down and end up without a partner. If you think at any point during the fest that you need to drop out, please please please let us know as soon as you can, so that we can find someone to replace you.

I still have a lot of questions about this, how can I contact you?

Send us an ask, a DM or contact us at  and we will gladly answer.

Your mods @orange-peony, @pato-roldnart, @bubble-gumhead

[stationintern]

Hello my friends! I am late, but we won't mention it. April was a very busy month, but I managed to read way more than I've been able to the last few months, so I have a good selection for you. There's a couple rereads, a couple fics I put off reading for far too long, and a few that I found at the perfect time and devoured on sight.

Let's go!

Yours Truly by @skeptiquewrites for H/D Bodice Ripper Fest 2022 M, 14.8k

Every single one of Harry’s exes has gone on to marry the next person they date, and with the upcoming nuptials of numbers six and seven to each other, Harry’s feeling exhausted by it all. It doesn’t really matter if he lets people assume Draco Malfoy is his boyfriend for a moment of peace. In any case, Draco’s been away for five years and there’s no way he would find out, right?

I read this fic about a year ago, and I am so glad that I chose to revisit it this month. It is just so, so good. Endlessly hilarious, with a solid plot that is resolved neatly in 14 thousand words. I really love Harry here. His letters are so adorable. This aspect comes in later in this list as well, but I love when Draco is kind of a mysterious figure for a good chunk of a fic. The wondering, the anticipation. What kind of Draco will we meet this time? It's all very delicious.

Seeker's High by @corvuscrowned M, 40k

Harry Potter doesn’t expect to take up running years after the war ends; it just sort of happens. He also doesn’t expect that — as he fights tooth and nail to climb out of a post-war depression he didn’t realize he’d fallen into — he’ll end up running right into the arms of Draco Malfoy. A half angsty drama, half romcom of Harry working on himself, learning how to accept help from his friends, and falling in love with his childhood nemesis.

Another reread. This is one of those fics I've found myself periodically thinking about, mostly because it just feels so right. Harry's characterization in this is fascinating, and I really enjoyed watching his slow evolution as his relationships grow, both with running and with Draco. A unique premise that I really enjoyed and know I will revisit again.

Turn by Saras_Girl E, 306k

One good turn always deserves another. Apparently.

Okay, so, I'm not even gonna say anything. I put off reading this for way too long, and not knowing a single thing about this fic was probably the reason I devoured every chapter the way I did. Just know I was clawing at the walls.

Rookie Moves by peu_a_peu E, 75.3k

Aurors Potter and Malfoy crack the case.

Oh my fucking god. I have never in my life laughed out loud this many times while reading a fic. Truly, two dumb, horny assholes just trying to crack the case. But, behind all the side-splitting humor (and searingly hot sex) is a deep understanding of both characters that shines through and makes every moment hit so much harder. As in, they would fucking say that. Every single follow-up in the series is a banger, too. Thanks to @tackytigerfic for pointing those out to me!

Make This Leap by @oflights M, 118k

Harry owns a struggling restaurant which is running out of money, and his Head Chef has just handed in notice. He's at a bit of a loss as to what to do until Narcissa Malfoy presents an obvious solution: bring in Draco Malfoy as Chef and part owner. Harry does.

I relived four years of my life reading this fic. Both the good and the bad. Truly, a wonderful portrayal of the epic highs and lows of restaurant work. From personal drama to work-related catastrophes, this fic has it all. Like I said before, I love having to wait a bit to see Draco. I love hearing about him through the grapevine. I had so much fun reading this, and it was a treat to see these characters in an environment that I hadn't really envisioned them in before. Lovable (and punchable) side characters, a very stressed out Harry Potter, and a solid amount of health code infractions. Amazing.

See you at the end of May! xx, Moon.

[you-remind-me-of-the-babe]

Thank you for tagging me @run-for-chamo-miles @emeryhall @artsyunderstudy @roomwithanopenfire @j-nipper-95 @best--dress @noblecorgi @prettygoododds @ileadacharmedlife @nausikaaa @rimeswithpurple @forabeatofadrum @monbons! It’s amazing to see the creative out put of this fandom this year!

I have written a lot less this year than in the past. When I first started writing in late 2021 I published roughly 80k words in 4 months, followed by 120k in 2022 and 83k in 2023. This year clocked in at only 46k. Despite the downward trend, I still wrote some stuff. Here’s a list:

🛼 Keep the Skates On - Explicit - 4k

Self indulgent roller skating fic for Erotic Grope Fest that I say is just a blowjob on wheels but in reality has some good backstory built in via flashbacks of their meet cute.

This story was also immortalized via art by the crazy talented Rimeswithpurple. Even just the shot of Baz’s skates and Simon’s shoes is so cinematic and big brained it still blows my mind.

💦Swimple Times, Swimple Pleasures - Mature - 2.5k

Baz and Simon rent a backyard pool for an hour while in Nebraska and sexy times ensue. Hopefully no one is watching…

This was a gift fic meant to immortalized an interesting yet lovely afternoon with friends in Omaha at SSCONE. Good times.

⏱️Back and Back and Back - Mature - 21k (WIP)

My time travel, canon divergent AU in which Baz is visited throughout his childhood by a Dragon Man he comes to find is an older version of his Watford roommate and nemesis.

My poor abandoned WIP. What can I say? It’s fully plotted via outline but I just lost steam writing this one. The school year took over in the fall and it just seemed unwieldy to come back to. But I love this story and playing with what might change in canon with this twist and what could have stubbornly stayed the same. I’m a completionist in many ways so there’s a good chance I’ll come back to this but without anything like a fest deadline lighting a fire under me it may be a while.

🕺The Wedding Planner - Teen - 6k

Baz, the wedding planner for a high profile wedding, gets roped into standing in for the bride in a dance lesson with the groom. The only problem is the frustratingly handsome groom and him have a past…

This fic was written in collaboration with Rimeswithpurple for CORB. Arianna killed it with the art, and it was such a joy to bring words to her idea. This story is a 40k fic disguised in a smaller package. I used a lot of flashbacks to build out the backstory (a similar strategy that I used in Keep the Skates On) which was wonderfully helpful because without it, I doubt I would have been able to write either fic. I think I was really feeling incapable of writing plotty stuff after temporarily shelving Back and Back and Back, and for both of these fics I found I could not write from the beginning because I didn’t want to do the slog through the set up. What ultimately worked for both was opening a new doc, starting the story in the middle, and filling in backstory as I went where necessary. This worked wonders, especially when I was crunched for time or feeling uninspired. I wrote the parts I wanted to write, which helped me get invested, and then the other bits followed easily. I’m such a linear writer that I never thought this strategy would work for me (starting with the scene I wanted to write) but! Cheat code! Start there and still write straight through! Amazing!

🎁 From the Heart - Teen - 12k

Watford, truce era, canon divergent story in which Simon finds Baz’s list of gift ideas for his Secret Santa assignment and freaks out when he realizes it’s for him. Baz? Trying to be thoughtful toward Simon? Cute gift giving crises soon follows.

This was a gift for @bookishbroadwayandblind for the Carry On discord server’s Secret Snowflake Exchange. This was so fun to write. Just fluffy, cute, pining with very low angst and a satisfying get together. Come for the silly premise, stay for the feeeeelings.

It’s nice to see these all stacked up because even though I wrote a lot less this year, AO3 still says I had 3k hits, 391 kudos, 109 comment threads, 77 bookmarks and 42 work subscriptions in 2024. That ain’t nothing! Thank you to everyone who engaged with these stories ✌🏻

Other notable fandom highlights:

-Meeting up with friends in Omaha for SSCONE!

-More meet ups for the Slow Dance release in LA!

-Mod’ing the Carry On Reverse Bang and Secret Snowflake Exchange!

-Tons of beta reading, which I really love doing <3

-Sooo much lovely fic and art was digested. My tbr is still so long but I suppose that’s not a bad problem to have.

Playing my tiny violin for a moment because sometimes we gotta keep it real and share the struggles:

-This was the first year I struggled with keeping up with people’s tumblr tags and posts and I feel a little sad when the notifs pile up and I haven’t responded. Sorry fam!

-Similarly, my AO3 inbox is full of comments I haven’t responded to which also bums me out. I kept it at zero for 3 years (I never delete, I either respond or mark responses as read) and my damn WIP has made me feel incapable of responding to nice comments because I’ve left it languishing. I love our comment culture in this fandom and I would like to get around to responding at some point.

-While organizing and helping to facilitate CORB can be really fun, there were a lot of behind the scenes challenges this year, some of which are still buzzing around my head.

Looking ahead to 2025

As many have said in their own posts, the community and friendships are the best parts of fandom and I hope to continue to cultivate those in 2025. That’s my main goal. Keep these relationships and keep vibing with y’all. I’m sure I’ll still be reading fic and ogling fanart. I’d like to get back to doing more fic rec posts and organizing them in some way. Maybe I’ll finish my WIP. Hopefully I’ll reply to all those lovely comments in my inbox. I might help mod some other fests. CORB is in need of new mods. I’ll organize a way to either get myself some help or possibly pass the torch if there’s interest in it running again.

Tagging some friends if you’d like to share anything about your year @cutestkilla @bookish-bogwitch @shrekgogurt @facewithoutheart @skeedelvee

@thewholelemon @iamamythologicalcreature @orange-peony @leithillustration @whogaveyoupermission

@mooncello @fiend-for-culture @aristocratic-otter @ic3-que3n @blackberrysummerblog

@talentpiper11 @alexalexinii @laura-art77 @whatevertheweather @bookishbroadwayandblind

[portlandwithyou]

A Digital Fangirl's Journey into the Analog World

It started with a search, three words typed into the eBay search bar. Due South zine.

I began my fandom journey online when high-speed internet was slowly rolling out in the United States. I've never known a time in fandom when a million search results weren't at the tips of my fingers, and yet I've been nostalgic for a more physical relationship with fandom. Thankfully, the @ds30below fest announcement had a week devoted to history. The perfect excuse to dive into zines for the first time.

Due Frisky #2 is a digest-sized, soft-cover zine held together with staples. This baby fits perfectly in your hand for reading anywhere. The photo doesn't do it justice, but the cover is a pretty pinky-red color.

Inside, there is a table of contents, an editor's note, the stories, and, at the back, a short advertisement for more zines from the same press. Included at the end of each full-length story is a black-and-white photograph from the show that is connected to the story's content. This is an F/V zine from January of 1997, although nowhere do they address or even mention Ray K. Perhaps issue one dealt with that?

As for the content itself, there are four stories and one poetry cycle. I'd especially like to highlight the first story, "Perfection" by Khylara, which deals with Ray V's Catholicism in such a beautiful way that I was practically jumping with joy as I read. Unfortunately, my searches have not turned up this fic anywhere online to share! It's such a shame, too; it's so thoughtful.

Speaking of which, although I can find some of the authors online, I haven't found any of the particular fics from the zine available. Mireille, who people may know from their other F/V works, has the first part of a multiple-part series in this zine. Now, the editors warn you of this in the editor's notes, but I had forgotten by the time I got to this story, and frankly, I am climbing the walls wondering what happens next!

I found reading this zine extremely satisfying. It was wonderful to have some fanfic to curl up with during a spring storm while being beholden to a supercomputer in my hand.

I also loved reading stories that were contemporary to the show's actual airing. I found the language to be just ever slightly more formal than fanfic nowadays, but in a way that was not distracting or detracting.

Another thing, as the title might imply, all of the stories feature sex and sexuality as a topic. Obviously, given my track record, that doesn't bother me. But I could see where that would turn some off from reading. There's drama, fluff, and plenty of other emotions throughout the pieces, but at the end of the day, they will be having sex.

Overall, this was a fantastic zine for a beginner. Every piece was wonderful, and I anticipate reading it again many times.

[lcdrarry]

24 May 2024 | LCDrarry Fic

White, Blonde & British

Prompt: “Red, White & Royal Blue”, 2023, Matthew Lopez Prompted by: Moon_Peach Author: Anonymous Word Count: 40,058 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Mentions of death, drug and alcohol use and abuse, homophobia, racism, discrimination, brief mention of marital SA

Notes: This was truly a labour of love and I had such a great time writing it! I've watched RWRB no less than 50 times and read the book over three or four times at this point and every single time, all I can think about is how drarry-coded Alex and Henry are. This fic is HEAVILY inspired by Casey McQuiston's work and combines some of my favourite parts from both the book and the movie, adding back in some quintessential characters like June, who were unforgivably erased from the narrative for the film. Thank you to my partner E and my good friend T for the support and encouragement throughout the entire process, I couldn't have finished this without you guys. And a HUGE thank you to the LCD mods for their hard work in running this spectacular fest!

Summary: Prince Draco Malfoy is known all over the world as “The Modern Day Prince Charming”, ask anyone - well, anyone except for Harry Potter, first son of the Indian president and (self) sworn rival of said stuck-up, snobbish prince.

Read it now on AO3.

Please help promote the fest by sharing your favourite submissions, so more people can enjoy all the amazing new Drarry works of LCDrarry. Thank you!

Creator reveals are on 15 June.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Sentences on Sunday!

I have two things I've been working on over the past week to share with you this fine Sunday!

First up - an excerpt from my Buddie fic about Famous Country singer Eddie and Firefighter Buck. This is a small part of the section bout Eddies childhood and how he became a country singer in the first place. Its very much in its draft form (sorry run on sentences I need to fix!) so it may not end up looking like this when I'm done with it, but thats a long way off as this fic is going to take a while to actually write because surprise, surprise it keeps getting longer!

But Eddie was never much good at holding things in for very long.  Oh he could bottle things up like the best of them, but it always ended up badly when he did. Building and building until it exploded out of him at importune moments.  So, when he got suspended from school for fighting with Luis Garcia after Luis had caught him staring at Noah Johnson in the locker room and had, in the way teenage boys do, proceeded to be a dick about it, he found himself on the receiving end of an angry lecture from his mom and sent to his bedroom with no dinner as his initial punishment until she had spoken with his father and they had decided what was to be done about him.  He had angrily sat on his bed, fuming over the injustice of being punished for defending himself against a bully, staring at the guitar propped up in the corner of his bedroom, remembering the words his Abuelo had often said to him;  ‘Music, Eddie, is always with you. It lives in you. Setting it free will help you make sense of the world and of yourself. It is your truth, never lose sight of that.’ He remembered those Sunday afternoons at on the porch. They were his favourite time of the week, the few hours when he felt like his true self and free of the expectations placed on him.  The guitar had stared back at him and he had found himself crossing the room, picking it up and sneaking out of his window onto the roof. Scrambling up the shingles until he was sat with his back to the chimney stack looking out over his neighbourhood, he began to strum. Rusty fingers fumbling with chords he only half remembered.

And the second thing I have to share - a picture - I'm currently mid editing my submission for the podfic fest coming up in October! I've been having a blast giving podficing a go and I hope you'll all enjoy listening to me reading one of my most favourite Buddie fics when its time to share it (even if I'm convinced everyone will hate my voice and how I've read the fic!!)!!

Tagging the following and anyone else who has something to share! @spotsandsocks @exhuastedpigeon @daffi-990 @honestlydarkprincess @princessfbi

@fruityfirehose @hotshotsxyz @theyarnmaidstale @dorkydiaz @theladyyavilee

[slaaverin]

Drarry fandom appreciation post

I just wanted to take a few minutes now that the year is going towards it's end to thoroughly thank every member of the Drarry fandom that has been keeping this pairing alive for so many years with so much passion and dedication.

Thank you to all the wonderful writers, artists, podficcers, reccers and readers.

Thank you for all the writers and their incredible imagination that keep bringing us stories that fill us with all the emotions. (To think there are new stories published every single day?!! Is simply mind blowing)

Thank you for all the artists making beauty with those characters and leaving us with awe and inspiration

Thank you to podficcers giving life to fics with their wonderful voice and personality

Thank you to reccers for helping us find the fics we might like and making us always discover new and different stories

Thank you to readers for engaging, commenting, leaving kudos, and supporting this community with your joyous and excited energy

Thanks to all the mods that organize the fests we are getting all year round.

I'm only a mere reader but I feel so lucky to be part of a community so active and passionate. Our little corner on tumblr and ao3 has been like a safe haven to me for many years.

This pairing will always be my favorite one, and I want to keep experiencing it forever, so thank to all of you for keeping it alive and exploring Harry and Draco in always new creative ways.

You are all heroes. It needed to be said.

Thank you for existing and being a part of this community 💜

May we keep making our two silly boys kiss

I love you 🫂💜

[jeongyunhoed]

When the Night is Over

Pair: Garreth Weasley / OC Word Count: 3901

Summary: A Halloween Party in the Three Broomsticks. Garreth and Norah make an unlikely arrangement that may change their dynamic forever. My entry for the Garreth Weasley Fest 2024!

T/W: References and mentions of sex, kissing (a lot of it), alcohol, heartbreak, friends with benefits, all that jazz.

FYI: Characters are aged-up to make it more subject-appropriate. I purposely tried to describe some spicy things as vaguely as possible.

A/N: So...Here it is. I got the "Modern AU Halloween Party" prompt but I feel like I didn't really stick to the "AU" bit and just put the entire story in the modern day timeline. For visual reference, the picture above are Garreth and Norah's costumes because of that very movie, haha. I hope you guys like it.

The songs mentioned in the fic are "When the Night Is Over" by Neon Trees and "You Knocked Me Off My Feet" by Sondre Lerche.

It was one of the rare times that Hogwarts students sought to celebrate Halloween outside the castle. What better way to celebrate what muggles saw as the spookiest time of the year than in the Three Broomsticks, with its owner Sirona Ryan happily accommodating droves of witches and wizards to have fun in her establishment that would be closed off to the rest of its patrons for the night. The entire pub was decorated in twinkling lights and flag garlands in the usual purple, black, and yellow colors. Enchanted portraits were placed front and center, all of them also taking part in the festivities while also expressing relief that Ferdinand Octavius Pratt was no longer part of their circle. 

The Three Broomsticks was the one place that night that was buzzing with students, who decided to wear an assortment of costumes, from angels and demons to prominent witches and wizards like the Hogwarts founders – this didn’t go too well with Helena Ravenclaw when she saw some people of that house dressed like her mother. Others, however, decided to dress as famous characters in the muggle world. 

For Garreth Weasley, he was dressed as a knight in armor. Or at least an attempt at wearing some semblance to armor – the knights in the school wouldn’t allow him to try them on. But it was partly because Norah Lee – the Slytherin girl, the so-called Hero of Hogwarts, Order of Merlin First Class recipient – told him about a movie she saw with her squib parents as a child. It was a modern take on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, with Romeo dressed a little like a knight, and Juliet like an angel with her white dress and wings. 

The two of them agreed on going as the pair after a tea-filled conversation in Steepley and Sons one day where they expressed their relationship and intimacy woes to each other. A moment they had while climbing back toward the One-Eyed Witch Passage – Garreth expressed his curiosity on kissing her while Norah agreed in a fit of giggles only for him to reject it – fueled what seemed like a very unconventional friendship ahead. 

They were getting tired of their relationship troubles. Norah was coming to terms with the fact that Ominis was too scared to do something for himself and too determined to end his family’s legacy and that included not falling in love. While she wasn’t one to easily give up, she knew Ominis was stubborn and that wouldn’t change anytime soon.

Garreth, on the other hand, was getting tired of trying to pursue Nellie Oggspire, who happened to be a former lover of Norah’s best friend Sebastian Sallow. They both found a kind of comfort in knowing their frustrations seemed to be connected, but it was mostly because they were all in the same year and had the misfortune of taking all their classes together. 

It also didn’t help that sex was now constantly on the minds of many of their peers. They’ve heard stories of pairs going into certain broom closets for a quick romp, while others sought other places outside the castle to do it. Garreth and Norah also found themselves trying to understand their urges just as much as they wanted to suppress them. Sadly, it only made those wants worse that for a moment, in that same conversation at Steepley and Sons, they nearly considered having a go with each other. 

Of course, both of them, especially Garreth, knew it shouldn’t happen, as he stood by that night close to the bar, refilling his pint of butterbeer while everyone else seemed to dance, mingle, and have fun. Leander, who was dressed like David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust persona with the jagged face paint, was proud of his own costume and tried to show off to some of their fellow Gryffindors, many of whom were impressed by his costume choice. 

“You’re oddly quiet, Weasley,” the Ravenclaw Duncan Hobhouse commented. He was dressed like a court jester. “The Slytherins haven’t arrived yet, you know. I think some of them aren’t even coming.” 

The mention of the house made Garreth look down at his shoes for a moment. “Are you looking forward to seeing someone from there?” He raised a brow. 

“Look who’s asking,” Duncan teased before walking off to rejoin his fellow housemates in the festivities. “Spike that butterbeer with some firewhisky, will you? You need to liven up, it’s a party!” He called out to his red-haired friend. 

Garreth laughed, now compelled to join everyone in the dancing and socializing. It was really his way of keeping himself preoccupied while Norah hadn’t arrived yet. The disco ball hovering above them seemed to reflect all the lights in many directions, further livening up the atmosphere. Lucan Brattleby, Crossed Wands Club leader who was dressed as a 1950s greaser, was trying to show off some moves he learned from the movie, to the cheers of everyone else around them. 

This wasn’t that different from the other parties students have thrown in Hogwarts over the years he’s studied there. It was different this time, considering his budding friendship with Norah since the very day she got him Fwooper feathers in Potions. The more he got to know Norah, the more he was seeing a side of her that he had a feeling she rarely showed to others, even to her own friends. 

The doors of The Three Broomsticks swung open and closed, signaling increasing attendees, or as Duncan put it, the Slytherins. Always having a reputation for arriving fashionably late, and were almost always the ones who were the last to leave. To quote Imelda Reyes, the party didn’t start until the Slytherins came in. 

Among the crowd, Garreth saw, was Norah, dressed in a white cocktail dress with some angel wings on her back. Her brown hair fell to her shoulders that had hints of glitter and sparkle. The same could be said of the makeup she wore, which caught the light in the right places. She practically looked glowing even in the midst of the light reflecting off the disco ball above. Unsurprisingly, she was flanked by Sebastian and Ominis, both of whom were dressed as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson respectively. Anne also made a rare appearance, after some convincing from the three of them, dressed like cupid, with a red dress, red lipstick, and sparkles. 

“Be careful, cupid’s here,” Sebastian hyped his sister up as they greeted those they passed by before arriving at the bar. 

“Anne, so lovely of you to come,” Sirona, sporting a white, flowy, Princess Leia look, said as she noticed them. “Sebastian, Ominis, I wouldn’t have expected anything less for the two of you,” She teased. 

“It was his idea,” the blonde Gaunt pointed out. “I was originally going to come as Tuxedo Mask.” 

“But Tuxedo Mask has dark hair, my friend,” Sebastian had a shit-eating grin on his face. “Maybe the Phantom of the Opera, but not him.” 

Norah and Anne laughed, nearly spitting out their drinks. “You’d look so handsome with that half mask,” Norah grinned, a hint of sadness in her voice as she said it. She was at that point where she was having difficulty trying to maintain her friendship despite the heartbreaking reality of it all. It wasn’t like Ominis didn’t know it either. He too was trying his best to maintain the platonic dynamic they long had before the feelings came along, but he understood if Norah wanted to be away. 

Anne, who was aware about all of this, nudged her. “Have fun tonight, you deserve it,” She assured her friend. “Besides, you’re in the way of my arrows of love.I plan on setting people up.” 

Sirona, having overheard them, nodded knowingly while sliding a pair of keys toward Norah. “If you’d like to be alone in case anything or anyone overwhelms you, the private room’s yours. Just, don’t make too much noise?” 

That seemed to provide Norah with some relief, not wanting to smudge the makeup she had on. She downed the rest of the butterbeer she had and looked around, suddenly spotting Garreth, who was eyeing her from where he stood. Norah waved at him and he waved back. She turned to Anne. “Will you be alright?” 

“Of course,” Anne eyed Garreth as well, and waved at him in greeting. Garreth also waved back. “You have fun, dance with Garreth or something. I’ll be here trying to rein these two idiots in,” She gestured to the two boys next to them, who were still bickering. “Let me know if you need contraception potions or something.”

The mention of such potions made Norah nearly spit out her drink. In a rare occurrence, Anne laughed out loud, helping Sirona clear up the mess on the bar. “Sorry,” Norah muttered, carefully wiping her mouth with a napkin. 

Sirona shushed her. “Go, off with you, go dance and have fun, you have more than earned it,” She waved her hand at her dismissively. 

Norah waved at Garreth again and the redhead moved through the crowd to approach her. “You did it! You dressed up as Romeo!” She laughed, impressed by how good he looked. “You look good, dare I say handsome?” 

Garreth looked just as impressed, if not, a little in awe. “You look just as good yourself, Norah Lee,” He held out his arm as the music shifted to something upbeat, yet made the crowd split up into pairs and cheer. “May I? Romeo dances with Juliet after all,” He grinned. 

Norah linked her arm with his with zero hesitation as they danced together. She realized what the song was, her face lighting up, which Garreth couldn’t help but admire. “I know this song! I love it!” 

When the night is over It feels like we’ve been here before This deja vu, got me missing you Yeah, when the night is over The struggle that we always do‘ Cause we need somebody Yeah, we need somebody 

Garreth laughed as they swayed in their places in front of each other. “This feels familiar, you and me dancing together at a party,” He teased, mouthing the lyrics along with her. 

Norah smiled. “Yeah, the Gryffindor party. The drinks you kept giving us were really strong,” She replied. “I’m amazed you didn’t serve anything this time.” 

“Oh I would’ve, if I had known it would actually take ages to perfect another keg of my brew,” Garreth said dryly. His expression softened as they took another step closer to each other, getting out of the way in time when Astoria Crickett fell over from dancing with Hector Jenkins. The two of them laughed. “How are you holding up?” He asked. 

Norah looked over at the bar, where Ominis, Sebastian, and Anne were busy talking. They weren’t really ones to have fun the way she did, something she noticed from the very first house party she attended in Hogwarts. “Better today. You?” 

It made Garreth look over to Nellie, who scaled up the mantel of the Three Broomsticks fireplace in her disco outfit that nearly matched Leander’s rockstar ensemble. Arthur Plummly, dressed like Michael Jackson, was among those who was cheering her on. “Better today too. We’ll get through it.” 

“We better, we’re here to have fun and fun is what we shall have,” Norah eyed him, suddenly humming the song as they danced in their spot, not realizing that Anne and Sirona were watching them with amusement. 

“A few galleons says they’ll be upstairs,” Sirona muttered to Anne. 

Anne grinned. “Deal. A refill, please,” She tapped her pint, which the barkeep refilled. 

Party poppers released confetti all around as the music went on, Norah and Garreth laughing as they let the tiny pieces of colorful paper land on their heads. The song had hit a crescendo, making everyone sing along. 

‘Cause I can never sleep no more Give me soda mixed with aperol We’re not getting any younger, don’t you know

The entire Three Broomsticks was full of cheers, laughs, pints and mugs clinking, and singing. Thinking about what Sirona told her, she had more than earned a night to have fun, several nights in particular. “Hey,” Garreth said, making her snap out of her thoughts. It was also a reminder to himself as well, to focus on his friend, who was dancing in front of him, in a costume that definitely made her look as radiant. He too needed tonight to keep him in the present. 

“What?” Norah smiled. “No one’s from any rivaling family, by the way. Tybalt and his gang are busy,” She teasingly referred to the two Slytherin boys who were deep in conversation, this time with Grace and Nerida joining them. 

Garreth laughed, understanding the reference. He had been reading about the play ever since Norah told him about it. It made him think about that conversation in Steepley and Sons again. From the look on her face, it seemed like she was thinking about it too, and she was. Norah looked into his eyes, studying his expression curiously. He leaned closer. “Want to go up? I need to talk to you about something,” He said near her ear. 

Norah glanced at Anne and Sirona, feeling the key to the private room in the pocket of her dress. “Sure, it’s getting too loud anyways,” She joked. 

Garreth held out his hand and she took it, following him up the staircase, which didn’t go unnoticed by Sebastian, who smirked to himself as he went back to his conversations with their fellow Slytherins. In the corner, Anne was grinning from ear to ear. “Finally, she’s having fun for once, and I’m happy to concede,” She passed a few coins to Sirona, who slid a bowl of pretzels and nuts for her to snack on. 

“Let me,” Norah stepped forward when they arrived at the top of the steps and at the door. The two of them managed to slip past several of their schoolmates in the second floor unnoticed as most of them were already sitting in various corners, nooks, and crannies, making out with each other. Garreth snorted when he saw Leander’s makeup coming off at the mouth as he was deep into the moment with someone. 

“You got the key?” Garreth raised a brow at her as she opened the door with ease. “Well this changes everything,” He teased, swallowing when he realized that they were still holding hands as they stepped inside. 

She closed the door behind them and pocketed the key. The loud music was still playing from downstairs, but it was naturally quieter in the space the two of them were now in. “So, what did you want to talk about?” She cleared her throat, her cheeks turning a darker shade of pink when she let go of his hand. 

Garreth looked up, trying to find a way to say what he was thinking. “Well, remember that time we hung out at Steepley and Sons?” He asked. 

“Yeah, oh, we were both getting horny,” Norah laughed out loud upon remembering, yet the blush on her cheeks seemed to say what she was feeling. 

The redhead took a deep breath. It’s now or never. “How about we take each other up on that offer?” He blurted out. 

The brunette stared at him. “What?” 

“Yeah, I mean, we uh, we’re friends, and if we’re feeling it, we can…do it,” He suggested with a shrug. “This doesn’t mean we’re going to date or anything, just, you know, if you or I were ever curious or feeling it, why not do it with each other?” 

“So like friends with benefits?” A sly grin slowly appeared on Norah’s face. “...Fuck buddies?” 

Garreth’s already ruddy cheeks got redder. “Yeah, that kind. No one has to know, not Ominis, not Nellie. Besides, neither of us have done it before, why not get it out of the way? No judgment, nothing. We’re both on the same side,” He explained, wondering how in Merlin’s beard was he able to say something like this. 

Norah crossed her arms as she tried to think about it. “Wouldn’t it feel like we’re taking advantage of each other?” She asked. 

“Not if we both agreed to it,” Garreth shook his head. “We can set some rules, you know. Maybe a safe word if things get too much?” 

“You’ve thought it out, haven't you?” She couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“Well, you getting soaked from falling in the water while we used the One-Eyed Witch Passage was an image I admit, I couldn’t stop thinking about, and when we got tipsy and I wanted to kiss you…” Garreth recalled, the two of them getting flustered the more they thought about it. 

“So we’ll be each other’s firsts, then?” Norah tilted her head at him. The idea was becoming compelling, and it was definitely making her look him up and down. “...Alright.” 

It was Garreth’s turn to stare at her. “Yeah?” 

“Yeah, I mean, you’re curious, I’m curious, we can get through our first time without judgment,” She nodded. “But before we make it official, let’s set some rules.” 

“Alright,” Garreth said, a little too eagerly. 

“We do it in the Room of Requirement,” Norah explained, the freckled male nodding. “Lights out.”

“Lights out?” Garreth was curious. 

“I’m honestly not confident about the way I look, and I think it’s hot, at least from how the movies show it,” Norah said quietly. “What do you think? Or at the very least, candlelight?”

“Candlelight is good, we should at least see what we’re going, and where we’re,” He was fidgeting in his place. “You know.” 

She did know. “If your aunt, and I hate to even think it, if she ever comes in the Room while we’re both there, we tell her we’re studying,” She added. 

This one, Garreth was surprised to know. “Hang on, she knows about the room?” 

“She showed it to me in fifth year, yeah,” Norah nodded. “But if she also asks why we’ve been seen together a lot, we don’t tell her we’re…casually fucking.”

Garreth shuddered to think about that possibility. “Got it.” 

“There has to be a steady supply of those contraceptive potions on both of us, so we brew those in the Room too, and no hickies or visible marks,” Norah looked down at her hands, and then back at him. “What about you? Do you have anything to add to this…whatever this is going to be?” 

There was one thing, Garreth thought, one thing that might seem small but would have a big effect on this arrangement in the long run. Did he want to bring it up? Or did he want to cross that bridge if they ever got there? There was only one way to know. 

“The feelings clause,” He blurted out. “How do we decide to end it? What if we…I don’t know, what if one or both of us suddenly want something different?” 

That was the tricky part, yet was important to know if ever something happened that involved the matters of the heart. Garreth felt that Norah usually had an answer to everything. But even this got her stumped. While it crossed her mind ever since he suggested the idea of a friends with benefits relationship and even during their one butterbeer-filled visit to Hogsmeade, Norah never really thought about how likely it might be between her and Garreth. She never even thought she was Garreth’s type. 

“I guess,” Norah tried to think about it some more. “I guess we’ll have to see what happens as we go. We’re not really dating, so I think it would be painless, you know?” 

“You’ve got a point, yeah,” Garreth hummed in agreement. “Oh! Right, safe word, what do you think should that be?” 

Another silence ensued between the two of them, save for the music that was playing downstairs. If they listened closely, they would’ve heard a faint moaning coming from outside, close to the room they were in. “Creamsicle,” Norah suddenly said. “What about creamsicle? We don’t say that a lot, we don’t have that a lot either, except for ice creams in Diagon Alley. What do you think?” 

“Brilliant,” Garreth nodded. “If any one of us feels like it’s getting too much while we have sex, creamsicle and we’ll stop.” 

Norah hummed. “And we’ll have an actual creamsicle afterwards,” She joked, making him laugh.

“I also think we should have some kind of signal, to let each other know that we’re in the mood for it,” The gears in his head were moving in overdrive. 

“Fwooper feathers,” Norah was quick to suggest with a chuckle. “If we ever utter fwooper feathers, within context, that means we’re horny and want to do it. It also reminds me of our first ever conversation too.” 

“Oh right, fwooper feathers,” Garreth laughed. “We could use that, yeah,” He held out his hand. “So, will you, Norah Lee, be my fuck buddy?” 

“Will you, Garreth Weasley, be my fuck buddy?” Norah recited the question back to him, the two of them exchanging knowing looks. 

“Yes, I will,” Garreth said. 

Norah held his hand to shake. “Yes, I will.” 

The two of them emerged from the room, a little taken aback when they saw one particular couple nearly getting it on despite their costumes still on, in one corner table. The song was now a slower number, and they hurried down to see people in pairs once again, arms around each other in a slow dance. 

I never thought of heaven as a relevant spot I never questioned any of the tears or the raindrops I was a bore, surrounded by doors that all lead to some other floor And I who I thought there wasn’t more

For a moment, Norah and Garreth felt like the only two people in the room. They felt that there was suddenly a different air about each other after they made an agreement they knew would drastically change their friendship. To their surprise, or perhaps not, Sebastian, Anne, and Ominis had already left, likely for Sebastian to drop Anne off at the train station and to St. Mungo’s and for the blonde to recharge his social battery back in the castle. 

“Anne was feeling some pain again so Sebastian had to bring her back,” Sirona explained. “They said they’ll be back in the common room if you need them.”

As much as Norah wanted to be disappointed that they hadn’t stuck around, Garreth leading her to the place where the dancing continued made her focus on what was currently happening once again. He too, had also spotted Nellie dancing with Adelaide Oakes after she had a turn with Mahendra Pehlwaan. 

You knocked me off my feet You knocked me off my feet Heaven is from where you have come Now I know

Norah put her arms around his neck, and Garreth wrapped his arms around their waist as they started to sway. “I guess this means you can help me with my Potions homework from now on,” He chuckled. “I’d ask Amit, but then he doesn’t have any fwooper feathers to lend me.” 

She stared at him and shook her head. “Already?” 

“I was kidding,” Garreth snorted. “But we really wasted an opportunity up there.”

“Creamsicle” She narrowed her gaze at him, and the two of them burst into laughter. 

[cha-melodius]

Thanks for the tags @indestructibleheart, @kiwiana-writes, and @hgejfmw-hgejhsf, and also thank you to everyone who tagged me in Sunday games and the last line thing, which I'm not going to try to dig up here. I'm sure you're wondering what I'm working on now that False Dichotomy is posting; sadly (for those who tagged me lol), I haven't been writing RWRB lately not exactly anyway. My plan is to bang out some fandom fest prompts, my delinquent MTH fic, then ??? (probably start working on my big bang fic tbh).

ANYWAY. This is what's up next.

They’ve had easier jobs, that’s for damned sure. Protecting an entire train of stagecoaches was always going to be a strain on his crew, especially through this territory. They’re good, but they’re not that good. Mobius should have insisted that the client cough up the money to bring on another couple of folks, but they’d been reluctant and Mobius hadn’t wanted to risk the job going to someone else. And really, against most bandits, they’d probably have been fine. They weren’t up against most bandits, though. Mobius flips a blood-streaked silver dollar at the barkeep and collects a bottle of whiskey and four glasses in return without a single word exchanged. His crew is damn-near legendary in these parts; people vacate ‘their’ table when they enter the saloon, tip their hats when they pass on the road, and generally treat them with the kind of wary respect they’ve worked hard to cultivate. Mobius’ crew may be nominally ‘good’ guys, but a hard world makes hard people, especially ones who are hired to protect what passes for civilization out west.

A pile of no pressure tags @rmd-writes, @cricketnationrise, @indomitable-love, @dumbpeachjuice, @myheartalivewrites, @leaves-of-laurelin, @anchoredarchangel, @nicijones, @loki-is-my-kink-awakening, @justabigoldnerd, @firenati0n, @14carrotghoul, @lizzie-bennetdarcy, @ships-to-sail, @sherryvalli, @inexplicablymine, @iboatedhere, @tintagel-or-cockleshells, @orchidscript, @three-drink-amy, @ninzied, @mirilyawrites, @dewdropreader, @dreamycloud, @ikeepwatchinghelicopters

And some art wip tags too, perhaps? @wolfpup026, @natendo-art, @bighandsforabigheart, @seanchaidh7

[avonlady42]

2024 in Review

After getting a taste of my first bang last year, I may have went a little overboard this year. I posted 15 fics this year, most of which were part of a bang or a gift.

Yes, Master Dmitri

This was my first attempt at BDSM and I was honored to be able to add an art piece from @hawkland as part of the Ficfacer$ charity auction.

Summary:

Dean Winchester thought he had the perfect life until his world changes when his wife Lisa gives birth, and a complication arises that claims her life. Dean grieves while trying to raise his son, Ben, as a single parent and his brother convinces him to get out of the house for some time alone. He stumbles across Purgatory, a club that takes him into the world of BDSM and becomes a sub to a Russian Dom named Dmitri. He keeps his new life secret from his family and frequents the club for five years, trying his best not to fall in love with his dom.

Castiel Novak lived a simple life and thought he would be married by the time he reached 35, but had not found the man of his dreams yet. He taught kindergarten during the day, but by night, he was the most popular dom at Purgatory where he carried the persona of a Russian named Dmitri with an accent to go with it. For five years he has a regular sub named Michael and he tries his hardest not to fall for the man, but he can picture a future with him.

Then one day, five years after Michael and Dmitri meet, Dean walks into Castiel’s classroom as his son starts his first day of Kindergarten and everything suddenly changes for both men.

An Unexpected Encounter

My submission for the 2024 round of DCRB. I was able to claim artwork by @aceriee-art which can be found embedded in the fic.

Summary:

Dean became Sam’s guardian at the age of 18 when their parents died in a car crash. Feeling responsible for his brother becoming an orphan, Dean works two jobs to save for college and he frequents the local gay bar for the occasional one-night stand, feeling as though he doesn’t deserve a relationship. When he hooks up with and then ghosts Castiel, not feeling worthy of him and needing to be there for his brother, he has no idea that he would end up running into Castiel at Sam’s parent-teacher conference. That’s what happens though when you unknowingly hook up with your brother’s English teacher.

A Hunter and his Machete

This was a result of a prompt in the Profound Bond Discord Server

Summary:

Dean had forgotten all about his high school friend since he had lost touch with him over the years, so imagine his surprise when he gets a message from him that Dean left a machete at his house. He didn’t even know that Castiel knew about his secret life of hunting the supernatural. Either he doesn’t care or he’s a psycho because honestly who would be so carefree about letting a guy know that he left a machete at your house.

Anal Sex, 101

Just a fun fic I felt like writing for no reason at all.

Summary:

Dean was 30 years old and thought going back to school would be a good idea to give him an edge trying to navigate his uncle’s business. Unfortunately, he hadn’t realized how expensive college would be. Barely scraping by to make ends meet, he comes across an ad on the university's bulletin board looking for queer men to assist one of the professors and it offers payment. Dean isn’t completely out in the open about his sexuality, but he decides to answer the ad anyway and finds himself becoming the assistant for the instructor who teaches the online erotocism class. The guy is lucky he’s hot or Dean would have turned tail and ran the moment he realized what he had gotten himself into.

Addicted To You

This was my submission for the 5Kby5May fest this year. It was more difficult than one might think to write a story and keep it under 5K. I've written shorter stories before, but it's somehow different when you know you can't go over 5K.

Summary:

The Mark of Cain is pushing Dean further and further away from his humanity, but when Castiel heals him after a hunt and the angel’s grace silences the Mark, Dean knows he has to have more. He just hopes Castiel will give it willingly, especially when it’s more than the angel’s grace that Dean is craving.

Show Me Some Respect

This one was written as a timestamp for my Gay Chicken fic which is still to date my most read, kudo'd, and commented on fic. I had so much fun writing the gay chicken story based on the popular meme and when someone had suggested a timestamp in the comments maybe exploring them trying BDSM again, I couldn't resist and finally had time to write it.

Summary:

The B&B is in need of repairs after the roof collapses and Dean and Castiel have time to kill while they are temporarily closed. Castiel has the brilliant idea of giving BDSM another try. He just forgot to completely read the instruction manual first.

Not Just Chemistry

The idea for this story popped into my head when I had seen videos of Jensen and Misha at conventions just being absolutely unhinged, so I turned that thought into a Destiel fic and came up with this idea that what if it was all fake and they are only pretending to be friends for publicity.

Summary:

Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak are the stars of hit t.v. show Not Natural. They play husbands, Michael and Jimmy who are hunters of the Supernatural and they are number one in the nation. They have amazing chemistry, and their fans love them. They light up the room at every convention they attend for their fans and there are even rumors they are together in real life. The only problem is they can’t stand each other and it’s all an act for publicity. The people who are in on the secret don’t understand how two people who have such great chemistry on and off camera can dislike each other so much. The question is, will they be able to get Dean and Cas to see that they are actually in love with each other or will they continue to be stubborn.

Make A Wish

This fic was the first in many of my new obsession with joining bangs. It was my entry for the 2024 round of the Dadstiel Mini Bang. I've had this story in my prompt list for awhile now and I had been thinking a lot of my mom this year who passed away from pancreatic cancer 12 years ago, so some of my writing this year reflects on my emotions of missing her. Even though she didn't have a happy ending, this story does. I was also thrilled that I got to work with @seidenapfel for this who did some amazing art which is embedded in the fic.

Summary:

Castiel Novak’s son, Jack, is battling with a leukemia diagnosis and the only chance he has of recovering isn’t covered by insurance and Castiel is out of options to save him. With all hope lost he reaches out to the Make A Wish foundation to fulfill his son’s wish of meeting his favorite actor, Dean Winchester, who plays Batman. Then, an anonymous donation for Jack to be placed into the clinical trial to cure his leukemia is made and he ends up pulling through. Castiel will forever be indebted to this kind stranger who gave him the gift of his son back, even if he might never be able to discover who it is.

The Stakes Are High

My submission for the 2024 round of the Taylor Swift Bang. The song I based the story off of was Ours. It was the end of the music video that put the idea in my head. I may or may not have used my own experience going through basic training in the story. I was paired with @mellow-memuries who's lovely artwork can be found embedded in the story.

Summary:

Dean has served in the Army for the past 10 years and is in his 2nd year of a 2 year detail as a Drill Sergeant. He loves what he does; the only problem is that he’s gay, and the military has a strict Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy. He’s able to keep his life secret until the guy he had sex with in the bathroom of a gay club a couple weeks back ends up being in the next class of his recruits. Unable to hide the attraction they have for each other, they forge a secret 10 year relationship until the Policy is lifted and they can finally live their truth in the open.

Risk It All

This is my story for the 2024 round of the Destiel Soulmate Bang. I've never written a soulmate story before, so this was a fun one to do. I had the pleasure of having my story come to life with the beautiful artwork from @thence-we-came-forth. You can see the artwork embedded in the fic.

Summary:

Dean is a skeptic when it comes to soulmates. Everyone he knows lost theirs in a tragic accident and he can’t risk the same thing happening to him. It’s better to be lonely than to have the love of your life ripped from you and be doomed to live a sad existence for the rest of your life anyway.

Castiel doesn’t put much stock into soulmates since everyone in his family has divorced theirs. What’s the point in finding the one you’re supposed to spend the rest of your life with if they are just going to leave you anyway?

When Dean and Castiel meet, they fall in love at first sight, but can they both move past their issues in order to be with each other or will they continue to fight against their desires in order to protect their hearts?

Vacation Interrupted

I wasn't fast enough to claim a story for this year's Horrorfest Bang which was a reverse bang and was working on a fic without art. Then, I got lucky and was able to be a pinch hitter for one of @thestarsmakemedream-art's pieces which was on my original list that I tried to claim. This was a joy to work on and the art is embedded in the story for your viewing pleasure.

Summary:

Dean can’t remember the last time he took a vacation. Fighting monsters is basically all he’s ever known. They’ve defeated Chuck and Dean finally grew a pair and confessed his feelings and Cas reciprocated. The two of them, along with Sam and Eileen, decide to dip their toes in the sand and take a vacation since the world is relatively monster free. Or at least they thought it was until a Kraken decided to ruin their vacation and start killing people, almost taking Dean for its next victim if Castiel didn’t rescue him in time. So much for a relaxing vacation.

Eye of the Beholder

This year's BangBang was a reverse bang and I was able to claim a beautiful piece of art by @szlez. I had originally planned on a shorter fic, but just thinking of Dean in lingerie had my mind going wild and the artwork can be found embedded in the fic. I am just in awe of how beautiful it is.

Summary:

Castiel couldn’t get the vision of Dean in silky panties out of his head. He makes a trip to a lingerie store to buy Dean a gift but doesn't count on the hunter being so shy about showing Castiel how gorgeous he truly is. Castiel won’t have the man he loves being unsure of his own body, so the angel is happy to show the hunter just how much his body deserves to be treasured.

I'm Not Living Here Without You

This was my entry for the 2024 round of DCBB. This is a story involving cancer with a happy ending, so please mind the tags before reading. I chose the title as kind of a play on words from when Dean tells Cas in Purgatory that he's not leaving there without him. I love the artwork @twinone1221 provided for my story. She captured beautifully what I was writing in the story. You can find her art embedded in the fic.

Summary:

Castiel promised Dean that they would be together forever. They met when they were just kids and they were each other’s first everything. They are happy and have an unbreakable bond that makes them the envy of everyone around them. Everything changes 15 years into their marriage when Castiel is diagnosed with cancer and the doctors aren’t very hopeful that the treatments will work. Dean is crushed and spends a lot of time in denial while trying to find a cure for his husband. Castiel knows that his dying will destroy Dean, so he fights as hard as he can to stay alive for his husband’s sake.

Ugly Sweater Conspiracy

This was a story written for the FicFacer$ charity auction through random acts. Susan was the winning bid and her prompt was a meet cute involving ugly sweaters.

Summary:

Castiel and Dean end up at the same holiday festival wearing the same Ugly Sweater after some miscommunication by their friends, Charlie and Gabriel. They end up becoming friends and develop feelings for each other, and they have Charlie and Gabriel to thank for their newfound romance.

The King and His Prince

This was my last story written this year and was part of a SPN Season Six Gift Exchange that took place during The Man Who Would Be King episode.

Summary:

Castiel is trying to open the gates of Purgatory and Dean promises to do whatever it takes to stop him. The angel is pleased to learn it involves his hands tied behind his back.

I have many more stories waiting in the wings for next year, so please subscribe to me on AO3 if you want to see what I post next.

#my fics #destiel #Dean #Cas #AO3