#to all the people who waited for their hogwarts letter

[just-another-star-47]

Endlich...

Wenn sich Schatten zu Dunkelheit wandeln

Kapitel 1 Kapitel 2

Lies die Geschichte auf AO3 oder Wattpad

English version

Begleite Luscinia in die Winkelgasse und lerne die magische Welt Hogwarts und Schottland kennen.

~ 10 000 Wörter

Der Nebel in den Gassen Londons hatte sich noch nicht verzogen und griff nach Luscinias Knöcheln, als sie aus der Kutsche stieg.

Während der Kutscher sich um ihr Gepäck bemühte – einen großen Koffer aus dunklem Leder und zu seinem erneuten Erstaunen einen verzierten Besen – schaute sie sich in der Gasse um.

In verschiedenen Tönen des selben Graus reihten sich die einzelnen Häuser aneinander und schienen sich gegenseitig zu stützen. Ihre Augen huschten zu dem hölzernen Schild, welches das Gebäude direkt vor ihr als Pub kennzeichnete und ihre Lippen pressten sich zu einer harten Linie zusammen.

„Sind Sie sicher, dass Sie hier aussteigen wollen, Miss? Ein junges Fräulein allein in dieser Gegend", er sah sich unsicher um, das Schild und der darunter befindliche Pub vor seinen Augen verborgen, „das zieht Ärger an, merken Sie sich meine Worte!"

Luscinia schenkte dem Kutsche ein höfliches Lächeln und schüttelte den Kopf: „Ich werde erwartet, Sir, machen Sie sich keine Gedanken."

„Erwartet von wem?", brummte er mürrisch, während er den Koffer vor ihre Füße stellte und seinen Lohn entgegennahm. Seine Augen weiteten sich und wäre Luscinia nicht gerade damit beschäftigt gewesen ihren Besen um ihren Körper zu schnallen, hätte er ihre Hand ergriffen und kräftig geschüttelt.

„So eine feine Misses, ein wahrer kleiner Engel."

Unangenehm berührt, ergriff die Angesprochene auf das Eiligste ihr restliches Gepäck und stemmte sich gegen die Tür des Pubs.

Der „tropfende Kessel" war um diese Uhrzeit leer. Der Wirt putzte hinter der Theke die Gläser für den Abend, wenn der Schankraum mit Hexen und Zauberern gefüllt sein würde,ein älterer Mann saß vor ihm, den Blick in seine Zeitung vertieft.

„Ich suche nach einem Professor Eleazar Fig."

Luscinia trat näher an die Theke heran und ignorierte den neugierigen Blick des Wirtes, der über ihre Kleidung schnellte und vor Interesse zu glühen begann, als er ihren fremdländischen Akzent vernahm. Bevor jedoch eine Antwort über seine Lippen stolpern konnte, hatte der ältere Mann seine Aufmerksamkeit von der Zeitung erhoben und ihr zugewandt.

„Das bin dann wohl ich."

In seinen braunen Augen blitzte eine warmer Funke auf, als er die Hand des jungen Fräuleins ergriff und sie schüttelte. Kurz schweifte sein Blick über den Eingang des Pubs und die Furchen auf seiner Stirn vertieften sich.

„Hat man Ihnen keine Begleitung für die Reise mit an die Hand gegeben?"

„Meine Familie war der festen Ansicht, dass eine junge Dame sich mit siebzehn Jahren bereits allein zurecht zu finden weiß."

„Nun, auch wir Professoren halten die Schüler unserer Schule zur Selbstständigkeit an, immerhin bereiten wir sie als letzte akademische Instanz auf ihr zukünftiges Leben vor."

Er ergriff ihren Koffer und bedeutete ihr, ihm zu folgen.

„Und doch scheint es mir wichtig ein gewisses Maß an Anleitung und Fürsorge zu gewährleisten. Auch für die älteren Schüler, die von dem Gesetz bereits als Erwachsene anerkannt werden."

Sie waren in den Hinterhof des Pubs getreten, ein schmales Rechteck, in dem der Müll abgeladen wurde, der Boden fast so grau wie der Stein der Mauer, die ihm umschloss.

„Zählen Sie", mit einem freundlichen Lächeln deutete der Professor auf eine der Aschetonnen, in die eine kleine Rune geritzt worden war, „drei nach oben und zwei zur Seite."

Kurz zögernd tat Luscinia wie ihr geheißen und schaute den Professor fragend an, als die Kuppe ihres Zeigefingers auf einem bestimmten Backstein verharrte.

„Nun dreimal mit dem Zauberstab dagegen klopfen."

Ihr Blick huschte vom Professor zu dem Stein und wieder zurück, bevor sie in der Innentasche ihrer Jacke nach dem Zauberstab griff.

Er war schlicht, aus Erlenholz geschnitzt, welches eine Drachenherzfaser ummantelte. Ihre Hand fest um den Griff des selben Holzes gewunden, tippte Luscinia gegen den Stein, auf dem ihr Finger noch vor einem Moment verweilt hatte.

Rüttelnd und knirschend öffnete sich ein kleiner Spalt in der Mauer, der immer breiter wurde. Die einzelnen Backsteine begannen sich neu zu ordnen, schabten entlang einander, bis sich ein Torbogen vor Luscinia und dem Professor öffnete.

„Und nun wissen Sie, wie man von London aus in die Winkelgasse gelangt."

Durch eine schäbige Seitengasse traten sie auf die Einkaufsstraße, die trotz der frühen Stunde und den tief hängenden Wolken gut besucht war.

Zu beiden Straßenseiten reihte sich Geschäft an Geschäft, die Schilder mit ihren Namen nach Aufmerksamkeit buhlend. Die Luft hing schwer mit den verschiedensten Gerüchen, von benebelnden Kräutermischungen bis zu dem süßlich-klebrigen Geruch karamellisierten Zuckers. In den Schaufenstern der Läden war allerhand übereinander gestapelt worden. Kupferne Kessel zum Brauen von Zaubertränken, Pergament, Papier und Notizbücher mit dazugehöriger Feder, Kräuter und Pflanzen, die nach jedem Besucher schnappten und Eulen in Käfigen, die missmutig blinzelten und ihren Kopf von den Gesichtern wegdrehten, die sich gegen die Scheibe drückten.

„Wir werden die Nacht im „Cozy Feathers" unterkommen. Es hat einen wesentlich besseren Ruf als der „Tropfende Kessel" und liegt in der Nähe zu den Geschäften, die wir für ihr Schulzubehör aufsuchen müssen", Professor Fig lächelte seiner Begleitung gutmütig zu.

„Natürlich steht es Ihnen auch jederzeit offen all die anderen Läden zu besuchen. Die Winkelgasse ist der magische Knotenpunkt Englands."

Ihren Koffer vor seinen Körper haltend, schob sich Eleazar Fig durch die Menschengruppen. Luscinia versuchte sich direkt hinter ihm zu halten, ihre Blicke dabei unruhig hin- und herhuschend. Die grellen Gewänder der Zauberer und Hexen standen im starken Kontrast zu dem tristen Grau Londons, welches sie aus der Kutsche gesehen hatte. Eine aufgeregt schnatternde Schar von Kindern rempelte sie an und schob sich an ihr vorbei, nur um einige Meter weiter von einem Erwachsenen angepflaumt zu werden. Ihren Blick auf das Kopfsteinpflaster gesenkt, konzentrierte sich Luscinia schließlich darauf mit dem Professor Schritt zu halten und die auf sie einströmenden Eindrücke weitestgehend zu ignorieren.

Aufgewachsen in dem Herrenhaus ihrer Familie in der weit zerstreuten Zauberergemeinschaft im hohen Norden, war sie den Trubel schlicht nicht gewöhnt. Vor einigen Wochen hatte sie zusammen mit ihrer Mutter Berlin besucht, um sich in der neuesten Mugglemode einkleiden zu lassen, doch auch wenn die Stadt mit ihren Absurditäten und Besonderheiten vollgestopft war, kam sie trotzdem nicht an das Wirrwarr der Winkelgasse heran. Zudem konnte sie dort das Gesprochene mühelos verstehen, während hier nur einzelne Sprachfetzen zu ihr flogen und alles andere ein undurchdringliches Gemauschel blieb.

Die Lautstärke und das Menschengewirr verschlimmerten sich noch, als sie schließlich das „Cozy Feathers" betraten.

„Bleiben Sie dicht bei mir", Eleazar Fig hielt schützend seinen Arm hinter sie, um sie vor den vorbei drängenden Hexen zu bewahren, die ihre Kinder an den Ärmeln ihrer Umhänge mit sich zogen.

„Morgen startet der Hogwarts Express vom Bahnhof in King's Cross. Viele Familien reisen daher schon heute an, um die Abfahrt nicht zu verpassen, oder die letzten Besorgungen zu machen. Ganz wie wir."

Er schob sich näher an dem Empfang heran, hinter dem eine junge Hexe alle Hände voll zu tun hatte.

„Professor Eleazar Fig und Luscinia Plonbraw..", murmelte sie und fischte zwei goldenen Schlüssel aus der Luft, bevor diese wieder davon zischen konnten.

Einer Tasche ausweichend, die versuchte in dem Tumult zu ihrem Besitzer zurück zu finden, folgten der Professor und Luscinia einigen anderen Personen in die oberen Etagen. Je weiter sie in die Flure hinein traten, desto mehr Räume erschienen vor ihnen und verwandelten das Gasthaus in einen wahren Irrgarten. Als der Schlüssel in der Hand der jungen Frau zu zittern und beben begann, rollte sich eine Wendeltreppe von der Decke hinab zu ihren Füßen und geleitete sie so direkt zu ihren Zimmern.

Laut ausatmend ließ sie sich auf ihr Bett fallen und beobachtete das Treiben in der Winkelgasse aus ihrem Fenster heraus. Ihre Finger fanden ihren Ohrring und spielten mit dem Verschluss, öffneten und schlossen ihn immer wieder.

Auf und zu, auf und zu.

Die bunte Menge außerhalb rauschte an ihr vorbei wie ein steter Strom, den ihre Augen nicht fokussieren konnten. Mit einem Kopfschütteln und einem tiefen Atemzug brachte sie sich zurück ins Hier und Jetzt und stand ruckartig auf. Sie hatte eine gute Stunde, um sich nach der langen Reise frisch zu machen, bevor sie sich erneut mit dem Professor traf, um die nötigen Dinge für das neue Schuljahr zu kaufen.

Schnaufend klatschte sie sich das kalte Wasser des Waschtischs ins Gesicht und beobachtete die klaren Tropfen und Rinnsale, die über ihre Gesichtszüge rannten, als sie ihr Haupt erhob, um in den Spiegel zu schauen.

Sie wusste, dass sie die Begleitung des Professors ihrer Tante und ihrem Onkel zu verdanken hatte, die sich zumindest in dieser Angelegenheit durchzusetzen vermocht hatten. Und obgleich sie dankbar dafür war, die ersten Tage in diesem fremden Land nicht alleine sein zu müssen, so war ihr diese Extrabehandlung doch zutiefst unangenehm. Während ihr Gesichtsausdruck und ihre ruhige Hand in keinster Weise ihren rasenden Herzschlag preis gaben, entfernte sie Hutnadeln und Hut und flocht ihre Haare erneut, versucht die Strähnen zu bändigen, die sich während ihrer Reise gelöst hatten. Da ihre Gesellschaft und ihr Umfeld nun wieder ausschließlich aus dem magischen Teil der Bevölkerung stammte, wechselte sie die Mugglekleidung gegen ein Gewand, welches ihr besser vertraut war und strich Kleid und Umhang mit einem tiefen Atemzug glatt. Den Sitz ihrer Hüfttasche kontrollierend, nickte sie sich selbst aufmunternd im Spiegel zu, bevor sie die Treppen hinunter und vor das Gasthaus trat.

Leichte Tropfen eines Nieselregens berührten ihre Wangen und ließen sie den Kragen ihres Umhanges aufstellen.

„Zuerst brauchen Sie ein Abteil bei Gringotts, um auch hier ihr Geld verwalten zu können."

Professor Fig deutete auf ein imposantes Gebäude aus weißem Stein, welches sich an einem Ende der Gasse Richtung grauen Himmel streckte. Die Architektur des Gebäudes war schon beeindruckend genug – hohe Säulen, die den Eingang umrahmten und sich in den nächsten Etagen vervielfältigten – doch der aus Stein gehauene, lebensgroße Drache, der auf dem Dach thronte und die Besucher aus edelsteinbesetzten Augen wütend fixierte, setzte der majestätischen Fassade eine grimmige Krone auf.

„Solch meisterhafte Steinarbeit habe ich zuletzt bei den Zwergen gesehen", Luscinia konnte den Blick nicht von dem Drachen wenden, der mit offenem Maul anscheinend dazu anhob Feuer zu speien.

Professor Fig wandte sich mit aufmerksam blitzenden Augen zu ihr um: „Ich habe bereits viel von den Werken der Zwerge gehört, auch dass sie im stetigen Wettstreit mit den Goblins stehen. Es soll wohl oftmals Unterschiede in ihrer Ansicht geben, ob Magie ein legitimes Hilfsmittel bei der Bearbeitung von Metall und Steinen ist."

„Dann besitzen Goblins, anders als Zwerge, Magie wie Hexen und Zauberer?", Luscinia trat durch die Bronzetür, die sich geräuschlos von alleine öffnete.

„Eine andere Magie die der unseren. Aber Sie werden noch vieles über diese Wesen und ihre Geschichte im Unterricht erfahren."

Gringotts gestaltete sich im Inneren genauso imposant wie im Außen. Der weiße Marmor auf dem Boden war mit kunstvollen Mustern durchzogen, die im Licht des gewaltigen Kronleuchters über ihren Köpfen, schimmerten und glänzten. Das Klacken ihrer Schuhe wurde von den Geräuschen der Goblins übertönt, die zu ihrer Linken und Rechten aufgereiht auf erhöhten Arbeitsplätzen saßen. Sie bedienten Hexen und Zauberer, die vor ihnen Schlange standen, stempelten Papiere oder händigten Geld aus. Zwischen ihnen buckelten kleinere ihrer Art klimpernde Säcke hin und her und befüllten jene Schalter, denen die Münzen ausgingen.

Vorbei an jenen Angestellten der Bank führte Professor Fig seine Begleitung zu einem von zwei sandfarbenen Säulen umrahmten Empfangstresen und besprach mit dem daran sitzenden Goblin sein Anliegen. Er hatte bereits am Tage zuvor ein Termin vereinbart und händigte nun die nötigen Papiere aus, die Luscinia aus den Tiefen ihrer Tasche zog.

Akribisch begutachtete der Goblin die junge Hexe, nachdem er die Daten auf ihrem Reisepass studiert hatte.

„Plonbraw.. hm..", er blätterte durch seine Unterlagen, „...es ist durchaus noch ein Abteil neben dem Rest ihrer Familie frei."

„Das wird nicht nötig sein", ihr nachdrücklicher Tonfall ließ sowohl den Goblin als auch den Professor aufhorchen, „um ganz ehrlich mit Ihnen zu sein, Sir, würde ich es begrüßen ein Verlies fernab der restlichen Plonbraws zu erhalten."

„Wie Sie wünschen", der Bankangestellte zuckte mit den Schultern und fuhr mit dem Finger über die beschrifteten Blätter, „hier haben wir eines. Es liegt nicht so tief wie die übrigen Verliese der großen Zaubererfamilien..."

„Das macht nichts."

Wenn er die Unterbrechung als unhöflich empfand, so zeigte es der Goblin nicht und bedeutete mit einer Handbewegung schlicht, dass sie einem jungen Mann folgen sollten, den er mit einem Knopf an seinem Schalter herbeigerufen hatte. Er drückte ihm ein unterschriebenes Papier und einen Schlüssel in die Hand und der Mann führte sie in einen Warteraum, der mit einem dunklen Teppich ausgelegt war, der ihre Schritte verschluckte.

Mit einer Teetasse in beiden Händen, sah Luscinia sich im Raum um, nachdem der Angestellte der Bank sie verlassen hatte, um die nächsten Schritte in die Wege zu leiten.

Vorbei an dem Kamin, in dem eine magisch erschaffene Flamme loderte, wanderten ihre Augen zu dem deckenhohen Bücherregal, dass die gegenüberliegende Seite einnahm. Bevor sie jedoch ihre Teetasse abstellen und sich aus ihrem Stuhl erheben konnte, ergriff Eleazar Fig das Wort. Sich räuspernd, einen Schluck aus seiner Tasse nehmen, fing er zögerlich an.

„Es scheint mir nicht mehr als eine Vermutung, aber liege ich richtig in der Annahme, dass Sie und Ihre hier lebenden Familienangehörigen nicht im besten Kontakt zueinander stehen?"

Um Zeit zu gewinnen, führte Luscinia ihre Tasse ebenfalls an ihre Lippen. Das der Professor nicht Bescheid wusste, zeigte ihr, dass er üblicherweise nicht mit den großen Zaubererfamilien verkehrte – ein Umstand, der ihn für sie vertrauenswürdig machte. Trotzdem kannte sie ihn nicht und verabscheute den Gedanken, zu viel über sich Preis zu geben.

„Seit der hier ansässige Zweig der Familie nach England übersiedelte, brach der Kontakt ab. Daher hielt ich es nicht für passend ein Verlies neben dem ihren zu vereinnahmen."

Eleazar Fig beobachtete sie aus klaren Augen, bevor er zu einer Antwort anhob: „Einerseits gibt mir diese Aussage ein besseres Verständnis darüber, warum ihre Tante und ihr Onkel die Schule baten einen Professor als Fürsorge an ihrer Seite zu stellen, andererseits.."

„Sie müssen sich keine Sorgen machen, Sir", Luscinia folgte den sanften Wellen des Tees in ihrer Tasse, als sie ihr Gewicht verlagerte und auf dem Stuhl herumrutschte, „ich wurde zu hoher Selbstständigkeit erzogen und benötige daher nicht viel Aufmerksamkeit."

„Wenn ich mich Recht erinnere, sind sie erst in diesem Frühjahr siebzehn geworden? Einer jungen Frau der Beistand und Hilfe einer erwachsenen Person durchaus mehr als zusteht."

„Mit dem Erreichen des siebzehnten Lebensjahres zähle ich ebenfalls zu den Erwachsenen, Professor. Eine Regelung, die auch hier in England Bestand hat."

„Durchaus", nachdenklich nippte Eleazar Fig an seinem Tee und ließ eine angespannte Stille entstehen.

Erst mit dem Öffnen der Tür und dem Eintreten eines weiteren Goblins wurde diese unterbrochen. Luscinia sprang hastig auf und schritt dem Angestellten der Bank hinterher, mit einem Ohr auf das Rascheln des Umhanges des Professors lauschend, der ihr unmittelbar folgte,

Sie passierten mehrere Türen aus mit Eisen beschlagender Bronze, jede massiver als die ihr vorangegangene, bevor sie auf eine metallene Plattform traten, die freien Blick über die Tiefen einer Grotte gewährte. Zwei hellweiße Laternen beleuchteten die mannsgroßen Stalaktiten direkt über ihren Köpfen und Schienen, die in bodenloser Dunkelheit verschwanden. Die Luft war kalt und klamm und zog durch den Stoff ihrer Kleidung, als wäre sie nicht vorhanden.

„Nach Ihnen", der Goblin beugte seinen Kopf und richtete den Knoten seiner Krawatte. Er hatte mit einem durchdringendem Pfiff ein monströses Gefährt aus Metall zu der Plattform gerufen. Wie bei einer Spinne klammerten sich seine Beine an die Schienen und die Sitze, auf denen Luscinia und Professor Fig Platz nahmen, schwankten leicht, zeigten an, dass sie nicht fest verankert waren.

„Anschnallen bitte!", der Goblin war ebenfalls auf das Gefährt geklettert und setzte es mit einem Hebel in Bewegung. Ein kreisrunder Scheinwerfer leuchtete ihnen den Weg, als sie in die Tiefe der Grotte abtauchten. Luscinia spürte wie der Fahrtwind an ihren Haaren zog und schloss für einen Moment die Augen. Begierig sog sie die Höhlenluft ein, die gegen ihr Gesicht drückte und genoss das leichte Kribbeln in ihrer Magengegend, wenn das Fahrzeug sich in eine Kurve legte, oder sie die Schienen in einem besonders steilem Abschnitt hinunterstürzten.

„Es scheint mir, dass wir doch tiefer müssen, als ich annahm", presste Eleazar Fig hervor, während sich seine Finger stärker um die Haltegriffe nahe seines Sitzes klammerten. Erneut rotierten ihre Sitze um die eigene Achse, als sich das Gefährt in eine weitere Kurve legte.

„Was wäre es für ein Spaß, wenn es diese Bewegung nicht gäbe", gluckste Luscinia, „wir würden für einen Moment auf dem Kopf stehen."

„Ich denke unsere Ansichten zu Spaß unterscheiden sich stark voneinander", schnaufte ihre Begleitung, „spielen sie Quidditch, Miss Plonbraw?"

„Oh ja, sehr gerne und häufig, Sir."

„Das erklärt mir einiges."

Das Rauschen herabfallenden Wassers drang an ihr Ohr, doch die Dunkelheit um sie herum ließ nicht zu, dass sie die Herkunft erkennen konnten.

„Halten Sie lieber die Luft an."

„Was?"

Plötzlich fühlte sich Luscinia wie in einen Eimer mit Eiswasser getaucht und schnappte hörbar nach Luft.

„Ah, diese Wasserfälle waschen mögliche Verzauberungen von allem, was sie berühren", prustete Professor Fig.

„Mir dünkt eine effiziente, aber reichlich grobe Sicherheitsvorkehrung", ihre Zähne begannen zu klappern, als die gegen sie peitschende Luft durch ihre nun triefnassen Kleider fuhr.

Seine angestrengt verkrampften Finger einzeln von einem der Griffe lösend, tastete Eleazar Fig nach seinem Zauberstab.

„Das ist nicht nötig, Sir, mein Körper muss sich nur an die Kälte gewöhnen."

Trotz ihrer Proteste richtete der Professor seinen Zauberstab auf sie und trocknete erst ihre Kleidung und dann die eigene mit einem passenden Spruch.

„Es sieht so aus, als hätte ich meine Lektion erhalten, meinen Horizont zu erweitern, was Zaubersprüche angeht. Danke Sir."

„Nun,als ihr Professor ist dies natürlich meine Aufgabe, allerdings sollten Sie es dieses Mal als einen Akt der Fürsorge sehen."

Die Bremsscheiben des Gefährts quietschten, als es vor einer runden, in den Stein eingelassenen Tür zum Stehen kam. Sie stand offen, und als Luscinia von der schmalen Brücke auf die Umfriedung aus Fels trat, konnte sie eine Gruppe Goblins beobachten, die im Innern des Verlieses Goldmünzen anhäuften. Sie trugen die gleiche feine, jedoch schlichte Kleidung wie die jene an den Schaltern in der Eingangshalle, die beständig für Nachschub an Gold gesorgt hatten. Leere Säcke lagen neben dem Eingang verteilt und bis auf das leise Klirren der Münzen arbeitete die Gruppe geräuschlos, stapelte das Gold in geordnete Säulen und Haufen.

„Es muss noch geordnet werden, aber dies ist das gesamte Geld, welches ihres Familie beauftragt hat, für Sie zu hinterlegen", der Goblin, der sie begleitet hatte, händigte Luscinia einen Schlüssel aus, „ natürlich steht es Ihnen zu, jederzeit nachzuzählen, oder einen Diener damit zu beauftragen."

Er zuckte mit den Schultern und überlegte kurz: „Es steht Ihnen frei hier zu warten, bis unsere Angestellten all Ihr Gold einsortiert haben. So bleibt es Ihnen überlassen, das Verlies zu verschließen. Außer Ihnen besitzt niemand einen weiteren Schlüssel, es sei denn Sie möchten einen weiteren anfertigen lassen. Die Formalitäten dazu müssen allerdings.."

Ohne auf seine Worte zu achten, war Luscinia bereits in das Verlies getreten und hatte sich eine Handvoll der Münzen in die Tasche gesteckt, die noch unsortiert auf dem Boden lagen. Dabei vermied sie es auf die Berge aus schimmernden Metall zu achten, die sich bereits im hinteren Bereich auftürmten.

„Welchen Betrag haben Sie entnommen, Miss? Nur damit wir beim nachzählen auf die richtige Summe kommen."

Peinlich berührt, kramte sie die Münzen wieder hervor, ihre Wangen in glühendes rot gefärbt, welches erst durch die Kühle in den miteinander verwobenen Höhlen und Schächten auf dem Weg zurück langsam abklang.

Vor den Toren Gringotts wurden sie und der Professor von einem heftigen Regenschauer begrüßt, der dem Gewimmel in der Winkelgasse jedoch keinen Abbruch tat.

„Nun, ich denke es ist die passende Zeit etwas zu essen", Eleazar Fig streckte seinen Zauberstab aus und ließ die herabfallenden Tropfen über ihren Köpfen zu allen Seiten davon stieben, „was halten Sie von einem ausgiebigem, späten Frühstück? Das „Zum letzten goldenen Taler" sollte dafür bestens geeignet sein."

Er hielt mit seinem Zauber weiterhin die Regentropfen von ihr fern, während er sie zu einem Gasthaus in einer der verwinkelten Seitengassen führte. Zu ihrem Glück waren einige der Tische im Schankraum unbesetzt und zu ihrer Freude steuerte der Professor auf einen zu, der etwas abseits, halb verborgen hinter einer halbhohen Wand stand.

Nach einer Weile brachte ihnen die Wirtin eine Kanne mit Tee und Teller befüllt mit Speck, Ei, Bohnen, Pilzen und einer Scheibe Toast.

„Ihr erstes, englisches Frühstück, nehme ich an?"

Luscinia nickte und sog den Geruch der Mahlzeit tief in ihre Lungen, bevor sie sich hungrig über die einzelnen Bestandteile hermachte. Immer wieder hob sie dabei dem Kopf und nickte dem Professor zu, der ihr Details über ihre neue Schule unterbreitete. Als nur noch die Tassen mit dampfenden Tee vor ihnen standen, schrieb Professor Fig all die Schulfächer auf, die sein Schützling belegen musste und welche sie frei wählen konnte.

„Es wird mehrere Klassen zu einem Unterrichtsfach geben. Die jeweiligen Schüler werden dafür zufällig ausgelost. Aber sorgen Sie sich nicht, der Jahrgang ist klein genug, um mit jedem Ihrer Mitschüler in Kontakt treten zu können."

Das Pergament und seine Feder zu Luscinia schiebend, bedeutete der Professor, dass sie diejenigen Fächer markieren sollte, die sie zusätzlich zu ihrem Pflichtcurriculum absolvieren wollte.

Astronomy, History of Magic, Defence Against the Dark Arts.., ihre Augen flogen über die aufgelisteten Klassen und sie versuchte sich vorzustellen, was sie alles beinhalteten, ...Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms und Potions.

Allein das geschriebene Wort des letzten Faches ließ Frustration in ihr aufwallen und sie lenkte ihre Aufmerksamkeit auf die Wahlfächer. Für einen Moment schwebte die Feder über das Papier, bevor sie Study of Ancient Runes und Care of Magical Creatures ankreuzte. Sie wusste nicht, wie es ihr ausgelegt werden würde, dass sie nur zwei aus den fünf möglichen wählte, doch ihr unsicherer Blick traf auf ein freundliches Lächeln des Professors.

„Muten Sie sich nicht zu viel zu, allein der Schulwechsel und der Unterricht in einer Ihnen noch nicht vollends vertrauten Sprache wird anstrengend genug sein. Zudem vermute ich nach unserem kurzen Gespräch in den Höhlen Gringotts, dass sie ihre Zeit und Energie ebenfalls in die Aufnahme eines der Quidditschteams stecken möchten."

Die Augen Luscinias leuchteten auf und zum ersten Mal hörte man Neugier und Vorfreude aus ihrer Stimme heraus, als sie weitere Fragen stellte.

Von diesen Gefühlen war nicht mehr viel übrig geblieben, als sie einige Zeit später in einem Bekleidungsgeschäft auf einem Schemel stand und das englische Summen um sie herum in ihrem Kopf dröhnte. Nach langer Überredung hatte der Professor eingewilligt seinen Interessen nach durch dir Winkelgasse zu schlendern, während Luscinias Maße für die neue Schuluniform abgenommen wurden. Schneidergehilfen drängten sich zwischen den Kunden hindurch, verschiedene Stoffe über dem Arm, oder Schatullen mit Knöpfen und Garn in den Händen. Rasch verbesserten sie lose Nähte und flickten zerrissene Ärmel, nahmen Maße oder berieten über Möglichkeiten bei jenen Uniformen, deren Besitzer ihnen entwachsen waren.

„Normalerweise halten wir unsere Kunden dazu an, für das Anfertigen einer komplett neuen Schulgarnitur mindestens eine Woche vor dem Beginn des Schuljahres vorstellig zu werden."

Mit hektischen Bewegungen schleuderte die Angestellte des Ladens, die Luscinia betreute, das Maßband über ihre Schulter und kritzelte die abgenommenen Daten auf ein Blatt auf ihrem Klemmbrett.

Wie Sie sehen, haben wir bereits alle Hände voll mit Änderungen und Ausbesserungen zu tun."

„Ich entschuldige mich vielmals für die Unannehmlichkeiten, die ich verursache"; Luscinia hob auf Geheiß der Schneidergehilfin beide Arme in die Höhe, „ich bitte nur um eine fertige Garnitur bis morgen, die übrigen Kleidungsstücke können gern per Eule nachgeschickt werden."

Als sie keine Antwort erhielt, versteifte sich ihr Körper und sie würgte den Kloß in ihrem Hals hinunter, der sich vergrößerte, dass übermannende Gefühl zurückdrückend, dass sie vollkommen fehl am Platz war.

„Name!", die auffordernde Stimme riss sie zurück in die Gegenwart und stammelt nannte sie ihren vollen Namen.

Ein kurzer Ruck ging durch die Angestellte, ihr Blick huschte vom Gesicht der vor ihr stehenden Frau, zu ihrem Namen, der nun in der Kopfzeile des Papiers stand, zu ihrer Kleidung, die ordentlich über dem Wandschirm neben ihr hing.

„Einen Moment.."

Überrascht beobachtete Luscinia wie die junge Frau davoneilte und in einem der Nebenräume verschwand. Unsicher, was genau jetzt zu tun sei, verlagerte sie ihr Gewicht von einen Fuß auf den anderen, ihre Finger intuitiv nach ihrem linken Ohrring greifend. Kurz bevor sie sich endgültig dafür entschied von dem Schemel herunterzusteigen, rauschte eine in der neuesten Mode gekleidete Dame aus dem Zimmer, in dem die Schneidergehilfin verschwunden war.

„Miss Plonbraw!"

Ihre Stimme und ausgebreiteten Arme ließen Luscinia zusammenzucken und ihre Augen unwillkürlich zur Tür huschen.

„Madam?"

„Meine Liebe, hier ist nicht der richtige Ort für sie."

Mit einem Blick zurück, der die Gehilfin hastig den Kopf senken ließ, schnappte sich die in bunt gehüllte Frau eine Robe, die eigentlich für eine andere Kundin gedacht war und hing sie um Luscinias Schultern.

„Kommen Sie!"

Widerstrebend folgte Luscinia ihr, noch immer unruhig und angespannt darüber, dass sie nicht wusste, wie ihr gerade geschah.

Durch einen schmalen Korridor wurde sie vorbei an einzelnen, kleineren Zimmern geführt, die herrlich hergerichtet, zumeist jedoch leer waren.

„Als ein Mitglied der Familie Plonbraw steht Ihnen natürlich eine vollkommen andere Behandlung zu. Ich bitte zutiefst meine Angestellte zu entschuldigen, sie ist neu hier und..."

Die Ladenbesitzerin drehte sich erstaunt um, als die junge Frau abrupt stehen blieb.

„Hier liegt ein Missverständnis vor, Madam. Ich hege keinerlei Beziehungen zu den Plonbraws die Ihnen anscheinend bekannt sind."

„Nun, dass sie nicht von hier stammen, ist mir absolut bewusst. Aber Sie entstammen der selben Blutlinie, ja?"

„Ich weiß nicht, was meine Verwandten erzählten, aber wir haben unseren Status als Reinblüter schon vor geraumer Zeit verloren."

Stille bereitete sich in dem schmalen Gang aus, die nur durch das Rascheln der Kleidung der Schneidergehilfin unterbrochen wurde, die möglichst unauffällig die Türen zu den Räumen schloss, die belegt waren. Luscinia hatte nicht bemerkt, dass ihre Stimme lauter geworden war.

„Nun... sie entstammen nicht direkt der Linie Hirundos, nicht wahr? Sondern von einem seiner Brüder?"

„Ich denke dieses Gespräch ist beendet."

Ohne zu zögern entriss Luscinia der Angestellten ihre Kleidung, stoppte nur kurz, um sie sich über zu werfen, bevor sie durch die übrigen Kunden und Angestellten drängte.

Kopflos aus dem Geschäft stürmend, prallte sie gegen einen Mann in ihrem Alter, der sie verdutzt ansah und seinen Kopf in einer Geste der Verzeihung senkte, obwohl er nichts falsches getan hatte.

„Entschuldigen Sie", Luscinia imitierte die Geste, während sie hastig die letzten Schnüre ihres Kleides zurecht zupfte und in ihren Umhang schlüpfte. Kleinigkeiten, die den jungen Mann noch mehr in Verlegenheit brachten, als er sie verwirrt beobachtete.

„Ist alles in Ordnung?", den jungen Herren unsanft zur Seite rempelnd, schob sich eine Frau näher an Luscinia heran, ebenfalls nicht viel älter als sie selbst, „du wirkst aufgebracht."

„Nur eine kleine Meinungsverschiedenheit mit der Ladenbesitzerin", energisch stellte sie erneut ihren Kragen auf, um sich gegen den noch immer anhaltenden Nieselregen zu wappnen. Eine Geste, die die junge Frau dazu veranlasste ihren Schirm auch über Luscinia zu halten.

„Was ist denn passiert?", der Mann trat einen Schritt näher, nur um einen tadelnden Blick zu erhalten.

„Wenn es weiterhilft, wir sind gerade auf dem Weg zu einer Schneiderin, die sich durch eine ausgezeichnete Qualität und eine mehr als freundliche Bedienung auszeichnet. Vielleicht möchtest du uns begleiten?"

„Ich sehe, du bist dir nicht zu schade neue Kunden anzuwerben, Amalia?"

Durch seinen provokant ausgesprochenen Satz fiel Luscinias Blick auf einen Mann mit ebenso roten Haaren wie derjenige, den sie vor einigen Momenten angerempelt hatte. Doch bis auf diese Äußerlichkeit glichen sich die beiden in keinster Weise, ganz im Gegensatz zu der mit Amalia angesprochenen Frau und den nun schmollend dreinblickenden Herrn.

„Mein Angebot hat weniger mit Anwerben und mehr mit einer aufrichtig dargebrachten, helfenden Hand zu tun. Immerhin scheint dieses Fräulein ganz allein unterwegs zu sein."

Unsicher, wie sie reagieren sollte, ließ Luscinia ihren Blick nochmals über das Dreiergespann gleiten, welches sie mit unterschiedlichen Expressionen ebenfalls musterte.

„Ich bin durchaus nicht allein unterwegs, ich gab meiner Begleitung nur zu verstehen, dass sie sich vergnügen kann, während ich in diesem Geschäft verweile. Es wäre daher wohl nicht richtig an einen anderen Ort aufzubrechen, ohne ihr Bescheid zu geben."

„Allerdings", Amalia nickte, „aber mach dir keine Gedanken, Garreth wird deine Begleitung aufspüren und sie unterrichten. Wir nehmen dich unter unsere Fittiche, bis sie dir wieder Gesellschaft leistet."

„Warum soll ausgerechnet ich ihren Leumund..?", der Protest Garreths wurde durch eine Handbewegung Amalias zum Schweigen gebracht.

„Weil es schicklicher ist, wenn wir mit meinem Bruder weiterziehen, als mit einem uns urverwandten Mann."

Während sich Garreths Gesicht in Frustration verzog, wandelte sich Luscinias in Verwunderung, doch trotzdem beantwortete sie die Frage nach dem Namen ihrer Begleitung.

Weitäugig sahen die Drei sie stumm an, der Bruder Amalias der erste, der stotternd die Stille brach: „Ich wusste nicht, dass der Professor Verwandtschaft in unserem Alter hat."

„Ah, wir sind keineswegs verwandt", Luscinias Puls beschleunigte sich, als ihr bewusst wurde, dass sie womöglich mit zukünftigen Mitschülern sprach.

Kurz fasste sie die Umstände zusammen, die den Professor dazu veranlasst hatten zu ihrer Begleitung zu werden und erweckte somit noch mehr Neugier. Es stellte sich heraus, dass die beiden jungen Herren mit ihr zusammen einen Jahrgang besuchen würden, während die junge Frau bereits das letzte Schuljahr absolvierte. Eifrig stellten die Drei sich nun vor und die Aufregung wurde noch größer, als sich hinter den Fremden Familien versteckten, die sich zumindest vom Namen bekannt waren.

Luscinia hatte von den Weasleys erfahren, zu denen Garreth gehörte und auch die Prewetts waren eine Familie, die ihre Tante und ihr Onkel ihr angeraten hatten Kontakt aufzunehmen, sollte sie sich einsam fühlen oder nach Unterstützung sehnen. Nach dem Austauschen der Namen und einiger weiteren Höflichkeiten, hakte Amalia die jüngere Frau unter und brach in Begleitung Leanders zu „Weasley's Wonderful Wardrobe" auf, während Garreth nach Professor Fig suchte.

Der Schneiderladen war kleiner, jedoch gemütlicher als der vorher besuchte. Eine einzelne Stube, unterteilt durch zwei Wandschirme, diente als Ankleide– und Nähzimmer und war von der Ladeninhaberin – einer Cousine Garreths – mit Illustrationen aus Modemagazinen geschmückt worden.

Leander verzog sich augenblicklich in die Küche der angrenzenden Wohnung und begann die Zeitung zu lesen, während Garreths Cousine die Stoffe vorbereitete. Die gesamte Atmosphäre war entspannt, Tee und Gebäck wurden herumgereicht, während Luscinias Maße abgenommen wurden. Immer wieder versicherte ihr die Cousine, dass das Anliegen der neuen Schuluniformen nicht zu viel Zeit in Anspruch nehme würde und sie eine Lösung finden würden, die gesamte Garnitur zeitnah für sie fertig zu stellen.

Eine goldenen Schere schnitt in einer Ecke des Raumes aus grauem Stoff die passenden Stücke für Luscinias Weste und Rock, derweil besserte Garreths Cousine Umhänge und Schuluniformen der Prewitt Geschwister aus, dabei fröhlich schwatzend.

Der Nachmittag verstrich und aus der Küche waren bald die Stimmen Garreths und des Professors zu hören, die sich mit Leander über das Geschehen der Zaubererwelt und ihre Erlebnisse während des Sommers austauschten.

„Deine Familie hätte uns schreiben sollen", bemerkte Amalia, als sie half Luscinia in ihre neue Schuluniform zu kleiden, „es wäre ein Spaß gewesen dich bei uns zu haben. Und wir hätten dich sanft auf Hogwarts vorbereiten können."

„Allerdings hätte das arme Kind dann auch euren Dialekt erlernt", stichelte Garreths Cousine mit einem breiten Lächeln, „wo es doch momentan so ein vornehmes Englisch spricht."

Luscinias Wangen röteten sich, wogegen Amalia abwinkte: „Wir hätten sie nur von Leander fernhalten müssen, alles andere hätte nicht geschadet."

Bald darauf waren Umhang und Schuluniform fertig genäht, dass Emblem der neuen Schule unübersehbar über der Brust aufgestickt. Ein Löwe, eine Schlange, ein Dachs und ein Rabe hinter einem H vereint.

Es stellte sich heraus, dass Professor Fig und Garreth bereits die restlichen Dinge auf Luscinias Liste besorgt hatten und so blieb nichts weiter übrig, als zusammen im „Cozy Feathers" zu Abend zu essen und anschließend ins Bett zu gehen.

Erst in der Stille ihres Zimmers, eingehüllt von einer trüben Dunkelheit, realisierte Luscinia, dass sie nun wahrlich in einem fremden Land angekommen war und auch bleiben musste. Zusammengekauert unter ihrer Decke liegend, presste sie einen Schal gegen ihre Nase, der nach Zuhause roch, während sie sich leise in den Schlaf weinte.

Als sie am nächsten Morgen in die Kutsche stieg, die sie und den Professor nach Hogwarts bringen sollte, waren ihre Augen noch immer verquollen, obwohl sie hektisch versucht hatte, sie mit kaltem Wasser zum Abschwellen zu bewegen. Mit einem Lächeln mehr als sonst, überspielte sie die deutlich sichtbaren Spuren ihres Kummers und ließ ihren Blick über die Thestrale schweifen, die die Kutsche zogen. Es war noch nicht lange her, seit es ihr möglich war, sie zu sehen. Magische Wesen nur für jene erkennbar, die einen Menschen hatten sterben sehen. Schwarze, pferdeähnliche Kreaturen mit ledernen Flügeln, die nur aus Haut und Knochen zu bestehen schienen. Einen Impuls folgend, schritt Luscinia auf die Tiere zu, verharrte reglos vor ihnen, als sie sie näher betrachtete. Trotz ihres Aussehens strahlten sie etwas seltsam friedliches aus, ihre Augen die junge Frau mit der gleichen Neugier betrachtend, wie diese sie. Eines der Tiere reckte den Kopf und Luscinia war erstaunt, als der warme Atem des Thestrals über ihr Gesicht fächerte. Sie hatte nicht angenommen, dass solch eine Wärme von Wesen ausgehen könne, die so nah mit dem Tod verbunden waren.

Mit einem Zauber vor Muggelaugen verborgen, flog die Kutsche bald darauf über London hinweg, die grauen Hausreihen hinter sich lassend. Während die Sonne höher kletterte, wurden die ausladenden, sattgrünen Wiesen unter ihnen langsam von dunklen Felsen und Steinformationen unterbrochen. Auf halbem Weg legten sie eine Rast ein, umgeben von verwirrt dreinblickenden Schafen, die im wiegenden Gang das Weite suchten, als der Geruch von Blut und rohem Fleisch an ihre Nasen drang. Unbeeindruckt zerrissen die Thestrale das Futter, welches ihnen dargeboten wurde und zerstörten somit jeglichen Eindruck des Friedens, der vorher von ihnen ausgegangen war.

Luscinia nutzte die Zeit der Fütterung, um einen Hügel hinaufzuklettern und sich die steifen Glieder zu vertreten. Auf der Schattenseite der kleinen Erhebung war das knöchelhohe Gras noch immer mit Tau überzogen und durchnässte den Saum ihres Rockes, doch sie störte sich nicht daran. Gegen die Sonne blinzelnd, ließ sie ihre Augen über das Land schweifen, mit einem tiefen Atemzug die klare Luft aufnehmend. Sie waren nah an der Küste, sie konnte das Salz auf ihrer Zunge spüren, als ein heftiger Windstoß sie erfasste. Lächelnd lief sie einige Zeit später den Hügel wieder hinunter, die Arme dabei weit wie Flügel ausgebreitet, die Ermahnung zur Vorsicht des Professors ignorierend.

Mit geröteten Wangen saß sie anschließend wieder in der Kutsche, ihr Oberkörper zur Seite gelehnt, um besser aus ihr hinausschauen zu können. Es bereite sich erneut eine angenehme Stille aus, selten unterbrochen vom Rascheln der Buchseiten des Professors oder dem Kratzen seiner Feder auf Pergament.

Ein Wasserfall stürzte sich unter ihnen in die Tiefe, speiste einen Fluss, der sich wie ein Band aus schimmernder Seide durch die Wiesen zog; durchsetzt mit funkelnden Kristallen, die das Licht der Sonne zurückwarfen.

Mit einem Mal erfasste eine heftige Windböe die Kutsche, ließ sie rüttelnd durch die Luft taumeln und zur Seite kippen, die Thestrale mit sich reißend.

Ein tiefes Grollen vibrierte durch die Luft und Luscinia zückte ihren Zauberstab, die Wolken um sie herum nach dem Biest absuchend, welches dieses Geräusch zu verursachen in der Lage war.

„Über uns!", brülle der Kutscher mit kreidebleichen Gesicht, die Thestrale anspornend über ihre Grenzen hinauszugehen und dem Ungeheuer zu entfliehen.

Der Schatten, der über sie fiel, verdunkelte den Himmel, gewaltige Schwingen peitschten die Luft um sie herum auf, die Kutsche pendelte hin und her und ihre Insassen landeten auf dem Boden des Gefährts.

„So haben wir keine Chance uns zu verteidigen!"; der Professor rappelte sich auf, seine Hände nach den Sitzen greifend, während Luscinia halb auf dem Boden liegend ihren Zauberstab gegen die Decke der Kutsche richtete.

„Bombar.."

Ein hellgelbes Auge schob sich vor die Öffnung über der Tür, eine schlitzförmige Pupille starrte ins Innere, fixierte die junge Frau.

Erstarrt erwiderte Luscinia den Blick, ihr Herz lautstark in ihrer Brust hämmernd. Erneut dröhnte das Grollen durch die Luft, erfasste ihren Körper und ließ die Haare ihres gesamten Körpers zu Berge stehen.

Krallen umschlossen die Kutsche und das Holz um sie herum knackte und erzittere. Dann schleuderte der Drache sie von sich, bevor er abtauchte, erneut in den Wolken verschwindend, während die Thestrale angestrengt versuchten die schleudernde Kutsche wieder auf Kurs zu bringen.

„Sind Sie in Ordnung?", der Professor zog Luscinia wieder zurück auf den Sitz, „so etwas habe ich noch nie erlebt."

„Vielleicht sind wir zu nahe am Nest vorbeigeflogen. Es fühlte sich eher nach einer Warnung, denn eines ernstgemeinten Angriffs an."

„Ich mag gar nicht so genau darüber nachdenken", Eleazar Fig ließ sich gegen die Lehne des Sitzes sinken, seine Augen noch immer im Schock geweitet, „nun, ich denke jetzt wird Ihnen das Kommende alles wie ein Kinderspiel vorkommen."

Luscinia bezweifelte es, aber sie blieb still, lächelte dem Professor nur aufmunternd zu, bevor sie ihre Augen wieder auf die Landschaft unter sich richtete, ab und zu zu den Wolken huschend, wann immer sie einen Schatten oder eine Bewegung glaubte zu erspähen. Doch die weiteren Stunden blieben ruhig, Vögel die einzige Gesellschaft, die sie für einen Moment auf ihren Weg begleiteten.

Ein steinernes Viadukt durchzog die Länge eines Tals und die Kutsche folgte seinem Lauf, schwebte entlang der sich darauf befindlichen Schienen, bis sich vor ihnen die Türme Hogwarts aus dem Nachmittagsdunst des Sommertages erhoben.

„Zu unserer Rechten befindet sich der Bahnhof, an dem die meisten Schüler heute Abend ankommen werden.", Professor Fig legte sein Buch, welches er als Ablenkung hatte beginnen zu lesen, zur Seite und deutete aus dem Fenster.

„Der Zug fährt direkt von London bis hierher und hält nur in wenigen Zaubererdörfern auf seinem Weg. Schüler aus dem Umland werden mit Kutschen eingesammelt."

Sie flogen über einen See, der sich zu allen Seiten ihres Blickfeldes erstreckte, seine Oberfläche nahezu glasklar, wie ein dunkel glänzender Spiegel.

„Der schwarze See umschließt Hogwarts von fast allen Seiten und ist Heimat für magische Arten, die Zuflucht vor den Muggeln suchen. Wir raten daher den Schülern vorsichtig zu sein, erst letztes Jahr gelang es einem Kelpie beinahe ein paar Erstklässler dazu zu überzeugen auf seinem Rücken Platz zu nehmen. Zum Glück konnte sie ein Fischermann gerade noch davor bewahren im See ertränkt zu werden."

Luscinia lauschte den Ausführungen des Professors gebannt und beobachtete, wie das Schloss, in voller Pracht auf den Klippen über dem Wasser thronend, immer größer wurde. Staunend lehnte sie sich aus der Kutsche, als die Thestrale das Gefährt höher in die Luft hievten und nahe an den Türmen und Zinnen vorbei segelten. Ihr wurde bewusst, dass Hogwarts und Durmstrang in ihrem Äußerem nichts gemein hatten. Ihre alte Schule, erbaut in der unwirtlichen Gegend des hohen Nordens, war eine Ansammlung hölzerner Gebäude, manche halb versenkt in der Erde, mit Moos und Gras bewachsen, die Türme Hogwarts jedoch griffen nach den Wolken.

„Wie viele Studierende besuchen die Schule?", die junge Frau konnte ihre vor Wunder geweiteten Augen nicht vom Schloss abwenden.

Für einen Moment musste der Professor überlegen: „Wenn ich mich nicht täusche, müssten es an die 400 sein."

„Mehr als doppelt so viele, wie bei uns", hauchte Luscinia, ihr Blick nun von dem Schloss zu den Gebäuden in seinem Umfeld fliegend.

„Ein Quidditschfeld mit Tribünen!"

Nun konnte sie sich wahrlich nicht mehr auf dem Sitz halten und lehnte sich weit nach draußen.

Auf dem Vorplatz des Schlosses landete die Kutsche, direkt vor den Stallungen der Thestrale, die teilweise in die äußere Burgmauer eingelassen waren.

Glücklich darüber, dass der Professor ihr angeboten hatte, früher als die anderen Schüler in Hogwarts anzukommen, schlenderte sie um die Kutsche herum, die hohen Türmen des Quidditchfeldes in Augenschein nehmend, bevor sie den Vorplatz betrachtete und danach erneut das Schloss. Seiner Pflicht nachgehend, verschwand Professor Fig hinter den Flügeltüren in das Innere, nachdem er sich versichert hat, dass sich um Luscinias Gepäck gekümmert wiurde und er ihr versprach, sie sobald wie möglich am Springbrunnen in der Mitte des Hofes abzuholen, um ihr das Schloss zu zeigen.

Während der ersten Stunde half die neue Schülerin dem Kutscher beim Versorgen der Thestrale, nahm auf, mit welcher Methode er sich um sie kümmerte und ihr erklärte, dass die Tiere das Gelände Hogwarts die meiste Zeit des Jahres frei durchstreifen durften, da die meisten Schüler sie sowieso nicht wahrnahmen. Danach schlenderte sie über den Vorplatz, betrachtete das Spiel des Wassers im Springbrunnen, die vier Tiere die auch das Emblem auf ihrer Brust schmückten, die mehr Wasser aus ihren Mäulern in das seerosengeschmückte Becken spien. Für eine Weile blieb sie am Springbrunnen sitzen, der in ihrem Rücken eine beruhigende Melodie murmelte, während sie hinauf zum Schloss schaute. Die goldene Nachmittagssonne ließ die Türme erstrahlen, der hellblaue Himmel umwob die Zinnen mit einem mit weißer Wolle besticktem Tuch. Luscinias Blick fiel auf die Flügeltüren, durch die der Professor verschwunden, und bis jetzt nicht wieder aufgetaucht war. Gesäumt von zwei geflügelten Ebern wirkten sie ihren anziehenden Bann, dem Luscinia schon bald erlag.

Mit großen Augen sah sie sich beim Eintreten einer Wand voller steinerner Ritterfiguren gegenüber. Jede von ihnen größer als ein ausgewachsener Mann, standen sie in einzelnen Nischen über- und nebeneinander aufgereiht und blickten starr auf sie herab, jede eine schwere Waffe in der Hand. Ein leeres Gemälde hing in der Mitte zwischen ihnen, der Porträtierte anscheinend gerade anderswo unterwegs.

Den Blick noch immer nach oben gerichtet, schritt Luscinia weiter, nur um von einem blechernen Klirren zusammenzuzucken. Zu ihrer rechten und linken Seite standen zwei Rüstungen, ihre Handflächen in einer Aufforderung stehen zu bleiben gegen sie gerichtet. Als sie genau dies tat, senkten die beiden Ritter ihre Hände und blickten erneut stur geradeaus.

„Oh, ich sehe, ihr bewacht das Schloss", amüsiert knickste Luscinia, worauf beide Rüstungen auf ihren Sockeln trippelnd umher zu treten begannen.

„Dann nehme ich natürlich einen anderen Weg."

Noch bevor sie sich ganz abwenden konnte, umfasste eine metallene Hand vorsichtig ihren Arm, die andere zur Tür ausstreckend, die eben noch verboten gewesen war. Verblüfft darüber, dass die Rüstungen von ihren Sockeln heruntersteigen konnten und anscheinend über ein Eigenleben verfügten, starrte Luscinia ihr gesichtslosen Gegenüber an, der nun vehementer auf die Tür zeigte.

„Ich darf nun doch hindurchgehen?"

Das Visier seines Helmes klapperte, als die Rüstung nickte. Ein weiteres Mal zu beiden Bewachern knicksend, trat Luscinia schließlich durch die Tür und wurde von einem dämmrigen Halbdunkel erfasst. Das Sonnenlicht, welches in der Eingangshalle durch die großen Fenster geschienen hatte, hatte in diesem Teil des Schlosses anscheinend keinen Zutritt mehr. Die Luft roch muffig und leicht abgestanden und die Vitrinen, die neben der herunterführenden Treppe standen, wirkten lang vergessen. Für einen Moment flog ihr Blick über den präparierten Troll hinter der Glasscheibe, sich wundernd, ob sie in Schottland alle so klein waren, bevor sie sich dem langen Gang vor ihr zuwandte. Schmal, mit einem hohen Deckengewölbe zog er sich durch die unteren Etagen des Schlosses, Wandbehänge erzählten von der Erbauung des Gemäuers. Aufmerksam nahm sie jedes Detail in sich auf und ließ sich schließlich von ihrer Neugier durch immer neue Flure, Hallen über Brücken und durch Innenhöfe leiten.

Mit offenen Mund stand sie schließlich in einer imposanten Halle vor einem Springbrunnen, der nur von Zwergenhand erschaffen worden sein konnte.

In anmutigen Bewegungen schwammen steinerne Nymphen um grimmig dreinschauende Trolle, die auf ihren Händen einen breiten Sockel trugen. Legte man den Kopf tief in den Nacken, konnte man auf eben jenen Sockel den in Stein verewigten Kampf zwischen Einhorn und Werwolf betrachten. Beide Tiere auf ihre Hinterläufe erhoben, das zarte Einhorn sein Horn gegen den Angreifer erhoben, dessen Muskeln zum Sprung bereit schienen, sein Maul geifernd geöffnet. Ein Kampf der Unschuld gegen die Verdorbenheit, Licht gegen Dunkelheit.

„Miss Plonbraw, ein Glück habe ich Sie gefunden!"

Die Stimme des Professors ließ sie zusammenfahren und stammelt erklärte sie sich, den Wink seiner Hand folgend näher zu ihm zu treten.

„Ich bin es, der sich entschuldigen muss", unterbrach Eleazar Fig sie mit einem beruhigendem Lächeln, „der Schulleiter und meine Aufgaben haben mich viel zu lange in Anspruch genommen. Noch dazu das beunruhigende Detail unserer Begegnung mit dem Drachen.."

Er zögerte für einen Moment: „Nun, ich freue mich, dass sie den Mut aufgebracht haben, das Schloss selbstständig zu erkunden und bin froh darüber, dass ich Sie in den endlosen Gängen und Fluren nicht vollständig verloren habe."

Er berührte sanft ihre Schulter, um sie anzuhalten ihm zu folgen: „Mein Versprechen Ihnen das Schloss näher zu bringen, steht Ihnen natürlich noch immer offen, auch wenn wir es auf einen anderen Tag verschieben müssen. Die Auswahlzeremonie der Erstklässler steht an und somit auch bald die Ihre."

Für den Augenblick konnten die Detail des Schlosses sie weiterhin von dem Geschehen ablenken, was sie bald erwartete. Die gotische Architektur, die aus ihren Gemälden herunter winkenden Menschen, die Rüstungen, die sie zum lachen brachten, wenn sie nach jedem ausladenden Knicks einen kleinen Freudentanz ausführten.

Vorsichtig öffnete Professor Fig eine deckenhohe Flügeltür und lugte in den dahinterliegenden Raum, doch Luscinias Aufmerksamkeit war gefesselt von den meterhohen Sanduhren, die an einer der Wände aufgereiht standen. Auf ihren goldenen Spitzen thronten die Wappentiere, Löwe, Dachs, Rabe und Schlange und statt Sand füllten die Gläser bunt gefärbte Steine in rubinrot, honiggelb, dunkles azurblau und waldgrün.

Durch ihre Beobachtungen abgelenkt, begriff Luscinia erst nach der Geste des Professors, dass es nun so weit war und sie vor die anderen Schüler und Lehrer zu treten hatte.

Ein Knoten verschnürte augenblicklich ihren Magen und hastig ergriff sie ihren Ohrring, als sie in die Große Halle trat. Sogleich war ihr Blick gefesselt von der Decke des Raumes; eine Decke, die es anscheinend gar nicht gab. Hell leuchteten ihr die Sterne des Nachthimmels entgegen und die Milchstraße zog ihr leuchtenden Band durch die gesamte Halle.

„Hier entlang", flüsterte der Professor und führte sie an der länglichen Seite nach vorne.

Durch die Steinsäulen, an denen sie vorbei schritten, konnte Luscinia vier lange Tafeln erkennen, an denen die älteren Schüler saßen. Jeder Tisch war in den Farben der Sanduhren gedeckt, honiggelb ihr am nächsten, waldgrün am weitesten entfernt, rubinrot und azurblau dazwischen gelegen. Einige der Schüler hatten das Eintreten von Professor Fig bemerkt und musterten die neue Schülerin nun neugierig, was diese veranlasste ihren Blick von den Tischen abzuwenden und zu den Erstklässlern gleiten zu lassen.

In einer Traube standen sie vor dem Rednerpult und dem Podest, auf dem die Lehrer ihren Platz gefunden hatten, die Nervosität und Aufregung deutlich in ihre Gesichter geschrieben. Einer nach dem anderen wurde aufgerufen und nahm auf einem hölzernen Hocker Platz, für jeden in der Halle deutlich zu sehen. Aufmerksam verfolgte sie, wie den Schülern ein schäbig aussehender Lederhut aufgesetzt wurde, in dessen Falten man die Züge eines Gesichts erahnen konnte.

Es bereitete sich ein Moment der erwartungsvollen Stille aus, bis schließlich eine dröhnende Stimme den Namen eines der vier Häuser ausrief und die älteren Schüler dieses Hauses ihren neuen Kameraden mit Jubel in Empfang nahmen .Auf ihrer Reise nach Hogwarts hatte der Professor sie ihr erklärt. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw und Hufflepuff, benannt nach den vier Gründern der Schule, die Farben und Tiere, die ganz Hogwarts schmückten, ein wichtiger Teil von ihnen. Jedes der Häuser vereinte Schüler mit ähnlichen Attributen und Charaktereigenschaften, aber in ihrer steigenden Aufregung konnte sich Luscinia nicht mehr darauf besinnen, welche es waren.

Die Reihen der Erstklässler hatten sich gelichtet, die meisten der 13 Jährigen hatten ihr Haus gefunden.

Luscinia versuchte sich zu beruhigen, indem sie ihren Blick und ihren Fokus krampfhaft auf die schwebenden Kerzen und den Nachthimmel über sich heftete, doch die Bemühungen waren sinnlos.Ihr Pulsschlag beschleunigte sich und sie begann zu schwitzen, wissend dass ihr Name einer der nächsten sein würde, die aufgerufen werden würden.

Er erschall viel zu laut und steif setzte sie sich in Bewegung. Wie in einem Tunnel, der nur den Blick nach vorne zuließ, bemerkte sie das freundliche Lächeln der stellvertretenden Schulleiterin, ohne es wirklich wahrzunehmen. Auf den kleinen Löwen an einer der Säulen starrend, nahm sie auf dem Hocker Platz, ihren Umhang und Rock richtend. Sie zuckte heftig zusammen, als eine dunkle Stimme durch ihren Kopf hallte und es dauerte deutlich zu lange bis sie begriff, dass der Hut mit ihr sprach.

Liebes, du musst mich schon in deine Gedanken lassen.

Ein mulmiges Gefühl bereitete sich in ihr aus und sie zögerte, was den Hut zu einem leisen Kichern veranlasste.

Ist es Vorsicht, oder eine gewisse Sturheit? Vielleicht ein Hang dazu sich zu widersetzen?

Luscinia wurde immer bewusster, wie die gesamte Schülerscharr sie abwartend anstarrte, während der Hut in ihren Gedanken und Erinnerungen herumstolzierte.

Interessant... und dieses hier... ebenfalls interessant...

Gäbe es einen Möglichkeit diesen Prozess zu beschleunigen, Herr Hut?

Oh? Der Lederhut kicherte erneut.

Ehrlich gesagt habe ich meine Entscheidung bereits getroffen, ich genieße es nur ältere Köpfe zu untersuchen. Dazu habe ich nicht so oft die Gelegenheit.

Luscinia konnte die aufkeimende Wut und die damit einhergehenden Verwünschungen nicht unterdrücken, was den Hut auflachen ließ.

Somit liege ich wohl richtig.

Ihre Ohren begannen zu fiepen, als die Stimme des Hutes ihren Kopf verließ und stattdessen durch die gesamte Halle dröhnte.

„GRYFFINDOR!"

Wie bei den Erstklässlern vor ihr, ertönte nun auch bei Luscinia lauter Jubel, als die Schüler unter dem rot-goldenen Banner aufstanden und voller Begeisterung in die Hände klatschten. Das Herz schlug ihr bis zum Hals, als sie vom Podest trat, fieberhaft überlegend, was als nächstes zu tun war. Sollte sie sich auf den erstbesten Platz setzen? Zwischen die Erstklässler? Oder die Blicke über sich ergehen lassen, während sie die Tafel weiter hinabschritt?

Zu ihrem Glück bemerkte sie plötzlich in der Masse der Gesichter zwei ihr bekannte und eilte ausatmend auf sie zu, ein erleichtertes Lächeln auf ihren Lippen.

„Wir sind also Hauskameraden?"

Garreth und Leander nickten und forderten sie auf, sich zu ihnen und den anderen Fünftklässlern zu setzen. Namen und Höflichkeiten wurden ausgetauscht und langsam beruhigten sich alle Schüler des Hauses Gryffindor wieder.

„Ist Amalia ebenfalls hier?", neugierig suchten Luscinias Augen nach der jungen Frau, doch Leander schüttelte den Kopf und nickte in Richtung der in blau und Bronze geschmückten Tafel.

„Ravenclaw. Sie war schon immer die Schlauere von uns beiden."

Er versteckte ein bitteres Lachen und lenkte zugleich mit einer ausladenden Armbewegung von seiner Gefühlsregung ab.

„Aber was ist schon das Haus der Schlauen und Kreativen verglichen mit dem Haus des Mutes und der Tapferkeit. Nur die besten Zauberer und Hexen stammen von hier. Nicht wahr?", er stieß Garreth mit der Schulter an.

„Soweit ich mich erinnern kann, haben auch die anderen Häuser Großartiges vorzuweisen. Merlin zum Beispiel gehörte zu Slytherin."

„Ach, Merlin!", Leander winkte ab, „ein überbewerteter Zauberer, wie das Haus aus dem er stammt."

Niemand schien zu beachten, wie Leander sich weiter echauffierte und auch Luscinias Aufmerksamkeit war auf das Essen fokussiert, das mit einem Mal vor ihr auf dem Tisch erschienen war.

„Du solltest Slytherin auf jeden Fall meiden", führte Leander weiterhin an, „dein werter Cousin sieht es wahrscheinlich schon nicht gerne, dass du überhaupt hier bist."

Er nahm einen großes Batzen Kartoffelbrei und klatschte ihn sich auf den Teller, ohne zu bemerken, wie Garreth ihm einen bedeutungsvollen Blick zuwarf.

Bei der Erwähnung eines Cousins, flogen Luscinias Augen über den Tisch am anderen Ende der Halle, obwohl sie nicht einmal wusste, wie ihr Verwandter überhaupt aussah. Ihr wurde schlecht und den Rest der Gespräche nahm sie nur noch mit halbem Ohr wahr, das Festmahl vor ihr nicht fähig anzurühren.

Das aufgeregte Gemurmel der Schüler wurde durch ein lautstarkes Räuspern unterbrochen und mit zusammengekniffenen Augen und angespannten Kiefermuskeln beobachtete Luscinia wie der Schulleiter Phineas Nigellus Black versuchte sich Gehör zu verschaffen, den Zauberstab an seine Kehle haltend, um seine Stimme zu verstärken. Es schien für ihn jedoch nicht nur schwierig, sich Gehör zu verschaffen, sondern die gewonnene Ruhe auch zu halten. Immer wieder ertönte Murmeln und zurückgehaltenen Gelächter, als er über Regeln und die Schulordnung belehrte. Auch die Fünftklässler, die um Luscinia herum saßen, befüllte sich ihrer Teller weiterhin unbeeindruckt mit Essen und ließen sich nicht von ihrem Mahl abhalten, selbst als die Stimme des Schulleiters vor unterdrückter Wut erzitterte. Zornig wie ein kleines Kind brach Black schließlich seinen Monolog ab und scheuchte die gesamte Schülerschar aus der Großen Halle.

Das erstaunte Schweigen wandelte sich in ein Durcheinander aus Stimmen und Leibern als klar wurde, dass er es Ernst meinte und Luscinia war froh, dass sich die Fünftklässler ihrer annahmen und sie durch das Gewimmel leiteten. Rufe wurden zwischen den einzelnen Tischen ausgestoßen, die Präfekte jedes Hauses sammelten lautstark die Erstklässler ein und versuchten sie, wie der Schäfer eine Gruppe Lämmer, sicher zum Ausgang zu führen.

Irgendwo in dem Durcheinander ging ein Teller zu Bruch, doch die Aufruhr darum verstummte, als die Tür hinter ihnen ins Schloss fiel.

Die klare Luft durch ihre Lungen ziehend, schloss Luscinia für einen Moment die Augen, froh ihren brummenden Kopf eine kurze Erholung bieten zu können.

„An eine neue Schule zu wechseln ist sehr anstrengend, vor allem wenn man die Sprache nicht gewöhnt ist.", die Schülerin, die sich am Tisch mit dem Namen Natty vorgestellt hatte, war neben sie getreten und musterte sie besorgt.

„Möchtest du noch kurz draußen spazieren gehen, bevor wir zum Gemeinschaftsraum gehen?"

Überrascht von ihrer Fürsorge nickte Luscinia und die beiden jungen Frauen schlenderten weiter über das Gelände des Schlosses, an einem Pavillon vorbei, ,entlang der Burgmauern und hinab in einen kleinen Innenhof, den Luscinia noch nicht kannte. Trotz der Dunkelheit, die Hogwarts inzwischen umhüllte, konnten sie im Licht der Sterne und dem Schein des Mondes genug sehen.

„Ich brauchte auch einige Zeit, um mich an alles zu gewöhnen. Das fremde Essen und die Gewohnheiten der Leute. Zudem das graue Wetter die meiste Zeit. Schottland ist wirklich sehr anders als Uagadou und das Matabeleland."

„Aber hast du dich inzwischen gut eingelebt, oder fühlst du noch immer eine große Sehnsucht nach deiner Heimat und deinen Freunden?", Luscinia betrachtete Natty aufmerksam, als sie vorbei an den dunkelgrünen Büschen und blühenden Stauden entlang spazierten, das Zirpen der Grillen in ihren Ohren klingend.

„Ich denke auch Hogwarts ist nun meine Heimat. Ich habe mich gefreut, als meine Mutter die Entscheidung getroffen hat hierher zu kommen und habe hier nun neue Freunde gefunden. Natürlich vermisse ich das Matabeleland und meine alten Freunde, aber nun bin ich hier Zuhause."

Strahlend lächelte sie Luscinia an: „Du wirst sehen, die meisten Professoren und Schüler sind sehr nett."

Sie traten zurück in das Innere des Schlosses und wurden nach dem Abbiegen in einen Gang von Musikern in ihren Gemälden begrüßt, die rumpelnd begannen eine Melodie zu spielen, als sie die beiden erblickten.

„Hach, sie hätten mit den anderen zusammen kommen sollen", der Dirigent fuchtelte missmutig zu der Hexe mit dem Kontrabass hinüber, „nun sind wir alle vollkommen aus dem Takt."

Staunend blieb Luscinia stehen und lauschte den Klängen, bis die Musiker ihren Rhythmus erneut wiedergefunden und das Stück vollendet hatten.

„Wie freundlich von Ihnen, die ankommenden Schüler mit einem Musikstück zu beglücken."

Als sie lachend in die Hände klatschte, schwoll die Brust des Dirigenten vor Stolz: „Das Fräulein ist eine Liebhaberin der Künste. Wie entzückend."

Anders als die Musiker, war die Frau, welche sie in dem Gemälde am Ende eines Ganges erwartete, nicht sehr freudig gestimmt. Aus zusammengekniffenen Augen musterte sie die beiden vor ihr stehenden Schülerinnen, ihre Ringellöckchen zierten ein rundes Gesicht, ihr Kleid war so rosa wie ihre Wangen.

„Ihr seid die Letzten. Nicht einmal die trödelnden Erstklässler waren langsamer."

Bei ihren Worten schwang das Porträt zur Seite und offenbarte einen runden Tunnel, in den Natty ohne zu zögern eintrat.

„Vielleicht haben Sie sich auch nur wieder verzählt."

„Unverschämtheit!", die beiden jungen Frauen konnten die zeternde Stimme weiterhin hören, als sie durch den Tunnel gingen, „womit habe ich das nur verdient? Warum kann ich nicht den Gemeinschaftsraum der Ravenclaws bewachen? Da gäbe es nicht ständig etwas zu tun. Oder Hufflepuff. Solch freundlichen, braven..."

Ihre Worte wurden abgeschnitten, als sich die Öffnung in der Wand hinter ihnen mit einem dröhnenden Knall verschloss.

Kichernd wandte sich Natty zu Luscinia um, als sie aus dem Tunnel trat: „Normalerweise brauchst du ein Passwort, um hier rein zu kommen. Nur am ersten Tag wird gezählt, ob alle angekommen sind."

Erneut schenkte sie ihrer neuen Mitschülerin ein strahlendes Lächeln: „Jetzt aber herzlich Willkommen in unserem Gemeinschaftsraum."

Luscinias Augen folgten der ausladenden Handbewegung Nattys, nahmen die warmen Töne des Raumes vor sich auf, das rot und gelb der Wandbehänge und Banner, das sich in den Sesseln und anderen Sitzmöbeln wiederfand, sowie die Schränke und Tische aus Vogelkirsche und Mahagoni. Das hölzerne Gerüst der Decke erinnerte sie an die Langhäuser Durmstrangs, in denen sie seit ihrem dreizehnten Lebensjahr ihre Schul- und teilweise auch ihrer Ferienzeit verbracht hatte. Ein stechender Schmerz durchfuhr ihre Brust, aber sie versuchte sich nichts anmerken zu lassen, als sie sich zu Natty drehte: „Ich würde gerne noch etwas hier bleiben und den Raum in seiner Gänze in mir aufnehmen. Bitte fühle dich nicht genötigt, mir Gesellschaft leisten zu müssen. Es ist immerhin schon spät."

Die Angesprochene verstand, nahm Luscinia jedoch das Versprechen ab nicht mehr zu lange aufzubleiben und erklärte ihr den Weg zum Schlafsaal.

Der Klang ihrer Schritte wurde von verschiedenen Teppichen gedämpft, die wie aneinandergereihte Flicken über den gesamten Boden verteilt waren. Als Natty im nächsten Raum verschwunden war, schlenderte Luscinia durch die Sitzgruppen aus zusammengewürfelten Möbelstücken, eine Hand über die Materialien fahrend, während sie mit den Augen die Details an den Wänden und in den Gemälden begutachtete. In den Nischen der bis zum Boden reichenden Fenster standen einzelne Sessel, an den Wänden daneben Bücherregale, mit vorwiegend fantastischen Geschichten und Abenteuerromanen bestückt. Sie versuchte Bände zu entdecken, die ihr bekannt waren, doch die englischen Titel erschwerten ihre Mühen und sie gab schließlich auf.

Mit einem lauten Seufzer ließ sie sich in einem Sessel vor dem Kamin fallen, zog ihre Schuhe aus und erlaubte es sich ihre Beine unter ihren Körper zu ziehen und im Sessel zusammenzusacken. Mit geschlossenen Augen lauschte sie dem Knistern des Feuers – ein Geräusch, das ihr etwas Trost und Nähe spendete.

Als sie hastige Schritte näherkommen hörte, richtete sie sich auf, nur um von Nellie mit einem Abwinken beruhigt zu werden.

„Lass dich von mir nicht stören, ich höre vor dem Zubettgehen nur gerne noch etwas Musik."

Aufmerksam verfolgte Luscinia die Fünftklässlerin, mit der sie bereits in der Großen Halle ein paar Worte gewechselt hatte. Zielsicher schritt diese auf einen Apparat mit einem Trichter darauf zu, legte eine kreisrunde Platte darauf und drehte eine Kurbel, worauf die ersten Klänge einer ruhig gespielten Sinfonie erklangen.

Luscinias Augen weiteten sich und ohne sich die Mühe zu machen, ihre Schuhe wieder anzuziehen, stolperte sie zu dem Apparat und beugte sich hinunter, um ihn aus der Nähe zu betrachten.

„Wie faszinierend."

„Ein Grammophon", klärte Nellie auf, „eine Erfindung der Muggle."

„Wirklich?", Luscinias Augen weiteten sich noch weiter, „wie genau funktioniert es?"

Wissbegierig lauschte sie den Ausführungen Nellies, auch wenn diese bald begriff, dass ihre Zuhörerin nur die Hälfte von dem verstand, was sie erklärte.

„Es ist schon spät, aber an einen anderen Tag können wir das Teil einmal auseinander nehmen. Oftmals versteht man dann besser, wie etwas funktioniert."

Bis zum Verklingen der Musik machten es sich die beiden jungen Frauen vor dem Kamin gemütlich und beobachteten das Lichtspiel, welches die Flammen auf die steinernen Löwen warf, die das Feuer bewachten.

Als sie schließlich auf leisen Sohlen in den Schlafsaal schlichen, waren die Vorhänge vor den Betten ihrer Zimmergenossen bereits zugezogen und Luscinia bemühte sich keine weiteren Geräusche zu machen, als sie das letzte der fünf Betten bezog.

„Sind das wirklich alle Mädchen, mit denen wir uns unser Zimmer teilen?", flüsterte sie fragend zu Nellie und diese nickte, bereits aus Hemd und Hose schlüpfend.

„Alle Fünftklässler, ja. Die anderen Jahrgänge haben ihr jeweils eigenes Zimmer. War es an deiner alten Schule anders?"

Im schwachen Schein des Ofens, der in der Mitte des Raumes stand, entkleidete sich nun auch Luscinia: „Die ersten drei Jahrgänge schliefen zusammen in einem Haus und die restlichen Jahrgänge in einem zweiten. Somit waren wir zwischen dreißig und vierzig Mädchen und Frauen, die zusammen lebten."

„Dreißig bis vierzig?", entfuhr es Nellie, was ihr ein tadelndes Zischen aus einem der umliegenden Betten einbrachte.

Die beiden Frauen sahen sich an und verdrehten die Augen, blieben aber daraufhin stumm.

Ihre neue Schulunifom über den Stuhl neben ihren Bett legend, schlüpfte Luscinia in ihr Nachtgewand und anschließend ins Bett, welches sich weitaus weicher und angenehmer anfühlte als jenes in der Winkelgasse.

„Gute Nacht", wisperte Nellie und zog mit einem Grinsen die Vorhänge ihres Bettes zu.

Für einen Moment blieb Luscinia regungslos in der Dunkelheit sitzen, verwirrt darüber wie unwirklich sich dieser Moment anfühlte. Schließlich schüttelte sie den Kopf, verschloss ebenfalls ihre Vorhänge und ließ sich auf ihr Bett fallen.

[priniya]

🌌 TOO MANY NIGHTS

synopsis. theodore nott spent too many nights, smoking and hanging out with matt’s little sister to not make her his girlfriend.

notes. theodore nott x riddle!reader. reader is a hufflepuff! pls, let’s pretend you’re 12 when u get to hogwarts xoxo, just for the plot

theodore nott had always been fascinated by how many differences there were between his best friend mattheo and mattheo’s younger sister. while mattheo wanted to fight anyone, who just scrunched their nose at him, you would rather have your nose broken, so the other person wouldn’t have to go through that pain. while mattheo could be consider as the grumpy (their oldest sibling obviously being the grumpier), you held the tilte of the sunshine.

theo believed it suited you. ever since the three of you were kids, mattheo had his best friend grow protective of you in the same way he had, looking out for you even if you didn’t want it. however, whenever it was nott making your blood boil with some nonsense — you couldn’t get as mad at him as you’d get at your brother. it’s because he’s not my brother, he’s theo, you’d always tell yourself. the truth was that as much as you wanted, you could never be angry with him.

the same thing continued when you started hogwarts. although, you could feel the shifting of your friendship with theo. maybe it all started to happen, because you were growing up, or maybe it was meant to be like that. anyways — you found yourself dreaming of your childhood friend in situations… that made you blush profusely whenever you walked passed him. it was complicating things so much you tried to push it aside, nevertheless to no avail.

“you like him.” a friend of yours joked, when you confessed your thoughts about theo, and… even if gabriela said it in a joking way, you couldn’t help but wonder if she was right.

turns out, she was.

it was all revealed, when another older friend of yours asked you out to the yule ball, and you had to watch theo having fun with daphne greengrass as well as their own group of friends that you weren’t a part of. did it sting? like hell. should’ve you expected it? absolutely. some would say — you should wait for the moment, when he asks you to the ball, but you knew you were just matt’s little sister in his eyes. a mere childhood friend he used to play with when he was younger, though all that ended the second he (and your brother) got his letter, from this moment on theodore nott was a serious, adult man.

few years later, when the slytherins were throwing a party in celebration of mattheo’s eighteen birthday, as his sister, you got an invitation. as much as you loved your brother, you definitely weren’t a big party person — you’d rather spend your time in the smaller group of people, chilling to the muggle music and maybe get high. nonetheless, it was your sibling’s birthday and you wouldn’t hear the end of it if you didn’t show up.

to be fair, matt’s celebration was one of the first slytherin parties you ever attended, and from all the rumors coating its mysterious aura, your expectations were pretty high.

gabriela, the friend of yours, whom you confided in having a small crush on theo, apparently never forgotten that conversation and decided to ‘spice your night a tad’, her exact words. she lent you a fitted, emerald, silky dress that ended slightly above your knee, she did your make up and gave a nose kiss for good luck.

for the first two and a half hour of the party, you couldn’t really catch a glimpse of the boy you were looking for, so your attention were turned towards plan b, which was getting wasted — and maybe meeting someone to get your brother’s best friend off your mind. so as i said, two and a half hour later, you were much more eccentric, bubbly, and definitely more ray of sunshine, caused by the loads of alcohol you put in yourself.

“teddy!” you exclaimed with a grin as you swiftly made your way towards where he was sitting in the corner of the room. a cigarette in his hand, few of his first buttons undone, a smirk lingering on his lips, although it was gone the second he saw you, being replaced with a genuine, but almost unnoticeable smile.

“riddle.” he replied. the corners of his lips went slightly upwards as your hands were wrapped around him, right after you plopped down on the couch next to him. “drunk?” theo asked, his head tilted to the side to get a better view of your flushed face.

“never.” a giggle slipped past your lips. you leaned more on him, serving him another one of your charming beams. “can i have a hypothetical question?”

“hypothetical?” he echoed your words, suppressing a laugh in attempt to not hurt your drunken feelings. “sure, riddle. go on.” nott added upon seing you nod your head.

“could you give me one of your cigarettes?” you grinned once again, putting all effort into a pleading puppy expression you thought you’ve mastered. his answers made you uncertain about your manipulation/daddy’s girl skills.

once again, theodore fought back a chuckle, putting on a teasing smirk. “no.”

“teddy!”

“what? wasn’t it hypothetical?” he snickered, watching you groan theatrically, lowering yourself on the green sofa. it took him a moment to ease your needs and pull out a package of muggle cigarettes that made you raise your eyebrow in curiosity at him. “they’re the best, believe me.” he mumbled with a cigarette in between his lips.

soon after, he tugged you closer after having looked around to see if mattheo was out of sight. as soon as his nerves were settled and your brother was nowhere to be found, theo’s fingers were wrapped around the lighter he bought in second year. the asshole he was, it felt like he was lighting it up for so long you were about to turn eighty. his gaze was instantly focused on your eyes. butterflies were slowly erupting in your stomach with each second he slacked off to light it.

somehow, you two parted your ways few minutes later, ending the sparkling moment between you two with a quick and rash kiss on nott’s cheek, a little too close to his lips for your brother’s liking, too far for yours.

although, the separation didn’t last too long. at least for him, because, when you met him again, you were drunk out of your mind, giggling at every single word someone said to you. good thing theo’s gut feeling told him to look after you.

you were stumbling over your own feet, stuttering at easiest words until you finally landed in paradise— or just his arms. accidentally, but you could cross it out from your checklist, not that you had one.

“hiya.” a soft smile made its way onto your face as he tightened the grip on your waist, not because you smiled so charmingly at him, but also because some older dudes that occupied his previous spot was busy undressing you with their eyes.

if you weren’t mattheo’s little sister, he’d probably try to get you to agree to have a quick round in his round, hell — maybe not even that quick, he could spend an entire night with a girl like you. unfortunately, the reality was different. he could never take an advantage of you, you were too… you and theodore nott liked that too much to just… ruin it.

“what’re you doing?” you asked, frowning as he picked you up and turned towards the staircase. “teddy– put me down, please.” the words left your lips in a slurred manner, but theodore didn’t budge, not even once.

the teenager obeyed your request the moment he walked through the door to his dormitory that was shared with mattheo. theodore sat you on his bed, his green eyes scanning your face intently, while you stiffled a laughter. as a result, you got a confused expression from him. “what?” he asked.

“you’re so pretty.” a soft mumble left your mouth. it had always been hard to catch theodore nott off guard, mostly because he was an intelligent and cunning person, who always noticed the bigger picture, predict the intentions before someone even opened their mouth, yet you did it. if your mind wasn’t so clouded with alcohol, you’d count it as a small win.

anyway, theo didn’t let your words get too much of a hold on him as he silently continued to undress you. as wrong as it sounds, he was doing you a simple favour — nott wanted to bring you comfort and safety, so he dragged you to his dorm and began unzipping your dress, leaving you in your underwear.

it took the boy all the possible strength he had in himself to control all the urges he just felt. it would be so wrong if he got hard just from the mere sight of the goddess sitting in front of him, with pouty lips and a baffled expression caused by his lack of response to her compliment.

“teddy?” you tried getting his attention once again, involuntarily scrapping off the polish of your nails as your eyes rested on his back, watching him shuffle through his closet to find you a comfortable pyjama.

to be fair, theo absolutely loathed the nickname. teddy reminded him of a child he used to be, a child with a loving mother, who would always call him that exact nickname. it wasn’t too much of a hassle, because no one called him that — until you did and it seemed like you couldn’t get rid of it from your vocabulary. somehow, it never bugged him when you did it. the way ‘teddy’ rolled off your tongue always gave him some sort of warm feeling in his stomach.

“mm?” your brother’s best friend muttered, his back still facing you. seconds later, he’s again in front of you, nudging you yet so slightly, so you put your hands above your head. “what is it, y/n/n?” he used the nickname you haven’t heard in a while, causing a literal war in your abdomen.

“could you kiss me?” for barely a second, his brain stopped functioning. he stopped in his tracks, oversized t–shirt still in his hands, all that until he decided to spare your embarrassment the next day and acted like he didn’t just hear what he heard. he was foolish for thinking that a sight of you almost naked and not getting a hard–on was the worst part of his night. now, theodore’s brain was filled with images of you two making out, and… it’s tough.

wordlessly, he finally put the shirt on you, nudging you afterwards, worry was still vividly lingering on his face as he watched you getting comfortable. “i’ll be right here.” nott murmured, grabbing a pillow, laying down on the floor. theo on one side of his bed, the bucket he brought you in case throwing up on the other.

both of you knew that he could go back downstairs, maybe even hook–up with some girl and spend the night at her dorm, just like mattheo did. nevertheless, he stayed there right with you.

it was further in the night, when you woke up and noticed that he still occupied his spot on the floor next to the bed. a pang of guilt hit you (as well as the pounding in your head) as you stared at his peaceful state.

merlin, theodore faustus nott was today times’ adonis and you felt like you could just spend the rest of the night gawking at how insanely beautiful he was. you could barely resist the urge to run your hand through his dark curls.

“you know i can feel you’re staring, riddle?” theo chuckled with his eyes still closed. shit. at least it was dark enough, so he couldn’t see the blush on your cheeks. “somethin’ bothering you?” he asked, giving you a concerned look.

“sleep on the bed, please?” you pleaded. he was about to refuse, when you continued. “i know you don’t want to kiss me, but it breaks my heart seeing you suffer there, when there’s enough room for two people here.” the words coming out of your mouth are quiet. the embarrassment and absurdity of this whole situation got to you — if you just didn’t ask him to kiss you, he’d probably sleep in the bed with you, but you obviously had to ruin it.

“y/n/n, i want to kiss you.” he said, his tone matching yours. “but i can’t, you know it. mattheo would kill me the second he knew.” theo knew he shouldn’t but the urge was too great to resist, so he placed his hands on your knees, reducing the distance between the two of you.

“matt doesn’t have to know.” a whispers left your lips as you leaned an inch closer, brushing the tip of your nose against theo’s. “teddy, please.” you pleaded, staring at him with urgency in your eyes.

it took theodore half a second to consider his options. he could’ve refused and regret it afterwards, but stay alive or he could’ve just kissed you and maybe get into a heated argument with mattheo. so… a voice in his head said fuck it and kissed you with all those feelings he’s had in him.

you could feel your entire world stop the second his lips fell on yours with urgency and passion. it was all you ever dreamed of, he was the guy who was your last thought before sleep and the first after waking up. a silly, childhood crush that developed over the years into… something you couldn’t describe. theodore nott had you wrapped around his finger without even knowing it — if he asked you to jump into a fire pit for a longing glance, you wouldn’t think about it twice and jump.

your fingers were tangled in his curls as he, without breaking the kiss, leaned more towards you, until your back hit the fabric of his sheets. to be completely honest, you felt like your stomach was about to be ripped apart just from the proximity between the two of you.

the kiss lasted way longer than you expected. it could’ve been hours, but you could never been sure. his lips were just inches apart, when he pulled away yet so slighty, letting out a groan as you nudged the tip of your nose again his.

“you don’t even know how much i wanted to do that.” his words were quiet. “matt will kill me, won’t he?” a low chuckle espaced his throat qs you let out a groan in response.

“could you stop mentioning my brother and just kiss me, nott?”

[rafesslxt]

Hi! Would you write a smut fic about getting high with Mattheo?

R U High Mine⎥Mattheo Riddle

summary: you come back from the holiday's with some weed for you and the boys. When you and Mattheo smoke while showing him some songs, it get's a little heated between the two of you.

warnings: Filthy smut yasss, getting high, so drugs/weed, smoking, best friends to lovers, making out, vocal mattheo (ugh), dirty talk, fingering, unprotected p in v, aftercare, mattheo calling reader slut and whore

note: I saw this in the car and had an immediate idea how to write this, had much fun. Thank you for the request I hope you like it. 💚

song: I recommend listening to the song "R U Mine" or "Why'd you only call me when you're high" by Arctic Monkeys, trust me babes. Or hear the playlist "Are you high mine" from my Spotify.

The boys and Pansy already waited for me in the common room as I arrived at Hogwarts again. It was like Christmas for them, knowing I would always bring them their favorite treat after the holiday's.

I smiled at them, knowing they were thinking the same as me as they smiled back at me. "Y/n!" Pansy was the first to stand up and hug me. From all the people I called my friends, I was closest to her. " Hey Pansy, how are you?" I asked, letting my bags fall to hug her back.

"I'm great! We're waiting for you girl. Everyone's here already." she giggled as she let go of me so I could great the rest.

I gave everyone a hug, at last Mattheo, who kissed my cheek. " How are you princess?" he asked, scanning my face. " I'm good Matt, thanks." I smile at him and sit beside him on the armrest. " What about you?" " Fine now that you're here." I rolled my eyes playfully at his answer.

"You know we're all happy to see you y/n, but do you have it?" Draco asked, shifting impatient in his seat. I think from all of us, he was the one with the most need for it. He was constantly on the edge, maybe even worse If it wasn't for Pansy who comforted him the best she could. He had all the pressure of his father on his shoulders and It was clear to see what it did to him. So a little smoke from now and then did good for him.

"Of course I have it, how could I forget when all of you reminded me the whole 2 weeks of it in each letter you wrote?" I say sarcastic, with a little smirk on the edge of my lips.

I grabbed my purse and pulled out a big black bag with already little packed baggy's, also black so you couldn't see what's in it, for each of them.

"Oh my god it's more than usually, right?" Enzo said, gawking at the little bags in my hand. I chuckled as I gave each one of them their own little bag so they could divide it up for the next few weeks.

"Yeah it is indeed more than usual. Got a good prize for it." " Wait let me pay what we didn't give you." Draco said, grabbing into his pockets but I shook my head. " No it's good. I'm friends with him since we were kids." He nodded and opened his bag to smell it, saying "You know I never thought I would say that but I wouldn‘t have thought I would ever be this happy to have a friend who is part of the muggle world."

I laughed at his comment, before giving the last bag to Mattheo. "I've got something else for you." I grinned at him, knowing he'll love it.

Obviously things like wifi don't exist here so I buyed him an MP3 player with lots and lots of battery's so he could listen to music. This time I brought an CD player and made a few Playlists for him.

His smile got bigger as he saw me pulling it out of my bag. "What's that?" Blaise asked, watching us. " It's an CD Player so you can hear Music a little louder than with headset."

"You wanna hear it?" I ask, Mattheo nodding. " Yeah princess, let's go." He grabbed my bags and gave me my purse. "See you later guy's." I waved at the rest of them.

It became a ritual for us to listen to music every time I came back from holiday's, so the group already knew what's going on.

We walked towards mine and Pansy's dorm we shared which was no issue to her as Mattheo and Draco shared a dorm so she would always go over to Draco's.

"You roll the weed and I'm gonna put on the music mkay? Grinder is in the top drawer." I say while walking towards my desk and putting the CD player on it, putting the battery in it and the first CD I wanted to show him. In the meantime he sat down on my bed and grinned the weed smaller before rolling it into a J.

"Ready." He smiled at me and tapped the place beside him on the bed. "Okay, so this is a band I want to show you, they're called "Arctic Monkeys" and I think you'll love them." Confident I sat down next to him after starting the Music. He lit the J and handed it over to me. "Here, you go first." "Thanks." I took the first drag and inhaled it deeply into my lungs before grinning and exhaling the smoke. " Oh it's good. Marc didn't disappoint." "Marc huh?" he asked as he took his first drag. " So you two are close or anything?"

I shrugged with my shoulders before laying down on my back. " Kind of, but not as close as I'm with you guys. I know him since I'm a kid, he's also the only one who knows about Hogwarts beside my parents."

He scanned my face as I was talking, slowly dragging his gaze from my eyes to my lips. I saw it but didn't think about it as I slowly but surely felt the weed have an effect.

"Damn, you were right. The music is great. It's a bit..edgy." " Yeah I know but it's great for smoking." I giggle and turn my head back towards the ceiling as the song "Why'd you only call me when you're high" started to play. " That's my second favorite." I tell him, feeling the weed calming me down but also making my senses and nerves more sensitive and reactive.

"What's your favorite?" "It comes after a few songs, just wait, I will tell you."

We layed down a little longer, smoking the J until it was ready and we were high as fuck. "Shit, it feels so good to be like this again." he groans, sending shivers down my spine. I turned my head towards him, seeing him looking at the ceiling.

I always had a crush on Mattheo. I loved when he was all flirty with me, while with nobody other. We both had partners before but I always felt some kind of pull towards him. My eyes scanned him, looking at his sharp jawline at first. I also loved looking at it, made me feel some type of way. Especially when it moved while he smoked.

Suddenly his eyes hit mine and maybe it's the weed but I had a feeling as If there was more in his gaze. Again, he looks at my eyes and then at my lips, licking his own.

Then my favorite song started playing. " That's my favorite." I said, watching him looking to the CD player. I wait a litte before he reacts to it. He breathed out heavily before looking at me. "You know where I would love to hear it?" "No tell me." "When we fuck." he says bluntly.

My eyes widened in shock, not knowing If I imagined things now. Before I could say anything he rolled over on top of me, grabbed my neck and kissed me with passion I've never felt before in my life. I opened my mouth as his tongue licked over my bottom lip. He groaned against my lips and pressed his body even more against mine, letting one hand beside my head to support himself and the other which was at my neck, now wandering over my stomach.

My breathing got faster and heavier due the haze and the arousal I suddenly felt. "Fuck, you don't even know how long I've been wanting to do this." He lowers his head down to my throat in a rush, leaving my lips trembling.

Goosebumps erupted over my skin as I felt his tongue licking my skin and his teeth carefully biting it. " Mattheo.." I moaned and let my hands go trough his hair, pulling on some strands. "What princess? What do you need hm?" he mumbles against my neck.

I arched my back and pressed my hips against his, feeling he's already hard. I gasped at the friction and bit my lip right after. " Need to feel you." "Where, tell me where. I wanna hear you say it." he groans, pressing against my hips.

"Everywhere. Fuck me." I would have never said that so bluntly without the weed, but I'm so grateful that we did smoke.

He growled against my skin, leaving wet kisses all over it before sitting up between my legs and letting both his hands roam over my skin under the hoodie I wore. It didn't take him long before pulling it over my head together with my shirt under it, seeing I was wearing no bra.

His lips parted and a smile formed on them. " You're so beautiful y/n, shit why didn't we do this sooner." His hand wandered up to my chest, massaging them and playing with my nipples teasing them. I mewled at the feeling and arched my back again. " Mattheo please. I need more."

"Don't have to ask me twice, princess." He opened the button of my jeans and pulled them down. He got rid of his clothes too until we were both only in our underwear.

I looked down and saw how big he was, just trough his boxershorts, making me gulp a little. "Don't worry, I'll go slow. Or do you want it rough?" I nodded quickly. " Rough. Fuck me like - " " Like what?" I gulped again before answering in a whisper. " Like a slut." " Oh you mean like my slut? Because after this you'll go nowhere but to me If you need to be fucked. Understood?" Ahh imagine him saying this ugh

I nodded. "Good girl." he said smiling, his voice and words making me even wetter. His fingers slowly stroked over my slip, making him biting his lip and almost moan. "Feel how wet you are you fucking slut? Wet for your best friend?"

I moaned and closed my eyes as he slipped a finger under the fabric and right inside of me. "Fuck, you're so tight. Nobody fucked you good the last few months huh?" I shook my head as I couldn't form any words. " Yeah that's gonna change from now on." He pumped his fingers a few more times inside of me, putting pressure to my clit with his thumb before pulling down his boxer shorts and my slip.

He pressed his tip against my entrance, looking at me. " Ready?" "Yeah.." I breathed out. He slowly pushed inside me, scanning my face, his eyes a little hooded.

My hands grabbed his hair again as he completely bottomed me out. "Oh yes.." I moaned, closing my eyes and parting my lips.

"You feel so good princess." he groaned and started to thrust inside me fast and rough, not thinking twice If someone outside in the common room could hear the bed hitting the wall. I wanted to say something but every word got stuck in my throat at his merciless fucking.

"What huh? Am I fucking you stupid you little whore? Fuck I love this, how fucked out you already look, not even able to speak." he growls into the air.

The only thing I felt was him inside me, thrusting faster and faster every minute that passed. I couldn't concentrate on anything else beside him. "M-mattheo I'm close.." " You wanna cum baby? Beg me like the little slut you wanted to be."

His thrusts became erratic and sloppy and I heard his breathing getting harder. "Fuck, please let me cum Mattheo. Please, I'm begging you." I moan loudly as my walls clench around his cock.

"Fuck fuck fuck.." he groaned, thrusting hard one last time before spilling inside me and circling his fingers on my sensitive clit. "Come around my cock baby." And I did. I did so hard that my vision went black for a moment and his name left my lips over and over again.

"Yeah, love how you almost look possessed. Possessed by my cock." he grins down at me, slowly pulling out of me.

I swallowed and looked at him, mind dizzy." "That was so good Mattheo." I said, trying to catch my breath.

"Oh believe me princess, that won't be the last time. You're mine now."

I hope you had fun reading, I had so much fun writing this. 😍

Let me know what ya'll think about this hehe. 👀

My Masterlist

xoxo Sarah <3

[cutielando]

my lifeline | m.r.

synopsis: in which you're his only purpose in life

my masterlist

Mattheo had always had it rough.

Being the son of the Dark Lord brought enough complications to his life, let alone being at school with people who only made fun of him because of that.

It wasn’t fair. Nothing about his life seemed fair, but he had no choice about it. He couldn’t change who he was, no matter how much he wanted to.

But he could change the way he viewed himself.

And he did. 

From the moment you had entered his life.

You transfering to Hogwarts from Beauxbatons had probably been the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Watching you timidly walk towards the Sorting Hat, anxiously waiting for it to speak and tell you which house you would join, seeing the sweet smile you had given the Slytherins once you joined them at their table and just so happened to have been sitting right across from him.

He knew, from the moment you had looked at him with your bright eyes, that he was a goner.

Over the course of your first weeks at the school, Mattheo had been the one to welcome you the best, always offering to show you around the castle, help you study or simply just keep you company while you would do homework together.

Pansy had also become your friend, very eager to have another girl in the friend group.

Pansy was also the first person to find out about your crush on the curly haired bad boy. 

It didn’t come as a surprise, really. With the amount of time you had been spending together ever since you came to the school, the countless walks you had been on with him when the both of you had free time, the charming smiles he would give you whenever he would look at you.

He had you mesmerized and he didn’t even realize.

The holidays had proved to be the perfect opportunity for Mattheo to finally tell you what he was feeling, right before you left for home.

“Y/N!” he had called out for you as you were struggling to carry your luggage down the countless pairs of stairs towards the castle entrance.

You turned around, a smile immediately appearing on your kind face. The kind of smile that made the butterflies in Mattheo’s stomach go crazy.

“Hey, Mattheo. I was just about to leave for the train, I didn’t want to be late” you explained, gesturing towards your trunk.

You didn’t know if you should have said anything else, knowing that his father and him probably didn’t want to have anything to do with each other and he had no reason to want to go home for the holidays.

“I know, and I wanted to catch you just before you left. I wanted to tell you something that I’ve been putting off for the entire semester” he said, scratching the back of his neck.

You nodded, signaling that you were listening. 

He let out a breath before speaking up once again.

“I like you, a lot. Ever since you transferred here, you’ve been on my mind. I’ve come to look forward to every minute that I get to spend with you, regardless of what we do. I just wanted to know if you would like to go on a date with me once you get back?” he asked, making you smile.

All the daydreams about what it would be like to be with him, to know that he was just yours, they were finally going to happen after so much lost time.

“Your timing really sucks” you joked, making him blush and nod. “But my answer is yes” you added before quickly leaning up to kiss his cheek and left.

Unbeknownst to you, the moment you had turned around and couldn’t see him anymore, he fist-bumped the air and did a little happy dance, being sure that nobody would see him and tarnish his bad boy reputation.

Typical.

During the time you spent away, you guys exchanged several letters, in most of them Mattheo was complaining about how slow the time was passing and how eager he was to see you again and take you out.

Which he did, the hour right after you had got back to Hogwarts. 

Your date had been amazing, sipping your favorite warm drinks at the Three Broomsticks, browsing around your favorite shops in Hogsmeade, and then finally ending with a goodnight kiss right at the bottom of the stairs leading to your bedroom.

The news that you had become a couple spread around as quickly as a disease would. Gossip traveled very fast around a school full of teenagers, especially when it involved someone with a reputation like Mattheo.

Being seen together in front of the whole school had been something you were weary of, ever since he had asked you out; mainly because it was no news that your now boyfriend was a very handsome lad, and a good number of the girls from every house had a thing for him.

Imagine now, with him dating you, it had automatically put a big target on your back.

But not to worry, Mattheo was there for you.

“People are staring” you told him on the morning of your first breakfast together as a couple, a day after everyone had got back from holiday.

“So? Let them stare, I don’t care” he said, shrugging his shoulders and pulling you closer to him.

You gulped, noticing more and more girls whispering and looking at you over their shoulders, frantically it was more like glaring deep into your soul.

“Easy for you to say, you don’t have the entire female population of this castle hoping your head would explode so they can take your place” you had meant for it to sound like a joke in order to not worry Mattheo, but he had seen right through it.

Following your gaze, he had noticed just how much attention there was on you that morning. He cleared his throat, glaring at every single girl right back, which then prompted them to blush and turn away from you guys.

“Don’t worry about other people, they know nothing about us and they’re just jealous” he whispered to you, planting a kiss on your temple in comfort.

You knew that he was right, that you just had to drown everyone out and just focus on Mattheo and what you had.

And that was exactly what you did.

Months went by very quickly, making your relationship with Mattheo only blossom more and more with each passing day. The love shared between you was more intense than anything either of you had experienced before.

You two helped each other, motivated and encouraged one another. You helped him deal with his problems, listened to him whenever he needed to unwind and just talk to someone about his home, about what his childhood was like and what being Voldemort’s son had done to him.

You slowly helped him out of his shell, making him open to you more and more each passing day, making sure he was comfortable whenever he was around you and always made sure he was okay, no matter where you were or what the circumstances were.

You became what he needed, his savior. 

A lifeline to pull him back to reality when he would need it the most, whenever he would feel like he was about to fall off the edge.

You were his life.

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[your-nanas-house]

The Beginning

◇ Pairing: Tom Riddle X professor!Reader

◇ Warnings: smut, manipulation, forbidden relationship, Tom Riddle, bath, nudity, dub-con, short age gap

◇ Summary: Tom notices that his favourite professor is a bit stressed.

◇ Note: Sorry for the mistakes and the English. Both character are aged up. Part 2 Part 3, Part 4

The room was filled with the chit chat of students who were taking the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, a subject often called simply DADA by everyone.

In the background of the big lesson room, there was soft music that created an almost pleasant atmosphere in contrast to the type of class that was taking place which had quite heavy topics that frightened many and intrigued others.

One of those people who were fascinated by the subject was Tom Riddle himself, clever boy, Slytherin and much more, especially the darling of professors, of every professor, except Albus Dumbledore, so the young professor Y/l/n was no exception.

There was a special bond between the wunderkind student and the professor, almost intimate if someone misinterpreted it but it was nothing like that or at least that was how it was for Y/n, the young witch had only managed to get her job a few years earlier and right from the start, thanks to the passion for her subject shared with Tom, they began to bond.

The Slytherin student who had now come of age and managed to become the head boy as well as a prefect, had approached the teacher to find out more secrets about magic and because he surprisingly found their conversations interesting as well as entertaining.

This was the real reason why he had started a few months after he met her to pretend to meet her by chance while walking around the castle, thus starting a routine between the two of them that happened almost every day if Y/n wasn't busy with her duties as a Hogwarts professor, which happened sometimes and which annoyed Tom for some strange reason.

Y/n was convinced that Tom saw her as a mother figure, someone to follow and learn from, and so did the young adult, but everything changed one evening.

After a busy astronomy lesson Tom wanted to visit his favorite teacher before heading back to his dormitory but when he reached the door of her classroom, hoping to find her still there, voices made him stop in his tracks.

The door was slightly open and he could easily see what was going on inside Miss Y/l/n's classroom.

She was inside, leaned against a table as she listened attentively to what someone was saying to her, Tom couldn't recognise the man so close to the woman with that look that the student had learned was lustful from the experience of his peers.

The whole situation awakened something all too well known inside the Slytherin heir, envy, pure green envy and resentment turned against them, something animalistic flared up inside him, a need to prove himself just as he had done at the orphanage when he was still a child.

Perhaps that was the reason that started the break of the platonic feelings the student had for his teacher.

New thoughts ran through his head as he decided how to move the pawns of his game in such a way as to receive what he wanted and thought he deserved, waiting patiently for the most suitable moment which came one summer night.

It had been a few months since the beginning of her senior year but they were almost at the end, his attitude had not changed in the slightest towards Miss Y/n and so the young woman did not suspect anything when she received a letter from Tom asking her for urgent help and giving her the coordinates of where to meet.

Worried, the young woman rushed to what she discovered was the prefects' bathroom, she was breathing heavily and was ready to solve whatever the problem was.

The young woman however had expected everything but her favorite student to wander calmly around the bathroom as he arranged the water and suds, meeting her eyes with his cold black ones, a faint smile forming on his face when he spoke "professor".

The atmosphere was suspicious in a way, suspicious but relaxing, since the aroma of soap filled the room as Tom tended to his clothes leaving them propped elegantly on a chair so they couldn't get wet "what's going on, Tom? I got your owl and I came as soon as I could" Y/n declared while she looked around, studying the bathroom in order to understand the riddle and discover why Tom Riddle had made her run all the way there.

She didn't even realize what the boy was doing before he was surrounded by the water and the foam caught her attention again.

Tom was standing in the tub, his clothes forgotten on the chair as the water made his pale skin and nearly Greek god muscles stand out; Y/n couldn't help but notice how his student had grown over the summer, making space for a decidedly attractive young man who reminded her very much of a Greek statue while her y/e/c moved around studying the parts of his skin on view, reaching his neck and finally his face.

She only realised she was holding her breath when their eyes met again, the situation they were in became much clearer to her and a blush appeared on her face making her turn quickly to give privacy to the young man who was staring at her amused with an unfamiliar twinkle behind his pitch black eyes.

She could hear him moving in the water, probably moving closer to where she was before speaking again "I've noticed that you are under a lot of stress lately....I thought a bath might help you, professor" the Slytherin revealed with a mischievous smile that relented slightly when she politely declined several times before attempting to leave the room, soon ending up in the water though, Tom's arms wrapped around her as if they were two snakes, his breath was warm against her neck and she could feel him take in her scent before letting his lips graze the delicate skin of that area "I know you want it too" whispered the young man almost in an attempt to seduce her as he sensed the shiver that ran through her body.

"No one will have to know, my mouth will remain closed" he whispered again, licking this time behind her ear before starting to play with her lobe using his teeth "come on...professor".

Miss Y/l/n's eyes flattered closed despite the fact that she tried to fight her lust, but it was immensely difficult with Tom's large, long hands, which traveled slowly all over her body exploring and almost expertly touching the areas that would make her give in.

It was as if there was a study behind it, his hands traveled with the wisdom of someone who had studied but not yet experimented with practice, this however did not silence the voices telling her not to do it.

The struggle in her head continued and the more time passed the harder it was to resist, especially now that the young adult's body was right against her back and she could feel everything from his muscular chest to his abs to his hard cock against her lower back.

His warm breath was against her now cold neck, making her

shiver and sigh deeply memorising how Tom was touching her because it had been quite some time since she had fucked anyone.

Despite the urge boiling inside her, Y/n shifted, slipping from the wizard's strong grip, stopping his next movements by placing her hand on his smooth chest.

Tom's black eyes met her y/e/c's, his large hand with long, skinny fingers wrapped around her wrist, slowly moving it to his lips, his tongue tracing its way to the inside of her hand before stopping to allow their lips to meet in a strangely soft kiss.

Miss Y/n's tits were against Tom's muscular, pale chest, her hands buried in his black hair as the boy's arms were around her waist bringing her even closer to him.

Their lips moved slowly, both of them lost in the shared sensation, exploring one of the tastes after another. It all ended, however, when Y/n regained control, noticing the head of his cock brushing against her entrance almost as if teasing her.

Reason because she forced herself to pull Tom away from her before licking her lips, weighing up her various options, she wasn't going to go all through with one of her students, it wasn't even supposed to end up like this and yet there she was in a bath with the most talented student at Hogwarts trying to seduce her.

Tom moved closer just as her internal debate ended, it only took her hand to stop him and her gaze followed by a teacher's tone to make him obey "get out of the water, sit on the edge of the pool...this is to stay between us, it won't happen again and I don't want to talk about it ever again, do you understand?" she asked after a few seconds the last question before admiring how Tom's body, shifted and emerged from the water to position itself like she had asked.

And there he was, Tom Marvolo Riddle, in all his glory and nakedness, his legs spread for her and an intense gaze focused solely on her. The young professor had listened to several conversations of the horny schoolgirls going after Tom but had not at all expected what she had in front of her now.

That didn't frighten her though, they had already reached a moment of no return and her hands instinctively moved to the young man's muscular, hairy thighs; they traveled a slow, teasing pace that made all the remaining blood go right down into his now rock hard cock.

The wizard admired closely as Y/n's hands moved over his length, pumping him a couple of times using the water as lubricant before she moved her face closer and left little licks on the tip.

Their eyes met and her mouth continued to work on him, exactly as her hands did, causing small moans followed by hisses that came out of Tom's perfect lips.

His dark eyes had not yet moved away from her just as Y/e/c's were still focused on him, it was intense.

Her tongue came out of her mouth to lick the entire length a couple of times and then take him completely in her mouth, deep throating him without him expecting it.

Her cheeks hollowed as she sucked, Tom's thighs shaked slightly under her hands as sinful grunts escaped his lips; his hips began to move without even meaning to, his tingling hand lusting for dominance gripped her wet hair in a tight grip so that he could choose his movements.

His hips moved swiftly as he fucked her mouth mercilessly focused on achieving his first peak of pleasure, it was a almost suffocation feeling, Tom needed more, much more, but he had almost reached his peak.

The wizard only released his hold when he came, now leaving Y/n free to move as she wanted, despite this the young witch focused her attention till the end on his tip, sucking gently as her hands massaged his balls almost as if she was milking him.

As soon as she realized she had taken every last drop, Y/n slowly pulled away, swallowing it all while looking into Tom's eyes.

The young professor had to avoid him in order to reach the entrance to the prefects' door without falling for another attempt at seduction by the student.

The two looked at each other in silence, Tom wanted to say something but Y/n silenced him with one last kiss, followed by an elegant movement of her wand and three words "this stays here".

As soon as she finished speaking she walked out of the bathroom leaving Tom standing there all alone, looking at the door, his body now dry and his uniform back, it was as if nothing had happened, as if everything had only been in his head but the lipstick marks proved something else.

In fact they only confirmed the wonderful and unexpected sensations he had felt in those few minutes he had been with her, he knew that she had sensed that it was the first time he had done this kind of activity but he also knew that she wanted more, he wanted more, there was something more and Tom was going to take it at all costs.

Things had not begun and ended that night in the prefects' bathroom at Hogwarts, the wizard would make sure of that and he would not put an end to what he had managed to get…what he had been craving for some time and now knew he could have.

Taglist:

@gabile18 , @mrsfullbuster500 , @rex-ray , @elizamalfoyy, @eovjjj , @monkeyking-and-liuer-mate , @jeremiah-va1eska , @gothamchic16, @rabbiteggz , @dieg0brandos-wife , @rottenecstasy , @lazyexcuse , @teh-vampire-bunny , @lobotomy-lover , @slasher-smasher , @sleepycreativewriter , @huntress-valkyrie , @lostmyremembrall, @pastelpiisces

[ur-local-anti-hero]

Speak now

James Potter x Malfoy!Reader

Summary: If the marauders are against something, its agaisnt pureblood families ideologies. Sometimes that implies to wreak havoc on a white veil occasion.

Genre: Hurt/comfort, Fluff and a tiny bit of Angst. Arranged Marriage

CW: Forced Marriage, Familiar problems, talks about blood purity and blood traitors. Breaking into a weddig idk.

Word count: 2.2K

This is part of my Speak Now (Marauders’ version) collection 

“So don't say yes, run away now. I'll meet you when you're out of the church at the back door.

Don't wait, or say a single vow. You need to hear me out”

When you were younger you saw a fair amount of weddings. They were always presented to you as big emotional events in which two people promised eternal love to each other. 

Even when you didn't know anything about love as a kid, it was no wonder that you yearned to have your own wedding once you grew up. It was a dream to have your own white dress, a beautifully decorated venue and a partner you loved so deeply you’d be willing to spend your whole life with them. 

Looking back maybe you should’ve known better. The first sign should’ve been your surname. A Malfoy has expectations they have to meet, keeping the bloodline pure, for starters. 

The second one should’ve been your parents’ loveless marriage, when you were younger you used to wonder why they’d married at all, now it was quite obvious. 

The third and most evident should’ve been when Andromeda Black was disowned. At that time you didn’t truly understand what that entailed, and why it was such a hassle that she wanted to get married. Now you understood that the problem was not the wedding, if not the groom. 

All your fantasies about the commonly named ‘Big day’ were completely shattered when your 18th birthday came, and with it a letter from your parents which contained the name of your soon to be husband. You tried to fight it, which only made your parents move the date of the wedding forward and get you out of Hogwarts, your education didn’t matter anymore to them now that your future as a housewife was inevitable. And being away from Hogwarts also meant being away from the ‘bad influences’ in your life. 

Now the corset of your white dress was suffocating, you felt trapped. Looking at the mirror was like looking at someone else. The girl with lifeless eyes and heavy make-up that couldn’t hide her eyebags was supposed to be you, yet it felt like a perfectly modelated version of yourself, made to impress the high class families attending the wedding. 

Narcissa’s gentle hands were bradding your hair, finishing your look before the wedding. Usually her presence was able to calm you down. Ever since she married your older brother, Lucius, her presence was regular in family gatherings and you’ve always felt some kind of kinship with her, seeking shelter on her whenever the phony and pompous encounters became too overwhelming.

You could attribute your shifted feelings towards her to the fact that she was unknowingly preparing you for eternal misery, or maybe because she was replacing the ones who you would’ve chosen as bridesmaids - there was no place for muggleborns in an event celebrating the union of two pureblood heirs -. Or even because it was her little cousin the one you were to wed. 

“You look beautiful” said Narcissa once she was done with your hair. 

You nodded and gave her a small thank you. However, you disagreed completely, the girl she was looking at was not you, it was your parent’s perfect daughter. 

“You do look lovely, father and mother are going to be delighted” your brother’s voice came from the door, where he was leaning on. “I brought you some company” he gestured behind him. 

Pandora and Dorcas stormed into the room, the former embracing you into a tight hug when they spotted you. Lucius and Narcissa left the room. 

“How are you holding up?” Pandora asked as soon as the door closed behind Lucius and Narcissa. Her arms were still holding you tightly, Dorcas standing behind her. 

You shrugged at her, not being able to talk due the knot in your throat and the tears threatening to fall from your eyes. You kept your eyes glued to the mirror. 

Pandora stepped out of the hug and stood next to Dorcas, who had yet to speak. 

“Evan and Barty are with Regulus, I swear I never thought I would see him in a tux” said Dorcas, trying to make conversation. The thought of Regulus being in the same situation as you didn’t make you feel better, the knot in your throat was getting tighther by the second. You promised to yourself you wouldn’t cry anymore, to be honest you thought you had run out of tears days ago. 

“Sirius is here too” Pandora was trying to distract you from the wedding. If she was being honest with herself there was nothing they could do to make you feel better. But maybe knowing that your best friend was out there could help a little. 

That made you finally look away from the mirror, a small wave of hope cursing through you. If Sirius was here it meant that James could be too. In the eyes of your family his family’s name was not good enough for yours, but maybe it was enough for him to be a guest. 

Maybe it was selfish to wish for him to be there when you knew how much it would hurt him, but you needed to talk to him, he was the only one who could actually comfort you right now, the only presence that would make everything feel normal again. You yearned to feel his touch against your skin and his lips against yours, even if it was for one last time, as a farewell. 

“Is he… Is James here?” you spoke for the first time. 

The answer was clear in the pitiful look they gave you even before Pandora replied with a soft ‘no’. 

You don’t know what did it, if the look in the faces of your friends or the fact that you would never see James again, but tears started rolling down your face. In seconds you were being embraced by Pandora again, and Dorcas’ hand was wiping away your tears. 

“It’s okay, you are going to be okay” Pandora didn’t believe her own words, but there was little she could do to calm you down and you both knew it. 

There was a knock on the door and your dad’s voice came from the other side “Y/N, it’s time” 

Pandora gave you a squeeze before letting you go from the hug. They both left the room, not without giving you a forced smile. 

“Oh, merlin” you said to yourself as soon as you were left alone, going back to the mirror, you wiped the few tears that were left on your face, and tried to fix the smudged make-up around your eyes with your fingers. You didn’t want to give your parents the satisfaction of seeing how much this affected you. 

Once you looked mildly presentable again you exited the room. Your father was waiting for you and he offered you his arm to lead you towards the venue. 

You could see the whole venue from the end of the aisle. The green and black motives contrasted beatifully with the white flowers decorating the aisle and the top of the altar. The guests were placed in black chairs at both ends of the aisle. 

You weren’t brave enough to lift your glaze from the ground, knowning that you wouldn’t see the love of your life waiting for you as you had dreamt since you were a kid. The heavy veil of your dress made your steps slow and lethargic. 

It was not until you were halfway down the aisle that you gathered enough courage to finally look at the man in front of you. Instead of the boy with unruly curly brown hair and eyes filled with love, there standing was Regulus, his black hair slicked back and eyes drowned by the same defeated look you wore. 

Once you reached his side everything went in a blur, all you remember is him taking your hands into his and the officiant talking. 

“If anyone has any objection, speak now or forever hold your peace” 

You were really going insane because you swore you saw James standing at the end of the aisle, wearing a tuxedo and with his hand up in the air. 

“I oppose!” His voice was loud and clear, your eyes widened. 

All the guests' eyes went to his figure and several surprised gasps were heard. Maybe you were not hallucinating. 

───✥───

If Fleamont Potter ever found out how James was using his inherited cloak of invisivility he’d be horrified, or maybe oddly proud of his son. 

Not even James thought he would ever sneak into a highly patrolled wedding on a common Tuesday, but honestly if someone had told him a year ago he’d be doing this he wouldn’t be surprised. 

Sneaking in a wedding filled with pureblood families and slytherin students was the perfect setup for a Marauders prank. However, what would have surprised him would’ve been the reason for interrupting a white veil occasion. Dating a Malfoy was something he hadn’t expected to ever do, but you had gotten past all his defenses with your kind and bright personality that proved to be so different from your family’s pretentious ways. 

Therefore, he was now standing on the aisle you had walked minutes ago. He had a perfect view of you and Regulus from his stance, your white dress was gorgeous, and your hair was neatly done. If it weren’t for your puffy and bloodshot eyes, and the obvious defeated look in your face, a look that had no place in a wedding, he could almost believe this was a normal marriage ceremony. 

When you had received the letter from your parents you had been inconsolable, and rightfully so. James had tried everything to stop the wedding, he even went as far as asking your parents for their blessing and to be the one you'd wed instead of the Black heir. Turned out to be useless as his family had been marked as blood traitors for eternity. 

But James isn't known for giving up easily, and the Marauders were not going to let an opportunity to cause havoc pass by. 

With the promise of being on his best behavior, Sirius had convinced his parents to attend the wedding as a guest, acting as a mole for his friends' plans. Remus and Lily were outside the venue with their ride home -a couple of broomsticks they borrowed from Hogwarts' supply closet. 

And the last part of the plan, and its success rested on James' shoulders. 

The preacher spoke 'Speak now or forever hold your peace' James smirked, that was his cue. It was on. 

James took off his invisibility cloak and without a single trace of shame or shyness in his voice James stated loudly "I oppose!"

James would've loved to stop for a moment to memorize the looks of complete horror in the faces of the guests, but he had to be fast and make total use of the element of surprise. 

Without hesitation James sprinted towards the altar. He could see the way your brother had stood up and pointed his wand at him, his spell being intercepted by Sirius' expelliarmus spell. 

As soon as James made it to the altar chaos erupted from everyone in the venue, he could make out the shouts of your parents and some spells that were being intercepted by yours and James' friends. 

At the sight of James Regulus let your hands go, he raised his arms in defeat and left the altar without much hassle. 

"Gentleman" James greeted Regulus' groomsmen, Barty and Evan who were just as stunned as everyone, all they could do was nod in acknowledgement to James, not even trying to interfere. 

"Hi, love" he was finally looking at you, your eyes were wide with surprise and tears were gathered in your waterline. James took your hands in one of his and the other was raised to stroke your cheek. 

“James what- how-” you were completely astonished, and unable to formulate a single phrase. You knew your boyfriend loved you, and the lengths he would go to prove it, but you would have never guessed he’d be willing to break into your wedding ceremony. He was always proving you wrong. 

“Hey Peter, mate, it’s your moment to shine” Following james’ words a rat came out of his pants’ pocket. 

And suddenly Peter was standing in front of you. He pushed the appalled officiant slightly to the side and took his place. 

Peter cleared his throat before speaking “Do you, James Fleamont Potter, take Y/N Malfoy as your wife?” 

“I do” 

“Do you, Y/N Malfoy, take James Fleamont Potter as your husband?” 

You could hardly mutter a low “I do” before Peter spoke again 

“I declare you husband and wife. You might kiss the bride” 

James didn’t hesitate for a moment. To add dramatism he spun you around and dipped you, holding your weight with his arm. And without waiting for another second he kissed you, sweet and slow, conveying all his love for you with that gesture. 

When you became breathless you broke the kiss and looked at James straight into his beautiful eyes, which only show deep adoration. “I love you” you mouthed to him, which made his eyes sparkle with joy and a wide grin to break into face. 

He took you in his arms bridal style and walked down the aisle. You coudln’t even care about the chaos and spells that were aimed your way, all you could look at was James. 

And as he muttered “I love you too, Miss Potter” you knew he’d do anything to prove his love for you. 

Author's note: This one is of my faves of the collection ngl, James is my soft spot Thank you for reading! Likes, comments and reblogs are welcomed and very appreciated. I'd love to hear what you thought about it so don't be shy!! To be part of the taglist Dm me or send me an ask <3 Taglist @feral-posts @izuoyarmin @aremuslupinsim @yourfavgay @imobsessedwitholiviarodrigo 

[in-my-feels-probably]

Hi there, hope you're doing well. I would love to request a fic where the reader is Sirius' wife who reunites with him after he escapes from Azkaban, takes care of him e.g. feeding him and grooming him, and helping him get better. Cheers!

Right Where You Left Me

Request: I would love to request a fic where the reader is Sirius' wife who reunites with him after he escapes from Azkaban, takes care of him e.g. feeding him and grooming him, and helping him get better.

Hi! I’m so sorry for the wait, it took me forever to get to this request, and even longer to finish it. I’ve been in a bit of a slump, but I feel better. I love this request, thank you so much for sending it in! I hope you enjoy it :)

(Warnings: swearing, mentions of azkaban and sirius’s treatment there, mentions of death, vague mention of nudity, let me know if i missed anything)

—

When you received the Patronus from Remus telling you Sirius had escaped from Azkaban, it brought you to your knees. 

You thought about him every day. But you could only ever picture him in the days before he was arrested. It hurt too much to think about him rotting away in prison. But hearing that he got out? That he was out in the world and could be anywhere by now? The fact that he was suddenly much closer to you than you thought he would ever be again?

It terrified you.

You married Sirius right after school ended and the war was beginning to pick up. He proposed on a whim, telling you that the rest of your days weren’t guaranteed, and he didn’t want to live through another day without you tied to him. You would have always been by his side, but this was tying more than just your lives together—it was your souls. When Harry was born, you were named his godparents. All was well for a while. Calm, even. Of course, the calm didn’t last. 

It wasn’t long after your marriage before that night in Godric’s Hollow came, and Sirius was taken away from you. 

But it wasn’t just Sirius. 

It was James, Lily, and Peter—even Mary. Marlene was in the weeks before, and Dorcas too. They were ripped away from you, far before you were ready to let them go. Remus was the only one who you kept in touch with after that night. You clung to each other in the weeks after, seeming to be the only people in the world the other could find solace in. But as the years passed, your visits and letters became few and far in between. 

Then—after all that time—another Patronus came. 

Sirius had come to Hogwarts, and he’d proved his innocence to those who mattered. It was Peter who had betrayed everyone, and he was still alive. 

And, while Sirius had you and Remus on his side, he was still considered a fugitive. The Aurors were after him, and he needed to be kept some place safe where they wouldn’t come looking. Luckily for you, the flat you bought was outside of Wizarding London. Sirius had always loved the feeling of places untouched by magic, so after you married, you moved in together in a quiet area on the outskirts of London. It was his idea to use magic to ward it so that people looking for you would have a hard time, and after so long away from the Wizarding community, not many people would think it was worth it or even remember to come looking for Sirius in hiding with you.

After twelve years of solitude, you couldn’t fathom the idea of your husband coming back to you. You couldn’t fathom the idea of him being part of your day to day life again. All you could do to keep yourself together was tidy up and prepare for Sirius’s arrival.

You couldn’t believe it when Remus finally brought him home to you. 

Your boy—who was a man now, or at least the shell of one—was sitting right in your living room. The only home he had ever known outside of Grimmauld Place or Hogwarts, and he couldn’t have looked more out of place. 

Neither of you spoke when Remus eased him down onto the couch, before coming to your side. You’d always pictured that by some miracle if Sirius ever came home to you, you’d rush into his arms and he’d hold you like no time had passed. You spent years missing his touch, wishing you could hug him just one more time. But now he was right in front of you, and you had no idea how to act. You didn’t know if he even wanted you to touch him. You couldn’t take your eyes off Sirius, eyes wide as you looked him over. 

Time had not been kind to him. 

You could see the man you once knew bleeding through, but so much of this version of him was unknown to you. Sirius kept his eyes on the floor, but would occasionally glance up at you. You knew he was seeing a stranger, too.

“I have to go back,” Remus whispered, turning your attention to him. “They’ll know what’s happened back at Hogwarts if I don’t leave soon, and too many people know what’s happened already. I’m sorry. I’ll come back as soon as I can, yeah?”

You could hardly hear him, but you quickly nodded, giving him a squeeze. “Be careful, Remus. I’ll take care of him while you’re gone.”

“I know you will,” he murmured, squeezing you tight.

He let you go, kneeling down next to Sirius who was watching you both with a look full of anxiety. Remus placed a hand on Sirius’s shoulder, his touch light and gentle.

“I have to go, alright? But you’re safe here. I promise. It’s just Y/N.”

Just Y/N, Sirius thought. He just nodded, a conflicted look on his face. Remus stood up, giving you one last look of sympathy, before walking out the door. He left a deafening silence in his wake.

It took you forever to get your feet to move. But when you did, you were falling. You landed on your knees just in front of Sirius, peering up at him through teary eyes. You could see him take a breath, stilling as you got closer.

“Can I touch you?” You asked, your voice barely a whisper.

Sirius swallowed hard. He gave you an almost imperceptible nod, and you gently reached your hand up, your fingertips hovering over his face. Taking a breath, you cradled his cheek in your palm. You could feel the stubble along his jaw, and the sharpness off his cheek. His skin was cool, far from the usual flush you remembered from all those years ago.

“You’re really here,” you murmured, your voice catching in your throat. “Oh, love. You’re so beautiful.”

Your words pulled a pained whimper from Sirius’s chest. He nestled his face into your hand, a few stray tears pooling in your palm. You were quick to wipe them away, leaning in close. He tilted his head down, resting his forehead against yours. He took a deep breath, taking you in.

“I pictured your face every day, and I still think I’ll never get tired of looking at you. How could I? You’re right here in front of me, as beautiful as the day I lost you. But you’ve always been the pretty one in this relationship, haven’t you?”

You let out a watery laugh, shaking your head. “In my dreams. But it’s good to see your sense of humor is still intact.”

The next few moments were quiet, nothing but the sound of sniffles and shaky breaths reaching your ears. 

Finally, Sirius forced himself to look around. He’d braced himself from the moment he walked in to see all that had changed since he left. He’d expected you to move on and live your life without him, and he’d expected the flat to reflect that. It was honestly more of a shock to him when Remus told him you still lived there than anything else. But as he looked around and took everything in, he realized how wrong he had been. 

“You haven’t changed a thing,” he said, looking at the art on the walls you’d picked out together when you first moved in.

You glanced around as well. You wanted to tell him how you didn’t have the heart to change anything. And although seeing him in everything around you felt like you were being stabbed, you just couldn’t get rid of anything. Getting rid of it would mean getting rid of all you had left of him.

And you would have rather been stabbed a thousand times than do that.

You shook your head, pointing to the spare room. “Actually, Remus lived here for a while. He pretty much flipped that whole room. Said something about you having too expensive a taste for him to have to endure for extended periods of time.”

“Merlin, I bet it looks like grunge threw up in there,” he mused, making you smile and nod.

You stood up, offering him your hands. “Are you hungry? We need to get you fed and cleaned up, love.”

Sirius looked down to the robes he was wearing. They were tattered—resembling rags stitched together more than they were resembling clothes. His hair was greasy and matted to his head, and his face and body was caked in dirt. He had almost forgotten just how dirty he was, a flush spreading across his cheeks as he gave you an embarrassed look. 

“It’s alright, darling,” you said softly, taking his hands in yours. “We’ll take it at your pace. Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

Reluctantly, Sirius nodded. You smiled, gently leading him up off the sofa and into the kitchen.

—

It took ages to find him something to eat. 

You nearly keeled over when he told you that pretty much the only thing he had been given to eat for the past twelve years was bread and water. It was what he’d grown accustomed to eating, and he wasn’t sure he could stomach anything else. You had to choke back tears when you finally suggested soup—one of the first things he learned to make on his own without magic. It took a while, but he managed to get most of it down. 

You made small talk while he ate, telling him little things he’d missed while he was gone. You left out the most painful details. You could tell him about those later.

Finally, he couldn’t stall anymore. 

He let you take him by the hand and lead him to the bathroom, his eyes on the floor as you shut the door behind him.

“Shower or bath?” You asked, turning the water on to let it heat up. “A bath might be easier. You look tired, and I don’t want you falling over or something.”

Sirius just nodded, and you assumed he was alright with you choosing for him. You let the tub fill up, making sure the water wasn’t too hot before you turned the faucet off. You turned back around, frowning when you saw Sirius looking back at you with anxious eyes.

“It’s ready,” you said softly, stepping out of the way.

Sirius watched you for a moment, fidgeting back and forth on his heels. Just as you opened your mouth to speak again, he beat you to it.

“Can you turn around?” He asked, lowering his eyes to the floor. “I don’t mind if you stay, but could you…could you maybe turn around for this part?”

You quickly nodded, stepping towards the door. “Of course! I’m sorry, I didn’t even ask if you wanted me in here—”

He was quick to speak, his voice shaky. “I do! But this is just a little weird, you know?”

You nodded, backing up to the doorway and turning to face it. You could feel the heat creep up to your cheeks as you heard his clothes hit the floor, followed by the sound of him climbing into the tub. You had seen Sirius naked a thousand times before. He was never ashamed of his body, he never shied away, and you had seen plenty of him in your years of knowing him. This version of him made your chest tighten, and all you could do was stand there and hope he wasn’t feeling the emotions you were. You waited another moment before talking over your shoulder.

“Do you need anything, love? I’ll wait outside if you want me to. Unless you want me here. I’m happy to do whatever you want, it’s up to you.”

Sirius cleared his throat. “Uh…could you maybe help me? My hair is matted and I don’t think I can fix it on my own.”

There was probably a spell you could have used—some sort of detangling charm to help get the mats out. But Sirius had gotten used to not being able to use magic, and you didn’t feel like using it either. The truth was, you preferred it this way.

It was an excuse to get close to him again and spend time with him.

It was an excuse to take care of him.

You nodded, turning around to grab your brush. You kept your eyes on his as you sat down on the edge of the tub, trying your best not to let your eyes wander. You set your brush on your knees, reaching for a cup off the ledge of the tub to dip down into the water and fill up.

“Tilt your head back for me, love,” you directed, smoothing your hand over his hairline as he tipped back far enough for you to pour the water over his hair.

You repeated the process a few more times before setting the cup down and grabbing the conditioner. You smoothed it through his hair, gently tugging at the knots with your fingers before you grabbed your brush. It was silent while you worked, making slow but steady progress. Eventually, Sirius shifted, and the water sloshed just over the side of the tub.

“Sorry,” he muttered, looking over his shoulder with guilty eyes to see if he splashed you.

“Don’t be,” you replied quickly, smoothing a comforting hand across his shoulder before moving back up to his hair. “Are you alright? Getting cold?”

Sirius opened his mouth to speak, before deciding against it and closing it. He just shook his head, growing silent once more. You knew there was something he wasn’t saying, and you didn’t want to push him. But you hadn’t made much progress with his hair, and you didn’t fancy sitting in silence for the rest of the evening.

You set your brush down, gently smoothing your palm over his hair. “Sirius…you can tell me anything. You know that, right? I know this feels strange, but it’s still me you’re talking to. Alright? It’s me. There’s nothing you can’t tell me. Whatever it is, I’m here to listen.”

There was another splash as he shifted, twisting around to face you. He was going to say that he’d tell you another time, and that he didn’t have it in him to say it just yet. 

But then he looked into your eyes.

And you were looking at him with such sincerity and warmth that he couldn’t help but spill. You watched his eyes fill with tears, and you quickly reached for his hand which he gladly let you take.

“I saw Harry,” he finally choked out.

You felt your breath catch in your chest. A deep sorrow spread through you, filling your gut with dread. You could feel your own tears stinging behind your eyes, but you quickly blinked them away. It wasn’t the time for them.

“He looks just like them, doesn’t he?” You breathed, squeezing Sirius’s hand. “I haven’t seen him in a while. Remus promised he’d say hello for me once he got to Hogwarts.”

“He knows who you are?” Sirius asked, his voice full of surprise.

“Dumbledore wouldn’t tell me where he was when they came for him. The bastard said I was “in no shape” to look after him, and it was too dangerous for me to get involved. I tried so many times to get him to tell me, but I knew he had already pushed me and Remus to the back of the list as far as who could be around Harry…I didn’t even catch a glimpse of him until he was eight. Merlin, you have no idea how angry I was when I found out they had given him to Petunia and her sorry excuse for a husband.”

Sirius’s jaw clenched. You could see the anger brewing inside him, watching as he took deep breaths to calm himself. But he didn’t let it out on you. He just squeezed your hand, tightening his grip.

Sirius cleared his throat. “Did you try and go get him?”

“Dumbledore threatened to have my magic taken away if I didn’t leave the matter be. He didn’t tell me anything about Harry or where he was kept hidden away. He just brought me a picture of him, and promised that when it was finally time for Harry to go to Hogwarts, he’d let me see him. Remus had to keep an eye on me till he was sure I wouldn’t do something stupid before that time came. He’d been waiting as long as me—he’s just better than me at patience, I guess.”

“You never were very good at being patient,” Sirius mused, but you could hear the strain in his voice as he spoke.

You gave him a tight lipped smile, trying your best to mean it. “Anyway, I met Harry for the first time in Diagon Alley. Dumbledore finally let me see him under the condition that it be in a public and magical place—but I wasn’t allowed to tell him about you.”

Sirius frowned, and you could feel your chest tighten. You ran your thumb along the back of his hand, your eyes in your lap.

“I wanted to tell him—so badly. But Dumblefore wouldn’t let me. All I could say was that I was a friend of Harry’s parents, and that I was there to help him get ready for school. I finally told him I was his godmother last summer when I took him for school supplies again. He spent the afternoon asking me about how I knew his parents. He kept pressing for every detail about them and how I knew them, and I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I told him everything about James and Lily I could remember. It just about killed me—”

Your words caught in your throat, cutting you short. Sirius reached his other hand up to reach for yours, his brows furrowing in concern. You looked up, giving him a sad smile.

You swallowed, choking back tears. “He’s so like them, Sirius. He’s got James’s ridiculous hair, and Lily’s fire. I can hardly look at him without seeing her eyes staring back at me. It’s so fucking unfair.”

A pained sound was pulled from Sirius’s throat, and you stopped yourself from talking about James and Lily any further. You grabbed the brush again, burying your nose in your work as you tried to ignore the sorrow you caught in his eyes before he turned his head straight.

“Tell me about it,” you prompted, changing the subject. “Tell me about him.”

Sirius was quiet a moment, like he was trying to find the right words. “He was…beautiful.”

You smiled, nodding for him to continue as you worked the knots out of his hair.

“He’s got this little witch by his side who quite honestly scared me—”

“Hermione,” you finished for him, grinning. “She’s a wonder, isn’t she? Ron, too.”

Sirius nodded, wringing his hands. “I’m glad Harry has someone. They seem like good friends. He’ll at least have them by his side to keep him from getting into too much trouble. He’ll certainly have a better shot than we did.”

You chuckled, smoothing your hand over his hair. “Remus told me he’s doing really well. It was a big year for him, but…he’ll be alright. We’ll see to that now.”

Sirius stiffened, turning around to face you. You paused what you were doing, setting down the brush. His eyes were lowered, his voice quiet as he spoke.

“I told him he could come stay with me, at least once it was safe to and he was able. I wasn’t really thinking about where that would be. My first thought was Grimmauld Place, but I don’t think I can stomach having him there. It’s not right. But I didn’t think to ask you—”

“Sirius, love,” you interrupted, gently cupping his cheek. “This is your home. You can invite whoever you want—you don’t have to ask my permission. And Harry will always be welcome here. If it’s what he wants, he can come stay with us. It can be his home too.”

His eyes softened, and his shoulders fell as he let out a breath of relief. “Merlin, I missed you.”

You could feel yourself growing emotional again, but you refused to let it show. There was so much you wanted to say to him, but you couldn’t bring yourself to speak without your eyes welling with tears. You just cleared your throat as you leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to his shoulder.

“Tilt your head back for me again, darling,” you managed to whisper, rinsing his hair out. “Almost done. We’ll get you cleaned up so you can rest, alright?”

—

Not long after, you had Sirius clean and out of the tub, bundled up under the pile of blankets you had dragged over to your bed. He looked a bit ridiculous buried under them all, but it made you smile seeing him comfortable, and he was very happy to oblige you. 

You laid next to him, under a considerably less amount of layers. “Warm enough?”

A warm laugh came from next to you as Sirius rolled over to face you. “Yeah, I think I’m all set, darling.”

You smiled, and the room fell into a comfortable silence. Out of habit—one you didn’t even know you still had—you reached for his hand under the sheets. You used to always wind down every night like this, cherishing the time you had together. You never knew how much longer you’d be able to do it with the war raging on, and you both got quite used to doing this each night. 

Sirius stiffened in surprise when he felt your fingers reach his, but he quickly recovered once he realized what you were doing. He let you take his hand in yours, intertwining your fingers.

“This bed is so soft,” he murmured, tilting his chin down to look at you. “I forgot how soft it was.”

You tried not to let your mind wander, thinking about the sleeping conditions he would have had in Azkaban. He would tell you one day about what it was like there. 

Neither of you were prepared to talk about it just yet.

“Do you wanna sleep somewhere else? I could make up the couch—”

“No, love,” he said, squeezing your hand. “This is good.”

You nodded, resting your head against the pillow. Another silence fell over the room. You shuffled to get a little closer, absentmindedly tracing your thumb along the back of his hand. Sirius let out a heavy sigh, drawing your attention up to him. You waited for him to speak, lying still until he looked down and his eyes met yours. There was a pain in them you couldn’t describe.

“Did you think I did it?”

You sucked in a breath, your grip on his hand tightening. You could feel his eyes on you as you frowned, bring your joined hands up from under the sheets to rest on top of the blanket.

You had been waiting for him to ask you this.

You knew he must have spent the past decade wondering what you thought happened. He’d sat in that cell all alone, thinking his wife thought he was a cold blooded murderer who had killed her best friends. 

The world thought he was a killer. Why wouldn’t you?

You dropped his hand, gently reaching up to cup his cheek. His skin was warm against yours, a pink flush spreading. Was he embarrassed? Ashamed? You didn’t know. You caressed his cheek, giving him a sad smile. You could see his eyes welling with tears.

“No,” you finally said, your voice sure. “I didn’t think it was you. I didn’t know what had happened, but I didn’t think it was you.”

Sirius let out a breath, his voice cracking. “Really?”

You swallowed hard, nodding.

“You would have died before ever hurting James—and you would have done a lot worse to save him. There wasn’t a single part of me that thought you could have killed James and Lily. I just couldn’t fathom it. There was no one in this world you loved more than them, and I knew that it couldn’t have been you. I didn’t know they had made Peter the secret keeper last minute, and I didn’t know where his body was if he was supposed to be dead, but I knew you had absolutely nothing to do with it. I think Remus knew it too…deep down. He thought I was crazy with the theories I was coming up with to try and absolve you. But he never truly blamed you—and eventually, we stopped talking about it all together. It hurt too much to keep trying to solve the mystery. It was easier to let it go.”

Fresh tears spilled, and Sirius was quick to wipe them away. Your heart ached at his kindness, even after all these years. All these years of solitude when you had left him behind, and yet, he was the one consoling you.

“I’m so sorry,” you choked out, composing yourself the best you could. “I’m so sorry I didn’t try harder to get you back. I’m so sorry you had to suffer there all those years while I got to just keep living my life. You don’t know how sorry I am. Please forgive me, Sirius.”

Sirius quickly shook his head, his palm resting against your cheek. “None of that, pretty girl. It’s not your fault—”

“But it is,” you tried to say, but he just kept shaking his head.

“Well, I don’t care—it doesn’t matter…I don’t blame you. I never blamed you, darling. So stop blaming yourself. I’m sure you’ve spent long enough doing that, and I won’t watch you torture yourself. Don’t you think we’ve both been through enough torture?”

You could hardly believe what you were hearing. He was so strong. It shocked you, just how strong he was. He had been through so much, and yet he still carried himself like the man you knew. He still let other people lean on him even when it should have been him doing the leaning. It was remarkable, really.

“Since when did you get so wise?” You asked, and you had mustered a grin that made him smile too. “Where’s the stubborn man I once knew?”

Sirius shrugged. “He’s still in here somewhere. Just needs a little practice. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll meet him again soon.”

You scoffed, breathing out a laugh. “That’s alright. I kinda missed him.”

Sirius chuckled, and your smile widened. This felt easy—this was good. You were so worried that, after all this time, you wouldn’t know how to act around each other. You were so afraid that Sirius would walk around the flat like a ghost of the man who once called it home. But he didn’t. It only took him a few hours to start cracking jokes, brushing his fingers against yours. 

It wasn’t perfect—neither of you expected it to be. 

But it gave you hope. Sirius was going to be okay. You both were going to be okay. And you’d get there together.

—

A/N - Hi! Again, I'm so sorry for the wait. I honestly don’t love the outcome of this, but I figured I’d finish it anyways. I loved this request, and I just kept coming back to it and adding it. Hopefully this is what you were looking for, sorry if it’s shit. Thanks for the request :)

[clubforfrogs]

Heyyy, SLIP UPS- AWESOME, WOMAN HOW DO U DO THIS-?

Also a request...!!! M so excited!!

Sirius black x reader snape

Basically snake's younger sister, is constantly bullied by the marauders, cuz of snape yk yk, especially on her make up preferable her foundation, after lots of teasing and bullying, she lashes out on sirius n removes her makeup to show a huge scar imprinted on her face. Cuz of her family issues n stuff. I leave how sirius reacts and their bonding up to you.

I LOVE UR WRITING SM, I SWEAR ITS SO GOOD. M NOT EVEN LYING. UR MY SOUL WRITER.

French love from dxb, Mon cherie

Um hello?! You’re literally the sweetest🫶🫶. I also love this request so much, so I hope I did it justice. I came up with this little blurb- I really hope you like it!

I’m currently working on a Sirius ask and a little James blurb- so keep on the look out for those.

Of All People - Sirius Black x Reader

~ 1.7k words

•

Now let’s be clear, you loved your brother, but some deep, shameful part of you resented him for the attention he attracted. Your parents had instilled posh pureblood ideologies into your heads from young ages. Luckily, you were able to see through their bullshit. Severus wasn’t so lucky. 

He brought that thinking into Hogwarts, and was ecstatic when both you and him were sorted into Slytherin, where he took no time at all befriending other air headed Slytherins who thought the same. This, along with the simple fact of his existence, brought the full wrath of the marauders down on your brother, which also trickled down to you. 

The marauders would endlessly bully and tease your brother. Being the dimwit he was, he always decides to try and fight back, ultimately failing every time. They would cast small hexes on you in the hallways, just constant, small annoyances. Eventually, it seemed as though Snape wasn’t enough of a challenge for the marauders, which caused them to turn fully to you. Now you were the one getting harassed. Constant jabs at the way you looked, filth about you thinking the same way as Severus, and the never ending comments about the amount of foundation you wore. What kind of guy even noticed that stuff? 

To be quite frank, it sucked. You were stuck with a shitty brother whom you loved, and a group of boys who bullied you for that very reason. It was exhausting, which meant that you valued every moment you could find yourself at peace- like right now. You were sitting underneath a tree near Black Lake. It was the first of the warmer days at Hogwarts, so you blended in with the multitudes of students soaking up the sun. You hoped this blending would be enough to allow you some quality time away from the marauders.

You leaned back your head against the bark of the tree. There was a gentle wind blowing across your face, a gentle buzz of voices coming from the other students outside, and a heavy liquid falling down your face. Wait… what? You opened your eyes quickly and rubbed at your face. It felt as though sticky black tar had been dumped on your head.

Though the substance made it hard to see, you could hear the roaring laughter of James, Peter, Remus, and Sirius. “What the hell? What is your issue? You couldn’t leave it for one day?” You questioned. You had cleared the goo enough clear your eyesight, and could see the amused faces of the boys. Sirius had the biggest grin stretching across his face, “Aw, we wouldn’t do that to you. You simply look too adorable with black sludge covering your face. Honestly, it looks better than that makeup you cake on everyday.” 

You could punch him for the look on his face. You had already been having a crappy day, as your parents had sent you a letter reminding you that the summer holiday was approaching, and they expected you to not forget your manners like you seem so inclined to do. 

Basically, if you didn’t listen to every word they said, you were going to “get straightened out” like your mother always said. The letter was fresh in your mind, and with it, a need to punch something. Luckily for you, there were four perfect targets standing right in front of you. 

You took a step towards James, the closest of them to you. He looked slightly confused, but taunted you nevertheless, “You coming in for a kiss? Sorry, I don’t French with snakes.” That was all you needed. You reared back your fist, and punched James Potter square in the gut. He doubled over in pain, and you swear you’ve never felt so much joy. Peter and Remus rushed over to him right away. Sirius looked at you in shock and took you by the shoulders. “You’re such a bitch! I knew all of the Snapes were the same. Just leave Hogwarts! We don’t need another bunch of rancid, pureblood twats spitting nonsense around here!” He was screaming in your face, and everything about what he was saying infuriated you. 

“Excuse me? Have you ever thought of asking about what I believe instead of assuming I’m just like my brother? I don’t believe in any of that shit! And what’s even worse, I have to suffer the consequences of being a half decent person all the time!” Sirius looked confused at your last sentence, so you rolled your eyes and casted a simple spell to clean the liquid off of your face, along with the thick layer of foundation you had applied that morning. Underneath, a giant scar cut along your cheek. It was relatively new, so the skin around it was red and puckered.

Sirius sucked in a quick breath. The other marauders had stopped cooing over James, and looked to you with shocked expressions. “Oh Merlin, I’m so sorry-“ you cut Sirius off. “Just stop, I thought you of all people would know what I was going through, but I guess not.” You started walking away, but when you heard the footsteps of Sirius behind you, you sped up to a run.

The footsteps behind you also increased in their pace, and a large hand grasped your wrist. You turned to look at Sirius. Tears had started forming in your eyes, but you wiped them away in futile the hope that would stop Sirius from seeing them. Sirius didn’t speak right away, instead he chose to study your face. You squirmed, under his scrutiny, you just felt ugly. Your red rimmed eyes, stuffy nose, and large scar now visible. You were heavily considering bolting away again until he spoke up, “I’m sorry. I- I never even considered that you might not be like your family. And you’re right, out of anyone, I should have been the one to give you the benefit of the doubt.” You looked back up at him, his eyes seemed genuinely apologetic, but that didn’t mean you were letting him off the hook just yet. 

“Yeah, you should be sorry. You and your cronies have been ruining my life here at Hogwarts. My one escape from my family. And you’ve been taking the absolute piss out of my brother. I know how he is, but he’s still my brother. Talk to me again when you show me you want to change.” With that, you pulled your wrist from his grip and walked back to your dorm. You really wanted to give him a second chance, partly because you had been harboring a small crush on him since first year. But before you could even let yourself consider that, he had to prove that he wanted to change. You sat in your dorm thinking about that very scenario, wishing, hoping, praying, that he would make the effort.

And in the next few weeks, he did. There were certainly the occasional taunts thrown towards your brother in the halls, but you supposed you could live with that. There were no more cruel pranks aimed towards you or Severus, and Sirius had even made James, Peter, and Remus write out apology notes and deliver them to you personally. You had probably gotten way too much enjoyment out of that one.

As you ate in the Great Hall, surrounded by a few acquaintances, you felt a tap on your shoulder. Behind you was a nervous looking Sirius. “Would you like to come over and eat with us? I swear, no bad intentions. We really want to get to know you.” His voice was much smaller than you had ever heard it. You weighed your options back and forth, but with the genuine effort he had been putting into righting his wrongs, there was no way you could deny him. “I would be delighted to.”

His face lit up at that, and you could see his confidence instantly repair itself. He led you over to where he and the other marauders sat, guiding you by placing his hand on the small of your back. The simple act caused your face to redden, but if he noticed, he didn’t say anything. Once you sat down at the table, everything was surprisingly normal. The other boys made one more quick apology each, but then the conversation quickly migrated to more light hearted topics.

“Okay, James,” it was hard to speak through your laughter, “You went up to this fifty year old dude, and insisted he was your mom?” The entire table burst out in laughter. “It was an intense game of truth or dare, I had ten galleons riding on it!” Remus smirked at him, “Yeah, but you still ended up losing,” he then looked to you, “You want to know why, Y/n?” You looked at him nodding, as you heard Peter groan, “Don’t do this mate.” Remus only spared him a glance as he launched back into his story, “So the truth or dare game was down to just Peter and James, and neither of them would back out. That’s when Sirius came out with this absolutely vile looking plate of chicken. It was cold, half raw, and definitely spoiled. We dared James and Peter to eat it for the win. James backed out immediately, but Peter ate it and puked for weeks.”

You had been drinking pumpkin juice as Remus told his story. But once he reached the part where Peter at the chicken, you lost it. Laughter spilled from your lips, and juice came up out of your nose. This only made the laughter at the table increase ten fold. You realized that you were receiving from worried glances from the students around you, but the laughter clouded your mind and you couldn’t bring yourself to care. You finally managed to calm yourself, and Sirius handed you a napkin of while wiping away a tear. You wiped away the juice, and caught sight of the watch on your wrist as you did so.

“Shit, I was supposed to be working on a Potions paper due tomorrow! I’ve gotta be off, this was lovely though!” You hugged Peter who sat right next to you, the boy looked a bit shocked, but satisfied nonetheless. You saw the pouty look emerge in Sirius’ eyes, so you leaned across the table and pecked him on the cheek. His face immediately blossomed into a lovely pink hue as the boys shouted out variations of, “You’re in!” “When’s the wedding?” and “Can I be the best man?” You smiled as you walked away from them, hoping that you’d be invited to sit with them again tomorrow.

[lenaswritingandstuff]

Your Teddy ~ Theodore Nott x f!reader (PART 3 & END)

Requested: No

Pairing: Theodore Nott x f!reader (+ SPOILER x f!reader - secret and non-reciprocal.)

Summary: y/n gets adjusted at her new life with Theo's help.

Word count: 6.2K

Warnings: swearing, English is not my first language

A/N: Thank God one of my classes on Wednesday was online and the other was cancelled otherwise I don't know when I could have written it lmaooo. ANYWAY. Thank you guys so much for +270 followers, love y'all!! Comments and feedback are always appreciated. Sorry for the typos. Hope you enjoy it! xx

Tag list: @helendeath @im-jesus @wolfyychan @blocked-zombieartist

Tag list for this story: @veryberryjelly @revesephemeres @mgchaser @nojamsonmytoast @cometmultiverse

PART TWO

“Darling?” your mother calls from downstairs. “Dinner is ready!”

Putting your book away, you rose from your bed and let out a silent sigh. The day after your conversation with Theo, your parents insisted you get home to rest, and, while you didn’t want to leave Hogwarts, they seemed to want you with them so bad that you had reluctantly accepted. You had now been home for over two weeks, two weeks spent reading books to learn some things and reading letters from Pansy and Theo. While Pansy’s letters were enjoyable and kept you updated on classes and the current gossip at school, you had to admit you awaited for Theo’s letters the most. He wrote to you about his daily life, sometimes making you laugh with a joke or when he told you about what funny thing one of his friends had done or said, and always ended the letter with the same sentence: I miss you. Those words shouldn’t make you feel the way they did, but they did; and you shouldn’t be missing Theo that much, but you were. 

From the moment you saw him, Theo had captivated your mind. You didn’t know if it was the way he had hugged you when he stormed in the hospital wing, the way he looked at you with those blue eyes of his, or just him, but ever since you had seen him in the hospital wing, you had a hard time not thinking about him. When you had realised what having lost all your memory meant, you were scared some people would lie to you or pretend to be someone they weren’t, but for some reason you knew Theo hadn’t lied. You had felt incredibly guilty when you saw how hurt he was when he learnt you didn’t know who he was - and still felt that way. But now, you also wanted to get to know him, and to spend time with him. There was something about him that just drew you towards him. It was partly physical, because, well, he was gorgeous, but also in his personality, how soft his voice was when he was talking to you, how patient and understanding he was, and how he made you feel safe without even trying. And now, after three weeks of only writing to each other, you couldn’t wait to see him again - but never dared to say it. I’ll try to tell him I miss him in my next letter.  

Leaving your room, you went downstairs to find your parents around the table, your mother bringing dinner to the table and your father finishing to set the table. They immediately smiled at you, and you smiled back. Your parents had been nothing but kind and understanding during your stay, but they constantly tried to make you remember things, so much so that you started to feel a bit overwhelmed after a while - which was another reason you couldn’t wait to go back to Hogwarts. 

“Got some rest, darling?” your father asked, sitting on the other side of the table.

“I hope you don’t overwork yourself, sweetie,” your mother continued. “You’re here to get rest and recover.” 

“I’m fine,” you assured them with a smile, sitting down.

“Are you sure, darling? I have to say, you look a bit tired.”

Your mother was right, and there was a reason for that fatigue. Each night, you had terrible dreams about your abduction - dreams or memories, who knew? - and you were now almost afraid to sleep. Like you had told Theo, you were thankful you didn’t remember anything about your kidnapping, but having those dreams brought you a bit of anxiety. You hadn’t told anyone, because you were scared that your parents would freak out, and didn’t tell Theo in order not to bother him. You ate your plate, not saying a word as your parents talked about everything and anything. Once you were done, there was a moment of comfortable silence, and you cleared your throat. 

“I have something to ask you guys,” you said. 

“What is it, dear?” 

“I’d like to go back to Hogwarts,” you answered, not beating around the bush. “I think I’m fully recovered now. It was nice being here, and I appreciate everything you did for me, but I think it would be good for me to go back to school.” 

Your parents shared a look, and for a second you thought they were gonna insist you stayed here.

“If that’s what you want, y/n,” your mother said, “then we support you.”

“We’ll write to Professor Dumbledore tomorrow,” your father nodded. “It will be good for you to be with your friends again.” 

“And Theodore,” your mother added with a wink. 

You felt your cheeks becoming pink and looked at your plate.

“He’s a good lad,” your father smiled.

“I hope you guys will…find a way to get back to the relationship you had,” your mother said gently. “You loved him a lot.” 

You nodded, and after a long moment of your parents telling you stories about your childhood, you decided to bid your parents goodnight - which always included a hug - and went back upstairs to your room. You lit a candle, as it was dark outside, and sat down at your desk before grabbing a piece of parchment, a quill and some ink. 

Dear Teddy, 

I was supposed to stay a little longer with my parents, but I really want to go back to Hogwarts now. My parents will write to Professor Dumbledore tomorrow, and I hope to be at school in the next few days. 

I miss you.

y/n

You then turned to your owl, who apparently had the habit of going to sleep at the same time as you, who made a small noise as if to greet you as you opened its cage. 

“Can you take it to Theo?” you asked your pet. 

You gently stroked its feathers, and then your owl took the letter and flew across the opened window. 

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

You stepped out of the chimney, and, as expected, found yourself in Professor Snape’s office. He was sitting on his desk, apparently grading students’ work, and barely raised his eyes to look at you.

“Good evening, Professor.”

“Miss y/l/n. I hope you’re fully recovered.”

His last words surprised you, as you had found him cold and severe during the few minutes you saw him in the hospital wing. 

“Yes, thank you, sir.”

“Then I shall see you in class.”

“Yes, sir.”

Carrying your luggage, you left his office, and, as you expected, you found Pansy waiting for you in the corridor. She immediately opened her arms and almost ran to give you a hug, which you gladly accepted.

“Aw, darling, I’m so happy you’re back! How do you feel?”

“I’m good.”

But your attention was on the person behind her. Theo was leant against the wall, his hands in his pockets. You detached yourself from Pansy, and Theo and you started to walk towards each other. You felt your heart beat faster, and it even beat faster when Theo gave you a small, shy, smile. Did I feel that way before?

“Hey.”

“Hey. It’s nice to see you.”

“You too.”

It was a bit awkward, as neither of you knew what to do - a hug? A kiss? - but Theo stared at you for a second before stepping closer, gently cupping your face in his hands and kissing your forehead. You closed your eyes, enjoying his touch and his lips on your skin much more than you thought. After the kiss, his hands remained on both sides of his face before he took them away, and you felt disappointed and sad.

“Thank you for your letters,” you said. “I really enjoyed receiving them.” 

“I liked your answers, too,” he said. 

You smiled at him, and suddenly Pansy chuckled.

“Come on, you bloody lovebirds, let’s go.”

You and Theo shared an amused look before you all went to the Slytherin common room, which was near. 

“We should go get dinner,” Pansy said. “y/n, dear, how about you put that luggage in your bag and you’ll unpack after dinner?”

“Alright,” you nodded.

After all, you were hungry too. Pansy led to your dorm, as you honestly didn’t remember where it was, and you put your luggage inside before going to the Great Hall alongside Pansy and Theo. On the way, Pansy kept talking about all that happened while you were gone, but only heard half of it as your hand kept touching Theo’s, which made you somehow want to hold it - or at least to have some physical contact with him. I’m going crazy, you thought. Why do I want to touch someone who’s still a stranger? 

Once in the Great Hall, you sat between Pansy and Theo, who introduced you to his friends, who all greeted you warmly. You looked around, trying to familiarise yourself with the large, beautiful crowded room. As you had lived in a quiet house for weeks, all the noise around made you feel uneasy and comfortable. Only Theo seemed to notice, as he grabbed your hand under the table. You turned to him, and found him giving you a reassuring, warm look. You squeezed his hand, both to show thankfulness and affection, and he gently stroked the top of your hand. You started to feel better, and focused on the conversations the boys were having. You didn’t participate in it, as you had ho idea what they were talking about half the time, but you laughed at their jokes - and, with each laugh, Theo and you shared a look. Once you were done eating, Pansy and you decided to go back to the common room - as it was still too early to go to bed -, and the boys followed. After sitting on one of the green couches, again next to Theo, for two hours spent listening to the boys, sometimes talking to Pansy and again feeling the push to touch Theo’s hand. As it was now getting late, the boys started to go to bed, as they started classes early tomorrow, but unlike earlier, Theo didn’t hesitate to once again cup your face in his warm hands and kiss your forehead, but this time, you got on your tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. 

“Good night, Teddy.”

“Good night, cara mia.”

You blushed at the nickname, before following Pansy - whose dorm was not far away from yours. 

“I promised to spend the night with Daphne,” Pansy said, apparently feeling guilty. “Her dorm is the one next to yours, so I won’t be very far if you need me, okay? You got along very well with Daphne before your…um, departure. She won’t mind at all.”

“Don’t worry about me,” you said. “I’m actually tired, so I don’t think I’ll have a hard time falling asleep.” 

“Alright.” Pansy hugged you, “Sleep well, dear.”

She gave you one last hug before entering Daphne’s dorm, leaving you alone in the silent corridor. You went into your dorm, closing the door behind you. You looked at the unfamiliar room full of unfamiliar objects. It felt as if it all belonged to someone else. Trying to ignore the feeling, you unpacked your bag, went to take a shower and then went to bed. Tomorrow, Pansy would give you a list of all the things they saw in class while you were gone and it was going to take you a while to catch up on everything - and if you didn’t manage to, it was going to be even harder to pass your exams at the end of the year. 

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

“y/n, wake up! Come on, wake up!”

You jolted awake, trying to catch your breath. The dark, cold room and the unfamiliar voices that had been plaguing your sleep were still fresh in your mind, and your first reflex when you felt two hands on your shoulders was to try to pull away.

“Amore, it’s me!” 

It took you half a second to realise you were in your dorm, safe, and that it was Theo in front of you. 

“Teddy?” 

He nodded, and sat on the bed. “I had the feeling I needed to check up on you, and when I came you were having a nightmare.” 

He started stroking your shoulders with all the tenderness in the world, and, almost without realising it, you put your head in his chest, and he immediately wrapped his arms around you, holding you as close as he could, and put his chin on the top of your head.

“It’s okay, baby, I’m here.” 

He pressed a light yet tender kiss on your temple and your heart, which had been beating very fast from waking up so abruptly, starting beating normally. After a while, you felt better, and not once did Theo move. 

“Thank you, Teddy,” you whispered.

“Of course, tesoro.”

Despite wanting to stay in the comfort of his arms, you detached yourself from him, but he kept one of his arms around you. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, his thumb stroking your skin.

You shook your head, and he gave you a nod. 

“I don’t remember much,” you said. “But… Teddy?”

“Hum?”

“Would you…Would you mind staying here with me?” you asked more shyly than you thought.

Theo looked at you and had a soft half smile. 

“I’d like nothing more, love.” 

He bent to press a kiss on your temple and you moved to the side of the bed to give him as much space as you could. Once he was ready, he gently brought your head to his chest before putting one arm around your waist and the other in your hair. Instinctively, you put one hand on the side of his neck, and after a short moment, you felt your whole body relax. You closed your eyes, and suddenly realised Theo smelt amazing.

“You smell good,” you whispered without thinking.

He had a chuckle, and you couldn’t help but smile.

“You used to tell me that often,” he said. “But thank you, cara mia, you smell good too.”

He started playing with your hair, and you fell asleep to the beating of his heart and his warmth.

When you woke up the next morning, your head was in the crook of Theo’s neck, and one of your legs was over one of his. His arms were still tightly wrapped around you, and, looking at him, you couldn’t help but smile at how adorable he looked when he was sleeping. You put your head back, wanting to enjoy the comfort of his warm embrace for a moment, but you realised it was time to wake up. You pressed some kisses on his cheek, and after a while he started slowly moving. 

“Wake up, sleeping beauty.”

He groaned before he finally opened his eyes, and his lips immediately turned into a smile. He looked at you for a moment, and brought his hand to your cheek.

“I almost forgot how good it felt,” he said almost to himself.

“What?” you frowned. 

“To wake up with you in my arms.” 

“It feels good too,” you whispered, caressing his hair. “And I know it felt good before my abduction.” 

There was no way it didn’t feel like that before. If only I could remember…

“We should get up,” you said.

He nodded and had a small sigh, “Yeah, we should.” But then he smiled, “But five more minutes, please?” 

You laughed and nodded.

“Alright, five more minutes.” 

But, as you should have expected, five minutes into ten, then twenty, and finally thirty before you managed to have him let you get out of bed. You rose from the bed, which made him groan in annoyance, and as you went to the bathroom to get your school uniform, you turned to the bed, where Teddy hadn’t moved.  

“Teddy, come on!” you laughed.

“You know, cara mia, no one would mind if you only started class tomorrow.”

You know he was likely to be right, but you shook your head.

“Maybe, but I have enough to catch on already. I can’t afford to be even further behind.”

“I’ll help you,” he said, sitting. “You were always a very good student, why shouldn’t you be now?”

“Maybe I was, but now it’s different.” 

Teddy stared at you, and you immediately knew what he thought. Yes, it is different now.

“I can still help you,” he said.

You nodded, “I’d love that, Teddy.” 

He finally got up, and agreed to go dress up in his dorm when you asked him.

“We’ll meet in the common room in five minutes,” you assured him. 

And as promised, you met there five minutes later, both all ready for the day. It felt a bit weird to be in a uniform, but you did your best to ignore it. After all, everyone was wearing it. Theo and you sat again with his friends and Pansy, who immediately asked you how was your night.

“Oh, really good.”

You and Theo shared a look and you felt yourself blush. 

After breakfast, you walked with Theo to class, with him sometimes giving you information about the castle, or something you saw. On the way, some students came to you to tell you they were happy to see you again, and each time, you felt thankful but awkward. But thankfully, Theo didn’t leave your side once, and always let you know who the person was - friends for the most part. They were Slytherins for most, but as you came closer to class, it was a Gryffindor boy, with dark hair, green eyes and glasses, who approached you.

“y/n? Hi, how are you?”

“I’m fine, thank you.” 

You noticed the strange scar he had on his forehead, but it felt impolite to ask him about it. 

“Back off, Potter,” Theo said coldly. “We don’t have time for you.”

“Teddy, don’t be rude,” you frowned.

“I was just asking how she was,” the Gryffindor boy said calmly. “I wasn’t talking to you.” He turned to you with a kind look, “I’m glad to see that you’re alright. But…You really don’t remember anything?”

Theo opened his mouth to answer but you were faster.

“No, unfortunately. If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your name?” 

“Harry,” he simply answered. “I’m Harry. We…” 

This time, Theo sighed.

“It is really kind of you to ask how my girl was, Potter, but if the Chosen One will excuse us, we’re gonna be late for Potions.”

He put an arm around your waist, and before you could say anything, led you to the end of the corridor. You gave Harry a look of excuse, but he only stared at you.

“Teddy, that was rude,” you said as you entered the Potions room. “He was nice.”

“Not all people are as nice as they look, love,” he simply said and you rolled your eyes. 

“But, if he asked me how I was, he must have been a friend, no?”

Theo had a small, annoyed sigh. “That’s a big word. But your closest friend is Pansy. And also Daphne, I guess. If you need more friends, ask Pansy to introduce you to girls from our house. Or at least, who aren’t in Gryffindor.” 

Theo indicated you a seat in the middle of the class, and sat next to you.

“By the way,” you asked, “what is that strange scar he has?”

Theo sneered, “Long story.”

You were about to ask him when Professor Snape came in, and all conversations faded at once. He gave instructions for the rest of the lesson, and you and Theo worked on the potion. You laughed a few times because Theo couldn’t stop making jokes. Snape eventually noticed and came over.

“Mr Nott, do focus on the potion. Miss y/l/n needs to concentrate if she wishes to get back to the same level as the rest of the class, and I think your immature foolishness will make it harder.”

“We’re sorry, professor,” you apologised. “I was a bit nervous, as it is my first class since I got back, and Teddy was only trying to help…in his own way.”

Snape stared at you both and left without a word. Theo and you looked at each other and had a hard time not laughing.

“Dumbledore must have asked him to be nicer to you,” he whispered as he stirred the potion. “Usually, we would have got detention. Or at least a threat of it.” 

The rest of the class went smoothly, and so did the rest of the day, with all the teachers telling you they were there if you needed anything, and helping you if needed. As the last class of the day ended,  you put your book in your bag and rose from your seat. Theo did the same, and you started walking to the door, but Theo didn’t move. 

“Pansy and I need to talk to Professor McGonnagall,” he said. “It’s gonna take a while,” he sighed. “Hey, how about you go to my dorm - it’s the first one after the serpent symbol - and eat the snacks I left there? You used to like them.”

You were a bit surprised, but nodded. You left the class, and walked down the corridor when you heard a voice from your left side.

“y/n!”

You turned your head and saw Harry in a smaller, darker corridor. 

“Harry?”

“Can we talk?” 

Your eyes went to the door of the class, where Theo still was.

“Sure.”

You walked to place yourself in front of Harry, and you noticed he looked at you strangely. 

“I’m sure you’ve been asked this several times, but you don’t really remember anything about your abduction?”

“No,” you shook your head. “Nothing.”

You could have talked to him about the nightmares, but if you didn’t tell Theo, the person you were the closest to at the moment, why would you talk to a stranger about it?

“And,” Harry continued, “what did they tell you about it?”

You frowned, trying to remember the first conversation you had with Professor Dumbledore. “Well, they said I went to, um, Hogsmeade, I think, alone, and that’s where I was last seen. Apparently I was kidnapped because my parents work at the Ministry. They also don’t know where I was being held or how I escaped.” 

Harry thought for a second. “And what did tell you about the Death Eaters?”

You frowned again, “Not much, only that they worked for someone with bad intentions. But I’m aware I was likely interrogated and tortured, though. Why?”

“Nott,” Harry said. “His father used to work for that ‘someone with bad intentions’. Malfoy’s father too. Oh, and, Nott’s best mate Riddle, he’s the son of that someone.”

You tried to register his words. Theo’s father? You knew Theo did not see him much, and never thought much about it. Draco? Who has been nothing but polite and kind to you? And Mattheo, the funny Mattheo who constantly teased Theo like a brother, and was friendly and warm? After all, you didn’t know any of them. For all you knew, they might have lied all along. 

“You…think they know something?” 

Harry shrugged, “Who knows. All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t trust anyone. I…just want you to be safe, okay?” 

He opened his mouth to say something else but kept silent. 

“I’ll be fine,” you assured him. “Don’t worry.”

“I’m here if you need anything.”

You nodded and after giving him a polite smile, you went back to the corridor, and walking down it, you ran into Professor Snape.

“Miss y/l/n.”

“Sir?”

“The Headmaster wishes to see you in his office at once. Please follow me.”

You nodded and followed him through numerous corridors. He made you enter a beautiful room with several windows, where the Headmaster was waiting for you. 

“Professor, Miss y/l/n.”

“Thank you, Severus. Please, Miss, take a seat. Make yourself comfortable.”

You approached his desk, and sat on one of the large grey armchairs - which were far more comfortable than they looked.

“If you allow me, Miss, how do you feel?”

“I’m well, thank you, sir.” 

“And how was your first day here?”

“Very good, sir. I’m glad to be back in class with my classmates.”

 “Good, good. And, one last question, did any of your memories come back?”

You shook your head, “No, sir. I tried to remember anything, even small things, but in vain so far.”

Dumbledore nodded. “I expected it, do not worry. However, if I made you come here today, it’s not only to make sure you are well, but also, giving your answer to my last question, to tell you there is maybe a way to find your memory back.”

Your eyes widened in surprise, “Really?”

“Yes. Please, come”

You rose from the armchair and followed him to a small, beautiful basin you hadn’t noticed. 

“This is a Pensieve,” Dumbledore said kindly. "If I put a memory inside, I can watch it. Even the details I don’t remember will be there. However, in your case, I have a bit of hope that, if you put your head inside, you might find your memory again, or at least some of it.” He paused before continuing in an even kinder voice, “But if you do not wish to try, I will not force you. All you have to do is to say ‘no’ and I walk you to the door and wish you a good evening.”

“I want to try.”

For me, and for Teddy. He deserves it. 

And also to see if they’re all lying. 

Dumbledore smiled, “I’ll admit I’m happy to hear it, young lady. So, whenever you’re ready…You will just need to hold your breath for a moment…"

You nodded and walked to the basin, putting both your hands on it. You held your breath, and, having the reflex of closing your eyes, put your forehead forward in the liquid. Your eyes opened by themselves, but no memory came. No scene with your parents when you were a child,, or here at school with Pansy or Theo. The liquid seemed to move a little, as it was being stirred, but eventually, all you saw was white. You waited for a moment, before going back to the surface. You breathed again, and realised, stupidly, that you weren’t even wet. 

“Nothing, sir,” you said, feeling ashamed as if you had failed an exam or didn’t understand something that even a five year old got. “There was only white.”

The Headmaster nodded, “Yes, so I thought. Trust that I’m sorry, Miss. But I will continue looking for a remedy. In the meantime, if your friends or Mr Nott want to show you a memory they have, my door is always open.” 

“Thank you, sir.”

“I believe it is now time for me to wish you a good rest of your evening.”

“Good night, sir.”

You left the office and, after getting lost a few times, managed to finally find your way to the Slytherin’s common room. You heard familiar voices as you came in, and several faces immediately turned to you.

“y/n!” 

Theo and Pansy rose from the green couches and almost ran to you.

“Where the hell were you?” Theo asked in an angry voice. “We searched for you everywhere.”

“I’m sorry,” you said, not expecting him to behave like that, “I was with Professor Dumbledore, he wanted to see how I was doing.” 

“Oh,” Pansy said. “That explains why we couldn't find you. Well, I have to go to the library to do some homework, so I'll see you both later.”

After Pansy left, Theo took your hand and gave you a large smile.

“I have a surprise for you, amore. In your dorm.”

“A surprise?” you said with a smile. 

“Yes,” he laughed. “Pansy and I actually didn’t have anything to tell McGonagall, we just needed to make sure everything was ready. That’s why I asked you to leave. Come on.”

His hand in yours, he led you to your dorm, where he slightly opened the door. 

“Close your eyes, love.”

A smile on your face, you closed them, and Theo put his hands on your shoulders to lead you in, and once you were inside, he put them around your waist. 

“You can look, baby,” he whispered in your ear.

You opened them, and saw the room had completely been transformed. There were flowers and at least thirty small lights in the air (A/N: Like in Disney’s “Tangled”, except it’s not lanterns) all arranged in a precise manner alongside shooting stars, and on your bed were several snacks and several presents. 

“Teddy! It’s so beautiful!” you said, and, without thinking, kissed him on the cheek.

“I’m glad you like it, cara mia. Come.”

The both of you sat on the bed, and he presented all the snacks - and the drinks - he had brought.

“I only took your favourite,” he smiled. “I can’t wait for you to try them.”

The feeling of guiltiness you had when the Pensieve didn’t work came back and you sighed. Maybe I can at least tell him that I tried somehow… 

“I tried,” you said. “In Dumbledore’s office. He…tried to make me remember, but…nothing came. I’m sorry, Teddy. I really want to remember, I promise you.”

“Amore, don’t be sorry,” he cupped one of your cheeks and pressed a kiss on it. “I know you would do anything to remember. And I know it’s not your fault.” 

You nodded before clearing your throat. “Teddy, I…I have a question.”

“Go ahead, amore.”

“Is it true your father used to be a Death Eater?”

Theo looked at you for a while, with both surprise and confusion.

“What? Who told you?” 

You hesitated, but decided to be honest. “Harry. He came to talk to me after class, and…”

“God damn it!” he said, angry now. “This little fucker always have to ruin things. Ever since we got together, he always tried to put ideas into your head.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “y/n, look, it’s true my father used to work for You-Know-Who, but I don’t know if he went back to him after his return, and I don’t care! He could die and I wouldn’t care! I don’t care about him, what he does or what he believes in. All I care about is us and, well, my friends, but I don’t give a damn about anything else!” 

“Teddy,” you said, “I know you care! I’m not saying you’re like him, but maybe through your father and Draco’s, we could find a way to find out who abducted me.”

Theo looked at you, apparently thinking. “We could try…But even if my father or Draco’s father or even his aunt know something, I don’t see them telling us anything unless we use Veritaserum. And we would have to wait for the next school break to ask them.” 

“I can wait,” you say. 

Theo sighed, “If that’s what you want, we’ll make a plan. But, tonight, can we just celebrate being together?” 

Both his voice and eyes were pleading, and all you could do was nod.

“Of course, Teddy.”

He seemed to relax, and, one by one, handed you the presents. There were books, an album filled with pictures of you and Theo, a small book where Theo had written all your memories together, and, to finish, some jewellery - a gorgeous necklace with a heart-shaped diamond, a ring with a small white flower on it - and you thought there was no more gifts and was about to give him a “thank you” kiss on the cheek but Theo took a small grey bag from his back. 

“This one is special,” he said before handing it to you.

You took it with a smile, and opened it. There was a beautiful, small bracelet inside. You took it out and was about to put it on when Theo reached a hand out.

“Do you mind if I put it on your wrist?”

“Sure.

You gave him your wrist and he put the bracelet, but he didn’t let go of your wrist, looking instead at it and caressing it with his thumb. 

“This bracelet is different from the other gifts,” he said. “I gifted it to you on our first anniversary. It has never left your wrist ever since, except once.” You frowned and he looked at you, “when you got abducted, you lost it. I found it on the ground when I was looking for you, and I knew something was wrong.” 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing, “Your absence was killing me, cara mia. We were never separated since we got together, you know. Even during school breaks, you invited me to your home. Not only that, I didn’t know where you were and could only imagine what you were going through. Even my dreams were filled with nightmares of you facing unspeakable things alone. I couldn’t think of anything but you and how I missed you. I stopped going to class and going down for meals. I would have done anything to get you back, you know? I know I’m still a stranger to you, y/n, and it’s probably too early, but I love you. More than anything, more than my life. You’re all I have, you know? My mother is dead, my father doesn’t give a damn about me. Sure, I have my friends but you…God, y/n, you’re…everything. All the joy and happiness I have, I owe it to you. You taught me to be kinder with others but also with myself, and to have faith in me and what we had. I never took you for granted, and it hasn’t changed. But now, I can’t stand to be apart from you. I totally understand if you want to take things slow, and I will earn your trust and love again, but, please, just…just give a chance, amore. A chance to show you why I’m your Teddy and why you’re my y/n, and to make up for the time we lost. That, even if you don’t remember it, there is a reason why we were together. If you never get your memory back, it’s fine, I’ll spend hours telling you about every moment we had together in detail, and we’ll create new happy ones. I…love you, y/n.” 

After his last words, there was a silence and you could almost feel the weight of his words sinking in, going straight to your heart. That’s when you realised the attraction and the pull you had felt towards him from the moment you saw him was completely normal because Theo, with his large blue eyes and his adorable accent, was your soulmate. There was no doubt why you had loved him. Unable to say a word, you brought your hands to his cheeks and kissed him. The surprise caused him to not kiss you back immediately, but once he did, it was with all the longing he had felt ever since you had disappeared. One of his hands found your waist while the other was on one side of your neck. Your heart started beating faster and you felt something in your stomach before, all of a sudden, you felt as if you were struck by lighting. Your eyes opened by themselves, and images came rushing into your head. 

You playing with your parents as a child, buying your wand, being sorted into Slytherin, your first conversation with Theo and Pansy, all the classes and exams, your time spent with Theo before you guys dated, the moment you realised you were madly in love with him, your first date and first kiss, all the times you guys cuddled, the first time you spent the night loving each other, and, finally the last time you saw him before your abduction. Then, memories of a dark, dirty room and people wearing black pointing their wands at you, screaming in pain as you swore you didn’t know anything, and then, finally managing to escape and run back to the forest where you passed out. You felt tears coming out of your eyes, and broke the kiss.

“I love you too, Teddy. More than anything,” you whispered. 

He frowned, full of confusion, and you stroked his cheeks. 

“I…I don’t know why, but the kiss, it brought back all my memories back. Our first date was a picnic near the lake, right? That’s when we had our first kiss.”

He didn’t say anything but nodded. “You…You remember.”

It was your turn to nod before hugging him, stroking his hair and inhaling his comforting scent. 

“It’s the bracelet,” he suddenly said before breaking the hug. “When I bought it, the man at the shop told me it had magical properties, but I didn’t listen. I was late for class and wanted to have time to create a surprise for our evening. Maybe it remembers its owner?”

“Maybe,” you agreed. “But whatever it did, I’m glad you decided to give it to me that day. I always saw it as a symbol of our love, and now I truly believe it is.”

Theo nodded and you stared at him, admiring how gorgeous he was.

“I love you,” you said, “my Teddy.”

He kissed you again, this time with passion, and you knew this night was the first of many beautiful new memories together. 

(A/N: The bracelet, as Theo said, was magic. When y/n was abducted, a tear fell from her eye to bracelet, and we know memories can be found in tears. So the bracelet basically saved the memories and when she put it on, her memories came back.)

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regulus black x potter!reader

note: an edit of luke and lorelai cane on my fyp and they are so reggie x potter!reader coded!!

word count: 1.3 k

warnings: eating, lightest black brother angst

Regulus made his way up the stairs to the Gryffindor dorms in search of his bag that his darling girlfriends had been using since her bag was being used for some special prank. But the weekend was up and Regulus needed his bag back for classes tomorrow,

He knocked on the door, Y/n had told him there was no need, but it was a habit instilled into him from an infant so he still did, James opened the door with a cheerful look which dropped when he noticed who was there, “Ugh, Y/n, your boyfriend’s here!”

The door was opened wider for him, he saw his brother and his boyfriend on a bed, Peter on his, James once again getting comfortable at the desk and Y/n coming out of the bathroom.

“Hey, hun.” “Hi. Do you have my bag?” Regulus was usually short with his words around other people, he only got really chatty alone with her, then she couldn’t get him to shut up sometimes; not that she ever wanted to.

“..Yeah, it’s here, but I was gonna ask to use it for a couple more days…” “No, I need it. You have your own bag” “It’s being used for prank supplies.”

She handed the bag over, all her things still in it when Regulus looked.

“Could you take your stuff out, love?”

“I have nowhere to put them, that’s why I need the bag.” “But I need you to take your stuff out because it’s my bag and I need it.”

“But I don’t have a bag for my books tomorrow.”

“You have your own bag.”

“It’s being used for prank supplies, that’s why I asked for a couple more days..”

“But I need my bag.”

“But I don’t have a bag for my books tomorrow.”

“You have your own bag.”

“It’s being used for prank supplies, that’s why I asked for a couple more days..”

“We’ve been here before.”

“I recognise that tree.”

“Good! Why don’t you shut up now!”

-

Sat across from each other on the sofa, Y/n had been waiting weeks for a moment to watch a movie alone with Regulus, her family got a muggle TV a couple years ago after Remus explained it to her dad and he said they ‘needed’ it.

What they were watching was one of her favourites and she loved watching movies with people that have never seen them, before something big she would sneak a look at Regulus to catch his reaction.

“Stop doing that.” He sat with his arms crossed, her legs rested over his lap under their blanket.

“Shh! No talking.” That made him roll his eyes, lovingly of course, it was always lovingly.

“Then stop doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“Looking at me.”

“What? I can’t just look at you? Admire my very very pretty boyfriend?”

“Not during movies.” Y/n gasped and her jaw dropped comically.

-

It was Christmas, everyone decided to stay at Hogwarts for their last year (plus Regulus)

Owls came flying down the table with letters between their talons, it was about a week before Christmas day so not many letters came, but funnily enough Regulus got one, at first Y/b was worried but seeing the small smile on his face she knew it was nothing bad. They sat next to each other at the gryffindor table along with the marauders.

“Guess where I got a letter from.” “God?”

He didn’t even flinch at her dry comments anymore.

“London…” He said, giving a hint, naïvely assuming she would guess.

“God lives in London?!”

“Your mother lives in London.”

“My mother is God! Mmm so God is a woman.. And my mom, that is so cool! This will make asking for favours so much easier.”

“Why do I even try with you… Your mother asked me if I-”

-

Reaching for the syrup and putting it back after drowning her waffle, Y/n gets back to what she was complaining about.

“I’m sick, I have a cold, I can’t go to classes today.”

Only after finish chewing his eggs does Regulus reply to his girlfriend, “Do you know what would help get rid of a cold?” “You cuddling me all day?”

“Eww!” “I’m eating here, goldie!”

“A good immune system. Do you know how you get a good immune system?”

“Endless vague questioning from one’s boyfriend first thing in the morning?”

“From not eating crap for breakfast. Would it kill you to eat a protein?”

“Remember when you hated me? That was fun wasn’t it?”

-

A lazy sunday was one of Y/n’s favourite moments to spend with Regulus, the boys would be off doing something, and the couple had all day together.

At the moment the two were reading ‘Emma’ together, with Y/n reading aloud and as always Regulus listened to every word to come from her mouth.

“What’d you think?” Between each chapter they would talk about their thoughts, Y/n is so thankful for a boyfriend who likes books just as much as her.

“I think that the bump on your nose is my favourite feature of yours.” He traced her nose bridge with his delicate ring finger.

From a young age Y/n hated her nose, her best friend growing up was the perfect cookie cutter ideal, with blonde hair and blue eyes and a little button nose. She didn’t have any of those things, she was not the standard.

Yet Regulus never failed to make her feel loved, like she was the most gorgeous girl and Regulus is lucky for even a second of her time, in his own words.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, darling.”

-

“Why’re you so grumpy?”

Regulus and Y/n had agreed to meet at the muggle library in Hogsmeade so when Regulus saw his girlfriend angrily stomping out of the store empty handed he knew something was up, she never left the library empty handed. She was looking at the librarian through the window in what she thought was a discreet fashion.

“I’ve been exiled. For what feels like an eternity.”

“How long are you suspended from your book borrowing activities?”

“A month.”

“C’mon, love, that’s not too long,”

“Four Hogsmeade trips I cannot take books home. And for that he must die!”

“You’re not going to kill the librarian.”

“Why not?”

“It’s free library card day, everyone will be livid with you.”

-

It was James and Y/n’s birthday, she got up before James of course but not before her parents and Regulus who were all gathered in the kitchen.

The girl sleepily walked in leaning on her boyfriend to support herself, when she finally opened her eyes she saw a display of oreos spelling out ‘happy birthday James and Y/n!’

“Awww mom! This is so cute! Thank you!”

“Hold on, how’d you know it was your mother's work and not mine or Regulus’?”

“Because only mom would take the time.”

After the thank yous, Monty went back into his office and Effie went to set the dining table. Y/n got up on the bar stool and sat next to the boy, taking a cookie to eat, only to get up and go to the pantry to get the box and replace the cookie she ate on the table.

“What did you just do?”

“What?”

“You put the cookie down.”

“Yeah.”

“You ate the cookie then you took a cookie out of the box and put it down where the cookie you just ate was.” She made little actions as if retracing her steps as the black-haired boy went on.

“Yeah!”

“Well.. That’s nuts.”

“My mom made this for me, I don't want to ruin it, and not before James can see it.”

“Then why eat the cookie?”

“Because I wanted an oreo.”

“Then why didn't you just eat out of the box?”

“Because this one was close and the box was all the way in the cabinet.”

“But you had to go into the cabinet to get the box to replace the cookie you ate.”

“So?”

“So that’s nuts.”

~taglist~

[just-another-star-47]

Finally...

When shadows turn to darkness

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Read on AO3 and Wattpad

German version

Meet Luscinia at Diagon Alley and accompany her into the magic world of Hogwarts and Scottland.

~ 10 200 words

The fog in the alleyways of London had not yet lifted and gripped Luscinia's ankles as she stepped out of the carriage.

Whilst the coachman struggled with her luggage - a large dark leather suitcase and, to his renewed astonishment, a decorated broom - she looked around the alley.

In different shades of the same grey, the individual houses lined up next to each other and seemed to support each other. Her eyes darted to the wooden sign that marked the building directly in front of her as a pub and her lips pressed together in a hard line.

"Are you sure you want to get off here, miss? A young miss alone in this neighbourhood," he looked around uncertainly, the sign and the pub below hidden from his eyes, "that attracts trouble, mark my words!"

Luscinia gave the coachman a polite smile and shook her head, "I'm expected, sir, don't worry about it."

"Expected by whom?" he grumbled sullenly as he placed the suitcase at her feet and accepted his pay. His eyes widened and if Luscinia hadn't been busy strapping her broom around her body, he would have taken her hand and shaken it vigorously.

"Such a fine missus, a real little angel."

Unpleasantly touched, the woman addressed grabbed the rest of her luggage in a hurry and braced herself against the door of the pub.

The "dripping cauldron" was empty at this hour. The landlord was cleaning glasses behind the bar for the evening, when the taproom would be filled with witches and wizards; an elderly man sat in front of him, his eyes engrossed in his newspaper.

"I'm looking for a Professor Eleazar Fig."

Luscinia stepped closer to the counter, ignoring the innkeeper's curious gaze, which flicked over her clothes and began to glow with interest when he heard her foreign accent. Before a reply could stumble across his lips, however, the older man had turned his attention from the newspaper to her.

"That must be me, then."

A warm spark flashed in his brown eyes as he took the young lady's hand and shook it. His gaze briefly wandered over the entrance to the pub and the furrows on his forehead deepened.

"Were you not given a companion for the journey?"

"My family was of the firm opinion that a young lady of seventeen should be able to manage the journey on her own."

"Well, we professors also encourage the students at our school to be independent; after all, we are the last academic authority to prepare them for their future lives."

He grabbed her suitcase and motioned for her to follow him.

"And yet it seems important to me to provide a certain amount of guidance and care. Even for the older students, who are already recognised as adults by the law."

They had stepped into the backyard of the pub, a narrow rectangle where the rubbish was dumped, the ground almost as grey as the stone of the wall that surrounded it.

"Count," with a friendly smile, the professor pointed to one of the ash bins on which a small rune had been carved, "three up and two to the side."

Hesitating briefly, Luscinia did as she was told and looked questioningly at the professor as the tip of her index finger paused on one particular brick.

"Now tap it three times with your wand."

Her gaze flitted from the professor to the brick and back again before she reached into the inside pocket of her jacket for the wand.

It was plain, carved from alder wood encasing a dragon heart fibre. Wrapping her hand tightly around the handle of the same wood, Luscinia tapped the stone where her finger had lingered only a moment ago.

Shaking and crunching, a small crack opened in the wall, which grew wider and wider. The individual bricks began to rearrange themselves, scraping along each other until an archway opened up in front of Luscinia and the professor.

"And now you know how to get to Diagon Alley from London."

Through a dingy side alley, they entered the shopping street, which was well frequented despite the early hour and the low-hanging clouds.

On both sides of the street, shop after shop lined up, signs with their names vying for attention. The air hung heavy with a variety of smells, from foggy herbal blends to the sweet, sticky smell of caramelised sugar. In the shop windows, all sorts of things were stacked on top of each other. Copper cauldrons for brewing potions, parchment, paper and notebooks with accompanying quills, herbs and plants that snapped at every visitor and owls in cages that blinked sullenly and turned their heads away from the faces pressed against the glass.

"We'll be staying the night at the 'Cozy Feathers'. It has a much better reputation than the 'Dripping Cauldron' and is close to the shops we need to visit for your school supplies," Professor Fig smiled good-naturedly at his companion.

"Of course, you are free to visit all the other shops at any time. Diagon Alley is the magical hub of England."

Holding her suitcase in front of his body, Eleazar Fig pushed his way through the groups of people. Luscinia tried to keep right behind him, her eyes darting restlessly back and forth. The bright robes of the wizards and witches stood in stark contrast to the dull grey of London that she had seen from the carriage. An excitedly chattering crowd of children bumped into her and pushed past her, only to be scolded by an adult a few metres further on. Lowering her gaze to the cobblestones, Luscinia finally concentrated on keeping up with the professor and largely ignoring the impressions streaming in on her.

Having grown up in her family's manor house in the far-flung wizarding community in the far north, she was simply not used to the hustle and bustle. A few weeks ago, she had visited Berlin with her mum to get dressed in the latest Muggle fashion, but even though the city was crammed with its absurdities and peculiarities, she still couldn't match the confusion of Diagon Alley. What's more, she could easily understand what was being said there, whereas here only individual snatches of speech flew to her and everything else remained an impenetrable mumble.

The volume and the confusion of people got even worse when they finally entered the 'Cozy Feathers'.

"Stay close to me," Eleazar Fig held his arm protectively behind her to shield her from the witches pushing past, dragging their children along by the sleeves of their cloaks.

"The Hogwarts Express leaves from King's Cross station tomorrow. Many families are already travelling today so as not to miss the departure or to do their last errands. Just like us."

He pushed his way closer to the reception desk, behind which a young witch had her hands full.

"Professor Eleazar Fig and Luscinia Plonbraw..." she muttered, fishing two golden keys out of the air before they could whizz away again.

Dodging a bag that was trying to find its way back to its owner in the commotion, the professor and Luscinia followed a few other people to the upper floors. The further they stepped into the corridors, the more rooms appeared before them, turning the inn into a veritable maze. As the key in the young woman's hand began to tremble and shake, a spiral staircase rolled down from the ceiling to her feet, leading them directly to their rooms.

Exhaling loudly, she dropped onto her bed and watched the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley from her window. Her fingers found her earring and played with the clasp, opening and closing it again and again.

Open and close, open and close.

The colourful crowd outside rushed past her like a constant stream that her eyes could not focus on. With a shake of her head and a deep breath, she brought herself back to the here and now and stood up with a jerk. She had a good hour to freshen up after the long journey before she met with the professor again to buy the things she needed for the new school year.

Panting, she splashed the cold water of the washbasin on her face and watched the clear drops and rivulets running down her features as she raised her head to look in the mirror.

She knew that she owed the professor's company to her aunt and uncle, who had at least managed to get their way in this matter. And although she was grateful not to have to be alone for the first few days in this foreign country, this extra treatment made her deeply uncomfortable. While her facial expression and steady hand in no way revealed her racing heartbeat, she removed her hat pins and hat and rebraided her hair, trying to tame the strands that had come loose during her journey. Now that her company and surroundings were once again exclusively from the magical part of the population, she changed out of her muggle clothing for a robe she was more familiar with and smoothed out her dress and cloak with a deep breath. Checking the fit of her waist bag, she nodded encouragingly to herself in the mirror before descending the stairs and stepping outside the inn.

Light drops of a drizzle touched her cheeks and made her turn up the collar of her cloak.

"First you need a compartment at Gringotts so you can manage your money here too."

Professor Fig pointed to an imposing white stone building that stretched towards the grey sky at one end of the alley. The architecture of the building was impressive enough - tall pillars framing the entrance and multiplying over the next few floors - but the life-size dragon carved out of stone, perched on the roof and angrily fixing visitors with gem-studded eyes, added a fierce crown to the majestic façade.

"The last time I saw such masterful stonework was among the dwarves," Luscinia could not take her eyes off the dragon, which appeared to be breathing fire with its mouth open.

Professor Fig turned to her, his eyes flashing attentively: "I've heard a lot about the dwarves' works, including the fact that they are in constant competition with the goblins. I hear there are often differences of opinion as to whether magic is a legitimate tool for working metal and stone."

"Then goblins, unlike dwarves, possess magic like witches and wizards?" Luscinia stepped through the bronze door, which opened silently on its own.

"A different magic to ours. But you'll learn a lot more about these creatures and their history in class."

Gringotts was just as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside. The white marble on the floor was interspersed with ornate patterns that shimmered and shone in the light of the huge chandelier above their heads. The clacking of their shoes was drowned out by the sounds of the goblins lined up on raised workstations to their left and right. They served witches and wizards queuing in front of them, stamped papers or handed out money. Smaller sacks of their kind jingled back and forth between them, filling those counters that were running out of coins.

Past those bank employees, Professor Fig led his companion to a reception desk framed by two sand-coloured pillars and discussed his request with the goblin sitting at it. He had already made an appointment the day before and now handed over the necessary papers, which Luscinia pulled from the depths of her bag.

The goblin scrutinised the young witch meticulously after studying the data on her passport.

"Plonbraw... hm..." he flicked through his documents, "...there is still a compartment available next to the rest of your family."

"That won't be necessary," her insistent tone caught the attention of both the goblin and the professor, "to be perfectly honest with you, sir, I'd welcome a dungeon away from the rest of the Plonbraws."

"As you wish," the bank clerk shrugged and ran his finger over the labelled sheets, "we have one here. It's not as deep into the grot as the other dungeons of the great wizarding families..."

"It doesn't matter."

If he thought the interruption rude, the goblin didn't show it and simply gestured for them to follow a young man he had summoned with a button on his counter. He pressed a signed paper and a key into his hand and the man led them into a waiting room covered with a dark carpet that swallowed their footsteps.

With a teacup in both hands, Luscinia looked around the room after the bank employee had left her to take the next steps.

Passing the fireplace, in which a magically created flame was blazing, her eyes travelled to the ceiling-high bookshelf that occupied the opposite side. But before she could put down her teacup and rise from her chair, Eleazar Fig took the floor. Clearing his throat and taking a sip from his cup, he began hesitantly.

"It seems like nothing more than a guess, but am I right in assuming that you and your family members living here are not on the best of terms?"

To gain time, Luscinia also brought her cup to her lips. The fact that the professor was not in the know showed her that he did not usually socialise with the great wizarding families - a fact that made him trustworthy to her. Nevertheless, she didn't know him and loathed the thought of revealing too much about herself.

"Since the local branch of the family moved to England, contact has been broken off. So I didn't think it was appropriate to take over a dungeon next to theirs."

Eleazar Fig watched her with clear eyes before responding: "On the one hand, this statement gives me a better understanding of why your aunt and uncle asked the school to provide a professor to care for you, but on the other..."

"You have nothing to worry about, sir," Luscinia followed the gentle ripples of the tea in her cup as she shifted her weight and slid around on the chair, "I was raised to be highly independent and therefore do not require much attention."

"If I remember correctly, you only turned seventeen this spring? A young woman is more than entitled to the support and help of an adult."

"Turning seventeen, I'm now an adult myself, Professor. A rule that also applies here in England."

"That's quite right..," Eleazar Fig sipped his tea thoughtfully, allowing a tense silence to fall.

It was only interrupted when the door opened and another goblin entered. Luscinia jumped up hastily and strode after the bank employee, listening with one ear to the rustling of the professor's cloak, who immediately followed her.

They passed through several doors of iron-studded bronze, each more massive than the one before them, before stepping onto a metal platform that offered a clear view over the depths of a grotto. Two bright white lanterns illuminated the man-sized stalactites directly above their heads and rails that disappeared into bottomless darkness. The air was cold and clammy and drained through the fabric of their clothes as if it wasn't there.

"After you," the goblin bowed his head and straightened the knot of his tie. He had summoned a monstrous metal vehicle to the platform with a piercing whistle. Like a spider, its legs clung to the rails and the seats on which Luscinia and Professor Fig sat swayed slightly, indicating that they were not firmly anchored.

"Buckle up, please!" The goblin had also climbed onto the vehicle and set it in motion with a lever. A circular spotlight lit their way as they descended into the depths of the grotto. Luscinia felt the wind pulling at her hair and closed her eyes for a moment. She eagerly breathed in the cave air that pressed against her face and savoured the slight tingling sensation in her stomach when the vehicle turned a corner or they plunged down the rails on a particularly steep section.

"It seems to me that we have to go lower than I thought," Eleazar Fig pressed out as his fingers tightened their grip on the handholds near his seat. Once again, their seats rotated on their own axis as the vehicle took another bend.

"What fun it would be if this movement didn't exist," chortled Luscinia, "we'd be upside down for a moment."

"I think our views on fun differ greatly," gasped her companion, "do you play Quidditch, Miss Plonbraw?"

"Oh yes, very much and often, sir."

"That explains a lot."

The sound of falling water reached their ears, but the darkness around them prevented them from recognising its origin.

"You'd better hold your breath."

"Excuse me?"

Suddenly, Luscinia felt like she was submerged in a bucket of ice water and gasped audibly.

"Ah, these waterfalls wash possible enchantments from everything they touch," Professor Fig snorted.

"Methinks an efficient but rather crude safety precaution," her teeth began to chatter as the air whipping against her drove through her now dripping wet clothes.

Releasing his tense fingers one by one from one of the handles, Eleazar Fig fumbled for his wand.

"That's not necessary, sir, my body just needs to get used to the cold."

Despite her protests, the professor pointed his wand at her and dried first her clothes and then his own with a suitable spell.

"It looks like I've had my lesson in expanding my horizons when it comes to spells. Thank you sir."

"Well, as your professor, this is my job of course, though this time you should see it as an act of caring."

The vehicle's brake discs squealed as it came to a halt in front of a round door set into the stone. It stood open, and as Luscinia stepped from the narrow bridge onto the rock enclosure, she could see a group of goblins piling up gold coins inside the dungeon. They wore the same fine but plain clothing as those at the counters in the entrance hall, who had been constantly replenishing the supply of gold. Empty sacks lay scattered next to the entrance and, apart from the quiet clinking of coins, the group worked silently, stacking the gold in orderly columns and piles.

"It still needs to be organised, but this is all the money your family has been instructed to deposit for you," the goblin who had accompanied them handed Luscinia a key, "of course you are free to recount it at any time, or instruct a servant to do so."

He shrugged his shoulders and thought for a moment: "You are free to wait here until our employees have sorted all your gold. This leaves it up to you to lock the dungeon. Apart from you, no one else has a key unless you want to have another one made. However, the formalities for this must be..."

Ignoring his words, Luscinia had already stepped into the dungeon and put a handful of coins into her pocket, which were still lying unsorted on the floor. She avoided looking at the mountains of shimmering metal that were already piling up at the back.

"What amount did you take out, miss? Just so we can get the right total when we count it."

Embarrassed, she dug out the coins again, her cheeks coloured a fiery red, which only slowly faded with the coolness of the interwoven caves and shafts on the way back.

At the gates of Gringott, she and the Professor were greeted by a heavy downpour, which did nothing to dampen the bustle of Diagon Alley.

"Well, I think it's the right time to eat something," Eleazar Fig held out his wand and let the falling drops swirl over their heads on all sides, "what do you think of a hearty, late breakfast? The 'Last Golden Coin' should be perfect for that."

He continued to keep the raindrops away from them with his magic as he led her to an inn in one of the winding side alleys. Luckily for them, some of the tables in the taproom were unoccupied and to her delight, the professor headed for one that was slightly off to the side, half hidden behind a half-height wall.

After a while, the landlady brought them a pot of tea and plates filled with bacon, egg, beans, mushrooms and a slice of toast.

"Your first English breakfast, I presume?"

Luscinia nodded and sucked the smell of the meal deep into her lungs before hungrily munching on the individual ingredients. She kept raising her head and nodding to the professor, who gave her details about her new school. When only the cups of steaming tea were left in front of them, Professor Fig wrote down all the subjects his protégé had to take and which ones she could choose freely.

"There will be several classes for each subject. The students will be drawn at random. But don't worry, the year is small enough to be able to socialise with each of your classmates."

Sliding the parchment and his quill towards Luscinia, the professor indicated that she should mark the subjects she wanted to take in addition to her compulsory curriculum.

Astronomy, History of Magic, Defence Against the Dark Arts..., her eyes flew over the listed classes and she tried to imagine what they all entailed, ...Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms and Potions.

Just the written word of the last subject caused frustration to bubble up inside her and she turned her attention to the electives. The quill hovered over the paper for a moment before she ticked Study of Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures. She didn't know how it would be interpreted that she only chose two out of the five available, but her uncertain look was met with a friendly smile from the professor.

"Don't take on too much, just changing schools and learning in a language you're not yet completely familiar with will be stressful enough. Besides, after our brief conversation in the Gringotts caves, I suspect that you would also like to invest your time and energy in joining one of the quidditch teams."

Luscinia's eyes lit up and for the first time there was curiosity and anticipation in her voice as she asked more questions.

Not much of those feelings were left when she stood on a stool in a clothes shop some time later, the English buzzing around her in her head. After much persuasion, the professor had agreed to stroll down Diagon Alley in pursuit of his interests while Luscinia's measurements were taken for her new school uniform. Tailor's assistants pushed their way between the customers, various fabrics over their arms or caskets of buttons and thread in their hands. They quickly improved loose seams and mended torn sleeves, took measurements or advised on options for those uniforms whose owners had outgrown them.

"We normally encourage our customers to come in at least a week before the start of the school year to have a completely new set made."

With frantic movements, the shop employee who looked after Luscinia slung the tape measure over her shoulder and scribbled down the measurements on a sheet of paper on her clipboard.

As you can see, we already have our hands full with alterations and repairs."

"I apologise profusely for the inconvenience I am causing"; Luscinia raised both arms in the air at the behest of the dressmaker's assistant, "I only ask for one finished set by tomorrow, the remaining garments can be sent on by owl."

When she received no reply, her body stiffened and she choked down the lump in her throat, which grew larger, pushing back the overwhelming feeling that she was completely out of place.

"Name!" the prompting voice snapped her back to the present and she stammered out her full name.

A brief jolt went through the clerk, her gaze flitting from the face of the woman standing before her, to her name now written in the header of the paper, to her clothes hanging neatly over the wall screen beside her.

"Just a moment..."

Surprised, Luscinia watched as the young woman hurried away and disappeared into one of the side rooms. Unsure of exactly what to do now, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her fingers intuitively reaching for her left earring. Just before she finally decided to get down from the stool, a lady dressed in the latest fashion rushed out of the room where the dressmaker's assistant had disappeared.

"Miss Plonbraw!"

Her voice and outstretched arms made Luscinia flinch and her eyes dart involuntarily to the door.

"Madam?"

"My dear, this is not the place for you."

With a backward glance that made the assistant hastily lower her head, the woman in colourful robes grabbed a robe that was actually meant for another customer and hung it around Luscinia's shoulders.

"Come on!"

Luscinia reluctantly followed her, still restless and tense at not knowing what was happening to her.

She was led through a narrow corridor past individual, smaller rooms that were beautifully decorated but mostly empty.

"As a member of the Plonbraw family, you are of course entitled to completely different treatment. I sincerely apologise for my employee, she's new here and..."

The shopkeeper turned round in astonishment as the young woman stopped abruptly.

"There's been a misunderstanding, madam. I have no connection with the Plonbraws that you seem to be aware of."

"Well, I am fully aware that you are not from here. But you are of the same bloodline, yes?"

"I don't know what my relatives told you, but we lost our status as purebloods some time ago."

Silence fell in the narrow corridor, interrupted only by the rustling of the dressmaker's assistant's clothes as she closed the doors to the rooms that were occupied as inconspicuously as possible. Luscinia hadn't realised that her voice had become louder.

"Well... you're not directly descended from Hirundo's line, are you? But from one of his brothers?"

"I think this conversation is over."

Without hesitation, Luscinia snatched her clothes from the clerk, stopping only briefly to throw them on before pushing through the rest of the customers and clerks.

Rushing headlong out of the shop, she bumped into a man her age, who looked at her puzzled and bowed his head in a gesture of apology, even though he had done nothing wrong.

"Excuse me," Luscinia imitated the gesture as she hastily adjusted the last strings of her dress and slipped into her cloak. Little things that embarrassed the young man even more as he watched her in confusion.

"Is everything all right?" a woman, also not much older than herself, pushed her way closer to Luscinia, "you seem upset." She bumped the young gentleman to the side.

"Just a little disagreement with the shopkeeper," she vigorously turned up her collar again to arm herself against the persistent drizzle. A gesture that prompted the young woman to hold her umbrella over Luscinia as well.

"What happened?" the man took a step closer, only to receive a reproving look.

"If it's any help, we're on our way to a dressmaker that is characterised by excellent quality and more than friendly service. Perhaps you would like to accompany us?"

"I see you're not above attracting new customers, Amalia?"

His provocative statement drew Luscinia's attention to a man with the same red hair as the one she had bumped into a few moments ago. But apart from this outward appearance, the two were in no way alike, quite unlike the woman addressed as Amalia and the now sulky-looking gentleman.

"My offer has less to do with recruitment and more to do with a sincere helping hand. After all, this lady seems to be travelling alone."

Unsure how to react, Luscinia let her gaze glide over the three people again, who also scrutinised her with different expressions.

"I'm not travelling alone, I was just letting my companion know that he can enjoy himself while I'm in this shop. So I don't think it would be right to go somewhere else without telling him."

"Indeed," Amalia nodded, "but don't worry, Garreth will track down your escort and instruct him. We'll take you under our wing until he keeps you company again."

"Why should I, of all people, have her reputation...?" Garreth's protest was silenced by a wave of Amalia's hand.

"Because it's more appropriate for us to move on with my brother than with a man who isn't a close relative."

While Garreth's face turned to frustration, Luscinia's turned to astonishment, but she still answered the question about the name of her companion.

Wide-eyed, the three looked at her silently, Amalia's brother the first to break the silence, stuttering: "I didn't know the professor had relatives our age."

"Ah, we're not related at all," Luscinia's pulse quickened as she realised that she was probably talking to future classmates.

She briefly summarised the circumstances that had prompted the professor to become her companion, arousing even more curiosity. It turned out that the two young men would be attending the same year with her, while the young woman was already in her final year. The three of them eagerly introduced themselves and the excitement grew even more when the strangers turned out to be families who were at least known to each other by name.

Luscinia had learnt about the Weasleys, to whom Garreth belonged, and the Prewetts were also a family that her aunt and uncle had advised her to contact if she felt lonely or longed for support. After exchanging names and a few more pleasantries, Amalia linked arms with the younger woman and, accompanied by Leander, set off for 'Weasley's Wonderful Wardrobe' while Garreth searched for Professor Fig.

The tailor's shop was smaller, but cosier than the one they had visited before. A single room, divided by two screens, served as a dressing and sewing room and had been decorated by the shopkeeper - a cousin of Garreth's - with illustrations from fashion magazines.

Leander immediately retreated to the kitchen of the neighbouring flat and began reading the newspaper while Garreth's cousin prepared the fabrics. The whole atmosphere was relaxed, tea and biscuits were passed around while Luscinia's measurements were taken. Again and again the cousin assured her that the request for the new school uniforms would not take too much time and that they would find a solution to get the whole set ready for her in good time.

In a corner of the room, a pair of golden scissors cut the matching pieces for Luscinia's waistcoat and skirt from grey fabric, while Garreth's cousin mended the Prewitt siblings' capes and school uniforms, chatting happily.

The afternoon passed and soon the voices of Garreth and the Professor could be heard from the kitchen, chatting with Leander about the happenings of the wizarding world and their experiences during the summer.

"Your family should have written to us," Amalia remarked as she helped dress Luscinia in her new school uniform, "it would have been fun to have you with us. And we could have prepared you gently for Hogwarts."

"Though the poor child would have learnt your dialect," Garreth's cousin teased with a broad smile, "when she speaks such posh English at the moment."

Luscinia's cheeks reddened, but Amalia waved her off: "All we had to do was keep her away from Leander, anything else wouldn't have done any harm."

Soon afterwards, the cloak and school uniform were sewn, the emblem of the new school embroidered prominently across the chest. A lion, a snake, a badger and a raven united behind an H.

It turned out that Professor Fig and Garreth had already bought the rest of the things on Luscinia's list, so there was nothing left to do but have dinner together at the 'Cozy Feathers' and then go to bed.

It was only in the silence of her room, shrouded in a murky darkness, that Luscinia realised that she had truly arrived in a foreign country and had to stay there. Huddled under her blanket, she pressed a scarf against her nose that smelled of home as she cried herself to sleep.

The next morning, when she boarded the carriage that would take her and the professor to Hogwarts, her eyes were still puffy, even though she had frantically tried to make them go away with cold water. Smiling more than usual, she covered up the clearly visible traces of her grief and let her gaze wander over the Thestrals pulling the carriage. It had not been long since she had been able to see them. Magical creatures recognisable only to those who had seen a human die before their eyes. Black, horse-like beeings with leathery wings that seemed to consist of nothing but skin and bones. Following an impulse, Luscinia strode towards the animals, pausing motionless before them as she scrutinised them more closely. Despite their appearance, they radiated something strangely peaceful, their eyes observing the young woman with the same curiosity as she did them. One of the animals reared its head and Luscinia was astonished as the Thestral's warm breath fanned across her face. She had never imagined that such warmth could emanate from creatures so closely associated with death.

Hidden from Muggle eyes by a spell, the carriage soon flew over London, leaving the grey rows of houses behind. As the sun climbed higher, the sweeping, lush green meadows below them were slowly interrupted by dark rocks and stone formations. Halfway up, they stopped for a rest, surrounded by confused-looking sheep, which scampered away in a swaying gait as the smell of blood and raw meat reached their noses. Unimpressed, the Thestrals tore up the food that was offered to them, destroying any impression of peace that had previously emanated from them.

Luscinia took advantage of the feeding time to climb up a hill and stretch her stiff limbs. On the shady side of the small rise, the ankle-high grass was still covered in dew and soaked the hem of her skirt, but she didn't mind. Squinting against the sun, she let her eyes wander over the land, taking in the clear air with a deep breath. They were close to the coast, she could taste the salt on her tongue as a strong gust of wind caught her. Smiling, she ran back down the hill some time later, her arms spread wide like wings, ignoring the professor's admonition to be careful.

Her cheeks flushed, she then sat in the carriage again, her upper body leaning to one side so that she could see out of it better. Once again, a pleasant silence settled, rarely interrupted by the rustling of the professor's book pages or the scratching of his quill on parchment.

A waterfall plunged into the depths below them, feeding a river that ran through the meadows like a ribbon of shimmering silk, interspersed with sparkling crystals that reflected the light of the sun.

All at once, a violent gust of wind caught the carriage, sending it tumbling through the air and toppling to one side, taking the Thestrals with it.

A deep rumble vibrated through the air and Luscinia drew her wand, scanning the clouds around her for the beast capable of making that sound.

"Above us!" the coachman roared, his face pale as a chalk, urging the Thestrals to go beyond their limits and escape the monster.

The shadow that fell over them darkened the sky, huge wings whipped up the air around them, the carriage swayed back and forth and its occupants landed on the floor of it.

"We have no chance of defending ourselves like this!" the professor scrambled to his feet, his hands gripping the seats, while Luscinia, half lying on the floor, pointed her wand at the ceiling of the carriage.

"Bombar..."

A bright yellow eye shifted in front of the opening above the door, a slit-shaped pupil stared inside, fixing the young woman.

Frozen, Luscinia returned the gaze, her heart hammering loudly in her chest. Once again, the grumble rumbled through the air, seizing her body and making the hairs of her entire body stand on end.

Claws wrapped around the carriage and the wood around her cracked and trembled. Then the dragon flung it away before diving off, disappearing into the clouds once more as the Thestrals strained to get the skidding carriage back on course.

"Are you all right?" the professor pulled Luscinia back onto the seat, "I've never experienced anything like this before."

"Maybe we flew too close to the nest. It felt more like a warning than a serious attack."

"I don't like to think about it too hard," Eleazar Fig slumped against the back of the seat, his eyes still widened in shock, "well, I guess now what's coming will all seem like child's play."

Luscinia doubted it, but she remained silent, only smiling encouragingly at the professor before turning her eyes back to the landscape below, darting to the clouds now and then whenever she thought she spotted a shadow or movement. But the hours that followed remained quiet, birds the only company that accompanied her for a moment on her way.

A stone viaduct ran the length of a valley and the carriage followed its course, floating along the rails until the towers of Hogwarts rose before them out of the afternoon haze of the summer day.

"To our right is the station where most of the students will be arriving tonight," Professor Fig put aside the book he had started reading as a distraction and pointed out of the window.

"The train travels directly from London to here, stopping at only a few wizarding villages along the way. Students from the surrounding areas are collected in carriages."

They flew over a lake that stretched out on all sides of their field of vision, its surface almost as clear as glass, like a dark, shining mirror.

"The Black Lake surrounds Hogwarts on almost all sides and is home to magical species seeking refuge from the Muggles. We therefore advise students to be careful, only last year a Kelpie almost managed to convince a couple of first years to sit on its back. Fortunately, a fisherman just managed to save them from being drowned in the lake."

Luscinia listened spellbound to the professor's explanations and watched as the castle, enthroned in all its splendour on the cliffs above the water, grew ever larger. She leaned out of the carriage in amazement as the Thestrals lifted the vehicle higher into the air and sailed past the towers and battlements. She realised that Hogwarts and Durmstrang had nothing in common on the outside. Her old school, built in the inhospitable lands of the far north, was a collection of wooden buildings, some half-sunk into the ground, overgrown with moss and grass, but the towers of Hogwarts reached for the clouds.

"How many students attend the school?" The young woman could not take her eyes off the castle, widened with wonder.

The professor had to think for a moment: "If I'm not mistaken, there must be around 400."

"More than twice as many as back home," Luscinia breathed, her gaze now travelling from the castle to the buildings surrounding it.

"A quidditch pitch with stands!"

Now she really couldn't stay in her seat any longer and leant far out.

The carriage landed on the forecourt of the castle, directly in front of the Thestral stables, which were partially embedded in the outer castle wall.

Happy that the Professor had offered her to arrive at Hogwarts earlier than the other students, she strolled around the carriage, taking in the tall towers of the Quidditch pitch, before looking at the forecourt and then the castle again. Discharging his duty, Professor Fig disappeared behind the double doors into the interior after making sure Luscinia's luggage was taken care of and promising to meet her at the fountain in the centre of the courtyard as soon as possible to show her around the castle.

During the first hour, the new student helped the coachman look after the Thestrals, taking in the way he did so and explaining to her that the animals were allowed to roam the Hogwarts grounds freely for most of the year, as most students didn't notice them anyway. Afterwards, she strolled across the forecourt, watching the play of water in the fountain, the four animals that also adorned the emblem on her chest spouting more water from their mouths into the lily-decorated basin. For a while she remained sitting by the fountain, which murmured a soothing melody at her back as she gazed up at the castle. The golden afternoon sun made the towers glow, the light blue sky wreathed the battlements with a cloth embroidered with white wool. Luscinia's gaze fell on the double doors through which the professor had disappeared and had not yet reappeared. Lined with two winged boars, they cast their attractive spell, which Luscinia soon succumbed to.

Wide-eyed, she was confronted by a wall full of stone knights as she entered. Each of them taller than a full-grown man, they stood lined up in individual niches above and next to each other, staring down at her, each holding a heavy weapon. An empty painting hung in the centre between them, the sitter apparently off somewhere else.

Still looking upwards, Luscinia walked on, only to flinch at a tinny clang. To her right and left stood two suits of armour, their palms turned towards her in a challenge to stop. When she did just that, the two knights lowered their hands and stubbornly looked straight ahead again.

"Oh, I see you're guarding the castle," Luscinia curtseyed in amusement, whereupon both suits of armour began to patter about on their pedestals.

"Then I'll take a different route, of course."

Before she could turn away completely, a metal hand carefully gripped her arm, the other reaching out towards the door that had just been forbidden. Astonished that the armour could descend from its pedestals and apparently had a life of its own, Luscinia stared at her faceless counterpart, who was now pointing more vehemently at the door.

"I'm allowed to go through after all?"

The visor of his helmet rattled as the armour nodded. Curtsying once more to both guards, Luscinia finally stepped through the door and was caught in a dim semi-darkness. The sunlight that had shone through the large windows in the entrance hall no longer seemed to have any access to this part of the castle. The air smelled musty and slightly stale and the display cabinets next to the staircase leading down seemed long forgotten. For a moment, her gaze flew over the taxidermied troll behind the glass pane, wondering if they were all so small in Scotland, before she turned to the long corridor in front of her. Narrow, with a high vaulted ceiling, it ran through the lower floors of the castle, wall hangings telling of the building's construction. She took in every detail attentively and finally allowed her curiosity to guide her through ever new corridors, halls, over bridges and through inner courtyards.

Finally, she stood open-mouthed in an imposing hall in front of a fountain that could only have been created by dwarven hands.

Stone nymphs swam in graceful movements around grim-looking trolls carrying a broad pedestal on their hands. If you bent your head back, you could see the battle between unicorn and werewolf immortalised in stone on the very same pedestal. Both animals raised up on their hind legs, the delicate unicorn presenting its horn against the attacker, which muscles seemingly ready to pounce, its mouth open in slaver. A battle of innocence against corruption, light against darkness.

"Miss Plonbraw, lucky I found you!"

The professor's voice made her flinch and she stammered, following the wave of his hand to step closer to him.

"It is I who must apologise," Eleazar Fig interrupted her with a reassuring smile, "the headmaster and my duties have taken up far too much of my time. Add to that the disturbing detail of our encounter with the dragon..."

He hesitated for a moment, "Well, I'm glad you mustered up the courage to explore the castle on your own and I'm glad I didn't completely lose you in the endless corridors and hallways."

He gently touched her shoulder to encourage her to follow him: "My promise to show you around the castle is still open to you, of course, even if we have to postpone it to another day. The first-year students' selection ceremony is coming up and so yours will be soon too."

For the moment, the details of the castle continued to distract her from what was about to happen. The Gothic architecture, the people waving down from their paintings, the suits of armour that made her laugh as they did a little dance of joy after each sweeping curtsy.

Professor Fig carefully opened a full-height double door and peered into the room beyond, but Luscinia's attention was caught by the metre-high hourglasses lined up on one of the walls. The heraldic animals, lion, badger, raven and snake were enthroned on their golden tops and instead of sand, the glasses were filled with brightly coloured stones in ruby red, honey yellow, dark azure blue and forest green.

Distracted by her observations, Luscinia only realised after the professor's gesture that the time had come for her to stand in front of the other students and teachers.

A knot instantly tied her stomach and she hastily grabbed her earring as she stepped into the Great Hall. Immediately her gaze was captivated by the ceiling of the room; a ceiling that apparently did not exist. The stars of the night sky shone brightly towards her and the Milky Way traced its luminous ribbon through the entire hall.

"This way," the professor whispered and led her forwards along the long side.

Through the stone pillars they walked past, Luscinia could make out four long tables where the older students sat. Each table was set in the colours of the hourglasses, honey yellow closest to her, forest green furthest away, with ruby red and azure blue in between. Some of the students had noticed Professor Fig's entrance and were now scrutinising the new student curiously, causing her to turn her gaze away from the tables and towards the first-year students.

They stood in a cluster in front of the lectern and the podium where the teachers had taken their places, nervousness and excitement clearly written on their faces. One by one, they were called up and took a seat on a wooden stool, clearly visible to everyone in the hall. She watched attentively as the students put on a shabby-looking leather hat, in the folds of which the features of a face could be glimpsed.

There was a moment of expectant silence until finally a booming voice called out the name of one of the four houses and the older students of that house welcomed their new comrade with cheers.On her journey to Hogwarts, the professor had explained them to her. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, named after the four founders of the school, the colours and animals that adorned the whole of Hogwarts, an important part of them. Each of the houses united students with similar attributes and character traits, but in her mounting anxiety, Luscinia couldn't remember which ones they were.

The rows of first years had thinned out, most of the 13 year olds had found their house.

Luscinia tried to calm herself by fixing her gaze and focus frantically on the floating candles and the night sky above her, but the effort was futile, her pulse quickened and she began to sweat, knowing that her name would be one of the next to be called.

It rang out far too loudly and she started to move stiffly. As if in a tunnel that only allowed her to look ahead, she noticed the friendly smile of the deputy headmistress without really realising it. Staring at the little lion on one of the pillars, she took a seat on the stool, adjusting her cloak and skirt. She flinched violently as a dark voice echoed through her head and it took her far too long to realise that the hat was talking to her.

Dear, you have to let me into your thoughts.

A queasy feeling spread through her and she hesitated, causing the hat to giggle softly.

Is it caution, or a certain stubbornness? Perhaps a tendency to resist?

Luscinia became more and more aware of how the entire crowd of students stared at her, waiting, while the hat stalked her thoughts and memories.

Interesting... and this one... also interesting...

Is there any way to speed up this process, Mr Hat?

Oh? The leather hat chuckled again.

To be honest, I've already made my decision, I just enjoy examining older heads. I don't get the chance to do that very often.

Luscinia couldn't suppress the burgeoning anger and the accompanying curses, which made the hat laugh.

So I'm probably right.

Her ears began to prickle as the hat's voice left her head and instead boomed throughout the hall.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Like the first years before her, Luscinia's cheers rang out as the students stood up under the red and gold banner, clapping their hands with excitement. Her heart was pounding as she stepped down from the podium, feverishly wondering what to do next. Should she sit in the first available seat? Between the first-years? Or let the stares wash over her as she continued down the table?

Luckily for her, she suddenly noticed two familiar faces in the crowd and rushed towards them, exhaling, a relieved smile on her lips.

"So we're house mates?"

Garreth and Leander nodded and motioned for her to join them and the other fifth years. Names and pleasantries were exchanged and slowly all the students of Gryffindor House calmed down again.

"Is Amalia here as well?" Luscinia's eyes searched curiously for the young woman, but Leander shook his head and nodded towards the table decorated in blue and bronze.

"Ravenclaw. She's always been the smarter of the two of us."

He hid a bitter laugh and at the same time distracted from his emotion with a sweeping arm gesture.

"But what is the house of the clever and creative compared to the house of courage and bravery. Only the best wizards and witches come from here. Don't they?" he nudged Garreth with his shoulder.

"As far as I can remember, the other houses also have great things to show for themselves. Merlin, for example, belonged to Slytherin."

"Oh, Merlin!" Leander waved it off, "an overrated wizard, like the house he's from."

No one seemed to notice how Leander continued to fuss and Luscinia's attention was focussed on the food that had suddenly appeared on the table in front of her.

"You should avoid Slytherin at all costs," Leander continued, "your dear cousin probably doesn't like the fact that you're here at all."

He took a large dollop of mashed potato and slapped it on his plate, not noticing Garreth giving him a meaningful look.

At the mention of a cousin, Luscinia's eyes flew across the table at the other end of the hall, even though she didn't even know what her relative looked like. She felt sick and only half heard the rest of the conversation, unable to touch the feast before her.

The excited murmur of the students was interrupted by a loud clearing of the throat and with narrowed eyes and tensed jaw muscles, Luscinia watched as the headmaster, Phineas Nigellus Black, tried to make himself heard, holding his wand to his throat to amplify his voice. However, it not only seemed difficult for him to do that, but also to maintain the silence he had gained. Again and again, murmurs and restrained laughter rang out as he lectured on rules and school regulations. The fifth-years sitting around Luscinia also continued to fill their plates with food, unimpressed, and were not deterred from their meal, even when the headmaster's voice trembled with suppressed anger. Throwing a tantrum as a small child, Black finally broke off his monologue and shooed the entire group of students out of the Great Hall.

The astonished silence turned into a confusion of voices and bodies as it became clear that he meant business and Luscinia was glad that the fifth-years took care of her and guided her through the crowd. Shouts were yelled between the individual tables and the prefects of each house loudly gathered up the first years and tried to lead them safely to the exit, like a shepherd leading a group of lambs.

Somewhere in the confusion, a plate was broken, but the commotion around it died down as the door slammed shut behind them.

Drawing clear air through her lungs, Luscinia closed her eyes for a moment, glad to offer her buzzing head a brief respite.

"Moving to a new school is very stressful, especially if you're not used to the language," the student who had introduced herself at the table by the name of Natty had stepped up next to her and observes her with concern.

"Would you like to go for a walk outside before we go to the common room?"

Surprised by her solicitude, Luscinia nodded and the two young women strolled on across the castle grounds, past a pavilion, along the castle walls and down into a small courtyard that Luscinia did not yet had found. Despite the darkness that now shrouded Hogwarts, they could see enough in the light of the stars and the glow of the moon.

"It also took me some time to get used to everything. The strange food and people's habits. Plus the grey weather most of the time. Scotland really is very different to Uagadou and Matabeleland."

"But have you settled in well by now, or do you still feel a great longing for your home and your friends?" Luscinia looked at Natty attentively as they walked past the dark green bushes and flowering shrubs, the chirping of the crickets ringing in their ears.

"I think Hogwarts is my home now, too. I was happy when my mum made the decision to come here and I've made new friends here now. Of course I miss Matabeleland and my old friends, but now I'm at home here."

She smiled brightly at Luscinia: "You'll see, most of the professors and students are very nice."

They stepped back inside the castle and, after turning into a corridor, were greeted by musicians in their paintings, who began to rumble a tune as they caught sight of them.

"Hah, you should have come together with the others," the conductor waved his hand scowling at the witch with the double bass, "now we're all completely out of time."

Luscinia stood in amazement and listened to the sounds until the musicians had found their rhythm again and completed the piece.

"How kind of you to treat the incoming pupils to a piece of music."

As she clapped her hands with laughter, the conductor's chest swelled with pride: "The young lady is a lover of the arts. How delightful."

Unlike the musicians, the woman who awaited them in the painting at the end of a corridor was not in a very joyful mood. She scrutinised the two students standing in front of her with narrowed eyes, her ringlets adorning a round face, her dress as pink as her cheeks.

"You're the last ones. Not even the dawdling first-years were slower."

At her words, the portrait swung to the side, revealing a circular tunnel, which Natty entered without hesitation.

"Maybe you've just miscounted again."

"Insolence!" the two young women could still hear the clamouring voice as they walked through the tunnel, "What have I done to deserve this? Why can't I guard the Ravenclaw common room? There wouldn't be something to do all the time. Or Hufflepuff. Such kind, well-behaved..."

Her words were cut off as the opening in the wall behind them closed with a thud.

Giggling, Natty turned to Luscinia as she stepped out of the tunnel, "Normally you need a password to get in here. It's only on the first day that she counts whether everyone has arrived."

Once again, she gave her new classmate a beaming smile: "Welcome to our common room."

Luscinia's eyes followed Natty's sweeping hand gesture, taking in the warm tones of the room before her, the red and yellow of the wall hangings and banners reflected in the armchairs and other seating, as well as the bird cherry and mahogany cupboards and tables. The wooden framework of the ceiling reminded her of the longhouses of Durmstrang, where she had spent her school days and some of her holidays since she was thirteen. A stabbing pain ran through her chest, but she tried not to let it show as she turned to Natty: "I'd like to stay here a little longer and take in the room in its entirety. Please don't feel compelled to keep me company. After all, it's getting late."

She understood, but made Luscinia promise not to stay up too late and showed her the way to the dormitory.

The sound of her footsteps was muffled by the various carpets spread across the floor like patches in a row. When Natty had disappeared into the next room, Luscinia strolled through the seating arrangements of jumbled pieces of furniture, running a hand over the materials while her eyes take in the details on the walls and in the paintings. There were individual armchairs in the niches of the floor-to-ceiling windows and bookshelves on the walls next to them, mostly filled with fantastic stories and adventure novels. She tried to discover volumes she was familiar with, but the English titles made her endeavours more difficult and she finally gave up.

With a loud sigh, she dropped into an armchair in front of the fireplace, took off her shoes and allowed herself to pull her legs under her body and slump into the armchair. Closing her eyes, she listened to the crackling of the fire - a sound that gave her some comfort and closeness.

When she heard hurried footsteps approaching, she straightened up, only to be reassured by Nellie waving her off.

"Don't let me disturb you, I just like to listen to some music before I go to bed."

Luscinia attentively followed the fifth-year, with whom she had already exchanged a few words in the Great Hall. She strode unerringly towards an apparatus with a funnel on top, placed a circular disc on it and turned a crank, whereupon the first sounds of a quietly played symphony rang out.

Luscinia's eyes widened and, without bothering to put her shoes back on, she stumbled over to the apparatus and bent down to look at it up close.

"How fascinating."

"A gramophone," Nellie clarified, "a Muggle invention."

"Really?" Luscinia's eyes widened even further, "how exactly does it work?"

She listened eagerly to Nellie's explanations, even though she soon realised that her listener only understood half of what she was explaining.

"It's getting late, but we can take it apart another day. You often understand better how something works then."

Until the music faded, the two young women made themselves comfortable in front of the fireplace and watched the play of light that the flames cast on the stone lions guarding the fire.

When they finally crept quietly into the dormitory, the curtains in front of their roommates' beds were already drawn and Luscinia made an effort not to make any more noise as she moved into the last of the five beds.

"Are these really all the girls we're sharing our room with?" she whispered questioningly to Nellie, who nodded, already slipping out of her shirt and trousers.

"All the fifth years, yes. The other years each have their own room. Was it different at your old school?"

Luscinia undressed in the dim light of the stove in the centre of the room: "The first three years slept together in one house and the other years in another. So we were between thirty and forty girls and women living together."

"Thirty to forty?", Nellie said, which earned her a reprimanding hiss from one of the neighbouring beds.

The two women looked at each other and rolled their eyes, but remained silent.

Laying her new school uniform over the chair next to her bed, Luscinia slipped into her nightdress and then into bed, which felt far softer and more comfortable than the one in Diagon Alley.

"Good night," Nellie whispered and drew the curtains of her bed with a grin.

For a moment, Luscinia sat motionless in the darkness, confused at how unreal this moment felt. Finally, she shook her head, closed her curtains and dropped onto her bed.

[wordsarelife]

—miss americana and the heartbreak prince

pairing: mattheo riddle x fem!reader

summary: headcanons about mattheo dating a foreign exchange student from america

you're there during your fifth year

mattheo first notices you, when pansy brings you along to a hangout with the group

"this is y/n" your friend pansy introduced. the boys in front of you seemed friendly enough, if a bit arrogant. "hey" you smiled. one of them, a boy with curly hair and lovely dimples, made space beside him. "i'm mattheo" he introduced himself, before he pointed to the other boys, telling you their names one by one.

you quickly become a part of the group of slytherins. it is exciting being friends with them. mattheo is the most interested in you. he often asks you things about your home.

you introduce him to american slang or books you read, while he tells you about the english culture.

he often tells you that he loves your accent, but his is one of the prettiest you ever heard.

when a care package from home arrives, you share all the snacks with your friends. they're amazed when you introduce them to things they never heard about before.

during your time at hogwarts you and mattheo grow even closer, sneaking out at night to go on late night walks, until he eventually kisses you one night.

you start dating at that point.

he often calls you typical british pet names of endearment like darling or love, which makes your heart beat fast everytime. you call him honey or babe and you noticed his cheeks reddening before.

sometimes your american slang leads to funny misconsumptions that would take a while to break up

you can never agree on how to drink tea. mattheo is not as passionate as the average british person and still offended at the way you drink it

despite his rebellious nature, mattheo finds himself studying more because you insist on it. you have cozy study sessions in the library, where he often gets distracted by your presence and playful banter.

mattheo becomes fiercely protective of you, especially when other students gossip or when you face challenges adapting to the new environment. he’s always ready to stand up for you, no matter what. you face some prejudice from students who disapprove of your relationship.

you often leave each other little messages and notes, writing cute things or how something reminded you of the other

as the school year ends, you both promise to continue your relationship and talk as much as possible, either using letters or the floo network or simply telephones.

you both leave an everlasting effect on each other. you teach mattheo to be more empathetic and a lot calmer as he tries to regulate his emotions before acting. he teaches you to take risks and not take life so seriously all the time.

your farewell is pretty sad, but also quite sweet as you both tell each other that you love them.

mattheo and you stay in contact and despite many people not believing you will make it, reunite during the holidays.

despite your relationship still working great you miss mattheo, your friends and hogwarts deeply, so you decide to come back during your senior year (at that point you had been dating for more than a year)

mattheo is incredibly surprised and happy as you tell him the news and going back to hogwarts feels like coming home after a long vacation.

mattheo and your friends are there waiting for you, making you feel like you never left at all.

[thebestofoneshots]

Gilded Constellations | (wolfstar x reader)

Series Masterlist | Previous episode

Pairing: Wolfstar x Reader Word Count: 7.9 K Warnings: None Prompt: Slug Party goes awry... This IS a Wolfstar x reader fic, but it's incredibly slow burn. They won't start all dating each other until we're very deep into the story, but I promise the long wait will be worth it. Proofread by lovely: @aremuslupinsimp

Chapter 36: Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy

December, 21st, 1976

Remus wasn’t sure what he should wear to the party. He had sent a letter to his parents telling them about the invitation. He had omitted it had been you who invited him rather than Slughorn, and his father seemed pretty thrilled about his son being a member of the Slug club. 

Lyall wasn’t the kind of parent to be strict with his child’s grades, not in a literal sense at least, regardless he would very often tell Remus how important it was that he was among the best, and that being able to study magic at Hogwarts had been a privilege to him. That it only happened because of how lucky he’d gotten, and that he should be thankful to Dumbledore for giving him the opportunity and that the best way of proving his gratitude would be to be exceptionally good at his studies. 

Especially because, when he eventually joined the Registry of Magical Creatures, the only thing he’d have to prove his worth as a wizard would be his academic achievements. If Remus did badly in his studies, his father wouldn’t be angry, rather he’d be disappointed, and Remus hated disappointing people. So while there wasn’t actually a pressure put on his shoulder by his father, there was a pressure set by himself, one to make sure he’d keep his father content and proud. 

In the end, his father had only cornered Remus into pressuring himself. Of course, Lyall didn’t know this, nor did Hope, they thought their child was perfect just because he was, while Remus sometimes felt the need to put an extra effort to fulfil their expectations. Everyone’s expectations. Sometimes he wished he could be more like Sirius, careless and loud but he couldn’t give himself such a luxury, perhaps that’s why he was so attracted to him.

At least it wasn’t that hard, Remus was already clever and being friends with the other Marauders and Lily had helped him to strengthen his abilities from the very beginning, making him a better wizard than he ever would have been without them. And recently, you as well, you were making him a better wizard too, even if he always felt awfully selfish for wanting you, and your godric-damned gorgeous boyfriend.

Remus was still rummaging through his trunk trying to find something nice. His father had told him that he had to wear something elegant, preferably his suit, but Remus had no idea where the hell he had placed it. Hope, on the other hand, had written to tell him that he should pay his father no mind and that those silly elitist wizard parties –which she had concluded was what they were (accurately) after Lyall told her about them– shouldn’t be worrying him too much. She did ask him who he’d be inviting, and he had responded he’d be going with you. 

Lyall and Hope already knew about you, they knew you had arrived at school and Remus had mentioned that you had become close. Hope had mentioned at some point that he should ask you on a date, but Remus responded to her letter by telling her you were going out with Sirius, which Hope didn’t seem to understand. Especially when some of the things Remus had described in his letters were the kinds of things a girl who was very much in love with her son would do. Of course, Hope knew nothing more than the few things that Remus had said in his letters, about how kind you were, how funny you were, and how you were an incredibly talented witch. And yet, somehow she clearly knew better than all of you combined. 

Now, Hope knew how close Remus was to Sirius and she was not about to tell him to pursue you, but she definitely expected to have a small chat with him once they met again in New Year. Remus had chosen to stay at Hogwarts during Christmas, to recover after the moon. She wasn’t too happy about that, she’d much prefer having her son with her during the moon, but Lyall insisted that Remus wasn’t the small wolf she had taken care of in the past, though still incredibly dangerous, the wolf had been a lot easier to control. 

Besides, Remus much preferred staying at Hogwarts now, the Shrieking Shack, even if still a cage, was much bigger than the small silver-coated cage they had at home, which while absolutely safe, was also incredibly painful for Moony, and caused much more desperate clawing from the wolf which in turn, left Remus a lot worse off. 

“What’s with the sour face?” James asked when he spotted Remus kneeling on the floor looking defeated. 

The boy huffed in response, “I can’t find the fucking suit.” 

“You’re going with a suit?” 

“You’re not?!” 

“Should I?” 

“Of course! It’s a Christmas Party, James!” 

“You think Lily will wear an elegant dress?” He asked, “Oh I should ask what colour it is so I can match with her.” 

Remus almost rolled his eyes as he leaned down and started looking through his trunk again, “Vixen might not be here, but even I can tell you how much of a terrible idea that is…” 

“It’s a grand gesture, mate! You don’t understand romance.” 

“I’ve had more dates than you ever have,” Remus defended. 

“And yet… you’ve never had a girlfriend. Because you don’t do grand gestures.” 

Remus huffed again, sure next time he’ll match Sirius’s fucking outfit and hope he does not get punched in the face. He wasn’t sure if Sirius or you would be the one to throw fists first thought. He kept moving things around on his trunk before sitting back with an annoyed sigh. “No fucking suit.” 

“I can lend you something,” James said with a shrug and pulled out a dark blue pair of pants, waistcoat and matching long gown. “Just find a shirt and tie that matches,” the boy said with a shrug. 

“You think these will fit?” Remus asked as he gave them a weary look. 

“You can charm them to fit better if you want,” James said with a shrug. Remus kept looking at them wearily but nodded and placed them on his bed. 

Sirius, who had been off somewhere, appeared shortly after Remus stepped out of the showers, and James got in.

“You ready?” he asked, even if he could clearly see Remus still had a towel slung across his waist. 

“Yeah, I was planning to go like this and moon everyone when it was time to dance,” Remus replied sarcastically, he was a little touchy. Probably because of how close the moon was and because of how much time he had wasted trying to find something to wear. 

“Ugh Pissy Moony,” Sirus said with a grimace as he sat on Remus’ bed and took a look at James’ suit. He easily figured James had borrowed it and felt a pang of jealousy over the fact that Remus would ask James for help instead of him. Or perhaps it was because Moony would wear James’ clothes instead of something from him. Then again, it was a dumb thing to be jealous about, Sirius’ tailored clothes wouldn’t fit Remus at all. Sirius was shorter and skinnier. Still, he wasn’t too happy about it, he realised as he passed his hand over the soft blue fabric. “What will you be wearing with this?”

Remus shrugged in response, “White shirt, some tie that matches I guess.” 

Sirius didn’t seem convinced, “I’ll find you something,” he said as he kneeled down next to the boy’s dresser and started looking through his drawers. 

“Sirius,” Remus called, but he was too focused on the dresser to realise. “Sirius!” He repeated, a little louder this time. 

Sirius just hummed in response, turning his head to look at the other boy as he leaned back a little, a casual thing Sirius would do rather often that made Remus gulp, he looked beautiful, as fucking always. Remus had been about to tell the boy that he should mind his own fucking business, but there was no way to tell him that now. 

“Just… pass me my briefs, will you?” 

Sirius, without even turning, pulled the top left drawer, grabbed a pair and threw it back to Remus “There you go,” he said simply and went back to looking through Remus’ stuff. Remus sighed and continued getting dressed, passing the briefs under the towel before taking it off. “What do you think Starshine will wear?” 

The other boy shrugged, “A dress or something I suppose, she knows a good deal of magic etiquette.” 

“Bet she’ll look hot.” 

Remus didn’t respond to that, it wasn’t like he could just agree with Sirius out loud, “She’ll dress nicely I assume.” 

“Oh, this is great!” Sirius said as he pulled out a dark navy shirt, just slightly lighter than the suit James had borrowed. 

“So dark?” Remus asked as he leaned over, he was already wearing the pants James had borrowed, they were a little tight but they fit him well, Sirius noticed. 

“Yeah! This shirt looks dashing on you mate! It’s the one you wore to the Christmas Party last year.” 

Remus did not remember that fact out of the bat, so he had to think back and try to remember exactly what he had worn that day at the Potters. They had sneaked out some alcohol from Monty’s collection –Monty knew, but pretended not to notice– and then they had all sneaked into James’ room and drank until they were too pissed to remember much of the rest of the night.

Sirius, on the other hand, remembered the exact outfit Remus had worn, first because he thought Remus looked incredible with that shirt and wondered why he didn't wear it more often, and second, because when Peter had dared Remus to take off his shirt, he had complied, and Sirius had found it at some point and used it as his pillow for the rest of the night. He thought it also smelled nice. 

“I guess you’re right,” Remus said with a small frown, still trying to remember the shirt as Sirius stood and placed it on the bed, passing his wand over it with a quick straightening spell to make it look as neat as he remembered it had looked on Remus. It was then that Sirius started thinking of the fact that, while he clearly remembered what Remus had worn perfectly, he couldn’t quite recall what either Peter or James had been wearing. 

“Done,” Sirius said once he placed his wand back in his pocket and gently passed the unbuttoned shirt to Remus, stepping back when he realised he was about to help him button it. 

“Thanks, mate,” Remus said and grabbed the shirt to put it on. Sirius sat back down on Remus’ bed as his friend finished getting his shirt on. And then passed him the waistcoat. Sirius realised, almost a little too late, that he was most definitely checking Remus out while he did. “Does it look bad?” 

“What? No, why?” Sirius said, a little caught off guard. 

“You’ve been staring?” 

Have I? Fuck I have. “Just thinking of what tie you can wear with it,” Sirius said, hoping it was convincing enough.

“Oh,” Remus replied simply as he pulled the coat on, while it was on the tighter side, it wasn’t uncomfortably so, and the colour did nicely suit him. He was about to ask Sirius if he thought you’d like it and realised what a terrible idea that was, so he just shut his mouth. “Which tie?” 

Sirius seemed to be taken aback by the question but then nodded and went to his trunk. He was sure to have some ties somewhere, he did not remember taking them out before the whole chaos at home and his trunk had ended up being delivered to the Potters along with a note that said that he was a bIood traitor and that he was no longer welcomed at home. It was a house though, that had never been his home. 

Sirius kept looking until he found a thick tie that shifted in colour as he took it from his trunk. First, it was blue, then it was brown, and then it was something between burgundy and purple. Remus raised one of his eyebrows “A magic tie?” 

Sirius shrugged, “It’ll match your outfit… or Starshine’s, sometimes she’s whimsical like that?” 

“Your girlfriend?” 

“The tie,” Sirius clarified. 

Remus groaned, “James is so gonna tease me about it,” he said as he placed his hand over his head. Sirius approached him and slid the tie across his friend’s neck, carefully raising the collar and letting his fingers brush over Remus’ neck only for a second before going back to his thing. He tried not to think of the shiver he felt from how warm Remus was. Had touching him always felt like that? “I know how to tie a tie,” Remus said as he observed Sirius. The shorter boy was deeply focused on his task. 

“Yeah, but you don’t have a clue how to do an Eldredge Knot, do you?” 

Remus scoffed, while he had no idea what an Eldredge Knot looked like, let alone how to do it, he was also a little offended that Sirius would just assume he didn’t.  “Well maybe I do,” he said as he grabbed onto the tie, his hands over Sirius’ as he tried to shake him away, but the boy didn’t budge. The way Remus’ hands wrapped around his made him think of yours, and then compare, his were larger, they felt nice around his own. 

But Sirius was really trying not to focus on said things. “Come on Moons, let me help,” he said simply, looking up at Remus’ eyes. He could see Sirius’ thick black lashes and he fought hard not to gulp from how close they were. 

“Whatever,” Remus said as he took his hands from Sirius and let them fall on his side, placing them on his pockets right after since he had no idea what to do with them. Sirius continued his task, while Remus tried to look anywhere but at him, at his slightly furrowed brows, and his cute little mouth with his lips pressed in a thin line as he breathed slowly. Why did he have to go and be so ridiculously pretty? Remus wondered as he gave him a short glance and then looked away again. Sirius was taking a hell of a lot of time with his damned tie. “You done?” 

“Chist,” Sirius shushed him as he continued trying to focus, it was way easier when you did it to yourself than when you did it backwards. Remus started to slowly tap his foot, yet another way to distract him from how close Sirius stood. Close enough to feel his warm breath fan against his neck. 

“Hey Sirius…” The other boy hummed in response. “Thanks…”  

“’S what friends are for,” Sirius said simply, hands tightening the knot as he pulled back just a little to look at Moony. His gaze quickly forgetting the tie and focusing on his friend’s face. On his chocolaty brown eyes that looked a lot more golden today than normal. The moon was close, after all. Regardless, it was a good look on Remus. Sirius smiled, “You look handsome,” he said honestly, it rolled so naturally off his tongue, he was almost surprised he hadn’t said it to Remus more often. 

A blush started to creep up Remus’ neck when the door of their room opened, his head snapped to it and you stood there, looking at the two boys with a small smile. The two of them looking back at you. You had your hair down and wore a white, iridescent dress with lace on top, a turtle neck and a long-sleeved top that flared down at the bottom into a puffy skirt and fell down just before your ankles. You had a matching pair of shoes. The lace was delicate and had a star on the left shoulder and some other wind and sky motifs all around.

You looked like… the moon. Except Remus had never thought of the moon as pretty before. 

Sirius looked at you with a smile “Claire de Lune,” Sirius said affectionately. Remus didn’t even feel jealous at the way the other boy was looking at you, in fact, he was rather thankful Sirius was so focused on you and wasn’t paying attention to him or the way he was looking at you. 

You smiled at Sirius praising, “Thought I was Starshine,” you teased with a smile, twirling around and letting the dress flow, the iridescence being a lot more evident. “Comet helped me charm it,” you explained, “kind of like her dress at the Halloween party.” 

Remus’ tie had already become the same shade of iridescent white. “You look delightful, I’m almost jealous it’ll be Moony the one to parade you around instead of me,” Sirius said as he walked closer to you, placing his hand on yours and twirling you around once more. You laughed but let him have his fun, especially since he wasn’t going to go to the party. Remus stared at the two of you dancing around to no music and smiled, James came out of the bathroom all dressed up shortly after. 

“Looking great Moony,” he said when he spotted Remus, “you too Vix.” 

“Thanks,” you said while Sirius stopped the dancing to look at James reproachfully. 

“Way to leave your handsomest friend out.” 

“You’re not dressed up,” James said simply, “You look exactly the same as every day… maybe a little scruffy,” James added with a smirk, he knew he’d piss Sirius off. “Hair’s a little messy,” he added as he pointed at his head. 

Sirius gasped and was about to respond when you took his face in your hands and dragged him to look at you, pulling one stray hair and placing it back on its spot “Well, I think you look handsome.” 

“She’s lying to make you feel better,” James insisted. 

“I’ll get Lily to hex you, James,” you warned, the messy-haired boy took a step back, as if genuinely scared of your friendly threat.

Sirius gave you a small satisfied smile before leaning in to steal a short kiss from your lips. 

“Ugh, get a room!” James complained. 

“Find a different place to change,” Sirius retorted as he leaned again to kiss you again, partly because he could never get enough of you, partly because your lips helped him forget the weird feeling he was getting whenever he was around Remus alone and partly to spite James. “Moony doesn’t mind, right Moons?” 

Remus really tried not to choke at that, “Not at all,” he managed to say. 

“See, it only is a you problem,” Sirius said with a shrug. “I won’t be telling you to get a room whenever you bring Lily over to snog.” 

“We’ve never snogged here though,” you clarified. Sirius gave James an exaggerated wink and you elbowed him when you realised. Remus couldn’t help but laugh at your dynamic. 

“Ready, Little Witch?” he asked politely. 

You turned to him with a smile, same smile you had when you were looking at Sirius, only now being less entertained by your boyfriend and noticing how handsome your friend looked. “When you are,” you said simply.  Remus walked closer to you and tilted his head, an invitation for you to follow behind him. 

“I want her back before 12,” Sirius joked pointing at Remus.

You laughed before Remus had the chance to say anything “Sure thing, and I want you to stay out of trouble for a whole week, but neither of us will get what we wish, will we?” 

“I could stay out of trouble for a week!” Sirius scoffed, slightly offended. 

You raised your eyebrows at that statement and eyed Remus. “Has he ever?” 

Remus shook his head , lips pressed tightly before he added, “Nope.” 

“Remus!” Sirius whined. 

“Just stating the facts,” Remus replied with a shrug, a diverted shine in his eyes as he stared at his beautiful best friend.  

“Ugh! Stop flirting, you’re all making me feel lonelier,” James said as he threw a pillow at the three of you. 

“Oi!” you said as you straightened your clothes. “You’ll ruin my dress…” you added with a frown. 

“Yeah James, stop messing with her. How would you feel if I go around throwing pillows at Evans,” Sirius defended. 

“She’d hex you,” James responded with a shrug. 

“Perhaps I should hex you,” you said under your breath while Remus laughed. “You’re lucky we’re friends.”

James threw a wink your way and you grumbled something about throwing him off his broom. Sirius took the fact that you were busy still straightening your clothes to pick a piece of pillow fluff that had fallen on Remus’ coat. The boy straightened slightly at the way Sirius closed the gap between the two of them. “What?” he asked, looking at Sirius almost warily, he didn’t want to admit the way his heart would race at Sirius so much as stepping into his personal space like that. 

The shorter boy just grabbed the fluff and showed it to Remus, moving his hand from side to side before blowing it away. You finally lifted your head, almost curiously looking at the way Remus was staring at Sirius, and then at the way Sirius was staring back. You tilted your head, it was oddly familiar, but you just couldn’t quite pinpoint why. You narrowed your eyes at the two, the connections in your brain happening at lightning speed only to be interrupted by an urgent knock on the door, everyone turned their heads towards it and then at each other as if wondering if they had invited anyone over. 

“James! We’re gonna be late,” Lily’s voice said from the other side of the door. You walked over and opened the door, letting her in. 

“Oh, hey luv, I’ve actually brought this over for you, thought it would go with your dress,” She said as she handed over the moon and star ring your mom had given you a while ago, Remus took a step back, looking at Lily almost offended. She was wearing a green dress that looked delightful with her hair, James pretty much gaped at her as she was putting on a pair of jade earrings that matched the dress, not even noticing the way he was staring.

“Shut your mouth mate, you’ll get lacewing flies,” Sirius teased. Lily, who had not noticed James staring turned almost as red as her hair as she turned to look at James and their eyes locked for a second. 

“I’ve seen you gape at Vixen way more times than I can count…” James started to complain.

You weren’t listening anymore, their bickering fading into the background when you took the ring from your palm and placed it on your finger, only then realising that Remus was looking to the side rather dejected, “You’re…” he fucking hated having to ask, “you’re not actually gonna wear that, right?” 

You turned to him slightly confused at first and then smiled, something akin to a smirk, and extended your hand towards him “Give me your hand.” Remus tilted his head to the side reproachfully, trying to tell you that of course he fucking couldn’t, even if he wanted to, without having to say “I’m a werewolf, I can’t” out loud. 

Even then you kept your hand up, “Trust me,” you added confidently. Remus seemed hesitant but did as told, tentatively placing his fingers over yours, avoiding touching the ring entirely. It was merely a brush of his fingers over your hand, and he was about ready to pull away when you pushed your hand forwards and yanked his, grabbing firmly onto it. He tried to pull back, wincing, as if ready to feel the stinging of the metal, eyes closed and a deep frown etched on his face. And then, it cleared, slowly as he eyed you, then both of your hands, his brows furrowing again, this time it was softer, his eyes were searching, turning both of your hands around as if to make sure it was the same ring. 

When he was sure it was, he dug his fingers closer to yours, feeling the ring from the back and then bringing in his other hand, brushing over your knuckles before letting them fall over the ring. “We transfigured it,” you said proudly. “I asked Lily and Pete to help me, since both Sirius and I had hurt you with it, I thought it was the right thing to do. Took us weeks to get it right.” 

“Weeks…” Remus repeated, still fascinated over the fact that he could touch the ring, or perhaps he was fascinated more by the way your small hand looked next to his. Of course, he had held your hand before, but it had always been in situations in which it was either dark, you were running, or you had something else to pay attention to, never had Remus actually seen it. So much smaller in comparison to his, so much softer and smoother. There was a bit of hardened skin near your thumb from how hard you gripped your quill sometimes and there were also fading broom marks in the top part of your palm, whatever potion Sirius had given you was erasing them quickly. 

You nodded, also paying attention to the way your hands looked next to each other. Sirius’ hands were large, perhaps as large as Remus’, but there was something about the way Remus held your hands, almost venerating, that made you just as curious as it seemed to make him, of course, you assumed he was just fascinated by the fact that he could touch the ring now. “It’s stainless steel,” you explained, “absolutely harmless, like the charm on the necklace Peter made,” you added with another prideful smile. 

He smiled almost shyly and felt silly at the fact that he had been worried before, of course, you’d never do anything that could hurt him (at least consciously), in fact, he now noticed that he hadn’t seen you wear the ring since that time at the infirmary when you had discovered he was a werewolf, he’d just assumed Sirius hadn’t given it back yet. 

“Oh, he’s seen the ring?” Sirius asked, only now finishing his bickering with James and leaning his chin on your shoulder as he stared at Remus’ hands holding yours, he thought it looked right. “I take it, it worked?” 

You nodded and hummed in reply, beaming proudly at your achievement, “He knew?” breaking his sight away from your hands and looking straight at Sirius. He looked unfairly adorable, the two of you did. Remus still didn’t remove his hands from yours, perhaps he was pushing it, but he didn’t care much if he was, he didn’t want to stop holding you. If Sirius could have his hands on your waist and his head perched on your shoulder, he could at least have your hand. He would be your date tonight either way. 

Only because Sirius didn’t want to go, a pesky little voice reminded him. 

But then again, Sirius would never pass up the opportunity to rub it on people’s faces that he was with you, let alone with the sight you were in that dress. Why was it he didn’t want to go again? He’d have to ask you later. 

“Sirius helped me swipe the metal transfiguration book from the restricted section,” you said with a smile, “he thought it was a brilliant idea when I told him about it, and that it could also help me practise transfiguration, it was the same Peter had used. Lily helped me confirm it wasn’t silver anymore with muggle science. Something about dension or something.”

“Density luv, we used Archimedes' principle,” she said before going back to her chat with James. 

“Muggle magic,” you said with a shrug, “Lily taught me the formulas to make the equations, but she always checked to make sure I was doing it correctly.” 

“So many muggle words in one sentence,” Sirius said as he shook his head and huffed. 

“You learned algebra and physics for this?” Remus asked, almost laughing as he pulled your hand up to show your ring. 

Sirius huffed, “Of course, Moony would know exactly what you were talking about.” 

“Mum taught me a lot of muggle stuff, they didn’t think I’d be allowed in Hogwarts,” Remus said, almost as a throw-off comment. “You bunch of purebloods would obviously have no idea what they are. Especially physics, since what we do here destroys most of their principles.” 

“Prove A, I changed the material of the ring,” you said with a smile. “Still, it was useful, we should be taught more muggle stuff…. Although, I do think that muggle ironsmith from your story could have used a good transfiguration spell.”

“You told her the story?” Remus asked with a frown, still holding your hand, though he was letting it hang a little more. 

“Of course, I told her the story! Last time I said eureka she was looking at me like I had just made up a word.” 

“Sounds like a spell,” Sirius said with a simple shrug and took his wand out, “do you think–” 

“NO!” Remus, Lily and you, all said at the same time. Remus had finally let go of your hand, raising both of his as a warning. 

Sirius seemed taken aback. “I tried it,” you explained, turning your face to him slightly. “Almost blew up our dorm.” The way his hair tickled your cheek felt oddly nice. 

“It’s Ancient Greek, it could mean anything,” Remus said with a shrug, “Not a great idea to infuse it with magic if you don’t know what you’re doing.” 

“You never told me about almost blowing up your room,” Sirius said with a raised eyebrow.

“We had it under control,” you responded with a shrug, “thought it’d be a funny story for another time.” 

“Pads, are you done hogging your girlfriend? We’ve got a party to attend to…” Prongs teased. 

“Go snog Lily and leave us alone,” Sirius said with a pout as he tightened his grip on your waist, fuck he looked adorable, the two of you did, Remus thought it really wasn’t fucking fair. 

“No one is snogging anyone here,” Lily said, almost scandalised. James pouted at her and she swatted him lightly. 

“Speak for yourself,” Sirius said as he pursed his lips your way in a rather exaggerated manner. You were laughing as you playfully tried to push him away. Remus sighed as he looked at the two, first wishing he was you, to be the one that Sirius tried to kiss, and then wishing he was Sirius, the one who had permission to hold you so tight and place kisses all over your face. 

Eventually, he tore his eyes from the two of you and eyed his watch, “We’ll be late. I may not know much about pure bIood and customs or whatever, but I’m sure being on time is important.” 

“Unless you’re fashionably late,” Sirius said, pressing one last kiss to your cheek and taking a step back, still keeping his hands on your shoulders. 

“There is no such thing,” you said, turning to Sirius. 

“Oh, there isn’t?” He asked with a smirk, almost innocently as he took a few steps back, “must have heard Walburga wrong when she was talking about it.” After he spoke, he allowed himself to fall on Remus’ bed again. It was the closest bed, but that wasn’t the reason. Sirius didn’t know why he would let himself lie on his friend’s bed instead of his, but sometimes it just felt warmer, and a lot more welcoming. Besides, it smelled rather nice.

Remus shook his head with a small smile, looking at Sirius diverted before turning his head back to you. You smiled at him and nodded towards the door, “Let’s get going.” 

As you walked to the door, Sirius raised his head a little to give you one last look “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” He said as he pointed at Sirius. 

You laughed “There isn’t much you wouldn’t do.” 

Lily, James, Remus and you arrived at the party shortly after, you hadn’t rushed much, since really it wasn’t that late, and even if you were happy to attend the party, you did not want to be the first people to arrive. 

They had used a room of the castle that you weren’t sure you’d ever visited. There were curtains draped all over the place, making the room look like the luxurious tent of an Arabian prince and you peeked your head inside before crossing the door, Remus followed behind. Lily and James walked next to each other and one of the waiters who you identified as Johnny Ackley stopped them in their tracks.

“You must kiss,” he said looking at your friends as he extended a silver tray your way. You leaned in and hovered your hand over one of the treats as Lily looked at him puzzled. “You stepped under the mistletoe,” he said simply, “It’s tradition.” 

“What?” Lily asked, a little shocked.

You eyed Remus, a devilish smile drawing on your lips as you pulled your hand slightly back from the treats and looked at your friends, “Oh yes, very important wizarding tradition, isn’t it Rem?” 

Remus held back his amused look as best as he could and nodded, “Definitely,” he agreed. 

Lily looked at you with pleading eyes and you gave her a wink. You knew she had enjoyed kissing James, she had told you how she’d done it on their date and also how she had “almost snogged” James a few nights ago. Now you weren’t sure what exactly Lily meant by “almost”, but you knew she had kissed James several times. And you also knew James would probably love the opportunity to kiss her in front of everyone. Were you being a better friend to James than you were to Lily at that moment? Maybe, but that didn’t stop you from adding a simple, “I’m sorry Lils, it’s part of the party traditions.” 

She narrowed her eyes at you and you just nodded with the same devilish smile as earlier. She huffed, defeated by the three of you, and placed her hand on James’ shoulder, who seemed just slightly surprised she’d actually go through with it. James had never kissed Lily in public, in fact, he wasn’t even sure people knew they were going out, outside of your very close friend group. Still, he leaned down at Lily’s command. And he calls Sirius a lap dog, Remus thought with a smile. Seeing James finally happy with Lily was oddly satisfying, probably what he should feel when he saw Sirius with you, but just couldn’t.

Eventually, they both kissed, a small peck at first but James leaned closer and placed his hand on Lily’s waist, while she took his head in her hands. You gave Rem a rather impressed look, and grabbed onto one of the treats. “I wouldn’t take that one,” Ackley said, “gives bad breath.” 

You narrowed your eyes and hovered over your hand on top of a different one, he shook his head, as if he knew something of that one in particular that you didn’t. You hovered your hand to a different-looking one and he nodded. You smiled and winked at him as you grabbed it, “What does this one do?” you asked as you leaned closer to him.

“It’s one of three that don’t have prank potions, and it’s actually tasty.” 

“Oh, so you’re here only to cause trouble?” you asked with a smile.

“I’m always around to cause trouble,” he responded, gave you a courteous look, and went somewhere else. 

You noticed Remus lean over, as if he too wanted one of the treats, but Ackley had already left, so you leaned closer to him. “Want some?” you asked as you raised your hand. 

“Well- I…” 

You gently leaned your hand towards his mouth, “It’s good, no potions or tricks,” you said, “At least according to Johnny.” 

He raised a questioning eyebrow at that but opened his mouth either way. You were halfway feeding him when you heard someone clear their throat rather loudly from behind Lily and James. You gave Remus a look and the two of you turned to look that way, the little treat still in your hand. 

“Would you mind snogging at a different place?” You heard Severus say in his infuriatingly slow voice as he pretty much pushed his way past James, who stumbled forward into Lily. Severus scoffed, and you stared daggers his way. 

“Mind your own damn business and leave the young couple alone,” you said stepping in front of him, “there was mistletoe.”

He merely raised an eyebrow all toffee-nosed and snobbish, and then moved his gaze behind you, noticing Remus holding his stance just a couple of steps back “Oh, so you left the wayward boyfriend at home and brought in the dangerous one instead.” 

You clenched your teeth at that, not because he implied Remus was your boyfriend, which had definitely done something to the boy, but rather because he called him dangerous. “Snape, if you continue insulting my friends like that, you’ll learn who is actually dangerous between us,” you said as you took a few steps towards him. The slimy-headed boy was taller than you, even taller than Sirius, but you didn’t let that deter you. 

He held his stance “Is that a threat?” he asked as he coed his head. 

“It’s a fucking promise, Severus.” 

“I’m not scared of you.” 

“Well, you should be…” you added as you pulled back. 

“Go mind your own business, and leave us alone Snape,” Remus interceded in a rather conciliatory tone. 

“As if I wanted to hang out with mudbloods,” he looked at Lily, then nodded towards James and you, “BIood traitors and mixed-raced abominations,” he added the last bit looking straight at Moony. 

You missed the hurtful look in Lily’s eyes due to the shock after his first and second insult were used so casually, but it was the last bit that had your bIood boiling, instantly giving you the urge to hex him, hand itching to get to your wand, but you somehow managed to hold back and use your tongue instead of your magic to fight back; after all fae were known for their sharp as knife words. 

“The only thing that’s abominating here is your disgusting greasy hair, Severus. Do you even know what shampoo is?” He gave you a hateful look. And that’s when you threw the real jab– you scoffed with a despicable sneer and added, “To think you wanted Lily to like you back. Bet she wouldn’t go out with you even if you were the last person on earth.” 

Severus seemed to be taken aback by that, and Lily, who had been watching the whole scene with James after they managed to sort themselves out reacted, turning to you with a gasp, “(Y/N)!”. James tightened his grip on her shoulder reassuringly. 

“Am I lying?” you said simply as you turned to her. 

She gave you a pleading look, still trying to deal with the fact that Severus had called her a Mudblood again and the fact that her noble heart couldn’t quite let go of the friendship she had once shared with him, Lily didn’t want to hurt him either,  “I– well I…” 

You nodded, “There’s your answer,” you added turning your head back at Severus with a satisfied expression, he was looking at you coldly. “Go apparate somewhere where they actually want you.” And that last bit might have been overkill, “If such a place really exists.” 

“(Y/N)!” Lily said again. Severus took his wand out and pointed it at your face, completely riled up by your poisonous words. And she looked at him shocked “Severus!” she chided, trying to appease him.

You didn’t back up at all, and you didn’t motion to grab your wand either, just gave Severus the same look he’d given you earlier. Your head leaned back slightly, a daring look plastered all over your features. You heard Remus shift behind you, the boy was ready to push you out of the way if it was necessary. But then, something none of you would have ever expected happened. Evan Rosier walked over and placed his hand on Severus’ shoulder. 

You narrowed your eyes at him, but Rosier only pulled the other Slytherin and started to drag him away, “Come on Severus, Barty was looking for you,” he said as he took him away. 

You were about to respond to that when you felt Remus’ hand wrap around your arm, you turned your gaze to him and he gave you a simple warning look. 

“Yeah, listen to your perilous boyfriend little trollop,” Snape muttered loud enough for you to hear as he left, you snapped your head his way, jaw clenching, but Remus tightened his grip around your arm, his thumb rubbing soothing circles as he shook his head. You huffed, threw another hateful look his way but didn’t say more. 

Lily approached you with a rather hurt look “What the hell was that?” 

You were completely taken aback by that, “Pardon?” 

“You knew what you said would hurt him. And you used your words like weapons, he could have hexed you.” 

“I should have hexed him first,” you said and Lily gave you another reproachful look, “Lils he was being an asshole! Calling all of us those nasty things, you included!” 

Her face had that hurt look again, but she shook her head and focused her gaze on you again. “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean you have to stump to his level.” You let those words sink in, your eyes moving rapidly as you tried to process what she said, “it’s the most Slytherin thing I’ve ever seen you do. Did you even think how it might make me feel?” 

“I– I wasn’t… Lily, I would never–” 

“But you did,” she said, now looking more upset than angry, she shook her head with a huff and bit her tongue as if she knew she had probably used her own words like knives and had started to regret it after they came out of her mouth. “I’m going for some punch,” she added and walked towards the furthest wall. 

James looked at you, an apologetic expression on his face, “You okay Vix?” Remus placed his hand on your shoulder. 

“Yeah I’m–” you cut yourself off, “you should go check on Lily.”

“But–” 

“She’s upset James, you heard what he called her. I can’t go after her but you should.” 

He leaned his head to the side, as if contemplating his options and then looked at Remus who nodded, James mirrored his actions and ran behind Lily. As you saw his messy hair disappear in between the curtains you let out a long sigh. 

Remus was looking at you and saw you shake your head as if you were contemplating whether to say something or not and then, you turned to him, “You still want some?” you said as you offered the treat still in your hands. He gave you a look, eyebrows raised. “What?” 

“You’re just going to pretend all that didn’t happen?” 

You swallowed, “I don’t want to talk about it…” you said as you avoided his gaze, he gave you some time, still looking at you and you sighed again, “Was I really that much of a Slytherin?” 

Remus sighed himself, “You’ve always had bite, I don’t think that makes you any less of a Gryffindor.” 

“But I upset her…” you said with a huff, “and the hat did consider me putting me in Slytherin, and you all say I’m cunning and–”

“Hey,” he said calmly, easily getting your attention, “Lily was upset–” 

“Because I upset her!” 

Remus gave you a look, “Lily was upset because Severus was being a prick. And then you said something that upset her even further. And while I do think you would have been brilliant Slytherin,“ your gaze fell, “that’s because I think you would have been brilliant in whichever house the hat put you in. You’re smart and loyal and cunning,” he said calmly, shaking your shoulder just enough for you to look at him “but you know what?” he leaned down to catch your gaze, “I’ve never met someone as stupidly brave as you.” You smiled, finally looking at him. “Well, perhaps James, but… we all know he’s a bit more stupid than he is brave,” he said the last bit in a whisper, sure that it would make you laugh. 

You smiled, “Oh Remus…” you added, dragging the e from his name, “I’ll keep those words stored in my brain to blackmail you one day,” you joked. 

“See, you would have thrived with the snakes,” he joked again and you punched him lightly, which just got him to laugh. Remus’ laugh was awfully contagious and you laughed alongside him.

“Still want some?” you asked as you raised the treat again. Remus huffed a laugh and nodded, opening his mouth again as you leaned the small snack to his face. He leaned forward just a little and gave it a bite, eating about half of it. 

“Mmm, it’s actually really good,” he said as he covered his mouth to speak. 

You shrugged and brought it to your own face, taking what he’d left and plopping it all in your mouth. You took a bit more time savouring it like he did, and then nodded, completely agreeing with him. Once you swallowed, you spoke again. “Delightful,” you said, “thought we should be careful with Ackley’s tray, he’s charmed a good deal of them.” And then you got an idea, “Actually…” 

Remus shook his head with a small, worried frown. “That’s your ‘I’ve got an idea’ face.” 

“Is it?” you asked with an innocent tone. 

“We’ll never get invited again if you cause havoc,” he whispered. 

“Oh Remus, we are not going to be the ones causing the havoc,” you said with a smirk. 

While Remus tried to be the reasonable one, he could not resist the way your lips curled up into a sly, very fox-like smile, nor could he resist the temptation that your eyes shone with. He had never been the biggest fan of religious tales, of temptation or whatnot. But if you were Eve, and you had been persuaded by the snake to take the forbidden fruit, and then you’d turned to him with that same look, he sure would have also forgotten all the rules any sort of god imposed on him and given the fruit a bite, not because of how tasty the forbidden fruit looked, but because of the way he might have expected to be looked at by you afterwards. He wouldn’t have just given it a bite, he would have gobbled it and then many more if that made you happy. Perhaps it was Moony more than Remus, but he thrived in the excitement of pleasing you, even if it was just this once. 

Yes, Remus always wanted approval and respect from Lyall, he wanted to make him proud, but he had never wanted to make anyone as proud as he wanted to make you feel at that particular moment. He had never felt that craving to satisfy someone else’s desires. Except perhaps, for every time Sirius gave him a similar look.

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A/N: Some people were asking for a snow day chapter, and this felt about the perfect time for it. Love playing in the snow with the boys &lt;3 Upon some requests, we have a DISCORD server now and you can all join in and chat about marauders and/or GC with other lovely people. If you wanna discuss a new oneshot or even the new chapters of GC this is your place to go. The announcement for it is here and I'll leave links to it on a reblog of this post ad in the comments.

Read more Marauders Fiction

[potions-of-dark-devotion]

Everyone Dreams of Going to Hogwarts

Every fan of Harry Potter has indulged in the fantasy of waiting for an Owl to deliver the fateful letter that will declare your future as a witch or wizard at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. Every one of us old or young had dreamed of riding the train at Kings Cross Station, taking the boats across the black lake and seeing the castle for the first time, of having dinner in the great hall, of finally figuring out where you belong in the world and it just feeling right. They fantasize about seeing their common room for the first time finally feeling that warm sense of belonging and meeting the friends that you will keep for the rest of your life. Every single one of us had fantasized about meeting our professors, exploring the grounds and discovering our latent potential. It’s a comfort for many of us and happy place to go in our minds to escape reality.

For the witches and wizards of the Wizarding World that childhood fantasy is their reality. They too wait with bated breath for their letters. They too fantasize about finally feeling that “at home” feeling, the feeling that you finally belong to something bigger and more wonderful than their wildest dreams. The chance to prove themselves. The chance to start over for many, the chance to leave their sometimes abusive homes for a place that finally actually feels like home to them. Harry was one of those people. Dumbledore was one of those people. Hermione, Ron and even Neville all find this sense of belonging sooner or later. They all find their forever home at Hogwarts the way we all dream.

Now imagine being Seveurs Snape.

You live in a house with a father that doesn’t understand you and screams and yells at you and your mother on a daily basis and you feel so alone in the world. You have one peer who appreciates in you the magic that allows you to rise above the squaller and cruelty in which you live. You have one friend who sees you for who you are and appreciates that about you truly, while being forced to inhabit a world that not only doesn’t understand you but is actually often openly hostile to you. Hogwarts, you beleive, will be your escape from this hell, and best of all you get to take this wonderful friend with you. You are being whisked away to a fairy tale castle where dreams come true and you will finally feel safe and finally feel a real sense of home. You stay up all night all week waiting by the door in the early morning for the letter that is finally going to change your life. You pour over it with your best friend, going over every aspect of this incredible opportunity in your mind over and over. You’re planning how you’ll make the most of it. You finally let yourself look forward to something, to open your heart to something, to dream of something. Your greatest hearts desire to this moment is finally coming true.

Then you get on the train.

And the hell begins before the first day has ever even started. Your friend is angry at you for something entirely out of your control, and even though you make up destiny has deigned that on this day you will meet the person that will destroy any hope you ever entertained of Hogwarts being a home at all. His name is James Potter. His partners in the crimes which will forever change your life are Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black. From the moment you meet you are ridiculed by them, physically abused by them, and the worst part is from this day forward it is never going to end.

Your best friend is put not just in a different house but in the house that hates your house the most, and from this day forward you will forever have a strain on the only true friendship you’ve ever had. From this day forward you will have to meet them either in secret or at least in private to avoid angering both your houses at best and facing ridicule at worst. The moments you stole with this friend in the muggle hell will ironically be the only moments of peace you’ll truly have with them. Not only that, but they are sorted into the same house that 4 of your worst tormentors reside in.

But it’s even worse. Because although at home you can escape form your father and potential school bullies by hiding yourself away in some nook or cranny, making yourself scarce, staying out late at night in the woods or just being as quiet as possible; you will never be able to escape the torment that now awaits every day. You have classes with them, you run into them, you see them trying to take away the only friend you have every day. And it doesn’t even end there, now they have a tracking device that you don’t know about, but somehow they manage to find you no matter where you hide. No matter where you go they are somehow always there. No matter who you talk to, they all act like you’re crazy. Because none of the other professors or students know about the marauders map they find you strange for jumping at every blow of the wind. Because they don’t know about the map they don’t believe you at all when you try to explain that somehow James Potter and his gang seem to pop up conveniently every single place you go to hide and they even blame you for trying to figure out how to protect yourself. They tell you you’re bringing it on yourself for being too weird or too jumpy or too nosy. Even your best friend in the world is starting to doubt you. You feel like you’re going insane.

So you try to have your tormentors expelled. You try so hard to figure out something, anything that will end the days on end of suffering and abuse. But you’re the weird kid. You’re the ugly kid. You’re the emo goth kid. Nobody gives a shit about you and you know it. You know you’re on your own. You’re a half blood, so the the people in your house who were supposed to have your back ignore you at best and tease you about it at worst for letting Gryffindor students get the best of you. Any hope you had of Hogwarts being your home has been destroyed.

So you try to follow James and The Gang around. Yes everyone sees you as creepy for this, becusse you don’t have a map that magically tells you where they will be at all times. You have to go about it the old fashioned way. You hide behind bushes, you peak around corners. Yes everyone finds you creepy now on top of everything else, but it’ll be worth it if you can finally enjoy what was promised to you at age 11, a home. You’ll finally be able to breathe.

But no. Instead what happens is your tormentors figure out that you know that they are putting the lives of students in danger by wandering the grounds with a werewolf against the wishes of the headmaster. You know that if you can just prove it that the torment will be over, but what you don’t know is that they are one step ahead of you, and for the unimaginable crime of trying to thwart them; they are going to plan to inflict a dangerous illness of lycanthropy on you at best, maul you to death at worst. You are close to both your proof and your death when one of them gets cold feet at the last minute and decides he doesn’t in fact want to go to prison.

You think “maybe it’s finally over now”, “maybe everyone will see now that they are cruel, that this is what they’re really like”, “maybe I’ll finally get a moment of peace, maybe Dumbledore and Lily will finally beleive me”. But no. Of course not. Because remember, you’re the weird emo Slytherin kid and your life is secondary. It always has been. Dumbledore swears you to secrecy to protect one of your tormentors, so you get no justice for the attempt on your life. Because Dumbledore had forbidden you to speak about your traumatic experience of almost being murdered, your best friend doesn’t beleive you at all and instead blames you for sneaking around. They don’t even give you the chance to defend or explain yourself. Instead you’re made out to be the creepy bad guy who wants to destroy the Potter Gang out of jealously.

Worst of all you secretly suspect that your best friend has a thing for the person who makes your life a living hell every single day. You see the stolen glances and the way they look at each other, the way she is never totally on your side. You tell yourself that this is all in your head, that Lily would never betray you that way. That all the hours you spent dreaming of Hogwarts together will mean more than a crush. But oh, sadly you are very wrong there too.

Not even a few months after attempting to take your life your abusers are back at again. Remorseless as ever they hunt you down like dogs and follow your every footstep. You haven’t a moment of peace even to do your normal school work. The only place you are safe is your common room, and even then you can’t let your guard down.

Then one day it happens.

The little pieces of happiness that you’ve managed to tuck away from yourself are cruelly ripped away. They manage to find you again. The torment us as usual. They all gang up on you, each taking a go for their own amusement. They fling you on your back, force you to vomit, force you to listen to their emotional abuse while they make a go at hitting on your best friend, and the torment does not end there. Now they are picking you up off the ground and taking off your clothes. Now on top of every other humiliation they have amused themselves by sexually humiliating you in front of everyone in your class including your closest ally. Every part of you is on fire inside and out and the depth of horror and hurt inside you is so big you don’t know what to do with the feeling. Then your friend finally steps in. But now you’re so hurt and angry that it’s bursting out of you in the worst possible ways.

Now the worst thing finally happens.

You call your best friend a slur; something you know will hurt them more than any other thing, because you’re destroyed, because you’re angry at them for letting it get this far, because you’re humiliated and because you’re tired of not being held in a higher regard than the person who has ruined your life; because you’re sick of their moralizing and their pitty.

Now you’ve lost the only person you’ve ever really felt close to. Now you’ve lost any human sympathy forever.

And it’s not over yet. Now you’re upside down again. And this time they aren’t content with exposing the rest of your body for the world to see. Now they are out for blood, and the revenge they have settled on is Sexual Assault. They remove your underwear to expose your most private parts to the world and there is nothing you can do about it. Nowhere you can go. No one who cares. No one who will come to your rescue.

Snape must have felt so hopeless it’s a wonder he didn’t try to end his life. People have done so over much less.

Hogwarts was never truly a home for Severus Snape. Even in adulthood he works in the place that was the site of innumerable traumas and heartaches. Everyday he faces trigger after trigger of the worst day of his life, while protecting the progeny of the only person he ever felt close to and the person who cruelly ripped away any chance he had at normal life. This is why I feel for Severus Snape so much in every scene. He is confronted every day with the worst memories a person can endure yet he chooses to be brave anyway. He chooses to do the right thing anyway. He puts other people’s well-being first anyway. He chooses the side of the light beyond all that had conspired to make a sociopath out of him. He holds a place in his heart for love and he protects that love with his entire being. Platonic love is just as powerful as romantic love and Severus Snape is the perfect example of this. A person even in the worst circumstances can still make the most difference in the world, can still choose to be their own person and make their own choices. Even when the world is wholly against him, Severus Snape is the pinnacle of integrity.

This is why he’s my favorite character. He’s the bravest character in the narrative, but he’s also the character with the most integrity.

[slu7formen]

hey bby! I wanted to request cedric x slytherin!reader. she is known as an ice princess, very elegant and intelligent but has no friends. she falls for THE cedric but has no hopes to even be with him. how would their story end? it would bring me so much closure 💕 thank you so much in advance

hi sweetie! thanks for requesting 🥹 and i love this story! hope you enjoy 🫶🏻 also, sorry for the wait.

melting heart | cedric diggory x f.r

cedric diggory x fem!reader

you were known for being an ice princess. being a slytherin, coming from a rich family, one of the smartest in your class; the whole package. but then you accidentally drank verisaterum, and the person you bumped with… had to be Cedric Diggory, the boy you liked for years.

warnings: language, the twins doing something illegal, emotional reader, little use of yn

reminder: english’s not my first language, so I apologize do any spelling mistakes.

slu7formen’s masterlist | cedric diggory’s masterlist

“Morning, (yln)”

“Malfoy”

Of course, he didn’t say anything as you walked out of the Slytherin common room on your way to have breakfast. but you felt his blue eyed intense stare in your back. Unfortunately, you lived in a world where even Draco Malfoy thought that hanging out with you was… not good, but since his parents knew yours, saying hi to you was the least thing he had to do, mainly because it was his parents request.

You decided to go alone this morning. Well, you were always alone, but when you do have company, it’s your cat; Hara. She looked very pleased with her sleeping position, so bothering her was not an option.

You could say she was your only friend, the only one you had ever since your first year at Hogwarts and now, on your sixth year, everything was the same. Did you hate it? Not at all. You got used to being alone, even though you hated it at first.

Your family has a reputation, therefore, you do too. People say you’re an ice princess, they say that if looks could kill, many students would be dead by now and you’d easily be responsible for it. Despite your very low desire of having friends or even sharing your life with wizards and witches, they said many other things about you too that could have easily be something that describes the sweetest girl in the world.

The way you walk, as smooth as if you could float, small but decided and confident steps. Always smelling fresh, like just showered; whoever sat next to you could sense it so strong that some even said that your perfume is made with amortentia.

Besides, you were also your house Prefect.

Truth was, you were an easy center of attention, even when you didn’t want it. A Slytherin girl who’s family is rumored to be richer than the Malfoy’s, her best friend is her black cat, always wearing the most expensive jewelry, spending as much time in the library as possible to study and also someone who’s extremely intelligent that shows its passion for Defense Against the Dark Arts, being at the top of her class? How could you not be someone that people talked about?

You were a whole mystery. But they were too afraid to even try to discover you.

You didn’t know who even started to say that you were not someone good to be with, so you couldn’t understand anything at your first year and cried yourself to sleep every night because no one wanted to be around you. With time, it got better, maybe it’s better to be alone than being sorrunded by bad people, you thought, and it always made you feel better when your stone cold heart was about to melt when you felt too vulnerable.

But no one, definitely no one… makes you feel as vulnerable as Cedric Diggory.

Of course you knew who he was, who didn’t? He was a revolutionary insanely attractive guy that caught every girl’s attention even in his first year. For your first year in Valentine’s day, he received at least twelve letters and a massive box of chocolates gifted by an anonymous girl at your grade, and he didn’t hesitate on sharing it with his friends. On second grade, he gained even more popularity after becoming a part of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, and by fifth grade already, many girls were desperate to ask him on a date and fantasize about what being their girlfriend was like.

You couldn’t deny that you were one of those girls… not the girlfriend part, but the one that could easily fall for him if your heart gave the chance.

You liked him in first grade, secretly, but as the months went by, the colder you became, the more you avoided him, and the more you forgot about his existence, just being another person you know that would not be relevant in your life.

At least, not until he bumped into you just when the year started, three months ago.

You were walking with your hands full of books, almost covering your view as you tried to find your way to your dorm again. Hara was next to you, as always, and you secretly wished she was a human the whole time so she could transform back into her original shape and carry some books for you.

That didn’t happen.

What did happen, is that you gasped as your books bumped into someone’s body; for the second time. The first one ran away when she offered to help you and you yelled at her to leave you alone, because you were too angry to even let her help you.

But how could you yell at his face?

“Oh, Merlin” he had said before quickly getting on one knee, and his big hands already started to pick up three books. You just stood there… silent. “I’m so sorry, I was coming around the corner and-…”

Your tired and big sigh interrupted his words. “It’s fine.” your voice said as you got on both of your knees as you fixed a piece of tour hair behind your ear. “It’s the second time today.”

“I’m sorry” he said again, much sadder this time, and you noticed. You thought you maybe were too hard on your words, or your tone, or the way your face was clenched, but why would you care? Weren’t you always like that?

You didn’t answer though, just silently picking up your heavy and boring looking books from the floor.

Cedric had looked up at you twice while picking up the books. He recognized you from the hallways and his classes, but didn’t find the need to introduce himself; he thought you wouldn’t care a bit. Of course, he had to think just the same way as everyone else.

You secretly wished he didn’t, but you also thought that this was going to be the only time that you saw him and actually talked.

“Are you going to your dorm?”

You frowned your eyebrows at him as you lifted your head. His brown were hidden behind some hair that fell on his forehead as his lips were parted, waiting for your answer. You nodded your head, suddenly remembering that you were actually talking to him, not staring at a fucking statue. You slapped yourself internally, feeling stupid.

“Yeah” your answer was short.

“Let me help you then, it’s the least I can do”

God, could he be more perfect?

But your hard ass had to complain.

“No, it’s okay. I know my way”

You heard his laugh when you picked up the last book from the floor.

“I know you do, but I want to help you. They’re too heavy for you”

You sighed loudly again, and with an annoyed expression on your hardly visible face, you said; “Look, I don’t need help, okay? Just-…” you stopped when you looked to your left. Hara was always there, but not this time. “Where’s Hara?” the fear in your voice alerted Cedric’s ears.

“Who’s Hara?”

“My cat!” you almost yelled, letting your books fall again as you quickly got up, already disappearing into the corner in which the brunette guy came from. “Hara?”

He was quick to follow behind you. “It’s a black cat, right?”

“What?” you asked, turning your head as you found him standing next to your body, looking down at you. “No! I’m not letting you help me find my cat”

“Well, too bad” he muttered before walking past you and brushing your shoulder. You scoffed, surprised with wide eyes as you heard how he called your cat’s name and made those same little noises that everyone does when they are trying to find a cat.

He did not fall for your complaining. Why did you like it so much?

“Ugh!” you shouted towards the ceiling while letting your arms rise up and then fall heavily to your sides. “Hara!” you screamed, knowing damn well that that would not make her come to you again, but being the only thing that came out of your mouth.

You could still hear Cedric’s voice as you silently looked for Hara in the cold hallways, books long forgotten, probably getting stepped on by many students.

For what felt like ten minutes, you were already convinced that Cedric was long gone and had stopped looking for your cat. Your thought got you relaxed, but also worried, were you too harsh on him? Too rude? You didn’t want to be rude with him, or with anyone but it was just what came out of you.

Cedric didn’t run away though. No, he stayed, he insisted. He had to be one of the few if not the only person that ever did that to you, at least for the past three years…

“yn!”

And then he called your name.

A single name falling from his rosy and pumped lips, letting it fall like thick and sweet honey that tasted as magnificent as the sweetest chocolate or cherry. You liked how it sounded, coming from him.

You turned your back, and he almost smiled when he noticed what he had in his arms, and the way your eyebrows instantly came back to their original not-worried expression.

Hara seemed a little too comfortable in his arms as she looked around nervously, as if she saw something she shouldn’t, or got scared by something. He stopped in front of you and gave you your pet in your arms, slightly letting his hands brush yours, but quickly letting go. The feeling was too good to be that short.

“Where were you?” you asked staring into her yellow eyes, as if she could answer. “You scared the living hell out of me, sweetie”

“Sweetie?”

Shit, he was still there.

You just gave him a quick look before kissing Hara’s head and placing her down to the ground again, pointing her with your finger to stay there, she meowed.

“Uh… thank you” you said, probably for the first time in months, and quickly feeling your throat go dry. He smiled, proud of himself because of course, he knew you never acted like this, in fact, it was like a totally different person in front of him.

He noticed the way your cheeks went slightly pink when he caught your baby-acting way of talking to Hara, he found it cute.

Cedric didn’t believe many of the things he heard about you over the years, like, you study so much in the library because you secretly read black magic in the forbidden section, or that you were so mean on your third grade that you made three girls cry the first day, when in fact, he knew it was another person. He almost hated the way people decided to treat you one day and never notice your existence again when it came to friendship.

You were popular, but still, one of the most feared persons. Did that make sense?

“Anytime” he replied, and you held your breath when he got closer to you, still looking at you, but quickly getting on his knees again to give your cat some little pats on her head and stomach when she just laid there, asking for more of his —probably— soft and comforting touch.

Traitor. You thought, looking at Hara.

“She’s so cute” you heard him laugh when your cat gave him the purest glassy eyes ever, enjoying his presence while you stood there awkwardly, just wanting to leave. “I think she loves me”

Once again, you didn’t know what to say, so you stayed silent again, playing with the edges of your robe.

He got up again, still standing too close to you. “You’re still letting me carry those books, right?”

“Huh?”

“Come on, it’s the-…”

“Oh, I know” you interrupted, lifting your palm as your lips clenched in disgust, but way too funny to not make him smile for the last time. “It’s the least you can do” you imitated and exaggerated manly voice.

He walked with you the whole way… and you hated the fact that you let him. If your arms weren’t feeling heavy with books, the ones that Cedric made you grab because they were the lightest, you would’ve crossed your arms over your chest all the way, but since you couldn’t do it, you decided to give him a silent treatment.

He kept eyeing you the whole way, that annoying expression on your face that really made him question to himself if he should even try to talk to you again.

It was not towards him though, but to yourself; how you hated yourself for acting so different all of a sudden, so… small. But this wasn’t your fault, was it? I mean, if he didn’t show up, none of this would’ve have happened, so he was the one to blame, wasn’t he?

Right?

You questioned yourself that same thing over and over again for the following week.

It was like he invaded your mind, everytime you looked at him, you heard him talk in class, or walked past him down the hallway. It was like you were always trying to see him too, it was pathetic.

Fucking pathetic. He only helped you find your cat, for God’s sake, why was that so important to you?

Maybe because no one ever helped you before, or the way he walked so tentatively towards you anytime he walked, or how good he looked with your own cat in his arms… so cute, so handsome.

Sometimes he was there when you tried to sleep too, inside your head. What was happening to you? Why were you desperately trying to keep him out of your mind all of a sudden? Why did you feel your heart skip a beat whenever he talked? Why did you happened to be thinking about his face so much? Why wouldn’t he let you sleep?

Was this what your talked about? She mentioned something about liking boys at a certain age, but every boy you ever knew ran away from you, so, was Cedric this boy now?

You certainly didn’t know what was it about him that caught your attention so suddenly, but stopping was not an option. After all, it made you feel good.

The more days that passed, the more confused you felt, and people started to notice. They saw how you were muy quieter now in class, how you barely raised your hand or how you just seemed… lost. Was something wrong with you? Probably, because you didn’t even eat your breakfast this morning. You just sat there, playing with your scrambled eggs and toasts, not even hungry enough to eat what you served.

There was some mumbling that came from behind you, the Gryffindor table, but didn’t even bother to look back at them, as you always do, so they would either lower their volume, or shut up. Instead, you took the cup in which you had some pumpkin juice, and drank it all.

And then, the mumbling stopped.

The whole Gryffindor group went silent, and that’s when you turned around, almost asking them to speak again… they were all staring at you.

Fred and George were mouth opened and all big eyes looking directly at you, as if something really bad just happened. His friends were whispering into each other’s ears, and you finally spoke.

“What?”

Silence.

“What are you staring at?”

“Um-…” one of the twins spoke first, but you found tell which one was it. Then he lifted his finger, and pointed to the golden cup on your left hand. “Was that your juice?”

You frowned your eyebrows, looked at the cup, and then back at them. “Yes” you replied “Why so interested?”

Silence was dominant again, as the twins exchanged a scared look and then looked back at you again. Your ears were starting to get red, nobody was telling you anything so they were either messing with you, or something bad had happened. You chose to believe the first one… but saying what you were actually thinking was not part of the plan.

“Alright, stupid looking faces, what the fuck is going on?”

The expression on their faces changed, surprised about hearing what you just said… you never insulted anyone. In fact, people thought that you were the kind of person to insult in their mind, but trying to be as cold as ever on the outside, that’s why everyone called you ice hearted or ice princess, you never actually said what you thought… you just tried to be as calm and as cold as always.

But you just insulted a group of teenagers, and that never happened before. No matter how mad you were, you always tried not to insult. People did it to you and it felt horrible, so why do it to someone else?

You gasped lowly while covering your mouth. “Fohmygad” you muttered against your palm. “Oh my God, I’m-… I didn’t want to”

“We know” the other twin had said. “You just drank veritaserum”

And your whole face transformed.

“What… did you just say?” Your voice tone was scary, just like a threat.

“It was not for you!” you recognized the girl that just spoke to you, Angelina. You sat with her a few times in class, but she was quick to run away from you as soon as class finished. “I told you you shouldn’t have done that! All the cups look the same” she hit one of the twins on the side of their head. He whined.

“How was it supposed to know she was going to grab Malfoy’s cup?”

You quickly stood up and placed the cup on the table, right next to, in fact, Malfoy’s breakfast. It was not too far away from you, and you had poured yourself the same drink, but Draco left for a second before you drank the wrong juice.

Fred and George kept talking at the same time towards you, fear in their voices and getting smaller and smaller almost hiding under the table. You ignored them as much as you could so nothing else could come out of your mouth, and with half your face covered, you walked away from the Great Hall.

But of course, not before bumping into another person again.

“Woah” Cedric said as he grabbed your shoulders. He laughed when he noticed it was you “We keep bumping into each other, huh?”

“Don’t talk to me” you bit while shaking your body off of his grabbing, and bit your tongue again as the gigantic door kept getting closer and closer, but it didn’t make you feel any better.

You didn’t look back as you walked as fast as you could towards the bathroom on the fifth floor, the Prefect’s bathroom, after all, you were one. It was a safe place, since no one was ever there at that time in the morning and not everyone could come in. You just wished that Myrtle was not there, she could be a bit annoying sometimes.

After letting your way in, you ran to wash your face with the coldest water that your skin could handle. Your skin was on fire, just like the rest of your body and maybe, just maybe, your brain. You have definitely gained a new enemy.

Verisaterum? Really?

Malfoy could be a pain in the ass but, out of all the potions in the wizarding world, the Weasley twins had to choose the hardest one to make, with no taste, no color, but most importantly, illegal to any use outside the Minister?

Merlin’s fucking beard, you needed a break.

“yn?”

You scoffed when a male voice called your name. “It’s occupied, genius” you answered with your back still turned to where the voice was coming.

The footsteps were coming closer and closer, and you were not in the mood to deal with any Weasley shit, you thought.

“Pretrificus Totalus!” you screamed while turning around, your hand already grabbing your wand and throwing it towards whoever it was the Weasley that followed you.

“Hey!” the male voice, not Weasley, screamed as he hid behind a wall, your spell crushing into the cold surface. “What do you think you’re doing?” Cedric showed himself, confusion on his face as he slowly decided to walk again.

“Cedric.” you called, putting your wand away. It was the first time you called his name. “I thought you were one of the twins”

“I can tell… are you okay?”

Yes.

“No”, you replied. You groaned lowly when the truth came out of your lips. In times like this, you really wished these kind of potions didn’t exist, it was hard to hold back their enchantment. “I just drank the most stupid potion that the Weasley twins could think of to piss off Malfoy”

He placed his hands inside the front pockets of his pants as he laughed. “Verisaterum?”

“How’d you know?”

He clicked his tongue, making his way towards you again. “They joke about it too much” he leaned his back against the sink you were gripping tightly with your hands.

You took a deep breath and stayed silent for a moment, analyzing your reflection as you asked, “How long does it last?”

“Depends on how successful it is. It can go away between one hour and six”

“Six hours!?” you yelled to his face, then scoffed while letting an annoyed smile draw on your face. “For the love of….”

“We can always ask Snape for the antidote… but that would mean you tell him about the twins’s action and that was illegal”

You bit your tongue as your feet bobbed up and down, snapping your toes onto the shiny floor again and again as your breathing was a clear sign of how bad you were feeling.

“Forget it. I’ll just wait”

Your knees bended as you sat on the floor, right next to Cedric’s legs, and letting your head fall against the cold pipe under the sink.

“You’ll wait up until six hours before you speak again?” his voice could perfectly fit with another type of quiestion… ‘are you crazy?’ would be the perfect one.

But you just nodded, not even looking at his perfect face. “It’s not like I have someone to talk to, anyways”

Ouch.

Cedric bit the inside of his cheek as he looked down at you, feeling bad for you and how vulnerable were feeling, but being smart enough to keep that thought to himself.

“Or… you can talk to me”

You clicked your tongue and laughed coldly. “Yeah, right”

“Really” he insisted as you saw his figure squat next to yours, finally dropping his whole weight to the floor, imitating your posture. “By this time you should already know I’m not someone who falls for your complains, right?”

“You’re right” you replied as you played with your fingers nervously. “That’s good”

Shit, shut up already.

“Why?”

“‘Cause I like it… oh my god” you covered your face “I was not supposed to say that”

Cedric laughed again.

“You like my company?”

No, no, no, no.

“Yes” you whined “Please stop asking me questions!”

He let out a louder laugh this time. “Why? It’s fun”

“Yeah, you drink verisaterum and we’ll see if it’s funny, smart boy”

“Sorry”

He stayed silent after that, and so did you. Your cheeks were flushed with embarrassment as you kept wishing that this potion was so poorly made that it only lasted one hour, but the effect didn’t seem to go away any sooner.

You could feel it because that’s just how your mind felt too. Suddenly the thought of not saying the truth to any question was not an option in your mind. Did you even know what a lie was? God, you felt so weak that you hated yourself. Why couldn’t you be like those wizards you read about? The ones that can resist it?

Your whole reputation and personality would’ve stayed intact if you could.

But right now, sitting right next to Cedric Diggory, asking you questions, and with red cheeks… that just ruined the whole image that people thought you had.

“Do you mind if I ask you something?” he suddenly stammered and it made you jump slightly. He had leaned closer to your ear, as if sitting next to him was not enough to hear him.

“I do” you answered before laughing to yourself “That was the only answer that did not feel forced to come out”

Cedric laughed too, and he took his time before deciding what to ask you, trying to find the correct words to say to not make you mad, or walk away and leave.

“Is it… are you really how people say you are? I mean, I see that you can be as cold as you want but, is that who you are?”

Your eyes made him nervous. After his lips closed, your face just inches away from his, you just stayed there staring at him. You bit your own lip as you kept looking at his grey eyes, trying to find any sign that showed you that he really didn’t care about it, or that the wrinkles on his skin would show up like anytime he laugh, another sign that he was just messing with you, and he really couldn’t care in the slightest about you. But he didn’t move.

So you sighed. “No”

Cedric nodded, more than satisfied with that answer. He was right.

But you had a lot to say, even though he didn’t ask you that much.

“I guess I became what people started to say I was, or what I started to hear about myself. I wasn’t always cold, or I wasn’t always pushing people away from me. Actually, I was the one trying to have lots of friends and be myself with many people but they just… I don’t know, they felt threatened, so… let’s just say I got mad with my own life and decided to not let myself feel vulnerable again, because I don’t deserve it”

Another big gap of silence… and your eyes slowly got filled with tears.

“I’m not who everyone says I am. Ice princess, the hell” you laughed “I mean, sorry I’m not a sweetheart to everyone that gave me nicknames! They expected me to be like this so, here they go”

You sniffed while your nose got red and puffy. Not a single tear was dropped but you still looked so heartbroken that it made the boy next to you almost cry too. You didn’t even complain about the potion this time, because you finally had thrown again that massive rock that just kept hurting your chest over and over again.

“There was only one person that treated me nicely in the last three years”

He frowned his eyebrows. “Who?”

“You”

You had turned your head towards him again, with a small smile on your lips. He knew it was going to be hard for you to thank him, but the shiny look in your eyes was just enough for him to realize. “Really?” he asked.

You nodded, still smiling. “Yes, it’s like a bonus point”

“Bonus point?”

“Because I like you”

Fuck… fuck!

“I-…”

“Wha-…” you both started taking at the same time.

It was like a fucking movie. Both of you frozen in time, staring at each other’s faces as you tried to say the correct words, but nothing came to mind.

Cedric could feel his heart pounding in his ears, while you wanted to crash your head to the nearest wall.

“You…” he started, but didn’t finish, at least not what he initially wanted to say. “Are you for real?”

“No, Diggory, I just fucking lied to your face, can you believe it?… Of course I’m for real, dingus!” you yelled.

Cedric bit his lip as he turned his head to the opposite side, trying to bite back his laugh. “Okay, I get it, it was a dumb question”

But then he laughed. God, his laugh, his perfect little giggle. It made you smile.

“I kinda like you too”

Your neck snapped so hard towards his direction that you thought that maybe, you just died.

Your lips kept opening and closing everytime you tried to say something. For some reason, none of this seemed like a joke to you, almost as if the potion’s effect had affected Cedric too. Something about this felt real, maybe it was because you openly talked about your feeling with him. He knew you weren’t bad, he always knew, he just wanted you to confirm it.

Maybe drinking verisaterum wasn’t as bad as you thought.

Your heart pounded heavily in your chest when he fixed a piece of your hair behind your ear, and the lightest yet burning touch of his fingers against your jawline made your breath hitch once again. He smirked again, as he always does, “You’re really beautiful” he cooed, as his hot breath hit your cheekbone and left behind a sweet feeling that you never wanted to get rid of.

He then got up, as swiftly as a leaf would do, and extended his hand to you.

“What?” you debated.

“Let’s go for a walk. I feel like I have to ask you a few more questions before I decided which place I’m taking you to this weekend”

[mybutcheredtongue]

I'll Love You 'til the Grass Around My Gravestone is Deceased

post azkaban sirius black x fem!reader

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX (see full series list here)

1994

I've just been attacked by dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here.

That's what Harry had written in his note to you and Sirius — and also in notes to Ron and Hermione too.

The pair of you had been livid, of course — "this is what happens when he's left alone with those people!" — and three days later, you stand on the doorstep to Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging with a group of other Order members.

"Alohomora," you say, pushing the door open. You make your way into the hallway, all the lights turned off.

Tonks lets out a whistle at a stack of antique decorative plates on a table beside her. "Wow, look at these plates, they're proper fancy! Just look — "

She immediately drops it with a crash.

"Oops," she says, repairing it with a wave of her wand.

You make your way up the stairs, unlocking the door with your wand while the others wait at the bottom of the stairs. Harry slowly emerges from the room, poking his head out the door, wand clutched tightly in his hand.

"Lower your wand, boy, before you take someone's eye out," Moody growls.

Harry doesn't lower his wand. "Professor Moody?"

"I don't know so much about 'Professor'. Never got round to much teaching, did I? Get down here, we want to see you properly."

Harry still doesn't move, clearly wary of your party.

"It's alright, Harry," you say gently. "We've come to take you away."

"P-professor?" he says disbelievingly. "Is that you?"

"Why are we all standing in the dark?" Tonks says. "Lumos."

The tip of Tonks's wand flares, illuminating the hall with light. You beam at the sight of your godson, already looking older than when you last seen him.

You stride forward and wrap him in a tight hug, beaming. "Good to see you, Harry."

"Yeah, you too..."

"Ooh, he looks just like I thought he would," Tonks says excitedly. "Wotcher, Harry!"

"Yeah, I see what you mean, Remus," Kingsley Shacklebolt says from the back. "He looks exactly like James."

"Except the eyes," Dedalus Diggle wheezes. "Lily's eyes."

Moody squints suspiciously at Harry, his magical eye pointed towards him searchingly. "Are you quite sure it's him? It'd be a nice lookout if we bring back some Death Eater personating him. We ought to ask him something only the real Potter would know. Unless anyone brought any Veritaserum?"

"Harry, what form does your patronus take?" Remus asks.

"A stag," Harry answers nervously.

"That's him, Mad-Eye."

Harry descends the stairs, still looking a bit confused, stowing his wand in the back pocket of his jeans as he goes.

"Don't put your wand there, boy!" Moody roars immediately. "What if it ignited? Better wizards than you have lost a buttock, you know!"

"Who do you know that's lost a buttock?" Tonks asks curiously

"Never you mind, just keep your wand out of your back pocket!" he barks, hobbling off to the kitchen. "Elementary wand safety, nobody bothers about it anymore..."

Wow, how many times did you hear that during your training?

"And I saw that," Moody adds irritably as you roll your eyes at the ceiling.

Remus holds out his hand and shakes Harry's. "How are you?"

"Fine..." Harry replies, looking as though he's still in shock at what's going on.

"I'm — you're really lucky the Dursleys are out..." he mumbles.

"Lucky, ha!" Tonks exclaims, grinning. "It was me that lured them out of the way. Sent a letter by Muggle post telling they'd been short-listed for the All-England Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition. They're heading off to the prize-giving right now...or so they think."

She winks at you and you smile back, remembering the side-splitting laughter that had infected you as the two of you cooked up that idea a few nights previous.

"We are leaving, aren't we?" Harry asks. "Soon?"

"Almost at once," Remus says. "We're just waiting for the all-clear."

"Where are we going? The Burrow?" Harry asks hopefully.

You shake your head. "No, not the Burrow." You follow Moody into the kitchen, the group of Order members walking in after you. "Too risky. We're set up headquarters somewhere else, somewhere undetectable."

Moody sits at the kitchen table swigging from a hip flask, taking in the many electrical appliances in the Dursleys' kitchen.

"This is Alastor Moody, Harry," Remus tells, pointing toward him.

"Yeah, I know."

"And this is Nymphadora — "

"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," Tonks says with a shudder. "It's Tonks."

" — Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only," Remus finishes, glancing at Tonks.

She folds her arms. "So would you if your fool of a mother called you Nymphadora."

"And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt," Remus continues. "Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle — "

"We've met before," squeaks Diggle, dropping his top hat excitedly.

" — Emmeline Vance — Sturgis Podmore — and Hestia Jones."

Harry nods awkwardly at each of them in turn.

"A surprising number of people volunteered to come get you," Remus says, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Yeah, well, the more the better," Moody says darkly. "We're your guard, Potter."

"We're just waiting for the signal to tell us it's safe to set off," Remus explains, glancing out the kitchen window. "We've got about fifteen minutes."

"Very clean, aren't they, these Muggles?" Tonks says as she looks around the kitchen with heat interest. "My dad's Muggle-born and he's a right old slob. I suppose it varies, just like with wizards?"

"Uh — yeah," says Harry, turning to you. "What's going on, I haven't heard anything from anyone, what's Vol — ?"

Several of the witches and wizards make odd hissing noises and Moody growls, "Shut up!"

"What?"

"We're not discussing anything here, it's too risky," Moody explains, looking around him warily with his magical eye.

"We can talk about it once we're back at headquarters," you say.

"How're we getting there?"

"Brooms," Remus replies. "Only way. You're too young to apparate, they'll be watching the Floo Network, and it's more than our life's worth to set up an unauthorised Portkey."

"She says you're a good flier," Kingsley says, gesturing to you.

"He's excellent," you reply proudly, smiling at Harry.

Remus glances down at his watch. "You better go and get packed, Harry, we want to be ready to go when the signal comes."

"I'll come and help you," Tonks says brightly, following Harry upstairs to his bedroom.

Remus pulls an envelope and piece of parchment out of his pocket, bending over the kitchen table to start scribbling something down. You walk around the room, looking at different photos of the Dursleys.

Baby Dudley, with a proud Petunia and Vernon standing over him; Petunia and Vernon on their wedding day; several more photos of Dudley growing up — there's an obvious absence of Harry. If a stranger were to walk into this room without knowing anything about the Dursleys beforehand, they would never know Harry even exists.

"What a strange device!" Podmore exclaims, curiously opening and closing the kitchen microwave while Kingsley stands behind him. He waves you over. "What does it do?"

Because of your Muggle father, you are often questioned on Muggle items and customs — though usually by Arthur Weasley.

"It cooks food," you reply. "It's called a microwave."

"A microwave..." Kingsley repeats thoughtfully, opening the door and peering inside with immense interest.

Nearby, Hestia laughs at a potato peeler that she came across in one of the drawers. You give her a look, confused as to what could possibly be so humourous about a potato peeler, but she just continues to snicker and giggle as she turns it over in her hands.

"Excellent," Remus says when Harry and Tonks return, Harry's trunk bobbing along in the air behind them. "We've got about a minute, I think. We should probably get out into the garden so we're ready. Harry, I've left a note telling your aunt and uncle not to worry — "

"They won't," says Harry.

"That you're safe — "

"That'll just depress them."

" — and you'll see them next summer."

"Do I have to?"

Remus smiles but doesn't answer.

"Come here, boy," Moody says gruffly, beckoning Harry towards him with his wand. "I need to Disillusion you."

Harry's brows knit nervously. "You need to what?"

"Disillusionment Charm," Moody replies, raising his wand. "Lupin says you've got an Invisibility Cloak, but it won't stay on while we're flying; this'll disguise you better. Here you go — "

He raps Harry hard on the top of his head and Harry's body takes on the exact colour and texture of the kitchen unit behind him, like some sort of human chameleon.

"Nice one, Mad-Eye," Tonks says appreciatively, and Harry looks down in surprise, spinning in place as he surveys his new look.

"Come on," Moody says, moving towards the back door and unlocking it with his wand.

You all step out onto the Dursleys' impeccably well-kept lawn. It looks practically untouched — a contender for the All-England Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition indeed.

"Clear night," Moody grumbles, peering up into the dark sky above. "Could've done with a bit more cloud cover. Right, you," he barks at Harry, pointing his finger at him, "we're going to be flying in close formation. Tonks'll be right in front of you. The rest'll be circling us. We don't break ranks for anything, got me? If one of us is killed — "

"Is that likely?" Harry asks apprehensively, but Moody ignores him. When he turns his worried eyes to yours you shake your head, resisting the urge to roll your eyes at Moody's grimness.

" — the others keep flying, don't stop, don't break ranks. If they take out all of us and you survive, Harry, the rear guard are standing by to take over; keep flying east and they'll join you."

"Stop being so cheerful, Mad-Eye, he'll think we're not taking this seriously," says Tonks as she straps Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage into a harness hanging from her broom.

"I'm just telling the boy the plan," Moody growls. "Our job's to deliver him safely to headquarters and if we die in the attempt — "

"No one's going to die," you say calmly, receiving a doubtful grumble from Moody in the process.

"Mount your brooms, that's the first signal!" Remus says sharply, pointing into the sky at the shower of bright red sparks flaring high above you.

You swing your leg over your broom — your dusty old Cleansweep Seven that you've had since you were fifteen and that has seen more of the inside of your garden shed than the open air — and wrap your hands around the flaking handle. You're a pretty average flier — nothing compared to James, of course...but who could ever compare to him?

"Second signal, let's go!" Remus says loudly, as this time green sparks explode into the air far above you.

You kick off hard from the ground. The cool night air rushes into you as you rise higher into the air, the houses and buildings of Little Whinging becoming smaller and smaller as your group ascends. Looking up, the sky is vast and clear, revealing the billions of gleaming stars twinkling above. You can't help the small rush of giddiness that sparks in you at the sight of it.

"Hard left, hard left, there's a Muggle looking up!" Moody shouts over the wind, and your circling group follows Tonks as she swerves, Harry close behind. "We need more height...give it another quarter of a mile!"

"Bear southeast and keep climbing, there's some low cloud ahead we can lose ourselves in!" calls Moody.

"We're not going through clouds!" Tonks shouts angrily. "We'll get soaked, Mad-Eye!"

You're glad to hear this, your fingers turning numb around the handle of your broom in the chill.

You alter your course every now and then according to Moody's instructions, you and the rest of the guard circling Harry and Tonks as you move.

"We ought to double back for a bit, to make sure we're not being followed!" Moody shouts.

"Don't be mad! We're nearly there now!" You yell, recognising the streets hurtling past below. "If we keep going off course, we won't have to worry about being followed because Harry'll have died from hypothermia by then!"

"Time to start the descent!" Remus orders. "Follow Tonks, Harry!"

You dive, flying lower and lower until you touch down on a quiet street with several less-than-welcoming houses lining it.

"Where are we?" Harry asks.

"In a minute," Remus says quietly, looking at Moody expectantly as he rummages around in his cloak.

"Got it," he mutters, pulling out Dumbledore's trusty Deluminator and clicking it. The nearest streetlamp goes out with a pop. Moody clicks the Deluminator again and one by one each lamp on the street distinguishes, leaving the faint glow of lit rooms behind curtains the only source of light on the street.

"Borrowed it from Dumbledore," Moody explains to Harry, pocketing the Deluminator once more. "That'll take care of any Muggles looking out the window, see? Now, come on, quick."

Together, your group makes it towards houses Number 11 and Number 13. Even though he's been Disillusioned, you can still see Harry's form shivering with the cold, and you make a slow sweeping motion down the length of his body with your wand, muttering a quiet warming spell under your breath. You hear him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thanks."

Remus tuts quietly under his breath. "No spell for the rest of us, then?"

You smile. "You're not my godson."

Even in the dark, you can see him rolling his eyes at you.

"Here," Moody says, thrusting a piece of paper towards Harry. "Read quickly and memorise."

"What's the Order of the — ?"

"Not here, boy!" Moody snarls immediately, his eyes wide. "Wait 'til we're inside!"

He snatches the parchment out of Harry's hand and lights it on fire, dropping it to the ground, the edges curling in the flame.

"But where's — ?"

"Think about what you've just memorised," Remus says quietly.

After a moment, the run-down door of the Black house emerges in the space between 11 and 13, followed soon by grimy walls and windows.

"Come on, hurry," Moody growls, prodding Harry in the back.

You tap the door with your wand. Loud metallic clicks and squeaks sound behind the door before it creaks open, revealing the darkened hallway beyond. "Get in quick, Harry. But don't go far inside and don't touch anything."

You shuffle into the hallway behind Harry, casting a wary eye to the curtained portrait at the end of the hall, waiting for Moody to finish returning the light to the streetlamps before closing the door behind him.

"Here." Moody raps Harry hard over the head with his wand, lifting the Disillusionment Charm and returning Harry to his usual, visible state. Probably could've been a bit more gentle with it, but whatever.

"Now stay still, everyone, while I give us a bit of light around here," Moody says quietly. With a soft hissing noise, the old-fashioned gas lamps flicker to life, illuminating the depressingly drab hallway you're standing in.

Hurried footsteps alert you to Mrs Weasley's entrance, emerging from the basement door with a smile on her face as she makes her way toward you.

"Oh, Harry, it's lovely to see you!" she whispers, pulling Harry into a tight hug before holding him at arm's length and examining him critically. "You're looking peaky; you need feeding up, but you'll have to wait a bit for dinner, I'm afraid..."

She turns to you and the rest of the Order members and whispers urgently, "He's just arrived, the meeting's started..."

Everyone starts to make their way through the door, and Harry moves to follow Remus when you gently hold him back, a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, Harry. Order members only. We'll talk later, yeah?"

"Ron and Hermione are waiting upstairs, you can wait with them until the meeting's over, and then we'll all have dinner," Mrs Weasley whispers to him. "And keep your voice down in the hall."

"Why?"

"I don't want to wake anything up."

"What d'you — ?"

"I'll explain later, I've got to hurry, I'm supposed to be at the meeting — I'll just show you where you're sleeping."

You give Harry and Mrs Weasley a wave before heading down into the basement, opening the door as quietly as possible and slipping into your usual spot beside Sirius at the table while Dumbledore speaks to Remus and Moody about Harry. You listen as Dumbledore outlines plans and guard duty: looks like you're on tomorrow night. Brilliant.

Snape sits across from you, and when your eyes meet he gives you a near-imperceptible head shake. Nothing on Wormtail yet. Then his eyes shift to hatred as he wrinkles his nose at Sirius beside you, and you notice that your husband is currently pretending to scratch his nose with just his middle finger extended, directly in Snape's eyeline.

Of course.

When the meeting is finally over, most of the Order members file out of the kitchen and upstairs, speaking in hushed voices as they enter the hall. You pull one of the scrolls of parchment from the middle of the table into your hands, skimming your eyes over a plan of the Department of Mysteries, exits and entrances marked in red.

Just then, you hear a clatter and a great, thankfully muffled, screeching starts from the hall. You sigh, rubbing your temples, and move to stand up and deal with your darling mother-in-law when Sirius gently pushes you back into your chair, standing up.

"I'll handle it."

Bill and Mr Weasley sit close by, heads pressed together as they mull over parchment and documents. After a minute or two, the screaming stops and Sirius reopens the door, Harry following close behind with Remus and the rest of the kids.

Mrs Weasley clears her throat and Mr Weasley jumps to his feet, hurrying over to give Harry's hand a shake. "Harry! Good to see you!"

Bill starts to try and roll up the scrolls and you move to help him, handing him the plan of the Department of Mysteries.

"Journey all right, Harry?" he asks. "Mad-Eye didn't make you come via Greenland, did he?"

"He tried," Tonks says, striding over to help you and immediately knocking over a candle, sending the wax spilling onto the parchment. "Oh, no — sorry — "

"Here," you say, waving your wand and muttering a spell to repair the parchment. In the light your wand casts, you spy Harry trying to catch a glimpse of what's written on the parchment.

Mrs Weasley sees him too, and clicks her tongue disapprovingly, snatching up the scrolls and shoving them into Bill's arms. "This sort of thing ought to be cleared away promptly at the end of meetings."

She sweeps off towards a dresser to start unloading dinner plates and you grab a cloth and wipe down the table for dinner.

"Sit down, Harry," Sirius says, retaking his usual spot at the table. "You've met Mundungus, haven't you?"

Mundungus, who has been snoring away at the end of the table, stirs and jolts awake. "Someone say m' name? I agree with Sirius..."

He raises his hand in the air as though voting, and you snort.

"Meeting's over, Dung," you say with a smile, giving his back a poke as you pass by with more plates. "Harry's arrived."

"Eh?" He peers at Harry before his face lights in recognition. "Blimey, so 'e 'as! Yeah...you all right, Harry?"

"Yeah."

Mundungus fumbles in his pockets and produces his trusty black pipe, lighting the tip with his wand and taking a long pull from it. A cloud of green smoke thickens the air around him instantly.

"Owe you an apology," he grunts.

"For the last time, Mundungus," calls Mrs Weasley in frustration, "will you please not smoke that thing in the kitchen, especially not when we're about to eat!"

"Ah. Right, sorry, Molly."

He stuffs the pipe back into his pocket, with slight reluctance.

Soon, a series of heavy knives are chopping meat and vegetables on their own, supervised by Mr Weasley, while Mrs Weasley stirs a cauldron dangling over the fire. Mundungus, Sirius, and Harry are talking at the table, and from the few snippets you overhear you can tell Sirius is complaining about being stuck inside with nothing to do — which you don't blame him for.

"At least you've known what's been going on," Harry says bracingly.

"Oh, yeah," Sirius says sarcastically. "Listening to Snape's reports, having to take all his snide hints that he's out there risking his life while I'm sat on my backside here having a nice comfortable time...asking me how the cleaning's going — "

"What cleaning?" Harry asks.

"Trying to make this place fit for human habitation," Sirius replies, waving a hand around the dismal kitchen. "No one's lived here for ten years, not since my mother died, unless you count her old house-elf, and he's gone round the twist, hasn't cleaned anything in years — "

"Sirius?" Mundungus pipes up, eyes focused on a silver goblet in his hands, examining it with immense interest. "This solid silver, mate?"

"Yes," he answers, surveying the goblet with obvious distaste. "Finest fifteenth-century goblin-wrought silver, embossed with the Black family crest."

"That'd come off, though," Mundungus mutters thoughtfully, scrubbing the crest with his cuff.

"Fred — George — NO, JUST CARRY THEM!" Mrs Weasley shrieks.

Fred and George have bewitched a large cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of butterbeer, and a heavy wooden breadboard, to hurtle through the air towards the table. Harry, Sirius, and Mundungus leap away, just in time to avoid the pot of stew that skids the length of the table before stopping at the end, the flagon of butterbeer that falls with a crash and spills over the surface, dripping onto the floor, and the sharp knife that slips from the breadboard and sticks in the table where Sirius' hand had been moments before.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" Mrs Weasley screams, face red with fury. "THERE WAS NO NEED — I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS — JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!"

"We were just trying to save a bit of time!" Fred says, hurrying forward and wrenching the knife out of the table. "Sorry, Sirius, mate — didn't mean to — "

Harry and Sirius are laughing, and you turn your face away to hide your laughter from the furious Mrs Weasley. Mundungus struggles to his feet, swearing and muttering under his breath.

"Boys," Mr Weasley steps in, lifting the stew pot back into the middle of the table. "Your mother's right, you're supposed to show a sense of responsibility now that you've come of age — "

"None of your brothers caused this sort of trouble!" Mrs Weasley snaps at the twins, slamming a fresh flagon of butterbeer onto the table while you clean away the mess from the previous with your wand. "Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't charm everything he met! Percy — "

She stops dead, catching her breath with a frightened look at her husband. Mentions of Percy are not particularly welcomed in the house at the moment, after Percy and Mr Weasley had an especially heated argument and Percy chose his job at the Ministry over his own family.

"Let's eat," Bill says quickly.

For a few minutes, there is silence in the room but for the scraping of plates and cutlery and the creak of chairs as everyone settles down for the meal. You sit beside Sirius, who smiles and pulls your chair closer to his as you eat.

He tugs on the sleeve of your jumper, rolling the fabric between his thumb and forefinger. "I like this, it suits you. You look very pretty."

You scoff, giving him a smile. "Of course you like it, Sirius, it's yours. Anyways, I'm thinking of going back home soon just to collect a few things," you say. "Is there anything you want? I am seriously missing my telescope here — "

A loud burst of laughter drowns out the rest of your words, as Fred, George, Ron, and Mundungus roll around in their chairs.

"...and then," chokes Mundungus, tears running down his face, "and then, if you'll believe it, 'e says to me, 'Dung, where did ya get all them toads from? 'Cause some son of a Bludger's gone and nicked all mine!' And I says, 'Nicked all your toads, Will, what next? So you'll be wanting some more, then?' And if you'll believe me, lads, the gormless gargoyle buys all 'is own toads back off me for twice what 'e paid in the first place — "

"I don't think we need to hear any more of your business dealings thank you very much, Mundungus," Mrs Weasley says sharply.

"Beg pardon, Molly," he answers at once, wiping his face and winking at Harry. "But, you know, Will nicked 'em of Warty Harris in the first place so I wasn't really doing anything wrong — "

"I don't know where you learned about right and wrong, Mundungus, but you seemed to have missed a few crucial lessons," Mrs Weasley says coldly, before shooting a particularly nasty look at Sirius and standing up to fetch a large rhubarb crumble for dessert.

You sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose. Mundungus is certainly not the most law-abiding man, but he has his uses.

"Molly doesn't approve of Mundungus," Sirius says quietly to Harry.

"How come he's in the Order?"

"He's useful," Sirius mutters. "Knows all the crooks — "

"Well, he would, seeing as he is one himself," you add, taking a sip from your wine.

Sirius nods. "He's also very loyal to Dumbledore, who helped him out a tight spot once. It pays to have someone like Dung around, he hears things we don't. But Molly thinks inviting him to stay for dinner is going too far. She hasn't forgiven him for slipping off duty when he was supposed to be tailing you."

Several helpings of crumble later, the air in the room moves to a relaxed laziness as you finish telling the story of Remus's first time getting drunk at Hogwarts to Tonks, who giggles and laughs while Remus shakes his head and becomes increasingly interested in his goblet. Sirius's hand rests on your hip, idly drawing circles with his finger.

"I don't — uh — I don't remember that," Remus says, cheeks crimson as he glances at Tonks to see her reaction.

You hum, smiling at him. "Well, I certainly do. "

Tonks smiles appreciatively at Remus, yawning loudly.

"Nearly time for bed, I think," Mrs Weasley says, yawning too.

"Not just yet, Molly," Sirius says, pushing away his empty plate and turning to look at Harry. "You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."

The change in the atmosphere is rapid: Mrs Weasley sits bolt upright, her fists clenched; Remus lowers his goblet warily, eyes meeting yours.

"I did!" Harry says indignantly. "I asked Ron and Hermione but they said we're not allowed in the Order, so — "

"And they're quite right," Mrs Weasley says firmly. "You're too young."

"Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?" Sirius asks, raising his eyebrows. "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happen — "

"Hang on!" George interrupts loudly.

"How come Harry gets his questions answered?" says Fred angrily.

"We've been trying to get stuff out of you for a month and you haven't told us a single stinking thing!"

"You're too young, you're not in the Order," Fred says in a high-pitched imitation of his mother. "Harry's not even of age!"

"It's not my fault you haven't been told what the Order's been doing," Sirius says calmly. "That's your parents' decision. Harry, on the other hand — "

"It's not down to you to decide what's good for Harry!" Mrs Weasley says sharply, a dangerous look on her face. "You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?"

"Which bit?" His tone is polite, but you spot the familiar tense in his jaw and know that this calmness won't last long.

"The bit about not telling Harry more than he needs to know," Mrs Weasley replies stonily.

Everyone else in the room is dead silent, their eyes flitting between Sirius and Mrs Weasley as though watching a tennis match. You meet Remus's eyes across the table, subtly shaking your head.

"I don't intend to tell him more than he needs to know, Molly," says Sirius. "But he was the one who saw Voldemort come back. He has more right than most to — "

"He's not a member of the Order of the Phoenix!" Mrs Weasley snaps. "He's only fifteen — "

"And he's dealt with as much as most in the Order, and more than some — "

"No one's denying what he's done!" Mrs Weasley's voice rises, her fists trembling with anger. "But he's still — "

"He's not a child!" Sirius says impatiently.

"He's not an adult either! He's not James, Sirius!"

Sirius stares back at Mrs Weasley, poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue. His voice is ice. "I'm perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly."

"I'm not sure you are!" Mrs Weasley says hotly. "Sometimes, the way you talk about him, it's as though you think you've got your best friend back!"

"What's wrong with that?" says Harry.

"What's wrong, Harry, is that you are not your father, however much you might look like him! You are still at school and adults responsible for you should not forget it!"

"Meaning I'm an irresponsible godfather?" Sirius demands, his voice rising.

"Meaning you've been known to act rashly — "

"Enough," you say loudly, stopping the two. You inhale deeply. "Harry deserves to know a certain amount. He has been left in the dark for a month, and I have no doubt that he's used this time to come up with a few interesting theories of what's been going on. Don't you think he deserves to know what is true, from us, rather than a muddled version from...others?"

You don't doubt that a few of Fred and George's Extendable Ears have survived Mrs Weasley's purge.

Mrs Weasley looks back at you, breathing deeply. "Well..." she looks around the table for support, but receives none. "Well...I can see that I'm going to be overruled. I'll just say this: Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to know too much, and speaking as someone who has Harry's best interests at heart — "

"He's not your son," Sirius says quietly.

"He's as good as!" Mrs Weasley snaps back fiercely. Great, just when you thought the argument had come to an end. "Who else has he got?"

You pause, hoping you misheard her.

"He's got us!" Sirius snaps back, gesturing between you and him.

"Yes. The thing is, it's been rather difficult for you to look after him while you've been locked up in Azkaban, hasn't it?"

Immediately, you feel your anger flare and you glare daggers back at her. "It's not like he had a choice, Molly!" You snap defensively. "How could you say something like that — "

"Molly, you're not the only person at this table who cares about Harry," Remus says sharply. "Sirius, sit down."

Sirius, who had begun to rise from his chair, sinks slowly back into his seat, face white.

"I think Harry ought to be allowed a say in this," Remus continues calmly. "He's old enough to decide for himself."

"I want to know what's been going on," Harry says at once.

Mrs Weasley looks at him for a moment, swallowing harshly. "Very well. Ginny — Hermione — Ron — Fred — George — I want you out of this kitchen, now."

Instant uproar.

"We're of age!" Fred and George cry together.

"If Harry's allowed, why can't I?" Ron shouts.

"Mum, I want to!" Ginny wails.

"NO!" shouts Mrs Weasley, her chest heaving as she stands. "I absolutely forbid — "

"Molly, you can't stop Fred and George," Mr Weasley says wearily. "They are of age."

"They're still at school — "

"But they're legally adults now."

"I — alright, fine, Fred and George can stay, but Ron — "

"Harry'll tell me and Hermione everything you say anyway!" Ron says heatedly. "Won't — won't you?" He adds uncertainly, meeting Harry's eyes.

"'Course I will."

Ron and Hermione beam.

"Fine!" Mrs Weasley shouts. "Fine! Ginny — BED!"

You hear Ginny stomping and raging at her mother all the way up the stairs, awakening Walburga's portrait when she reaches the hall. You sigh, hurrying off to force the curtains shut over the crazy woman with immense effort. You return, shutting the door to the stairs behind you, and fall back into your seat with a heavy sigh.

"Okay, Harry...what do you want to know?" Sirius speaks.

"Where's Voldemort? What's he doing? I've been trying to watch the Muggle news," Harry asks immediately, "and there hasn't been anything that looks like him yet, no funny deaths or anything — "

"That's because there haven't been any suspicious deaths yet," says Sirius. "Not as far as we know, anyway...and we do know quite a lot."

"More than he thinks we do, anyway," Remus adds.

"How come he's stopped killing people?" Harry asks.

"He doesn't want to draw attention to himself at the moment," you answer. "It would be dangerous for him. His comeback didn't quite come off the way he wanted it to, you see. He messed it up."

"Or rather, you messed it up for him," Remus says with a satisfied smile.

"How?" Harry questions, perplexed.

"You weren't supposed to survive!" Sirius says. "Nobody apart from his Death Eaters were supposed to know he'd come back. But you survived to bear witness."

"And the very last person he wanted alerted to his return the moment he got back was Dumbledore," says Remus. "And you made sure Dumbledore knew at once."

"How has that helped?"

"Are you kidding?" Bill says incredulously. "Dumbledore was the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of!"

"Thanks to you, Dumbledore was able to recall the Order of the Phoenix the day Voldemort returned," says Sirius.

"So what's the Order been doing?" asks Harry, looking around the table at everyone.

"Working as hard as we can to make sure Voldemort can't carry out his plans," Sirius answers.

"How do you know what his plans are?"

"Dumbledore's got a shrewd idea," says Remus, "and Dumbledore's shrewd ideas normally turn out to be accurate."

"So what does Dumbledore reckon he's planning?"

"Well, firstly, he wants to build up his army again," says Sirius. "In the old days he had huge numbers at his command; witches and wizards he'd bullied or bewitched into following him, his faithful Death Eaters, a great variety of Dark creatures. You heard him planning to recruit the giants; well, they'll be just one group he's after. He's certainly not going to try and take on the Ministry of Magic with only a dozen Death Eaters."

"So you're trying to stop him getting more followers?"

"We're doing our best," you say.

"How?"

"Well, the main thing is to try and convince as many people as possible that You-Know-Who really has returned, to put them on their guard," Bill tells. "It's proving tricky, though."

"Why?"

"Because the Ministry is still in denial," you say with a sigh. "You saw Fudge after Voldemort came back, Harry — he hasn't changed his mind at all. He's completely refusing to believe it."

"But why?" Harry asks desperately. "Why's he being so stupid? If Dumbledore — "

"Ah, well, you've put your finger on the problem," says Mr Weasley with a wry smile. "Dumbledore."

"Fudge is frightened of him," you say.

"Frightened of Dumbledore?" Harry says incredulously.

"Frightened of what he's up to," says Mr Weasley. "You see, Fudge thinks Dumbledore's plotting to overthrow him. He thinks Dumbledore wants to be Minister of Magic."

"But Dumbledore doesn't want — "

"Of course he doesn't," Mr Weasley speaks, adjusting his spectacles. "He's never wanted the Minister's job, even though a lot of people wanted him to take it when Millicent Bagnold retired. Fudge came to power instead, but he's never quite forgotten how much popular support Dumbledore had, even though Dumbledore never applied for the job."

Remus clears his throat. "Deep down, Fudge knows Dumbledore's much cleverer than he is, a much more powerful wizard, and in the early days of his Ministry he was forever asking Dumbledore for help and advice. But it seems that he's become fond of power now, and much more confident. He loves being Minister of Magic, and he's managed to convince himself that he's the clever one and Dumbledore's simply stirring up trouble for the sake of it."

"How can he think that?" Harry says angrily. "How can he think Dumbledore would just make it all up — that I'd make it up?"

"Because accepting that Voldemort's back would mean trouble like the Ministry hasn't had to cope with for nearly fourteen years," Sirius says bitterly. "Fudge just can't bring himself to face it. It's so much more comfortable to convince himself Dumbledore's lying to destabilize him."

"Ignorance is bliss," you say sardonically.

"You see the problem," Remus says. "While the Ministry insists there is nothing to fear from Voldemort, it's hard to convince people he's back, especially as they don't really want to believe it in the first place. What's more, the Ministry's leaning heavily on the Daily Prophet not to report any of what they're calling Dumbledore's 'rumourmongering', so most of the Wizarding community are completely unaware anything's happened, and that makes them easy targets for Death Eaters if they're using the Imperius Curse."

"But you're telling people, aren't you?" says Harry, looking around the table. "You're letting people know he's back?"

You smile humourlessly.

"Well, as everyone thinks I'm a mass murderer and the Ministry's put a ten-thousand galleon price on my head, I can hardly stroll up the street and start handing out leaflets, can I?" Sirius says grimly.

"And people don't exactly find the wife of said criminal the most trustworthy either," you say bleakly, shrugging.

"I'm not a very popular dinner guest with most of the community," Remus tells. "Occupational hazard of being a werewolf."

"Tonks and Arthur would lose their jobs at the Ministry if they started shooting their mouths off," Sirius explains, "and it's very important for us to have spies inside the Ministry, because you can bet Voldemort will have them."

"We've managed to convince a few people though," Mr Weasley says optimistically. "Tonks here, for one — she's too young to have been in the Order last time, and having Aurors on our side is a huge advantage — Kingsley Shacklebolt's been a real asset too. He's in charge of the hunt for Sirius, so he's been feeding the Ministry information that Sirius is in Tibet."

"But if none of you is putting the news out that Voldemort is back — " Harry begins, but Sirius stops him.

"Who said none of us was putting the news out? Why d'you think Dumbledore is in so much trouble?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asks.

"They're trying to discredit him," Remus explains. "Didn't you see the Daily Prophet last week? They reported that he'd been voted out of the Chairmanship of the International Confederation of Wizards because he's getting old and losing his grip, but it's not true, he was voted out by Ministry wizards after he made a speech announcing Voldemort's return. They've demoted him from Chief Warlock on the Wizengamot — that's the Wizard High Court — and they're talking about taking away his Order of Merlin, First Class, too."

"But Dumbledore says he doesn't care what they do as long as they don't take him off the Chocolate Frog cards," Bill chimes in, grinning.

"It's no laughing matter," Mr Weasley says shortly. "If he carries on defying the Ministry like this, he could end up in Azkaban and the last thing we want is Dumbledore locked up. While You-Know-Who knows Dumbledore's out there and wise to what he's up to, he's going to go cautiously for a while. If Dumbledore's out of the way — well, You-Know-Who will have a clear field."

"What's he after apart from followers?" Harry asks quickly.

You exchange a glance with Sirius before he says, "Stuff he can only get by stealth."

Harry stays looking confused, and Sirius continues, "Like a weapon. Something he didn't have last time."

"When he was powerful before?"

"Yes."

"Like what kind of weapon?" Harry asks. "Something worse than the Avada Kedavra — ? "

"That's enough."

From the shadows beside the door, Mrs Weasley stands, her expression furious. "I want you in bed, now. All of you."

"You can't boss us — " Fred begins.

"Watch me," she snarls, before turning her unapproving gaze on Sirius. "You've given Harry plenty of information. Any more and you might just as well induct him into the Order straight away."

"Why not?" Harry says. "I'll join, I want to join, I want to fight — "

"No."

This time, it's not Mrs Weasley who speaks, it's Remus.

"The Order is comprised of overage wizards," he says.

"Wizards who have left school," you add quickly, seeing the twins open their mouths. You sigh, pushing your chair away from the table, patting Sirius's arm softly. "Molly's right, Sirius. We've said enough. I think it's time everyone got some rest."

He gives a half-shrug but doesn't argue, waiting as Mrs Weasley leads her children and Harry upstairs to their bedrooms.

Later, you yawn around your toothbrush, facing the mirror in the dimly-lit ensuite off Sirius's bedroom.

"She can't seriously think leaving Harry in the dark about all this is the better option," Sirius muses testily, idly fiddling with your jewellery on the nightstand as he talks. "He's not a child. He's deserves to know what's going on."

"I agree."

"And the way she brought up James — as if I can't tell the difference between my best friend and my godson," he continues in frustration. "I know he's not James, of course I know that — "

You spit into the sink, pulling the tap to rinse it out. "She didn't know James. She doesn't know how difficult it is to stop yourself from looking at Harry and seeing him. How hard it is to not look for him and Lily in everything."

"No," Sirius says after a moment. "She doesn't."

You run your hands down your face, sighing. "I can't believe she said that thing about you in Azkaban. I can't believe she would stoop that low, as if you had any fucking choice to be in there."

"She hates me," he says. "Do you see the looks she gives me?"

"She doesn't hate you," you tell him wearily, flicking off the light and closing the bathroom door behind you. You lean against the doorframe, folding your arms. "She's scared and worried about Harry, that's all. She's stressed."

"She's not the only one."

"No, she's not," you say softly, making your way over to where he sits on the bed, gently taking his face in your hands. "Look, forget about it now. What's done is done, there's no use dwelling on it now."

He sighs, leaning into your touch with a small sigh. "You really are the most amazing woman I've ever met."

"I try."

He kisses your knuckles one by one, then presses a kiss to the inside of your wrist. "And clever."

You hum, watching as his lips slowly travel up your arm, arriving at your neck, where he lingers for several moments to kiss every inch of exposed skin he can reach. "And beautiful."

He pulls you toward him so you're straddling his legs, and he grins. "So very beautiful indeed."

✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。

->-> read chapter twenty-seven here!

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