#we'll see how it is tomorrow night when i do my call with my aunt

[six-of-ravens]

apparently you can buy a replacement keyboard for a 2015 macbook air for about $60, so if worst comes to worst and the apple store wants to charge me an exorbitant amount, I can attempt surgery.

if that doesn't work, well, I've had this thing since 2017 and it's apparently actually nearly a decade old so. might just have to bite the bullet and get a new laptop. which is not a decision i wanted to make bc costwise (and steam game-wise) i think im gonna have to get a PC next. and I HATE PC SO MUCH. but mac is also. so SO expensive and like half my steam games can't be played on mac anymore.

but also, ideally would not have to buy a new laptop bc that is a credit card bill i will take uh, a few months to pay off. BIG YIKES.

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 86 (Family Drama)

The next evening, before Heather and Conrad left for their date, her youngest sister, Hazel, arrived in Brindleton Bay to watch her niece and nephew.

Ash excitedly called to her from the computer as soon as she walked in the door. "Aunt Hazel, Aunt Hazel, come check out my new game!"

"Thanks for driving out here so Conrad and I can have a night out," Heather said. "The security cameras are working and Conrad's getting the kids fed before we go, so just get them to bed at a decent hour and no horror movies."

"It's just food colouring," she protested, but with Heather's stern glance she nodded obediently. "Sorry, Ashy. No Moonlight Massacre tonight, after all."

Heather changed the subject before Ash could complain. "I'm sad you won't be in town when we're in Henford this weekend to meet River and Cass' new baby boy. Dad says you don't call home enough."

Hazel laughed. "Dad tells me you don't call enough! None of us could ever call home enough. River still lives there and Dad probably thinks he doesn't get to see enough of him, either."

"Missing out on Dad guilt tripping us to visit for a political conference in San Myshuno's pretty cool, though. Ash, that's enough game time. Conrad's almost finished making your dinner."

Ash moaned, but he turned off the computer and headed for the kitchen as Hazel picked up her niece for a cuddle in her unicorn onesie. "I'm kind of glad to be out of Henford for the night to get in time with Ashy and Lava. Has that weird old dude been a problem lately?"

Heather made sure Ash was out of earshot. "Not since the restraining order," she said, the relief on her face more than evident. "And you're stuck on those nicknames, huh? I thought nicknames were too corny for you."

"It's not my fault your kids are just as cool as volcanoes, big sis."

Heather grinned. Hazel, the baby of their family, could get away with anything and dripped charm to spare, but Heather could tell something was weighing on her mind. "Are you doing okay?"

Hazel took a deep breath, setting Lavender down before she moved to the sofa. "What made you realize you wanted to be single when we were in high school?"

Heather laughed. "It was just easier than having feelings. It's still easier than having feelings, but finding the right person is better. What's wrong?"

She frowned. "What if Nicola and I got married too young? We're different people than we were as teens. When her dad died of a heart attack a few months ago, it felt like I wasn't married to the same person anymore. I know she's grieving, but what if we didn't wait long enough into young adulthood to figure it all out?"

Heather could empathize with her sister's confusion over love and relationships. Not too long ago, Heather would have found it unthinkable to offer her siblings, of all people, relationship advice, but Conrad had shown her what great love could be.

"You know I've never been very flirty or romantic, and I held on to my relationship with Malcolm too long because I didn't think I deserved any better. I'd never recommend it, but I also know Nicola's not Malcolm Landgraab. If you trust her, you can tell her the truth."

Hazel nodded. "No, she's definitely not like Malcolm."

"If you're truly unhappy, don't force it because you think you're supposed to. But if you're asking me, I think it means there's still some fight in you to keep it together."

(Lovestruck's new relationship and chemistry features went after Hazel and her new wife, and I'm rolling with it to see what happens. I cheated their relationship back up a bit - as if what Heather said encouraged her to fight a little more - and we'll see how it goes with them.

The way I said that probably gave away what might happen but pfft you don't know!)

Grateful for her eldest sister's advice, Hazel turned her attention back to Lavender, while Heather joined Ash and Conrad in the kitchen.

"Tomorrow night we'll pack some things into your backpack for your weekend at your dad's," Heather said to her son. "He'll pick you up after school on Friday and take you to his place for the weekend."

"He'll probably send their driver like usual," he shrugged. "But Ray's cool."

"What do you mean, 'like usual?'"

Ash looked at her with confusion etched on his face. "Daddy's reporting til seven on the news every weeknight, Mommy!"

Heather stared at Conrad, wide-eyed. "He told me he does those hits pre-recorded."

"He always sends Ray, and Ray always takes me to get ice cream before we get to Daddy's penthouse. Why do you look pretend happy, Mommy? I love ice cream!"

"Your mom just hasn't met Ray, buddy."

"But Mommy, he's not a stranger. He's Ray!"

Heather plastered a smile, and Conrad reached under the table to caress her clenched fist. "I'll be at school on Friday afternoon when Ray's there to pick you up at three," she said. "If he's as nice as you say, I don't want him to be a stranger to me."

Ash smiled. "Okay, Mommy, that's a good a idea."

Heather felt constantly undermined by the Landgraabs. But there was little she could say without disappointing her son, and she didn't want bitterness to affect her night with Conrad. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

NOTE: Their date continues Monday but tomorrow there will be a bonus post inspired by @purplesimmer455! 👀

NOTE 2: Also noting, since this is an episode where nothing much seems to be happening, there are a few subtle hints in here, too, about how Conrad is on a pedestal, especially when Heather compares him to Malcolm, even though we all know he's keeping this massive secret from her, too.

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

A letter to John's cousin Leila, dated January 1979

Thank you to @javelinbk's post for bringin my attention to this letter :)

I'm sure I made some mistakes in transcribing this, so if someone can figure out the bits I'm unsure about I'd be happy to edit them in! (EDIT: thank you to @ohblahdo and @the-bluebird-you-need for much needed corrections!) I also tried to keep it as close to his actual writing as possible but sometimes I can't tell if he misspellt things or if it's just hard to read. I bolded what he underlined.

FULL TRANSCRIPTION:

Dear Leila,

it's snowing;– outside the window in Central Park – I can see the Plaza Hotel across the trees – it's beautiful. I'm exhausted (still) after Xmas/New Year – they even have a thing called Thanksgiving a few weeks before Xmas (by the way I'm a Pagan – a zen Pagan to be precise – but that's another story!)

It looks a[s] if we got our wires crossed on the 'newspaper story' – ie. Mimi (who else!) told me you were upset about something I said (supposed to have said) in the newspaper about myself – anyway enough of that – it's obviously nothing – so let's forget that which we can't remember anyway!

I don't know why you were surprised by what I wrote you about your 'Russian Affair' – i thought I'd make it clear to you that the words were from a TAROT CARD READER – ie: I told him your story/birthdate etc – the words came through him – I just wrote down his 'prediction' (whatever) re:your situation! See? – so don't shoot the bearer of news!!

Sean is a beautiful wise 3 yr old (born Oct 9! – in case you didn't know) – what a handfull [sic] one is – I don't know how you manage all yours – well done! The fact that they have all their limbs + faculties is an accomplishment in itself!

Sounds like a good idea about giving yourself some time to 'play'! – 8 days doesn't sound like you're turned Gypsy 'tho'! – by the way –

– You better give us a fair warning if you're seeing [?] about 'popping over' here – ie: make sure I'm here – eg. tomorrow we leave (Yoko + me) for ..... Cairo, Egypt (ring a bell?!) – via Geneva – on a business trip – for about a week – I wish we could dig up some of your fathers relatives – do you know anyone there? an Uncle/Aunt?

– I'll send you a postcard –

I'm 40 next year – I hope life begins – ie. I'd like a little less 'trouble' and more – what? I don't know – I sent Stan [Leila's brother, John's cousin] a Xmas card (up north) – I don't know what it is with him – is he resentfull [sic] of me because I'm not dumb or what?! I guess he was always jealous of you – anyway I still think it's pretty mean of him – I heard a lot from him when he was piss poor – I shouldn't be surprised after all the bastards I've met these last 40 yrs or so

– if your [sic] ever in NRH Wales – look [?] up Julian – he's in Ruthin School – poor sod –

I though of you a lot this Xmas – the cottage – the record player – 'good ship lollipop' – 'I found my love on TREASURE ISLAND' – the OWL(s)? the shadows on the ceiling as the cars went by at night – putting up the paper-chains – even Norman turns into Santa Klaus in my memory! (muttering in the chair by the fire)

enough of that too!

Lots of love, to all of you, I'm sure we'll see each other v. soon – somewhere or other – I'm almost scared to go to England, 'cos I know it would be the last time I saw Mimi – I'm a coward about goodbyes...

Have a good year Keep healthy John 8^) xxx

Love from Sean & Yoko xx

[annab-nana]

Scenario: told parents about SO and now you have to rope someone into it for the holidays with Eddie!!

ooo so i did this already here, but this time, i'm going to switch it around and have eddie ask her

warnings: not proofread, a bit long for a blurb

❀ masterlist ❀

"wake up! wake up! wake up!" eddie's voice sounded around you which was weird because you distinctly remember falling asleep at your house alone, not at eddie's. you would've written it off as a dream if you weren't feeling his hands on your shoulder and arm, attempting to shake you awake. when you cracked an eye open, you saw him standing over you, so no, this wasn't a dream.

"eddie, what the fuck?" you groaned as you grabbed your blanket and pulled it over your head to block him out.

"nope, not doing that," eddie told you, pulling the blanket out of your grasp before you could fully cover your head and placing it back where it was. you just groaned even louder and crossed your arms over your eyes.

it was too early for this shit right now.

"eddie, please don't take offense to this, but for the love of god, get out of my house right now."

"nope." you felt the bed dip beside you where he sat. then, his hands were on your arms and he lightly pulled them up to see your eyes.

"what time is it?"

he glanced at his watch. "5:47."

your eyes about popped out of your head. "a.m.?"

"yeah."

you propped yourself on your elbows and gave him an incredulous look. "okay, now i mean this offensively. get the fuck out."

"you don't even want to know why i'm here?" eddie asked and when he spoke, you finally took notice of the pleading look in his eyes. with that, you were a little more awake and willing to hear what he had to say.

letting out a sigh, you scooted all the way up to sit up fully and listen. "out with it, eds."

"you know how we're supposed to leave tomorrow to see my aunt in new york?"

you nodded, too tired to verbally confirm your knowledge of the plan.

"well, wayne talked to her a couple of nights ago to tell her he wouldn't be there until next week because he can't get off work, but we were still supposed to go tomorrow. but, she called last night and said that we should leave as early as we can today because they are gonna start doing some road work on the highway later today and that if we leave earlier, we'll run into less traffic. i tried to call you last night to tell you that, but you didn't answer."

"so we have to leave right now?" you inquired as you rubbed your eyes. you were glad you were mostly packed anyway. all you had to add were your everyday items.

"yeah, i'd like to. it's going to be a long drive anyway. the last thing we want is traffic slowing us down, especially christmas traffic at that."

"okay," you spoke before yawning and nodding. he didn't seem finished though. "is there something else?"

"yeah..." whatever it was, he wasn't chomping at the bit to share it.

you were getting nervous. "what is it, eddie?"

"when we were saying our goodbyes on the phone, she said that she was really excited to meet my girlfriend. i guess, from what wayne's told her, she thought that since we hang out together all the time, we're going out," eddie stated, letting his words hang in the air for you to piece together.

"but i'm not your girlfriend."

"i know that."

"did you tell her that?"

his lack of response wasn't boosting your confidence.

"eddie?" your tone was one of warning.

"i didn't realize what she said until after she hung up."

"eddie," you whined, leaning forward and resting your head on his shoulder for a moment before pulling back. "so, what now? you want me to play your girlfriend?"

when you said it, you were half-joking, but the look on eddie face read of complete seriousness. "oh, for fuck's sake," you grumbled under your breath.

"i'm sorry," eddie apologized, a begging undertone in his voice, "it's just that it's my first time seeing her since i was like ten and i don't want to look like an idiot. and she said she was excited to meet my girlfriend and i don't want to let her down, so please for me, do this. we're already pretty close as it is. we'll just have to embellish some things." when you silently looked off in consideration, eddie spoke up one more time. "come on, y/n. please. you owe me."

you cut your eyes back to him because he was right. you did owe him for saving you from a few bad guys at the hideout by pretending to be your boyfriend, but the circumstances were completely different. he was pretending for maybe a minute max. you were staying with his aunt for two weeks.

you hated that you looked back at him because it made it so much harder to not give in. his stupid big brown doe eyes were making it impossible to deny him even though you knew you were going to say yes. he knew it too.

"fine," you said softly and no less than a second after the word left your lips, eddie's arms wrapped around you tightly.

"thank you so much! i owe you big time."

"yeah, you do," you commented, a light chuckle following your words before you patted his arm. "alright, boyfriend, let me go so i can finish packing and change so we can leave."

remember to support writers & reblog :)

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tag list: @fiction-is-life @jellyfishbeansontoast @daisyridleyss

[littlemochix17]

Chapter 9

Words: 10.4K

Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry that he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him in fact, they didn't speak to him at all. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.

Especially after they refused to let the (h/c) girl in the house anymore even if she and Harry tried to sneak out they always get caught by one of their cousins and told to get back before they snitch on them. So the two had no choice but to wait every day at midnight to talk together when it's easier to sneak out without anyone knowing and that's also when (y/n) told Harry about Eleanor and that she was a friend of her mother's and Harry told (y/n) about Hagrid and how he now knows how his parents died.

Other than the midnight meetings Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic. His school books were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come into vacuum anymore because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.

On the last day of August, he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day where he would meet (y/n) and Eleanor but he would never tell his Aunt and Uncle that he didn't want them to treat the girl badly because she's magical like him, so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.

"Er- Uncle Vernon?"

Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.

"Er- I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to- to go to Hogwarts."

Uncle Vernon grunted again.

"Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?"

Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.

"Thank you."

He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.

"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"

Harry didn't say anything.

"Where is this school, anyway?"

"I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the first time.

He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.

"I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.

His aunt and uncle stared.

"Platform what?"

"Nine and three-quarters."

"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon.

"There is no platform nine and three-quarters."

"It's on my ticket."

"Barking," said Uncle Vernon

"howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."

"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.

"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon.

"Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."

Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes he'd changed on the train. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, and they had set off.

They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon

stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.

"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine, platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"

He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.

"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile.

He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing. Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was

starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He'd have to ask someone or find (y/n) and her mother's friend to help him out.

He stopped a passing guard but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one. In the end, the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.

Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley.

He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.

At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying and saw the sight of a familiar messy (h/c) passing with them.

"packed with Muggles, of course"

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚𝑌/𝑛'𝑠 𝑃𝑂𝑉˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Today was the day before I  leave for Hogwarts. In this last month, I kept in touch with Leonora and Cedric who I also kept on meeting up with almost every day to hang out and practice spells since I wasn't allowed to visit Harry anymore we had to sneak out at night the first time we sneaked out I gave him the things I got from Diagon Ally and told him everything that had happened to me while he was away and he also felled me in on what happened when he wasn't here.

When Leonora came to get me I had my trunk ready except for Nitor who didn't want to leave my side and decided it was best to warp himself under the sleeve of my dress while my owl (honey) stayed at her cage sleeping.

Leonora said that we were going to spend the night at some old friends from school that has a son my age and was going to Hogwarts with his older brothers so now we're standing at their front door waiting we flew here with Leonora's flying car to here.

The door opened and a cute-looking plum woman with red hair smiled when she saw Leonora and I

"Come on in dearies" She said with her sweet motherly voice

Once we were inside she hugged Leonora and they greeted each other then she turned to me and smiled so I smiled back

"Hello there I am Molly Weasley and you must be (y/n)" Said Mrs Weasley

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs Weasley," I said only to be pulled into a hug by Mrs Weasley

"Just call me Molly darling after all you're Rose's daughter you're no stranger"

When she pulled away from the hug I looked up at her

"You knew my mum too?" I asked

"Of course, I did she wa-"

Before she could finish her sentence we heard footsteps and a voice calling out

"Mum, do you know where Scabbers at? I can't find and we are going to leave for the train tomorrow!"

I looked to see a boy similar to Molly with red hair and beautiful baby blue eyes but when he looked at me Leonora he stopped beside his mum

"It's good to see you again Ron" Said Leonora as Ron smiled politely at her

"It's good to see you too Ms Gonzales"

He looked at me and stretched his hand out for a handshake and I took it

"I am Ron Weasley it's nice to meet you-"

"(Y/n)"

"(Y/n)"

"It's nice to meet you too Ron" I said as Molly rested her hand on her son's shoulder

"Why don't you show (y/n) where she's staying while me and Eleanor make dinner" Ron nodded and signed for me to follow him and I did

Walking upstairs to the second floor of the house where there was a small hall and one room

"You will be staying here with my sister Ginny the bathroom is another floor upstairs"

He said as we entered the room finding my trunk in there with honey in his cage

"Thanks, Ron," I said taking a sit on the bed it was big enough to fit two people

Ron smiled and came to sit beside me muttering a 'you're welcome' We turned so now we were sitting across from each other on the bed

"So are you going to your first year of Hogwarts too?" I asked wanting to start a conversation with my hopefully new friend and to my relief the boy in front of me smiled and nodded

"Yes, I am what house do you think you would be in? All of my family are Gryffindors and I think that I would be too" He explains

"I don't know really, Being a Gryffindor would be nice but I don't mind the other houses as well"

Ron nodded as we started to talk about Hogwarts and what subject we thought we would be best at

"You know it's nice to not start the year alone" I looked at him

"I mean yeah I have my brothers but they can be annoying most of the time, especially the twins" He continued and  we laughed I then made a mental note to introduce Ron to Harry tomorrow when we meet

"Well i-" I stopped mid-sentence as I felt Nitor slide up my arm and I looked down at him for a moment until I heard a shriek and I remembered that I was not alone

"BLOODY HELL!?"

"Ron Ron i-it's fine claim down he's not going to hurt you!" I said and started panicking slightly

"Not going to hurt me?! (Y/n) that's a bloody snake for Merlin's beard! Are you mental?!"

"Shhh calm down please Ron just trust me ok? he's my friend and i-if I left him at home I didn't know how he's going to be ok if my grandma knew about him she's going to hurt him or leave him to die I don't know if it's allowed to have him with me at Hogwarts so please you have to keep him a secret" after I explained he claims down a little and looked at me as I push Nitor down gently under my sleeve again

He was about to say something but we heard footsteps coming from the small hall and the door was opened to see three red heads two of whom I amused to be the twins because they nearly had the same face and a little girl who looked younger than me with a year or two

"Why are you screaming like a girl Ron?" Said the girl who's probably Ginny Ron told me that she and Molly were the only female members in the family, she didn't notice me yet as she talked to her brother

Ron's eyes meet mine and I look at him pleading for him not to mention Nitor as he sighs and looks back at his sister

"None of your business Ginny"

I let out a relief breath but I didn't notice that the twins were looking at me until they started to talk

"Well well did you know that we have guests coming over Georgie"

"I didn't Freddie but if I knew it would be such a cute guest I would have greeted her myself instead of our dear Ronniekins over here"

My face turned bright pink as Ron looked daggers at his two brothers

"Can both of you stop it"

"Aw is little Ronniekins afraid we're stealing his friend away?" Asked one of the two teasingly

"Don't fret Ron it was bound to happen anyway" Smirked the other at Ron who started mumbling curses at the twins

They ignored him and turned fully to me

"I am Fred"

"And I am George"

"(Y/n)" I said as felt a small tug on my dress to see Ginny looking up at me

"Are you the girl mum said she's staying over with Aunt Leo?" She asked and I smiled at her even though she didn't look much younger than me her big brown eyes and freckles made her look so cute

"Yes! I am you must be Ginny" I said and she nodded

"Dinner's ready you lot" We heard Molly yell and soon the twins and Ginny ran down the stairs leaving me and Ron in the room

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚2𝑛𝑑 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛'𝑠 𝑃𝑂𝑉˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

You and Ron were left alone in the room so you turned and smiled at the only redhead left in the room

"Thank you, Ron"

He looks at you and gets down from the bed

"Anytime just go on and hide him somewhere if anyone sees him they will freak out" You nodded and he walked out following his siblings as you let Nitor out and walked with him to his glass box

"Listen you can't get out of here for a while ok? Tomorrow I promise I will let you out of here" you said quietly to him

"Isss thisss becaussse thossse walking human tomatoesss who you were with?" He said while you lowered him into his glass box

"Hey that's quite rude you know"

"Well it doesssn't matter anyway I don't like them" He hissed

"You don't like anybody" You giggled at the little snake covering the box and hiding it under the bed and you went downstairs for dinner

Dinner was lovely it had a warm family vibe sitting with the Weasleys and Leonora talking and having fun getting to know the rest of the family you saw Percy who was strict and always keeping to himself unlike the rest of the family but it didn't bother you that much when were sited between Ginny and Fred who was always telling jokes to you every once in a while. As for Ginny, she got to know you better and asked you about your favourite things, likes and dislikes and how the muggle world was like just like Mr Weasley who whenever Ginny talked about the muggle world asked a few questions of his own

Now everyone finished their dinner and was told by Mrs Weasley to go to bed so as not to miss the train the next morning so you and Ginny bid goodnights to the family and returned to the room both of you were sharing where both of you ended up sitting on the bed talking and laughing quietly as not to let anyone know that the both of you're still asleep

"No way he fell into the snake's cage" Gasped Ginny

"Yeah that's the first time my magic appeared or that's what I thought until I discovered that my friend is a wizard as well so it could have been him too" You explained

"Is your friend going to Hogwarts as well?" Asked Ginny and you nodded

"You can see him tomorrow we will meet at the platform"

"I-um I don't know I am not good with new people well except you because you looked nice I was all nervous after I saw you" She explained

"That's ok you don't have to worry my friend is nice too and if it makes you feel better I can help you introduce yourself how does that sound?" She smiled and gave you a quick hug thanking you as both of you lay down on the bed drafting to sleep a few minutes later

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚3𝑟𝑑 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑃𝑂𝑉˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

After waking up and getting ready the Weasleys split so (y/n), Eleanor, Ron and Ginny got into Eleanor's car and the rest used Mr Weasley's car to get to King's Cross.

That morning (y/n) left her hair down and wore a black hoodie over a dress for Nitor to sleep in the hood with her hair hiding him from the eyes of anyone who could make a scene if he was discovered to be sleeping in the girl's hood.

They arrived at King's Cross (y/n) and Ginny holding hands so as not to lose each other (y/n) she tried to look for Harry but didn't spot him anywhere while Eleanor was trailing beside the two girls making sure none of the kids could get lost in the crowd of muggles while pushing (y/n)'s trolley (she didn't know that (y/n) was supposed to meet up with Harry because she thought that Hagrid was already taking him to the platform)

"packed with Muggles, of course," Complain, Mrs Weasley, as they walked until Harry pushed his cart after them and tapped the (h/c) girl on the shoulder, she left Ginny's side who returned to her mother and was now looking for the scared head boy.

They stopped just as the girl turned around and her face brightened at the sight of Harry now both of them were standing near enough to hear what the family were saying.

"Harry! I thought you got lost" She said letting out a sigh of relief and hugging the boy

The boy smiled hugging her back a few minutes later she pulled away when they heard Mrs Weasley talk

"Now, what's the platform number?" said Mrs Weasley

"Nine and three-quarters!" piped Ginny who was holding her hand while Eleanor laughed at the little girl patting her head

"Mom, can't I go?"

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."

the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched carefully not wanting to blink in case he missed it but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you next" Mrs Weasley said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy.

"Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Sorry, George, dear."

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went.

His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so because

a second later, he had gone too.

But how had he done it? That was what Harry asked himself until he heard a chuckle from beside him and turned to (y/n)

"Don't fret Harry we could just ask Mrs Weasley or Leonora how to get to the platform" Said the girl

"You mean those two women there?" He asked and the girl nodded

Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier and then he wasn't anywhere.

There was nothing else for it.

"Excuse me," Harry said to Mrs Weasley

"Hello, dear," she said.

"First time at Hogwarts? (Y/n) and Ron are new, too."

She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons then at the girl who was standing with Eleanor giving the girl her cart

"Yes," said Harry.

"The thing is- the thing is, I don't know

how to-"

"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Harry nodded.

"Not to worry," she said.

"All you have to do is walk straight at

the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. You best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before (y/n)"

"Er- okay," said Harry.

 

He looked at (y/n) who gave him a reassuring smile and he pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid. He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble. leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run. the barrier was coming nearer and nearer. he wouldn't be able to stop he was a foot away he closed his eyes ready for the crash  It didn't come... he kept on running... he opened his eyes.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and

Three-quarters on it.

"Wow"

His head snapped to the side only to find his friend who looked at the Express and then looked at him

"What are we waiting for let's go!" She said excitedly

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted at one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry and (y/n) pushed their carts off down the platform in search of empty seats.

They passed a round-faced boy who was saying

"Gran, I've lost my toad again"

"Oh, Neville" they heard the old woman sigh.

A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.

"Give us a look, Lee, go on"

The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

The two eleven-year-old kids pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. Harry put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door while (y/n) waited for him so she could also put her things.

He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot saying that he was fine every time his friend asked about his well-being.

"Want a hand?" It was one of the Weasley twins

"Yes, please" Harry panted.

"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!" Just then George noticed (y/n) who was not standing far behind Harry

"Hey there did you lose Ron?" Asked George

She nodded her head

"I was excited I didn't wait for him to get on the express" She said sheepishly just as the other twin came to help them and he overheard her statement.

It made him laugh slightly and pat her head

"Don't worry honey bun I am sure he'll find you sooner or later"  The girl smiled bashfully at the older boy's words Harry looked between them with an unknown emotion he was feeling but he decided to push it down as the twins helped them with their stuff

With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment and (y/n)'s own following it not far away.

"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.

"Blimey," said the other twin.

"Are you-?"

"He is," said the first twin.

"Aren't you?" he added to Harry.

"What?" said Harry and (y/n) looked at them in confusion.

"Harry Potter" chorused the twins.

"Oh him," said Harry.

"I mean, yes, I am."

The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning

red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's

open door.

"Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mom."

With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.

"What was that about?" Asked the girl after both of the twins were out of sight

"Well Hagrid said that I am quite famous here for being 'the chosen one'" Harry said looking at his best friend whose smirk started growing

"The chosen one you say?" She said playfully earning a light slap on the shoulder from Harry who was trying to prevent the small smile from growing on his face

"(Y/n)?" Both of them turned to see Eleanor standing behind them (y/n) smiled and ran to hug the woman who hugged back

"I came to say goodbye"

"Goodbye? I thought you were taking the train too?"

"Well yeah but poppy  owled me saying she needs my assistance with something important and I need to apparate there right now," said the older woman  to the pouting child

"Don't worry I promise you will see me on your time of sorting" Said the woman until her eyes landed on Harry

"Ah Harry it's nice to see that Hagrid has managed to bring you here, I am Eleanor, I was a friend of both of your parents"

Harry looked at her and smiled politely at the woman's greeting

"It's nice to meet you too ma'am"

Eleanor smiled at his reply before bidding both kids goodbye and getting off the train

Harry sat down next to the window and (y/n) sat beside him where, half hidden, (y/n) noticed that her hood was lighter than before so she reached her hand to see if her snake was still asleep only to find out that he's gone and she started to panic but tried to claim down before turning to her best friend

"Um-Harry? I need to go I think I dropped something on my way here, is that ok?" She Asked

"Oh yea that's fine, Do you want me to look for it with you?"

The (H/c) girl panicked more

"NO! I-er I mean it's alright I can do it on my own" and with that, she left the compartment quickly not giving the boy any explanation for her weird behaviour but then again she was acting weird for a while and the boy knew something was up but decided against asking her

Harry sighed as he turned to the window so could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.

"Ron, you've got something on your nose."

The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed

him and began rubbing the end of his nose.

"Mom- geroff." He wriggled free.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got something on his nose?" said one of the twins.

"Shut up," said Ron.

 

"Where's Percy?" said their mother.

"He's coming now."

The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny red and gold badge on his chest with the letter P on it.

"Can't stay long, Mother" he said

"I'm upfront, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves-"

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise.

"You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin.

"Once"

"Or twice"

"A minute"

"All summer"

"Oh. shut up," said Percy the Prefect.

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly.

"All right, dear, well, have a good term send me an owl when you get there."

She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.

"Now, you two. this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've- you've blown up a toilet or-"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."

"It's not funny. And look after Ron."

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

"Shut up," said Ron again.

His nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.

"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"

"Who?"

"Harry Potter!"

Harry heard the little girl's voice.

"Oh Mom can I go on the train and see him, Mom please"

"You've already seen him, Ginny and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"

"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's there like lightning."

"Poor dear no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform  but looks like (y/n) already befriended him when she saw him struggle to ask for help how sweet of her"

"Never mind that do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

Their mother suddenly became very stern.

"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare? As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school but now that I remember where's (y/n)?"

"Probably with Potter right now"

"I am right here actually"

All the redheads turn to the voice to see (y/n) who finally finds Nitor hiding in another empty compartment sleeping waiting for her to find him

Harry watched as the woman came up to her and hugged her followed by the little girl who took a liking for the (E/c) eyed girl

Harry took a mental note to ask the girl about the redhead family when she came back

"Can (y/n) come visit on the holidays Mom?, please" Asked Ginny pleading for her mother to say yes

Mrs Weasley sighed at her youngest constant pleases but she smiled at how Ginny was clinging on to the other girl

"Of course she if she wants to"

With that Ginny looked at (y/n) as if asking her if she was willing to come visit her and the girl just smiled

"I would love to Mrs Weasley" before anyone could say anything

A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!" the mother said and the three boys clambered onto the train with (y/n) after them. The boys leaned out of the window for her to kiss them goodbye, and their younger sister began to cry.

"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat"

"George!"

"Only joking, Mom."

The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and

waved.

Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind. The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded

boy came in.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite

Harry.

"Everywhere else is full."

Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.

"Hey, Ron."

The twins were back with (y/n) behind them and she returned to her seat beside the green-eyed boy

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right" mumbled Ron.

"Harry," said the other twin

"Did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. And we think you already know our little friend here we will see you later, then"

"Bye," said Harry and Ron while (y/n). The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

"Well I guess I didn't have to introduce both of you," said the girl

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.

Harry nodded.

"Oh well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron.

"And have you really go- you know"

He pointed at Harry's forehead.

"I think he means your scar, Harry"

Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who?"

"Yes," Said Harry

"but I can't remember it"

"Nothing?" Said Ron eagerly.

"Well- I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."

"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments then as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.

(Y/n) looked amused by her red-headed friend's behaviour but stayed silent giving both boys space to get to know each other

"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.

"Erh yes, I think so," said Ron.

"I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

"So you must know loads of magic already."

The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.

"I heard you went to live with Muggles both of you" said Ron looking at the two best friends

"What are they like?"

"Horrible," both of them said at the same time

"Well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers" (y/n) nodded

"Yeah my grandma and cousin aren't all that nice"

"Five" said Ron.

For some reason, he was looking gloomy.

"I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects

me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which

was asleep.

"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff- I mean, I got Scabbers instead."

Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much because he went back to staring out of the window.

Harry and (y/n) didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, Harry never had any money in his life until a month ago and (y/n) only took a little from her grandma before cutting off her money after discovering she's a witch, and they told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's and Freya's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents.

This seemed to cheer Ron up.

"-And until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being

a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort-"

Ron gasped.

"What?" said Harry.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed.

"Oh so that's his real name I really started to think he's nameless at how much people refused to say his name" Said the girl and she and Harry chuckled slightly at her words until Ron started talking again

"I'd have thought you, of all people-"

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry and (y/n) nodded

"I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn... I bet" he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately

"I bet I'm the worst in the class."

"You're not the worst in class Harry both of us aren't the only ones who are new to magic"

"Yeah, you won't be. There are loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough"

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes

flick past.

Around half past twelve, there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said

"Anything off the cart, dears?"

Harry who hadn't had any breakfast leapt to his feet but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches (y/n) who was leaning on the compartment wall half asleep told them to let her sleep just a little bit

Harry looked at Ron who showed the food his mother packed him then looked at the old woman standing there he didn't recognize any of the sweets she had.

What she did have were Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life.

"We will take the lot," He said taking out a lot of money he brought with him while Ron looked at him quite shocked

Harry got everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

Ron stared as Harry brought it all back into the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat between him and the resting girl.

"Hungry are you?"

"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.

Ron had taken out the lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said

"She always forgets I don't like corned beef."

"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty.

"Go on-"

"You don't want this it's all dry" said Ron.

"She hasn't got much time" he added quickly

"you know, with five of us"

"Go on have a pasty" said Harry who had never had anything to share before It was a nice feeling

After waking up the sleeping girl they were sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies.

"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs.

"Those are the frogs you brought me from Diagon Ally, aren't they?" He loved the last one and he was excited to open another one

"Yes" said (y/n)

"Let's see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa"

"Ok but who are those people on the cards?" Asked Harry

"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know- The cards chocolate frogs have inside them, you know, to collect- famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or

Ptolemy"

Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses with flowing silver hair, beard, and a moustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.

"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry as (y/n) leaned over his shoulder to see the card he got

"Don't tell me you've never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron looking at the both of them

"I do know him he was the one who came to Diagon Ally with me to bring what was written in my letter" Said (y/n) as she turned to Ron

"What how is that possible the headmaster isn't supposed to do that Hogwarts staff members are the ones who take care of that job," Asked Ron

"I don't know really but he said that he was a friend of my mother before she died"

"Guess the headmaster just playing favorites even before we start the year" Harry remakes playfully as (y/n) nudged him with her shoulder

"As if you're the one to talk chosen one"

The three of them laughed as Harry turned over his card and read:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

╞══════════╡

Currently headmaster of Hogwarts considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.

"He's gone!"

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron.

"Leonora said he does that a lot" shrugged (y/n)

"He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her... do you want it? You can start collecting."

Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be

unwrapped.

"Help yourself," said Harry to Ron as he passed (y/n) some Cauldron Cakes which he noticed the girl took a liking to them

"But in, you know, the Muggle world people just stay put in photos"

"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron asked sounding amazed and (y/n) nodded

"Weird!"

Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only

Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcraft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"You want to be careful with those" Ron warned Harry.

(Y/n) looked at the box in Harey's hand then asked

"Why"

"When they say every flavour, they mean every flavour you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavoured one once"

Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a

corner.

"Bleaaargh- see? Sprouts."

They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, and sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end of a funny grey one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.

(Y/n) was too afraid to get something gross so she refused to touch the beans at all

The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry and (y/n) had passed on platform nine and threequarters came in. He looked tearful.

"Sorry," he said

"but have you seen a toad at all?"

When they shook their heads, he wailed

"I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn up," said Harry.

"Yes," said the boy miserably.

"Well, if you see him... "

He left.

"Don't know why he's so bothered?" said Ron.

"If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."

The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust.

(Y/n) frowned thinking about the boy who was still looking for his toad but didn't say anything as she stood up

"That boy he's still looking for his toad and he needs help so I am going to help him out I'll be back soon" With that she got out of the  compartment door and closed it behind her

Harry looked at the door his friend just closed

"Should we go help them out?" He asked the redhead who shook his head in response

"I won't go out there looking for a toad like a madman," He said and the black-haired boy sighed

"Plus she said she would be back anyway, what's with the both of you? You guys look quite close like as if you knew each other for years"

"We do actually we have known each other since we were 7" Harry explained smiling softly at the memory of the first time they meet

"What's with that smile?" Ron said raising an eyebrow at the boy in front of him

"What smile?" Harry pretended not to know what the redhead was talking about making him mumble something under his breath and turn to look at his rat

"I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you look ..."

He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.

◦•●◉✿ 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑌/𝑛✿◉●•◦

Walking through the train in the same way the boy walked to. The (e/c) eyed girl kept walking until she saw the boy from before she reached out to him hearing his sniffles made her feel bad for the boy and she tapped his shoulder making him flinch and turn around

"Hey sorry to bother but do you need help looking for your toad?" She asked politely trying not to scare the poor boy

"I-i um don't want to bother you any longer," The boy said looking down at his feet which suddenly seemed interesting while (y/n) just smiled at the boy's shyness

"No, it's alright I asked to help anyway, I'm (y/n) (l/n) and you are?"

She asked holding her hand out for a handshake the boy looked at her his eyes twinkling with happiness no one wanted to help him look for his toad all they do is either tell him they didn't see the toad or go away none offered to help him well until now so he was thankful for the girl. Smiling Neville took her hand and shook it

"Neville Longbottom"

"It's nice to meet you Neville now let's go look for your little friend"

With that, both of them started to look for Neville's toad everywhere and through their looking journey (y/n) learned that his toad's name was Trevor after some time they eventually decided to split to find him faster. So (y/n) started to look in more compartments asking people here and there about Trevor until she bumped into someone on her way making both of them fall to the ground

"Oy, watch where you are going dumbass," A harsh voice said to the girl and she looked up to see a pair of ice-grey eyes looking into her own.

"Excuse you?" The girl said standing up and dusting her clothes

"I think you meant excuse me," the boy said rolling his eyes while checking on his platinum-gelled hair

"No I meant what I said idiot," she said to the rude boy looked at her shocked at her comeback

"Did you just call me an idiot?!"

"Don't look so surprised you just called me a dumbass a few moments ago!"

"Well, that's because you bumped into me!"

"Well I was going to say I am sorry but someone decided to insult me before I can even take a look at them"

The boy's face turned red with anger

"Do you know who am I?! Do you know who my father is?!"

"I don't know nor care about you and your dear old Daddy now if you excuse me I will go I had enough talk with annoying ferrets like your own anyway" With that she was about to turn when the boy took out his wand and about to throw a spell on the girl

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Malfoy" Two boys appeared from behind him one (y/n) was a bit familiar with and the other was her Hufflepuff friend whom she planned on looking for but she got her hands full looking for Neville's toad

"What are you going to do about it Cousin" the younger boy challenged trying to hide his fear as the older boy's greenish-grey eyes met his glaring through his soul but he acted unphased

"I see you're already acting up like a Blood traitor"

"Shut up Draco you didn't even know if she's a Pureblood or not you're just acting like a spoiled little brat" Glared the older boy at Draco while Cedric went up to the girl to make sure she was ok

"I wasn't talking about the annoying one and you know it" The oldest of the two gritted his teeth but took a deep breath so as not to lunch at the pale blonde boy in front of him

"Draco as much as I love you but you can be an arse so stop before I tell Aunt Cissy about you bulling little girls before even we get to Hogwarts" After he said that Draco looked angry

"You wouldn't dare"

"Do you want to test me?"

With that, Draco took his leave not before casting a nasty glare at his older cousin who stood there smirking at the blonde first year then he turned to the other two

"Are you ok?"

His voice made the girl look up at the boy. He didn't look much older than the girl.

When his eyes met hers she immediately remembered him

"You're the girl I bumped into in Diagon Ally that day," He said with a smile

"You two know each other?" Asked Cedric and the two nodded

"Thank you for stopping that boy"

"No problem at all but you should be more careful Darco can be a pain in the arse most of the time," The boy said with a chuckle

"What were you doing rooming through the hallway you know if a prefect saw you two fighting you did get in trouble" said Cedric with a worried look on his face making the girl smile at his mother like caring nature

"I was helping a friend looking for his toad he lost him on his way here"

"That's nice of you but you shouldn't go around picking fights especially a Pureblood whose family are big believers in prejudice" Said the Hufflepuff third-year

"I am sure she wasn't picking fights it's Malfoy who's always looking for people to bully anyway I didn't get your name last time we met," The other boy said looking at the girl in front of him

"Oh right  I am (y/n) (l/n)"

"Well (y/n) it's a pleasure to meet you my name is Regulus Black"

◦•●◉✿ 𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑅𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐻𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑦✿◉●•◦

"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway-"

He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. Neville was back after he bumped into another girl who offered to help him after he split up with (y/n), but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one" she said.

She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair

"We've already told him we haven't seen it" said Ron but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it then."

She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.

"Er- all right"

He cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,

Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow"

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed grey and fast asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl.

"Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such

a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard- I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough- I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are

you?"

She said all this very fast. Harry looked at Ron and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.

"I'm Ron Weasley" Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

"Are you really?" said Hermione.

"I know all about you, of course- I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

"Am I?" said Harry feeling dazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione.

"Do either of you know what House you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon"

And she left, taking Neville with her.

"Whatever House I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.

He threw his wand back into his trunk.

"Stupid spell- George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud"

"What House are your brothers in?" asked Harry.

"Gryffindor" said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again.

"Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin"

"That's the House Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"

"Yeah," said Ron.

He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.

"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit

lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off Houses.

"So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"

Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons and Bill's in Africa doing

something for Gringotts," said Ron.

"Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles- someone tried to rob a high-security vault."

Harry stared.

"Really? What happened to them?"

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get around Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's

what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this

happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it"

Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned.

He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but

it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without

worrying.

"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.

"Er- I don't know any" Harry confessed.

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded.

"Oh, you wait it's the best game in the world-" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like

to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.

It was (y/n) who came back from her looking  journey for Trevor and she seemed quite happy as she returned to her set beside Harry

"Sorry I took too long," said the girl

"It's alright did you find the toad?" Harry asked and the girl shook her head

"I couldn't find him but I bumped into some friends I made before coming to Hogwarts"

Harry raised an eyebrow he didn't know about that and she didn't tell him. It made him feel a small amount of bitterness in his chest that she was already making so many friends she had met all the Weasleys and befriended them he was afraid that she would someday forget about him even though he knew that the (h/c) headed girl would never do anything to hurt him but he couldn't help the feelings that his best friend could have people what there to replace him anytime she wants to

"I didn't know you have friends who go here to Hogwarts" said the boy pushing any bad thoughts he had been thinking

"Well the first time I discovered I had magic Cedric was there and he helped me out, he told me that I shouldn't tell anyone about it, especially Muggles and at the time we didn't get our letters yet so I didn't know if I should tell you and how will you react so I kept it a secret and continued meeting up with Cedric every day to learn more about the wizarding world" (Y/n) explained

Harry was about to say something but Ron started to talk

"Wait you mean as in Cedric Diggory Hufflepuff's best seeker and a golden boy?!" Ron asked and (y/n) nodded

"Yeah I met him last summer at a park near my house"

Harry was starting to get a bit annoyed at how his friends who talking about a boy he didn't even know and then they heard footsteps only for the compartment door to open a few moments later to reveal Hermione but this time she was alone

Harry turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up

to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there"

Ron turned scowling at her

"Would you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right- I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice.

"And you've got dirt on your nose, by

the way, did you know?"

Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

"Who was that?" Asked (y/n) taking her clothes from her trunk to prepare for herself to get out and change in the bathroom

"Her name is Hermione she came here earlier to ask about the lost toad" Explained Harry

"Oh alright I will go get changed in my robes and see you out there" With that the girl took her leave again leaving both boys to get ready

He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.

A voice echoed through the train:

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately"

Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron he saw looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out onto a tiny, dark platform then both Harry and Ron felt a tug on their sleeves.

Looking at the person behind them they found the (l/n) girl smiling at them as they made space for her to walk between the two boys in the dark platform.

Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice:

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon follow me- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now!

Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed

once or twice.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec" Hagrid called over his shoulder

"jus' round this bend here

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky was a vast castle with many

turrets and towers.

"No more'n five to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry, Ron and (y/n) were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself.

"Right then FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass.

Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right

underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door

Levi Miller as Young Regulus Black

[lea-heartscxiv]

SK8 ~Golden Week: Showing Spain. El Bar de Tapas~ - (May 1st in Spain)

Ainosuke as promised day they celebrated his birthday (Sunday in Spain, during afternoon where in Japan it was May 1st) is showing a bit of Spain to everyone in Golden Week, and this was day 1.

You can read it below cut line or on our Blogger where you can see extras of Day 1. (From me and @van-yangyin)

Blogger: English | Español

You can read below cut line ↓

Everything written at the end with this * symbol, is text in Spanish.

Monday, May 1st in Spain. Ainosuke got up, got dressed "well", combed his hair and got ready to make a video call he had scheduled with his "beloved" aunts, although in reality only one of them was the one who had the lead.

**Video call with her aunts**

Ainosuke: Good afternoon, my beloved aunts.

Ichiko (Aunt A): Good morning Ainosuke-san. We've been late because they didn't know how to put this up. Are you making good contacts? 

Ainosuke: The most important thing is that we are talking now. And of course, I'm making good contacts. 

Ichiko (Aunt A): Remember to come back as soon as Golden Week is over. No, better a day earlier, because of time difference.

Ainosuke: Of course, I'll do my best to get there sooner. 

Ichiko (Aunt A): Well, I hope that "I'll do my best" will be sooner. Also, remember not to dirty our family name, let alone abroad.

Ainosuke: Don't worry, it's something I always keep in mind. But even if I wanted to, it's hard to dirty here. 

Ichiko (Aunt A): Ainosuke-san, yes they can. There are people who know you there too. 

Ainosuke: In that case, you have nothing to worry about. I won't. - «Bitch, I know very well that you've sent someone to find out what I do, since with Tadashi you can't. What you don't know is that he has lost us.» - thinking.

Ichiko (Aunt A): Good. Because being with people who don't bring you anything is unnecessary.

Ainosuke: All people love Japan as much as we do. Excuse me, I'll say goodbye now. I hope my beloved aunts have a good night, see you again tomorrow.

Ichiko (Aunt A): Remember, Ainosuke-san, don't dirty the family name overseas. See you tomorrow.

**End of video call with her aunts**

Once the video call was over, he tousled his hair.

And then took off the top of his suit.

Ainosuke: One day less to bear your obligations.

And put on his everyday clothes.

Ainosuke: Now time to go skateboarding.

When mid-morning came, someone rang the doorbell of Shindo's vacation home and an elderly woman appeared in front of the door.

Older woman: Good morning! Nice to finally meet you, my granddaughter has told me a lot about you. I am Carmen. Pilar told me you were coming this week on vacation to Spain.*

Ainosuke: Nice to meet you, Carmen. It is an honor for me to meet such a beautiful woman like you.*

Carmen: When Pilar told me that you were a very handsome and kind person she wasn't wrong. I came to invite you to spend the noon in my bar, I know that today is the worker's day, but we have prepared a special place for you and your friends, although if you don't mind you may find many more people because we have gathered all the family.*

Ainosuke: Thank you. If you give address to my secretary, we'll be glad to come.*

Carmen: So young and you already have a secretary?*

Tadashi: Excuse me.*

Carmen wrote the address to Tadashi and said goodbye to all of them. Thanks to Carla, most of them could understand what she said, as Carla translated it out loud. So once she left, they all continued with what they were doing until it was close to noon when they got ready to leave.

The bar is also a restaurant and is called Bar-Restaurante Casa Carmen.

Tadashi: This is it, Ainosuke-sama.

Ainosuke: Perfect, a tapas* bar.

(*) tapas says it in Japanese

Reki: Ta-pa-su?

Ainosuke: Yes.

Reki: What's that?

Langa searched the internet for タパス and the search turned up this.

Langa: Food that looks very tasty. Look Reki.

Reki: But why is it so small?

Langa: So you can eat more?

Ainosuke: It's to whet your appetite, though Langa-kun, I think you don't need it.

Everyone was entering the place.

Sure enough, Kojiro hit it off with the owners and offered to help them get a new experience while Ainosuke was given a table. Although all this was spoken in a mixture of Italian and Spanish with one of the workers as mediator.

Finally with a table chosen, everyone went upstairs to sit down for some tapas. So they started to choose from the whole menu.

While waiting for the food Ainosuke stares at Langa, while Langa is thinking about the food.

Meanwhile Kaoru looks with an angry face... At whom?

And Kojiro is writing to his friends from Italy, Nicola and Franco about the Spanish experience, as they are currently sharing the same schedule.

At last the food arrived, or well, the tapas. And Reki keeps thinking why spend so much money on something that won't fill your stomach.

Ainosuke: It's not the first time I've eaten tapas, there are many more varieties. It also depends on where you go in Spain. In this area for example sometimes it can be accompanied by....

Tadashi: Bread with tomato and oil, but the tomato is uncrushed, rubbed on the bread. It's something typical that you can find in the Mediterranean area.

Ainosuke: Indeed, it will be something we will try. But now taste what you have brought, my servants. [to know why he says "my servants" go here]

After finishing his meal, Langa thinks it's little more than a starter...

Langa: Is that all?

Ainosuke: Yes, Langa-kun. Was that not enough? Now that we've worked up an appetite, we'll go home for lunch. Tomorrow I'll show you another gastronomic wonder. 

Langa: Gastronomy ✨✨✨

Ainosuke before leaving with everyone, went to congratulate the chef for the tapas they brought him and talk to José, Carmen's husband, about other matters. They said their goodbyes and went home to eat lunch Kojiro had previously prepared. Tomorrow Ainosuke would show them something new about the country.

~End of Day 1 of Golden Week~

[otunnicliffe]

Chloe + Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Chapter Six: The Journey From Platform Nine And Three-Quarters.

'Well there is no need to wait,' Dumbledore said, 'Let's continue on.'

He pauses for a moment, then says 'I think myself and Professor McGonagall will pick who reads from now on.'

'How come, sir?' Kimberly asks, looking confused. 

'Because from this chapter, you are going to meet more children of some of you,' he explained. 

'More children of us?' Molly asks.

'But whom?' Arabella adds. 

'All will be revealed in this chapter,' McGonagall tells them sternly. 

'Miss Wesia, would you like to read next?' Dumbledore asks. 

Pandora stands up and sits in the readers chair, and takes the book of Professor McGonagall. 

'This chapter,' She told them, 'Is entitled: 'The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.'

'They're going to Hogwarts James!' Gwendolyn says, excitedly. 

Chloe and Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of them both he wouldn't stay in the same room,

'Payback for all the years of abuse!' James argued. 

while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him -- in fact, they didn't speak to them at all. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with the twins in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.

Chloe and Harry kept to their room, with their new pets for company. Chloe had decided to call her cat Mittens, as she thought it was a cute name,

'It is a cute name,' Alice agreed. 

she also decided the name of Harry's pet owl. They had decided to call her Hedwig, a name she had found in A History of Magic. Their school books were very interesting. She lay on her bed reading late into the night,

'She's a bookworm like you then, Gwen!' Arabella jokes.

Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before they went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper they had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.

On the last day of August they thought they'd better speak to their aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so they went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. They both cleared their throat to let them know they was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.

'He's turned into a pussy now!' Barty jibed.

"Er -- Uncle Vernon?" Harry said, as Chloe was still a little wary of Uncle Vernon.

Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.

"Er -- we need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to -- to go to Hogwarts."

Uncle Vernon grunted again.

"Would it be all right if you gave us a lift?"

Grunt. They supposed that meant yes. 

'At least he's learning, I hope,' Andromeda says. 

"Thank you." Chloe said quietly.

They were about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke. "Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"

'Magic carpets aren't real, you numpty!' Alice says. 

Both Chloe and Harry didn't say anything.

"Where is this school, anyway?"

'Scotland,' Chloe answers. Harry looked at her shocked, he had no idea. 

"We just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," Harry added.

His aunt and uncle stared. "Platform what?"

"Nine and three-quarters." Harry repeated. 

"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."

"It's on my ticket."

"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."

"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.

"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."

Giggles errupted from the room. 

'I forgot about the tail,' Frank chortled. 

Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. Chloe woke up not long after. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes, Chloe put on a nice top and a long, flowy skirt -- they'd change on the train. They both checked their Hogwarts list yet again to make sure they had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage and Mittens was safely in hers, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Chloe and Harry's huge, heavy trunks had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to the twins, and they had set off.

They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Chloe and Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. They both thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face. "Well, there you are, children. Platform nine -- platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"

'I forgot they won't know how to get to the platform!' Gwendolyn says, suddenly worried. 

He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.

"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Chloe and Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing. Harry's mouth went rather dry. Chloe just stared at her brother, unsure of what to do. They were starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig.

'We'll have to ask someone,' Chloe concluded.

They then stopped a passing guard, but he didn't really pay them much mind, eventually walking away after a few minutes, muttering something about 'time wasters'.

The twins were now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; they was stranded in the middle of a station with trunks either of them could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl. Hagrid must have forgotten to tell them something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. Harry wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.

'To be fair, Hagrid should have told them,' Kimberly said. 

At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying. "-- packed with Muggles, of course --"

Chloe and Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him -- and they had an owl. Heart hammering, Chloe and Harry pushed their carts after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying. "Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.

"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go... "

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first." What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Chloe and Harry both watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it -- but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy.

"Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Sorry, George, dear."

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went.

'Funny,' Sirius said, after chuckling to himself.

His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone -- but how had he done it? Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there -- and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.

There was nothing else for it.

"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman, Chloe following closely behind.

"Hello, dears," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."

She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.

"Yes," said Chloe. "The thing is -- the thing is, we don't know how to --"

"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Chloe and Harry nodded.

'I like this woman,' Gwendolyn says. 

"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, both of you, go now before Ron."

"Er -- okay," said Harry, looking at Chloe with fear.

They pushed their trolleys around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid. They nodded to each other and then both  started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Chloe and Harry walked more quickly. They were going to smash right into that barrier and then they'd be in trouble -- leaning forward on their carts, they both broke into a heavy run -- the barrier was coming nearer and nearer -- they wouldn't be able to stop -- the cart was out of control -- they were a foot away -- they closed their eyes ready for the crash -

It didn't come... he kept on running... he opened his eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Chloe and Harry looked behind them and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it, they had done it.

Gwendolyn let out a breath that she was unaware she was holding in. 

Chloe and Harry hugged each other in glee. 

'Excuse me,' a voice appeared from behind them. 'I think you dropped this.'

A woman stood, holding a textbook that had fallen out from Chloe's trunk. The woman was quite tall, and had olive skin and raven black hair, and striking emerald eyes. 

People turned to Arabella. 

'Is that me?' she asks.

'Yes, Miss Nott,' McGonagall tells her. 

Behind her was a girl, around the same age as the twins, who looked like she could be her daughter. 

'I have a daughter?' Arabella says, 'With who?'

'With Mr S Black,' Dumbledore tells her. 

'WHAT!' Sirius and Arabella yelled in almost perfect unison. 

'We have a daughter together?' Sirius asked. 

'What's her name?' Arabella asks. 

'You'll find that out later, Miss Nott.'

'Why aren't I there then, or am I?' Sirius asks. 

'You are not there, Mr Black, but unfortunately you'll have to wait until the third book for that,' Dumbledore informs him.

'The third book!' Sirius cried incredulously. 

'Wait, I have a kid with him?' Arabella asks, eyeing Sirius up and down as if he was a flea. 

'Yes we've established that,' Dumbledore tells, 'May we carry on?'

The pair were stood with, what the twins presumed, another mother-daughter pair. The mum was taller than other, and had chestnut brown hair and deep brown eyes. She also had a collection of scars running across her face.

Kimberly choked on air. 'I'm in this too?'

'Yes, Miss Fox,' Dumbledore says. 

Her daughter was also rather tall, and had long brown hair and brown eyes.

'I have a daughter too?' Kimberly asks, her face paling. 

'Yes, Miss Fox, with Mr Lupin.'

At this, Remus had the same reaction. 'But sir! What about our... you know?'

'Doesn't pass on,' Dumbledore reassures them, and they both breathe a sigh of relief. 

'What is your... you know?' Pandora asks, curious. 

Both Kimberly and Remus splutter, before Dumbledore tells them all 'You'll also find that out in the third book.'

'Please continue, Miss Wesia,' McGonagall instructs. 

'Thank you,' Chloe said politely. 

The raven haired woman smiled at her as she passed her the book. Suddenly, she and the other woman let out a gasp... their faces paling at the sight of the twins. 

'First year?' The brunette woman finally manages to mutter.

'Yes,' the twins said in unison. They expected to be awkward in this situation, but there was something about these too women.. like they knew them before... something comforting. 

'Same for our girls here,' the other woman added, turning to her daughter who smiled kindly at the twins.

'Nice,' Harry said. 

'Well, we will let you put your stuff on the train, have a great first year!' the raven haired woman said. 

'Thank you again!' Chloe called out, before she and Harry pushed their trollies further into the platform.

As they were leaving, Chloe and Harry heard the two women talking. 

'Merlin, they are the spit of James and Gwen-'

'Girls, try and made friends with them two, ok?'

'Trying to make the friendship span two generations I see,' Alice quips. 

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."

"Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh.

A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd. "Give us a look, Lee, go on." The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

Molly shuddered at this. She really did not like spiders. 

Chloe and Harry pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. They put their animals in it first, and then started to shove and heave the two trunks toward the train door. They both tried to lift it up the steps together but could hardly raise one end and twice Harry dropped it painfully on his foot.

"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.

"Yes, please," Harry panted. Chloe merely nodded, too out of breath to speak. 

"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!" With the twins' help, Chloe's and Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

"Thanks," said Chloe and Harry in unison, both pushing their sweaty bangs out of the eyes. 

"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at the twins matching lightning scars.

'And they get noticed again, it'll be like that all year I suppose,' Gwendolyn muttered to James. 

"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you?'

"They are," said the first twin.

"Aren't you?" he added to Harry.

"What?" said Harry, Chloe looking confused.

"Chloe and Harry Potter, "chorused the twins.

"Oh, them," said Harry. "I mean, yes, we are." Chloe just nodded. 

The two boys gawked at them, and the twins felt themselves turning red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door. "Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mum." With a last look at Chloe and Harry, the twins hopped off the train.

Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. They had now joined up with the two women from before, obviously being friends. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.

'I have a feeling I know who the woman is,' Kimberly said, referring to the red-haired woman. 

"Ron, you've got something on your nose."

The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose. "Mom -- geroff" He wriggled free.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins. The two daughters of the women giggled at this.

"Shut up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" said their mother.

"He's coming now." the raven haired woman informed her.

The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Chloe and Harry noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves --"

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once --"

"Or twice --"

"A minute --"

"All summer --"

"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.

'I like these twins,' James reiterated. 

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term -- send me an owl when you get there." She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left.

Then she turned to the twins. "Now, you two -- this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've -- you've blown up a toilet or --"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

'Rookie moves,' Sirius joked. 

"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."

"It's not funny. And look after Ron."

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us, and the girls."

"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

Chloe and Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking. "You know that black-haired boy and blonde girl with the fringe who were near us in the station? Know who they are?"

"Who?"

"Chloe and Harry Potter!" 

The mother turned to the two other women quickly, whom nodded. 

Harry heard the little girl's voice. "Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see them, Mom, eh please...."

"You've already seen them, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Are they really, Fred? How do you know?"

"Asked them. Saw the scars. It's really there - like lightning." "Poor dear - no wonder they was alone, I wondered. They were ever so polite when they asked how to get onto the platform."

"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

'Harsh question,' Remus remarked. 

Their mother suddenly became very stern. "I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."

"All right, keep your hair on."

A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys and two girls clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye and the other girls for their mothers, and their younger sister began to cry.

"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."

"George!" The two other women laughed at this. 

"Only joking, Mom."

The train began to move. The twins both saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.

'Bless her,' Alice said. 

Chloe and Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. They both felt a great leap of excitement. They both didn't know what they were going to but it had to be better than what they were leaving behind. The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy, and the two girls came in.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry.

"Everywhere else is full." the raven haired girl asked. 

The twins shook their heads and the boy sat down next to Harry and the girls next to Chloe. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. The raven haired girl rolled her eyes at him. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.

"Hey, Ron." The twins were back.

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train -- Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"Chloe, Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then.''

'Wait, Weasley?' Arthur asked. 

'Yes, you and Molly have a few children,' Dumbledore tells him. 

After a few seconds of shocked silence, Pandora decided to continue. 

"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

'I'm Clemensia Black,' the raven haired girl introduced herself. 

'And I'm Catherine Lupin,' the brunette girl added. 

'Triple C,' Arabella remarked. 'Chloe, Clemensia and Catherine.'

"Are you really Chloe and Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.

'Ron!' Clemensia hissed. 

They both nodded.

"Oh -well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got -- you know..." He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Chloe did the same after.

All three stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who " Ron started 

''Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."

"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.

'Ron!' Clemensia reiterated. 

"Well -- I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else." Chloe added.

"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.

'He's a bit awkward I won't lie,' Molly admits. 

"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found the other three just as interesting as Ron found him.

"Er -- Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

'There's a reason for that,' Molly says, a bit snidely. 

'Mine are,' Clemensia says. 'Both of my parents were from quite distinct pure blooded families, but they don't really talk to them.'

'True,' Arabella admits. 

'Both of my parents were, but they were both half-blooded,' Catherine explained. 'One of each grandparent was a muggle.'

"So you must know loads of magic already." Chloe asked them all.

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"

"Horrible -well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers." Harry admits. 

"Five," said Ron.

'Five brothers?' Molly asked, looking wary. 

'And there was a girl, so you would have had 7 children!' Kimberly recounts. 

For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left -- Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

'That's a bit sad,' Kimberly says, but quietly so Molly wouldn't hear her. 

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep. "His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff -- I mean, I got Scabbers instead." Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.

'Don't have so many children then,' Lucius scorns. 

'Do you have any siblings?' Chloe asked Clemensia and Catherine. They both just shook their heads. 

Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and Chloe basically living in charity shop clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up. "... and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort"

The three others gasped. 

Most people in the room did the same. 

"What?" said Harry.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed.

"I'd have thought you, of all people --" Catherine added. 

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn.... I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."

'Me too,' Chloe said, looking downtrodden.

'I'm sure they won't be!' Gwendolyn added. 

"You won't be!' Catherine encouraged.

''There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough." Clemensia adds. 

'I hope our daughters all become friends,' Gwendolyn says to Arabella and Kimberly.

'I have a feeling they will be,' Kimberly reassures her. Arabella nodded, a smile on her face.

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past. Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?" Chloe and Harry, who both hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to their feet, as did Clemensia and Catherine, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Everyone except Ron went out into the corridor. 

They had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that they both had pockets rattling with gold and silver Harry was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry, and Chloe wanted skittles as far as the eye could see -- but the woman didn't have Mars Bars or Skittles. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, they both got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts. Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat. Clemensia and Catherine returned, Clemensia held about 3 pumpkin pasties and Catherine had a couldron cake and a chocolate frog. 

'My daughter seems to share my love for pumpkin pasties,' Arabella retorts. 

"Hungry, are you?" Ron asks. 

"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.

'They're good aren't they?' Clemensia remarked. 'They are mine and my mums favourite.'

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."

"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on --"

'Bless him,' Molly coos. 

"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."

"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with.

'Yeah, go on Ron,' Chloe added, feeling the same way as her brother.

It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, Clemensia and Catherine, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).

'Fair enough,' Amos mused. 

"What are these?" Chloe asked the group, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs.

"They're not really frogs, are they?" Harry was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.

"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."

"What?" Harry asked. 

"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know -- Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect -- famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."

'He's obsessed with those bloody cards,' Catherine tells Chloe, rolling her eyes. 'Me and Clemmie don't care for them much.'

'Clemmie is an adorable nickname,' Molly remarks. 

Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half- moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore. "So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.

'Lets see!' said Chloe, before finally seeing the man that Hagrid held to such a high regard. 

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa -- thanks''

Harry turned over his card and read:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

'You enjoy bowling?' Gwendolyn asked, 'As in the muggle activity where you throw a ball at some sticks?'

'Precisely, Miss Evans. I find it to be rather fun.'

'Yeah its fun, if its your seventh birthday party,' Gwendolyn whispered to James, who tried his best to not start howling with laughter. 

Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared. "He's gone!"

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Clemensia.

"He'll be back.'' Ron added, ''No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her... do you want it? You can start collecting.''

Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped. "Help yourself," said Harry.

"But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos." Chloe said.

'Really?' Narcissa asked, looking at Gwendolyn quizzically. 

Gwendolyn nodded.

"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "weird!"

Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the druidess Cliodna,

'Quite the collection already,' Xenophilius remarked.

who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

'The devil themselves,' Kimberly huffed. 

"You want to be careful with those," Catherine warned the twins. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor -- you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and mar- malade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe.''

''George reckons he had a booger flavored one once." Clemensia added. 

'I've had one before too, very unpleasant,' Xenophilius added.

Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner. "Bleaaargh -- see? Sprouts."

They had a good time eating the Every Flavour Beans. Chloe and Harry between them got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and Chloe was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny grey one none of the others would touch, which turned out to be pepper.

'Some of them sound abysmal!' Kimberly retorts. 

The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills. There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Chloe and Harry had passed on platform nine and three quarters came in. He looked tearful. "Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?" When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

'I wouldn't mourn the loss of a toad,' Regulus snides. 

"He'll turn up," said Chloe, with a small smile to the boy, who looked transfixed on her. 

"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him..." He left.

"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk." The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.

'Scabbers isn't that bad...' Chloe mused, even though she didn't even look like she believed it. 

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..." He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end. "Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway-''

He had just raised his 'wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

'Bit harsh, poor girl,' Alice said. 

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." She sat down next to Harry.

Ron looked taken aback. "Er -- all right." He cleared his throat. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

'That's not a spell,' Gwendolyn announced. 'No wonder it won't work.'

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.

'Knew it,' Gwendolyn huffed. 

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all

'Great, a mudblood... just what this story needed,' Lucius says to the other Slytherins. 

, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard -- I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough -- I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you.''

She said all this very fast.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

'Clemensia Black.'

'Catherine Lupin.'

'Chloe Potter, and he's my brother, Harry,' Chloe said finally, as Harry was still staring at Hermione, shocked that she had already memorized their books. 

'Fair enough,' James said, chuckling. 

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you both, of course -- I got a few extra books. for background reading, and you're both in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.''

'Mental,' Amos said. 'You're children are proper famous James!'

"Are we ?" said Harry, feeling dazed. He looked a Chloe, who looked equally as dazed. 

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad.... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

And she left, taking the toadless boy with her. "Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.

'I have a feeling that's not going to happen,' Arthur says. 

He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell -- George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."

'Well duh it didn't work!' said Catherine. 'You know how the twins like to joke!'

"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.

"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?" "Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.

'Doesn't make it a bad house though!' Clemensia said. 'My whole family apart from my parents were Slytherins, including my Uncle, who can be quite nice when he wants to be.'

'Which side of Uncle are we on about?' Arabella asks. 'Regulus or my brother?'

'Your brother, Atticus Nott,' Dumbledore tells her. 

'Wait, me and my brother speak?' Arabella says, a small smile on her face at the idea. 

"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses.

"So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?" Chloe was wondering what a witch or wizard did once they'd finished school.

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles -- someone tried to rob a high security vault."

'Bet it was the vault that they visited with Hagrid!' Gwendolyn exclaims. 

Chloe and Harry stared. "Really? What happened to them?" Chloe asked. 

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it." Clemensia told them. 

'So You-Know-Who is not gone? For definate?' James asks, confused. 

'Basically, but for this year, he's not his full self, and that's all you're knowing for now,' Dumbledore explained. 

Chloe and Harry turned this news over in their mind. They were both starting to get a prickle of fear every time You- Know-Who was mentioned. They supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.

"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.

"Er -- I don't know any," Harry confessed.

'They don't have Quidditch in the Muggle world, Ronald!' said Clemensia, rolling her eyes. 

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world --" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.

Six boys entered, and Chloe Harry recognized the middle two at once: it was the boys from Madam Malkin's robe shop.

'Bet they've found about about the Potter twins,' Molly remarks. 

The pale boy  was looking at Chloe and Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley. The other looked indifferent, but still Chloe found his eyes upon her. Chloe also noticed how Clemensia seemed to tense up at the sight of them. 

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Chloe and Harry Potter are in this compartment. So it's you two, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Chloe was just staring at the other boy, who had yet to give his name. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

'You owe me!' Kimberly says happily, turning to Sirius. 

'Oh for Merlin's- fine!' Sirius said, sounding agitated. 'I'll give you it later.'

'Wait, I have a son?' Lucius asks. 

'Yes, Mr Malfoy, with Miss N Black,'

Narcissa's face flushed slightly. 

'Can I continue, there's one name here that will shock you all!' Pandora said, looking shocked. 

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigget. Draco Malfoy looked at him. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

'Shut up Malfoy!' Clemensia scorned, making the other boys laugh. 

'Just because you're my second cousin, Black doesn't mean anything!' Draco says, eyeing her with disgust. 

'Hey cousin,' said one of the other boys, obviously trying to not cause a scene. The boy was brunette and quite tall, and seemed to have a thick, Italian accent. 

Clemensia merely nodded back, before saying: 'Chloe, Harry, this is my cousin, Theodore Nott.'

'Yeah I was expecting that one,' Arabella says. 

'I forget how connected we all are sometimes,' said the final boy, who was also quite tall and had jet black hair. 'I'm Draco's cousin too, on his dad's side. My name is Lorenzo Berkshire.'

'So how am I related to him?' Lucius asks. 

'Lorenzo is your sister's son,' Dumbledore informs him. 

'Who's the other girl?' He asked. 

'Catherine Lupin,' Catherine introduced herself, looking at the final unnamed boy like she couldn't believe he was standing here. 

The boy must have noticed this, because he chuckled and mused 'You look like you've seen a ghost, Lupin.'

'I mean, we're just surprised that you're here,' Clemensia said, obviously trying to keep her cool. Ron just gaped up at the boy.

'Who is the boy?' James asks. 

'Prepare yourself,' Pandora says. 

'Well that's not surprising,' said the boy, with an evil grin appearing on my face. 'My name, Potters, is Mattheo Riddle.'

There was a stunned silence. 

'The dark lord had a son?' Bellatrix asked. 

'But with who?' Narcissa asks.

'There's a Black, two Potters, a Lupin, a Malfoy, a Nott, a Berkshire and a Riddle in the same year... choas!' Alice said, her face drained of all colour. 

'Yes, Mattheo is the son of Voldemort,' Dumbledore informs them. 'Voldemort mated with a pure blooded woman, named Esmeraude Vance, and then once she had given birth, he killed her.'

'Merlin, he's so cruel!' Sirius said. 

'So that's why he was with the Malfoy boy at the shop,' Arabella says, putting the pieces together. 

'Let's continue on, shall we?' McGonagall asks. 

Chloe let out a small gasp, she remembered reading about You-Know-Who's real name, Tom Riddle. Harry just looked confused, until a nearly shaking Ron whispered the fact to him, and he then looked up at Mattheo in shock. 

'Scared now, Potters?' He said, his eyes still on Chloe. 'You know, it makes sense as to why you're so pretty.. you're mother was half-veela, and you a quarter.' 

'See, Potter,' said Draco. 'This is the group of people you need to hang about with, not with two blood traitors and a half breed.' He scorned at the other three as he said this.

'Ouch, we're still family Draco, whether you like it or not' Clemensia reminds him, clearly unhappy with the connection as well. This was when so noticed Lorenzo looking at her, and she realized Theodore was looking at Catherine. 

'I have a bad feeling about Mattheo, Theodore and Lorenzo in the later books,' Kimberly says. 'I feel a romance with three girls.'

Draco didn't answer her, he just turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out a hand each to shake the twins, but both didn't take it. "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," Chloe said coolly.

'Get told,' James said, a chuckle escaping his lips. 

Clemensia snorted lightly at this, and Chloe noticed that Mattheo, Lorenzo and Theodore were all looking at her with amusement, they didn't even seem that annoyed. 

Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents.

'Merlin man, its not the end of the world!' Frank said shocked. 'That was way too far!'

They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

Everyone who was originally in the cabin stood up. 

"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.

'Draco, just leave it mate,' said Theodore again, in his thick Italian accent. 

'Why does he have the accent?' Arabella asked. 'We aren't Italian.'

'His mother is,' Dumbledore explained, 'Or rather, was, she passed away when Theodore was 10 from an illness.'

'Oh,' Arabella said, unsure of what else to say. 

"But we don't feet like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some." Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron - Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.

Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle - Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbets finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once.

Chloe laughed at this, Clemensia and Catherine joining in. She then noticed, that the three boys remaining were also laughing. 

'We better be off, but that was funny,' Lorenzo announced. 

'See you later, cousin,' Theodore said to Clemensia. 

'See ya,' She replied. 

Mattheo just stared at Chloe a little longer before also leaving. 

'I have a horrible feeling that you are right about the romance, Kim,' Gwendolyn says.

Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.

"What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.

''I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No -- I don't believe it -- he's gone back to sleep-" And so he had.

"You've met Malfoy before?" Ron asked

Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley, with Mattheo too.

"I've heard of Malfoy's family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."

Everyone turned to Lucius and Narcissa.

'He's still my family,' Clemensia reminded him. 

'Poor you,' Catherine said. 

Ron turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right -- I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"

Ron glared at her as she left. Chloe and Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. They could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

'They're nearly there!' Gwendolyn said, excitedly. 

'We'll go to the bathroom,' Catherine said, taking Chloe and Clemensia with her. 

Harry and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them. The girls returned shortly after, also in their robes. 

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Both Chloe's and Harry's stomachs lurched with nerves and Ron, Harry saw, looked pale under his freckles. Clemensia and Catherine were slightly worried. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Chloe shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and the twins heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Potters?" Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. "C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that the twins thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice. Harry and Ron walked ahead, so far that Chloe couldn't see where they'd gone. The three girls found themselves walking with Mattheo, Lorenzo and Theodore, Draco and Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere to be seen. 

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

Chloe stared up at the castle in awe. She couldn't see it, but Mattheo was next to her, not even bothered by the castle, he was looking at her, a lot softer than the other times before.

James and Gwendolyn looked at each other, worried. 

"No more'n six to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville, Hermione and two other boys. The three girls were in a boat with the three boys, Chloe somehow ended up sitting next to Mattheo, Clemensia next to her cousin and Catherine was next to Lorenzo.

'They are always with those boys,' Arabella said, concerned. 

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then -- FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

'It's amazing isn't it,' Mattheo whispered to Chloe.

'It definately is,' Chloe whispered back.

Mattheo looked at her, confused. 'Are you not scared by me?' 

'I would be,' Frank said. 

'No, you aren't your father,' she said, looking at him suddenly. 

Before Mattheo could respond, a voice boomed. "Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands.

'At least the boy got his toad back,' Alice said. 

Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door. "Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

'That's the chapter,' Pandora announced. 

'Thank you, Miss Wesia,' Dumbledore announced. 

'I can't wait to see what house they are!' Gwendolyn said.

'Well we will move straight on, and find out now,' Dumbledore tells her. 

[artemis-in-space]

Ok so its my birthday on sunday, and every year for the past 2 years I've made a dress for the occasion, this year being no different. The dress is not done yet, so I'm planning on getting it done over tonight and tomorrow.

My cousin has invited himself over to cook me and my brothers dinner tonight (he's like 15) and I didn't find this out until my mum called about it last night.

Also it was another of my cousins birthdays a few days ago, and my mum wants to take her out for drinks tonight. I found this out in the same phone call.

So then I'm trying to ask her if cousin A is cooking us dinner or if we're going to take cousin B out for drinks. I get no discernible answer.

Instead I get that she also wants to invite both aunts and other kids of them and my grandad (so we're up to nine people) to whatever we end up doing.

Still no solid plan.

So today (like 4 hours before we would need to have solid plans) I call and ask what we're doing, and from the sounds of it its going to be dinner and drinks at my house, but no one has been actually invited yet, except cousin B who hasn't responded.

So then I'm trying to just say. Ok. I don't mind who we have over, I would just like to know actual numbers so I can mentally prepare, because as I said, I have a lot of sewing to do.

So mum then gives me "don't worry about it, we'll just see who calls in, you just focus on your sewing" which anyone with a mum knows is utter bullshit, because its my birthday, my house and if people are coming over I will be expected to stop what I'm doing and socialise.

So all this to say. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 🤬😫😫😫

Then to top it all off, she lets slip that she thinks they might all be feeling resentful because I didn't invite them all to my actual birthday plans, which are having my immediate family and like 5 friends come to a dinosaur themed pop up themepark for a few hours and then getting dinner with just my immediate family after, when none of my extended family know or were invited anyway? Idk. Me and my mum both have the overthinking gene so I get how she reached this stupicld conclusion but still I really didn't need this when I have so fucking much to do.

[thedaveandkimmershow]

Thursday, October 19, 2023

This is my second and last visit with Jacquie, Kimmer's aunt, before I leave tomorrow morning. In many ways, it's the most profound of the two visits if for no other reason than we'll not see each other again on this side.

That's not the only reason, though.

We'll get to that in a moment.

Today we're here around the same time as yesterday. Kimmer's cousin has about an hour head start with his mother but assures us that she's been sleeping most of the time. Unlike the previous visit, Jacquie's spending more time sleeping. Her eyes are closed more than yesterday, her breathing's not as obvious, and she's not at all communicative. As if we're here visiting in the middle of the night.

No words for awhile when we arrive. No attempts at words. No movement, really.

She just is.

Jacquie's mouth is more closed than the day before while she's sleeping. I ask Kimmer why this is and Kimmer explains to me it's because today Jacquie's taking shallower breaths.

Oh.

Also, she's not responding to our prompts as she did 24 hours before. She's not responding to the same stimuli.

She has more of a coma vibe going on which is unnerving at times.

To check on Jacquie's basics, Kimmer fashions Jacquie's wrist with an auto blood pressure cuff, waits a moment while it does its thing, until the cuff calls out the results.

Totally normal.

Given Jacquie's nebulous condition, Kimmer asks out loud

"How do you do that???"

And in what I'll always remember as a classic moment, Jacquie, without opening her eyes, perpetrates a huge shrug of her shoulders while she's laying in bed. The universal sign for

"I dunno."

There's gonna be a lot of moments like this today. Straight up body language. Nonverbal. With eyes closed.

By 'n by, it's time for Jacquie's son to take his leave. He leans in to say "bye mom" and I catch that moment because it's so natural, as if set somewhere outside this room. As if he's a teenager back at home heading out the front door, turning his head, saying these two words over his shoulder for the briefest of moments...

"Bye mom."

And then he's away.

At some point, Kimmer asks Alexa to play Keith Green, a worship music favorite of hers from back in the day. I think the music's similar to the kind of music performed at Jacquie's long time church. The reason I think this is because this music and not, for example, the soundtracks of Fiddler on the Roof, God Spell, and Jesus Christ Super Star don't elicit the same response.

Same response?

Yeah. Her hands and arms begin to move over her head, then come down a bit tracing slowly elegant patterns in the air above her body.

The motions aren't immediately defined for me. I mean, it's not obvious what they are, what they're trying to be. They're a kind of drowsy, deliberate facsimile of an almost lost memory. It's only when that old Methodist tune "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty" hits Alexa's speaker and Jacquie's arms go up immediately that I make the connection to the raising of hands during worship services.

Eventually the music ebbs... yet Jacquie is still in that moment. Arms and hands continue moving a little bit. Head from side to side a little bit.

So Kimmer asks her gently

"Are you in Dreamland?"

Jacquie softly groans as the next song picks up.

Later, Kimmer decides to have a little fun with her aunt because Jacquie's birthday's this coming Sunday. 81 years old. There'll be a little german chocolate cupcake party for her and, in order to talk it up, Kimmer declares

"It's your birthday on Sunday. Yeah, you'll be eighteen years old!!! Don't you feel eighteen years old?"

I immediately look back to Jacquie and, hand to God, she responds with the facial equivalent of a shrug. The right side of her lip pulls up a bit at the same time her right eye sort of winks, and her right cheek compresses.

Hand to God.

A facial shrug, it was so clear to me.

Behind it all, the music's still playing, Jacquie's hands continue to trace patterns in the air, and then her hands settle on the plush elephant resting atop her chest. Slowly, deliberately, she uses both hands to grip the elephant then turns to me and says something that seems like it starts with the word "what".

So I say

"I don't know... what do you think?"

She responds with words I don't understand so I begin arranging the plush elephant in front of her so she can hold it more easily.

While I'm doing that, though, she looks directly at me and says

"Bear."

So I move the elephant to the bottom of the bed and I place the bear, the birthday bear, onto her hands.

She has it rest like that on her hands for awhile. Her eyes closed.

By 'n by, her eyes open again briefly and Kimmer says

"Hi Jacquie! How're you doing, sweetie?"

Jacquie begins to carefully lean her head up and forward. Then slowly, she greets Kimmer.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii."

The greeting begins well, not a ton of energy, though, and then slips away.

Kimmer encourages her.

"It's your bear, Jacquie. It's your birthday bear!"

And then

"Do you want me to sing you Happy Birthday?"

Jacquie's head lowers back onto her pillow. Her eyes closed. And Kimmer begins to sing slowly in her clear alto voice.

A birthday song for her favorite aunt.

She sings it all the way through from where she's sitting midway down the edge of the bed, leaning toward and above Jacquie as Jacquie sleeps peacefully.

Later, Kimmer asks her

"Are you still with us, Jacquie?"

From wherever she is in that moment, Jacquie musters a

"Yeaaaaaaah."

So Kimmer says

"Hey sleepy girl. I love you."

And Jacquie replies with a lazy

"Mmhmm."

Time passes.

The moment that catches me next is Keith Green, now singing from Alexa's speaker the song "Make My Life A Prayer To You". The moment's not even the whole song but a tiny piece of it.

"From ourselves and our despair, it comforts me to know you're really there."

I look up just then to catch Kimmer simply smiling at her aunt.

I don't know what to tell you. My mind naturally tagged that image as something special.

If I've not mentioned it yet, I'll mention it now. We've each been holding one of Jacquie's hands this whole time. I'm holding her right hand. Kimmer's holding her left hand. This is our unbroken connection with Jacquie while we're here. Through our hands we're communicating what we feel as we feel it. Not intentionally. That's just how it works when you're holding someone else's hand in yours.

Time passes some more and, when I dip back into the moment, Keith Green's singing his song "(Until) Your Love Broke Through". He just reached the chorus that begins with the words "Like waking up from the longest dream..." which is where Kimmer's alto joins him in an easy way.

After a bit of this, Kimmer asks Jacquie

"Is my singing bothering you?"

And from wherever Jacquie is just then, she replies

"Nooo."

☺️

A little later on, Kimmer reminds Jacquie

"I love you. And we love you very very much. I've always felt loved by you."

Followed by this:

"We're two peas in a pod."

That's true, by the way.

They are.

In the end, Jacquie did make an appearance. In a different way, sure, but she did show up.

Kimmer and I talked about it later, trying to put our fingers on What is this version of Jacquie?

I wanna say lucid, but that's a hard sell when someone's eyes are closed most of the time. So instead I'll say intentional. I'll say deliberate.

Jacquie's hands and arms moved at her direction even with her eyes closed. When her eyes were open and she had something to say, she said it while looking at the person to whom she was speaking. In our final half hour, it struck both Kimmer and I that Jacquie was trying to communicate a lot of something to Kimmer. At one point, she had her right hand cupped behind Kimmer's back, she held eye contact with Kimmer, and sometimes she would touch or brush Kimmer's chin with the finger or fingers of her left hand.

Intentional.

Deliberate.

Like she was trying to tell Kimmer something.

In a way, it's the most communication, a largely nonverbal communication, that I've seen from Jacquie over the last nine months and change.

She sustained it longer, is what I'm getting at. Even when it wasn't words. But then even when it was words, words we couldn't understand, there was tone enough in her voice to get the gist. Along with eye contact.

Along with touch.

When we left, I didn't give that moment a lot of forethought.

I bent down low to wrap may left arm around Jacquie's back from the right side of her bed so I could embrace her as fully as possible. Then I kissed her right cheek and said

"Good night, Jacquie."

And then we were away.

[missvelvetsstuff]

Low Expectations

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Chapter 4

Warning: swearing, angst & fluff

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Y/N ran into Terri Sunday night, Terri started to ask about her date but stopped when she saw her face blotchy and eyes red from crying.

Terri bristled "What did he do? I swear I'll kill him."

Y/N shook her head "It was me. He asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes but after I got home my brain started and I freaked. Spoke to him earlier and told him I like him and want to keep seeing him but I'm not ready to commit.

Terri, he sounded so sad and I feel awful. I've never been treated so well and I'm afraid he's too good to be true. I fucked it up all by myself" she broke into tears. "I tried to call him but it went straight to voicemail."

Terri hugged her "Oh, honey what am I going to do with you? You have to stop letting your mind run away with you like that. You are just as deserving of love as anyone else, more than some. Send him a text telling him you're sorry for freaking out and would like to talk to him when he's up for it. And take a mental health day tomorrow, we'll eat junk and watch sappy movies. I'll make you those on the rocks margaritas like your mom taught me"

"I miss her so much. I still can't believe she died and I wasn't here to take care of her."

Terri rubbed her back. "I know, I know but you still have me." She snickered "I could call aunt Kathy if you want"

Y/N pulled away and gave Terri a dirty look "Don't even joke about that. She thinks the only way to mend a broken heart is to get laid by at least a dozen people. I'm just not like that. Besides she's in Florida and I don't want to give her any excuses to come up here.

The next afternoon, Bucky was guzzling tequila for the second day in a row, wishing he knew how to get in touch with Thor when his doorbell rang. He grumbled as he got up and answered it.

"Sam, what are you doing here? I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone." He left the door open and sat back on the floor.

Sam looked around "Dude! What is that smell? How much have you had to drink?"

"Not enough, I'm still sober"

Sam shook his head "I'm here to check on you because you were supposed to pick me up from the airport. And why the Hell are you trying to get drunk? Wasn't your big date the other night." Sam paused

"Shit, was it bad? What happened?"

Bucky sighed "I'm sorry, I forgot. The date was perfect, at least I thought it was. She said she would be my girl and we had a really good time."

Sam nodded "Ok that all sounds good so what's the problem?"

Bucky teared up a little "I called her yesterday afternoon, just to see how she was and she changed her mind."

Sam looked confused "What do you mean she changed her mind?"

"She said she isn't ready for a commitment yet. Insisted it was her, not me, and that she still likes me and wants to see me but. Fuck! I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out what I did wrong. I thought it went really well. I thought she might be my person."

Sam thought for a minute "Didn't you say she has self esteem issues? Because of guys she's dated and because Terri always gets all the attention when they go out, right? Maybe she's like you and got caught up in her own head. Like thinking it's all too good to be true, you know."

Bucky nodded "I mean yeah but I tried to be perfect. Do and say all the right things"

"Exactly. You're this good looking, superhero with greatest generation manners. For someone who has been treated badly or taken for granted that would seem too good. Maybe give her a couple of days and call her, see if she wants to go out again."

"She tried to call me last night but I didn't answer. I want to talk to her but I'm scared." Bucky shook his head "What if she says no and tells me to leave her alone?"

Sam chuckled "From what you've told me I doubt it but if she did then at least you would know. Come on, take a shower and I'll buy you dinner."

"Thanks Sam but I'm not up for going out"

"We don't have to go anywhere, I can order in but I'm not staying here unless you wash your ass. You reek" Sam held his nose for emphasis.

"Fine. I'm not really hungry but we can hang out for awhile. Lemme go shower." Bucky said despondently

Meanwhile Terri and Y/N were half drunk, eating chocolate like it had divine healing properties and laughing at A Fish Called Wanda.

"What would I do without Monty Python and everyone involved?" Y/N asked "Those guys always make me laugh."

Terri pouted "Yeah, I still can't get into British humor but this movie is pretty funny. Kevin Kline is so perfect in this.'Asshole!!'"

Y/N looked at her with a gleam in her eye. "Let's see if BBC America has some Benny Hill when this is over."

Terri shook her head "Oh come on. Let's watch The Notebook next"

"No, no, no. I refuse to watch such emotionally manipulative tripe."

Terri scowled at her "How do you know its tripe if you've never seen it? It's really good. And you like Beaches, it's pretty manipulative."

"Not the same. It's about best friends not pining after some guy. Besides I saw Beaches with my mom before I was old enough to know better. Plus, Bette Midler is a BadAss and one of my heroes. She gives zero fucks about what others think of her. Like Pink. I wish I could be like that."

Terri rolled her eyes "Fine but no Benny Hill, he was just a dog. How about the Mummy movies? Brendan Frasier is always fun to watch."

Y/N thought for a minute "This compromise is acceptable to me as long as you don't want to watch the last one where they recast Evy. That lady had no chemistry with Brendan at all.

Do you think I should send Bucky another text? He never responded to the one I sent last night or when I tried to call him. Maybe that's his answer and I blew it before it even really started. Maybe I'm going to be alone forever. Maybe-"

Terri cut her off "Didn't I tell you we aren't doing that? I said give him a couple of days. It's been one day. I'm sure with his history he's had challenges dating in the future. Remember you told me he was sure you would walk away because he was the Winter Soldier? He might be struggling too and not ready to talk.

Honestly, the more I think about it the more I'm convinced that you two are meant to be. He'll call, by the end of the week. Just you wait."

By Thursday Bucky and Y/N were both antsy waiting to hear from the other. Bucky had helped Sam on a mission in Texas, some militia with weapons they definitely shouldn't have been able to get a hold of, for a couple of days but got home around dinner time. Working had helped keep his mind off of Y/N but coming home to his empty apartment brought it all back. He checked his phone and read her last message again. Fuck it he thought, I'll just call her.

Terri and Y/N were eating dinner when her phone rang. She saw it was Bucky and grinned, then froze. "It's James. What do I say to him?"

Terri looked at her "Maybe start with Hi. Before he gives up, don't just stare at the phone"

Y/N dropped her phone trying to answer and it went to voicemail before she could answer it "Jesus, I'm shaking too much. I can't do this, Terri."

"Nope, you absolutely can. Call him back!" Terri insisted

"What if he's calling to tell me he changed his mind? What if he thinks I'm too much?"

"No! You're doing it again. Call. Him. Back. Right now. I'll give you some privacy but I better hear you talking to him or I'll have to do something drastic." Terri got up and went to her room

Y/N took a drink, tried to calm her breathing and called. She almost started crying when it went to voicemail and jumped when it started ringing again.

"Hello? James are you there?"

"Hey, Y/N. How are you?"

She tried to answer but couldn't make any sound come out. What finally came out was a squeak and then a sob. She still couldn't form words.

"Y/N? Are you ok? Are you still there? You're scaring me, doll. Please say something" Bucky pleaded.

She finally spit out "I'm sorry, I don't mean to get so emotional. I was worried when I didn't hear from you. I'm sorry about what I said. Sometimes I get caught up in my head and act stupid. I'm kind of a mess."

Bucky smiled "It's ok. I totally understand, that's a bad habit of mine too. I just got home from a thing with Sam, and I was away the last couple of days. How is your week going?"

She tried to calm her breathing "Pretty unexciting. Terri and I hung out and watched movies on Monday and the rest has been work.

Would you like to-"

"Do you want to-"

They both laughed "You first, doll."

"I was wondering if you wanted to get together this weekend."

Bucky laughed "That's what I was going to ask."

"I'll take that as a yes" she smiled

"Definitely a yes. When are you available?"

She thought for a moment "I dont have anything planned this weekend besides the usual housework and errands. Terri is going out of town so, you could come over here for dinner on Saturday. I'm not a great cook but make a mean spaghetti. And I can bake up a storm. I'll make my grandma's pound cake."

Bucky smiled "That sounds wonderful. What time should I be there?"

"Late afternoon? Early evening? Anytime after 3pm should be fine. I should be able to get my housework done and go to the store before that."

@lokisasgardianvampirequeen

"Then its a date. I'll see you Saturday doll."

Chapter 5

[miraculous-trinity-leo]

Tᕼᗴ ᑕᕼᗩOTIᑕ ᗩᑎᘜᗴᒪ

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6)

Chapter 3: Au Revoir Gotham My True Home

•—–—–·†·–—–—•

Marinette explained what happened and that she didn't mean to cause trouble, she didn't know why the bats were looking for her (author to audience... it's because she looks like one of his bat kids gone rouge.) When she asked how they knew the Bat was looking for her, she found out that Selina was actually dating the Bat... So Marinette was very surprised at that, her family talked about it and a few days after her birthday she'll be going to Paris, France with Selina to be with a family friend of hers. Marinette was now really thinking she was cursed, but she made sure to take it in stride and spend as much time with her friends and family as possible.

"Doan wawhry suguh, we'll make sure tuh visit as much as possible, yuh can even visit us durin' summuh and wintuh break." - Harley held back the tears as she hugged Marinette, Bud, Lou, Ivy, Selina, Ed and even Frank joined in on it.

……… ………

Marinette was out with her friends still not sure how to tell them, she started with the obvious.

"Sooo... tomorrow I turn 10... the double digits." - Marinette

"Soon you'll be one of us!" - Garfield gave Marinette a side hug with a big smile, god he made it harder to tell them

"So what do you want to do? We can celebrate, tomorrow and the day after that, and the day after that, heck we can celebrate for the whole week while we're at it!" - Garfield

Rachel noticed the sad smile Marinette had as Garfield continued talking.

"Is there something you need to tell us?" - Rachel's words stoped Garfield in his tracks, he then looked at a slightly teary Marinette, and he felt a slight tinge of pain in his chest.

"I- um, I'm moving this Saturday... I'm sorry I really don't want to, but- *hic* I-" - Marinette was cut off by Garfield giving her a hug, he rubbed small circles on her back as she let out a few sobs. Rachel patting her shoulder to try and comfort her.

After they were like that for a few minutes, they decided to get ice cream

……… ……… ………

"I'm sorry." - Marinette eating her chocolate chip ice cream

"It's not your fault Mari, besides, we can officially say we have a pen pal in Paris." - Garfield with his chocolate mint ice cream trying to lighten the mood, managed to get a chuckle out of Marinette.

"We can still video call, or text you. And your parents said you can visit on summer and winter break." - Rachel just starting her strawberry ice cream

"But what if I need a friend to talk to when I can't sleep? Or if I need a movie buddy? Or gaming buddy?" - Marinette

"There are online multiplayer games we can play you know." - Rachel

"Yeah, and I'm sure you'll make friends over there really quickly, I mean you already know a few other languages, including French, so there isn't any communication problems." - Garfield

"I wish you guys could come with me..." - Marinette almost done with her ice cream

"... Didn't you say you always wanted a hamster, maybe one that's unique, like a the rare Green Gotham Hamster?" - Garfield with a mischievous grin

"Selina's family friends own a bakery, so no pets allowed. Sorry Rare Green Gotham Hamster, I'm afraid you're staying native to Gotham." - Marinette said patting his shoulder.

"Wait they own a bakery?! As in you can be on a sugar high 24/7?! Take me with you!!" - Garfield

……… ……… ………

Soon it was time for them to go home, when Marinette got home, she continued packing what she would need, making sure that her Siren plushies where safely secure, and then went to eat dinner.

The next day she made sure to get up early, Garfield and Rachel knew where she lived, and wanted to make sure everything was ready for them, setting up the games they would play into the night, and the movies they would watch after that.

She then went to the Gardens to greet her Mom and the plants, doing the usual routine of checking all the plants, complimenting and watering them. During which a sleepy Harley walked over giving Ivy and Marinette a morning kiss before going to make her coffee.

At breakfast she didn't see her Aunt yet, she assumed she was robbing someone rich again.

……… Over to Catwoman ………

"Come ta mama." - Catwoman mumbled as she used her claws to cut the glass surrounding an old elegant purple sapphire that belonged to one of Gotham's founding fathers' wives.

……… Back to Marinette ………

About an hour after breakfast Garfield and Rachel came over, holding Marinettes' rapped presents, they started the day off with trivia games, which they called the MIQ (which can mean either Marinette Isley-Quinzel or in this case Memory Intelligence Quiz) which Marinette and Rachel came to a tie followed by Ivy, then Harley, and Garfield. They then moved on to board games, Marinette decided to play The Game of Life rather than Monopoly (because lets be honest, who has ever finished that game in the time of a signle day? An extreme speedrunner... maybe.) while the adults got the cake ready. Surprisingly Garfield won, he got the acting career, a sports car, a nice old fashioned mid modern house, a wife, and 3 kids... Marinette got the fashion designer career, got a motorcycle, and a small, but nice victorian house, a husband, and one kid... and Rachel got the scientist career (because science is just simplified mortal magic), a delorean car (and even said "Since science is magic I can make it fly, so technically, I don't need roads where I'm going."), a modern cabin in the woods, single (she didn't want a significant other to interrupt her magic science) and got a pet bird.

Once Selina and Ed came over, they began the party, playing games like DDR, Ultimate Mecha Strike 2, and Racing games.

When it came time for Marinette to blow out her candles, she wished that everything would be okay, and that she will be able to come back to Gotham permanently, and blew them out.

She then got to open her presents, she started with Harley's, and got a custom baseball bat that was a dark steel blue, with a light grey handle grip, and it had the words "Quinn For Da Win" on it, putting a smile on her face, when she opened Ivy's gift she got seeds of her favorite flowers to plant over in Paris. She then opened her Uncle Ed's gift, which was a small watch that had special A.I., it had a cover over the inside screen that would flip open to reveal another screen. The cover was silver with a blue question mark, and when it opened, it showed the time, and the location you where in, it could also act as a GPS, and a phone (it could even play music AND had an incredible battery life span). She then moved on to her Aunt Selina's gift, finding a small purple sapphire in the shape of a cat paw, surrounded in silver. She then opened Rachel's gift, it was a travel mug that said "Coffee lives in my veins." (Marinette started drinking coffee recently) which made Marinette laugh, and then she got to Garfield's gift. When she opened it, she found a handmade charm bracelet, it had animals that she really liked around it, and there was one that was a small tiger, with it's eyes and nose having a light green peridot stone, to represent the first day they met. She put the bracelet on her right rist and thanked Garfield for it, and gave everyone a big hug.

She spent the rest of the day playing with her friends, having a wonderful time, and getting a massive sugar rush from all the cake they had. When it came time for dinner they were running low on energy, but were back to normal after Harley snuck some coffee into their food... The only thoughts that went through Garfield and Rachel's minds where "That's why Mari drinks this stuff..."

After dinner they played all kinds of video games, and ended it by watching Back To The Future. They fell asleep some time after 2am.

……… ……… …….

The next morning they all had breakfast and then spent the day playing parkour tag over roofs and playing I spy games. And at the end of the day Marinette gave her friends a big hug, before heading back home. She spent her time with her moms, Uncle, and Frank, playing more boardgames and discussing what she should do to make friends...

"Just be yawhself, we love yuh fawh who yuh are, and I'm sure everyone in Paris will love yuh too... if dey doan, den dey most likely have a massive defective reject of a brain." - Was Harley's opinion

"Riddle the f-ck out of their brain, if they can solve all of them, and like you for you, then they are worthy." - Which was Ed's opinion

"Use a chemical based compound from the magnolia flower, combined with three tulip petals, one rose petal, and pollen from a lilac to create a befriending potion." - Ivy's words made everyone silent before Ed spoke up

"... Harley if you're being mind controlled blink." - Ed deadpaned, which had Marinette cackling

"I'm not bein' mind controlled, also yuh nawhmally say ‘blink once or twice’ not just ‘blink’ I could blink at any random interval and yuh woun't know what tuh tink, and here I thoughtcha were a genius." - Harley with her head on Ivy's lap as Marinette starts wheezing.

"I think y'all broke her." - Frank just pointed to Marinette as she was still cackling and wheezing while in the fetal position.

That's when Selina walked in...

"What the hell did you guys do to Kitten?!" - Selina dropping the bags she got from some high end shop, and after they made sure Marinette was still alive they continued their game... and Marinette may have actually written the list of ingredients for that position, but only as a last resort. When it was time for them to sleep Marinette spent the night with her moms, like she use to when she was 4.

She got up early to make sure everything was ready, she had her sketch book in her backpack, as well as some pencils, ear buds, snacks and a picture of her with her family and friends. She decided to wear her new watch and charm bracelet as she finished checking her bag, she then went into the garden to say goodbye to all the plants, and to give Bud, Lou and Frank one last goodbye. She had about 3 hours before her and her Aunt were to head to the airport, and she spent that time with her moms, almost never leaving their side.

……… ……… …….

As the plane took off she looked out the airplane window, saying goodbye to Gotham, until her next visit home....

•—–·★·–—•

Chapter 3 complete, also just in case I didn't describe her B-day gifts good enough, here's what they look like (꒪꒳꒪)

Hope you're all having an amazing day, staying safe and rockin' all positive vibes,!BUG-OUT! 💮🐞💮

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[a-simple-complexity]

Playing Your Cards Right

Pairing: Eduardo x Psychic!Original Character

Fandom: Eddsworld

Fluff, Some Angst (which is iffy when I write bc I hate angst...but like angst....love hate relationship)

Fun fact: this is a little tidbit of how my OC, a psychic, met the neighbors. The whole fic I'm working on is a sort of Eddsworld x 13 Ghosts Crossover. Bc why not. AND (another side note) this is loosely based of an aunt I have who can read people like a book using playing cards as tarot cards (it's cool and freaky). I'm also planning on rewriting the first part of the story (it's on my Ao3 account: deeplyconcernedcrow)

~~~

~~~

After the death of Jon, Eduardo had a habit of going to a specific bar once a week. It was a small dive bar. The typical place for a depressing swig of beer.

He had sat in his usual spot in the back corner and began to drink. Memories filling his head.

"This seat taken?" He glanced up to see a dark lady. A young woman dressed in a dark navy blue dress that went to her knees. He shook his head and she sat down only to begin shuffling a deck of playing cards. Eduardo watched her move her hands. She was leaned back occasionally sipping on her beer.

Eduardo glanced up from her hands, "Haven't seen you around here before."

"I just got here. Something happened back home and....just needed a break," she gave a smile and kept shuffling.

"Planning on playin' something with those?"

She stretched, "Nah, just like shufflin'....the names Veronica Rafkin."

"Eduardo," he stretched his hand out. "...Rafkin? Like Dennis Rafkin? That ghost hunter?" Veronica glanced back to her cards to shuffle.

"....yeah....anyways," she grabbed the first few cards on top of the deck and placed it down.

9 of Spades.

10 of Hearts.

Queen of Clubs.

5 of Diamonds.

Ace of Spades.

Veronica grinned and looked to the man in front of her. "Something has happened in your life that has caused you a great deal of stress-"

"Yeah, no shit! I'm sitting here drinking my sorrows away!"

Veronica lifted her arms in defense, "I see that good fortune is coming soon."

And there she explained what the five cards meant.

~~~

9 of Spades: Bad luck, depression, anxiety.

10 of Hearts: Good fortune is coming.

Queen of Clubs: A dark-haired, helpful, and confident woman.

5 of Diamonds: Improvements and success in business, happy home life.

Ace of Spades: Endings, misfortune.

~~~

"So what your saying is my life's gonna turn around and it has something to do with a dark haired w-" he glanced up to see her raven-colored hair. "How do I know these cards are telling the truth? Had a hard time believing in your brother until Jon d-...." Eduardo's eyes widened and his head slumped down to the table and he took another swig.

Eduardo believes in ghosts, spirits, angels, demons etc. He believes in psychics sometimes too. He's just angry about Jon. Veronica, or Ronnie as we'll call her, nodded an understanding nod. "If it makes you feel any better....my brother was killed too."

"I heard about that....how'd he die?"

"Ghost attack...snapped his back on the corner of a house...." Ronnie sighed and went back to shuffling the cards. "After that I had to leave America. It was too much. I just need to find a place to stay."

Eduardo's eyes shifted to the floor beside the table. "...my roommate and I have an extra room but you gotta share it with...with a ghost."

Ronnie nodded. "I guess I'll swing by with my stuff tomorrow. I've been staying at a hotel for the past week and let me tell you....doing tarot readings with playing cards for cash is hard when almost everyone is a skeptic."

Both laughed and continued their night.

Eduardo eventually called Mark to pick him up due to being too drunk to drive.

Veronica got back to her motel room and began getting things ready for the next day. She did a few tarot readings for a quick cash grab and looked back to the newspaper she swiped from earlier that day.

At least she'd be in an actual house instead of the motel.

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 23

First time reader click here

TW/Summary: brucetony x reader PRON. You have finally reached the point where there is real ✨spice✨. Also, m/m kissing. There will be mild m/m action from now on in the fic. I cannot stay away from the gay and I refuse to apologize. Brucetony nation how we feelin'?

I padded quietly behind the glass divider, stripping off my lab coat and protective glasses to deposit them on the nearest flat surface. My joints popped as I stretched.

Bruce and I spent a lot of time in the lab together lately as Tony and Pete worked together on the kid's Spider Suit, something that was a tad above my level of understanding. I was much better with chemicals and cell division than I was with thermonuclear physics, me and Pete were two sides of the same coin. It was only recently that I had noticed exactly how much our respective science fields of choice complemented each other and it was a blessing that Tony and Bruce made us a little corner in their respective labs, a few square feet where I and Pete could literally do anything we wanted to.

A year ago, I would have said that science is a hobby of mine and not something I wanted to do full time. I was fully prepared to commit to medical or law school, to grow into a prestigious career that would multiply my wealth and acquire me friends in high places. My parents certainly expected me to continue cultivating the image of our family empire.

I wasn't so sure anymore. Tony and Bruce were so fucking happy in their little worlds, getting lost in their labs for days on end, creating, reinventing the world every single day. There weren't any words meaningful enough to describe how it made me feel, seeing my two men just vibing in their element. It seemed glaringly stupid the most famous thing they were for was the superhero side-gig they had, they were so much more than cannon fodder planet Earth considered them to be.

At some point during the night, Tony called for Bruce to assist him with a new feature on his suit, a kind of a very condensed, targeted explosive. These days Tony didn't hold back from discussing Stark trade secrets around me anymore, so I sent Bruce on his merry way and finished his tasks for him, carefully replicating his style of taking notes and observing the reactions. As usual, Friday ran most of the calculations so my brain wasn't muddled too much by annoying math. Out of four of us, Peter was the only crazy person to actually like doing the math - the spider bite must've screwed with his brains, I guess.

I would've been content to just hang back and observe the men thinking, but Bruce took notice of me hovering by the exit. The scientist froze and just looked back at me for a minute, eyes round and soft. I missed the exact moment my mouth curved into a warm smile and the time Bruce's goofy grin made an appearance.

"You done, Princess?" He asked, gesturing to his lab.

I nodded, padding over to him, easily settling into the warmth of his open arms. Tony smiled at me briefly, distracted by the equations on the holo-screens, reaching over to peck me on the cheek, not minding Bruce at all. Strangely enough, both men fit around me so easily, so naturally, I wondered if they'd planned this... Relationship. What were the chances of such a perfect fit for three people? Meanwhile, Bruce's other arm wrapped around Tony's shoulders and the engineer willingly fell into the embrace beside me.

"Keep it PG," Peter mumbled, eyeing the same equations with an annoyed stupor. Tony hummed, poking at the screen a bit.

"It's 2:30 AM, guys," I said, casting a glance at Pete who stubbornly rubbed his eyes but continued thinking so damn loudly. I could practically hear the sound of his brain overheating. "Spiders need sleep too," I reached over to poke Pete's arm.

"Shit, kid," Tony switched to concerned dad mode almost instantly, rubbing his face. "Go to bed. We'll finish tomorrow."

"I almost have it figured out," Peter refused to budge, frowning.

"I am one text away from Spidermom at all times," I threatened him, giggling, referring to Natasha's murder glare all of them were going to be subjected to should she find out Pete skipped on sleep in favor of science. Nat had some strong opinions regarding a healthy lifestyle for one Peter Parker.

"Spidermom," Pete scoffed but stood up nonetheless, blearily blinking his shiny eyes in the fluorescent lights of Tony's lab. "That makes you either my Spider-aunt or Spider-sibling," He sleepily made his way to hug me, embracing all three of us in the process. Peter's coordination was far from stellar when he was tired.

"I'm not one of the Spider Gang. I'm the..." I trailed off, unsure. Where exactly did I fit in? "I'm the human embodiment of Florida, a freeloader hippy aunt that shows up randomly with pot brownies. That, yes," My own brain was tired and not making much sense either.

Tony snorted. "Hot hippy aunt," His hand made way to my butt, giving it a discreet grope.

"It's not easy being the family disappointment but yet, here I am," I quoted a meme, high-fiving Peter on his way out. "So, Irondad confirmed," I raised an eyebrow at Tony who rolled his eyes, pulling me against his chest once the door behind Pete closed.

Bruce sighed, removing his glasses and letting them dangle freely around his neck, pushing them up against my back as he hugged me from behind, securely pressing me in between him and Tony. My body began to respond, a warm sensation spreading through my limbs and culminating at the side of my neck where Bruce pressed feather-light kisses along my jugular and up towards my ear.

Tony's lips captured my own, dry and chapped, moving lazily as if all three of us had all the time in the world. His calloused hand stroked my face, occasionally dipping to rake through Bruce's curls. The scientist himself was stroking my skin, hands slowly but surely making their way under the hem of Stephen's hoodie, tracing my hipbones. I couldn't resist doing the same to Tony, palming his back and sneaking a handful of his ass, making him chuckle into the kiss.

"Mind the goods," The engineer teased, parting briefly to chuck off his shirt carelessly. His jeans, belt-less, hung low on his hips, the prominent V looking as delicious as the most gourmet chocolate cake. My eyes followed the happy trail on their own accord, hands reaching out to pull him back towards me. Tony happily obliged, watching Bruce unzip my hoodie with sparkling eyes.

"I can't help myself. Why man have round butt if not for squish?" I squinted at him playfully, shrugging off the sleeves and relishing in the feeling of Bruce, shirtless and warm, resting his head on my shoulder.

"I have to agree," The scientist chuckled thoughtfully, both of us smirking at Tony who smoldered in response, all but bursting with smugness. "Bed?" Bruce inquired.

"Lab sex," Tony replied gleefully, steering us towards the bigger, sturdier tables in the back. Because, at the end of the day, Tony was Tony.

Bruce looked at me questioningly. I shrugged. "Lab sex," Before turning over and kissing him, faster and harder than last time. It was familiar and easy, the flow we had was amazing and it never once crossed my mind to be ashamed or apprehensive in the presence of my two men.

The chemistry between us three was intoxicating: they kept throwing small, appreciative glances at each other. Tony's eyes lingered on Bruce's strong arms, the scientist eyeing the engineer's chest and lips in turn.

My bra and panties were disposed of quickly, flying over our heads together with Tony's jeans; I palmed the visible erection while gasping into his mouth, licking my way into it lustfully. Bruce groaned behind me, my feverish kisses still fresh on his own lips, grinding into my ass with controlled movements. I couldn't resist moving with him, arching my back into his touch. The fingers along my spine left shockwaves in their wake.

Following the directions of my arms, Tony hopped onto the table, invitingly spreading his legs. My mouth watered - his thighs were absolutely fucking massive and kept me up at night more times than I'd cared to count. I wanted to bury my face in them, so bad.

"How do you wanna do this?" Bruce asked from behind me, having made quick work of the remainder of his clothes.

The warmth of his cock rubbed against my thighs. "God gave me three holes for a reason," I sassed, swallowing a moan. My next attempt at the very same thing wasn't as successful: Tony gasped at my words, something quiet and lewd, taking hold of my hair like he knew I loved, and steered my face in the direction of his cock. I mouthed at the wet spot on his boxers obediently, pushing my ass back towards the already naked scientist. Bruce was anything if not practical in disposing of his clothes.

He was not in a rush. Damn him, damn his self-control and damn both these sexy-ass, big-brained dorks. They wound me up so well with just a few gentle touches and words, doing nothing but mirroring each other's smug smirks over the top of my head. In a rush to enact some revenge, because I was a spiteful little shit, my fingers hastily peeled off Tony's boxers and went straight for the thing I knew made his eyes roll into the back of his skull.

"Fuck," As I predicted, Tony's eyes fluttered shut as he cursed and I made my way down his length, taking as much as I could of it in my mouth without warm-up. Tony's cock was absolutely delicious, thick and flushed.

Bruce hummed, running his fingers down the cleft of my ass and feeling at the dampness collected at my core, hot and sticky arousal that had me rubbing back onto his digits, needy. Two of his fingers slipped in with ease as he worked me open for his thick cock - Bruce knew how to take care of me, he felt the little spasms of my cunt as it greedily accepted the intrusion. "So good, baby girl," He cooed. I could feel the burn of his stare on my head as I bobbed it up and down on Tony's cock at a moderate pace.

There was no rush. Just three people enjoying themselves. Tony leaned back, on one hand, using the other to keep my hair out of my face, arc reactor illuminating the trio of us, giving his pleasure-filled face an ethereal tint. It became that much more surreal when his eyes met Bruce's: the sparkles only grew in quantity.

My moan, as Bruce slid inside of me with one smooth thrust, made Tony's thighs tense up and quiver. I was loud, always so, so the more Bruce rutted into me, the more desperate and breathy Tony became, feeling the vibrations around his cock, his hips meeting my mouth half-way. As soon as clever fingers touched my clit, I was done for, spasming around both men.

"Fuck, that's so good," Tony slurred, tightening his hold on me to the point of his knuckles turning white.

Bruce quickened, ever so responsive little groans leaving his mouth. "Hear that, Princess? Tony loves it," He purred encouragingly, making me grip Tony's thighs in desperation. The rumbly tone of Bruce's voice, coarse and rushed, was making me feel hotter than before; Tony groaned too, evidently having had the very same conclusion. Both men resonated each other's lust like an echo chamber, back and forth, until a cacophony of lewd grunts and moans was all that made sense. I was stuck in the middle of our combined longing, full and full.

My brain retreated, uncharacteristically quiet, leaving just the bare naked need to feel. So I did, I basked in the shared waves of bliss that didn't seem to end. I felt Tony fall first: the sound made it's way out of his chest, long and low, as he spilled in my mouth, twitching and pulsating, ropes of him coating me from the inside out. I swallowed the salty fluid, immediately placing my cheek atop his thigh to steady myself.

Bruce pounded on me something good, sharp, steady thrusts that made my breasts bounce and my inhales halt intermittently, out of rhythm. My exhaled air burned, the fire of my need all but scorching the soft flesh of Tony's leg.

With every stroke, I could feel another peak approach closer and closer. Tony's hand on my hair tightened, and so must've I - because an unholy growl left Bruce's mouth the very same moment.

"Huh," Tony's smug smirk was heard and not seen. "Princess, be good," He pulled my hair back, lifting my face to meet his eyes.

Words weren't forming for me, at all, so I blankly stared at the man who was positively leering down at me, mouth set in a mocking tilt. I hoped my eyes conveyed the utter devotion I felt towards the two men currently enjoying themselves to the fullest.

Behind me, Bruce growled again. "Don't think she knows how to, Tony," Startling me with the authoritative tone of his voice. I'm sure the man noticed the hot wave that his voice raised within me.

"Brat," Tony mocked, briefly sharing a look with Bruce. The engineer leaned in and carefully wrapped a hand around my throat, an array of stuttered gasps making their way onto his forearm - I saw the way the fine dark hairs stood up. He loved it, he loved my submission and my obedience, and most of all, he loved my unwillingness to go down without a fight.

Bruce crowded in on me, pushing me into a position that bordered on uncomfortable, adding tension to my body, tension that made me oversensitive and needy; hot and cold at the same time, on the brink of release but unable to reach it. Tony was still gripping my throat, firm pressure, as firm as the look he held me down with.

I saw the twitch of his mouth as he moved in to kiss me... And missed, much to my confusion - it lasted for a split second until I realized Tony didn't miss anything, ever. The two moans were a little too soft, a little too symphonic. As soon as my brain caught up with the fact Tony had just kissed Bruce, I was shivering, coming so violently, Tony had to strengthen the hold on me.

Bruce's fingertips dug into my stomach, my hips, his cock nestled so deeply inside of me, I felt every vein as my inner muscles milked him for all he's worth.

"Fuck," He groaned lowly and then he was coming too, one hand splayed across my stomach and the other grasping at Tony's shoulder. The engineer was holding both of us upright from the sheer force of our orgasms. I wasn't the only one who's legs shook.

We panted out our exhaustion, Tony's chuckle breaking the huff-huff-huff interlude. "Great to know that Jolly Green isn't a party crasher," The engineer wrapped his arms around me and Bruce.

"Tony," The scientist groaned.

"You'll be saying that more from now on," Tony saw the opportunity and he took it.

"I'm always down to tag-team Bruce," I couldn't resist adding.

He snorted. "Princess, you literally can't stand right now."

"Give me five minutes, a glass of water and a flat surface," I challenged him, knowing damn well that there would be round two and possibly three if judging only by the fact Tony's hands have had already ventured down to my breasts, palming them idly. "Tony, Bruce has, possibly, one of the most amazing cocks I've ever seen. Not being face to face with it, quite possibly, might be a crime."

Both of my men started laughing, one mortified and the other genuinely amused and I could not have been happier.

"And you've seen how many?" Bruce snarked, leading us to the elevator to go up to Tony's penthouse. The scientist's possessive streak was no joke and I fully expected to be held down and owned and bred in little less than an hour, nothing else in my head but the chase for my and their release.

It was my turn to laugh, equal parts amused and mortified. "Enough."

THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub ​ @mostly-marvel-musings  @vozit ​ @littlegasps ​ @pilloclock ​ @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads ​ @hermione-grangers-wife ​ @individualistfem ​ @sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby @cutenessloading @romeo-the-cactus @jelly-fishy-babie

[humanransome-note]

Because of who I am as a person, it has taken me over a year to finally comprehend my college's registration process, of which I would have to call my guidance counselor to help me get through, thus often forcing me to skim through the left overs of online classes because my transportation situation is shoddy as all hell. although all the blame can't be put on me, when there are two separate and completely differently designed portals that allow me to register, one has more through information, and it is the one that most people don't use but the one i need.

this is a long winded way of saying I've been beat to registering for fall classes.

now this is the part where i cry a bit, then get back to trying to be productive.

Problem with that is, the most obvious option is to work. and while I appreciate my aunt, I really do, tbh I very often felt like an afterthought, and we haven't talked since june)

so normal jobs

would be more palatable if every job finding/interview experience i had didn't suck.

examples under the cut

Target:

called me at like 11:30 at night on a wednesday asking if they could do a phone interview, I say no, because it is almost midnight. im in my jammies, all my paperwork and such is put away, im considering some me time... i am not in a professional head space. I tell them while I am not available now, im good tomorrow. they say sure we'll call you around noon. Great.

tomorrow happens, i give them until one... nothing. call them myself... nothing. wait around on the same timeline friday... nothing. call them again... nothing.

Hamilton/DEH merch

the woman took me saying "my mother used to have a hoarding problem, I'm cleaning." as me saying she had recently passed... which is a fair assumption, but she hadn't. The embarrassment the interviewer obviously felt when I made that clarification I feel, in part, is how I got that job.

Barnes & Noble

said it was part time book seller. get there and they tack on "also, maybe, more often then not, the starbucks cafe." now, this feels a bit illegal, and might be, but I was there, I wore my khakis and button up, i'd try at least.

get there, it's a group interview, im nervous, thus im sweating, and it's in the break room with other employees coming and going. one even obviously and flagrantly hyping one of the other applicants.

she got that job, and i had a nervous cry in the bathroom

Press N' Grind (overpriced Cafe, disappointing I know)

had the job for three days, boss fired me, without saying anything indicative of him actually firing me like "this isn't working out" or "we have to let you go" so i spend about ten days waiting for a schedule update, and when i finally go in to ask wtf is up, he clarifies, gives me like $275 and i have a good walk/cry in the rain.

Turns out he was also having some legal issues with an old business partner regarding royalties and IP, maybe that had smth to do with it. (my mom's a nosy bitch and so am I)

Michael's

Guy says he'll email me some things, and I'm thinking cool, I've got the job! get home, no email. next morning, no email. next evening, no email. I call everyday for a week, even go in three times, the guy who interviewed me is never there.

like a month later, i've cut my losses, my mother has stopped pestering me because all of my attempts have failed. she needs poster board for an office presentation and i'm a crafty bitch, so we go to michael's.

now, sm ppl have said that what I did was a bad move. i disagree but whatever.

out of the corner of my eye, guess who I see?

so from the far end of the isle, in my jammies, (freshly bleach stained due to a laundry accident) and a set of slides, I summon from the depth's of my chest:

"What's up,

Phillip?"

he stops, he stares, he blances a bit.

"Been trying to reach you, never got that email you were supposed to send me."

he stumbles over some half said mostly implied excuse that summed up to "Im not the usual hiring manager, and when they came back they veto'd my decision."

"woulda been nice to know that a month ago."

"yeah..."

"yeah."

he gets called to the register and I swear he moved faster then he did before.

I have not gotten to the interview portion of a job application since.

[greenv]

We're the same PT.ll | Peter Parker x Stark!Fem!Reader

Summary: You are used to having Peter in your world all the time, he was in the base with you more than at his own home, it was time for you to spend time in his world.

Warnings: None? A small sexual reference or joke? Idk...

Word count: 3,5 k

Notes: (Y/R/L/N) \ Your real last name.

A/N: I just want to thank you guys for all the love "We're the same" received! For real! Thank you! Here's part two, I hope you guys like it as well!

[Part 1]

_______________________

You and Peter were getting back from one of your night patrols, it was something that the two of you always did and it was part of your routine now, you loved fighting crime beside him, and he loved being able to fight by your side as well, the both of you made such a perfect team that even your dad, Tony Stark was proud.

"So… I was thinking" Peter takes off his mask giving you a look, you look at him waiting for him to keep talking "You know, how I always spend time on the avengers place? I was thinking that maybe you would like to… I don't know… Spend some time at my place? Maybe?" Peter smiles awkwardly, you remove your marks looking at him with a smile.

"You got all shy all of a sudden" You put your arms around his neck, giving him a little kiss on the lips.

"Not with you, I mean, no, I just… Do you think that it's time to introduce you to my friends?" Peter sighs.

"Wow…" You look at him with surprise "You have friends?!" Peter looks at you offended, you start laughing and he can't help but laugh as well with you "I'd love to meet them, if that's what you want Pete… I'll do it" Peter looks at your face trying to memorize your features, but to be honest, he already knows your entire face and body by memory, he just loves admiring your beauty.

"That will mean a lot to me, thank you" Peter closes his eyes giving you a sweet kiss.

"Well… in that case, just tell me when and I'll be there" You smile.

"How about tomorrow? You can go to my school and you can spend a day in my world" Peter suggested, you frown, that wasn't what you had in mind when he told you he wanted you to meet his friends.

"At your school?!" You ask, surprised.

"Yeah, is that… a bad idea?".

"Well, why not after school? We can go eat something or maybe… Why?" You put your hands on your hips, you can't help but laugh. "Don't you nerds go out?".

"Ouch…" Peter smiles "Well, remember I told you I'm going to the academy decathlon? I need to start staying after school to study and between classes as well from time to time, and besides… I could really use your company" Peter grabs your hands swinging both your bodies, you only shake your head. 

"Alright fine, I'll go to school with you tomorrow, but I'm not taking the bus, I'll go swinging" You wink at him.

"Uh, no, you need to take the bus with me, so you can pass as one of the students" Peter winks back.

"Ugh! Is it really that necessary?!" Peter hugs you, hiding his face in the crack  of your neck.

"For me… pleeeeeease?" Peter whispers against your skin.

"Okay… See you tomorrow then" You put on your mask getting ready to go back to the chaotic place you call home.

"Love you!" Peter screams, smiling and feeling the luckiest man alive, once he lost the sight of you, he climbs the wall and opens his window to get into his room, tomorrow was the big day, he'd  been waiting for so long to introduce you to Ned and MJ, he was sure you were gonna love them.

[°°°]

"Wake up Parker!" You open his window, getting inside his room, Peter was getting changed after his usual morning shower, he looked back at you smiling.

"Good morning baby" He blows a kiss at you from afar, you sit on his bed taking a good look at his room, you've been there plenty of times, but today felt different, you felt a bit nervous and you didn't know why.

"When are we leaving?" You ask, impatiently.

"Well, you're a bit early baby girl, the bus will be here in thirty minutes" Peter puts on his shirt and sits beside you on his bed.

"You're not taking the suit?" You lift his shirt a bit, looking at his bare skin, Peter smiles and shakes his head.

"I want this to be a normal day for the both of us, just you, me, school, friends, a normal teenagers romance… No super heroes, no super powers, no fighting the bad guys, just for today" Peter grabs your hand.

"Pete… Baby… I am the daughter of Tony Stark, even before I got my powers, the words 'have a normal day weren’t part of my vocabulary" You fake a smile and Peter chuckles, biting his lip.

"Are you wearing your suit?".

"No, it's in my backpack, just in case you know…" Peter grabs your backpack, he opens it taking out the suit, throwing it into his closet. "Pete…" you look at your boyfriend with sadness "I'm already going to school with you let me take the suit, you never know!".

"Y/N, nothing will happen today, and I promise that after school we'll come back here and we'll go back to being Mr and Mrs Spider-Man" Peter jokes, you smile with sadness nodding, after all you promised him a normal day.

"Peter I seriously can't believe I'm the one who's asking to keep the suit and not the other way around".

"Honey we'll be okay!". "Fine… But if something does happen, I'm calling dad". "That won't be necessary". "We'll see". "We won't".

After a quick breakfast with Aunt May, you and Peter went down to the bus stop and waited for your ride to his school, you were used to Happy driving you to your private school where your dad had you at, you always wondered what it would be like to go on a bus like Peter did all the time, not wear a uniform, this could be a good day, maybe you can convince Tony to let you change school.

"So, we met at the Stark Internship… right?" You look at Peter trying to memorize the fake story on how you two met.

"Exactly, let's not mention that we both have super powers" Peter smiles.

"I thought your friend Ned knew?".

"Well, yeah, he's the only one, but the story is for the rest of them" Peter takes your hand.

"Okay… my last name is… (Y/R/L/N)?" You sigh "I'm ready!".

As the bus arrives, Peter manages to sneak you in without the bus driver noticing, but you didn't feel worried, it was an old man and he could barely see.

"There's Ned, my best friend" Peter points at a guy in the middle of the bus, you nod, just following Peter.

"Hey bro!" Ned smiles at Peter, you see them make a kind of secret handshake, you smile at the sight of such a cute act.

"Ned, this is Y/N… The Y/N" Peter says nervously, Ned looks at you and he opens his mouth with surprise.

"You're Peter's girlfriend?!" Ned asks.

"Yup… Nice to finally meet you, Peter talks a lot about you" You shake Ned's hand.

"He talks about me?! Ha! He talks about you a lot as well, you're like the main topic of our conversations" Ned chuckles, Peter hits Ned's arm giving him a warning.

"I'm flattered, I hope he only says good things" You look at Peter, taking a seat next to Ned.

"You're not sitting with me?" Peter chuckles.

"Nah, Ned's better company" You wink an eye at Peter, he takes a seat in front of the both of you.

"So… Are you really Tony Stark's daughter?" Ned asks.

"I don't know what you're talking about, we met at Stark industries… I have an internship as well" you smile.

"Baby, remember he knows" Peter chuckles.

"Oh… yeah, sorry" You smile shyly at Ned "So you know about Spidey?" You whisper at Ned.

"About Spidey one and two" Ned smiles and you smile at him.

"Well I'm glad I don't have to pretend in front of someone".

The bus makes another stop and a bunch of students get inside of the bus, you see Peter shake his hand in the air with a smile, you look over to see a pretty girl, messy hair and a 'kill me' kind of face, you knew that was MJ, Peter always says that she has a funeral face.

"Sup losers" MJ sits beside Peter. She looks at you and you give her a small smile.

"Hey" you say, MJ looks at Ned and then at you.

"Who is she?".

"She's my girlfriend" Peter spoke, MJ looks at Peter with an extremely surprised look, but her face goes back to her neutral expression right away.

"So, you're that Y/N?" MJ looks at you.

"Yes, you must be MJ" You offer her your hand to shake, but instead she gives an awkward high-five.

"Are you sure you're dating this ass? He's not paying you to fake a relationship?" MJ looks at you trying to study your expressions, you only chuckle shaking your head.

"Hey! I can get a girlfriend!" Peter says offended.

"Yeah boy… but not like her, she's waaaaay out of your league" MJ huff taking out her book, Peter looks at you and you give him a little wink.

Once the four of you arrived at school, no one was paying attention to you, which you liked, normally, at your other school you were treating with a bit of privilege just because of your last name, and here, it was all different, maybe because no one really knew your real last name, or maybe because you were with the nerds, but you liked it, being invisible for once.

"Let's go to class then" Peter grabs your hand.

"What class do we have first?" You smile.

"Wait… you're attending this school now!?" Ned exclaims.

"Yes, for today" You smile shyly.

"Cool… Are we going to say that she's an exchange student from another country or...?" Ned looks at Peter.

"No, she just transferred schools that's it" Peter smiles.

"I can make an accent" you look at both boys.

"I wanna hear" Ned smiles.

"Please no" Peter puts his hands over his ears, as you start speaking with a heavy (very bad) french accent, making Ned laugh, even MJ gave you a small chuckle.

"Can she please keep the accent?!" Ned looks at Peter.

"No! Please no!" Peter grabs your hand pulling you to class.

The teacher was already there so you had to go through the entire 'hi I'm blablablaba the new kid' kind of thing.

"Y/N, tell us a bit about you" the teacher looks at you. You felt everyone's eyes over you, you looked at Peter who was sitting in his place, saving a chair beside him for you.

"I'm dating Spider-Man" you said seriously, you could hear Peter choke in the back of the class, everyone was quiet, but then everyone started laughing and Peter felt his soul go back to his body.

"Yeah, I'm dating Spider-Man as well" another girl jokes.

"Okay Y/N go take a seat" the teacher smiles. You nod walking towards Peter, you look at the girl who made a joke as well, you lean close and whisper.

"You're not his type sweetie" You wink and eye to her and she rolls her eyes at you. 

You sit beside Peter taking out a notebook and a pen out of your backpack.

"Hey sweetie… Don't sit with Parker, come sit with us" you look up from your notebook to see a boy wearing a Polo shirt, you knew, by fact that he was Flash, the annoying son of a… Who made Peter's life a living hell in school.

"No thanks, I'm good here" You fake a smile.

"Come on, I don't bite, unless you want me to" Flash winks at you and his friends start laughing.

"Just ignore him," Peter whispers, taking your hand.

"Permission to break his jaw" you whisper with anger.

"As much as I'd love to see that, permission not granted… It's okay, he's like that, you'll get used to him" Peter chuckles.

"Okay, but if he says something offensive to you, I won't hesitate".

"I love when you get all overprotective of me" Peter whispers in your ear leaving a small kiss on your cheek.

"Well, you know that someone has your back Parker" You bite your lip, trying not to kiss him so you both don't get detention.

As class goes by, you actually pay a lot of attention to it, making a bet with Peter on who could answer more questions than the other, the loser will go patrolling alone, but the both of you know that's an impossible thing. 

You and Peter go to the next class, woodshop. 

As you and Peter arrive, Ned is already there, working on something, Peter grabs your hand and you look at him with a smile.

"Remember when you first got your powers? I made your web shooters here" Peter smiles, you could see how proud he was of his work.

"I can remember that day as if it was yesterday… And I can also remember your face when you showed me the web shooters for the first time" You caress his cheek with love, Peter feels electricity in his body, he shakes a bit and smiles, you really had an effect on him.

The two of you made your way to Ned, you see him working on some type of mechanic arm, he seemed to be having a bit of a problem there, you look at Peter wondering if he's going to help his friend, but no, Peter only sits beside him, working on his own project.

"Need a hand Ned?" You smile, sitting in front of him. Ned and Peter look at you.

"Uh… I don't really want to bother, I can't seem to make this work, I don't know why" Ned shows you the mechanic hand, you grab it taking a good look. 

Grabbing a bunch of tools on the table, you quickly manage to fix it and the mechanic like hand starts moving.

"Wow… where did you learn that?" Peter looks at you with a bright smile.

"Yeah, that took you like five seconds!" Ned grabs the hand admiring your work.

"Well, I'm Tony Stark's daughter, I know how to repair his suits as well" Your chest sticks out and you look at Peter feeling proud, you were glad that there was something Peter Parker didn't know about you.

"You keep surprising me babe" Peter smiles and winks at you.

"Not in front of me guys, please…" Ned rolls his eyes and goes back to working on his hand, you and Peter chuckle.

"So… You really are spending your day with the nerds huh?" Someone speaks behind you, you take your eyes off of Peter's project to look behind you. 

Flash was there, he was holding his phone typing something, he looked at you smiling.

"I knew I've seen that pretty face before…" Flash has a cocky smile in his face, he then turns his phone to you "Tony Stark donates one million dollars to charity, and beside him, the women that inspire him to do good day by day… His wife, Pepper Potts, and his daughter, Y/N Stark…" Flash finishes reading the news, you really started to hate that guy. 

Peter looks at Flash with anger, all he wanted to do was have a normal day with you in school, show you that you could be happy in a normal kind of way, but of course Flash was so obsessed with him that he had to ruin everything. 

Peter stands up from his chair ready to fight Flash, but your words stop him.

"So…? Should I give you a golden star?" You ask Flash, with the same cocky smile now "Should I clap for you? Let me do it…" You start clapping in his face "You're so intelligent, you found out who I am!".

Peter looks at you and then at Flash, feeling proud as hell, Flash looked intimidated by you, and Peter was enjoying the show.

"I-" Flash opens his mouth but you interrupt him.

"So what's your point… Flash, right?" You cross your arms.

"Just tell us all the truth! You're not dating Penis Parker! You're here to donate money to school or something!" Flash smiles back at you.

The smile on your face is replaced with pure anger, your eyes darkening as you look at Flash, you could hear him swallow saliva.

"You did not just  say that" Peter whispers with a smile, he goes back to his  seat he was tired of letting Flash get away with all the shit he does, and of course he couldn't punch him cause it was obvious who would win, he was trying to be fair. But today, today it was different, and he was glad his queen was here.

Flash looks at Peter and then back at you, knowing that he made a huge mistake on calling Peter that in front of you.

"What's your point?" You speak with anger.

"Just tell us you're not dating Parker, he has nothing to offer! Instead go out with me! I have money, cars… I can take you wherever you want" You put your arm around  Flash's shoulders squishing hard, he starts to feel pain but he holds it in, trying to look tough you made him face Peter, your boyfriend looking at the both of you delighted.

"You looking at that man right there?" You point at Peter "He gon' get it when we get home, he will keep me up all night… He is much more than you'll ever be!" You squish  Flash's shoulders even more, but not enough to leave  bruises the next day. "You say you have money? Cool, he has an immense heart, amazing jokes... you have a car? Cool… He has something better I prefer to ride" You wink at Peter and you see him blush, he was red at this point "Flash, you wish you could be like Peter Benjamin Parker, now, do me a favor and leave me and my boyfriend alone" you push Flash away from you, sitting back with Peter and Ned, you turn around one last time look at him "Leave your obsession with Peter behind, we all know you're not his type" You wink and eye to Flash.

Flash basically leaves running, when he does, Ned and Peter explode in laughter, you look at the both of them with a smile.

"Damn! That was amazing! About damn time someone said something to Flash" Ned cleans his fake tears.

"You didn't  have to  say anything to him Y/N" Peter smiles.

"You're right, we don't need to prove anything to that loser, but I got angry! He's an asshole and the thought of you having to deal with this dumbass all the time makes my blood boil!" You take a deep breath trying to calm down "Also, I wanted him to know how good you are at what you do" you wink and eye to Peter, your boyfriend opens his eyes wide and looks at Ned, who is pretending to mind his own business with his mechanic arm.

"Y/N… Don't speak like that" Peter whispers, he was a blushy mess, he looked adorable. 

"Oh Peter, you should feel proud of yourself…" You stand up looking around "I'm bored, I'm gonna build something" You smile and you start walking around the classroom looking for pieces for a project.

Back at the table, Ned turns his head to look at you and then he looks at Peter.

"Man… I don't know what you did to get a girl like her, but you're one lucky moth-" Peter covers his mouth, blushing.

"Okay Ned, she's too hot for me I get it…" Peter looks at you smiling "When she's with me all boys hate me". 

And he was right, and he just proved that with Flash trying to steal you from him, the way you talked to Flash, the way you defend Peter, it made him feel some kind of way, he wasn't used to having you do that, but he was proud of it.

[°°°]

The bell rings letting all the students know that the day is over, you stand up from your chair looking at Peter, waiting for instructions.

"Okay, let's go home" Peter smiles taking your hand.

"Home?" You look at him confused "don't you need to study with your decathlon team?".

"Yeah I do but…" He leans closer to you and whispers in your ear. "You said I was gonna get it when we get home so… Let's keep you up all night" He gives you a soft kiss on the lips.

"Peter Parker… I-" you try to make a joke but you just can't, he caught you off guard "Oh boy… Let's go! You have work to do!" You smile and clap happily making Peter laugh out loud, catching everyone's attention, but he didn't care. 

He was planning on having a nice evening with you and his friends, but that could wait, you can see his friends any other day.

[rocksandrobots]

Of Rocks and Robots Ch. 28 - The Club

Once again just a friendly warning that this episode features and discusses teenage drinking

Varian stumbled out of bed and yawned. He looked at the clock and noticed the time. 6:30. Shoot! He was suppose to be up before six!

He threw on some clothes and rushed down stairs to the cafe.

Hiro and Aunt Cass were already down there setting up for the day.

"Sorry.. I slept in." He apologized. "Why didn't anybody wake me?"

"Oh well, I figured you could use the sleep. Besides it's only thirty after. Sit down and have some breakfast." Aunt Cass placed a couple of egg sandwiches on the table along with a cup of coffee and a cup of orange juice and encouraged the two boys to have a seat. While they both ate, Aunt Cass blithely carried on the conversation.

"So how did last night go?"

Varian eyed Hiro who glared at him over his sandwich but didn't say anything. "It went great actually. I even met someone while there."

"Oooh, that's wonderful sweetie. I'm so happy that you're making friends."

"Her name's Carol and she's a freshmen at the Art Institute. She just moved here from Mississippi, so she's new in town like I am."

"Oh, so she's what, 17... 18?"

"I..I honestly don't know. I didn't think to ask. But she invited me to another party tonight. If it's okay, I thought I might go. I could find out then."

"Another party?" Aunt Cass raised an eyebrow. It was a holiday weekend sure, but it was unusual to get invited to two parties in two days.

"Yeah, it's Jessica's birthday. She's Carol's friend and another person I met at the art school. They're all going to some restaurant to go dancing at. I forgot the name of the place, but Carol was going to text me directions if I could make it."

Aunt Cass thought a moment about it and then nodded along. "Well okay, just let me know where and text me when you get there. Also, once again, try not to stay out too late."

"Wait." Hiro interjected. He couldn't believe the ease with which Varian lied, nor could he believe that the other teen had just tricked Aunt Cass into letting him go out again to another wild party. He considered telling the truth right then and there, but the angry glare from Varian reminded Hiro of their argument last night and how Varian held dirt over himself as well. So he came up with an excuse instead. "I...I thought you wanted us all to spend more time together this weekend?"

"Well there's still Sunday tomorrow." Aunt Cass answered. "Why don't we have family movie night again? What do ya say? We could go out to the theater and catch a new release. I think their playing some sort of superhero movie this week."

The boys exchanged awkward glances but in the end agreed. Neither were ready to include Aunt Cass into their current feud. Besides she looked so happy at the thought of them all going out and spending time together as a family, that they just didn't have the heart to disappoint her.

They finished breakfast and Hiro left to meet with the rest of the gang. Varian however stayed to help with the cafe as promised.

"You know," Aunt Cass said while they washed up the morning dishes together. "I know it's only been a month, but I want you to know that we're all so glad to have you here. It hasn't been the easiest thing in the world readjusting, I know, but things are really working out; you're making friends, you and Hiro are really coming together here lately, and most of all you make our family just a little bit bigger and a whole lot happier just by being here."

She placed a loving hand on his shoulder, and Varian felt his heart drop at those worlds. He still didn't feel like he fit in here with the Hamadas and his relationship with Hiro had only degraded over this past week, which was already rocky enough to begin with. But Aunt Cass was so loving and hopeful that Varian only felt guilty for not measuring up to her ideals.

He gave her a small smile but deep down he couldn't wait to get out of here and back to another party. One where no one really knew who he was nor cared. Where he could drown out his intrusive thoughts and self doubt with a stiff drink.

"He went to the frat party?" Honey Lemon asked in worry.

                                                 --------------------------

Hiro was with the rest their friends at Joe's Dinner, recounting his argument with Varian last night.

"And you're sure he'd been drinking?" Gogo also asked with a frown.

"He said so himself and he smelt like beer when he came in." Hiro confirmed.

Gogo's eyes narrowed but she didn't say anything further.

"So what did you do?" Wasabi asked.

"Nothing. I..I wasn't sure how to tell Aunt Cass." Hiro looked around at his group of friends who were all giving him judgemental stares. "Look, I was still in my armor, alright. It was past midnight, and Varian had a point when he said that he covered for us all the time."

"You mean he covered for you ." Fred pointed out. "You're the one hiding your superheroing from Aunt Cass."

Hiro heaved a sigh, but Wasabi added his own opinion before he could offer up a defense. "You should have told her. Both about the drinking and about you being in big hero six. She's going to find out someday anyways and the longer you put it off the worst it's going to be."

Hiro cast his eyes downward unable to come up with a retort to that.

"Where's Varian now?" Gogo asked.

"Working at the Lucky Cat and after that he's going to another party."

"Another one?" Honey Lemon interjected.

"Someone he met at the other party invited him to go dancing tonight. He convinced Aunt Cass that it was just innocent birthday party." Hiro explained.

Everyone exchanged worried looks.

"You need to tell Aunt Cass." Gogo insisted.

"No, wait." Hiro pleaded. "Look, maybe we can handle this ourselves. Varian won't listen to me, but he might listen to all of you. Then there'd be no reason to involve Aunt Cass in any of this."

"And if he doesn't listen?" Fred asked.

"Hiro, why are you so against just letting an adult handle this?" Wasabi added.

"Look, Tadashi would go after him. He'd be there to help and try to reason with him, not be a snitch."

Hiro's explanation only elected more worried glances.

"And did it ever occur to you that Tadashi wasn't always in the right?" Gogo asked.

"What do you mean?" Hiro asked with trepidation.

Gogo sighed, "Look, we all miss Tadashi. He was a wonderful person… but that doesn't mean didn't make mistakes. Just because he kept trying to bail you out of those bot fights himself doesn't mean he should have."

Hiro had no words for that. Never in a million years would he have questioned Tadashi's methods. If it wasn't for his brother he would still have been bot fighting, and would have either been hurt or in juvie right now if not for trying to reach out to him.

He searched Gogo's eyes questioningly before she heaved a sigh in frustration and relented. "Fine. Where is this party?"

"I don't know. We'll probably have to just follow him; catch him before he gets there."

"Then I propose we suit up." Fred said. "To the headquarters!"

                                                --------------------------

Varian stood in line to get into Monroe's with Carol and the rest of her friends. He'd had rushed to find Jessica a birthday card and a small gift and met them all at the restaurant right around nine. Only the restaurant, wasn't a restaurant, it was called a 'club' instead. There was still food and drink to be had, but the real reason folks came here was to dance, and Varian could hear the loud thumping music even from where he stood outside.  

"Must be a really popular place." He shouted to Carol over the music and other party goers. "I don't see how we'll be able to dance with such a crowd."

Carol laughed "Yeah, Monroe's like the hottest spot in town. But there'll be room, the line just makes it look more crowded than it is."

Varian looked up ahead and spotted a large man at the front of the line. People were handing him cards or flashing their wallets towards him. Upon inspecting the cards he would then let them in through the door.

"What's he doing?" Varian asked.

Carol looked at him in surprise. "Checking I.D. They don't let you into the club unless you can prove your 21. That way they don't have to check everybody who wants to buy a drink inside."

Varian's heart stopped. No one here knew his actual age he realized. At the last party it didn't seem to matter so he hadn't brought it up, but here he'd be found out and no doubt made to look the fool all because he didn't meet some abritay requirement.

"I...I don't think they'll let me in then." Varian admitted to the girl.

"Why not?"

"Well, I haven't a license yet, and.." Varian was going to admit the truth but Carol interrupted.

"Oh, cause you just moved here." She nodded her head as if she had just figured out his problem. "Well you have some other sort of ID don't you? A passport or a visa?"

"Yeah I have both those things, but you don't understand.."

Carol placed a hand on his chest to stop him. "Don't worry boo. We got you. We'll make sure you get in." She gave him a smile and a wink.

"Wouldn't be first time we snuck someone in." Jake put in.

"It wouldn't?"

Jessica laughed. "You think we're all 21 one? I mean I am, it's my birthday, but I wasn't always. Besides it's a dumb law anyways."

"If you're old enough to vote and join the army, you should be old enough to drink." Another one of Carol's friends, Daryl, interceded.

Everyone in the group seemed to be in agreement with this sentiment and Varian relaxed just a little bit. Though only a little. He wasn't necessarily voting age either.

"There's no age laws in Corona. Everybody drinks." Varian added.

"That's right, Europe doesn't have the same laws as we do." Carol said as if only just now considering the difference.

"I went to Germany once." Mary said; she was Daryl's girlfriend. "I was in high school and was able to get into a bar no problem. They just don't care over there."

"I'd love to visit Europe someday." Carol said, changing the subject. "I think Ireland would be a cool place to visit."

"I'd like to see Spain." Jessica threw her opinion in. "Would you take me see Spain baby?" She asked of Jake teasingly.

"Sure, if you got a couple of thousands of dollars lying around." Jake joked.

This elected more laughter from the small group of poor college students, and Varian's worry began to wane. Only to kick back up once they reached the front of the line. Panicked he dug into his pocket and pulled out the fake passport that Professor Granville had given him.

"What's this?" The bouncer at the door said incredulously.

"It's a passport." Carol said forcefully before Varian could answer. "Ain't you ever seen a passport before?"

"It's not even in English." The guard threw back annoyed and he flipped the booklet around to show off the I.D.

"Well of course not." Carol rolled her eyes. "It's in Russian. He's from Russia."

"Ok, prove it. Say hello in Russian." The bouncer clearly didn't believe them.

"Um.. privyet?" Varian answered hesitantly. It was a bit of a loaded question as there was more than one way to say hello in Russian, but Varian defaulted to the more informal greeting as it's what he and his dad would use most often.

The guard raised an eyebrow still not convinced.

"I also have my visa and college I.D. if you want that instead." Varian offered helpfully as he pulled out his wallet. He didn't think it'd be enough to let him in but better to be cooperative then to start a fight.

Just then Daryl from behind them yelled, "Hey, what's the hold up!?"

The bouncer took a look at the long line spiraling behind them and rolled his eyes while heaving a frustrated sigh. He didn't have time for this. "Fine." He said as he handed back the passport. "Go on in."

"Thanks." Varian mumbled as he took the I.D. back. He couldn't believe that had just worked.

"Yeah!" Carol added and then stopped to ask Varian in a whisper. "Uh, how do you say thanks in Russian?"

"Spasibo." Varian replied.

"Yeah, Spasibo!" Carol called back to the security guard in very bad mispounation of the word before they headed into the club.

                                                --------------------------

"He's already left. We just missed him." Hiro said as he hung up the phone.

The gang huddled upon a rooftop across the street from the Lucky Cat. They had wanted to catch Varian while he was leaving, but it seemed like they were too late.

"Did your aunt say where he went?" Gogo asked.

"No, and I couldn't figure out a way to ask her without raising suspicion."

"Why not just call him instead?" Honey Lemon suggest. "Ask him himself where he's at and tell him we want to meet up."

"I doubt he'd want to talk to me" Hiro sighed.

"I'm on it." Wasabi said, but after several rings the call went to voicemail.

"Now what?" Fred asked.

"Looks like we'll just have to track him down the old fashioned way." Hiro said as he walked over to Baymax and mounted the robot. "Let's go."

Everyone dispersed to look for the wayward teen.

                                                --------------------------

"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!" The merry group chanted as Varian and Jessica competed to see who could finish a whole pint of beer first. The others having given up the challenge before hand. They were neck and neck but the birthday girl sputtered with laughter at the last minute and Varian scored the win. He slammed the empty mug on the the table with a wide grin as the rest of the gang applauded.

"Ok, you win," Jessica conceded. "But beer is easy. I'd like to see you try that with some hard stuff, like whiskey or tequila."

"I don't know what tequila is, but your on!" Varian shouted over the den of noise.

The club was dark and smoky, with the only light coming from the flashing strobe globe twirling above the dance floor. Music blared a thumping beat that resonated in your chest and patrons crowded around to dance, drink, and make out. The little group had taken up a small round table off in the corner so as the better hear each other talk, but even then one had to half yell to be heard.

"Hey, can we get some shots over here?" Jake called to a waitress, then he turned to Varian and said, "Okay, you wanna play? We'll do a round of shots. Most down the hatch wins. Loser pays for the drinks."

"Deal" Varian agreed.

The waitress brought a tray of shots and Varian eyed the small glasses smugly. You could down one in a single gulp. This would be easy he thought. Only to nearly lose with the first sip alone. Whatever this tequila was, it was stronger than either ale or wine and burned the back of his throat as it went down. He finished the drink and tried to suppress a cough.

"Not as easy as you thought it was, hun?" Jake smiled as he picked up his second glass.

Varian however was not one to give up easily, and besides he really didn't want to blow through all of his hard earned money in one night. So he steeled himself and grabbed another shot, and then a another, and another.

On the fourth shot Varian saw Jake starting to slow, his face becoming red from alcohol. Varian too was becoming lightheaded but he pressed on and nabbed his fifth drink. He didn't notice if Jake had drunk his fifth yet or not, he was too focused on winning, but as he reached for the sixth he heard the other guy call out defeat.

"Okay, okay! You win!"

Varian flashed a grin and drunk the sixth anyway in celebration; just to rub it into other college kid's face. This last glass he also slammed hard upon the table in victory as the tiny crowd around him cheered.

Jake pulled out his wallet to pay the tab, both annoyed and begrudgingly impressed that he had lost.

"You're like the scrawniest guy alive; where do you put it all?" Daryl asked incredulously.

Varian shrugged his shoulders as he had no real answer to give.

"Well let's take a break from the booze for a while." Carol interceeded. "I mean we came here to dance after all. That is if you boys can still stand after all that."

She tugged on Varian's sleeve and pulled him to the dance floor and the rest of group followed after them.

Varian stood in the middle of the floor at a lost of what to do. He wasn't a bad dancer persay, but he didn't know any American steps and he doubted any of the more traditional folk dances that he knew would fit with this type of music.

"So..how does this dance go?" He shouted Carol above the music.

She laughed, "Anyway you want it to. Just feel the music." She swayed her hips in time to the beat to give him an idea.

Varian figured he would look silly doing that, it was clearly more of a move for women, but he did see most of the men jumping up and down and so he tried this in time with the music.  

"Yeah, that's right! You got it!" Carol encouraged as she slid closer to him.

"Any luck?" Gogo asked Hiro as the gang gathered on top of a building in the middle of downtown.  

Embolden, he grabbed her hand and gave her a twirl. This enlightened more laughter and they both broke down into giggles before carrying on with their dance.

                                                --------------------------

"Baymax found an energy reading similar to Varian's close by, but it's fuzzy. He's probably in one of the buildings around here, but there's like eight or more clubs just on this street." Hiro explained.

"Well we can probably go in and check while you can stay out here and keep an eye on things." Honey Lemon suggested.

"Yeah, but there's no guarantee they'd let any of us in either." Fred pointed out."None of us are over 21."

"Look maybe we're over reacting here?" Wasabi offered optimistically. "What makes you think Varian could of snuck into any of these places? The kid still looks like he's twelve and he doesn't even have a driver license. Or it could even be that he was telling the truth about it being an innocent birthday par...."

He paused mid-thought as they heard a familiar laugh coming from the street below.

"I have found Varian." Baymax said, stating the obvious as they all peered over the roof to see their friend drunkenly walk out of one of the clubs across the street. He was with a short girl with a dark curly afro and they were giggling over something as they made their way towards the bus stop nearby.

"Or he could be stumbling out of a bar with a drunk girl hanging on his arm." Wasabi corrected himself, clearly disappointed.

Honey Lemon frowned. "I know her...she's in the sorority at SFAI."

"Carol." Gogo confirmed. She had been dragged to the occasional makeup party there, by Honey Lemon herself no less. "But she's a freshman. No way she's old enough to be drinking either."

"Peer pressure can often persuade people into partaking in unsafe activities." Baymax stated as he launched into his health education protocols. "If someone is pressuring you into doing something that you don't feel is safe; say no and walk away..."

"Uh, yes, Baymax. We know." Hiro informed the robot.

"So do we go down there now to talk to him, ooorrrr..." Fred asked, but the arrival of the bus answered for him. Varian and the girl boarded the public transport before anyone could to do anything.

They all exchanged worried and exasperated looks with each other before taking off to follow the tram.

Varian stood in the middle of the bus holding on to one of the center poles. He and Carol were the only two occupants aboard besides the driver, and he could have sat down anywhere, but he was beginning to feel woozy from all the alcohol and standing upright helped to keep him balanced.

                                                --------------------------

Carol however decided to sit down. She sat across from him with her face in the palm of her hand and her eyes sleepily staring out at nothing in particular.

"Do you have to work tomorrow too?" She asked suddenly, breaking the quiet.

"Uh..not sure. Probably. I usually work weekends. Either way though, I know my aunt has been talking about us all spending some 'quality family time' together all weekend long."

Carol smiled. "Responsible, family man, a great dancer, it's a wonder you're still single."

Varian blushed but laughed off her comment. "Responsible? Me? Yeah, no…..but family does mean a lot to me and I did promise Aunt Cass, soooo, sorry I had to bail out early again. But you know, you could have stayed at the party without me."

Carol shrugged. "Eh, I was about done anyways. The guys are fun to hang out with and all, but after awhile you start to feel like a fifth wheel, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know how that feels like." Varian agreed dryly.

"But you do know you didn't have to escort me home right?" Carol added with a laugh.

"I know, I just, I wanted to make sure you got home safe."

"Ever the true gentlemen, hun?"

Her smile grew wider and Varian couldn't tell if she was teasing or flirting. He rubbed the back of his head self-consciously. He was beginning to like this new girl, but he wasn't always the best at picking up social cues and he didn't want to ruin anything by being presumptuous.

"Well, I don't know about that, but looking out for one another is just what friends do, right?"

Carol looked surprised by that comment. "I..I guess…I have a hard time picturing Jake or Daryl doing anything so chivalrous through."

She snickered at that, but Varian tilted his head in confusion.  

"But I thought you guys were friends?"

"Oh don't get me wrong, they're good people and all, it's just all we do is hang out at parties sometimes. I don't expect them to like loan me money or come and bail me out of the slammer or anything. We ain't that close."

She sounded nonchalant but Varian nevertheless grew concerned.

"Then who is?" He asked.

Carol was caught off guard by that question.

"Who do you call when you need help?" He clarified.

She opened her mouth to answer, but no sound came out and she just as quickly closed it again. They awkwardly stared at each other for a few moments before the bus came to a stop in front of the SFAI campus. Carol quickly got up and hurried off the tram. Varian rushed after her.

"I'm sorry! Did I say something wrong?"

She didn't answer him but instead started to storm up the front porch steps in front of the sorority house.

"Look, I didn't mean to offend you." He called after. "I..I just…"

He trailed off and she paused on the stair. She didn't turn to face him, but the very fact that she was no longer running away encouraged him to try again.

"Look, I just, I know what it's like to be on your own, and I know how hard it is to move someplace where you don't really know anybody and nothings familiar and you don't feel like you always fit in. I.. I just meant that if you ever needed someone, for anything, you could call me...you know, if..if you wanted to.. that is."

She finally turned to look at him with that admission. There was a pout on her face and tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she tried to make a joke instead to distract from this.

"You know most folks don't talk like you do." She half heartedly laughed. "You sound like a character out of a cheap rom-com."

He offered her a small smile. "Eh, well, what can I say? I am Russian remember."

They broke down into soft giggles at that.

"You wanna come inside and grab a coffee?" She asked after there laughter had subsided.

"Oh, I'd love to, buuuut it's after one. I should probably get going soon." He declined.

"Well alright, but you have my number, so don't be a stranger." She said before giving him a wink and another of her charming smiles.

She waved him goodbye before heading inside. Varian waved back and then turned to leave, only to be confronted by the rest of his friends waiting for him at the bus stop.

They were dressed in their armor and stood there glaring at him sternly.

"Hey...guys.." Varian slowly said, confused as to why they were here."What's going on?"

"We could ask you the same thing." Gogo replied.

"Uh...well, I'm heading home from a party, soooo..." He made to leave, fully ready to just walk to the next stop instead of hanging around for yet another argument, but Wasabi placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Do have any idea what an incredibly stupid thing you just did today?" His friend asked.

Varian cast him an angry pout and back-peddled away defensively. He stumbled a little, still feeling tipsy from the tequila, but righted himself before falling.

"You can barely even stand up." Wasabi admonish, further driving home his point.

Varian huffed in frustration and threw an accusing glare at Hiro. He was getting really tired of everyone judging him and he rightly guessed that the other boy had dragged their other friends into this. However before he could respond, Gogo laid into him instead.

"You broke your promise."

Varian's stomach dropped as he realized that, yes, he had indeed went back on his word about not trying to purchase alcohol. Yet, he still wasn't ready to admit fault. Who were they to act so high and mighty? It was just a few drinks? It wasn't like he had hurt anybody.

"So what's it to you?" He threw back."It's not like what I do affects any of you. Me going to a party now and then doesn't harm anyone."

"B..but you could get hurt." Honey Lemon timidly said.

Varian looked at her confused. What did she mean hurt? It was just a party.

"You snuck into a club at sixteen with bunch of strangers." Fred explained. "Like that's just ain't safe, man."

"Fred's right," Wasabi added, "anything could have happened to you in there and we wouldn't have known."

And for the first time, Varian started to actually feel guilty as he realized just how worried his friends were for him. However his defensiveness kicked back up when Hiro added his two cents.

"You need to stop and think about what you're doing first. You can't just keep jumping into situations without…"

" Oh knock it off!" Varian interrupted. "I am sick and and tired of everyone telling me what I can and can't do! I've been on my own since I was fourteen! I know how to take care of myself, alright!"

"No you don't." Gogo pushed back. "You know how to survive, and I hate that you had to, but that's not the same thing as actually being mature. Now just stop and come with us; we're taking you home."

She reached out to grab hold of Varian's sleeve and to pull him along, but Varian wouldn't comply. He wasn't entirely sure what happened next, in his addled state, but she pulled in one direction and he tugged his arm away in another. Either her blades rolled out from under her or he didn't realize his own strength, but either way Gogo wound up lying flat on the ground after their struggle.

Everyone froze in shock and Varian felt his heart race as his anger turned into alarm and shame.

"Gogo!" Honey Lemon rushed to her friend's side to help her up. "Are you alright?"

Gogo refused the help however. Instead she gave Varian a hurtful and angry glare as she picked herself off the ground. His breath shallowed as he waited for her to go off again, but all she did was shake her head at him, turned around, and then skated away.

That was somehow even worse than a lecture.

Honey Lemon followed after her.

"Dude, what is wrong with you!?" Hiro reprimanded and all Varian could do was look at him with wide eyes. What was wrong with him?

"I...I...I don't know!" He choked." I just...I just wanted to forget… just for a little awhile. Forget that I'm...I'm.. b-broken."

"And how does this help?" Wasabi asked, and Varian had no answer.

"Look, I know you've been through some really messed up stuff." Wasabi continued. "More than most people ever will, and I'm sorry you had to go through that, but you can't keep on like this." He sighed in defeat. "Come and gets us when your ready to actually deal with things." And then he too turned and started to walk off.

Fred cast worried glances between Varian and the direction of where their friends were leaving, unsure of what to do. Ultimately, he too turned away and reluctantly made after the rest of the group.

Varian could hardly see through the tears now. They were leaving him. Everyone was leaving him. They always did at some point, and here he had dared to hope things might just be different in this new world. Yet, he had no one to blame but himself.

That's when he noticed Hiro and Baymax still standing there, watching him disquitedly.

"Well, aren't you going to leave too?" He asked accusingly.

Hiro took a moment to find the answer, but when he did he said, "Why should I? We're going to the same place, remember." He held out a hand to Varian. "Come on, Aunt Cass is waiting."

Varian blinked through his tears to see Hiro standing before him with his arm outstretched and a look of concern on his face. Varian's breath quickened and his vision swam. He had felt lightheaded all night and now the added stress of the recent fight only seemed to highlight just how drunk he really was. He was so sure he had been careful, that he hadn't really had that much, but that didn't stop the ground from rushing up to meet him as he fell, nor the darkness enclosing around him as he fainted dead away.