#which was fine bc I wasn't even out of the prologue and I wasn't loving warrior

[birb--birb]

what do we do when we feel sad? thats right, start a new dragon age playthrough

[avelanlorelay]

About Cardan and his mother

I was re-reading the comments on my fic Deniere Danse and most of them are against Lady Asha, which may be proof that she's just as hated by the fandom in the "parents" category as Madoc and Balekin (Or maybe it's bc of the plot I've created, sorry). So one unanimous question is: why does Cardan still allow her to stay in the brugh?

My pov: From Twk to Tpt we can see that Cardan is not as insensitive as he makes himself out to be, on the contrary, he has a lot of love to give (😭) (a side of him that probably only Nicasia had access to🙄). He's admitted to still liking his mother a little and if we look closely, that despite having a strong personality, Cardan is no longer a hateful person. After losing his entire family, he wouldn't throw out his mother, the second only person left of his blood, for bad things in the past. In Tpt we see how he's very happy with Jude and probably, thinks about the future instead of holding grudges about things from the past.

Okay, Cardan isn't the boy with the heart of stone, but why would he still like Lady Asha? Why didn't he lock her back up in the tower of oblivion like he did with Balekin? First of all it's obvious, she never committed any crime. But although the books say very little about their relationship (a shame because I've always been curious about it), I think there are some clues:

In the prologue to Tqn we see the discovery of Cardan's curse. It's said that Lady Asha doesn't seem to know how to hold a baby, but she hugs he when Eldred seems to be considering parting with the child and holds he tighter when she leaves. Perhaps she was just afraid of not having privileges, but it's the only gesture of affection we see from her.

Still in Tqn, Oriana tells Jude about Cardan's childhood:

"It wasn't as though she didn't dress him in velvets or furs; it's that she left them on until they grew ragged. Nor was it that she didn't feed him the most delectable cuts of meat and cake...."

Now, in Htkoelths, when he meets Aslog in the stables, despite being there because of her (bitch) Cardan thinks that if he called his mother she would beat Aslog up and throw her out. I found this passage strange bc Lady Asha is described as delicate and thin, yet Cardan knows that she would protect him from a much bigger and stronger woman. If he's so sure of this, has Lady Asha defended him before?

And finally, just a guess: when he travels to the mortal world in Tcp's time to save Balekin's mortal slave, Cardan travels on a giant moth owned by Lady Asha. It's said that the creature was personally tamed by her and he still remembers how, so he was probably there when it happened. Which means that perhaps Lady didn't leave him completely abandoned, there were moments that the two of them spent together, when she dressed him, fed him and perhaps took him for walks and played with him.

What does my monologue mean? That if we compare, Cardan seems to have more feelings for Lady Asha than for Eldred, because despite so many bad ones, he has good memories with her too. It's not just a blood bond.

It's sad and unfair, but Cardan has a much more forgiving heart than it seems.

There's probably something else too: guilt. If I'm not mistaken, in Twk's deleted scenes, when Lady Asha meets him to talk about Jude, it's said that Cardan didn't free her because he didn't think he had the power to, after all, Jude was the real High King.

Now, if we stop to think about it, Lady Asha had never committed a crime, (if we don't consider her to be the worst mother in the world), yet she probably spent about ten years trapped in the tower of oblivion, starving and cold, completely alone. Not even Balekin or Madoc suffered so much. Can we feel sorry for her for that? Idk, if you're a good person and can even like Madoc, that's fine, but I think it's well deserved. But not from Cardan's point of view, not least bc from his perspective it was his fault. Now, as High King, the best thing he can do to be fair is to reward her for all that time of suffering. So it's understandable that he lets her live in the palace and have everything she ever wanted.

Jude pov: I think that since she would like her mother to be alive and by her side and Cardan has that opportunity (which I would frankly pass up), she would never take it away from him, even for revenge. And like him, she's too happy to worry about the past and people who aren't worth it.

[arthenaa]

heyy since there's gonna be a lot of ocs in this fic i just wanted to share some face references and small facts of some of my original characters for y'all hihi (will post more as story progresses, names mentioned below are only the characters mentioned for chapter 1 and prologue)

BRITISH MINISTRY OF MAGIC

Ryona Bassett

ACTUALLY MADE HER WITH ANGELA BASETT IN MIND ,,, Queen behavior

Head Auror of British Ministry of Magic

Recently promoted Head Auror after the capture of Hugo Blaire (wink wink guess which fic this is)

Sebastian previously worked in her division before he got transferred to Victoria Wren's care

in her late 40's

has a soft spot for Ominis but doesn't let it show (was a friend of his Aunt)

Ravenclaw

Half-blood

Face claim as Angela Bassett

Howard Arkenstone

just shat out a name tbh

one of the youngest ministers to be elected

deemed to be one of the strongest wizards of his time

the ministry loves this guy

Hufflepuff

Pureblood

early 50's

face claim as mark strong

Victoria Wren

the pics are so chefs kiss

face claim as Lashana Lynch

was once Howard Arkenson's protege

Sebastian Sallow's officer-in-command

strict af but she's a good mentor yo

strong admiration for Howard

Senior Auror

Late 30's

Slytherin

MACUSA

Gladys Hale

Slightly based off Connor from Detroit Become Human with a slight attitude ueehhehehhehehhehehhe

Auror and protégé of Joanne Goldstein

Legilimens

was taken under Joanne Goldstein's wing after interrupting a trial and pointed out the lies of a defendant (even tho she wasn't supposed to and it almost got her fired if it weren't for Joanne)

Blunt and expressionless most of the time but something about reader sets her off somehow (HIHI im gonna be pouring my ass on this fucking dynamic baby)

yk that meme where person a is like tired and holding a leashed person b thats u and gladys <3

somehow has to have something occupied in her hands

Horned Serpent

Face claim as Ana de Armas / Felicity Jones

Joanne Goldstein

I AM NOTOOKAYASJJA

anyways

1/3 of MACUSA's finest, Master in Truth Seeking, Senior Auror

gay GAY GAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alcohol enthusiast (Gladys oftens tells her to stop for the sake of her health)

Wizarding world's most renowned prosecutor and investigator

has 97.5% win rate in winning her trials

Animagus (in the form of a black cat)

Pureblood

Wampus

mid-40's

Face claim as Cate Blanchett

Elliot Fontaine

I HAD TO OKAY

God told me in my sleep he'd evaporate me in my sleep if i didnt put him as elliot's face claim

MACUSA's troublemaker

has absolute fucking rizz man

reader calls him old man as an exaggeration

America's most skilled duelist

delved in the dark arts during his 5th year

almost got him expelled tbh

can be often seen drinking w Joanne in bars (doesnt matter if its No-Maj or wizard)

has a sweet tooth and likes No-Maj sweets and coffee (something u acquired from him)

Half-blood

mid-40's

Thunderbird

2/3 of MACUSA's finest, (DAMN HE IS FINE) Master in the Dark Arts and Senior Auror

Gregory Walker

damn

anys 3/3 of MACUSA's finest <3 Senior Auror and Master of Charms

quiet, often likes to keep to himself

doesn't have a protege as of now (still hasn't decided actually)

unintentionally charming to ppl even tho he's socially awkward bc all he's ever done is be professional

but actually despite being professional, he has a wife and a kid !! <3 aw

his wife is his ilvermorny first love mwa

joanne and elliot love to mess w him

mid-50's

Pukwudgie

Margaery Simmons

President of MACUSA

America's Beloved Witch

This woman is mwa mwa

definition of elegance

very difficult to impress actually

elliot definitely tried to rizz her up once but she was just like :)

deemed to be wise af for her age

No one doubts her judgement

Horned Serpent

Late-40's

Face claim as Jessica Chastain

PHILMAJ

Regina Salazar

Activist for the Wizarding minority in the Philippines

Main antagonist of the series <3

Said to be quite friendly to muggles

Pureblood

Late-30's

Tala (check this post for house details in the PH)

Face claim as Jodi Sta. Maria

José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda "Jose Rizal"

Doctor, Scholar, Artist

Has Filipino and Chinese lineage

Pureblood but is actually a squib (how he was able to use magical objects will be explained more in the fic)

Currently resides with seromahis

mid-30's

Face claim as Dennis Trillo (why he kinda look like the eldest bridgerton)

PROLOGUE SIDE CHARACTERS

Don Jose Taviel de Andrade

Spanish military officer

Jose Rizal's friend and was tasked to keep him safe

Seromahi

Face claim as Juan Diego Botto

Don Manuel Pedro de Alfonso

General

Friend and Advisor to the King of Spain (Currently assigned to facilitate matters in the Philippines, all he does is laze around tbh)

rumored to be killed by Regina Salazar

discovered a mysterious artifiact in northern Philippines

Face claim as Paco Tous

____________________

A/N: anys i had fun with this HOPE IT ADDS MORE TO THE STORY and gets you to connect w the characters mwehehe

To be or not to be (CHAPTER 1)

Auror! Sebastian Sallow x Fem! MACUSA Auror! Reader Series

Story Summary: To prevent a war between humans and wizards, you and Sebastian are tasked with your respective agencies to save the fate of the wizarding world from the hands of a dark wizard in the Philippines.

Chapter Summary: The agencies get news of what happened, they've decided to put you and Sebastian on the case.

Chapter warnings: cursing, nothing much really, seb and you arguing its kinda cute,

Chapters: Prologue, MORE CHAPTERS COMING SOON

Notes: this was supposed to be uploaded yesterday but i got kinda sick and only finished it now. enjoy the 6k words ppl &lt;3

“Simmons is summoning me?”

You were sure you heard wrong. An effect of the coffee you bought from a No-Maj coffee shop on the way to work. The caffeine was kicking in and causing you to have auditory delusions.

Yes, surely that must be it,

But the more you assess the woman’s deadpan stare and exhausted stature, the more you started to doubt if the coffee really had an effect at all. You had gone to the MACUSA headquarters with no expectations and a hefty paperwork awaiting your desk. It was mostly due to the fact that you had finished a heavy case alongside your mentor and Senior Auror, Elliot Fontaine.

Having mentors in MACUSA meant potential. They took you under their wing because they saw great potential in you and would have the possibility of joining the higher ranks alongside them where witches and wizards with formidable power reside. It was an honor that you definitely upheld and cherished from the day when Elliot witnessed your magical prowess on the field and began calling you ‘kid.’. He’s been with you ever since. Having a mentor also meant that you took cases in pairs. Lower rank Aurors are mostly handled and led by the Middle Ranks. They are formed in squads or teams while Higher rank Aurors such as Elliot operated individually or sometimes in pairs when they choose to mentor someone. Usually higher ranks are tasked with grave cases which usually involved dark wizards who plan to overtake communities while the lower ranks settled to maintain order and minor cases.

You had expected the moment that Gladys Hale, Joan Goldstein’s stagiaire, stepped into your office that a case would be delivered for your mentor but to your very very very big surprise. It was addressed to you.

“Are you sure you’re not tricking me? Like this is not some form of prank to make me look bad or something?” You asked with your hands wringing each other as you looked up at her with big eyes from your seat behind your desk. She blinks slowly as if to further emphasize her lack of mood to jest. You lick your lips as you feel them dry up from the lack of moisture in the air. The clacking of typewriters and the scratching of quill pens against parchment paper (a charm you had casted as multiple quills help you in lessening the piling workload on your desk) form a comfortable distraction from Gladys’ piercing eyes.

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” She says your last name with such disdain as if to say how disgusted she is that you would even consider her travelling few floors down instead of dawdling with the higher ups just to prank you. You let out a shaky breath as you place your hands on the cool wooden surface of your desk.

“… Can I at least know the details?”

“I’m not authorized to reveal case details unless you agree to come with me to the designated place.” Gladys answers with curt and firm professionalism. You stare at her some more, trying to find a flaw in her body language. It wasn’t every day that the President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America would personally summon you to her office. Normally, situations like that called trouble or a possible loss of job or banishment to the cells under the Woolworth building and you were sure that you did nothing to warrant such cruel punishments (you think?).

You hadn’t realized that your mind further buried you into a spiraling descend to overthinking when Gladys decided she had enough and snapped her fingers in front of your face. You lean back fast in surprise as her face seems to look grouchier and cold than the last.

“Look, all I know is that Fontaine was the one who suggested you for this case to the President. Rest assured that your mentor will be present while they debrief you. A few other senior Aurors will be on standby and judging by the fact that Fontaine, Goldstein and Walker are called in one room, you are safe to assume that this is counted as a very important case. Understand?” Gladys raises her eyebrows as she expects you to finally calm your thoughts with her vague explanation.

It certainly did not help at all.

You put on a stiff smile while you made sure to strangle your no-good-of-a-mentor right after this so called debrief. So let’s sort this out, MACUSA’s great three is present in one room with the President being the handler of this case and they’ve elected you to be the primary representative and investigator of whatever fuckery this case might be.

What the actual fuck? Are they fucking mental?

“No, they’re not fucking mental, Y/N.” Gladys retorts as she crosses her arms over her chest. Right, she’s a legilimens. Right on Joan Goldstein’s track. The Senior Auror often handled prosecutions and interrogations. Gladys proved to be quite effective in this side of the Auror office due to her ability and efficiency in prosecuting dark wizards and made sure they rot in hell in their prisons under the fucking congress. It certainly proved to be a pain on the ass right now though. “Do know that ill-intentions towards the higher ranks are—“

“It was a joke, Hale. Calm your tits.” You chortle as you rise from your seat, putting on your coat and grabbing your wand from the safety of your desk drawer. Gladys sighs as she then waits for you to get ready. With a firm tug on the collars of your coat, you turn towards the brunette with a smile.

“Can’t keep the Madam President waiting can we?” You outstretch your hand towards her. “Assuming from the vague details you just explained, we’re expected someplace else?”

“Correct,” Gladys grabs your outstretched hand before pulling out a small book from her pockets. You know what it was—a portkey. To where it might lead you? You’ll never know. She glances at you as she motions the book in her hand. “This is authorized, do not fret.”

You sigh before nodding. Apparating within congress grounds was usually prohibited and there were only certain areas in the ministry that allowed such modes of travel. Portkeys usually were required to have the authorization and approval of the Travel department as well as the President so you knew that you didn’t need to move someplace else for the portkey to work. You only hope that the journey won’t result in you puking your guts out.

Gladys levitates the book in her hand as it begins turn page after page in a fast pace. The magic ruffles your clothes as green light emerges from the paper material of the pages. Gladys turns to you with a smile. “Let’s visit home, shall we?”

­­­­­­­­­­­ Rain pours down unto the streets of London, rendering the streets with murky waters. People bustle here and there as carriages roll down the stone pavements. It was considered to be another normal day for muggles however an entirely different scene is happening within the alleyways of London. A shadow stands on top of the buildings and peers down unto the narrow paths, watching a figure run down with escape only in their mind. The rain wets his coat as he lifts his wand, tip illuminating as he focuses it on the running figure. He then raises his free hand to tap against his temple, the skin illuminating under his touch. He forms a mind connection with another.

“Coming out your way. King’s Road. I’ve casted the tracking charm.” Sebastian Sallow murmurs into the connection with his partner. The figure disappears from his sight as he turns a sharp left into the streets.

“Nice work. On your position.” The man on the other side praises his work before the connection drops. He lets out a sigh before apparating to the discussed location. The man tries to disguise himself with the crowd as he pulls his coat to further cover his face. Sebastian follows him quietly behind, glancing on the other side of the street as another auror matches his pace. The fugitive seems to have caught on causing him to break into a sprint. The auror on the other side of the street gives him a curt nod before chasing him down. Sebastian turns to a corner to take a shortcut before a pair of hands grab him from moving any further. He raises his head in surprise, staring at familiar cloudy blue eyes.

“Ominis?” Sebastian raises his eyebrows in surprise at the presence of his dearest friend, Ominis Gaunt. The former Slytherin smiles at Sebastian’s voice before nodding his head towards the other way.

“No time to waste, come with me.” He mumbles quietly as he grasps his arm but Sebastian only stands still—confused.

“We’re in the middle of an operation. Wren’s expecting me to be with her in a few minutes. I’m sure this can wait?” Sebastian raises his eyebrows as Ominis lets out a huff. “They’re about to catch Collins and I have to be there to help.”

Ominis Gaunt can’t help but roll his eyes at his best friend’s attempt at firmness. It never really suited him as someone who had experienced all sorts of tomfoolery the Sallow boy had done throughout their stays at Hogwarts. After their graduation, the two of them immediately got jobs at the ministry. Ominis wasn’t surprised that Sebastian became an Auror and he was glad and incredibly grateful for his job at the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He often travelled as a demand from his work so seeing the brunette in front of him was definitely a missed sight. The Henry Collins case was trending currently in the wizarding world. An alchemist who used muggle subjects to perform his works on was horrifying enough that it was considered a main priority. Of course, you could count Sebastian Sallow to be part of the group of Aurors in charge of the case. Under the guidance and authority of Victoria Wren, a senior Auror and quite a renowned one, he was considered to be a genius investigator and a skilled duelist. Two factors that made him a great Auror. He was already recognized by the head as well as the Minister for Magic. It was safe to say that he was quite requested for the important cases. As said before, the Henry Collins Case was considered to be a priority, until recently.

“I was tasked to fetch you. They’ve sent someone from Yaxley’s squad to cover your position. Wren’s notified of it just now.” Ominis taps the end of his cane against ground, a small act he has to keep up with to avoid stares from muggles. Luckily with years of practice in transfiguration, he was able to transfigure his wand into a cane that allowed him to navigate himself freely in unknown areas without having to hit random strangers’ knees every time. It was a few hard months but definitely worth it. Professor Weasley surely must be proud of him.

Sebastian furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “Tasked by who?”

Ominis sighs before placing a firm hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “The Minister of Magic himself along with the Head Auror. They’ve got a case for you. Bigger than this one, I fear.”

Sebastian’s jaw slightly falls at the mention of the two important figures. It wasn’t every day that the higher ups were the ones who requested for your presence. He wasn’t even promoted yet (a stupid mistake on Wren’s behalf according to him) and here he was, personally requested by wizards who could easily end his career. He lets out a shaky breath before glancing at the bustling street then back at his best friend.

“Are you sure you’re not just pranking me or something?” Sebastian tries to reassure the situation one more time but Ominis only shakes his head with a smile.

“Such a worrywart you are, Sebastian Sallow. Where has the Slytherin in you gone? A stain on Salazar’s legacy.” Ominis dramatically replies as he moves forward to intertwine his arm with Sebastian. He nudges him slightly before letting out a breath. “Hang tight.”

“What—“

And that was the last thing Sebastian said before he was pulled in by magic with three taps of Ominis’s cane on the ground.

“You could’ve at least let me prepare before apparating out of there?”  Sebastian leans against the ministry’s cold walls as he catches his breath. Ominis appears to be unaffected as he transfigures the cane back to his wand. Sebastian looks up at him with disdain. “How’d you even apparate in?”

“Authorized. Bragging rights.” Ominis grins as he begins to walk down the halls of the international delegation office, an exhausted Sebastian trudging behind him. The brunette examines the blonde’s back with boredom as he passes office after of office. Levitating quills and flying books flutter in the air as they quickly made their way to the double doors at the end of the hallway. Ominis stops with a quick halt causing Sebastian to bump into his back.

The brunette lets out an oomph as he pushes back against Ominis to steady himself. The blonde turns towards him with a sigh. Sebastian feels like his best friend would chastise him once more for his lack of attention but the blonde only turns back around towards the large black glossy doors and knocks a rhythm on the surface.

Instead of opening up like normal doors, they rotate as a gargoyle replaces its position. Ominis leans in to speak in parseltongue and Sebastian can’t help but be amused at his best friend speaking the language of snakes once more.

He remembers the blonde promising to not speak it again after their little altercation in the scriptorium.

“Sorry, the complexity of it all has a reason.” Ominis explains as the gargoyle rotates once more revealing a set of staircase leading down. Sebastian glances behind him as he lets his best friend go first before following behind him.

Every step lights a blue flame on the walls as they descend down the spiraling stairs. It was quite dizzy at first but the scenery of a whole new floor left Sebastian in awe. A functioning headquarters was right under the gargoyle as wizards and witches bustle around. Sebastian furrows his eyebrows as a large projection of a man getting blasted across the room and an image of a woman appears right after. The danger meter hanging on top of the ceiling was dangerously touching the tips of the red shade.

What the fuck is happening?

The two reach the final step before Ominis drags them to the front of the room where the Head Auror, Ryona Bassett, Minister for Magic, Howard Arkenstone and someone whom he’d never expect to be there, his old professor, Aesop Sharp.

The three seem to be in a deep conversation as Ominis and Sebastian arrive. The Gaunt clears his throat catch their attention. Ryona lets out a breath of relief at the arrival. “You’re here, at last.”

“Why is the meter red?” Sebastian immediately intercepts as he stares at the clock dangling on the ceiling. “That wasn’t like that this morning. Is it because of Collins?”

Howard lets out a sad huff. “Your mentor has got the Collins case handled but I’m afraid there are much more pressing matters. We received an intercontinental transmission message from another wizarding community regarding an emergency.”

Sebastian furrows his eyebrows as he looks up at the giant projection. Ryona moves beside Sebastian as she watches the moving image of the situation playing in a loop. The Head Auror turns towards the Sallow boy with a look of anguish. “That wizard community is at its wilting threads because of this, Sebastian. It’s only a matter of time that we’ll be affected by it as well.”

The brunette glances back at Ryona who smiles at him. “We’ve decided to put you on the case.”

“What?”

“You’re a duelist and have far more knowledge in the dark arts. At least according from what I heard from your Head Auror.” His old professor, Aesop intercepts. Ryona nods at her words.  “I was called here by Ryona. I will be part of the overseeing team of this whole case. There has never been a case like this for years.”

“I will be with you as well.” Ominis reassures behind him. Sebastian sighs as he tucks his hands within his pockets.

“Alright, tell me everything I need to know.”

Ilvermorny was beautiful than ever.

Sat on the highest peak of Mount Greylock was Ilvermorny School for Witches and Wizards. A place you once called home. Your old school. The stone walls of the castle looked sturdy and firm like it always had been as you trudged the halls of the castle. A few students murmur against one another as their eyes linger at your figures. You could practically hear the whispers of amazement as they recognize your connection to the congress. It wasn’t unusual to see an Auror here and there in the streets of New York but to see them in schools was definitely an alarming sight. It usually meant something was in trouble.

The potions professor, Ellen Quinn was tasked to be your guide to the assigned meeting. It was wise of the President to conduct her debrief here considering that Ilvermorny, like other wizarding schools, is a base of wizardry’s most powerful defense and combat magic. Where else to discuss such matters than the safest place in the wizarding world of America?

The heels of your boots clack nicely against the marble floors as you near the entrance to the Great Hall. Gladys stands beside you as Ellen motions for the two of you to wait before entering the hall. A blue light glides over the huge double doors—a privacy protection charm that you were sure Gregory Walker casted. A pure master in charms and spells. The man was most known for his great skill in silent charms and also created upgraded spells. A man of innovation.

Your mentor was most known for his affinity with the dark arts. Elliot Fontaine still is America’s most skilled magic duelist to this era. His work was often affiliated with dark magic and slowly he was able to build a slight immunity from dark curses. You weren’t surprised as to why they were called the MACUSA’s finest. Soon enough, you knew that you’d have to fill in the shoes of your mentor as Gladys and Gregory’s protégé will.

Gladys shuffles quietly beside you and you couldn’t help but turn your head towards her shifting. “Nervous?”

“For what? I’m not the one handling the case.” She answered with a teasing tone as she places her hands behind her back. You tense at the reminder before continuing to reminisce the memories of the past.

“I take that you’re a Horned Serpent then?” You change the topic as you glance at her from your peripheral vision. Gladys shakes her head as she laughs softly in amusement.

“Is it the legilimency that made you think that?” Gladys replies. You shrug jokingly.

“I mean, it makes sense…”

“Well, you’re right.” Gladys pats your shoulder as she replies. “Everyone expects a Hale to be a Horned Serpent.”

“Notice how I didn’t mention your lineage?”

“Oh shut up,” Gladys rolls her eyes as she says your name with playful annoyance. The doors open once more and you suddenly feel immense pressure from the amount of eyes staring at your arrival.

Joanne Goldstein.

Gregory Walker.

Elliot Fon—Wait no that old man can suck ass actually,

And of course, the President of MACUSA and the handler of your case, Margaery Simmons. You lock eyes with her and you see her lips twitch up into a gentle smile.

“Ms. Hale and Ms. Y/L/N.” She greets you with a gentle but professional tone. Your hands sweat as you enter the room. The doors glide again with the blue light as it closes with an echo. You discreetly brush them against the fabric of your coat before shaking the hand of America’s most beloved witch. “I trust that Ms. Hale was able to somewhat give you an idea as to why you were summoned here?”

“Somewhat.” You answer with a stiff smile as you glance at your mentor who only grins cheekily form his position beside Joanne. You subtly widen your eyes at him to which the senior Auror chuckles at.

“Good. Good.” Margaery nods her head slightly before grabbing a discarded newspaper placed on one of the tables. “Now that you have established that the debrief today is of a case with utmost importance, we will move on to the details.”

“To speed things up.” She adds as she motions the newspaper towards you and you take it with hesitance before flipping it to read the heading.

Influencial Seromahi killed by an unforgivable. Sources say the witch responsible for the murder is a Salazar.

“Seromahi?” You whisper in confusion as a moving picture of the event plays on the newspaper. You watch as a man is thrown back across the room by a spell you know all too well. A picture of a woman then flashes beside it, eyes mischievous and calculating.

“That’s a translated newspaper sent to us. It means No-Maj. Muggles for Britain.” Margaery muses as she elegantly places her hands on top of each other, positioned on her lower stomach. “Human.”

No way?

“A wizard killed a No-Maj in plain sight.” Gregory Walker chimes in from his position. Your heads turn towards him. “There are witnesses. Countless. Normally, matters like this are settled by their respective magical communities but the No-Maj killed is of foreign lineage.”

“An influential one as well.” You whisper as you try to assess more of what happened through the moving images. “How influential exactly?”

“A general.” Joanne Goldstein replies as she continues to sit on one of the empty chairs. “A friend and a close adviser to the King of Spain. This means something worse for us. A country as large and influential as Spain gaining knowledge of the existence of the wizarding world proves to be severely detrimental not only for the targeted magical community but also for the whole.”

Your jaw flutters at the severity of the situation as they stare at you with such seriousness. The gravity of this case can almost pummel you to the ground. Your hands tighten their grip around the paper. Margaery notices your nervousness. “Mr. Fontaine has suggested to assign you this task because of your capabilities and incredible skills as well as your affinity for magical tracing in dark magic. We don’t have much information on this but the head of the targeted magical community has reached out to send representatives per agency. You will not be alone in this, Y/N.”

This has to be your worst case yet. A wizard killing a No-Maj was not unheard of, in fact many prisoners underneath Woolworth were testified and charged guilty for the very reason. The severity of this situation was because the murder had been done in front of numerous No-Majs and the victim was also of influential standing. The murderer knew what she was doing. She did this on purpose.

Elliot Fontaine then walked towards you, placing a hand on your shoulder. “You’ve proven yourself worthy of this case. This counts as your immediate promotion, kid. You’re designated as a Senior Auror and investigator. Welcome to the ranks, detective.”

You turn towards Margaery who nods in agreement. Gladys smiles behind you as she only watches and listens in on the discussion. You bow your head in respect, unable to currently speak words from the shock of it all.

A promotion and a fucking mind shattering, headache inducing of a case. How wonderful.

“We’ll be right with you as combat squads in case a brawl happens, Ms. Y/N.” Joanne reassures you. “Until then, you and a few other representatives will be the ones leading this case.”

“Where is it located?” You ask as you fold the newspaper and tucking it under your arm. Gladys turns towards you as she flips a coin into the air before catching it effortlessly.

“The Philippines.” She says as she smiles. Your eyebrows raise in surprise. “But before we head there, we rendezvous first with the representative of the British Ministry of Magic.”

Elliot grins as he tucks his hands inside his pockets. “Pack up. We’re going to London.”

You had never expected your first trip to London was going to be like this.

Put on the spot by your higher ups to lead an investigation alongside a British representative was certainly not one of your list of reasons in visiting. You hoped that it would be for a vacation; a well-deserved leave.

You sigh for the nth time because while you did not expect your week to end up like this, it seems Isolt Sayre frowned upon you. Your day is in absolute shit.

First, you were lost. Like a kid who got lost in a fucking playground lost. Though these things never bothered you that much, it certainly was an annoying thing to deal with. You had gone out to hunt for a proper No-Maj coffee. Gladys thinks it’s absurd that you prefer No-Maj coffee over her own brew but you don’t have the heart to tell her that your heart might as well explode from the amount of caffeine she intakes and it’s not even the No-Maj kind which gives you the right kind of palpitation but it’s the wizard kind that leaves all sorts of side effects. You don’t want to deal with having discolored eyes for an hour because of it. Anyways, after hunting for a good coffee, you had somehow forgotten to retrace your footsteps.

You might be thinking, oh! But you’re a wizard anyways, you can just apparate out of there! WRONG. You had forgotten your wand as well. The portkey had already destroyed your inner organs (exaggerated obviously) and had left your mind grasping at straws. It hasn’t reversed back to its prime condition as you had forgotten your most important necessity of all.

You trudge along the streets of London with an exhausted look on your face. You look around, taking in the bustling streets of Monday morning. It was early and your darling roommate, Gladys Hale, had taken it upon herself to suffocate into the comfortable and soft duvet in her sleep. Well, you couldn’t blame her. The beds were definitely nice.

After being promoted as a Senior Auror, Joanne Goldstein had assigned Gladys Hale to be your assistant for the case. She says after all that 3 minds are better than two. You could almost laugh at Gladys’s stiff face as she certainly did not expect to be included in the trip.

As promised, the other Aurors had their respective portkeys, in case a war or a brawl severe enough to warrant backup was needed. They still had to solve other cases after all.

Unaware of your surroundings, you were suddenly pushed harshly on the side. You yelped at the sudden force as you landed on your side at the stone pavement, the harsh texture of rock digging on your skin. You were about to curse whoever it was but a sudden neigh of a horse catches your attention.

Your eyes widened as a horse seemed to have noticed you last minute and began to jump up in fear. Its hooves were directly in front of your face and the overall posture of the animal made it feel so large and intimidating.

Time slowed and you wondered if this was how you were going to die.

You could hear horrified gasps and the horrified yells of the coachman. This was it. The horse was about to smash your face in and you certainly think that whatever might have possessed Margaery to decided how much of a fucking idiot decision to place you as lead investigator for this whole Salazar case is a bunch of bullshit. Yeah, the old man was a bunch of bullshit as well. You close your eyes in fearbefore you hear a spell being casted.

“Petrificus Totalus.”

It was curt and discreet but you heard it. The horse froze above you suddenly and you took the chance to crawl backwards and out of its smashing zone. The spell was immediately gone as it was casted and a hand on your arm pulls you up.

“Are you okay?” He asks as he stands you properly. You stare at him, unable to speak as you look down at your spilt coffee. He notices where you’re looking at before sighing. “Please don’t go under horses and squashing yourself.”

You look back at the crowd you had created as they begin murmur and gossip over what just had happened. The man tsked as he pulled off his coat and pulled it over your head. You certainly think following this man was a bad idea but he had saved you and he was a wizard, so that was a well reason enough. He pulled you in an empty alleyway, away from prying eyes.

“Thank you— “As you try to express your gratitude, he pulled out his wand and pressed the tip of it against your temple. Your eyes widen as you know what he’s doing it. “Wait! Are you fucking obliviating me?!”

The man tilts his head back in shock at your reply. He squints his eyes as he drops his wand back. “Are you a witch?”

You furrow your eyebrows. “Yes and you just tried to fucking obliviate me without even giving me the chance to speak.”

“I thought you were a muggle. You had no wand on you?! Who doesn’t bring their wand everywhere. It’s like your most important necessity.” The man reasoned. Your jaw flutters in annoyance.

“Look, I didn’t mean to leave it at home but—“

The man then tensed, wand raised again as he squints his eyes in suspicion. “Wait, who sent you? Wizards lingering like this sound awfully suspicious.”

Your jaw drops at the accusation. Is this what you get for agreeing to this stupid mission? Your coffee definitely got the brunt end of it. You place your hands on your hips as you give him an incredulous stare. “Are you insisting I’m a criminal?”

“… Maybe,”

“You fucking idiot.”

“I-I mean who knows!” The wizard tries to defend himself. “You’re certainly acting like one.”

“What is your standard actually? I’ll have you know that casting spells in a No-Maj environment is a grave offense.” You retort, face filled with fury. You were seriously going to bash this man’s head in.

“I saved your life?!”

“Still, No-Maj environment mister.”

“No-Maj?” He tilts his head like a dog confused. It was almost cute if not for his idiocy. You sigh as you raise an eyebrow at him.

“No magic. A non-wizard, dumbass.”

“For your information, we call them muggles.” He sarcastically responds before grabbing your arm. You gasp at his forward actions before trying to pull away.

“What are you doing?! I could have you filed for sexual assault—“

“I’m bringing you over to the ministry. Surely your excuse will matter when you face the court.” He scrunches his nose at you like an adult trying to talk to a toddler. You gasp at his insinuation and before you could even respond, you were gone.

Then a blink of an eye, you were someplace else.

You were sure that you were in a similar place to MACUSA. After all, you had heard him say ‘Ministry’ as he had forcefully hauled your ass over after he had tried to obliviate you. Darn fucking Monday.

The clack of your boots and his pristine shoes against the marble floors were satisfying. You could only look around in awe as he dragged you by the arm. The architecture was stunning. It was certainly quite different from your agency. It definitely gave off elegance. Amidst admiring the wondrousness of the building’s interior, you were then pulled to a stop which caused you to stumble on your feet.

The man gave you a look over with a raised eyebrow before looking at the receptionist. The woman nods in familiarity. “Mr. Sallow! To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Is the court available? I have this very suspicious witch in my hands. I’d like her to be interrogated.” He smiles innocently at the receptionist who only raises her eyebrows in slight surprise. You turn towards him with a shocked look on your face.

“You’re putting me on trial?!”

“Why not?” He looks at you, deadpan. Oh gods, you wish you could strangle this man. “Loss of magical object and ill-intentions toward an officer-in-charge. Shall I name more?”

“Oh, fuck you.”

“You wish, darling.” He leans in with a wink, mockingly. You could feel your face heating at the response. This man was certainly attractive but you couldn’t let that distract you from planning to curse his bloodline for the next 7 fucking generations.

That was a joke.

You think?

You let yourself be dragged begrudgingly before a call of your name catches your attention. You never knew Gladys Hale’s presence could be a sigh of relief. It was almost comforting. The woman mentioned marched with fury leaving her steps as her eyes never seem to leave yours. She calls your last name once more. “You fucking idiot! I leave you for 15 minutes and now you’re getting yourself arrested?!”

The man responsible for your capture pauses as he stares at the two of you. You look at Gladys with pleading eyes. “Save me, Hale. This man’s trying to put me in jail for baseless claims.”

“She left her wand. Insulted me too.” The man chimes in as he locks eyes with Gladys. Your companion looks back at you with a sigh before pulling said object from her coat pocket. You let out a noise of appreciation as you grab the object, hugging it close to your chest.

“We’re with MACUSA,” Gladys flashes her ID to Sebastian who furrows her eyebrows. “We’re supposed to be expected here— “

Sebastian’s eyes move from Gladys before looking at the newly entered people who, at first, doesn’t seem to notice them but then a man calls out an unfamiliar name and then he locks eyes with the Head Auror. He would try and greet in respect but the sound of you acknowledging the call immediately turned his head towards you in shock. Don’t fucking tell me this is—

“It seems you’ve already acquainted yourselves with one another?” Howard smiles alongside an unfamiliar man who he assumes to be of utmost importance judging by his overall aura. You furrow your eyebrows before turning towards the man beside you with a shocked look on your face.

“No fucking way.”

Elliot lets out a soft chuckle. “Mr. Sallow. Ms. Bassett has told me about you. Allow me to introduce my stagiaire, this is Y/N Y/L/N, MACUSA’s representative for the Salazar case.”

Sebastian turns to him in surprise, still speechless. The Head Auror notices the tense aura between you two. She raises an eyebrow at Sebastian who only smiles sheepishly at her stare.

“Alright, we’ve got no time to lose. Let’s go ahead and debrief the whole situation.”

You couldn’t believe this.

No, you will yourself not to. Sebastian, as you had come to know from his introduction, was supposedly your partner for this case. Well, the case was expected to have at least 5 representatives guided by a Division captain from the Philippines’ magical community. In those 5 representatives, they will be then grouped according to skill compatibility. The man beside you were decided to be your partner alongside Philippines’ representative, which you will meet at your arrival.

“According to our sources, the witch on target is Regina Salazar. A pureblood witch who was a big activist in the community.” Head Auror, Ryona Bassett discusses as she flips through a folder of the case intel. All of you had the same folder and your eyes lock with the moving picture of the culprit on yours. A pureblood? Interesting.

“Activist?” Sebastian chimes in from your side.

“The gal was a huge advocate for voicing the wizarding minority in the Philippines. Not sure as to why she’d suddenly kill a muggle. Sources also claim she’s quite friendly to muggles as well.” Howard furrows his eyebrows before placing his elbows on the table and intertwining his fingers with one another.

“Quite an odd background for a dark wizard.” You comment as you flip through the case notes. Ryona seems to have her eyes settled on you before letting out a sigh.

“It seems we had a bit of an altercation this morning, Ms. Y/L/N,” Your head turns to her in surprise. “I apologize in behalf of the confusion.”

You bit your lip before smiling at her. “It’s alright, Ms. Bassett.”

“Aurors in the ministry should be great examples of the wizarding community,” Ryona sends a sharp look at Sebastian who almost cowers in fear like a kid who got caught in stealing some cookies. “My men should know better, isn’t that right, Mr. Sallow?”

The man lets out a begrudging sigh before turning towards you with a stiff look on his face. “Apologies, Ms. Y/L/N. Don’t forget your wand next time.”

You smile sarcastically at him before faking a smile towards the higher ups in front of you. Your mentor claps his hands to catch the attention of the room.

“Now that we’ve got that out of the way. The case file also mentioned the discovery of an area in the northern Philippines.” He starts off as he stands from his seat, hands behind his back. “Not much is said about this in the files so I assume the debrief on this part will be conducted by your Division captain.”

You and Sebastian nod in understanding. The rest of the room stands up after an hour of planning before the Minister for Magic, Howard Arkenstone breaks the silence. “The two of you alongside Gladys Hale and Ominis Gaunt will be leaving for the Philippines in a few hours. Pack up what you need to bring and I can only hope that your time working together will be as efficient and swift as your capabilities as Aurors. Do I make myself clear?”

There’s a pause before both of you nod in understanding. “Yes sir.”

“Good.” Howard nods at the two of your before motioning Ryona and Elliot to join alongside him. “Come, we have to talk to the operations team as well.”

The two follow him out of the room, leaving the two of you to still be standing in silence beside each other. As soon as the doors close with a loud thud, you turn towards him with a serious look on your face.

“Look, I’ve decided to forgive and forget this little altercation we had this morning in hopes that we’ll be having a good partner relationship.” You smile innocently at him. You sure hope that he’d let this go considering he was the one who started the whole shebang. He only smiles at you with a slight chuckle, a little too condescending. Your hate for this man ups a scale for sure.

“Mhm,” He hums, a little too low. It stirs something in your stomach that you indefinitely ignore. He leans down with a patronizing smile. “This is important for the wizarding world after all.”

“Are you fucking with me?”

“Are you?” He raises an eyebrow before standing in his full height. He steps aside to gather his case file and then walking out of the room. You stare at his back as he pauses before turning back towards you.

“Let’s work well together, Ms. Y/L/N. I look forward to our time in the Philippines.”

He sends you a boyish grin that would’ve made you swoon if it weren’t for his little act. You knew he was just playing along by your rules but never taking you seriously. You huff in annoyance as you run your fingers through your hair.

Sayre, this is going to definitely be a long fucking annoying case.

Notes:

sebastian: *smirks*

reader: oh my fucking god you're so fucking annoying fuck you fuck me id let you do unspeakable things to me

anys hehe so theres gonna be five of u gasppp <3 and also a bit of bg introduction of the plot's main antagonist hehe hope you guys enjoyed this hihi, apologies if theres any grammatical errors or typos, ill be proof reading tom mwa

[mallahanmoxie]

books i read in 2021 and assorted thoughts on them

courtesy of @gellavonhamster ❤️❤️❤️ in roughly the order i read them in tho i must say it's not a very cheery list bc i liked half of these only. unlike 2020 there were no 5 star reads :( #ReadTheSparrow

unmasked by the marquess by cat sebastian

a young girl's maid pretends to be her lady's brother so she can accompany her to her first season in london so she can find a good prospect; enlists the unlikely help of an extremely grouchy marquess, attraction and deception ensue. this was ultimately forgettable but very fun and very horny but like, par for the course right. 4 stars for nonbinary rights 😌

almond by sohn won-pyung

after witnessing a tragedy, a young boy who cannot process emotion is left to fend for himself. this was a lovely book, i think of it often. it was very light despite the situation and i liked the voice of the main character even though it IS rather... Well. Devoid of emotion. i thought it was very frank and i forgive its unrealistic ending because honestly? hes a good kid. 4 stars because it is not life changing but it IS enjoyable

himegoto juukyuusai no seifuku by ryou minenami

seinen manga about the lives of three college students (a tomboy, a trans woman and a sex worker) whose lives get entangled when they realize they share related sexual/gender deviances. not an actual book but 8 volumes that took me a while to read so i count them still. trigger warnings for everything under the sun - csa, pedophilia, rape etc. it's a very heavy manga and yet the overarching feeling i got from it was finding yourself and your place in the world. i guess it's somewhat of a coming of age. this was a pre-healing story because they certainly need therapy even by the end. but i thought it was definitely a very interesting exercise on the socialization of gender and sexuality, their "correct" modes, the acceptability of certain deviances in specific scenarios, etc. within contemporary japanese society. i liked the characters too but again. extremely heavy topics. 4 stars because it did drag a little.

to kill a kingdom by alexandra christo

little mermaid retelling. eric is a siren killer prince, ariel is a—you guessed it—siren princess. when her awful mother curses her to grow legs, she's gotta find the way home and also kill him. it was fine. it is standard ya fare. i dont wanna be mean but these two... i am darkness i am evil blah blah blah. annoying is what you are. tell me one thing, if you've been socialized all your life to find "bad" things admirable and desirable and something to strive for... WHY do you talk about it as if it's bad? i get the guilt but your terms are wrong!!! if being bad is prized then it IS good to be bad. i dont know why this bothered me so much. well i do. because yall are whiny. mfs didnt even kill one person... bad they say 🙄 evil they say 🙄 sure tuna lady. anyway 3 stars because it's... Fine. i just greatly disliked it.

the decagon house murders by yukito ayatsuji

seven crime fiction enthusiasts take a trip to an island to investigate a murder involving a former member of their club's family. immediately get picked off. listen........ this was okay. i commend it because of its place in establishing its genre. but i hate figuring out the killer in the prologue. the first 100 pages? unnecessary. or at the very least a drag. it did pick up after the first murder, which, coincidentally, was the only moment of emotionality this book gave. it was pretty cliche. 3 stars because of its literary importance. read the short version. or the manga.

the vanished birds by simon jimenez

a woman captaining a trade ship picks up a child who holds the clue to interstellar travel and basically adopts him. a thoughtful sci-fi look towards what could be the reality of capitalism in space. not afraid to Go There. very accomplished. also boring. well that's... unfair to say, i just didnt feel taken by any character so it wasn't a book i was excited by. i saw all its points. the narrative development is fine. the scope is well done. a very good book i did not like. 4 stars for its literary strength.

the verdigris pawn by alisa wishingrad

the heir to the throne accidentally gets one of the last charmers (witches) in trouble and must go on a cross country trip to find the person to save her. this was my most disappointing read because i hyped it up too much in my head. it is definitely a good, sturdy children's novel. right amount of whimsy, small scope in tune with the protagonists. everything was small actually. stakes, wins, my interest. it was very cinematic, though, it deserves a movie. again, good for kids, too predictable for my mood. 4 stars because it was cute and simple.

cadáver exquisito (tender is the flesh) by agustina bazterrica

after a virus makes every animal violent and inedible, the world turns to human flesh as their main protein source. main dude works in a slaughterhouse. it was fine. again rather underwhelming, but accomplished. i understand the criticisms it was trying to raise, though i maintain it was rather shallow in some places. the carrion eaters should've been a bigger bit. or the shooting range. or the skin man. dunno. also i was promised a surprising ending—WHERE?!!! that man was transparent as fuck i always read him for what he was i knew there was no way in hell itd turn out any different (spoilers) he treated her like a pet the whole time cmon yall he only wanted her for the kid it was OBVIOUS what was his driving force (end spoilers) i am mad because it was the only reason i read it :( 4 stars bc it's a good book i was just scammed

[rogue-durin-16]

THINGS NEVER GO AS PLANNED (Part II/VII)

"candy floss"

Summary: After Fred's death, George and Y/n lean on each other to carry on. This wasn't the most brilliant idea, though; George was pretty much in love with the girl, and Y/n— well, she had been dating Fred prior to the Battle of Hogwarts.

Pairing: George Weasley x Reader

Genre: angst

Tags:

Suggested by: @crispykittywitch

Things never go as planned: @sarcasticallywitty15 @beautyschoo1dropout @s1ut4georgeweasley @leovaldez37 @missmulti @weasleywh0r3s

Permanent taglist: @elia-the-bibliophile @randomparanoid @karlthecat15722 @thebutchersdaughtersblog

Warnings: grief, feels, brief mention of Fred x Reader ig?

A/N: I decided to name the parts bc why the fuck not so keep an eye on the titles 👀. This story is based off this convo and these headcanons. If you wanna be tagged in the next parts tell me, and enjoy <3

Prologue :the aftermath

Part I : sleepless nights

Part III: shock therapy

Part IV: wrong name

Part V: the perfect excuse

Part VI: the downfall

Part VII: apart

Epilogue: I still love you

Rogue-durin-16 masterlist

The moment the last group of customers decided it was time to call it a day and exited the shop, I left the till counter and grabbed my wand from my pocket, instantly turning the sign in the door so it could be read from outside 'closed'.

A sigh escaped my lips as I leaned against the multicolored wooden rail.

I was drained.

The shop helped our minds to get distracted and stray from the grief, yes, but it was also exhausting.

We had been subconsciously overworking ourselves to the point where it was borderline self-destructive.

It didn't help that I was throwing myself into comforting George, either. I could not be blamed for doing that, though; he was broken.

A part of me, the rational one, knew he would pick up the pieces and build himself up again, it would just take a lot of time.

There was another part of me, though, that depressed, drained part, that was beginning to think he would never heal by himself —maybe he wouldn't heal at all— but still held onto the hope that, if I tried hard enough, I would be able to mend what had been broken in him.

A terrible idea, really, because I started to dismiss in its entirety my own miserable, damaged state.

And George, ever the caring, sensible one, would have noticed that; he would have made me realize I was not doing nearly as well as I thought, he would have talked some sense into me, but he wouldn't— he couldn't, because George was lost in an ocean of grief, trying so hard not to drown that he wasn't able to notice I was trying to aid him from my very own sinking boat.

It also seemed to be working; he was more animated, slept more soundly, and his smile was a bit brighter even —at least the one he had for me.

"Rough day?" My eyes, which I didn't know I had closed, fluttered open at George's voice.

"Very."

He walked to me with a tinge of guilt in his face. "You know we can switch places, right?" I had been working as the public face of the shop since we had reopened, and George had taken on the task of doing the paperwork and shippings instead, showing up from time to time to help me and to let people know there was still a Weasley running the business.

I had been the one to suggest this, since I knew George had compromised with reopening only because of me, and he was clearly not ready to put up a sociable, positive attitude for dozens of people every day.

"Nah, it's fine like this." I assured him with a reassuring smile.

He measured me with his eyes for a second; I couldn't really tell if he saw through me or not. "So I was preparing the today's shippings," he rocked a tiny purple basket I quickly recognised in front of me. "I found this in the back of the stockroom."

"Are those—?"

"Candy floss cupcakes, yes." A year and a half ago we had bought five baskets of candy floss cupcakes from Honeydukes per George's request in order to unsuccessfully try and implement them.

"Are they even edible anymore?" I couldn't help but laugh.

"I hope so?" He chuckled too, tearing the film covering the sweets. "Thought we might as well finish them."

My eyes travelled from the basket to him and viceversa before stating, "well I'm hungry so..."

"Same here." He was the first one to pull out a pastel colored cupcake, though he handed it to me. "Wanna get food poisoning together?" Laughing, I gave him a nod as he grabbed his own cupcake. "At the count of three?"

"One"

"Two"

"Three." We said in unison right before taking a bite of our respective madeleines.

I frowned at its surprisingly good flavour. "Am I delirious or are they actually edible?"

"Dunno," he shoved the rest of his cupcake into his mouth with a shrug. "maybe we're just starving."

"Go big or go home, I guess." I finished my cupcake before leaning on the basket to pick another one. My head snapped up with my brow quirked when I heard a soft chuckle. "What?"

"Nothing." George shook his head, motioning at the stairs. "Shall we sit down?" I followed his lead, sitting on the stairs and waiting for him, who had stepped towards the drinks aisle to grab a couple of juice bottles, to do the same.

We stayed there, eating and drinking in a comfortable silence until the basket was empty and our eyelids threatened to shut.

"I think we should head back to the flat." He spoke, leaving the half empty juice aside so he could stretch.

"I'm gonna learn how to cook." I stated, getting up. "We can't get by based on most likely expired sweets and whatever is in the Leaky Cauldron menu."

"Aight." He mimicked my actions, picking up the stuff we left on the stairs. "We will learn the basics tomorrow." He got behind me and began to gently push in the flat's direction. "But now we're gonna get some sleep, miss."

I would be lying if I said my heartbeat didn't pick up when his hands landed on my shoulder blades and made their way to rub both my arms reassuringly.

I would be lying if I denied I leaned back when he did that, letting myself get closer to his chest.

And I would definitely be lying if I said I didn't crave going back to my room so I could cuddle him all night.

One Week Later

"—right in the cauldron, love." I pointed at the cauldron besides me, giving a sweet smile to the kid in front of me, visibly going to be sick thanks to the free sample of Skiving Snackboxes.

"Y/n!" I spun around at the loud calling of my name above the shop's racket. I was able to discern a long, red mane flowing fast towards my position right on time for the owner to wrap her arms around me.

"Glad to see you too, Ginny." I laughed, trying not to lose balance due to her enthusiasm. "How come you're here?" I questioned, pulling away.

"We heard you were open." Harry walked up to me, appearing from behind the girl, "And thought we'd pay a visit to our friends, right?" Ginny nodded, looking around while Harry gave me a quick, yet comforting hug. "Where's George?"

I motioned up to the small office, redirecting the couple's eyes to the second floor. "Doing paperwork—AH!" I jolted when a pair of hands tickled my sides, my head snapping to see the towering ginger standing behind me. "Speaking of the devil."

"I thought I saw Gin through the window," George explained, his hands lingering on my waist for long enough to his sister to stare, before pulling Ginny into a tight hug. "And came down to check if she was distracting my employee."

"You got her all bored here, mate." Harry pointed out, a light joking tone in his voice.

"And you're the one supposed to help with that?" George rolled his eyes dramatically. "Pfft... What a world we live in." With the said, he gave the boy a side hug. I heard Harry murmur an 'We missed you' before they pulled away with a pat on the shoulder.

My gaze landed on the youngest Weasley, whose welled up eyes were trained on her older brother's half smile. I only averted my eyes and waited for her to discreetly wipe away the unspilled tears while Harry and George catched up.

By the letters she had sent me, I reckoned the last time she had been near George, he had been lifeless; seeing a glimpse of who was once one of the most cheerful, funny and charismatic people in her life, was probably poignant to Ginny.

I hadn't realized she had moved closer until I didn't hear her soft voice. "Thank you." I offered her a confused smile, though deep down I knew what she meant.

Two Days Later

George was having one of those days.

We both knew it was coming soon; it had to happen sooner rather than later, since he had been in a surprisingly good mood for almost a week. I suspected seeing Harry and Ginny had brought back the events of the Second of May.

I suggested to close the shop for the day, since he was unable to move out of bed; he refused to do so, but I convinced him to stay in the flat and rest —it was Tuesday, anyway; I wouldn't have to handle many customers.

Due to that, when I saw Hermione, Ron, Bill and Fleur entered the shop, it was understandable that I hadn't become the happiest person in the world.

I greeted them, there were hugs, kisses, and even a joke or two, and when Bill asked about George, I excused him without giving much detail.

They understood.

Fleur was the one to restart the conversation, lightening a bit before requesting a tour for the shop, since she had not yet been there.

It was when we reached the love potions that Hermione, using the fact that Fleur was very much interested in the product, held my hand and pulled me aside.

"So... how are you doing?" The frown in her face, the fact that she was whispering, the squeeze her hand gave mine, let me know she had read me the moment her eyes met mines.

I sighed with a shrug.

"You can tell me." Could I? "No one's asking you to put on a happy face, Y/n." The girl assured me, her eyes digging into mines. "It's not just George, we all lost—" she shook her head at her own words before correcting herself. "you lost him too."

I lost him too.

I bit my lower lip to stop it from quivering.

The memory of Fred's broken smile as his corpse laid on the stretcher, that memory that haunted my dreams, appeared vividly before my eyes.

My lips started to burn with the ghost of that kiss he gave me before we split up, him with Percy and me with George; it hadn't been meant to be a goodbye kiss. It was meant to be a good luck kiss.

I covered my mouth to muffle a sob, and Hermione's arms were quick to be wrapped around me, reassuringly rubbing my back.

GEORGE'S P. O. V.

I saw them entering from Y/n's balcony; I wasn't emotionally ready to face them all at the same time, but when I didn't see them exit, I figured Y/n hadn't been able to dismiss them.

I decided I owed to them all to bite the bullet, so I threw on a shirt and the first trousers I grabbed, cleaned up a bit and left the flat.

With a deep breath, I made it to the second floor and mentally prepared myself to go down to the first one.

As I began to climb down, though, I noticed Hermione and Y/n talking in private, closer than the others to the stairs.

I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but all my senses were automatically focused on Y/n whenever we were in the same room; she just stole me away from reality.

"You lost him too."

Hermione's words visibly triggered something on Y/n.

'Something', as if I didn't know what they had triggered, as if I didn't know what— who was on her mind.

I guess he was always on her mind, though.

What was left of my heart shattered in a million pieces when she broke down to tears —for several reasons—. "I miss him." She whispered in Hermione's shoulder. "I miss him so much."

If I had any tears left, I would have cried my eyes out right there. Had I been so selfish that I had disregarded how she was feeling? So blinded by the light and love and warmth she was constantly giving me that I had forgotten about her grief? Was I that bad of a person, that I would have rather live in the illusion that she had not lost the boy she was dating?

My mind told me I didn't want any of those questions answered.

"George!" As Ron yelled my name in surprise, Hermione and Y/n pulled away, the latter rubbing her eyes while both of my brothers jogged upstairs to hug me. "Ginny told us you're open—"

"But Y/n said you weren't feeling well." Bill finished, squeezing my shoulder. "We only stayed a little longer for Fleur to see the shop."

"Yeah, we'll come back tomorrow," Ron assured me. "So you can rest and..."

My brother's voice sounded further and further with each word; I felt myself drifting off, getting lost in my own mind and gravitating towards the same thought over and over.

She deserves better.