#you're telling me marlene wouldn't jump that??

[princessvettel]

petition to make yasmin patel a real marauder and use devi (nhie) as her fc because i think it's a crime she's in atyd and nowhere else

[cosmal]

ooooh poly!marauders who are really in tune with their s/o's emotions, even when she tries to hide them? like maybe they're out for a meal or at a party and she gets overwhelmed and they just realise straight away and bring her out of the setting? i love them soooo much

in the car

summary the boys take you home when you get overwhelmed at a party.

content poly!marauders x fem!reader

note omg first poly!m blurb. sorry it kinda sucks :[

You sit on a retaining wall in Marlene's backyard and try to focus on her pretty flowers instead of feeling so anxious. You haven't spoken to anyone in twenty minutes, not even the boys, and you've really tried your best not to put such a damper on the night.

They're having a lot of fun, you know they've had a tiring week and everyone hasn't been together in a long time so you won't ruin anything for them.

You pick at your nails and chew on the ice in your drink to keep your mind distracted. You thought you could handle it tonight, you hoped you wouldn't get as overwhelmed as you were expecting. You'd felt anxious before you even left, you thought seeing your friends might've helped.

You're too busy staring a hole through your glass to notice James sitting next to you. You startle when he speaks and bite your lip at your error.

"Hey, sweetheart," he says softly and ignores your jump. You feel a little pathetic.

"James," you sigh. You can't look him in the eye.

"Ready to go?" he clasps and hand to your shoulder and does that stupid, toothy grin he knows you love.

"What? We just got here." It feels like it's been hours. It's been one at most.

"Yeah, I know." He stands back up and hovers over you. It's almost irritating how pretty he looks. He doesn't make any of this any easier. You feel awful for ruining their night. "You look so sad, honey. We thought we'd go home."

"I can Uber if you want." You regret it before you even say it.

"What? No, don't be so silly." Yeah. Expected.

"I don't wanna leave just cause of me. I'm fine, don't worry."

James doesn't let you mope any longer. "No, c'mon, up."

"James..."

"It's okay," he takes your hand to encourage you, smiling, "really. I wanna leave anyway." Then much quieter, "Frank's tryna get me drunk."

You let him lift you up and fall into his side where you feel you belong. You feel half-relieved already, despite feeling selfish. "Where're the others?"

"Sirius went to get the car,'' he grabs your hand and leads you through the side gate. "I think Remus went with him."

You're not sure why you feel so blindsided by this all. Most of the time they're so intuned with you, they know when you're overwhelmed or just having a bad time. You're the same with them. You rub Remus's shoulders before without him telling you they're sore, you call James when you know he's having a bad day after he messages you, and you hug Sirius before he tells you he wants a cry.

You step out onto the pavement and find Sirius pulled up with Remus, waiting for you and James. You feel bad for ditching but not as much as so when they look so happy to see you. "What if I'd convinced you to stay? They would've been out here all night, probably," you ask before you get to the car.

"Wouldn't have worked." He opens your door for you.

You slide along the back seat for James to sit next to you and are welcomed by a lovely warmth. James gets in too and you think he wants to click you in as well but decides against it.

"You okay, lovely?" Remus asks from the passenger seat, he twists around to look you over and you feel bare.

"I'm okay," you say softly. "Hasn't Sirius been drinking?"

Sirius snorts from behind the wheel. "I've had two, don't worry, lovely."

You know you're deflecting, you suspect as soon as Sirius also asks if you're okay, you might cry. Your throat feels thick with an upset that feels worse now in a contained space. This is half the reason you wanted to leave on your own. Not that being surrounded by your boys when you're upset is bad, just might've been easier to steel yourself.

You reach a hand down on the seat between you and James and scrunch it tight. He unclicks himself and sides over to you. He gets an arm around your shoulder and encourages you into his side, as much as your seatbelt will allow.

"You okay?" Sirius dangerously whips his head back to look at you, pouting.

The first tear dribbles down your cheek.

You hide your face in James's firm shoulder and shake your head. He tuts and cages your head in with a big hand. Your tears are hot and slow, marring James's pretty shirt. You hope you don't turn messy with it. He looks good.

James murmurs something like, "Hurry up, Sirius." The car roars.

You feel the car slow at a red light and peel yourself away from James's chest. Face wet and hot, your hair stuck to your cheeks. "Shit, I'm sorry," you curse and wipe your face with a rough hand. James's arm stays around your shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay, yeah?" Remus uses his long arm to grab your knee. He squeezes firmly and it feels nice. You hope you're close to home, you want to hug Sirius as well. He looks similarly worked up.

"I'm sorry I made us leave," you sniffle.

"You didn't make us do anything," James says, voice as firm as he can manage. "We don't mind. It's just...you gotta tell us if you're not feeling good, okay? We might be able to prevent these pretty eyes from crying." He uses the side of his finger to wipe under your watery eyes, brushing over your clumped eyelashes. You blink slowly.

"I didn't want to ruin-"

"You didn't ruin anything," Sirius interrupts, "We just want to make sure you're okay."

He steals another look at you. You nod gently. "Yeah."

"Remus was complaining to me, anyways," James says, smug. "Said I looked so good that he wanted to take me home."

You start to laugh, much to the boy's pleasure. "Really?"

"Yeah," James nods, "Said he wanted to - and I quote - jump my bones."

Remus looks incensed. You're just happy the teasing isn't on your behalf for once. "Whatever, James."

"You do look pretty, James," you say, still sidled up to him, "I don't blame him."

He squeezes you hard. and laughs, pleased you're feeling better. "I'm sure Remus'll be telling me all night how good this shirt looks on me."

"It does!"

"Okay, James's head might explode," Sirius says. He'd looked just as in love all night, you'd seen it.

"Woah!"

You sit back and watch your boys fight over stupid things. You think you could do it for the rest of your life if they allowed it. You're sure they'd make a fool of themselves over and over if it made you happy.

Sirius catches you staring. "Feeling a little better?"

You nod, pleased, but embarrassed to be caught. "Yeah."

"Good." You must be almost home.

"Hey, Sirius?" you say softly.

"Yeah, lovely?" He might crash if he keeps turning to look at you like that.

"Can we stop at McDonald's?" you ask softly, even softer eyes like he'd ever say no.

"Yeah, sounds good. Remus needs a happy meal."

-

[remusluvr]

all these things that i've done | remus lupin

summary: Remus is drunk, you're the first person he thinks of to call. content: drunk Remus, exes, throwing up (and reader tells Remus to throw up so he can get it out of his system), unedited

"(Y/N)," he draws out, voice high and sing-songy. He's honestly a little surprised you picked up his call. You're a little surprised that you picked up too. It's nearly two in the morning. Anyone in their right mind would have woken up, seen that their ex was calling, and put the phone right back down to go to sleep. You couldn't though not with the achy feeling that formed in your stomach after seeing the caller ID.

"Hi, Remus. Are you alright?" you ask, voice raspy from having been woken up. You hear James nearby calling for Remus and Remus brushing him off so he can find a quieter place to talk to you. "What's going on?"

"We went to a bar. It's the bar that we always used to go to," he breathes, background much quieter now. He must have gotten away. You don't really know what to say. "It made me think of you. James told me not to call."

"You're drunk, Remus," you grumbled, fingers pinching at the bridge of your nose. Of course, he's drunk. That's the only reason why he's calling. "Go back to James and Sirius. Are they trying to leave?"

"No. But I want to leave."

"Are you really calling me for a ride? What the fuck?"

"No, no, no, no, no. I mean, yes. I am calling for a ride but I miss you."

"Call an uber." With that, you hang up the phone. How dare he call you asking for a ride after you haven't spoken to each other in months. You lost half of your friends because of your breakup. Lily and Marlene are the only ones that still talk to you. Every once in a while, you'll get a text from James but nothing important.

And you would think with the way you're fuming at him for thinking he could just call you up and you'd come running, that when his name comes up on your phone again you wouldn't answer it. You do.

"I'm sorry for calling you. Please don't be mad at me," he whispered. You feel bad. He's obviously drunk with no way to get home. You don't want him to take an uber by himself and the bar isn't too far from your house.

"Wait outside, I'll be there in fifteen." He mumbles a thank you before you can hang up on him. You huff under your breath as you take the warm blankets off of you, getting up to locate a pair of pants, shoes, and your car keys.

He's like an excited puppy when you get there, jumping up immediately as you pull in front of where he's sitting with James. James doesn't look as drunk as Remus and you're grateful that one of them had the hindsight to be a little smart. Getting out of the car, Remus is on you, pulling you into a hug so he can rest his cheek on your head, mumbling out a, "Missed you so much."

You try to ignore the pull his words have on your heart but it's only been a few months since you broke up. You haven't exactly moved on from him.

"He drank a lot," James explains, "I tried to get him to call anyone else but he told me that he wanted you to come and get him."

You spin in Remus's hold so he's pressed against your back, face buried in your neck. You're trying to talk to James but you can't focus, not when he starts pressing kisses onto your skin like no time has passed between the two of you seeing each other.

"Don't worry, I'll get him home."

"Noooo, can I sleep on your couch? Please?" James looks at you with a look of pity. You brush it off, reaching back to run a hand through Remus's hair. You say bye to his friends, pulling him into the passenger seat of your car and handing him a water bottle that you had grabbed before you left. "You're so sweet."

You don't say anything, climbing into the driver's seat and starting in the direction of his house. He notices and is quick to whine about wanting to be with you. If it weren't so late maybe you'd have more energy to argue, but you don't so you just start in the direction of your apartment.

"I think about you all the time," he confesses. That's bold coming from the boy who locked you out of his life. He broke up with you so why does he think he has a right to say these things to you. You have to remind yourself that he's drunk so you don't slap him across the face. "I don't think I'll ever get over you, sweetheart."

"Rem, stop talking," you say through clenched teeth. He doesn't know what he's saying and he won't remember it in the morning. Tomorrow, he'll wake up and scurry out before you wake up so that he doesn't have to face you, you're sure of it.

"I never stopped loving you. Was just scared to let you in."

There are tears pricking at your eyes but you won't let yourself cry. You won't. Because if you do then Remus will just try to comfort you and you'll let yourself get your hopes up. You don't say anything the rest of the way home.

He throws up the minute he steps out of your car. You groan, throwing his arm over your shoulder so you can help him into the house and to a proper toilet.

"I'm sorry I called you. Just need you. I hate not having you around."

"We can talk in the morning. Pull the trig and throw up so we can both sleep."

You let him sleep on the floor by your bed after he complained about the couch. Anything to just have him shut up. You don't sleep much, not when you can hear him breathing so close to you. Everything he's said tonight keeps replaying in your head as you stare up at the ceiling. If he really means any of it, he'll be here in the morning and willing to talk to you. If not, you'll block him and finally let go.

[lixzey]

monster among men

“It's only two to three times a week, Y/n. It's not that bad, I mean would you rather patrol with Snape? He's a greasy git, unlike Regulus Black, have you even looked at him? He's bloody fit!” One of Y/n's friends, Mary MacDonald, gushed as she looked over at the Slytherin table. 

Y/n rolled her eyes at the brunette, “He is not fit, Mary.” 

Marlene McKinnon scoffed, “Are you daft? Or are you just blind?”

“What do you two even see in that git? He's annoying, self-centered, pompous, and arrogant.”

“Well, yeah, but look at his face!” Marlene jerked her head towards the Slytherin table. Y/n rolled her eyes, “No thanks, I'd rather gouge my eyes out.” 

“So stuck up, Y/n.” Mary chuckled, shoveling a spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth, making Y/n scrunch her nose. 

“He just looks like Sirius, what's so special about him?” Y/n grumbled, taking a glance at the Slytherin table. 

“Sirius looks like a bad boy, while Regulus, he looks like he was carved by the gods. Yeah, they look alike, but Regulus has much more defined facial structures. Have you seen that jawline? Merlin, I think it could cut my finger if I touched it.” Marlene explained, eyeing Y/n as if she was a first year.

“That is if he'd let you touch him.” Y/n chuckled, “That git's more sensitive than Sirius.” 

“Speaking of Sirius,” Mary started, her voice lower than what it was before, “Do you think he's okay that you're partnered with his brother? I mean, Sirius is like your brother too at this point.” 

“You think he can persuade Professor McGonagall to pair me up with someone else? No, he can't, making his opinion invalid. Even if he isn't okay with it, he doesn't really have a say in it.” Y/n sighed, reaching for a treacle tart, “But if he could, it would be absolutely amazing, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.” 

After the little incident in the Prefect's compartments, Y/n stormed off, dragging Remus behind her. The Head Boy and Girl, allowed her to take patrols with Remus on the train, on the condition that she will comply with the partnering situations. As soon as Y/n stepped off of the train, she avoided Regulus as much as possible. Being both Prefects, they had the privilege of riding in separate carriages up to the school. Y/n decided to run off and find her friends instead, much to the amusement of her brother and Lily. 

Throughout the sorting ceremony, Y/n's mind wandered to the possible things that could happen on patrols with Regulus Black. The possibilities were endless. Regulus could hex her, Y/n could punch him, Regulus could push her down the stairs, or maybe, just maybe, Y/n could push in the Black Lake and feed him to the giant squid. Just thinking of his smug face made Y/n's blood boil to a temperature she didn't know was even possible. 

“Hey, Y/n, look!” Marlene said, tapping her on the shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the direction her friend was pointing to, only to see Regulus Black, being dragged out of the Great Hall by a grinning Sirius Black, a laughing James Potter, an annoyed Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew stumbling after them.

Y/n knitted her brows together, “What in Merlin's name are they doing?”

“They're going to give him the protective brother's speech.” Lily chimed in, sitting beside Y/n, making her jump. “Bloody hell, Lily! You gave me a fright!” 

Lily grinned, “Jumpy, are we?” 

Y/n rolled her eyes at the redhead, “I hate you.”

Lily chuckled, “You love me.” 

“So, a big brother's speech, huh?” Mary laughed, “Aren't they protective?”

“Oh please, Sirius probably just wants an excuse to bother his brother.” Y/n shrugged. She wouldn't put it past her brother and Sirius, knowing that they were absolutely protective when it comes to her, their 'baby sister'. Y/n sighed, eyeing her friends, “You want me to follow them, don't you?”

Marlene and Mary nodded enthusiastically. Y/n groaned, “Really?” 

“Yes, really!” Marlene grinned, “And you need to tell us everything!” 

“Yeah, we need all the details!” Mary insisted. 

Y/n groaned again, lightly hitting her head on the table. “Bloody gossiping shits.” Y/n murmured. 

“What was that, Y/n/n? Speak up, love.” Marlene teased. 

Y/n lifted her head up, glaring at Marlene, and gripping the fork in her hand. “I am this close to stabbing you with this fork.” 

“Just go! Go and eavesdrop on them!” Mary pushed, “Come on, don't you want to hear what your brother and Sirius have to say? Don't you want to hear what Regulus has to say?”

“Ugh, fine!” Y/n huffed, giving into her friends' pushing. She glanced at Lily, who just shrugged, “I mean, it would be interesting.” 

Y/n sighed, “You three better save me some chocolate muffins for later.” She grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder before standing up and taking one last glance at her friends. “And, you three owe me a butterbeer and some sugar quills on the next Hogsmeade trip.” 

“Fine, fine, now go!” Marlene grinned, jerking her head towards the door. Y/nbrolled her eyes and shook her head, before walking away from the Gryffindor table, making her way out of the Great Hall. 

“Don't forget your patrols with Black in the seventh floor corridor from eight to midnight!” Lily yelled after her. Y/n glanced back, and stuck her tongue out at Lily. She then walked out of the bustling hall and went to find the Marauders. 

It didn't take long for Y/n to find her brother and the rest of the boys. She could hear whimpering and Sirius' voice loud and clear in a nearby alcove. Y/n walked closer, casting a disillusionment charm over herself. Y/n peered over, and saw Sirius pinning his brother into the wall behind him. 

“-if you as much as hurt a hair on her head, I will hunt you down and throw you off of the astronomy tower, Reggie.” Sirius threatened in a low voice, which is a known trait in the Black family. They could be intimidating when they wanted to, and Sirius wasn't an exception to that. His grey eyes were dark and it was clear what his intentions were. Y/n's eyes then darted to Regulus, his face was calm—as if unfazed of what his brother told him. Though, there was a hint of fear in his eyes. 

“I w-won't h-hurt her, I won't. I p-promise.” Regulus whimpered, his eyes meeting with his brother's as he struggled in his grip. 

“Just know, if you hurt my sister, I will be known from then on as James Potter, the one who killed Regulus Black, the heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.” James spat, his hazel eyes flashing. At the sight of hazel eyes flashing at him, Regulus was reminded of another pair of hazel eyes—who was often too angry with him too. 

“I-I won't hurt her, I-I won't hurt Y/n.” 

James' eyes softened for a bit. “You can let him go now, Padfoot.” 

Regulus let out a breath of relief as soon as he felt his brother's hands were off of him. His eyes trailed up, meeting the eyes of Remus Lupin. “I know you know what I am,” He started, “If I see that girl hurt at your expense, I'll have your brother tie you up on a full moon.” Remus ended in a low voice, and Regulus could've sworn his eyes turned gold for a split second. Regulus felt his eyes boring into his soul, as if Remus could see his deepest darkest secrets. He stood up taller, composing his thoughts, before meeting James, Sirius, and Remus eye to eye. “Y-you h-have my w-word. I will n-never hurt Y/N Potter.”

Though he hates the girl, Regulus does not want to hurt Y/n. For the past five years that they had each other's wands in their throats, Regulus never hexed her. He would send jinxes her way, but never hexes. He was more of the victim of her hexes—the bat bogey hex and stinging hexes were her specialties—and he had scars to prove it. Y/n Potter was a powerful witch, and there was no doubt about that. But even without a wand, she can hurt him. At the memory, Regulus tasted blood in his mouth, though there wasn't. “That girl can hurt me before I can even grab my wand.” Regulus mumbled softly, nearly a whisper. 

Remus, having heard him with his enhanced senses, “Oh, we know. But Y/n, she has her moments, and in those moments you could strike her, and we don't want that.” 

Regulus rolled his eyes, “Alright, fine. I won't do anything to your little witch.” 

“You better.” James reminded, “If my sister-”

“I said I won't, Merlin, Potter! How many times am I going to say it?” Regulus snapped, his temper overtaking him. 

“Just making it clear.” 

Regulus rolled his eyes, “It's crystal clear.”

Y/n chuckled softly. Seeing Regulus Black getting annoyed at her brother while he couldn't do anything because of Sirius was the first time Y/n has seen him not get what he wanted. She took off her disillusionment charm, and silently crept behind her brother.

Y/n cleared her throat loudly. “What are you guys doing?” 

“Mother of Merlin!” Sirius shrieked, jumping into James' arms. Y/n burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. “Scaredy cat!” 

Regulus fought hard not to crack a smile, the sight of Y/n Potter laughing, wasn't a sight he gets to see everyday. The way her hair falls over her shoulders, the way her eyes sparkle in the moonlight, the way her laugh sounded like angels singing. 

What? Moonlight? Angels? What the bloody fuck is wrong with you, Regulus!? 

“Oi, Black!” The sound of Y/n's voice snapped him out of his trance. “Huh? What?” 

Y/n rolled her eyes, “Are you deaf? I said we have patrols in the seventh floor corridor from eight until midnight.”

Regulus glanced at James, who was mouthing: I got my eyes on you, Regulus. Don't do anything stupid. Regulus silently cursed him, before turning back to the girl in front of him. “Alright. I'll meet you there in an hour.”

Y/n gave him a curt nod, before turning her back and walking to her brother. She linked arms with James, and the four walked away. Before they got out of sight, Y/n shot a glance back at Regulus and stuck her tongue out. 

Regulus chuckled softly, shaking his head, before turning away, a small smile gracing his lips.  

@helens3amstuff @gatoenlaciudad @thebetawolfgirl @lovemelikecrazyiloveyoucrazy @tchalamss @lilmaymayy @ashlynnmalfoy @crazycat-ladys-blog @michakune @mxltifxnd0m @spencerr3idd @dangelnleif @sthkate @ferrjulie @imnotoverlyobsessive

[starchaseriseverything]

Marlene just saw the most beautiful girl she had ever seen in her entire life. And she's telling her best friend, James Potter, all about it.

"James, you have to believe me. She was so beautiful. You would even swoon if you saw her." There was a silence over the phone. "Ok, I know you're gay, but she was so beautiful that even the gayest of men would date her."

"You have a crush on your client?"

"That's what you got out of all of that?"

"You can't have a crush on a client, Marls. That's bad."

"I know that, Jamie. But, I just can't help it. She's too beautiful for her own good."

James sighs. "Maybe it's best you don't work for her, Marls. I don't want to see your heart get broken again."

Marlene tries not to remember what happened five years ago. Yet, James just had to bring it up.

Marlene has had other girlfriends before this one. But, there was something about her. Something that intrigued Marlene. Something that was begging her to go up to her. So, she did. She went up to her long time crush of three years and asked Amelia Bones out.

Of course, she said yes. Who wouldn't? It's Marlene fucking McKinnon. The most popular Gryffindor at school.

Now, of course, she wasn't supposed to date someone from a rival house. But Marlene was never one to follow the rules. Especially when it came to her heart.

They went on a few dates in secret since no one even knew that Amelia was gay. When Marlene tried to get her to come out to everyone, she didn't want to and ran off.Marlene later found her in the Astronomy Tower crying. Amelia looked up at the sound of footsteps. "I'm sorry, Marlene. I can't come out. Not yet. I think it's best we break up."

Marlene was heartbroken for two years after that. She never really got over her first true love. No one ever really does.

Marlene never felt the way she felt about Amelia with her other girlfriends. She always thought that you were supposed to grow into it. But when she started dating Amelia, she felt something she never had before.

Love.

Love for someone other than her friends.

Love for someone in a different kind of way than she usually felt.

She loved Amelia Bones romantically.

She really loved her.

She had graduated from Hogwarts School of Education for The Young and Gifted with a photography degree, not even a month later.

For three years, she had tried to forget that. The first two were hard for her, and she jumped right into her work after graduation. She never wanted to remember that. But James just had to bring it up.

"I'll be fine, James. I've grown up. I can take care of myself."

"If you say so. Anyway, I've got to get back to work. I love you."

"I love you too, Jamie."

James was a producer for the band called Skittles. He always loved music but never thought he was a good singer. So, he got into the music business a different way. By becoming a producer.

Just like Marlene, James dove straight into his work after college. He, too, had a terrible breakup right before graduation.

It was something along the lines of 'I need to focus on myself' or 'It's best we go our separate ways and not be tied down by each other.' Either way, both of their breakups weren't that great.

Marlene was so deep in thought that she didn't even hear the door open. "Marlene? Are you ok?" It was Andromeda, her next client and close friend.

"Yep, I'm fine, Dro. Just deep in thought. What are we thinking today?"

"Actually, I was thinking of doing a Black family shoot. Do you think you could do that?"

"I can do anything when it comes to photography. It's my passion."

"Great. Because everyone's already here."

The door opens again, and Narcissa, Bellatrix, Sirius, and Regulus walk in. "Marls!" Sirius yells, running up to her and embracing her in a tight hug.

"James didn't tell me you were coming." Marlene says, surprised.

"He doesn't know. We are making a surprise for his birthday tomorrow. Curtisy of Reggie." Sirius gestures to his younger brother standing behind him.

"You," Marlene gestures to the younger brother. "Know how to keep a secret from James? It took me years to master. He's James fucking Potter for crying out loud."

"To be honest, it was hard but not as hard as I thought it would be. I just distracted him by -"

Sirius covers his ears and says, "No! I don't need to know that my best friend and little brother had sex!"

"He's my husband, Sirius. Just like Remus is yours and you don't see me complaining about you talking about fucking Remus." Regulus crosses his arms.

"La la la! I can't hear you!"

"Grow up, Sirius." Bellatrix says. "Alright, where do we go?"

"I just need you to stand in front of this screen here." Marlene gestures to a white screen off to the side with a camera sitting in front of it. "And you choose what you want the photo to look like."

Sirius grabs a chair, and Regulus sits in it with Sirius standing on the right side of him, Bellatrix behind him, Andromeda on the left side, and Narcissa sitting cross legged in front of him.

They take a few photos in different positions before the door opens again. "Ah. Their here. We invited James' friends to take photos too. And maybe Euphemia and Fleamont." Narcissa says, rushing to the door and leading more people to where everyone else is.

Marlene looks over at them and sees Lily, Mary, Peter, Remus, Emmeline, Emma, Rita, Alice, Frank, Ted, Euphemia, Fleamont and two other people who she recognizes as people in the band Skittles, Barty and Evan. Another she recognizes as Pandora.

And the last one she recognizes all too well. The one that was there earlier taking a photoshoot for her new magazine, the gazelles. Dorcas.

"I'm supposed to be in this photo, right?" Marlene asks, still staring at Dorcas. "I'm his best friend and supposed to be taking the photos."

"You have workers here, right?" Sirius asks. Marlene finally looks away from Dorcas.

"This is my shop. But, I could call in a favor. There's someone I know that has a bigger shop to fit all of us, but he's a little cunt and won't do it unless we give him something in return."

"Like what?" Regulus asks.

"He's been pinning after James for a while now." Marlene trails off.

"No. We'll just have to figure something else out."

Marlene sighs. "We have to. We'll lie and say James will go on one date with him."

"I said no. He is my husband."

"I know that, Reg. But I don't have any other ideas."

Regulus sighs and looks defeated. "You really have no other ideas?" Marlene shakes her head. "Fine. But we won't lie. James will go out on a date with him. Just, with me. It'll be more like we're just hanging out. Got it?"

Everyone agrees.

"You have no idea how bad he is. We need to do this quickly and fast. Get in, take photos, and get out. I'll stay and get the photos after, but you guys need to hurry out after their done. Yeah?"

They agree.

***

"Marlene fucking McKinnon. Nice to see you. How you doin'? Fuck up, yet? Need some photos taken because you don't know how?" He laughs. "So many people. I'm getting a lot of business lately."

"Severus Snape? This is your guy?" Peter asks. "I didn't believe you about the cunt part. But I do now. Is he really obsessed with James?" Marlene nods.

"Peter, Sirius, Remus. Good to see you. Where the little sunshine boy. Is he off cheating?" Marlene snarls. "Oh, protective of your boyfriend, Marlene?"

"Not my boyfriend, and you know that. We just want some photos taken. Now you want the business or not?"

"For a price." Marlene glares at him, and he glares right back. "I want a date with pretty boy." He points at Regulus.

"Regulus? Sirius' little brother, Regulus? James' husband, Regulus?"

"Husband! Even better. I can get back at that little bitch. Yes, one date with pretty boy over here, and you can have your photos."

"Fine. I'm doing this for James." Regulus says.

Severus tsks. "Not so fast. Just us. No brother. No friends. No husband. Just us. Maybe with a little paparazzi." Severus smiles at the last bit.

Regulus hisses. "Fine." He gritts out. "Just us. Now, take the photos."

Severus pulls out his phone for a minute and puts it down. "Alright! Let's do this!"

***

Marlene gets the photos and books it out of there as fast as she could, but not before Severus caught her. "Oh, Miss McKinnon. Don't forget you know who I really am." Severus smirks.

"Of course, Severus. I always will."

'And so does James.'

"Just making sure. Make sure he comes or something bad is going to happen."

"Yes, Severus." Marlene snarls and walks out quickly.

***

"Marls, where have you been?" James asks over the phone.

"In my shop. Why?"

"No, you're not. I'm here right now. It's locked, and the lights are off." Marlene sighs. "Marls, tell me where you are."

"I- I'm right outside of Snapes photography place."

"Why the fuck would you go there!? He could have killed you!"

"Jamie, your on speaker and everyone is here."

James curses under his breath. "Wait. Why are you with everyone?"

"James, you already know. Regulus told you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Marls. Regulus never told me anything."

"It was Reggie' idea to do it. He said he kept it from you when everyone knows he's weak with you. So, just give it up already."

"Fine. I'm not at your shop. I'm with Snape."

Marlene takes it off speaker phone and puts it to her ear, and walks away from everyone. "Why the fuck are you with him!?" She whisper yells.

"He texted me about the deal. And before you say anything, I only keep in contact with him because of things like this. This is why I never let anyone in. Because they always get hurt in the end."

"I didn't, James."

"Yes, you did, Marls. I hurt everyone. I never should have married Reg. It was a mistake. It's always a mistake to start a new. You were the only consistent thing in my life besides my parents. Now I have to start again. I'm sorry, Marls. I love you." James hangs up.

"Fuck!"

"Marlene? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Alice, I'm fine. I have to go, though. Can you say bye to everyone for me? It was nice meeting you all."

Marlene leaves Alice behind before she can say anything. She's leaving behind yet another life because of fucking Severus Snape. The little bastard.

Severus follows wherever James and Marlene go. They only had to start a new only once. In primary school.

Marlene, James, and Severus were best friends until Severus became like his parents and started bullying people. It soon escalated, and he killed someone. Marlene' girlfriend.

Severus started attacking James and Marlene, and Effie and Monty moved before anything drastic could happen. But of course, Severus had followed, and it became a problem.

When James and Marlene got into Hogwarts, they thought they finally got away until they spotted Severus in one of their classes. Luckily, it was never a problem in school. He never tried anything on them or anyone. Until now.

Marlene was running to her car and thinking.

'Why does it always happen to us?'

'Why does he keep following us?'

'Why can't he leave us alone?'

She drove as fast as she can to the airport. Marlene knows by now that when James calls and says stuff like that, he's already packed and heading to the airport.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" She skidded into the airport and started running as soon as she spotted James.

James stopped and turned around, knowing that Marlene was there already. "I didn't want you to come. You looked happy again."

"James Fleamont Potter. Never say stuff like that. I am always happiest when I'm with you. Now, let me get my suitcase out of the car and then we can go."

James' mouth twitches up into a smile and then falls. "You didn't tell them, did you?" His eyes are fixed on something behind her.

She turns her gaze to three cars all lined up with all of their friends coming out of it. "Fucking hell." Marlene runs to the car and grabs her emergency suitcase that she always keeps in the car and runs back to James. "We need to go, now."

James nods and starts running with Marlene right beside him. "James!" Regulus yells from behind them.

They get to the top of the steps, and James stops and turns around. "Remind me never to get too attached again, ok?"

"If you remind me, I'll remind you."

James smiles. "Deal." It falters. "Do you think we're doing the right thing? Leaving everyone?"

"It's the only thing we can do. Come on, we have to go." Marlene walks further in the plane, and James follows.

-

"Where is that plane going!?" Regulus yells at the worker.

"Portland."

"Get us 21 plane tickets there, now!"

"Yes, sir."

Dorcas is freaking out internally. Marlene is running away. Marlene, the girl she has liked since she first met her years ago.

Dorcas had to get a new photographer and interview them when Marlene walked in. She was the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. She passed with flying colors and soon became her personal photographer.

They spent much time together. With photoshoots, planning the next one, or just going out for a little drink now and again. Dorcas had felt a connection to her as soon as she walked through her office door for that interview. Ever since, she fell even harder.

Dorcas has always noticed when people are looking at her especially Marlene fucking McKinnon. Her eyes were like magnets to her body. Always looking and trying to find an excuse to go up to her.

Now, she was leaving. She didn't know what she did, but it couldn't have been only her. James was leaving, too. Leaving his husband. His friends. His parents.

Dorcas thought that James had to have felt guilty about it. She thought she'd seen guilt flicker through his eyes when he turned around at the top of the steps, but maybe, she was wrong.

The next thing Doracs knew, she was on a plane with her luggage packed, her friends by her side, and chasing after James and Marlene.

James' parents got a text on their phone shortly after James and Marlene had boarded the plane and went home. Dorcas wasn't sure why they weren't that worried.

'Has James done this before?'

'Has he done it with Marlene?'

Dorcas wasn't sure how long she just sat there overthinking on the plane, but the next thing she knew, the plane was landing.

Regulus was stuck to Pandora' side the whole time. He never left. Well, he did, but when he did, he went right over to her.

They got a hotel and stayed there for the night since it was already really late when they got there, and no one had barely gotten any sleep on the plane.

They got five rooms, all with double beds. Sirius, Remus, Ted, and Frank shared a room. Peter, Evan, Barty, and Regulus shared one. Emmeline, Emma, Pandora, and Dorcas shared another one. Bellatrix, Rita, Andromeda, and Alice shared one. Narcissa, Lily, and Mary shared the last one.

-

"You know what's funny?" James asks.

Marlene humms.

Their sitting on the curb outside of their hotel smoking.

"We always had mum and dad with us. We don't have them now. Just us against the world."

Marlene laughs as James passes her the cigarette. "Really? Mum and dad think we need protection from Severus when, in reality, we can handle ourselves."

"Damn right, we can."

Marlene never had the greatest home life. When she went with Effie, Monty, and James, her parents never cared enough. They already had her four brothers to worry about anyway.

One night, the summer before her second year at Hogwarts, she called Effie and Monty mum and dad. They loved it so much, they started to call her their daughter too.

She never grew out of it, and she never will because their her mom and dad she never got, and James is the only brother she ever cares about to acknowledge. In her mind, Effie and Monty are her parents, and James is her brother and best friend.

-

"Ok, so, what do we know about James." Peter asks.

They are in Narcissa, Mary, and Lily' hotel room trying to figure out why they ran.

"He's always happy." Sirius says.

"He loves us." Alice says.

"Debatable." Rita remarks.

"He does. It's just something happened." Emma says.

"Ok, Marlene. What do we know about her?" Sirius asks.

"She's kind." Bellatrix says.

"She's, well, Marlene." Ted says.

"Ok, both. What do they both have in common." Sirius asks.

"Their best friends." Emmeline says.

"They've known each other since they were little." Mary says.

"No, that can't be why they ran away. There has to be something more." Regulus says. "Severus. The phone call. Marlene mentioned Severus on the phone with James, and he freaked out. Then Marlene ran out."

"That's it! It has something to do with Severus!" Barty exclaims.

"Yeah, but what?" Evan asks.

"Let's ask him. I grabbed a card from his office before we left. It has his number." Pandora says.

"Genius, Pandora, genius." Dorcas says.

The line rings. He answers on the third ring. "Snape's photography. What can I do for you?" A voice calls from the other end of the line.

"Is this Severus?" Lily asks.

"Sure is. What can I do for ya'?"

"This is Andromeda Black. We were there yesterday and took some photos for our friend James Potter. For his birthday."

"Yes, I remember."

"Our other friend Marlene McKinnon and James have run to Portland for some unknown reason, and we have speculation that it involves you."

"Where have you heard this?"

"A phone call between James and Marlene. Anyway, we need to know what is up with that. What is James, Marlene, and your's history?"

The line went silent. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that, Miss Black. No one can know what happened."

"Then, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to do this the hard way. Mr. Snape, I am Andromeda Black, I am a lawyer for a case that has yet to be closed, and it involves you, James, and Marlene. Even though this recided in primary school, it is still under investigation. If you do not comply, I will have to sentence you."

"Yes, Miss Black. I am sorry for any inconvenience, but this case that is still open after many years involves what is happening right now. Aside from the fact you tried to use your power to get information out of me, I am going to have to send someone to get you and all these other people in the room with you. You have ten minutes until they get there. Use the time wisely. You will need nothing and will be searched before entering my facility. If you try to do anything remotely regarding the police, I will find out, and all of you will be killed. Am I clear?"

"You can not be serious. You will get arrested for kidnapping 19 people. Three will be hard to capture considering they are in a band. Two are most certainly a model. And two are record producers. Someone will figure out you kidnapped them in a few days, and you will be arrested."

"I guess I will just have to take that chance, Miss Black. Now, you wasted two minutes talking about nothing that will save any of you, so now you only have eight minutes until they get there. See you soon, Miss Black." The line ends.

Mary immediately grabs the phone and searches through the contacts. "Found it." The line rings and rings and rings and ri-.

James' voice is on the other side. "I'm sorry, Dro. Please stop calling."

"James! Wait. We called Severus. He's sending someone over here to take us somewhere. All we did was ask information."

"What was the information, Mar?"

"Why you ran."

James curses under his breath. "We can't get there."

"We're in Portland. We followed you."

James curses. "How many of you?"

"All 19."

"Fuck. Where are you?"

"Hotel Deluxe."

"Marls! We need to go, now."

"Why?"

"I'll explain later. We just need to go. We'll be there soon." The line ends.

"You called James, really? Out of everyone, you called James? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Sirius asks.

-

"What's happening?"

Marlene and James are in the car racing to the limo store. "Everyone followed us here and now is about to be captured. I need you to get a limo and meet me at Hotel Deluxe. When you get there, stay in the car and call me. Don't get out of it for anything. Got it?"

Marlene nods.

James gets there, and his friends are already outside waiting. He gets out of the car. "How the fuck are we supposed to fit in that?" Sirius asks.

"You're not." Marlene screeches up behind the car James' had parked. "Everyone inside, now."

"I call the front seat!" Sirius yells.

"No, you're getting in the back. Go."

Alice is the first to get in alongside Mary, Lily, Andromeda, Ted, Frank, Narcissa, Bellatrix, Rita, Sirius, Remus, Emmeline, Peter, Emma, Barty, Evan, Pandora, and Dorcas. Regulus hasn't got in yet.

"Get the fuck in the car." James spats.

Regulus closes the door. "No room."

"Get in the front, now." He does. James closes the door and signals for Marlene to go. Marlene does and races off.

Severus' men arrive, and he goes to them and gets captured.

-

"We have to go back!" Regulus yells.

"No, we don't. He'll be fine. He always deals with Severus." Marlene says focused on the road.

"What do you mean 'He always does'?" Peter asks.

Marlene sighs. "Primary school. Me, Jamie, and Severus were best friends. Severus started bullying lots of people, yet we still stuck by him. Big mistake. Anyway, he started to get more physical. He got into a really heated fight with my girlfriend, lost control, and killed her. Me and James grew distant from him, and he started harassing us. Mum and dad moved us to England after that. Had to start a new. He followed us, but when we got into Hogwarts, we thought we had lost him for good. Turns out, he got in, too."

"It bothered us at first, but when we realized he wasn't doing anything to us or anyone else, we calmed down. Until the whole photography issue. While we were out, James was with Severus. Turns out Severus didn't want a date with Regulus, He still wanted one with James. When James called, he was just getting away from Severus and heading to the airport. We always have a packed suitcase ready when we need to go. I knew he was headed there, so I followed him."

"I'm sorry we got you into this. We never should have gotten attached. James let his guard down when he fell for Reg. That gave Severus the opportunity to attack. I'll go back for him when all of you are safe."

"No, we're going with." Rita says.

"No, you're not."

"Turn this car around right now, McKinnon." Barty says.

"James is going to kill me for this." Marlene swerves to the other side of the road and goes back to the hotel.

-

James wakes up in an empty warehouse. The funny thing is, he couldn't remember ever passing out. The last thing he remembers is drinking some water. Fuck. The water. They drugged the water. Of course they did. Fucking bastards.

James feels a cold hand on his neck. Severus. He still remembers it from primary school. How cold it always was. How inhumane it was. It didn't feel right. Like he wasn't human. Well, he is human, just no heart. He's heartless. Always was, always will be.

He's just like his parents. Worthless. Insignificant. Heartless. Inhumane. A Snape. Severus Snape.

"Get your fucking hands off me." James spats.

"So," Severus trails off. "James. So, James."

"I came with you willingly. So, why did you drug me then tie me up?"

"I need both of you for this to work. And with all them people that care about you in that car with her," Severus sucks his teeth. "She's not going to follow your orders. She's going to come save you. Like the little hero she thinks she is."

"She's not. She's smarter than that."

"Is she though? I mean, how do you know?"

"She wouldn't put Dorcas in danger. She loves her."

"Oh. Now, that's a way to tell a woman you love her. By letting someone do it for you."

"What are you talking about?" James' face lights up with recognition. "She did it. She came back, and your men were waiting for her and got all of them instead."

"You're smarter than what you were back then. You're also being recorded."

James scoffs. "I figured that much dipshit." A blow comes to James' face. "Can't do any better than that, Snivellus?"

Snape' face rises with anger. "You little bitch. I've been waiting so long for this. To murder you."

"Still a murder, then?"

"I never killed Sybill! She wanted to get away from the school but didn't want to break poor Marlene McKinnon' heart. Boo ho. It definitely wasn't worth you hating me for years because of that. I actually wish I killed that bitch. She deserved it. Alas, it's too late now. Well, I guess I'll just have to settle for you. Now, where should I start?"

"Don't you have five blacks in custody?"

"Well, yes. What does that -"

"Well, don't you think their going to figure out how to get out? I mean," James laughs. "Five blacks, and you can't even kill me. What are you going to do with them? Give them lollipops? Give them snuggles? If you can't even kill me, how are you going to kill them? The most ruthless family in the world. And their all under this roof protecting me." James smirks. "Look behind you."

Severus turns and spots all five Blacks. Regulus waves. "Hi."

"Why don't I just let James go, and you can leave."

"I don't think so, Snivellus." James says. "Let everyone go. Then, we'll leave. Got it?"

Severus nods.

-

***

"Marlene fucking McKinnon! You know what could have happened, and you still went back!?"

They were dropped back off at the hotel.

"Jamie, I'm sorry."

"No. No. You're not doing this. You knew what could've happened. You're lucky you just got captured and not killed. You're lucky Severus is a fucking pussy."

"Jamie, I'm sorry, ok?"

"Just get in the car and go to airport. Go back to England. Tell Mum and Dad what happened. I'm staying away from all this. I never should have gotten attached. I love you, Marls."

"James, you can't do this."

"Just tell them I'll meet them on the plane. Don't let them get off. Suspend their passports when you land so they can't go back, ok? But I just want all of you to be safe. Stay with Mum and Dad. I love you."

Before Marlene could say anything, he walked off. Marlene broke down on the side of the road. She felt a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Marlene." It was Dorcas.

She leaned into the touch. "He's not coming."

"I know. We could hear the whole thing from inside the car."

"He's my best friend, Cas. How am I supposed to go on without him?"

"You'll figure it out. You have all of us."

"It's not the same. He's James fucking Potter. You guys are just..... you."

"Why can't he just accept that we're never going to leave him?" Narcissa asks.

"Because he's James." Regulus says.

"He loves you, Reg." Marlene says. "He loves all of you. He just doesn't like getting attached to things since Severus. But he did, and Severus ruined it."

"We're going after him, right?" Alice asks.

"I'll be fine." Rita says. Everyone stares at her. "Ok, so I might not be able to survive without the sunshine boy."

"Alright, everyone in the car." Andromeda says.

They pile in with Regulus driving and Marlene in the passenger seat. "So," Regulus says. "Where is James, exactly?"

"Back at the hotel."

***

"Jamie! Please. You have to come with."

Marlene is in their hotel room trying to get James to come back home. James is stuffing clothes into his suitcase. "I can't, Marls. You know that. With any luck, Severus will come after me and not any of you."

"Jamie, please. You know I'll just come with. Like always."

"I can't do this anymore. We built a new life, and he tore it all down. I love him, Marls. I just can't put him in danger. You did the same."

It was only two years ago, but Marlene remembers it like it was yesterday. She tries to forget, but can't.

Only two weeks into her working for Dorcas, she had fallen in love with her. She never gets attached that easily. Yet, for some reason, this time, she did.

The first time she realized she was in love with Dorcas was when they were doing a photoshoot for her new magazine, Surfing In Style.

Dorcas was wearing a bikini that didn't leave much to the imagination and Marlene realized while she was taking photos, that she was infact in love with Dorcas fucking Meadows.

She stopped right in the middle of it and told her a lame excuse that she didn't even bother to hear as she ushered her into the back of the studio to get changed.

Dorcas walked out and tried to talk to Marlene but didn't get even a single word in before Marlene spoke again. She told her something along the lines of 'We'll have to schedule this for a different time. Something came up.' And ushered her out of the store.

Marlene sat in her shop just waiting for something to click in her brain and tell her, 'This is stupid.' 'Your overreacting.' 'You just thought she was beautiful. Nothing more.' 'You're not in love with your client.' But it never came.

When she finally calmed down, she called James. He comforted her and told her, "It'll pass." And went back to work.

Marlene had tried to 'get over it.' As James said, but just couldn't. She had rescheduled the appointment, and to her horror, it was even worse now that she knew she was in love with her.

Marlene could not stop staring. I mean, look at her. Her dark chestnut skin. Her luscious blonde locks. Her toned as fuck body. Who couldn't? Definitely not her. She was mesmerized.

Thankfully, the shoot went well, and Dorcas immediately left. She said she had something to do after.

Marlene could not physically breathe. She was hyperventilating. She called James, he called her down, and drove there as fast as he could.

But before he could actually get there, Marlene was gone. Left her studio and went immediately to the airport with her emergency suitcase in tow.

She had to go. She could not have another one of those breakdowns. The only cause was Dorcas. Her only thought was to leave. No hesitation. Nothing.

Thankfully, James had caught her and talked her into staying. He said that it was ok to fall in love. He had. And nothing bad had happened since primary school. They were likely out of the clear.

James voice brought her back to the present. Apparently, she had just been standing there for at least 5 minutes staring off into space because James was already packed and shaking her.

"Marls. Are you there?"

She nods. "Yeah. Yeah. Just thinking."

"Dorcas?"

She nods again and smiles. "Always is. But Jamie, you can't go. Not when I need you the most."

"You have to stay with everyone. Stay with Dorcas. Live a happy life. You deserve it." James grabs his suitcase and walks out the door.

Marlene runs after him and finally catches up to him outside. "Jamie, you deserve a happy life too. With Mum and Dad. With our friends. With Regulus. You can't just run away from all that."

"I'm sorry, Marls. You know I love you, right?"

Marlene nods. "Jamie, please." Regulus says. "You can't do this."

"We love you. We'll deal with it. All of us. You're not alone." Alice says.

"Just please, James. Come with us." Barty says.

"I can't -"

"There's no reason you can't, James." Pandora says.

"What if -"

"We'll deal with it." Evan says.

"Fine."

-

***

"We can't just very well get rid of him. None of us are killers." Emmeline says.

Their in James and Regulus' house trying to figure out how to get Severus to leave them alone.

"Not technically." Dorcas says.

"Dorcas, we are not murders." Marlene states.

"I could very well be a murder. I'm assuming it's pretty easy." Barty says.

James sighs. "We are not killing Severus. He'll be here soon anyway."

"What? James. What the fuck?" Bellatrix says.

The doorbell rings. "I'll get it." James jumps up and runs to the door. "Hey, Severus. Come in."

"James! You can't just let him in!" Marlene yells. Severus and James walk to the sitting room where everyone else is.

When they walk in everyone death glares James. "What? We had to do something."

"So, you invite him into our house?" Regulus asks.

James shrugs.

"So, Severus. How are we going to do this?" Narcissa asks. "The easy way or the hard way?"

"Why don't we go with easy? I'll leave all of you alone and James' parents, and we just forget this ever happened. Yeah?"

"Fine with us." Rita says. "Right?"

Everyone agrees.

"Now, get out." Evan says.

"Fine." Severus leaves.

-

"Now, Dorcas and I are going to leave. See you, Jamie. Love you all." Marlene says, getting up with Dorcas and out the door.

Everyone shouts, "Love you too!" As their walking out.

***

"I don't know, Jamie. I don't think she likes me."

"Marlene Elizabeth McKinnon. You literally proposed to her a year ago, and she said yes. Now, get out there and go get hitched."

Marlene walks down the aisle with Monty and immediately spots her best friend, ready for her to get married. She smiles.

Marlene whispers to James. "First, I got to be your bridesmaid now, I get to be the bride. I think I'm going to love the rest of my life."

"You should. It's your wedding day."

Marlene has never felt more grateful for Severus Snape. If it wasn't for him, she never would have met her beautiful wife-to-be.

Marlene looks back to the Aisle and sees the most beautiful woman she has ever seen. Dorcas Eden Meadows. Soon to be Meadows-McKinnon. She was the most joyous human being ever to live in that moment.

Dorcas walked up to her. "I can hear your excitement."

Marlene blushes. "I can't help it. You're just so beautiful."

[hernakedmuse]

Poppies in October

DISCLAIMER: This story is fanfiction, names you recognize I do not own. Thems of tragedy are throughout the story, this chapter has mentions of suicide, self harm, smutty scenes, maybe bad judgment. The childhood background of the Black Brothers is influenced by @sufferingstarlight . Not proofread.

Pairings: Eventual Jegulily, right now it's Regulily.

Do not read if you're under the age of 18.

"It is no night to drown in:

A full moon, river lapsing

Black beneath bland mirror-sheen"

Lorelei by Sylvia Plath

-----------------------------------------------------

Chapter I

I felt so dizzy with anguish, I felt like teeth and fangs tore at my flesh ripping it clean off of my muscles and bones. I felt as though my blood dripped from my heart down the corridors, I couldn't see, tears blinded my vision. I couldn't breathe, oxygen was stolen from my lungs.

Everything felt meaningless, not even my usual comforts from Sylvia Plath or Anaïs Nin's words could save me from my own suffering.

I didn't even desire to pray at my altar to Cerridwen, for I think no one, not even the great Goddess, had a cure for heartbreak.

I've loved Marley since I was thirteen.

She used to always ask me what I was reading, I told her about my muggle books I carried with me everywhere as she would play with my auburn hair. She'd lay her head in my lap and I'd recite poems from Sylvia word for word from memory, as I played with her cropped hair.

When that bludger hit her, I healed her, not Madame Pomfrey. She kissed me under the bleachers and carved our initials in the wood, and I lost my virginity to her that night when Gryffindor beat Slytherin. We snuck out and she surprised me with a tent by the lake. She knew the squid wouldn't harm us, no creatures attacked when I was around.

Things did begin to get a little rocky after a bit, like when I asked her why she wouldn't tell her parents I was her girlfriend. Despite being perfectly nice people, and tolerable of me as just a friend of their dear Marlene, Malcolm and Elspeth McKinnon didn't like the idea of their youngest daughter having romantic ties to a Muggle-Born. It would ruin their perfect image as Scotland's strongest Wizarding family.

Yes, Slytherins aren't the only prejudiced wizards. Everyone else is just very good at hiding the arsenic in the sugar, most wizard folk aren't very comfortable with any sort of connections to the Muggle realm, they're terrified of exposure. As if there weren't superstitious muggles, my Nain used to tell me all sorts of Welsh folklore and superstitions. She lives in an old cottage in Gwynedd, a pagan lady who taught me of what people call the old Gods, Gods I know to still exist.

This world acts as if muggles are so ignorant of the existence of magic, clairvoyance is even something that is passed down from my mother's side of the family, The Castells are even rumor to have lineage that goes back to Pelleas, Nimue, and Rhiannon. My middle name is Nimue and my sister Petunia's is Rhiannon.

Marley didn't let anything convince her to go against her parents, I should have known then she didn't love me. I stopped hanging out with Sev for her, I started being mean to James Potter for her, and Cerridwen, did I feel guilty for that. Even though he was never nice to Sev, I found myself getting along with James and the Marauders, it's not as if Sev jumped to my defense when his friends called me a mudblood. For Arawn's sake, why am I always the one to have to make all the compromises and sacrifices?

Marley made me feel like a slag for finding James attractive, never did I think more than that or try anything, and James never tried to seduce me, just flirty comments here and there. But tonight, tonight I learned from her own lips, the lips that used to console me and make love to me, that she and Dorcas, my friend Dorcas, slept together. And to add insult to injury, she dumped me in front of all the girls in our dorm.

Two years I pledged my love to that fucking quidditch obsessed, Don Juanita.

I leaned my body against the castle wall, only to have one of the bloody paintings bitch at me that my crying is keeping them awake. What do they need sleep for? They're dead.

I threw myself off the wall and headed up to the Astronomy tower, desiring deeply to suffer and lick my wounds alone.

I didn't even want to sleep there anymore, I felt homeless.

I ascended the tower, tears flowing freely the moment my senses touched the fresh air of the sky. I ripped off the amethyst bracelet with a delicate M charm dangling, Marley got me that for our first anniversary. I stomped on it and watched it shattered into a thousand pieces like my heart.

What about me is so hard to love? Was I not supportive enough? Was I not always available whenever she wanted me? Am I not pretty enough? I thought of Dorcas's smooth, chocolate skin, her wide bedroom eyes the color of pure caramel, her waist length, dark coils and her elegantly slender body as if she were part elven. I can't compete with her, she's so even tempered and cool and elegant. I'm strange, erratic, crazy is what Marley called me after I just decided to chop off my red locks to a bouncy bob. I hate being called crazy, I can't stomach it. She prefers her girls to have long hair, well I'm not her girl anymore.

"Crucio!"

My heart stopped, my blood froze. Hearing one of the unforgivables was like nothing you can prepare for. My instinct was to stop it, stop that person from inflicting pain on the other. But when I ran to the scene of the crime, my eyes widened in horror for there was no one inflicting crucio on another, but none other than Regulus Black, inflicting pain on himself.

Crumpled on the ground, hunched over, sleeves of his black jumper rolled up to expose his arms, his distinct dark curls falling over his face. There was no mistaking the prominent cheekbones, his wand pointed to his wrist where blood dripped from slashes and now the word empty was brutally edged and woven into his alabaster skin.

Tears splattered and mixed with the seeping blood from his wounds. I held up my hand "arresto!"

Messing around on my own, I have discovered I can perform a little wandless magic. I have also discovered my ability to simply create the spell arresto , which can stop movement.

I was glad to see Regulus drop his wand with a gasp, shock colored his gray-green eyes as his head snapped up to stare at me in astonishment and then anger. I panted, that particular spell takes a lot out of me.

"Why?" He spat, his eyes darkened. "What in Merlin's name possessed you to do that?" He growled. "And how-"

I'm friendly with Sirius, and Sev, meaning that Regulus has always been around. I've attempted many times to greet him but he shied away from me often, probably because of my blood Status. Blood supremacy couldn't stop me from empathizing with the younger Black brother.

I understand what it's like, to feel the need to harm yourself to make you forget about the horrors of your reality. During the dark days, I'd burn myself by any means, there would be freedom in pain. But that isn't right, and to see him so unhappy and desperate enough to crucio himself….I felt protective of him, whether he wanted it or not, I will protect him, even from himself.

I made my way over and fell to my knees, taking his arm in my hold. "Evans, what the hell do you think you're doing? You stupid bitch, you've ruined everything!" He snapped.

I know he's upset, but my emotional wounds from Marley were still raw, and I selfishly wallowed in them. "I know." He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Vulnera Sanentur." I spoke it softly, watching the word heal and gashes disappear into faded scars.

Regulus stared at me in bewilderment, his lips fallen open in awe. I felt myself blush. "Please, please don't tell anyone I can do that." I begged in a whisper.

His eyes bore into mine, his wet and red and glassy. "As long as you don't tell anyone I used an unforgivable." His voice was hoarse, no doubt from his screams of pain.

"How did you find me?'' He asked suddenly.

"I heard you." I said softly. His eyes widened. "That's not possible, I used muffliato, I'm no novice at charms."

"I know, you've earned the reputation as brightest of your year.'' He's a year below myself but i know what hes capable of, everyone does, plus I'm in the Slug club with him.

His eyes narrowed into slits in suspicion. "Not possible…"

"Well I heard you." I pointed out before inspecting His slender arm. "I understand, maybe that's why…maybe I heard you when no one else has or will because…I used to…"

His eyes searched me. "Go on." He urged.

Surprisingly I did, I couldn't stop myself tonight. "I used to burn my thighs…with enchantments, I can make my fingers hot enough to do it..smelling my burning flesh satisfied me like it was confirmation or something…"

I couldn't look at him as I said it.

"Why?" His voice was pained, I saw his hands reach, but I don't know for what. "Why would you ever do that to yourself?"

"Same as you, pain I couldn't possibly expose…" I swallowed salty tears and took a deep breath. "I missed Wales so much that first time, when…well, this woman would watch me while my parents were at work. She never paid attention to Tuney, my sister…just me. Always touching my hair, telling me how pretty it is, how pretty my eyes are, she liked giving me baths too much." It physically pain me to say this. I risked a look at Regulus, his expression horrified as if he knew what I was going to say. "Lily…"

I took a deep breath. "She did it all the time, touched me all the time. Guilted me saying my parents can't afford most sitters, she's the cheapest one…if I told them they'd feel like horrible parents. So I didn't say anything…" I choked out the last word. "Tuney was supposed to be at her friend Kim's, but she forgot her roller skates. She walked in on me on the couch, my knickers around my ankles…she was on top of me." I felt myself crumple just remembering it. Suddenly Regulus gathered me in his arms , I felt too clogged to cry. "I begged her not to tell mum and dad, she didn't but we had to get rid of her. " I looked up at him "Petunia told her if she ever returned she'd tell the police. We never saw her again but Regulus, I wish we told the police." I sobbed out.

"Oh Lily…" somehow, the sound of his voice, his long, dexterous fingers stroking my hair, and the smell of him calmed me. He smells like wintergreen, rose geraniums likd my Nain grows in her garden, and freshly fallen snow. I rubbed my nose into his jumper further. I balled my fists in the cable knit material that he no doubt spent galleons on, only to have the tears of a poor Muggle-born dampening it.

But he seemed to not mind, his lanky arms enveloped around me pulling me closer, making me feel warm and safe when I should be comforting him. "I hate…hate my life so much. My parents make it very clear that they never wanted children, that the purpose of having Sirius and I was only to prolong the noble house of Black." He sneered. "One toe out of line, any inkling of disappointment…you think this is my first time I felt the white hot pain of crucio? Mother has done it so many times its almost her way of giving a maternal kiss on the cheek." He spat.

My mouth fell open in horror to know a mother was capable of something so…evil.

I felt his body shake as he held back a violent sob. "Regulus…" I had forgotten all about my pain, looking up at this beautiful boy in so much anguish, I lifted my head and gently, slipped my fingers up his jaw, cupping his face gingerly. Our foreheads pressed together, his prominent nose brushing against my smaller one. His tears and mine dripped onto one another's skin. I took a deep, shaky breath. "You don't have to–"

"No, you shared your tale…you deserve to hear mine--y-you're the only one...who deserves…" I blinked back tears as he struggled to get the words out. I tenderly stroked his cheek with my thumb to wipe away the falling diamonds of tears. I licked my lips because the salty drops spilled onto my mouth, we were that close and Regulus seemed to notice. His eyes flickered to my mouth before looking down into my eyes. "I don't blame Sirius for leaving me behind. I'm angry at him for it, so angry that it consumes me as I watch him move on with a new family leaving me behind to deal with them." He hissed as more tears spilled. I wondered if Sirius was aware of his brother all alone and left behind. I felt angry for Regulus, this boy I hardly know but empathize with bone deep.

"But I don't blame him because…because I saw" he choked out. "I saw what my father did to him." I furrowed my brows in confusion, my lips parted. His eyes fell to my lips again and he parted his.

"Make me forget Lily, make us forget." He begged his ghostly verdant eyes pleading in desperation and distressed beseeching.

"What do you mean–" he cut me off with a desperate kiss, his mouth on mine so desperate it was almost violent in its mission.

It was the strangest thing but I felt like I could breathe again, as I inhaled this boy, as he swallowed me whole in the process of consuming me. I ached suddenly for something I've never had, his lips were bruising mine despite them being so soft. I tasted sweet spearmint on his tongue, and although it was slow it didn't make the kiss any less demanding.

His large hands grasped my hips and held my lower back, his fingertips brushed beneath my blouse, eagerly stroking my skin and I shivered violently. I moaned as he had me on my back and suddenly he was on top of me but it felt like he was everywhere all at once. His teeth gnashed on my lower lip, tearing at the skin releasing oozing red blood staining my teeth and spilling into his mouth. He moaned loudly and it was muffled by our starving mouth. I felt inhuman like some wolf-girl, sucking my own blood off of his tongue with ravenous behavior. I liked it, no, loved tasting myself on him, I did something to me.

I squeaked into his mouth as his large hands sank into my leggings to cup, possess, grope, my backside. I was too inspirit to feel my usual lack of confidence with my bum, it's known to be ample and I hated it. But The way Regulus almost painfully grasped and fondled it, while using it to leverage me closer to his body, convinced me he didn't mind in the least. I felt light headed, dizzy, like I my consciousness was fading and my breath was robbed from me. With a gasp from us both, he tore his mouth from mine panting heavily, looking feral, his eyes as wild as his curls that were usually tamed and slicked back. He looked like a man on the verge of what… I do not know..

He released my backside reluctantly, now palming my buxom breasts through my oversized blouse. His nostrils flared and he kissed my neck emitting a squeal from me, going right for my weakness, straight to my Achilles heel. I made the most embarrassing of moans as his tongue, teeth, and lips made a meal of my poor sensitive neck. My eyes rolled back and he murmured almost in tears against my skin. "Merlin, you smell so good. Why do you smell so good?" He begged.

I couldn't give him an answer, I didn't know or understand. I just tugged in his Apollonian ringlets with another pathetic cry from my lips as I felt his teeth clamp down on my flesh as if he were a vampire and not Regulus. He made me feel desired and wanton when I wasn't, making me forget the ugly characters of my supposed childhood, replacing my thoughts, my senses with just him.

Suddenly, he had ripped my blouse off, the loud clatter of buttons hitting the wood made me painfully aware that my breasts were no longer hidden and that there was something hard and large pressing into my inner thigh. I've never done anything with boys before, James Potter was the first boy I felt attracted to and thought of when alone. I usually feel attracted to girls more, soft, pretty girls and hard handsome girls. But when I pushed my hand beneath his thick jumper, and I slid my hand up his flat stomach, stealing a shiver from his throat, and there were no peaks, no breasts blossoming there, but flat plains of pectorals. It piqued my sexual curiosity. "Oh…" I made a soft sound of wonderment. "I've never….not with a boy…"

He looked down at me, his angelic curls falling in his statuesque face,a thick and beautifully arched brow bent elegantly up in an intrigue arch before a soft, rakish smile stretched across his mouth attractively. Was it strange to find it pairing so nicely with his bloodshot eyes? Scarlet veins appeared from the result of bloodcurdling sobs…just like me. "I've never been with a girl before…" he gently brushed my blouse off my shoulders, the crisp October Scottish night kissed my skin, leaving behind paths of goosebumps. My sun-kissed color of summer is fading away into my peaches and cream complexion. His gaze hungrily gobbled up the sight of my exposed flesh, eating the appearance of my large breasts that never are bound by a bra. He grasped them, his breath tickling them causing my rosy nipples to harden and pebble. "So perky and…" he squeezed, ripping a gasp from me. "Soft." The word disappeared in my bust, his soft, wet mouth buried my cleavage. I wrapped my legs around his waist rocking my hips against his, our groins rubbing eagerly together in desperation. His pink tongue licked around my breasts, sucking now as if he were starving for months. He rutted into my clothed center. I heard a tear and looked down to see where his hidden hardness was, the material of his trousers now had an obvious rip and revealed the gray of his briefs.

But I didn't have much time to look, I cried out his name when he suckled my nipple into his wet, hot mouth as he twisted the other. The pain that had me cry out turned into a euphoric sensation that reached my core. He switched his mouth to the other, his teeth clamped down on my sensitive buds and I let out a sob of a mix between pleasure and pain. I rolled my hips feeling such intense throbbing and electricity betwixt my thighs.

"Oh, oh, oh!" I couldn't even form words.

"No!" He growled and before knew it he flipped me over, onto my stomach. "Not yet, you're not going to cum yet." He pulled up my hips so that my arse was in the air and with his bare hands, he ripped open my leggings revealing my lack of knickers. I could feel my click dripping down my folds down my inner thighs and I heard him whine, actually whine, fuck it was so hot. "Merlin, you're dripping, you're actually dripping." I gasped with a cry feeling two long fingers one with a ring, rubbing and swiping against my slobbering bits.

"Hngh!" My tongue lulled out of my mouth, I was drooling and my eyes rolled back.

Regulus gripped my backside and spread my cheeks before burying his tongue inside of me. "Fuck!" I whined. With that he penetrated his tongue deeper inside of me, wiggling it around inside of me. I grasped for something anything to hold on to as he sucked my labia inside of his mouth, slurping lewdly. My breasts scraped against the floor as I screamed in wild abandon. I felt like a maenad at a bacchanal, participating in hedonistic rituals to please her God. My very own Dionysos was drinking and slurping my essence like it was the wine of the Gods. Not even. Marlene ate me out with this much enthusiasm, he was going so fast. I felt his aquiline nose nudge inside of me and his teeth grazed my bundle of nerves. "Fuck, i-i can't!" I choked out.

He rolled my clit around in his mouth and I was begging in a language I didn't understand and neither did he, it was informable words after all. My eyes crossed and he didn't stop torturing my bud as he sank two ring-wrapped fingers knuckle deep inside of me. He went right for it, pounding deeper and and deeper hitting my spot, his fingertips grazing that spot aggressively almost painful. "Ow-ugh-yes! Yes! YES! PLEASE!" I begged. I was actually begging for his permission like my pleasure wasn't mine, but completely his. It felt so nice to have someone else responsible for me.

"I'm going to let you cum Lily, you know?" His voice was soft but had an edge to it, like he was doing everything in his power to restrain himself. "Because you deserve to feel good for once, we deserve to feel good for once." He hissed, angry for us, someone was angry for me. He grasped my throat with his other hand, the cold metal of his rings hit my throat and he squeezed gently. My heart raced as his other pair of fingers pounded faster inside of me as he rubbed every part of me down there. With his grasp on my throat he forced me to look up at him. I stared up at his intense expression, high on the emotional rollercoaster of the night and the pleasure of this moment, intoxicated by him. "Open."

I knew he meant my mouth and I did so. "Such a smart girl." He gently squeezed my throat and I fluttered around him, squeezing his fingers at his gentle praise. He hovered his mouth over mine and dripped his spit into my mouth. I swallowed and he brushed his lips against my ear. "Cum." As if I was imperio'd, I released on command, flooding his fingers. It was like a spillage, a waterfall, so much spilled I could hear it make a mess on the floor.

I collapsed, falling into the comfort of darkness.

---

@sufferingstarlight @meetmyothersouls

[thelaylacooper]

Layla wasn't sure what she wanted. There was no quick or simply fix for her problems. And she wondered if Marlene had tried to advice or fix things if it would have irritated her more - did she not think she had tried to reason or negotiate, for example?

Instead, Marlene seemed to commiserate and accept her annoyance - and think ahead to the future.

And, actually, wasn't it rather nice to hear that someone who seemed so oddly proficient and attuned with magic was telling her that her thoughts and process was impressive? It was kind of nice, actually. It did not cause Layla to fully thaw, but it did help with the process. Ever so slightly. She could even feel a smile growing across her features.

She sighed, and then nodded. "I know. They're right to be upset. It was stupid. And thinking on it, I know my mistake - for me it always comes down to accidentally stirring clockwise or counter-clockwise, I always get it wrong." A shake of her head, red hair fluttering around her face, framing her paleness.

Another sigh. "It was just stupid and I think that's annoyed me more." But... but... "Thanks." Her smile was now more natural. "You really think it that good? I know others have tried similar things, but I do think I'm on to something. I'd just gotten started on pimple cream before - and I'm wondering about working on something for ones complexion..." She wrinkled her nose, thinking about it - a recipe scrolling before her eyes. "I WILL get it right. Some day. It won't stop me from trying, no, but it's just a bit rubbish right now. That's all."

Things hadn't magically resolved themselves, but Layla did find she felt slightly better. Maybe talking about things really could be helpful on occasion. Definitely it had helped that Marlene hadn't immediately jumped in with solutions or laughed at her. It was an idiotic situation to be in, but it did mean something to her.

"You know, a look around the bookstores would be kind of nice. I've gotten all my school supplies - even my cauldron, as my parents remind me," she said, with an actual soft scoffing laugh (a little embarrassed, but slowly coming out of her annoyance). "Maybe a little pick-me-up of ice cream or a cup of tea and cake wouldn't go amiss either," Layla added, amusement truly in her tone now. "If you're happy to go now, we can take a wander - and I'll owe you a butterbeer when we finish up."

Marlene had to admit that during her first year at Hogwarts, she'd seemed to get involved in a lot of strange things. Putting aside the discovery of a certain ancient magical talent, and a potential goblin uprising... It seemed everyone at Hogwarts had annoyances and grievances, problems and brain teasers. After all, why wouldn't they? Marlene's last year had been eventful but it was mostly through sheer luck - both good and bad. She had not chosen or earned the innate talent she had, though she'd had to work hard to hone it afterwards.

Of course Layla had her own issues. And she was entitled to feel annoyed. Was it something Marlene would have been overly fussed about? ...Well, no. But potions wasn't her major talent, and her parents didn't own many things of value that were actually used. Or useful.

Marlene's expression softened, a slight smile on her face. Curious, amused, but ready to listen or perhaps offer advice. She would tread around and see what Layla required. It didn't often hurt to be kind and helpful - and usually it came with advantages or people ready to help out when you were in a pinch. Making friends had truly saved her arse before.

"But for you it is a problem," she summarised, giving a slight nod. Marlene reached up, brushing a loose strand of her behind one ear and giving the softest of hums. "Truly, it is a problem. It is good the potion didn't come near people, but I'm guessing the cauldron was something used pretty regularly? Or pretty important to the family then?"

Cauldrons could be pricey. Poor Layla.

"That truly is bad luck and frustrating," she remarked, for there was no immediate solution to give her. "I'm impressed with what you were able to do though, and what you were trying to make! Potions cauldrons are hard to burn through. And a potion like that would be really useful!" She gave a soft laugh, adding, "And know this at least, Garreth has done far worse. Perhaps he can give you some tips - though maybe do the opposite of his suggestions. I don't suppose much can be done now about the money situation. But I do need to buy some new recipes and ingredients myself. Perhaps a bookstore in town might have some helpful hints in how to amend your potion?"

"After all," Marlene grinned, "I'm sure that one setback is not enough to stop you?" Her expressions softened again as she added, "And parents are often upset. They were probably just worried. About you. And what MIGHT have happened. This will blow over, I know it."

[berrieluv]

James feels turn on by Harry's babysitter, who happens to be Remus step-sister and golden girl.

James Potter x AFAB!Reader.

TW. fem!reader, reader is quite a whore, innocence kink, corruption kink, step-brother relationship, mentions of cheating, cheating kink, breaking kink, age gap (reader is of age, of course, i picture her as 19 since it's my age but i don't think i mention her age), NSFW, MDNI, +18, please if you're under 18 don't read this. Masturbation (male and female), mentions of oral sex, dub-con (because reader is too innocent), dumb reader, kinda like a bimbo, penetration sex, squirt, creampie, daddy and mommy kink, please let me know if i forgot one.

Doll Face Honey.

Lily Evans and James Potter had only one problem in their entire lives and it was that; no matter how much they love each other, they couldn't remind faithful. And by that time, staying together was just better than splitting out, and also, as a matter of fact, they were still in love with each other.

They thought that maybe they married too young. They weren't even in their twenties when they were expecting Harry, and Lily never had any boyfriend before James, on the contrary, he did had some girlfriends, nothing really official 'till Lily arrived.

Both of them were completely in love, James breathed and existed just to love Lily and Lily did everything she used to just to be loved by him, and the feeling still there, but the need of explore was also there, and they couldn't ignore any of them. Lily would never admit to James that she wanted them to see other people, she thought it would break his heart and his ego. And James would never tell Lily he wanted the same, because Lily was his precious flower, and he didn't want her to take it the wrong way, or think she was falling out of love because that was not the case.

Lily trusted James enough to think he would never cheat, that he was in fact a better person than she was, and James trusted Lily with all his body and soul as well, she was so loyal and honest that there was no way that she would cheat on him.

That's why James and Lily hid they're desires from each other, to not hurt their feelings. But they're lives were turning out quite well, they loved to go back home with the person their loved the most at the end of the day, and the feel of guilty was never chasing them because, well, that's what spells are for.

That afternoon was a quiet one. Lily and James were at home, the redhead was making a delicious dinner and James had his eyes fixated on you, the babysitter.

You were playing with Harry, and James couldn't stop looking at how your breasts would jump along with his son. He knew it was wrong, the way he was looking at you wasn't right. You were much younger than him and you were Remus' step-sister as well, which only made you the forbidden fruit, and one thing James loved most was what he wasn't supposed to have.

"I'm going out with the girls tonight" James gets out of his thoughts when he listens to his wife talking. "We're having dinner and I think we'll spend the night with Mary or Marlene"

"That sounds awesome, darling"

"I asked Y/N to stay the night so you can go out if you want to. Maybe Sirius?"

James nods at Lily's words, the only reason you could spend the night there was because Remus was doing some kind of internship for the weekend and you didn't want to spend the night alone. But it worked perfectly for him, because for the first time since your mother married Remus' dad he had you all for himself.

"I think Sirius has a family thing tonight" Lily makes a grin, looking at James and trying to think of something he could do, not really wanting him to spend the night alone when she wouldn't be. "It's alright, my love. I'll stay home, watch some movies maybe, have some fun. Have a peaceful night of sleep"

James chuckles and Lily nods at his direction, giving him the reason. It was true that Harry was much more calm when he was with you.

Lily finished dinner, it was your favorite. A simple dish but delicious when it came to Lily Evans' magic hands cooking it. Just as James, she thought you were cute too. Not only cute but hot, Lily gets really turned on when she would think of you in ways she shouldn't have. She liked to make your favorite dinner only to hear the soft moans you'll let out at the taste, and how your pretty lips would thank her, with your sweet voice mentioning her name.

Lily didn't feel ashamed for the way she was thinking of you, she was a woman, and she was smart, so she thought that if Remus, who was your step-brother, didn't bothered sexualize you in his thoughts and maybe actions, but she wasn't sure and she wasn't one to confirm what wasn't state, why would she pay any mind.

A few hours later, Lily finally leaves the house, making sure you put Harry to sleep and that you're all settle. You go to the principal door to tell her goodbye while James stays in their room.

"I hope you have a wonderful night, mommy" Lily smiles at the way you called her and leaves a kiss on your forehead "Kissie, mommy. Please"

You pout at her and she smiles at how cute you are, she leaves a tiny kiss on your lips and you see her walking to her Range Rover while she asks you to behave.

When you see her going you go upstairs, only to hear James calling you from his room.

"Y/N" He smiles bright and big, with those perl tooth of his "Thank Merlin you're here, c'mere, bunny I wanna show you something"

You just followed him, in your innocence, not thinking the nickname was inappropriate or something, you were used to get pet names all the time from Remus and Sirius, so you thought it was just a Marauders thing.

"I haven't feel quite well lately" He says, and you look at him with big worried eyes. He gets into the walking closet they have and gets out a moments later with just a tiny set of boxers covering his body. "I have a feeling here, but, c'mere, come closer" He asks, moving his hand to try and reach yours, when you finally allow him to take it, he drives it to his cock, getting it under his boxer "I don't know if I'm crazy or is it real" You touch his hard cock and look at him, confused at how it should feel. "Let me, okay, let me just take the boxers off, alright? Jus' so you can help me"

You nod, your features showing that you were truly worry for him. You liked James, he was the best boss you could imagine, he cared about you and he payed you really, really well, for just a few hours of watching Harry, so if you could do anything to help him you'll be more than happy to.

""Do you feel it?"

"I dunno, Mr. Potter. What should I feel?"

"How does it feels?"

"It feels hard" You quickly answer, not really giving it a second thought to your answer. James smiled at you and he took your hand, getting more turned on by the innocence you were showing.

He knew you were so innocent girl since the moment Remus introduce you to each other, you spend the biggest part of your youth in the church and you assisted a ton of reunions with christians who would tell you that the worst thing you could do was having sex. So you grew up apart from all the information you could have from it.

And James not only liked your innocence, he also liked the fact that you were a church girl and younger. Maybe he was crazy, sick and it was a twisted way of thinking, but he couldn't help it, he can't avoid the way his cock twitch by thinking of you, how it gets harder and harder every time he thinks on how fucking you would feel like, how stretching you out would be.

"I must be really sick then" You look at him worried "Would you mind helping me, baby?" You shake your head in fast movements "Helping me to get better, how does that sound?"

"Of course, anything you want, Mr. Potter"

"Ah, ah" He says, taking your hand and putting it on his cock "You don't call me that. Call me daddy, precious"

You frown at him, taking his cock in your hand as he was silently instructing you, kneeling in front of him when he took your head and started to push you down.

"But you're not my father, Mr. Potter"

"A father is someone who takes care of you, am I wrong, princess?" You shake your head, telling him that in fact, he was not. If there was something you learned by your mother's marriage with Mr. Lupin, was that a father was the one who cared for you and not the one who created you "And I take good care of you, don't I? I pay you really well, I reward you all the time, don't I? I spoil you, give you gifts all the time? Don't I deserve to be your daddy?"

And putting it in that way, he sounded right. He earned the privilege of you calling him daddy just as Sirius Black did. You thanked God for your life, you were a lucky girl, you not only found a father in Mr. Lupin, but he also gave you two daddies; Sirius Black and James Potter. And even thought Sirius black asked you to call him daddy about two months from now, he has never been able to make you feel like Remus Lupin does, one think you were also thankful for. He was an amazing step-brother, he cared for you, he helped you when your pussy was itching, he also taught you that word so you could tell him what was hurting and he could help you, just as the amazing brother he was. He made you feel good.

Remus never left you alone, maybe because he knew the way his best friends think of you, and the only time you got to be alone with Sirius Black was about fifteen minutes, where he taught you how to make him feel better by sucking his dick, he said you were sucking his sickness out of him, and that he felt so much better when you finished. You were a really lucky girl.

It was a rare occurrence that Remus allowed you to be alone with any of his friends, but to be fair, he thought Lily would be around; Lily Evans, the one he trusted the most with his little step-sister and the one he should trust a little less.

Lily had you calling her mommy before Sirius and James could even talk to you. Lily had you eating her out before Sirius could even think of having your lips around his cock.

But back to James, you nod at his answer and murmur a little 'Yes, daddy' before he smiled.

"Good girl" He says, patting your head "What about you make daddy feel good, baby, mmh? Make daddy no more ill"

You nod, eagerly to start, following carefully his instructions, your hand moving up and down.

"You see that white liquid, princess" You nod at his words, looking at the tip of his cock and then looking at him "Use it on your hands so it doesn't feel that rough"

You nod at his words and do as he asks you, going slow at first and then faster when he ask you to do it.

"Oh, my, Merlin, baby, you're so good. Please go, don't stop, bunny, don't stop, daddy's so close, so, so close, I'm about to feel better, Merlin you're doing it so, so good, babygirl. Go on, help daddy, okay?"

And just like that, James cum is now all over your hand, a tiny part of it is on your face and lips and James looks at you, amused at how pretty you looked with those worry doe eyes wondering if what you just did made him feel better.

"It's alright, baby bunny. You did so good, you're helping daddy so much, see how it isn't that hard anymore?" You nod with a smile, happy to have helped him "Now, do you wanna taste daddy's cum?"

"Cum?"

"Yes, princess. Daddy's cum is a kind of candy, It'll make you feel better"

"But I'm not ill, daddy"

"Yes, you are my beautiful girl. You see this?" He says, bending only a little to where you were so he could touch the wet patch on your shorts "That means you're a little ill too"

You look at him, worried and kinda scared.

"Don' wanna be ill, daddy"

"No worries, baby. Just do as I told you, alright?"

You nod, tasting James cum and pouting when you didn't like the flavor. It wasn't sweet as Sirius, it was bitter and you didn't like that taste in any food or candy.

"Daddy I don't like it. No good"

"C'mon, doll face. Make daddy happy, eat it, please"

You nod and try again, only wanting to make him happy but his flavor was something your mouth didn't want, so you pout at him again, this time your eyes were tearing a little.

"No, no, don't cry, beautiful, don't cry" He says, taking you and sitting you in his lap on the edge of the bed "What's the matter"

"Don' like it, daddy. Told you"

"I'm so sorry, my princess. C'mere, daddy's gonna clean it, fine?" You nod while cleaning your eyes and James starts to lick with his tongue the cum from your lips. "Open for daddy" He instructs before getting you closet to him for a kiss, his tongue was traveling from all your mouth, making you forget about the taste you found disgusting. "That better? All clean now"

"Just a spot left, daddy"

You say, and both of you knew it was a lie. You liked how James lips felt against yours and you wanted him to do it again, lucky you, he was eager to do so.

"Well, that's just unacceptable, isn't it?"

You nod and smile at him, letting a small moan when he starts to touch your pussy. He asks you to take your shorts off and you do, he takes the time to take your panties off and he starts to lick your clit carefully. At a slow pace, he wasn't having rushes and you were feeling relaxed at the pleasure.

"Baby, get on top, alright?" He asks and you nod, you've never been on top, you have only been under Remus. "I'll teach you how" James quickly answers when he sees the worry in your face, the one telling him that you obviously didn't know how to do it. He lies on the bed, waiting for you to make your way to him, grabbing your hips and sitting you on his abdomen, making you feel his cock hitting your back. "Ready to feel better, bunny? Daddy's only doing this to help you, okay? But no one has to know, is it fine?"

"Why not, daddy?"

"Because daddy's way to cure illness aren't the most populars. Some people don't like them"

"Is it bad, daddy?"

"No, princess" He says, leaning you to him to kiss your forehead "It isn't bad, it's just not the favorite way"

"M'kay, daddy. Won't tell"

"Attagirl"

You smile at his words and follow his instructions, getting his cock inside of you, tearing a little bit at how big he was while he was closing his eyes and moaning at how tight you felt around him.

He makes you go up and down on his cock, watching you with adoration and being patience while you were getting used to his size, when he saw you ready, he told you to go faster, so it would cure you better, and you do as he tells. Not really needing an explanation to do anything James wanted you to do.

Now you're jumping faster over him, making sounds every time your skin and his meet, now you weren't doing it for James anymore, you were following the velocity you felt like it, it was like an unconscious movement, you just knew how to jump on James cock, trying to make you feel better.

James looks at you and gets delated by your little moans and the way your face looks every time you make him thrusts into you. He can feel how you start to milk his cock and he knows your orgasm is also building because your movements are now faster and your moans are lauders.

"Daddy" You call him and he looks at you, giving you his full attention "Kissie, please"

He smiles at your cute petition and makes you bend to him to meet your lips. James envoys your movements but he needs more, so he starts to move his hips along with yours, going faster until he cums inside you. You get his cock out when you feel a hot sensation traveling through your body.

"That's daddy's cum, princess. I had to put it there because you couldn't eat it" You listen to him with attention and nod, like if his words were the universal true, believing everything he would say. You feel his cum dripping from your pussy and he smiles as he watch it falling in his cock.

"Go again, doll face. That's not enough to make you feel better"

"'Kay, daddy"

You quickly answer, getting his cock inside of you again and jumping over him like the last time, the difference being that now, you go straight to a fast motion, not waiting for your body to get used to him, you need to feel him deeper and just as if you were moving on automatic pilot, you continue jumping on him, every second faster until James starts to feel you squirting, a few drops going out of you making him feel them on his thighs.

He grabs your legs, pulling you out of him and making your squirt release all over him and Lily's sheets. He better find a spell to clean them if he doesn't want to confront the uncomfortable talk where he has to explain to his wife why the new set of sheets he put just two days ago was gone.

James stretches you with his hands, trying to get all of your squirt all of you and over him. When he knows it's all, he starts to stroke your pussy, gently, only to a few seconds later have two fingers inside you, moving rough and violently.

He takes your hand and puts it on his cock, telling you to touch it like you were doing when you first entered to the room.

"Daddy needs to go once more, baby. That's not enough for you to feel good, neither for daddy" He says, looking at you and how you were jerking him off "Imma fill you up with my cum, baby. How does that sound?"

"S'alright, daddy"

"Yeah? It's fine?" You nod at his question and he looks at you with a smirk "You know what cum does, don't you bunny?"

"It makes me feel better, daddy. No more ill"

"You know what else does?" You shake your head looking at him without stopping your movements in your hands "It makes you all round and pretty, baby. It gives you big breasts and makes you all full with babies, you want that, doll face? Want daddy's babies?"

"No, no babies, daddy, please"

"Oh, but you'll look too pretty, princess. Your belly'll get all round and big and pretty. You'll look stunning, princess, so gorgeous, you don't want that?"

"Wanna look pretty, daddy"

"Attagirl" He says, taking your hand off of him and putting his cock inside of you again.

You knew it was bad, because no amount of innocence couldn't hide the fact that you knew that having a baby with other woman who wasn't your wife was cheating, and cheating was a sin.

But it it was bad, then why's it feel so good?

"You're taking me so well, princess. Taking all my babies inside of you, you want that, right" You nod quickly at his words. "You want all of my babies?"

"Yes, yes, daddy"

"But if you take all of them what about Lily? What if she's ill one day"

"Don' want Lily to have them, daddy, I want them"

"Selfish pretty little thing, aren't you?"

Lily could go to any other man to feel better, just as she does, you could help her too as you usually do, but in that moment you wanted James for you and only you, you didn't care that he was Lily's husband, she was born first, of course she would have him, and it was just not fair.

"Go on, baby, if you wanna feel better you better move"

"M'tired, daddy"

"Just one more, princess, alright? Just one more and daddy'll put you to sleep. I'll take care of you, mmh? How does that sound?"

You nod and go for another round, but it wasn't just enough for James, he wanted to see how far his cock could go when it came to you and of course he wanted to know how far he could get you.

So, by the time you had your third orgasm, you couldn't move on top of him anymore, James, being the gentleman he is, put you under him, just letting you lie in there. He told you your only job now was looking pretty and make those pretty moans he loved so much.

He managed to get another orgasm from you, he could see it on your eyes, you were exhausted, you've been going all night and you weren't used to that. Remus never pushed you too far and neither did Lily. Sirius would love to, but there was no reason, under any circumstance, that Remus Lupin would leave Sirius Black alone in a room with you for more than fifteen minutes.

Nor that you weren't enjoying it, because you were, so much, but you couldn't make the tiredness go away anymore.

"Daddy, sleepy"

"I know, princess. Just one more for daddy, 'kay?"

"No more, daddy. Just sleepy"

"Give me one more, doll face. Just one. You're such a pretty and obedient little girl, you gotta give daddy what his asking you, don't you wanna make daddy feel good?"

"Still feeling ill, daddy?"

"A little, princess. That's why I need ya"

You pout, you wanted to help him, of course you wanted, but your body wasn't just responding anymore.

"Jus' one more daddy"

"And that'll make it five" You nod with a smile and closed eyes, James doesn't even ask you to open them anymore, he just concentrates on your tiny whimpers and your soft moans, along with your shaky body announcing that you're getting your fifth release of the night. Leaving him satisfied and smiling.

He takes care of you as he promised. He makes sure you're all clean with your PJ's and he stays by your side in the room you were staying for a few hours before making his way to the room he shared with Lily to start cleaning.

The next morning, Remus picks you up first thing as he was freed from the internship. He thanks Lily for taking care of you and she just omits the part where she mentions she wasn't there for the whole night.

"Hope she doesn't give you much problem"

"Oh, no, Remus" Lily quickly answers, looking at you with a smile "She's an absolute angel"

Lily bites her lips, reminding you of what she couldn't finish and you smile at her. Remus and James thinking you both were too innocent to mean something else with that bite and that smile, they knew you both were two friends, so to them, it meant nothing but a cute way of communicating in your friendship.

"She's so well behaved" James says "You're so lucky to have her, moony. She's an excellent girl"

Remus answer, looking at you and hugging you more to his body.

"Oh, she's the best"

[robinismywife]

|ᴇᴀʀʟʏ ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ ꜱᴡɪᴍ|

Summary: Sirius and Y/n can't handle the heat so they go for an early morning swim in the prefects bathroom..

Warnings: Making out? Swimming? I have no idea, please tell me if I've missed any! Enjoy loves <33

! Not proofread !

(the gif is not mine! I found it on pinterest!)

"Hurry up, Black!" Whisper-yelled Y/n, pulling Sirius's wrist even harder as they ran down the corridor

Y/n couldn't for the life of her fall asleep that night. For the first time ,in the five years she's been attending hogwarts, she was unable to sleep from the heat. To elaborate, when May rolled around the corner everybody expected the usual kind of weather, a little warmer than April but still rainy and cloudy. However, this time it took them all by surprise how hot the weather had gotten in the span of a few days. So, that's why Y/n couldn't sleep and apperantly neither could Sirius. She found him in the common room pacing back and forth with an enchanted pink fan (probably Mary's) following him around.

Y/n had the glorious idea to break into the prefects bathroom for a swim, in order to cool down. Sirius, of course, couldn't turn down the offer and went along with her.

"If you pull any harder my hand will pop off, Y/n" Sirius groaned trying to free his wrist from Y/n's strong grip

"Well, you're not moving fast enough!" She whispered back

"I told you we should have gotten Prongs's invisibility cloak!"

"Where's the fun in that? Don't you want a little adventure in your mundane life?" Y/n smirked, raising an eyebrow as if to challenge him

"If getting a month's worth detention from McGonagall is an adventure to you, then no, I don't want it!" He glowered at her

"Lucky for you, then, we've arrived safe and sound" Y/n stopped walking as they reached the fancy door

"Is-Is this it?" Sirius spoke a little dissapointed

"Yes," Y/n looked at him quizzically "what did you expect?"

"I haven't a clue-" Sirius groaned when he saw Y/n's confused and annoyed face "I thought It would be harder to find, that's all!"

"It's not the chamber of secrets, Sirius, it's just a damn bathroom" Y/n chuckled

"the chamber of secrets does not exist-"

"Yeah right-"

"You-"

"Pine-fresh!" Y/n stated facing the door, making it open

"How'd you know the password?" Sirius asked as they both walked in, taking in every single detail

"Marlene told me" Y/n said casually

"Well, how did Marlene know?" Sirius furrowed his dark eyebrows

"She must have heard Potter or something- Anyways, that's besides the point, we're here now and we might as well enjoy it while it lasts, eh?"

"Right- You're right, yeah" Sirius, all of a sudden froze. He was now just realizing that he agreed to swimming. Did he have to take of his clothes? Did she?! He was panicking, but tried to look as calm and collected as possible.

Pulling him out of his thoughts was the loud splashing sound next to him. He turned to look at Y/n in the swimming pool-like tub. Sirius looked around him quickly scanning the floor but didn't find her sweatpants and t-shirt anywhere. Thank Merlin!

"Sirius, you're taking forever" Y/n said, resting her arms on the edge of the tub

"I just- Um- I just need to pull my hair back, you know?"

"You're so overprotective of it- I bet it'll enjoy the swim, if you let it that is"

"No, it will not"

"How about you ask it?" Y/n asked teasingly, enjoying his annoyed and unamused expression

"You're hilarious-"

"I know"

"You didn't let me finish" Sirius raised an eyebrow

"Go on then- What else?"

"Impatient and annoying" He chuckled lightheartedly

"Wow, all of those things?" Y/n laughed as well "I'm very multifaceted"

"Indeed you are- Now, prepare for landing, miss!" And without much thought, once his hair was out of the way, Sirius jumped into the pool, making everything wet.

"Well, I was totally not prepared for that sort of landing"

"I know, I know- I'm frustratingly amazing at anything I do" Sirius swam closer to her, slowly closing the gap between them

"I wouldn't say so myself, Black" She remarked, feeling her stomach twist and turn suddenly

"Wouldn't you?" He spoke quieter, getting even closer and so was she

"No," She couldn't help but stare at his lips, once in a while "I bet I can beat you at many many things"

"Really?" Sirius teased "Like what exactly?"

"School? Quidditch? Dating?" She listed off, emphasising the last one

"Dating?" He smirked incredulously "Are you sure about that? You dated Amos Diggory last year!"

"Yes, I did- He is quite handsome, don't you think?"

"No way, Y/n"

"Alright, then, do you know someone better looking than Diggory, Sirius?" She objected, looking forward to his answer

"Yeah, I do in fact know someone" Sirius answered

"Who?" She whispered, the tension too much for either of them to handle

"Me-" Sirius whispered back confidently "Look, I really want to kiss you, may I?" his lips were almost touching hers

"Gladly" she spoke

At last, Sirius's lips collided with hers. Y/n was grateful they were in the shallow end. She would have drowned otherwise because of the overwhelming emotions she couldn't exactly pinpoint. Everything was going great, exactly how she had been imagining it this whole time, when the door opened and someone stepped in. Both Y/n and Sirius stopped what they were doing and hid underwater.

The person closed the door and walked into one of the stalls, turning on the shower. The student started singing and humming. Y/n and Sirius swam up to the surface once more and looked at each other knowingy. How was it 5am already? James Potter, the Quidditch captain and their best friend. was awake and having his morning shower.

"Shit"

[joaquinwhorres]

hoax (Ch. 1) {Sirius Black x F!OC}

SUMMARY ››››› It started out as a simple bet: who could get the girl chosen for them first? After four years of half-hearted attempts, Sirius decides it’s time to make a concerted effort to win over the notoriously undateable Florence Saise.

WORD COUNT ››››› 4,100-ish

WARNINGS ››››› Pretty much every chapter is going to have mentions of sex. Including this one.

A/N ››››› I'm so thankful to every single person who responded to my incessant "does this line make sense?" or "can you read this to tell me what you think?" Without you guys this never would have been uploaded, and I'd never already have the start of a second chapter.

Series Masterlist | Read on ff.net | Read on AO3

Florence Saise was rather convinced that she was the only person not excited to find themselves back at Hogwarts. Everyone else seemed to be coping with the looming start of the school year just fine, if the laughter and shouts that greeted her as she flung open the carriage door was any indication. It was, by all accounts that mattered, (which is to say, hers) not fair.

The blonde haired girl jumped down from the horseless carriage, landing with a heavier thump than might have been expected from her small frame. Before her, masses of students cursed up the hill chattering to one another with smiles on their faces. Not one had the same little crease between their eyebrows that threatened to turn into a full-on scowl.

It was as if every single one of them had either forgotten the bullshit that came along with living amongst their peers or were still blissfully unaware of the curse that was adolescence. Even her friends, who hopped down out of the carriage behind her, seemed too entrenched in the debate that had stretched from the train compartment to the carriage, to fully register what being back at Hogwarts meant.

"You've been quiet, Lory, what do you think?" Marlene asked, throwing an arm around Florence's shoulder as the small group of girls joined the throng of students.

"If Sebastian doesn't know what to do with his tongue when kissing, there's not much hope for him using it elsewhere. You'd do better with Roger."

"Aha!" Marlene cried out triumphantly, pointing a finger at Mary. "That makes it two for Roger, one for Sebastian, and one for giving up on boys all together," she tallied as Florence shrugged out from under her arm. Lily appeared on Florence's other side, trapping Florence in the middle of the group.

"You can't just use physical stuff as the metric for whether or not a relationship will be any good," Lily asserted. "There's more to dating than snogging and sex."

"Says the person who's never properly snogged anyone," Marlene stage whispered to Mary.

"Exactly," Lily said, perhaps a little too passionately. "And look how fulfilled I am."

Marlene shot Florence a skeptical look, and Lily reached across her to smack at Marlene's arm. This started another round of fierce debating, Lily reminding Mary that Sebastian had written her once a week all summer whereas Roger had only written four times, Marlene reminding Mary that she didn't want to die a virgin, and Dorcas reminding Mary that she never had any of these problems with her girlfriends.

Florence felt a dull needling, like a knuckle digging into the side of her head. At this rate, she was going to have a headache before they even reached the castle.

The Gryffindor strode ahead of the group, near enough that she wouldn't catch any flack for abandoning them but far enough that she could more easily drown out their bickering. She would give anything for just a single moment of peace today. Between her father and brother waking her up with their argument to Lily and Marlene's stupid battle over who Mary should date, all Florence wanted was ten minutes where she didn't get roped into playing referee.

But as she looked up ahead on the path, her eyes landing on James Potter and his crew, it seemed like peace was not in the cards for her today.

The group of boys were laughing amongst each other as they subtly enchanted trees to tap students on the shoulder or grab an unsuspecting second year. It was, objectively speaking, rather funny to witness the reactions of their various victims. One boy let out a startled shriek so loud, Florence would have expected it to come from a banshee. Another girl was attempting to fight off a branch that kept pulling at her plait. The problem with Potter and them's joke was not so much the unrest it caused amongst the students ahead of Florence.

The problem was Lily.

"You have got to be kidding me," Lily sighed, cutting Marlene off mid sentence. "What's even the point in making Remus a prefect if he's going to let his friends get away with everything?"

Before any of the girls had a chance to talk Lily down, the prefect marched up the hill with impressive speed, her hair billowing behind her.

"I am not missing this," Marlene said eagerly, grabbing Mary by the hand and tugging her up the hill with her. Dorcas and Florence shared a look and a sigh, before following them after Lily.

"Potter!" Lily shouted, and the group of boys came to an abrupt stop, nearly causing the group of Ravenclaws behind them to collide with their backs.

"Ah the dulcet tones of Lily Evans," James Potter said as he turned around to face the fuming redhead, a smirk set firmly in place.

Lily pulled up right in front of him, chest heaving from her quick trip up the hill. "You are to stop using magic at once or else I'll be forced to give you detention."

"I'm not sure what you mean," Potter said, tilting his head and allowing confusion to overtake his features. Lily's scowl deepened, clearly not buying the act. "I think you and I are both aware that it's against the rules to use magic before term starts, and we're not even at the castle yet."

Behind him, Pettigrew and Black snickered. The sound seemed to bolster James Potter's already rampant egotism as the smirk returned once more to his face.

"Unless of course, you're saying that I've enchanted you. Do you find me bewitching, Evans?" Potter asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"I think I've made it quite clear what I think of you, James Potter," Lily snapped, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "10 points from Gryffindor."

"Ah, Evans," Potter tsked, as if regretting the fact that he would have to share bad news with her. "Prefects can't take points until the start of term. Learned that fourth year," he added on, dropping the sympathetic act.

Marlene nudged Florence with her elbow and held out her hand expectantly. Florence's eyes moved from the open palm to her friend's gaze, raising an eyebrow.

"I believe you owe me a hundred galleons," Marlene informed her, a smile tugging at her lips even as she fought to remain serious. "As James Potter has just confirmed that he has, in fact, learned something in his past five years here."

"That doesn't count," Florence said dryly, slapping Marlene's palm down even as Marlene grinned at her winningly. The stare off between a seething Lily and smug James was looking very much like it was about to end in a murder. Remus Lupin must have also caught onto this because he shook his head and finally stepped forward.

"Come on, let's at least make it to the castle this year before you and Lily have a row," he appealed, making a half-decent attempt at Prefect-like behavior.

Potter turned to his friend with a magnanimous smile. "Since you asked so kindly, Moony," Potter paused, shooting Lily a look. "I'll make sure there is no more confusion about whether or not we might have been doing magic. Watch carefully, Evans. I'm putting my wand in my back pocket. Feel free to track its progress up the hill," he added with a wink.

Lily let out a disgusted noise as Marlene snorted, and Potter turned to continue back up the hill with his friends, Sirius Black playfully pushing him as he rejoined the group.

"What a wanker," Lily murmured, watching the boys go.

"Maybe, but he's looking well fit," Marlene noted, taking Potter up on his offer to make sure his wand stayed in his back pocket. "You could do a lot worse than James Potter."

Lily whirled on Marlene, emitting a scandalized,  " Marlene! "

The dark haired girl laughed and shook her head. "Oh come off it, Lils, he's smart, funny, attractive, all of which is important to you, and," she looked around before leaning forward conspiratorially. "I've heard his wandwork isn't the only magical thing he can do with his hands." Marlene wiggled her fingers at Lily, who pulled back looking so pale that for a moment, Florence thought she might actually be sick.

Which was far too hilarious not to laugh at. So she did, earning a dark look from Lily and a shiteating grin from Marlene.

Lily rounded back on Marlene before shaking her head and starting back up to the castle.  "He's not funny; he's cruel. And he's only half as smart as he thinks he is."

"So you agree he's attractive?" Marlene asked, raising an eyebrow, and Lily's face turned bright red before she managed to sputter out a:

"Looks don't mean anything!"

"She's right," Dorcas added. Contributing to the conversation for the first time with the decisiveness that the girls had come to expect from her.  "Looks don't mean anything. But being good with his hands, well…"

Lily emitted a strangled sound somewhere between disbelief and mild outrage as the rest of her friends laughed at her and moved past on their way to the castle. A small feeling in Florence's chest loosened as she walked with them, the conversation alternating between teasing Lily and debating between Roger and Sebastian. Maybe this year wouldn't be quite as bad as the past five.

Naturally, the hope of a better year was squashed the very next day.

This, of course, should have been expected. After all, the first day of classes was primarily meant for overloading students with work they weren't yet prepared for and reminding them that their very futures depended on the mastery of the material. However, those spiels were not the giveaway that this year would be more or less the same in terms of teenage bullshit as the years prior. What it really came down to was her Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

The death of her hope began the moment she walked into the classroom and was faced with an obscenely tall and lanky man, dressed in a smart tweed suit with his chin length hair tucked behind his ears. A name was written in halting cursive on the chalkboard behind him.

Oleander Fernsby.

It was a ridiculous name for what was, by all indicators, a ridiculous man.

Although, as Florence watched the way his eyes darted around the classroom, shooting away every time a student got too close to making eye contact, she began to think that perhaps ridiculous was the wrong word. It suggested a certain confidence that this man in front of her was severely lacking.

It was painful to watch really, seeing him hoist the corners of his mouth up just to seem to lose his grip and have the smile come crashing down again. Both of his hands were shoved into his pants pockets, the right one fiddling with something it found in there so that the pocket almost seemed to flutter with his nervous energy. Even as she sat down next to Marlene, Florence couldn't take her eyes off of this clear disaster waiting to happen.

"This is going to be interesting," Marlene noted with raised eyebrows as she tapped her quill tip on the desk. "Reckon he'll make it the whole year?"

"Reckon he'll make it to the end of the month?" Florence returned, and Marlene snorted.

The last of the students shuffled into the room, claiming desks next to their friends and casting skeptical looks up at the unusual choice for professor. Even Remus Lupin looked unsure about Dumbledore's choice as he sat with eyebrows raised and a slight frown on his face.

The professor cleared his throat, which was completely ineffective when it came to quelling the murmurings of students sizing him up.

"Excuse me," he said, his voice dipping down into a mumble on the last syllable. As could be expected, the class' attention remained on their own conversations.

" Merlin's beard," Dorcas muttered under her breath from behind Florence. The professor furrowed his brow, a look of resolve on his face before trying again.

"Good morning." He had added a bit of volume and force assertiveness to his voice, but it wasn't until Potter hit Black on the shoulder and gestured with his head to the professor that the talking in the room tapered off. Faced with a room of quiet students, he succeeded in finally managing a weak smile.

"Good morning," he repeated, his voice soft but steady at least. "I'm Professor Fernsby, and I'll be teaching you Defense Against the Dark Arts this year."

It was hard to imagine this particular wizard ever standing up against the dark arts. He looked like he could hardly manage a boggart let alone a hag or Lethifold. Even faced with a room full of bored teenagers, he was crumbling under the pressure. Across the room Peter Pettigrew snickered, and Fernsby's expression faltered.

"I know that I am a new face here, and you've had five other professors, but I hope that together we'll have a good year this year and learn a lot."

Florence snorted and either Lily or Dorcas (probably Lily) jabbed a finger into her back in scolding.

Fernsby's smile flickered, and he paused. "Erm, yes. I know that this is your second class of the day, and it's early. The first years were all practically asleep at their desks this morning, but this is an NEWT-level class, so we will be covering rather complicated and dark material--oh! Yes, you there," Fernsby said, gesturing towards a student in the back. Florence turned, watching as Cassius Avery lowered his hand, a self-satisfied smirk already twisting at his lips.

"Can you explain what you mean by 'dark,' professor?"

The classroom went so still even Fernsby seemed to notice, his pocket fluttering once more.

"Well, we'll learn about the Unforgivable Curses. How to battle Inferi--"

"Will we be learning more about the Dark Arts themselves?" Avery interrupted, tilting back his chair so that it leaned against Thaddeus Nott's desk.

Fernsby's eyes flicked around the classroom as if looking for help from one of the students, but everyone remained still and quiet, watching to see what would happen. Florence set her jaw as she looked back at Avery who was looking rather smug. Beside him there was a glint in Thomas Mulciber's eye as if he were watching an animal fall into a trap.  "I'm not sure that would be entirely appropriate--" Fernsby started.

"I was just thinking that we should know how the Dark Arts work and such so we can properly defend ourselves?" Avery clarified and beside him Mulciber smirked. Florence's hand curled into a fist on her desk. "I mean, you want us to be prepared, don't you, professor? We need to know--"

"Avery you smarmy little git, would you shut up?" Florence snapped, and the eyes of the class shot over to her. But she was just looking at Avery whose eyes flashed angrily. "Even he's not thick enough to teach you how to curse someone. Go ask your dad. Or is he too busy shagging his cousin--I'm sorry, your mum."

There was a beat of silence as the whole class seemed to collectively hold its breath before across the room, Sirius Black broke out into a loud barking laughter, muffling whatever Avery snarled at Florence.

"Pardon?" she asked, arching an eyebrow, and though he opened his mouth to say it again, it wasn't Avery's voice, but Fernsby's she heard next.

"That is--that is quite enough," the professor finally interjected, and Florence turned around, ready for her detention or points to be docked, but as Fernsby's eyes landed on her and she met them with a fierce unrepentance, he wet his lips and moved on.

"Merlin's beard," Marlene whispered to Florence. "Been holding onto that for a while, haven't you?"

"After what he and Mulciber did last year to Mary, he's lucky I haven't set him on fire," Florence mumbled. "Last thing we need is that lot learning about the Dark Arts so they can practice on muggleborns."

Marlene nodded her agreement, and the two focused back on Fernsby who was presently taking attendance.

Class continued and with it the growing feeling that someone was attempting to stare daggers into the back of her head. When she finally turned with a raised eyebrow, she found that not only was Avery glaring at her, but Mulciber and Nott had also joined in their friend's effort. She gave the three of them the most saccharine smile she could muster and lifted a middle finger towards them. When she turned back to Fernsby, he was in the middle of listing his credentials and previous places of employment..

He had just finished on how formative his time in the Azkaban processing unit was when James Potter began to loudly pack up his bag. "And erm..." Professor Fernsby stopped, watching as Potter corked his inkwell and dropped it into his bag. "Mr….Potter was it?"

Potter looked up, "Oh, I'm sorry, Professor," he said, his face genuinely apologetic. "I thought you were about done."

"Done?" Fernsby asked. While the word might have cracked like a whip from McGonagall or Kettleburn, instead it came out rather helpless as he looked appealingly to Potter for an explanation.

"It's just that usually professors keep class short the first. To get us acclimated to the school schedule again, you know."

Fernsby said nothing, looking out over the class to see nods of assent. Even Dorcas kept quiet.

"He's right," Marlene said from next to her, and Florence's attention whipped to her friend. "Although usually they make us stay at least half the block," she added with a reproachful look to James.

"Ah, well, I suppose here is as good a place to stop as any," Professor Fernsby said. "Come ready to learn, as I will be picking up the pace as the year progresses."

He seemed rather proud of himself, Florence thought as she along with her classmates scurried to pack up their books before anyone could possibly grow a guilty conscience. He probably thought the early dismissal was a sign of kindness and not what it really was: blood in the water.

Shouldering her bag, Florence headed out behind Lily and Dorcas into the hallway.

"We're not going to learn anything all year," Dorcas moaned, tossing her head back to stare miserably at the ceiling.

"It's going to be an easy O at least," Lily sighed. "And besides, next year it'll be someone new. Maybe they'll be able to catch us up."

Dorcas wilted a little, head coming back down to face forward with a pout tugging down her lips. "I suppose."

Marlene looked disbelievingly at the group. "Are we really not going to talk about Avery?"

"Do we have to?" Mary asked with a shudder. "He's so creepy. "

"That whole group is destined for Azkaban," Lily murmured, shaking her head.

"Not if Lory gets to them first," Marlene countered, smirking.

Florence shrugged, "I already told you I didn't think Fernsby had the backbone to tell him no."

"Right, but going after his dad like that?" Marlene pressed, raising her eyebrows at Florence as if to prompt an explanation.

"Everyone knows the Sacred Twenty-Eight's inbred," a voice drawled from behind the group. Lily rolled her eyes, letting out an annoyed sigh through her nose as Potter, Black, Remus, and Pettigrew interspersed themselves amongst the girls. "After all, you're looking at someone whose father shagged his cousin. Thankfully all of the negative effects of my parents' decision to procreate saved themselves for Regulus. Florence snorted at this, and Marlene barked out a laugh. Even Lily's lips quirked up into a reluctant half smile. "I have to say, Saise, that was a thing of sheer beauty in there. I think I might have even fallen in love with you a little," Black grinned.

Florence rolled her eyes and shook her head, even as the grin stayed on her lips. "I hope you're prepared for heartbreak then. Pettigrew, I'd start collecting chocolate frogs now, he's going to need them."

A quick confusion crossed Pettigrew's face as he darted a glance at Black, as if to ask if Florence was serious. But his friend was too busy throwing a hand over his heart and staggering back as if wounded.

"Should I get some chocolate frogs too, Evans? Or are you planning on sparing my heart this year?" Potter asked, grinning winsomely at Lily.

She gave him a tight lipped grin back, tilting her head towards him. "You should get as many as you can and stick them in your bag. That way, every time you have even the faintest impulse to ask me out, you can take one out and shove it in your mouth to save us both the trouble."

With that, Lily brushed her hair over her shoulder and moved forward to link arms with Florence, turning them both around to march down the hallway and away from their heartbroken boys.

"I think there was progress," James said, piling potatoes onto his plate once the boys had sat down for lunch. The past forty-five minutes that they should have spent in Defense Against the Dark Arts had been devoted instead to James' eternal pining over Lily Evans. "She didn't call me any names."

"Didn't need to, mate," Sirius said, snagging the serving spoon from James. "Her face and tone of voice largely did that for her."

"Yeah? What'd it say?" James asked, raising an eyebrow as he watched Sirius spoon potatoes next to his sausage.

Sirius straightened up in his seat, pointing the spoon at James. "It said, James Potter, you are a complete tosser," he said, mimicking Lily's high voice, much to the amusement of both Remus and Peter.

James looked down the table to where Lily tossed her head back laughing at something Mary Macdonald said. The lack of outright animosity had been progress, but she still didn't look at him with even a fraction of the warmth she gave to everyone else. Lily caught sight of him and the smile slid from her face, settling into a look of pure disdain before she turned back to her friends and said something that made Marlene McKinnon almost spit out her pumpkin juice.

"Well at least I can say I'm trying," James protested, turning back to face Sirius.

"Trying what? To get Lily Evans to hex your arse halfway 'cross the country?" Sirius asked. "Because that is about the only thing you're set to succeed at with her."

James scoffed before growing serious.  "I'm trying to win the bet."

Sirius raised his eyebrows at his best friend, and even Peter seemed to have checked back in to the conversation. Remus however let out a groan and set down the book he'd been reading so he didn't have to listen to James going on about Lily. "I thought you two had given that up."

"It was just on hiatus for a while," Sirius dismissed, picking up his fork to dig into his lunch. "Because unlike Prongs, I don't have to spend years just to get Saise to tolerate being in the same room as me."

"And yet," James said, picking up his own fork. "You still haven't won."

"Well, I've been a bit too busy with other matters to be worried much about the birds?"

"Like what?" Remus asked, picking his book back up.

"Largely, being the family disappointment," Sirius remarked with some finality as he bit into his sausage.

James just laughed at this. "Please, you have about as much interest in dating as Saise does. One of you is going to call it quotes before you can even go public--let alone last two weeks."

"All I'm saying is that at least Saise doesn't actively detest the very sight of me," Sirius shrugged, taking another bite of his food.

"I'm making progress."

"Of course you are, mate," Sirius nodded, navigating the words around the mouthful of food.

James shook his head at Sirius, "Padfoot, when it comes right down to it , I don't even think you could get Saise out of her knickers, let alone date you."

Sirius scoffed. "Everyone can get her out of her knickers. Everyone practically has gotten Saise out of her knickers."

Remus looked up from his book, a frown tugging at his features. "That's an ugly thing to say Sirius," he scolded, but Sirius looked completely unrepentant.

"It's not like it's a secret that practically our entire year has shagged Florence. Everyone knows what she's like," Peter shrugged.

"Exactly. Thank you, Wormtail," Sirius said. "But if you're so certain I can't do it, Prongs, then you'd have no problem making a little add on to our bet. Right?"

"No problem at all," James said, smugly.

"Great," Sirius said, leaning forward on his elbows. "Let's talk terms."

[burgundykicks]

17. The black dog - aka SIRIUS

"I am someone who until recent event you shared your secrets with"

THE PRANK HOLY OMG STARTING OFF LIKE THAT

"I just don't understand how you don't miss me ,and the black dog ,when someone plays the starting line ,and you jump up ,but she's too young to know this song"

SIRIUS SINGING ABOUT REMADORA BECAUSE SHES TOO YOUNG TO KNOW THEIR SONGS.

"And I may never open up the way I did for you"

"I just don't understand ,how you don't miss me ,in the shower and remember ,how my rain-soaked body was shaking ,was it hazy"

"Old habits die screaming"

"six weeks breathing clean air, I still miss the smoke, were you making fun of me with some esoteric joke ,now I wanna sell my house and set fire to all my clothes"

THE SIRIUS BLACK SONG. MSKINGBEAN89 WE KNOW ITS YOU

18. "Haven't decided yet but I'm gonna get you back"

It's giving get him back by olivia rodrigo and I love it

"Bygons will be bygons ,eras fading into grey"

HER TURNING ALL HER SOCIALS GREY

19. "She's the death you chose ,you're in terrible danger"

Q a a"The devil that you know ,looks now more like an angel"

20. "You needed me but you needed drugs more and I couldn't watch it happen"

"If you wanna break my cold cold heart say that you loved me"

21. "Come one come all its happening again ,the empathetic hunger descends ,we'll tell no one except all of our friends"

22. This is giving a very specific vibe and I can't describe it but I love it

"Bittersweet sixteen suddenly"

NOT SO SWEET SIXTEEN? HAVE YOU EVER KISSED ANYONE REMUS?

"Are you gonna marry ,kiss or kill me ,it's just a game but really?"

23. "Quick quick ,tell me something awful"

Ok then ,Remus something awful has happened

"I read about it in a book when I was a precocious child"

"I'd say the 1830s but without all the racists and getting married off for the highest bid"

This every time we (marauders fans) say we wish we lived in the 70s but with yk ,rights

"Nostalgia is a mindstrick ,if I'd been there I'd hate it ,it was freezing in the palace"

"Moment sized city hopes and small town fears"

24. The title of this looks so funny

"Screamed 'fuck you aimee' to the night sky as the blood was gushing ,but I can't forget the way you made me heal"

REMUS TO SIRIUS AFTER THE PRANK.

"And it wasn't a fair fight ,or a clean kill each time that aimed stomped across my grave"

"Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman ,but she used to say she wished that she were dead"

Ok but James about euphemia

"But when I count the scars there's a moment of truth that there wouldn't be this if there hadn't been you"

REMUS ABOUT HIS DAD

"Screamed 'thank you aimee' to the night sky and the stars are stunning ,cuz I can't forget the way you made me heal"

25. "I look in people's windows ,like I'm some deranged weirdo ,I attend Christmas parties from the outside"

26. "And it was written, I got cursed like eve got bitten ,oh it was a punishment"

"Please ,I've been on my knees, change the prophecy"

"A greater woman stays cool ,but I howl like a wolf at the moon"

REMUSSSSSSS ,THIS WHOLE SONG IS REMUS ABOUT HIS LYCANTHROPY

27. "I pass it and lose track of what I'm saying ,cuz that's where I was when I gor the call"

"When the truth comes out it's quiet"

"So they filled my cell with snakes ,I regret to say ,do you beleive me now"

"They say what doesn't kill you makes you aware ,what if it becomes who you are"

Ok this but with trauma.

"The family ,the pure greed ,the Christian chorus line ,they all said nothing ,bloods thick but nothing like a payroll ,bet they never spared a prayer for my soul ,you mark my words that I said it first in a morning warning no one heard"

"When it's burn the bitch they're shrieking, when the truth comes out they're quiet"

28. ITS CALLED PETER.

"In closets like cedar ,preserved from when we were just kids ,is it something I did"

JAMES AND MARLENE TO PETER AFTER THEIR DEATH

"And sometimes it gets me ,when crossing your jetstream ,we both did the best we could do underneath the same moon ,but different galaxies"

"And I didn't wanna hang round ,we said it was just goodbye for now"

"Promises ,oceans deep ,but never to keep"

IN A SONG CALLED PETER? OHMYGOD

29. "By all accounts ,she almost drowned, when she was 6 in frigid water, and I can confirm she made a curious child"

"But as she was leaving ,it felt like breathing. All her fuckign lives ,flashed before her eyes ,it felt like the time she fell through the ice ,then came back alive"

30. I love the name Robin, def on my list of names for future kids

"Way to go tiger ,higher and higher ,wilder and lighter ,for you"

"You've got the dragon flies above your bed ,you've got a favourite spot on the swing set"

31. WE'RE AT THE END OMG

"She thought about how he'd said since she was so wise beyond her years ,it was all above board. She wasn't sure."

"The only thing that's left is the manuscript ,the souvenir from my trip to your shores"

Over 2 hours later and we're done omg

1. "I love you ,its ruining my life" WAS NOT EXPECTION THAT IN FORNIGHT ,A TRACK 1?

I absolutely love the beat tho and I'm so exited for the music vid

2. HOLY SHIT THIS GD TITLE TRACK IS GIVING RED TO ME?

LIKE CAN YOU HEAR THE RED? I MF LOVE IT

"This ain't the Chelsea Hotel ,we're modern idiots"

"You left your typewriter at my apartment ,straight from the Tortured Poets department"

NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING DAMN

3. "I clean up sandcastles he destroys"

NOOOOOOO

"Left all these broken parts ,and told me I'm better off"

STOP IT PLEASE

4. "For a minute I knew cosmic love ,now I'm down back crying at the gym"

TELL ME THATS NOT WOLFSTAR/JEGULUS CODED?!?!?

Actually this whole song is giving wolfstar

"Everything comes out ,teenage petulance"

SIRIUS AND THE PRANK

5. TRACK FIVE OH GOD

"How much sad did you ,think I had ,did I have in me?"

STOPPP HELPNO ILL CRY

(INTERRUPTION TO SAY SHES JUST ANNOUNCED 15 EXTRA SONGS HOLY FUCK?!?!?!? SHES A MACHINE BRO)

6. "I only know these people raise you ,to cage you"

THIS SONG OMDS IT HITS SO HARD

"I'm having his baby ,no I'm not ,but you should see your faces"

Giggled bc that's rlly funny

7. "Now pretty baby I'm running back home to you ,fresh out the slammer I know who my first call will be to"

AHHHHHHHH

8. FLORENCEEEEEE

"I need to forget so take me to florida ,I got some regrets ill Bury them in florida"

9. "My boredoms bone deep"

"Am I allowed to cry"

"Someone told me ,there's no such thing as bad thoughts. Only your actions talk"

"If its make beleive ,why does it feel like a vow"

MARAUDERS FANDOM THOUGH

10. "You don't get to tell me about sad"

NO OMG THE WAY SHE SCREAMS THE TITLE HURTS SO MUCH

"Is it a wonder I broke let's hear one more joke ,then we could all just laugh until I cry"

"Who's afraid of little old me, well you should be"

"So tell me everything is not about me ,but what if it is? Then say they didn't do it to hurt me ,but what if they did? I wanna snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made me. You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me."

Fuck

11. "But your good lord doesn't need to lift a finger ,I can fix him (no really I can)"

"He had a halo of the highest grade ,he just hadn't met me yet"

12. "Black and white ,all those plot twists"

The noble and most ancient house of black.

"I wish I could un recall ,how we almost had it all"

"It was legendary ,it was momentary"

13. TRACK 13!

"Cuz I'm a real tough kid ,I can handle my shit"

"Lights camera bitch smile ,even when you wanna die"

"I'm so depressed I act like it's my birthday everyday"

"I cry alot but I am so productive, it's an art"

"Cuz I'm miserable ,and no one even knows"

14. "Was any of it true ,gazing at me starry eyed"

"And I don't even want you back I just want to know ,if rusting my sparkling summer was the goal"

"And I would have died for your sins ,but instead I just died inside"

15. "Honestly ,who are we to fight the alchemy"

"This happens once every few lifetimes"

16. Last track before bonuses/the doubke album omgggg

"All your life did you know, you'd be picked like a rose"

"No one in my small town thought I'd see the lights of manhattan"

"You look like ,stevie nicks in 75 ,the hair and lips ,crowd goes wild at her fingertips ,a half moon shine ,a full eclipse"

MARAUDERSMARAUDERSMARAUDERSMARAUDERS

"Promise to be dazzling"

"You look like taylor swift in this life were loving it ,you've got edge she never did ,the futures bright ,dazzling"

I'LL POST A RANKING WHEN I DECIDE BUT AHHHHHH

[maraudersbutmuggle]

Mary and love

Content Warning: Sexual Assault, Toxic Masculinity.

Love is fake. Mary believed in passion and attraction. But love, as such... Mary hadn't experienced it. And it was fine, because she didn't suffer.

Her mother, Delilah, lost the love of her life. But after a short time, she got over him and was with another man. So Mary didn't believe in love.

Maybe love was simply passion and attraction. And people invented another word to give people hope. But passion and attraction passed. It was ephemeral.

So that was why when James said "I love you", Mary panicked. Boys could say a bunch of ridiculous things after sex. They got tired and stupid.

So Mary started avoiding James. Mary had fancied James since they were eleven. And she didn't understand why Lily wouldn't like him back. And when they started dating at the end of last summer, Mary thought she was so lucky. Now she was thinking maybe Lily was right. James was a bit intense.

It isn't his fault. Mary thought. Why can't you love him back?

Mary liked him. And maybe now she realized, she liked him just as a special friend.

So that was why Mary was crying in the main patio. Because she decided to break up with James.

"Why are you crying?"

Mary jumped with the sound of that voice. She thought she was alone.

"Nick..." she said "We girls cry. You wouldn't understand"

Nicolai Mulciber wasn't exactly a sensitive boy.

But surprisingly he sat next to Mary.

"I wanted a fag" he explained.

Mary shrugged as he lit it up.

"Potter is an imbecile" Nick whispered

"Ha?"

"If he makes you cry, then he is an idiot"

Mary stared at Nicolai.

"It wasn't James. He is a gentleman" Mary sighed

Nicolai shrugged "Whatever"

"How come you're not making jokes about me or saying something stupid about my boobs?"

"It was one time" Nick said "And I'm not that bad. I do respect women crying"

"Okay, whatever" Mary sighed, ready to get the hell out of there.

"I'm just saying..." Mulciber said "If you were my girlfriend, I wouldn't make you cry"

"I told James didn't..."

"Potter is blind or what? You're beautiful"

Mary sniffed "What?"

"You are a pretty bird" Nick looked at Mary's lips "That's all"

Mary was stupid. She was out of her mind. Because she kissed Nicolai Mulciber right there. Nicolai Mulciber. The asshole with record of being a fuck boy who made innapropiate jokes to girls. But fuck, the way he was stroking Mary's chin, gently, showed her another side of him.

But Mary pushed him away because: James.

"I... I have to go" she said. And stormed out of there before Nick could answer.

And now Mary was avoiding two boys. But somehow, she couldn't get Nicolai out of her mind. And she couldn't keep hurting James.

So Mary broke up with him.

"But... but I don't understand... I love you..." James' eyes filled with tears.

"Oh Jamie" Mary said "You don't love me. You just think you do"

"But I do"

"You're just attached to me because I was your first. And you're mesmerized by the good sex..."

"Pfff.... That's not true"

Mary smiled and stroked his cheek.

"I had a good time with you. And I know you too..." Mary said "But I think you're looking for someone to get married and have babies with... And I am not that girl"

"Well.... fuck..." James sniffed.

Mary smiled. James was too adorable. She kissed him for the last time.

"I want us to be friends, okay?"

James nodded.

"And besides, you can go back to droll for Lily"

James snorted.

"I don't fancy Evans anymore"

Mary raised an eyebrow.

James sighed "Friends it is"

Nicolai's intense stares from his table, made Mary shiver. She couldn't avoid fancying him. And wanting to kiss him again.

"Come to the next Knights' party" he told her secretly as they crossed in the halls.

Mary bit her lip.

"Those parties have a reputation, you know?"

"Everyone is thrilled to come" Nick said "Plus... I promise you will have a good time"

Mary tried not to smile "And why should I trust you?"

"Just come" Nick grinned "And you'll see why"

Mary didn't tell Lily and Marlene about the party of course. They would kill her. So she went by herself.

And Nicoali smirked when he saw her. They were flirting with their eyes. As they had done for days. And Mary pretended not to be interested. She moved through the party dancing, and pretending to ignore him. She knew Nick was staring.

"I propose...." The Knights leader, Justin Rosier spoke to the crowd "Nicolai Mulciber" he grinned at him "and...." his eyes landed on Mary "Mary Macdonald for Seven Minutes in Heaven"

Mary had heard rumours about The Knights playing that silly game. But she didn't believe it was actually true. She snorted.

"Is there a way to say no?" Mary joked.

But nobody laughed.

"Alright" she walked with Nicolai to the little Janitor's closet.

She was grinning, the door closed. But when she heard the lock, her smiled disappeared.

"Now do to me what you've been doing to me with your eyes, Macdonald, eat me"

Nicolai got closer.

"Okay..." Mary snorted "The joke is over. I'm really claustrophobic, so let me out"

Nicolai didn't answer. He just stared at her.

"Nick..."

"What's the problem?" he asked "You're a little whore anyway. Don't play the saint now"

Mary was getting uncomfortable. She swallowed.

"The space is too close here"

"That's better" Nick got closer. He began kissing Mary's neck.

"Nick... I don't like this, okay?" she said "Can we go somewhere else?"

"Shut up, Macdonald..." he said "You're a whore with everyone and not with me?"

Nick's hands were everywhere. And all Mary could do was try to push him away. But he was pressed against her. His hard member there.

"I'm not a whore..."

"WHERE IS SHE?" Mary heard a familiar voice outside "WHERE IS SHE? ASSHOLES!"

"Your little whore friend is having fun" a voice said and many laughed.

"Marlene?" Mary asked "MARLENE!!!"

Nicolai covered her mouth.

"Sh sh..."

"MARY?" Marlene knocked the door "OPEN THE DOOR!! OPEN THE BLOODY DOOR!"

"OPEN THE DOOR OR I'LL CALL THE TEACHERS" Lily's voice said "Sev..."

"Alright... Open the door..." Severus Snape said "It's just a funny game"

Mary didn't even know he was a Knight. He was Lily's friend.

"I'll determine that newbie" Rosier said

"Fuck. I'll call McGonagall right now" Lily warned "I have her in speed dial"

"Open the door" Rosier ordered

"FUCK" Nicolai murmured.

When the door was opened, Mary ran towards Marlene and Lily. They hugged.

"Mary, are you okay?" Lily asked.

"You came to a bloody Knight Party, Mary. Are you insane?" Marlene added

And Mary swallowed her tears.

"What's the problem?" Nick dared to ask "We were just having fun"

"You call this fun?" Marlene asked

"Seven Minutes in heaven is a Knights' tradition..."

"Shut up, Rosier"

"What, Madonald?" Nicolai asked "Did I force you to enter with me?"

Mary turned to look at him in surprise. She hated him. She hated him so much. And she hated herself for ever fancying him.

He was right. She had been flirting with him. She kissed him first. She followed him to this party, like a puppy. She wanted to get into that closet with him. She wanted to fuck him.

She was a whore.

"Yeah..." Mary said with knot on her throat "We were just having fun"

Nick smiled. And Mary wanted to vomit. Instead she turned to the girls.

"Let's go girls. I'm done with this party"

Mary pretended to be okay, as they got to The Gryffindor's Common Room.

"Nicolai Mulciber, Mary... Why?" Marlene asked

"Just leave her, Marlene"

"Nick Mulciber was a total mistake" Mary faked a smile "The Knights are not mature enough for me"

"Are you sure, you're okay?" Lily asked again.

"What happened?"

And The Marauders were there, worried.

"What are you doing awake?" Lily asked like a scolding mother

"Bloody homework. This year is shit, Evans" James said "Why are you awake?"

Seeing James, made Mary feel stupid.

"You're a bit pale, Macdonald" Sirius raised an eyebrow

"Honestly, I'm fine" she said "I'm just tired"

"Where were you?" Remus asked

"Knights Party" Mary shrugged "They are children. Playing stupid games"

"The Knights?" James asked "Don't get into those parties, girls. They are idiots"

"Trust me they are" Sirius said "My father was one"

"We weren't there. Just Mary"

"Noted" Mary shrugged "Can I go to sleep, please?"

Mary got into the dorm. In auto pilot.

"I'm having a shower" she said to her dormmates.

She got undressed and got into the shower. The hot water warmed her body. And then the tears came.

And Mary knew love didn't exist. At least not for her.

Mary didn't know why she was afraid of Mulciber. That bloody asshole who laughed with The Knights. He was just a kid, Mary figured. So immature and stupid.

One day, Mary woke up feeling beautiful and sure again. She put makeup again. And wore the Uniform as she used to.

"I'm done being sick" she told her friends who were starting to get worried.

James almost went and killed Nicolai when he found out about their Seven Minutes in Heaven.

Mary approached Nick while he was with his friends.

"Hey Nick..."

Nicolai snorted when he saw her. "She just can't stay away from me" he whispered to his friends, they laughed "What do you want MacDonald?"

Mary kicked him in the balls. Nicolai crumbled down in pain. His friends laughed at him. Between them was Snape. Mary wanted him away from Lily.

"Now listen to me while your balls are in pain" Mary said "I'm not afraid of you anymore, Nick. You're a sad excuse of a boy. You seek attention like a baby. And I feel sorry for you. Yes, sorry. Because you want me so badly it hurts you. And you fell in love with me. But you'll never had me. I'm too much of a woman for your miserable self. And that pisses you off.... And also, you have a tiny dick. I've seen it" Mary smiled proud of herself.

The Knights laughed amused. Except for Snape. Nicolai clenched his teeth. He looked hurt.

"Have a nice day boys" Mary winked and walked away.

She was never gonna let a bloke hurt her again.