#* WANTED ( jasper pettigrew. ) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

satansapostle6 · 2 years ago

Text

folie à deux

Sometimes poison is sweet.

Selina Romanov and Draco Malfoy met when they were only eleven years old. The two of them have always shared an intense bond, always having gravitated towards one another. But the question still remains, as the years pass by, is their connection one of passion, or delusion?

Warnings: Contains Mature Themes/Language, Themes Such As Sexual Content, Violence, Abuse, Sexual Assault, Eating Disorders

Fifteen.

The rest of the term went by fast. Professor Lupin had eventually resigned as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, to avoid the school being criticized for appointing a werewolf. Gryffindor had won the House Cup, and Slytherin was miserable. Selina hadn't seen Marcus Flint since they day of his disciplinary hearing, but he'd still been allowed to graduate as a seventh-year. Peter Pettigrew was free, but so was Sirius Black, and so was Buckbeak. Selina had heard that Harry had been sent a brand new Firebolt to replace his broken Nimbus 2000, which had been delivered to him in addition to a long, grey feather.

The day the train left for London, Selina was sitting in a car with Jasper, Amana, and Draco, all of them enjoying a quiet moment together before summer officially began. Draco's fourteenth birthday had passed just a couple of days ago, and they had decided to celebrate with sweets on the train before going home.

Draco Malfoy loved sweets, and Selina of course knew this. They had bought just about every variety of sweets sold on the trolley, stuffing their faces as they laughed and talked. Selina had allowed Draco to play with Freya, saying goodbye to her before the next school year.

Jasper had surprisingly been alright with spending time with Draco. Of course, he was still angry at him about the Valentine's Day party, and he still hated him a bit, but he was currently able to at least spend time with him without punching him in the face. This, Selina figured, was a good start.

As the Hogwarts Express passed through different regions on the way back to London, Amana and Jasper had both eventually taken their naps, leaving Selina and Draco awake across from one another. Both of them seemed troubled to the other, not saying much as they looked out the window and indulged in various candies.

"Something on your mind?" Selina asked Draco.

"I don't know," he muttered, fixed on the view outside the window. "I'm just... Not happy, is all."

"Well. I can't say I am, either," Selina admitted guiltily, glancing over at Jasper peacefully sleeping on her lap.

"Right. Flint," Draco murmured, seeming to feel almost guilty for complaining himself. "I can't believe they allowed him to fucking graduate. He should be in Azkaban for what he did."

"He's not the only one," she sighed indifferently. "Tell me what's on your mind," she invited him.

"Nothing," he replied simply, a hint of bitterness in his tone. "Nothing's on my mind."

"Come on, Draco," she tried to convince him. "How many times are we going to have this conversation?"

"A million times, because you never seem to get it," he rolled his eyes at her.

"I think your problem is that I do get it," she pointed out.

Draco avoided her gaze completely, an angry, pouty look on his face.

"Is that so?" he deflected.

"You miss her," Selina continued softly, "Don't you? Pansy?"

"I don't want to talk about her," he cut her off, casting a spiteful glare in her direction.

Draco resented her question.

"You don't have to act like you don't regret what you did," Selina whispered. "I know you do."

He closed his eyes forcefully, shaking in his seat as he tried to put the Valentine's Day party out of his mind.

"I said I don't want to talk about this," he muttered, looking back down at the cat laying on his lap.

"Fine. Shut me out," Selina sighed, joining him in looking out the window and avoiding eye contact. "I'm only trying to help you."

"That's the thing," Draco argued, "You don't help. You meddle, and you muck things up, and you make me feel like the worst person in the world."

"I could never see you as the worst person in the world," Selina Romanov replied, aghast.

"Maybe not, but being around you, I feel like a piece of shit," he snapped back at her.

"Well, have you ever though that, perhaps, that has absolutely nothing to do with me?" she asked expectantly.

Draco grew more angered by the conversation by the minute.

"Do you have the answers to everything?" he asked her, trying to sound bored.

"How would you know?" Selina snapped. "You hardly listen anyways."

"And you're surprised I never want to talk to you about things?" he scoffed.

Selina scowled angrily. "You're the one who got all defensive with me!"

"You're the one who started hounding me about Pansy!" he argued, seeming irritated that he'd been tricked into saying her name.

"Fine, you win," she sighed. "We don't have to talk at all on the way to London. We'll be silent the entire time. Is that what you want?"

She stared at him patiently, saying absolutely nothing for about a solid five seconds before Draco found himself agitated by it.

"Hey, that's not what I meant!" he protested. "It's awkward now...!"

Selina stared back at him, completely blank.

"Damn it, Sel! Just say something already!" Draco Malfoy demanded.

Selina naturally said absolutely nothing, now looking out the window as she ignored him.

"Sel!" he cried. "Selina! Talk to me! Say something, right now!"

Selina held in her laughter, not saying anything as she sat across from him.

"Damn it, Selina! You win! Just say something already!" he commanded. "It's not funny!"

She struggled to stifle her laughter as he yelled at her, waking up Amana.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded.

"Selina won't talk to me!" Draco complained. "It's annoying!"

"What else is new?" Amana Tesfaye rolled her eyes, throwing a blanket over herself as she went back to sleep.

Selina laughed heartily, happy to be able to smile again.

"Lighten up, will you?" she chuckled, as if nothing had happened.

Draco considered it for a moment, a faint smile appearing on his face as he realized that Selina was, in fact, smiling. He observed that she had been smiling more ever since the night Sirius Black escaped, something that definitely gave everyone more hope.

"Where are you going once we reach London?" Draco continued the conversation.

"Home," she responded.

"Well, yes, I gathered that much," he stated, "But where? Are you going to live with Igor?" he asked her.

"Not quite yet," Selina responded, disappointment in her tone. "He wasn't able to get custody of me in time... I have to go home to my grandmother. At least for now."

"Hey, you don't have to do that," Draco said worriedly. "You should've told me. I could've written to my parents, they'd take you in in a heartbeat—"

"It's okay. It's fine, Draco," she reassured him gently. "I can handle it. I lived with her for eight years, I can handle a little while longer."

"I don't like you living with her, Sel," Draco admitted uneasily. "I don't think you're safe with her."

"I can handle myself," Selina promised, a look of unwavering courage in her greyish eyes.

"That's not what I'm worried about," he reminded her.

"It'll be okay. Igor said it shouldn't be longer than a month," she remarked.

"Okay. Well. If something happens, you tell me," Draco told her. "I'll tell my parents, and they'll take care of it."

"It'll be okay," Selina whispered.

He studied her, almost saddened by the fact that she actually seemed convinced of this herself. They sat in the train compartment until they arrived at the station in London. Selina, Jasper, Amana, and Draco all grabbed their luggage as they headed off of the train in their Muggle attire, ready to start their summer.

"Goodbye, Mana," Selina wrapped her best friend in a hug. "Have fun in Dubai. I'll write you soon."

"I will. I'll write whenever," Amana promised. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Selina held her close.

"I'm sorry about everything," the girl told her. "I still can't believe what Elspeth did. If I would've known, I could've—"

"Hey. It's not your fault," Selina smiled, holding her friend's hands.

"Thanks," Amana chuckled. "It's not yours, either, you know," she reminded her thoughtfully.

"Yeah. I know," Selina nodded. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"See you soon. Love you," Amana said goodbye to her as she joined her parents.

Draco Malfoy was standing around with Crabbe and Goyle, attempting to seem somewhat busy with friends as his parents waited for him on the platform.

"Now I have you all to myself," Jasper grinned, chuckling as he hugged Selina.

"Easy. We're still in public," she giggled happily.

"Are you sure you can't come for dinner tonight? My mum says she'd love to have you over."

"I would if I could," Selina sighed, "But... something tells me I'll have to work out a lot of things with my grandmother tonight."

"Yeah, that's understandable," Jasper Carroll nodded, looking down at the ground. "Just... let me know how it goes, okay?"

"I will," Selina promised, looking up at the taller boy. "But I'll be fine."

"Yeah. You will," Jasper nodded, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you," she whispered, meaning to keep it private between the two of them.

He smiled as he kissed her, holding her face in his hands as he relished in the moment. "I love you like I've never loved anyone. You're the only reason I never want to be alone anymore."

"I'll always love you," she vowed, slowly releasing his hand as she walked away to where her grandmother had arrived near the Malfoys. "I'll write you tonight."

"Alright. I look forward to it," he told her, walking off to find his parents.

Selina sighed, bracing herself physically and emotionally as she and Draco decided they couldn't stall any longer.

"I hate your grandmother," Draco Malfoy whispered to her.

"Me too," Selina muttered, looking at her with no emotion.

The two of them approached the adults, waiting to leave King's Cross.

"Dominique," Narcissa greeted stiffly.

"Narcissa," Dominique Morais frowned.

"Hello, Gran," Selina sighed reluctantly.

"Hello, disappointment," the old woman said.

Draco's hand clenched into a fist as he tried to contain his reaction, much like his mother.

"Hi, Selina," Narcissa smiled warmly, her demeanor changing completely. "How were your finals, dear?"

"Pretty good, thanks," she responded politely. "I've got a good feeling about them."

"That's good," Lucius Malfoy chimed in, arm resting on his wife's back, "Do keep in touch over the summer. We're always here if ever you should need anything."

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind," Selina thanked him courteously.

"No need. She's got me," Dominique smiled proudly, forcibly wrapping an arm around her daughter.

Selina was sickened by her grandmother's touch, immediately shoving her off of her as she took a couple of steps to the right towards Draco. He looked at her uncomfortably, trying to decide whether or not he felt like cooperating with her request to behave amicably.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked her quietly.

Selina nodded quickly. "Don't worry about it."

"You're sure?" he asked skeptically.

"It's fine," Selina muttered, still looking at her grandmother with nothing but contempt.

*****

Selina and Dominique went dead silent the moment they left King's Cross station, the both of them no longer being watched by the Malfoys. They had returned to the Romanov Estate, where Selina desperately wished she could've been living with her Uncle Igor.

Selina was exhausted, both physically and otherwise, upon her arrival at the manor. She had entered hoping she wouldn't have to endure interacting with her grandmother any longer, tiredly setting down her belongings as she prepared to pick them back up again and walk up to her bedroom.

She took a deep breath, wishing that she could sigh out every bad thought she'd had since the morning. But, she had no such luck. Selina tried to sneak off to her bedroom with her trunk and other belongings, before she heard her grandmother's shrill, grating voice calling for her from the den.

"Selina!"

Selina's skin crawled as she stopped in the foyer, setting her belongings down once again.

"Sorry, Freya," she apologized to her cat in her crate, "It'll just be a moment."

Selina felt bad for the cat, and would've set her free immediately if it weren't for her grandmother, who definitely had a track record of being a danger to any small animal Selina held dear. Reluctant to interact with her but not wanting to risk ignoring her, Selina entered the den where her Dominique had been restlessly pacing the perimeter of the room, a crystal glass of brandy in her hand.

Selina was tentative to enter the room completely given the indescribably 'off' energy in the room, standing in the doorway anxiously.

"You called me, Gran?" she said, sounding on edge.

"Yes," Dominique responded, gingerly sipping her third drink of the day, "I wanted to have a talk with you. A family discussion, you know? We never discuss things anymore."

Selina had no response to this. Of course, the one that first came to mind was 'I wonder why', but she prudently refrained. She deduced that her grandmother already had brandy to stoke the flames of her fire.

"I think we still have some things we need to talk about," Dominique continued, stopping near the black curtains by the window.

"Like what?" her granddaughter asked quietly.

"Is it really true what they're telling me?" Dominique Morais asked, her tone bitter and icy. "That you would rather live with that low-life brother of your father's than with me?" she questioned.

Selina gulped, trying to swallow her fear and sadness. "Gran, I'm not talking to you about this—"

"I raised you!" the woman boomed over her, making Selina's blood boil. "I fed you and clothed you for eight long years, and you've been nothing but ungrateful!" she roared.

Selina didn't know whether or not it was worth it to set her straight, or if she should just mentally curl up into the fetal position until her grandmother was done yelling, the way she usually did. Of course, Selina would often mouth off in response to this disrespect, but still more often than not, she would just allow it to happen in the name of pacifism.

"Do you hate me?!" Dominique snarled at her, the last sip of brandy swishing around in her glass as she gestated wildly. "Do you want to spit in my face this way?!"

Selina Romanov was shaking, struggling to contain herself.

"I think you already know the answer to that," she hissed softly.

"Why?" Dominique demanded. "Why do you get to hate me, hmm? Why do you get to hate me, when I'm the one who has to look at your face every day?! Why do you get to hate me when it's you my daughter died defending!"

"Because I was a child!" Selina boomed, not caring if she was stooping down to her grandmother's level. "I was a child, and I saw my father murder my mother! In what scenario are you the victim?!" she demanded.

"You are not the victim, you are the devil!" Dominque hollered in hysterics. "I don't believe in the devil, but I believe you are the devil! You were born evil, you were born cursed!"

"I was a child!" Selina repeated angrily.

"You break everything you touch!"Dominique wailed, her glass dropping to the ground as she broke out into a fit. "If it weren't for you, your mother would still be alive, you evil, malevolent child!"

"How am I evil?!" Selina asked the same question she'd been asking for the past eight years. "What have I don't that is so unforgivable, aside from 'murdering my mother'?!"

"You commit evil every day you breathe!" Dominique growled. "Ever since you were born, their have been omens! My garden ended up completely wilted the day you were born! Your mother lost my mother's necklace a week after that! Your Aunt Laverne died of a 'mysterious illness'!"

"You're blaming Aunt Laverne's death on me?!" Selina exclaimed in disbelief.

"I won't have it, you're the devil!" the woman insisted. "I know it was you who stole my china last week!"

"I wasn't even in the country last week, let alone at home!" Selina cried.

"Oh, I know it was you, you evil, unclean child!"

"You're mad!" she scoffed loudly.

"Only because you made me!" Dominique shouted at her. "The day your mother brought you home, I knew you were cursed. I knew it!" she insisted.

Selina just watched her screaming fit devolve into a psychotic mania, unsure of how to handle it.

"I looked into your eyes, into your soul, and I saw nothing but darkness!" Dominique raved. "I told your mother her child was no good, I told her she should've smothered you with a pillow right then and there, but she wouldn't listen! And now, look where she is! Dead!"

"Don't you talk about Mum that way!" Selina yelled. "Mum loved me! More than she ever loved you! You abused her! You called her fat, and stupid, and ugly, and lazy all her life, and even when she was a child, you beat her! That's why Grandpa killed himself, because he couldn't stand to watch you do it anymore!"

"Don't you talk to me like that! I did what I did so she wouldn't turn out like you!" Dominique snarled. "But it hardly worked. Your mother came out lazy, and stupid, and pathetic. She needed me, but she never listened. That's how she ended up dead. Because she loved you!"

"You're insane," Selina spat, "You don't scare me anymore! I'm not a kid!"

"You know, every time I look at you, I hate you just a little bit more," Dominique narrowed her eyes at her. "I used to think it was because you're the reason why my only daughter is dead... But that's not it. You really are just that loathsome. You're ugly, and evil. But you're stupid, and lazy, and you'll never amount to anything. You'll never be as good as your mother at anything."

"You hate Mum until it's time to insult me!" Selina huffed. "The only reason you care that she's dead is so you can say I killed her."

"Everything I do, you criticize!" Dominique scowled. "You never appreciate anything I do for you!"

"Because it always comes with a price!" Selina yelled. "You keep me alive, but just so you can remind me of how much I owe you. You feed me, but you call me fat when you know I'm underweight."

"The only reason you could ever be underweight is because of me," Dominque sneered.

Selina's mouth was agape as she stared at her in disbelief, unable to process what she'd just heard.��

"Is that supposed to be a good thing?!"

"See here! Everything I do goes unappreciated!" the woman screamed.

"You do nothing that deserves appreciation," Selina murmured spitefully, "If my mother was still alive—"

"She'd say how... wrongly you turned out!" Dominique spat out. "My daughter was the top of her class! She would've hung herself in shame if she knew that she'd given birth to a godforsaken harlot!

"Gran," Selina warned, unable to steady her breathing, "If you bring that up—"

"Excuse me?!" she scoffed. "Who are you to threaten me, you ungrateful child! You disgust me! Running about throwing yourself at every boy who looks your way!"

"I told you, Marcus Flint raped me!" Selina felt herself getting lightheaded.

The room was shaky, and she felt as if she could've fainted, if it weren't for the rage keeping her conscious.

"I don't think it's possible to rape you!" Dominique boomed. "Who could possibly want to rape you, anyways?"

"Shut up!" Selina shouted back at her. "Shut the fuck up!"

"See?!" Dominique screeched uncontrollably. "Ungrateful!"

Selina broke down in tears, no longer able to contain her rage at everything she'd heard. No matter how much she told herself what Dominique said wasn't true, it still pained her to hear them. She grasped at her heart lightly, feeling faint as she felt her chest tightening.

"I've raised and cared for you for eight years, and now you're ready to run off with Igor!" Selina's grandmother screamed.

"Because Igor doesn't make me want to kill myself!"

"You should take your own life!" Dominique yelled. "You'd be doing all of us a favor! Every day you continue to breathe is another day of misery!"

"Fuck you!" Selina sobbed, her entire body shaking as she fought the urge to keel over.

"You don't want to be my family anymore, Selina... So now, I have to do what I have to do to preserve my family," the crazed woman said in a shaky whisper. "If you don't want to be my granddaughter anymore, then why are either of us still here?!" she sobbed hysterically.

None of the things Dominique said made any sort of sense, but Selina knew that that was truly the logic circling around in her head, because it was about to cause her entire home to catch on fire.

"No, Gran, please!" Selina shouted over her, "Listen to me!"

"No! There's no reason either of us should live any longer, we might as well perish here together! As a family!" Dominique screamed. "Selina! Help me light these curtains on fire!"

"No!" Selina screamed, not even knowing what spell to cast to stop this. "Are you mad?!" she sobbed.

"Damn it, Selina, I knew you'd be a disappointment to me until the very end!" she roared. "Incendio!"

The curtains rapidly caught fire, and Selina could hardly remember how to contain it through her tears. She knew that she wasn't allowed to use magic outside of school, but in this case, an exception certainly had to be made.

"Aguamenti!" Selina countered it as efficiently as she could manage under duress.

But she hadn't expected her grandmother, someone very vocal in their stance against Dark magic, to begin conjuring Fiendfyre.

"Pestis Incendium!" she hollered. "Pestis Incendium!"

"Gran!" Selina screamed, ducking as quickly as she could. "You can't just conjure Fiendfyre! Stop it! I'm begging you!"

"The hell I can't!" the woman spat.

"Stop it!" Selina screamed.

"Pestis Incedium!"

The entire room was engulfed by horrid cursed flames, taking on the shapes of serpents, dragons, and Chimaeras, all rampaging the room in a fit of rage. Selina was adept at combative magic and knew how to counter many different forms of attacks, but she didn't know how to fight Fiendfyre. Snape had taught her nothing about that so far.

Selina ducked for cover, trapped in the room as monstrous flames blocked the only entrance to the den. She covered her face and head with her arms, hoping her hastily conjured Shield charm would be enough to protect her. Although it seemed to work, it also seemed to be slowly eating away at Selina's shield.

Selina cried and cried as she tried to protect herself, not even aware of anything beyond herself. In that moment, she didn't even know what was happening to her grandmother, nor did she care. She had begged her grandmother not to conjure the Fiendfyre, not because she couldn't fend off an attack from her, but because she knew even Dominique would have no control over it.

Fiendfyre was known to be incredibly difficult to both conjure and control. Even if one was able to conjure it, being able to control it was not a guarantee. Selina knew that her grandmother would lose control of the spell, and neither of them would be able to stop it from spreading. Selina now knew nothing but fear, cowering in a small circle created by her shield as she prayed for it to be over.

Selina wasn't exactly sure how long she remained huddled in the fetal position surrounded by her shield in Fiendfyre. But she knew that it had been hours, at the very least, before anyone could even notice what was happening in the Romanov manor, because it was so secluded in the mountains. Selina sat huddled in the middle of the room, hugging her knees, sobbing and screaming for an unnatural amount of time.

By the time the entire ordeal was over, she didn't even remember how she had gotten pulled out of the manor, kicking and screaming defensively because she had no idea what was going on. She had to take Igor's word for it when he told her just that she was safe.

Selina awoke in St. Mungo's Hospital, groggy, exhausted, and completely unaware of her surroundings. She sat up in her bed, in a state of total confusion as Igor practically jumped up to help her.

"Hey, hey, hey," he murmured, gently pushing her back down onto the bed, "Selina. You're alright," he promised her, trying to calm her down as she tried to jump out of bed and run off.

She was still in a panic.

"How—" Selina didn't even know what questions to ask. "What happened?" she looked up at him, a dazed look in her eyes.

"It's alright. You're safe now," Igor Romanov assured her, allowing her to adjust. "We got you out of the manor."

"What happened?!" she questioned worriedly. "Where's Freya—"

"Freya's alright, Selina, I have her at home. She's alright," her uncle promised, his voice soft and soothing. "And so is most of the manor, for that matter. The fire was contained to the den."

It had just now occurred to Selina that she had really been caught in a fire.

"What?" she asked, remembering that the Fiendfyre that was conjured was a result of her grandmother's recklessness. "How is that even possible?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Igor admitted, "But... magic like that, it tends to respond to the conjurer's will, you know? And it definitely seemed like the thing your grandmother was focused on destroying was—"

"Me," Selina finished the sentence, a grave look on her face.

Igor nodded, unable to come up with anything to say that would change that fact.

"Yes."

"What happened to her?" Selina asked finally, "Gran."

"She's dead," Igor said calmly, looking her in the eyes as he searched for a reaction.

Selina didn't really have one. Although her eyes watered a bit, it was her tone that revealed why.

"Good," she murmured, realizing that, although she felt no physical scars from the ordeal, she did feel a decent amount of emotional ones.

"The Minister himself saw to it after that that you could live with me," Igor shared the better news with her. "If you still want to, that is."

"Of course I want to," she promised, the light returning to her eyes. "Finally. Something good comes out of this."

Her uncle nodded sadly, trying to figure out what else to say.

"How long was I asleep?" Selina questioned, looking around at the hospital room.

The expression on Igor's face was apologetic, as if he felt guilty about something. Why, Selina didn't understand.

"You, erm... You got home from school on Friday," he explained to her slowly, hoping to ease her into it. "No one found you... until Wednesday," Igor told her.

Selina stopped for a moment, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"You mean, I...?"

"I'm sorry," Igor said with tears in his eyes, his voice cracking slightly, "I was on my way to the manor on Wednesday, and someone told me they heard screaming, inside the manor. I rushed in, and... When I got past the Fiendfyre, I found you on the floor, with the Shield Charm. Screaming. You didn't sleep for days, and you were delirious," he spoke softly.

Tears welled up in Selina's eyes as she listened, refusing to believe what she was hearing.

"I sent an owl to the Ministry, and they dispatched Aurors to deal with the Fiendfyre. Dominique was already dead, and... they dealt with your shield, but they couldn't get you to move.

"You couldn't stop screaming, but your voice was gone. You were in a lot of pain. They gave you a Sleeping Draught to sedate you, and they told me it was best to just keep sedating you until you recovered," Igor retold the story.

Selina thought for a moment, repeating his every word in her mind as she tried to wrap her head around what had happened.

"So, you found me Wednesday," she thought aloud. "What day is it now?"

Igor frowned apologetically. "It's Tuesday."

Selina lightly touched a hand to her throat, just now realizing that it still burned when she spoke.

"Oh."

That was all she had to say, was 'oh'.

"I wrote to your friends the day after we brought you here," Igor said, trying to lighten the mood. "Just to let them know you were okay. Your friends and your boyfriend all wrote to you while you were... stuck in the fire, and they were getting worried when you didn't respond. So I made sure they knew what happened, and that you were okay."

"Oh," Selina tried to absorb the information, "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," Igor promised, nodding his head to her bedside table, which was full of various gifts and cards she'd been sent. "Those are from your friends. You can dig in whenever you like."

"Thank you," Selina said again. "For everything."

"I love you, Selina," her uncle told her, fighting back tears, "And I'm so sorry..."

He broke down, quietly crying in front of her as she watched him sadly. She knew how guilty he felt because of what her grandmother had done.

"I never should've left you," he choked out, "I should've never let her take you—"

"I-It's not your fault," Selina croaked out, in spite of her sore throat.

She and Igor sat alone in silence, with him sitting in the chair he'd parked just a few feet away from her bed. His face was buried in his hands, as he tried to console himself, assuring himself that everything was okay. The two of them were interrupted by the door opening, as a Healer entered the room.

"Mr. Romanov?" she spoke softly.

Igor turned to look at her.

"Ah, Miss Romanov, you're awake. How are you feeling?" the young woman asked her.

"I'm... I'm alright," Selina managed, "Considering."

"I hear you," the woman offered sympathetically. "Miss Romanov, the Minister of Magic is here to speak to you. If you're not feeling up to it, I can tell him—"

"That's fine," Selina said politely, "I'm fine."

"Alright," she nodded. "I'll let him in."

"Thank you," Igor nodded to her, watching as she walked away. "You're sure you're feeling up to it?" he asked Selina.

She nodded, unbothered by the idea.

"You don't have to talk to Fudge if you don't want to; I can tell him to fudge off for you," Igor assured her humorously.

"No, it's okay," Selina told him. "I could kind of use the reassurance that I'm not in trouble for using magic outside of school anyways."

Igor frowned sadly, his heart breaking for her.

"Selina, I promise you that was the last thing on anyone's mind," he whispered. "Everyone's just glad you're alright, and that you didn't get hurt..."

"I know," she promised him, trying to reassure him.

"I don't know what I would've done if something happened to you," he said. "I'd feel responsible."

"You don't have to," she reminded him.

"No, I do," he stated. "I know you're not as familiar with it as you should be, but that's what a parent should do. Fuck, almost all your life you've been denied a real parent, and I wasn't there—"

"You were," she told him adamantly, "It's not your fault."

"I'm the adult, Selina," Igor reminded her, "I knew the kind of person who became your guardian, I should've done something. I could've saved you a lot of trauma, and I didn't."

"It's okay," Selina breathed out, looking at him as she sat up in the bed, "I forgive you."

Igor looked at her apologetically, his eyes tearing up as the Minister of Magic interrupted their conversation.

"Hello, Selina," Cornelius Fudge said cheerfully as he entered the room.

She and Igor both glanced over at him, watching him as he entered.

"I do hope you're recovering alright."

"Yes," she responded, "Thank you."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Romanov," the Minister apologized awkwardly, "Would it be alright if Miss Romanov and I could speak in private? It would just be for a moment, you see."

Igor looked to Selina for an answer, a protective aggression in his eyes. "Selina? Is that alright?"

She nodded quickly. "Sure. No problem."

"Okay. Call me if you need anything," he said as he stood, keeping an eye on her as he left the room.

Selina watched as Igor quietly shut the door behind him, sitting up higher to face the Minister.

"How are you feeling, Selina?" Fudge asked pleasantly. "I do hope they're taking good care of you here, I made sure to tell them to treat you with care myself."

"I'm fine, thank you," she nodded. "What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked him.

"Oh, nothing too horrible, don't worry," he assured her. "I just came to let you know that the Auror Office handled the Fiendfyre incident at the manor as quickly as they could. I apologize that they couldn't get to you quicker... The manor is quite far from any other residences, you see..."

"I know," Selina agreed. "I understand."

"It is my understanding that Dominique Morais perished in the fire," Fudge spoke calmly. "So evidently, there is no one to be held responsible."

Selina followed along, not saying much as she listened.

"I'm not in trouble for using magic, am I?" Selina asked him.

The Minister seemed almost appalled by the idea, shaking his head profusely. "No, no, of course not. The Ministry is very sympathetic to your situation, and is aware that you only acted out of necessity, in self defense. Rest assured, there will be absolutely no consequences, and our greatest sympathies are with you," he said, sounding almost rehearsed.

"Thank you, sir," Selina nodded.

"Oh, no need, Selina," Cornelius Fudge waved her off with a smile. "I, and others at the Ministry, were just concerned for your safety."

"Well... Thank you," she replied awkwardly.

Fudge nodded, seeming satisfied. "I just need your confirmation that it was your grandmother, Dominique Morais, who conjured the Fiendfyre, and attempted to murder you."

"Yes," Selina nodded. "That's what happened. My grandmother... We got into an argument, because my uncle was trying to obtain custody of me, and she got angry and set the room on fire."

"Yes, that's what we had figured," Fudge agreed, a regretful grimace on his face. "I believe that Ms. Morais had garnered something of a... reputation for herself, shall we say?"

Selina nodded, not saying a word.

"I think that'll suffice as far as a formal statement is concerned. The Ministey doesn't wish to impose on you any longer," he smiled warmly. "I'll leave you to rest."

Selina nodded again, trying to put the entire ordeal behind her, and failing. "Thank you."

Cornelius Fudge nodded courteously, leaving the room as Igor immediately returned to Selina's side.

"Are you okay?" he asked automatically. "He didn't bother you, did he?"

"No," Selina shook her head, sinking back into her own head, "He was nice. Just checking up on me, and taking a quick statement."

"Good. You need time to recover," Igor said. "What you went through... I understand if you're not feeling okay."

"I... I'm fine," Selina told him, racking her brain. "I don't feel anything yet. I can't."

"Just give yourself time," he offered kindly. "I spoke to the Healers. They know you're awake. They said once they make sure you're alright, you can come home."

"Okay," Selina nodded, glad to no longer be in the hospital.

"Only thing left to figure out is where that actually is," Igor told her, an empathetic expression on his face. "The paperwork went through. I have full custody of you, as your guardian. I also now have the deed to the manor, until you're of age," he explained.

Selina thought for a moment, realizing that after her grandmother died, she inherited both the Morais estate and the Romanov estate, or at least what she inherited from her father.

"We can live wherever you want. We can go back to the manor, or somewhere else, if you don't want to go back there. I'd understand if you didn't," he said gently. "But, you don't have to give me an answer now. We can stay at the Leaky Cauldron, or a hotel, if you'd prefer..."

"Can we...?"

Selina had a lot of conflicting emotions regarding her childhood home, about her mother, and her father, and her grandmother, but really more than anything, she just missed her bedroom.

"Can we just go home?" she asked him. "To the manor?"

Igor smiled, nodding softly. "Of course. Wherever you feel most comfortable, okay? Just let me know if you ever change your mind."

"Okay," she agreed.

"I'm going to leave you alone. I'll go fetch the Healer in a bit. You just rest for a while, okay?"

Selina nodded gratefully, watching as he left. Sighing, she turned to her bedside table to distract herself. The table was full of cards, flowers, and gift baskets from Jasper and her friends, full of food, candy, and other various gifts. She picked up the cards first, worried about what Jasper and her friends might've had to say. She knew they must've been extremely worried, especially considering what had happened to her.

Selina opened a letter from Amana, holding the parchment with care as she realized just how worried her best friend must have been.

'Oh my God, your uncle Igor told me what happened. I'm so, so glad you're alright, I'm so sorry about what happened. I love you so much, and I'm so glad they got you out okay. I hope you're recovering alright, I'll leave you to rest. Don't feel rushed to write me back. Just focus on getting better. I love you, Selina.

- Amana'

Selina sighed, opening the letter that Jasper had written her, already overwhelmed by everyone's emotions.

'Selina-

I'm so sorry I didn't know what happened. I can't believe what your grandmother did. I'm just relieved that you're alright, I don't know what I would do without you. I don't mean to alarm you, I'm just relieved that you're safe, and with Igor. I love you more than I could ever say, and I hope they're taking care of you at St. Mungo's. Write me if you need anything, anything at all. My parents said I can visit whenever you feel up to it.

They told me to write you, and my brothers are also glad to hear you're alright. They all wish you the best, and are glad you're safe. I don't mean to worry you. I love you, Selina, very much, and I'll see you soon.

Love,

Jasper'

Selina sighed sadly as she hugged the piece of parchment close to her chest, relieved that she was alive to reassure him. As typical as it sounded, she knew that the idea of her dying and deserting Jasper and the rest of her friends terrified her.

Selina read through the other letters that were written her by Draco, Blaise, the Malfoy family, and Kelly, and even Pansy and Daphne, all wishing her well after hearing what had happened. Draco and his family in particular seemed horrified at what Dominique had done, offering her their condolences and their help as she assumed they would.

But Selina's heart dropped when she discovered one final letter, addressed to her from Elspeth. Seeing the letter made her blood boil, and so she didn't open it. Instead, she tossed it aside with the rest of her belongings, temporarily refusing to acknowledge its existence as she eventually returned to the Romanov manor with Igor.

Although Selina was perfectly capable of keeping up appearances, nodding and laughing accordingly as she was spoken to. But even as she maintained her composure, as she and Igor silently entered their empty manor, it still haunted Selina that she could've died. Selina had been just good enough with her magic to save herself even when her grandmother had perished at the hand of her own spell, but she knew that one wrong move, and she could've met the same end.

It was all she could think about as she returned home to a house that was, mostly, the same, except for the den, which Igor had made the executive decision to block off until it could be recovered. But even Selina knew that it would be, at best, nearly impossible to recover the room from Fiendfyre damaged.

She sat down on her own bed again after months of being away at school, sitting down with her parchment and quill as she replied to all of the letters she'd received while in St. Mungo's. She replied to Jasper, Amana, Draco, and his parents, as well as Blaise, assuring them all that she was feeling fine and trying to schedule visits with them all over the summer.

She had planned to sit down and write all of these letters, in order to reassure all of her friends and loved ones that she was alright, but she also sat on her bed, deciding to write one final letter.

'Hello. It's Selina.

I'm not sure if you heard about what happened, but there was a fire at my manor, but I'm alright. My grandmother's dead, but she was also the one who conjured the Fiendfyre. I think we have some things to go over; I was fine this time, but next time might not be the same. I hope you're well.

- S.R.'

Selina folded up the parchment, placing it in the envelope as she carefully addressed it, spelling out 'Severus Snape' in perfect penmanship on the back of the envelope.

After her grandmother's owl delivered the letter, Selina sighed as she slumped back down on her bed. She sat in silence for about a full minute, staring at nothing as she tried to quiet the thoughts in her mind. But it seemed there were just too many of them.

Selina defeatedly dug under her bed, peering underneath as she tried to locate what she was looking for. After a while, she reached under her bed, pulling out the half bottle of brandy she'd swiped from the liquor cabinet months ago. She figured her throat was already sore. Selina popped it open as she threw her head back, forcing down the burning warm alcohol as she stifled the sickness that was burning in the depths of her stomach.

Selina knew that Igor was right; she did have a lot of trauma already, and she wasn't anywhere near done living her life, no matter how much she wished she was at times. Somewhere in her mind, Selina knew that she just happened to be one of those people who were dealt an unlucky hand. She was just one of those people who, despite their best efforts, seemed to come up with nothing but problems and pain in life.

She was miserable, but she wasn't necessarily devastated at this point. Selina just knew that, while some people slept easy at night, others went to sleep with a bottle of wine and hoped they didn't wake up in the morning. She sat up in her bed taking small swigs of brandy while staring hard at the walls of her bedroom, until she'd taken enough sips to just sit there and cry as opposed to just sitting there.

The bottle of bourbon was almost empty after a few hours, and Selina just stashed it underneath her bed once again, frowning at the fairly unpleasant taste that lingered in her mouth. She was too lazy and also hated herself too much to just take a mint from the tin on her bedside table, and just cried for the rest of the night.

Usually, when Selina cried, the tears lasted for about an hour at most, but this time, they didn't seem to stop. Fueled by exhaustion and warm brandy that was sure to make her feel sick, Selina laid in her bed crying for the rest of the night, which had seemed normal enough to Igor as he passed by her bedroom before going to bed himself with his nightly glass of wine, unaware that his niece had a heart like his that had to be accompanied by a hard-working liver.

*****

Weeks had passed. Summer grew warmer, even in the mountains. Selina and Igor were about in the same state, both depressed for their own various reasons, many of which were interconnected. The only reason either of them knew where they were was because they hadn't left the manor since they'd arrived in mid June. It was now early July.

Selina Romanov had woken up about an hour after her uncle Igor, at about two o'clock in the afternoon. Igor was sitting slumped in a chair in one of the many rooms in the manor, listening to a record they'd both heard maybe ten times all the way through in the past week. Not sure what else to do, Selina sat beside him, watching him as he lazily crushed a cigarette in the ash tray on the coffee table.

Actually looking at him, she realized that Igor didn't look too great. Although he was eating a healthy amount, he still looked as if his entire body had swollen up from doing nothing but lying in bed and sitting around drinking wine all day. Despite spending most of his days in bed until the afternoon, Igor Romanov didn't get much sleep, which was reflected in the now almost purple bags under his eyes.

His beard had grown even more stubbly than usual, expanding up his cheeks and down his neck. He looked, and smelled, somewhat disgusting, and Selina was sure she probably did as well. She hadn't been sleeping much either, and when she did, it was always after a decent amount of wine that she'd stolen from the wine cellar.

Luckily for Selina, her parents' wine cellar was filled with so much wine that the cellar was comprised of multiple filled rooms. It was stocked well enough to support both her and Igor for at least another year or two. Selina and Igor were both rotting together, something that she couldn't help but romanticize just a little bit. Out of everyone she'd ever met, it was Igor who truly understood her suffering, even without actually understand it.

Selina watched him as he lit up another cigarette with his wand, beginning his chain smoking for the day. Igor smoked so much that, instead of going out for cigarettes every time he ran out, he had been sending a weekly payment of five galleons to a store in town by owl in exchange for weekly deliveries of four packs of cigarettes. He took a long drag from his second cigarette of the day, blankly listening to the song playing off of one of his favorite records.

Selina interrupted his thoughts, although it took him longer than it should have to notice.

"Can I have one?" she asked her uncle.

He just looked at her, no discernible expression on his face.

"How old are you? Fifteen?" he asked.

"No. Fourteen now," she corrected him, not really hoping for any particular outcome.

"Oh, hell," Igor sighed, just giving up and tossing her the pack along with a lighter, "You'll be buying them yourself in a few years anyway, if you aren't already."

Although she understood that his parenting was a bit questionable, Selina also knew that Igor had a point. She sighed as she stuck a cigarette in her mouth, lighting it up as she passed Igor back his things. She paused, taking one long inhale before letting the smoke slowly waft out. Igor watched her in amusement, a vaguely uncle-like expression on his face.

"I take it that wasn't even your first cigarette?" he asked.

"It's my first cigarette with you," she offered, making him laugh a bit.

"Good enough," Igor nodded approvingly, staring forward at nothing in particular.

The two of them sat in silence, just barely living with themselves as they listened to the song that was playing.

"I know you go down to the wine cellar," Igor said after a moment, his tone not particularly accusatory.

Selina studied him silently, confused by his nonchalance towards the subjects.

"You've seen me go down there?" she questioned, knowing she always went down to the wine cellar in the mornings, before her uncle woke up.

"No," he shook his head, pouring himself another glass of wine. "That's not how I know."

"Then, how do you know?" she questioned, not wanting to play a guessing game with him.

"Because," Igor said, "You're my niece."

Selina realized that Igor empathized with her the same way she empathized with him, almost romanticizing the sadness of their situation.

"And, you're not going to stop me?" she asked him.

"Right now? No," he decided, emptily looking down at the glass in his hand. "I'm not a parent. I don't know how to be a parent. As long as you're coping, and you're alive, and you're doing okay in school, I don't have the energy to stop you," he admitted.

Selina nodded silently, knowing how defeated in life Igor felt at the moment.

"You're... not afraid I'm going to ruin my life?" she asked curiously, knowing how most adults should think.

"You're a Romanov," Igor scoffed bitterly, "The work is already done for you."

"How so?" she asked him.

"Well," her father's younger brother sighed slowly. "You get your little drinking habit from me, and your dad. We get it from your grandparents. They got it from my grandfather, and so on," he offered.

"Yeah, my gran made sure I knew that," Selina muttered.

"Yeah, I'm sure she did. Point being, as long as you were gonna grow up around at least one Romanov, you were gonna turn out at least a little bit fucked. All of us are various degrees of fucked, you see," Igor explained, "But not all of us come out with a little bit of genius to go with it. Your father definitely didn't, in most areas. But I did, and so did you. You got a lot of it, in fact."

"I suppose you're right," Selina considered his outlook on things.

"Look. You and me, we're both incredibly fucked up, but we've also got prospects. I built my company up from the ground, and sold out so I could retire before I hit forty," he reasoned. "At that point, no one cared if I had to snort up in the bathroom every morning to do it. Either way, I was a genius."

"So you're just fine with me doing that?" Selina surmised.

"No," Igor said quickly, "If I catch you doing the shit I was doing, I'll kill you. But this? Cigarettes? Wine? It's not great, and I definitely wish you'd gone down a different path, but hey, sometimes, that's just breakfast."

Selina just stared at him as he spoke, unsure of whether this man was a genius or a complete idiot. She decided it was ultimately both, which was something they had in common.

"I was a businessman, you know, Selina. I'm not bragging, I'm just saying... three out of four blokes I did business with did exactly what we're doing right now, just in suits. As long as you're doing this in a proverbial suit every day, you can do it all you like. Am I making sense?" Igor questioned, already a bit intoxicated.

"Only to me," Selina said softly, making him laugh harder than was necessary.

Igor sat there, laughing, as he enjoyed her company, while deep down still knowing that he had nothing better to do with his life even as an adult man. They both smoked their cigarettes in silence, until Selina put hers out on the small ash tray after a while.

"Selina?" her uncle spoke up.

"What?" she asked curiously.

He frowned. "Do you think we need a change of scenery?"

"Like what?" she questioned. "Going out into town?"

"No, no," Igor shook his head, "I mean, long term. Like, a summer holiday," he proposed.

Selina thought about it, realizing she hadn't been away on holiday in years. And now that Igor was her guardian, that was an option.

"Where to?" she wondered.

"Anywhere," he scoffed, "Did you forget I'm rich? Did you forget we're rich?"

"Good point," she thought, actually excited about something for the first time in what felt like months.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked her. "Somewhere new? Somewhere you've been before?"

"Can we go to France?" Selina piped up, the light returning to her eyes for a split second. "To my mum's estate, and to Paris?"

"Why not!" Igor threw his hands up in excitement, "Nothing's stopping us! We could leave right now, if we wanted to."

"Let's save it for July," she suggested, "We could plan it out, and stay out there for while. I mean, we're rich, and it's summer. France is where we're meant to be."

"You're a genius!" Igor exclaimed, laughing gleefully as he contemplated the idea. "Let's do it! We could be gone for a month, and still be back in time for the World Cup! In the meantime, we should get out more! Go to places, do things! You should plan a visit with Jasper, and your friends."

"Maybe I will," Selina nodded, "I suppose I could use some fun."

"Yeah," Igor nodded, listening to the music that was playing for a moment. "Say. You still like The Vampyres?" he inquired.

"Yeah, they're my favorite band! Always have been, because of you," she responded.

"I just remembered. They're gonna be in London this weekend. One of my friends is an Auror, she does security for them. She could get you tickets," Igor thought. "You should invite your friends."

"Are you serious?!" Selina gasped.

"Yeah!"

"Why don't you come?!" she questioned. "You love them."

Her uncle waved her off dismissively. "Oh, I've seen them loads of times. Besides, you could use a night out with friends. It'll do you good."

Selina nodded, sitting with him in silence for a moment as they both realized that, for the first time in months, neither of them really felt the need to drown out the sound of their own internal monologues.

*****

Selina and Amana had both gotten front row tickets to see the famous wizard band, The Vampyres, which included exclusive backstage passes. Selina had left the manor by Portkey with a flask of Firewhisky she'd snuck in with her purse, feeling like her old self again. She'd told Jasper about her plans with Amana, which even made him happy to know that she was beginning to feel like having fun again.

Selina and Amana were standing right in front of the stage of the London venue, jumping around with everyone else to the loud, booming alt rock music that was playing. The band was decked out in black and covered in silver jewelry as always, genuinely looking like what people believed vampires looked like. Selina and Amana were dressed not unlike the band, in dark, rugged tops and skirts, both of them sporting black leather boots and smoky black makeup. But still, they seemed to be dancing and jumping around to songs about murder and sex just fine.

Selina had gone out in her white fur shawl that had belonged to her mother, looking just as rich as she was.

"We're so fucking close!" Amana yelled to Selina over the music as they both sang along to one of their favorite songs.

The concert was almost over, and it was almost time for the two of them to head backstage with the band. They were now standing up onstage, off to the side with all the other people who had VIP tickets. They watched excitedly as the band played their last song of the night, ending with the song everyone in the audience had been waiting for.

"Hey!" Amana yelled, pointing across the stage.

At first Selina thought she was pointing at a band member, but she had actually been pointing at someone in the crowd.

"Is that Draco?!" Amana Tesfaye screamed.

Selina squinted, looking beyond the flashing red lights on the other side of the stage.

"Yeah! It is!" she realized, spotting his pale blond hair and black suit from a mile away.

"And Blaise!" Amana realized. "I didn't know they were coming!"

Selina stared at Draco, trying to see who he was with to see if it was, in fact, Blaise Zabini.

"Oh, yeah!" she nodded. "Wait. Is that...?"

"No!" Amana gasped loudly, still barely audible over the music. "Pansy! Are they talking again?!"

"How should I know!" Selina exclaimed, rolling her eyes.

The two of them waited for the song to be over and the venue to clear out before security allowed everyone onstage with the band. Many people were gathered in various spots onstage, some waiting to get their pictures taken with the band, and some just staring excitedly.

Amana handed the large gold flask back to Selina, who swigged it heavily before attempting to help her find their friends. To her surprise, it was Pansy Parkinson who had waved them over.

"Hey! Selina! Amana! Hey!" the girl cried, her voice somewhat hoarse from screaming all night.

Selina gulped down the last sip of Firewhisky left in the flask before stuffing it back into her purse, figuring she'd need it.

"Hey, Pansy!" Amana exclaimed, as Selina followed her over.

Draco and Blaise were both distracted by the band, watching them as they took photos and signed autographs, leaving only Pansy. Luckily, Amana and Pansy were now on fairly good terms, as far as Pansy goes, just as she and Selina were on decent terms.

In fact, Amana was actually on even better terms with Pansy than Selina was. The two of them were now practically friends.

"How are you?!" Pansy exclaimed, hugging Amana.

"I'm alright, you?" Amana asked.

"Oh, I'm good," Pansy nodded, "Draco invited me out tonight..."

"Did he? That's fun!" Amana replied, slowly burning through her forced pleasantries.

"Hey, Selina!" Pansy exclaimed, wrapping Selina in a surprisingly tight hug.

She seemed to already have a few drinks in her.

"Hi!" Selina blurted out, caught off guard by the embrace.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm good," Selina said emptily, a pleasant smile plastered on her face.

Pansy smiled warmly, seeming genuinely concerned with Selina's wellbeing. "Good! It's so good to see you, I'm glad you're okay."

"Yeah... God, that was such an amazing show," Selina quickly changed the subject.

"Yes! I love The Vamps, I just started getting into them more this past year or so."

"Hey, Blaise! Hey, Draco!" Amana greeted both of the boys as they returned.

"Hey, Mana," Blaise gave her a friendly hug.

"Hey. Long time no see," Draco remarked, offering her a side hug.

He turned to Selina, who only raised an eyebrow, grinning as she subtly glanced at Pansy for a split second. Draco waved her off, silently assuring her that he'd inform her later. He walked over to where she stood, giving her a hug as they exchanged greetings.

"How are you? It's been a minute," he said kindly.

"I'm alright," Selina promised.

"Mother's been asking about you a lot. Thanks for the letter you sent her and my father, by the way."

"Of course," she nodded, "That was really nice of them to write to me."

"Yeah, they love you," Draco nodded, looking around the stage. "Have you met the band?"

"No," Selina shook her head, "I've only been to one of their shows."

"Aw, Blaise knows the band!" Draco told her. "He can get us up there. You two wanna come with us?" he looked between her and Amana.

"Fuck yeah!" Amana exclaimed, looking to Selina, who nodded in agreement.

They all followed Blaise toward where the band was standing. Most of the fans who had come to the stage for photos and autographs had been sent away by security, so the people remaining were mostly other VIP's. Blaise was waving to the band, until he eventually caught the attention of La Rue, the band's bassist.

Selina and Amana both gasped excitedly, realizing that Blaise knew her. She looked exactly as she did on the cover of various magazines, with her long, black hair and bangs, and her various tiny tattoos scattered all over her pale arms. She had her eyebrow and lip pierced, and didn't wear much makeup apart from her smoky black eyelids.

"Oi! Zabini, right!" the young woman beamed, speaking in a noticeable Cockney accent.

"Yeah, that's right!" Blaise nodded with a grin. "These are my friends."

He turned to address the group, as Anastasia clapped him on the back in a friendly manner.

"My mother knows their manager. We had the band over for a party a while ago," Blaise told them.

"Yeah, I love this kid!" Chloé La Rue wrapped an arm around him playfully, "Pours the best shots, he does!"

"My mother's been forcing me to serve party guests since I was six," Blaise explained.

"So, what are your names?!" La Rue asked cheerfully, already a bit drunk ever since she got onstage.

"This is Draco, Pansy, Amana, and Selina," he pointed.

"Bloody hell," the bassist blurted out, stopping as she looked at Amana and Selina, "You two look like models. Are you models?" she questioned, realizing that she was, in fact, intoxicated.

"No," Amana laughed, "We're still in school."

"Fuck, are you really?!" La Rue laughed. "How old are you lot? Seventeen?"

No one said a word.

"Ah, you're all seventeen tonight!" the young woman jeered, brandishing a cup of something that only looked like water. "Who wants to meet the band?!"

Everyone seemed to be on the same page as she nodded approvingly.

"Excellent! Come on," she led them over to where the rest of the band was. "I'm La Rue, by the way, I play bass."

"As if we didn't already know," Pansy whispered, as everyone else seemed to agree.

Selina and the others instantly knew who everyone was just by looking at them. Apart from La Rue, there was Johnny Fane, on lead vocals and lead guitar, Belladonna on lead vocals, Wolfgang Blackwell also on bass, and Saber Voltaire on drums. All of them looked just like rock stars, and Amana felt as if she'd died and gone to heaven.

"Guys, these are my mates, Johnny, Saber, and Belladonna," La Rue said humbly, not assuming that any of them knew who they were at all. "Boys!" she wrangled the rest of her band mates, despite one of them also being female.

Draco was just excited as the rest of his friends to meet the members of his favorite band, although he tried his best to hide it. But even Selina couldn't deny that she was a bit starstruck. After all, The Vampyres we're one of the most popular alt rock bands in the world.

"Look at Belladonna," Selina whispered to her best friend, "She's beautiful."

Amana nodded quickly in agreement, admiring the beautiful, raven-haired woman with enchanting ocean blue eyes.

"This is... lemme think, sorry ladies and gets, lots of drugs in me system... Blaise, Draco, Pansy, Selina, and Amana, is that right?" she recited in a random order.

Everyone nodded, confirming that she was correct.

"Great! These arseholes are partying with us, yeah?!" La Rue asked them.

Blaise nodded as the rest of the group agreed automatically. They all followed the band backstage, into a room covered up to the ceiling with framed posters from various world famous shows that had also taken place at the venue. The room had a grungy feel, with random people and random alcohol scattered all over.

It was a free-for-all; no one in particular was in charge, meaning anything goes. The actual band members ended up seated on the leather couches, with the exception of Wolfgang Blackwell, who was in a corner surrounded by people as he engaged in a mixture of yelling and smashing glass bottles on the ground, something he also often did onstage.

Selina and Amana stifled their giggles as they and their friends sat on the couches with the band. Pansy was seated on Draco's lap, both to save room for the other people seated on the couches, and to signify that she was attending the party with him. Amana's eyes widened as Selina ended up seated next to Belladonna, the band's female lead singer, who was very down-to-earth and offered the girls German beers, which they all accepted. The boys poured Firewhisky for themselves, sipping it as they sat with the band.

Selina could hardly believe it as Belladonna, one of her favorite singers of all time, turned her attention to her.

"Bloody hell," Belladonna murmured. "We could be sisters."

Amana Tesfaye gasped silently as Selina attempted to remain cool, smiling graciously.

"Really? Because you really are beautiful," she complimented the singer.

"Ah, I appreciate that very much," Bella chuckled in her deeper, contralto voice. "But you really are beautiful. Are you part Veela?" she asked, lowering her voice so that no one else could hear.

"Erm, yeah," Selina nodded, "But it's distant, you can tell?"

"Oh yeah," she responded without hesitation. "I'm part, too."

"Really? I thought that was just a rumor," Selina remarked in surprise:

"Yeah, I am," Bella nodded. "My great-great-great grandmother, or something, was a quarter."

"Wow. I can see it," Selina nodded, looking into her blue eyes.

"Oi, can I bum a cigarette?" Amana asked her friend.

Selina nodded, pulling out the pack in her purse as she took one out for each of them. Although she easily could've, she never snuck cigarettes into Hogwarts, so she'd had the same pack in her room since she'd first gotten it the summer before.

"Are those King's?" Bella pointed in surprise.

"Yeah," Selina chuckled nervously, "You want one?"

"Yeah, I'll take one!" Bella nodded, "Thanks! Fuck. I don't meet a lot of people who smoke King's."

"They're the best!" Amana cried, lighting her cigarette after Selina.

The both of them were in complete shock, unable to believe that they'd had the opportunity to share a cigarette with one of the best female singers in the world.

"Oi," Belladonna murmured, gesturing with her finger for the girls to listen closely, "You girls are all underage, right?"

"Yeah," Amana said quietly, worried.

"Okay. Just stick close to us," the young woman murmured, "And while you're at it, make sure Saber knows you're underage. He's a bit slow, and a hopeless romantic. Not a good combination."

"Really?" Amana's ears practically perked up, as Selina smacked her across the stomach.

"You lot know how you're getting home, right, right?" Bella added.

"Yeah," Selina assured her, "Those three have a Portkey, and so do we. She's spending the night at my place," she said, referring to Amana."

"Alright, good," the young woman nodded, "Just making sure, you know? Fucked up shit happens to girls at shows. I should know," she muttered.

Selina and Amana both nodded understandingly.

"Cheers to that," Selina held up her beer as the other girls followed suit.

"Alright. Now, who's ready to get fucked up?" Belladonna asked, pausing as she considered who she was speaking to. "...Within reason, of course?"

With that being said, the group of friends enjoyed their night partying with The Vampyres and some of the other people backstage that the band was close to. The Vampyres were quite an interesting-looking group of people.

Johnny Fane, one of the lead singers, had short, cropped black hair and tattoos all over his arms, hands, and neck. He looked exactly like the frontman of a band. Out of everyone, he had the most neutral personality, his only interests being beer, various drugs, and his music, albeit not in an insufferable way.

His counterpart Belladonna was tall and athletic, with a beautiful, ethereal quality to her, with her long black hair, blue eyes, and perfect creamy skin. She was very different from La Rue, the only other girl in the band; black hair was the only thing they had in common. Bella was a very calm and serene person, also reflected in her speaking voice, which gave her an air of mystery and allure. She was considered one of the most beautiful women in the alt rock genre, although that didn't seem to be something she concerned herself with.

La Rue was closer to the average height, with bangs and eyes so dark no one could ever discern her irises from her pupils. She was very thin, her drug use much more apparent than in Bella. She wasn't necessarily wild, but she certainly had an edge to her. Apart from Wolfgang, she was one of the band members more likely to be involved in a brawl, even if it was onstage, and during a performance. Despite being thin and almost sickly, La Rue was fairly muscular, resembling Wolfgang in that respect.

Wolfgang Blackwell was tall and somewhat bulky. He looked the most like an authentic rock star, with long dark hair and various tattoos that were all somewhat sloppy. He had an insane look in his eyes, and was almost feral-looking. Wolfgang looked like he chewed on broken glass, and he probably did, too. He was aptly named, considering that he did look almost animalistic in his appearance.

Saber Voltaire was much more soft-looking than the rest of the band, although he still had an edge to him. He was tall and lean, the only other person in the band taller than him being Wolfgang. He was about six feet tall, with longer, dirty blond hair and cool blue eyes. He was thin to the point of appearing to be unhealthy, and looked like a walking cigarette. Amana had had a childish crush on him ever since she was ten, and even Selina had to admit that he had an appeal. Saber was quiet, and didn't speak too much. He also constantly looked as if he were about to cry unless he had a cigarette in his mouth, which actually seemed to work for him.

Amana and Selina had the time of their lives sitting around with the members of one of their favorite bands. Countless pictures were taken of them all with the band, some of which would eventually end up in magazines. But Selina and Amana already garnered attention at the party, many of the male partygoers being drawn to them as they searched for beautiful girls.

Selina was glad that they both stayed glued to the band, particularly La Rue and Belladonna. As the night went on, they all drank a small amount with the band, having fun but remaining in control of all their faculties just in case. Eventually, photos of all of them jumping on couches with the band and screaming song lyrics were developed.

There were also plenty of pictures taken of Draco and Blaise both just a little bit genuinely drunk. They all left with all sorts of pictures, of Selina, Amana, and Pansy, or pictures of Selina and Amana, or Selina and Blaise, all laughing and smiling with their arms draped around one another lazily. Later on, Selina found pictures of her work all of her friends, including a picture of her, Draco, and Pansy, all smiling wide for the camera and looking like stars next to the band.

Her favorites were, of course, the pictures of her and her friends smiling with the band, as well as a photo of her sitting on Amana's lap next to Draco Malfoy, who for some reason ended up with both Pansy and Blaise on his lap, and was smiling as he wrapped his arms around both of them like little children. It was a fun night, a genuinely memorable night full of smiles and laughter, something Selina had completely forgotten about and almost given up on for the moment.

#draco malfoy fanfiction #draco lucius malfoy #draco x reader #draco fanfiction #draco malfoy imagine #draco malfoy #hpdm #draco x reader angst #draco x y/n #draco x you #draco malfoy x you #draco malfoy x y/n #draco malfoy x reader

3 notes · View notes

classica-meretrix · 3 months ago

Text

"You can never be overdressed or overeducated"

Characters I Write For ⋆ ˚｡୨୧˚

below are the characters I write for! this is always subject to change, and even if you don't see a character on this list, most of the time I'll write for other characters from that piece of media if requested.

characters are listed by the piece of media they're from! the first section is characters I write for platonically and romantically, the second section is characters I write only platonically.

if you want to send a request, read here!

Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus

・❥・Percy Jackson, Luke Castellan, Jason Grace, Leo Valdez

Harry Potter

・❥・Harry Potter, George Weasley, Fred Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Cedric Diggory, Charlie Weasley, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Petter Pettigrew, Regulus Black, Theodore Nott, Mattheo Riddle, Lorenzo Berkshire

Criminal Minds

・❥・Spencer Reid, Derek Morgan, Aaron Hotchner

Scream

・❥・Stu Macher, Billy Loomis, Ethan Landry, Chad Meeks-Martin

Outer Banks

・❥・JJ Maybank, John B Routledge, Pope Heyward, Rafe Cameron

Star Wars/Hayden Christensen characters

・❥・Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, most clones/Bad Batch characters, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo

・❥・Sam Monroe, Stephen Glass

Shadow and Bone

・❥・Nikolai Lantsov, The Darkling, Kaz Brekker

Twilight

・❥・Jasper Cullen, Jacob Black, Embry Call, Seth Clearwater

Wednesday

・❥・Tyler Galpin

The Secret History

・❥・Henry Winter

Lab Rats

・❥・Chase Davenport

Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus

・❥・Nico Di Angelo, Annabeth Chase, Piper Mclean, Hazel Levesque

Criminal Minds

・❥・Penelope Garcia, Elle Greenaway

Scream

・❥・Tatum Riley, Tara Carpenter, Mindy Meeks-Martin

Outer Banks

・❥・Kiara Carrera, Sarah Cameron, Cleo Anderson

Star Wars

・❥・Padme Amidala, Ahsoka Tano

Shadow and Bone

・❥・Alina Starkov, Genya Safin, Zoya Nazyalensky, Nina Zenik

The Secret History

・❥・Camilla Macaulay, Francis Abernathy

#navigation #masterlist

1 note · View note

hiddenwashington · 1 year ago

Text

anonymous said : I’m really interested in bringing some characters in, but I’m struggling to pick them! I hope this isn’t a big ask, but do you or your members maybe have any most wanted from Shameless, Cobra Kai, Grey’s Anatomy, Twilight, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Princess Diaries, Supernatural, Twilight, Merlin, The Vampire Diaries/The Originals or The Walking Dead? Face claim suggestions also welcome if there's any that you think specifically fit perfect!

glad to hear it ! from some of those fandoms , we've had recent requests for : jimmy lishman , kevin ball , mandy milkovich , karen & shiela jackson , sammi slott , & the remaining gallaghers ( specifically ian , carl , debbie , liam , frank , & monica ) from shameless ; jackson avery , bailey & derek shepherd , maggie pierce , stephanie edwards , jack gibson , sheldon wallace , & cooper freedman from grey's anatomy / station 19 ; jasper hale , any of the remaining volturi , riley biers , leah & seth clearwater , & benjamin from twilight ; peter pettigrew , the bloody baron , travers , the prewett twins , edgar bones , caradoc dearborn , benjy fenwick , some weasleys ( specifically george , fred , percy , ron , lucy , & hugo ) , angelina johnson , albus severus potter , & a dorcas meadowes's sibling oc from harry potter ; uther & merlin from merlin ; alaric saltzman & some mikaelsons ( specifically finn , klaus , esther , & freya ) from the vampire diaries ; & carol peletier , rick & rj grimes , michonne hawthorne , gracie , eugene , abraham , princess , connie , mags , & glenn rhee from the walking dead ! however , if you'd like fcs , we have to ask that you narrow the list down to about 2 or 3 before we look into them.

#mw #fandom rpg #city rpg #appless rpg #mumu rpg #admin aria #anonymous

1 note · View note

vermiscauda · 2 years ago

Text

⁺₊✧· Navigation ⁺₊✧₊⁺ Photos ⁺₊✧₊⁺ Musings ⁺₊✧₊⁺ Threads ⁺₊✧₊⁺ Rat Memos ·✧₊⁺

Full Name: Peter Edward Pettigrew Age: 21 Birthday: February 28, 1957 Zodiac Sign: Pisces Blood Status: Halfblood Animagus: Grey Rat Sexuality: Bisexual Affiliation: Order of the Phoenix House: Gryffindor Year: Tenth Major: Care of Magical Creatures Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland Currently living: Hogwarts Faceclaim: Jack Wolfe Height: 5'9" Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown Scars: - Tattoos: none. Parents: Finley & Maeve (nee Abbott) Pettigrew Siblings: none. Extracurriculars: Rat Race Club President, Astronomy Club, Dueling Club, Care of Magical Creatures Club Wand: 12", Willow, Unicorn Hair, supple Patronus: Grey Rat Boggart: Voldemort Pets: Grey dumbo rat named Jasper, hairless/sphynx rat named Otis, grey eastern screech owl named Magnus

(+) observant, humble, adaptable (-) insecure, sarcastic, inhibited Biography:

Growing up in the muggle world Peter’s life was quite ordinary, an only child with two doting parents he never had a lack of love. For the first few years with just his parents he was quite happy, they supported all his minor accomplishments making him feel like they were big and important but he soon found they were setting him up for a fall. Going to school, being around other children and seeing what they could do knocked him down a few pegs realizing it was out of love his parents had said all those things rather than actual talent. This was the start of his insecurities, beginning to compare himself to others, worrying that he wasn’t as good as the rest of them, that they were better than him.

Receiving his Hogwarts letter was his first real sense of pride knowing that this was something that made him special, to be envied by the other children. To his disappointment he couldn’t tell them of course. His father took the news of his mother’s identity better than any would have expected and he saw him off to school happily. It was on the train that his worries kicked up again, reminding him that everyone here was special, they all had magic so he was no different than any of them. It was here that his desire to prove himself truly began wanting to prove that he was indeed special, that he had things that he was good at. From the little his mother had told him before going to school about the houses he didn’t want to end up in Slytherin, that wouldn’t make her proud. The house sounded intriguing, but being surrounded by people with such ambition also sounded a bit frightening so he asked the hat to choose Gryffindor instead.

Peter wasn’t flashy or boisterous like some of the others in his house so he had resigned himself to being a wallflower of sorts, watching his housemates in their fun for the most part. He could hardly believe his luck when three of his fellow Gryffindors wanted to befriend him, inviting him into their group and on their adventures. They were everything he aspired to be and having them around him made him feel like that might be possible, that maybe they saw something in him that he didn’t and he just needed them to achieve it. With them at his side he opened up more, tried to be a little more daring and courageous and through all of it they became good friends. So good that he didn’t even hesitate to do something that would normally frighten him due to the fact it was illegal and dangerous. He wanted to be there for Remus and so he became an Animagus.

With the start of war his fear and worries kicked into overdrive fretting about every new development. This was his moment, it was now or never for him find his courage. Truth be told Peter is terrified but he is trying his best to fight down those fears and do what will help his friends, to be brave in a way he hasn’t been before. This is more than just slightly dangerous adventures, it is true life and death. Only time will tell if he can find that courage or if he will turn tail and hide....or worse. Headcanons:

His sorting was a hatstall, deliberating for more than five minutes between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Peter liked the idea of some of the Slytherin traits but at the same time being in such a group of people terrified him and his mind raced to pick between the two finally asking the hat for Gryffindor.

Peter took up smoking in his later teens finding it helped to calm him and was something to do with his hands when he was nervous.

He has a nervous habit of fidgeting, biting at his lip, pulling at his sweater, scratching at the back of his hands, etc, feeling people’s attention focused on him often makes him uncomfortable in his own skin as if they might see something he doesn’t want them to.

#bio #biography #basics #the basics

0 notes

dwellordream · 1 year ago

Text

When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri. Romance. Corporate lawyer Katie Daniels is fresh off a broken engagement and a ruined social life. But her plans to throw herself into her work are complicated by an introduction to a charming rival- Cassidy Price, who is unapologetically open about her sexuality and her ambitions. The more time she spends around Cassidy, the more Katie begins to question her assumptions about the life she thought she wanted- and begins to fall further and further in love with Cassidy.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. Romance. Ernest Pettigrew, former major in the British army, leads a quiet existence as a lonely widower, mourning the loss of his beloved wife and estranged from his ambitious son. But his narrow world begins to broaden when he befriends Jasmina Ali, a widowed shopkeeper in his village. Though their friendship raises eyebrows and the ire of bigoted neighbors, Pettigrew begins to envision a happier future for himself- even if it means sacrificing a stiff upper lip in the process.

Advika and the Hollywood Wives by Kirthana Ramisetti. Mystery/thriller. Mourning the death of her twin sister, Advika has retreated from her family and friends. But at one Hollywood party, Advika meets the charismatic and mysterious director Julian Zelding, who sweeps her off her feet- despite being 40 years her senior. Advika's new life with Julian seems like a dream come true- but shortly after their wedding she receives a message from his late first wife, who offers her a million dollars to divorce him in her will. As Advika investigates Julian's past marriages, she uncovers more and more dark secrets about a man who seems to have it all- and who will do anything to keep it that way.

Gilded Mountain by Kate Manning. Historical fiction. 17-year-old Sylvie Pelletier and her French Canadian family move to the frontier of Colorado in 1907, seeking work in the new marble mines operated by the wealthy Padgett family. Sylvie is enchanted with the luxurious fairy tale lifestyle of Mrs. Padgett, and infatuated with quick-witted young Jasper, who stands to inherit millions from his family's operations. Yet once Sylvie takes a job at the manor house, her romance with the family's grand wealth is quickly crushed, and she begins to understand just how deep their exploitation of their servants and miner goes. When Sylvie embraces her father's union organizing dreams, she risks everything- her future, her family, and her life- for a chance to take a stand.

American Royalty by Tracey Livesay. Romance. Up-and-coming rapper Danielle "Duchess" Nelson dreams of making it big- so she can secure a stable life she never had as an orphaned and unwanted teen. When she is offered the chance to perform at a tribute concert hosted by the British royals, she leaps at the opportunity for some good publicity in the wake of an embarrassing feud with a beloved popstar. But when she meets the young Prince in charge of organizing the concert- the bookish Jameson, who's abandoned his typical royal duties to pursue a career as an academic- the two find themselves on the brink of an unexpected love affair, one that could ruin both their lives and reputations for good.

Only Child by Rhiannon Navin. Drama/realistic fiction. Zach is six years old, and his life has just changed forever. A shooting at his school- carried out by the son of a beloved staff member- has killed nineteen children and teachers, including his older brother Andy. As Zach's parents mourn Andy and consider whether they want justice, revenge, or silence, Zach is left in the shadows, torn between the trauma of what he's endured and his relief at the absence of Andy, who was more often cruel and vindictive than anything else. While Zach's parents' relationship is strained to the breaking point over what to do next, Zach must confront the anger and grief inside him, and decide what forgiveness really means.

Kala by Colin Walsh. Mystery/thriller. During the summer of 2003, a group of impulsive, carefree teenagers ran amok in the sleepy village of Kinlough. There was whip-smart, responsible Helen, ambitious, romantic Joe, and shy, kindly Mush- and Kala, the center of their universe, who dared more, pushed things further, and inspired them all. Several months later, Kala is missing. And in 2015, Helen, Joe, and Mush reluctantly reunite when her remains are discovered. Someone knows the truth of what happened to Kala twelve years prior. It may be one of them. And the person responsible for Kala's death will do whatever it takes to keep the truth buried deep.

The One by Julie Argy. Drama/romance. Emily is the perfect candidate for hit reality show The One, where multiple women compete for the affection of an attractive, relatable, all-American bachelor. Quiet, pretty, and sheltered, Emily has been earmarked by producers as Bachelor Dylan's future wife. And she's almost convinced herself she wants this too- after all, her life was going nowhere fast before that casting call. But when Emily encounters Sam, an outspoken, bold fellow contestant, she starts to question the narrative she's been instructed to play out since childhood- one where she meets a nice guy, marries him, and becomes a doting wife and mother. As Emily and Sam draw closer, the lines between their prescribed roles of Good Girl and Spitfire and real life start to blur, and The One hurtles towards a shocking finale.

Books Recs of 2024

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. Mystery/fantasy centered around Din, a young assistant investigator assigned to help an eccentric and infamous detective, Ana Dolabra, solve a series of murders. Din is an engraver, his brain altered so he has a photographic memory. However, no one is quite sure how he got his current position, since he failed every single one of his final exams except the combat portion. Ana is an exceedingly odd woman who refuses to go to any crime scene in person and often performs mad science experiments in her spare time. As Din struggles to keep up with the case, which revolves around a bioweapon being unleashed on a series of the empire's best engineers, he also worries what will happen when Ana finally uncovers his secrets.

Highfire by Eoin Colfer. Urban fantasy (very comedic fantasy) about a dragon called Vern (short for Wyvern), who teams up with a juvenile delinquent named Squib (real name Everett Moreau) to take down a corrupt sheriff who is plaguing the Lousiana bayou. Vern is a very small (seven feet long) dragon who is the last of his kind (as far as he knows). When he is spotted by a local troubled teen, his first instinct is to hunt Squib down and kill him, but he quickly realizes the two of them have a common enemy- the murderous sheriff who is running drugs through their territory.

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi. Magical realism about a romantic-minded art historian who is swept off his feet by a mysterious and charming heiress. After a whirlwind courtship, the happy couple return to her childhood home; a Gothic manor on a lonely island. The more time our narrator spends around his wife's past, the more questions are raised- increasingly sinister ones about who she is and what exactly she is capable of. Once upon a time, she was best friends with an equally odd and dreamy little girl named Indigo. But no one has seen Indigo for many years now- and the Flower Bride may be behind her disappearance.

Chlorine by Jade Song. Horror/magical realism. Since childhood, Ren's entire identity has been wrapped up in swimming. If she can be strong enough, fast enough, special enough, success is sure to come her way. As the end of high school approaches, Ren's passion for swimming becomes less about her future, and more about past legends of mermaids and sirens dragging sailors into the deep. School, friends, and her parents' expectations all fall away- Ren will make her home in the water, no matter what she has to do.

We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride & Jo Piazza. Realistic fiction. Jen and Riley have been best friends for as long as they can remember, despite their vastly different childhoods. Riley is from a middle class Black family; Jen was raised by an impoverished white single mother. After twenty years of doing almost everything together, their lives are at a crossroads- Riley is a news anchor about to take Philadelphia by storm, while Jen is expecting her first child with her police officer husband. When Jen's husband is involved in the murder of a Black teenage boy by a fellow officer, Riley finds herself expected to cover the story- and Jen finds herself expected to answer for her husband's actions- and her own beliefs about what racism looks like.

Queenpin by Megan Abbott. Crime thriller/noir. Our nameless heroine lives a mousy existence working as a bookkeeper for a rundown local night club, but her life is turned upside down when the infamous Gloria Denton, a gun moll and smuggler, takes her under her wing. Gloria transforms her young protege from a timid girl to a sophisticated, cunning woman capable of handling gangsters, conmen, thieves, and bookies, but when she falls for the wrong man, her relationship with Gloria is strained, and they must decide just how far they can trust one another.

Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen. Historical fiction. Based on the real life trial of Katharina Kepler, mother of the famed Johannes Kepler, Imperial Mathematician to the Holy Roman Empire. Katharina is a busybody, a domineering and devilishly clever woman with a particular talent for healing. She is also a fiercely loyal mother to her adult children, but when an old neighborhood grudge flares into accusations of poison and witchcraft, Katharina is determined not to meekly confess and beg pardon. The more she lashes out at her neighbors and the authorities, the more charges begin to pile up against her- despite her son's desperate attempts to save her from torture and execution.

Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott. Crime thriller/noir. Based on a real life murder case in 1931 Phoenix Arizona. Naive and sheltered Marion Seeley is deposited in Phoenix by her disgraced doctor husband, who is forced to take a job with a mining company in South America after his medical license is revoked. Marion befriends the vivacious Louise and Ginny, two fellow nurses, who introduce her to the underground party scene in Phoenix. Politicians and businessmen flock to the secret parties held by them, and it's a quick way to make money on the side. Drawn in by the luxury and thrills, Marion falls in love with Joe Lanigan, a powerful local politician, but as their affair intensifies, her friendship with the other women fractures, culminating in a gruesome crime.

#recommendations #literature

137 notes · View notes

disastrvs · 3 years ago

Text

tags

#* THREADS ( jasper pettigrew. )#* INSPO ( jasper pettigrew. )#* MIRROR ( jasper pettigrew. )#* RELATIONSHIPS ( jasper pettigrew. )#* WANTED ( jasper pettigrew. )#* THREADS ( lena karkaroff. )#* INSPO ( lena karkaroff. )#* MIRROR ( lena karkaroff. )#* RELATIONSHIPS ( lena karkaroff. )#* WANTED ( lena karkaroff. )#* THREADS ( marcus flint. )#* INSPO ( marcus flint. )#* MIRROR ( marcus flint. )#* RELATIONSHIPS ( marcus flint. )#* WANTED ( marcus flint. )

1 note · View note

tatisbooks · 3 years ago

Text

ִֶָ𓏲࣪ 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆 ִֶָ🍓༉‧₊

account rules ( not yet made )

masterlist ( not yet made )

none of my works are proof read so please dont bully me if the writing is a shitty 😭

real quick about me:

im tati, ive been writing on wattpad for a while! you can find more in my about me and account ( not yet made )

ִִֶֶָָ𓏲࣪ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐈 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 ִֶָ🍒༉‧₊

first of all, i will NOT write the original leena aklammer. if you request please only request a general one or a plot that takes place in orphan; first kill or else i will not write it!

i will not write for eddie munson or steve harrington. i am so sorry but i just do not find any attraction to them, and will only write what i like.

i will not write steddie, byler, wolfstar, etc etc. as you can all tell, they are all gay ships. the only reason i will not write them is because i dont know how to present or properly write mlm so please do not request male reader.

I WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT WRITE SMUT FOR BILLY HARGROVE SO PLEASE DONT REQUEST!!

ִֶָ𓏲࣪ 𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒ִֶָ 🍉༉‧₊

i do not write for the mcu, teen wolf, or any other fandom that is not the following;

marauders

harry potter

the vampire diaries

game of thrones (will only majorly write for daenerys)

orphan first kill

thirteen ( I WILL NOT WRITE SMUT FOR ANY CHARACTERS, NOT EVEN MEL.)

twilight

stranger things

i will not write daddy kinks. nor will i include spanking in any of my smuts. i can briefly sprinkle in a mommy kink but i will not write any more.

i also will not write certain kinks like; foot kink, pee kink, and/or any other disturbing kinks. i may dabble a bit into blood but will never fully go into detail.

I DO NOT WRITE INCEST OR STEPCEST!!

my account is mainly fem reader so please do specify if you want gn reader or fem!

ִֶָ𓏲࣪ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐈 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 ִֶָ🫐༉‧₊

𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫; 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐫𝐚

harry potter

hermione granger

ron weasley

fred weasley

george weasley

( request more ! )

𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫; 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐞𝐫𝐚

poly marauders ( with or without peter )

peter pettigrew

james potter

remus lupin

sirius black

bellatrix black

narcissa malfoy

lily evans

extra note!! i will write tom riddle

𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭;

bella swan

edward cullen

alice cullen

jasper hale

rosalie hale

emmett cullen

carlisle cullen

esme cullen

caius volturi

marcus volturi

aro volturi

poly!volturi kings

sulpicia volturi

athenodora volturi

didyme volturi

poly!the volturi wives

poly!the volturi wives + the kings

demetri volturi

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧;

evie zamora

tracy freeland

( request more!! )

𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧; 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥

tricia albright

gunnar albright

leena klammer < pls request her!! >

( request more!! )

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬;

katherine pierce < PLEASE REQUEST HER OMG >

damon salvatore

stefan salvatore

elena gilbert

poly!elena x damon

bonnie bennett

caroline forbes

( havent finished tvd so request more!! )

𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬;

daenerys targaryen < PLEASE PLS PLS REQUEST HER >

jon snow

sansa stark

( request more!! )

𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡��𝐧𝐠𝐬;

will byers

jonathan byers

mike wheeler

nancy wheeler

chrissy cunningham

jim hopper

joyce byers

alexei

max

001

quick note; i will write for jamie campbell bower just request !!

thank you for stopping by and enjoy my blog !

tags:

#daenerys targeryan #jamie campbell bower #volturi kings #jamie campbell x reader #max mayfield x reader #house targaryen #reality shifting #new blog #stranger things #stranger things x reader #caius volturi #jasper hale #alice cullen #bella swan #blurbs #poly marauders #marauders #oneshot

166 notes · View notes

therealvinelle · 4 years ago

Note

Hi there, I'm a really big fan of your metas and I appreciate the perspective you bring since you are a lot more focused on canon than most people I follow (I personally prefer the ~vibe of twilight over the execution so Im guilty of a lot of canon-divergent "what-if-ing" lol). I'm not sure if you've addressed this before but I was wondering: what draws you most to twilight? Is there anything you would want to change about the series? I hope you're having a nice day! -bellaslilpapercut

Ooh this is a fun ask. And thank you for your kind words!! For the record I too enjoy my what-ifs, too much in fact. Fanfic is a years-long addiction of mine.

As for what draws me to Twilight, I’ll just bullet point them.

The vampires Meyer’s vampires aren’t really vampires at all, they’re aliens who call themselves vampires. They’re absolutely fascinating creatures, terrifying and inhuman in a way so few authors manage to create true inhumanity. (I find so many supernatural creatures end up basically being gimmicks, enhanced humans at best. If you can’t tell your vampire apart from an MCU superhero, you’re doing it wrong.)

The worldbuilding There are many things I like about Meyer’s worldbuilding, one of them being her restraint. There are vampires, shapeshifters, and a one-off reference to the nearly extinct werewolves. That’s it. She created the creatures her story needed, and not one leprechaun more. And I like that for a lot of reasons, the big one being that it makes her creatures serve the story, rather than the other way around. Another major thing I like about her worldbuilding is that a lot of fantasy stories want to have their regular modern world the reader can recognize and eat the vampire cake too. You get these universes where the supernatural exists, only it’s secret and hasn’t impacted the world we know in any way because... reasons. The Vampire Diaries is a great example, we have vampires eat people with abandon yet their existence is a secret to the world at large. Why is that? Why, in a world where the supernatural is commonplace, does the world not look different? Twilight answers these questions.

The characters Meyer creates so many great characters. I have my favorites, of course, but I find nearly all the characters she created interesting. (Well, considering how so many of the characters we get to know in the Guide are hilarious, perhaps “entertaining” is a better word for it) More, while there are some characters that could have been cut (Esme and Emmett come to mind), on the whole most characters in the story have a reason to be in it. And that’s not a given at all, Harry Potter is a shining example of a cast where 90% could have been cut. (Example: remove the Crouch family from Goblet of Fire and have Pettigrew abduct Harry instead of Barty Crouch Jr.. The plot doesn’t change at all. The Crouch family has failed the sexy lamp test. So have almost all of Harry’s classmates.)

The unreliable narrator Caveat - I think all narrators are in some way unreliable. The difference is how much, and to how great a degree what’s actually happening shines through to the reader. And Twilight is a story where there’s stuff happening behind the scenes all the time, people Bella doesn’t understand doing things for reasons Bella doesn’t know about, and Bella never realizes any of it. This makes Twilight a lot of fun to engage with.

The loose threads I sort of get into this below, but there are so many loose threads in Twilight, which means endless fanfic material. Other fandoms, where I wouldn’t change a thing, end up being fandoms I don’t write anything for either. (See Prometheus - loved it, never writing fic for it) Why change perfection? Twilight, on the other hand, I get ideas faster than I can write them.

As for what I’d change...

I’m happy with the story. It’s not quite the story I would have written, off the top of my head I would have gone a different direction with Victoria and had her successfully kidnap Bella in New Moon, only to find that killing this human when Edward clearly doesn’t care would be no revenge at all, and that this human is really all she’s got left at this point. (See? I do like my what-ifs!).

Alternatively, if I was writing the story that occurs in Twilight, then I would have chosen Carlisle’s point of view and it would have been Othello with vampires, featuring Aro as Desdemona. I mean, that already is the story, it’s just that Bella’s narration is so oblivious she never realizes.

This is not to say I wouldn’t have done a lot of things very differently if I were writing Twilight. Jasper, for instance, I would not have him drop “fun fact, I fought for the right to own slaves!” mid-conversation and then never bring it up again. And bigger things, such as I would have cut Jacob and the wolves entirely (And now we’re back to “Victoria kidnaps Bella and the story turns into femmeslash”. I end up with weird ships in Twilight, and the thing is that I see no way around them. How do you people who ship the canon pairs do it?! Tell me your secrets!).

Point being, I would have changed a lot of things. Breaking up the Cullens is another big one, that coven is unsustainable and I'm like a Persian warrior because all I wanna do is watch these Olympics fall.

And there’s one thing I’d change unequivocally, the first thing I’d change, the thing I would pull into a dark alley and stab, and that’s the imprinting. It’s a life-ruiner for everybody involved, it plays into this nasty theme of the shapeshifters losing their free will, and it doesn’t even serve the story to make up for it. Jacob and the Quileutes had no need to be in the story in Breaking Dawn, the Cullens could have left town (and were going to) and that would have been it. So, I would cut the imprinting. With a knife.

This is not to say I don’t like what Meyer did, though. I agree with the decisions the characters make, big and small, at no point in the series do I go “X wouldn’t do that, that’s OOC!”. I even like the plot of Breaking Dawn. Everything that happens in the story makes sense to me. I do, sincerely, enjoy Twilight. It’s just- well, it’s not how I would have told this story.

Oh, and of course - the use of a real minority the way Meyer did was egregious and she should never have done it. More, I was shocked and disappointed to learn the Quileute tribe didn’t profit from this. You would think they would have been involved in merch for Twilight - this could have become a huge source of income for them - but nope. Others have spoken far more eloquently than me on this matter and have said everything I could, so I’ll just note that no fictional series should use (there’s really no other word for it) a real and oppressed minority the way Twilight did. The fact that the Quileute tribe didn’t even get to see any of that Twilight money is just salt in the wound.

#the victoria scenario is a fic i intend to write #which is why it came to mind so readily #stephenie meyer #twilight #twilight meta #twilight renaissance #twilight worldbuilding #victoria #bella swan #twilight vampires #theoldpinkdog #ask

219 notes · View notes

chaoswillfallrpg · 4 years ago

Photo

EMILIA GREY is TWENTY-THREE YEARS OLD and a JOURNALISM RESEARCHER in SOCIETY AND SCANDALS at THE DAILY PROPHET. She looks remarkably like NATALIA DYER and considers herself NEUTRAL. She is currently TAKEN.

→ OVERVIEW:

tw: death

Young, ambitious and sometimes slightly naive, Emilia Grey has always been driven by her desire to succeed in life and meet any goals she sets by any means necessary. The youngest daughter of Muggle dentist ANDREW GREY and nurse GINA GREY, Emilia’s background was a fairly average one by Muggle standards. From a working class background, Emilia grew up in a tiny street house off Brick Lane in East London with her older sister KEIRA and her grandma PEGGY. Although Emilia had no memory of the incident, her parents were killed in a car accident when she was two years old. The Grey family were not a wealthy one, with their parents working long hours struggling to pay off their mortgage before their deaths- a burden which was then left to their grandma. In Emilia’s memory, it was her sister who took up the role as surrogate mother to her, with her grandma often working in the local pub pulling pints to get them by. Whilst their family circumstances were unusual, blended families were not uncommon enough for people to ask questions, which was just as well as there was more to the Grey family than first meets the eye. Unlike most Muggle-Born sorcerers, Emilia knew she was a witch from around the age of six when Keira received her letter to Hogwarts.

The two sisters had been practising magic long before Keira’s letter from Dumbledore arrived and some of Emilia’s earliest and fondest memories was of her sister tucking her into bed on a night and watching as stars twinkled and moved across the ceiling. Her sister’s magic had always been more visual than Emilia’s which seemed to act more like forces of nature than the beautiful imagery Keira produced. According to her sister she first wondered if she shared her magic when she found their cat Marmalade floating through the air alongside her Barbie dolls, but Keira’s memories of her magic tend to be somewhat darker. A determined girl, Emilia had always felt she was destined for more than her little school in London and became frustrated by schoolyard bullying from boys who tried to silence her or pull on hair as she tried to answer questions in class. Emilia had always had a voice and wasn’t afraid to use it, though to horror she had found that temper with bullies had sometimes resulted in little boys glued to the ceiling or crying tears of glitter that made their eyes itchy and sore. Her final few years of school leading up to Hogwarts consisted of Emilia doing her best to exercise self-control which unbeknownst to her she would need in bags when she began attending school alongside Keira.

Sorted into Slytherin, the first thing Emilia remembered was the horror on her sister’s face as she went to join the table of disgusted faces who knew that the name Grey meant only two things. Mudblood and trouble. Having heard at length the bullying Keira had received due to her Muggle background, Emilia was braced for a difficult time at Hogwarts. Though she hadn’t specifically asked the hat not to place her in Slytherin she wondered why it had so willingly thrown her into the snake pit of purists knowing it would immediately make her life harder. Settling amongst them all Emilia watched as people moved away from her on the bench, words were muttered, older students sneered and braced the whole ordeal utterly emotionless. The first few months at Hogwarts were particularly lonely ones in Slytherin, though Emilia did make friends in class- the first being MAREN LINWOOD, a kind and fellow Muggle-Born student whose sister had experienced a similar ordeal during her time at Hogwarts. Muggle-Borns in Slytherin were incredibly rare but it was a comfort to know they were not a complete anomaly and that ADAIRIA LINWOOD had come out of the experience alive and well with friends. Tapping into the determination she’d had at Primary School Emilia refused to be beaten, put her game face on and showed her year group what she was made of.

An incredibly talented student she quickly became known as one of the more intelligent students in her year group, joining choir with Maren and becoming better friends with more of her friends through duelling club where she became close with Gryffindors CRESSIDA ABERCROMBIE and CASSIOPEIA KIM. Complicated witches who had a passion for being straight up and doing their own thing separate from the crowd who had a similar energy to Emilia. After becoming close with the Gryffindor gang and showing she had enough duelling ability to even put JAMES POTTER on his back with one hand behind her back her life became a lot easier. She found a group of people who were willing to go to bat for her, but also became a prime target for the likes of JASPER AVERY, LARKIN MULCIBER, SEVERUS SNAPE who did their best to break her unwavering confidence. By the time Emilia graduated she was battered and bruised but she had made it and was determined to use her experience to change the world around her. Moving back in with her sister and grandma, Emilia began attempting to get a job at The Daily Prophet. She had always been interested in journalism, her nose buried in various editions of The Times, The New York Ghost, The Prophet or magazines like Vogue to get an overview of what was happening in the world.

Emilia wanted to be a journalist because she cared about the stories of the people she read about and issues like Muggle-Born rights or corruption in the Ministry bothered her more than she believed it did the average person. Whilst most of her friends were supporters of Sorcerers for Equality, Emilia believed she could make a bigger difference with her words- she just needed the platform to do so. By the time she was accepted to work at the paper, Emilia was able to line her bedroom walls with the amount of rejection letters she had received, but by sheer determination and persistence she had received an acceptance letter and happily quit her job at Rosa Lee Teabag to start her new life making a real difference in the world. Sadly her position hadn’t been anywhere, Emilia felt she could make a difference and was working under RITA SKEETER as a journalism researcher in Society and Scandals, finding gossip for Rita to turn into a story far different from the one she’d given her. What interesting leads she did find were quickly snatched out of her hand, prompting Emilia to use her cunning to get ahead. CORNELIUS CRABBE was an Auror from a Scared Twenty-Eight family described by Rita as an “eligible bachelor” and who had been staring with lustful eyes at Emilia at a society party she’d been forced to attend with Rita.

What had first made her blood run cold after her friend THEODORE STEBBINS showed her the photograph presented an opportunity. “Crabbe ditches Pure-Bloods for Muggle-Borns” definitely had a ring to it and Crabbe seemed to think so too when she pushed the image toward him in his office, but Emilia had a better idea than ruining a singular purist. Emilia wanted information, off the record, protection of his identity in exchange for whatever would make a headline. It was a bit of a gamble on her end which Emilia was glad to find out paid off though it was under more macabre circumstances that she would have liked. Not long after BENJY FENWICK was attacked, Cornelius sought her out in the crowd, pulling her into an alleyway and telling her it had been a vampire who had attacked him. Armed with the information that the Ministry had no leads and had failed to protect him, Emilia returned to the Prophet and ran up her first front page article on her secondhand typewriter. Walking through town that following morning as everyone gripped the paper and whispered her name Emilia finally knew what it felt like to be a story breaking journalist. Her soul felt alive and even as she saw the disgruntled look on DAISY HOOKUM and Rita Skeeter’s face, she realised she would do anything to ensure she continued to have that feeling, whatever it might take and whatever she might have to do she would do it.

→ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Blood Status → Muggle-Born

Identification → Cis Female

Sexuality → Up to Roleplayer

Relationship Status → Single

Previous Education → Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Slytherin)

Societies → Sorcerers for Equality

Family → Keira Grey (sister)

Connections → Cressida Abercrombie (best friend), Cassiopeia Kim (best friend), Maren Linwood (close friend), Gilfred Abbott (close friend), Elena Digby (close friend), Aurora Sinistra (close friend), Remus Lupin (friend), Sirius Black (friend), James Potter (friend), Peter Pettigrew (friend), Caradoc Dearborn (friend), Poppy Hookum (friend), Marlene McKinnon (friend), Dorcas Meadowes (friend), Mary MacDonald (friend), Lily Evans (friend), Theodore Stebbins (friend/colleague), Adrian Caverly (colleague/rival), Daisy Hookum (colleague/rival), Rita Skeeter (boss), Cornelius Crabbe (source), Jasper Avery (former adversary), Severus Snape (former adversary), Larkin Mulciber (former adversary)

Future Information → N/A

EMILIA GREY IS A LEVEL 6 WITCH.

#Natalia dyer fc #marauders rp #harry potter rp #marauders roleplay #Natalia dyer #stranger things #Emilia Grey #neutral #witch #daily prophet #society and scandals #taken #taken witch #taken neutral

3 notes · View notes

whatstruthgottodowithit · 2 months ago

Text

The Only Evans Girl [Department of Mysteries]

Fandom: Harry Potter [Marauder’s Era]

Pairing: Sirius Black x Original Female Character, Sirius Black x Daisy Evans, James Potter x Lily Evans

Characters: Sirius Black, Original Female Character, Daisy Evans, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Harry Potter, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Alice Fortescue, Frank Longbottom, Marlene McKinnon, Albus Dumbledore, Voldemort, Peter Pettigrew, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix LeStrange, Walburga Black, Orion Black, Jasper Thicknesse, Barty Crouch Jr, Mulciber, Walden McNair

Word Count: 6038

Rating: Mature

Summary: On the 31st of October 1981 Daisy Evans life changed forever. Since then she’s been tasked with one objective, keep Harry Potter safe. That however isn’t always that easy to do.

Notes: only a couple of chapters yet. dont worry im gonna do my boy dirty

LINK TO AO3 // LINK TO PINTEREST // LINK TO ALL PARTS

Daisy paused as she stepped over the threshold. The house was quiet, shrouded in an eerie stillness which was only disrupted as Remus stepped in through the door behind her, shutting it with a click. It was an odd feeling, one she hadn't felt in months, as number twelve Grimmauld Place had become unrecognisable since she and Sirius had decided to give it another go. They no longer danced around one another, no longer made clunky excuses to not spend too long in a room in case it got awkward, and no longer spent their nights in separate bedrooms.

Or at least they hadn't been, though something told her as her eyelids begged for her to find something soft to crash into that it might not be the soft scarlet bedspread she’d come to know that she’d be sleeping on today. It hadn't been easy. Sirius still had his frustrations about being forced to stay home, and she still felt put out by being on the verge of a second war, feeling like an unfair lot given they'd barely survived the first, but they were making it work. Or they had been until last night.

‘It’s quiet,’ she remarked. It was an obvious statement. Remus, who’d been right behind her as they’d headed into the kitchen, was sure to notice the lack of people, or rather one person.

‘S’pose everyone’s at work,’ he said as he moved to make himself a cup of tea, washing his hand down his face as though that would stimulate him enough until he could crash again. It wasn’t even that guard duty was an arduous task; it was just a boring one. Normally she would’ve spent it talking to whoever she was with. And she was sure if Remus had gone with Tonks last night as he was supposed to, they would’ve spent the night doing more than sitting in silence. But she’d begged Tonks to swap and fled the house to try and avoid another argument or avoid the feeling of being shut out, only to find Remus wasn’t in the mood for entertaining her either, an errant stray insult he’d caught in the crossfire seemingly stinging him.

Daisy wanted to point out that no one usually dropped by in the morning, their pretences at keeping on with normal life imperative until war really descended, but she didn’t bother. Though he’d mellowed as the night had waned on, Remus seemed to want nothing to do with their fallout, and so getting him to speak about Sirius, what he was doing, and if he was mad at her felt like trying to get blood from a stone. Instead she muttered something about going to bed and left the kitchen, trudging up the stairs like a man headed for the gallows.

The only sound was her own breathing and the creak of ancient wooden floors beneath her feet as she took herself to the top of the house. It was only when she was between the Black brothers’ bedrooms that she hesitated after all; did she have the right to barge in there? It was ultimately his room; she’d merely moved in. And what if he was sleeping? She’d run away to avoid the consequences, and was she now really going to waltz back in like nothing had happened and disturb him? Or worse, was she setting herself up for round two? As a yawn crept up on her, she wondered if she had the capacity to go through another one.

Then she heard movement, shuffling beyond the door which sounded like Sirius moving around his room, probably getting up for the day, and without thinking she darted inside Regulus’ room and closed the door. The room was in darkness. The green velvet curtains pulled shut for God knows how long, but she didn’t care; darkness hid the wave of tears as they started to trickle down her face. She brushed them off; after all, what did she have to be sad about? It was her fault she was in this mess.

If only she could keep her big gob shut. As she peeled off her jeans, leaving them in a heap on the floor, she thought about the order meeting last night, where everything had derailed.

Sirius was tidying up, or rather, he was directing the various cups and plates that littered the long kitchen table into the sink with a flick of his wand whilst he peered through the crack in the kitchen door, trying to spy Remus, who’d keenly volunteered to see all the order members out, which was no surprise given Daisy could hear Tonks's voice still in the hall.

However, she wasn’t focused on that. She was too bothered about what she'd learnt at the meeting. That Harry had given up on his Occlumency lessons. She knew why, of course. After all, she wasn’t sure that she’d like to spend an hour a week having her brain fiddled with by someone she didn’t like, but Dumbledore had made it explicitly clear what was expected of him, what was important for him to do. He’d been fighting to be heard and included in the war effort, and he’d fallen at the first hurdle. He’d let himself become vulnerable, and that terrified her.

Her mind was still on it when Remus slipped back in, scowling as Sirius straightened up and pretended like he’d not been spying on them.

‘What are you, thirteen?’ Remus said, rolling his eyes as he took a seat back at the table.

‘Let’s hope not because you didn’t have any pull when we were thirteen,’ Sirius retorted, taking a seat opposite them, ‘right Dais?’

‘Mm,’ she said, her gaze still locked on the cabinet behind him, though she wasn’t really seeing it.

‘What’s up with you?’ Remus said, nudging her with his elbow that made her come to, trying to shake those endless worries flashing through her mind as she said, ‘nothing.’

‘Oh yeah, pull the other,’ Sirius said, concern dancing across his face as the weight didn’t lift from her shoulders. Daisy glanced between them and sighed, ‘I think I'm going to write to Harry.’

‘Why?’ Sirius asked, though he was sure he knew where it was headed.

‘Why?’ Daisy scoffed, ‘he ditched his Occlumency lessons!’

‘It’s not that big of a deal,’ Sirius shrugged.

‘’Not that big of a deal?’ Daisy baulked, ‘it’s the only thing Dumbledore insisted he do! Do you know the risk-’

‘Of course I know the risks!’ Sirius snapped.

‘Daisy’s right. Maybe we should speak to him,’ Remus said tentatively, earning himself a scowl as Sirius said, ‘And making him go and grovel to Snivilly is the way to go?’

‘It’s not grovelling,’ Daisy scoffed.

‘No? Are we forgetting he’s the grown-up here? That Dumbledore insisted he tutor him, and he’s the one who’s backed out of that? You heard him, ‘If Potter chooses to continue his lessons, I will be there until then he knows where to find me,’ like he was in the same year as Harry. It’s pathetic!’ Sirius said.

Remus shrugged in agreement, and Daisy looked between them, infuriated. Didn’t they get it? It wasn’t about how things looked anymore. Who was right or wrong. They'd done that in the first war, and it had barely won them anything. Voldemort wasn’t thinking about what was right, whether using a child for his own gains was right morally. And she’d be damned if she let pride stop Harry from getting the protection he needed.

‘I don’t care about what Snape said. He might be a dick, but he holds the cards, and if it means Harry will be protected, I don’t care. Or have you forgotten Christmas?’ Daisy said. It had been a good one, time for the three of them to spend together. The only thing that had marred it was seeing Arthur’s broken body trying to smile through Christmas pudding and charades. It had been sitting with five terrified children as they waited for news, good or bad. It was seeing Harry scared, fearful he’d hurt him even though he was four hundred miles away at the time of the attack. The connection between him and the dark lord was evident; he didn’t need any more help when it came to exploiting it.

‘I haven’t forgotten anything,’ Sirius said tightly.

‘Well then you can see why—’ She attempted to reply, but he cut her off.

‘But neither has Snape. And if he wants to win this war as much as he says he does then he needs to suck it up just as much as Harry. Why should my godson have to beg him to do his job?’ Sirius said.

‘Your godson?’ she mocked, ‘this isn’t about your stupid male egos –’

‘This isn’t about ego,’ Sirius said angrily.

‘Let’s just calm down, yeah,’ Remus said, but they ignored him. Their eyes locked on one another as if he wasn’t even in the room. That was the thing about rekindling romances. Everything fit back into place in an instant. Kisses felt familiar, embraces felt as if they’d never gone away and arguments were easy to slip into as old issues evolved into new ones. It just irked Sirius that it was Severus Fucking Snape who was still causing friction between them this many years on.

‘Isn't it?’ Daisy challenged, ‘you’re really trying to tell me you’re not taking this one bit personally?’

‘No,’ Sirius lied.

‘That this isn’t something to do with you being stuck in this house and putting up with Snape’s digs when he should be helping Harry?’ she said disbelievingly.

‘No,’ Sirius said, ‘I’m not taking it personally because it’s Snape. I’m taking it personally because he’s letting his issues with us stop him from helping a child.’

‘Can you blame him?’ Daisy asked.

‘What?’ Sirius replied, his brows knitting together at the insinuation.

‘We weren’t exactly nice to him,’ she said.

‘You mean me and James,’ he corrected, his jaw tightening as he finished.

‘I didn’t say that,’ Daisy protested.

‘But that’s what you meant,’ he grunted.

‘I’m just saying I understand why he doesn’t like us –‘

‘You realise you’re defending a Death Eater,’ Sirius spat.

‘Ex-death eater,’ Daisy said, though he had a point.

‘Debatable,’ Sirius snorted.

‘Dumbledore trusts him,’ Remus added, making her defence feel more excusable.

‘Because we’ve never been wrong about someone before,’ Sirius said darkly. Both of them shifted uncomfortably, flashes of Peter flooding Daisy’s brain as she tried to push it away.

‘Anyway,’ she said, trying to ignore the guilt gnawing at her, ‘you saw how affected Harry was after seeing that memory of us by the lake. How do you think Snape felt reliving it?

‘He hexed you! Called you mudbloods, remember? Not even your own sister defended that, and now what? You’re holding a torch for him twenty years on,’ Sirius shouted, pushing back from the bench as anger bubbled through him. He couldn’t believe his ears, how she could defend him after everything. Suddenly he felt sixteen again, watching her storm away from him and James as the reality that they’d gone too far this time sank in. That feeling came back as she pushed the bench back and stood too, fury in her eyes at his mocking.

‘Really?’ she scoffed, ‘and you talk about Snape acting as if he's Harry's age. This isn’t about who did what!’

‘Look, let’s just stop, yeah,’ Remus said, tugging on her sleeve in the hopes that breaking their eye contact would melt some of the tension. Instead Daisy merely looked his way with a scowl as she spat, ‘of course you’ve gone quiet again.’

‘Oi, don’t take it out on Moony,’ Sirius warned. Remus said nothing, folding his arms across his chest as he took umbrage with being chastised.

‘I’m not taking it out on Moony!’ she shrieked, ‘I just want to protect Harry and –’

‘Grovelling is the way to do that?’ he scoffed.

‘Newsflash: taking the high road doesn’t get you anywhere. The other side isn’t sticking to morals or etiquette. That’s why Harry's a target in the first place. And I'm not going to let pride stop him from getting help!’

‘Like me, you mean?’ Sirius said.

‘Would you stop with the pity party? This isn’t about you; it’s about Harry!’ she challenged, her tone begging him to see reason.

‘Yeah,’ he challenged, his eyes narrowing as he watched her, ‘or is this about you hating the fact someone else other than you has a say in Harry’s life? Or that he actually listens to me.’

‘He listens to you because you see each other as James.’ Daisy spat, venom coating her words so that they hit like barbs. Sirius faltered, his scowl softening enough to be noticeable; otherwise, Remus wouldn’t have whispered, ‘Dais, stop it.’

But Daisy wasn’t listening. She was too hurt. Hurt that no one seemed to be listening to her. That trying to keep her family from falling apart only seemed to be like screaming into the void. All she had ever wanted to do was keep Harry safe, and it was becoming increasingly harder to do so, made harder by the fact that no one seemed to be listening. Harry seemed to get himself into trouble at every turn and she couldn’t even steer him in the right direction because he didn’t listen to her anymore. He listened to Sirius because he filled a void she couldn’t. Sirius wanted to keep Harry safe the way he’d wanted to keep James safe, by fighting alongside him. That hadn't worked. And she was terrified it wasn’t going to again.

‘I actually see him for him. Not an extension of them. Probably why I didn’t go running off the moment we lost them, defending my hurt pride and ego by being stupid,’ she ranted. Though the moment the words fell from her mouth, silence descended.

There was no quick retort, no challenge to her argument, just silence. Sirius looked as though she’d slapped him.

‘Pads, I’m sorry,’ she whispered hurriedly, but he was already climbing out of his seat and headed towards the door, ‘I didn’t mean it; I just –’

‘Let him go,’ Remus said, tugging on her sleeve to stop her as she tried to follow. Sirius slammed the door behind him, causing a thunderous rattle to echo throughout the house until it petered out, leaving silence in its wake.

That silence was all that could be heard throughout the house now as she lay in Regulus’ bed trying to block out the memories of last night in the hopes of some sleep. Eventually it became too hard to keep her eyelids open, but as she fell into a fitful slumber, Sirius’ broken expression was the only thing she could keep her mind on.

When Daisy awoke, it was dark, the curtains still doing an excellent job at blocking out the world enough for her not to know if it was day or night, though the clock on the bedside table told her it was well into the evening. That didn’t surprise her given that most of the morning had been spent tossing and turning until she’d finally hit a deeper sleep. But she was wired again now, the moments of peace fleeting as thoughts of Sirius and their argument returned. With a sigh she got up and pushed the curtains open, peering into the empty, overgrown backyard. It was still light out, and a glimpse at an old, broken patio set made her yearn for days gone by when they’d spend summer evenings in the Potter’s vast backyard until it got too cold to sit outside.

There’d be no dining al fresco tonight. In fact, she found she wasn’t even hungry, her stomach too knotted to contemplate keeping anything down. No, the only thing that would settle her would be fixing this between her and Sirius. So, with trepidation, she made her way across the hall and knocked. There was no answer, but her heart sped up again anyway.

She knocked again. Nothing.

Either he wasn’t in his room or he simply wasn’t answering her. Which was worse; she didn’t know. Yet to her surprise she found herself feeling relief. When she’d run last night, she’d figured it was because she was avoiding him, but now it felt as though it was because she wanted to fix it so that when she did eventually throw herself on his mercy, she’d have a solution to their problem. And that gave her an idea.

Once her bag was packed, she headed downstairs. She didn’t find anyone around, unless one counted Kreacher, whom she could hear pottering around down in the pantry, whittering away to himself with a glee that was rather out of character, but that was what she was hoping for. She was going to leave a note.

It wasn’t very long, but she hoped it would explain it all as she placed it on the kitchen table and headed towards the front door. She was quiet as she went, hoping not to draw attention to herself.

‘Going somewhere?’ she heard a voice say as her hand touched the latch. Daisy turned to find Sirius standing at the bottom of the stairs watching her, his eyes flicking to the bag on her shoulder with suspicion.

‘Oh, um, yeah, actually… I was thinking of going to Hogsmeade,’ she admitted, stumbling to explain as he looked at her sceptically, ‘I thought I might be able to sort this Occlumency problem. I figured Harry might ignore my letters, and Snape too.’

‘Of course,’ Sirius said, ‘what’s best for Harry and all that.’

‘Look, about last night I didn’t mean anything by—’

‘And sneaking out was for whose benefit?’ he asked, cutting her off. Daisy faltered; whatever argument she’d had locked and loaded was knocked off kilter for a moment before she recalibrated and retorted simply, ‘I thought you weren’t talking to me after last night.’

‘I haven’t seen you,’ he protested.

‘I knocked on your door,’ she said, leaving the door behind as she was pulled into the argument.

‘This morning?’ he queried, ‘I heard you outside, but you didn’t knock.’

‘I meant this afternoon,’ she said, cringing at the fact that he’d heard her lurking about this morning.

‘I’ve been down here looking after Buckbeak; he’s hurt himself. Did you bother checking if I was in my room or not?’ he asked.

‘No, but—’

‘No, you just thought the worst of me, obviously,’ he tutted, heading into the kitchen with her hot on his heels, her bag slung by the stairwell all but forgotten.

‘No, I didn’t,’ she snapped, watching as he moved around the kitchen nonchalantly, filling the kettle as if they were about to sit down to an evening cuppa and not have a slanging match.

‘Well, I don’t know why not,’ he retorted as he moved past her, putting the blackened kettle on the hob and turning the flame up, 'I mean, you said as much last night.’

‘I didn’t mean it!’ she replied as he turned back to her.

‘Didn’t you?’ he asked, folding his arms across his chest as he rested back against the countertop top and watched her. ‘I mean I did think it was too good to be true how you just forgave me.’

‘There was nothing to forgive,’ she said, ‘I said I never believed what happened. And I know you weren’t thinking straight then. The grief, it got to us all; I know that.’

‘So why don’t you trust me?’ he probed, grey eyes scrutinising her face closely.

‘I do,’ she vowed.

‘But not when it comes to Harry?’ Sirius said quickly.

Daisy sighed and dropped her head back, closing her eyes so that she didn't have to see him, if only for a moment, so she could think. She trusted Sirius with her life. She trusted him to look after her and Harry, but if she was truthful, she was struggling. Because she’d been there. Harry’s whole life he’d had her in his corner, trying to do what was best. Even if she had made missteps, it was only ever through trying to do what was best for Harry. And though she knew Sirius adored his godson, sometimes she worried he didn’t see the boy in front of him.

‘Well?’ Sirius pressed, her silence worrying him.

‘It’s not like that,’ Daisy said finally opening her eyes and looking at him, her voice hesitant, ‘it’s complicated.’

‘Is it?’ he asked, his heart sinking, ‘or are you his parent, and I’m just his godfather?’

‘I’m not trying to shut you out,’ she said, moving towards him, her hands resting on his folded arms as he looked away, his jaw tight and his lips turned into a scowl. ‘I’ve just got so used to being it. Mum and Dad. The only thing each other had.’

Sirius looked at her guiltily as those words slipped out.

‘I’m trying, honestly I am, but it’s not easy. He’s all we have left of them, and I’m just trying to keep him safe,’ she said. At that whatever sympathy she had elicited from Sirius dried up, his eyes narrowing as he scoffed and pulled away and said, ‘and I’m not?’

‘No, that’s not what I meant,’ she sighed as he moved to the kettle, which was whistling for attention. Daisy proceeded, ‘but you think that telling him not to carry on with his Occlumency lessons is safe. You saw what happened to Arthur, what Dumbledore said – if he can see one way, so can Voldemort –

‘I know that,’ Sirius said, taking the kettle off the hob and turning it off with a flick of his wand. Daisy wished he would look at her, that they could get through this without shouting or ignoring each other, and her frustrations played out as her voice got shriller, protesting, ‘so he needs protecting! We all do!’

With that Sirius turned, slamming the kettle onto the table so hard it spattered water onto the wood. Daisy jumped, watching it spread out before she looked up at him, his eyes hard and his jaw tense. They both fell quiet for a moment, their chests heaving as they tried to keep civil. Though his voice was still tight as he grunted, ‘It’s war, Dais.’

‘Yeah, and last time I lost everything,’ she said, her voice breaking at the end. Sirius dropped his gaze, but she moved into it, placing her hands on his chest until he looked at her, his grey eyes sad and sorrowful. ‘I’m trying my best to keep you all safe. You’re safe when you’re here. Harry is safe at school as long as he keeps up with his lessons.'

‘And what about you?’ Sirius challenged, ‘When you’re going out on order business? When something might happen and I’m here on the sidelines. Don’t you think I worry? That I care about Harry being safe. I have concerns too, Dais.’

‘I know that,’ she said.

‘Do you?’ he said, stepping from her grasp, ‘because it feels like I’m second fiddle. That we’re not a team.’

‘We are,’ Daisy protested.

‘But at the end of the day, you get the final say; is that it?’ he challenged, raising an eyebrow as Daisy struggled to give an answer. Sirius scoffed, ‘I knew it. And I suppose, why not? What am I gonna do stuck in here?

He was starting to rant but at that moment the door swung open, hitting the wall with a bang as Remus appeared looking frantic as he said, ‘there you two are!’

‘Rem now’s not a good time,’ Daisy said.

‘Why’s that, Dais?’ Sirius mocked, ‘scared he’s going to side with me.’

‘No,’ she snapped, glaring at her other half, ‘I just think we need to discuss it alone, that’s all.’

‘We don’t have time for discussions,’ Remus said, perplexed at their lack of haste. When they stared at him blankly, he looked between them confusedly, offering a, ‘Hello? We’ve got to go.’

‘Go?’ Daisy asked, ‘go where?’

'Haven't you heard?’ he asked with a frown. Sirius moved in behind her, watching the other man closely. Something was up.

‘Heard what?’ Daisy asked.

‘Harry’s missing,’ Remus said flatly.

‘What?!’ Sirius exclaimed, but Daisy fell silent. She could feel her stomach drop, her heartbeat hammering in her ears, which made it hard to hear anything that was going on as worries flooded through her. She barely registered it as they went on talking.

‘Snape sent a message to the order,’ Remus explained, ‘he said Umbridge caught Harry in her office trying to call here through the Floo Network. He seems to think Sirius has been…taken hostage.’

‘Why does he think that?’ Sirius asked.

‘I don’t know. I’m assuming he’s had another vision or something. One like Arthur’s maybe,’ Remus speculated. Daisy was barely listening until that point. She was too busy looking at Sirius, who was locked in, ready for whatever was being thrown at them calmly and rationally, whilst her brain went into overdrive. She could tell it was serious from the fact he didn’t make a face or remark when Snape’s name was dropped into the conversation. Though at the mention of the attack, she snapped out of it, shaking her head as if that was ludicrous information. Because Arthur Weasley had been attacked and Sirius was here, standing in front of her. Living, breathing and safe.

‘But Arthur was in danger,’ she reasoned, causing both of them to finally look at her. It was as if they’d forgotten she was there; she’d been so quiet.

‘Yeah, that’s true,’ Sirius said, placing his hand on her arm in an attempt to reassure her.

‘Maybe Voldemort has figured out a way around that. Maybe he doesn’t need Sirius there to put the image in Harry’s mind,’ Remus said gravely.

‘Okay, but where is he then?’ Daisy reasoned, grasping at anything that would shake this feeling of impending doom from her core, ‘Harry’s a smart kid; surely he knows that Sirius would be here even if he didn’t get through the first time. This house is hidden; Sirius wouldn’t leave for no reason. Why not try and get a hold of someone else from the order? Me, you –

‘He got hold of Snape,’ Sirius grumbled, ‘Harry knows Snape’s in the order. Maybe he waited for him to tell him it wasn’t real, and he didn’t.’

‘Probably couldn’t,’ Remus reasoned, ‘not in front of others.’

‘And even if Snape told him the truth, I doubt he’d believe it,’ Sirius said, ‘not exactly like he likes me.’

‘But Harry must’ve known that. Surely he’d wait for one of us,’ Daisy reasoned.

‘Panic can make the best of us a little impulsive,’ Sirius said, looking at her guiltily.

Sirius’ words were loaded, and he had a point. After all, Harry was just like James and Sirius. Impulsive, yes, but not through stupidity, but through love. If he thought someone he loved was in danger, there wouldn’t be any stopping him. But he had Lily in him too. Lily, cautious and clever and brilliant. Who felt that love run deep but played it smart. She hoped that part would be the part that won out.

‘Okay, say he has gone looking for you,’ Daisy said, trying to shift the terror from her brain to think rationally, ‘how would he even get out of the castle? He can’t apparate, and the Floo Network mustn’t be an option if he got caught.’

‘Broom?’ Sirius asked.

‘Possibly,’ Remus said, ‘but where would he go? Here?’

‘No,’ Sirius said, ‘not if he knew the place Voldemort was supposedly holding me. He’d go there.’

‘Snape didn’t know where that was,’ Remus said.

‘It doesn’t matter. Harry wouldn’t assume,’ Daisy said disbelievingly, ‘he’d come here right. If he didn’t get through, he’d try here, I’m sure of it.’

‘Dais we’ve been here all day and nothing,’ Sirius reasoned, the darkness descending outside the windows not reassuring him.

‘Yeah, sleeping,’ she reasoned.

‘I’ve not,’ Sirius said, ‘I’ve been with Buckbeak all day, and I haven’t heard anything. If I had, I would’ve…’

Sirius trailed off; his eyes narrowed with suspicion. Given their argument and Daisy’s fleeing to avoid it, the house had been rather quiet, so much so that he was sure that any disturbance he would’ve heard, especially if Harry had got through the Floo network.

‘Did Snape say he got through?’ Sirius asked Remus.

‘I’m not sure,’ Remus said, ‘but he said Harry seemed sure you were taken.’

‘Just because he didn’t answer?’ Daisy asked.

‘Because someone told him I wasn’t,’ Sirius said, and before either of them knew what was happening, he was across the room in a few short strides, wrestling something onto the table with anger. It was Kreacher, who’d apparently been listening at the door but was now cowering at the end of his master’s wand, a glare on his haggard face.

‘What have you done?’ Sirius demanded. The elf didn’t answer, though it looked as though he was fighting to be disobedient, as if Sirius’ demands were pulling the words from his mouth without him wanting them to. Sirius continued, determined to get answers, ‘it was you, wasn’t it. You hurt Buckbeak to keep me out of the way, didn’t you? Didn’t you!?'

‘I only did as mistress asked,’ Kreacher grunted.

‘Your mistress is dead,’ Sirius spat.

‘I serve many in the noble house of Black,’ Kreacher snarled, his rotten teeth glinting in the kitchen light. Daisy and Remus shared a confused look but pressed on.

‘You serve me, you little wretch,’ Sirius shouted, ‘tell me what you’ve done.’

Kreacher smiled menacingly as Sirius tried to stand straighter, hoping to enact some form of obedience from his servant, but everyone knew Kreacher held the cards. The only hope was that he’d be bound to tell Sirius. No matter who he’d been obeying on the side, he was still his master.

‘Tell me!’ Sirius demanded.

‘You look worried,’ Kreacher smiled, ‘so did the blood traitor when he called, like he was going to cry, but don’t worry mistress will show him what tears really are if he doesn’t obey.’

‘Where is he?’ Daisy asked, panicked.

‘Don’t talk to me, you filthy mudblood,’ Kreacher spat.

‘You’ll tell her, and you’ll tell me now, Kreacher,’ Sirius demanded, ‘where is Harry?’

‘Mistress told me not to tell,’ Kreacher said smugly.

‘But I am your master,’ Sirius said, prodding the tip of his wand into the elf’s neck, ‘and you’ll tell me where he is and what you have done; otherwise I’ll give you clothes.’

That made the elf straighten up, a wicked grin dancing on Sirius’ lips as he said, ‘I’ll throw you out. A disgrace to your ancestors, and you’ll be locked away from my mother’s things forever.’

They waited, every second feeling like an eternity as Kreacher fought an internal struggle before the words fell from his lips in defeat, ‘She…they want him where the treasure is. They needed him to get it.’

‘The department of mysteries,’ Daisy whispered, cursing herself. If she hadn’t swapped duties, she’d be headed there now. She’d have been awake when Harry got through; none of this would’ve happened.

‘You sure?’ Sirius asked as he grabbed Kreacher by the scruff of his old rags and tossed him towards the door. The elf hobbled away down towards his room and no doubt his mistress’ belongings.

‘It’s gotta be,’ Daisy said, ‘why else would they need Harry?’

‘She’s right; they must be going after the prophecy,’ Remus said, ‘we thought they would at some point.’

‘Right, then we need to alert the order. Tell them we know where he’s headed,’ Sirius said.

‘I’ll send a Patronus now,’ Remus said, heading off from the kitchen so that his message wouldn’t be disrupted.

Silence fell between the pair of them, and suddenly they realised just how close they’d been standing to one another, the stress of the situation making them close ranks. Daisy pulled away, moving into the hall where she found her discarded bag still slung by the stairs. She bent down and pulled a hair clip from it before moving to the mirror in the hall. Sirius watched as she swooped her golden locks and twizzled, trying hard to get it out of her line of sight, though no matter how she styled it strands kept falling into her face. He could tell that she was ignoring him and so he moved until he was standing beside her, which made her hand stall before she continued to fiddle with the strands.

‘You’re probably better brushing it back altogether,’ he said, producing a hairbrush he’d fished from her bag on the way to her. Daisy looked at it and nodded meekly, taking it from his hands as she brushed through it quickly, twisting it in a loop before it was secured behind her, her face now obstruction-free.

‘Thanks,’ she said, handing it back to him, though he placed it on the table beside them, his grey eyes never leaving her face. Daisy swallowed, ‘Sirius.’

‘Dais, I’m not gonna stay here,’ he said firmly.

‘You can’t,’ she started.

‘Harry’s missing, and it’s my fault. I’m not going to stay behind and worry,’ Sirius reasoned.

‘But it’s dangerous!’ she protested.

‘It’s dangerous for you too,’ he reasoned, his hand ghosting along her face though she moved away angrily.

‘What if this is what he wants? What if Voldemort or whoever Kreacher was on about wants you to come to his rescue? It’s obvious they know how much you care about him. What if it’s a trap?’ she said, trying to will tears not to show as she swallowed them down.

‘What if I’m running in headfirst, no thought, just that ego and pride bursting out again, you mean?’ Sirius said, though his tone wasn’t mocking and angry like last time. It was understanding. He could see the worry on her face, the terror in her eyes which grew as she whispered, ‘What if that puts Harry in danger? What if it puts you in danger? I can't lose you, Sirius. I can't lose Harry.’

‘I know,’ he said quietly.

‘I just want you safe,’ she whispered.

‘I know,’ he agreed, pulling her to him, ‘but dais this is war. We don’t have a choice… Harry's already in danger, and wouldn’t you rather us in the firing line than him? I mean, isn’t that what you keep saying: ‘Keep the kids out of it and let us do the work.'

‘What if you get caught?’ Locked up and thrown in Azkaban. What if –

‘What if something happens to Harry and I could’ve stopped it? Believe it or not, I can look after myself.’ Sirius said. He understood she was scared that this was just him being impulsive and reckless. But the last time he had charged into battle had been through pride and anger. He’d been looking for revenge as an afterthought; now he was trying to stop something happening. He had to do something.

‘I know that,’ she sighed.

‘So let me come… Or don’t you trust me?’ he reasoned.

Daisy looked at him, chewing on her lip. She knew he was good in a fight. That he, like her, would only be thinking of keeping Harry safe no matter what. She knew the feeling of needing to help. She understood how grief gripped you, how determined it made you not to want to go through it again. Above all, she trusted Sirius Black with her life.

‘Everyone’s headed to the ministry,’ Remus said as he appeared at the top of the stairs, running down them in bounds as he headed to the door, shoving a jacket on as he passed them. Sirius let go of her, still awaiting a decision as she looked between him and Remus, who was watching them like he’d missed something.

Finally Daisy looked at him and sighed, ‘got your wand?’

Sirius nodded, his mouth turning up in a smile as she rolled her eyes and said, ‘Come on then. Department of mysteries it is.’

SIRIUS BLACK/SERIES TAGS

@mysteriouslydelicateface @caitlin1996 @imthebadguyyy @maeisafangirl

#my writing #sirius black #sirius black x original female character #sirius black fic #marauders #marauders fic #hp fic #daisy evans #the other evans girl #the only evans girl

3 notes · View notes

thelazywitchsblog · 5 years ago

Text

Story Title: I Solemnly Swear

Fandom: Harry Potter

Story Type: Fanfic AU (long)

Summary: Venauora Rose loved James Potter like a brother. She was a Hit Witch for the ICW and was on an undercover mission the night James and Lily died. Six months later, she finds out what happened and devastated, comes back to Britain to try and find answers as to why James and Lily died. She comes to know about Sirius Black's betrayal and with permission from her boss, goes to meet him in Azkaban in secret. She needed answers and he had them. But the truth is not always as it seems and seemingly friends are enemies. The truth of what happened shocks her to the core and now she must free Sirius, find Harry and punish those responsible.

Part: Chapter 2.

Warning: Dumbledore and slight Weasley Bashing.

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

Chapter 2: Information and An Ally

Early next morning, I made my way to the Hit Wizard and Witch department of the Defence and Peacekeeping Federation of the ICW. I needed to speak with my boss because if anyone could help me in finding Harry and freeing Sirius, it would be her.

I walked up to her secretary, Dorothy, a petite red headed woman with a thick pair of glasses and an Norwegian accent.

“Good morning Dorothy. I need to speak with Madame Gustafson. It’s urgent.”

She looked up at me and smiled pleasantly. “A minute please.”

She picked up her pen and wrote a note on the ledger in front of her. A few moments later, a message appeared directly under her writing in black ink.

She looked up at me. “She’s waiting for you.”

I smiled at her in thanks.

I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the large oak door to Madame Gustafson's office and knocking once on the door, opened it.

“Thank you for meeting me ma’am.”

Madame Gustafson looked up from her files and smiled a small smile.

She was a small woman with soft features and smile lines around her eyes and mouth, not registering as a threat at first glance. But first glances can be deceptive, especially in her case. She had the highest number of arrests and missions under her name. As a highly decorated War Mage, she was both feared and respected by everyone in the ICW. It was rumoured that the other departments of the Defence and Peacekeeping Federation in the ICW were jealous of the Hit Wizard and Witch department, simply because Madame Gustafson was the Head of Department.

She pushed her short grey hairs away from her face as she gestured me inside.

“No thanks needed. What’s the matter?” She said as I took a seat in front of her desk.

I smiled at her. “Before I say anything else, I just want to thank you for helping me get into Azkaban without the British Ministry knowing about it.”

She nodded once as her eyes narrowed. Without saying anything else, she pressed a button on her desk. I felt the small vibrations around the room as the privacy protocols activated around the room. Nobody could hear us now. Or even enter the room without her explicit permission.

Ultimate security.

“Now what’s going on?”

I sighed. “It’s about Sirius Black and his involvement in the deaths of James and Lily Potter.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“He’s innocent. He claims Peter Pettigrew was the actual traitor and he was the one who told Voldemort about where the Potter’s were hiding.”

Her eyebrow inched higher. “And you believe him?”

I nodded. “He took a vow on his magic. He worded it carefully so that there was no loophole that could cast doubt on him.”

Her brows creased as she thought for a moment. “May I see the memory of the vow?”

I nodded. “Of course.”

Taking out my wand, I placed it at my temple and concentrating hard, I slowly extracted a silver strand of memory from my head, attached to the tip of my wand.

She motioned me towards the small pensieve on her desk. I carefully placed the memory inside and watched as she pushed a button on it. A hologram of the memory appeared between us and she watched the vow being made by Sirius.

She didn’t say anything for a minute after the memory played out and simply stated at me. I met her gaze unflinchingly, wondering about the thoughts that would be running through her head at this very moment.

Finally, sighing, she said, “The vow was worded very cleverly. He probably was waiting for someone to come ask him and had already planned what to say. But you’re right. The vow proves he didn’t kill James and Lily Potter either directly or indirectly. What about his charges against Pettigrew?”

I leaned back into the chair. “He claims Pettigrew is alive and living as a rat.”

Her eyes widened. “An animagus?”

“Illegal animagus.” I corrected.

Her eyes narrowed. “I see. What do you want of me?”

I took a deep breath. “Your help. Sirius claims he wasn’t given a trial. I think we should give him one. Or force the British Ministry to hold a trial.”

She pursed her lips. “There has to be a case file on Sirius Black. If he wasn’t given a trial, then there will be no transcripts of the trial nor a verdict recorded.”

I nodded. “And if we can bring this information to light in front of the right people, then we can get him a trial. Besides, the British Ministry would be guilty of breaking the treaty they have with ICW if they deny him a trial any longer.”

She smiled. “Correct.” She pulled out a piece of parchment from one of the drawers in her desk and inked her quill and started writing. “I have a contact in the British Ministry. Her name is Amelia Bones. Smart girl, loyal and a great believer in justice. I once scouted her as a member of the Hit Wizard and Witches division, but she preferred to work in the Ministry. I’ll ask her to meet you....when?”

I thought for a moment. “In about two hours.”

She looked up at me with shrewd eyes and a conspiratorial smile. “You’re going to go look in the archives, aren’t you?”

At least she was smiling, I thought in relief. “Yes. A copy of the case file will be immediately added to the archives here after the file is completed. It can serve as additional proof if Madame Bones doesn’t believe me.”

She nodded as she folded the parchment and placed it on her letter tray, where it vanished after five minutes. “Okay then. Anything else?”

I took another deep breath, knowing that the next words out of my mouth would be more important to Madame Gustafson above all else. After all, she was the one who sent me on that undercover operation a year ago.

“I want to reopen our investigation into Albus Dumbledore.”

Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before narrowing. “I thought you said you had no leads.”

I have one now.

“I didn’t. But Sirius claims that Albus knew he wasn’t the secret keeper. And yet I know for a fact that when Arcturus Black told the Wizengamot that Sirius couldn’t have betrayed the Potter’s, it was Dumbledore who told the entire Wizengamot that he knew Sirius was the secret keeper.”

“Did he take the stand? Did someone use veritaserum on him?”

I shook my head. “No. He just stood there in the middle of the room and told everyone this. And they all believed him.”

She snorted in disgust and disdain at the general idiocy of the British Wizarding Community regarding Albus Dumbledore.

“Do you want to go solo or do you need a team?”

I thought for a moment. “A team will be better. We can cover more ground that way and the investigation will be more thorough. But it has to be a secret. We can’t let even a rumour of this reach him or his supporters.”

She nodded and took out another piece of parchment. “I’ll give you a two person team for this. Any more and we might as well announce this to the entire world.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

She wrote a quick note on her ledger as I waited. After she was done, she looked up at me. “I’ve asked Eliza McKinney and Jasper Lovett to assist you. No problems I hope?”

I shook my head. I’ve worked on other cases with both of them before and I trusted them. They were both smart and knew how to handle cases which required utmost secrecy.

Madame Gustafson’s voice softened as she asked, “And what about your Godson? Did you find him?”

I shook my head, fighting back tears and a sense of fury. “No. Dumbledore knows where he is. I’m sure of it. Sirius said that Dumbledore claimed Harry is in a safe place. It could be anywhere.”

She thought for a moment. “A Magical Orphanage maybe?”

Unlikely, I thought.

I shook my head. “No. He would want to keep Harry someplace where he could keep an eye on him. An orphanage is most probable, but he wouldn’t risk placing Harry is a magical orphanage because he would be easily identifiable after the his parent’s death. Did you know there are rumours that he has a scar on his forehead because of the Killing Curse?”

She shrugged. “I heard about it. But the chances of that spell leaving a scar is doubtful.”

She was right about that. The Killing Curse was created so that one could kill without leaving a trace or mark of injury on the body. It was widely used during the middle ages by one dark wizard or another to kill muggles.

“What about Muggle orphanages?”

He wouldn’t risk it, I thought. “He would be risking the Statute of Secrecy if he did that. Most magical children are able to do accidental magic by the age of two at the earliest. If he had placed Harry at a Muggle Orphanage then it would’ve been hard to disguise his magical abilities when they manifested. And he wouldn’t risk his status if it was found out that the Statute of Secrecy was made flouted by Dumbledore in this way.”

She nodded. “What about family?”

A lump formed in my throat as Fleamont and Euphemia's faces flashed in my mind. I cleared my throat as I answered her. “James’s parents died shortly before he was killed. And James didn’t have any extended family...except for us.”

She smiled sadly and reached over to pat my hand that was on her desk in comfort. “And Lily?”

I gently removed my hand from under hers and placed my hands on my lap with fingers interlocked. “Her parents died a few months after she married James.” Although there was one family member I hadn’t considered. “She did have a sister...” I whispered as sudden fear and anxiety gripped me.

She frowned. “Miss Rose?”

It couldn’t be. Could it?

The thought was so absurd and yet... Dumbledore claimed Harry was in a safe place. If I was right, then Dumbledore might’ve just placed Harry in the most dangerous situation possible.

I looked up at her, my voice barely a whisper, “He couldn’t have... Petunia hates magic. She made that quite clear at Lily’s wedding. If Dumbledore placed Harry with her...”

Madame Gustafson looked worried as she stood and walked around the desk, sitting on the chair next to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Venauora?”

I swallowed back a lump in my throat. “Harry might be in danger.”

Her brows furrowed. “How so?”

“Petunia...” I took a deep breath. “She hates magic. She didn’t want anything to do with Lily. She always pretended as if Lily wasn’t her sister and considered her a 'freak'. The last time Lily contacted Petunia was to tell her about Harry’s birth. I was there when Petunia sent a reply. She had said that Lily should drown Harry before he became a 'freak' like her.”

Madame Gustafson had never looked so angry as she did at that moment. Petunia was lucky she wasn’t in the room right now.

She took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself. But when she spoke, her voice was flat with suppressed anger. “Do you know where this Petunia lives?”

I shook my head. “No. Lily never went to meet her after what happened. She said it was to save Petunia from being a target but I think she was just too hurt or scared of her sister’s rejection.”

She muttered something about 'Idiot and shitty sisters' and looked me in the eye. “Do you know anything that would help track us down?”

“She married a man named Vladimir...” That wasn’t his name. Oh right, it was Vernon. “No. His name was Vernon. Vernon Dursley. Lily once told me worked for some company that made drills or something. I think it was called Grunnings?”

She nodded as she stood. I’lll put a team on finding her. You go find that file and go meet Amelia. Do you have your communication device with you?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

She smiled grimly. “Good. I’ll inform you when we find them. Now go.”

Two hours later, I was seated in front of Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the British Ministry of Magic. The Security Protocols were up and running, giving us the utmost privacy and security that the British Ministry provided.

Madame Bones was a square jawed witch with a stern face. She had close cropped black hair with a few grey hairs in between and she wore a monocle. The monocle gave her an appearance of being a serious person.

At the moment, she was staring at me with a small smile that did not quite reach her eyes.

I like her.

“Miss Rose. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Madame Gustafson said you would be visiting.”

I nodded. “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice Madame Bones.”

She leaned back against her chair and placed her hands on her laps. “Please call me Amelia.”

I gave her a small smile. “You can call me Vena.”

“What can I help you with?” She asked as she took off her monocle and placed it on her desk.

I decided to get straight to the point. “One of your inmates at Azkaban didn’t receive a trail. And as you know, you can’t hold a prisoner in Azkaban without trial for more than a month or it would be considered a breach in the treaty that made the British Ministry a part of the ICW.”

She raised an eyebrow and gestured me to continue.

Very well.

“Sirius Black has been in Azkaban for the past six months without trial. And I believe he is innocent.”

She suddenly sat up straight as she stared at me in shock. “What?”

I took out Sirius’s file from the inside of my cloak and place it on the desk in front of her.

“This is his file. As you can see, there’s only the arrest sheet inside it. There are no trial transcripts or anything else.”

She picked it up and opening it, read the single sheet of parchment inside. Her hands clenched into fists as she finished reading. Finally, she slammed the file down on her desk and looked at me with a steely glare. “How did you get this?”

I gave her a small smile. “A copy of every case file that is ever recorded in any Ministry affiliated to the ICW appears in our archives. It’s for better cooperation between all of us.”

She frowned. “And to spy on the workings of the ministry.”

“Well, considering this case, can you blame us?”

“No.” She sighed. “Why do you think he’s innocent?”

I shrugged. “Because I met him. And he took a magical vow stating his innocence.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“I need to see the memory of that vow.”

“Of course.” I said as I handed her the copy of the memory in a vial from inside the pocket of my cloak. “I assure you it’s not been tempered with. Madame Gustafson herself has seen it and can assure you of its authenticity should you so desire.”

She nodded as she took the vial from my hands and walked over to the pensieve in the corner of her office. I waited as she viewed the memory and when she emerged from the pensieve, she looked shocked. She staggered back to her chair and sat for a few minutes, gathering her thoughts.

Finally she looked up at me.

“When did you-?”

I interrupted her, already anticipating her question. “Yesterday.”

Her eyes narrowed. “How did you go to Azkaban and met one of the top security prisoners without the Ministry knowing?”

“Madame Gustafson.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Of course. What do you need me to do?”

I motioned towards the file. “Hold a trial for Sirius as soon as possible. He shouldn’t be in that hellhole any longer.”

She nodded as she pulled a piece of parchment towards her and started scribbling away. “Of course. I’ll call an emergency session in the Wizengamot immediately.”

I took a deep breath. “One other thing. Dumbledore should not be part of the trial proceedings.”

She stopped writing and after a pause, looked up at me. “Why not?”

I pursed my lips, thinking of what to tell her. “As you recall, after Sirius was arrested Arcturus Black demanded to know on what grounds did everyone claim his grandson had betrayed the Potter’s.”

She nodded, her eyes growing wide as she recalled what had happened. “And Dumbledore said that Sirius was the Secret Keeper.”

“Yes. But according to Sirius, Dumbledore knew that Sirius wasn’t the secret keeper.”

Her brows furrowed as she considered. “So Dumbledore lied in the Wizengamot.”

I nod once. “Yes. And he did so while under oath as Chief Warlock.”

She muttered under her breath, “That doddering old bastard.”

I smothered back a sudden laugh. “Agreed.”

She suddenly looked confused and looked at me. “Wait...so who was the Secret Keeper?”

I stared at her. “Peter Pettigrew.”

She leaned back in her chair and her eyes narrowed. “Are you certain?”

I nodded. “Sirius claimed it was him. And I went to visit the Potter’s solicitor. He gave me a copy of the will and it’s written there, clear as day, that Peter Pettigrew was the secret keeper.”

A look of fury crossed her face as she considered this information. She shut her eyes and through clenched teeth, asked, “Why didn’t the Solicitor come forward with this information?”

I waited until she opened her eyes and focused on me again. “Simple. He didn’t know. Still doesn’t know actually. James and Lily wrote the will themselves and sealed in such a way that it would only open to either a Gringotts Goblin, one of those who were named in the will or the executor of the will. Guess who was the executor?”

Her eyes narrowed to slits and her nostrils flared. “Albus?”

I smiled at her. “Correct. So Dumbledore knew of the Keepers being changed, he knew Sirius was innocent and he also refused to execute the Potter’s Will.”

A sudden look of suspicion and then understanding crossed her face. “You managed to unseal it.”

“That’s for another discussion on another day.”

She nodded and reached for another piece of parchment. “The solicitor should’ve come forward with the Will. At least the Potter’s Account manager at Gringotts would’ve been able to open the will.”

I absently flicked a piece of imaginary lint away from my cloak. “I know. But Dumbledore had convinced the poor sod that if he came forward with the Will, he would be targeted by those loyal to the Dark Lord in regards to the location of Harry Potter.”

Her expression didn’t change, but I thought I could detect a faint hint of anger underlying her features. “I’ll see if I can manage to get Dumbledore away from the proceedings. But it would be difficult. He has a lot of supporters.”

I shrugged in indifference. “Bring up his negligence in court and his lies about Sirius. That would be enough to keep him away. And choose another Chief Warlock temporarily for this case.”

She nodded. “That could be done. Tiberius Ogden would be a good replacement for the time being. He’s smart and unbiased.”

Before I could answer her, a small ding sounded in the room. I excused myself as I pulled out my communications device, a small pocket watch, from around my neck. I flipped it open.

On the small glass, there was a message.

Found the Dursleys. 4, Privet Drive, Surrey. Magical signature detected. Hurry.

I stood up so suddenly that Madame Bones was startled. I closed the watch and tucked it back inside.

They found him.

I turned towards the door.

“I have to go.”

She stood up, worry etched on her face. “Is everything okay?”

No. Nothing is okay.

I forced back the tears in my eyes. “I have to check up on something.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Need any help?”

I paused.

Taking Amelia with me would be beneficial in the long run. If I’m right about this, then it would be much easier to take down Dumbledore.

I stared at her as I said slowly, “Yes, actually. If what I believe is to be true, then we’ll have another case against Dumbledore.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What case?”

My voice was flat as I answered her, “Child Negligence and Endangerment in the case of Harry Potter.”

#harry potter #harry potter fic #harry potter fanfiction #sirius black x oc #sirius black #dumbledore bashing #i hate dumbledore #dumbledore doesn't know what's gonna hit him #harry potter raised by sirius

9 notes · View notes