#and a wizard that if i could describe in a word it would be ' intoxicating ' | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ninamitoo · 3 years ago

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The veiling of mind

As some of you may know, this was a reguest from @cabbages-posts

Once again, thank you for requesting this since it means to me you like the way I write. The MC described in this story is the same MC in HPHM so you can do about everything 🤷🏻‍♀️✨ Talbott is really insecure about himself in this, hope you don't mind. I imagine that he started to change and see himself in a diferent way roughly sometime after this incident. (Also reader is a bird animagus like Talbott, nut feel free to insert any other animal you prefer.)

Sorry for taking this long, uni work is killing all my time. Hope you like this!

Warnings: It's just pure fluff with a little angst if you close one eye and sexual degrading comments from a Slythering student towards the reader. Nothing big, really. Just the usual stuff most of us heard at least once in our life. I used the F word once, as well as asshole. Talbott also sends a few curses, but doesn't physically harm anyone (the punk in question calmly gets up and runs away like a wounded animal).

Pairing: Talbott Winger x fem! reader (established relationship)

Fandom: Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery

W: 6412 (o.O like wut? I didn't expect this oneshot to be so long.)

My masterlist

The way your hair glistened in the sunlight was addictive. You were just bending down to pick the spiky flowers when a strand of your hair fell in your face. Unable to resist his desire, Talbott gently reached for them, uncovering your beautiful face and softheartedly put them behind your ear. They were just as tender as he remembered and as the sweet smell of your shampoo assaulted his sinuses, he quite consciously sucked in your intoxicating scent once more. He rested his chin on your head and stroked your hair lovingly.

Talbott rarely ever showed his affection for you. Most of the time, he did so by letting his inhibitions disappear and giving in to his own desires. He didn't know if he could afford to do this to you, if you wanted it, or how you would react if he actually did what he dreams of doing day and night. And as soon as he came back to the harsh reality of what he was doing, he immediately let you go in shame every single time no matter how much you told him you loved it.

He was too nervous to see how much his gesture made you blush. He purposufely looked away from you as his eyes were searching for something to serve as distraction, his hand at the back of his neck. A habit he unconsciously made whenever he was too shy or nervous in your presence.

You were the only one who made him insecure about himself.

It wasn't because of the way you acted around him or anything you said to him. If anything, you've always let him know how much you appreciate him and how much you love him for who he is - for being himself. But... YOU were too good for him. You were perfect at anything you touched. You excelled in every subject, and even though Snape didn't like you twice, your grades were still among the best. You managed to befriend every wizard, witch and magical creature. Everyone adored you. You were brave, beautiful, willing to put yourself in danger to save others, smart, you even sang in the choir and you were capable of playing any position in Quidditch!

Compared to you, he... He could never be your match. The only thing he was really good at was transfiguration and caring for the plants. Although... On multiple occasions you told him how much you admired his clever brain, how you wished to be at least half as smart as he is. One time you even confessed how incredibly sexy you find his cleverness. After hearing your hurried confession he studied even more then before. He wanted to impress you.

Ever since that first day he found out he was your secret crush, he's felt so much better about himself. And every time you chose him out of your long list of admirers to go to a date or to a ball with without hesitation and reassure him that he would always be your first choice, his confidence grew again.

And yet... Every time he was made aware of your superhuman incredibility, he couldn't help but watch you from afar. He admired you more than anyone else.

"Aren't you more touchy-feely than usually today?" You giggled happily and handed him a bouquet of his favorite flowers. Since your first date in Hagrid's garden, picking Thistle has become a bit of a tradition. Whenever you came back here on one of your many dates or just passing by on an evening stroll, you always picked him a bouquet of purple beauties. You yourself would have preferred to choose slightly prettier flowers but you liked the reason why Talbott likes them in the first place. Still, you wished he would begin to think better of himself than that he was often overlooked just as this flowering plant. You wished there was some magic that could make him see himself through your eyes, at least for a while. Then maybe he'd realize how amazing he really is.

"I-I'm sorry..." Talbott was quick to apologize, thinking he'd ruined the rest of the day with his gesture. You finally saw each other after a few days when you were busy with all sorts of things while he was studying in the library and secretly watching you in his animal form whenever he could. Today was supposed to be your day, and he ruined it. "Guess you don't want to see me anymore tonight, huh?" He grumbled, feeling the nervous beat of his heart echoing in his ears as he waited for your answer.

Your eyebrows drew together in an expression of confusion at his thought. Are you expressing your feelings towards him wrongly that his conclusion is a negation instead of a positive? You gently caressed his cheek while you pulled his forehead down to yours. With a smile on your face, you were once again reminded of how Talbott had changed over the past few months - when you met two years ago, he was the same height as you and his build was rather flabby. Now when you wanted to look into his eyes, you had to tilt your head, stand on tiptoe when you wanted to kiss him on the cheek and whenever his strong arms wrapped around you, you got lost in his broad chest.

"Talbott... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad you're overlooked by most people, because then everyone would jump on you." The confusion was switched from one person to another after your last sentence. "You're the most beautiful, kindest person I've ever met, and every day I fall under your spell more and more. And every once in a while, when you make a romantic gesture like you did a moment ago, I feel like my heart explodes with happiness. I love it when you kiss my hair, when I come back to my room and there's a flower and a poem on my bed, or when you wish me sweet dreams and good mornings everyday." You confessed to him and tried to put into your words all your emotions of love that swirled through you like a tornado. You still couldn't believe that someone like you got such an attentive, sweet and romantic guy as a boyfriend.

"Before I met you I thought I wasn't into romance but you made me selfish and I want it, I want you, more and more." Your face turned bright red and your eyes shone with love under the late sunlight. Talbott, utterly absorbed in your beauty and sincerity, could not tear his gaze from you, and watched you in astonished silence. Once in a while you caught him staring at you during meals or classes so now when he looked at you directly, you said nothing and simply smiled at him while you stroked his brown strands, waiting for your words to settle in his heart. Heat flared in the area of Talbott's chest as he watched you, and without thinking, he pressed his lips to yours in a sweet kiss.

"I really like you." He whispered against your lips, not daring to say the other word beginning with the letter L. A wide smile lit up your face as you replied back "I like you more," and although Talbott doubted it, he didn't refute your assumption and instead pulled you to him again. He felt his stomach clench as if into itself as you used your tongue to suck his bottom lip into your mouth and without further hesitation he came to meet you. Your kissing was unhurried but full of unspoken feelings hidden deep inside each other.

Too immersed in each other's touch, you didn't notice the door opening or the dog barking a greeting behind your back. "Stop flirtin' and go back 'to the castle! Curfew's comin' up." Hagrid's voice, enriched with boisterous laughter, interrupted you, and you both jumped apart in shame.

"We're coming! We're coming!" You shout back at him while stroking Fang's grey fur. A stick lay a short distance from you, and without hesitation you raised it to brown, playful eyes. "Want this, buddy?" You already knew that if you didn't quickly divert his attention elsewhere, you'd end up on the floor under a layer of dog saliva. When he wiggled his ass in delight, you successfully reached out for the throw.

"Aport!" You swung as hard as you could and watched Fang's tail wag back and forth with joy as he tried to catch the stick in mid-air. "Good boy!" Hagrid cheered as he watched his partner catch the wood and proudly patted him on the side when he came to show him. You said goodbye with a wave of the hand and walked briskly up the hill to the shining castle, reflecting the red evening sky.

"Next time, remind me to make sure we're really alone before we start making out." Talbott, who was even red behind the ears, growled next to you. His agitated attitude amused you and you felt like teasing him, but instead you just intertwined your fingers between his. As your hand slipped under his, his tense shoulders sagged and his hurried gait slowed.

"It still wasn't as bad as the night McGonagall caught us." You reminded him and shuddered at the memory. You weren't able to look her in the eye for weeks afterwards, not to mention Snape's hatred directed at you when he found out how many points your little date night had cost you.

"Ugh, so when I finally forgot about it, you just have to go and remind me again, don't you? I didn't dare to sit next to you for the rest of the year..." Your boyfriend groaned at your side, and when a gust of cold wind picked up, you snuggled closer to his warm body. Your heart, like his, leapt when he let go of your hand and wrapped his arm around your waist instead. "The next day we were the centre of all the gossip." He mumbled, his lips forming into a cute pout.

Until then, your romance was mostly known only to your close friends, but after you were caught in the hallway by the esteemed professor, you were the talk of the town, and not just during the meals in the Great Hall. The fact that neither of you denied it encouraged the omnipresent to concoct scenarios of what you might have done together in the shadows of the night.

"But I was happy to officially call you my boyfriend every time someone asked me about you." You told him and watched his reaction out of the corner of your eye. Surprise quickly gave way to disbelief until even that was replaced by a beatific smile. The fact that you wanted to show him off made him incredibly happy and proud. He was the one who could call you his, not anybody else. And you wanted to be his as much as you wanted him to be yours. "Me too." Noted Talbott and these two simple words made you feel like a little teenager falling head over heels in love once again.

"When'll I see you again?" You ask as you walk through the gate knowing that your time together is coming to an end. You already miss him.

"Are you free tomorrow?" Finding a date when you both have time together is challenging. It seems like fate is against you every time you try to meet. You had a feeling it wouldn't be any different now, as you shook your head sadly at his question.

"I promised to help Barnaby and Liz look after Nifflers during lunch break and I still have detention with Pitts in the kitchen after dinner." Unconsciously, you squeezed Talbott's hand tighter as you tried to figure out the day when you'd at least have a moment to spare. "But I have Quidditch practice on Friday around six and then I'm off. Would you like to come see me and do some flying afterwards?" You came up with an alternative time immediately.

“I'm not sure why you think I, of all people, am the one who can fly, but...” Talbott said with a serious face, and you couldn't help laughing out loud. You always get a laugh out of his jokes addressed to his eagle form, especially when he refers to them as the most serious thing in the world. As you saw Talbott's nod of approval, you couldn't wait for Friday. Wishing you sweet dreams, he said goodbye with one last kiss. Just two days and you'll see each other again.

The next morning you saw each other only briefly at breakfast when you waved to each other and both went to your separate classes that day. On Thursday, your schedule was the most different - you could at least be grateful for the time together in the Great Hall where the whole school meets for a meal. But besides that, you hadn't saw the other one the whole day, and you still had a detention to go to you'd got at the end of last year. At least you had your new partner there to make the long hours over a bowl of bread dough enjoyable.

"Hey Jae! Up to no good again?" You jokingly greeted your friend, looking at his hunched back over his diary where he wrote down all his upcoming orders.

"Welcome to our worst nightmare! I was almost afraid you were gonna leave me alone tonight." He looked up at you and gave you one of his half smiles that clearly indicated, he was once again planning something nefarious.

"Only almost?" You yelled over your shoulder at him while you washed your hands in one of the sinks. A light laugh was his answer, as was an amused glint in his dark eyes as he talked to you provocatively: "Offended much?"

You reached for one of several aprons hanging on the wall and made your way back to the long table the Asian boy was leaning against, his arms folded across his chest. "Not quite what you were hoping for." You reply and watch his exaggerated gesticulation with a smile as he places his palm over his heart in disbelief.

"Less laughter and more dough kneading!" Pitts shouted at you, fed up with your positive mood. Before he could pull out his chef's cooking spoon on you, you both got down to business and expertly began working on your task.

"You got some new business?" You nodded your head towards his notebook safely hidden in his back pocket. His voice was as quiet as yours, after all, you don't want to attract unwanted attention.

"Yeah, and pretty big!" His enthusiasm just oozed out of him and it was immediately clear to you that it had something to do with visiting Knockturn Alley. With a silent raise of your eyebrows, you prompted him to speak. "There's a student in our class who's desperately in love. Looks like the girl doesn't want him, but he just doesn't care. Phuhahaha! He's ordered a month's supply and looks like he's going to become a regular customer." He laughed and started muttering something about how he had to deliver the first batch this Friday afternoon and that he had to get out of the castle as soon as possible to pick up his order.

You disagreed with the love potion delivery - you remembered too well how you persuaded Ismelda not to use the potion on your mutual friend, and you just hoped that this time you would be able to prevent it as well. But Jae guarded his client's name like a hawk and refused to tell you. Although you were his friend and partner in several of his jokes, he was aware of your responsibility as prefect and had no doubt that you would prevent his new business. He couldn't afford that happening.

You crawled to your room late at night, determined to find out as soon as possible who was willing to go to such lengths to force someone into false love. First thing in the morning you're gonna meet Penny and ask her for help. You didn't know of anyone better than your blonde friend, who can keep tabs on all matters circulating around the castle.

Talbott woke up to a raining morning. It looked like it was going to be cold and wet all day today, yet he knew your team wouldn't cancel their practice. Just like the previous year, you made it to the finals with your hard work and great teamwork. You have worked harder than ever before - after all defending the title for the third time in a row won't be easy.

Talbott took his Ravenclaw sweater out of the closet and pulled it over his shirt. As he smoothed his robes his eyes fell on his spare, warmer sweater and without further thought he grabbed it and neatly folded it into his bag. 'She's often cold...' He thought as your self came to his mind and with a satisfied smile went to breakfast.

Exceptionally, he saw you before he heard you, which was unusual. He could recognize your boisterous laughter from across the hall and was always pleased to know that you were in a good mood every morning. Today, however, he saw you bent over next to your fair-haired friend with a thoughtful look on your face while you listened to Penny whispers. Not wanting to disturb you, he sat down at the very end of the table, as he used to do before you began to eat breakfast and dinner together. He missed you, but he didn't dare come between you and Penny.

Now that he was sitting alone again after a long time, he realized how much joy you brought into his world. The loud conversation, laughter and clinking of cutlery on plates turned into a uniform background noise. He knew it was impossible, but it seemed to him that even the ubiquitous colours had lost their saturation, as if they had faded slightly...

Talbott lost his appetite when he realized how dependent he actually is on you. Without you by his side, he had nothing to live for. Was his existence before you always so pointless and boring?

"Hey, love" the sing-song voice and the gentle embrace of arms around his shoulders broke him out of his reverie. Talbott smiled as his body leaned more into your embrace. "What are you thinking about again, huh? You should take a break from your brain once in a while." You joked and kissed him gently on the cheek. The gentle gesture of your affection to him shook his inhibitions so much that he pulled you to his face and quickly pressed his lips to yours.

"Just thinking about how much I need you in my life." He confessed, watching as your face brightened to happily incredulous. He could have sworn he even saw you happily hopping on the spot from one foot to the other a few times. If only he knew how much you were fangirling over him at that moment... Let's just say you were glad you didn't squeeled aloud.

"Thank you. I feel the same way, but... You should still take a break once in a while!" You brought the direction of your conversation back to it's original rail and sat down next to your boyfriend, who was feeling particularly determined today - so much so that he wraped his arm around your waist. You took advantage of the offered bite and scooped up the entire plate as you hugged him back and pressed your head over his chest. You were pleased when he didn't protest and instead rested his chin gently on top your head.

"You are one to talk. Couldn't you at least take a day off from solving all the problems and mysteries that arise in Hogwarts?" He snorted, brushing his hand over your arm in slow strokes.

"If I'm not the one saving Hogwarts, than who is?" You utter almost without interest and reach for his unfinished toast and take a bite. "Besides, it's nothing serious, just the possibility of fooling some girl with a love potion." You say and watch Talbott slowly nod his head while he bites into the toast in your hand. He's suddenly very hungry.

He sure as hell didn't want to get involved in any of your dangerous adventures. Rather on the contrary, he wished you would stop doing this heroic thing of yours, so he wouldn't have to worry about losing you every day. Yet he understood your motives for seeking another vault. If he himself had even the slightest hope of saving his parents, he would have rushed after it without hesitation. The love potion certainly wasn't as bad as your fight with a werewolf.

After breakfast, you said goodbye again, each heading to your classes. He knew he'd see you again in transfiguration class, and later he'd come to watch you train. Still, he couldn't help checking the clock every few minutes to see when it would finally be lunchtime.

His first lesson was DADA, which he definitely enjoyed more last year, when you had it together and he could secretly admire your talent for spells. He enjoyed sitting by your side and liked the warmth radiating from where your elbows or thighs touched, but to be able to watch you from the back pew as you demonstrated to the class how best to fight a ghoul? You looked hot. And he got to call you his.

Professor Green began her lesson. He already knew the spell she was teaching in today's lecture, so he could afford to let his mind wander to you and pay partial attention to the explanation of the origin and history of the defensive spell.

When the time for the demonstration came, his eyes watched professor's every move with atentive eyes. What snapped him out of his enchantment were the two voices of the boys in front of him.

"Ain't she hot?" A low snicker fell from his friend's lips.

"I bet she is an easy one. She craves attention so much she'll stretch for anyone." Another wave of laughter rose accompanied by a series of vulgar hand gestures. Talbott felt his stomach twist into a knot of disgust. How dare they talk like this about someone? Talbott tried not to pay attention to their pathetic conversation, but their sonorous voices pierced his ears like a needle through a vein.

"Maybe. But I won't leave anything to chance." Said the first boy, dressed in bright green, with a disgusting smile plastered across his ugly mug.

"What'da ya mean by that?" The other asked curiously, and though Talbott partly did not want to hear the answer, he found himself straining his hearing in order to not miss a single word. Although he is not the confrontational type and prefers to solve problems verbally rather than with his fists or a duel, he still vividly recalling his conversation with you during breakfeast about some guy with love potion. Even if he couldn't prevent the Slythering boy from coming to the girl and stopping him, he can still hear the plan and either keep a close eye on him or warn you he's Jae's new client.

"I insured it." The answer came, and he pulled an unmarked vial of potion from his robe pocket. Talbott's mind spun into overdrive as soon as his eyes caught sight of the black vial. He must be the one who bought the love potion. The chances that among the 600 students are more guys who wanted to deliver a love potion on this day are minimal, but possible. The chances that he's the one you're looking for are less than 1%. The chances that he's the one you're looking for are less than 1%.

He didn't have to wait too long. Transfiguration class came sooner than he'd hoped, and as soon as he saw you talking to Andre outside the classroom, he immediately headed over to you. "Hey," you waved at him, but before you could say anything else, he grabbed your arm. "I think I know who the guy with the love potion is." He blurted out quickly, answering your question about who is it, before you could finish asking. "Some Slythering guy in our year. Don't know his name, but he has dark brown hair and eyes. Big beauty mark on his left cheek." You nodded and thought deeply. There are a lot of brown-haired boys in Slytherin, but only two in your year. The beauty mark will be your best shot at deciding which one is it.

"Thank you, this will help us a lot. I'll tell the others what you found out and we'll try to find him during the breaks and convince him not to do it." You smiled at him, and a sense of pride came over Talbott. He was glad he could help you a little.

"Did they happen to mention the girl's name?" You asked curiously, knowing how valuable this information was. It would be easy to warn her, and even easier to have one from your group watch over her at all times. The dismissive shake of his head was a disappointing but not devastating.

"Never mind. We're gonna have to focus on finding the guy first. Shouldn't be too hard." You assume, and with newfound vigor, you head to class together. How hard can it be to find one student when you know what house he is from, plus you know his general description? Apparently much harder than you originally thought.

He was nowhere to be found. The search party was joined by others besides Penny, with Barnaby and Liz guarding the Slytherin dorm while the others searched every nook and cranny. At lunch, Talbott thought he spotted him, but he was easily lost in the crowd of other students. During the break between classes you always tried to search as many rooms as possible, but there wasn't much spare time.

Rowan and Ben were in the library while Tulip kept watch in the Courtyard. Chiara, Andre and Badeea were each in one of the clubs, while the others were running around the castle from one classroom to another. You knew about every hiding place in the castle and searched them all - without success. Eventually you got to the point where you couldn't continue your search with the others - you had to go to your practise. Skye and Orion won't let you sneak out of training just before the finals.

You were just coming down the spiral staircase in your Quidditch outfit when you caught Penny and Talbott walking towards you. “We thought we'd go somewhere not too crowded so Talbott could change and get a bird's eye view of the school grounds.” Penny told you their new plan. “Sounds like a good idea to me.” You nodded your head in agreement. It wasn’t a bad idea at all, Talbott can cover a large area in a relatively short period of time while he’s in his animagus form.

“Don't worry if you don't find him today. Maybe he doesn't even want to give her the potion today, and we've all wasted a whole day looking for him for nothing.” You told your boyfriend since you knew what a perfectionist he secretly is and that even though he doesn't show it, he really wants to help you in your search. He smiled appreciatively at you: “I know, I know. You don't have to comfort me yet.” He joked.

“Well, we should get going, just like you.” The blonde inserted herself into your little exchange, and before she left, she made sure to wish you good luck, along with an apology for not being able to come see you today. She started up the stairs, but Talbott did not immediately follow. “I'll make about two rounds and if I can't find him, I'll fly out to see you like I originally promised.” He walked over to you and tucked one naughty strand that had escaped from your ponytail behind your ear. His voice was much quieter than usual. “He doesn't have to ruin our date, does he?”

“No, he really doesn't have to.” You nodded and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Looking forward to seeing you.” You winked at him with a playful smile and skipped down the rest of the staircase. Talbott watched your hair bounce with each step and only when he lost sight of you did he follow his friend.��

Although he didn't imagine today to be a hectic day, he was glad for the chance to stretch his wings and fly. It always cleared his mind beautifully. He couldn't relax that much with anything else, unless you included falling asleep in your arms. He turned his wings to catch the current of the wind and let it drift freely, while his keen eyes searched for the brown-haired boy.

Halfway through his second loop around the castle, he noticed Jae waving his arms frantically to catch his attention. Talbott descended into the shadow of the stone wall where he transformed back. As soon as his boots touched solid ground he came out to meet the boy in the yellow sweatshirt who was already running in his direction.

“Where’s Y/N?” He blurted out before Talbott could say anything. “She’s on the pitch, they have a practice today.” He didn't understand what good this information would do him, but he still gave the location of your current whereabouts without hesitation.

“Crap... That’s not good. Not good at all...” Jae started mumbling to himself, completely ignoring the Ravenclaw student in front of him. “What’s wrong mate?” Talbott's question seemed to snap the Asian out of his rant. He grabbed Talbott's shoulders and squeezed them tightly: “If I'd known sooner, I swear I wouldn't have given him the potion! I didn't know it was Y/N! You have to believe me, ‘kay? I would never-”

“What about Y/N? What’s wrong with her!? You aren’t making any sense!” An irritated Talbott jumped in. He wanted to know immediately what was going on with you, but Jae was babbling about unimportant things instead. “Cut to the point!”

“Philip wants to give that love potion to Y/N!”

Doupt.

Betrayal.

Resentment.

Bitterness.

Fear.

Talbott’s mind became preoccupied with intense emotions and hostility towards that Phil or whatever his name is. He was in a jealous rage. You were his girlfriend and the whole school knew that and yet he dared to take you away from him by pushing himself onto you with creating fake, illusionary feelings?

No way in hell.

There’s no way in hell he’ll let that happen.

The stiff body started to move on its own. The walk was replaced by a fast stride, which was transformed into a run within a few seconds. Talbott has never had a reason to run in his life. Jae shouted at him from behind his back where he was going and what had gone into him, but Talbott's brain registered only a high-pitched squeak. Nothing was more important to him than getting to you in time to stop you from drinking that stupid potion.

His feet carried him halfway when he saw you slowly sliding down to the ground, where a black and green blur waved at you. His labored breathing turned to wheezing as he picked up speed. He called your name again and again, but distance silenced his desperate cries. His side stabbingly stung when you landed on the ground a few feet away from Philip.

He won't make it.

An icy drop of terror flooded his body as he watched you accept the offered drinking bottle with mistrust in your eyes. His neck tightened into a narrow slit as your mouth approached the neck of the bottle. He must have spilled the potion in there. There was no springly water but a disgusting love potion!

Your mouth widened in a blissful smile as you said something to Philip, the bottle ever near, ever present in your hand. It felt like everzthing around him stopped and gone silent. Talbott almost stopped at that moment. Almost. But he was too close for that. You were almost within arm's reach...

He was aware of his rude behaviour when he flew between you like an unguided missile and knocked the bottle out of your hand in one fell swoop. The contents of the bottle remained untouched and before he could think about it his impulse made him grab the bottle, open it and spill the last drop on the ground. He watched with smug pleasure as the liquid seeped into the ground.

“The fuck you think you’re doing?” A scratchy voice shouted at him. Talbott was frazzled enough as it was, and his words were the last straw for him. He rose briskly to his feet and pointed his wand at the center of his chest. A simple wave and a word threw Philip back a few feet, his ass hitting the ground hard with a cry of pain.

“Don’t touch my girlfriend asshole.” It was the first time you saw Talbott pissed off, really pissed off. It was also the first time you've seen him pull a wand on someone and use a curse word. It was, to say the least... Remarkable. And even though it wasn't welcome in this situation, you couldn't resist the feeling of happiness that spread through you like a disease. You really liked how protective he was of you.

The sudden commotion drew attention of your teammates and it wasn't long before they formed a circle around you. “What’s happening here?” Orion asked as his searching gaze swept over the three people in front of him - two on their feet while one was sprawled on the ground.

“He wanted to give her a love potion.” Talbott growled through gritted teeth, never taking his eyes off his enemy.

“That seems to me to be quite a serious accusation that should not be made without solid reasons which will prove its truth.” Orion said in a serious tone, his hands clasped behind his back. “He’s lying!” In a desperate attempt to save himself, the accused caught hold of a thrown safety rope. Now that there wasn't a shred of evidence left, they had nothing on him. Once he realized this fact, he clumsily scrambled to his feet with a newfound confidence.

“But we have, though.“ You put yourself in and stood by the side of your love. A disbelieving "what" fell from the boy's lips. You smiled at his sudden change in demeanor - he was looking at you like a mouse caught in a trap. “Don't you know I'm friends with Jae?“ You started listing your evidence, starting with the most obvious one.

“That doesn’t prove anything!” He snapped back at you, but it didn't escape your eyes as he clenched his hands into fists to stop the shaking.

“No, it doesn not.” You agreed with him. Until Jae's here and points the finger himself, it's just word against word. “But running your mouth in the middle of class, talking about how you're going to give me a love potion is, don't you think? Revealing your plan before it was implemented is not recommended.” You put another nail in the coffin. You hammered another nail in the coffin, ready at any moment to use disarming spells on Philip, whose face had turned red with rage. To the astonishment of everyone else, however, it was the young man standing on your left who could not keep his anger in check.

Talbott sent a series of curses in Philip's direction, accompanied by resonating memories of a conversation that directly involved you. No one will call you a bawd in his presence. Not without consequences. “I was sitting right behind you and your little friend when you were bad-mouthing my girlfriend.” Talbott huffed through his clenched jaw, his knuckles whitening as he gripped his wand tightly.

“That still doesn't prove anything...!” Philip defended himself while protecting his face with his hands. At that moment, you felt like you were the perpetrator and not him. Not wanting to subject him to something like that, even if he deserved it, so you lowered Talbott's rised hand. You spoke the next words in a quieter, calmer voice. “Didn't I tell you I smell fresh straw and cool wind when you gave me the bottle?” A positive nod was accompanied by a confused arching of the eyebrows. You couldn't help smiling as you began to vividly recall the scent that had become your favourite. “Even if I didn't know beforehand that someone was here to slip me Amortentia, I would have known immediately by the smell. It's his scent.” You looked behind you to where Talbott stood as you spoke your last words. Those were meant for him.

“I'm sure I don't have to explain what that means, do I?” You looked back at Philip, who quickly mumbled a hissing no and almost ran back to the castle without another word. You felt that you wouldn't have to deal with this matter any longer.

“He could have at least apologized.” Talbott muttered, still irritated, but you could see your smart, patient man in him again.

“I have everything I need with me.” You squeezed Talbott's warm palm in yours. “I can do without his apology.” The love in your eyes smiled at him like warm rays of sunshine, and Talbott couldn't resist the temptation to steal one of your sweet kisses.

“That's enough with the flirting, right? We've still got practice to do!” Skye shouted at you, always relentless when it came to Quidditch. It was with great difficulty that you pulled away from the soft lips still pressed against yours. “Looks like I have to go.” You said, even though you knew Talbott had much better hearing than you and the comment thrown to the wind didn't escape him.

“I'll wait for you in the auditorium. Go score as many goals as you can.” He shooed you away with another promise he whispered in his head. Tonight is the perfect night for him to tell you he loves you.

#talbott #talbott winger imagine #harry potter hogwarts mystery #talbott winger #talbott x mc #talbott x reader #talbottwinger #talbott x you #romance #talbott winger x mc #hphm talbott #talbott oneshot #talbott fluf #oneshot

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lilacwisps · 2 years ago

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commit the oldest sins (the newest kinds of ways)

Ship: Sebastian Sallow x Ravenclaw Female Player Character, Garreth Weasley x Ravenclaw Female Player Character Rating: M (eventually) Summary: "You don't understand," Ominis told him once, "The danger of dark magic is precisely in the fact that it seems innocent at first, yet it still corrupts you - and by the time you notice the corruption is often much too late."

Sebastian only scoffed in response - perhaps, what Ominis described could happen to some wizards and witches, but it would never happen to him. He was far too smart not to notice that he was being corrupted.

Or, in which Sebastian learns that dark magic corrupts in more ways than one. ao3 link

Chapter 1

Flashes of red, gold, and blue sparks fill the air around them. She's fast and excellent with the wand - yet still no match for him. A moment later, Sebastian has his wand pressed against the hollow of Ava's throat. She's still trying to catch her breath when Sebastian slowly starts tracing the line of her neck up to her jaw. Before she can protest, Sebastian tilts her chin with the tip of his wand, making Ava look him in the eye.

When their eyes meet, it is as though a jolt of electricity reaches his very core. Sebastian's gaze drops to Ava's lips - slightly parted and rosebud rich and, oh, so tempting - and he can hardly stop from closing the distance between them. Still, he wants to savor this victory for just a moment longer - and so Sebastian forces himself to look Ava back in the eye.

"Looks like I win," he murmurs, his voice hoarse.

"To the victor go the spoils," Ava smiles, "So what is it that the victor desires?"

Sebastian's in no hurry to answer, taking in the sight of Ava so delightfully flushed and breathless and disheveled. At that instance, she feels so different from her usual calm, composed, and haughty self that it's almost intoxicating - and Sebastian intends to savor every moment. Unfortunately for him, patience has never been his virtue - especially not when she looks at him through her eyelashes and bites her lip like that.

"You," he says simply, his gaze dropping to her lips again.

"Then you shall have me," Ava breathes out.

Those words are all the encouragement Sebastian needs - next thing he knows, he's leaning in, closing the distance between them. She's so delightfully soft and eager under his mouth, and Sebastian's head spins as he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. He wants to keep it slow and sweet at first, he truly does - but then she whimpers against his lips in the most dizzying manner, and it feels as though liquid fire spills through his veins, and he cannot hold back any longer.

He pulls her closer and deepens the kiss, savoring how her body feels pressed so close against his. His heart is pounding as heat pools low in his stomach, and Sebastian realizes this is not enough. He thought kissing her would quell the fire burning in his chest ever since the first time he laid his eyes upon her, but now he knows that he was wrong - instead, it only made him hunger - ache - for more.

He pulls away momentarily before leaning back in and pressing his lips to her neck, tracing her throat with kisses where he's traced earlier with his wand. Ava shivers under his touch, her fingers snaking through his hair, pulling him closer. He presses his mouth firmly against her tender skin, stealing a gasp from her lips, making the heat in his stomach almost unbearable. When he pulls away, he sees the red mark he'd left on her neck - a vivid lovebite. A satisfied smile blooms upon his lips - he likes how it looks and that others will know she is his.

And yet, that still is not enough - he craves to feel her skin against his, to feel her unravel under his touch, for her to become utterly and irrevocably his. Sebastian pushes her school robes off her shoulders, and Ava doesn't stop him. With one hand, he reaches for the hem of her skirt, hastily crumpling it up - he can hardly wait a moment longer.

"Sebastian…" she gasps when his hand slides up her thigh.

"Sebastian," a familiar voice reaches him through the haze of his sleep, making Sebastian stir in his bed, "Sebastian, wake up - it's a quarter to nine already, we've got Charms in fifteen minutes! Did you forget that Professor Ronen promised to give you detention if you miss another class? I won't help you get out of it this time - get up this very moment!"

Sebastian opens his eyes - the world around him looks blurry for a moment. He blinks and realizes he's in his dorm room, in his bed, and Ominis's standing over him, shaking him by the shoulder.

"Honestly, I don't even know why I bother," Ominis scoffs, "Clearly, you don't care about missing class."

"I'm already up," Sebastian argues faintly, "There are still fifteen minutes until Charms - I'll make it to class on time."

"We'll see," Ominis says, unconvinced, letting go of Sebastian's shoulder.

Sebastian sits up on the bed, feeling a little lightheaded. Unbidden, the memory of last night's dream races through his mind, and instantly, bright crimson blush blooms on his cheeks. His body is still fooled by the dream - and oh so eager for its continuation - and his chest tightens with embarrassment and guilt. He's grateful that all the other students have left the dorm already and that Ominis cannot see his condition. Still, Ominis is more perceptive than most and knows Sebastian way too well, so it's best not to linger.

"You can go ahead," Sebastian says, getting up from the bed and grabbing his towel, "I still need to shower."

"You slept in way too late to shower," Ominis shakes his head, but Sebastian knows he cannot go to class like that.

"It'll be alright," Sebastian replies, throwing his towel over his shoulder, "I'll see you in class."

Mercifully, he doesn't encounter anyone on the way to the bathroom. His heart still races, and he tries his hardest to put the dream out of his mind. Once in the bathroom, he disrobes, places his towel on the hanger, and steps into a shower stall. Sebastian hates cold water - but a freezing shower is exactly what he needs.

Ice-cold water prickles painfully against his skin, forcing all the thoughts out of Sebastian's mind, and slowly, his pulse begins to steady. Sebastian takes a deep, shuddering breath, hoping he'll never have to do this again.

His guilt and shame weigh heavy on his heart. Ava is his friend - so why is he having dreams like that about her? And why did this dream feel so tempting? Sebastian shakes his head, chasing away the thought. No - it was wrong and inappropriate, and that's the end of it.

A bitter smile tugs at Sebastian's lips - if only it were that simple to will his heart to follow his command. As much as he wants to pretend that all he feels for Ava is a camaraderie of a battle-forged friendship, deep in his heart Sebastian knows the truth - he's fallen for her. He isn't sure when they crossed the line - perhaps, it was an errant smile she gave him after a successful outing to the Restricted Section or the way their hands brushed against each other one too many times when they walked from Herbology or when she slumped against his shoulder in the History of Magic, put to sleep by Professor Binns painfully monotone voice - but that hardly matters as the outcome is the same: he is in love with her.

His heart may be a fool, but Sebastian has never been one. He knows he cannot pursue her - not when so much depends on her, not when she can be the key to healing Anne. Maintaining a friendship with Ava is imperative - but he could not let himself get too close. If he damaged Anne's chance of getting cured because of some fleeting infatuation, he'd never forgive himself.

Keeping an appropriate distance wasn't difficult initially, especially after they'd recovered the dark relic a few weeks ago. That gave Sebastian the perfect excuse to stay away - he needed time to do his research. But then the dreams started. They were innocent enough, at first, the sort Sebastian imagined anyone in love would have - but the dream he's seen that night felt different. None of the previous dreams felt so real - felt so tempting.

Sebastian shakes his head - perhaps, he's overthinking it. What harm can come from these little fantasies if he's the only one who knows about them? Sebastian shuts off the water and hastily reaches for his towel to wipe off the cold droplets. Perpahs, he should stop avoiding Ava, if only for a little bit - maybe then his mind will stop tormenting him with her images.

To his surprise, when he returns to his dorm room, Ominis is still there, waiting.

"Why are you still here?" Sebastian asks, confused.

"To ensure you make it to Charms on time," Ominis shrugs, "You've already lost Slytherin enough points this semester over tardiness."

Sebastian sighs, but he can hardly deny the truth.

"I don't know why the professors care whether I'm on time or not," Sebastian grumbles as he quickly gets dressed, "As long as I pass all my exams, why does it matter?"

"They are just worried that you won't be able to cheat on the O.W.L.s as successfully as you cheat on the regular tests," Ominis chuckles, "I've heard the anti-cheating spells used on those exams are very strong."

"Every spell has a loophole," Sebastian replies, pulling on his robes.

"I'm sure they do," Ominis shakes his head, "It's just discovering one is much harder than simply learning the material."

"Speak for yourself," Sebastian laughs.

"Are you ready?" Ominis asks impatiently, "The class starts in less than three minutes."

"Yes, we can go now."

They make their way to the Floo Flame in the Slytherin Common Room - and a moment later, they are in Charms classroom, settling into their seats just as Professor Ronen enters the class. Sebastian pulls his textbook from his book bag, then looks up and sees Ava across the room, sitting next to Natty. She smiles lightly when their eyes meet, and Sebastian's heart clenches with guilt. Quickly, he looks away, unable to hold her gaze.

Mercifully, Professor Ronen starts the lesson, and everyone turns to the blackboard. They are learning the Silencing Charm, and Sebastian knows he should be more engaged in the lesson - after all, he can think of so many instances where it can be helpful - yet, somehow, he cannot focus. Absentmindedly, he writes his class notes but can hardly recall anything he's written down.

Professor Ronen claps his hands, and suddenly, a pair of frogs appear on all the desks - one for each student. Instantly, the air fills with croaking sounds, amplified by the high ceilings of the Charms classroom, and Sebastian can only sigh - he can already feel the headache approaching. He looks at the frog in front of him - the only way to stop the croaking is to cast the Silencing Charm successfully. How hard can that possibly be?

As it turns out, the Silencing Charm is much more complicated than he anticipated. Sebastian curses quietly under his breath as the frog leaps away and proceeds to skip around the desk, belatedly realizing that he should have listened closer when Professor Ronen explained the spell. Unlike Sebastian, Ominis seems to have a much easier time with the spell - after accidentally poking the frog with his wand on his first try, he managed to silence it on his second.

Sebastian can barely suppress a sigh of frustration when he tries to cast the charm again, but the frog turns yellow instead of losing its ability to croak. Merlin's beard, what did he do to deserve all this?

As he looks across the room, he sees Ava and Natty chatting - leaping around their desk are two perfectly quiet frogs. Ava chuckles in response to something Natty says, then picks up her quill and looks pensively at the frog. She turns to her notes, then pauses, biting the tip of the quill. Instantly, warmth rises in Sebastian's cheeks, forcing him to look away hastily. No, today most certainly isn't his day.

Sebastian looks at the frog leaping around his desk again and tries to focus.

"Silencio," he says, pointing his wand at it. For a split second, the frog stills, quiet, and he's almost certain that he's got the spell right until, suddenly, the frog doubles in size and starts croaking louder.

"Sebastian, are you feeling alright?" Ominis asks, concerned, "You seem really out of it today."

"Yes," Sebastian says - lying comes as easy to him as breathing, "I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so it's a little hard to focus."

"You really should stop reading so late at night," Ominis scolds, frowning, "Do you think Anne would be happy if you fail all your classes because you don't sleep?"

Sebastian cannot argue - Anne may have been the most mischievous of the three of them, but she was also the best student - and expected the same excellence from both Sebastian and Ominis. Alas, even at the risk of disappointing his sister, he knows that there is no end in sight to his late nights - even if he wasn't plagued by the dreams involving a certain new fifth-year student, he still needs to unravel the mystery of the dark relic.

Both Salazar Slytherin and his student left behind extensive notes, and yet Sebastian feels like he's no closer to understanding the relic than the day he'd discovered it. He thinks it'd be much easier if he could ask Ominis for help - as a member of the Gaunt family, he had a much deeper understanding of the dark magic than he let on - but Ominis refused to even speak of the relic.

"You should not have taken it from that tomb," was all he said when Sebastian approached him, "And the best thing you can do now is to return it where it belongs."

Sebastian had no intention of following Ominis's advice. In truth, he never understood Ominis's fear of dark magic. Yes, in the wrong hands, it can inflict unimaginable harm upon others, but surely, it can be used for good in the hands of a person like Sebastian - like Ominis.

"You don't understand," Ominis told him once, "The danger of dark magic is precisely in the fact that it seems innocent at first, yet it still corrupts you - and by the time you notice the corruption is often much too late."

"I think you are doing the wand movement wrong," Ominis says, distracting Sebastian from his thoughts, "It needs to be smooth, light motion - instead, you are cutting sharply through the air."

"How can you tell?" Sebastian asks, perplexed.

"I can hear it," Ominis replies, "If you go slower, I think it should work."

Sebastian takes a deep breath and steadies his hand. Following Ominis's advice, he points his wand at the frog and slowly forms the sign for Silencio. A soft purple light erupts from the wand, and his frog plops on the desk - it proceeds to open its mouth, but no sound comes.

"Finally," Ominis breathes a sigh of relief, "The sound was driving me mad."

"I'm sure the frog would say the same about you if it could talk," Sebastian chuckles.

"Next time, I'll just leave you to deal with your own spells," Ominis scoffs.

While they bicker, Professor Ronen walks through the class, checking everyone's frogs and awarding house points for exceptional work.

"Ten points to Gryffindor, Ms. Onai," he says, "And the same to Ravenclaw, Ms. Rosier, very impressive."

Sebastian looks over at his toad and sighs. While he'd managed to silence it, he knows he won't be getting any house points - his frog is yellow and twice the size it was at the beginning. Professor Ronen finally makes his way to their desk.

"Ten points to Slytherin, Mr. Gaunt," he says before turning to Sebastian, "Mr. Sallow, you've executed the Silencing Charm quite well, but by the color and the size of your frog, I can tell it was after several unsuccessful attempts. As such, I cannot award you any house points. Better luck next time!"

Sebastian nods, accepting Professor Ronen's judgment. While he's a competitive person - anyone who knows him can attest to that - he's never been particularly competitive academically. Of course, he was pleased whenever Slytherin won the House Cup - although, with all the detentions he'd earned and all the house points he'd lost in the last few years, he knew all too well that the Slytherin victories were despite his best efforts rather than because of them - but if some other house won, it was hardly a big deal to Sebastian.

Professor Ronen walks back to the blackboard and claps his hands, attracting everyone's attention.

"Outstanding effort with the Silencing Charm," he says, "I am very pleased that most of you managed to silence your toads. Mastering this spell is crucial to attaining high marks on your O.W.L.S exam - so for those of you whose frogs still croak, your assignment is to take them home and successfully perform the spell. I will be checking your progress during our next class. For everyone else, I expect twenty inches on the potential uses of Silencio. Everyone wrote the homework down? Very well - class dismissed."

Relieved that the class is finally over, Sebastian grabs his textbook to put it away - and accidentally knocks over his inkwell, spilling the ink all over the desk. Cursing under his breath, Sebastian pulls out his wand.

"Evanesco," he murmurs, watching the ink stain disappear. He hopes and prays this was his last misfortune of the day as he's already way past the limit of his patience.

"See you later, Sebastian," Ominis says and hurries out of the classroom - unlike Sebastian, he has the Ancient Runes class next period.

Sebastian pauses momentarily, weighing his options - he has free time until Defence Against Dark Arts class later in the morning, which means he could try to get through more of Slytherin's notebook. Resolving to head to the Undercroft for some quiet time, Sebastian walks out into the corridor.

He turns left at the staircase and sees Ava and Natty talking on the landing below. Sebastian considers approaching Ava - perhaps, speaking with her will calm his heart and make the dreams disappear - but before he makes a decision, he sees Garreth Weasley come up to them.

Sebastian thinks nothing of it - until Garreth puts his hand on Ava's shoulder. Ava turns to him and smiles brightly, briefly raising her hand to her shoulder and resting it over Garreth's. Sebastian's heart drops at the sight, and a cold, sinking feeling uncoils in his chest.

"I have to run," he hears Natty say, "Mother said she needs help setting up Tessomancy stations for the third years."

"We could also help if you'd like," Ava offers, but Natty shakes her head.

"It's quite alright," she replies, "I will see you two later."

"See you, Natty," Ava waves to her.

Natty walks away, leaving Ava and Garreth alone. Taking a deep breath, Sebastian tries to steady his pulse and focus on the task at hand - he needs to get to the Undercroft and read Slytherin's notebook. He could speak to Ava later - perhaps, during the Herbology class in the afternoon. So what if she's speaking to Weasley, it's just a conversation. It's not like she can't talk to other people…

But Weasley's hand is still on Ava's shoulder, and then he leans in and whispers something into her ear, and she's laughing, soft and airy, and Sebastian cannot stop himself. Before he knows it, he's walking down the stairs toward them.

"Don't tell me that you've actually seen them together…" he hears Ava chuckle, "How is that even possible?"

"I swear on Merlin's beard," Weasley replies, "As for how - would you like a diagram?"

"I think that would only make it worse," Ava shakes her head.

"Your loss," Weasley laughs, "I make pretty good diagrams."

"Of course you do," Ava says, crossing her arms before her, "Probably as good as your potions."

"Just saying, you are missing out," Weasley smiles brightly.

Sebastian feels blood rush in his ears as his heart pounds in his chest when he finally reaches them. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart.

"Hello, Ava, Garreth," he says as casually as he can, "Sorry to interrupt - Ava, do you have a moment?"

"Hi, Sebastian - of course," Ava smiles at him, making Sebastian's heart skip a beat, then turns to Garreth, "Sorry about that - but it looks like we'll have to discuss your…artistic talents a little later."

"Of course," Garreth readily agrees, "I'll see you at lunch."

As Sebastian watches Garreth walk away, he wonders when he and Ava have gotten so…familiar. He would be lying if he said he didn't hate just how at ease they seemed around each other. He knows he made a mistake - he shouldn't have pulled away. She wouldn't have gotten so close to Weasley if he were around.

"Is everything alright, Sebastian?" Ava asks, concerned, "What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Not here," Sebastian replies, gesturing for Ava to follow him. He has no good reason for the secrecy - only that he has no idea what he will tell her. The only thing he'd thought about was getting her away from Weasley, and now he desperately needed to buy time to think of something to say.

Ava walks by his side, so close that her arm almost brushes against his, and Sebastian has never been so painfully aware of her closeness. His mind tries to summon his earlier dream, but Sebastian shakes his head, pushing the thoughts away. Now is not the time.

They stop at a small nook under the staircase on the second floor.

"So," Ava looks at him expectantly, "What's going on?"

"I…I'm sorry I have been a little scarce the past few weeks," Sebastian says, "Deciphering Slytherin's notebook has proven to be a lot more difficult than I anticipated, but I am almost there. I'll need to sneak into the Restricted Section again to get this one book on dark magic - The Secrets of the Darkest Arts - not sure if you are familiar with it. After that's done, I'm hoping to visit Anne and share my findings - and I was wondering if you wanted to come along?"

Ava holds his gaze for a moment, then nods.

"Of course," she says, "I'd be happy to see Anne again. But to your plan - do you need help getting to the Restricted Section?"

Sebastian knows he should refuse - it's not wise to ask her to join him, not with how he'd been feeling about her lately - but he is too weak to do what needs to be done.

"Help?" he smiles cockily, "No one knows the Restricted Section better than me, so I don't think I'll need help. Although I would appreciate your company."

"Hmm, how tempting," Ava chuckles, "Risking detention just to keep you entertained."

"Hey," Sebastian replies, crossing his arms before him, "If memory serves me right, it was I who saved you from detention the night you needed to get into the Restricted Section."

"And I will be forever grateful," Ava chuckles breathily, looking him in the eye, "Whatever should I do to thank you?"

Heat rushes to Sebastian's face, and his heart flutters. The way she sounds, the way she looks at him through her eyelashes feels like his dream. Sebastian's gaze darts from Ava's eyes to her lips and back as his treacherous mind rushes with images. He fights desperately to push them out of his mind, but he knows that it's a losing battle before it starts. She is so close - he can reach out and touch her, and if he leans in, he could…

But then Ava laughs, bright and airy, and the trance is broken.

"Oh wait," she says, "I think me taking Crucio for you makes us even."

Sebastian hates that memory - in his worst nightmares, he can still see her falling to her knees with the faintest whimper, gasping for air.

"I think that's fair," he agrees, "Still, if you need a refresher on how to get into the Restricted Section, you are welcome to come along tomorrow night."

"Oh, so it's a lesson for me then?" Ava smiles, then leans closer, "Very well, seeing as you aren't half bad as a teacher - given all the illicit things you've taught me - I suppose I could use a refresher. Anyway, I have Arithmancy now, so I need to go. I'll see you later."

As Sebastian watches Ava leave, his heart still flutters in his chest. Merlin, help him.

#sebastian sallow x mc #OC: Ava Rosier

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ssscentral · 4 years ago

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Stain Me

Summary: Hooking up with the most popular wizard of your college should be no big deal. Well, unless he summons a demon who is more than eager to join you.

Pairing : Wizard!Namjoon x Witch!Reader x Demon!Jimin

Genre : Smut. Fantasy.

Warnings : Explicit sexual content, Threesome, Demon summoning, Overstimulation, Swearing, Switch!Namjoon, Dom!Jimin, Switch!Reader, Dirty Talking, Oral Sex (f. & m. receiving), Fingering, Handjob, Light choking, Drunk Sex, Unprotected sex (don’t be silly, wrap your willy), Rough sex, Deepthroating

WC : 5.3k

Member : Rid || @taegularities

A/N : I struggled a little with this - but in the end, it worked out well! This fic is the third part of the group prompt “Hell of a Ride” - stay excited, there’s more to come! Also, some parts are inspired by the show “Supernatural”, the similarities are not coincidental. Thank you very much @biaswreckme for being such a talended beta!

taglist: @lurejoon @mimikookie

—————

This was not meant to happen.

Not that you didn’t enjoy it – but if someone had told you this morning when you’d woken up that you’d find yourself in your current situation in less than twelve hours, you would’ve sarcastically thrown your head back and walked away with a wave of your hand.

Sweaty and out of breath, you looked to the figure in front of you, then to the one over your shoulder, him smirking as he looked at you with dark eyes, licking his full lips delicately. You closed your eyes as memories rushed back to you, pictures of today evening reappearing.

--------

The club was filled to its core, the dim lights tiring you as time went by. You had been here for quite a while now and the initial excitement you had felt at the thought of enjoying yourself tonight, had long vanished into the thin and hot air.

Your best friend had seemingly ditched you and you felt stupid for not noticing earlier. It had only occurred to you as you sipped on your third drink, slowly fading into the dizziness that you had been waiting for the whole week. While your intoxicated state should’ve made you feel lighter, happier, clumsier, you only sat at your stool, heart growing heavy, feeling lonely while everyone else was having their best time on the dancefloor.

And as you were about to stand up, flatten your dress and walk home, you noticed a familiar face sitting down right next to you. You almost choked at your drink, realizing that it wasn’t just anyone who had his eyes glued on you, but the most popular wizard of your magical school – most definitely not looking like a delicious meal, no.

He was a top-notch student, always bringing in the best grades and having everyone fall for him; and then there was you, a lazy girl who would wing assignments shortly before the deadline would end. You couldn’t help but smirk when you noticed that you had captured his attention, as he was now facing you intently, eyes grazing over your face and your body.

“I know you, right?” he asked, his eyes squinting as he brought his lips up to a beautiful smile. You knew he didn’t have to ask. He was one grade above you, but the school was small, and everyone knew each other’s names.

“I assume so. I’m certain that I know you,” you answered, cupping your chin in your hand, “you’re Kim Namjoon. The teachers’ sweetheart.”

He laughed before he waved at the bartender, ordering another drink for you and himself that you weren’t sure you needed. You let him do his thing anyway.

And as you sat there, talking about life and magic, you found yourself becoming consumed in his way of telling a story, no longer caring for your friend who had never shown up, would probably not show up anymore. He spoke with elan, throwing in side-facts now and then that you were eager to hear, because – what was it?

Not just his ability to have you hung on his lips and every word he uttered. It was his glasses, too. And his turtleneck sweater. Definitely the deep dimples. The way his full lips looked pillowy soft. His hair that hung in his eyes – you not wanting anything more than to stretch out your arm and run your fingers through it. And then his hands: the long and beautiful fingers that held his glass while you imagined how they would feel insi-

“Do you dance?” he suddenly wanted to know, snapping you out of your fantasies.

Fantasies. Yeah. What could you say? Namjoon was gorgeous. Every girl dreamed of him, of the smart, powerful, and mysterious wizard; every girl wanted to touch him, tempt him into her bed – and as weak as it sounded, you were no exception. The last few years at the magical college had made your crush on him solidify with each passing semester and you would’ve lied to yourself if you hadn’t admitted that you were someone who wanted him, too, that he was the absolute hottest guy of the entire school.

“Sometimes. Depends on who’s asking.” You grinned at him, your red-painted mouth reaching your eyes.

“What if I say it’s me who’s asking?”

“In that case,” you said, gulping down the last sip of the alcohol, “I might remember how to dance.”

You stood and took his hand, guiding him to the already crowded dancefloor.

It started harmlessly first, your arms on his shoulders and his on your waist. You were looking at each other, the loud music not allowing you to talk, but you felt like you didn’t need to. His hands were doing that for you.

First, his fingers dug into your skin lightly, leaving goosebumps on your arms. Then, he started caressing your almost naked back, pulling you closer when he noticed that you didn’t protest. The light brush of his fingertips had you shivering, and when your torso finally touched his, you could even feel his warm breath against your face.

For a while, you danced like this, contemplating if you should kiss him; something told you that he wouldn’t say no, that he would give in to your request easily. And as you played with the thought so much that you started leaning in, he grabbed your waist again, suddenly turning you around, so your back was now pressed against his chest.

So that’s what it was. He wanted to grind, too. He could have that.

You stretched your ass, testing the waters as you grazed it against his stomach and dick, knowing that it would affect him if you did it just right. Your movements were smooth, elegant, planned, and he knew you were well aware of what you were doing.

And despite the noise, you could clearly hear him moan lightly each time your bottom rubbed against his sensitive zone. Soon he was pressing soft kisses behind your ear, slowly wandering down, settling on your temple, on your cheeks, then on your neck, on your shoulder, and ultimately on your cheeks again.

Then, finally, a question left his mouth, his lustful voice causing your heart to jump.

“What do you think about getting out of here?”

--------

The first thing you did in your dorm was to shout for your roommate. You were absolutely delighted when you didn’t get a response, your whole place dead silent. You smirked and turned around to look at your guest, him closing the door behind you both before he rushed forwards to basically attack your mouth.

You reacted fast, grabbing his shoulders to maintain balance, tilting your head and closing your eyes as Namjoon’s hand sank in your hair. He was impatient, panting, eager to swallow you whole as he guided you backward towards your bed. The dorm room was small and your walls thin, but being here with him, in a situation as steamy as this, the tiny space provided a weird intimacy that you couldn’t quite describe.

You brought your whole body down onto the mattress before he hovered over you, looking at you with an intensity that had your stomach churn. Slowly, softly, you brought your hand up to his face, taking off his glasses to place them on the nightstand beside your bed.

Namjoon grinned at you, opening your legs with his thighs, so he could settle between yours. Something about it was frustrating, you not being able to press them together anymore for extra friction – but you soon learned that this wasn’t necessary.

He leaned down to kiss you again, his lips only allowing to press against yours for a mere second before they trailed down your jaw and to your neck. They were only ghosting over your skin, giving you a tingly sensation that left you wanting more. And suddenly, he started moving his hips, his already hardened dick teasing your clothed core, and you moaned at the unexpected pleasure.

He liked what he heard, oh, he liked it a lot. Doing all of that would lead exactly to where he wanted you, exactly to what he was desiring to achieve. That you were so content with everything just made the whole affair easier for him. Besides, you were absolutely delightful to look at.

Your fingers traced the edge of his shirt, until they found the button of his jeans, carefully opening and unzipping them. He stilled for a second, only for a moment before you felt his lips curl up into a smile against yours, his tongue coming out to ask for permission to enter your mouth that you granted him gladly.

He helped you toss his pants off, his shirt following before he fumbled at the hem of your own. You nodded, knowing he was silently waiting for you to allow him to see you naked. No matter how much your skin was burning for him, you felt like this was the right moment to drunkenly confess something to him.

“Namjoon, I-“

He looked up at you immediately, patiently awaiting what you had to say before bringing his face to yours. “I’m… It’s been a while, so I’ll probably be… very sensitive.”

“You’re saying that as if it’s a bad thing,” he stated in between kisses on your cheek, not seeming to mind your confession at all. “It’s okay, baby. Let me take care of you.”

“Okay,” you simply said, closing your eyes and lifting your arms, so he could take off your shirt. His skilled hands didn’t hesitate to wrap around your torso, swiftly unclipping your baby pink bra to reveal your breasts.

All of a sudden, he froze, looking at you as if he remembered something. “I don’t have a condom.”

You smiled. “It’s okay. I take the pill. Hormonal issues.”

He nodded, exhaling relieved.

Closing his eyes, he put his attention to your neck again, not settling for long, but moving on to caress your nipples, licking and softly biting them. He was floating on clouds as you let out delicious moans, whimpering and shaking under him.

Namjoon gripped your waist as his lips wandered down your body, until he reached your pants, taking them off just like his before, but this time pulling down your panties along with them. He was so impatient, and this made your arousal grow even stronger, thinking about how he wanted you so much that he wasn’t ready to wait even one second longer.

He pulled down his boxers, too, his hard, thick, red-headed cock springing against his stomach, and you grabbed it immediately to stroke it. Your slow movements made him growl and grab the sheet next to your head as he gritted his teeth, looking down on you with heavy lust and longing.

It just got better when he decided to tease you back, his long fingers finding their way to your clit, slowly grazing and rubbing it before he suddenly slid a finger into your hole gently. For a second, he stayed like this, not moving his digit as he saw you unwind under him, out of breath and trying to focus on his dick that was twitching in your right hand.

“What’s wrong?” he asked teasingly, biting his lower lip, driving you even crazier.

“Nothing’s wrong, I just – I like what you’re doing,” you whispered back, your back slightly arching, nipples grazing against his chest.

He started moving his finger, slowly first before picking up the pace, not waiting long and then adding a second one which drew a long and intense whine out of your mouth – scrumptious, beautiful, sexy as hell.

And then it was a little too much; not the pleasure but the waiting, letting the time tick without having his cock inside you. You wanted to make him feel good, make him make you feel good, so you pushed his hands away in a sudden motion.

Namjoon looked at you surprised – but he didn’t have much time to wonder as you got up and pushed him down the mattress, back facing him now and straddling his chest. You leaned forwards, grabbing his cock again as you eyed it hungrily, taking in its beauty for a moment before you pressed yourself flush against his body.

You started by licking the tip of his head with your tongue, continuing with his length and ultimately taking him all in. At first, you only managed half of it, trying to adjust to his thickness and ignoring the gag reflex. You’d just started moving up and down when you felt him grab your waist to bring your core to his mouth. He eagerly licked a hot stripe against your fold before he brought you even closer, sucking at your clit and inserting his tongue as he moaned, sending vibrations through you that had you on edge.

For a few minutes, you continued like this, your sounds music to his ears and lips wrapped around his cock leaving him blissful. He tilted his head, looking at your head bop up and down as he said, “you’re ridiculously good at this, Y/N.”

You smirked, looking over your shoulder. “It’s been some time. That doesn’t mean I forgot how to do it.”

And instead of continuing to suck, you sat up straight, moving to face him again. He released his grip on you as you shifted, bringing your pussy close to his cock. You took him in your hand, guiding him slowly as you saw Namjoon’s lips parting, darkness completely taking over his eyes.

You rubbed him against your folds, almost feeling like you were just torturing yourself; then, finally, you sunk onto him, gasping as you took him in inch by inch. He was stretching you immediately and it felt so familiar, yet so new.

You gave yourself a few seconds to adjust, locking your hands with his as you leaned down to kiss him. And then you started to move, whimpering, throwing your head back. Riding him felt indescribably perfect. His hips started to move too, both of you chasing your highs as you leaned down yet again to kiss him.

He wrapped his arms around you, now fully taking control and starting to thrust into your tight pussy relentlessly, making you moan so loud that your neighboring students must have heard you.

Despite the pace, he was being soft, panting against your ear and holding you tightly, careful not to hurt you too much, but still thrusting with enough force to have you melt into him. “How does it feel?” he asked. “You like the way my cock is filling you up like that?” And these filthy words, along with his actions, were the hottest thing you’d ever experienced, your orgasm approaching fast as he fucked into you, muttering unholy questions and statements into your ear.

And just like that, you snapped, your legs starting to shake, goosebumps forming on your whole skin as you went lump in his grip, him still going on. But suddenly, the atmosphere shifted, the mood becoming weird as you noticed him mumble something you couldn’t decipher.

At first, you thought you were crazy, but as you heard him say a few words, including ligandum or coram, you lifted your body, looking at him in surprise to figure out what the hell he was saying.

And then, the room, no, the whole world seemed to go dark, clouds forming in the sky and everything becoming so cold that you shivered, physically shaking at the sudden change.

Namjoon seemed unaware, still thrusting into you, but you were too distracted, too taken aback to enjoy it anymore. And when you snapped your head to your desk to suddenly find a figure sitting on your chair, you shrieked, your magical impulse shattering the glass of water on your nightstand as you lifted yourself up, falling onto the bed behind Namjoon.

You expected him to at least flinch at the sight of the silhouette, but instead, he smiled, whispering “It worked” as he stood to bow, politely, but… well, naked.

The creature stood, nearing you slowly as the light from outside hit his face, dark black eyes staring back at you. And black eyes meant that the whole of his eyeball was stained in dark ink, making you whimper at the sight of him.

A demon. Namjoon had summoned a damn demon. You didn’t know much about this type of magic, but you hadn’t expected that it only took muttering a few words to make them appear in front of you. What about the salt? Or the paintings on the floor? What about everything that TV shows had shown you?

“I’ve heard you can help me. I need you, so I can become the most powerful wizard of the school and I am ready to sacrifice my soul for it… Sir,” Namjoon started in a stern tone, looking at the demon carefully whose eyes had become normal all of a sudden, his mouth twitching.

You stared back and forth in disbelief, contemplating to run away, but fearing that you wouldn’t come very far.

“You do realize you won’t get it back, right?” spoke the guy – monster? –, just for a second glancing at you, before shifting his focus to Namjoon again. His voice was… soft; way too pleasant to fit his profession.

He looked past your hookup again, his expression dangerous and intense. He was wearing this neat suit and his silver hair was parted on the left side. He ran a hand through it, before he took his coat off, licking his lower lip as he came closer to you.

“I- I just heard demons like you can be summoned during sex as you’re someone who feasts from desire. Other than that, she has nothing to do with this!” stuttered Namjoon and you glared at him wide eyed, not believing what you were hearing as hot anger boiled in you.

“What the fu-“ you started, but you were cut off by the stranger who’d leaned in close, inhaling deeply as he took in your scent.

“Proposition,” he said, presumably to Namjoon, but without turning around, “I take her instead of your soul.”

You shifted in your bed, moving into the corner and curling up in yourself.

“Take her where?” Namjoon asked, now visibly nervous. “She doesn’t-“

“I meant, take her like this. Right now.”

Your stomach turned. All of this was insane. The fact that he suggested that, the fact that a demon had suggested that, and most importantly that your fear had somehow settled enough to make you kind of… want it?

He was a sex demon after all. You knew that. And still, you felt drawn to him when he touched you, his soft finger now tracing the skin of your arms, leaving goosebumps as he went.

Namjoon was biting his lip, standing behind this guy who was teasing you shamelessly, and you saw your date shiver. “What do you say?”

God, what an asshole. He didn’t feel bad about anything of this at all. But somehow, you didn’t care. You hadn’t cum and you were on the edge, his touches not helping in the slightest.

“… Okay,” you answered.

“Okay?” Namjoon questioned, astonished at your willingness.

“I want to try that. As long as you don’t hurt me.”

The demon smirked, cupping your cheek affectionately, not exactly suiting his whole existence. “I wouldn’t hurt you. I feed on desire – I don’t do more or less than that unless you want me to. Like, fulfill wishes to make someone a powerful wizard, in exchange for souls and other stuff.” He winked before he continued, “My name is Jimin, by the way.”

His hands suddenly left you to pull down his black slacks and taking off the rest of his suit, leaving the demon you had just gotten to know a few minutes ago bare in front of your very eyes.

But he didn’t come close again. Instead, he sat down at the edge of the bed, gesturing Namjoon to come back. “Finish it. As I can see, you’re not done.”

“And you?” you asked. Your eyes wandered from his smooth hair over his pretty nose to his full lips. He didn’t seem as dangerous as you’d initially thought, and something in you told you he was able to give you exactly what you wanted.

He nodded in Namjoon’s direction as he answered. “I’ll join when he’s done… or still at it.”

You inhaled and exhaled deeply, nodding before glancing at Namjoon, too. “Finish it, then.”

All restraints gone, you came to the middle of the bed again, one hand grazing Jimin’s underpants as you opened your legs, patting the bed for Namjoon to lay down. You noticed that you were still wet, despite the fear you had felt not long ago. And Namjoon, looking sort of confused, still hard as he walked to you.

And you didn’t waste any time.

As soon as his back hit the mattress, you straddled him again, repeating the actions from before by bringing his cock to your entrance, rubbing against it before you slid down onto it.

He moaned, grabbing your waist tightly, for sure leaving bruises on your soft skin. You’d wanted to wipe off the arrogance of his face since Jimin had entered and now that he was under you, sounds escaping his throat that almost sounded like pleading, you relished in the feeling. Your hips were moving up and down persistently and you knew you would be sore the next day; but frankly, you didn’t give a single fuck about that right now.

You were quite proud of yourself, always having thought you were a sub – it didn’t occur to you that you had a dominant side on you that could actually do this well. Not that you minded being manhandled, though.

And you were reminded of that again when you felt Jimin stand up and come closer. He put two fingers under your chin as he moved your head to look at him. You gasped at the sight of him: he had one hand on his hardened length, precum already clearly visible, looking so mouthwatering good.

You knew what he wanted you to do and you were more than ready to give it to him. Looking him in the eyes that flashed black for a single moment, you opened your mouth, leaning forward as you sucked on only the tip for a small moment. He shuddered, tightening his grip on your face before he said, “What a good girl. Already so willing to suck my cock?”

Instead of answering, you lifted one hand to grab his throbbing sex, your pace above Namjoon faltering as your focus shifted to Jimin. The former helped you out, though, taking over control as he started thrusting up into you, too impatient to wait for your ministrations. Your left hand secured the balance of your body by holding onto Namjoon’s chest, while the other stroke parts of Jimin’s cock that you couldn’t reach.

Not that you could decide on the pace much. Jimin wasn’t as submissive as Namjoon was being right now – his hips were moving on their own, fucking your mouth as you tried not to gag. His hand had made its home in your hair, messing it up completely as tears formed in your eyes.

At some point, you heard Namjoon’s whimpers get louder and when you side-eyed him, you noticed how he was struggling underneath you, his movements becoming sloppy, his face contorting weirdly, yet sexily.

He brought his finger to your clit as he started rubbing it and you let out a loud moan, your mouth clenching around Jimin’s dick that made him gasp sharply, too. It took only three thrusts more until you came, your vision turning black before you felt Namjoon empty himself inside you, your juices mixing, while Jimin continued ramming his cock into your throat.

“Enough,” he eventually said, pulling out as he walked to stand behind you, pushing you down, so your torso and your face were just inches away from Namjoon’s. “On your knees.”

You followed the order, slowly and silently lifting yourself from Namjoon’s softened cock, still having trouble breathing and shifting your weight on your hands as you stretched your ass towards Jimin.

He reacted fast, not wasting a single second in which he enjoyed the sight of you in front of him. Pushing Namjoon’s cum inside of you again, he started fingering you, your sensitive pussy already aching, but giving in to his touches anyway.

His other hand came down on your ass hard and you gasped. He didn’t move it away, though – he left it there, squeezing your cheeks as his finger moved in and out of you at a merciless speed, his smirk clearly indicating that he was determined to draw these beautiful sounds out of you. Not that you could see that anyway. “So wet. So fucking wet. You seem to like the idea of a demon fucking you open, huh?”

You were almost whining, dying for him to finally sink his cock into you to give you what you wanted. “I do! I do, just- please, fuck me…”

“You just got drilled so well. And you’re that impatient? Aren’t you a bad girl, hm?” He chuckled behind you, removing his finger before he suddenly, and without a single warning, inserted himself into you. His cock was rock hard, filling you up so nicely.

You cried out loud, going crazy over the painful fact that he didn’t ease you into the whole process, that he didn’t let you adjust, but instead chose a mind-wrecking pace right from the beginning. You could hear Namjoon moan under you and you noticed that he was stroking his length, apparently hard again as he saw your reactions while being fucked into oblivion.

You leaned down to kiss him, tongues crashing against each other desperately. His hand curled one of your breasts, massaging your hardened nipple while Jimin didn’t slow down in the slightest, your body lighting up, begging for more, more, more.

At some point, you felt Jimin lean down to you, his sweaty torso against your back as his hand reached your neck. He pressed his fingers into it slightly; while Namjoon had somewhat let you have control of him, and had been soft to some extent, Jimin was pitiless, eager to wreck you entirely.

Hand still on your neck, he pulled you up and you were forced to break the kiss with Namjoon. You were on your knees, back against Jimin as Namjoon got up, too, continuing kissing you while his erection pressed against your stomach. You intuitively grabbed his cock, moving your hands as fast as you could while simultaneously concentrating on everything Jimin was doing to you.

You were literally sandwiched between the two, so pressed against them that you felt your release near. This type of worshipping of your body always made you tingly, and while this wasn’t your first threesome, you had surely never felt the urge to be this close to your intercourse partners as you did now.

Panting, moaning loudly, you brought Namjoon’s leaking tip to your bundle of nerves, rubbing it against your clit to welcome your second orgasm that would soon take over you. Despite the cramp that was building in your arm, you continued stroking his cock while enjoying the way Jimin was breathing into your ear hard, nibbling against the shell of it and smiling when he noticed what that did to you.

“Do you like that? Two guys pleasuring you? Do you like the way my cock is destroying you?” he growled, making you feel things you had never felt, things you didn’t want to stop feeling at all.

“Yes, yes, yes, please!” you screamed, hundred percent sure that your neighbors could hear you clearly by now if they hadn’t already.

“Please what, huh?”

“Let me cum, please,” you whimpered, eyes stinging, whether from oversensitivity or pleasure, or both, you didn’t know.

He laughed softly, his velvety voice not suiting his actions at all. “I’m not stopping you, baby, am I?”

And you came, everything in front of you blurring as you rode out your high, not noticing that your hand movements had caused Namjoon to milk all over your stomach and bedsheets.

Jimin kept fucking into you harshly before he came, too, biting into your shoulder hard and causing you to whine as a result. He let go of you, pulling out as you collapsed on your bed next to the sitting Namjoon who was panting almost as hard as you.

Both their fluids were running out of your pussy, messing up your sheets entirely. It was a wonder that your roommate had still not returned, but you were immensely grateful for that at the moment.

You could hear the demon and your hook-up speak softly – probably discussing their whole unholy demon-wizard deal or whatever. You didn’t care. You had gotten something for free and you were content with that fact.

The mix of your exhaustion and your still drunken state caused you to almost doze away before you heard Namjoon call your name. You opened your eyes, looking at the now fully clothed and concerned guy you had been dancing against only a few hours ago.

“Are you alright?” he asked, clearly testing whether you were still conscious or not.

“Yeah, I am,” you mumbled, rubbing your eyes as you wrapped yourself in your blanket and stood up.

He smiled at you softly, speaking so crystal clear that you wondered whether the alcohol was still affecting him at all. “That was… quite something. If you ever want to do it again, you know where to find me.”

You started grinning, almost laughing out loud at his words as you tried to somewhat smoothen your hair. Jimin was still standing in the room, leaning against your dresser as he waited. What was he even waiting for exactly?

With a look to Namjoon, you put a hand on his arm to guide him to the door. He looked down at you confused. “What are you doing?”

“Throwing you out. You’re welcome to leave now.”

“Wha-“ he started, but you were quick to interrupt him.

“Listen, that was hot and all, but you practically used me for your deal to become powerful for the greater good or whatever you snobby wizards always want. That’s very asshole-y to me, so there’s no fucking way I’ll want to do anything with you ever again. With that in mind, take care and goodbye.”

You shoved him out the door and closed it in front of his nose before he could say anything else. You smirked, satisfied with yourself as you turned to Jimin – not as intimidated before, but still somehow scared. Especially when he did this weird trick with his eyes, flashing black here and now.

“Yeah?” you asked, demanding an explanation as to why he was still lingering around when his purpose here was obviously done. “You can go now. The deal’s sealed.”

He chuckled, his silver hair still a little damp on his forehead, but flawless nevertheless. “You could say that. I just wanted to look at you a little longer.”

“Uh, you wanted to loo-“

“For a little human girl, you can take fairly much. None of the others take me so well – especially when they know what my meal consists of,” he whispered, leaning in closer to press a soft kiss on your earlobe, “and the desire that I take in from you is intense.”

You shivered and he noticed. He placed his hands on your arms, moving up and down as if to warm you. Which didn’t help. At all. “You keep faltering under my touches. I love that.”

He knew the effect he had on you; he knew he intimidated you while simultaneously putting your hormones on edge.

You sighed as he removed his hands, only to bring his lips to your knuckles, kissing them softly, before he said, “Summon me anytime, sweetheart.”

It took only one blink of an eye and he was gone, along with his gentle touches that you had felt just a second ago.

You were alone again.

482 notes · View notes

timeforelfnonsense · 5 years ago

Text

Just a Taste

Astarion x Dafni

Rating: M

Ao3

Astarion passed along the far edge of the camp. A groan escaped his chest as he slumped down against the base of a tree. His whole body ached right to the bone. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the throbbing pain behind his eyes to disappear. He knew he needed to feed as soon as possible. He had waited far too long to make up for his little indiscretion with the boar earlier. The heat had died down at last and whispers of vampire among his traveling companions had, at last, died down. Unfortunately for him, his caution had left him weak and vulnerable. He clutched his head in his hands and took in a deep breath. His body tensed in an instant. The soft forest breeze carried the irresistible scent of pray. His mouth watered and the familiar, white-hot sting of thirst clawed at his throat.

He would have to be mindful in the selection of his quarry. Lae’zel was the first to be struck from the list. She had a bitter, bordering on metallic scent that he found less than appetizing. And more importantly, he was certain she would slay him without a second thought should things go awry. Shadowhart was out next. Though her bouquet was much more appealing, she had a suspicious nature and seemed likely to be a light sleeper. Wyll had always seemed an alluring prospect - Strong, fast, and righteous. Despite the appeal, he would also be a dangerous choice, being a monster hunter by trade. Gale would due, he supposed, but as the wizard tossed in his sleep the delicate shimmer of a magical barrier caught his eye. That left him with one, final option.

Dafni slept in a heap of pelts beneath the cover of an old oak tree a few paces away from the others. Wildflowers bloomed in the soil around her as if the earth was reacting to her very presence. His gluttonous gaze lingered on the pretty cleric. He watched her chest rise and fall slow and even. He’d never known her to indulge in sleep, preferring to take her rest by way of trance. She must have been truly exhausted. He took a silent step closer.

Astarion took in another deep breath. She was floral, like lilac and primrose with just a touch of citrus. His pupils dilated as every fiber of his being shouted at him - Desperate for just a taste. It was a risk to be sure, feeding on a woman of divine persuasion, but of the options available to him she seemed the most delectable and least deadly.

“How cliche,” He thought, “a creature of the night- Driven by sanguine desire to drink a lovely maiden, asleep in a bed of flowers.”

He dipped to his knees and with a delicate hand brushed her hair from her neck. He steeled himself, preparing to strike. Leaning in close just as her eyes shot open.

“...Shit”

It was the cool tickle of breath on the back of her neck and the feeling of an almost loving hand on her waist that pulled her away from her dreams. When she first saw him standing over her, ruby-red eyes wide, white hair tousled and untamed, she had assumed something must have happened during his watch. However, the guilt and shame that twisted across his handsome face quickly did away with such assumptions.

“What are you doing!” She hissed.

“No, no- It’s not what it looks like I swear!”

His words were rushed as if they could not leave his mouth fast enough. Dafi sat up in her bedroll, her eyes fixed on Astarion’s pleading expression, his hands outstretched in surrender. He reminded her of a wild animal backed into a corner facing down what was to be their demise. His bravado was all but gone and in the place of the cocky rouge she had come to know was a frightened young man.

“Were you trying to kill me?”

“No! I wasn’t going to hurt you!” He promised, “I just needed - well…”

He trailed off his eyes fixing themselves on the holy symbol that hung from a silver chain around her neck. At that moment the pieces fell together: the boar, his unique appearance, his eagerness to keep watch at night. There, in the dim glow of the fire, she saw him for what he was...

Vampire.

“It’s not what you think!” He pleaded, “I��m not some monster. I feed on animals! Boars, deer, kobolds - whatever I can get. I’m just too slow right now. Too weak. If I just had a little blood, I could think clearer. Fight better. Please.”

The last word was dripping in melancholy. His head hung low and his shoulders sagged. He had proven himself to be proud, even bordering on snobbish - never asking for help and turning his nose up when it was offered. His suffering must be great if he had been willing to admit his weakness and need. Against her better judgment, she reached out to him, placing a hand on his pale cheek.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She whispered.

She tugged on his hand, pulling him close. He sighed as he took a seat beside her leaving an uncomfortable space between their bodies.

“At best, I was sure you’d say no. More likely you’d ram a stake through my ribs. I thought I could keep it to myself but tonight I felt so awful…” Astarion slumped into his hands unable to meet her eyes, “And… I wanted you to trust me. No. I needed you to trust me. And you can trust me.”

His logic, it would seem, was far more rational than her own. She was a cleric, sworn to the preservation of life. She should have set him alight with divine magic the moment she realized what he was. But, when she looked at Astarion it wasn’t a monster that looked back at her. He was her friend. Her heart ached to think of the fate he had been doomed to. He was an elf, never to return to Avandor. And was it not her very reason for existing to care for all of Corellon’s children? Why should Astarion, whom she had come to care for, be any different than the rest of their kin?

“I do.” She smiled, her thumb stroking his cheek, “I Trust you, Astarion. If you say it wasn’t your intention to harm me then that is the truth.”

Dafni’s touch was almost painfully kind. How long has it been since he had felt a hand so gentle with such kind intention? She held his face so tenderly in her sage-green palm he thought he might melt. He had spurned her kindness on countless occasions. Thinking it had been a sign of weakness. Now, on the receiving end of her light and he felt a fool for having ever encouraged her to tamp down on her compassion. He leaned into her hand, savoring the warmth of her touch.

“Thank you.” He purred, leaning in close to her ear, “Do you think you could trust me just a little further?”

He could hear the steady thump of her heart pick up. He was tantalizingly close throat. The sight of blood pumping through her veins was near irresistible. Her cheeks went flush and the intoxicating smell of her blood threatened to send him into a frenzy.

“I only need a taste. I swear.”

Dafni shuddered at the feeling of his lips along the blade of her ear. It was a dangerous proposition to be sure… He was a deadly creature and was she to bank on whatever small fondness he held for her to keep her alive? He was in need. What if harm befell him because he was in a weakened state? His voice was so coxing, his fingertips on the hollow of her neck almost loving. She had said herself she trusted him. Why not with this? Besides, being drained dry by a vampire seemed a far more glamorous way to go than letting the tadpole rot her from the inside out.

“Fine” She spoke in a voice little more than a whisper, “But not a drop more than you need.”

“Of course.” He promised, “Not one drop more.”

Delicately, he guided her back so her head came to rest in his lap. He brought one hand to rest on the swell of her full hip and while the other remained in place, cradling her neck. Only at the moment before he sunk into her tender flesh did she glimpse the fearsome creature she had offered herself up to freely.

The moment he broke her skin, he realized why Cazador had forbidden his minions the blood of ‘thinking creatures’. If her scent had been captivating her taste could only be described as transcendent, sweet, and earthy. Yet it was more than the flavor that had him completely delirious. It was the irresistible happiness that began to bloom in his chest as his heart fell in rhythm with her’s. She was a lush and colorful field, the feeling of the sun on his cheeks for the first time in 200 years - Spring incarnate and he was ravenous for more. His grasp grew tighter on her hip drawing her into himself no longer satisfied with gentleness and charm. A strange feeling began to build in him. Not hunger, but desire. A shaky gasp slipped from her lovely lips. She twisted in his lap. Lancing her hand through his hair, tugging him closer. She was pleasing to the eye to be sure. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so shocked when amorous feelings began to stir.

“I think you’ve had enough.”

Her voice was small and shaky but it was enough to bring him back to reality. He removed himself with haste, realizing his tight hold on her body. Relief washed over her and Dafni allowed herself to crumple against him. Above her, Astarion was still struggling to catch his breath.

“Of course.” He gasped, “I was just swept up in the moment.”

A small squeak passed her lips at the feeling of his tongue running over the aching wound in her neck.

“But it worked.” He continued, still nuzzled at her neck, “I feel good. Strong. Happy!”

“Good.” She yawned, “I’m glad. I feel a little lightheaded though...”

He found himself absentmindedly stroking her hair as she began to nod off, curled up in his lap. He hadn’t expected the act of feeding to be so… intimate. He couldn’t be sure if it was always this way or if the elation he felt was a side effect of her being an eladrin. Either way, the temptation to linger, to taste her in other ways was almost unbearably tempting. A disheartening pang of thirst still lingered in his throat however and she was far too weak for him to take anymore. Intimacy would simply have to wait.

“I hate to disturb you, darling, but you’ll have to excuse me.”

Dafni huffed, snuggling closer in protest. He was warmer to the touch now and a faint rosy hue colored his cheeks. Astarion was hardly the picture tender regard but his arms were strong and his slow heartbeat thrummed in time with her own. And for just a moment the threat of the tadpoles seemed far away. She stuck out her lower lip in a pout as he untangled himself from her. She could hear the laugh he was trying to suppress as she tucked herself back into bed. She reached up for him, wrapping her hand tightly around his wrist as he turned to leave.

“Come on.” He teased, “You’re invigorating, but I need something more filling.” He bent down placing a kiss on her forehead, “This is a gift you know. I won’t forget.”

“Is- it’s nothing.” She babbled, “I’m just… Just glad you feel better.”

#astarion #bg3 oc #bg3 spoilers #bg3 #bg3 early access #dafni of gwynneth #elf writes

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judediangelo75 · 5 years ago

Text

How Talbott Dropped the Question

Hello everyone~

I have another fanfic featuring our resident bird boy at Hogwarts, Talbott. Ugh, I love him to death (and I would protect him at all costs). As most of you can guess by the title, this is how Talbott asked Judith to marry him. But of course there’s backstory, hope you don’t mind ^_^”.

Side note: This is kinda playing on the idea that the MC did run away.

Alright enough of my blabbering. Enjoy!

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

After the death of Talbott's parents, the young boy didn't want to let anyone else in his heart, fearing that he'll lose them too. Only other person who made him happy was a little girl that he never saw again after just one day together...

Coming to Hogwarts, he was sorted into Ravenclaw. He listened to Professor Flitwick give a welcome speech from the corner he resided in, watching everyone with cautious eyes.

Time seem to pass slowly. During that time, he befriended the most popular girl in his year, a Hufflepuff by the name of Penny Haywood. She was kind girl, a bit too preppy for his taste but he like the girl nonetheless. She was his only friend until his third year, where he met one of the Cursed Children, Judith Harris.

Anybody who read The Daily Prophet knows of what happened to best friends Jamal Harris and Jonah Brown.

How ironic that their sisters are best friends as well.

So they already had an infamous reputation preceding them.

Brooke ended up being sorted into his house. Judith had potential to become an Eagle as well, seeing how she experienced a Hat Stall between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. But she opted to become a Hufflepuff instead. Talbott was secretly glad for this development for awhile, seeing how her best friend was, he didn't believe that Ravenclaw could handle both of them at the same time.

At least, that's what he thought at first.

Hearing her voice for the very first time, Talbott was almost taken aback at how soft and almost shy it sounded. He had to look up from his book to make sure he was speaking to the right person. Sure enough, gold eyes bore into his own. Looking into her eyes, Talbott felt an unexplainable warmth inside his heart. He didn't understand it and pushed away as he interacted with the Hufflepuff witch.

As he slowly learns more about her, he realized that she was definitely more quieter and calmer than her scheming best friend. Though, he could tell she possess a sneaky side to her, judging by the smirks she would give him. As well as the mischievous spark that danced in those gold orbs.

During their time together helping her become an Animagus, Talbott watched her closely.

An old memory would come up to his mind where the little boy version of himself was watching the sunset in one of the trees the surrounded his home with a girl. He remembered promising her that he'll teach her to be just like him, hopefully that she would become an avian Animagus and they could go flying together. But they never got the chance to meet again, so Talbott thought he may never fulfill his promise...

Or so he thought.

It wasn't until after he got closer to Judith, after losing the necklace his mother gifted him, and following her to a graveyard is when he realized it.

That little girl was Judith.

Talbott couldn't believe that after all this time he was reunited with his little bird. He felt the feelings that he had as a child come back full force like a wrecking ball. To the point he found himself admiring the girl secretly from afar.

Words couldn’t describe his disappointment when Judith took down her locs. He loved them because it made her unique. It suited her. But he loved her hair in general, secretly yearning to tend to those dark brown curls...

His breath would catch in his throat whenever he sees her in top that reveals more of her skin and upper body. He noticed the scars that scatter on her chocolate skin. He would sometimes unconsciously curl his hands into fists whenever he feels the desire to touch and study her skin.

Sometimes when she's next to him or passing by, he finds himself taking in deeper breathes to take in the scent that seem to cling onto her hair and skin. She told him about her homeland and how the scent was mainly coconut and cocoa butter and he found himself secretly yearning for more of it. Where he wants to just to bury his face into her hair or her neck and just relax with her in his arms with that intoxicating scent wrapping around him.

He loved to look at her face. He could tell how she felt by her expression, some of them were just too funny not to chuckle at. Though one expression that gets him the most is when she pouts. He always does his best to look away or focus on some other part of her face, and not her tempting, full, soft lips...

There were times he found himself to be acutely aware of the sound of her voice. Especially when she sings, he would feel himself unconsciously relaxing to the sound of her voice then. If he didn't pay attention or hear her the one time that she was cursing Merula to hell and back, he could've sworn she was born and raised in Britain. But the foreign accent he remembers hearing as a child would slip on occasion. He liked how different it sounded, to him it was cute.

It wasn't until one day he finally realized what the hell was going on and why he feels like he gets butterflies every time she smiles at him-

He had a crush on her. A major crush on her...

And to his joy (and minor fear), she felt the same way about him too. Although he was happy about this development, he was also deeply confused. He was nothing like the other wizards at Hogwarts. Especially not like Andre, her Celestial Ball date.

He was loner and preferred it that way.

Plus... he wouldn't admit out loud that he was insecure about how he looked. With such sharp features for a 15 year old, a lot of people would give him strange looks. It didn't help that he hung out with the owls that the Owlery, people would whisper he was their long lost cousin.

To have a beautiful witch like Judith crush on the likes of him? He would've suspected some kind of prank.

But sure enough, when Judith shyly asked him out on a date, he sound himself at loss for words. And at the wrong time, since Madam Pince had them shelving books for being too loud. But when he spotted an opportunity, he called the girl over and said he accepted to go on a date with her. Her smile made him feel secretly excited for their date.

It was going to be a double date with Brooke and Penny. He was fine with that. He actually sought out the his friend's help, completely unsure of what to wear for his first date with his crush. They settled for a dark blue tux, a bronze tie and dress shoes to match. As the two waited outside Hogsmeade for their respective dates, Talbott couldn't help but to feel nervous. As he readjusted his tie, he couldn't help but to wonder what kind of outfit Judith would show up in and if he did too much showing up in a tuxedo to a tea shop.

When Brooke and Judith did arrive, while Penny was gushing over Brooke and her outfit, Talbott was blushing to the tips of his ears as he took in the Hufflepuff standing before him. Judith's face was just as flushed as she looked at Talbott who was openly staring at her. She wanted to clobber her best friend for putting her in an short off the shoulder dress, revealing a lot of skin-

"You look smart, Talbott." the girl blurted out, unable to handle the silence anymore. Talbott finally came back to reality after realizing that he was staring at his crush.

"Y-you look lovely, Judith..." That didn't sound as confident as he would like and he felt stupid when he realized that he didn't get to compliment her first.

He wanted to smack his forehead.

He was already messing up their first date and they haven't even gotten to the place yet!

The two pairs made it to there date spot and that's where things went downhill.

Talbott wasn't the social type whatsoever.

He had no idea what to talk about and he wanted to kick himself when Judith would glance at the entryway where Madam Puddifoot disappeared through to make their order, the discomfort obvious on her face.

It didn't help how beautiful his crush looked and he couldn't stop staring.

The retreating sunlight washed over her in a gentle glow. Her hair was pushed to one side, curls falling over her right shoulder while a red rose was tucked behind her left ear. Her eyelids were dusted with a dark shadow, enhancing those gold eyes. Her neck was free from any necklaces. Her bare shoulders and fully exposed neck was rather distracting...

To top everything off, Tonks and Charlie came to watch their date. Even though this encouraged conversation, it still felt a little awkward. They didn't remain so for long, seeing how Tonks knocked over a display of teacups that closed the shop.

The walk back to Hogwarts felt like the walk of shame.

This was suppose to Talbott's first date with the girl from his childhood. He felt like he ruined it for her. Which is why he went to the Courtyard to wallow in his shame.

Until Judith showed up...

He felt like his heart was suddenly in his throat as he watch the Hufflepuff take a seat next to him. When she said she wanted to talk about their first date, he had to distract her. He didn't want to hear the girl's inevitable rejection. His heart wasn't ready for that sort of blow...

But he couldn't keep up with the "shooting star" gist for long.

He knew he had to tell her the truth. He just silently prayed that she would quickly rip the bandage off...

He came clean to the girl, a little surprised to see that she was surprised when he hinted at her rejection.

They had a much needed "heart to heart" conversation, dispelling any fears and doubts that lingered between them. Ending it with the promise of a possible second date in their future...

As the two gazed up at the starry night sky, he heard Judith shuffle closer and the light touch of her fingertips against his. He glanced at her quickly to find her looking in the other direction. Taking a chance, he inched closer, laying his fingers on top of hers. He felt his heart race at the fond look that Judith graced him before their fingers intertwined. They looked up at the night sky to find a shooting star.

Talbott felt like he could never feel more complete outside of that very moment. Under the starry night sky, with Judith's warm hand intertwined with his own.

He was proven wrong.

It would be some time until their next date happened. It was February, which meant Valentines' Day was approaching and fast. Talbott never cared for the frivolous holiday.

He had no interested in anyone... until his little bird.

Their first date never left his mind. On more than one occasion, he finds his heart sighing after the young Hufflepuff whenever he saw her. He could still remember the feeling of her hand in his...

If he ever wanted to have a Valentine, he'd want it to be her.

Hell, his Valentine Howler made it bloody obvious. He felt quick to follow Brooke's example and light the Howler on fire as it spoke. Luckily no one was truly paying attention to him so he didn't need to take such drastic measures.

"Oh how my heart longs for you, pretty gold eyes..." Talbott turned red and immediately glanced at the Hufflepuff, silently relieved to know she didn't hear that.

So much for being innocent.

His feelings were definitely more intense than he expected...

As the day went on, Talbott felt like he could've gone without Gilderoy Lockhart and his party. But he was secretly glad to be working alongside his little bird.

As he was on a fruitless hunt for doves, Judith came to check on him. He tried to focus at the task at hand and not how on a night like this he was holding her hand.

Even with her help in their Animagus forms, they couldn't find any doves. Talbott felt annoyed that he was dragged into this party planning situation and that he was being forced to dress up in pink. But he couldn't lie that it would an opportunity to ask Judith out on another date with him. Especially if Lockhart's party was gonna be a complete mess, he could give her the Valentines' Day she deserved...

"You want to be my date too?!" Talbott caught onto her wording and felt his heart plummet to his feet.

"Too?" The girl blushed at her error.

"Er... I mean, again..." Talbott wanted to fly away but he knew that he had to ask to be sure.

"So, you've been asked to the party already?" The girl bit her lower lip.

"Yes but I didn't give him an answer..."

Him.

Andre.

A twisted feeling settled inside his chest.

'Is this what jealousy feels like?'

"Oh... I can give you time to decide then..." The Ravenclaw wizard didn't give the girl a chance to reply as he flew off.

When they finally decorating the tea shop, Talbott couldn't help but to feel slightly bitter at the idea that Andre and Judith will being having a date here after they came here on their first date. He meant what he said, there was only one person that he would want to go with, and that was her. Judging by Andre's words, she hasn't picked yet. But he wouldn't be surprised if she did pick the style wizard.

He was a nobody after all...

He would admit he was surprised when the girl requested to have a word with him for a moment. He wasn't sure what she had planned to say so he stuck to a party related topic. She giggled when he misread her answer and said she would love to be his date to the party. Talbott was surprised that she chose him over Andre.

But it didn't make him less happy to know that he's gonna have a second date with the girl that he couldn't stop thinking about.

Though he wasn't too keen on his outfit. He felt ridiculous. And felt it even more when Judith and Brooke walked in the tea shop for the party. The Hufflepuff was a similar dress to the one she wore on their first date but the sleeves were long and the dress gradients from pink to white. A black chain that had a blue and sliver ring on it resided around her neck.

One look in Talbott's direction, Judith stifled a giggle before walking towards him. Talbott felt a blush rush to his face.

"I know, I know. I look ridiculous." Gold eyes widen and Judith shook her head. Her high ponytail swaying behind her.

"No! I think you look rather cute, like a Muggle cowboy." She reassured the tall wizard, fiddling with the pink pendant around his neck. The young wizard looked down at her, skeptical.

"Are you sure you're not saying that to make me feel better?" Judith rolled her eyes and got her toes, placing a light kiss on the tip of his nose.

This was enough to set the boy's face ablaze.

"Of course I'm not just saying that, you silly goose. I like how you look..." Despite feeling like his face was melting off, Talbott smiled down at her.

Just Talbott expected, the party was a whole sham.

It pissed him off that Gilderoy Lockhart casted a misfired Memory Charm on everyone before apperating. He felt scared that Judith may have forgetting all about their date because of this.

Even when he patiently waited in the Transfiguration classroom holding a red rose with yellow tips, he felt the dread building in his system. He was scared that the girl forget about being his date to the party. Though it was too late to cancel as he heard the doorknob turn.

Judith was in awe of the grand display, reassuring her crush that she didn't forget about being his date. She was sincerely touched that the stoic Ravenclaw would plan such a romantic evening for the two of them.

Treasured items were exchanged that night, a symbol of the boy's heart and a ring that spoke who the girl's heart belonged to.

Talbott couldn't have felt more complete when he leaned over a pressed a chaste kiss on his little bird's cheek. The adoring look that she have him was cemented into his memory forever.

He felt like nothing could top this moment.

He was proven wrong yet again.

After Valentines Day, Talbott was strongly aware of his feelings for the girl. He knew what he wanted.

He wanted to be her's and for her to be his.

He wanted to be her boyfriend.

He knew that he wasn't like most wizards who would openly shower a girl with affection and such, but he knew he had deep feelings for the girl. Just like she did for him, she gave him a ring gifted to her by her grandmother for Gods' sake!

He'd figured it would be best to be direct about it. Seeing how it helped saved their two precious dates.

He asked her to accompany him on a walk through the forest, which she readily accepted. As they walked through the trees, he couldn't help but to notice how at peace she looked.

"So, Judith... T-there's something I... want to ask you..." The wizard stumbled and silently cursed his awkwardness. Gold eyes trained on him, paired with an adorable owl like head tilt.

"Yes?" Talbott took in a deep breath and reached out for her hand.

"Will... will you..." Talbott felt his face heat up as he tried to get the question out.

'OUT WITH IT!' His mind screamed, but his throat seem to close up. Caught up in his emotional turmoil, he missed the girl's smile or even noticed that she got closer. A soft kiss to his cheek finally brought him back to reality.

"Yes. I'll be your girlfriend, Talbott..." The Ravenclaw blushed but smiled nonetheless, hugging his now girlfriend close to his chest.

On top of their new found relationship, they had a small surprise. Talbott was in the witch's room, where she was sharing some of her memories that she kept in her little safe. She was showing an old Muggle romance novel when a white clover appear underneath one of the pages. Both seem to having a recurring memory of each other from their childhood, where Talbott gifted a white clover to Judith before never seeing each other again. As Judith touch the flower, both found themselves standing before their deceased parents.

It was then they realized that the other knew of their identity, remembering each other from childhood. Words couldn’t describe the relief and bliss they’ve felt in that very moment.

Until Talbott's mother starting talking about marriage. The two were flustered at this but they wouldn't oppose to the idea.

Judith thought about marriage, but as a mere fantasy. She thought no one would truly love her enough to even considering bonding to her for life.

Seeing her dead father for the first time in seven years brought tears to her eyes.

He would never be able to walk her down the aisle, which broke her heart.

Talbott has considered it as a passing thought. He knew what he felt for the girl, even when he never truly understood it as a child. It would be a dream come true to see her walk down the aisle to him in a wedding dress and have her proclaimed Judith Winger.

His wife.

He unconsciously rubbed her left ring finger, imagining what it would be like to feel a cool metal band around her finger.

His mother did make herself clear the next time she sees them, he better have "wifed her" or she'd box his ears...

As embarrassing the situation was, it became a lingering thought in the back of his mind.

A life with Judith, his little bird.

Marriage.

Living together.

Her becoming pregnant.

Them holding their baby.

Building a family.

He wanted that. All of it. She was everything to him, he wants to be with her forever.

But not everything seems to go according to plan.

Stress landed Judith in the Hospital Wing and Talbott fussed over his girlfriend, doing what he can to keep her calm. What meant to be an innocent massage lead to a passionate embrace, which was nothing new to the pair. They've been intimate before on a few occasions, Judith made sure to drink her potion that kept her from becoming pregnant.

Except Judith hasn't been keeping up with her potions. It wasn't until she went to tell Madam Pomfrey about her sudden sickness is when she realized what happened.

She was pregnant with Talbott's child.

The girl didn't know what to think, nearly becoming an emotional wreck when Madam Pomfrey informed her that she would have to tell her mother about this.

Whatever relationship that existed behind mother and daughter was destroyed when Sade disowned her daughter in front of the school's Headmaster and never looked back. Judith was left with a stinging cheek and a broken heart.

She had no real family left.

Her father was dead.

Her brother disappeared again after she freed him.

Her mother disowned her.

She was alone.

Then she remembered the father of the baby living inside her. Talbott was one of the brightest students of their year and they were so close to graduating, with just one more year and they would go into their respective careers.

He wanted to be an Auror. But now he was a father. They didn't plan for this.

Judith didn't know how to tell him.

So... she didn't.

Time passed and Judith didn't speak a word about their child. After finally cracking under the pressure of everything, Brooke and her decided to leave.

Judith could resign to the idea of not really having a future becoming a professional Healer like her father.

She made peace with that.

But she refused to bring Talbott down with her. He had a chance.

With a tearful letter leaving out any mention of their unborn child, Judith left Hogwarts. Helping train her best friend during the months she was still light enough before taking a plane back to her homeland.

During that time, Talbott felt like he regressed back to the time when he first came to Hogwarts.

This time, it was the loss of the girl he loves.

She was all he had left, he would follow her to the ends of the Earth if it meant staying by her side. Her ring nearly never left his finger. Bill seemed to be the only one who understood what the young man was going through, considering he felt like he was going through the same. The two men became close during this time period.

It would be months before the two crossed paths again. After finding out the whole truth, Talbott left Hogwarts and Britain to head to Barbados, the land Judith was born and raised. Where he stayed to be with his girlfriend and son, Bakari. He was surprised to see how the little boy came out to be the perfect mix of the two. He had Talbott's skin color and red eyes but the facial features of his mother. Most of his hair was dark brown like Judith's but he had a tuft of hair that hung over his forehead that resembles Talbott's.

He was their little miracle.

After months of tension, Judith and Talbott had a necessary heart to heart which lead them to being in each other's loving embrace.

As much Judith felt happy to be with him again, she still want Talbott to achieve his dream. But he made himself clear that he wasn't going anywhere if she wasn't with him. Judith relented and offered a deal. If he agreed to go back to Hogwarts, she'll return with him to stay in Hogsmeade. But she will not be attending the school since she still needs to be there for their son. Talbott agreed, as well stating he'll be keeping her up on their studies. Judith grumbled at this but agreed nonetheless.

The two flew back to Scotland. With Brooke's and Dumbledore's help, they were able to get a small house in Hogsmeade. Some of the group that associated themselves with Brooke and Judith were curious to where Talbott could've gone for nearly a whole year, but Talbott never answered them.

Not even Penny, who was his first friend at Hogwarts.

Penny was suspicious to where Talbott would go every few days. She would normally respect her friend's space but eventually she cracked.

She followed Talbott out one day in Hogsmeade. She was surprised to see him enter a house. Doing her best to stay quiet, she peeked through a window to find a surprise. Judith holding a young babe in her arms, but the child looked like both of them. Putting two and two together as she watched the couple share a kiss, Penny stared on wide eyed.

Judith was pregnant with Talbott's baby.

She nearly squeaked when the little boy suddenly stared out of the window and directly at her. She quickly left before Judith and Talbott realized she was there. But she didn't hesitate to tell Jamal and Jonah about Judith.

Who later that night, paid the young witch and her little family a visit. Jonah nearly got thrown out of a window when he started demanding on his sister's whereabouts, but a simple hug and kiss from Talbott helped calm her down. As Judith continued to converse with her brother and Jonah from Talbott's lap, his mind was occupied with something else.

He felt a bit angry that Penny found about this, but he wasn't ashamed.

He loved Judith.

He loved Bakari.

And he loved their little family.

Watching Judith interact with their son filled him with a sense of warmth that he could never truly describe. She was such a wonderful mother and loving partner. Everything nearly felt complete. The only thing missing was a ring on her finger...

Fast forward nearly a year and half after graduation and becoming an Auror, and thanks to his prodding Judith was able to "graduate" and become a Healer, he sat in front of Jamal Harris as the older man processed his words.

"So let me get this straight, you want my blessing so you can marry my baby sister," he recounted. Talbott gave him a single nod. Jamal grew to respect Talbott a bit more, seeing how he takes care of his sister and little nephew. But he was still her big brother at the end of the day, he'll always be protective of Judith.

Especially after missing out on so many years of her life.

"Why do you think I should give you my blessing, huh," Jamal stubbornly asked. Talbott sighed, predicting this.

"Your father seems to be happy with the idea of me marrying your sister. He sees something in me deeming me worthy of her." Jamal stiffen and glared.

"Watch your words, Winger. You don't even know my father." Talbott knew that bringing up Kendrick would be a sensitive topic for the man before him. From what he remember, Judith told him that Jamal ran away just several weeks before their father's death. To suddenly to come back to hear about his father's death, struck a cord in Jamal. And Talbott is more than happy to give him the closure he needs.

"Jamal, do you trust me?" Gold eyes narrowed at him.

"Why are you asking me this," Jamal asked instead. Talbott ignored his question and asked again. Seeing how he's not going anywhere, Jamal let out a simple "I guess". This was good enough for Talbott. Going into the bedroom he and Judith shared, went under the bed to retrieve the safe Judith showed him. Whispering the password, the safe unlocked, revealing the contents inside. He quickly grabbed what he needed and moved the safe back to it's original place before returning to where Jamal sat.

Before Jamal could ask what Talbott was doing, the Auror grabbed his hand with the shark tooth enclosed in between.

"What the f- Where the hell are we, Winger," Jamal growled as he looked around, bewildered.

"Aye, don't be disrespecting my resting place with all that noise, young man." Jamal stiffen at the voice he hasn't heard in years. Turning in the direction which it came from, Jamal stared in shock at who he saw. Talbott felt like it was just yesterday whereas he had the same reaction as Jamal.

Kendrick was sitting in the exact same position as the time Talbott met the man, in the same white clothes and all.

"D-Dad... is... is it really you," Jamal asked, his voice much softer. Tears sprang in the young man's eyes, blurring the image of his father. Jamal gasped when he felt a pair of strong, familiar arms wrap around him in a tight hug.

"It's good to see you too, son," Kendrick whispered, hugging his boy close. The dam broke and Jamal outright bawled into his father's shoulder, not caring if it wasn't really manly.

He missed his dad.

Talbott watched the scene silently. It reminded him where Judith and her father were in that same exact position. The Harris siblings were truly close with their father and it showed tremendously. It was also kinda interesting to see that Jamal didn't resemble his father too much other than eyes and hair color...

"H-How is this p-possible. Judith showed me..." Jamal trailed off as he remember the time his sister brought him to their father's grave.

November 27th, 1981.

Their dad's birthday and deathday.

The same damn year he ran away.

His dad been dead for years and he nearly truly known until he wanted to check in with how his family was doing. Only to watch from a distance to find his mother home but his father was nowhere around. It wasn't until he read an old article of the Daily Prophet when he learned of his father's passing. He felt guilty about it ever since. To see his father for the first time in years... he could've sworn he was dreaming.

"I am dead. Make no mistake son," Kendrick said as Jamal winced at his bluntness. Definitively a trait his sister got from him.

"But when I died, I left my magic imprint on my old necklace and gave it to your sister. That's how I met Talbott again many years ago." Jamal's brows furrowed.

"What do you mean by again," he asked. The older Harris smirked.

"Do you remember Ava and Trent?" Jamal still looked lost until his father motioned to a mirror. Which was replaying a memory from when he was a little boy. A couple walked up to him and his father while they were at Honeydukes. The woman had Talbott's hair and skin color and the man looked like an older version him. Jamal's eyes went wide.

"Those are..."

"My parents," Talbott finally spoke up. Jamal looked at him and back at the memory.

"They were my old friends back in my Hogwarts days. We stayed in touch over the years, even after Talbott and your sister were born. We managed to arranged for them to meet twice before our deaths," Kendrick summarized as he watched his son look at the memory of Talbott and Judith as toddlers and then as little kids.

"Ava always wanted to bring these two together but we couldn't make it make before we died. Luckily, they found each other again on their own," Kendrick said with a fond smile in Talbott's direction. Jamal turned to his father.

"But Dad, how can you trust him after he-OW!" Kendrick smack Jamal upside his head. Kendrick's eyes were steely.

"I know of their son, Bakari. Things happen Jamal. I don't hold against Talbott for getting Judith pregnant. It was her choice to keep Bakari. Just like it was his choice to willingly abandon Hogwarts to be with her and their son. You will not fault him on a situation that happened years ago and he's done his best to make the most of it," Kendrick said coldly. Jamal rubbed the back of his head, he felt like he was a child being chided for doing something stupid...

"Bloody hell, you hit like Judith," he grumbled. Kendrick let out a dark chuckle.

"Good. I expect nothing less from my little girl. If I can't be around to strike fear into the hearts of the men around her, I want her to do it herself." Talbott and Jamal both shuddered, seeing a variations of her rage and strength.

"But I trust Talbott here with Judith’s heart. Which is why he already has my blessing," Kendrick said. Talbott gave the older Harris a grateful smile, fiddling with the ring Judith gave him years ago.

Kendrick saw this and smirked.

"And I'm sure my mother would've said the same thing..." Jamal's eyes went wide, recognizing the ring.

"I always wondered why that ring looked so familiar. That's the same ring that Judith always wore around her neck..." Talbott blushed and nodded.

"Mercy gifted it to her before she died. That ring is only able to fit the person Judith loves wholeheartedly. If not, the ring will immediately reject the person. I'd like to think my mother would've loved you Talbott..." Talbot felt his blush grew worse.

Now he didn't know that part...

Jamal studied the Auror in silence before cracking a small smile.

"If my grandmother and dad are able to trust you, Wi- Talbott... then I have no reason to stand your way. Especially since you help me after I've been such a hardass... you have my blessing to marry my sister." Talbott gave the Harris men a smile.

"Thank you, both of you. I'll take good care of her, I promise..."

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"This is lovely," Judith breathed out a gentle sigh as she leaned against Talbott's chest. They were able to moved into an apartment, slightly bigger than the previous home they resided in their 7th year.

It was New Year's Eve. Bakari was sound asleep and the couple were watching the night time sky from the couch outside on the balcony, awaiting the fireworks. Talbott gave a small nod, willing his heart not to pound out of his chest. He had the small black box in his pocket and as the moment grew closer, he felt himself grow more nervous.

"Something wrong, love?" He heard Judith ask before she planted those soft lips against his cheek. The young man bit lip as he glanced at his watch to check the time. 11:55 PM.

"There's nothing wrong, darling. But there is something I would like to say," he said softly. Judith leaned off his chest and turned to face him properly.

"What is it?" Talbott took a deep breath.

Now or never...

"I honestly would've never thought I would see myself in this the position. I never thought I would feel a bond so indescribable as the one we share ever since we were children. I never thought I would lose my parents at such a young age. I never thought I would ever find the same happiness I felt from we met when we were 7 years old. Until I met you again. Neither of us fully realized who the other was until we met the others’ parents again. It was hard to express how I felt when I saw you through your father's memories. You looked so happy and carefree before you came to Britain. Even more so when we met again... But your smile dimmed when your brother disappeared... and you lost the same glow when Kendrick died. And I wanted nothing more but to bring that back. To make you feel like you were never alone. Like you never lost your smile. To make you feel loved. You're precious and dear to me, Judith. I've loved you for a long time, even before I could truly realize the depth of my feelings. You gave me something worth living for. You gave me you and Bakari... and I'll be damned if I let anything happen to either of you..." Talbott watched as a cute blush colored his beloved's adorable confused face.

"W-Why are you telling me all this," she asked softly. She watched as her boyfriend slid off the couch to kneel before her on one knee. Those who were out enjoying the holiday began chanting the countdown.

"I'm telling you this because I love you, Judith Harris. And I wish to spend the rest of my life with you..." Judith gasped as she watched Talbott reach into his pocket to pull out a small box. Her vision grew misty and she rapidly blinked away any tears, wanting to make sure this was real.

That she wasn't dreaming.

That Talbott was-

"Judith Harris, my sweet little bird and queen of my heart, will you marry me," Talbott softly asked as he displayed the ring he picked out.

Judith smiled at Talbott, a single tear sliding down her face. In the distance, they could hear the people approaching the T minus 10 countdown.

"Yes... yes I will marry you," Judith whispered. Talbott smiled at her, the brilliance of his smile rivaled the stars twinkling above them. He held her left hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. Judith leaned in and kissed him just as the fireworks went off.

"I love you, Talbott," she whispered against her fiancé's lips. Talbott chuckled, looking at her with an adoring gaze.

"I love you too, my future wife..."

#hogwarts mystery #hphm mc #hphm talbott #talbott x jacob's sibling #talbott winger #hogwarts mystery talbott #talbott x mc #judith harris

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millennial-star-gazer · 5 years ago

Text

The Draconic Demon Within: Chapter 4: A Demon’s All-Consuming Rage

The Draconic Demon Within

Genres: Romance, Friendship/Family, Drama/Angst, Hurt/ Comfort, & New Adult Fanfiction

Vera's April 2018 Prompts: Soul, Empyrean, Savage, Memory, Trust, Fear, Unstoppable , Resilient, Supernatural (Implied) Lost (Implied) and Loathing.

Nalu Lovefest 2017 Prompts: Dreams

Nalu Week 2019 Prompts (Implied:) Lost, Curse, Trial, Treasure, Chance and possibly Bare.

Pairing: Nalu/EndLu,( Natsu x Lucy/ E.N.D. x Lucy)

Rating: M for language, steamy and mature adult sexual content (all consensual) in these and future chapters. Reader Direction is advised.(You have been warned!)

Summary: Now faced with the reality of who he is truly is, the son of Igneel must contend with the new darker instincts of his new demonic identity- all while navigating through his ever-growing, intense feelings for a particular celestial wizard. Originally a Submission (semi -au) for Nalu lovefest 2017 (on my previous celestialgeekmage account and now an entry for nalu week 2019 with chapter 3. (Also was on my earliest previous accounts of teamedwardjace/Twishadowhunter in the past. Also part of Vera's April 2018 prompt challenge from fic-writers appreciation on cosmicdragonwizard).

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Chapter 4: A Demon's All- Consuming Rage

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A/N: Hey guys, it's your girl back again with another installment of TTDW! Fun fact: Being temporarily off work for a few weeks due to pandemic has provided some extra free time to edit and posta new chapter for this fic ( which is on account of the temporary closures of public institutions, and public spaces along with non-essential businesses/services in Ontario-the Canadian province I'm from). This isn't to suggest I'm not without fear or concern about the pandemic or potential effects on global infrastructure but at least I'm mostly coping as best as anyone can at this time. Hope you guys are all too. ( A bit more on this in the A/N at the end of this chapter .) Anyway, hope that this chapter and my other fanfics along with those from amazing writers can help you all while stuck at home. All right, that's pretty much my whole spiel for now. Without further ado, here's Chapter 4 of TTDW-Enjoy!

(Note: Scroll down past the read more button/cut for the designated legend menu and actual story content).

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Disclaimer: Fairytail does not belong to me, but to the most honourable Hiro-sensei instead, for whom without this work of love wouldn't be possible.

Read Previous Chapters of TDDW and on platforms here:

(Copy and paste the links into another window if need be)

A. Tumblr

Previous (Click Here:) (or here: https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/185917542578/the-draconic-demon-within-chapter-3)

Next (Coming Soon:)

B. Fanfiction (Click Here:) (or here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13113898/1/The-Draconic-Demon-Within-Reupload-from-cosmicdragonwizardaccounts)

C. A03 (Click Here:) (or here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17365061/chapters/40861307)

2. Ongoing Master Post Of All My Writing (Click Here:) (or here: https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/179665258923/master-fic-rec-post)

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Legend:

Italic: Song Lyrics/Quotes (or flashback dialogue)

Bold: First Person Thoughts

Bolded Italics: Empathized, stylized Word(s) or bloodthirsty fantasies

Bolded Italics (Within and Outside Bracket) including for author's side notes also known as (A/N:) within brackets (though none for side-notes in this chapter ).

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"Your body is full of rage.

Every sinew. It is easy to read.

You speak volumes with a clenched fist."

( Paolo Bacigalupi: The Drowned Cities)

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"Seriously? Luce's alive?

That…. I can't...

A wave of overjoyed relief was washing over Natsu from the spectacular news about his best friend still breathing.

"Hear that Luce?!" He sobbed, not bothering to wipe the moisture from his eyes." You're alive and gonna be okay— Thank God! Really... don't ... know what I'd do without ya…," Scarlet-red eyes remained focused/trained on the face on the motionless angel in his arms.

"Pretty sure the guild and the rest of the people we know would be just as devastated if they lost such an incredible person and wizard . Glad you're okay either way though." Natsu's hands were stroking sweat-plastered strands of Lucy's hair back from her eyes with delicate care .

Really glad she's still in fact alive and kicking…

In that very moment , it was as if the world had fallen away; leaving just the two of them. Nothing else seemed to matter then . Not cold-blooded enemies in the room, or the recent battle just moments before; Not even E.n.d's unnerving metamorphosis. Just a dragon-demon and his most precious star with those subtle breaths, the visible rise and fall of her chest that somehow escaped any kind of major notice before.

Words can't even describe how relieved I am . Digits combed through Lucy's blonde tresses from crown to tip in a physical display of tender affection.

Hmm... Lucy's hair feels really nice. Natsu couldn't help but marvel at texture of her beneath his fingertips .Don't think I've ever stopped to fully appreciate it before .

"Gotta say that your hair feels really nice, Luce." Natsu voiced this innermost thoughts aloud; though his words were coming in soft. ."Smells real amazin' too."

Damn was the appealing fragrance of jasmine with a hint of cyclamen flooding his senses beyond intoxicating."like jasmine and that other flower we saw once— cyclamen, I think. . You've been using a new scented shampoo again, I see. Not that I'm complainin'."

"Psh—Listen to me" Natsu tacked on with a rueful chuckle that was still a bit thick from all that weeping before. " Gettin' all sentimental and crap. Hell... stripper would never even let me live it down if he heard . Still be damn proud of you though just like I am for how well you handled yourself in battle. Why don't we tell him all about it once you're awake and we're out of here?. Bet he'd like that . Till then, the two of us just need to sit tight and figure out our next move, okay?"

Wait ...

The fire demon's hands continued their fond movements- only for blood to freeze in his veins when noticing an unsightly contusion on Lucy's forehead; accented by a small gash just above her brow.

When did this happen? I swear those injuries hadn't there been seconds before .. .

Crimson eyes scanned his best friend's battered frame for further damage in alarm . My God... Natsu's breath caught in his throat at the sight of that line of discolorations on her legs . Not to mention all those scratches along with the small gash peeking out through the tattered remains of Lucy's Star dress .

"Oh Luce..." He sighed, remorseful voice breaking on her name. "Can see that you're in pretty rough shape right now. I'm so sorry. Honestly don't know how or why you had a delayed reaction to all the damage. But this wouldn't have happened if I only had grabbed you and run or got your spirits to transport you to their world, Hell— Maybe we could've both escaped and I could've helped kept you safe while figuring out this new demon form means for us together. Anyways, time to put pressure on your wound."

A hand tore a loose piece of fabric to apply pressure on the hemorrhaging wound. "See? You'll be okay . Gonnal get ya' all fixed up and good as new in no time ."

Damn Luce stills looks like an angel to me, Natsu mused in reverent admiration . Even with those injuries...

"Ooh- how cute!" Jackal's dervisie voice cut through the other demon’s reverie; whose arms automatically protectively tightened around Lucy's frame out of fierce instinct-automatic without a second though. Not to mention those two pair of eyes he could sense that set him on edge."

"Aw Damn." Jackal broke in again with a gleeful taunt that bordered on sadistic."That poor,pretty girl of you is covered in ugly bruises and scratches, Dragneel."

That little ...

Natsu's head automatically snapped around to meet Jackal with a baleful snarl. Damn was that all that black rage roaring in his veins all too consuming.

"There's that growling again" Jackal cackled, clearly unfazed at by the alpha demon's bared canines ." Bared fangs and what not. Such a shame what happened to Blondie here , or is it? You really did a number on her, huh Tempester?"

"Huh," Tempester mused, bland disinterest colouring his tone."it seems I did . Kind of forgot that my curses can sometimes have o delayed side effects on people . Who knows? That pathetic wrench might even have internal bleeding.

"You goddamned bastard!" The flame- eater raged, fury boiling over. "Lucy ain't pathetic or some kind of toy to play with ... God.. All those injuries… are you fault and . I swear that You're both gonna pay for what you did to her!"

"Oh-You think so?" Jackal scoffed with let out another infantilizing laugh —beyond infuriating .

"Someone's rattled." Tempster pointed out, listless eyes trained on the stone-brick wall ahead. "Unfortunate."

"You don't say," Jackal deadpanned, with a disdainful roll of the eyes ."But Seriously Though , E.N.D, do you even hear yourself? .I mean getting all riled up over a human girl in that way —talk about pathetic. Sure said girl is extremely beautiful with a killer bod and feisty personality to boot—I'll give you that. But is she worth losing your cool over or fraternizing with? I don't think so and neither should you . God knows all that pent up rage and aggression would be far more suited for another cause. Not to mention, you'd better off without her life tainting your judgement and hindering your full potential as the most powerful of all etherious. So let's resolve this, shall we? Hand over the celestial wizard and I'll gladly dispose of her for you . Sound good?"

" 'Sound good?'Sound Good?!’ Are you kidding me?"!

Good God did those last words only serve to incense the snarling dragon further.

" There's no way in hell I'm gonna give Lucy up or let either of you touch her!"

"Come on Dragneel-be reasonable."

"No-rot in hell!"

"Oh honestly E.N.D.-"

"My name is Natsu!"

"Well okay then, Natsu— Just calm down ." Jackal's couldn't seem to resist reprimanding the fire demon; as if he were some errant child pitching a fit ."You're being ridiculous. Anyways, tell you what. I promise to make her death as qui-"

"Shut up!"

" Quick and mostly painless..."

"I said shut up!" En.d's voice rose to an ear-splitting roar that could've struck terror into the hearts of the gods themselves. "Try anything on her and I swear I'll kill you!"

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To Be Continued

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A/N: Well that's Chapter 4 folks- hope you enjoyed! Now a bit more about the pandemic situation in Ontario . Like many other provinces and countries around the world,, the government of Ontario has opted to shut down/ temporarily close non-essential services, businesses, public spaces and institutions to help curb the spread of the virus for a few weeks (or more) before spring break. Such institutions include all schools and childcare centres/ services in those settings which applies to the childcare company I'm currently employed with. You know on account of most of their centres and programs being based in public schools. (Independently-run Daycares also remain closed. And yes i'm a ECE by trade for any who were wondering or didn't already). Schools and child cares were tentatively scheduled to reopen after April 5th; though the closures have been extended for another month (according to Doug Ford (the premier/leader of Ontario). Not ideal but at least it gives me some extra time for me to work on things alongside my writing(i.e editing upcoming chapters for fics and WIPS). All right folks, that's all I have to say on that subject.

As usual, please feel free to let me know what you think by leaving a comment/review , through a reblog or by any other means. Be sure to check out the rest of my writing while staying tuned for future updates of my fics and new projects along the way! (Links above, in the navigation and in bio If on tumblr . Also on fanfiction.) Anyway, take care and stay safe! Ta ta for now!

#fairytail #ft fanfics #nalu #endlu #natsu x lucy #natsu dragneel #etherious natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #future lucy dragneel #the draconic demon within #my writing #millennial stargazer writes #millennial star gazer #please reblog

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alternislatronemhq · 5 years ago

Photo

see the application for Lily Evans under the cut.

OOC

name — kate age — 26 pronouns — she/her timezone — est

IC Overview

name — lily marie evans faceclaim — sophie skelton age — 26 gender — female sexuality — heterosexual patronus — doe

boggart — the last time she actually faced a boggart, it was a clown, but if lily were to come across one now, it would take the form of a riptide. lily is obviously afraid of many things (especially now that she’s a mother, fear is a constant to her), but the feeling that is the worst in the world to her is the feeling of being pulled down, drowning, unable to escape. sometimes her grief over James’ injury is like this — all-consuming, frightening, dark, as if it’ll never pass and she’ll never be free of it. for lily, the worst thing would be to fight and fight to escape the darkness and for it not to make a difference.

IC In Depth

personality traits —

+ nurturing — lily has always believed and seen the best in those around her, and she has a way of bringing that side out of people. even when she was a girl and friends with severus, her friendship brought out a side of him that the rest of the world never got to see. she’s not maternal in a bossy or overbearing way, but in a way that gently cultivates good in the people that she spends her time on.

+ intuitive — lily has a gift for being able to read people. she can often understand what they don’t say just as well as what they do. this has been a great asset especially in her dealings with sirius and remus. her understanding cuts to the heart of the matter, which makes it easier for her to be able to be there for the people she loves.

- self-righteous — sometimes it’s difficult for lily to see where she’s in the wrong. once she’s made her mind up that she’s right, it’s nearly impossible to sway her to see the other side of things, even in the situations where she is wrong.

- stubborn — lily doesn’t give up easily. when she sets her mind to something, she digs her heels in, even when that wreaks havoc in her life. she’s too stubborn to give up hope of healing james, even when healer after healer tells her it’s hopeless. she’s too stubborn to forgive severus for the ways he hurt her, even though he’s more than proved his loyalty at his own personal risk. she’s too stubborn to give up on finding a way to make remus and sirius reconcile, even though both of them would far prefer for her to get off their backs about it.

character biography —

lily would be the first to admit that she had an idyllic childhood. her family was solidly middle class, ensconced in english suburbia (though right on the edge of the nice side of town). she had an older sister that she idolized, two parents that were deeply in love and doted on both of their daughters, and a charming personality that attracted friends at her schools and in the neighborhood from an early age. the only thing abnormal about lily was the strange things that she could seem to do, even from a young age. it alarmed her parents, but they did a good job of hiding that from her, so lily was never concerned about being strange, only fascinated by the things she could make happen.

it wasn’t until she was nine and a shabby boy from the wrong side of town approached her at the park that she knew the truth — she was a witch. knowing severus was like tasting chocolate for the first time — sweet, intoxicating, a touch of bitter consequence. she lapped up everything he could tell her, dragged him home to meet her parents, insisted that he become a part of the family. her parents were hesitant at first, but ready to latch onto any explanation that someone could give them as to what strange things their daughter could do, and it was only two years later when a tall blonde witch appeared at the doorway to confirm the story.

looking back, lily can see now that the cracks in her family began the moment severus approached. the more lily dragged severus into her family’s life, the more petunia edged her way out of lily’s. by the time lily left for hogwarts, the damage was already done, but she was too young and excited to realize that she had lost her sister.

lily’s life at hogwarts was a dream. she was a witch, and she was good at it, too. gryffindor fit like a glove, and she gathered friends around her that latched onto her light, her joy, her radiance. she kept severus close, too, but it was harder with him in slytherin, and his housemates looking down on their friendship.

there were only two parts of hogwarts that lily found difficult — the fact that severus was wrong because it did matter, and James Potter.

being a muggleborn would never be something that lily could be ashamed of, but people still tried to knock her down because of it. if she had known that trading the muggle world to be a wtich would plunge her into the heart of a war, maybe lily wouldn’t have been so enthusiastic about going to hogwarts, but by the time she realized the state of her new world, she was in too deep to do anything but fight.

James Potter was arrogant and bossy and rude and mean. he was spiteful and prejudiced and not as good looking as he thought he was. if lily was the hero of her story, james was the antagonist, and for five and a half years, lily was deeply committed to the grudge she held over the boy in question. but in her sixth year, she no longer had severus, and james no longer seemed to enjoy picking on the weaker students he had tortured for years. it was easier for everyone if they learned how to get along, lily told herself, and it was true. the common room was certainly much calmer in the evenings without evans and potter screaming at each other over the latest prank or obnoxious way to ask her out.

even now, lily couldn’t say when hatred turned to apathy and apathy turned to interest and interest to friendship and friendship to love. maybe it was the fact that remus was always there to share the latest thoughtful thing james had done for him, maybe it was the way james consoled the homesick first year when they found her lost in the castle during rounds as head boy and girl, or maybe it was just that lily evans and james potter were perfectly matched for each other. of course, it’s never that simple, but the fact of the matter is that lily and james’ love story was so complex that there was no way for her to describe how hatred and enmity turned to love and eventually marriage.

but it did, and james became her best friend. and when her parents died in a car accident and petunia said she never wanted to see lily again, james became her family. he was the reason she was able to fight even when the fight seemed hopeless. he was the reason she hoped and longed for a better life. he was the reason she let mary doll her up in a white dress and heels that were way too tall for her and walked down the aisle to that cliche waltz. he was the reason she wasn’t afraid to give birth to harry in the midst of war. he was the reason she was still able to smile and laugh while living every moment in fear that their hiding place would be discovered and their son would be murdered.

he wasn’t her reason for living, because lily evans wasn’t a helpless, brainless girl, but he was the reason that her life was so full of light in the middle of a war.

until, one day, that light went out.

these last five years, lily has done everything she could to get that light back, to see james open his eyes and give her that look that makes her heart melt. she’s enrolled him in treatment after treatment, tried every new trial that the healing community comes up with, read every medical journal she could get her hands on from every wizarding healing institution around the world. she trained to become a healer so that she could do her own research. she left harry with sirius for days and sometimes weeks at a time, only coming home to kiss her son and catch some rest, all with the goal in mind of reuniting her family.

but somewhere along the way, harry grew from a baby who knew nothing of war to a little boy who could feel the absence of his mum and had the words to question why. before she could realize what was happening, he was turning to sirius more often than he was turning to her, asking her questions that she didn’t have answers for, showcasing new abilities that she hadn’t the time to teach him. where had he learned to play piano? was that french he was just speaking?

lily is caught between wanting to be a good mother and wanting to reunite her family, and she’s only beginning to see that the two goals aren’t necessarily compatible.

plot ideas —

mmm so MANY

— harry // lily is right on the verge of beginning to realize that her obsession with getting james back is hurting her son. she’s not around as much as he wants her to be, and he’s smart enough to see that his mum is unhappy. he has no interest in his father, sees uncle sirius as the only dad he needs, and that concerns lily. I’d love to see things push this even father home for her. I think it’ll be really important for lily to come to terms with the fact that she might have to move on in order to give her son the life he deserves.

— sirius // wow, lily and sirius have gotten themselves into a little bit of a mess. they relied on one another so much after james was injured and it only seemed natural at the time that sirius should move in with lily and harry. but it’s been five years now, and their living situation has harry confused. in fact, their whole relationship is probably confused. sirius and lily have no romantic feelings whatsoever for each other, but that doesn’t mean that sirius would be okay with some other man swooping in and stealing lily’s heart. if lily does decide to move on, how can she do that while she shares a house with james’ best friend and brother?

— horcrux hunt // of course, there’s that dynamic in her relationship with sirius, too. lily doesn’t know about the horcruxes. all she knows is that sirius is helping dumbledore with a lengthy project — she suspects it has something to do with the order, but she doesn’t quite understand why. voldemort’s gone, isn’t he? if lily were to find out about them, and discover that both sirius and dumbledore kept such an important secret from her (that they knew the man who might target her son would return in only a matter of time), how would she react? how would she be able to trust them again?

— old friend // man, I’d love to see some lily/severus stuff in this verse. has she forgiven her old friend? does she know about his role in the war? does she know that he was a spy for the order? does she even know that he was a death eater? what would happen if something were to bring them back into one another’s lives and they rekindled their friendship? if that information came out later, would she ever be able to forgive him? and how could she hope to have a good relationship with severus when she lives in the same house as sirius?

— death eaters rising // lily has no reason to think that voldemort could ever come back — no one but sirius, dumbledore, kingsley, minerva, and alastor have any reason to think that, because no one else knows about the horcruxes (well, except for a very small faction of death eaters, but they’re not about to spread that around). so if the death eaters were to begin to move around again, what will her response be? will she be able to read the signs and put two and two together, or will she just think they’re stirring trouble because they can?

— voldemort’s return // mmm, if voldie does return, what will that mean for lily potter? her son was one of the boys he considered going after. what if he decides to target harry again, this time for real? how would she protect her son?

lol so many more but ain’t nobody got time for that right now.

#lily evans #al:accepted

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batgirl-87 · 6 years ago

Text

Summary: Sixth Year begins and the events of last year’s End of the Year Ball still linger over Charlie and Keira. While the two try to navigate what this means exactly for their relationship, various obstacles thwart their efforts including rumours about Keira’s summer and the mysterious letters she receives, her consistently disappearing, withholding her whereabouts, and returning exhausted and bruised (does it have to do with R or something else?), and one intense night that may destroy Charlie and Keira’s relationship, friendship or otherwise, completely.

First Part of the Series: The gang reunites on the Hogwarts Express with Charlie struggling a bit with his new role as the now oldest Weasley (at least at Hogwarts) who has to wrangle his two younger Twin brothers on to the Hogwarts Express and be responsible for them the next two years – Bill had it so easy with him and Percy. There’s a lot of confusion surrounding his relationship with Keira following the End of the Year Ball last year and while their reunion doesn’t add much clarity, it ends up providing Charlie with a bit of hope. Also a surprising new fact about Barnaby is learned!

Word Count: <13k

Genre: Fluff (Charlie x MC), Humour

Warnings: Some Angst mentioning Bill graduating and going off to Egypt – WE MISS AND LOVE YOU WILLIAM! (Take a drink every time I mention Bill to try and numb the pain 😜)

Note: I’ll just apologize for the bad Quidditch metaphors now… I’m sorry. I should also apologize for the sappiness and clichés. I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist. I tried! But I failed… Guess who wrote more than intended?! (Classic me!) Reference to Under the Stars (primarily). I would describe my writing style as too many commas and too many adjectives/details... Sorry... Hi, I have a problem writing concisely...

I also want to apologize up here instead of an author’s note at the end if it’s not edited all that well - I really wanted to get this posted before I leave for a little birthday vacation this week.

I’ve done a lot of research and thinking about the Quidditch World Cup and how teams are made up, games are played, etc. and I may make a post about it some time but if anyone is interested or has any questions on my take on it feel free to ask =) I also believe Charlie has tons of fans that drool over him for his Quidditch skills that he is completely oblivious too.

I am in Chapter 17 or 18 of Year 5 I believe so I’m not sure if we’re actually going to face a dragon, and if Charlie gets to be there with us, so if that does happen than rephrase the line (you’ll know it when you see it) to him feeling the same way when he finally saw a dragon in person – up close and personal =p And I’ll try to remember to change it when/if that time comes.

I estimate the Hogwarts Express takes about eight hours to get to Hogwarts since it departs at 11am and seems to arrive in the early evening, about 7? I know in the game when eating with Andre he says he shops as Gladrags Wizardwear but I believe he would splurge and treat himself to something nice from Twilfitt and Tatting’s, probably something he could wear with pretty much anything or maybe some fancy dress robes for game days and special occasions =p

Arrival of Fred and George! Get excited people!

Preview: He found himself transported to that night a few months ago where he held her close in his arms as they glided gracefully along the balcony outside the Great Hall. Where it felt like they were the only two in the world, if only for that brief private moment. Where they were able to drop their guards and allow their emotions to freely flow. .…. His arm around her waist tightened to hold her securely against him, to bring her closer to him as if they couldn’t get close enough, as if he was afraid she would suddenly disappear. The sensation of her lips on his was intoxicating; the feeling of her in his arms, her hand in his, caressing his face, running through his hair, brought a sense of comfort – it felt right. And he wanted to feel like this all the time.

“Fred! George! Slow down!” A frazzled Molly Weasley chased after her two newest editions to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as they raced through King’s Cross Station. Their agility to weave throughout the crowd without mowing anyone over with their luggage carts was a remarkable feat. Needless to say the Twins were very eager to board the train and begin their own Hogwarts adventures! While her husband watched after their two youngest children, Molly focused her energy on wrangling her two most mischievous ones. At least their high energy kept her busy from missing and worrying about her eldest now out on his own in Egypt pursuing a Curse-Breaking career.

Meanwhile, her second eldest was hell-bent on becoming a Dragonologist and working hands-on with those ferocious beasts! He was so determined, in fact, that he spent most of the summer seeking advice and help from his mum on improving his healing spells – apparently an essential skill when working with dragons according to the experts and not just their mothers. He even spent a lot of time reading up on healing potions but was waiting for school to start up again to work with his friend Penny Haywood who was apparently very skilled in potion making. But he did not remain held up in his room all summer studying – he wasn’t Percy! In true Charlie Weasley fashion, he also spent a lot of time outside during the summer as well, probably searching for new magical creatures to study and practice his caretaking on. And of course played some Quidditch with his siblings.

However, his dedicated focus on his future Dragonologist career also caused him to turn down the opportunity to play on England’s Quidditch team for the upcoming World Cup. It was an honor, and he greatly appreciated the offer, but as much as he loved Quidditch (and had quite the natural skill for it) his goal was always to work with dragons. And to achieve his goals he needed to receive an E or O in his Care of Magical Creatures class, and next year’s N.E.W.T.s, (which shouldn’t be too hard for him to do), while also proving to have high competency in healing magic, and in advance healing/antidote potion making – why he required Penny’s help. He needed to learn and perfect fireproofing spells, protection spells, and cloaking and tracking abilities.

He had done his research, a lot of research, over the years on what he needed to do to finally get to work with his beloved dragons and he couldn’t allow anything to distract him or take time away from his studies. If he didn’t do well in his classes or on his N.E.W.T.s and didn’t improve in the necessary areas to become a Dragonologist because he was too busy training and practicing for Quidditch he would never forgive himself. And probably always resent Quidditch which would be horrible because he loved it! He just loved dragons more.

Besides, he still planned on venturing out into the Forbidden Forest just in case he found his own dragon out there – old habits die hard and if he did find one and handle being in its presence wouldn’t that prove he was destined to be a Dragonologist? (and look good on the resume?) – and still planned on helping with Cursed-Vaults adventures, plus he had Prefect duties – his plate was already pretty full. Unfortunately, he couldn’t accept the offer to play for England – it would be just one too many things to take on for him. At least Forbidden Forest explorations and Cursed-Vaults adventures could help him in the areas he needed to become a Dragonologist. Unfortunately, Quidditch didn’t really help him on the skills he needed to achieve his dream career and therefore would be an unnecessary added responsibility and a distraction. It was a tough decision but he felt he made the right one. He would still play at Hogwarts for Gryffindor of course though!

Molly at least didn’t have to worry about Charlie possibly getting severely injured while playing Quidditch in a professional setting, especially for the World Cup which was a major event in the wizarding world and those players practically played until the death to win. It was a tough sport and playing in school was already bad enough. Her children playing in their backyard was even worse. Not that she wouldn’t be immensely proud of him if he chose to take their offer. But she was also immensely proud of him for making such a difficult and mature decision to turn the offer down to focus on his dreams. Honestly, she wished he could do both. But at least studying was much safer than playing Quidditch. Until he graduated and went to work with actual dragons…

Oh, what did she do to get such adventurous, reckless children? Didn’t they think about what their actions did to their poor mother?

Speaking of her second eldest, where was he? He should be helping her with his younger brothers just as she had Bill help with him and Percy. Although, Percy clearly was not as much trouble as the Twins.

Bill may have sent Charlie a letter before the start of the school year wishing him luck on looking after the Twins while also gloating how he graduated just in time. Looking after Charlie and Percy was a walk in the park compared to looking after Fred and George. Of course Charlie could always write to Bill whenever he needed. But Bill had to admit he was glad he didn’t have to watch over all four of them at school.

“Percy, help me with your brothers.” Molly nudged the least adventurous of her children whose nose was currently stuck in a book as they walked along the station towards their platform.

“Isn’t that Charlie’s responsibility?” The good thing about being a middle child and having older siblings was watching after the younger siblings automatically became their responsibility and he got left alone.

“And when we find him I’ll make sure he looks after all of you but until then I need your help,” Molly informed him, causing Percy to sigh a bit dramatically and close his book.

Charlie was already at Platform 9¾ scouring the crowd of returning and new Hogwarts students for one in particular. He had tried to get their earlier but getting the bustling Weasley house organized was a trying task and they always ended up being later than intended to anywhere they were heading. Fortunately, most were understanding. It was already getting close to 11, so the Twins also had a bit of a reason to rush if they wanted to make it to the correct platform in time.

“Charlie, there you are!” Charlie whirled around when he heard his mum calling to him. “I was wondering where you disappeared to.”

“Sorry, mum.” Charlie smiled apologetically as he walked back over to his family, Percy currently in the middle of giving the Twins a scolding lecture, one they were not really paying any attention to.

“I know you’re eager to return to school and get that help on your potions and learn all you need to so you can achieve your goals but try and have some fun to,” Molly reminded her son as she draped an arm around him as they walked back to the rest of their large family.

“I will, mum,” Charlie promised.

“And please look after your younger brothers. I know it’s impossible to ask you to keep Fred and George out of trouble completely but –“

“Don’t worry, mum, of course I’ll look after them. And try and keep them from getting caught,” Charlie added with a smirk, earning a couple more smirks from his twin brothers. Molly huffed and playfully hit Charlie’s arm but smiled at her boys. She did love her children so.

“I can’t believe we’re sending another two off to school,” Molly said as she stared wistfully at the Twins, some tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“Ugh, mum,” the Twins groaned in embarrassment, looking away from her intense gaze only because they were going to get emotional too!

“We’ll be empty nesters soon enough,” chimed in Arthur who placed a lovingly supportive arm around his wife’s shoulders.

“Oh, don’t talk like that,” Molly scolded.

“Won’t know what to do with ourselves then,” Arthur continued.

As their parents lovingly bickered, Charlie and Percy took the opportunity to bestow their older brother knowledge on the Twins and what they could expect. Sure, they had heard about some of their adventures and experiences at school but the more boring, informational things, such as the rules or what to expect on their first day they tended to tune out when anyone mentioned it. They knew the Twins found it boring but begged them to listen.

Of course Percy may have also told the Twins not to cause too much trouble, especially for him as he worked towards becoming Prefect and Head Boy himself and if they got in the way of that he would never forgive them! Also, don’t embarrass him.

“Don’t worry, we’re not going to ruin your chances at becoming Head Nerd,” Fred snarkily assured.

“And how could we possibly embarrass you more than you already do for yourself,” George asked as innocently as he could with a smirk.

Percy narrowed his eyes at the two of them briefly before waving at Charlie. “They’re your responsibility. Good luck.”

Charlie sighed and shook his head but did echo some of Percy’s sentiments. “He’s right though. Try not to get into too much trouble.”

“Don’t worry. We plan on pacing ourselves,” Fred assured their older brother.

“Yeah, we have a whole school year! We’re not going to waste pulling all our best pranks at the beginning of the year and having nothing left for the rest of it,” George explained.

Charlie sighed but chuckled softly. “As long as you mean that. And do well not to get caught. I don’t want to have to punish my brothers all the time.”

“Get caught,” the Twins scoffed. They were not amateurs!

“You two plus Tonks and Tulip are going to be the death of me,” Charlie groaned.

The Weasley family said their goodbyes which were filled with promises to write home and a lot of hugs all around. Molly made sure to give each of her boys plenty of kisses to make sure they knew how much she loved them and would miss them, along with her stern warning of keeping out of trouble. Don’t make her send howlers every week! She’d lose her voice!

“Hey, Percy! Where are you going?” Charlie called after his brother as they boarded Hogwarts Express. Almost instantly onboard, Percy took off down the corridor through the throng of students, primarily First Years unaware of where to go since older classmen already had their usual compartments.

“I’m going to sit with my friends,” Percy shouted back over the crowd.

“You don’t have any friends,” the Twins shouted back in unison. Charlie sighed and shook his head before taking the lead as the new oldest Weasley at Hogwarts and following after Percy, maneuvering through the crowd of confused students. He knew as Prefect he should be helping them but he was busy helping some other First Years at the moment so technically he was doing his Prefect duty. Besides, the wrath of his mum was way scarier than the wrath of the Head Boy and Girl and other Prefects.

“Excuse me. Pardon us.” Charlie politely forced his way through the mass of students, new and old, before arriving at the compartment Percy disappeared into towards the front of the train. Of course Percy would sit as close as he could to the Prefect carriage without actually being in it.

“Why do we have to sit with Percy,” the Twins whined. Their complaint was echoed by Percy himself when Charlie opened his compartment’s door.

“Oh no, they’re not sitting with me!”

“They have to,” Charlie informed them all.

“But why-“

“Because I have to go up to the Prefect’s carriage,” Charlie continued.

“Why can’t we go sit with you up there,” the Twins asked with a smirk. Charlie was unable to hold back his own amused smirk at the thought of that happening.

“No way. If anyone gets to go up to the Prefect carriage without being a Prefect it’s me,” Percy announced, standing up for emphasis.

“Okay, settle down, none of you are going up there with me. Not that I don’t doubt you’ll all make Prefect if you want, but for right now, I’m going up there and you’re all staying here,” Charlie instructed. Which of course was met with more complaining.

Bill had it so lucky with him and he planned on letting Bill know that especially come Christmas.

“Percy,” Charlie started, turning his attention to his now second in command, whether either of them liked it or not. “I’m going to need your help with looking after Fred and George. Think of it as prep for becoming Prefect. And I’d owe you,” he added.

Percy thought it over a moment before sighing. “Fine. Although I still don’t understand why they have to sit with me.”

“Don’t you remember your First Year? You think you’re prepared but there’s a lot more people than you think and it’s overwhelming and you haven’t made any friends to sit with yet so you sat with me. And you sat with me in the Great Hall for meals and hung out in my room with me and my roommates –“

“Okay, okay, I get it.” Percy held up a hand to stop Charlie from going down this memory lane.

“They’ll make friends quickly, don’t worry,” Charlie assured Percy.

“Yeah, people love us,” the Twins decided to chime in with their charming grins.

“Just buy them some sweets when the trolley comes around, that’ll keep them occupied,” Charlie suggested to Percy.

“And get them all sugared up? I don’t want to deal with that,” Percy cried.

Charlie groaned again and made another mental note to write to Bill informing him of how wonderful and easy he was as a brother, caused Bill little to no problems, and how he would expect some great birthday and Christmas gifts to show his appreciation.

“It’s a long trip, they have to eat. And you can’t keep them locked up in here the whole time. Maybe they’ll make friends and then they’ll leave you alone,” Charlie reasoned. Percy thought that over a moment before nodding his head in agreement. If they met friends on the train and left to sit with them they would no longer be his problem!

“Just don’t be out in the corridor causing any problems when I’m on patrol,” Charlie suddenly instructed the Twins.

“If we see you in the corridor we’ll turn right back around,” the Twins promised.

“Alright guys, I really got to get going. I’ll come back and check on you when I can. Listen to Percy,” Charlie told them, making a point to tell the Twins to respect Percy’s authority. Doubt it would really matter but at least he tried.

Fred and George sighed but didn’t argue as they moved to go into Percy’s compartment. “Where are all your friends, Perc,” the Twins teased as the noted the empty compartment.

“They haven’t arrived yet and once they see you two here they’re going to find somewhere else to sit,” Percy irritably replied.

“Once they saw your rat they fled,” Fred joked.

“Hey! Ron likes my rat,” Percy argued.

“Ron likes anything soft and furry,” Fred retorted.

“Except for that teddy bear we turned into a spider that one time,” George reminded with a mischievous smirk.

Charlie turned to leave his bickering brothers and head to the Prefect carriage through the still crowded corridor of the train. “Excuse me,” he started as he attempted to push his way back into the traffic of students.

“Charlie! They’re being unreasonable!” Percy’s cry of outrage was followed by the giggling fit of the Twins. He knew putting the Twins with Percy alone in a small train compartment was a recipe for disaster but couldn’t they manage for a few minutes? “Wait until I tell mum you dropped the Twins off on me and ditched out on your older brother responsibilities!” It had literally been two seconds and Percy already had enough of babysitting Fred and George.

“Percy-“ Charlie started, unable to hide the annoyance and frustration in his voice as he spun back around to confront them. Unfortunately, this quick movement could not be done gracefully in a narrow corridor bustling with students trying to find a place to sit for the ride. He wasn’t sure if he tripped over someone’s bag or foot or what it was but whatever it was caused him to fall forward and knock into another student who was trying to sneak by.

Fortunately he was able to catch himself and them before they both hit the floor and risked being trampled on by other students. One hand flew out to slam against the wall of the train compartment holding his brothers to stop his fall and regain his balance, while his other arm instinctively wrapped around the smaller figure he almost knocked over to catch them, causing them both to fall against the wall on the compartment side of the train instead of the floor. Great, first day as the eldest Weasley at Hogwarts and he almost killed someone! Ugh, he missed Bill.

Charlie opened his mouth to apologize and check to ensure they were okay but his breath hitched in his throat when he heard them speak first.

“Well bonjour mon étoile! This is quite the reunion, eh?”

Charlie looked down at the person he currently had pinned against the wall and found himself suddenly drowning in stormy sea eyes once again. He quickly became hyper-aware of how close they were, their faces mere inches apart, his hips pressed against hers as he pinned her to the side of his brother’s occupied compartment, his arm securely snaked around her waist.

He found himself transported to that night a few months ago where he held her close in his arms as they glided gracefully along the balcony outside the Great Hall. Where it felt like they were the only two in the world, if only for that brief private moment. Where they were able to drop their guards and allow their emotions to freely flow.

Their eyes were locked much like they were now before Charlie leaned down to close the distance between them, moving instinctively. However, the fear suddenly struck that maybe she didn’t want this and maybe he was putting her in an awkward and uncomfortable situation, a situation that could ruin their close friendship. But when she leaned up and her lips met his all his fears and doubts melted away as a spark ignited within him.

His arm around her waist tightened to hold her securely against him, to bring her closer to him as if they couldn’t get close enough, as if he was afraid she would suddenly disappear. The sensation of her lips on his was intoxicating; the feeling of her in his arms, her hand in his, caressing his face, running through his hair, brought a sense of comfort – it felt right. And he wanted to feel like this all the time.

It was addicting.

Now he understood why so many couples were caught snogging all the time. He would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about it throughout the summer, replayed that moment over and over again in his head as he remembered all those sensations. And he’d be lying if he said he had no desire to feel that way again when in actuality it was all he wanted. They had had so many “almost” moments and he was quickly growing tired and, frankly, frustrated by them; and now that they finally had their moment he greedily wanted more.

When they eventually parted, slowly, he rested his forehead against hers, their eyes remaining shut as they savored the moment. And he would have kissed her again, kissed her all night if he could have, but their pivotal moment was brought to an end as one of their friends found them to spend one last moment at the ball with Bill – the whole reason they even went to the ball that year – surely including pictures since Penny was around.

He was very reluctant to let her go, to no longer have her near him, leaving him feeling cold and incomplete. But when she reached down to grab his hand and led him back inside the Great Hall that spark she always ignited within him returned, spreading her signature tingling warming sensation through his body.

The rest of the evening and the next day at the End of the Year Feast were dedicated to Bill, and packing up to head back home, but primarily for Bill, filled with tearful goodbyes and bone crushing hugs – both mainly from Keira herself. They even had a goodbye dinner at the Burrow over the summer for Bill, which Keira would have attended but she spent most of this summer in Canada. Therefore, they never discussed the events of that night. They never determined where they went from there, what they were now. And maybe because of the fear and anxiety of the uncertainty of what either of their response would be – possible rejection after putting their feelings so boldly out there, an excuse of being swept up in the moment, fear of losing a close, dear friend – neither of them had brought up that night in the few letters they shared throughout the summer, a lot fewer than previous summers.

She was busy and far away and this wasn’t really something that should be discussed in letters anyway, right? This should be something to discuss in person. Which may be why he was so eager to get to the train station that morning, to finally see her again. He wasn’t sure why, but he just had this feeling that once they saw each other, in that moment everything would be made clear.

However, this was definitely not the reunion he had planned for.

Instead of sharing a knowing look where they both somehow understood each other’s unspoken thoughts and feelings and ending on the same page he had knocked into her, almost fell on top of her and squashed her, and now they found themselves in a compromising position in front of a large portion of students at Hogwarts, including new First Years and his brothers.

But none of that even registered to Charlie at the moment. All he could see was her. And all he could think about was how he was finally holding her close again in his arms, where she belonged. And how that electricity flowed through them when their hands touched, even just brushed up against each other, and how that initial spark lit a fire that burned hotter within them the closer they grew. Her warm, dark, alluring scent with her signature hint of ocean air enveloped him. It seemed every time he was around her he found himself drowning in her, completely entranced by her, but it was one of the best feelings he’s ever felt; it was exciting but calming, an adventure and home, dizzying yet grounding all at the same time. It was an overwhelming, intoxicating feeling he couldn’t get enough of. He imagined this would be how he would feel when he finally came face to face with a dragon, but never imagined a person would cause these feelings to stir within him. Suppose he had to admit he had become utterly enamored with her. He loved being completely immersed in her, yearned to be lost in her. Without even realizing it, he had begun leaning down towards her, longing to reclaim that captivating, pleasurably blissful feeling once again that only her enticing lips allowed.

“Bloody hell, Charlie, are you going to start snogging her right here in front of everyone?”

“The train hasn’t even left the station yet! Bet mum can still see you through the window.”

The teasing from the Twin’s caused Charlie to freeze, his nose brushing against hers, successfully halting his actions. Suddenly their surroundings crashed into him like a freight train. Students were still shuffling behind him trying to locate a place to sit for the ride, his brothers were right there staring at him from the doorway of their compartment and – Oh Merlin, what if his mum really could see them through the window of the train?! Part of him feared he would hear his mother storming aboard any moment now – ‘Charles Weasley! What are you doing to that poor girl?!’ She didn’t raise him to be like that!

“I expect this type of behavior from Bill, but not from you Charlie!”

“Never from you, Charlie!” The Twins continued to taunt their older brother.

Charlie pulled away as much as he could, which wasn’t much considering the hoard of bustling students behind him trying to frantically find a place to sit before the train took off to Hogwarts, stammering out an apology to the young woman he still had trapped.

Fortunately for him, she somehow always managed to diffuse the awkwardness of a situation like this for him. “It’s okay,�� Keira assured with a small amused laugh. “I missed you too.” She patted his chest playfully a couple times before a mischievous smirk played on her lips. “Ooo, someone worked out over the summer.”

“What? No,” Charlie awkwardly replied with a sheepish chuckle, glancing away a moment as he felt the familiar feeling of heat rising to his face she always brought upon him.

“Clearly you spent a lot of time outside,” Keira observed. “I think your freckles have doubled – at least,” she teased.

“Yeah? Are you trying to tell me I look fit,” Charlie asked her with a charming smirk.

“You’re looking very fit,” Keira confirmed with a flirtatious smirk of her own, her infamous House of Black genes showing, causing Charlie’s brothers to groan.

“I think I preferred it better when they were about to snog,” George leaned over to whisper to Fred.

“This is only the beginning.” Percy muttered his warning to the Twins – he would know, he had already spent a couple school years around them making eyes at each other and all their flirting and blushing – it got annoying.

“She’s right, Charlie, you are looking very fit.” The group of primarily red heads turned to look at the girl who interrupted their private moment with her unsolicited, overtly flirtatious comment as she eyed Charlie like he was her favourite treat on the Honeyduke’s trolley. She appeared to be in Charlie and Keira’s Year and brought her own little posse of Charlie fangirls with her for an added bonus.

“Oh, thanks mate,” Charlie replied, ever the oblivious one to his throngs of adoring fans for his amazing Seeker skills, particularly towards the ones who practically threw themselves at him. Honestly, they could be laying on a bench in the Quidditch changing room in lingerie with candles lit and smooth jazz playing and he still wouldn’t get it.

“But if anyone here looks fit, it’s Ady,” Charlie said, taking a moment to admire the Slytherin fully in front of him. “You look great,” he gushed sincerely, causing a light blush to appear on her face.

“W-well I did play a lot of Quidditch this summer,” she stammered, suddenly nervous.

His adoring fan did not take too kindly to the attention being taken away from her and glared daggers at the Slytherin who received such high praise from him. “Did you play a lot of Quidditch this summer, Charlie,” she asked in an attempt to get the attention back on her.

“Uh, yeah, not as much as usual with Bill leaving,” Charlie awkwardly replied. He missed his older brother and best friend.

While one of his admirers continued to swoon over the Gryffindor Seeker, coming on a bit strong in Keira’s opinion… Keira managed to slither out from under Charlie and give the Twins a proper greeting, hugs and all. She couldn’t help but gush about how excited she was that they were all going to be going to Hogwarts together while also voicing her concern about dealing with them and Tulip and Tonks – the four of them and their pranks were going to end up being her downfall long before ‘R’ ever got to her.

Much like with Bill and Charlie, Keira bonded rather quickly with the Twins, and seemed to share a particular closeness with them. And as soon as the Twins caught on to Charlie’s little crush they definitely used that to taunt to him. Not like Charlie was really going to be jealous over his little brothers and worried the now eleven year olds were somehow going to “steal” Ady from him, something they liked to tease him about, but she did seem much more comfortable with physical affection with them – the hugs, sitting close together, sharing a blanket, arms around each other. And at first he thought it was because they were little kids, but he couldn’t help but notice she wasn’t like that with Ron or even Ginny much! Sure she’d give Ginny a hug and let her play with her hair if she wanted but it was nowhere near the same level of physical contact as with the Twins.

Any time she visited the Burrow or they somehow managed to run into each other while shopping in Diagon Alley, the Twins always gained her attention and did, much to their smugness, steal her away from Charlie to spend time with them. Which led to more taunting such as how she loved them more than him, how they were going to ask her to the ball and she’d of course say yes to one of them and reject Charlie. Ugh, little siblings…

Honestly, though, he was worried about the quick close relationship she had with his Twin brothers because the three of them and their mischievous nature concerned him and what trouble they were bound to get into. And like Keira, the thought of George and Fred with Tulip and Tonks was anxiety provoking. Oh what was going to happen to poor Ben… The Weasley’s were known for being a very close, tight-knit family. Charlie and Bill always visited each other’s room, Percy visited both his older brother’s rooms and now the Twins – who had to be sorted into the same House, right? – were going to barge into Charlie’s room. Or worse. Sneak in and leave traps everywhere. His poor roommate Ben…

“No way, you guys are totally Slytherin!” Charlie glanced over as he heard Keira inform his Twin brothers they belonged in her House instead of the family Gryffindor one. And actually, he wouldn’t mind it if they were in Slytherin. Give him a little bit of break to not worry about pranks set up around his room. Let them terrorize some other people for a change! “Whatever happens, you guys belong in Slytherin and nothing will convince me otherwise.” Charlie couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as her proclamation.

“Charlie? Did you hear what I said?” Charlie looked back over at his fellow Gryffindor as she sweetly – sickeningly sweet – called to regain his attention back on her.

“Uh, no, sorry,” he apologized politely.

“I asked if you would help me with my Charms homework some time.” She repeated her question as she reached up to place a flirtatious hand on his arm.

“Oh, well actually Ben is the one who’s really good at Charms. I’ll let him know you’re looking for some help,” Charlie told her, continuing to be blissfully unaware of her advances.

Keira had to admit those types of people who tended to throw themselves at him and shamelessly flirt with him did bother her a little bit, but since Charlie showed no interest in them whatsoever – that, and he appeared completely unaware he was even being chatted up – she wouldn’t say she was necessarily jealous. Maybe if Charlie showed interest in someone else, connected and grew closer to them, then she would be jealous. But this, while it annoyed her, didn’t make her jealous. That being said, if necessary, she would rip that girl’s arm off and beat her to a bloody pulp with it.

“Okay, that’s enough. Piss off!” The girl was suddenly shooed away from Charlie by his best, although never recruited, wingman.

“Hey! We were just talking!”

“Yeah, we heard you chatting him up, being all cheeky. We get it, you’re up for it, but he’s not – at least with you – so begone,” Andre demanded as he continued to usher the girl and her little friend group away. She called back to Charlie to come by so they could finish their talk but Andre was adamant that they keep moving and get out of there.

“Honestly, the nerve of some people,” Penny huffed as she folded her arms after assisting Andre with escorting Charlie’s small group of admirers away.

“She just wanted to talk about Quidditch and asked for help on her Charms homework,” Charlie said with an ignorant shrug.

“Sometimes you’re dafter than Barnaby,” Andre informed him. “She fancies you – they all do.”

“Who?”

“All those girls – your fans,” Penny chimed in.

“You guys think everyone fancies everyone,” Charlie said, waving off their supposed warnings.

“Shouldn’t you guys be in the Prefect Carriage,” Penny suddenly reminded them.

“Oh right! That’s where I was heading,” Keira said from her new position of leaning against the compartment’s doorway, an arm lazily draped across Fred’s shoulders. Charlie couldn’t help but narrow his eyes at his little brother’s smug look – it was the smugness that got him and he would wipe that smug little look right off his face! Everyone thought Bill was the one Charlie was supposedly jealous of with how close he was to Keira but turned out that maybe it was the Twins instead!

“Right, so we better get going then. The train’s about to take off any minute now,” Charlie said before turning his attention to his brothers. “Now what did we discuss?”

“Only cause mischief when you’re not on patrol.”

“Don’t listen to Percy, he has no authority whatsoever!”

Charlie sighed while Percy slammed his book down on his lap and glared at the Twins. That was not true! Keira however found this quite amusing. “Don’t cause any mischief while I’m on patrol either,” she requested to which the Twins happily obliged.

“I can’t believe you became a Prefect with all the trouble you get into,” George amazed.

“According to all the stories we heard from Bill and Charlie,” Fred added for a further explanation.

“I know. If I can become Prefect, anyone should be able to, right,” Keira joked.

“Tell me about it,” Percy muttered, earning himself a glare from the Slytherin Prefect.

“I don’t think becoming Prefect is in the cards for us.” The Twins had to agree on that. It was added responsibility and duty that would get in the way of their fun.

“You guys could if you wanted to be! How cool would it be if all of us became Prefects?” Charlie couldn’t hide his excitement over that thought.

“If we wanted to be-“

“But we don’t really.”

Charlie’s grin fell at the Twin’s admission. “Come on, Charlie.” The Gryffindor looked over as he felt a cool hand on his arm which began to lead him away from his brother’s compartment. Keira smiled up at him reassuringly before another realization dawned on her. “Oh!”

She quickly let go of the redhead and hurried over to Penny, throwing her arms around the Hufflepuff. She had almost forgotten to give her friends a proper greeting as well! Her and Andre shared a special handshake – no hugging since it would wrinkle his outfit, plus much like her, he wasn’t really one for physical affection, but she had clearly grown more comfortable with her friends over the years, opting to give them hugs at least. Charlie walked back over to partake in the friendlier greetings as well. There was brief chitchat over how everyone’s summer went – Good? Good! – and promises to talk more about what they did over the summer, and what they planned to do that year regarding the Cursed Vaults, before Charlie and Keira had to part ways and finally make it to the Prefect Carriage.

“You’re late.”

The warm greeting welcomed the pair of Prefects as soon as they opened the door to the Prefect carriage and stepped inside.

“Uh oh, are we grounded now,” Keira snarkily replied as she plopped down in an available seat, smirking playfully at the Head Girl who scolded them upon arrival.

“We were helping some First Years find a place to sit,” Charlie explained as he took a seat next to Keira. He conveniently left out the fact that those First Years were his brothers earning a small smirk from Keira as the Head Girl accepted his reason for being late.

Fortunately the debriefing in the Prefect Carriage and distribution of patrol schedules was brief and they were able to return to their regular compartments with their friends.

Keira plopped down on the seat across from Barnaby, who was getting a head start on his tutoring lessons with Rowan, resting her feet on the seat across from her between her fellow Slytherin and the wall of the compartment. “Hey roomie,” she greeted, causing the Slytherin boy to beam. Charlie closed the compartment door behind them and took a seat next to Keira.

Ah, that’s right, Charlie recalled hearing something about Barnaby moving in with Keira over the summer when they ran into each other in Diagon Alley for some back to school shopping. Well, he saw her, she didn’t see him because he made sure to hide and avoid her, somewhat awkwardly according to the Twins and Percy. He wasn’t sure why but seeing her put him into a bit of a panic. Well that wasn’t the complete truth, he did have a good idea why…

For one he had lost the snitch, sort to speak, let it slip right through his fingers and didn’t keep in better contact with her over the summer. Especially after spending the End of the Year Ball together…

And for another…

He had first spotted her hanging out around the entrance to Knocturn Alley with Barnaby, Jae, and Merula and Ismelda, of all people, who probably saw the others there and went to investigate what they were doing per their nosy selves. Charlie knew how his mum felt about that place and the people that hung out in the shady shopping area, banning all her children from even thinking about entering that place or anywhere like it, so he clearly did not want his mum catching Ady there! She was initially put off by the idea of her two eldest boys befriending a Slytherin, changing her mind once she actually got to know Ady better, but if his mum saw her in Knockturn Alley… he did not want to deal with that. So there was some awkward rushing of his mum past the Knockturn Alley entrance.

They didn’t seem to spend too much time there, however, and soon Charlie saw her walking around Diagon Alley with Barnaby and he, once again, awkwardly hid and avoided her, ducking into the nearest store as she approached and was warmly greeted by his mum and family. Unfortunately that store was Twilfitt and Tattings, a store that his family never entered since they could never afford the high end prices which therefore earned him a lot of confused and disdainful looks from the wealthy, primarily pureblood, shoppers…and Andre. Commence more ridicule.

“Charlie?!” The second eldest Weasley spun around from watching his family through the store window from behind a mannequin at the surprised call of his name to come face to face with his fellow Quidditch aficionado, Andre Egwu.

“Uh, y-yeah, h-hey, Andre. What’s up? How was your summer? Doing some back to school shopping?” His attempts to act cool and casual clearly failed since the Ravenclaw saw right through him. That and he was, again, in a store he never shopped at.

“…What are you doing in here,” Andre questioned suspiciously.

“Umm…. Shopping?”

“I’ve never seen you in here before. I’ve also never seen you wear anything from here before. Normally you’re in Bill’s hand-me-downs,” Andre observed.

“W-well, maybe I thought with Bill graduated and gone now working in Egypt I should get myself some nice, new clothes,” Charlie attempted to reason.

“Really? Is that so? Then why are you hiding behind a mannequin,” Andre questioned.

“I’m not hiding! I’m just looking at this piece of clothing,” Charlie defended, turning to admire the article of clothing on the mannequin before grimacing. Bloody hell….

“Those are women’s dress robes,” Andre pointed out. “Not that I’m one for gender stereotyping, of course, I think anyone should wear whatever they want. As long as it’s stylish and properly tailored, of course. But you’ve just never struck me as someone who would wear something like this… Not even something feminine but something so lavish. You and your family manage to pull off the casual, second-hand look.” It was a compliment, he swore!

“…Maybe I’m looking for something for my mum,” Charlie quickly thought, earning an unamused look from Andre.

“Really? We’re going to keep doing this?”

“Okay, okay,” Charlie sighed exasperatedly, running a hand through his hair. “I’m…hiding,” he awkwardly admitted.

“From what,” Andre asked quizzically.

“Not what, who,” Charlie answered before begrudgingly motioning out the shop window where Keira and Barnaby were talking to his family. Andre peered out the shop window before a devilish smirk spread across his face.

“Ohhhh…. I see. Why are you hiding from her? I thought you guys had a great time at the Ball last year,” Andre recalled, his smirk widening.

“I haven’t really talked to her much this summer,” Charlie admitted.

“What,” Andre cried out in surprise, earning the attention of most of the shoppers although he didn’t seem to notice or at least not to mind. “But… why?! I thought we were finally over all the oblivious feelings and then the awkward realization of feelings and embarrassing behavior around each other. You had your chance, you took it, I was so proud of you! And now –“

“I know! I know!” Now it was Charlie’s outburst that caused the shoppers in the store to once again look over at the two boys. “I blew it! I buggered everything up!”

Andre frowned as he watched his friend wallow in his despair. “Maybe not. Why don’t we go talk to her and –“ The mere mention of going out to talk to Keira instantly horrified the Gryffindor, his eyes widening, face paling, and adamantly shaking his head no. And they’re supposed to be the brave House… “Alright, how about I go out and talk to her. See if she’s upset with you ditching her after one night together. If she thinks you were just using her to get what you want and then once you got it you threw her away or you didn’t enjoy your time with her, think she’s a bad kisser –“ Charlie let out a groan of despair. This was not a good pep talk if it was supposed to be one! “I’ll go do damage control,” Andre rephrased before handing Charlie a robe he was looking at before heading out of the store and joining the group catching up in front of it.

Meanwhile, Charlie watched them nervously from behind the mannequin in the store. Ugh, what was he doing? What had become of him?! He was a Quidditch Seeker, a future Dragonologist, a big brother! He normally was braver than this and more calm and collected. Dragons didn’t scare him but this girl did? What was happening to him?!

He just couldn’t bare it if he hurt her and he was afraid he did. He didn’t mean to! And he wanted to fix it! He just wasn’t sure how to do that… This whole situation, having these types of feelings for someone, everything, was entirely uncharted territory he was trying to navigate with a map he couldn’t read. Normally he would turn to Bill for help but now he was embarking on the next chapter of his life in Egypt as a Curse-Breaker.

“So? What happened,” Charlie questioned eagerly but nervously once Andre returned into the store.

“I think you can rest easy, she doesn’t seem mad at you,” Andre informed him, causing the Seeker to visibly relax. “Actually she said she felt bad she didn’t keep in better touch, like it was her fault, so doesn’t sound like she’s blaming you. She asked about you, wondered where you were. Sounded like she missed you.”

Charlie took a moment to process what Andre told him before finally speaking. “She blames herself? Why? She shouldn’t do that! I didn’t write to her either –“

“Yeah but even if you did it sounds like she wouldn’t have gotten it for a while or have a lot of time to respond back. According to Barnaby she was away from home a lot this summer. Spent most of it across the pond in Canada,” Andre informed him.

“Oh… Guess Barnaby did a better job of keeping in touch than me,” Charlie chuckled.

“Well it was easier for him. They’re living together apparently.” Charlie immediately tensed back up at this new information that completely blindsided him.

“They’re living together?! What does that even mean?!”

Andre shrugged. “I don’t know, I didn’t ask. I was sent to go see if she was mad at you. Which I did. And since she’s not, you can go ask her about her living situation. Now give me this,” Andre said, taking the robe he was looking at before all this drama started from the Gryffindor, “You can’t pull this off.”

Charlie admitted, at first, the news of her and Barnaby living together came as quite the shock to him and he may have been a little… jealous… and confused and worried what that meant exactly… And he tried to listen to Andre, despite the Ravenclaw being only somewhat helpful, and prepared himself to step out of that store and rejoin his family and greet Ady and Barnaby but as he began to do so, the owner of Quality Quidditch Supplies stepped out of their store and attempted to get Ady’s attention who quickly grabbed Barnaby’s arm and said her goodbyes to the Weasley’s as she hastily took her leave before the owner of the Quidditch store caught up to her.

Charlie wasn’t really sure what that was all about but he was more focused on figuring out what was going on between her and Barnaby. He knew they had always been very close friends, and Charlie and Barnaby were good friends as well, sharing a common passion for Magical Creatures as well as in interest in Quidditch since Barnaby was Ady’s Beater partner on the Slytherin Quidditch team. He just wanted some clarity on the situation because the uncertainty was causing a lot of crazy thoughts to swarm through is head.

He had started a letter to Penny about twenty times, scribbling out each attempt and throwing away a lot of parchment that evening when he got back to the Burrow. Bill’s empty bed was now covered in crumbled up pieces of parchment from all of Charlie’s failed attempts at trying to figure out how to casually ask the Hufflepuff, who knew everything that was happening with everyone at Hogwarts even during the summer months, if she could shed some light on what was going on with Ady and Barnaby. But every time it was too awkward or obvious why he was asking and Penny, like Andre and Bill…and the rest of his siblings, loved teasing him about his secret feelings for Ady…which may not be so secret anymore…

Ultimately Charlie scrapped the whole thing and instead had the brilliant idea to ask Tonks instead. Tonks, who surprisingly discovered was related to Ady which only brought the two closer, who also did not care much, if at all, about who fancied who, or who was dating who, or who was caught snogging who unless it was a funny, embarrassing story. Tonks who also was his first, and still one of his closest, friends since he first starting attending Hogwarts (clearly not including Bill).

Tonks proved to be quite the reliable source, although Charlie had to steer the conversation back to the topic at hand a few times since Tonks could lose her train of thought and get distracted easily. According to her, Barnaby had spent most of the last summer and holidays with Ady at her place or at Hogwarts with her. This summer it seemed he officially moved in to one of the spare rooms in 12 Grimmauld Place (Keira taking over the old House of Black home was a sort of revolutionary act and having her friends visit during the summer and hang out there was surreal. Walburga was probably rolling over in her grave). It was pretty common knowledge, at least in their friendship group, that Barnaby did not have the best childhood with his father or being cared for by his grandmother. Apparently things with her continued to be bad, possibly growing worse, and none of their friends felt Barnaby should continue to live in such a negative, stressful, and toxic environment. And Ady was the one friend who finally took action.

First she opened up 12 Grimmauld Place to all her friends whenever they needed a place to go, to get away or just to hang out, and then she practically packed up Barnaby and his things herself and brought him over to live with her and her elusive guardian. Barnaby still visits his grandmother, checks on her to make sure she’s doing alright since she is getting older, and run some errands for her (apparently that’s what they were doing in Knocturn Alley that day and ran into Jae and the others) since Barnaby still cares for his grandmother and feels responsible for her and her well-being. However, he does seem to be doing better since no longer living there, like a weight has been lifted and he even seems well-rested.

Charlie appreciated Tonks sharing this information with him. Not only did it ease his anxiety but it just made him admire and fancy Ady even more than he already did. Plus she didn’t tease him about his crush on Ady like Penny would have. That Hufflepuff was part Slytherin, he swore!

“Oh thank Merlin,” Andre breathed a sigh of relief as he entered their compartment. “I hope it’s safe in here. Tulip and Tonks are getting an early start on their mischief making and rumour has it they have two little apprentices with them as well,” Andre informed them as he closed the door behind him and took a seat next to Rowan after she shifted over for him. Charlie tensed up at the mention of the two apprentices although he did his best not to show how anxious he actually was. But his worst fear was happening. And they hadn’t even made it to Hogwarts yet!

“Shouldn’t you two go and stop them as Prefects,” Rowan asked the two sitting across from her, giving them a pointed look from over the top of her glasses.

“It’s safer in here. I’m not going to get caught in a dung bomb explosion or worse,” Keira replied.

“And I deal with this kind of stuff every day when I’m home, can’t I have a little bit of a break,” Charlie pleaded.

“Besides, there are other Prefects who can handle it, ones who are on duty right now. We’re on break,” Keira added. Rowan sighed but dropped it, resuming reading her book.

“So, how was everyone’s summer,” Andre asked in an attempt to change the subject to a less anxiety provoking one. The small fraction of their group of friends began to share their summer holiday stories, the popular Hufflepuff even managing to join them from her busy task of greeting and catching up with essentially everyone on the train (she was the most popular person in Hogwarts for a reason), sometime during Rowan telling everyone about her time on her family’s tree farm.

When it was Charlie’s turn to talk about his summer he had to admit it was bittersweet with Bill leaving for Egypt. He didn’t mean to bring the train compartment down but he missed his brother and they all missed their surrogate older brother. Or crush in Rowan’s case. And as proud as his family obviously was for him becoming a Curse-Breaker and achieving his dream, of course they all missed him and worried about him, especially their mum. But he promised to write them often and so far had kept his promise, writing to them almost every day, mainly to assure their mum he was safe and eating and had clean clothes and he was okay. “You might get some letters from him too this year, who knows,” Charlie told them, trying to end on a positive note.

“What about you, Keira? How was your summer,” Penny asked, peering around the Gryffindor who sat between them.

“Fine,” Keira answered with a shrug. The rest of the compartment stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate.

“Just…fine? That’s it,” Penny asked with a frown.

Charlie didn’t want to pry or urge her to speak when, he assumed, bringing up the topic of Bill had upset her. She wasn’t one to normally show her emotions, at least not the negative ones, in front of others and only a select few had actually seen her stress, frustrated, and depressed, himself and Rowan being a part of the select few. Keira and Bill were close. Very close. Best friends. Partners. Family. And him graduating and leaving had to be just as hard on her as it was on him and the rest of the family, if not possibly harder. She had lost one brother and now it was sort of like she was losing another one. But he was sure Bill would write to her and keep in touch with her. Didn’t matter the distance between them, nothing would break their bond.

“You were gone a lot,” Barnaby finally spoke up when it was apparent Keira wasn’t going to say any more on the matter. “It was kind of lonely. Luckily Tonks and some of our other friends were around to hang out with,” he added with a grin, but it was obvious he missed her.

“Gone? Where did you go,” Penny asked curiously.

“Canada,” Keira answered. These one word answers were clearly starting to annoy the Hufflepuff as she narrowed her eyes at the Slytherin girl.

“And what were you doing in Canada,” Penny asked.

Keira shrugged as she stared out the window. “Stuff.” Charlie swore he saw her smirk briefly but she quickly hid it to continue messing with the Hufflepuff.

“Must have been really busy since I didn’t hear from you much over this summer,” Penny continued.

“Yeah, I was really busy,” Keira confirmed sincerely. “And I’m sorry I couldn’t write more often. To you and everyone. Plus travelling that much distance is exhausting,” she added.

Penny perked up once she got a genuine answer from the Slytherin that was also more than one word. “What was keeping you so busy? Something exciting?”

“More Curse-Breaking adventures,” Rowan asked, intrigued as well because she was also worried that she hadn’t heard much from her friend over the summer holiday but learning she was not the only one was a relief.

“Did you get a Thunderbird,” Barnaby asked excitedly, practically bouncing in his seat.

“Was it a guy,” Andre asked with a smirk, causing Keira to look over at him curiously. Why would he assume that? His suggestion seemed to capture everyone’s attention in the compartment as they looked over at him in shock over that possibility, since it never crossed any of their minds, before looking back at the Slytherin being questioned curiously.

“A guy. Twenty guys. You don’t know my life,” Keira replied with her usual sass. And while everyone else chuckled Charlie was filled with dread - he may have just missed the snitch and lost.

“World Cup is happening next year,” Andre announced excitedly to change the subject once again. “Teams are already competing for a spot.”

“Did you get offered a position, Andre,” Penny asked curiously. He was working towards playing professionally after all.

“No, unfortunately but they only choose a few select Keepers so it’s more difficult to get offered a position as one compared to say all the Chasers,” Andre explained.

“Guess that makes sense. One Keeper to three Chasers,” Penny replied.

“Right, but since this is the World Cup and not any normal match, games in the tournament can last for days or weeks! So they want to have two to three Keepers and a few lines of Chaser and Beaters to switch out so players can get some rest,” Andre continued to try and explain. “So teams may have nine Chasers but only two or three Keepers, so the odds are slim. I’m not taking it personally. Or letting it discourage me from playing professionally,” he assured.

“That’s good to hear,” Penny replied with a grin before Andre turned his attention to the red head next to her.

“While I may not have gotten an offer, someone here did…”Charlie tensed up slightly as all eyes turned to him.

“You got offered to play,” Rowan asked excitedly.

“Uh… yeah… I was offered a position for England,” Charlie admitted awkwardly, clearly a bit embarrassed by all this attention. Also because he knew when he told them he turned it down they were all going to throw a fit.

“Congrats! I knew you would, mate,” Andre congratulated proudly. “I can’t wait to watch you play and beat all those other teams and win, and oh you think you have fans now, wait until they see you -“

“I’m…not going to play for England,” Charlie interrupted nervously. But he didn’t want Andre to get himself all worked up only to be let down by his decision.

“What? But you said you got an offer to –“

“I did. But… I turned it down,” Charlie admitted.

“YOU DID WHAT?!?!” Charlie winced and looked down as the entire compartment yelled at him followed by a lot of scolding and questioning. He was afraid Andre might hit him in an attempt to knock some sense into him!

“Are you insane!? It’s an opportunity of a lifetime!”

“Why wouldn’t you want to play in the biggest Quidditch tournament in the world?”

“What is wrong with you?!”

“What?! What do you mean you’re not playing for England?” Charlie glanced over at the Slytherin next to him whose question, although a cry of surprise and outrage, was not as rage filled as others (Andre) but instead filled with disappointment. The look on her face confirmed the tone in her voice and Charlie’s heart began to ache slightly.

Keira had sat up when Charlie made his announcement, her feet dropping to the floor from the seat across from her. She was definitely not expecting him to say that. And she couldn’t hide the shock and disappointment from her face as she stared at him awaiting an answer, an explanation for his poor life decision, in her opinion.

“Can we all stop yelling, please!” The compartment went silent and for a brief moment everyone’s attention turned from the red head to Barnaby. “I know you’re not fighting but I still don’t like all the yelling,” he explained. The compartment quietly apologized to the Slytherin boy before turning their attention back to the Gryffindor Seeker.

“Well? What do you have to say for yourself,” Andre demanded, folding his arms over his chest as he watched Charlie fixedly.

“It was an honor being asked and I am very grateful for the opportunity, like I told them, but… after thinking a lot about it and how much time and energy it would be asking of me, and travel, and everything it meant… it’s accepting a huge commitment and that means it would take time away from school and studying and working towards becoming a Dragonologist. It’s my dream to work with dragons and I’m not going to let anything jeopardize that, even Quidditch. And if my grades slip or I’m unable to master necessary spells and skills I need to be able to work with dragons I’ll never forgive myself.” His passionate speech seemed to settle the questions everyone in the compartment had, even if they were still disappointed in his decision.

An awkward silence fell throughout the train compartment until Keira finally dared to break it. “I guess it’s for the best. I would hate to see the disappointed look on your face when Canada beats England and wins,” she told him with a small smirk.

Charlie blinked at her a couple times, not expecting some trash talking, before a small smile crept onto his face. She, and everyone else, may still be disappointed in his decision but at least they accepted it, or were at least trying to.

“You’re right, it is a big commitment and you have different goals for yourself and your future. It couldn’t have been an easy decision to make but I think it is the right one for you. Takes a lot of courage to be able to turn down an opportunity like that and maintain your focus on your aspirations that you know will make you happy overall instead of just for a moment,” Penny spoke up encouragingly.

“Thanks, Penny.” Charlie was really touched by the Hufflepuff’s words. He was very fortunate to have such understanding friends and it meant a lot to him that they thought so highly of him.

“Very focused on your career goals… Very ambitious… Very Slytherin of you,” Keira teased with a small smirk earning a small smirk and chuckle from the Gryffindor.

“Well, you know-“ Charlie started before being interrupted from the Ravenclaw across from him.

“Wait, hold on,” Andre said suddenly, holding up a hand as he took a moment to gather his thoughts. Charlie prepared for another tongue lashing but instead, to his surprise, Andre turned his attention to the Slytherin next to him. “You think Canada is going to beat England? And win?”

“Yeah, I do,” Keira replied confidently.

“Really? I’ll take that bet,” Andre replied just as cocky.

“Oh no, here they go,” Rowan sighed, shaking her head.

An evil, mischievous grin spread across the Slytherin’s face. “Are you sure? Without Charlie they don’t really have much of a chance to win, do they,” Keira pointed out with a smirk before looking at the Gryffindor Seeker. “So really I should thank you for turning down playing for England. Makes England far less of a threat.”

“Your maple drinking team is the nonthreatening one,” Andre barked suddenly.

“Alright you two, calm down.” Penny attempted to calm the two Quidditch obsessed friends down. This was not the first time they got into passionate arguments over Quidditch teams and players and it wouldn’t be the last. She had a feeling this was going to be a long year with the World Cup coming up.

“Hey! Maple is delicious,” Keira snapped back. Not exactly the point but still she felt she needed to defend it.

“It really is. She brought me back pure maple sugar candies – those things are amazing,” Barnaby informed the compartment blissfully.

“Did someone say maple sugar candy?” The compartment’s residents all turned to look at the new voice that graced them with their presence. Jae stood in the now open doorway of the compartment with a bag of what they all assumed was full of some of his merchandise slung over his shoulder.

“Hey Jae,” the group greeted prompting Jae to go into his sales pitch. The train ride to Hogwarts was a long one! They needed snacks, rarer ones they couldn’t get from the Honeyduke’s cart, and things to keep them busy! Plus now was the best time to get their hands on last minute school supplies, like auto-answer quills, before they arrived at Hogwarts. And since they were his friends he’d promise to give them a deal… He had a bag full of stuff for everyone! Like Santa except they had to pay him…

“We’re fine, Jae, thanks though,” Charlie answered. Every day that kid pitched him something, being roommates, so he had gotten used to turning him down without any feeling of guilt.

“Alright but if you do decide you want anything, you know where to find me. And speaking of maple sugar candy, I believe we have our own deal to make,” Jae told the Slytherin girl who sighed and stood up to grab her own bag from the overhead luggage compartment.

“Keira! Have you become one of Jae’s suppliers,” Penny asked, sounding rather shocked by this turn of events.

“He asks me to bring him some candies and snacks from Canada that he can’t get here to sell. It’s not a big deal,” Keira assured.

“Yeah, and it’s not like I’m taking advantage. We’re splitting the profits,” Jae assured Penny as Keira grabbed a package out of her bag and began to hand it over to him. “70-30.”

Keira paused at Jae’s distribution percentage and quickly pulled the package back to her before Jae could get his hands on it. “70-30? It’s supposed to be 50-50.”

“Did we decide on that though? I mean, I am the one doing all the work, making all the deals, doing the sales pitching, putting myself at risk by carrying the merchandise around so if I get caught that’s it,” Jae debated.

“And I’m the one who smuggled these in for you and without me you wouldn’t have any merchandise to sell,” Keira pointed out.

Jae frowned and considered her point. “Fair enough. 60-40.” Keira’s eyes narrowed at the shady dealing Gryffindor. But since she knew he did this to get money to send back to his mum she didn’t mind him getting the majority of the profits. Besides, she had enough money.

“Alright, deal,” Keira agreed before they shook hands and she handed over the package to him.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” Jae said with a smirk before placing her package in his bag. “I’ll come back around later and see if you guys want anything.”

“You could also come back just to say hi and hang out with us because we’re friends,” Penny pointed out.

“I would, Penny, but I’m working,” Jae pointed out.

“You know, if you put in half as much effort into your school work as your do with this little business of yours you could be top of the Gryffindor students in your year,” Penny informed him.

Jae blinked at her a moment before bursting out into laughter. “Oh Penny, I had no idea how funny you were! Studying about plants and writing essays on Goblin Rebellions doesn’t help me, but perfecting my business skills and making money does.” And with that the shady dealing Gryffindor took his leave to get more sales, closing the door to the compartment behind him.

“There goes all the pure maple candy,” Barnaby sighed, looking down in disappointment. That was short lived, however, as suddenly a box of the candy he was just mourning plopped down in his lap. “Maple candy,” he exclaimed excitedly with a grin.

“I wouldn’t give him all of it,” Keira assured. “Have to save some for ourselves. For free,” she added. Keira began distributing some more candy and snacks she brought back with her from her visits to Canada around the compartment. “Oh, you know who may like some of these? Talbott.” Since, thanks to Penny, she learned he had a bit of a sweet tooth. “I’m going to go find him,” she announced, standing up. “Besides, I have to do my rounds soon anyway. Tonks and the rest of them better take a break from their mayhem.”

“I’ll go with you,” Penny said, standing up as well. “I want to go check on Beatrice.” Of course she did. She was going to be even more overprotective of her little sister after what happened last year and no one blamed her.

Barnaby stood up suddenly as well and wrapped Keira in a tight bear hug. “Thanks, Keira! You’re the best!”

The Slytherin girl blinked in surprise before laughing slightly and reaching up to pat Barnaby on the back a couple times. “Thanks, Barnabas. Any time.” After their hug, Barnaby took his seat and began devouring the maple candy while the two girls left the compartment.

As soon as the door to the compartment closed, Andre looked over at the Gryffindor with a devilish smirk.

“No –“ Charlie started.

“So….” Andre started innocently.

“Don’t –“ Charlie warned.

“You two-“

“I’m not talking about this right now with you,” Charlie informed him.

For a brief moment Charlie honestly thought Andre had dropped it but he just lulled him into a false sense of security. “So do you think she has a boyfriend back in Canada,” Andre asked suddenly. “Maybe it was just a summer fling,” he suggested as Charlie groaned and slumped over to thump his head against the wall of the train. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t think she actually dated or did anything with twenty guys,” Andre added, trying to make Charlie feeling better…or mess with him more, Charlie wasn’t sure, but it didn’t help him feel any better and instead let out another groan. “Could always ask her roommate,” Andre suggested with a smirk, glancing over at Barnaby who was preoccupied with stuffing his face full of candy.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Charlie attempted to say but Andre just spoke over him like he wasn’t even listening.

“Hey, Barnaby. Do you know what Keira was busy doing in Canada this summer,” Andre asked curiously.

“She went to see her family over there,” Barnaby replied after a moment. “And… I know there was something else… but I forgot.” The Slytherin paused a moment to think. “I think it’s supposed to be a secret. So guess it’s good that I forgot,” he laughed.

“That’s it? You can’t remember anything else,” Andre urged prompting Barnaby to think hard once again.

“Umm…. I think I remember her mentioning someone named Patrice?” Charlie and Andre shared a look at Barnaby’s possible recollection.

“Is that…a woman or a man,” Charlie eventually, carefully asked.

“It depends,” Rowan spoke up from behind her book, the boys forgetting she was even there for a moment since she was so quiet! “Typically in English it’s a feminine name but in French it’s a masculine name.”

“Well that doesn’t help much,” Andre sighed. Charlie still wasn’t sure if Andre was actually trying to help him or if he just liked messing with him. Probably both. But guess he should appreciate his friend taking an interest. Unfortunately, none of this made Charlie feel better or clear up anything for him.

After Keira returned to their compartment, with Tonks in tow – whether she came as a friend or as a prisoner from getting caught in her mischief making while Keira was on rounds was unknown – Charlie left to go on his rounds.

“Did you find Talbott and give him some candy,” Rowan asked curiously.

“I did. I think he was happy. I told him where we were sitting and he said he might come by,” Keira replied as she took her seat back across from Barnaby and next to the window.

The group of friends chatted idly, quietly read or watched the scenery go buy, and snacked on their various snacks. Charlie’s mum of course made her children plenty of delicious homemade snacks, as did Penny’s mum, and they were nice enough to share with their friends. Although Keira also joked she might go shake down Percy for more. At least Charlie thought she was kidding…

Rowan even attempted to hone her teaching skills by discussing what she was reading about and quizzing her friends but that did not last long since they decided they weren’t even at Hogwarts yet and they would have plenty of lectures and homework and studying this year so they wanted to continue to enjoy the last bit of their summer holiday; although of course Rowan thought this was fun! Penny came back for some time but left again to check on her sister once again, and once again no one was going to blame her for her overprotective nature. Honestly, the fact that she didn’t keep Beatrice chained to her was astounding. Jae also returned and attempted to sell them some of his merchandise once again but they all refused; however, they did manage to get him to stay and hang out for a while before he continued with his side hustle, taking Andre’s place as Andre went to visit with some other people for a moment.

It was hard having so many friends and such small compartments on the train and they did their best to squeeze in – it became like a revolving door of friends in an attempt to get to sit and hang out with each of them during the ride up to and from school. They basically needed their own train car at this point.

Eventually, the part of the eight hour train ride came where everyone began to get tired, or aka: nap time. Tonks leaned against the compartment wall, snoring slightly as she dozed. Jae pulled out a pillow from some unknown magical place to help him sleep, apparently needing that break from the hustle and finding the perfect place to do it with them, while Rowan fell asleep in her classic style with an open book across her lap and her glasses askew on her face. Keira meanwhile had fallen asleep with her arms folded and legs still propped up on the seat across from her next to Barnaby. At some point she slowly began to fall over and ended up using Charlie’s shoulder as a pillow – something that was becoming a bit of a habit – which he of course didn’t mind and instead gazed down fondly at her with a small smile from his newest book on dragons as she slept peacefully, reminding him of other times he had the privilege of watching her sleep over the last couple years.

“Hey, Barnaby,” Charlie called out softly to the only other person awake in the compartment, possibly due to all the sugar candy he ate earlier. Barnaby looked up from his own book on magical creatures where he was probably more admiring the pictures rather than reading it. “What does etrall mean? Keira said it earlier…”

Barnaby frowned quizzically as he repeated the word under his breath a few times. Was this some sort of trick question? “Oh! Do you mean étoile?”

“Yeah, that’s it,” Charlie confirmed. “Couldn’t quite remember it. Do you know what it means?”

“Don’t worry, I have that problem all the time,” Barnaby assured when Charlie apologized for not remembering. “Étoile means star.”

“Star,” Charlie repeated before looking over as he heard voices coming from their compartment doorway.

“Looks like it’s full,” Penny observed. “I’ll go sit with Beatrice and come back later,” she assured with a smile as Andre continued to stare at Barnaby.

“You speak French?!” Barnaby smiled proudly up at the Ravenclaw who was astounded to learn this new bit of information. He shook his head as he slowly closed the door and went to go find somewhere else to sit for the time being and needing time to process that Barnaby, who he thought had a hard time with English, apparently spoke two languages! Maybe more! Barnaby continued to grin proudly as he resumed looking back at his book.

Charlie’s gaze once again turned to the sleeping Slytherin on his shoulder, his eyes softening as he admired her a moment. “Star,” he repeated again softly, the memories of asking her to the Ball last year during her Astrology class and dancing with her under the stars before they shared their first, and only, kiss playing in his head. Maybe he hadn’t lost after all. Maybe he still had a chance.

A/N: I know the song I’m referencing isn’t the best to use for a romantic relationship (since it’s about drug addiction) but it has some great lines I think that are perfect for them (it talks about a dragon okay?! =p) I’m going to continue using the lyrics throughout each part that I think correspond to the mood.

Again, apologize for the rough editing and that I have a problem being brief... Too many commas, too many adjectives/details... I’m sure there’s a support group out there somewhere =p

I decided to make a sort of series instead of just one about them admitting their feelings because I have a lot of ideas that happen this year. I also wanted to finish Year 5 fics before getting into Year 6 but this has been sitting around waiting to be posted and I love writing the sibling banter with the Twins so I’ve been excited to get this posted and this series started - so many ideas! But I will try to get the last Year 5 fic written and out soon too I just haven’t had any motivation to write it, all my inspiration has been taken up by Year 6! (I’ve also been looking into AO3 and Wattpad to post my fics on as well so if anyone has any experience with these platforms please let me know =) )

I hope you enjoyed, hope you laughed, and if you did please let me know which parts you enjoyed and laughed at the most! As always feel free to comment and/or reblog with your thoughts and comments and let me know if you want to be added or removed from the tag list (and I’m sorry if I forgot anyone, I have to find a better way to do this!)! And as always my Masterlist is linked in my bio =)

Thank you for reading! 😄 ❤️

Tag List: @sly-vixen-up2nogood @sungoddessra @cinnamoncam @bexeris @urban-eagle @thatbritishcanadiangirl @abravelittlefangirl @justducky0423 @tatlikar @otpshipper93

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levirens · 5 years ago

Text

[fanfic] of flavoured names and coloured sounds (chapter 2 of 2)

Summary: "He doesn’t question it at first, the fact that sounds have colours and words have flavours. He grows up with it, grows up seeing powerful ruptures of colour when his mother plays the piano and softer, translucent bursts when the people around him speak. His father’s voice fills his vision with sombre oranges and lilacs while his mother’s is a pleasant mix of delicate greens, blues, and greys. The word father tastes like wet wood and the word mother tastes like the pumpkin juice the house-elves frequently serve him."

In which Draco just wants to know what colour Hermione's moans would be. He also wants to know if her skin would taste as sweet as her surname or maybe as intoxicating as her given name.

LINKS

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23567740/chapters/56541799 FFN: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13547597/1/of-flavoured-names-and-coloured-sounds

CHAPTER 2

Potter’s following him around. He had thought that maybe breaking the bloke’s nose and leaving him hidden under his own invisibility cloak would get rid of the nosy scarhead, but that had been a mistake on his part. Now he feels the other wizard’s eyes constantly on him, and if he had the same energy as last year, he would have teased Potter for having a crush on him. Unfortunately, the world looks substantially bleaker now, with his condition significantly impaired, and so he doubts that he would still find pleasure in his old shenanigans.

He concedes that nothing would look cheery when one has a skull branded onto their skin, directly connected to a megalomaniac hellbent on killing one of your classmates. Even the sweetness of the word cheery tastes like ash in his mouth these days, and he can no longer tell if what he’s tasting on his tongue from thinking of the word megalomaniac is the flavour of a kiwi or that of a pear.

Pansy seems to have recovered from their messy break up, shifting from pointedly ignoring him to constantly hovering around him and acting like a worried girlfriend. It especially annoys him as her voice produces some of the most monotonous hues he’s ever seen coming from one person, her only contender for the crown being his godfather and the former Durmstrang headmaster turned fugitive.

The great hall, previously a place where he would often get lost drowning in the seas of flashing colours, now looks like it is littered with gossamers of barely-there pigments. From where he’s sitting, he can see Granger and her two wanker friends whispering to each other. She’s arguing with them (real shocker that is) and he can see a look of irritation on her face being directed at Potter. He almost smiles at this, but then her eyes suddenly flit to meet his and, stupidly enough, he feels himself freeze at the contact.

She must realise that he’s been watching them, because she raises one eyebrow at him and doesn’t stop staring until the plates are magically being cleared from the table, even when he finally breaks from the intensity of her gaze and looks away first.

He knows this because every time he looks to check if she’s no longer staring at him, their eyes would meet before his would snap away to look back down at his mutilated food. It’s odd, not to mention stressful, because what he needs right now is for people like Potter and Pansy and Hermione Granger to leave him alone.

He has a mission that’s doomed to fail, after all, and he would rather stumble through that without those three constantly monitoring him.

Legilimens tastes like strawberry profiteroles and Occlumens tastes like Arabic coffee—they’re flavour he finds odd to associate with his godfather as he can’t imagine the man enjoying pastries and drinking anything other than unsweetened tea.

“I see your Aunt has taught you Occlumency,” Snape finally says, having spent the last three minutes trying to break into Draco’s mind. “Whatever it is you’re trying to achieve, Draco, trust that I am capable of helping—,” he begins to offer, but Draco cuts him off.

“I don’t need your help,” he grits out. “I was chosen for this. He trusts me to do this.” It’s a lie that he keeps telling himself, but Occlumency doesn’t work on one’s own mind and he can only pretend to believe the sham for so long—he knows that this task had been placed upon his shoulders as punishment for each and every one of his father’s failures, hand delivered by the Dark Lord himself, complete with the Dark Mark and a lovely death threat.

Suddenly, the older wizard begins throwing silencing charms all over the classroom, his tunnel-like eyes never once leaving Draco. “Do you even have the slightest idea how to cast any of the Unforgivables?”

Draco inwardly cringes. He had witnessed the Dark Lord performing all those spells, watched as subdued shades of navy blue intermingled with the green and red lights of the curses. Avada Kedavra had tasted like burnt meringue, the flavour not unlike that of Harry Potter’s combined name. Hearing the Dark Lord torture someone with repeated incantations of Crucio had assaulted his tongue with the taste of melting ice, more of a sensation that an actual flavour. Imperio, as he had come to learn, tastes like the air after a period of rain.

His mind had reeled at how innocent these curses had tasted on his tongue, when he could not even attempt to cast the Patronus charm, the purest of the spells in his opinion, as the incantation brought about a disagreeable fishy flavour. Expelliarmus he could manage quite easily, disarming people all the while savouring the taste of lemon sherbet on his taste buds.

“Can you conjure the Dark Mark, Draco?” Snape continues, either oblivious or uncaring that Draco had gone and retreated into his own mind. “Do you even know the incantation?”

“Morsmordre,” he easily answers, but his voice is barely above a whisper. He prays he never has to cast that spell as he does not particularly like the taste of rust on his tongue. When Snape does not respond to that, Draco turns away and begins to head out of the room, shoving the door open and fleeing from his godfather before the man can further prove to him how unfit he is to take on the role of a Death Eater.

Petrichor. It’s the name of the taste on his tongue as he leaves the Three Broomsticks, fake galleons tightly clutched in one hand and the feeling of guilt clawing at his heart.

(Upon inspection, he admits to himself and to himself only that the guilt wasn’t so much over what he had done to Rosmerta, but more because of the fact that he had stolen Granger’s ideas and used them for his own twisted needs.)

“Why are you slacking off on school-work?”

His physical desire to be with her is still surprisingly there, but he had demanded from the Head Boy that he change his patrol partner to no avail. Draco suspects that the Slytherin is aware that the Malfoy family is not in such a good place, as even the mention of his father could not change the mind of the older student.

“Leave it, Granger. It’s none of your business what I do.”

“It’s just curious, is all,” she continues, as if she hadn’t heard a word that he said. “Last year you spent four hours working on one Transfiguration homework, and now you’ve already missed two. Makes one wonder, what had happened over the summer that would warrant such a change—”

The minute his hands wrap around her shoulders, he regrets it, but not enough to stop himself from pushing her against a wall and invading her personal space. There’s an inch or two of space separating their faces, and he can barely stop himself from getting lost in the sea of her freckles. “I said leave it, you filthy Mud—”

“What’s so different about you now that you’d even pay someone to take your place in the Slytherin quidditch team?”

When she speaks, her breath hits him and overwhelms him with the scent of spearmint, presumably from her toothpaste. It washes out the dirty word that he had almost used on her, and before he can stop himself, he’s groaning in response to the stimulus. It startles the both of them, and he can imagine that the blush currently riding high on her cheeks is identical to the one staining his.

He pushes away from her, striding back the direction they came from and cutting the patrol short. He decides then and there that if he has to quit being a prefect to be away from her, he’ll do it.

The following week he has to listen to her describe her love potion. Amortentia, the word, tastes like overly ripe mangoes, just a good day or two away from rotting. He can’t even muster enough energy to be angry at the fact that he catches a whiff of spearmint, vanilla, coconut, and green apples when he passes by the blasted cauldron.

His tongue feels cold, but before he can cast the spell, the one that leaves Potter’s mouth replaces the ice with the slight heat of cumin. It’s a spell that he’s not familiar with, but when it hits him, he feels the gashes opening up on his skin as he falls to the bathroom floor.

It’s a queer feeling, being aware of one’s own approaching death. At first it fills him with a sense of dread, panic at the thought that everything ends there, but then as the blood drains out of his clothes to stain the tiles he’s lying helpless on, it takes with it all the regret, the hope, leaving him feeling numb as his life slips from his fingers.

His eyelids close, his ears barely pick up the sound of hurried footsteps, of someone crying beside him, and his tongue tells him that Vulnera tastes like red grapes and Sanentur tastes like sulphur.

He doesn’t know how she does it, but she sneaks in to the infirmary in the middle of the night and proceeds to spend ten minutes just standing by his bed, arms crossed over her chest, lips set into an angry line, and eyes glassy with unshed tears.

“Crying for me now?” he asks, voice rough from disuse. “Save it for someone who matters.”

“He didn’t mean to do it,” she whispers back, sinking onto the chair beside his bed. “He wasn’t trying to kill you.”

“I don’t care what he was trying to do, I was trying to kill him.” The lie comes easily enough, what with the Occlumency walls and the fact that he honestly doesn’t have a clear idea what he had been trying to do.

Hermione doesn’t say anything, just keeps staring, but the tears don’t fall from her eyes and he’s grateful for that. He wants to remind her that he’s the bad guy in her story, the same bloke who had looked at her like she was beneath him simply because her parents weren’t magical. One successful paired homework and a couple of times spent sharing a library table shouldn’t change that, shouldn’t erase what he was and what he is.

He almost wants to show her his Dark Mark just so she’d stop trying to act like he’s still got a soul hiding somewhere inside his body.

“You should sleep,” she finally says, after a long moment of just staring at each other. “Merlin knows you need it.” With that she rises from her seat, walking away from him. He panics at the sight, his mouth opening before his brain can register what he’s about to do.

“Don’t come back here, Granger,” he tells her. When she pauses her stride but doesn’t turn to look back at him, he clarifies, “Don’t come back to Hogwarts.”

The word tastes like burnt meringue on his tongue, but he can’t bring himself to say it. Instead, he finds himself talking, telling the old man everything that he’s done during the year, as if he would vomit if he stopped talking. He calls her a mudblood for appearance’s sake and actually laughs when Dumbledore asks him to not use that word in front of him.

Defenceless tastes like biting the rind of a citrus, bitter and unappealing. It’s a word that certainly does not suit the greatest wizard of modern times.

The promise of safety is a jumble of salty and bitter words, one in particular tasting like sardines and another like freshy harvested caviar. He rambles, lowers his wand, then the others rush in to bare witness to his incapability of becoming a murderer.

Albus Dumbledore’s wine-coloured pleas are answered by Snape’s sweet and smoky spell.

He quickly becomes intimate with the sensation of melting ice on his tongue. It’s when he spends most of the day torturing people that he feels the slightest bit thankful for his impaired condition.

It’s when he watches his deranged aunt torture her that he yearns the most for the colours to come back, to obstruct his vision so it would be filled with explosions of orange and teal and he won’t have to look her in the eye and face her judgment. He would much rather take the cold numbing his tongue than to look at her lying near lifeless on the ground.

Working as a double agent is beyond exhausting, but he’d sooner get killed than do nothing and allow the Dark Lord to win this war. It’s been three months since he had demanded from his godfather that he take him to the other side, for Severus to make him a spy not unlike the older man. For a moment, they had seized each other up, the both of them waiting for the other to turn out as a cleverly placed decoy to sniff out traitors amongst their ranks.

It’s been three months since he’s been allowed free passage into 12 Grimmauld Place, three months since his godfather had told him everything he needed to know in order to be allowed into the ranks of the Order, three months since he was stunned then questioned by Mad-Eye Moody while under a powerful dose of Veritaserum, unable to use Occlumency to counter the effects of the potion, and three months since Remus Lupin introduced him to the rest of the Order as their new spy.

Draco had tried to explain to Kingsley, Moody, and Lupin that Severus had been acting under Dumbledore’s commands, but the three of them had insisted that even if it were true, it would be too risky for Snape to keep working with them. Still, the clarification on what had truly happened that night at the Astronomy tower proves useful in that they relax just enough to start using the safehouse again.

He doesn’t see Potter even once during those three months, and he doesn’t try to ask them about his whereabouts. The less he knows about the Order’s plans, the better. He does, however, see the ginger weasel on occasion, and he does his best to not hex the bloke on sight.

It’s difficult, but he manages.

The concealment charm is just wearing off as he enters the house, closing the door behind him, when he hears and sees them; the sound of a piano playing invades his ears and colours his vision. The sound doesn’t come together to form music, just random notes here and there as if the person playing them is just testing out the keys. Still, it’s been too long since he’s last heard music and last seen the colours dancing in his vision, as neither he nor his mother have found much reason to touch the grand piano in the manor after he took the Dark Mark.

(It is, after all, quite difficult to indulge in music when Death Eaters are torturing and raping people just down the hall.)

He follows the sound further into the house and finds Hermione Granger sitting in front of the rusty piano. She looks up upon his entrance, her finger hovering over one of the keys, then their eyes meet. Draco mentally prepares a speech declaring himself their ally, but she surprises him by smiling.

“Hello, Draco. I was told I’d see you here,” she says, her voice causing the familiar pinks to flash before him. There’s a pang in his chest when he sees how translucent they are, barely there, and he regrets not enjoying the sights when he had the privilege to. “I must say, I was glad when they told me you defected, but I wasn’t exactly surprised.”

“Why’s that?” he asks, genuinely confused by her declaration. He moves towards her, placing a finger on the piano and swiping at the dust that had accumulated there. He reaches for his wand and performs a quick scourgify, moving to sit beside her. He sits on the very edge of the wooden bench, keeping as large as a distance between them as it would allow. He’s surprised she doesn’t jump up and slap him across the face for daring to sit next to her.

“You did save me that night, and you didn’t kill Dumbledore,” she says, a smirk playing on her lips and a knowing look in her eyes. She gestures to the piano and asks, “Do you know how to play?”

He’s slightly taken aback by the sudden change in topic, but he doesn’t show her his surprise, nodding his head in affirmation. “Do you?”

“No. You should play; I’d love to hear it.”

He should really be asking her where the others are, preferably Lupin as he has information to relay to them, but his hands rise and then his fingers are tentatively pressing down on a few keys. The colours instantly return, and with that he feels a surge of confidence that has him transitioning from hesitant strokes of the keys to the beginning notes of one of his favourite pieces. He plays for a while, closing his eyes and enjoying the dance of the colours behind his lids, and when he opens them again they seek her out as if on instinct.

The look in her eyes as they meet his has him cutting off the music, his fingers lifting from the keys mid stroke. The silence that fills the room as the last vibrations from the piano fizzle out is awkward, to say the least, and he finds himself wracking his mind for something to say.

She beats him to it by declaring, “I didn’t know you listened to muggle classical music. That was Chopin, wasn’t it?”

He nods, still unable to tear his gaze away from her. The words that stumble out of his mouth make it out of their confines purely on accident, only because he’s lost in the colour of her eyes—honey, harvested during the late summer. “His pieces have the prettiest colours.”

Confusion settles on her features and he wishes he could take it back, wishes he could fulfil his promise to his mother that he would never tell anyone about this but then again, he has broken more promises than he can remember, some that had been more detrimental to their well-being than admitting to someone that he sees coloured sounds and tastes flavoured names. Her eyebrows are furrowed, and he can barely stop himself from reaching out to smooth away her frown.

“What do you mean, they have the prettiest colours? Do you have synaesthesia?”

He’s already opening his mouth to explain but then her words register to him and he blurts out, “What? Do I have what?”

“Synaesthesia, from the Greek words sún meaning “with” and aísthēsis meaning “sensation”, is a condition wherein the synesthete, a term for a person who has the condition, is able to process data in the form of several senses all at once,” she explains, and he’s instantly taken back to their classes at Hogwarts, when her hand would shot up and she would then proceed to unload a verbal vomit of information unto all of them. “For example, some people can see colours when they hear music, or they can taste certain words. It’s a very rare condition, and most people who have it go on to become artists or writers.”

She must mistake his astounded expression as a response to her vast knowledge on the topic because she blushes and looks away. Draco, on the other hand, is experiencing something akin to euphoria. He has never heard anyone describe his little “talent” so accurately, sod it, he has never heard anyone describe it, period. In hindsight, he thinks he shouldn’t be so surprised that Hermione Granger, swottiest of swots, would know that something like this exists. That someone like him exists.

“It’s a muggle thing, then? I’ve never heard of anyone else in the wizarding community talk about something like this, and I’ve tried to research about it but nothing ever came up in my readings,” he tells her, staring at the colours his voice makes.

“I honestly don’t know,” she admits, looking back towards him and appearing somewhat sheepish, as if her not knowing everything is something to be embarrassed about. “What do you see?”

“I taste words and names. Everything has a flavour associated with them. I see bursts of colours when I hear music, and I see fainter, more translucent colours when people speak.”

“Words have colour, too? Right now, you’re seeing colours as we speak?”

“It’s not really the words that are coloured, it’s the notes that people produce when they talk,” he elaborates. Running a hand through his hair, he decides to reveal some more information to her, information that he had thought he would carry to the grave with him. “When you speak, you make pastel colours, mostly pinks and blue. They used to be so harsh and bright when we were younger, used to give me headaches every time you opened your mouth in class.”

“Is that why you hated me so much?”

He feels guilty in an instant, remembering all the things he said to her back then. “That was one thing, it was another thing that I’ve been told my whole life that muggle-borns don’t have a place in our world, but obviously you made me question that by besting me in everything except flying a broom.”

She laughs, a quiet one, but it makes him realise that she’s one of those rare people who have musical laughter. “What does my name taste like?”

Draco draws in a quick breath, quickly looking away from her searching eyes. He begins to question what he’s doing, sitting beside her, playing music for her, telling her the one thing he has never voluntarily told anyone else, lusting after her, wanting her.

(Falling for her.)

“Hermione tastes like Sauvignon Blanc and Granger tastes like green apples,” he lets out in one breath, overcome by a misplaced need to be honest with her in that moment. Before she can make a comment, before she can do something like reveal to him that she had somehow known his bias for green apples, he rushes to add, “I can’t taste it anymore as well as I used to, and the colours aren’t as vivid as they were before the Dark Mark. It dulled everything.”

He looks away from her, resolutely staring at the piano in front of him and wishing that someone would walk into the safehouse and put an end to this bizarre interaction. Talking to her has been the only good thing that has happened to him in months, maybe in years, but he’s overwhelmed by her and by his need for proximity. It’s ridiculous, wanting someone you had actively tormented for two years, wanting someone you had watched get tortured by your crazed aunt while you stood by and did nothing.

“Does it interfere with your vision, the colours?”

He frowns, turning his head to look back at her. “When there’s too many people talking, it used to throw me off a bit, but not ever since I got the mark.”

She looks pensive, her eyes unfocused before they look up to meet his confused gaze. “After this, what are you going to do about your aim?”

“Pardon?”

“The Dark Mark, it would fade once Voldemort’s dead,” she says, gesturing to his arm. “I can only assume that when that happens, the effects of the mark on your synaesthesia would also disappear or won’t be as potent as it is right now.”

He feels his chest tighten at what she’s building up to, feels something like hope blossoming there. It’s an emotion that he has almost entirely forgotten, and he’s not certain that he should be allowing her to fill him with such a thing when he had only planned to swing by and give information then be back out again in less than thirty minutes—

“What are you going to do when we defeat him, Draco?”

Severus knows what he’s doing or, at least, knows what potion he’s about to attempt to make. The man takes one good look at the ingredients laid out on the table, one good look at Draco, then wandlessly summons a quill and a piece of parchment. As his godfather writes, Draco begins the preparations for the brewing process, double and triple checking that he has everything he needs.

When he’s finished writing, Severus hands over the piece of parchment and leaves the hidden cottage without uttering a single word. When he peers down at it, he realises the man had just given him something that he would treasure for the rest of his inevitably short life.

There, in his trembling hands, are the potion master’s notes on how to successfully brew the concoction without ending up with a few missing limbs. The word Ashwinder tastes like coriander, squill bulb tastes like a combination of mayonnaise and strawberries, Occamy tastes like dried up carrots, and Murtlap tastes like the back of one’s hand.

He comes by again, nearly a month after his last visit, and this time Remus is there to receive the information.

Granger sits in the meeting, inviting herself into the table with a tray of tea for the three of them. He’s the only one with a cup that has a coaster and Remus eyes it with a smirk on his tired face. Hermione sits beside him, self-inking quill in one hand, parchment in front of her, and gives him an expectant look that he takes as his cue to start.

It takes him twenty-three minutes to finish relaying every detail he’d been able to cram into his head from the meetings he had attended, every drunken whisper, every careless slip of the tongue, he had shoved into a corner of his brain only to purge it all out right onto her messy notes.

His old DADA professor nods at him, tells him he should stay and finish his tea, then the older man is pushing away from the table and leaving the two of them alone in the old house. He performs a quick warming charm on his tea, taking in the decaying wood of the table while she worked on tidying up her notes. Once she’s done, she looks up at him and he takes the liberty of warming up her tea for her.

“Thank you,” she says, reaching for her cup and bringing it to her lips. “It’s already horrid enough when it’s hot, it’s just plain unacceptable when it’s lukewarm.”

He only nods. He doesn’t tell her it’s the best tea he’s had in nearly a month solely because she’s the person he’s enjoying it with. Not even the most expensive tea in the world would taste good when you have to drink it in the presence of other Death Eaters.

“The last time I saw you, you looked like you hadn’t slept in two weeks. That was two years ago and you still look like you haven’t slept a wink.”

Draco raises an eyebrow at this, gulping down a mouthful of the herbal tea concoction before answering, “The last time I saw you, you were being tortured by my crazed aunt with a spell that makes me feel like I’ve put a cube of ice on my tongue to melt. That was roughly a year ago and you didn’t look quite so good yourself then, Granger.”

“I was actually referring to that night in the infirmary.”

He rolls his eyes at her, plucking the parchment from her fingers and reading over her notes. “I know what you were referring to. It wasn’t the last time you saw me.”

“You’re right, I saw you last month, so I guess we’re both recalling our last meeting all wrong.”

He looks at her, watches her raise her drink to her lips to hide her smile. There’s mirth in her eyes and he’s almost foolish enough to think that she’s flirting with him, but he quickly kills the thought, crushes it underneath his dragonhide shoes and fires a hex at it for good measure.

“It was very nice of you to try and save me again, that night at the infirmary.”

“When will you stop assuming that everything I do is an attempt to save you—”

He’s used to seeing and hearing her cut off people mid-speech, usually talking over them to correct the way they’re saying an incantation or just to tell them that they’re wrong and she’s right. A couple of times, he had seen her walk away from the weasel during an argument, causing the ginger to splutter at her sudden departure.

He can’t recall a time when he’s seen her kiss someone to shut them up, but that’s what she’s doing to him.

Hermione’s lips are warm, probably from the tea, and they’re soft against his own. His eyes had closed from her sudden movement, bracing himself to get a much-deserved punch, and he doesn’t dare open them now. Her lips start to move against his and he answers in earnest, deciding he’ll enjoy it while it lasts and dissect every moment of this later, in the false safety of his own room at the manor. When he feels the tip of her tongue touch his bottom lip, he immediately grants her access, reckless in his need to finally taste whichever part of her that she’s offering.

She’s a clumsy kisser, using far too much force when she bites his bottom lip, and it’s the best kiss he’s ever had. Her tongue tastes like the tea they’ve just shared, with just the slightest hint of spearmint. When she moans, he answers it with a groan of his own, his hands finally moving to cradle her face. He feels her fingers toying with the topmost button of his shirt, popping the first three open and sliding her hands inside to touch the skin of his collar and the base of his neck.

She breaks away from his lips and trails kisses down his neck, starting at the corner of his mouth and ending at the hollow of his throat.

“Your toothpaste, it’s fennel, isn’t it?”

He tries to clear the fog from his brain but her hot breath repeatedly touching the skin of his neck isn’t helping. Somehow, his own fingers have tangled themselves into the mess she calls her hair, and he spends a quiet moment just admiring how surprisingly soft it is to the touch. When he finally gets his mouth to move, the only word he can manage is, “What?”

She lifts her head, moving to place her lips on his once more, speaking against his mouth and letting her breath fan his face. “Fennel toothpaste, it’s what your breath smelled like back in sixth year.”

His mother eyes him from across the table, one hand soundlessly stirring her tea, the other idly playing with her wand. They’re all alone in the dining room, his father having ambled away after finishing off three bites of his breakfast and three glasses of brandy.

“You’ve been busy,” she says, placing the teaspoon aside and taking a sip from her tea. He knows that tone, and that tone paired with the look she’s giving him means nothing but trouble for him.

“Death Eater duties,” he offers, his own tone bordering between sarcastic and bored. Truth be told, he has been busy—busy smuggling information to the Order and busy snogging Granger the moment they’re left alone in that house. It never goes further than hurried, messy kisses, and he tells himself he’s fine with that.

They almost get caught one day, with her sitting on the dinner table and him standing in between her thighs. He doesn’t know how he had somehow missed the sound of the door opening, but then colours float into his vision and he jumps away from her.

She’s hopping off the table, wiping at the residual saliva on her lips, when Weasley walks in along with Tonks. His presence immediately brings back the taste of his name, aggravated by the fact that Granger acknowledges them by saying both their names. Tonks tastes like butter cookies, and it would have paired nicely with the weasel’s milk-tasting name had the milk not been curdled.

It’s a good thing, really, because the taste helps kill the boner he’d been trying to hide.

It’s the first time he sees Potter after the incident at the Manor, and he barely pays attention to the boy wonder and the fact that he looks almost as pale as Draco himself because he’s reaching for Granger’s quill and a scrap of parchment. The people in the room grow quiet as he writes, and he’s thankful that they’re unknowingly helping him focus by not creating unnecessary colours to cloud his vision.

Merlin knows he needs it, the assault on his tongue already distracting enough without the visual part of his condition contributing to the skirmish. He keeps writing, struggling to maintain a straight face as flavours like soap, tripe, and horseradish clash on his taste buds, fitting together as well as mismatched puzzle pieces would.

When he’s done, he hands the paper over to Potter. His eyes search the room, finally landing and getting lost in late summer honey as the man meant to save them all reads over all the information Draco’s been able to gather about the attack to be launched at Hogwarts tomorrow. Tomorrow, Voldemort will know that there’s an informant in their midst, and Draco will confirm it by fighting for the Order. Tomorrow, he’ll dose his mother with felix felicis, the only protection he can grant her when it’s revealed to everyone on the dark side that he’s a traitor.

Tomorrow, both him and Hermione may die, but right now he ignores the sound of Harry Potter’s voice as he relays orders to the people gathered around the table, ignores the green and red colours swimming in his vision, ignores the flavours on his tongue in favour of staring into her eyes for reassurance that he knows he won’t ever find there.

He’s surprised he hasn’t had a seizure yet. He had physically felt it when Voldemort died, the burning on his arm disappearing like a bubble popping out of existence. Also like a bubble, the synaesthesia comes back in full force. It’s like having your hearing muffled by water stuck in your ear, and when the water finally gets dislodged the sound comes back in a rush, only for him it’s the colours and the flavours that crash down on him like a tidal wave.

It knocks him off his feet and he lands on his knees, staring at all the colours bursting in and out of his sight. He can barely see the people all around him, can barely focus on anything as he keeps whispering her name and relishing the full effects of Sauvignon Blanc and green apples on his taste buds.

Someone’s kissing him, and even with the colours blocking his vision with his eyes open and the hues persisting behind his lids with his eyes closed, he knows it’s her. He knows it’s her even though she doesn’t taste like the crappy tea they have at the safehouse, even though she fills his mouth with the taste of blood instead of the natural taste of her tongue.

The colours start to fade as he takes notice of the hush that slowly envelops the grounds. He imagines that they must make quite the sight, Draco Malfoy and Hermione granger all bloodied up and kissing each other, but he can’t bring himself to care.

“You were right,” he whispers against her lips, opening his eyes and staring into pools of late summer honey. “I have to figure out what to do about my aim.”

Granger does not taste like green apples, nor does her skin remind him of an expensive bottle of wine. She tastes like the soap she had used to aggressively scrub out the grime and blood from every inch of her skin, leaving her pink and tender. He understands the almost obsessive way with which she cleans herself—it’s been a week since the war ended but he still wakes up feeling dirty, feeling like he would never get rid of the warm, sticky blood on his hands. He knows she hadn’t killed anyone, unlike him, but she feels dirty all the same.

Her bones are prominent, especially the ones encasing her lungs and her heart, and he takes his time kissing down her ribs to her jutting hipbones. She giggles and it makes him see soft bursts of salmon pink. “I’m ticklish there,” she says, and it makes him see pale yellows, the colour of daffodils. He’s never seen her produce that colour before and he chases after it for a few seconds, enthralled by its appearance.

He tries to keep as quiet as he can, tries his best not to adulterate her colours and her flavours with his own voice. When she had emerged from the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around her body, dripping water everywhere, he had told her in a quiet voice to come closer. He had watched the deep burgundy dance in and out his vision and had decided that he’d much rather see pale pinks and Varathane bleached blues.

Now he’s inching closer to her centre and she’s making breathy little sighs of pleasure, her fingers finding purchase in his still damp hair. He’s doing his utmost best to keep his head as blank as possible, to taste only her on his tongue. She smells like soap down there too, and when he uses his fingers to spread her, he marvels at how pink and wet she is for him.

“Draco.”

Salmon pink flashes behind his closed lids and his favourite chocolate melts on his tongue immediately. He has to kiss her thighs, biting into the soft flesh in an effort to contain himself from tasting that part of her. He doesn’t want to taste chocolates in his mouth, he wants to know what she tastes like without the synaesthesia, so he kisses her thighs and looks up at her. He watches her bite her lower lip, nod at him once, and he knows she understands.

It takes him a moment, but his senses finally calm down enough that his tongue can only detect the faint salt and soap of her thighs. Her hands are still buried in his hair and she begins to tug his face towards her centre. He looks up at her once more, maintaining eye contact when he runs the flat of his tongue over her exposed slit.

They moan almost in unison, both their voices filling his eyes with colours that he hadn’t thought would fit well but surprising compliment each other. She doesn’t taste like Sauvignon Blanc but he thinks he could get drunk all the same. He fucks her with his tongue, watches her bite around her closed fist to keep her moans under control.

She loses the battle when his lips close around her clit and his name comes pouring out of her mouth. He groans against her slick lips, using the flat of his tongue to swipe at her clit and two fingers to fuck her entrance. Her moans grow louder as she nears her release and he’s glad he had put up silencing charms on the room—the rest of the Order still staying in the house would probably appreciate not hearing them having sex.

When she comes, she nearly shouts his name. He pulls back and sheaths himself inside of her with one push, gripping her hips and feeling her walls fluttering all around his cock. He doesn’t move an inch, feelings the muscles in his stomach tightening from the effort it’s taking him to hold back from fucking her into the mattress.

She reaches out to him, pulling him down to kiss her and taste herself on his mouth. With their lips still pressed together, their chests flushed against each other, she whispers, “You can move now.”

It’s all the encouragement he needs. Her name springs out from him unbidden, and it’s one of those moments when he can almost convince himself that he can get drunk just from saying her name.

He makes her come three more times, twice on his cock, and he would have gone for more but she starts crying after the third time and he knows what those tears are for. War had taken away his father to Azkaban and, along with the older man, much of Draco’s prejudice and the things he used to believe in. It had cost him the life of one of his friends and had crushed any chance of him ever producing a Patronus, but he knows she had lost so much more than that. He was part of the Order, a valuable spy that had ultimately help tip the scale in their favour, but he hadn’t been friends with any of those people.

As for her, they had become her family after she had been forced to give up her parents. They won the war, but he suspects that it would take a long time before her hands stop shaking, before she can go out without holding on to her wand as if her life still depends on it, before she can go to sleep without worrying that she’ll wake up screaming her head off because of a nightmare.

“I didn’t know orgasms could be that overwhelming,” she whispers sheepishly, the tip of her fingers tracing the Sectumsempra scars among the other blemishes he now sports.

The word orgasm tastes like a slice of Victoria sponge. He wraps a moth-bitten quilt around their naked bodies, and when he tells her to go to sleep, her Sauvignon Blanc-flavoured name on his tongue and her rose-coloured laugh behind his eyes are the things that lull him to the most peaceful sleep he’s ever had in years.

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