#and finally getting a black andromeda

[sukibenders]

Listen, while I still lowkey want Logan Lerman to make an appearance in the pjo show I, jokingly, was on the Paul Blofis train, but now, what if he played the og Perseus from the myths? Walk with me, the show already opened up with Percy standing before the statue of his namesake, something that's important to the narrative (both book and show) because he was one of the few heroes who was happy. What if, during some scene where Percy is possibly pushed to his limits OR just finished a battle and came out as a hero he bumps into this random, but otherworldly, man who, in passing, gives him some advice or whatever. Percy ask who he is, only to find out the man he's named after is standing right in front of him---hold on!

(And then we see a glimpse or even get a scene with Andromeda---who is depicted as a black woman like she should be---and Annabeth, like Rick, the opportunity is there!)

[starchaserdreams]

If the Harry Potter series had been called The Noble And Most Ancient House of Black, it had the potential to be the coolest series ever.

Morally grey, complex characters. Multiple people across the extended family defect and fight back. Some of them are cruel, despicable, irredeemable people... But they all have a flare for the dramatic and exciting.

You can contrast the arcs of Sirius and Regulus more in depth. You can explore how Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Andromeda came to extremely different loyalties. This could be So. Epic.

[cornetnspinet]

guys what if i re read harry potter in its entirety and wrote that one fic i've always had in mind about a sirius black's daughter oc. what if i actually did it

[deswhomst]

nothing fucks me up more than imagining the four black cousins’ reactions to finding out regulus had died. he was the youngest one and the first to go (at only eighteen).

bellatrix cared about family image and was devoted to the death eater cause. she was probably very proud of regulus joining up and i think her immediate reaction to his death would be anger. she would be apparently disappointed and embarrassed but deep down a lot of that rage would come from the unfairness of losing regulus so young. she would not embrace it, though, and it would probably manifest in form of a few mental breakdowns.

andromeda hadn’t been a part of the family for years but that meant she never saw regulus become a death eater. of course she wouldn’t support that decision but the image of him in her mind would be her little cousin. she didn’t see him past a certain age and to find out that that kid she remembered made all the wrong choices and got himself dead as a result would probably fuck her up. it wouldn’t destroy her life or whatever but i imagine she cried all night when she heard.

under the cut for narcissa and sirius !!!! all the “sirius hated regulus” crowd can leave right now <3

now narcissa, this one would be bad. regulus was still in her life and they probably saw each other a lot. to me these two were very close and shared experiences so narcissa found it easy to talk to regulus and vice versa. could they talk to anyone else about andromeda and sirius? nope. no one else understood. it wasn’t just that, though, of course. i imagine that narcissa advised regulus against getting the dark mark at age 16. she probably had a bad feeling about it and told him to wait but when does regulus ever listen?

narcissa would be crushed when she heard the news. the worst part? she couldn’t talk about it the way she wanted to because regulus was the only one who got it and he was gone. also with lucius gone on DE business she could’ve just spent days and nights alone crying about it and i don’t think she ever properly dealt with it. life just went on and she had her own son (who she wanted regulus to meet and cried about that too) and she had to focus on her own family now.

regulus was sirius’ brother. sirius probably couldn’t believe what he heard at first. sure they had been estranged for three years but hadn’t they had fifteen years before that? it’s not easy to erase that. i feel like when sirius heard it, there was this ringing in his ear -> Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus is dead Regulus—

anyways. before this happened, there was also a possibility that sirius could have reconnected with regulus. it’s like… somewhere down the road, if regulus came to his senses, maybe things could be different but now that he was dead, there was nothing left to do. death is final. and sirius cared. he said:

From what I found out after he died

not “from what i heard” !!!! this, to me, is an important detail. it implies that sirius looked for answers and he didn’t just hear that regulus died & moved on. another thing is that this was war time and he probably didn’t have the luxury to go around and investigate an insignificant death eater’s passing but he did. he tried. he cared. and the way sirius talked about regulus screamed to me this bitter sense of regret (not regret of his own decisions but regret of regulus’).

“stupid idiot” translated to me as -> “oh this stupid idiot joined the wrong side of the war, this stupid idiot blindly believed everything our parents said, and died as a result. he couldn’t handle the service and got killed. he could have lived a good and long life if he didn’t join the death eaters.”

to conclude, i think sirius was initially in straight up denial about it and tried to find out what happened. he never got any closure, of course, because no one really knew what had happened to regulus. i think even further sirius’ way of coping was to mask his grief with a layer of bashing (??) regulus (i can’t think of a better word. what i mean is that he just kept thinking about regulus bringing this on himself and how it could have been avoided if regulus hadn’t been a puppet to his parents). so yeah, regret. loads of it.

[asneakyfox]

on babygirlification

ok. this will get to ofmd. but damsels in distress have been a big deal in the western literary tradition for a very long time, right? goes all the way back to, idk, maybe perseus & andromeda? and this motif has been very widely criticized by feminists (yes mostly a specific subset of them, we're getting to that), for how it casts the female character as entirely passive and helpless and reliant on a male lead to rescue her, and that it's corrosive as a cultural narrative to teach girls that their chief virtue is being helpless in a beautiful way that inspires men to take care of you, rather than believing in your own competence and agency to solve the problems you face without needing to rely on a male caretaker. and also that these stories are often not really about the damsel: the female character's helplessness and her peril are just plot devices that exist to give the male lead a reason to prove his own power and agency by rescuing her.

and then other feminists, mostly women of color, started pushing back on this, pointing out that the classic damsel in distress is not only always a woman she's always a white woman. women of color (especially but not exclusively black women) by and large are not portrayed in white supremacy culture as beautifully helpless, they are stereotyped as strong and independent, and while there are some nice things about being viewed as strong it means people are less willing to see when you need help and offer it. and there's also a widespread sense that beautiful helpless white women are worthy of being protected where other people aren't.

if you are a person who's been told all your life that you are helpless, lacking in agency, that you need someone else to rescue you from your problems, then seeing someone like you in a damsel-in-distress plotline looks disempowering. If you have the opposite problem - if you have always been viewed as so strong and capable that nobody else can ever see when you need help, and you have spent your whole life solving your own problems by your own agency because of it - then the damsel looks a lot more like a kind of power fantasy, a fantasy of for once finally being seen by someone else as worthy of rescue.

here's the part where we get to ofmd and ed babygirl teach but i'm going to put it under a cut because this is getting long.

this context is important to ofmd and how we talk about ed. because the reason people find it so compelling to portray ed as something of a damsel has a lot to do with him being very very firmly in the second category. partly because he is a man of color but also it is a theme that is emphasized constantly throughout his arc and his backstory.

the most pivotal event in ed's life, the thing his whole character arc hinges around, is when he killed his father. he was a child and he lived in constant fear and the two people in the world he should have been able to rely on to take care of him were no help at all - his father was the source of the danger and his mother was someone he had to protect and he went and solved the whole problem himself, on his own, by doing something nobody should ever have to do at any age, something most people wouldn't be capable of no matter how necessary it was, at the age of maybe fourteen.

being able to do this came at a cost. it left him deeply emotionally scarred, in a way that fundamentally changed his own self-image and crippled his ability to form meaningful relationships and in a lot of ways was the first domino that led to a nearly successful suicide attempt thirty years later. but he did solve the immediate problem. and that's the big pattern for ed's whole life, he is entirely capable of solving any external challenge he ever faces but it comes at really serious cost to his mental health.

ed has coping methods that are adequate for all the external problems he normally deals with. this specifically includes his worst moments we see him face during the show. first mate being verbally abusive and threatening his life? he's got a solution for that: make that guy eat a toe. white people being racist to his face? have fang skin them with a snail fork then toss them overboard. the times we see ed fail at solving an external problem it's either because it's a challenge he's literally never faced at all before (making breakfast in bed for your bf) or it's an unusual circumstance where the solution he'd normally use can't work (leap year) or both (french party boat). probably if he did face those circumstances regularly he'd figure something out, because that's what he always does! but his solutions come at a price and that price is making him hate himself and want to die.

ed can save himself. he can do anything, just like he says. but he shouldn't have to. he's been saving himself all on his own, over and over and over again, for his whole life, and he's so tired of it, and that's why it means so much to him that stede is the first person ever to look at him and see someone who deserves to be taken care of.

(btw this doesn't mean it's inherently racist to write a story where a character of color can't solve their own problems and does need someone else to help them - that's something that can be empowering too, knowing you don't have to not need help in order to justify getting it - although you'd want to tread very very carefully with it if the character who helps them is white! but that's very much not at all the story canon gives us with ed, and it's a bit suspicious when fandom insists on turning ed's story into that other one.)

anyway that for me is the big thing to remember in fic, when writing about the ways stede takes care of ed. even in a modern au, for me at least, to translate the way their dynamic works in canon, it's important that whatever problems ed regularly faces in his life, he's got ways to solve them before he meets stede. if izzy yells at him at work, if a doctor he visits is racist to him, if someone threatens violence against him, he 's not going to just sit there and take it if stede's not there. he has ways to deal with all those situations - but while the coping methods he uses work to solve the problem they also cause him very severe stress. that's why it means so much to him when he finds he's got someone like stede to have his back at those times. that's a big theme in their relationship and it's something that's super important to both of them but the importance is not that ed can't solve for himself the problems stede helps him with.

(at least, the external problems. ed can't turn into a mermaid. but that's a different kind of thing.)

[raven-dor]

do you get deja vu? pt.2

in which sirius black finally finds peace...

PAIRING: sirius black x fem!reader, platonic!marauders x fem!reader

WARNINGS: angst, Walburga Black, yearning, loser boyfriend (not Sirius), fluff, pregnancy, very very slight allusion to NSFW, crying, kissing!!

WORD COUNT: 3.1k

🎶 : deja vu - olivia rodrigo

AN: ♥️💗 - enjoy!!

Grimmauld Place, 1994

Grimmauld Place was just as Sirius had left it: dark, gloomy, and void of love. He’d been staring at the family tree for hours, at the burned mark that was once his face. Andromeda had had the same done when she married Ted, so he told himself he couldn’t feel too special. His uncle Alpharad was also burned off, which Sirius found hilarious, since said uncle was the Head of House Black until his untimely death. 

He felt some semblance of sadness while he stared at the tree. As much as he hated his family, he wished that you could’ve been there beside him, Vivian, too. 

Instead, it would be forever stuck in 1975.

Kreacher haunted the dingy halls, talking to himself like Sirius’s mother was still there, ordering him around. 

If Sirius were kinder, he would have tried to comfort the house elf, but Kreacher had never been kind to him, and Sirius didn’t feel particularly charitable. He roamed the upper floor, settling in the library. Regulus could always be found here, tucked in a large chair with several books beside him. Sirius had always teased his brother for his actions, which he now regretted. Now, he wished he could go back and keep his younger brother company. 

His bedroom had been the last place he’d visited, growing painfully nostalgic as he stared at the pictures he’d permanently glued to the otherwise grey walls. One photo in particular pulled him back: him lying leisurely on your lap as you braided his hair, grinning wildly. James had taken the picture, saying that one day you would show your children this photo. Sirius had grown bright pink, and you’d laughed it off, like it hadn’t even bothered you. 

Hogwarts, 1974

“Must you drape yourself over my legs like a dog?” You groaned. “Your animagus may be a dog, Sirius, but that doesn’t mean you have to act like one.” 

“I disagree.” He smiled, content. “Besides, you’ve never complained before.” 

You rolled your eyes, muttering under your breath as you tried to find some semblance of comfort. “Well, I’m complaining now.” 

“What was that?” 

“Nothing, Sirius.” You glared at the back of his head. “Do you mind if I plait your hair?” 

“By all means.” He leaned his head back, humming as you ran your fingers through it. “You should do this more often.” 

You smacked his arm playfully. “Behave yourself.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Reaching for his bag, he pulled out his brush. “Here, for tangles.” 

You cackled, throwing your head back. “Only you would have a brush in your book bag.” 

Sirius reveled in your laughter; he always did. Making you laugh was better than any trophy, better than any House Cup (not that he would tell James that.) “Is it gold crusted as well?” 

“Oh, shut it and do my hair, woman.” You raised an eyebrow, and he crumbled. “I mean gorgeous, perfect in every way-” 

“Stop talking before you say something you regret, Sirius.” 

It was beautiful outside, the sun shining on the Black Lake looked like something out of one of those Muggle films Remus raved on about. The breeze was perfect, cooling you off from the sun but not so cold you needed a jumper. “I wish we could stay here forever.” 

You hummed, carefully brushing through his hair, two elastics between your lips. “Me too, Siri.” 

“Do we have to go home?” 

You frowned, halting your process momentarily. “You can come home with me if you want. I don’t want you to-” Your throat began to close, becoming emotional at the thought of your best friend having to put up with what could only be explained as torture. “You don’t deserve that, Sirius.” 

“Aw.” His bottom lip jutted out. “I didn’t know you cared about me so much.” 

“Of course I do, you daft dimbo.” You resumed your job, separating his hair into sections. “You’re my best friend.” 

His once joyful face faltered, like you’d smacked him. “You’re mine too, you know.” He whispered. “Don’t tell James.” 

“Too late.” The Quidditch star clutched his heart like he’d been attacked. “I’ll never recover.” 

You smiled, gesturing toward the spot next to you. “James! Join us, will you?” 

He sat beside you, smirking at the sight before him. “Why do you think I’m here?” 

“Because you can’t be without Sirius for more than two minutes.” You raised an eyebrow at his mischievous expression. “What’s on your mind, Potter?” 

“Never thought I’d see the day.” He shook his head at Sirius. “You’re whipped, my friend.” 

Sirius glared. “Shut it, Prongs.” 

“You know how he is.” You whispered as if Sirius couldn’t hear you. “He needs constant pampering.” 

James nodded, laughing. “Constant pampering indeed. Although it seems like it’s only when it comes to you.” 

“James…” Sirius warned. 

“How about a photo?” James was feeling particularly mischievous today, and Sirius vowed to make his life a living hell later. “I have a camera.” 

“Wizard or Muggle?” You questioned. “Lily told me you bought a Muggle camera. Is there any specific reason you did that?” 

His cheeks flushed, but he denied your accusation. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He raised the camera to his eye, waiting until it focused on the two of you. “Smile!” 

At the very last second, Sirius looked up at you, catching your eye, and you grinned, cheeks growing hot (which you would later say was because of the sun.)

James sighed, handing you the photograph when it had developed. “One day, you’re going to show you’re children this photo.” 

Sirius sounded like he was choking, but you just laughed, shoving your friend. “Quiet, James.” 

Grimmauld Place, 1994

He hoped you were happy now, as happy as you were twenty years ago. It hurt his heart to think about then, before you had any responsibility, before you had to fight in a war you never asked for. 

His fingers grazed over his Gryffindor banner, something his mother had detested almost as much as him. 

He’d had one in his dormitory, identical to the one that hung here. You’d had a Ravenclaw banner as well, one that you had hung up in your apartment after graduation. Sirius had said it was ugly, that it clashed with your aesthetic when you’d brought it up. You’d glared at him before moving on, begging him to join you for one last late-night kitchen visit. How could he say no to you? 

Hogwarts, 1978

You’d fallen asleep on the Gryffindor Common room couch, Sirius carried you bridal style up to his dorm, tucking you in gently.

“You love her, don’t you?” James whispered, watching his best friend stare at the girl like she was everything. “You're looking at her like I look at Lily.” 

“You know I do.” His gaze never left your face, smiling to himself. “I’ll be brave enough to tell her eventually.” 

And so, James decided to help his friend by pranking her horrible boyfriend. He honestly didn’t think the blame would fall on Sirius. 

“Sirius Black!” You’re voice echoed throughout the Great Hall, but not one head turned toward it. Everyone was used to it at this point, and no one bothered to complain. Complaining today of all days was not something even the bitterest of Slytherins felt like doing. 

Graduation was a day for camaraderie, for putting aside past grudges, for laughing at the Marauders' antics one last time. 

Sirius winced at the yell. “Yes, love?” 

“Would you mind fessing up?” You crossed your arms, and your hip jutted ever so slightly to the side. His jaw went slack, admiring the woman in front of him. You were gorgeous, your hair was perfect, face was glowing in the midday sun. “Hello?” 

“I-” The Marauders laughed behind his back. They’d all known about his crush on her for years, and enjoyed it when he stumbled over his words. It was very uncharacteristic of him. “I beg your pardon?” 

“You doused Marcus in green goo.” You glared. “Again.” 

“Did I?” He tapped his chin, feigning innocence. “I don’t recall-” 

“Sirius.” You tapped your foot. “He’s coming over here in just a moment, and you are going to apologize.” 

“I will do no such thing.” He scoffed. “I’m telling you, it wasn’t me.” 

“Why do I not believe you?” You sighed. “His parents are here, Sirius. I can’t have their first impression of me be-” You grew impatient. “Please, just fix this.”

His heart twisted at the very mention of your useless boyfriend. Not only was he helpless, he was a right git, undeserving of you. His crush, if he was being honest with himself, had evolved into heart-stopping, painful longing. Or, in layman’s terms, love. He’d loved you as long as he’d known you, and you were oblivious to it. Either that, or you were choosing to ignore his blatant displays of affection. “I-I swear I didn’t-” 

“It was me.” James stepped up, bravely facing your anger. “Sorry, Monroe, but he’s a right git. That was nothing compared to what I should do.” 

“James.” You frowned. “I appreciate your concern, but in the future, leave the handling of things to me.” 

He nodded, pointing his wand toward his fellow student and reversing the spell. “There. Happy Graduation.” 

“Thank you, Jamie.” You hugged him quickly. “I have to-” 

“We should take a picture!” Sirius blurted, eyes wide. “Euphemia asked me to get a picture of the six of us.” 

“Alright.” You nodded. “But make it quick. I have to-” 

“Get back to Marcus,” Sirius grumbled, swinging his arm around your shoulders, pulling you close. “We get it, love.” 

“Don’t be such a Negative Nancy, Siri.” You smiled, kissing his cheek as the flash went off. “It doesn’t suit you.” 

Grimmauld Place, 1994

He sat on his bed, lying back and staring at the ceiling. He’d done the same thing thousands of times before, but now it felt foreign, almost wrong. The last time he’d been here was the night before he had been kicked out. You’d been at Potter Manor when he arrived, your family kicking you out months ago. 

You’d moved out after graduation, feeling that you overstayed your welcome. The Potters never stopped behaving as if you lived there, even inviting you to Christmas the following year. 

Potter Manor, 1979

“Sirius, come down here!” Euphemia called out. “We’re taking a photo.” 

“I’m right here.”

You jumped, clutching your chest. “Merlin, Siri. You scared me.” 

“Sorry, love,” He wrapped an arm around your waist, standing alongside the Potters as they waited for their photo to be taken. “Didn’t mean to.” His eyes darted to your stomach, and you shook your head, smiling at his concern. It was endearing to see him so worried. 

“It’s alright.” You smiled. “Really.” 

“Alright, lovebirds,” James called out, charming the camera to take the photo by itself. “Break it up.” 

Sirius glared, scoffing as James kissed Lily’s cheek. “You’re a hypocrite, Potter.” 

“That’s enough out of both of you.” Euphemia scolded, leaning her head on her husband’s shoulder. “Smile.” 

The camera flashed, and James dramatically groaned. “Thank Merlin. I don’t think I could smile any longer.” 

You scoffed, following the crowd into the kitchen. “Says the man who's constantly smiling.” 

“Shut it, Monroe.” He stuck his tongue out rather childlessly before addressing his parents. “I propose a toast.”

“Alright.” Fleamont grinned, and you realized how alike he and his son looked. It was like Euphemia’s genes had given up entirely. Your hand drifted down to your stomach, now fearful that your child would look just like its father. “What are we toasting to?” 

“Sirius, Monroe, and I are passing the Auror entrance exams, Lily getting an internship at St.Mungos. Our engagement.” He kissed the ginger on the cheek. “Take your pick, really.” 

Fleamont laughed, pouring six flutes of champagne. “To a prosperous year, then.” 

“Well said.” Euphemia smiled, kissing her husband's cheek as she passed out the drinks. “Here, dear.” 

“Thank you-” 

“You can’t drink, love,” Sirius whispered, eyes wide when he realized what he’d just admitted. The room stilled, everyone’s eyes drifting to your stomach. Your cheeks felt hot, staring at Sirius, who was trying to play it off. “It’s just that you get so-” 

“Sirius Black.” Euphemia looked livid. “Have you impregnated the girl?” 

“Phemia!” You gasped, wishing you could go back in time and escape this horrible nightmare. “He-” 

James was clenching his wand. “Sirius, what’s going on?” 

Lily’s eyes were trained on your stomach, jaw agape. “I can’t believe it.” 

Fleamont looked positively shocked. “Sirius. I thought we talked-” 

“Everyone, hold on.” Sirius held his hands up defensively. “Let me explain.” 

“You have two minutes.” James crossed his arms. “I love you, Sirius, you know I do. You’re like a brother to me. But Monroe is like a sister to me, and I swear to Merlin-” 

“With that logic, James…” You whispered, desperately trying to break the tension. “You’re saying that-” 

Sirius coughed, cheeks bright pink. “Relax, Jamie.” He looked down, wrapping an arm around your waist. “Do you want to tell them love, or should I?” 

“I can do it.” You smiled, kissing his still-pink cheek. “As you all have correctly gathered, I’m pregnant.” 

“Congratulations,” Lily whispered. 

“Thank you, Lils.” You nodded gratefully. “I found out in late September.” 

James tilted his head. “But you and Sirius started dating in October.” 

“Yes. Thank you, James.” You felt more and more embarrassed the more you spoke, Fleamont and Euphemia’s eyes trained on you. “I told Marcus I was pregnant, and he left in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, it isn’t Sirius’s.” You looked up, his heart breaking from the sadness your beautiful eyes held. “I wish it were.” 

“Don’t cry, love,” Sirius whispered, wiping the tears that fell from your eyes. “He’s an ass.”

James still looked livid, but it wasn’t trained toward his best friend. “I’m going to kill him.” 

“Now hold on-” 

Sirius smiled. “I’m right behind you, Jamie.” 

“Alright-”

“No one is killing anyone.” Euphemia stopped their pipe dream, stepping forward and taking your hands in hers. “I’m so sorry, my darling girl.” 

“It’s alright.” You shrugged. “I’m excited, honest.” 

“I’m glad.” She hugged you carefully. “You’ll be a wonderful mother, I know it.” 

Sirius clenched his jaw, muttering under his breath. “Don’t squeeze her too tight-” 

“Sirius.” You looked unimpressed. “I’m not made of glass.” 

“I know-” 

Grimmauld Place, 1994

He sat up, straightening his jacket. It was odd, wearing these clothes again. 

This whole situation was odd. The way he’d escaped, the way he’d seen Harry and Vivian fully grown. The way he was now wearing the clothes he’d gotten arrested in, too big thanks to the many years of malnourishment Azkaban punished him with. 

The jacket, which till held his most prized photo, his last peaceful memory captured. The last moment he was truly happy, before he learned the truth, and derailed his entire life to seek out revenge. 

To kill the man who killed his brother. 

He pulled the photo out of his pocket, smiling to himself. There you were, proudly displaying your daughter in her black cat costume to the camera. Vivian was a little over a year old, completely oblivious to the war and world around her. 

Godric’s Hollow, 1981

“Vivi!” You giggled, chasing her around the living room. “Come here, you rascal!” 

The little girl squealed, her stubby legs moving as fast as they could. Sirius scooped her up in his arms, peppering her face with kisses. “Dada-” 

You smiled, kissing Sirius on the cheek. “You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” 

“She’s precious.” He stared at the little girl who was desperately trying to escape. “The spitting image of you.” 

“Thank Merlin.” You leaned your head on his arm, perfectly content. “Do you like the whiskers?” 

He nodded. “Nice touch. Really pulls the whole black cat costume together.” 

You glared, shoving him playfully. “Don’t tease.” You walked across the living room, picking up the discarded toys that littered the floor. “I wonder what Harry’s going as.” 

Sirius grumbled, setting Vivian down, laughing when she raced over to you, clinging to your leg. “Probably nothing, since Dumbledore’s got them under lock and key.” 

“It’s for their protection, Siri.” You hid the toys before Vivian could make a mess again. “Do you- you ever think about trying again?” 

He raised an eyebrow. “Trying again? Trying what?” 

You shrugged, cheeks growing hotter by the minute. “We are engaged. And after we get married-” 

“Soon.” 

You nodded, tracing patterns in his chest. “Soon. What do you think about children?” 

“I adore Viv, you know I do.” 

“I know.” Was he being obtuse on purpose, or did you have to put it bluntly? “Sirius, I want to have a child with you.” 

His eyes practically bulged out of their sockets, mouth agape. You panicked, backing away. “We don’t have to-” 

“Merlin, love. Of course I do.” He grinned. “We could start right-”

You slapped a hand over his mouth, gesturing to your daughter, still clinging to your leg. “There’s a child present.” 

“Could be two.” He wiggled his eyebrows, and you scoffed, walking away. 

“Forget I said anything.” 

“Hold on a moment.” He grabbed your wrist, spinning you back toward him. His eyes were eager, sincere. “I want a million children with you.” 

“I could settle for one.” 

“We’ll see about that.” He murmured, kissing your lips gently. “How about a photo?” 

“Alright.” You smiled, picking Vivian up off the floor, holding her proudly. “Say cheese, Vivi.” 

Grimmauld Place, 1994

“So much for that, huh?” A tear fell down his cheek, carefully placing the picture back in his pocket. 

“So much for what, exactly?” 

His heart dropped, looking up to see you in his doorway, like an angel. You looked almost the same, a little weathered from the years, your eyes dulled down from years of mourning a man still alive. “Are you real?” 

Your eyes welled, stepping into the room. “I’m here, Siri.” 

“I-” He stood up, reaching out to touch your cheek. You leaned into his hold, eyes fluttering shut as you savored this moment. “It’s really you.” 

You nodded, tears streaming down your cheeks as you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him flush against you. “I missed you.” 

His head fell to the crook of your neck, his voice causing chills to run down your spine. “I thought about you every second, love.” He pulled his head back, holding your face in his hands. “Every second.” 

“You said you’d be right back.” You sobbed. 

“I’m sorry.” He leaned down, kissing your lips desperately. It was messy, uncoordinated, but you didn’t care. You pulled him closer, clinging to him like it was the last thing you would do. It couldn’t be some figment of imagination in your head, not again. “I’m sorry, my love. I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t ever leave me again.” You cried, kissing him once more. “Ever.” 

“I swear.” He nodded, a horribly mischievous smirk painting his chapped lips. “I solemnly swear.” 

You scoffed, gently pushing a stray hair behind his ear. “Shut it.”

taglist: @beebeechaos @milesdrift @rorywright @maryjaneeeee @dalmationsanddasies

LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO JOIN!

[entitled-fangirl]

His betrothed. (P4)

Barty Crouch x reader

Summary: The Marauders comfort the reader after the incident with Barty.

Masterlist

Part 1!

..................................................

Y/N ran to the Common Room in tears.

Barty was cheating on her?

Her heart was in shambles.

Maybe James was right and she was a fool to believe that the Death Eater could possibly love her enough to marry her.

Her thoughts were paused as she ran into a wall.

Not a wall.

James Potter himself.

Speak of the devil.

She looked up at him at met his eyes.

He immediately sighed in an annoyed manner, "What's wrong?"

She opened her mouth, but only sobs came out.

"Oh, Dove…" He immediately dropped his facade and held her close to him.

Remus rushed down the stairs at the sound of her sobs. "Thank Merlin! There you are."

James glared at Remus. 

It's obvious that the fight with James was still ongoing.

She sniffled, "Where's… where's Siri?"

Remus smiled, "He was looking for you. Regulus was as well."

James frowned, "Why? What the hell is going on?"

Sirius entered the Common Room. His hair was awry and he was out of breath but he pleaded, "Oh, Y/N. I… I'm so sorry. I'm sorry."

She buried her face in James' chest and sobbed harder.

James was stiff. He had never really had a sister, so comforting the youngest Black sibling was still foreign to him.

Sirius sighed, "'m sorry to you, too, James. I… I shouldn't have been so harsh with you. You were just trying to protect her."

James scoffed. He pulled Y/N's head back just slightly to wipe her tear-stained cheeks with his thumbs, "I accept, Pads, but I still don't know what the hell is going on."

"Right," Sirius realized, "Well… Regulus and Crouch had gotten into a fight this morning and I guess-"

Y/N pulled away from James and quickly walked past the boys to go to her room.

She felt like she already knew enough that she didn't need to hear it be said aloud.

But Remus caught her arm gently. His voice was low as he bent his torso down just slightly to talk to her, "Dove? How can I help?"

She shook her head. "I don't.. there's… there's nothing to do."

He smiles, "How about I come get you in an hour or two for lunch? I can at least make sure you get fed."

Sirius jumps in, "Actually, dear sister, Regulus must speak with you."

She shook her head, "I have nothing to say to him."

He leaned back slightly, "Y/N, listen. It's important."

"Is he going to rub it in my face?"

"Wh…what? You think so little of our brother that he would gloat in his sister's unhappiness?"

She shrugged, "I… I don't know."

He gently took her shoulders, leading her to the Common Room door, "He's waiting for you outside. Just hear him out, alright?"

She sighed, knowing she couldn't fight them.

She loved her brothers more than life itself, but man, could they be pains in the ass.

Sirius planted a loving kiss on the top of her head and gently pushed her out of the room, closing the painting swiftly.

Regulus held a forced smiled to his lips, "Hi, sister."

She pulled her arms around herself, "Reg."

"Alright," he immediately started, "There's an entirely reasonable explanation for everything that happened today. Just… ugh…"

"Regulus, I won't forgive this. There's nothing you can say that would make this better. If Barty loved me, he would show it."

"That's the thing," he sighed. "Barty and I got into a fight this morning-"

"-Yes, that's all anyone will talk about!" She scoffed.

"Andromeda has had a crush on his for a while now. I just… she was trying to flirt with him all day yesterday. I told him this morning that he needs to make sure he doesn't give her the wrong idea. He… he told me I was crazy, and that he only has eyes for you. I believe him, of course, but still…

"Anyway, so later after my morning class, I go back to our dorm. There's a card on Barty's bed. It's from Andromeda."

She finally interrupts him, "I still don't get it."

"Let me finish!" He barked. His face dropped, "I'm sorry. Just let me finish."

She nodded with wide eyes.

"Barty opened the card and Andromeda had bewitched it to blow a love potion. He breathed it in."

Y/N had never felt more foolish in her life.

That look Barty had given her when she caught them should've told her all of this on its own.

He looked so regretful, even though his body was telling him to love Andromeda.

His mind still rebelled to love her.

She pondered this for a while before mentally coming back to Regulus, "Why isn't he here?"

"He's in the Hospital Wing getting treated."

She nodded, "Thank you, Reg."

He smiled, "Least I could do for you. But, please, go get a coat or something before you go see him. It's too cold in the castle for you to not have a jumper."

Y/N smiled, "I will. Bye, Reg."

She opened the Gryffindor painting and disappeared behind it.

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had apparently all made up in the time she was gone. 

Or at least she assumed so by the way they were all sprawled out on the large couch of the Common Room.

Remus noticed her first, standing with a smile, "Is everything alright now?"

She smiled and nodded, "Yes, Regulus explained everything."

A seemingly collective sigh broke out from the boys.

Sirius let out a laugh, "If it helps, Regulus said he had a serious talk with Andromeda."

"Regulus did?" She asked.

He nodded.

James stood up hesitantly and walked to her small frame. "Listen, dove. I… I was wrong about what I said. I want to protect you, but that's no excuse to speak to you how I did. Will you forgive me?"

She smiled and hugged him tightly. Her voice was muffled against his chest, "Ah aways fowgive ew, Wrongs."

He laughed and pulled her closer, placing a brotherly kiss on her forehead.

…

The poor boy was already stringing pleads together to make barely understood sentences, "I'm sorry I was a fool and I opened the bloody card. I fought with your brother so much about it and I should have known better. You never deserve this and I don't think anything I do will suffice as an apology so all I can do is hope that you will think of something for me to do to let you forgive me."

She stood at the foot of the hospital cot with a sympathetic gaze, "You mean that?"

Barty smiled, "Oh, love. I swear to you. Please. I can't describe what I felt when you found us in the library."

Y/N nodded. "I… I forgive you."

"No, love." He persisted, "Don't let it go so easily. I'll make it up to you. What can I do?"

She looks up at the ceiling in thought. "A date. A real date. On the Hogsmeade trip?"

He smiled, "That's nothing. Consider it done. What else?"

She smirked, "Carry my books to class this week?"

"Two weeks." He smiled.

She nodded, "Two weeks."

"Alright. What else?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, Barty. Honestly, I forgive you."

He sits up and leans forward, "Let me earn your trust back."

She hesitates, then nods, "Alright."

He swings his legs around and gets out of the cot. He takes a few steps towards her, "Thank you, Y/N."

His hands rubs up and down her arms as his body pulls her closer.

The proximity makes her catch her breath, "f… for what?"

He smiled, feeling his lips almost brush hers, "For letting me kiss you."

Her face turned red, "What, Barty-"

His lips gently meet hers, giving her a minute to pull away if she wanted to.

But she didn't want to at all.

Her arms wrap around his neck, letting one of her hands wander into his hair and pull him closer.

He sighed in the kiss happily but pulled away. His breath was quick and his eyes filled with lust, "I've wanted to do that for so long." 

....................................................

Taglist: @marauders-81, @godofstory, @atlass8, @prettyb1tchsblog, @drarry--4--ever

[myokk]

Hi! I'm still feral for these two, would you mind giving us some art of them in their later years together!?

Hello angel!!!!

Sorry it’s taken so long to respond🫶🫶 but I wanted to draw some new art for this ask💓

We have: Sebastian and Eloise trying out their new fancy camera with a selfie, pictures of them with their daughter, and finally…idk I just always felt like this drawing is when they’re a bit older💓

I want to take this ask as an opportunity as well to talk a little about how I imagine their future (I have no chill & you can ignore this and just enjoy the art if you want😇).

I am a COMPLETE pantser - I never know how a chapter’s going to end when I start writing it (I always just have a few scenes I know I need to include to keep the plot moving forward). Although I have different *big* scenes I’m always writing towards, and themes/plot elements I’m always foreshadowing (shout out to @elliecutte for catching *almost* all of my hints and appreciating my general no chill😆), IM STILL NOT 100% SURE HOW I WILL END THINGS !!! 😳 I have a lot of endings I see as possible, and I think soon it will become more clear to me what will work the best💓

HAPPY ENDING:

Eloise and Sebastian become Unspeakables. I have a LOT of thoughts on this profession that could be its OWN post, and I feel like Unspeakables are generally specialized in one or two departments, but as their interests/research change they also change.

Eloise becomes an Unspeakable in the Mind and Death departments, with the occasional foray into Time. Her ancient magic is connected with all of these things (my version of AM is NOT like the game) & the Department of Mysteries is one of the only places that gives her any useful information about these things. Plus she thinks too much (it IS her hobby after all😆💓) and is very introverted so a hermit job like this is a perfect fit.

Sebastian becomes an Unspeakable as well, but I feel like it takes him a long time to specialize in anything, if he ever does. I just feel like becoming an Unspeakable is the adult equivalent of sneaking into the Restricted Section🥹🫶

They grow old together (I won’t explain TOO much) & have a lovely little family🥹 at least one daughter that they both dote on. Sebastian had an amazing childhood (idyllic until it wasn’t), and wants to give his daughter the same, and Eloise works hard to make sure their daughter feels the love that she never had growing up🥺

When Sirius is burned off the family tree, Eloise and Sebastian take him in🥹🫶 (they’re like 100 years old but WIZARDS LIVE LONGER…) The same happened to her all those years ago, and she wants him to know that his whole family hasn’t abandoned him.

Eloise LOVED her nieces - Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa - when they were younger, but as Voldemort becomes more powerful & people realize WHAT he’s doing, she has to separate herself from them. Her heart breaks seeing Bellatrix go mad, and seeing Narcissa engaged to a Malfoy out of obligation😔 (iykyk)

I haven’t thought any more about happy ending but I think it’s fun to think about how their future story might weave in with the actual canon events, ESPECIALLY since Eloise is a Black🥹💓

SAD ENDING:

After Sebastian gets his hands on Slytherin’s relic, it really starts to consume him and makes him even MORE obsessive than his natural tendencies - I imagine it similarly “talking” to him like Slytherin’s locket/horcrux did in Deathly Hallows (😳)

Eloise is deathly afraid of the changes she’s seeing in Sebastian and steals it from him (he would never willingly give it to her ESPECIALLY if it starts to feel like a precious item to him)

BUT the relic triggers the latent Black Family Madness in her - the madness that afflicts almost every woman in her family since…🤭 - and she herself starts to lose touch with reality. Her body and soul are already destroying themselves between the curse and the ancient magic inside of her, and the relic is what triggers it in her.

Sebastian becomes an Unspeakable, focusing on the Mind, in a desperate attempt to find a cure for his Eloise🥺

He never gives up his research, and sometimes when he comes home she is lucid and they talk about his research - otherwise, he just loves and takes care of her.

(He’s never successful in finding a way to reverse what he feels he caused in the first place - his ambition and single-mindedness is, to him, the reason why all of this happened)

Honestly who knows if I end their story either of these ways😌 I just love thinking of AUs and different endings and I have a few others I’ve considered as well!!! And whatever endings I don’t write will be immortalized on this blog and in my art as well🙏

[emthimofnight]

Hi Emthimofnight! I was wondering what the thought process is when naming the fankids. I find naming an oc to be hard sometimes, so just genuinely curious how you got some of the names. I mean, the knuxouge kids make sense, but what about the rest? Hope you have a great day 🫶

Hiiii!! ❤️ Thank you so much for your interest in my silly little creations, you have no idea how much it means to me when people ask about my thought process when it comes to these things!! 🥰

I actually really love naming my characters, it's kind of the cherry on top of a finished design for me! When it comes to fankids in specific, though, there are a lot of factors that go into my final choice of a name.

There are a few rules I follow, first being that I try to keep all Sonic fankid/oc names consistent with what we have already seen in-universe (i.e. no generic human names, instead focusing on nouns or verbs). I also try to keep in mind the parents of the fankid, and try to choose names that would fit with that particular ship, while also giving said fankid their own identity.

This is gonna be a LONNNGGG post, so if you want to hear me yap, take a peek below the cut!

For my sonadow fankids, they were all intended to have some kind of cosmic/space theme as a nod to Shadow's extraterrestrial origins—and the fact that they are all an attempt to improve upon Project Shadow.

Stellar was the first fankid I made, period! I wanted her to be unique and stand-out, considering I had 20 years of sonadow fankids to contend with. I scoured the internet during her creation, making sure that there were no other sonadow kids that shared her name or were rockin' with a star/figure skater theme. On top of that, I wanted her name to fit with the "S" naming convention that all our main hedgies (Sonic, Shadow, Silver, etc.) have! "Stellar" was a pretty obvious choice for me.

For her failed lab siblings, I wanted to keep with the cosmic theme, but lose the names beginning with "S", a hint that from their very conception they would never be good enough, and would never be the "finished product".

Void was always intended to be a bigger, badder version of Shadow, and being the first attempt at perfecting Gerald Robotnik's work, he's basically all of Shadow's physical traits cranked up to a 10. More stripes, more fur, more muscle, more alien. He takes after grandpa Black Doom than Shadow himself does, and his name was chosen to reflect pretty much everything about him. Endlessly powerful, but deeply empty.

Andromeda was named not only for the obvious cosmic connotation, but because of her beauty! The princess Andromeda from Greek Mythology was known not only for her good looks, but also the seemingly endless tragedy that followed her. Andromeda is intended to be sort of a foil to Stellar, being that the Andromeda Galaxy is the closest to our own Milky Way, and the two are destined to eventually collide. Andromeda resents Stellar intensely in the universe in which the fail sibs survived infancy, and the two of them have a very volatile relationship—that is, until she and Polarity get an eventual redemption arc. 😉

Speaking of, Polarity had the most name candidates before I eventually landed on his current one! He was almost named Velocity, but I decided that "Polarity" was more apt in capturing his character. He is supposed to be a good guy who is on the wrong side, constantly fighting with what he believes is right and wrong, being pulled in two very different directions. The heart of a hero beats in his chest, and he is the most like Sonic out of all of his siblings, but has been essentially brainwashed and abused into justifying the actions of the lab that made him.

Moving on from sonadow, my blazamy kids are next!

Both Camellia and Thistle are named after flowers to match with their mama, Amy Rose, but of course it's not just as simple as that! 😛 Their names were chosen to match with their species and appearances, seeing as Camellia is a cat and Thistle is a hedgehog.

Camellia and Thistle actually share very similar markings on their hair/quills, but if you look closely, you can see that they are actually reversed! Where Camellia's markings are more petal-like, Thistle's are spiky, like thorns!

Camellias also represent love, adoration, and longing—hinting at her romantic nature and affection for her best friend (and crush), Stellar! Thistles, on the other hand, are representative of determination, bravery, and strength, all things that Thistle will grow into as he finds his footing in the role of a prince.

As for my knuxouge kids, like you said, it's pretty self-explanatory. 😂 Rouge named both Jasper and Jade after the jewels she loves so much, as her babies are the most beautiful gems she's ever seen!

Of course, I did put a bit more thought in than just "Rouge names her kids after gems", seeing as both stones have spiritual meaning in various cultures.

Red jaspers (what Jasper is named after) are notable for having a nurturing quality and being a symbol of life, hinting at the fact that Jasper himself is more than just the playboy facade he presents to the world. He's a total mama's boy and loves his family more than anything, valuing his connection to echidna culture despite being born a bat. He uses his charisma and wit to get his way, and spends his days scoping out stolen echidna artifacts in museums and auctions so he can return them to where they rightfully belong—in the hands of his father, Knuckles.

Jade, too, is very true to what the stone she was named after represents. Jade represents wisdom, inner peace, harmony, balance, stability—all things Jade herself embodies to a T. Where Jasper is a smooth-talking charmer, Jade is calm, steady, and warm. Her very presence can defuse a tense situation, and it's very hard to find a single person who dislikes her. She is very responsible and dependable, taking her duty to guard the Master Emerald like her father before her very seriously.

As for Calico (whispangle fankid), they are named for their unique coloration, being born a wolf with lemur-like fur patterns! I wanted them to have a name that was a bit of a strange choice, perhaps a bit unconventional, seeing as they are a bit of an odd duck amongst my fankid cast. Calico is one of those characters who is often on the outskirts of the action, kind of floating between friend groups and never fully anchored amongst their peers, but happy regardless. They are a treasure that is well-worth uncovering for those willing to do the work!

Next up is Mirage (espilver fankid). Mirage's name says a lot about who he is as a character, being an introverted, anti-social spy for hire who despises the spotlight. Mirage is a master of illusions and a professional at remaining unseen, specializing in digging up the dirty secrets of those around him and selling their information to the highest bidder. His name has a double meaning, however, as Mirage himself has a lot to hide and a lot he's secretly insecure about. Everything he does is one big smokescreen to keep people as far away from him as possible, even if it means he might end up entirely alone.

Directly opposing Mirage's desire for solitude is my vectilla fankid, Pumpkin, who is everything Mirage isn't. Pumpkin is loud, bombastic, and social, acting almost like a big sister to Mirage seeing as they have known each other since they were small. Pumpkin's name was chosen to follow the naming convention of Cream, Cheese, and Vanilla (she also has a chao named Spice to reflect Cream's own chao, Cheese), while also having the kind of name that Vector would 100% name his daughter.

As for Rocket, Jet's adopted son, his name is unique from the others seeing as he's a trans man. His name is one he chose for himself, and is representative of his admiration for Jet and the Babylon Rogues and his desire to fit in amongst them. On top of his status as an extreme gear racer, Rocket is also a rock star, having a deep passion for music, adding another layer to his (and my own) reasoning behind his choice of a name. Rocky the rockin' rooster!

Snap (surgolin fankid) closes out my fankid roster for SonDADow AU as of now, and she probably had the most back and forth surrounding her name out of all my kiddos thus far. Static, Blitz, Tempest and Shock were all contenders, but Snap inevitably ended up being my final choice. I felt that the other options are all names that have seen a lot of use in the Sonic Fankid community, and Snap was deserving of something a bit more unique. It's zippy, packed with personality, and says a lot without being too obvious. You ain't ready for this snap, crackle, pop!! 💥💥💥

As for my kids from other AUs/universes, they all have equally as much thought put into their names as my main cast. Luster and Oleander both have names that say a lot about them as characters, with "luster" meaning to glow, shine, or reflect, and "oleander" being a beautiful, but incredibly poisonous flower.

Anyway, this ramble has gone on long enough. 🤣 But I hope this helps give an idea as to the thought process I go through when I come up with my characters! There are several I haven't even covered in their entirety here (Serene, Isol, Flux), but those are for another time. If you've gotten to the end of this wall of text, thanks for reading!! Hopefully this is some good food for all you lore lovers out there.

[pangaeaseas]

the 'Black Family Drama' tag on ao3 is so funny bc it's absolutely right these people are drama queens.

Sirius breaks into the Gryffindor dorms crazed with murder wielding a freaking knife (where did he even GET the knife??) on HALLOWEEN bc he's chosent he most appropriate day for Peter to find his death....

Regulus writing that pretentious little note in a situation where hopefully no one would ever find it....

Bellatrix shouting about the Dark Lord to get the final word before being carted off to Azaban.

Andromeda running away for love.

Narcissa doing anything she can to save Draco, saying nothing matters to her anymore and throwing herself at Snape's feet.

And in all of these actions there's a purposeful element! They aren't just being dramatic to be dramatic they are being dramatic to suit a goal. They have strong emotions but also the ability to play up those emotions for a goal.

No wonder, they all grew up together. So they gained their sense of theater from the same place.

[novamirmirsblog]

Amorntenia

Genre: fluff, hurt/comfort?

Request: no

Summary: a potion that allowed you to smell your crush - what could go wrong?

Notes: tba

Smarts had never been Narcissa’s problem. If anything, perhaps her intelligence had hindered her. Intellectually she understood attraction, understood why boys like Lucius found her pretty and how girls like Andromeda found boys like Tonks handsome. She could appreciate a good jawline or well tended hair as well as the next person and she had no shortage of suitors who loved to take her out into Hogsmeade. Her issue arose with the topic of supposed ‘soulmates’. So, when Slughorn told the class they would be making Amortenia potions, Narcissa rolled her eyes.

You, a half-blood witch, as Narcissa loved to remind you, were reluctant for a very different reason. Being placed in Slytherin meant Narcissa had the joy of constantly arguing with you. In your third year, the rivalry got so bad that it seemed that the two of you had spent more time in the infirmary than you had in your dorm. You had a sneaking suspicion you knew what your potion would smell like. You were in your fifth and final year at Hogwarts and somewhere between the pranks gone wrong and the infirmary visits, you had unfortunately developed a slight crush on Narcissa.

What started as annoyance at how her hair was so bouncy turned into awe, the annoyingly smug look she got on her face slowly turned cute and her swirling blue eyes - well they were always stunning.

To Narcissa’s surprise she smelt something. She inhaled deeper, letting the scent curl into her nose and down her throat. She could almost taste the combination of honeysuckle and warm oak. It wasn’t an unfamiliar smell but Narcissa refused to acknowledge who it belonged to. Unfortunately, her overactive mind refused to forget. Where before she had managed to block the thoughts of those around her, one particular person’s thoughts practically screamed at her.

Narcissa’s legilimency had been a closely guarded secret. She struggled in her first year at Hogwarts, not accustomed to being around so many unfiltered thoughts, but she soon learnt how to drown them out. Mostly she just heard snippets of deeper desires. A few words here and there that, if pressed, would have developed into full thoughts. She liked to think of the thoughts people had like a garden; at the surface you had the flowers and grass - the conscious thoughts, then you had the roots - the subconscious thoughts that led to the conscious ones, and then there were the bees. The bees were the base desires; food, water, sleep, sex, and Narcissa always did her best to block those out.

Across the table, you shift uncomfortably under Narcissa’s gaze. It seems as though she has zoned out but the intensity of her gaze suggests otherwise. “Shit does she know… why is she staring… oh no she’s planning on getting revenge for the time I…”

Narcissa inhales sharply, building more barriers up between her mind and yours but doesn’t manage to look away from you.

“If you’ve got something to say Black, say it.” You let out, concern making your tone snappier than maybe it should have been.

Narcissa’s face morphs in front of you, her almost dazed look altering into her usual cold indifference. “What does yours smell of?”

“What does yours smell of?” You bite back

“Narcissa raised an eyebrow “I asked first, half-blood”

You let out a scoff “Vanilla.”

“How bland.” Narcissa responds as her chest does something funny. An unbidden thought that she doesn’t smell like vanilla crossed her mind but it was banished as quickly as it had come.

You lean back in your chair, studying her “I answered your question - now you tell me what yours smells like.” a smirk plays at your lips as you wait for Narcissa’s answer.

A rush of heat floods Narcissa’s face and she immediately freezes. She can’t tell you the truth.. This is not how a Black behaves - she does not like an irritating half-blood’s smirk. Still, the weight of your thoughts pressed against her hastily thrown up walls.

Why does she care so much about what my potion smells of? Should I have lied about what mine smelt like?

Narcissa stiffens “Stop thinking so loudly”

“Excuse me?”

Oops. She hadn’t meant to have said that.

For a long while neither of you spoke. Then, slowly, you lean towards Narcissa over the table, watching as her eyes dart between yours and her lip begins to work between her teeth - the only tell she is full of anticipation.

“Can you hear my thoughts?”

Narcissa lifts her chin defiantly “That’s none of your concern half-blood”

Your smirk widens “Oh but Cissy it is.” A flash of concern covers your face “Wait does this mean you can hear… everything?” Oh shit can she tell I lied? Does she know I - Shut UP ohmygosh think of anything else DO NOT THINK OF NARCIS- cats dogs horses fish goa-

“Oh would you look at that, it's the end of the lesson.” Narcissa hurried out of the class before she could hear any more.

~~~~~

Narcissa storms out of the library, her heart pounding far too quickly for her liking. A few days had passed since Slughorn’s lesson and, much to Narcissa’s annoyance, her thoughts had been solely on you. The corridor was dimly lit, betraying the amount of time Narcissa had spent pouring over books. She was sure the potion had gone wrong. Yes. That was the only reasonable explanation as to why her mind was constantly on you.

Narcissa had been doing a brilliant job at avoiding you. It was quite the feat really, considering you shared a dorm. Unfortunately, it seemed like her luck was about to run out. You had spotted Narcissa leaving the library and after days of not seeing her, decided to do something reckless.

Black!

Narcissa span around, coming face to face with you. “What?” she bit out.

“I knew you could hear me.”

Narcissa looked at you as you leaned lazily against one of the stone columns, arms folded. You looked far too smug for someone who should have been groveling for shouting in her head.

“You’re imagining things.”

“Am I?” You scoff as you take a slow step closer “If that’s the case then why haven’t I seen you for days? Why haven't you tried hexing me?”

She should hex you

She should silence you with a glare before returning to the Slytherin common room where she rightfully rules.

Rather, she does something foolish.

She reaches into your mind deliberately.

It’s intrusive, dangerous and entirely uncharacteristic of her but she needs to know. She needs to know if there is the chance that you could feel the same way.

Your base desires hit her like a sledgehammer

Cissa…hungry…neck…potion…wet…pretty…bite

Narcissa’s breath hitches.

“Well?” You ask, stepping even closer to her.

Narcissa forces herself to snap out of it, straightening her spine and trying to ignore the fluttery feeling she has. “Stay. Out. Of. My. Head.”

Your smirk falters slightly “What did you hear?”

“This was a mistake. You need to stay away from me half-blood”

~~~~~

In the weeks that follow, Narcissa does everything in her power to avoid you. She has swapped rooms with another girl, pretends not to notice when you enter a class and refuses to acknowledge the way her pulse quickens when she catches your gaze across the Great Hall. Most importantly, she refuses to be alone with you.

And yet, despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to escape you. Your thoughts still slip into her mind unbidden, when she least expects it. Faint echoes of irritation when she ignores you, flickers of hurt when she walks past you as if you're nothing.

Worst of all, she feels the ache of distance too.

The frustrating, infuriating pull of something unresolved.

What did you lie about?

How can you gaze at her like that and not have smelt her in your potion.

It all comes to a head late one evening in the Slytherin common room.

The common room is quiet, the fire crackling lazily in the hearth as a few students sit curled up in the emerald-green armchairs placed by the fireplace. Narcissa is sitting at one of the far tables, tucked away in a corner, going over a letter her aunt had sent her.

She doesn't have to look up to know you’re watching her. She had felt your presence the moment you had entered the room.

Your thoughts are filled with irritation fueled by hurt why does she keep ignoring me

Narcissa doesn’t react.

Then-

Fine. If she won’t speak to me then I’ll speak to her.

Narcissa barely has a moment to prepare before you’re dropping in the seat opposite her. You don’t say anything at first, just watching her as she refuses to look up from her letter.

Narcissa’s gaze lifts slowly “Do you mind?”

“Yes actually. I do.”

Narcissa exhales sharply “You’re being ridiculous.”

“Am I?” You tilt your head “Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like you are. Why have you been avoiding me?”

“I haven't been avoiding you. Perhaps you're just so odious that I can't stand to be around you.”

Narcissa was triumphant for a second before seeing the look on your face.

Thank god I didn’t tell her the potion smelt of her

Narcissa was stunned.

Her breath caught in her throat.

If you had had a crush on her before, there was no way you still would have one now. Not after how she had treated you these past few weeks. Her mind is a storm - anger, frustration, sadness. She hates the way her heart aches every time she pushes you away. Narcissa was so wrapped up in her own thoughts she hadn’t noticed the abrupt absence of your own.

She looked up and realised you were gone.

Why did this feel like the biggest mistake of her life?

~~~~~

It takes two more days before everything goes to shit.

It happens late at night, Narcissa had needed something mindless to distract her from the dull ache left in her chest. She’s walking through an empty hallway when she hears footsteps ahead of her.

Her heart stutters - she knows who it is.

“Wait-” She calls out “Don’t walk away again?” It wasn't supposed to come out a question but perhaps her uncertainty is what makes you pause.

You should keep going. Or say something cruel, cut her down like she has you, but you don’t. You’re just so tired.

Tired of pretending.

Tired of running.

Tired of not having Narcissa opposite you anymore.

Narcissa watches you, something raw and unguarded in her eyes. “Tell me the truth.”

“About what?” You swallow, curling your fingers at your sides.

“What did your potion smell of?”

“Narcissa, I can’t”

Narcissa’s jaw clenches. “Why not?”

“Please don’t make me”

Narcissa pauses, the broken tone of your voice cuts through her and she realises she’s going to have to be very brave. Braver than even a block-headed Gryffindor.

“My potion smelt of you, you know.”

There.

It’s out.

The truth is free. Narcissa feels exposed as she watches your expression soften slightly.

“Mine too.” A soft smile lights up your face “Uh- I mean mine smelt of you- not that it smelt of me” You stumbled over your words, your face heating up the longer you rambled.

“You’re such an idiot” she mutters.

You blink “Excuse me?”

Before you can get too offended, Narcissa reaches over and kisses you.

It’s not soft or delicate or anything innocent.

It’s a collision.

It’s what happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force.

It’s years of tension and defiance and longing.

For a second Narcissa freezes because your lips being on hers is real and terrifying and intoxicating, and she doesn’t know how to think. Maybe she misread the situation.

But then-

Then you grab her collar and pull her closer and for the first time she lets herself melt.

~~~~~

For weeks you and Narcissa steal moments in shadows.

A brush of fingers in a dim corridor, a lingering glance across the Great Hall, a whispered conversation in an empty classroom. When the risk is low, kisses - hidden behind bookshelves, behind statues, behind the very walls that had once confined her.

One evening, you pull Narcissa into a dark alcove, your eyes glinting with mischief “You know Cissa, I think you actually like sneaking around with me.”

Narcissa rolls her eyes “Don’t flatter yourself Half-blood”

Where before half-blood had left you feeling cold, you soon learnt that it was Narcissa’s way of defying her parents.

You smirk. “You’re literally hiding in the shadows to be with me.”

Narcissa arches a brow. “You’re the one who pulled me in here.”

You grin wildly. “You didn’t resist.”

She refuses to dignify that with a response. Instead, Narcissa grips your collar and pulls you down into a searing kiss, effectively shutting you up.

You hum against her lips. “I think I’m in love with you.”

Narcissa freezes.

you tense slightly, realising what you just let slip, but you don’t look away. You hadn’t meant to let that out but you were glad you had. Besides, it was only a matter of time before Narcissa found out. She had an unhelpful habit of using her skills to read your mind.

For a long moment, Narcissa just stares at you, heart pounding.

Then, finally, she exhales and whispers, “I think I am too.”

You blink, then grin - the kind of grin that makes her stomach flip. “Well, well. Narcissa Black. In love with me.”

Narcissa smacks your arm, but she’s smiling.

For the first time in her life, happiness isn’t something distant.

It’s here, in the stolen moments, in the quiet confessions, in the warmth of the one person who sees her—not as a Black, not as an expectation, but as herself.

[im-a-mess-of-a-person]

headcanons

a combination of marauders thoughts from the day because i’m mentally ill and they consume my mind :)

james is always unreasonably warm. like he’s kind of always above normal human temperature and nobody knows why

regulus is always unreasonably cold. he can never get warm enough unless he’s literally pressed against james

mary macdonald is an absolute QUEEN when it comes to makeup. it’s like her art form she is amazing at it

nobody knows where she learned it either it’s just an unquestioned skill

very surprisingly marlene is the hair braider of their friend group. she’s oddly good at french and dutch braids for no reason

dorcas is so impressed when she finds out, and even more so when marlene could braid dorcas’ thick, curly hair

the only member of her family that bellatrix actually enjoys is regulus

remus takes so. much. advil.

james loves dr. pepper

regulus listens to classical piano music to help him focus and calm him down

french was regulus’ and sirius’ first language because their parents wanted to make sure they were truly fluent

sometimes they don’t realize they’re not speaking english until everyone looks at them weirdly

james and remus quite enjoy their respective french speaking black brother

lily hates coffee

sirius draws a lot but he never shows anyone because he thinks it’s bad (it’s not)

the only person regulus shows his poetry too ever is remus

barty was so excited when he got 12 o.w.l.’s. he thought maybe his dad would finally be proud

his father didn’t even acknowledge it. that was the only time evan and regulus ever saw barty cry, and it was absolutely awful

regulus has had several panic attacks in the middle of classes. he has mastered the art and nobody is ever the wiser except occasionally barty

evan and pandora both love matcha

narcissa is so so good at piano

narcissa hates that she doesn’t look like her sisters

andromeda wishes she didn’t look like bella

remus and lily go thrifting together

regulus is better at potions than snape

lily has a very nice singing voice

evan hates flying so much

regulus hates storms

the first time his parents ever actually hit him was when he was three and crying because of the loud thunder

remus is not very muscular, and sirius is

yall i have more thoughts but this was getting long so ill save them for another time 💚

[metalomagnetic]

It’s Battle of the Blacks, they’re all alive, healthy, and in their magical prime. Who comes out on top?

Oh, boy!

Let's assume it's an organised battle, with rounds and stuff, and not just straight up chaos.

If it's straight up chaos, Bella wins.

But if organised, let's see:

First round:

Melania refuses to compete, she can't bear to cause harm to any family member.

Irma vs Hesper- they both get disqualified because they are nuts and take each other out anyway.

Andromeda vs Narcissa. Narcissa wins.

Bellatrix vs Walburga. Bellatrix wins.

Druella vs Cygnus- Druella wins, because she pulls out some unheard of crazy ritual that brings the whole house on their heads. It's a big 'oopsie moment' but she's left standing in the ring, so there it is.

Old Sirius vs Arcturus. Old Sirius wins. (RIP Arcturus, his dad destroys him)

Orion vs Pollux. Orion wins.

Sirius vs Regulus. Sirius wins.

Alphard has no one to match with, and he's drunk anyway, and distracted by a handsome audience member. Disqualified.

Second round (the unfair matches. Tessuth was tired when she arranged them):

Bellatrix vs Druella. Bella wins.

Narcissa vs old Sirius. Yikes!

Orion vs Sirius. Sirius wins (in part because he genuinely earned it, in part because Orion can't bring himself to hurt his son too much).

Final round:

Old Sirius vs Bella. Old Sirius wins, though he's impressed by the fight Bella put up! He always liked her the best (that is to say, he only bothered to get to know her from all the sisters).

Old Sirius vs Sirius. They fight in the ring, and in the skies. It's a tough one.

Old Sirius is crowned winner. He's handed the medal.

But because Sirius and Bella are extremely sore losers, they team up and fuck him up.

They rip the medal in two, and each wear one side around their necks; they're soulmates anyway, so they can also be medal-mates.

But perhaps the true winner is Regulus, because he predicted every single match outcome and placed bets on who will win. He predicted the final winner from the get go, but he also predicted the cheating shenanigans Bella and Sirius got into at the end. He cleans everyone of gold, and buys himself a manor far, far away where he can go have a drink in peace once in a while.

[oh-my-wolfstar]

@wolfstarmicrofic

Jan 19, prompt: first kid

word count: 528

*swearing. also, I changed the timeline a bit, so Tonk's birth is about 3 years later than in canon.*

"She's beautiful, Andy." Remus smiled, watching his boyfriend coo over his cousin Andromida's new baby, Nymphadora. Sirius had been dying to see the infant since her birth two months ago and so he and Sirius (being the only two of the marauders who could apparate) had snuck away from a Hogsmeade weekend to visit. Now they sat in the small living room of Andy and her husband Ted's house. They both looked a bit tired, but positively glowing with joy.

Remus had never been around small children much, being an only child, but he found that he quite liked baby Dora. Although perhaps that was because he quite liked Andromeda. She had amazing taste in music and always sent Sirius the best records, which won her major points in Remus's book. But she was also the only one of Sirius's relatives who was actually decent, and thus the only one who knew about their relationship. Sirius had been so nervous to tell her, and when he finally sent the letter, he had almost broken down. Andromeda had sent a reply the next day, and she was ecstatic. Nothing could compare to the smile that split Sirius's face as he read the letter, and Remus couldn't help but adore the woman who had put it there. Remus was pulled from his happy thoughts by the sound of the baby crying. Andy swept in and scooped her from her bassinet, rocking her and making soothing noises.  Remus smiled, but when he turned back to Sirius, he found the boy standing rigid, blinking rapidly.

"I've got to go to the loo," Sirius said in a rush before disappearing into the hall. Remus caught Andy sharing a concerned look with her Ted and felt his brows draw together. After a couple minutes, it became evident to Remus that Sirius was definitely not in the loo.

"I'm gonna…" Remus trailed off, unsure of how to finish his explination. Andy just nodded, seeming to understand what he needed to do. Remus followed the hall past a sharp tun and to a back door, which was slightly open. Indeed, when he pulled the door open he found sirius sitting on the porch step, face burried in his knees. 

"Pads," Remus said gently, dropping down next to Sirius. "what is it?" Sirius looked up at him, eyes slightly red, a tear trailing down his cheek.

"She's going to be loved, Moony. That baby in there is going to be loved, and even though the world is on the brink of war shes ging to grow up knowing she's safe." Sirius whispered. Oh. Remus felt his heart crack.

"She's going to have a normal childhood, she'll get to be a kid." Sirius's voice cracked as he spoke. "She's- she's the first kid in my family who'll won't have to be a Black, or deal with any of that pureblood bullshit." Tears were running down his face anew but he was smiling. Remus pulled Sirius into a tight hug and Sirius clung to him, burying his face in Remus's shoulder. "Andy broke the cycle," Sirius whispered against Remus's skin, "Dora gets to grow up free."

[deswhomst]

black sisters headcanon:

after andromeda was disowned, bellatrix saw how hard it was on narcissa and so she obliviated her to spare her the pain. of course, since andromeda was such a vital part of her life, narcissa always felt this void inside her, as if she was an incomplete person.

years later, narcissa and andromeda run into each other and narcissa has no memories of her. andromeda thought she was only pretending not to recognize her (in a “you’re dead to me” kinda way).

finally, when bellatrix died at the battle of hogwarts, that’s when narcissa regained her memories of andromeda. she tried to reach out but andromeda was now in a very bad place bc of losing ted and tonks so she was very much not in the mood to associate with someone who pretended to not know her and was on the side of the war that killed her family. they need to work on it a lot but ultimately i like to think that they do get a fresh start of sorts.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

👋👋👋

do you have meta thoughs or/and headcanons about Black sisters? it definitely a lot of to unpack from

Hello 👋

And yes, I have plenty of thoughts about the Black sisters, individually and about their relationships with each other. This isn't like, a super deep dive into either but more just me yapping about my general thoughts.

Now, the first thing I want to note is that in JKR's Black family tree draft, Cygnus Black (the sisters' father) is written to have been born in 1938. As Bellatrix (the eldest) was born in 1951, this would mean Cygnus would be 13 when she was born. I don't think that makes a whole lot of sense, personally, so I chose to believe this was a mistake, and that instead Cygnus was born in 1933 (3 and 8 can look similar in handwriting & JKR is not great at math so it's probably a mistake, just let me dream). 1933 would also make more sense with Cygnus' siblings since Walburga is marked to have been born in 1925, and while it is possible for siblings to have a 13-year age difference, it's not all that common when there are only 3 siblings. So, I chose to believe Cygnus was 18 when Bellatrix was born and not 13. So, he was young, but not that young.

I assume that their mother, Druella Rosier, was similarly young when Bellatrix was born (17-18), though there is no canon information about it, so this is a headcanon.

This means Druella got pregnant with Bellatrix in her final year at Hogwarts or immediately after graduation. This also means that Cygnus and Druella probably had their parents and their house elf more involved in Bellatrix's upbringing than with the latter two daughters since they were pretty young.

So I headcanon Bellatrix is the closest to Pollux and Irma out of the three sisters. (I headcanon Pollux was a former dueling champion and practiced with her, for example. I also headcanon Pollux was born in 1907 and not 1912 so he'd be 18 when his eldest daughter, Walburga, was born and not 13).

Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa are pretty close in age. As Bella and Cissa only have 4 year difference between them, I assume Andromeda was born right in the middle, in 1953. This shows that their parents had somewhat of a plan regarding when each one would be born and planned to only have 3 children. (Which again, indicates Cygnus was probably an adult by that time and not 13)

As they are close in age, they probably were close when they were kids. I imagine when Andy was first born, Bella got jealous of all the attention she was getting, but by the time Andy grew up to be a playmate, she got over it. Narcissa didn't deal with as much jealousy from either of her older sisters, in my headcanon, since they were used to having a sister by that point.

When they were young, as the eldest, Bellatrix took it upon herself to be their protector, to be the responsible one who stood up for her younger sisters. In the conversation in Spinner's End with Narcissa, Bella doesn't mind so much Cissa is betraying the Dark Lord, it's her sister and it's clear she doesn't plan to snitch on her, with all of her loyalty to Voldemort, she shows a lot of care towards Narcissa. She is willing to speak against Voldemort to her sister. She clearly loves Narcissa and cares about her:

“Cissy, you must not do this, you can’t trust him —” “The Dark Lord trusts him, doesn’t he?” “The Dark Lord is . . . I believe . . . mistaken,” Bella panted, and her eyes gleamed momentarily under her hood as she looked around to check that they were indeed alone. “In any case, we were told not to speak of the plan to anyone. This is a betrayal of the Dark Lord’s —”

(HBP, 21)

And, I assume she was like that with Andromeda too before Ted came into the picture.

And it's clear Narcissa cares for Bellatrix too:

“Let go, Bella!” snarled Narcissa, and she drew a wand from beneath her cloak, holding it threateningly in the other’s face. Bella merely laughed. “Cissy, your own sister? You wouldn’t —” “There is nothing I wouldn’t do anymore!” Narcissa breathed, a note of hysteria in her voice

(HBP, 21)

Bellatrix doesn't actually expect Narcissa to attack her or even threaten her. She doesn't understand Draco is more important to Narcissa than everything else. Because Bella still treats Narccissa like Cissy she knew before Azkaban, before Draco, before 14 eventful years of life happened, she doesn't know the current Narcissa. And the current Narcissa doesn't love Bellatrix as much as Cissy from 14 years ago did, even if she still cares about her.

And throughout book 7, and Voldemort's Second War, we see Bella and Cissa growing further apart:

where Narcissa sat rigid and impassive, Bellatrix leaned toward Voldemort, for mere words could not demonstrate her longer for closeness

(DH, 14)

As the Malfoys lose their status with Voldemort but Bellatrix doesn't. It's clear even this early on in DH that Narcissa is no fan of Voldemort and it makes sense when she does betray him. Don't get me wrong, I think she is just as fanatic about blood purity as Bellatrix, she's just more polite about it. But I think she is like Regulus, in a way. She is a blood supremacist, but she does not approve of Voldemort's approach or means — especially the moment he went after her son. She could've forgiven him for Lucius ending up in Azkaban, but Draco was a line too far. Like sending Kreacher to his death was a line too far for Regulus — because that hurt them personally, it's not about ideology.

I also headcanon Narcissa was closest to their mother and that Druella was most protective over her youngest daughter.

Then there's Andromeda, Andromeda is really interesting to me (my favorite Black sister, btw). I just find it fascinating she named her daughter Nymphadora — a traditional family name — even after her family disowned her.

We know Andromeda was a Slytherin since Sirius says all his family are and she was sorted before him. So we have a clever Slytherin witch, who grew up around ideals of blood purity, who fell in love with a clearly skilled and charming Hufflepuff muggleborn and chose to run away and elope with said muggleborn. Like, that's such an interesting love story these two got and it's a shame we don't talk about it more.

From the little we see of them in DH, I got the impression they love each other and their daughter a lot. Ted seems to be the more chill and friendly one while Andromeda is more cold and haughty one. I bet Ted's sense of humor was the first thing that really pulled Andromeda in when they first started talking and Ted always adored her laugh.

It also seems Ted completely abandoned the muggle world for the sake of the magical one the way Hermione did:

“...Something go wrong with the bike? Arthur Weasley overstretch himself again, him and his Muggle contraptions?”

(DH, 60)

He does not think highly of Arthur's "muggle contraptions". He finds it silly. I think Ted went into the wizarding world, learned about magic, and became mesmerized by all the amazing things it can do. I think Ted honestly finds Arthur's fascination with muggles silly in the way of: "Magic is so much better, why would you want to do that?"

It'll explain Nymphadora's name as well. Both Ted and Andromeda are wizards who want to be wizards and have no real ties to the muggle world. And still, Andy's family, who she clearly loved once, disowned her:

“She is no niece of ours, my Lord,” she cried over the outpouring of mirth. “We—Narcissa and I—have never set eyes on our sister since she married the Mudblood. This brat has nothing to do with either of us, nor any beast she marries.”

(DH, 14)

I was always under the impression Andromeda married Ted very soon after graduation, as Nymphadora was born in late 1972 or 1973, it means Andromeda would've been around 20 when she gave birth to her, supporting my impression.

This means Andromeda hasn't spoken to her family (except perhaps Sirius) since she was 18 or 19, and it's kinda crazy.

It's kinda sad too since I'm sure Bellatrix and Andromeda played together as kids and later with Narcissa too. I'm certain they used to love each other and that Bellatrix hates Ted with a passion for "stealing her sister from her" while Andromeda can't make herself hate her sisters or her parents, she just hates the situation, wishing it was different. I'm sure there were nights she thought about what could've been if Ted was a pureblood or even a half-blood, but never once does she regret marrying Ted whom she loves.

Andromeda loves her family so much that she still named her daughter a family name. She was and is proud of being a Black and a witch, these aspects of her are so important to her and how she sees herself.

I lowkey headcanon that when Tonks told her about Remus and that they're getting married, Andromeda didn't like it at first. But then she realized she was doing to her daughter what her family did to her so she did a 180 and became the biggest Remadora shipper.

I think Andromeda is incredibly protective and attached to both Ted and Dora because of how she was cut off from her own family. Family, I think, is incredibly important to her, so she built a new one for herself that she was passionate about. I think she was incredibly heartbroken after Ted, Dora, and Remus died. I like to think she raises Teddy with Harry and both she and Harry bond over losing people. Like, I want a post-war Harry to help Andromeda deal with losing her entire family again.

I also like to think Narcissa and Andromeda got in touch again post-war. It's probably strained, but I think both of them need this reminder of a better, familiar time after everything.

So, these are my general thoughts and headcanons regarding the sisters.