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[ailfox]

Under the Ash Tree

Hello! Back again :) I’ve decided to post the “Ash Tree” argument I mentioned in the last post, just so you can get a glimpse of how tense their relationship was before they made amends at the start of their third year! It’s pretty short but I think it’s a pivotal point in their relationship in where Draco’s finally taken a step towards reconnecting! Woo!

 If you’d like to leave feedback, I’d greatly appreciate it! Cheers! Word Count: 650~ Robin had sighed too many times to count in her hours of sitting on the swinging bench, sighing again and swaying with the breeze. Draco was nowhere in sight, summer was at its end, and there seemed no hope for any future with him remotely in it.

As she stared onwards, the crest of sun atop the peaks in the distance filtered through the leaves of the Ash tree, dappling the bench she rested on, christening the old wood with hues of umber and aureate.

Upon deciding to give him another five minutes, like the five before, she heard a rustling that was very uncharacteristic of the wind.

“Malfoy.” Robin spoke, confidently enough to sound sure of her suspicions, although it could have just as easily been a critter; She hoped it was the former.

“Weiss.” She breathed a small sigh of relief at his reply, her shoulders releasing tension she didn't know was there.

“What happened to ‘Blood Traitor’?” She was calm, almost forlorn at the loss of her ‘nickname’ which had become as familiar as her own in the past two years. Robin made sure her phrasing was soft but then again, she heard a slight intake of breath at her remark. Deciding it would be more nonchalant to continue staring straight ahead, she made no move to look at him, opting to watch the hills drown the sun.

He didn’t reply. Instead, he moved to sit on the opposite side of the bench. It groaned with the added weight.

After a moment of silence, she spoke, “Did your mother convince you to come?”

More deafening silence. Robin fiddled with the buttons on her sleeve cuff, waiting for any indication of a response; None came.

With a huff, she made to gather her books and stand when he blurted, “I came of my own volition.” Robin paused, finally lifting her head to look at him. The last rays of sun kissed his skin, rather like he was painted in gold with the most delicate of brushstrokes, and she released a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

Gathering her courage, she retorted, “Brave of you. I didn’t think you’d want to catch what ‘Muggle-loving’ disease I have.” Finally having supplied her words with venom, her sentence hit its target with deadly precision. As the waning sunlight slid up his features, his skin grew pale again but maybe more so than she was used to.

“You’re not…” he started, “You don’t…” He finally turned to face her, rather suddenly. His hand was in the air as if grabbing on to any last threads of dignity, willing his pride to stay reigned in for fear of losing his longest friend. She watched his Adam's apple bob, anticipating his reply.

“I’m not what, Draco?” Robin huffed again, prompting him to continue. Her fists slowly clenched at her sides and her cheeks grew rosy. Flitting between his, her eyes searched for an answer within his stare, but that was a task she'd yet to have accomplished. He’d grown resolute after years with a father like his.

“Forget it, it was stupid to come here.” Draco scowled, standing abruptly and ripping his storm-grey gaze from her steely-emerald. The bench quivered from his sudden movement as he turned away, shoving his hands in his pockets and striding off.

“But you said it was your bloody decision! Clearly you had something you needed to say!” She called back, enraged, exasperated, and desperate, though she tried not to sound so. She’d waited almost three whole months for even a glimpse of him; What good was it to come and have a conversion if he never planned to carry one out?

Draco paused halfway down the hill, turning his head as if he finally gathered the courage to speak but just as soon as his mouth opened, it shut, turning away and marching back down the hill, as silent as Draco’s ascent only minutes before. ------------------ (Still not worthy of bedazzling the end of my work, lol) Hi again! I hope this made you want to yell “Coward!” At Draco as much as my OC did. I was seriously debating on adding it in but I think it was better to end on an ‘unfinished note’ if you will >:) I love when things aren’t satisfying as it leaves all the more to the imagination which is fun! Loads more ideas flood in that way!

Anyway, I’ll quit rambling now, have a wonderful rest of your day!

[ailfox]

Maybe Boggarts aren't so bad...

So, hello! First post to tumblr...

Uhhh, had this idea for a while, thought about posting it to see what the great wide tumblr-web would think. Let me know? Maybe? I'll stop rambling now and include more stuff at the bottom, maybe take a read when you're done :)

Context: My O/C (Robin Weiss) was childhood friends with Draco but after being sorted into Hufflepuff and not Slytherin like her parents and family line had been, a divide was created. This is in the third year when they begin to warm up to each other. I tried to follow the specific chapter of the book in terms of the background characters, but please forgive my "artistic liberties" in fulfilling this idea. I have more stuff to post but again, you can find more info at the bottom. Cheers!

Word count: 2,800~

Only two spaces from the front of the line, Robin stared at the battered wooden floors, more afraid of what her greatest fear was than the idea of the Boggart itself.

It could be anything… Storms, Dementors… Draco…

She stole a peek at Draco. He was further back in the queue, leaning against the shorter bookshelves that lined the walls, staring off into the distance as Parkinson giggled at something Zabini had just whispered in her ear. She nudged Draco, hoping to garner a similar reaction once he heard what was so funny but he was very much unresponsive, almost as if his consciousness had left his body. Robin turned back to the floor, counting the number of knots in the wooden board she was standing on, desperately wishing her turn would never come. 

Screams sounded and she snapped her head back up when the Boggart met with Pavarti Patil, the girl in front of her. With an odd squelching noise, it morphed into a mummy that looked worse for wear. Its bandages hung tattered and singed, the only sign noting that it was human, besides its most human-like shape, was the single eye poking out from a gap in the wrappings around the face and fingers where the bandages had been worn off. It was ghastly, Robin understood immediately what the commotion was about.

“R-Riddikulus!” Parvati stammered, her wand shaking wildly in her hand. The other was currently being used to partially cover her face so she didn’t have to see the monster that was limping towards her.

“Again! This time with more conviction! Be brave Pavarti!” Professor Lupin called from the sidelines. He stood, arms crossed, on the opposite side of the room, watching the students perform their task of the day. His brows furrowed in worry, perhaps he doubted she would be able to do it.

With a shaky breath, Parvati tore her hand away from her face and refocused her aim. Eyes shut tightly, she yelled, “Riddikulus!” and with a pop!, the mummy groaned in distress, its wrappings beginning to unwind, tripping the monster who fell flat on its face, its head bouncing away.

“Wonderful! Excellent work Pavarti!” Professor Lupin clapped, walking over and giving her a pat on the shoulder. “Why don’t you go sit down, you look a little pale." Lavender Brown, who had gone before Pavarti, guided her to a row of seats in the back, away from most of the excitement so she could have a moment of peace. 

The Professor turned to Robin. “Ms. Weiss? I believe it is your turn.” He stretched out an arm, guiding her to stand in front of the decayed body.

Robin cringed at the sight of the detached head on the floor then jumped when it rolled over on its own. The only visible eye felt like it was piercing her mind, searching carelessly and tearing at some invisible force in her skull but as soon as the sensation washed over her, it waned away.

Apparently the Boggart found what it was hunting for.

The room immediately flooded with darkness, the background chatter died away instantly. Everyone stood in apprehension until a light came on, illuminating a lump on the floor. As Robin’s eyes adjusted, she made out… herself? 

There she was, lying on the floor, her eyes puffy and face tear-stricken. She wasn’t dead, only proven by the slight rise and fall of her chest under her robes, but she looked as if all light had been sucked from her soul. This sight wasn’t profoundly scary in the moment, in fact, Robin stepped closer, more curious to find out why this was even here; As far as she could recall, she wasn't afraid of darkness.

Then the deafening sound of laughter filled her ears.

Slight blue wisps were the only semblance of figures against the pitch black background. They stood in defined groups wearing broad grins, cackling and pointing at Boggart-Robin who lay limp on the ground. She watched in horror as her lifeless body began to melt away, seeping into the cracks in the floorboards and out of sight. The only part of her left behind was her face, which took the form of a mask and lay quite still. Its expression was morphed into a silent scream, eyes shut tight and mouth open wide.

As if petrified, Robin couldn’t find it within herself to move, to do… anything.

“-eiss!” She heard a voice call, but it sounded distant and detached from this new reality she had now found herself in; devoid of people and life, nothing but the image of her agony to keep her company.

“RIDDIKULUS!” Someone roared next to her. A loud bang! rang out and a flash of orange blinded Robin but it was soon replaced by the image of a lively festival, people bustling and vendors selling their wares. She felt a hand grab her upper arm and drag her away from the sight. Only when she discerned something hard under her thighs did she begin to gain wariness. Faint whispers reached her ears and she smelled something that reminded her of the forest and fireplaces. There was a lot of green on the figure in front of her, Robin noted, as their fingers snapped sporadically in her face.

“Robin! Snap out of it!” Hands were placed on her shoulders shaking her gently and she blinked, as if waking up from a bad dream.

Draco was kneeling in front of her bench row, eyes searching hers for any sign of recognition and awareness. She blinked again. Something hot and warm hit her skirt, she could feel the little spot grow damp and darken her already dark-grey piece of clothing. 

“Dr-Draco?” Robin noted her voice was weak, as if she hadn’t used it for a month. She swallowed. It felt like hot knives were mangling her throat, grating it raw and stinging her vocal cords.

He nodded and started to rise but stopped when a chilled hand grabbed at his. "Please don't… g-go." Robin mumbled, she turned to stare at the floor as her other hand toyed with the hemmed edge of her skirt.

“Hey. You’re alright.” He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, kneeling back down. "I'll be right back, I need to grab something that will help you."

Robin nodded and held her breath, counting the seconds it took for Draco to return.

One, two, three… fifteen, sixteen… thirty-eight, thirty-nine-

“Here.” Someone shoved a Chocolate Frog into view. She exhaled, sniffling and wiping her face on the sleeve of her robes as the comforting smell of the confectionery treat hit her full on, filling her up with warmth and happier thoughts. Robin tried her very hardest to retain some of that warmth for herself.

She looked up, taking the sweet from Draco as he took her other hand in return. His face was etched in worry, his eyebrows knitted together in a way she'd never seen before but he still smothered on that characteristic frown, his lips pressed into a firm line.

"Is she alright?" Asked Professor Lupin as he hurried into view, "How did you know?" He raised a brow and gestured to the chocolate but didn't inquire any further when Draco shrugged.

"Five points to Slytherin for quick thinking and helping a fellow student." He patted Draco's shoulder before kneeling down in front of Robin, who had since taken a few bites of the sweet. Colour had started to return to her face but that was the only indication she wasn't fear stricken, her body still hunched and stiff as a board.

"Are you ok?" Professor Lupin attempted a comforting smile but he just looked sad. Robin gave a noncommittal hum, her eyes appeared glazed over as she continued to take small bites of the Chocolate Frog. She was mechanical in her movements, as though she could do nothing else but move the chocolate to her lips and back down.

Robin heard a sigh and Draco fell into view again, dropping into a squat beside the Professor, her hand still held firmly in his grasp. "I think she just needs some time, others are still waiting for their turns." Professor Lupin nodded and stood back up with minimal effort for a man of his age, striding back to the row of students and acting as if nothing had happened. Soon, the lesson continued as usual, classmates screamed at the sight of their fears before performing the jinx, but it all sounded far away. Robin made no effort to interact with the world outside her mind.

Draco scooted back onto the bench opposite her in the row, elbows resting on his knees, his hands now clasped around hers as if trying to transfer heat. "Weiss?" He nudged her foot with his, trying and failing to draw out a response.

So he did what he always knew calmed her in times of stress; He talked to fill the silence of her mind.

"I'm actually a little grateful that you went before me." He stole a glance at Robin who was still as attentive as a rock. Returning his gaze to the windows that overlooked the grounds, he grumbled, "I have a hint of who'd have shown up if I'd gone. I'm sure it would have been a proper sight for Potty, Weasel, and the Bookworm to witness me freeze-up at the mere sight of the old bloke."

Draco dropped his head with a sigh, allowing his eyes to scan the floor. The mid day sun that shone through the windows casted bright rays onto the wooden boards beneath their feet. He tracked the dust that floated through the air with little interest, and thankfully, a small sigh in front of him quickly drew back his attention.

Robin, well her eyes anyway, had gained a semblance of normality. They watched him with a seemingly scrutinising gaze.

"So you're all good then?" Draco hummed. He felt as if he had to forcibly drag his eyes away from hers, yanking them over to the students in the queue. He chuckled when Ron squealed, face to face with an enormous arachnid, sputtering and skittering away as it moved closer.

"Sorry," Robin mumbled, pulling his attention back. She frowned, "You must be embarrassed to be here with your mates watching." She started to remove her hand but his grip tightened and he levelled his eyes with hers. "I'm not leaving here until you say you're alright, Birdie."

A pang spasmed in her chest and Robin blinked again, another residual tear sliding down her cheek at the gentle reassurance. She hadn't heard that nickname in a long while and hated herself for her involuntary reaction.

She set the half-eaten sweet on the table beside her and wiped her face with her now free hand, a small sigh escaping her.

A pregnant pause seated itself with them as Draco resumed running the pad of his thumb over the back of her hand, a comforting touch he knew she liked.

"I saw your fear." Draco muttered, addressing the Erumpent in the room which rewarded him an 'obviously' and another quiet exhale.

"Hey." He gently tugged her hand bringing her puffy-eyed gaze back to his morose one, "I… I felt guilty, seeing it. Reminded me of our first year… when I…" His voice drifted off but she understood all the same.

"It's alright… in the past." Robin shrugged, a sad smile plastered on her face, "Can't do much about it now."

Draco frowned. "You'd give up on me so easily?"

"You did."

There was a weighted silence once more, only broken by the firing of jinxes and wails, before Draco summoned up the courage to speak again, "You're right and I want to make it better. They're not as witty and interesting as you are," He nodded over his shoulder at the group of Slytherins who were eyeing this interaction with unrelenting disdain, "I miss your company and our inside jokes and I'm a sodding git for letting go what was good, not realising that I'd had it till it was gone." He let out a long exhale.

"Merlin's beard…" He muttered, glancing up at her surprised expression before dropping his head again, letting go of her hand to wipe his face, as if he could rub off his guilt and wash it away with soap later.

"Thank you," Robin whispered, relaxing her features, "I was wondering when you'd come around." She playfully nudged one of his arms that rested on his knees, his body swaying slightly in response. "Godric knows it takes a lot out of a Malfoy to apologise." She let out a small, breathy laugh.

Merlin, he missed that laugh. He grumbled, rolling his eyes, "Don't go expecting more, bloody well murder my pride while you're at it why don't you." She laughed more heartily this time, a distinct sound breaking through the background noise of the classroom. It filled his soul with warmth, hearing her amusement.

"Noted. Well you're free to go now, I'm alright." She sighed, a happier smile replaced her sullen one from moments before, pleased that she reached her Draco-interaction quota as it was sure to last until next week.

He scoffed, "I've changed my mind, I don't want the cauldrons swapping when my father pops out of that cupboard. I think I'll stay here until the bell." 

There was an eruption of applause which prompted the two of them to look up. Professor Lupin was standing in front of Harry, the Boggart having taken the form of a glowing white orb, as the Professor dragged Neville back into the fray, commanding him to finish it off.

“Riddikulus!” Neville bellowed, noticeably more confident. The image of Snape in his frilly dress, the first form that the Boggart had morphed into, had vanished, exploding into a thousand miniscule wisps of smoke and magic. 

Neville started laughing and other students joined in, the class was soon chortling and giggling at what had just occurred in the past hour. Lively chatter joined the ambiance of the room and Robin discerned the sound of a short exhaling-laugh from Draco in the commotion before he turned back to face her, expression softening.

“What a day,” Robin smiled, shaking her head, “I guess we’re both too afraid to face what scares us most.”

It was Draco's turn to sigh, “As much as I would love to disagree with you, you’re probably right.”

Robin nudged his arm again, a cheeky grin spreading across her face, “You prat, you hate it when I’m right.”

“You've made it difficult to hate you as of late.”

Robin stared at him, a little taken aback if she was being honest with herself. She didn’t quite know what to say, but as the age-old Muggle proverb she learned about in Muggle Studies went, she was 'saved by the bell'.

Its ring droned for longer than usual, at least she thought so, because by the time it ended, students were already clamouring to get out the door. Draco cleared his throat, patting his knees before standing up, offering a small nod as he turned to leave.

"Wait, Draco," Robin blurted, she didn't even plan what she was going to say as he turned back around. "Um, th-thank you." She stammered. "You didn't have to help… with everything, you know, uh… it was nice of you." She avoided his gaze, not sure of what she'd see if she raised her head.

"I'd do it for any friend," She scoffed, forgetting her worries and glancing up as he continued, a frown on his face, "Don't look so chuffed," He rushed before she could retort, "Wouldn't want your 'Hufflepuff righteousness', or whatever bollocks you have imbued in you now, to get confused.

Snorting, Robin stood to join him. "My 'Hufflepuff righteousness' has nothing to do with how I see you treat the people you care for. It's nice to know you still consider me a friend." She batted her eyelashes for a teasing effect.

"I never said that-"

"Yes you did-" 

"You're delusional-"

"Maybe so, but you haven't told me to 'sod off' yet so-"

"Oh sod off-"

"There it is."

Draco scowled and marched towards the door, leaving Robin in her well-deserved glory of finally having won an argument, a feat she first achieved six years ago. 

He had tried to argue that 'Stupefy' was the strongest stunning spell, and to prove him wrong, she nicked her mother's wand and 'Petrificus Totalus'ed him. She was grounded for a week when he was found a quarter-hour later, via her instruction, face down in a bed of flowers in his back garden. He was sneezing for days due to a bad pollen allergy but in all fairness, she didn't know about it until then.

She smiled at the thought of him sitting in his bed, puffy-eyed and red-nosed, that classic scowl plastered on his face. Giddy that she could get into his head again, her heart soared over the fact that she actually had a full conversation with him since their last argument under the Ash tree over the summer. 

Whether or not others considered arguments to be conversations was none of her concern as she nabbed her softening Chocolate Frog and strode over to her desk to collect her belongings, thanking Professor Lupin for his assistance and striding out the door, smiling as brightly as the afternoon sun.

Maybe Boggarts aren't so bad...

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

(I don't know if I'm worthy of upgrading to unique and fancy line breaks yet, haha)

If you made it down here, thanks for doing so! Your interest means a lot to me. This was meant to be a one-off but then I kept daydreaming and more ideas flooded in so yes, I wrote them so I do have a tad bit more to post if more people want this... don't know why you would to be frank but hey, I've been consuming fanfiction for so long, it's only fair I've started to give back haha

I'm thinking about turning this into a full on thing though. In writing this, I did create a timeline and I have the "Ash tree argument" ready to post but maybe people would prefer I start from the beginning and see it later.. who knows! (Not me... obviously (Please let me know!))

More about me though!

Hi, my name is not Robin and I'm American (But I get made fun of for using British-isms (Is that a word? I do not know...)) although I tried very hard not to be when writing this (duh, it's set in England) but if I am trying too hard or not enough, please let me know! (With tips would be fantastic :o)

Also, I know the character's name is Robin, but I'm totally fine with creating a reader-insert (Y/N type beat) if people prefer that, I tend to read more of those anyway. Opinions?

Uhh, what more do I say... I have two dogs? They're quite nice... I like to read... hmm, that's about it, yeah.

As aforementioned, I am new to posting on tumblr, so I don't know how this site works just yet, so if you have any tips on how I could get around changing fonts, how to italicize (PLEASE!) (Figured that one out lol), adding pictures or something, I would love to know! I only experimented with like, three buttons here... (I am on mobile so maybe that's the problem...) (It was...)

Ok, I think that's it. This is getting annoying to scroll though, I never expected to write so much but hey, more for you to enjoy (maybe?) So again, last time, let me know what you think! I sincerely appreciate any and all feedback! Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

(Now to figure out how to title this...)

(Update from two minutes later: I did it )

(Update from 4 hours later: I did more editing for a smoother read)