#based on what is sirius exactly oc

[colouredbyd]

Hey Dalia, just being honest — your marauders characterisation feels off. the boys come across way too soft and emotionally perfect, like they’re always coddling each other, especially in poly fics. canon james wouldn’t act like that with sirius — they were loud, chaotic, constantly teasing and pushing each other’s buttons. their dynamic had bite, not just fluff. softness is fine, but when there’s no messiness or edge, it stops feeling like them. it reads more like an idealized version and more OC than what they were..

i really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts, and i want to respond thoughtfully and honestly in return. that being said, i have to admit your message threw me off a bit, and if i’m being completely transparent, it did upset me — not because criticism isn’t welcome, but because it touches on something fundamental that i think is often misunderstood about the marauders fandom as a whole.

let’s be clear: the entire marauders fandom is, by nature, fanon.

we were given a few scattered lines about these characters in the harry potter books — vague glimpses, anecdotal moments, biased memories told from the perspective of secondary characters who often didn’t know them intimately. there is no canon dialogue between james and regulus. there is no true depth to canon-era barty. even james and sirius, arguably the best-developed marauders, are still incredibly limited in how much we actually know about their real personalities, their inner worlds, their emotional depths.

so when people say “james wouldn’t act that way,” or “that version of sirius is too soft,” i have to pause.

based on what, exactly? a handful of chapters from a series that was never truly about them? a few biased memories viewed through harry’s grief-stricken lens?

everything we celebrate in the marauders fandom — whether it’s wolfstar, jegulus, poly!marauders, or any aus — is built on interpretation, on love, and yes, on imagination. and that’s not just acceptable, it’s the very spirit of transformative fandom.

as for softness, emotional intimacy, or affection between characters — that’s not a sign of poor characterization or lack of realism. it’s simply a different lens.

my interpretation of these boys leans into the emotional aftermath of war, of growing up too fast, of grief and loss and chosen family. that doesn’t mean i ignore the teasing or chaos or bite — in fact, a lot of my works incorporate it — but i also choose to explore the tenderness that canon never gave them space for. because honestly? they deserved that space, and so do readers who see themselves in that tenderness.

calling it “oc” because it deviates from your version of canon is, frankly, a misunderstanding of what fic is.

there is no singular “correct” marauders dynamic. there are thousands of versions of them across this fandom — messy, soft, angry, wild, reckless, healed, healing — all equally valid. some people want angst, others want fluff, others want realism, and some want escapism. all of it is beautiful, all of it belongs.

so no, i don’t believe there is one “true” james potter or sirius black. the james in my stories may be gentler in some moments, just as others write him more arrogant or wild. both are valid. both are fiction.

i completely understand that my style or my dynamics may not be for everyone — and that’s totally okay. you’re not required to enjoy every portrayal. but implying that emotional vulnerability makes a character “less canon” or less real is a narrow reading of both fanfic and character development. sometimes softness is survival. sometimes healing is loud laughter and quiet hands.

at the end of the day, we’re all just here to love these characters the best way we know how. i write the stories i needed growing up. i write the versions of these boys who carry their trauma, but still learn to love, and i’m proud of that.

wishing you well and all the best on your own fic journey,

[justcallmemrslupin]

🐺✨ The Ship Which Must Not Be Named: A Lighthearted Reality Check 🧠💥

Let’s talk about that ship. You know the one. The one that rhymes with Smolfscar. The one whose fans accuse you of crimes against literature if you dare ship anything else. The one that erases canon, Tonks, Teddy, and basic personality traits faster than you can say "full moon."

Let’s break it down with a little peace, a little humour, and a dash of canon-based clarity.

☕ Toxicity Level: Azkaban With No Trial

Sirius Black, everyone’s favorite brooding biker uncle, once:

• Wished for a full moon (aka wished Remus would transform into a deadly monster) out of boredom.

• Deliberately led Snape to Remus during a full moon, risking Snape’s life, Remus’ secret, and Remus’ freedom.

• Didn't even show regret year later.

• Left Remus absolutely nothing in his will, even though he knew Remus was living in extreme poverty, unable to find work due to anti-werewolf laws. But sure... soulmates, right?

Let’s not forget the cherry on top:

Sirius didn’t trust Remus. He thought Remus was the traitor in the First War. He literally convinced James and Lily to trust Peter Pettigrew instead.

That’s not love. That’s emotional negligence with a leather jacket.

🧠 “But It’s Just Fanon!”

Exactly! And fanon is awesome — when it knows it's fanon. The problem is when some people treat it like gospel, and worse, weaponize it.

Remus Lupin is not a cardigan-wrapped background extra waiting to be scooped up by Sirius. He’s a war-scarred, deeply moral man who believes he doesn’t deserve happiness — but fights for others' anyway.

And Tonks? Not a villain. Not a beard. Not an obstacle. She’s his canon partner who chose him, loved him, and died beside him. They had a son, Teddy, who exists. You can’t just delete him like a bad tweet.

🤐 A Note on Actor Harassment

It’s one thing to ship fanon. It’s another to:

• Twist David Thewlis’ words to pretend he and Gary Oldman thought they were playing lovers (They didn’t);

• Ignore that Alfonso Cuarón told Thewlis to play Remus as a "gay junkie" (his words — not confirmation of Wolfstar, just a strange director choice);

• Harass actors online for not supporting a headcanon or refusing to talk about “your ship.”

Actors aren’t your fanfic beta readers. They’re people doing their job. Please stop making them regret it.

💡 Also: I Have My Own Ship!

I ship Remus with my original character, Mary Scamander (aka Maria), and in my very personal opinion? She works better than Tonks.

BUT! That doesn’t mean I bash Remadora. Or Tonks. Or Teddy. Because you can love your own ship without incinerating canon like it’s a Horcrux.

😇 A Peace Offering

Ship what you love. Write what makes you happy. Just don’t:

• Harass people who prefer canon;

• Accuse people of being bigots for liking Remadora or OC pairings;

• Pretend ATYD is a canon prequel;

• Call the actual canon "enemy territory."

Most of us - Canon and fanom lovers - love Remus Lupin. Let’s act like we do.

🪶 A tired Lupin Lover who just wants peace, nuance, and fanfiction that doesn't erase character arcs.

With kindness, canon, and exactly 0 werewolf-baiting pranks,

M.

[stars-of-sirius]

Come What May.

Name: Sirius Viera

Gender: male(he/him)

Height: 5’8

Role: protector of the Clergy’s records and graveyard keeper

Relations: Kaisarion Peacefield, Silas Straight, Vireyla Cirice, Zenith Juturna, Sirocco, Vireo, Sister Mercy, Cardinal Val, Copia, Terzo, Phantom. (will be added too)

Species: Quintessence ghoul

//Hello!! It’s nice to see you here :3 this is my ghoul oc- named Sirius! He’s a quintessence ghoul, and is still quite young(so nothing nsfw!!), at least, in ghoul years. Now- while he is one of my Ghost ocs- he’s also apart of my own story that’s Ghost inspired. So- I’ll give you a run down of what I created- then his role in the Clergy and all that!//

So- I’ll try to explain best I can, but I have a scattered thought process so sorry if I go off topic or anything like that

Characters related to Sirius

Okay- so. Let’s start with Kaisarion Peacefield. Kaisarion is a descendant from the Tribus Sapientia, and is the son of war General Liora Peacefield, and grew up with her on the battlefield. Where’s his dad? ..good question..moving on. Kaisarion, in “modern” day within the Imperium, is one of the rulers, his title being that of Frater Imperator. He’s also called The Father Of Make Believe

Next- Silas Straight! Silas is a descendant from the Dan Utvalda, and is the Imperium’s top Surgeon/Scientist. He’s head of the medical field, and one of the members of the Concilium Ordinis. He has no other titles than Dr. Straight- which he prefers over his first name.

Virelya Cirice- Soror Imperator- the co-ruler of the Imperium. Again- same with Sirius, I’m still expanding on her. She’s a descendant from Tribus Ignus- and has direct control over Concilium Flux. She’s also the first Soror Imperator to be openly Lesbian- which was a highly controversial topic at the time(DONT WORRY THE IMPERIUM IS PAST THAT- I BASED SOME OF THE IMPERIUM’S HISTORY OFF OF REAL HISTORY). Some of her titles- besides Soror Imperator- are Mother Superior and The Queen Of The Dark

Zenith Juturna- oh. I love this guy. Okay- so, there’s so much to this- but he’s technically a ghoul now- but he wasn’t born a ghoul- he was turned. By who? Silas. I question Straight’s choices sometimes. Anyways. Zenith knew Sirius before he himself turned ghoul- and after his community was ambushed and raided, most of the population being killed- he was morally wounded. He tried to follow Sirius as Sirius ran from the destruction, and followed him all the way back to the Imperium- where Silas found him. Silas told him that he could patch up his wounds- but when he had Zenith unconscious, he injected him with ghoul dna. This made Zenith’s healing faster- but by the gods did this hurt him at the same time. Growing horns, tail, and claws isn’t exactly the most comfortable process. Zenith hated Silas for this- hated his very being. So when Zenith escaped- he nearly wiped out all of the Imperium- and almost killed both Sirius and Silas. Though to make a long story short- he redeemed himself eventually and Sirius now sees Zenith as a brother.

The world Sirius lives in

Right- so now you’re probably wondering what tf is a Tribus Sapientia, or the Dan Utvalda, or Tribus Ignus- so I’ll try to explain in the briefest way possible lol

Tribus Sapientia- a tribe to the North that worshiped the deity Baphomet- they held wisdom above all else

Tribus Ignus- a tribe to the South that worshiped Eris and Hermes- holding chaos and the sense of self above all else

Dan Utvalda- a tribe that worshiped Forseti and Tyr- holding order and battle above all else(think Sparta- just Swedish ig)

Now- you might also be wondering what this war I keep referring to is- and as I did with the tribes- I’ll give the bullet points lol.

The Imperium started out as these three different tribes- though they were all divided, Tribus Sapientia being in the North, Tribus Ignus to the South, and the DU to the West

. The DU wanted control of the Tribus Ignus and the Tribus Sapientia due to seeing how advanced they were, but the two tribes refused to join the DU- so the DU started a war, now called the War Of Absolution.

The TS and the TI came out on top in the war and took control of the DU, having them sign a peace treaty and eventually forming the Imperium where the TI used to be.

The War Of Absolution was divided into three sections for the three years it went on- the Initium, The Sanguis Effusus, and The Finis.

There was a war hero named Liora Peacefield- the General of the TS’ and TI’s army. She joined around the Sanguis Effusus period and led the tribes to victory.

General Peacefield’s close allies were the Eos Lunae- a cabinet made up of the soldiers Luna Silva(war), Veronica Michel(Death), Vaylen Cassias(Famine), and Delta Nigh(Conquest). As you can tell- they’re based off the four horsemen

Fun fact! The Messura(Tribus Ignus and Tribus Sapientia combined) changed generals five times, while the Dan Utvalda only had two.

Meliora

Not far from the Imperium was a kingdom named Meliora

Meliora was the only place Sirius felt comfortable- as all his life he’s been living in the Mors Terra(the land outside of the Imperium), moving place to place. When Sirius found Meliora- the people welcomed him in with open arms.

Though as said with Zenith- Meliora suffered an attack from a nearby kingdom which destroyed Meliora. Sirius escaped with a broken leg and head injuries.

Kaisarion, who frequents the Mors Terra, found Sirius and brought him back to the Imperium- where he lived for the rest of the time.

How does this connect to the Clergy?

In my mind, Ghouls live for a long, long time. Copia and Perpetua are descendants from Kaisarion, and even after Kaisarion and Silas passed- Sirius and Zenith still lived in to see the way the Imperium shifted into the Clergy. Currently, Sirius and Zenith live within the Ministry, where they keep a memorial to the leaders of the Imperium taken care of. Sirius hasn’t moved on from Kaisarion, Silas, or Virelya. They were like his family. He doesn’t like to acknowledge that they are gone.

Who will be on this blog?

Obviously, we have Sirius- but there may also be Zenith on here! And I’m considering having the ghosts of Kai, Silas, and Virelya on here but I’m not sure yet. Anyways- that’s all from me! Sorry for the long Intro post! Oh, and btw, here’s Zenith! I’ll describe more about him when he first speaks on this blog.

My other accounts

@chaos-goddess13

@messengersofmischief

@god-of-reflections13

@whispers-of-the-winds

@foreignflame

@his-and-hers-hoilest

@baphomet-of-neferduat

@cardinal-val

@flowers-of-mercy

Non role play accounts:

@only-ghosts13

@the-imperium-archives (you can find more about Sirius on here!)

Tags-

✰someone who can✰- Sirius

The headstone reads, ‘Mr.Nobody’- fist time interactions

꧁the Continuum꧂- reblogs/ continuation of rps

༻searching for tommorow༺- Lore posts

𖤐all on fire𖤐- Zenith

☾old flames☾- Lore post

༒Ten Speed༒- reblogs/continuation of rps(Zenith)

[elvendorx]

The Remus and Sirius height discourse has become so loaded. Today I saw a post claiming that viewing Sirius as taller than Remus means that one supports jkr? (What?)

Canonically, Sirius is taller than Remus. That's just a fact. And I understand that some people don't care about canon, and that's cool!! But even if you don't give a flying fig about canon, that does not make the view that Remus is taller than Sirius any more valid than the reverse, and you can't go around telling other people that they are wrong, or worse, bad people for not agreeing with a version of the character that exists in your head?

Look I get that it would be annoying to have people inject an "ahem actually..." on posts that are clearly based on headcanons. I get that. But that is the natural consequence of taking the names/tags of characters from popular fandoms and using them for your own OCs, and the fact that these fans jump to "they must be horrible people!" as opposed to "they might be confused about my relationship with canon" is... something.

As someone who is neurodivergent, I find that the fandom that claims to love diversity has very little tolerance for people who don't understand the unwritten rules about when canon is and isn't allowed to be used as a reference point. (Somehow, we still hate Snape because canon, but all other canon is garbage?) Sorry for the rant, I'm just tired and confused.

don't be sorry at all, i think this kind of thing needs to be talked about because at its worst, this rhetoric is an attempt at emotional manipulation and censorship. nobody is ever going to 100% agree even with the exact same words on a page - this is the entire literary criticism field, most of the time variation in readings are a good thing but this isn't even a "reading", because it has no bearing on the characters, they just are or aren't a certain height, so it becomes a tool for personal agendas - "if you think sirius was tall, you're a fascist". even though those two facts are not connected, because sirius' height is never anything more than a physical description of him. and it's glaringly obvious that the people who fixate on this aren't interested in sirius as a character, just as a vehicle for their own fantasies/validation.

this is the problem that comes from people trying to put dynamics & personalities that they want to see onto characters who don't fit those moulds. the height thing doesn't actually matter, it doesn't change anything in the narrative, but it summarises the attitude towards canon which for me summarises critical reading & reading comprehension as a whole within hp fandom. i don't think canon is perfect and i don't think it's sacred but i don't understand why you would engage with something that you have to twist out of recognition in order to enjoy it.

part of the fun of fandom, for me, is finding the limits and boundaries while maintaining recognition. at the very least, even if you change everything else, character has to be consistent. you have to recognise who you're working with otherwise what are you doing here? other authors are writing and have written exactly what you want, so why do you need this character with a history and motivations and a distinctive personality to be the ideal version of you/the partner you want (because lbr, that's it!). i'm not saying that people can't use their imaginations and bend things, i do it, and people can do that by bending characters out of recognition if they want. i don't get any enjoyment out of that or see the point in it but i'm not going to try and stop people. it's the flagrant dismissal of logic and evidence that i think is a more dangerous stance when applied more widely.

it's ALWAYS the people who want remus to be taller and sirius to be tiny who have 10 million personal reasons why they need it to be that way around despite it being clear that sirius is specifically tall, and remus is of such average and nondescript height that it's never mentioned. it's nobody else's responsibility to validate anyone's projections onto a fictional character, and your personal reasons for wanting a character to behave in a way that they wouldn't isn't anybody's responsibility. i don't think these kind of people see the irony in how they're trying to force their view on everyone else even though there's direct contradiction to it, yet are claiming that people who go with that feature from the text are violent fanaticists or something.

when you question why it makes such a difference to the "big strong remus and baby boi sirius" people, it comes down to "it's cuter" or "it allows me to simplify m/m relationships into tough and cute and use physical attributes as symbols rather than thinking complexly about personality traits and dynamics." the height thing is basically one step away from top/bottom discourse and just because someone identifies as queer or relates to a character doesn't make it unproblematic. if you need to see a character who represents your specific circumstances, find one or make an original one, imo. it's not an entire fandom's job to validate individuals and it's manipulative to suggest that someone else seeing a character according to the way that character is explicitly described is an act of hatred or violence or something.

apologies if this turned into a rant of its own - i don't CARE that sirius is tall but the attitude towards minor, basic facts is wild to me. it makes no difference to me but idk why you would take being taller than snape away from sirius bc he clearly enjoys being able to tower over him. if i did want to argue that sirius' height makes a difference in the text, i'd say that sirius is tall because padfoot is also a large creature and there seems to be some kind of reflection of the human in animagus forms, whereas the whole werewolf thing is something inflicted externally rather than something that comes from within the person so remus' human height isn't reflected by his lycanthropy. but that's a whole other question i would have to research more.

[threadpull]

⭐

MULTIMUSE MEME: Send a " ⭐ " and I will list muses I would be interested in throwing at yours, or potential muse combinations if you are also a multi. If you like any of the suggested combinations, you are welcome to come plot or start interactions with them.

hey!!! so obvi we've talked about a few options together, but going a bit deeper, there's.......... so much potential for different interactions aaaa ! i don't think i can do an exhaustive list because both of our muse lists together make it a bit long LOL but here are some standouts based on characters i'm excited about and/or your higher priority muses

harley: jervis tetch and victor zsasz are potential friends in the making. i could see stephanie brown and becky albright being frenemies with her. roman sionis is maybe a hateship/enemies/reluctant team-up option?

alice: well obviously jervis has to meet her LMAO

peter parker: my OC jack issa would have some interesting interactions with him, i think!!! they are an anti-hero type, and i just imagine they would be a handful for peter lmao

sirius & tonks: remus!!!!! but also barty in his canon divergent verse.......... i have generally more muse for barty so i shoehorn him in, but ahh! him working with the order and having tense interactions....... the drama. that's some good soup.

hermione: specifically have her separate from them but same about remus and barty. but specifically i could totally see barty being like.... more on level with the kids, able to talk to them more freely, and treat them like they're independent. everyone in the order is always trying to hide things from them or keep them out of it, but i could totally see barty being a resource for hermione. he is highkey guilty af about everything, and i think she would be able to pick up on that, and use it a little. and like he KNOWS she's playing him like a fiddle, but he can't help it, he'll teach her and the others about spells that are more advanced and feel like it's his way of giving back and helping them prepare for what's to come.

isabelle: my oc mitch!!!! be witches together! form a coven! idk exactly but i want to have more RPs with mitch lmao

[impishtubist]

I'm glad I'm not the only one noticing this, lol. And yes, exactly! It's just an OC at that point. Which is fine, you do you, but that's absolutely not what I'm in fandom for. I have enough OCs in my own original writing, I want to read about SIRIUS and REMUS from the actual canon and not someone's OC that happens to have their names!

Another thing I find interesting is that I'm learning that a lot of newer people to writing Sirius/Remus/Wolfstar have not read the actual books. They're basing these characters off of TikToks and fanfic, but not the source material. Which is WEIRD and definitely partly explains why Sirius and Remus are unrecognizable in a lot of fics.

And then there are the people who HAVE read canon and who have decided that Sirius is The Worst and Remus can do No Wrong Ever, which. I'm not sure why those people are even writing Wolfstar but okay.

Hi, Imp! I know you're not a big fan of Wolfstar, but I wonder if you'll relate to the following anyway. The Wolfstar fandom is so weird to me these days. Sirius and Remus are practically flipped in terms of characterization. For example, I think I could take a recent Wolfstar fic and do a Find & Replace for "Sirius" to "Remus" and vice versa and get a fic that somewhat resembles a Wolfstar fic from the 2000s/2010s. It's making me lose my interest in Wolfstar as a pairing, to be honest.

(Readers at home will not have heard the cackle I let out when I read that first sentence, because twentysevensummers witnessed firsthand my 3-year-long Wolfstar brainrot and the 26 R/S fics I posted before the Remus fandom drove me away 😂🤣 Excellently played, my dear.)

Anyway, YES, this is precisely it. I agree with this observation wholeheartedly. You could take, like, 75% of the R/S fics these days and swap the character names, and you'd find that Remus these days has actually been given all of Sirius's character traits. You would absolutely end up with a R/S fic from the 2000s. It's extremely annoying, and also part of the reason why my Wolfstar fics are now all gone. I will not be contributing to the Remus positivity and Remus apologism that runs rampant in this fandom. 😘

(Another writer friend was telling me that more than once these days they've run across a fic where one character will say a version of "you suffered far more than Sirius ever did and you weather it better than him" to Remus and I'm still FUMING about it. This fandom really does think that Remus suffered more, that he handles it better, and that he never once failed Sirius or Harry even though he absolutely did).

[professorcocoa]

Hello there rotumblr, the name is Cocoa and Pie, the butterfree is my beloved partner.

I live in Azalea, on the Johto region, and I'm aspiring to become a pokemon professor.

I still don't know what exactly I'm going to study, but it doesn't matter, I'll just research everything.

It's a pleasure to meet you all.

//ooc: hello everyone, the name is Willow. I'm a 19 year old nb who just loves pokemon a little bit too much

here's the list of my pokerp blogs just cause

@pokemonprofessorintraining - me in the pokemon world

@ecruteakfashiondesigner - my oc that's based on my ex bf and my dream bf at the same time

@trio-of-chaos - a little joke that went too far, now a trio of dumbasses

@katcriollo - Cocoa's long lost sister

@mazes-and-puzzles - Maizie (canon character)

@spinarak-bite - Spinarak Man

@eggs-are-my-passion - Professor Elm (canon character)

@papercutt - Paper Cut Anon, aka another joke

@koko-tapu @lele-tapu @bulu-tapu @fini-tapu - The tapus

@sleepy-mot - Dudunsparce eeby deeby

@slakingthatslays - Slaking eeby deeby who is also a drag queen

@sleepingtight - Cresselia from the same world as Amy

@w1llowo - me again, but this time as a literal faller. Like, they're literally me!!

@teaminsanity - evil team because mwahahah

Their pokemon:

Pie, Butterfree, Female

Sponge, Slowking, Male

Opera, Shiny Crobat, Male

Sirius, Larvesta, Female

Pillow, Geodude (as smooth as a bowling ball), Male

Flint, Duraludon(an extremely tiny one, 6 cm/2.4 inches in height), Female

Cleopatra, Female, Trapinch

Team Menace

Krabbies (3), Females, Romana, Marinara and Carbonara

Krabbies (2), Males, Pizza and Pasta

Marguerita, Female, Kingler

Salsa, Male, Kingler (Team Menace Leader)

[bisexualbumblebee-writes]

The Werewolf and the Angel Chapter 8- Remus Lupin x OC

Remus Lupin x Violetta Cook

Description: Violetta wakes up after being knocked out by Remus in his werewolf form and discovers amazing news about Sirius.

Word Count: 2.5k

As the group emerged from the base of the Whomping Willow, Peter was still babbling like a child, begging for mercy. He turned to Violetta for help several times but she just turned the other cheek and wrapped an arm around Harry. Sirius suddenly broke away, staring up at Hogwarts. Harry and Violetta glanced at each other before walking over to him.

“Sirius? Are you okay?” Violetta asked softly.

“Beautiful, isn't it?” He asked, not looking away from the castle. “I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It'll be nice to do it again. Freely.” He paused and looked at Harry. “That was a noble thing you did back there. He doesn't deserve it.” Harry spared a glance to Peter before looking away.

“I don't reckon my father would want his best friends to become killers for a worthless piece of vermin like Pettigrew. Besides, dead, the truth dies with him. Alive... you're free.” 

Violetta smiled at the thought. She watched them talk about Harry potentially living with Sirius when his name was cleared before Sirius’ gaze landed on her. The younger boy looked between them, then shot his godfather a small smile.

“I’ll go check on Ron,” he excused himself before walking back to his friends. For a moment the two adults stared at each other for a moment, not knowing what to say. Sirius was the first one to finally speak.

“You look amazing, Violetta,” he muttered softly.

“I would say you do too, but that’d be a lie. You have arguably never looked worse,” she responded apologetically, which earned a laugh from both of them.

“I guess that’s fair. They don’t exactly sell Fleamont’s potions in Azkaban so I can’t really be blamed,” he shot back smoothly. Violetta nodded, then they shared a laugh. Their amusement was short lived after the woman spared a glance at Hermione, tensing once she noticed the worried look on her face. Upon questioning her, everyone followed her gaze to the full moon that was no longer surrounded by clouds like it was earlier. Violetta’s eyes went to Remus who now stood rigid with twitching fingers.

“Remus, you never took your potion tonight,” Violetta remembered with a gasp.

“Run. All of you. Now,” Sirius demanded, but no one did. As bristles begin poking through Remus’s skin, Violetta and Sirius run to him and wrap their arms around him.

“You know the man you truly are, Remus. This flesh is only flesh,” he whispered in Remus’s ear. “This heart is where you truly live. This heart! Here!” He continued, hitting their friend’s chest to try and bring him back.

Remus’s wand dropped and Peter immediately dived for it, but as soon as he got hold of it, Harry used Expelliarmus once more. Peter only faced him with a hideous grin before transforming into a rat once more. Violetta barely had time to react before a howl pierced the air. She faced Remus once more to see he had turned into a werewolf. She had no time to say anything before she was grabbed by the creature, his sharp claws digging into her skin. She could feel the blood beginning to seep out and soak her clothes shortly before she was thrown to the side as Sirius, now in his animagus form, knocked into him.Landing against the Whomping Willow with a sickening crack, she only had time to register someone calling her name before she blacked out.

“Ye really should be goin’ ‘less ye want a professor findin’ ye,” Hagrid spoke up, setting his cup of tea down. Violetta furrowed her brows and looked outside. Wow. It was a lot later than she originally thought. With the clouds covering the moon, it was almost pitch black outside, save for a few lights on the outside of the castle illuminating the grounds. 

“Oh Merlin, I really should,” she responded, standing up. “Thanks for the tea, Hagrid. It was wonderful.” Hagrid smiled bashfully and began to stand. 

“Do ye wan’ me to walk ye back to the castle?” He asked, already grabbing his coat.

“Oh no, it’s okay,” she paused when he gave her a worried look. “Seriously, it’s a short walk back and I don’t want you to get in trouble. You just worry about Fang getting better.” She pet the dog after she was done. Hagrid still looked hesitant, but eventually gave her a small smile and nodded, now also petting Fang. 

“Alright. If ye insist. Same time nex’ week?” He asked. Violetta nodded and grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

“Maybe a little earlier so I’m not out so late next time.” Hagrid nodded and walked her to the door, waving as she walked out. She walked backwards to wave at him before facing forward. The walk back to Hogwarts was nice and calming, but then she heard a noise. It was a mixture of sounds, but she could only name two: rustling and growling. Though her instincts told her to just keep going to the castle, she just couldn’t. What if someone was hurt? 

So, after taking a deep breath, she made her way to the source of the noise. It didn’t take her long to find it since it wasn’t far from Hagrid’s hut. It was the Whomping Willow, but it looked more aggravated than usual. There wasn’t any immediate danger in the tree’s vicinity as far as she could see. So, she decided to continue on. That is, until something else caught her attention. The tree stopped as well, seemingly hearing it as well. It was…thumping? Like someone was running, but not above ground. Realization hit her all at once, it was coming from the tunnel that the Whomping Willow led to. 

Out of nowhere, a different kind of growl erupted from the entrance of the tunnel. The girl, now a bit scared, ran to the forest a few yards away. She hid behind a tree where she still had a view of what was happening. A figure burst from the entrance, causing the tree to make a noise that sounded equivalent to a pained cry. The girl’s eyes widened as the clouds moved out from in front of the full moon, illuminating the figure. It was a werewolf. Not just any werewolf, it was her Remus. It had to be.

Moments later a black dog as well as a deer and a rat emerged from the tree’s base. She figured those were Sirius, James and Peter. The three began trying to herd the werewolf back into the tunnel to no avail. The werewolf picked up the deer with his jaws and threw him at the tree aggressively. The stag fell to the ground with a small yelp, making Violetta gasp.

That was a big mistake. Instantly, all four of the animal’s heads turned in her direction. The werewolf got on all fours, ready to attack. Just as he pounced, the dog ran into him midair, knocking the two of them over. Violetta backed up hastily as the werewolf got up. Without pause it began running at her almost too quick for her to get away. 

The dog was faster though, he knocked Violetta to the side and stood in front of her protectively. The two animals growled at each other, then the werewolf let out a cry as the rat began nipping at his ankles roughly. By that point the stag was up again and had run over to her, trying to push her towards the castle with his antlers. She could practically hear James yelling at her to get up and run to safety. And that’s what she did. She quickly gathered her things as quickly as they could then headed back to the castle as fast as her legs could carry her.She sprinted all the way inside and didn’t stop until she reached the Ravenclaw entrance. 

Once she was safely in her common room Violetta had to take several deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down. It wasn’t working, so she conjured up a cup of tea. That didn’t help either. All she could do was hold the cup with shaking hands until it got cold. Her mind couldn’t get rid of all that she’d witnessed and experienced that night. Of course she knew that wasn’t actually her Remus. Her Remus was probably the most gentle soul she’d ever met. That didn’t mean that what happened didn’t scare her. Unfortunately here was nothing else that could be done tonight, so off to bed she went.

Violetta was fine after a day, but Remus was not. Anytime she came around, Remus would find an excuse to leave. They ranged from tutoring another student to having to water the plants in the greenhouse. Violetta was particularly upset when she learned that the others told him what happened, she was ready to just forget about it and move on with her life without Remus knowing. Apparently that wouldn’t happen now. 

The next few days were filled with Violetta racking her brain to figure out how to confront her boyfriend. She wanted to clear the air without him having the excuse to leave once again. No ideas came to mind until Lily mentioned the Room of Requirement. An idea instantly popped into her head and she gathered the other marauders to help her. 

The plan was to lure Remus into the Room of Requirement with a note saying they wanted to show him something for a prank for Severus but Violetta would be there instead. Of course they’d be outside the door in case anything went awry, but Violetta had faith that nothing would happen and it’d be okay. 

“This better be good you guys, I have things to do,” Remus said tiredly as he walked into the Room of Requirement. He was surprised to find Violetta sitting on the floor against the back wall reading a book.

“Oh, Violetta,” he started awkwardly. “I guess I have the wrong room, sorry.” He quickly turned around as the door automatically closed behind him and began walking towards it.

“Colloportus,” Violetta called, aiming her wand at the entrance. Though it didn’t actually have a lock, both of them could tell that they wouldn’t get out manually. Remus stopped in his tracks then faced her again.

“Vi, come on. The guys-” 

“Asked for your help with a prank for Severus,” she finished for him knowingly, finally looking up from her book. His eyebrows furrowed, visibly confused, before realization dawned on him.

“The guys don’t actually need my help, do they?” He asked softly. Violetta smiled apologetically and shook her head. 

“Sorry, I just needed their help getting you here,” she explained. The boy chuckled and shook his head. Of course they wouldn’t need his help for a prank. They never really needed him for that, why start so suddenly. 

“Why did you want to get me in here?” He asked, curiosity piqued. 

“Because you’re avoiding me,” she said simply, standing up after closing her book. The boy visibly tensed and looked away. 

“And don’t say you’re not because everyone else has noticed it as well. If you want to keep doing that then fine, just tell me why,” she finished, voice desperate by the end of it. 

“I don’t want to talk about it, Vi,” he responded tensely. The girl shook her head.

“Remus-”

“No.” 

“Could you please just-” 

“I said no,” he cut her off once again, becoming frustrated. She wasn’t about to give up though. She began walking closer to him. 

“Remus why won’t you talk-”

“Because I’m a monster, Violetta!” Remus finally yelled, panting angrily. Violetta’s mouth instantly closed and he could see tears well up in her eyes. He felt guilty instantly, he knew she didn’t like being yelled at. 

“See what I mean?” He gestured to her. “I’ve even made you cry now.” He sat against the east wall with a sigh, sliding to the ground. Pulling his knees to his chest, he rested his forehead on his knees. It was silent, so silent that Remus thought she left for a minute. Then he felt her sit beside him. 

“I don’t know what you’ve been told, but you’re not a monster, Remus,” she started softly. Remus wanted to scoff, but stopped himself as she faced him. 

“You were unfairly scratched by a werewolf that had a grudge against your father. What happened was not your fault. Yes, you’re forced to turn into a werewolf every month, but that doesn’t define you. I know the real Remus Lupin. You like your tea and coffee with so much sugar it feels like a diabetic coma waiting to happen,” she paused and smiled when he laughed at that. “You hate wearing mismatched socks, your favorite holiday is Valentine’s day because of your love of sweets, and you love me for me, not because I’m beautiful. That’s the Remus Lupin I fell in love with. Being part werewolf doesn’t change anything. I love you for you, including flaws and faults.”

Remus was nearly in tears when she finished her speech. So many emotions washed over him like a tidal wave that if he wasn’t already sitting, he’d be knocked down. Happiness, contentment, adoration, and love. Especially love. Violetta gasped in surprise when he suddenly pulled her into a tight hug, nestling his head into her neck. She hugged him back, stroking his hair soothingly. She let out a small giggle when he placed a kiss on her neck.

“Remus!” She scolded playfully, scratching his head gently. He chuckled at her reaction and pulled away to look at her, though he was still leaning against her. 

“I’m sorry Angel, I’ve been stupid,” he apologized quietly. Violetta only shook her head and kissed his forehead. 

“All is forgiven. Just as long as you talk to me next time instead of not at all,” she gave him a pointed look, making him smile.

“I promise,” he spoke before placing a kiss on her lips. 

“Good,” she responded upon pulling away. Remus nestled his face into her neck once more and they continued holding each other, happy to be in each other’s presence again.

Violetta woke with a start, looking at her surroundings frantically. She then sighed in relief when she saw Harry, Hermione and Ron (mostly) safe. She sat up, holding her head.

“Sirius… Where’s Sirius? Oh god did Remus-” she started in a panicked tone before the door to the infirmary burst open quite suddenly, making her jump. Snape walked in with Dumbledore and Fudge on his heels. She watched as the man began accusing the three students  of helping Sirius escape from Hogwarts. When they denied it, he turned to Violetta with a furious expression.

“And how about you, you disgusting criminal loving-” he started but Dumbledore cut in.

“Severus they’ve been in here recovering, how could any of them have possibly done that?” Snape seemed stumped at his question, but threatened Violetta to watch herself before the three of them exited. Violetta watched, a silent smile spreading to her face. Sirius was free, he wouldn’t get the Dementor’s Kiss. That was the best possible outcome she could possibly imagine.

[glassandroses]

MASTERLIST

Requests are open!

A Court of Thorns and Roses Works

Series

A Court of Time and Space (Non-ship, Doctor Who crossover)

Feyre Archeron has done many things in her life, much of which she would never wish to look back on, but now she must face the past- her past as Clara Oswald.

Dreamer’s Court (Multi-ship, modern AU + band AU)

It’s Feyre Archeron’s 19th birthday, and she wants nothing more than to see her favorite band, the Dreamer’s Court, and the lead singer Rhysand. Nesta Archeron pulls a few strings with her friend Amren, the manager of the band, and Feyre is transported into the world of rock ‘n’ roll.

Something Wicked This Way Comes (Multi-ship, Charmed crossover + modern AU)

When Feyre leaves her abusive ex and makes a distress call, her sisters are brought back together and the magic of the Power of Three is awakened once again.

Midsommar (Non-ship, Midsommar rewrite + Dead Dove)

A couple, Feyre Archeron and Tamlin Springfield, and their group of friends travel to Sweden to visit their friend's rural hometown for its fabled midsummer festival.

A Court of Widows and Espionage (Nessian, Marvel Crossover)

Nesta is not her real name. Velaris is not her home, but she’ll be leaving soon enough. She’ll be going to find her real family, her real home. She’s done hiding, and she’s done running from her past.

Rhysand Knight: Ace Attorney (Non-ship, Ace Attorney series rewrite + modern AU)

Rookie defense attorney Rhysand Knight strives to protect his clients in various murder trials, including the death of his mentor, Nesta Archeron. Rhysand's greatest- and only- ally is Nesta's youngest sister Feyre, a spirit medium whose body can be possessed by Nesta to communicate with him from beyond the grave.

Falling Down (Morrigan/OC, based on Alice In Wonderland)

Katrin was tricked. Fooled. Now, she found herself in a world where she didn’t fit. Finding herself in a mystical city called Velaris, she hopes to bloom a new future for herself and the people who have so kindly invited her into their family.

Mini-Series

All Is Fair In Love and Cupcakes (Nessian, modern AU + baker AU)

Nesta Archeron’s daily routine is thrown off-kilter when the bakery she favors is out of red velvet cupcakes, her favorites. Luckily, the baker on shift, Cassian, has a solution.

Oneshots

I Don’t Know Why (Nessian, angst + fluff)

Nesta and Cassian may always drift away, but they always find each other again.

Praying - The Song of Feyre and Tamlin (Non-ship, angst with a happy ending)

A story in six parts, each telling the tale of Feyre’s forgiveness of Tamlin.

Puppy Love (Elucien, fluff + modern AU)

Elain surprises her husband Lucien with the best surprise of them all- a puppy.

Cravings (Elriel, fluff + modern AU)

Azriel would do anything for his wife, especially now that she’s pregnant with their child. That includes scouring the city streets for anything remotely edible for his wife’s cravings.

Nightmares (Feysand, hurt/comfort + smut + modern AU)

Feyre has a nightmare and her roommate Rhys calms her down.

Throne of Glass

Series

Chicago Belle (Non-ship, One Chicago crossover + modern AU)

After Aelin and Aedion Ashryver’s foster mother is found murdered, they become suspects in a wild case with mysterious trails and clues- with the most mysterious of all being that one of the Intelligence officers looks almost exactly like their mother.

Wizarding World

Series

Father’s Daughter (Sirius Black/Reader, Marvel crossover + golden trio era)

You’re the daughter of Tony Stark, you’re an inventor with an IQ that can rival your father’s and you’ve just found out that you’re a half-blooded witch. You’re brought into the Order of the Phoenix by Albus Dumbledore to perfect your most recent invention, one that he believes could win the war.

Shadowhunter Chronicles

Series

Take My Hand (Malec, modern/college AU + no powers AU)

As a college senior, Alec wanted nothing more than to graduate, but didn’t expect to find someone- much less with transfer student and fellow senior Magnus Bane. What follows if a flurry of secrets and scandals, heartbreak and soul-searing love.

[nebulablakemurphy]

Harry Potter Masterlist

Marry My Husband 

Summary: Y/N and Draco put the pieces of his life back together after the death of his wife Astoria. Set around the 19 years later epilogue. 

Demanding Little Thing

Summary: Draco needs an invite to Slughorn’s Christmas party, good thing Y/N is in the Slug Club. Set during half-blood prince.

Butterflies

Summary: Y/N and Draco have been dating for a while and it’s time to meet the parents.

Cold

Summary: Y/N is the love of Draco’s life. And today, like any other free day, you’re off to Hogmeade. Only this time Draco is carrying a deadly package, and it ends up in the wrong hands.

My Sentiments Exactly

Summary: Draco loves to pick on Y/N, until the day he takes it too far.

Scared Potter?

Summary: Y/N is Harry’s twin sister who’s been secretly dating Draco Malfoy. Based off the prompt, “you’re the only thing keeping me sane right now.”

Through Love And By Love

Summary: Twenty-Two years ago, Draco Malfoy used the imperius curse to slow Voldemort’s rise to power. No good deed goes unpunished. Draco x OC

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19

Harry x Reader

Help Wanted

Summary: Y/N doesn’t get the job, Harry tries to take their mind off it.

Ron x Reader

Freckles

Summary: Ron gets sent away on an auror mission and Y/N misses him terribly.

Entanglement

Summary: Ron becomes Y/N Malfoy’s parole officer, then goes above and beyond his job description.

Hermione x Reader

Tea For Two

After the war, Hermione and Y/N take a much needed weekend getaway.

Full Bloom

Summary: Before returning to Hogwarts, Neville helps Y/N plant a garden. When he returns, everything is in full bloom.

Absolutely Smitten

Summary: You skip class due to an awful period, Neville finds you. Kisses, cuddles and comfort ensue.

The Losing Game

Summary: Y/N and Neville have been friends since they started at Hogwarts. Y/n is adopted and after some recent events, she becomes more curious about her birth parents. Only they’re not what she’s been hoping for.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Fred x Reader

Birthdayed Out

Summary: Fred has one more surprise for Y/N on their birthday.

Almost

Fred lives AU, Y/N struggles to deal with what almost happened.

Safe House

Summary: Y/N goes into hiding with the Weasleys and misses the life they had before.

George x Reader

Focus

Summary: Y/N is studying nonstop, George helps them rest and recharge.

My Godson Our Godson

Summary: After y/n’s brother James and his wife Lily are murdered. Sirius is sentenced to Azkaban for handing them over to Voldemort. Y/N is left to raise Harry, alone. Now that Sirius is free, and he wants to be part of Harry’s life...and to set the record straight with y/n. Who he’s still madly in love with.

Wanted Man

Summary: Sirius finds Y/N post Azkaban, fluff ensues.

A Sky Full Of Stars

Summary: Y/N sneaks out to see a shooting star, using her brother James’ cloak of invisibility. Sirius makes sure they get their wish.

Something Happened

Something happens to Y/N while Sirius is away.

Warnings/Notes: Mentions of assault, PTSD and panic attacks.

How to train your Weasley

You move to Romania with Charlie, to help train him (in the art of romance) while he trains dragons.

Headcanons & Blurbs

Baths With Fred Weasley

Sirius Black Dating a Ravenclaw Reader

Finding Out Your Pregnant By Bill Weasley After The Battle of Hogwarts

Being Married To Charlie Weasley

Breathe With Me

After Life

Bad Faith

[twoidiotwriters1]

Written In The Stars CXIII (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: Did I mention already that I love this book? I love this book -Danny

Words: 6,084

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Listen to: ‘Happy’ -by Julia Michaels

Chapter Eleven: A Faulty Match.

"No way I'll be a teacher," Mel said anxiously. "I'm barely able to speak to more than five people at once!"

"You know that's not true, you're popular now!"

It had been two weeks after their talk in the common room and Hermione was ready to have a go at it for a second time. What was more surprising was the fact that Harry wasn't against it now. He'd finally come around and was behaving properly during Umbridge's lessons, which meant she was finally free to wander around school with her new friends without worrying all the time about what he was doing.

"Yeah, I doubt anyone except you two would want to be taught by us. We're nutters, remember?" Harry added.

"Speak for yourself," Mel protested.

Her time with Ginny and the twins was surprisingly effective when it came to building relationships with the rest of the houses, she knew a bunch of new people now, people that didn't think she was dramatic or impulsive. It was a nice change.

"Well, I think you might be surprised how many people would be interested in hearing what you've got to say," said Hermione. "Look, you know the first weekend in October's a Hogsmeade weekend? How would it be if we tell anyone who's interested to meet us in the village and we can talk it over?"

"Why do we have to do it outside school?" said Ron.

"Because I don't think Umbridge would be very happy if she found out what we were up to."

"So?" Ron looked at both of them with an eager expression. "You'll do it?"

Harry and Mel glanced at each other.

Were they ready for the teamwork that implied? Even if they hadn't argued for almost half a month, it still felt like too much, it was a very thin line they'd been walking those days trying not to push any buttons, but they were bound to falter, they just didn't how or when.

"I'll think about it," She sentenced. "I have tons to do... I mean, I can't teach a bunch of kids how to defend themselves if it's not my priority, I wanna make sure I don't mess up things."

"That's fine," Hermione smiled down at her paper as if Mel had agreed just then.

"So what d'you think?"

"Well, Hermione's idea isn't bad," Ginny shrugged. "You've gone through a lot, and you definitely know more than most, Mel."

"I don't know," She groaned. "I don't know if I want to spend that much time with..."

Ginny eyed her curiously.

"You and Harry are still fighting?"

"Have we ever not?" Mel smiled tiredly.

"Last year when you were all lovey in public..." Ginny replied. "I really thought you two were dating back then. Which is the reason why I gave Michael a chance."

"Hey!"

'Talking of the devil,' Mel thought, watching as Michael and his friends approached them.

"Hi," Ginny smiled at him. "What's up?"

Michal waved at Mel, the boys also greeted her, though they looked as if she were a unicorn.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Michael asked.

"Sure... er- I'll be right back, Mel."

"No worries..."

Mel watched her go with Michael, Anthony Goldstein was trying to tell her something but she wasn't listening, she was just nodding along, laughing when he did.

Only then she realized how lonely she was feeling. She'd been feeling lonely for months, but now she knew exactly what kind of company she was looking for. She wanted to date someone, to feel the same way she'd felt before, a part of her even wanted to try with a total stranger, a stranger meant she wouldn't get hurt.

Mel continued to nod and listen without paying attention as she busied herself, cleaning her bag while Anthony kept talking. A piece of parchment fell from a book and Mel picked it up, skimming through it. It was one of her mother's letters, but it looked old.

'..you should never base your actions on what other people expect you to do, Mel. Not even if that person is one of your closest friends. How do you expect to become your own whole witch if you keep following other people's tails?'

It was the letter the woman had sent her when Ron, Harry and her crashed the Ford Anglia, and she'd been right about everything, Mel needed to stop basing her actions on what others wanted.

What did she want, apart from dating someone of course...

A second piece of parchment fell to her lap and she looked down at it. It was the list she'd done during her second year:

1-I have to control my temper.

2-I have to focus in class.

3-I must listen to my family.

4-I must forget about my feelings for Harry.

Mel stared at it and something in her head clicked. She'd had her answer for years, only that she hadn't been brave enough to accept it.

Ginny came back with an easy-going smile on her face, Mel did her best to match it. The boys said goodbye and left.

"So?" Mel asked. "Do I sense a date?"

"Maybe," Ginny smiled. "I like him, but he can be a bit annoying."

"Aren't all boys like that?" Mel joked.

"Not all of them," Ginny gave her a look.

"I know who you're talking about when you say that," Mel looked away, the piece of parchment hidden inside her fist. "I assure you he's the same."

"He's not that boring, is he?"

"Listen, if you don't want to date Michael I'm sure he'll understand. You're more than welcome to try with Harry and see for yourself if that's what you want..." Cho walked past just then, surrounded by her usual jolly group of girlfriends. "...But something tells me he's busy at the moment."

Ginny looked at the Ravenclaw and let out a heavy sigh.

"So it's true then, he likes Cho?"

"Seems like it," She grabbed her mum's letter and her list and put it inside her bag. "Cho's been acting odd, looking for Harry during every free hour– Alone."

"Hmm," Ginny nodded in understanding. "I hope it works, would hate to see either of them suffer any more..."

Mel felt a sting of guilt at Ginny's comment. Of course she wanted Cho to recover, and of course she wanted Harry to be happy... but did they really have to be together for that? Couldn't they just do it on their own?

'You're one to talk, wishing you could snog your tension out with a stranger...' A voice in her head replied.

"Uh," Mel cleared her throat, embarrassed by her selfish ideas. "Yeah, you're right."

"Talking about people getting together," Ginny's eyes shifted into a more playful gaze. "You've been spending a lot of time with my brothers, haven't you?"

"The twins?" Mel laughed. "We're friends!"

"Are you sure?"

"Don't start..."

"Come on! I know you think they're attractive, you told me once!"

"I was twelve!" Mel chortled.

"Okay then, if you think it's so weird I won't tell you which one I overheard saying he thinks you're a looker now," Ginny crossed her arms and sat back casually, a knowing smirk on her face.

"What?! Don't you dare!"

"I don't tell you which one, you'll think about it!"

"Ginny!" Mel whined anxiously. "I don't want to hurt their feelings!"

"Wouldn't it be cool if you were part of the family for real?" She insisted. "My brothers are not that bad..."

"No," Mel sank further in her place. "They're bloody lovely. That's why I won't forgive myself if I hurt them."

"You're Mellow, you can't hurt anyone," Ginny snickered. "Just think about it..."

It was really sweet of Ginny to put a good word in for her brothers, but she didn't think it was the best idea. However, her old list was clear, she had to move on from Harry. If there was a chance that she could forget about him while still having fun with someone she trusted, well, maybe she could make it work.

"Mel, is it true that you're organizing a D.A.D.A class?"

"Well–"

"I heard you're organizing a meeting, can I go?"

"I mean–"

"Are you actually teaching us the same things Dumbledore's teaching you? Are you allowed?"

"Guys!" Ginny spoke up. "You got it all wrong! Granger and my brother are the ones organizing the whole thing, Mel doesn't know anything... but she's going to be there if that's enough for you?"

A new stream of questions hit her and Mel laughed. With each passing day, she found the attention less and less annoying, she wasn't as anxious as before, and could even spend more time around Harry without snapping at him.

She raised her hands to quiet everyone down and they obeyed, Mel was starting to love this kind of control too.

"Ginny's right, guys. If you're going to ask 'Mione, please be careful? We don't want the toad hearing our business, do we? I don't want to get my friends in trouble."

She left feeling pleased and energized. The group scattered and she looked back at Ginny with a smile.

"Not bad was it? You're improving..."

"I owe it to you," Mel winked. "I'm hungry, you coming?"

"I'm sitting with Michael," Her friend's smile widened.

"I'll leave you to it then... see you!"

As she walked through, several people asked her to join them; she said no, though. She was still a bit uneasy about spending too much time with strangers, it was draining.

When Mel spotted Hermione she made a beeline to sit with her, the group of friends was already in the middle of a conversation. It was normal now, arriving in the middle of something, not really knowing what was going on with them, but she concluded that her new popularity was definitely worth it.

"Well, you can't blame him for wanting to get out and about," She heard Ron say. "I mean, he's been on the run for over two years, hasn't he, and I know that can't have been a laugh, but at least he was free, wasn't he? And now he's just shut up all the time with that lunatic elf and Mel's mum."

"You say that like my mum's on the same level as Kreacher," Mel raised a brow.

"The trouble is," Hermione insisted, "until V-Voldemort — oh for heaven's sake, Ron — comes out into the open, Sirius is going to have to stay hidden, isn't he? I mean, the stupid Ministry isn't going to realize Sirius is innocent until they accept that Dumbledore's been telling the truth about him all along. And once the fools start catching real Death Eaters again it'll be obvious Sirius isn't one... I mean, he hasn't got the Mark, for one thing."

"I don't reckon he'd be stupid enough to turn up. Dumbledore'd go mad if he did and Sirius listens to Dumbledore even if he doesn't like what he hears."

"Don't we all?" Mel sighed.

An owl landed in front of her with the usual letter from her mother. It contained very vague things and coded names so Mel knew how everything was going. That morning the letter was surprisingly short, but she kept reading between the lines hoping to see something, anything.

"Still nothing..." She said grumpily.

"What d'you mean?"

"My mum! Been waiting for them to confirm they're together but they won't budge..."

"How're you so sure it'll happen?"

"Didn't I tell you? My mum talked to me the day we left the station, she was more than ready to give Snuffles a chance..."

"Blimey!" Ron's eyes widened. "Congrats to them, I s'posse..."

"I'm happy for them," Mel agreed, handing the letter to them so they could read it. "They've been alone for ages... I'm glad they've got each other now. Don't you agree, Harry?"

He didn't reply.

"Harry?"

The boy was looking at the letter as if it had one of Skeeter's articles on it. Mel called a third time and he looked up, but there was nothing close to real joy there. He smiled tightly and nodded once.

"Yeah, sounds great."

Mel frowned a bit, her smiled faltering.

"Is something bothering you?"

"Not at all," Harry avoided her gaze at all cost.

Hermione tried to lighten the mood.

"Listen, Ron and I have been sounding out people who we thought might want to learn some proper Defense Against the Dark Arts, and there are a couple who seem interested. We've told them to meet us in Hogsmeade."

"Right," said Harry quietly.

"Don't worry. You've got enough on your plate without Sirius too. You read that note they sent to Mel, I bet they must be quite happy."

"They surely are," Mel carefully folded the paper so she could show it to Erick later. "Talking about Hogsmeade– a bunch of kids have been attacking me with questions and I told them to ask you, hope you don't mind..."

"It's fine," Hermione smiled. "I'm happy you're friends with students from different houses– the more we can have in our side the better, right?"

"I think so," Mel was too excited to sit still. "I'm sort of looking forward to it now? They're nicer to me–"

"I wonder why," Ron snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh c'mon Mel," He laughed stupidly. "Half of the boys follow you around hoping you'll let them take you on a date... not that you're not nice and all! Don't hit me for being honest..."

Mel didn't try to refute his comment, far from it, this pleased her.

"I'm not going to hit you, Ron. I hope this works as a lesson to you, it is possible to be friends with other houses even if you don't agree in everything," She said happily.

"Sure is, if you're pretty," He replied.

Harry hid his face further, a clear redness on his cheeks. She fixed her posture and ate in content silence for the rest of the hour.

"Hey, Mel! Mel!" Fred ran up to her in the middle of the hall.

"What's up?"

"Is it true that you'll be having a meeting during our next Hogsmeade visit?"

"'Mione's the one organizing the whole thing–"

"That's all right," He pushed the comment aside. "I was wondering if you'd like to join us before the meeting. We'll go to Zonko's, buy a few things for our products... what do you say?"

"Sure," She exclaimed cheerily. "Should I wait for you at the entrance?"

"We can wait for you in the common room, don't worry," He smiled.

There was no double meaning to that smile, he was simply being him. But even knowing that, she still wanted to find out if she was right about him being the brother Ginny was trying to convince her to date.

Mel knew very well she was playing with fire, hadn't she learned anything? What about her dreadful experience with Harry? Dating friends was a mistake!

She was so lonely though...  for some reason, she kept thinking about her talk with Sirius. Could it be true? Merlin, she was hoping it was.

She wasn't stupid, she could tell that some of her new friends were being too nice to her, but Mel kept her distance, she'd promised not to flirt around just to get what she wanted, and she was keeping her promise. Besides, she was also following the list she'd found in her bag days prior, and it was working.

Harry was making things harder if she was honest, with his puppy eyes and his soft hair... It was obvious that he was miserable– He was traumatized! He just didn't want to admit it, he didn't want to ask for help. Harry still flinched with loud noises, it was pure torture, seeing him in distress and not being able to help.

It was so strange, a few months ago she would've run through the castle to save him from a bug bite, now she would listen to his complaints and his yelling and immediately turn her back. She was sick of feeling.

Part of her kept thinking of the way Harry had broken her heart, but that wasn't it now, it was something else that she couldn't quite understand. Resentment... but towards what?

Was she mad about him being scared? Did she hate the fact that he wanted to protect her?

Did she hate that he didn't trust her to be strong enough? After all those years, and he still thought that she needed to be saved... As if she were nothing but a helpless sidekick.

'I'm not just a pretty face,' she thought bitterly.

No.

She was a pretty face, and she was popular because of that. But she was also a skilled witch and a great friend. She was the reason why Harry Potter was still alive.

It was time to be more than just a boy's best friend. She was ready to step into the spotlight, it didn't matter if she had to leave Harry behind.

She was walking alongside the twins and Lee Jordan, carrying a few bags of Zonko's and chatting cheerfully when someone called her name. Ginny appeared, followed by some Ravenclaws (including Ginny's boyfriend).

Mel was telling stories about her childhood, the group was laughing a lot. Life had improved, she'd taken Erick's advice and she was finally feeling like she belonged.

"This is it, right?" Terry Boot asked her.

Mel looked up at the sign and frowned.

"Here?"

"Hermione said this would be discrete," Ginny shrugged.

"A bunch of teenagers entering the sketchy bar?" Mel snorted. "Not suspicious at all..."

"Wait for us!"

Mel turned around and saw a bunch of students coming their way, her stomach did an odd flip: At least twenty or thirty people had come to the meeting.

"This isn't subtle at all," She said anxiously. "People will notice, they'll follow us in!"

"Er..." Ginny was looking at the bunch reluctantly, but Michael grabbed her hand and dragged her inside the pub at once.

Fred and George did the same with her and soon the group of students entered together. She was already breaking down, but what made her really want to retreat and forget she was ever there was the sight of a tall old man gazing at the bunch with a slightly startled expression.

It was her grandfather.

She tried to leave but Fred put an arm around her shoulders and walked up to the barman.

"Hi," He smiled. "Could we have... twenty-six butterbeers, please?"

Aberforth Dumbledore stared at her and then at the group, he threw aside the rag he'd been holding and then started passing up dusty butterbeer pretending he didn't recognize her. Or perhaps he really did not know who she was, they'd never seen each other in person.

Was she supposed to say something? Maybe 'Hey, you don't know me but your son was my dad! I know you want nothing to do with me, but maybe don't tell my uncle what we're doing? Thanks, Grandad!'

"Cheers!" Fred handed out the butterbeers to the rest. "Cough up, everyone, I haven't got enough gold for all of these..."

They handed the money to her and Fred, she pushed it roughly on the counter mumbling a 'Thanks' without making eye contact. Mel spotted Harry, Hermione and Ron at the very back and walked up to them, ready to kill Hermione.

"What were you thinking?" She hissed. "This looks suspicious in so many ways!"

"We'll be fine, here is less likely we get unwanted attention–"

"Oh, really?" Mel propped one hand on the table and whispered in a furious voice, "D'you know who the barman is?"

"Well, he's always been the barman here for all I know, so–"

"He's my grandad!"

The girl's eyes widened almost comically, Mel sat down next to Ron, her good mood vanishing completely.

"What have you been telling people? What are they expecting?" Harry asked anxiously.

"I've told you, they just want to hear what you've got to say. You don't have to do anything yet, I'll speak to them first," Hermione replied, a bit anxious now that she knew her mistake.

"Well that isn't soothing either," Mel grumbled, giving a large sip to her butterbeer.

"Hi, guys," Neville waved at them, one by one the students sat down around the table and waited patiently for them to speak.

"Er," said Hermione. "Well — er — hi."

Mel snorted and Ron kicked her leg under the table.

"Well... erm... well, you know why you're here. Erm... well, Harry here had the idea — I mean I had the idea — that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts — and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us — because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Hear, hear," said Anthony Goldstein.

"Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands. And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells —"

"You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. too though, I bet?" said Michael Corner.

"Of course I do, but I want more than that, I want to be properly trained in Defense because... because... Because Lord Voldemort's back."

The group let out their shock in different levels of surprise, some didn't look faced, merely annoyed at the mention, but once they were done they all focused on Harry and her.

"Well... that's the plan anyway," Hermione continued. "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to —"

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" said a Hufflepuff student.

Mel tilted her head, half amusement and half exasperation.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it —" Hermione began.

"You mean, the Dumbledores believe him," He nodded shortly at the boy. "Everyone knows Mel's crazy about Harry, and Dumbledore–"

"Who are you?" Ron interrupted with a tone of warning.

"Zacharias Smith– and I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."

"Oh, you think you've got the right?" Mel leaned forward but Ron pulled her back.

"Look," said Hermione. "that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about —"

"It's okay, Hermione," Harry said lowly, then he directed his attention to the boy. "What makes me say You-Know-Who's back? I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you won't believe me or Mel, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."

Mel tried hard not to look in the direction of her grandad, she had to at least pretend she didn't know him so she could deny the encounter in case Dumbledore found out, but she could see him clearly paying attention to their meeting.

"All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts. He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, I think we'd all like to know —"

"If you've come to hear exactly what it looks like when Voldemort murders someone I can't help you. I don't want to talk about Cedric Diggory, all right? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out."

She had to admit that Harry was doing a great job, this time she thought it was appropriate to be a bit rough with his answers, after all, this guy didn't have any right to demand stuff. She wondered if someone had approached Harry this way during the weeks she'd spent away from the group. How weird it was, being so foreign to Harry's experiences.

"So... so... like I was saying... if you want to learn some defence, then we need to work out how we're going to do it, how often we're going to meet, and where we're going to —" Hermione got interrupted again.

"Is it true that you can produce a Patronus?" Susan Bones asked.

"Yeah," said Harry, then added hurriedly as if that way he wouldn't get all the stares. "Mel too."

"A corporeal Patronus?"

"Er — you don't know Madam Bones, do you?" Harry asked.

Mel rolled her eyes, of course Harry didn't know his own classmates by name.

"She's my auntie," Susan said happily. "I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So — is it really true? You make a stag Patronus?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"What about you, Mel?" Terry inquired.

"Mine's a phoenix," She said shortly.

The barman stopped cleaning at that.

"Blimey, guys!" said Lee. "I never knew that!"

"Mum told Ron not to spread it around," said Fred. "She said you got enough attention as it was."

"She's not wrong," mumbled Harry, causing a few to laugh.

"And did you kill a basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" Terry Boot asked eagerly. "That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year..."

"Er — yeah, I did, yeah," Harry glanced at her, but Mel wasn't going to speak. All those questions were directed to him only.

"And in our first year," said Neville, sounding like he couldn't quite believe it yet, "he saved that Sorcerous Stone —"

"Sorcerer's," Hermione corrected.

"Yes, that, from You-Know-Who, and Mel," Neville laughed timidly. "Mel threw Professor Quirrell to the other end of the room without a wand."

"How d'you know–?" Mel started, but Cho interrupted.

"And that's not to mention all the tasks Harry had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year — getting past dragons and merpeople and acromantulas and things..."

Mel looked at the way Cho was smiling and the eager look on the boy's eyes. The girl tried –and failed– to ignore the fact that she could recognize it like the one he'd given her a year prior after almost kissing him.

"Look– I... I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be modest or anything, but... I had a lot of help with all that stuff..."

"Not with the dragon, you didn't," said Michael Corner. "That was a seriously cool bit of flying..."

"Yeah, well —" said Harry, brushing it away like a very annoying fly.

"And nobody helped you get rid of those dementors this summer," said Susan.

"No... no, okay, I know I did bits of it without help, but the point I'm trying to make is —"

"Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" said Zacharias.

"Here's an idea," said Ron, this time it was him the one who leaned further, "why don't you shut your mouth?"

"Well, we've all turned up to learn from him, and now he's telling us he can't really do any of it," Zacharias said, but his voice came out a bit quieter.

"That's not what he said," Fred frowned.

"Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" George pulled a long and weird looking metal thingy from one of his bags.

"Or any part of your body, really, we're not fussy where we stick this," said Fred.

"Knock it off," Mel stopped them. "We're not here to fight."

The boys gave her a grumpy look but put the instruments away.

"Yes, well," Hermione cleared her throat, "moving on... the point is, are we agreed we want to take lessons from Harry and Mel?" There was a buzz of agreement to which Hermione nodded once. "Right. Well, then, the next question is how often we do it. I really don't think there's any point in meeting less than once a week —"

"Hang on," said Angelina, "we need to make sure this doesn't clash with our Quidditch practice."

"No," said Cho, "nor with ours."

"Nor ours," added Zacharias.

"I'm sure we can find a night that suits everyone, but you know, this is rather important, we're talking about learning to defend ourselves against V-Voldemort's Death Eaters —"

"Well said! Personally, I think this is really important, possibly more important than anything else we'll do this year, even with our O.W.L.s coming up!" Ernie exclaimed eagerly. "I, personally, am at a loss to see why the Ministry has foisted such a useless teacher upon us at this critical period. Obviously, they are in denial about the return of You-Know-Who, but to give us a teacher who is trying to actively prevent us from using defensive spells —"

"Is not that she's useless," Mel spoke. "She knows Dark Magic well enough to defend herself against it, I'm sure of it. She just doesn't want us to know because she thinks we're planning on murdering the Minister." Some laughed, others stared at her in shock.

"We think the reason Umbridge doesn't want us trained in Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione, nodding at Mel's words. "is that she's got some... some mad idea that Dumbledore could use the students in the school as a kind of private army. She thinks he'd mobilize us against the Ministry."

"Well, that makes sense," Luna mentioned. "After all, Cornelius Fudge has got his own private army."

"What?" said Harry.

"Yes, he's got an army of heliopaths."

"No, he hasn't," Hermione retorted.

"Yes, he has."

"What are heliopaths?" asked Neville.

"They're spirits of fire. Great tall flaming creatures that gallop across the ground burning everything in front of —"

"They don't exist, Neville," said Hermione.

"Oh yes, they do!"

"I'm sorry, but where's the proof of that?"

"There are plenty of eyewitness accounts, just because you're so narrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nose before you —"

"Thank you, Luna," Mel said. "I think we should go back to the important subjects of this meeting."

"Hem, hem," Ginny cleared her throat like Umbridge with a horrifying accuracy. "Weren't we trying to decide how often we're going to meet and get Defense lessons?"

"Yes. Yes, we were, you're right..." Hermione sighed.

"Well, once a week sounds cool," said Lee Jordan.

"As long as —" began Angelina.

"Yes, yes, we know about the Quidditch. Well, the other thing to decide is where we're going to meet..."

"Library?" suggested Katie Bell.

"I can't see Madam Pince being too chuffed with us doing jinxes in the library," said Harry, then added in a low voice so only Mel could hear. "But it sure is a good place for secret meetings..."

She knew he was talking about Erick, but her mind went to the afternoons spent there with Harry.

"Maybe an unused classroom?" said Dean.

"Yeah, McGonagall might let us have hers, she did when Harry was practising for the Triwizard..." Ron mentioned.

"McGonagall asked us to keep a low profile," Mel raised a brow. "What part of 'secret study group against Umbridge' sounds innocent to you?"

"The study part," Her friend replied with a smirk.

"Right, well, we'll try to find somewhere," Hermione shrugged. "We'll send a message round to everybody when we've got a time and a place for the first meeting." She then searched in her bag and pulled parchment and a quill. "I-I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was here. But I also think that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge — or anybody else — what we're up to."

"'Mione–" Mel started, but Fred took the parchment and signed, then winked at her. George followed suit. "All right then..."

"Er..." Zacharias looked at the paper reluctantly. "Well... I'm sure Ernie will tell me when the meeting is."

"I — well, we are prefects," Ernie let out anxiously. "And if this list was found... well, I mean to say... you said yourself, if Umbridge finds out..."

"You just said this group was the most important thing you'd do this year," Harry reminded him.

"I — yes," said Ernie, "yes, I do believe that it's just..."

"Ernie, do you really think I'd leave that list lying around?" said Hermione.

"No. No, of course not... I — yes, of course, I'll sign."

The parchment moved around until it came back to Zacharias.

"What's the matter, Smith?" Mel smirked. "You're not trying to weasel out, are you?"

He looked at her with indignation, let out a scoff and took the parchment, signing down his name.

"Well, time's ticking on," Fred stood up. "George, Lee, and I have got items of a sensitive nature to purchase, we'll be seeing you all later. Coming, Lady?"

"Er..." Mel looked around and found Cho staring eagerly at Harry. She shook her head. "No, I think I'll spend the rest of the day with 'Mione and the boys, thanks."

"Well, I think that went quite well," said Hermione once they walked out of the Hog's Head. Mel had glanced back at the old man once before leaving, unable to say a thing.

"That Zacharias bloke's a wart," grumbled Ron.

"Sure is," Mel scowled. "What an idiot, thinking we owe him an explanation..."

"I don't like him much either," Hermione nodded, "but he overheard me talking to Ernie and Hannah at the Hufflepuff table and he seemed really interested in coming, so what could I say? But the more people the better really — I mean, Michael Corner and his friends wouldn't have come if his friends weren't all crazy about Mel and he hadn't been going out with Ginny —"

Mel let out a short squeak and Ron choked on the last bit of butterbeer he'd been drinking.

"He's WHAT?" Ron yelled. "She's going out with — my sister's going — what d'you mean, Michael Corner?"

"Well, that's why he and his friends came, I think —" Hermione shrugged. "Well, they're obviously interested in learning defence, but if Ginny hadn't told Michael what was going on, and his friends weren't trying to win Mel over —"

"That's ridiculous!" Mel blushed madly. "I– They–"

"When did this — when did she — ?" Ron stuttered as well.

"They met at the Yule Ball and they got together at the end of last year," said Hermione, guiding them to the entrance of a shop. "Hmm... I could do with a new quill."

"Which one was Michael Corner?" Ron demanded.

"The dark one," said Hermione.

"I didn't like him," said Ron at once.

Mel came out of her trance, giving Ron an amused look.

"You've never spoken to him!"

"Big surprise," Hermione whispered.

"But– I thought Ginny fancied Harry!"

Hermione looked at Mel for a moment before responding.

"Ginny used to fancy Harry, but she gave up on him months ago... when we thought... well... Not that she doesn't like you, of course," Hermione added towards Harry.

Harry merely shrugged, his eyes wondering outside the window, probably looking for a certain raven-haired girl.

"So that's why she talks now? She never used to talk in front of me..."

"Exactly," Hermione glanced at Mel once more. "Yeah, she's not as nervous as before... I think she really is over it... Yes, I think I'll have this one..."

Mel felt a bit jealous of Ginny, she was capable of moving on just like that and find a good boy. Not that she didn't deserve it, Ginny was awfully pretty and she was fun to hang out with, she deserved to date and have fun! She wanted to have that, but if it meant she had to date someone as silly as Anthony Goldstein, she wasn't sure she'd be moving on any time soon.

Her mind wondered once again to Harry, she wanted to know what his opinion was on this whole thing because he was being really confusing. On a good day, she could still see a type of softness on his gaze when talking to her, but more often than not he would be grumpy and serious, not even trying to be nice. She just wanted to know what he was thinking, was that really so hard?

"Ron," Hermione's voice escalated. "This is exactly why Ginny hasn't told you she's seeing Michael, she knew you'd take it badly. So don't harp on about it, for heaven's sake."

"What d'you mean, who's taking anything badly? I'm not going to harp on about anything..."

But he remained pouty and serious for the rest of the day.

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @bloodorangemoonlight @omiwashere @t-rexs-world​ @sarcasticallywitty15

[ilovelotsofthings]

So quick things. (Long post?)

I am writing this at midnight and this is about a trope? that I forgot the name of. It popped in my brain because I was thinking of Passerine and my au (which I am on anon so you don't know about it)

The Trope is basically you don't meet or don't really know each other (like friends and beyond) but will in another life.

I was thinking about it because I realized that I really like that trope even if it makes me sad.

I will also bring up other fandoms. Like Harry Potter.

Also it will also talk about reincarnation, the many soulmate tropes, this trope, my view of irl reincarnation (Like that I believe in it and such)

Passerine showed it with Tubbo and Tommy (and others) which made me really sad but then if you think of DSMP as their next life or one of their many lives after that you think that it was worth it in some way. (I don't think that was phrased right? What I mean is it is sad that You Know who died but in the next life at least he has friends.) There is something about knowing like even if these were ocs the fact that Tubbo wishes they could be friends in the next life (i think that is what he said. It is at least close enough) because they didn't know each other in the next life makes this sad story have hope for another life and future where they meet.

Next my Au. This is a Au that is Crimeboys focused and is about each life and how they meet. It is a soulmate au but with no markings. No one knows that they have soulmates. All soulmates are the people or people you meet in every life. So Wilbur and Tommy in this Au will always meet by the Max age of 14 for Tommy. Wilbur can be whatever age but has to be older. Why I brought this up is in one life (which this is kinda based on a post Belovedgamers(?) made with Eternal duo) where they meet on the opposites of the war. So in that life they got fucked over. Wilbur dies and as my au rules Tommy dies within 3 years. That is depressing but in many other lives they meet and become friends, brothers, father and son, etc. They are to always be together in life because that is what the Universe wants. Doesn't mean it will always be happy but there is also the next life. BTW this doesn't mean don't enjoy this life. That is bleak. I am saying enjoy what this life brings and what the next one brings. Rolling back to Passerine is P!Tommy had no friends and died at 15 C!Tommy had friends and fought in war and died at 16 and got revived and he is 17. Both lives are depressing in some ways but both lives had joy or something good in them.

Next up soulmate tropes with me talking about how it works and maybe doesn't work with this trope. (It is just 2 paragraphs)

That soulmate au where the last words your Soulmate tells you doesnt work for me. The reason is because that seems to be that world so they cycle of never knowing who your soulmate is and are trapped in a cycle of never finding out till they die ruins the joy of the main trope I am talking about. It makes me just sad because of that universe saying fuck you… this is why I dont read hurt no comfort.

Timer, First words to each other, my soulmate au where you don't know your soulmate, and anything similar. These soulmates work in varying degrees because you never know when you will meet or how so if you meet in war you either flee together or kill each other or hope to live till the end.

Harry Potter (I said I would bring it up) has lots of reincarnation fanfics but they deal with fics that I have read but never thought about. That is being born in a different time. How I feel that it works with this trope is because say you were Harry Potter but now your soul is in a time where you can befriend (fanfics have it where they remember but I am talking about not remembering) your godfather in another life because the last one never gave a real chance. It makes me happy in those fanfics (especially if the person remembers even though this is about something else) because there is a chance to know someone you never had in another life. Also Regulus (Sirius' brother who died at 17? and 2? years before Harry was born) being reborn into Harry gave him in the same lifetime as people he knew to learn and see the world anew. He also learns more about his brother. Like while they lived together for 14? years did they ever really know each other idk but it gives them a chance again.

This is what I would say is a little of my thoughts before real world talk that may be extensional but idk but probably.

I see reincarnation as not needing to do anything to get it. You just live and die and then maybe wait to reincarnate or just never leave heaven. It basically is just live your life, die and be reborn. You may sometimes have your memories but not always. It is just the same soul (which this leads into nature vs nurture which I don't really want to get into so TL;DR it is both you may be exactly the same or different but it is till the same soul) which leads to in another life that person you never got to know well you may meet in another life and be friends. This doesn't mean every life is great. I mean I have a great life I think now but that doesnt mean I will in the next life.

However I am conderary and like to think Heaven exists (or something similar ) as I would just like to see family, pets, those who haven't seen in decades (like my childhood friend who I haven't seen in a decade)

Going back to reincarnation (with the trope this post is supposed to be about :/) it kinda gives me some of the same comfort which is seeing each other again.

The thing with the trope is it is angst (I don't really like angst without comfort) and while I like angst this trope I shouldn't like it because there is no comfort most of the time (all of the time?) It just gives hope to many, many things like friends you never knew you could have had or friends you missed. There is just hope there that while it ends sadly there is hope for a life where they do meet. With soulmate aus + this au there is always that person who you will meet every time and while it won't work out every time you have someone who will be there in every life no matter how long

So basically I love this trope because hope of a next life where anything can happen

(Should I do more of my fav tropes and use examples of media I like and how I see it in the real world if I can)

[prettyboyreid]

the story (iv)

(a girl and a boy) (a boy and a boy) (me and my friend)

OC!Potter x Marauders, OC!Potter x Nephew!Harry

As Harry Potter gets older, his aunt makes sure he never forgets about his parents or his uncles.

Based on the song The Story by Conan Gray

Warnings: Mentions of death and violence

Word Count: 7186

When Lucy Potter saw the tawny owl perched on the open kitchen window promptly at noon on July thirty-first, 1991, she felt a pit in her stomach growing bigger and bigger.  She obviously knew this time would come, but the thought of her nephew leaving and going off to school scared her.  

It scared her that she wouldn’t be able to protect him from whatever could come after him, wouldn’t be there to console him when he came face-to-face with his first bully, and wouldn’t be there for him to help him whenever he needed any advice. 

But she knew that she had to send him to Hogwarts eventually. 

It was the safest option for him. 

Maybe even for both of them.

“Is that for me, Aunt Lucy?” Harry asked excitedly, pulling Lucy out from any of the thoughts she had.  She looked down at him with a small smile, nodding before handing him the thick, parchment envelope with his name written in loopy handwriting that she could never forget. 

He ripped it open immediately, not bothering to even look at the warm, crimson wax seal or the school crest printed on the back in dark black ink before he pulled out what would be one of the most important letters he had ever received.  

Lucy couldn’t help but smile as she watched his face light up as he read the letter silently to himself, leaning against the kitchen counter as she looked down at him.  “What does it say, bug?” she asked, despite still having the exact words her letter said engraved in her brain. 

Harry looked up at her with a wide, toothy grin, before he looked down at his paper to read her what the letter said. 

“Dear Mr. Harry Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. 

 Term begins on September 1st.  

 Yours Sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress.”

Lucy smiled down at him and pushed some of his dark brown hair out of his face, watching as he looked up at her with wide, animated eyes.  “I’m gonna go to Hogwarts, Aunt Lucy!” he exclaimed, which only made her chuckle softly.  

“You are!  And you know what I think?” she asked, lifting up her nephew and setting him down on the countertop next to her.

He giggled a bit as he looked up at her, shaking his head a bit.  “What?”

“Well, I think that you’re gonna be a Gryffindor, just like your mom and dad,” she said, tapping his nose with a small smile

This comment made him light up like a Christmas tree.  “You really think so?” he asked, looking down at the letter before beginning to read over the books and supplies he would need before the first of September.  

“Oh, I know so.  You’re just like your parents, I don’t see why you’d be anything other than Gryffindor,” she explained to him, glancing over his shoulder to look down at the list so she could get an idea of where they would need to go on their next shopping trip in the Wizard World. 

Harry just smiled, completely full of bliss at the whole situation, before he leapt off the counter.  “Can we go shopping for everything today?” he asked hopefully, giving his aunt pleading eyes as he looked up at her with a smile. 

She grinned but eventually nodded, kissing the top of his head gently.  “You’ll have to get ready quickly then, bubba; there’s a lot we’re gonna have to get and it’s already noon,” she told him, but that was all the confirmation he needed - he practically bolted up the stairs to get to his room and get dressed to leave.

-x-x-x-

The shopping trip didn’t take as long as they had expected, especially considering all of the different supplies that they needed and how picky Harry was with getting his quills (“You don’t get it, Aunt Lucy.  I have to have a quill in every color!”) and how many wands Harry had to try out before he finally found the one that chose him, as Mr. Ollivander had put it.  

He even had the pleasure of meeting Rubeus Hagrid for the first time, who was absolutely delighted to see him for the first time since he delivered Harry to Lucy’s doorstep ten years ago.  He was so delighted, in fact, that he insisted on buying Harry an eleventh birthday present, which happened to be a beautiful snowy owl that he saw in the window of the wizard pet shop.   After glancing through Hogwarts: A History, Harry quickly landed on the name Hedwig for his new pet. 

Once they had everything that the young boy needed for his first semester, they made their way back into London and decided to take the train home instead of the Floo Network.  Now, they were sat on said train, with bags and boxes carrying every possible thing Harry could need surrounding them and the seats beside them.  Luckily, they were the only one’s on at this hour. 

Harry looked fairly tuckered out from his long day of shopping, resting his head against his aunt’s shoulder and keeping his eyes closed.  His breathing became so slow and steady, Lucy almost thought he was asleep, until he piped up after a long while of silence.

“Do you remember going shopping with my mom and dad for school?” he asked curiously, his eyes still closed as he awaited an answer from his aunt. 

Lucy smiled gently at the thought and nodded, leaning her head back against the window of the train.  “Yeah, I do.  Mostly your dad, though,” she answered aloud finally, sighing gently as she looked up at the ceiling.  “His favorite place to go was Gringotts Bank, because he liked the ride down to our vault,” she told him with a weak chuckle, running a hand back through her hair.

“What about my mom?”

She smiled softly and looked down at him, now noticing he was looking up at her with his usual curious gaze.  “She loved going to Flourish and Blotts.  She would always grab books that she didn’t even need, just in case she got bored and wanted to learn more about anything,” she told him, pushing some of his brown, curly hair out of the way of his glasses so she could see his sage colored eyes.  

She didn’t think she could ever put into words how much she loved and hated that he was a perfect mix of his parents. 

“Harry, I need to tell you about something,” she said after a few moments of silence.  His gaze never left his aunt’s anxious face, though for a bit she couldn’t look at him without second-guessing her next few words.  “About your mom and dad.”

Harry tilted his head slightly as he listened to her, but didn’t interrupt her despite his blossoming curiosity at her comment.  He just looked up at her, his full attention on her as her focus was on the poster on the other side of the train that suddenly seemed more interesting than explaining what had happened to his parents.

But she still knew she had to be the one to explain it to him.  The last thing she wanted, and that he needed, was to have some third year telling him what happened to his parents on his first day of classes and traumatizing him for the rest of the year. 

“On Halloween night, just after you turned one, your parents…” she started, swallowing thickly as she looked down at him.  “Your parents didn’t just die, Harry.  They were killed.”

Harry’s eyebrows furrowed a bit as he listened to his aunt, frowning as he listened to her.  “Who killed them?” he asked her after a few moments of a somewhat uncomfortable silence, his eyes meeting hers timidly. 

“Well, uh, he’s a very powerful wizard, and in the wizarding world, we don’t want to say it, so we call him You-Know-Who,” she explained, pushing some hair out of her nephew’s face a bit as they spoke.  

“Do you know what happened, Aunt Lucy?” he asked, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he kept his gaze on his aunt. 

“I, uh…” she started, not sure how exactly to explain everything to him, until all she could think of was the only way she ever told him anything about his parents - a story. 

“Let me tell you a story, bubs,” she said, giving him a small smile and kissing him on the top of his head.  He just nodded softly in response, leaning against his aunt once again as she spoke.

“On October 31st, I was actually with Uncle Padfoot at my house.  Uncle Moony was off doing work for a group they were a part of, called the Order of the Phoenix, and Uncle Peter said he was going to his mom’s house for Halloween to help her hand out candy to the muggle children.”

-x-x-x-

“Luce, you can’t just expect me to watch these muggle movies with you all night!  They’re all about killing people!” Sirius exclaimed, getting some more popcorn from the kitchen as they finished up their most recent movie, Halloween.  

“Just two more, Pads; Friday the 13th and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  They’re good movies, I promise,” she told her friend with a smile, getting up and beginning to clean up a little bit since Sirius had to be holding the popcorn during every single jump scare that movie had.

“My birthday’s in four days. Little Prongs.  You should at least let me pick the movie,” he protested, turning on the stove as he put the popcorn overtop of the flame on a burner.

Lucy just rolled her eyes, getting another bottle of butterbeer from the fridge for her and one for Sirius as well.  “No way, Sirius.  You’d pick a stupid movie like… Sleeping Beauty, or something.  Halloween is for horror movies.  You can watch your drawing movies any other day of the year,” she said, tossing a bottle to Sirius as she twisted off the cap of her own with a grin. 

“Okay, first of all, they’re called animations, not drawings.  Have you learned nothing from Lily’s rants about these things?  Secondly, Sleeping Beauty can be scary.  Maleficent is pretty scary when she turns into a giant dragon and tries to kill everybody,” Sirius corrected her, continually mixing the popcorn up so it didn’t burn as he opened his bottle of butterbeer.

“Shut up, Sirius,” she said with an eye roll, before she raised an eyebrow as she noticed a snowy owl sitting on the windowsill of the kitchen, just above the sink.  She slowly moved towards it, taking the letter from its beak and thanking it before seeing it was addressed to her and Sirius, with the Hogwarts crest stamped on the back of the envelope.

“It’s not a terrible movie, anyway, it has a good story-”

“Sirius, shut up,” she repeated, holding the letter up to show him.  He turned around to look at her and his eyes widened a bit, flicking off the burner and setting his drink down before practically rushing over to her.

“Open it,” he said, shoving his hands into his front pockets as he looked at the cream colored envelope anxiously.  Lucy just nodded, pulling the flap up from the wax seal and pulling out the thick parchment.  She read over the loopy, thick letters quickly as her eyebrows furrowed together, reading the letter again once she finished.

“What?  What is it?” Sirius asked almost impatiently, taking the letter from her when she didn’t reply to him.  He read over the letter quickly and his face matched hers, chewing on the inside of his cheek.  “What does this mean?  ‘We’ve received intelligence that James and Lily might have been attacked’?  How would they not know?” he asked, running one of his hands back through his hair as he looked over to his honorary younger sister.  

“It means we have to go see for ourselves, since Dumbledore obviously won’t,” she answered, setting her drink down on the counter and heading towards the front door.  “Did you ever figure out how to make your motorcycle fly?” she asked, shoving on a random pair of shoes on her feet as she got to the door.

He just nodded softly, grabbing the keys quickly from their hook and going to grab his shoes too.  “Yeah, I can get us to a straight shot in like, ten minutes, at the most?” he told her, shoving the letter into his pocket before Lucy led the two of them outside.  

The motorcycle was parked in the driveway behind Lucy’s car, and Sirius had two helmets resting on each handle bar - one for him and one for any passenger he might have.  He handed one to Lucy as he put his own on, getting on the front seat as she climbed on behind him and tightly wrapped her arms around Sirius, her eyes squeezing shut as they quickly ascended into the air, smiling ever-so-slightly as her mind wandered back to the time in their sixth year when the boys forced her onto the back of her brother’s broom.

Sirius would have broken multiple speeding laws if they had been on the road instead of in the sky, as they made the trip in barely eight minutes.  Once he parked the car in the driveway, they saw a large flash of green bursting through the top floor, a scream that made every hair on their bodies stand up straight, before it was dead silent.  

Both Sirius and Lucy knew what that meant, and it made both of them stand still for many minutes.  You wouldn’t even know if they were breathing, until the quiet, barely audible sounds of a young child crying hit them all of a sudden.  They both threw their helmets off and ran inside, the door nearly off its hinges when they arrived. 

They were about to run upstairs to find where their nephew was, but the body of their brother, the one person that they both trusted and loved most in the entire world, was flung onto the staircase, like he was just a ragdoll at the disposal of his killer.  Sirius, to Lucy’s surprise, was the first to break over this sight.  She gave a few sniffles at first, tears beginning to stream down her face as her brother’s face lolled back onto one of the steps beside one of the many toys she had spoiled her nephew with, but Sirius fell down to his knees in front of him, shaking his shoulders a bit as he cried. 

“It’s not funny, Prongs,” she heard him mutter out between choked sobs, fixing his glasses that had gone askew during his fall.  “Come on, it’s not funny, James, wake up,” he muttered, looking around him a bit before he slumped back against the banister, letting another cry leave his body before he looked back to Lucy, his cheeks stained red with streaks of hot tears running across them.  

“He doesn’t have his wand,” he said to her quietly, running his hands across his face to wipe away the tears.  When he noticed the confused expression on her face, he sniffled and looked back down at James’ pale face.  “H-he didn’t have his wand.  He went up against him with nothing,” he told her with a frown, shaking his head a bit.  “How could he be so stupid?”

“He was probably trying to protect them,” Lucy tried to assure him, resting a careful hand on his shoulder before he shook it off.  

“Can you… can you go find them?” he asked her quietly.  She just gave him a silent nod and carefully moved around him and James, being extra careful not to step on either of them, before she slowly ascended the rest of the stairs.  

She peeked into every room, every closet, just to make sure there was no one hiding anywhere, and to make sure Lily didn’t put Harry somewhere safe where You-Know-Who couldn’t find him. 

All that was left for her to check now was the nursery.  The nursery she and Sirius had just finished up a few months before for Harry’s first birthday.  She knew they had to be in there, but that didn’t mean it was any easier to go into that room. 

Especially when she saw a hand with the all-too-familiar engagement and wedding rings she helped her brother pick out for her.  

She pushed the door open a bit farther, swallowing thickly as she saw her sister-in-law, one of her best friends, sprawled out on the floor.  She knelt down next to her as she let out her own grieving sobs, sniffling a bit as she looked down at Lily’s face.  She almost looked like she was at peace, like she had lived the life she was supposed to and it was fulfilling, like she was ready for what had come to her. 

She looked up after a moment to see Harry peering down at her from his crib, tears streaking his cheeks as neither of his parents had answered his cries.  She stood up and wiped her own tears away, letting out one last sob as she picked up Harry from the crib.  She frowned a bit as she noticed a lightning bolt-shaped cut in his forehead, though it didn’t look as it had ever bled.  She ran her thumb across it gently, and it didn’t seem to hurt him at all.  She kissed his forehead gently, moving to head downstairs with him when he heard a shout coming from the street.

“Peter!  Peter Pettigrew!” she heard Sirius’ voice yell, along with a crack of a spell being cast.   Lucy ran to the window to look out at him, frowning a bit as she saw him running into the street, where Peter was standing, while other different neighbors began to pour out of their houses, curious as to why there was so much noise.  She genuinely had no idea why Peter was there, but the fact that Sirius was upset with him didn’t make her feel any better.  She moved away from the window and began to head downstairs, though she froze in front of her twin brother's body as there was another flash of light, much bigger than the one she had seen earlier with Sirius from the driveway.  

She carefully made her way out to the front door, moving past it slowly before she saw Sirius slowly standing up from a crouching position.  He was looking around and looked rather confused, holding tightly onto his wand as he looked around to see twelve people surrounding him, and what looked to be a large finger by his food.

“Sirius, what the hell have you done?” she asked him slowly, looking around with wide, scared eyes as she held Harry close to her chest, who had slightly calmed down by now. 

“I don’t- I didn’t do this, Luce,” he said, looking around before looking back at her.  “I swear to Merlin, I didn’t do anything. I-I tried to hex Peter, that’s all, I swear, then he just… he just made a blast and everyone went down,” he tried to explain, his hands shaking slightly as he did his best to tell her everything that had happened. 

Lucy chewed on the inside of her cheek and swallowed again, instinctively turning Harry away from him.  “I can’t… I can’t have Harry around this, you know that, right?” she told him quietly, shaking her head a bit again.  “I’ll find Dumbledore and talk to him.  Just… you just stay here,” she said, holding tightly onto her nephew as she quickly apparated to the village of Hogsmeade, though she could have sworn she saw an auror arrive in Godric’s Hollow seconds before she had.

The second she arrived on the famous cobblestone streets, she found herself face-to-face with the headmaster himself.  He had his hands folded together in front of himself, giving her a sad smile as he stood eerily still.  

“Lucy.  I’m sorry to hear about Lily and James.  It’s terribly awful,” he told her, shaking his head gently.  “However, on the plus side, however it may have happened, Voldemort was defeated when he went to the Potter’s house in Godric’s Hollow.  Everyone can sleep a little more peacefully now,” he told her. 

“That doesn’t change the fact I don’t have a brother now, Dumbledore,” she told him with a frown.  “Or that my nephew doesn’t have any parents.  Or that he lost one of his uncle’s tonight, too. A-and that there’s twelve dead muggles outside my brother’s house!”

“Oh, yes,” he said, clicking his tongue a bit and shaking his head softly.  “One of the portraits in my office told me.  Terrible news.  The report came in just before I arrived to meet you,” he told her.  “Sirius Black always seemed much more promising than that.”

“I thought so too,” she told him quietly, looking down at her nephew before kissing the top of his head gently as his head was curled up into her shoulder.  “What do we… What can we do now?” she asked him, still looking down at her nephew, as if he was the only good thing left in her life, like he was the light at the end of a dark, gloomy tunnel.

“Well, it’s best that Harry’s put in with his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, as for you, since you were always so gifted in your studies here at Hogwarts, we’re prepared to offer you any position you’d seek; Potions, Astronomy, Ancient Runes-”

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?”  Lucy asked, her eyebrows furrowing as she frowned at Dumbledore’s comments.

“Oh, you could have any position on our staff you’d like, as a sign of our condolences.  I remember you always said you wanted to be the youngest professor at Hogwarts,” he said with a soft chuckle, before Lucy put her hand up as if to silence the headmaster.

“No.  About Harry,” she said firmly, standing up a bit more straight.  “You’re not taking my nephew from me.  I’m not letting him go stay with a family who wants nothing to do with him or has never even met him.  The last time James and Lily even saw either of them was when they invited Petunia and Vernon to their wedding, and they practically spat in their faces.  They loathe anything that has to do with magic.  He’ll be suppressed from this life for his entire life.  They probably won’t even let him go to Hogwarts when he’s old enough,” she defended him, holding the boy close to her chest with a frown.

“Lucy, there is magic beyond your control that is protecting him now that his parents are gone, and Petunia has the blood of his mother -”

“I don’t care if she has the blood of Merlin himself, I’m not letting you take him away from the only family that loves and cares for him,” she interrupted him, taking a step back from Dumbledore again.  “And I won’t fall for your bribes to keep me occupied from him either.  I’d rather be a damn waitress at the Hog’s Head Inn before I’ll give up Harry and work at Hogwarts,” she told him, switching the toddler onto her other hip as she spoke.

Dumbledore stood silently for a few moments, just looking at Lucy as if she hadn’t said anything, with his hands folded neatly in front of himself. 

“You’ll be putting him at a great risk, Lucy,” he finally said slowly, letting his hands release from each other and letting them fall down at his sides. 

“I’ll protect him better than I was able to protect my brother,” she told him without hesitation, resting her hand on Harry’s head as she continued her little stare-down with Albus Dumbledore, not wanting to show any possible sign of weakness. 

After a few more moments, he simply nodded and gave her a small smile, one that almost looked like he pitied her.  “I suppose I can’t stop you, in that case,” he said slowly, looking down at the one-year-old she held tightly to her chest.  “For my own curiosity, will you be able to live off of your parent’s and James’ will?” he asked, his head tilting to the side, his long, white beard following suit.

“If not, I’m sure I could get a job at the Ministry.  They always need people to do paperwork,” she answered with a shrug, gently patting her nephew’s back as he stirred slightly.  Dumbledore only nodded once again, his mouth still playing host to the crudely sympathetic smile.

“Very well.  Remember, you’ll always have a home at Hogwarts if you need it, Miss Potter,” he added before turning on his heels and beginning the slow walk back to the castle.  He only made it a couple feet, maybe passed by a single building, before there was a large crack that rang through the air, and within a moment, he was gone.  

Lucy just let out a soft sigh and kissed the top of her nephew’s head, shaking her head a bit before deciding it was time to take him back to her house so he could get a proper sleep, one where he wasn’t interrupted by someone trying to kill him or people trying to take him away from his family. 

So, she apparated back to her little cottage house in Torpoint, which she soon after figured that she would need to give up in order to have more room for Harry as he got older, though it wasn’t a concern for her at the moment.  She just knew he needed rest. 

Once she was inside her small house, she looked at the time on a grandfather clock that was pushed into the corner of her living room, which read 2:26.  Lucy just sighed and looked around her living room, trying to figure out where she should put Harry for the night.  She didn’t want to put him on the couch, because he could easily roll off.  She didn’t have his cot set up for when he would usually spend the night, and she didn’t want to risk waking him after the long night he had already had.  So, she settled on carrying him up to her bedroom and letting him take her bed for the night.  

She wasn’t going to get much sleep, anyway.

She set the toddler down on her bed so his head was rested on a pillow, setting one pillow on either side of him so he didn’t turn too far one way or another.  He seemed to settle down almost immediately and fall right to sleep again, like nothing had ever happened. 

Lucy grabbed a picture frame off of her bedside dresser and sat on the edge of her bed, looking down at the photograph with a frown.  It was a picture of her, the Marauders, and Lily on their last day of Hogwarts.  They were all smiling and they looked so happy, like nothing bad was going on around like them.  Like nothing bad could ever happen to them.  

She looked at the photograph for a while, even after the glass covering was stained with her tears, and long after she knew she should have tried to get some sleep.  It wasn’t until she heard her nephew babbling from behind her that she wiped her cheeks and set the picture frame on the bed beside her, looking around and giving Harry a small smile.  “What’s up, bug?”

“Pong?”

Lucy raised an eyebrow at the odd word he had spoken to her, wiping her eyes with her sleeves before moving up to the head of the bed where he was laying.  She pushed some of his growing hair out of his face, her stomach sinking as she saw the scar on his forehead again; she knew she’d never get used to seeing that mark on his innocent face. 

“What’s pong, bubba?” she asked softly, picking him up and setting him in her lap.

“Pong,” he repeated, frowning up at his aunt as she didn’t understand him. 

She just shook her head a bit, chewing on the inside of his cheek as she tried to comprehend what he was asking of her.  “I-I don’t know-”

“Where Pong?” he asked her with a huff, folding his small arms across his chest. 

“What do you mean Po-... oh,” she said, giving him a bit of a frown as she silently tried to figure out what to say to him.  He obviously wouldn’t understand what had actually happened, though she knew he probably wouldn’t remember what she even told him, and she’d have to re-explain everything all over to him every few days.  She just gave him another sad smile, letting her hand fall into his lap.

“Pong and Mama had to go away, bub.  But you’ll get to hang out with me for a little while,” she told him softly, hoping it was a good enough explanation for the young boy. 

Harry frowned for a moment before nodding, then standing up and leaning against his aunt.  “Play now?” he asked her, to which she just smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

“Sure, we can go play.”

-x-x-x-

Harry was silent for a few moments as he listened to her, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he looked down at his lap.  

“I almost didn’t live with you?” he asked, looking up at her finally after a few more moments of silence. 

Rather surprised at his choice of question after what she had just unpacked onto him, Lucy simply nodded.  “Yeah.  Dumbledore really wanted you to live with your mom’s sister and her family, but you hadn’t even met them yet, and I wasn’t about to let my favorite nephew go and live with some random people,” she told him, kissing the top of his head softly as the train came to a halt outside the Kingston upon Thames stop.  

They gathered up their bags and everything they had bought down in Diagon Alley, scuffling out of the empty train car and onto the platform.  Harry looked down at his feet as he walked out of the train station with his aunt, and down the street a few blocks to their house.  He did his best to just to stay silent - whether it was only because he didn’t know what to say or if he didn’t want to say anything about wizardry in public, Lucy didn’t know.

When they finally reached their little house in the far corner of a far street, Lucy unlocked the door and led him inside, closing the door and locking it behind the two of them.  After he set his bags down in the middle of the living room, he turned around to face his aunt again.  “Why did he have to kill them?” he suddenly asked.

Lucy was unsure of how to even respond to the question, sitting down on the couch and looking over at him as she gave him a sad smile.  “Well, the Order heard about the possibility of a prophecy about a boy born at the end of July, one who could be his equal,” she explained to him.  She didn’t entirely know what the prophecy was about, in all honesty; she just knew it was possibly about her nephew.

“Then why did he kill them?  They didn’t do anything wrong, Aunt Lucy,” he said firmly, frowning a bit as he hadn’t gotten the answer he was looking for.

She nodded softly, letting out a soft sigh before tapping the space on the couch next to her.  “I hate to say it, bug, but I’m afraid that’s just the way the world works sometimes.  It’s not all funny, pretty, and sweet like I make it out to be in your little stories.  There’s a lot of bad things that happen - which I tried my best to keep you from growing up - and that’s one of the bad things.  Your mom and dad tried to protect you, and that meant they were in his way, and he was willing to do anything to get to you,” she explained to him, kissing the top of his head again.

He just leaned his head against her shoulder as she finished, frowning for a moment before wrapping his arms around her as tight as he could.  She rested her hand on his back and patted it gently, silently wishing she could do more for him than just comfort him.  

“Is it possible to miss people you don’t even remember?” he asked quietly, looking up at his aunt with glass, red-tinted eyes, which seemed magnified by his little round glasses. 

Lucy nodded softly, pushing some hair out of his face a bit as she looked down at him lovingly.  “Of course it is,” she assured him, kissing his forehead gently before he snuggled up to his aunt again.  “I miss them too, you know.”

He nodded gently as he rested his head against her side, sniffling a little bit as he listened to his aunt.  He stayed in that same spot for what felt like hours to her, but she wasn’t complaining; she just combed her fingers through her hair to try to keep him calm.  After a little while, though, he sat up and sniffled a bit, wiping at his eyes with the sleeves of his shirt before he looked up to his aunt again.

“Thank you, Aunt Lucy.”

“For what, bubba?” 

“For telling me, I guess,” he shrugged, standing up and grabbing his bags.  “I’m glad you told me what happened now so I didn’t have to find out on my own.”

She just gave him a small smile and nodded, ruffling his hair up a little bit.  “No problem,” she said, grinning a bit as he bound up the stairs with all of his bags.  “Don’t try to use your wand, though!  I’m not gonna deal with you getting expelled before you’ve even gotten to school!” she called up after him with a small grin. 

She knew it was gonna be hell once he got to school.

She wasn’t entirely wrong, though.  On September 1st, she and Remus packed nearly all of Harry’s belongings into her car, since she didn’t want Harry to feel awkward with everyone else being dropped off with their big families and Harry only having his aunt.  The entire drive to King’s Cross Station, Harry wouldn’t stop asking either of them questions about what Hogwarts and everything associated with it was like. 

“Is the food good?”

“It’s really good, bubs; you’ll love the desserts.”

“How long is the train ride?”

“I think about nine hours, right, Luce?”

“If they haven’t changed anything, yeah.”

“Are the professors nice?”

“Most of them.”

“Who was your favorite professor, Uncle Moony?”

“Harry, if you ask him any more questions, there won’t even be a need for you to go; you’ll know everything about the school already.”

“Sorry Aunt Lucy.”

“...My favorite professor was Professor McGonagall.”

“Remus!”

“Sorry, Luce!”

They arrived at the train station at precisely 10:45 A.M.  Harry practically jumped out of the car, quickly grabbing the cage his pet owl was in and waiting for his aunt and uncle to grab his trunk, which was a little too heavy for him to drag himself. 

“Careful, Harry.  You don’t want to hurt her wings before you get the chance to send letters,” Remus warned him, getting out of the passenger seat and going round to grab Harry’s trunk from the back seat.  Harry just gave an apologetic smile, but still was practically jumping up and down as he waited for his aunt to come with them.  

Lucy grinned a little bit and grabbed his train ticket, finally getting out of the car and locking it behind her.  She ruffled up her nephew’s hair a bit as she finally began to lead him and Remus inside, smiling down at him as she watched him.  

“Are you excited?” she asked, looking up at the different signs posted up so they were headed in the right direction; contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t too difficult to forget where to go, especially when the train station is filled to the brim and it had been nearly fifteen years since she had been to the station.  

Harry nodded quickly, looking around at everything like he already was at his new school.  “I can’t wait,” he told his aunt with a bright smile, squeezing her hand a bit as they walked through the station.  

After a few more moments of walking, Lucy was able to pick out a large group of fiery red-headed kids, two of which quickly disappeared into a brick wall.  

“Weasley’s,” Lucy muttered to herself, to which Remus nodded gently in agreement, leading Harry over towards where they had seen the group.   The second the three of them got to the brick wall, the only two girls in the family were remaining. 

“Molly!” Lucy called out, giving her a bit of a wave as they got closer.

“Lucy Potter!  Remus Lupin!” she exclaimed with a bright smile, making her way over to the two of them before kissing each of them on the cheek.  “How are you two?  It’s been so long!  Do you still have that part time job at the Ministry, dear?” she rushed out quickly, resting her hand on her daughter’s shoulder.  

“We’re good, Molly.  I’ve still got the job down in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, but I’ll probably pick up a few extra hours now that Harry’s headed off to school,” she said, grinning down at her nephew with a proud smile.  Harry, however, just looked up at the new woman somewhat warily, despite how warm she appeared to be. 

“Oh, goodness!  Is it time already?  We’re sending Ron off today.  He just went through with the twins,” she told her with a smile, looking down at Harry, who now looked rather confused.  

“Sent through?  How do you get to the platform?” he asked, looking between the two of them.  

“Oh, it’s nothing, dear, you just go right through that wall.  It’s best if you do it with a little run,” Molly explained to him with a smile.  

He just nodded up at her before looking at his aunt.  “You’ll go through with me, Aunt Lucy?” he asked softly, to which she just nodded gently. 

“Good luck,” the youngest Weasley told him with a small smile.  Harry gave her a small nod and looked to his aunt again.  She counted down with him slowly, before they both made their way through the brick wall quickly, and it, quite literally, opened up a new world to the young boy. 

There were clusters of family’s bunched around the bustling platform, with handfuls of owls flying around overhead before they’d be cooped up on a train for the rest of the day.  Harry could’ve sworn he even saw a toad hopping past his feet at one point.  

As he looked around in wonder, he heard Remus bidding his goodbye to Molly and her daughter from behind him, before resting his hand on his shoulder as Harry admired the scarlet and black train in front of him. 

“It’s almost eleven, bug, you’ll have to get on the train soon,” Lucy said softly to him, before he looked up at her almost nervously.  She raised an eyebrow and knelt down to his height, to which Remus backed away for a moment to let them say their own goodbyes. 

“Are you sure I’ll like it there?” he asked his aunt quietly.  She smiled softly and nodded, pushing some hair out of his face.  She was a little relieved that was his only concern at the time.

“Of course.  You’re gonna meet a lot of great people that you’ll love.  You’ll feel right at home, I promise,” she told him, holding her pinky out to him with a grin.

He smiled softly and wrapped his much smaller pinky around hers.  “Can you write to me if I miss you?” he asked her quietly, like he was almost worried someone would overhear.  

She chuckled softly but nodded nonetheless.  “I’ll write to you every day if you want me to,” she promised.  He laughed quietly at this, before wrapping his arms around his aunt’s neck.  She hugged him back without hesitation, kissing the side of his head gently. 

“I love you, Aunt Lucy.”

“I love you too, bubs.”

After a few moments of them standing there like that, she stood up, glancing over to Remus and giving him a soft nod.  Remus took his time giving Harry his goodbye, and Lucy was almost positive she heard him telling Harry to say something to Professor McGonagall for him.  Harry just laughed and nodded, hugging his uncle tightly.  Remus hugged him back, sighing a bit before his nephew pulled away.  

Harry turned back to his aunt and took his ticket from his aunt, giving her one last hug.  “I’ll miss you, Little Prongs,” he told her with a smile.

She chuckled weakly and nodded, pushing some hair out of his face to get one last look at her nephew, her brother, and her sister-in-law for a few months.  She gave him a weak smile and kissed his head.  “I’ll miss you too, Baby Prongs,” she replied, leading him over to the train and helping him on. 

“You’ll do great, I promise,” she called after him as he got on, smiling at her through the open window of the train as it slowly began to pull away.  He waved at her dramatically until he couldn’t see her anymore, before shuffling into an empty car and quietly hoping someone would sit with him. 

Lucy backed away from the platform, standing beside Remus for a moment as she just lingered on the spot where the train was only moments before.  Remus rested her hand on her shoulder gently, giving her a silent, reassuring smile. 

“He’s going to be just fine.  You don’t have to worry about him,” he promised her, squeezing her shoulder gently. 

And he was right.  Despite missing her nephew, who felt like her own son at this point, she managed on when he wasn’t there.  She wrote to him every day as she had promised, sending him a bag of sweets every few days along with a letter.  He wrote back as frequently as he could, and every time she saw an owl on her kitchen window holding an envelope with her name written in blotchy chicken scratch that she would know anywhere, it never failed to make her smile.  Even though she let go of a big part of herself on September first, she knew it was for his own benefit, and he’d be better off for it. 

And because of that, all was well. 

[otomememento]

Cradle OC - Mason Wright - Three of Hearts

Based on filling in the ranks of the Chosen 13 on the Cradlesona Discord Server.

Image credit goes to: https://picrew.me/image_maker/54346

Basic Information:

Name: Mason Wright Title: Three of Hearts Gender: Male Birthday: March 3rd Age: 26 Height: 5’10” Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown Occupation: Engineer Affiliation: Red Army Alignment: Neutral Good

Extended Information:

Personality: Quiet and thoughtful, Mason isn’t a member of the Red Army that does much to stand out.  As an engineer, most of his time is spent either building things for the army, or trying to find weak points in the structures of the Black Army.  To his troops, he’s curtly professional, but never harsh or impatient; he’d rather try to correct errors than pronounce someone as useless.  He’s often seen as humorless because he doesn’t joke much, but when he’s relaxed it’s easy to get him laughing.  Mason finds women around his age to be very intimidating, and generally avoids them when he can because of his interactions with his half-sister and step-mother.  Mason doesn’t like violence and when he has to fight, he prefers using guns over swords.  He’s very intelligent, and his eyes are always seeing possibilities in the world around him.  He loves to study nature and see how animals build things; he likes to keep bees as a hobby.  Mason is very fond of children, and likes to build them playgrounds that are safe and fun.  A problem solver by nature, he’s the kind of person that is willing to help when things break down, either in Red Territory or in the Central Quarter.

Mason has a pretty grounded opinion of himself.  He knows that a lot of his problems as a youth were not his fault, and he tells himself this many times, but it has still made him a bit skittish with women and rather shy of the other Red Army members.  He knows that his strengths lie in his mental acuity rather than his physical prowess.  He also knows that he doesn’t fit in with the Red Army because of the years he spent as just a ‘normal’ kid.  While he doesn’t care about fitting in for it’s own merits, he wants to make his mother proud, and ensure that her life is an easy one.

History: Mason was born the illegitimate second child of the Three of Hearts.  His father, William Wright, had a rocky relationship with his wife and Mason was conceived on a fateful evening when his father sought comfort elsewhere: Mason’s mother Rachel.  William was worried when his liaison resulted in a pregnancy, but Rachel was not exacting.  When her baby ended up being a boy, William made sure to financially support the two of them: his wife had only had a daughter, and any further pregnancies ended in miscarriages.  He despaired of ever having a legitimate male heir.

Behind the scenes, there was concern about the Three of Heart’s lineage, so a scheme was put into motion.  Employing the shady Jack of Hearts, a character assassination was carried out on William’s legal wife.  She was divorced and regulated to a mere mistress, only so she could stay close to her daughter.  William then brought Rachel home and married her, retroactively legitimizing his son.  Mason was ten years old at this point, and found himself suddenly thrust into a world of aristocrats, something that he found intensely intimidating as a child.  His manners weren’t as neat, and he didn’t have a defense against their ways.

To make things worse, Mason’s older half-sister treated him mercilessly, always calling attention to his flaws and faults, and sabotaging his efforts to improve whenever she could.  She was bitter about her mother being displaced, about having this ‘upstart’ younger brother show up as the heir.  Mason tried hard to get along with his half-sister, but she wouldn’t have it.  Her mother was also cold and unkind to Mason whenever they crossed paths, but that wasn’t often.  Mason’s father tried to be kind to his son, but the ten years that they didn’t spend together made it awkward between them.  In all this, Mason only really had his mother to rely on; Mason would do anything for his mother.

Because he didn’t want to stress his mother, Mason tried his best to be the person his father wanted.  He never fully succeeded.  However, his intelligence made him very suited to the occupation that the Three of Hearts traditionally had.  Once he started learning his trade, relations between his father and himself improved.  They often built things together, just to see if they would work.  This made Mason’s half sister even more jealous, but it also diminished any ability she had to turn her father against her half-brother.

Despite his difficulties navigating the social world of the Red Aristocracy, Mason found military life easier once he became the Three of Hearts.  There was something in the routine and regulations of the Army that suited him.  He still dreaded any social events, but when he had actual work to do, he was much more relaxed and never gave anyone any grief when he was asked to do things.  His humble beginnings also made him easy to impose upon, and often he found himself overburdened with work, which he never complained about.  But his troops liked him well enough to step in and help.

Opinions & Interactions:

Black Army:

K. Ray: The kind of man he would like to follow, though he would never tell anyone this.  Minimal interactions.

Q. Sirius: Down to earth, respectable.  Minimal interactions.

J. Luka: Jonah’s younger brother; secretly envies him for being able to break away from the Red Army.  Has tried to talk to him a few times, but Luka is too tight-lipped.

10. Seth: Seems rather excitable.  Minimal interactions.

A. Fenrir: Thinks Fenrir is crazy for giving up a good home life to join the army.  If he were free, he would have loved to work for Fenrir’s father.  He talks to Fenrir sometimes about his father’s business, but only in the most basic, casual ways.  If he had the chance, he’d take some of his trick bullets to study them.

Neutral: Blanc: The Cradle Record Keeper; he shows up to meetings sometimes in that capacity, but they don’t interact much.  Though he’s caught Blanc looking at him in a sympathetic way. Oliver: Who?  Oh, that kid that lives with Blanc? Or the man that drinks with Kyle sometimes?   Loki: A shady young man who is sometimes seen talking to Kyle or members of the Black Army.  He’s never interacted with him personally.   Harr: He’s seen the wanted posters around town, but isn’t sure what exactly Harr has done.  It’s unlikely he’d ever seek a conflict with him.

Red Army: K. Lancelot: Cold, professional, and brilliant.  Seems to be more wrapped up in duty than passion.  Never seeks him out unless it’s for Army business. Q. Jonah: The most intimidating member of the Red Army in his eyes.  Jonah’s grace and boldness makes him feel like he doesn’t really belong; he can’t stand up to such high expectations, so he avoids Jonah. J. Edgar: Soft spoken, amiable, and with a terrible reputation as the Gentle Demon.  Things between them are cordial, but nothing else.  He neither avoids, nor seeks out the Jack. 7. Kyle: Probably the person he understands the most in the Red Army.  Kyle’s role as a doctor means he’s less destructive than the others.  His calm, almost lazy, personality feels much more down to earth, and his time spent with the common people of the Central Quarter means he’s not out of touch or too stuffy. A. Zero: He feels fairly comfortable with Zero, but since both of them are rather quiet, they don’t talk much.  But there’s nothing awkward in the silence between them.

[varietywritings]

PROTEGO

Sirius Black x OC!Arden Walker 

CHAPTER ONE: BEGIN AGAIN

September 1, 1976

CRACK! A burst of crimson deflected off an invisible force field. The girl inside had a white-knuckle grip on her wand. She stood rigidly as her chest heaved with quick breaths. Her hands shook. The rush of her own blood sounded loudly in her ears. The mass of faceless witches and wizards closed in on her. She could not let them get to her. 

The girl flung every jinx and hex that she could think of at her adversaries, but nothing slowed them. Something pierced the translucent shield she had conjured, making it dissolve. She was vulnerable. A wave of curses crashed down on her. The girl flung herself over something, but not before a flash of emerald light covered her eyes.

✧✧✧

“Arden!” 

Arden Walker rapidly blinked her eyes, coming back to her senses. The bustling of Hogwarts students and their families filled the air with tearful goodbyes and grumbling teenagers. Arden shook her head. All thoughts about the dream she had last night were pushed to the back of her mind as she regarded her mother.

“Are you alright?” Gwyneth, her mother, looked at her warily. Arden smiled tightly. She could still hear the cracks of curses in her head. 

“I’m fine, mom,” she laughed, “You worry too much, you know?” 

“I have to.”

“Not really.”

“Arden May!”

Arden snickered to herself. Gwyneth attempted to give her an appraising look, but couldn’t help herself from smirking. 

“Torian would not approve of your snark.” she half-teased and all humor was snatched from Arden’s demeanor. The mention of her stepfather made her want to hex herself.

“He doesn’t approve of anything, mama,” she grumbled, tucking her caramel hair behind her ear, “You and I both know that.” 

“I know.” Her mother admitted quietly. “He’s not Ray—” Arden visibly tensed; she hated talking about her real father. “—but he’s also not the worst, either.” She knew her mother was trying to make light of the situation (a trait she did not inherit from her), so she suppressed any and all comments she had formulated about his too-handsome face or his absurdly expensive dress robes. 

“Of course, mom. I’m sorry.” Arden apologized. Her mother smiled sadly at her daughter, who was a near-spitting image of her father. Not including the slightly hooked nose and sea green eyes, those were Gwyneth’s. 

Gwyneth smoothed out the line that had creased between Arden’s eyebrows. She tilted her head upwards to give a swift kiss to her forehead as Arden hunched over a bit.

“Now, don’t grow on me even more while you’re gone, Arden.” Gwyneth playfully scolded, causing Arden’s lips to quirk up into a smile.

“Yes, ma’am.” Arden gave her mother a one-armed hug, the shorter woman only coming up to brush under Arden’s nose. She began to trudge away to the Hogwarts Express. 

“Don’t forget to write! I know you have enough ink and quills to spare.” Gwyneth playfully scolded. Arden chuckled to herself. She gave a half-hearted wave over her shoulder and stepped onto the Hogwarts Express. 

Arden briskly walked down the narrow corridor of the train car. She pushed past students idly standing, slipping her jet black robes over her t-shirt and jeans. She made sure her prefect badge was pinned directly above the Ravenclaw crest. Looking in the reflection of a compartment window, she straightened out her robes and ran a quick hand through her hair, making sure the shoulder-length strands weren’t too askew. Giving herself a half smile, Arden entered the almost-full prefects’ train car. 

“How nice of you to join us!” Lily quipped, snapping the book she was reading shut. “You’re late.” Arden closed the door behind her, giving Lily a sickly sweet smile. 

“I’m right on time.” Arden tapped the knicked face of her watch and plopped down next to Lily. “And that’s no way to greet the best friend you haven’t seen in—what—three months?” 

“Oh, shove it.” Lily murmured. Arden snickered but quieted down as soon as the Head Boy started the same prefect speech that was given last year. The gist of it to Arden was, “Don’t let anyone hurt each other and don’t get hurt in the process.” She thought she succeeded at being a prefect last year. How hard could it be this year?

✧✧✧

Much to Arden’s delight, things were running immensely smooth on the train car she was monitoring. No fights had broken out. Most compartments were at a manageable noise level. The hardest thing she’s encountered so far was a nervous first-year. 

“But what if I get lost?” The glassy eyes of the first-year boy made Arden feel sorry for him. 

“Then ask for directions. The professors are willing to help each student get to where they need to go.” She tried reasoning, but the poor kid still fiddled nervously with the hem of his pristine robes.

“What if I don’t fit in, though?” The boy squeaked out. Sitting down across from him, Arden smiled fondly at him. 

“What’s your name?”

“Michael.” 

“Well, Michael, that’s exactly what I thought when I transferred from Ilvermorny the beginning of my third year.” She crossed her legs at the ankle. “Turns out I worried for nothing; I met my best friend on the train ride to Hogwarts and Ravenclaw welcomed me with open arms.” 

“Really?” Michael looked at Arden hopefully. 

“Of course! You have nothing to worry about.” 

BOOM!

A sudden explosion rattled the train car. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Arden heaved a great sigh.

“What was that?” He asked frantically. 

“It seems your fellow students are really excited about testing their luck with me again.” Sarcasm coated Arden’s words. “Just stay here, okay? I’ll be right back.” 

She stepped out into the hallway, the smell of smoke immediately assaulting her senses. Coughing into her elbow, she maneuvered her way past the heads of students peeking out to see what all the commotion was about. “Everybody back in your compartments! Nothing to worry about here.” She shouted. The students grumbled as she made her way to the compartment that was clearly the source of the ruckus; wisps of smoke were easing their way out of the cracked door. “Merlin, give me strength.” Arden pleaded. She composed herself and slid open the door. 

James Potter and Sirius Black were stood at the windows, desperately trying to waft the smoke out of the compartment as Peter Pettigrew wildly pat himself down to smolder the embers on his clothes. With his mousy brown hair sticking up in all different directions and his eyebrows smoking slightly, Peter looked like he had poked a dragon one too many times. Arden crossed her arms and steeled her expressions. She cleared her throat. All three boys’ heads snapped in her direction. 

“It’s kind of hard to convince a nervous first-year that everything’s going to be fine when an actual explosion happens on the train.” She looked at each boy pointedly. 

“Jus’ a bit of Exploding Snap, Walker. Nothing to get your robes in a twist over.” Sirius said, shutting the window behind him. He gave Arden the most charming smirk he could muster, but that only made her jaw tick. 

“Exploding Snap shouldn’t shake the entire train car.” 

“So, we modified the deck a little bit.” James shrugged her comment off, cleaning his glasses with his shirt. “No harm was done.”

“Then why does Peter look like he lost a fight with a fireball?” Arden jerked her head in Peter’s direction, who was now trying to make himself the least bit presentable. 

“He’s fine! Right?” Sirius nudged Peter with his elbow. Peter nodded aggressively. He patted out another ember that appeared on his shoulder. 

If Arden was being truthful with herself, she felt bad for Peter. He seemed to follow James and Sirius around like a lost dog, but she couldn’t judge; she bet that’s how she looked with Lily. 

“Just, please don’t cause any more trouble, at least until we get to Hogwarts,” Arden asked as nice as she could. 

“Yes, Professor Walker.” James mocked. She bit her cheek to keep her from saying anything too rude. She didn’t want to feel the wrath of her mother across the UK.

Arden shut the Marauders’ door, not before silently performing the Mending Charm on Peter’s clothes. She checked in on everybody else and resumed her position across from Michael. 

✧✧✧

The Hogwarts Express screeched to a halt. The dark brick and mortar of Hogsmeade Station basked in the evening sunset, the ivory base of the station’s sign tinted a pale tangerine. Closing her eyes, Arden inhaled a deep breath. The crisp scent of pine and the chatter of the students embraced her. She was home. 

An easy smile bloomed on her face, the dimple on her left cheek becoming noticeable; she really hated that thing. Begrudgingly, she pulled herself back to reality to make sure all the first-years made their way to the prefects escorting them to the Great Lake. Making one more pass through the train car she had been monitoring, Arden stepped off the train. She stuffed her hands in the pockets of her uniform pants and made her way to the carriages. Looking up she noticed the tall, lanky form of Remus Lupin a couple of paces ahead of her. 

“I would ask if you knew who caused that deafening explosion on my train car, but I think you’ve already got a good idea.” She called after him. He stopped in his tracks, waiting for her to catch up to him. 

“You should know by now that they’re never one for subtlety.” Remus lightly defended his friends, looking more than slightly amused by their antics. 

“Yeah, but making an already pretty high stakes game even higher stakes? That’s just asking for somebody to get hurt.” Arden justified. Remus nodded along. “I mean, c’mon, who’s idea was it?” 

“Oh, that was all James—” 

“Should’ve known.”

“—but I helped—” Remus hummed in thought, searching for the right word, “—enhance the deck.” Arden looked at him incredulously. 

“Why? That could’ve done some serious damage!” Arden gestured wildly with her hands. 

“But did it?” Remus proposed and Arden grew quiet.

“Well . . . no.” She mumbled. Remus chuckled. 

“I’ll still talk to them about pulling pranks like that if you want me to. Dunno how much it’ll help if I’m being honest.” He offered, but she waved off his offer.

“Thanks, but I think it will make them want to cause more trouble, not deter them from doing so.” Arden tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Arden, let’s go! You move slower than Marlene in the morning!” Lily shouted to Arden from her seat on the carriage. 

“Hey!” Marlene exclaimed, shoving a giggling Lily. 

“See you around, Lupin.” Arden bid him goodbye. “And tell Potter to stop staring at my best friend like that; it’s weird.” She heard Remus bite back a laugh from behind her.

“I think Sirius has that covered for me.” Arden looked over at the trio waiting for Remus. 

“Honestly, Prongs, you look like the Giant Squid. You aren’t gonna win Evans over if you look like a big fish all the time.” Sirius lectured James frankly. Arden huffed a laugh out her nose and shook her head as James mussed up Sirius’ hair for the comment he just made. 

She climbed onto the horseless carriage, gaining a “Finally” from Lily. The carriage jolted forward, bringing the girls to the doors of Hogwarts. Jumping out, Lily and Arden walked swiftly to the Great Hall, ready to fill their grumbling stomachs. Arden made her way to the Ravenclaw table and sat down beside a couple of her quidditch teammates from last year. They greeted her and made polite conversation as the hoard of first-years filed in behind Professor McGonagall. 

The Sorting Ceremony breezed by pretty uneventfully. Each house gained a decent amount of new members and the boy that Arden had comforted on the train got sorted into Gryffindor. The excited chatter at each of the house tables ceased as Professor Dumbledore took his place at the golden podium. 

“Students, new and returning! Welcome to Hogwarts. I’m sure you all are pretty famished, but before we begin the Feast, I would like to first introduce your new Charms Master, Professor Filius Flitwick.” Professor Dumbledore gestured behind him, his half-moon glasses glinting in the light. At the table where all the professors resided, a dwarfish man stood up in his seat. His eyes crinkled behind his circular glasses as he smiled, a large mustache taking up residence on his upper lip. Professor Flitwick nodded courteously to the hall filled with students. He sat back down, taking his place between Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall. 

“I would also like to welcome Professor Bernard Janus, who will be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.” A tall man stood up at the Professors’ table, clasping his hands in front of him. His chocolate brown hair was expertly coiffed and his navy blue waistcoat was tailored perfectly to his broad chest. With a sharp jawline, Grecian nose, and well-defined cheekbones, he captured the attention of everybody in the room. Professor Janus surveyed the Great Hall, as Arden took him in. He was handsome, that much she knew for sure, but she couldn’t help the sinking feeling that plagued her stomach. Their eyes met. His eyes were heterochromatic; one the color of nickels and the other resembling tree bark. The hair stood up on the back of her neck as he held her gaze for a couple more seconds and then moved on. 

“Good luck to you both, Professor Flitwick and Professor Janus,” Dumbledore said, earning the applause of the students and professors. “Now, dig in!”

Arden eagerly filled her plate with mashed potatoes, roast chicken, peas, and carrots. She dowsed her mashed potatoes in gravy and dug in, momentarily forgetting all the table manners her mother drilled into her and pushing the uneasy feeling to the back of her mind. She would worry about Professor Janus later. Now, she had a wonderful banquet to devour. 

✧✧✧

Arden trudged up the spiral staircase towards her dorm. Her hair dripped excess water from her shower onto her gray sleep shirt, but she couldn’t care less. All she wanted right now was to go to sleep. 

The Ravenclaw first-years, while rather endearing, were also tiresome. Arden had never encountered such a curious bunch before. They bombarded her with questions and part of her admired their inquisitiveness, however, the other, sleep-deprived part of her wanted them to direct their questions to the paintings that covered the stone walls. 

Rubbing her eyes, Arden crawled into bed. The soft navy sheets blanketed her in warmth. As she hunkered down into her covers, the clinking of the dog tags around her neck caught Arden’s attention. She lifted them up and read the debossed lettering for what seemed like the trillionth time: 

WALKER

RAY N,

113-07-2360

A POS

BAPTIST

Arden smiled sadly, her father’s name glinting in the moonlight. Her father passed away four years earlier, but to her, it only felt like four days. With a heavy heart, she tucked the dog tags back under her shirt. She always kept them hidden to stop any unwanted questions. 

✧✧✧

TAGS

@virgiill @yourfriendly-neighborhoodfuckup

A/N: Don’t be afraid to ask to be tagged!!

-Red

[hypokeimena]

link for the longfic?

https://m.fanfiction.net/u/3489773/murkybluematter

it’s an alanna the lioness pastiche fic in which harry is a girl who wants to learn potions from shape, and tom riddle never became voldemort - instead, he went into politics, and hogwarts has been pureblood only for a decade. how will harry get to hogwarts? crossdress and trade places with uncle sirius’ son, her cousin archie. it’s really more origfic set more or less in the hp universe, but i tend to read hp fic primarily based on 1. length 2. being plot-driven genfic, so this is like… perfect, for me. it suffers from some significant and persistent SPAG issues and could probably do with some heavy edits but it’s always exactly what i want to be reading, ie, as i said, more or less Densely Plotted Crossdressing Shenanigans. warning for cis author but again i have more or less found this series MUCH less upsetting than the actual alanna books from a gender perspective so there you go. also i love a lot of the ocs.

anyway i also got some requests for other long gen fic recs - a quick rundown of non-hp gen longfics i like, above the cut: daemorphing (animorphs/hdm), republic of heaven community radio (wtnv/hdm, complete), imagine the ocean (atla, katara is the avatar), the stone gryphon (narnia), amarguerite’s “a monstrous regiment” (temeraire/pride & prejudice; her other fic is quite good as well but definitely shippier), chosen man by sineala (eagle of the ninth; def shippy but good immersive historical fiction), carpetbaggers by cofax (narnia), through a looking glass darkly (alice 2009 miniseries)

some other hp longfic recs (under the cut to save a dashboard & bc some of these reviews are a little franker about the things i don’t like than i feel comfortable putting where an author might see them unprompted):

basically if you’re reading for “mostly gen” and “longfic” you have to be flexible about some things incl. writing wonkiness (usually minor SPAG/copyediting issues but often super enormous longfics are in need of like… tightness/pacing issues), bad politics, and presence of snape, a lot of the people who write good longfic love to write him

if you want ship recs i do have those but you’ll probably be better served looking at a shippy reclist. most of these are more or less gen, or sometimes shippy but that’s not what i read them for, etc.

•brilliantlady (ao3 & ff.net) has a series called something like “perfectly normal” that’s very good & a LOT of fun, including a harry whose best friends are neville and hermione, who has some distant cousins in the slytherin crowd, and who’s leaned into his fame a little. does posit that most muggleborns are descended from squibs which i sometimes find intolerable but i do like this fic a lot.

•of course all of arsinoe de blassenville’s fics - “the golden age” is a kind of bleak view of how they all got from the end of DH to the epilogue, including some interesting concepts. “the best revenge” is one of the more tolerable snape raises harry longfics out there and has a cute harry. in general i like the way she writes characters behaving badly and well and complciatedly

•i haven’t reread this one in a while but there’s a really good hermione fic i loved about muggleborn rights. background snarry but i scrolled past it so it’s def possible to read without getting into that. it’s called in loco parentis and it’s by dolores crane on ao3 and possibly other places as well

•forging the sword on ff.net hasn’t updated, last i checked, for about three years but it’s one of my faves. ginny dies in the chamber, and the trio get… intense, so nothing like that ever happens again. but also they’re still like. 12.

•gatewaygirl’s stuff - of course blood magic is her famous severitus fic but i actually just recently read her snakes and lions series, which is one of the few fics i’ve read that has trans wizards in it and i like the way she writes teen nastiness and kindness and shenanigans. it hadn’t updated in a year and a half but i just checked and it’s also recently updated, in the last few weeks i think. sometimes wanders into Pureblood Culture Tm stuff but mostly in a way i can stand.

•i like laventadorn’s never ending road but it is like snarry endgame which i have been trying to ignore and not think about bc of how much i love every girl harry - this one is particularly convincing, tough and fierce and more or less the same as boy harry but read totally differently by the world at large, and i really like some of the side plots (asteria! wolfsbane!). the series starts at second year.

•brilliantlady’s ff also has an “hp for kids” reclist, which is mostly stories that don’t contain too much romance or gore and there’s some good long stuff in there.

•there’s a series called mary potter - ff and ao3 but i don’t remember the authors name - that’s also long and readable; it’s very slytherin and i don’t like the ocs or some of the characterization choices as much as i might, but i like a girl harry

•standard extremely conflicted rec for the sacrifices arc - i have really serious issues with the way that series handles a lot of stuff around abuse recovery and things like reconciliation and justice for past crimes but on the other hand it’s like five million words long and i HAVE read it in its entirety three times. i deeply and passionately love a lot of the OCs. this is also the only hp fic i’ve ever read that unilaterally and unequivocally states that, eg, house elf slavery is wrong and needs to stop, and that magical creatures that are people ARE PEOPLE, and makes this an enormous and critically important plot point throughout the series. hate that this is the only series that does that, especially given my ENORMOUS reservations with what this series considers a “forgivable mistake”