#bring myself to pay full attention to it. so I decided to doodle something instead ┐⁠(⁠‘⁠～⁠`⁠;⁠)⁠┌

[mayhemspreadingguy]

[iliveiloveiwrite]

Want nobody else

Request: Hi can I request a Draco Malfoy x Gryffindor reader where they’re dating in secret & Draco decided to spend the holiday at Hogwarts instead of going back to the manor because he wants to spend more time with the reader but surprise surprise Narcissa decided to drop in to his dorm just to find them cuddling in front of the fireplace or something. She’s scared of course but Narcissa turns out to be very kind & welcoming and the three of them spend the day together and even invited her to come to the Malfoy Manor anytime she’d like Thank you! - @queenofmankind

A/N: I loved this request bc I am a sucker for secret relationships, like that is my shit. I’ll not lie, these last couple of days I have been really doubting my writing ability, but nevertheless, I hope I have done your request justice. It’s really fluffy bc I love fluffy Draco so much omg. Enjoy! (Title is from Liam Payne - Midnight)

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader (Gryffindor)

Warnings: one swear word

Word count: 2.1k

Being pulled into a supply cupboard was not how you wanted to start your morning, but it happened, nonetheless.

You’re about to start shouting when a familiar voice whispers, “Lumos.”

The tip of his wand starts to glow with a pale light, and you’re greeted to the sight of your boyfriend smiling down at you.

“Draco! You can’t just go about pulling me into supply cupboards.”

“Why not?” He asks, crowding you against the wall. He’s so close to you that his breath fans over your face.

“What if we get caught? What if someone sees us?”

Draco shrugs, leaning in to kiss you but his lips land on your cheek when you move your head at the last minute.

“We both agreed we would keep this a secret. That means you can’t pull me into supply cupboards between classes.”

“I know, but would you believe me if I say I did it because I missed you?”

“I would, but only because I missed you too.” You reply, fisting a hand in the front of his robes to pull him in for a kiss.

He hums into the kiss, pressing you even further into the wall. Your arms wrap around his neck; one hand making its way into his hair, pulling lightly drawing a groan from his mouth. He responds by biting your bottom lip.

“The bell is going ring any minute.” You whisper against his lips.

Draco nods in acknowledgement but kisses you again and continues to do so until the aforementioned bell rings.

You pull away from him with a peck to his lips. You smooth down your robes and hair to make it look as if you haven’t been making out with the Slytherin Prince between classes.

His hand grabs yours as he tugs you in to kiss you again, “I’ve got to go,” You say, pecking his lips one more time, silently loving how he chases your lips for another, “I’ve got Divination and those stairs are killer. I’ll see you later?”

“Definitely. I’ll meet you in the astronomy tower after dinner.”

You blow him a kiss which he catches with a laugh before rushing to Divination. Professor Trelawney had a thing for making latecomers make the first prediction of the lesson.

-----

The closer it got to the holidays, the slower the school day became. In every lesson, you zoned out, finding it hard to keep your attention on the topic of the class. Instead, daydreaming of a certain blonde-haired Slytherin.

Being in a relationship with Draco was the last thing you expected to happen to you. A member of Gryffindor and raised a muggle, you didn’t think for one moment that Draco would look in your direction.

A friendship blossomed between the two of you after being assigned a paired essay in History of Magic on Gellert Grindelwald’s threat to the International Statute of Secrecy. Draco was apprehensive at first; his walls securely built around him. However, as time went on and progress on the essay was good, those walls steadily came down and he started to have feelings for you. He just didn’t know you felt the same way.

You couldn’t help but feel sad as you finished writing the final sentence of the essay. Your time with Draco was up and things were to return to how they were before.

He didn’t want that; you didn’t want that.

Whilst waiting for the ink to dry, Draco took it upon himself to confess that he didn’t want this to end. His happiest time of the week were the hours he spent with you, but he would understand if you didn’t feel the same way. Draco never got a chance to finish his sentence – you had pulled him in for a clumsy but sweet kiss. It was after you had pulled away that you both agreed to keep the relationship secret for fear of the reaction from his parents and your house.

A ball of paper hitting the back of your head breaks you from your reverie. Turning to see who threw it, you smile as you see Draco staring intensely at his textbook.

Unscrewing the wad of paper you read his recognisable scrawl: ‘What are you thinking about?’

You don’t take the time to think of a reply, simply writing: ‘You, like always.’ It’s worth it when you see the blush on his face as he reads your reply.

---------

The astronomy tower had always been a favourite of Draco’s. Somewhere he could come, think and not be disturbed. If you ever had trouble finding him through the school, your first port of call would always be the astronomy tower. In the early weeks of your relationship, it became your go-to meet up spot.

Climbing the stairs to the top of the tower was always worth it when you saw him waiting for you; the breath stolen from your lungs when his eyes landed upon you and he smiled.

Tonight was no different; the butterflies in your stomach had turned into a full-blow riot, but you knew they would settle the moment your eyes landed on Draco.

He’s already waiting; leaning against the railing, looking out across the view. The astronomy tower held the perfect vista of Black Lake and the Scottish Highlands behind it. You sometimes questioned how you went to school in such a wonderful place.

Draco turns at the sound of your footsteps, a smile already making its way across his face. He holds a hand out to you and you are quick to fold your hand into his, tangling your fingers together as you do so. He brings your joined hands up to his lips, dropping a small kiss to the back of your hand before letting them fall between the two of you.

“I liked your note, by the way.”

You laugh, “I could tell. That was some blush.”

He grins at you, savouring the sound of your laughter, “I like the fact that you always think of me.”

You hum, “I like it too, but I’m going to have to pay some attention to my work, I think it’s getting jealous.”

Draco pulls you into his side; his arm now wrapping around your shoulder. He presses not one, but two kisses into your hair before saying, “I’m staying at Hogwarts over the holidays.”

“You are?” You ask, your eyes wide, excitement starting to build.

He nods, confirming, “My parents want to go travelling for those two weeks, so I said I’d stay at Hogwarts instead.”

“They didn’t question it?”

“My mother wanted me to go with them, but my father wasn’t bothered. Besides, it means I get to stay here with you which is exactly why I told them no.”

Your body warms with those words, as if they take root in your heart.

“You don’t mind, do you?”

“No!” You shout, wincing as you realise just how loud your voice is. Draco has a shit-eating grin across his face. “What I mean to say is, I don’t mind at all. I get to have you all to myself for two weeks.”

“Yes, you do.” Draco murmurs before pulling you in for a kiss; effectively ending all forms of conversation for now.

------

The first week of the holidays, it is decided quickly that you were to stay in Draco’s room since his dorm mates had all gone home for the holiday.

Waking up to Draco is a whole new experience, and you can’t help but love every minute of it. His blonde haired messed up, his voice gravelly with sleep. Your mind flashes to ten, fifteen years from now – hearing that voice whispering sweet nothings to you in the morning.

You shift in his bed, moving the covers from your body when Draco’s arm clamps itself around your waist, pinning you to the bed.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“Oh?”

“Nope, you’re staying in bed with me all day.” He says, rolling on top of you, bracing himself with his elbows. He runs his nose along the expanse of your neck before placing light, butterfly kisses across your jaw – teasing you, driving you to the brink of insanity.

Your legs wrap themselves around him, a hand tugging at his t-shirt as he finally presses his lips to yours.

You don’t leave the bed that day.

------

After that morning, Draco has a hard time keeping his hands off you. Pulling you into empty classrooms or rarely visited stacks in the library. You’ve had to apologise to Madame Pince more times that you’d like to admit – but seeing this side of Draco, unafraid of what people think of him, it’s addicting. You’ve cornered him in the Slytherin common room just as much.

-----

The second week of the holiday starts blissfully; you wake wrapped around Draco each morning and you can’t help but want this for the rest of your life. To be able to wake up to him for the rest of your life, you would count it as a life well lived.

Sitting on one of the many couches dotted about the Slytherin common room, you read a muggle book you brought from home. It tells the story of a huntress taken away by a faerie in payment for the death of the faerie’s sentries – the huntress soon starts to fall for her captor, and she promises to break the curse on his land. It keeps you enthralled as Draco reads the muggle classic Frankenstein after you introduced it to him some months ago.

The fire is roaring, Draco’s hand doodles aimless patterns on the top of your thigh from where your legs are thrown across his. You catch his hand every time it travels higher up your thigh; not missing the smirk on his face as you do so.

Neither of you think to look up from your respective books as the door to the common room opens. Neither of you think to look up until a delicate cough breaks your bubble.

“Mother,” Draco greets, standing up from the couch, pulling you up with him. His arm automatically going to your waist, as if it belonged there.

“Draco, who is this?” Narcissa asks, not taking her eyes off you.

Draco’s arm remains tight around your waist, “This is my girlfriend, (Y/N).”

Her next question is directed at you, “How long have you been seeing my son?”

“Almost six months now.” You answer, keeping your voice steady. This was not how you envisioned finally meeting his parents.

“Do you love him?”

“Yes, I think I do.” You answer honestly. Draco’s hand squeezing your waist tightly.

Narcissa smiles, her eyes now on Draco’s arm wrapped tightly around your waist. She smooths out an invisible crease in her dress before saying, “Then that’s all that matters.”

“You don’t care that I’m a Gryffindor?” You ask, the words flying out of your mouth before you can stop them.

“I care if Draco is happy and by the looks of it, he is. Your house doesn’t matter to me. Now I came here to see my son, and I’ve met his girlfriend as well. I say we take a walk into Hogsmeade and get some lunch – how does that sound?”

“Of course, mother.” Draco states, “I’ll grab our coats.” He kisses your cheek before rushing to his dormitory.

-------

Lunch with Narcissa went brilliantly, if you could say so yourself. She declined Draco’s offer of walking back to Hogwarts with the two of you; deciding to apparate from Hogsmeade instead. She kissed your cheek before she left and extended an invitation to visit Malfoy Manor whenever you wanted – she wanted to get to know the girl who her son had fallen in love with.

Walking back to Hogwarts, yours and Draco’s hands swing between you. If this was bliss, you didn’t want to know anything else. If this was being in love, then you didn’t want to be proved wrong. All you wanted was the boy walking next to you – for the rest of your life, if possible.

“(Y/N)?” Draco asks, coming to a stop in the middle of the path.

You hum, “Yes, Draco?”

“What would you say to us going public? Not hiding anymore?”

You open your mouth to answer, but Draco speaks over you. “I’m tired of having to pretend that I don’t want you, that I don’t love you. Because I do, I love you, a lot. I don’t think we have anything to be afraid of now, my mother knows, and everything will be okay.” He wraps his arms around you, “I don’t want to hide anymore.”

You throw your arms around his neck, tugging him down for a long, unhurried kiss. His hands tighten on you whilst yours find purchase in his hair. It’s a long time before you pull away from the other; completely unaware of how many people have hurried past you.

Your hand strokes his cheek as you whisper, “I love you too. Let’s not hide anymore.”

****

Draco taglist: @cheapglitter 

[zeta-jane]

11 and 37 for the ask meme UWU :)))))))))))))))))))))

Taken from this ask meme (Open)

11 - Soulmates AU and 37 “You’re stuck with me, like it or not.”

Sorry if it didn’t turn out that well, soulmate AUs aren’t exactly my thing, but I tried! And I hope you like it!!

Shoutout to Capri for helping me out with the idea!

–

Yuu glared at the clock, waiting for the seconds to tick by of this annoying, useless class. He didn’t see why he even had to deal with this bullshit anyway, when he should be joining the JIDA and fighting vampires and horsemen.

Whatever, he just had to kill time until he could get out of this place, then he could bitch to Guren about it again later, finally convince him to let Yuu join.

Of course, Guren had always told him he couldn’t join the army without his soulmate, because soulmates were a huge part of what made people stronger. Without a soulmate someone couldn’t be nearly as skilled of a fighter, at least, that was what Guren said, but Yuu didn’t care. He didn’t need some stupid soulmate. He hadn’t found his yet, and he didn’t want to either. Soulmates were dumb and Yuu didn’t ever want one of them to drag him down.

Yuu looked up from his notebook when he heard the teacher call on a student. Some annoying kid called Mika… he had tried to talk to Yuu a few times, but Yuu never cared to listen to him. He didn’t want friends either. People were annoying and stupid. He just wanted to learn to kill vampires, but stupid Guren wouldn’t let him.

Yuu just sighed, trying to block out the droning voice of the teacher and the other students, wishing time would go by faster.

To alleviate his boredom and avoid paying attention to the teacher at all costs, Yuu started scribbling on his arm with his pen. Random doodles at first, but eventually he ended up depicting an entire scene on his arm, a battle waging on between him and the vampires. He lost himself in the drawing, imagining the scene so vividly in his mind. It was like a story playing out.

As Yuu drew, he started to scribble another figure beside him. He didn’t even fully realize what he was drawing, but as his hand moved, there was the unmistakable figure of another boy next to him… small, of course, since Yuu wasn’t working with a very large canvas, but there was something familiar about him…

Something in Yuu’s heart told him the boy was his soulmate… Yuu wondered how he would find his soulmate, if he even had one. They tended to present in loads of different ways. Some had matching marks on their wrists that appeared when they made eye contact for the first time. Some were colourblind all their lives until they saw their soulmates. Some were born with tattoos of their soulmate’s first (or last) words to them. There were countless different ways one’s soulmate could show themself, some rarer than others. Some even had any words written on their arm show up on the arm of their soulmate… wouldn’t that be just precious if that’s what happened to Yuu’s soulmate? Yuu should start drawing a dick on his arm just to spite them.

Wait- why was he even thinking about soulmates? Ugh- there was no way Yuu had one, so it wasn’t worth considering. He shouldn’t have even allowed himself to romanticize the thought, because soulmates were dumb and pointless anyway.

Yuu focused back on his drawing, wanting to make it even gorier than before. He wanted to draw blood… but he knew he didn’t have a red pen. Some colour would make the drawing look so much cooler, but Yuu usually didn’t care enough to bring more than the bare minimum for school supplies.

Just as Yuu started to think, a red pen fell right on top of his notebook. Yuu nearly jumped out of his chair in surprise, his head whipping around to see where it might’ve come from.

The teacher still seemed focused on writing something on the board, her back turned to Yuu… so she didn’t throw the pen at Yuu to get him to pay attention… then where did it come from? He looked around at the other students, but all of them seemed focused on the lesson… except for one.

That student who never seemed to stop trying to befriend Yuu, Mika, was grinning at him. Yuu’s expression twisted even more into one of confusion, but Mika simply winked at Yuu and went back to looking at the board.

Yuu felt his cheeks burn the same colour as the pen, and he stubbornly looked back down at his arm. How the hell did Mika even now he needed a red pen? Hmph, whatever. At least Yuu could add colour to his drawing now.

He spent the rest of the class scribbling away on his arm, and by the time he was done, it looked as though he had a full tattoo sleeve drawn. Yuu had to admit, he was a little proud of how well it turned out.

When the bell rang and students started filing out, Yuu was just adding the finishing touches, and when he finally set his pen down, his hand was aching.

When he looked up, there was a figure standing over his desk with an almost sad smile, one that didn’t look quite right on his usual sunshiney face. “Yuu-chan…” Yuu bristled at the nickname, but Mika continued. “I know you don’t like me, but I have to say something. I can’t just sit back and act like I feel nothing for you… watching from a distance while you remain blissfully ignorant.”

“Mika… what are you talking about?” Yuu asked, narrowing his eyes. He wanted to tell Mika to go away again, but something was holding him back.

It was only when Mika rolled up his sleeve that Yuu realized what it was.

There, on Mika’s left arm, was an identical copy of what Yuu had drawn. It was the same in every way, as though Yuu had drawn it himself… which could only mean one thing.

“I’m sorry, Yuu-chan,” Mika whispered. “But you have to know… it’s wrong of me to keep hiding who I am from you, and knowing who you are to me but forcing myself to stay away… it hurts, and I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Yuu’s eyes were wide with shock, not even knowing how to comprehend what was happening. He was truly and utterly speechless for the first time, but luckily Mika kept talking.

“I know you wish it wasn’t true… but there’s nothing I can do to change it. You’re stuck with me, like it or not… but I want to try and be a good soulmate for you. Could you at least give me a chance?” His tone was hopeful, yet apologetic at the same time… he looked so vulnerable in a strange sort of way, and Yuu almost wanted to pity him.

The emotions starting to form in his chest frightened him, so he shoved them down, instead just narrowing his eyes at Mika. He opened his mouth to reject Mika, but his soulmate interrupted him.

“Please… just let me sit with you at lunch once, or sit with me outside for an hour. Just once, and if you decide you completely hate me you never have to see me again… but please just give me a chance. One is all I need.”

Yuu didn’t want to admit it, but his heart ached for Mika. He wanted to tell his soulmate to fuck off and just stomp out of the room… but he couldn’t. Something inside of Yuu wouldn’t let him, not with Mika trying so desperately, looking so pathetic like that. Instead, Yuu just sighed in defeat. “Fine, one chance, and if I decide you’re annoying or lame, I’m leaving. Also, I’m keeping the pen.”

Mika’s entire face seemed to light up at that, and he practically bounced on his heels. “Thank you, Yuu-chan, I promise you won’t regret it!”

Yuu just rolled his eyes, shoving his notebook in his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. “Whatever,” he muttered. “Let’s go.”

[thewooreview]

free self care for social distancing

I’m sure you didn’t imagine spending 2020 in social isolation watching a global trauma unfold. How are you adjusting to your new normal?

It’s been a lot to take in, and I’ve felt overwhelmed with guilt to be productive and come out of this my best self, which hasn't helped my stress levels or sleep patterns, both key to supporting your immune system in times of change. 

I wrote this post to encourage you to put your own oxygen mask first, whatever that looks like for you. Gentle suggestions include to:

do nothing (forget productivity and pay attention to the present moment)

practice radical self-care (ie/ make friends with the skeletons in your closet)

focus on wellness essentials (movement, menu + sleep) 

enjoy free yoga and meditation videos (and show your gratitude to their creators)

I hope you find something that helps ground you in this post.

an invitation: if you can, do nothing 

I’ve been feeling anxiety to be productive (as capitalism defines it) and guilt for wanting to rest and reflect, and I acknowledge having the privilege to decide between the two. 

Serendipity stepped in when my digital copy of Jenny Odell’s How to Do Nothing became available from the library. She articulates my burnout culture concerns in the first chapter.

“But while I hope you find some relief in the invitation to simply stop or slow down, I don’t mean this to be a weekend retreat or a mere treatise on creativity. The point of doing nothing, as I define it, isn’t to return to work refreshed and ready to be more productive, but rather to question what we currently perceive as productive. My argument is obviously anti capitalist, especially concerning technologies that encourage a capitalist perception of time, place, self and community...From either a social or ecological perspective, the ultimate goal of “doing nothing” is to wrest our focus from the attention economy and replant it in the public, physical realm.”

Suggested “do nothing” activities:

Snooze notifications and place your devices out of sight 

Colour, paint, doodle or draw

Take a deep breath and use your five senses think of three things you’re grateful for

Leave a positive comment or review for the podcast you love

Cancel unnecessary bills 

Buy your necessities from small, local businesses

Reevaluate what you want to devote your limited attention to and say no to everything else

practice radical acts of self-care (work on your shit)

“[c]aring for myself is not self-indulgent, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.’

-Audre Lorde

What did Audre, American writer, feminist, and civil rights activist mean by caring for yourself? She wasn’t suggesting elaborate bath bombs or daily face masks. Because self-care has been popularized by corporations to help them sell things, the term is commonly understood on its most shallow level. Author Brianna Wiest elaborates:

“A world in which self-care has to be such a trendy topic is a world that is sick. Self-care should not be something we resort to because we are so absolutely EXHAUSTED that we need some reprieve from our own relentless internal pressure.

True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake, it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from.

And that often takes doing the thing you least want to do.” 

Her self care suggestions include:

looking your failures and disappointments square in the eye and re-strategizing

not satiating your immediate desires

letting go

choosing new

disappointing some people

making sacrifices for others

letting yourself be normal, regular + unexceptional

sometimes having a dirty kitchen 

deciding your ultimate goal in life isn’t going to be having abs and keeping up with your fake friends

deciding how much of your anxiety comes from not actualizing your latent potential, and how much comes from the way you were being trained to think before you even knew what was happening

She writes, “If you find yourself having to regularly indulge in consumer self-care, it’s because you are disconnected from actual self-care, which has very little to do with “treating yourself” and a whole lot do with parenting yourself and making choices for your long-term wellness.” 

And then she gives more self-care suggestions:

no longer using your hectic and unreasonable life as justification for self-sabotage in the form of liquor and procrastination

earning how to stop trying to “fix yourself” and start trying to take care of yourself… and maybe finding that taking care lovingly attends to a lot of the problems you were trying to fix in the first place

being the hero of your life, not the victim

rewiring what you have until your everyday life isn’t something you need therapy to recover from

no longer choosing a life that looks good over a life that feels good

giving the hell up on some goals so you can care about others

being honest even if that means you aren’t universally liked

meeting your own needs so you aren’t anxious and dependent on other people

take a minimalist approach to self-care

Ok, that was a lot so let’s bring it back to basics. Taking care of yourself is simple when you stick to the foundations of wellness: movement, menu, and sleep.

If you’re feeling crummy ask yourself the following questions for clues on where you can adjust:

What did I feed my body today? How much water did I drink?

When did I last move? Have I taken any deep, intentional breaths?

How many hours of sleep did I get last night? What have I done to promote rest?

It’s also ok to not be ok, to eat ice cream, binge-watch Netflix, and start again tomorrow. Just make sure you dust yourself off and try again.

support movement and sleep with free videos

Here are some free practices to help you get out of your head and into your body. As always, trust that you know what you need best, take what serves you and leave the rest.

movement

Wake up and stretch with 10 min morning yoga with Chantal Russell 

If you’ve got them, spend 20 min practicing morning yoga w Ally Maz (browse her full catalogue of lululemon yoga videos)

Unwind with spa yoga with Carolyn Anne Budgell

Build some heat through pilates with Ariel Swan of Jaybird (check their stories for her free IG live class times)

Stay active with 7min of HiiT a day

Raise your heart rate, feel your feels, and tone your muscles to a killer soundtrack in the class (they have a free 2-week trial)

Try 3 min arms using your favourite song as a timer, no weights needed 

rest + sleep

Start your day with ease with Johnathon Lehmann (a former wall street lawyer)’s morning Buddha meditation 

Melt tensions with Carolyn Budgell’s meditations

Ease anxiety and unwind from the workday with Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (alternate nostril breathing)

Limit screen-free time before bed and enjoy a wind-down activity like this bedtime  yoga routine instead

Listen to a soundtrack scientifically proven to promote sleep 

Do a body scan in bed to release tension, listen to this breathing into sleep relaxation exercise to learn how

Spread the love and show your support by sharing their posts and leaving reviews.

Stay home, stay safe, and take things one day at a time.

I love you!