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comfortwriting · 3 years

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Whatever It Takes - F.W

Part 3 of the ‘Call Out My Name’ series, inspired by the song ‘Whatever It Takes’ by Life House.

Part 1, Part 2

A/N: Ahhh here it is, sorry for the long wait! The finale of my first mini series, I hope you lovelies enjoy and thank you for the support!<33

Warnings: Mentions of sex, smut, fluff, angst, jealously and swearing.

Pulling away from the kiss you couldn’t process what you had done, trying to catch your breath your glassy eyes got lost in Fred's. The last time you kissed him felt like forever ago and just like that, you were back to square one; hungry for him.

You looked at your feet and sighed “meet me at my apartment, go now and don’t let my parents see you” you ordered him “we’ll... talk things through.”

Before you managed to pick up your box and go back downstairs to you parents, Fred grabbed your wrist and kissed your hand “you won’t regret this.”

Once you met him in your apartment, the two of you were up all night talking things through; Fred mostly apologising and explaining that you were the one all along. Although you were seeing someone else, it felt right to be with Fred, the kiss felt right, everything felt somewhat perfectly in place.

You finished writing the letter to your now ex-boyfriend, explaining that you couldn’t and didn’t want to be with him anymore and that you were sorry, you hoped it would be enough for him to accept.

After keeping your re-lighting of an old flame with Fred secret for the first few months, when you finally decided to break the news your parents and your sister weren’t over the moon - and your now ex-boyfriend was heartbroken and hated Fred with a burning passion; cursing the two of you.

The Weasleys on the other hand, were all delighted and so excited to welcome you back into their life and warm home. Molly and Arthur promised your parents that they would do anything and everything to ensure that you would be happy and safe with their son.

George ran towards you and held you tight into his warm embrace, crying with happiness that he could have his best friend back that he wouldn’t need to hide from anyone anymore; you could finally meet up and go out for lunch together every week which you had missed so much.

Fred knew that making things right, fixing things wouldn’t be easy, he had to prove himself to your family, he needed to show you how much he loved you after everything he had done - he also had to deal with the other people you had slept with whilst he was busy playing house.

“Well I still don’t like him.” Your father muttered under his breath sitting with you on the sofa, flicking through the Daily Prophet.

Fred was standing behind the door, listening in to everything that was being said.

“You don’t have to like him dad, but I’m happy with him and you need to accept that.” You defended your boyfriend.

Your dad glared at the paper and flicked the page “as long as you don’t bloody marry the fella.”

Fred’s heart dropped.

You giggled and sighed, standing up to get yourself a drink “maybe I will.”

A strangled smile fell from your face

What kills me that I hurt you this way

The worst part is that I didn't even know

Now there's a million reasons for you to go

But if you can find a reason to stay

Fred took a hold of your hand, the two of you resting beside the fire in your apartment listening to some muggle music.

“What time is it?” You asked, looking through the window, noticing the sunset.

“It’s seven o’clock” Fred replied staring at the clock, planting a kiss on your hand.

You stood up slowly and smiled at Fred “I’ve got to get ready” you replied, walking into your bedroom.

Fred realised that since his absence you had gained quite the following of male friends and a flock of admirers, tonight you were going out for a business dinner with your boss from the ministry to discuss a promotion.

Fred felt quite secure until he realised that Percy and other members of the ministry wouldn’t be there, Fred trusted you, but after the way he had treated you - he felt like you could fall through his fingers.

Zipping your dress up and applying the last of your powder, Fred walked into the bedroom leaning against the door frame.

His eyes searching your body and admiring how stunning you looked and how lucky he was to have you.

You’d by lying if you said you truly trusted Fred, you didn’t, he had a lot to prove and you were giving him a chance.

You learned from your mistakes the many times you put him first before your friends and your future, all because you were dating now doesn’t mean that you had to put everything on hold.

You remained independent and your wariness around Fred often made him feel like you could never trust him again, but you could and you would, all in good time.

“Are you sure you don’t need to me to come?” Fred asked, wanting to protect you.

“I’m sure.” You smiled, then thanking him for the offer.

“You look beautiful.” Fred compliment you.

Pecking Fred on the lips you grabbed some Floo Powder, Fred debated silently in his head whether or not to follow you, but he stayed at home and pondered.

After the successful business dinner you arrived home with a big smile on your face, Fred was laid in bed ‘reading’.

You walked into the bathroom, removing your makeup and made your way to the bedroom, undressing yourself, all the while responding to many of Fred's questions about your evening and the man who was your boss.

Fred searched your beautiful body and couldn’t help but bite his lip whilst watching you strip down to your underwear, you chuckled at him and shook your head.

Sitting on the bed next to Fred, he started to kiss your neck, telling you how beautiful you looked and for the first time in years the two of you made love. You were a lot more confident than you used to be and Fred noticed, you took control and went wild riding him.

Recovering from your orgasm, Fred held you from behind acting as the big spoon. You could sense that something was bothering your boyfriend and you didn’t want to tip toe around the tension so you asked him directly.

“Is everything okay, Freddie?” you traced circles into his arm that was wrapped around your waist.

Fred hesitated for a moment, but answered “how many people have you slept with?”

You could feel your face burning up “what does it matter love?”

“I just always remember being... you know.”

Letting out a light hearted chuckle you turned over to face Fred. “Yes, I did sleep with other people, Fred. We weren’t together for a long while.”

“How many?” Fred asked, sounding slightly worried.

“Why does it matter? It doesn’t define or change me as a person.”

Fred sighed “it’s just, I heard a lot of talk from other men.. women.. they were right with their accounts of you, they too had a good time.”

You stroked Fred’s cheek “I don’t care what they’ve said, you shouldn’t either; I only want and love you - you only get me like this.” you paused for a moment “not that it matters but more than you.” you joked, making Fred laugh.

I'll do whatever it takes

To turn this around

I know what's at stake

I know that I've let you down

And if you give me a chance

Believe that I can change

I'll keep us together

Whatever it takes

Over the years with your promotion, work at the ministry got harder, the hours got longer and the stacks of paper work got higher. You were drowning in the pressure.

Fred and George’s business was doing incredibly well and they were busy too - but you made things work and you were looking to buy a house and move out of your apartment.

Almost landing on your arse from being spat out the fire place, covered from head to toe in soot Fred chuckled at the sight of you and outstretched his hand, helping you up.

You weren’t expecting him to be home so early, he was always working overtime as you chose to work on weekends instead of the extra few hours on weekdays. You were lucky to get a whole evening alone with Fred, let alone a whole day.

“Follow me, love” he smiled.

Holding Fred’s hand, he walked you into the bathroom. The whole room lit up from tea light candles, the bath filled with warm water and colourful bubbles sitting on the surface and floated in the air.

Fred dragged his hand across the water, moving the bubbles, in the water floated delicate red Roses.

“Oh Fred” you smiled up at him, your eyes sparkling “this is the most special thing anyone has ever done for me.”

Fred felt his heart skip a beat, finally feeling like he had done something right. He helped you get undressed and get into the bath, allowing the warm water to pull you under.

Fred turned around to leave the room but you stopped him.

“why don’t you join me?” You smiled, splashing the water, teasing him.

Fred bit his lip and smiled “the food isn’t going to cook itself”

You let out a chuckle “you’re a wizard–“

Fred blushed, remembering what his mother once told him. “Just because you're allowed to use magic now does not mean you have to whip your wands out for everything.”

Whilst you finished off in your stunning, romantic bath you got dressed into the comfy clothes laid out for you on the sink counter, little did you know, Fred was slaving away in the kitchen finishing up on the meal he had been cooking.

Walking into the dim lit dining room the smell of spaghetti filled the room, the table had your plate of food resting on the mat, with a glass of fire whiskey and a rose resting in a vase in the middle of the table.

You felt incredibly flattered, yet under dressed in the comfy oversized clothes Fred had picked out for you.

Fred admired your look and pulled out your chair.

“Fred, this is incredible—“ you noticed the cooking book on the kitchen worktop. “You did all this without magic!?”

Fred nodded and smiled shyly “I wanted to make an effort, you deserve that and so much more.”

The two of you talked about your day at work, Fred and his brother increasing sales, you talking about Percy and his jealousy towards your promotion.

You both laughed and held hands over the table, you felt like finally everything had fallen into place, you had finally got what you wanted - the love of your life to have and to hold.

“By the way, you’d make a brilliant chef” you complimented, pointing to your empty plate.

Muggle love songs suddenly came on through the radio and rose petals slowly rained down from the ceiling out of nowhere, you couldn’t believe your eyes or the amount of effort Fred had put into this evening.

Fred took a hold of your hand and pulled you into the heart of the living room, holding you close to him, both of you dancing along to the music. You could feel Fred’s heart thump against your ear, pulling away from him you gave him a concerned look.

“Fred, are you okay?” You asked, trying your best not to sour such an incredible evening.

Fred took a deep breath and got down on one knee, pulling out a box from his back pocket. He lifted the top off the box and the most gorgeous ring sparkled against the lights, Fred smiled and looked into your eyes.

“Y/N, from the moment I first saw you, you made me feel things I didn’t know I was capable of. I want to make you feel those things too, I promise. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Your eyes welled up with tears of happiness, you couldn’t believe the boy you fell for all those years ago at Hogwarts would be on his knees, proposing to you.

“It took your dad a lot of thought and consideration just to let me do this tonight, Y/N Y/L/N, will you marry me?” Fred breathed out, his heart still thumping.

“Yes, yes Freddie” you cried, holding out your hand “I would love to.”

She said if we're gonna make this work

You gotta let me inside even though it hurts

Don't hide the broken parts that I need to see

She said like it or not it's the way it's gotta be

You've gotta love yourself if you can ever love me

After the wedding there was talk about the two of you, some said you made a big mistake - calling you a mug, saying that Fred was punching above and you were only with him because you felt sorry for him.

The two of you were aware of the chat and often heard it when you were out in Diagon Alley, you didn’t let it bother you because it was only talk - but all of this ‘talk’ was beating Fred down; making him feel insecure and like he was useless.

“Oh Fred please relax, it’s not a big deal” you tried to reassure him, stroking his head.

“It’s a big deal to me, you know how I feel about men speaking to you that way.”

One of the men you had a one night stand with many moons ago spotted you in the leaky cauldron with Fred and approached you, asking why you never called him back. Fred was mortified and felt threatened by this man.

“We’re married Fred, if we’re going to make this work, you need to tell me what’s bothering you so we can work through it.”

Fred put his head in his hands and sighed “I just feel like you deserve better, all these men you were with, they’re so much better than I am.”

You sighed and got Fred to look you in the eyes “Don’t be silly Fred, they aren’t better than you at all. I decided to be with you for a reason - after everything that happened, you need to forgive yourself Fred.”

Fred stayed silent and wiped away his tears with his sleeve. “How can I forgive myself for hurting you?” He croaked.

You sat beside him in bed and rubbed his back “because I’ve forgiven you for everything that happened, I want us to be happy, to not care about what others think.”

Fred cried even more, feeling like a weight had been lifted off him. “You’ve forgiven me?”

“Of course I did, Freddie” You smiled, kissing his cheek “I married you for a reason, not because everyone else was doing it. I want to carry your child one day.”

I'll do whatever it takes

To turn this around

I know what's at stake

I know that I've let you down

And if you give me a chance

And give me a break

I'll keep us together

You took it upon yourself to get you and George to see a muggle couples counsellor, you had read about them in plenty muggle magazines and decided it would be the best - not just for your marriage but for Fred.

Seeing him constantly panic and overthink broke your heart, you wanted this to be a healthy and stable relationship and you both loved one another so much to make it work.

At first the sessions started at one session a week, and then as the months went by it became once every two weeks, and then once per month when you were both making progress.

The first bout of sessions usually started with the counsellor asking questions, getting the two of you to have sessions alone and to talk to one another towards the end.

“I’m just scared that she’ll realise there’s there’s other who are much better than me and they’ll treat her better.” Fred opened up nervously.

“I just wish he would forgive himself, I’ve forgiven him - I did a long time ago - I want him to be able to move forward with me.” You teared up.

After six months you were able to spend sessions together talking to one another, and being able to bask in the progress the two of you had made.

Fred felt more secure and didn’t panic about you suddenly disappearing.

You and George would often talk about it over your lunch dates, you would learn more about your husband and how much he struggled when you were gone, and being able to talk about it made you closer to your best friend who was now your brother in law. You felt incredibly secure and loved by his family.

Through the months of November, December and January, you and Fred had been spending plenty of the winter evenings keeping one another warm; trying for a baby.

Pondering around the bathroom nervously while Fred was messing around in the living room trying to bake some muggle muffins, you picked up and test and smiled widely.

Walking into the kitchen you leaned against the door frame and smiled at Fred, watching him getting frustrated with the cooking book and measurements of ingredients.

“Getting annoyed are you, Mr or should I say Daddy Weasley?” You smirked.

Fred startled by your voice pulled a questioning face at you “Daddy Weasley?”

You pulled the test from your back pocket and waved it in your hand, beaming at your husband.

“Wait...you’re?” Fred’s had a surprised expression on his face, you could see the tears forming in his eyes.

You nodded your head and could feel your tears forming too “positive.”

I know you deserve much better

Remember the time I told you the way that I felt

And that I'd be lost without you and never find myself

Let's hold onto each other above everything else

Start over, start over

“I cannot believe he’s got you up the bloody duff!” Your dad scolded, helping you around your new house.

“It was a mutual decision, we decided we wanted to, together.” You defended your husband, finally sitting down on the sofa to catch your breath.

“Well now you’ve got his kid no other man will want you and you’re tied to him forever now, whether you like it or not.”

You sighed, starting to feel frustrated and angry. Fred could head your fathers cruel words and felt like he would never fit your fathers expectations.

“When will you realise that me and Fred are happy together? I know he hurt me and I know that you’re upset about it, but it’s been years! Please can you just forgive him, dad? I did.” You pleaded, the added on stress causing the baby to kick out inside of you.

Sitting in front of Fred in the bath, he washed your hair for you with a cup as you couldn’t bend all the way back from your big bump.

“He’ll never accept me” Fred muttered in a low sad voice.

You have Fred a sorrowful smile “I don’t care Fred. He wants me to be happy and I am.” You covered your eyes from the flowing water.

Fred felt relieved knowing that your father wouldn’t influence the way you felt about him, knowing that your love for him was pure.

“I love you” he whispered, massaging your scalp.

“I love you too” you smiled, feeling another kick “and this little one loves you too”

I'll do whatever it takes

To turn this around

I know what's at stake

I know that I've let you down

And if you give me a chance

Believe that I can change

I'll keep us together

Whatever it takes

You and your four year old daughter were in the garden potting some beautiful plants in your parents garden, your father was sitting with Fred in the kitchen, the two of them watching you and the little one.

Your father smiled, his granddaughter patting the soil and cheering as she planted some more seeds, her long and beautiful ginger hair flowing in the wind.

“You’ve created a beautiful little family, you and my daughter.” Your father said to Fred, taking a sip of his drink.

Fred shuffled in his seat, the tension in the air was nothing short of awkward but it meant a lot to him knowing that his father in law finally had something good to say.

“You’ve proven yourself to me, Fred. I’m sorry it took so long for me to warm up to you and the idea of you being with my daughter, when your little girl gets older you’ll understand why. Seeing how happy she is, having that little one in my life - you can’t put a price on that.”

Your father extended his hand out to Fred, slowly smiling at him. Fred paused for a moment and shook his hand, smiling back at him.

“Shall we go out there and help?” Fred smiled “they look like they could use some help.”

Your father nodded his head “I would like, Fred.”

The two of them walked outside together, joining you and your daughter. Looking up at your father and Fred smiling at one another you felt your heart flutter, the two men in your life that you loved more than anything were finally on the same page.

You could finally move forward as a family, the only thing you’ve ever wanted.

You were Fred’s girl.

#fred weasley #fred weasley x reader #fred weasley fanfiction #fred weasley x you #fred weasley imagine #harry potter #harry potter fanfiction #fanfic #fan fiction #hogwarts #HP #Weasley #x reader #imagines #oneshots #fluff #light smut #george weasley #weasley x reader

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lifeistooshorttowasteyourtime · 3 years

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Different worlds, same heart - Chapter 6

Chapter summary: The charms course has come to an end and it’s time to say goodbye although (Y/N) is not ready yet, Tina and the Scamander brothers too close to her heart. In a most personal farewell, she finds herself wanting to delay her return to Hogwarts while Theseus holds her in his warm embrace, admitting he’s also going to miss her.

PART 1 – PART 2 – PART 3 – PART 4 – PART 5

***

“Don’t hold back” (Y/N) smiled at her opponent.

Theseus smiled back and the both of them started to throw spells at each other, some verbal, some not, putting in practice what (Y/N) had taught the Aurors in those last weeks. The rest of the group observed them fighting, not knowing which one could win.

After good ten minutes, Theseus threw a non-verbal spell which made her fly back and, before colliding with the floor, Newt caught her. She smiled up at him and then at his older sibling who was panting a bit tired. The rest of Aurors started to clap, which (Y/N) joined smiling brightly.

“Well, I think I can’t teach you anything else. If you need any more help with the spells, your leader is fit enough to help you out” they all laughed and Theseus bowed jokingly “it’s been a pleasure working with you all, really, and I can’t thank you enough how comfortable and welcome you’ve made me feel in the last weeks. I’m going back to Hogwarts, but if you need anything, I’m a jump away. Thank you so much to you all and good luck”.

The room erupted in claps, all of them approached (Y/N) to say goodbye in a more personal note, making her tear up a bit because of the warm farewell from the Aurors. The Scamander brothers and Tina waited till the end, not really knowing how to say goodbye.

“Oh no, I’m not ready to say goodbye to you three just yet” she said looking briefly a Theseus “I would like you to come to have dinner at my home, if you want of course. Don’t want to impose at all”.

Tina smiled brightly “it will be a pleasure!”.

(Y/N) smiled back and looked at the brothers who nodded “count on us” said Theseus.

The woman blushed with a small laugh and the four of them talked about the details for that night meeting.

“See you tonight” said the older Scamander once they were going to part ways at the door of her house.

“I’m looking forward to it” she smiled happily before turning to step into the building.

Theseus chuckled watching her disappear and kept a small smile while going back to his own house. There, he couldn’t help but think about the times she had been there, at the beginning because of her nightmares but then because they just enjoyed each other company. Those walls had known her tears, her laughs, her confidences and vulnerability. And he turned sad. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye either.

That night, Theseus picked up Newt and Tina before leading them to (Y/N)’s house who welcomed them warmly.

“It smells amazing, (Y/N)” Tina said when they stepped into the living room.

“Oh, thank you, dear. I’m not the best when it comes about cooking but I’ve learnt a thing or two back in Hogwarts, some elves are quite chatty. Please, get yourself comfortable!”.

“I have to go down the suitcase to feed some creatures” Newt mumbled shyly.

“May I go with you?” (Y/N) asked with big eyes.

The magizoologist was surprised but nodded with a smile.

They all ended up going down the staircase, Theseus wasn’t much a fan but enjoyed seeing his brother discussing with (Y/N) about some of the creatures and how Newt gravitated towards Tina who couldn’t stop smiling in Newt’s presence. Theseus chuckled watching how his little brother fell in love even more with the brave Auror. Meanwhile, he couldn’t help but admire how (Y/N) was fascinated with every creature, a special spark in her eyes and a permanent face of amazement.

Once they were all having dinner at (Y/N)’s dinning room, they all talked about their future plans, without mentioning the possibility of a futile future if Grindelwald won.

“I know I’m going to get old in Hogwarts” the professor said “I can’t imagine myself doing another thing”.

“As I do with creatures” Newt added with a small smile.

“You would be a good teacher of Care of Magic Creatures”.

“I-I don’t see myself being-being a teacher”.

“I said you would be, not you should be” she smiled at him “you are a free spirit after all. But I’m going to pester the director to make your book the basic one for that subject”.

Newt blushed but smiled at her with thankfulness.

Tina had to go back home before midnight so both women embraced each tightly, promising to write each other and visit as soon as they could. Newt, as the gentleman he was, offered himself to go with Tina. (Y/N) and the magizoologist shared a short hug as an expression of the affection they had harbour for each other in the last weeks, promising to keep in contact. Besides, Newt knew his brother wanted to have his own goodbye.

Theseus helped (Y/N) to clean up after the dinner in the muggle way, wanting to stretch the time they still had.

“If you… If I asked you again to join the Aurors, would you?” Theseus asked when they both were drinking a cup of tea while chatting in the living room, she titled her head smiling and he coughed “Miss (Y/S), would you kindly reconsider to occupy a position between our lines in the Auror department? It would be a pleasure to work along side such a brilliant mind”.

(Y/N) laughed letting her head fall backwards a bit, remembering all the times Theseus had asked the same in the past and making him smile brightly “you know my answer but… You’ve made me doubt for a moment. Made me see myself working with you”.

Theseus shook his head “if I have made that, I’m terribly proud of it”.

She smiled and nodded “you should, yeah. But you make it easy. I mean, I…” she blushed looking down, her shy side coming out again. He sighed and put his hand over hers calling her attention “I’m going to miss you”.

(Y/N) pressed her lips into a thin line and wrapped her arms around his torso, pressing her face against his shoulder. Theseus hugged her back immediately and kissed her hair, not an unknown act from him. She sighed and flexed her fingers against his back before pulling away slightly to look at his eyes “I’m going to miss you too”.

Both of them smiled but decided it was time to part ways and they went to the main door. She smiled sadly at him and crossed her arms over her chest, feeling lonely suddenly “promise to write. I think I’m going to go mad worrying about your role as leader of the Aurors”.

“Don’t worry too much, concentrate in teaching the future generations”.

“Don’t ask me not to worry about you, I hold you dear, you know?”.

Theseus smiled and she uncrossed her arms shaking her head while her cheeks turned red. He observed her and decided to take both her hands between his, making her look up at him shyly.

“I promise to inform you of my wellbeing, I hope to hear about how much the kids learn with you”.

(Y/N) laughed and squeezed his hands a bit. He smiled and kissed her forehead softly before pulling away completely, their hands losing their hold slowly.

“See you soon, (Y/N)” he smiled.

“See you soon, Theseus”.

He disappeared in the night while she sighed closing her door. She put her hand over her chest and closed her eyes hoping it would slow down.

The return to Hogwarts was marvellous, she had truly missed the school and the children so going back to the routine wasn’t that difficult. But to be totally truthful, she sometimes missed teaching the Aurors. Actually, she missed her time with her friends. And the one that was more even though her head told her not to admit what her heart desired.

Three weeks later, in which she exchanged letters with Tina, Newt and Theseus, she was in her class with Hufflepuffs and Slytherins when a silver figure flew by the window. One of the students opened it and the figure went to (Y/N) but, before it could say anything, it disappeared.

“Professor, what was that?” a boy asked with curiosity.

“That was a Patronus, McArdle. You will learn it in Defence against Dark Arts” she coughed before looking at the children of first year “I’m afraid the class has to end now. Go back to your common rooms, please. Not homework for tomorrow”.

(Y/N) alerted Dumbledore and the director with her own patronus before going outside of Hogwarts and apparated to the ministry, her heart telling her she would find Theseus there waiting for her.

#theseus scamander #theseus #theseus scamander x reader #theseus scamander fanfic #theseus scamander fanfiction #theseus scamander imagine #theseus scamander imagines #fantastic beasts and where to find them

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bibislut · 3 years

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Like-Minded People (Part 1)

Hermione doesn't quite know what she's getting herself into when Pansy invites her round for drinks.

Adult themes, nothing sexually explicit.

Words: 1502

Read on Ao3 - Part 2 & 3

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Pansy worried at her lip, watching the movement in the bathroom mirror before licking the lipstick off of her teeth. She took a deep breath, and another, and another. She plucked the lipstick from the counter with a slight tremor and tutted at herself before reapplying. What’s the worst that could happen? Granger wasn’t known to be cruel or callous, so surely she wouldn’t lose her job, right? The bathroom clock read just before eight, so the darker woman was due any minute.

The Slytherin had always had a talent for reading people, and though she suspected Granger would be new to all of this, Pansy had her suspicions that she’d like it nonetheless.

Hermione was soon making her way up to Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and was probably no more than a year or two away from the position; a speedy ascent to be sure. The witch worked hard though, and Pansy often saw her in heated discussions with her peers or marching determinedly this way or that. Pansy was merely the front of the department, a glorified receptionist. This meant that she had her fingers in almost everyone’s pies, and her nose in everyone’s business. Miss Granger was no exception. Pansy made it her job to know her schedules, her favourite drinks and snacks, who she was butting heads with each week. After all, not everyone could admire Granger for the headstrong woman she was like Pansy did. And maybe the dark haired witch didn’t need to know all she did about the other, but she supposed that was her tell in the game of seduction, that was her love language - knowing all she could.

Was it love? Merlin, no. But Pansy knew her heart, and her loins, and she had it bad for the Gryffindor.

Every week Pansy held a get together of like-minded witches and wizards, where they would drink, eat, flirt the night away and end up in bed with whomever they pleased. It was a luxuriously free arrangement.

Unlocking the bathroom door and throwing on an air of nonchalance, the raven-haired witch made her way down the hallway, just as a knock came at the front door.

“Always so punctual, Miss Granger.” Pansy greeted as she opened the door. She looked Hermione up and down slowly, taking in her navy dress and tights, heeled boots and nervous smile. “And as gorgeous as ever,” She smiled. Hermione’s gaze dropped to Pansy’s lips as she licked her own.

She cleared her throat. “You look lovely, Pansy.”

The Slytherin knew it too. “Thank you, darling. Come in, come in.” She stood aside to let Hermione pass, taking her coat from where it had been thrown over her arm. She shut the door, using the brief moment to look over the other witch’s curves. Gorgeous, indeed. “What will you be drinking tonight? Wine? Something stronger?”

“Do you have any red?” Granger rubbed at her arms, a nervous habit of hers. Pansy caught her hand, tugging it away and leading her into the kitchen.

“Of course.”

Hermione looked down at their joined hands in shock. They weren’t a particularly close pair, though they had the occasional catch up in the staff room. She gently pulled her hand away and Pansy frowned. “You can’t be acting like that now, Granger, or you’ll be in for one hell of an evening.” As she spoke, a loud, booming laugh echoed from the other room; one of Pansy’s other guests.

Hermione watched as she poured her a glass of merlot. “What do you mean?” She lowered her voice. “Who else is here?”

Pansy passed her the glass and beckoned her with a singular finger. “Come and see.” She pushed open the door, stepping inside.

Pansy’s living room was spacious and chic, with two grey velvet sofas and a matching pair of armchairs. A glass coffee table sat in the centre of the circle, now filled with drinks, and the fireplace crackled in the background, adding to the coziness of the dimly lit room. A few people stood around, chatting and drinking. All seats were filled, except for one of the sofas, and two familiar bodies half-lay on the opposite one, completely absorbed in each other.

Hermione gasped. “Ginny?” The two pulled apart. “Luna?” She looked between the two. “What are you doing here?”

Weasley’s flushed skin reddened further, and Luna slid her hand down her leg to a more respectable place. “Hermione! It’s so nice to see you!” The blonde smiled.

Pansy had already taken her seat, leaving Granger standing in the doorway. “Come, sit.” The Slytherin motioned to the space beside her. Hermione sat down stiffly.

“We didn’t expect to see you here, ‘Mione.” Ginny reached towards a bottle of beer on the coffee table, not meeting her friend’s eyes.

“Nor I, you.” Hermione’s eyebrows drew together. “I feel as though I’m intruding on something,” she turned to Pansy, “When you said drinks..?”

“I meant drinks.” Pansy offered a sultry smile. “With some lovely like-minded people.”

“Merlin, Pansy! You didn’t tell her?” Ginny almost slammed her bottle down.

“Tell me what?” Hermione looked between them as Luna stared dreamily into her wine glass.

“Who’s this charming young thing?” A voice chimed in, sitting on the arm of the sofa beside Pansy. The man, maybe in his late thirties, was tall, dark and handsome. He offered Hermione a cheeky smile. “I’m Patrick.” He offered his hand.

“Hermione.” The witch leant closer, reaching her hand over. She was surprised when he took it and kissed the back.

“A pleasure.” He leant in too, ignoring Pansy’s look of annoyance. “Don’t worry Miss Granger, we all know how to keep our mouths shut.” He offered a wink.

“Do piss off out of my personal space, Patrick.” Pansy smacked his shoulder and the man chuckled.

“Alright, alright.” He took one last long look at Hermione. “Feel free to come and chat anytime.” He added lowly before standing up and walking away to talk to another guest.

Hermione flicked her gaze around the room, watching the seductive smiles, small touches. One couple were pressed into the back corner, mouths wandering, and even Luna and Ginny were talking quietly, their faces close together, lost in each other. “Pansy…” She said slowly, turning to the other woman to find her already looking at her. “This isn’t what I think it is… is it?”

“That depends on what you think it is.” The raven-haired witch sipped her wine, watching Hermione over the rim of the glass.

“Is this one of those orgy things? A swingers club?” Hermione whispered, eyes wide.

“We prefer not to give it a label.” Pansy raised a singular brow.

Hermione seemed to mentally stutter for a moment, before rushing to her feet. “Oh my god!” She hissed under her breath. She rushed back through to the kitchen before Pansy could stop her.

The Slytherin followed her through, shutting the door. “Granger?”

“What are you thinking?!” Hermione swiveled round wildly. “I could lose my job! If word of this got out, Peterson would have me out of the department like that!” She snapped her fingers. “Not to mention the new additions to the House Elf Act, you know full well that she doesn’t agree with me on the second amendment and-”

Pansy strode forwards, placing her hands on the other witch’s arms. “Hermione! Stop!” The Gryffindor swallowed hard. “No one is going to say a word. Half of the people in that room work at The Ministry.” She dropped her hands. “We have all agreed to keep our lips sealed so that we can all let our hair down once in a while. It’s not even a swingers club. If you just want to sit and talk to people you can. Merlin, you don’t even have to drink if you don’t want to.” Pansy rubbed at her head, a slip in her usual bravado. “If you want to leave you can.” She swallowed thickly. “But I’d like it if you stayed.”

The two women were quiet for a moment. Finally, Hermione spoke up. “Why?”

“Why, what?”

“Why do you want me to stay?”

Pansy snorted. “If only that had an easy answer.” She muttered. If she’d had anymore to drink, maybe she’d consider admitting her feelings. Unfortunately, she hadn’t. “At the very least because we don’t get to spend time outside of work together.”

“I didn’t think you’d want to.” Hermione laughed dryly.

“Nor I, you.” Pansy joined in before falling silent again. She took a step closer, summoning some non-existent bravery and taking Hermione’s hand. “You can go home if you want.” She looked into her eyes. “Or we can sit in here or…?”

“Sitting in here would be nice.” The darker witch said quietly.

Pansy nodded. “I’ll go and grab your wine.”

“Wait.” Hermione held onto her hand. “Thank you, Pansy, for um..thinking of me.”

I always think of you, Pansy thought. The words stayed unspoken. “Of course, Hermione.”

-------

I might well make this a multi-chaptered fic so please do let me know what you think and make sure to check Ao3 (tagged above) for updates!

#pansmione #hp #pansy parkinson #hermione granger #pansy x hermione #gryffindor x slytherin #harry potter #fic #mini fic #ficlet #drabble #fanfic #hermione x pansy

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priorireverte · 3 years

Photo

Congratulations Nik!

Your application for Amelia Bones has been accepted. I can’t wait to see what trouble and frustrations Amelia gets into, so stripped of power and authority. No passed handed out to former Department Heads, sorry Amelia!

Please look to the checklist for the next steps and reach out if you have any questions!

OUT OF CHARACTER

NAME & PRONOUNS: Nik, they/them

TIMEZONE: ACDT

ACTIVITY LEVEL: Relatively active. At least 3 to 4 times a week

ANYTHING ELSE: Cancer tw, hospice tw.

CHARACTER DETAILS

NAME: Amelia Susan Bones

BIRTHDATE: September 20th 1946

DEATHDATE: July 14 1996

GENDER, PRONOUNS, and SEXUALITY: Cis woman. She/her and they/them pronouns. Bisexual with a heavy preference for women.

BLOOD STATUS: Half Blood

HOUSE ALUMNI: Hufflepuff

OCCUPATION: Former DMLE HEAD (until death)

FACECLAIM: Louise Lombard (i have my own gifs and icons and things of her so dont worry to much about resources :D )

CHARACTER BACKGROUND

POSTBELLUM

The knowledge she died and left her brother and niece alone in the world weighed heavy on her shoulders. It’s something she isn’t coping with well. The knowledge that her death was the final stand the Ministry had, that it was taken over by Voldemort because she couldn’t beat him, was a tough pill to swallow for her. She knew he had his faith around and in the shadows waiting, she could count the amount of people she completely trusted in the Ministry on one hand but she thought that there would have been more of a stand. The knowledge that her failure was the reason the people she served suffered another war sits heavy on her shoulders. If she could do it again she would be more prepared, have an escape plan rather than just hold her ground against him. She wouldn’t have the same faith that the Ministry would hold their own against him without her, she should have known better. The only thing sitting on her shoulders heavier than that is the knowledge that her niece had suffered, that she wasn’t there to stop that and holds herself completely responsible for it.

PERSONALITY

Tough, fair, kind, compassionate. This is how Amelia would describe herself if asked. She is far more gentle on the inside than most people who work around her would think. Stick her in a room with her niece for just a moment and you’ll see the stern blue eyes soften immediately. Amelia is a skilled negotiator and investigator. She has a way with words and a great deal of understanding in how to use them. However, she isn’t very good at using them to describe how she feels. She is compassionate,and hardworking, she much prefers to listen to how others are feeling than share her own feelings. Everyone else comes first in her mind. Will always put the needs of others in front of her own.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF FAMILY

The oldest of the Bones three siblings Amelia always felt somewhat responsible for them. Constantly looking out for them and keeping their health and wellbeing in mind. Being an Aunt has always been considered her greatest achievement. Holding Edgar’s first child was a life changing experience and laying them to rest with their parents was life shattering.

Her brother and niece were all the family she had left and she cherished them. With the death of her sister in law, Susan’s mother, Amelia truly stepped up to the plate. She never tried or wanted to replace her mother but knew despite her brother’s best intentions, Susan needed someone else to be around. Amelia doesn’t have any children and has never seen the need to have any, when asked if she was planning on having any she’d simply smile and reply “I have Susan. I don’t need anymore children in my life”

HISTORY What was their life before the end of the war in ‘98 or before their death? What was important and formative for them?

Born a few months after the end of world war two and the capture of Gellert Grindlewald meant Amelia grew up in both the bliss of peace and the pain of rebuilding. She’d listen to stories of war from the other children and overheard her mother and father discussing it sometimes. She remembered the celebrations from the 10th anniversary of war’s end and attended many memorials of those who had fallen, both muggle and magical alongside her family.

When war came to the Wixen World once more it was much less kind to the Bones. Her parents were cut down in their family home by Voldemort himself, her brother, his wife and his children slaughtered in their home. She constantly thought back to nights her father would tell her she’d never have to suffer at the hands of another war and swore she’d do whatever was necessary that the last living grandchild of his got to live that promise.

Amelia lived alone in a small home just outside of London. She’d brought it just after the first war as she climbed the ministry ranks. It made the commute to and from work much faster and proved a safe, new home with no memories attached to it.

Most of Amelia’s time was filled with work and family. She had the odd girlfriend here and there but no relationship ever lasted more than a year. She was far too dedicated to her job or her family.

Amelia’s job was incredibly important. She held the line against Fudges conspiracy theory lies. Called him out behind closed doors at every opportunity. Made her dislike and disapproval known. She was a Bones after it, it meant something in the Ministry. There were rumours that if Albus Dumbledore wasn’t going to take the position of Minister, she would. And she might have, had she lived long enough. She was preparing for it, to challenge him, and all other comers. After it was proven that Voldemort was well and truly alive and Cornelius Fudge had wasted precious time denying it out of fear , she had planned to oust him if he wouldn’t resign. Take a vote to the Wizenagemont, remove him due to his incompetence. She was killed the evening before her vote was due to hit the floor.

OOC EXPLORATION

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?

The after hogwarts golden trio aspect drew me in first. Then when I read the plot more and more the idea of “returned” got me more and more interested. My favourite AU plots in group rps have always been the “What if a character who has died returned?? What happens to your character?” I adore exploring that whole new side of them. It opens up things, plots, ideas, developments, that a traditional style of RP wouldn’t

EXTRA FOR NON-BIO CHARACTERS

CHARACTER CONTRIBUTION

How do you see this character adding to the community and the plot?

Bringing in Amelia is similar to bringing in Edgar. It brings a Bones from that era to the story and offers connections for Susan and characters in the Marauders Era. Bringing her would also add a character who is incredibly familiar with the structure of the Ministry and a depth of knowledge in her field.

PRESENT One paragraph about your character’s life right now and how they are handling the current events of the game.

“You died, Ma’am”

The words were on constant repeat in her mind. What did they mean she died? She was alive right now, she was breathing, her heart beating. She was here. Except she last remembered it being 1996. They tell her it’s 2002. She died six years ago. Her last memory was fighting Voldemort, a loud bang, stumbling to the floor and then she woke up in the Death Chamber. A room she had both the privilege and horror of recognising. It made sense in a way. The last thing she remembered was being in her home but awoke in the Ministry but it was so hard to understand. How? Why? Everyday was a repeat of the same questions in her mind. She does her best not to dwell on it, knowing that now isn’t the time nor place to do so. Getting herself grounded, back into the world that she had no idea she left. Returning to her family. That was her first goal. Working everything else out will come later.

#prioriacceptance #Amelia Bones

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wrestlewomania · 3 years

Text

I’ll Be Okay

Attitude era imagine

Warnings: mentions of sex

Ken Shamrock had became suspicious. Secpucious that his teammate has gone on the wrong side. Or has the wrong idea on the wrong side of things.

Test was a good friend of his, there was no doubt about that but ever since that mixed matches challenge shenanigans with Christina he wasn’t exactly the same.

His attitude towards the Brood, it felt different. It was like he didn’t mind them, especially Christina.

Sure when they psssed by each other they would glare but there was something more.

It was obvious to him after Test had pushed her out of the way. Bossman didn’t notice because he was too busy hitting her brother with the nightstick but Shamrock saw that he had taken her by the waist before Bossman started hitting him.

His eyes nearly popped out of its sockets. How could he help someone like her? He went and asked about It to Test but he just said he doesn’t know what he means.

Shamrock paced through his hotel room, he couldn’t take it anymore, he had to talk to Test, he thought to himself. Shamrock walked down the hall over to Test’s room. He fat the key through the keyhole and quietly opened the door to his partner’s room.

He wasn’t ready for what he saw in that room. He was stunned. Test was in his bed with Christina in his arms. Both sleeping and relaxed. Christina’s back was turned to him and she seemed to be naked by her bare back and Test was for sure shirtless.

He took a double take before stepping out of the room. He couldn’t believe it. How could he do this? He didn’t know but he was sure as hell going to find out.

The next night was odd for him, Shamrock hadn’t ran into Test that day so he decided to go see him before the show. He knocked on Test’s locker room as he put his hands on his hips.

Soon after he saw Test open the door and look at him with a bit of surprise, “Shamrock, um, I didn’t think ww had to meet till an hour before the show.” Test said to Shamrock.

“That’s not what I’m here to talk about,” Shamrock said getting in Test’s room. “I’m here to talk about the Brood’s valet,” Test closed the door and looked at Shamrock with a confused look.

“Christina?” He asked.

“Yeah her,” Shamrock replied as Test put his hands on his hips. Shamrock continued, “Last night, I saw you and her sleeping together,”

Test eyes went wide, “Why were you in my room!?” He practically yelled at Shamrock. He had no right to be in his room especially when he was spending the night with Christina. But then again Shamrock didn’t know about them or at least thought he didn’t know about him and Christina.

“Why were you sleeping with Christina!?” He’s shot back.

Test sigh, “Alright, me and Christina knew each other back in high school, we broke up, had the mixed match challenge, started a relationship, are you happy now?”

Shamrock’s eyes went wide, “You know you guys won’t be able to keep up like this for long?”

Test nodded, “We’re trying to figure it out,” he said rubbing his hands over his face in a stressful manner.

Shamrock started thinking of what they could do, trying to convince her would be hard they both know how loyal she is to the Brood...... but not so much the ministry.

“Why don’t we boot her out of the ministry?” Shamrock asked Test sitting down beside him.

“How are we going to do that?”

“You vs. Edge, whoever wins gets the valet, in that case, Christina,” Shamrock said simply.

Test thought about the idea for a bit of time. It would be a good idea, it would get Christina on his side. But there was also the bad side of the idea.

“But wouldn’t she hate me after that since, you know, ripping her away from the family,” Test said doung a ripping motion with his hands.

“Not if we get her on top,” Shamrock said making Test give him a confused face, “Let’s make her the top woman in the company, then make her the perfect woman for the corporation, she might not like it at first but if she’s with you,”

Test started to nod with a smile in his face, “She’s the kind of type to ‘forgive and forget’, Shamrock you might be on to something,”

Test wasn’t sure he was ready to tell the rest of the corporation about his relationship with the enemy. But he did gather up his guys to tell them about it.

At first it wasn’t taken very well, they started telling him to break it off with her or ditch her but then Shane found his link with it.

She was a part of the Ministry, not only would it piss then off but she also had classified information about their plans.

So that’s what they did, made her a top star in the women’s division. She climbed all the way up until Sable and she beat her with ease.

It didn’t take long for the match to be set up after that. But of course the Corporation wasn’t just going to make it one on one, they were going to make sure Test wins.

The stipulations were that no one from the Brood or the Ministry could interfere, but the Corporation were playing dirty, meaning they could.

Test after hearing that was 100% sure that he would have Christina by his side.

The night that the match was announced Christina bursed in the room, “Did you hear about the match,”

She said to him coming in the room with a confused expression.

“Yeah, I did,” he replied getting up in front of her.

She shook her head looking clueless “What are we going to do about this?”

She wrapped her hands around his, looking terribly nervous. He was so disappointed in himself about lying to her. He really did love her, it did hurt but if it was the only true thing that could keep their relationship alive than he had to do it.

“I don’t know,” he said, matching her voice tone.

“Why does the Corporation do this all if a sudden,” She said lifting her head to meet his eyes.

“I don’t know, Chris,” He said hugging her. “Maybe because of the championship,”

“Can’t you do something about this?” The blonde asked the taller man.

“If I don’t win this, I’ll me kicked out of the Corporation, hell maybe the company,”

Christina sigh at his words. She really didn’t want him to be fired, it was the last thing she wanted. But she still wanted to stay with her brothers.

Test kissed the top of her forehead and rested his chin on her head. It was a way to wash out how bad he felt about the situation.

But her couldn’t help what was going to happen that night. Even though it had its pros and cons it was better than keeping up the charade forever.

She pulled back makin Test snap out if his thoughts.

“I’ll see you tonight,” she sighed leaning the room.

Test once again had a pit of guilt open in his stomach for lying to her. But how else was he going to do it?

Test grew more and nuts concerened over Christina as he got closer and closer to the match.

He had cold sweat all over him, he was thankful for Chyna and Triple H giving him all the advice but the feeling didn’t completely go away.

Even when he came down the ramp it felt different especially because of what he would be winning.

They both knew what they were fighting for was complet different than normal.

He watched as the Brood music started to blast through the speakers and saw how they came up from the entrance through the ring of fire.

His and Christina’s eyes locked as she came down the ramp. He had to make it seem as if they didn’t care about each other because of the ministry but she still didn’t know that the Corporation knew.

“Look at the glare Christina is sending to Test!” Jerry said. Boy, if only he knew.

The match began with Edge getting the upper hand but with the corporation at ringside, Edge didn’t even stand a chance. They tripped him and held him in place and when he would go outside the ring they would throw punched and kicks at him.

Christina tried to run at him but she was held back by one of the members of the mean street posse.

Edge was quickly tossed back in the ring, beaten and battered.

“Pin him!” Mr. McMahon commanded.

Test looked over at Christina, her eyes became watery, she shook her head telling him ‘please don’t do this.’

He mouthed her a ‘sorry’ as he kneeled down and covered Edge’s body. The referee started the 3 count as Test put his head down and whispered to Edge.

“I’ll take care of her don’t worry,”

Right after he finished the line the 3 count was over and the referee called for the bell.

Test got up from the mat and the referee grabbed his wrist, lifted it up to declare him the winner.

He smiled a fake smile and winked over at Christina before leaning over the ropes in front of her.

“You’re mine now,” he said, as he stepped over the rope and grabbed her wrist.

Christina’s eyes went wide, maybe out of a mix of surprise and fear. Fear of the Corporation and what they were going to do to her.

“Struggle,” he told her so that only she would hear.

And so she did. She was trying to get out if his grip as they went up the ramp. Or as he dragged her up.

They crossed the curtain where all the Corporation members were standing in a circle.

Vince McMahon was standing in the center beside his son, Shane.

“Test you wouldn’t mind keeping her still, would you?” Mr. McMahon asked raising his arms towards Christina.

Test grabbed her upper arms and held her straight in front of him.

“Well, Christina, you can forget everything the ministry taught you, because you are not in it anymore. You are Copirate and you are Test’s valet. We will discuss more later but for now we’ll leave you and Test alone,”

Christina’s eyes were still locked with the floor as the Corporations members started to leave to their own dressing rooms.

“Chris?” Tets asked the small blonde with a conserened voice.

He was getting worried with about how quiet she was. She was timid of course but not with him.

She wipped around, getting a sneak peak at her shiny blue eyes. She closed them and quickly wrapped her arms around Test.

Her head was resting on his chest and he placed his hand on her head.

“What are we going to do?” She asked as her head lifted up from his chest.

“How about we go back to the room and think about things, hm?” He said before kissing her forehead.

She nodded her head as they started walking back to the car and placed their bags before going back to the hotel.

When they got back to the hotel room Chris sat down on the bed, hugging her knees as Test took a shower.

When he came out and saw Christina it was depressing to him.

He sat down right beside her. “Do you want to talk about it.”

“Not really,” she said and gave him a peck in the lips.

Test gave her a confused look, “What was that for?”

She shrugged, “No reason, just been a while.” She said as she leaned down once again to kiss him.

Test returned the kiss and cupped her cheek. And soon her back was on the bed.

She pulled away with a light smile on her face.

“I think I’ll be okay with you,” she said softly which made Test smile.

They will always be okay as long as they have each other’s back.

#wwe #wwf #champion #wrestling #attitude era #divas #christian #the brood #genderbend #genderswap #Test #Test wwe #Test wwe imagine #ministry of darkness #corporation

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fundielicious-simblr · 3 years

Photo

(AN: I FINALLY FOUND THE ISSUE! I had a rogue mod that was causing the game to go haywire, so I went through every single mod [which just showed me I have WAYY TOO MANY] and finally got my game up and running again. Here’s the last official day before the behind-the-scene post and intros to the different families we met over the past 5 days!)

It’s the final day of camp! It’s been a great 5 days full of fun and fellowship, but all good things must come to an end eventually. The official program only runs for the morning, so there was only one event in the main hall.

The program started with a performance of ‘I am saved’ by the FCLL choir, made up of various unmarried young men and women who have shown their dedication to the Lord and his message. They sang an extended performance of the song

Branden Collins then led the next part, which was a sit down session with 2 couples to discuss ‘Homeschooling - Why and How?’ CFLL produces a homeschool curriculum that helps parents to train their children for the Lord, having a hand at writing a few workbooks himself, Branden sits down with Colt & Pearl Powell and Barrett & Kyleigh Collins to discuss why and how the 2 couples use(d) the CFLL materials with their children.

Branden started with Colt & Pearl Powell, he started by asking the couple to introduce themselves.

[Colt] “Well, my name is Colt and this is my wonderful wife Pearl of almost 30 years. I pastor a church in our hometown of Appaloosa Plains and I’ve been on the CFLL Board of Directors for almost 15 years, and have been thoroughly blessed by the Lord in my life.”

[Pearl] “We have 11 wonderful children who have given us 10 grandchildren and counting! Each year brings us new change, but who doesn’t like having new things to thank the Lord for?”

[Branden] “Why did you choose to homeschool your children?”

[Colt] “We were high school sweethearts, we got married while I was in college and she was in secretary school. We both grew up going to the same church, and so we had the conversation that we’d be open to as many children as the Lord wanted for us, and that we’d school them ourselves. Our parents both told us, and we ourselves experienced the immoral atmosphere of the public school atmosphere and realised we didn’t want our future children to be exposed to that, we wanted to be able to shape our children's minds and mould them into soldiers for Christ.”

[Pearl] “A few months after we married, a traveling minister told us of a conference happening near us that was put on by this wonderful organisation. We had a great time and learnt so much, and learnt we were pregnant with out first soon after, so we started attending as many sessions as we could before baby came. There were this brand new homeschool curriculum that had been released, and after reading through it we were to excited to be able to try out with our children when they were old enough.”

[Branden] “How did you homeschool?”

[Pearl] “As the mama, the home was my domain, so while daddy was the Principal, I was the Vice Principal of what we called ‘Powell Academy’. Since I was having a child every 2 years, we needed a system so make sure I didn’t lose my mind with the children *laughs*. Our first 4 went boy, girl, boy, girl, and I’m thankful that my girls had (and still have) such servants hearts and were always looking for ways to help me. When a new baby would come home they’d constantly beg to take care of them, so when it came time to do school in the morning, after I did their lessons with them, they’d help the younger ones with their letters and numbers. As they got older they were my right and left hands and helped with running the house during the day. I’d wake up with the youngest 2 whilst they worked with the other 7 to get everyone dressed, fed, and school work started. We’d gather round the table and I’d supervise them doing their work, whilst doting on the youngest, with the delivery of our youngest there were complications and he was born a bit early, so as he grew he was my main focus to make sure he got what he needed. I loved using CFLL’s materials for our kids, I didn’t feel the need to supplement with other curriculums, there was everything for every age group that the children grew into. When the kids started to graduate and pursue their future goals is when we really saw the value of our choice in homeschooling them. Both our boys and girls were sure in their identity as soldiers of Christ and set their goals based on that - our boys are great leaders, most with their own families who are benefiting from their leadership skills; our girls were able to learn how to run a household and to set their sights on being a good wife and mother. We also encouraged our children to use their musical talents to serve, with them traveling with others in a music ministry. Now that they’re giving us grandchildren, I’m excited to see my grand babies learn using the same curriculum that we used on their parents, and imagine what great people they’ll be.”

[Branden] “Thank you two for your wonderful testimony on homeschooling your children, you’ve blessed them greatly with your efforts and in turn have been blessed.”

Branden then welcomed Barrett and Kyleigh Collins to the stage

[Branden] “Hey you two, why don’t you introduce yourselves”

[Barrett] “My names Barrett Collins, and this is my wife Kyleigh Collins, we’ve been married for almost 10 years and have 8 children together. If the last name is ringing a bell, it’s probably because you’ve watched my parents handle a few parts this past week, and if you’re really with the times then you know of my grandfather. This guy right here *points at Branden* is also my uncle *laughs*”

[Branden] “Great introduction, let’s jump right in: Why did you choose to homeschool?”

[Barrett] “I grew up homeschooled, both of my parents were homeschooled and when they got married they made the choice to homeschool us as well. It was great having all of us at home all of the time, and since I’m the oldest it was our mother who did all of our schooling until we were old enough to work on our own. Being homeschooled gave me the freedom to do what I wanted, even though there was required work I had to do, my parents used the CFLL curriculum for all of us and it’s helped all of us branch into the people that we have become or are becoming for my younger siblings still in school. When I met Kyleigh - which was here, many summers ago - one of the things we talked about while courting was what we wanted for our children, and we both agreed that homeschooling them was the only option.”

[Kyleigh] “Like Barrett, I was also homeschooled by my parents but unlike him I was an only child. Being an only child meant that my mother was able to tailor the work to what I wanted to do, and she’d add in things or take out things that she didn’t find necessary. I loved all that time I spent with her, it really cemented our mother-daughter bond and I really learnt so much wisdom and guidance from her in those formative years. When I look back on the relationship I had and still have with my mother, I can’t help but get excited about the relationships that I’m building with my daughters now as they grow.”

[Branden] “How does homeschooling fit into your day?”

[Kyleigh] “Our schedule is that we’ll both wake up, one of us will handle the baby and the other will deal with the toddlers who have most likely woken up early, since I seem to be having a baby every year it’s a great system for us.

[Barrett] “Often times I’ll deal with the baby because I do the night feedings, I’m thankful that our newest baby Olivia doesn’t fuss as much during the night as her siblings did.

[Kyleigh] “I then handle breakfast whilst the younger ones play and Barrett gets ready for work, the older kids usually wake up by then and are dressed and ready for the day. Barrett leaves for work whilst the kids are eating breakfast and after the kids clear up the table is when we start with their school work. Our oldest 5 are triplets and twins, so we have 3 eight year olds and 2 six year olds, which is slightly easier because they can work together to get their work done rather than having 5 kids in different grades. Once I’ve got the triplets on track with their work, I can sit with the twins and do their work with them as they need more hands on teaching. We all sit at the table doing work for an hour and a half before we break for snacks and the kids can play a bit before we do verse memorization. I like using hand motions to get them to remember the words, and it’s been great to hear them sing and act out the songs that they learnt at the Children’s Academy this past week that they’ll no doubt be singing for a very long time. We also work on our manners during the day, and my older kids love ‘teaching’ the toddlers their manners - they say it makes them feel smarter *laughs*. Three times a week the kids head over to their grandparents house for their music lessons, they’re all learning the violin and piano, so I’m thankful that I married into a very musical family since all the siblings at home can pick a child and focus on them and their lessons. Right now with young kids we don’t spend the whole day doing work, but I’m assured that as they age that we’ll be able to adapt and change as necessary. Probably the kids’ favourite time of day is when Barrett gets home, it’s play time so he gets to blow off steam with the kids before dinnertime.

[Barrett] “I come home and play with the kids, we’ll then eat dinner and do nightly devotions as a family before putting the kids to bed. We go in reverse age order, so the toddlers head to bed first, followed by the twins, then the triplets, we like doing it that way because then we have time to sit down with all the kids and bond with them individually. Sometimes I’ll sit and think of my childhood when my parents would do the same things with us, and I thank the Lord for all the effort that my parents put into raising us as it had led us to this great life that we’re living now.”

[Branden] “Thank you both for your wonderful testimony on how homeschooling helped you, and how you’re working on changing your childrens lives for the better.”

The choir then closed out the programe (and the formal part of the conference) with a 20 minute performnace of a h hymn medly which was arranged by Claire Paulson and her advanced hymn writing class.

It was the perfect end to a great week of faith, fun, and fellowship!

There were some official portraits done for the Children’s Academy and the Youth Choir!

Back Row (L-R) = Aaron Leonard, Aria Townsend, Tobias Duke, Melissa Sherman, Lester Paulson, Lyric Warner, Leroy Mitchell, Shania Crawford, Johnathan Herrington

Front Row (L-R) = Allan Collins Jr, Chloe Collins, Benjamin Collins, Rose Collins, Noah Leonard, Violet Collins, Luke Leonard

These young children are the building blocks for the next generation! They’re a testament to the benefits of moulding a young persons mind and training up a child in the way they should go! They’ve spent the last few days proving that their parents efforts in raising them have not been wasted, no doubt that as they age out of the children’s academy, they will grow and continue to be young Christian soldiers.

Back Row (L-R) Annette Collins, Jarrod Paulson, Sadie Berges, Willie Murray, Amira Collins, Jimmy Crawford, Celeste Paulson, Charles Collins, Delaney Mitchell, Tucker Crawford.

Front Row (L-R) Parker Collins, Priscilla Collins, Jolene Crawford, Fredrick Herrington, Lorilee Mitchell, Kellie Moyer, Zachary Paulson, Sabrina Paulson

Here are the wonderful youths that make up the choir! When not singing together, they’re all musicians in their own right who have shared beautiful music to the Lord, as you’ve seen over the past week!

That makes it the end of the official program, the rest of the day was up to the attendants to use as they wished. Some headed to the lake whilst others headed to the volleyball courts for a tournament.

The children enjoyed swimming in the lake together, Macie taught them all how to swim, so it was great for them to be able to use their skills at the lake since none of their houses have pools! (AN: I spent almost an hour looking for lifejacket cc for kids, because in my mind gen 3 isn’t that clueless and know that you need lifejackets for young kids swimming in a large body of water - but that’s something the game lacks, which I might attempt to make some day)

Kyleigh and Casandra got a selfie in while at the lake, it’s been a tiring but rewarding week and they’re happy that they were able to relax by the lake on their last day. They don’t get to go to many pools and beaches due to the immodest outfits of other beach goers, but since everyone at the lake has the same (high) modesty standards, everyone was able to enjoy in peace.

(AN: ignore the horrendous editing, someones swimsuit didn’t have all the LODs and half their body disappeared😂)

There were many sandcastles made along the shores of the lake, the children practiced their diving skills using the diving platform, and loads of family and friends were able to catch up and reminisce on a great week together.

Meanwhile on the volleyball court...

The Red and Orange teams battled it out in a series of 5 matches to see who would be pronounced the winners, in the end the Orange Team won 3/5 matches, winning the tournament.

The Red Team consisted of: Jarrod Paulson, Charles Collins, Lorilee Mitchell, Annette Collins, and Celeste Paulson

The winners, the Orange Team, were: Parker Collins, Zachary Collins, Tucker Crawford, Sabrina Paulson, and Amira Collins (She was a last minute addition and didn’t get an orange shirt 😂)

The evening ended with everyone meeting at the mess hall to eat dinner before getting together for some fellowship before everyone leaves for their homes the next day. After a long, but refreshing week, everyone was sad to leave their friends, but was excited to get back to their respective homes!

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ameliaasma-blog · 4 years

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classyfoxdestiny · 3 years

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Afghanistan crisis updates | UN rights chief warns of abuses amid Taliban's Afghan blitz

Following the capture of power by the Taliban in now war-torn Afghanistan, the Group of Seven (G7) leaders from the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States are set to conduct an emergency meeting to continue to stand by the Afghan people and step up support for refugees and humanitarian aid.

Here are the latest developments:

LONDON

Taliban will be judged by deeds, not words, says Boris Johnson ahead of G7 meet

The Taliban will be judged by its deeds rather than words, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said ahead of chairing an emergency G7 virtual meet to coordinate international response to the Afghan crisis.

Downing Street said that during the meeting Tuesday, the UK PM will call on Group of Seven (G7) leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States to continue to stand by the Afghan people and step up support for refugees and humanitarian aid.

According to a Downing Street communique, the G7 is expected to reiterate its commitment to safeguarding the gains made in Afghanistan over the last 20 years – in particular on girls’ education and the rights of women and minorities.

The meeting will take place by video conference and the NATO and UN Secretaries-General have also been invited to join the discussion.

It comes as the Taliban issued a stark warning that it would not entertain any suggestion of an extension to the August 31 deadline for the US-led NATO troops to exit Kabul. – PTI

GENEVA

UN rights chief warns of abuses amid Taliban’s Afghan blitz

The UN human rights chief warned Tuesday that she had received credible reports of severe abuses in areas under Taliban control in Afghanistan, including “summary executions” of civilians and security forces who had laid down their arms and restrictions on women.

Michelle Bachelet urged the Human Rights Council to take “bold and vigorous action” to monitor the rights situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban’s stunning takeover raised fears that they will return the country to the brutal rule they imposed when they were last in power.

Amid scattered reports, it has been difficult to determine how widespread abuses might be, whether they reflect that Taliban leaders are saying one thing and doing another, or if fighters on the ground are taking matters into their own hands. – PTI

AFGHANISTAN

Taliban appoint Finance Minister, Intelligence Chief in Afghanistan, report

The Taliban have appointed a new Finance Minister, an Intelligence Chief, and an acting Interior Minister in Afghanistan, the Pajhwok news agency reported on Tuesday.

It said Gul Agha would be the Finance Minister and Sadr Ibrahim would be the acting Interior Minister. Najibullah would be Intelligence Chief, while Mullah Shirin would be Kabul Governor and Hamdullah Nomani the Mayor of the capital city, Kabul. – REUTERS

INTERNATIONAL

China says U.S. army must be held accountable for Afghanistan actions

China’s envoy to the U.N. in Geneva said on Tuesday that the U.S. army and the militaries of other coalition partners should be held accountable for alleged rights violations they committed in Afghanistan.

“The US, UK, Australia and other countries must be held accountable for the violation of human rights committed by their military in Afghanistan and the evolution of this current session should cover this issue,” China’s ambassador Chen Xu told an emergency session of the Human Rights Council on Afghanistan.

“Under the banner of democracy and human rights the US and other countries carry out military interventions in other sovereign states and impose their own model on countries with vastly different history and culture,” he said, saying this brought “great suffering”. – REUTERS

PAKISTAN

Pakistan urges ‘inclusive’ deal with Taliban

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday that an inclusive political settlement is the best way forward for peace and stability in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover. Pakistan fully supports efforts in that direction, he added.

According to a foreign ministry statement, Mr. Qureshi made the remarks in a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, about the situation in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. File | Photo Credit: AP

The statement says Mr. Qureshi told Mr. Lavrov that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was of critical importance for Pakistan and the region. It said that Mr. Qureshi informed Mr. Lavrov about Pakistan’s outreach to regional countries for consultations on the challenges arising out of developments in Afghanistan.

Mr. Qureshi is expected to leave for Uzbekistan on August 24. He is set to travel to Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Iran to discuss Afghan developments. – PTI

INDIA

India’s evacuation mission from Afghanistan named “Operation Devi Shakti”

India’s complex mission to evacuate its citizens and Afghan partners from Kabul after its swift takeover by the Taliban last week has been named “Operation Devi Shakti”.

The name of the operation was known when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar mentioned it in a tweet on Tuesday while referring to the arrival of a fresh batch of 78 evacuees in Delhi.

India began the complex evacuation mission by airlifting 40 Indians from Kabul to Delhi on August 16, a day after the Taliban seized control of the Afghan capital city.

So far, India has evacuated over 800 people amid a deteriorating security situation in Kabul.- PTI

INTERNATIONAL

India evacuates 77 persons from Afghanistan, more flights expected

A special flight of Air India arrived here on Tuesday morning carrying 77 stranded persons from Kabul, including 46 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus. The passengers brought three Shri Guru Granth Sahib from various Gurudwaras in Afghanistan. The travellers were evacuated on Monday from Kabul in an Indian Air Force flight and spent the night at Dushanbe before being airlifted in a special Air India flight.

Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan and the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri received the Sikh holy books at the Delhi airport.

India is likely to operate a few more flights to evacuate Afghan and stranded Indian citizens in the coming days, said Mr. Chandhoke. Kabul continued to remain tense with hundreds of people pouring in from various parts of Afghanistan at the airport which remains under the control of the U.S. forces.

India has maintained focus on evacuating Sikhs and Hindus while also helping some of the lawmakers and officials associated with the government of President Ashraf Ghani. – Kallol Bhattacherjee

AI 1956, A special flight of Air India, enroute to Delhi from Dushanbe carrying 78 passengers, including 25 Indian nationals. | Photo Credit: Twitter-Arindam Bagchi@MEAIndia

India evacuates 77 persons from Afghanistan, more flights expected

JAKARTA

Afghan refugees in Indonesia call for expedited resettlement

Hundreds of Afghan refugees protested in Indonesia on Tuesday against a prolonged resettlement process, saying they needed to be offered new homes now that repatriation was out of the question with the return of the Taliban.

Thousands of refugees from Afghanistan, most of them from the Hazara ethnic minority, who have long been persecuted by the Taliban, have lived in Indonesia for years as they await resettlement in third countries such as Canada or Australia.

“In the past year the UNHCR has been telling us there is only one percent chance of resettlement,” refugee Hakmat Ziraki said.

“Today we come here to ask ‘what is your answer now? Are you still encouraging voluntary repatriation’?” “Our people are dying every day,” he said. “We need some justice, we need resettlement.”

Indonesia is not a signatory to the 1951 U.N. Convention on Refugees and is predominately seen as a transit country for those seeking asylum to a third country. – REUTERS

INTERNATIONAL

Considering Afghanistan players’ mental health, series against Pakistan postponed

Afghanistan’s three-match ODI series against Pakistan has been postponed indefinitely due to logistical issues and keeping in mind the mental health of the players following Taliban’s takeover of the strife-torn nation.

Afghanistan was supposed to host Pakistan in Sri Lanka from September 3 but on Monday, both the ACB and PCB mutually agreed to host the series in Pakistan.

However, later in the day, ACB came to the conclusion that it was best to put the series on hold with its players not getting enough time to prepare due to the regime change in the country. The flight operations have also been suspended at Kabul airport.

“Due to the overall conditions including mental health of the players, we had to postpone the series,” said ACB CEO Hamid Shinwari.

Mr. Shinwari had earlier said that he doesn’t expect cricket to face any issues under Taliban rule as it has “always supported the game”.

Both the boards will try to reschedule the series in 2022. – PTI

LONDON

Britain ‘not going to get’ everyone out of Kabul

Britain says it has evacuated 8,600 U.K. citizens and Afghans from Kabul in recent days, 2,000 of them in the last 24 hours.

But Defense Secretary Ben Wallace conceded that “we’re not going to get everybody out of the country” before the U.S.-led mission ends on August 31.

Britain and other allies are pressing President Joe Biden to extend the evacuation past the date agreed with the Taliban. But Wallace told it’s unlikely Biden will agree. – AP

WASHINGTON

US says it is focused on completing evacuation from Afghanistan by Aug 31

The Biden Administration on Monday said it is now focused on completing its evacuation mission from Afghanistan by August 31, the deadline for removing all American troops from the country.

However, a final decision to extend the evacuation mission from the Kabul airport would be taken by President Joe Biden, according to officials from the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon.

The US currently has 5,800 troops at the Kabul airport, who are mainly engaged in evacuating its citizens and all those Afghans who helped the United States during its stay in the country for the last 20 years. – PTI

AFGHANISTAN

Taliban takeover prompts fears of a resurgent Al-Qaida

The lightning-fast changes in Afghanistan are forcing the Biden administration to confront the prospect of a resurgent Al-Qaida, the group that attacked America on September 11, 2001, at the same time the US is trying to monitor violent extremism at home and cyber attacks from Russia and China.

With the rapid withdrawal of US forces and rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, “I think Al-Qaida has an opportunity, and they’re going to take advantage of that opportunity,” says Chris Costa, who was senior director for counter-terrorism in the Trump administration. – PTI

LONDON

Evacuation window at Kabul airport unlikely to be extended, says UK Defence Minister

Western governments are unlikely to extend the evacuation window to allow their citizens and Afghans more time to fly out of Kabul airport, Britain’s defence minister Ben Wallace said.

Mr. Wallace told he was doubtful there would be an extension “not only because of what the Taliban has said but also if you look at the public statements of President Biden, I think it is unlikely.”

“It is definitely worth us all trying and we will,” he added. – REUTERS

LONDON

Other G7 leaders to press Biden to extend Kabul evacuation deadline

U.S. President Joe Biden will face pressure to extend an August 31 deadline to evacuate thousands seeking to flee the Taliban in Afghanistan when he meets Group of Seven (G7) leaders at a virtual meeting on Tuesday.

Western nations are struggling to bring home their own citizens and desperate Afghans massing at Kabul airport are seeking to flee the country fearing reprisals after Taliban militants seized control just over a week ago.

It has led to chaotic scenes at the airport, with some 20 people killed in stampedes and shootings, amid a panic to catch flights out of the country before the United States and its allies pull out their troops.

The manner of the withdrawal, 20 years after the U.S.-led invasion to oust the Taliban following the September 11, 2001, attacks, has strained tensions between Washington and other Western capitals, where there has been dismay at its timing and how it has been carried out. – REUTERS

WASHINGTON

Taliban rule presents aid agencies with moral, fiscal dilemma

As foreign governments, aid institutions and companies scramble to evacuate staff from Afghanistan, a crucial question is emerging: should they engage with the ruling Taliban or abandon years of investment in the country and 38 million Afghans?

For foreign aid agencies the situation presents “a paradox,” said Robert Crews, a Stanford University history professor and author of the 2015 book “Afghan Modern: The History of a Global Nation.”

“If you are an aid worker at a state hospital, you are serving a regime whose legitimacy is in the balance,” he said. “But if everybody goes home, will the state collapse?”

Afghanistan’s government budget is 70% to 80% funded by international donors, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), said Michael McKinley, who served as ambassador to Afghanistan in 2015 and 2016.

The country faces economic collapse without that aid.

While foreign governments and aid groups evacuate thousands of people, they’re leaving billions of dollars in projects hanging in the balance, much of it through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund. – REUTERS

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thewayisyah · 3 years

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THE LAST DAYS-How to recognize the end times.

In 2021 there are so many viewpoints of once again mentionings of the end times or armageddon. I have only been alive over 4 decades but in that time I have heard over 4 times everyone was sure the end of times were upon us. Remember Y2K? Or the Mayan calendar ended in 2012? There is always someone saying the end is going to happen but it never does. That does not mean the end is not coming, I assure you it is. The bible has a perfect record of fulfilling prophecies. With over 2000 prophecies and counting having been fulfilled I am willing to bet my life on the remaining 500 unfulfilled ones.

I will admit things are looking very crazy now and where as I do believe we are nearing the end, I am also familiar with the prophecies regarding what to expect. So what should you be looking for to confirm the end of the world is upon us? First you must know, according to Mattithyahu (Matthew) 24:36 no one knows the day or the hour when the end will arrive. No one knows, not the messengers (angels) in heaven, or the fallen ones wreaking havoc on earth, not me or anyone claiming to know, only the Father. Elohim (Almighty God) did lovingly leave many prophecies for us to study if we were curious but also if we wanted to survive.

There are many scriptures to consider however, the majority of my focus will be on those that provide specific clues to look for:

Timotiyos 2 (2 Timothy)3:1-5 is quoted as saying, “in the last days hard times will come, people will be lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, thankless, wrong-doers, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self control, fierce, haters of good, betrayers, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of Elohim, having a form of reverence but denying its power.” All of which sounds familiar but also has been present in human behavior as far back as I can recall from historical records. I assume that in the last days these stated things will be much more prevalent. Which honestly I have personally noticed all increased dramatically within the last 20 years or so. Think about it, there are entire churches and doctrine completely surrounding the pursuit and acquisition of money. The other traits are so prevalent now it's expected from everyone, there is no honor found anywhere.

Mattithyahu (Matthew) 24:10-12 mentions many will stumble and shall deliver up one another and shall hate one another. Also there will be many false prophets and mislead many. Does your pastor rarely hold the bible or refer to it? Did your pastor buy his wife a luxury sports car worth $250k? Does he preach with $6000 sneakers on? It also goes on to state that because of the increase in lawlessness peoples love will grow cold.

Mattithyahu (Matthew) 24:4-5 is summarized as Yeshua (Jesus) mentioning that we should be careful that no one misleads us because many will come in his name saying they are ha`Mashiah (The Messiah) and will mislead many.

Mattithyahu (Matthew) 24:6-9 is Yeshua once more describing the times of the end as fighting or wars taking place and to not be troubled as they must happen. He also states that nation will rise against nation and there will be scarcities of food, and deadly diseases and earthquakes in places. He goes on to state that those nations will deliver up his followers to affliction and Kill us and we will be hated by ALL nations for the name of Yeshua. When you truly see the global oppression of followers of Yeshua know that the killings will begin and also know that is a definite sign that you are in the last days. Now Christians and Jews are being persecuted in various countries and some even to death but in the United states and elsewhere although true worshipers are not very popular they are not targets of death…..yet. It is coming and when it does, understand what is truly occurring. Did you know that France and Sweden are now the most dangerous countries to be a Jew? We all know that Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan and almost the entire continent of Africa are dangerous to christians but did you know it is very dangerous to be a christian in India? Please pray for all being persecuted in the name of Yeshua ha`Mashiah. (Jesus the messiah/ Jesus christ)

Kepha 2 (2 Peter) 3:3-4 and Yahudah(Jude) 1:18-19 are summarized as stating that people will continue in their wicked ways, mocking believers saying, “where is Jesus? Nothing has changed since the beginning of time.” This sounds familiar.

Luqas (Luke) 21:11 starts to get into more specific prophecy stating,”there shall be great earthquakes in various places, and scarcities of food and deadly diseases, and there shall be terrors and great signs from the shamayim (heaven) and there shall be great tempests.” Great earthquakes in various places really have not occurred in my opinion but data compiled by the US government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that the number of earthquakes per year has seen significant variation, and the overall trend shows an increasing frequency. I get the feeling we don't need to check stats to know if it's unusual. There are always some sort of famines on earth and usually man made so once again I assume that this reference will be based on something far more profound and global. I don't want to discuss 2020 and the corona virus because we still don't know what it is or what is going on for sure. If we get a global virus that actually starts to drop people so fast that I see bodies piling up with my own eyes on the streets, I will believe this prophecy is being fulfilled. There have been incredible storms all over the world, I mean in my lifetime I recall hurricanes that did not cover half of the United States and I now live in a time where not only is that the new norm, we sometimes get two at a time. NOAA data confirms that the intensity and frequency of North Atlantic Hurricanes have all increased dramatically since the 80’s. Considering that I still have not seen any terrors and great signs from the heavens yet and I get the feeling we will know it when we see it.

Yo`el (Joel) 2:28-29 and Acts 2:16-18 summarizes that Elohim will send his spirit on all flesh and men and women will prophecy and there will be wonders in the heavens above and on the earth below, mentioning blood and fire and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and splendid day of YHWH(Yahweh). I imagine this would occur towards the very last days before the end. This will be a time of little doubt in the minds of most im sure but also likely too late for reform. I would recommend getting your life in order before you see the sun disappear and the moon turn red.

Yohanan 1 (1 John) 2:18-19 where it clearly mentions that in the last hour as you may have heard, the anti messiah is coming (otherwise known as the antichrist). Christ is just a greek translation of Messiah which is hebrew. It goes on to say further that even now many anti messiahs have come and this is how we know that it is the last hour. I interpret this as just a further reference to false prophets misleading many. There is a mention of the antichrist in the book of Revelation but that is an entirely different ball game.

So there are many more prophecies in the bible that clearly state what to look for. There are many that believe we are living in the so-called last days and I agree but, by following bible prophecy it becomes clear many of those prophecies remain unfulfilled. There are three scriptures in the bible that mention the coming of the end of times or armageddon. In all three they refer to the coming as a thief in the night. This clearly means an unexpected arrival. So no matter how much you study you will be caught a bit by surprise. Do not take the warnings lightly, as all the prophecy foretold prior have come true so will these that remain unfulfilled and it will all come by surprise.

_____________________________________________

www.thewayisyah.com

A Non denominational ministry keeping it strictly scriptual. The word of God has shown the way to salvation! No emotional, traditional, or religious bias shall keep us from following the light of YAH.

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orbemnews · 3 years

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China Tried to Slow Divorces by Making Couples Wait. Instead, They Rushed. Last December, Emma Shi desperately needed an appointment at the civil affairs bureau in Shanghai, but could not get one. She scoured the internet to find someone who could help, quickly. Her request: Help me obtain a divorce within a day. Ms. Shi, a 38-year-old engineer, was trying to get ahead of a Chinese government rule that from Jan. 1, couples seeking a divorce must first wait 30 days. Ms. Shi said that forcing unhappy couples to stay married would only lead to more fighting. “To anyone, this would be very unbearable,” she said. “The relationship is already broken.” The new cooling-off period was introduced to deter impulsive divorces, but it prompted a scramble at the end of last year among couples urgently wanting to part ways. China’s steadily rising divorce rate has compounded the challenges facing the ruling Communist Party’s efforts to reverse a demographic crisis that threatens economic growth. The number of marriages has plummeted every year since 2014, and officials have also grown increasingly concerned that more wedded couples were acting hastily to untie the knot. “Some couples would fight in the morning and divorce in the afternoon,” Long Jun, an expert who worked to include the rule in the country’s new civil code, said in an interview with the official Legal Daily newspaper. “In order to reduce this phenomenon, the civil code was designed to address this in a systemic way.” Data released by the civil affairs ministry last week showed that there were more than a million filings for divorce in the last three months of 2020, up 13 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. The trend was stark in several major cities. Beijing recorded a 36 percent rise in divorces, to nearly 27,000 cases. In Shenzhen, they rose 26 percent, to more than 11,600 cases. In the southwestern municipality of Chongqing, there was a 15 percent rise, to 35,000 cases. In the last two weeks of December, about 40 couples filed for divorce each day, double the number compared to the same period a year ago, a district official in Chongqing told a local newspaper. In Shanghai, divorce filings jumped 53 percent in that period, to 20,000. Ms. Shi, the engineer, just barely made the deadline. She said she and her husband had agreed to the divorce after she discovered in December that he had been cheating on her. On Dec. 30, she found a fixer on Xianyu, an app for trading secondhand items, who promised to closely monitor the civil affairs bureau’s website for any slots that might free up. She paid him $50. That same evening, Ms. Shi got an appointment — and her divorce came through the next morning. “I’m very grateful,” she said. In her view, she said, “it is marriage that needs a cooling-off period,” not divorce. Mandated waiting periods for divorces — to allow for reflection, reconciliation, the organization of finances or discussions about custody — are not unusual in many countries. But in China, the move was met with skepticism and concern, with the hashtag #OpposeCoolingOffPeriod# generating 81,000 comments on Weibo, a popular social media website. People felt the government was overreaching into their personal lives. “We have seen enough evidence suggesting that even if you make divorce harder and you set up more hurdles, if people are not happy with their marriage, they will find ways to get out,” said Ke Li, an assistant professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York who has studied divorce litigation in China for 15 years. Women’s rights activists say the waiting period could further disadvantage stay-at-home mothers who often have no independent income to pay for a legal fight. For those urgently seeking a dissolution, the order to wait could complicate the legal process. Even after they have completed the wait, couples would need to make another appointment to finalize the divorce. The rule also grants either spouse the power to retract the divorce application if they disagree, which could further endanger victims of domestic violence, activists have said. The government said that in such cases, victims could approach a court to dissolve their marriage. Shen Jinjin, a 34-year-old employee of an insurance company, has been married for over three years to a man who she says is verbally abusive to her and her parents. In January, she decided to leave him. Ms. Shen, who lives in the southern city of Zhangzhou, said she believed that her husband’s conduct amounted to domestic violence. But she had taken her friends’ advice and pursued a divorce instead of suing him, a process that would have taken longer. Ms. Shen was expecting to be granted the divorce on Saturday. She described the wait as a “real torment,” adding that she was most worried that her husband would change his mind. “I’m under a lot of pressure,” Ms. Shen said. “I don’t know what kind of harm he could inflict on me.” For many, the rush to get divorced before the rule took effect meant that in cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, residents sometimes had to wait up to a month for an appointment. Some described going to unusual lengths to beat the crowd. In Guangzhou, Li Sisi, the 28-year-old owner of a cosmetics shop on the e-commerce platform Taobao, said that for several nights in September, she stayed up until midnight just to wait for the Guangzhou civil affairs bureau to release appointment slots on its website. Ms. Li eventually secured a slot in October, but her husband couldn’t make it. She tried again and was finally able to dissolve the marriage on Dec. 21. Ms. Li said she had decided to divorce because her marriage, which was long-distance, was leaving her unhappy. She has a 3-year-old daughter but said she would not stay married just for the sake of her child, unlike many parents in earlier generations. “This generation has spiritual needs,” she said. “Since I want a divorce,” she added, “one more day and one more minute of being together is all suffering for me.” Source link Orbem News #China #couples #Divorces #Making #rushed #slow #wait

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newstfionline · 4 years

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Firefighters battle exhaustion along with wildfire flames (AP) They work 50 hours at a stretch and sleep on gymnasium floors. Exploding trees shower them with embers. They lose track of time when the sun is blotted out by smoke, and they sometimes have to run for their lives from advancing flames. Firefighters trying to contain the massive wildfires in Oregon, California and Washington state are constantly on the verge of exhaustion as they try to save suburban houses, including some in their own neighborhoods. Each home or barn lost is a mental blow for teams trained to protect lives and property. And their own safety is never assured. Oregon firefighter Steve McAdoo’s shift on Sept. 7 seemed mostly normal, until late evening, when the team went to a fire along a highway south of Portland. “Within 10 minutes of being there, it advanced too fast and so quick ... we had to cut and run,” he said. “You can’t breathe, you can’t see.” That happened again and again as he and the rest of the crew worked shifts that lasted two full days with little rest or food. They toiled in an alien environment where the sky turns lurid colors, ash falls like rain and towering trees explode into flames, sending a cascade of embers to the forest floor. “The sky was just orange or black, and so we weren’t sure if was morning or night,” he said. “My crew and I said that to each other many times, ‘What is going on? When is this going to end?’”

Rescuers reach people cut off by Gulf Coast hurricane (AP) Rescuers on the Gulf Coast used boats and high-water vehicles Thursday to reach people cut off by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Sally, even as a second round of flooding took shape along rivers and creeks swollen by the storm’s heavy rains. Across southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, homeowners and businesses began cleaning up, and officials inspected bridges and highways for safety, a day after Sally rolled through with 105 mph (165 kph) winds, a surge of seawater and 1 to 2 1/2 feet (0.3 to 0.8 meters) of rain in many places before it began to break up. Crews carried out at least 400 rescues in Escambia County, Florida, by such means as high-water vehicles, boats and water scooters, authorities said. In Alabama, on both sides of Mobile Bay, National Guard soldiers from high-water evacuation teams used big trucks Thursday to rescue at least 35 people. At least one death, in Alabama, was blamed on the hurricane. Nearly 400,000 homes and businesses were still without power Thursday night, mostly in Alabama and Florida.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87 (AP) Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a towering women’s rights champion who became the court’s second female justice, died Friday at her home in Washington. She was 87. Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, the court said. Her death just over six weeks before Election Day is likely to set off a heated battle over whether President Donald Trump should nominate, and the Republican-led Senate should confirm, her replacement, or if the seat should remain vacant until the outcome of his race against Democrat Joe Biden is known.

Flights to nowhere (Washington Post) With international travel in much of the world still disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, some airlines are resorting to “flights to nowhere” that target passengers who long for air travel—and some are willing to shell out plenty of money for the tickets. Qantas, among the latest to advertise a flight that departs and arrives at the same airport, told Reuters that the trip sold out less than 10 minutes after going on sale on Thursday. “It’s probably the fastest-selling flight in Qantas history,” a spokeswoman for the airline said.

Health-care workers make up 1 in 7 covid-19 cases recorded globally, WHO says (Washington Post) Health-care workers account for 1 in 7 coronavirus cases recorded by the World Health Organization, the U.N. agency said this week. “Globally, around 14 percent of covid-19 cases reported to WHO are among health workers, and in some countries it’s as much as 35 percent,” WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news conference in Geneva. The figures are disproportionate: Data collected by the WHO suggests that health workers represent less than 3 percent of the population in the majority of countries and less than 2 percent in almost all low- and middle-income countries. In April, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that health-care workers accounted for 11 percent to 16 percent of covid-19 cases during the first surge of infections in the United States. When covid-19 began spreading through Western nations early this year, health-care workers faced critical shortages of personal protective equipment, also known as PPE. Even now, well over half a year into the pandemic, there are shortages of tests.

Bank of England considers negative interest rates (Yahoo Finance) The Bank of England yesterday indicated that it could cut interest rates below zero for the first time in its 326-year history as it tries to shore up a U.K. economic recovery that is facing the dual headwinds of the coronavirus and Brexit. After unanimously deciding to maintain the bank’s main interest rate at the record low of 0.1%, the nine-member rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee said it had discussed its “policy toolkit, and the effectiveness of negative policy rates in particular.”

Why French Politicians Can’t Stop Talking About Crime (NYT) In the Babel Tower of French politics, everyone agrees at least on this: Crime is out of control. The leader of the far right warned recently that France was a “security shipwreck” sinking into “barbarity.” A traditional conservative conjured up the ultraviolent dystopia of “A Clockwork Orange.” On the left, the presumed Green Party candidate in the next presidential contest described the insecurity as “unbearable.” And in the middle, President Emmanuel Macron’s ministers warned of a country “turning savage”—the “ensauvagement” of France—as they vowed to get tough on crime and combat the “separatism” of radical Muslims. The only catch? Crime isn’t going up. The government’s own data show that nearly all major crimes are lower than they were a decade ago or three years ago. But like elsewhere, and mirroring the campaign in the United States, the debate over crime tends to be a proxy—in France’s case, for debates about immigration, Islam, race, national identity and other combustible issues that have roiled the country for years.

India’s coronavirus cases jump by another 96K (AP) India’s coronavirus cases jumped by another 96,424 infections in the past 24 hours, showing little sign of leveling. The Health Ministry on Friday raised the nation’s total past 5.21 million, 0.37% of its nearly 1.4 billion people. India is expected to have the highest national total of confirmed cases within weeks, surpassing the United States, where more than 6.67 million people have been infected. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday on Thursday made a fresh appeal to people to wear masks and maintain social distance as his government chalked out plans to handle big congregations expected during a major Hindu festival season beginning next month.

Russia boosts its military presence near Chinese border (Foreign Policy) Russia is bolstering its troop presence in the country’s east in response to growing geopolitical threats in the region, though the Kremlin did not say what those threats are. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that 500 units of new, advanced equipment were being sent to the region, but he did not specify the destination. The moves are likely a response to China’s growing assertiveness, though some parts of the region have been gripped by protests against the government of President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks. In July, people took to the streets in the city of Khabarovsk, which lies along the border with China, after the arrest of the region’s hugely popular governor, Sergei Furgal, who beat out Putin’s favored candidate in an election in September 2018.

Taiwan scrambles air force as multiple Chinese jets buzz island (Reuters) Taiwan scrambled fighter jets on Friday as multiple Chinese aircraft buzzed the island, including crossing the sensitive mid-line of the Taiwan Strait, in an escalation of tensions the same day a senior U.S. official began meetings in Taipei. Earlier on Friday, China’s Defence Ministry announced the start of combat drills near the Taiwan Strait, denouncing what it called collusion between the Chinese-claimed island and the United States. Beijing has watched with growing alarm the ever-closer relationship between Taipei and Washington, and has stepped up military exercises near the island, including two days of mass air and sea drills last week.

Apprehensive Thais await major political rally in Bangkok (AP) A two-day rally planned this weekend is jangling nerves in Bangkok, with apprehension about how far student demonstrators will go in pushing demands for reform of Thailand’s monarchy and how the authorities might react. In an escalation of tactics, organizers plan to march to Government House, the prime minister’s offices, to hand over petitions. The initial demands of the alliance of groups behind a series of anti-government demonstrations were for a dissolution of Parliament with fresh elections, a new constitution and an end to intimidation of political activists. But the main organizers behind this weekend’s rally have been promoting an additional point. They want restraints on the power of the monarchy, an institution long presented as the nation’s cornerstone and untouchable. This open challenge to the palace has dramatically raised the political temperature.

‘Boiling again’: Lebanon’s old rivalries rear up amid crisis (Reuters) An old rivalry between Christian factions who fought each other in Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war has flared again on the street and in political debate, renewing fears of fresh unrest as the nation grapples with its worst crisis since the conflict. The feud between supporters of Michel Aoun, now Lebanon’s president, and Samir Geagea’s Lebanese Forces (LF) led to a tense standoff this week near Beirut. Gunshots rang out, but no one was hurt. The rivalry today is about more than Christian politics: Aoun is allied with Hezbollah, the heavily armed, Iran-backed Shi’ite party. Geagea spearheads opposition to Hezbollah, saying it should surrender its weapons. The standoff was the latest in a country that has seen sporadic violence intensify as an economic crisis that erupted last year has deepened. It was compounded by a huge blast that ripped through Beirut on Aug. 4. The government has resigned and efforts to form a new one under French pressure are floundering. “The security situation is reaching a breaking point,” said Mohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center.

Israelis Prepare to Celebrate the Year’s Holiest Days Under Lockdown (NYT) As Israelis prepare to celebrate the holiest days on the Jewish calendar under a fresh lockdown, organizing prayer services is proving to be more of a mathematical brainteaser than a spiritual exercise. Rabbis are having to arrange worshipers into clusters of 20 to 50, separated by dividers, determining the number and size of the groups based on complex calculations involving local infection rates, and how many entrances and square feet their synagogues have. Masks will be required, and many seats will have to remain empty. The three-week national lockdown was timed to coincide with the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur holy days and the festival of Sukkot, in the hope of causing less economic damage because business slows down in any case around the holidays. It was also aimed at preventing large family meals that could become petri dishes for the virus. Israel successfully limited the spread of the virus in the spring, but recently its infection rate has spiraled into one of the world’s worst. The country has had more than 300 confirmed new cases per 100,000 people over the last week—more than double the rate in Spain, the hardest-hit European country, and quadruple that of the United States.

Violence in Ethiopia (Foreign Policy) More than 30 people were killed in militia attacks in western Ethiopia last week, officials said on Thursday, underscoring the country’s worsening security situation and creating new problems for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The attackers are “groups aimed at overturning the reforms journey,” Abiy said in a tweet. Abiy entered government promising sweeping reforms of the country’s political system, but his efforts have since faced criticism from opponents and former allies. Last week, the country’s Tigray region held parliamentary elections despite the national government’s decision to postpone the vote over coronavirus concerns. The region is home to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the country’s dominant political force before Abiy’s takeover in 2019.

#headlines #news

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jaskiersbard · 7 years

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Stitch by Stitch (Part 1) - A Newt/Tina fic

Tagging: @pinkdiamonddolphin

Here is the Newtina!miracle baby!pregnancy!fic!

Set in early-December 1940

Phoenix – 22nd June 1931 – 9 (going on 10) Linnet – 13th January 1933 - 7 (nearly 8) Leo – 3rd March 1935 – 5 (going on 6) (YES LEO HAS KATHERINE’S BIRTHDAY, AND SO THEIR BIRTHDAYS ARE TOMORROW)

Apparently Hanukkah in 1940 was 24th Decemeber (i.e. Christmas Eve) so they discuss celebrating both holidays.

Angst warning ahead! Also, only the slightest hint of sex – and it’s story-based, I promise!

Enjoy!

“Scamander!”

Tina tried not to wince at the sound of Crawford’s voice – it was never a good sign if he was calling her name like that, and she dreaded having to talk to him for he was more often than not unreasonable. “Yes, sir?”

Crawford – a tall but beefy man with far too much neck – damn near slammed his hands down on her desk, glowering unpleasantly. “You declined your status change, Scamander!”

“Oh. Yes,” She said uneasily. “I did.”

“Why in God’s name have you done that?!” He growled. “You do realize the repercussions for doing such a thing, I trust? Stripping your title, you’ll lose your job – and if you think you can get rehired again, then you have another thing coming-”

“I can’t go on active leave,” She interrupted, forcing herself to look apologetic. “I’m…sorry, sir, but I can’t because…because I’m having a baby in May.”

Crawford’s jaw dropped. “A baby?!” She nodded uneasily, and he threw his hands up in the air in frustration. “Oh, for Merlin’s sake…bloody typical!”

“I’m not going on active leave while I’m pregnant,” Tina continued firmly, sitting back in her chair. “The Ministry has laws about these kinds of things, as you’ll know, and I don’t intend to risk my baby’s life by leaving the country to fight.”

“This is the fourth time,” He growled, glaring at her. “You’ve got another three children – why do you need another one? Bloody women, having babies…”

Tina bristled, her own anger rising. “Well, forgive me, sir, if my husband and I wanted another child – I didn’t know we had to ask your permission before having them.”

“Don’t be smart with me, Scamander,” Crawford snapped. “Your late brother-in-law may have put up with it, but I certainly won’t.”

“Theseus is missing,” She corrected tersely. “Not killed.”

“He’s been missing for four months,” He stated. “He’s as good as dead. Now,” Crawford leaned over her, and she resisted the urge to gag at the overwhelming smell of his cologne. “You might have gotten away with it this time, Scamander, but you can’t hide forever. As soon as we’re legally able – once that baby is out – we’re sending you off to fight; is that clear?”

Tina wished she could hex him – she wanted nothing more – but he was her boss and she knew it would be best not to. “Yes, sir,” She bit out.

As he stormed out of her office, muttering about ‘blasted women’ and ‘stupid babies’, Tina sagged in her chair and placed her head in her hands; despite what she’d said, she had the horrible feeling that Crawford had been right regarding Theseus – she didn’t want to give up hope, if only for Newt’s sake, but it seemed more and more unlikely that he was still alive. It didn’t help that she now had to deal with this, with her own boss hating her just for being pregnant – it was going to make the last few months before she went on leave very unpleasant indeed.

Once that baby is out, we’re sending you off to fight.

She tried not to shudder at the thought; it wasn’t that she didn’t want to fight, but surely there were laws about going on leave to have babies? Surely they’d give her a few weeks, at the very least, to recover and spend time with her family?

Stop worrying, Tina scolded herself, What is it Newt says? “Worrying means you suffer twice”. It’ll all work out eventually.

She just wish she knew how.

Tina was late home for dinner that night and he noticed – he always noticed. She was late home most nights, he’d soon realized, and while it was no longer surprising when she didn’t come home until late it still made him feel rather anxious all the same.

“I put the children to bed,” Newt told her quietly, watching as she took a seat at the kitchen table and slipped off her shoes. “They’ve had their tea – would you like me to make you something?”

She waved her hand dismissively however. “I’m not hungry, really – bad nausea and all that. But thanks.”

He couldn’t help himself from frowning; she seemed to be getting thinner and thinner despite the fact she was pregnant, and he would have been lying if he said it didn’t make him feel slightly troubled. “It’s fine, love, I don’t mind cooking you something; perhaps some soup or something light?”

“I’m fine,” She repeated, and gave him a look – he knew that look well, that it meant not to push a subject further. “Honestly, Newt, please don’t worry about me. I just wanna go to bed.”

“I’m not worrying,” He denied half-heartedly. “But I just thought…never mind. You get some rest, dear, and I’ll settle everyone in the case for the night.”

He watched as she retreated upstairs, her whole body seeming to sag with exhaustion, and he couldn’t help but sigh to himself; he knew his wife was more than capable of looking after herself, that she was perfectly able to choose what she did – but that didn’t stop him from caring and wanting the best, after all. He knew she was adamant about continuing to work, and that she had more than enough on her plate as it was – the new baby, their three children, her worry over how Jacob and Queenie’s family were settling in, how successful their bakery was… He was hoping that perhaps she might allow herself to relax more with the family’s mixed celebration of Hanukkah and Christmas (for they both began 24th December this year) but with the way things were going it looked unlikely.

I’ll have to ask Jacob to put some pastries aside for us, Newt thought to himself – hopefully Tina would allow herself to indulge in some of her brother-in-law’s delicious baking.

With that thought, he also wondered if it might make her feel better to invite the entire Kowalski family over for the holidays – they were also multi-faith, he knew, and it would be surely be wonderful if they all spent both holidays together as a family. Tina would certainly enjoy getting to celebrate Hanukkah with Queenie again, and it was this that made him resolve to remember to invite them as soon as possible.

Everything would be fine in the end, he told himself – it was just a matter of waiting.

It hadn’t escaped her notice that she was rapidly losing weight – she was of course more than aware.

For one thing, her clothes had become looser instead of tighter, like one would have expected during a pregnancy – and then there were her bones. She could feel them jutting out when she was in the bath or getting dressed in the morning, sharp and poking out almost dangerously. At first she had managed to convince herself that it wasn’t anything to be worried about – she had always been rather thin, even as a young girl, and the fact that the country was under a rationing scheme didn’t particularly help either; to add, the nausea from the pregnancy was making it quite impossible for her to keep her food down on some days, and it often left her feeling rather ravenous. Tina had put up with it, though, telling herself that it wouldn’t last long.

But then she had started feeling faint.

That immediate rang alarm bells in her mind; as an Auror, she was trained to have quick-wits and keen senses – to feel faint would compromise that completely, make her vulnerable if she were to go out on a mission or raid. Tina knew that feeling fatigued or close to fainting could harm either herself of the baby – and after the trouble of just conceiving this baby, the one they were told was a miracle, the idea was unacceptable.

Perhaps I should tell Newt…

But she knew what he would do; he would worry over her (though deny that he was ‘worrying’, merely ‘fretting’) and attempt to force her to see a Healer, and she knew that St. Mungo’s had enough to deal with already during this war without her turning up and complaining of feeling hungry and faint.

No, she just had to be careful and wait the morning sickness out, Tina reasoned to herself, for she was four months along now – the nausea had to disappear soon.

Once that goes, I can eat normally again, she told herself tiredly as she clambered into bed late one night, careful not to wake up her husband; I’ll be fine – no point in complaining over going hungry since everyone else is too.

It was cold a few nights later when he felt her hesitantly touching him through his pyjama bottoms, and he groaned without opening his eyes.

“I know you’re awake,” Tina murmured, and there was an amused tone in her voice.

“Not quite – but if you keep touching me like that I will be,” Newt joked, and it made him grin when she laughed. “Come here then.”

It hadn’t taken long to start working on her pyjama buttons, kissing her fiercely as she straddled him, and as soon as he was able he pushed the shirt from her shoulders eagerly. With that out of the way, he started to run his hands over her torso, desperate to feel her. Usually when she was pregnant she had been somewhat plumper, even when just a few months along, and he’d loved exploring those new curves – but something was different this time.

She was barely anything but skin and bone – his wife had always been slender and fit, working as an Auror, but this…this was closer to malnourished than fit.

“Tina,” He gasped, pulling away from her. “You’re so thin.”

Tina looked confused for a moment – and then her expression changed to one of hurt. “Oh…sorry.”

“Hang on,” Newt muttered hurriedly when she tried to move away from him. “Tina, love, look at me.” She did, and he wasn’t particularly surprised to see that she looked decidedly upset. “I didn’t mean it like that…I just meant-”

“I know,” She said quietly, avoiding his gaze. “I’m sorry. We don’t have to…if it makes you feel uncomfortable or anything…”

He shook his head, his grip on her tightening just a tad. “No, no…it’s not like that, I was just…haven’t you been eating?”

Her cheeks seemed to go pink. “Of course I have! It’s just…well, it keeps coming back up. But I’m fine, honestly,” She added hurriedly. “I’m eating properly, I really am. Please, can we carry on?”

Part of Newt wanted to continue asking her – wanted to know why she was so thin, why she was losing weight and not getting any larger despite being pregnant…but he also didn’t want to push her. It was clearly a topic that made Tina uncomfortable, and the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable of all things.

It was for this reason he didn’t say a word, instead silently nodding and returning the kiss she pressed against his mouth. The concern could wait for another night, he told himself, when she wasn’t as stressed or anxious – they’d talk it over fully then.

“…I hope the baby is a girl.”

Phoenix scrunched up his nose at her, forgetting momentarily about his task of setting the table for breakfast. “No, it should be a boy – we don’t need another girl.”

“I want a sister,” Linnet huffed. “I’ve got two brothers, and I don’t want another one; I’m the only girl and it’s not fair. I don’t want another brother because you two are bad enough! Well…” She paused thoughtfully. “You’re awful – Leo is okay.”

Tina gave a huff as she rubbed at her temples. “Lin, stop being mean to your brother. Phoenix, stop trying to provoke a reaction from her.”

“But-”

“Leo’s not causing any noise,” She interrupted, and her eyes flitted over to her youngest son; he was sat at the breakfast table with a copy of Newt’s book in his lap. He couldn’t read it by himself yet, but he did still enjoy the illustrations. “Come on, guys, I’ve gotta get to work – I don’t have time for this.”

Phoenix and Linnet both looked guilty.

“Sorry, Mum…”

“Yes, sorry, Mummy.”

Newt arrived downstairs just a few minutes later, top buttons of his shirt undone and his waistcoat hanging open casually; he set to making breakfast immediately, much to Tina’s relief, and directed her to the kitchen table.

“Sit down, love,” He said gently. “I’ll get you some tea and you can relax before work.”

Though she was certain he was trying to mother her (the irony didn’t escape her), she was also rather grateful all the same. “Thanks.”

The kitchen was soon full of the chatter of the children as they laughed and talked excited about the upcoming holidays; they were all looking forward to lighting their menorahs, Leo especially, and they were soon discussing gifts they might like.

“We’re lucky,” Linnet told Newt happily. “Because we get presents for Hanukkah and from Santa.”

“You are very lucky,” He agreed fondly. “All three of you – and just think, next year you’ll have another brother or sister to celebrate with.”

“Hopefully a brother,” Phoenix muttered under his breath.

Newt pretended not to hear this. “You can teach them about the Festival of Lights, and about the North Pole, and then when they get older you’ll be able to help them with their menorah.”

“Mine is the best,” Leo proclaimed, beaming at his father. “It’s got lots of colours on it.”

As Newt chuckled to himself, rather amused, he noticed that Tina was staring down at the table – and she looked extremely pale. “Hang on… Tina, love, are you feeling alright?”

The children swivelled in their seats to look at her curiously; Phoenix frowned to himself, clearly realizing quickly that something wasn’t quite right, and Linnet started to gnaw on her lip.

Leo leaned against her side, clutching the fabric of her work jacket. “Mummy? What’s the matter? Are you feeling bad again?”

“’m fine,” She assured him half-heartedly, though she looked about ready to vomit. “I…I think I’ll have to miss out on breakfast… I’ll be back in a minute.”

Newt watched as she suddenly bolted from her seat and left the kitchen, and his stomach dropped; she hadn’t eaten the evening before, and he doubted she was eating much at work. He knew morning sickness was common throughout pregnancy (and not always in the morning) but something was decidedly off about this.

Phoenix seemed to follow this train of thought and took a deep breath before turning to his now-silent siblings. “We should visit Auntie Queenie after breakfast – perhaps Toby and Daisy and the twins would like to play?”

Linnet looked significantly cheered up by this. “Yes, we should; I want to see Daisy’s room still!”

Leo looked to Newt for confirmation, somewhat unsure. “Daddy, can I…Can I bring your book?” Leo asked quietly. “I wanna show Auntie Queenie.”

Queenie, of course, was more than acquainted with his book – but Newt grinned and nodded. “Of course, Leo; I’m sure she’d love to sit with you and read it.”

His youngest son beamed, turning to his brother and sister excitedly; Newt, meanwhile, found himself silently fretting over Tina in his head – she was more than capable of looking after herself, but still…something wasn’t right.

Perhaps Queenie will be able to help, He thought to himself, and that made some sense: she had more than enough experience with these things, after all, and she’d be able to give him some advice on what to do.

Yes, a visit to the Kowalski family’s new home would probably be useful.

In the last few weeks since the Kowalskis had begun to settle in their new home in Dorset, the house had begun to gain some rather colourful decorations; Newt greatly suspected the pink was all Queenie’s choosing.

His sister-in-law was humming as she finished stirring some coffee in a mug, and she wrinkled her nose up as she approached him. “The coffee here is still awful.”

“I’m sorry. I’m afraid we specialise more in tea,” Newt said lightly, the corners of his mouth twitching up a tad. “Tina gave up after the first month and just switched to tea – you could try that.”

“I’d rather not.” The mugs set themselves on the table, and she smiled at him. “Well, it sure is nice of you to bring the kids ‘round – but you’ve got something else on your mind, haven’t you?”

“You know I do.”

Queenie nodded, biting her lip as she read over his thoughts. “Yeah… Oh, that’s not normal…”

“It’s not?”

“Teenie’s…what? Four months?” He had barely given a nod when she sighed. “Oh, honey – she needs a doctor at this rate.”

“So I’m not overreacting?”

Queenie shook her head, sighing to herself. “No, honey, you ain’t. You should ask her to go to a doctor or something…but she’s stubborn.”

“Dreadfully so,” Newt agreed quietly.

“She’s always been skinny,” Queenie mused absentmindedly. “But she’s lost so much weight there’s barely anything of her – you wouldn’t think she’s four months along… Poor Teenie…”

“I don’t think the near-constant morning sickness is helping,” He added miserably, ignoring his tea. “Merlin, she’s barely eating at home, and I have a feeling she’s not eating at work either. I don’t want to force her or anything, but…but I want her to be healthy.”

The blonde witch gave him a sympathetic look. “Of course you do, Newt. It ain’t healthy for her to be like this though, and if she can’t keep food down ‘cause of morning sickness…well, there’s potions for that, right?”

“Ah. Yes. But…”

Queenie bit her lip. “They’re expensive,” She finished for him. “The war and trading…I see. I’d brew her one, you know, no problem, but I ain’t got the ingredients or a cauldron yet.”

There was a long silence between the two of them, the only sound being that of the children playing in the rooms upstairs. Finally, after taking a sip from his mug, Newt sat back in his seat and fixed his eyes on the table. “So…What do you suggest that I do then?”

“Sweetie, I know it’s difficult…” She paused. “Oh, you wanted Jacob to make pastries?”

“Well…I thought it couldn’t hurt,” Newt admitted, trying not to pink at how easily she had read his mind. “And only if he doesn’t mind – I know he’s working extra hours to make sure the bakery is doing well.”

“He’d be more than happy to,” Queenie assured him without hesitation. “Family’s gotta come first, no matter what. I’ll let him know. Other than that…a doctor?”

He tried not to sigh to himself; it was probably his best option, really, but he doubted as to whether or not she’d willingly go to a Healer to be examined – she’d insist everything was fine, that she could handle things even when she couldn’t. Tina was stubborn and determined; it was what he loved about her, but sometimes it could also be a slight obstacle too.

“Let me talk to her,” Queenie said suddenly, leaning across the table and putting a hand on his arm. “Maybe I can talk some sense into her, you know? Besides, Hanukkah’s gonna be soon – that and Christmas, right? I’m sure she’ll gain some weight over the holidays.”

Hopefully, Newt thought to himself, not even bothering to attempt to close his mind; I just want this to be a normal pregnancy, for Merlin’s sake, as stress-free and relaxed as possible.

It didn’t escape his notice that Queenie was frowning to herself as she sipped her coffee, clearly troubled in her own thoughts.

“SCAMANDER!”

Tina jumped – she couldn’t help it; partly because the voice had been a shout, and also because she had, admittedly, been close to dozing off over her paperwork.

She was hurriedly rubbing her eyes when Crawford strode into the room, face bright purple with fury. “YOU!”

“What have I done now?” She asked, trying to hide the exhaustion from her voice. “I’m doing the paperwork you assigned me, sir-”

“You interfered with the case I assigned Nott!”

Oh, that. Tina straightened in her seat, trying not to go red. “Sir, I can explain… Nott was stuck, he didn’t know what he was doing; he hasn’t had the proper training, hasn’t had long enough – none of the recruits have. I only stepped in because he asked me to.”

“I don’t care whether he begged you to take the case,” Crawford snarled. “I am the one in charge – you follow my orders. Do you understand?”

“Of course,” She agreed quickly, wary of angering him further. “Sir, I won’t interfere anymore but…but if you perhaps let me go back to helping the recruits train-”

“We don’t have the time to waste on training!” He snapped. “You don’t seem to understand, do you? Every day that you’re sitting here in your little office or at home with your husband, there are good fighters dying across the ocean. Good young men and women who have barely lived their lives… We need all the fighters we can get, whether they’re trained or not.”

Tina gnawed on her lip. “I…I know, sir. I know that people are dying – I knew many of them. I…I trained with some of them before they were sent away…” Her heart caught in her throat and she silently willed it to go down again. “But these recruits aren’t going to survive if we don’t train them.”

Crawford heaved a sigh, shaking his head at her. “I won’t expect you to understand, Scamander – women never do seem to understand the importance of these things, not once they’ve had babies.”

“I do,” She gritted out, tensing at his words. “With all due respect, sir, I’ve been here longer than you have.”

“No, you don’t,” Crawford disagreed with a sneer, turning away from her. “Have you been to fight? Have you seen the torture some of our teams are put through? Have you seen comrades die in battle? Have you been forced to watch the light leave their eyes?”

Tina was silent, eyes wide.

“I didn’t think so.” He reached the door and turned to face her one last time. “I won’t warn you again, Scamander: if I find out that you’ve interfered on another Auror’s case, I’ll be forced to take immediate action. Have I made myself understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Tina agreed quietly, feeling rather unwell.

The door had barely closed behind him when she lurched for the bin and vomited what had been her lunch.

The covers felt far too hot over her, despite the fact it was December, and she just felt so sore – it was probably the nausea again, she thought miserably, and she debated getting up to wait in the toilet just in case she did need to empty her stomach.

Newt turned beside her, yawning loudly; Tina watched him for a moment, thinking and testing how she felt. The ache was getting somewhat worse, like nothing she’d felt before, and something felt decidedly not right.

Right. I definitely need to get to the toilet.

As she sat up in the bed, however, she was aware of several sensations; firstly, that there was a strange metallic smell wafting nearby, picked up by her already sensitive nose and making her feel sick to her stomach. Secondly, something felt odd…something sticky between her thighs…

Tina hurriedly reached out for her wand and grasped it from the nightstand; she muttered, “Lumos,” and immediately looked over herself.

And there was blood.

She was a trained Auror, she knew how to remain calm in difficult situations – but even with all of her years of specialised training she found herself panicking.

And she panicked badly.

“Newt,” She gasped out, reaching to shake him quickly as tears involuntarily started to blur her vision. “Newt, please, wake up! Please!”

The desperation in her voice must have done the trick; it took him just a few moments to wake up, his eyes squinting as they adjusted to the darkness. When he saw that she was in tears, he sat up with an alarmed look and placed his hands on her shoulders. “What’s wrong, love? Tina, love, breathe for me…what’s wrong?”

“I…” She choked on a quiet sob. “I’m bleeding, Newt.”

I AM FUCKING AWFUL PLEASE FORGIVE ME

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed (HA!) and hopefully a second part will be up soon!

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