#half-blood prince

[hogwartscastle]

Snape after Harry Potter injured a classmate with one of his own created spells:

[albaskies]

Tears ricochet

It occurs to her all at once, her nose buried in his chest, his arms tight around her shoulders. 

‘You’re alright,’ he whispers. ‘You’re alright.’

When she looks up to him, sees his eyes shut and his tense lips, she immediately knows he is not trying to reassure her. He is reassuring himself.

He’d found her in the Common Room, not long after he’d disappeared with Professor McGonagall behind the doors of the hospital wing. He’d walked straight to her as soon as he’d seen her, ignoring Ron and Hermione’s worried looks, and he’d held like he had not seen her since before he’d left the school with Dumbledore. He’d clung to her like he’d only just realised that they had been apart during a battle, that he’d been too far away to protect her, that he cannot be in two places at once. And it pains him, she can tell, it takes his breath away.

This must be it, she thinks - she knows. She clenches her fists, pressing her body onto his only for him to feel that she’s alive, she’s safe, she’s real. She won’t leave him, not until he’ll ask her to.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Stupid and noble.

.

No, she understands. Really, she does. It must’ve been somewhere hidden in the  fine print on dating the Chosen One. Right under He will set off to top-secret missions with old wizards that end up dying, it’d say: He’ll push you away to keep you safe, and then: He’ll leave you behind, whatever that means. And finally: You must let him.

After all, her feelings are irrelevant in the bigger picture. There’s a war raging out there, for Merlin’s sake. Why would she even waste time fantasising about a boy she fancies when Dumbledore has died and her brother has been maimed? It’s only selfish to even fathom those silly feelings in a time like this, right? Right?

She forces her head back under the hot stream of the shower, lets the water flood her face and blur her vision, trying harder than herself to shut down that one intrusive thought she knows has now started creeping in the back of her mind. But she can’t. She can’t because she already knows, not so deep down, that he’s not just some boy she fancies, that her feelings aren’t silly, that what they share is there and it’s real, whatever it is.

Her mouth tastes bitter now. Ironic how Tom has ruined this for them, too. 

.

She tells Hermione the following morning, when the boys have run off to find some lunch for them to eat under a tree. She’s not sure what she expects to get out of her, but she takes a shot at it anyway.

‘He’s going to leave me.’

Hermione opens her mouth but nothing comes out, her eyes sombre. Ginny realises she has been holding her breath.

‘You all are.’

Still, the warm July sun bathes the castle grounds as if summer does not care, as if it is all some cruel joke.

.

When it finally happens, at least she is not caught off guard. She manages to hold back her tears, just as she promised herself on countless occasions, because he does not deserve any more pain. He does not deserve any of it. 

Funny how she is the one who is getting her heart broken, but she is still more concerned about his well being than anything else. Maybe this is what love is, she finally realises. It must be. 

She reckons this is not the best time to tell him. Wonders if she’ll ever get the chance to.

.

On the train ride back home, she’s finally alone and free to let out all those tears she’s so stubbornly managed to hold back until now. She’s only human, after all. 

She feels it all so distinctly now, the pain, the grief, the hurt, the hopelessness. But there is something almost peaceful about the deep-rooted, ever-present, plain old sense of acceptance that sits right on top of her stomach. 

She knows it too well that the time has come for the Chosen One to prevail over Harry. The Chosen One has things to do, riddles to solve (Really, Ginny?, she thinks, half-smiling despite herself), and Harry has to oblige, head down, feelings buried, a wasted adolescence. It must be hard to love the Chosen One, that self-sacrificing, reckless, stubborn, noble git. But loving Harry, the real Harry, is the easiest thing in the world. 

As for her - well, she knows she deeply cares for them both. Hell with that, she knows she loves them both. And, yes, she understands them both. She knows all too well what her role is, in all this mess. She really does know that the Chosen One had no choice but to break up with her before doing whatever he is set to do. She also knows that Harry never would have. 

This is the only thought that will keep her going even months from now, when she will be fighting her own resistance battle.

.

As soon as she sets foot into her home, the all-too-familiar smells flooding her senses, she just knows she won’t be able to sit through an entire dinner without giving away too much. She’s too tired to lie and pretend.

‘I’m going to bed,’ she mutters to nobody in particular. ‘I’m not hungry,’ and: ‘Yes, I’m fine, I’m just knackered.’

Her mother stiffens, ready to let out a protest, but she turns on her heels towards the stairs before anyone manages to say anything. She can feel Ron’s eyes on the back of her neck, just as she’s felt his silent and constant gaze since they’ve got off the train not so long ago. And when she hears his heavy steps behind her, following hers, she’s not even surprised.

They stop on the first floor landing, just in front of her bedroom door.

‘I’m fine, Ron,’ she quickly tells him, suddenly worrying that he’ll jump right into one of those how dare my best friend hurt my sister kind of rants. ‘Don’t worry about it.’

But instead, when she looks at him she realises that he’s not going to do any of that. His expression is miserable, sure, but it doesn’t take long for her to learn that he understands, too.

‘I’m so sorry, Ginny,’ he blurts out, no need to add more.

And that’s when it hits her, again, but much stronger this time. Maybe it’s because it’s someone else who is putting it in front of her, making it more real, or maybe it’s because she’s back home and the void left by Harry's absence is slowly starting to burn her gut. Maybe both, or maybe neither. It doesn’t even matter, that's for sure.

‘I’m sorry, too.’

He must have felt that something has changed, her voice has shifted and her eyes have filled with tears. She can read it all over his face - the distress, the panic, the what do I do now. She reckons she hasn’t cried in front of him since that train ride on her way to school in her second year. Must be new for him, must feel weird.

But even if his expression doesn’t seem to have a clue, his body certainly does - he stretches out his arm towards her and she grabs it right away, as if they have never really got rid of the long forgone habit of holding each other. He engulfs her in a warm hug, the Big Brother Hug, crumbling the last piece of guard she has managed to hold up until now. And then she just cries - she cries ugly, sobs and snot and all that. She feels like she’s twelve all over again.

.

Later, in her childhood bedroom, she sinks deep into her bed, ready to doze off into what she hopes will be dreamless oblivion. In that dark, quiet stillness, she can’t stop her mind from wandering to a time (or a fantasy, she isn’t quite sure) when this will all be over. He will slip into the very same tiny bed, squeezed right next to her, his hands gripped on her waist, lips pressed onto hers, then on her jaw, her neck, her shoulder. Or maybe - no, maybe she will rest her head on his chest, listening to the sound of him breathing, and he will gently stroke her hair as if he’s never really stopped. Or maybe (and here she can’t help but feel a soft blush tickling her cheeks), maybe their bodies and souls will find each other, bare, warm, breathless. 

‘I can’t believe I got this lucky,’ he’ll tell her, you know, after. ‘I can’t believe I get to live this life.’

‘Been dreaming of getting in my bed for long, now, have you,’ she’ll tease, her sardonic tone merely hiding her immense relief.

He’ll let out a small smile - small, yes, but finally light, free, and easy, so, so easy.

‘All those Veelas didn’t quite hit’, he’ll draw some imaginary quotation marks in the air and throw her a knowing look. ‘The spot, you know.’

She’ll snort a laughter in disbelief, and she’ll be so fucking glad, because as though everything will have changed, so much will have just stayed the same.

[pottersource]

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE 2009, dir. David Yates

[fandomsaligninstories]

Then I Met You

Description: Violet Ellis is about to have her whole life change in ways she never could have predicted. A story of love, loss, anger, and magic. If you had told 10 year old Violet that she was a witch, she would have laughed. And if you told her that her entire life was a lie? Well, she wouldn’t have believed you. But 15 year old Violet? She doesn't know who to trust or who is on her side. Except for him.

Song Rec.: Violet and Draco's Playlist

TW: Angst, Big Emotions™️, death, abandonment (of child), illegitimate child, mentions of war and death eaters. Bullying (from slytherins). Slowburn. I’m not British, so forgive me if I completely butcher this… If I missed anything, let me know.

Other: Slowburn romance, sort of fast-paced story.

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x OC

TAG LIST: OPEN

WC:

Alternative Reading: Wattpad , Ao3

Status: On-Going

Chapters:

Year One: The Hogwarts Express

Year One: The Welcome Feast

Year One: Day One

Year One: Day Three

Year One: Halloween

Year One: Lamest Quidditch Match Ever

Year One: The Hufflepuff Entourage

Year One: End of Year

Year Two: Flourish and Botts

Year Two: Return to Hogwarts

Year Two: Boy Trouble

Year Two: Gilderoy Lockhart

Year Two: Slytherins Prank First-Years

Year Two: More Boy Trouble

Year Two: Jealousy, Jealousy

Year Two: The Chamber of Secrets

Year Two: Astronomy

Year Two: Astronomy Part 2

Year Two: Rogue Bludger

Year Two: A Bit of Draco

Year Two: A Touch of Kindness

Year Two: Jade(d)

Year Two: A Friends Breaking Point

Year Two: Sick Day

Year Two: The Dueling Club

Year Two: Parseltongue

Year Two: Polyjuice Potion

Year Two: Valentine's

[artist-issues]

I want you all to know that secretly, in my heart, when Harry said "Maybe she fell in love with Sirius" after thinking about Tonks' mysterious four-legged Patronus, I thought to myself "be better if she fell in love with Lupin."

I mean, poor Lupin. Lost all his best friends, one of them a betraying murderer. Then, right after he ALSO loses Dumbledore, I learn

Oh, Tonks IS in love with him! LUCKY GUESS! There IS somebody left alive who can care about Lupin in a close personal way!

HURRAY. Where's all the fanart?

[hinnyweasley]

New fic!!

I finally was able to write another fic! And not only that, but this time I didn’t even have to force myself to write it so hopefully it should flow a lot better than the last fic I wrote. It’s some Christmas fluff from hbp and I know it's mid July but I’m just glad to be writing again. Also, I’m pretty sure this is the first hbp fic I’ve written, which is crazy because it’s by far my favorite era haha

They aren’t dating?

[lokitapendragon]

Re-watching Half-Blood Prince and you know, sometimes I forget about the fact that the Unbreakable Vow would kill Snape, never mind his loyalty to Dumbledore driving his actions. Which makes the fact that Severus, faced with murdering the man who had set him on the path towards the light, still freaking hesitates until Albus literally begs him "Severus, please."

His life is on the line and he still has to have that final push.

My gosh I love Snape.

[iliveilove]

WAIT! Let's talk about something. In HBP when Snape tells Harry to go get his books after he hit Draco with Sectumsepra, he tells him to get ALL his books. Not just this potion book. So WHAT IF, Snape also improved and invented things in other field of magic like Charms and Transfiguration. And maybe he wrote down his spells in other books other than his potion one because he just gets an idea during Charms and just HAS to write it down and so his notes are all over the place. Just an idea cuz I always wondered why Harry had to get ALL his books and not just his Advanced Potion Making.

[hchollym]

Also: the twins and Ginny literally assault him the first time he steps back in the Burrow. Why tf would he want to stay?

I can already tell that I’m going to get a lot of hate for this response, but here we go...

Let me just preface this by saying that Percy is my absolute favorite HP character - I will defend him until I’m blue in the face. 

That being said, this is one of the only instances where I will defend Ginny & the twins, because I can absolutely sympathize with their reaction. 

Don’t get me wrong - I don’t blame Percy either, but the entire situation was really messed up.

It’s Christmas - a day for family and joy - and Percy comes over with the Minister of Magic. His entire family (aside from Molly) was suspicious and tense, but no one was outwardly hostile. If anything, they seemed almost excited when they heard that he was home, before they realized that he was with the Minister of Magic, and even after that, they were willing to at least go along with his appearance. 

“Arthur — it’s Percy!” 

“What?” 

Mr. Weasley looked around. Everybody looked quickly at the window; Ginny stood up for a better look. There, sure enough, was Percy Weasley, striding across the snowy yard, his horn-rimmed glasses glinting in the sunlight. He was not, however, alone. 

......

But Percy showed no sign of wanting to greet any of the rest of the family. He stood, poker-straight and awkward-looking, and stared over everybody else’s heads. Mr. Weasley, Fred, and George were all observing him, stony-faced.

Then, Scrimgeour made it blatantly obvious that he was using this visit to target Harry. 

“. . . We’ve only looked in for five minutes, so I’ll have a stroll around the yard while you catch up with Percy. No, no, I assure you I don’t want to butt in! Well, if anybody cared to show me your charming garden . . . Ah, that young man’s finished, why doesn’t he take a stroll with me?” 

The atmosphere around the table changed perceptibly.

Do I think Percy had any say in this whatsoever? Definitely not. The Burrow was probably the last place in the world that he wanted to be. 

However, Scrimgeour clearly forced his hand, and as a result, it certainly made it seem like Percy was using his relationship with his family to do exactly what they accused him of doing in the first place - and I’m sure that Percy recognized that he was being used, which made it so much more humiliating for him. 

Even knowing Percy’s side, do I blame Ginny and twins for their reaction? No, I don’t. As far as they knew, Percy was completely okay with Scrimgeour's actions. So in this particular situation, I can understand their frustration and bitterness towards Percy. As immature as it was to throw mashed parsnip at him, it didn’t physically hurt him, and I think it was rather justified from where they were standing. 

Thanks for the ask! 🙂

[bellaxullen]

fem!Severus Snape x Lily Evans

“, .. thought we were supposed to be friends?” Snape was saying. “Best friends?”

“We are, Sev, but I don’t like some of the people you’re hanging round with!”

[hogwartscastle]

[damsel-in-mistress]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy Additional Tags: Hogwarts Sixth Year, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Angst, Songfic, Death Eater Draco Malfoy

Summary: She wasn’t supposed to walk in on him. She was supposed to be tutoring some third-year half-wits, not catching him red-handed, clothes wildly strewn all over the floor while he was still at it.

On the bed.

With mussed-up hair and shock-widened eyes.

Unable to deny what he was doing.

[a-depressed-mouse]

Baghra really being Dumbledore this episode, moping about her past mistakes and opening secret doors with blood

[thefictionalwriterwritesfiction]

My babe would never fret none, About what my hands and my body done

Written for @whumpcember

Prompt: Bleeding Out, day 27

What if the bathroom scene went differently?

...

Ultimately, guilt was what brought Harry to the Hospital wing the next morning. The plight of Draco Malfoy never failed to expertly pluck at Harry's saviour complex.

He regretted doing this to Malfoy, but he didn't regret the spell, or the rush of power that made his hair stand on end.

For punishment, Harry spent his evenings on Prefect patrol with Draco for weeks, and discovered a few things about himself.

As March bled into May, and the tense nature of Harry and Draco's relationship flourished into something more, Harry found himself plummeting into the world of dark magic, suddenly addicted to the power it gave him.

[fureliselost]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Pansy Parkinson & Harry Potter & Blaise Zabini, Harry Potter & Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall & Harry Potter, Minerva McGonagall & Severus Snape Characters: Harry Potter, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini Additional Tags: Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Albus Dumbledore Dies, Major Character Undeath, It's fine it's just dumb old door, Slytherin Harry Potter, Dark Harry Potter, ish, Drarry coded, Autistic Harry Potter, Black Harry Potter, It's more of an implication than explicitly stated tho, Severus Snape Adopts Harry Potter, Severus Snape is So Done, Minerva McGonagall Adopts Harry Potter, Poison, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter is a Horcrux, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter Friendship, Harry Potter is So Done, Harry Potter is a Little Shit Summary:

"I think I know who cursed Katie." Harry announced when he was called aside after Katie was taken to the infirmary. "I'm not sure," he wasn't as quick to place blame these days, "But I think I saw that necklace in the dormitory, in Draco's belongings."

McGonagall seemed hesitant, "You really think Mr Malfoy would curse a fellow student in order to harm the Headmaster?"

"I don't know," he admitted, "Everyone's noticed he's been different all year." At first, Harry thought he just didn't know Draco well enough to really know what he was like, but then Blaise had confirmed that it was unusual for Draco to be like that. "I did see him in the Three Broomsticks at the time Katie was there too. It could've been someone else and they put it with his belongings, but I wouldn't be able to confirm that."

She seemed to accept that.

OR: Harry gets resorted into Slytherin in Half-Blood Prince and things spiral out of control

[otp-i-dreamed-of-you]

Loneliness cuts deeper than any knife.