#he was still keeping secrets because many reasons (points at Lupin and the gang)

[beeholyshit]

Warm up while I didn't have wifi heheheheh

[raptured-night]

Hi - I hope you don't mind me querying this - and also that you've not answered it before but you mention at least 3 times in that massive 'Severus doesn't deserve redemption' thread that following the werewolf prank, Dumbledore threatens Severus with expulsion if he reveals Remus as a werewolf... Can you point me in the direction of where that information is shared? Is it the pensive in book 7 or..?

Hello! 

First, allow me to apologize for the delay in my response. I’ve been on a temporary hiatus from Tumblr due to an increased work-load. I keep trying to get back into the swing of it but work has left me a bit foggy and not as up for the lengthy meta I enjoy writing. As I like to produce meta of quality, I mostly have just been popping on Tumblr sporadically and I sometimes miss things like this. 

Explanation out of the way, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 18 when Remus Lupin is attempting to fill Harry, Ron, and Hermione in on everything he is the one to bring up Snape and their history together at Hogwarts. He notes Snape had opposed his appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor because he suspected he was in league with Sirius Black and didn’t trust him, in large part because he believed Lupin had been in on the “prank.” It is then that he reveals that Snape had been forbidden after the incident to speak of it to anyone by Dumbledore. 

Essentially, Dumbledore capitalized on his authority as Headmaster to secure Snape’s silence because (1. if it got out that Remus was a werewolf and the lengths that he went to allow him to attend Hogwarts as Headmaster (i.e. planting the Whomping Willow and keeping his condition a secret from other students and their parents) it would give his enemies (e.g. Voldemort) an opportunity to remove him from the school and (2. Remus would have been forced out of the school as well as a consequence of Sirius’s “prank.” So, ultimately Dumbledore had a difficult choice and that would have colored Snape’s perception of his situation at Hogwarts. While we can step back and appreciate the strategic necessity of ensuring Snape did not expose a secret that could not only ruin a student who had also been made a victim in that situation but also weaken Dumbledore’s position in the ongoing war, Snape would only have seen what seemed a clear case of institutional bias so extreme other classmates/bullies could make an attempt on his life and the highest figure of authority at the school would still protect them seemingly because they are of the same house as the Headmaster. 

I try not to paint Dumbledore in too dark a light because I do see the reasoning behind his choice; however, I also think he could have handled the situation more evenly and it might have at least given Snape a little more reason to believe the system wasn’t quite so rigged against him (thus making him more vulnerable to the kind of indoctrination and grooming that often leads angry and disenfranchised youth to join gangs, cults, extremist organizations, become radicalized, etc.). At least some consequences for Sirius’s actions would have gone a long way yet canon only tells us that Snape was forbidden to speak about a traumatic experience by Dumbledore personally (i.e. as the victim of an attempt on his life he is the only one singled out for any administrative action) and his meltdown many years later as a man in his thirties is a painful glimpse into the way a bullied child forbidden to vocalize their trauma or have it validated can have a lasting impact on a person’s psyche. 

[manage-mischief]

Ground Zero

Part One: Fears

Read on AO3 here. 

Summary: Two-shot. Though Tonks had been fantasizing about moments like this for months—moments when the two of them were in bed together—none of them had involved quite this much blood or mortal peril. In which Remus is injured during a mission and Tonks has to think fast to save his life.

Author’s Note: This will be a two-shot and perhaps part of a larger Remadora series. They are definitely one of my OTPs, and I feel like a lot of their relationship was glossed over in the books. This story attempts to place a timeline on some of their romance. It takes places soon after Order of the Phoenix, before the Half-Blood Prince. I envision it happening right before Harry arrives at the Weasley’s and sees Tonks and Molly there. I’m pretty new to fanfiction writing, so any kind comments would be appreciated!

“We’d like a room, please,” Tonks furiously attempted to steady her voice as she supported the injured man beside her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hoping the innkeeper would assume they were nothing more than two love-birds who couldn’t keep their hands off of each other, looking for a quiet night away.

“Just a mo’,” the woman behind the desk remarked, holding up a finger while flipping through a large, leather-bound journal. “Let me check what’s available, dears…let’s see let’s see…”

Tonks bounced her leg, irritated. It took all of her strength not to vault herself over the desk and strangle the old lady. This was a crisis, goddammit!

Breathe, just breathe.

Normally, Tonks prided herself on her ability to stay cool under fire. Normally, she’d be calm and collected, just like Moody had taught her. And she would have been, if anyone else had been leaning on her for support, dripping blood. Anyone else besides Remus Lupin.  

Remus had underestimated her when they first met. He, like many other members of the Auror Department, the Order, and her own family, quickly wrote her off: too young, too frivolous, too clumsy to do any good. He would scold her constantly. “Nymphadora,” he’d sigh in his disappointed professor voice, shaking his head whenever she had said or done something undignified. Naturally, he’d annoyed the living shit out of her. She couldn’t stand his constant nagging. She’d even asked Moody for a transfer.

“The two of you work well together,” her mentor had grunted, clearly indicating that there was no conversation to be had. She had more sense than to argue with Mad-Eye about such matters. He was a stubborn arse, just like her. It was why they got along so well.

It wasn’t until Remus and Tonks’ first real, proper, hunt-for-Death-Eaters-and-try-not-to-get-killed mission that the pair had bonded. Together, they had taken down a small group of Voldemort’s cronies stationed in Muggle London. Tonks had saved Remus’s life, blocking an avada kedavra on course to hit him square in the chest and taking down four baddies in her wake. Funnily enough, Remus gained a bit more respect for her after that. She began to return the feeling.

Respect blossomed into friendship. And friendship, at least for Tonks, had evolved into something much deeper and much, much harder to name. Her heart began to flutter each time he walked into the room. Their banter made her blush. She found herself making excuses to get close to him, despite every logical, reasonable voice in her head telling her becoming romantically involved with her partner would be an absolutely horrid idea. She never had been good at listening to reason.

Romantic feelings aside, the duo had made quite an impact on the Order. Their latest excursion had been going quite well…until it hadn’t. They were camped out in the woods near a small Muggle town in Wales. The Order had received a tip that Fenrir Greyback and his gang were hiding there, planning some attack for You-Know-Who. Despite the life-or-death circumstances, their little camping trip had been very enjoyable. The witch and wizard had sat under the trees, sharing secrets and stories of past mischief well into the night. Tonks even thought she had felt Remus’s hand brush hers as they lay on their backs, looking up at the stars that shone through the branches above.  

Then, they had been ambushed. Greyback had known they were coming. He must have. Three of his minions jumped them, just as their fire was beginning to die out. Tonks managed to defeat two of them in under a minute. She huffed, extremely pleased with her handiwork—until she heard a loud crash and a scream behind her. She whipped around. There was Remus, lying face down on the forest floor, bleeding profusely. The third member of Greyback’s pack grinned and darted back into the forest, leaving Tonks to take in the sight of her injured partner.

It was clear that their hastily-assembled campsite would be insufficient for tending to Remus’s wounds, so Tonks had Apparated to the village just beyond the woods. Her main priority was getting him to a safe and comfortable place. Running water and heat would be a plus. This inn had been the closest space she could find. The building itself was a bit run down, but the warm glow of the window lights and the steady stream of smoke emerging from the chimney had seemed promising enough. And so, she led her partner through the door, attempting to conceal the blood seeping through his shirt as though not to draw suspicion. The last thing she needed was the Muggle police getting involved. She was not in the mood to Obliviate anyone tonight.

“Hold on, we’ll get you fixed up,” she whispered in Remus’s ear, very aware of her own body pressed against his as he leaned on her for support. He nodded, his face paler than usual. Still, when the innkeeper looked up from her desk, he forced a smile, trying his best to keep up their alibi.

“Aha, here you are! Room 219, second floor. Should be a cozy place for you two to…relax.” The matron winked and flashed a sly grin. Tonks tried to laugh, but was sure it sounded more like a sob. “Thank you very much, ma’am.”

Tonks guided Remus around the corner. No elevator. Perfect. “Remus, we’re going to have to climb the stairs. I don’t think it’s safe for me to Apparate with you again. Can you do that?” Remus grimaced and nodded. Tonks adjusted her grip, holding up as much of his weight as she could. “Ok. One step at a time, Remus. Let’s do this,” she said, more as encouragement for herself than for him. This was not the time to be tripping up the stairs (as she had been known to do, on occasion).

Slowly, painstakingly, Tonks and Remus made their way up the stairs. Every step was agony. She could feel his breath hitch and his body tense at each movement. He winced, he groaned. Her heart felt as if it were being ripped into pieces. She couldn’t stand seeing him in this much pain. Get it together, Nymphadora! She scolded herself, using her hated first name. Focus, dammit! Why did emotions have to be so bothersome? This was just a mission. Just like any other mission. She had to resist the urge to break down. She refused to let her feelings…whatever they happened to be…get in the way of saving Remus.

Finally, they made it to their room. Tonks eased Remus onto the bed—of course, there was only one, because evidently the universe was determined to make Tonks’s life as miserable and humiliating as possible—and swung the knapsack she had been carrying off of her back. “Alright, I have a bit of Healer training. Let me see what we’ve got here…” she paused, her face reddening. “I’ll need to…um…expose the affected area….” Remus coughed. She chose to believe it was due to the exertion from stair climbing. There was certainly no awkwardness here. No sir. She was a professional.

“Okay then. Right. Um…” she kneeled in front of him and examined his injuries. There were three bloody gashes that began slightly left of his navel and wrapped around his left side before traveling up his back to his shoulder blade. His shirt was plastered to the area with a mixture of sweat and congealed blood. Scanning the rest of his body, she noticed a few more minor scrapes, as well as what seemed to be a large puncture wound on his left thigh. His breath continued in a ragged rhythm. Her hands began to shake.

“I’ve looked worse,” he chirped, cracking a feeble smile. His grin gave her a jolt of confidence. Reinvigorated, she stood and grabbed her knapsack, which had been enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.

“Debatable, old man,” she teased back. “I’m going have to get a better look at what we’re dealing with. Do you think you can take off your clothes?” Was it just a trick of the light, or had she seen some color return to his cheeks?

“I hate to ask, but… I don’t think I can manage it on my own.” He demonstrated a feeble attempt to raise the hem of his shirt, wincing. Tonks swallowed and nodded slowly. She plunged her arm deep into the magic bag and rummaged around until she found what she was searching for: a silver-bladed knife. “I hate to ruin your shirt…”

“I think we might be a bit past that point,” he quipped. Sitting down on bed beside him, she began to gently cut away the blood-soaked fabric. She worked as quickly as she dared—not wanting to tear away his skin, which clung to the sticky, formerly-white cloth. Finally, she was able to remove the garment, exposing Remus’ bare chest. This time, she felt her own breath hitch. Her eyes lingered, just for a moment, on his leanly muscular frame. She noticed streaks of white running crisscross over his bare skin: old transformation scars. She averted her gaze. This was no time to be ogling the half-naked man in front of her. Though she had been fantasizing about moments like this for months—moments when the two of them were alone in bed together—none of them had involved quite this much blood or mortal peril. Come to think of it, none of them had involvedany blood or mortal peril.  

The gashes on his chest and back were pretty superficial, despite the bleeding, and did not seem to have punctured any vital organs. She would simply have to stem the bleeding and bandage them up. She moved to examine his leg. “Lie down,” she commanded, and assisted as he tried to move his legs up onto the bed.

Grow up, she thought to herself, as she helped guide him out of his trousers. Her heart sank. The wound was deep. Furthermore, she deduced from the greenish tinge surrounding the gaping flesh, the weapon that had made it must have been poisoned. Great. She knew she should have paid more attention in potions. Furiously rummaging through her knapsack once more, she pulled out several bottles and desperately read their labels, muttering to herself. “Bubotuber pus, no. Mandrake draught, no. Love potion antidote, no, why do we even have this?!” Despite his state, Remus chuckled. “Clearly, you’ve never had the pleasure of being under the influence of a love potion. Now that’s dangerous.”

“Okay, right now I’m trying to focus on saving your life, Lupin, but as soon as I’m finished, I want every, and I mean every detail of that story.”

“Fine, fine. If I don’t succumb to whatever injuries those prats inflicted upon me, you can hear the story. But, if I do die, I want you to promise you’ll mourn me properly. Black veils, wailing, flinging yourself onto my coffin, the works.”

“There’ll be none of that talk! I’ll have you up and running about in no time, grandpa,” Tonks joked back, though still frowning. Dumbledore said he had given them everything they could possibly need for their adventure. Surely, he must have packed them something to deal with poison. Suddenly, her fingers wrapped around another, extremely small bottle. She pulled it out of the bag and searched the label. All it said was “From Fawkes, for Order emergencies,” with a picture of a red bird on the label.

“What’d’you reckon this could be,” Tonks asked as she passed Remus the bottle.

“Fawkes is Dumbledore’s bird, I believe,” he responded, twirling the bottle in his hands, as if searching for a hidden message.

Tonks’s face lit up. “That’s it! Give it here!” She grabbed it out of his hand and hastily unscrewed the top.

“What is?”

She grinned up at him as she used the dropper top to apply a generous amount of clear liquid to his punctured leg. Sure enough, the wound began to knit itself back together, the green hue fading. “Fawkes is a phoenix, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but I don’t…of course!” his faced beamed with realization. They met each other’s eyes and simultaneously exclaimed: “Phoenix tears have healing powers!” A moment passed.

“Nerd,” Tonks remarked. Then, the pair burst out laughing, the tension from the night’s events pouring out of them with a relief. Remus winced again, drawing them both back to reality.

“I suppose we don’t have enough to use on my other wounds as well?”

“No,” Tonks replied, once again searching through the bottles surrounding her, “but we do have Essence of Dittany and bandages!”

“That’ll do just fine.” Remus smiled.

The next hour consisted of Tonks carefully dabbing Dittany onto Remus’s chest and back. Now that the immediate danger had passed, she could no longer ignore the chills coursing up and down her spine as she lightly brushed his bare skin. Once she had bandaged the last of the gashes, she allowed her hand to linger for a split second. She ran her fingertips gently down his uninjured back. He went unnaturally still. She pulled her hand away, quickly. “I’m glad you’re okay, Remus.”

Abruptly, she jumped up off of the bed, walked to the bathroom, and locked the door. She let herself sink to the floor, back against the wall, and put her head in her hands. Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to slow her racing heart. There really was no denying it: she was deeply, madly, hopelessly in love with the man who lay beyond the bathroom door.

[aion-rsa]

Harry Potter: What an HBO Max TV Series Could Be About

https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/harry-potter-movies.png?w=400&h=400&crop=1&resize=400%2C400

The only real magic left in this world is intellectual property and its nigh supernatural ability to print money. With media conglomerates prioritizing their streaming services, beloved IPs have never been more valuable in garnering interest, sign-ups, and subscriptions for streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max. WarnerMedia, the owner of the lattermost streaming service, also holds the rights to the Harry Potter IP, and of course they want to conjure up ideas to bring the world of The Boy Who Lived to television.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a Harry Potter live-action TV series is in early development at HBO Max, with the streaming service having “early-stage exploratory meetings” with writers for potential ideas. “There are no Harry Potter series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform,” HBO Max and Warner Bros said in a statement, but once again, you’d have to be as thick as Cornelius Fudge to believe they aren’t doing their darndest to extend that Galleons-filled universe.

There are loads of avenues a potential Harry Potter TV series could go down. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has proven that Harry Potter fans will embrace different characters and time-periods and there’s plenty of in-universe history to explore. With that in mind, here’s some ideas we’d love to see tackled by a Harry Potter television series.

Harry Potter: The Complete Story

This is probably the most controversial idea. To some, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson are the definitive Harry, Ron, and Hermione and recasting their parts is considered sacrilege. However, Radcliffe seems to know that it’s an inevitability, telling IGN: “It will be interesting to see how long those films stay… it feels like there’s a sacredness around them at the moment, but that’ll go, the shine will wear off at some point. It’ll be interesting if they reboot them and just do the films again or do a series; I’m fascinated to watch.”

A series seems to be the only thing that could really capture all of the details found in the original seven book series. With 10 hour-long episodes a season, a TV series could be the most faithful adaptation of the books, covering everything that the films left out like S.P.E.W., Peeves, and lots and lots of Quidditch. Some may think it’s too soon to rehash the entire saga, while others would love to see nitty-gritty details get their shine.

The Marauders

A TV series following the exploits of James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew during their mischievous years at Hogwarts during the First Wizarding War seems like the idea most ripe for exploration. While the third book in the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, featured a lot of exposition about the old gang and their relationships with each other, the films left a lot of the Marauders story to be implied. There would be plenty of time to feature younger versions of fan-favorite characters like Severus Snape and under-explored heroes like the Longbottoms, and the series could roll right into their graduation, the Order of the Phoenix, and that fateful Halloween night in 1981.

Riddle (or the First Wizarding War)

Speaking of the First Wizarding War, a fully-fleshed out origin story for the most notorious wizard of all-time could be a gripping miniseries. While most of Tom Marvolo  Riddle’s transformation into Voldemort was explored in the Harry Potter book series and subsequent films, a TV series could dive deeper, showing his time at Hogwarts and his use of the Chamber of Secrets, the murder of Hepzibah Smith, the gathering of the Death Eaters, and his recruitment of the outcasted creatures like Giants. The series could also give POV to characters important to Voldemort’s story, like Regulus Black, Severus Snape, and Lucious Malfoy. 

House of Black

An anthology series could explore one of the Wizarding World’s most notable families, the Blacks. As one of the largest, oldest, and wealthiest pure-blooded wizarding families in Great Britain, there are countless stories that could be told about all of the powerful wizards, both good and bad, from the Black family. The potential to play in different time periods and countries is definitely a draw, and writers would have the ability to create their own stories. Each episode could feature a different story about a different Black family member, but why stop with just the Black family? Maybe there could be a series about the Sacred Twenty-Eight, the twenty-eight British families that were still “truly pure-blood” by the 1930s, and all of the ways that the families overlapped, fought, and loved.

Aurors

There’s a reason that Harry becomes an Auror when he’s older, and that’s because the idea of an Auror is extremely badass. In the Wizarding World, Aurors are highly trained law enforcement officials responsible for policing the magical and keeping the peace in the Wizarding World. In Britain, Aurors are trained to investigate crimes related to the Dark Art and are often called “Dark Wizard catchers.” A crime procedural set in the Harry Potter universe? Sign us up! 

Read more

Movies

Harry Potter Movie Streaming Guide: Where to Watch Online

By Kayti Burt

Movies

All Harry Potter Movies to Stream on Peacock This Fall

By Alec Bojalad

We know there have to be baddies other than Voldemort and Death Eaters up to no good, so a series could explore all of the nefarious things that people are using magic for and the folks tasked with stopping them. Training is supposedly rigorous, so maybe our story begins with a new recruit. Hell, maybe this series is just a magical version of Training Day. Wait, isn’t that what that horrible Netflix movie Bright was supposed to be about? Damn, well there’s still plenty of potential here for an action-packed TV series.

Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Let’s do an American coming-of-age high school series set in the Harry Potter universe! After spending so much time at Hogwarts, I’m sure fans would love to see what wizarding school is really like across the pond. Known for being the least elitist of all of the Wizarding Schools, an Ilvermorny-set series could expand on some of the class issues that the new Saved by the Bell reboot on Peacock is tackling. 

Ilvermorny also has a rich history and a series could highlight the story of founder Isolt Sayre, her “No-Maj” husband James Steward and their struggle against Isolt’s evil aunt Gormlaith Gaunt. With so much known about the Wizarding World in the U.K., perhaps a new Harry Potter property could flesh out the Wizarding World in North America.

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With so much lore and so many expanded-universe stories still left to tell on screen, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is ripe for further expansion. Have an idea for a Wizarding series? Let us know in the comments!

The post Harry Potter: What an HBO Max TV Series Could Be About appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3a1tF66

[okay-j-hannah]

Countless Assumptions

The Marauders : Fic

Remus x Reader

Word Count: 1526

Warnings: Just the undying love I have for Remus Lupin - can you feel it coming off the screen?

Request: “Hi!~ I would like to do thought prompt 36.  with Remus Lupin. I can totally see that happening. I am an introverted Hufflepuff with curly brown hair that is chubby and wears glasses. I love flowers, astrology, tarot, reading, and painting. Im not sure what im looking for but im looking for some Lupin fluff. Much fluff! Thank you so much!!💜💙💜💙💜💙” - Emily

A/N: You discover that finding out the truth was hard, but telling the truth is harder, as you realize that your absence has caused more grief to Remus than you thought

“Werewolves,” Lily deadpanned, arms folded.

(Y/N) slowly nodded, not giving up on her theory, “Yes, werewolves. It makes sense, Lils!”

“I don’t know, (Y/N),” there was a slight strain behind her eyes, but Lily attempted to keep her voice steady. “That’s pretty far-fetched. Don’t you think we would’ve seen something by now? How could someone hide that they were a werewolf for five years?”

(Y/N) slid her glasses back up her nose, “Because he has help covering it up! The headmaster has to know – and all of the Potter gang.”

Lily held her hands up, “Stop, (Y/N). I don’t want you running down endless conspiracy theories that’ll end up embarrassing you.”

“But how do you explain the one time a month he’s sick? Or how fatigued he is afterwards? Or the scars he has on…”

“I think you should just drop it,” Lily had a wide look in her eyes, almost like she was grasping at straws. “Why – why don’t you just talk to Remus?”

(Y/N) swallowed hard, finding the excitement of her research failing her instantly, “I may have been avoiding him.”

“I think we’ve all noticed that,” Lily sighed at the change of subject. “Do you have a specific reason?”

“If what I’ve figured out is true – that means we have a friend that’s a werewolf. How scary is that? I just – I don’t want to make him feel guilty for not telling anyone, you know? And I don’t think I can be around him without bursting with questions about it.”

Lily frowned slightly, “(Y/N), the whole group has been worried about you. They all think they’ve done something wrong. Remus thinks you’re entirely upset with him for some unknown reason.”

She clutched the books she was holding tighter to her chest when she responded, “They’re actually worried? About me?”

“You may be quiet, (Y/N), but we notice when you’re not there. Especially Remus.”

“I never thought – well, I didn’t think I brought much to the group. I’m so different from…”

Lily couldn’t help but laugh, “Just because you’re the only friend that’s not a Gryffindor doesn’t mean…”

“Not just that, Lils! I’m the only one that enjoys Divination, painting, art, stars.”

“You’re being ridiculous, (Y/N). Go find Remus and actually have a conversation with him. I know he misses you entirely too much.”

An instant splash of a blush crept onto (Y/N)’s cheeks as she adjusted her glasses again.

“Are your cheeks going red?”

“N-No, it’s just a bit cold in here.”

Lily smirked, “We’re literally sitting in front of the fireplace.”

“I’m going to go return these books in the library. I need to pick a few new ones for Astronomy anyway.”

And with inhuman speed, (Y/N) ran out of the Gryffindor common room and down the hallways to the library. Though she may be Hufflepuff, (Y/N) spent most of her time with her Gryffindor friends, finding comfort in their boisterous personalities. Remus always being the most reserved became an instant companion for her. They normally spent most of their time studying for classes or calmly reading novels beside one another. It was always a steady natural friendship that felt comfortable even in times when they sat together in silence.

Until recently. Developing feelings was never part of the plan. Neither was the friend secretly being a werewolf.

At the library, (Y/N) found herself waving at the ever-severe Madam Pince and skidding towards the shelves. She trailed to the corner full of information on constellations, astrology, heavenly bodies, and solar systems.

These aisles were nothing new to her, and within seconds she found the section she needed. She trailed her finger along the spines, admiring the weathered look on many of them. However, something unfamiliar obstructed her pathway – another searching hand.

Their hands met, reaching for the same book. And (Y/N) whipped her eyes to find Remus Lupin staring down at her. She could have sworn there was a flash of embarrassment in his gaze.

“(Y/N).” He stated quietly, retracting his hand and shaking his sleeve over it, “Fancy seeing you here.”

She swallowed hard, twiddling her fingers and finding her eyes gluing to the section of books beside her, “Yes, as you know, I never come into the library – ever.”

He gave a subtle smile, “What a lie.”

She dared a look at him and saw his contorted brow, “I’m sorry, Remus. I’ve got to grab this and go.” She picked the book off the shelf and took a step back, “Very busy, you know. Um… I hope you don’t mind – do you need this book right now?”

There was very clear disappointment in his face, “No… I – I was just finishing our planets map for Astronomy. Professor Trelawney wanted us to use one for our Dream Journals.”

“Right. Well, I guess I’ll…”

“Why don’t you want to talk to me?”

(Y/N) was at a standstill, one foot slightly behind her to exit, “I’m sorry, Remus. This really isn’t the time for me to…”

“It never seems like the right time anymore,” he kept his face downtrodden, his hands in his pockets. “You know since you stopped tutoring me I’ve completely failed every Astronomy quiz.”

It was like her heart was attempting a race with her lungs – each deciding to see which could move faster. “I can’t – I can’t talk about it, Remus. Not yet. I don’t want you t-to get upset.”

She turned to leave, but felt an immediate hand grab her arm, “But I’m upset now, (Y/N). I want you to talk to me – please. I haven’t seen you in ages and the guys say you’re avoiding them too.”

“That’s just because Sirius plans on asking me to accompany him on the next Hogsmeade visit. Something about trying to make a girl jealous.” Her eyes were flickering to anywhere but Remus’ desperate face.

“This isn’t funny anymore, (Y/N). Did James put you up to this? I don’t appreciate such a practical joke being played on…”

“No, no, that’s not it. Honestly, Remus, I just don’t think it’d be a good idea if I tell you.”

He contorted his brow further, defining a few scars on his forehead, “Did I do something wrong? It’s driving me crazy, (Y/N), please just…”

Madam Pince peered around the shelves and hushed them with a heavy hiss, her gnarled fingers pointing them out. Remus let go of (Y/N) immediately, not realizing he had moved to grabbing both her shoulders.

“I can’t stop worrying about it, (Y/N). It’s driving me up the wall and even Peter has stopped trying to make me feel better – all I do is pace and think aloud and wonder what on earth it could’ve been that would make you…”

“I know you’re a werewolf.”

He left his mouth open, his breathing hitching, “That’s why.”

She bit the inside of her cheek, “I didn’t want to make you upset.”

“I understand.” He turned his eyes away and clenched his jaw, “I can’t expect everyone to be comfortable around a monster.” He quickly walked around her to leave and she blinked several times in attempt to comprehend what he just said.

“Remus!”

She ran after him, ignoring the glare from Madam Pince. She trotted to his stalking figure, mumbling as she went, “Remus, you don’t get it.”

“Yes, I do. You’ve been ignoring me because you don’t want to be friends with a werewolf. That’s fine – you don’t want to be endangered by me.”

“No, no, that’s not it at all.”

“Then what is it then?” He turned to her dramatically, his voice much louder than it normally was. “Because I’ve run out of options. (Y/N), I worry about you more than I have about any other person I know. I don’t think I can function properly if you don’t give me a legitimate answer as to why you won’t speak to me.”

She bit her bottom lip, finding her arms limp at her sides, “I… you worry about me? I thought Lily was just…”

“What did Lily tell you?” He looked scared when he asked it.

“Remus, I didn’t want to jeopardize our friendship over knowing you were a werewolf before you told me. I wanted you to tell me about it when you were ready to – not because I figured it out. I thought if I distanced myself I wouldn’t feel the pressure to keep that a secret from you.”

He peered at her with a hard gaze, “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Why would I be upset you know what I am if you’re still alright with being around me despite my true form?”

She mumbled her next words immediately.

“What?”

“I also didn’t want to ruin our friendship over a silly crush.”

He paused, his posture and voice growing small, “Is it James? Sirius? We can still be friends even if…” He shuffled away slightly, a hint of regret in his features, “Even if you’re dating one of our friends.”

“Now that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” she was smirking now. “Because I was talking about you, wolf boy.”

His head snapped back to look at her, immediate hope in his gaze, “Really?”

~~~

Buy Me a Coffee?

[the-lupine-sojourner]

Takara’s Hero Academia Season 2 Episode 3 (but actually still 2) [Eijiro/OC] [Aizawa/Hizashi]

Okay, so I apologize for just now getting to the end of episode 2 and the start of the Sports Festival! And I didn’t do the sneak peek. So so so sorry!! 

I’ll do the sneak peek on Patreon and all that next time. Ugh I feel so bad about this! But I don’t wanna make this chapter any later, so here we go. 

Anyway! The Masterlist for This Series! 

And the taglist: @elite-guard-hardygal , @dailyojiromashirao , @souskena , and @fandoms-fandoms-everywhere99 . I’m sorry, guys!! I feel weird about posting this for some reason, but hope you all like it! 

Before I get to the story, I jsut awnna say I included a paraphrased quote from my favorite book; Red wall. The actual quote is ‘Even the strongest and bravest must sometimes weep.’ Also, I could resist slipping Asami in again. Hope y’all don’t mind!

God Bless and Good Day! 

~The Lupine Sojourner

“Takara, you ready to go?” Dad calls.

“Yeah, I’ve just finished packing the last box!” I call back. It was a week until the Sports Festival, and we were moving today. We all didn’t have a lot of stuff, so it was a simple one-day thing in theory. So far so good, though.

I hoist the box up and walk out to the living room. This box had the miscellaneous things I wanted to keep, like the old ratty fox stuffed animal that I could never get rid of for sentimental reasons, or pictures of Mom, Dad, and I, or posters and other decorations.

I plop it down. “Man, I didn’t realize how many different decorations I had in my room.” I laugh. Mom smiles. Dad had convinced her to go to Recovery Girl as often as I had and her arms looked better every day. The casts had been taken off and she was doing exercises to get them reacquainted with the things she normally did and how strong she had been. We even worked out together, going for a morning jog followed by yoga and a core workout routine.

In short, we were slowly getting to the point we’d been at before the attack. Mom and I were getting better mentally, too, but that was a long road for a number of reasons, one being the level of shit we went through, two being the severity of our injuries and the fact that the villains had caught us entirely by surprise. We loaded the last few boxes, refused to ‘say bye house’ like Dad prompted, and drove toward UA and our small condo on campus.

Once we got there, all of us grabbed boxes and I followed Mom and Dad’s lead, falling a little behind as I’d been a tad ambitious, trying to carry both my first backpack of clothes and box of decorations.

In fact, when I went to grab the door I was just a second too late to grab before it closed, I end up overbalancing, slamming my face and nose into the glass, before collapsing awkwardly to the ground, the box going flying and the contents spilling out. “Shoot!” I curse, groaning as I pick myself up. I then feel a twinge in my ankle. Apparently, I’d rolled it a little and it didn’t appreciate that.

I sigh heavily and begin picking up the box and putting the stuff back in, feeling oddly emotional about the shattered glass in a few of the framed pictures. Tears even well in my eyes and I resist the urge to start crying. All I wanted was a normal day with my family, unpacking and starting over in our new home.

Turns out, that wasn’t exactly easy. I wipe my eyes and sigh heavily before I make myself start gathering the spilled objects, minding the broken glass. I really don’t know why I’m crying, but the tears come back and this time I couldn’t stop them.

“Hey, are you okay?” I flinch and look up from plopping another glass-less frame in the box. I look up and blink in shock.

“O-oh! Asami-senpai! I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.” I squeak. She was trying to hand me a poster she rolled up. I gulp back a lump in my throat and take it, trying to subtly wipe my eyes.

“You know, after an incident like that, it’s okay to cry.” She says softly, hand over mine reassuringly. I shrink into myself in embarrassment.

“You saw that?” I whimper. She nods.

“And I meant what I said. Really, it’s scary fighting villains and having it be life or death. I remember my first fight.” Her eyes are serious, not looking at anything in particular as she spoke, obviously reminiscing about that day.

“Oh...from your work-study?” I ask softly. Being the daughter of two UA teachers who are also pro heroes, I knew all about work studies. She nods.

“It was a group of muggers trying to start a gang. They’d cornered civilians in a back alley and I was working with the Ryuku agency for my work study. We intervened and put them behind bars. I almost got impaled by one of the villains’ air weapon Quirk.” I raise a brow.

“Air weapon?” I ask. Asami nods.

“Hardened air limited to the breath in his lungs and weapons like spears or swords. Annoying, but the situation whacked me. I spent the rest of the day looking over my shoulder and paranoid at anything and everything. I had to have a long talk with dad to finally start to get over it. It’s hard to cope with an experience like this.” I bite my lip and nod.

“I want to be strong, but…”

“Even the strongest and bravest sometimes cry. It’s not a sign of weakness. It shows you feel and you’re human. It’s a perfectly reasonable reaction.” I smile at her, sniffling and wiping my eyes.

“Thank you.” I murmur. She picks up the box as we stand and she hands it to me.

“No problem. Oh, and you can call me ‘Ami’, Okay?” I nod, smiling.

“Okay!”

=#=#=#=#=

“What on earth are you doing?” A hear a voice ask. I turn my head from my Downward Dog position while trying to turn a glass of water into ice (sorta like Shoto, but...not exactly) after a run to see Oba Nemuri standing there, watching me curiously, a touch of amusement in her voice.

Fortunately, she was wearing her teaching clothes. As a teacher, there were certain standards to be upheld so she couldn’t be too outlandish. She had a light purple button-up (with as many buttons as she could get away with undone), a dark grey blazer on top, with a miniskirt I’m fairly certain was not up to the standard dress code. She also had thigh-high leather boots on.

I sigh and move to stand properly. While she is my aunt, it’s always slightly awkward being around her. I do love her, but she’s so...uh, unreserved, and I’d rather not be corrupted just yet.

“Hey, Oba.” I greet. “I’m practicing for the Festival.” She grins.

“Oh, how adorable!” She squeals, wriggling in delight. I blush. Why was she like this? “I must say, that Quirk of yours is really something else!” I manage a grin. She looks at the glass. It felt cool to the touch, but it wasn’t ice by a long shot. And it was draining my blood sugar faster than I’d like to keep trying. “Are you trying to make that water into ice or something? Too cute, darling!” I nod. This was just who Oba Nemuri was. It wouldn’t be fair to judge someone simply because of who they are, right? I only had about an hour with Oba Nemuri. She suggested I make my fighting style all about a whip after I showed her the different things I could do. I turned her down and she demonstrated a few kicks, at least, before she checked the time. “Well, darling, it looks like duty calls.” She sighs, with a touch more drama than needed, really. “My class starts in a quarter hour and I have to freshen up a bit. Mind if I pop into the bathroom real fast?” She asks, almost flirtatiously, winking at me as she grabs a small purse. I hold in a groan and point out where it was.

“Go ahead, Oba,” I reply. She giggles and thanks me before heading into it and closing the door. I move to the kitchen and grab a container of leftover tonkatsu to heat up for a kind-of brunch. She was too much sometimes.

By the time I’ve sat down with the food, Oba Nemuri is back. She draws me in for a hug from behind, kissing my cheek.

“Sorry to run off like this, Nīsu.” She apologizes. “Your parents wanted me to check in on you real quick. Do tell your parents this is a housewarming gift for your mother, would you?” I nod. The present she put in front of me was suspiciously small and in a Victoria’s Secrets bag. I flush, imagining what kind of present Oba had given my mom.

“I’ll make sure she gets it.” I murmur, hoping I didn’t sound as embarrassed as I felt, and Oba Nemuri gives me one last cheek-kiss and leaves. I wave at her, mouth too full to speak, and that’s that.

=#=#=#=#=

Turns out, training almost constantly made time fly by. Mashirao and I had started sparring and it turns out he’s a great teacher. He praised when earned, and sometimes mixed a bit of critique into his praises so I’d learn even from victories (of which there were few), and he was always going all-out on me. He knew that I could take it, and it also helped strengthen my leg and ribs, so we all won.

“Thanks, Mashirao.” I murmur as we walk back to the locker rooms to shower and head home.

“No problem. It’s a great way for me to exercise, too, so we all win. Plus, it’s always more fun to teach when the student is a natural at the subject.” I laugh.

“Thanks, but we know that’s not true,” I reply, scratching the back of my neck. He is quick to shake his head.

“No, I meant it. You’re getting really good, Takara!”

“Thanks,” I reply, then check my phone and see the date. “Oh, crap! The Festival is tomorrow!” I squeak. He blinks.

“I lost track of time. That’s crazy!”

“I know!” He holds up a hand.

“Well, let’s both do our best, okay?” I high-five him.

“Okay!”

=#=#=#=#=

“Nervous?” Dad asks. I gulp.

“What gave it away?” I reply, voice wavering a little. Dad laughs.

“Sweetheart, it’s fine to be nervous.” I nod.

“I know.” The car pulls into the teacher parking lot and we check in, Mom holding Dad’s hand. I notice she’s been doing that a lot since she got her hands out of the casts. I probably would, too, in her situation. It’d only been about a week, but even being unable to use your hands that long...I can’t even imagine. Now, her arms were wrapped in stiff bandages as her arms were slowly regaining strength and the last of the healing in the bones was finishing with a little help from Recovery Girl. Due to the extent to which the bones were broken, it was difficult for Recovery Girl to heal a whole lot per session. There was a lot that needed to happen in Mom’s arms, and it was taking a long time to restore what Nomu broke.

I see my classmates gathering, so I adjust my backpack and walk over. As usual, Eijiro is first to notice me, walking over as I turn to wave Mom and Dad goodbye so they could get ready to commentate on the Festival. How dad managed to convince Mom to do it, I have no idea, but I’m glad. It will get her mind off...other things.

“Hey, Takara.” Eijiro greets. I smile and accept his side-hug. We’d gotten a bit more comfortable around each other and usually gave each other hugs as a greeting. He still smelled amazing, and I always had to restrain myself from continuously sniffing him. “You nervous?” I take a breath and nod a little.

“Yeah...you?”

“Just a little. I’ve always loved watching the Festival growing up and now I’m actually in one, you know?”

“Mmhmm.” I hum in reply, feeling my stomach squirm in anxiety as we walk to the 1-A general waiting room. There, we found PE outfits waiting, and Mina groans when we’re all changed.

“Aww, man!” She whines. “I was totally hoping I could wear my costume.” I shrug, but Mashirao beats me to speaking.

“At least everyone’s in uniforms, so it’s fair, right?” Rikido is shaking in his seat, anxiety clearly written on his face.

“I wonder what they have in store for us in the first round.” He mumbles. I shrug.

“Well, as long as we do our best, it doesn’t really matter, right?” He nods.

“Right,” Fumikagi interjects. “No matter what they’ve prepared, we must persevere.” I nod.

“Yeah!” Tenya then comes suddenly into the room, startling me.

“Everyone, get your game faces on!” He calls. “We’re entering the arena soon!” I feel my stomach flip in nervous anticipation. Everyone murmurs and reacts. I grab my heart, willing it to calm down (not that it listens to me).

“Midoriya,” Shoto calls, walking over to my friend. Izuku turns to him.

“Hey, Todoroki.” He replies. “What’s up?”

“From an objective standpoint, I think it’s fairly clear I’m stronger than you.” I blink. Izuku nods meekly.

“Yeah…” He replies. I step forward to defend Izuku but then halt as Shoto continues.

“However, you’ve got All Might in your corner helping you out. I’m not here to pry about what’s going on between you two, but know that I will beat you.” I pale.

“Shoto, where is this coming from?” I ask, frowning.

“I’ve never pretended to be something I’m not. This shouldn’t be a surprise, really. I’m just stating facts to make things clear before this competition begins.” Shoto replies, not even looking at me.

“What’s with all these declarations of war lately?” Denki asks lightly, attempting to defuse the situation as Eijiro walks over, putting a hand on Shoto’s shoulder.

“Yeah, what’s the big deal? Why’re you picking a fight all of a sudden, right before we get started?” He asks. Shoto just walks away.

“We’re not here to be each other’s friends.” He calls over his shoulder. “Don’t forget; this isn’t a team effort.” I bite my lip.

“Shoto, c’mon. Pros can’t go around declaring war on each other. They have to team up at some point- -”

“Yeah, hang on,” Izuku interjects. “I don’t know what’s going through your head, or why you think you need to tell me that you’ll beat me, and yeah...of course you’re better than me. In fact, you probably have way more potential than anyone in the Hero Course. It’s why you got in so easily.” I step toward Izuku.

“Stop that!” I bark. “Recommendations aren’t an invitation to UA! You have to fight the pool of people with recommendations. In some ways, it’s harder than the entrance exam! That’s why I didn’t choose that path. I could have been recommended by my mom and dad and gotten into the recommendations entrance exam. But I knew there would be so many people that were a lot better than me. I knew I didn’t stand a chance.” I realize I kinda admitted to the facts Izuku is stating and bite my lip.

“Midoriya, Takara, maybe you’re being a little hard on yourself. And us.” He murmurs.

“No, he’s right, you guys.” Izuku counters. “The other courses, Takara’s friend, they’re all coming after us with everything they got. We’re all gonna have to fight to stand out.” Izuku looks at Shoto. “I’ll be aiming for the top, too.” I nod, stepping forward.

“I agree.” I turn to look at Shoto. “I know you’re focusing on beating Izuku, Shoto,” I continue, “but don’t think we’re all gonna stand back and let this Festival slide. We’re all going to do our best and we’ll show the world what we can go.” He tsks, not stopping or looking back.

“I don’t care what you do.” The announcement to get ready came after a few moments of awkward silence and we move toward the exit into the open area at the middle of the stadium.

“Hey!” Dad cheers and I can hear him all the way back here. “Make some noise, avid sports fans!!” I gulp. It was almost time. “Get those cameras prepped! We’re gonna need hordes! Today, we’ll be bringing you some of the greatest performances in Sports Festival history, guaranteed!” I feel like that’s hyping this festival up just a little too much, but obviously, I don’t know what will happen, so… “I only have one question before we start this show; are you ready?!” The crowd’s cheering is infectious, and we can hear it loud and clear as we begin walking. “Lemme hear yah scream as our students make their way onto the main stage!” I can also hear fireworks and lively music playing. “This is the time where the students leave everything on the field as they fight for the chance to achieve worldwide fame and celebrity!” I can’t help rolling my eyes. Most of us want to make a difference in the world in one way or another. Honestly, I doubt anyone (Mineta aside) is truly just wanting to be a hero for the recognition and fame, even Bakugo. Bakugo’s motivations aren’t precisely clear, but I do know he wants to be the top. I also wonder if there’s not more to it than that, though. “This first group are no strangers to the spotlight! You know them for withstanding a villain attack! These dazzling students, including my little kiddo, line up the stage with solid gold skills; the Hero Course students of Class 1-A!” That was our cue and we walk out into the sunlight and view of the cameras as the crowd applauds heartily. I feel thousands of eyes of me and my friends as we walk toward the middle of the area. Eijiro, standing close by, grabs my hand subtly. I squeeze it gratefully.

“Yer dad sure did talk us up a lot.” Eijiro muses.

“Yeah...it’s making me nervous and worried I won’t do well.” I reply. “Especially since he all but said my name.” I add in a moan. Eijiro smiles at me.

“Yeah, he’s your dad. It’s kinda natural for him to brag about you when he gets a chance.” He then turns to Katsuki. “Anyway, how you feelin’, man?” He asks. Katsuki smirks.

“I’m not worried. Makes me wanna win this thing even more.” I chuckle.

“In a way, yeah, but still.”

“Oh, get over it, brat! Too late to back out now!” Katuski snaps. “Besides, knowing you, you’ll scrape by and be fine, you lucky little shithead.” I roll my eyes. Close enough to a compliment, I suppose.

“...Thanks, Katsuki.” I mumble.

“I wasn’t doing it to help you.” Katuski spits. “Just wanted to shut you up.” I sigh.

“Okay.”

“They haven’t been giving nearly as much screen-time, but this next group is still chock full of talent!” Dad proclaims and we watch another group march determinately out of another hall. “Welcome, Hero Course Class 1-B!” The crowd doesn’t let out the cheering and I spot the silver-haired guy who yelled at 1-A a while back. He looks super determined and ready for anything. I smirk, feeling a little of that energy rub off on me. It doesn’t do any good to fret and worry myself to nothing over something I can’t predict, so I just had to grit my teeth and get through it. More students pour out of the halls and Dad continues the introductions. “Next up, General Studies Classes C, D, and E!” I grin and look over, happening to see Hitoshi in the midst of his class. “Support Classes F, G, and H! And finally, Business Courses I, J, and K! Give it up for all of UA’s first-year contestants!” Once we get to the center, where a podium is set up, everyone’s shocked to see Midnight standing there, waving a short whip. I blink. Oba Nemuri is the Chief Umpire!?

“Now, the introductory speech!” She calls.

“Uh...someone should talk to Ms. Midnight about what she’s wearing.” Eijiro mumbles. I nod, looking anywhere but at Oba Nemuri.

“I mean, I know that’s her normal hero outfit, but...could she have worn something else just this once?” I grumble. She’d always been like this and I always found it an incredibly odd experience hanging out with her.

“Seriously, that costume should come with a warning,” Denki adds.

“Is that really appropriate apparel for a high school game?” Fumikage concludes. I, for some reason, didn’t like the blush on Eijiro’s cheeks. Which was stupid. I didn’t know why it bugged me, so I look away, happening to see Mineta’s gleeful expression. I smack him and glare him down. He pouts but doesn’t leer at my aunt-figure anymore.

“Silence, everyone!” Oba exclaims, whipping to grab everyone’s attention. “And for the Student Pledge, we have…” I gulp, praying she wouldn’t pick me. “Katsuki Bakugo!” Shocked murmurs ring the crowd, but no one’s more shocked than 1-A. We knew him and we knew this would not end well. At all. Izuku leans to Hanta.

“He’s the First Year Rep?”

“I guess the hothead did finish first in the entrance tests.” Hanta replies.

“Only for the Hero Course Exams.” A girl from Shinso’s class (I think) grumbles. Izuku winces.

“Oh. Right.” He amends.

“That girl obviously hates us.” Hanta mumbles under his breath.

“And we’ve got Bakugo to thank for them not liking our class,” Denki adds. I bite my lip as Bakugo walks up the podium. Even the crowd waits in bated breath for what Katsuki would say.

“I just wanna say…” Katsuki begins. I frown. Please be normal, please be normal…. “I’m gonna win.” I pale. Shit! Katsuki, no!

The crow boos and threatens and is in general not happy with Katsuki as he walks back down.

“Why would you be so disrespectful!?” Tenya exclaims, arms waving wildly around. “You’re representing us all!” Katsuki just turns and gives us a thumbs down.

“Not my fault the rest of you are just stepping stones to my victory.” He grumbles. From Class 1-B, I see that silver-hair guy grit his teeth and stalk forward a little, glaring at Katsuki.

“I’m gonna crush this overconfident jerk!” He screams, raising a clenched fist. “I can’t wait to knock him down a size!” I sigh heavily. I wonder what’s going through Katsuki’s head right now. He claims he wasn’t nervous and even publicly vowed to win, but there seems to be something about him that says he’s just making a show, pushing himself...but still. What a way to start the Festival…

“Without further ado, it’s time for us to get started!” Oba Nemuri calls as the screens shift from ‘introductory speech’ to ‘first game’.

“This is pretty nerve-wracking,” I whisper to Eijiro. He nods.

“Yeah...and now we have everyone gunning for us, thanks to Blasty over there.” I sigh, then nod and refocus on what Oba’s saying.

“This is where you begin feeling the pain!” She calls. “The first fateful game of the Festival!” As she swipes her whip, a hologram appears and displays a lottery style spinning title. It continues spinning...as does my stomach. What on earth would we have to do? It finally halts and I pale.

An obstacle race!? What?!

“Ta-da!” Oba cheers. I gulp. Oh boy… “All eleven classes will participate in this treacherous contest!” She explains, the hologram visualizing it with graphics. “The track is 4 kilometers around the outside of the stadium. I don’t want to restrain anyone...at least, not in this game, so as long as you don’t leave the course, you’re free to do whatever your heart desires!” I squirm a little, flushing. She looks a little too happy to be talking like that. She then sobers just a little. “Now then, take your places, contestants!” As the crowd cheers, we walk over to the start line. I gulp. This was it.

It was time to make my mark and hopefully start my path to being a pro-hero. I didn’t know what awaited me out there, but all I could do was put my best foot forward and try my best, right? No matter what happens, I’ll be okay if I just do what I can.

Above the crowding students, three green lights are lit, the first one turning off as the countdown begins. Beside me, Eijiro smiles at me and gives me a thumbs up as the next light turns off. I grin back at him and take a deep breath.

The final light turns off as Oba cries ‘begin!’ I tear forward, instinctively grabbing Eijiro’s hand, but we were quickly separated and jostled and shoved by the pressing students.

“How about some killer commentary, honey?” Dad’s voice somehow reaches over the multiple voices and I almost laugh.

“How did I let you talk me into this?” Mom replies under her breath, but there was almost a hint of amusement in her voice.

“What should we be focusing on in the early stages of the race?” Dad asks.

“The doorway.” Mom replies shortly. I chuckle despite being smushed between two students.

Just up ahead, as I’m coming up on the end of the entryway, I see ice and feel the air cooling rapidly as Shoto freezes the ground and up the walls. Gritting my teeth, I jut out a tiny platform, just big enough for my foot, and launch myself up and as far out as I can, creating another small platform when I need it. This was not in my plans, but there was nothing to do about it. I can’t turn this into water, so I had to find another way across. Shit! This will really limit what I can do for the other obstacles!

Luckily, Eijiro was right behind me, using the small platforms I’d made to get further along the ice.

“Nice trick, Todoroki!” Momo calls sarcastically, and he looks back to see the number of people that had dodged. Katsuki was using his blasts to keep airborne.

“I won’t let you get away so easily, you icy-hot bastard!” Katsuki roars, blasting his way closer as I make another platform. Even releasing the platforms once Eijiro jumped off them resulted in more blood sugar gone than I wanted. Who knew what was in store, but I had no real other choices. I just had to be smart about using my Quirk from here on out.

I couldn’t afford to be careless or I’d- -Shot!! Those vibrations feel like...no way!

They have the robots from the practical exam in this race?! I skid to a stop on the edge of the edge, feeling for water. Shit! Nothing! “What is it?” Eijiro asks, just as Mineta goes flying ahead of us, slammed by a huge metal arm. The robot comes into view, with other robots, seconds later.

“That!” I point. Eijiro hardens his forearms.

“Beat ‘em once, right? This’ll be a piece of cake!” I grin, feeling more confident now I thought about it that way.

“You’re ri- -Shoto, what the hell?!” Shoto is at the head, closest to the robots, ice swirling from Shoto’s right hand in a circle, getting larger and larger until he swept it at the robots. They were frozen solid, at least the frontrunners. I run forward as everyone else was still frozen in shock, Eijiro right behind me as well as that silver-headed guy.

“Careful now,” I could hear Shoto calling over his shoulder as the robots creak and groan, shuddering under their own weight. Taking another look, I pale. “I froze them when they were off their balance. On purpose!” Before I could move another step, before I could do anything, the robot nearest us collapsed and all of a sudden, my butt hit the ground and I am enveloped by dust and ice shards that prickle my skin. I didn’t even know what had happened till I looked where Eijiro and the other guy were standing, only to see a pile of frozen robot parts.

“Eijiro!” I scream. Was he under there?! Had he been crushed!? “Eijiro, hang on!” I am running forward before I can think, not knowing what to do, but desperately hoping Eijiro was okay.

[afaithy]

A crinkle of Fate; CH:7

Available in AO3:https://archiveofourown.org/works/16896918/chapters/39941508#workskin

Chapter 7: What you want, what you fearNotes:

"Most people are always doubtful as to whether they are happy or not, cheerful or not. This is the normal state of happiness, as doubt is a most natural thing." — Yukio Mishima

Tonks return was accompanied- as expected - by endless gossips and whispers that the girl, very maturely, had chosen to ignore. Boreas and his gang had tried to harassed her again, but their attempts were either stopped by a teacher or by Sirius and James’s mischieves and she was more than grateful for it. Even though she knew Boreas was a git and that she should know better than to hear what he had to say, it didn't make his remarks about her grandparents' death sting any less. The Hufflepuff girl started avoiding the Great Hall and her Common room as much as she could, so most of her free time was spent in the library with Lily or Snape who-surprisingly - had kindly offered to help her catch up with the potions lessons she had missed; or in the owlery with Lupin who would either help her study or distract her with some friendly chat. Sometimes they enjoyed of the occasional company of Sirius, James and Peter. As day went by, the girl noticed that the veil of grief was slowly lifting and little by little, Tonks returned to her old cheerful self and things went back to how they used to be. Well, at least most of them. Tonks seemed to have caused an impact on certain Hogwarts students after all. The first one was Snape. The Slytherin potions prodigy was as irritable as always, but Tonks constant insistence to befriend him seemed to be paying off. The boy was less bitter and slightly more talkative; and, in very rare occasions, he’d even smile. When it come to his rivalry with James and Sirius, the three boys seemed to have reached some sort of truce. After an impressive and a little scary scold from Tonks, James and Sirius had stopped picking on Snape and Snape had stopped being rude to them. Their friendship was complicated, but it was there and that seemed to satisfy Tonks. Peter wasn’t much of an active speaker and he limited himself to follow anything that James and Sirius decided to do. Among the four Gryffindors, the one who seemed to have the best accord with the Slytherin, was Lupin. Perhaps it was his good nature or the fact that Tonks influence had already biased his image of Snape, but in many occasions he found himself having very enriching conversations with the black haired boy. As their relationship with Snape improved, the second change came up with Lily. The girl was elated about Snape having more friends and as result her, usual cold treatment to James and Sirius, was lifted - much to Jame’s pleasure. After a few weeks, the picture of five Gryffindors, a Slytherin and a first year Hufflepuff hanging around Hogwarts during free periods became a common sight. The months passed and the season began to change as autumn reached it peak. There was a little secret that Lupin hadn’t revealed to any of his friends yet. Each full moon, his wolf counterpart would sit under the moon listening to a cheerful Hufflepuff girl relate the stories of her friends’ adventures. Lupin felt a little guilty about keeping it secret. Especially when there was his fear that one day the wolf would be in bad mood and would try to bite Tonks, but as one full moon passed after another, he realized something that’d left him speechless. His wolf counterpart liked Tonks. He couldn’t comprehend those animal’s feelings, but he could tell that the wolf saw Tonks in a particular way. It didn’t consider her a threat, in the contrary, it seemed to enjoy the girl’s company. It was sort of possessive and protective of her to the extreme in which the wolf was willing to kill anything or anyone that could impose a danger for her. It was something he’d never heard about, and even after digging into all the books about werewolves available in the library, he’d come out without answers. No one had ever seen a case in which a werewolf would feel the urge to attack. Werewolves obeyed instinct and their human mind was completely disconnected from their actions after the transformation. Then why did the wolf seemed to retain Lupin’s sympathy for the Hufflepuff girl? “Wotcher, Remus!” Lupin had been too lost in his thoughts to notice the girl’s arrival. He was sitting at the edge of the window in the owlery with a book open on his lap. Sirius and James had probably gotten themselves into detention after setting a up Boreas’s cauldron during potions causing it to explode and Peter had been sprayed all over with the cauldron’s content, so he had ended up in the hospital wing. Being the only one with free time, Lupin had caught into Tonks’s habit to sneak into the owlery for peace and quiet. Tonks was looking at him with a smile. She sat in front of him and for a second he feared that the girl would lose her grip and fall through the window, but surprisingly she sat down without troubles and threw a small silver package. “What’s…?” “Muggle chocolate…” she replied “Dad sent me a whole box yesterday. You’ve been up into werewolf reading recently, haven’t you?” “Eh...yeah. I was curious about something…” “About werewolves?” “Yes…” “Can I ask what?” Lupin snorted. How about why I don’t feel like I need to tear down your throat when I’m a wolf? He though. “It’s...complicated.” “Try me…” she said biting her chocolate. “Do you think a werewolf could...I don’t know recognize people or feel some sort of attachment to them?” Lupin knew it was a stupid question. Wizards that were well educated regarding werewolves had never addressed this possibility, why would an first year student in Hogwarts even think about it? “I reckon he could…” she said thoughtful. Her answer came out naturally and without doubts. It was the way she always said what she thought without fear that made him admire her. “But...werewolves are tagged as monsters, and books all say that they are unable to recognize friend or foe. They only instinct is to attack and to prey…” “Books also say Unicorns don’t exist…” Lupin chuckled. “No book would say that. We all know unicorn exists... What kind of book were you reading?” “A muggle book...” Tonks shrugged “But that’s the point. To muggles it doesn’t exist because they’d never seen one, but to us it exists because we have seen them. Do you see my point?” “I am afraid no…” “What’s written in books is what the writer has seen, but just because you haven’t seen doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Werewolves aren’t too different from wolves, and wolves aren’t too different from dogs. So...if you ask me if I think that a werewolf could recognize people they like or dislike, and even feel attachment...I’d have to say I think they do…” “So… let’s put an hypothetical case…” “Aha…” Tonks replied eating another piece of chocolate. “Let’s say there’s a werewolf that hunts around the forest during full moon. One day he stumbles with a girl...an innocent and defenceless girl. His first intention is to attack, but the girl starts talking to him and his aggressive intent seems to die away. Next full moon it’s the same, and then the one after and so on. It continues like that and suddenly his human side realizes that the wolf….likes the girl.” Tonks seemed to replay Lupin’s tale in her mind and she smiles. “Don’t you have the answer already, then?” “What do you mean?” “That hypothetical case just serves to proof my point. Yeah, the werewolf was probably afraid at first...he wanted to attack, but when he saw she was harmless he let it go. It was like that for a while, and eventually, they’d become friends. It might sound wrong, but it’s like having a dog. The dog will idolize, not because you’re a human, but because you’re his master…” “But it is dangerous…” “Everything is dangerous, Remus. I’m probably more dangerous than a scared werewolf…” she chuckled “Don’t forget I almost broke your leg when I tripped over you on the stairs…” Lupin laughed at that. She had and Madam Pomfrey wasn’t too happy about it. “Even a werewolf deserves love…” Tonks whispered. “Even if it is a hideous and horrible monster?” Tonks looked at him with a faint smile. “Even the most hideous creature deserves a chance…” Lupin was speechless. Sometimes he wondered if Tonks was real at all. How could she be so...understanding? “Who said?” he asked her softly. “I did...and in a few years when I’m all famous and quoted around the world, you’ll have the honor of saying that you heard it one afternoon while you were sharing muggle chocolate in the owlery…” she laughed throwing small ball of wrapping paper at him. Lupin dodged the ball by using his book as a shield and let out a wave laughter. His concerns about the dangers that the wolf could represent to the girl were still there, but a new feeling had appeared with her words: hope. Hope that perhaps what Tonks believed was true and that he wasn’t the monster that he thought himself to be. “I don’t know how you do it…” he chuckled. “Do what?” “See things so...clearly.” “Ha..If only I did. I just have a funny way of seeing things I guess…” she smiled “Second looks aren’t as bad as people think, aren’t they? Lily said that you and Severus were practicing potions together yesterday…” Tonks rested her chin on her hand and blinked at him with dreamy smile. It was an expression that he had come to understand as her way of, nonverbally, saying: I was right, wasn’t I? “He was kind enough to help me out with a cleaning potions that was giving me troubles…” Lupin nodded “I was actually surprised that he agreed to help…” “Well, you earned his good favors. I heard you’ve been coaxing SIrius and James to leave him alone…” “I...have tried, but I doubt it was my influence that has persuaded those two…” Lupin chuckled “I’d think a certain Hufflepuff scold was the real reason…” “Oh….haha, never saw James and Sirius so scared, have you?” “Remind me never to make you angry…” “Remus...please. You’re the sweetest thing in the world how could you ever make me angry at you?” Lupin felt his cheeks blush at her unintended compliment, but Tonks had been busy petting her owl to notice. The boy rested his chin on his hand as his green eyes stared at the girl in front of him with a smile.

*** “She what…?” Sirius said coughing up the juice he’d been drinking. James jumped to his bed and bagan pattin his friend’s back amused. Lupin had just told his friends about his unintended meetings with Tonks during the full moons and the boys had taken the news better than he’d anticipated. “Easy there Pads...don’t drown yourself…” James laughed. “She petted you?” Sirius was astonished “What the bloody hell? WHat normal person goes and pets a random werewolf so freely?” “She thinks it is a wolf…” Lupin reasoned. “So what? Wolves can bite too. Merlin, that girl deserves my respect…” Sirius barked in a laugh “Here we are...breaking our necks trying to figure out all the animagus thing, and she goes in all her grace and has you eating from her palm like a pup…” Lupin glared at Sirius half heartedly. He’d hate to admit that perhaps Sirius was right. “I got to visit, Andromeda and ask her how she raised that girl...and then I’ll have to thank her…” “She’s...something else…” Lupin sighed sitting back on his bed. “Somebody who treats a werewolf as a dog and actually befriends Snivellus…” James smiled “Yeah, she has to be out this world.” “She’s wonderful...but it is dangerous. I can’t trust that the wolf won’t bite her…” “He hasn’t so far, has he…” “Werewolf can’t be trusted…” Lupin said shaking his head “I…” “So what are you going to do?” Peter asked “She’s ...well hard to control…” Hard to control wasn’t quite the word that Remus would have chosen, but if his fuzzy memories weren’t wrong, Tonks was definitely fond of the wolf and stubborn as she was, she wouldn’t let go that easily. Lupin couldn’t help, smile. Besides, how was he supposed to tell her that he knew about her night strolls under the moon?And there was also that conflicting part of him that didn’t want her to stop visiting him in the full moons. “Are you telling her the wolf is...you, mate?” James asked. “I...don’t know. I should...shouldn’t I?” “I’d say you wait for a bit…”Sirius said. “Yeah, no rush…” James agreed. Lupin sighed. He had never felt this conflicted in his short life. A part of him felt the usual horror that revealing his secret usually carried. The fear of rejection; but the other told him that with Tonks, it’d be alright. A tiny voice in his head keep assuring him that no matter what he was, Tonks would always be willing to accept him. “By the way. What about detention?” Lupin asked with a raised eyebrow. Sirius and James exchanged looks and broke into laughter. “You wouldn’t believe it…” Sirius said. “Snivellus saved our necks…” “Snape?” “Yeah, he persuaded Slughorn that the Cauldron incident was due to ...how did he say it?” “Boreas evident inability to follow proper instructions regarding the proper order of addition of ingredients and stirring…” James said solemnly “Slughorn totally bought it, so we were spared from detention…” “I think I might be going nuts, but maybe...maybe Snivellus is starting to grow on me…” “I hate to say it...but...I think I am too…” James said dramatically before breaking into a laugh. Lupin rolled his eyes and let out a chuckle. Tonks was probably totally clueless of the impact she’d had in their lives, but he was grateful about that.

*** Bellatrix bursted into the halls of Malfoy Manor ignoring the many glances from her fellow Death Eaters as she made her way into the inner chamber. She pushed the doors open with her wand and looked around with her dark eyes. A man with long silvery blond hair stood a few steps from her. His clear eyes judging and arrogant. The witch let out a snort as she recognized the man who had been courting her youngest sister the past few months. “Modest as usual, Bellatrix…” Lucius said with frown. Bellatrix glared at the man. If it wasn’t for Narcissa’s sake, she would have hexed the man right away. “Now, now...my dear Lucius. Let us not admonish, dear Bellatrix …” a voice said from one of the room’s largest seats. “My lord…” Bellatrix rushed to the feet of the of the chair and stares up at its occupant with adoration. Voldemort caressed her head in a way that resembled a father caressing his favorite child. Bellatrix picked one of his hands and brought it to her lips. “You’ve been busy, Bellatrix.” “My lord, I did as you commanded. I’ve sent a message to all those blood traitors out there…” “Oh, yes. I’ve seen…” Voldemort nodded in approvement “A clever way to send a message. You never disappoint me. It was a very careful pick, was it not?” Bellatrix smiled as she took pride on Voldemort’s words. She raised to her feet with a cruel smile. “It’s been a while since I sent a present to my dear sister. I thought I could use the occasion to send her my best regards…” “Ah...no doubt she received a surprise…”Voldemort said in a soft sizz as a large snake began climbing around his shoulders “Have you found what I instructed, Lucius?” “I am afraid not, my Lord…” Lucius said softly “The...creature is harder to find than we anticipated.” “I see…” “With all due respect, my lord. Why are you so interested in this….creature?” “Have you ever heard about Nyaphes, Lucius?” “I...I am afraid not, my Lord.” “Marvelous creatures. Elementals, as some wizards calls them. Powerful to the point of divinity. It is said that the apparition of a Nyaphes is an omen of change. They have the power to warp time, give and take lives…” “That...sounds intriguing, my lord.” “Intriguing? Ah yes….of course. Unfortunately, Nyaphes are scarce, very rare to find. They’re smart creatures, you see? But they’re powerful...very powerful. No one has seen one in centuries…” “My lord, if that’s the case...uh, is there really a chance for us to find one?” “Ah...always the questioner, Lucius…” Voldemort reply with a hoarse chuckle “There’s the case. A Nyaphes was seen here in England some years ago… eleven years to be more precise...” “Eleven years is a long time, my lord. How can we be sure that the creature is still here…” “Oh, it is...No doubt it is.” Voldemort said petting his snake’s head “I’ve spoken to the seers. Nyaphe’s only shows themselves when they bestow a blessing and they’re quite protective. They will remain close to the one who receives it…” “So...if we find the blessed, we should find the creature…” Bellatrix stated with a smile “Do you know who it is, my Lord? I’d be delighted to bring him or her to your presence.” “I’m afraid not, my dear Bellatrix. Not doubt the person with show up eventually, but if we find the Nyaphe’s first, it won’t matter.” “My lord, if may ask. What do you want this...creature for?” Lucius asked. “You dare question, our Lord’s plans?” Bellatrix snapped at him. “Of course not. Never...but I am curious of what could have caught our lords attention.” “Ah, Lucius. So young and ignorant. Nyaphes are powerful, with one under you control you can cause hurricanes and earthquakes, or maybe something more simple like changing events in history. Do you understand how a valuable tool it is? ”

Lucius said nothing. The power to change the events of history. Was that even possible? How powerful could those creatures be?

“I understand, my Lord. I shall intensify the search…” “I’ll leave it to you, Lucius. Do not disappoint me. Now Bellatrix...I have another task for you… “Your wish is my command, my lord.” Voldemort’s pale factions wrinkled in a cold smile. His plan was set and soon, nothing would be able to stop it.

*** Tonks woke up for a nightmare. Her room in the Hufflepuff tower was dark and chilly. She could hear the faint sound of breathing from her roomates as they slept tranquil and oblivious to night horrors; but Tonks isn’t. She cleans up the drops of sweat from her face and slipped in to her shoes and robes. It was a recurrent dream. She’d had it since she was young; at the time she’d sneak to her parents room where her mum hug her telling her it was just a dream and her father would made her some hot cocoa. Thousand times better than draught of peace. He would say and her dreams would vanish with the comfort of her parents. But here in Hogwarts, she was alone. It wasn’t exactly a nightmare, now that she thought of it, it was more like a unnerving dream. It had no sense or plot, only random images from people she felt familiar, but could not quite recognize. Then there was the wave of feelings the images carried: fear, pain, sadness. Sometimes it was just too much to take. Tonks slipped out from the tower and walked down to the lower levels. Perhaps a stroll in the night and some fresh air would make her feel better. Lost in her thoughts, she missed the last two steps from the stairs crashed loudly against something warm. “Merlin’s sake, Nymphadora. Watch where you’re going!” She recognized the annoyed voice. She raised her face and found Snape’s pale face staring at her in annoyance. He was sitting on the ground after she had dragged him in her fall, a bag lying a few steps from him. “Don’t call me Nymphadora…” she said annoyed “What are you doing up so late?” “I should be the one asking you that…” “I asked first…” Snape had long learned to not argue with the girl. Instead he pushed himself up and patted of the dust from his clothes. “I offered to help professor Slughorn gather ingredients for his next class. I was heading to meet him…” “At this hour?” “We are picking Moonbloom flowers...they…” “Bloom around midnight...right. That makes sense…” Snape frowned at her as he turned to walke away. “Hey...can I join?” “No…” “Well, I don’t think you can decide that. I’ll ask professor Slughorn.” “Honestly, are all Hufflepuff as stubborn as you are?” “Maybe? It is part of the house’s virtues after all...” “You’re not dressed for ingredient gathering…” “I’m perfectly dressed for adventure, Severus…” Much to Snape’s annoyance, Slughorn welcomes Tonks participation with open arms. Professor Slughorn was quite eccentric at times, he spent half of the way into the forest talking about how much of a wonderful student her mother was and about how gifted, for a muggleborn, her father was. Tonks had never entered the forest, she’d strolled around the edge of it during full moon nights. That’s how she’d come to meet Mr. Wolfie, but she had never stepped beyond the limit. Slughorn said that the Moonblooms were flowering in a small clearing not too deep into the forest, so it was safe and they shouldn’t worry; but as she stepped into the the shadows she began to feel uneasy. “You shouldn’t have come if you were going to be so scared…” Snape muttered to her and she replied by giving him a soft punch in his arm. “I’m not scared. Nervous and scared aren’t the same…” “We are with a teacher. Nothing is going to happen…” A lot of things could happen, she thought. True, they were with a teacher. A experienced wizard many times more powerful and skilled than them; that should give out some reassurance; but at the end, the teachers were human too, and no human is unbeatable. “Care to say what were you doing sneaking around so late at night, Nymphadora…” Snape’s voice was a mix of teasing, scolding and curiosity. Even though she was annoyed by his insistence to use her first name, which she knew was un purpose to work her up, she was pleased by the fact that the shy stoic boy was finally starting to see her as a friend. “Had bad dreams and couldn’t sleep. I thought I’d go for a stroll to clear my head. Do you always volunteer for this kind of...jobs?” she asked quickly before Snape could ask about her dreams. “Sometimes. I like potions and I learn a lot more during this kind of experiences than from classes and books alone…” “The potion brewing prodigy, aren’t you? I’m sure you’ll end up being Potions teacher in a future…” “As long as I don’t have to teach you…” “I’m not that bad in potions, you know?” she said elbowing him. “Yes, of course...like I haven’t noticed after all the tutoring I’ve given you.” “It’s practice for when you become a grumpy teacher…” “Very funny, Nymphadora…” “Can you stop calling me that?” “No” Tonks knew when a battle was lost and nothing she did would persuade Snape from using her first name as long as it annoyed her. The trio reached the clearing and Tonks almost lost her breath at the beautiful view. She’d never seen Moonblooms in real life; she had read about them and seen them in books, but she thought that the description in them didn’t give the flowers proper credit. The flowers were ghostly white and glittering like diamonds; even in the lack of light they seemed to glow with their own light. The corolla of the flowers were composed by numerous smaller petals surrounding a carpel with golden stamen. Their perfume was bewitching: sweet and fragrant, and Tonks couldn’t help but feel lucky to have stumbled with Snape. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Slughorn said happily “Moonblooms are hard to come by. They’re awfully hard to grow and can only be harvested from the wild. Magical properties are only useful when they’re harvested in full bloom and that only last around two hours between 10 and midnight. A very tricky flower. Now, now...children. I’ll show you how to cut them and we can start…” Spending the late hours in the forbidden forest cutting flowers with a friendly potions professor and a cranky Snape wasn’t exactly a planned adventure, but Tonks found herself enjoying herself. Snape seemed particularly cheerful as he asked Slughorn about the flower’s properties and their application in potions, and she could swear she’d never seen the boy happier. She was listening, too, but not with as much devotion as he did. She picked up another pair of flowers and as she searches around the plants she comes face to face with some brilliant cobalt flowers. “Aconite…” Snape muttered behind her “Didn’t expect to find it here…” “What is it for?” “Many uses...but I wouldn’t touch it. Is way to poisonous…” “Wolfsbane…” she said softly. “What?” Snape asked with a frown. The word had come into her mind and she wasn’t fully aware why. It was important, but she couldn’t tell why. “Wolfsbane…” she repeated trying to understand what meaning the word held to her. “Ah...yes, that’s another name it receives.” Snape nodded “Anyway...let’s hurry. It’s almost midnight.” Tonks nodded. She stared at the flowers and once Snape had turned back to his own chores, she cut the aconite flowers into a small bouquet and pushed them into her bag. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt like she had to take them with her.