#lmwyh

[mysticalreadingnerd]

Let Me Warm Your Heart Part 8

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 |

Words: 1964

Summary: Some meetings are strange, they give you odd feelings of nostalgia and are tinged with dreams of a safe future. Can Credence truly start hoping again?

Warnings: mentions of abuse

Disclaimer: I ain’t earning a single dime from this nor do I own anything except my OCs. GIF credits to the owner/creator.

The snow drifted from the heavens in a lazy manner, settling into small piles on the ground and painting the pavement white. On their downward journey, a few of the flakes got caught on his eyelashes and Credence wondered if he looked like an idiot, standing in the cold with bare minimum protection against the December wind and a handful of sheaves nobody bothered looking at. Probably. A peal of laughter rang out in the silence and he raised his eyes to stare at an ongoing snowball fight across the street. The kids were slugging each other wherever they could aim at, slipping and sliding in their haste but still intent on waddling in their thick woollens, bright smiles alit on their rosy cheeks.   

A frisson of jealousy coursed through Credence at all the could have been’s had he grown up with a normal childhood. The ringing laughter felt like a stab in his heart and the cold made the ache in his hands even more apparent. What was the point in mulling over things that would never change though? His eyes, which had been trained on the gamboling children until now, caught a glimpse of Y/H/C locks crossing the road and moving further away from where he stood. For a moment his breath hitched in his throat. Was it perhaps possible…? Following his gut, Credence rushed after the woman who so closely resembled Y/N. After so many sleepless nights spent dreading his nightmares, could fate finally be favouring him?

He nearly lost sight of her twice but his long strides and the fear of losing the woman he loved for a second time made him lurch forward and grab a hold of her sleeve. Tugging at it, he called out, “Y/N? Y/N!” She turned and his heart sank. He had mistaken someone with a similar hair colour and gait to be her. Was he getting so bad in his despair that he had started hallucinating? He was afraid he would soon go insane if this carried on. “I’m.. I’m sorry. I mistook you…for someone else…” he whispered an apology. The woman pulled her hand away, a look of disdain on her face and left while muttering about weirdos filling the streets.

He stood stock still in the bustling street, the groans and curses of passerbys for blocking the road not falling on his ears. Credence wondered how long it would be before he went raving mad because Y/N was no longer in his life. The nightmares of the past week, which had been so vivid they almost seemed like ominous foretellings of the future, came rushing to his mind again. Had something really happened to her, something that kept her away from him for so long? Something life threatening? These thoughts coupled with the frustrations of the past few weeks brought him so close to tears that anyone who bothered to spare him a glance would wonder if something were wrong. 

Someone bumped into him, pulling him out of his depressing thoughts. “Sorry, I didn’t see… Oh Credence!” the glazed look from his eyes cleared on hearing his name and for the first time he seemed to notice his surroundings. The Japanese grandma had somehow materialized in front of him. In a daze he heard her explain about being out on errands and how she had accidentally bumped into him. “But enough about me, what are you doing here?” He stared at her, not comprehending how to respond. He was standing in the middle of the road dumbstruck because he followed a mirage? Because he was a lovestruck idiot who couldn’t distinguish between reality and wishful thinking? He didn’t know anything at this point. Saving him the efforts, the woman glanced at his hands clutching the NSPS pamphlets. “Ah that explains it.” She pointed at them in understanding, a smile gracing her wizened features. “But dear boy, you really should put on some gloves. It’s deathly cold these days.” With these words she took his hands in her’s and immediately frowned when he shrank away from the touch, hissing at the friction caused by her mittens against his lacerated fingers. 

The damage was done. She took in the state of his hands and looked up at him, the frown deepening. He saw the thoughts whirl behind her eyes and the questions arising on the tip of her tongue. He shook his head when she asked what had happened, unable to admit the horrors he faced on a daily basis. “Did someone hurt you, Credence?” His eyes widened at the question and realization dawned upon her when he hesitated to reply. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say it, I understand.” She gave him a sympathetic nod, the frown never leaving her face. 

Gently, she told him to follow her and took him into a secluded alleyway, away from prying eyes. Turning to look at him with a tender look she motioned for his hands, “May I?” He hesitated for a moment before nodding and setting the pamphlets aside, placed his hands in her’s. She waved her palm over his wounded fingers and the pain, along with the lacerations disappeared. He stared unblinkingly at the seeming miracle happening before him, a thousand thoughts flashing across his mind. Was what he had seen just now really happening? Or was he still following a hallucination resulting from his recent dream? “Are you a…witch?” He spoke in a whisper, awed by the spectacle before him.

The woman smiled, “There are things that not everyone is aware of and names which can be too dangerous to invoke”, she gave a furtive glance to their surroundings, “So let’s keep it that way, shall we?” There was a twinkle in her eye as she said it and Credence nodded in response. “Although, we could try something…” she waved both hands in a sweeping motion around them and the air rippled for a moment before settling to its previous state. “What…?” A shiver of fear swept him and he wondered what he had gotten himself in. It was an instinctive reaction, something on a primal level that had come so abruptly that he was left breathless. But the serene expression on the old woman’s face helped ease a bit of his anxiety and the fear dissipated just as suddenly as it had come.

“In these times, it’s necessary to cast some… precautions. So that unwanted eyes don’t see something that is for the privileged few.” Her eyes glinted with those words and Credence couldn’t help but feel wonder at being addressed as such. “You must be cold in those tattered clothes”, she said, picking up on the original conversation and snapped her fingers. A tiny blue flame erupted from them and he stumbled back in surprise. “Don’t be afraid, magic is not something to be fearful of. Here, it’s warm enough to hold but not so much that it will burn.” Sure enough, when he hesitantly approached the now merrily burning ball of light, heat radiated from it. The woman handed it to him and Credence couldn’t help the awe that washed over him as he felt the pulsing blue flame spread it’s magic through his veins. A warmth bloomed in his fingers and traced it’s way up his arm, almost tickling as it touched him. “And it changes form as desired…” the flame transformed in his hand and a dragon comprised entirely of blue flames flew across his palm, circling his head once before nustling his cheek and dissipating into thin air. 

“That’s just a tiny glimpse of its true scope and believe me Credence, I think you have the ability to harness it too.” Before he could deny anything, she continued, “There are people out there who will be more than willing to help you with your… situation” she spared a glance at his fingers and looked back up at him quickly, “And your sisters will not face any harm in the aftermath, I assure you. We will be willing to go to that extra mile, after all, you are one of us.” Credence looked in awe at the elderly woman, brushing his cheek with stunned fingers. The spectacle that he had just witnessed was otherworldly and so were the words she had whispered in a low whisper, as if sharing a centuries old secret. Magic was so ethereal and fascinating and everything beyond what he could ever even dream of. And he had just been told that he could become a part of this world! The possibilities of the grandma’s words were dizzying him with their magnanimity.

“Just think about. If you give me the word I’ll speak with some higher ups…” “Yes!” The word tumbled out of his lips before he could stop himself and his readiness earned a Cheshire grin from the grandma. “Wonderful! I’ll get in touch…” but the thoughts that had been plaguing his mind made their way out. “Will you really be able to protect my sisters if I’m no longer there?” “Credence, you don’t have to worry about them. Are they subjected to the same conditions that you are?” Her sharp gaze turned to his hands and he tucked them under his jacket to avoid the gaze. He shook his head, “None of the kids are hurt. It’s only me…when I’m out of line…” Her gaze turned steely. “Kids? There are more?” “Yes, Ma feeds many children under the Church. In return they just have to hand out some of the flyers like me.” He shrugged. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do. You just have to trust me, yes child?” He nodded in response. Another thought crossed his mind and he opened his mouth to ask the question that trembled on his tongue, unsure whether it would be appropriate or not. 

“You can say anything you want dear, I won’t harm you”, the elderly woman had noticed his hesitation. “Do you know someone by the name Y/N L/N?” An inscrutable expression crossed the woman’s face and she asked him, almost as if she were operating on a different plane altogether. “Why do you ask?” “I don’t know… I just… wondered whether you knew someone like that…” The woman shook her head and quickly dismissed the topic, asking him if he needed to go home soon. Credence got the feeling that he had been subtly lied to, for what purposes he didn’t know. Or at the very least there was more to it that a mere wordless denial. Either way, this woman knew Y/N, that much he was sure of. 

He bid adieu to the grandma once he had taken ahold of half the flyers (she had insisted on taking the others to ‘distribute them among her friends’) and with promises to meet him at the end of the week at the same place. When he turned to look back at her, she had long disappeared into the crowd; as if walking on two alternate planes, here one moment, gone the next. He touched his cheek once again, the ghost of the warm dragon’s breath still lingering on it. He remembered the vivid dream that had him bawling his eyes out just a few days prior and wondered for the umpteenth time whether the old woman was someone Y/N sent because she couldn’t meet him herself. Perhaps, she was helping him from the shadows because it had become too dangerous for them to interact in person. He hoped that were true. Because if that wasn’t the case and something unimaginable had happened, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself even if he found the freedom he was being graciously offered. For no taste of tantalizing joy could be truly appreciated without Y/N by his side, that much Credence was sure of.

A/N: Aye I’m alive and well. Also this has been written. Unedited and shitty imo. A thousand apologies (read that in Ranjeet’s voice) for those who asked whether I had plans to continue this or not. I fully intend to finish what I started. Feedback would save my life and help me attain nirvana. Reblogging ALWAYS helps. Excuse any typos and let me know if you want to be added to the tag list. Some of you couldn’t be tagged, please tweak your settings

Tags: @mysticracoon @multifandom-slytherin @retardedhumanhere @thequeerishere555 @daeshaunex2 @itssophmcintosh @strangebyers @jnecrobutcher @aubri1313 @watson-38 @catchmeupimgettingoutofhere @thesiriustoherremus @bookowlextraordinaire @buzzfeedunwheeze @smashleytaylor @thegoodstrangemindhunter @wine-anon-2 @angstyang @thatcraxygirl15 @bookgenie

~mystical reading nerd

[mysticalreadingnerd]

Let Me Warm Your Heart (Part 6)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 |

Words: 2656

Summary: Love isn’t always rosy summers spent floating on tender clouds of euphoria. Sometimes it is loneliness and bracing the cold winters alone. Y/N and Credence both find the atmospheric dreariness reflected in their lives, separated as they are now.

 Disclaimer: I don’t own any character of the FBAWTFT universe. I wouldn’t have to spend time slogging over studies if that were true.

Warnings: None

It was truly strange how life brought things into perspective too late. For some reason, Y/N remembered the time when she and Credence had bumped into each other late in the evening. This had happened a few days after coming across him in front of Broadway. She had been bone tired after a gruelling training session and didn’t watch where she was heading. That had resulted in stumbling head along into someone. And that someone had just happened to be Credence. Maybe it was the fates that kept pulling her thread towards his, interweaving them in such an ironical manner, judging by the way she always chanced upon him in the unlikeliest of places. Y/N had apologized profusely for her clumsiness, fearing that she had hurt him. She sat there, unaware that she was practically straddling him, a dozen flyers strewn around them. He had just stared at her for a while, not believing his luck and then smiled saying, “It’s okay. I was just thinking about you.”

The wind had rustled his hair and his earnest expression had sent a warm tingle in her heart, his eyes shining in the evening light and a small goofy smile alight on his face. That was when she had started falling for him, she suspected. There were many similar instances that were literal neon signs screaming ‘you’re in love’ now that she thought of it. The way his ears turned bright red when Y/N lightly teased him about being a ladies’ man after at least 3 elderly women had smiled at him. She thought he was adorable. The way his mouth made a surprised O when he had his first coffee, his calloused hands being soothingly warmed by its heat. This innocence needs to be protected, she had mused. The way he stood silently watching over the kids from the NSPS, making sure that they didn’t get into trouble with Mary Lou (it didn’t matter even if he did instead). How the dreary light of the oncoming winter made his sharp features stand out even more, with the shadows dancing across his face. But above all, it was the kindness that emanated from his chocolate brown eyes when he smiled at the lost kid they had found. Credence had managed to stop him from wailing even when she had been unable to. 

She had been trying to deny it all this time, hoping that what she had felt was merely concern over a suffering boy she had stumbled across during a case. When in fact, she had been falling for the silent strength and gentleness with whose brilliance his soul shined. Y/N dragged a weary hand over her face, hoping she could be anywhere but this dimly lit room and wondered what Credence was doing right now. It was late afternoon and it been exactly three weeks since she had last seen him. He was probably scouting for a place for the next scheduled rally if her internal Credence tracker was correct. She thought about him often, at times, unaware that she was doing so until her mind had been consumed with the thoughts of the reticent man, thinking about how he used to smile at her with joy or look puzzled at something she said which he didn’t comprehend. 

Y/N shivered in her seat and idly wondered whether he was weathering the winter cold still clad in his threadbare jacket. That was more than likely to be the case. The first snow had made its appearance the day before and had it been up to her, the boy would be bundled up under a thick pile of blankets and made to spend the whole day lazing around in bed while warm, home-cooked meals kept him full. But it was no use pondering about how things should have been when it was no longer in her hands to change them. She had decided that being out of his sight would probably be the best thing to do. After all, out of sight meant out of mind right? She groaned internally, cursing herself. 

She knew better than anyone that Credence was starved for affection and given the attention she had been giving him, it was unlikely that he would forget her. If she had only been able to meet him once more, she could have cooked up a reason and made it seem like an assignment abroad. At least he wouldn’t worry about her and in turn, she for him. She had avoided the areas that they frequented and taken up longer work hours just to avoid accidently meeting him. But a part of her hoped that their paths would cross, just so that she could see him. See him and make sure that he was okay. But instead, Y/N found herself overseeing the interrogation of the wizard they had arrested for torturing Muggles. It shouldn’t have warranted her personal attention, but something about the man seemed… off. 

For one, he refused to talk with any of the Aurors. No manner of questioning had yielded any results and President Picquery had been at her wits end as to how to make him talk. There had been growing concerns ever since Grindelwald had disappeared from Europe and if a probable henchman of his turned up in America is would spell problems for the MACUSA. Y/N stood behind a screened wall, a one way glass blocking the criminal’s view. But despite that, for the past one hour, ignoring all questions aimed at him, he kept staring straight at her. It seemed as if he was aware of her presence and was drilling a hole through the glass with his gaze. His slit-like black eyes followed her every move and it felt as if he were sizing her up. Chalking this notion as absurd, she signalled the interrogating Auror to step aside and took up the reins in her own hands. The moment she entered the room, he looked up at her, the first movement that he had made since he had been brought there. He considered her with a slight tilt of his neck, like a snake coiling and uncoiling, curious of its prey.

Y/N checked the reports related to his arrest, most of them not giving up much information about him except for vague facts about how he tortured the victims to near insanity using demonic forces. He had been a pain to restrain, the backlash of his magic bringing down an entire warehouse and nearly obliterating three agents. He had managed to escape twice before they had finally caught him, half passed out from using too much blood for his sacrifices (apparently, demon summoning required magical blood, much to their relief in this case). She had met her share of crazy, blood purists in her time as an Auror but nothing made her skin scrawl more than the dead black eyes staring at her. Y/N shrugged off the sinister vibes aimed at her. 

“Let’s stop this pretence and get to the point, shall we? We have enough evidence to persecute you, and what awaits you doesn’t look good. Torture of innocent Muggles, one of whom was an ambassador, flagrant misuse of magic, use of dark rituals, forbidden blood magic, destruction of property through magical means in contradiction to secrecy laws, besides violating at least 40 other clauses of the International Statute of Secrecy.  It will be easier to just talk and may be the MACUSA could be a bit lenient. You either speak up or face the execution squad. There’s no means of escape.” The man, Asian from his appearance, didn’t blink even once as he considered her words. As soon as she was done speaking, a snicker escaped him, at first low in pitch. Bubbling up his throat, it grew louder and louder until it was a full blown laugh. The hair on her arms stood up at end as the air surrounding them crackled with magic.

“You are funny”, he said, a smirk painted on his face. He hadn’t moved an inch from where he had been sitting throughout the interrogation, restrained with bindings, recovering from battle injuries without even his wand on him.  Being able to channel magic despite that meant that he was dangerous beyond their comprehension. If he were to unleash his true powers, burning the MACUSA to the ground with no one else standing would be cake walk for him. Calmly, in a silent show of her authority Y/N stood up and spoke, “You can rethink your stance on this. It would be better to talk instead of wasting your energy like this. But you won’t have long.”

She exited the room to the sound of his booming laughter, as Aurors rushed towards the room to secure him. She ordered them to keep him in complete isolation, tied up and no one to enter his cell without her express permission. This was a matter more grave than she had imagined. They would have to use force if necessary and though she didn’t like using underhanded means, the alternative seemed grimmer than they could afford. She would have to report to the President soon and though she wasn’t looking forward to it, Percival Graves too. Dark times were here.

Credence looked up when a hand tapped on his arm for a flyer, but the touch was too rough, too hasty to be hers. Still, ever hopeful, his gaze did a quick sprint to the person’s face only to be disappointed. Yet again. It was just another street-side vendor looking for ways to pass his break time. He sighed as his Ma droned on in the background, his body slumping further into its perpetual slouch. He wondered for the umpteenth time where Y/N was. It had been 21 days since she had last met him. Not that he had been counting or anything. It wasn’t that they had decided to meet up regularly (it usually happened through mere coincidences) but this was quite unusual for her. He had grown so used to her presence in his life that her sudden absence made it that much harder. 

It felt like a lifetime since he had last seen her. Not just in his imagination or conjured up in his dreams like a wisp of a memory but in person, seen her brimming with life and filling his own with vibrancy, felt her laugh vibrate through his ear drums, touched her soft, unmarred hand as it warmed his own along with his ever beating heart, which sped up every time their eyes met. He just wished to see her once more, if for nothing else, but to make sure that she was okay. He had been worried sick by all the disastrous ‘what ifs’ that his mind had conjured over her prolonged disappearance and his heart ached with longing and sadness, anxious for her well being and hurting at her unexplained absence. Before his mind went off on a similar tangent, he scanned the crowd again just to make sure that she wasn’t there. 

It comprised of the usual people mixed in with a few unfamiliar faces, spread across ages, some of them curious, others whiling away time with nothing better to do. Credence was about to look away when an elderly woman standing on the periphery caught his eye. Being short in height she struggled to see what was happening and stood on her tiptoes. Silently, he withdrew from his position and approached her, hoping to help her navigate the crowd. 

Unsure whether to call out or to tap on her shoulder to draw her attention, he was put out of his indecision when the lady lost her balance and stumbled across his feet. He steadied her reflexively as a few of the flyers slipped from his grasp. A strong sense of déjà vu hit him when he realised that this was how he and Y/N had first met.  A pair of kind eyes looked at him as the woman regained her balance, her hand resting on his arm for support. Credence did his best not to flinch at the touch. He still found it difficult unless it was Y/N’s. “Thank you, young man.” A lilting voice accompanied the warm smile. She seemed vaguely familiar but he couldn’t quite place where he had seen her, if at all. Maybe he had seen her at a previous rally. “I hope I didn’t hurt you, child.” 

Credence looked at her once again, struck afresh by the words she spoke. Then he remembered her. It was the same woman who he had met during a rally, the kind Asian grandma who had complemented him on his name. Today she had donned a flowing winter coat instead of a kimono, so he couldn’t recognise her in the first instance but the homely aura still clung to her demeanour. In response to her question, he merely shook his head. “I’m glad”, she hummed in relief, “It wouldn’t sit right with me if I hurt a sweet soul like you, even if unknowingly.” Her words though gentle hit him in the gut. He looked at his adoptive mother, who was winding up her speech, calling supporters to come forth when they petitioned for wider public awareness. Coldness crept in his chest and settled there. Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the woman observing him carefully.

“Credence?” he looked at the grandma again, surprised that she had remembered his name after all this time. “Don’t look so surprised. I may be old, but my memory is like an elephant’s”, she chuckled at her own joke, its meaning lost on him. “Besides, I could never forget a handsome boy as you even if I tried.” Crimson dusted his cheeks at the compliment and he remembered Y/N’s words of being a natural ladies’ man. It couldn’t be true, could it? “I’m not”, he muttered denying any such notions. “I won’t insist on it if you’re uncomfortable but I speak nothing but the truth.” Her eyes twinkled and he couldn’t help the small lift the corner of his lips did. 

“Credence?” Another voice called out to him ,this time louder and more impatient, lacking all warmth that the previous caller had. The chill in his chest spread to his bones, creeping into his marrow. His attention whipped to the centre of the crowd where his mother stood looking at him with calculative eyes. “Duty calls, I presume?” the old woman asked, sizing up the elder Barebone now approaching them. Credence gulped, unsure whether he had done anything wrong or not. “Hello, I hope there isn’t any problem?” Mary Lou assessed the single flyer that had escaped his notice when they had bumped, her eyes flashing though a smile adorned her face. 

The lady smiled and said, “None at all. This fine man here was just helping me pick up the flyer I dropped in my clumsiness, silly old me can’t do much except live out my abundant pensions you see. From what he told me, your cause seems quite noteworthy. I’d love to hear more about it.”  Mary Lou gave him a once over, before deciding that things seemed fairly in order and launching into an in depth campaign talk with the woman. 

Credence couldn’t help but be bemused at how she had managed to divert Ma’s attention and saved his skin in the process. He silently thanked her, glad that angels similar to Y/N were still present in this world. He let out a sigh, all would be well with life if only he could meet her soon. “Don’t dally, there’s work to do”, his mother said to him over her shoulder, a cold look freezing him in his tracks. She glared at the flyer on the ground in a silent warning. Picking up the fallen flyer with his icy fingers, Credence hoped he could see Y/N before this winter froze his heart beyond redemption.  

Tag list: @multifandom-slytherin @mysticracoon @retardedhumanhere @thequeerishere555 @daeshaunex2

A/N: My procrastinating ass has no excuse besides being totally unproductive since the last update. Sigh. Not completely happy with this but I needed to get plot rolling forward. I will eternally hate filler chapters. Message me to be added to the tag list. The last three tags don’t seem to detect you guys, please tweak your settings to enable tags.

~ Mystical reading nerd

[mysticalreadingnerd]

Let Me Warm Your Heart Part 4

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 |

Words: 1491

Summary: Being an Auror, sudden epiphanies are always appreciated. But Y/N has other things on her mind. A nervous, tormented soul who could do with a world of love to be exact. Credence isn’t any different though. Just be aware, strange tidings are approaching.

Disclaimer: I don’t own FBAWTFT or any of its characters besides the ones that I create from my imagination. GIF credits to the owner.

Warnings: Mentions of abuse, slight language

Everything had clicked into place the moment she had seen his scarred hands. Maybe it was just her Auror senses that were tingling but Y/N knew to trust them completely; they had saved her life on numerous occasions. She might not know the exact details and it was more guess work than actual factual knowledge on her part, but the way Credence behaved around his mother and his anxious demeanour at the mere mention of her was enough of a give away. Mary Lou’s confident and seemingly charitable persona was nothing but a facade. An illusion hiding an abusing, probably controlling, utterly rotten and cold hearted bitch. The things Y/N would do if she got her hands on that nasty woman!

She sighed loudly and let the anger dissipate from her being, rubbing her temples to dull the throb in her head. It would do no good to Credence or her for that matter to viciously lash out at Mary Lou Barebone in public. At best, it would only get her a hard rap on the knuckle and at worst, she would no longer be an Auror like Goldstein. Y/N suddenly whipped her head out of her hands and stared unblinkingly, coming to an abrupt stop outside a random florist’s shop. Of course, that must be what must have happened with Tina! Being the principled woman that she was, Tina would never let injustice like this slide.

Y/N made up her mind. She would speak with the demoted Auror the moment she reached the office to get a full grasp on the situation. Ask for case files, get her view on things. Maybe Tina had even met Credence and could tell her more about him. After all, this was a part of the case… right? Y/N let out a weary sigh and resumed walking. Whom was she kidding? She knew it was a feeble excuse and her mind was just lulling itself under a false sense of responsibility towards the case. She cared for Credence and his well being, may be a bit too much than was necessary.

There was something about that oft bowed head, stooping demeanour and the anxiety lurking in those wide, brown eyes that made Y/N’s heart reach out to him. At times, he seemed like a taut wire, ready to snap under some immense pressure and that worried her the most. They had met more than once after that fateful encounter in the playground and it brought a smile on Y/N’s face at how flustered he was every time they did. He would fumble, stutter or turn an adorable shade of beetroot red and it was endearing to see a different side of him. She was glad that there was more to Credence than a gloomy, abused man oppressed by his own mother.

True, some of those meetings were more by design than chance. She needed to keep an eye on the Barebones and though Credence seldom said anything, his polite nods and quiet greetings were definitely signs that he was warming up to her presence. Her eyes lightening up at that thought Y/N quickened her pace, maybe today was a good day.

The bustling hubbub of the Broadway saw its fair share of visitors even in the afternoon. The milling crowd should have proved to be an excellent vantage point for Credence to gather people interested in their cause. However, luck as always didn’t seem to be favouring him. The majority of the crowd ignored his attempts to hand out the NSPS leaflets. The ones who paused gave him faint looks of incredulity. And the ones who took them either crumpled the leaflets soon after or worse, mocked him for wasting their time. He was careful enough to try and avoid those. After all, there wouldn’t always be kind women coming to his rescue if he met hooligans again.

Y/N. He remembered the way her name had sounded on his tongue the first time he said it. The way she smiled at him across the crowd at the next rally after ‘the incident’ (that’s what he called it) and all he could do was give a barely noticeable nod. The way her fingers had lightly brushed his when she took a flyer from his hands. The way she had brushed away croissant crumbs from his threadbare jacket that time when he had almost fainted from exhaustion and hunger (Ma had punished him for not distributing enough flyers, he had taken the ones Modesty couldn’t finish), the croissant had been thrust into his hands along with a buttered scone and accompanied by a very stern expression.

The way her laughter echoed like a melody in his ears that time they had both eaten hotdogs (much to his reluctance, he didn’t like mooching off her but she always insisted) and got matching mustard moustaches. That time he had found a child lost in the crowd following a rally and she had taken its hand, assuring him they would find the kid’s parents (they did) and the way she had given a small sigh, finally glad that the world was restored to its balance by their small deed of kindness. The way she whipped out a bandage from her purse when she noticed the fresh cuts on his hands, fingers quaking with barely suppressed anger directed at his mother. Thankfully she had said nothing, just held his bruised fingers gently; warmth, understanding and compassion radiating from her grasp (she had infinite reserves of those, he was sure).

It was this and many other things that made Credence fall for her even more deeply. It felt as if the world had been a drab, dreary place & she had suddenly entered it like a blazing sun banishing away the gloom. Well, the world was still cold and hard especially with the oncoming winter, but Y/N was the winter sunshine that brightened his days. Y/N. He often repeated her name mentally, to calm his jangled nerves. Like a monk chanting a meditative mantra.

A warm hand gently held a leaflet that was fluttering in his hands. Credence opened his eyes to see the very woman whose name he was chanting, a playful smile on her chapped lips. Had he been saying her name out loud? His face burned with embarrassment and turned noticeably red. “Careful with that. It’s getting a bit windy.” She didn’t say anything about his weird antics so she probably hadn’t heard him say it. Or perhaps she had heard him and was saving him from the mortification of being caught. Probably the later, Credence thought.

“Thank you” he mumbled his gratitude. She gave him a smile in return and said, “I’ll take this one.” She grabbed a few handfuls of them. “That’s more than one” he observed. “Are you complaining, mister?” she narrowed her eyes. He shook his head in vehement denial, “No…no…not at all.. I just… People usually don’t… You… I…” She stopped his stuttering with a smile and a shake of her pretty head. “I was just kidding, Credence. These are for… colleagues.” She had been doing this a lot lately. Ever since she had found out about the starvation for not passing out enough flyers she always took a dozen or so under the pretext of giving them to colleagues. Maybe she dumped them where nobody would find them but he was glad for her help. Ma hadn’t starved him even once ever since.

Y/N stowed the leaflets in her bag, glad to have lightened his burden or maybe something nice had happened to her at work. Or perhaps she was just in a good mood. Whatever it was, her face glowed with happiness and Credence couldn’t help the small smile that touched his lips. It was a fleeting one but she caught it nonetheless. She gave him another one of her own dazzling ones in return. “I saw you smile, Credence”, she whispered in a conspirational tone. Y/N had been using his name a lot more too. Every time she did, he felt his heart flutter like a bird giddy on its first flight in the air. “You should smile more. It suits you.” At this, his heart soared. He was truly awed by the joy that bubbled within him and filled his being with love. Credence nodded bashfully, the smile flickering on his face at first but solidifying into a beam that crinkled his eyes. “I will, definitely.” She just hooked her free arm around his in response. Maybe he could get used to this smiling business.

Unnoticed by them both, a silent shadow hidden in a nearby alley observed their linked hands with derision. As the two figures trundled along the path, the person’s eyes lingered on Y/N’s form. A thought bloomed about how unnecessary gnats needed to be flicked away before they become a nuisance. The plan would go as planned, they would make sure of it.

A/N: Sinister developments seem to be developing on the horizon. This is short and a bit rushed but I hope it’s good. Excuse any typos and do let me know how you found it! Feedback is appreciated and devoured with the urgency of a starving beast. 😛

~mystical reading nerd

[mysticalreadingnerd]

Hey there! I was just wondering if I could be tagged in your "let me warm your heart" story? (It's wonderful btw)

Thanks bub! Added to the list! :)

[mysticalreadingnerd]

Hello can you tag me in let me warm your heart?

You’ve been added to the tag list! :)

[mysticalreadingnerd]

Update on Let Me Warm Your Heart

I was working on the next chapter and I started thinking of the way I write about the reader. I usually use she/her but I'm wondering whether you/your would seem more suitable perhaps? What do you guys think? Which should I use? Let me know in the comments :)

[mysticalreadingnerd]

Let Me Warm Your Heart Part 3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 |

Word count: 3040

Summary: Being rescued by a kind woman has loads of benefits. She cleans your wounds, cares for you and you get a glimpse in her life. Is this the beginning of that fleeting feeling called ‘love’?

Disclaimer: I don’t own the FBAWTFT, JKR does. If I did, my boi Credence would have the mushiest happiest ending ever. GIF Credits to the owners. That cute face though!! 😍

Warnings: Mentions of blood, abuse, loads of fluff

It was normally a short walk from the sushi shop till Y/N’s apartment. The upside was the confectionery on the corner. Having a sweet tooth, she was wise enough to keep her candy stash refiller close. Its windows were usually pristine and the door was always open. Through these, wafted the heavenly smell of freshly baked bread or melting chocolate, which the baker used in abundance in a variety of goods. That evening she was walking back home, just about to turn the corner of a road filled with closed shops. They looked like dark, empty husks left by their occupants for the day, she thought, especially the eerie mannequins wearing the flapper dresses. Y/N was wondering whether one would look good on her when she heard the sounds of a scuffle. 

“What ya boys say we beat some sense inta him?” It was probably the drunkards that frequented the playground she thought. They were usually up to no good. Not wanting to get involved but curious nonetheless, Y/N crept up the pavement and cocked her head to the side, hiding behind the barely there, crumbling excuse of a wall surrounding the derelict playground. The scene made her draw in a sharp intake of breath. Whimpering in the clutches of one of the drunk hooligans was none other Credence. Putting her Auror reflexes to use, she gave out a shrill siren-like whistle and a quick Sonorus charm did the trick. “Shit. Why’s the police here?” one of them muttered before they shoved poor Credence to the ground and made a run for it.

Making sure that the hoodlums were completely out of sight, Y/N approached the shivering boy lying on the ground. She muttered Quietus, stopped whistling and waved her wand once, charming the area to make it seem empty so that no one accidentally stumbled upon them. She stowed her wand in its holster and approached the quivering boy. “Are you alright?” She asked in the gentlest voice she could manage, trying to pull his writhing form upright. But scared to his wits end the boy seemed to have gone into a panic attack. No amount of coaxing and cajoling was making it through to him. Taking his face in her hands, Y/N stared into his chocolate brown eyes for a few seconds making sure that she had his undivided attention. “It’s okay love, they are gone. You are safe now. Nothing will harm you…I won’t let anything harm you!” on hearing this, awareness dawned in his eyes. 

At least that was what she assumed when he gave a muffled sob and threw himself in her arms. Slightly taken aback by the sudden action, Y/N just whispered soothingly until Credence calmed down. Realizing that the people threatening him were long gone, he sagged in relief, his whole body turning limp in her hands. He sniffled quietly in the crook of her shoulder, his tears leaving a wet patch on her cloak. Credence idly thought that the woman smelled wonderful, like freshly mowed grass, coffee grounds, peppermint and a hint of something flowery. His fingers, which had been clutching tightly to the fabric of her cloak loosened their grip and withdrawing from her embrace, he blushed and gave her a small nod. “Thank you….for saving me and…sorry for….” at this point, he merely pointed to her cloak which was streaked with blood from where his fingers had gripped her.

Y/N’s eyes widened and Credence prepared himself to be admonished for ruining her clothes. But instead, she took his hands in hers and gasped audibly. “I am so sorry. If I had realised that they were harming you, I would have done something faster.” He looked at her with a puzzled gaze and she couldn’t help but think that he looked adorable. Puffy eyes which had turned red from the crying, a tear-stained face streaked with patches of blood when he had wiped his face, a pale face and mussed up hair. If you could ignore the obvious signs of being beaten, he almost looked like he had woken up and couldn’t get a bearing on his surroundings. Pulling him up with the tenderness of a mother with her newborn, Y/N spied the abandoned bag of food that she had left at the side walk when she saw the drunkards about to beat him up. She bent down to pick it up and said, “Let’s get your wounds bandaged.”

This was easier said than done. Credence had been reluctant to go to her house. “It’s getting late. My Ma…she will worry.” Detecting the notes of hesitation in his voice at the mention of his mother and not one to accept such feeble excuses, Y/N had said, “It won’t take long. I live just 5 minutes away. Come on, we need to stop that bleeding.” With this they had found themselves tiptoeing up the staircase and entering the apartment silently like fugitives. All this was a necessary precaution against complaining neighbours, she had said. God knew what kind of a fuss Mr Smith would create if he knew she brought ‘roughened up, good for nothing men’ to her house (his words not her’s). At this point her visitor had opened his mouth probably to turn down her help again but she had silenced him saying, “I’ll get the medical supplies. Just make yourself comfortable, okay?” Settling Credence onto the sofa, she entered the kitchen and retrieved the first aid kit from the nearest cabinet.

She unwrapped the gauze, cotton swabs and bandages, glanced over her shoulder to ensure that he was still in his place and took out her wand. It would do no good to either him or her if it was found out that she was a witch. For her because she would lose her job but majorly for Credence, because he was the eldest son of an anti-witchcraft zealot and it would be ironical if it were found out that he was rescued and helped by a witch. That didn’t stop Y/N from bewitching the medical supplies to heal his wounds faster though. Maybe she could even convince him to take a potion for minor abrations, she had a bottled version ready for times when she was posted on field cases. She filled a bowl with water, took some wash cloths and with the slightly magically modified medi-kit in tow, she entered the room again to find him staring at the photos adorning her wall.

Hearing her enter, Credence whipped his head to look at her and held up his battered hands as if non-verbally praying his innocence. “I am so-sorry. I was just looking. I d-d-didn’t touch anything I s-swear.” She frowned at his sudden frightened demeanour and said, “You don’t need to apologize, I’m not angry. I did say you could be comfortable. You can have a look around if you want.” Approaching him, she set the medi-kit and the bowl on the nearby coffee table and stared at the photograph that he had been staring at before her arrival. He looked at her once again with a confused expression. “If…if you don’t mind me asking, who…who’s that?” he timidly pointed at a picture of a family of three. A pig-tailed girl of no more than 6 years sat on a man’s shoulders, grinning ear to ear with a flower crown atop her head. A woman kissed the man’s cheek and held the girl’s hand while the man, presumably gave a huge belly laugh.

Fondness washed her features as she looked at the photograph. “They are my parents, that beautiful woman is my mom and the man laughing so raucously, looking like a happy lunatic, is my father”, Credence looked at her face but she had said it more out of warmth than with malice. “And that’s me seated on my father’s shoulders, pretending that I was the Queen and they my humble servants. I remember mother saying something on the lines of, “Well, a Queen needs a crown” and made that for me.“ She pointed at the tiny flower tiara and brushed the black and white picture lightly, as if wiping away non-existent dust.

Y/N seemed to be reliving that day of so many years past and he couldn’t help but feel the nostalgia colouring the room with something akin to love. “They look like nice people”, he said softly, breaking Y/N from her reverie. “They were.” She replied, looking back at him with a smile crinkling her features. But the smile seemed just a touch distant, hinting more of sadness than joy. He noted the past tense but didn’t pry further, it wasn’t his place. “Alright. We have to get your hands healed, take a seat.” Doing as he was told, Credence sat at the edge of the sofa. Y/N opened up the medi-kit and set out a roll of bandages, a bottle of some clear liquid and an ointment, before taking a seat beside him. She took his hands in her’s again and said, “I’m going to clean the dried up blood from your wounds. I’ll try to be careful but it might hurt just a smidge.“ 

He was thankful that she was being so thoughtful and gentle with him. She drenched the wash cloth in the bowl and painstakingly cleaned his hands. Sitting stock still so as not to impede her, Credence didn’t dare utter a word of discomfort. He was used to beatings much worse than this. Being treated so kindly was what he was unused to. He took in her form, gently tending to him, oblivious to his staring or the effect that she had on him. Her lashes, long as they were, brushed her cheeks everytime she blinked. Her touch was cool and gentle, holding his hands delicately, as if made from the softest of feathers. She absentmindedly brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen out of its place in her braid and he noticed for the first time how shiny her hair was. Being in such close quarters with her made Credence hyper aware of her ethereal beauty.

He couldn’t help but feel the tightness in his chest return, but this restricting feeling was different from the one he felt while in the playground. While that had felt as if he was about to explode like a pressurized cannon, this felt as if a mass of frothy bubbles had filled up his insides and where bursting to be released. “This might sting a bit”, she said again as she took a fresh cloth and dipped some of the liquid in the bottle onto it. It did cause him a bit of discomfort but he remained silent through it. It was the least he could do for her. “I think the wounds are cleaned up, all that remains is…” She trailed off, looking at his hands first and then fixing her sharp gaze on him. Credence looked down at what she had seen and shifted restlessly. The dried up blood had given his hands the illusion of being scar-free. And lost in his observation of her, for a moment, he had felt scarless too, both physically and emotionally.

Brought back to earth and it’s harsh realities, he said, “It’s okay. You ….have done so much… for me. I could bandage them…later.” He looked anywhere and everywhere but her, as if the mere sight of her would break this seemingly dreamlike state that he found himself in. If he met her eyes, she would know. She would know the truth. The truth about him, his Ma, his beatings, his tainted blood and all the things that were wrong with him. She would be repulsed at the mere sight of him and look at him with disgust just like Ma was. And then, she would have nothing to do with him. But Y/N surprised him once again. She took his hands and rubbing some of the cooling ointment on his hands, bandaged them carefully. She seemed angry but at what Credence didn’t understand. Had he said something to upset her?

“You don’t need to hide it. I can see what she has done, I’m assuming it is her by the way you react to her…” she whispered, but her voice carried to him in the stillness of the air. She brushed her hands on his palms, feeling the puckered skin which was marked in shades of red. A dull white in places where the old ones had healed and scarred, a raw red at the places where the fall had torn the skin again. Brownish bruises covered his fingers. Her flawless hands seemed almost otherworldly next to his and Credence was overcome by the urge to withdraw his hands and run away from this unreal sanctuary. “Don’t…don’t feel ashamed!” Her voice quivered and Credence looked at her again. Y/N’s face was flushed from the anger which quaked her voice and he felt touched. Nobody had ever cared for him so much. Not enough to heal him the way she did, not even to get angry over something like old scars and half healed palms. 

“You don’t need to worry. It’s alright…I…I deserved this…” He spoke carefully, trying to calm her anger and assuage her worries. She stared up at him defiantly and said, “Never for a moment should you ever think that you deserve this! You deserve kindness and love! Not beatings and pain and…not this… definitely not this….!” she trailed off, setting aside the bandages and looking at his hands again. She was more upset that he had thought and he couldn’t think of a way to comfort her. Credence berated himself mentally. He caused nothing but harm and problems for those who cared for him. It would have just been better if he had not come here.

He felt his hands being warmed by her touch and the pain seemed to abate a bit. Closing his eyes and dislodging the morose thoughts from his mind he said, “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt…much.” He shrugged as he looked at her again. "It shouldn’t hurt at all.“ She replied firmly, resuming to bandage his hands and tidying up his bruises. After she was done with his hands, Y/N stared up at him and asked. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” Credence shook his head no. He felt an odd lightness in his being. As if he was floating in the air. “I should get going. It’s getting late…” he didn’t want to leave, this place that was the closed thing to an oasis in the desert of his life. “Wait”, she observed his face for a moment and wringed the wash cloth, motioning for him to come closer. He just stared at her, wondering what she meant. “Your face. It has a bit of blood on it. Let me wipe it off.”

If he had been frozen before, Credence became a statue carved out of stone now. There he was, sitting in the close proximity of this goddess of a being, wondering what good deeds he had done in his past life to have received this blessing. He would get beaten up a thousand times if it meant that she would be the one who took care of him like this. Slapping himself mentally for thinking of such impure thoughts, he continued staring at her as she grasped his chin with one hand and rubbed his cheek with the other. A look of intense concentration was on her face, her tongue poking out slightly as she wiped the stains away. Credence couldn’t help the blush that warmed his cheeks and dusted his face. He could feel her breath fanning his face and if he were to die this moment, he would die a peaceful death. 

Too soon the contact was over and he felt a mixture of disappointment and elation wash over him. Disappointment at the loss of the close contact and elation that it had happened in the first place. Y/N continued staring at him though and Credence couldn’t look away, trapped by the intensity of her gaze. He felt something shift in him as her eyes held his attention. It was almost as if the very air around them had changed, charged with an unknown energy. In those seconds of staring in the Y/E/C pools of Y/N’s eyes, he thought that something was about to happen. But she blinked and the moment was lost. She asked in a whisper, “You won’t stay if I ask you to, will you?” He shook his head no. “I can’t. Ma ….and my sisters will be waiting.” The implication of his words was clear. If he did not return home soon, his sister’s would suffer in his stead. 

Huffing an exasperated sigh she retreated back to the kitchen, to keep the supplies back in their place. “And I also had some nice sushi rolls today…” she knew he would still refuse but it was worth trying. Merlin, what had gotten into her?! He gave another shake of his head and said, “I must go….” He got up from the sofa and stared at her as she reentered the room to see him off. “Alright. Are you sure you can go back safely?” He nodded once in acquiescence. He fumbled a bit, unsure of what to do, as if wanting to say something but couldn’t find the words to do. He looked at her again and drawing confidence said, “Credence.” Y/N blinked once. Twice.

“It’s my name. Thank you for…saving me and helping me patch up”, he gave her a small smile. It was the smile that did it she thought. Just as he was about to leave, she spoke up, “Credence?” He halted immediately, looking at her curiously. “Y/N.” He looked at her for a moment before repeating it, “Y-Y/N.” Her name rolled off his tongue in a weirdly comforting manner. The exchange of names made something surge in Credence’s heart, something fluffy and full of warmth. It was as if the earlier bubbles had burst inside him and filled him with a joy so intense that he could hardly breathe. As he softly closed the door behind him, he couldn’t help but think, maybe this feeling was what they called ‘love’?

A/N: Holy smokes. 3000+ words. It was a race against time to finish this. Fluff is really not something that I’m used to writing. So I have mixed feelings about this one. Let me know how you felt this one was. Hope you like it! Excuse any typos. Also shout out to the fantastic @imaginingcredence whose Credence head cannons helped me survive a writer’s block. They are amazing!! ~mystical reading nerd

[mysticalreadingnerd]

Let Me Warm Your Heart Part 2

Part 1 | Part 2| Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 |

Word count: 2017

Summary: Credence misses a certain kind lady. But he meets an unexpected visitor instead. All is not what it seems and even though life tends to be rough at times, every cloud has a silver lining.

Warnings: Mentions of abuse, violence and blood.

Disclaimer: GIF Credits to their owners. Also I don’t own the FBAWTFT universe. Queen JKR does.

Credence searched through the gathering crowd. His heart plummeted into the melancholic depths of disappointment as the lady with the kind smile failed to turn up at yet another NSPS meet. He reminisced how her face lit up with a smile, how unlike others she had apologised and with kindness radiating from every gesture, helped him gather the scattered flyers (even though it was probably his fault that they fell in the first place). It was far too rare for people to deem him worthy to bestow kindness upon. It was more often than not a case of shoved bodies, rough touches and muttered insults. Not pretty smiles and an overwhelming softness of the heart.

Credence couldn’t help but feel sadness clutching him in its cold grasp, he really shouldn’t have gotten his hopes high. After all, it was highly unlikely that she had the free time to attend all of the rallies. She had indeed said that she had work to rush off to the other day. A hopeful part of him wished that it was just that, a busy schedule which kept her from coming back. But then again, she might have completely forgotten him. Who would remember a lowly, wicked boy like him? And if at all she did remember him, it would be with disgust at his uselessness, disappointed with anything he did. The way Ma was.

Credence sneaked a glance at his adoptive mother as she went on about the malignant virus of witchcraft that was fast spreading amongst the unaware and naive naysayers. She urged the people to be proactive and join the cause, they had safety in numbers. It was the vigilant who could save themselves after all. He thought that if he repeated the propaganda enough times, he might even start believing it. It was not that Credence disbelieved that people like witches and magic existed. He knew that his biological mother was wicked, that her blood was tainted, the same blood that ran through his veins. He had heard about it numerous times over the span of his childhood, receiving divine punishment at the hands of his Ma in a bid to loosen Satan’s hold over him. Such instances though, had become rarer as the years passed. The punishments hadn’t stopped, just the reasons had changed.

His hand felt a ghostly sting and Credence flinched, remembering the latest disciplining. His barely healed hands clutched the flyers tightly as the memory of a few weeks back washed his subconscious. Ma had been so angry with him when she had seen him idling around the back instead of handing out more flyers like he was supposed to. He had just found the crowd oppressive and decided to get a few breaths of clean air, a brief respite from the heat. That was when she had stumbled across his feet, not hard enough to cause him discomfort, but enough to make her presence known. He had expected harsh words, an angry shove or complete unapologetic indifference even. Because that was how he was used to being treated. Instead like an angel shining her heavenly aura on lesser mortals, she had come to his aid. Being the worthless being that he was, he’d somehow managed to become a stuttering dimwit, rendered dumb by her kindness and beauty. This was an exchange that hadn’t escaped the watchful eyes of his mother, though thankfully she hadn’t seen who it was that he was speaking to.

No amount of pleading would dissuade her from meting out what he rightfully deserved. It was just a matter of time and it came when they reached the rundown excuse of a church that they called their house. The moment the door to the living room closed, he silently slid off the belt from its place, grasping the buckle in the hope that the ordeal would end faster if he willed it to. Just thinking of the belting had his hands smarting in remembrance of the vicious hits. Ma had been especially angry that day.

“Hello there, young man. Won’t you give me one of those flyers?” An elderly woman broke Credence out of his reverie, a wrinkled hand outstretched towards him seeking a purple handout. Her eyes crinkled as she gave him a benevolent smile. She looked of Asian heritage, probably Japanese judging from the pastel kimono that draped her delicate frame; with her soft demeanour and quite mannerisms, she faintly reminded Credence of summers spent lying in the warmth of his birth mother’s lap, but it was a fleeting thing, this barely remembered memory.

Though he had been expecting quite a different interruption, even this was welcome. After all, it was not everyday that people treated him with such gentleness. As if reading his mind, the old woman queried, “Were you perhaps expecting someone else?” Pink dusted his cheeks as Credence replied in embarrassment, “N-no!” It came out louder than he had intended. Glancing at his mother to make sure that her attention was focused elsewhere, he quietly mumbled, “ I meant…no. That is not the…case.” His speech was marked by ponderous pauses, as if mulling over what would be appropriate enough to voice out loud.

The old woman merely nodded in understanding, though what she comprehended from his mumbles and pauses, Credence could only wonder. They stood in comfortable silence for a while before the woman spoke again, “What is your name child?” He jerked as if virtually slapped and something skittered in the woman’s eyes but it was gone before he could really observe. “C-credence.” He spoke so softly that it was a wonder that the woman had heard anything at all. But her serene smile indicated that she indeed had heard him. “You have a beautiful name”, she complemented him, making him blush again. As the rally broke up with the end address from his mother, the elderly lady stared up in the sky as if thinking about something before saying, “I better get going now. Hope you have a good day son!” her eyes twinkled and Credence couldn’t help but be gripped by a weird sense of deja vu,feeling as if he had met the woman somewhere before.

                                          Y/N laid down her quill with a sense of satisfaction as the last report was written, bringing her paperwork to completion. Standing up, she stretched her muscles before waving her wand to summon her coat. Capping off another day at work, she stumbled out of the inconspicuous gates of MACUSA, weary and bone tired but happy at the pace of things. She started walking at a leisurely pace, setting off towards her apartment idly wondering about what she should have for dinner. Today felt like a sushi day.                

Tasked with scouting for a new place to conduct the next meeting, Credence walked the bustling streets of New York City. He had been walking for well over an hour and twilight had set in by the time he truly found anything of use. Before his eyes lay a dusty playground, more derelict than green. It was not exactly spic and span but with some cleaning, it would do. Credence looked at the playground which was sandwiched between a confectionery and a chic boutique selling trendy flapper dresses which seemed all the rage these days. Yes, this would do. He was just about to venture a bit further inside to give a last cursory glance to the venue when he stumbled across an empty glass bottle.

Landing hard on the dusty pavement with his hands outstretched to break the fall, a hiss escaped Credence. The fall tore anew his barely healed palms. Cradling them close to himself, he took a closer look at the demon that had devised his fall. Was that a beer bottle that he spied? “Oi, who goes there?” A gruff voice enquired from the depths of the dimly lit playground. Fear grabbed Credence as he stared at the questioner. Three men, drunkards by the look of them, appeared from the murky shadows. A pudgy faced man, with a pronounced limp approached him followed by a stockily built man and a towering youth with a face attacked by the most vicious case of acne Credence had ever seen.

“Looky what we ‘ave ‘ere eh? A pup, wet behind ‘em ears!” The towering youth chuckled nastily, showcasing yellowing teeth much to the amusement and hollering of the other two. He had a surprisingly gravelly rasp. Probably a result of excessive smoking judging by the cigarette clutched in his blackened fingers. “Ya think ya can just come here an’ bust upon us, pup?” The stocky man’s words would have been intimidating had they not been uttered in the squeakiest voice ever heard. All this would have been an excellent backdrop for a comedy show and Credence might have even found it funny had he not been in the midst of it. “Answer da question. What ya doing ‘ere, punk!” pudgy face bent down for emphasis , getting too close for comfort, spittle spraying everywhere and his body reeking of alcohol, rancid sweat and something more unpleasant best not named.

Credence could barely manage a frightened whimper as hot tears ran down his cheeks. It was one thing to be belted by Ma for his actions. He deserved that, after all, it was meant for his own good, wasn’t it? But what had he done to deserve this? He cowered as pudge face yanked him by the collar of his shirt, drunken vigour easily lending him the strength to haul the frail boy up. “The cowardly brat’s snivellin’ like a damned 2 year old, if I ever seen one. What ya boys say we beat some sense inta him?” Credence felt a tightness blossom in his ribs, pressing down on his chest making it difficult to breath. His sight became hazy and all he could think of was the world of pain, broken bones and smashed teeth that was awaiting him. He saw the raised fist and closed his eyes, as the tightness in his ribs grew, threatening to burst him at the seams. Any moment now, he would be beaten into pulp.

Suddenly, the air rang out with a shrill alarm, a siren similar to those of police vans. “Shit! Why’s the police here?” the squeaky voiced man called out and Credence snapped his eyes open. Pudgy face shoved him away as the three bustled out of the playground, scampering ahead of one another, beer bottles scattered in their wake. Shaking violently at the near beating, Credence curled up into a ball and couldn’t help but continue crying as the siren grew louder and his mind went into overdrive. The police would find him and take him in for questioning. There were empty beer bottles here, he had obviously been up to no good, they would think. Wait, if the police took him up for questioning, his Ma would know. Dread latched onto him, pooling into an acidic swirl at the pit of his stomach. Oh what would she say? The mere idea of her wrath sent him on the edge of a panic attack.

Credence barely noticed when the siren stopped, for the ringing in his ears only continued to grow louder with every passing second. He was going to be arrested!! Someone was calling out to him, asking him if he was okay, but the world was a cacophony of white noise. They crouched beside him and attempted to pull his body upright. Resisting the movement, he flailed on the ground muttering incoherently throughout. Suddenly, his face was grabbed by a gentle touch and Credence found himself staring in the most mesmerising pair of (Y/E/C) eyes he had ever seen. “It’s okay love, they are gone. You are safe now. Nothing will harm you…I won’t let anything harm you!” His body gave a violent shudder. Letting out a choked sob, he fell into the soft embrace of the kind woman for whom he had been waiting for so long at the rallies. His angel had finally come to his rescue.

A/N: Ahh the time for the fated meeting has finally arrived! Writing this chapter through Credence’s P.O.V. was super fun as well as a bit anxiety inducing. I was constantly worried whether I was portraying him correctly.Just some trivia, the first sushi shop in the U.S. reportedly opened in 1906 in the Little Tokyo neighbourhood of LA apparently. I actually went and researched this on the net and Wikipedia threw this up on “the history of sushi”. Well, now that my nerd curiosity and obsessive authenticity mania has been satiated; addressing another twist- a mysterious old woman (Oba-san, if we are getting technical here) has appeared!! I wonder who she could be? 😉 Please excuse any typos that may have crept in. Thank you dear readers for the overwhelming love that you are showering on this story! Stay tuned for the next chapter and let me know how you all found this! ~mystical reading nerd

[mysticalreadingnerd]

damn, you just said you "tried your hand at angst???" Not even close!!! LMWYH Part 7 made me cry it was so good (and so sad 😭😭) I've never read a piece like it. Keep up the amazing writing :)

Thank you lovely anon! Messages like these help me keep on writing ❤

[mysticalreadingnerd]

Hi, can you tag me in LMWYH? Because I absolutely love it and it would be a shame if I missed any future chapters.

Of course! You have been added to the tag list :)

[mysticalreadingnerd]

Existential update

Apologies to all readers of Let Me Warm Your Heart. I am currently swamped with exams, and law school is relentless when it comes to whipping students into submissive misery 😫😑 As for the Chapter 4 of LMWYH it will be updated sometime in mid June (hopefully)! I'll aim for weekly updates once I'm free. Have a nice day folks!

[mysticalreadingnerd]

i’m in love with Let Me Warm Your Heart and was wondering if you could tag me? thanks xx

Added to the tag list! :)

[mysticalreadingnerd]

Can you please keep going on with the credence fix you were working on pleeeeeeaaaseeeee bc oh dear do I love it hahaha xoxo

Hi!! I'm glad you liked my fic! I actually have the next part written, so don't worry. I do plan on continuing it. Just a bit of tinkering and polishing before I post it. 💛