#mane six hogwarts houses

[embodyingchaos]

sorting the mane six into their hogwarts houses

okay, so i decided to do this analysis because i'm writing a harry potter fic while watching an episode of my little pony and i just thought about what their houses would be so this would be a fun, little analysis thingy-ma-bob for me to do. just a heads up, i have not read all the books, i've only read until the second one and i've only watched the movies. first, we have twilight. everyone would immediately sort her into ravenclaw and this is where i would have to disagree, sort of. mostly because as seen in the show multiple and countless of times, twilight has shown bravery and courage for fighting against villains and fighting for what's right(like friendship). she's sort of like hermione, who is studious and a brainiac but still has the courage to stand up for her friends, stand up for what's right. then again, she could still be in ravenclaw and have the perseverance to do the right thing, just like luna lovegood. all in all, i believe twilight is a true ravenclaw. next, applejack. no doubt, no thoughts, she is a gryffindor. she is filled with chivalry and can be quite arrogant in a sense that she often thinks that she's in the right, which a lot of gryffindors exhibit this trait, and can be stubborn and prideful. she is honest and true, all more traits of the lion house. now, fluttershy is also a no brainer. she is the element of kindness and she is quite literally helga hufflepuff in different font, specifically, horse font. fluttershy exhibits patience, as seen in countless of episodes, and a sense of justice for her animals. she worked hard to open her animal sanctuary, just like any other hufflepuff would. fluttershy is a hufflepuff. another no brainer for me would be ms. rarity. she is cunning, she is manipulative(in the good way where she uses it to help her friends), she is resourceful and she is determined. she shows all these traits when striving to open up her multiple boutiques around equestria. other than her generosity, which isn't exhibited in a lot of slytherins in the movies that much, she is, hands down, a slytherin. rainbow dash would be somepony interesting to sort. first of all, i'm torn between sorting her into gryffindor or slytherin. her gryffindor traits would be courage, nerve, stubborn, prideful and often breaks the rules. she strives to do what's right and always goes head first into a fight in order to protect her friends or her reputation. on the other hand, her slytherin traits are just as evident. determination and cunningness to get into the wonderbolts, she's quite ambitious and boastful about her own skills and superiority. the one thing that tears her away from getting sorted into slytherin is the fact that she lacks the will to do whatever it takes to succeed. therefore, i sort her into gryffindor. good luck, gryffindor. (#appledashingryffindorforthewin) last but not least, we have my favourite of them all, pinkamena diane pie. pinks is another one that brings me to a stump. maybe at first glance, you would see her as a hufflepuff, and i agree! she is kind and humble, inclusive and selfless, and she likes food! even though, she has all these traits, her character would show her to be quite a gryffindor. through many episodes, we see her to be extremely persistent and pushy when wanting to know about things. she's extremely adventurous, enjoys travelling to new places, and she's incredibly brave as seen in the very first/second episode(she literally laughed in the face of terror). she can be fast to accuse someone immediately after one word, and she can be stubborn as well. pinkie is definitely a gryffindor. bonus: spike is a hufflepuff! i don't care what anyone says, mf is loyal, patient and full of justice. sure, he lacks humbleness and selflessness at times, but i literally can't sort him into any other house. he has no ravenclaw traits, maybe a few gryffindor traits and the slight personality of a slytherin(especially with his sarcastic remarks), but all in all, i think he fits best into hufflepuff.

i'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts on this! remember, this is only my opinion and if you don't agree with it that's fine but be nice, because i will cry myself to sleep if someone calls me a poopoo head for my choices of sorting.

[bonedo-enthusiast]

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ot6

Coming Out to BND (fluff)

BND as Hogwarts Houses

BND as MLP Mane Six Characters

BND's Kinks (NSFW) (smut, mdni!)

[blacknailpolishonguitarstrings]

The look of love

NSFR!!!

Two hours were left till the game.

Ryder looked at himself one last time in the mirror, cocking his head in a judging manner. A straight, perfectly serious poker face, short ginger hair casting a slight shadow over blue eyes sparkling with intelligence, and ivory skin so pale it almost appeared translucent in the harsh morning sunlight. His tall, slender frame was hugged by his red and yellow knitted jumper with an embroidered lion right above the heart. The animal shook its mane, golden stitches moving across the fabric as it opened its jaw in a wide, mighty roar. Chuckling lightly, the young wizard tugged at his clothes one last time and tucked a stray, slightly longer, strand of hair behind his ear before exiting the bathroom with a satisfied smile.

The circular dorm room housing the 6th year Gryffindor boys was mostly dark, save for a golden ray of sunlight fighting its way through the thick garnet-coloured velvet curtains. James and Sirius were already down at breakfast, judging by the empty, unmade beds, and Peter appeared to be still in a deep sleep, a small snore cutting through his loud breathing from time to time. Remus, on the other hand, was laying on his bed, eyes unusually wide open. He seemed to be submerged in deep thought, but Ryder did not miss his longing glance at Sirius’ bed before going down the stairs.

***

One hour was left till the game.

The day was beautiful, with a clear, cloudless, azure blue sky and a bright golden sun which cast its powerful white light on the early spring earth, warming it, feeding the emerging plants its powerful magic. It was a perfect day for Quidditch. And Merlin knew, they needed as much of an advantage as they could get, even though the excellent conditions would also favour the other team. They were playing Ravenclaw, who had assembled a magnificent team this year, and it was the most important match of the season, deciding if Gryffindor would move on to finals this year or not. They simply could not afford to lose. Ryder had a lot of confidence in the Gryffindor team, of course, having trained relentlessly for weeks with them under the masterful tutelage of James Fleamont Potter, the most renowned Chaser Hogwarts had seen in years. And yet he could not shake the excess of nervous energy riddling his body, electrifying his limbs, reaching every nerve and cell, setting him alight. It felt as if his whole body was on fire, ready to soar the skies at breakneck speeds, catch that bloody Snitch and win. Oh Circe, there was nothing he wanted more, needed more than a glorious win.

Finally, he reached the Quidditch pitch, with its six hoops standing tall and proud in the sky, its towers adorned with the House colours, and the large Ravenclaw and Gryffindor banners weaving in the light breeze, in preparation for the upcoming match. A few early supporters clad in red and gold or blue and bronze were already there, spread out across the stalls on the wooden benches.

***

Only fifteen minutes were left till the beginning of the match.

The changing room was bustling with the young Gryffindor players, all geared up and ready in their scarlet robes, chatting rapidly and revising strategies they had gone over thousands of times already. Yet, one team member remained missing. One of the Beaters. Not Marlene, no, she was present and fully prepared, her blonde ponytail bouncing on her back as she jumped up and down on one spot, warming up. No, the Beater missing was Sirius. Curious, Ryder left the room through the back door, left slightly ajar by someone else. And there, he saw them. Remus and Sirius, limbs intertwined around each other in a tight embrace, which appeared brotherly at first, but he noticed: it was so much more than that. Everything from Remus’ soothing hand gliding over Sirius’ lower back, to his small, nervous, smile, and bright, wide-open eyes filled with a very strong, slightly unsettling emotion, full of fire and passion but also tenderness screamed something akin to…love. Sirius was entirely relaxed in his friend’s arms, burying his face in the crook of his neck, letting the tall boy run his fingers softly through his shoulder-length, jet-black hair, a rather unusual occurrence.

“Took them long enough,” thought Ryder before backing away, deciding to let them have their moment of privacy.

Despite how discreet they both thought they were not having told anyone or each other about their feelings, one could see right through both, Remus and Sirius, from a kilometres away. It was all the little things, like their constant searching looks, trying to find one another in the room, the blushing at the smallest of compliments, how their smiles grew just a little more when they were in each other’s presence, and the longing glances, which somehow always failed to meet, that betrayed them every time.

“Ryder?” Said someone behind him.

“Hey, Padfoot, all good?” Asked the red-haired boy, turning towards Sirius.

“Yeah, yeah,” he replied, mumbling distractedly. “Just slightly nervous because of the game you know, the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup are at stake, we can’t fuck it up.”

“No shit Sherlock.”

The other wizard looked at him confusedly.

“Muggle reference,” he waved it off. “But indeed, we cannot mess up, and we won’t. Come on, we’re due any minute now, try not to fall off your broom out there while ogling Remus in your Quidditch jumper.”

“Sod off,” muttered Sirius under his breath, colour rising to his cheeks.

***

Twenty minutes into the game.

Ryder soared high in the sky, a light zephyr whooshing through his hair as he held on tight to the slim, wooden handle of his broom engraved with golden letters, a magnificent present from his parents for his fifteenth birthday. Players clad in ultramarine and scarlet zoomed below him, the dark red Quaffle passing from a Chaser’s hands to another Chaser’s hands every few seconds. Menacing black Bludgers chased by the two pairs of Beaters zigzagged between them, trying to knock them off their brooms. Even further below, a moving mass of red and blue cheered, their screams slightly muted in Ryder’s ears. His eyes scanned the grounds and skies, for only a tiny flash of gold and silver, which remained invisible. Not far from him, the Ravenclaw Seeker, Chang, if he remembered correctly, tailed him closely, not taking her eyes off the Quidditch Pitch either. He had never spoken to her before, but he had seen her play a few times. She was good, an enemy not to be underestimated, fast and swift, dangerous.

The blue crowd erupted into roars again, Remus’ loud and very pissed off voice cutting through them:

“Thirty to forty for Ravenclaw, GRYFFINDOR MOVE YOUR BLOOMING ARSE!”

Ryder could not suppress an amused smile at that, which only grew at the sight of Sirius nearly flying into a goal post, eyes fixed on the Commentator’s Box.

“BLACK STOP GAWKING AND FUCKING PLAY! Also, a not so gentle reminder for the dear Miss Evans that Potter is still very much on the market and only waiting for you, love.”

“Bloody hell, Lupin,” chuckled Ryder, shaking his head, sharp gaze never leaving the sky, still looking for the Snitch.

“Lockhart here just requested that I transmit a message to the Ravenclaw team saying he bet a galleon on your win. I say you bastards are going to lose very soon, just like Gildie here. Now, POTTER GET IT TOGETHER AND START BLOODY PLAYING AND RYDER YOU BETTER CATCH THAT SODDING SNITCH!”

“Mr. Lupin!” Sounded McGonagall’s scandalized voice somewhere near the microphone.

Egged on, the ginger boy began circling the goalposts, swerving left and right, still scanning everything for the tiny, fluttering golden ball which was nowhere in sight.

The match dragged on and on, the Snitch still not having appeared even once. A glance at the scoreboard sufficed to tell him that Ravenclaw was ahead of Gryffindor by fifty points. Apparently, their Keeper was either having a wonderful day or he was simply marvellous at his job. Ryder needed to catch the bloody ball now before the situation got any worse. Suddenly, he saw it, that longed-for flash of gold, fluttering peacefully, almost mockingly, at the bottom of Ravenclaw’s goalposts. And unfortunately, Chang was much closer to it than he was. If he flew there right now, she would immediately see it and rob him of any chance of catching it. Therefore, he feinted. He flew upwards, circling the Gryffindor goal posts as shouts rang out amongst the crowd. Immediately, the other Seeker sprang into action, speeding across the entire Pitch to reach him. With a jubilant grin, Ryder weaved a couple more times between the players, pretending to search for the Snitch, waiting for Chang to catch up. As soon as she reached him, he flew in the direction she had just come from, going as fast as he could, half-bent over his broom, gliding smoothly in the air. Sensing the subterfuge, she swore, but flew right after him, coming closer with every passing second. The Snitch was still hovering calmly near the bottom of the middle goal post, and by now, she had already seen it. Chang was too close though, and Ryder knew it, she was about to pass him, advantaged by her newer broom. As if she could sense his thoughts, she swerved right in front of him. It was too late now, Ravenclaw would win, but he refused to give up. All of a sudden, a Bludger came out of nowhere, knocking the Seeker dressed in blue clean off her broom. Glancing briefly to the side, Ryder saw Sirius flash him a proud smile. With renewed energy, he flew faster, slicing cleanly through the air, chest pressed against the handle of his broom and arm extended in front of him.

And then he felt it, the tiny golden ball clasped tightly in his fist, silvery wings flapping desperately against his palm, trying to free itself. An elated smile spread across his lips, as he dismounted his broom, brandishing his arm high in the sky. It was over, they won. Gryffindor had won. He and Sirius had won the match for the team.

Exhilaration flooded his veins, electrifying his body, adrenaline still rushing through his blood as the joy of the victory crashed over him like a tsunami, washing everything else away. At that moment, only he existed, surrounded by the thundering of the crowd’s vociferations. His team surrounded him, clapping him on the back, hugging him.

It was thrilling.

And then, without warning, Remus appeared next to him, picking Sirius up and kissing him fiercely. More cheers broke out around them, as the kiss lasted for long, happy seconds. As they fell apart, Sirius smiled triumphantly, not one of his words escaping Ryder’s sharp ear, who smirked knowingly for himself:

“I always knew you liked me, Moony.”

story written as part of a giveaway on Instagram

[cassieschaosdimension]

The First Train Ride

The first chapter of Snake Befriending Lion by Bookdragonfanish on AO3! Please feel free to check it out to leave a comment or kudo if you haven't already!

*THIS IS NOT EDITED YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!*

Eleven year old Draco Malfoy stands on Platform Nine and Three Quarters hoping for a glimpse of the boy who lived. He, like everyone else in the Wizarding world, had grown up hearing his name. The story was one of legend and he wondered if Harry remembered it all. He was interrupted in his thoughts by two rambunctious red headed boys who brushed past him laughing loudly. He heard his father give a sniff of disapproval.

He pitied the boys even though he knew nothing about them. His father, Lucius Malfoy, was notorious for making sure none of his enemies were around to stop him. Draco had always wondered about the company his parents kept, much preferring to stay in his room whilst they had any visitors at all.

"Draco darling," that was his mother. He sauntered over to where she was and listened to what she had to say. "Draco, Remember no matter what happens at school, your father and I love you very much. We will write you as soon as we get home and eagerly await your owl. Chin up, back straight. Malfoys and Blacks do not slouch."

Nodding his head, Draco says "Yes mother. I love both of you too. And I can't wait to see the castle with the lake and my classes. Mum, do you think people will like me? What if I can't make any friends? I don't want to hang out with Blaise or Crabbe and Goyle or Pansy. They're mean and stuck up to people."

"Just be yourself darling and remember what I told you. Go see your father." Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy, formerly known as Black, was a thin woman who demanded respect when she walked into a room. No one ever knew what she was thinking, but one thing they knew was she loved her family dearly. She would do anything to keep her son safe and away from harm.

Draco walks over to his father. "Draco, while you're at Hogwarts please try to remember we are not like the others. We are of noble blood and we must be treated as such. Do not let others get you down. You are a Malfoy and the name of Malfoy has demanded respect for centuries. Do not mess it up. Have fun at Hogwarts, but do not forget what I have told you. Get on the train.

Mr. Lucius Malfoy did not have the best childhood and when Narcissa became pregnant he vowed to protect his son from harm. He did this by only letting him intermingle with those of his own kind. He made sure his son had a normal childhood. Well as normal as he would let him.

After hugging and kissing his mother and shaking hands with his father Draco runs excitedly onto the train waiting to see if he could make any friends before he even got to Hogwarts. After looking into one compartment on the train he shies away from that one. It had really tall, really loud people in it! He didn't want that at all.

Another compartment had only girls. His only experience with girls his own age had been Pansy and he wasn't eager to find out if all girls were like her. She was enough to deal with. He wanted a group of guy friends. Crabbe and Goyle did what he said because his father was the boss of their fathers. They weren't his friends. They had to do whatever he said and he didn't like it. He remembered asking them if they could come out on the moors with him to look for gnomes at four. Crabbe threw an absolute fit. Goyle had to drag Crabbe after Draco as he flounced off to the moors. Draco was extremely put out, but when he looked back and saw the two of them lumbering after him, he brightened up.

Another memory he had was Christmas when he was seven and he wanted to play in the snow after the meal. Crabbe and Goyle were stuffing their faces and didn’t want to leave the food. He went to complain to his mother. What happened next was what he expected, but he felt guilty about it. His mother went over to their mothers and practically demanded their sons play with him. Draco only wanted some real playmates. That was the year he realized he might never have real friends. Crabbe and Goyle weren’t as smart as he was so he could never have the stimulating conversations he had with his mother over their daily afternoon tea.

They weren’t going to have genuine fun with him. This is when he learned he could make the two boys do his bidding. He started to turn from the carefree happy boy he once was in the open into a cold hearted, manipulative person who closed off his emotions to please his father. However, he did keep some of himself when he snuck down into the kitchens for a late night talk with the house elves. They were his only real friends growing up besides his mother.

Whenever Pansy and her parents came over she was so mean to the poor house elves. She was always talking to them as if they were the gum on the bottom of her patent leather flats. The way she ordered them to take her outerwear was shocking to Draco. As she grew up, he watched her parents not able to say no to her. She got everything she asked for. It was sickening for him to watch. Once she got to ten years of age, Draco was spending all of his time with Crabbe and Goyle because two buffoons were better than one spoiled brat. Draco always went and apologized for her behavior to the elves in the dead of night. The house elves were sad to see him go off to school, but they were excited too.

"Excuse me. Coming through. Lee has a tarantula for us to look at. Budge along." It’s the two rambunctious red headed boys who had brushed him going onto the platform. When they get to Draco, their happy looks sour.

The one on the right looks at the one on the left and says "Pardon me your Highness. Will you let us pass to get to our compartment?" Draco doesn't like the tone he uses. He isn't doing anything wrong. The train hasn't even started to move yet!

"Oh yeah," Draco presses himself up against the wall to let the two pass. He doesn't like these two and hopes he won't have to interact with them in class. They looked older, definitely not first years. In fact, all of these people looked a lot older than he was.

Draco was starting to get scared and started to stumble across the long, velvet carpeted, hallway separating the compartments from the platform.

With each peek into a compartment, he starts to worry. He had yet to see any people who looked like first years. At one compartment he sees Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy and immediately lurches past with his head down.

Shaken up at seeing them, he steps into a random compartment and is relieved to see a round faced brown haired boy with a toad sitting next to him. This boy looked like a first year like him.

"May I sit down?" Draco asked politely.

The boy looked to Draco and jumped in surprise. "Yes... yes you can. My name is Neville ummm, Neville Longbottom and this is Trevor." He gestured to the tod sitting next to him. "Sit down and…” He looks at the window with a blush on his cheeks and wide eyes. “Ummm, make yourself comfortable. Please um, please make sure you close the compartment door so Trevor doesn’t escape.”

Grinning at the warm greeting, Draco complies. He sticks out his hand and says, "I'm Draco Malfoy. It's really nice to meet you Neville! I hope we can be friends!"

At the name Malfoy, Neville shoots up in his seat in alarm and starts to look around as if an escape hatch will appear so he can disappear. "M-mal-malfoy?! As in the Death Eaters?!" He started to fidget and panic.

Draco looks at the poor boy in utter confusion. "Former Death Eaters. Are you okay Neville?"

Eyes wide in fright, Neville grabs Trevor and huddles at the furthest edge of the compartment from Draco, as if he has a disease. Draco wants to cry. Here is a first year boy who looks terrified of him because of his name. He doesn't understand why Neville is petrified. His parents weren't Death Eaters anymore and they only did it because He - Who - Must - Be - Named made them! All he wants is a real friend!

Draco on the verge of tears, turns to go. As soon as he opens the door he's met with a mane of brown, frizzy, bushy hair. He falls backwards in shock and hears a whimper from Neville.

"Hello. Everywhere else is full. They're about to depart so would you mind letting me into the compartment? That would be wonderful." The bushy haired girl says with authority. "I would like to be seated when the lurch is felt.” Pushing past an astonished Draco with only an “excuse me”, she falls into the just vacant seat Neville left only moments earlier.

She pushes past him and Draco stands up; when he's turned around the scene he looks at is chaotic.

Neville stands up to leap after Trevor, who with the door open, makes his way, hopping faster than Draco expects towards freedom.

All else forgotten. Neville screams "Grab him!" The bushy haired girl lunges for the toad and misses. Now it's Draco's turn to redeem himself in Neville's eyes. He too lunges for the toad and manages to grasp his left hind leg before he falls flat on his face, his grip loosening on the toad who hops away unaware of the chaos he has caused.

Neville's face is distraught. "My great uncle Algie gave me Trevor when I got accepted into Hogwarts! I’m a pureblood you see and most of my family believed I was a Squib for the longest time until I was eight. Uncle Algie pushed me off the Blackpool Pier.” Gasps are heard throughout the compartment. “Don’t worry. I bounced all the way down. Uncle Algie was so pleased he gave me Trevor! Now, can we please go after him?”

Draco and the girl exchange concerned glances. Draco knows that any Wizarding family will have almost all of their family members accepted unless they're a Squib and he's certain his family tree doesn't have any Squibs.

"You're a pureblood?" Draco cautiously asks, accidentally falling onto the girl who just sat down as the train gives a lurch. He hasn’t looked at the family tree since his father forced him to glance at it when he was six. Draco strains to hear Neville’s answer, but with the train moving steadily now, there’s no way to hear Neville at the volume he speaks at.

The girl huffs and moves to give Draco room to sit and he smiles gratefully at her. He's never seen her before and she seems to give off the same air he does. He wonders if she's a pureblood from another country. As she speaks again, he realizes she doesn’t know a thing about the Wizarding community in Britain and the surrounding areas.

"Oh purebloods! I've read about them. They're the silly witches and wizards who think that half-bloods and Muggleborns are scum. I find that absolutely atrocious as I am a Muggleborn myself," the girl turns to Draco. "My guess is you're a pureblood?"

When he nods she starts to lecture him. "You all should be ashamed of yourselves! I read that if you guys didn't marry outside of your circle you would have died out! The mindset is completely rubbish and shouldn't even be put into practice. And at a school no less!"

Neville and Draco look at her in shock, eyes wide and face awash with horror. For such a tiny girl she can inflict fear into anyone with that tone. "I'm Hermione Granger. And what House do you hope to be in? Personally I want to end up in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor as Slytherin seems filled with selfish and mean people and Hufflepuff seems filled with pushovers."

At this Draco swells. "Excuse me! My whole family has been in Slytherin for centuries and I can tell you we are not selfish and mean people! We care for the greater good!"

Neville seems to shrink into his corner again at the last three words and Draco instantly regrets the words he unconsciously let spill from his mouth. He wants Neville as a friend and now maybe he won't want to be his friend!

Hermione turns towards him so fast her hair slaps him in the face. "You sound like Grindelwald! He sounded like you! Are you a supporter of He Who Must be Named?! They were both awful men! How can you sit there saying that when they did such horrible things!"

An even greater fear starts to creep into his eyes. These two do not like him. He is only repeating what he's heard his parents say! Should he say that? The words pop out before he can stop them. "My parents taught me that and I'm sorry if that was wrong all I want are real friends for once! Please give me a chance!"

Hermione looks at Neville and walks over to him. They converse in hushed voices. Draco's heart begins to sink. Will they give him a chance to be their friend?! All he wants is a real friend he can count on! He doesn't think he wants to be a Malfoy if this is what the name gives him. Why did he have to be born a Malfoy?

The waiting is agonizing. It seems like forever when they suddenly turn to him and Neville says, "How do we know you're not lying? Your mum's sister made my parents insane! "

Hermione rubs his back reassuringly and looks at Draco. "Okay, we don't trust you, but we are willing to give you a chance because we believe you can be good at heart. You get one chance. If you mess up, we won’t be your friend anymore. Now... please help us find Trevor. He's special to Neville and he doesn't want to start Hogwarts without him. Please help us look for him."

Draco senses a wonderful opportunity and stands eagerly with a frantic nod and wide grin. "Where do you want to start? Should we split up or stay together? Personally I think we should stay together because all of those people out there are scary."

The two stare at him in shock. They were not expecting him to jump up so suddenly and agree wholeheartedly.

Hermione says split up and Neville agrees, but then Draco points out no one will tell him anything since almost everyone knows who he is. Finally it’s agreed Neville will go on his own and Draco and Hermione will ask together.

Neville heads off to the left towards the front of the train. Hermione and Draco head towards the back of the train.

In the first few compartments they check, the students seated will only tell Hermione if they saw Trevor and ignored Draco completely. He wants to cry. Is the Malfoy name really making people not like him?! But they don't even know him! How are they supposed to know they don't like him if they don't know him?!

The last compartment holds two boys: one very red headed and one with round glasses and black hair. Draco hangs back behind Hermione’s hair as she asks the boys about Trevor.They respond no and turn away from the two toad hunters. The red headed boy pulls out a wand and Draco inches closer to see what spell he’ll utter. He’s watched Pansy wave her wand around since she went to Diagon Alley the day after she got her acceptance letter. He didn’t watch her because he didn’t want to associate himself with her and her ways. His mother made him promise not to use his wand until his first class because he could hurt people and he agreed.

The red haired boy says something about rats, daisies and yellow. As expected, the rat does not turn yellow. Hermione scoffs and then fixes the black haired boy's glasses.

When the red haired boy introduces himself as Ron Weasley, Draco wrinkles his nose. He can't help it. His father says the Weasleys are blood traitors and Mugglelovers. He was always taught they were bad, but now he's not so sure.

Then when the black haired boy says his name is Harry Potter, Draco surges forward. As he comes into view Ron turns away in disgust and he deflates a little bit. He's going to have to be careful in how he says things. "Hello! My name is Draco Malfoy and I'm also looking for Neville's toad. I'm assuming since this is the last compartment he's not here. Hermione, I'm going to head back to the compartment to see if Neville found him."

Ron stares at him in shock. “You’re a Malfoy? But you’re nice?” Turning to Harry, he whispers audibly, “The Malfoys were the biggest supporters of You - Know - Who.

With a smile and wave goodbye he leaves the three of them stunned into silence. The smile falls off his face as he trudges with a heavy heart towards the compartment to put his robes on. He realizes he should only stick to the people he has already met and he vows to steer clear of Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy for as long as he can and since they'll be in Slytherin like him it'll be hard. He'll manage; he always has.

He puts his robes in in the empty compartment and waits for Neville and Hermione to come back. Hopefully they will since their trucks are here. Smiling to himself, he stares out the window, already imaging what fun things he can do with his new friends!

[aedwritesfic]

Padfoot & Prongs Coffee: Part Six

Contemplation

Read on AO3

Sirius really wasn’t a fan of riding in the city. There were too many cars that didn’t look twice before merging, too many pedestrians who paid no mind to where the bloody crosswalks were, and the speed limits were actually enforced. He much preferred driving through the highlands--on the backroads that inevitably led him to the Potter’s winter home. It had been years since he had been back--the joint funeral had been a small affair back in India and James hadn’t yet had a chance to get back up to Scotland. 

Christmas, he thought. Maybe they’d close the shop for a long weekend--Christmas was on a Friday, after all--and make the trek up north to finally close up the house for good. One more winter holiday at Potter Manor would be good for all of them. Closure. That was the word he was looking for. The funeral had helped, as had selling off the house in Cambridge, but the winter home is where the memories truly were.

Sirius shook the thoughts from his head and picked up speed, swerving his baby--the monster BMW R60/2 that he had rebuilt piece by piece while in his final year at Hogwarts--through the masses of people and vehicles that inevitably were out on a Friday night. He was only about ten minutes out from the wine bar if he kept his current speed. 

He allowed his mind to flood with thoughts of Remus, fantasies of how their evening would play out. It had been a long time since Sirius had been on a date--an actual, proper date (picking up a bloke at the club did not count). Hell, it had been ages since he had been that drawn to someone. 

That morning, he had told James that he had met his soulmate. Something in his gut assured him that it hadn’t been an exaggeration or a flight of fancy. That very simple exchange they had over an ordered coffee was more than enough for Sirius to know that this guy was something special. 

He wasn’t just some bloke to take out for a drink, shag in the coat check, and then never speak to again. Remus was the kind of guy that you dressed up for, took out someplace nice, spent time actually talking to them, and didn’t shag on the first date. Remus was someone that you worked for. And something in the few moments of their first conversation had told Sirius that Remus was worth it. 

Sirius hadn’t been to this wine bar before, but his friend Dorcas managed it and the business cards she had left at the shop looked classy, so he had suggested the place. He wasn’t really a fan of dressing up. He much preferred his worn black jeans and faded band t-shirts, but he made the effort. He had been such a nervous wreck after Remus accepted the date that he had Skyped Lily all in a tizzy because James Heterosexual Potter had absolutely zero sense of fashion. 

Learning that Lily knew Remus--well, at least a younger version of Remus--had been a bit disconcerting at first, but he soon got over that block and began trying in earnest to pump her for information. All she would say was that they had known each other from the time they were six to sixteen. He knew that she had been in and out of hospital a lot as a child and that now she was almost religious in meeting with her doctor, but he had never pried. Her medical history was her own business, but for the first time since he’d known the fiery-haired woman, he was curious. 

Sirius was certain that she knew he had wanted to ask that night, but knowing Lily, she would have asked for a bit of quid pro quo and expected to hear something about his childhood in return, and that topic was decisively off-limits. If things with Remus went as well as he hoped they would, the pair would end up talking about everything eventually and all curiosities would be satisfied. 

After parking his motorbike legally-enough in a space across from the bar, Sirius shook out his mane of hair, easily dispelling the helmet hair, and threw it up in an “effortless” messy bun--he had spent ages perfecting the technique. 

As he dismounted the bike, he caught sight of the man: godlike, body carved from marble, and somehow, though no longer clad in a cardigan with elbow patches (swoon) still managed to look like a hot professor. 

Remus must have sensed his presence. As the pair made eye contact Sirius grinned, his heart skipped a beat, and he promptly tripped falling flat on his face.

[disaster-ace-is-me]

so instead of actually paying attention to my class yesterday (i’ll regret that later) i sat there and sorted the mane six (well a couple included sunset and starlight) mlp characters into the strangest things including:

Hogwarts houses

Taylor Swift albums (this one was very thorough and i’m a little concerned)

friends characters

the office characters

the good place characters

she-ra pop characters

high school courses that were offered when my school had actually interesting classes back in freshman year

but i was kinda right though and i think it’s just my brain telling me to write a fic

[blue-heart-loves-you]

Addie, Introduced

It starts, as many things do, with a book.

Blue sits at their desk in the bookshop, humming to themself, watching the small crowd of customers peruse the shelves with a smile. They’re just about to announce that the shop will be closing in half an hour, when a pair of tiny hands reach up to drop a considerably-sized book on their desk. 

Blue leans over the desk to see a small girl, likely no older than six or seven, looking up at them with owlish amber eyes. She has a mane of curly red hair that comes down to the middle of her back, a green jacket that looks a little worse for wear, and blue jeans that are rolled up at her ankles to reveal little scuffed black sneakers. She smiles shyly up at Blue.

“’Scuse me,” she says, as though she’s interrupted something, “but can I please brorrow this?”

Blue holds back a squeal, instead nodding and picking up the book.

“Of course, kiddo!” As they scan the book, they notice the title. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. They raise their eyebrows as they hand it back to the girl, who immediately cradles it to her chest. “Nice choice there, you must be a really good reader!”

The girl nods proudly, curls bouncing and eyes shining. “Madeline--she’s a fifth grader--says it’s her favorite, so I gotta read it an’ prove I’m smarter than her, ‘cuz I am! Miss Reila says I’m the best reader in the whole class! An’ I always finish my vocabuary tests before anyone else!”

“Wow, that’s amazing!” Blue looks genuinely impressed. “Well, kiddo, do you have an adult with you who can give me their phone number? That way I can make sure you turn that back in?”

The girl’s eyes dim slightly, and her shoulders hunch.

“Um... My momma is across the street. I saw this in the window, and she said I gotta get it by myself, l-like a big girl...”

Blue hums. They know a lie when they see one, but they don’t mention it, instead giving a reassuring smile.

“Aw, that’s alright! You did a very good job! How about this.” They pull a notepat out from one of their drawers, and grab a flower pen from the cup on their desk, walking around to crouch in front of the girl. They hold the pen out to her, resting the notepad on their knee.

“Write your name on this, and whenever you return the book, whoever is here will know that it’s you!”

The girl bites her lip. “Do I gotta write my whole name?”

Blue shakes their head. “Nope! Whatever name you want us to call you works just fine!”

The girl seems to relax as the shifts her book under her right arm and takes the pen with her left. In a surprisingly neat hand--for a child, anyways--she writes out her name.

“Addie.” Blue hums, standing back up. “That’s a lovely name!”

The girl--Addie--giggles. “Thank you! It’s short for Adelaide, but I don’t like spellin’ it.”

Blue nods. “I totally understand. I’m Blue, and it’s been great talking to you, Miss Addie!”

Addie giggles again, then gasps. “Oh! I gotta go back home before it gets dark! Thank you, Blue!” She runs towards the door, and Blue watches her go.

---

A week passes. A week that Blue spends thinking about Addie. Why did she lie about her mother? Why were her clothes so messy, like she didn’t wear anything else? Angel listens to their worries, reassures them that they’ll see her again soon, and while Blue tries to listen, they just can’t help but worry.

But anyways.

A week passes, and Blue is back at their desk, watching customers start leaving when they announce that the shop is to close soon. They can’t really explain why they suddenly feel happier when they see a familiar pair of hands dropping a familiar book on their desk.

Addie pushes up on the tips of her toes, smiling widely at Blue, her hair pulled back at the nape of her neck, but still no less of a mane.

“Well hello there,” Blue greets cheerfully. “I was wondering when I’d see you again!”

“I finished the book!” Addie hops a couple of times, clearly very excited. “It was sooooo good! I really liked Hermione! And Fred and George!”

“Wow, finished already?” Blue chuckles, picking up the book and scanning it before dropping it in the dropbox. “I’m so glad you liked it! Are you ready for the next one?”

She nods enthusiastically. “Please!”

Blue comes out from behind her desk and holds their hand out to Addie. “C’mon, I’ll show you where to find them.”

Addie hesitates, looking between Blue’s hand and their face, before taking it. Blue smiles and gently leads her to the “popular fantasy” section. They point to a shelf full of Harry Potter books.

“Right there is where we keep them all,” they explain. “And we have a bunch of copies in the storeroom too, so if you’re ever looking for one and it isn’t there, let whoever is at the desk know and they’ll get it for you.”

Addie gasps and rushes over to the shelf, pulling off Chamber of Secrets and looking at Blue like they just told her she was going to Hogwarts.

“I... I can read all of ‘em?”

Blue nods. “Of course! All of them, as many times as you want.”

“Wow...” She hugs the book to her chest. “Do I gotta write my name again?”

Blue thinks for a moment, then shakes their head. “No, you don’t have to. I trust you to bring your books back in good shape.”

Addie seems relieved. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Not a problem, kiddo!"

And once again, Blue watches her leave.

---

This continues on for over a month; Addie finishes Harry Potter, but continues to come back at least one night a week and talk to Blue as they close up. Finally, Blue can’t hold back,

“Hey, Addie?”

Addie, sitting in a comfy armchair, looks up from her latest book, Wings of Fire. “Yeah?”

Blue bites their lip as they finish shelving some misplaced books. “I was wondering... Why do you only come here at night? I mean, I understand if you’re busy with school! But it’s always pretty late after school, and you’re always alone...”

Addie stares back down at her book. After a moment, she speaks.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

Blue’s brows furrow in concern, but they nod. “Of course, kiddo.”

She sighs and closes her book, hugging it to her chest.

“I don’t have a momma. Or a daddy.” She squeezes her eyes shut. “I live in a foster home, an’ I didn’t wanna tell you, ‘cuz I didn’t wanna make you feel--oof!”

She opens her eyes in surprise as she's pulled into a tight hug by a kneeling Blue.

"I knew it," they mumble. Addie blinks. 

"Y-you knew?"

"Oh, kiddo..." Blue pulls back and gives her a sad sort of smile. "I know a lot about lying about parents."

"Oh." Addie looks down at her lap. "Are... Are you angry?"

"Of course not." Blue sighs, standing up. "But I'm walking you home from now on, okay? I don't want you walking around by yourself at night."

"Okay..." Addie slides out of the chair, taking the hand Blue offers her and letting them walk her home after closing up, only speaking to give them directions.

After half an hour, they stop in front of a small, well-kept house in one of the poorer neighborhoods in town. Addie lets go of Blue's hand, heading towards the house with her book clutched to her chest. Blue gets a sinking feeling in their chest, and can't help but call out.

"Wait!" Addie stops, not turning to look at them. "Can... Can I talk to your foster guardians for a minute?"

Addie gives a small nod before running inside. Blue waits in the yard, sending a quick voice message to Angel to let him know they'll be late coming home. After a few minutes, a frazzled-looking woman walks out, offering them a warm smile. 

"Hi there," the woman greets. "You must be Blue!" She holds her hand out to Blue, who smiles back and shakes it.

"Yes, ma'am! And you're Addie's guardian?"

"Call me Liza." The woman lets go of Blue's hand, gesturing to the house. "Why don't you come in for dinner? My husband is out, so Addie and I would love the company!" 

"Aw, that's sweet of you to offer, but I should get home." Blue spots Addie peeking out of a window and gives her a little wave. Her eyes go wide, and she disappears. Blue feels that sinking feeling again, but doesn't show it.

"Well," Liza says, "then you get home safe, alright? Thank you for looking after Addie for me."

"It's been my pleasure, Liza. Have a good night!"

As Blue walks home, they once again find themself consumed by worry for Addie. Liza seemed nice enough, but Blue of all people knows that looks can be deceiving...

---

The next week, Addie comes to the bookshop, settling in her chair quietly and reading while Blue cleans up shop. When they finish, they sit down in the chair beside her's.

"Addie?"

"Yeah?" She doesn't look up from her book, but Blue knows she's listening.

"I just wanted to apologize," they say, softly. "Last week, I was very rude to intrude on your home life like that. I should have waited until you were comfortable enough to tell me yourself."

Addie pulls her knees up to her chest, setting her book aside and wrapping her arms around herself.

"Please don't be sorry," she whispers. "'S my fault for not tellin' you."

"Oh, honey, no!" Blue hesitates, then rests a hand on her shoulder. "You never have to tell me anything you're not comfortable sharing, especially something as personal as your life at home."

"I guess..." She leans into Blue's touch, closing her eyes. "It's just... Miss Liza says there's some things I'm not s'posed to tell people, but I don't wanna lie to you because you're so nice!"

Blue worries at their lip. "Well, I appreciate that you don't want to lie to me, but your feelings are important too."

"My feelings..." Addie thinks for a moment, then opens her eyes, looking at Blue with anxious eyes. "I don't like it at home, Blue."

Blue gently pets her hair away from her face. "Do you wanna tell me why?"

"I... I do." She swallows. "Miss Liza is nice, but Mister Kenny is really mean."

Blue's hand stops for a moment, and their breath catches. "...What do you mean, kiddo?"

"He gets angry, and he yells..." She sniffles. "He breaks stuff and calls me bad names and-and he hurts Miss Liza and he said he was gonna hurt me if I ever t-told anyone!" She lets out a sob. "I don't wanna get hurt, please don't tell him, please!"

"Oh, Addie..." Blue carefully pulls Addie into their lap, stroking her hair and rocking her as she cries. "Oh, you poor dear," they whisper. "You're so brave, so brave for telling me. So strong."

Addie shakes her head, hiding her face in Blue's shoulder, and they just keep whispering comforting words to her until she calms down.

By the time Addie has stopped crying, it's dark outside. She still sniffles and hiccups, trembling slightly, but the sobs and tears have subsided.

"...Blue?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

She plays with the fabric of their shirt. "Mister Kenny said I would never get 'dopted. He said I was too annoying. Am I too annoying?"

"No." Blue holds her close. "No, you're not even a little bit annoying, Addie. And I know you're going to be adopted soon."

Addie looks up at them curiously. "You do?"

"Mmhm." Blue smiles at her. "If you'd like, maybe... Maybe I could adopt you?"

Addie blinks. "You mean it?"

"Of course! I mean, there's some things I have to do first, but--oh!"

Addie wraps her arms tightly around Blue's neck, fresh tears falling down her cheeks as she laughs.

"You gotta! You gotta! Please, I'll be real good, I promise!"

Blue chuckles, hugging her warmly. "Alright, I'll talk to Miss Liza, and there's someone you'll have to meet first, but then I promise I'll adopt you, okay?"

She nods energetically. "Yes! Thank you thank you thank you!"

That night, Liza sends Addie to bed and makes herself and Blue some coffee. They talk for a few hours, some of which Blue spends comforting a crying Liza. By the time Blue is leaving, they have a list of everything they need in order to adopt Addie, and Liza has agreed to go to the police about her husband's actions.

---

The next morning, Blue and Angel have a talk, and in the end, Angel wholeheartedly agrees to take in Addie, though he has some concerns on how she'll feel about him.

A few more weeks go by, during which Blue and Liza take Addie out to get new clothes and ice cream, and Blue introduces her to Angel (which goes well, surprisingly enough), though more often than not, they just stay at the bookshop. Soon, Blue, Liza, and Addie are all standing outside of Blue's house. Liza--no longer wearing a ring on her finger--gives Addie--now with nicer clothes  and the same wild hair--a tight hug, and laughs as she receives one from Blue.

"You visit us anytime," Blue tells her, smiling while Addie clings to their leg. Liza nods, says her goodbyes, and gets in her car. With a final wave out the window, she's gone, leaving Blue and Addie--now parent and child, legally--to their home.

Blue offers a hand to Addie, who takes it happily. 

"Ready to see your new home, kiddo?"

Addie nods excitedly, her curls bouncing. Blue chuckles and leads her inside.

Throughout the whole tour of the house, Addie's eyes are wide with wonder and disbelief. And when they get to her room, she seems even more shocked.

It's not a very big room, but the way it's decorated more than makes up for it. A four-poster bed with sheer dark blue curtains is in the far right corner, and the lamp on the bedside table is a replica of the Goblet of Fire. Small decals of dragons are stuck on the window, and a large Narnia-esque wardrobe is pushed up against the left wall. The pale blue walls themselves have posters and quotes stuck to them, as well as fairy lights that hang up near the ceiling. A bookshelf stands by the door, some of the shelves holding classics and Addie's favorites, but most of the shelves are empty. A toy chest rests at the foot of the bed, decorated to look like a Hogwarts student's trunk.

Addie walks to the middle of the room and slowly turns, taking it all in.

"This... This is all for me?"

Blue nods, resting a hand on her shoulder. "All of this and more, Addie. We can fill your bookshelf, and your wardrobe, and your toy chest with anything you like."

Addie looks up at them with a wide grin. "This is amazing! It looks like the Ravenclaw room!"

Blue laughs. "I'm glad! It's what I was going for."

Addie reaches up, making grabby hands, and Blue picks her up, resting her on their hip. She hugs their neck tightly.

"Thank you so much, Blue," she whispers.

"Of course, Addie," Blue softly replies. "Anything for you."

That night, everyone eats dinner together: two loving parents, and their new daughter.

//Everyone, please welcome our newest member, Addie! Addie is now a part of Blue's blog! Feel free to talk to her, as I'm sure she'd love some new friends!

[wolfie-dragon-rider]

Grey Stains, chapter 2

Hey everyone, here's chapter 2 of Grey Stains. Our first glimpse of Hogwarts, and backstory for Astrid! I hope you enjoy it! I will also update my masterpost with this story, so if you want to find chapter 1, look there or check my ‘grey stains’ tag.

One thing I would like to address here are the side characters. Pretty much all side characters like professors and classmates, are lifted from other franchises that I enjoy. However, you shouldn't feel obligated to know all (or any) of them to understand my story. They're simply there to add some color to the scenes, and because I think having Hiro and Rayla is more interesting and easy to remember for you, the reader, than Ravenclaw OC #1 and Gryffindor OC #2. So if you don't know a character in the story, I hope the context explains enough about them. If you do know the character, I hope you enjoy some of the in-jokes I put in. After this chapter their presence should be less overwhelming, as the story will focus more on Hiccup and Astrid proper. 

 --------------------------------

"And we're here, with fifteen minutes to spare! Those Muggle 'taxis' are faster than I thought!" Astrid's uncle Finn said as he led the way into King's Cross Station. It was filled with people, and the loud announcements and screeching of the trains made Astrid's head hurt. Her owl, a yellow-blue bird with the powers of a Blast-ended Skrew who she named Stormfly, screeched loudly, and she hoped none of the Muggles would notice the puff of smoke coming out of Stormfly's beak.

"I keep telling you, the Muggles are smarter than you assume, but you never believe me!" Aunt Erika said. They kept bickering about transportation as they walked onto platform 9. Astrid recognized a man standing there, despite him wearing Muggle clothes. It was Mr. Cruz, one of the aurors working with her uncle. He was subtly guiding wizard families towards the column dividing platforms 9 and 10.

Finn and Erika stopped their argument to greet him, and a minute later they got the signal to go. Astrid looked at the solid brick wall in front of her, and she suddenly felt scared. No, no, she can't be scared. She's gonna be a proud Gryffindor, she has to be brave! So she gritted her teeth and ran right after her guardians.

Although she may have closed her eyes before reaching the wall. There was a brief sensation of her moving through what felt like liquid, but then the sounds warped and changed. The Muggle talk and modern trains vanished, replaced by the sounds of magic and the hissing of a steam engine.

"Alright girl, are you ready? Oh, you grew up so quickly! Don't be afraid to send us letters, okay? It's normal to feel a bit lonely at first! But I'm sure you'll make lots of friends!" Erika said, rubbing her cheek.

"Thanks, Aunt Erika. I'll try," she said as Finn took her suitcase and lifted it onto the train. Astrid wanted to protest, say that she could do it herself. But before she could open her mouth he turned to her with that look that meant he was going to say something important. He kneeled, putting himself a little below her eye level, but she still felt small.

"Astrid… I'm sorry your parents couldn't be here to see you off. Or your sister. But I know that your mom and dad and Celia would be so, so proud of you. And so is your brother Max, even if he couldn't make it to London because of his work. And we are so proud of you too. You know, after the Battle… there was so much destruction. So much death, and it felt so hopeless. But we took you in, and in you we saw hope. That war ended because people like your parents and your siblings stood up and fought against evil. They fought to give you a better world to grow up in. And I know you'll work to fight the evils of your time. It's different now, you know. Less open. Don't forget that some people still have those… evil beliefs, even if they won't say it out loud. But I know you'll do the right thing. You're strong," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders.

Astrid tried to look him in the eye, but she felt tears appear, and she dropped her head trying to hide it. She wasn't so sure if Max was proud of her. They had barely spoken in years. He was abroad, studying Healing in Italy, and rarely replied to letters. She rarely felt like sending him letters either. They had never been super close, Astrid had liked her sister Celia more back when she was alive, and six months after the Battle of Hogwarts Max had left Britain, finishing his NEWTs at Beauxbatons and traveling Europe ever since.

As she looked around, seeing parents hugging their children, siblings teasing each other, laughing together, she wanted to shout that it wasn't fair. Her family had been torn apart by Death Eaters, and these people were all perfectly fine?

But no, she couldn't do that. Like Uncle Finn always said, she should be grateful she has what she has. Entire families had been slaughtered, Muggleborns tortured until they were left permanently insane at St. Mungo's, babies killed and turned into Inferi and other monsters. Her pain was nothing compared to that.

So she forced herself to smile and nod.

"I'll fight for the light, Uncle Finn. Like you taught me! I'll be a brave Gryffindor like you and Dad and Celia! Not to mention Harry Potter and Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger!"

"Alright, little lion, just remember it's okay if you end up in another house. Of course, I know you want to end up in Gryffindor like your heroes. Just remember the other houses did great things too. Hell, your brother was a Slytherin and he fought alongside Neville Longbottom for the entire battle!" Aunt Erika said, and Astrid rolled her eyes.

"I know, Auntie! Doesn't mean they're not dorks," she said. Behind her aunt and uncle she could see the boy from the wand shop walk past, with his messy brown hair and expensive robes. A bald man with two prosthetic limbs walked alongside him. His father? They didn't look related. Something about the boy made her nervous. When she saw him at Ollivander's, waving wand after wand with no effect, she had thought he might be a squib. But if he was going to Hogwarts he should be magical, right?

After some goodbyes and awkward hugs Astrid boarded the train. She walked through the corridor, checking for any empty cabins but not finding any. Eventually she found one with three girls of her age, and decided she might as well get started on making friends.

"Hello!" she said, trying to seem confident as she opened the door and pulled her suitcase inside. The white-haired girl turned to her, revealing strange purple markings under her eyes.

"Hi, I'm Rayla, and these are Merida and Pidge. Merida and I already knew each other, we grew up in the same town," the girl said in a thick Scottish accent, gesturing to two girls who both had their own style of wild hair. Merida had a wild mane of curly bright red hair, while Pidge had short dirty blonde hair that stuck out in all directions and looked like she cut it herself.

"I'm Astrid," she said, sitting down next to Pidge.

They easily got to talking, and Astrid learned that Rayla's family situation was similar to hers: Her parents had gone missing during the war, and she was raised by a family friend called Runaan. Pidge was Muggleborn, but her brother Matt was magical too, and was currently a Ravenclaw prefect. Merida was from a very old wizarding house, and her father lost a leg fighting evil creatures in the war.

"So what do you think you'll be when you grow up? My parents keep trying to push me into politics, that I'll have to keep managing our ancient house, but I say sod that!" Merida said, her accent even thicker than Rayla's.

"Probably inventing. I'm good at figuring out tech and stuff. I'm curious if I can use magic in Muggle computers," Pidge said. Astrid wasn't sure what she was talking about. Before she could ask, Rayla spoke up.

"This is probably weird, but Runaan is part of an elite group of aurors, and he kind of expects me to join him. Not sure if I want to, though," she said, rolling her eyes.

"My uncle is an auror too. That's what I always expected to be. Never really considered anything else. I want to fight evil like my family did," Astrid said, trying not to think about how often Uncle Finn had come home with dead eyes after another raid. Those were evenings he wouldn't say a word. He'd just grab a bottle of firewhiskey and slowly empty it while listening to old songs on the radio.

"I'll stick to making weapons for you, I guess. Way safer than being on the frontlines," Pidge chuckled, adjusting her round glasses. Astrid wondered if she knew they looked just like Harry Potter's glasses.

--------------------------------

"Come on, Gobber! Aren't I supposed to make friends? Meet people? Doesn't Dad always say networking is important?" Hiccup exclaimed, gesturing at the locked door of their cabin.

"Your father gave me strict instructions not to let you out of my sight until you're safe at Hogwarts. He may not be my direct boss, but you know I can't ignore an order from him! He's got influence! That curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position is finally gone, and I'll be damned if I lose the job anyway because you can't stay put for a few hours!" Gobber shouted, pointing at Hiccup with his prosthetic hand.

"What does he think is gonna happen? Death Eaters kidnapping me? People angry about his policies attacking me? What even for? My dad is the most apolitical politician ever, he doesn't care about any ideology. All he cares about is slaying dragons," Hiccup said, looking out the window at London disappearing behind them.

"Oh, don't play dumb. You know what this is about. Stoick is worried that the Red Death will attack the train. I figured that you of all people should understand that," Gobber said, digging in his bag with his good hand.

"You know I don't live my life cowering in fear of dragons every moment, right? My dad may be obsessed, but I'm not. It's ridiculous. Like that Red Death would actually attack us," Hiccup said, looking up at the cloudy sky. Could dragons be hiding up there?

"Hey, I agree that Stoick is paranoid about dragons, but he's not wrong about the Red Death. It has killed fourteen muggles and three mages in the past year. Despite nearly all the Department of Magical Creatures' resources being devoted to hunting it, it has eluded your father for years," Gobber said as he pulled a chess set from his bag. Hiccup looked away from the window just in time to see the man take his wand out and placing it on the bench beside him.

"I just… He's always locked me up at home in fear of it, and I figured that now that I get to go to Hogwarts I'd finally be… free. But he's still locking me up," Hiccup muttered, glancing at his own wand. According to the eighth wandmaker they had visited this summer, in Beijing, it was the best wand money could buy. Hiccup had tried thousands of wands in shops all over the world, and none had chosen him, so Stoick had bought him this. Maybe at Hogwarts he'd learn how to use it.

"Oh, don't think like that. It's just until we reach the castle. You'll be safe there, and I won't have to babysit you anymore," Gobber chuckled, and Hiccup tried to smile. "Now, since we're stuck together we might as well pass the time with some chess!" the man said, laying the board on the table as the pieces jumped out of the box, taking their positions with loud boasts and battlecries.

They played for a while. Gobber won the first game, and they took a break when a nice lady knocked on the door to ask if they wanted any candy. Gobber bought a large brick of chocolate for them both. The sugar seemed to make Hiccup more alert, and he easily won the next three games.

"Looks like you'll be a Ravenclaw with those brains. What house would you like to be in?" Gobber asked as his broken black pieces put themselves back together with loud groans and whimpers. Hiccup shrugged.

"Haven't really thought about it. I guess everyone always says Gryffindor, but I'm not so sure. Maybe Slytherin, to piss off Dad," he said as his king and queen led his white pieces back onto the field.

"Honestly I think he'd be more disappointed if you ended up a Hufflepuff. He often complains they're 'too nice' and 'care too much about dangerous creatures'," Gobber said. "But with the way you're slaughtering me, I don't think you're nice enough for that."

--------------------------------

As he climbed out of the rickety boat Hiccup didn't feel like Hogwarts was a very magical place. It was raining, and the summer warmth was blown away by a cold wind.

"Why did we have to go all the way to London for the train if Hogwarts is right next door? And now a boat! I hate water!" a Scottish voice from the next boat said, and Hiccup looked over to see a white-haired girl looking sick as she jumped onto land. Her robes were simple and sturdy compared to his gilded silk robes that did nothing to keep him warm.

"Such weird boats. Ours back home are much sturdier!" a girl with long brown hair said as she climbed out beside Hiccup. "I'm Katara, by the way. Katara Waters."

"I'm Hiccup," he said loudly to be heard over the howling wind. They hadn't had much of a chance to speak during the boat ride.

"Alright, head inside now, let's hurry!" Gobber shouted, helping a black-haired girl out of one of the boats. She looked very annoyed, and when Hiccup looked closer he noticed her eyes were blank and milky. For a second the dragon's eyes from that day in Gringotts flashed in his mind. Katara waved her wand and did a strange movement with her other hand, and the rain above them was diverted, like she was holding a large umbrella. Hiccup gladly took the opportunity to look away from the blind girl and focus on something else.

"You can do that already?" he asked, fingers rolling over his own wand on his belt.

"It's magic from my tribe, I learned it from my gran-gran," she said, continuing the odd spell.

"I thought Hagrid was supposed to guide the first-years?" one of the boys asked as the last of the boats docked, water splashing over the side as its occupants jumped out.

"Hagrid retired years ago, he moved to France. I'm the groundskeeper now," Gobber said, before casting a charm that lit up a muddy path. The group hobbled along for a few minutes until they reached the front gates of the castle. Gobber waved his wand, and the gate opened. They gladly ran inside, slipping and sliding on the tiles. They barely had time to appreciate the enormous hall with its marble stairs before a familiar voice spoke up.

"Ah, you're here. Welcome, first-years, to Hogwarts!" a tall woman with grey hair said. Hiccup recognized her from one of his dad's ministry parties.

"I am Professor McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts and Transfiguration teacher," she continued as the kids gathered around the enormous marble stairs she was standing on. Once they were all lined up she talked a bit about how houses worked, and that they should obey the rules. Hiccup's mind wandered, and with it his eyes. Next to him was Hiro, the boy from the wand shop, who looked as bored as him. Next to Hiro was a bald boy with arrow-shaped tattoos on his head and arms. Despite his strange appearance he looked giddy and excited. And at the far end he saw Astrid. She suddenly noticed him staring and frowned, and he quickly dropped his gaze.

"Now, let us enter the Great Hall so you can be Sorted!" McGonagall finished her speech, before passing through the line of first-years to a large door to their right.

Although he had heard stories and read books about this hall, he still gasped at the sight of it. The ceiling reflected the storm clouds outside, though no rain fell on the floating candles and tables filled with precious silverware. Hundreds of students dressed in similar black robes sat along the 4 tables, and they all looked at him and the other first-years entering. At the far end was the staff table on the raised platform. He could see Gobber near the center of it, giving him a quick wave with his prosthetic hand. He tried to smile back, though it was hard when his stomach churned at the sight of the tattered old hat sitting on a tiny old chair.

The blind girl was the only one not gasping at the amazing room. Instead she just kept walking forward alongside McGonagall, leading the other first-years towards the Sorting Hat.

Eventually they were all crowded near the chair with the hat, and it began to sing. Some of the Muggleborns gasped and looked fearful at first, but the hat quickly reassured them as it explained its purpose and the characteristics of the four houses.

"Alright, when I call your name, step forward, sit on the chair, and I'll put the hat on you. It will then sort you into your House. Firstly… Avatar, Aang!" McGonagall said, lifting the hat with one hand, a scroll in her other. The bald boy with tattoos he noticed earlier stepped forward with light steps and sat down, and McGonagall lowered the hat over the large blue arrow on his forehead.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" it shouted barely a second later. The boy jumped up, higher than Hiccup knew someone could jump, and ran over to the table that had exploded with applause.

"Beifong, Toph!" The blind girl stepped forward, somehow noticing the small step between them and the chair, and sitting down without help. Hiccup wondered how she did that.

The hat was quiet for a minute as Toph grimaced, before eventually announcing "GRYFFINDOR!"

Butterfly, Star!"

"That's me, that's me! Hi, Mr. Hat! Ooh, ooh, are you going to look into my mind? That's soooo cool!" a girl with heart-shaped cheek marks and blonde hair past her knees screamed as she ran forward, knocking over several first-years with surprising strength. She had an enormous grin as the Hat was placed over her head, hiding her wide eyes from the room.

For a second the grin lowered, before returning full-force. She nodded wildly, making McGonagall reach out her hand to steady the hat.

"GRYFFINDOR!" it suddenly boomed. The table next to them applauded loudly as the girl took off the hat and ran to her new house.

The sorting went on like that for a while, and Hiccup had trouble keeping track of all the names. There was a small commotion at the Ravenclaw table when Pidge Gunderson was called forward and sorted there, but it was quickly shushed.

Hiccup didn't recognize any of the kids that were sorted until "Hamada, Hiro" was sorted into Ravenclaw. Hiccup frowned at that. Wasn't he supposed to be before Hamada, since he's a Haddock? He was about to raise his hand when "Hofferson, Astrid" was announced, and at the sight of the fierce blonde walking forward with resolute steps he forgot what he was thinking about.

The hat was quiet for a very long time, at least five minutes, during which Astrid balled her hands into tighter and tighter fists. Even with her eyes hidden by the hat's brim she was clearly angry.

'GRYFFINDOR!" the hat eventually shouted, and she didn't even wait for McGonagall to lift the hat. Astrid jumped to her feet and tossed it to the chair, before stomping to the applauding table.

Hiccup's musings on what Astrid could be angry about were interrupted by McGonagall scraping her throat and announcing the next name.

"Horrendous, Hiccup!"

The tension that had filled the room at Astrid's anger snapped in the form of collective laughter.

"That's his actual name?"

"Don't know what's worse, the first or last name!"

"Wow, I feel sorry for the house that gets that one!"

"What were his parents thinking?"

Hiccup could feel his cheeks heat up in shame as he slowly stepped forward.

"That's not my last name! It's Haddock! Horrendous is my middle name!" he shouted, trying to be heard over the laughter which only increased at his words.

McGonagall narrowed her eyes as she checked her scroll again.

"You are- SILENCE!" The one word instantly stopped all the laughter in the hall. "You are listed as Horrendous in our records-" Snickers and soft laughs again echoed through the room, though they quickly stopped when she glared.

"We'll figure this out later. Either way, Mr. Hiccup, step forward and be Sorted."

He slowly nodded, feeling the stare of every person in the room on him, and sat down on the chair. Then the hat slid over his eyes, and it was suddenly completely silent.

...Until a raspy voice whispered in his ear.

"Who do we have here? Mistaken identity? Someone messing with the records? Well, let me tell you, you do belong here at Hogwarts, even if your wand doesn't work and someone got confused about your name. But where to put you?"

Hiccup jerked away from the voice and opened his mouth to ask how the hat knew all of this, but before he could even draw a breath the voice whispered in his other ear.

"Don't bother talking out loud, this is all in your head. No need for anyone else to hear this. Now, where oh where shall you go? A kind heart, loyal and forgiving. Not too lazy either. You'd make a decent Hufflepuff. But on the other hand, what a brain! Eager to learn, and I can see a spark of genius in you. You could have new perspectives. Maybe Ravenclaw?"

Hiccup's thoughts raced as he awaited the hat's verdict. A sweatdrop slid over his forehead. The presence gave him a headache.

"You're obviously not a Slytherin, you don't have a deceitful or ambitious bone in your body. Brave though, even if you don't know it yet. A good sense of right and wrong, and deep inside there's fighting spirit. What glorious cause would bring that out? You could be a great hero, you know, and Gryffindor would lead you to glory. All the kids these days want to be in the house of the amazing Harry Potter and his friends, but you could truly follow their path," it said, and Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut.

He was about to agree. Gryffindor was the house of the heroes, the good guys, the house that would please his father, the house the girl who made him feel all funny and light went to.

But then he remembered three Gryffindors on the back of a dragon. Three Gryffindors who everyone called heroes. Gryffindors who let a dragon run amok and kill his mother.

If that was heroism, Hiccup didn't think he wanted it.

"Oh, what's this? Now this is interesting. You might be the first kid I've seen in 7 years who doesn't worship those three. The complete opposite of that previous… never mind that, I'm not supposed to talk about other Sortings. Anyway, this is an interesting form of bravery in itself! But in your case, I think you'd better go to… RAVENCLAW!"

The hat was pulled from Hiccup's head, and the sounds of the Great Hall returned. There was muted clapping from the Ravenclaw table, not nearly as much as for the other students, while the other tables looked relieved. He awkwardly walked to the Ravenclaws, stumbling on the small step, though he managed to avoid falling on his face. He quickly sat down next to Hiro as McGonagall called forth "Jorgenson, Scott" and attention diverted away from him. A girl with round glasses and short hair reached out her hand across the table to him.

"Hey there. I'm Pidge Gunderson. Well, my brother here would say I'm Katie Holt, but that's not what the official records say now, do they Matt?" she said, pointing to a boy several years older, with similar hair and glasses who was sitting next to her. Hiccup awkwardly took her hand and shook it.

"How did you even hack the records here to change your name?! They're all in parchment! It's not like they have computers or internet!" Matt shouted, though he silenced himself when the hat proclaimed "SLYTHERIN" and "Katolis, Callum" was called forward.

"Oh, I have my ways. Still, you owe me 50 quid," Pidge (or was it Katie?) said, snickering. Hiccup wasn't sure how to respond to the bickering siblings.

"Fine, but I still don't understand why you did it. This will come back to bite you eventually," Matt said, rolling his eyes and digging in his pockets, pulling out a few bills of muggle money.

"Let me guess how you did it… You intercepted the communications between the ministry and Hogwarts, probably via Floo," Hiro said, and Pidge chuckled before nodding.

"Yup. Just had to figure out a charm to modify the ink inside the envelope."

"Oh man, I can see you two are already becoming partners in crime. What did I tell you, Tadashi? Hopeless. Our siblings are supervillains in the making!" Matt called out to a tall boy several seats down. He started to reply when the hat shouted "RAVENCLAW" and a boy with messy brown hair and a thick book on a belt slung around his shoulder walked over to sit next to Pidge.

"Hi, I'm Callum. Muggleborn, but my dad is high in muggle government so he already knew about magic," the boy introduced himself. Pidge quickly introduced herself, explaining that she and Matt were Muggleborn as well.

"I'm half-blood. Muggle mother, wizard father. They both died when I was 3," Hiro said, and Hiccup turned to look at him. Murdered by Death Eaters?

Hiro must have noticed the question in his eyes. "No, nothing to do with the war. Broom-flying accident. Dumb stuff like that still happens during wartime," he said lightly, though something in his face fell anyway. Down the table Tadashi frowned.

"My mom died during the war too," Hiccup said, looking down.

"May I ask what happened?" Matt asked softly. Hiccup sighed.

"A dragon killed her," he simply said, not in the mood to explain the role of Harry Potter in it.

"I'm sorry," Callum said, just as the hat announced another Ravenclaw. Hiccup moved to clap loudly, grateful for the distraction. A boy with black hair with faint blue streaks sat down next to Hiccup.

"Hey there, I'm Varian! I'm from a little village in Wales called Old Corona. Muggleborn, hoping to figure out how magic fits into physics and chemistry!" he said, lifting a hand covered by a huge lab glove to shake Pidge's hand.

Hiro, Pidge, and Varian immediately started an animated discussion of muggle science, and Hiccup couldn't help but feel left out somehow. He caught Callum's gaze, and they shared a chuckle at their housemates.

"I'm more an artist than a scientist myself," Callum said, and Hiccup nodded, before turning to watch the rest of the sorting. Not many kids were left. He noticed Katara, the girl from the boat who could direct the rain, waiting next to… someone with purple hair and pointed ears. Hiccup wasn't really sure if the person was a boy or a girl.

"Vaarsuvius!" McGonagall called, and they stepped forward.

"Finally. You strange cranial accessory, let us purvey the different possibilities of social company I shall have to compete with in my quest for Ultimate Arcane Power!" they said loudly before putting the hat on.

"That one sure looks like to hear his own voice," Callum chuckled, and Hiccup had to agree.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Hiccup wasn't surprised after Vaarsuvius' declaration, and joined the rest of his house in applause.

Welcome, fellow wizards and other arcane casters! My name is Vaarsuvius, from the ancient village of Ivyleaf on the Western Continent! Former apprentice of Aarindarius, who also moved here to Albion to teach the noble art of Arithmancy!" they said as they sat down next to Callum.

"If it's okay, I'll just call you 'V'," Pidge said. Vaarsuvius simply shrugged at that.

"So you're from America? Me and my brother are as well, but we moved here because my aunt could set up a cafe in Hogsmeade," Hiro said as Katara was sorted into Gryffindor. Realizing the Sorting was over, all conversations ended.

An old grumpy looking man took the chair and hat away, and McGonagall moved to the center where it had stood.

"Welcome, students, to another year at Hogwarts! The usual rules still apply, but I must announce an extra rule coming from the Ministry of Magic via our groundskeeper and professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Gobber Belch: Due to the increased threat coming from the so-called Red Death dragon, students are no longer permitted to walk the grounds after dark. I must remind everyone that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden because of its many dangers, dangers which have increased in recent years. Do not be foolish and risk your life in there. There's plenty of excitement in the castle itself," McGonagall spoke. There was some nervous chuckling here and there, but overall people seemed very uncomfortable with this warning. Was this that unusual?

As far as Hiccup knew, his father had announced more warnings and declarations and rules about the Red Death every year since its first appearance 5 years ago. Maybe they hadn't reached Hogwarts until now.

"But let us not be saddened by such dark thoughts on such a happy evening. A great feast has been prepared, so let us enjoy it!" With those words, piles of food appeared on the golden plates, and the scientists finally stopped their discussion on perpetual motion in order to eat.

A flash of light flickered on the walls, and Hiccup looked up to see lightning strike across the enchanted ceiling. For a fraction of a second he thought he could see the shadow of a dragon inside a cloud, but then it was gone, and he shook his head and forced himself to focus on eating mashed potatoes and deciphering Vaarsuvius' long-winded speeches.

--------------------------------

"This portrait is the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. We have a password, which currently is 'Primum non nocere'. Please do not share this password with anyone from another house. While we encourage friendships between houses, you should be meeting in shared spaces like the library, the grounds, the great hall, or unused classrooms. There are some plans for a 'common common room', but it will likely take a while for that to happen," a prefect explained to Astrid and the other first-year Gryffindors.

Astrid didn't feel the need to be friends with other houses for now. Of the three girls she met on the train, two had joined her in Gryffindor, and it wasn't like she had bonded much with Pidge.

The portrait of the fat lady swung open, revealing a chamber filled with poofy armchairs, thick rugs, and wooden tables.

"Ugh, carpeting. I prefer solid wooden or stone floors, they're much less fuzzy to see through," Toph, the blind girl, said, and Astrid noticed for the first time she was barefoot.

"Up here are the dorms. Left for the boys, right for the girls. No mingling. You'll keep the same dorm for the 7 years you are here. You got lucky, you get the closest ones, so you don't have to climb another six flights of stairs. These are also the dorms Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom and the other heroes of the Battle of Hogwarts used during their time here, so you can feel a bit closer to their glory, I suppose. Your belongings have already been delivered to your dorms. Owls are in the Owlery, you can visit them after class. Breakfast is between 8 and 9 AM. It is your own responsibility to be on time, but perhaps you can work out a system with your roommates to wake up and go down together," the prefect said, gesturing at two open doors through which she could see steep stairs.

"I expect all of you to bring glory to yourselves and to Gryffindor. This means doing well in class, going the extra mile for more points, but also by helping students who are struggling, whether they are in this house or not. True chivalry doesn't look at someone's colors. That is all for now. I advise you to go to sleep quickly, as you have a long day ahead tomorrow. Any questions?"

At the reminder of sleep Astrid yawned. She hadn't had much sleep last night, too excited to go here, and she desperately wanted to catch up.

However, Rayla didn't seem to agree.

"I heard there's a dueling club or something? How can we join?" she asked.

"There is, though it's rare that it accepts first-years. You'll have to talk to Professor Flitwick, he runs it. If he's impressed with your performance in his Charms class, he might let you join. Once in, you get to compete with your fellow duelists for the highest rank. If you want to become an auror a good duelist rank helps you a lot," the prefect explained, and Astrid woke up at that.

If she wanted to be good at dueling she needed to be rested, however. So she led the way up the girl's stairs and into the first room labeled "First-years". In there she easily found her suitcase on the bed closest to the window, and laid down. She was tempted to fall asleep like that, but she forced herself to unpack her pajamas and toothbrush as the other girls walked in.

"Ooh, ooh, this looks nice! Can I have this bed, can I? Do you think I can make an extra closet?" Star Butterfly was as loud and energetic as she had been the entire evening.

"I don't think we're allowed to modify anything, Star. But you can take that bed. Toph, how about you take this one near the door, that way you don't have to walk through our stuff when you get up," Katara said, making Toph scoff.

"I can handle myself, Sugar Queen," she muttered, but still took the suggested bed. The two had gotten off to a bad start when Katara offered to help her eat and Toph responded by magically shifting the table to make food fly into her face.

"Can you two stop bickering so we can sleep?" Merida groaned.

"Fine," Toph said, and Astrid figured it was a good thing the blind girl couldn't see Katara roll her eyes.

"How do we wake up on time tomorrow?" Rayla asked, digging through her own bags.

"I can set an alarm with my wand!" Star said, showing off her strange wand. She tapped it, and with a cloud of pink smoke the round top part suddenly had a clock face.

"What kind of wand even is that?" Merida asked, lifting her own simple wooden one.

"It's the Butterfly wand! Has been in my family foreeeeveeeeeer!" Star said, dragging out the last word as she fiddled with the clock.

After that they prepared for bed mostly in silence, taking turns in the bathroom before crawling under the covers. Despite the summer heat, it was quite cool. Astrid wondered if it was because they were so high up, or if the temperature was controlled by magic.

Despite her heavy eyes, Astrid couldn't fall asleep, even though the curtains on her bed muffled Star's and Toph's snores. She had hoped she could sleep easier here. Back in her little room at Uncle Finn's she never slept well. Every time she'd open her eyes in the dark room, it was like that night over seven years ago, when Aunt Erika woke her to tell her Daddy and Celia were dead.

But this place was different. She shouldn't still be bothered by those childish memories! Still, her annoyance didn't help her fall asleep, and after an hour of staring at the red curtains she finally sat up and grabbed her suitcase, searching for some little notebooks.

Her sister's diaries. Celia started a new one every year, leaving the old ones at their house, where Astrid found them when they moved everything to Uncle Finn's house. As always when she opened them, Astrid wondered if her sister would have been okay with her reading them, but she could never resist. Apart from her letters this was all she had left of her. Maybe if she reread how her brave sister handled her first night at Hogwarts she could handle it as well.

So she found the diary from Celia's first year, and opened it to the first page.

September 1st

Dear Diary, I'm at Hogwarts! It's incredible here. It's so big! I got sorted into Gryffindor, Harry Potter's house! He wasn't at the table, though. Apparently he got really sick from the dementors on the train!

Oh right, I forgot to tell you, the train was stopped by dementors looking for Sirius Black! It was so scary, they made me feel all cold and empty. Jackie, who got sorted into Gryffindor with me, had to cry. Still, the feast made me feel much better, there was so much food!

I got to meet all my new housemates too! There's Jackie, and Chang, and some other girl whose name I forgot, and Dennis. Dennis' brother is also in Gryffindor. They're both Muggleborns. They're different than I expected. I always thought they'd be much dumber! But they were funny, and I can't wait for my classes tomorrow! I should go to sleep now, I think Jackie is getting annoyed at my writing at night.

The entry reminded Astrid that she had it easy compared to her sister. She didn't have to deal with Dementors! With that thought she finally fell asleep, still holding the diary.

[5hfanfiction]

You Feel Like Magic To Me (1/2)

A/N: Hi guys! I’m back with a super duper long ass fic that i hope you guys will like :) It’s based off your typical ‘friends to lovers’ AU and the trigger warning is very mild as there are mentions of coming to terms with sexuality and coming out in general. I hope y'all stick around and read chapter 2 as well! :) Enjoy!

      Lauren Jauregui was only six years old when she saw Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the theaters.

      It was her first time watching a movie on the big screen and it was safe to say, she was enamored. Not only by the huge pictures in front of her eyes, but also because Harry was a wizard. The thought that someone could have magical powers and that a whole different world existed amongst humans was amazing to Lauren. She watched the entire movie with a new-found interest in magic and the imaginary school; excitedly telling her mom with a huge smile on her face and pigtails whipping pass her face, that “One day, I will be attending Hogwarts,”. She spent weeks talking with wide eyes about wands, moving pictures and broomsticks that her mother, Clara, knew exactly what to drees her up as for Halloween.

        Lauren’s squeal could be heard by her neighbors when her green-eyes set on the Gryffindor robe presented to her by her mom. She had taken the liberty to rent it from a Halloween store near her house. Her tiny feet clad in socks covered in cartoon lightning bolts could not contain their excitement as they jumped up and down. Her father, Mike Jauregui, looked up from the daily newspaper he was reading, glasses perched up on his nose, with a small smile at his child’s antics. Lauren hugged her mother mercilessly mumbling small high-pitched thank yous into her body.

           When the day to ‘trick or treat’ rolled about, Lauren was ready in her rented robe, circular glasses, a thin lightning scar on her forehead (drawn by herself with her mother’s lipstick) and a “potions pot” to collect candy, she was ready to hit the streets and get some sweets. She pretty much led the way with her mother trailing close behind to each of her neighbor’s houses, knocking on the door with heaps of other children dressed in their typical Halloween costumes; ghosts, Dracula, robots, zombies and the attire of random occupations. Lauren felt special in her robe that was threaded with yellow and red until she visited Mr. Howard’s house.

             As it was already getting a bit late, there weren’t many children left. With a five-minute warning from her mother who was trailing behind her cautiously, she promised that this would be the last house. As she walked up to the house patio, she caught sight of another Gryffindor robe in front of her; worn by a girl who was most probably her age as well. Her brown hair was in a ponytail and her chocolate orbs was curious as to who was approaching and locked eyes with her. Lauren noticed that she had a broomstick with her and she felt stupid for not thinking about it. However, she was more excited to meet the girl who was also a Harry Potter fan. Walking closer to her and eyeing her outfit, Lauren smiled at the other girl; watching the other girl shyly smile at her back. She put out her hand, and said:

             “Hi, I’m Lauren. What’s your name?”

      The other girl looked startled at the polite gesture. She smiled, taking a while to understand her, and said “Camila Cabello”.

       Her Spanish accent was strong, and Lauren was flabbergasted when the girl continued to talk to her, gesturing to her robe, in Spanish. Unfortunately, Lauren had very little knowledge in Spanish and could only nod. Camila must have realized that she couldn’t understand her, and her cheeks grew red. She looked helplessly to her mother, Sinu, who was also conversing with Lauren’s mother. “It’s okay,” Lauren assured her, causing her to look back at her, not sure if she could understand her, “I’m just happy someone else knows Harry Potter,” she declared with a small chuckle. After that, Mr. Howard finally came out to give them the candy they came for and they shyly waved to each other as they parted ways.

         “Ma are they new here?” Lauren curiously asked her mom, as they walked back to their house hand-in-hand, her “pot” full of candy. Her mom looked at her with a smile.

          “Yes, baby. They just moved her from Cuba a few weeks ago, it’s nice to have other Cuban people in this neighborhood,” Clara admitted, ruffling Lauren’s hair that was wild around her shoulders. “Apparently, the girl you saw today will be joining you in 2nd Grade next year. She’s taking English classes now so that it’ll be easier for her to follow the subjects here,” her mom clarified for her. Lauren nodded and thought about the girl in the robe. She wouldn’t mind being friends with her. Especially if she was nice, and she seemed like it.

—

         A year passed, and Lauren was slowly riffling through the pages of the first Harry Potter book with her short chubby fingers that was in her hands as she sat in her 2nd Grade class waiting for the teacher to walk in. Her brows furrowed as she sat in class, trying to understand the difficult words in front of her. She made it her challenge to finish that book in a month. So, anytime she had free time, she would read the book. Her attention was snatched away when she heard someone calling her name, in a shy voice.

                “Lauren?”

        She looked up to find familiar brown eyes looking back at her and she smiled as recognition settled in. She got up from her chair and nodded, suddenly feeling shy in front of the Cuban girl; not knowing if she was better with English now. As if she was reading her mind, Camila’s eyes widened.

          “Uh, I’m actually okay with English now,” she informed her, looking down at her shoes; her voice high-pitched and squeaky, then her eyes darted up to meet Lauren’s eyes, “I’m quite the fast learner, I mean, I still have more to learn and all but I-,” Camila rambled until Lauren cut her off with a hand on her shoulder and a smile on her face.

         “Hey, that’s completely fine, Camila. You can hang out with me. I’ll show you around if you want,” the green-eyed girl politely offered her as Camila smiled at her and sat down next to her. After a few seconds, the teacher walked in, effectively cutting out any further communication between the two girls and Lauren shot her a sympathetic smile and silently gestured ‘later’ with her fingers to the Cuban girl.

         Once class ended and it was time for their 30-minute recess, Lauren led Camila to the bench behind the school overlooking the worn-down playground in the yard; lunchboxes clutched in their hands as they sat next to each other on a bench. Coincidentally, the presence of PB&J’s could be seen in both of their lunchboxes and they exchanged a knowing look with each other; then quickly blabbering about how it’s their favorite food in the world. Unable to contain her curiosity, Lauren launched herself into a series of questions that ranged from “So, you’re from Cuba?” to “Do you like Frosted Flakes?”.    

         The two girls clicked immediately, bonding instantly over their shared heritage (“I’m Cuban too!). Camila entertained Lauren with stories on how she picked up learning English by watching TV Shows as well as through the classes she attended which helped her tremendously. She learned that Camila’s dad was still in Cuba and that he would find a way to come to America once he found a way to. Lauren noticed the mild sad look that flashed across Camila’s face even though Camila had denied it.

         “He will come soon Camila, I’m sure of it,” remarked the raven-haired girl to her new friend. Camila simply smiled and asked Lauren to tell her about herself. Lauren talked to her about her obsession with Harry Potter which Camila quickly replied to with a “Me too!” and they ranted about the infamous movie together. She also talked to her about her favorite subject, English, and offered to help Camila in any way she could. The brunette smiled shyly but her reply was interrupted by the bell. They both shared a giggle before returning to class; the thought of making a new friend elevating both their moods. There was a certain ease that flowed between them; as if they were always meant to talk to each other.

Lauren had a feeling that this friendship would last.

——

       “Laur……. wake up,”

     Camila whispered as she nudged the sleeping girl next to her. This must be her 80th sleepover over the past 6 years. It was almost 5’oclock in the morning and Camila couldn’t sleep. The raven-haired girl was curled up in a fetus position next to her on the king-size bed in her own room. The thick duvet was tangled in between Lauren’s legs, naturally stealing the whole thing from Camila’s side. Her hair was in a mess; sprawled all over her shoulders and her face. Camila shifted her position, so she was propped up on her elbows and facing Lauren.

      “Laur…. c’mon… it’s important,” the brown-eyed girl tried again, this time using her free hand to shake her friend’s shoulder slightly and sports a small endeared smile when she saw Lauren stirring awake with an irritated look on her face. She raised a hand and attempted to tame the thick mane of hair on her head; running her hand through her hair. An action that Camila had seen so many times throughout the years; knowing it to be a tick of nervousness, and in this case, restlessness. Sometimes Lauren reminded her of a cat when she woke up; the slight arch of her back and the lack of movement of her limbs.

     “Camz,” Lauren said with her emerald eyes struggling to open, voice rough with sleep and tone threatening; causing Camila to slightly shuffle backwards instinctively. Camila had been on the receiving end of that tone many times, and it’s safe to say, it kind of scared her.

         “I swear to you, if you woke me up just to ask me a stupid question I am gonna kick your a- “

    “Do you think I’m funny?” Camila interrupted her, her voice low but determined, like she had been contemplating on this fact for hours (and she had); now sitting cross legged on the bed facing Lauren, a serious look adorning her face. Lauren, now fully awake, irritably sat up, wiping her eyes; hoping to make her tiredness vanish. She pulled down her slightly ridden up oversized black shirt and looked into Camila’s eyes; alarmingly intense for someone who just woke up.

         “Yes.” Camila brightened up, a megawatt smile etched on her face.

        “Really, are you serious?”

        “No.” Lauren deadpanned and fell back into her previous position, turning her back to Camila, and mumbled something about “kicking ass”. Camila, flabbergasted at Lauren’s rudeness (not aware of her own) huffed and moved fast; grabbing Lauren’s shoulder, effectively turning her back around. Lauren’s eyes snapped to hers, and Camila pouted her bottom lip, hoping that it had the same effect on Lauren that it always has. Lauren’s eyes darted to her lips and she let out a sigh. Why did that always work? She brought her arm up to her forehead and focused her gaze on Camila; almost as if telling her to say what she wanted to say, now that she has her full attention. Camila took a deep breath and clapped her hands in front of her (something she always did when she was about to rant).

       “Well, we’re starting high school in two months,” Camila ventured and played with her own fingers but was interrupted by a loud groan from Lauren; also earning an eye roll from her beloved best friend. The amount of times she had to hear Camila rant about high school was insurmountable. “Let me finish, you vampire,” Camila remarked restlessly, calling Lauren her favorite nickname for her as it coincides with her flawless alabaster skin and the sharp canines that are present in her mouth. She prided herself for coming up with that one. Lauren brought a pointer finger her to her lips; telling her she would be quiet now. Camila let out another sigh before she continued.

           “We will be meeting so many new people and we will, unfortunately, have to interact with them. Ugh, interact!” Camila exclaimed loudly, causing Lauren to give her a look that said shut up or my parents will never let you sleep over again.

           Camila got it (they have some telepathy link, don’t question it) and whisper-yelled, “I can’t do that! You, by first-hand, know how much of an awkward shy mess I was when I met you and now I must have more than one friend or else I’ll look like a total loser and complete loner! And we are gonna be stuck with the same group of people for 4 years! Don’t you think it’s a bit weird that we are our only fri-,” Camila stopped when she saw the glare that Lauren gave her.

          “Okay, okay,” Camila surrendered with her hands up. “My point is, maybe if I’m funny, which to be honest with you, I really think I am,” Camila said with a small shrug of her shoulders, letting out a dramatic huff when Lauren coughed into her hand a strangled “yeah right”. Camila pointed an accusatory finger at her best friend with incredulity swimming in her eyes and justified her statement, “You know you laugh at my jokes, right? Who are you trying to fool, Laur? Hmmmm? You are the one giving me false hope!” Camila accused and ran her fingers through her hair and resumed before Lauren could interrupt her by putting up her pointer finger.

           “All I’m saying is, to fit in, I think I need to be funny. People find funny people likable right? I can make more puns than usual…. Oh, I can even google some jokes online! People love jokes right? Ah, I’m just so stressed Laur, okay? I think I might have social phobia, I think I might need a therapist, I think i-“ Camila’s ridiculous speech is interrupted manually when Lauren leaned forward and put her hand over her mouth, a perfect eyebrow arched as she eyed Camila. There were too many rhetoric questions which the green-eyed girl couldn’t keep up with.

           “Are you done yet? My head is hurting… listening to you speak,” She said with a yawn, taking her hand down from Camila’s mouth and instead taking Camila’s hand in hers and intertwining their fingers. She could see the heavy breaths that her best friend was taking so she looked intently into Camila’s eyes; hoping to calm her down.

           “We’ve talked about this before Camz, just be yourself,” Lauren assured slowly, making sure Camila heard her, “And even then, if no one wants to be friends with you, then they don’t deserve to be your friend. And okay, I admit it,” Lauren said, rolling her eyes playfully, “You might be a little funny, but having a good sense of humor isn’t the only thing that makes someone eligible to be a friend. You don’t have to try to improve yourself so that others like you, likability isn’t everything. And besides, you still have me, right?” She told her in a low tone, brushing her thumb over Camila’s knuckles. Camila managed to even her breathing, listening to Lauren talk. Lauren was always the rational and sensible one, whereas Camila tended to overthink everything and make herself panic for no reason.

        Lauren always had a way to bring Camila back to Earth and she was forever grateful for that. She didn’t even know she had her eyes closed until she opened them and saw emerald eyes focused on her with a smile that was infectious. Camila nodded, taking in Lauren’s words and holding them close to her heart. She fell back onto the bed; finding a comfortable position on her pillow. She turned her head to her right and she saw Lauren still watching her. Camila gave her a cheeky smile.

        “I know I’ll always have you Laur,” confirming Lauren’s words from earlier, “but I think I’m getting a little sick of you,” she said feigning nonchalance as she checked her fingernails and a small smirk grew on her lips. She then heard Lauren’s laugh bounce across the room; causing her heart to jump as her best friend mumbled a quiet shut up, you love me, now sleep into her neck as she cuddled closer to Camila. Her quiet snores filled the room in mere minutes and Camila felt content.

                She really did love her best friend.

                Platonically of course.

——

      Both took a few deep breaths before walking into the alma mater that would be their source of education for the next four years. They had picked out their outfits with slight panic (mostly Camila) the day before, hoping that they will be able to convey good vibes through them. Lauren particularly cared less, sticking to her standard skinny black jeans with a few torn holes in them and a faded band t-shirt, whereas Camila shuffled through her whole closet looking for the outfit that was the one. She emphasized to Lauren that “first impressions matter”, and she really didn’t want to look like a noob, especially since her elementary school clothes looked like they were puked out by a unicorn and suddenly seemed too small for her. All bright colors and glitter. The opposite of Lauren’s wardrobe. Lauren found it cute.

        “Of course you do, you’re blinded by our friendship!” exclaimed a frustrated Camila to Lauren who was laying down on Camila’s bed, having gone through her wardrobe for the fifth time, still unable to find something that satisfied her. With that, Lauren, finally having enough of Camila’s antics got up from the bed and took her hand, dragging her out from her bedroom and down the stairs.

        “That’s it,” she said with a definite tone to the brunette whose hand she was holding, “You are coming over to my place and you can borrow my clothes. And, no, don’t fight me, we are going shopping tomorrow after school to get you the clothes that you wouldn’t be embarrassed to wear. Okay?” she said without waiting for an answer from Camila and letting her walk with her free will once they were outside to Lauren’s house which was just down the street.

        Finally, Lauren managed to find an outfit for Camila which was suitable in Camila’s eyes. She settled with dark blue jeans and a white flowery blouse. Lauren had to admit that Camila looked good, her eyes raking up her friend’s body proudly. Thankfully, they were around the same height, so they could borrow each other’s clothes if they wanted. Camila wore a white bow on her head (as she had an extensive bow collection) paired with the outfit, though she admitted to Lauren that she might stop wearing them soon.

        As they walked toward the auditorium for their orientation, they felt as if they were fresh bait, and in this situation, they kinda were. Gone were the days of boys who were shorter than them and sported boyish looks that were immature and unattractive.

       The boys they saw had chiseled jaws and towered over them; some wearing their signature sport jackets. It was obvious that there were a few boys who were crossing the line of appropriate and flaunted their ego as they whistled when the two girls walked by. Lauren wrapped a protective arm over Camila’s shoulder as she saw her best friend’s cheeks flush like she’s never seen them before. Camila eyed Lauren and mouthed “How are they so hot?” as they walked into the auditorium, finding seats for them amongst the sea of freshman. Lauren simply rolled her eyes at her response, not expecting anything less from her friend of 6 years.

       She’s seen enough movies with Camila to know that her friend was easily attracted to boys. She’s heard her fawn over the lead actor and wish that she was in the heroine’s position. She was a romantic and a sucker for a good-looking dude. The only downside is that 80% of the good-looking dudes were also douchebags. And she has told Camila this fact many times but was often waved off by Camila asking her “not to kill her vibe”. The boys from the school hallways didn’t really phase her much.

      She always found herself feeling as if boys didn’t really interest her much. Maybe she should give them some time.

       Because Lauren was blessed with goddess-like features, she was often the target for boys, though she never pursued them; telling herself that she was too young for a relationship (but in truth, she was just scared). She had piercing green eyes and thick eyebrows that framed them, followed by a perfect nose and plump lips. Lauren did not look her age, and she blamed it on puberty. She only got the devil’s curse last year, but it had made some major progresses in the way that Lauren looked; sharpening her features and even making her voice lower than it already was, giving it a slight rasp.

     Camila on the other hand, was a late bloomer, often complaining about the lack of boobs and butt her body possessed. The only real effect it had on Camila that was noticeable for now was her voice; her once high-pitched and squeaky voice was now low and controlled. Lauren assured her that her body will change, and it will take time, “Every person is different Camz, and please stop poking my boobs, you’ll get your own soon”.

        On a few alarming events, Lauren had found herself admiring a girl or another at random places. Maybe at the shopping mall, or the streets or even the theaters. She had always admired heroines on screen (Hermione Granger, duh) and lead actresses, but she always chalked that up to admiration. She wanted to be like them. She idolized them and their qualities. She didn’t dwell on it much, even today when she noticed the cheerleaders and the beautiful girls in the hallway alongside the jocks too. She told herself it’s admiration like a mantra; for she was afraid that it might be something that she couldn’t come to terms with then.

        She was snapped out of her worries when she heard the deafening screech of a microphone as the Principal tried to talk into it. Half the auditorium flinched, including the brown-haired girl next to her.

       “Hello everybody, and welcome to Miami High!” announced the grey-haired Principal with an excited tone. The students clapped, though rather unenthusiastically, and listened to the rest of the Principal’s speech. After that, the students were divided into five groups and escorted around the high-school so that they were able to see the field, the gym, the cafeteria, the likes of their classes, the office, the teacher’s lounge and so much more. Excitement and slight apprehensiveness filled the air as the freshman felt like their lives were going to accelerate from this point on.

       At the end of the day, all the students were gathered at the gym so that all clubs and societies that wished to promote themselves, could. Clubs like Science and Mathematics, Debate, and even those that revolved around religion made their short presentations, giving the freshman the details of where and when their meetings would be held and what to expect if they joined the club.

      Camila, however, perked up when the Glee Club made their speech. She always felt at home with music; it always being there no matter what language she understood. She remembers listening to the radio on the way to America for the first time, the notes and the melody of whatever song that was playing calming her instantly. Ever since then, music had always been her passion. She learned the guitar at the age of ten by herself and found equity doing so. Naturally, she started singing as well. Lauren, after hearing her for the first time, was flabbergasted at her talent. She complimented her with wide eyes and a bright smile, telling her that her voice was “amazing and unique!” and proceeded to give her a tight hug; telling her she was going to be a superstar. The alabaster skinned girl always found a way to boost up her ever-unsteady confidence.

        On the other hand, Lauren was always inclined to sports. She had a history of playing softball with her family and even in elementary school. She loved the thrill it always brought her; the air stacked with competitiveness and the hammering of her heart when she felt sweat roll off her face. It also helped that she looked damn good in a uniform, as pointed out by Camila. “You’ll have an ass like mine soon, don’t worry Camz”, Lauren had cheekily retorted to her best friend; earning a playful punch to the shoulder for that.

        So, when she saw that the Softball team was recruiting, she was excited to join. Not to mention the fact that the girl who was presenting was breathtaking with her wavy blonde hair and lithe figure, but Lauren would never admit that to herself.

         “Lauren, I think I know what club I’m joining,” A distracted Camila with reddening cheeks remarked, still eyeing the cute boy with the blue eyes and curly hair who had presented for the Glee Club. A minor perk, she thought; attempting to get rid of the butterflies in her stomach. She always found colored eyes beautiful, ever since she saw Lauren’s.

         “I think I know too,” Lauren replied as she followed the blonde head until she disappeared out the gym; a thundering heart conflicting the staged thoughts in her head.

——

        “Who the hell picked Mulan for the five-hundredth time?” Camila huffed as she sat down on the carpeted floor of Lauren’s living room in her pajama pants and faded Spongebob t-shirt; eyes catching sight of the Disney symbol appearing on the TV.

    “Don’t look at me, Chanch…. you much rather look towards your best friend over there,” a tall dirty-blonde haired girl remarked from her slumped position on the black leather couch. She was in the process of checking Twitter for the umpteenth time that day and indignantly pointed her finger towards the kitchen where her green-eyed friend remained preparing the popcorn.

    “How do you even know it’s Mulan? … It hasn’t even started, also, I’m pausing it because the girl of the house isn’t here yet, Lauren hurry up!” a dark-skinned girl with flawless skin and perfect teeth bellowed, taking the remote from the tall girl next to her on the couch and paused the DVD player.

    “Mani, the kitchen is really not that far away, I can hear you fine if you talk with your normal volume thank you very much,” the raven-haired girl sassed as she walked into the living room seconds later with two green bowls filled to the brim with popcorn in each hand; the buttery smell causing everyone to whip their heads to the delicious snack; earning collective “That smells so good” and “God, I’m hungry”.

     Lauren passed one bowl to the two girls on the couch and maneuvered around them, sitting next to Camila on the floor and placed the other bowl in front of them.

      “I know it’s Mulan because,” Camila directed her narrowed gaze to Lauren who had a messy bun on her head as she sported a done-with-your-shit tone when Lauren pretended to pay attention to the movie that had just been resumed, “It’s the only Disney DVD that this vampire possesses. And we have watched it a million times,” she finished with a whine; head tipped back.

        “I don’t mind though. Mulan is such a badass,” retorted the dark-skinned girl, munching on popcorn and Lauren turned her head around with a huge smile on her face and gave her friend a high-five with a “Yes, Mani understands”.

       “It wouldn’t hurt to have a Lion King disc in this house,” the dirty-blonde retorted, sending an unamused glare at Lauren and holding it; her phone finally put down. “I mean, its only the best movie Disney has ever created,” she said with a small smirk as she saw Lauren whip her head to the opposite side of the couch with her jaw comically open; ready to start a debate.

       “Okay, y’all better stop before it even starts,” Camila quipped, putting both her pointer fingers up, one directed at Dinah, and the other at Lauren. “Forget I said anything, lets just watch the movie okay? Okay,” she answered herself.

        Lauren simply narrowed her eyes at the blonde and the other does the same back. She playfully does the I’m watching you gesture with her hand and the other girl does the same back to her with a smirk placed on her face. Lauren broke her serious façade and chuckled throwing popcorn at the other girl who, with surprisingly fast reflexes, caught it and popped one into her mouth; giving her a victorious wink. Lauren childishly stuck her tongue out at her and whipped her head back to the TV with a chuckle; entertained by her friend’s antics.

       Dinah, the dirty-blonde, became friends with Camila through Glee Club. When Camila attended the audition for Glee Club, looking like a scared puppy, Dinah, the ever-active social butterfly who was also a freshman, approached her with her boisterous attitude and personality. Camila was majorly shy at first, thinking Dinah was older than her because of her height and her looks. Who the hell looks like this at fourteen, she thought to herself eyeing her mature features.

       But when Dinah sat with her throughout the meeting and made funny jokes and highly inappropriate comments about the teacher as well as some seniors, the brunette had her hand covering her wide-open mouth as she couldn’t believe the straight-forwardness that the blonde had; deciding that she needed this person in her life and unable to deny the spontaneity of their friendship. It continued to progress as they talked about their passion for music and their favorite artists and deepened even more when they heard each other sing.

      Dinah’s voice was smooth like silk but at the same time strong and soulful; it had Camila’s mind reeling with disbelief and amazement.

       “Are you sure you’re not related to Beyoncé? Because you kinda look…. and sound like her” Camila extolled her with genuine curiosity, totally starstruck after listening to her new friend’s audition.

      “Pfft, I wish,” the dirty blonde flipped her hair over her shoulders playfully, giggling after that with a shy smile on her face and voiced a soft thank you.

       After Camila’s audition, the blonde practically ran towards her and engulfed her in a bone-crushing hug. Camila, not used to that type of contact with a person she had met only a few hours ago, had cheeks red as a tomato once put down by the other girl whose smile was so pretty that it was hard to look at.

       “I’m sorry,” she apologized sheepishly, still grinning at Camila, “I’m just so happy that you’re amazing at singing, cause I want to stay friends with you cause you’re really nice, and I can’t be friends with you if I have to lie to your face all the time, that’s just cruel, so thank God that you can sing,” she rambled, gesturing wildly with her hands; her chocolate orbs meeting another hue in Camila’s.

Camila’s smile couldn’t go any wider.

       And when she introduced her to Lauren the next day during lunch at the cafeteria, her heart soared when they clicked instantly, comparing passions and jokingly throwing jabs at each other. Both of their carefree spirits clashed, and a new friendship bloomed right in front of Camila’s eyes. She was so happy.

       Lauren met Normani Kordei during the softball tryouts. The other girl was warming up, bending in positions that Lauren couldn’t even dream of reaching and found herself staring. Embarrassingly, that’s how they met for the first time.

         “Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” the dark-skinned girl mocked as she felt the green-eyed girl’s eyes boring into her.

           Flushing a deep red, Lauren instantly looked away and attempted to explain herself; just realizing just how creepy it was to stare like a moron.

           “I’m so sorry, you’re just so flexible,” she explained with a shy grin, her eyes unable to meet the other girl’s; reprimanding herself for being a weirdo. Attempting to steer clear of an awkward conversation she added, “Do you do gymnastics or something?”.

           The dark-skinned girl who had been watching the girl with a lopsided grin adorning her face, let out a small giggle; getting up from her position on the ground, sweat shining on her forehead. “Yeah, I actually did,” she confirmed, showcasing her pearly whites. “What’s your name?” she asked.

          Lauren sputtered, not expecting her to engage in conversation after acting like she did. “Um, I’m Lauren. Lauren Jauregui, I’m a freshman” she told her, a shy smile on her face. The other girl gave her a toothy smile in return and told her, “My name’s Normani, I’m a freshman too and it’s nice to finally meet someone new… even though you kinda forced our interaction,” the black-haired girl who had her hair in a ponytail teased her with a smirk on her face.

 Lauren’s eyes widened.

         “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to stare, I know it’s rude, but I swear I’m not a weirdo,” she ranted, her eyes meeting the dark ones of the other girl’s pleadingly; hoping to have repaired some damage. Normani just lets out a laugh and slings an arm around Lauren, urging her to walk with her on the field, effectively turning her around in the process. “I’ll be the judge of that,” she commented, smirk still in place. Lauren was about to respond but got interrupted by the blow of a whistle. Normani only shrugged and let go off her, leaving Lauren to let out a frustrated sigh.

        The tryouts carried out flawlessly for Lauren. She managed to meet the coach’s expectations and she even passed the fitness training that they had. She felt content with her tryout and felt ecstatic when the coach gave her two thumbs up after she was done. She met Normani’s amused glare a couple of times and simply shrugged. She also realized that the blonde who had presented on the first day was there with all the other team members, watching and assessing the newcomers and she felt a blush warm up her cheeks as she managed to get a closer look at the girl.

        She noted her long blonde hair that was in a ponytail just like hers was and her sharp features, especially her jawline. She shook her head, getting rid of her wandering thoughts; not wanting to be distracted on this important day.

       Normani wasn’t far behind; her speed and agility were prominent. She would be perfect to run base, Lauren thought, amazed with her skills. The coach seemed to like her as well, giving her two thumbs up as well.

         As she gathered her stuff in the locker room, the blonde from the auditorium approached her and Lauren felt like throwing up. Out of fear or out of excitement she couldn’t tell.

       “Great play out there, I’m looking forward to seeing more of you,” she complimented, a soft palm on her shoulder; causing Lauren’s brain to short circuit for a second before replying with a soft “Thank you. I hope so too” before the blonde, flashed her perfect white teeth and rushed off. Holy shit, she’s so beautiful, Lauren thought absentmindedly; as she replayed the moment in her head repeatedly, not realizing just how incredibly gay she was acting. It’s probably just a minor girl crush. People have those right?

        Before exiting the locker room, Normani caught up with her; her outfit changed after taking a shower and proceeded to sing her praises. Lauren blushed and thanked her, before finally starting a conversation that did not start on a bad-note. She fawned over her amazing skills as well before asking her about her previous school, her parents, her passions and Normani did the same with her. They spent their time walking and talking back to the entrance of the school and they exchanged numbers. Lauren found out that Normani had a great sense of humor and was a very humble person; it warmed her heart.

       She introduced her to Camila and Dinah the next day and felt her smile grow when they speedily gelled with each other; questions and puns bouncing off the bubble that the four of them had created for themselves. She met Camila’s eyes at the table and smiled at her; holding her gaze, knowing that they were thinking the same thing.

They couldn’t have asked for a better pair of friends.

          This lead to them hanging out whenever the four of them could. Basking in each other’s company and building a bond that was solid. So much laughter, meaningful talks and even inside jokes developed between them. Trips to malls, theaters, amusement parks, and the regular sleepovers that happened in either girl’s house were a constant for them. Because they also had classes together, they even studied together and opted to be paired with each other whenever there were paired assignments or groupwork to be done.

           “We have successfully formed a clique! Isn’t this exciting!” exclaimed Camila one day; effectively interrupting the heated debate that was going on between Normani and Lauren about the likes of pineapple on pizza; causing them both to turn to Camila with annoyance.

           “Mila, why do you make everything sound uncool….,” Dinah said uninterestedly from her position on Camila’s bed, during their first ever sleepover together as a foursome.

           “Shut up CheeChee,” Camila huffed her nickname for Dinah and rested her head on Lauren’s shoulder next to her. Lauren instantly lost her irritation.

           “Aw, Camzi, don’t be sad, you’re uncool, but we like that about you,” Lauren purred into Camila’s ears with a baby voice; causing Normani in front of her to wince.

            “Girl, speak for yourself,” the dark-skinned girl supplied, feigning indifference, and got a high-five from Dinah who had leaned over Lauren and Camila with a loud “Yas girl!”; practically shoving her boobs in front of their faces.

         Camila sat up abruptly and shoved Dinah away from Normani with one hand and got fake angry, trying to suppress a smirk as she pointed a finger at her. “You traitor! You will pay!” she yelled as she jumped on top of her, simultaneously grabbing a pillow and straddling her and whacking Dinah’s body with it.

 (Camila can be coordinated if she really wanted to, even though she was an uncoordinated mess 80% of the time)

          All of them knew that Dinah was strong enough to beat all of them up without even using half of her strength, but she feigned weakness as she cried “Stop it! I’m dying! You’re a monster!” to Camila in a British-accent (nobody knows why), with her hands outstretched in front of her and trying to stop the blows from the pillow Camila was holding.

         Lauren and Normani exchanged a look that can only be translated to why are we friends with these children before smirking at each other and snatching the pillow from Camila’s hand. They then pull Camila off Dinah into the space next to her. She screamed bloody betrayal as all three of her friends ganged up on her and tickled her, her laughs ricocheting and echoing through the room.  

           Which brings us back to their Mulan movie night a year later, where Camila heard Dinah and Normani’s slight snores behind her. And where Lauren’s head was on her lap and her fingers subconsciously ran through her luscious hair. Camila silently watched as the heroine in front of her saved China and she couldn’t be more satisfied.

——

       No matter how much time the foursome spent together, Lauren and Camila would always find time only for the both of them. They hung out mostly at their own houses, just reveling in the presence of the other girl. Lauren laid down on Camila’s bed as Camila strummed a few notes on her guitar, sitting on the chair adjacent to the bed.

Sophomore year is about to end soon, and it scared them how fast the years are going by.

       There were small changes that resided between both the girls, externally and internally. Externally, it was more related to the reputation that they had in school. Lauren was known as one of the best softball players on the team. Her name was chanted during every game; often being the player which manages to win them the game. Every time, she sees Dinah and Camila on the stands, shouting their heads off; faces painted with their school’s softball team colors. Knowing how much Camila despised sports in general but still took time to learn the rules and regulations of the game just so that she could come and support Lauren, meant everything to her.

       Dinah was much more aggressive than Camila, shouting expletives at the referee at every foul he gave the school team (even though sometimes he would be right); causing Camila to clumsily cover her mouth and try to calm her down before they got kicked out from the stands. Every time Lauren would hit a homerun, she’d run all bases and whip her head to the stands just to give Camila a flying kiss.

(She convinced herself it was for Dinah too)

(But deep down, she knew that was not true)

       The emerald-eyed girl found out the blonde girl from the auditorium’s name as she played on the team as well. It was Ashley Frangipane and she thought it was the most beautiful name ever.

It got harder and harder for the girl to dismiss the way her body reacts whenever she sees the other girl.

       She had only ever exchanged friendly-teammate conversation with her; mostly talking about the game or new tactics that they could use. The blonde was also the captain of the team, so she was always there for every practice and it made Lauren’s heart trash around. As they always played mock games, Lauren’s eyes would find themselves trained on the blonde girl and her limber figure.

       They trailed over the curves of her body constantly and spent the most time on the girl’s face. Plump lips, prominent cheekbones and a sharp jawline had turned Lauren into complete mush; unable to control her ever-growing crush. Normani had caught her staring and being distracted one day, and she confronted her about it; noting the dreamy look in Lauren’s eyes.

        “Something you want to tell me, Lauren?” Normani asked with exhortation lacing her tone as their practice ended, a small smirk on her face as her black eyes shifted to Lauren’s.

        Lauren flushed and gave Normani an angry look, suddenly feeling defensive but mostly fear. “There’s nothing to tell, Normani. Now back off, and mind your own business,” she reprimanded with an annoyed gaze aimed at Normani, tone hard but faltering at the end, reflecting the fear she possessed as she rushed to the showers without waiting for Normani.

        She felt guilty for letting out her frustration at the dark-skinned girl and immediately apologized to her as she exited the shower; finding her in the locker room with a sad smile and an apologetic look on her face. Lauren simply shook her head and wrapped her arms around her; mumbling a “sorry” into her neck. Normani nodded; she understood.

       Lauren thought about her feelings for Ashley that night. She had been feeling this way for a long time and Ashley was a senior. And to make it an even more impossible catch, she had a boyfriend and was very blatantly straight. She often caught Ashley talking about boys or gushing about the cute things her boyfriend did for her. She always felt a twinge of jealousy in her heart and she despised it. It makes her feel sticky and disgusting, but it hurt her even more because she knew that her love could never be reciprocated.

       She doesn’t know why it’s so hard for her to accept. She supported the LGBT+ community with her whole soul, but it didn’t occur to her just how much of conflict they go through finding themselves until she experienced it herself.

       It made sense, she figured. The constant excitement to see heroines in action, the constant rejection of boys who had asked her out, the confusing dreams, the way her heart thumped against her chest when she saw beautiful girls like Ashley, or even Cami-, oh no, that was her best friend, she dismissed.

(She thinks of the word beautiful, and all she can come up with are two names. Not knowing the significance of the latter until later)

         But she finally realized that it wasn’t admiration, it was longing. She was finally coming to terms with who she was; a tear slipping out of her eye as she thought about how her traditional family would ever accept her or how her beloved mom would react. It’s the uncertainty that was killing her.

        Camila was popular in her own way. She was known for always performing at school events with the Glee Club by her side. She enjoyed it, feeling the rush of a combination of both excitement and nervousness before grabbing a mic and giving her all into it. People seemed to love her voice, often getting compliments from random students after her performance and people begging her to start her own YouTube channel. She even had the chance to play a side character, Anita, in her school’s adaptation of the musical “West Side Story”.

       With each performance, Camila’s shyness was slowly stripped away to bare a much more confident woman that wasn’t scared of social interaction anymore. She had a shining new attitude and Lauren beamed at the changes her best friend was going through; watching from the sidelines and feeling so proud. Lauren was there for every single performance, shouting at the top of her lungs once they were done; clapping her hands ferociously and catching the sight of Camila looking at her with huge smile on her face.

      Sometimes, Camila looked for her in the audience and when she found her, she cracked a smile and winked; Lauren’s heart thundering in its cage for the sole reason that she was in love with Camila’s voice. Yes, her voice.

That’s what they did, support each other.

       Camila’s crush for the blue-eyed boy in her club was slowly growing to be unmanageable. He had a smile that made Camila’s knees weak and a voice that made her heart skip a beat. They would usually sing together as their voices go well together.

(Camila liked to think that they would go well together too.)

       “Cheechee, I swear Drew looked at me when he was rehearsing today,” she informed Dinah excitedly, daydreaming about his broad shoulders and lean body along with the angular features that shaped his face. She just wished she could run her fingers through his shabby black hair. Dinah simply yawned, “Ugh, why are you so gone for this boring white boy, haven’t you seen Mario?” Dinah retorted, licking her lips thinking about the senior. “Mmmm, now that’s a tall drink of water,” Dinah fantasized, thinking about the chocolate-skinned hunk who was also in Glee Club with a voice so smooth it made butter seem rough, as Dinah would put it.

        Camila would just roll her eyes, mumbling something about “not getting it” as she daydreamed for the rest of the club meeting. She had talked to him a few times, mostly about practice and which notes she could improve on, but nothing more. However, sometimes, she would catch him staring at her during practice; only for him to quickly turn away when she does. She internally squealed every time, so sure that it could mean something.

       Does he like me back? The brown-eyed girl pondered; a little excited but scared at the same time having no experience in relationships at all. He was a year older than her, but that was because he had to repeat his sophomore year.

Camila was determined to find out though, she had to shoot her shot.

         Returning to Camila’s room, Lauren’s head swam as she thought about ways to break the news about her new discovery to the brunette. She slowly sat up and leaned against the headboard of the bed; her eyes darting over to the brunette who was concentrating on her guitar as she strummed a few notes that strangely sounded like “Hello” by Lionel Richie. Her eyes raked over the messy brown hair that framed her friend’s face; noticing how her face had been looking a little bit more mature lately. It had become longer in a way, making her cheekbones stand out; giving Camila a strong Latin look. Lauren smiled as she took all of this in in awe and thought, my best friend is so beautiful.

Camila looked up then, feeling Lauren’s intense eyes on her; goosebumps rising on her skin. She gave her a lopsided smile, putting her guitar down and climbing onto the bed next to her. Her long legs stretched out in front of her; matching Lauren’s position and looks over to the emerald-eyed girl who is still staring ahead. She had a tense air around her which made Camila frown.

         “Hey,” she said, putting a few fingers on Lauren’s chin and turning it so she would face her; but her eyes were trained on Camila’s plain red shirt instead. Camila saw the furrows between Lauren’s eyebrows and coaxed, voice low, “What’s wrong, Laur?”. Lauren visibly tensed up then, her eyes slowly making their way up to Camila’s face and settling on the two chocolate orbs that always seemed to be there for her when she needed them. They looked into each other’s eyes for a moment and Lauren’s heart pounded in her chest; not because of their proximity (that’s what she told herself) but because she was about to reveal a part of her that she had kept hidden from Camila for a few weeks, and her acceptance meant so much to her; it hurt for her to think otherwise.

        Lauren took a deep breath and looked away from Camila, breaking their eye contact. She then shifted her position to sit cross-legged so that she was fully facing her. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath, putting a finger up to silence Camila’s worried “What’s going on?”.

        “Camz, I’m going to tell you something and you have to promise me you will not say anything forat least 30 seconds, not until you process it, okay?” Lauren drawled nervously, her voice shaking slightly; like she was holding in tears (and she was). Camila opened her mouth to say something but closed it and nodded instead, now sitting cross-legged as well as she faced Lauren as well; feeling like she could cut the tension with a knife.

There was pin drop silence before Lauren blurted out the two words that she had been dreading for weeks.

“I’m gay,”

       Lauren kept her eyes on Camila and was slightly mesmerized by the series of expressions that passed her face.First, it was very neutral, her eyes just looking at Lauren like she was trying to connect the words she just heard to the person who was sitting in front of her. Then, it was recognition. Her eyebrows arched higher than Lauren knew they could ever go and her mouth parted slightly, like she was dumbfounded by the information. And lastly it was happiness, a wide grin taking place on her face as she processed the new information and Camila felt her eyes brim with tears of joy and relief, worried that Lauren would tell her some horrible news; and this was nowhere close to that.

              Before the 30 seconds was up, Camila had jumped forward into Lauren arms, hugging her like a Koala Bear; her face buried into Lauren’s neck and long arms clutching onto her. Camila felt Lauren hugging her with equal desperation and she felt tears on her neck; her heart wobbled in her heart and she moved her hands up and down Lauren’s back trying to tell her that everything was going to be okay. She didn’t say anything though, keeping her promise to Lauren that way. After what felt like 2 minutes but was probably only 20 seconds, Camila pulled back and brushed the tear tracks that were on Lauren’s cheeks with a watery smile and chastely kissed each one before hugging her tightly again.

         “I’m so happy you decided to tell me, Laur. You know this doesn’t change anything for me, right? You’ll still be my vampire, Laur, you can’t get rid of me that easily,” she murmured into Lauren’s ears; lips brushing her earlobes. Lauren was ticklish, so she let out a little giggle and kissed Camila’s cheek when she pulled back.

                “I love you,” Lauren said, her eyes shining with happy tears.

               "I love you more,” came the instant reply from Camila. “I’ll be with you every step of the way, Laur. I’ll always be by your side,”

          And Camila kept her promise when Lauren decided to tell her family the next week, standing right next to her. She was there when her mother simply smiled at Lauren and replied, “And the sky is blue,”.

        She had the pleasure to see the blatant dubiety in Lauren’s eyes before they filled with tears and she ran into her mother’s arms. Clara and Lauren both told her father later in the evening when he came back. Camila simply waited in Lauren’s room assuring her that she will be right there; not wanting to intrude on an unofficial family meeting. When Lauren opened her bedroom door, walked in without a word and sat on the bed, Camila assumed the worst. She quickly shuffled closer to Lauren, ready to comfort her when Lauren simply burst out in laughter. Camila was slightly worried until Lauren collected herself and searched for Camila’s eyes.

         “He said the same thing, Camz. The same…. freaking…thing,” she declared, wiping the tears from her eyes and hugging Camila tightly.

 “I’m so grateful for all of you. So grateful,” Lauren croaked, her voice breaking in the end.

        When the news was broken to Dinah and Normani after they came over after school, they simply shrugged and said, “We know,”. Dinah gave a pointed look at her and disclosed, “Haven’t you seen the way you dress?” with a raise of one of her perfectly trimmed eyebrows.

        Lauren looked dumbfounded, superbly confused at all the nonchalant reactions she had been getting from the people who were close to her, well, excluding Camila, but Camila was a master at being oblivious, so no surprise there.

         Normani simply said one word, “Ashley,” and Lauren’s cheeks turned a deep red. Seeing the fierce reaction from only the mention of a name, Dinah gasped loudly and glared at Lauren, “Oh girl, you better have not be keeping the details of a juicy relationship from me,” she taunted, cracking her knuckles and taking a step closer to Lauren.

“You better tell me who this Ashley girl is, or so help me Lauser, I wi-“

       “Okay, okay jeez guys, can ya’ll just chill, there’s no such relationship” Lauren tried to calm them down but only managed to heighten Dinah’s feeling of being left out; “Oh, I am chill, you haven’t seen me not chill”.

       Camila, however, felt a sudden pang in her chest at the mention of the girl’s name and the implications behind it. It confused her, a frown taking place on her face, but she categorized it to feeling left out as well. She then joined in on Dinah’s you-better-tell-me-now-or-I’ll-kick-your-ass speech to Lauren. Lauren waved her arms up and down yelling “Okay!”multiple times before diving into her story of her crush and the total failure it came to be.

Camila felt a bit better after that.

(It’s only because Lauren isn’t keeping anything from her anymore, nothing else)

——-

        Lauren and Camila got their first kisses in the middle of their junior year; both their kisses happening in slightly different ways that they had imagined.

         Once junior year started, Lauren had fully embraced her new self and was completely open with her sexuality in school. News travelled like wildfire throughout the narrow hallways of the school and the students took it relatively well, though she still got some dirty looks from her peers. She didn’t really care though, because those that were most important to her were right next to her with their never-ending support. Lauren became sort of a safety beacon, as after she came out, other boys and girls alike came out themselves. It was as if they needed someone to do it first for them to have the confidence to. A few of them had come up to Lauren with words laced with candy, praising her bravery and her confidence. She could only blush deeply and say “thank you” when they did.

It also seemed like puberty had decided to take another round on her.

           She had become taller, curves shaping her body at all the right places; highlighted by the torn black skinny jeans and low-cut t-shirts that she always wore. Her cheekbones and jawline were much more prominent than they were before, bringing out her eyes more than usual. Also, because of softball, she gained a toned body that was flawlessly showcased whenever she wore crop tops; her slight abs peeking through. She lost all the excess baby fat that she had. She looked hot and the stares she often got confirmed them.

However, she was not the only one.

         Dinah had pleaded and begged and probably bribed Camila (Lauren chose to believe that) to join a beginner hip-hop dance class with her that was just outside town. The excuse she used on Camila was connected to the lack of coordination that she possessed and convinced her that she needed it if she wanted to be the lead actress for the musical production of ‘Grease’ that the Glee Club was going to produce for their senior year. Camila reluctantly agreed and followed her to the first class. She had almost quit right after because of the obvious lack of dancing skills that she possessed, but Dinah (like the Devil) pestered her, persuaded her that it was very common and all she had to was just be a bit confident with herself. Class after class passed by, and major changes were being achieved in both Dinah and Camila. Both weren’t even plump to begin with, but with the unusual sweaty activity that was foreign to both of them, their bodies slowly started to lose all the baby fat that resided in it as well.

          Dinah lost weight in her face and her hips, making her look leaner and taller than usual. Her cheekbones making a more pronounced appearance, and her curvalicious body turned heads.  Camila’s face was slowly losing the fat in it which made her jawline only that much sharper. She also ditched her lengthy bow collection and got a better hairstyle; side bangs and layered brown luscious hair flowing from her head.

         Puberty finally made an appearance as well, making her grow a few centimeters. Her butt curved considerably more and even a slight presence of boobs had Camila sprouting exuberance.

         Lauren still remembered the day she noticed the obvious change that had happened in Camila. It had been a few months into junior year when Camila wanted a sleepover at Lauren’s house; claiming that she needed her “Lauren Time”. Lauren was reading ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ on her bed for probably the third time in her life whilst waiting for Camila. She looked up from her position on the bed when she heard the door open and sure enough, Camila walked in with a loud “Hi, Lo!”; throwing her overnight bag on her bed. She had come straight from her hip-hop class with Dinah (Lauren still laughed at that, always earning an unamused glare from her best friend), so she was still sweating. She was wearing a gray crop top that was drenched in sweat and black tights; her hair up in a loose ponytail, a few strands escaping to frame her face along with her bangs.

          Lauren’s eyes found Camila’s body over the cover of her book, and it widened comically; thanking the Gods that Camila was focused on her shoes so that she couldn’t see her reaction. Camila suddenly looked like a stranger; causing Lauren’s jaw to silently drop. Her eyes ran down her body and choked slightly when Camila bent down to untie her shoes. She did get an ass like mine, Lauren’s subconscious chimed somewhere in the daze that Lauren was going through.

         It was a struggle to tear her eyes away from her best friend as they found the silver of abs peeking through the exposed caramel skin between the hem of her crop top and tights. It didn’t help that they were glistening.

Get a fucking grip, Lauren.

She didn’t even notice that her bottom lip was held captive by her teeth until she let it go, running her tongue over it. She cleared her throat and forced herself to look back at the book; playing it cool. “Hi, Camz,” she replied after what felt like an eternity; mortified when her voice came out low and husky. Camila walked close to her and grabbed the book out of her hands; Lauren’s eyes snapping to her face and widening slightly again. Her eyes graced the once familiar face she had known, now mature with new lines and prominent cheekbones and a jawline that could cut her decorated with shining eyes; strikingly attractive.

Lauren was speechless as she watched Camila’s lips move, but not hearing her; still caught in her stupor.

              “-again. And-, Lauren are you even listening to me?” Camila accused, snapping her fingers in front of Lauren’s gorgeous face. It was then Lauren finally got a grip of herself, slightly hypnotized by the movement of Camila’s plump lips.

         “Sorry babe, I spaced out,” Lauren tried to play off. She returned to her best-friend mode right away though, “Maybe you should take a shower Camz, you smell like something the cat dragged in,”.

         Camila only dropped her jaw in offense and gave Lauren a push that barely moved her; mumbling “Shut up” under her breath loud enough for Lauren to hear. She proceeded to take her clothes from her bag and step into the shower that was right next to Lauren’s bedroom.

         Lauren willed herself to stop the irregular beats of her heart as she tried to calm down. I like girls, so it is normal to feel attracted to pretty girls, and my best friend is pretty. That’s it, Lauren reminded herself like a mantra in her head. Never mind the fact that her friend suddenly looked like a supermodel. She cleared her throat and tried to get the image of Camila in sweat out of her head.

          When Camila returned, she had to get these new (or so she thinks) thoughts out of her head by normalizing it. She was always open with Camila anyway. So, when Camila walked in with only booty shorts and a faded black shirt with Spongebob’s face on it and wet hair, Lauren was rather harshly reminded that this was a girl that she had known forever. She situated herself next to Lauren on the bed and grabbed a book from Lauren’s nightstand, but before she opened it to read it, Lauren jokingly faced her and asked her:

          “So, when did you get an ass?” she questioned with a sly tone and a wiggle of her eyebrows. She smirked when she saw the blush to rise to Camila’s cheeks as her jaw dropped opened.

          Camila let out a playful scoff and pushed Lauren’s shoulder away from her. She pursed her lips and gestured with her right hand to nothing.

          “Turns out, all I needed was some exercise,” she confessed playfully flipping her wet hair over her shoulder (a habit she learned from Dinah), “who knew I had to sweat a little for puberty to finally hit me,” she joked, her tone incredulous and eyes wide.

          “Well, you still got a long way before you get an ass like mine so…,” Lauren trailed off, lying through the skin of her teeth and pretended to resume reading her book, her voice raspy.

 She then felt Camila chuckle next to her and her heart warmed up.

          “Wow, you’re so humble,” Camila said eyeing Lauren’s symmetrical side profile, silently admiring it; identifying a crack in her façade, “but it’s true though, your ass is amazing,” she concurred, admitting to Lauren’s submission and causing Lauren’s breath to hitch.

(She was so used to Camila complimenting her, so why does it suddenly have new effects on her?)

            Lauren, begging her upcoming blush to go away, looked at Camila then with a hand on her heart; simulating shock. “Oh my God, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me Camz,” she whisper- yelled at her, dramatically wiping a non-existent tear from her eyes; causing Camila to have full-fledged laugh, her wide smile stimulating feelings in Lauren she couldn’t explain.

           It was June when Lauren got her first kiss. Being the Casanova that she was in high school and earning looks of longing from many people, she was bound to get a few date proposals. Ashley was long gone but she still rejected most of them, due to just pure fear of a full-blown relationship; knowing that she must concentrate on her studies to get into the university that she had always dreamed of going to along with Camila; and commitment just takes up a lot of time.

        However, when a petite-brunette called Ariana Grande that was in her Biology class asked her out with fluttering eyelashes and a sly smile, she had to reconsider the ‘rules’ that she had made for herself in her mind. This girl was beautiful in every sense of the word. Dimples at the side of her mouth whenever she flashed her toothy smile at Lauren along with Italian features that popped out; high-key causing Lauren to stare at her a few times. Her wavy brown hair rushed past her shoulders, making Lauren’s hands itch to run her fingers through them. So, when Ariana shyly approached her after one class, her heart jumped up to her throat and found herself automatically saying “Yes” to her when she asked her if she wanted to watch a movie that night.

          Camila, who was beside her at that time, suddenly felt a pinch in her heart. She was confused as to why she suddenly felt like throwing up and slapping Ariana at the same time. She forced a smile on her face when Lauren squealed and jumped up and down with her after Ariana left the class; three words leaving her lips that caused Camila’s stomach to ache, “I have a date!”.

         The Latina chalks up her confusing body reactions to just pure concern for her friend’s feelings. This was her first date, and she wanted it to be great for her. It didn’t help that she barely knew this Ariana girl, and she felt slightly jealous.

No, not of Ariana. But, of Lauren.

          She had been trying to get Drew’s attention for so long. Camila had hinted that she liked him so many times every time she talked to him, but it always ended up with him chuckling awkwardly and fleeing the conversation.

But it was so easy for Lauren to get dates. People were throwing themselves at her.

(Maybe it’s cause she’s so hot, a distant part of Camila’s brain blurted, and Camila merely pretended not to hear it)

          “What is it about me, Dinah?” she had asked Dinah, frustrated and a little hurt after a particularly useless interaction with Drew after a Glee Club practice they had.

          “I have no idea, Chanch, maybe he just can’t handle the fact that you’ve turned into a hot mama in the past few months,” Dinah assured her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder but Camila only rolled her eyes; mumbling something like “I’m not a hot mama” under her breath.

          “He’s just shy. Maybe you should make the first move,” advised the dirty blonde to the girl with the sad milk chocolate eyes the week before. Ever since then, Camila had been building up the courage to ask the boy out, ideally during the Glee Club practice they were going to have tomorrow.

Maybe that’s why she was feeling a little put off with Lauren getting a date before her.

         She texted Lauren before her date, commanding her to tell her all about it after she came back from the date; finding her rationality after the minor emotion lapse she experienced at school. She had offered to help her with her outfit, but Lauren had declined distractedly. She said that she already knew what she was wearing. So, as enthusiastically as she could, Camila hyped the raven-haired girl for her date seeing that her best friend was incredibly shy.

         “You’re gonna be fine, go kill it, Laur,” she had encouraged her. She waited patiently by her phone; knowing Lauren would keep her promise and call her.

            It was half- past ten when she received the call from Lauren. Unsurprisingly, Camila had fallen asleep and was woken up by the steady ring of her phone. She shot up and grabbed it as soon as she remembered the occasion when she saw “Vamp” flash across her screen.

           Breathlessly and living vicariously through Lauren, she impatiently questioned her. Without even a ‘hello’, Camila garbled, “Oh God, how was it? Tell me everything!”.

           It was quiet on the other side for a while, and Camila felt her smile slipping off her face; suddenly worried that the date was horrible. But before she could cajole Lauren, she heard her soft voice through the phone, and this time, her smile did slip off her face.

         “She kissed me,” came a low voice, emotionless, until it was repeated, much louder and dripping with excitement, “She kissed me, Camz! I just got my first kiss holy shit,”

          Camila felt her heart beating in her chest, and that’s all she could hear for a while. She felt the same pinch in her heart earlier and this time she knew she was jealous of Lauren. She had gotten her first kiss before her.

(It couldn’t possibly be anything else right?)

           She really wanted to be happy for her friend, but the thought of her kissing someone else only made her skin crawl. The thought of Ariana kissing her best friend was causing her to feel sick.

          “Camz, say something! I’m freaking out here!” Lauren exclaimed, and Camila was so thankful the alabaster skinned girl couldn’t see her right now. She didn’t know how she would have been able to control her expressions.

         She didn’t know what she was expecting. People kiss on their first dates, that was normal. So why was she so shell shocked? She used her drama skills to feign excitement and scream back “Oh my God Lauren! That’s amazing,” as her chest heaved and her voice high-pitched, “Spill the tea!”.

          And she heard how Ariana held her hand through out the whole movie and shared her popcorn with her. How she had bought her chocolates. How she looked so cute in her floral summer dress. How she picked Lauren up and kissed her on the doorstep.

         “It felt amazing, Camz,” Lauren gushed to her and Camila could only hope that her first kiss would be like that; the burning in her heart intensifying. It gave her everything she needed to ask Drew out the next day.

         After Glee Club practice and some supportive thumbs up from Dinah who was creeping from outside the room, Camila sauntered over to Drew; confidence and determination radiating from her pores.

She couldn’t pine over him anymore, she had to grow a pair.

       So, she took a deep breath as she stood in front of him and asked him out to a dinner date with her. Drew could only stare at her for a moment; unable to comprehend the fact that Camila had just asked him out before he could. He then nodded stupidly, a small “Sure” coming out from his mouth. Camila grinned victoriously and gave her his number, and also taking down his. She finally did it, she’s finally going on a date with someone she had a crush on since freshman year.

      Why the hell did it take Lauren getting into a relationship for her to pursue one as well? She waved goodbye to him shyly and turned around; catching a glimpse of Dinah’s happy dance outside the room. She rushed over to her and joined her in it.

She was finally going to get her first kiss that she had always dreamed of!

Oh shit.

She was finally going to get her first kiss that she had always dreamed of.

      After school, Camila had texted Drew and confirmed the date to be on next Friday so that she could get to know him more and pick a restaurant that would appeal to both of them. She had told Lauren and Normani the moment she saw them after their softball practice, jumping for joy. Normani had given her a proud tap on her shoulder and announced, “My baby is growing up,” before taking her into her arms.

Lauren, on the other hand, had a bittersweet feeling swirling in her heart.

(Actually, quite like the feeling that Camila had gotten)

      Camila was finally going on a date with the boy that she couldn’t stop talking about since freshman year, and knowing about how romantic she is, this must seem like a sign to her. Lauren was afraid for Camila. Afraid that she would get manipulated by the boy, afraid that he would take advantage of her, afraid for her security, at least that’s what she told herself; but then again, she had never really talked to the boy.

       Sure, she had been pointed to his direction a few times by an effusive Camila and that was it. He could be an actual nice guy for all she knew, he already had the good-looks part down. But she was happy for her, she was gaining new experiences just like she was with Ariana. She had no say because Camila had been completely nice and supportive about her growing relationship with Ariana. They had planned to go out again after school, and Lauren was smitten by her. With that thought in her mind, she dismissed any weird feelings in her heart and embraced the brown-eyed girl, mumbling into her ear with her low voice, “I’m so proud of you, Camz,”.

       “If you need any help with your outfit, you tell us Chanch. We will be there in no time,” assured Dinah with a hand on her hip, and Normani nodding beside her.

       “Yeah, Camz,” Camila’s attention snaps to the emerald eyed girl, “Just let me know if you’re doubtful about anything okay?” she said to Camila, grabbing onto her hand and brushing her thumb over her knuckles. Camila’s cheeks flushed for some reason at the action, and she thanked all of them. She went back home with two words drilling into her head: first kiss.

And it was those same two words that caused her to panic a few days before the date.

       Camila paced around her room, overthinking the whole situation as usual. She had managed to pick out a suitable restaurant, but her mind was going haywire over the fact that she might be kissed in a few days.

       She didn’t know how to! She thought about all the possible situations where she drastically embarrasses herself and she felt anxiety course through her veins.

       What if she accidentally bites him? Or what if he wants to use tongue? What if she drools on him? All the what ifs were only heightening the nervousness in her. So, she did the one thing she could think of, she called Lauren.

       Hearing the troubled tone in her voice, Lauren had abandoned her plans to call Ariana and instead rushed to Camila’s house with distress. Camila hadn’t told her the problem and she was worried. She reached her house and greeted her father on the way in.

(Camila’s father had finally made it to America when she was nine)

       When she reached her bedroom after taking two steps at a time, she opened the door to find Camila sitting cross-legged on her floor and biting her fingernails; a nervous tick of hers. Lauren quickly shuffled next to her, sitting in the same position and putting a hand on her shoulder.

        “Camz, tell me what’s going on, what’s worrying you?” Lauren coaxes, removing Camila’s fingers from her mouth causing her to finally look up into her eyes. Lauren’s tone was rough but smooth at the same time; calming Camila instantly. She wondered how Lauren did it. Lauren noticed how Camila started fiddling with her fingers before she let out a sigh.

          “Kisses,” she whispered, looking anywhere but at Lauren, feeling her cheeks ablaze with the shame from her confession. Lauren only gulped, Wow this is new, she thinks. She knew that her date with Drew is in a few days and that is probably the source of this lip virgin panic. Lauren slightly shuddered at the sex panic that Camila would go through if she was this panicked about a kiss.

          Lauren herself had kissed Ariana a few times, feeling her heart soar whenever she did. She used to think that it probably didn’t feel that great, but she refuted her thoughts once she felt her lips touch Ariana’s. It felt like she was floating. She only used tongue once with her, and the sensation made her feel like she was drowning; her pupils dark after. But she was still an amateur and only a little bit more experienced than her brunette friend.      

          “Camz, c’mon, look at me,” Lauren started, cupping her face and turning her back to face her. “It’s fine to feel nervous, but please don’t overthink it,” she cajoled, meeting Camila’s watery eyes.

         “All you have to do is let the vibe guide you, just pucker up and you’ll be fine,” Lauren advised her with a smile, intertwining their fingers. Camila frowns, running her free hand through her hair and flipping it to the side (a habit she learned from Lauren).

         “I’ve watched enough movies to know that Lauren, I just don’t want to be bad at it, it’s the worst scenario,” she frustratedly explained, her eyes dimming. “He has had girlfriends before, Laur. And he’s gonna compare me to them, and what type of girlfriend will I be if I can’t even kiss right?” she whined, a stray tear running down her cheek.

         Lauren’s heart ripped at the edges as she watched her best friend crumble in front of her. She felt like she would do anything to stop her from crying; to make her stop. She hated to see her friend hurting. She shuffled closer to her and hugged her from the side, running her hand over her lithe back.

         “Camz, you’ll be fine. I have gone through this before. I went in unprepared but look at Ari and me! We’re still together right? And she’s even complimented me on my kissing skills, Camz,” she informed her with a smile, her voice soft and soothing; reaching her hand over to tuck a stray hair behind Camila’s ear, “Practice makes perfect, Camz,”.

          An epiphany had hit Camila when she heard those last words, like she had just found a tool in her toolbox that could finally complete her project. It made so much sense, it was the perfect plan.

She didn’t have to go in unprepared…. not when she could practice.

         She looked up abruptly then, facing Lauren with wide eyes and parted lips. The tracks of her tears drying.

(It’s a decision that Camila would come to regret…or be thankful of, later)

         “Kiss me,” Camila softly told Lauren, her cheeks on fire. This was one way she could have an honest opinion about her kissing skills.

        Sure, she would be giving her first kiss to Lauren, but she rather it be with her; someone she trusts with her life, than a boy that might leave her in a few months for a petty reason.

         Lauren could barely hear her, she thought she had to clean her ears. She was sure she heard wrong. Or Camila had gone crazy. It had to be either one. Though her heart was racking up a storm in her chest, she didn’t want to get her hopes u-believe it.

        Her eyes bulged out of her skull and she had one eyebrow arched. Camila would laugh at the comical look if the atmosphere around them hadn’t thickened like oatmeal in the last two seconds.

 “I’m sorry……what?” a dumbfounded Lauren looked at Camila; praying to God that she was joking.

But Camila was dead serious.

The 16-year-old turned her whole body to face Lauren, having a determined look on her face.

          “Just think about it Laur! It’ll just be a peck! Just so I know what to expect with Drew,” Camila explained, her hands gesturing wildly around her, eyes wide. “Please Lauren, it’ll just be two seconds and then it will be done! We will keep this between ourselves, its just practice, Laur,” Camila begged her, still eyeing an expressionless Lauren who couldn’t find any word in the dictionary that she could use to reply to Camila.

         “We don’t have to do it if you’re uncomfortable, I understand, but please think about it, please,” Camila drawled out, catching onto the hesitation her friend was exuding. She had a partner for God’s sake.

          Lauren realized the extent of the situation, she would be kissing her best friend. Her beautiful best friend. The best friend that induced a few feelings in her that she didn’t understand. The best friend with doe eyes that could make her do anything, and oh shit- she has pouted.

          Lauren covered her face with her hands, needing to not look at Camila’s full lips right now. The image of Camila’s bottom lip jutting out replaying in her mind for more reasons than one.

But it’s Camila. And she would do anything to stop her from hurting.

She was gonna regret this.

          “Okay,” she murmured dejectedly into her hands before she heard an excited shriek erupt from the brunette. Lord have mercy.

           Camila calmed down after that and smiled cheekily at her, not paying attention to who she was about to kiss but more to the action that she was about to commit. For Lauren, it was the complete opposite. Camila’s smile was wide before she closed her eyes and she took a deep breath, calming herself and taking both of Lauren’s hands into her own. She peeked one eye open to see an incredibly nervous Lauren and said the magic words,

                 “Ready when you are,”

           Lauren wanted to get it over with, so she inched as close as possible to Camila’s face. Taking in her long eyelashes, the slope of her perfect nose, her plump lips; she shuddered internally.

Fuck, what am I doing? She thought disbelievingly as she felt Camila’s breath hit her face and suddenly felt like she had to prove something.

She held her breath and leaned forward to place her trembling lips firmly on Camila’s, feeling all her senses heighten as she felt electricity course through her veins; as if Camila was a power source. Lauren’s heart pounded against her chest and she worried that Camila might hear it.

           Even though she had kissed Ariana multiple times, none of those kisses matched this and she was afraid that this would happen, feeling like she finally found a missing piece of a puzzle while she kissed her best friend.

           It literally took her breath away and she couldn’t control herself for the life of her. Lost in all things Camila, she enclosed Camila’s bottom lip in between hers for a second before letting it go, her forehead resting on hers; breathing in her air for a few seconds before pulling away to see Camila open her shining eyes the same time as she did.

           The kiss lasted for less than 3 seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Camila then simply brushed her lips with her pointer finger and thumb. As if she was trying to inspect or recreate the feeling that she felt a few seconds ago.  She tasted like cherries, Lauren thought licking her lips as she eyed Camila’s lips, still swimming in a charged stupor.

What she didn’t notice was Camila was looking at her lips too.

          She snapped out of her daze and gave Camila a shy smile, flipping her hair to the side with her fingers and trying to play off the now painful beats of her heart. She felt as if things were slipping into place, but she felt sick because it was.

She couldn’t explain it.

        She couldn’t explain why Camila made her feel things Ariana couldn’t. Too mortified to even consider the other option.

(Actually, she could, she just didn’t want to)

           “So,” her voice came out husky and cracked, “How was it?” she asked Camila, who had been staring at her the whole time; like she was ruminating something. She took a few seconds to reply, giving Lauren a smile that didn’t really reach her eyes.

               “It felt magical,”

Lauren almost choked on air.

               “And,” Camila resumed, voice vulnerable, “How was I?”

          Lauren felt her throat dry up, as she felt an inevitable lump forming in her throat as the thoughts in her head went wild. She identified the truth burn on her tongue, but she couldn’t say anything. She couldn’t admit it. She couldn’t for now, so she simply gave her a winning smirk, her eyes missing the way Camila’s chest heaved for a second.

           “Eh, you need a little work,” Lauren joked, earning a chuckle from Camila; effectively cutting the fiery tension between them. Camila shuffled back to be situated on Lauren’s side as she just laid her head on her shoulder, her eyebrows furrowed. Lauren felt like she had to clarify; like she had to let Camila know at least half of the truth.

           “I’m kidding Camz…. you felt magical too,” Lauren uttered to her after she gathered her confidence, her cheeks ablaze as her voice became shaky. Camila turned to look at her then, her eyes fixed on Lauren’s for a few seconds and Lauren felt the air get charged around her. But it was broken just as swiftly when the Latina broke eye contact with her and gave her a lopsided smile, playing with her own fingers.

           “I’ll let Drew be the judge of that,” she delivered with her tongue stuck out and her voice teasing, and although Lauren smiled at her, she felt her heart fracture at her words.

There’s always gonna be another Drew, Lauren.

           So, stop, while you’re ahead. Unless you want to ruin this irreplaceable friendship that you have, her inner voice barked at her.

So, she listened.

[a-collection-of-nonsense]

2. Edelweiss

Lily slammed the door to her potions room in the East Tower, leaning against it as she let the Polyjuice Potion wear off. “Netty!” she shouted, and with a snap the young scrawny house elf appeared in front of her.

“Yes, Mistress?” she asked in a squeak, and even in her blind panic she managed to roll her eyes.

“I told you to call me Lily,” she reminded the elf, as she had a hundred times before. Both Tinker and Netty were rescues, like the rest of the castle’s inhabitants. Tinker had blown up at the family he had worked for, the Rosiers, after the youngest Rosier had beaten him half to death for not getting him his sweets fast enough. The boy had been only seven years old, yet capable of such thoughtless cruelty, and Tinker finally realized that he was going to die in this house if he did not get out, and not of old age. He had used Dark elf magic to possess the young Rosier into giving him a piece of clothing and, now free, the house elf never looked back. However, it was difficult for a house elf to find work, especially after pissing off such a powerful pureblood family, and Tinker refused to sell himself into slavery again. Eventually he made his way to Hogwarts and, knowing that Lily was struggling to look after all six children by herself, Minerva sent the house elf her way. He was a grumpy old fart and loved to talk back to Lily, but he had a soft spot for the children, and that was enough for her.

Netty was a whole different story. Her house elf parents had abandoned her at Hogwarts right after she was born before she was bound to the Parkinsons, not wanting her to be forced to work for such a vile and abusive family, wanting a brighter future for their child. The Hogwarts elves had tried to raise her as a proper house elf, but Netty proved to be an absolute disaster, helpless when it came to most household chores and hopelessly clumsy. After listening to Minerva moan over her young ward one afternoon, Lily had offered to take the house elf in, give her paying work and a home where so many disasters took place on an hourly basis that Netty would fit right in. Although Netty could not cook or clean to save her life, she had proven to be an absolute godsend when it came to the children. She was a fantastic nursemaid, and the children adored her.

For the most part, the two house elves were just treated as members of the family. However, a few habits from the old days had stuck with them; calling Lily ‘Mistress’ was one of them, and it drove her up the wall. Merlin, she was only twenty-four. ‘Mistress’ made her feel extra self-conscious about the early grey hairs that occasionally popped up in her fiery red mane.

“Now, Netty,” Lily continued slowly, trying to take deep breaths so that she didn’t explode, “Why didn’t you tell me that the new nanny was a man?”

“Oh, Mi-Lily, I didn’t think it was important,” Netty said simply, although her eyes grew wide as Lily sunk to the floor and groaned into her hands.

Not important? Jesus, Lily had almost face-planted when she saw him waiting at the base of the stairs.

James fucking Potter.

-Doe, A Deer, A Female Deer (ff.net)

[krickis]

What are your thoughts on Zephyr Br... Nah just kidding ^^. What about her bookish excellence, Twilight Sparkle?

Rather than explain my thoughts on Zephyr, I’m just gonna go ahead and link my favorite comic featuring him. I could stare at that last panel all damn day.

Now Twilight? Well, for starters, I think that she should never be mentioned alongside Zephyr...

general opinion: Love her. She’s right up there in my top three favorite horses ^^hotness level: uhhhh horse??? She’s a cute horse, thoughhogwarts house: Does this even need to be said??? Ravenclaw, for surebest quality: She could laserbeam your face off with friendship Honestly her social skills are kinda insane for being a supposed introvert. She was reclusive in the past yeah, but honestly she’s a natural leader to a ridiculous extent.worst quality: Bitch has never known chill a single god damn day of her life... Also she strikes me as being hella insecure, most obviously about herself ‘cause she doubts herself a lot, but that probably translates to her being insecure in other aspects of her life as well.ship them with: In the most predictable answer ever, TwiShySet. I’m also fond of Raritwi, and Pinkietwi when Apri’s doing it. I’ve actually got a fair amount of Twi ships, come to think of it. Honestly though I don’t even see Twishy as a ship anymore, I just see them and go “oh there’s the girlfriends” like that’s just the default now.brotp them with: Twi’s actually the only mane six that I just see being friends with all her friends like equally? I guess I could just give the cop-out answer and say Spike ^^’needs to stay away from: Zephyr I dunno, no one specific comes to mind actually ^^’misc. thoughts: I once fooled a bunch of people into reading a self-insert fic by calling myself Twilight Sparkle =D

[bonedo-enthusiast]

BND as MLP Mane Six Characters

A/N: another "bnd as __" post! hope you enjoy, as always. lowercase is intended! <3

tws: none

wc: 165

Sungho: Twilight Sparkle

prince(ss)

a “glue” to the group

reader; lover of beautifully-crafted texts

has some leadership tendencies

Riwoo: Fluttershy

shy, shy, shy

lover of outdoor walks

animals <3

the absolute sweetest :( 

quiet, soft-spoken

Jaehyun: Pinkie Pie

energetic by wannaone asf

awkwardly social; social anxiety is scared of him

kind of a himbo at times (?) 😭

always makes people smile and laugh, putting them at ease <3

Taesan: Rainbow Dash

cool guy over here

(except he’s less in-your-face about it than rainbow dash)

as i said in my hogwarts house post, leos = loyalty

very confident in himself, especially as time goes on

Leehan: Rarity

beautiful man, 10/10

but also has a super sweet heart

would probably drop anything if his friend(s) needed help with something

creative, thinking outside of the box

Woonhak: Applejack 

hard-working since day one

he’s not afraid to push himself 

more to him than meets the eye

works toward a better future 

(because he’s kind of afraid of it)

[drunkendragons]

Tag Game Ya’ll

Rules are simple: Answer the questions and tag 20 followers you’d like to get to know better. I was tagged by this nerd: @mouserzwuzhere (thank you! <3)

Name: Avery

Nickname: Ave, AJ (only my sister), Abery, Dragon, Shithead, 

Zodiac sign: Cancer

Hogwarts House: #Team Hufflepuff!

Height: Short

Sexual orientation: Bisexual as fuck 

Ethnicity: Pale enough to glow in the dark (australian mydudes) 

Fav Fruit: Apples!

Fav season: Autumn!

Fav Book Series: Series? Harry Potter, but it used to be Skullduggery Pleasant (i haven't read those books in Eons) ((also this is subject to change cause I wanna read the Raven Cycle series cause it seems pretty cool?))

Fav Fictional Character:  Theres,,,so many,,- get ready. (In no particular order:) Spot Conlon, Crutchie Morris, Racetrack Higgins, Jack Kelly, Katherine Plumber, Davey Jacobs, Les Jacobs, Michael Mell, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Dipper Pines, Bill Cipher, Mabel Pines, Wendy Corduroy, Stanford Pines, Stanley Pines, Waddles, Whizzer Brown, Everyone From Critical Role, PIKE TRICKFOOT, GLaDOS, Wheatley, Space Core, Lucio, Jesse & Miles & Mae & Angus Tuck, Hugo and Winnie Jackson-Foster, Toad, Tiny Tina, Clementine & Lee from Telltale's The Walking Dead, The Mane Six (seven? I guess its seven now huh), All the Elders from the Book Of Mormon (especially McKinley!,) All the Ugandans from the Book Of Mormon,  All the Bugs/Rangers from Starship- should I just make a list cause there So Much More like I’ve barely even touched Disney movies yet, or Dreamworks, or anime, or Red vs Blue or the Other Things. Im gonna stop now but just know this could be Way Way WAY longer xD

Fav Flower: Sunflowers but they make me sneeze!

Fav Scent: Bakery smell, New Book Smell, also cinema smell is Good

Fav Color: All of them but I really like Purple and Green (NOT TOGETHER)

Fav Animal: CHEETAHS! Or just Big Cats in general

Fav Band: Original Broadway Cast xD But also Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco. I used to be really into Ministry Of Magic and Chameleon Circuit but not so much anymore 

Coffee, Tea or Hot Chocolate: Milo (essentially hot chocolate)

Number of Blankets: One!

Avg Hours of Sleep: Recently? Six-ish, which sucks cause it means I'm Always Tired

Dream Trip: New York City or London, because they’re both so pretty but I just wanna Exist in Time Square (i’ve said that before)

Last thing I googled: ‘we heart it dance’ because Moodboards that are taking a Long Time

How many blogs I follow: 1,101 ;D

Number of Followers: 140 and I love All Of You (im still surprised theres over 100 of you holy shit)

What I usually Post: Right now? Musicals and Newsies with a dash of Achievement Hunter and RWBY and stuff. This blog is a Mess so literally when the blog description says ‘check the About Page for stuff you might see here!’ you could literally see ANYTHING on that page at any time. Sorry for the inconsistency yall <3 Im tagging @monsoon-blue @newsies-kill-the-competition @skitteri @crunchie-morris @spot-and-all-his-cronies @motherboardingbest and anyone else! I’d tag more people but hot diggety darn i am tireeeed

[iprincezzinuyoukai]

ToMco Week, Day 7: Horseback Riding

And again with Hogwarts AU. The Thestral are my second fantastic beast favorite of the entire Harry Potter universe, the first is dragons. And although it is not exactly a "Riding" we have "Horses"... Or something like that.

Notes and Warnings: Hogwarts AU. I completely forget most of the information of these creatures, except that they can be seen by those who have seen death.

I Like Them

“We will not get into trouble, will we?” Marco asked following Tom around the Forbidden Forest. Obviously he was scared but not because of the idea that his boyfriend had planned to do, rather because they should not be here.

“Nah.” Tom clucked his tongue, “We only go to see them and return quickly before the sun finally sets.”

It did not seem like much of a problem when Tom had asked Marco for an date, and of course the Ravenclaw boy did not waste a second in saying that he gladly accepted. For days, it was he who wished he could talk to Tom to ask for an date.

Only Marco never thought that Tom would tell him that their date would be in the Forbidden Forest and almost near the sunset.

He had to calm down, he could not remain the safety boy as everyone in his own House and other Houses knew him, and if in case they came to discover them, that nickname would finally fade and remain as a silly memory of six years.

Marco woke up from his thoughts when Tom finally released his hand, he looked around, they were not actually that far from the boundaries between the forest and the visible grounds of Hogwarts.

“Ready, Marco?” Tom asked, bringing Marco's attention back to him.

“Uh, yes, whatever.” Marco said with a slight insecurity.

Tom began to walk but before indicating that he must be very quiet. Marco nodded and followed Tom into a large shrub. Carefully Tom moved a few leaves and small branches leaving a single view for both. Marco's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the creatures in front of them.

Half horses and half skeletons-like, Marco saw for the first time in his life the Thestrals.

“I found them in my second year.” Tom began to narrate, “At first I thought they were dangerous and harmful but in fact they are docile.” Tom saw that all of Marco's attention was focused on the Thestral. The young Slytherin smiled at the curious look on Marco. “Do you want to get closer?”

Marco decided to nod instead of answering and both young magicians walked away from the bushes to walk with care and respect towards the Thestral, they recognized Tom and knew that it was no danger the other boy with whom he came if he could see them. Marco had already read about the Thestral, you can only see them when you witnessed death. He knew that Tom had seen his uncle murdered while he had seen his grandmother die at an advanced age.

“They are beautiful.” Marco appreciated once they were closer to the Thestrals, usually they were not much appreciated because of the luck with which many had to count to be able to see them.

“They usually do not accept caresses if you do not feed them before.” Tom warned before Marco even wanted to raise his hand to the mane of skeleton horses. Taking from one of his pockets a piece of raw meat and throwing it to one of the Thestral closest to Marco so as to be caressed. Marco's hand finally fell on the mane of the fantastic creature, it was a strange but not disgusting texture.

“I think I liked it.” Marco said.

“I hope not too much. I'd hate to have an enemy Thestral.” Tom said mockingly. Although deep down he knew he did not lie.

[princess-of-the-corner]

I’ve spent way too much time sorting MLP Characters into Hogwarts Houses. These are my opinions, and are backed up with why I think they should be in which house, along with suggestions for other houses they could have been in/ As a bonus, there’s a near-Hatstall and a full on Hatstall in here.

Twilight Sparkle- Slytherin(or Ravenclaw)-Nearly a Hatstall

Twilight is obviously very intelligent. She loves learning and reading and experiments and was literally Personal Student to a sort-of-goddess

However, Twilight is very ambitious. She stops at nothing to get what she wants(although she is morally good). She saw a Summer Sun Celebration, and dedicated her life to magic, to the point of becoming Personal Student to a sort-of-goddess. Once she decided she wanted friends, she went so wholeheartedly into it she became Princess of Friendship. She once drove a town mad with a Want It Need It spell just to finish a school assignment.

Pinkie Pie- Hufflepuff

While she has traits of other houses(Ravenclaw-creativity, intelligent in weird ways(Lookin at you Lovegood), Slytherin- very determined to get what she wants, Gryffindor-acts first thinks later, brave, bold).

Pinkie is in Hufflepuff because of how she uses her other-house traits. She does everything for her friends, making sure they’re safe and happy, and appreciating the hard work that goes into personalized parties

Rarity- Ravenclaw(or Gryffindor (or Slytherin))- Hatstall

Rarity has Slytherin’s ambition. She knows what she wants and how to get it, and isn’t afraid to be cunning.

However, she knows the limits. She rarely goes too far with trying to get what she wants, and will stand up for what’s right. Even more importantly, while she does want to be part of the important people, she is willing to call them out.

She also is very creative and quite intelligent. Creating all those dresses and knowing the sowing and fashion terms and the difference between Cinnamon and Crimson is a lot of intelligence. Plus there’s that entirely new fabric she created for Fashion Week.

I chose Ravenclaw for her instead of the other two because while they’re a big part of her personality, her passion lands her in the creative Ravenclaws

Applejack-Hufflepuff

Like Pinkie, she has other-house traits(Griffindor-fight me attitude, Ravenclaw-If you think she can’t list off every fact about apples you’re wrong, Slytherin- knows what she wants and how to get it.),

Again, it’s how she uses those traits. She’s a hard worker, and takes care of her family and friends.

Rainbow Dash-Gryffindor

While she does have the Hufflepuff trait of Loyalty and some Slytherin Ambition, Gryffindors are also known for their Loyalty and willingness to stand up for what is right. She has her ambitions, but will give them up if the ‘right thing’ is more important, like giving up on being a Wonderbolt because they condoned Lightning Dust’s dangerous behavior

Also, Rainbow’s middle name is ‘Fight Me!’

Fluttershy-Gryffindor

On one hand, Hufflepuff would suit her better with her kind, caring nature.

But she kind of pulls a Neville Longbottom with the whole ‘bravery is not ‘being without fear’ it’s standing up for what is right even though you are scared’.

Also, considering the Sorting Hat takes your personal choices into account, Flutters would have asked it to place her with Rainbow so that she wouldn’t be alone

Sci-Twi-Ravenclaw

Sci-Twi is probably the only Counterpart I’ll make a separate list for, but this is because she is the only Counterpart that is canonically different from the Original

Sci-Twi does not have Princess Twi’s Confidence, and therefore her Ambition. If she had, Friendship Games would have gone differently. Princess Twi would not have run from Sunset when investigating the statue. Princess Twi would have stood up to Principal Cinch’s blackmail. Princess Twi would have realized she was in over her head and ask Sunset and the Humane 5 about magic.

On the flip side, Sci-Twi would not have fought Nightmare Moon without being dragged into the Forest by someone else.

Point is: without the Confidence and Ambition, she’s a Ravenclaw

Sunset Shimmer- Slytherin

Come on. She was so ambitious that she only stopped going for what she wanted when she became a literal demon.

While her goals have changed to something ‘less likely to make her become a demon again’, she still goes into it wholeheartedly

Starlight Glimmer-Gryffindor

While she has the Slytherin Ambition and Ravenclaw’s Intelligence

Starlight was doing the bad things she did out of a feeling that she was ‘right’,  that she was fighting for the side of ‘good’, and only stopped when realizing she wasn’t.

Trixie-Gryffindor

Brave, bold, in your face, and very ‘fight me’

Princess Celestia-Sytherin

Hear me out: Celestia is very much a ‘puppetmaster’ type. Not in a bad way, but she does things like ‘let the Mane Six and Discord loose in a Gala to upset the stuck-up nobles’, or ‘turn saving the Crystal Empire into a ‘test’ that nearly loses the empire’. She gives you enough information to push you in the right direction, but lets you take your own path. It’s also her flaw, as this method has varying results(It made Twilight into who she is, but it also caused Nightmare Moon)

Princess Luna-Gryffondor

The whole Nightmare Moon thing had to do with ‘righting a wrong’. Luna may let others find their way, but will step in and guide them directly. She’s also very skilled in spells, which while points to Ravenclaw’s intelligence, is also the Gryffindor’s readiness to fight for what they believe in.

Princess Cadence- Ravenclaw

Intelligent

Like, she is able to run a country that she didn’t exactly expect to run. She also knew what a Changeling was when she was kidnapped, despite no one knowing that Changelings were a possibility. 

Shining Armor-Gryffindor

Brave, fighter, etc.

Spike- Hufflepuff(or Ravenclaw)

Sweet, Loyal, protective.

I say he could be Ravenclaw because, as Twilight’s assistant, he’s probably read/taken notes on every book she has.

Big Mac-Hufflepuff

Like Applejack, he’s a hard worker

However, he’s more ‘specifically Hufflepuff’ than she is.

Sweetie Belle-Slytherin

Yes she’s sweet and kind

But she’s also not afraid to do what it takes to get what she wants. She’ll use the ‘puppy dog eyes’ trick on Rarity, and was the ‘leader’ in both the Hearts and Hooves day incident and the Gabby Gums incident

Applebloom-Ravenclaw

While she didn’t canonically get the Cutie Mark we expected, she’s still the builder/inventor type, and learns potion making from both Twilight and Zecora

Also, she can be the ‘voice of reason’, like when the whole town was scared of Zecora and she thought they were being dumb.

Scootaloo-Gryffindor

Fierce and Loyal

Even if she wasn’t already a Gryffindor, she wants to be like Rainbow ‘Fight Me!’ Dash, which the Sorting Hat would listen to

Flash Sentry-Hufflepuff(or Gryffindor)

Kinda obvious, as he’s known for kindness and caring(and ‘awkwardness’ isn’t exactly a House Trait)

Could do well in Gryffindor, as he’s the type to stand up for what’s right, but likes Hufflepuff better

Diamond Tiara – Hufflepuff(or Slytherin)

This depends on ‘when’, mostly. Aka, before or after the reformation arc.

Diamond is definitely cunning and ambitious. Before her reformation, this was used for her own gain

However, her reformation smacked her values into a different place. She uses her ambition and cunning for others, not for herself.

Discord-Gryffindor

Two words: Fred and George

In all seriousness, while Discord is cunning and clever, he was very chaotic-neutral before he reformed. Now he’s trying to do the right thing, and sometimes it backfires(because he has a bad approach), but does want to actually fight for good.

[hotpotrandomfics]

HPHM OC Profile: Adrien Dawn (D.) Silverstein

General Information -

Name: Adrien Dawn (D.) Silverstein

Gender: Male

Nickname(s): Farmboy, Ladykiller, Adrie (sister nickname for him), Dawn

Date of Birth: March 12th

Astrological/ Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Ethnicity: French, Belgian and Irish 

Nationality: Belgian

Species: Human, Animagus

Blood Type: AB Positive

Blood Status: Halfbood

Family: The Silverstein family is primarily a family of farmers of potion plants predominately in Belgium. Its roots date back to the early 17th century when the first Silverstein won a duel against a descendant of the Malfoy family that ensured them dominion over a large some of land that was entirely fertile and capable of farming and monopolizing the use of plants. For generations the Silversteins, though small, were an influential family within Belgium with their practices of fair treatment of all blood types (pure,half, or muggle). It's that compassion that has kept them in line of sight of the pureblood supremacy and made them a target in the past, almost being killed off during the first wizarding war.

Father: Colin Drake Silverstein, is the current patriarch of his family farming community, a pureblood who's distant relatives were the Blacks and Weasleys. Colin went to Beauxbatons, where he met his wife, Venus Beaumont, the started off as hated enemies until they realized they had a common interest in poetry. Slowly developing into friendship then love. His knowledge of herbology and potions was quite well respected in their school years. After graduating the two would marry shortly after. Colin besides being a farmer is a master of potions and often is a substitute at Beauxbatons. Colin stands at six-foot-seven with defined muscular physic like that of a boxer, with sunkissed tan with numerous freckles, dark brown hair, and hazel eyes bordering almost green.

Mother: Venus Beaumont, grew up in Paris to a baker and potineer, living a relatively peaceful life. Venus would be accepted to Beauxbatons as she would be with most of her friends there from her childhood. Venus would meet Colin, secretly, she had the huggest crush on him but acted if she hated him trying to play "hard to get" even though Colin didn't show interest and honestly thought she hated him. Their love of poetry changed that when she saw him writing one day. Venus and Colin would marry and would move to Colin's home. She would open up a bakery in the town, occasionally volunteer at the town's potion shop and clinic on the days she didn't work at the baker. Venus is five-foot-five, with snow-white skin, strawberry blonde hair, and cobalt blue eyes with a birthmark under the left eye.

Pet(s): An abraxan, named Comet, who Adrien rides on the daily back home. White domestic short-haired cat, named Mono, Adrien pet throughout all of Hogwarts. He found her in the streets in Hogsmeade during his first visit when she was a kitten nursing her back to health. 

Affiliation(s)/ Organization(s): Hogwarts, Hufflepuff house, Dragon Club, Hippogriff Club, Duelling Club, Potion Club, Hufflepuff quidditch team.

Occupation(s): Potion substitute teacher, farmer, pub owner

Magical Characteristics -

Form of Boggart: Patricia Rakepick after the events of the fifth vault that almost cost him his life and the lives of his friends.

Form of Patronus: Kelpie

Form of Riddikulus: Patrica Rakepick dressed as a clown while slipping in a pool of ice.

What do they see in the Mirror of Erised?: Adrien sees his family from his parents, twin sister, and older brother. All together like they used to be on the farm, eating pastries and playing the fields.

Wand(s):

 First Wand:

-Length: 12 1/4th 

-Flexibility: Supple

-Wood: Applewood

-Core: Unicorn Hair

Description: A wooded handle with a diamond grip for securing the grip. the wand is polished with a light blue coat of paint with a carving of a thunderbird and bolts of lighting carved along with it.

 Second (And Primary) Wand:

-Length: 12 1/3

-Flexibility: Slightly flexible

-Wood: Ash

-Core: Phoenix Feather

Description: Brown leather grip with an abraxan carved at the end of the handle. A handle guard made of obsidian while the rest of the wand is polished marble white with vines and thorns carved into it.

Animagus: Adrien animagus form is a lion with a mocha brown coat and a coffee black mane. In his animagus form, he's twice the size of the average lion in the wild.

Amortentia: oranges, broom polish, and vanilla. Smell of a certain beater on the pitch.

Appearance -

Height: 6’0” (Fifth Year) 6’3” (adulthood)

Weight: 195 lbs

Eyes: Cobalt blue 

Complexion(skin tone/ conditions): Adrien has white skin like his mother but slowly gained a lighter version of his father's tan and light freckles around his body. There is a steady line of freckles on his nose and going under his eyes. 

Hair Color/ Style: Adrien hair is coffee brown (with a few strands of blonde), his four years he wore it long past his ears, combed to the left. During the beginning of the fifth year got an undercut, combing the front of his hair upwards.

Hogwarts Information -

Worst Class(es): Arithomacy, Astronomy, and History of Magic

Best Class(es): Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and Potions.

Least Favorite Teacher(s): Professor Snape, mostly just his demeanor towards him and his twin sister but he has a love/hate for Snape. He respects him and his values his teaching skills but thinks if Snape could use a smile more often. Or at least not call him a fool for asking additional questions to better his knowledge in potions.

Favorite Teacher(s): Professor Flitwick is his favorite not simply his knowledge in charms or being a champion duelist but Flitwick would talk about how Adrien's brother, Jacob, was one of the most gifted and helpful students even if his search for the vaults got him supposedly expelled. Flitwick also showed him charms that aren't officially in the curriculum meant to be taught, combing Adrien into a skilled duelist.

Quidditch: Hufflepuff beater

Favorite Spell(s): Meteolojinx, Incendio, Bombarda, Ebublio, Baubillious.

Trivia -

(Random facts about them, future job, face claim, theme song, etc.)

Random Facts:

Favorite place: Adrien's favorite place to go is the hiking trails that lead to the lake by his home back in Belgium. He'd go there and play for hours, practice magic, and swim in the waters of the lake.

Favorite Snack: Raspberry pastries with coffee.

Hobbies: Reading, hiking, writing poetry and music, playing guitar, breakdancing with his sister and brother, and baking.

Face-claim: Alexander Ludwig