#meanwhile you can tell merlin's entire WORLD is being turned inside-out

[deuteragonist1]

This has been gnawing at my brain since I first heard it

because

And the way Arthur says it is so honest, so serious, so earnest. He's exhausted but he makes sure to look at Merlin's right in the eye. Like this comes from the bottom of his soul and he absolutely, desperately needs Merlin to understand (and considering he most likely knew he was going to die at this point, well). Look at Merlin's face. There's such solemnity and vulnerability in this scene. It hurts to watch.

[in-slytherin-we-trust]

oah you write for blaise ! that's so cool ! maybe something about him dating a girl who's a part of the wesley family and a slytherin (not blood related, maybe adopted or taken in) and blaise falls for her and in the beginning he doesn't want to be public about his feelings because of the reputation but he realized that.he doesn't care and even draco likes them together

Public Announcement (Blaise Zabini x Reader)

Y/N may not be a Weasley by blood but she certainly is a Weasley by heart. Heck she could even pass as Arthur and Molly’s biological daughter because she naturally has a flaming red hair, the very trademark of a Weasley.

She was barely 2 years old when Arthur met her in the orphanage. Both her parents had passed away from Black Cat Flu when she was still an infant. A tragic story really for such a sweet little girl. Arthur took a pity on her and decided to came for another visit a week later, this time he brought Molly with him. They then decided to adopt her and ever since then she is known as Y/N Weasley.

Bill, Charlie, and Percy adore her to bits. They never set her apart just because she was adopted. To them she’s a Weasley all the same. Fred and George put her on a pedestal, she’s the only person that never has to suffer their pranks, the twins are highly protective over her. Ron is the same age as her and they share a love for food and sweets. Ginny looks up to her more than she does to Ron (for obvious reason) and since they’re the only girls in the family, they’re always attached at the hip.

By the time she reached the age of 12 and got her Hogwarts letter, Molly was constantly bawling and feeling sentimental because she’s not ready to let Y/N out of her sight yet. Especially when she realized that next year will be Ginny’s turn to leave for school. The Burrow won’t feel the same with all her troublemakers gone from the nest.

After Y/N was sorted into Slytherin while the rest of her siblings are all in Gryffindor, she ran out of the Great Hall, ashamed of herself for getting put into a house with problematic reputation. She’s not even sure that the rest of the Slytherins will welcome her with open arms since she’s a Weasley, to them she is probably a blood traitor and a disgrace to their house.

Ron, Fred, and George went to look for her after the feast when they realized that she’s nowhere to be found. Fearing something might have happened. Even the twins aren’t in their usual playful mood because of the sticky situation that they all found themselves in. Who will take care of her now when she’s literally inside the serpents den?

They found her in Moaning Myrtle’s Bathroom, crouching under one of the sinks with her head tuck between her arms and knees pulled to her chest. A few quiet sobs rocked her body.

“Hi there, sunshine” Fred said softly as the three of them crouched down to her level. George placing a hand in her head, rubbing it softly.

“What am I supposed to do now? I thought I’d be a Gryffindor just like you all are” Y/N muttered. Even her voice came out raspy and weak.

“You’ll be okay, Y/N. We won’t abandon you or anything just because you’re in Slytherin” Ron said, giving his best attempt at comforting his sister. He bumped his shoulder to hers, it’s Ron’s way of showing brotherly affection.

“Yeah plus we could always sneak you in to the common room anytime you want” George said while wiggling his eyebrows.

The three of them smiled in relief when the girl finally let out a short laugh after George’s remark. “Thanks for making me feel better” Y/N replied, pulling her brothers into one big group hug.

“We got you, sunshine” Fred said and George added a, “Please tell us immediately if we need to beat up someone for you”

Y/N grinned, “Thanks for the assistance, I’ll keep that in mind”

———————————————————————

By the time she has reached her 4th year of being a Hogwarts student, she has gotten used to the snide remarks and dirty looks from her fellow housemates. And she is good at ignoring all of them, prefering the company of other houses instead. It’s not like she spends much time in the Slytherin dorm or common room so that doesn’t comes as that big of a problem to her. The only time she has to deal with the rest of the insufferable Slytherins is during classes.

But not all of them are unbearable, Y/N has several friends too inside the house, mostly those who are either half bloods or purebloods who have the same ideals as the Weasley. They’re the band of outliers. The odd ones.

That’s why it came as a surprise to her when she got paired up with Blaise Zabini during Potions for the rest of the year and he turned out to be... nice. She was more than prepared for the insults and taunting comments but all she received was pleasant small talk, he even complemented her dexterity and said thank you after class was finished. What has the world come to?

It’s not like she’s complaining about the rather lovely turn of events, but it just doesn’t make any sense to her. Blaise Zabini is the epitome of pureblood and one of Malfoy’s closest mate, why in Merlin’s name would he bother associating himself with her? A working class Slytherin. Surely he sees her as an unfitting being, someone not worthy of her blood. So what’s with the facade?

With every lesson, she found that they actually share a lot of commonalities. To name a few, Blaise too enjoys the art of potion making and he is actually a gastronome too; a lover of good food. But who in their right mind doesn’t?

Y/N catches herself anticipating every Potions class excitedly, looking forward to spending time with Blaise again and provided that she has a good excuse for it, none would bother them.

They grew closer and closer, taking pleasure in each other’s company. And as time runs, feelings grow. It started out simple enough, one day after they have wrapped up another lesson, Blaise asked her, “Anything on your schedule after this?”

To which she answered, “I’m planning to go to the library and get some reading done, why?”

“Mind if I tag along?” His question caught her off guard, second guessing whether she heard it correctly but Blaise’s hopeful eyes said otherwise.

“Sure, Zabini. Why not” And then he smiled. That damn smile that got her brain all fuzzy and her heart beating out of control. She really needs to get ahold of herself.

And that afternoon they wasted the rest of the day together, until it’s almost past curfew and they both of them reluctantly made their way back to the dungeons.

———————————————————————

“Fancy meeting you here” A familiar deep voice startled Y/N, she might have even jumped a little.

It was just another normal trip to Hogsmeade before she suddenly found herself face to face with her Potions partner inside Honeydukes.

“I think that should be my line, Blaise. Don’t other Slytherins usually hate going to Hogsmeade? after all it’s swarming with Gryffindors” Y/N retorted back, raising one eyebrow at him.

“Well I guess I just want a change of scenery, can’t you blame me for that?”

“Being cooped up inside a dungeon does that to you.. but the good thing you’re here now”

Y/N redirected her line of vision towards the shelves, eyes scanning over the rows of sweets to find what she’s looking for.

“Aha!” She shouted triumphantly, reaching out for a box of Salt Water Taffy. Y/N turned to look at the boy who’s still standing beside her, “Hey Blaise? can you grab some Cauldron Cakes for me”

Wordlessly he walked to the racks located on the other side, where said sweets are. “Here you go, principessa” He said while handing it to her.

Y/N can’t help the weird face that she’s probably making right now, “Principessa huh? did I just earn myself a new nickname?”

To be honest she’s just trying to poke a reaction out of him when in reality she’s absolutely loving the way the word rolls from his tongue. Blaise speaking Italian is definitely the crème de la crème for her.

Blaise gave her a small smile, “I think it suits you”

Y/N is trying hard to fight back a blush that is threatening to creep on her cheeks. Blaise is not a man of many words, that much she has learned, so little moments like this is precious to her. Moments where she can see the cracks in his usually stoic front.

Blaise waited patiently for her to pay her sweets before he falls in line beside her, the two of them seemed to get the same idea as they set a nice and slow walking pace.

“Who did you come here with?” Blaise asked, watching her as she opens the taffy.

“My brothers.. although i’m pretty sure both Fred and George are on a date now, and Ron is off somewhere with Harry”

After she succesfully tore off the packaging, she grab a taffy and bite into it, moaning in the process “Merlin, I would never get bored of these”

Meanwhile Blaise is looking at her the whole time, face turning into one of amusement, “Can I have a bite? taffy’s my favorite too”

To his surprise (and delight) instead of letting him take one out himself, Y/N reached in for a taffy and guide it in front of his mouth, “You’re really gonna feed me? what do you think I am, Y/N”

“Either bite it or i’ll have it myself, suit yourself” Y/N said plainly, a challenge clearly written on her face.

Blaise scoffed but slowly he leaned forward, biting the middle of the taffy while looking straight to her eyes, taking it slowly from her fingers, “Delicious as always”

Is he still talking about the taffy or something else entirely? Y/N wouldn’t know.. well he is savoring the sweets but his eyes tells something different.

Y/N cleared her throat, trying to ease some tensions, “Well are you going to return to the castle or....?” She asked, drawling out her statement.

“Want to go for some hot drinks? we still got some time before curfew”

“I’d love that”

———————————————————————

That’s how they ended up in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. This is Y/N’s first time here. Although the wafting scent of all kind of teas is mouthwatering, but the view that greeted them inside kind of threw her off.

The decoration was very tacky, frilly, and covered with bows. Pink assaulted her vision everywhere. Plus the place is cramped with couples. No one even bother paying attention to them since they walked in because most of the couples are busy staring at each other’s eye or snogging.

She shouldn’t be surprised, Harry did mention once that this place is the usual haunt for happy couples.

As they took a seat on the last empty table, Y/N looked at Blaise questioningly, “You sure about this place? it’s like a hot spot for couples, don’t want to give other people the wrong idea, do you?”

“And what would that be?” The git had the nerve to smirk cockily, leaning in closer until she can actually feel his breath on her skin.

Y/N quickly retreated back into the plush seat, “Nevermind that, is chamomile okay?”

“Brilliant, it’s like we share a thought”

Turned out chamomile is Blaise’s favorite brew too, just like her. Another thing to add to their growing list of shared love for something.

The sun is starting to set outside, giving an orange and pink glow filtering in through the window near them. It really is a glorious view.

They’ve talked for hours, conversation flowing easily as if they have always been the best of bud, being with Blaise felt good. It felt right.

Y/N can’t stop but stare his way, taking in his features. From his high cheekbones to the curve of his full lips.

“Y/N...” He suddenly half whispered her name, she meets his eyes again, “Yes..?”

Blaise watched her face carefully for any sign of hesitation or rejection as he slowly leans in, all is left between them now is what little space between their lips.

“May I kiss you?” He murmured. With the close proximity that they’re in, his lips even touched hers slightly when he speaks. Sending jolts through her body.

“Yes... please” She replied breathlessly.

Blaise grinned before he closed the distance, securing his lips on her, firm but not demanding. He’s letting her set the pace. But she doesn’t want slow or sweet, she wants passion. And he gave it to her. Sealing the unspoken deal between them.

———————————————————————

Y/N is sitting cross legged on the fur rug, back propped by a small pillow in the far back corner of the library, as she hums softly under her breath. Her fingers are rubbing soothing circles in Blaise’s head while he’s laying down with his head on her lap. Another library date.

Ever since the kiss at Madam Puddifoot’s, they’ve been closer than ever. Spending every waking moment with each other as much as they can. Sometimes Blaise would even hold her hand under the desk during Potions.

“What are we, Blaise?” She asked, voicing her confusion.

“Whatever you want us to be, principessa” He replied. One of his hands settle on her cheek, adding in the intimacy.

“What if I want more....” Y/N bites her bottom lips, scared of his reaction.

“More...?” Blaise asked, urging her to go on.

“Yeah... what if I want to be your girlfriend?”

Blaise was quiet for a minute and as the silent grew longer, so does the anxiousness that is clawing her insides.

“Then be my girlfriend, Y/N” He finally replied, a genuine smile blossomed on his handsome face.

“Really?” Y/N asked again, giving him a chance to back out if he was only joking around. As she scanned his face carefully, she found nothing but sincerity.

“Will you be my girlfriend (Y/N) (Y/L/N)?”

“God yes, a thousand times yes”

———————————————————————

Five months has passed and they’ve been succcessful so far in keeping their relationship a secret from the rest of Hogwarts. Well of course Y/N has told her brothers about it because she can’t really keep something as important as this from them, and although she was met by protests and resistance at first, they eventually let her be and said that they will still keep an eye on her and especially on Blaise. If he as much as put one foot in the wrong place, he’s gonna face the wrath of the Weasley twins in the form of never-ending pranks. That much was made clear.

Being in a secret relationship proves to be difficult and draining after a while. True at first it gave her such a thrill, all the midnight trysts and stolen kisses and secret longing glances. But she’s getting tired of all the sneaking around, of the pretending. She wants to be able to kiss him whenever she wants, walk to or back from class with him, eat at the Great Hall together, cheer for him in quidditch matches. Y/N feels like they are missing out on soo many things that most couple get to do together.

It’s even more unnerving for her now especially since Daphne Greengrass has been making nonstop advances at her boyfriend. Although Blaise never took a mind to it, but still she doesn’t seem to get the clue and hang around him all the time. Slytherins are even starting to bet on whether or not they will date by the end of the term. You can imagine the state that Y/N’s in under all these load.

“They would be such a handsome couple”

“Daphne Zabini does have a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

“Blaise should just stop playing hard to get and get with her already!”

These are some of the words that she heard thrown around her everywhere she goes. Blaise and Daphne, Daphne and Blaise. God, it’s sickening.

It was sometime before midnight, Blaise and Y/N are laying on the grass outside near the Black Lake. Blaise was trying to tell her about something funny that happened to Draco when he noticed that she’s no longer paying attention.

“Something on your mind?” He asked, pulling her out of her daze.

Y/N turned to look at him, “You’re ashamed of me, aren’t you?”

Blaise’s eyes went wide at the accusation, he even looked wounded “How could you say that, principessa? I care about you so much”

“I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to offend you, it’s just that....” She trailed off, dropping her stare, she couldn’t even find it in herself to look at him.

She felt Blaise’s arms sneaked on her waist, pulling her to him. She weakly encased her arms on his back. Letting her head rest on his chest.

“What is it that troubles you so? come on, you know you can tell me anything” He encouraged her.

“I’m just jealous I guess... people are betting on you and Daphne and it bothers me a lot.... I mean you’re my boyfriend, not hers but people don’t know that, do they?”

Blaise cup her chin softly and raised her head so that they see eye to eye, “Do you know why I asked you to keep it a secret?”

She looked back at him, silently asking why.

“I didn’t want people coming at you, I know the others won’t take it lightly and I don’t want anything bad happening to you because of me. I could never be ashamed of you, Y/N”

His words brought some comfort to her, hearing him admit it out loud. Chasing her fears away, but some part of her still feel down. Not that she would let Blaise know that.

“I know this may be too fast but..... I love you Blaise” She whispered to his ear, she felt his breath hitched at the 3 words.

But he just answered her with a kiss. She doesn’t get to hear him say it back.

———————————————————————

The next day, Y/N returned to a lively common room. Potions class has been cancelled (which is surprising because Professor Snape never ever cancelled a class) which leaves the rest of the fourth year students free for the rest of the day.

Y/N was just about to make her way into the girls dormitory when Blaise suddenly hauled himself up into the table located in the center of the room. Gaining curious looks from every single person there.

“May I have your attention please?” He said, although he spoke in normal volume but Blaise has the power to make all attention immediately goes to him. Everyone hanging onto his every word.

“I have an announcement to make” Now this got the room breaking into a flurry of whispers, people speculating about whether or not it concerns the ‘Daphne bet’.

“I’ve heard about the bet that some of you have the audacity to make and I would like to make one thing clear so listen closely” He looks pointedly to every single faces near him, trying to get his point across.

“For those of you who don’t know, my name’s Blaise Zabini..... and i’m in love with Y/N Weasley”

To say that Y/N is dumbfounded would be an understatement to what she’s currently feeling as all eyes suddenly turned her way. A sea of shocked faces. And Y/N can only look back dumbly as she too is still trying to process what just happened.

“She is my girlfriend and has been since 5 months ago, so stop with the dumb rumors” Blaise continued. He too is looking her way, giving her a smile that she loves.

To make it even more mind-boggling, Draco Malfoy decided that he too would like to have a say about this matter.

“If any of you have a problem with it, wands at dawn. Take your problem up with me and Blaise in a duel”

Did Draco Malfoy just stand up for her for some unknown reason? Blaise she could understand... but Draco Malfoy?!

Y/N watched as Blaise gave a few taps on Draco’s back, “Alright then if that is clear, now bugger off, all of you” Blaise said in a very intimidating tone. Making the rest of the Slytherins scampered off, leaving Y/N with only Blaise and Draco in the common room.

“I can’t believe you did that” Y/N said, slowly approaching her boyfriend. “And you too, what has gotten into you? don’t you hate me or something?” She said, giving Draco an incredulous stare.

Blaise reached out for her and pull her to sit on the coach beside him, he snaked one arm on her shoulder, letting it rest there.

“I don’t hate you..” Draco replied, rolling his eyes. “I may or may not hate your siblings, but not you. Plus now you’re my best mate’s girl so I have to play nice” He grinned, an honest grin at that. It’s weird really, seeing Draco Malfoy smile genuinely.

“Thank you, Blaise. You don’t have to you know”

“Oh please... I know how much it actually bothered you”

“Plus now you have no reason to be jealous, we got nothing to hide anymore” Blaise said, as he boop her nose with his finger, making her scrunch it.

“Soo you love me huh?” Y/N teased, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

“Yeah yeah... I do love you” Blaise sighed, as if it burdens him a lot to admit that.

“Ugh... couples” Draco groaned from his position on the sofa across from them. “I’m gonna go before I throw up” He added before standing up and minding his own business.

Y/N and Blaise laughed at his reaction but despite that, they stayed in the same position, not minding anyone or anything, now that they have each other.

[lilyrachelcassidy]

Summer Nights (2)

A/N: Is that... is that...? The unbridled enthusiasm I’m hearing? Or are you trying to reach me with torches and pitchforks for being so untrustworthy? Assuming the first option.

Anyway -- Yes, as I promised, this is the second part of the Summer Nights which you would hopefully enjoy. Waiting for your feedback. It’s the INDEX if you need a refresher.

ALSO, I give a lot of credit to @drawlfoy and @bored-and-botheredwho helped me with editing this chapter and steamed off my emotional breakdown related to my writing (lmao). I love you so much gals and a big THANK U once more!!!

Word Count: 2.7k

Warnings: coarse language; alcohol; Narcissa turning into a shitty-mother (lol)

Tags: @war-sword @paradigmax @winnsmills @idkatee@bforbroadway @okaydraco

The next thing Draco knew, he was being woken up with a massive hangover in the snuggly, way-too-comfortable bed by the high-pitched squeal of his mother.

"You, darling, made a lot of trouble for yourself yesterday," Narcissa admonished her son, a glacial cool look on her face. Entering Draco's hotel apartment, she walked over to the window and opened the drapes with one swift movement, splashing an annoyed Draco with light. He groaned, not yet daring to complain due to his mother's livid mood, to say the least.

"You have no idea of what happened yesterday, do you?"

"Yyy-" was the only sound he could make. God, where to the fuck was he? He hadn't been this plastered in forever.

"Of course you don't." Narcissa shook her head and laughed nervously, although she made it plainly obvious there was nothing humorous about the situation. "You blacked out so hard in that sleazy bar there is no way you can recall anything from yesterday. Look at you -- you are squinting at me like I'm the sun!"

Draco nervously ran his finders through his disheveled hair. He was definitely not in the right mind to provoke the conflict. "I left you the note at the reception," he informed her, trying to slickly get out of the unenviable conversation. "Told the receptionist to hand it over."

Contrary to his mother's accusatory ascertainment, he actually had some glimpses of the previous night (or should he say an all-night rave?). There were for sure drinks -- a lot of drinks; a variety of kinds he didn't recognize from the magical world but still guzzled delightfully. The second recollection was dancing --which wasn't his intention, but with some luck of his -- got invited by some hot-looking chicks from across the table. And yes, he definitely remembers the swaying and the rhythmical moving of the hips along with some cheesy muggle vibes mixed with the smell of booze and weed. Maybe he even hooked up with one of the girls? The last thing he recollects before passing out, almost like through a haze, was seeing Narcissa's furious face screaming something incoherent at him. Overall, that's his all night wrapped in one.

"Do you think the mere note 'I will be fine' was going to calm down my shattered nerves? Draco Lucius Malfoy, I swear to our dear ancestors, I did not raise you to act so irresponsibly." She waved the finger at him warningly. “We come from rich history. You are the descendant from a line of successful forefathers who put their effort into building up our reputation. Do you think Lucius would approve of such unrestrained behavior? I’ve been already hearing of letting you be too careless. Is tha-"

"Mother, could we skip the lecture?" Draco snapped angrily, try as he might to suppress it. "I've heard it too many times. All I’m trying to have is a peaceful life. Without the prying eyes of the media and the meddling of my family..."

"And all I’m trying to have is an integrated, happy family to offer you support and love.” Draco opened his mouth to cut her in, but she shushed him with a wave, clearly suggesting 'Don’t even get me started’ meaning. “I’ve been- been trying  to get a job, going through the infelicitous job interviews and looking for a solution to help our household through the post-war crisis. Have you shown any interest in that? Any?"

"But mo-"

"The last thing I want to have on my mind is dealing with your ignorant, boyish transitional stages, and let me tell you -- you do not make it any easier for me," she said without taking a breath. She exhaled slowly and continued, this time forcing a softer tone. "I ask you one thing for this summer. Let it be an enjoyable time without unnecessary conflicts. We have come to the beautiful country as France. Let's make a good thing out of it."

Draco, who was already wide awake by the buzz of adrenaline, looked at her with a serious expression. Scanning her face made him suddenly realize how hard must it have been for her to bear everything, and seeing the bags of tiredness under her beautiful, hazel eyes stopped him from retorting. "Mother, no matter what happens, I'll always support you. Remember that."

Narcissa smiled. “Oh. I know, honey, I know.” This time she lowered her voice by two octaves, slowly sitting at the edge of the bed. “It’s just… people have been gossiping behind our backs lately, partly throwing the blame at us. All I’m trying to do is protect us from those tormentors. But your binge drinking is not making the deadlock any better, and it drives me mad.” She chortled a little bit and patted Draco’s palm. “So, until the rumors die down, all we can do is raise our chins high.” Narcissa ended, her voice encouraging yet plaintive.

The last thing Draco liked is seeing his mother on the verge of emotional exhaustion, like in this moment. He felt an instant surge of sympathy, so he quickly found himself locking Narcissa in the supportive embrace. She responded to the gesture by wrapping her arms around her son’s neck and stroking his cheek delicately with the back of her hand, just like in the old times. Both of them yearningly wished to come back to those years of frivolity.

"I promise I'll try to be better," Draco said with certainty. Seeing Narcissa’s eyes light up in gratefulness and the smiley dimples form on her features, he assured himself it was the right thing to say at that mother-son moment.

“How could I be so lucky to have such a wise boy,” she muttered proudly, kissing Draco at the top of his head. “But perhaps you should not restrain yourself too much during the holiday. I give you the partial alibi per se. Just keep it under control.”

Smiling, Narcissa got up, straightening up her impeccable posture as in the habit of the high-status woman. For the first time in that day, Draco noticed how elegantly she was dressed up: the black, partly lacy dress stopping at the level of her knees; the shiny-white pearl jewelry perfectly matching her entire outfit; dark yet not defiant high-heels; andhair fixed up in the tight bun. In Draco’s opinion, she looked too prim...even for herself.

"Mother, are you heading somewhere?" he asked curiously.

“Well…” she started, blushing. “I’m going to see my old friend in the coffee shop. I haven’t been there for ages, so it’s one of the chances to meet up with them. Hopefully, you are going to take care of yourself for a few days.” 

"Days?" he asked, shocked.

“You didn’t expect me to travel from town to town, did you?” she laughed lightly. “Bordeaux is quite a route to overcome. So I might be settling there for a few nights. Do you mind it, darling?”

Was he positive about the information? Did he mind? Partly yes. He didn’t imagine the prospect of wandering around the alleys of France on his own, especially on the first day of being there. But from the other side, seeing the joy painted on his mother’s face as she told him about the planned get-together made him feel less skeptical. Plus, getting rid of the extreme supervision for a few days wouldn’t be such a disaster as well.

As he calculated now, the ratio about the idea was 90% pro and 10% against.

"Of course not," he said simply, smiling at his mother.

"I knew you would understand." The crease of uncertainty on her forehead disappeared, and she let out a sigh of relief. "Meanwhile... I have already booked you the brunch downstairs but seeing as you are not in the wholesome state, I might order a delive-"

"Don't..." Draco opposed, rising from the bed and throwing the nearest shirt he could find over his head. "I'll come down. Some fresh air may be a cure for a hangover. Oh, and speaking of hangovers -- do you happen to have an anti-hangover potion?"

Narcissa let out a quiet chuckle and clapped her hands, seemingly satisfied with herself. Her tranquil gaze landed on the cupboard. "As a matter of self-preservation, yes, I do. Try searching inside the bedside cabinet."

He thanked her and then they talked with each other a little bit longer until Narcissa took the pocket watch out of her handy purse, noted the time ("Merlin's Beard, I am so tardy! I'm going to be alone on the platform if I stay here a minute longer!), and –a little startled with her inadvertency – hurriedly declared she should get going ("I really should get going Draco!”). Pecking her son twice on the cheeks as a farewell, she rushed towards the door and, for the last time, turned around to blow a brief motherly goodbye kiss. She left in such a hurry that the only sign indicating her presence in the room a few seconds ago was her familiar perfume lingering about in the air.

Draco gathered his clothes, and after half an hour of very difficult preparations while dealing with the consequences of yesterday's actions -- because the potion finally hits after two to three hours -- he found himself in front of the hotel's restaurant. As he walked in, he had to admit the room enchanted him with its lovely atmosphere, which brought back the memories of his first Hogwart's magical feast as an eleven-year-old boy.

With the large windows allowing plenty of light in, the entire space was in the classical style. The whole floor was clad with marble tiles in the white-like color; the walls were purely white and, apparently, someone must have put a lot of effort not to let a single dust spot appear in there; the ceiling was created in the concept of the sky resemblance making an impression of the real clouds hovering over heads. Three enormous chandeliers made a very good fit with carved wooden tables and similarly-looking chairs.

"Sir, would you like to make an order?" The decently looking waitress walked over to his table, with a white apron around her waist and green, deep eyes staring at him. "I'm Laura, by the way. I'll be serving you today."

He nodded, not really paying much attention to her primitive attempts of having a chit-chat. Cursorily glancing at the menu, he decided on having a french bagel with melted cheese and a coffee which was a specialty of the house as was written in the recommendations. The waitress scribbled something sloppily in her notes, smiled briefly, and then strode away.

The restaurant was almost fully emptied, and the only things heard in the background were a heated discussion of the couple beside the table and a composition of french, old songs prepared specifically for the guests.

Draco let out a small sigh of boredom, thinking yet again about the scenery of today. The only ideas that crossed his mind were either lounging in his stuffy hotel room or finding another hang-out spot to drown his sorrows.

After the War, he had found out it was pretty easier not to give in to any of the memories, blurring them out with the support of Scotch as a coping mechanism. Pansy and Daphne, his childhood friends, had tried to talk him out of it, kindly offering some tenderness and a chance for a conversation. But he had eventually stopped caring about any of that bullshit anymore.

That's why perhaps he'd just--

"Hi!" said a cheerful voice behind him, making him jump slightly at his seat with surprise. At first, he thought it was a mistake; that he must have been deemed as someone else considering he didn't know anyone around, so was in the opposite way. Turning around, however, made him realize it wasn't entirely the truth. "Do you remember me?"

"Hello." Of course, he remembered her. It was the receptionist from the previous day, whose name he didn't bother to memorize. Although he planned on avoiding potential candidates for a talk today, he said truthfully, "Yes, I do. You work here, right?"

"Yeah," she confirmed, smiling. "Can I join?"

For a moment, his sluggish brain did not process what she was asking about, and that made him frown. The girl probably comprehended what it was about because she explained, reading his confused expression. "...the table".

"Oh," he said, feeling more than embarrassed for his dumb reaction. "Yeah, help yourself."

"Thanks," she mumbled, pulling out the chair to make some room for herself. "Tough night, huh?"

The inquiry made him suddenly realize she must have witnessed the whole scene yesterday -- him asking her for a favor, Narcissa drilling her out for any clues about his disappearance, his arrogant attitude, and scurrility as he spoke to her. For sure, if she were smart enough, she would deduce what the situation was about.

He couldn't help it, but a wave of shame pierced through his body, and his stomach rolled slightly.

"A little," he answered minimizing a dimension of the spree, almost like a lie, and then he shook his head. "Listen, sorry about yesterday. I might have been...rude."

A small smile of courtesy formed on her lips. "I presumed you were a little off. Happens..." she said tentatively, gripping both of her hands together. "Oh, and about yesterday -- you lost this at the lobby." She took his wand out, and Draco's stomach made a second roll, the heartbeat hastening like a speed of light. He quickly tried to bring his face to the natural expression, but the girl had noticed that, and curiosity filled her eyes. "I thought I should give that back. In case it was valuable or something."

Fucking great... How was he supposed to elucidate that?

His throat felt so dry he couldn't let out a word of excuse. The moment was so mortifying to him he just reached for the familiar wand and nodded politely in gratefulness.

"Mhm..." Draco hummed, barely audible and momentarily deflated. "It's just... Something I've been training with..."

What the fuck is that supposed to mean, dolt?!

"Oh," the girl unconsciously flipped her hair off the shoulders, probably trying to make sense of the information. Furrowing her brows, she put her hand under the chin. "Are you a magician?"

"Kind of..." he agreed, not happy about the reputation he had just created for himself, but at the same time satisfied he didn't have to make up more explanations.

Luckily for Draco, the uncomfortable pause was rescued by the arrival of the food -- thank Merlin -- and even though he hadn't been hungry at all, now he felt an unexpected appetite to eat up the awkwardness. The girl probably caught a hint it was about time to end an encounter because she grunted.

"Listen," the girl started, clearing her throat yet again. "I better get going. But..."

The next thing Draco knew was that she was reaching to her pocket again, this time taking out something similar to a quill, only without ink. He assumed it must some kind of muggle invention, only a mechanical-like version. The girl uncorked it and suggestively drew out her hand, clearly signifying he should bring his hand closer as well. He obediently did.

"France is a big city," she said, glancing at him and sounding serious. "If you ever needed someone to show you around, let me know."

Without any preamble, her soft, delicate fingers grasped his forearm (he made sure to give her the right one), and with a few scrawls on his skin, she looked at him merrily, blushing slightly, and then left a table.

He stared after her for a while, looking at her curls bouncing behind her back as she walked away at a slow, monotonic pace. After a few seconds, she disappeared out of his sight, letting him finally peek at the note she had left:

'Call me, Y/N,' and a nine-digit number attached.

XOXOXO

A/N: I know this part might have contained too little Draco x Reader momento, but I promise it’ll get better as a plot develops. Also -- is it only my impression, or is Narcissa as changeable as the weather in Germany lol.

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #241: DARK ANGEL!

March, 1984

The Magical Menace of MORGAN LE FEY!

Hey, uh, Morgan. The pink dimension looks like its bad for your skin? You might want to see a dermatologist?

Also, stop squeezing She-Hulk! She’s not a novelty toy and her eyes don’t pop out in any way you’d want.

Oh! The Avengers book has gone from The Avengers to the Mighty Avengers again. Wonder why.

Anyway.

Last time on As the Avengers Turn: The Avengers get a call from San Francisco that Jessica Drew Spider-Woman is in a coma. Also, that Jessica Drew Spider-Woman is a person they know. They’ve forgotten. The whole world has forgotten because Jessica Drew, Spider-Woman had a wizard mind wipe the world of her existence after she went back in time and shoved Morgan Le Fey out of a tower.

Dammit, what is it with spiders and mindwipes??

The ghost of Morgan is keeping Jessica’s mind separate from her body, hoping to get her revenge by killing Jess and then stealing her body to revive herself.

The Avengers call in Dr Strange and World’s Best Biophysicist Hank Pym to help deal with Coma Jess (but not that one) and some of Jess’ friends like Tigra and the Shroud are also hanging around.

This time on Avengers of Our Lives:

Running and shouting in the hospital? Jessica Drew may be at stake but common courtesy is still a thing!

This random assortment of everyone who wasn’t already in the hospital room rushes towards the hospital room but finds that there’s some manner of glowing barrier blocking the entrance.

Doctors and nurses bang on the glow fruitlessly and Wasp joins them in that by blasting it to no effect.

Wasp: “Hmmm, my Wasp’s sting can blow a good-sized hole in any ordinary wall! This is a bother!”

You’ve kinda scaled back from bragging you could blow up a house, Jan.

Tigra goes to scratch the glowing barrier and just falls right through it.

Cue pratfall noise.

After some frightening expressions from She-Hulk, Wasp and She-Hulk figure hey maybe we can just go right through too!

And they doooo!

Shroud feels some resistance from the barrier but when he thinks about how worried he is about Jessica Drew, the barrier lets him through.

Meanwhile, the assorted medical staff still can’t get in hah

Inside, the heroes learn that the barrier was put up by Dr. Strange to keep out medical staff. Those trained professionals will just get in the way.

Scarlet Wanda the Witch also recaps for the people who weren’t in the room what happened last time with Spider-Woman’s ghost trying to reunite with her body but bouncing off and becoming a photo negative. And that if they can’t jam her spirit back into her meat, Jessica will be left a mindless vegetable foreverrr.

Also, Jessica’s vital signs are fading fast and Dr. Strange is needing to put a lot of attention to keeping Jessica’s astral form together.

It will be up to someone else to investigate!

Dr. Strange: “Whatever force is behind this, it must be incredibly powerful!”

Morgan, helpfully showing her entire hand: “Power?! Hah! You cannot begin to comprehend the extent of my  power!”

It will be up to nobody to investigate because Morgan Le Fey is going to just broadcast her involvement, turning Dr. Strange’s barrier into a wide-screen tv.

Morgan Le Fey: “Hear me, mortals -- I am Morgan Le Fey, and I was all but supreme in the arts of sorcery, centuries before you were born! I shall not brook any interference in my quest for revenge upon Jessica Drew... she who called herself Spider-Woman!”

Morgan lays out all her grievances viz being pushed out a window by Jessica and her evil schemes ie stealing Jessica’s body but She-Hulk is She-Hulk and less than impressed.

She-Hulk: “You think we’d let you just waltz in and take over somebody else’s body?!”

Morgan Le Fey: “If you are wise, yes!”

She-Hulk: “No way, sister! And as for striking us down... I’d like to see you try!”

Morgan Le Fey: “Hah-ha-ha-hah-ha! Very well! But first -- let us have a bit of... fun!”

And Morgan summons a bunch of evil beasties and tendrils and pink beads strung together through the portal at the heroes.

Dammit She-Hulk, you antagonized the magic lady!

Dr. Strange blocks some of it but he’s still mostly tied up with keeping Jessica’s soul alive sooooo someone else get on this.

So someone else gets on it. The Avengers and other superheroes leap to fight these random spell effects as they do best. Mostly by punching. And there’s some blasting.

Shroud finds that the darkness he controls seems to disorient the creatures Morgan summoned. Handy!

But they’re just holding the line there and if they keep playing defensive, Jessica Drew is going to die since Morgan is blocking her soul from her body. So they need to take the battle to Morgan.

Thankfully Janet “Magic is a little out of the Avengers’ line” van Dyne has a plan.

The mystical window Morgan le Fey was doing magic through suddenly clouds up with Shroud’s darkness. She blows away the darkness with demon winds, as ya do, but when the winds clear away the darkness, bam, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk, Shroud, and Starfox!

Morgan turned Dr. Strange’s barrier into a window so he turned her window into a door. Fair’s fair.

And Wanda instantly manipulates the probability of Morgan falling on her ass.

Good.

Starfox flies forward to finish Morgan off but this is page 10 not page 20mumble so Morgan blasts the hapless space idiot.

Morgan Le Fey: “I don’t care how powerful you mortals think you are! I am Morgan Le Fey! No one, not even Merlin himself, could contain me forever!”

Getting punched off a tower and disintegrating was a minor inconvenience!

Meanwhile, everyone who didn’t go through the barrier window door is still in the hospital room fighting off Morgan’s spells because yes she can fight several heroes on the astral plane while also maintaining a bunch of spells in another dimension.

Even Dr. Strange has to admit that she’s very powerful.

We do get a nice follow-up on Tigra’s time on the Avengers though as Captain Marvel’s determination in the face of spooky magic inspires Tigra.

Tigra: Incredible! This stuff has her nearly as spooked as it has me, but she’s working real hard not to show it! Somehow, that makes it easier to fight this stuff! But I still don’t like it!

Wasp assists World Famous Biophysicist Hank Pym as he monitors Jessica Drew’s vitals. No time for post-divorce awkwardness, Jessica Drew is at stake! And at risk of dying soon due to the stress of all of this.

Meanwhile, back in New York at Avengers Mansion, Captain America comes home from his solo adventures. Apparently he hasn’t heard about Vision the Great and Powerful hologram head because he’s confused.

Vision explains and then Hawkeye comes in and explains in smaller words and Cap is like Oh I See.

And then a computer in the communications center explodes. As one doesn’t.

Vision: “I really must apologize for that sudden overload in the monitor systems. It’s nothing to get alarmed about, though!  I’ve rerouted that screen’s functions through a back-up system! No need to worry... I have everything taken care of! Everything!”

Dubious Cap: “Yes... I’m sure you have Vision.”

But Hawkeye pulls Cap away from his skeptical stare to take him to meet Mockingbird.

Vision: That power surge was similar to the one I detected previously -- but this one was even more powerful! The monitor overloaded before I could get a fix on it! But I msut find the source of this mysterious energy! I must! Anything capable of generating such power could upset all of my plans! And that must not be!

Hmm, I’m not sure what that power surge thing is. Could be Secret Wars lurking around the horizon... the time period is right. But more to the point, Vision, ‘that could upset all my plans’ isn’t something superheroes tend to say/think! That’s kinda ominous!

Back over at the A plot, Morgan Le Fey turns into a giant made out of random bits of terrain, as one does when one is Morgan Le Fey.

Morgan Le Fey: “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN MY DOMAIN! AS YOU WERE ALL FOOLHARDY ENOUGH TO BODILY ENTER THE ASTRAL DIMENSION, I HAVE CREATED MYSELF A BODY WHICH YOU CAN BATTLE... A BODY FORMED FROM THE VERY STUFF OF THIS REALM!”

I don’t appreciate her evil schemes but I admire her energy. She’s villaining good.

Interesting that the cover still gave her ‘made out of random crap’ texture but used her normal colors instead of yellow, orange, and purple. I feel like at that point, just make her look like a normal giant Morgan Le Fey and have it be more representative of what happens than what actually happens.

Anyway.

Forcing Morgan to gigamax means less of her attention is focused on the hospital room which means all her spells there are getting weaker. Unfortunately including the barrier window door which starts shrinking. And unfortunately not including the barrier around Jessica Drew who is now in danger of going into cardiac arrest due to acute soul deficiency.

Dr. Strange decides that now, and not any moment before now, is the time to act. He uses the Eye of Agamotto to make contact with “the captive psyche of the motionless dark angel...”

So there we go. That’s why the issue is titled DARK ANGEL. This one off description of photo-negative Jessica Drew soul.

Personally, I think “The Magical Menace of Morgan Le Fey!” would have made a better title but Roger Stern and/or Mark Gruenwald probably know what they’re doing.

Dr. Strange makes contact with Jessica and empowers her with the Eye of Agamotto.

Jessica Drew, Spider-Woman: “Y-yes, I do feel stronger somehow! But I’m still so... so lost!”

Dr. Strange: “Never fear, Jessica! The light will show you the way home! Follow the light!”

Huuuuuuuuuh. Usually an iffy thing to tell someone in a coma but. I mean. He is a doctor.

But Jessica finds the.... astral winds? Some kind of winds. Which I think represent the barrier Morgan put up to keep Jessia out of her body. Anyway, there are winds and they are too mighty for Jess to make headway against.

AND THEN, MAGNUS.

He roused from Morgan’s sneak attack a bit earlier and now he’s here to narrate his entire backstory.

Because, of course.

Jessica also notes that he looks so pale but he’s the same shade of white as he’s been so I dunno.

Centuries ago, Magnus was but a student sorcerer. Merlin rejected his apprentice application so he became the student and lover of Morgan Le Fey. Because Morgan’s evil. You think she cares about student-teacher ethics?

Magnus was young and in love and convinced himself that all of Morgan’s rants about how much she hated King Arthur was totally not a problem.

And then she found the Darkhold and even Magnus realized ‘oh this isn’t great, is it?’

So he stole the Darkhold, hid it in a tower that those of evil intent could not enter, and then went on the run.

Morgan eventually found him and killed him while he was astral projecting, Magnus having to devise a spell pretty much on the spot to let him continue on as a not-Force ghost.

With great effort, Magnus could visit Earth for brief periods by possessing people. On some of those visits, he met and assisted and fell in love with Jessica.

Magnus: “Jessica, so much that has befallen you has been because of me! Morgan used you to strike at me, even as she used me to strike at you. Yes, and to my shame, I set you ‘gainst her! Because of me, you have existed these past days in a twilight between death and the life you love so much! I have seen people, good people, risking their lives to save you... I could do no less!”

So Magnus uses the last bit of his magic, and his cohesion as a not-Force ghost, to still the psychic winds and let her rejoin her body.

Not bad, Magnus.

You’re still a bit of a creep but good way to go out.

Dark Angel Spider-Woman melds back into Jessica Drew, her vitals stabilize, and she comes out of her coma.

Hooray, Jessica Drew has been undeaded!

In the astral plane, Morgan senses that the Great Jessica Drew Body Caper has been thwarted and she’s miffed.

Morgan Le Fey: “DEMONS OF CHTHON!! MY HOLD ON SPIDER-WOMAN HAS BEEN BROKEN! I CAN SENSE IT! BUT... THIS CANNOT BE!”

And while she’s distracted yelling at nobody in particular, Team Take the Fight to Morgan strikes her good.

Scarlet Witch makes it very probably that a bunch of pink explosions will explode all over her, She-Hulk and Starfox do her some punches, and the Shroud shrouds her face with shrouding darkness.

She-Hulk: “Oh, that jaw is just too tempting a target! Say ‘good night,’ Morgie! You’re gonna be a hit in the landfill business!”

You’re doing great, Jen.

Morgan Le Fey: “You... insolent... WHELP! You cannot defeat Morgan by mere physical might! I shall yet have my vengeance! If Spider-Woman is denied me I shall take your body!”

Ghost Morgan jumps out of giant rock giant Morgan to try to body-jack She-Hulk but Dr. Strange has something to say to that.

He says ‘nah.’

Or more specifically “Flame of Faltine swirl and sunder and turn ‘round this foul exchange! Let yon sorceress stay rock-bound... by the power of Doctor Strange!”

Which. To be honest. Is much cooler.

Makes sense though. He was tied up keeping Jess’ soul together for most of the issue. Not having to do that anymore meant he could slip in and punk Morgan.

She’s less than pleased.

Morgan Le Fey, from inside a giant disembodied rock version of her own head: “You’ll live to rue this day, Doctor Strange! From this day forward I am your sworn enemy!”

To be fair, you two would have wound up at odds eventually anyway if you insisted on being magical and evil so I don’t know how much remorse he’s feeling about thwarting you now. Probably none.

Anyway. Dr. Strange hurries everyone through the barrier window door portal before he runs out of effort to keep it open.

Back in Jessica  Drew’s hospital room, Hank Pym announces the cost of getting uncancelled like she was.

Hank Pym: “The ordeal you went through caused some radical changes in your body chemistry. I’m afraid that your life as Spider-Woman is over... No more sticking to walls, no more venom blasts! From now on, you’re just a normal woman!”

Okay. So, her book got cancelled and she was killed off and written out of memory. Back in June, 1983. But now in March, 1984, that death and so on is being retconned. Jessica gets to be alive again!

So why does she lose her powers?

Well. She failed the sales test. And she was originally created to squat a trademark. And Marvel only puts so much support behind their trademark squatters. If all that matters is that someone is squatting the trademark rather than the character itself, it made more sense to Marvel to cycle through characters rather than supporting something that is losing them money.

It happened to Mar-Vell (death April, 1982) to give us Monica Rambeau instead (August, 1982). And now its happening to Jessica Drew. Her time as Spider-Woman is up because Marvel is just going to try another take on the concept. Julia Carpenter, coming soon.

Of course, you can’t keep a good Jessica down, either. Kind of like when Reed Richards makes any definite statement, Hank Pym’s assertion that Jessica has been rendered powerless is going to be proven not entirely true.

Either way, Jessica is too thrilled to be alive to fuss about losing her powers. She’s going to continue private detecting even if its harder without superpowers!

Hm. Jessica Jones being a rated M for Mature expy of Jessica Drew becomes more and more obvious.

Anyway.

The Spider-Woman may be gone, but for Jessica Drew a bright new life beckons!

Yay!

Follow @essential-avengers​ for Julia Carpenter? Yes, eventually. And maybe sooner than you’d think. Unless you look up dates. Don’t look up dates. Preserve the mystery. Or don’t. I can’t stop you. You’re too strong. Also, like and follow if you like.

[ourloveisforthelovely]

In Love and Death. Part 8

Harry Potter AU 

Link to Part 7

Pairings: Regulus Black x Reader 

Rating: M 

________

She’s really dating a death eater…

Harry’s eyes snapped open for the fourth time that morning. He had started waking up around 4 am when heard your giggle from through the wall. Ron had sat up in his bed with a frown and met Harry’s gaze.

“I don’t want to think about what is going on over there.”

Harry nodded and laid back down. He didn’t even want to join that conversation. Harry was having a hard enough time accepting your choice of a lover. Admitting that he was jealous was another matter entirely. It had taken all Harry had not to throw up watching how lovey-dovey you were over Regulus. You were either on his lap or snuggled against him 95% of the time.

Getting through dinner the night before had taken a great deal of Harry’s patience. Regulus and yourself were in your own little world ignoring the great world around you. Harry had hoped some of the other adults in the room would be as bothered as he was but didn’t have much luck. Sirius was acting like it was any other day. He mentioned that you two needed to get a room after you almost knocked his drink over. Moody was the one person that looked as bothered as Harry. The older man looked disgusted before telling the two of you to “get a grip.” Harry himself didn’t make it to dessert. He decided to fake a headache and made for the comfort of an abandoned bedroom.

This led to his current situation. Harry hadn’t moved from the position on his back for some time.

“What do you suppose she sees in him?”

Harry asked. Ron, who had just woken up, couldn’t help but think that this conversation sure seemed familiar.

“We aren't going to talk about how Y/n has nice skin and all are we?"

Harry gave Ron a frown that told him this was no joking matter. Ron took a breath.

"I don’t know, mate. He has money and is good looking. That’s probably a contributing factor.”

Harry sighed. Money never mattered to you before. Harry knew you well. You never wanted to depend on a man to give you the things that you needed in life. You could do that yourself.

“Having a member of the Black family was probably appealing too. I get that he still looks 18 but he has to be a lot older than her technically.”

Ron added. Harry nodded,

“He was a Slytherin too.”

Harry replied with a sigh. Of course, you would fall for someone in your own schoolhouse.

“Birds of a feather flock together. Do you think they are doing it?”

Ron asked, feeling instantly bad when he saw the devastated expression on Harry’s face. Harry sighed before getting out of bed. There was going to be no more going back to sleep. When he closed his eyes all that he saw was your kissing Regulus.

“Judging from what we saw yesterday...there is probably a good chance in it.”

(Meanwhile)

You stood in the kitchen as Regulus pulled on his long black coat. He had agreed to go on a mission with Sirius and you didn't like it. The thought of the two of them running around out there together seemed like a bad idea.

“Are you sure that you want to do this?”

You asked as Harry walked in. Normally, you would have shot a friendly comment his way but today you had other things or your mind. Regulus frowned.

“Hell no, I don’t want to do this but Sirius around other death eaters sounds like a disaster in the making. Besides, I know more dark arts than he does. If I see your father I will tell him hello for you.”

Regulus knew that would make you smirk. When you gave him a sly smile he pulled you against him.

“Tell him that if he doesn’t leave us alone for Christmas, I will kick his butt.”

You said as Regulus leaned down to kiss you. The kiss quickly escalated as Moody limped in with Sirius behind him. Moody immediately looked disgusted. He was still not on board of the “Regulus x Y/n relationship” train that everyone else seemed to be so thrilled with.

“Merlin, would you two knock it off. You are both worse than hormonal teenagers.”

Regulus pulled back and gave Moody a cheeky sneer.

“I didn’t get it when I was a teenager so I’m making up for it now.”

Moody groaned. Sirius had to silently laugh about that one. At least, Regulus was honest.

“Very funny, Black. Now get out of here.”

You quickly pulled Regulus back to you. This was the first time that the two of you had been apart since forming a relationship and you didn’t like it.

“Come back safe to me.”

You said kissing him once more before Moody reached out and grabbed Regulus’ arm.

“For Christ's sake, he isn’t going off to war.”

You held up a hand.

“Technically, we are in one.”

Moody shot you a parental look of contempt.

“That’s enough, Y/n. We’ll be back soon.”

You were annoyed that Moody wasn’t taking you along but you understood. Moody was plenty capable enough of an auror. He and Regulus had reached some kind of truce to work on this mission, whatever it was. You were annoyed that you weren’t given the specifics but you would get it out of one of the men.

I have my ways…

You thought gleefully before turning to Harry who was looking down at the carpet below him.

“You look exhausted. Come on, I’ll make some espresso. Drink two shots of that and you will be seeing sounds.”

Harry slowly followed you into the kitchen. He sat down as you started fiddling with a large kitchen gadget that would make Arthur Weasley fall in love with it.

“So you’re dating Regulus, huh?”

Harry finally asked. You turned with a nod.

“Yes.”

When Harry didn’t smile, you knew right away where this conversation was going.

“Harry….”

“He’s a death eater, Y/n!”

Harry interrupted. You sat the coffee can that you were holding down.

“Was.”

Harry crossed his arms over his chest.

“You don’t just quit.”

“Well, he did. Regulus has done a lot of good for the order that you don’t know about.”

“I really don’t care.”

Harry snapped. Where this sudden surge of anger came from you weren’t sure. Harry was usually the one that talked you down. Now here he was acting almost...jealous. Oh sht, he was jealous! That thought immediately stunned you. Since when did Harry have some kind of crush on you? Would you have dated him? No, the two of you would have killed each other. Besides, Harry had a destiny to fulfill. He didn’t need a girl in his way.

“Are you jealous or angry?”

You finally asked. Harry’s eyes rolled up.

“A bit of both. He’s a lot older than you and will just get you killed. I thought that you wanted to distance yourself from death eaters after…”

You held a hand up.

“Yes, Harry, I know. My father and grandfather were death eaters. It runs in the family. I get it. Look, I love Regulus and he loves me. It would do you some good to talk to him about the horocruxes and stop being a jealous teenager.

Harry jumped up.

“I’m a jealous teenager because I don’t want you to get hurt?”

You went back to fixing the espresso and ignoring Harry some more. Harry sighed.

“Fine, date him. Forget what I am feeling. It clearly doesn’t matter.”

You didn’t turn right away. Instead, you gave yourself a moment to calm down before deciding to speak. When you turned to face Harry, you were surprised to see him no longer in the room.

Harry avoided you for the rest of the day. It didn’t matter how many times that you tried to talk to him, he would just leave whatever room it was you came into.

“Fine! Be a stubborn man!”

You yelled over your shoulder as the front door opened and closed. Turning, you were relieved to see Sirius and Regulus watching you with matching frowns.

“Quality time with friends.”

You muttered. Sirius nodded but Regulus continued to scowl. Sirius was the first to speak. He looked almost gleeful as Moody stepped into the room.

“Good times, he Y/n. We have a surprise for you.”

You sighed.

“Sirius, I really don’t like surprises.”

Moody motioned to the body that he was holding. In his arms was a passed out and pale Evan Rosier. Your hands immediately went to your mouth. This was why they didn't want you to go along…

“Is he dead?”

You questioned. Regulus shook his head.

“I knocked him out. The ass tried to kill me….”

Regulus knew that he shouldn’t have added that last part by the shocked expression on your face.

“Don’t worry he didn't hurt me. He came off a lot worse.”

Moody limped past you and carelessly tossed Evan on the couch before conjuring a spell to keep him handcuffed to the radiator.

“He’s going to be in a great mood when he wakes up.”

Regulus meanwhile, pulled you into the dining room out of Sirius and Moody’s gaze. You were slammed against the wall with his hard body holding you in place. His lips were on yours kissing you hungrily before moving down to your neck.

“Is that why you didn’t want me to go this morning? The three of you were going after him...yet you couldn’t tell me.”

Regulus stood up straight and looked down at you with a displeased expression.

“I didn’t want you to see him get killed. Like it or not, you do still have feelings for your father and it wouldn’t have done you any good emotionally to see what he is capable of.”

You sighed, trying to ignore the annoying feelings inside of you.

“Reggie, I know what he is capable of. You can’t protect me from everything...even the ugly parts of my family that I know of.”

Regulus didn’t say anything. His stormy eyes were keeping you locked in place. He knew that you would never accept something being “too dangerous” for you. Why he expected this would be different, he wasn’t sure.

“I’m not going to stop trying to keep you safe.”

Sirius’ voice from the other side of the room pulled the two of you from the conversation.

“He’s waking up.”

The two of you quickly went back into the living room where Evan was in the process of coming out of his stunned stupor. His blue eyes fluttered open before looking around the room taking in his surroundings. Evan was clearly stunned as he met the less than thrilled expressions of Regulus, Sirius, Madeye Moody, and you.

“What the actual fuck?!”

He snapped. You were the first to speak.

“Have a nice nap?”

Evan looked around and knew exactly where he was. He was far away from his “side” and locked in Grimmauld Place. This had been a home that he spent a lot of time in as a child. Now he wanted nothing more than to get up and bail the fuck out.

His attention locked on you and it made you feel even more uneasy. Evan definitely had a way to make someone feel small but you weren’t about to let him know that. His blue eyes, which matched yours, fell down your body.

“You don’t look pregnant.”

You blinked, trying to make sure that you heard him right. Judging by the confused expression on Regulus, Sirius, and Moody’s faces they had heard the same thing too.

“Me? Well, that flattering. Thanks for not calling me fat.”

You commented as Evan tried to pull his hand down but was stopped by the handcuff that Moody attached to him.

“When is your baby due?”

He asked. Evan needed answers that Dolohov couldn’t provide. You, meanwhile, started laughing.

“What drugs have you been smoking and who have you been talking to? I’m not pregnant, you idiot.”

“Watch your tone.”

Evan snapped as Regulus stepped closer to you.

“And, you, hands off!”

Regulus gave Evan a sneer before pulling you against him. He partially did it to antagonize Evan and to keep you from trying to slap Evan. This was that delicate subject that no one needed to bring up around you. It had become even more delicate now that Teddy was born and you had developed a fondness of the little boy.

“Back to me, I don’t know who you have been talking to but I’m not pregnant. One of my friends was...not me. I can’t…”

You said, your voice softening. Evan’s intense frown softened as he took in your words. Boy, Dolohov was going to get his ass handed to him (if Evan got out of this house alive)

“I don’t understand.”

He muttered.

“Evan. no.”

Regulus quickly said. This was a barrier that he didn't want to cross at the moment but he had a horrible feeling that it was going to happen. The expression on your face told Regulus everything that he needed to know.

“That charming woman that you married, my mother, she abused me so badly that it wouldn’t be possible. She used to beat the crap out of me because I looked like you. I guess I should thank you for killing her. That was kind of good news to get. I blame you. If you would have kept a brain in your skull and stayed home like a good father, nothing bad would never have happened to me and I wouldn’t have grown up so confused and defeated.”

You had hoped that Evan’s expression would soften a little more but it didn’t. He reminded you too much of your grandfather. Even the worst of news wouldn’t shake the man.

“I had a job to do.”

“You had a job to do. What about me? Your job should have been keeping your daughter safe. My life could have been different.”

Evan scowled up at you and tugged hard on the handcuffs again.

“But look at you know. You're an auror. You have a good job and are clearly independent. How could I ever give you something better?”

You shook your head, knowing that you were getting nowhere.

“I could have had you. I loved you. Do you know what it was like watching you leave that night and you never return? Clearly, you don’t because you have no heart.”

As much as Evan didn’t want to admit it, your words cut like knives in his heart but couldn’t let you know it. You were better off without him. This was the best thing that Evan could do for you as a father. He needed to keep you away from anything associated with his past. This included the man at your side. Evan had to think of a way to end Regulus…

“Do you think that you are funny?”

Evan questioned. You wanted to cry but you couldn’t. Crying was not you...at least when other people were around. You would cry later. For now, you had to be the snarky person that everyone had come to love so much.

“I think I’m adorable.”

You smirked the moment that Regulus put his head down and turned to Sirius, who was silently giggling.

“You walked into that one.”

Sirius said with a laugh. You turned to Moody.

“Do whatever you want...I could really care less.”

______

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[muse-oleum]

The Flower Shop, part 3

Kingsman - Harry Hart x Fem!OC

Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; 

Hey folks! Here’s the third installment of my series. I hope you enjoy it! We’re getting into it, finally. Also, I’ve just added another prompt list that you can find here, go give me some inspiration!

Word count: 1.7k 

Warnings: none 

The camelias shivered in the evening wind. By their place on the windowsill, they overlooked the entire room, with its large bed, desk and the man sitting there. 

Harry’s books and notebooks had all been lost when his house was bombed to the ground, so he’d had to start again. Over the course of the past few weeks, he had purchased several anthologies and was still looking for new publications on the subject of entomology. 

He missed his old notebooks, relying entirely on the scribbled pages of the battered pad he’d used during his time away. 

Harry rarely referred to his time as an amnesiac entomologist as anything else except his “time away.” He was still grappling with the strange sensation of having recovered his life but he wasn’t so sure now, after so many months wishing for freedom to go find his butterflies, which life he wanted to lead. 

Kingsman had been his home for decades, ever since he’d left the army to become a secret agent. But before that? He’d been so invested in becoming an entomologist that it almost surrounded him in a shroud of wing dust for the rest of his career. His home was full of them; his head was full of them; and his heart was full of them. 

None of his friends had ever understood his passion for the small insects. To be honest, Harry himself did not understand it fully.

His father had been very fond of gardening, and his mother never allowed him to squash any insects he found in his room. Even if it was the biggest spider in the world - at least to the eyes of a little boy - she would just pick it up in a tissue and let it free outside. He had always supposed his interest came from them. But now, looking back on how he had cleaved to his ephemeral friends, he wondered if the root for his interest did not run deeper. 

Perhaps he was fascinated by their transience? The manner in which their sense of purpose carried them to their death? He envied that. The whole of the animal kingdom, except humans, seemed to have a purpose. Harry had lost his and didn’t know how to regain it. 

Sighing, he turned off the nightstand lamp, plunging the room into darkness. Before falling asleep, he remembered his promise to Rebecca to come fix her garden shed. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. At least, he had that to look forward to tomorrow. 

Monday ----, 9 a.m

The chime of the doorbell accompanied Harry’s entrance into the flower shop. At the end of a cold February month, the sight of so many blooms was a welcome start to his day. 

“You’re an early riser!” 

Rebecca stood at her cluttered counter, snipping twigs off small branches. Harry watched, strangely fascinated, as she arranged them in an elegant bouquet. She seemed to know just where to place them. 

“It’s for a wedding,” she said, matter of factly. “Apparently, the bride is fond of forest weddings and decided to go for a woodland theme.”

“A forest wedding in February? Good luck to them.”

Her singsong laugh echoed through the shop. 

“Yes, the groom seemed rather resigned, poor chap. Let me just finish with this one and then we can go look at the shed.” 

Harry followed, calling after her, “I didn’t bring any tools, I hope you’ve got something I can work with?”

Rebecca popped her head out of the shed. “Come and have a look for yourself. It’s in quite a state, but it still stands. My dad was strangely proud of that.” 

Harry fit his broad-shouldered frame inside the small shed as best he could without towering above her. Rebecca caught his eye as he attempted to squeeze himself in, chuckling slightly.

The shed was small, built out of wood that had begun rotting many years ago. Daylight filtered through cracks along the walls and dust shimmered in the air. In the corner, a box of tools, its bright red colour contrasting strangely with its surroundings, was waiting patiently for its next use. Rebecca had arranged a large pile of fresh wood and wooden panels next to it, probably to restore the cracked walls. 

“It’s dismal, I know, but the roof is still in a really good state so i’d hate it to collapse entirely.” 

Harry gently pushed against the walls. The wood cracked and moaned but it held. The problem was the rot, which had weakened the overall structure. 

“I’m afraid if you want it to stand for any number of years, we have to tear it down completely first. The wood is rotting. Best to rebuild entirely.” 

Rebecca nodded, biting her lips nervously. 

“I don’t want to ask you to do that, I thought it just needed a few repairs. But tearing it down and rebuilding it is a job for my brother; he loves to demolish things to rebuild them.” 

A small part of Harry’s heart - which he refused to acknowledge - rebelled at the idea. 

“Nonsense, I said I’d help and I will. We will just need a lot more wood than that.”

Wednesday, some weeks later ----, 6 pm

Dropping by Rebecca’s shop had become part of Harry’s routine. Nearly everyday after work, he’d go in, buy a few flowers and go. Every weekend, he’d drop by and work on the shed. He was grateful for the distraction it provided and, slowly, began to acknowledge that Rebecca had wormed her way into his heart. 

Harry Hart had never dared to think too much about love. The Kingsman code was explicit: no attachments, no weaknesses. Eggsy and, on occasion, Merlin, had expressed how incredibly stupid and bigoted the Gentleman Guide was but the former Arthur had been uncompromising. 

Kingsman was slowly adapting and changing, especially after Poppy’s missile catastrophe. A new Arthur had yet to be found but under the capable supervision of the older agents, amongst which Harry and Merlin, the newer recruits were coming into their own. Kingsman was still not operating at full capacity, what with the HQ and the London shop in ruins, but it was getting there. 

Exhausted, Harry shook out his umbrella outside the shop before coming in, tucking it neatly in a corner. It had been a long day: recruits to assess, Merlin to check on (he was adjusting to his wheelchair but threw a few dignified Scottish tantrums along the way) and paperwork to work through. 

The smell of freshly cut flowers greeted him and, immediately, he felt better. March had brought an early spring and the blooms were peeking shyly from under their green little sprouts. 

Harry heard a commotion in the back room and, nerves on alert, made his way slowly towards the garden. Carefully popping his head in, he saw Rebecca, on the ground, looking under the sofa and murmuring soft words of encouragement. Eventually, a small kitten emerged, sniffing her fingers curiously. He meowed a few times, noticing Harry by the door, and meowed even louder, asking for food. 

“I believe this little lad is hungry.” 

Rebecca gasped, nearly bumping her head on the sofa. 

“Harry! You scared the living daylights out of me!” 

He held his hands up, taking one step in, chuckling slightly. 

“My apologies. You looked terribly busy.” 

The shabby little cat, meanwhile, completely disinterested in the antics of those two humans, had made his way towards the kitchen, no doubt drawn to the smell of soup hanging in the air. One or two loud meows later, a large bowl full of ham and leftover meat had been placed for him by the table and he happily forgot all about everything else. 

“I found him in the street this afternoon. It was cold and he was shivering and crying, so I brought him in. He wasn’t a fan of being carried somewhere new and he hid under that couch for a solid hour before you came in.” 

“Well, he’s one lucky cat.” 

Rebecca laughed softly and shook her head, her long curls bouncing around her forehead. Harry resisted the urge to tuck one behind her ear. Tying an apron around her waist, she made her way towards the stove to check on the soup. 

Harry observed her, sleeves rolled up to reveal creamy skin, feet tapping lightly to no rhythm in particular, curls pinned up by a clip, out of the way. He felt his heart give a little tug and, unable to stop himself, took a few steps towards her. 

She didn’t seem to notice, absorbed in diagnosing what exactly was missing from the soup. The warm smell of tomatoes made Harry’s mouth water. He could tell what was missing from that distance. 

“Have you added basil?”

She looked up at him, noticing his closeness, and a pretty blush spread over her cheeks. She tasted one more spoonful before smiling broadly, dashing out of the door and back again. She came back with a shriek, shaking the droplets out of her hair. Harry couldn’t contain his smile. 

Suddenly, as she was taking off her boots, a sparkling flash of blue caught Harry’s eye. Looking more closely, he froze. There were two blue butterflies, Adonis blues, flying around her head. One settled into the mass of pinned curls, the other kept looking for a perch. 

Harry’s heart soared. how he had missed his butterflies! Their gentle movements mesmerized him and, unconsciously, he took a step forward. He didn’t notice the curious look Rebecca shot him when he reached up to touch one of the butterflies. She didn’t stop him, didn’t move, as if she knew something was happening that she couldn’t see. 

Harry felt the flutter of the butterfly’s wings on his fingers and smiled. Rebecca had never seen him smile like that before. He had never smiled happily, always offered small, sad, smiles. She wondered what it was that made him so happy tonight. 

The moment ended when their eyes met, Harry blushing furiously and taking a step back; Rebecca reaching up to touch her hair, her blush deeper than before. 

“I’m sorry, I-”

“I’ve never seen you smile like that.” 

Her tone was curious, not displeased. Harry couldn’t help but answer honestly: 

“There were butterflies around your head. Blue ones. I’ve always loved blue butterflies.” 

Rebecca frowned slightly. Butterflies? In this season? Surely that was impossible, and she would have seen them. Harry lowered his eyes to the ground, realizing how utterly mad that must have sounded. He was ready to take his leave when she said: 

“I love blue butterflies too.” 

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[january3693]

Someone We Used to Know - Part 46

There’s a stabbing sensation in Regulus’s head.

 He’s not used to hangovers. There are potions for this sort of thing. Honestly, he doesn’t know Muggles—and apparently his brother—survive like this. It’s primitive. Barbaric. And really painful.

 Almost as painful as being in Sirius’s presence.

 Regulus thought he’d processed this. Between Potter and Bellatrix, the evidence for Sirius’s survival had been nigh undeniable. Regulus accepted that his brother was alive. He understood it on an intellectual level, and he thought that’s all there was to it.

 But now he’s here, sitting in this bizarre Muggle Inn, and he can’t stop feeling. He can’t stop hurting.

 Sirius, on the other hand, seems entirely unaffected. He sits across from Regulus, dressed in Muggle clothes, reading a Muggle newspaper, barely deigning to acknowledge Regulus’s presence.

 It leaves a sour taste in Regulus’s mouth to see how much their roles seem to have changed over the years. Regulus can barely sit still or keep himself from shouting and screaming and doing something (hexing Sirius is the current impulses but it changes by the moment). Meanwhile, Sirius is poised and aloof, the opposite of his wildly emotional and energetic teenaged self.

 Idly, Regulus wonders what the Sorting Hat would have to say about them now. Would this changed version of Sirius finally be sent to Slytherin? Merlin forbid, would Regulus, now so uncontrollably mawkish, be sent off to languish in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor?

 Maybe that’s why he says it.

 Everything in Regulus’s life has felt out of control for a long time now. Maybe he wants to regain even a small semblance of control. Or maybe he wants to poke Sirius and see if there’s still some part of the brother he loved and loathed in equal measures within this stranger sitting across from him.

 “We could start by talking about how you’re lying to all your old friends about what you’re doing here,” Regulus says.

 Sirius’s fingers crinkle the edges of his newspaper as his grip suddenly tightens. That’s the only sign that Regulus has struck a nerve. It’s still enough to make Regulus smile triumphantly into his teacup.

 Lowering the paper back to his lap, Sirius carefully folds his hands at the edge of the table. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t make the first move, doesn’t give in to the spark Regulus sees flaring in his eyes.

 It’s impressive; it’s also more than a little unnerving.

 Regulus takes a swallow of tea and elaborates. “When Potter told me you were alive he said you were working as some sort of art buyer, brokering deals between Muggles and wizards on the continent. You’re lucky your old friends are uncultured clods or they never would have believed something so ridiculous.”

 Regulus is cultured though. He knows his arts and antiquities. Grimmauld Place is full of them, all dark and priceless and ill-gotten in one way or another.

 Most of the older Wizarding families are packrats like that. The dusty corners of their Gringotts vaults are stuffed with the sorts of historical curios Muggles will pay a fortune for. Most of it’s magical in some way or other, so selling it to Muggles breaks the International Statute of Secrecy and usually a few national laws to boot, but some families have been known to do it.

 Regulus has sat through many dinner parties and high teas where the gossip centered around so-and-so selling their great-great-great-great-grandmother’s cursed Ming Dynasty vase to Muggle collectors just to cover their Quidditch bets. It’s scandalous and shameful far beyond the illegality.

 Then there’s the fraud and the outright theft. Ancient Roman statuary that’s really just transfigured flower pots. Paintings stolen right out from Muggle noses by magical means their dimwitted authorities would never even think to expect. Those sorts of things.

 All in all, any aspect of the art and antiquities trade between the muggle and wizarding worlds is, if not entirely illegal in theory, almost always illegal in practice.

 Regulus knows all of this. It’s enough to make assumptions about his brother’s business.

 Sirius cocks his head ever so slightly to the side as he regards his Regulus across the table.

 Regulus struggles not to squirm.

 “I can’t tell if you’re threatening me, trying to blackmail me, or just gloating,” Sirius says finally.

 Regulus’s stomach roils and it has nothing to do with his hangover. “I…no…” Those are the only words that make it out of his mouth. In that moment, Regulus finally realizes he doesn’t want to hurt his brother.

 Sirius sighs. “What do you want, Regulus?” he asks. He sounds annoyed. He sounds like their father again.

 Regulus flinches. Sirius sees. His expression softens.

 What Regulus wants, what he really, really wants, is for things to stop hurting.

 Everything hurts. It has for a long time. The pain started long before Sirius disappeared, but somehow his absence magnified it all. Aches turned to agony.

 Everything hurts.

 Everything is too much.

 He wants it to stop.

 He wants a drink.

 That always helps, at least for a little while.

 “Reg?”

 No one has called him that in such a long time. No one but Sirius has ever called him that.

 Sirius leans forward. He could reach out and touch his brother. He’s not sure they’re ready for that, but the proximity, the possibility is a comfort in its own way.

 “You left,” Regulus whispers.

 “I had to,” Sirius whispers back.

 This is not a conversation either of them is brave enough to have at a normal volume.

 “I fucked up. I fucked everything up and I had to leave. I had to.” Sirius doesn’t say there was nothing left for him here. He can’t bear to repeat that lie.

 “I thought they’d killed you,” Regulus says.

 “They would have if I’d stayed,” Sirius replies.

 “I fucked everything up too,” Regulus says.

 Sirius laughs, which makes Regulus smile.

 Neither knows what to say next.

 Regulus and Sirius only know the rough outline of each other anymore, like the edges of a jigsaw puzzle. The insides are still a daunting jumble.

 A rough outline is all Regulus has known of his brother for a long time. He lost sight of those inside pieces long before Sirius ran away.

 In slightly less poetic terms, Sirius is thinking the same thing at the same time.

 Both brothers are also realizing what a loss this is, how much it has hurt them. Scarred them. After all, when they were very young they were each other’s best friends. They were each other’s family.

 Then Sirius left (for the first time). He went off to Hogwarts and found new best friends. New brothers.

 Hangover stabbing behind his eyebrows, Regulus finally admits to himself how much that hurt. He’s not yet brave enough or drunk enough to admit it out loud though.

 “I should go,” Regulus says instead. “If I don’t get home soon Mother will probably send Kreacher after me.”

 He doesn’t miss Sirius’s grimace. He doesn’t miss the way his brother’s eyes slide off to the side and lose focus. He doesn’t want to know what Sirius is remembering.

 “Yeah,” is all Sirius says in reply.

 Regulus stands, then he pauses.

 At that very same moment both brothers realize that this is probably it for them. This small bit of closure, this drop of reconciliation, is all they’re likely to get. The world has torn them too far asunder for more, even if they deserve it.

 Even if they both need it.

 “Be careful,” Sirius says. It’s not a warning so much as it is a wish.

 “You too,” Regulus says. It’s both a warning and a wish.

(Part 47)

[trollhuntersshardborn]

Act 1 Summary

Okay, so since the fic will probably never be updated again, I wanna tell exactly how it was supposed to go down. I just don’t have the inspiration or energy from it, and I just need to put the story to rest.

Okay, act 1. Let’s briefly go over chapters 1-4.

The story takes place in medieval Europe. The year 1315 to be exact. The prologue covers the gumm-gumm trolls rampaging through a castle looking for a past occupant. A princess from three hundred years ago. Apparently, she was deemed a witch and burned at the stake, but that’s like, oh well, to the trolls. Why they are looking for her would be addressed later. 

Later that night, the gumm-gumms raid a nearby farm for food (humans). This is the Ward family farm, owned by Larkin Ward and his six children. The oldest daughter is named Nadia, and she’s just a peasant girl trying to live her life and in perpetual fear of being married off and taken away. In the raid, Nadia runs away in fear as her entire immediate family is killed and/or eaten. But before the same thing happens to her, the Trollhunter Nakrik shows up to fight off the bad trolls. And he’s joined by a woman with super strength! But this seems to be for naught as Nadia’s heart gives out due to fright. But it’s okay, she gets better. She comes back to life for some reason.

So the Trollhunter and his “human” friend take the survivors (Nadia, her granny, and a visiting boy named Edwin/Edmund (I kept forgetting his name)) to the Royal Trollmarket nearby. Now, Royal Trollmarket was the largest market in Europe, housing a massive cavern with every good and ware you can think of, and in the middle of it is not a Heartstone, but a massive fortress that serves as the palace! Nadia is introduced to the world of trolls, fae, and other things, as well as made aware that now she’s an immortal being called a Shard. This is explained to her by a fellow Shard, the “human” friend named Elisi.

The basic story of Shards is that they’re immortal beings created by Merlin himself. Magic pulled from a Life Stone (which did as the name suggests, creates life from two separate souls) so Gunmar couldn’t use it to raise an army overnight. Merlin separated this magic into eight segments and had them enter eight human maidens upon birth. The point was to keep this magic AWAY from Gunmar, so these girls could be anywhere in the world and their powers and immortality wouldn’t activate until their very first death. Merlin also gave each girl a unique “gift” to protect herself and her life magic, but basically Shards still use their Life Magic to create new life between other souls, so anyone who had a Shard on their side could theoretically create a bunch of living beings overtime. So in this time of war between Gunmar and whoever is Trollhunter, having a Shard would come in handy. That is, if she feels like creating an army.

So far, no Shard is willing to be a baby factory to make this army for either side. Elisi is married to a troll named Richta, a gentle potion maker who’s very protective of his family. Nadia has an underlying phobia of being reduced to a perpetual mother, and doesn’t take well that this is now what she is. Reduced to a blubbering mess, she retreats into the market and ends up in a small library. The librarian, Dictatious, begrudgingly lets the girl hide there, but realizes she’s a fast learner when she tries to read and interpret trollish.

Now, the Gumm-gumms realize there’s now not one, but TWO of the eight Shards in one place right now: in the Royal Trollmarket. Bular decides to go on the offensive, and with the help of a changeling underling named Corvis, he unleashes a pack of creatures called rust rats. Now, rust rats exist to kill and eat trolls, however whatever's left comes back to life as a rust zombie, and they infect anything they touch with their rust. So with zombie trolls in the market, everyone runs for the closest safe place: the palace. The only people not marching there are the Nakrik, Elisi, and another character named Grim or Black Knight Grim, for long. Grim is another human in Team Trollhunter, decked out in sweet black armor, a fearless horse, and basically any weapon you can think of to get the job done. He’s from a family of monster hunters who specialize in killing trolls, and he’s so skilled and well prepared that he’s taken on an entire squad of gumm-gumms alone. More on him later.

The fighters in our cast wipe out the zombie trolls and zombie causers, which is the signal for the gumm gumm army to storm the place en mass! Out numbered and outmatched, the remaining party makes a run for the castle. Nakrik, the noble trollhunter and good friend that he is, makes sure the others get in safely before squaring off against the entire army by himself. But he not only fights all these gumm gumms, but also Bular the Butcher, and a general named Alora Darren the Undying, mother to Bular, wife to Gunmar and (HOLY SHIT) a Shard herself! More on her later!

Fortunately for Nakrik, he’s saved by the king of Royal Trollmarket, King Gholgolm the Fourteenth, a thirty foot tall centaur troll who’s so big he can’t even get out of the front door of his palace. But just making it half way out the door to kick some ass is enough to scare the army away for a time. The palace fortress closes itself off so the invading forces can’t get in, and everyone just hunkers down tight for a plan. See, now all the survivors are trapped with no way out since the gumm-gumms have all the exits covered and are occupying the surrounding trollmarket. So while the heroes are trying to come up with a plan, news of Nadia, another Shard, reaches the king’s ears and he asks her to the throne room. He asks her to be the Shard that makes the army he needs to win, and she tearfully declines. Nadia just can’t bring herself to be reduced to a baby machine as she’s always feared, but has no other way to be of help. But Dictatious does see a use for Nadia, and to calm her brings her to the royal library. 

Here in the library are more characters to be introduced to (I hated how chapter 4 is a character dump episode, how do I get you guys to care about everyone?!), there’s Dic’s brother Blinky, also there’s the royal wizard Rundle and his family, Vendel (son and apprentice) and Kilfred (elder who’s barely understandable and laughs with a grandfatherly “ho ho ho ho.”) Everyone’s excited to meet Nadia, but Dictatious explains something about Shards that wasn’t addressed. Each Shard has a unique ability to protect herself with based on their title. Elisi is the Maid of Fortitude, and possesses “the strength of ten trolls.” Alora, still outside the palace and trying to get in and kill everyone, is the Eternal Arsenal, and can create any weapon she’s well versed in. Dic has deduced that Nadia is the Maid of Intelligence, who is a fast learner with a perfect memory. She can be a living archive, and recall knowledge used for tactics. Nadia... doesn’t take being this inferior well and nearly has another breakdown. But her grandmother lets her in on a little secret. Unrelated to being a Shard, Nadia has magic in her bloodline. Turns out granny is a witch, and the family gift of magic tends to skip a generation and is only present in the girls. So Nadia, with her newfound magic talent, and her ability to remember all knowledge she’s learned could be a living magical archive and the potential to be a powerful witch is very likely. She’s hesitant, but once Rundle starts showing her how to cast spells and how to recite them, she quickly becomes fascinated. 

Meanwhile, the gumm gumm army is trying to invade the castle, but can’t seem to find a weak link in the walls or “moat” of indefinite voids that troll caves seem to have. But Edwin has managed to sneak out in his “trolls are going to eat me” panic, and when confronted by Alora and Bular, promises to show how he was able to sneak out/in if he’s left alive and can get “his girl” out. Turns out he has a huge crush and Nadia and wants to get her out of here with him. It’s agreed and Alora sends him back in along with her own wizard troll, Skeeziel, to sneak inside the fortress and open the front doors from inside. Edwin goes to get Nadia to get her the hell out of here while Skeeziel sneaks around and assasinates whoever gets in his way and manages to get the doors open. So now everyone needs to evacuate further into the castle, closing off the outside halls as the army starts to make their approach. Edwin somehow manages to escape the chaos, without Nadia, and makes it to the surface... only to run into Gunmar, who promptly eats him.

Everyone’s in a near panic! Gunmar himself is going to storm the now vulnerable palace and there’s no way to fight in these much more cramped corners. King Gholgolm decides he’s going to fight Gunmar and give everyone enough time to live/escape. Rundle figures he can open a portal to the surface with help from his father and son, along with Nadia. The four of them can keep a small portal open long enough to get everyone out. Nadia only has the confidence to try and help with the others nearby. The portal is a success, and Nadia desperately tries to hold up her side of the magical baggage as the castle is slowly evacuated. King Gholgolm faces off against Gunmar at the entrance of the castle, but its not even a fight. Even as such a large troll, he’s no match for Gunmar’s prowess and sheer determination (foolish horse-monster! while you sat stuck in your own castle, I practiced the blade!). Gunmar then wrestles what he really wants from the king: the location of the Heartstone rumored to be growing in the east. The King does say there’s one in China, before Gunmar kills him. The rest of the army storms the palace.

Seeing that the King has failed, Nakrik then rushes off to fight off the army and Gunmar himself as well. Elisi goes with him. The stress of her friends probably not going to make it gets to Nadia, but she’s kept on course. Nakrik is soon stuck fighting with Alora, and he yells at Elisi to fall back and protect the survivors. She reluctantly does, leaving Nakrik to his fate. Soon, the army is about to overtake the portal room. Only Nadia, Vendel, Rundle and Kilfred are left. They start to debate who should stay to keep the portal open long enough for the others to flee, but little old Kilfred makes the decision for them. He shoves Nadia, and his son and grandson into the portal just as Gunmar manages to break through. The portal closes, and Kilfred looks up to Gunmar with a large grin and one last “ho ho ho ho” before snapping his staff and causing an explosion of light bright enough to be sunlight. Kilfred is dead, the survivors are safe on the surface, and Gunmar is temporarily blinded and enraged. His victory in Royal Trollmarket is a hollow one.

Among the survivors on the surface is young Prince Thalfie, Gholgolm’s son, who now must lead his scared and frightened people to somewhere safe. As soon as Elisi insists that they need to wait for Nakrik, the amulet makes its way to the group. Nakrik didn’t survive. And the amulet chooses Elisi’s husband, Richta, to be the next trollhunter.

Act 1 ends with Nadia still frightened by this terrifying new world, but now has the hope to survive it with her new skills. Elisi is now horrified that her husband is going to suffer the fate of all Trollhunters, and Thalfie begins to lead his people to the Black Forest for shelter. Rundle promises to continue to train Nadia. End of Act 1? Not quite.

The last thing to see in Act 1 is Alora wandering the surface, heavily injured, fighting off tears, with the Sigil of Angor Rot on the right side of her face.

Okay, now Act 1 is over. 

Act 2 and 3 will be tomorrow, since part of the reason I had such trouble writing was I couldn’t fully plot out Act 2 much.

Oh, shit, that’s right. Then there’s Forged in Darkness. Remind me to tell you guys about that first before getting into Act 2.

And...... that’s it for Act 1.

[mobius-prime]

246. Sonic the Hedgehog #177

Home, New Home

Writer: Ian Flynn Pencils: Tracy Yardley! Colors: Jason Jensen

As the Egg Fleet approaches New Mobotropolis, Nicole erects a forcefield-like shield around the entire city, protecting it from the bombardment that Snively, leading the fleet, begins dropping on it. With the shield protecting everyone, however, a slightly more immediate concern reveals itself - namely, the many criminals that have been teleported here along with the actual residents of Knothole, who see an opportunity to not only break free of the justice system, but take a few of the citizens with them.

Amazing speech on your part there, Mogul. Really, it's a wonder everyone didn't immediately fall at your feet. Sonic and Sally are impressed at Nicole's foresight, only to become concerned when her hologram begins flickering and she appears to show signs of pain in response to more shells hitting the city's shield. She tells them that she has to devote most of the city's power supply to keeping the shield up, and reassures Sally that she'll always be nearby even when they can't see her before disappearing. Sally and Elias address the crowd of rescued civilians, telling them that right now they can trust Nicole to keep them safe while they come up with a plan and that for now everyone should find their new homes. Sally stops Sonic, however, and orders him to go get medical attention before he does anything else, something he's predictably a bit grumpy about.

Okay, so this is where we address one of the most controversial things Ian ever included in the comic. It's controversial for good reason. We've already established that one of the major things Ian has been doing for the comic since taking over as head writer is bringing the world of the comics more in line with that of the games, and this includes the various characters and their attitudes. Vector is no longer as insufferable as he was under Kenders, Knuckles is one of Sonic's closest allies now rather than a distant rival, and so on, but this is where the age discrepancy between Charmy from the games and Charmy from the comics becomes a problem. If you'll recall, Charmy is six in the games but sixteen in the comics, and obviously a sixteen-year-old is going to act pretty different from a six-year-old. So how exactly does one take a fairly mature teenager, who's a prince of a lost kingdom and literally engaged to someone else his age, and make him act like a child? Well, I don't have any particularly good ideas myself, but Ian's highly controversial solution was to give him brain damage. From this point on, Charmy suffers from some substantial memory loss, and generally has a much more childlike personality than he once did. There's many problems with this, and others have gone into this topic much more in depth than I care to, but suffice it to say that while giving a character brain damage simply as part of their character arc isn't inherently a bad thing, and can even be a positive if handled right, giving a character brain damage purely as a plot device to make them act more like a child feels incredibly insensitive and insulting. From what I understand, this isn't totally Ian's fault; Sega was pressuring him to make these changes, and I suppose at the time this was all he could think of for the Charmy problem, but I know he has stated later on that he wishes he'd handled this particular issue better, so at least he's acknowledged how bad this whole thing seems. Furthermore, he does appear to treat Charmy as a character with as much respect as possible in future issues, so there's that at least.

Anyway, Saffron is relieved when Charmy happily confirms that he remembers who she is and hugs her, and Dr. Quack moves on from Charmy to take a look at Sonic. It doesn't take him long to confirm his suspicions that indeed, all the magical ring energy Sonic's been exposed to have given him a high resistance to injury as well as apparently an accelerated rate of healing, something which is quite fascinating and I wish would have been expanded upon in this universe's worldbuilding at some point. As Dr. Quack heads off to find his own family, we take a quick look at the Chaos Chamber on Angel Island, where Finitevus appears to be doing some kind of weird ritual with the Master Emerald, reciting Tikal's prayer. Scourge runs up and informs him that Dimitri has run - err, floated off, presumably to contact Knuckles and warn him of Finitevus' treachery. Finitevus, however, merely tells him that this was part of his plan all along, and he isn't concerned, as he'll bring back Enerjak one way or another. Sounds quite ominous indeed…

Hey man, someone needs to remind Antoine that bravery isn't a lack of fear, it's standing up to danger even when you are afraid. Sally becomes lost in thought for a moment, remembering all the times she led the Freedom Fighters into danger in the past, long before she was ever thrust into the role of acting ruler or forced into a disastrous arranged marriage. She suddenly stands up and reminds Bunnie of her old hairdressing ambitions, and asks her for one more favor before they begin their defense against Eggman's attack… Meanwhile up in the sky, Snively continues to try to break through New Mobotropolis' shield, only to become startled when a single, tiny aircraft begins firing onto his flagship. His robots prepare to return fire, but he suddenly orders them to stand down with a look of shock, and contacts the plane… having recognized it as the plane that Hope built. Hope yells at him through the comm when he opens a channel, furious that she took his advice and went to Station Square, but when she tried to return to Knothole, which she still considered home, it was in ruins. She blames him for all of it, too ashamed to show her face to the Mobians again after leaving, and begins to sob.

I absolutely love the way that these comics continue to humanize Snively more and more. I feel so bad for Hope here, especially knowing that none of the Mobians would blame her for what happened, but as for Snively, it's clear that despite his nature, he does value family, and does care about Hope. He's gone from being the cowardly, sniveling, silly minion of the evil Dr. Robotnik to an actual human with flaws, feelings, and attachments. From inside the city shield, Tails watches the bombardment continue with his parents and Merlin, and Amadeus expresses that though the destruction of Knothole was a tragedy, all in all this may actually be a good thing for the populace, as he believes that such a major event will prepare them for "the shift in thinking" that he plans for them. Merlin, however, warns him not to push ahead with any reforms he has in mind too soon, as the monarchy will also be very tense from all this chaos. Rosemary expresses her belief in her husband, and Tails excitedly says he'll support his father no matter what, but the sentiment is interrupted by Eggman's furious screaming from outside the city walls, banging on the shield with his battle suit and yelling for the Freedom Fighters to come out and face him, infuriated that his perfect victory has been stolen from him. Sonic cheerfully interrupts his tantrum, suddenly standing outside the shield, and Eggman is initially pleased, mocking Sonic for not learning from his initial defeat mere hours ago. However, it turns out that Sonic has learned, and with the knowledge that the battle suit was created to counter Sonic and Sonic alone, he and Sally have come up with the perfect plan while Eggman wasn't looking.

The entire Freedom Fighter and Chaotix force descends on Eggman's battle suit, and they're all able to locate weaknesses that Eggman hadn't anticipated in its construction. They tear it apart piece by piece while Sonic gleefully reminds his nemesis that there are more heroes on this planet than just himself, and that anything he can't handle on his own, the others definitely can. In the end, Eggman is left with barely half a shell of his precious armor, furious and humiliated, which leads into perhaps one of my favorite pages of this entire era - perhaps even the entire comic.

Eggman, still unwilling to let victory slip away despite his situation, orders his fleet to fire directly on their location, meaning either he was somehow unaware that this would kill him too, or he was aware, and was more concerned with killing his foes than surviving. Honestly, my bet is on the latter - it seems like something he'd do if angry enough and feeling sufficiently cornered. However, he's forgotten that Nicole has full control over the nanites in the city, and since everything in the city is made of nanites, she's able to stretch the city's wall out to create a wall between everyone out on the field and the bombardment from the Egg Fleet. She projects her form to Eggman and urges him to reconsider his decision, as frankly, Sally is showing him more mercy than he deserves by a long shot. And honestly, she's right - it would be a much better decision to either kill him right there, or, if they're feeling too honorable and whatnot, at least arrest him and shove him in a cell next to Mammoth Mogul…

Well hello there, old haircut! I will say, I did enjoy Sally's long hair while she had it - I thought it looked good on her. But hey, cutting one's hair as a show of maturation is a common fictional trope, and in a way, it's nice to go back to seeing Sally rocking her old look. I will actually note here that while I've mentioned before that Tracy's pencils have standardized the design of a lot of characters, I actually don't care much for his redesign of Sally as a whole. While I appreciate her proportions becoming more like those of every other Mobian - the human body that a lot of other artists gave her looked kind of weird, to be honest - her facial features have actually been significantly altered by his style. She always had a distinctive slanted-back eye shape and a more gentle slope to her nose, but by making her eye shape closer to than of characters like Bunnie and Tails, I feel she's lost some of her unique visual charm. That isn't to say that I think Sally is lesser as a character for this change - she's still one of my top favorites in the series - nor that I disapprove of Tracy's art style as a whole. And in the end, her hairstyle change here marks the beginning of a new era - one where she begins to act once more like her old self and once again joins the others on missions just like old times. She's worked through a lot of the trauma and self-doubt that she's been plagued with ever since Sonic's return to Mobius, and now we can look forward to new adventures with her, in a new location. I mean that "new era" thing literally, by the way. Congratulations, we've reached the end of the comic's fifth era - many of the eras beyond this one are significantly shorter than the ones we've seen previously, but that also means we'll be moving through distinctive arcs a little more quickly, and furthermore, the next era holds some pretty exciting new surprises! Shall we now - how do they say - do it to it?

[dukereviewsxtra]

Duke Reviews Xtra: The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Hello, I'm Andrew Leduc And Welcome To Another Duke Reviews Xtra Where We Continue Our Look At Disney...

Last Sunday On Duke Reviews, I Reviewed Disney's Fantasia Which Features Mickey As The Sorcerer's Apprentice Well, Today We're Going To Switch Mickey With The Voice Of Hiccup From How To Train Your Dragon In Jerry Bruckheimer's Version Of The Sorcerer's Apprentice...

This Film Stars Nicholas Cage As Balthazar Blake, Who Is A Sorcerer In Modern Day Manhattan That Fights Against The Forces Of Evil In Particular, His Arch Nemesis And Former Partner, Maxim Horvath (Played By Doc Ock) While Searching For The Prime Merlinean, The Person Who Will Inherit Merlin's Powers...

This Turns Out To Be Dave Stutler (Played By Jay Baruchel) A Physics Student Who Balthazar Takes As His Apprentice, Giving Dave A Crash Course In The Art And Science Of Magic And Sorcery So They Can Stop Horvath And Morgana Le Fay From Raising The Souls Of Her Evil Dead Servants So They Can Take Over The World...

Will Dave And Balthazar Stop Them?

Let's Find Out As We Watch The Sorcerer's Apprentice...

The Movie Starts With An Intro By Ian McShane...

Balthazar Spends The Ages Trying To Find The Prime Merlinean With No Child Being Successful Until The Year 2000...

When A 10 Year Old Named Dave Stutler (Played By Ben Stiller's Son From Night At The Museum) Encounters Balthazar In His Antique Store, After Straying Away From His Class Field Trip. Giving Dave The Dragon Figurine, It Comes To Life And Forms A Ring On Dave's Finger, Revealing Dave To Be The Prime Merlinean...

But When Balthazar Goes To Get A Book Of Spells For Dave, Dave Accidentally Knocks Over The Grimhold, Releasing Horvath From His Prison...

(Start At 2:34)

Found By His Classmates And Teacher, Dave Is Ridiculed By His Classmates When He Tells Them What He Saw Only For The Shop To Be Completely Empty, But Either Way Dave Keeps The Ring...

Fast Forwarding 20 Years Later, Dave Is Now A Physics Student At NYU Where He Meets His Childhood Crush, Becky Barnes (Played By Teresa Palmer)...

No, Not Bucky Barnes, Becky Barnes Though The Possibility Of Relation Can Be Questioned...

With His Feelings For Her Quickly Coming Back, He Repairs The Transmitting Mast Of The Radio Station She Works At After It Is Struck By Lightning. Released From The Urn After 10 Years, Horvath And Balthazar Escape To Continue Their Missions With Horvath Being The First To Get To Dave..

(Start At 0:38)

Landing On Top Of The Chrysler Building, Dave Refuses To Help Balthazar As He's Been Under Psychiatric Care Since They First Met But Saying That Once They Get The Grimhold, He'll Leave, Dave Decides To Help By Taking Balthazar To Chinatown Where It Has Been Located While Giving Dave Sorcery 101...

But When They Get There They Discover That Horvath Has The Grimhold And He Has Unleashed One Of The Evil Sorcerers That Was Inside Of It With This One Being A Chinese Warlock Named Sun-Lok, Who Fights Balthazar Until It Ends Up On The Streets Of Chinatown...

(End At 2:47)

Changing His Mind After Defeating Sun-Lok, Dave Becomes Balthazar's Apprentice, Giving Him A Book That Holds The History Of Sorcery As Dave Agrees To Take On The Responsibility Of Being His Apprentice...

Meanwhile, Horvath Goes To Visit A Current Evil Sorcerer Named Drake Stone, Who Is A Criss Angel Type Magician (Played By Doctor Doom From Fan4stic) To Ask For His Help Against Balthazar And Dave...

Taking A Break On A Bench, Balthazar And Dave On A Bench Across From Becky's Radio Station. Figuring Out That Dave Likes Her, Balthazar Is Somewhat Negative On The Relationship Stating That Love Is Not Good For A Sorcerer...

But Dave Follows Her To A Subway Station Where A Mugger Robs Them At Gunpoint, Stealing Becky's Grandmother's Bracelet But Chasing After The Mugger, Dave Uses His Magic To Knock Him Out And Return Becky's Stuff, Impressing Her...

The Next Day, Horvath Plans To Use The Satellite Dishes In The Financial District When The Spell Is Cast By Morgana, While Balthazar Continues Training Dave Only To Be Interrupted By Becky Who Comes Over For Dave To Tutor Her In Physics. Despite Trying To Put A Dampener On Their Relationship, Balthazar Leaves..

Showing Off His Tesla Coils, Dave Uses Them To Make Musical Sounds From Stevie Wonder's Superstition...

To OneRepublic...

So He Can Impress Becky...

It's Not Quite Can You Feel The Love Tonight But...It Works...

But As Becky And Dave Start Somewhat Of A Relationship, Dave Gets Encountered In The Bathroom By Stone And Horvath, Who Ask Dave Where The Grimhold Is After Telling Him The Truth That Veronica Is Inside Of The Grimhold...

Saved By Balthazar, Who Traps Horvath Inside Of A Mirror Temporarily And Knocks Out Stone, Dave Tells Him That He's Tired Of The Lies And Wants To Know The Truth Which Leads Balthazar To Tell Dave The Entire Backstory Again So That Dave Will Know Everything..

Getting Ready For His Date, Dave Attempts To Clean Up The Lab But Frustrated At The Mess, Dave Brings A Broom To Life Which Leads To A Recreation Of The Sorcerer's Apprentice Scene From Fantasia...

(Start At 0:25)

And Yes, I Know That Some People Complained That "They F-ed This Up This Is In No Way As Good As Fantasia!" And While That's True I Still Like This Scene For What It Is, The Actual Sorcerer's Apprentice Scene With Hiccup From How To Train Your Dragon...

Chastising Dave For Using Magic As A Shortcut, Dave And Balthazar Get Into A Big Fight Which Leads Dave To Storm Out In Anger...

Seeing Becky With Her Friends, Dave Leaves In Defeat Feeling Like He Doesn't Belong But Following Him To The Rooftop Where Balthazar Had Taken Him, Dave Is About To Throw Away The Ring, But She Stops Him, Saying That Nothing Is Ruined And That She Really Cares About Him...

Disguised As Dave, Drake Traps Balthazar So Horvath Can Search The Lab To Find The Grimhold As Horvath Reveals That The Reason He Turned Evil Was Because He Was Jealous Of Veronica Choosing Balthazar Over Him...

But Freeing Himself Balthazar Fights Horvath And Almost Loses Until The Real Dave Arrives To Save Him But Unfortunately Drake And Horvath Manage To Find The Grimhold And Leave With It...

Following Them In Balthazar's Car In A Chase That Ends Up In The Mirror Dimension From Doctor Strange, Horvath And Drake Still Get Away By Turning A Person Into A Veronica Look Alike...

Knowing That Balthazar Let Horvath Go For That Reason, Balthazar Finally Comes Clean That Veronica Was His One True Love Which Leads Dave To Decide That They Are Going To Get Veronica Out Of The Grimhold And Destroy Morgana Forever...

Back At Drake's Apartment, Drake Wonders How They're Going To Open The Last 2 Shells Of The Grimhold Only For Horvath To Use A Parasite Spell To Steal Drake's Powers And Life Force...

So He Can Open The Next Shell Which Releases Abigail Williams, A Witch From The Salem Witch Trials Who Kidnaps Becky At The Radio Station But Unfortunately After That, Horvath Uses The Parasite Spell On Her So He Can Eventually Free Morgana...

I Guess It Just Comes Down To...

Arriving At Drake's Apartment For The Grimhold, Balthazar Gets Caught In A Persian Rug Quick Sand Trap While Dave Gets The Grimhold Only For Horvath To Enter With Becky With His Cane On Her Throat Stating To Give Him The Ring And The Grimhold Or Becky Dies...

Realizing He Has No Other Option, Dave Does Just That Only For Horvath To Fire A Energy Bolt At Becky And Dave Which They Dodge And Flee As Balthazar Escapes The Quick Sand Trap...

Apologizing To Balthazar For Failing, He Accepts Saying That He Would Have Done The Same Thing Before Flying Away On A Giant Metal Eagle To Becky's Shock...

Dave Tries Dropping Off Becky But She Won't Have It As She's Involved Now So They Come Up With A Plan To Use Dave's Tesla Coils Strapped To Balthazar's Car To Defeat Morgana As Horvath Unleashes Morgana From The Grimhold In Battery Park...

Finding Them, Balthazar Fights Horvath Off As He Raises The Bull Market Bull Statue To Life So It Can Chase Balthazar. Believing Himself To Be Victorious, Dave Arrives To Halt Horvath's Celebration By Using Tesla Coils To Destroy His Cane, Defeating Him And The Bull..

But As That Happens, Becky Disrupts The Spell By Moving One Of The Satellites Which Leaves Balthazar To Suck Morgana's Soul Into His Body, Freeing Veronica...

With Balthazar Not Breathing, Dave Uses His Magic To Resuscitate Him So He'll Live Happily Ever After With Veronica As Becky Arrives For Her And Dave To Live Happily Ever After By Taking The Giant Eagle To Paris...

We Get An End Credits Scene Which Reveals That Horvath Will Return In A Sequel That Will Never Happen Thanks To Everyone, Who Didn't Like This Film...

And That's The Sorcerer's Apprentice And How Could Anyone Not Like This Movie?

The Story Is Great, The Action Scenes Are Amazing, The Cast Was Good, I Just Honestly Enjoyed It As Much As I Enjoyed The National Treasurer Movies Who's Director Jon Turtletaub Directed This..

You Know Some People Consider This As One Of The Disney Reboots But I Seriously Don't And The People That Do Are Idiots Only Question I Have Is Why Did This Movie Not Do Great?, Is It Because There Wasn't A Nicholas Cage Freak Out In It?

Newsflash! We Do Not Need A Nicholas Cage Freak Out In Every Movie He's In!

The First National Treasurer Movie Didn't Have A Nicholas Cage Freak Out And Look How Well That Did At The Box Office Where The Second One Did And Look How Bad That One Ended Up, I Still Like The Second National Treasurer Movie And I'll See The Thrid One When And If It Comes Out But Still...

Either Way I Say Don't Listen To The Haters And See This Movie...

Till Next Time, This Is Duke, Signing Off

[badwolf256]

The Trip

Pairing: Severus/Lily

Rating: M

Genre: Angst, Fluff, AU-ish?

Chapters: 1/?

Word Count:

Summary: Distantly it occurs to her that whatever they are, they definitely shouldn’t be talking about it here.

Author’s Note: I had a hard time deciding if this was going to be put in as AU or not. Honestly? I personally have a hard time with something like this not happening at some point during the Marauders-era, what with all the field trips I had to take for school, so an event like this, even if it isn’t necessarily what I portray here, has always been canon to me. But I know that most people probably don’t have the same feelings about this as I do, so I’ve listed it as AU-ish. It’s up to you to decide.

She doesn’t know why he just calls it ‘the trip’. He’s packed meticulously for it, of course, Sev being Sev, organizing books and parchment and Potions’ ingredients into separate compartments in his trunk. She doesn’t see the point in all this needless preparation: She ends up throwing whatever she thinks she’ll need in willy-nilly, and when he comes to give her his ‘professional’ advice on whether she should bring her winter cloak or not, he wrinkles his nose.

“Like you’re one to talk.” She throws back at him, airing a pointed glance at his hair, earning a glower.

“Not all of us are gifted.”

“So what you’re really saying,” She picks up, three days later, “Is that not everyone’s mastered the complex art of shampoo?”

“Don’t you have other things to worry about? We’re leaving in a week.”

She takes her chances, flashes him a grin.

“Yeah. You should probably wash your hair first.”

And then she tears off across the courtyard, looking back to see him standing, sighing, with his head in his hands.

To be fair, they’re not the only ones getting ready for the trip. Ever since headmaster Dumbledore’s announcement that Beauxbatons would be hosting them to ‘aid in the understanding of different aspects of the wizarding world’(Or something equally academic and, by the students of Hogwarts, at least, equally ignored.) the castle had transformed into a frenzy of asking permission and getting ready and lamenting(Over what, Lily isn’t sure.).

One Sunday, a weekend after the announcement, a regal black owl deposits twelve- Twelve!- cardboard boxes from a high-end wizarding department store in London land in front of Lucius Malfoy at the Slytherin table.

“I don’t even know why he needs twelve. You should see his wardrobe.”

“Mm.” She hums contentedly against his chest, tempted to fall asleep in the warmth of him. “My parents didn’t even send me- You know what. Forget about it.” Then he does that Sev thing, the one where he looks down as if ashamed for having brought it up, and she takes it upon herself to do her own, distinctly Lily thing, and pulls herself up and embraces him. Tightly.

“Fuck them.”

His eyes widen. She feels it.

“Lily.”

“No, seriously. Fuck them. None of them are going to care one whit about Beauxbatons besides… I don’t know, besides, ‘look, there’s ice on the walls!’. I mean, it is going to be spectacular. But not because there’s ice on the walls. There’ll be like, a million books in the library for you, and probably a million different Potions recipes for you to try.”

“What are you doing in this scenario?”

“Besides annoying the fuck out of you? I don’t know. Reading up. It’s French, Severus! I’ll have an unprecedented opportunity to learn about French things, Petunia’s going to be so jealous.”

At this, he pulls back from her, and rolls his eyes- Literally rolls them.

“Of course you would think about that.”

(Dunderhead, he adds, silently. She hears it anyway.)

“Okay, though. It’s payback for last Christmas.”

“What happened last Christmas?”

“I thought I- Okay, so basically, my parents came and picked me up from the train station, and when I got home there were pentagrams drawn all over the door and salt lining the windows, and at the time none of us knew why, so we go inside, and find my sister performing some discount demon banishing spell she got off, I don’t know, a drug dealer or something. She sees me, and she screams, and then she turns to our mother and says, “I’m sorry, I thought it would work!”. And I was just standing there, right, and then I realize, I was the demon she was trying to banish. It was so Petunia, really, that I can’t even be mad at her anymore, but it… At the time, it hurt really badly.”

“She crossed the line.”

He is completely serious when he says it, and she gets the uncomfortable, burning feeling that he wants to go to her house and punch her sister in the jaw.

“Like I said, payback.”

She leaves it there, but she knows, when she catches him looking at her with this mix of… A lot of things, that it isn’t over for him. Not that she was expecting anything different- Sev projects. Acts like everything bad that happens to her is an end-of-the-world crisis, probably to distract himself from the fact that his entire life is an end-of-the-world crisis. It’s one of his coping mechanisms. His best coping mechanism, actually, outside of the Dark Arts, so she’s more than relieved to see him leaning on it. Still, she can’t help but wish he didn’t look at her like that-

Like. Like she’s something that needs to be protected. Like he’s sorry for her. He should be sorry for himself. But she’ll never tell him that, because even though she knows, he’s made it clear to her that she isn’t supposed to know, or, at least, she’s supposed to pretend that she doesn’t know.

She keeps silent.

Keeps an eye out at the Gryffindor table, instead. Watches as Sirius gets Regulus to send the permission slip to some obscure relative who’s not his mother, because there’s no way in hell that Walburga Black is going to let her son go to some foreign country when he can’t even behave in his own. Potter, meanwhile, is bent over a list of what she strongly suspects to be pranks, mainly, pranks he’s planning for the visit. Remus sits glumly, looking off to the distance at something only he can see.

In the end, Remus is the one that she feels the most sorry for her. He reminds her a lot of Sev, sometimes.

She doesn’t talk to him.

Ravenclaw, as a whole, has decided to organize a foreign trivia competition. Kingsley tries to get her to join, but she declines. She hardly knows any trivia, and she’ll be busy with Sev the whole time, so there’d be no use in it. Surprisingly, a few of the Hufflepuffs decide to join.

Then there are the Slytherin kids.

It seems as though everyone in Slytherin house(Other than Sev)(Hopefully)is gearing up to advance their Dark Arts knowledge over the five days they’ll be traveling. She sees Bellatrix Black chatting with a sneer on her face about all the good curses she’ll be taught that will help her ‘deal with the Mudbloods.’ She sees, too, the slight clenching of Sev’s jaw when she says it, which gives Lily something like hope to take with her.

It’s a lonely week, that week before Beauxbatons. Without Sev. A productive week, but a lonely one, still.

Thankfully, having a best friend means unspoken rules, and unspoken rules means the third to last train compartment. Unspoken rules also meant that, as usual, Sev was there before her, for some amount of time long enough to get unashamedly engrossed in a Middle Eastern magical theory book while she was still dragging her trunk down from Gryffindor Tower.

“I got you Every Flavour Beans.” He says, by way of greeting.

“Bad idea, Sev. They are every flavor.”

“Yes, well. Have fun with them.” He turns a page, and Lily decides that, since they’re going to Beauxbatons and all that, he shouldn’t waste a minute of the train ride reading. Especially not something as dry looking as Middle Eastern magical theory.

She takes his book from him.

“Lily…”

“Come on, Sev! You can’t just get me Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and not be prepared to be looped into a bean eating contest.”

“I don’t like Every Flavour Beans.” He says, as if he’s explaining it to an eleven year old- Funny, he explained it the exact same way when they were eleven.

“Then why did you get me any?”

Suddenly his gaze drops, and Lily curses under her breath. She’s landed on a we-don’t-talk-about it topic. She knows the answer already. Sev’s always done this, ever since he could. She thinks it has to do with the fact that nobody ever got him anything when he was young, that he feels like he has to get things for her.

“I’m sorry. I forgot- You’re right. I shouldn’t-”

“What’s the first one, then?”

“Sev-”

“The first bean. Hand it over, or forever hold your silence.”

Lily has the sudden urge to slap him for giving in so easily. Or do… Something. Press for more, maybe? See how far her luck will get her? But no. It’s never good to do that with Sev. She just has to take what she can get. And what she can get, she’s learned, throughout several years of playing this game with herself, is tricking him into eating a vomit flavoured bean, right off the bat.

“That wasn’t fair, Lily.”

“You’re a sore loser, Sev.”

“Oh, so I’ve lost now?”

“First one to give away the fact that they didn’t like the bean loses. It’s wizard, isn’t it?”

“No. And really, ‘it’s wizard?’”

“You lot say ‘Merlin’ all the time.”

“You lot?”

“Sorry. Our lot. Guess Petunia’s rubbed off on me.”

“Merlin.” Severus says, and she laughs, knowing that she’s won.

Years later, when she looks back on it, it’s the train ride she’ll remember. How they laughed. How they were Lily-and-Sev, and how neither of them knew at all that they wouldn’t be, soon.

[azkaabanter]

Deamus (Headcannons)

If Deamus is what you want, then it’s Deamus you shall get!

(Posting separately from the ask)

•Dean and Seamus didn’t meet on the train; oh no. That would be too easy. They actually met when Seamus almost plowed Dean down with his trolley in his rush to get to the platform. After a huge apology and Dean SWEARING ON HIS LIFE that he is okay, the two get on the platform together and find themselves sticking to each other.

They sit in the same train compartment and Dean asks a million questions about the wizarding world, and about Hogwarts. Seamus answers them as well as he can, but he himself doesn’t know too much about Hogwarts since his mum didn’t talk about it much at home in front of his father.

•When they get to the boats, they of course go the the most crowded one (as you do), and end up with Seamus pretty much in Dean’s lap.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah…” *wheezes* “I’m fine everything’s okay yup”

•When Dean is going up to the sorting hat he accidentally trips and falls. Seamus runs to his aid (not on the stage yet) and says that he accidentally pushed him. Dean looks back at him gratefully and then walks the rest of the way on stage and is sorted into Gryffindor.

Seamus is the one who claps the loudest.

•From that day on they’re inseparable; some say that they’re even closer than Harry and Ron (and eventually Hermione as well). They do absolutely everything together, and all is well for their first year. (Save for some minor Seamus explosions and an argument about whether football is relevant)

•During the summer of their first year, Seamus’s father asks him whether he got a girlfriend or fancied anyone, and Seamus realized that really the only person he really noticed was Dean. And that terrifies him because in his house, being gay or bi or anything other than straight is considered sinful and punishable. (And Seamus knew about punishments)

On the other hand Dean’s mom heard so many good things about Seamus, and wanted so badly to meet him. She didn’t find it odd at all that the only friend her son would talk about was this Seamus fellow, and occasionally that he shared a dorm and is friends with Harry Potter, (after he explained who exactly Harry Potter is).

•In third year when the Gryffindors are going against the boggart, Seamus is terrified that the boggart will turn into Dean dead on the ground, or into his father finding out he has feelings for another boy.

•In fourth year, when the Triwizard tournament rolled around and the age restriction was put in place, Seamus kept trying to think of ways to sneak his name into the Goblet of Fire. At one point, Dean actually had to tackle Seamus in the Great Hall at 3am (because of course he followed his best friend, even though it could’ve gotten them into enormous trouble) and sat on his chest, pinning him down, and holding his arms above his head until he stopped struggling.

“Get off me!”

“Not until you calm down. You’re gonna get us caught!”

“You didn’t have to follow me!”

“Of course I did!”

Eventually Seamus calms down, but Dean still doesn’t get off. Instead, he finds himself frozen, hovering over his best friend and just thinking

‘Merlin, I want to kiss him’

But he doesn’t; he gets up and Seamus takes an exaggerated gulp of air.

“Merlin, finally! It felt like a giant was sitting on my chest.”

He half smiles, propped up on his elbows. Dean just rolls his eyes (though his heart is going crazy) and offers a hand, which Seamus takes and pulls himself up. Once he’s on his feet though, he doesn’t let go of Dean’s hand.

•At the Yule Ball, both boys and bored of their dates before the first dance has even ended (all they do is make eyes at the Durmstrang lot!). Not long after they find themselves dancing with each other, laughing and and being ridiculous, as usual.

Then a slow song comes on, and they find themselves in a sea of couples; many of the boys with their hands a bit too low. Dean smiles awkwardly and offers his hand.

“May I have this dance, my good sir?”

Seamus laughs a bit and takes it, putting his other hand on Dean’s shoulder, and Dean’s is on his waist. They find themselves getting closer together than friends probably should be, until-

“Fuck it”

And Seamus presses their lips together, if only for a second. He pulls away and Dean is staring at him with wide eyes, and a smile on his face.

•In 5th year, Seamus comes back from summer break with a black eye and bruises all over. When Dean asks what happened Seamus just turns away, mutters something about a broom, and walks over to Neville, leaving Dean confused. Seamus is more hostile than usual, going off at Harry and snapping at everyone who tries to help him, especially Dean.

For the rest of the year, Seamus doesn’t make any unnecessary physical contact with Dean, who is feeling pretty hurt at this point.

With Umbridge around, the war impending, O.W.Ls, and the D.A, they hardly have any time to themselves.

Dean is left confused and heartbroken when Seamus tells him that last year was a mistake and that they should just be friends.

•The next year Dean is determined to get over Seamus and starts dating Ginny. She tries to make things work, but Dean really only wants to be with Seamus. (Who is literally dying a little inside whenever Ginny leans in for a kiss)

•When Dumbledore dies, everyone knows that it’s the start of something terrible. Seamus persuades Dean to run, even though it hurts him more than anything.

•All of seventh year, through the beatings and the curses and just the Carrows, all Seamus finds himself able to worry about is Dean.

Had he been captured?

Was he even still alive?

The dorm was more than half empty every night when he went to sleep; just himself and Neville remained. Sometimes in the middle of the night, he would look over at Dean’s bed and cry because he may have lost the one person who truly loved him; all because he couldn’t stand up to his father. He couldn’t even bring himself to tell Dean that he came out to his family.

Meanwhile, the entire time that Dean was on the run or trapped in Malfoy Manor, all he could think about was Seamus and how he had to live to see him again.

•They met during the battle of Hogwarts because Dean decided he wanted to fight, and war be damned they kissed right in the middle of the courtyard.

“I’m so sorry-”

“Not the time, Seamus.”

•Seamus went back to Ireland after that year and having lived through a war, he marched up to his father with Dean at his side.

“This is Dean. My best friend.” He turned around and kissed his boyfriend. “And my boyfriend.”

His father was mad beyond belief but Seamus just casually pointed his wand at him.

“I just lived through a war. If you think you scare me anymore, you can think again.” And he walked away, hand in hand with Dean.

•Just Deamus, please and thank you

[theraredreamer]

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Fic: I Am My Brother’s Keeper (Part 3 of 4)

By: @rarity-kasket

2.3k words, rated G

Being the son of Harry Potter isn’t easy and being the brother of James Sirius “Golden Boy” Potter doesn’t make it any better. However, as obnoxious as his brother can be, Albus wouldn’t trade him for the world. When Albus accidentally stumbles upon a secret, it threatens to break apart his already complicated and messy relationship with James.

Again, special thanks to @abradystrix and @autumn-of-ilvermorny. You is smart. You is kind. You is important!

Please click for Part 1, Part 2, Part 4

Summer 2018

“And you’ll write to me over the summer?” Scorpius asks, bouncing on his toes as he stood on the train platform. Albus attempts to feign an exasperated sigh, but a subtle smile betrays him.

“Yes. I’ll write. You’ve already asked me twice on the train.”

“Actually three times.” Scorpius corrects him, his cheeks growing pink. “The summer will be dreadfully boring without you.”

Suddenly, James leaps off of the train, cuffing Albus on the back of the head before disappearing into the busy crowd.

“Hey Slytherin, Mum and Dad are here!” Albus glowers in the direction that James disappears before shifting his gaze to Scorpius.

“Please take me with you.” He begs Scorpius.

“You would rather spend your summer with the rumored son of Voldemort than your dad, the legendary Harry Potter?” Scorpius asks, to which Albus rolls his eyes.

“Trust me, you’re better company than my dad and James. Ugh, the entire summer is just going to be those two being chummy and swapping Hogwarts stories.”

“Now you have your own Hogwarts stories to share.” Scorpius offers, his eyes optimistic. Albus snorts bitterly.

“Yeah, which story do you suggest that I tell them first? The one where I was the last kid to get my broom up in flying lessons? Or the one where Karl Jenkins hid our wands and then sealed us in our dorm so that we couldn’t attend the end of term feast?” Albus asks sarcastically.  “I don’t know what’s worse, being at Hogwarts or being stuck in the same house as James all summer.”

“Lucky for you then, because you have a good friend who is willing to entertain you all summer. So it won’t be a complete waste.”

“Promise me that you’ll write often.”

“Albus, I would keep writing even if you never sent me a single letter back, but please do write. Otherwise, I’ll look pathetic. You’re going to get sick of me.” Scorpius smiles awkwardly.

“I could never get tired of you.”

The Present, Spring 2025

“So Teddy and James, huh?” Perched on his bed, Scorpius muses to himself as he watches Albus pace frantically around the room.

“Yeah.”

Scorpius sighs.

“Albus, please sit. You’re making me dizzy pacing around like that.”

Albus freezes on the spot, unsure of himself before Scorpius pats a spot on the bed next to him.  Accepting the invitation, Albus crawls into bed, sitting against the headboard next to Scorpius. He is all too aware of every point of contact their bodies make. The gentle press of their shoulders, arms, and thighs.

“Sorry. I’m just–” Albus lets out a loud incomprehensible sound of frustration before flinging a pillow. Scorpius frowns as he watches the pillow sail across the room.

“How do you feel about James and Teddy?” Scorpius asks quietly, and Albus shrugs.

“I’m not going to lie. It’s kind of weird, but James didn’t even give me a chance to be okay with it. He just lied to me.” Something very painful and all too familiar flares inside him. “He didn’t even give me a chance,” Albus repeats miserably, and Scorpius leans his head on Albus’s shoulder. Albus is aware of how intimate the gesture is, but it’s comforting. “He’s the worst brother ever.”

“You don’t mean that,” Scorpius says quietly.

“I do.”

“No, you don’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I know you, Albus, and I know your heart.”

In the moment, Albus wonders if Scorpius can hear the incessantly loud rush of his heart thrumming in his chest. If he does, Albus wonders if he knows that he is the cause of it.

Because I know you Albus, and I know your heart.

Albus doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t trust himself to not spew his feelings for Scorpius all over the place.

He thinks of James.

I know you. You’re crazy stupid about Scorpius, so stop wasting your time and tell him because being in love feels –really great.

Is he in love with Scorpius? He knows that he loves Scorpius. He would do anything for him because he was his first and only friend, but Albus has never been in love as far as he knows. He doesn’t know the difference. And he wants nothing more than to run to James’s apartment and ask him what is the difference between loving someone and being in love with someone, but James has shut him out.

Suddenly, it feels like their Hogwarts days again, two brothers existing in two very separate and different spheres.

“Maybe he’s scared?” Scorpius comments quietly.

“Scared? What could James possibly be afraid of? He’s one of the bravest people that I know. He’s too brave, in fact, he’s foolhardy.”

“Of what you might think of him.” Scorpius voices. “That you would think less of him.”

“I don’t know…” Albus swallows thickly as he is left with the startling and upsetting revelation that he doesn’t know his brother as well as he thought he did. He doesn’t know what James is thinking or feeling. Or how to diffuse the blow up from earlier. What can he say to make this right?

“I don’t know what to say to him. I always thought James was like an open book. He’s the Golden Boy. He’s never had to worry about anything.  What do you say to someone like that?” Albus asks.

“You don’t have to say anything. Just be there for them.”

Albus looks down at Scorpius, who has his chin propped on Albus’s shoulder. As if sensing his gaze, Scorpius’s owlish grey eyes flicker up with meet Albus’s. Their faces are so close. Albus imagines what would happen if he just leaned in, letting their lips touch. The thought makes his heart lurch and his spine shiver. He wants nothing more than to take Scorpius’s face in his hands and kiss him until the sun comes up. The thought makes his chest ache with want.

“I should go to bed.” Albus clears his throat awkwardly.

“Or you can stay.”

The words paralyze Albus as his emerald orbs search Scorpius’s face, for some clue or sign. Under Albus’s intense gaze, Scorpius pulls back.

Overanalyzing Scorpius’s every move, Albus comes to the frustrating conclusion that he doesn’t know what the bloody hell any of this means.

Scorpius takes in a deep breath and forces his eyes to meet Albus once more.

“You don’t have to, but you look like someone who really doesn’t want to be alone right now. So stay, if you want.” Scorpius says quietly.

It’s true. He doesn’t want to be alone with his thoughts right now. However, it’s not the reason he says, “Okay.”

He says okay because he’s a selfish human being.

Albus settles back into the bed, slipping under the blankets. Scorpius’s silk sheets are cool and smooth again his skin. Pressing his blushing face into the pillow, Albus inhales the sweet scent. It smells like peppermint, like the shampoo that Scorpius uses. Merlin’s beard, he’s embarrassing.

If Scorpius notices anything weird, he doesn’t say anything. He grabs his wand and whispers a quiet incantation before the two are enveloped in darkness except for the faint light emanating from his wand.

“I have some studying to do, so I’ll stay awake until you fall asleep,” Scorpius says quietly.

Albus buries his face further into the pillow, smiling.

“Why are you so good at this?”

“At what?”

“Comfort.”

“My mum.” Scorpius smiles sadly, and in his eyes, Albus can see him conjuring up the memory of her. Albus swallows thickly, regretting that he asked. He prepares to apologize, but Scorpius continues. “She always knew just what to say or what to do to comfort me. So whenever someone needs comforting, I think about what Mum would do, because she had the kindest heart that I have ever seen.”

“You have her heart.” Albus murmurs quietly into the pillow, but he doesn’t think Scorpius hears him.

The quiet sound of Scorpius turning pages of a book lulls Albus to sleep.

A week goes by, and James and Albus manage to avoid each other like the plague. When their traditional Sunday dinner rolls around, Albus is surprised that James doesn’t make up an excuse to avoid the gathering. He is there, seated at the table, conversing with their dad about some event that happened at the Ministry today. Their mum is off in Germany for the weekend to review a Quidditch match, and Lily is at Hogwarts, so it’s just the men this Sunday.

“Oh hello, Albus and Scorpius,” Harry greets them; the wrinkles near his eyes smile kindly at them.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Hi, Harry!” Scorpius greets him enthusiastically as he takes a seat across from Harry. “So I have a story for you.”

“You do?”

“Rightio! A wizard walks in the front doors of St. Mungo’s, because he accidentally ingested a shrinking potion. The healer tells him to sit in the lobby; he will be with him shortly. The wizard sits there for a while, waiting. Meanwhile, another wizard comes in for treatment. The healer takes the other wizard straight away. Before he does, he apologizes to the shrunken wizard and asks him if he can wait for a little longer. The elderly wizard says, ‘No problem, I can be a little patient’.” Scorpius grins. Albus is quick on the uptake and groans at the pun that Scorpius has landed on his father. It takes Harry a beat to let it sink in. Even James grimaces.

“That one was actually good,” Harry compliments him.

“Really?” Scorpius asks, hopeful.

“Best one so far.”

“Dad, all of his jokes awful,” Albus says drily, and Harry simply smiles.

“Like I said, best one so far.”

Scorpius joins Harry and James’s conversation. As Albus watches them interact it becomes unfathomable to him how his father had ever thought Scorpius was a dark cloud surrounding him. Scorpius, with his stupid jokes, who has sunlight in his smile. Over time, Scorpius Malfoy has found a way to affectionately worm his way into every Potter’s heart, including Harry’s.

Excusing himself, Harry retreats to the kitchen to check on dinner, and Scorpius eagerly volunteers to help him.

Which leaves James and Albus alone.

His gaze travels to James, who actively avoids all eye contact.

“Could we talk? Maybe after dinner?” Albus doesn’t know what to say to James or if he possesses the courage to start this conversation. He’s completely aware of his inability to be emotionally vulnerable with other people, and it feels like he’s flying blind here.

James pretends not to hear him as plays with a fork on the table.

“James.”

No response.

“Please.”

Nothing.

“You didn’t even give me a chance to be okay wi–”

“Albus, not now.” James hisses sharply at Albus before he glances cautiously at the kitchen.

“I don’t want to argue. Just talk.”

“I’m busy,” James says nonchalantly.

“You’re scratching your fork against the table. I doubt you’re busy.” Albus replies sourly.

“I’m not discussing this here, with you.” James huffs before attempting to make an escape to the kitchen. Albus quickly launches himself in front of James.

“You can’t keep avoiding me–”

“Watch me.”

“–or shutting me out.” This makes James stop in his tracks as he looks at Albus, unbelievably, before he laughs. His laughter is hard and bitter; it makes Albus cringes.

“Wow, that’s rich coming from you. Like you have room to talk.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’re always the one shutting people out. You’re the one who just bottles things up and wallows in his own misery. You’ve never actually let anyone in. You’ve never let me in–”

“You’ve never tried!” Albus cries. “Where were you those first four years of Hogwarts, huh? I could have really used someone in my corner and that person was Scorpius when it should have been you, James. Do you know why it wasn’t you? Because James Potter, who has everything he could ever possibly want in life, doesn’t care about anyone else but himself.”

“I’m so sick of you thinking that my life is so easy.”

“Because it is! You’re the popular one. You’re the confident one. You’re the talented one. I’m not going to stand here and feel sorry for a perfect, spoiled golden boy who thinks one stupid secret is going to ruin his entire life. Get over yourself!”

“Yeah, well, I would rather be a spoiled golden boy than the useless dark smudge on the Potter family.” James shoots back darkly.

It feels like a cold shock of ice water splashing down his back. Paralyzing and numbing.  The words settle into his bones like an unforgiving frost. For a second, he wishes that James would have just struck him across the face. Anything would have been better than hearing those words. The words that he fears are true after all.  

Albus doesn’t recall when their father appears in the doorway, wearing a concerned expression.

“What is going on out here?” Harry asks.

Upon seeing their father, the cold evaporates. Instead, something hot and angry and red flares inside of Albus’s chest. Something begging to be unleashed and threatening to destroy everything in its wake.

Albus turns to their father. “Hey Dad, I think you would find it interesting to know what James and Te–”

Something catches his eyes.

Scorpius.

Standing in the doorway.

“Albus, please, don’t do this.” He begs quietly.

Suddenly, looking at Scorpius brings him back to reality, and his face flushes with shame.

“Someone needs to explain what exactly is going on here. Albus?” Harry looks between the two of his sons, neither say anything. “James?”

Albus’s gaze slowly meets James, who is staring back at him. His deep brown eyes hold a heavy mixture of emotion.

Rage.

Sadness.

Fear.

“Fuck you, Albus.”