#rosmerta

[mask131]

The gods of Gaul: Rosmerta

After a god of abundance, a goddess of abundance !

Rosmerta is a purely Gallo-Roman goddess. Not that did not start out as a Gallic goddess. For sure she was originally a goddess of Gaul – her very name is Gallic. But, the fact is that all we know about her – her role, her functions, her attributes – come from her incarnation as a Gallo-Roman goddess part of the syncretized pantheon of Roman and Gallic gods. As such we can only conjecture and guess who she was before the Romans arrived, based on the way the Romans handled and incorporated her.

One thing that is certain of is that Rosmerta always was a goddess of abundance. As I said, her name is Gallic, and commonly identified as being formed of three parts, “Ro”, “Smert” and “A”. The -a suffix merely denotes a female name. The prefix “Ro-“ is for amplification (like “very” ; a “robili” is someone who is very kind ; a “rocabalus” is a great horse). As for “smert”, it is found in many Gallic names and means either “who takes care of” or “who offers”. As such, Rosmerta could be translated as “The Great Giver”, “The Very Generous”, “She who takes of very well”, “The Great Gifter”… In Gallo-Roman iconography, Rosmerta is often depicted holding a cornucopia, highlighting her role as a goddess of abundance and maybe fecundity (sometimes it is even stressed further by her holding the cornucopia in one hand, a basket of fruits on the other).

In the Gallo-Roman religion, Rosmerta is the eternal companion, the paredra, the female equivalent of the god Mercury. On all the visual depictions we have of Rosmerta, very few depict her alone – she is usually always with Mercury by her side. This makes sense when you recall who Mercury was in Roman religion. Too many people consider that the Roman gods are just the Greek ones with a new name printed on them. Mercury might have been the equivalent of the Greek Hermes, but in terms of functions and symbolism he differed from him in many ways. Most notably, while the Greek Hermes was mainly a god of talent, cunning, cleverness and intelligence (which manifested in his various attributes as god of messengers and eloquence, science and athletics, merchants and thieves), the Romans focused much more on the idea of a god of travel and commerce: as such, Mercury is the god of merchants, markets, business travels and lucrative journeys first and foremost. He was an economic god, a money-deity, who embodied prosperity and riches in a material and financial form. As such, it makes sense for him, in the Gallo-Roman syncretism, to be paired with a goddess who herself seems to have embodied abundance and fertility.

Interestingly, we can see how Rosmerta got more and more “fused” with Mercury over time. For example, in many depictions of the duo, Rosmerta is not holding her usual cornucopia, but a pouch full of coins or a bag of money – which was THE defining attribute of Mercury. The “Mercurification” of Rosmerta reached its paroxysm in a bronze depiction from Annecy, where the goddess appears alone… But with Mercury’s wings on both sides of her head, while holding a purse of coins. The transformation is complete: Rosmerta became simply the female version of Mercury, and lost her own identity. We have a lot of votive offerings and various prayer-inscriptions for Rosmerta, but they do not give us much information about her, and always made her one half of a duo with Mercury.

There is also this four-sided pillar which depicts Rosmerta holding Mercury's caduceus. You will notice with these pictures the very Roman aspect Rosmerta sports - with the Roman dress and veil and diadem.

If you are curious, the other sides of this pillar found behind Paris' Sainte-Chapelle in 1748, depict Mercury, Apollo and a "winged Genie".

Interestingly, the lack of romantic or sensual scenes between Mercury and Rosmerta have led many to theorize their couple was not a romantic or marital one. Many believe that Rosmerta was probably identified with Mercury's mother, Maia, who had her own cult by Roman times. For example, there is the fact we have votive inscriptions acting in parallels - some invoking "Mercury and Maia" together, others invoking "Mercury and Rosmerta", but the two goddesses never appearing side by side in the same inscription. Their cult-areas also carefully avoided any overlap geographically speaking (here is a map below from the Belgian website deomercurio) - and when you consider that Maia was a goddess of the season of spring associated with the rebirth/birth of nature ; that she was often seen holding a caduceus ; and that she had been before associated with various mother-goddesses of fertility (Ops, Fauna, Bona Dea)... In fact, the Mercurified statue of Rosmerta with wings on her head has been debated: because while many consider it is a Rosmerta statue, some rather see it as a Maia statue... The confusion is clear.

Because some theorized Rosmerta might have been a goddess of the fertile earth and the natural abundance (hence the cornucopia, the basket of fruits), which would have made the “natural” pendant of Mercury’s man-made, artificial riches (coins, commerce, merchants and markets) – after all, Gaul was one of the food-providers of the Roman Empire, and where the Romans got a lot of their cereals and grapes. To have a goddess of fruits coupled with a god of commerce would have been the perfect representation of the Roman conquest of Gaul… Some even push the idea further by saying maybe Rosmerta was an equivalent of Proserpina, or a female Pluto, as a goddess of the riches of underworld – but I found no conclusive evidence or solid theory for this, so I’ll mention it, but I give this no credit. Let us stick simply to how she is an abundance and fertility goddess, more likely a Maia equivalent.

There are other theories linking her to other Roman deities. For example some consider in Rosmerta a Gallic equivalent of the Roman goddess Felicitas, due to a Roman inscription listing all the important gods of Gaul having Felicitas following right up the name of Mercury, as if closely associated with him, despite Felicitas not being typically seen as Mercury-adjacent in Roman religion. Another theory mentions how the Roman goddess Abundantia, the personification of abundance, had a strong worship in some parts of Gaul (for example by the Eduens), and was depicted in a similar way to Rosmerta as a goddess with a cornucopia and a patera in her hands. However the theory falls quite short, because on one side Abundantia was always depicted alone, without a male companion like Mercury, and on the other, almost all of the goddesses of Gaul were depicted with a patera (or in a lesser way a cornucopia) in their hands. The patera notably was one of the recurring, typical attributes of the Gallic goddesses ; and given many of them had something to do with abundance or fertility, the cornucopia went from hand to hand... But there is no denying that Rosmerta definitively echoed the Roman Abundantia, and that in turn Abundantia found her place in Gaul, filling a shared religious archetype of a goddes of abundance, a spirit of prosperity. Maia, Abundantia, Rosmerta - they all formed a web around a central core partially missing today, and testify to Gaul's strong attachment to the idea of a fertility goddess, of a personification of a nature filled with riches.

Another interesting clue when it comes to Rosmerta is how, in an engraving found in Reims, she has by her side not Mercury, but rather Toutatis/Teutatès... Is it a clue that maybe Toutatis was her original companion before Mercury arrived? There is also a fascinating Gallo-Roman depiction, a stone statue currently at the Saint-Germain-en-Laye museum, of Mercury with an unnamed goddess by his side:

This statue is very, very important for several reasons. One: the goddess by Mercury's side is left unnamed, but if she is Rosmerta, than this statue might indicate not a mother-son relationship (as the Maia theory allowed to think) but a sexual one. Indeed it would be one of the rare Rosmerta depictions with an accent on her body and a form of nudity - coupled with the suggestive gesture of her touching Mercury's head. Two: Despite us knowing this was meant to be a Mercury, this Mercury is very unusual. He is not a youthful ephebe, but a mature, bearded man. No wings, no caduceus - only the pouch of coins typical os his charge... and a snake laying on his lap. Not just any snake: a ram-headed snake. If you read my previous post about the gods of Gaul you know what this means... This "Mercury" clearly sports the symbolism of Cernunnos. The bag of grains/food coins turned into a little purse, the antlers removed, but the beard and the ram-headed snake are still here, and the goddess still holds the god's head.

Already it had been established Mercury's popularity in Gaul was part due to replacing some aspects of Cernunnos - but if this goddess is Rosmerta (and indeed, some Cernunnos depictions did have a cornucopia-holding goddess near the god, usually identified as an unnamed mother-goddess), does this imply Rosmerta was initially a companion of Cernunnos?

As usual we are left with more questions than answers, and vague relationships we ultimately can never confirm...

[squibstress]

HP Rec Fest - December 1

@hprecfest

Day 1 Theme: A Favorite Fic Under 5000 words

To open the fest, I give you 2 favorites by the inimitable eldritcher:

All the Wild Summer Was in Her Gaze

Characters: Garrick Ollivander, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape

Pairings: Garrick/Minerva

Creator: eldritcher

Rating: M/R

Word Count: 1,500

Summary: Ollivander finds himself in the crosshairs of an inept cupid.

Why You Should Check It Out:

In this fic, the author's evocative language and poetry allusions add layers to the story that enriches the short form immeasurably.

The often hard-to-pull-off second-person POV works so well because of the story's overall tone of surprise and the POV character's journey of learning about himself. Since we, the readers, don't know Ollivander very well, it's a wonderful way to introduce him.

The unexpected friendship between Ollivander and Snape is perfect, showing us two introspective, secretive men with inquisitive minds. And the backstory the author gives is heartbreaking.

The Strange Heart Beating Where It Lies

Pairing: Rosmerta/Severus

Creator: eldritcher

Rating: M/R

Word Count: 1,300

Summary: In which Rosmerta contemplates the nature of swans.

Why You Should Check It Out:

This gorgeous fic slides between the pages of canon and tells us so much about these two characters, one about whom we don't know much and one (we think) we do.

Rosmerta here is very observant, and her musing on her place in the world and Severus's are both heartbreaking and real.

Eldritcher's prose is poetry, and their use of classical and literary allusions add depth to this short fic.

[streganonalearns]

This collage is dedicated to the goddess Rosmerta

[oespiritocelta]

Mitologia - França

Arduinna: Arduinna é a deusa da floresta e da caça. Ela é a deusa tutelar da região das Ardenas (Bélgica, Luxemburgo e França), representada como uma caçadora montada em um javali.

Artio: Artio é a deusa da abundância e da vida selvagem, especialmente ursos. Seu nome é derivado da palavra gaulesa para "urso", artos.

Belenus: Belenus (Bélenus) é o deus da cura também associado ao fogo. Imagens de Belenus às vezes mostram ele acompanhado de uma mulher, a divindade Belisama.

Belisama: Belisama (Belissama) é a deusa ligada a lagos e rios, fogo e artesanato. Isso faz com que ela seja comparada com a deusa irlandesa Brigid. Belisama também é a companheira de Belenos, cujo nome contém a mesma raiz (Bel = brilhante).

Cathubodua: Cathubodua (Catuboduá) é a Deusa da guerra. Na língua gaulesa, acredita-se que o nome Cathubodua significa "corvo de batalha".

Cernunnos: Cernunnos (Quernunos) é o deus da vida selvagem, da natureza intocada. Ele é retratado com chifres, sentado de pernas cruzadas e usando um torc no pescoço. Uma das representações mais famosas de Cernunnos é o Caldeirão de Gundestrup.  

Epona: Epona é a protetora dos equinos e acredita-se que ela também seja uma guia das almas (criaturas cuja responsabilidade é escoltar as almas recém-falecidas da Terra para a vida após a morte). O culto a Epona como padroeira da cavalaria foi difundido inclusive no Império Romano.

Ogmios: Ogmios é o deus da eloquência. Ele é algumas vezes retratado como um homem sorridente com longas correntes ligando sua língua às orelhas de um grupo de homens que voluntariamente e alegremente o seguem. Os celtas acreditavam que a eloquência é o poder supremo porque pode encantar os homens e controlá-los mais do que a força.

Nantosuelta: Nantosuelta (Nantossuelta) é a deusa da domesticidade, frequentemente associada à água. Seu nome pode significar "rio sinuoso" ou "vale iluminado pelo sol". Ela é companheira do deus Sucellos.

Sucellus: Sucellus é o deus da agricultura e do vinho. Ele é geralmente representado como um homem barbudo carregando um grande martelo. Sua companheira Nantosuelta às vezes é retratada ao seu lado. Quando juntos, são acompanhados por símbolos associados à prosperidade e à domesticidade.

Rosmerta: Rosmerta é a deusa da abundância e da riqueza. O nome Rosmerta significa "a Grande Provedora".

Sequana: Sequana é a deusa do rio Sena e da tribo celta Sequani.

Sirona: Sirona é a deusa da cura associada a fontes, cobras e ovos (símbolos da vida no mundo antigo). Ela também pode ser associada à astronomia, já que seu nome significa "estelar" ou "astral".

Taranis: Taranis (Táranis) é o deus do clima, associado ao céu. Seu nome significa "trovão". Ele é representado por um homem barbudo com um raio em uma mão e uma roda na outra. A roda de Taranis pode significar a compreensão dos celtas sobre o mundo natural e seus fenômenos por causa da agilidade com que a natureza se transforma.

[lechampdecitrouilles]

I am back for the Gaulish gods and goddesses - part 2 🤍🌿 !

[remuslupinfest]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Remus Lupin/Madam Rosmerta Characters: Remus Lupin, Madam Rosmerta (Harry Potter) Additional Tags: Old Flames, Old Friends, Friends to Lovers, Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Indulgent descriptions of wine, Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Exes, Confident Remus Lupin, Remerta?, Is that a ship name?, Rosmus, That sounds like a disease Summary:

The voice that rouses him from his thoughts is decidedly more feminine than Remus expects it to be. “Room for me?”

He looks up.

There she stands; for a moment, it is as though the years melt away and Remus is seventeen all over again. Rosmerta is smiling down at him, a bottle of the elf-made wine in her hand. The two of them used to drink wine together all those years ago, too...

[xxdustnight88]

Devote

Rated: Mature Pairing: Regulus Black/Madam Rosmerta Word Count: 870 Summary: Regulus wants only one thing for his final night of normalcy. Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44785696 FFN Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14209782/1/Devote

[marmotish]

freyja has her paternal figures but who are her maternal figures? if her grandmother is one of them is there anyone else?

there is, actually! Madam Rosmerta, landlady of the Three Broomsticks.

All those Butterbeer sessions with friends meant that Freyja was a regular at the Three Broomsticks, so she and the landlady saw a fair bit of each other. In return for Freyja helping out occasionally at the pub, Madam Rosmerta turned a blind eye to Freyja’s magical up-sizing of her and her friend’s drinks.

It wasn’t until 5th year that Freyja’s curse-breaking journey got a little more high stakes, especially with Rakepick appearing on the scene. Rosmerta wasn’t about to let Rakepick throw her weight around her pub, and saw how uncomfortable Freyja was around the new DADA professor. She saw as well how Jacob had been used by Rakepick and wasn’t about to let the same happen again.

Over months and years, Rosmerta kind of became Freyja’s confidante. Like any good pub landlady, she knew how to keep people’s secrets, which Freyja appreciated.

[ladiesofhpfest]

Introducing ✨Friday Fic Recs✨

The Ladies of HP fest/server is happy to announce weekly fic recs from now until next year's fest. Every Friday, we will highlight 5-10 female-centric fics! This week, the recs come from your mods, @celestemagnoliathewriter, @artemisia-black, and @merlins-sequined-hotpants.

Going forward, we would love to receive recs in the ask box or in the rec channel on our Discord server. Almost any fic that is female-centric is welcome (exception: fics that feature explicit underage sexual content). We look forward to sharing more recs with you!

Fic Recs for Friday the 13th of October, including part of the summary from the author:

We've Grown Up (but still haven't changed) by @thecasualauthor18. Leading ladies: Black sisters, Andromeda POV. T, 2.2k words. Summary: Andromeda Black Tonks receives a letter from Narcissa, and against her better judgement goes to meet her.

Parvati by @sleepstxtic. Leading lady: Parvati Patil. G, 634 words. Summary: “Like you and appa?” you ask, propping yourself up on the kitchen counter and crossing your legs in anticipation. Your mother’s stories are always the best.

In the Service of Others by @bellmel. Leading lady: Molly Weasley. G, 4.7k words. Molly is not one to sit idle. It isn’t in her nature. She likes being busy, and as the last of her children leave for Hogwarts, Molly never even entertains the idea of staying at home with no company but her own. She needs a job.

Ariadne by @ashesandhackles. Leading lady: Cho Chang. G, 1.1k words. Summary: Exploring Cho's feelings for Harry in wake of her grief for Cedric's death, with symbolism from myth of Ariadne, Theseus and the Minotaur. A surrealistic character study.

Kiss Each Other Clean by @ronsgirlfriday-blog. Leading lady: Hermione Granger. T, 4.3k words. Summary: The war is over and all Hermione wants is to wash it all off of her.

Standing Up by @isidar-mithrim. Leading lady: Minerva McGonagall. G, 4.9k words. Summary: Minerva is powerless in front of Carrows’ tortures, painfully aware there’s only one way to protect her students: don’t protect them. It will be her own students to prove her that hope isn’t lost yet.

stolen glances, stolen cauldrons by @lanaturnergetup. Leading lady: Madam Rosmerta. M, 3k words. Summary: As with most bad experiences in her life, Madam Rosmerta would find that her affair with Mundungus ‘Dung’ Fletcher started out with too much to drink. 

Power by @alohaemora. Leading lady: Angelina Johnson. G, 1.9k words. Summary: "Our hair is power, Angie, it's our history. It tells the world who we are."

If you've got recs for us, drop by the ask box or the rec channel on our Discord server!

[in-flvx]

It is wild to me that Bellatrix black, Molly prewett, Arthur weasley, madame rosmerta and Rita skeeter were hogwarts contemporaries, if not in the same year. These people had classes together, played quidditch against each other, saw each other on a daily basis. Like. They KNEW each other

[telemna-hyelle]

is it so hard to believe that Julius Caesar was wrong?

[the-al-chemist]

The Lights That Never Go Out

Chapter 7: About Time

A/N: It wouldn’t be a proper British Christmas Eve without a trip to the pub. This chapter is for @thethreebroomsticksfic’s Yule Bash prompts ‘Hogsmeade’ and ‘mulled mead’.

Warnings: alcohol and references to war/character death.

24th December, 1998

There always was something special about Hogsmeade at Christmas; the thick blankets of snow that covered the roofs of its buildings and the twinkling lights that shone from their windows, the sound of carollers somewhere in the distance, and the smells of hot sugar and mulled wine wafting through the air from Honeydukes and The Three Broomsticks.

The snow crunched under Artemis’ feet as she made her way down the cobbled village street in the direction of the inn, which had been decorated in boughs of greenery. A wave of warmth from the hearth washed over her as she opened the door, and behind the bar, Rosmerta put down the tankard of Butterbeer she was halfway through pouring.

“Merry Christmas, love,” she said to Artemis. “You look half-frozen. Let me just serve this and then I’ll get you something to warm you up. You like mulled mead, don’t you?”

Artemis was not going to say no to mulled mead, not when her fingers were as cold as they were now. She gratefully accepted the mug Rosmerta offered her, holding it in her hands to heat them before she took a sip.

“So,” said Rosmerta, leaning on the bar to talk to her, “is this a flying visit, or have you decided that you do want to stay here for Christmas after all?”

“I’m just dropping in to give you your present and say hi. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to be sorry. It won’t be a very relaxing Christmas here, it rarely is. Too much work.”

“I know, and I would have helped, but Charlie asked me to go to theirs,” Artemis said, raising her mug to her lips. “I get the feeling he sort of needs me there more than you need me here.”

That feeling might have been wishful thinking on Artemis’ part. With the way things were between her and Charlie at the moment, she wasn’t entirely certain that he needed her at all anymore. To others, their friendship must have looked the same as it always had, but it was obvious to her that something had changed. Their conversations had become stilted and their pauses awkward, the easiness they had always felt in one another’s presence replaced with something fraught, something tense and self-conscious. And it was her fault. It was all her fault.

Rosmerta smiled kindly. “Don’t you worry.” She conjured a cloth from thin air and started to wipe down the bar as she spoke. “I’m not surprised you want to be there for him. It’s only fair, all those times he’s been there for you when you needed him.”

That was true. Artemis had lost count of the times Charlie had been there for her when she needed it — when she needed him — most. On every path she took through the world, no matter how far from him she had been in distance, he had somehow been at her side each step of the way, stoic and solid and sure, making her feel like she belonged, like she mattered, like she was worthy of care, of…

“Love?” Rosmerta’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Is everything okay?”

Artemis wasn’t sure how to answer that question. The truthful answer was ‘no’, everything was not okay. Her memories of the war continued to haunt her, she panicked whenever she entered a room and the door closed behind her, Tonks was gone, Fred was gone, she couldn’t stop thinking about those too-few kisses she had shared with Charlie, and she couldn’t bring herself to start thinking about what that might mean. Thinking about it was too hard. If Artemis was being honest, it scared her.

It was easier not to think, and it was easier to lie.

“Nothing’s wrong, Ros. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

Unfortunately for her, she had never been a good liar, and Rosmerta had always been good at discerning what was true and what wasn’t. Artemis could tell from the way the landlady put down her cloth and stared at her that she didn’t believe her in the slightest.

“You know,” said Ros, summoning another cup and filling it with more mead, “they say that if you have something on your mind, the best person to talk to about it is either your bartender or your hairdresser.”

Artemis wrinkled her nose. “I don’t have a hairdresser.”

“That’s a shame.” Madam Rosmerta picked up the second mulled mead and carried it with her as she walked out from behind the bar to the stool next to Artemis’ own. “Looks like you’ll have to make do with me, then.” She sat on the stool and took a sip of her drink, before placing it down on top of the bar and raising her eyebrows at Artemis. “Spill.”

The look on her face made it clear that Artemis wasn’t going to be able to avoid this conversation. Still, she couldn’t tell Rosmerta everything, after all, it was not only her secret to share. She sighed heavily, her breath rippling on the surface of her drink.

“I dunno,” she said eventually. “I just thought that with the war being over, everything would be sort of simple again. Easier and less scary, but that’s not how it is at all. Everything is just as hard, and everything keeps changing.”

“Things do change. But that’s not a bad thing. Change can be good.”

“It can be, but it isn’t always. And there are some changes, even if they are good, that are just…” She swallowed, despite the fact that she had barely touched her mead. “I’m still so frightened, Ros.”

Rosmerta’s eyes were wide and sympathetic. “What are you frightened of, love?”

“Lots of things. More things than I ever even thought to be frightened of before. Maybe it’s just me that’s changed. Maybe I’m just not brave anymore.”

Artemis was being serious, but Rosmerta chuckled.

“Now, that I’ll never believe,” she said. “You, love, are the bravest person I’ve ever met.”

Her words should have made Artemis feel proud, but instead they only made her feel like a fraud. They echoed in her ears, acutely familiar.

“That’s what Charlie said,” she told Rosmerta.

“Well, he’d know.”

But Artemis shook her head. “He’s wrong. Maybe I used to be, when I was younger. I hardly even got scared at all back then.”

“I remember. You were fearless,” said Ros. “But fearless doesn’t mean brave. I’d say that being afraid and still carrying on and doing the right thing is braver than not being afraid at all.”

“Yeah, I know. And I know I was probably a bit too bold and reckless, and I got into all sorts of trouble because of it, but… I miss it. Being fearless, I mean. I want that back.”

“You can’t get that back. I’m sorry. Everyone loses their fearlessness when they get older. It’s just one of those things that happens with time.”

“I’d rather be fearless than brave. Fearless is easier.”

Slowly, Madam Rosmerta raised one hand, using it to tuck a loose strand of Artemis’ hair behind her ear. Artemis looked down at her own hands.

“The things you’ve done and seen and been through… It’s no wonder you aren’t fearless anymore. You’d be mad if you were. But you aren’t mad, you’re just bold. Bolder and braver than anyone I know.”

“But—”

“You can take it or leave it, love, but brave is what you have now.” She leaned forward and gave Artemis a conspiratorial smile. “It’s good, I promise. Much better than fearless. Give it time, and you’ll think so, too.”

Artemis didn’t feel like she’d ever think that. Then again, she never had been much good at thinking. She still wasn’t good at thinking, even now.

She left the Three Broomsticks despondent. The snow was falling thick and fast, the way it rarely did in Ottery St Catchpole. She walked through the village without purpose, and before she realised it, she reached the fork of the path where a signpost pointed in the direction of Hogwarts School up the hill and Hogsmeade Station down it.

She looked up at the castle that stood watching over Hogsmeade, the castle that had been her home for almost seven years during her youth and a hell on earth for over seven hours earlier in the year. She had loved and she had lost, found friends and fought foes, had been challenged and been changed, all within its walls and on its grounds. Now, the castle itself had changed, had been half-destroyed and rebuilt again, and yet, it was still recognisable as Hogwarts, right down to the Thestrals she could just about see in the distance, frolicking in the snow in the shadow of the turrets and towers.

For a moment, she considered walking up there to get a closer look, but instead, she followed the path downhill, towards the station. The platform was empty, almost eerily quiet. The station clock read ten past ten, the way it had done for years. It was as if the station were…

Frozen in time.

Tears pricked at Artemis’ eyes. Years ago, when she was young and bold and reckless, she had stood here with Rowan, her best friend, even now that she was gone.

Now, Artemis was Charlie’s best friend. If it weren’t for her lingering love for Rowan and out of respect for her memory, perhaps she would call Charlie her best friend in return. She cared about him enough. He meant enough to her.

So, why couldn’t she just do as he asked and think about what it meant to kiss him, to want him to want her, to feel this new pull towards him that had never been there before?

Because, thought Artemis, she wasn’t ready to open the door to the truth of what she was feeling. She was afraid of what those feelings might mean, and what might change as a result. Facing that required bravery, but she had never needed to be brave before. She had only ever been fearless. Could she ever be that brave, as brave as Charlie and Rosmerta believed her to be? Could bravery really be better than fearlessness?

The sound of a train whistle echoed down the tracks, piercing through the cold air. Artemis jumped, and hastily rubbed her damp cheeks with the heel of her hand as the Hogwarts Express pulled into the platform. But though the doors opened, no one disembarked.

She was still entirely alone. The clock still read ten past ten.

Perhaps, if Artemis had been brave instead of fearless, Rowan would still be alive, would still be here, still with her.

Her breath caught in her throat. Once upon a time, she had lost her best friend to thoughtlessness. She couldn’t afford to let that happen again.

Turning her back to the station clock, Artemis walked down the length of the train, peering through each and every open door as she passed by the carriages until she saw the ticketmaster.

“Is this one going back to London?” she asked him. He nodded in response. “How long does it take?”

The ticketmaster hummed before relying, “Eight hours, give or take.”

It was nearly sunset. By the time that the train reached its destination, it would be gone midnight. It would be Christmas Day.

“It’s a Sickle for a single journey,” the ticketmaster told her. “You want a ticket or not?”

It took longer for Artemis to find a Sickle in her pocket than it did for her to answer. Once she had been handed her ticket, she found an empty compartment and opened the window. She took the seat nearest the open window and leaned against it, her breath fogging up the glass in front of her face.

Another whistle, and the train pulled away from the station, the tracks leading it away from Hogsmeade village and into the vast, snow-driven wilderness, the sound of the engine steadily chugging away. Artemis closed her eyes and took a breath of the cold, smoky air.

It was time for her to be brave. It was time for her to think.

[xbonecandyx]

Whats the deal with Jade?

In courtin cowboys she pegs us instead of us pegging her, does she have both bits?

I love her anyway and very glad she got the horse of her dreams

She's a trans woman! ☺️ I also chose to portray her with the shirt kept on because I know that stuffing a corset/shirt may have been the best way for her to get the sihlouette she wanted back before implants or top surgery.

[broomsticks]

@sapphicmicrofics apr 9 prompt

(madam puddifoot x madam rosmerta, G, 50 words)

Morning After

Portia Puddifoot awoke in an unfamiliar room.

She blinked, disoriented; the grimy windowpane did little to soften the glare that lit the wood-paneled walls, the battered table-and-chair set in a corner, and the bed she was in — naked — and not alone.

“G’morning!” chirped the lump of blankets beside her.

“Rosmerta?”

[squibstress]

HP Rec Fest - Day 19

Prompt: Fic with the hottest smut @hprecfest

Liars

Pairing: Alastor/Minerva

Creator: DaphneRunning

Rating: MA/NC-17

Word Count: 23,087

Summary: The night before Minerva McGonagall begins teaching at Hogwarts, she pays an unexpected visit to Alastor Moody, the brash young Auror. Will eventually span the 1950s to the end of the First War.

Why You Should Check It Out:

"Liars" puts Minerva McGonagall and Alastor Moody into a relationship that at first seems vaguely toxic but grows into something else entirely. Both are vividly characterized, deeply real people with flaws and fears and love and humor that make you cheer for them.

You're Always Welcome at the Three Broomsticks

Pairing: Rosemerta/Severus

Creator: rayvyn2k

Rating: MA/NC-17

Word Count: 17,600

Summary: Over the years, Severus comes to depend on the safe space that Rosmerta provides.

Why You Should Check It Out:

Tender (and hot!) telling of an unexpected friendship that becomes something much more.

Venus & Adonis

Pairing: Minerva/Oliver

Creator: MarsEverlasting

Rating: MA/NC-17

*Warning:** teacher/underage student

Word Count: 14,407

Summary: Summary: Minerva McGonagall comes to England to care for her ailing sister, and finds something so much more. A lesson in growth for one, and pleasure for the other.

Why You Should Check It Out:

This is a tale of unlikely bedfellows Minerva McGonagall and Oliver Wood (he's sixteen, so there's your chan warning right there) that somehow manages to be totally in-character. It's tender without being sentimental and very, very hot. It does male-May/female-December realistically without condescending to either party. No Tea and Sympathy here, only lyrical writing and trenchant observation.

[weasleydailyprophet]

Ron's first crush was Madame Rosmerta, and Hermione's first crush was Gilderoy Lockhart.